Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 2 – We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together (Gorden Cook and Alan East) Short question answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English

Hornbill

Chapter 2 – We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together (Gorden Cook and Alan East)

Short question answers

Question 1: Who commenced the round-the-world sea voyage and from where did they start?

Answer: The round-the-world sea voyage was initiated by the author, his wife Mary, their six-year-old son Jonathan, and their seven-year-old daughter Suzanne. They set sail from Plymouth, England in July 1976.

Question 2: How does the author characterize his boat Wavewalker, and what were the processes of fitting and testing?

Answer: The author describes Wavewalker as an impressive 23-meter, 30-ton wooden-hulled vessel. It was professionally built, and the family spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather conditions they could find.

Question 3: When and for what reason did the author enlist the services of two crewmen?

Answer: Upon reaching Cape Town and before heading east, the author recruited the services of two crewmen, American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler. This decision was made to assist in navigating one of the world's roughest seas.

Question 4: What transpired on December 25, and what were the weather conditions on that day?

Answer: On December 25, the family found themselves 3500 kilometers east of Cape Town, experiencing adverse weather conditions. Despite the challenging circumstances, they celebrated Christmas with joy, complete with a Christmas tree.

Question 5: How did they attempt to slow down the boat on January 2?

Answer: Faced with gigantic waves on January 2, they took measures to slow down the boat. To achieve this, they dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stem.

Question 6: “I half-swam, half-crawled into the children’s cabin.” What kind of wave prompted this action?

Answer: The author thought a cloud was approaching, but it turned out to be an extremely extraordinary wave. This wave appeared perfectly vertical and was almost twice the height of the other waves, with a "frightful breaking crest."

Question 7: What was the consequence of the "tremendous explosion"?

Answer: Following the extraordinarily high wave and the tremendous explosion that shook the deck, a torrent of green and white water broke over the ship. The author's head smashed into the wheel, leading to him being thrown overboard and sinking below the waves.

Question 8: “I half-swam, half-crawled into the children’s cabin.” What did the author find there?

Answer: Upon reaching the children's cabin with difficulty, the author found his children seemingly alright. However, Sue had a swollen head with two black eyes and a deep cut on her arm.

Question 9: What did the author do after discovering the electric pump had been short-circuited?

Answer: Upon realizing the electric pump had been short-circuited, the author remembered they had another electric pump under the chartroom floor. He connected it to an out-pipe, successfully restoring its functionality.

Question 10: ‘I didn’t want to worry you when you were trying to save us all.’ When and to whom did Sue say these words?

Answer: Sue said these words when her father inquired about her injuries. With her head severely swollen, two black eyes, and a deep cut on her arm, she didn't want to add to her father's worries as he was trying to save them all.

Question 11: ‘Our only hope was to reach these pinpricks in the vast ocean.’ To what is the author referring?

Answer: Referring to the charts, the author calculated that there were two small islands a few hundred kilometers to the east. One of them, Île Amsterdam, served as a French scientific base. These islands were considered their only hope.

Question 12: What was the message contained in Sue’s card?

Answer: Sue's card contained a heartfelt message expressing her deep love for her daddy and mummy. It served as a thank-you note, concluding with the hopeful sentiment, "let’s hope for the best."

Question 13: What did the author tell Larry about the island?

Answer: The author instructed Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees and informed him that, if lucky, they could expect to see the island around 5 p.m.

Question 14: How did Sue and the author describe Île Amsterdam?

Answer: Sue described Île Amsterdam as "as big as a battleship," while the author characterized it as a bleak piece of volcanic rock with minimal vegetation, deeming it the most beautiful island in the world.