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Class 11 English Chapter 5 NCERT Solutions The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English

Question 1.
a holistic and ecological view
Answer:
a complete and comprehensive view of ecology which takes into account all species

Question 2.
sustainable development
Answer:
development that takes care of the present needs and ensures at the same time that there are enough resources for the future generation

Question 3.
languish
Answer:
remain unnoticed

Question 4.
ignominious darkness
Answer:
to remain in the dark in a humiliating manner

Question 5.
inter alia
Answer:
among other things

Question 6.
decimated
Answer:
reduced drastically

Question 7.
catastropic depletion
Answer:
disastrous reduction in number

Question 8.
transcending concern
Answer:
main anxiety or worry

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Understanding The Text

Question 1.
Locate the lines in the text that support the title ‘The Ailing Planet’.
Answer:
The following lines in the text support the title, ‘The Ailing Planet’.
(a) “The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.”
(b) “Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment”?
(c) “ severed species of life face extinction as aresult of its destruction.”
(d) “ the environment has deteriorated so badlythat it is ‘critical’ in many of the eighty-eight countries investigated.”

Question 2.
What does the notice ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’ at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify?
Answer:
The notice signifies that man is responsible for the depletion of resources and deterioration of the environment on earth. This is so serious that even man’s survival is threatened.

Question 3.
How are the Earth’s principal biological systems being depleted?
Answer:
The Earth’s principal biological systems are being depleted by excessive use. According to Lester R Brown, there Eire four principal biological systems of the globed economic system. They are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They are the foundation of the global economic system. They supply us food and provide raw materials for industry, except minerals.

But man’s demands on these systems are reaching an unsustainable level. Over-fishing is common because of a protein hungry world. The tropical forests face extinction due to the demand of firewood for cooking. Grasslands are being converted into wastelands and deserts due to over-grazing. Pressure of population on croplands has affected their productivity.

Question 4.
Why does the author aver that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?
Answer:
The growth of world population is one of the strongest factors ‘distorting’ the future of human society. Nani Palkhivala avers that the population explosion will pose a great threat to the future of human society.

Overpopulation upsets all plans of development and puts a severe strain on the Earth’s principal biological systems. This leads to poverty and unemployment, due to which development is hampered.

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Talking About The Text

Discuss in groups of four.

Question 1.
“Laws are never respected nor enforced in India.”
Answer:
It is a very sad state of affairs that in India laws are neither respected nor enforced. There is a very well written Constitution of India that covers all the aspects of the running of the country. New laws are also made and reforms take place. But generally, Indians believe in breaking the laws or interpreting them according to their convenience. Examples are dowry, child labour and female foeticide. There is a general apathy towards the system of law. There could be a lot of reasons behind this. Corruption is one of them. We in India know that everyone and everything can be bought for a price. The second reason could be that, in our country, the course of justice takes a long time.

We believe in the fact that, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” So, there is a possibility that people take law in their own hands and try to meet their demands according to what they want. What needs to be done is to make people more aware about right and wrong. People should respect laws rather than break them. Corrupt officials should be punished strictly and justice should be delivered quickly. Only after some serious measures have been taken can the situation be improved.

Question 2.
“Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment?”
Answer:
The ever-rising inflation, the high cost of living, paucity of drinking water and frequent power cuts are some of the problems we face every day. We fall sick with all kinds of new ailments. These are the assets we have inherited from our ancestors. But the question is, if we are suffering, should we not think of finding solutions to these problems and give a better world to our successors?

We certainly have to take corrective measures to ensure that we do not leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment. We should not make unreasonable claims on the four biological systems of fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. Over-fishing should be avoided and forests should be preserved. New plants should be planted. We should try to avoid using cow dung for burning, so as not to deprive soil of its natural fertiliser.

If utmost care is not taken now, then the future of all of mankind would become endangered. It is high time that we keep our selfish motives in check and try to build a healthy future.

Question 3.
“We have not inherited this Earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.”
Answer:
Man suffers from many misconceptions. He considers himself to be the lord of this world. Perhaps he doesn’t know that his actions are leading to the degradation and destruction of this Earth. He thinks that he has a freehold on this Earth.

The hungry world has ruined fishing. Forests’ are disappearing at the rate of an acre and a half every second. Grasslands and croplands are being converted into wastelands and deserts. Man’s greed and claims have made this earth a scorched planet of advancing deserts and an ailing environment.

Man should remember that he has to hand over this planet to the coming generations. He is only the trustee and not the master. It is the duty of every living being to leave this Earth in good health and ‘ good shape. According to Margaret Thatcher, we have only a life tenancy and not the ownership. Nor have we inherited this world from our forefathers.

We have borrowed it from our children. At any cost, we have to maintain sustainable development in order to meet our present needs without harming the interests and needs of the future generations.

Question 4.
“The problems of overpopulation directly affect our everyday life”.
Answer:
There is no doubt that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society. World population is increasing at a rapid speed.

This is a very alarming situation. Every day, we face the brunt of this menace. There is not a single utility location where there are not long queues, be it a hospital, ration shops or educational institutes. Overpopulation makes the poor still poorer. More children do not mean more hands to work. It only means more people without work and more mouths to feed. There are not enough houses for everyone, so we find slums everywhere.

In government hospitals, where the treatment is available at a reduced cost, there are not enough beds for the patients. Every day, there are new colleges and schools opening, but still the illiteracy is not reducing.

Moreover, high population affects the environment adversely. Trees are cut to make new settlements. As a result, forests recede. More food is needed to support an increasing population. A protein hungry world creates a perpetual pressure on fisheries and croplands. Ultimately, it also adds to impaired productivity.

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Thinking About Language

The phrase ‘inter alia meaning ‘among other things’ is one of many Latin expressions commonly used in English.
Find out what these Latin phrases mean.
1. primafacie
2. ad hoc
3. in camera
4. ad infinitum
5. mutatis mutandis
6. caveat
7. tabula rasa
Answer:
1. prima facie at first sight, before closer inspection
2. ad hoc for the specific purpose, case, or situation at hand and for no other, temporary
3. in camera in secret, in private
4. ad infinitum to infinity, having no end
5. mutatis mutandis having substituted new terms, the necessary changes having been made
6. caveat warning or caution
7. tabula rasa blank slate, an opportunity for a fresh start

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Working With Words

I Locate the following phrases in the text and study their connotation.
1. gripped the imagination of
2. dawned upon
3. ushered in
4. passed into the current coin
5. passport for the future
Answer:
1. gripped the imagination of received much attention
2. dawned upon realised for the first time
3. ushered in introduced something, began a new idea
4. passed into the current coin been brought into use
5. passport for the future permit for taking us to a brighter future

II The words ‘grip’, ‘dawn’, ‘usher’, ‘coin’, ‘passport’ have a literal as well as a figurative meaning. Write pairs of sentences using each word in the literal as well as the figurative sense.
Answer:
1. grip
Literal The baby gripped my finger with her tiny hand. Figurative The movement of ‘India Against Corruption’ had gripped the minds of Indians.

2. dawn
Literal We walked all night and reached the station at dawn.
Figurative Suddenly, the idea dawned on him.

3. usher
Literal The waiter ushered them to their seats. Figurative The Green Movement ushered in a new era of awareness.

4. coin
Literal I have five coins of ₹10.
Figurative The term was coined by a famous philosopher.

5. passport
Literal Finally she got her passport made to visit her daughter in Germany.
Figurative Education is the passport to a bright future.

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Things To Do

Question 1.
Make posters to highlight the importance of the Green Movement.
Answer:

Question 2.
Maintain a record of the trees cut down and the parks demolished in your area, or any other act that violates the environment. Write to newspapers reporting on any such acts that disturb you.
Answer:

Maintaining a record: left for self attempt

Letter to Editor: See the specimen given below:
271 Green Road, Silver City 20 March 20 XX
The Editor
The National Herald
New City.
Sub: Illegal felling of trees
Sir
May I use the columns of your daily to draw the attention of the public and the authorities concerned towards an act that has caused severe violation of environment. The central park adjacent to Green Road had many tall and beautiful trees which added to its glory. Of late some people began to use it for hosting wedding parties or political functions. They caused much damage to the environment by damaging the plants, flowers, young trees and grass growing in the lawns as well as creating noise pollution through loudspeakers.

Yesterday, some enthusiastic members of the green club protested to the organiser of a political assembly against the misuse of the park and the untold harm to environment. To our surprise, we found that all the tall trees had been felled and cut down into logs overnight.

We have lodged a complaint with the local police station. We appeal to you to publish this letter of protest against the illegal felling of trees with your comments and remind the authorities that it is the responsibility of the state to preserve healthy environment.
I am confident that you will take up this cause.
Yours faithfully
Deepak/Deepika

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Short Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

Question 1.
What is the significance of Green Movement in the modern world?
Answer:
The Green Movement has brought a great awareness among people. It has taught us that we are just partners on the earth sharing this planet with other living organisms.

Having learnt this, human beings worldwide have reduced the large amount of destruction being caused on Earth. People have realised that the earth’s existence has been threatened and have begun to do whatever was possible individually.

Question 2.
What do you understand by the Green Movement?
Answer:
The Green Movement was founded in 1972 in New Zealand and brought great awareness to humanity about preserving our planet for the future. It taught us that we are only partners, having equal rights as any other organism to live on Earth. The Green Movement has made people realise that Earth’s existence was threatened and so they started to do whatever was possible to save it through the efforts of each individual and each nation. They reduced the large amount of destruction that was caused to the various economic systems on Earth.

Question 3.
What shift in human perception has been seen as a result of the Green Movement?
Answer:
Man’s view about the earth was earlier a mechanistic view. But now it has moved towards a holistic and ecological view of the world. This shift in perception is revolutionary.

For the first time in human history, there is a growing worldwide consciousness that Earth itself is a living organism, an enormous being of which we are parts. It has its own metabolic needs and vital processes which need to be respected and preserved.

Question 4.
What are the changes that have come in the perception of man? What is his holistic and ecological view of the world?
Answer:
A great transformation has come in the perception of man. Initially, man’s view was only mechanistic in nature.

But fortunately, he has changed his outlook. He doesn’t consider this world to be a machine. There is a growing worldwide consciousness that Earth itself is a living organism. It has its own metabolic needs. It has some vital processes and they need to be preserved. This holistic and ecological view is a comprehensive view of the world with all its natural resources and species.

Question 5.
Define the concept of sustainable development. How do the earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health?
Answer:
Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without harming the needs of future generations.

Earth’s vital signs give dangerous signals that it is not in good health. In most parts of the world, fisheries have been ruined. Forests are disappearing. Grasslands and croplands are being converted into deserts and wastelands.

Earth and its environment show all-round degradation and deterioration. Hence, these are definite signs that Earth is like a patient in declining health.

Question 6.
Why is Earth said to be an ailing planet?
Answer:
Due to the insensitive exploitation of Earth’s resources by humans for their survival and development, Earth has lost almost all its vital resources. With drying rivers, depleted and polluted environment and deteriorated forests and greenery, Earth is having a difficult time to its survive and thus it is said to be an ailing planet.

Question 7.
What question did the First Brandt Report raise?
Answer:
One of the early international commissions which dealt with the question of ecology and environment was the Brandt Commission. The First Brandt Report raised the question, “Are we to leave our successors a Scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes, and ailing environment?”

Question 8.
How are Earth’s principal biological systems important?
Answer:
Mr. Lester R Brown in his thoughtful book, The Global Economic Prospect, points out that earth’s principal biological systems are four – fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands. They form the foundation of the global economic system. They supply our entire needs of food, besides providing virtually all the raw materials for industry except minerals and petroleum derived synthetics.

Question 9.
How do fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands form the foundation of the global economic system?
Answer:
Mr. Lester R Brown has pointed out that the earth’s principal biological systems, fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands, form the foundation of the global economic system. In addition to supplying our food, these four systems provide virtually all the raw materials for industry except minerals and petroleum-derived synthetics.

Fish are a major source of proteins required for growth. In developing countries, local forests are being cut to provide firewood for cooking. Croplands are required for growing crops which are essential for nutrition. Grasslands provide fodder for various domesticated animals, which provide many items consumed or used by mankind. Thus, these four form the foundation for the global economic system.

