LN:3 Deep Water

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water? (Compartment 2014)
When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach in California. There he
was knocked down by strong waves, was almost buried under water, and got breathless.
Though he hung on to his father, he was quite frightened. Secondly, when Douglas was ten or
eleven, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the YMCA pool. He could not come
to the surface, in spite of all his efforts, and became panicky. These two incidents made Douglas
scared of water.
2. Why did Douglas prefer to go to the YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?
or
Which factors made Douglas decide in favour of the YMCA pool?
Answer. According to Douglas, the YMCA pool was safer compared to the Yakima River. The
river was quite deep and there were several cases of drowning reported about it. As against the
uncertain depth of the river, the pool was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end.
Though its depth was about nine feet at the deeper end, the drop was gradual, and Douglas
could rely on it.
3. 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?
Answer. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he did not lose heart and planned to push
himself up with all his force. He thought that once he came to the surface, he would paddle to
the edge of the pool. Thrice, he tried to come to the surface, but unfortunately, his strategy did
not work and terror gripped him. His lungs were ready to burst; he was breathless and instead
of air, sucked water.
4. How did his swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?
or
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a swimmer. He first made
Douglas shed his initial fear of water by making him cross a pool suspended by a rope attached
to a pulley. The instructor held the other end of the rope and relaxed and tightened it from
time to time. Then he taught the narrator to breathe while swimming, and finally the leg
movements and other strokes.
5. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming, Douglas was still not sure of
himself. He felt tiny vestiges of the fear now and then. So, he went to Lake Wentworth and
swam. Once when terror returned, he challenged it and did not let it overcome him. Finally,
Douglas went to Warm Lake. There he swam and the fear didn’t return to haunt him again.
6. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
After several individual attempts to overcome his fear, Douglas finally engaged an instructor.
The instructor built a swimmer out of him. But Douglas was not sure. To confirm that the terror
would not strike him when he was swimming alone, Douglas decided to go to Lake Wentworth
in New Hampshire. At last, he made his terror fly away by swimming across the Warm Lake.
7. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
The misadventure of having a near-drowning experience left a deep mark on Douglas’ mind.
The phobia of water hampered all his joys of enjoying different water sports like fishing,
canoeing, boating, and swimming. He did not want to live with this handicap and so was
determined to overcome his fear of water.
8. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the
first time?
When the author was going down to the bottom of the pool for the first time, those nine feet
felt almost like ninety feet. His lungs were ready to burst, but somehow he summoned all his
strength and sprang upwards, hoping to reach the surface, but he didn’t pop up to the surface
like a cork, as he had imagined. When he opened his eyes he saw nothing but water, his hands
too grabbed only water.
9. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?
Douglas was not satisfied with his practice so he decided to go to Lake Wentworth. There when
he was swimming in the middle of the lake, only once did the terror return, but he finally
overcame it, and it made him feel better.

10. When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?
When a big boy threw Douglas into the water, he went straight down. He was completely
frightened. Still, he did not lose his wits and thought of a strategy to make a big jump when his
feet touched the bottom so that he could reach the surface. He even thought that he would lie
flat on the surface and finally paddle to the edge of the pool.

11. 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. When Douglas found himself deep down into the water with a yellow glow, stark
terror gripped him. The terror ripped him apart and he had no control over it. He felt paralysed,
stiff, and rigid with fear. Even the screams in his throat were frozen. It was only his throbbing
heart that made him realise that he was still alive.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. “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?
The incident which nearly killed Douglas occurred 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 of water. One.
morning, when he was alone at the pool, waiting for others, a big bully of a boy tossed him into
the deep end of the pool. Though he had planned a strategy to save himself as he went down,
his plan did not work. He went down to the bottom and became panicky. Thrice he struggled
hard to come to the surface but failed each time. He was almost drowned in the pool. He lost
his consciousness and felt that he would die. Though he was ultimately saved, this
misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.

2. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to fear is fear
itself.” How did this realisation help him brush aside his fear and become an expert
swimmer?
Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that the fear of death can
cause. Strong will, hard determination, courage, and toil as well as honest labour won over all
his terrors and fears. The will to live brushed aside all his fears.
In reality, all our fears are only psychological and can be easily won over, if we can control our
minds. This realisation makes Douglas resolve to learn swimming by engaging an instructor. This
instructor, piece by piece, built Douglas into a swimmer. However, his first step was to drive
away Douglas’ fear of water, before training him in swimming techniques. When Douglas tried
and swam the length of the pool up and down, small traces of his old terror of water would
return. So, he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island, and swam two miles across the
lake to Stamp Act Island. Finally, he was certain that he had conquered his fear of water.
3. 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 would perfect him in swimming. The instructor first helped him drive away his
fear and then gave him many exercises besides teaching him to exhale and inhale water.
The practice went on for months together, during which his fear came back to haunt him, but
his desire and firm will made him persist in his- efforts. It was only through sheer determination
and diligence that Douglas could not only counter his terror but also become an expert
swimmer.
He swam across and back lakes to ensure that his fear of water did not return. He had now
completely lost his fear. His desire, determination, and diligence succeeded in banishing his fear
of water.
4. 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?
Douglas developed an aversion to water in his early childhood When he was three or four
years old, his father took him to a beach in California. The waves knocked him down and
swept over him. He was buried in water. He was frightened but his father was laughing.
Perhaps this was the moment his fear of water took root inside his mind.
Further, when Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim and went to
the YMCA pool. Here an incident took place that finally established his aversion to water as a
big fear. One day when Douglas was alone at the pool sitting on the edge and waiting for others
to come, a big boy of 18 years of age threw him into the deep end of the pool.
What followed was a nightmarish experience for him. Douglas tried very, hard and applied all
his knowledge to come to the surface of the water but to no avail. Somehow, he was saved.
Thus after this fearful incident, his fear of water got implanted in his heart and mind
permanently.

5. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?

To overcome his fear of water, Douglas finally decided to get an instructor to learn
to swim. The instructor started working with him five days a week, an hour each day. The
instructor put a belt around Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt that went through a
pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope and, along
with Douglas went back and forth, across the pool, hour after hour, day after day,
week after week. On each trip across the pool, a bit of panic seized Douglas. It took almost
three months before the tension reduced.
Then the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and exhale and to raise his nose
and inhale. For weeks, his instructor made him kick with his legs. Until he was able to command
his legs at his will.
In this way, piece by piece, his instructor made Douglas a swimmer. When Douglas perfected
each piece, his instructor put them together into an integrated one. As a result, in nearly six
months Douglas was able to swim, dive, crawl, and so on.

