‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.

’ How is the study of this

region useful to us?
Ans. The geological phenomena of separation of the landmass into various continents
and water bodies almost six hundred and fifty million years ago marks the beginning of
the human race on the Earth. Mammals started existing after dinosaurs became extinct
which happened once the landmarks separated.
2. 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.
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?
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.
4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and
future?
Ans. Antarctica is the place to go to to understand the earth’s past, present and future
because it gives us an idea of how the earth was millions of years ago. The melting
sheets of ice give us an idea of the future also.

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Class 12 English Journey to the End of the Earth

Question Answers Lesson 3 – Extract Based
Questions
Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select
the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.

1. Name the chapter from which the following extract has been taken.
A Evans Tries an O Level
B Memories of Childhood
C The Tiger King
D Journey to the End of the Earth
Ans D Journey to the End of the Earth
2. Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?
A Tishani Doshi
B Kalki
C Pearl S Buck
D William Saroyan
Ans A Tishani Doshi
3. What was Akademik Shokalskiy?
A A Boat
B A Canoe
C A Watercraft
D All of these
Ans C A Watercraft
4. Where was the narrator going on her journey?
A Amsterdam
B Antarctica
C Australia
D America
Ans B Antarctica

B. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
By the time I actually set foot on the Antarctic continent I had been travelling over 100
hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship; so, my first emotion on facing
Antarctica’s expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon was 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.
1. What do you mean by the horizon?
A The apparent boundary between the sky and the earth
B The apparent boundary between the sky and the solar system
C Both A and B
D None of these
Ans A the apparent boundary between the sky and the earth
2. How much time did it take to get to Antarctica?
A 100 Hours
B 150 Hours
C 200 Hours
D 250 Hours
Ans A 100 Hours
3. As they arrived in Antarctica, what feelings did the narrator experience?
A Stressed
B Distressed
C Relieved
D Baffled
Ans C Relieved
4. Find out the synonym of the word ‘Immense’ from the following?
A Tiny
B Monstrous
C Lagged
D None of these
Ans B Monstrous

C. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.
1. For how long did Gondwana thrive?
A 600 Million years
B 500 Million years
C 400 Million years
D 300 Million years
Ans B 500 Million years
2. How was the world of Gondwana different from our own?
A It was cooler
B It was warmer
C It was hotter
D Both B and C
Ans D Both B and C
3. What does “Wipe out” mean as a phrasal verb?
A Cleaned
B Disappeared
C Removed
D All of these
Ans D All of these
4. Gondwana did indeed exist, centred roughly around the present- day
______________.
A Asia
B Arctic
C Africa
D Antarctica
Ans D Antarctica

D. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.
1. How long was the narrator in Antarctica and the surrounding area?
A 14 Days
B 16 Days
C 18 Days
D 12 Days
Ans A 14 Days
2. In the line “It’s like going into a gigantic ping-pong ball,” what literary device is
employed?
A Transferred Epithet
B Metaphor
C Alliteration
D Simile
Ans D Simile
3. Find out the synonym of ‘Ubiquitous’ from the following?
A Present Everywhere
B Omnipresent
C That is everywhere present
D All of these
Ans D All of these
4. Where was the author originally from?
A North India
B South India
C East India
D West India
Ans B South India

E. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.
1. How many students were part of the ‘Students on Ice’ Programme?
A 52
B 54
C 56
D 58
Ans A 52
2. What did the captain instruct to the students?
A To go and swim
B To collect the water
C To climb down the gangplank
D To walk on the water
Ans C To climb down the gangplank
3. What do you mean by Gore-tex?
A Tax paid to government
B A Teflon Fabric
C Fabric that makes the skin fairer.
D All of these
Ans B A Teflon Fabric
4. Mention the complete name of Shokalskiy.
A Akademik Shokalskiy
B Academik Shokalskiy
C Akademic Shokalskiy
D None of these
Ans A Akademik Shokalskiy

F. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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 wooly 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!
1. Find out the synonym of ‘Mammoth’ from the following?
A Huge
B Gigantic
C Massive
D All of these
Ans D All of these
2. How many time zones did the narrator cross?
A9
B 10
C 11
D 12
Ans A 9
3. What kind of place was Antarctica earlier?
A Cooler
B Warmer
C Balanced
D None of these
Ans B Warmer
4. What idealism do the bunch of teenagers have, according to the author?
A To be independent
B To follow their dreams
C To make a career
D To save the world
Ans D To save the world

G. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow: (CBSE SAMPLE
PAPER 2022-23)
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.
1. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract. The writer
refers to the educational opportunities as ‘inspiring’ because ________________.
Ans these will help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet.
2. 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.
Ans C Playing a video game.
3. 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
Ans D Students of the Future
4. Why does the writer refer to ‘act’ as more important than ‘absorb’ or ‘learn’?
Ans It’s also possible that the writer is emphasizing the importance of taking action over
simply learning for the purpose of inspiring and motivating their audience. They may
believe that encouraging people to take action, rather than just passively absorbing
information, is more likely to lead to positive results.

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Class 12 English Journey to the End of the Earth

Short Question Answers (including questions from
Previous Years Question Papers)
In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from the Chapter
3 Journey to the End of the Earth for CBSE Class 12 Boards in the coming session.
These questions have been taken from previous years class 12 Board exams and the
year is mentioned in the bracket along with the question.

Q1 How do geological phenomena aid our understanding of human history?