Question 10.
What is the cause of the collapse of fisheries?
Answer:
Fisheries have collapsed due to over-fishing. Fish are an important source of protein which is essential for growth. With the spread of education, people all over the world have become conscious about consuming proteins. This has led to fishermen trying to meet the demand for fish by over-fishing, leading to the collapse of fisheries.

Question 11.
What happens when the productivity of the principal biological systems gets impaired?
Answer:
In large areas of the world, human claims on the principal biological systems are reaching such an unsustainable level that their productivity is being impaired.

When this happens, fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are converted into barren wastelands and croplands deteriorate. Thus, for example, in some places firewood has become more expensive than the food which is cooked by burning the firewood.

Question 12.
Why and how are our grasslands being converted into barren wastelands, and croplands deteriorating?
Answer:
One of the greatest reason of the deterioration of these grasslands, and croplands is the growth of population. Population has been increasing drastically. As a result, the pressure on land is increasing.

Over-grazing of animals has caused havoc to our grasslands. Due to this, grasslands are being converted into barren wastelands. In the same way, the pressure of population on croplands is affecting their productivity. More mouths mean more food and hence, more pressure on croplands.

Question 13.
“What goes under the pot now costs more than what goes inside it.” Explain.
Answer:
This statement means that with growing population and rapid global development, the cost of food has touched new heights. Amazingly, the cost of cooking fuel has overtaken that of foodgrains, fish, meat, and vegetables. As a result, the fuel required to cook, such as gas, firewood, and electricity, now costs more than the raw food.

Question 14.
Why are tropical forests called the powerhouse of evolution?
Answer:
Tropical forests are called the powerhouse of evolution because it is in the heart of tropical forests where newer plants and animals evolve to more adaptable forms. If they are drastically reduced, as at present, it will affect evolution as a whole and many species of plants and animals will be rendered extinct in this process.

Question 15.
What do you understand by the statement, “Forests precede mankind; deserts follow?”
Answer:
Forests are one of the principal biological systems of Earth. They form the foundation of the global economic system. It is true that if forests disappear, deserts will replace them.

Forests were in existence much before the coming of man on this planet. Local forests are disappearing to provide firewood and timber. The world is losing 40 to 50 million acres of forests a year. If this process continues, nothing will be left except deserts and wastelands.

Question 16.
The world’s forest cover is in a pathetic state. Comment with reference to the chapter.
Answer:
The world’s ancient inheritance of tropical forests is now eroding at the rate of 40 to 50 million acres a year. The World Bank estimates that a five-fold increase in the rate of forest plantation is needed to cope with the expected fuelwood demand after six years. James Speth, President of the World Resources Institute, said that we are actually losing forests close to an acre-and-a-half every second.

Question 17.
Explain the unusually alarming statistics about the population that the author mentions.
Answer:
The author mentions that the population explosion has distorted the future of human society. Mankind took a million years to reach the first billion. The second billion was added in just another 100 years and the twentieth century has added 3.7 billion more. The population in 1994 was over 5.7 billion. Every four days the population increased by one million at that time.

Question 18.
What does more children mean to the poor section of people of India?
Answer:
Poverty is directly caused by lack of education, as an illiterate person is unable to meet the needs of the family properly, causing it to become poor. Having more children means having more mouths to feed as well as more unemployment when the children grow up. It also leads to inadequate healthcare, leading to illnesses and further poverty.

Question 19.
How can the growth of population be checked or controlled?
Answer:
The growth of population can be checked by spreading education and awareness among the masses. The people, especially the ones below the poverty line, think that if they have more children they will have more earning members, which is not true.

In order to stop the people from thinking in this manner, development by means of education is the only solution. This will lead to a better life among the masses and will indirectly contribute towards curbing the population explosion.

Question 20.
What do you mean by the Era of Responsibility?
Answer:
The author points that this time is an ‘Era of Responsibility’ that calls for ‘seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts.’ Industry plays an important role in this responsibility. Excellence in environmental performance is required for the manufacturers to continue their existence. Our earth belongs as much to the future generations as to us. We should soon realise our responsibility towards our planet and should not treat it solely as our property.

The Green Movement, a part of this Era of Responsibility, has recognised the critical state in which planet Earth is at present.

Question 21.
What does Mr Edgar S Woolard mean by assuming the post of his company’s Chief Environment Officer?
Answer:
Mr Edgar S Woolard, Chairman of Du Pont, an international manufacturer, by co-assuming the post of the company’s Chief Environmental Officer (CEO), has become a model for the owners and chairpersons of all industries worldwide. He implies that the chief motive of an industry is to preserve the stability and life of Earth and profit comes afterwards.

Question 22.
What do you understand by this statement of Margaret Thatcher, “No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy-with a full repairing lease.”
Answer:
We understand from her statement that man has been the victim of many false illusions. In his view, he is the lord of this world. This attitude and misdeeds of man have caused untold havoc and destruction. He has always indulged himself in plundering natural resources.

However, man should remember that he has to hand over this planet to the coming generations. He should not forget that he is only a trustee and not the master. It is his foremost duty to leave this earth in good health and good shape for future generations.

Question 23.
What did Mr Lester R Brown mean when he said “We have not inherited this, Earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children?”
Answer:
Mr Lester R Brown believes that the present generation of people has no right to think that the Earth is their property. In fact, everyone should believe that they are responsible to leave Earth for future generations in the same condition as they found it. Mr Lester R Brown further says that human beings have no right to misuse Earth because we are accountable to future generations.

Question 24.
Justify the title of the article by Nani Palkhivala.
Answer:
The title of the article by Nani Palkhivala, ‘The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role’, is totally justified and appropriate. The earth’s vital signs are that of a patient in declining health. We have overexploited its resources.

But the Green Movement has changed our thinking. We have started to understand that earth is also a living organism and we have to respect its needs.

The Ailing Planet : The Green Movements Role Long Questions and Answers (6 Marks)

Question 1.
The author in his article has brought out a very important fact that we need to preserve the planet Earth for our future generations. Do you feel that Earth is our legacy? Why/why not?
Answer:
Earth is not our ancestral property. We cannot make undue claims on it. In our foolishness, we have depleted the natural resources without realising how it is going to affect our future generations. The fruits that we eat today are the products of a tree which was not planted by us. We have to base our thought process on similar lines. What we sow today, our next generation will reap in future.

Our earth is not our legacy. In the words of Margaret Thatcher; “No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy—with a full repairing lease.”

We should take care of earth’s resources as borrowed wealth. We can neither overuse them nor neglect them. We have to return them for the next generation to use without any damage and, if possible, with further additions.

Mr Lester R Brown has rightly said, “We have not inherited this Earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.”

Question 2.
In spite of knowing the deplorable condition of the environment, human beings only make a show of doing something about it. Elaborate.
Answer:
The issue of indiscriminate exploitation of nature has become an essential feature of human existence. Although sustainable development of resources is a goal for most nations, the reality is hardly so.

This uncaring behaviour is manifested in practices such as deforestation, destruction of wetlands, excessive mining for oil and mineral supplies, over-fishing and so on. The root causes for such practices are overpopulation, inefficiency in resource utilisation, over-consumption, poverty and ineffective structures such as human institutions, regulatory bodies, and attitudes.

Moreover, the funds meant to help in conservation of critically endangered species are being siphoned off for other causes and the concerned authorities are not taking this matter seriously.

Question 3.
Overpopulation not only leads to under development but also to unemployment and poverty, which are related to one another. Support your answer with suitable arguments.
Answer:
The world population is on the rise at an increasing rate. With this ever-increasing population, development of human civilisation and the well-being of the planet seems almost next to impossible. It is rightly said that overpopulation not only leads to underdevelopment but also to unemployment and poverty, which are related to one another.

In fact, it is the rise in population which has posed numerous environmental problems because of the ever increasing demands. More and more grasslands are converted into wastelands; croplands have lost their fertility due to over-utilisation; fisheries are in a poor condition due to over-fishing; the number of trees in forests is dwindling because of the excess need of fuelwood and other products for human consumption. All these are in a poor state only because of the rise in population. Another adverse effect of population rise on the environment is global warming, which also needs to be addressed.

Question 4.
Why does the author call Earth ‘The Ailing Planet’? Who is responsible for its condition? In your opinion, how can the ailing planet survive?
Answer:
According to the author, the planet Earth is going through a difficult phase. Human beings are solely responsible for the deteriorating condition of the environment, the depletion of natural resources leading to an imbalance in the ecology of the earth, which in turn is bound to affect our flourishing civilisation and us.

Earth’s main biological systems are adversely affected by such developments. With the rise in human population and the ever increasing human needs, these demands are reaching an unsustainable level. Fisheries are being overexploited, forests are disappearing, grasslands are being converted into wasteland and croplands are insufficient and lacking in fertility. These are referred to as ailments of planet Earth.

The ailing planet can survive only with human intervention. A holistic approach towards the environment and its related ecological issues is the need of the hour. In fact, it is essential to examine the world as an integrated whole rather than a collection of parts. This, according to the author, is an Era of Responsibility where the world is to be viewed as a complete system, which needs to be cured of its environmental and ecological ailments.

Question 5.
To protect our ailing planet there have been, from time to time, a number of movements going on in different parts of this planet. What are some of the ways in which you can contribute towards the conservation of our environment?
Answer:
We have been aware from quite some time of remedies to protect Earth like planting trees, using public transportation, saving electricity etc, which actually are sometimes practical and sometimes not. However, there can be more innovative, better and other small ways by which we as youth of the world can contribute to reduce oufs as well as the nation’s carbon footprint and help our planet recover.

In today’s world, when technology is in everybody’s power, we can use it to help reduce our carbon footprint, which will help save energy and thus help the environment. We should use either solar cookers or heaters, which are cheap and easy to construct. We can use reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping food in foil or plastic wrap. We can use latex paint instead of oil-based paint, as oil-based paint is highly toxic. Using cloth bags instead of plastic and paper bags can be of great help. These are a few steps that can help save our ailing planet.

Oliver Asks for More Question and Answers

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Class 11 English Chapter 4 NCERT Solutions Landscape Of The Soul Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English

Understanding The Text

Question 1.
(i) Contrast the Chinese view of art with the European view with examples.
Answer:
The Chinese view of art is trying to achieve the essence of inner life and spirit. Wu Daozi’s painting was an example of this.
The European view of art is to create illusionistic likeness. Quinten Metsys’ painting of the fly was an example of this.

(ii) Explain the concept of Shanshui.
Answer:
Shanshui literally means ‘mountain-water’, which when used together represent the word ‘landscape’. It reflects the Daoist view of the universe, which includes more than two elements of an image – Yang, the mountain, Yin, the water and the third element -.the Middle Void, where the two interact.

Question 2.
(i) What do you understand by the terms ‘outsider art’ and ‘art brut’ or ‘raw art’?
Answer:
‘Outsider art’ is the art created by artists who have received no formal training, yet they show talent and artistic insight. ‘Art brut’ or ‘raw art’ is about works of art that were in their raw state with regard to their cultural and artistic influence. Anything like a broken teacup or bangle could be material for a work of art.

(ii) Who was the “untutored genius who
created a paradise” and what is the nature of his contribution to art?
Answer:
Nek Chand, belonging to Chandigarh, was the untutored genius who created a paradise many years ago by building the ‘Rock Garden’ there using stones, broken crockery and recycled material. Nek Chand’s contribution is a highly creative example of ‘raw art’.

Landscape Of The Soul Talking About The Text

Discuss the following statements in groups of four.

Question 1.
“The Emperor may rule over the territory he has conquered, but only the artist knows the way within.”
Answer:
This sentence explains the fact that even though an Emperor might rule an entire kingdom and have power over his conquered territory, only an artist would be able to go beyond any material appearance. He knows both the path and the method of the mysterious work of the universe. True meaning of his work can be seen only by means known to him, irrespective of how powerful an emperor is.

Question 2.
“The landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and conceptual space.”
Answer:
This phrase explains The Chinese art from where a Chinese painter wants you to enter his mind rather than borrow his eyes. This is a physical as well as a mental participation. It is a landscape created by the artist to travel up and down, and back again, through the viewer’s eyes. The landscape is not real’ and can be reached from any point.

