Pirates

This passage describes the life of a pirate.

Lexile Level: 610L

Categories: History Adventure

The age of pirates began after the discovery of the Americas. Pirate life wasn't like what we see in movies. Pirates are often shown as having fun and eating well. Real sea voyages were long and difficult. During long trips, pirates didn't eat well. They ate spoiled meat and hard crackers. The water was terrible too. Pirates drank water that tasted like algae. We also see pirates burying treasure chests filled with gold, silver, and jewels. Real-life pirates mainly stole tobacco, rum, and sugar. Instead of hiding their treasure, they often spent what they stole. Pirates rarely used swords or cannons. At that time, steel wasn't very strong. Blades broke during fights. Ship to ship fighting with cannons wasn't common either. Pirates usually overtook ships by boarding them. Then they would fight on deck. If they went overboard, pirates were in big trouble. Most pirates couldn't swim!