Bài thi thử kỳ thi tốt nghiệp Trung học Phổ thông môn Tiếng Anh - Năm học 2018-2019 - Mã đề 383

SỞ GIÁO DỤC ĐÀO TẠO BÀI THI THỬ KỲ THI TỐT NGHIỆP TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THễNG 
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC 2018- 2019
 (Đề gồm cú 04 trang) MễN TIẾNG ANH ~ MÃ ĐỀ 383
 Thời gian: 60 phỳt - khụng tớnh thời gian giao đề
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
 Question 1:A. hasten	B. fasten	C. chasten	D. paste
 Question 2:A. listen	B. fasten	C. castle	D. pistol
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 3: Our new neighbour is cold fish.
A. displeased	B. friendly	C. unsympathetic	D. hard to please
Question 4: My flatmate always puts off the washing up until there aren’t any clean plates left.
A. speeds up	B. quickens	C. rushes to do	D. hurls
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 5: ~ A: "If I were you I'd take her advice." ~ B: "........"
A. You're welcome.	B. when did it come on?
C. I hope you feel better.	D. I think I will.
Question 6: Scientists......find a cure for cancer some day.
A. should	B. are bound to	C. are supposed to	D. can
Question 7: She felt......after taking a hot shower.
A. refreshed	B. mesmerised 	C. restless	D. absorbed
Question 8: The side......of the medication include nausea and drowsiness.
A. attacks	B. disorders	C. pressures	D. effects
Question 9: I used to......at people who meditate, but now I am one of them.
A. grin	B. beam	C. sneer	D. snigger
Question 10: In order to avoid injury it's best to......before exercising.
A. speed up	B. push up	C. pick up	D. warm up
Question 11: He doesn't like people.......him.
A. laughing	B. tickling	C. chuckling	D. giggling
Question 12: ~ Nam: "What's the matter?" ~ Ba: "........."
A. I feel nauseous.	B. You may be right.	C. Get well soon.	D. That sounds awful.
Question 13: That....Joe at the spa; he was working yesterday.
A. shouldn't have been	B. can't be	C. couldn't have been	D. mustn't be
Question 14: After eating, I often have a.....stomach.
A. running	B. bloated	C. splitting	D. itchy
Question 15: .......exercise such as swimming can help you keep in shape.
A. Limited	B. Moderate	C. Average	D. Fair
Question 16: .......I borrow your book on homeopathy?
A. Why don't	B. Could	C. Should	D. Shall
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
THE BIG THAW
 The Chacaltaya ski area in Bolivia used to be the highest in the world. Although it was less than a kilometre long, it hosted international ski competitions. Today the snow has almost gone, and so have Chacaltaya’s days as a popular ski resort.
 The ski area sits upon a small mountain glacier, which was already getting smaller when the ski area opened in 1939. In the past ten years, however, the glacier has been melting at an increased rate. As the glacier melts, dark rocks beneath it are uncovered. The sun then heats the rocks, causing faster melting. Despite attempts to make snow with snow machines, this cycle seems unstoppable in the long run.
 As experts debate how to solve the global warming problem, ice in mountains such as Chacaltaya and near the North and South Poles is melting faster than even the most pessimistic environmentalists may have once feared. Rising air and sea temperatures are two well-known causes, but researchers have recently discovered other unexpected processes that take place as glaciers melt. The effects are having an impact on humans even now, and they could change the face of the world in the future.
 Serious Consequences
 The glaciers of the Himalayas and the Andes could disappear in this century. As a result, the millions of people in India, Bolivia, and Peru who now depend on melting water from mountain glaciers could find themselves in a critical situation. The ice sheet of Greenland is also melting more quickly than scientists predicted. Greenland’s largest outlet glacier, the Jacobshavn Isbrổ glacier, is moving towards the sea twice as fast as it was in 1995. One cause could be meltwater that runs down to the bottom of the glacier and gets between the ice and the rock below. This water makes it easier for the glacier to slide along to the ocean.
