We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together”

 

We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can

All Be Together”

Understanding the Text

1. List the steps taken by the captain

(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.

Ans: The narrator decided to slow down the ship to protect it from bad and stormy weather. He dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope across the stern of the ship. Then, they double – lashed everything. They carried their life-raft drill, attached lifelines, donned life jackets and oilskins.

(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.

Ans: To check the flooding of the water, the narrator put waterproof hatch which covered the gaping holes. This diverted the water flow to the side. His hand pumps were blocked due to debris and his one electric pump was short-circuited. He found a hand pump and a spare electric pump. He connected the electric pump to the out pipe and started it.

2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.

Ans: On January 4, the voyagers felt relieved as they were continuously pumping out water for the past 36 hours and only a few centimetres of water was left. They had their first meal in two days. Mary found some corned beef and cracker biscuits.

Later, around 4 pm, the weather changed as black clouds marched towards them. The wind was now 40 knots and the sea was getting higher. The weather got worse and by the early morning of January 5, the situation was bad. This gave them mental stress.

3. Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each section.

Ans:

The first section: Beginning of the Round – the – Voyage

The first section was cheerful and full of hope as the family began their planned voyage just like the one done 200 years ago by the famous Captain James Cook. They had perfected their seafaring skills for 16 years. They built a ship ‘Wavewalker’ professionally which was a 23 metres long, 30 tons wooden-hulled ship. They celebrated Christmas on the ship despite the bad weather.

The Second Section: the struggle with the big attack

This section changed from cheerful to intense. The family was under great pressure to survive the oncoming waves and bad weather conditions. A giant wave created chaos and the ship was about to overturn. The narrator was thrown off into the water and he almost drowned and got injured. Along with two hired crewmen, the narrator pumped out the water from the ship for a continuous 36 hours. He also tried repairing the parts of the ship. He almost lost his hope and believed they would die. But his children were fearless and courageous enough which gave him the determination to fight back.

The third section: Victory

With the support of his children, the narrator kept trying to save the ship in order to reach the two small islands, lle Amsterdam. They finally reached their destination and got help from the inhabitants of the island. His son called him the best daddy and best captain.

Talking about the Text

1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when faced with danger?

Ans: There was a huge difference between the reaction of the adults and the children. The adults lose their hope at the end and wait for their fate of death. On the other hand, the children were hopeful and gave the narrator moral support. With the support of his children, Jonathan and Suzanne, he decided to make it to the island at any cost. The children showed maturity. His son expressed courage as to how he wasn’t afraid to die if they all were together. His daughter made him a card expressing her love and affection towards her parents and wrote a beautiful message. She was injured still, she didn’t let it become a hurdle for her parents who were trying to save the ship.

2. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?

Ans: Optimism is the determination to overcome any challenges. Without optimism, it is impossible to face difficulties and solve problems. The family fought with the sea with great optimism and determination which ultimately saved them. Again and again, on being attacked by the sea, they didn’t stop trying which helped them get to the shore of the lle Amsterdam island.

When the son of the narrator told him,” we aren’t afraid of dying if we can all be together — you and Mummy, Sue and I”. This showed the maturity of the children and how they played an important role in motivating the narrator who had almost lost hope. Sue, his daughter who made him a card showed how she was proud of her parents and didn’t make a big deal of her injuries which were in a bad condition. With the struggles and efforts, they finally made it to their destination.

3. What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?

Ans: Life is never about being happy all the time. We are constantly tested and how we tackle every problem and rise through it is the ultimate lesson. Such hazardous situations teach us how we should react towards them. We must never lose hope and keep trying as it will lead to success. In certain situations, one must keep calm and think logically. No matter how bad the situation is, there is always a way to get out of it. Significance of being extra cautious and making sure that the situation doesn’t get worse is required at such moments.

4. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?

Ans: The willingness to accept challenges drives people to take such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risk involved. People like to try different elements of nature and some do it as a passion. Surely people already know of the risks involved in such activities, but still, they do not hesitate to try it out.

Deep Water

 

Deep Water

Question Answers

Q1. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.

A. William describes his experience where he had a close brush with death at the Y.M.C.A.  Swimming pool. As it a first-person account, he has described it deeply. The emotional, mental and physical struggle and the paralyzing fear of drowning have been discussed in detail.

William retained his intelligence and had a plan to come to the surface. He tried it but I did not work and after a few trials to save his life, death dawned upon him. All these details make the description vivid.

Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

A. William Douglas was not able to come out of his fear. So, he hired a swimming instructor. Once he had learned swimming, he wanted to check if he had overcome the fear as well. He would swim in lakes and found the fear to return in small phases. William was no longer scared as he knew that he could swim. Hence, he overcame the fear.

