journey to the end of world important questions

Journey to the End of the Earth Class 12: Important Questions and Answers

If you're a student preparing for your Class 12 English exam, you may be wondering what to expect on the topic of "Journey to the End of the Earth". To help you prepare, we've compiled a list of important questions and answers that cover key themes, characters, and plot points from Class 12 Vistas Chapter 3 Journey to the End of the Earth by Tishani Doshi. With these study materials, you'll be well-equipped to ace your exam and impress your teachers.

"The harder you work for something, the greater you'll feel when you achieve it." - Unknown

Journey to the End of the Earth Class 12 Questions Answers

Q. No. 1) Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract:

You lose all earthly sense of perspective and time here. The visual scale ranges from the microscopic to the mighty: midges and mites to blue whales and icebergs as big as countries (the largest recorded was the size of Belgium). Days go on and on and on in surreal 24-hour austral summer light, and a ubiquitous silence, interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet, consecrates the place. It’s an immersion that will force you to place yourself in the context of the earth’s geological history. And for humans, the prognosis isn’t good.

i. The ‘visual scale’ refers to

a. a measuring device

b. range of things one can see

c. visionary’s belief

d. the magnitude of preparation

Ans. Option (b)

ii. Four people give a reason for the author’s feeling while traveling.

Choose the option that correctly summarizes it based on your understanding of the extract.

a. Person 1

b. Person 2

c. Person 3

d. Person 4

Ans. Option (d)

iii. Select the option that correctly fits the category of ‘microscopic to the mighty’ out of the ones given below.

• trace of a skin cell: trace of a bird’s egg
• a grain of rice: field of wheat
• a scoop of ice cream: an ice cream cone
• a drop of water: Pacific Ocean

iv. Choose the option listing the elements that influence one to think of earth’s physicality.

• breakage of an iceberg from a glacier
• midges and mites
• a regularly seen avalanche
• summer light in the Southern Hemisphere

Ans. Option (c)

Q. No. 2) Read the given extract and answer the questions given:

Climate change is one of the most hotly contested environmental debates of our time. Will the West Antarctic ice sheet melt entirely? Will the Gulf Stream ocean current be disrupted? Will it be the end of the world as we know it? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Antarctica is a crucial element in this debate — not just because it’s the only place in the world, which has never sustained a human population and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect; but more importantly, because it holds in its ice-cores half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice.

(Journey to the End of the Earth)

i. How does the absence of a human population in Antarctica make it significant in the climate change debate?

Ans. This makes it an important reference point for understanding the effects of human activities on the environment and the potential impacts of climate change.[The absence of a human population in Antarctica means that the region is relatively pristine and has not been subject to the same levels of human impact as other areas of the world.]

ii. Why is "climate change" described as a "hotly contested" issue in the extract provided?

This is so, because there _____.

a. is universal agreement on the causes and implications of climate change

b. is a planned path ahead about how to address climate change

c. are differing views on the causes and implications of climate change

d. are minimal reports of fresh threats to climate change

iii. The analogy of a time machine is an appropriate analogy for the role of carbon records in the study of climate change because ________________________.

Ans. ... just like a time machine would allow us to observe past events, carbon records allow us to observe past climate conditions. [ Carbon records allow us to study past climates by analyzing the air bubbles trapped in ice cores. They provide a glimpse into the Earth's atmospheric conditions at the time the ice was formed and can help scientists understand how the climate has changed over time.]

iv. Give one reason why the writing style of the extract can be called factual and informative.

Ans. (Anyone)

• ...because the writer presents information in a straightforward and objective manner
• ...because the writer applies a third-person point of view and avoids the use of personal opinion or emotional language
• ...because the writer uses a logical structure to present their argument (starting with the importance of Antarctica as a relatively pristine location, and then moving on to explain the significance of the ice cores and carbon records found there)

Q. No. 3) “Antarctica is a crucial element in this debate — not just because it’s the only place in the world, which has never sustained a human population and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect...”

With respect to the given statement from the text, choose the option to replace the underlined set of words.

a. stays as it is throughout the year.

b. becomes a perfect place to travel.

c. is left to be an uncorrupted area.

d. abides by the strict laws of nature.

Q. No. 4) Students on Ice, the programme I was working with on the Shokalskiy, aims to do exactly this by taking high school students to the ends of the world and providing them with inspiring educational opportunities which will help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet. It’s been in operation for six years now, headed by Canadian Geoff Green, who got tired of carting celebrities and retired, rich, curiosity-seekers who could only ‘give’ back in a limited way. With Students on Ice, he offers the future generation of policymakers a life-changing experience at an age when they’re ready to absorb, learn, and most importantly, act.

i. Students on Ice is …………. headed by Geoff Green. Select the option to fill in the blank correctly.

a. a travelogue

b. an expedition

c. a globetrotting

ii. Choose the option that marks the ODD ONE OUT based on your reading of the above extract.

a. Sumit donates 10% of his monthly income to environment-friendly NGOs.

b. Manmeet and her twin plant a new plant on their birthday every year.

c. Vivek invests in eco-friendly cosmetics that are packaged in plastic containers.

d. Afsana plans to devise a machine that recycles biodegradable wastes from home.

iii. Pick the option that characterizes the celebrities based on your understanding of the extract.

• overachiever

iv. Choose the option that lists the reasons for Green’s program.

• making youngsters realize the gory reality of the planet.
• provoking the youth to think about the future earnestly.
• giving a chance of exploring the north pole to the young generation.
• providing travel opportunities to students that were unfortunate.

Ans. Option (a)

Q. No. 5) Students on Ice, the programme I was working with on the Shokalskiy, aims to do exactly this by taking high school students to the ends of the world and providing them with inspiring educational opportunities which will help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet. It’s been in operation for six years now, headed by Canadian Geoff Green, who got tired of carting celebrities and retired, rich, curiosity-seekers who could only ‘give’ back in a limited way. With Students on Ice, he offers the future generation of policy-makers a life-changing experience at an age when they’re ready to absorb, learn, and most importantly, act.

i. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract. The writer refers to educational opportunities as ‘inspiring’ because _____.

Ans. These educational opportunities would motivate them to work towards the good of the planet / allow them to observe first-hand that the planet needs to be respected/nurtured rather than abused.

ii. Which of the following would NOT be a life-changing experience?

a. Being given the lead role in a play.

b. Going on an adventure trip.

c. Playing a video game.

d. Meeting a great leader, you admire.

iii. Select the most suitable title for the given extract.

a. Adventure with a Mission

b. Adventure – The Spice of Life

c. The Wanderlust

d. Students of the Future

iv. Why does the writer refer to ‘act’ as more important than ‘absorb’ or ‘learn’?

Ans. Because having the right knowledge or inclination/ understanding is just half the job done. It fails to have an impact till it is applied/practiced/put to use in our actions.

Q. No. 6) ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’

Choose the option stating the significance of this statement depending on the textual context.

a. We should try to focus on smaller regions like Antarctica to improve the rest of the world.

b. We should tend to smaller grasses which eventually become a part of the food chain in order to expect bigger things like animal and human lives to change.

c. We should give more opportunities to the younger generation than the older generation if we want to see a change in the world.

d. We should save a little every now and then in order to explore bigger opportunities in terms of travel and tourism.

Q. No. 7) Choose the option that correctly represents the Venn diagram based on the statement given below.

‘Antarctica is the cosmic view of whatever is happening to our planet.’

a. Option 1

b. Option 2

c. Option 3

d. Option 4

Q. No. 8) The central idea of the text is given below as told by four students. Choose the correct option of the ones given below.

a. Student 1

b. Student 2

c. Student 3

d. Student 4

Q. No. 9) Choose the correct option with respect to the statements given below.

• Statement 1: Antarctica is a lesson in itself for the readers of the text.
• Statement 2: Antarctica gives an insight into the damage being done to Earth by humanity.

a. Statement 1 can be inferred but Statement 2 cannot be inferred from the text.

b. Statement 1 cannot be inferred but Statement 2 can be inferred from the text.

c. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred from the text.

d. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred from the text.

Q. No. 10) Antarctica is a doorway to the past. Explain.

Ans. Antarctica is considered a doorway to the past because its ice sheets preserve historical records in the form of ice cores, which contain air bubbles and chemical traces, providing valuable information about Earth's climate and atmosphere from hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Q. No. 11) Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past, and future?

Ans. Antarctica is the ideal destination to comprehend the Earth's present, past, and future due to its unique characteristics. The continent's pristine and isolated environment preserves records of past climate and geological events in ice cores and rock formations. By studying Antarctica, scientists can unravel the Earth's climate history, understand present changes, and predict future trends. Additionally, the region's extreme conditions provide insights into how ecosystems adapt and respond to environmental shifts, offering valuable knowledge for addressing global challenges such as climate change.

Q. No. 12) For the narrator, spending two weeks in Antarctica is a challenge not only for the body but also for the mind. Elaborate.

Ans. For the narrator, spending two weeks in Antarctica poses not only physical but also mental challenges. The extreme and isolated environment of Antarctica pushes the limits of the narrator's body, with freezing temperatures, harsh winds, and difficult terrain. However, the vast emptiness and desolation of the landscape also take a toll on the mind, evoking feelings of insignificance and introspection. The absence of familiar human activity and the overwhelming silence can lead to a sense of isolation and introspective contemplation, making it a mental challenge as well.

Q. No. 13) Based on the chapter, elucidate any three consequences that global warming will have on Antarctica.

Ans. Based on the chapter, three consequences of global warming in Antarctica are:

• Melting Ice Sheets: Rising temperatures contribute to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica. This leads to increased sea levels globally, posing a threat to coastal areas and low-lying islands.
• Disruption of Ecosystems: Global warming affects the delicate balance of Antarctic ecosystems. Changing temperatures can impact the survival of various species, including penguins, seals, and krill, which are crucial components of the food chain.
• Shift in Ocean Currents: The melting of Antarctic ice can alter ocean currents, affecting global climate patterns. Changes in ocean circulation can lead to variations in weather patterns, such as altering rainfall distribution and intensifying storms in different parts of the world.

Q. No. 14) Antarctica is unlike any other place on Earth. Justify the statement.

Ans. Antarctica is truly unlike any other place on Earth due to several distinct characteristics.

• Firstly, it is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, with average temperatures far below freezing and extremely low precipitation.
• Secondly, it is the most isolated and remote continent, with vast expanses of uninhabited land and no permanent human population.
• Lastly, Antarctica boasts unique wildlife, including penguins, seals, and seabirds, which have adapted to survive in this extreme environment.

These exceptional features make Antarctica a truly unparalleled and remarkable place on our planet.

Q. No. 15) What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

Ans. Geoff Green includes high school students in the Students on Ice expedition for several reasons. Firstly, he believes in the power of early exposure and education to shape young minds and create informed global citizens. By providing students with firsthand experiences in the polar regions, they gain a deeper understanding of environmental issues and the urgency of taking action. Secondly, Geoff Green recognizes that young people are the future leaders and decision-makers who will inherit the Earth. By involving them in the expedition, he aims to empower and inspire them to become advocates for environmental stewardship, driving positive change in their communities and beyond.

Q. No. 16) Students on Ice is a programme that prepares global citizens. Discuss.

Ans. Students on Ice is a program that prepares global citizens by providing educational expeditions to the polar regions. It offers students the opportunity to learn about the environment, climate change, and cultural understanding through firsthand experiences in these unique and fragile ecosystems. The program aims to inspire and empower young individuals to become informed and engaged global citizens, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the planet.

Q. No. 17) Identify Tishani Doshi's writing style in Journey to the End of the Earth and state two aspects that characterize it using examples from the text.

Ans. Descriptive style.

• She uses precise factual details in her writing / she pays close attention to detail such as the name of the vessel, the number of hours that took her to reach Antarctica, the number of time zones / the number of checkpoints / geological/historical facts to build her narrative / she divides her writing into three coherent parts, each with its individual heading for clarity
• She uses her words to create vivid word pictures/she uses visual imagery to compare ice-clad Antarctica to an endless stretch of 'stark whiteness', giving the reader a mental image of the place / She uses similes to bring the experience to life, saying that going to Antarctica 'is like walking into a giant ping-pong ball'.

Q. No. 18) ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?

Ans. The statement "Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves" holds relevance in the context of the Antarctic environment, especially when considering the example of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that form the foundation of the Antarctic food chain. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem by converting sunlight and nutrients into energy, ultimately supporting the entire marine food web.

By taking care of the small things, such as preserving water quality and reducing pollution, we can ensure the well-being of phytoplankton populations. This, in turn, maintains the delicate balance of the Antarctic ecosystem, as phytoplankton serve as a vital food source for krill, which are then consumed by higher trophic levels such as penguins, seals, and whales.

Neglecting the small things, such as disregarding pollution or environmental degradation, can disrupt the intricate web of life in Antarctica. Therefore, by recognizing the importance of these microscopic organisms and prioritizing their protection, we contribute to the overall health and sustainability of the Antarctic environment.

Q. No. 19) The author of 'Journey to the End of the Earth' is Tishani Doshi who is now a famous poet and dancer.

As the narrator, write a speech discussing the impact of the Students on Ice programme on your life and writing.

You may begin this way:

The Making of a Writer

Dear audience members, I did not simply take to writing. Many experiences of my life forced me to pick up the pen…

Dear audience members,

I did not simply take to writing. Many experiences of my life forced me to pick up the pen, and among those experiences, one stands out—the transformative impact of the Students on Ice program. Allow me to share with you how this incredible journey shaped both my life and my writing.

When I embarked on the Students on Ice expedition to Antarctica, I had no idea what lay ahead. The vast expanse of icy landscapes, the ethereal beauty of the polar regions, and the profound silence awakened something within me. It was as if nature itself was whispering its stories, urging me to give them a voice.

The program not only deepened my understanding of climate change and the importance of preserving our planet but also introduced me to diverse cultures and perspectives. I interacted with scientists, explorers, and fellow students from around the world, each with their unique stories to tell. These encounters ignited a flame of curiosity within me, propelling me to explore and communicate the intricacies of our world through my writing.

The Students on Ice program instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility as a global citizen. It made me realize the power of storytelling and the ability of words to effect change. The raw beauty of Antarctica and the urgent need to protect it became the driving force behind my words.

Through my writing, I now strive to capture the fragility and resilience of our environment, to convey the interconnectedness of all living beings, and to inspire others to take action. The Students on Ice program has been the catalyst for this transformation in my writing, shaping my perspective and igniting a passion within me to advocate for our planet.

In conclusion, the impact of the Students on Ice program on my life and writing has been immeasurable. It has opened my eyes to the urgency of environmental issues, broadened my horizons through cultural exchange, and given me a platform to raise awareness through my words. I am eternally grateful for this transformative journey, for it has not only made me a writer but also a voice for the Earth.

Q. No. 20) Imagine an interview where Green is asked to explain more about his work and why he decided to initiate programs for students.

Keeping both Green's and the interviewer’s perspectives in mind, pen down this interview.

Interviewer : Good morning, Mr. Green. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. As the founder of Students on Ice, could you tell us more about your work and what inspired you to initiate programs for students?

Green : Good morning, and thank you for having me. Students on Ice is a program that aims to inspire and educate the next generation of global citizens about the importance of environmental stewardship. We organize educational expeditions to the polar regions, providing students with firsthand experiences in these fragile ecosystems.

Interviewer : That sounds fascinating. What led you to start this program?

Green : Well, throughout my career as a scientist and explorer, I witnessed firsthand the rapid changes occurring in the polar regions due to climate change. It deeply concerned me that the voices of young people, who will inherit the Earth, were not being heard. I wanted to create a platform where students could directly engage with these environments and learn about the urgent need for action.

Interviewer : That's commendable. How do you believe these expeditions benefit the students?

Green : The expeditions offer a unique opportunity for students to witness the beauty and vulnerability of these regions. They interact with leading scientists, researchers, and indigenous communities, gaining valuable knowledge and diverse perspectives. By immersing themselves in these environments, students develop a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of our planet and the impact of human activities. We believe this firsthand experience empowers them to become informed global citizens who can bring about positive change.

Interviewer : It's wonderful to hear how the program empowers students. Could you share any success stories or notable impacts resulting from the Students on Ice program?

Green : Absolutely. We've seen countless success stories over the years. Many of our alumni have gone on to pursue careers in environmental science, policy, and activism. They've become advocates for sustainability in their communities, driving change at both local and global levels. It's truly inspiring to witness the transformative impact our program has had on these young individuals, who are now leading voices for the protection of our planet.