 Many ice researchers believe that Greenland’s melting, if it continues, will add at least three feet to global sea levels by the year 2100. If the ice sheet of Antarctica, now largely unaffected, begins to melt, the next few centuries could see a six-foot rise in sea levels, forcing tens of millions of people out of their homes.
 How can we avoid these dire consequences of global warming? "We have to have a serious and immediate shift in attitude," says Laurie David, producer of the prize-winning movie An Inconvenient Truth, which helped to raise awareness of the problem. Many believe that an attitude of hope and a desire to stay informed make a good beginning. An informed public is in a better position to help address this critical issue.
Question 17: What is happening to the ice sheet of Antarctica?
A. It is melting dangerously quickly.	B. It is causing a rise in global sea levels.
C. Its outlet glaciers are all speeding up.	D. Its condition isn’t changing very much.
Question 18: What was the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A. to illustrate how glaciers are formed and disappear
B. to explain the causes of global warming
C. to suggest how to slow the melting of glaciers
D. to explain the problem of melting glaciers
Question 19: Which of the following statements would Laurie David most likely agree with?
A. Global warming is a problem that will probably fix itself over time.
B. To prevent global warming, people need to change the way they think.
C. Global warming is a problem, but not a very serious one.
D. There is nothing the average person can do to affect global warming.
Question 20: What do many researchers believe will happen by the year 2100?
A. Tens of millions of people will be forced out of their homes.
B. Global sea levels will rise at least three feet.
C. The ice sheet of Antarctica will begin to melt.
D. The melting of Antarctic ice will add 20 feet to sea levels.
Question 21: What causes the Jacobshavn Isbrổ glacier’s moving towards the sea faster?
A. meltwater running down to the bottom of the glacier	B. the glacier’s sliding along to the ocean
C. A and C are correct.	D. its melting more quickly than scientists predicted
Question 22: In line 7, the phrase in the long run is closest in meaning to......
A. over a long period of time.	B. in the near future
C. depending on the length of time.	D. for a long time without stopping.
Question 23: The verb stay in "stay informed" is synonymous with......
A. remain	B. live on	 C. keep	 D. continue
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
 Question 24:A. properous 	B. luxurious	C. continuous	D. cautious
 Question 25:A. document	B. emphasis	C. property	D. excitement
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best completes each of the following exchanges.
Question 26: ~ A: "I wouldn't recommend going out in the cold." ~ B: "............."
A. Yes, it’s freezing cold outside.	B. I’d rather not to.
C. Perhaps you're right.	D. Thank you very much.
Question 27: ~ A: "............." ~ B: "I regret it."
A. You didn’t clean the house, Tom.	B. You shouldn’t borrow any money from her.
C. You didn’t send me roses as promised.	D. It was wrong of you to shout at him
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 28: Do I look absurd in this hat?
A. silly	B. funny	C. abnormal	D. uncommon
Question 29: My parents are very down to earth.
A. sensible and practical	B. strict	C. easy-going	D. formal
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
 Does the thought of having your driving licence taken away from you not bear (1)....about? Now that there are more sophisticated detection techniques being employed by the police to catch speeding motorists, the chances of you losing your licence have (2)....increased. From time to time, all of us creep over the speed limit. If caught, we (4)....the risk of a heavy fine, penalty points or, worst of all, losing our licence altogether. In this way, the authorities are able to take away your means of transport, freedom and money. Prosecuting speeding motorists is an unbeatable way of generating cash for the government, as the motorist is an easy target and a good source of income. He’s easier to catch than a thief, is less troublesome when caught and can probably (4)....with the money to pay a substantial fine. Fight back now. Send for your (5)....copy of How to survive as a driver and shorten the possibilities of getting caught in a speed trap. We’ll show you how.
 Question 30:A. considering	 B. regarding	C. thinking	D. imagining
 Question 31:A. mightily	B. gravely	C. heavily	D. significantly
 Question 32:A. pilot	B. provisional	C. trial	D. experimental
 Question 33:A. come through B. keep up	C. carry out	D. come up
 Question 34:A. face	B. make	C. take	D. deal
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Sir Ernest Shackleton
 I remember my first sight of him was when he arrived at our Norwegian whaling station on South Georgia, a remote island near Cape Horn. A ragged, stinking figure with just enough energy left to reach out a grimy hand and introduce himself. ‘My name’s Shackleton,’ he announced.
