1 . The grass swung gently above a crack in the limestone (石灰岩) and Ludvik Husu realized he had found what he was searching for: a new cave in Slovenia’s dramatic Karst (喀斯特) region.
The cave enthusiast, with more than 50 years of experience, told AFP that “the conditions were perfect ... all the signs pointed to something beneath” as he felt the air current push up from below.
The 63-year-old had come across a new, 60-meter-deep limestone cave, a discovery that made the headlines this summer in a country that prides itself on its 14,000 underground caves.
The tiny Alpine nation is unusually rich in caves, which are a major tourist attraction. Perhaps the best known is the Postojna cave system, the longest in Europe, discovered by another amateur enthusiast two centuries ago. It extends for 24 kilometers and has offered up valuable finds for biologists.
Stanislav Glazar, a Postojna cave guide, told AFP that more than 150 species have been discovered in the system.
Glazar said Postojna is one of the richest caves in the world “in limestone formations.” The cave, located about 50 kilometers south of the capital Ljubljana, was also home to the world’s first cave tourist train, which began transporting visitors in 1872.
Elsewhere in the Karst region, the cave systems are of historical, cultural and even extraterrestrial interest. For instance, the UNESCO-listed Skocjan system was where the European Space Agency sent some astronauts to prepare for life in space.
“Astronauts know that the Karst world is exceptional, in a similar way to the environment in space: you don’t know what to expect at your next step,” said Skocjan Caves director Tomaz Zorman.
But for Husu, it’s the exploration that proves most rewarding. Once he knows there is something beneath, he digs around the crack to widen it and alerts fellow cavers to help gain access. He then uses ropes and a lamp to go down to what are vertical entrances in most caves. But doesn’t he feel scared to enter such unexplored depths?
“You enter a cave out of curiosity — there is no fear! Those who feel fear should stay home,” he said.
1. What was people’s attitude towards Ludvik Husu’s new finding this summer?| A．Critical. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．It has little biological value. |
| B．It has diverse limestone formations. |
| C．It is the most famous cave system in Europe. |
| D．It has been open to the public for two centuries. |
| A．Financial. | B．Political. | C．Alien. | D．Biological. |
| A．Slovenia is known for its Karst landforms. |
| B．Ludvik Husu started exploring caves before he was 13. |
| C．Slovenia has the most underground caves in the world. |
| D．Ludvik Husu is often upset about entering unexplored caves. |
