Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?

Ans. ‘Cardboard’ refers to the photograph only. In the past photographs used to be fixed on a cardboard and hung from the wall for everyone to see it.

Q2. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?

Ans. The sea has not changed over the years. It suggests the immortality of sea as compared to the mortal human beings whose life comes to an end finally.

Q3. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What does this laugh indicate?

Ans. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. This is an indication of the fun and joy she had experienced during the beach holiday and she had fond memories of that particular incident. It brought joy to her when she looked at the snapshot.

Q4. What does ‘this circumstance’ refer to?

Ans. ‘This circumstance’ refers to the loneliness and the sense of loss that the poet suffers as she remembers her mother who is no more.

Q5. What do you learn about the poet’s mother from the photograph?

Ans. The poet’s mother had been a fun loving girl who had taken great delight with her cousins at the beach and had the fond memories of the holiday that she cherished even when she was a grown up.

Q6. What has the camera captured?

Ans. The camera has captured some happy moments from the childhood of the poet’s mother. It was a scene taken from a beach where she had gone with her cousins and her uncle for a sea holiday. The girls were paddling in the water.

Q. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?

Ans. This laugh indicates her remembering her past. She looked back to her childhood with nostalgia and remembered the innocent joys of her childhood days.

Q. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease or loss”

Ans. ‘Both’ refers to the sea holiday as remembered by her mother and the poet remembering her mother’s laughing face. Both these now belong to the past. Her mother is no more now.

Q. What scene from mother’s childhood has been captured in the photograph? Who had taken the photograph?

Ans. The scene that has been captured in the photograph is from mother’s childhood when she went for paddling with her two cousins. Mother’s uncle had taken the photograph.

Q. How did the cousins accompany mother for paddling?

Ans. Her cousins accompanied mother by holding her hands when they went for paddling.

Q. Explain the contrast given in the last two lines of the first stanza.

Ans. The contrast is between the sea and the humans. The sea had remained the same for all these years, but the humans have undergone changes. Her mother grew up and now she had been dead for the past twelve years.

Q. How does the poet feel when she remembers the sea holiday of her mother?

Ans. The poet feels sad when she remembers the sea holiday of her mother. Her mother died twelve years ago.

Q. Why doesn’t she want to think about the photograph anymore?

Ans. She doesn’t want think about the photograph anymore because it brings the pain of loss to her mind.

Q. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?

Ans. The three stanzas depict three different phases of life. The first stanza refers to the childhood of the poet’s mother. The second stanza refers to the adulthood of the poet’s mother. The last stanza refers to the last phase of life – the death of the poet’s mother.

1. Explain: ‘The cardboard shows me how it was’.

Ans. The photograph shows the narrator who it was that day.

Poetic device: allusion as the cardboard’s lack of durability hints at the lack of permanence of human life

2. Explain: ‘All three stood still to smile through their hair’.

Ans. All three of them stood smiling, their hair were flying over their faces (possibly tossed by the beach wind or water)

Poetic device: alliteration… stood still to smile

3. Explain:

‘And the sea, which appears to have changed less
 Washed their terribly transient feet.’

Ans. The sea in the picture is still the same today and has changed very less. It seems to wash their feet which by nature, are transient because human life is short-lived as compared to nature.

Nature is perennial while human life is temporary or transient. The poet uses a transferred epithet (terribly transient feet) in order to make this comparison and highlight the terribly short-lived life of her mother.

Poetic device: Transferred Epithet. Human life itself is temporary not the feet. When the adjective for one noun like life is transferred to another noun like feet, it is called transferred epithet. It is also alliteration due to the repetition of the ‘t’ sound (their terribly transient feet) but writing only alliteration as the poetic device will lead to a loss of marks)

4. Explain:

‘The sea holiday
was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss’

Ans. The sea holiday was remembered by her mother with a fondness as well as a sense of loss because that time would never return. Similarly, her laughter would never return to the narrator. The sea holiday was the narrator’s mother’s past and her mother’s laughter is the narrator’s past. Both these pasts are remembered with a difficult and yet easy sense of loss.

Poetic device: oxymoron

The coming together of two opposite ideas to describe the same entity. ‘Laboured’ and ‘ease’ are opposite words describing the same entity ‘losses’. The loss of the holiday and the laughter was easy because these things have to be accepted as a part of life. They are merely a part of the past and cannot be brought back or relived. However, precisely because they cannot be relived, there will always be a tinge of difficulty letting them go completely. They will always be seen as loss.

The camera thus managed to capture a moment in time. It kept the memory of the mother and for the mother alive. The sea holiday brought a sad smile (wry) to the mother’s face because she couldn’t relive it but was glad that she once had. Similarly, thinking of her mother’s laughter brought a sad smile to the poet’s face because although that laughter was now gone she was glad to have once had it in her life.

5. Explain: ‘that girl lived’.

Ans. Now, it has been twelve years since her mother passed away. The girl in the photograph seems like a different person altogether. That’s why the poet has used the words, ‘that girl’.

6. Explain:

‘And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all,
Its silence silences.’

Ans. Her mother has passed away leaving behind nothing but memories and photographs like this one. There is nothing to be said. It is a part of life and on thinking of it, one really has no words to express how one feels.The silence of the whole situation silences the poet and leaves her quiet.

Poetic device: alliteration and personification. The situation has been given the human quality of silence and the sound of ‘s’ has been repeated)

1. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 

The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousins went paddling
Each one holding one of my mother’s hands, 
And she the big girl- some twelve years or so.

Q.  What does the cardboard refer to?

Ans. The cardboard refers to the childhood photograph of her mother.

Q. Who was the big girl and how old was she?

Ans. The big girl was the poet’s mother. She was then twelve years old.

Q. How did the cousins go paddling with mother?

Ans. The girl cousins went paddling with mother holding her hand.

2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera, A sweet face
My mother’s, that was before I was born

Q.  Who does ‘all three’ refer to here?

Ans. ‘all three’ refers to the poet’s mother and her two cousins.

Q. Where are they now?

Ans. They have gone to the seashore. They are paddling in the water.

Q. Why did they smile through their hair?

Ans. They smiled through their hair because they were posing for a photograph.

3. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

……………………….A sweet face, 
My mother’s, that was before I was born
And the sea, which appears to have changed less
Washed their terribly transient feet.

Q. Where was her mother?

Ans. Her mother was on the sea shore with her cousins and posing for a photograph.

Q. When did this incident take place?

Ans. This incident took place when she was twelve years old.

Q. How is the poet able to remember her mother’s childhood?

Ans. The poet is able to remember her mother’s childhood when she looks into the photograph of her mother.

Q. What has stood the onslaught of time and what has not?

Ans. The sea has stood the onslaught of time. It is still the same. However, her mother and her cousins underwent changes. Her mother grew up to be an adult and now she is no more.

4. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Some twenty- thirty- years later
she’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
dressed us for the beach.”

Q. Who would laugh at the snapshot after twenty – thirty years later?

Ans. The poet’s mother would laugh at the snapshot after twenty – thirty years later.

Q. How did mother remember her past?

Ans. Mother remembered her past with nostalgia.

Q. Who were Betty and Dolly?

Ans. Betty and Dolly were her cousins who had gone with her to the beach for paddling.

5. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

………………………The sea holiday
was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss

Q. Who went for the sea holiday in the past?

Ans. The poet’s mother had gone for the sea holiday in the past when she was a young girl.

Q. What does ‘both’ refer to?

Ans. Both’ refers to the poet’s mother remembering her past sea holiday as well as the poet remembering her mother’s laughter.

Q. How does the poet feel when she remembers her mother?

Ans. The poet experiences great sorrow when she remembers her mother who left for heavenly abode twelve years ago.

Q. What does the poet compare her laughter to and why?

Ans. The mother’s laughter that used to echo in the house when she was alive has now become the poet’s past. The comparison is given in order to remember the mother with fondness while looking at her photograph.

6. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Now she’s has been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all, 
Its silence silences.

Q. When did the poet’s mother die?

Ans. The poet’s mother died about twelve years ago.

Q. What does the poet remember of that girl?

Ans. She remembers how much her mother had changed from a young girl. She also remembers the sweet laughter of her mother.

Q. Explain: ‘Its silence silences.’

Ans. The loss of her mother is too deep for the poet. Now she has nothing to say at all. The silence of the whole situation silences the poet and leaves her quiet.

Q. What is ‘this circumstance’?

Ans.This circumstance means the death of her mother.

Silk Road Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
when they set out on their journey.
Answer:
The narrator was moving towards Mount Kailash to complete the kora. He recalls the day, when they set out from Ravu, with nostalgia. It was a ‘perfect’ early morning to start a journey. The clouds looked like long French loaves glimmering pink as the rising sun shone on them. The far-away mountain peaks glowed with a rose-tinted colour. Lhamo presented him with one of the long-sleeved sheepskin coats that all the men there wore, for protection against cold.

Question 2.
Describe the initial phase of their journey.
Answer:
As they set out, they took a shorter route to get off the Changtang. It was a road that would take them south¬west, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. It required crossing several quite high mountain passes. Tsetan was confident that if there was no snow they would have a comfortable journey but that they would not know till they got there.

From the gently sloping hills of Ravu, the short cut took them across vast open plains with nothing in them except a few antelopes grazing in the arid pastures. As they moved ahead, the plains became more stony than grassy. There, the antelopes were replaced by herds of wild ass.

Question 3.
What did the narrator notice about the ‘drokbas’?
Answer:
As the narrator went further up the hills from the rocky wasteland, he noticed the solitary drokbas tending their flocks. Sometimes these well-wrapped figures would halt briefly and stare at their car. They seldom waved as they crossed. When the road took them close to the sheep, the animals would swerve away from the speeding car.

Question 4.
The narrator was fascinated by the awesome mastiffs. Why?
Answer:
Crossing the nomads’ dark tents pitched in remoteness, the narrator noticed that a huge black dog, a Tibetan mastiffs, guarded most of the tents. These monstrous creatures would tilt their great big heads when someone moved towards them. As they drew closer, these dogs would race straight towards them, like a bullet from a gun. These dogs were pitch black and usually wore bright red collars.

They barked furiously with their gigantic jaws and were so fearless that they ran straight into the path of their vehicle. They would chase them for about a hundred metres. The narrator could understand why Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs.

Question 5.
How did Tsetan manoeuvre across the first patch of snow that they came across?
Answer:
Tsetan stopped at a tight bend and got out because the snow had covered the path in front of them. This unexpected-depository was too steep for their vehicle to mount. Tsetan stepped on to the covered snow, and stamped his foot to determine how sturdy it was. The snow was not deep but the car could turn over. Tsetan took handfuls of dirt and threw them across the frozen surface. Daniel and the narrator, too, joined in. When the snow was spread with soil, Tsetan backed up the vehicle and drove towards the dirty snow. The car moved across the icy surface without noticeable difficulty.

Question 6.
When did the narrator feel unwell or the first time? What did he do?
Answer:
When they went further up the trail and were 5,400 metres above the sea level, the narrator got an awful headache. He took gulps from his water bottle, which is supposed to help during a speedy uphill journey. His headache soon cleared as they went down the other side of the pass.