Interviewer : That's remarkable to hear. Finally, what are your hopes for the future of Students on Ice?

Green : Our goal is to continue expanding our reach and providing opportunities to even more students from diverse backgrounds. We aim to foster a global network of passionate, environmentally conscious individuals who will lead the way in creating a sustainable future. By empowering young people through education and experience, we can make a significant impact on our planet's well-being.

Interviewer : Thank you, Mr. Green, for sharing your insights and the incredible work you're doing through Students on Ice. We wish you continued success in your mission.

Green : Thank you. It's been a pleasure. Together, we can inspire the next generation to protect and preserve our planet.

Q. No. 21) Imagine you are the narrator writing to your parents back home telling them about your experience in Antarctica and how it is similar to that back home in some ways.

Antarctica 02 August XX Dear mom ,

It is so different here. I can’t post this letter but I write to capture these amazing moments I am spending here. Antarctica is…

With love …

Antarctica 02 August XX Dear Mom,

It is so different here. I can't post this letter, but I write to capture these amazing moments I am experiencing in Antarctica. Antarctica is like another world altogether, a pristine and untouched wilderness that fills me with awe.

The vast expanses of ice and snow stretch as far as the eye can see, creating a sense of isolation and grandeur. It's as if time stands still here, and the silence is overwhelming yet comforting. In this remote place, I feel a connection to nature like never before.

Interestingly, amidst the icy landscapes, I have noticed some similarities to our home. The resilient wildlife that survives in these extreme conditions reminds me of the tenacity of the animals back home. Just as we have adapted to our environment, so have the penguins and seals adapted to this harsh terrain, finding ways to thrive despite the challenges.

Moreover, the camaraderie among the fellow explorers and scientists on this expedition resembles the sense of community we have back home. Despite coming from different backgrounds and cultures, we are united by our shared love for our planet and our desire to understand and protect it.

While Antarctica is unlike anything I have ever experienced, it reminds me of the importance of preserving our own home and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us. I am grateful for this opportunity to witness the wonders of this icy continent and to be reminded of the similarities that bind us all together.

[Your Name]

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Journey to the end of the Earth Important Questions Class 12 English

The Journey to the End of the Earth of CBSE Class 12 English is the experience of the writer Tishani Doshi, who travels to Antarctica. In this chapter, she visits the coolest, windiest and driest continent on the Earth and shares how visiting Antarctica can be an enlightening experience.

Here are some important questions on Class 12 chapter – Journey to the end of the earth. Students can use these questions to get started with their exam preparation. Also, these question and answers help them score well in the exam.

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Journey to the end of the Earth Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English

1. Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

Question 1. How do geological phenomena help us to 1 know about the history of mankind? (2000; 2009 Delhi) Answer: It is geological phenomena that help us to know about the history of mankind. Geologists say about 650 million years ago a giant ‘amalgamated’ super continent, Gondwana existed in the South. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana had a warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna. This supercontinent survived for 500 years till the age of mammals got underway.

Question 2. What kind of indications do we get while visiting Antarctica to save Earth? (2004 Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi’s entire experience of visiting Antarctica was nothing short of a revelation. It made her wonder about the “beauty of balance in play on our planet”. She hopes the new generation will understand their planet better and save it from annihilation. The planet’s ecosystem and its balance that took millions of years to form can be soon destroyed. Scientists warn that a further depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of the phytoplankton. The lives of the marine animals and birds of the region will be affected. But the school students’ visit to the Antarctica may make human beings handle their planet in a better way.

Question 3. How can a visit to the Antarctica be an enlightening experience? (2008 Outside Delhi; All Comptt. Delhi) Answer: By visiting the Antarctica we can understand the earth’s past, present and future. A visit there can teach the next generation to understand and value our planet. Antarctica also holds within its ice-cores half-million-years old carbon records which will help us to study climatic changes by global warming.

Question 4. Why is a visit to Antarctica important to realise the effect of global warming? (2008 Outside Delhi) Answer: Antarctica is the perfect place to study the effects that global warming is causing. It is here that one can see the effect of melting glaciers and collapsing ice-shelves and how this is likely to raise the water levels in the sea and the ocean, as a result of which many low lying regions will be submerged under water.

Question 5. How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change? (2008 Outside Delhi; 2013 Comptt. Outside Delhi) Answer: Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is the only place in the world which has never sustained a human population and thus remains relatively pristine. Moreover, it holds in its ice-caves half-million- year old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. The world’s climate is changing fast and is at present one of the most hotly debated issues. Antarctica is the ideal place to study the effect of these environmental changes as it has a very simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it will have disastrous consequences elsewhere.

Question 6. What was the objective of the ‘Students on Ice Programme’? (2009 Delhi; 2011 Comptt. Outside Delhi) Answer: The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take High School students to the limits of the world and provide them not only with inspiring opportunities in education but also enable them to understand and respect our planet. The idea was to provide them a life-changing experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy makers and through this programme they would save this planet from ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming.

Question 7. Why is Antarctica and its understanding important for the survival of the world? (2009 Outside Delhi) Answer: Antarctica and its understanding is important for the survival of the world because it helps us to know that the southern supercontinent of Gondwana existed and centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings had not come on the global scene but a huge variety of flora and fauna was present in the supercontinent. It was after 500 million years that the landmass was forced to separate into countries that exist today. Antarctica’s ice-cores hold over half-million-year-old carbon records which are crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future.

Question 8. What are the indications for the future of humankind? (2009 Outside Delhi) Answer: A fast and steady rise in human population in proportion to the limited natural resources is exerting pressure on land. Forests are being cut and fossil fuels are being burnt and these factors are increasing the global temperature. Melting of glaciers, depletion of ozone layer and global warming are endangering man’s existence on earth. This is bound to adversely affect marine life, birds and mankind.

Question 9. How did the Antarctica amaze the writer when he first saw it? (2010 Delhi) Answer: When the writer first saw Antarctica he was amazed by its vastness and immense white landscape. It was an endless blue horizon and the fact that it was isolated from the rest of the world created an added sense of wonder and mystery about the continent.

Question 10. Why was Tishani Doshi filled with relief and wonder when he set foot on the Antarctic continent? (2010 Comptt. Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi’s first emotion when he set foot on the Antarctic continent was one of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot there after over a hundred hours. Its vastness and immense wild landscape dazzled his eyes. Its endless blue horizon and its isolation from the rest of the world created a sense of wonder and mystery for him.

Question 11. Why is Antarctica the place to go to if we want to study the earth’s past, present and future? (2010 Comptt. Outside Delhi) Answer: The Antarctica landmass, that was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana dates back to 650 million years. It can help us understand better the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as they are in the modem world. Its ice-cores hold over half-million-year old carbon records that are vital to study the Earth’s past, present and future.

Question 12. What were the writer’s feelings on reaching Antarctica? (2011 Delhi) Answer: The writer’s first emotion on reaching Antarctica was that of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot on the Antarctic continent after over 100 hours. Then he experienced a sense of amazement on seeing its vastness and immense white landscape which dazzled his eyes.

Question 13. What sort of brightness and silence prevailed in Antarctica dining summer? (2011 Delhi) Answer: The brightness that prevailed in Antarctica was surreal (strange) as the austral summer light remained for 24 hours in the continent. The silence there was ubiquitous (widespread) interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet.

Question 14. What do you think is the reason behind the success of the programme, ‘Students on Ice’? (2011 Delhi) Answer: The programme ‘Students on Ice’ was a success because it offered a life changing exposure to the future generation of policy makers at an age when they could absorb, learn and act. It provided them with inspiring educational opportunities which would help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet.

Question 15. Why does the author of Journey to the End of the Earth state that in 12000 years man has managed to create a ruckus on this earth? (2012 Comptt. Outside Delhi ) Answer: Humans have been on this Earth for about 12,000 years and have created a havoc and ruckus on this Earth. They have done this by encroaching on nature and establishing cities and megacities. Their increasing population has depleted natural resources and their callousness towards nature has led to a rise in global temperature.

Question 16. How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi? (2013 Comptt. Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect, not just for circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination.

Here are a few more questions on Journey to the end of the earth.

2. Answer the following question in about 125-150 words.

Question 17. How the programme, ‘Students on Ice’ was an attempt to equip future generation with knowledge to save Earth? (2005 Delhi) Answer: The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take the High School students to the limits of the world and provide them with inspiring opportunities in education to enable them to understand and respect our planet. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy-makers and through this programme they would be able to save this planet from the ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming. Antarctica, with its simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have major repercussions. The school students’ impressionable minds can study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future by their voyage to Antarctica.

Question 18. The world’s geological history is trapped in the Antarctica. How is the study of this region useful to us? (2008 Delhi) Answer: The Antarctic landmass dates back to 650 million years. It was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana. This landmass centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings did not exist as their civilization is only 12,000 years old. The climate at that time was warm and landmass flourished with a vast variety of flora and fauna. The study of this region shows that Gondwana prospered for 500 million years. But then the dinosaurs got wiped out and mammals began to appear. The landmass disintegrated into countries and India, the Himalayas and South America was formed. This left Antarctica frigid at the bottom of the earth. Today, it stores the key to the significance of coridelleran folds and pre- Cambrian granite shields, ozone and carbon layers as well as a study of the evolution and extinction. This can help us to understand in a better way the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as we find them in the modem world. Its ice-folds hold over half-million-year-old carbon records that are so crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future, thus trapping the world’s geological history in Antarctica.

Question 19. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem? (2010 Outside Delhi; 2012 Delhi) Answer: The microscopic phytoplankton are tiny forms of plant life on the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire southern ocean’s food chain. They are single-celled plants and use the energy of the sun to assimilate carbon supplying oxygen and synthesise compounds. Depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun adversely affects the activities of the phytoplankton. Any further depletion in the ozone layer will hamper their activity which, in turn, is bound to affect the growth of marine animals and birds and even the global carbon cycle. Thus to save the big organisms the small organisms need to be cared for because even minor changes have huge repercussions.

Question 20. The author calls her two-week stay in Antarctica, ‘a chilling prospect’. How far do you think is she justified? What other features of the Antarctic environment are highlighted? Answer: Tishani Doshi, is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two-weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect—both in terms of circulatory and metabolic functions and for the imagination. She has been transported from the scorching sun to the ice floes and glaciers where ninety per cent of the earth’s surface is ice-mass. Her two-week Antarctic encounter left an epiphanic effect on her and she carried back indelible memories of the continent. For her, it was like walking into a giant ping-pong ball, devoid of any human markers like trees, billboards and buildings. She says one loses all earthly sense of perspective and time here. As the day pass in surreal 24- hour austral summer light, a silence prevails which is interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or caving ice sheet.

She learnt that Antarctica has a very simple ecosystem that lacks variety. But if this system is interfered with and environmental changes are effected indiscriminately, it can lead to depletion of the ozone layer, which protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Since the planet is unravaged by humans, it remains unblemished. Its ice-cores hold more than half¬million-year-old carbon records that are imperative for the detailed study of our planet.

Question 21. Why does Tishani Doshi call her trip to Antarctica a “Journey to the End of the Earth”? What experience did she have during this expedition? (2011 Outside Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi calls her trip to Antarctica a ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ because she crosses nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies and many ecospheres to reach there. The entire journey takes one hundred hours. She is wonder-struck by the immensity and isolation of the region. She is also relieved to see its expansive wide landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon. Antarctica provides young students like her with a platform to study changes in the environment. The programme is also likely to help them develop a new respect and understanding of our planet. Antarctica is also the perfect place for them to study how little climatic changes can have big repercussions and how global warming and further depletion of the ozone layer can affect the Antarctic region. The study of the Antarctica will help them to understand the earth’s past, present and future.

Question 22. In what ways is the research on Antarctica helpful in the study and understanding of the Earth’s past and future, according to the author of ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’? (2012 Comptt. Delhi) Answer: A visit to Antarctica will help us to understand where we have come from and where we could possibly be heading. It will also suggest a lot of future possibilities, probably for even a million years later. By visiting the Antarctica we get an opportunity to study about the future climatic changes easily and more effectively. We also come to know about the repercussions of the various environmental changes. It also gives us the realization of the appearance of the ‘future world’. The ice-cores of Antarctica hold more than half-million-year-old carbon records which are very crucial for the study of the past, present and future of our planet. All this will also help us to understand our planet better and also give us ideas to save our planet.

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Journey To The End Of The Earth Question Answer & Summary: NCERT

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"Journey to the End of the Earth" is a thought-provoking chapter included in the Class 12 English curriculum. This chapter takes students on an enlightening journey, emphasizing the importance of understanding Earth's past to make sense of the future. It's a narrative that combines travel, adventure, and deep scientific insights, making it a fascinating read for students.

The journey to the end of the earth question answer sections are crucial for students to delve into the various aspects of this chapter. These question answers help students understand the core themes of the chapter, including the significance of scientific research in Antarctica and its implications for understanding global warming and climate change.

For those looking for comprehensive study materials, the journey to the end of the earth important questions compile the most critical aspects of the chapter. These questions are often designed to test students' understanding of the text and encourage them to think critically about the issues presented in the narrative.

The summary of journey to the end of the earth is an excellent resource for students who need a quick recap of the chapter. It highlights the main points and themes, aiding in quick revision and recall. The journey to the end of the earth class 12 summary specifically caters to the syllabus requirements of Class 12, ensuring that all the key elements of the chapter are covered.

Journey to the end of the earth questions and answers are also a valuable resource. These resources typically include a mix of short and long answer questions that help students practice their writing skills and improve their understanding of the chapter.

In summary, Journey to the End of the Earth is not just a chapter in a textbook for Class 12 students; it's an invitation to explore and understand our planet's past, present, and future. With the right resources, including detailed question answers, summaries, and important questions, students can gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of this critical and timely topic.

CHAPTER 3: JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH SUMMARY

- by Tishani Doshi

The Story Retold

The Journey to Antarctica Begins

The narrator heads towards Antarctica aboard 'Akademic Shokalskiy, a Russian research vessel with a group of high school students. She reveals that Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world. She commences her journey from Madras, crosses nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies and many ecospheres to reach her destination. Travelling over hundred hours, she feels relief and wonders about the isolation of the continent and the historic time when India and Antarctica were a part of the same landmass.

Gondwana and the Shaping of the Modern World

The narrator takes the reader back to six hundred and fifty million years. At that time, Antarctica was a part of a giant amalgamated Southern supercontinent called Gondwana.

At that time humans had not arrived. The climate was warm and there was a huge variety of flora and fauna. For around 500 million years Gondwana existed. Eventually the landmass broke up and was forced to separate into countries. This shaped our present globe.

Narrator Wonders at Antarctica; Finds It Blissful

Belonging to a relatively warm country, the narrator who is a South Indian is shocked to be in place where 90% of the Earth's total ice volumes are stored! She feels she's walking into a giant ping-pong ball. There is no human life there and nothing to show that human life exists on this planet. She is surrounded by midges, mites, blue whales and limitless expanse of huge icebergs. The surreal twenty four-hour summer lights and eerie silence that is interrupted only by the breaking of an iceberg, is mind-boggling.

Human Impact on the Environment

Human beings have been on the Earth for about 12000 years. In this short span of time we have changed the face of our environment for worse. We have dominated the Earth by establishing cities and megacities. This has led to encroachment of Mother Nature. We are limiting resources on the planet for other creatures. Burgeoning population has added to our woes. The average global temperature is rising and the blanket of carbon dioxide around the world is increasing.

The Paradox of Climate Change

There are many unanswered questions about climate change and the narrator is alarmed by them.

Will the West Antarctic ice sheet melt entirely?

Will the gulf stream ocean current be disrupted?

Will the world come to on end?

In this debate, Antarctica has a major role to play. This is because as compared to other places it remains relatively ‘pristine' and contains half-million-years-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. The Earth's past, present and future lies hidden in Antarctica.

'Students on Ice' Programme

This programme aims at studying the ecological processes in Antarctica. The narrator works on this project on board Akademik Shokolskiy, It takes school students on the trip of Antarctica. The visit aims at generating a new awareness and respect for our planet in young, impressionable minds.

The programme has been in operation for six years. It is headed by a Canadian, Geoff Green. Earlier he used to take celebrities, retired rich and curiosity seekers to Antarctica for money. Gradually he got sick of those people who gave nothing to the Earth in return. So, he decided to take school students there. It was his firm belief that young minds could learn and act better about the potential hazards regarding the environment which our Earth faces.

