Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.

　　"Storm at Sea"，a short poem written around 700，is generally regarded as one of mankind's earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.

　　When the wind is from the west

　　All the waves that cannot rest

　　To the east must thunder on

　　Where the bright tree of the sun

　　Is rooted in the ocean's breast.

　　As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise-it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.

　　It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath-perhaps not so noticeably out in mid－ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics (模仿) nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic existences, too；unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike，mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony，giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild；always it is strong and striking.

　　语篇解读：本文为一篇夹叙夹议文。表达了对大西洋的赞美。大西洋一直是很活跃的，它的力量强大得无可比拟，并且狂野不羁。

1．Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is __________.