Question 7.
What was the sight on the plateau ruins of the Tethys Ocean?
Answer:
The narrator and his friends stopped for lunch in a long canvas tent, part of a work camp erected beside a dry salt lake. The plateau was covered with salty desert area and salty lakes that were remnants of the Tethys Ocean. This place was bustling with activity. Men with pickaxes and shovels were moving back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-covered boots. All wore sunglasses as protection against the dazzling light of blue trucks that energed from the lake with piles of salt.

Question 8.
Why was the narrator sorry to see the miserable plight of Hor?
Answer:
Hor was a dismal place with no vegetation. It only had dust and rocks coupled with years of accumulated refuse. He found this unfortunate because this town was on the banks of Lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water.

Question 9.
What is the belief about Lake Manasarovar? What is the fact?
Answer:
According to ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology Manasarovar is the source of four great Indian rivers: the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra. In actuality only the Sutlej flows from the lake, but the headwaters of the all others rise nearby on the flanks of Mount Kailash.

Question 10.
The narrator ‘slept very soundly. Like a log, not a dead man’. Explain.
Answer:
After going to the Tibetan doctor the narrator soon recovered. Unpalatable as it seemed, the medicine led him to a quick recovery. Hence the narrator had a healthy and sound sleep unlike when he was ailing and restless. He slept undisturbed. He was not tossing and turning because he was sound a sleep, not because he felt lifeless.

Question 11.
‘Darchen didn’t look so horrible after a good night’s sleep.’ Justify
Answer:
The narrator had a very uncomfortable night at Darchen. After he rested, although Darchen was dusty, with heaps of rubble and refuse, the bright sun in a clear blue sky gave the narrator a view of the Himalayas. He also noticed the huge, snow-capped mountain, Gurla Mandhata, with just a tuft of cloud suspended over its peak.

Question 12.
‘I hadn’t made much progress with my self-help programme on positive thinking.’ Why does the narrator feel so?
Answer:
The narrator was very disappointed with Darchen. It was dusty, with heaps of rubble and refuse. But he was even more disappointed as there were no pilgrims. As his mind went over the drawbacks of the place he concluded that he hadn’t made much progress with his self-help programme on positive thinking. In that case he would have been more accepting and optimistic.

Question 13.
Who was Norbu? How could he be a help to the narrator?
Answer:
The narrator met Norbu in a cafe. He was Tibetan, and worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in the Institute of Ethnic Literature. He had come to do the kora. Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years but .he had never actually done it himself. The narrator was relieved to team up with him. He would not be alone then.

Question 14.
‘He suggested we hire some yaks to carry our luggage, which I interpreted as a good sign’. Why does the narrator feel so?
Answer:
The narrator was relieved at meeting Norbu. He kept telling the narrator how fat he was and how hard it was going to be for him to climb. He wasn’t really a practising Buddhist, but he was enthusiastic and was a Tibetan. Making the trek in the company of devout believers would not be easy as they would go prostrating all round the mountain. But Norbu suggested that they hire some yaks to carry our luggage. This to the narrator came as a relief.

Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
The narrator on his way to Mount Kailash came across a lot of topographic variation. Comment.
Answer:
The narrator and his companions took a short cut to get off the Changtang. Tsetan knew a route that would take them southwest, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. It involved crossing several fairly high mountain passes. From the gently rising and failing hills of Ravu, the short cut took them across vast open plains with nothing in them except a few gazelles that were grazing in the arid pastures. Further ahead,
the plains became more stony than grassy, and there a great herd of wild ass came into view.

Still ahead hills became steeper wh^re solitary drokbas were tending their flocks. This led them to the snow-capped mountains and then to the valley where the river was wide and by and large clogged with ice. At a height of 5,515 metres, piles of stones marked the landscape. Next was the plateau which was covered with salty desert area and salty lakes that were remnants of the Tethys Ocean. Hor was next in line. It was a wretched place with no vegetation just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse.

Question 2.
The narrator realized that the snow was both dangerous as well as beautiful. Justify.
Answer:
Tsetan on his way surveyed the snow on the path by stamping on it. It was not deep. But in case they slipped the car could turn over. Hence to cover the risk, they flung handfuls of dirt across the frozen surface. When the snow was spread with soil, they drove without difficulty. Ten minutes later, they stopped at another blockage. This time they decided to drive round the snow.

However, the risks did not undermine the scenic beauty of the place. In the valley, they saw snow-capped mountains and the river was wide but mostly blocked with ice that was sparkling in the sunshine. As they moved ahead, on their upward track, the turns became sharper and the ride bumpier. The rocks around were covered with patches of bright orange lichen. Under the rocks, seemed unending shade.

Question 3.
Enumerate the difficulties that the group faced in Hor.
Answer:
The group reached the small town of Hor by late afternoon. Daniel, who was returning to Lhasa, found a ride in a truck and left. They had suffered two punctures in quick succession on the drive down from the salt lake and they got them replaced. Hor was a gloomy place devoid of vegetation. It only had dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse.

Hor’s only cafe which, like all the other buildings in town, was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate for the draught. The narrator was served by a Chinese youth in military uniform who spread the grease around on his table with a filthy rag before bringing him a glass and a thermos of tea.

Question 4.
Describe in detail the narrator’s miserable night in Darchen.
Answer:
The narrator reached the Darchen guesthouse after 10.30 p.m. This was just the beginning of a troubled night. The open-air rubbish dump in Hor had set off his cold once more. One of his nostrils was blocked again and he was tired and hungry. He started breathing through his mouth. After a while, he woke up abruptly. His chest felt strangely heavy but when he sat up, his nasal passages cleared almost instantly and relieved the feeling in his chest. He lay down again. Just as he was about to doze something told him not to.

He was not gasping for breath, but could not go to sleep. He sat up but as soon as he lay down, his sinuses filled and his chest felt strange. He tried supporting himself against the wall, but could not manage to relax enough to sleep. He did not know what was wrong but had a feeling that if he slept he would not wake up again. So he stayed awake all night.

Question 5.
Narrate the narrator’s meeting with the Tibetan doctor.
Answer:
After an awfully uncomfortable and breathless night, Tsetan took the narrator to the Darchen Medical College. The college was new and looked like a monastery from the outside with a very solid door that led into a large courtyard. The consulting room was dark and cold and occupied by a Tibetan doctor who did not have any kit that the narrator had been expecting.

He wore a thick pullover and a woolly hat. The narrator explained the symptoms and the doctor shot him a few questions while feeling the veins in his wrist. Finally he said, it was the cold and the effects of altitude. He said that the narrator would be well enough to do the kora. He gave him a brown envelope stuffed with fifteen screws of paper. Each package had a brown powder that had to taken with hot water. It tasted just like cinnamon. The contents of the lunchtime and bedtime packages were less obviously identifiable. Both contained small, spherical brown pellets. Though the medicine looked like sheep dung, it helped him recover quickly.

Question 6.
Meeting Norbu came as an immense relief to the narrator. Why?
Answer:
The narrator was not only disappointed with the filth in Darchen but also because of the lack of pilgrims. Moreover, since Tsetan had left, he had not come across anyone in Darchen with enough English to answer even this most basic question. It was then that he met Norbu in a cafe. He was Tibetan, he told him, but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in the Institute of Ethnic Literature.

He had also come to do the kora. Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years, but he had never actually done it himself. He was relieved to form a team with another academician. This apart, Norbu, wasn’t really a practising Buddhist, though he was a Tibetan. He suggested that they hire some yaks to carry their luggage, as he had no intention of prostrating himself all round the mountain.

The Adventure Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Adventure Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
‘That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called Rajendra Deshpande!’ Why does Professor Gaitonde feel so?
Answer:
Professor Gaitonde had gone through a strange and a harrowing experience. He had been literally transported into an alternative universe. In the alternative world the reality was very different. History had altered its course. Now back into the real world Professor Gaitonde, as a historian felt he would go to a big library and browse through history books and would return to Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, to help him understand what had happened. After the queer happening, he was unsure about the reality and wondered if Rajendra Deshpande existed.

Question 2.
What were the things that Professor Gaitonde noticed as the train entered the British Raj territory?
Answer:
As the train touched Sarhad, from where the British Raj began, an Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train checking permits. The blue carriages of the train carried the letters GBMR on the side an acronym for ‘Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway’. There was the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage as a . reminder that they were in British territory. As the train stopped at its destination, Victoria Terminus, the station looked remarkably neat and clean. The staff was mostly made up of Anglo-Indians and Parsees along with a handful of British officers.

Question 3.
Where was Khan Sahib going? How did he intend to reach there?
Answer:
Khan Sahib was going to Peshawar. After the train reached Victoria Terminus he would take the Frontier Mail out of Central,-the same night. From Bombay he would go to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. It would be a long journey and he would reach Peshawar two days later.

Question 4.
What was the strange reality that Professor Gaitonde saw as he stepped out of the station?
Answer:
As Professor Gaitonde came out of the station, he saw an impressive building. The letters on it revealed that it was the East India headquarters of the East India Company. He was shocked as it was supposed to have had stopped operating soon after the events of 1857 but here it was flourishing.

Question 5.
What came as the biggest blow to Professor Gaitonde?
Answer:
Professor Gaitonde was shocked to see the East India Company flourishing, a different set of shops and office buildings at Hornby Road. But when he turned right along Home Street and entered Forbes building, a greater shock awaited him. He asked for his son Mr Vinay Gaitonde but the English receptionist, looked through the telephone list, the staff list and then through the directory of employees of all the branches of the firm but could not find anyone of that name.

Question 6.
What did Professor Gaitonde decide to do when the reality that he was living seemed very strange?
Answer:
When Professor Gaitoride saw unfamiliar sights and felt that he was reliving history he was very surprised but not finding his son as an employee in Forbes baffled him completely. He decided to go to the library of the Asiatic Society to solve the riddle of history. So he made his way to the Town Hall.

Question 7.
What books did he browse through in the library? What did he discover?
Answer:
In the Town Hall library, he asked for a list of history books including his own. When he got the five volumes, he started looking through them from the beginning. Volume one dealt with the history up to the period of Ashoka, volume two up to Samudragupta, volume three up to Mohammad Ghori, and volume four up to the death of Aurangzeb. This was history as he had known. However in the last (fifth) volume, history had taken a different turn during the Battle of Panipat. The book mentioned that the Marathas won it handsomely and Abdali was chased back to Kabul by the triumphant Maratha army led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew, the young Vishwasrao.

Question 8.
How did the victory of the Peshwas in the Battle of Panipat help them?
Answer:
The victory in the battle was not only successful in building their confidence tremendously but it also established the supremacy of the Marathas in northern India. The East India Company, watching these events temporarily deferred its plan to spread out further. For the Peshwas the immediate result was that the influence of Bhausaheb and Vishwasrao increased and Vishwarao succeeded his father in 1780 A.D. The rabble-rouser, Dadasaheb, had to retire from state politics.

Question 9.
What was the effect of the victory of the Peshwas on the East India Company?
Answer:
The East India Company was alarmed when the new Maratha ruler, Vishwasrao, and his brother, Madhavrao, expanded their influence all over India. The Company was limited to pockets of influence near Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. However, in the nineteenth century the Marathas were aware of the importance of the technological age starting in Europe. Hence when they set up their own centres for science and technology, the East India Company saw another chance to extend its influence, it offered support and experts. But they were accepted only to make the local centres self-sufficient.

