Here we are providing Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Important Questions Class 12 English Vistas, Extra Questions for Class 12 English was designed by subject expert teachers.
Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Important Questions Class 12 English Vistas
Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?
Answer:
Geological phenomena helps us to know more and more about the history of humankind as only through it we come to know about the present, past and future of the Earth. How life was then and gradually how it shaped now. Scientists admit that world’s geological history is trapped under the layers of Antarctica.
Question 2.
What are the indications for the future of human kind?
Answer:
Deplection of ozone layer, Reforestation, melting of glaciers, and the collapse of ice shelves clearly give the indications for the future of mankind that it is not safe if global warming continues, soon this mankind will banish from the planet ‘Earth’.
Question 3.
‘Akademik Shokalskiy’ was heading towards Antarctica, why?
Answer:
‘Akademik Shokalskiy’, a Russian Vessel was heading towards Antarctica with a troop of 52 peoples, to study and research the history of humankind under the guidance of Canadian Geoff Green.
Question 4.
Name the programme and its objectives.
Answer:
The programme was ‘Students on Ice’ with the motive to give high school students, the educational opportunity to do the study of Antarctica.
Question 5.
After reaching Gondwana, what were their reactions?
Answer:
They were highly exicted as they were at a remote area of the Earth where no mankind could sustain and totally peaceful environment existed, a place without trees, billboards and buildings.
Question 6.
Gondwana existed before six hundred and fifty million years. Explain.
Answer:
Six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant amalgamated Southern super continent ‘Gondwana’ did indeed exist, centred roughly around the present- day Antarctica.
Question 7.
How is Antarctica, a subject for debate for environmentalists?
Answer:
Antarctica is always a subject for debate for environmentalists because only Antarctica is undisturbed by human beings, whether it would melt, will the Gulf Stream ocean current be disrupted or will it be the end of the world; such many concerned issues are raised for debate.
Question 8.
How did they reach Antarctica?
Answer:
They travelled over 100 hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship. In this way, they reached Antarctica.
Question 9.
What was wondrous about Antarctica?
Answer:
Expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon and its immensity and isolation was wondrous about Antarctica.
Question 10.
What is the pretty mind-boggling fact, one can observe?
Answer:
By the study of Antarctica, the fact: India pushing north words, South America driffting off to join North America and many others boggle the mind and produce many imaginations.
Question 11.
What types of sounds can be noticed/heard there?
Answer:
The sound of occasional avalanche or calving of ice sheets can only be heard in Antarctica.
Question 12.
Why Geoff Green started to bring only students to Antarctica?
Answer:
Geoff Green noticed that celebrities and retired rich persons visit Antarctica only for entertainment but the students, who are the future policy-makers, took interest and ready to accept the challenge.
Question 13.
Why Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature?
Answer:
Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature be-cause it has simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity; above all, it is untouched by human beings.
Question 14.
Why the programme ‘Students on Ice’ became so successful?’
Answer:
The programme became so successful because its impossible to go anywhere near the South Pole and not be affected by it. Through this programme, students got the educational opprotunities.
Question 15.
What is photosynthesis?
Answer:
The process of converting light energy into chemical energy by plants is called photosynthesis.
Question 16.
What various expanses did they cross to reach Antarctica?
Answer:
Nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and many ecospheres were crossed by them to reach Antarctica.
Question 17.
What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the ‘Students on Ice’ Expedition?
Answer:
Canadian Geoff Green started this programme, ‘Students on Ice’ before six years of writing this chapter. The reasons for including high school students were to provide them most inspiring educational opportunities which would make them aware about the depletion of our ecosystem, create an understanding to save our planet as those teenagers still have an ideology to absorb, learn, and most importantly act.
Question 18.
‘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?
Answer:
Antarctic, because of her simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study/tell us how little changes in the environment can have big consequences. Single celled microscopic phytoplankton use the Sun’s energy to do the process of photosynthesis. And any obstacle in this process will affect the lives of all the marine animals and birds of that region, the global carbon cycle. Scientists warn and advise to take care of the small things and the big things will fall into plape.
Question 19.
Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?
