The World's Most Extraordinary Journeys
Discover remarkable railways, sea routes, and expeditions—and the challenges that shaped them.
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Questions with solutions-
1. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What kind of journey does this railway make possible?
The Trans-Siberian Railway links Moscow, in western Russia, with Vladivostok, on the Pacific coast.
- An eastward journey across much of Russia.
- A southward journey from Moscow to the Indian Ocean.
- A westward journey from Moscow to the Atlantic coast.
Think about the location of the Pacific Ocean.
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- An eastward journey across much of Russia.
Russia stretches across Europe and Asia, so this railway connects places on two continents.
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2. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Where are passengers during the underwater section?
Trains between Britain and France travel through the Channel Tunnel. The tunnel was dug into rock beneath the seabed.
- Inside a tube floating just below the water's surface.
- Below both the seawater and the seabed.
- Inside a tube resting directly on the seabed.
Pay attention to the difference between "on" and "beneath."
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- Below both the seawater and the seabed.
The crossing has two rail tunnels and a separate service tunnel, all beneath the seabed.
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3. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Which two oceans does this route connect?
In Panama, in Central America, ships can cross from the Caribbean Sea to the ocean on the western side of the Americas without sailing around South America.
- The Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
- The Pacific and Indian Oceans.
- The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Caribbean belongs to a larger ocean.
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- The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Caribbean Sea is part of the Atlantic. Canal locks raise ships to an inland lake and lower them again.
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4. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Why are these voyages more than sightseeing trips?
Norway's long-established coastal shipping routes have carried passengers, freight, and mail. They link communities along a coastline shaped by fjords and islands.
- They connect communities and carry everyday supplies.
- They serve tourists but have no role in transporting goods.
- They connect inland cities while avoiding coastal communities.
Notice what the vessels carry besides travelers.
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- They connect communities and carry everyday supplies.
Deep fjords can make land journeys indirect, so coastal shipping has played an important role in local life.
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5. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What does the loop help the train do?
On the Bernina Railway between Switzerland and Italy, trains follow a circular viaduct at Brusio. The track gains height around the loop rather than rising sharply along a short, straight line.
- Reverse direction and return toward the starting station.
- Climb gradually within a limited area.
- Cross the area without changing height.
Compare a short, steep climb with a longer, gentler one.
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- Climb gradually within a limited area.
Making the track longer reduces its slope, helping trains climb without an excessively steep section.
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6. Vælg det rigtige svar.
How could silk reach distant markets?
The Silk Roads formed a network linking regions of Asia and Europe. Goods often passed between several traders, rather than traveling the entire distance with one merchant.
- Only through one merchant completing the whole journey.
- Along one continuous road controlled by a single empire.
- Through a chain of exchanges between traders.
The goods could travel farther than any individual trader.
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- Through a chain of exchanges between traders.
Cities along these routes became meeting places where ideas and technologies traveled alongside valuable goods.
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7. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Which route would meet the caravan's essential need?
Trans-Saharan caravans carried goods such as salt and gold across the desert. Because the crossing was too long for them to carry all the water they needed, people and pack animals depended on reliable places to replenish their supplies.
- A longer route linking dependable wells and oases.
- A shorter route with no water sources anywhere along it.
- A cooler route with shade but no drinking water.
Saving distance or avoiding heat cannot replace a vital supply.
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- A longer route linking dependable wells and oases.
Oases were more than water stops: some also developed into important centers of trade.
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8. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Why is cooling the ground important for this railway?
The Qinghai–Tibet Railway crosses areas where the ground remains frozen beneath the surface. Some sections use cooling systems to help keep that ground frozen when the air becomes warmer.
- Frozen ground would stop the train's wheels from turning.
- Thawing ground could shift and make the track unstable.
- The ground must melt before it can support the track.
Think about what supports the track from below.
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- Thawing ground could shift and make the track unstable.
This frozen ground is called permafrost. When ice within it melts, the soil can settle unevenly.
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9. Vælg det rigtige svar.
How could ocean swells help guide a voyage?
Polynesian navigators crossed vast areas of the Pacific without modern navigation equipment. They used knowledge of stars, ocean swells, and other natural signs to guide their canoes.
- They revealed the exact distance already traveled.
- They showed the exact depth directly beneath the canoe.
- Their direction helped navigators maintain a course.
Think about direction rather than an exact measurement.
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- Their direction helped navigators maintain a course.
Experienced navigators combined several natural signs; they did not depend on a single clue throughout a voyage.
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10. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What was the purpose of the small-boat journey?
After the Endurance was crushed by Antarctic ice, its crew eventually reached Elephant Island. Ernest Shackleton and five companions then sailed a small boat to South Georgia to seek help, leaving the others behind.
- To obtain help and arrange a rescue for the waiting crew.
- To complete the expedition's original crossing of Antarctica.
- To recover the Endurance and sail it back to Elephant Island.
Separate the expedition's original ambition from its urgent need.
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- To obtain help and arrange a rescue for the waiting crew.
Although the expedition lost its ship, every member of the Endurance crew was eventually rescued.
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11. Vælg det rigtige svar.
How is this achievement best described?
An expedition left Spain under Ferdinand Magellan and sailed west. After Magellan died in the Philippines, Juan Sebastián Elcano led the surviving ship onward across the Indian Ocean and back to Spain.
- Magellan personally returned to Spain after circling the globe.
- An expedition completed a global journey under more than one leader.
- Elcano led the expedition from its original departure to its return.
Distinguish the expedition's achievement from one person's journey.
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- An expedition completed a global journey under more than one leader.
This expedition completed the first recorded sea voyage around the Earth—a journey called a circumnavigation.
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12. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What is the main trade-off of this route?
The Northwest Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific through Arctic waters north of mainland Canada. It can shorten some voyages, but sea ice, narrow channels, and severe weather have made navigation difficult.
- A longer voyage in exchange for consistently ice-free water.
- Easier navigation in exchange for a route that never reaches the Pacific.
- A potentially shorter voyage in exchange for challenging sailing conditions.
A shorter line on a map does not guarantee an easier journey.
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- A potentially shorter voyage in exchange for challenging sailing conditions.
Sea ice can block narrow channels even when nearby stretches of ocean are navigable.