Reading about Antarctica

1. LIFE IN ANTARTICA

2. What is the correct form of the missing words?
WHO ARE THE NATIVES OF
ANTARCTICA?
Antarctica does not and 1. […] an indigenous population. There are
no 2. […] human Antarcticians.
Antarctica was once a part of a 3. […] land mass called Gondwana
that settled over the south pole and split from Australasia and
South America long before humans 4. […]. There haven't been any
land bridges to Antarctica for around 35 million years, it has been
an 5. […] island for all this time.
Humans are thought to have evolved in East Africa very recently in
geological terms (no more than 5 million years at most). We then
left the ancestral homeland and moved across all of the continents
of the world.
Antarctica was already too isolated by the distance, its climate and
the storminess of its seas for primitive people to discover it. It
wasn't until 1820 when human technology and 6. […] was
sophisticated enough to allow anyone to sail far enough 7. […] to
even see Antarctica for the first time. But when the first people did
set foot on Antarctica there wasn't anyone 8. […] there.
Antarctica is therefore one of the few places in the world that can
9. […] be described as having been discovered. Rather than there
being people living there for hundreds or thousands of years
before its "10. […]".
1. has never had – never was having – never had had – has never has
2. nativity – natively – native – natal
3. large – largely – largest – larger
4. evolving – evolved – evolution – evolve
5. isolate – isolated – isolation – isolating
6. navigate – navigated – navigating – navigation
7. south – southern – southernmost – southerly
8. already – still – until – even
9. true – truth – truly – truthfully
10. discover – discovery – discovered – discovering

3. WHO LIVES IN ANTARCTICA TODAY?
The people who travel to or live in Antarctica fall into two main groups, those who live and work
on 1._______________ _______________ _______________ or bases, and 2._______________.
No-one lives in Antarctica 3._______________ in the way that they do in the rest of the world. It
has no 4._______________ _______________, no real towns or cities, no permanent residents.
The only "settlements" with longer term 5._______________ (who stay for some months or a year
or two) are scientific bases. These vary in size, but typically have 6._______________ people there
in the summer and 15-20 in the 7._______________.
Antarctica is never really talked about as having 8._______________ or 9._______________.
Summer lasts from October/November to March/April, the rest of the year is considered to be
winter.
There are around 66 scientific bases in Antarctica, of which about 10._______________ are
occupied year round. There are about 11._______________people through the summer months
and about 12._______________ over winter each year.
The Australian Antarctic 13._______________ maintains four permanent research
stations. “Mawson”, “Davis” and “Casey”, on the Antarctic 14._______________, and “Macquarie
Island” in the subantarctic. All four stations are occupied year-round by scientists and
15._______________ _______________.
Listen for the missing words.

4. TOURISM
Link the cells to make sentences.
A. The figures for the 2015-2016 season
1. tourists is due to the fact that large
ships are no longer allowed
I. season of 2007-2008.
B. A number significantly down 2. tourists greatly outnumber II. national programme personnel.
C. This drop in the number of
3. who spend most of their time on a
permanent
III. to visit Antarctica because of fuel
spillage dangers.
D. In terms of numbers, 4. from the 47,225 in the peak IV. easily accessible areas.
E. However, tourists only spend a
relatively small
5. show that there
V. or semi-permanent base are mainly in
difficult to reach areas.
F. While scientists or support workers
6. time ashore, at the most picturesque
and
VI. were 38,478 visitors.

5. CAN I LIVE THERE?
Not in the way that is usually meant by this. You
can't 1._______________ to Antarctica, find
somewhere to live and then find a job, meet
someone, get 2._______________, buy a
3._______________, have kids, send them to
4._______________, start your own business, and
become a member of the local 5._______________.
You can get a job in Antarctica as a
6._______________ or in scientific support, but it
has to be in advance, before you go there. If you
really want to and you have the required
7._______________, then you can go and spend
some time in Antarctica having the
8._______________ of your life.
Access to Antarctica is restricted by the Antarctic
9._______________. If you want to organize your
own trip or 10.______________ there, you will have
to request 11._______________ from the
government of your own country. You will have to
show that you will be completely
12._______________ and have a very good reason
for wanting to go which will have little or no
13._______________.
environmental impact expedition
experience golf club
house married move
permission school
scientist self-sufficient
skills Treaty
Fill in the gaps with the words from the box.

6. “TOWNS”
Put the words in the correct form.
There are two places in Antarctica that are sometimes 1._______________ as civilian "towns". The first is a
Chilean town 2._______________ Villa Las Estrellas with just over 100 residents in the summer, around 80 in
the winter. It is 3._______________ on King George Island, part of the South Shetlands group, off the western
tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The second is the Argentinian base, Esperanza (55 winter 4._______________),
in Hope Bay at the very tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They both have a school, medical 5._______________,
gym, etc.
regarding
calls
location
reside
facility
In 6._______________ years, the Chilean Villa Las Estrellas has become the site of tourist activity for "fly/sail"
trips to Antarctica. Only a few years ago, the only way for 7._______________ to reach Antarctica was by ship.
But now it is possible to fly to Antarctica across the Drake Passage, so 8._______________ a couple of days
sailing in each direction, and also 9._______________ a lot of sea-sick time, to join a cruise ship for the rest of
the journey at King George Island. There are snowmobile and ski trips 10._______________ from the "town"
and of course the local wildlife as an 11._______________.
recently
tourism
saved
potential
availability
attract

7. WHO ARE THE
NATIVES OF
ANTARCTICA?
1. has never had
2. native
3. larger
4. evolved
5. isolated
6. navigation
7. south
8. already
9. truly
10. discovery
WHO LIVES IN ANTARCTICA
TODAY?
1. scientific research stations
2. tourists
3. indefinitely
4. commercial industries
5. residents
6. 50
7. winter
8. spring
9. autumn
10. 37
11. 4,000
12. 1,000
13. Division
14. continent
15. support staff
TOURISM
A 5 VI
B 4 I
C 1 III
D 2 II
E 6 IV
F 3 V
CAN I LIVE THERE?
1. move
2. married
3. house
4. school
5. golf club
6. scientist
7. skills
8. experience
9. Treaty
10. expedition
11. permission
12. self-sufficient
13. environmental impact
TOWNS
1. regarded
2. called
3. located
4. residents
5. facilities
6. recent
7. tourists
8. saving
9. potentially
10. available
11. attraction
ANSWERS