Michelle: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm
Michelle.
Helen: And I'm Helen.
Michelle: Today we're talking about one of the most famous explorers of all time - Scott of
the Antarctic. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott and his team
making their epic journey to the South Pole. An expedition from which, sadly,
they never returned.
Helen: Now the Natural History Museum in London is marking the anniversary with a
new exhibition.
Michelle: And we'll hear more about that shortly, because of course first it's time for your
quiz question Helen. Are you ready?
Helen: Go on then.
Michelle: OK. Now, Scott and his team were the first British explorers to reach the South
Pole. But my question is; going back in history to 1773, which other famous
British explorer led the first successful expedition across the Antarctic Circle?
Was it:
a) Captain James Cook
b) Sir Francis Drake
c) Admiral Horatio Nelson
Helen: I have no idea! I'm going to have a guess. Captain James Cook?
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012
Page 2 of 6
Michelle: Well we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. But back to Scott and
his Antarctic expedition. Captain Robert Falcon Scott was a British Royal Navy
Officer and an adventurer. In 1912 he and his team set off on an expedition to be
the first people to reach the South Pole.
Helen: Yes but the British team were beaten by a Norwegian group, and on their way
back, the men sadly died of exposure in the freezing conditions.
Michelle: So sadly the epic journey ended in failure and tragedy.
Helen: Let's hear from Natural History Museum curator Douglas Russell talking about
Scott's journey, or as he calls it, a "polar endeavour". To endeavour means to
make a great effort to try to achieve something. In this clip see if you can catch
what sort of extreme conditions Scott and his team had to face during their
journey.
Douglas Russell, curator, Natural History Museum, London:
It's one of the most gallant stories in the history of Polar endeavour. Three men spent five weeks
walking across Ross Island in Antarctica in pitch darkness. The temperatures that they endured
were extraordinary. It's very difficult, I think, for most people to understand that it's your ability
to function at those extraordinary low temperatures.
Michelle: So did you catch some of the extreme conditions the curator described there Helen?
Helen: Yes he said that the men had to spend five weeks walking in pitch darkness.
Michelle: Yes pitch darkness, or as we sometimes say 'pitch black', means no light at all.
And did you hear how he described the temperatures in the South Pole?
Helen: Yes he said that "the temperatures they endured were extraordinary". To endure
something means to carry on through hardship or difficult conditions. It's hard to
even imagine how cold it must get in the Antarctic!
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012
Page 3 of 6
Michelle: Well did you know that temperatures dropped to minus forty degrees Celsius?
And it was so freezing that the men's teeth actually cracked!
Helen: Minus forty degrees. That really is extraordinary!
Michelle: But even though we know Scott's race to the South Pole ended in failure, the
Natural History Museum wants to celebrate the explorers' achievements.
Helen: Yes in fact while Scott and his team were in the Antarctic, they collected a
number of interesting scientific items. For example they collected rocks. But
probably the most famous item they collected was emperor penguin eggs.
Michelle: So these items are on display in the exhibition along with some of the equipment
the men used during their journey. In this next clip we'll hear from another curator
at the museum, Elin Simonson. What items is she describing here?
Elin Simonson, curator, National History Museum, London:
We also have the balaclava that Cherry-Garrard wore, and you can see how he attached a nose
piece to the balaclava and he actually writes about it later, talking about how cold it was and he
needed to protect his nose. And it's really nice to actually see that. And a thermal flask they had,
and a light - of course it was dark - so this is a light they had with them.
Michelle: So did you catch the first item the curator described there Helen?
Helen: Yes a balaclava which is a type of hat that covers the whole head and neck. And
it sounds like this one was specially made to protect the wearer's nose against the
freezing weather.
Michelle: That's right this balaclava was worn by an explorer called Cherry-Garrard, who
had joined Scott in some of his earlier journeys. And did you catch the other two
items mentioned there?
Helen: There was a thermal flask and a light they used.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012
Page 4 of 6
Michelle: So these are just some of the items which tell the story of Scott's epic journey, or
as it's sometimes called, 'his voyage to the end of the world'. Well Helen it's time
to find out if you got your quiz question right. I asked you; which famous British
explorer was the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle in 1773. And your
choices were:
a) Captain James Cook
b) Sir Francis Drake
c) Admiral Horatio Nelson
And what was your answer?
Helen: I think I said Captain James Cook.
Michelle: A good guess. I can tell you that the answer is Captain James Cook. He set sail on
a ship called the Resolution with his crew and a number of scientists on board.
And although the ship was the first to cross to Antarctic Circle in 1773. He never
actually saw Antarctica itself because too much ice blocked the way. OK Helen
please could you remind us of today's words?
Helen: Of course. They are:
explorers
epic journey
expedition
exhibition
exposure
endeavour
pitch darkness
endured
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012
Page 5 of 6
a balaclava
Michelle: Thanks very much Helen. And that's all we've got time for today, but please do
join us again for more 6 Minute English. Bye
Helen: Bye
