In this reading comprehension question based on a passage about exploring the underwater world with a mask and tube, identify which activity the writer is describing from the given options.

Introduction / Context:
This question comes from a descriptive passage about an underwater adventure. The writer talks about breathing through the mouth with a mask, looking at sea creatures, and watching colourful fish swim past. The task is to identify which activity, among fishing, snorkelling, boat ride, and long distance swimming, matches this description. Such questions test careful reading and the ability to link specific details in a passage to the correct concept or activity.

Given Data / Assumptions:
Important clues from the passage include:

• The instructor tells the person to breathe through the mouth, not the nose, or the mask will fog up.
• The writer looks through a mask into crystal clear water and sees pebbles, sand, and a fluid shadow.
• There are sea cucumbers, sea anemones, clown fish, star fish, sea horses, parrot fish, butterfly fish, and many colourful salt water fish.
• The writer mentions snorkelers who struggle to take in the beautiful sight.

Concept / Approach:
Snorkelling is a surface water activity in which a person floats or swims on the surface of the sea with a mask and a breathing tube called a snorkel. The person looks at marine life below through the mask while breathing through the mouth via the tube. In contrast, fishing focuses on catching fish, a boat ride emphasises travelling in a boat, and long distance swimming is about covering a long distance in water without specific equipment for viewing marine life. The presence of a mask, a tube, and the mention of snorkelers clearly point to snorkelling.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the instruction to breathe through the mouth to avoid fogging the mask, a key feature of using snorkelling equipment. Step 2: Observe that the writer is looking at an underwater world through a mask, not from above the water in a boat. Step 3: Recognise the mention of snorkelers later in the passage, which directly names the activity being done. Step 4: Compare this with fishing, which would involve rods, nets, or lines, none of which are mentioned. Step 5: Compare with boat ride, which would focus on sailing or moving in a vessel, again not part of the description. Step 6: Compare with long distance swimming, which concentrates on covering distance rather than viewing sea life through a mask. Step 7: Conclude that the passage describes snorkelling.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, recall the typical equipment used in snorkelling: a mask, a breathing tube, and sometimes fins. The passage emphasises breathing through the mouth, a mask that can fog up, and snorkelers enjoying the view. This matches the standard picture of snorkelling, not scuba diving, fishing, or boating. Since the word snorkelers itself appears, the activity is strongly confirmed as snorkelling.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, fishing, is incorrect because the passage does not mention any tools or actions related to catching fish. Option c, boat ride, is wrong because the focus is under the water surface, with no reference to boats or sailing. Option d, long distance swimming, is incorrect since the writer is not trying to swim far; instead, the focus is on observing marine life through a mask while using a breathing tube. None of these alternatives match the detailed description in the passage.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may quickly associate any water related passage with swimming or boating without carefully noting the specific clues about masks and tubes. Another pitfall is ignoring the explicit mention of snorkelers later in the passage. To avoid such errors, it is important to underline or mentally highlight key words like mask, tube, and snorkelers, which clearly identify the activity.

Final Answer:
The writer is describing the experience of snorkelling.