Chapter 3

Journey to the End of the Earth

Q1. Read the following extracts and answer the questions:
The rapid increase of human populations has left us battling with other species for limited resources, and the
unmitigated burning of the fossil fuels has now created a blanket of carbon dioxide around the world, which is
slowly but surely increasing the average global temperature.
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 be the end of the world as we
know it?
(i) List one way in which the increasing human population is affecting other species.
Ans. It has led to limited resources. As human populations expand, so does the demand for land for housing,
agriculture, and infrastructure, leading to a loss of habitat for other species.
(ii) Choose the correct option that best reflects the tone of the writer in the last line of the extract.
(A) happy and excited
(B) encouraging and optimistic
(C) anxious and concerned
(D) spiteful and bitter
Ans. (C) anxious and concerned
(iii) Choose the correct option:
‘unmitigated burning of fossil fuels’ reflects the ______ (avaricious/furious) streak in man’s nature.
Ans. avaricious
(iv) In the above extract, what message is the author giving to mankind?
Ans. The message is to be mindful about our activities and to realize that we share the Earth with other
species.
Q1. Read the following extracts and answer the questions :
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 rukus, etching our dominance over nature
with our villages, towns, cities, mega cities. 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.
(i) According to the view expressed by the author in the above extract, increase in global temperature is
due to
(A) mega cities
(B) human people
(C) burning of fossil fuels
(D) limited resources
Ans. (C) burning of fossil fuels
(ii) Complete the following sentence with reference to the extract :
Humans are criticised by the author for _______.
Ans. Humans are criticised by the author for causing environmental damage and increasing global
temperatures.
(iii) According to the author, the relation between human population and resources is ____________.
Ans. According to the author, the relation between human population and resources is one of competition and
conflict over limited resources.
(iv) ‘In that short amount of time, we’ve managed to create a ruckus’. By ‘ruckus’ the author refers to
(A) movement.
(B) misunderstanding
(C) breach
(D) commotion
Ans. (D) commotion
 Q2. Read the following extracts and answer the questions :
The reason the programme has been so successful is because it is impossible to go anywhere near the South
Pole and not be affected by it. It’s easy to be blase 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 real.
Antarctica, because of her simple eco-system and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little
changes in the environment can have big repercussions. (Journey to the End of the Earth)
(i) As per the given extract, the reason for the success of the programme is
(A) the participation of young students.
(B) the journey to Antarctica.
(C) the exposure to reality.
(D) it was impossible to go near south pole.
Ans. (C) the exposure to reality.
(ii) Complete the following sentence.
The warning that can be inferred from the above extract is __________.
Ans. The warning that can be inferred from the above extract is that global warming is a significant and urgent
threat, visibly affecting the polar ice caps and ecosystems.
(iii) State whether the statement given is TRUE or FALSE with reference to the extract.
Global warming is a threat to human survival.
Ans. TRUE

(iv) Explain one inference that can be drawn from the line “It’s easy to be blase about polar ice caps
melting while sitting in the comfort zone”.
Ans. People often ignore or underestimate the severity of global warming when they do not directly witness its
impacts.
Q1. Why did Geoff Green start the ‘Students on Ice Programme’?
OR
‘Students on Ice Programme’ proves Geoff Green’s farsightedness. Explain with reference to the text of
‘Journey to the End of the Earth’.
Ans. Geoff Green took high school students on an expedition to one end of the Earth to make them realize the
impact that human intervention could have on nature. He wanted the future policy – makers to experience how
difficult it would be to sustain life with the rising temperatures. He wanted them to see the melting ice shelves
so that they could estimate the trouble that mankind was headed to.
Q2 “In that short time, we’ve managed to create quite a rukus.” What does Tishani Doshi refer to by
‘rukus’?
Ans. She refers to the commotion and disruption caused by the reckless exploitation of resources. The rapid
increase in human population has left us battling with other species for the limited resources. The unmitigated
burning of fossil fuels has harmed the environment by creating a blanket of carbon dioxide which is leading to
global warming. Such issues have created a rukus.
Q3. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. Discuss with reference to the chapter
‘Journey to the End of the Earth’.
Ans. Our understanding of Antarctica can be very perplexing and illuminating. A supercontinent called
“Gondwana” existed 350 million years ago; it was centred roughly on what is now Antarctica. The
environment was significantly warmer and supported an enormous variety of plants and fauna. Gondwana
flourished for 500 million years.
Around that period, the landmass was compelled to divide into nations, greatly influencing the modern world.
By the study of this region, it is simple to gain an understanding of where we have come from and where we
might be going, as well as the evolution and extinction of species.
Q4. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the ‘Students on Ice’
expedition?
Ans. Geoff Green started the program, Students on Ice, for high school students because he wanted to give
them an opportunity to understand and value our planet. Students, being the future generation, need to take a
closer look at the depleting environmental situation. They can put in their effort to bring about a change in the
outlook of the society. He wanted to give the students hands-on experiences that will enable them to
understand and shape the future of the world as policy makers.