Question 10.
What was the final outcome of the Peshwas?
Answer:
During the twentieth century, inspired by the West, India moved towards a democracy. By then, the Peshwas had lost their enterprise and democratically elected bodies slowly but surely replaced them. The Sultanate at Delhi survived even this change because it exerted no real influence. The Shahenshah of Delhi was a nominal head to rubber-stamp the ‘recommendations’ made by the central parliament.

Question 11.
Gangadharpant began to appreciate the India he had seen. Why was it so?
Answer:
After reading this new history, Gangadharpant was pleased at the India he had seen, it was a country that had not been subjected to slavery of the white man; it had leamt to stand on its feet and knew what self-respect was. From a position of strength and for purely commercial reasons, it had allowed the British to retain Bombay as the sole outpost on the subcontinent.

Question 12.
How had the Marathas won the battle?
Answer:
After reading about the consequences of the battle Gangadharpant felt that his investigations were incomplete. To find the answer he went through the books and journals before him. At last, among the books he found one that gave him the clue. It was ‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar’. He found a three-line account of how close Vishwasrao had come to being killed. However God had been merciful. The bullet brushed past his ear and he was saved by inches.

Question 13.
What did he take with him absentmindedly from the library? How did it help him?
Answer:
At eight o’clock the librarian politely reminded the Professor that the library was closing for the day. Before Gangadharpant left he shoved some notes into his right pocket. Absentmindedly, he also shoved the ‘Bakhar’ into his left pocket. It helped the Professor convince Rajendra that the story was not a figment of his imagination. He produced this as a very important piece of evidence.

Question 14.
What happened did Professor Gaitonde see in the Azad Maidan?
Answer:
In the Azad Maidan, the Professor found a multitude of people moving towards a pandal to listen to a lecture. As the lecture was in progress, people kept coming and going. But Professor Gaitonde stared at the platform, he noticed that the presidential chair was empty. Like a piece of iron attracted to a magnet, he swiftly moved towards the chair.

Question 15.
What happened when Professor Gaitonde went ahead to occupy the chair on the dais?
Answer:
When Professor Gaitonde went ahead to occupy the chair on the dais, the audience protested vehemently. Professor Gaitonde went to the mike to give his views but the audience was in no mood to listen. However, he kept on talking and soon became a target for a shower of tomatoes, eggs and other objects. Finally, the audience rushed to throw him out bodily but he was nowhere to be seen.

Question 16.
‘… facts can be stranger than fantasies, as I am beginning to realise.’ Why did Rajendra say this?
Answer:
Rajendra had thought that Professor’s mind was playing tricks on him till Gangadharpant produced his own copy of ‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar’, where the account of the war stated that Vishwasrao was hit by the bullet. He then produced the other evidence in the form of a document that he had inadvertently picked up from the Professor Gaitonde’s library.

Rajendra was confused when he saw this material evidence. He then admitted that his experience had not been just a fantasy. He realized that facts could be stranger than fiction.

Question 17.
How did Rajendra explain ‘reality’?
Answer:
Rajendra said that reality was what we experience directly with our senses or indirectly via instruments. It may not be unique as has been found from experiments on atoms and their constituent particles. Physicists discovered that the behaviour of these systems couldn’t be predicted definitively even if all the physical laws governing those systems are known.

Question 18.
How did Rajendra relate the lack of determinism in quantum theory to the Professor’s experience?
Answer:
Rajendra said that the path of an electron fired from a source cannot be determined as in one world the electron is found here, in another it is over there. Once the observer finds where it is, we know which world we are talking about. But all those alternative worlds could exist just the same. Similarly, catastrophic situations offer radically different alternatives for the world to proceed. It seems that so far as reality is concerned all alternatives are viable but the observer can experience only one of them at a time.

Question 19.
How did Professor Gaitonde make the transition from one reality to the other?
Answer:
Rajendra admitted that there are many unsolved questions in science and this Professor Gaitonde’s transition was one of them. But he guessed that since one needs some interaction to cause a transition, at the time of the collision he must have been thinking about the catastrophe theory and its role in wars. Perhaps he was wondering about the Battle of Panipat and the neurons in his brain acted as a trigger.

The Adventure Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe the observations made by the Professor as he entered the alternative universe.
Answer:
Professor Gaitonde was shocked when the train stopped beyond the long tunnel at a small station called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform was checking the train permits.

Then the train passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side that stood for ‘Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway’. There was a tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage as a gentle reminder that they were in British territory. The station at Victoria Terminus looked impeccably neat and clean. The staff comprised mostly of Anglo-Indians and Parsees along with a handful of British officers.

Coming out of the station, he found himself facing an imposing building. It was the office of the East India Company. As he walked along Homby Road, as it was called, he found a different set of shops and office buildings. There was no Handloom House building. Instead, there were Boots and Woolworth departmental stores, imposing offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, as in a typical high street of a town in England.

The greatest shock that awaited was when he entered Forbes building and wished to meet his son, Mr Vinay Gaitonde. The receptionist searched through the telephone list, the staff list and then through the directory of employees of all the branches of the firm and finally shook her head and said, that nobody of that name was either there or any of their branches.

Question 2.
Write a detailed account of the different history that Professor Gaitonde read in the fifth volume of the book in the library.
Answer:
The book mentioned that the Marathas won Battle of Panipat. Abdali was chased back to Kabul by the victorious .Maratha army led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew, the young Vishwasrao. As a consequence the Marathas gained a great deal of confidence and established their supremacy in northern India. The East India Company, watching these developments, temporarily postponed its expansionist programme. This increased the influence of Bhausaheb and Vishwasrao who succeeded his father to the throne in 1780 A.D.

The troublemaker, Dadasaheb, was pushed to the background and he ultimately left state politics. Vishwasrao and his brother, Madhavrao, combined political insight with courage and expanded their influence all over India. The Company’s influence was limited only to areas near Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. For political reasons, the Peshwas kept the puppet Mughal regime alive in Delhi.

In the nineteenth century the Peshwas realized the importance of the technological age and set up their own centres for science and technology. They accepted East India Company’s help only to make the local centres self-sufficient. In the twentieth century India moved towards a democracy. The Peshwas had lost their enterprise and democratically elected bodies gradually replaced them. The Sultanate at Delhi was just a nominal head to rubberstamp recommendations made by the central parliament.

Question 3.
What was the difference in the actual events of the Battle of Panipat and the ones reported in the alternative universe?
Answer:
Professor Gaitonde wanted to look for accounts of the battle itself, so he went through the books and journals before him. At last, he found ‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar’. There he found account of how close Vishwasrao had come to being killed but the ‘merciful’ God had saved him. A shot had brushed past his ear and he had missed death by inches. However, in this world in which Gaitonde had written his volumes of history, ‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar’ reported that Vishwasrao had died fighting. God had ‘expressed His displeasure. He was hit by the bullet’. The entire history seemed to have changed radically.

Question 4.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Panipat in the alternative universe?
Answer:
Their victory increased the morale of the Marathas. The East India Company temporarily shelved its expansionist programme. The Peshwas expanded their influence all over India. The Company was reduced to pockets of influence near Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. The Peshwas kept the puppet Mughal regime alive in Delhi. With the dawn of the technological age in Europe, they set up their own centres for science and technology.

The East India Company saw another opportunity to extend its influence but its aid and experts were accepted only to make the local centres self-sufficient. The twentieth century brought about further changes inspired by the West, India moved towards a democracy and democratically elected bodies replaced the Peshwas. After reading this, Professor Gaitonde began to appreciate that India because it had not been subjected to slavery of the white man; it had learnt to stand on its feet and knew what self-respect was. From a position of strength and for purely commercial reasons, it had allowed the British to remain.

Question 5.
Describe the scene that transported Professor Gaitonde to the alternative universe.
Answer:
Professor Gaitonde, after a frugal meal, set out for a stroll towards the Azad Maidan. There he saw a pandal where a lecture was to take place. Professor Gaitonde walked towards the pandal and noticed that on the platform the presidential chair was unoccupied. Drawn to the stage like a magnet, he quickly moved towards the chair.

The speaker stopped in mid-sentence, too shocked to continue. But the audience shouted at him. When he insisted on talking he became a target for a shower of tomatoes, eggs and other objects. But he kept on trying bravely to correct this blasphemy. Finally, the audience crowded on the stage to throw him out. And, in the crowd Gangadharpant was nowhere to be seen.

Question 6.
‘But we live in a unique world which has a unique history.’ Why did the Professor say so?
Answer:
Rajendra tried to rationalize Professor Gaitonde’s experience on the basis of two scientific theories known today. He had passed through a catastrophic experience. He applied it to the Battle of Panipat. The Maratha army was facing Abdali’s troops on the field of Panipat. There was no great disparity between the latter’s troops and the opposing forces. So, a lot depended on the leadership and the morale of the troops.
In the history known to us Vishwasrao, the son of and heir to the Peshwa, was killed.

This proved to be the turning pointing in the battle. Whether Bhausaheb was killed in battle or survived is not known. The soldiers lost their morale and fighting spirit and were defeated. However, in the alternative universe the bullet missed Vishwasrao, and it boosted the morale of the army and provided just that extra force that made all the difference. Professor Gaitonde felt comparable statements are made about the Battle of Waterloo, which Napoleon could have won. But all this is assumption. We live in a inimitable world which has a distinctive history. This idea of ‘it might have been’ is not acceptable for reality.

Question 7.
How did Rajendra explain Professor Gaitonde’s experience by linking it to ‘the lack of determinism in quantum theory’?
Answer:
Rajendra felt that reality might not be unique as has been found from experiments on atoms and their constituent particles. The behaviour of these systems cannot be predicted definitively even if all the physical. laws governing those systems are known. The course taken by an electron fired from a source cannot be asserted. This is the theory of the lack of determinism in the quantum theory. Similarly, in one world the electron is found here, in another it is over there.

In yet another world it could be in a completely different location. Once the observer finds where it is, we know which world we are talking about. But all those alternative worlds could exist just the same. The electron could be orbiting in any of a large number of specified states. These states may be used to identify the world. In state no. 1 we have the electron in a state of higher energy.

Instate no. 2 it is in a state of lower energy. It could make a jump from high to low energy and send out a pulse of radiation. Or a pulse of radiation could knock it out of state no. 2 into state no. 1. Such transitions are common in microscopic systems. If it happened on a macroscopic level people could make a transition from one world to another and back again.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Where did Taplow meet Frank?
 
Ans. Taplow had been asked to do some extra work by Mr. Crocker Harris. He was waiting for the master in the school. Frank also came there and met Taplow.

Q2. What subjects does Taplow want to opt for? Why?

Ans. Taplow feels if his grades are good, he would opt for science. He feels science is more interesting than the study of classics.

Q3. What does Mr. Frank suggest Taplow to do because Mr. Crocker Harris is ten minutes late?
                                             
Ans. Frank asked Taplow not to wait for Mr. Crocker Harris and play golf but Taplow is really shocked and is afraid that Mr. Crocker Harris may follow him home or do something else.

Q4. Why does Mr. Frank envy Mr. Crocker Harris?
 
