2.2
EXPLORERS
18
READING
1
What do you know about the people in the
pictures? Who are they? What did they do?
2
a
Work in groups of three. Read about one explorer
each and complete the chart for that explorer.
2
b
In your groups, summarise the key facts so that
others in your group can complete the chart.
Ibn Battuta
Ibn Mãjid Tereshkova
Nationality
When born
Job/work
Travelled to
Length of
journey
Greatest
achievement
What they
were called
When died
2
c
According to the texts, which explorer:
1
listened to stories about travel from his father?
2
studied his religion?
3
had a name related to a seabird?
4
went on a holy journey?
5
could speak many languages?
6
had a relationship with someone who did the same job?
7
told his stories about his journeys in a book?
8
helped another famous sailor?
2
d
Evaluating and justifying
Which of these explorers
do you think achieved the most? Think of three
reasons to justify your opinion.
VOCABULARY
PHRASAL VERBS (1)
3
a
Look at these eight phrasal verbs. Which six verbs
are in the texts? Find and underline them.
break down get back stop off check in lift off
set out carry on look around
Ibn Battuta
early traveller
I
bn Battuta was born in Tangier, Morocco in 1304. He
was an Islamic scholar and was an explorer known
for his extensive travels.
He set out, aged 21, on a hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah.
He travelled more than 75,000 miles and over a period of
30 years he travelled through most of the Islamic world.
He visited all the Arab lands and stopped off in Spain,
Russia and Turkey. He carried on to India before he got to
China.
When he got back to his native city, he dictated an
account of his journeys to Ibn Juzayy and called it the
rihla
, or
The Journey
.
He was called ‘the traveller of the age’ and is now
considered one of the greatest travellers of all time.
He died in 1369. The Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, UAE,
was inspired by his travels and a film about him called
Journey to Makkah
came out in 2009.
navigator and cartographer
A
hmad ibn Mãjid was born in Julphar (Oman) in the
early 1430s and became famous during the last
half of the fifteenth century. The portuguese
described him as the 'Master of Astrological Navigation'.
Ahmad ibn Mãjid
His father was a famous navigator and so ibn Mãjid grew
up listening to stories about the lands beyond the Red
Sea and the Indian Ocean. He was finally able to look
around new countries for himself on his first voyage when
he was seventeen.
Ibn Mãjid was famous for writing many books about
marine science, oceanography and navigational maps, as
well as creating many new inventions. This work included
details and technical instructions that enabled ships to
sail from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa and India for
hundreds of years.
His most famous work was the Book of Lessons on the
Foundation of the Sea and Navigation.
However, ibn Mãjid gained his reputation in the west as
he was believed to be the navigator who helped Vasco da
Gama to create the first trade route between Europe and
India by sea. It is believed that he died some time around
1500.
