Mindmap

MINDMAP
CLASS XI
Chapter-2: We’re Not afraid to Die—If We Can All Be Together
by Gordon Cook and Alan East
Answer the following questions in not more than 30-40 words.
(Exercise 1)-to be done in fair Register

Short Ques
Q.1. What preparations were made by the narrator before their round the world Voyage?
Ans. The writer wanted to go around the world voyage as captain James Cook had done about 200
years earlier. For about 16 years, both he and his wife used to spend all their free time in
improving their sailing skills on the British sea. They made a 23 m long boat wave walker, with
great skill. They tested it in the roughest weather. Finally, they started their Voyage in July 1976.
Q.2. How did the first leg of the journey pass? What happened to them immediately after they
left?
Ans. The first leg of the journey was from Plymouth (England) to Cape Town (Southernmost trip
of Africa). It was a journey of 1,05,000 kilometres. It passed quite pleasantly. But after leaving
Cape Town, they had to face strong gale.
Q.3. How does the author describe Wave walker?

Ans. Wave walker was the name given to the narrator's boat. It was professionally built. It was a
23-metre long, wooden-hulled 30-ton boat. The narrator spent months fitting it out and testing it in
the roughest weather.
Q.4. What did the travellers find at dawn on 2 January and what preparation did the make?
Ans. On this dawn, the waves were gigantic. The ship rose to the top of each wave that came their
way. There was fear of shipwreck. So they made all possible preparations to save the ship and
themselves as follows
1. They dropped the storm jib to slow down ship.
2. They secured everything tightly.
3. The attached lifelines to the life-rafts.
4. They put on their oilskins and life-jackets.
Q.5. "We are not afraid to die." Who speaks the words and when?
Ans. The narrator's Son Jonathan, 6 years old, made this remark when his father went in to
comfort the children. "But Daddy," he went on, "We aren't afraid of dying if we can all be
together- you and mummy, Sue and I".
Q.6. How did she make her father laugh when the situation was almost hopeless?
Ans. The situation was hopeless and the parents were still tense. She made a card and drew their
caricatures, made them laugh. The card also thanked them and gave a message of hope.
(Exercise 2)-EXTRA QUESTIONS(FOR PRACTICE)

Short Answer Questions
Q1. What was the object behind the writer’s undertaking the journey?
Answer: The writer undertook the voyage along with his wife in order to duplicate the
round-the-world voyage made 200 years earlier by Captain James Cook.
Q2. Describe the boat which was made for undertaking the voyage.
Answer: The name of the boat which was made for undertaking the voyage was ‘Wavewalker’.
It was a 23 meter, 30 ton wooden-hulled boat which had been professionally built and the writer
and his wife had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather they could find.
Q3. 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 troubles
in the sea for getting help from other ships passing nearby. The ship ‘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.
Q4. What did Sue say when she was asked by her father why she had not complained
much about her grave injuries at the first instance?
Answer: Sue had been injured badly when the wave had hit the ship. Her head had
swollen alarmingly. She had two very big enormous 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
Q5. Comment on the mood of the sea on 2nd January 2010? How did the writer and his
family and the crewmen prepare for that?
Answer: At dawn on January 2, the waves became gigantic. As the ship of the writer rose
to the top of each wave, they could see the sea water rolling towards them and the noise
made by the wind and the spray of the wave water was painful to their ears. In order to
slow the boat down, they dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop
across the stern. Then they double lashed everything and went through their life raft drill,
attached lifelines and wore oilskins and life jackets and waited for the worst things to
happen.
Q6. What happened at 6pm on 2nd of January?
Answer: At 6 pm on 2nd January, the sea became silent and the wind dropped and the
sky grew immediately dark. After that a very huge wave which was double the size of the
other waves struck the ship with explosive power and damaged it.
Q7. List the steps taken by the captain
a) to protect the boat when rough weather began
b) to check the flooding of the water in the ship
a). Slowed down the speed of the boat- storm jib dropped- double lashed everything-
went for life-raft drill- attracted lifelines- put life jackets.
b). Larry and Herb kept pumping water out- the narrator stretched canvas and secured
water proof latch- covered the gaping holes.
Q8. How did they pass the first leg of the journey?
Answer: It was pleasant sailing down the West coast of Africa to Cape Town.
Q9. Who were Larry and Herb? What role did they play?
Answer: Crewmembers Larry Vigil was an American and Herb Seigler was from
Switzerland. They were of great help. As a team they worked with the narrator- kept
pumping water out of Wavewalker till the water level was brought under control.
Q10. Why and when did the captain send ‘May Day Calls’? What was the response?
Answer: When nothing worked well after the gigantic wave had hit the Wave
walker… impending disaster awaited- the captain sent ‘May Day Calls’-no response
as this part of the ocean is less travelled.

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(Exercise 1)-to be done in fair Register

Q.3. How does the author describe Wave walker?

(Exercise 2)-EXTRA QUESTIONS(FOR PRACTICE)

Q6. What happened at 6pm on 2nd of January?

Q7. List the steps taken by the captain

a) to protect the boat when rough weather began

b) to check the flooding of the water in the ship

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