3. Deep Water (William Douglas)
Passages for
Comprehension / Very Small Ans. type questions
1. P (23) “I had decided to learn to swim
........... the drop was gradual”
Q.1 Name the
lesson and the writer.
Ans. The name of
the lesson is Deep Water and the
writer’s name is William Douglas.
Q.2 What does Y.M.C.A. stand for?
Ans. Youngmen
Christian Association.
Q.3 What would the mother warn the writer about?
Ans. About Yakima
river being treacherous.
Q.4 How was the YMCA pool safe?
Ans. (i) It was
2-3 feet deep at the shallow end (ii) it was nine feet deep at the other end
(iii) the drop was gradual (iv) all the above.
Ans. All the above
Q.5 Which river was treacherous?
Ans. Yakima
Q.6 When did the narrator decide to learn to
swim?
Ans. At the age of
ten or eleven.
2. P (25) From
the beginning ........... force of the waves”
Q.1 What aversion did the writer have?
Ans. Aversion
(strong dislike) to water
Q.2 Why did the writer hang on to his father?
Ans. Because he
feared the waves would knock him down.
Q.3 What made the father laugh?
Ans. To see how
the waves knocked him (child) down.
Q.4 What filled the writer with terror?
Ans. The overpowering force of waves.
Q.5 Where did the writer’s father take him to?
Ans. To the beach
in California.
Q.6 What was the writer’s age at that time?
Ans. Three or four
years old.
Q.7 Whom did the waves knock down?
Ans. The writer
3. (P 25-26)
It seemed a long way ............... yellow tinge do it”
Q.1 What ‘long way down’ is the writer talking
of?
Ans. The depth of the Y.M.C.A. pool.
Q.2 What did the writer do when his feet hit the
bottom?
Ans. He tried to
spring (jump) upwards.
Q.3 What did the writer see when he opened his
eyes?
Ans. He saw
nothing but water all around.
Q.4 Where did this incident occur?
Ans. At the
Y.M.C.A. pool.
Q.5 What was the effect on his lungs?
Ans. They were
about to burst.
Q.6 What did he imagine?
Ans. He imagined
that he would come up to the surface like a cork.
Q.7 What colour was of water?
Ans. A dirty
yellow tinge.
4. (P-27)
“The next I remember ............. sick to my stomach.”
Q.1 What happened to the writer?
Ans. He was nearly
drowned and was unconscious.
Q.2 What next did the writer remember?
Ans. He was lying
beside the pool, vomiting.
Q.3 Who had made the writer lie on his stomach?
Ans. The boy who
threw him into the pool.
Q.4 Why was the writer made to lie on his
stomach?
Ans. …so that
water may come out of it.
Q.5 What did the boy who threw the writer into the narrator say?
Ans. “But I was only fooling”
Q.6 What did someone say?
Ans. “The kid
nearly died .......... “
Q.7 How was the writer feeling as he went home?
Ans. He was weak
and trembling.
Q.8 What made him wobbly (feeling about falling
down)?
Ans. The slightest
exertion.
Q.9 What was the deep effect of this incident on
the writer’s mind?
Ans. He feared
water.
5. (P-29)
The experience had a deep meaning for me ........... grew in intensity”
Q.1 What experience is the writer talking about here?
Ans. The incident
at the Y.M.C.A. pool.
Q.2 What had the writer learned from the
experience he talks of?
Ans. (i) That in
death there is peace
(ii) That
there is terror only in the fear of death.
(iii) Both
of these (iv) Neither of these
Ans. (iii)
Q.3 What had Roosevelt said?
Ans. He had said,
“All we have to fear is fear itself.”
Q.4 What had the writer experienced?
Ans. (i) The
sensation of dying (ii) The terror that
fear of death can produce.
Ans. Both of these
Some other Questions/Ans.
Q.1 Why did the writer hate to walk naked?
Ans. He didn’t
want to show his skinny (thin) legs.
Q.2 Why did the writer sit on the side of the
pool?
Ans. He was afraid
of going into the pool alone.
Q.3 Who threw the writer into deep water of the
pool?
Ans. A big boy of
eighteen
Q.4 What did the writer plan while going down
the water of the pool?
Ans. To make a big
jump by touching the bottom.
Short Answer Type questions :
Q.1 Describe the
writer’s experience when he was of three or four years.
OR
Which
incident created water aversion in the writer’s mind?
Ans. The writer’s
father took him to the beach in California. Both of them were in sea water. The writer hung on to his
father. Then a wave is knocked him down. It swept over the writer and buried
him in water. His breath was gone. The incident created an aversion to water in
the writer’s mid.
Q.2 What did the
18-years old boy do the writer and why?