Landscape Of The Soul Thinking About Language

Question 1.
Find out the correlates of Yin and Yangin other cultures.
Answer:
The Indian culture lays stress on Nature and God. Nature is the ‘yen’ or female part whereas God the creator, is the male part. This concept also known as ‘Maya’ or Brahma’ The combination of creates the whole world, all it objects and also inhabitants.

Question 2.
What is the language spoken in Flanders?
Answer:
Three languages are spoken in different areas of Flanders (modern Belgium): Dutch, French and German.

Landscape Of The Soul Working With Words

The following common words are used in more than one sense.

panel

studio

brush

essence

material

Examine the following sets of sentences to find out what the words, ‘panel’ and ‘essence’ mean in different contexts.
A. (i) The masks from Bawa village in Mali look like long panels of decorated wood,
(ii) Judge H Hobart Grooms told the jury panel he had heard the reports.
(iii) The panel is laying the groundwork for an international treaty.
(iv) The glass panels of the window were broken.
(v) Through the many round tables, workshops and panel discussions, a consensus was reached.
(vi) The sink in the hinged panel above the bunk drains into the head.
Answer:
The meanings are (i) flat boards, (ii) group of men selected to give unanimous verdict on a legal case, (iii) small group of people made to decide some matter, (iv) sections, (v) group and (vi) section.
B. (i) Their repetitive structure must have taught the people around the great composer the essence of music.
(ii) Part of the answer is in the proposition; but the essence is in the meaning.
(iii) The implications of these schools of thought are of practical essence for the teacher.
(iv) They had added vanilla essence to the pudding.
Answer:
The meanings are (i) basic character and qualities, (ii) essential part, (iii) importance and (iv) extract from a plant or other substance used for flavouring.

II. Now find five sentences each for the rest of the words to show the different senses in which each of them is used.
Answer:
1. Studio
(i) The artist is working in his studio at home.
(ii) The photographer’s studio was full of his own photographs only.
(iii) Kavita is learning classical dancing at the dance studio in Dwarka.
(iv) All the actors in the scene must report in the film studio for shooting at 9 AM tomorrow.
(v) James lives in a studio apartment in Mumbai.

2. Brush
(i) We should brush our teeth twice a day.
(ii) Malvika is brushing a pink shade on her painting to complete it.
(iii) A brush with death on the road is common for pedestrians in Delhi.
(iv) Squirrel’s brushes are used by expert painters for painting specific areas of a painting.
(v) In an electric motor, graphite brushes are used to connect its coil with the electric supply.

3. Material
(i) Most persons today want only material pleasure.
(ii) Raw material for constructing earthquake proof buildings is very expensive.
(iii) Our winter trip to experience the snow in Shimla never materialised.
(iv) The selection committee members felt that Sunil was Test Match material; so they selected him.
(v) Comedy was an important material used by Shakespeare in many of his plays.

Landscape Of The Soul Noticing Form

• A classical Chinese landscape is not meant to reproduce an actual view, as would a Western figurative painting.
• Whereas the European painter wants you to borrow his eyes and look at a particular landscape exactly as he saw it, from a specific angle, the Chinese painter does not choose a single viewpoint.

The above two examples are ways in which contrast may be expressed. Combine the following sets of ideas to show the contrast between them.

Question 1.
(i) European art tries to achieve a perfect, illusionistic likeness.
(ii) Asian art tries to capture the essence of inner life and spirit.
Answer:
While European art tries to achieve a perfect illusionistic likeness, Asian art tries to capture the essence of inner life and spirit.

Question 2.
(i) The Emperor commissions a painting and appreciates its outer appearance.
(ii) The artist reveals to him the true meaning of his work.
Answer:
Even though the Emperor commissions a painting and appreciates its outer appearance, it is the artist who reveals to him the true meaning of his work.

Question 3.
(i) The Emperor may rule over the territory he has conquered.
(ii) The artist knows the way within.
Answer:
Even though the Emperor rules over the territory he has conquered, it is the artist who knows the way within.

Landscape Of The Soul Things To Do

Question 1.
Find out about as many Indian schools of painting as you can. Write a short note on the distinctive features of each school.
Answer:

Question 2.
Find out about experiments in recycling that help in environmental conservation.
Answer:

Landscape Of The Soul Short Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

Question 1.
What was depicted in the last painting made by Wu Daozi, the Chinese painter?
Answer:
The last painting made by Wu Daozi depicted forests, high mountains, waterfalls, clouds floating in an immense sky, men on hilly paths, birds in flight and a cave at the foot of a mountain in which a supernatural being resided.

Question 2.
When Wu Daozi showed ‘the way’ to the Chinese Emperor, what happened?
Answer:
When Wu Daozi said to the Emperor, “Please let me show Your Majesty the way”, the painter entered the cave and its entrance closed behind him. Before the surprised Emperor could move or say anything, the painting had vanished from the wall. Even the painter’s brush had disappeared.

Question 3.
What do the books about Confucius and Zhuangzi contain and what do they help in doing?
Answer:
The books about Confucius and Zhuangzi contain many anecdotes that deeply reveal the spirit in which art was considered in their days. These anecdotes helped the masters to guide their disciples in the right direction.

Question 4.
What is the anecdote about a dragon’s eye mentioned in Chinese literature?
Answer:
The anecdote about a dragon’s eye mentioned in Chinese literature says that a painter who had painted the image of a dragon did not want to complete it by drawing the dragon’s eye. The reason was that the dragon would be able to fly out of the painting and may be able to attack the poet.

Question 5.
Why did the Flemish painter accept Quinten Metsys as a son-in-law?
Answer:
Earlier Quinten Metsys was a blacksmith, which was not considered as a respectable profession. However, when Quinten showed his talent in painting by drawing a very realistic looking fly on the panel on which the artist was painting, Quinten was enrolled as the artist’s apprentice and later accepted as a son-in-law.

Question 6.
What do the stories, one about China and the other about Flanders, illustrate?
Answer:
These two stories, one about China and the other about Flanders, illustrate what each of these forms of art is trying to achieve. The Flanders form illustrates a perfect, illusionistic likeness, while the Chinese form illustrates the essence of inner life and spirit.

Question 7.
What was the difference between the Chinese Emperor and the artist in the anecdote?
Answer:
The difference between the Chinese emperor and the artist was that while the Emperor commissioned a painting and appreciated its outer appearance, the artist revealed to him the true meaning of his work. The Emperor may rule over the territory he has conquered, but only the artist knows the way within.

Question 8.
What does a European painter want from the viewer?
Answer:
A European painter wants the viewer to borrow his eyes and look at a particular landscape exactly as he saw it, from a specific angle. His painting is very much realistic and he expects the viewer to understand it by just looking at it.

Question 9.
What does a Chinese painter want from the viewer?
Answer:
A Chinese painter does not want the viewer to choose a single viewpoint. His landscape is not a ‘real’ one, and you can enter it from any point and then travel in it. The artist creates a path for the viewer’s eyes to travel up and down, then back again, in a leisurely movement.

Question 10.
How does a horizontal scroll add a dimension of time to a painting?
Answer:
In the case of a horizontal scroll, the action of slowly opening one section of the painting, then rolling it up to move on to the other sections one by one adds a dimension of time to a painting.

Question 11.
How is the Chinese painter’s painting a depiction of conceptual space?
Answer:
The Chinese painter does not want you to borrow his eyes just to view the painting; he wants you to enter his mind because the landscape is an inner one, a depiction of spiritual and conceptual space.

Question 12.
What are the two complementary poles in Shanshui?
Answer:
The two complementary poles in Shanshui are reflecting the Daoist view of the universe. One pole is the mountain, known as Yang (meaning reaching vertically towards Heaven) which signifies stability, warmth and dryness, while the other pole is the water, known as Yin (meaning horizontal and resting on the earth) which signifies fluidity, moistness and coolness.

Question 13.
What is the fundamental notion of Daoism?
Answer:
The fundamental notion of Daoism is that this universe is composed of two complementary poles, viz. Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine). The interaction of these two energies, Yin, the receptive, and its counterpart Yang, the active, makes the universe.

Question 14.
What is the ‘Middle Void’?
Answer:
The Middle Void is the blank space where the two complementary elements, Yang and Yin, meet. This is usually overlooked, but a viewer must actively participate in the painting. Without this Middle Void, the viewer can’t take an active part in the painting and it will be just like a European painting.

Question 15.
What is pranayama! During which stage of pranayama does meditation take place?
Answer:
Pranayama is ‘conscious awareness of breath’, which is a part of yogic exercises. It consists of three parts: breathe in, suspend the breath, and breathe out. Meditation occurs during the suspension of breath during the middle part.

Question 16.
How does man act as a conduit of communication?
Answer:
Man acts as a conduit of communication between both poles of the universe, heaven and earth, because his presence is essential, even if it’s only suggested, to bridge the gap between them.

Landscape Of The Soul Long Questions and Answers (6 Marks)

Question 1.
Briefly recount what happened to the painter Wu Daozi in the chapter ‘Landscape of the Soul’.
Answer:
The eighth century Chinese painter Wu Daozi was commissioned by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong to paint a landscape painting to decorate a palace wall. The master painter had hidden the painting behind a screen so that only the Emperor could see it when desired. For quite some time, the Emperor admired the landscape containing forests, high mountains, waterfalls, clouds floating in an immense sky, men on hilly paths and flying birds. Then the painter pointed out a cave painted by him at the foot of the mountain and told the Emperor that a spirit lived in that cave. When the painter clapped his hands, the entrance to the cave opened. Then the painter explained that the inside of the cave was really worth seeing and offered to show the way to enter the cave. But, as soon as Wu Daozi entered the cave, the entrance closed behind him. Before the surprised Emperor could move or say anything, the landscape painting vanished from the wall. Not even the painter’s brush remained. In fact, Wu Daozi was never seen again. The landscape had been his last painting.

Question 2.
How was Quinten Metsys able to marry the painter’s daughter?
Answer:
Quinten Metsys, a master blacksmith in fifteenth century Antwerp, fell in love with a painter’s daughter. Quinten realised that his profession
was not considered respectable and thus, the painter would never allow Quinten to marry his daughter. Thus, he had to impress the painter with his creative talent first.

As Quinten possessed determination to achieve his desired goal, he entered the painter’s studio secretly when the painter was not there and painted a very realistic-looking fly on the painter’s latest panel. Later on, when the painter entered his studio and saw the fly, he tried to swat it before he realised that it was not a real fly. On finding out who had painted the fly with such delicate realism, he asked Quinten to become his apprentice, as the painter realised that Quinten possessed artistic talent. Thus, Quinten was able to marry the painter’s daughter and go on to become one of the most famous painters of his age.

Question 3.
Explain the concept of Shanshui painting.
Answer:
Shanshui painting is not a normal kind of painting. First of all, when Chinese painters work on a Shanshui painting, they do not try to present an image of what they have seen in nature, but what they have thought about nature. Shanshui painting does not use colour, light and shadow, or personal brush work with conventional paints. Instead, Shanshui painting uses a brush and ink. Mountains, rivers and also waterfalls are prominent in this art form.

In Shanshui painting, the two elements of an image represent two complementary poles, just like the Daoist view of the universe. The mountain is Yang, meaning it is active and masculine. It is stable, warm, and dry in the sun. The other pole is water or Yin, meaning it is horizontal, resting on the earth, fluid, moist and cool. The interaction of Yin, the receptive, feminine aspect of universal energy and its counterpart Yang is a fundamental notion of Daoism. The essential element in the Middle Void where Yin and Yang interact is man, as he becomes the conduit of communication between both the complementary poles.

The Garden Within Question and Answers

The Nobel Nature Summary in English

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Class 11 English Chapter 4 Poem NCERT Solutions The Voice Of The Rain Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English

I. Think it Out
Question 1.
There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?
Answer:
The poem, ‘The Voice of the Rain’, presents a dialogue between the poet and the rain itself. In this poem, the poet asks rain who it is. The poet gets an answer as the rain itself gives its introduction.

Hence, the two voices in the poem are those of rain and the poet. These are
(i) In the poet’s voice And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower.
(ii) In the voice of the rain And I am the Poem of the Earth, said the voice of the rain.

Question 2.
What does the phrase ‘strange to tell’ mean?
Answer:
The phrase expresses the poet’s surprise at the rain’s ability to reply and use words. The belief is that rain cannot speak like living beings. The poet believes that the readers will also find it surprising and weird . that the rain should speak and answer the poet’s question.

