Page 92. Connect to the Topic. Part B. TUNE IN

Unit 10

page 92

connect to the topic

part B: tune in

welcome to world adventure. Today’s guest is Paul Smith who is here to talk about polar exploration, that is exploration in the Arctic in the north and the Antarctic in the South; welcome Paul.

thank you.

let’s start with some history, when did explorers first enter the Arctic?

Well, people have traveled to the Arctic for thousands of years, but most exploration started around 1500; that’s when explorers began trying to cross the Arctic to find shorter ways for ships to travel between Europe and Asia; they called the Northwest passage.

where these early explorers successful?

actually not until 1851; that was the first successful passage through the Arctic.

what about Antarctica?

so English explorers began traveling to Antarctic waters to hunt seals and whales in the late 1700s; but explorers didn’t land on the continent of Antarctica until the late 1800s; in the early 1900s explorers race to be the first to reach the South Pole.

why did it take so long to explore these areas?

you know, polar exploration is very dangerous and Antarctica is not only the coldest place on earth but it’s also the windiest; winds will often reach 80 km/h and windstorms can last for days.

Wow; so what motivated these explorers?

some were scientists who wanted to research the land and the climate, but many were people who simply wanted to be the first to reach the ends of the earth.

wow I just can’t imagine having that kind of energy…