together"
-Gordon Cook and Alan East
Text:
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Summary:
The story "We're not afraid to die....if we can all be together" by Gordon Cook and Alan East.The story is actually the account of a crew on a ship set for sailing around the world.It revolves around a storm which had caught the crew when they were very far in the sea.
In July,1976,the author along with his wife Mary,son Jonathan and daughter Suzanne set sail from Plymouth,England to go for a journey around the world.The couple had always longed to sail and they had spent a significant amount of time in honing their seafaring skills.They also had their own boat called Wavewalker which was profesionally designed to withstand the rough waters.
The first leg their planned three-year journey passed pleasantly as they sailed down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town.Before heading East,they also had two new crewman named Larry Vigil and Herb Siegler.They were their to tackle one of the world's roughest seas i.e. the southern Indian Ocean.
As they were going into the deep seas,the sea was starting to become more rough and wild.
They were encountering strong gales and gigantic waves.The weather was gradually changing for the worse.
At dawn on 2nd January,the waves seemed like behemoths.The ship was sailing at a moderate pace.Then,the disaster came.Huge waves were hitting the ship which was rolling like a rag doll.They took all the necessary precautions for the impending doom.At around 6 P.M,the wind dropped and the sky grew dark.It was actually a gigantic wave with a frightful breaking crest.This wave threw the narrator into the waves.For a moment,he had accepted his death.
However, somehow he found the wheel,lined up the stern for the next wave and hung on.He didn't dare to investigate.The front hatch opened suddenly and her wife stated that decks in the lower part of the 'Wavewalker' were smashed.Reaching there,he could already see the mess they were in.The entire foundation of their boat was crumbling.However,with makeshift repairs,they still managed to move forward.They were also not getting any replies to their radio messages as well.The experience was horrible for them.Their only hope between all these destruction was an island named Ile Amsterdam,was a French scientific base where they could possibly reinforce their ship.
On 4th of January,after 36 hours of continuous pumping,they had successfully reduced the water level significantly.But the weather again began to deteriorate and by the dawn of January 5,their situation was once again desperate.When the narrator went to see his children,his son asked them if they were going to die.He went on to say that he is afraid to die if he was with his sister and parents.This statement gave him new determination to fight with the sea and make it to the island anyhow.But,eventually he and his wife were distressed and thought that their end was near.
But,the almighty had something different in box for them.The narrator did some nautical calculations.They had to find an island 65-kilometer wide in that huge expanse of sea.Their hope was very small but at that moment his daughter gave him a card expressing her love for her parents.This again made him more strong mentally to fight these rough waters.
After a bit of sailing,at about 2 P.M,he asked Larry to steer 185 degrees to get to the island.He went to get a small nap.He had very little hope about finding the island.His children woke him up and surprised him.They told him that they had successfully found the island.He rushed out and saw the island.For them,it seemed the prettiest island the world.
The story conveys an important message.Life offers us various challenges when we are face-to-face with death-like situations.However,we must not lose our confidence and hope in such situations.If we are optimistic about finding a solution and overcoming the odds,one will always be successful.These lines may seem like a clichè.But,these things are pretty hard to apply in our daily lives.
Difficult Words:
1)Honing:To refine or perfect a certain skill.
2)Seafaring skill:The skill of travelling the seas with all the necessary skills.
3)Wooden-Hulled:A wooden body or frame of the ship which is most of the times immersed in water.
4)Leg:(Here)A part of a journey.
5)Mast:A tall,slim tower usually placed upwards used for support.
6)Storm Jib:A triangular staysail set forward of the mast to use in high wind.
7) Mooring Rope:A rope used to hold a boat in place.
8)Stern:The back or aft-most part of a ship or boat.
9)Life-Raft Drill:A practice of using the life-raft mockingly.
10)Donned:Put on or were.
11)Oilskins:A heavy cotton-cloth waterproofed with oil.
12)Impending:A forthcoming event about to happen, usually in a negative sense.
13)Ominous:Threatningly inauspicious.
14)Torrent:A strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid.
15)Taut:Tensed
16)Scrambled:Make one's way quickly up a steep gradient.
17)Starboard:The side of the ship on which the ship is steered.
18)Sloshed:Move irregularly with a splashing sound.
19)Wrenched:Pulled or twisted suddenly with violence.
20)Dinghies:A small boat usually for safety or recreational purposes.
21)Chartroom:A room in a ship where charts are discussed upon.
22)Mayday:(Here)An international radio distress signal used by ships.
23)Pinpricks:(Here)A very small area of land.