The programme was a success because children could see with their own eyes collasping ice shelves and retreating glaciers. They realised that the threat of global warming was real.

Lessons to be Learnt

The greatest lesson to be learnt is little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. The microscopic phytoplankton are nourishment for marine animals and birds in the region. Any more depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of these grasses. This will in turn affect the lives of others in this region and the global carbon cycle. The phytoplankton leads us to conclude that if we take care of small things, the big things can be saved.

A Memorable Walk on the Ocean

The narrator says that the experience of strolling on the ocean at Antarctica was a never-to-be-forgotten incident for all. At 65.55 degrees South of equator, the narrator and the students were told to get down. They put on Gore-Tex ice shoes and Sun glasses. On over 180 metres of salt water, there was one metre thick layer of ice. It was a breathtaking experience to see crabeater seals sitting in the periphery. It was truly a memorable experience for all.

The Difference the Antarctic Trip Made

The author is overwhelmed with the beauty of balance in play on our planet. She has many questions in her mind for e.g., what would happen if Antarctica becomes a warm place? Will human beings survive on Earth? Whatever be the answers to these questions, she is full of optimism about the teenagers who are full of idealism to save the Earth after having made the trip of Antarctica.

NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 12 ENGLISH VISTAS CHAPTER 3

Questions (Page No. 23)

(Reading with Insight)

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH QUESTION ANSWER  

Question 1. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?

Answer: The world’s geological history is indeed trapped in Antarctica. The study of the region of Antarctica gives us insight into the world’s geological history. This is because the current world is battling with the growing population and the extreme burning of fossil fuels has formed a blanket of carbon dioxide around the earth, which is the main cause of global temperature or warming.  Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is relatively ‘pristine’. It is because 650 million years ago Gondwana land existed in the south part of the earth where Antarctica is currently situated. It contains a rich variety of flora and fauna. For 500 million years Gondwana flourished, later landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the globe, much as we know it today. All secrets are embedded in the layers of the ice in the form of 500-million-year-old carbon records. Hence, to study about earth’s past Antarctica is the best place.

Question 2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

Answer: Geoff Green took the high school students to one end of the world, to give them the chance to develop respect and knowledge for the earth. He included high school students in the ice expedition because with students on the ice expedition he offered the future policymakers to experience how difficult it would have been for the earth to sustain life by raising its warmth. At a younger age when the process of good values develops in their life, it will also assist them in knowing more about their planet.

Question 3. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?

Answer: ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ is a relevant statement to the Antarctic environment. A small environmental change can give rise to dramatic developments. Because of the small biodiversity and simple ecosystem, Antarctica is the best place to study the small changes in the environment that give big consequences. For example, consider the microscopic phytoplankton — these grasses of the sea that feed and support the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. These single-celled plants use the sun’s energy to absorb carbon dioxide and manufacture organic compounds and the most important of processes is called photosynthesis. Scientists caution that more depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of phytoplankton, which in turn affect the marine life’s food chain. From this example of the phytoplankton, there is a great metaphor for existence: take care of the small things and the big things will fall into place.

Question 4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?

Answer: Antarctica is the best place to understand the earth’s present, past, future because it holds in its ice cores, half a million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. Antarctica gives an idea of how the earth would have been like millions of years ago and how it formed into different masses of earth. Antarctica has a vibrant diversity of flora and fauna is a rich heritage of the past. Therefore, Antarctica is a place to understand the earth’s present, past and future.

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Journey to the End of the Earth By Tishani Doshi  – Summary and Important Questions and Answers

Table of Contents

Journey to the End of the Earth By Tishani Doshi

Introduction

Tishani Doshi’s ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ details her journey to the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent: Antarctica. Antarctica is a geological time capsule. Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’ initiative transports high school students to the ends of the world. Doshi believes that Antarctica is the best site to visit in order to have a better understanding of the earth’s present, past, and future.

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Summary of the lesson

Beginning of Journey- The narrator joined the ‘Akademik Shokalskiy,’ a Russian research ship. It was on its way to Antarctica, the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent. His expedition began at Madras, 13.09 degrees north of the Equator (Chennai). He travelled across nine different time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at least three ecospheres. To get there, he drove, flew, and sailed for more than 100 hours. Southern Supercontinent (Gondwana) – A large southern supercontinent called Gondwana existed six hundred and fifty million years ago. It was centred roughly on modern-day Antarctica. Humans had not yet arrived on the global stage. The climate was substantially warmer at the time. It was home to a wide range of plants and fauna. When the dinosaurs became extinct and the age of mammals began, the landmass was forced to divide into the countries that exist today.

The visit was intended to educate participants about Antarctica. It was to gain a better understanding of the Cordilleran folds and Precambrian granite shields; of ozone and carbon; and of evolution and extinction. Antarctica contains around 90% of the world’s total ice volume. As large as countries, icebergs are. In 24-hour austral summer light, the days go on indefinitely.

Human Impact- The most contentious argument of our time is whether or not the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will completely melt. Antarctica is the place (for us) to go if we want to study the Earth’s past, present, and future. Antarctica’s ecosystem is simple and devoid of biodiversity. It is the ideal location to examine how small changes in the environment can have significant consequences (results). Scientists warn that continued ozone depletion will have a detrimental effect on the region’s aquatic creatures and birds. Additionally, it will affect the global carbon cycle.

The burning of fossil fuels has contributed to the pollution of the atmosphere. It has resulted in the formation of a global carbon dioxide blanket. It is increasing the global temperature, as seen by the melting of icebergs in Antarctica. It demonstrates how minute changes in the atmosphere may have a profound effect. If global temperatures continue to rise, the human race may be endangered. “Students on ice” is a programme that provides an adequate chance for students to comprehend how global temperature can pose a serious threat to human existence. It instils in them new knowledge. According to Geoff Green, high school kids are the future policymakers. They can contribute to averting ecological disasters and mitigating the consequences of global warming.

Effect of Climatic Change-  The author uses an example to demonstrate how even minor changes in the atmosphere can be dangerous. Phytoplankton are microscopic single-celled plants. They provide sustenance for the entire Southern Ocean food chain. They utilise the energy of the sun to digest carbon and provide oxygen. Further ozone depletion may impair this function and, indirectly, the lives of all marine species. Walk on the Ocean- It was the most exhilarating experience of the trip. They walked on the ocean after climbing down the gangplank. There were 52 of them. They were walking on a meter-thick ice pack. There were 180 metres of living, breathing saltwater beneath the ice layer. Seals were basking in the sun on ice. The narrator was taken aback by the magnificence of the setting. He desired it would not become as heated as it once was millions of years ago. If this occurs, the consequences could be disastrous.

Important Questions and Answers 

Question. What is Antarctica?  Ans. Antarctica is the earth’s southernmost continent. It is the continent that is driest, coldest, and windiest. Question. What is ‘Students on ice?

Ans. Phytoplankton is a single-celled grass that feeds the entire southern ocean’s marine life. These microorganisms require a low degree of temperature for their survival. But due to the overheating and the depletion of ozone layers, their existence is threatened. The message for humans is to take care of the small things so that the bigger things will also fall in place. Question. How is Antarctica significant in climatic debates? Ans. Antarctica is a landmass covered with miles of ice, layered on top of each other. Each of those layers has millions of years’ worth of carbon records from species that have existed since the earth’s formation. While considering the earth’s future, these carbon records will shed light on the past and allow scientists to co-relate the past, present, and future. Question. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind? Ans. Geological phenomena unquestionably aid in our understanding of human history. Gondwana, a massive southern supercontinent, existed 650 million years ago. The weather was much nicer. It was home to a diverse range of vegetation and fauna. For 500 million years, Gondwana prospered. Finally, it disintegrated into the separate countries that exist today. It was the time when dinosaurs were extinct and the age of mammals began.

Question. What are the indications for the future of humankind? Ans. The land is under strain due to rapid population increase and limited resources. The use of fossil fuels has only contributed to the rise in world average temperature. Melting ice caps, ozone layer degradation, and global warming are genuine and imminent threats to humanity. They will have an impact on the life of all of the region’s marine animals and birds.

Question. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica: How is the study of this region useful to us?                                  Ans. The study of Antarctica indicates that India and Antarctica were formerly part of a supercontinent known as Gondwana. This supercontinent first appeared 650 million years ago. Gondwana had a much warmer climate. It supported a wide range of plants and wildlife. Then, some 150 million years ago, dinosaurs became extinct. The age of mammals began. Gondwana was compelled to split intonations. The planet was shaped similarly to how we know it today. There was the formation of a cold circumpolar stream. It chilled Antarctica. As a result, we might claim that Antarctica has effectively trapped the world’s geological history.   Question. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?   

Answer Introduction : Antarctica is the sole region where we can study and scrutinise the Earth’s present, past, and future.

Reason : Visiting Antarctica allows you to be a part of the Earth’s past. We now know that approximately 650 million years ago, there was a massive supercontinent in the south. It was known as Gondwana. India and Antarctica were both parts of the same landmass known as Gondwana.

Things were really different back then. Humans had not yet landed on Earth. Antarctica had a significantly warmer climate. It was home to a diverse range of vegetation and fauna. Dinosaurs were wiped out. The age of mammals began. The landmass was forced to be divided into the countries that exist today.

Antarctica research also aids in our understanding of the planet’s present and future. Geological history is imprisoned. We can examine the Earth’s past in Antarctica. Approximately 90% of the world’s total ice is kept here. Antarctica has no trees, buildings, or other human settlements. Here, glaciers are melting and ice caps are melting. We can connect them to the effects of global warming. Antarctica also serves as a forewarning for the future. It predicts the end of the planet if the West Antarctica ice sheet completely melts and the Gulf Stream ocean current is disturbed. What will happen if global warming causes icebergs to melt all the time? It will have devastating consequences. The continued reduction (decadence) of the ozone layer will have a negative impact on sea animals, flora (plants and trees), and humans (undesirably). Conclusion : Except for Antarctica, there is no area on Earth where we can locate current, past, and future records. As a result, Antarctica is an ideal location for learning about the earth’s present, past, and future.

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Journey to the end of the Earth

• CBSE Class 12
• Chapter 3: Journey to the end of the Earth
• Journey to the end of the Earth Notes

• Yash Tyagi Coaching English Book
• Publication
• ACERISE INDIA

Journey to the End of the Earth

By tishani doshi.

Journey to the End of the Earth Introduction

The lesson revolves around Antarctica, the world's most preserved place. There aren't many people who have been there, but Tishani Doshi is one of them. A south Indian person who went on an expedition with a group of teenagers affiliated with the 'Students on Ice' programme takes young minds to the far reaches of the globe. As a result, it explains why Antarctica is the place to go if you want to see the past, present, and future in their most realistic form.

Journey to the End of the Earth Summary

It takes nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies, and the same number of ecospheres for a south Indian man to travel to Antarctica from Madras. Tishani Doshi travelled to the South Pole with an expedition group called 'Students on Ice,' which gives young minds the opportunity to become more aware of the realistic version of global climate change. According to the organization's founder, we are the young versions of future policymakers who can change the situation. Antarctica is one of the world's coldest, driest, and windiest continents.

It is completely white as far as the eyes can see, and the uninterrupted blue horizon provides immense relief. It's hard to believe that India and Antarctica were once part of the same supercontinent, Gondwana, before being separated into countries and giving rise to the world we know today. Until then, Antarctica had a warmer climate. Despite human civilisation all over the world, it still exists in its natural state. As a sun-worshipping south Indian, it was unthinkable for the author to visit the place that contains 90% of the world's ice, a place so quiet that it is only interrupted by snow avalanches.

It is home to many evidences that can provide us with a glimpse of the past while also assisting us in forecasting the future. The place serves as a wake-up call to the impending threat that global warming is, in fact, a reality. Who knows if Antarctica will ever be warm again, and if it does, will we be there to witness it?

Journey to the End of the Earth Lesson Explanation

EARLY this year, I found myself aboard a Russian research vessel — the Akademik Shokalskiy — heading towards the coldest, driest, windiest continent in the world: Antarctica. My journey began 13.09 degrees north of the Equator in Madras, and involved crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at least as many ecospheres.

• Ecospheres- parts of the universe habitable by living organisms

The author begins by discussing his journey to Antarctica, one of the world's coldest, driest, and windiest continents. He travelled there on the Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian research vessel. The author is a South Indian who started his journey from Madras. During his journey, he passed through nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and an equal number of ecospheres.

By the time I actually set foot on the Antarctic continent I had been travelling over 100 hours in a combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship; so, my first emotion on facing Antarctica’s expansive white landscape and the uninterrupted blue horizon was a relief, followed up with an immediate and profound wonder. Wonder at its immensity, its isolation, but mainly at how there could ever have been a time when India and Antarctica were part of the same landmass.

• Expansive- covering a wide area in terms of space or scope; extensive
• Profound- very great or intense
• Isolation- separation
• Landmass- a continent or other large body of land

To reach the continent, he travelled for approximately 100 hours by car, plane, and ship. So, when he first set foot on the continent, he was relieved because it was all white as far as the eye could see. It was also very reassuring to see the blue horizon. The next emotion that came after was awe. He was astounded to learn that once upon a time, India and Antarctica were geographically connected.

Part of history

Six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent — Gondwana — did indeed exist, centred roughly around the present-day Antarctica. Things were quite different then: humans hadn’t arrived on the global scene, and the climate was much warmer, hosting a huge variety of flora and fauna. For 500 million years

Gondwana thrived, but around the time when the dinosaurs were wiped out and the age of the mammals got under way, the landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the globe much as we know it today.

• Amalgamated- combine or unite to form one structure
• Supercontinent- a former large continent from which other continents are held to have broken off and drifted away
• Thrived- prosper; flourish

Millions of years ago, there was a supercontinent called Gondwana, from which Antarctica and India are thought to have split. However, the situation was vastly different from what it is now. There were no humans, and the climate was warmer, resulting in a wide range of flora and fauna. Gondwana flourished for 500 million years, until dinosaurs became extinct and humans emerged. The vast continent was then forced to segregate into countries and the world we know today.

To visit Antarctica now is to be a part of that history; to get a grasp of where we’ve come from and where we could possibly be heading. It’s to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon; evolution and extinction. When you think about all that can happen in a million years, it can get pretty mind-boggling. Imagine: India pushing northwards, jamming against Asia to buckle its crust and form the Himalayas; South America drifting off to join North America, opening up the Drake Passage to create a cold circumpolar current, keeping Antarctica frigid, desolate, and at the bottom of the world.

• Cordilleran folds- an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges
• Precambrian granite shields- large areas of relatively low elevation that forms part of continental masses
• Mind-boggling- overwhelming; startling
• Frigid- very cold in temperature
• Desolate- (of a place) uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness

According to the author, if one wants to see history and where we came from, as well as where we are going, Antarctica is the place to go. It is the best place to learn about mountain ranges and low-elevation continents, ozone and carbon, evolution and extinction, and so on. It is capable of providing foresight into the future, which can be quite startling.

For a sun-worshipping South Indian like myself, two weeks in a place where 90 percent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect (not just for circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination). It’s like walking into a giant ping-pong ball devoid of any human markers — no trees, billboards, buildings. You lose all earthly sense of perspective and time here. The visual scale ranges from the microscopic to the mighty: midges and mites to blue whales and icebergs as big as countries (the largest recorded was the size of Belgium). Days go on and on and on in surreal 24-hour austral summer light, and a ubiquitous silence, interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet, consecrates the place. It’s an immersion that will force you to place yourself in the context of the earth’s geological history. And for humans, the prognosis isn’t good.

• Surreal- unusual; bizarre
• Austral- relating to the Southern Hemisphere
• Ubiquitous- everywhere; pervasive
• Avalanche- snowslide
• Calving- split and shed
• Consecrates- make or declare sacred
• Immersion- submerge
• Prognosis- a forecast of the likely outcome of a situation

It was a very different experience for the narrator because, as a sun-worshipping South Inidan, it was difficult for him or anyone else to imagine living in a place where 90 percent of the Earth's total ice volumes are stored. Not only is it difficult biologically or physically, but it is also difficult for the imagination. A place untouched by humans and their inventions, it provides an experience that makes you forget about everything else. Antarctica is home to everything from small creatures like midges and mites to massive creatures like blue whales and icebergs the size of countries. The days never end with the sun shining all the time in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a peaceful place, broken only by the rapid descent of a mountain of snow. It is a setting that forces you to think about the Earth's geological history and helps you predict the future, which for humans does not appear to be very pleasant.

