新概念3 第12课 有个句子不太明白啊

新概念3 第12课 有个句子不太明白啊
Life on a desert island is wretched. You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes. Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few us have had the opportunity to find out.句子的结尾能改成一般现在是吗 意思会有变化吗