Tom Crean : Ice man Comprehension questions.

Chapter 1:
1. Where is Tom from?
2. What does Tom do to make his father angry?
3. Why do Toms parents allow him to join the navy?
4. Why do you think Tom is so keen to join the navy?
5. How would joining the navy change Toms life?
6. If you were in Toms position would you join the navy? Give a reason for
your answer.

Chapter 2
1. What is Toms experience of the navy as he is training?
2. Where is Toms ship docked just before Christmas 1901?
3. Why is the Discovery in New Zealand?
4. How has Tom changed since leaving home in 1893?
5. What is meant by the illustration in this chapter, do you think?
6. What is your opinion of Tom? Why do you think that way about him?

Chapter 3
1. Describe what you think Antarctica is like based on the descriptions in
the book.
2. What effect does wind chill have on the temperature?
3. Why are animals kept on board the Discovery?
4. Why is an Antarctic winter particularly gloomy?
5. How do you think the sailors feel when their ship is surrounded by ice?
6. Imagine you are on board the Discovery. Write about your visit to
Antartica in your diary.

Chapter 4
1. What do the men notice about the weather as they travel inland?
2. How do the men stop themselves from freezing at night?
3. How do the men save the sailors foot from frostbite?
4. Is Tom a good man to have on the expedition? In what ways?
5. If you were reporting on the expedition, what questions would you ask
Tom Crean about his first trip to the Antarctic? Write five interesting
questions.

Chapter 5
1. What is Captain Scotts exploration ship called? What does the name
mean?
2. What stunning news do the crew receive in Australia?
3. What does Tom smuggle on board the Terra Nova?
4. How does the storm experienced by the crew affect the animals on
board?
5. How do you think the explorers feel when the ship leaves them in
Antarctica?
6. What might the men do to pass the time during the Antarctic winter?
Suggest at least three things.

Chapter 6
1. How do the men organise their trek?
2. Why do the crew put the ponies down?
3. Why are dogs better than ponies in the Antarctic conditions?
4. If you were a polar explorer, do you think you would be more like
Captain Scott or Captain Amundsen? Give a reason for your answer.
5. What motivates the men to keep going in the tough conditions, do you
think?

6. If you had to eat hoosh at your house, what would you add to it to
make it taste better? Could the men have added it? Why?/Why not?

Chapter 7
1. How do the men celebrate Christmas Day?
2. What news does Captain Scott have for Tom?
3. What excuse does Captain Scott give for his decision?
4. Why do you think only five men are allowed to progress to the South
Pole?
5. Imagine you are Captain Scott. Write a paragraph about how you feel in
your diary.

Chapter 8
1. Who else is facing the long trip back to base camp alongside Tom?
2. Why is Lt Evans critical to the other mens safety?
3. How do the men travel down the slope?
4. If you were in charge, would you cross the ice bridge or find another
way? Give a reason for your answer.
5. Imagine you are the author. Write another paragraph about another
scary event that might have occurred as the men travelled across the ice.

Chapter 9
1. Why would it be disastrous if the men could not find the food depots?
2. What is wrong with Lt Evans?
3. How is Lt Evans affected by the illness?

4. If you were Tom and Bill would you obey Lt Evans command?
Why?/Why not?
5. What do you think will happen to the three men? Explain your answer.

Chapter 10
1. What decision do the men make the next morning?
2. How is Toms footwear different to that of modern explorers?
3. What happens when Tom reaches the hut?
4. If you were the doctor, what questions would you ask Tom? Write down
at least three examples.
5. Do you think it was braver to stay with Lt Evans or to make the journey
to the hut alone? Explain your answer.

Chapter 11
1. How is Toms bravery rewarded when he returns home?
2. What does Captain Scott discover when he reaches the South Pole?
3. How do the men at base camp know that Captain Scott and his men
have died?
4. How does Tom change during the two years he is away, do you think?
5. Do you think it is right to say that Lt Evans and Bill only survived
because of Toms bravery? Why?/Why not?

Chapter 12
1. What challenge does Shackleton set for himself?
2. What advice do the whalers of South Georgia give to the crew?

3. How does the Endurance become trapped?

4. What sort of people do you think would want to go on a polar
expedition?
5. If you had lived during that time, would you have liked to be part of the
expedition? Why?/Why not?

Chapter 13
1. How is being stuck in ice on the Endurance different to being stuck in
ice on the Discovery?
2. What do the men do to pass the time?
3. What are Toms special duties on board the ship?
4. What dangers do the crew on the marooned ship face?
5. Imagine you are on board the ship. Write a paragraph to describe the
experience using your five senses what do you hear, what do you taste,
etc?
6. How do you think the author knows what happened on board the ship?

Chapter 14
1. What two options face the crew as their ship sinks?
2. What sort of things do the men leave behind them on the ice?
3. Why is it not possible to keep the animals?
4. Do you think it is cruel or kind to shoot the animals? Why?
5. Can you see a possible solution to the mens problems? Explain your
idea.

Chapter 15
1. Name the three boats the crew launch.
2. What role does Tom play on board his boat?

3. How does Tom try to lift the spirits of the other men?
4. If you landed on Elephant Island after more than a year at sea, what
would be the first thing you would like to do?
5. Do you think Tom would make a good Captain? Why?/Why not?

Chapter 16
1. Why is Elephant Island not a nice place?
2. Why do the crew chose not to sail to South Africa or the Falkland
Islands?
3. How do the crew of the James Caird improve their boat before sailing to
South Georgia?
4. If you were on Elephant Island, would you prefer to stay there or try to
make the journey to South Georgia? Explain your answer.
5. How will the next few weeks be different for the two groups of men, do
you think? Describe what you think it will be like for those on the James
Caird and those left on Elephant Island.

Chapter 17
1. What routine do the men establish?
2. What do the men eat and drink on board the boat?
3. What dangers and challenges are encountered by the James Caird?
4. Have you ever been thirsty or hungry? Describe how the men on the
boat must have feel as they sail towards South Georgia.
5. Do you think the men will be able to get help for their friends on
Elephant Island? Why?/Why not?

Chapter 18

1. Where does Tom find drinking water?

2. What happens when Tom is on watch during the night?
3. Why would it be impossible to sail to the northern part of the island?
4. Describe what the island of South Georgia is like.
5. How do the men prepare for the march across the island?
6. In what way are the men on Elephant Island depending on Tom and the
others?

Chapter 19

1. What do the terms port and starboard mean?

2. What features of the island landscape cause the men to turn back?
3. How do the men know they have found a whaling station?
4. How do the men look as they approach the whaling station?
5. Why did the children and old man run away from the three men?
6. Which of Tom Creans three expeditions would you least like to have
gone on? Give a reason for our answer?

Chapter 20
1. How do the whalers treat the three men?
2. How do the men on Elephant Island cope?
3. How long has the Endurance expedition lasted?
4. What do you think the men most look forward to when they go to Chile?
5. Imagine you are Tom and you have just arrived in Chile. Write a
paragraph in your diary about how you feel.

Chapter 21

1. What does Tom do when he retires from the navy?

2. Why does Tom turn down Shackletons offer?
3. Why does Tom not talk about his adventures in the navy?
4. How does Tom die?
5. Why do you think Tom didnt give any interviews?
6. Do you like the title of this chapter? Why?/Why not?