History of Life Jackets

Jennifer

Reading — Advanced Level
Share this exercise
Activity

Read the text and answer the questions

The most ancient examples of primitive life jackets can be traced back to inflated bladders, animal skins, or hollow sealed gourds, for support when crossing deep streams and rivers. Purpose-designed buoyant safety devices consisting of simple blocks of wood or cork were used by Norwegian seamen.

In 1804 a cork life jacket was available for sale in The Sporting Magazine. Personal flotation devices were not part of the equipment issued to naval sailors until the early 19th century. The modern life jacket is generally credited to the Inspector of Lifeboats at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the UK, Captain John Ross Ward. He later became the Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy. He created a cork vest in 1854 to be worn by lifeboat crews for both weather protection and buoyancy.

In 1900, French electrical engineer, Gustave Trouvé, patented a battery-powered wearable lifejacket. It incorporated small, rubber-insulated maritime electric batteries not only to inflate the jacket, but also to power a light to transmit and receive SOS messages and to launch a distress flare.


Source: Wikipedia
  1. What kind of materials were used as life jackets in the old days?
  2. Who used lifejackets back then?
  3. When were personal flotation devices issued to naval sailors?
  4. Who created a cork vest in 1854 to be worn by lifeboat crews ?
  5. What does SOS probably signify?
Submit
Discussion

Practice your writing skills by discussing the questions below

  1. When are life jackets worn/used?
  2. Have you used a life jacket before? Why?
    Jennifer

    Need help?

    Ask a question or reserve a class with Jennifer

    Vocabulary

    Translate

    From English
    To
    No translation
    © bitgab LLC
    Terms Privacy Cookies Advertise Learn English online blog Facebook Twitter