The IELTS reading answers are very significant in the IELTS exam. You should read all sorts of passages while preparing for the IELTS exam to acquire a sense of the types of reading topics that may come on the exam.
You must focus on the sections for the IELTS exam and complete as fast as you can so that you can get some time for the following sections. Read the South Pole adventurer IELTS reading answers topic and learn how to tackle the questions.
IELTS Reading Answers Topic: South Pole Adventurer
Read all the parts of this reading answers topic and try to answer the questions given below
South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part A
In the race to the South Pole, there was a Japanese team attempting to be first, led by heroic explorer Nobu Shirase
For a few weeks in January 1912, Antarctica was full of explorers. Norwegian Roald Amundsen had reached the South Pole on 14 December and was speeding back to the coast. On 17 January, Robert Scott and the men of the British Antarctic expedition had arrived at the pole to find they had been beaten to it. Just then, a third man arrived; Japanese explorer Nobu Shirase. However, his part in one of the greatest adventure stories of the 20th century is hardly known outside his own country, even by fellow explorers.
South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part B
Yet as Scott was nearing the pole and with the rest of the world still unaware of Amundsen’s triumph, Shirase and his team sailed into Antarctica’s Bay of Whales in the smallest ship ever to try its luck in these dangerous waters. Since boyhood Shirase had dreamed of becoming a polar explorer. Like Amundsen, he initially set his sights on the North Pole. But after the American Robert Peary claimed to have reached it in 1909, both men hastily altered their plans. Instead they would aim for the last big prize: the South Pole. In January 1910, Shirase put his plans before Japanese government officials, promising to raise the flag at the South Pole within three years. For many of them, the question wasn’t could he do it but why would it be worth doing? 15 years earlier the International Geographical Congress had said that as the last unknown continent the Antarctic offered the chance to add to knowledge in almost every branch of science.
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South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part C
So, like the British, Shirase presented his expedition as a search for knowledge: he would bring back fossils, make meteorological measurements and explore unknown parts of the continent.
The British team announced their decision to carry out scientific research in Antarctica before Shirase.
The response from the government was cool, however, and Shirase struggled to raise funds. Fortunately, a few months later, Japan’s former prime minister Shigenobu Kuma came to Shirase’s rescue. With Kuma’s backing, Shirase got together just enough money to buy and equip a small ship. He eventually acquired a scientist, too, called Terutaro Takeda. At the end of November 1910, his ship the Kainan Maru finally left Tokyo with 27 men and 28 Siberian dogs on board. Before leaving, Shirase confidently outlined his plans to the media.
South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part D
He would sail to New Zealand, then reach Antarctica in February, during the southern summer, and then proceed to the pole the following spring. This was not to be, however. Bad weather delayed the expedition and they didn’t reach New Zealand until 8 February; Amundsen and Scott had already been in Antarctica for a month, preparing for winter.
In New Zealand local reporters were astonished: the ship was half the size of Amundsen’s ship. True, it was reinforced with iron plate and extra wood, but the ship had only the feeblest engine to help force its way through ice. Few doubted Shirase’s courage, but most reckoned the expedition to be ill – prepared as the Japanese had only lightweight sledges for transport across the ice, made of bamboo and wood.
South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part E
But Shirase’s biggest challenge was time. Antarctica is only accessible by sea for a few weeks in summer and expeditions usually aimed to arrive in January or February. ‘Even with their determination and daring, our Japanese friends are running it rather fine,’ wrote local reporters.
Nevertheless, on 11 February the Kainan Maru left New Zealand and sailed straight into the worst weather the captain had ever seen. Then, on 6 March, they approached the coastline of Antarctica’s Ross Sea, looking for a place to land. The ice began to close in, threatening to trap them for the winter, an experience no one was likely to survive. With a remarkable piece of seamanship, the captain steered the ship out of the ice and turned north. They would have to wait out the winter in a warmer climate.
South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part F
A year later than planned, Shirase and six men finally reached Antarctica. Catching up with Scott or Amundsen was out of the question and he had said he would stick to science this time. Yet Shirase still felt the pull of the pole and eventually decided he would head southward to experience the thrills and hardships of polar exploration he had always dreamed of. With provisions for 20 days, he and four men would see how far they could get.
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South Pole Adventurer IELTS Reading Answers Part G
Shirase set off on 20 January 1912 with Takeda and two dog handlers, leaving two men at the edge of the ice shelf to make meteorological measurements. For a week they struggled through one blizzard after another, holed up in their tents during the worst of the weather. The temperature fell to -25°C, and frostbite claimed some of the dogs. On 26 January, Shirase estimated there were enough provisions to continue for two more days. Two days later, he announced it was time to turn back. Takeda calculated they had reached 80°5 south and had travelled 250 kilometres. The men hoisted the Japanese flag.
IELTS Exam Questions on This Topic
Try out these questions to get one step ahead in your IELTS preparation
Fill in The Gaps
Q. For a few weeks in _____ , Antarctica was full of explorers.
Ans. January 1912
Q. The British team announced their decision to carry out scientific research in Antarctica before _____ .
Ans. Shirase
Q. In New Zealand local reporters were astonished: the ship was half the size of _____ .
Ans. Amundsen’s ship
Q. Nevertheless, on ______ the Kainan Maru left New Zealand and sailed straight into the worst weather the captain had ever seen.
Ans. 11 February
Q. Takeda calculated they had reached 80°5 south and had travelled ______ .
Ans. 250 kilomètres
Put The Synonyms
Q. The men hoisted the Japanese flag.
Ans. raised
Q. Few doubted Shirase’s courage, but most reckoned the expedition to be ill
Ans. bravery
Q. ‘Even with their determination and daring, our Japanese friends are running it rather fine,’ wrote local reporters.
Ans. will power
Q. Before leaving, Shirase confidently outlined his plans to the media.
Ans. assured
Q. The response from the government was cool, however, and Shirase struggled to raise funds
Ans. scuffled
Conclusion
If you have a strong grasp of the English language, it is not hard to achieve a good IELTS score. Moreover, with proper preparation, you can score a high band score. Candidates should set a target score for themselves in order to be admitted to their desired college.
If you are already fluent in English, you do not need to attend coaching sessions; you can prepare for the exam on your own. You can simply get a course from IELTS Ninja and start your preparation at home.
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