CBSE Class 12 English Deep Water Worksheet Set B

Very Short Answer type Questions

Question. Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water ? 
Answer: The very first incident was the one at the beach with his father when Douglas was three or four year old. A wave had knocked him over and engulfed him in it completely. The next incident was at YMCA when an eighteen year old boy pushed Douglas into the swimming pool.

Question. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water ? 
Answer: Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water because it had ruined his fishing trips. Also, could not enjoy water sports like canoeing, boating or swimming.

Question. How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water ? 
Answer: Douglas removed his residual doubts by diving into the Warm Lake and swimming across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy when he was able to achieve this feat. He had finally conquered his fear of water.

Question. How did the incident at the YMCA pool affect Douglas ? 
Answer: His experience at the YMCA pool left Douglas haunted by fear of water. He became extremely weak physically and never went back to the pool again. He felt handicapped for years as he couldn’t enjoy any water sport like swimming, fishing, boating, etc.

Question. Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool ? 
Answer: Douglas’ mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA pool because unlike the Yakima river, which was treacherous and had drowned many, the pool was safe. It was only 2-3 feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet deep at the other end. There too, the fall was gradual.

Question. Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming ?
Answer: Douglas’ mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA pool because unlike the Yakima river, which was treacherous and had drowned many, the pool was safe. It was only 2-3 feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet deep at the other end. There too, the fall was gradual.

Question. What lesson did Douglas learn when he got rid of his fear of water ? 
Answer: When Douglas finally got rid of his fear of water, he realised that all one has to fear is fear itself. Once the fear is conquered or overcome, one can achieve anything one wants.

Question. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time ? 
Answer: Douglas experienced panic and suffocation. He was frightened but he was not out of his wits.

Question. Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of YMCA pool ? 
Answer: The YMCA pool was an ideal place for Douglas to learn swimming. It was safe. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end. Though it was nine feet deep at the other end, the drop was gradual.

Question. How did Douglas’ experience at YMCA pool affect him ? 
Answer: His experience at the YMCA pool left Douglas haunted by fear of water. He became extremely weak physically and never went back to the pool again. He felt handicapped for years as he couldn’t enjoy any water sport like swimming, fishing, boating, etc.

Short Answer type Questions

Question. How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer ? 
Answer: Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool until Douglas began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practised this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practice with his instructor made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer.

Question. Narrate the childhood experience of Douglas. 
Answer: William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen years old came and tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He was frightened but planned a strategy. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. He tried more than a couple of times. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Question. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water ? 
Answer: When Douglas was a child, he had two near drowning experiences, which left in him a deepseated fear of water. This phobia of water often ruined his fishing trips and deprived him of the joy of all water related activities, such as canoeing, boating and swimming. He felt handicapped due to this fear and it bothered him. This is why Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water.

Question. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire ? How did he make his terror flee ? 
Answer: Douglas went to lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to be sure that the  old terror of water had left him for good after the swimming lessons. Douglas swam two miles across the lake. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. But, he laughed at his fear and brushed it aside. His terror fled away and he swam on.

Question. ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ When did Douglas learn this lesson ? 
Answer: Once the writer realised that his fear of water was keeping him from enjoying any of the water related sports and activities, he decided to engage a swimming instructor, who gradually helped him face his fear. However, it was after his successful swimming attempts in Lake Wentworth and Warm Lake that the writer understood the real meaning of conquering one’s fear in order to truly value life and enjoy every moment of it. This revelation made the writer confident and determined.

Question. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire ? 
Answer: Douglas went to lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to be sure that the  old terror of water had left him for good after the swimming lessons. Douglas swam two miles across the lake. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. But, he laughed at his fear and brushed it aside. His terror fled away and he swam on.

Question. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror ? 
Answer: To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum anxiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realised that he had finally conquered his fear.

Question. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water with a yellow glow ? How could he feel that he was still alive ?
Answer: As Douglas went down the water with a yellow glow, he was seized by a sheer, stark terror, which knew no understanding and no control. He was paralysed under water-stiff, rigid with fear. Although he was shrieking under water, it seemed frozen. Only his heart and the pounding in his head made Douglas feel alive.