Q3. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?

A. William Douglas gives a detailed description of his childhood experience so that the reader gets familiar with the kind of fear that he had as a child.

When he quotes Roosevelt ““All we have to fear is fear itself” he tries to draw a larger meaning from this experience. He wants to highlight the fact that life became meaningful and the desire to live grew intense once he had conquered his fear.

Q1: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words:                    

How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

OR

Q2: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words:                      

What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas’ mind?

A: Since the age of three or four, when the author accompanied his father to the beach, he realized that he disliked water. He would get frightened by the power of the waves which threw him, swept over and he was buried in water.

Later, at the age of ten – eleven years, he decided to learn swimming. He joined swimming classes at a swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A. He felt that the swimming pool was safe. Also, the pair of water wings would help him stay on the surface but more, they instilled a sense of confidence in him. It was just when he had started feeling comfortable that an incident took place. A big boy picked up the author and threw him in the pool at the deep end. He got water in his mouth and sank to the bottom. He was frightened but kept his mind working and devised a way out but things did not turn out as planned. His lungs felt as if they would burst, he was overpowered by fear, reached out, as if to grab something, but could only get his hands on the water. He got suffocated due to lack of air, could not scream, moved his arms desperately but all his efforts failed and he once again sank to the bottom of the pool. An unexplainable terror seized him. His limbs were lifeless, rigid due to fear and he could not even scream, the only sign of life was his heart beat. He sucked in water and then suddenly all his efforts to save himself stopped. He was relaxed, peaceful, fearless and sleepy, almost dead.

It was due to these experiences that the author developed an aversion to water.

Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words:                                                                             

How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?

A: The instructor made him practice swimming step by step and gradually, piece by piece, turned him into a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole.

Q4: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words:                      

Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.

A: Douglas was in the tight grip of a fear of swimming in water bodies and finally decided to get rid of it. He hired an instructor who taught him swimming piece by piece and when he had learnt it all, he combined all the pieces together and made Douglas a swimmer. Still, he was not confident, and the terror would seize him time and again. Douglas wanted to get rid of all the fear, he wanted to conquer it. So, he went to various lakes, dived and swam across them. He reverted sarcastically to the tiny vestiges of fear that would grip him time and again until all of it vanished away. Douglas realized that fear was merely a crop of the mind and once he had conquered it, he felt released, free to walk arduous terrains, climb peaks and brush aside fear. Douglas had faced stark terror and then by conquering it his desire to live life grew intensely.

Q5: Answer the following question in 30 – 40 words:                          

How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas?

A: Douglas’ experience of drowning and almost being dead instilled a fear of water in him.  He shook and cried, couldn’t eat, for days a haunting fear engulfed him, the slightest exertion upset him. He never went back to the pool, feared water and avoided it whenever he could.

Unseen Passage 2

INDOOR POLLUTANTS

1.      Call it a blessing or a curse of Mother Nature, we have to breathe in over 10,000 litres of air in a day (more than four million litres in a year) to remain alive. By making it essential for life, God has wished that we try to keep the air we breathe clean. Everyone can see the food that is not clean and perhaps refrain from eating it, but one cannot stop breathing even if one can feel the air to be polluted.

2.      Several harmful and noxious substances can contaminate the air we breathe. Generally, much is said and written about outdoor air pollution, most of which is due to vehicular and industrial exhausts.

3.      Given the fact that most of us spend over 90% of our time indoors, it is most important to recognise that the air we breathe in at home or in offices can be polluted. It can be a cause of ill-health. Air pollutants that are generally present in very low concentrations can assume significance in closed ill-ventilated places.

4.      The indoor air pollution can lead to allergic reactions and cause irritation to the skin, the eyes and the nose. But as is logical to assume, the brunt of insult by pollutants is borne by the lungs. It can lead to the development of fresh breathing problems, especially in those who have allergic tendencies, or it can worsen the existing respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis.

5.      There can be several sources of indoor air pollution. Tobacco smoke is one of the most important air pollutants in closed places. “Passive smoking” or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) pollution can lead to all the harmful effects of tobacco smoking seen in the smokers in their non-smoking companions. ETS as a health hazard has been unequivocally proven and is also getting social recognition now. One can occasionally see signs displaying the all-important message: “Your smoking is injurious to my health” in offices and homes. The children of smoking parents are among the worst affected persons.

6.      The exposure of young children to ETS leads to increased respiratory problems and hospital admissions as compared to non-exposed children. Several studies, including those done at the PGI, have shown an increased risk of lung cancer among women exposed to passive smoking. ETS also worsens the existing lung diseases like asthma and bronchitis. It may be responsible for the development of asthma in children.

