NCERT Solutions Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English  Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water 

here you can get the NCERT solutions for class 12  English  Flamingo chapter 3 Deep Water !  We have Covered the all solutions of  NCERT  textbook English Flamingo Chapter 3.
NCERT Solutions Class 12 English   Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water


NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English

Flamingo Chapter 3

Deep Water Class 12

Chapter 3 Deep Water Exercise Answers & Summary

Exercise : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 23

Q1 :

Notice these words and expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the

context.

Answer :

· treacherous - unpredictable danger; not dependable or trustworthy

· subdued my pride - to lower or restrain the intensity of self-respect and confidence

· flailed at the surface - to strike or lash out vigorously at the surface of the water in trying to

come out

· fishing for landlocked salmon - to go fishing for a specific variety of salmon available in

certain lakes

· misadventure - an incident that turns out to be a disaster

· bob to the surface like a cork - to float or show the characteristics of buoyancy as a cork in

water

· curtain of life fell - to indicate that life has ended or a near-death experience

· back and forth across the pool - to swim across the swimming pool from one side to the

other

 

 Think as you read : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 27

Q1 :

What is the "misadventure" that William Douglas speaks about?

Answer :

Douglas refers to the incident at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool where he almost drowned

as a "misadventure." The author was about ten or eleven years old at the time and had

barely begun to learn swimming, primarily by aping others. As he was thrown suddenly

into the water by someone and he couldn't swim, he started drowning. The struggle to

come to surface and to avoid getting drowned left him with a deep fear of water which

deprived him from enjoying water-related activities for many years. 


Q2 :

What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he

was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?

Answer :

The sudden realization of being thrown into the pool did not make him lose his wits

immediately. Although frightened, he thought of a trick to come up to the surface but

couldn't execute it successfully. He panicked and felt suffocated by the water. His

sense-perceptions gave way, his heart pounded loudly, his limbs became paralyzed

with fear, his mind became dizzy and his lungs ached as he gulped water while making

desperate attempts to come out of the water. Finally, he lost all his strength and

willingness to keep struggling and blacked out.

Douglas planned to allow himself to go down till his feet hit the bottom so that could

make a big jump to come back to the surface like a cork. Then, he would lie flat on the

surface of water and paddle to the edge of the pool.


Q3 :

How did this experience affect him?

Answer :

The near death experience of drowning had a very strong impact on his psychology. He

was deeply perturbed and shaken by the whole experience. A haunting fear of water

took control of his physical strength and emotional balance for many years. As he

couldn't bear being surrounded by water, he was deprived of enjoying any water-related

activity.


Understanding the textthink as you read : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 29

Q1 :

How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him

as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.

Answer :

Douglas takes us through his near death experience at the Y.M.C.A. pool by detailing

every little aspect associated to it. He details minutes of his emotional, mental and 

physical struggle with the paralyzing fear of being drowned in the water. The first person

narration of the incident also helps us to associate with his experience more deeply.

Though he did not lose his wits initially, he panicked when his strategy didn't work. His

feeling of suffocation, fear and losing hold on sense perceptions make the readers

experience what he does. His eyes couldn't see beyond the dirty yellow water. His voice

did not assist him. His nose and mouth could only manage to take water to the

lungs. His limbs became paralyzed with fear and his mind dizzy. His desperation to

save himself kept him struggling until he went down the third time and blacked out. All

these details make the description vivid.


Q2 :

Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?

Answer :

Douglas regretted being deprived of enjoying water activities like canoeing, boating,

swimming, fishing, etc. The wish to enjoy them and the craving to regain his lost

confidence, while being in water, made him try every possible way to get rid of his fear.

He was finally able to overcome this mental handicap by getting himself a swimming

instructor and further ensuring that no residual fear was left.


Q3 :

How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

Answer :

At first, he tried to overcome his fear of water on his own. But when this failed, he got

an instructor for himself who worked on Douglas' fear very methodically. With his help,

Douglas began by learning to be at ease in water. After this, he practiced exhalinginhaling in water to eliminate the fear of putting his head inside the water. Then, he

moved on to master individual steps of swimming which were, finally, integrated into a

complete experience of swimming, by his instructor. After about six months, Douglas

could not only swim well but was, also, free of his fear to a great extent.

