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Class 11 English Chapter 8 Silk Road
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Silk Road
Chapter: 8
HORNBILL
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Ⅰ. Give reasons for the following statements.
1. The article has been titled ‘Silk Road.’
Ans: This article’s name is based on the historic silk road or route, the network which connected the Afro Eurasian landmass. Many trades were established by it – Chinese silk, spices, teas and porcelain; the Roman Empire’s gold, silver, fine glassware, carpets, jewels and wine; Indian textiles, pepper and precious stones. The road largely traded silk with China and was therefore named Silk road. In the chapter, the author was exploring the Himalayan belt in Tibet and travelled to Mount Kailash. The chapter is named Silk Road as the author explored this region.
2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
Ans: Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. These dogs were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times from Tibet to China.
3. The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.
Ans: Hor was a bleak and desolate place with minimal vegetation, scattered dust, and rocks. Despite being located on the shore of Lake Mansarovar, it appeared unfortunate and uninviting. The author was surprised by the stark contrast between his own experience and the descriptions he had read earlier. In 1900, the Japanese monk Ekai Kawaguchi was so moved by the sacredness of the lake that he was brought to tears. Similarly, the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin felt a deep spiritual connection to its hallowed waters. However, upon reaching Hor, the author was preoccupied with getting two punctured tires repaired. He only found some relief when he was served tea at the town’s sole café by a young Chinese worker. The café, made of poorly painted concrete, had three broken windows. Yet, one of them offered a clear view of the lake, providing a small consolation.
4. The author was disappointed with Darchen.
Ans: The author was disappointed with Darchen because he was having health problems due to high altitudes. He got a bad cold and was unable to sleep at night. There were no pilgrims coming to the place as the author was one of the firsts to arrive. The place was worn down and it was dusty. There were heaps of rubble and refuse.
5. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Ans: The author was not happy with Darchen. He was in bad health after reaching there. The author also felt lonely without any pilgrims around. Just then, he met a Tibetan, Norbu, who also wanted to visit Kailash. They both made a good team as they both were academicians and had escaped the library. The author began to think positively and he felt new hope and enthusiasm.
II. Briefly comment on:
1. The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash.
Ans: Nick Middleton is a Professor at Oxford and an adventurer as well. He reaches Mount Kailash by following the most difficult terrain via the Silk Road. He visited the sacred place to complete the Kora. Which was a sacred religious ritual according to Hindu and Buddhist tradition. The author, an Englishman, went there to have a first hand experience.
2. The author’s physical condition in Darchen.
Ans: The author was not physically well when he reached Darchen. His sinuses were blocked due to the cold wind at Hor and he was not able to sleep well at night. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College and the doctor there gave him some medicine that gave him some relief.
3. The author’s meeting with Norbu.
Ans: The author felt quite lonely after Tsetan left for Lhasa. Since he had arrived in Darchen earlier than the pilgrimage season, there were no other pilgrims around. During this time, he met Norbu, a Tibetan academician who was also there to visit Kailash. They decided to undertake the journey together.
4. Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Ans: Tsetan played a crucial role in supporting the author during the journey. He took a shortcut to Mount Kailash and assured that snow wouldn’t be a problem. He skillfully navigated sharp turns and bumpy roads. When they encountered snow, he threw dirt over it and drove carefully. He also warned about fuel expansion at high altitudes. When the author fell ill, Tsetan took him to a Tibetan medical college, where a doctor prescribed medicine. His guidance and care ensured a safe journey.
5. “As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business.”
Ans: Tsetan’s remark should be read from the viewpoint of a devout Buddhist. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labour, and good behaviour are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana. But, it would be bad for his business as his credibility as a tourist driver would be at stake if he could not look after them properly, and ensure their safety.
| TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT |
Discuss in groups of four:
1. The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk.
Ans: The behaviour of hill-folk is innocent and unsophisticated. They are very religious people and fear God. They are very kind and hospitable. They take good care of the visitors.
2. The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.
Ans: The author embarked on this journey for educational purposes, as he was an academician seeking a learning experience. Many undertake such journeys not only for knowledge but also for the adventure they offer. The regions he traveled through are among the most challenging terrains in the world. Additionally, people visit these places for religious reasons, often as part of a pilgrimage.
3. The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality.
Ans: Exotic places hold many accounts in legends and reality. Places like Mount Kailash and Mansarovar have an important place in the legends. These places are being written about in many articles as well.
| THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE |
1. Notice the kind of English Tsetan uses while talking to the author. How do you think he picked it up?
Ans: Tsetan does not speak very fluent and correct English. His English is simple; vocabulary not rhetorical. Besides, he called the author “sir” everywhere. He seems to pay much respect to the author. He apparently was a tourist guide, which means daily interactions with foreign tourists.
2. What do the following utterances indicate?
(i) “I told her, through Daniel …”
Ans: She was not able to understand English but Daniel translated what he said into the Tibetan language for her.
(ii) “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
Ans: Tsetan translated into English what the doctor said in Tibetan, for the author.
3. Guess the meaning of the following words.
| Karo | Drokba | Kyang |
In which language are these words found?
Ans: Kora: The religious ritual of going round Mount Kailash.
Drokba: Tibetan shepherd, usually seen in their long sleeved sheepskin coats.
Kyang: These words are found in the Tibetan language.
| WORKING WITH WORDS |
1.The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the mountainside like:
A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky. Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.
Ans: (i) After ducking back into her tent, she emerged carrying one of the hang sleeved sheepskin coats.
(ii) It involved crossing several fairly high mountain passes.
(iii) Extended banks of cloud-like French loaves glowed as the Sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush.
2. Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases.
(i) Shaggy monsters.
Ans: Shaggy monsters: ‘Shaggy’ means covered with long Coarse hair or wool. Here, it is used to describe the hair or the black Tibetan mastiffs which were coarse and tangled.
(ii) Brackish lakes.
Ans: Brackish lakes: ‘Brackish’ means salty. It is used to describe the salt-water lakes on the mountains.
(iii) Rickety table.
Ans: Rickety table: ‘Rickety’ means something that is liable to fall down or break apart. Here, it is used to describe the condition of the table at the café in Darchen.
(iv) Hairpin bend.
Ans: Hairpin bend: ‘Hairpin’ is the U shaped wire to keep hair in place. It is used in the context of describing the sharp turns and bends that Tsetan negotiated on the
mountainous road.
(v) Rudimentary general stores.
Ans: Rudimentary general stores: Basic or elementary stores. These stores provided the most basic necessities for the people living there.
| NOTICING FORM |
1. The account has only a few passive voice sentences. Locate them. In what way does the use of active voice contribute to the style of the narrative.
Ans: Following are the few passive voice sentences present in the text:
(i) What was the likelihood of that I asked.
(ii) By late afternoon we had reached.
(iii) That night, after my first full day’s course, I slept very soundly.
(iv) Once he saw that I was going to live, Tsetan left me…
(v) The pilgrimage trail was well-trodden…
(vi) The cafe had a single-window beside which I’d taken up position.
The active voice is used to show that the subject of the activity is the person, place, or object that is doing it. The active voice is used in this story to put the reader in the shoes of the narrator. It allows us to identify with his adventure as the “I” in the story and to feel as if we are travelling across Tibet with them.
2. Notice this construction: Tsetan was eager to have them fixed. Write five sentences with a similar structure.
Ans: (i) The father was eager to get his son posted in his hometown.
(ii) She was determined to have them punished.
(iii) The Chief wanted the work done by Monday.
(iv) The party conspired to have him defeated.
(v) I want this work done at the earliest.
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