JOURNEY TO THE

END OF THE earth

By: Tishani Doshi

 Let us know the author
A writer and dancer of Welsh-Gujarati origin.
Born in Madras, in 1975. She studied Business
Administration and Communications at Queens
College, Charlotte, North Carolina and gained a
Masters degree in the Writing Seminars at
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

She Moved to London in 1999 and became

assistant to the advertising department of
Harper's and Queen magazine.

In 2001, she returned to India where she

became a dancer with the choreographer
Chandralekha. She also works as a freelance
journalist, contributing to various newspapers
such as The Guardian, The International
Herald Tribune, The New Indian Express and
The National.
Tishani Doshi
She has published six books of poetry
and fiction. Her essays, poems and
short stories have been widely
anthologized. She currently lives on a
beach between two fishing villages in
Tamil Nadu with her husband and three
dogs.

She was on expedition to Antartica

from 25th December, 2005 – 10th
January, 2006. She was one among
those 52 students who were taken to
Antartica by Geoff Green.
Before reading the chapter, let us get familiar with
the beauty and serenity which this place holds.

Copy the link and watch the video on Youtube.com

to get mesmerised by the beautiful creation on
God.

https://youtu.be/WqnQo3DgEoo

Stunning, soothing, pure and peaceful; that is

Antarctica for you.
 Introduction
Journey to the End of the Earth' is a travelogue. The narrator gives an
account of her journey to Antarctica under the programme ‘Students on
Ice’ led by Geoff Green in the Russian vessel ‘Academic Shokalskiy’.
Under this programme, high school students are taken to the ends of the
world and provided inspiring educational opportunities which will help
them to encourage in developing a new understanding and respect for
our planet. It provides the students an ample opportunity to understand
how global temperature can be a big threat to human existence. It
inculcates a new understanding in them. Geoff Green thinks that high
school students are the future policy makers. He offers the future
generations a life changing experience at an age when they are ready to
absorb, learn, and most importantly, act and can help in saving the earth
from ecological dangers and the effects of global warming.

The narrator says if we want to understand the earth's past, present and
future, Antarctica is the place to go. The study of this region is useful to
us because the world's geological history is trapped in Antarctica.
 Reading the text
Now that you have watched the video and are
captivated by the beauty of Antarctica, let us
open our English textbooks and read lesson no. 3
from Vistas ‘Journey to the end of the Earth’ by
Tishani Doshi. You have 30 minutes to read the
text. Refer next slides for word meanings for your
better understanding
 Vocabulary build up

While reading, you will come across

many words which might have left
you baffled. Do not worry. Here are
the meanings to some of the words
from the chapter for your reference.
 Build up your vocabulary
Word Meaning
Stepped onto a ship
1. Aboard
2. Vessel Ship (here)
3. Expansive Vast
4. Amalgamated Combined from two or more
entities
5. Gondwana Southern supercontinent
6. Thrived Prospered
7. Cordilleran folds
Wide-chain of mountains

The body of water between South America

8. Drake passage and Antarctica

Very cold
9. Frigid Isolate
10. Desolate
Small two-winged flies
11. Midges
12. Austral
Coming from south
 Build up your vocabulary
Widespread
13. Ubiquitous
Breaking of ice mass from an iceberg
14. Calving

Sinking until covered completely with

15. Immersion water

16. Prognosis Prediction about how something will

develop
17. Pristine
Free from dirt
18. Blasé
Casual
19. Epiphanies
Discovery resulting in feeling of elation
 Three words, their meanings and
sample sentences.

You are, now, familiar with the travelogue by Tishani.

Here are three random words taken from the text
with their meanings and sample sentences.
1. Ubiquitous – widespread
He aims to make his product ubiquitous by selling it
internationally.
2. Thrived – Prospered
The plants she had started in the house in March,
thrived.
3. Pristine – free from dirt, clear
My office is a mess but her office is always pristine.
 Key theme
The writer describes the journey to
Antarctica. The world’s Geological
history is trapped in Antarctica. It is a
place that helps understanding the
earth’s present, past and future. In
this case, the students or the young
generation hold a very important
position. They are the policy makers
of the future who can prevent the
catastrophe that awaits our plant.
The central theme of the chapter is
about how to conserve our plant’s
resources and stop wasting them by
showing our dominance over the
planet. It also deals with the ill
effects of global warming which may
threaten the very existence of
humans.
 Key Elements
Part of History
 Before human evolution, Antarctica was part of
a huge tropical landmass called the Gondwana
land, which flourished 500 million years ago.
 Biological (flora and fauna), geological
(changing continents) and geographical
(climatic)changes occurred and Antarctica
separated and moved away evolving into what
it is today.
 A visit to Antarctica gave the writer a deeper
understanding of fold mountains, the earth’s
history, ecology and environment.
 The writer felt unsettled in two weeks
time not only because she came from a
much hotter place, but also because all
features of human civilization were
absent from an already desolate
landscape.
 The long summers, the silence broken
occasionally by cracking ice sheets and
avalanches, the blue whales and ice
bergs, all contribute to an ecological
implication that the future for humans
isn’t good.
 Human Impact

