Pre-reading questions:
- What is your lifelong dream? Could you tell me about it?
- Do you want to explore underwater? Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
- surface /SUR-fis/
- occur /uh-KUR/
- observe /uhb-ZURV/
- data /DEY-tuh/
- indicate /IN-di-keyt/
[noun] – the outer or top part or layer of something
The moon’s surface is pocked with small craters.
[verb] – (especially of accidents and other unexpected events) to happen
If headaches only occur at night, a lack of fresh air and oxygen is often the cause.
[verb] – to watch carefully the way something happens or the way someone does something, especially in order to learn more about it
Observe how the people in the group interact.
[noun] – information, especially facts or numbers, collected to be examined and considered and used to help decision-making, or information in an electronic form that can be stored and used by a computer
She still needs to analyze the data.
[verb] – to show, point, or make clear in another way
Please indicate clearly which color you require.
Article reading:
In the same way that businessmen like Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Jeff Bezos are advancing space exploration, Stockton Rush hopes that OceanGate will encourage deep-sea exploration. Rush’s position in the North Atlantic doesn’t seem particularly notable at first. The remains of the Titanic, which went down in April 1912 after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage, are 3,800 meters below the surface. One of history’s most infamous and tragic events occurred here. The Titanic crew, members of OceanGate, scientists, and a small but substantial group of paid adventurers known as “mission experts,” who each paid up to $250,000 (approximately £225,000) for the opportunity to observe Titanic up close, were all present when Rush arrived. Rush had used a submersible to successfully approach the wreck the previous year.
Even though it will take several months to study the data they collected, the trip was satisfying. After coming out of the submersible, Rojas brushed away a tear and indicated that he wanted to do it in order to feel complete. Now he feels complete.
Comprehension questions
- According to the article, what lifelong desire do many people have?
- Who are the people who are advancing when it comes to space exploration?
- When did the Titanic sink?
- How much did each mission expert pay for the opportunity to observe the Titanic up close?
- How was the trip described in the article?
Discussion questions
- What do you know about the Titanic? Could you share something about it?
- What other things would you like scientists to explore aside from shipwrecks?
- If you had the money, would you like to join the exploration of the Titanic? Why or why not?
- Do you agree that the exploration of the Titanic is rewarding?
- Do you think it would be easy to travel underwater in the future? Please elaborate on your answer.