Question. How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas ?
Answer: At YMCA swimming pool, when Douglas was thrown into the water, it affected him quite deeply. The experience scared him so much that he was unable to eat due to the haunting fear. He become wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach and the slightest up set him. Eventually, he developed fear of water. Since he could not go near the water for many years, he was deprived of the joy of various water related activities, such as canoeing, boating, fishing, etc.

Question. “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Describe Douglas’ experiences which led to the making of this statement. 
Answer: To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum anxiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realised that he had finally conquered his fear.
Douglas went to lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to be sure that the  old terror of water had left him for good after the swimming lessons. Douglas swam two miles across the lake. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. But, he laughed at his fear and brushed it aside. His terror fled away and he swam on.

Question. What deep meaning did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool have for Douglas ?
Answer: Douglas developed a fear of getting into the water at a very young age due to two severe water related accidents. However, later when he realised that he was missing out on a lot of fun because of his fear, he decided to face it. The experience of fear and death and its conquest made him live intensely. It made him realise true value of life and helped him enjoy every moment of it.

Question. How did the feeling of terror return to Douglas at Lake Wentworth? How did he react ? 
Answer: Douglas went to lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to be sure that the  old terror of water had left him for good after the swimming lessons. Douglas swam two miles across the lake. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. But, he laughed at his fear and brushed it aside. His terror fled away and he swam on.

Question. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water ? 
Answer: To get over his fear of water, Douglas hired a swimming coach. Though it took him a lot of time, the instructor showed a great amount of patience and kindness towards Douglas. Bit by bit he taught him to swim and at the same time helped Douglas to overcome his fear. To be sure that he was completely free of his fear of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth to swim across the lake.

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’ experience in ‘Deep Water’ is a great example of how desire, determination and diligence lead to success. When Douglas was just a child, he had major water-related misadventures and (he almost drowned), which affected him badly and he was left with a deep rooted fear of water. This fear stayed with him as he grew older. As the fear lingered on, Douglas realised that it prevented him from enjoying all the activities related to water, such as boating, canoeing, swimming, etc. It was no longer acceptable to Douglas.
Therefore, his strong desire to overcome his fear of water made him take swimming lessons. Even though, the old fear kept coming back, weakening him initially, however, his determination kept him going. Eventually, with rigorous training, vigorous practice and perseverance, he was able to get rid of his fear of water.

Question. How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the YMCA pool ? 
Answer: William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen year old tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at once to the bottom. He was frightened, but planned a strategy to come to the surface. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would “make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool”. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. When his feet hit the bottom of the pool Douglas made a jump. However, instead of springing back to surface, he came up slowly. His attempts to grab onto something and bring his legs up proved to be futile. He tried to come to surface more than a couple of times. He yelled but no sound came out of his mouth. He felt tired and suffocated; he was paralysed with fear and almost drowned. Douglas wouldn’t have survived if someone hadn’t dove into the water to save him.

Question. How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him ? How did he get over this effect ? 
Answer: To get over his fear of water, Douglas hired a swimming coach. Though it took him a lot of time, the instructor showed a great amount of patience and kindness towards Douglas. Bit by bit he taught him to swim and at the same time helped Douglas to overcome his fear. To be sure that he was completely free of his fear of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth to swim across the lake.
His experience at the YMCA pool left Douglas haunted by fear of water. He became extremely weak physically and never went back to the pool again. He felt handicapped for years as he couldn’t enjoy any water sport like swimming, fishing, boating, etc.

Question. How did the swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas ? 
Answer: Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool hour after hour, day after day till he began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practised this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practise with his instructor, made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer.