Question 3.
There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.
Answer:
The last two lines of the poem (in brackets) indicate the parallel drawn between rain and music (here it is called ‘song’, as a song always has music associated with it). In these lines, the poet observes that the life-cycle of rain and a song are alike. The song issues from the singer and travels to reach others. It wanders and, whether heard and enjoyed or not, eventually returns to its creator with all due love. Similarly, rain originates from Earth, and after fulfilling its role of spreading beauty and purity, returns to its origin.

Both are perpetual in nature. Moreover, the sound of the soft-falling rain is in itself a kind of music.

Question 4.
How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.
Answer:
In the poem, water rises from the ‘land and the bottomless sea’ to reach the sky. There, it transforms itself into vague formations of clouds, different in their structure than the water from which they originated. After wandering, these clouds descend to Earth in the form of rain to provide relief to the drought-ridden areas and infuse life into unborn and latent seeds. The rain gives Earth beauty and purity.

In science, we learn the cyclical process of rain using terms like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, flowing rivers, ground water, ocean water etc, while in the poem the same process becomes interesting and unusual. The rain speaks itself to describe its course. Thus, both what is given in the poem and what we learn in science are similar.

Question 5.
Why are the last two lines put within brackets?
Answer:
The last two lines of the poem have been put within brackets as they do not form a part of the conversation between the poet and the rain. The lines in the brackets indicate the reflections, observations and thoughts of the poet. He makes observations about the life course of a song and draws similarities between the life cycle of a song and the rain.

Question 6.
List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.
Answer:
The pairs of opposites are rise-descend; day-night; reck’d-unreck’d

II. Notice the following sentence patterns
(a) And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower.
(b) I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain.
(c) Eternal I rise.
(d) For song duly with love returns.
Rewrite the above sentences in prose.
Answer:
(a) I enquired the soft-falling shower about its identity.
(b) The voice of the rain answered, saying that it was the Poem of Earth.
(c) The voice of the rain explained its upward movement towards the sky as eternal.
(d) The poet says that, similar to the rain, a song starts from the heart of the singer, travels to reach others and, after fulfilling it purpose (whether cared for or not) returns to the singer with all due love.

III. Look for some more poems on the rain and see how this one is different from them
Answer:
Do it yourself.

The Voice Of The Rain Extract based Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

I. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
Question 1.
Who is T in the first line?
(a) The poet
(b) The land
(c) The sea
(d) The raindrops
Answer:
(a) The poet

Question 2.
What does the rain call itself? Why?
(a) The poet of the Earth
(b) The poem of the Earth
(c) The poem of the Sea
(d) The poet of the Sea
Answer:
The poem of the Earth

Question 3.
The word ‘thou’ in the extract is a ………. .
(a) noun
(b) verb
(c) preposition
(d) pronoun
Answer:
(d) pronoun

II. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,
Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form’d, altogether changed, and yet the same,
Question 1.
What does the use of word ‘eternal’ indicate here?
(a) It indicates the continual process of rain
(b) It indicates the continual process of nature
(c) It indicates the discontinuous process of rain
(d) It indicates the discontinuous process of nature
Answer:
(a) It indicates the continual process of rain

Question 2.
From where does ‘I’ rise and where does it go?
(a) It rises in the form of droplets and goes to the sea
(b) It rises in the form of clouds and goes to the sky
(c) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the land
(d) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the sky
Answer:
(d) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the sky

Question 3.
Which word in the extract means the same as “in a way that is uncertain, indefinite or unclear”?
(a) Eternal
(b) Impalpable
(c) Vaguely
(d) Bottomless
Answer:
(c) Vaguely

III. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;
Question 1.
With what purpose does the rain descend from the sky?
(a) To trouble the creatures of the Earth
(b) To give life to the drought affected areas and plants
(c) To wash the dust layers enveloping the Earth
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer:
(d) Both (b) and (c)

Question 2.
What will happen if T was not there?
(a) It would result in happiness on the Earth
(b) It would not matter to the residents of the Earth
(c) The seeds will remain as seeds and plants will not grow
(d) It would result in the rise of temperature on Earth
Answer:
(c) The seeds will remain as seeds and plants will not grow

Question 3.
……….. is the opposite of ‘latent’.
(a) Inactive
(b) Manifest
(c) Dormant
(d) Resolute
Answer:
(b) Manifest

IV. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin,
And make pure and beautify it;
Question 1.
In what way does the rain help its place of origin?
(a) By causing floods
(b) By providing water to the drought stricken areas
(c) By washing away impurities from the Earth
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer:
(d) Both (b) and (c)

Question 2.
What is the importance of the word ‘forever’?
(a) It points to the everlasting features of artificial elements
(b) It points to the everlasting features of natural elements
(c) It points to the temporary features of natural elements
(d) It points to the temporary features of artificial elements
Answer:
(b) It points to the everlasting features of natural elements

Question 3.
……….. in the extract is the opposite of ‘ending’.
(a) By
(b) Back
(c) Origin
(d) Beginning
Answer:
(c) Origin

V. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns.)
Question 1.
What is the similarity between a song and the rain?
(a) They return to their place of origin
(b) They are never ending
(c) They do not have any origin
(d) They are liked by one and all
Answer:
(a) They return to their place of origin

Question 2.
How has the poet been able to put his own reflections?
(a) By using quotation marks
(b) By using parenthesis or brackets
(c) By making notes in his diary
(d) By telling his friends about his experiences
Answer:
(b) By using parenthesis or brackets

Question 3.
For what purpose has the phrase ‘reck’d’ or ‘unreck’d’ used in the passage?
(a) For highlighting the author’s comments
(b) To indicate that rain or a song keep completing their life-cycle
(c) To indicate that rain or a song do not complete their life-cycle
(d) For making the poem interesting
Answer:
(b) To indicate that rain or a song keep completing their life-cycle

The Voice Of The Rain Short Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

Question 1.
Why does the poet get surprised when he gets an answer from the rain?
Answer:
The poet gets surprised when he gets an answer from the rain, as it is inanimate and cannot speak. In this poem, to the poet’s and reader’s amazement, the rain gives a reply which has been translated by the poet for the readers.

Question 2.
What answer does the rain give back to the poet?
Answer:
The rain answers to the poet’s question by telling him that it is the Poem of Earth and is involved in a continuing process of going up and coming down.

Question 3.
How does the rain justify its claim ‘I am the Poem of Earth’?
Answer:
The rain calls itself the Poem of the Earth because the poem rendered by the poet has the task of bringing joy, happiness, life to its readers.

Similarly when the rain falls down over Earth, a rhythm or music is created. That’s why the rain calls itself the Poem of Earth.

Question 4.
Describe the never ending cycle of rain.
Answer:
Water rises unperceived in the form of vapour from land and water bodies on the Earth. It goes up, takes the form of a cloud, changes its shape and falls down on Earth in the form .of water drops to bathe the small dust particles, land and sea. The water returns through rivers to oceans and seas after it rains on Earth.

Question 5.
Why does the rain call itself ‘impalpable’?
Answer:
Impalpable means something that cannot be felt by touching or seeing. When water takes the form of vapour, it is not visible to the human eye and nor can we feel its touch.

The vapour rises to the sky, condenses and forms clouds which cause rain. Though we are aware of its presence, the process remains invisible to us. Hence, the rain has rightly called itself ‘impalpable’.

Question 6.
What happens when it rains after a long hot spell?
Answer:
After a long hot spell, everything is dried up on Earth. When it rains, all the dust that has accumulated on Earth gets washed away, giving a new fresh look to nature.

Moreover the seeds which were lying latent till now, get germinated with the help of rain and new trees and plants start growing.

Question 7.
Latent seeds get a life by rain. Explain.
Answer:
The seeds lying on Earth require water to germinate and take shape. When it rains, the seeds start germinating and change into the form of saplings.

In this way, the seeds which would have dried up or get wasted get a new lease of life by rain.

Question 8.
Why is rain essential for Earth?
Answer:
If it doesn’t rain then Earth will remain parched, droughts will follow and the dust-layers will not be washed away. There will be nothing to quench the thirst of the plants and trees and their seeds will die.

Question 9.
How does the rain become the voice of Earth?
Answer:
In the poem, ‘The Voice of the Rain’, the poet describes how the rain falls on Earth. He also asks a question to the rain’about it. He calls the showers of the rain as ‘Poem of Earth’ as the rain gives a new lease of life to ‘ the scorched and parched Earth and falls on Earth in a rhythmic manner.

Actually, it is the voice of Earth as the slowly falling showers produce a very soft music and Earth finds its expression only through the showers falling on it.

Question 10.
Why do you think the poet says the phrase ‘reck’d or unreck’d’?
Answer:
The words have been poetically drafted. Reck’d and unreck’d stand for reckoned and unreckoned. The words literally mean cared and uncared for respectively. The poet says these words to emphasise the fact that when it falls on the Earth, we sometimes take notice of it or sometimes completely ignore it. But even if it is left uncared for, it completes its destiny and returns to absorbed where it started from.

Question 11.
Justify the title ‘The Voice of the Rain’.
Answer:
The whole poem is about the eternal process of rain and its benefits. Through the words of the rain, the poet has tried to bring out the importance of rain for Earth, for plants and for man. As the poet is translating what the rain is speaking through its own language (the sounds it makes when it falls), the whole poem is about the rain talking to the poet. Thus, the title is justified.

Question 12.
The poem has a conversational tone throughout. Who are the two participants? Is there any advantage of this method?
Answer:
The two participants are the poet and the voice of the rain which answers the poet’s questions. The advantage of this method is to maintain continuity of thoughts and ideas expressed by the poet and to bring about clarity in what he wants to express.

The Voice Of The Rain Long Questions and Answers (6 Marks)

Question 1.
The poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ gives a hidden message that rain is essential for this Earth. Write an article in 120-150 words describing the importance of rain.
Answer:

Importance of Rain
by Ali Jawed

As we all know, the three essentials for survival are water, food and air. The most important element of weather is water. We get water in different forms of precipitation but rain is the most beneficial of all types of precipitation.

Rain helps in harvesting our crops that give us food to eat. Without rain, no crops would grow and we would perish. Also, falling showers remove the dust in air, making our air clean, because we need clean air to breathe.

Rain water plays a key role in creating the climate of certain areas. Its presence in the atmosphere provides replenishment of the moisture in cloud systems.

The most well-known and most important effect of rain water is to provide us with water to drink. Without rain, there would be no life.

Question 2.
Rain is an eternal process benefiting mankind. Contrast it with human life which is short lived on this Earth. Should we disturb these eternal elements of nature?
Answer:
The poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ beautifully shows the continued process of rain which sounds like music to human ears, as it fulfils our needs.

It is an ever going process which sustains human life and provides us with food, pure air and green cover. On the other hand, human lives are mortal.

We come on this Earth for a short period and then depart without leaving any mark on this planet.

Moreover human beings, for their greed and selfish motives, indulge in destructive activities which may disturb these eternal processes of nature.

We must learn a lesson from nature. If we want peaceful co-existence, we need not disturb the balance of nature, otherwise the whole of humanity will be in danger.

We must learn a lesson from such eternal processes and do something good for humanity at large.

Question 3.
Natural elements such as air and rain make no discrimination and bless everyone equally. Comment on class distinction and inequality, which is a totally human creation.
Answer:
Man’s existence on this Earth is short-lived but even in this short span, he has been responsible for many wrong doings against other human beings. God has created everyone as equal. But it is very unfortunate that man has divided this society on the basis of class, caste and other factors.

Man must learn from elements of nature which provide us fresh air, heat or water, without making any distinction.

But in human society class distinctions and caste distinctions both exist and inequalities prevail in large numbers.

It is high time that man must learn lessons from nature and adopt universal brotherhood for the betterment of our society.

The Why – Why Girl Question and Answers

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem

•  A Photograph Question Answer
• The Laburnum Top Question Answer
• The Voice of the Rain Question Answer
• Childhood Question Answer
• Father to Son Question Answer

Class 11 English Chapter 8 NCERT Solutions Silk Road Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English

Silk Road Understanding The Text

I. Give reasons for the following statements.
Question 1.
The article has been titled ‘Silk Road.’
Answer:
The ‘Silk Road’ refers to a network of overland routes linking Europe with Asia. This had been the trade route followed by the Europeans since ancient times who had a passion for silk, horses and exotic fauna and flora of the East. It is a thread that links East and West, a network of veins that pumped new lifeblood into mighty empires, a fabled route trodden by innumerable adventurers through the ages.

