Antarctica Explained (Text A)
Which two continents named in Text A are smaller than Antarctica?
Oceania and Europe.
What earlier work inspired Searle to consider her own Antarctic expedition?
Organising the publicity campaign for a military team’s South Pole expedition.
Find the word describing evidence that is impossible to disprove.
“Irrefutable.”
📿Multiplication Talisman:
Earn x2 points.
What two impressions are combined in “hushed grandeur”?
Deep quiet and impressive majesty.
Speak as Simon to young people considering life at Base:
Name one non-scientific job at Base and explain one activity it involves.
Example: If you become a pilot, you will transport researchers between Base and their field camps.
Supported examples involving cooks, mechanics, or air-traffic control are accepted.
🚀Multiverse Traveller:
Swap points with a different team (NOT optional).
Explain “integral part” in your own words.
An essential component of something larger.
Why does Searle mention that she cannot even accept a cup of tea?
It emphasises how strict the rules are: even minor assistance would break the requirement to travel completely unaided.
What does “confided” suggest about how Ben shares his thoughts?
He shares something personal or private, as though speaking in confidence.
💣Makeshift Bomb:
If you don't answer correctly, it explodes, blasting 300 points from the team's score.
Explain the effect of describing the iceberg’s sound as a “gunshot-like crack.”
The sound seems sudden and violent, breaking the silence and suggesting danger beneath the apparently still landscape.
🧤Bandit's Gloves:
Steal 500 points from another team.
Speak as Simon to young people considering life at Base:
Turn one safety-training detail into a sentence explaining why that training matters.
Example: You’ll practise stopping a fall with an ice-axe so that you can protect yourself if you slip on a glacier.
Give two reasons why Antarctica is particularly suitable for international scientific research.
The continent is open to research without national borders, and its exceptionally clean air provides more reliable atmospheric measurements.
Compare Searle’s weight with the pulk’s weight. What particular difficulty does this create?
She weighs just over 60 kilograms, but the pulk exceeds 80 kilograms. She must drag a load substantially heavier than herself.
Why must people inform Simon before leaving Base as winter approaches? Connect the environmental condition with the danger.
Fresh snow hides the boundary between land and sea, so someone could walk onto unsafe sea ice and fall through.
Explain how “the telescope of empty dry air” shapes our impression of the birds’ calls.
Like a telescope enlarging an image, the air seems to magnify sound, making the calls striking against the vast emptiness.
Give a two-sentence speech extract contrasting the routine of new arrivals with life as winter approaches.
Example: At first, training, briefings, and research trips will keep you busy. However, as winter approaches, activities decrease, so you’ll need to make your own entertainment.
🍀Lucky Streak:
If your team has answered three questions correctly in a row, get 3x points in this one.
Explain the connection between Antarctic ice loss and global warming in two linked steps.
Less ice means less solar energy is reflected away. More heat is absorbed, disrupting Earth’s heat balance and increasing warming.
Explain why obtaining funding involves more than simply raising enough money.
She faces prejudice against female adventurers, limiting publicity and making sponsorship harder to secure.
How does Ben’s description of living in a “bubble” help distinguish established residents from the newcomer?
Residents have adapted to a sheltered, self-contained community, whereas the narrator still carries expectations and experiences from the outside world.
🛡️Shield of Light:
Prevents a negative effect once.
Contrast the “ice flowers” with the ice that later “welded itself together.” How does the impression of winter change?
Delicate natural beauty becomes rigid, industrial strength, making winter seem increasingly powerful and hostile.
🕳️Manhole:
Skip your team's turn next time if you answer incorrectly.
Explain how one limitation of life at Base could also become a reward. Address your audience directly.
Example: Without Wi-Fi or cafés, you may miss familiar comforts. Yet, sharing simple activities with a small group can help you build close friendships.
"Tourists outnumber researchers, yet researchers may have a greater environmental impact." Explain three reasons for this in your own words.
Researchers spend longer on land, require buildings and transport infrastructure, and generate waste that has not always been managed responsibly.
Give a one-sentence mini-summary containing four distinct challenges Searle faces. Use your own words.
Model: Searle must haul a heavy load, meet a strict deadline, endure isolation, and fit intensive preparation around full-time employment.
Accept any four supported challenges.
Why might the narrator’s shiver after Xavier’s explanation mean more than simply feeling cold? Connect it to her changing view of Earth.
It suggests alarm at human-caused climate change: she now sees Earth as a living organism whose well-being she can personally affect.
Connect the opening image of a closed “vault door” with the final image of the continent “locking itself in.” What overall effect develops?
Both suggest confinement. Initially, sound seems sealed away; by winter, the entire continent appears imprisoned, intensifying isolation and the threat of entrapment.
👽Black Hole:
Drain 300 points from each team.
Produce a two-sentence conclusion balancing a serious risk with a worthwhile reward. Support both with Text C.
Example: Severe weather could delay your departure, so prepare for an unexpected winter here. However, learning alongside expert researchers could transform your understanding of our planet.
🫅👸Jeopardy Royalty:
If your team has more than 3000 points, earn 2x points for this question.
If your team has less than 3000 points, earn 10x points for this question.