full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Elizabeth Leane: The dangerous race for the South Pole

Unscramble the Blue Letters


In the spring of 1911, after waiting out the long polar night, both parties began the journey south. Scott’s team traveled over the Beardmore gaelcir, following the path of Ernest Shackleton's earlier attempt to reach the pole. But although this course had been documented, it proved slow and luboaoirs. Meanwhile, despite an initial false start, Amundsen’s five-man team made good time using a peiousrlvy uncharted route through the same tantrtaasrincc Mountains. They stayed ahead of Scott’s team, and on dcmbeeer 14, arrived first at their dastoele destination.

To aviod the ambiguity that surrounded Cook and Peary’s North Pole cailms, Amundsen’s team traversed the area in a grid to make sure they covered the Pole’s liaooctn. Along with flags and a tent marker, they left a letter for sctot, which would not be found until over a month later. But when Scott’s party finally rhceead the pole, losing the ‘race’ was the least of their problems. On the way back towards the camp, two of the five men succumbed to frostbite starvation, and exuthisaon. The remaining explorers hoped for a prearranged rzenveouds with a team sent from their base, but due to a series of mishaps, misjudgements and miscommunications, their rescue never arrived. Their remains, along with Scott’s diary, would not be found until spring.

Open Cloze


In the spring of 1911, after waiting out the long polar night, both parties began the journey south. Scott’s team traveled over the Beardmore _______, following the path of Ernest Shackleton's earlier attempt to reach the pole. But although this course had been documented, it proved slow and _________. Meanwhile, despite an initial false start, Amundsen’s five-man team made good time using a __________ uncharted route through the same ______________ Mountains. They stayed ahead of Scott’s team, and on ________ 14, arrived first at their ________ destination.

To _____ the ambiguity that surrounded Cook and Peary’s North Pole ______, Amundsen’s team traversed the area in a grid to make sure they covered the Pole’s ________. Along with flags and a tent marker, they left a letter for _____, which would not be found until over a month later. But when Scott’s party finally _______ the pole, losing the ‘race’ was the least of their problems. On the way back towards the camp, two of the five men succumbed to frostbite starvation, and __________. The remaining explorers hoped for a prearranged __________ with a team sent from their base, but due to a series of mishaps, misjudgements and miscommunications, their rescue never arrived. Their remains, along with Scott’s diary, would not be found until spring.

Solution


  1. glacier
  2. laborious
  3. exhaustion
  4. previously
  5. location
  6. claims
  7. avoid
  8. transantarctic
  9. reached
  10. scott
  11. rendezvous
  12. december
  13. desolate

Original Text


In the spring of 1911, after waiting out the long polar night, both parties began the journey south. Scott’s team traveled over the Beardmore Glacier, following the path of Ernest Shackleton's earlier attempt to reach the pole. But although this course had been documented, it proved slow and laborious. Meanwhile, despite an initial false start, Amundsen’s five-man team made good time using a previously uncharted route through the same Transantarctic Mountains. They stayed ahead of Scott’s team, and on December 14, arrived first at their desolate destination.

To avoid the ambiguity that surrounded Cook and Peary’s North Pole claims, Amundsen’s team traversed the area in a grid to make sure they covered the Pole’s location. Along with flags and a tent marker, they left a letter for Scott, which would not be found until over a month later. But when Scott’s party finally reached the pole, losing the ‘race’ was the least of their problems. On the way back towards the camp, two of the five men succumbed to frostbite starvation, and exhaustion. The remaining explorers hoped for a prearranged rendezvous with a team sent from their base, but due to a series of mishaps, misjudgements and miscommunications, their rescue never arrived. Their remains, along with Scott’s diary, would not be found until spring.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
north pole 2
south pole 2


Important Words


  1. ambiguity
  2. area
  3. arrived
  4. attempt
  5. avoid
  6. base
  7. beardmore
  8. began
  9. camp
  10. claims
  11. cook
  12. covered
  13. december
  14. desolate
  15. destination
  16. diary
  17. documented
  18. due
  19. earlier
  20. ernest
  21. exhaustion
  22. explorers
  23. false
  24. finally
  25. flags
  26. frostbite
  27. glacier
  28. good
  29. grid
  30. hoped
  31. initial
  32. journey
  33. laborious
  34. left
  35. letter
  36. location
  37. long
  38. losing
  39. marker
  40. men
  41. miscommunications
  42. mishaps
  43. misjudgements
  44. month
  45. mountains
  46. night
  47. north
  48. parties
  49. party
  50. path
  51. polar
  52. pole
  53. prearranged
  54. previously
  55. problems
  56. proved
  57. reach
  58. reached
  59. remaining
  60. remains
  61. rendezvous
  62. rescue
  63. route
  64. scott
  65. series
  66. slow
  67. south
  68. spring
  69. start
  70. starvation
  71. stayed
  72. succumbed
  73. surrounded
  74. team
  75. tent
  76. time
  77. transantarctic
  78. traveled
  79. traversed
  80. uncharted
  81. waiting