Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Extreme Expeditions & World Records 7

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four extreme sportswomen reflecting on the specific prejudices they had to overcome from sponsors and media who doubted their physical capacity to complete a polar crossing.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   mentions that journalists paid disproportionate attention to her body type?

2   experienced a sudden withdrawal of financial support due to safety concerns?

3   chose to conceal her preparation methods to dodge patronising feedback?

4   was driven by the desire to serve as a role model for young women?

5   was irritated that interviewers focused more on her mental resilience than her physical stamina?

6   rejected financial backing because of the demeaning way she would be portrayed?

7   derived great satisfaction from outperforming the expectations of her critics?

8   had to complete extra medical assessments that were not demanded of men?

9   was the subject of a published piece anticipating her rapid failure?

10   felt that securing the necessary capital was more draining than the trek itself?

Shattering the Ice: Women Who Conquered the Poles

A Freya

When I first announced my intention to trek solo to the South Pole, the pushback was incredibly frustrating. Rather than scrutinising my extensive mountaineering CV, the press seemed entirely fixated on my petite frame. One prominent magazine even ran a feature questioning how someone of my build could drag a sled weighing ninety kilos, totally overlooking the fact that technique often trumps brute force. It was genuinely insulting to be judged on my appearance. Worse still, a major outdoor clothing brand that had initially promised to fund my expedition got cold feet just weeks before my departure. Their PR director explicitly stated they couldn’t risk the negative publicity if I succumbed to the harsh conditions. Ultimately, losing that backing was a blessing in disguise. It spurred me on to find investors who genuinely believed in my capacity to endure the brutal environment, rather than viewing me as a liability.

B Sunita

I’ve always taken it for granted that extreme sports are heavily male-dominated, but the sheer volume of condescension I faced prior to my Arctic crossing was staggering. Whenever I posted updates online, I’d be flooded with unsolicited advice from men who had never even set foot on a glacier. Consequently, I made a conscious decision to keep my brutal training regime entirely under wraps. By staying off the radar, I avoided the patronising comments and could channel all my energy into dragging tyres across sandy beaches to simulate sled-hauling. Some sponsors urged me to play up the ‘vulnerable woman’ angle for sympathy, but I stood my ground. My primary objective wasn’t just to reach the pole; I wanted to shatter the glass ceiling. It was absolutely crucial for me to demonstrate to the next generation of girls that they are perfectly capable of surviving, and thriving, in the most unforgiving climates on Earth.

C Ingrid

What drove me absolutely up the wall during the promotional phase of my Antarctic journey was the line of questioning from reporters. While my male counterparts were asked about their gear and nutritional strategies, I was bombarded with questions about my emotional stability. Interviewers constantly asked if I would burst into tears from loneliness or miss my family too much. Furthermore, one corporate sponsor offered a massive sum, but their marketing campaign was designed to frame me as a fragile damsel attempting the impossible. I turned their cheque down flat; I’d rather struggle for funding than compromise my integrity. Thankfully, the constant doubting merely added fuel to the fire. When I finally crossed the ice cap and unexpectedly smashed the previous speed record by three days, the silence from my critics was deafening. Looking back, proving those narrow-minded cynics wrong brought me almost as much joy as the crossing itself.

D Chloe

Securing the financial backing for a polar expedition is notoriously tough, but as a woman, I found there were hidden hurdles at every turn. Before an insurance firm would even consider underwriting my trip, I was forced to undergo a battery of rigorous cardiovascular and psychological assessments. It was incredibly infuriating to discover that male explorers with far less experience were exempted from these specific requirements. The media wasn’t much better. A sports journalist actually published a highly cynical column stating I would inevitably be calling for an emergency airlift within the first week. Dealing with that level of public doubt was incredibly draining. In all honesty, by the time I finally stepped onto the ice, I felt like I had already completed the hardest part of the journey. Pitching my project to sceptical boardrooms and fighting for every penny was undoubtedly far more exhausting than battling the sub-zero blizzards of the Arctic.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four adventurers describing the devastating emotional blow of having to abandon an expedition halfway through due to a completely unforeseeable medical emergency.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   mentions a feeling of complete helplessness while waiting for assistance to arrive?