The author Nick Middleton, in his travelogue, follows the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo overland from China to the edge of Europe. Hence, it is titled as ‘Silk Road’. The reader finds it refreshing to traverse such vast tracts of the natural world that remain largely untamed.

Question 2.
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
Answer:
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as payment of tax from Tibet. They were huge black dogs also used as watchdogs. They exploded into action like bullets when roused. They were furious and fearless.

Question 3.
The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.
Answer:
According to the earlier accounts, the town, on the shore of Lake Manasarovar, abounded in natural beauty. A Japanese monk who had arrived there in 1900 was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears. A couple of years later, the hallowed waters had a similar effect on another traveller. However, now it was a grim and miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, but only dust and rocks liberally scattered with years of accumulated rubbish left by tourists.

Question 4.
The author was disappointed with Darchen.
Answer:
The high altitude was giving the author health problems. He had a bad cold and was not able to sleep at night. Since he was one of the early arrivals in the pilgrimage season, there weren’t any pilgrims in the place. The place was dusty, partially derelict and punctuated by heaps of rubble and rubbish left behind by tourists.

Question 5.
The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Answer:
The author was disappointed with Darchen. He also complained of bad health. Tsetan had left for Lhasa. He was feeling rather lonely with no pilgrims around. It was then that he met Norbu, a Tibetan who also wanted to visit Kailash. They would make a good team as both of them were ‘academicians who had escaped from the library’. The author started thinking positively and it gave him some delight and a new enthusiasm.

II. Briefly comment on

Question 1.
The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash.
Answer:
Nick Middleton is an Oxford Professor as well as an adventurer. He follows the most difficult terrain through the Silk Road and reaches the foot of Mount Kailash. The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash was to complete the kora, which was a sacred religious ritual according to Hindu and Buddhist tradition.

Question 2.
The author’s physical condition in Darchen.
Answer:
The author was not physically well when he reached Darchen. His sinuses were blocked due to the cold wind at Hor and-he was not able to sleep well at night. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College and the doctor there gave him some medicine that gave him some relief.

Question 3.
The author’s meeting with Norbu.
Answer:
The author was feeling rather lonely without Tsetan, who had gone back with the car to Lhasa. There weren’t any pilgrims at Darchen as he had reached the place too early in the pilgrimage season. The author was sitting in the only cafe in Darchen when he met Norbu. The author was delighted to meet Norbu since he was also planning to do the kora. Norbu, who worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, had written papers on Kailash kora. So they decided to do it together.

Question 4.
Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Answer:
Tsetan was a good and efficient driver. He drove the car very carefully. During the journey, he spoke to the author giving information about the places they were visiting. He was very caring. At Darchen when he found that the author was not well, Tsetan took him to the medical college and got medicine for him. He was also a good Buddhist.

Question 5.
“As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business.”
Answer:
These were Tsetan’s words spoken to the author. After the author’s sickness was cured, Tsetan wanted to go back to Lhasa. By saying these words, he showed his caring attitude towards the author and at the same time, he firmly stated that he was a Buddhist, who believed that physical death was not death in the real sense. However, he thought that the death of a tourist could affect his business as his credibility will be at stake in looking after the tourists, due to which he may not get any more customers.

Silk Road Talking About The Text

Discuss in groups of four.

Question 1.
The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk.
Answer:
The hill-folk are quite unsophisticated and innocent. People like Tsetan are very religious and God-fearing. They are very much hospitable and take care of the visitors from outside.

Question 2.
The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.
Answer:
The author was an academician; hence, he undertook the journey for the purpose of education. For him it was a learning experience. Secondly, people undertake such journeys because of the spirit of adventure. The areas covered by the author are some of the most difficult terrains in the world. The third can be a religious reason. People visit places like Mount Kailash as part of their pilgrimage.

Question 3.
The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality.
Answer:
There are many accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality. Places like Mount Kailash and Manasarovar occupy a prominent place in legends. There are many articles written about these places.

Silk Road Thinking About Language

Question 1.
Notice the kind of English Tsetan uses while talking to the author. How do you think he picked it up?
Answer:
He must have picked up English through his interactions with tourists.

Question 2.
What do the following utterances indicate?
(i) “I told her, through Daniel……”
Answer:
She was not able to follow English but Daniel
translated what he told in English into the Tibetan language for her.

(ii) “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
Answer:
The doctor spoke in Tibetan language, which Tsetan translated into English for the author.

Question 3.
Guess the meaning of the following words. In which language are these words found?
kora drokba kyang
Answer:
Kora means pilgrimage.
Drokba means nomads.
Kyang means wild ass.
These words are found in the Tibetan language.

Silk Road Working With Words

Question 1.
The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the mountainside like:
A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky.
Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.
Answer:.
(i) …………. the river was wide and mostly clogged with ice, brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine.
(ii) It was marked by a large cairn of rocks festooned with Silk scarves and ragged prayer flags.

Question 2.
Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases.
(i) shaggy monsters
(ii) brackish lakes
(iii) rickety table
(iv) hairpin bend
(v) rudimentary general stores
Answer:
(i) Shaggy means hairy and unkempt.
(ii) Brackish means slightly salty.
(iii) Rickety means wobbly or shaky.
(iv) Hairpin means very sharp; shaped like a hairpin.
(v) Rudimentary means simple or basic.

Silk Road Noticing Form

Question 1.
The account has only a few passive voice sentences. Locate them. In what way does the use of active voice contribute to the style of the narrative?
Answer:
Some passive voice sentences are

1. The slope was steep and studded with major rocks…
2. It was marked by a large cairn of rocks.
3. The plateau is pockmarked with….

Passive voice is used only when the object is to be stressed. Passive voice is mainly used in reporting events. Active voice is more realistic and direct, thus contributing a more lively style to the narrative.

Question 2.
Notice this construction: Tsetan was eager to have them fixed. Write five sentences with a similar structure.
Answer:
The sentences are:

1. Savita was keen to get her cycle repaired.
2. Ravi was impatient to visit the exhibition.
3. Jagdish was itching to get started on his journey.
4. Malati was anxious to have her way in the argument.
5. Beena was fervently wishing to clear her exams.

Silk Road Things To Do

“The Plateau is pockmarked with salt flats and brackish lakes, vestiges of the Tethys Ocean which bordered Tibet before the continental collision that lifted it skyward.”

Given below is an extract from an account of the Tethys Ocean downloaded from the Internet. Go online, key in Tethys Ocean in Google search and you will find exhaustive information on this geological event.
You can also consult an encyclopaedia.

Today, India, Indonesia and the Indian Ocean cover the area once occupied by the Tethys Ocean. Turkey, Iraq, and Tibet sit on the land once known as Cimmeria. Most of the floor of the Tethys Ocean disappeared under Cimmeria and Laurasia. We only know that Tethys existed because geologists like Suess have found fossils of ocean creatures in rocks in the Himalayas. So, we know those rocks were underwater, before the Indian continental shelf began pushing upward as it smashed into Cimmeria. We can see similar geologic evidence in Europe, where the movement of Africa raised the Alps.
Answer:

Silk Road Short Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

Question 1.
What was the farewell present given by Lhamo to the author when he told her that he was going to Mount Kailash?
Answer:
The farewell present given by Lhamo to the author when he told her that he was going to Mount Kailash was a long-sleeved sheepskin coat that normally shepherds wore. She felt that the coat would protect him from the cold weather on the mountain.

Question 2.
What did Tsetan say would be the only hurdle while they were on their way to Mount Kailash?
Answer:
Tsetan said that their journey to Mount Kailash would involve crossing several high mountain passes. He knew the way very well, but the only hurdle would be snow on the way. He could not say anything for sure until they reached there.

Question 3.
While crossing the rocky wilderness, who did they see and what was their reaction?
Answer:
While crossing the rocky wilderness, they saw solitary drokbas (shepherds) – both men and women, well wrapped in sheepskin coats – who were tending their flocks. They would pause and stare at their car, sometimes waving as they passed.

Question 4.
How did the Tibetan mastiffs react when they approached?
Answer:
The dogs would cock their great big heads when they became aware of their approach and would fix them in their sights. As they drew nearer, they would explode into action, speeding directly towards them, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast.

Question 5.
How did the river appear as they entered the valley?
Answer:
As they entered the valley, the river became wide and mostly clogged with ice. It appeared brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine.

Question 6.
How could the author tell the height they were at by looking at his wristwatch?
Answer:
The author could tell the height they were at by looking at his wristwatch because he was wearing an altimeter wristwatch. This kind of watch gives a digital height reading besides telling the time.

Question 7.
How did the author feel when they were at about 5400 metres above sea level?
Answer:
When they were at about 5400 metres above the sea level, the road was covered with snow and the author felt his head throbbing horribly. He took some water from the bottle, which was to help a rapid ascent.

Question 8.
Why is it that on the top of the mountain there is a plateau pockmarked with salt flats?
Answer:
These salt flats are the remains of the Tethys Ocean, which bordered Tibet before the great continental collision that lifted the whole Tibetan plateau skyward millions of years ago.

Question 9.
What activity was going on in the area where there were flats of salt?
Answer:
This place was a hive of activity. Men were working with pickaxes and shovels, walking back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-encrusted boots, carrying loads of salt mined from the flats.

Question 10.
Describe the appearance of Hor.
Answer:
Hor was a miserable place, as there was no sanitation. There was no vegetation whatsoever; only dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated rubbish left by tourists.

Question 11.
What troubled the author at Darchen?
Answer:
A bad cold troubled the author at Darchen. He was unable to go to sleep at night as his nostrils were blocked. When he was just’ dozing off, he woke up suddenly. He felt his chest becoming very heavy, as he was not able to breathe in enough oxygen.

Question 12.
How did the Darchen Medical College appear?
Answer:
The Darchen Medical 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.

Question 13.
What, according to the doctor, was the problem the author suffered from?
Answer:
According to the doctor, the author suffered from a bad cold as well as the effects of the altitude. His sinuses were blocked and he was not able to sleep at night.

Question 14.
What did the author notice in Darchen?
Answer:
In Darchen, the author noticed that the people were very relaxed and unhurried, but there was a significant drawback. There were no pilgrims in Darchen.

Question 15.
Who was Norbu?
Answer:
Norbu was a Tibetan but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in the Institute of Ethnic Literature. He had come to Darchen to do the kora of Mount Kailash, just like the author.

Question 16.
Why had Norbu come to Kailash?
Answer:
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 actually never done it himself. Hence, he also was there to do kora.

Question 17.
How did Norbu become an ideal companion for the author?
Answer:
Norbu was an ideal companion for the author as both were academics who had come away from their academic work. Both were not devout believers and they did not intend to prostrate themselves all round the mountain like other pilgrims.

Silk Road Long Questions and Answers (6 Marks)

Question 1.
Describe the author’s experiences at Darchen.
Answer:
Both the author and Tsetan reached Darchen during the late night. They found a guesthouse to stay in. However, the author had serious sleep problems at night as he was suffering from the’effects if the high altitude as well as a blocked nose. The next day, Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College for getting him treated. The doctor there told them that it was a common problem in this area and gave some medicine for him.

Then Tsetan left him to return to Lhasa as, from here onwards, the author would have to go on foot. At Darchen, he found people very relaxed and unhurried, but he could not find pilgrims there as he had reached there very early in the pilgrim season. Then he met Norbu, who was a Tibetan working in Beijing. He also had come for kora. They decided to climb Kailash together, as both were not devout pilgrims and had no desire to prostrate themselves all round the mountain.

Question 2.
How was his experience of Hor a stark contrast to the accounts he had read of the earlier travellers?
Answer:
Hor was a small town placed in the back on the main East-West highway that followed the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir. The author found the place very grim and miserable. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated rubbish left behind by tourists. The town sat on the shore of lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s holiest stretch of water. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist scriptures tell that Lake Manasarovar was the source of four great Indian rivers: Indus, Ganges, Sutlej and Brahmaputra. Actually only the Sutlej flows from the lake, but the headwaters of the others all rise nearby on the slopes of Mount Kailash.

