Welcome to the wolrd of technical diving, where no wreck seems to deep, no cave too lengthy , no breathing mixture too esoter

Diving

Welcome to the world of technical diving, where no wreck seems too deep, no cave too lengthy , no breathing mixture too esoteric and no piece of equipment too costly.

Technical diving differs from conventional scuba in the way an ascent of Mount Everest is not a stroll in the park. The critical difference is that “there’s a top to the mountain, but there’s no real limit to how deep divers go. People just keep going deeper and deeper. As they do, it is certain that they will be seriously injured or die becomes greater.”

Over the past five years the activity has managed to establish itself as a small industry in its own right, with a grossy magazine, an annual trade conference and even tour arrangers catering to its enthusiasts. It has also been linked to a moderate increase in diving-related fatalities and serious injuries, as some try to dive beyond their training or experience, or ill- prepared veterans fail to complete complicated and sometimes unprecedented dives.

Although once enjoyed mainly by adventurous males not overly concerned with personal safety, recreational scuba diving has become no riskiier than skiing. The metamorphosis was achieved through decades of improvements in equipment and training. Recreational divers were limited to breathing ordinary compressed air and to depth-and-time exposures that do not require decompression in stage on the way up. These restrictions in turn lead to a limit of 39 meters, a depth at which standard tables recommend that a diver spend no more than 10 minutes unless staged decompression is planned.

For the vast majority of divers the 39-meter limit is not onerous. Technical divers, however, use sophisticated methods and equipment, some adapted from commercial and military diving, to go deeper. “It opens up places you can’t see any other way, such as deep shipwrecks and caves , ” says Michael Menduno, editer of Aqua Crops, a bimonthly magazine devoted to technical diving. “It’s not easy, and there is some danger involved, ” adds Billy Deans, a vateran technical diver who helped to establish the field. “But it is now possible to go to about 90 meters with an acceptable degree of risk.”

Acceptable, that is, to extremely experienced divers with some cash to burn. The training alone can cost several thousand dollars. And it is not uncommon for a technical diver to step into the water wearing $9,000 worth of equipment, including diapers (a dive to 80 meters, with its staged decompression, can occupy at least two and half hour).

In 1935, a diver wearing a 1 atmosphere diving suit (a suit which maintained an internal pressure of one atmosphere -- the same pressure as at the surface of the ocean.) developed by J. Peress, is about to explore the wreck of the Lusitania .

A Identifying Reference

A. The word “they” line 7 refers to_____________.

ANS People who dive deeper and deeper.

B. The word “ the activity” line 9 refers to____________.

ANS Technical diving

C. The word “its” line 10 refers to______________.

ANS Technical diving

D. The word “their” line 13 refers to________________.

ANS divers’

E. the word “it” line 27 refers to_________________.

ANS Technical diving

B. True or False?

Write T in front of the correct statements and F in front of the incorrect statements.

………… 1. A hiker has a limit on the top of the mountain but not a

diver who can go as deep as he likes.

………… 2. Even divers go deeper, it would always be safe.

………… 3. Skiing is riskier than scuba diving.

………… 4. 39 meters under water is the limit for a diver to stay no

more than 10 minutes.

…………. 5. Now, it is possible to go much deeper than 90 meters with

an acceptable degree of risk.

Key

1. T

2. F

3. F

4. T

5. F

C. WORD MEANING : Fill in missing parts.

1) i_ _ _r_ _ = physically hurt

2) c_ _ _ _in_ = the work of providing food and drinks for meetings or social events

3) _ e_ _ _ _ t _ _ n _ _ = connected with activities that people do for enjoyment when they are not working

4) e _ _ _ p _ _ _ _ = the things that are needed for a particular purpose or activity

5) _ _ p_ s _ _ _ _ = the state of being in a place or situation where there is no protection from sth harmful or unpleasant

6) d _c_ _ _ _ _ ss_ _ _ = a reduction in air pressure or the act of allowing sth that has been compressed to fill the space that it originally took up

7) _ _ _ _ _d = a particular way of doing sth

8) _ _m_ _ _h_ _ = produced or happening every two months

9) v_ t _ _ _n = experienced

10) o_ _ _ p_ = to fill or use a space, an area or an amount of time

ANS.

