Chapter Exploration:

2 Answers to Student Book questions

2.1 Explorers 6 Facts about the ‘whale’: 65-foot, home-made; it took 20
years and £100,000 to build; 62-tonne; it is kept on the
3 the ships used for the voyage: in the first paragraph
shores of Loch Nevis
under the main heading ‘A Chinese armada’ – the
word ‘armada’ means ‘a large number of warships’. Facts about Tom McClean: Former SAS Trooper; pensioner;
he has a home near Loch Nevis in the Scottish
the aims of the exploration: under ‘Reasons for the
mountains; 73 years old
Voyage’ – reason gives purpose and therefore aim.
Opinions: He can get it all the way to New York. Getting the
where Zheng He went: under ‘Details of Zheng He’s
‘whale’ to New York will be his crowning
Voyages’ – the word ‘details’ might give us more
achievement.
information; the word ‘voyage’ indicates the
paragraph talks about the journeys Zheng He made. 7 Example notes for part b):
4 modern transport; ice-cutter/central heating/beds;
helicopter 4 rescue
Date of Where voyage went Details of voyage
voyage satellite; warn bad weather; exact locations
1405 Vietnam and Fought pirates on computer: internet/plan trip; mobile phones 4
Calicut in India return voyage communication
1414 Persian Gulf and Brought back a
Kingdom of Bengal giraffe as a gift to
the emperor
Not East Africa Loaded lions,
stated leopards, ostriches,
zebras and an oryx
onto his ships

5 The following items may be exciting for students:

being a member of such a large crew; sailing with 300
ships; battling pirates; coming home to China with a
giraffe in the hold of the ship (an animal that had
never been seen before in China).
Answers that indicate glory and might:
• The ships were enormous (gigantic).
• There were 300 ships in the fleet.
• There was a crew of 27 000 people.
• The ships were filled with many expensive items
such as silk, porcelain and lacquerware.

