Laura Dekker sails Around the World Non Fiction Reading Passages With Test Questions

13-year-old Dutch girl, Laura Dekker planned to be the first girl to sail Around the World Solo! Non-Fiction Reading Passages With Test Questions

Exploring the farthest corners of the globe has always been one of

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man’s most endearing dreams, and this has been taken to a wholly new level by the Dutch teenager Laure Dekker, who has accomplished the seemingly impossible task of sailing around the world solo at the age of 16 years. In fact, Laura became the youngest person to sail across the earth when she completed her voyage at the age of sixteen on the 21st of January 2012. On her way, she has witnessed countless obstacles that have taken all the resourcefulness and determination that she could master to realize her dreams into reality. 

Laura Dekker turned her dream into reality, and inspired countless other teenagers across the planet to dream big with the blessings of her parents but not the Dutch government. This is because the Dutch authorities tried their utmost to prevent Laura from taking this arduous trip across the earth’s waters at such an early age, and did all they could to stop her in her tracks. Even though of Dutch nationality, Laura was in fact born on a yacht in the New Zealand waters. She was born on the 20th of September 1995 while her parents were in the middle of a seven-year long sailing trip, and their trip continued for a further five years after she was born before they returned to Holland. Thus, being born within the territorial waters of New Zealand, Laura Dekker enjoys dual Dutch and New Zealand citizenship.

Laura Dekker stayed with her father even since her parents got divorced in 2002, and her father’s passion of building boats has been a strong influence on her eventual quest to sail across the earth alone. She started sailing at an early age of six, and has ever since then been gradually upgrading to bigger boats as she got older. She took part in competitive dinghy races, as well as, offshore events, and finally started going on longer trips when she upgraded to the 7 m long seaworthy boat Hurley 700 at the age of ten. Laura used this boat to take solo trips around Holland, as well as, the North Sea, and then even sailed on her own to England in May 2009 with her Hurley 700. It was during those solo trips that the idea of sailing solo around the world began to emerge, and gradually grew to become her biggest dream.

Laura Dekker began to contemplate seriously about turning her dream into reality somewhere during 2009, and received considerable support from her parents towards her effort. However, the attitude of the Dutch government was quite to the contrary, and the authorities started a court case to thwart Laura from making the voyage. The ensuing battle in court continued for the next 10 months at the end of which Laura’s custody was handed back to her parents in July 2010. Finally, Laura was free to begin her journey, which duly started on the 21st of August 2010 on the 30-year old yacht Guppy. Laura successfully led her voyage around the world on the 38 feet yacht and finally arrived in the Dutch Antillean island of Saint Maarten in the Caribbean on the 21st of January 2012.

Laura Dekker traversed the North Atlantic, Pacific, and the Indian Oceans on her journey, and clocked over 27,000 miles. However, much has been said and written about the consequences of allowing young teenagers of going on such arduous trips involving considerable risks, and Guinness authorities have scrapped all records consisting of underage sailors to dissuade youngsters. Even then, Laura Dekker remains an influential figure in popular culture.

Questions

1. Laura Dekker has accomplished the incredible task of being –

1. The only person ever to sail around the world
2. The youngest person to sail around the world
3. The oldest person to sail around the world

2. While trying to make her dream come true, Laura received support from –

1. Her parents
2. The Dutch Government
3. Both

3. Laura has dual Dutch and New Zealand nationality because –

1. Her parents are Dutch
2. She was born in New Zealand waters
3. Both

4. Laura Dekker took up sailing from an early  age and took part in –

1. Competitive dinghy races
2. Offshore sailing events
3. Both

5. Prior to sailing around the world, Laura Dekker –

1. Took solo trips around Holland, and to England
2. Took solo trips around England, and to Holland
3. Took trips to the Dutch Antillean islands

6. The Dutch Government tried to prevent Laura from taking the trip by –

1. By initiating a court case that lasted for ten months
2. By arresting her
3. By confiscating her boat and provisions for the journey

7. Guinness authorities scrapped all records regarding underage sailors because –

1. They do not appreciate the challenges faced by such sailors in accomplishing the feat
2. They do not intend to encourage more underage sailors to take part in risky voyages
3. They do not believe in honoring challenging feats accomplished by young people

