Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 5 – Silk Road (Nick Middleton) Extract/Passage based Question Answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English

Hornbill

Chapter 5 – Silk Road (Nick Middleton)

Extract/Passage based Question Answers

Passage 1

We took a short cut to get off the Changtang. Tsetan knew a route that would take us south-west, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. It involved crossing several fairly high mountain passes, he said. ‘But no problem, sir” he assured us, ‘if there is no snbw.’ What was the likelihood of that I asked. “Not knowing, sir, until we get there.” From the gently rolling hills of Ravu, the short cut took us across vast open plains with nothing in them except a few gazelles that would look up from nibbling the arid pastures and frown before bounding away into the void.

Further on, where the plains became more stony than grassy, a great herd of wild ass came into view. Tsetan told us we were approaching them long before they appeared. ‘Kyang,’ he said, pointing towards a far-off pall of dust. When we drew near, I could see the herd galloping en masse, wheeling and turning in tight formation as if they were practising maneouvers on some predetermined course. Plumes of dust billowed into the crisp, clean air .

Questions :                              

(i) What might have posed an obstacle to the writer's progress?

(ii) How does the writer portray the plains?

(iii) What is the meaning of 'kyang,' and which language does it originate from?

(iv) How did Tsetan anticipate their imminent encounter with a herd of kyangs?

(v) Give the meaning of:
(a) manoeuvres,
(b) billowed.

Answers :

(i) The snow on the trail or mountain track could impede his progress.

(ii) The writer doesn't perceive the plains as particularly appealing. With only a few gazelles in those arid pastures and lacking lush greenery, the plains seemed rather barren.

(iii) In Tibetan language, 'kyang' signifies a wild ass. Tsetan, the Tibetan driver, uses this term, as it naturally belongs to his own language.

(iv) Tsetan anticipated encountering a herd of kyangs soon, noticing the plume of dust billowing into the clear sky.

 (v) (a) routine practice
(b) rising.

Passage 2

A swathe of the white stuff lay across the track in front of us, stretching for may be fifteen metres before it petered out and the dirt trail reappeared. The snow continued on either side of us, smoothing the abrupt bank on the upslope side. The bank was too steep for our vehicle to scale, so there was no way round the snow patch. I joined Daniel as Tsetan stepped on to the encrusted snow and began to slither and slide forward, stamping his foot from time to time to ascertain how sturdy it was. I looked at my wrist watch. We were at 5,210 metres above sea level.

The snow didn’t look too deep to me, but the danger wasn’t its depth, Daniel said, so much as its icy top layer. ‘If we slip off, the car could turn over,’ he suggested, as we saw Tsetan grab handfuls of dirt and fling them across the frozen surface. I’ve both pitched in and, when the snow was spread with soil, Daniel and I stayed out of the vehicle to lighten Tsetan’s load. He backed up and drove towards the dirty snow, eased the car on to its icy surface and slowly drove its length without apparent difficulty.

Questions

(i) What form did the new obstacle take in hindering the author's progress?

(ii) What was the actual source of concern for the team?

(iii) Who proposed the solution to address the situation?

(iv) Why did Daniel and the author remain outside while Tsetan maneuvered the vehicle over the snowy track?

(v) Provide synonyms for:

(a) encrusted

(b) slither

 

Answers:

(i) The new hurdle impeding the author was a swath of white snow covering the track in front of him, extending about 15 meters on either side. The steep banks made it impossible for the vehicle to traverse.

(ii) The team, comprising the author, Daniel, and Tsetan, feared that their car could slide off the icy surface, potentially causing it to overturn. The slippery top layer, not the depth of the snow, was the actual cause of their concern.

(iii) Tsetan, the driver, proposed the solution. He first stamped his feet to gauge the depth of the ice and then began spreading dirt over it to create a rough surface, allowing their vehicle to pass.

(iv) Daniel and the author remained outside the vehicle to reduce the load, preventing it from slipping on the snowy track. Subsequently, it easily traversed the obstacle.

