The coldest place on earth; Tim Vicary

1 .INTRODUCCIÓN.
En el Polo Sur hoy hay un edificio llamado la estación de Amundsen−Scott. Dentro de el edificio se está
caliente y la gente vive y trabaja allí tanto en el verano como en el invierno. Los aviones vuelan fácilmente
hacia y desde la estación, y al resto del mundo está solo a unas horas de distancia. Pero caminan quinientos
metros lejos de la estación, y la Antártica es de nuevo el lugar más vacío, más frío de la tierra.
En 1911 no había ni aviones ni edificios en el Polo Sur. No había nada. Solo nieve y hielo y viento. No había
ni bandera británica ni bandera noruega. Pero a través del hielo. Los hombres se movían lentamente al sur.
Los hombres de Scott tenían ponies y los hombres de Amundsen tenían perros y esquís. Las temperaturas eran
de −30º centígrados y peor. Los hombres estaban cansados, hambrientos ,fríos,...¿Quién iba a ser el primer
hombre en el Polo Sur?
Dentro de la estación de Amundsen−Scott hoy, hay algunas palabras escritas en la pared−palabras que el
capitán Scott escribió en su diario en 1912:
¡Gran Dios! Esto es un lugar tremendo.
2 .ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING.
1−//Read the story introduction on the first page of the book, and the back cover. How much do you
know now about the story? Tick one box for each snetence.
1− A race to the north pole began in 1910: NO
2− Scott was english and amundsen was norwegian: YES
3− There was nothings at the south pole in 1911:YES
4− All the travellers returned home after their journy:NO
5− Scott wrote:`the south pole is a beautiful place´:NO
6− Scott and amundsen satyed in the amundsen−scott station:NO
7− Today, you can fly to the south pole:YES.
2−//What is going to happen in the story? Can you guess? Tick one box for each sentence.
1− Nobody gets to the south pole: NO
2− Scott gets to the south pole first: YES
3− Amundsen gets to the south pole first: NO
4−Amundsen dies in the antarctic: YES
5−Scott dies in the antarctic: PERHAPS
6−Scott finds amundsen and helps him: YES
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7−Scott is men eat their ponies: PERHAPS
8−Amundsen is men eat their dogs: PERHAPS
3−//Can you do this crossword? All the words are in the story introduccion, or under pictures in the book.
ACROSS
1−The race was to this place. South Pole
3−Soft white stuff that falls from the sky when the weather is very cold. Snow
4−Air that moves. Win
6−Long pieces of wood under your shoes. Skis
DOWN
1−Something to carry things across snow. Sledge
2−Small horses. Ponies
5−Water that is hard because it is very cold. Ice
3 .VOCABULARY CHAPTERS 1,2,3.
NOUNS
Flag− Bandera
Midnight− Media noche
Mistakes− Errores
VERBS
Feel− Sentir
Wait− Esperar
Bring− Traer
Begin− Comenzar
Laugh− Sonreir
OTHERS
Dark− Oscuro
Wooden− (Wood, madera) hecho de madera
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Away− Lejos
Wonderful− Maravilloso
Strong− Fuerte
Dirty− Sucio
Ill− Enfermo
Found− Encontrado
4 .COMMENT CHAPTERS 1,2,3.
In the summer of 1910, Scott left from London with the Terra Nova and Amundsen with the Fram from
Norway. Both they wanted to be the first man in arriving at the South Pole Amundsen went to one ppequeña
island to by perros.Scott bought ponies. Oates thought that Scott was committing many errors, whereas Scott
thought about which Amundsen thought of him.
5 .ACTIVITIES WHILE READING.
Read Chapters 1,2 and 3. Who are these sentences about, Scott or Amundsen? Write in the names.
Scott left london on june 1st, 1910.
Amundsen left norway on june 6th , 1910.
Amundsen wanted to have a race to the south pole.
Scott wasn´t interested in races.
Amundsen had eight men.
Amundsen had a lot of dogs from greenland.