Ans. The writer
was afraid of going into the pool alone. So he was waiting for someone to come.
Then a boy of eighteen came there. First, he made fun of the writer. He called
him skinny. After that, he picked him up and threw into deep water. He did it
just out of fun.
Q.3 Why was the
writer at first not much frightened when he was thrown into the pool?
Ans. The writer
was hopeful to come at the surface very soon. While going down into the water,
he made a plan. He would spring up as soon as his feet touched the bottom of
the pool. So he was not frightened.
Q.4 How did the
writer feel when he stopped all efforts to save himself?
Ans. The writer
felt relaxed. Even his legs became inactive. He felt darkness in his brain.
There was no fear and panic. All was quiet and peaceful. He felt drowsy. He was
too tired to jump. Those were the moments of giving up all to God.
Q.5 What did the
writer remember as he came to his senses after the misadventure at the pool?
Ans. He remembered
that he was lying on his stomach. He was vomiting. The boy who had thrown him
into the pool was also there. He was saying that he had done that only as fun.
Another person was saying that the kid had nearly died.
Q.6 How was the
writer affected by his misadventure at the pool?
Ans. It affected
the writer badly. It created fear from water in his mind. After that, he never
went to the pool On that night, he reached home trembling. He could not eat
that night. Thus the misadventure affected him physically and mentally.
Q.7 Why was
Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Ans. The writer
wanted to bathe in warm lakes and cascades or wade in Tieton or Bumping river. But the fear of water would paralyse
his legs. His heart would freeze. Sometimes he wished fishing, boating, and
swimming. So the writer determined to get over his fear of water.
Q.8 How did
Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans. First, he got
training from an instructor. He taught him swimming piece by piece. He
continued to practice swimming for four months. Then he swam two miles in
Wentworth lake. Fear of water came off and on. But he did not case for it.
Finally, in the warm lake, he succeeded in overcoming the fear of water.
Q.9 How did
Douglas make sure that he had conquered the old terror?
Ans. After
training of swimming, the writer wanted to make sure that he had conquered the
old terror. For this, he practiced swimming alone in the pool. Then he went to
Wentworth Lake. He swam into it for two miles. Finally, he conquered the fear of
water in a warm lake.
Q.10 The writer
says, “The instructor was finished. But I was
not finished.” Why?
Ans. The writer’s
instructor trained him in swimming. Then he said his job was finished. But the
writer’s job was still unfinished. He was to finish his fear of water by
practising swimming alone. That is the reason why the writer says “ ..... I was
not finished.”
General Answer :
The writer Douglas, had fear of water since
childhood. But he had a strong desire for swimming. The swimming pool of
Y.M.C.A was safe for swimming. So the writer bought a pair of water wings. He
tried to swim into the pool three or four times. One day a misadventure
happened. A boy of 18 threw him into deep water just for fun. He was nearly
drowned. That incident created almost permanent fear in his mind. The terror
for water became stranger in is mind. Whenever he put his feet into the water, the
fear of water made him weak. But he wanted to conquer fear in order to enjoy
swimming, bathing, fishing, and boating. He got training of swimming. After
that, he practised swimming for months alone. He swam alone in the Y.M.C.A.
pool and in Wentworth lake. He swam in the lake for two miles. Finally, he
conquered fear in the warm lake. Now he got full confidence in swimming. Thus, his
strong willpower and his instructor’s training made him a perfect swimmer.
Q.1 How did Douglas overcome /conquer his fear
of water?
Q.2 How did the instructor make a swimmer out of Douglas?
Ans. For Q.1 & Q. 2, see answer above (General)
Q.3 How does Douglas describe the panic that
gripped him as he was almost drowned? What makes the description so vivid
(clear)?
OR
Narrate briefly the writer’s emotions
and fears when he was thrown into the pool. What plans did he make to come to
the surface?
OR
What was the misadventure’ the
Y.M.C.A. pool that the writer William Douglas speaks about?
Ans. The writer
had a strong desire for swimming. He got a pair of water wings. He tried to
swim in the Y.M.C.A. pool three or four times on different days. One day, he
was waiting for someone to come. He was afraid of swimming alone in the pool.
Then a big boy of eighteen came. He picked up the writer and threw him into the deep water of the pool. In the beginning, he was not so much afraid. He had a
plan in his mind. As soon as his feet touched the bottom of the pool he would
spring up and come to the surface. But he failed to do so. He felt weak. His
legs and arms would not move. He became panicky. Twice he tried to come up, but
in vain his effort proved. He tried to
cry; he tried to call his mother, but all was dark before his eyes. At last,
his efforts stopped. He left everything to God. He became unconscious when he
came to his senses, he found himself lying on his stomach and he was vomiting Thus
he was nearly drowned.
