Deep Water

NCERT Solutions for 12th Class English subject. In this article, we have provided solutions for all the questions of the 12th Class  NCERT Flamingo Textbook – Chapter 3 Deep Water.NCERT Solutions for 12th Class  Science English lesson 3 Deep Water are provided here with simple step-by-step explanations. These solutions for chapter 3 are extremely popular among 12th Class Science candidates for English Deep Water Solutions come handy for fast completing your homework and preparing for tests. All questions and answers from the NCERT Book of  12th Class  Science English lesson 3 are provided here for you for free.

Questions and Answers 

Q.1 Notice these words and expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
Ans.

• treacherous – unpredictable danger not dependable or trustworthy.
• flailed at the surface – to strike or lash out vigorously at the surface of the water in trying to come out.
• forth and back across the pool – to swim across the swimming pool from one side to the other.
• subdued my pride – to lower or restrain the intensity of confidence and self-respect.
• misadventure – an incident that turns out to be a disaster.
• bob to the surface a cork – to float or show the characteristics of buoyancy as a cork in water.
• the curtain of life fell – to indicate that life has ended or a near-death experience.
• fishing for landlocked salmon – to go fishing for a specific variety of salmon present in certain lakes.

Q.2 In Deep Water How did this experience affect him?
Ans. This experience revived his aversion to water. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He couldn’t eat that night. For many days, there was a haunting fear in his heart. The slightest exertion upset him, making him wobbly in the sick and knees to his stomach. He never went back to the pool. He feared avoided and knees it whenever he could.

Q.3 Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Ans. His fear of water ruined his fishing trips. It deprived him of the joy of boating, canoeing,  and swimming. Douglas used every way he knew to overcome this fear he had developed ’since childhood. Even as an adult, it held him firmly in its grip. He determined to get a learn and instructor swimming to get over this fear of water.

Q.4 what Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
Ans. Douglas was frightened when he was thrown into the pool. However, he was not frightened out of his wits. While sinking down he made a plan. He would make a big jump when his feet hit the bottom. He would come to the surface like a cork, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool

Q.5 How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Ans. The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece. For 3 months he held him high on a rope attached to his belt. He went back and forth across the pool. Panic seized the author every time. The instructor taught Douglas to put his face underwater or exhale and to raise he inhale and nose. Then Douglas had to kick with his legs for many weeks till these relaxed. After 7 months the instructor told him to swim the length of the pool.

Q.6 How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Ans. Douglas still felt terror-stricken when he was alone in the pool. The remnants of the old terror would return, but he would rebuke it and go for another length of the pool. He was still not satisfied. So, he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam 2 miles across the lake. He had his residual doubts. So, he went to Meade Glacier, dived into Warm Lake, and swam across to the other back and shore. Thus, he made sure that he had conquered the old terror.

Q.7  How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans. When Douglas grew up, he took the help of an instructor to learn swimming. His training went on from October to April. For 3 months he was taken across the pool with the help of a rope. As he went under, terror-filled him, and his legs froze. The instructor taught him to exhale underwater and inhale through a raised nose. He made him kick his legs to make them relax. Then he asked him to swim. He continued swimming from April to July. Still, all terror had not left. He swam two miles across Lake Wentworth and the whole length to the shore and back of Warm Lake. Then he overcame his fear of water.

Q.8 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.
Ans. Douglas gives a detailed account of his feelings and efforts to save himself from getting drowned. He uses literary devices to make the description graphic and vivid. For example,‘Those 9 feet were more like ninety’, ‘My lungs were ready to burst.’ ‘I came up slowly, I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water….. I grew panicky 1 ‘I was suffocating. I tried to yell, but no sound came out.

Q.9 What is the “Misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?
Ans. William Douglas speaks about the misadventure that he faced as a child. He was almost drowned when he was trying to learn swimming by aping other boys.

Q.10  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?
Ans. When young Douglas was thrown into the deep end of the pool, he landed in a sitting position. Those nine feet of the deep end water were more than ninety feet to young Douglas. Though he was frightened yet he did not lose his wits. On the way, he made plans to come up to the surface. He decides that when his feet touched the bottom H would make a big jump and bob to the surface like a cork.

Q.11 Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Ans. William Douglas had got a terror of the overpowering force of the waves. Another fear when he was almost drowned in the YMCA Pool haunted him whenever he went there. It ruined his love for the water. Douglas recounted his childhood experience of terror. He also recounted how he overcame it. It had a deep meaning for him. Only those who had known stark terror (of any origin) and conquered it can appreciate it. The former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew as he said. “All we have to fear is fear itself.”Therefore, fear must always be conquered by serious and sincere efforts as Douglas did. He learned from this misadventure. He learned not to accept defeat. He went on fighting unless or until the success was achieved.

Q.12 If someone else had narrated Douglas’s 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 third person or observer, to find out which style of narration would you consider to be more effective?
Ans. If someone else had narrated the experience of the author the paragraph taken from the text is enough to show that very style for example: Next, the Instructor held him at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs. For weeks he did just that. At first, his legs fused to work. But they gradually relaxed and finally, he could command them. This paragraph from the text is narrated in the third person. The experience of the author is explained by someone else. This style of narration is not considered more effective because relating one’s own experience comes out of the depth of mind.

Q.13 How did Douglas had an aversion to water?
Ans.  When Douglas was three or four years of age he had gone to California beach. He was knocked down and swept over by the waves. Thereafter he feared water.

Q.14 Describe the big bruiser who plunged Douglas into the pool? Why do you think he threw Douglas into the pool?
Ans. A big bruiser tossed little Douglas into the pool. This eighteen year-old-boy, with a hairy chest and strong muscles was probably very proud of his impressive physique. Making fun of Douglas underdeveloped muscles he threw him into the pool.

Q.15 What makes Douglas feel underwater that he is still alive?
Ans. Only his heart is pounding and his head makes him realize that he is still alive.

Q.16 To what extent does the haunting fear of water affect Douglas?
Ans. Wherever he goes, this haunting fear of water follows him. It ruins his fishing trips and other joys of waters.

Q.17 What does Douglas mean to say. “Piece by piece, he built a swimmer?
Ans. The instructor made him practice swimming five days a week and an hour day. He taught Douglas to exhale by pulling face underwater and to inhale raising the nose to shed panic. Finally, he kicked him with his legs to command them.

Q.18 What does Douglas do to make sure all the terror of water has left him?
Ans. He swims in Lake Wentworth and dives off from a height into Triggs island water. He swims two miles across the lake to another Island. He swims the crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, and backstroke.

Q.19 How did Douglas overcome his fear of Deep Water?
Ans. Douglas got his training from the instructor. After getting his training he still had some old fears. He feared that his terror would come back to him when he would be alone in the water. But he tried himself once again. He dived into the pool and swam the length up and down. Slight memories of the old terror came at once. But he drove all fear out of his mind. It continued for four months but he was still not satisfied. He was not sure that he could swim across the Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. But he swam two miles across the lake. The next morning he dived into other shore and back. He shouted with happiness. He had won his fear of water.

Q.20 How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans. Douglas had a childhood fear of water. At Y.M.C.A pool he decided to learn swimming. He met with an accident at Y.M.C.A pool. He never went back there. Later on, he decided to overcome his fear of water. As a result, he was able to swim in New Hampshire. All these factors led Douglas to decide in favor of Y.M.C.A pool.