Academic Vocabulary: Academic Words - Olsen Amy E. 2012

Chapter 10. Geography

The Frozen Continent

Antarctica has fascinated people for centuries. The terrain includes tall mountains, active volcanoes, and valleys of rock that are surprisingly clear of any ice or snow. It also contains the largest mass of ice in the world. The continent and the surrounding oceans contain more than 90% of the world's ice and 75% of its fresh water. Considering the area's cold temperatures, the abundance of ice is understandable. Temperatures fluctuate on the continent depending on the time of year and location. The record low for Antarctica is -128.5° F (-89.2° C) at Vostock Station on the polar plateau. The average temperature at the South Pole is -59.8° F (-51° C). The Antarctica Peninsula is considerably warmer than the interior. During the winter, temperatures average 4° F (-20° C), and in the summer, temperatures get just above freezing, or around 35-4-0° F (2-4 ° C). Despite the ice, Antarctica is one of the driest places on Earth. The interior of the continent is considered a polar desert because it gets no rain and little snow. The peninsula gets more snow and some rain in the summer.

For the last two hundred years, whalers, explorers, and scientists have made Antarctica home for short periods of time. 'Whalers were active from the early 1900s to the 1960s. Serious scientific explora­tion of Antarctica began in the 1800s. Extreme fortitude was needed to be an explorer in the early days, as clo^thg was not always as w^m as was needed and transportation was difficult. Dogs and ponies were used to pull sleds, and at times the men were forced to pull their heavily laden sleds themselves. Among the escapades of the early explorers was a race to be the first to reach the South Pole. In 1911, Roald Amundsen of Norway and Robert Scott of Britain each undertook to reach the pole. Amundsen was the first to arrive on December 14, 1911. Scott's party arrived thirty-three days later to find the Norwegian flag and a tent left by Amundsen. Scott's expedition had been filled with problems, which worsened on the re- ^m. Titus Oates was suffering from frost-bitten feet. Fearing he was slowing the team, one night during a bizzard, he told the other men, "I am just going outside and may be some time." His magnanimous gesture was in vain. Strong storms continued, and in a few days, the rest of the group perished within eleven miles of the next supply station.

Antarctica—the peninsula juts out on the left side.

In the late 1950s, scientists saw the need to protect the pristine environment of Antarctica. Several nations (including Chile, Argentina, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain) cooperated to create the Antarctic Treaty. Every nation that signs the treaty agrees to protecl the flora and fauna and to consider the environmental impact of any actions in the area. Today the population oJ Antarctica burgeons in the summer with several countrie reopening their research stations after the harsh winter. Among the goals of these stations are to learn more about the plants and animals of this last great frontier and to preserve the unspoiled continent.

Predicting

For each set, write the definition on the line next to the word to which it belongs. If you are unsure, return to the reading on page 62, and underline any context clues you find. After you've made your predictions, check your answers against the Word List on page 67. Place a checkmark in the box next to each word whose definition you missed. These are the words you'll want to study closely.

Set One

mental and emotional strength

an area of land

an area of land almost fully surrounded by water

a land area having a fairly level surface elevated above adjoining land

□ 1. terrain (line 1) ...

□ 2. fluctuate (line 8) ...

□ 3. plateau (line 11) ...

□ 4. peninsula (line 12) ...

□ 5. fortitude (line 20) ...

Set Two

adventures

unspoiled

a journey

grows

unselfish

□ 6. escapades (line 23) ...

□ 7. expedition (line 26) ...

□ 8. magnanimous (line 28)_____ ...

□ 9. pristine (line 32) ...

□ 10. burgeons (line 38) ...

Self-Tests

1 Put a T for true or F for false next to each statement.

1. If the price of bread stays the same for ten years, it can be said to fluctuate.

2. Giving a fellow student a ride home after his car breaks down even though it is fifteen miles out of your way would be a magnanimous gesture.

3. A person needs fortitude to run a marathon.

4. One could swim all the way around a peninsula.

5. An expedition into the depths of a cave requires special gear.

6. A terrain filled with boulders would be easy to ride a bike on.

7. The city dump could be considered a pristine area.

8. Driving across the United States with only $80 in your pocket and no credit cards or other source of money could be considered an escapade.

