NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 2 We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 2

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together About the Author

Gordon Cook (born December 3,1978, in Toronto) is a two-time Canadian Olympic sailor. He sails for the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. He is the son of Stephen Cook and Linda Cook. He has a great interest in writing stories too. The Cook is a graduate of the Engineering Physics programme at Queen’s University. In 2009, Cook partnered up with West Vancouver sailor Hunter Lowden and the two campaigned together for the 2012 Olympic Games. In December 2011 they qualifed at the 2012 49er worlds in Croatia, making Cook the only person ever to represent Canada twice in the 49er Class at the Olympic Games.

Alan East was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2003, and has gained extensive experience as a litigator, manager and legal trainer.
Alan joined Coventry University in 2010, as a senior lecturer in law and works passionately to support access to justice working closely with the Central England Law Centre.

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Main Theme

In 1976, one of the narrators took his wife and two children on a round-the-world voyage to duplicate the voyage of Captain James Cook 200 years earlier. The first part of their journey was smooth and enjoyable. Before entering the Indian Ocean, he took two sailors to help him navigate across the stormy sea. On January 2, they encountered bad weather. A giant wave smashed into their boat Wavewalker and caused severe damage. The narrator himself suffered severe injuries but brought his boat under control. The biggest problem was to save the boat from sinking. Using electric pumps, they were able to remain afloat.

The family and the crew remained cheerful. The narrator then decided to try and reach lie Amsterdam about 165 km away. The task was near impossible but good seamanship brought them success. They touched lie Amsterdam at 6 p.m. on 6th January.

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.
Answer:
To combat rough weather, the captain dropped the storm jib and lashed the heavy mooring in a loop across the stern. Subsequently they double-lashed everything, and rehearsed the life-raft drill, put on oil skins and life jackets and attached lifelines.

(ii) To check the flooding of the water in the ship.
Answer:
As the starboard was open, the captain stretched canvas and secured waterproof hatch covers over the gaping holes. He also connected the spare electric pump, under the chartroom floor, to an out-pipe to drain out the water streaming in.

Question 2.
Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4th and 5th January.
Answer:
Fourth January saw the crew limping to normalcy after 36 hours of continuous pumping. On Fifth January the situation reverted. The children enquired if their death was imminent and that they ‘ wanted to die together. This remark steeled the captain’s determination to fight back.

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:
In the entire narration describing gravely critical days — there is no word of despair, hopelessness or giving up.

All the members are actively doing whatever is needed to save the ship and the lives on board.
The courage and determination of all the members comes through very strongly. Survival was possible only because of an optimistic attitude.

Section 1.
Describes the cheerful and adventurous spirit of the voyage, a wonderful Christmas and goes on to describe the massive wave hit, damage to the ship and the miraculous return of the narrator to the ship from the ocean carried on a wave. It describes his courageous efforts to save the ship, Mayday calls.
The Big Wave Hit
Subtitle – Christmas on the ‘Wavewalker’.

Section 2. Search for an island. The cheerfulness of narration is replaced by anxiety to survive and to find the tiny islands in the Pacific.
Subtitle – Search for Pins in the Ocean.

Section 3. Shows the triumph of the spirit and of the seamanship of the narrator as he was able to save his family and crew members.
Subtitle – The Best Daddy and the Best Captain.

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 adults and the children when faced with danger?
Answer:
During the crisis the adults on board followed routine drills of ship rescue without getting emotionally embroiled. Their buoyant attitude helped them think out-of-the-box solutions to the unexpected crises facing them. The children were shell-shocked but courageously belittled their fears in consideration of their parents.

Question 2.
How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure ‘the direst stress’?
Answer:
The captain displayed optimism garnered from time-tested solutions. He followed a cool thought process, quick thinking skills, exemplary and persistent diligence, which helped his family belittle the troubles and reduce his stress, allowing him to think clearly and work fearlessly.

Question 3.
What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?
Answer:
Lessons we learn are of courage, keeping cool in the gravest crisis, not giving up hope, making continuous efforts to overcome the crisis and of working together.

Question 4.
Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?
Answer:
Dangerous expeditions heighten an adrenalin rush and stoke the urge to conquer obstacles. Also, the sea holds a special draw, as sailing is synonymous with fun and adventure. Expeditions are memorable. occasions for family bonding, and an exposure to the lighter aspects of human existence.

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:
Accept words offered by the students in their languages.
Some Hindi words are ‘Aandhi’, ‘Toofan’, ‘Jhanjhaa’ and ‘Jhanjhaawaat’, ‘Chakravaat; (cyclone).

Question 2.
Here are the terms for different kinds of the vessels: yacht, boat, canoe, ship, steamer, schooner: Think of similar terms in your language.
Answer:
Accept words offered by students.
Some Hindi/Urdu/Sanskrit words are ‘Naav ‘Nauka’, ‘Qashti’, ‘Jahaaz’.

Question 3.
‘Catamaran’ is a kind of a boat. Do you know which Indian language this word is derived from? Check the dictionary.
Answer:
‘Catamaran’—from Tamil ‘Katta-maram’, which means ‘tied tree’.

Question 4.
Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions do these songs usually express?
Answer:
Yes/No. Boatmen’s songs express love for the sea, sea as mother, sea as a God—seek blessings from the sea. They also express a longing to be home with the family.

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 stern boom hatch anchor
Answer:
knot —group—‘knot of people’—physical sensation, ‘knot of fear on a ribbon thread’ — hard lump—in the body, tree, plants

stern — a serious expression of face, attitude or behaviour
— not yielding

boom — great rise
— loud noise

hatch — cracking of eggs to let out chicks
— hatch a plot, i.e. to conspire

anchor — source of strength, stability and confidence
— compere of a cultural programme

Question 2.
The following three compound words end in-ship. What does each of them mean?
airship, flagship, lightship
Answer:
airship — aircraft, a flying machine
flagship — the seniormost ship in a flotilla or squadron carrying the seniormost officer
lightship — unladen ship without cargo or people or fuel

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:
take on: to employ, to engage

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Things to do

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

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	Meteorological station staff
Land area in square kilometres	86

Answer:
Self-attempt

Question 3.
Locate lie Amsterdam on the world map.
Answer:
Self-attempt