Ans. Mr. Frank envies Mr. Crocker Harris for the effect he has on the boys in the class. Mr. Crocker Harris does not tell the results before they are officially announced. And in spite of making students take extra work they still like Mr. Crocker Harris.

Q5. How does Mr. Crocker Harris differ from other masters in his reactions towards others?
 
Ans. Mr. Crocker Harris did not get pleasure out of giving pain. He was not a sadist. In fact he had no feelings. He was all dry like a nut. He seemed to hate the idea of people liking him.

Q6. Who is a sadist? Why is Taplow afraid of Mr. Crocker Harris even though the latter is not a sadist?
 
Ans. A sadist is a person who gets pleasure while inflicting pain on others. Taplow says that he would not be so frightened of Mr. Crocker Harris if he were a sadist. He would at least show his feelings. Mr. Crocker Harris was indifferent and was like a nut.

Q7. Which incident does Taplow narrate to prove the fact that Crocker Harris does not like ‘being liked’?
 
Ans. Taplow narrates the incident about one day when Mr. Crocker Harris made one of his classical jokes in the class which no one understood. Taplow laughed out of politeness. Instead of feeli
ng thankful, Mr. Crocker Harris asked Taplow to explain the joke to the class. This incident proved that Mr. Crocker Harris did not like ‘being liked’.

Q8. What is Taplow’s attitude towards Mr. Crocker Harris?
 
Ans. Taplow is respectful towards Mr. Crocker Harris and likes him even though he is afraid of him and dare not cut the extra work even on the last day of the term.

Q9. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker Harris?
 
Ans. Frank encourages Taplow to comment on Mr. Crocker Harris by cleverly asking Taplow several questions. He appreciated Taplow’s imitation of Mr. Crocker Harris and also asks him to repeat it.

Q. Who was Millie Crocker Harris? What was she like?
 
Ans. Millie Crocker Harris was the young wife of Mr. Crocker Harris. She was a thin woman in her late 30s. She was more smartly dressed than the other school masters’ wives.

Q10. How does Millie Crocker Harris send Taplow away?
 
Ans. On seeing Taplow, Millie Crocker Harris points out that her husband was at the Bursar’s so he could go away for a quarter of an hour. But Taplow does not move. Millie assures him that she would take the blame. She takes out a prescription and requests him to bring some medicines from the chemist for her.

Q11. How does Taplow react to Millie’s arrival?
 
Ans. Taplow is nervous. He is unable to control his emotions and whispers to Frank if he thinks she has heard their conversation. Taplow feels that if she tells Mr. Crocker Harris, he would lose his form.

Q12. What do you gather about Mr. Frank from the play?
 
Ans. Mr. Frank is a young science teacher. He does not like the subject he teaches. He also admits that he tells the result to the students before it is officially announced by the head master. He feels envious of Crocker Harris because Taplow likes him.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
 
Ans. Crocker-Harris is a very strict and disciplined teacher. It is his last day at school. He is leaving the school for good. Yet he gives extra work to Taplow who is one of his students. Taplow has missed a day during the week. Crocker wants him to make it up. So he gives him extra work. He tells Taplow that he would come and see his work. Thus we see how strict Crocker is. His students are afraid of him, but they don’t dislike him. Their fear is tinged with respect, not with hatred. He never does any favour or disfavour to a student. He gives what one deserves. He never does anything that goes against the rules of the school. We can say he is an ideal teacher.

Q2. Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
 
Ans. Taplow is a student of Crocker-Harris. Crocker is a very strict and disciplined teacher. But he has his own principles. He is true to his duty. It is the last day of the term. Crocker is going to leave the school for good. Yet he gives Taplow some extra work to do. He does so because Taplow had missed a day during the week for being ill. Most teachers tell the students about their result before the headmaster declares it. But Crocker never does that. He is a man of principles. Taplow is a little boy. But he understands all this. He has all respect for his teacher. He is afraid of him but he does not dislike him. He loves to go and play but doesn’t dare to leave without Crocker’s permission. His fear is tinged with respect not hatred.

Q3. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
 
Ans. Both Frank and Crocker-Harris are teachers in Taplow’s school. Crocker is a very strict and disciplined teacher. He has his own principles. He never does any favour or disfavour to his students. He gives what one deserves. Students are scared of him but they don’t dislike him. They have deep respect for him. Frank feels jealous of Crocker. So he encourages Taplow to say things against Crocker and mock at him. But Taplow does nothing of the kind. His act of imitating Crocker is no sign of disrespect. It is simply an act of mimicry. It is only by way of humour that he does so. There is no disrespect in it. But the way Frank encourages Taplow to do it is not like a teacher. In trying to degrade Crocker-Harris, he degrades himself only.

Q4. Give a brief character-sketch of Taplow.
 
Ans. Taplow is a student of Mr. Crocker-Harris. He has to stay behind even on the last day of the school. Mr. Crocker-Harris has given him extra work to do because he had been ill for a day during the week and missed the class. It is already very late. Mr. Crocker-Harris has not come yet. But Taplow is afraid of Crocker. He dare not leave the class until Crocker comes. Although he is afraid of Crocker, he doesn’t dislike him. He laughs at Crocker’s poor joke only out of respect. We can say that Taplow is a very obedient student.

Q5. Give a brief character-sketch of Millie.
 
Ans. Millie is Mr. Crocker-Harris’s wife. She is a thin woman and is in her late thirties. She dresses herself in smart clothes. She sees Taplow imitating her husband’s voice. But she takes it lightly. She finds Taplow waiting for her husband. She can understand very well that Taplow likes to go and play like other boys. She tells him that her husband is at the Bursars. It could take him a lot of time there. Thus she indirecdy hints to Taplow that he could go and play. Even then Taplow dare not go. Then she sends Taplow to a chemist to get some medicine. Her chief purpose is not to get the medicine. She only wants to help the poor boy enjoy his freedom for some time at least. Thus we can say that Millie is a loving and intelligent woman of helping attitude.

Q6. Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Crocker-Harris and Frank.
 
Ans. Crocker-Harris and Frank are both teachers in Taplow’s school. But they are poles apart in their characters. Crocker is a very strict teacher. He is a man of discipline. He has his own principles. He is true to his duty. He never does any favour or disfavour to his students. On the other hand Frank is not true to his duty. He teaches science. He himself does not like the subject he teaches, but he calls his students slackers. He is jealous of Crocker. He encourages Taplow to say things against Crocker and mock at him. It does not behave a teacher to encourage a student against another teacher. In trying to degrade Crocker-Harris he degrades himself only.

Q7. Taplow is shown to be a sincere and dedicated student. How far do you agree to it?
 
Ans. Taplow is a boy of sixteen. He is pure at heart. He is a boy with no whims and fancy of his own. It is his frank nature which make us appreciate him all the more. It is great to watch that even after absenting himself from school for a day, he is ready to wait the next day to meet his teacher. His patience is all the more most attractive feature. Taplow paints before us a picture of a boy with divine nature. Inspite of having many good qualities Taplow is also good at flattery. He is waiting for the teacher because he wants extra marks for the test. Still inspite of follies he behaves in a simple, innocent manner. Infact he has not been touched by modernism and has a pure, serene heart.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type’

Question 1.
What awareness according to Nani Palkhivala is growing worldwide? Why?
Answer:
The movement, which has gripped the imagination of the entire human race, is the worldwide consciousness that the earth itself is a living organism of which we are parts. It has its own metabolic needs and vital processes that need attention because the earth’s vital signs reveal its declining health.

Question 2.
What is propagated by the concept of sustainable expansion?
Answer:
The World Commission on Environment and Development popularized the concept of sustainable development in 1987. It stressed the idea of development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, i.e., without stripping the natural world of resources future generations would need.

Question 3.
What is the global concern raised by Mr Lester R. Brown that threatens the very existence of man?
Answer:
Mr Lester R. Brown has noted the earth’s principal biological systems as fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands the foundation of the global economic system. They provide us with our food and virtually all the raw materials for industries. However, human claims are exhausting these resources leading to the collapse and disappearance of fisheries and grasslands.

Question 4.
What are the reasons that are leading to depletion of our natural resources?
Answer:
In a protein-conscious and protein-hungry world, over-fishing is common. In poor countries, local forests are being destroyed in order to procure firewood for cooking. As a consequence, in some places, firewood has become so expensive that fuel costs more than the food.

Question 5.
What steps has the Indian government taken to ensure the protection of the environment? What is the impact?
Answer:
The Indian government through Article 48A of the Constitution of India provides that the State shall try to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. But the law has not had the due impact as laws are neither valued nor enforced in India.

Question 6.
The population in the world is growing at an alarming rate. Comment.
Answer:
The growing world population is deforming the future of human society. Human population reached its first billion around the year 1800. By the year 1900, a second billion was added, and another 3.7 billion in the twentieth century. Presently, the world population is estimated at 5.7 billion. Every day the world population increases by one million.

Question 7.
Why is the growing population detrimental to the world’s progress?
Answer:
Development will not be possible if the present increase in numbers continues. The rich get richer and the poor produce more children, hampering their economic growth. More children do not mean more workers, merely more people without work. Excessive population perpetuates poverty. People would die of hunger unless population growth is controlled.

Question 8.
Why is our age the ‘Era of Responsibility’?
Answer:
A growing anxiety about the survival of our planet has surfaced for the first time in human history. The emerging new world vision a holistic view of the source of our survival has steered in the Era of Responsibility; an ecological view of the world as a complete whole and not a disconnected collection of parts.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
“The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.” What are these ‘vital signs’?
Answer:
A three-year study using satellites and aerial photography conducted by the United Nations, warns that the environment has worsened so badly that it is ‘critical’ in many of the eighty-eight countries investigated.

A recent report of our Parliament’s Estimates Committee has highlighted the near disastrous exhaustion of India’s forests over the last four decades. India, according to reliable data, is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. Large areas, officially designated as forestland, “are already virtually treeless”.

The actual loss of forests is estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics.
The world’s ancient patrimony of tropical forests is now eroding at the rate of forty to fifty million acres a year, and the growing use of dung for burning deprives the soil of an important natural fertilizer. The World Bank estimates that a five-fold increase in the rate of forest planting is needed to cope with the expected fuel wood demand.

Question 2.
Various visionaries and academicians have warned against hazardous consequences if we do not wake up to our responsibilities towards the environment. Elaborate.
Answer:
Mr L.K. Jha, a member of an international commission which dealt with the question of ecology and environment, raised the question of whether we would leave our successors a parched planet with increasing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment. Mr Lester R. Brown in his thought-provoking book, The Global Economic Prospect, points out that the earth’s principal biological systems, i.e., fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands form the foundation of the global economic system.

In large areas of the world, human claims on these systems are reaching an unsustainable level, a point where their productivity is being impaired. Dr Myers warns against the depletion of forests as a result of which several species face extinction. James Speth, the President of the World Resources Institute, said that we are losing the forests at an acre-and-a-half to a second.

Question 3.
What are the four systems that sustain life on earth? What threats are they facing?
Answer:
Mr Lester R. Brown in his thought-provoking book, The Global Economic Prospect, points out that the earth’s principal biological systems, i.e., fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands form the foundation of the global economic system. In addition to supplying our food, these four systems provide almost all the raw materials for industry except minerals and petroleum-derived synthetics. It is because of this that fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are converted into barren wastelands and croplands deteriorate. In a protein-conscious and protein-hungry world, over-fishing is common. In poor countries, local forests are being demolished in order to procure firewood for cooking. Since tropical forests house various species of life, they face extinction as a result of its destruction.