24)Respite:A short period of relief from something unpleasant.
25)Knots:A unit of speed i.e. one nautical mile per hour.
26)Paraffin:A waxy,white or colourless solid.
27)Planks:A timber that is flat and rectangular used for support.
28)Sextant:A navigational instrument used to measure distance.
29)Caricatures:A picture where characteristics are depicted for comical purpose.
30)Tousled:Untidy hair.
31)Bleak piece: Lacking vegetation and exposed to the elements of nature.
32)Blood Clot:A clump of world.
33)Capsizing:To be overturned in water.
About Author:
Gordon Cook(1978) is a Canadian by nationality.He is also a two-time Olympic sailor.Hr sails for the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.
Alan East has extensive experience as a litigator,manager,legal trainer apart from a veteran sailor.He specialises in Criminal Litigation and Prison Law.
NCERT Questions:
A)Understanding the Text.
1)i)In order to protect the ship from rough waether,the captain decided to slow it down.So,he dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope in a loop across the ship.Then,all the crew member fastened everything and went through their life-raft drill.
ii)Larry and Herb, along with the captain started pumping out water from Wavewalker. The captain stretched canvas and secured waterproof hatch covers across the gaping holes. Moreover,they also found that both of their hand pumps were damaged which let the water rise to alarming levels. However,they found another pump which helped them pump out water.
2)On January 4,the voyages felt relieved after 36 hours of perpetual toil and difficulties. They have their meal in almost two days. However, this respite was short lived as black clouds were again building up and their situation was again deteriorating.They under great mental stress.
3)•The first section describes a peaceful journey from Plymouth to 105000 km away in Cape Town. In this leg of the voyage,the narrator is brimming with confidence and is also relaxed. This can be subtitle as "Cheerful Voyage".
•The second section describes the hardships and the troubles they had to face as they entered the Indian Ocean.They faced gigantic waves along with sinking ship.However,with utmost courage,they face these disasters and come out successfully.This part can be sub-titled as "Facing the Torrent".
•The third section is about finding the island which would allow them to reinforce their damaged ship. The captain exuded confidence and strength full stop by the next evening,they had got to the island. At that moment coma the narrator is relaxed and happy. This part can be subtitled as "Searching the Island-Their only hope".
B)Talking about the Text.
1)There is a stark difference between how the adults reacted to the trouble and how the children reacted. The adults were under a lot of mental stress and gradually losing hope with each wave hitting the ship.They took all the necessary precautions in order to deal with the disaster. The crewman i.e. Larry and Herb also tirelessly work in order to ensure their ship doesn't sink. The children suffered all these without a single complain. They kept the adults' spirits high and even reassure them that they were not afraid to die if they are all together.
2)The story clearly countries that optimism can certainly help to endure the direst of situations. The behaviour and attitude of the voyagers illustrates this as they bravely faced the storm.The two crewman-Larry and Herb worked for almost 36 hours regularly to pump water out of the ship.They remained strong during all these.The captain also played a pivotal role in riding out the ship from the storm. He didn't worry about the loss of equipment and used whatever was available.His wife stayed at the wheel for the crucial hours too.
3)Hazardous experiences may bring us face to face with death what the important as many lessons which help us to move ahead in life fast. These challenges are thrown by life at us but we must face the challenges bravely. The challenges prepare us for the difficulties we will be facing in our lives. Life is not easy but at the same time we must react to these dangers with patience and fortitude. Adversity is the true test of character.These adversities bring out the best in us and with self confidence and resourcefulness,we can overcome all these disasters.Others can also get inspired from these people.
4)Man is adventurous by nature.The quest for thrill along with curiosity can take man far away. There is a certain kind of thrill and excitement involved in exploring far of lands or undertaking long voyages. They might fail sometimes but at the end they make fresh attempts with renewed zeal and overcome the odds. Success in adventurous expedition brings you fame and wealth not only materially but also mentally.
C)Thinking about Language.
1)In my native language i.e. 'Odia' has many words which are the English equivalents of the word 'storm'.Some of them are- 'Jhada'(ଝଡ଼),'Batya'(ବାତ୍ୟା) et cetera.
2)The Odia equivalent of the word 'Ship' are called as -'Jahaj'(ଜାହାଜ).
3)The word 'catamaran' is derived from the Tamil language where it means 'tied wood'.It is a type of boat with twin hulls in parallel.
4)Yes,such songs are often heard in coastal villages.These songs call upon sailors to set out and explore the sea and its rich wealth.These songs are full of inspiration and provide moral support to the sad and disappointed boatmen.
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