NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 22 A Journey To The End Of The Earth

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NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 22 A Journey To The End Of The Earth

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A Journey To The End Of The Earth

Chapter: 22

VISTAS (SUPPLEMENTARY READER)

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS ANSWERS

READ AND FIND OUT

Answer the following questions:

Q. 1. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of mankind?

Ans. Six hundred and fifty million years ago there was no life except a giant southern super continent named Gondwana. Things were quite different and the climate was much warmer. It had a variety of flora and fauna. Gondwana thrived for 500 million years. Finally it broke into separate countries as they exist today. It was the time when dinosaurs were wiped out and the mammals got under way. Thus Gondwana centered around roughly the present day Antarctica.

In case we visit Antarctica, we can realize where we have come from and where we could possibly be leading. It is to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields, ozone and carbon, evolution and extinction. Thus, geological phenomena help us to know about the history of mankind. Due to geological changes, India pushed northward and formed the Himalayas. South America drifted off to join North America. The melting of polar ice caps can tell us where possibly we are heading to.

Q. 2. What are the indications for the future of humankind?

Ans. Human civilisations have been around for a paltry 12,000 years. People have dominated over nature and thereby villages, towns, cities and megacities have cropped up. The resources are limited but our human population has increased rapidly. So we are battling with other species for the limited resources. Hence a great depletion of resources is under way. Further the burning of fossil fuels and pollution have created a blanket of carbon-dioxide around the world. Thus, our tenacy on this earth is shortening day by day.

There is a long controversy over the environmental changes. The global temperature is increasing. The ice-caps and the glaciers are melting. There is every likelihood of overflooding in the ocean. On the earth and in between the nature, we are bent upon decaying the ecological balance through deforestation. Many species of forest have become extinct. Thus there is a great danger of human survival. Our future is quite bleak and the scientists are warning us about all these dangers and changes in the environment. If this goes on at a rapid speed, the day is not far when the nature will swallow the human beings.

READING WITH INSIGHT

Answer the following questions:

Q. 1. “The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.” How is the study of this region useful to us?

Ans. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, there existed a southern supercontinent named Gondwana. There was no life and Gondwana centered roughly around present-day Antarctica. At that time things were quite different and the human beings had not arrived on the global scene. There the climate was much warmer and there was only a variety of flora and fauna.

There was a time when India and Antarctica were the part of same landmass. The human beings had arrived on the earth billions of year later. Gondwana thrived for 500 million years. Finally it broke into separate countries as they exist today. It was the stage when dinosaurs had wiped out and the age of mammals had started. India pushed northwards and the Himalayas were formed. South America drifted off to join North America. It opened up the Drake Passage and created a cold circumpolar current. It turned Antarctica frigid, desolate and at the bottom of the world. Thus the study of Antarctica helps us in knowing the geological history of the world.

Q. 2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students on Ice Expedition?

Ans. Geoff Green is a considerable Canadian explorer who aims at organizing “Students on Ice” programme by taking high school students to the ends of the world. He thinks it most essential to provide the students with inspiring educational opportunities to know more about the Antarctica. Through this they will generate a new understanding and respect for our planet. Earlier Geoff Green had organized programme with celebrities and rich people which gave him back only in a limited way. Since the students are young minds and full of adventurous activities, they can learn, act and absorb much by visiting the Antarctica. They can see through their own eyes glaciers retreating and ice-shelves collapsing. They can realize the future dangers, catastrophic effect of climatic changes and the global warming.

The Antarctica provides the young students a perfect place to study the varied changes happening in the environment. These little changes can have significant consequences. The students can see those grasses of the sea that flourish, nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. Thus the programme provides a lively study of changes and the realities going on the Antarctica.

Q. 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. This maxim is very much significant as it warns us to maintain the ecological balance in nature. It specifies the need of caring the small things so that the big things may take care of themselves. The Antarctica has quite a simple ecosystem but it lacks in biodiversity. It is the most suitable place to study how small changes in the environment can have fatal consequences. With deforestation, different kinds of rare species have become extinct and the ecological balance is under disturbance. The danger of global warming starts from small things like burning of fossil fuels. Our ozone layer in the atmosphere is under threat. Thus the neglect of small things results in terrible danger.

The author points out small phyto-planktons. These are single celled tiny plants. They nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. These plants use solar energy and assimilate carbon. They synthesize organic compounds and this process is called photo-synthesis. The scientists are warning us that the further depletion of the ozone layer will affect the activities of phytoplanktons. The holes in the ozone layer will affect the lives of the all marine life. Thus the entire global carbon cycle will collapse. Accordingly there is an urgent need to check the depletion of natural resources. The writer is appropriate in his statement, “Take care of small things and the big things will take care of themselves.”

Q. 4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to understand the earth’s present, past and future?

Or

How can you say that Antarctica is the best place to study and understand about earth’s present, past and future? Answer with reference to “Journey to the End of the Earth.”

Ans. The author presents a detailed account of his experiences about his visit to Antarctica. It has helped him in studying as well as understanding about the present, past and future of the earth. About 650 million years ago, there was a southern supercontinent named Gondwana. India and the Antarctica were the parts of the same landmass. There was no life except huge variety of flora and fauna. According to him Antarctica is the only place on the earth that has never sustained human life and therefore, it is pure. It holds in it ice-core, half million year old carbon record and thus provides clues of our past, present and future. The complete absence of any evidence of human life made him feel that there had been no sense of human perspective.

On the Antarctica, he got an opportunity to walk on the frozen sea and he saw iceberg, seals and miles of snow all round. He felt the grasp of knowing where we have come from and where we could possibly be heading. The study suggested our future possibilities. He felt the need of making changes in our present lifestyle and practices. There is an urgent need to check on the rising of global temperature. Antarctica apprised him about the repercussions of environmental changes and the need of studying future climate changes. We must feel the need of maintaining the future world.