Question 3 - Chapter 2 - “We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can be Together - Hornbill - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 11

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

We had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit, but Wavewalker wouldn’t hold together long enough for us to reach Australia. I checked our charts and calculated that there were two small islands a few hundred kilometres to the east. One of them, Ile Amsterdam, was a French scientific base. Our only hope was to reach these pinpricks in the vast ocean. But unless the wind and seas abated so we could hoist sail, our chances would be slim indeed. The great wave had put our auxilliary engine out of action.

(We’re not afraid to die together..

If we can all be together)

Question (i)

What was the name of the ship that the narrator and his family were sailing on?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 The name of the ship that the narrator and his family were sailing on was Wavewalker.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to locate the information that is directly given in the extract. We can use skimming and scanning skills to find the relevant part of the text quickly. For example:
•  Skimming is reading quickly to get the main idea or gist of a text.
•   We can skim the extract and see that it is about how the narrator and his family tried to survive after being hit by a huge wave.
•  Scanning is reading quickly to find specific details or facts in a text.
•    We can scan the extract and look for keywords or phrases related to the question, such as "name", "ship", or "sailing".
• We can then use these skills to find the answer in the first sentence of the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words from the text. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example:
• The answer is given in the first sentence of the extract: "We had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit, but **Wavewalker** wouldn’t hold together long enough for us to reach Australia".

Question (ii)

What were the two small islands that the narrator hoped to reach?

• (a) Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul
• (b) Ile Amsterdam and Ile Maurice
• (c) Ile Amsterdam and Ile de la Reunion
• (d) Ile Amsterdam and Ile de France

Answer:

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Answer as written by the student:

(b) Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to recall what the narrator says about the two small islands that he hoped to reach in the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words that he says. For example:
•  He says that "there were two small islands a few hundred kilometres to the east. One of them, Ile Amsterdam, was a French scientific base".
• We then need to compare this statement with the four given options and choose the one that matches it best. We can use a process of elimination to rule out the options that are different from what he says. For example:
•  Option B is different because he does not mention anything about Ile Maurice.
•  Option C is different because he does not mention anything about Ile de la Reunion.
•  Option D is different because he does not mention anything about Ile de France.
• We can then conclude that option A is the correct answer because it is consistent with what he says about the two small islands that he hoped to reach in the extract. We can use bold formatting to indicate our choice. For example:
•  The correct answer is A. Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul.

Question (iii)

Why did the narrator need to hoist sail in order to reach the islands?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The narrator needed to hoist sail in order to reach the islands because his auxilliary engine was out of action.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to locate the information that is directly given in the extract. We can use skimming and scanning skills to find the relevant part of the text quickly. For example:
• Skimming is reading quickly to get the main idea or gist of a text.
•    We can skim the extract and see that it is about how the narrator and his family tried to survive after being hit by a huge wave.
• Scanning is reading quickly to find specific details or facts in a text.
•    We can scan the extract and look for keywords or phrases related to the question, such as "hoist sail", "reach", or "engine". We can then use these skills to find the answer in the last sentence of the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words from the text. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example:
•  The answer is given in the last sentence of the extract: "But unless the wind and seas abated so we could **hoist sail**, our chances would be slim indeed. The great wave had put our **auxilliary engine** out of action".

Question (iv)

How does the extract show that the narrator was in a state of desperation and uncertainty?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 The extract shows that the narrator was in a state of desperation and uncertainty by using words and expressions that convey his emotions and situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to infer how the extract shows that the narrator was in a state of desperation and uncertainty from his actions and words in the extract. We can use clues such as verbs, adverbs, or expressions to help us. For example:
•  The narrator uses words like "only hope", "pinpricks", and "slim" to describe his chances of survival.
•  The narrator uses expressions like "unless the wind and seas abated" and "wouldn’t hold together long enough" to show his dependence on external factors.
•  The narrator uses punctuation marks like question marks and dashes to show his doubt and urgency.
• We can then use these clues to write a complete sentence that explains how
• the extract shows that the narrator was in a state of desperation and uncertainty. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like "and" or "by". We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example:
•  The extract shows that the narrator was in a state of desperation and uncertainty by using words and expressions that convey his emotions and situation.

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