TPO28-Integrated writing

The reading provides three arguments to support the truth of Peary’s claim about traveling to the North Pole in 37 days. However, the professor says that this evidence is not solid and convincing and refutes each of the author’s arguments.

First, the passage posits that the investigation of the National Geographic committee concluded that Peary had reached indeed the North Pole. The professor refutes this point by stating that the committee was not completely objective and all the members were the Peary’s friends, they contributed a large sum of money to fund his trip. Moreover, the committee’s investigations last for two days, which is not enough time to examine his records very carefully. Therefore, their conclusion was bias.

Second, the reading claims that skeptics argue that Peary cannot travel that much fast to the North Pole in 37 days, but the British explorer named Avery, recently had the same trek in less time that Peary did. In addition, Avery used the same dogsled as the Peary had. In contrast, the professor explains that Avery and Peary’s conditions were not the same, Avery had much less weight to carry, and he did not have food on his dogsled. The airplane dropped off the food along his way and the weather condition was highly favorable for Avery.

Third, the author states that the photographs were taken by Peary are the support of his claim. Measuring the shadows in Peary’s photographs makes it possible to calculate the surf’s position in the sun. The professor counters this point by explaining that the photographs were taken hundred years ago by a primitive camera that could not measure the sun position very precisely. Moreover, the photographs were faded and blurred to measure the sun position accurately.