OR
How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of mankind?
(CBSE 2000, 2009)
Ans Geological phenomena help us learn more and more about human history because
it is the only way by which we can understand the past, present, and future of the Earth.
How life was before, and how it has progressively changed now. The world’s geological
history lies imprisoned beneath Antarctica’s strata, according to scientists.
Q2 What signs point to a bright future for humanity?
Ans If global warming doesn’t stop, humanity will soon be expelled from the planet Earth
because of the ozone layer being depleted, deforestation, glacier melting, and the
collapse of ice shelves.
Q3 Akademik Shokalskiy was heading towards Antarctica, why?
Ans Under the direction of Canadian Geoff Green, the Russian ship Akademik
Shokalskiy was sailing towards Antarctica with a crew of 52 people to investigate and
explore human history.
Q4 Name the programme and its objectives. (CBSE 2011)
Ans The programme was Students on Ice with the motive to give high school students
the educational opportunity to do the study of Antarctica.
Q5 After reaching Gondwana, what were the students’ reactions?
Ans They were incredibly excited since they were in an isolated part of the world with no
human habitation and a serene environment; it was a place devoid of vegetation, signs,
and structures.
Q6 Gondwana existed before six hundred and fifty million years ago. Explain.
Ans About 650 million years ago, a giant amalgamated Southern supercontinent
Gondwana did indeed exist centered roughly around present-day Antarctica. The
continents of Gondwana were crushed or separated from each other by meteorites that
fell to Earth. And all the fragments of Gondwana formed a new continent. As a result,
they are the seven continents of the world.
Q7 How does Antarctica factor into environmentalists’ debates?
Ans Antarctica is constantly up for discussion among environmentalists because it is the
only continent that has not been affected by human activity. Concerns over whether it will
melt, whether it will affect the Gulf Stream ocean current, and whether it will bring about
the end of the world are all brought up for discussion.
Q8 Why did Geoff Green begin to only take pupils to Antarctica?
Ans Geoff Green observed that wealthy retirees and famous people only visit Antarctica
for recreational purposes, while students, who would eventually determine policy,
showed curiosity and were willing to take on the challenge.
Q9 Why is Antarctica the ideal location for studying nature?
Ans Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature because it has a simple ecosystem
and lack of biodiversity, above all, it is untouched by human beings.
Q10 Why the programme ‘Students on Ice’ became so successful?
Ans The program’s effectiveness is attributable to the fact that no place near the South
Pole can be visited without being impacted by it. Students were given educational
chances through this programme.
Q11 What justifications does Geoff Green give for bringing high school kids along
on the Students on Ice Expedition
OR
Students on Ice is a programme that prepares global citizens. Discuss. (CBSE
QUESTION BANK)
Ans Canadian Geoff Green founded the Students on Ice programme six years after this
chapter was first written. Because high school kids still have a lot of absorbing, learning,
and most importantly acting to do, it was necessary to include them in the most
compelling educational opportunities that would make them aware of the destruction of
our ecosystem and foster an understanding to save our planet.
Q12 “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 Antarctica is the ideal location for research and illustrate how minor environmental
changes can have significant effects because of its simple ecosystem and lack of
species. Photosynthesis is carried out by single-celled, tiny phytoplankton using energy
from the Sun. Also, any impediment to this process will have an impact on the global
carbon cycle as well as the survival of all local birds and marine animals. Experts caution
and suggest that if the tiny things are taken care of, the large things will follow.
Q13 Why is Antarctica the best site to visit in order to comprehend the past,
present, and future of the earth? (CBSE 2010)
OR
Antarctica is a doorway to the past. Explain. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
OR
Antarctica is unlike any other place on Earth. Justify the statement. (CBSE
QUESTION BANK)
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.
Q14 For the narrator, spending two weeks in Antarctica is a challenge not only for
the body but also the mind. Elaborate. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans Throughout their two-week Antarctica journey, the narrator of “Journey to the End of
the World” encounters not only physical but also psychological difficulties. It’s challenging
to have a cheerful attitude because of the tough conditions and solitude, and it is
confusing because of the darkness and lack of landmarks.
Q15 Based on the chapter, elucidate any three consequences that global warming
will have on Antarctica. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans Land is under strain as a result of a rapid and continuous increase in human
population relative to the depleting natural resources. The world’s temperature is rising
as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and clearing forests. Global warming, ozone layer
loss, and glacier melting are putting human existence in jeopardy. This will undoubtedly
have a negative impact on humans, birds, and marine life. Additionally, this is probably
going to cause the sea and ocean’s water levels to rise, which will cause many low-lying
areas to become submerged in water. Experts caution that future ozone layer thinning
will impact phytoplankton activity. The region’s birds and marine creatures’ lives will be
impacted. If Antarctica warms up as a result of global warming, terrible things will happen
elsewhere.
Q16 Identify Tishani Doshi’s writing style in Journey to the End of the Earth and
state two aspects that characterise it using examples from the text. (CBSE
SAMPLE PAPER 2022-23)
Ans 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”