Exploration
Chapter 2

© HarperCollinsPublishers 2017 1
 2.2 Space exploration 10 Possible answers include:
5 Note: students should add more advantages and • It is undeniably true that space is an exciting place to
disadvantages using answers from their KWL research discover; however, I am absolutely convinced that the
bottom of the ocean is equally exciting and 90% is
and table (standing for KNOW – WANT to know – still left to be discovered and mapped.
have LEARNT).
• It is undeniably true that going to museums can be
boring; however, we don’t need to make it boring.
Advantages of Disadvantages of Irrelevant
We could make it fun by making it hands-on or
space space exploration interactive – by asking children to listen and look
exploration and touch and smell.
Mobile phones Very few women At night I gaze • It is undeniably true that Neil Armstrong was a
rely on satellite are involved in at the stars great astronaut and he was the first person to set
foot on the moon. However I am certain that the
technology. space exploration. and wonder.
first woman astronaut should be as famous as
Many new Most studies Armstrong because it must have been difficult for
inventions have estimate China’s her to enter a traditionally male profession.
resulted from space program • While it is undeniably true that there may be life on
space costs $2 billion per Mars, I would argue that this is not the major reason
exploration, year but NASA for exploring Mars or space. I would like to argue
such as memory gets $18 billion per that we know so little about what is out there that
foam and year. the major reason for space exploration is to see
what is there.
scratch resistant
sunglasses.
• While it is undeniably true that astronauts are
pivotal to the success of a flight, I would like to argue
that there is no reason they have to be male. It is
6 a) Exploring space helps us acquire knowledge to
proven that success as an astronaut has nothing to
identify and reduce possible dangers. do with strength – more the psychological ability
Knowledge or techniques developed during space to cope with long periods in confined spaces.
research can benefit the general population, e.g. in 11 c) No – there is no verb in the second part.
terms of medical advances.
d) Yes – there is a verb in both parts and both parts
b) The writer has a positive view of space exploration are related in idea.
and its benefits. The writer does not mention any
e) Yes – there is a verb in both parts and both parts
negative effects.
talk about the Chinese space capsule.
7 (from weakest to strongest) f) No, the two parts are not related. The first part
I don’t think we need to … talks about the Chinese space capsule while the
It is possible that … second part talks about China working with Russia
I would like to suggest that … in space exploration.
I would argue that …
I am certain that …
It is undeniably true that …
I am absolutely convinced that …
Exploration
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2 © HarperCollinsPublishers 2017
2.3 Oil exploration 6 The first opening:
3 White: The needs of people for oil – ‘We all know that • greets the audience formally
oil is necessary for industry and we all need petrol to • states what she has come to speak about
put into our car.’
• uses ‘we’ to connect with the audience
Red: The experiences of people with oil – ‘At the • uses facts and statistics
moment there are always electricity power cuts • uses rhetorical question (‘But how can we
because we don’t have enough oil to generate enough meet…?’).
electricity.’
The second opening:
Yellow: The advantages of oil exploration – ‘The
revenues from oil are great and the oil company has
• uses ‘we’ to connect with the audience
promised to build a school and a health centre for us if
• uses rhetorical questions
we agree to let them drill here.’ • uses an anecdote (story).
Blue: The disadvantages of oil exploration – ‘However
the environmental impact from oil drilling is also
great – with dangerous gas flares and real possibilities
for oil spills. The oil spills will kill the fish in the rivers
and we depend on the fish for our livelihood.’
Green: The way forward – ‘Let us agree to make sure
that the request from the oil company isn’t successful.’
Language booster
a) fumes – F the unpleasant and often unhealthy
smoke and gases produced by fires, chemicals, fuel or
cooking
b) gas flares – D a gas combustion device used at gas
wells and offshore oil and gas rigs
c) oil rig/well – A platform constructed for drilling
oil wells
d) offshore – G situated or happening in the sea, near
to the coast
e) demand for energy – B the amount of
oil/gas/electricity that people want
f) damage – E harm to a person or thing
g) renewable energy – C energy from energy sources
derived from the sun, wind, or other natural
processes, and that are always available
4 For/against organising structure

For oil exploration Against oil exploration

The demand for energy Oil drilling exposes people

keeps increasing caused to risks such as explosions
by a rising population. and oil leaks that destroy
Advances in technology the environment.
mean that it is easier to The United Nations thinks it
find and drill for oil. will take 25 years to clean
The Middle East has 48% up the damage to the
of the world’s oil. environment in the Niger
Delta.
In China demand for
energy is expected to Gas flares are illegal because
increase by 60% by 2035. they produce so many
poisonous fumes
Exploration
Chapter 2

It is better to invest in
renewable energy such as
solar energy or wind
energy.
Until recently unwanted gas
was burnt off at the oil well.
These are called ‘gas flares’.
Offshore sites are thought to
be much riskier than
onshore sites.

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 2.4 Underwater exploration
2 Advert 1 is from an underwater equipment shop and it
is advertising a sale on Friday.
Advert 2 is from a diving instruction centre and it is
advertising their diving courses.
3 Only sentence e) is a fact.
4 Sentences b), e) and f) are facts.
5 The second advert gives more facts but is still
dominated by opinions.
7 a) She has dived to the bottom of the ocean to study
the deep sea.
b) That 95% of the ocean has still not been explored.
c) On board a ship: the Atlantis.
d) It is an underwater volcano that lets off gases in the
deepest parts of the ocean.
8 Equipment used: underwater remotely-operated
vehicle/autonomous underwater vehicle
How it works: linked by a cable; screen; direct
What the arm does: samples
Advantages of vehicles: the pressure; extend the
boundaries; reduce
Where discoveries are made: inaccessible.
Discoveries recently made: anti-cancer drugs; as all
global reserves of coal, oil and natural gas combined
How discoveries are made: by accident
Exploration
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4 © HarperCollinsPublishers 2017