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Submarines | Nonfiction Reading Test 1

Do you know the difference between a submarine and a submersible? A submarine is a watercraft that is capable of independent operation under the sea. Submarines do not require support ships because submarines can renew their air and power supplies independently. Submersibles also submerge and operate underwater but they need the support of a larger !essel. Submersibles cannot renew their air and power supplies without support. "or this reason submersibles are usually smaller and cannot spend as much time underwater as submarines. #he first documented submersible was constructed in $%&' by (ornelius Drebbel. )t was powered by rowing oars underwater. #hough this craft was originally designed for underwater e*ploration it did not take long for in!entors and makers of war to recogni+e the military potential of the submersible. )n $%,- .ishop /ohn 0ilkins wrote 1)t may be of great ad!antages against a Na!y of enemies who by this may be undermined in the water and blown up.2 3!er one4hundred years later the first military submarine was ready to be deployed. #he Turtle was the world5s first submarine used in combat. Designed by Da!id .ushnell in $667 it was deployed by the (ontinental Army during the American 8e!olutionary 0ar. #hough the Turtle did utili+e a support ship in combat it was fully capable of renewing its air and power supplies independently9 therefore the Turtle is considered to ha!e been a submarine and not a submersible. #he Turtle was powered by hand4cranked propellers and was named as such because it resembled a turtle. )t held a single person mo!ed about three miles per hour in calm water and contained enough air to stay submerged for about thirty minutes. :eneral 0ashington authori+ed an attack using the Turtle on a .ritish flagship blockading New ;ork <arbor. Sgt. =+ra >ee operated the Turtle and attempted to affi* underwater e*plosi!es to the .ritish ship but he failed. #he Turtle was later destroyed by the .ritish. Despite this failure the Turtle is still remembered as the first submarine used
Drawing of .ushnell5s Turtle

Another notable submarine originally designed for war was /ulius <. ?roehl5s Sub Marine Explorer. .uilt between $-%@ and $-%% this submarine was created for the North during the American (i!il 0ar but the war ended before it went into use. After the war it was used commercially to har!est pearls in Aanamanian waters during the late $-%'s. Bnfortunately the dangers of decompression sickness Ca condition that occurs when di!ers rise to the water5s surface too quicklyD were not understood. 0hile e*perimenting with the Sub Marine Explorer in $-%6 ?roehl himself perished from decompression sickness. )n $-%E a new engineer put the Sub Marine Explorer back to the task of har!esting pearls. #ragically use of the Sub Marine Explorer was discontinued after the entire crew died from decompression sickness. Submarine use increased greatly during 0orld 0ar ). Due to inno!ations in engineering such as a dual power system using both diesel and electric sources submarines had finally de!eloped into effecti!e war machines. 3ne watercraft called the B4.oat was put to great effect by the :ermans. Some argue that the B4.oat was more of a submersible since B4.oats operated primarily on the surface using diesel engines and submerged only occasionally to attack using battery power but the effecti!eness of the B4.oat in combat is certain. During 0orld 0ar ) more than 7 ''' Allied ships were sunk by B4.oats including the >usitania which is often cited as a reason why

offensi!ely during war. B4.oats were again utili+ed e*tensi!ely by the :ermans during 0orld 0ar )). #hough the B4 .oats were de!astating to .ritish fleets ad!ances in technology such as radar and sonar reduced their o!erall effecti!eness. Additionally the B.S. had also de!eloped and deployed a fleet of submarines to great effect. #hough the /apanese attack on Aearl <arbor destroyed or se!erely damaged many of the B.S. Na!y5s front4line Aacific "leet ships B.S. submarines sur!i!ed the attack and went on to cause great damage. Submarines though only about & percent of the B.S. Na!y destroyed o!er @' percent of the /apanese Na!y. #his made B.S. submarines the most effecti!e anti4ship and anti4submarine weapon in the entire American arsenal.

America entered the war. Fodern submarines are now powered by a nuclear reactor. #he nuclear reactor generates a tremendous amount of power and frees the submarine from the need to occasionally surface. #he large amount of power generated by these reactors allows submarines to operate at high speeds for long durations. (urrent nuclear submarines ne!er need to be refueled throughout their &74year life4spans. #he only factor limiting the amount of time that an ad!anced submarine can remain submerged is the amount of food and water that the submarine can carry. =!en the .ishop /ohn 0ilkins when he imagined the military capabilities of future submarines from $%,- could not ha!e en!isioned such an ama+ingly powerful watercraft.