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Class 12 Journey to the End of the Earth Long
Answer Questions Lesson 3
Q1. How did the author defend the use of the heading “journey to the end of the
earth”?
Ans – The author, Tishani Doshi, more than justifies the title “Journey to the End of the
World”. The entire group was excited by their trip to Antarctica and became aware of the
fact that it is the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent. Their trip appeared to
have been very successful because one cannot really appreciate Antarctica’s size,
significance, and crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem’s balance without physically
travelling there.
Through a thorough investigation of this island, the writer discovered Antarctica to be still
unaffected by humans and sought to understand where we have come from and might be
going. The writer made the assumption that without addressing the rapidly escalating
global warming, we won’t be able to stop the melting of ice, particularly glaciers, and that
maintaining Antarctica, which accounts for 90% of the world’s ice, is essential. Perhaps,
in the near future, Antarctica would bring about the end of the World by causing the
destruction of human life on the planet (if it didn’t stop global warming).
Q2. Describe the journey to Antarctica by the Vessel Akademik Shokalskiy.
Ans – 52 persons make up the first troop on the expedition, which is led by adventurer
and knowledgeable Canadian Geoff Green. In order to teach the teens about the urgent
need for the escapement of Antarctica Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian vessel headed
for the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent: Antarctica, he launched the mission
Students on Ice.
Nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at least as many
ecospheres were traversed during the journey, which started in Madras, which is located
19.09 degrees North of the equator. They travelled for more than 100 hours by vehicle,
aircraft, and ship before arriving at Antarctica’s wide white landscape and unbroken blue
horizon, where vastness and isolation made them wonder-filled and tenacious.
Q3. ‘Take care of small things and big ones will take care of themselves.’ What is
the relevance of this statement in the context of Antarctica?
Ans – The little things have their own significance in their own right. When small things
are joined, they have an impact on larger things. Phytoplankton is the grass of the
Southern Ocean, and through the process of photosynthesis, they convert light energy
into the chemical energy that provides food and oxygen to all marine life. Phytoplankton
are very tiny single-celled plants, but they nourish and sustain the entire Southern
Ocean’s food processes (animals and birds). Thus, very small plants are necessary for
life to exist.
Yet, the activity of these plants as well as the entire Earth’s ecology may be impacted by
global warming. These plants use the sun’s energy to absorb carbon and create organic
molecules. 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 all mankind and all creatures from extinction. So, opening
our eyes, we should take care of little things to care for the big things automatically and
naturally.
Q4. A lot can happen in a million years, but what a difference a day makes. Explain.
Ans – The author travelled to Antarctica, the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest
continent, with a group of 52 people, and she was thrilled to discover the uninhabited,
brutal environment devoid of any trees, signs, or structures. The study of Antarctica can
reveal the secrets of evolution and extinction because the history of the Earth began
there.
We urgently need to be conscious of the fact that, in order to prevent the extinction of
humanity, we also need to preserve nature. Antarctica is the ideal location for this
because it contains 90% of the world’s ice and conceals the world’s mysteries beneath its
surface. Writer spent two weeks with a group of teenagers under the leadership of
Canadian 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.
Q5. Geoff Green, a Canadian explorer and educator, started to include high school
students on the expedition Students on Ice. Explain why?
Ans – Since the beginning, Geoff Green has brought famous people, wealthy retirees,
and curious people to Antarctica, but they have all remained unhappy and dissatisfied,
and those in positions of authority have likewise failed to comprehend the issues that
face humanity. They never responded and didn’t seem concerned about the
environment. The overall amount of time wasted and Geoff’s useless attempts were
evident. The project provided an opportunity for newcomers to learn more about our
world and ecology as Geoff began to enlist the help of students, willing individuals, and
learners. These kids seem prepared to take in information, learn it, and act right away.
They realise 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 of global warming.
Q6. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. How is the study of this
region useful to us? (CBSE 2008)
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.
Q7. On returning home, Tishani Doshi writes her thoughts reflecting on how her
decision to enroll for the Students on Ice programme has been the single most
important decision of her life that has completely transformed her. Imagine
yourself to be Tishani and express these thoughts. You may begin like this: I can’t
thank my stars enough for having cashed in on the opportunity of……….. (CBSE
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2022-23)
Ans- I’m really grateful that I took advantage of the chance to sign up for the “Students
on Ice” programme. It was a significant event in my life. Visits to islands without human
habitation were entirely apart from all previous experiences. The landscape’s relative
pristineness and lack of human tampering gave visitors a glimpse into the history,
present, and future of the planet. Because all life is interconnected, I became aware of
the threat to the environment and all living things as a result of the melting glaciers
brought on by human activity. The entire Earth’s ecology may be impacted by global
warming. Through a thorough investigation of this island, I discovered Antarctica to be
still unaffected by humans and sought to understand where we have come from and
might be going. I think that without addressing the rapidly escalating global warming, we
won’t be able to stop the melting of ice, particularly glaciers, and that maintaining
Antarctica, which accounts for 90% of the world’s ice, is extremely essential.