Class 12 English Vistas Journey to the end of the Earth
About the Author (लेखक के बारे में)
- Tishani Doshi (तिशानी दोशी): The author of this travelogue is Tishani Doshi, who travels to Antarctica and shares her profound experiences about the Earth’s geological history and climate change. (इस यात्रा वृत्तांत की लेखिका तिशानी दोशी हैं, जो अंटार्कटिका की यात्रा करती हैं और पृथ्वी के भूवैज्ञानिक इतिहास और जलवायु परिवर्तन के बारे में अपने गहरे अनुभव साझा करती हैं।)
- Genre (शैली): Travelogue / Essay (यात्रा वृत्तांत / निबंध)।
Main Personalities / Elements (मुख्य व्यक्तित्व / तत्व)
- Tishani Doshi (तिशानी दोशी – Narrator): She travels to Antarctica aboard a Russian research vessel to understand the past, present, and future of the Earth. (वह पृथ्वी के अतीत, वर्तमान और भविष्य को समझने के लिए एक रूसी अनुसंधान जहाज पर अंटार्कटिका की यात्रा करती हैं।)
- Geoff Green (जेफ ग्रीन): A Canadian who heads the ‘Students on Ice’ programme, aiming to take high school students to the ends of the Earth for inspiring educational opportunities. (एक कनाडाई जो ‘स्टूडेंट्स ऑन आइस’ कार्यक्रम के प्रमुख हैं, जिसका उद्देश्य हाई स्कूल के छात्रों को पृथ्वी के छोर तक ले जाना है ताकि उन्हें शैक्षिक अवसर मिल सकें।)
Themes (मुख्य विषय)
- Geological History and Evolution (भूवैज्ञानिक इतिहास और विकास): Understanding how the Earth was shaped, including the separation of the Gondwana supercontinent. (पृथ्वी का निर्माण कैसे हुआ, जिसमें गोंडवाना सुपरकॉन्टिनेंट का अलगाव शामिल है।)
- Climate Change and Human Impact (जलवायु परिवर्तन और मानवीय प्रभाव): How 12,000 years of human civilization have created an environmental crisis and global warming. (कैसे 12,000 वर्षों की मानव सभ्यता ने पर्यावरण संकट और ग्लोबल वार्मिंग पैदा की है।)
- Environmental Conservation (पर्यावरण संरक्षण): The necessity to take care of small things (like phytoplankton) to save the larger ecosystem. (बड़े पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को बचाने के लिए छोटी चीजों (जैसे फाइटोप्लांकटन) की देखभाल करने की आवश्यकता।)
Summary (सारांश)
English Summary: The author, Tishani Doshi, journeys to Antarctica aboard the Russian research vessel, Akademik Shokalskiy. After travelling for over 100 hours crossing nine time zones and six checkpoints, she sets foot on the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. She reflects on the Earth’s history, noting that 650 million years ago, Antarctica and India were part of the same giant supercontinent called Gondwana. Back then, the climate was warmer and humans hadn’t arrived.
The author discusses human impact: in just 12,000 years, humans have created a ruckus by burning fossil fuels, leading to a rise in average global temperatures. She highlights the “Students on Ice” programme run by Geoff Green, which takes high school students to Antarctica. The goal is to provide future policy-makers with a life-changing experience so they can realize the real threat of global warming. She also explains the importance of microscopic phytoplankton, which sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain, teaching us that if we take care of the small things, the big things will fall into place.
Hindi Summary (हिंदी सारांश): लेखिका, तिशानी दोशी, रूसी अनुसंधान जहाज, अकादमिक शोकाल्स्की पर सवार होकर अंटार्कटिका की यात्रा करती हैं। नौ टाइम ज़ोन और छह चेकपॉइंट पार करते हुए 100 घंटे से अधिक की यात्रा के बाद, वह सबसे ठंडे, सबसे शुष्क और सबसे तेज़ हवा वाले महाद्वीप पर कदम रखती हैं। वह पृथ्वी के इतिहास पर विचार करती हैं और बताती हैं कि 650 मिलियन वर्ष पहले, अंटार्कटिका और भारत ‘गोंडवाना’ नामक एक ही विशाल सुपरकॉन्टिनेंट (महाद्वीप) का हिस्सा थे। उस समय, जलवायु गर्म थी और मनुष्यों का अस्तित्व नहीं था।
लेखिका मानवीय प्रभाव पर चर्चा करती हैं: केवल 12,000 वर्षों में, मनुष्यों ने जीवाश्म ईंधन जलाकर पर्यावरण में तबाही मचाई है, जिससे औसत वैश्विक तापमान में वृद्धि हुई है। वह जेफ ग्रीन द्वारा चलाए जा रहे “स्टूडेंट्स ऑन आइस” कार्यक्रम पर प्रकाश डालती हैं, जो हाई स्कूल के छात्रों को अंटार्कटिका ले जाता है। लक्ष्य भविष्य के नीति-निर्माताओं को एक जीवन बदलने वाला अनुभव प्रदान करना है ताकि वे ग्लोबल वार्मिंग के वास्तविक खतरे को समझ सकें। वह सूक्ष्म फाइटोप्लांकटन के महत्व को भी समझाती हैं, जो पूरे दक्षिणी महासागर की खाद्य श्रृंखला को बनाए रखते हैं। यह हमें सिखाता है कि यदि हम छोटी चीजों का ध्यान रखेंगे, तो बड़ी चीजें अपने आप ठीक हो जाएंगी।
Difficult Word Meanings (कठिन शब्दों के अर्थ)
| English Word | Hindi Meaning |
| Amalgamated | मिश्रित / एक में मिला हुआ |
| Pristine | प्राचीन / शुद्ध और अछूता |
| Epiphanies | अचानक हुआ ज्ञान / अहसास |
| Repercussions | परिणाम / प्रभाव |
| Phytoplankton | सूक्ष्म समुद्री पौधे (प्लवक) |
| Ubiquitous | सर्वव्यापी / हर जगह मौजूद |
| Unmitigated | निरंतर / कम न होने वाला |
| Blasé | उदासीन / बेपरवाह |
| Gangplank | जहाज़ से उतरने का तख्ता |
Very Short Answer Type Questions (VSA – 1 Mark)
(Focus on objective and quick factual recall)