Poem:3 A Thing of Beauty

Extract Based Questions
1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
(c) What image does the poet use in these lines?
(d) What is the effect of this ‘immortal drink’ on us?
or
(a) Who are the ‘mighty dead’? How do we know about them?
(b) What images does the poet use to convey that beauty is everlasting?
(c) What is the effect of the immortal drink?
(d) Write the words from the extract which mean
(i) stories
(ii) magnificence
Answer.(a) The poem is ‘A thing of beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
(b) The thing of beauty mentioned in these lines is the group of stories celebrating the glory of
our powerful ancestors, which we have read or heard.
(c) The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’ coming down to us from heaven. According
to him, nature and other beautiful things around us are like a gift from God, which give us
infinite delight and Joy.
(d) The immortal drink gives us immense joy, a joy that is everlasting, one that will never come
to an end.
or
(a) Our ancestors, who were great in their own ways and the dead emperors have been
referred to as the mighty dead. We come to know about them by reading or hearing valorous
tales, which speak of their innumerable sacrifices. They are a source of motivation for all who
go through them.
(b) ‘Endless Fountain’ of joy is the image that has been used to convey that beauty is
everlasting. Things of beauty are an eternal source of motivation, a precious gift from heaven
that gives us infinite pleasure and delight.
(c) The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours on us gives us immense joy and
pleasure.
(d) (i) tales (ii) grandeur
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) Why are we despondent?
(c) What removes “the pall from our dark spirits”?
(d) Explain, “the inhuman dearth of noble natures.” ’
or
(a) What are we doing every day?
(b) Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?
(c) What are the circumstances that contribute to making humans unhappy and disillusioned
with life?
(d) What removes the pall from our dark spirits?
Answer. (a) The poem is ’A thing of beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
(b) Human life is full of trials and tribulations. We add to our troubles and make our lives more
difficult by following evil ways. We hurt others as well as ourselves. This makes us despondent.
(c) The various objects of beauty around us remove the pall from our dark spirits. Beautiful
things have the power to make us happy.
(d) The poet here means that the world lacks men of noble nature or qualities. There are few
people who are noble in character; most people are self-centered and pursue evil ways.
or
(a) The memory of beautiful things remains in our minds and strengthens our bond with the
Earth. Every day, these bonds get strengthened by the flowery bands that we prepare.
(b) Humans suffer from hopelessness and sadness. Our poor style of living makes us grim.
(C) Hopelessness, sadness, and lack of noble ways are a part of human life. We harm ourselves
by following unhealthy and wicked paths. These circumstances contribute to making humans
unhappy and disillusioned with life.
(d) Anything beautiful in our surroundings or even the memories of our beautiful experiences
removes the pall from our dark spirits.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits,”
(a) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
(b) Explain; “Some shape of beauty.”
(c) Identify the figure of speech in the above lines.
(d) Why are our spirits referred to as ‘dark’?
Answer. (a) Whenever we look at a beautiful object, we are filled with comfort and joy. When
we are burdened with grief, a thing of beauty comes as a ray of hope and makes us forget our
sorrow and suffering at least for some time.
(b) Beauty is an abstract idea and has no specific shape. The poet here means beauty in some
form or some beautiful object which pleases us.
(c) The above lines present an example of a metaphor. Our souls are steeped in sadness and
disappointment which are compared to a pall or shroud covering the dead.
(d) Our spirits are dejected due to extreme sadness and disappointment which may be the
result of our own evil actions. So, the poet refers to them as dark, because of the hopelessness
we feel.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the Earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching
(a) What are the flowery bands that bind us to the Earth?
(b) What message do the above lines convey?
(c) Why is there an “inhuman dearth of noble natures”?
(d) What do you understand by “unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways”?
Answer. (a) Here beautiful and pleasant things have been referred to as flowery bands. It is
only those things which have beauty of some or the other kind that bind us to this Earth, or in a
way, keep us going. The memory of our beautiful experiences helps us strengthen our bond
with the Earth.
(b) The message that these lines convey is that the world is full of sorrow, sadness, and
depression. People have become selfish,-and there is a scarcity of noble people.
Despite this, life is possible because there are some beautiful things around, which help us to
look towards the positive side of life. It is the beauty of these things which brings a smile to our
faces and gives us happiness in our lives.
(c) Today, there are few people who can rise above petty differences and be generous towards
others. These days people are mostly selfish and do not think about others.
(d) The unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways refer to the trials and tribulations in our life, and the
dishonest and unfair means people adopt to achieve their goals.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams and health and quiet breathing
(a) How does a thing of beauty remain a joy forever?
(b) Mention any two sources of joy which a thing, of beauty provides to us.
(c) Explain, “Never pass into nothingness.”
(d) What is meant by‘bower’?
Answer. (a) A thing of beauty provides eternal and everlasting joy to us. Whenever we are in a
pensive mood we can relive the joyful experience and happiness it gave us.
(b) A thing of beauty gives us a quiet bower to rest peacefully, and a blissful sleep full of
pleasant dreams.
(c) The joy that a thing of beauty gives us is eternal. It never loses its importance, but it only
increases with time.
(d) A ‘bower’ refers to a peaceful, quiet place under the shade of trees.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. How do beautiful things help us to live a happy life?
We derive comfort and happiness when we look at objects of beauty, and the lasting
impression they leave on our minds is a source of permanent joy. Beautiful things bind us to the
Earth and help us strengthen our relationship with nature. They provide us relief from our
everyday trials and tribulations and help us live a happy life.
2. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does he
call its drink immortal?
Keats considers nature’s beauty as an endless fountain of immortal drink. He calls this drink
immortal as the pleasure and delight given by it never passes into nothingness. It only increases
with time.
3. According to Keats, what spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How
is it removed?
or
What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it removed?
John Keats says that pain and suffering are a part of life. These bring us sadness and
despondence. But still, we can find hope. Hope and motivation come from nature and remove
the pall of despondence from our spirits. The beautiful sights give us the inspiration to continue
the journey of life.
4. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?
A thing of beauty provides shelter and comfort in many ways. It is like a bower, a place under
the shade of a tree where we can rest. It gives us a sleep filled with sweet dreams. The streams
and forests provide a cooling covert for us in the hot weather.
5. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
A thing of beauty is a joy forever because it is a permanent source of joy and inspiration and
leaves a lasting impression on us. The pleasure and happiness given by it never fade away but
keep on increasing.
6. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and suffering?
Human beings suffer from hopelessness and sadness. Our style of living often makes us
hopeless and grim. We at times also, suffer due to the self-centered and wicked nature of
others. In spite of all our troubles and sufferings, we are able to derive pleasure from our
surroundings. The beautiful objects from nature help us shed our gloom, give us a glimmer of
hope, and make us love life amidst all troubles.
7. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the mighty dead?
The mighty dead are those who have laid down their lives for a great or noble cause. Their
death is replete with intellectual and spiritual beauty. Birth, growth, and decay, all are
inseparable. Each has its own. beauty. Their death is grand or beautiful because it makes them
immortal through the grand tombs and memorials erected in their honour.
8. What is the message of the poem, ‘A thing of beauty’?
The message of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ is that beautiful things are a source of constant
joy and inspiration. They give us eternal pleasure and leave an indelible image on our minds
and, therefore, every beautiful thing and aspect is worth being treasured.
9. What is the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?
Here beauty has been referred to as an ‘endless fountain’, which is an eternal source of
motivation, an elixir of life, and a precious gift from heaven. It gives us infinite pleasure and
delight and motivates us to continue our journey of life.
10. What images does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the Earth?
Answer. The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’, which showers bounties on Earth. He
calls this an ‘immortal drink’ from heaven. The sun, the moon, the trees, the daffodils, the lush
green forests and streams, all reflect the beautiful bounties which God has given us.