Directions: 8ead each question carefully and choose the best answer. 8efer to the te*t if necessary. 0rite your answer on the pro!ided space. $. "or what purpose were submersibles originally designed? a. #ransporting passengers underwater without the threat of storms b. =*ploring under the sea c. Smuggling weapons and outlawed materials d. Attacking ships on the surface of the water &. 0hy was the Sub Marine Explorer originally created? a. #o assist the North in the (i!il 0ar b. #o har!est pearls c. #o e*plore undersea d. #o e*periment with decompression sickness @. 0hich is most likely to limit the how long a modern submarine can remain submerged? a. #he amount of fuel in the submarine b. #he air supply in the submarine c. #he amount of food and water aboard the submarine d. #here is no limit to the amount of time a modern submarine can remain submerged ,. <ow were B4.oats powered? a. <and crank c. .attery e. None of these b. Diesel d. .oth . G ( f. All of these __________ __________

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7. 0hich of the following statements best describes the Turtle according to the te*t? a. #he Turtle was the first submarine used during war to destroy another ship. b. #he Turtle was the first submersible used during war to attack another ship. c. #he Turtle was the first submersible used during war to destroy another ship.

d. #he Turtle was the first submarine used during war to attack another ship. e. #he Turtle is the biggest and fastest watercraft in all of human history. %. 0hich of the following best describes why the author most likely wrote this te*t? a. #o entertain his audience with stories about submarines b. #o educate his readers about how submarines work c. #o inform his readers about the e!olution of submarines d. #o con!ince his audience to purchase a submarine 6. 0hich is the most likely reason why the author wrote the first paragraph? a. #o e*plain a concept that would be referenced throughout the te*t b. #o introduce the main idea of the te*t c. #o get the reader5s attention with startling information d. #o amuse the reader with an interesting historical anecdote -. 0hich does not describe a way in which submersibles are different from submarines? a. Submersibles are usually smaller than submarines. b. Submersibles are not capable of independent operation. c. Submersibles can usually spend more time underwater than submarines. d. Submersibles cannot independently renew their air and power supplies. E. 0hich of the following best describes how the te*t is structured in the first paragraph? a. (ompare and (ontrast b. (hronological c. Aroblem and Solution d. Sequence H Arocess e. 3rder of )mportance $'. 0hich of these e!ents happened first? a. #he Turtle was destroyed. b. .ishop /ohn 0ilkins recogni+ed the military potential of submersibles. c. #he Sub Marine Explorer was used to har!est pearls. d. 8adar and Sonar were in!ented. __________ $$. 0hich most likely e*plains why B.S. submarines sur!i!ed the attack on Aearl <arbor? a. .ecause the /apanese did not !alue the submarines as worthy targets b. .ecause the submarines were much smaller than all of the other boats in the B.S. Na!y c. .ecause the /apanese were targeting B.S. submersibles instead d. .ecause the submarines were submerged and difficult to strike __________ $&. 0hich of the following statements is entirely true? a. Sgt. =+ra >ee in!ented the Turtle9 (ornelius Drebbel in!ented the first submersible9 b. .ishop /ohn 0ilkins in!ented the first submersible9 Da!id .ushnell in!ented the Turtle9 c. Da!id .ushnell in!ented the Turtle9 /ulius <. ?roehl in!ented the Sub Marine Explorer d. /ulius <. ?roehl in!ented the Sub Marine Explorer9 /ohn 0ilkins in!ented the B4.oat __________ $@. 0hich of these e!ents happened last? a. B.S. submarines sur!i!ed the attack on Aearl <arbor. b. Sgt. =+ra >ee attempted to blow up a .ritish flagship using a submarine. c. B4.oats sank the Lusitania. d. /ulius <. ?roehl5s de!eloped the Sub Marine Explorer __________ __________

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$,. 0hich of the following would be the best title for this reading passage? a. <ow Submarines 0ork b. A Short <istory of Submarines c. Turtle: #he "irst (ombat Submarine d. #he Differences .etween Submarines and Submersibles