Scott bought ponies in new zeland.
Scott had sixteen men.
6 .VOCABULARY CHAPTERS 4,5.
NOUNS
Pull− Tirón
Sledge− Trineo
Holes− Hoyos
Wind− Viento
Tent− Tienda de campaña
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VERBS
Arrive− Llegar
OTHERS
Themselves− Ellos mismos
Across− Através
Perhaps− Puede
7 .COMMENT CHAPTERS 4,5.
The dogs and the ponies lived in small holes under the snow. As much the British as the Norwegians kept in
depots the food and on them black flags ponian. The Norwegians worked hard whereas the British as soon as
they worked.
8 .ACTIVITIES WHILE READING
Read Chapters 4 and 5, then make eight true sentences from this table.
1− The norwegians made two depots with many flags
2− The british didn't work on their equipament.
3− The dogs lived in holes under the snow.
4− The norwegians worked on their equipmen.
5− The british made one depot with one flags.
6− The dogs ran fast over the snow.
7− The british didn't learn to ski.
8− The ponies ran slowly through the snow.
9 .VOCABULARY CHAPTERS 6,7.
NOUNS
Snowstorm− Tormenta de nieve
Plateau− Meseta
VERBS
Learn− Aprender
OTHERS
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Empty− Vacío
High− Alto
10 .COMMENT CHAPTERS 6,7.
The 23th of august Amundsen and his men they began to per due to the cold had to return to the Framheim. 20
of Scott October and its men they began but they had to stop by a snow storm. They decided to return to begin
but their motor sleighs were broken.
11 .ACTIVITIES WHILE READING.
Read Chapters 6 and 7. Then complete this passage.
The Norwegians started in 8th september, but they nearly died of cold, so they went back to Framheim. They
left again on october 20th, with five men, four sledges, and forty−eight dogs. They travalled fast, and
everybody was happy. The British started on october 24th. They had two motor sledges eight sledges with
eight ponies, and one sledge with dogs. The ponies travelled slow, and got not quickly. The motor sledges
broke, and the men pilled the sledges themselves.
12 .VOCABULARY CHAPTER 8.
NOUNS
Fog− Niebla
VERBS
Kill− Matar
OTHERS
Fat− Gordo
Without− Sin
Wet− Mojado
13 .COMMENT CHAPTER 8.
Scott killed its ponies because they gave problems him. Amundsen killed its dogs because many of them were
ill and it ate them. First in arriving at the South Pole it was Amundsen. It put the flag Norwegian.
14 . ACTIVITIES WHILE READING.
Read Chapter 8, and then answer these questions.
1 What did the Norwegians kill and eat? They kill and eat their dogs.
2 How far were they from the Pole on December 9th? They were 175 kilometres from the Pole.
3 What happened on december 14th, 1911? The Norwegians reached to the Pole.
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4 Which Englishmen went back to Cape Evans? Teddy Evans and two men.
5 Who went on with Scott to the Pole? Oates, Wilson and Edgar.
6 How many sledges and how much food did they have? They had two sledges and food for four men.
7 How far was Scott from the Pole on January 4th? They were 270 kilometres from the Pole.
15 .VOCABULARY CHAPTER 9.
NOUNS
Husband− Marido
OTHERS
Between− Entre
Asleep− Dormido
Another− Otro
Somewhere− En alguna parte
16 .COMMENT CHAPTER 9.
Amundsen returned to house after spending two days in the South Pole. When Scott arrived at the South Pole
and vío the flag Norwegian, it returned to house but in the way he and its men died.
17 . ACTIVITIES WHILE READING.
Before you reading Chapter 9, can you guess the answer to these questions?
1 Do the Norwegians stay at the Pole and wait for Scott? No, they don´t.
2 Do the Englishmen reach the South Pole? Yes, they do.
3 Do all the Englishmen get bak to Cape Evans? No, they don´t.
18 .ACTIVITIES AFTER READING.