 The story he then related to me was nothing less than incredible. He had set out from Buenos Aires in October 1914, in a little ship called Endurance. On board were twenty-eight explorers, scientists and seamen. Their aim had been to cross the Antarctic, coast to coast via the South Pole. Apparently, the expedition had been trapped on pack ice for the whole winter; the ship having been crushed, eventually sank. Amazingly, the men had camped on the floating ice and rowed through blizzards and gales in open lifeboats before eventually reaching the uninhabited, desolate Elephant Island.
 ‘I left twenty-two men under two upturned boats and set out to get help. We voyaged eight hundred miles in winter, in a leaky boat twenty-two feet long,’ he continued. ‘It was the world’s stormiest ocean. It’s a miracle we’re here.’
 That, I felt, was an understatement. He continued his saga and I learned that when he had landed on our island, it had turned out to be the wrong side. I knew the conditions: surrounded by huge, unmapped mountains. There he had
left three men, close to death, in a cave. At that point, I could feel his desperation. With no sleeping bags or tents and boat screws as spikes on their boots, he and the other two men had battled to reach us.
 The last time I saw him had been with small boats borrowed from the Norwegians, Chileans and Falkland Islanders.
 When asked his destination, he replied that he was going to rescue his men. He succeeded on his fourth attempt after battling his way through pack ice. ‘Not a life lost and we have been through Hell,’ he later wrote.
 On my return to England, the memory of the stockily-built man never left me. I tracked down Frank Wild, who had
sailed with him as his second-in-command. ‘He was the greatest leader on God’s earth,’ he told me. I was totally intrigued by the courage he had inspired in his men. I learned that it had been the way he talked. This had changed his team’s mood. It had given them determination and the will to carry on. Together they had explored the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent on the planet. He had started with dark brown hair and returned home grey. He had suffered more than anyone.
 My research carried me back to his early days, which had been spent in Ireland. His romantic streak had followed him and even as he marched across the pack ice, he was reciting Browning. Wondering where his more than adventurous spirit had come from, I learned that his father had been a doctor who had taken his family to live in suburban England. Hardly the tough background one would have expected. Yet Shackleton had become a master mariner, enjoying success early by joining Captain Scott’s first expedition to the Antarctic. Eventually, I discovered what had fired him. It was his inner recklessness. It was this that had spurred him on in 1907, when he had fought his way to within just ninety-seven miles of the Pole after having established his own expedition.
 Further conversations with Wild gave me more. I learnt that Shackleton was a natural leader, always leading from the front, working harder than anyone else, taking his turn at fetching and carrying food for his men. When the Endurance went down, he had stood on its deck and had been the last to leave. That, I felt, was typical of the man. After abandoning the ship, he gathered the men around him telling them they would all finally reach safety if they worked their utmost and trusted him. That first night on the ice, Shackleton patrolled. When it suddenly cracked, splitting the camp in two, he blew a whistle and everyone quickly moved to the same side. Every day, for five months, the explorers woke up in pools of icy water melted by their body heat. They had little more than penguin, seal and eventually their own dogs to live on. Yet Shackleton visited every tent to tell stories or play cards. Even when there was a blizzard blowing or when he had difficulty in getting out of his sleeping bag, he never missed a visit, the reason being that he had a natural feel and instinct for people. He needed to know the ones who were homesick, the ones suffering severely or those likely to cause trouble.
 I wondered how difficult it must have been for him to find the energy to keep going until the end of each day when
the last man had fallen asleep. More than anything, I realised that he was a master of small things that had a huge impact. After abandoning the Endurance, he told the men to cut personal possessions down to two pounds in weight.
He himself started by throwing down his gold sovereigns, a prized cigarette case and the Bible that the queen had given him, but not before he had torn out three pages. His men followed suit, but when one threw down a banjo, Shackleton handed it back. ‘We’re going to need this,’ he said.