Question 4.
“Fertility falls as incomes rise, education spreads, and health improves.” Justify.
Answer:
Undoubtedly, the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors disfiguring the future of human society. The present world population is estimated at 5.7 billion. Every four days the world population increases by one million. Development is not possible if the present increase in numbers continue. The rich get richer and the poor beget more children, which in turn makes them poorer. More children do not mean more workers, merely more people without work.

The choice is really between control of population and perpetuation of poverty. The population of India has crossed 1.3 billion today. This leaves little doubt that hordes of people would die in their hungry hutments unless population control is given topmost priority.Compulsory sterilization is not the solution. Masses should be educated so that they volunteer for family planning without introducing an element of compulsion. It ought to be understood that the choice is between control of population and continuation of poverty.

Landscape of the Soul Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Landscape of the Soul Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Briefly narrate the story of the Emperor and the Chinese artist.
Answer:
A painter Wu Daozi, who lived in the eighth century was asked to paint a landscape by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong, to decorate a palace wall. The artist concealed his work behind a screen, so that only the Emperor would see it. For a long time, the Emperor admired the wonderful scene.

One day the painter showed him a cave at the foot of the mountain, and said that a spirit dwelt there. The painter clapped his hands, and the entrance to the cave opened. He then entered the cave and the entrance closed behind him. Since then nothing is known of the artist or the painting as the painting vanished off the wall.

Question 2.
How did stories such as the one about Wu Daozi play an important role in China’s classical education?
Answer:
Such stories played a significant part in China’s classical education. They helped the master to guide his pupil in the right direction. They were not merely tales, but were deeply illuminating of the essence of art. The books of Confucius and Zhuangzi are full of such stories. They reveal that art was considered the essence of inner life and spirit in Asia.

Question 3.
Why did the artist agree to get his daughter married to the blacksmith?
Answer:
Initially the artist was against the blacksmith, Quinten Metsys, marrying his daughter. However, one day Quinten slyly sneaked into the painter’s studio and painted a fly on his latest panel, that was so realistic that the master tried to swat it away. The artist was so impressed that he admitted Quinten as an apprentice into his studio and let him marry his beloved.

Question 4.
What is the difference between the Chinese and European art?
Answer:
The Chinese and European art are different as the European art is trying to achieve a perfect, illusionistic likeness in Europe, and the Chinese the essence of inner life and spirit in Asia. While the European wants you to look at the landscape through his eyes, the Chinese painter wants you to enter it from any point, then travel in it. He creates a path for your eyes to travel up and down, then back again, in a leisurely movement.

Question 5.
How does shanshui express the Daoist view of the universe?
Answer:
Shanshui means ‘mountainwater.’ It expresses the Daoist view. The mountain is Yang and it stretches vertically towards Heaven. It is stable, warm, and dry in the sun, while the water is Yin. It is horizontal and resting on the earth, fluid, moist and cool. The interaction of Yin, the receiver, feminine aspect of universal energy, and Yang, active and masculine, is the fundamental belief of Daoism.

Question 6.
What is lacking in Shanshui?
Answer:
The third element, the Middle Void where their interaction takes place, is lacking in Shanshui. The Middle Void is indispensable. Hence nothing can happen without it. This is the reason why the white, unpainted space in Chinese landscape is important. This is also where Man finds a fundamental role, in that space between Heaven and Earth, he becomes the medium of communication between both poles of the universe.

Question 7.
How is the pranayama compared to the Middle void?
Answer:
The Middle Void is vital as nothing can happen without it. This is the reason why the white, unpainted space in Chinese landscape is imperative. This is also where Man finds a fundamental role, in the yogic practice of pranayama we breathe in, retain and breathe out. The suspension of breath is the Void where meditation occurs.

Question 8.
How did the theory of ‘brut art’ put forward by Jean Dubuffet get credence?
Answer:
French painter Jean Dubuffet challenged the concept of ‘art brut’ in the 1940s. Before that the art of the untrained visionary was of minor interest. At about the same time ‘an untutored genius was creating paradise’. This was none other than Nek Chand, who cleared a little patch of jungle to make himself a garden sculpted with stone and recycled material known to the world today as the Rock Garden, at Chandigarh.

Landscape of the Soul Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Narrate the tale of the Chinese Emperor and the artist. What message does the story convey?
Answer:
Tang Emperor Xuanzong asked the painter Wu Daozi, to make a landscape to decorate a palace wall. The artist had hidden his work behind a screen, so only the Emperor would see it. The Emperor, for a long time, admired the wonderful scene, discovering forests, high mountains, waterfalls, clouds floating in an immense sky, men on hilly paths, birds in flight. One day the painter showed him a cave, at the foot of the mountain.

He said that a spirit lived there. Just then, the painter clapped his hands, and the entrance to the cave opened. The artist said that it was infinitely beautiful inside and he entered the cave. The entrance closed behind him. Since then nothing has been known of Wu Daozi.

The story underlines the message that the Emperor was only interested appreciating the outer appearance of the painting but the artist makes known to him the true meaning of his work. The Emperor admires the territory while the artist is filled with the ‘spirit’ within.

Question 2.
Narrate the anecdote that brings out that Europeans endeavoured to achieve ‘a perfect, illusionistic likeness’.
Answer:
In fifteenth century lived a blacksmith named Quinten Metsys who fell in love with a painter’s daughter. The father, being an artist, would not accept a son-in-law who was a blacksmith. So Quinten crept into the painter’s studio and painted a fly on his latest board. It seemed so real that even the artist thought it was real and tried to swat it away.

It was then he realised what had happened. He immediately took Quinten as a trainee into his studio. Quinten then married his beloved and went on to become one of the most famous painters of his age.This story exemplifies what European form of art was trying to achieve. They wanted a perfect, illusionistic likeness.

Question 3.
How do the Chinese expect the people to view the horizontal scroll? Why?
Answer:
Unlike European art, Chinese art is meant to be metaphorical. An artist in China would not like the onlooker to look at a particular landscape from a specific angle. The Chinese painter does not choose a specific viewpoint. One can enter his landscape from any point, and then travel in it. The artist creates a course for your eyes to journey up and down, then back again, at an unhurried pace.

This is even truer of the horizontal scroll. The action of slowly opening one section of the painting, then rolling it up to move on to the other, adds a dimension of time which is unknown in any other form of painting. It necessitates the active contribution of the viewer. It is the viewer who decides at what speed he will travel through the painting. The interaction is physical as well as mental. The Chinese painter wants you to enter his mind. The landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and abstract.

Question 4.
What was the revolutionary idea in art that was put forward by Jean Dubuffet? How did an Indian artist support his theory?
Answer:
Before the French painter Jean Dubuffet, challenged the concept of ‘art brut’ in the 1940s, people were not interested in the art of the untutored creative thinkers. It was he who defied this concept. As a consequence this ‘outsider art’ has steadily become the fastest growing area of interest in modem art worldwide. He felt that there are artists who have received no formal training, yet show talent and artistic insight. Their works are a motivating contrast to a lot of conventional ones.

At the time Dubuffet was advocating his theory, in India ‘an untutored genius was creating paradise’. Nek Chand made one of the biggest contributions by clearing a little patch of jungle to make himself a garden sculpted with stone and recycled material. This garden is known to the world today as the Rock Garden at Chandigarh.

Question 5.
Nek Chand’s work is acclaimed as the work of a genius and is appreciated world over. Justify.
Answer:
Nek Chand’s work is acknowledged as India’s biggest contribution to outsider art. The fiftieth issue of Raw Vision, a UK-based magazine that initiated the outsider art publications, featured Nek Chand, and his Rock Garden sculpture ‘Women by the Waterfall’ on its anniversary issue’s cover. It reported how Nek Chand had used every thing from a tin to a sink to a broken down car to create a work of art that took him to the pinnacles of glory.

The Swiss Commission for UNESCO applauded his art as ‘an outstanding testimony of the difference a single man can make when he lives his dream’, and decided to honour him. They decided to put up an exhibition of his works. The five-month interactive show, ‘Realm of Nek Chand’, is to begin in October. It is to be held at leading museums in Switzerland, Belgium, France and Italy. However, the greatest honour for him is seeing people enjoy the creation.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Who was Howard Carter? What was his discovery?   

Ans. Howard Carter was a British archaeologist. After years of searching he discovered King Tut’s tomb in 1922 over 3300 years after his death. Tut died at the age of 19 but his death was a mystery for all. He was the last ruler of his powerful family that ruled Egypt for centuries. People believed that the king died in mysterious circumstances and his death may involve every possibility of murder.

Q2. Why did King Tut’s mummy have to undergo CT scan?

Ans. The mummy of King Tut has earned worldwide fame for the riches it was buried with. Further there arose a great controversy about the manner of his death and his age at the time of death. Keeping in the view this controversy, King Tut’s body was ordered to be scanned to examine the delayed medical mysteries about his life and death.

Q3. Which questions still linger about Tut?

Ans. The two biggest questions that still linger about Tut are how did he die and how old was he at the time of his death? He was the last of his family’s line, and his funeral was the death rattle of a dynasty but the particulars of his passing away and its aftermath were unclear.

Q4. Why was Tut’s dead body subjected to CT scrutiny?

Ans. Tut’s dead body was subjected to X-rays in 1968 and CT scan in 2005 to ascertain the cause of his death.

Q5. In 1968 what was the startling fact revealed by a professor of anatomy about king Tut?

Ans. In 1968, more than 40 years after Carter’s discovery of king Tut’s tomb, a professor of anatomy X-rayed Tut’s mummy. He revealed an astonishing fact that beneath the resin that layers his chest, his breast-bone and front ribs are missing. It startled everyone.

Q6. What did the tourists do at that time?

Ans. The tourists from around the world queued up as usual all afternoon into the narrowed rock-cut tomb. They lined up to pay their homage to king Tut. They watched the murals on the walls of the burial chamber. Some visitors read from guidebook. Others stood silently peering at Tut’s gilded face.

Q7. Wh
o did point out that the mummy was in a bad condition? Who was held responsible for it?

Ans. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, bent over the mummy and watched it very carefully. Then he said the mummy is in a very bad condition because of what Carter did in the 1920s. It was in 1922, Carter discovered king Tut’s tomb.

Q8. What was the fate of the contents of Tut’s mummy?

Ans. For over 80 years after the discovery ofTut’s tomb in 1922, surprisingly all its contents were complete. They remain the richest royal collection everyfound till 2005. They have now become part of the pharaoh’s legend.

Q9. Why did the artifacts cause a sensation at the time of discovery?

Ans. The artifacts discovered surprised all present there. They were all made of pure gold. Their shine was enteral and never fading. This eternal brilliance of the artifacts meant to guarantee revival from grave.

Q10. What was king Tut’s demise a big event, even by royal standards?

Ans. King Tut’s death was of course a big event. Even by royal standards he was the last ruler in his family line. His funeral was the death bell of a dynasty that ruled in Egypt for centuries. The big event is because of the fact that he died unexpectedly at young age. The particulars of his passing and its aftermath are not clear.

