What traumatic event does Zitkala-Sa describe at the school?

The forcible cutting of her long hair

Why was the cutting of her hair so humiliating to Zitkala-Sa?

Among her people, shingled hair was worn by cowards and mourners

How is the study of Antarctica useful to us?

Antarctica holds the world's geological history in its ancient ice cores, helping us understand Earth's past, present and future, and the threat of climate change.

What was Gondwana, and how is it relevant to the author's reflections?

Gondwana was a giant southern supercontinent, centred around present-day Antarctica, that existed 650 million years ago and included India — showing how the continents were once joined.

How do geological phenomena help us know about the history of humankind?

They reveal how continents formed, mountains rose and climates changed over millions of years, placing human existence in the context of Earth's long geological history.

What are the indications for the future of humankind in the text?

The rapid rise in human population and the burning of fossil fuels are warming the planet, and the prognosis for humans is not good if such impact continues.

Why is Antarctica the perfect place to study climate change?

Because it has a simple ecosystem, has never sustained a human population, remains relatively pristine, and preserves half-million-year-old carbon records in its ice.

What are Geoff Green's reasons for including high school students in the expedition?

He wants to offer the future generation of policy-makers a life-changing experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and act for the planet.

What is the significance of the phytoplankton in the text?

These tiny single-celled plants nourish the Southern Ocean's food chain and the carbon cycle; their fate shows that small things can have big repercussions.

What does the author mean by 'take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves'?

She means that protecting small, fundamental elements like phytoplankton sustains the whole ecosystem and the planet's balance.

What experience does the author describe when she walks on the ocean?

Near the Antarctic Circle she and others walked on a metre-thick ice pack over deep salt water, seeing seals nearby — a revelation that everything in nature connects.

What is the central theme of the travelogue?

It reflects on Earth's geological history, the delicate balance of life, human impact on the environment, and the urgent reality of climate change.

Journey to the End of the Earth

Class 12 English · Vistas · Chapter 3

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CBSE Class 12 · English Core

13 Vistas marks + 22 unseen-passage marks

Marks booster + cheatsheet: key concepts in 2 lines each, common traps
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The story in short

Written by Tishani Doshi, this travelogue records the author's expedition to Antarctica aboard the Russian research vessel 'Akademik Shokalskiy' and reflects on the planet's past, present and future. Her journey from Madras, crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints and three bodies of water, fills her with wonder at Antarctica's vast, white, isolated landscape and at the thought that India and Antarctica were once part of the same landmass — the giant southern supercontinent Gondwana, which existed 650 million years ago. She explains how, around the time the dinosaurs were wiped out, this landmass broke apart to form the continents we know today, and how visiting Antarctica helps us understand where we have come from and where we may be heading — the significance of geological phenomena, ozone, carbon, evolution and extinction. She reflects on human impact: human civilisations have existed for only about 12,000 years — a few seconds on the geological clock — yet have created havoc, with burning fossil fuels forming a blanket of carbon dioxide that raises global temperatures. Antarctica, never sustaining a human population, holds half-million-year-old carbon records in its ice cores, making it the ideal place to study Earth's history and climate change. She describes the 'Students on Ice' programme, led by Geoff Green, which takes high-school students to the poles to inspire respect for the planet. Using the parable of the tiny phytoplankton that sustain the ocean's food chain, she concludes that taking care of the small things ensures the big things fall into place, and marvels at the delicate balance of life on Earth.

Antarctica and geological historyClimate change and human impactInterconnectedness of lifeEnvironmental awarenessEducation and the future

Characters & key ideas

Tishani DoshiThe author who journeys to Antarctica and reflects on Earth.

AntarcticaThe cold, isolated continent holding Earth's geological history.

GondwanaThe ancient supercontinent that included India and Antarctica.

Climate changeThe environmental threat the journey highlights.

Students on IceGeoff Green's programme taking students to the poles.

PhytoplanktonThe tiny sea grasses sustaining the ocean food chain.

Extra questions & answers (board-style)

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Who wrote "Journey to the End of the Earth"?

Flashcards & interactive practice