NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English Prose – Deep Water
NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English Chapter 4 Prose – Deep Water, we have covered all the chapter questions. This solution will prove beneficial for students who are preparing for the board and other competitive examinations along with the board exam.All the concepts of programming have been made quite accurate and authentic in this whole solution which will help you to make notes and also increase your interest in financial. Class 12 English Solution Notes is based on the CBSE Class 12 syllabus, which will also prove useful in the board exams and competitive exams.
The English class 12 ncert Text Book solution is designed keeping in mind the need of Hindi learners, with the adjustment of current important subjects, which gives you full notes, which you can get good marks in the upcoming examinations by studying.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1:
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 favor 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 2:
How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water? (Deep 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.”
Question 3:
How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him?
Or
How did the incident at the YMCA pool affect Douglas?
Answer:
Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool left a haunting fear of water in his heart. He started avoiding venturing near water and this fear remained with him for many years. It prevented him from fishing, boating and swimming, besides ruining his social life.
Question 4:
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 5:
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a Swimmer?
Answer:
The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a swimmer. He first made him shed off his initial fear of water by making him cross a pool suspended by a rope attached to a pulley. Then he taught Douglas to breathe while swimming, and finally the leg movements and other strokes.
Question 6:
What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the swimming pool?
Or
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?
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he Was very much scared but he did not lose his mind. He planned that he would make a big jump when his feet would touch the bottom. Thus, he would come to the surface. Unfortunately, the plan failed. Douglas then grew panicky and started suffocating. He felt that he would die, and became unconscious.
Question 7:
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Or
What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming, Douglas swam on Lake Wentworth. Once when the terror returned, he challenged it, and did not let it overcome him. Finally, Douglas swam on the Warm Lake and the fear didn’t return to haunt him ever.
Question 8:
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 9:
When Douglas realized that he was sinking, how did he plan to save him self?
Answer:
When Douglas realized 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 10:
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 11:
What Is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about?
Answer:
William Douglas, speaks about the ‘misadventure’ which happened at the YMCA swimming pool when he was about ten or eleven years old. A big bully threw Douglas into the deep end of the pool when no one was around. As Douglas realized that he was drowning, he made several attempts to save himself, but all in vain. Finally, he felt that he would die and became unconscious. When he gained consciousness, he was lying outside the pool. Apparently, somebody had rescued him.
Question 12:
How did this experience affect him?
Or
What did Douglas learn from his experience of almost drowning?
Answer:
The near drowning experience had a very deep impact on Douglas. It left a haunting fear lurking in his heart. He was extremely scared of water and avoided going near it wheneve
Question 13:
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?
Answer:
The tormenting phobia of water was with him since the incident at the YMCA pool. Douglas as an adult recounted the horrific experience, as it had completely changed his life. He felt that the sensation of dying somehow intensified his zest for life.
The fight against the terror taught him a very important lesson that ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ His final shedding off of his fear proves that nothing is impossible for one with a firm will and determination.
Question 14:
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 15:
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas regretted being deprived of enjoying water-based activities and shorts like canoeing, boating, fishing and swimming. His ardent wish to enjoy such activities and regain his lost confidence while staying in water were the reasons for his determination to get over his fear of water.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1:
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 realized 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 2:
How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him? How did he get over this effect?
Answer:
The experience at the YMCA pool 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.
The experience at the pool left a haunting fear of water in his heart. He started avoiding water whenever he could, which affected his normal activities as well as his social life.
After a few years of suffering like this, Douglas decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. The instructor systematically taught him how to swim, starting from the basics and taking all the required safety measures, which gave Douglas confidence. After six months of training, Douglas swam across a number of lakes independently, thus breaking free from his fear.
Question 3:
Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.
Answer:
After a few years of unsuccessfully trying various methods to overcome his fear of water, Douglas decided to .get an instructor and learn to swim. The instructor systematically taught him how to swim, starting from the basics and taking all the required safety measures, which gave Douglas confidence. After six months of training, Douglas swam the length of the pool up and down for three months.
But he was still not satisfied. So he swam two miles across Lake Went worth in New Hampshire. Then he swam across Warm Lake and back. He shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. He had conquered his fear of water.
Question 4:
The story ‘Deep Water’ has made you realize 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’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 5:
Answer the following question in 120-150 words.
“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: MCA 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
The incident that nearly killed Douglas occurred at the Y 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 6:
Douglas fully realized the truth of Roosevelt’s statement. All we have to fear is fear itself. How did this realization 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 labor win over all our terrors and fears. The will to live brushes aside all our fears.
