第2章 Lesson 2: Seven or Eight Summits?

Everyone knows that the world's tallest mountain is Mount Everest. Mountain climbers all over the world dream of climbing this great mountain. Ever since Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary first reached its summit in 1953, over 2,250 people have done so themselves. Where do these people go for their next challenge?

Many climbers think about conquering "The Seven Summits"—that is, to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Take a look at the chart below:

Mountain Height (metres) Location

Everest 8,848 Nepal and Tibet of China, Asia

Aconcagua 6,962 Argentina, South America

McKinley 6,195 Alaska, North America

Kilimanjaro 5,963 Tanzania, Africa

Elbrus 5,633 Russia, Europe

Vinson Massif 4,897 Ellsworth, Antarctica

Kosciusko 2,228 Australia

Carstensz Pyramid 4,884 Irian Jaya, Indonesia

You're right! There are eight mountain peaks listed here. Some people think that Australia is not a continent by itself, but should include the Indonesian archipelago (group of islands) to its north. We call this area of water and land Australasia. So, if we consider Australasia instead of Australia a continent, then Carstensz Pyramid is the seventh summit.

There is another reason why some people think that Mount Kosciusko should not be on the list: it is too easy to climb! In fact, you can even ride a bicycle all the way to the top!

Up to now, about 100 people have climbed to the top of all eight summits. Pat Morrow, a Canadian mountaineer, author, explorer, and filmmaker, was the first person to do it. A British man, Andrew Salter, completed it in 297 days—the shortest time recorded so far.

I. Word list

summit: the highest point of a mountain

conquering: doing something successfully

II. Vocabulary skills—Find the correct words in the reading.

1. a group of islands: a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. land and water to Australia's north: A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. the world's tallest mountain: E _ _ _ _ _ _

4. the easiest summit to climb: K _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5. the first to climb all eight summits: P _ _ M _ _ _ _ _

III. What do you think? Give your opinions about these questions.

1. Some people like to climb mountains, but others like to take pictures of them. Do you think mountains are there to be conquered, or to be admired? Explain.

___________________________________________________________.

2. Why do you think so many people have climbed to the top of Mount Everest?

___________________________________________________________.

3. Do you think the list should have seven or eight summits? Explain.

___________________________________________________________.

4. Which would you rather do-climb the eight summits, or take pictures of them? Explain.

___________________________________________________________.

5. What are some mountains in your country that many people like to climb?

___________________________________________________________.

IV. Write T (true) or F (false) for each sentence.

___ 1. Kilimanjaro is higher than McKinley.

___ 2. Carstensz Pyramid is in Indonesia.

___ 3. People can ride a bicycle to the top of Everest.

___ 4. Vinson Massif is in Russia.

___ 5. Pat Morrow and Andrew Salter climbed the eight summits together.