We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together | Question Solutions
We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together Question Solutions
We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together Question Solutions
-Gordon Cook and Alan East
We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together Question Solutions
TEXTUAL QUESTION SOLUTIONS
Understanding the Text
Q.1. (i) List the steps taken by the captain to protect the ship when rough weather began.
Ans: The steps taken by the captain to protect the ship when rough weather began were as follows:
The captain dropped the storm jib to slow the boat down and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern. Then he double lashed everything. After these, he donned oilskins and life jacked.
(ii) List the steps taken by the captain to check the flooding of the water in the ship.
Ans: The captain collected a hammer, some screws and canvas and with difficulty, he succeeded in spreading the canvas over the gaping holes. The water then began to deflect over the side. He connected the electric pump to the out pipe and made it work. Thus the water level came to a reasonable level and the boat was out of danger.
Q.2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.
Ans: The voyagers often faced adverse situations during their voyage. But on 4 January, after several days of a frightening situation, they got some respite. The crewmen had been working for 36 hours at a stretch. They had to keep pace with the water coming in through some leak. Then they had to hoist the storm jib. In the mean time, Mary fed them with some beef and biscuits. But the respite was short-lived because at 4 p.m. the wind began to blow at a speed of 40 knots.
By the dawn of January 5, the situation again turned hopeless. The seawater swelled up and the waves began to rise higher. The captain went to comfort his children. His son, Jonathan asked if they were going to die. But he assured that they would come out successful. Jonathan replied that he was not afraid to die if they could all be together.
But somehow the Wavewalker rode out of the storm and by January 6 the wind and the waves ceased and the voyagers felt some comfort.
Q.3 Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each sub-section.
Ans: ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die…If We Can All be Together’ is an adventurous story narrated in the first person. There are three distinct sections in the narrative as given below:
The journey from Plymouth to Cape Town: The first section narrates how the voyage starts in a cheerful mood. In the team, there were the narrator of the story with his wife Mary and two children. The ship ‘Wavewalker’ was built professionally. They started their voyage in July 1976 from Plymouth in England and arrived at Cape Town in Africa under the auspices of a favourable weather. This was the first phase of their voyage.
Struggle for Survival: The second phase of the adventurous voyage started when the ship began to sail through the southern part of the Indian Ocean. Along with this phase, their trouble began. On January 2, the voyagers faced strong gales and waves. The starboard, the ribs, the several parts of the ship was damaged. On 4 January, they got some respite. But the respite was short-lived because at 4 p.m. the wind began to blow at a speed of 40 knots. By the dawn of January 5, the situation again turned hopeless. The seawater swelled up and the waves began to rise higher. The captain went to comfort his children. His son, Jonathan asked if they were going to die and said that he was not afraid to die if they could die together. But somehow the Wavewalker rode out of the storm and by January 6, the wind and the waves ceased.
Landing at Ile Amsterdam: On 6 January, the narrator consulted the charts and guessed that there were two islands a few hundred miles away from them. By that time the wind eased. At 6 p.m. in January, the ship anchored offshore the island called Ile Amsterdam and eventually, they got landed on it.
We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together Question Solutions
ADDITIONAL QUE SOLUTIONS
Q.1. Who were the members of the voyage? How did they got prepared for the voyage?
Ans: The members of the voyage were the author, a thirty-seven-year-old businessman, his wife Mary, six-year-old son Jonathan and seven-year-old daughter Suzanne.
For the voyage, they built a ship called ‘Wavewalker’. It was 23 metres long and had been built professionally. The narrator had a practice of 16 years in the British waters so as to hone their seafaring skills and then in July 1976 they set out for their adventurous voyage.
Q.2. Briefly state how the voyagers and the crewmen celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Ans: On 25th December the voyagers arrived at a distance of 3,500 kilometers from Cape Town and gradually the weather turned hostile with strong gales and high waves. In spite of that, the voyagers had a nice holiday. They celebrated Christmas with a Christmas tree. On the New Year’s Day, the weather remained hostile but they hoped that the weather would turn favourable.
Q.3. Who were Larry and Herb? What roles did they play?
Ans: Larry and Herb were crewmen. Larry was an American and Herb was a Swissman.
The captain of Wavewalker hired them before the ship started its eastward voyage.
Larry and Herb were very bold and dutiful crewmen. They kept on pumping water when the ship was struck by the fatal waves. They did their best to save the ship from sure disaster.
Q.4. What precautions were taken by the narrator when the ship was struck by huge waves on January 2?
Ans: The precautions taken by the captain to protect the ship when rough weather began were as follows:
The captain dropped the storm jib to slow the boat down and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern. Then he double lashed everything. After these, he donned oilskins and life jacked.
Q.5. What is meant by ‘May Day Call’? When did the captain of the ship send them? Did they get any response?
Ans: ‘May Day Call’ is an emergency call or signal sent in dire distress seeking urgent help. It is also called SOS (Save Our Soul). The captain of the ship ‘Wavewalker’ sent the ‘May Day Call’ at 6 p.m. on 6 January when the voyagers were at stake.
But no reply was received. It was not surprising to get no response in such a remote part of the world.
Q.6 ‘We’re not afraid to die if we can all be together.’ Who said this and when?
Ans: By the dawn of January 5, the situation of the ‘Wavewalker’ deteriorated. The seawater swelled up and the waves began to rise higher. Feeling utter disaster, the captain went to comfort his children. His son, Jonathan asked if they were going to die. But he assured that they would come out successful. Jonathan replied that he was not afraid to die if they could die together.
This statement of the little boy encouraged the captain to fight with the danger.
Q.7. What was Suzannes’ injury and how did she bear it?
Ans: In the storm when the ship turned aside, Suzanne, the seven years little daughter of the captain got injured. she had a big bump above her eyes. The left side of her head had swollen and her eyes narrowed to slits. Besides, she had a cut on her arms.
She bore her injury with patience because she did not like to worry her father who was working hard to save them from the disaster.
Q.8. Give an account of Ile Amsterdam.
Ans: Ile Amsterdam was a little volcanic island with little vegetation. It was a French scientific base. To the voyagers, the island appeared as to be the most beautiful island in the world. The ship ‘Wavewalker’ anchored thereafter the disastrous sea waves. There were 28 inhabitants on the island. They greeted the voyagers and helped them land on the shore. 0 0 0.
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