Human Impact

Human civilisations have been around for a paltry 12,000 years — barely a few seconds on the geological clock. In that short amount of time, we’ve managed to create quite a ruckus, etching our dominance over Nature with our villages, towns, cities, megacities. The rapid increase of human populations has left us battling with other species for limited resources, and the unmitigated burning of fossil fuels has now created a blanket of carbon dioxide around the world, which is slowly but surely increasing the average global temperature.

• Paltry- petty; insignificant
• Ruckus- a row or commotion
• Etching- engraved
• Unmitigated- unconditional

Human life has existed on Earth for a mere 12,000 years, which equates to a few seconds on the geological clock. Humans have managed to exploit every resource in this short amount of time, causing chaos in nature. The ever-increasing human population is depriving other species of essential survival resources. Not to mention the unrestricted use of fossil fuels, which has resulted in a blanket of carbon dioxide surrounding our planet, raising the average global temperature and contributing to global warming.

Climate change is one of the most hotly contested environmental debates of our time. Will the West Antarctic ice sheet melt entirely? Will the Gulf Stream ocean current be disrupted? Will it be the end of the world as we know it? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Antarctica is a crucial element in this debate — not just because it’s the only place in the world, which has never sustained a human population and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect; but more importantly, because it holds in its ice-cores half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. If we want to study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the place to go.

• Pristine- in its original condition; unspoilt

These days, global warming and climate change are top priorities. Questions such as the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet, the disruption of the Gulf Stream, and how the world will end remain unanswered. Regardless, Antarctica remains an important part of the world, not only because it has remained untouched by humans, but also because of the ice-cores' half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its ice layers. Antarctica, according to the author, is the place to go to study and analyse Earth's past, present, and future.

Students on Ice, the programme I was working with on the Shokaskiy, aims to do exactly this by taking high school students to the ends of the world and providing them with inspiring educational opportunities which will help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet. It’s been in operation for six years now, headed by Canadian Geoff Green, who got tired of carting celebrities and retired, rich, curiosity-seekers who could only ‘give’ back in a limited way. With Students on Ice, he offers the future generation of policy-makers a life-changing experience at an age when they’re ready to absorb, learn, and most importantly, act.

The author was in Antarctica on an expedition with 'Students on Ice,' a programme that takes young minds to the far reaches of the globe in order to inspire them to work for our planet. It began with the goal of providing life-changing experiences for "the next generation of policymakers" to learn about the planet at a young age. Geoff Green initiated the initiative after becoming dissatisfied with his regular job and wanting to give something back in some way.

The reason the programme has been so successful is because it’s impossible to go anywhere near the South Pole and not be affected by it. It’s easy to be blasé about polar ice-caps melting while sitting in the comfort zone of our respective latitude and longitude, but when you can visibly see glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing, you begin to realise that the threat of global warming is very real.

• Blasé- unimpressed with or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before

Because it is very easy to sit at home and talk about real issues, seeing glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing gives you a glimpse into the future, the programme has been enormously successful in implementing its vision. It confirms that the threat of global warming is real.

Antarctica, because of her simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. Take the microscopic phytoplankton — those grasses of the sea that nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. These single-celled plants use the sun’s energy to assimilate carbon and synthesise organic compounds in that wondrous and most important of processes called photosynthesis. Scientists warn that a further depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of phytoplankton, which in turn will affect the lives of all the marine animals and birds of the region, and the global carbon cycle. In the parable of the phytoplankton, there is a great metaphor for existence: take care of the small things and the big things will fall into place.

It is one of those places with low biodiversity and, as a result, a simpler ecosystem. As a result, even minor changes in its environment can have far-reaching consequences. For example, microscopic phytoplankton are sea grasses that support the entire Southern Ocean food chain. Scientists have recently concluded that further ozone layer depletion can affect the activities of these single-celled plants as well as the marine life as a whole. As a result, the old saying "take care of the small things, and the big things will fall into place" comes true in this case.

Walk on the Ocean

My Antarctic experience was full of such epiphanies, but the best occurred just short of the Antarctic Circle at 65.55 degrees south. The Shokalskiy had managed to wedge herself into a thick white stretch of ice between the peninsula and Tadpole Island which was preventing us from going any further. The Captain decided we were going to turn around and head back north, but before we did, we were all instructed to climb down the gangplank and walk on the ocean. So there we were, all 52 of us, kitted out in Gore-Tex and glares, walking on a stark whiteness that seemed to spread out forever. Underneath our feet was a metre-thick ice pack, and underneath that, 180 metres of living, breathing, salt water. In the periphery Crabeater seals were stretching and sunning themselves on ice floes much like stray dogs will do under the shade of a banyan tree. It was nothing short of a revelation: everything does indeed connect.

Nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and many ecospheres later, I was still wondering about the beauty of balance in play on our planet. How would it be if Antarctica were to become the warm place that it once used to be? Will we be around to see it, or would we have gone the way of the dinosaurs, mammoths and woolly rhinos? Who’s to say? But after spending two weeks with a bunch of teenagers who still have the idealism to save the world, all I can say is that a lot can happen in a million years, but what a difference a day makes!

For the nine time zones, checkpoints, and bodies of water it took him to travel from Madras to Antarctica, the author pondered nature's ability to maintain its balance. He imagined what it would be like if Antarctica, which holds over 90 percent of the world's ice, warmed up again. He wonders if we'll be there to witness it if it happens, but who knows! Thus, by observing the spirit of teenagers who still have the courage to save the world, he speaks about the uncertainty of events that can occur over a million years.

About the Author

Tishani Doshi is an Indian poet, journalist, and dancer who was born in Chennai on December 9, 1975. Her debut poetry collection, Countries of the Body, won the Forward Prize in 2006. Her poetry collection A God at the Door has been nominated for the 2021 Forward Forward Prize in the category of best poetry collection.

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Journey to the End of the Earth Important Questions Class 12 English summary, Solutions & PDF

Journey to the end of the earth summary | journey to the end of the earth.

In Journey to the end of the earth’. Tishani Doshi describes the journey in de Colere driest and windiest continent in the world. 

Antarctica in this season Tishani Doshi narrate that today we are much worried about the worsening condition of our ecology and environment. It is believed that man is responsible for global warming which is causing climatic changes. 

We hear A ice caps are melting and glaciers are receding. But we seldom realise the real impact of the rise in temperature. A visit to Antarctica makes it visibly dear. There one can see ice shelves collapsing.

‘Students on Ice’ is a programme headed by Canadian Geoff Green. Its aim is to provide young students with an opportunity to see and understand the impact of global warming. 

They are the future policy-makers. If they understand this, they will act to prevent the catastrophe that awaits our planet.

The narrator boarded a Russian research ship-The ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’. It was heading towards the coldest, driest and 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 by car, aeroplane and ship to reach there. Six hundred and fifty million years ago a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana did exist. 

It centred roughly around present-day Antarctica. Human beings hadn’t arrived on the global scene. It had a huge variety of flora and fauna. After 500 million years, the landmass was forced to separate into countries as they exist today.

The purpose of the visit was to know more about Antarctica; ozone and carbon; evolution and extinction. Ninety per cent of the earth’s total ice volumes are stored in Antarctica. There are no human settlements, no trees and no buildings. Icebergs are as big as countries. 

Days go on and on in 24-hour Austral summer light. The most hotly contested debate of our time is whether the West Antarctic Ice sheet will melt entirely or not. If we want to study the Earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the place to go. Antarctica has a simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. 

It is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. 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. It was the most thrilling experience of the visit. They climbed down the gangplank and walked on the ocean. There were 52 people. 

They were walking on a metre-thick ice pack. Under the ice pack, there were 180 metres 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.

journey to the end of the earth summary in hindi | Journey to the end of the earth class 12 

कथाकार रूसी-शोथ-पोत अकादमिक शोकल्सकिए किए पर सवार हुआ। वह संसार के सबसे ठण्डे, शुष्क और हवादार महाद्वीप अन्टार्कटिका की ओर अग्रसर हो रहा था। उसकी यात्रा भूमध्य रेखा के 13.09 डिग्री उत्तर मद्रास (चेन्नई) से शुरू हुई। उसने 9 समय क्षेत्र, 6 चैकपाईंट, तीन पानी के क्षेत्र और कम से कम तीन पारिस्थिकी क्षेत्रों को पार किया। वह कार, हवाईजहाज और समुद्री जहाज़ से 100 घन्टे की यात्रा करने के बाद वहाँ पहुँचा।

650 मिलियन साल पहले एक विशाल दक्षिणी उच्च महाद्वीप गोण्डवाना मौजूद था। आज के अन्टार्कटिका के लगभग पास में इसका केन्द्र था। अभी मनुष्यों का ग्लोबल पटल पर आगमन नहीं हुआ था। इस पर वनस्पति और जीवों की विशाल विविधता थी। 500 मिलियन सालों के बाद इस भूमिखंड को अलग-अलग देशों में विभक्त होना पड़ा जैसे कि वे आजकल हैं।

इस यात्रा का उद्देश्य अन्टार्कटिका, ओजोन और कार्बन; क्रम विकास और विनाश के बारे में और अधिक जानना था। संसार के तमाम बर्फ के आयतन का 90% भाग अन्टार्कटिका में है। कोई इन्सानों की बस्तियाँ नहीं हैं, कोई पेड़ नहीं है और कोई भी भवन नहीं हैं। हिमखंड देशों जितने बड़े हैं। दिन 24 घंटे ग्रीष्म प्रकाश में चलते रहते हैं।

हमारे समय की सबसे गर्मागर्म बहस है कि क्या पश्चिमी अन्टार्कटिका में बर्फ की चादर पूर्ण रूप से पिघलेगी या नहीं। यदि हम पृथ्वी के भूत, वर्तमान और भविष्य का अध्ययन करना चाहते हैं तो अन्टार्कटिका ही हमारे जाने की (उपयुक्त) जगह है। अन्टार्कटिका की एक सरल पारिस्थितकी प्रणाली है और उसमें जैव-विविधता की कमी है। 

किस प्रकार पर्यावरण में हुए छोटे-छोटे परिवर्तनों के बड़े बुरे परिणाम हो सकते हैं इसके अध्ययन के लिए यह सबसे उपयुक्त स्थान है। वैज्ञानिक यह चेतावनी देते हैं कि ओजोन की परत का और घटना इस क्षेत्र के समुद्री’ पशुओं और पक्षियों के जीवन को प्रभावित करेगा। वह भूमण्डलीय कार्बन चक्र को भी प्रभावित करेगा।

यह यात्रा का सबसे उत्साहपूर्ण अनुभव था। वे लकड़ी के पुल से नीचे आये और सागर पर चले। वे 52 व्यक्ति थे। वे एक मीटर मोटी परत पर चल रहे थे। बर्फ की परत के 180 मीटर नीचे जीवित, सांस लेता नमकीन पानी है। बर्फ पर बैठी सील मछलियाँ धूप का आनन्द ले रही थीं। कथाकार जगह की सुन्दरता पर हैरानी अनुभव कर रहा था। वह कामना करता है कि वह जैसा कि लाखों वर्षों पहले हुआ करता था उतना गर्म नहीं होगा। यदि ऐसा होता है, तो परिणाम घातक हो सकते हैं।

 WORD-MEANINGS

• Aboard-on a ship, जहाज पर सवार; vessel – ship, जहाज; continent-on of the large landmasses of earth, 481; equator-great circle of earth dividing it into north and south hemispheres, भूमध्य रेखा, विषुवत रेखा; ecospheres part of the earth where life can exist, जैव मण्डल। 
• emotion-feeling, भावना; expansive- stretching out, विस्तार; uninterrupted continuous, अविरल; horizon-apparent line dividing the earth and sky, क्षितिज; profound-deep, गहरा; immensity- vastness, अनन्तता; isolation-separation, अलगाव; landmass-large tract of land, भूषिण्ड। amalgamated blended, एकीकृत present day-now, वर्तमान
•  global- worldwide, विश्व का hosting sheltering, आश्रय देती हुई, variety kinds, प्रकार, flora and fauna-vegetation and animals, वनस्पति व जीवजन्तुः thrived-pros
• जहाज से नीचे उतरने का पुल; kitted out-provided with necessary clothes e आवश्यक कपड़े आदि पहनाए; glares dazzling light, चकाचौंध; stark-devoid of any elaboration, ; ice pack-packed ice, de 4, periphery-outer boundary, परिधि;
•  floes-sheets of ice floating in the sea, बर्फ की तैरती चादरें revelation-disclosure of a secret, are wondering-amazing, 78; idealism-tendency to seek perfection, anafa etc.,

journey to the end of the Earth question answers  | Journey to the end of the Earth question answer

Very short answer type questions.

1. 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. We come to know that a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana did exist six hundred and fifty million years ago. The climate was much warmer and 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.

2. What are the indications for the future of humankind?

Ans. Rapid human population growth and limited resources exert pressure on land. The burning of fossil fuels has only helped in increasing the average global temperature. 

Melting of ice-caps in the Antarctic region, depletion of the ozone layer and the threat of global warming are the dangers mankind is going to face in the near future. They will affect the lives of all the marine animals and the birds of the region.

3. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. How is the study of this region useful to us?

Ans. Present-day Antarctica was the centre of a huge landmass called Gondwana. It was a giant southern supercontinent. It existed about 650 million years ago and thrived for 500 million years. 

Then it was not cold. The climate was warm. Thousands of species of fauna and flora lived there. But there were no human beings. 

Then this landmass disintegrated. India broke away and pushed against Asia, and created the Himalayas. South America drifted away to join North America. 

Indeed Antarctica holds the key to the geological history of our world. It helps to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields, ozone and carbon, evolution and extinction. 

4. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

Ans. Students on Ice’ aims at taking high school students to the ends of the world. It provides them with inspiring educational opportunities to know more about the Antarctic region. Its idea is to foster a new understanding and respect for our planet. 

It is headed by a Canadian named Geoff Green. Green is tired of catering to celebrities and rich people. “Students on Ice’ offers a life-changing experience to young learners. 

They are ready to absorb, learn and act. The programme has been quite successful. They can see with their own eyes glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing. They can realise that the threat of global warming is real.

Antarctica provides young students with a perfect place to study changes in the environment. These little changes can have big repercussions. 

They can see those grasses of the sea that nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. All these things make Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’ expedition quite an interesting and instructive experience.

5. Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves. What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment? 

Ans. Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves. This is a great metaphor for existence. Antarctica has quite a simple ecosystem. It lacks biodiversity. It is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. 

The study of very small phytoplankton is quite interesting. They are the grasses of the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. These single-celled plants use the sun’s energy. They assimilate carbon. 

They synthesise organic compounds. This process is called photosynthesis. Scientists warn that a further depletion of the ozone layer will affect the activities of the phytoplankton. Holes in the ozone layer will affect the lives of all the sea animals and birds of the region. Actually, it will affect the global carbon cycle. 

There is great relevance to this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment. These small things have to be taken care of. If they are taken care of, big things will fall into place. But if global warming is not arrested, it will lead to serious consequences. Similarly, the further depletion of the ozone layer can bring big disastrous climatic changes in the environment.

4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?

Ans. To visit Antarctica is to be a part of the earth’s past history. We came to know that about 650 million years ago there was a giant supercontinent in the south. It was called Gondwana. India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass Gondwana. 

Things were quite different then. Humans hadn’t arrived on the earth. The climate of Antarctica was much warmer. It had a huge variety of flora and fauna. Dinosaurs became extinct. The age of mammals has started. The landmass was forced to be separated into countries as they exist today.

The study of Antarctica can also help to understand the earth’s present and future as well. About 90 per cent of the earth’s total volume is stored in Antarctica. 

There are no trees, buildings and human settlements in Antarctica. We lose all earthly sense of perspective and time here. The visual scale ranges from microscopic midges and mites to the mighty blue whales. 

Antarctica also provides a warning for the future. What will happen if global warming results in the constant melting of icebergs? It will bring disastrous results. The further depletion of the ozone layer will affect sea animals, vegetation and humans very adversely in future.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. What was the purpose of the visit to Antarctica? 

Ans. The purpose of the visit was to have first-hand knowledge and experience of the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world. It was to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds; Ozone and Carbon; evolution and extinction.

