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TEXT A

Scuba Diving: The Ultimate Adventure

I didn’t know what the ultimate adventure was until I was
in it. A journey 20 000 leagues (about 40 feet) under the
sea—scubadivingforthefirsttime.TalkedintoaCaribbean
trip by a friend, before I had time for second thoughts I had
5 booked my ticket and was on a plane travelling from Britain
to the British Virgin Islands.
A two-day course introduced me to my first experience
of scuba diving. Dive BVI operate a course accredited by
ProfessionalAssociationofDivingInstructors(PADI)which
10 caters to all levels including mine: absolute know-nothing
amateur.
Before my trip, I spoke to friends who had been diving. They gave mixed reports. Some had trouble
withtheirears,somewithbreathing,somewiththegeneralsenseofbeingunderwater. Hearingallthis,
it was fair to say that I was a bit apprehensive.
15 Rather than the difficult experience I expected, diving actually came very naturally. It felt like a cross
between flying, meditating and going to the most colourful museum in the world. After I had done it
once, I was hooked!
The first day of diving was a crash course. After filling out forms relieving Dive BVI of any responsibility
incaseofmyuntimelydeath,Iwasissuedmyequipment.Withmyinstructor,wewentintotheshallows
20 to practise basic skills including emptying your mask if it fills with water, reclaiming your regulator if
it comes out of your mouth and breathing from your“buddy’s”tank if your own air runs out. After a
couple hours training, I was ready for my first dive.
Thethingthatfirststruckmeaboutdivingishowdissimilaritistoswimming. Ratherthanpaddlingwith
your arms, I used little leg kicks to get through the water. An important part of training is learning how
25 to breathe effectively. Too much inhalation can burn through your air too quickly. Breathing is also
used for movement: deep breaths in and your lungs fill with air causing you to rise, sharp exhalation
and you sink towards the bottom.
Rosewood Bay was a magnificent place to learn to dive. The waters surrounding the island are clear
andwarmandhometobeautifulsealife.Theresortisbeautifullydecoratedwithtop-notchrestaurants.
30 The spa is an excellent way to recuperate after a day splashing around underwater.
Diving Information
A full Open Water diving course has three sections– theory (done out of the water), confined water
training (skills mastered in a pool or shallow water) and checkout dives (four total dives that prove
skillsmastery). Manypeopledothetheoryandconfinedtrainingathomeandthengototheirchosen
destination to do their checkout dives.
35 Scuba diving is an experience like no other. It may turn out to be the best adventure of your life!

[Photo from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scuba_diver1.jpg,

Text ©The Times 02/12

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TEXT B

RIGHT ON THE MARK

Mark Hunter may be bound to a wheelchair, but that isn’t stopping him from going places.

[ – X – ]
Mark Hunter is an example of positivity – and he won’t have it any other way. Such is his cheery
disposition that even details of the waterskiing accident that put him in a wheelchair some 36 years
ago are hazy for him. So if you expect him to start his story with: “It was a beautiful morning
5 in 1975, but little did I know my life was to change forever” – you’re greatly mistaken. The man
may be a victim of incomplete tetraplegia (partial paralysis), but his spirit is anything but crushed.
As he puts it, “all the accident did was change the way I get around”.

[ – 8 – ]
Crowned the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking, during which he beat thousands of
other contestants in a series of speech contests, Mark Hunter is a school principal, life coach, and
10 a strong advocate for the rights of the disabled.

[ – 9 – ]
Hunter is invited all over the world to address audiences. As he wheels into the room, a low buzz
ripples through the crowd. The real show begins when he takes center stage. With humorous
tales of his own fears and “sneaking up on students, thanks to the absence of footsteps”,
he entertains the audience with meaningful personal anecdotes which relate to lessons learned
15 in life.

[ – 10 – ]
Hunter agrees that “his wheels” may prove a distraction while delivering speeches but he uses
it to his advantage. “After people have known me for a while, the wheelchair doesn’t exist.”
On stage he dismisses it early. “I tell the audience what happened, so they don’t spend the rest of
the speech wondering how I got there.”

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[ – 11 – ]
20 One of his messages is to maximize who you are because that’s what makes you authentic.
During his speeches, he skids around onstage, 40 miles an hour, burning rubber. “For me to
deny the wheelchair would be foolish,” he says. Does he possess a natural predisposition to
be so enthusiastic? “I have a belief that you will be given only that which you can cope with,”
says Hunter. “It’s how you deal with it that makes the difference. Life deals us cards that aren’t
25 beyond our coping mechanisms.”

[ – 12 – ]
While the accident changed Hunter’s outlook in many ways, more than anything else, it made
the Australian more tenacious about protecting the rights of others, such as the disabled.
“Discrimination can occur in any number of ways”, says Hunter, not least the times when he
travels with friends, “The service providers tend to talk to the people with me even though it’s
30 about me and my needs. People aren’t comfortable talking directly to those with disabilities.”

His advice:“When you build buildings, make them accessible. Celebrate the fact that people like
me can come to your city, state or country and enjoy everything it has to offer. Disability can
knock on anybody’s door. Multicultural societies must ensure that it’s not attitude or access that
disables people.”

35 Hunter makes the whole deal seem a breeze when it’s probably anything but. “The measure of
you is your ability to bounce back.” As far as that’s concerned, Mark Hunter, for one, is proving
he’s right on the mark.

“Photo of Mark Hunter winning the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking in 2009,
courtesy of Toastmasters International.”