1−//Match these halves of sentences to tell the story of the end the race.
1 The Nirwegians got to the Pole on December 14th, and stayed there for two days.
2 On the way back they travelled fast, often fifty kilometres a day so they were back at Framheim by January
26th.
3 The Englishmen reached the Pole on January 17th, about five weeks after the Norwegians got here.
4 They left the Pole and started north again, byt they travelled slowly, about ten kilometres a day.
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5 In March they were still a long way from home and they didn´t have much food.
6 At Cape Evans the Englishmen waited all winter, but Scott and his men did not come.
7 In October, when the next Antartic summer began, the men at Cape Evans started for the south.
8 After two weeks they found a tent, with the bodies of Scott, Wilson and Bowers, but nobody ever found the
bodies of Titus Oates and Edgar Evans.
2−//Here is a conversation between Amundsen and a reporter. Write it out in the correct order, and put in the
speakers´names. The reporter speaks first (number 7).
1 REPORTER: Mr. Amundsen! Can I ask you some questions, please?
2 AMUNDSEN: All right. What do you want to ask?
3 REPORTER: Well, first, do you know that Captain Scott is dead?
4 AMUNDSEN: Dead? No, I didn´t know. What happened?
5 REPORTER: His friends found him in his tent, with Wulson and Bowers. They died of cold and hunger.
6 AMUNDSEN: Poor men. Were they far from a dpot?
7 REPORTER: No. There was a depot a few kilometres away, but they didn´t find it. Is it difficult to find
depots, sir?
8 AMUNDSEN: Difficult? No, but you must have a lot of flags. How many flags did Scott have at his depots?
9 REPORTER: One, sir. A big flag on top of the depot.
10 AMUNDSEN: One?That´s no good. You need lots of flags.
11 REPORTER: How many flags did you have at your depots, sir?
12 AMUNDSEN: Well, at our second depot we had sixty flags.
13 REPORTER: Sixty! So it was easy to find!
14 AMUNDSEN: Very easy. We were careful, you see.
15 REPORTER: Yes, sir. Thank you very much, sir.
3−// Here are two pages from Amundsen´s and Scott´s diaries. Use these words to fill in the gaps.
Amundsn´s Diary: December 14th, 1911
Today was warm and sunny, and the dogs ran well. We are the first men to reach the South Pole. And
we are all very happy and excited. When we stopped, we put up a tent and the Norwegian flag. Then
Bjaaland took some photos. Antartica is a beautiful place; it is like the high mountains of Norway. We
have a lot of food, our equipment is good, and there are ten depots between here and Framheim. This is
a great day for us, and for Norway!
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Scott´s Diary: January 17th, 1912
This was a bad day for us. The Norwegians got here first−five weeks before us. We found their tent,
with its Norwegian flag, and a letter for me from Amundsen. We are tired and happy cold and hungry.
The temperature is −30°, and there is a snowstorm. Great God! This is an awful place! Tomorrow we
must begin the journey back. Bowers has no skis, Evans is ill, and Oates has bad feet. We can only
travel slowly, and it is a long, long way home.
4−//I´m going outside. I may be some time. These last words by Titus Oates are very famous. But what did he
really mean? Look at these three meanings, and choose the best one:
3−I´m dying, and I want to die out in the snow, not here in this tent.
5−//Who are these sentences about−the Norwegians (N) or the British (B)?
1 They were all good at skiing. N
2 They walked, and pulled the sledges themselves. B
3 They didn´t use dogs, and their motor sledges broke. B
4 They put a lot of flags by their depots. N
5 They were always hungry and tired. B
6 They skied, and their dogs pulled the sledges. N
7 They put one flag ar their depots. B
8 They tired to use ponies in the Antarctic. B
6−// Scott and his men lost the race and died, but Amundsen and his men won, and lived. Why? Complete the
sentences.
−The Norwegians won because their equipment was better than the equipment of british men.
−The British lost because they went very slow and they didn´t know the world the snow
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