1�������� Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand on July 20, 1919. He studied mathematics and science at the University of Auckland. He then became a beekeeper with his brother Rex,�climbing several peaks during his spare time. �When World War II broke out, he joined the Air Force but withdrew his application before it could be considered. Later he joined the RNZAF as a navigator.
2����� ���In 1953 he set his sights on the world�s highest peak. At that time the route to Everest was closed through China and the Nepalese government only allowed one expedition per year, so he had to wait for the British attempt in 1953. Shipton was named as leader but was replaced by Hunt. Hillary considered pulling out, but both Hunt and Shipton talked him into remaining. Hillary wanted to climb with Lowe but Hunt named two teams for the expedition: Tom Bourdillion would be with Charles Evans and Edmund Hillary would be paired with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay.
3�������� The total expedition included 362 porters, 20 Sherpa guides and 10,000 lbs. of baggage. Bourdillion and Evans were the first pair to attempt to reach the summit- they came within 100m of the apex before turning back because of exhaustion. Hillary and Norgay began their assault two days later on the South Col Route. On May 29, 1953 at 11:30am local time the pair reached the summit with Hillary placing his foot on the summit first. Tenzing Norgay stated in his narration "The Dream Comes True" that Hillary had indeed taken the first step atop Mount Everest, despite Hillary quoting that both had reached the summit at the same time. They reached Everest's 29,028�ft (8,848 m) summit, the highest point on earth, at 11:30�am. They stopped to take photos of their achievement and buried some sweets and a small cross before making the descent. The first person to greet them was George Lowe, Hillary�s lifelong friend, who had climbed up to bring them hot soup. For their efforts Hillary and expedition leader John Hunt were both knighted and Norgay was awarded the George Medal by Queen Elizabeth II. Hunt was made a life peer in Britain and Hillary was a founding member of the Order of New Zealand.
4�������� On 11 January 2008, Hillary died of heart failure at the Auckland City Hospital at around . Hillary's death was announced by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark at around 11:20�am. She stated that his death was a "profound loss to New Zealand" His death was recognized by the lowering of flags to half-mast on all Government and public buildings and at Scott Base in Antarctica
The Guides
5������ Born into a Sherpa tribe in 1914, Tenzing Norgay proved to be an invaluable member of the 1953 Everest team. This wasn�t his first trip to the top of the world�s largest peak, he had been on six previous expeditions up Everest. Norgay had originally joined the expedition as a Sherpa guide but when he saved Hillary from falling to his death in a crevasse, Hillary began to think of him as the perfect climbing partner for his ascent.
A.��� A. Scan the passage. Answer the following questions.
1. The main idea of paragraph 3 is ...
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