▶ Your Answer :
Both the reading and the lecture discuss the expedition of North Pole by
Robert E. Peary. The reading passage suggests that it is likely true that Peary
reached the North Pole by providing three reasons. However, the lecture
contradicts the claim by directly refuting each reason.
To
begin with, the reading says that a committee conducted investigation of
Peary's records and concluded that Peary had reached the North Pole. However,
the lecturer refutes this point by asserting the committee was biased and
cannot be trusted. This is because the investigation was conducted by Peary's
friends and finished only in two days. Therefore, the investigation is not
trustworthy.
Another point the author stresses is that a British explorer arrived the
North Pole in less than 37 days, supporting the Peary's claim that he reached
the North Pole in 37 days. On the contrary, the lecturer contradicts this view
by stating that the British explorer had totally different condition from
Peary's. To be specific, the British explorer did not bring his food but it was
carried by airplane instead, and the weather was much nicer, allowing the
British explorer can explore much faster than Peary.
Finally, the passage contends that there
are photographs taken by Peary proving that he reached the North Pole, based on
the calculation of Surf's position in the sun. In contrast, the speaker challenges
the perspective by arguing that the photographs are not focused and shadows
look blur. Therefore, the photographs cannot be used to calculate Sun's position
accurately.
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