 Humans, who are known to have existed

for a mere 12000 years, have caused
tremendous impact and played havoc
with nature.
 Population explosion, putting a strain on
available resources, carbon emissions,
fossil fuels and global warming have all
resulted in climatic and ecological
imbalances that have also affected
Antarctica.
 Antarctica, though unpopulated, has
been affected and there are concerns for
 The ‘Students on Ice’ programme, an initiative
of Canadian adventure educator, Geoff Green
takes students on expeditions to Antarctica, to
create awareness in them, the future policy
makers.
 The stark proof of global warming and
environmental threats helps students attain an
understanding of ecosystems and biodiversity
of our planet.
 An amazing display of the food chain of the
Southern Ocean helps in the understanding
that further depletion of the ozone layer, will
set off a chain reaction that will affect the
global carbon cycle.
 The simple truth is, take care of the small
things and the bigger ones will automatically
 Walk on The Ocean

 Before their return, the writer got an

opportunity to walk on the ocean at
65.55 degrees south, which made her
realize that she was walking on 180
meters of ocean water, a rich
kaleidoscope of life.

 Reaching home, she wondered whether

Antarctica would ever be warm again,
how much difference a million years can
make and, that each day makes a
difference.
 Life Lessons
• We need to be coupled with the natural world.
• The travelogue teaches us to show reverence
towards nature.
• The changes occurring are factual and will have
long lasting consequences on the human race.
• Humans are to be blamed for disturbing the eco
system. It is high time humans think about their
liability towards the mother earth.
• Youth plays a fundamental role in conserving
nature.
• Every action counts, no matter big or small.
• Conserve resources,
• Minutest action will leave a great impact on
nature.
 Important Links
The Students on Ice Foundation educates the world’s youth about
the importance of the Polar Regions, supports them in their
continued personal and professional growth and inspires and
catalyses initiatives, that contribute to global sustainability.

Go through the videos given below. Copy and paste the given links
and watch them on Youtube.com

https://youtu.be/trNvYqAN-SM Here Geoff Green discusses about his

expedition program ‘Student on Ice’.

https://studentsonice.com/ This is the link to the program website

which Tishani Doshi was a part of. You can be the next one on the
Russian Vessel.

https://youtu.be/48qcSYKdwk0 Listen to students speak about their

experiences when they travelled to the end of the earth.
 Assignment
Multiple Choice Type Questions
1. The author found himself in a
a. boat
b. ship
c. Academik Shokalskiy
d. hotel
 
2. The author was heading towards
a. Pacific Ocean
b. Indian Ocean
c. Antarctica
d. Red Sea
 
3. The author’s journey started at
a. 12 degrees north of the equator
b. South of the equator
c. 13.09 degrees north of the equator
d. 20.2 degrees north of the equator
4. The author had to cross
a. nine time zones and six check points
b. eight time zones anf five check points
c. six time zones and three check points
d. ten time zones and six check points
 
5. The author’s journey began in the north of the equator
a. Calcutta
b. Delhi
c. Madras
d. Mumbai
 
6. The author was ________ to enter Antarctica
a. sad
b. happy
c. relieved
d. surprised
7. The author was surprised at Antarctica’s
a. immensity
b. beauty
c. depth
d. silence
 
8. In past, Antarctica shared its land with
a. China
b. Bangladesh
c. England
d. India
 
9. How long did Gondwana super continent thrive?
a. 500 million years
b. 650 million years
c. 200 million years
d. 300 million years
 
10. Which of the following did not exist at the time of Gondwana?
a. Flora
b. Fauna
c. Man
d. Tiger
 
11. What would happen if Antarctica becomes a warm place?
a. End of human life
b. phytoplankton activities disappear
c. imbalance of ecosystem
d. shelves collapsing
 
12. How do we know that Antarctica helps us understand our past?
a. by visiting it
b. by seeing it on map
c. by reading about it
d. by using its resources
 
13. We would lose all earthly prospective with time
a. by misusing them
b. by not preserving them
c. by using them in excess
d. by destroying them
 
14. How does the author utilise her Antarctica’s visit experience?
a. by framing new ideas about past, present and future of the earth
b. By making life easy
c. by being friends with nature
d. by enjoying it
PROTECT THE POLES
PROTECT THE
PLANET