1. The document describes a lesson about the book "Journey to the End of the Earth" by Tishani Doshi, which details the author's journey to Antarctica. 2. It discusses how Antarctica was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana 650 million years ago before separating, and how studying Antarctica helps understand the Earth's past, present and future climate and environment. 3. It also summarizes the "Students on Ice" program that aims to educate students on the impacts of climate change by taking them to places like Antarctica.

1. ENGLISH LITERATURE
SUPPLEMENTARY BOOK(VISTAS)
ALKA SHARMA(English Teacher)
• The Third Level
• The Tiger King
• Journey to the end of the
Earth
• The Enemy
• Should Wizard hit
Mommy
• On the face of It
• Evans Tries an O-level
• Memories of Childhood

3. JOURNEY TO THE END
OF THE EARTH
By-Tishani Doshi
• In Journey to the End of the
Earth’ Tishani Doshi describes
the journey to the coldest, driest and windiest
continent in the world: Antarctica. The world’s
geological history is trapped in Antarctica. Geoff
Green’s Students on Ice’ programme aims at taking
high school students to the ends of the world. Doshi
thinks that Antarctica is the place to go and
understand the Earth’s present, past and future.

4. STORY IN SHORT…
1. The narrator boarded a Russian research ship-the ‘Akademik
Shokalskiy’.
2. He was heading towards the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world; Antartica.
3. He set foot on the Antartic continent after travelling for 100 hours.
4. 650 million years ago a giant supercontinent Gondwana did exist.
5. India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass-Gondwana.
6. Gondwana thrived for 500 million years. It had a warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna.
7. Then the landmass was forced to disintegrate into countries as they exist today.
8. India was pushed towards the north. South America drifted off to join North America.
9. The Drake Passage was opened up to create a cold circumpolar current. It kept Antarctica frigid,
desolate, and at the bottom of the world.
10. We lose all earthly sense of perspective and time there.
11. Days go on and on in 24-hours austral light .
12. Antarctica has never sustained a human population.
13. If we want to study and examine the earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the right place to
go.
14. ‘Students on Ice’ programme of Geoff Green aims at taking high school students to the ends of the
world.
15. The programme helps them to develop a new understanding and respect for our planet.
16. Antarctica is the perfect place to study how little climatic changes can have big repercussions.
17. Global warming and further depletion of ozone layer can affect the Antarctica region. It may drink
18. disastrous climatic and environmental changes in the world.

5. Phrases used in the
story:
1. Aboard- on/in a ship
2. Heading towards- moving towards
3, Ever- at any time
4. Amalgamated- joined together
5. Wiped out- became extinct
6. Got under way- started happening
7. Heading- leading to
8. Folds- layers of rocks
9. Buckle- bend under force, become
crushed
10. Drifting off- going away
11. Circulatory- moving round of blood
12. Circumpolar- going round the pole
13. Surreal- very strange/dreamy not
real
14. Ubiquitous- present everywhere
15. Paltry- very small
16. Ruckus- a noisy argument
17. Unmitigated- completely bad
18. Trapped in- buried in
19. Blasé- over satisfied/not worried
20. Retreating- withdrawing/moving
back
21. Assimilate- become part of a
thing
22. Kitted off- provided the correct
clothes and equipment

6. Summary of the lesson
1.Beginning of Journey
The narrator boarded a
Russian research ship-The ‘Akademik C 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, aero
plane and ship to reach there.

7. Summary of the lesson
2. Southern Supercontinent
(Gondwana)
Six hundred and fifty million
years ago a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana
was indeed/really exist. It is around present-day
Antaretica. Human beings hadn’t arrived on the
global scene. The climate at that time was much
warmer. It supported a huge variety of flora and
fauna. When the dinosaurs became totally extinct
and the age of mammals began, the landmass was
forced to separate into countries as they exist today.

8. Summary of the lesson
3. Study of Antarctica
• The purpose of the
visit was to know more
about Antarctica. It is to understand the
significance of 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 bright summer light.

9. Summary of the lesson
4. Human Impact
• The most hotly debate of
• our time is whether West Antarctica Ice sheet will melt entirely or no. If
we want to study the earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the
place (for us) to go. Antarctica has a simple eco-system and lacks of
biodiversity. It is the perfect place to study how little changes in the
environment can have big (results). Scientists warn that a further
depletion/destrution of the ozone layer will affect the lives of the sea-
animals and birds of the region. It will also affect the global carbon cycle.
The burning of fossil fuels has polluted the atmosphere. It has created a
blanket of carbon dioxide around the world. It is increasing the global
temperature which is visible at Antarctica when we see ice bergs melting
away. Students on ice” is a programme which provides the students a
golden opportunity to understand how global temperature can be a big
threat to human existence. It shows 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.