SR:3 Journey to the end of the Earth

Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

1. How do geological phenomena help us to 1 know about the history of mankind?
It is geological phenomena that help us to know about the history of mankind. Geologists say
about 650 million years ago a giant ‘amalgamated’ supercontinent, Gondwana existed in the
South. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana had a
warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna. This supercontinent survived for 500 years
till the age of mammals got underway.
2. What kind of indications do we get while visiting Antarctica to save Earth?
Tishani Doshi’s entire experience of visiting Antarctica was nothing short of a revelation. It
made her wonder about the “beauty of balance in play on our planet”. She hopes the new
generation will understand their planet better and save it from annihilation. The planet’s
ecosystem and its balance which took millions of years to form can be soon destroyed.
Scientists warn that a further depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of the
phytoplankton. The lives of the marine animals and birds of the region will be affected. But the
school students’ visit to Antarctica may make human beings handle their planet in a better way.
3. How can a visit to Antarctica be an enlightening experience?
By visiting Antarctica we can understand the Earth’s past, present, and future. A visit there can
teach the next generation to understand and value our planet. Antarctica also holds within its
ice cores half-million-years old carbon records which will help us to study climatic changes by
global warming.
4. Why is a visit to Antarctica important to realise the effect of global warming?
Antarctica is the perfect place to study the effects that global warming is causing. It is here that
one can see the effect of melting glaciers and collapsing ice shelves and how this is likely to
raise the water levels in the sea and the ocean, as a result of which many low-lying regions will
be submerged under water.
5. How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change?
Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is the only place in
the world that has never sustained a human population and thus remains relatively pristine.
Moreover, it holds in its ice caves half-million- year old carbon records trapped in its layers of
ice. The world’s climate is changing fast and is at present one of the most hotly debated issues.
Antarctica is the ideal place to study the effect of these environmental changes as it has a very
simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it will
have disastrous consequences elsewhere.
6. What was the objective of the ‘Students on Ice Programme’?
The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ program was to take High School students to the limits of
the world and provide them not only with inspiring opportunities in education but also enable
them to understand and respect our planet. The idea was to provide them with a life-changing
experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. According
to Geoff Green, High School students are the future policymakers and through this program,
they would save this planet from ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming.
7. Why is Antarctica and its understanding important for the survival of the world?
Antarctica and its understanding is important for the survival of the world because it helps us to
know that the southern supercontinent of Gondwana existed and centered around present-day
Antarctica. Human beings had not come on the global scene but a huge variety of flora and
fauna was present in the supercontinent. It was after 500 million years that the landmass was
forced to separate into countries that exist today. Antarctica’s ice cores hold over half-million-
year-old carbon records which are crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present, and future.
8. What are the indications for the future of humankind?
A fast and steady rise in human population in proportion to the limited natural resources is
exerting pressure on land. Forests are being cut and fossil fuels are being burnt and these
factors are increasing the global temperature. The melting of glaciers, depletion of the ozone
layer, and global warming are endangering man’s existence on Earth. This is bound to adversely
affect marine life, birds, and mankind.
9. How did Antarctica amaze the writer when he first saw it?
When the writer first saw Antarctica he was amazed by its vastness and immense white
landscape. It was an endless blue horizon and the fact that it was isolated from the rest of the
world created an added sense of wonder and mystery about the continent.
10. Why was Tishani Doshi filled with relief and wonder when he set foot on the Antarctic
continent?
Tishani Doshi’s first emotion when he set foot on the Antarctic continent was one of relief. He
felt relieved to have set foot there after over a hundred hours. Its vastness and immense wild
landscape dazzled his eyes. Its endless blue horizon and its isolation from the rest of the world
created a sense of wonder and mystery for him.
11. Why is Antarctica the place to go to if we want to study the earth’s past, present, and
future?
The Antarctica landmass, which was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called
Gondwana dates back to 650 million years. It can help us understand better the formation of
continents and mountains like the Himalayas as they are in the modem world. Its ice cores hold
over half-million-year-old carbon records that are vital to study the Earth’s past, present, and
future.
