History: Incredible Achievements 1

– Climbing Mount Everest –

“In 1953, a prodigious feat was accomplished by Sir Edmund Hillary, a valiant New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay, a tenacious Sherpa from Nepal. They were the first to surmount the colossal Mount Everest, standing at an astounding 8,848 meters. This venture, known as the British Mount Everest Expedition, was orchestrated by John Hunt, a seasoned British army officer and mountaineer.

Scaling Everest was no mean feat. The duo faced insurmountable odds, contending with the perilous Khumbu Icefall, navigating crevasses, and battling intense winds and acclimatization issues. The summit was reached on May 29th at 11:30 a.m. when Hillary and Tenzing stood atop the world’s apex.

This victory was emblematic of indomitable human spirit. Their triumph was celebrated globally and both men were venerated as heroes. Hillary’s adage, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves,” epitomized the fortitude necessary for such a formidable undertaking and is still invoked to illustrate the potential for human achievement against overwhelming odds.”

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO words from the text for each answer.

The 1953 ______ was recognized as a noteworthy human achievement.
The ascent of Mount Everest was a ______ task, as it required overcoming a number of physical and environmental obstacles.
This monumental success was seen worldwide as a testament to the indomitable human ______.
Despite the daunting hazards like navigating through crevasses and combating intense winds, the climbers managed to conquer the ______.
Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa, were the first to _______ the summit of Mount Everest.
The duo had to grapple with _______ difficulties related to adapting to high altitudes during their climb.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE word from the text for each answer.

In 1953, an audacious ____ was undertaken by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as they endeavored to scale the ____peak of Mount Everest. Directed by John Hunt, this ____ was a supreme test of human endurance. The duo braved treacherous terrains, including the Khumbu Icefall, and ____ fierce winds while acclimatizing to the thin air. On May 29th, their successful ____marked their place atop the Earth’s zenith and epitomized the unyielding resolve required to tackle such an imposing challenge. Their ____ was hailed across the globe, and they were celebrated as symbols of human potential.

Vocabulary Builder

Find the synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) to these 9 words from the original passage.

Original Word	Variants Used
expedition	_______________________ / ______________________
mount	__________ / _____________ / _____________
feat	__________ / _____________ / _____________
faced	__________ / _____________ / _____________
insurmountable	__________ / _____________ / _____________
odds	__________ / _____________ / _____________
reached	__________ / _____________ / _____________
spirit	_______________________ / ______________________
celebrated	_______________________ / ______________________

Reveal answer (24 More Words)

Original Word	Variants Used
expedition	venture, endeavor
mount	scale, ascend, climb
feat	achievement, triumph, success
faced	contended with, braved, battled
insurmountable	perilous, daunting, imposing, treacherous
odds	obstacles, hazards, challenges
reached	surmount, set foot on, marked their place
spirit	resolve, endurance
celebrated	venerated, hailed