Class 11 English Chapter 12 Silk Road Question Answer As Per New Syllabus to each Chapter is provided in the list of SCERT, NCERT, AHSEC Class 11 English Unit 12 Question Answer/Class English Unit 12 Question Answer are given so that you can easily search through the different Chapters and select the needs Notes of AHSEC Class 11 English Lesson 9 Question Answer English Medium. covers all the exercise questions in NCERT, SCERT.
Class 11 English Chapter 12 Silk Road
Class 11 English Chapter 12 Silk Road Question Answer | Guide for Class 11th English Unit 12 English Medium Also Same NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English In this post we will explain to you what to try If you are a Student of English Medium then it will be very helpfull for you. NCERT/SCERT, AHSEC Class 11 English Chapter 12.
Chapter 12 Silk Road
PART – A Hornbill
Textual Questions & Answers:
1. Give reason why the article has been titled ‘Silk Road.’
Ans: In the ancient times a Route linked China to the West for all commercial purposes, especially silk. The author too drove through that road in his journey to Kailash Mansarovar. So, he has given the title ‘Silk Road’.
2. Give reasons why Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
Ans: Tibetan mastiffs were huge black dogs which were very ferocious and fearless. They can attack like bullets. They were kept as guards for protection of the palaces. That is why they were popular in China’s imperious courts.
3. Give reason why the author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place?
Ans: On the shore of Lake Mansarovar is situated Hor. This Lake is considered so sacred that a Chinese monk is believed to be so inspired by its purity and sanctity that tears rolled down his cheeks. That is about the past. What the author finds in the present is totally the opposite. The whole place is full of heaps of rubbish here and there, there is no vegetation. The only cafe of the place was in very poor condition with broken windows and badly painted. So, his experience turns rather horrid.
4. Give reasons why the author was disappointed with Darchen.
Ans: The author had heard beforehand that Darchen remained full with pilgrims during the season of ‘Kora’ in Kailash, some even came with their own tents. He had gone åt the beginning of the religious season, and found not a single visitor there. This disappointed him.
5. Give reasons why the author thought that is positive thinking strategy worked after all?
Ans: By positive thinking the author means a positive and resolute mental attitude towards something. When he was about to go for the ‘kora’ in Darchen, he found none else with him and felt disappointed and instead of going alone, he waited and finally he found a good companion named Norbu. That is why he feels that his positive thinking strategy worked.
6. Comment on the purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash.
Ans: The author’s purpose of the journey to Kailash was the ‘Kora’, he had gone there for the first time. His Chief interest, though, was academic rather than religious – as was the case with Norbu.
7. Comment on the author’s physical condition in Darchen.
Ans: In Darchen the author stayed in a guest house. He was already hungry and tired, the place again was so dirty and cold that he could not breathe properly. Once he slept and once sat, finally he tried to breathe through his mouth. He stayed awake the whole night. Next morning he visited a Tibetan doctor and after taking the medicines, could sleep soundly that night.
8. Comment on the author’s meeting with Norbu.
Ans: The author was sitting in the only cafe’ of Darchen- brooding over how he could do the Kailash ‘kora’ as there was no other pilgrim and no English speaker. After some time a man entered and ordered tea and sat at the tale opposite him. He saw the author’s notebook and knew that he was an Englishman. There started a conversation between them. The man introduced himself as Norbu – a Tibetan, who worked in a social science department at Beijing. He had been writing academic papers on the Kailash ‘kora’ and its significance to Buddhist literature, although the ‘kora’ was going to be for the first time for him as well. So, the author was really happy to find a friend to do the ‘Kora’.
9. Comment on Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Ans: Tsetan was the author’s driver in his long journey from Lhasa to Darchen. He was a good supporter to the author and tried to help in every possible way. He helped to drive safely on the snow covered road, it was he who took the author to the Tibetan doctor when the latter was unwell in Darchen. Only when he found the author well did he left for his return journey to Lhasa.
10. “As a Buddhist he told me he knew it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business”. Comment.
Aus: The author says this about a strange but humorous remark made by his taxi-driver Tsetan. The author felt very sick in Darchen and Tsetan took him to a doctor with the medicine, the author got well and the driver then wanted to take leave as the pilgrim was all right. But Tsetan said that as a Buddhist it would not really matter if the author died there, but it would be bad for his business as he would miss one of his customers.
Additional Questions & Answers:
1. Who were Daniel and Tsetan?
Ans: Daniel was the author’s guide who accompanied him halfway in the journey to Lake Manasarovar. Tsetan was the taxi driver who was very helpful, he left the author in Darchen and returned to Lhasa.
2. Why was the Silk Route thought to be significant in the older times?
Ans: The Silk Route made China’s links with Western countries, especially for business. It was about 6400 k.m. track. Silk came westward through their route and wool, gold, silver, Christianity and Buddhism was brought to the East. Therefore, the route was very important in older times.
3. Who was Lhamo? What was her gift to the author?
Ans: Lhamo was the Tibetan woman in whose house the author stayed with Daniel and Tsetan in the Tibetan village named Ravu. She gifted the author a long-sleeved Sheepskin coat.