12. What were the writer’s feelings on reaching Antarctica?
The writer’s first emotion on reaching Antarctica was that of relief. He felt relieved to have set
foot on the Antarctic continent after over 100 hours. Then he experienced a sense of
amazement on seeing its vastness and immense white landscape which dazzled his eyes.
13. What sort of brightness and silence prevailed in Antarctica dining the summer?
The brightness that prevailed in Antarctica was surreal (strange) as the Austral summer light
remained for 24 hours on the continent. The silence there was ubiquitous (widespread)
interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet.
14. What do you think is the reason behind the success of the programme, ‘Students on Ice’?
The programme ‘Students on Ice’ was a success because it offered a life-changing exposure to
the future generation of policymakers at an age when they could absorb, learn and act. It
provided them with inspiring educational opportunities which would help them foster a new
understanding and respect for our planet.
15. Why does the author of Journey to the End of the Earth state that in 12000 years man has
managed to create a ruckus on this earth?
Humans have been on this Earth for about 12,000 years and have created havoc and ruckus on
this Earth. They have done this by encroaching on nature and establishing cities and megacities.
Their increasing population has depleted natural resources and their callousness towards
nature has led to a rise in global temperature.
16. How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi?
Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two weeks in a place
where 90 percent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect, not just for
circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination.
Answer the following question in about 125-150 words.
17. How the programme, ‘Students on Ice’ was an attempt to equip the future generation
with knowledge to save Earth?
The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take High School students to the limits
of the world and provide them with inspiring opportunities in education to enable them to
understand and respect our planet. According to Geoff Green, High School students are the
future policy-makers and through this programme they would be able to save this planet from
the ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming. Antarctica, with its simple
ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the
environment can have major repercussions. The school students’ impressionable minds can
study and examine the Earth’s past, present, and future through their voyage to Antarctica.
18. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. How is the study of this region
useful to us?
The Antarctic landmass dates back to 650 million years. It was an amalgamated southern
supercontinent called Gondwana. This landmass centered around present-day Antarctica.
Human beings did not exist as their civilization is only 12,000 years old. The climate at that time
was warm and landmass flourished with a vast variety of flora and fauna. The study of this
region shows that Gondwana prospered for 500 million years. But then the dinosaurs got wiped
out and mammals began to appear. The landmass disintegrated into countries and India, the
Himalayas, and South America was formed. This left Antarctica frigid at the bottom of the earth.
Today, it stores the key to the significance of cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields,
ozone, and carbon layers as well as a study of the evolution and extinction. This can help us to
understand in better way the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as we
find them in the modem world. Its ice folds hold over half-million-year-old carbon records that
are so crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present, and future, thus trapping the world’s
geological history in Antarctica.
19. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem?
The microscopic phytoplankton are tiny forms of plant life in the sea. They nourish and sustain
the entire southern ocean’s food chain. They are single-celled plants and use the energy of the
sun to assimilate carbon supply oxygen and synthesize compounds. Depletion of the ozone
layer that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun adversely affects the activities of the
phytoplankton. Any further depletion in the ozone layer will hamper their activity which, in
turn, is bound to affect the growth of marine animals and birds and even the global carbon
cycle. Thus to save the big organisms the small organisms need to be cared for because even
minor changes have huge repercussions.
20. The author calls her two-week stay in Antarctica, ‘a chilling prospect’. How far do you
think is she justified? What other features of the Antarctic environment are highlighted?
Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two weeks in a place
where 90 percent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect—both in
terms of circulatory and metabolic functions and for the imagination. She has been transported
from the scorching sun to the ice floes and glaciers where ninety percent of the earth’s surface
is ice mass. Her two-week Antarctic encounter left an epiphanic effect on her and she carried
back indelible memories of the continent. For her, it was like walking into a giant ping-pong
ball, devoid of any human markers like trees, billboards, and buildings. She says one loses all
earthly sense of perspective and time here. As the day passes in surreal 24-hour austral
summer light, a silence prevails which is interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or caving
ice sheet.

