Caving
Preberi besedilo in odgovori na vprašanja spodaj s kratkimi odgovori.
Clinging on, crushed between two surfaces in semi-darkness is routine for commuters travelling to school or work by tube. What is different about caves, however, is that they also offer peace and quiet. Fifteen metres below the ground, the only sound is the trickle of running water.
We put on the heavy wet suits that are the standard clothing for cavers. A guide whose name was Jamie appeared. I asked him what might happen to us underground. ‘I suppose you could catch a cold,’ he replied. He has chosen a route which he knows is the easiest and driest because of the storm outside, and it’s Jamie who we’re all relying on to keep us out of danger. Sometimes visitors to these old mines are numerous enough to cause overcrowding, but there is still a wild, natural beauty in the caves and tunnels.
We turn off the helmet lights to experience the ‘ultimate darkness’ that the underworld offers. It’s Jamie who explains that the human eye adjusts to the absence of light in three stages, the last of which is imagining that you see something which isn’t there. If you wave your hand in front of your face, even though there is no light that enables you to see an image, your brain pretends that it can see your waving hand! Jamie thinks I’m ready to crawl into a narrow tunnel – just to see if I can make it – but it makes me feel more claustrophobic than being stuck in a lift!
However, as we turn around, blink our way back into the daylight and head for home, the caves seem a far nicer place to crouch in than a peak-hour commuter train.
- Beside the peace and quiet, what is typical of caves? ________________________________
- What equipment is needed for caving? ____________________________________________
- According to the text, is caving with an instructor a very dangerous sport? _______________
- Is the cave that the author is describing natural or man made? _________________________
- Can you eyes see anything in the darkness of a cave? ________________________________
- The author compares being in a narrow tunnel to ___________________________________.
