Day 2 class XI
Super seven/ Eleven Qs/ Ans. Hornbill- Snapshot-
Poems-writing skills- Grammar
Lesson 2. We’re
Not Afraid to Die...if We Can All Be Together
By Gordon Cook and Alan East
Short
Answer-type Questions
Q3/1. Describe the boat which the narrator
and his wife prepare for sailing in the manner of the famous British explorer
James Cook.
Ans. Both of them prepared a large boat ‘Wave-walker’,
which was 23 meters in length and 30 tons in weight. It was a very beautiful and
professionally built boat. The narrator and his wife had to spend several
months in making it suitable for the roughest weather in the sea.
Q5/2. Who were the hired crewmen? Why were
they hired?
Ans. The narrator hired two crewmen from Plymouth in the United Kingdom. One was Larry Vigil,
an American and the other was Herb Seigler, a Swiss. He hired them to tackle
the southern Indian Ocean, the world’s roughest seas.
Q7/3. What dangers of the sea did the narrator and his
family face on the dawn of the 26th of January? What did they do?
Ans. The
narrator and his family had to face the spray created in big ways. There was a
fast flow of wind and rain. After
that, they dropped down the jib (a small sail) to decrease the speed of the
boat. They also tied a strong rope to the back of the boat. They put on oilskins
and life jackets.
Q8/4. How did the narrator and his family
along with the crewmen do after a huge wave struck the boat on the evening of
the 2nd of January? What was their condition?
Ans. Ans. A
large amount of green and white water fell over the boat smashing
(HITTING) the narrator’s head into the wheel (steering wheel). Fortunately, his
head came out (popped up) of the water.
Q10/5. What did the narrator notice when he
went down into the lower part of the boat to take stock of the situation after
Mary informed him that they were sinking?
Ans. On
reaching there, he saw:
(i)
Larry and Herb
were trying to pump water out of the lower part of the vessel (boat).
(ii)
He also saw that
so many broken pieces of timber were lying scattered here and there.
(iii)
The things like clothes, crockery, charts,
tins and toys were floating about in deep water.
Q12/6. What did the narrator do at once to
stop water that was coming in the Wavewalker?
Ans. After some time, he was able to find a hammer,
screws, and canvas and reached the deck (upper part of a boat or ship)
with some difficulty. After some struggle, he could spread some canvas and put
waterproof hatch covers on the gaping (widening) holes.
Q13/7. After checking the charts and making calculations,
what did the narrator hope to find?
Ans. The narrator checked the charts and made some calculations.
He was able to find two small islands at a small distance.
Q14/8. Describe
the courage shown by the children during the disaster they had to face during
their voyage?
Ans. The narrator’s children showed immense (great)
courage even in the face of death-like situations. Sue’s head had swollen. There
was a deep cut on her arm also. She did not want to worry her father. She also
tried to cheer them up by making caricatures and a card for them.
Q16/9. What kind of card did Sue make and what
did she want to convey through it?
Ans. It was a beautiful card made by her. She made caricatures of her mother and father. She also wrote a message of hope for the
best on the card saying that her parents were funny persons and she loved
them most.
Q19/10. How did the narrator feel when he set foot on the island? Who came to receive him?
Ans. He
was extremely happy to set foot on the earth’s surface. The inhabitants
(the people who lived there) of that island, who were 28 in number, welcomed
them on the shore.
Long Answer-type Questions
Q1. Describe the disaster that reached the narrator and
his family along with the crewmen at 6 p.m. on the 2nd of January.
Ans. It
was 6 p.m. on 26th January. The
wind completely stopped blowing.
The sky became overcast with dark clouds immediately.
Then they heard a roar that was increasing at an alarming speed. An enormous cloud seemed to chase the boat. It
was such a big wave that he had never seen before. It was twice the height of the other waves and rose up
perfectly vertically. It had a frightful breaking
crest.
The roar created by that wave increased as the stern
lifted up. The narrator thought for some time that they were going to ride the
wave.
But, immediately after that, a large amount of green
and white water fell over the boat smashing the narrator’s head into the
wheel (steering wheel) and he was fully aware of the fact that he was flying
overboard and sinking below the waves.
[Word-meanings: impending (a usually unpleasant event that is sure to
happen, indication (hint, disaster (an event that causes a lot
of destruction, ominous (suggesting that something bad is
going to happen, enormous (very big in size), crest (top, peak).
roar (HUGE NOISE), stern (back part of the boat), smashing
(HITTING)
Q2. Describe how the water was pumped out. How did the narrator manage all the
difficulties?
Ans. As he knew that some water was still flowing
below, but most of it was being deflected (diverted, moved to another
side). The debris (pieces of wood metal, plastic, etc.) was also
floating and it blocked the hand pumps.
The electric pump was also short-circuited. The level
of water was rising alarmingly. Then he found two spare hand pumps at the deck.
He also remembered that there was an electronic pump
at the chartroom floor. He connected it to an out pipe and it started working.
The narrator continued pumping water out, steering the wheel, and working the
radio for the whole cold night. But no reply came for their Mayday (The
word is used for distress calls.) calls.
Q3. How was the narrator able to survive the blow that
the huge wave gave him on the 2nd of January?
Ans. After being blown overboard by the huge
wave, after some time, a wave came and lifted the boat upright
(straight, vertical). The lifeline (rope) that was tied to the boat became taut
(tight, stiff) due to the pressure of the water.
He had grasped
(clutched, grabbed) the guard rails. Then he was pulled back into the
Wavewalker. Now the sea waves tossed him around the deck like a ragdoll. His left rib was cracked in that tussle (fight,
struggle) and his mouth was full of blood due to the broken teeth. Luckily, he was successful in getting
the steering wheel, lined up
(straightening up) the stern, and waited for the next wave to come.