She learned that Antarctica has a very simple ecosystem that lacks variety. But if this system is
interfered with and environmental changes are effected indiscriminately, it can lead to the
depletion of the ozone layer, which protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Since the
planet is unravaged by humans, it remains unblemished. Its ice cores hold more than
half¬million-year-old carbon records that are imperative for the detailed study of our planet.
21. Why does Tishani Doshi call her trip to Antarctica a “Journey to the End of the Earth”?
What experience did she have during this expedition?
Tishani Doshi calls her trip to Antarctica a ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ because she crosses
nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies, and many ecospheres to reach there. The
entire journey takes one hundred hours. She is wonder-struck by the immensity and isolation of
the region. She is also relieved to see its expansive wide landscape and uninterrupted blue
horizon. Antarctica provides young students like her with a platform to study changes in the
environment. The programme is also likely to help them develop a new respect and
understanding of our planet. Antarctica is also the perfect place for them to study how little
climatic changes can have big repercussions and how global warming and further depletion of
the ozone layer can affect the Antarctic region. The study of Antarctica will help them to
understand the Earth’s past, present, and future.
22. In what ways is the research on Antarctica helpful in the study and understanding of the
Earth’s past and future, according to the author of ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’?
A visit to Antarctica will help us to understand where we have come from and where we could
possibly be heading. It will also suggest a lot of future possibilities, probably even a million
years later. By visiting Antarctica we get an opportunity to study the future climatic changes
easily and more effectively. We also come to know about the repercussions of the various
environmental changes. It also gives us the realization of the appearance of the ‘future world’.
The ice cores of Antarctica hold more than a half-million-year-old carbon records which are very
crucial for the study of the past, present, and future of our planet. All this will also help us to
understand our planet better and also give us ideas to save our planet.