explorers or boys messing about

• Steven Morris disapproves of the actions of the adventurers, regardless of whether they are considered explorers or not
• The choice of headline structure suggests a negative tone, indicating that the writer sees their adventures as irresponsible or unwarranted
• A semantic field of the theatre is used to indicate the seriousness of the situation
• The writer describes the expedition as a 'farce', implying a comedic element but also adding gravity due to the potential tragedy
• 'The drama began' suggests that the writer felt the men were putting on a show for attention
• The use of theatrical language creates a vivid and contrasting image of the situation
• The writer uses foreshadowing to show the possible far-reaching repercussions of the adventurers' acts
• The statement 'the Russians threatened to send in military planes to intercept them' emphasizes the serious consequences of their actions, particularly involving international tensions
• This suggests that their behavior has had significant repercussions in the past, contributing to the negative portrayal of the adventurers
• The writer uses statistics to reference the men's ages to add a layer of criticism
• The ages of 'Mr Brooks 42- and 40-year-old Mr Smith' imply that these middle-aged individuals should have exhibited more responsible behavior
• The writer uses irony to emphasize the men's failure
• The comment that 'Ironically, one of the aims of the expedition was to demonstrate how good relations between east and west had become' highlights the men's failure
• The use of irony underscores the contradiction between the intended purpose of the expedition and the actual outcome, contributing to the negative portrayal of the men and their expedition