9. A plant left in a dark room will likely burgeon.

10. Mount Everest would be considered a plateau.

2 Finish the journal entries using the vocabulary words. Use each word once.

Set One

Vocabulary list

fluctuated

pristine

terrain

fortitude

expedition

January 16, 1914

We are preparing to leave the area. I am going to miss it here. Though the (1)... is covered with snow and the temperatures have been below freezing, it is a beautiful place. The (2)... nature of Antarctica attracts me. Everything is so pure and untouched by

humans. The (3)... has been a success. We have done much research and made some fascinating discoveries. My (4) ... has been tested by the whole journey, and I am proud to say that I have had the power to withstand the hardships. My interest in exploration has (5)... over the years, but this expedition has reignited a desire to see the world and its many fascinating geographic features.

Set Two

Vocabulary list

magnanimous

escapade

plateau

peninsula

burgeoned

November 20, 1921

We have made it to the (6)..., and it is a pleasure to see water again. The interior was much harsher than this area, and the climb up the (7) ... exhausted me, especially since I had to take turns pulling our gear in the sled. Ernest has been quite (8) ... . and taken much longer pulls than I have. Tonight we rested and

enjoyed watching the penguins. I thought I would be cursing myself for attempting this (9) …, but I have done quite well. My confidence has (10) ...as I have successfully dealt with each difficulty we have met on this expedition.

3 Match each example to the vocabulary word it best fits. Use each word once.

Vocabulary list

fortitude

escapade

fluctuate

plateau

pristine

terrain

expedition

peninsula

magnanimous

burgeon

1. company earnings unchanged for three years ...

2. preparing oneself to speak in front of a crowd ...

3. an unexplored ice cave ...

4. a trek into the Amazon jungle ...

5. Monday's high 95 degrees, Tuesday's 58, and Wednesday's 79 ...

6. the Kenai in Alaska, Yucatan in Mexico, or Jutland in Denmark ...

7. going to the doughnut shop during a blizzard ...

8. filled with boulders ...

9. wildflowers in the desert after a rainy season ...

10. letting someone else have the last cookie ...

Collocations

I seem to have reached a plateau in my weight loss; I have not gained or lost a pound in four weeks. (Chapter 10)

I love to camp in the interior of the park. It is a pristine environment because so few people make the effort to hike back here. (Chapter 10)

Interesting Etymologies

Escapade (Chapter 10) comes from the Spanish escapada, "a prank, flight, or escape." The root is escapar, "to escape." The meaning of "an adventure, especially one contrary to usual or proper behavior" shows elements of flight and escape from conventional rules.

Peninsula (Chapter 10) comes from the Latin paeninsula, "almost an island." It is made from paene, "almost," plus insula, "island." The definition of "an area of land almost fully surrounded by water except for a narrow strip of land connecting it with the mainland" shows its "almost island" status.

Plateau (Chapter 10) comes from the French word plateau. In Old French, the root was platel, "a flat piece of metal, wood, etc.," which comes from plat, "flat surface or thing." The definition of a plateau as "a land area having a fairly level surface elevated above adjoining land" illustrates its "flat surface" origin.

Interactive Version: Pretend you are going on an expedition. Use the photograph as inspiration as you write a journal entry describing your ad­venture. Think about how your fortitude will be tested. Use at least six of the vocabulary words in your entry.

Conversation Starters

An excellent way to review the vocabulary words and help to make them your own is to use them when you are speaking. Gather three to five friends or classmates, and use one or more of the con­versation starters below. Before you begin talking, have each person write down six of the vocabu­lary words he or she will use during the conversation. Share your lists with each other to check that you did not all pick the same six words. Try to cover all of the words you want to study, whether you are reviewing one, two, or more chapters.

1. How important are greetings in your interactions with people? How do you greet your friends? Does that differ from how you greet your professors?

2. How do you feel about giving speeches? Do you get nervous? Would you rather give a speech before a group of strangers or your family? What factors influenced your decision?

3. If you could speak any foreign language, what would it be? Why did you make this choice?

4. Would you like to travel to Antarctica or to a warmer place? Closer to home, what are two interesting places you could make an expedition to within a day's drive of your house? Are there special geographic features at these places?

Words to Watch

Which words would you like to practice with a bit more? Pick 3-5 words to study, and list them below. Write the word and its definition, and compose your own sentence using the word correctly. This extra practice could be the final touch to learning a word.