At this stage, Douglas' journey of truly overcoming his fear to its tiniest vestiges began.

He swam alone in the pool. He went to Lake Wentworth to dive. He tried every possible

stroke he learnt. Finally, in his diving expedition, in the Warm Lake, he conquered his

fear completely.


Q4 : 

How did the instructor "build a swimmer" out of Douglas?

Answer :

The instructor worked gradually on Douglas' psychology, moved on to his physical

movements and then integrated each part to build a swimmer out of him.

Initially, he made Douglas swim back and forth across the swimming pool so that he

could get used to it. He used an elaborate mechanism with a rope, belt, pulley and an

overhead cable to help them stay connected while Douglas was in the pool. Then, oneby-one, he made Douglas master the individual techniques of swimming, like putting his

head in the water, exhaling and inhaling while in water, movements of his hands, body,

legs, etc. Finally, he integrated these perfected steps into a whole experience of

swimming for Douglas.


Q5 :

Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his

conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from his experience?

Answer :

Douglas recounts his childhood experience at the Y.M.C.A. pool to enable the readers

to understand the exact nature and intensity of the terror. The fear of being surrounded

by the water, the fear of putting his head in the water, the fear of choking and the fear of

his limbs going numb couldn't have been explained to a reader unacquainted with

Douglas' childhood experience. In that case, the elaborate strategy adopted by the

author (and his instructor) and the time-taken by him to learn or master even simple

things, though put in the perspective of his fear of water, couldn't have been understood

properly.

By quoting Roosevelt, "All we have to fear is fear itself," Douglas indicates the larger

meaning that he draws from his experience. For him, the importance of life became

evident when he encountered death or rather its proximity threatening his life.


Q6 :

How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Answer :

Even after the swimming training was over, Douglas wasn't confident about his

swimming or that he had overcome the fear. He was determined to completely get rid of

it forever. He swam alone in the pool. He went to Lake Wentworth to dive. There, he

tried every possible stroke he had learnt. He fought back the tiny vestiges of terror that 

gripped him in middle of the lake. Finally, in his diving expedition in the Warm Lake, he

realised that he had truly conquered his old terror.


Thinking about languagetalking about the textthing : Solutions of Questions on Page

Number : 30

Q1 :

If someone else had narrated Douglas' experience, how would it have differed

from this account? Write out a sample paragraph or paragraphs from this text

from the point of view of a third person or observer to find out which style of

narration would you consider to be more effective? Why?

Answer :

If a third person had narrated Douglas' experience, the impact of the story would have

lost the reader's deep connection with the main protagonist and his fear of water. The

narrator then would be passively telling the story from the perspective of an observer.

The incident of drowning in water could never have successfully communicated the

feeling of the "stark terror" that Douglas underwent.

In third person narrative, the 8th and 9th paragraph of the story would be as follows:

"He flailed at the surface of the water, swallowed and choked. He tried to bring his legs

up but they hung as dead weights, paralyzed and rigid. A great force was pulling him

under. He screamed, but only the water heard him. He had started on the long journey

back to the bottom of the pool."

"He struck at the water as he went down; expending his strength as one in a nightmare,

fights an irresistible force. He had lost all his breath. His lungs ached. His head

throbbed. He was getting dizzy. But he remembered the strategy - he would spring from

the bottom of the pool and come like a cork to the surface. He would lie flat on the

water, strike out with his arms, and thrash with his legs. Then he would get to the edge

of the pool and be safe."

So, it is only the first person narrative that keeps the reader gripped to the story. It

makes the experience more relevant and tangible for the reader. It engages him by

making him go through the experience along with the protagonist. The desperation and

helplessness of being in water, which has almost become fatal, the mental and physical

agony of trying to survive the crisis, the long struggle of overcoming the fear bit-by-bit

and the jubilation of conquering it at the end; all make the reader feel part of the

experience. The first person narrative makes the story a fast-paced and urgent reading

for the readers. All this would have been lost had it been a third person narrative or from

the point of view of an observer.

 

Q2 :

"All we have to fear is fear itself". Have you ever had a fear that you have now

overcome? Share your experience with your partner.

