Question 5 - Chapter 3 - Deep Water - Flamingo - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its grip. Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool a bit of the panic seized me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under, some of the old terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the tension began to slack. Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and to raise my nose and inhale. I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.

(Deep Water)

Question (i)

What did the narrator decide to do one October to overcome his fear of water?

1. He decided to go to a beach and play with the waves
2. He decided to get an instructor and learn to swim
3. He decided to buy a book and read about swimming
4. He decided to watch a movie and relax

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(b) He decided to get an instructor and learn to swim

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to read the first sentence of the extract carefully.
• The sentence says, "Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim."
• This means that the narrator made a choice or a plan to overcome his fear of water by getting an instructor and learning to swim.
• Therefore, the correct answer is B. He decided to get an instructor and learn to swim.😊

Question (ii)

What did the instructor use to help the narrator practice swimming in the pool?

1. A belt, a rope, and a pulley
2. A float, a net, and a hook
3. A mask, a snorkel, and a fin
4. A board, a paddle, and a whistle

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(a) A belt, a rope, and a pulley

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to read the second sentence of the extract carefully.
• The sentence says, "The instructor put a belt around me. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable."
• This means that the instructor used a belt, a rope, and a pulley to help the narrator practice swimming in the pool.
• The belt was used to secure the narrator's waist, the rope was used to control his movement and speed, and the pulley was used to guide his direction and balance.
• Therefore, the correct answer is A. A belt, a rope, and a pulley.😊

Question (iii)

 Complete the sentence appropriately. 

The phrase "a bit of the panic seized me" suggests that ____________.

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The phrase "a bit of the panic seized me" suggests that the narrator still felt some fear of water, but not as much as before.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete this sentence, we need to understand what the phrase "a bit of the panic seized me" means.
• The phrase means that the narrator experienced a small or slight amount of fear or anxiety when he was in the water, especially when he went under it.
• The phrase also implies that the narrator did not feel the full or complete extent of his fear, as he used to do in the past. He felt less fear than before, but not none at all.
• Therefore, the sentence can be completed as: The phrase "a bit of the panic seized me" suggests that the narrator still felt some fear of water, but not as much as before.😕

Question (iv)

Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that the narrator practiced swimming for a long time.

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 The evidence from the extract that helps one infer that the narrator practiced swimming for a long time is that he went to the pool five days a week, an hour each day, for three months.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to find a part of the extract that shows that the narrator spent a lot of time and effort to learn how to swim and overcome his fear of water.
• The part of the extract that shows this is: "I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. ... It was three months before the tension began to slack."
• This shows that the narrator practiced swimming for a long time, because he went to the pool regularly and consistently, and he did not give up or quit until he felt some improvement in his fear and tension.
• Therefore, the evidence is that he went to the pool five days a week, an hour each day, for three months.😊

Question (v)

Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?

1. A Boy's Journey from Fear to Confidence in Water
2. A Boy's Adventure with an Instructor in Water
3. A Boy's Discovery of His Passion for Water
4. A Boy's Challenge with a Belt, a Rope, and a Pulley in Water

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(a) A Boy's Journey from Fear to Confidence in Water

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to identify the main point or message of the extract.
• The extract tells us about how the narrator decided to get an instructor and learn to swim, and how he practiced swimming in the pool with the help of a belt, a rope, and a pulley. It also tells us about how he gradually reduced his fear and panic of water, and learned how to breathe and move in it.
• The extract does not focus on how the narrator had an adventure or a challenge with his instructor or the equipment, or how he discovered his passion for water. It focuses on how he went from being terrified and helpless in water, to being more confident and comfortable in it.
• Therefore, the headline that best suggests the central idea of the extract is A. A Boy's Journey from Fear to Confidence in Water.😊

Question (vi)

Complete the sentence with ONE word. 

The phrase "Bit by bit I shed part of the panic" suggests that the narrator was _______________.

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 The phrase "Bit by bit I shed part of the panic" suggests that the narrator was improving.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete this sentence, we need to find a word that describes the narrator's state or condition when he practiced swimming in the pool.
• The phrase "Bit by bit I shed part of the panic" suggests that the narrator was gradually getting rid of some of his fear or anxiety of water. He was making progress and becoming less scared.
• Therefore, the word that fits this description is improving, which means getting better or more advanced.
• Therefore, the sentence can be completed as: The phrase "Bit by bit I shed part of the panic" suggests that the narrator was improving.😊