His experience in Hor came as a stark contrast to accounts he had read of earlier travellers’ first encounters with Lake Manasarovar. Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese monk who had arrived there in 1900, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears. Similarly, in 1902,

Sven Hedin from Sweden was also moved by the vision of the lake. However, now you could only find open-air dumps of rubbish in the town.

Question 3.
Justify the title ‘Silk Road’.
Answer:
The ‘Silk Road’ is not single highway, but a network of overland routes linking Europe with Asia, making trade possible between those with a passion for silk, horses and exotic fauna and flora. Just about every transaction imaginable has occurred along its many trails over the centuries. It’s a thread that links East and West, a network of veins that pumped new lifeblood into mighty empires, a fabled route trodden by innumerable adventurers through the ages.

Yet, underlying this romantic trail is one of the most extraordinary tracts of land on this planet, a vast region separating China from the Mediterranean world that rates as one of the least hospitable areas on Earth. It was the difficulty of crossing such unforgiving territory that kept East and West apart for so long, allowing them to develop in their own distinct ways.

The author records the challenges and hardships he faced in the Silk Road regions as they are now. The reader finds it refreshing to traverse such vast tracts of the natural world that remain largely unchanged from earlier days.

Question 4.
“He’s an adventurer, but at heart more a meticulous academic than a daredevil”. Explain the truth of the statement about the author based on your reading of the travelogue ‘Silk Road’ by Nick Middleton.
Answer:
Oxford professor and travel writer, Nick Middleton is truly an adventurer, but at heart more a meticulous academic than a daredevil adventurer. He is an environmental consultant who has written many articles in journals, magazines and newspapers-as well as 16 books. Nick Middleton teaches geography at Oxford University and is a fellow of St Anne’s College. His main research interest is in the nature and human use of deserts and their margins.

After reaching Hor, what he was struck by was not the natural beauty of the place but the litter all around the area left by tourists. He was disappointed to see how man was ruining the environment. Being an environmental consultant, he was much disturbed at how the environment is slowly deteriorating due to human activity.

He gives a graphic detail of the mountain terrain, the snow covered mountains and the calm and relaxed people he met there. He strongly believes that travel broadens our mind.

Reaching the Unreached Question and Answers

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Class 11 English Chapter 2 NCERT Solutions We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English

Question 1.
I honing our seafaring skills
Answer:
It refers to the efforts made by the narrator and his wife to perfect or sharpen their knowledge of navigation, handling of the boat and equipment and other sea skills.

Question 2.
ominous silence
Answer:
It refers to the silence just before an impending danger. The peace and quiet suggests that something bad is going to happen.

Question 3.
Mayday calls
Answer:
They are radio-telephonic calls which are given by aircraft or ships stuck in a disastrous situation. They are distress calls made to secure help from other ships nearby.

Question 4.
pinpricks in the vast ocean
Answer:
This phrase refers to tiny islands in the vast ocean.
They are so small that they appear like tiny pinheads on a map of the vast ocean.

Question 5.
a tousled head
Answer:
It refers to hair in disarray or the disarranged hair of the author’s son. His hair was all messed up and uncombed.

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Understanding The Text

Question 1.
List the steps taken by the captain
(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.
(ii) to check the flooding of water in the ship.
Answer:
(i) In order to protect the ship from rough weather, the captain decided to slow it down. So he dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern. Then they double-fastened everything and went through their life-raft drill, attached lifelines and donned oilskins and life jackets.

(ii) To check the flooding of water in the ship, the captain made some repairs and stretched waterproof oilskins in the openings. He secured waterproof hatch covers across the gaping holes which diverted the water to the side. When the two handpumps were lost overboard and the electric pump short-circuited, he found another electric pump and connected it to an out-pipe and managed to pump out the water.

Question 2.
Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4th and 5th January.
Answer:
On 4th January, the mental condition of the voyagers was vacillating between hope and despair. After 36 hours of continuous pumping they could pump much of the water out. But they had to keep pace with the water still coming in. However, their respite was only short-lived. The storm started building up and the situation again became worse.

The narrator went to comfort the children. Jon asked innocently if they were ‘going to die’ but added that he did not mind dying as long as all the family members were together. This statement of the narrator’s child boosted his morale. He became resolute to fight the sea. Those were critical moments for all of them. Mary and the narrator sat together holding each other’s hands. They were scared and felt that their end was very near.

Question 3.
Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each section.
Answer:
The text has been divided into three sections
Section 1:
Disaster Strikes This part describes the narrator’s desire to go sailing around the world, the preparations they made and the start of their journey and the coming storm. The family celebrates a wonderful Christmas. However, by the New Year the sea becomes rough and the next evening an enormous wave wrecks the ship and injures the narrator and his family members.

Section 2:
Survival Attempts and Searching for Land
This section describes the frantic efforts to save the boat from flooding and the display of heroism by all in the face of disaster. Near the end of this section, the efforts of the narrator to navigate to some nearby islands for safety is mentioned, which the narrator terms as ‘pinpricks in the vast ocean’.

Section 3:
Triumph of the Spirit This part describes the triumph of the spirit and seamanship of the narrator as they reach an island safely. Fittingly, the narrator is given the title of ‘The best daddy and the best captain’ by his son.

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Talking About The Text

Discuss the following questions with your partner.

Question 1.
What difference did you notice between the reaction of the children and the adults when faced with danger?
Answer:
There was not much difference between the reaction of the children and the adults when faced with danger. However, it was not on the expected lines, as the children were only 6 and 7 years old.

When the adults faced the danger, they were anxious and found ways of battling it. Later, when the motion of the boat brought more and more water in, both Mary and the narrator sat holding hands as they felt the end was very near.

On the other hand, the children showed great courage and did not get lose hope. When Sue hurt herself, she did not worry others about her injury. When the narrator went in to comfort them, Jon said, that they weren’t afraid to die if they could all be together. Sue also gave a card to the narrator that she made with the message of hope.

Thus, the children showed greater positivity than their parents. Hence, we can say that the children were more optimistic than the adults.

Question 2.
How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?
Answer:
The voyagers did not even once lose their hope or show any weakness.

When the waves were high, the hopeful crew slowed the ship down, fastened everything with a mooring rope and went through the life-raft drill. When the storm struck their ship, the captain was almost killed and the ship was nearly a wreck. However, he held onto the wheel. Water was getting into the ship, but Larry and Herb kept pumping like madmen. This shows that they were not willing to give in to danger and were ready to fight it.

They didn’t lose hope. Even the little girl was so brave that she didn’t inform her parents about her injuries. The little boy, an epitome of courage, said that he was not afraid of dying. All this gave the captain a new hope and a will to fight.

The narrator checked and calculated that their only chance of survival was a 65 kilometre wide island in 150000 square kilometre of ocean. Still they set sail towards it. They were optimistic about finding the small island in the vast ocean. Finally, they set foot on land and survived. Their optimism paid off. All this shows that optimism was the key to their survival. It helped them endure the direst stress.

Question 3.
What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?
Answer:
Such experiences teach us that courage, perseverance and tolerance can achieve what seem to be insurmountable odds. They teach us how to react in the most difficult situations. They make us learn to never lose hope and find reasons to stay positive and optimistic in the face of adversity. We learn to try our best to stay calm and composed. We also understand the importance of unity and teamwork and how to utilise our common sense, skill and efforts to avert any catastrophe. Further, we learn to be very careful and cautious in our actions when facing such hazardous experiences.

Question 4.
Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?
Answer:
The world is full of all sorts of people. Most of them like to lead a risk-free and peaceful life, but there are a few among us who believe that if we want to live life to the fullest, we have to go beyond the day-to-day routine. They don’t hesitate even to undertake dangerous expeditions. If that were not the case, a lot of mysteries, places and events would not be known to the world.

Such expeditions are risky. But still people go on them without caring for even death or disaster. They are very daring. It takes much courage to perform such tasks. For them life is a battle which can be won only after fighting for it, rather than sitting relar.^U and carefree. The history of mankind shows that our progress owes much to such brave and fearless people.

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Thinking About Language

Question 1.
We have come across words like ‘gale’ and ‘storm’ in the account. Here are two more words for ‘storm’: typhoon, cyclone. How many words does your language have for ‘storm’?
Answer:
In Hindi, ‘storm’ is known as ‘aandhi’, ‘toofan’, ‘jhanjavat’ and ‘chakravat’.

Question 2.
Here are the terms for different kinds of vessels: yatch, boat, canoe, ship, steamer, schooner. Think of similar terms in your language.
Answer:
‘Naav’, ‘Nauka’, ‘Pot’, ‘Jahaaz’ and ‘Kishti’ are some of the words used in Hindi for the word ‘boat’.

Question 3.
‘Catamaran’ is a kind of a boat. Do you know which Indian language this word is derived from? Check the dictionary.
Answer:
The word ‘Catamaran’ is derived from the Tamil word ‘Kattumaram’, that means ‘tied wood’. Catamaran is a name applied to any craft having twin hulls. Originally, it denoted a form of sailing and paddling raft employed on the coasts of India.

Question 4.
” Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions do these songs usually express?
Answer:
Yes, we have heard boatmen’s songs. They usually express love and nostalgia. They revolve around the longing to meet a loved one or express their love for the sea.

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Working With Words

Question 1.
The following words used in the text as ship terminology are also commonly used in another sense. In what contexts would you use the other meaning?

knot

stem

boom

hatch

anchor

Answer:
(a) knot
(i) in a rope / string / ribbon: a joint made by tying together two pieces of rope / string / ribbon etc.
e.g. Tying a knot while wearing a tie
(ii) (verb) way of tying two ropes / strings,
e.g. knot together two ropes
(iii) a tangled mass.
e.g. many ropes / strings jumbled together which . are hard to separate
(iv) a tight group of people.
e.g. A knot of people surrounded the politician.
(v) tight feeling or tenseness.
e.g. I could feel a knot of fear in my throat.
(vi) a lump in a tree trunk.
e.g. The old tree had many knots on its trunk.
(vii) a dark round patch in a plank of wood.
e.g. The wooden plank was of poor quality due to having too many knots.
(viii) lump in the outer surface of the body.
e.g. The old man had many knots on his face and back.

(b) Stern
(i) serious and usually disapproving.
e.g. The teacher gave the student a stem look.
(ii) strict.
e.g. The father gave a stem warning to his son.
(iii) serious and difficult.
e.g. The government faced stem opposition to the new law.

(c) boom
(i) (noun) sudden increase in trade and economic activity.
e.g. A boom occurred before 2008.
(ii) (noun) increase in popularity.
e.g. The boom in cricket tournaments is giving much money to players and sponsors.
(iii) (noun) a large increase in quantity.
e.g. A population boom occurred after the war ended.
(iv) (noun) a deep loud sound.
e.g. the boom of the cannons could be heard far away.
(v) (noun/adjective) long pole for a microphone / the microphone fixed on a long pole.
e.g. The boom mike could be stretched right across the stage.
(vi) (verb) making a loud sound.
e.g. A voice suddenly boomed out of the darkness.

(d) hatch
(i) (verb) to come out of an egg.
e.g. The chicken takes many days to hatch from an egg.
(ii) (verb) to create a plan.
e.g. The thieves took a long time to hatch a plan for robbing the bank.
(iii) (noun) opening in a wall between two rooms.
e.g. The kitchen had a serving hatch to the dining room

(e) anchor
(i) (noun) person or thing giving a feeling of safety,
e.g. The grandfather was the anchor of the family in all the crises they faced.
(ii) (noun) co-ordinator of a programme.
e.g. Satish is the anchor of this popular TV programme.
(iii) (verb) fix firmly in position.
e.g. The athlete anchored his foot on the starting block.
(iv) (verb) base on some subject.
e.g. Premchand’s stories are anchored in real life.

Question 2.
The following three compound words end in ship. What does each of them mean?

airship

flagship

lightship

Answer:
(a) airship A large aircraft without wings, filled in its balloon with a gas which is lighter than air. It is driven by an engine.

(b) flagship
(i) (noun) The main ship in a fleet which also carries the navy’s flag.
e.g. The flagship carried the tricolour.
(ii) (adjective) The most important product / service / programme that an organisation owns or produces.
e.g. The flagship programme of BBC TV is its . World News.