 It was acts like that which made him so genuinely loved and respected. He found long-lasting fame as a great leader who kept his men together when all hope seemed lost, simply because he never gave in.
Question 35: According to the writer, Shackleton.....
A. could prevent problems arising	B. took notice of every little detail.
C. had money to throw away.	D. was very energetic.
Question 36: Shackleton’s story is described as an ‘understatement’ (line 11) because......
A. it wasn’t really a miracle.	B. the writer didn’t know how stormy the ocean was.
C. Shackleton could have died.	D. the writer wasn’t amazed that Shackleton was alive.
Question 37: The writer thinks that Shackleton showed his true character.....
A. in joining Scott’s expedition.	B. because he fetched and carried food.
C. when the ship sank.	D. by gathering his men around him.
Question 38: What does the word this in line 31 refer to?
A. suburban England	B. Scott’s first expedition
C. the master mariner	D. Scott’s inner recklessness
Question 39: Why did the writer want to find out more about Shackleton?
A. He was obsessed by him.	B. He wanted to see how much he had suffered.
C. He wanted to know what had happened to him.	D. He wanted to learn more about his courage and determination.
Question 40: At the beginning, the writer thought Shackleton’s story was......
A. sincere.	B. unbelievable.	C. very convincing.	D. a lie.
Question 41: Why had Shackleton ‘suffered more than anyone’ (line 22)?
A. He had to support his men continuously.
B. It had been difficult to change the mood of the team.
C. Because his hair had changed colour.
D. He hadn’t wanted to carry on with the expedition.
Question 42: The word desperation is closest in meaning to.....
A. desolation	B. desire	C. despair	D. hopefulness
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 43: It was so hot on the bus Marcia thought she was going to faint.
A. The bus was so hot that Marcia felt fainted.
B. Marcia was on the point of fainting because it was so hot on the bus.
C. Marcia nearly fainted because of the heating of the bus.
D. As soon as the bus got hot that Marcia fainted.
Question 44: The insurance salesman completely deceived her.
A. She was given a full conception by the insurance salesman.
B. She was completely taken in by.the insurance salesman.
C. The insurance salesman had full conception of her.
D. She got concepted by the insurance salesman.
Question 45: The first time James drove a car was only last week.
A. The only time that James drove a car was last week.
B. Last week was the only time that James drove a car.
C. James had never driven a car beofre last week
D. The last time when James drove a car was a week ago.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 46: Susan denied not having broken that vase because she wasn't there at that time.
A. that time	B. not having broken	C. because	D. wasn't
Question 47: If you have difficulty for finding my house, try to ask someone for help.
A. have	B. for	C. to ask	D. finding
Question 48: Drivers or passengers are required to wear seat belts while in a moving vehicle.
A. or	B. to wear	C. moving	D. are required
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 49: John impressed the interviewer so much. He was offered the job immediately.
A. The interviewer impressed John so much that he offered him the job immediately.
B. John was so impressed by the interviewer that he offered the job immediately.
C. Impressed by the interviewer, John was offered the job immediately.
D. The interviewer was so impressed by John that he was offered the job immediately.
Question 50: You haven’t got any qualifications. You should find work, though.
A. You should find work even though you haven’t got any qualifications
B. You shouldn’t find work until you have got enough qualifications.	 
C. Because of not having got any qualifications, you should find work.
D. Unless you have got any qualifications, you shouldn’t find work.
The End
SỞ GIÁO DỤC ĐÀO TẠO BÀI THI THỬ KỲ THI TỐT NGHIỆP TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THễNG 
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC 2018- 2019
 (Đề gồm cú 04 trang) MễN TIẾNG ANH ~ MÃ ĐỀ 876
 Thời gian: 60 phỳt - khụng tớnh thời gian giao đề
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
THE BIG THAW
 The Chacaltaya ski area in Bolivia used to be the highest in the world. Although it was less than a kilometre long, it hosted international ski competitions. Today the snow has almost gone, and so have Chacaltaya’s days as a popular ski resort.