Answer :

Directions: Everyone has some or other fear that has been overcome. Think about one

such experience from your life. It may be anything associated to activities that you now

engage in with ease but were scared earlier. Driving, skating, public-speaking,

participating in a competition or overcoming stage fear are some examples.

After you have found one such example from your life, recollect the reason it bothered

or frightened you. Recollect the efforts you and/or other people put in to help you get rid

of it. Discuss the detailed experience with your partner in the class. Also, discuss your

feelings when you realised that you have overcome the fear entirely.

(Guidelines/directions have been provided for students' reference. It is strongly

recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.)


Q3 :

Are there any water sports in India? Find out about the areas or places which are

known for water sports.

Answer :

Solutions for Class 12 English   Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water



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Q4 : 

Doing well in any activity, for example a sport, music, dance or painting, riding a

motorcycle or a car, involves a great deal of struggle. Most of us are very nervous

to begin with until gradually we overcome our fears and perform well.

Write an essay of about five paragraphs recounting such an experience. Try to

recollect minute details of what caused the fear, your feelings, the

encouragement you got from others or the criticism.

You could begin with the last sentence of the essay you have just read - "At last I

felt released - free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear."

Answer :

Directions: You may follow the given steps for the essay:

Paragraph 1: Begin with "At last I felt released - free to walk the trails and climb the

peaks and to brush aside fear. Fear, when conquered, becomes victory. And a victory,

emerging from the bitterness of failures and hardships of enduring them for a long

period of time, has its own meaning and charm. When I look back, it appears to be a

long and arduous journey that has now successfully culminated in its destination."

Paragraph 2: Talk about the beginning of the incident that was the root cause for your

fear. Try to pen down what you saw, what you felt and what you thought. Recollect and

write the details of the surrounding environment, people and things.

Paragraph 3: Here, you can continue talking about how the incident progressed in terms

of the subsequent events or happenings. Detail the exact proceedings in the logical

order of their happening. You may talk about what you think went wrong and how the

incident could have ended differently.

Paragraph 4: In this paragraph, you may write how the fear proved a handicap or how it

affected other activities of your life. And then write about when you decided that you will

get rid of it. Talk about your plans, strategies and things that you may have considered

to ensure that you succeed in your attempt.

Paragraph 5: In the last paragraph, you can detail all your efforts (and that of others)

and end with an analysis of why you won over your fear.

(Guidelines/directions have been provided for students' reference. It is strongly

recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.)


Q5 :

Find and narrate other stories about conquest of fear and what people have said

about courage. For example, you can recall Nelson Mandela's struggle for

freedom, his perseverance to achieve his mission, to liberate the oppressed and

the oppressor as depicted in his autobiography. The story We're Not Afraid to

Die, which you have read in Class IX, is an apt example of how courage and

optimism helped a family survive under the direst stress. 


Answer :

Hrithik Roshan - one of the highest paid and greatly admired actor suffered from

stammering - used to bunk school during oral exams - was skinny - couldn't dance well -

decided to establish well in his career and get rid of negatives - took speech therapy

every day - worked as assistant director - training at the gym for hours - practiced

dancing - after years of patience and perseverance, he is now one of the most admired

actor and dancer.

(Pointers have been provided for students' reference. It is strongly recommended that

students prepare the answer on their own.)


Q6 :

Write a short letter to someone you know about your having learnt to do

something new.

Answer :

Examination Hall

New Delhi

July 1, 20xx

Dear Garima,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. I've something interesting to share

this time. I have learnt skating, this summer. Being able to skate is a wonderful feeling

and it fills me with loads of confidence. There is an odd sense of power in knowing that

every technique and skill required to master has been learnt. With a little more practice,

I would feel my spirits flying high.

Initially, I was very scared of even wearing my skates. But all the bruises, injuries,

frustrations and pessimistic ideas that gripped me during some of the initial training

sessions now seem nothing in front of what I feel. It gives me immense satisfaction to

see myself almost flying in the air. Skating also helps me stay fit. Even my parents are

happy to see me investing my time constructively.

Do let me know about your hobby classes. Convey my kind regards to uncle and aunt.

Yours affectionately,

Nishtha

(A model answer has been provided for students' reference. It is strongly recommended

that students prepare the answer on their own.)