The Lost World

The story

Young journalist Edward Malone wants to do something brave to impress the woman he loves. He volunteers for an expedition led by the furious, brilliant Professor Challenger, who claims dinosaurs still live on a plateau in South America.

With a sceptical rival scientist and a big-game hunter, Malone reaches the plateau — and finds that Challenger was right, and that getting down again is the real problem.

Themes: science and proof, exploration, rivalry, prehistoric life.

Why it's a good book for language learners

Conan Doyle writes the story as Malone's newspaper reports, so the language is clear and lively. Challenger's arguments with the other scientist are funny and full of useful expressions for disagreeing, insulting and conceding.

What you'll practise

• Expressions for arguing and disagreeing
• Animal and jungle vocabulary
• Report and letter style
• Past continuous for background action

Did you know?

The book's success helped create the dinosaur adventure genre that later produced films like Jurassic Park.

The PageWalker adventure

In the adventure you are on the plateau, and each choice could feed you to a dinosaur. The first page is free to play in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.

The Lost World in other languages

• EnglishThe Lost World
• العربيةالعالم المفقود
• DeutschDie Vergessene Welt
• EspañolEl Mundo Perdido
• FrançaisLe Monde Perdu
• हिन्दीखोया हुआ संसार
• ItalianoIl Mondo Perduto
• 日本語失われた世界
• 한국어잃어버린 세계
• PortuguêsO Mundo Perdido
• РусскийЗатерянный мир
• TürkçeKayıp Dünya
• 简体中文失落的世界