Question

Until men invented ways of staying underwater for more than a few minutes, the wonders of the world below the sea were almost unknown. The main problem, of course, was air. How could air be supplied to swimmers below the surface of the sea? Pictures made about 2,900 years ago in Asia show men swimming under the surface with air bags tied to their bodies. A pipe from the bag carried air into the swimmer’s mouth. But little progress was made in the invention of diving devices(设备) until about 1490, when the famous Italian painter, Leonardo da Vinci, designed a complete diving suit..

In 1819 a German, Augustus Siebe, developed a way of forcing air into the head-covering by a machine operated above the water. Finally, in 1837 he invented the “hard-hat suit” which was to be used for almost a century. It had a metal covering for the head and an air pipe attached to a machine above water. It also had small openings to remove unwanted air. But there were two dangers to the diver inside the “hard-hat suit.” One was a sudden rise to the surface, caused by too great a supply of air. The other was the crushing of the body, caused by a sudden dive into deep water. The sudden rise to the surface could kill the diver; a sudden dive could force his body up into the head covering, which could also result in death.

During the 1940s diving underwater without a special suit became popular. Instead, divers used a breathing device and a small covering made of rubber and glass over part of the face. To increase the swimmer’s speed another new invention was used – a piece of rubber shaped like a giant foot, which was attached to each of the diver’s own feet. The manufacture of rubber breathing pipes made it possible for divers to float on the surface of the water, observing the marine life beneath them. A special rubber suit made diving comfortable, even in icy water.

The most important advance, however, was the invention of a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus which is called a “scuba.”

Invented by two Frenchmen, Jacques Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, the scuba consists of a mouthpiece joined to one or two tanks of compressed air which are attached to the diver’s back. The scuba makes it possible for a diver-scientist to work 200 feet underwater – or ever deeper – for several hours. As a result, scientists can now move around freely at great depths, learning about the wonders of the sea.

1.The first major break-through in the invention of diving devices was in _______.

A.    1940s

B.    1837

C.    1680

D.    1490

2.    The giant foot made of rubber is a device to ____________.

A.    make diving easier and more comfortable

B.    increase the diver’s speed

C.    be used together with the hard-hat suit

D.    enable the diver to float on the surface

3.    Which of the following is NOT correct about the scuba?

A.    It is a machine that pumps air to underwater swimmers.

B.    It contains one or two tanks of compressed air.

C.    It contains a mouthpiece and an air tank.

D.    It was invented by two Frenchmen.

4.    A scuba makes it possible for ___________________.

A.    the divers to stay at great depth as long as they like

B.    swimmers to breathe in air under the sea

C.    scientists to work no more than 200 feet below water

D.    divers to come up to the surface whenever he wants to

5.    This article is meant to ___________________.

A.    discuss a solution to a particular problem

B.    comment on a series of inventions

C.    describe the development of a certain device

D.    show the way to breathe under water

 

Answer 1

答案：DBABC
解析：

1.根据第一段最后一句； 2.参见第四段中To increase the swimmer’s speed another new invention was used – a piece of rubber shaped like a giant foot, which was attached to each of the diver’s own feet. ； 3.参加倒数第二段； 4.参考倒数第二段和最后一段中The scuba makes it possible for a diver-scientist to work 200 feet underwater – or ever deeper – for several hours. ； 5.本文讲述了diving device的发展过程。