2   confesses to experiencing a sense of guilt regarding their own selfish thoughts?

3   highlights the heavy economic toll the aborted journey took?

4   describes how a seemingly insignificant incident quickly turned into a fight for survival?

5   was forced to stop because the physical landscape suddenly gave way?

6   points out that the medical problem was entirely unrelated to the extreme environment they were in?

7   laments the immense amount of prior physical training that ultimately yielded no result?

8   came to a stark realisation about humanity’s vulnerability in the wild?

9   had difficulty accepting that the strict time window to complete the goal had vanished?

10   mentions that the mental adjustment of failing was harder to deal with than the physical retreat?

Shattered Summits: When the Expedition Ends Early

A Mark

We had spent the better part of two years undergoing grueling physical conditioning for our K2 ascent. When my climbing partner, Julian, suddenly collapsed at Camp 3, it wasn’t due to a misstep; he had developed a rapid, unprecedented case of High Altitude Cerebral Edema. Calling for the emergency helicopter was a no-brainer, yet the descent was emotionally agonizing. I must confess, in the heat of the moment, a dark, fleeting wave of resentment washed over me—a selfish thought that his illness had ruined our one shot at the summit. I felt terribly ashamed of it almost instantly. Naturally, saving a life is paramount, but the psychological pivot from peak adrenaline to absolute defeat was far more punishing than the physical climb itself. Watching the rescue chopper disappear into the clouds, I struggled to come to terms with the fact that our monumental sacrifices and rigorous preparations had seemingly evaporated into thin air.

B Sarah

Trekking through the dense heart of the Amazon rainforest had always been my ultimate ambition. The canopy was alive with vibrant wildlife, and my team was riding a wave of pure euphoria. That is, until our local guide, Rio, brushed against a seemingly harmless caterpillar. Within minutes, his throat began to swell, and he went into severe anaphylactic shock. It was utterly terrifying how a minuscule insect could instantly transform our thrilling adventure into a frantic scramble to keep a man breathing. Had we not carried a comprehensive medical kit, the outcome would have been tragic. We administered an EpiPen and immediately aborted the expedition, hiking through the night to a river settlement. Packing our bags just a week into a month-long trip was a bitter pill to swallow. However, it served as a brutal reminder of our immense fragility. The untamed wilderness bows to no one, and we are merely vulnerable guests at its mercy.

C David

Attempting to cross the Greenland ice sheet requires meticulous timing, as you only have a very narrow seasonal window before the weather turns catastrophic. We were making excellent progress until a hidden snow bridge collapsed beneath my sled partner, fracturing his leg in two places. It wasn’t a navigation error; the terrain had simply betrayed us. Having triggered our emergency beacon, we had no choice but to pitch our tent and hunker down. Enduring that 48-hour wait for the rescue plane to battle through the blizzards was excruciating. I felt utterly paralyzed, knowing I couldn’t alleviate his agony. Sitting in that freezing tent, the bitter reality dawned on me: our expedition was effectively dead. By the time the storm cleared and he was safely airlifted, the season had shifted entirely. Our carefully planned timeline had shattered just as irrevocably as his bone, and the grief of that lost opportunity still haunts me.

D Elena

Traversing the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Desert is a notoriously unforgiving endeavor. My teammate, Hassan, and I were entirely self-funded, having taken out substantial loans to purchase the custom rovers and permits required. Just ten days into the crossing, Hassan began experiencing excruciating abdominal pain. It wasn’t heatstroke or dehydration; it was an acute case of appendicitis, a biological ticking time bomb that was entirely unrelated to the harsh environment we were in. We were forced to abandon our vehicles in the dunes and be airlifted to Muscat for emergency surgery. While I was profoundly relieved that he survived, the economic aftermath was devastating. We were left drowning in debt with absolutely nothing to show for it. Yet, standing in the hospital ward, I realised that grieving over dashed dreams was pointless. The crisis brutally stripped away my ambition, leaving me deeply grateful for the simple fact that my friend was still alive.

Exercises:   123456