This realization made him resolve to leam 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 7:
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
Or
‘….there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.’When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality?
Answer:
When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach in California. Douglas hung on to his father, yet the waves knocked him down and swept over him. His father was laughing but there developed a terror in Douglas’ heart at the overpowering force of the waves.
The incident which further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality occurred when Douglas decided to learn swimming when he was ten or eleven years old. He went to the YMCA pool. There a big bully tossed him into the deep end of the pool. He went down to the bottom of the pool and panicked because all his efforts to come back up failed. Finally he was rescued by somebody, but he developed an aversion to water.
Question 8:
How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?
Or
How did the swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?
Answer:
Douglas decided to get an instructor to learn swimming.
The instructor started working with him five days a week, an hour each day. He put a belt around Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt that went through a pulley.
The instructor held the rope and pulled Douglas back and forth, across the pool, making him practice. The instructor taught him to put his face under the water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. Slowly and steadily, Douglas was able to shed his fear of water, which was the greatest obstacle in his desire to swim.
For weeks after this, his instructor made him kick with his legs. Initially his legs were not responding, but with time they relaxed and he was able to command his legs at his will. In this way, piece by piece, his instructor made Douglas a good swimmer.
Question 9:
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered his old terror?
Or
What was Douglas’ fear? How did he overcome that fear?
Or
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
At the age of three or four, Douglas was engulfed by waves from the sea, which started his fear of water. Then, when he was ten or eleven years old, Douglas was tossed into a nine feet deep swimming pool by a bully of a boy. He had a near drowning experience which further increased his fear.
Determined to get rid of his fear, Douglas engaged an instructor under whom he practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor tied Douglas with a rope suspended from a pulley to help him overcome his fear. However, every time when the instructor loosened his grip, Douglas’s fear returned. It took him three months to overcome it.
Next, the instructor taught Douglas to exhale under water and inhale by raising his nose. He was made to kick with his legs at the side of the pool to build up stamina.
Thus, Douglas spent six months with the instructor i.e., from October to April. Thereafter, he practiced on his own by swimming across various lakes, finally overcoming his fear.
Question 10:
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.
Answer:
Although panicky, Douglas had his strategy in place to come popping up like a cork and then paddling to the edge of the pool. Unfortunately, his first attempt failed and terror seized him.
He tried to grab a rope but his hands clutched only at water. He was suffocating and tried to yell, but no sound came out. His legs were paralyzed, his lungs ached and his head throbbed. He was dizzy and trembled with fright. The only signs of life in him were his beating heart and pounding head.
He attempted to come out of water a third time, but in vain. He sucked for air and got only water. Finally, he stopped making efforts and fell unconscious.
All the above details of his gripping, near-drowning experience make us feel that we are experiencing his lurking terror step by step.
Question 11:
Justify the title ‘Deep Water’.
Answer:
This story is appropriately titled ‘Deep Water’. It unfolds with the narrator deciding to learn swimming aft 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. He was tossed by a robust bully into the deeper end of the swimming pool. 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 tough. 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.
Question 12:
Explain the statement— ‘The instructor was finished”.
Answer:
The narrator had engaged an instructor who would teach him to swim. He helped Douglas to get rid of the icy horror of water bodies by attaching a rope to a belt worn by him. Holding the end of the rope in his hand, he made Douglas go back and forth in the pool. Next, with the help of breathing techniques and exercises like kicking with his legs, the instructor managed to build a swimmer of him bit by bit, step by step. The instructor also helped him in building up stamina, thus improving his confidence. The instructor was hired in the month of October. By April, he put all he had taught into an integrated whole. Thus, in a period of about six months, the instructor ‘built a swimmer’ out of Douglas. It was time for the instructor to go away then, because he had finished with his training.
Value Based Questions
Question 1:
Roosevelt said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Do you agree? Why/why not?
Answer:
The quote, “All we have to fear is fear itself “, by the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, is absolutely true. It is only the fear of consequences which prevents us from taking an action, and hampers our progress, not only as an individual, but also as a society.
William. Douglas writes, “In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death.” It is his fear of drowning which makes him develop an aversion to water, and avoid going near water bodies, or indulging in water sports. When he is able to overcome his fear with the help of the instructor, he is able to learn to swim. Likewise, there are numerous incidents around us that show how fear cripples the mind of an individual and society, and acts as an impediment to growth.
Question 2:
Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas’experience in ‘Deep Water’.
Answer:
The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it, he made a strong determination. He decided to overcome his fear through his ‘will.’ He engaged an instructor who perfected him in swimming. The instructor gave him hundreds of exercises and taught him 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.
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