CBSE Class 12 English HOTs Deep Water Set 05

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. Why did Douglas' mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool? or Why did Douglas prefer to go to the YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming? or What factors made Douglas decide in favour of the YMCA pool?
Answer: Douglas' mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool because it was safe, being only two or three feet deep at the shallow end with a gradual drop to nine feet at the other end. In contrast, the Yakima river was quite deep and several cases of drowning in it had been reported.

Question. How did Douglas' introduction to the YMCA pool revive his childhood fear of water?
Answer: Douglas' introduction to the YMCA pool revived his childhood fear of water as, when he had not yet learnt swimming, he was thrown into the pool's deep end by a bully and sank to the bottom despite his best efforts.

Question. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time?
Answer: As Douglas went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time, he felt the way down the pool to be very long and his lungs were ready to burst. He summoned all his strength and jumped up, but could not reach the surface and began to sink again.

Question. When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?
Answer: When Douglas realised that he was sinking, he thought that when his feet would hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface and lie flat on it. Then he would easily paddle to the edge of the pool.

Question. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down in the water with a yellow glow? How could he feel that he was still alive?
Answer: When Douglas went down in the water with a yellow glow for the second time, a sheer, stark terror seized him. It was beyond control or understanding. Douglas was paralysed with fear and could not move his limbs. Only his throbbing heart and the pounding in his head made him feel that he was still alive.

Question. Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to?
Answer: When Douglas was drowning in the swimming pool, he tried to come to the surface of the pool but failed because he was overcome with fear and could not move his limbs. He felt that he would die.

Question. How did Douglas get rescued when he was thrown in the pool?
Answer: The narrator does not mention this. When he regained consciousness, he was vomiting while lying on his stomach beside the pool. Apparently, he had been rescued by someone.

Question. Which two incidents in Douglas' early life made him scared of water?
Answer: The first incident occurred when he was three or four years old at a beach in California. A strong wave knocked Douglas down and he was buried in water. The next incident occurred at the YMCA pool when he was ten or eleven. A big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. He went down to the bottom and almost drowned in the pool.

Question. Mention any two long term consequences of the drowning incident on Douglas
Answer: Two long term consequences of the drowning incident on Douglas were (i) Douglas always felt terrified when near water. Fear gripped him when he came near any water body. (ii) He was deprived from enjoying any water related activities like fishing, swimming, canoeing, boating etc.

Question. How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water?
Answer: Douglas removed his residual doubts by swimming across Warm Lake to the opposite shore and back. He says, "I shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. I had conquered my fear of water."

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. "I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell." What was the incident which nearly killed Douglas and developed in him a strong aversion to water?
Answer: The incident that nearly killed Douglas occurred at the YMCA pool when he was ten or eleven years old. He had decided to learn swimming at the YMCA pool, and thus get rid of his fear of water. One morning, when he was alone at the pool, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. Though he had planned a strategy to save himself, his plan did not work. He went down to the bottom and got panicky. Thrice he struggled hard to come to the surface but failed each time. He was almost drowned in the pool. This misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.

Question. What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas' mind?
Answer: When Douglas was learning swimming at the YMCA pool at the age of ten or eleven, one day while sitting beside the pool waiting for other people to come, a muscular bully picked him up and threw him into the deep end of the pool. As Douglas realised that he may drown, he made three attempts to come up to the water surface, but failed and fell unconscious. Ultimately he was rescued by someone, but this episode in his life reinforced the fear of water in Douglas' mind which he had first felt when, at the age of three or four, he had been completely swamped by a huge wave at the seaside in California. His father held on to him at that time to save him from drowning, but at the YMCA pool there was nobody.

