What is the author's purpose in writing this passage? use two details from the passage to support your response. "the aqua-lung-bringing ocean exploration to new depths

The purpose of the article, “The Aqua Lung:  Bringing Ocean Exploration to New Depths,” is to inform.  It is an informative article.  Like the title suggests, the aqua lung did bring undersea exploration to new depths (which is a pun, by the way), by manner of making exploration available to “ordinary people.”  The way you can determine what the purpose is in an article is by looking at the beginning first couple of paragraphs as well as the ending paragraph.  The beginning, as you know, will have the thesis (or topic), and this is where you’ll get the clues with regard to what the point of the writing is.  As you may probably also know, the ending (or conclusion) is where the thesis/topic will be reiterated.  As such, you’ll be looking for what is said twice—at the beginning and at the end.  In the beginning, it is noted that the Aqua Lung “made it possible for more people to explore the ocean’s depths.” And, in the ending it states that “Cousteau’s greatest legacy as a conservationist may have been giving ordinary people the tools needed to view the wonders of the ocean firsthand.”

Not b or c so that leaves you with a or d. a is the better choice.