Q11. Why did some people think the King Tut’s untimely death as the Pharaoh’s curse?

Ans. After king Akhenaten’s death a mysterious ruler became the king for a short while and died. Then a very young Tutankhaten took the throne. He changed his name to Tutankhamun, “Living image of Amun.” He restored the worship of Amun whose images were broken and temples closed by the Pharaoh. Thus king Tut disturbed the Pharaoh. Akhenaten and his curse – death Akhenaten had befallen on Tut causing his untimely death in his late teens.

Q12. What problem did Carter face when he reached the mummy of King Tut? How did he find a way out?  

Ans: When Carter alongwith his men were working at the tomb of King Tut, they found that the ritual resins had hardened. They had cemented and the mummy of King Tut could not be taken out. The solidified material could be removed through chisels. The mummy was cut free. His men removed Tut’s head and severed every major joint. Then they were kept in a box on a layer of sand. He defended his act lest the mummy should not fall into the hands of thieves for getting gold.

Q13. List some adornments on Tut’s body. Why had the adornments been buried along with the body?

Ans. The mummy of Tut was decorated with precious collars, inlaid necklaces, rings, bracelets, amulets and a ceremonial apron. There were sandals, sheaths for fingers and toes and the inner golden coffin and mask. All of them were made of pure gold. According to the beliefs it was thought that they could take their riches with them to the great beyond.

Q14. How did Carter defend his action of cutting the mummy free?

Ans. Carter in his defense wrote later that if he hadn’t cut the mummy free, thieves would have avoided the guards and ripped it apart to remove all the gold. The mummy had been kept with a lot of wealth, in the form of gold ornaments, etc.

Q15. How can C.T scan prove more effective than X-Rays?

Ans. C.T scan can prove more effective than X-Rays because it produces hundreds of X-Rays in cross-section which are put together like slices of bread to create a three dimensional virtual body.

Q16. How was Tut’s body carried to the C.T scanner?

Ans. On the night of the scan, workmen carried Tut from the tomb in his box. Like pallbearers they climbed ramp and a flight of stairs into the swirling sand outside. Then they rose on a hydraulic lift into the trailer that held the scanner.

Q17. How was King Tut’s mummy scanned by the CT scanner?

Ans. In order to remove the mystery over the death of King Tut, a portable CT scanner was taken in a trailer to the sandy area near Tut’s tomb. His body was carried there from his tomb in a box. The CT machine scanned the mummy from head to toe, creating 1700 digital X-ray images in cross-section. His entire body was scanned in 0.62 millimetre slices.

Q18. What snag did the million dollar scanner develop? How was it set right?

Ans. The million dollar scanner had developed a snag because of sand in a cooler fan. Eventually substitute fans worked well enough to finish the procedure.

Q19. Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned – in death, as in life…”

Ans. It means that the mummy of King tut was the first one ever to be scanned. The purpose was to reveal the mysteries relating to the period when he was alive. Secondly, it also helped find out the cause of his death in mysterious circumstances. The death occurred only nine years after his taking the throne.

Q20. List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as Wacky.

Ans. Akhenaten was a crazy and rash ruler. He attacked Amun – a major God, broke his statues and closed his temples. He even shifted the religious capital from the oddity of Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten.

Q21. What did the CT scan of Tut’s mummy reveal?

Ans. CT scanning gave surprising as well as fascinating images of Tut’s body. The image of a gray head appeared on the computer screen. Neck bones appeared quite clearly. Other images of Tut’s body appeared on the screen. They included a hand and several views of rib-cage and the skull.

Q22. “Curse of the Pharaoh”, joked a guard nervously. What is the curse and why did the guard say so?

Ans. The curse of the Pharaoh – death or misfortune falling upon those who disturbed him, is considered to be true. The fans of the CT scan machine got stuck with the sand dust and stopped working during scanning of the mummy. Then the guard jokingly said that it was the curse of the Pharaoh. Later another pair of white plastic fans were arranged which worked well enough.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Who was King Tut? Why was his mummy taken out for a C.T. Scan?

Ans. King Tut was last Pharaoh of his family line which ruled Egypt for centuries. He was a very young boy when he took the throne of Egypt in 1332 B.C. The boy king soon changed his name to Tutankhamun, “living image of Amun,” and restored the old ways of religious belief. He ruled for about nine years and then died unexpectedly in 1322 B.C. King Tut’s death was a big event. He was the last Pharaoh of his family line. His funeral was the death bell of his dynasty. But the particulars of his death and the after happenings are not clear.

King Tut was buried in the ancient Egyptian cemetery known as the Valley of the Kings. Tut was loaded with glittering goods: precious neckbands, engraved necklaces and bracelets, rings, amulets, apron, sandals, sheaths, for fingers and toes and iconic inner coffin and mask all of pure gold.

Carter discovered Tut’s tomb for more than 3300 years after his death in 1922 and in 2005 his mummy was taken out of the tomb for the first time for his C.T. scan. The probe by the C.T, scanner was to look into the delayed medical mysteries of this little understood young ruler about his life and death.

Q2. What problems did Howard Carter face with regard to Tut’s mummy? How did he solve them?

Ans. Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, discovered King Tut’s tomb after years of searching in 1922. He found fabulous treasure in the tomb, even though it had been ransacked earlier. The treasure consisted of golden coffin, gold ornaments and even petty things of everyday need.

Carter found three nested coffin. In the first, he found the garlands of leaves and flowers. But when he reached the mummy, he ran into trouble. The resins spread below Tut’s body had hardened. The coffin was of solid gold. Neither human force nor the scorching sun could loosen the body. So Carter used chisel and hammer to remove the resins. He had little choice. Tut’s mummy also had to be removed part by part. Having taken .out the gold coffin, the body parts were reassembled, put in a wooden box and placed in the tomb again.

Q3. Sum up the main events of the lesson ‘Discovering Tut …’

Ans. King Tut was just a teenager when he died. He was the last heir of a powerful dynasty. His rule lasted for just nine years. The mystery of his early and unexpected death is still unresolved. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by a British archaeologist, Howard Carter. He found a big treasure in the form of ornaments, gold coffin and other everyday things—all of pure gold. The pharaohs or the Egyptian Kings believed that they would need gold as well as things of daily need, food and wine in afterlife. So they got them buried along with their mummies or dead bodies preserved with chemical pastes.

Tut’s untimely death in his late teens raised curiosity to know the cause. So 60 years later, his mummy was X-rayed. In 2005, this body was put to CT scanning. But to this day the details of his death and aftermath are unclear.

Q4. In 1922 Tut’s tomb was discovered. Much of the treasure buried in the tomb had already been plundered. Materialistic attitude of man does not allow even the dead to sleep in peace. Will there be any end to this attitude?

Ans. For a handful of gold man can go to any extent. Tut’s mummy was buried deep with a lot of gold and other things believing that the dead pharaoh would need those things in the afterlife. It was a matter of faith. When Tut’s tomb was discovered, much of the treasure had already been looted. The thieves did it being driven by the mad force of materialism. Materialistic attitude attaches no importance to beliefs, religious sentiments and social rites and rituals. Ethics and morals have no sanctity for them. Their aim is to get wealth by any means. This materialistic attitude will never see its dawn. God Himself may advise man to reject materialism and tell him that all paths lead to death and there is no use to perpetuate ill deeds. This sermon will have no effect and materialistic attitude will get sharpened day by day.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What preparations did the author and his wife make for their round to the world sea-voyage?

Ans. The narrator and his wife wanted to ‘duplicate’ the round—the world voyage made 200 years earlier by Captain James Cook. They had been making formidable preparations for the last 16 years. First of all they got a boat especially designed and professionally built for this purpose. It was a 23 metre, 30 tonne wooden-hulled boat. They tested it for months in the roughest weather. They were both mentally and physically prepared to undertake their exceptionally long and challenging sea-voyage.

Q2. When and how did they encounter their first troubles during the long voyage?

Ans. Everything went on well till they sailed down the west coast of Africa and reached Cape Town. The trouble started on the second day out of Cape Town. They began to encounter strong gales. They blew continuously for the next few weeks. Gales didn’t worry them. But the size of the waves was alarming—up to 15 metres. They rose as high as up to the main mast. They expected the weather to improve on the New Year’s Day. Sadly the weather changed but for the worse.

Q3. What were the first indications of the ‘impending disaster’ that ultimately struck them on January 2?

Ans. The first indication of the impending disaster came at about 6 p.m. on January 2. An ominous silence prevailed all around. The wind dropped. The sky immediately grew dark. Then came a growing roar. A huge vertical wave, almost twice the height of the other waves, came roaring towards the ship. These were the indications of the coming disaster.

Q4. How did the first ‘disaster’ strike the ship?

Ans. On New Year’s Day the weather changed for the worse. The waves were gigantic. Strong gales did trouble them. As the ship rose to the top of each wave, they could see endless huge waves. These were rolling towards them. The howling of the wind and the spray was painful to the ears. The sky grew dark. A torrent of green and white water broke over the ship. The captain was thrown overboard.

Q5. What precautions did the narrator take when huge waves struck the boat on January 2?     
       
Ans. Huge waves came rolling towards the boat. The howling of gales and spray was painful to the ears. First of all, they decided to slow down the boat. The storm jib was dropped. Heavy mooring ropes were looped across the stern. They went through their life-raft drill. They attached lifelines. Oilskins and life-jackets were donned. Larry and Herb were continuously pumping out the water like madmen.

Q6. How did the narrator accept his ‘approaching death and why was he still peaceful’?

Ans. The narrator saw a torrent of green and white water breaking over the ship. His head had smashed into the wheel. He felt himself flying overboard and sinking below the waves. He was losing consciousness. He accepted his approaching death without murmuring. He felt quite peaceful even when death was approaching and Wavewalker was near capsizing.

Q7. How did the narrator hurt himself on January 2?

Ans. Wavewalker was capsizing. Her masts had fallen. Huge waves struck the boat upright. The narrator grabbed the guard rails. He sailed through the air into Wavewalker’s main boom. Waves tossed him around the deck like a rag doll. His left ribs cracked and his mouth was filled with blood and broken teeth.

Q8. Who were Larry and Herb? What role did they play?  

Ans. Before heading east from Cape Town, the narrator employed two crewmen. They were Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler. They were to help them ‘to take one of the world’s roughest seas, the Southern Indian Ocean. Larry and Herb did their job quite well. When the gigantic waves struck Wavewalker, they continued pumping water out of the boat.

Q9. How did Sue hurt herself and how did she bear the injury?

Ans. The narrator crawled into the children’s cabin to find out if they were safe. Sue told him that her head was hurt a bit. He saw a big bump over her eyes. Sue’s head had swollen alarmingly. She showed a deep cut on her arm. But she didn’t want to worry them when they were trying to save them all.

Q10. Describe the situation on the morning of January 3.

Ans. By morning on January 3, the situation showed a little improvement. Pumps had been working round the clock. The water level was sufficiently under control. The crewmen could take two hours’ rest in rotation. But there was still a tremendous leak somewhere below the waterline. No doubt, they had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit Wavewalker. But it would not hold long enough for them to reach Australia.

Q11. Why and when did the captain send ‘May day calls’? What was the response?

