READING 2 1 Man, 7 Years, 21,000 Miles

1 Man, 7 Years, 21,000 Miles

Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 12.3

Can you imagine walking across the world? That’s what journalist Paul Salopek is doing right now. He started his journey1 in Ethiopia in 2013. By the end of his trek2, he’ll be in Tierra del Fuego, South America. Why is he doing this? How long will it take him? What is he going to learn from this experience?

Salopek’s project is called the Out of Eden Walk. He is following the path of our distant ancestors. He wants to understand the story of human migration3 . Humans started this movement across the planet 60,000 years ago. He estimates4 that he will take 30 million footsteps to reach his destination. He will walk 21,000 miles.

According to Salopek, we are now living through the greatest migrations of humans. Nearly a billion people are moving across the planet.

People often ask Salopek, “Are you crazy?” But Salopek is learning so much along the way. For example, he learned that water is like gold in the desert of Ethiopia.

About every 100 miles, Salopek records his journey in photographs and sounds. He interviews local people. He is sharing his journey in real time5 with people around the world.

Salopek is a journalist and National Geographic Explorer. He often does unusual things. Once he rode a mule for a year across the mountains of Mexico to write a story. Another time, he worked in a gas station in Chicago to write about oil. He often puts himself in dangerous situations. He traveled by canoe for several weeks down the Congo River to report on the Congo civil war. Salopek won the Pulitzer Prize for his Congo report—the highest award for a journalist.

1 journey: a long trip 2 trek: a long, difficult journey 3 human migration: a movement of people from one place to another 4 to estimate: to guess a number using your knowledge 5 in real time: as it happens