10. Summary of the lesson
5. Effect of Climatic Change
• The author gives us an
• example to show how small changes in the
atmosphere can be threatening. The microscopic
phytoplankton’s are single celled plants. They
nourish the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain.
They use the sun’s energy to use carbon and
supply oxygen Any further depletion in the ozone
layer may affect this functioning and indirectly
affect the lives of all kind of animals.

11. Summary of the lesson
6. Walk on the Ocean
• It was the most thrilling
experience of the visit. They
climbed down the gangplank and walked on the
ocean. They were 52 persons. They were walking on
a meter-thick ice-pack. Under the ice pack there
was 180 meters of living, breathing, salt water.
Seals were enjoying themselves in the sun on ice.
The narrator was wondering about the beauty of
the place. He wished it would not become a warm
place as it used to be millions of years ago. If it
happens, the results can be ruinous/dangerous.

12. LONG ANSWER
QUESTIONS
1. ‘The world’s geological history is
rapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region
useful to us?
Ans. * Antarctica – only place in the world remaining pristine (never sustained human
population)
• holds in its ice-cores half million year-old carbon records
• only place to study Earth’s past, present and future
• gives an insight into how the earth forms and continents as they are today came
into being
• tells us about repercussions of environmental changes (phytoplanktons)
• can enable us to study problems of global warming (glacier retreating, ice-shelves
collapsing)
• concept of evolution and extinction
• significance of Cordilleran folds and granite shields; ozone and carbon

13. LONG ANSWER
QUESTIONS
2. What are the indication for
the future of mankind ?
Ans. Future of mankind appears dismal.
• Increase in population has led to a “ population boom.”
• Greatly depleted our resources of nature that destroyed
forests and extinction of certain species of wildlife.
• Excessive burning of fossil fuels has created a blanket of
carbon dioxide around the earth.
• Antarctic environment has been affected by global warming-
this is clear from receding glaciers and collapsing ice shelves.
• These grave indications do not anger will for the future of
mankind

14. LONG ANSWER
QUESTIONS
3. Describe the impact of
Antarctica on the writer.
Ans. It was an amazing, alluring and mind boggling
experience.
• Amazed to see the wide stretch of sea under the blue
horizon. It was a place which has the history of
mankind embedded deep into the layers of the ice.
• The sight of collapsing ice shields, breaking of ice-
bergs and melting of ice was an eye opener.
• It made the author and his team aware of the dangers
the future times are having in their folds.

15. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice
expedition?
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.
2. ‘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 staement holds great importance in context of the Antarctic environment. For instance, the
phytoplanktons in the region serve as food for marine birds and animals. The depletion of the ozone
layer affects the phytoplanktons and the carbon cycle. This can obstruct the existence of marine life. So,
if the process carried on by these small grasses is taken care of, the processes of the bigger animals and
birds can be taken care of.
3. What is the theme of the lesson?
Ans. The lesson refers to the manner in which geological phenomena enable us to trace the history of
mankind. It also tells us about the way in which landmasses and countries are formed. The writer
emphasizes the impact of human endeavour to dominate nature.
4. What was the Akademik Shokalsky? Where was it headed and why?
Ans. Akademik Shokalsky was a Russian Research vessel. It was heading towards the coldest,
driest windiest continent in the World ,Antarctica. They were heading to be part of ‘Students on
ice Programme’)

16. ADDITIONAL QUESTION ANSWER
Q1.How does the author describe the Antarctica?
Q2.How did the Antartica amaze the writer when he first saw it?
Q3. How is present day Antarctica different from GONDWANA?
Q4. Why does Tishani Doshi call her two week stay in Antarctica ‘a chilling prospect’?
Q5. Why does one lose all earthly perspective on reaching Antarctica?
Q6. What sort of brightness and silence prevail in Antarctica during summer?
Q7. "And for humans, the prognosis is not good". Explain the situation & observation.
Q8. How long have the human civilizations been around? How has it affected the
earth and its resources?
Q9.How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change?
Q10. What was the objective of the ‘Student on Ice Programme’ ?
Q11. What are the reasons behind the programme’s success?
Q12. How does Antarctica differ from the earth?
Q13 What experience did the author have near the Antarctica circle?
Q14. What is Gondwana?