(v) (a) covered with a hard layer - encrusted

(b) to slide, move in a smooth way – slither

 

Passage 3

Ten minutes later, we stopped at another blockage. ‘Not gopd, sir,’ Tsetan announced as he jumped out again to survey the scene. This time he decided to try and drive round the snow. The slope was steep and studded with major rocks, but somehow Tsetan negotiated them, his four-wheel drive vehicle lurching from one obstacle to the next. In so doing he cut off one of the hairpin bends, regaining .the trail further up where the snow had not drifted.

I checked my watch again as we continued to climb in the bright sunshine. We prept past 5,400 metres and my head began to throb horribly. I’d thought that the labourers had left me some days previously, but they were back at work again. I took gulps from my water bottle, which is supposed to help a rapid ascent.

We finally reached the top of the pass at 5,515 metres. It was marked by a large cairn of rocks festooned with white silk scarves and ragged prayer flags. We«all took a turn round the cairn, in a clockwise direction as is the tradition, and Tsetan checked the tyres on his vehicle. He stopped at the loud hiss. The lower atmospheric pressure was allowing the fuel to expand. It sounded dangerous to me. “May be° sir”, Tsetan laughed “but no smoking.”

Questions

(i) Who uttered the words "Not good, sir" and what was the reason behind it?

(ii) What solution did Tsetan devise for the problem, and did he succeed in implementing it?

(iii) What occurred to the author as they ascended to the height of 5,400 meters?

(iv) How did the author attempt to address the issue?

(v) Provide the meanings of:

(a) ragged

(b) sounded

 

Answers:

(i) Tsetan conveyed these words to the author and Daniel. He observed an obstruction in the form of snow on their path while driving on the mountain trails. The challenges escalated when the tracks became icy.

(ii) Tsetan opted to circumvent the snow by cutting off one of the hairpin bends on the steep and rocky sides of the track. Despite the difficulty of the snowy track, he managed to overcome it.

(iii) Upon reaching the elevation of 5,400 meters, the author experienced a severe throbbing sensation in his head.

(iv) To alleviate the issue, the author drank water, recognizing that it could assist him in coping with the rapid ascent.

(v) (a) ragged: worn out, very old, and torn

(b) sounded: appeared or seemed

 

Passage 4

Hor was a grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse, which was unfortunate given that the town sat on the shore of Lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology pinpoints Manasarovar as the source of four great Indian rivers : the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahamputra. Actually only the Sutlej flows from the lake, but the headwaters of the others all rise nearby on the flanks of Mount Kailash. We were within striking distance of the great mountain and I was eager to forge ahead.

But I had to wait. Tsetan told me to go and drink some tea in Bor’s only cafe which, like all the other buildings in town, was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate for the draught. I was served by a Chinese youth in military uniform who spread the grease around on my table with a filthy rag before bringing me a glass and a thermos of tea. Half an hour later, Tsetan relieved me from my solitary confinement and we drove past a lot more rocks and rubbish westwards out of town towards Mount Kailash.

 

Questions

(i) What aspects of Hor failed to leave a positive impression on the author?

(ii) According to the author, what contributed to Hor's grim and miserable appearance?

(iii) What belief do Hindus and Buddhists share regarding Lake Mansarovar?

(iv) Where did the author enjoy his tea, and who was the server at that place?

(v) Provide synonyms for:

(a) solitary

(b) draught

 

Answers:

(i) The lack of vegetation and the presence of dust and rocks scattered with accumulated refuse over the years possibly contributed to Hor's failure to impress the author.

(ii) The author assumed that Hor appeared grim and miserable because it was situated on the shore of Lake Mansarovar, Tibet's most revered water body, attracting a large number of tourists and visitors who scattered refuse.

(iii) Both Hindus and Buddhists share the belief that Lake Mansarovar is the source of four great Indian rivers: the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej, and the Brahmaputra, although in reality, only the Sutlej flows from the lake.

