ALLENHOUSE PUBLIC SCHOOL, KHALASI LINES

ENGLISH CORE (301)- CLASS XII - VISTAS

Name: Date
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SUMMARY - JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH –By Tishani Doshi
1. Antarctica’s Past– 650 million years ago part of Gondwana, a giant southern subcontinent existed–
higher temperatures– huge landmass separated into countries
2. Antarctica Today– No human population– No trees, bill boards, buildings– Blue whales and icebergs as
big as countries– Silence everywhere
3. Human Impact– Man has disturbed balance in nature– Dominated nature with villages, towns, cities
megacities– Burning of fossil fuels leads to increase in global temperature.– Climate Change– Activities
of phytoplankton will be affected– Marine birds and animals will be affected.
4. Students on Ice Programme– Aims at providing students educational opportunities to foster new
5. understanding and respect for our planet.– Hope for the Future– Students can make a significant
contribution in saving the earth
INTRODUCTION
What is going to happen to our planet? What will happen to this earth after another million years? No one can say but
Antarctica can give us some hints. The coldest place of the earth, Antarctica warns us to take care of the earth so that it
will take care of us!
Yes, we the human beings have indeed caused a lot of harm to this earth. We multiplied in the last 12000 years of our
existence and brought every species under our control and destroyed many of them for our water, for our food, for our
shelter, for our fun. Now stop and listen to the warnings from Antarctica. It was once a dry and hot landmass. Forget
how it became cold. Now the big thing is that it is going to become that same dry, hot landmass again! If so, what will
happen to the dry regions of the earth? Will they turn up to cold continents again? If you don’t believe these facts,
come to Antarctica and start digging the miles-deep ice-sheets. You will discover layers after layers rich with the well
preserved fossils of a lot of unknown animals and birds and trees. Join us, to the Journey to the End of the Earth to see
if the world is really journeying to its end.
In ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ Tishani Doshi describes the journey to the coldest, driest and windiest continent
in the world: Antarctica. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’
programme aims at taking high school students to the ends of the world. Doshi thinks that Antarctica is the place to go
and understand the earth’s present, past and future.
SUMMARY OF THE LESSON
Beginning of Journey- The narrator boarded a Russian research ship-The 'Akademik Shokalskiy'. It was heading
towards the coldest, driest and the windiest continent in the world, Antarctica. His journey began 13.09 degrees north
of the Equator in Madras (Chennai). He crossed nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and at least
three ecospheres. He travelled over 100 hours in car, aeroplane and ship to reach there. Southern Supercontinent
(Gondwana)- Six hundred and fifty million years ago a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana did indeed exist. It
centered roughly around present-day Antarctica. Human beings hadn't arrived on the global scene. The climate at that
time was much warmer. It supported a huge variety of flora and fauna. When the dinosaurs became totally extinct and
the age of mammals began, the landmass was forced to separate into countries as they exist today.
Study of Antarctica-The purpose of the visit was to know more about Antarctica. It is to understand the significance of
Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon; evolution and extinction. Ninety per cent of the
earth's total ice volumes are stored in Antarctica. Icebergs are as big as countries. Days go on and on in 24-hour austral
summer light. Human Impact- The most hotly contested debate of our time is whether West Antarctica Ice sheet will
melt entirely or no. If we want to study the earth's past, present and future, Antarctica is the place (for us) to go.
Antarctica has a simple eco-system and lacks of biodiversity. It is the perfect place to study how little changes in the
environment can have big repercussions (results).
Scientists warn that a further depletion of the ozone layer will affect the lives of the sea-animals and birds of the
region. It will also affect the global carbon cycle. The burning of fossil fuels has polluted the atmosphere. It has
created a blanket of carbon-dioxide around the world. It is increasing the global temperature which is visible at
Antarctica when we see ice bergs melting away. It shows how minor changes in the atmosphere can cause huge effect.
If the global temperature keeps on increasing the human race may be in peril. “Students on ice” is a programme which
provides the students an ample opportunity to understand how global temperature can be a big threat to human
existence. It is the Effect of Climatic Change- The author gives us an example to show how small changes in the
atmosphere can be threatening. The microscopic phytoplanktons are single celled plants. They nourish the entire
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Southern Ocean’s food chain. They use the sun’s energy to assimilate carbon and supply oxygen. Any further