(c) lightship A small ship with a powerful fight that stays at a fixed point at sea to warn other ships to stay away because of some danger.

Question 3.
The following are the meanings listed in the dictionary against the phrase ‘take on’. In which meaning is it used in the third paragraph of the account:
take on sth: to begin to have a particular quality or appearance; to assume sth take sb on: to employ sb; to engage sb; to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game, contest or conflict
take sb/sth on: to decide to do sth; to allow sth/sb to enter e.g. a bus, plane or ship; to take sth/sb on board
Answer:
In the third paragraph, in the lines “…….. we took on two crewmen to help us tackle …….. roughest seas ……..”, the phrase ‘take on’ means ‘to employ’ or ‘to engage’.

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Things To Do

Question 1.
Given is a picture of a yacht. Label the parts of the yacht using the terms given in the box.

bow	cabin	rudder	cockpit
stem	boom	mainsail	mast

Answer:

Question 2.
Here is some information downloaded from the Internet on lie Amsterdam. You can view images of the isle if you go online.

Location	South Indian Ocean, between southernmost parts of Australia and South Africa
Latitude and longitude	37 92 S, 77 67 E
Sovereignty	France
Political status notes	Part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Population	35
Census notes Land area in square kilometres	Meteorological station staff 86

Answer:

Question 3.
Locate Ile Amsterdam on the world map.
Answer:

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Short Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

Question 1.
Where did the narrator want to go? Why?
Answer:
The narrator and his family loved adventures. The narrator wanted to duplicate the ‘round-the-world’ voyage made by the famous explorer Captain James Cook 200 years ago. So, he set sail in Wavewalker, a boat specially designed and made for the purpose. Perhaps the dangers and adventure involved in the voyage and their desire to accomplish something unique beckoned them to undertake the journey.

Question 2.
What preparations did the narrator and his wife make for their round-the-world sea voyage?
Answer:
The narrator and his wife wanted to ‘duplicate’ the round-the-world voyage made 200 years ago 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. They tested it for months in the roughest weather. They spent all their leisure time in strengthening their seafaring skills in British waters. They were both mentally and physically prepared to undertake their exceptionally long and challenging sea voyage.

Question 3.
Describe the boat Wavewalker.
Answer:
The narrator wanted to duplicate the round-the-world voyage made by Captain James Cook 200 years ago. In order to undertake this journey they got a boat built professionally. The boat, named Wavewalker, was a 23 metre, 30 ton wooden-hulled sailboat. They had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather they could find.

Question 4.
Why did they take on two crewmen with them at Cape Town?
Answer:
Before heading East from Cape Town, they took on two crewmen who were experienced seamen. They were Larry Vigil, an American and Herb Seigler, a Swiss. The narrator took this step because he knew that they would require help to tackle one of the world’s roughest seas – the southern Indian Ocean.

Question 5.
What troubles did they face after completing the first leg of their journey?
Answer:
The first leg of their journey passed pleasantly as they sailed down the West Coast of Africa to Cape Town. But the trouble started when they left Cape Town.

On the second day out of Cape Town, they began to encounter strong gales. Gales didn’t worry the narrator but the size of the waves was alarming. They rose as high as the main mast. The howling of the wind and the spray was painful to the ears.

Question 6.
How did the voyagers celebrate their Christmas and where?
Answer:
On Christmas Day, the voyagers were 3500 kms East of Cape Town in the southern Indian Ocean. Though the sea was rough, they enjoyed a wonderful holiday. They celebrated Christmas singing carols complete with a Christmas tree with them. They expected the weather to improve but it didn’t.

Question 7.
How was the weather on the morning of 2nd January?
Answer:
On New Year’s Day, the weather saw no improvement and was bad. On 2nd January, it got even worse. The waves were gigantic. They were sailing with only a small storm jib but still were going pretty fast. As the ship rose to the top of each wave they could see the endless, enormous sea rolling towards them. The wind seemed to be howling.

Question 8.
What attempts did the narrator make to protect himself and his family from the huge waves?
Answer:
The waves were gigantic on 2nd January. In order to protect themselves, they decided to slow down the boat. They dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stem. Then they double-lashed everything, went through their life-raft drill, attached lifelines, donned oilskins and life jackets and prepared themselves for the worst case scenario.

Question 9.
What were the first indications of the ‘impending disaster’that ultimately struck them on January 2?
Answer:
The first indication of the impending disaster came at about 6 pm 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.

Question 10.
What happened after the ‘ominous silence’?
Answer:
The ominous silence was the first indication of impending disaster. The wind dropped and the sky immediately grew dark. The narrator saw what he thought as an enormous cloud coming towards the ship. With horror he realised that it was not a cloud but a wave like no other he had ever seen. It was almost twice the height of other waves.

The wave hit the boat and wrecked it completely. Water gushed from all sides and the boat started filling with water.

Question 11.
What was the result of the ‘tremendous explosion’?
Answer:
The gigantic wave hit the boat and a tremendous explosion shook the deck. A torrent of green and white water broke over the ship.

The narrator’s head smashed against the wheel and he was flung overboard. He was almost dead and the whole ship was reduced to a wreck.

Others were also hurt in the process. Then the frantic efforts to save the boat and everybody’s life began.

Question 12.
How did the narrator accept his ‘approaching death’ and why was he still peaceful?
Answer:
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.

Question 13.
How did the narrator hurt himself on January 2?
Answer:
The narrator hurt himself very badly on January 2 when a tremendously high wave hit their boat and he was initially thrown overboard before being tossed back by the wave to hit the boom of the boat. Subsequent waves tossed him around the deck like a rag doll, cracking his left ribs and breaking his teeth.

Question 14.
“I had no time to worry about bumped heads”, says the narrator. What problem do you think deserved his immediate attention?
Answer:
The problem that deserved immediate attention was the repair of the starboard side, which had bashed open; with every wave, it was letting water enter the boat. If he did not make some repairs, the boat would have surely sunk and they would have drowned.

Question 15.
What are Mayday calls? Why was the ship getting no replies to its Mayday calls?
Answer:
Mayday calls are distress signals sent through the radio by ships facing trouble in the sea. They are made to get help from other ships passing nearby.

The boat Wavewalker was not getting replies to its Mayday calls because the boat had reached a remote part of the sea where other ships did not go.

Question 16.
What did Sue say when she was asked by her father about why she had not complained about her grave injuries?
Answer:
Sue had been injured badly when the wave had hit the ship. Her head had swollen alarmingly. She had two black eyes and she had also showed to her parents a deep cut on her arm. When asked why she had not complained about her injuries earlier, she replied that she had not wanted to worry her parents when they were trying to save them all.

Question 17.
“I didn’t want to worry you when you were trying to save us all.” What does this show about the speaker?
Answer:
This shows that she was very courageous. The speaker of these lines is the little girl, Sue. She is just 7 years old. After the gigantic wave hit the ship, she was also hurt. Her head was swollen when the narrator saw her in the cabin. However, she never mentioned the deep cut in her arm because she didn’t want her father to worry about her when he was trying to save everybody else.

Question 18.
What happened on the morning of 3rd January?
Answer:
By the morning of 3rd January, they had managed to pump out the water out of the boat to a reasonable level and the situation was under control but, they suspected a huge leak somewhere and found that nearly all the boat’s main rib frames were damaged down to its bottom. The narrator knew that Wavewalker will not be able to hold together long enough to reach Australia. So the narrator made some calculations and found two small islands a few hundred kilometres to the East. They hoped to reach one of them.

Question 19.
What were the chances of the voyagers’ survival after the big wave hit them?
Answer:
The chances of the survival of the Wavewalker’s crew were very bleak. They somehow survived for 15 hours after the wave hit the boat. But the
narrator knew that the Wavewalker was not going to hold on much longer. He checked his charts and calculated that there were two small islands a few hundred kilometres to the East. Their only hope of survival was to reach these islands in the vast ocean.

Question 20.
Why did the narrator and his wife Mary feel that ‘the end was very near’? What situation made them feel so?
Answer:
The situation which made them feel that “the end was very near” that at 4 PM on January 4, black clouds began building up behind their boat, within an hour the wind increased to 40 knots and the waves were getting higher. The weather continued to deteriorate throughout the night, and by dawn on January 5, the motion of the boat brought more and more water in through the broken planks. Thus, they felt that the boat would sink and they would all die.

Question 21.
How and when did Wavewalker ride out the storm? How did the narrator feel at that time?
Answer:
The Wavewalker rode out the storm on the morning of January 6 when the wind eased. He was able to calculate the boat’s position using the sextant and accordingly he asked Larry to steer the boat towards lie Amsterdam, as he was very tired. The narrator felt that they had to survive, seeing the optimism of his two children. But he was still having doubts about it and so felt heavy-hearted. But his calculations proved correct and they reached lie Amsterdam by evening.

Question 22.
Justify the title of the story: “We’re Not Afraid to Die…”
Answer:
“We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together” is the story of rare courage and perseverance that was shown by the narrator, his crewmen, his wife and children. Everybody confronted the disaster with patience, courage and determination. Even the children showed courage. They did not give up hope even till the last moment. The narrator made all possible attempts to save their lives. Like his father, Jon reacted very bravely that they were not afraid to die, but it would be better if they died together. Hence, the title is apt and logically justified.

Question 23.
Why did Jonathan call the narrator, the best daddy and best captain in the world?
Answer:
Jonathan called the narrator the best daddy and the best captain in the world because they had reached the island lie Amsterdam. His son was expressing his relief and gratitude towards his father due to the narrator’s devotion to save them all from death as well as his seafaring skills. He was the “best daddy” because his devotion to them helped them survive the storm with his efforts to keep the boat afloat. He was the “best captain” because he had correctly enabled them to steer to the island so that they survived.

Question 24.
Why did the narrator call lie Amsterdam the most beautiful island in the world?
Answer:
lie Amsterdam was the only hope of survival for the voyagers and so, when they reached there, it looked the most beautiful island in the world to the narrator. He was successful in saving his family and crewmen by reaching it. He had won the fight for survival. If they had not reached the island, they surely would have sunk.

Question 25.
Describe lie Amsterdam. How did its inhabitants behave with the newcomers?
Answer:
lie Amsterdam was a French scientific base. It was ‘a bleak piece of volcanic rock’. It had little vegetation but still it appeared to be ‘the most beautiful island in the world’. The boat anchored offshore for the night. The next morning all 28 inhabitants of the island cheered them and helped them ashore.

Question 26.
What did the narrator think of on landing at He Amsterdam? Why?
Answer:
On landing at lie Amsterdam, the narrator’s thoughts were fuH of Larry and Herb, his crew members who remained cheerful and optimistic throughout the hardships they had faced. He thought of his wife also who stayed at the wheel for aH those crucial hours. He also thought of his daughter, who had been so brave aU through the ordeaL and had not bothered about her head injury.

We’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together Long Questions and Answers (6 Marks)

Question 1.
Highlight the tremendous courage and forbearance shown by the two children during the struggle to keep the boat from sinking. What values do you learn from them?
Answer:
The two children, Suzanne and Jonathan, showed tremendous courage and forbearance during the epic struggle put up by their parents and the crewmen to keep the boat from sinking. Sue had been injured badly when the big wave hit the boat. Her head had swollen alarmingly and both her eyes were hind. She also had a deep cut on her arm. But she did not complain about her injuries as she did not want to worry her parents when they were trying to save them aU. When the author went to comfort the children, his son Jonathan, asked him if they were going to die. When he was assured that they would aU survive, he told his father that they were not afraid of dying if they could aU be together. Moreover, Sue had patience and power enough to even draw the caricatures of her parents with a message of hope and gratitude to her parents. The children, thus, exhibit extraordinary patience, courage and tolerance.

Question 2.
“We’re Not Afraid to Die” is a saga of patience and bravery. Comment.
Answer:
The story ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die’ is a story of the rare courage and perseverance of the narrator’s family. The narrator’s undertaking to replicate Captain James Cook’s voyage was a challenging task, as they had to sail in some of the roughest seas. However, the voyagers kept their spirits high and made aH efforts to save the boat and their lives. Even in the worst of circumstances, the captain did not give up hope and tried his best to protect the ship from flooding. AU the dangers and disasters were confronted with patience, courage and determination.
Even the children showed exemplary courage. They were not afraid to die if they were all together. The two crewmen continuously pumped out water and never complained. They trusted their captain and
worked as a team. Luckily the voyagers were able to come out of a near death experience due to their never-say-die attitude. Thus, the story proves to be a saga of patience and bravery.