Captain James Cook Mini Biography

1. James Cook is one of the most renowned explorers and navigators that the world has ever seen, and according to many has done more to fill the unknown spots on the map of the world than anyone else in history has. He is famous for having discovered the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of New Zealand and Australia on his ship Endeavor, while also disapproving the existence of the fabled southern supercontinent, Terra Australis. He also provided the most detailed and accurate map of the Pacific through his many voyages.
2. James Cook was born on October 27, 1728, to a Scottish farmhand in Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England. Cook worked as a farmhand alongside his father as he grew up, and had the first real exposure to the life on sea when he turned 18. Cook received an offer for apprenticeship from a Quaker ship-owner in Whitby, England when he came of age. This apprenticeship proved to be a life-changing experience for Cook, and he developed intimate relation with the ships and the sea.  
3. The apprenticeship with the Quaker ship-owner was just a beginning to a long and eventful career on the high seas. James Cook dreamt of joining the British Navy, and this desire eventually led him to joining the same a few years later. He showed great skill and fortitude during his life in the navy, and this resulted in Cook being promoted to the rank of ship’s master by the time he was 29 years of age.
4. James Cook shone in his role as a ship’s master in the British Navy, and this became even more apparent during the Seven Years War, which lasted from 1756 to 1763. During the war, Cook served the Royal Navy by commanding a captured ship with great success. However, his real claim to fame lay far away from the hustle and bustle of naval warfare, in the field of exploration to the far edges of the known world during the latter half of the eighteenth century.
5. James Cook was chosen to command the first scientific expedition to ever head for the Pacific Ocean. This was a monumental endeavor because of the limited knowledge in hand during those times regarding the geography of the region. Cook’s ship was aptly named HMS Endeavor to reflect upon the mammoth efforts made by the captain and crew to extend the horizon of knowledge regarding the world.
6. James Cook discovered and charted New Zealand in 1770 on his ship the HMS Endeavor, and this was in addition to the discovery and exploration of the Great Barrier Reef of the coast of Australia. The Great Barrier Reef was an incredible feat because of the fact that its infamy as one of the most dangerous areas to navigate for any ship.
7. James Cook returned to England after having completed his scientific expedition. However, he was soon chosen for a mission to circumnavigate and explore the Antarctica. On this voyage, Captain Cook charted a number of islands that exist in the Pacific such as Tonga, Easter Island, New Caledonia, the South Sandwich Islands, and South Georgia. Apart from that, he also disapproved the existence of the mythical southern supercontinent, Terra Australis.
8. James Cook also made valuable contribution towards improving the health condition of sailors while on long expeditions by trying to control scurvy, which is caused by vitamin efficiency, and was a huge problem for sailors. He sought to do so by feeding his crew a meal consisting of watercress, sauerkraut, and orange extract.
9. James Cook met his demise while fighting a skirmish with the islanders of Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, during a winter layover on February 14, 1779.

Questions

1. James Cook is famous as a –

1. Explorer and pirate
2. Explorer and navigator
3. Admiral and navigator

2. Which among the following is not a famous achievement of James Cook?

1. Discovering New Zealand
2. Discovering and charting the Great Barrier Reef
3. Discovering Antarctica

3. Under whom James Cook did do his first apprenticeship?

1. A naval officer
2. His father, a farmhand
3. A Quaker ship-owner

4. What role did James Cook play as a naval officer during the Seven Years War?

1. He was the admiral of the Royal Navy
2. He commanded a captured ship for the Royal navy
3. He took no part in the war

5. Where did James Cook head during his first scientific mission and on which ship?

1. The Atlantic, HMS Excalibur
2. The North Sea, HMS Enterprise
3. The Pacific, HMS Endeavor

6. What is the name of the fabled southern supercontinent whose existence James Cook refuted through his explorations?

1. Terra Australia
2. Terra Australis
3. Terra Australasia  

7. James Cook sought to fight scurvy with a combination of what diet?

1. Sandwiches, sauerkraut, and orange juice
2. Sauerkraut, orange extract, and onions
3. Watercress, sauerkraut, and orange extract