depletion in the ozone layer may affect this functioning and indirectly affect the lives of all marine animals.
Walk on the Ocean-It was the most thrilling experience of the visit. They climbed down the gangplank and walked on
the ocean. They were 52 persons. They were walking on a meter-thick ice-pack. Under the ice pack there was 180
meters of living, breathing, salt water. Seals were enjoying themselves in the sun on ice. The narrator was wondering
about the beauty of the place. He wished it would not become a warm place as it used to be millions of years ago. If it
happens, the results can be ruinous.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS - 40-50 WORDS EACH. (3 MARKS EACH)
1. How did the author feel after reaching Antarctica?
2. How is present day Antarctica different from GONDWANA?
3. Why does one lose all earthly perspective on reaching Antarctica?
4. How have human beings contributed to an increase in average global temperature?
5. Why does Tishani Doshi call herself a sun worshipping South Indian?
6. Why is Antarctica still pristine?
7. Why is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change?
8. Why did Geoff Green stop organizing tours for the rich and curiosity seekers?
9. Why is the involvement of students crucial in the “Students on Ice” Programme?
10. How have human beings created a ruckus in 12000 years of their existence on earth?
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS - 125-150 WORDS. (6 MARKS EACH)
1. How are human beings posing a threat to the pristine purity of Antarctica?
2. Why is Antarctica essential to understand the earth’s past, present and future? What lessons are we able to
learn from Antarctica?
Ans: While in Antarctica, we can ice-sheets breaking, water level rising, seals taking sun bath on the ice floes. We can
also walk on the thin layers of ice and feel the life under our feet. We can see icebergs as big as a small country. We
will be shocked to hear that these ice sheets were many times bigger than their present size a few years ago. You will
see a green patch of phytoplankton – a microscopic grass that feeds the entire marine life. Last of all, if you dig a bit,
you will be lucky to see the fossils of half a million-year-old animals, plants and birds that got killed in the previous
ice-age. From all this, we are able to learn the lesson of the death of the planet earth.
3. “A lot can happen in a million years but what a difference a day makes”. What is the relevance of this
statement with reference to the lesson?
4. What is Antarctica? What is ‘Students on Ice? Why did Geoff Green decide to take high school students to
Antarctica?
Ans. Antarctica is southern continent of the earth. It is the driest, coldest and windiest continent.
‘Students on Ice’ is an educational journey to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show them the terrifying
impacts of human activities in Antarctica so that, the students (future policy makers of the earth) will realize that the
end of the earth is quite near and therefore something should be done to save the planet.
Geoff Green didn’t find any good in taking curious celebrities to Antarctica until he thought of taking high school
students. He believed the young enthusiasm in them would easily understand the seriousness of the threat that poses
the earth by visiting Antarctica and they would act their bit to save the planet from further deterioration. When one
stands in the midst of the calving ice-sheets and retreating glaciers and melting icebergs, he realizes that the threats to
the earth are real. It is different from talking about Antarctica from the comfort zones of our warm countries and
therefore being in Antarctica is a shocking realization.
5.How is Antarctica significant in climatic debates? What are the indications for the future of humankind?
Ans. Antarctica is a continent that has a landmass with miles deep ice, layers over layers. In each of those layers lie
millions of years old carbon records of the organisms that existed since the beginning of the earth. While pondering
over the issue of the future of the earth, these carbon records will shed light on the past and enable the scientist to co-
relate the past, present and future. Rapid human population growth and limited resources exert pressure on land.
Burning of fossil fuels has only helped in increasing the average global temperature. Melting of ice-caps, depletion of
the ozone layer and global warming are the real and immediate dangers for mankind. They will affect the lives of all
the marine animals and the birds of the region.
Que. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?
Ans. Geological phenomena certainly help us to know about the history of humankind. A giant southern
supercontinent - Gondwana did exist 650 million years ago. The climate was much warmer. It had a huge variety of
flora and fauna. Gondwana thrived for 500 million years. Finally, it broke to separate countries as they exist today. It
was the stage when dinosaurs were wiped out and the age of mammals started. Gondwana was forced to separate into
countries. The globe was shaped much as we know it today. A cold circumpolar current was created. It made
Antarctica frigid. Thus, we can say that the world’s geological history is really trapped in Antarctica.

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