Question 3.
The hurdles of life can be challenged if we have confidence to make optimum use of our potential. Elaborate.
Answer:
The statement holds true in the light of the story ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die…….’. The narrator along with his wife, children, and two crewmen overcame the worst situations and defeated death by fighting the adverse situations which cropped up during their voyage. When the big wave hit the boat, it was severely damaged and the narrator was badly injured. However, he did not pay attention to it and held on to the wheel. Both Larry and Herb kept pumping out water and did not stop.

Moreover, when the handpumps stopped working and the electric pump short-circuited, he did not lose confidence and used electric pump to drive out water from the boat. Even the children had confidence in their father and they hoped to survive. They also : showed great courage. Jon said that they were not afraid to die if they are all together. Sue made a card to thank her parents. It was a great example of unity and trust that they had on each other,

Thus, it can be concluded that by staying optimistic like the children and making the best use of your potential like the narrator, one can fight adversities and be a winner.

Question 4.
The reaction of the crew and children gives us an insight into the human mind and how it can help us to survive any disaster. Discuss.
Answer:
The reaction of the crew and children gives us an insight into the human mind. The crew reacted to the danger with a fighting spirit and optimism. Their undaunted efforts helped them to survive the disaster. On the other hand, the children showed amazing maturity and resilience in the face of disaster. They remained strong and composed.

Despite serious injuries, both the children displayed courage and patience.

Adopting a courageous attitude in times of difficulties motivates one to face the upheavals of life courageously. It is rightly said “Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant face death only once”, and when the valiant do die, they die a heroes’ death. The story inspires us to maintain our calm in a crisis. Stress and panic only worsen the situation. If we accept difficulties as a way of life and face them with a brave front, they soon fade away. By being positive and not losing faith in ourselves can help us to survive any disaster.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Class 11 English Chapter 8 Poem NCERT Solutions Father To Son Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English

Father To Son Think it Out
Question 1.
Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Answer:
The poem ‘Father to Son’ describes the relationship between a father and son. However, its appeal is fairly universal. What happens in the poem, happens to most, fathers and sons. It is very common in every family all over the world. The generation gap has remained as it is. Moreover, the structure of society is such that a father expects his son to follow his wishes, leading to individuality clashes. Through one personal experience, the poet wants to throw light on a common and universal problem i.e. generation gap.

Question 2.
How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Answer:
In the poem both the father and the son are poles apart. Though both of them have lived under the same roof for years, still the father is unhappy and can’t understand his own child. He wants to build up a relationship with his son, but there is a generation gap between them; they lack of understanding and no communication takes place between the father and the son. The father feels helpless and thinks that giving birth to such a son is like sowing a seed in land that was not his own. He knows nothing about his son’s desires and likes. He wishes his prodigal son would come back home.

Question 3.
Identify the phrases and lines that indicate distance between father and son.
Answer:
The following phrases and lines bring out the deep differences that separate both of them
(i) I do not understand this child
(ii) I know nothing of him
(iii) We speak like strangers
(iv) What he loves I cannot share
(v) Silence surrounds us
(vi) There’s no sign of understanding in the air
(vii) He speaks: I cannot understand

Question 4.
Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme?
Answer:
No, the.poem doesn’t follow a consistent rhyme scheme.
The poem is divided into four stanzas of six lines each.
The first three stanzas follow abb ab a scheme. The fourth stanza has abb cb a scheme.

Father To Son Extract based Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

I. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
I do not understand this child
Though we have lived together now
In the same house for years. I know
Nothing of him, so try to build
Up a relationship from how
He was when small.
Question 1.
Who are T and ‘this child’ in the above lines?
(a) ‘I’ is the mother and ‘this child’ is the mother’s son
(b) T is the brother and ‘this child’ is his younger brother
(c) ‘I’ is the father and ‘this child’ is his son
(d) ‘I’ is the uncle and ‘this child’ is his nephew
Answer:
(c) ‘I’ is the father and ‘this child’ is his son

Question 2.
What does the speaker complain about?
(a) The speaker complains that he knows nothing about his son
(b) The speaker complains that he knows a few bad things about his son
(c) The speaker complains that his son does not take care of him
(d) The speaker complains that his son is a drunkard
Answer:
(a) The speaker complains that he knows nothing about his son

Question 3.
What does the speaker want?
(a) The speaker wants to end his relationship with his son
(b) The speaker wants to make his son realise his mistakes ‘
(c) The speaker wants to live with his son
(d) The speaker wants to start a new relationship with his son
Answer:
(d) The speaker wants to start a new relationship with his son

II. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
Yet have I killed
The seed I spent or sown it where
The land is his and none of mine?
We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
Of understanding in the air.
This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share.
Question 1.
Why does the father feel that the seed was sown in the land that was not his?
(a) Because the son does not share any of the physical features of his father
(b) Because the son shares the physical features of his father
(c) Because the son does not share any of the behavioural characteristics of his father
(d) Because the son shares some of the behavioural characteristics of his father
Answer:
(c) Because the son does not share any of the behavioural characteristics of his father

Question 2.
What is wrong between father and son?
(a) Father and son do no| resemble each other
(b) Father and son have a dispute related to their property
(c) Father likes his son but the son likes his mother
(d) Father and son behave like strangers and do not share any common likes or dislikes
Answer:
(d) Father and son behave like strangers and do not share any common likes or dislikes

Question 3.
“Built to my design” means
(a) that his son does not look like him
(b) that his son looks like him as far as physical features are concerned
(c) that his son wears the same brand of clothes that he does
(d) that his son wears clothes designed by him
Answer:
(b) that his son looks like him as far as physical features are concerned

III. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
Silence surrounds us. I would have
Him prodigal, returning to
His father’s house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move.
His world. I would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love.
Question 1.
What does ‘silence surrounds us’ mean here?
(a) It means the silence of the night .
(b) It means the silence in the house due to the switching off electrical appliances
(c) It means the silence in the house due to the demise of a loved one
(d) It means the silence due to no conversation happening between the father and the son
Answer:
(d) It means the silence due to no conversation happening between the father and the son

Question 2.
What does T want?
(a) ‘I’ wants his son to study hard
(b) T wants his son to not follow his wishes
(c) T wants his son to be realistic
(d) T wants his son to reciprocate forgiveness and mend the relationship
Answer:
(d) T wants his son to reciprocate forgiveness and mend the relationship

Question 3.
Find a word from the extract which means a person who spends money or uses resources freely and recklessly.
(a) Returning
(b) Prodigal
(c) Prodigy
(d) Shaping
Answer:
(b) Prodigal

IV. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.
Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land,
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out on empty hand,
Longing for something to forgive.
Question 1.
Who are ‘we’ in the extract?
(a) The father and his two sons
(b) The father and his friend’s son
(c) The father and his son
(d) The uncle and his son
Answer:
(c) The father and his son

Question 2.
Why must father and son live on the same globe and the same land?
(a) To take care of each other
(b) To not let others to take disadvantage of them staying apart
(c) To make their life easy
(d) To rebuild their relationship
Answer:
(d) To rebuild their relationship

Question 3.
What does ‘empty hand’ signify?
(a) It signifies the poverty of the father
(b) It signifies the failure of the father and the son to understand each other
(c) It signifies the poverty of the son
(d) It signifies the bad behaviour of the son
Answer:
(b) It signifies the failure of the father and the son to understand each other

Father To Son Short Questions and Answers (2 Marks)

Question 1.
Why doesn’t the father know anything about his son though they have lived in the same house?
Answer:
The father-son relationship is actually non-functional. The father doesn’t understand the aspirations, longings arid cravings of the son. They do not communicate with each other and behave like strangers. Therefore, the father doesn’t know anything about his son.

Question 2.
Is the father responsible for the present situation? What are your views?
Answer:
Yes, I think the father is responsible for the present situation. We do not get to hear the son’s version about his relationship with the father here. But the father is guilty of allowing continued silence or non-communication between them and also not understanding the son’s aspirations and feelings.

Question 3.
Father and the son behave like strangers to each other. What can be the possible reason with for this?
Answer:
They both act and behave like strangers due to lack of understanding with each other. A growing son has his own ambitions and aspirations. Elders must try to act like friends rather than command their children to behave according to their orders.

Question 4.
What does the poet mean by ‘Silence surrounds us?’
Answer:
The father feels helpless as he has no dialogue with his son. They don’t understand each other and they are living like strangers to each other in spite of their living under the same roof for years. Their outlook and temperament are so different that they remain separated from each other. They have a communication gap along with the generation gap, which causes the silence.

Question 5.
How does the father feel when his relationship with his son comes under strain?
Answer:
Father feels very helpless at this situation when both father and son do not understand each other. It saddens him to understand that he has never tried to understand his son’s perspective and his son has distanced himself from him from long.

Question 6.
What is the father’s attitude towards his son in the third stanza?
Answer:
The father wants to rectify the situation in the third stanza. The father wants his son return to the home that he has left. The father is willing to forgive his son and restart their relationship.

Question 7.
What does the father wish for?
Answer:
The father is unhappy and helpless. He wants to maintain a healthy relationship with his son. The father wants that his prodigal son may return to his home and start living under the same roof with him.
He doesn’t want that he should create and live in a world of his own.

Question 8.
The father is ready to have his prodigal son return. What inference can you draw from this?
Answer:
Prodigal means wastefully extravagant. Here the reference is to the story in the Bible in which a father gives his inheritance to his sons. The younger brother leaves, wastes his fortune and returns to his father’s home. Still the father is ready to take him back and forgive him. In the poem, the father also wants to forgive him so that they live peacefully together again.

Question 9.
The root cause of the generation gap presented in the poem lies in the fact that it is only the father talking to his son rather than hearing or understanding him. Explain.
Answer:
One of the reasons of the generation gap is absence of understanding and communication. Here in this poem we hear only the father’s point of view. We do not hear anything from the son’s side. The root cause of the generation gap has been lack of sharing of interests or not paying attention to the childs, emotional needs, when he is growing up. The child should be allowed to express his opinions freely and adults should not behave like dictators.

Question 10.
What do the words ‘an empty hand’ signify?
Answer:
The words ‘empty hand’ signify that both the father arid the son want to forgive each other and extend a hand of friendship to each other, but neither of them is willing to be the first one to do so. This means that although they are longing to forgive each other, their egos are coming in the way so that none of them wants to be the first one to do so.

Father To Son Long Questions and Answers (6 Marks)

Question 1.
The poem talks about the universal problem of generation gap. Why does such a situation exist? How can someone avoid such confrontations? Express your views in 120-150 words.
Answer:
Generation gap is a psychological and emotional gap between parents or elder people and the younger ones. This creates misunderstanding and lack of attachment between parents and children. The success of parenting lies in how effectively they avoid the generation gap or ignore differences with their children.

Generation gap is the result of the fast paced development of society. In earlier times, two or three generations lived in the same lifestyle and environment, as development was slow. Today, parents do not even know many of the modem technologies and equipment children use.

Being up-to-date is the only way to cope .with the generation gap. Moreover, generation gap occurs when there are differences of opinion. One should be flexible in approach and must try to understand the reason of a particular behaviour.

Question 2.
In the fast moving materialistic world, parents are busy in earning while their children grow without them giving enough time to them. This is a major factor in creating a generation gap. There should be a balancing act on the part of parents. Discuss.
Answer:
In today’s materialistic world parents, specially fathers, are busy with their careers, finding very little time for their children.

Childhood is a tender age and the child needs his/ her parents at every stage of his growing up. In the pursuit of money or career, children are left at the mercy of caretakers or maids who may provide or fulfil child’s basic need but their emotional and intellectual needs are left unfulfilled. Bonding between parents and children keeps on diminishing until it reaches an alarming level.

Parents need to understand that between career and children, a balancing act has to be practised. Children need their parents to guide them, to share their likes and dislikes, to spend quality time with them.

No parent should allow such a situation where they may not understand their children or there may be no communication at all between them. Emotional bonding is a must for a family to stay together.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem

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• Father to Son Question Answer