CLIL HISTORY JAMES COOK, NAVIGATOR AND CARTOGRAPHER achievement: risultato, conseguimento to be named after: prendere il nome da to chart: fare una carta di to claim for: rivendicare close to: vicino a endeavour: cimento, impresa to enlist: arruolarsi forced: obbligato hostage: ostaggio to sail: navigare shore: spiaggia stabbed: pugnalato to survey: rilevare, misurare theft: furto James Cook (1728-1779) was an 18th century British explorer and navigator whose achievements in mapping the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand and Australia radically changed western perceptions of world geography. James Cook was born in 1728 in a small village in Yorkshire. In 1755, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. During his early voyages, he learnt to survey and chart coastal waters. In 1769, the planet Venus was expected to pass in front of the Sun, a rare astronomical event visible only in the southern hemisphere. The British government decided to send an expedition to observe the phenomenon, but the real secret motive was to search for the legendary southern polar continent. Cook was chosen as commander of the ship HMS Endeavour. The astronomer Charles Green was also on board. Endeavour arrived in Tahiti in April 1769 where Green was able to observe the transit of Venus. Endeavour continued her journey to New Zealand and then sailed along Australia s eastern coast, which no Europeans had seen before. Cook claimed it for Britain and named it New South Wales. Cook and his crew then returned home, arriving in July 1771. In 1772, not satisfied with his previous success, Cook started a second voyage to look for the southern polar continent again. His two ships sailed close to the Antarctic coast but were forced to return because of the cold. Then they visited New Zealand and Tahiti, returning to England in 1775. The aim of Cook s third voyage in 1776 was to find the NorthWest Passage that was believed to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Unfortunately, Cook was not able to find the route, so he took his two ships south and explored the Hawaii Islands. Relations with the islanders became difficult after the theft of a ship s boat. On 14th February, Cook tried to take the local leader hostage. There was a fight and Cook was stabbed and killed. James Cook charted many areas and recorded several islands and coastlines on European maps for the first time. His explorations and maps provided much information about the Pacific Ocean, and about those who lived on its islands and shores. The US space shuttle Endeavour was named after Cook s ship.