We’re Not Afraid to Die... if We Can All Be Together 

 

Understanding the text

1. List the steps taken by the captain

(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.

(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.

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2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.

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3. Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in

the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each section.

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Talking about the text

Discuss the following questions with your partner.

1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults

and the children when faced with danger?

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2. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the

direst stress”?

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3. What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when

we are face-to-face with death?

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4. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions

in spite of the risks involved?

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Thinking about language

1. We have come across words like ‘gale’ and ‘storm’ in the account.

Here are two more words for ‘storm’: typhoon, cyclone. How many

words does your language have for ‘storm’?

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2. Here are the terms for different kinds of vessels: yacht, boat, canoe,

ship, steamer, schooner. Think of similar terms in your language.

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3. ‘Catamaran’ is a kind of a boat. Do you know which Indian

language this word is derived from? Check the dictionary.

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4. Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions

do these songs usually express?

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Working with words

1. The following words used in the text as ship terminology are

also commonly used in another sense. In what contexts would

you use the other meaning?

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knot                 stern                  boom                     hatch                    anchor

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2. The following three compound words end in -ship. What does

each of them mean?

airship                               flagship                               lightshi 

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3. The following are the meanings listed in the dictionary against

the phrase ‘take on’. In which meaning is it used in the third

paragraph of the account:

take on sth:                to begin to have a particular qualit or appearance; to assume sth

take sb on:                                                                            to employ sb; to engage sb

                                          to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game,

                                            contest or conflict

take sb/sth on:                                                   to decide to do sth; to allow sth/sb to enter

e.g. a bus, plane or ship; to take sth/sb

on board

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Things to do

1. Given on the next page is a picture of a yacht. Label the parts of

the yacht using the terms given in the box.


 bow                          cabin                          rudder                          cockpit

stern                          boom                          mainsail                          mast




                              
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2. Here is some information downloaded from the Internet on Ile

Amsterdam. You can view images of the isle if you go online.



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3. Locate Ile Amsterdam on the world map.

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