Class 12 English - TAMILNADU
Supplementary: Journey to the End of the Earth
Journey to the End of the Earth by Tishani Doshi is a compelling travelogue and environmental narrative in the Class 12 Tamil Nadu Samacheer Kalvi English textbook. It chronicles the author's expedition to Antarctica aboard the Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy. The chapter explores how Antarctica holds the keys to Earth's past, present, and future, offering vital insights into climate change, global warming, and human impact on ecosystems. For board exams, this chapter is crucial for testing reading comprehension, critical thinking, and paragraph/essay writing skills based on environmental awareness.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
The Supercontinent Gondwana
Around 650 million years ago, a massive integrated supercontinent called Gondwana existed, centered roughly around the present-day Antarctica, before splitting apart into the countries we know today.
Significance of Antarctica
Antarctica's pristine environment, thick ice cores, and lack of human population make it the ideal place to study Earth's geological past and understand the urgent threats of global climate change.
Students on Ice Programme
An educational expedition led by Geoff Green that takes high school students to the ends of the earth to foster a deep understanding and respect for our planet.
Phytoplankton
Single-celled microscopic plants of the Southern Ocean that nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean's food chain, whose activities are directly affected by the depletion of the ozone layer.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Tamil Nadu (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 12 English Board Exam, this supplementary chapter usually features in questions testing comprehension, short answers, and long paragraph writing. It typically carries around 4 to 8 marks across objective, short answer, and paragraph sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Antarctica called the place to go to understand the earth's past, present, and future?
Antarctica holds half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its ice sheets, has an unbroken geological history due to its isolation, and its melting ice shelves provide direct warnings about future climate changes.
What is the objective of the 'Students on Ice' programme?
The programme aims to take high school students to the ends of the world, providing them with inspiring educational opportunities to understand the fragility of the planet and become future policy-makers.
How do phytoplankton affect the global carbon cycle?
Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that use sun's energy to assimilate carbon and synthesize organic compounds, acting as the primary producers of the Southern Ocean food chain and playing a vital role in global carbon absorption.
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