 The ski area sits upon a small mountain glacier, which was already getting smaller when the ski area opened in 1939. In the past ten years, however, the glacier has been melting at an increased rate. As the glacier melts, dark rocks beneath it are uncovered. The sun then heats the rocks, causing faster melting. Despite attempts to make snow with snow machines, this cycle seems unstoppable in the long run.
 As experts debate how to solve the global warming problem, ice in mountains such as Chacaltaya and near the North and South Poles is melting faster than even the most pessimistic environmentalists may have once feared. Rising air and sea temperatures are two well-known causes, but researchers have recently discovered other unexpected processes that take place as glaciers melt. The effects are having an impact on humans even now, and they could change the face of the world in the future.
 Serious Consequences
 The glaciers of the Himalayas and the Andes could disappear in this century. As a result, the millions of people in India, Bolivia, and Peru who now depend on melting water from mountain glaciers could find themselves in a critical situation. The ice sheet of Greenland is also melting more quickly than scientists predicted. Greenland’s largest outlet glacier, the Jacobshavn Isbrổ glacier, is moving towards the sea twice as fast as it was in 1995. One cause could be meltwater that runs down to the bottom of the glacier and gets between the ice and the rock below. This water makes it easier for the glacier to slide along to the ocean.
 Many ice researchers believe that Greenland’s melting, if it continues, will add at least three feet to global sea levels by the year 2100. If the ice sheet of Antarctica, now largely unaffected, begins to melt, the next few centuries could see a six-foot rise in sea levels, forcing tens of millions of people out of their homes.
 How can we avoid these dire consequences of global warming? "We have to have a serious and immediate shift in attitude," says Laurie David, producer of the prize-winning movie An Inconvenient Truth, which helped to raise awareness of the problem. Many believe that an attitude of hope and a desire to stay informed make a good beginning. An informed public is in a better position to help address this critical issue.
Question 1: Which of the following statements would Laurie David most likely agree with?
A. Global warming is a problem, but not a very serious one.
B. Global warming is a problem that will probably fix itself over time.
C. There is nothing the average person can do to affect global warming.
D. To prevent global warming, people need to change the way they think.
Question 2: What do many researchers believe will happen by the year 2100?
A. Global sea levels will rise at least three feet.
B. Tens of millions of people will be forced out of their homes.
C. The ice sheet of Antarctica will begin to melt.
D. The melting of Antarctic ice will add 20 feet to sea levels.
Question 3: The verb stay in "stay informed" is synonymous with......
 A. continue	B. keep	 C. remain	D. live on
Question 4: What is happening to the ice sheet of Antarctica?
A. It is melting dangerously quickly.	B. It is causing a rise in global sea levels.
C. Its outlet glaciers are all speeding up.	D. Its condition isn’t changing very much.
Question 5: In line 7, the phrase in the long run is closest in meaning to......
A. over a long period of time.	B. depending on the length of time.
C. in the near future	D. for a long time without stopping.
Question 6: What causes the Jacobshavn Isbrổ glacier’s moving towards the sea faster?
A. the glacier’s sliding along to the ocean	B. its melting more quickly than scientists predicted
C. A and C are correct.	D. meltwater running down to the bottom of the glacier
Question 7: What was the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A. to explain the causes of global warming
B. to suggest how to slow the melting of glaciers
C. to explain the problem of melting glaciers
D. to illustrate how glaciers are formed and disappear
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 8: ~ A: "If I were you I'd take her advice." ~ B: "........"
A. You're welcome.	B. I hope you feel better.
C. I think I will.	D. when did it come on?
Question 9: In order to avoid injury it's best to......before exercising.
A. pick up	B. warm up	C. push up	D. speed up
Question 10: He doesn't like people.......him.
A. giggling	B. chuckling	C. laughing	D. tickling
Question 11: .......exercise such as swimming can help you keep in shape.
A. Limited	B. Moderate	C. Average	D. Fair
Question 12: The side......of the medication include nausea and drowsiness.
A. effects	B. disorders	C. pressures	D. attacks
Question 13: ~ Nam: "What's the matter?" ~ Ba: "........."
A. You may be right.	B. Get well soon.	C. I feel nauseous.	D. That sounds awful,
Question 14: She felt......after taking a hot shower.
