We have tried to provide NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Chapter 2 We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can Be Together covers each & every question of the textbook. Students will improve their answer writing skills by referring to the following NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English.
The following NCERT Solutions will help students in being set for their exams by providing a clear picture of how to come up with proper solutions to the questions. The NCERT Solutions for Class 11 have been designed by our subject-matter experts to give the best solutions to all the questions of the book. The questions in the textbook are answered in a way to improve one’s command over language, grammar & score.
NCERT Solutions for Hornbill English Class 11 Chapter 2
NCERT Solution for Hornbill English Class 11 Chapter 2 – We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can Be Together
Understanding the Text
Que 1. List the steps taken by the captain
- to protect the ship when rough weather began.
- to check the flooding of the water in the ship.
Answer-
- The captain planned to slow the ship down, to protect the ship when there was rough weather. The storm jib dropped & the heavy mooring rope was lashed in a loop over the stem. They went through the life-raft drill & ensured everything was double-fastened.
- The water was pumped out by Herb & Larry. The captain stretched the canvas was stretched & the waterproof hatch covers were secured across the gaping holes. When there was a short circuit of the electric pump & blockage of two hand pumps, another electric pump came to his notice & connected it to an earth pipe.
Que 2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on the 4th and 5th of January.
Answer-
The voyagers were relieved after pumping out water continuously for 36 hours, on 4th January. They finally ate their first meal in two days. But this was a short-lived break. They were in a dangerous situation on 5th January. Their fear of death increased & they were very stressed.
Que 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 beginning, the peaceful journey from Plymouth in England to 3500 km east of Cape Town in Africa is described. The narrator is confident & relaxed. As the weather deteriorated, they faced huge waves. in order to save themselves, they took precautionary measures to battle the disaster. The narration becomes grim, but shows confidence, fighting spirit & strong willpower. By the morning of 6th January, the wave-walker rode out of the storm & they were happy to finally see Ile Amsterdam Island in the evening.
Each section’s subtitles —Section 1- Cheerful Journey, Section 2 – Facing the Wave, Section 3 – Search for the Island.
Talking About The Text
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
Que 1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults & the children when faced with danger?
Answer-
Children & adults react differently when faced with danger. Initially, the adults were stressed about the circumstances. But they soon decided to be strong & prepared themselves to face it. A lot of precautions were taken to protect the ship when the rough weather began. Water-proof clothes, lifelines & life jackets were provided to everyone. Herb & Larry worked with a positive mindset & pumped the water out from the ship, for three consecutive days.
Mary replaced the narrator at the wheel, who steered the ship when the deck got smashed. She served them meals. The narrator was determined, courageous, responsible & resourceful as a captain. He provided apparatus for the repair work & instructed how to protect the ship. He gave a hand in steering the ship towards the island. The children suffered patiently & in silence. Sue despite being injured, didn’t bother her father. Jon was courageous & was not scared to die if everyone was together.
Que 2. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?
Answer-
In the story, we see how optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”. This can be seen in the way how the four adults behaved during the crisis. Herb Seigler & Larry Vigil were the two crewmen. As the huge waves smashed the deck, water entered the ship through openings & holes. From the evening of 2nd January, Herb & Larry started pumping out water. They worked vigorously for about 36 hours. As a result of pumping continuously, they reached the last few centimeters of water on 4th January. Despite being in dangerous situations, they were cheerful & positive.
The narrator had the presence of mind, hope & courage while facing problems. The equipment loss didn’t worry him as he was quite resourceful. Because of his practical knowledge & self-confidence, they were able to bear the storm & reach Ile Amsterdam Island at last. In those difficult hours, Mary was hopeful & courageous while staying at the wheel being.
Que 3. What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?
Answer-
We can’t always live comfortably. It’s the hazardous experiences that teach us lessons by bringing us face-to-face with death & teach. We should be courageous & patient while facing such situations. Adversity is the real test of character. Gold becomes pure by putting it on fire. So, difficult situations bring the best out of us.
Before death, cowards die many times. Negative feelings like fear lead to inactivity & we surrender to the situation. Such soldiers or sailors lose the war against difficulties in life.
On the other hand, people who are courageous, self-confident, have presence of mind & are resourceful face the dangers bravely & come out of all disasters. Their caring & sharing attitude inspires others to survive in these difficult situations & win through.
Que 4. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?
Answer-
By nature, human beings are adventurous. Higher the risk, the more the thrill. Exploring lands, and discovering the beauty & wealth thrills brave people so much that they are ready to put their lives at stake. Maybe, they value an hour of glory more than an uneventful life full of inactivity & sloth.
At times, adventures can be risky & deadly. Few people’s failure doesn’t discourage true adventurers. They learn lessons from the mistakes & shortcomings of others & make new attempts with zeal. Adapting to situations & overcoming problems is the key to such adventurous expeditions. An adventurous expedition’s victory brings wealth, fame & glory. History books talk about well-known explorers such as Vasco da Gama, Columbus, Captain Scott & Captain Cook.