The aim was to see glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing. It was to realise how real was the threat of global warming and depletion of the ozone layer. perspective and time in

2. How does one lose all earthly sense of Antarctica?

Ans. The world of Antarctica is unique. It is much different than the other parts of the globe. It is a place where 90 per cent of the earth’s total ice volume is stored. It is devoid of any human markers. There are no trees, no billboards and no buildings. 

We lose all earthly sense of perspective and time here. The visual scale range is very vast-from the microscopic to the mighty. Days go on and on in 24-hour Austral summer light. 

3. How did the author reach Antarctica?

Ans. The narrator boarded a Russian research ship-‘the Akademik Shokalskiy’. He was heading towards Antarctica-the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world. 

His journey began 13.09 degrees north of the Equator in Madras (Chennai). He had to cross nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and at least three ecospheres. He travelled over 100 hours in a combination of car, aeroplane and ship. 

4. Why is Antarctica the perfect place to study changes in the environment?

Ans. Antarctica is the perfect place to study changes in the environment. These little changes can have big climatic repercussions. It has a very simple ecosystem. It lacks biodiversity. For example, the study of microscopic phytoplanktons. 

They are the grasses of the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. Scientists warn that a further depletion of the ozone layer will affect the lives of all sea animals and birds of the region and the global carbon cycle.

5. Describe the walking experience on the ocean in the Antarctic Circle.

Ans. The Russian research ship managed to place itself into a thick stretch of ice. It was between the peninsula and Tadpole Island. They were instructed to climb down the gangplank and walk on the ocean. 

All 52 of them were walking on a ‘stark whiteness that seemed to spread out forever’. Underneath their feet w: s a metre-thick ice pack. And below it was 180 metres of living, breathing, salt water. Seals were stretching and lying in the sun on ice.

6. What would happen if Antarctica becomes the warm place that it once used to be ? What can be the effect of global warming on it? 

Ans. Before the huge landmass Gondwana broke up into smaller countries, Antarctica used to be a warm place. If it happens then all the icebergs and sheets of ice will start melting. It will raise the levels of the seas and oceans. 

Many low-lying regions of the earth will be submerged under water. The effect of global warming on Antarctica can be disastrous.

7. What was the first emotion of the narrator on facing Antarctica? 

Ans. The first emotion of the narrator on facing Antarctica was that of relief. Actually, he felt relieved to set foot on the Antarctic continent after a long travelling of over 100 hours. It was followed up with an immediate and profound wonder. 

Its vastness and immense white landscape dazzled his eyes. So was its endless blue horizon. Its isolation from the rest of the world created a sense of wonder and mystery.

8. When were India and Antarctica part of the same landmass?

Ans. About six hundred and fifty million years ago a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent existed. It was called Gondwana. There was a time when India and Antarctica were part of the same landmass. It centred roughly around present-day Antarctica. Humans had not arrived on the earth and its climate was much warmer.

9. What was Gondwana? How did it disintegrate? 

Ans. Gondwana was a giant southern supercontinent. It existed about six hundred and fifty million years ago. It centred roughly around present-day Antarctica. Things were quite different then. Humans had not appeared yet. The climate was much warmer. It had a huge variety of flora and fauna. After driving for 500 million years Gondwana was forced to separate due to certain geological phenomena. It broke into separate countries as they exist today, 

10. What are the reasons for increasing the average global temperature or global warming?

Ans. The increase in human population has given birth to innumerable villages, towns, cities and megacities. The burning of fossil fuels has polluted the atmosphere. It has created a blanket of carbon dioxide around the world. It is slowly but surely increasing the average global temperature. Global warming has given birth to many climatic changes.

11. If we want to study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the place to go. Discuss reasonably. 

Ans. Antarctica is the place where we can study the past, present and future of the earth. It is the only place in the world, which has never sustained a human population. Therefore, it remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect. It also holds in its ice cores half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. 

Its study will also help in observing climatic changes caused by global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Antarctica was part of warm and green Gondwana. How did it become cold and isolated?

Ans. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, there was a giant super-tenant in the south. Now we name it Gondwana. Antarctica formed the central part of that landmass. In those days the climate was warmer and human beings had not appeared. Many species of flora and fauna were there. For 500 million years Gondwana thrived. 

But around the time when dinosaurs disappeared and mammals began to develop, Gondwana began to break up. India broke away and pushed itself against Asia, and buckled its crust to create the Himalayas. South America drifted to join North America opening up that goes around the South Pole. 

On account of this, Antarctica was left not only isolated but it became a frigid Drake Passage. This created a cold current 

2. Describe Tishani’s journey to the end of the earth- Antarctica and desolate too, region and his experiences during that journey. Particularly, highlight the success of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme of Geoff’s Green. 

Ans. The narrator boarded a Russian research ship the ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’. He was heading towards the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world- Antarctica. His journey began 13.09 degrees north of the Equator from Madras (Chennai). 

He had to cross nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and at least three ecospheres. He travelled for over 100 hours. His first emotion was that of relief. 

It was followed up with an immediate and profound wonder. He wondered at its immensity and isolation. 

He also wondered how India and Antarctica formed parts of the same landmass about 650 million years ago. The author was a sun-worshipping South Indian. 

He spent two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the earth’s total volume is stored. It was devoid of any human markers. There were no trees, no billboards or buildings. He lost all earthly sense of perspective and time. The visual scale ranged from the microscopic to the mighty. He could see from midges and mites to blue whales and icebergs. Days go on and on in 24-hour Austral summer light.

The ‘Students on Ice’ programme by Geoff Green was quite successful. The aim of the programme was to take high school students to the ends of the world. It provided them with inspiring educational opportunities. They could develop a new understanding and respect for their planet. They were ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. They could realise the: evil effects of global warming. 

The most thrilling experience of the narrator was his walking on the ocean. All 52 of them walked on a vast sheet of whiteness. Underneath their feet was a metre-thick ice pack and underneath that 180 metres of living, breathing, salt water.

3. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind? How is Antarctica a part of that human history? 

Ans. Definitely, geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind. It is also true that Antarctica is an integral part of that history. Geologists tell us that about six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant ‘amalgamated’ supercontinent existed in the south. This supercontinent was called Gondwana. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana centred around present-day Antarctica. Things were quite different at that time. The man had not appeared on the global scene yet. 

The climate of Gondwana, including that of Antarctica, was much warmer. It had a huge variety of flora and fauna. The supercontinent, Gondwana, survived for about 500 million years. Then the dinosaurs became totally extinct. The age of mammals got underway. Then due to certain geological disturbances, the landmass was forced to separate into countries. These transformed the globe into much as we know it today.

Cent Antarctica is a part of that human history. It is a place where 90 per c of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored. Here, we can study Cordilleran folds; ozone and carbon; evolution and extinction. It is mind-boggling how India was pushed northwards. South America drifted off to join North America It opened up the Drake Passage to create a cold circumpolar current. The cold current kept Antarctica frigid, desolate and at the bottom of the world.

12. What is the aim of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme?

Ans. The ‘Students on Ice’ programme aims at taking high school students to the ends of the world. It provides them with inspiring educational opportunities. It fosters a new understanding and respect for our planet. It has been in operation for more than six years and is headed by a Canadian national named Geoff Green. The programme has been a great success. 

13. What was Gondwana like? How did it change?

Ans. Gondwana was a supercontinent about 650 million years ago. The climate was warm and there were many species of flora and fauna. There were no human beings. About a million years ago, it disintegrated into separate countries. 

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Important Questions: Journey to the end of the Earth | English Class 12 PDF Download

Q1: Why is a visit to Antarctica important to realise the effect of global warming? Ans:  Antarctica is the perfect place to study the effects that global warming is causing. It is here that one can see the effect of melting glaciers and collapsing ice-shelves and how this is likely to raise the water levels in the sea and the ocean, as a result of which many low lying regions will be submerged under water. Q2: What was the objective of the ‘Students on Ice Programme’? Ans:  The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take High School students to the limits of the world and provide them not only with inspiring opportunities in education but also enable them to understand and respect our planet. The idea was to provide them a life-changing experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy makers and through this programme they would save this planet from ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming. Q3: What are the indications for the future of humankind? Ans:  A fast and steady rise in human population in proportion to the limited natural resources is exerting pressure on land. Forests are being cut and fossil fuels are being burnt and these factors are increasing the global temperature. Melting of glaciers, depletion of ozone layer and global warming are endangering man’s existence on earth. This is bound to adversely affect marine life, birds and mankind. Q4: Why was Tishani Doshi filled with relief and wonder when he set foot on the Antarctic continent? Ans: Tishani Doshi’s first emotion when he set foot on the Antarctic continent was one of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot there after over a hundred hours. Its vastness and immense wild landscape dazzled his eyes. Its endless blue horizon and its isolation from the rest of the world created a sense of wonder and mystery for him. Q5: What were the writer’s feelings on reaching Antarctica? Ans: The writer’s first emotion on reaching Antarctica was that of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot on the Antarctic continent after over 100 hours. Then he experienced a sense of amazement on seeing its vastness and immense white landscape which dazzled his eyes. Q6: What do you think is the reason behind the success of the programme, ‘Students on Ice’? Ans:  The programme ‘Students on Ice’ was a success because it offered a life changing exposure to the future generation of policy makers at an age when they could absorb, learn and act. It provided them with inspiring educational opportunities which would help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet. Q7: How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi? Ans:  Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect, not just for circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination. Q8: How do geological phenomena help us to 1 know about the history of mankind? Ans:  It is geological phenomena that help us to know about the history of mankind. Geologists say about 650 million years ago a giant ‘amalgamated’ super continent, Gondwana existed in the South. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana had a warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna. This supercontinent survived for 500 years till the age of mammals got underway. Q9: How can a visit to the Antarctica be an enlightening experience? Ans:  By visiting the Antarctica we can understand the earth’s past, present and future. A visit there can teach the next generation to understand and value our planet. Antarctica also holds within its ice-cores half-million-years old carbon records which will help us to study climatic changes by global warming. Q10: How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change? Ans:  Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is the only place in the world which has never sustained a human population and thus remains relatively pristine. Moreover, it holds in its ice-caves half-million- year old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. The world’s climate is changing fast and is at present one of the most hotly debated issues. Antarctica is the ideal place to study the effect of these environmental changes as it has a very simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it will have disastrous consequences elsewhere.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q11: The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. How is the study of this region useful to us? Ans: The Antarctic landmass dates back to 650 million years. It was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana. This landmass centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings did not exist as their civilization is only 12,000 years old. The climate at that time was warm and landmass flourished with a vast variety of flora and fauna. The study of this region shows that Gondwana prospered for 500 million years. But then the dinosaurs got wiped out and mammals began to appear. The landmass disintegrated into countries and India, the Himalayas and South America was formed. This left Antarctica frigid at the bottom of the earth. Today, it stores the key to the significance of cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields, ozone and carbon layers as well as a study of the evolution and extinction. This can help us to understand in a better way the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as we find them in the modem world. Its ice folds hold over half-million-year-old carbon records that are so crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future, thus trapping the world’s geological history in Antarctica. Q12: The author calls her two-week stay in Antarctica, ‘a chilling prospect’. How far do you think is she justified? What other features of the Antarctic environment are highlighted? Ans: Tishani Doshi, is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two-weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect—both in terms of circulatory and metabolic functions and for the imagination. She has been transported from the scorching sun to the ice floes and glaciers where ninety per cent of the earth’s surface is ice-mass. Her two-week Antarctic encounter left an epiphanic effect on her and she carried back indelible memories of the continent. For her, it was like walking into a giant ping-pong ball, devoid of any human markers like trees, billboards and buildings. She says one loses all earthly sense of perspective and time here. As the day pass in surreal 24- hour austral summer light, a silence prevails which is interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or caving ice sheet. She learnt that Antarctica has a very simple ecosystem that lacks variety. But if this system is interfered with and environmental changes are effected indiscriminately, it can lead to depletion of the ozone layer, which protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Since the planet is unravaged by humans, it remains unblemished. Its ice-cores hold more than half¬million-year-old carbon records that are imperative for the detailed study of our planet. Q13: In what ways is the research on Antarctica helpful in the study and understanding of the Earth’s past and future, according to the author of ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’? Ans: A visit to Antarctica will help us to understand where we have come from and where we could possibly be heading. It will also suggest a lot of future possibilities, probably for even a million years later. By visiting the Antarctica we get an opportunity to study about the future climatic changes easily and more effectively. We also come to know about the repercussions of the various environmental changes. It also gives us the realization of the appearance of the ‘future world’. The ice-cores of Antarctica hold more than half-million-year-old carbon records which are very crucial for the study of the past, present and future of our planet. All this will also help us to understand our planet better and also give us ideas to save our planet. Q14: How the programme, ‘Students on Ice’ was an attempt to equip future generation with knowledge to save Earth? Ans:  The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take the High School students to the limits of the world and provide them with inspiring opportunities in education to enable them to understand and respect our planet. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy-makers and through this programme they would be able to save this planet from the ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming. Antarctica, with its simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have major repercussions. The school students’ impressionable minds can study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future by their voyage to Antarctica. Q15: What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem? Ans:  The microscopic phytoplankton are tiny forms of plant life on the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire southern ocean’s food chain. They are single-celled plants and use the energy of the sun to assimilate carbon supplying oxygen and synthesise compounds. Depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun adversely affects the activities of the phytoplankton. Any further depletion in the ozone layer will hamper their activity which, in turn, is bound to affect the growth of marine animals and birds and even the global carbon cycle. Thus to save the big organisms the small organisms need to be cared for because even minor changes have huge repercussions. Q16: Why does Tishani Doshi call her trip to Antarctica a “Journey to the End of the Earth”? What experience did she have during this expedition? Ans:  Tishani Doshi calls her trip to Antarctica a ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ because she crosses nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies and many ecospheres to reach there. The entire journey takes one hundred hours. She is wonder-struck by the immensity and isolation of the region. She is also relieved to see its expansive wide landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon. Antarctica provides young students like her with a platform to study changes in the environment. The programme is also likely to help them develop a new respect and understanding of our planet. Antarctica is also the perfect place for them to study how little climatic changes can have big repercussions and how global warming and further depletion of the ozone layer can affect the Antarctic region. The study of the Antarctica will help them to understand the earth’s past, present and future.

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Journey to The End of The Earth | class 12th | Important Questions English Vistas

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Journey to the end of the Earth – Important Questions

Important question and answers.

Q. What is ‘Students on Ice?

Ans.  ‘Students on Ice’ is an educational expedition to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show them the terrifying impacts of human activities in Antarctica so that, the students will realise that the end of the earth is quite near and therefore something should be done to save the planet.

Q. Why did Geoff Green decide to take high school students to Antarctica?

Ans.  Geoff Green didn’t find any good in taking curious celebrities to Antarctica until he thought of taking high school students. He believed that the high school students are the real future policy makers of the earth and 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.

Q. Why is Students on Ice programme a success?

Ans.  When one stands in the midst of the calving ice-sheets, retreating glaciers and melting icebergs, one realises that the threats to the earth are real. It is different and way more pragmatic from talking about Antarctica from the comfort zones of our warm countries and therefore being in Antarctica is a shocking realisation.

Q. Why are the youngsters called the future policy makers of the earth?

Ans.  The youngsters according to Geoff Green are the future policy-makers because it is them who will bring substantial changes as they grow up. More than that, the more educated youth of today is the hope for the earth as many students are more informed and more aware of the weakening strength of the planet.

Q. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?

Ans.  Geological phenomena certainly helps 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 in to separate countries as they exist today. It was the stage when dinosaurs were wiped out and the age of mammals started.

Q. What are the indications for the future of humankind?

Ans.  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.

Q. How is the study of Antarctica useful to us?

Ans.  The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. Therefore, the study of Antarctica shows that India and Antarctica were part of a supercontinent named Gondwana. This supercontinent existed 650 million years ago. The climate of Gondwana was much warmer. It fostered a huge variety of flora and fauna. Then about 150 million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out. 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.

Q. What lessons can be learnt from an expedition to Antarctica?

Ans.  While in Antarctica, one can witness the icesheets breaking, water level rising, seals taking sun bath on the icefloes. One can also walk on the thin layers of ice and feel the life under ones feet. One can see icebergs as big as a small country. And earlier these ice sheets were many times bigger than their present size. One can see a green patch of phytoplankton – a microscopic grass that feeds the entire marine life. Lastly, if one can get a chance to dig a bit, one can be lucky to see the fossils of half a million years old animals, plants and birds that got killed in the previous ice-age. This way one can learn the lesson of the slow impending death of the planet earth and therefore take some constructive actions to save it from its doom.

