Distant Shores - Unit 7

C2 Proficiency · Gapped Text · Close-up C2 Workbook, National Geographic Learning

You are going to read a story about cave exploration. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the story. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1–7). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

Distant Shores

Or the time when that same colleague and I found prehistoric cave drawings in a section. We were featured in a potholing journal after that – we actually made the front cover: a photo of myself and my colleague, and behind us were etchings of horses and some kind of prehistoric bull that we'd never seen on any wall before in any cave.

Again, I don't believe in cave dwellers, but at such moments, logic can escape you. You have to tell yourself to calm down, even laugh a little at your predicament. And just like that – 'click!' – Mike finds his light switch and all is back to normal – a 'Phew' moment, of which all us potholers have had just as many as 'Wow' and 'Whoa!' moments.

For instance, once I stumbled upon a small opening that I hadn't seen before. It was no bigger than the width of my glove and there was no way I'd be able to fit through it. I told my dad to shine his torch at it and, to our shock, there was another section of the cavern on the other side. I could feel a gentle breeze and I would later learn the potholers' saying, 'If it blows, it goes.' This was worth exploring.

With just a few more taps of the hammer, it was finally wide enough for my dad to squeeze through. It was a rather thrilling moment and I felt we were like explorers of the new world, looking to see what treasures it had to offer. Once he was through, I passed the torch to Dad and I then heard a long 'Whoa!' that stirred up butterflies in my stomach.

I still go potholing with my dad, even after all these years. Although we've more or less retired from our local cave – which, incidentally, has since been transformed into a tourist attraction due to our discoveries – we've crossed borders and explored some of the most impressive caves in the world.

Other such fears are fed by the feeling that you can become trapped in a tight space or that you'll suffer from equipment failure and be left without vision. I remember a time once when I was potholing with my colleague and the torch on my helmet blew out. He hadn't turned on his helmet torch and we were far enough from the entrance that no light from the entrance could reach us. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face.

And of course, I sometimes feel like hanging up the helmet torch just for an easy life. There's nothing wrong with going on an organised tour every once in a while, one that includes a visit to a cavern snack bar or features a cable car that takes you back to the top. Besides, were it not for these tours, most people might not even step foot in a cave in their entire lives, which would make me a little sad.

At that moment, I was naturally anxious to see what he was gazing at, so I crawled through myself. The cavern was probably three times as big as the one we had already explored before. The smells were fresh and indicative of plant life. I wondered in passing if we were about to discover a new species of fern or a rare type of moss.

Cave exploration has been a lifelong obsession for me. I was lucky enough to have grown up about half a kilometre from a cave as a child, as well as to have a cave enthusiast as a father. He and I travelled to that cave several times a year, weather permitting, and each and every time we visited, we found something new that kept us wanting to come back again and again.

On our next trip, we decided to gather together some tools: a small hammer, a chisel and a cordless hand-held drill, to see if we could chip through the walls of the cave to squeeze through. It wouldn't take much; the material around the hole had worn away, probably from the elements. After about an hour, the space was big enough for me to fit through and I was all set to go, except my dad insisted we first check, for safety reasons, of course.

If I may just add here, this is the sort of moment that has compelled me to make potholing an integral part of my life. I've had many such moments like this in my exploratory quests, such as the moment I discovered a cavernous lake which, upon further inspection after my fellow potholer and I returned with diving equipment, led to another, previously-unexplored and water-accessible-only section.

I wouldn't classify myself as a professional or anything, but that kind of recognition makes you proud of what you do, even if it's more or less a hobby. But going back to that moment with my dad, it's a moment – probably the first such 'Wow' moment I had in my life, aside from unwrapping a birthday present – that I carry with me every single time I venture into a cave, be it one already explored or a new one in some far-off land.

We explored the new area for what seemed like an eternity, perhaps because I never wanted it to end. There is a mix of excitement and trepidation upon discovering a new area like this because, even though I knew cave monsters didn't exist, you always have this vague thought in the back of your mind that some strange Neolithic mammal with razor-sharp teeth and a voracious appetite is going to lunge at you.

On top of that, we were in a strange sort of trance, making it difficult to manoeuvre. I could sense that my fellow potholer was searching for the switch on his lamp and then I heard a noise that made me think, 'Oops, there goes a pick.' You're totally helpless at this point – no mobile signal, no way to even reach a mobile, no light, although I knew Mike would find his. You can't even yell for help because no one would hear you or something unpleasant would instead.

For this and many other reasons, potholing is like exploring a new universe just on the other side of our physical plane of existence. It's underneath the surface of the Earth and it contains wonders not found anywhere above ground, each of which is otherworldly and spectacular. And as I've said, you never know what you're going to find, and there is no shortage of gasps of amazement no matter how many times you explore one.

We've visited caves in North America quite frequently, where there is a lifetime of cave exploration to draw on, and through potholing connections we've managed to explore many which are off the beaten track. I'm truly lucky to have experienced this unique pleasure throughout my life. A quote from American writer Joseph Campbell often gets stuck in my head: 'The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.' I know he's speaking figuratively, but I'm quite happy to follow it in the literal sense as well.

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