Question. When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself ?
Answer: William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen years old came and tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He was frightened but planned a strategy. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. He tried more than a couple of times. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Question. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water ? 
Answer: Douglas was merely three or four years old when he had his first water related accident. His father had taken him to the beach in California where they stood together in the surf. The waves knocked young Douglas down and swept over him in such a way that he was buried in water and felt suffocated. That was the first time he felt the pangs of terror at the overpowering force of the water set in his heart. When he was ten or eleven years old he decided to learn to swim at the Y.M.C.A. pool. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet at the deep end where the drop was gradual. Yet, when the eighteen year old boy tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool, it strengthened his aversion to water. An unsuspecting victim, Douglas landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at once to the bottom. Even after multiple attempts, he was unable to resurface, because of too much depth. Gradually, he grew tired and suffocated; he was paralysed with fear and almost drowned. Douglas would not have survived if someone had not dove into the water to save him.

Question. The story “Deep Water” has made you realise that with determination and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write a paragraph in about 100 words on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve success in life.
Answer: In the story Deep Waters, we see Douglas overcoming his childhood fear of water, through determination, perseverance and hard work. Thus, this story shows that with positive attitude and strength of will, we can accomplish almost anything. All of us may fear something or the other. But fear, when conquered through courage, becomes victory. The victory, emerging from the bitterness of failures and hardships of enduring them for a long period of time, has its own significance and joy. It might appear to be a long and arduous journey, but it will definitely culminate in success.

Question. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer ? 
Answer: Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool hour after hour, day after day till he began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practised this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practise with his instructor, made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer.

Question. What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas’ mind ? 
Answer: William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen years old came and tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He was frightened but planned a strategy. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. He tried more than a couple of times. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Question. A big boy threw Douglas into the swimming pool. How did this experience affect Douglas ?
Answer: William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen years old came and tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He was frightened but planned a strategy. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. He tried more than a couple of times. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth.
As Douglas went down the water with a yellow glow, he was seized by a sheer, stark terror, which knew no understanding and no control. He was paralyzed under water-stiff, rigid with fear. Although he was shrieking under water, it seemed frozen. Only his heart and the pounding in his head made Douglas feel alive.

Long Answer type Questions

Question. What was Douglas’ fear? How did he overcome that fear ? 
Answer: Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool until Douglas began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practised this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practice with his instructor made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer.
To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum anxiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realised that he had finally conquered his fear.
To get over his fear of water, Douglas hired a swimming coach. Though it took him a lot of time, the instructor showed a great amount of patience and kindness towards Douglas. Bit by bit he taught him to swim and at the same time helped Douglas to overcome his fear. To be sure that he was completely free of his fear of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth to swim across the lake.

Question. Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water. 
Answer: Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool until Douglas began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practised this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practice with his instructor made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer.
To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum anxiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realised that he had finally conquered his fear.
Douglas went to lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to be sure that the  old terror of water had left him for good after the swimming lessons. Douglas swam two miles across the lake. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. But, he laughed at his fear and brushed it aside. His terror fled away and he swam on.
To get over his fear of water, Douglas hired a swimming coach. Though it took him a lot of time, the instructor showed a great amount of patience and kindness towards Douglas. Bit by bit he taught him to swim and at the same time helped Douglas to overcome his fear. To be sure that he was completely free of his fear of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth to swim across the lake.

Question. There was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves”. When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality ?
Answer: Douglas was merely three or four years old when he had his first water related accident. His father had taken him to the beach in California where they stood together in the surf. The waves knocked young Douglas down and swept over him in such a way that he was buried in water and felt suffocated. That was the first time he felt the pangs of terror at the overpowering force of the water set in his heart. When he was ten or eleven years old he decided to learn to swim at the Y.M.C.A. pool. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet at the deep end where the drop was gradual. Yet, when the eighteen year old boy tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool, it strengthened his aversion to water. An unsuspecting victim, Douglas landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at once to the bottom. Even after multiple attempts, he was unable to resurface, because of too much depth. Gradually, he grew tired and suffocated; he was paralysed with fear and almost drowned. Douglas would not have survived if someone had not dove into the water to save him.
William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen years old came and tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He was frightened but planned a strategy. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. He tried more than a couple of times. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Question.  “...there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality? 
Answer.  Once Douglas was thrown into the swimming pool by a boy. He did not know swimming by that time. He could not come out of it by himself and was nearly drowned. Therefore, he became very much afraid of water. He dropped the idea of swimming and developed a fear of water. He made many efforts but water in vain. He could not control his feeling of terror. The writer had near death experience in the pool. The writer made one more effort to come out but that also failed. He could not forget his first experience of drowning when he was swept away by a sea wave. At that time, he was with his father but he was afraid. Now the writer was so afraid of water that he could not even wade into it. He could not bathe in the river and could not enjoy any water sports.