7.      The next most important source of indoor air pollution is the allergens. House dust mites (HDM) are very small insects not visible to the naked eye and are the commonest source of allergy in the house. They are ubiquitous and thrive in a warm and moist atmosphere. They breed very fast and are very difficult to eradicate. Modem houses present ample breeding spaces for them in the form of carpets, curtains, mattresses, pillows, etc.

8.      Exposure to HDM can be prevented by the frequent washing of linen and by encasing the mattresses and pillows in a non-permeable cover. Pets form an important part of life for some of us. But they can add plenty of allergens to our indoor atmosphere. Cats are notorious for doing this. Fine particles from feline fur can remain stuck to the upholstery and carpets for a long time* even after the removal of the animal and lead to the worsening of asthma and skin allergies. Fortunately, owing to religious and social customs cats are not very popular pets in India. Dogs, however, are quite popular and can be as troublesome. Pets should be kept out of the bedrooms and washed frequently. To remove the fur particles one has to use vacuum cleaners as the ordinary broom and mop are not effective.

9.      Moulds, fungi and several other microorganisms thrive in damp conditions and can lead to allergies as well as infections. Humidifiers in the air-conditioning plants provide an ideal environment for certain types of bacteria and have led to major outbreaks of pneumonia. It is important to clean regularly the coolers, air-conditioners and damp areas of the house such as cupboards, lofts, etc to minimise this risk.

10. Toxic gases can also pollute the indoor environment. Biomass fuels (wood, cowdung, dried plants) and coal, if burned inside, can lead to severe contamination by carbon monoxide (CO): The poor quality of stoves and other cooking or heating appliances that cause incomplete combustion of LPG can also lead to the emission of CO or nitrogen dioxide.

Formaldehyde (a gas) can be released from adhesives that are used for fixing carpets, upholstery and also in making plywood and particleboard.

11. The gases are very toxic in high concentrations as may be encountered during industrial accidents, but even in very minimal amounts, as may be prevalent in homes and offices, they can cause irritation to the skin or the eyes, rashes, headache, dizziness and nausea. Improving the ventilation is an important preventive measure, besides trying to eliminate the source that may not be always feasible.

12. Other indoor pollutants are toxic chemicals like cleansing agents, pesticides, paints, solvents and inferior-quality personal-care products, especially aerosols. Very old crumbling pipes, boilers, insulation or false roofing can also be important sources. Asbestos is a hazardous product that can cause cancer in humans.

13. It is important to realise that the air we breathe at home may not be clean always andwe must try to eliminate the source of pollution. We should give due consideration to ventilation.

Answer the following questions briefly

(a) What is essential for our life? How?

(b) Why should we pay attention to the quality of air we breathe indoor?

(c) Name eight important sources of indoor air pollution.

(d) What do you understand by ETS? How is it harmful? Give two instances.

(e) How can the risk of allergies be minimised?

(f) How can the toxic gases pollute the indoor environment?

Unseen Passage 1

Unseen Passage 1

1. Too many parents these days can’t say no. As a result, they find themselves raising ‘children’ who respond greedily to the advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn’t satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists, educators and parents think it’s time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what’s really important : values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion. The struggle to set limits has never been tougher—and the stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults who were overindulged as children, paints a discouraging picture of their future : when given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life’s disappointments. They also have distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the work place and in relationships.
2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids, set them up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. Today’s parents themselves raised on values of thrift and self-sacrifice, grew up in a culture where ‘no’ was a household word. Today’s kids want much more, partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this generation were born in the late 1980s, just as PCs and video games were making their assault’ on the family room. They think of MP3 players and flat screen TV as essential utilities, and they have developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave for something new, most expect to ask nine times before their parents give in. By every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this buying blitz, even parents who desperately need to say no find themselves reaching for their credit cards.
3. Today’s parents aren’t equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and 70s, swore they’d act differently from their parents and have closer relationships with their own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the same music. And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it’s tempting to buy peace with ‘yes’ and not mar precious family time with conflict. Anxiety about the future is another factor. How do well intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and arts and language lessons they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly competitive world? Experts agree: too much love won’t spoil a child. Too few limits will.
4. What parents need to find, is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure.
   Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to becoming a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They think their kids are already overburdened by social and academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others, and life has meaning beyond one’s own immediate happiness. That means parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.

Answer the following questions briefly

     (a) What values do parents and teachers want children to learn?
(b) What are the results of giving the children too much too soon?
(c) Why do today’s children want more?
(d) What is the balance which the parents need to have in today’s world?
(e) What is the necessity to set limits for children?
(f) How do older children learn self-control?

