On the pristine coast of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a small fishing village called Mahabalipuram is home to Mumu Surf School, one of the most popular surfing schools in India. It is run by Mukesh Panjanathan, also known as Mumu, who lives two minutes from the school on the beach.
Every morning, he watches the sunlight sparkle on the seawater, and palm leaves sway with the breeze. Along the shore are kattumarams, which he used to sneak into the sea as a child to ride the waves. But as beautiful as it looks, the beach town has a dark side.
Mumu was only 12–the youngest of six siblings–when his father, who suffered from alcoholism-related health problems, died by suicide.
“Alcohol addiction is an immense challenge for fishing communities.” Vincent Jain, the deputy chief of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies, told VICE. “Most of them start drinking when they reach their teens and start earning some money.”
It is common for fishermen to drink up to three times a day, and paying for their addiction uses up much of the money they make. As things stand, their income has been decreasing because of large-scale commercial fishing activities and the climate crisis.
Mumu, now 36, said fishermen use alcohol as a “painkiller” because of the exhausting nature of their jobs. They paddle（用桨划）their boats into the sea as early as three in the morning, sometimes in very harsh conditions, and return with a batch of fish at sunrise. That is, if they’re in luck, the rest of the day leaves them with nothing to do.
“Drinking makes them feel better. Slowly, it becomes a habit,” he said. “But things are changing.”
Over the last 15 years, the rise of surf culture in Mahabalipuram has not only transformed it into one of India’s top water sports destinations, but also opened doors for the young to pursue alternative careers. “The coming generations have much more freedom to choose what they want to do, instead of sitting around and getting drunk.” said Mumu, who is among the first surfers to emerge from the local fishing community.
【小题1】According to paragraph 2, the underline word “kattumaarams” probably refers to .| A．the alternative for the word “wave” in Mahabalipuram |
| B．a kind of boat used in Mahabalipuram |
| C．the animals living along the shore |
| D．the friends of Mumu with whom he went to the sea |
| A．The drinking culture here causes a lot of trouble. |
| B．Many people died young in this place. |
| C．The people here are too addicted to surfing. |
| D．The night here is longer than other places. |
| A．They have nothing to do after finishing their job. |
| B．Drinking reduces their physical pain caused by their job. |
| C．They are so used to drinking that they can’t quit it. |
| D．Drinking relieves them of the tiredness caused by their job. |
| A．how Mumu became a surfer in the village and started Mumu Surf School |
| B．the new alternative careers the young can choose in the village |
| C．how surfing culture helps fishermen in the village get rid of drinking |
| D．other water sports destinations in India |