Author:  noor arora

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Journey to the end of the Earth Important Questions Class 12 English

March 16, 2023 by Bhagya

Journey to the end of the Earth Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English

1. Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

Question 1. How do geological phenomena help us to 1 know about the history of mankind? (2000; 2009 Delhi) Answer: It is geological phenomena that help us to know about the history of mankind. Geologists say about 650 million years ago a giant ‘amalgamated’ super continent, Gondwana existed in the South. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana had a warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna. This supercontinent survived for 500 years till the age of mammals got underway.

Question 2. What kind of indications do we get while visiting Antarctica to save Earth? (2004 Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi’s entire experience of visiting Antarctica was nothing short of a revelation. It made her wonder about the “beauty of balance in play on our planet”. She hopes the new generation will understand their planet better and save it from annihilation. The planet’s ecosystem and its balance that took millions of years to form can be soon destroyed. Scientists warn that a further depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of the phytoplankton. The lives of the marine animals and birds of the region will be affected. But the school students’ visit to the Antarctica may make human beings handle their planet in a better way.

Question 3. How can a visit to the Antarctica be an enlightening experience? (2008 Outside Delhi; All Comptt. Delhi) Answer: By visiting the Antarctica we can understand the earth’s past, present and future. A visit there can teach the next generation to understand and value our planet. Antarctica also holds within its ice-cores half-million-years old carbon records which will help us to study climatic changes by global warming.

Question 4. Why is a visit to Antarctica important to realise the effect of global warming? (2008 Outside Delhi) Answer: Antarctica is the perfect place to study the effects that global warming is causing. It is here that one can see the effect of melting glaciers and collapsing ice-shelves and how this is likely to raise the water levels in the sea and the ocean, as a result of which many low lying regions will be submerged under water.

Question 5. How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change? (2008 Outside Delhi; 2013 Comptt. Outside Delhi) Answer: Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is the only place in the world which has never sustained a human population and thus remains relatively pristine. Moreover, it holds in its ice-caves half-million- year old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. The world’s climate is changing fast and is at present one of the most hotly debated issues. Antarctica is the ideal place to study the effect of these environmental changes as it has a very simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it will have disastrous consequences elsewhere.

Question 6. What was the objective of the ‘Students on Ice Programme’? (2009 Delhi; 2011 Comptt. Outside Delhi) Answer: The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take High School students to the limits of the world and provide them not only with inspiring opportunities in education but also enable them to understand and respect our planet. The idea was to provide them a life-changing experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy makers and through this programme they would save this planet from ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming.

Question 7. Why is Antarctica and its understanding important for the survival of the world? (2009 Outside Delhi) Answer: Antarctica and its understanding is important for the survival of the world because it helps us to know that the southern supercontinent of Gondwana existed and centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings had not come on the global scene but a huge variety of flora and fauna was present in the supercontinent. It was after 500 million years that the landmass was forced to separate into countries that exist today. Antarctica’s ice-cores hold over half-million-year-old carbon records which are crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future.

Question 8. What are the indications for the future of humankind? (2009 Outside Delhi) Answer: A fast and steady rise in human population in proportion to the limited natural resources is exerting pressure on land. Forests are being cut and fossil fuels are being burnt and these factors are increasing the global temperature. Melting of glaciers, depletion of ozone layer and global warming are endangering man’s existence on earth. This is bound to adversely affect marine life, birds and mankind.

Question 9. How did the Antarctica amaze the writer when he first saw it? (2010 Delhi) Answer: When the writer first saw Antarctica he was amazed by its vastness and immense white landscape. It was an endless blue horizon and the fact that it was isolated from the rest of the world created an added sense of wonder and mystery about the continent.

Question 10. Why was Tishani Doshi filled with relief and wonder when he set foot on the Antarctic continent? (2010 Comptt. Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi’s first emotion when he set foot on the Antarctic continent was one of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot there after over a hundred hours. Its vastness and immense wild landscape dazzled his eyes. Its endless blue horizon and its isolation from the rest of the world created a sense of wonder and mystery for him.

Question 11. Why is Antarctica the place to go to if we want to study the earth’s past, present and future? (2010 Comptt. Outside Delhi) Answer: The Antarctica landmass, that was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana dates back to 650 million years. It can help us understand better the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as they are in the modem world. Its ice-cores hold over half-million-year old carbon records that are vital to study the Earth’s past, present and future.

Question 12. What were the writer’s feelings on reaching Antarctica? (2011 Delhi) Answer: The writer’s first emotion on reaching Antarctica was that of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot on the Antarctic continent after over 100 hours. Then he experienced a sense of amazement on seeing its vastness and immense white landscape which dazzled his eyes.

Question 13. What sort of brightness and silence prevailed in Antarctica dining summer? (2011 Delhi) Answer: The brightness that prevailed in Antarctica was surreal (strange) as the austral summer light remained for 24 hours in the continent. The silence there was ubiquitous (widespread) interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet.

Question 14. What do you think is the reason behind the success of the programme, ‘Students on Ice’? (2011 Delhi) Answer: The programme ‘Students on Ice’ was a success because it offered a life changing exposure to the future generation of policy makers at an age when they could absorb, learn and act. It provided them with inspiring educational opportunities which would help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet.

Question 15. Why does the author of Journey to the End of the Earth state that in 12000 years man has managed to create a ruckus on this earth? (2012 Comptt. Outside Delhi ) Answer: Humans have been on this Earth for about 12,000 years and have created a havoc and ruckus on this Earth. They have done this by encroaching on nature and establishing cities and megacities. Their increasing population has depleted natural resources and their callousness towards nature has led to a rise in global temperature.

Question 16. How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi? (2013 Comptt. Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect, not just for circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination.

2. Answer the following question in about 125-150 words.

Question 17. How the programme, ‘Students on Ice’ was an attempt to equip future generation with knowledge to save Earth? (2005 Delhi) Answer: The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take the High School students to the limits of the world and provide them with inspiring opportunities in education to enable them to understand and respect our planet. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy-makers and through this programme they would be able to save this planet from the ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming. Antarctica, with its simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have major repercussions. The school students’ impressionable minds can study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future by their voyage to Antarctica.

Question 18. The world’s geological history is trapped in the Antarctica. How is the study of this region useful to us? (2008 Delhi) Answer: The Antarctic landmass dates back to 650 million years. It was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana. This landmass centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings did not exist as their civilization is only 12,000 years old. The climate at that time was warm and landmass flourished with a vast variety of flora and fauna. The study of this region shows that Gondwana prospered for 500 million years. But then the dinosaurs got wiped out and mammals began to appear. The landmass disintegrated into countries and India, the Himalayas and South America was formed. This left Antarctica frigid at the bottom of the earth. Today, it stores the key to the significance of coridelleran folds and pre- Cambrian granite shields, ozone and carbon layers as well as a study of the evolution and extinction. This can help us to understand in a better way the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as we find them in the modem world. Its ice-folds hold over half-million-year-old carbon records that are so crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future, thus trapping the world’s geological history in Antarctica.

Question 19. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem? (2010 Outside Delhi; 2012 Delhi) Answer: The microscopic phytoplankton are tiny forms of plant life on the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire southern ocean’s food chain. They are single-celled plants and use the energy of the sun to assimilate carbon supplying oxygen and synthesise compounds. Depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun adversely affects the activities of the phytoplankton. Any further depletion in the ozone layer will hamper their activity which, in turn, is bound to affect the growth of marine animals and birds and even the global carbon cycle. Thus to save the big organisms the small organisms need to be cared for because even minor changes have huge repercussions.

Question 20. The author calls her two-week stay in Antarctica, ‘a chilling prospect’. How far do you think is she justified? What other features of the Antarctic environment are highlighted? Answer: Tishani Doshi, is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two-weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect—both in terms of circulatory and metabolic functions and for the imagination. She has been transported from the scorching sun to the ice floes and glaciers where ninety per cent of the earth’s surface is ice-mass. Her two-week Antarctic encounter left an epiphanic effect on her and she carried back indelible memories of the continent. For her, it was like walking into a giant ping-pong ball, devoid of any human markers like trees, billboards and buildings. She says one loses all earthly sense of perspective and time here. As the day pass in surreal 24- hour austral summer light, a silence prevails which is interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or caving ice sheet.

She learnt that Antarctica has a very simple ecosystem that lacks variety. But if this system is interfered with and environmental changes are effected indiscriminately, it can lead to depletion of the ozone layer, which protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Since the planet is unravaged by humans, it remains unblemished. Its ice-cores hold more than half¬million-year-old carbon records that are imperative for the detailed study of our planet.

Question 21. Why does Tishani Doshi call her trip to Antarctica a “Journey to the End of the Earth”? What experience did she have during this expedition? (2011 Outside Delhi) Answer: Tishani Doshi calls her trip to Antarctica a ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ because she crosses nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies and many ecospheres to reach there. The entire journey takes one hundred hours. She is wonder-struck by the immensity and isolation of the region. She is also relieved to see its expansive wide landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon. Antarctica provides young students like her with a platform to study changes in the environment. The programme is also likely to help them develop a new respect and understanding of our planet. Antarctica is also the perfect place for them to study how little climatic changes can have big repercussions and how global warming and further depletion of the ozone layer can affect the Antarctic region. The study of the Antarctica will help them to understand the earth’s past, present and future.

Question 22. In what ways is the research on Antarctica helpful in the study and understanding of the Earth’s past and future, according to the author of ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’? (2012 Comptt. Delhi) Answer: A visit to Antarctica will help us to understand where we have come from and where we could possibly be heading. It will also suggest a lot of future possibilities, probably for even a million years later. By visiting the Antarctica we get an opportunity to study about the future climatic changes easily and more effectively. We also come to know about the repercussions of the various environmental changes. It also gives us the realization of the appearance of the ‘future world’. The ice-cores of Antarctica hold more than half-million-year-old carbon records which are very crucial for the study of the past, present and future of our planet. All this will also help us to understand our planet better and also give us ideas to save our planet.

Important Questions for Class 12 English

Journey to the end of the Earth – Important Questions

Fresh Reads

‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ by Tishani Doshi describes the journey from Madras (Chennai) to Antarctica with a group of high school students to study the conditions there. 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.

Important Question and Answers

Q. What is ‘Students on Ice?

Ans. ‘Students on Ice’ is an educational expedition to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show them the terrifying impacts of human activities in Antarctica so that, the students will realise that the end of the earth is quite near and therefore something should be done to save the planet.

Q. Why did Geoff Green decide to take high school students to Antarctica?

Ans. Geoff Green didn’t find any good in taking curious celebrities to Antarctica until he thought of taking high school students. He believed that the high school students are the real future policy makers of the earth and 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.

Q. Why is Students on Ice programme a success?

Ans. When one stands in the midst of the calving ice-sheets, retreating glaciers and melting icebergs, one realises that the threats to the earth are real. It is different and way more pragmatic from talking about Antarctica from the comfort zones of our warm countries and therefore being in Antarctica is a shocking realisation.

Q. Why are the youngsters called the future policy makers of the earth?

Ans. The youngsters according to Geoff Green are the future policy-makers because it is them who will bring substantial changes as they grow up. More than that, the more educated youth of today is the hope for the earth as many students are more informed and more aware of the weakening strength of the planet.

Q. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?

Ans. Geological phenomena certainly helps 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 in to separate countries as they exist today. It was the stage when dinosaurs were wiped out and the age of mammals started.

Q. What are the indications for the future of humankind?

Ans. 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.

Q. How is the study of Antarctica useful to us?

Ans. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. Therefore, the study of Antarctica shows that India and Antarctica were part of a supercontinent named Gondwana. This supercontinent existed 650 million years ago. The climate of Gondwana was much warmer. It fostered a huge variety of flora and fauna. Then about 150 million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out. 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.

Q. What lessons can be learnt from an expedition to Antarctica?

Ans. While in Antarctica, one can witness the icesheets breaking, water level rising, seals taking sun bath on the icefloes. One can also walk on the thin layers of ice and feel the life under ones feet. One can see icebergs as big as a small country. And earlier these ice sheets were many times bigger than their present size. One can see a green patch of phytoplankton – a microscopic grass that feeds the entire marine life. Lastly, if one can get a chance to dig a bit, one can be lucky to see the fossils of half a million years old animals, plants and birds that got killed in the previous ice-age. This way one can learn the lesson of the slow impending death of the planet earth and therefore take some constructive actions to save it from its doom.

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Journey to the End of the Earth Class 12 MCQ Questions with Answers English Chapter 3

We have compiled NCERT MCQ Questions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 3 Journey to the End of the Earth with Answers Pdf free download. MCQ Questions for Class 12 English with Answers were prepared according to the latest question paper pattern. Practicing these Journey to the End of the Earth Class 12 English MCQs Questions with Answers really effective to improve your basics and learn all the key concepts.

MCQ Questions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 3 Journey to the End of the Earth with Answers

Question 1. Name the program which aimed to take high school students to the end of the world? (a) The author’s delight (b) Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’ programme (c) Teachers delight (d) School program

Answer: (b) Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’ programme

Question 2. What is the aim of The Journey to, Antarctica? (a) to know the geography more closely (b) world tour (c) to sensitize the young minds towards climatic change (d) to see the beauty of the earth

Answer: (c) to sensitize the young minds towards climatic change

Question 3. The lesson Journey to the end of the Earth revolve around_______ (a) children and their tour (b) tourism (c) It revolves around the world (d) world’s most preserved place, Antarctica

Answer: (d) world’s most preserved place, Antarctica

Question 4. The study of our past is possible in Antarctica through_________. (a) Half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice (b) Cordilleran folds (c) pre-Cambrian granite shields (d) All of the above

Answer: (d) All of the above

Question 5. When do you know that the threat of global warming is very real? (a) when you see the seals on ice floes (b) when you see the austral light (c) When you see glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing (d) All of the above

Answer: (c) When you see glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing

Question 6. What caused disturbance to the silence of the continent? (a) the humans (b) Avalanches (c) The birds (d) the animals

Answer: (b) Avalanches

Question 7. ‘And for humans, the prognosis isn’t good.’ This line means__________. (a) The future of mankind is not promising. (b) The future of mankind is secure. (c) The prognosis isn’t good enough to be relied upon. (d) The future of human kind is encouraging.

Answer: (a) The future of mankind is not promising.

Question 8. What is the figure of speech used in the line, “It’s like walking into a giant ping-pong ball”? (a) Metaphor (b) Alliteration (c) Pun (d) Simile

Answer: (d) Simile

Question 9. The author’s first emotion on facing Antarctica’s expansive white landscape was ____________. (a) wonder (b) relief (c) shock (d) disbelief

Answer: (b) relief

Question 10. Antarctica has been described as ___________. (a) coldest, driest, windiest (b) hottest and inhabitable (c) thriving with all sorts of life (d) All of the above

Answer: (a) coldest, driest, windiest

Question 11. If we want to know our earth, the human race and its past, present, and future where should we go? (a) Northern Pole (b) Southern Pole (c) Gondwana (d) Antarctica Continent

Answer: (d) Antarctica Continent

Question 12. How does the geographical phenomena help us? (a) how small changes cause big things to happen (b) it makes us study (c) it helps us to watch everything closely (d) none

Answer: (a) how small changes cause big things to happen

Question 13. Which program was a life changing program? (a) Tour and Travels (b) Know Antarctica (c) Know your earth (d) Students on Ice

Answer: (d) Students on Ice

Question 14. Where is the world’s geological history trapped? (a) on southern pole (b) On Northern Pole (c) on Asia Continent (d) On Antarctica Continent

Answer: (d) On Antarctica Continent

Question 15. Where does 90% of earth’s total ice exist? (a) Pacific region (b) Southern oceans (c) Northern pole (d) Antarctica Continent

Question 16. How old are the records trapped in the layers of ice on Antarctica? (a) 1 million year old (b) 2 million years old (c) half million-year-old carbon records (d) All these

Answer: (c) half million-year-old carbon records

Question 17. What are the reasons of increasing global temperatures? (a) cutting of trees (b) human activities (c) increasing pollution (d) All these

Answer: (d) All these

Question 18. What does the author compare the running and stretching of crabs to? (a) to melting glaciers (b) to avalanches (c) to stray dogs (d) None

Answer: (c) to stray dogs

Question 19. What is phytoplankton? (a) Oceans (b) Southern oceans (c) Microscopic grasses (d) None

Answer: (c) Microscopic grasses

Question 20. Why was the programme ‘Students on Ice ‘ a great success? (a) because of its arrangements (b) good travel facilities (c) good food arrangements (d) because of the life changing exposure to the youngsters

Answer: (d) because of the life changing exposure to the youngsters

Question 21. What were the writer’s feelings on reaching the continent? (a) of relief and amazement (b) tired and fatigued (c) sad (d) none

Answer: (a) of relief and amazement

Question 22. What are the important indications of the future of human kind? (a) melting glaciers (b) depleting ozone layer (c) increasing global warming (d) All these

Question 23. What wondered Tishani Doshi? (a) Beauty of the place (b) white expanse (c) Beauty of balance on the earth (d) None

Answer: (c) Beauty of balance on the earth

Question 24. How many years back were India and Antarctica part of the same landmass? (a) 100 million years back (b) 300 million years ago (c) 200 million years ago (d) 400 million years ago

Answer: (b) 300 million years ago

Question 25. Why is Antarctica a restricted place? (a) because it’s too cold (b) because of no life (c) because of snow (d) to protect the environment

Answer: (d) to protect the environment

Question 26. Why did the author visit Antarctica? (a) to have a better understanding of the planet (b) to see the white expanse (c) to enjoy the cold weather (d) none

Answer: (a) to have a better understanding of the planet

Question 27. Why did Geoff decide to take high school students on the journey? (a) to make them tour the world (b) to make them enjoy (c) to make them feel relaxed (d) to make them understand their planet and respect it.