Question. How did the misadventure in YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas? What efforts did he make to conquer his old terror? 
Answer.  The misadventure at the YMCA swimming pool affected Douglas for life. He was eleven at the time. When he was a learner and sat alone on the edge of the YMCA pool, a young man just for fun, threw him into the deep end of the pool. He almost drowned. This experience left a deep scar on his mind. For days, the panic and fear kept haunting him. He began to fear water. He was possessed by it completely. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, fishing, bathing and swimming—all water sports. So he decided to conquer it. He got the services of an instructor, who trained him. First every part of his body and then bit by bit, he built a swimmer out of Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt around the waist of Douglas and the rope went through a pulley, the other end was held by the instructor. First, the fear came back every time the instructor let go the rope. Gradually, the fear became less. Later the instructor was no more needed. He tried to swim alone to test himself. So he went to Lake Wentworth and dived off. He swam using all the strokes that he had learnt. The traces of fear that frightened him were brushed aside. He could now laugh it all away. The fear was gone. He could swim fearlessly.

Question. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer? 
Answer.  The haunting fear of the water followed Douglas in his fishing trips, swimming, boating and canoeing. He used every way he knew to get rid of this fear but it held him firmly in its grip. So, he finally engaged an instructor to learn swimming. The instructor made him practise five days a week, an hour each day. He held one end of the rope in his hands and the other end through a pulley overhead of Douglas, was tied to the belt. Thus the instructor relaxing his hold on the rope made Douglas swim back and forth in the pool. After three months of this much training, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and breathe out and to raise his nose and breathe in. He repeated this breathing out and breathing in exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit, he got rid of part of the terror which had gripped him. Next, the instructor held Douglas at the side of the pool and made him kick the water with his legs. After weeks of practice, he could command his own legs for swimming in water. Thus piece by piece, the instructor built a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them into an integrated whole in the seventh month of the training.

Question. How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the YMCA pool?
Answer.  Douglas was tossed into the YMCA pool by an older boy. He was frightened out of his wits, but on his way down he planned how to rescue himself. He decided that when his feet would hit the bottom, he would jump upwards and be able to come to the surface, lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool. He tried to do so several times. However, it seemed difficult because his lungs seemed to burst, he was not able to push himself upwards with force. He tried to reach a rope which also he failed to do. He tried to call out for help, but his voice failed him. His legs failed to paddle, he was surrounded by water and he drafted into a state of unconsciousness. Though all his efforts to save himself failed, he was rescued by the folks at YMCA. But the incident aggravated his fear for water.

Question. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water? 
Answer.  Douglas developed an aversion to water first as a child when he went to the beach in California with his father. It so happened that when he was three or four years old, he went to the beach with his father. The waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water and his breath was gone. He was frightened and there was terror in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves. At the YMCA pool, a strong boy threw him in the deep end of the pool. Douglas hit the water in a sitting position and slowly went to the bottom and fainted. Although he was saved later, the terror stayed with him. As a result, he could not sleep or eat for days and did not go near the water for years. He developed a strong aversion for water bodies.