Answer:
Only Antarctica on this earth presently is in its purest and original form as it holds in its ice-cores half million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. Antarctica has never sustained a human propulation and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect. So Antarctica is the place to go to understand the Earth’s present, past and future.
Journey to the end of the Earth Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
How did the writer justify the title journey to the end of the earth?
Answer:
The title ‘Journey to the end of the Earth is quite justified by the writer ‘Tishani Dosi’ through this chapter. A visit to Antarctica thrilled the whole troop and made them realized that Antarctica is the world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent. Their visit seemed to be very fruitful because without reaching there physically, one can’t experience the immensity and importance of Antarctica and its great role in balancing the ecosystem.
Writer found Antarctica still undisturbed by human beings and tried to understand where we’ve come from and where we could possibly be heading; through the deep study of this island. Writer presumed that without controlling the rapidly increasing global warming; we can’t stop the melting of ice specially glaciers and as it is known that Antarctica covers 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice, its sustainment is mandatory. Or in near future, Antarctica would be responsible (if not ceased the global warming) for the ruination of the Earth’s lives and in this way, the end of the Earth would be brought by Antarctica.
Question 2.
Describe the journey to the Antarctica by the Vessel ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’.
Answer:
The journey starts with a troop of 52 peoples under the guidance of experienced Canadian Geoff Green, an educator and adventurer. He started the mission ‘Students on Ice’ to aware the teenagers about the present need of the escapement of Antarctica. Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian Vessel headed towards the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world: Antarctica.
Journey began 13.09 degress North of the equator in Madras, and involved crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at least as many ecospheres. They trevelled over 100 hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship and finally they reached to view Antarctica’s expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon where immensity and isolation made them wondorous and tireless.
Question 3.
‘Take care of small things and big will take care of themselves’. What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctica?
Answer:
The small things are having their own importance at their own place. Small things are combined produce their effect on big things. As phytoplankton are very tiny single-celled plants, but they nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food proceedings, s Phytoplankton is the grass of Southern Ocean and 1 through the process of photosynthesis, they convert light energy into the chemical energy and supply food and provide oxygen to all the marine life (animals and birds). So very tiny plants are responsible for the survival of the life.
But global warming can affect the activity of these plants and also the whole ecosystem of the Earth. Sun’s energy is used to assimilate carbon and synthesize organic compounds by these plants. 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 whole mankind and all creatures from extinction. So, opening our eyes, we should take care of little things to care the big things automatically and naturally.
Question 4.
‘A lot can happen in a million years, but what a difference a day makes’. Explain.
Answer:
The author with a troop of 52 peoples visited the Earth’s coldest, driest and windiest continent of the world i.e. Antarctica where she was highly exicted finding the untouched, unhumane land without trees, billboards and buildings. The history of the world started from Antarctica itself and the secret of evolution and extinction can be studied through the study of Antarctica.
There is a prompt need to aware ourselves with this reality that if we’ve to save the mankind from extinction, we need to save the nature and Antartica is the best place for this purpose because it is covering 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice and hiding, under its layers, the mystery of the world. Writer spent two weeks with a group of teenagers under the leadership of Canadion 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.
Question 5.
Geoff Green, a Canadian explorer and educator started to include high school students on the expedition ‘Students on Ice’. Explain why?
Answer:
Geoff Green, who, since -the starting, started to include celebrities, retired rich, curiosity-seekers to the Antarctica but they remained unhappy and dis-satisfied and also those men in power and position did not understand the problems facing mankind. They never gave any response in return and didn’t seem worried about the ecology.
Geoffs efforts remained futile and totally time wastage could be noticed. Geoff, then started to inculude the learners, willing persons and school students for the mission and it was also an opportunity for beginners to study more and more about our planet and ecosystem. These youngsters seem ready to absorb, learn and act immediately.
They realize 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 for global warming.
Question 6.
‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?
Answer:
The study of Antarctica is useful to us in very mysterious and revealing way. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, ‘Gondwana’ a super continent existed, centred roughly around the present day Antarctica. The climate was much warmer, hosting a huge variety of flora and fauna. For 500 million years Gondwana thrived.
Around the time, the landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the globe much as we know it today. A grasp of where we’ve come from and where we could possibly be heading; the evolution and extinction, can easily be understood through the study of this region.