Chapter 3 Deep Water Solutions
Question - 11 : - Find and narrate other stories about conquest of fear and what people have said about courage.
Answer - 11 : -
For example, you can recall Nelson Mandela’s struggle ‘ for freedom, his perseverance to achieve his mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor as depicted in his autobiography. The story We’re Not Afraid To Die, which you have read in Class XI, is an apt example of how courage and optimism helped a family survive under the direst stress.
Answer
The history of human beings is full of stories of courage and conquest of fear. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela fought courageously and struggled strenously to see, their countries free from British empire and to attain independence.
Nelson Mandela remained in jail for a very long time without having any fear of oppression. Maharani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi fought bravely with the Mughal empire and sacrificed her life, Bhagat Singh, Chandershekhar Azad, Sukhdev and Rajgurh kissed death willingly and happily for the sake of freedom of their nation. All these people and many many more had conquered fear with courage.
Maharana Pratap, another hero of Indian history, waged tireless war against Mughal supermacy. He fought many heroic battles against the Mughal army. All through the changing fortunes of the war Udaipur, Maharana’s seat of government, held its head high and refused to acknowledge supermacy of Akbar.
Udaipur remained unconquered. The story “We’re Not Afraid To Die” is the story of courage and optimism about the voyage of the author alongwith his family on their boat. ‘Wavewalker’. They faced the alarmingly high sea waves that broke over the ship, injured him and his daughter Sue. But none of them lost courage. His small ^ children also showed exemplary courage and conviction. Despite extremely odd circumstances, they were able to save themselves.
If someone else had narrated Douglas’s experience, how would it have differed from this account ?
Answer - 12 : - Write out a sample paragraph or paragraphs from this text from the point of view of a third person or observer, to find out which style of narration would you consider to be more effective ? Why ?
Answer
Had somebody else narrated Douglas’s experience, it would have been in indirect form of narration and not in autobiographical or direct form of narration, used by Douglas. Douglas has narrated his experience in T form. If somebody else would have narrated about his experience, he would have mostly used ‘he’ instead of ‘I’.
If one’s experiences about his or her own life are to be told, I would definitely like to read these in the autobiographical form. This is because then it will be the first hand account of the author’s own experiences, which are likely to be more authentic, true and realistic. Moreover, one can express one’s own feelings more accurately and sincerely as compared to the feelings and experiences narrated by somebody else.
Doing well in any activity, for example a sport, music, dance or painting, riding a motorcycle or a car,
Answer - 13 : -
involves a great deal of struggle. Most of us are very nervous to begin with until gradually we overcome our fears and perform well. Write an essay of about five paragraphs recounting such an experience. Try to recollect minute details of what caused the fear, your feelings, the encouragement you got from others or the criticism.You could begin with the last sentence of the essay you have just read—“At last I felt released—free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.”
Answer
“At last I felt released free to walk the trails and climb into peaks and to brush aside fear.” Of course, it turned out to be a terrible experience in the beginning, but in the end it was a thrilling joyous experience. Learning to drive a car was such an experience for me. On my persistent requests, my uncle agreed to help me learn how to drive a car. One day, we went to outskirts of the city where there was very less traffic.
First of all, my uncle told me about the major components of the car like clutch, brake and steering wheel etc. Then he told me how to start a car. Everytime I tried to start the car, I failed. As soon as I would start it, it would i nnatically stop. After an hour of practice when still I was not able to start, my uncle encraged me by saying that in the beginning it takes time to learn.
Next day, I managed to start the car as I was determined to learn driving it. My practice was going on in an encouraging manner and under the assistance of my uncle, I had a full round of the circular road. Now every day I would accompany my uncle or rather eagerly awaited for him so that I would continue with my practice. On that day, I saw a truck at some distance. I got confused and instead of applying brakes, I pressed the cluch. It would have surely been a fatal accident had my uncle not promptly pressed the brake with full force. The truck driver also did the same. And luckily we had a narrow escape.
But this mishappening had a terrible effect on my mind. I was extremely fond of learning how to drive a car. But now I shuddered even while sitting in a car. My uncle tried his best to convince me that it happened because I got confused. He persuaded me to continue my driving lessons and practical. But somehow I could not muster enough courage to do so. I was absolutely scared of learning to drive a car.
Then after about six months, one of my fast friends and his father encouraged me to restart learning to drive a car. He advised me to join some good driving school. With reluctance, I agreed to join a driving school. The instructor of the driving school, who was guiding me, proved too good. Step by step, he guided me brilliantly. He put much more emphasis on practice than on theory.
He taught me that the skillful jobs like driving could only be learn while driving to the maximum extent. He taught me that one could learn driving while practising to the maximum extent without any fear but while taking all the precautions. In this way I was able to overcome my fear of driving a car. Now I feel immense joy when my driving skill is appreciated.
Write a short letter to someone you know about your having learnt to do something new.
Answer - 14 : -
52, J.N. Colony
New Delhi-110 054.
August 25, 20xx My dear Ramesh,
Perhaps it will be a surprise to you to know that I have learnt something new, that is, playing the game of chess. But you will be more surprised to know that I am now champion of chess in my state. When you come to know about it and especially if you happen to know about it while watching T.V., I would like to explain you that it is my recent passion.
Ramesh! I break the news to you first of all! Your friend who never played chess till you know him, is now a state champion! For that, my dear friend, you should rejoice because I started playing chess when you went to Udaipur after the transfer of your father. It is not only a new thing to know for you, but it is also a new achievement for me, because whatever I did, the credit for it goes to you.
Yours sincerely,
Pawan Malhotra.
Question - 15 : - Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool?
Answer - 15 : -
Or
Why did Douglas prefer to go to the YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?
Answer
Douglas mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool because it was safe, being only two or three feet deep at the shallow end with a gradual drop to nine feet at the other end. In contrast, the Yakima river was quite deep and several cases of drowning in it had been reported.
How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water? (Deep water)
Answer - 16 : -
Douglas removed his residual doubts by swimming across Warm Lake to the opposite shore and back. He says, “I shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. I had conquered my fear of water.”
Question - 17 : - How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him?
Answer - 17 : -
Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool left a haunting fear of water in his heart. He started avoiding venturing near water and this fear remained with him for many years. It prevented him from fishing, boating and swimming, besides ruining his social life.
Question - 18 : - Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared Of water?
Answer - 18 : -
The first incident occurred when he was three or four years old at a beach in California. A strong wave knocked Douglas down and he was buried in water.
The next incident occurred at the YMCA pool when he was ten or eleven. A big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. He went down to the bottom and almost drowned in the pool.
Question - 19 : - How did the instructor turn Douglas into a Swimmer?
Answer - 19 : -
The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a swimmer. He first made him shed off his initial fear of water by making him cross a pool suspended by a rope attached to a pulley. Then he taught Douglas to breathe while swimming, and finally the leg movements and other strokes.
Question - 20 : - What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the swimming pool?
Answer - 20 : -
Or
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
Answer
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he Was very much scared but he did not lose his mind. He planned that he would make a big jump when his feet would touch the bottom. Thus, he would come to the surface. Unfortunately, the plan failed. Douglas then grew panicky and started suffocating. He felt that he would die, and became unconscious.