1) injured

2) catering

3) recreational

4) equipment

5) exposures

6) decompression

7) method

8) bimonthly

9) veteran

10) occupy

D. SUMMARY CLOZE : Complete the following text using the words given.

Technical diving is (1)____________ from conventional scuba. The critical difference is that people can (2)____________ no further than the top of the mountain, but the (3)__________ of diving has no limit. And it would get more (4)_____________ as they go deeper.

Over the past five years, it seems that a lot of grossy magazine, an annual trade conference and even tour arrangers catering to its (5)_____________ have been released. As a result, diving ____________ itself as a small industry.

Although adventurous males are rarely concerned with their personal safety, and (7)___________ scuba diving has become no riskier than skiing, the equipment and training have been (8)____________ until now. A diver can go deep to a (9)____________ of 39 meters but can stay no longer than 10 minutes unless staged(10)_______________ is planned. However, technical divers can use the method and equipment (11)_____________ from military diving which would allow divers to go deeper, even around 90 meters.

Anyway, the training alone (12)____________ several thousand dollars. And it is not uncommon for a diver to step into water wearing $9,000 (13)_____________ of equipment.

decompression different hike worth improved dangerous limit adapted has established recreational costs depth enthusiasts

Ans.

1) different

2) hike

3) depth

4) dangerous

5) enthusiasts

6) has established

7) recreational

8) improved

9) limit

10) decompression

11) adapted

12) costs

13) worth

E. Choose the best answer

1.what is the writer’s main purpose in this passage?

To compare technical diving and scuba diving.
To explain why technical diving has become popular.
To describe the development of technical diving.
To point out the good and bad points of technical diving.

2. How does the writer feel about technical diving?

a. concerned

b. depressed

c. impressed

d. indifferent

3. What does the writer mean when he says “Recreational Scuba diving has become no riskier than skiing’’?

a. Skiing is riskier.

b. Both are not risky.

c. It is as risky as skiing

d. It is not as risky as skiing

4. Why aren’ t recreational scuba divers too worried about safety?

a. Expensive equipment is available.

b. They have become more adventurous.

c. Training and equipment have been improved.

d. The restrictions on depth-and-time exposures have become more flexible.

5. If drivers spend more than 10 minutes at depth of 39 meters, what do they need most for their safety on the way up?

a. compressed air

b. diving techniques

c. diving experience

d. staged decompression

6. How do the vast majority of divers feel about the 39-meter limit?

a. excited

b. disappointed

c. challenged

d. untroubled

7. What is the attitude of Michael Menduno towards technical diving?

a. critical

b. negative

c. neutral

d. positive

8. What is Billy Deans’ concern about technical diving?

a. depth

b. safety

c. time exposure

d. diving experience

9. Which of the following shows that the writer is in agreement with Michael Menduno ?

a. It is risky to dive 90 meters.

b. Diving training costs a lot of money.

c. It takes two and a half hours to dive safely.

d. It is possible to dive with experience and money.

Key

1. c

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่าวัตถุประสงค์หลักของผู้เขียนคืออะไร คำตอบก็คือ เพื่ออธิบายถึงพัฒนาการ ความก้าวหน้าของการดำน้ำอย่างมีเทคนิค เพราะผู้เขียนค่อยๆกล่าวถึงพัฒนาการความก้าวหน้าของ technical diving มาเป็นลำดับจนถึงการฝึกฝนดำน้ำที่หานักดำน้ำที่มีประสบการณ์มาช่วยสอนและฝึกให้

2. a

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่าผู้เขียนรู้สึกอย่างไรเกี่ยวกับการดำน้ำอย่างมีเทคนิค คำตอบก็คือ ห่วงใย เพราะมีการพูดถึงอันตรายที่อาจเกิดขึ้นจาการดำน้ำลึก

3. c

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่า ผู้เขียนหมายถึงอะไร เมื่อพูดว่า การดำน้ำโดยใช้เครื่องประดาน้ำเพื่อความบันเทิง ไม่เสี่ยงไปกว่าการเล่นสกี คำตอบคือทั้งการดำน้ำและการเล่นสกีมีความเสี่ยงพอๆ กัน ไม่มากน้อยไปกว่ากัน