(iv) The author had his tea at Hor's only cafe, and he was served by a Chinese youth in military uniform.

(v) (a) solitary: lonely, sole

(b) draught: cool breeze

 

Passage 5

I didn’t think he was from those parts because he was wearing a wind-cheater and metal-rimmed spectacles of a Wester style. He was Tibetan, he told me, but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in the institute of Ethnic Literature. I assumed he was on some sort of fieldwork. ‘Yes and no,’ he said. ‘I have come to do the kora.’ My heart jumped. Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years, he told me, but he had never actually done it himself.

When the time came for me to tell him what brought me to Darchen, his eyes lit up.‘We could be a team,’ he said excitedly. ‘Two academics who have escaped from the library.’
Perhaps my positive-thinking strategy was working after all.

Questions

(i) Who is referred to as 'he' in this context, and what was the author's opinion of him?

(ii) Identify Norbu and describe his background.

(iii) What motivated Norbu to come to Darchen?

(iv) How did Norbu react after meeting the author?

(v) Provide the meanings of:

(a) assumed,

(b) various

 

Answers:

(i) 'He' refers to Norbu in this context. The author's opinion of him was that Norbu didn't belong to the Hor/Darchen areas. He was considered an outsider due to his attire—wearing a wind-cheater instead of a sheep-skin coat—and western-style metal-rimmed spectacles.

(ii) Norbu was a Tibetan who worked at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in the Institute of Ethnic Literature.

(iii) Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its significance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years. He had now come to Darchen to personally experience the kora.

(iv) Norbu felt enthusiastic and excited. His eyes lit up with joy upon meeting the author, as they both shared similar tastes and professional backgrounds. They were two academics who had escaped from the library, as the author puts it.

(v) (a) assumed: thought, estimated, guessed

(b) various: different

 

Passage 6

My initial relief at meeting Norbu, who was staying in the guest house, was tempered by the realisation that he was almost ill-equipped as I was for the pilgrimage. He kept telling me how fat he was and how hard it was going to be. “Very high up,’ he kept reminding me, ‘so tiresome to walk.’ He wasn’t really a practising Buddhist, it transpired, but he had enthusiasm and he was, of course, Tibetan.

Although I’d originally envisaged making the trek in the company of devout believers, on reflection I decided that perhaps Norbu would turn out to be the ideal companion. He suggested we hire some yaks to carry our luggage, which I interpreted as a good sign, and he had no intention of prostrating himself all round the mountain. ‘Not possible,’ he cried, collapsing across the table in hysterical laughter. It wasn’t his style, and anyway his tummy was too big.

Questions

(i) What moderated the initial relief of the author upon meeting Norbu?

(ii) Why did the author experience relief upon meeting Norbu?

(iii) What led the author to conclude that Norbu wasn't a devout believer?

(iv) What was the sole comfort in the presence of Norbu?

(v) Provide synonyms for:

(a) envisaged

(b) tempered

 

Answers:

(i) The initial relief upon meeting Norbu was moderated by the realization that Norbu, like the author, lacked the necessary equipment for the pilgrimage.

(ii) The author had arrived a bit too early for his kora, and the season had not yet begun. He didn't want to undertake the journey alone. Therefore, when Norbu arrived and explained his purpose, the author felt relieved as he had found a companion, even if not a devout believer.

(iii) Norbu consistently mentioned that he was overweight and would find it challenging to walk on the high mountain trail. He expressed reluctance to engage in the physically demanding aspects of the pilgrimage, such as prostrating around the mountain. These statements made it clear to the author that Norbu was not a devout believer.

(iv) The only comfort the author found in Norbu's company was having a companion for the kora. Additionally, Norbu provided valuable suggestions, such as hiring yaks to carry their luggage.

(v) (a) Envisaged: anticipated, imagined

(b) Tempered: moderated, lessened