4. What did the author see in the open fields after they left from Ravu?
Ans: In the open fields, the author saw a small group of antelopes, herdis of wild asses and nomads tending them. People were looking at and waving at the author’s car. He also saw huge mastiff dogs who were ferocious.
5. At what height was the pass? What did the author notice there?
Ans: The pass was at a height of about 5,515 metres above sea level. The author noticed there were a large number of stones piled, ragged prayer flags and white silk scarves.
6. The author was unhappy to see Hor. Why?
Ans: The author found that Hoe was a very dull and dry place with no trace of vegetation. All round only dust, rocks and filth could be found; there was no freshness. This made the place really unattractive. So, he was unhappy.
7. Why did the author think so much about doing the ‘kora’?
Ans: The parts of the route to the ‘kora’ were liable to be blocked by snow, therefore, the ‘kora’ was seasonal. Since the author did not know clearly whether or not the snow had cleared, and since there were no English speakers to ask, the author thought for a long time to go ahead.
8. Who was Norbu?
Ans: Norbu was the Tibean whom the author met in the cafe’ of Darchen.
Long Types Questions & Answers:
1. Write a note on the author’s experiences on his journey from Ravu to Hor.
Ans: On a beautiful morning, the author left Ravu with his guide Daniel and the taxi driver Tsetan, the driver took a short cut route which made them cross many high mountain passes. On the way they saw many open fields, there they saw groups of antelopes, herds of asses. Then began rocky plains. They saw some nomads rearing their animals, there were also men and women who waved towards the author’s car.
They encountered some huge mastiff dogs kept as guards in the Tibetan camps. In the meantime snow-covered mountains had started to appear at some distance. There were sharp turns, after going round a particular bend their car stopped. The road was fully covered with snow. Tsetan threw some soil on the snow with the help of the author and Daniel and they safely went ahead. Ultimately they reached the top of the pass which was 5,515 metres above sea level. By two O’clock they took lunch and reached the small town Hor by late afternoon.
2. Describe the author’s first meeting with Norbu.
Ans: The author was sitting in the only cafe’ of Darchen- brooding over how he could do the Kailash ‘kora’ as there was no other pilgrim and no English speaker. After some time a man entered and ordered tea and sat at the tale opposite him. He saw the author’s notebook and knew that he was an Englishman.
There started a conversation between them. The man introduced himself as Norbu – a Tibetan, who worked in a social science department at Beijing. He had been writing academic papers on the Kailash ‘kora’ and its significance to Buddhist literature, although the ‘kora’ was going to be for the first time for him as well. So, the author was really happy to find a friend to do the ‘Kora’.
3. How did the author fall ill in Darchen? How did he recover?
Ans: The author stayed in Darchen in a guest house. It was a very cold night and also a very dirty place all around. The author was very hungry and tired, he caught a cold, he found difficulty in breathing which went on increasing throughout the night. He tried to sleep but could not breathe. He then tried to breathe with a single nostril, again through his mouth. This made his chest heavy and uncomfortable. He could not sleep for a moment and kept awake the whole night. This made him ill.
When in the morning Tsetan found him ill, he took him to a Tibetan doctor who gave the author some medicines. After taking the medicines the author got much relief and had a sound sleep that night. Thus, he got well with the help of Tsetan and the doctor’s advice.
Reference to the Context:
1. “They were completely fearless of our vehicle.”
Ans: This line occurs in the chapter ‘Silk Road’ by Nick Middleton. The author remarks this about the Tibetan dogs.
Passing through some vast open fields after leaving Ravo, the author noticed many animals, some of them were the huge mastiff dogs which were so ferocious and furiously black. They chased the car like bullets of a gun – fearless and superfast.
Thus, the author says that these dogs were so fearless that they were not afraid of even the vehicle of the author.
2. “My experience in Hor came as a stark contrast to accounts I’d read of earlier travellers’ first encounters with Lake Manasarovar.”
Ans: On the shore of Lake Mansarovar is situated Hor. This Lake is considered so sacred that a Chinese monk is believed to be so inspired by its purity and sanctity that tears rolled down his cheeks. That is about the past. What the author finds in the present is totally the opposite. The whole place is full of heaps of rubbish here and there, there is no vegetation. The only cafe of the place was in very poor condition with broken windows and badly painted. So, his experience turns rather horrid.
3. “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: The author says this about a strange but humorous remark made by his taxi-driver Tsetan. The author felt very sick in Darchen and Tsetan took him to a doctor with the medicine, the author got well and the driver then wanted to take leave as the pilgrim was all right. But Tsetan said that as a Buddhist it would not really matter if the author died there, but it would be bad for his business as he would miss one of his customers.
4. “Clearly I hadn’t made much progress with my self-help programme on positive thinking.”
Ans: By positive thinking the author means a positive and resolute mental attitude towards something. When he was about to go for the ‘kora’ in Darchen, he found none else with him and felt disappointed and instead of going alone, he waited and finally he found a good companion named Norbu. That is why he feels that his positive thinking strategy worked.
Notes of AHSEC Class 11 English Chapter 12 | English Medium Class 11 English Notes In this post we will explain to you Class 11 English Chapter 12 Question Answer | AHSEC Class 11 English Question Answer Unit 12 If you are a Student of English Medium then it will be very helpfull for you.
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