Thinking about Language
Que 1. We have come across words like ‘gale’ & ‘storm’ in the account. Here are two more words for ‘storm’: typhoon, and cyclone. How many words does your language have for ‘storm’?
Answer-
In Hindi, ‘storm’ means: toofan, aandhi, chakravat, & jhanjavat
Que 2. Here are the terms for different kinds of vessels: yacht, boat, canoe, ship, steamer, and schooner. Think of similar terms in your language.
Answer-
In Hindi, words used for vessels that are used to travel on the water are nava, Nauka, jahaj, & pot.
Que 3. ‘Catamaran’ is a kind of boat. Do you know which Indian language this word is derived from? Check the dictionary.
Answer-
Catamaran’ is a word whose origin is in Tamil, meaning ‘tied wood’. It is a boat or yacht that contains twin hulls in parallel. The dictionary defines it as a fast sailing boat with two hulls.
Que 4. Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions do these songs usually express?
Answer-
The boatmen’s songs invite other sailors to be awake, arise & explore the sea’s wealth. These songs inspire & give moral support to the hard-working boatmen.
Working With Words
Que 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-
1. Knot
- In a rope/string – a joint is made up when two ends or pieces of string or rope are tied together.
- Of hair – At the back of the head, when the hair is twisted into a round shape.
- In wood – a round hard spot in a wood piece where a branch was once present
- Referring to a group of people – a small group of people who are standing close together.
- In muscles – anger, nerves, etc at times causes a hard, tight feeling in the stomach or throat For example – When he saw a snake, he felt the knot of fear in his throat.
2. Stern
- Often disapproving & serious, expecting others to obey you. For example – My father had a stern voice.
- Difficult & serious. For example – Their actions faced stern opposition.
3. Boom
- In economy/ business – Economic activity or trade sees an increase, a period of success & wealth. For example – A boom in the sales of cars.
- Popular period – a time period during which a sport or music suddenly became popular & successful. For example – The way to satisfy the boom of football is to provide more playgrounds.
- A deep loud sound. For example – the loud boom of the horn.
- In harbor/ river – At the harbor entrance, a floating barrier is placed to prevent ships from going out or coming in.
- In microphone – A long pole carrying a microphone.
4. Hatch
- Opening in the wall between the kitchen & a room through which food is passed. For example – a serving hatch.
- A door in a spacecraft or an aircraft.
- An escape hatch – a door in a ceiling or floor or an opening. For example – an attic hatch
- Young fish, bird, or insect coming out of the egg.
- When secretly, an idea or a plan is made.
Que 2. The following three compound words end in -ship. What does each of them mean?
| airship flagship lightship |
Answer-
- Airship – A large aircraft with no wings, filled with gas driven by engines & is lighter than air.
- Flagship –
- In the navy, the main ship among the fleet of ships.
- An organization that gives/owns an important service, product, or building. For example, Apple is opening a new flagship store in India.
- Lightship – A small ship having a powerful light to guide or warn other ships by staying in a particular place at sea.
Que 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 chapter’s third paragraph, ‘take on’ is made use of in the meaning of ‘take sb on’ that is to engage sb; to employ sb
Quote from the text: “…we took on two crewmen — American Larry Vigil & Swiss Herb Seigler — to help us…”
Things To Do
Que 1. Given on the next page is a picture of a yacht. Label the parts of the yacht using the terms given in the box.
Yacht
|
bow cabin rudder cockpit
stern boom mainsail mast
|
2. Here is some information downloaded from the Internet on Ile Amsterdam. You can view images of the isle if you go online.
| 37 92 S, 77 67 E |
| France |
| Part of French Southern & Antarctic Lands |
| 35 |
| Meteorological station staff |
| 86 km |
3. Locate Ile Amsterdam on the world map.
Amsterdam
FAQs on NCERT Solution for Hornbill English Class 11 Chapter 2
Q 1. Is the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Reading Skills Chapter 2 from GeeksforGeeks reliable?
Answer-
All the questions from the textbook are answered precisely in the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Reading Skills Ch- 2. These solutions help students write accurate answers in their Class 11 exams. These answers are comprehensible & students will be able to prepare well for their exams.
Q 2. List out the advantages of using the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Reading Skills Chapter 2.
Answer-
In order to learn about the vital facets of the chapters, students can refer to the solutions from the GeeksforGeeks website. To help students answer properly, the faculty at GFG have made the solutions in a comprehensible manner. From Chapter 2 of NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Reading Skills, students will be able to answer the difficult questions that may be asked in their exams.
Q 3. Why is the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Reading Skills Chapter 2 the best study material?
Answer-
The NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Hornbill English Reading Skills Chapter 2 is the best study material when it comes to exam preparation. It contains all the answers to the questions in a brief manner which can be used by the students to ace the Class 11 exams. The students will be able to score well if they go through these solutions & prepare accordingly.
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