Important Questions for CBSE Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 2 - We're Not Afraid to Die... if We Can All Be Together

A. Very Short Answer Questions - 1 Marks

1. Word-Meaning

i. Honing

ii. Impending

iii. Capsizing

iv. Hurled

v. Sloshed

Answer-

Refining or improving

(i) About to happen

(ii) Overturn or turning over

(iii) Throwing with force

(iv) Moving around water

2. What Was the Narrator’s Dream?

Answer- The narrator's dream was to go on a voyage around the world. He got his inspiration from captain James Cook and wanted to break his record.

3. The Sailing Was Set from Which Place to Which Other?

Answer- The sailing was set from England and it was to end in Australia.

4. Who Were the Voyagers That Set Sail from England to Reach Australia?

Answer- The voyagers belonged to the same family. The family had- the narrator who was a 37-year-old businessman, his wife Mary and their son Jonathan and a daughter Sue.

5. The Lines “we’re Not Afraid to Die” Are Spoken by Who and When?

Answer- These lines were said by the narrator's six-year-old son Jonathan. He said these lines when the narrator had gone to his children to confront them about the situation.

B. Short Answer Questions – 2 Marks

1. What Were the Preparations That Were Made by the Narrator for the Journey?

Answer- The narrator’s dream was to sail around the world. He worked hard for sixteen years on the project and mastered navigation in his spare time. He also built a boat. It was 23-meter long and weighed 30 tons. He named the boat Wave walker.

2. Name the Two Crewmen That Went With the Family on the Voyage? How Did They Contribute to the Project?

Answer- The crewmen were Larry, an American, and Herb, a Swiss. The narrator stopped at Cape Town and picked the crewmen before heading Eastward. They were there to help the family to tackle the world’s roughest sea, the Southern Indian Ocean. They also helped the family by pumping out water. 

3. What Were the Facts and Figures That the Narrator Knew About the Southern Indian Ocean?

Answer- The narrator knew about the possible dangers of the Southern Indian Ocean. His fears came to life when they left Cape Town and faced the heavy storm and strong gales for more than a week.

4. What Information Was Given by Mary About Their Problem During the Voyage? How Did the Narrator Repair the Damaged Deck?

Answer- Mary and the children were in the lower part of the boat. Mary said that the boat was full of water and that they were sinking as the lid on the deck had blown off. The narrator gave charge of the wheel to her. He found tools like a hammer, screws, and canvas. He fixed the canvas across the holes and deflected the water to the sides.

5. What Problem Was Faced by the Narrator Regarding the Pump?

Answer- There was an open hole in the deck. The narrator found the hand pump that was blocked with debris. The electric pump got short-circuited. Two extra hand pumps were thrown overboard due to the storm. He had another electric pump that could be used to pump out water and hence they were saved.

C. Short Answers Questions – 3 Marks

1. When Did the Voyagers' Journey Start? How Did They Fare Along the Route?

Answer- The narrator's family left the English shore in July 1976 for the voyage. The narrator was aware that the voyage was risky. He realized that the Southern Indian Ocean is very dangerous and there were heavy storms there. The winds and waves were stronger. His fears came true as they faced strong storms for many weeks after they left Cape Town. The boat confronted very high sea waves that damaged its deck and the lower part on the 2nd of January. However, they were saved because of their hard work and they finally reached Ile in Amsterdam.

2. What Preparations Were Made by the Narrator to Encounter the Stormy Sea on January 2?

Answer- They faced enormous waves on January 2. As the waves hit the boat, the boat rose to the top of each wave. The winds were becoming stronger and heavier. The narrator and his crew made several preparations. They lashed a heavy mooring rope across the stern, they dropped the storm jib, and they doubled the lash on everything, wore oilskins and life jackets, and also attached themselves with lifelines.

3. When Did the Couple Lose All the Hope of Survival?

Answer- In the afternoon of January 4 the couple lost all the hope of survival. The clouds started to get dense and the sea became rougher. The next evening (January, 5) the couple realized that more and more water was flowing through the broken planks and they felt that their end was not far.

4. On January 6, What News Was Given to the Narrator by His Children?

Answer- At 6 p.m. on January 6, the narrator’s son Joe goes to him and wakes him up hugged him, and said: “he was the best daddy in the world, and the best captain”. His daughter gave him the good news that they had reached Ile Amsterdam. 

5. Why Did the Narrator Think of Amsterdam as the Most Beautiful Island in the World? Why Does He Say Thank You to His Family and the Crewmen?

Answer- Although Amsterdam was only a volcanic rock with very little vegetation, yet it appeared to be the most beautiful island to the narrator and everyone else because they felt secure there from the deadly sea. The narrator thanked them for showing courage and bravery in the tough times and staying calm throughout the journey.