4. c

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่าทำไมนักดำน้ำที่ใช้ชุดประดาน้ำเพื่อความความบันเทิงใจจึงไม่รู้สึกวิตกเกินไปเกี่ยวกับความปลอดภัย คำตอบก็คือ การฝึกและอุปกรณ์ได้รับการพัฒนาปรับปรุงให้ดีขึ้นแล้ว

5. d

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่า ถ้านักประดาน้ำใช้เวลามากกว่า 10 นาทีในระดับความลึก 39 เมตร พวกเขาต้องการอะไรมากที่สุดเพื่อความปลอดภัยของตนเองขณะพุ่งขึ้นสู่ผิวน้ำ คำตอบก็คือ การลดความดันไปทีละขั้น ดังในย่อหน้าที่4 ประโยคสุดท้าย

6. d

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่า นักประดาน้ำส่วนมากรู้สึกอย่างไรเกี่ยวกับการจำกัดความลึกไว้ที่ 39 เมตร คำตอบคือ untroubled ไม่รู้สึกเดือดร้อน ซึ่งมีความหมายเดียวกับ not onerous ซึ่งแปลว่าไม่เหน็ดเหนื่อย หรือลำบากอะไร ในย่อหน้า 4 ประโยคแรก

7. d

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่าทัศนคติ ของ Michael Menduno ที่มีต่อการดำน้ำคืออะไร คำตอบก็คือมีทัศนคติที่ดี จากประโยคในย่อหน้าที่ 5 ข้อความว่า “การดำน้ำเปิดโอกาสให้เราพบเห็นสิ่งต่างๆ ที่ไม่อาจเห็นด้วยวิธีการอื่น เช่น การเห็นซากเรืออัปปาง หรือถ้ำ”

8. b

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่า บิลลี่ ดีน รู้สึกเป็นห่วงกี่ยวกับการดำน้ำอย่างมีเทคนิคในด้านใด คำตอบ คือ ความปลอดภัย จากข้อความในย่อหน้าที่ 3 ซึ่งกล่าวว่า การดำน้ำไม่ใช่สิ่งง่ายๆ อาจมีอันตรายแฝงอยู่ด้วย

9. d

เหตุผล โจทย์ถามว่า ข้อใดต่อไปนี้ที่แสดงว่าผู้เขียนรู้สึกเห็นด้วยกับ บิลลี่ ดีน คำตอบคือ เป็นไปได้ที่จะดำน้ำด้วยประสบการณ์และเงิน

WORD LIST

Adapt (v)

Catering (n)

Cost (v)

Dangerous (adj)

Depth (n)

Different (adj)

Difference (n)

Differ (v)

Dive (v)

Enthusiast (n)

Equipment (n)

Establish (v)

Hike (v)

Improve (v)

Recreational (adj)

Worth (adj)

to change sth in order to make it suitable for a new use or situation

syn: MODIFY

the work of providing food and drinks for meetings or social events

if sth costs a particular amount of money, you need to pay that amount in order to buy, make or do it

likely to injure or harm sb, or to damage or destroy sth

the distance from the top or surface to the bottom of sth or the distance from the front to the back of sth

not the same as sb/sth;not like sb/sth else

opp:SIMILAR

the way in which two people or things are not like each other;the way in which sb/sth has changed

to be different from sb/sth

to jump into water with your head and arms going in first or to swim under water wearing breathing equipment, collecting or looking at things

a person who is very interested in sth and spends a lot of time doing it or a person who approves of sth and shows enthusiasism for it

the things that are needed for a particular purpose or activity; the process of providing a place or person with necessary things

to start or create an organization, a system etc. that is meant to last for a long time

syn: SET UP

to go for a long walk in the country, especially for pleasure or to spend time hiking for pleasure

to become better than before; to make sth/sb better than before

connected with activities that people do for enjoyment when they are not working

having a value in money, etc or used to recommend the action mentioned because you think it may be useful, enjoyable, etc.

Contributors :

1. Whithinya Kitlerdnapa

2. Jiranut Kitkobchai

3. Yaowares Kietthitima

4. Kittikorn Puengpitikul

Editor : Antikar Rongsa-ard

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