[Text: This is an extract from an article by Karen Ann Monsy which appeared in Khaleej Times on
December 11, 2009]

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SECTION A

TEXT A — SCUBA DIVING: THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE

1. From statements A to K, select the four that are true according to Text A. Write the appropriate
letters, in any order, in the answer boxes provided. An example is included. [4 marks]

A. A friend convinced the author of the text to go on a scuba diving trip. Example: G
B. The author of this text went for his first dive trip in the British Virgin
Islands. A

C. The author was already an experienced diver before going to

Rosewood Bay. B

D. The author’s friends all had good things to say about scuba diving.
E. The author experienced a lot of difficulties on his first dive. H

F. Before diving in the sea, the author practised some basic skills in the
swimming pool. J

G. The author was ready for his first dive two hours after starting the
course.
H. The author felt that scuba diving was very similar to swimming.
I. While diving you can use your breathing to move yourself up and
down in the water.
J. Two parts of the Open Water diving course take place in the water.
K. You must start and finish your Open Water diving course in the same
location.

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Answer the following questions.

2. According to the text, what is one problem a person might have while diving?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trouble with their breathing

3. The author compares diving to three common activities. Name one of them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Swimming

4. Name one activity that a person can engage in at Rosewood Bay besides diving.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The spa

Find the word in the right-hand column which is closest in meaning to one of the words on the left.
An example is included.

Example: ultimate (line 1) E A. unenthusiastic

B. superior
5. sense (line 13) G
C. intelligence
D. addicted
6. hooked (line 17) D
E. greatest
7. top-notch (line 29) H B F. second-rate
G. feeling
H. first

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TEXT B — RIGHT ON THE MARK

Read Text B and match the headings on the right with the paragraphs in the text. Write the letter in the
answer box provided. An example is included. note: there are more options than you need.

Example: [ – X – ] D A. Mark wins 2009 World Championship of Public Speaking

8. [ – 8 – ] G
9. [ – 9 – ] B
10. [ – 10 – ] C
B. Mark becomes an advocate for the disabled
C. Getting the focus off the wheelchair and onto himself
D. A positive outlook on life
E. The story of how Mark became paralysed

F. Mark gets attention by using his wheelchair

11. [ – 11 – ] L
12. [ – 12 – ] J
K
G. Mark’s many accomplishments
H. How his disability changed his life
I. Wheelchair tricks help Mark win the World Championship
J. Mark’s advice to his audience
K. Mark wows audiences worldwide
L. The accident that forever changed him

The sentences below are either true or false. Tick [  ] the correct answer. Justify your answer by quoting
a relevant phrase from the text. Both answers are required for one mark. An example is included.

True False
Example: Mark Hunter is known for his upbeat attitude. 

Justification:. . . . . . . . is an example of positivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13. Mark became disabled in a recent waterskiing accident.

Justification: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
line 3

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True False

14. Mark’s memories of the accident that paralysed him are very clear.

Justification: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
line 2-4

15. One of Mark’s recent accomplishments was winning the World Championship
of Public Speaking.

Justification: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
line 8

16. According to Mark, his wheelchair has no effect on his audience.

Justification: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
line 16

17. Mark believes that we are only given challenges that we can deal with.

Justification: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18. Mark believes that people have difficulties speaking with disabled people.

Justification: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Complete the following table by indicating to whom or to what the word/s underlined refer/s. An example
is included.

In the phrase … the word/s … refer/s to …

Example: and he won’t have it (line 2) “he” . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19. a low buzz ripples through the

“the crowd” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
His audience
crowd (lines 11 and 12)

20. agrees that “his wheels” may

“his wheels” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
His wheel chair
(line 16)

21. how I got there (line 19) “there” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Being paralysed

22. everything it has to offer (line 32) “it” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Life the country/city/state

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• One mark is allocated per question unless otherwise indicated.

• Sauf indication contraire, chaque question vaut un point.
• Cada pregunta vale un punto, a menos que se indique algo distinto.

SECTION A

TEXT A — SCUBA DIVING: THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE

1. A, B, I, J (in any order) [4 marks]

2. trouble with ears / trouble with breathing / trouble with general sense of being
underwater / mask filling with water / regulator coming out of mouth / running out
of air / too much inhalation which burns through air too quickly
Accept other words with the same meaning.

3. flying / meditating / going to the (most colourful) museum (in the world) /
swimming
Accept other words with the same meaning.

4. eat in (top-notch) restaurants / go to the spa

Accept other words with the same meaning.

5. G

6. D

7. B

TEXT A: [10 marks]

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TEXT B — RIGHT ON THE MARK

8. G

9. K

10. C

11. J

12. B

NOTE: For the justification in questions 13 to 18, allow only the quotation as given,
possibly with a few additional words, provided that they do not materially alter
the meaning. Both True/False and quotation response must be correct for
the mark.

13. False – accident that put him in a wheelchair some 36 years ago / in 1975 (but
little did I know my life was to change forever)

14. False – (details of the waterskiing accident that put him in a wheelchair) are hazy
(for him)

15. True – crowned the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking

16. False – (Hunter agrees that) “his wheels” may prove a distraction while delivering
speeches

17. True – (I have a belief that) you will be given only that which you can cope with /
life deals us cards that aren’t beyond our coping mechanisms

18. True – people aren’t comfortable talking directly to those with disabilities /
the service providers tend to talk to the people with me even though it’s
about me and my needs

19. the audience/audiences

20. (his / Mark Hunter’s) wheelchair

21. in his wheelchair / in a wheelchair / (the state of) being disabled / being partially
paralysed / having tetraplegia
Accept similar wording with the same meaning.

22. city, state or country / city / state / country

Accept “city or state”, “state or country” or “city or country”.
Do not accept “states”, “countries” or “cities”.

TEXT B: [15 marks]