Essay 64 (Expedtions to Difficult Regions)

Nowadays many scientists and tourists would like to travel to remote natural environments, such as the South Pole.  Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

An increasing number of people today explore difficult and distant terrains, either to visit these places or to conduct scientific researches.  Although people do face a great deal of hardships during these activities, it has greater advantages both for the travelers themselves and the society as a whole.

To start with, it would be greatly enjoyable for people who like adventurous travel and novel experiences.  They not only take great delight in preparing physically and psychologically for such demanding expeditions but also experience a sense of achievement in completing the task.  A few examples would be, climbing difficult terrains like the Himalayan Mountains, expeditions to the Polar Regions or even the recent space voyages offered for common people.

Again, scientific expeditions to these regions have also benefitted human society to a great extent in terms of studying the many unknown facts about the earth and the universe. For example, scientists to the Polar Regions of the Antarctica and the Arctic have conducted various experiments on climate change and given us valuable information about how the melting of the polar ice can affect the earth.

On the other hand, many people have questioned the huge financial commitments made by governments in conducting such expeditions, especially for scientific purposes.  For instance, many social economists point out that maintaining space and polar stations would cost enormous amount of money but the net results usually do not justify the expenditure incurred.  Moreover, the risks involved in travelling to dangerous and distant terrains are enormous and many people have lost their lives due to extreme cold, difficult landscapes and lack of provisions.

In conclusion, despite certain objections, the curiosity and passion for people to travel to distant and difficult regions of the world have only increased.  It clearly reveals man’s innate desire to conquer the unknown.  Although it involves a certain amount of risks and financial commitment, it has greater benefits for man.