Sir Edmund Hillary: Reaching the Top of the World
Long before he became a world-famous explorer, Edmund Hillary was a quiet boy growing up in Auckland, New Zealand. Born in 1919, Edmund was smaller than many of his classmates and often escaped into books to satisfy his hunger for adventure. He spent his youth dreaming of far-off places, but he did not discover his true passion until a school trip to Mount Ruapehu when he was sixteen years old. Seeing snow for the first time, Edmund realized he loved the thrill of the outdoors. He quickly fell in love with mountain climbing.
To support his climbing habit, Edmund worked as a beekeeper with his brother, Rex. Tending to millions of bees was hard work, but it kept Edmund in excellent physical shape. More importantly, because bees hibernate during the cold winter months, Edmund had the winters free to climb. He spent his seasons off conquering the icy peaks of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. He practiced climbing on glaciers, which are massive, slow-moving rivers of ice. This rigorous training prepared him for the ultimate challenge: the mighty Himalayas.
- glaciers:
- Massive, slow-moving rivers of ice.
- Sherpa:
- A member of a Himalayan people living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, famous for their climbing skills.
- summit:
- The highest point of a mountain.
- hibernate:
- To spend the winter in an inactive, sleep-like state.
- expedition:
- A journey made by a group of people with a clear purpose, such as exploration.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where was Edmund Hillary born and raised?
- 2What event inspired Edmund Hillary's passion for mountain climbing when he was sixteen?
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About this biography passage for Upper Elementary
“Sir Edmund Hillary: Reaching the Top of the World” is a biography reading passage about Sir Edmund Hillary and the Summit of Mount Everest, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (511 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.