Question. ‘Practice makes a man perfect’. Douglas tried hard to reach to the level of perfection by perseverance. Comment.
Answer.  Practice means constant use of one’s intellectual and aesthetic powers. Perfect means ‘ideal, complete and excellent’. Proper planning and practice promote perfect performance. Practice depends on training and it means repeating an activity. Constant practice also sharpens talent. One has to follow certain qualities to be perfect. These are hard work, strong will power, faith, tolerance, positive approach, self-confidence and dedication. The quality that prepares one for all other qualities is practice. One should not stop practicing and be satisfied until one achieves perfection. Practice is the best way by which one can achieve perfection. Practice makes one feel and understand the same idea or thing again and again. The more one practices, the more errorless one becomes. One doesn’t repeat the errors that were done previously. Practice begins in the cradle and ends in the grave. Right from childhood, man practices various activities like talking, reading, writing, eating, cooking, etc. For learning an art or any activity, one needs constant practice. A child practices speaking first by learning the alphabet, then the words, sentences and finally the speech. A child through repeated practice reaches perfection in speaking. One can’t ride a bicycle or a motor bike or drive a car at the very first instance. One needs to practise till one achieves perfection in the same. The same method applies to other areas too. Be it fine arts, cooking or writing. Determined to overcome his phobia of water, Douglas got trained under an instructor. He conquered this terror with an adamant determination, patience, undeterred single mindedness and relentless efforts. He became fearless and courageous. Practice enables a person to reach the heights of success in all walks of life. Practice develops outstanding qualities in one’s character. Practice not only brings perfection but also helps in building character. Thus, it is practice that makes a man perfect and helps a human being who faces every challenge in life.

Question. Fear is mankind’s greatest handicap. Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your views.
Answer.  People often hesitate from trying something new because of fear. Fear of failing; fear of not being able to complete something; fear of poor outcome; fear of change; fear of making mistakes−this fear of taking risks in life impedes the progress of a lot of people, especially those who have tasted success in the past. Successful people like to win and achieve high standards, so they become deeply interested in only achieving continuous success. They don’t care to put their reputation as a ‘winner’ at stake—so they stay in their comfortable cocoon, missing all kinds of opportunities for an even brighter future. Yet again, childhood fears and phobias, also act as deterrents in our way of progress. Fear of darkness, may prevent a person from enjoying the beauty of the right sky. Fear of heights, the view of the world below, and fear of water like Douglas, will deprive one of enjoying various pleasures that is provided by water sports. Fear of failure prevents us from trying to move towards, success. In short fear of every nature is a handicap. Change needs resilience, and resilience is born of confidence. One’s confidence is highest when things are going well. You’ll cope with any setbacks far better when you’re doing so from a position of strength. If you wait until life has dealt you some bad blows, those necessary changes will need to be made under time, pressure and stress. That’s a bad time to make decisions. The more stressed and frantic you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes— and the less you’ll be able to recover from them. Corporations often make the same error. They get complacent when the product line is selling well and profits are high, only thinking about new ways to please their customers when those customers are already going elsewhere. Achievement is a powerful value for many successful people. Each fresh achievement adds to the drive to achieve in their lives. Failure becomes the supreme nightmare: a lurking horror that they must avoid at any cost. And the simplest way is never to take a risk. It is important to understand that failure is in fact the pillar to success. Be it J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Thomas Alva Edison, Albert Einstein, King Bruce or William Douglas from the chapter ‘Deep Water’, all of them had failed multiple times to achieve success in life. In fact constant failure was what pushed them towards success. A little failure is essential to preserve everyone’s perspective on reality. Fear is the greatest destroyer of human life and happiness. If you’re successful, but constantly afraid of failing, all your success hasn’t bought you what matters the most— peace of mind in the face of life’s constant unpredictability.

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 persists 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.  Bullying or ragging creates many physiological problems for victims. It may or may not lead to physical harm but psychologically it harms the victim. Douglas was also a victim of a similar incident. At the YMCA pool, a bully threw him in the deeper end of the pool. Although he was saved, the terror stayed with him. As a result, he could not sleep or eat for days and did not go near the water for years. He also started avoiding water for a long time. Simple activities like fishing and boating, which he wanted to enjoy, couldn’t be done. To deal with this problem, especially in schools and colleges, committees for monitoring teenagers should be set up. Once the prospective bullies know that they are being watched, they would not dare to do such actions. Equally important is the support of parents and community. Children need to be aware to understand what bullying is and report any incidents