Answer: (d) to make them understand their planet and respect it.

Question 28. What is there in Antarctica? (a) man’s history (b) snow’s history (c) geographical history (d) Geological history

Answer: (d) Geological history

Question 29. How will the geographical phenomena help us to know the history of mankind? (a) by telling the age of existence of human beings on the earth (b) by showing the global warming (c) by showing the imapacts of global warming (d) none

Answer: (a) by telling the age of existence of human beings on the earth

Question 30. What does the lesson revolve around? (a) It revolves around the world (b) tourism (c) children and their tour (d) the world’s most preserved place, Antarctica

Answer: (d) the world’s most preserved place, Antarctica

We hope the given NCERT MCQ Questions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 3 Journey to the End of the Earth with Answers Pdf free download will definitely yield fruitful results. If you have any queries related to CBSE Class 12 English Journey to the End of the Earth MCQs Multiple Choice Questions with Answers, drop your questions below and will get back to you in no time.

Word Meaning, Summary, Important Questions Of Chapter 4 Journey to the End of the Earth | Class 12

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Hindi Meaning Of Difficult Words | Chapter 4 Journey to the End of the Earth

About The Poet | Chapter 4 Journey to the End of the Earth

Journey to the End of the Earth’ by 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’ program 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.

Short Summary Of Chapter 4 Journey to the End of the Earth In English

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, airplane and ship to reach there. Six hundred and fifty million years ago a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana did indeed exist. It centred roughly around present-day Antarctica. Human beings hadn’t arrived on the global scene. The climate at that time was much warmer. It had 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.

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. The most hotly contested debate of our time is whether West Antarctica Ice sheet will melt entirely or not. If we want to study the earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the place to go. Antarctica has a simple eco-system and lacks biodiversity. It is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have big 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 clearly visible at Antarctica when we see icebergs 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 grave danger.

“Students on Ice” is a programme which provides the students ample opportunity to understand how global temperature can be a big threat to human existence. It inculcates a new understanding in them. Geoff Green thinks that high school students are the future policy makers. They can help in saving the earth from ecological dangers and the effects of global warming.

The author further gives us an example showing how small changes in the atmosphere can be threatening. The microscopic phytoplanktons are single celled plants. They nourish the entire 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 was the most thrilling experience of the visit. They climbed down the gangplank and walked on the ocean. They were 52 people. 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 result can be ruinous.

Important Previous Year Questions From Chapter 4 Journey to the End of the Earth

SAI (2 marks)

• How is Antarctica different from the place you live in? (2020)

LA II (6 marks)

• What are phytoplankton? How are they important to our ecosystem? (2020)
• What is ‘Students on Ice?
• Why did Geoff Green decide to take high school students to Antarctica?
• Why is Students on Ice program a success?
• Why are the youngsters called the future policy makers of the earth?
• How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?
• What are the indications for the future of humankind?
• How is the study of Antarctica useful to us?
• What lessons can be learnt from an expedition to Antarctica?

Download Free pdf Previous Year Paper For NCERT English Class 12

Answer of chapter 4 journey to the end of the earth ​ for the above questions.

• Antarctica is totally different from where I reside. It’s a land with layers and layers of ice with very little form of life. It doesn’t snow here where I live and the summer temperatures rise to more than 40 degree Celsius. It’s more habitable than the harsh climate and simple ecosystem of Antarctica .
• Phytoplankton is a single-celled grass that feed the entire southern ocean’s marine life. It is the main form of vegetation and source of food in the entire southern ocean. Through the process of photosynthesis they provide food and oxygen to all the marine life at the sea. They convert the carbon dioxide into food and water with the help of sunlight. These tiny plants require a low degree of temperature for their survival. But due to the global warming, ozone layers are depleting which filter harmful UV rays of the sun. The rise in temperature adversely affects their activities. If phytoplankton cannot thrive, the whole of marine animals will be at risk too. The chain reaction will not just stop there, this will lead to bigger problems for the ecosystem. Any imbalance in the ecosystem means a threat to all living beings on the planet.

Answers for Questions for Excellence

• ‘Students on Ice’ is an educational expedition to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show them the terrifying impacts of human activities in Antarctica so that, the students 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 that the high school students are the real future policy makers of the earth and 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, retreating glaciers and melting icebergs, one realizes that the threats to the earth are real. It is different and way more pragmatic from talking about Antarctica from the comfort zones of our warm countries and therefore being in Antarctica is a shocking realization.
• The youngsters according to Geoff Green are the future policy-makers because it is them who will bring substantial changes as they grow up. More than that, the more educated youth of today is the hope for the earth as many students are more informed and more aware of the weakening strength of the planet.
• Geological phenomena certainly helps 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 in to separate countries as they exist today. It was the Stage when dinosaurs were wiped out and the age of mammals started.
• 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 S 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.
• The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. Therefore, the study of Antarctica shows that India and Antarctica were part of a supercontinent named Gondwana. This supercontinent existed 650 million years ago. The climate of Gondwana was much warmer. It fostered a huge variety of flora and fauna. Then about 150 million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out. 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.
• While in Antarctica, one can witness the ice sheets breaking, water level rising, seals taking sun bath on the ice floes. One can also walk on the thin layers of ice and feel the life under ones feet. One can see icebergs as big as a small country. And earlier these ice sheets were many times bigger than their present size. One can see a green patch of phytoplankton – a microscopic grass that feeds the entire marine life. Lastly, if one can get a chance to dig a bit, one can be lucky to see the fossils of half a million years old animals, plants and birds that got killed in the previous ice-age. This way one can learn the lesson of the slow impending death of the planet earth and therefore take some constructive actions to save it from its doom.

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The end of the world is trending. Why are we so obsessed with the apocalypse?

Canadians are jumping on the growing trend of apocalyptic scenarios in movies and tv.

Social Sharing

It's the end of the world as we know it, and Jay Baruchel feels fine. On the second season of his Crave series We're All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel),  which launched last week, the host and namesake explores several possible apocalyptic scenarios, from insect extinction to a world ruled by artificial intelligence.

"I think we are all understandably anxious and constantly at odds with the world and civilization," Baruchel told CBC News recently. "And so when we get to, like, have a moment where we can go, 'Yeah, it's a garbage fire,' I think there is like a strange relief."

The Ottawa actor is not alone in his fascination with the end times, if streaming services and the box office are any indication. 

• Jarring, visceral and all too plausible, Alex Garland's Civil War is a must-see

Canadian director Caitlin Cronenberg released her debut feature film Humane  on Friday, a dark comedy featuring Baruchel that imagines a not-so-distant future where overpopulation is addressed with human culls.

Alex Garland's dystopian Civil War has topped the box office two weekends in a row, while post-apocalyptic TV series Fallout , based on a popular video game, is No. 1 on Amazon Prime.

This comes on the heels of other massively successful apocalyptic shows like HBO's  The Last of Us  and Netflix movie Leave the World Behind , which featured stars Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali.

'More popular than ever'

Chris Begley, an archaeologist and author of The Next Apocalypse: The Art and Science of Survival , says apocalyptic narratives in the media have always been a reflection of the times, going all the way back to ancient religious texts.

He suspects the current wave is driven by the anxiety people feel about issues such as climate change and political uncertainty. 

"One thing is clear: apocalyptic narratives are more popular than ever," Begley said. 

He says the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic were the closest thing many audiences have experienced to a potential apocalyptic scenario. Real-life events such as the pandemic, worsening wildfires and rising sea levels encourage us to imagine those futures.

• Why some fans say watching horror helps them escape — and confront — the terror of real life

And even if the overall messaging feels dark, the narratives contain aspects of life many people want.

"If you think about some of these apocalyptic narratives, it really is like resetting everything. You're getting rid of the baggage. You're able to start anew, or perhaps you're able to have this ideal future that mirrors in some ways the things you wish would happen," Begley said.

'New technology' tapping into 'a very old desire'

Coltan Scrivner, a behavioural scientist who studies horror, true crime and morbid curiosity, says while humans have always been drawn to apocalyptic tales, we now have more ways using modern special effects of telling those tales in compelling ways.

"That's part of it, just using new technology to tap into a very old desire," he said.

Coincidentally, new technology is also feeding our fears.

"I think also the world is changing pretty quickly, especially with AI, and there's questions about, is AI going to destroy the world or change the world into a sort of world that we don't recognize anymore."

Scrivner, who is currently co-managing a travelling variety show called The Apocalypse Road Show in the U.S., says he personally finds it interesting to explore possible dangerous futures and see how people handle them.

• LISTEN The Last of Us depicts a fictional fungal apocalypse. But fungi pose some real threats too

"You get the suspense and the thrills, but you also get what feels like insight into situations that might happen that haven't happened yet," he said.

Scrivner's research suggests consuming such seemingly bleak material could actually be helping people.

In a 2021 study , he found people who had watched more apocalyptic and pandemic-themed movies felt more prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic and were more psychologically resilient during pandemic-related shutdowns.

"I think it can help people kind of feel like they're prepared or at least feel like they can handle the uncertainty a bit better," he said.

Apocalyptic pop culture enjoying explosive renaissance

Apocalyptic narratives can shape our future.

But our apocalypse obsession may not always be healthy. 

Studies show  millennials and gen-Zers see a bleak future in many respects at a time when the climate is warming, life expectancy is down, costs of food and other essentials are rising, and home ownership is out of reach for many.

Technology and culture writer Zara Stone has suggested apocalyptic programming caters to a hopeless feeling among young viewers by telling them that this is the norm, and "allowing them to think the lack of a future is acceptable." 

Begley similarly cautions that these dystopian visions of the future can affect us after our screen time. 

The way our future is portrayed in the media we consume influences the way we all think about our own future, he says, and to some degree, that sets the parameters for what is possible in the real world.

"I think it's important for us to consciously think about the world we envision. For instance, is it one where your relationship with other people is one of caution and violence, or is it one where it's community and support?" he said.

Why some millennials feel like it’s getting harder to get ahead

'there are still things that we can all do'.

Baruchel says his interviews with scientists and other experts for We're All Gonna Die — which takes an educational approach fusing science, psychology, pop culture and philosophy — have actually made him a more optimistic person. 

From his perspective, naming and understanding potential threats can give us a place to understand, process and plan from, in case we ever do encounter these scenarios in real life. 

• Q with Tom Power Jay Baruchel explains why he wants to live in Canada 'as crazy as that sounds'

"The through line to every person that I interviewed on that show was that, as insurmountable as any of this feels, there is a piece for each of us to carry," Baruchel said. "And that you don't have to throw your hands up and resign yourself there. There is a fight that we're all participating in, still. There are still things that we can all do. And it's nice to be reminded."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Digital writer

Kevin Maimann is a senior writer for CBC News based in Edmonton. He has covered a wide range of topics for publications including VICE, Toronto Star, Xtra Magazine and the Edmonton Journal. You can reach Kevin by email at [email protected].

With files from Eli Glasner

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CBSE Class 12 English Vistas - Journey to the End of the Earth Summary

Summary of journey to the end of the earth.

Journey to the End of the Earth, written by Tishani Doshi, talks about her experience on the Antarctic continent during a research programme that takes high school students to the icy continent to study and understand climate change. She takes off from Madras in a Russian research vessel named Akademik Shokalskiy. Reaching the world’s coldest, windiest and driest continent of the world – Antarctica – involved crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and many ecospheres. Her first reaction on reaching the continent after travelling for 100 hours was relief. She was wonderstruck by its immensity and isolation. The idea of India being a part of Antarctica long back in the past seemed a bizarre thought. Students can read the summary of Journey to the End of the Earth given below for a detailed understanding of the chapter. Students can also visit BYJU’S CBSE Summary and CBSE Notes for more information and learning materials on CBSE Class 12 English syllabus.

CBSE Class 12 English Journey to the End of the Earth Summary

Part of history

The author talks about Gondwana – a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent that existed six hundred and fifty million years ago. It was centred roughly around present-day Antarctica. Humans had not arrived for quite a long time, and the climate was warmer. Gondwana thrived for 500 million years with a variety of flora and fauna. By the time of the advent of mammals, the landmass was forced to separate into smaller parts or countries.

This journey to Antarctica was an attempt to understand the formation of countries and find out about our origins. India had pushed northwards into Asia to form the Himalayas. South America had drifted towards North America to form the Drake passage, which created a cold circumpolar current to keep Antarctica frigid at the bottom of the world.

The author belonged to the Southern part of India – a sunny place where cold temperatures are rare occurrences. Spending two weeks in Antarctica was overall a chilling prospect for her. It contains ninety per cent of Earth’s ice volume and has no human markers like trees or billboards throughout the continent. One lost a sense of perspective or time here. Visible things ranged from the microscopic to the mighty, e.g., from midges and mites to whales. Days were of a duration of twenty-four hours and immersed in complete silence, disturbed occasionally by avalanches or calving ice sheets.

Human impact

The author says that humans have been on this planet for only 12,000 years and have managed to create havoc with their ambitious dreams of development. Rapid human population growth has made survival difficult for other species. Limitless burning of fossil fuels has increased the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Climate change is an important part of the environmental debate, and Antarctica is a crucial part of it because it holds half-million-year-old carbon records in its layers of ice.

The author was working on a programme named Students on Ice on the Shokalskiy. High school students were taken to Antarctica for educational purposes that would help them understand and respect the planet. The programme, headed by Geoff Green, had been operating for six years. He was tired of taking celebrities and rich curiosity-seekers to Antarctica who gave back to the world in a limited way. With Students on Ice, Geoff offered the future policy-makers a life-changing experience at an age when they were ready to absorb, learn and act.

The reason why the programme was so successful was that being near the South Pole always affected people in some way. We cannot observe environmental changes from the comfort of our homes. But when we see the glaciers retreat and the ice shelves collapse, we realise how serious the threat of global warming is. The simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity in Antarctica make it easy for us to study how minor changes in environments can have big repercussions. For example, further depletion of the ozone layer could disturb the activities of phytoplankton, which can, in turn, affect the birds and marine animals of the region – finally affecting the global carbon cycle.

Walk on the ocean

While the author had a number of epiphanies during her Antarctic experience, the best one was when they were asked to walk on the ocean. The Shokalskiy was wedged into a thick white sheet of ice that prevented them from going further south. The captain decided to turn around and go back to the north. Before going, the participants of the programme were asked to climb down the gangplank and walk on the ocean. All 52 members spread out on the one-metre-thick ice pack. Crabeater seals were stretching and sunning themselves on ice floes nearby, just like stray dogs do under the shade of a banyan tree. The author found it to be a new revelation – everything connected.

