The term "clipper" is probably derived from the verb "clip," meaning to move quickly. It was given to sleek sailing ships (17)________. Such ships were called Yankee clippers. The age of the clippers lasted for just a decade, from the late 1840s to the mid-1850s. Nonetheless, (18)_______. Prior to the design of the Yankee clipper, England (19)______ that had a top speed of three or four knots. However, the long, lean, and beautiful Yankee (20)_______. Even when heavily loaded, they could maintain such speeds over long periods of time. It was not uncommon for a clipper ship to average 400 miles in a 24-hour period. Sadly, (21)______. A few, like the Cutty Sark, are now museums. Although some of these tall ships still sail the seas, they are usually not available to the public. One exception is t h e Clipper City, (22)_________. Pan Am's clipper aircraft have been gone for decades. But if you want to sail on a sleek clipper ship, you can charter the Clipper City at its home port in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia."