Edexcel First Language Extract

Explorers or boys
messing about?

Introduction
This

is an article written by Steven

Morris for The Guardian writing
about two men, Steve Brooks and
Quentin Smith on a trip to the
Antarctica.
Their trip failed and they were
rescued by the British and Chilean
Navy.
Their helicopter the Robinson R44
failed and fell and they contacted

Structure
They

have:
A Headline
A Sub-heading
Quotations are used
A Summary is provided
The article starts out stating the fact that the 2 men failed
in their mission and caused trouble
It is set out in chronological order
Their Last expedition (Line 1)
Yesterday (Line 4)
Last night (Line 11)
The drama began (Line 20)
Meanwhile (Line 25)
In April (Line 50)

The Title
Explorers,

or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets

rescue bill
The title has a sarcastic tone as the rhetorical question adds
emphasis to the fact that whether they are real explorers or
just boys messing about
The title has a mocking like tone its as if the writer is trying to
put emphasis on the Explorers section of the title as it is
separated by the rest of the sentence therefore mocking them
or making fun of them
The title has an angry and tense tone as the taxpayer gets
rescue bill this shows the concern of the writer and the angry
tone in his voice that due to other boys messing about the
employed have to pay tax for the healthcare of these boys
messing about
This is the writers point of view only

The Subheading
Helicopter

duo plucked from life-raft after Antarctic

crash
If the 2 men were really explorers they would be
referred to as a team not as a pair or duo which makes
them sound just like boys messing about
They were plucked which is insulting as they are
described as something annoying as if they were real
explorers they wouldnt be described as being
plucked they would be described as rescued.
The tone of the writer suggests that he is trying to
persuade the reader that these are just boys messing
about helping convey the opinion of the writer
This is the writers point of view only

First Paragraph
Their last expedition ended in farce (line 1)
The article starts out with this line which suggests that
they have already caused trouble, they are a joke, they
are not being taken seriously by the writer and that the
writer is trying to make fun of them as they have done
previous expeditions and their last expedition ended in
farce which means that the expedition ended in
embarrassment for the boys whether the boys
realize it or not
The article starts off without even mentioning the names
of the boys which shows us that the writer is not
taking them seriously and knows that they have been in
trouble thus making fun of them. They are like little
boys who never learn from their mistakes.
From the beginning already the writer sets the tone to

Third Paragraph
The

men were plucked from the icy waters (Line 7)

This sounds insulting towards the 2 men as when you
pluck you pluck something that is annoying or
bothering you and they are not anything important
thus the writer has described the 2 as boys
A Nine-hour rescue(Line 7) Royal Navy, the RAF and
British Coastguards (Line 9-10)
Just to rescue 2 boys it took nine hours and 3
respected organizations. It shows us that these 2
boys arent really explorers as they dont care who is
paying for their rescue or who is making the effort just
to save the 2 lives of some stupid boys who werent
organized enough.

Third Paragraph
continued
Mr.

Brooks contacted his wife (Line 8)

The fact that they are stranded and they
decide to contact his wife shows us that
they have been in trouble before and
they are not taking it seriously which
again conveys the writers opinion that
they are boys messing about
From the beginning of the article the
writer has set the tone out that they are
really boys messing about.

Fourth Paragraph
There

was resentment in some quarters

that the mens adventure had cost the
taxpayers (Line 11)
Not every person thinks this that the mens
adventure had cost the taxpayer however
the Resentment coming first overshadows
in some quarters there fore giving us an
impression that since we have read
resentment first we think that all of them
had resentment thus brushing away in
some

Fifth Paragraph

Experts questioned the wisdom of taking a small

helicopter (Line 13)
This makes the boys look even more silly as
Experts have questioned them that is it wise or
stupid taking a small helicopter to such a harsh trip
which makes them look inexperienced. By including
this the writer is questioning their intelligence
making them sound even stupider and
inexperienced therefore conveying the writers
opinion
A single engine-into such a hostile environment
(Line 17)
These 2 dont go together and shows us that these
boys were really unorganized. This shows us that

Sixth Paragraph
There

was also confusion about what the men were

trying to achieve (Line 15)
This shows us that the expedition was done for fun as
the men were not sure what they wanted to do there
describing them as boys messing about. This also
shows us how inexperienced and unorganized they
were which shows their immaturity.
Trusty Helicopter (Line 17)
The writer is mocking them as it shows the 2 men are
boys as the writer mocks them. The writer uses their
own words against them as wheter the helicopter is
good or not they are going to use their trusty
helicopter

Seventh Paragraph
Ms

Vestey claimed she did not know what the pair were up
to (Line 18)
Ms Vestey also refers to them as a pair. The writer includes
this in the article to mock the men again. The writer in the
sub-heading calls the 2 men a duo and here they are being
referred to as a pair which shows us that they are boys
messing about as if the 2 men were actually explorers they
would be referred as a team not as a pair or duo.
boys messing about with a helicopter
Ms Vesty also describes them as boys messing about which
shows us that she is used to it. The fact that she says boys
messing about shows us that the 2 men are not explorers
thus conveying the opinion of the writer. She describes them
child like and mischievous. It makes them sound like an
Annoying pair.

Eight Paragraph
The

Drama began (Line 20)

This describes their failed expedition as a silly act making
them look inexperienced.
Also known as Q, Ditched (Line 21)
They have nicknames which shows us as the reader that they
are boys messing about. They think they are cool and they
have a teenage mentality. The ditched shows us that they
dont really care about the failed expedition and who they are
affecting showing us that they are boys messing about
Scrambled into their life-raft (Line 22)
This shows us that since they scrambled they are unorganized
and dont really care. It emphasizes their childish behavior
and they do this all the time showing us that they are not
prepared and boys messing about as they dont even know
what they are trying to achieve.

Ninth Paragraph
On

his satellite phone (Line 23)

The satellite phone was the only thing they had to help them,
the only form of communication in case of an emergency
which shows us how unorganized and unprepared they were
which tells us that they are boys messing about.
Could I call the emergency people (Line 24)
This shows us how childish they are as they are getting his
wife to call the rescuers which shows us that they are not
taking full responsibility. They are embarrassed to call the
rescuers and want the old rescuers to come and help them.
This is a bit comical too as he is asking if she could and not
if she must call the emergency which shows us that they
dont really care whether they are rescued or not showing us
their childish behavior and showing us that they are boys
messing about.

Tenth Paragraph
Ditched

helicopter (Line 25)

This makes it sound like they threw away a toy
which describes them as boys messing about
with a helicopter
Emergency watch, a wedding present (Line
26)
His wife or someone at the wedding who knew
Mr. Brooks bought him the watch which shows
us that everyone knows what kind of person
he is, that he is a boy messing about and may
get in trouble thus they got him a watch.

Eleventh Paragraph
Deciphered

by Falmouth coastguards in
England and passed on to the rescue coordination centre at RAF Kinloss in Scotland.
(Line 27-28)
This tells us that to rescue the 2 men it took
a lot of time and cause a lot of problem for
the respected organizations. The two men
are an international burden to all the
respected organizations as the Scottish,
English and the Chilean navy are trying to
rescue them.

Twelth Paragraph
which

was 180 miles away surveying

uncharted waters (Line 29-30)
This tells us that the Royal Navy was
completing an important task but they had to
abandon it and go rescue 2 idiots. This shows
us that the 2 men dont really care who they are
affecting and if there were a little more
prepared the rescue would have taken less time
and less effort by the respected organizations
and they weren't prepared or organized which
shows us that they are boys messing about.

Thirteenth Paragraph
The

men were picked up by a

Chilean naval vessel (Line 33)
This again shows us as the reader
that the 2 men cause a lot of
problems and are an International
burden again conveying the opinion
of the writer that the 2 men are not
explorers but are boys messing
about.

Fourteenth Paragraph
The

pair wore survival suits (Line 34)

This shows us that the 2 men had some common sense to
wear survival suits and this is the only positive point in the
whole article as the writer has and wants to create an
impression that the 2 men are boys messing about.
nothing short of a miracle (Line 35-36)
Whatever the men did, did not rescue them but the reason of
their survival was due to the rescuers as they did everything
to save the lives of these 2 boys messing about. This is also
questioning their intelligence showing us that they could
have died out there and as they didnt realize it and didnt
care its a miracle that they survived which again shows us
as the readers that they are boys messing about as they
really dont understand the seriousness in the situation

Fifteenth Paragraph
Both

men are experienced adventures (Line 37)

This shows us as the reader that there is some hope of these
men being real explorers rather than just boys messing about.
He has trekked solo to Everest base camp and walked barefoot
for 3 days in the Himalayas. He has negotiated the white water
rapids of the Zambezi river by kayak and survived a charge by a
silver back gorilla in the Congo (38-41)
He has been challenged a lot which gives him experience
however none of the challenges sound organized or prepared for
as he walked bare feet and was attack by a Silver back gorilla.
He is also a qualified mechanical engineer and pilot (Line 4142)
He should know more about what type of plane is suitable for a
destination and since he chose the wrong one on the expedition
it shows that the 2 men are boys messing about

Sixteenth Paragraph
He

and his wife spent their

honeymoon flying the helicopter
from Alaska to Chile. The 16,000mile trip took three months (Line
43-44)
This shows us that he has a lot of
passion and this also shows us that
his wife knows what its like to go out
with him therefore she couldve got
him the emergency watch.

Seventeenth Paragraph
Mr.

Smith, also from London, claims (Line

45)
This is not a very reliable source as Mr.
Smith claims
Flown a helicopter around the globe and
won the world freestyle helicopter flying
championship (Line 46-47)
This shows us that both of the men have
experience yet they failed the expedition
which only describes them as boys messing
about

Twenty-First and TwentySecond Paragraph

Endres,

the editor of Janes helicopter markets

and system (Line 59-61)
The writer has taken an experts advice which
proves the writers point that the 2 men are not
explorers but are boys messing about.
A spokesman for the pair (Line 62)
The 2 men have been described as a pair again
showing us that they are boys messing about.
The 2 men have an unknown spokesman which
again shows us that they have an unreliable
source making the writers point of view more
persuasive

Twenty-Fourth
Paragraph
Theyll

probably have their bottoms

kicked and be sent home the long
way (Line 70-71)
The final and conclusive point of
view is that they are boys messing
about and they are not explorers as
the writer has written that they will
have their bottoms kick making
them sound like little boys messing
around

Task
How

does Steven Morris manage to

make the two men sound foolish
rather than like two British heroes?
Use short quotes
Include as many techniques as you
can.