Question. Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water?
Answer: The story 'Deep Water' is a story of sheer determination and perseverance. It teaches us how, in spite of all odds, our positive attitude and our courage to fight can help us achieve success in life. The narrator's phobia of water or water bodies had gripped him for quite a long period of his life. However, once he decides to overcome his fear, he is able to shed it off completely. He adopts a positive attitude, and determines that he will fight his fear, no matter what. His training is a long and slow process, but he learns everything patiently and never gives up. Douglas's perseverance and courage teach us that a firm will and determination, coupled with a bold attitude can help us win over all obstacles, and achieve the impossible.

Question. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt's statement 'All we have to fear is fear itself'. How did this realisation help him brush aside his fear and become an expert swimmer?
Answer: Roosevelt said, "All we have to fear is fear itself". Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. Strong will, hard determination, courage and toil as well as honest labour win over all our terrors and fears. The will to live brushes aside all our fears. This realisation made him resolve to learn swimming by engaging an instructor. This instructor, piece by piece, built Douglas into a swimmer. Then, he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lakes to Stamp Act Island. Finally he had conquered his fear of water.

Question. The story 'Deep Water' has made you realise that with determination and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write a paragraph in about 120-150 words on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve success in life.
Answer: The story 'Deep Water' is a story of sheer determination and perseverance. It teaches us how, in spite of all odds, our positive attitude and our courage to fight can help us achieve success in life. The narrator's phobia of water or water bodies had gripped him for quite a long period of his life. However, once he decides to overcome his fear, he is able to shed it off completely. He adopts a positive attitude, and determines that he will fight his fear, no matter what. His training is a long and slow process, but he learns everything patiently and never gives up. Douglas' perseverance and courage teach us that a firm will and determination, coupled with a bold attitude, can help us win over all obstacles, and achieve the impossible.

Question. Justify the title 'Deep Water'.
Answer: This story is appropriately titled 'Deep Water'. It unfolds with the narrator deciding to learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool. He admitted that he had an aversion to water. This began when he was three or four years old and his father took him to a California beach. Here he was knocked down and swept away by the waves. Yet another incident aggravated his phobia of water bodies. At the age of ten or eleven, he was tossed by a robust bully into the deeper end of the swimming pool when he had first started to learn swimming. He nearly drowned and was terribly frightened. An 'icy horror' took possession of him and his legs became paralysed. He began to avoid going near water bodies. Finally, he decided that it was time to act. He engaged an instructor who systematically trained him in the art of swimming. Thus, the 'deep' aversion and terror he had of water was finally removed. Thus the title 'Deep Water' is justifiable.

Question. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas' experience in 'Deep Water'.
Answer: Douglas first two experiences with water built up a fear of being drowned in him. The first occurred at the age of three or four years, when a sea wave washed him ashore. The next experience which occurred at the age of ten or eleven was. When he was thrown into the deep end of the YMCA pool and did not know swimming. The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it, he made a strong resolution. He decided to overcome his fear through his own will. He engaged an instructor who perfected him in swimming gradually. The instructor gave him hundreds of exercises and taught him how to exhale and inhale in water. The practice went on for three months and Douglas was able to counter his terror. Then after more exercises, the instructor ordered him to dive. He swam across lakes also to gain confidence. He had now completely lost his fear of water. His desire, determination and diligence had succeeded in banishing his fear of water.

Question. A big boy pushed Douglas into the deep end of the swimming pool which could have led to his death. Concerns regarding bullying and ragging persist in many teenage groups. Quoting examples from the text, discuss the problem of bullying and its effects on the victims. Also suggest ways to deal with this problem.
Answer: The effect of the bullying by the big boy on the author was disastrous for his confidence. As he mentions in the text, "I was weak and trembling. I shook and cried when I lay on my bed. I couldn't eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in my heart." And " I never went back to the pool. I feared water. I avoided it whenever I could." This shows the effect of the bullying on the author. Thus he was unable to forget the terrifying memories of childhood. They robbed him of confidence. He developed a lifelong fear of water even when he grown up. Suggestions to deal with the bullying problem are to make a deliberate planned effort to eradicate it by setting up a school committee for monitoring such cases. This initiative must have support of parents and the community. Awareness has to be built up among children to understand and report bullying.