Q1. What was the name of the Russian research vessel the author travelled on? Ans: The vessel was named the Akademik Shokalskiy.
Q2. How many time zones did the author cross to reach Antarctica? Ans: The author crossed nine time zones.
Q3. What was Gondwana? Ans: Gondwana was a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent that existed 650 million years ago.
Q4. How long have human civilizations been around? Ans: Human civilizations have been around for a paltry 12,000 years.
Q5. Who is the head of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme? Ans: The programme is headed by Canadian Geoff Green.
Q6. What is the target demographic for the ‘Students on Ice’ programme? Ans: The programme targets high school students, who are the future generation of policy-makers.
Q7. What percentage of the Earth’s total ice volumes is stored in Antarctica? Ans: 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored in Antarctica.
Q8. What are phytoplankton? Ans: Phytoplankton are microscopic, single-celled plants that nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain.
Q9. How thick was the ice pack the author walked on? Ans: The author walked on a metre-thick ice pack.
Q10. What kind of seals were stretching on the ice floes? Ans: Crabeater seals were stretching and sunning themselves on the ice floes.
Short Answer Type Questions (SA – 2/3 Marks)
(Focus on brief explanations and textual understanding)
Q1. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future? Ans: Antarctica is the only place in the world that has never sustained a human population and remains relatively pristine. More importantly, it holds in its ice-cores half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice, which are essential to study the Earth’s geological history.
Q2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition? Ans: Geoff Green got tired of taking retired, rich, curiosity-seekers and celebrities who could only give back in a limited way. He chose high school students because they are the future generation of policy-makers, at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn, and act upon the threat of global warming.
Q3. How has the rapid increase in human population impacted the Earth? Ans: In just 12,000 years, humans have etched their dominance over nature. The rapid population increase has caused battles for limited resources, and the unmitigated burning of fossil fuels has created a blanket of carbon dioxide, slowly increasing the global average temperature.
Long Answer Type Questions (LA – 4/5 Marks)
(Focus on themes, character analysis, and critical thinking)
Q1. ‘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 statement is highly relevant in the context of Antarctica’s simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, specifically referring to phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are microscopic, single-celled plants (grasses of the sea) that use the sun’s energy to assimilate carbon and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain through photosynthesis. Scientists warn that further depletion in the ozone layer will severely affect the activities of these tiny plants. If they are affected, it will disrupt the lives of all marine animals and birds in the region, as well as the global carbon cycle. Therefore, this metaphor highlights that if we protect the small things (like phytoplankton), the larger ecosystem (the big things) will naturally fall into place and survive.
Q2. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us? Ans: A study of Antarctica gives us a deep insight into the Earth’s past. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, Antarctica was the center of a giant supercontinent called Gondwana, which included present-day India and South America. At that time, the climate was warmer, and there were no humans. Visiting Antarctica helps us understand the significance of Cordilleran folds, pre-Cambrian granite shields, ozone, carbon, evolution, and extinction. Furthermore, Antarctica holds half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its deep ice-cores. By studying these records, scientists can analyze past climates and accurately predict the future implications of global warming and climate change, helping humankind take preventative action before the Earth becomes uninhabitable.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. What is the significance of the title ‘Journey to the end of the Earth’? Ans: The title refers to the author’s physical journey to Antarctica, which is located at the extreme southern end of the globe. It is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent.
Q2. What was the author’s first emotion upon reaching Antarctica? Ans: Her first emotion upon facing Antarctica’s expansive white landscape was relief, followed immediately by profound wonder at its immensity and isolation.