Intermediate english reading

7 | 
P a g e
 
arms to recover objects and to investigate areas of a wreck that would otherwise pose 
physical peril to divers. 
7
Although advanced technology has made it easier for treasure hunters to find, 
access, investigate, and even raise sunken ships, there is no guarantee of success. A ship 
of interest can lie amid other wrecks, making it impossible to detect or distinguish. With 
the passage of time, sand and mud cover wreckage and the forces of nature erode and 
decompose steel, iron, wood, and other materials. Rugged, shifting terrain, as well as 
adverse marine and weather conditions, increase the risks of disaster to search crews. 
8
The exact nature and value of a ship’s cargo is often subject to a great deal of 
speculation. Since records were not always kept, particularly in wartime, the details of a 
ship’s cargo could be anybody’s guess. Even if treasure hunters have deep-enough 
pockets and a broad time horizon to go on their quest, they have a good chance of 
ending up with no legal claim to their booty. Laws governing the ownership of 
shipwrecks and their contents and the right of salvage are complex, and no 
international agreements exist. Opponents of commercial salvage condemn these 
attempts as the desecration of graves, while some archaeologists argue that these sites 
should be preserved in their virgin state. 
9
Despite the many obstacles, there are adventurers who cannot resist the lure of 
lost treasure. It is the sea, however, that remains in possession of these doomed vessels, 
and the sea is reluctant to give them up. 
Exercise 2.1 
Organizing vocabulary List the words and phrases from the reading text that relate to 
the following categories. An example has been provided for each category. 
1. Sea-going: vessels, ________________________________ 
2. Valuable: objects, ________________________________ 
3. Danger: tragedy, ________________________________