Ch- 1 The Portrait of a Lady - Khushwant Singh

The Portrait of a Lady - Khushwant Singh

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

Mention

Question 1:

The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before lie left else country to study abroad.

Answer:

The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad are:

1. childhood – when he went to the village school and the grandmother helped him to get ready and went to school with him.
2. boyhood – when he went to the city school in a bus. He shared a room with grandmother but she could no longer help him in his studies.
3. early youth – when he went to the university and was given a room of him own. The common link of friendship was snapped.

Question 2:

Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when m started going to the city school.

Answer:

The three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school are:

1. She hated western Science and learning.
2. She was pained to know that there was no teaching of God and the scriptures there.
3. She was allergic to music. She thought it was not meant for decent people and gentlefolk. It was the monopoly of prostitutes and beggars.

Question 3:

Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.

Answer:

The three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up are:

• She lived alone in her room as she had accepted her loneliness quietly.
• She sat at her spinning wheel reciting prayers.
• In the afternoon, she would feed the sparrows for half an hour.

Question 4:

The odd ways in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.

Answer:

Just before her death, the author’s grandmother refused to talk to them. Since she

had omitted to pray the previous night while she was singing songs of homecoming and beating the drum, she was not going to waste any more time. She ignored their protests. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling beads.

Question 5:

The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.

Answer:

Thousands of sparrows sat silently surrounding the dead body of the author’s grandmother. There was no chirruping. The author’s mother threw some crumbs of bread to them. They took no notice of them. As soon as the grandmother’s corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly. Thus the sparrows expressed their sorrow.

Talking About the Text

Talk to your partner about the following:

 

Question 1:

The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?

Answer:

The author’s grandmother was a deeply religious lady. We come to know this through the different ways of her behaviour. She visited the temple every morning and read scriptures. At home she always mumbled inaudible prayer and kept telling the beads of rosary. She would repeat prayers in a sing-song manner while getting the writer ready for school. She hoped that he would learn it by heart. She didn’t like English school as there was no teaching of God and scriptures.

Even while spinning at her spinning-wheel she would recite prayers. Perhaps it was only once that she forgot to say her prayers. It was on the evening prior to her death when she felt over excited while celebrating the arrival of her grandson with songs and beatings of drum. She continued praying and telling beads of her rosary till her last breath.

Question 2:

Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?

Answer:

During his boyhood, the author was completely dependent on his grandmother. She was a part of his life. The turning point in their friendship came when they went to city. She could no longer accompany him to school as he went there by bus. They shared the same room but she could not help him in his studies. She would ask him what the teachers had taught. She did not believe in the things that were taught at school. She was distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. She felt offended that music was also being taught. She expressed her disapproval silently. After this she rarely talked to him. When he went to university, he was given a room of his own. The common link of friendship was snapped.

However their feelings for each other did not change. They still loved each other deeply. She went to see the author off at the railway station when he was going abroad for higher studies. She showed no emotion but kissed his forehead silently. The author valued this as perhaps the last sign of physical contact between them. When the author returned after five years, she received him at the station. She clasped him in her arms. In the evening she celebrated his homecoming by singing songs and beating an old drum.

Question 3:

Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this.

Answer:

Yes, I agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. She was a strong woman with strong beliefs. Although she was not formally educated, she was serious about the author’s education. She could not adjust herself to the western way of life, Science and English education. She hated music and disapproved of its teaching in school.

She was a deeply religious lady. Her lips were always moving in a silent prayer. She was always telling the beads of her rosary. She went to temple daily and read the scriptures. She was distressed to know that there was no teaching about God and holy books at Khushwant’s new English school.

She was a kind lady She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city she took to feeding sparrows. Although old in years and weak in body she had strength of mind. Just before her death, she refused to talk to the members of the family as she did not want to waste her time. She wanted to make up for the time last evening when she had not prayed to God. She lay peacefully in bed saying prayers and telling the beads of her rosary till she breathed her last.

Question 4:

Have you known someone like the author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost?

Answer:

Yes, I have known my grandfather, who loved me deeply and looked after me. He had served in the army before he retired as a colonel 20 years ago. When I was a school going kid, he was still active and smart. He was fond of walking, jogging and playing outdoor games. He inspired us to get up early in the morning. He believed that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. He used to give us good physical exercises followed by milk and nourishing food and then asked us to study for a while before going to school. In the afternoon, he would enquire what we had been taught at the school. He would help us in our home task and supervise our reading, writing and doing sums. He was gentle but firm. He laid stress on good habits and character building. He passed away when I had gone abroad for higher studies. I miss him a lot. A sense of loss fills me whenever I see his portrait on the wall. But his cheerful looks remind me to take heart and fight the struggle of life.