Ans. On January 2 at 6 pm Wavewalker was hit by a gigantic wave. The captain and the crew tried their best to pump water out and steer the ship to safety. When nothing seemed to work well, May-day calls or SOS signals were sent for rescue and help. But they didn’t get any replies. It was not surprising in that remote corner of the world.

Q12. Describe the situation on January 4. Why did the narrator and Mary feel that ‘the end was very near’?

Ans. On January 4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping, they could pump the water out. Mary found some corned beef and biscuits. They ate their first meal in almost two days. But their respite was short-lived. At 4 pm black clouds began building up behind them. The wind was back to 40 knots and the wave rose high. By the morning of January 5, the situation became again desperate. The narrator and Mary sat together holding hands in the evening. Both of them felt that the end was very near.

Q13. How and when did Wavewalker ride out the storm? How did the narrator feel at that time?

Ans. By the morning of January 6, the wind eased. The narrator was back in the chart room and read on the sextant. They were somewhere in 1, 05,000 kilometres of ocean searching for a 65 kilometre-wide island. At about 2 pm he went on deck. He asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. If they were lucky, they could expect to see the island at about 5 pm. Then with a heavy heart, he went below and dozed off. When he woke up at 6 pm, he knew they must have missed the island.

Q14. Why did Jonathan ask for a hug and called him the best daddy and the best captain in the world?
  
Ans. The children were excited. They saw the island before the narrator. Jonathan asked if he could have a hug. The narrator was surprised. His son declared that he was “the best daddy in the whole world and the best captain”. The narrator replied: “Not today”. Suddenly, the children shouted that the island was in front of them and it was as big as a battleship.

Q15. Describe Ile Amsterdam. How did its inhabitants behave with the newcomers?

Ans. When the narrator rushed on the deck he was relieved to see the outline of lle Amsterdam. It was a French base. It was ‘a black piece of volcanic rock’. It had little vegetation but still it appeared to be ‘the most beautiful island in the world’. They anchored offshore for the night. The next morning all 28 inhabitants of the island cheered them and helped them ashore.

Q16. What did the narrator think of on landing at Ile Amsterdam? Why?
 
Ans. On landing at Ile Amsterdam, the narrator’s thoughts were full of Larry and Herbie, his crew members who remained cheerful and optimistic throughout the hardships. He thought of his wife also, who stayed at the wheel for all those crucial hours? He also thought of his daughter, who had been so brave all through the ordeal and had not bothered about her head injury.

Q17. How can you say that Suzanne’s injuries were serious?
 
Ans. Suzanne’s injuries were serious because she had to undergo six minor surgeries to remove a recurring blood clot between her skin and skull. She had also injured her arm and had two black eyes.

Q18. Justify the title: “We’re Not Afraid to die …”

Ans. The lesson is aptly and logically titled: “We’re Not Afraid to Die …” These were the words of Jonathan, the son of the narrator. Like his brave father, Jon declared that they were not afraid to die if they could be all together—Daddy and Mummy and Sue and he. These words sum up the courage shown by the narrator, his
wife and children and, of course, the crewmen.

Q19. “We’re Not Afraid to Die” is a saga of patience and bravery. Comment.

Ans. “We’re Not Afraid to Die” is the story of rare courage and perseverance of the narrator’s family. It comprised his wife and children, with the crewmen. All the dangers and disasters were confronted with patience, courage and determination. Never did anybody shake or waver even for a second. Even the children showed an exemplary courage. They were not afraid to die. They were ready to die with their daddy and mummy together.

Q20. “Optimism and courage help to tide over difficulties”. How did the narrator succeed in searching the small island?
 
Ans. Despite the lost compass and a faulty compass, the author did not lose hope. He used his intelligence to estimate the influence of the westerly currents which flowed through that part of the Ocean. He asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees and remained optimistic about spotting the island at about 5 pm.

Q21. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?
 
Ans. People undertake such adventurous expeditions due to two reasons. They have the passionate thrive for risk, thrill and uncertainty and they push their limits of skill and endurance. They seek such adventures for pure joy and exhilaration. They also want to do certain things for attaining name, fame and recognition.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Describe in brief how the voyage began in July 1976 from Plymouth, England and ended at a small island Isle Amsterdam in the South Indian Ocean.

Ans. The narrator wanted ‘to duplicate’ the round-the-world voyage made 200 years earlier by Captain James Cook. For the past 16 years they had been making preparations. They got a boat professionally built for this purpose. It was a 23 metre, 30 tonne wooden hulled boat. It had been tested for months in the roughest weather. The first leg of their 1, 05,000 kilometre journey passed pleasantly. They sailed down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town.

Their troubles started on the second day out of Cape Town. They encountered strong gales. Waves rose as high as their main mast. The boat was slowed down. The storm jib was dropped. Heavy ropes were looped across the stern. Lifelines were attached, oilskins and life jackets were donned. Wavewalker was near capsizing. Sue got a big bump over her eyes. The narrator was tossed over the deck. His left ribs cracked and teeth were broken. By morning on January 3, Larry and Herb brought the water level sufficiently under control.

On January 4, they received some respite. The situation was again quite grim. Jon asked if they were going to die. They were not afraid of dying if they could all die together. But by the morning of 6 January, Wavewalker rode out (of) the storm. lle Amsterdam was just in front of them. The next day all 28 inhabitants cheered and helped them ashore.

Q2. Describe the steps taken by the captain and the crewmen to protect the boat from the storm and the gigantic waves. Were they successful?

Ans. Just on the second day when they left Cape Town, Wavewalker began to face all kinds of troubles. Strong gales lashed it for the next few weeks. The size of the waves was really alarming. They went up as high as the main mast. The captain took immediate steps to save the boat. The boat was slowed down. The storm jib was dropped. Heavy mooring ropes were lashed across the stern. Lifelines were attached. Oilskins and life-jackets were donned. A tremendous explosion shook the deck. A torrent of green and white water broke over the ship. Wavewalker was near capsizing. Her masts had fallen flat. Waves tossed him around the deck like a rag doll. Larry and Herb continued pumping water out like madmen. Waterproof covers across the open holes were covered. Most of the water was now being thrown over the sides.

All the urgent steps were taken. Fortunately, they proved quite effective. By the morning of January 6, the wind eased. Wavewalker rode out storm. But still it couldn’t hold for long to reach Australia. Hence, the search for islands began. In the end, Wavewalker had a cheerful landing at lle Amsterdam.

Q3. Describe the behaviour of the narrator and his family, particularly of his children Jon and Sue, during the voyage.

Ans. The narrator, his wife and children, set sail from Plymouth, England with great hope, excitement and determination. The narrator was a 37-year-old businessman. He had dreamt of duplicating the round-the-world voyage made 200 years ago by Captain James Cook. He had worked hard in sharpening his seafaring skills in British waters. The first leg of their journey passed pleasantly. Their troubles started when they moved out of Cape Town. But even hostile weather couldn’t dampen their spirits. Though the weather changed for the worse on the New Year’s Day, they all participated in its celebra
tions.

The captain really showed his heroic qualities. He was thrown overboard and sinking below the waves. He didn’t panic. His left ribs cracked. His mouth was filled with blood and broken teeth. Somehow, he found the wheel and hung on. Even the behaviour of the crewmen Larry and Herb was quite praiseworthy. They continued pumping water out like madmen. The narrator’s wife Mary didn’t panic either. She only cried “We’re sinking”.

Jonathan and Sue proved that they were the children of brave and adventurous parents. Jon declared that they were “not afraid of dying if they could all die together”. The children were really excited when they saw the lle Amsterdam. Now the narrator was not an ordinary father. He was “the best daddy in the whole world—and the best captain”.

Q4. What do you think of the narrator as a captain? How did the crew and the family members show courage during distress?
 
Ans. This is a story of human endurance, selflessness and courage in the face of adversity. Traditionally, the captain of the ship must go down with it and attempt only to save the passengers. However, in this story, we see other traits in the narrator which make him a good captain.

The narrator was able to think rationally, prioritize and recall important information under distress. He was able to recall the backup electric pump, waterproofed the ship and performed repairs as required, identified nearest land/port and performed intense calculations despite the lack of proper equipment, did not convey his fears to his crew and presented a confident face throughout enhancing the morale of his team.

The narrator’s family and crew showed unconditional team spirit during adversity. His wife helped with the navigation of the ship while his children offered moral support. The crew members Larry and Herb worked tirelessly and did not abandon ship.

Despite their young years, Jonathan and Suzanne showed courage and optimistic fervour. Suzanne did not bother her parents with her injuries no matter how extensive they were. She also made a card for her parents to show her love and gratitude. Jonathan claimed he was not afraid even to die if he were with his family.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Describe the grandmother in your own words. 

Ans. The grandmother was a deeply religious woman. She was also kind hearted. She was not pretty to look at, yet she was beautiful. She was graceful and dignified in her bearing. She had perfect control over her emotions. She used to feed the dogs and birds.

Q2. How were the narrator and the grandmother good friends in the village?

Ans. Grandmother woke him up every morning and got him ready for school. She would bathe and dress him up. She gave him breakfast, got him his slate, ink-pot and accompanied him to school. While he learnt at school, grandmother used to read the scriptures in the temple. When the school was over, they would walk back home together and feed the village dogs on the way.

Q3. What was the turning point in their friendship?

Ans. Their arrival in the city was the turning point in the friendship of the author and the grandmother. She no longer accompanied him to school as he used to go by bus. She could not help him in his studies. They saw less of each other. The common link of friendship was snapped and the distance grew.

Q4. Why was the author’s grandmother unhappy with the city education?

Ans. The grandmother did not like the teaching at English school in the city. She was sad that they did not teach anything about God and the religious scriptures. Nor was she interested in science. She hated music lessons given in the school.

Q5. Why did the grandmother hate music?

Ans. Grandmother considered that music was indecent and was meant only for harlots and beggars. It was not meant for gentle folk or school children from respectable families.

Q6. Draw a comparison between village school education and city school education.       

Ans. In the city school English and Science were taught. Music was also one of the subjects. There was no teaching about God and scriptures. The village school was attached to a temple. The priest himself acted as the teacher and taught the children the alphabet and the prayer.

Q7. What used to be the happiest moments of the day for the grandmother?

Ans. The happiest moment of the day for grandmother was the time when she would feed the sparrows. In the afternoon, she sat in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits. Hundreds of sparrows collected around her. Some came and perched on her legs, others on her shoulders. Some even sat on her head. She smiled but never shooed them away. This used to be happiest moment of the day for her.

Q8. What was “the last sign” of physical contact between the author and the grandmother?

Ans. When the author was going abroad for further studies, his grandmother came to see him off at the railway station. She kissed his forehead silently. That was the last sign of physical contact between the author and the grandmother as he thought that at her age one could never tell whether he would find her alive after five years.

Q9. How did the grandmother celebrate the homecoming of her grandson?

Ans. Grandmother was overjoyed at the homecoming of her grandson. She collected the women of neighbourhood, beat the drum and sang for hours about the homecoming of warriors. She even forgot to pray.

Q10. Why did the grandmother stop talking before her death?

Ans. The old lady was taken ill. She had a mild fever. The doctor told her that she would be alright soon. But the grandmother declared that her end was near. She forgot to pray the last evening. She was not going to waste any more time talking to them.

