REUNION 2022

Y10 English Writing Pang Khe Qin Y10 CFD Title: A Trip To The North Pole (Continued) Right after clearing up, we were gathered at the deck of the ship. We waited in anticipation as Professor Smith gave us instructions and precautions before stepping off the ship and onto the ice. After checking that everyone had their gear properly secured, we were lowered onto a nearby glacier. I gingerly took m y first few steps, careful not to slip and fall, while following the professor and other researchers closely. We trekked our way out into the icy wonderland, our eyes shining in wonder. I was taking snapshot after snapshots of the majestic scenery laid out before us when the ground beneath me began to tremble. It started off hardly noticeable, until it became stronger, rocking the ice with such magnitude that we were having trouble standing upright. Suddenly, the glacier beneath us jolted forcefully, knocking us off our feet as a thunderous roar broke the serene silence. We scrambled to our feet, just in time to witness a gigantic gnash forming in the glacier just a few metres away from us. The crack was slowly creeping towards us, slicing the ice between us and the icebreaker in half. My blood ran cold, and I was frozen in place from the shock, unable to move a muscle. The glacier was breaking right beneath us! I was forcefully pulled out of my daze by Professor Smith, who was yelling commands which sounded incoherent to my ringing ears. He dragged me along towards the lifeboat which was immediately being lowered towards us, signalling to a bunch of other researchers who were also running for their lives. The crumbling sound of the ice behind us resonated in my ears, becoming increasingly loud by the second. It was catching up with us at an alarming rate. With the bright orange lifeboat in sight in front of us, I watched as researchers leapt in one by one, until only me and the professor was left. We ran with all our might, the heavy equipment banging uncomfortably against my back. The icy air seemed to pierce through my lungs, and I was beginning to slow down. Finally, with all the remaining energy left in my body, I leapt into the lifeboat alongside the professor, gasping for breath. We were quickly lifted into the air back onto the deck of the icebreaker. Professor Smith had decided to redirect the ship to a safer location, and we were soon on the move once again. I was still shaken from the whole ordeal, but I had calmed down considerably. The North Pole is a beautiful but dangerous place, especially due to the effects of global warming. It pains me to see the destruction of such majestic natural wonders, especially the impact it has to the arctic wildlife like the polar bears, who are losing land at an alarming rate. Humans and animals should be able to cohabit together in peace, without affecting the other. Humans should also take responsibility for the destruction modernisation has taken on the environment, and work towards creating a more sustainable future. Student Work 218