D. Long Answer Questions – 5 Marks

1. What Part Did Jonathan and Sue Play in the Treacherous Voyage?

Answer- The narrator went on a family voyage. Jonathan was the narrator's six-year-old son and Sue was his seven-year-old daughter. Both the children showed immense courage and bravery while fighting the treacherous voyage. His daughter had injuries like the bump on her head and cuts on her arm and yet she did not bother her father. They survived two days without any food to eat and still did not complain. The ship faced dangerous storms, heavy winds, and waves for ten days and it was about to sink but Jonathan calmed his father by telling him that none of them is afraid to die. The courage shown by the family gave the narrator power and motivation to fight the weather.

2. How Was Sue Able to Make Her Father Laugh Even in Unfortunate Situations? What Place Did They Want to Reach?

Answer- As the situation on the ship became difficult and hopeless, the atmosphere on the ship got tense. In this situation, the narrator’s daughter, Sue, made a card for him with their caricatures on it and called them funny people. This little act of hers made the entire family laugh. She also thanked everyone through her card.

The family wanted to reach Ile Amsterdam which is a 65-km wide island with 1,50,000 km of ocean. It was a French scientific base. It was very difficult to reach a small island that looked insignificant in such an enormous ocean.

3. How Would You Describe the Step Taken by the Narrator to Voyage Along the Southern Indian Ocean Despite Knowing Its Dangers?

Answer- The narrator had a dream of voyaging. He also built a boat for sailing. He worked on the project for sixteen years and mastered navigation in his spare time. The boat that he built was 23-meter long and weighed 30 tons and he named it Wavewalker. Their decided route was to sail from England and reach Australia. The narrator was aware that they would have to face the dangerous southern Indian Ocean and he knew that it would be like fighting a battle. It takes immense courage to go on a voyage like that. He and his family were courageous to do so. However, it was also a little stupid because the voyage nearly killed them all, had the boat been not that strong enough. In all, the story showed courage, bravery, standing strong together, teamwork, and not giving up no matter how difficult the situation is.

4. How the Narrator Got Inspired to Take a Risky Voyage.

Answer-The narrator was a businessman by profession but he always had a dream of going around the world in a boat. The narrator was inspired by the achievement of Captain James Cook and wanted to match his record of 200 years ago. Although the narrator knew about the risks involved with going on the voyage and the dangers of the Southern Indian Ocean, he showed courage and took the step and went on the voyage. He showed the spirit of a true adventurer and fighter and never lost the will to voyage through any tough situations that came in his journey.

5. What Do You Learn from the “we’re Not Afraid to Die…if We Can All Be Together”?

Answer- In our life, our efforts become the path to our success. Success here means the recognition of the aims in our life. Success is dependent on some factors which can be controlled by us and some factors which cannot be controlled by us. Our mental and physical capabilities are in our control whereas factors like time, chance, and place cannot be controlled by us. The next quality is Intelligence which helps us in the realization of our aim. Another quality is our mental fitness which gives us an unambiguous and clear vision. Other qualities like focus and steadiness are also important. It helps us have patience which further helps us overcome the hurdles to be faced in our lives. A person must be open to taking help from other individuals and one should always be optimistic in order to achieve one’s goals.

Download Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 2 Important Questions PDF

To provide you with an idea of what the PDF will help you answer the questions contained given below is a brief explanation and summary of the story for Chapter 2 We are not Afraid To Die  Class 11 Important Questions along with the conclusion in simpler words, you can read.

Chapter 2 We are Not Afraid to Die

Summary

The story revolves around a family of 4 with 2 children of merely 6 and 7, namely Jonathan and Suzanne. And their parents have long dreamt of following the footsteps of the great Captain James Cook by duplicating his 200 years ago made around the world voyage. They started their journey in July 1976 after spending 16 years honing seafaring skills in British waters and learning all about the advanced systems of the wooden built boat Wavewalker. The first leg went as planned taking them several months to sail through the west coast of Africa to Cape Town. During the second leg, as they were to cross the world’s roughest seas, the Southern Indian Ocean they were accompanied by an American and Swiss crewman.

The second leg was a rough one with big currents of a wave but they managed to reach safely to the coast by 25th Christmas and spent their holiday merrily in the east of Cape Town. As they started again, after continuous bad weather for days after New Year’s Day on 2nd January the weather only changed for the worse. The Wavewalker was damaged and water seeped in, the children were silently enduring pain. On the 4th and 5th of January even after following several steps to resolve this when the father of 2 went to check in on his children, they said:- “We are not afraid to die if we can all be together.” This fueled their father who after straddling the world for 2 days anchored the boat offshore and reached their destination on 6th January.

This summary of Chapter 2 hornbill class 11 important questions gives you a brief idea about the chapter and for further details, you can download Vedantu’s Important Questions For Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 2 PDF.

Conclusion

The story is a tumultuous journey that turned into an unpredictable and unprepared adventure of a family that went through the toughest of weathers and were in the eye of the storm and could only see the light of the day by getting to the other side, through trying and experimenting all possible ways. This was possible because of the belief they had in each other and the support and morale they derived from one another. The children in the story are the real heroes who went as far as to hide their pain and struggle to protect their parents who were struggling to save them all. It’s an incredible and inspiring story that displays that one can experience beautiful journeys with great determination and courage. This story also teaches us to be prepared for the unknown and never give up.