Q11. What could have been the cause of grandmother’s falling ill?       

Ans. When the author came back from abroad after five years, grandmother collected the women from the neighbourhood. She kept singing and thumping a drum for several hours. This overstrained her body and she fell ill.

Q12. How did the sparrows mourn the death of grandmother?  

Ans. Hundreds of sparrows gathered around grandmother’s dead body. They did not chirrup and touch the breadcrumbs thrown to them. They seemed to mourn her death in silence and flew away when her body was taken away for cremation.

Q13. How can you say that the grandmother was a kind- hearted woman?

Ans. Grandmother was a kind-hearted woman. When she lived in the village, she used to feed dogs. When she came to the city, there were no dogs in the streets. So she took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard.

Q14. The grandmother has been portrayed as a very religious lady. What details in the story create that impression?

Ans. Her lips were always moving in silent prayer. Her one hand was always telling the beads of her rosary. She also read scriptures at the village temple. When she knew her end was near, she lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads till death.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Describe the narrator’s grandmother as a very religious and kind-hearted woman.

Ans. The writer’s grandmother was a very religious and kind-hearted woman. She is a God-fearing woman and feels delight in reading scriptures. In the temple she has the habit of reading the scripture till her grandson remains in the school. In the house she was always busy in telling the beads of her rosary. Her lips always moved in silent prayer. When she used to bathe her grandson, she would say her prayers in a singsong manner so that the author would learn them by heart. She kept on praying and telling the beads of her rosary till her last breath.

She always treated her grandson with love and affection. She used to feed the village dogs with stale chapattis. When she moved to the city, she took delight in feeding the sparrows. They would perch on her legs, shoulders and head but she never shooed them away. Her joy knew no bounds, when her grandson returned from abroad. She was a woman of noble nature, kind and tender heart.

Q2. Write a character sketch of the author’s grandmother

Ans. The author’s grandmother was an affectionate and caring lady. She had boundless love for her grandson. When they lived in the village, she would wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. She accompanied
him to school. While the author sang alphabet with other children, she sat inside the temple reading scriptures. They would walk back home after the school.

The grandmother was kind and benevolent. In the village she used to feed dogs. When she came to the city, there were no dogs in the streets. So she took to feeding the sparrows. In the afternoon, she would sit in the verandah, breaking the bread into small bits. Hundreds of sparrows would collect round her. Some even sat on her head. She smiled but never shoo’d them away.

The grandmother was a religious lady. Her lips were always moving in silent prayer. Her one hand was always telling the beads of her rosary. When she was in the village, she went to the temple to read scriptures. When her end was near, she lay in bed praying and telling her beads till death stole upon her.

The grandmother was a strong woman. When the friendship between her and the author was snapped and they saw less of each other, she bore all this ungrudgingly. Even when the author decided to go abroad for further studies, she did not show any feeling.

Q3. How did the grandmother receive the author when he returned from abroad?

Ans. When the author went abroad for higher studies, the grandmother went to the railway station to see him off. The author thought that it would be his last meeting with her. But he was wrong in his supposition. When he returned after five years, she came to the railway station to receive him. She celebrated his home-coming in a grand way.

In the evening she collected the women of the neighbourhood, got an old drum and started singing. She went on doing this for several hours and overstrained her. The next morning she was taken ill and she knew that her end was near. But she went on praying and telling her beads. Then her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. A peaceful pallor spread on her face and she was dead.

Q4. The grandmother herself was not formally educated but was serious about the author’s education. How does the text support this?

Ans. Although the grandmother had no proper schooling and was not formally educated but she was serious about the author’s education. The author’s parents had shifted to the city. He lived in the village with his grandmother. She would wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. She would accompany him to the school and back. When the author’s parents were well- settled in the city they called them also. The author was sent to an English school.

Now his grandmother could not come to school with him. She continued to wake him up and get him ready for school. When he came back she would ask him what the teacher had taught him. She could not help him with his lesson. She was distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. She was disturbed when she was told that they were being given music lessons at school, but she said nothing. Later, she did not get sentimental when the author decided to go abroad for further studies. Actually, she did not want to stand in the way of the author’s education.

Q5. Gradually the author and the grandmother saw less of each other and their friendship was broken. Was the distancing in the relationship deliberate or due to the demand of the situation?           

Ans. Gradually, the author and his grandmother saw less of each other and their friendship was broken. This distancing was due to the demand of situation, not deliberate. When they came to the city, the author was sent to an English school. His grandmother no longer came to school with him as he used to go in a motor bus. Nor could she help him with his lessons because she did not know the things they taught at the English school. In fact, she was not happy with the things taught at school. For instance, she was shocked to learn that they were given music lessons at school.

According to her music was the monopoly of harlots and beggars and not meant for gentle folk. Consequently, there was a communication gap between them. They rarely spoke to each other, though they shared the same room. Then the author went to a university. He was given a separate room of his own. When the author went for higher studies for a period of five years, the distance increased all the more. Thus, the common link of relationship between them was snapped.

Class 11 Computer Science Ch 11 Societal Impacts NCERT Book Exercise Solution

Ch 11 Societal Impacts

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Summary (A quick recap)

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• Digital footprint is the trail of data we leave behind when we visit any website (or use any online application or portal) to fill-in data or perform any transaction.

• A user of digital technology needs to follow certain etiquettes like net-etiquettes, communicationetiquettes and social media-etiquettes.

• Net-etiquette includes avoiding copyright violations, respecting privacy and diversity of users, and avoiding cyber bullies and cyber trolls, besides sharing of expertise.

• Communication-etiquette requires us to be precise and polite in our conversation so that we remain credible through our remarks and comments.

• While using social media, one needs to take care of security through password, be aware of fake information and be careful while befriending unknowns. Care must be taken while sharing anything on social media as it may create havoc if being mishandled, particularly our personal, sensitive information.

• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) help in data protection through copyrights, patents and trademarks. There are both ethical and legal aspects of violating IPR. A good digital citizen should avoid plagiarism, copyright infringement and trademark infringement.

• Certain software are made available for free public access. Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) allow users to not only access but also to modify (or improve) them.

• Cyber crimes include various criminal activities carried out to steal data or to break down important services. These include hacking, spreading viruses or malware, sending phishing or fraudulent emails, ransomware, etc.

• Excessive usage of digital devices has a negative impact on our physical as well as psychological well-being. Ergonomic positioning of devices as well as our posture are important.

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NCERT Book Exercise Solution of Class 11 Computer Science

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1. After practicals, Atharv left the computer laboratory but forgot to sign off from his email account. Later, his classmate Revaan started using the same computer. He is now logged in as Atharv. He sends inflammatory email messages to few of his classmates using Atharv’s email account. Revaan’s activity is an example of which of the following cyber crime?
Justify your answer.
a) Hacking
b) Identity theft
c) Cyber bullying
d) Plagiarism

Answer: (b) Identity theft

Identity theft means obtaining someone’s credentials to commit some online fraud.

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2. Rishika found a crumpled paper under her desk. She picked it up and opened it. It contained some text which was struck off thrice. But she could still figure out easily that the struck off text was the email ID and password of Garvit, her classmate. What is ethically correct for Rishika to do?
a) Inform Garvit so that he may change his password.
b) Give the password of Garvit’s email ID to all other classmates.
c) Use Garvit’s password to access his account.

Answer: a) Inform Garvit so that he may change his password.

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3. Suhana is down with fever. So, she decided not to go to school tomorrow. Next day, in the evening she called up her classmate, Shaurya and enquired about the computer class. She also requested him to explain the concept. Shaurya said, “Mam taught us how to use tuples in python”. Further, he generously said, “Give me some time, I will email you the material
which will help you to understand tuples in python”.

Shaurya quickly downloaded a 2-minute clip from the Internet explaining the concept of tuples in python. Using video editor, he added the text “Prepared by Shaurya” in the downloaded video clip. Then, he emailed the modified video clip to Suhana. This act of Shaurya is an example of —
a) Fair use
b) Hacking
c) Copyright infringement
d) Cyber crime

Answer: c) Copyright infringement

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4. After a fight with your friend, you did the following activities. Which of these activities is not an example of cyber bullying?

a) You sent an email to your friend with a message saying that “I am sorry”.
b) You sent a threatening message to your friend saying “Do not try to call or talk to me”.
c) You created an embarrassing picture of your friend and uploaded on your account on a social networking site.

Answer: a) You sent an email to your friend with a message saying that “I am sorry”.

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5. Sourabh has to prepare a project on “Digital India Initiatives”. He decides to get information from the Internet. He downloads three web pages (webpage 1, webpage 2, webpage 3) containing information on Digital India Initiatives. Which of the following steps taken by Sourabh is an example of plagiarism or copyright infringement? Give justification in support of your answer.
a) He read a paragraph on “ Digital India Initiatives” from webpage 1 and rephrased it in his own words. He finally pasted the rephrased paragraph in his project.
b) He downloaded three images of “ Digital India Initiatives” from webpage 2. He made a collage for his project using these images.
c) He downloaded “Digital India Initiative” icon from web page 3 and pasted it on the front page of his project report.

Answer: b & c

Plagiarism means using someone else’s work without giving adequate citation for use and presenting as your own work.

Copyright infringement means using copyright-protected material without obtaining copyright holder’s permission or without paying for it, if it is being sold.

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6. Match the following:

Column A	Column B
Plagiarism	Fakers, by offering special rewards or money prize asked for personal information, such as bank account information
Hacking	Copy and paste information from the Internet into your report and then organise it
Credit card fraud	The trail that is created when a person uses the Internet.
Digital Foot Print	Breaking into computers to read private emails and other files

Answer:

Column A	Column B
Plagiarism	Copy and paste information from the Internet into your report and then organise it
Hacking	Breaking into computers to read private emails and other files
Credit card fraud	Fakers, by offering special rewards or money prize asked for personal information, such as bank account information
Digital Foot Print	The trail that is created when a person uses the Internet.

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7. You got the below shown SMS from your bank querying a recent transaction. Answer the following —

a) Will you SMS your pin number to the given contact number?

Answer : No, I will not shared PIN to that contact number.

b) Will you call the bank helpline number to recheck the validity of the SMS received?

Answer : Yes. I will call the bank helpline number.

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8. Preeti celebrated her birthday with her family. She was excited to share the moments with her friend Himanshu. She uploaded selected images of her birthday party on a social networking site so that Himanshu can see them. After few days, Preeti had a fight with Himanshu. Next morning, she deleted her birthday photographs from that social networking site, so that Himanshu cannot access them. Later in the evening, to her surprise, she saw that one of the images which she had already deleted from the social networking site was available with their common friend Gayatri. She hurriedly enquired Gayatri “Where did you get this picture from?”. Gayatri replied “Himanshu forwarded this image few minutes back”.
Help Preeti to get answers for the following questions.

Give justification for your answers so that Preeti can understand it clearly.

a) How could Himanshu access an image which I had already deleted?

Answer: Images loaded on a social networking site can be saved/downloaded or even screenshots may be taken.

b) Can anybody else also access these deleted images?

Answer: Yes, from the digital footprint, government and other agencies can obtain these legally, if needed.

c) Had these images not been deleted from my digital footprint?

Answer: Images deleted from a social website always remain part of a digital footprint.