World News for Students of English

10-07-2024 07:00

Since 1953, many climbers have left trash on Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.

Its highest camp has a lot of trash and it will take years to clean, says a Sherpa who led a cleanup team. The Nepal government funds a team which already removed 11 tons of trash, four dead bodies, and a skeleton this climbing season. Ang Babu Sherpa, the team leader, thinks there may be 40-50 tons of trash still at South Col, the last camp before the summit. The trash includes old tents, food packs, gas containers, oxygen bottles, and ropes. The trash is at 8,000 meters which makes it difficult to clean.  There is bad weather, low oxygen, and ice. Of the 11 tons, three ended up in nearby villages, and eight went to Kathmandu for recycling. New rules and awareness reduced new trash. But most of the trash comes from old expeditions, the oldest item found was a battery from 1957.

Difficult words: skeleton (the structure of bones), summit (the highest point), awareness (knowing about something).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.