A. refreshed	B. restless	C. mesmerised 	D. absorbed
Question 15: I used to......at people who meditate, but now I am one of them.
A. beam	B. snigger	C. sneer	D. grin
Question 16: That....Joe at the spa; he was working yesterday.
A. couldn't have been	B. mustn't be	C. can't be	D. shouldn't have been
Question 17: After eating, I often have a.....stomach.
A. running	B. itchy	C. splitting	D. bloated
Question 18: Scientists......find a cure for cancer some day.
A. are bound to	B. are supposed to	C. can	D. should
Question 19: .......I borrow your book on homeopathy?
A. Should	B. Could	C. Shall	D. Why don't
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 20: Do I look absurd in this hat?
A. silly	B. funny	C. abnormal	D. uncommon
Question 21: My parents are very down to earth.
A. easy-going	B. strict	C. formal	D. sensible and practical
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Sir Ernest Shackleton
 I remember my first sight of him was when he arrived at our Norwegian whaling station on South Georgia, a remote island near Cape Horn. A ragged, stinking figure with just enough energy left to reach out a grimy hand and introduce himself. ‘My name’s Shackleton,’ he announced.
 The story he then related to me was nothing less than incredible. He had set out from Buenos Aires in October 1914, in a little ship called Endurance. On board were twenty-eight explorers, scientists and seamen. Their aim had been to cross the Antarctic, coast to coast via the South Pole. Apparently, the expedition had been trapped on pack ice for the whole winter; the ship having been crushed, eventually sank. Amazingly, the men had camped on the floating ice and rowed through blizzards and gales in open lifeboats before eventually reaching the uninhabited, desolate Elephant Island.
 ‘I left twenty-two men under two upturned boats and set out to get help. We voyaged eight hundred miles in winter, in a leaky boat twenty-two feet long,’ he continued. ‘It was the world’s stormiest ocean. It’s a miracle we’re here.’
 That, I felt, was an understatement. He continued his saga and I learned that when he had landed on our island, it had turned out to be the wrong side. I knew the conditions: surrounded by huge, unmapped mountains. There he had
left three men, close to death, in a cave. At that point, I could feel his desperation. With no sleeping bags or tents and boat screws as spikes on their boots, he and the other two men had battled to reach us.
 The last time I saw him had been with small boats borrowed from the Norwegians, Chileans and Falkland Islanders.
 When asked his destination, he replied that he was going to rescue his men. He succeeded on his fourth attempt after battling his way through pack ice. ‘Not a life lost and we have been through Hell,’ he later wrote.
 On my return to England, the memory of the stockily-built man never left me. I tracked down Frank Wild, who had
sailed with him as his second-in-command. ‘He was the greatest leader on God’s earth,’ he told me. I was totally intrigued by the courage he had inspired in his men. I learned that it had been the way he talked. This had changed his team’s mood. It had given them determination and the will to carry on. Together they had explored the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent on the planet. He had started with dark brown hair and returned home grey. He had suffered more than anyone.
 My research carried me back to his early days, which had been spent in Ireland. His romantic streak had followed him and even as he marched across the pack ice, he was reciting Browning. Wondering where his more than adventurous spirit had come from, I learned that his father had been a doctor who had taken his family to live in suburban England. Hardly the tough background one would have expected. Yet Shackleton had become a master mariner, enjoying success early by joining Captain Scott’s first expedition to the Antarctic. Eventually, I discovered what had fired him. It was his inner recklessness. It was this that had spurred him on in 1907, when he had fought his way to within just ninety-seven miles of the Pole after having established his own expedition.
 Further conversations with Wild gave me more. I learnt that Shackleton was a natural leader, always leading from the front, working harder than anyone else, taking his turn at fetching and carrying food for his men. When the Endurance went down, he had stood on its deck and had been the last to leave. That, I felt, was typical of the man. After abandoning the ship, he gathered the men around him telling them they would all finally reach safety if they worked their utmost and trusted him. That first night on the ice, Shackleton patrolled. When it suddenly cracked, splitting the camp in two, he blew a whistle and everyone quickly moved to the same side. Every day, for five months