The author reflected upon how our planet has been balanced beautifully. She wondered what would happen if Antarctica became a warm place. She wondered if we would meet the same fate as that of dinosaurs, mammoths and woolly rhinos. After meeting the optimistic teenagers on the programme, the author felt that a lot could happen in a million years, but a single day was capable of making drastic changes to the environment.

Conclusion of Journey to the End of the Earth

Summary of Journey to the End of the Earth depicts the gravity of climate change and its effects on our lives. Our comfortable lifestyles and easy accessibility of resources do not allow us to reflect upon the damage we are causing to our environment through our actions. The change in global climate is a cumulative effect, and we become blind to the changes owing to our commitment to rapid economic development. Because of the biodiversity around us in the habitable continents, the minute changes that lead to climate change are not easily noticeable as long as we are able to live comfortably. Antarctica, on the other hand, does not have a complex ecosystem, and a small change can trigger a major change in its landscape. This makes the continent a perfect place to learn about the catastrophic effects of climate change.

A detailed understanding of the story can help students critically analyse and appreciate the story. Students can refer to our website for further information and content related to the Class 12 English subject for better understanding and preparation for CBSE board exams. They can also access topics like grammar and writing in English.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 12 English Journey to the End of the Earth

What is the theme of the chapter ‘journey to the end of the earth’, why did geoff decide to include school students in students on ice, how is antarctica helpful in understanding climate change.

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Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Important Questions Class 12 English Vistas

Here we are providing Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Important Questions Class 12 English Vistas, Extra Questions for Class 12 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-12-english/

Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Journey To The End Of The Earth Question Answer Class 12 Question 1. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind? Answer: Geological phenomena helps us to know more and more about the history of humankind as only through it we come to know about the present, past and future of the Earth. How life was then and gradually how it shaped now. Scientists admit that world’s geological history is trapped under the layers of Antarctica.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Question Answers Class 12 Question 2. What are the indications for the future of human kind? Answer: Deplection of ozone layer, Reforestation, melting of glaciers, and the collapse of ice shelves clearly give the indications for the future of mankind that it is not safe if global warming continues, soon this mankind will banish from the planet ‘Earth’.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Extra Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 3. ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’ was heading towards Antarctica, why? Answer: ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’, a Russian Vessel was heading towards Antarctica with a troop of 52 peoples, to study and research the history of humankind under the guidance of Canadian Geoff Green.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Important Questions Class 12 Question 4. Name the programme and its objectives. Answer: The programme was ‘Students on Ice’ with the motive to give high school students, the educational opportunity to do the study of Antarctica.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Short Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 5. After reaching Gondwana, what were their reactions? Answer: They were highly exicted as they were at a remote area of the Earth where no mankind could sustain and totally peaceful environment existed, a place without trees, billboards and buildings.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Class 12 Questions And Answers  Question 6. Gondwana existed before six hundred and fifty million years. Explain. Answer: Six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant amalgamated Southern super continent ‘Gondwana’ did indeed exist, centred roughly around the present- day Antarctica.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 7. How is Antarctica, a subject for debate for environmentalists? Answer: Antarctica is always a subject for debate for environmentalists because only Antarctica is undisturbed by human beings, whether it would melt, will the Gulf Stream ocean current be disrupted or will it be the end of the world; such many concerned issues are raised for debate.

Journey To The End Of The Earth Extra Question Answer Class 12 Question 8. How did they reach Antarctica? Answer: They travelled over 100 hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship. In this way, they reached Antarctica.

Extra Questions Of Journey To The End Of The Earth Class 12 Question 9. What was wondrous about Antarctica? Answer: Expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon and its immensity and isolation was wondrous about Antarctica.

Question Answer Of Journey To The End Of The Earth Class 12 Question 10. What is the pretty mind-boggling fact, one can observe? Answer: By the study of Antarctica, the fact: India pushing north words, South America driffting off to join North America and many others boggle the mind and produce many imaginations.

Journey To The End Of Earth Question Answer Class 12 Question 11. What types of sounds can be noticed/heard there? Answer: The sound of occasional avalanche or calving of ice sheets can only be heard in Antarctica.

Question 12. Why Geoff Green started to bring only students to Antarctica? Answer: Geoff Green noticed that celebrities and retired rich persons visit Antarctica only for entertainment but the students, who are the future policy-makers, took interest and ready to accept the challenge.

Question 13. Why Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature? Answer: Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature be-cause it has simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity; above all, it is untouched by human beings.

Question 14. Why the programme ‘Students on Ice’ became so successful?’ Answer: The programme became so successful because its impossible to go anywhere near the South Pole and not be affected by it. Through this programme, students got the educational opprotunities.

Question 15. What is photosynthesis? Answer: The process of converting light energy into chemical energy by plants is called photosynthesis.

Question 16. What various expanses did they cross to reach Antarctica? Answer: Nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and many ecospheres were crossed by them to reach Antarctica.

Question 17. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the ‘Students on Ice’ Expedition? Answer: Canadian Geoff Green started this programme, ‘Students on Ice’ before six years of writing this chapter. The reasons for including high school students were to provide them most inspiring educational opportunities which would make them aware about the depletion of our ecosystem, create an understanding to save our planet as those teenagers still have an ideology to absorb, learn, and most importantly act.

Question 18. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves: What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment? Answer: Antarctic, because of her simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study/tell us how little changes in the environment can have big consequences. Single celled microscopic phytoplankton use the Sun’s energy to do the process of photosynthesis. And any obstacle in this process will affect the lives of all the marine animals and birds of that region, the global carbon cycle. Scientists warn and advise to take care of the small things and the big things will fall into plape.

Question 19. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future? Answer: Only Antarctica on this earth presently is in its purest and original form as it holds in its ice-cores half million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. Antarctica has never sustained a human propulation and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect. So Antarctica is the place to go to understand the Earth’s present, past and future.

Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1. How did the writer justify the title journey to the end of the earth? Answer: The title ‘Journey to the end of the Earth is quite justified by the writer ‘Tishani Dosi’ through this chapter. A visit to Antarctica thrilled the whole troop and made them realized that Antarctica is the world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent. Their visit seemed to be very fruitful because without reaching there physically, one can’t experience the immensity and importance of Antarctica and its great role in balancing the ecosystem.

Writer found Antarctica still undisturbed by human beings and tried to understand where we’ve come from and where we could possibly be heading; through the deep study of this island. Writer presumed that without controlling the rapidly increasing global warming; we can’t stop the melting of ice specially glaciers and as it is known that Antarctica covers 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice, its sustainment is mandatory. Or in near future, Antarctica would be responsible (if not ceased the global warming) for the ruination of the Earth’s lives and in this way, the end of the Earth would be brought by Antarctica.

Question 2. Describe the journey to the Antarctica by the Vessel ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’. Answer: The journey starts with a troop of 52 peoples under the guidance of experienced Canadian Geoff Green, an educator and adventurer. He started the mission ‘Students on Ice’ to aware the teenagers about the present need of the escapement of Antarctica. Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian Vessel headed towards the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world: Antarctica.

Journey began 13.09 degress North of the equator in Madras, and involved crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at least as many ecospheres. They trevelled over 100 hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship and finally they reached to view Antarctica’s expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon where immensity and isolation made them wondorous and tireless.

Question 3. ‘Take care of small things and big will take care of themselves’. What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctica? Answer: The small things are having their own importance at their own place. Small things are combined produce their effect on big things. As phytoplankton are very tiny single-celled plants, but they nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food proceedings, s Phytoplankton is the grass of Southern Ocean and 1 through the process of photosynthesis, they convert light energy into the chemical energy and supply food and provide oxygen to all the marine life (animals and birds). So very tiny plants are responsible for the survival of the life.

But global warming can affect the activity of these plants and also the whole ecosystem of the Earth. Sun’s energy is used to assimilate carbon and synthesize organic compounds by these plants. The rapidly increasing depletion of the Ozone layer will surely adversely affect this natural system. By any means, the depletion should be stopped to preserve our ecological balance and save whole mankind and all creatures from extinction. So, opening our eyes, we should take care of little things to care the big things automatically and naturally.

Question 4. ‘A lot can happen in a million years, but what a difference a day makes’. Explain. Answer: The author with a troop of 52 peoples visited the Earth’s coldest, driest and windiest continent of the world i.e. Antarctica where she was highly exicted finding the untouched, unhumane land without trees, billboards and buildings. The history of the world started from Antarctica itself and the secret of evolution and extinction can be studied through the study of Antarctica.

There is a prompt need to aware ourselves with this reality that if we’ve to save the mankind from extinction, we need to save the nature and Antartica is the best place for this purpose because it is covering 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice and hiding, under its layers, the mystery of the world. Writer spent two weeks with a group of teenagers under the leadership of Canadion Geoff Green, and after assuming the need of action, said, that a lot could happen in a million years, but what a difference a day makes.

Question 5. Geoff Green, a Canadian explorer and educator started to include high school students on the expedition ‘Students on Ice’. Explain why? Answer: Geoff Green, who, since -the starting, started to include celebrities, retired rich, curiosity-seekers to the Antarctica but they remained unhappy and dis-satisfied and also those men in power and position did not understand the problems facing mankind. They never gave any response in return and didn’t seem worried about the ecology.

Geoffs efforts remained futile and totally time wastage could be noticed. Geoff, then started to inculude the learners, willing persons and school students for the mission and it was also an opportunity for beginners to study more and more about our planet and ecosystem. These youngsters seem ready to absorb, learn and act immediately.

They realize the threat of global warming and can actually do something as they are the future policy-makers and also expected to act and solve the environmental problems. Thus, the expedition/movement started to give its results in a positive manner and people seemed to be aware for global warming.

Question 6. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us? Answer: The study of Antarctica is useful to us in very mysterious and revealing way. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, ‘Gondwana’ a super continent existed, centred roughly around the present day Antarctica. The climate was much warmer, hosting a huge variety of flora and fauna. For 500 million years Gondwana thrived.

Around the time, the landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the globe much as we know it today. A grasp of where we’ve come from and where we could possibly be heading; the evolution and extinction, can easily be understood through the study of this region.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow rages over Cameron remarks; Russia's 'three-part plan' to claim victory

During a visit to Kyiv, Lord Cameron said Ukraine has a "right" to strike inside Russia, just as Moscow's forces are doing. Meanwhile, the fall of the eastern town of Chasiv Yar looms closer. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.

Friday 3 May 2024 12:25, UK

• Cameron: Ukraine has 'right' to strike Russia using British-supplied weapons
• Fall of Ukrainian city a 'matter of time', Ukrainian intelligence officer says
• Russia's 'three-point plan' to victory
• Moscow rages over Cameron remarks
• Analysis: Will US aid help turn tide on Russia?
• Your questions answered: Why can't Ukraine destroy key Crimean bridge?
• Listen to the Sky News Daily above and  tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts
• Live reporting by Lauren Russell

Russia will face consequences after being accused of an "intolerable" cyberattack in Germany, a top diplomat has said.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Russian state hackers were behind a cyberattack last year that targeted the leading party in the governing coalition, the Social Democrats.

The interior ministry said it had seen evidence that email servers of German companies had been affected in the alleged attacks. 

"We can attribute this attack to the group called APT28, which is steered by the military intelligence service of Russia," Ms Baerbock said.

"This is absolutely intolerable and unacceptable and will have consequences."

The acting representative of the Russian embassy was summoned by the German government today over the alleged cyberattack.

Lord Cameron has today visited the western Ukrainian city of Lviv as part of his trip to the country.

He was met by Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and was pictured signing a visitors' book and planting a tree in the city centre. 

Lviv is around 70km (43 miles) from Ukraine's border with Poland and has been the target of Russian strikes in the past.

Lord Cameron's visit comes after he was in Kyiv, where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes".

Italy is planning to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine - which will include a SAMP/T air defence system - according to Italian media. 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will officially make the announcement at the G7 Summit being held in Puglia, Italy, next month, news website  La Repubblica reported.

Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems and long-range Storm Shadow missiles are also thought to be included in the package.

It will be the ninth military aid package sent to Ukraine from Italy. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking allies for high-end air defence systems to counter Russian air strikes. 

Last month he told NATO members that a minimum of seven would be needed as Russia ramped up attacks, particularly in eastern Ukraine.

We're hearing from the Kremlin, which has branded Lord Cameron's comments about Ukraine striking inside Russia "dangerous and worrying".

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine could use British-supplied weapons to target areas in the country if it wants, but that such a decision would be a "direct escalation". 

On a visit to Kyiv yesterday, Lord Cameron said Ukraine has the right to strike targets inside Russia "just as [Moscow] is striking inside Ukraine".

He said he could understand why Ukraine felt the need to make sure it was defending itself, and that it was its decision as to how it would use British-supplied weapons.

Hitting back, Mr Peskov said Lord Cameron's comments could "imperil the entire system of European security architecture".

A man has been killed after planning to attack a Russian fuel storage facility, the Federal Security Service has said.

According to the Interfax news agency, the man planned to attack the terminal in the Leningrad region with explosives.

It said the man was a Russian national working for Ukraine's military intelligence.

He was reportedly shot dead by security agents on the scene. 

Russia is planning to launch a three-factor plan to destabilise and claim victory in Ukraine, a top Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said.

According to Major General Vadym Skibitsky, the plan will begin this month. 

1. Military operations

Moscow will launch military operations that take advantage of Ukraine's ongoing material and manpower shortages, the Institute for the Study of War quoted Gen Skibitsky as saying. 

As Ukraine waits for fresh US military assistance to filter to the frontline, Gen Skibitskyi said Russian forces are likely to continue pursuing their long-time goal of seizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

2. Disinformation campaign

The second part of the plan, according to Gen Skibitskyi, involves spreading false information about Ukraine's mobilisation and the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The Kremlin has taken advantage of Mr Zelenskyy's presidential term ending on 20 May, claiming after that he will not be a legitimate leader, the ISW, a leading US-based thinktank, said.

But Ukraine's decision not to hold a presidential election is in line with the country's constitution, which allows a sitting president to continue to serve during times of war.

3. Isolate Ukraine internationally

Gen Skibitskyi said Russia aims to stop, or at least limit, critical provisions of security and military assistance to Ukraine as its third factor of destabilisation. 

Moscow also wants to block Ukraine's ability to form a network of partners that support a potential peace agreement.

"They will shake the situation as much as they can," Gen Skibitskyi said.

He added wars like the one in Ukraine only end with treaties and that both Russia and Ukraine are competing for the most favourable position ahead of potential peace talks that could begin as early as the second half of 2025.

At least five people have been killed and 17 injured in Russian strikes in the past day, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Nearly 15 settlements have been attacked in the Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

One man died and 10 people were injured. 

In the city of Kupiansk, a man aged 66 was killed after his house was struck and another 66-year-old man was injured.

Eight children and a 75-year-old man were also injured in an attack on the town of Derhachi.

Two people were killed, including a 12-year-old boy, and two were injured in a strike on the village of Memryk, governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

A strike on the city of Kurakhove killed two others and injured two people, the head of the Kurakhove military administration wrote on Facebook.

Two more people were reportedly injured in two other villages in the region.

One person was injured after Russia struck 14 settlements, Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, said.

As we have been reporting, Lord Cameron was in Kyiv yesterday where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes". 

He met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials and visited a display of destroyed Russian military vehicles in Saint Michael's Square in the centre of the city.

He was also seen paying respects to fallen Ukrainian troops at a memorial wall.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the UK for its continued support as Lord Cameron visited Kyiv. 

The Ukrainian president said it is important that weapons included in the UK support package announced last week arrive as soon as possible.

Russian attacks have ramped up in the last few weeks as Ukraine waits for promised supplies not only from the UK but US and Germany - both of which have agreed to send in-demand Patriot systems. 

"I am grateful to the government and people of the United Kingdom for their unflagging support for Ukraine," he said.

The fall of the embattled eastern city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region is probably only a matter of time, a Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said. 

"Not today or tomorrow, of course, but all depending on our reserves and supplies," Major General Vadym Skibitsky said in an interview with The Economist.

He compared the situation in the city to Avdiivka, from which Ukrainians withdrew in February after becoming outnumbered. 

Ukrainian officials believe that Moscow wants to seize Chasiv Yar by 9 May, when the Russians celebrate Victory Day.

If they succeed, it would place some of the largest Ukrainian-held cities in the Donetsk region within artillery range, military analysts from Black Bird Group - a group of volunteers in Finland - said yesterday.

Troops have described Russian attacks in the region as steady but often unpredictable.

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