Listen Up: Norwegian woman becomes youngest to ski solo to South Pole
Practise your English with our short listening exercises: play the audio, answer the questions, and check the answers at the bottom of the page.
Karen Kylleso, a 21-year-old Norwegian, has become the youngest person to ski solo and unassisted to the South Pole. Photo: Instagram/friluftsjenta
Questions
1. How did Karen Kylleso reach the South Pole?
A. by horseback
B. by car
C. by skiing
D. by boat
2. Where did Kylleso start her journey?
A. Telemark
B. Oslo
C. Lofoten
D. information not given
3. Who does the “young Scandinavian” at the beginning of the podcast refer to?
A. Pierre Hedan
B. Karen Kylleso
C. Hakon Kylleso
D. Jonas Gahr Støre
4. If you do something “solo”, you do it …
A. alone.
B. with others.
C. easily.
D. with difficulty.
5. How long did Kylleso take to complete her journey?
A. just 10 days
B. less than 35 days
C. slightly more than 50 days
D. about 100 days
6. Why did Kylleso slow down her pace at one point?
A. She had an injury
B. She was feeling tired.
C. She ran out of supplies.
D. She had cold-induced asthma
7. What did Kylleso drink when she reached the South Pole?
A. soda and champagne
B. pasta and vegetables
C. salad and soda
D. champagne and pasta
8. Which word can replace “accomplishments” in the podcast?
A. talents
B. conclusions
C. achievements
D. resolutions
9. How old was Kylleso when she crossed Greenland?
A. 10
B. 15
C. 18
D. 20
10. What was Kylleso’s mother skilled at?
A. skiing
B. hunting
C. fishing
D. hiking
11. Arrange the following events in chronological order from 1 to 4. (4 marks)
(a) Pierre Hedan reached the South Pole.
(b) Kylleso reached the South Pole.
(c) Kylleso crossed Greenland on skis.
(d) Roald Amundsen made it to the South Pole.
Answers
1. C
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. B
10. A
11. (a) 3; (b) 4; (c) 2; (d) 1
Script
Adapted from Agence France-Presse
Voice 1: A 21-year-old Norwegian woman has become the youngest person to ski alone and without assistance to the South Pole. Karen Kylleso completed the feat last month, 114 years after fellow Norwegian and polar explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole.
Voice 2: Kylleso covered the 1,130km in 54 days. Born on May 9, 2003, the young Scandinavian dethroned Pierre Hedan of France. According to the Guinness World Records, Hedan held the record for being the youngest person to reach the South Pole, solo and unassisted, at age 26. He set the record on January 7, 2024.
Voice 1: Kylleso is 1.52 metres tall and weighs 48kg. She pulled a sledge weighing 100kg, or twice her weight, to reach the pole. Kylleso, who trained for six years for the feat, had to slow down her pace toward the end of her exploit. She was suffering from what she believed was cold-induced asthma.
Voice 2: She arrived on January 13 at night with temperatures of around -25 degrees Celsius. Once she got to her destination, she asked for pasta bolognese, a salad and vegetables. She also asked for a can of soda and a glass of champagne.
Voice 1: Kylleso was already the youngest girl to cross Greenland on skis, completing the feat at 15 in 2018. Kylleso’s father, Hakon Kylleso, credited his daughter’s accomplishments to a mix of good genes. Her mother was an accomplished cross-country ski competitor when she was younger. Her father is a hunter and fisherman, and he enjoys long hikes.
Voice 2: Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store hailed the young adventurer, saying she was “following in the trails of Norwegian polar heroes”. On December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the geographic South Pole. He was part of a tragic race against Britain’s Robert Scott, who died of exhaustion and cold on the return journey along with his four companions.