Q5 Describe Gondwana.
Ans. Gondwana was a massive supercontinent that was located in the south and was composed entirely of
plants and wildlife. There were no human inhabitants on this continent. Prior to around 650 million years ago,
India and Antarctica were two different parts of the same landmass. This landmass gradually began to move
away from one another, resulting in the formation of continents and seas.

Q6 What did Geoff Green switch over to? Why?

Ans. Geoff Green transitioned from teaching to leading educational expeditions to Antarctica. Celebrities and
wealthy people wanted to visit Antarctica for entertainment, but high school students were more interested in
learning and taking action. He did this to provide kids with the opportunity to learn about climate change and
the necessity of environmental preservation.

Q7. What were the author’s initial emotions on setting foot in Antarctica?
Ans. The narrator’s first impressions on setting foot in Antarctica included a sense of awe at the vast, pristine
landscape, the silence, and the extreme conditions. The sight of the untouched beauty and the realization of
humanity’s insignificance in the face of nature’s grandeur left a profound impact on the narrator.

Q8 What are the significant features of ‘Students on Ice Programme’?

Ans. The programme on the Shokaskiy takes students to Antarctica and provides educational opportunities to
help develop understanding of and respect for the earth. The future generations of policy-makers are given a
life-changing experience to sensitize them about the real effects of global warming.
Q9. What prevented the Shokalskiy from going further? What did the captain instruct the passenger to
do?
Ans. The Russian vessel ‘Academics Shokalskiy’ was on its way to Antarctica with a crew of 52 people to
investigate and explore the history of humanity. They were getting close to the Antarctic Circle when the ship
got stranded in a massive pile of ice. The ship’s captain ordered the passengers to disembark onto the icy
ocean.

Q10. Why did Geoff Green include young students in his programme? [
Ans. Young children were the future policy-makers. They were taken on a life-changing experience when they
were ready to absorb, learn and act. When they saw the impact of global warming, they got sensitised towards
it to a higher extent.

Q11. How can a visit to Antarctica be an enlightening experience? Elaborate.

Ans. Antarctica is the major land mass that formed Gondwana. Thus, it is a part of Earth’s Geological history.
There one can visualize and experience the changes in climate and formations due to global warming. It has
never sustained human population. One can study how little changes in the environment can lead to big
repercussions. One gets to realize the truth of the parable – take care of the little things in life, and the big
things will fall into place.
On visiting Antarctica, one can study the earth’s past, present and future. It holds in the ice-cores, half-million-
year-old carbon records. Antarctica has a simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity thus, it shows us how
small changes can lead to big consequences.

Q12 What happened to Gondwana 650 million years ago?

Ans. Gondwana was centred roughly around present-day Antarctica. 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.
Q13 How is Antarctica different from the place you live in?
Ans. Antarctica is immense in size and absolutely isolated. 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are
stored here. The place is devoid of any human markers — no trees, billboards, buildings. One loses 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.

Q14 How was Gondwana different from today’s world? Describe it.
Ans. Gondwana was centred 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.

Q15 What are phytoplankton? How are they important to our ecosystem?
Ans. The microscopic phytoplankton are 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.

Q16. Why is Antarctica the place to go to for the scientists today?

Ans. Since it has carbon records from half a million years ago preserved in its ice layers, Antarctica is
currently the only place on earth that is in its purest and most natural state. Since it has never supported a
human population, Antarctica is still considered to be relatively “pristine” in this regard. In order to
comprehend the past, present, and future of Earth, one needs to travel to Antarctica.

Q17. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the ‘Students on Ice’
expedition?
Ans. Geoff Green took the high school students to one end of the world, to provide them the opportunity to
develop the respect and understanding for the earth. He wanted to make the future policy-makers to experience
how difficult it would have been for the earth to sustain life by rising its temperature. He wanted them to
understand that any interference in nature can cause drastic mishappenings in the future when the students see
the ice shelves melting and collapsing, they can estimate the kind of environmental troubles ahead in their
future.

Q18. “….how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions” Tishani Doshi in Journey to
End of the Earth’ gives an awakening call for man. Analyse the theme of the lesson in the light of the
above statement.
Ans. Doshi was a part of the Students on Ice expedition to Antarctica. There she got to know of the
geographical history of the land that was Gondwana. She further mentions that the visit exposed her to the past
and the future where mankind is headed to. The repercussions of human activity and exploitation of natural
resources is better displayed at Antarctica. The effects of climate change and environmental degradation like
increase in global temperature can be seen throught he melting ice caps. Retreating glaciers and collapsing ice-
shelves make the threat of global warming evident. The affect on the activities of the phytoplanktons caused by
the depletion in ozone layer can be observed there.
Her journey to Antarctica makes her give a warning call to mankind.