DEEP WATER

WILLIAM DOUGLAS

I. Choose the most appropriate option.

1. The excerpt ‘Deep Water’ is taken from___________________

A) Of People and Mountains

B) Of Men and Mountains

C) Of People

D) Of Mountains and Men

2. “My introduction to the YMCA pool revived _____________ memories.”

A) Annoying

B) Unhappy

C) Unpleasant

D) Sad

3. How did the author's fear vanish?

A) With courage, guidance and determination
B) With grit
C) With motivation
D) With guidance
4. At the age of 3 or 4 Douglas visited the California beach with his father. What caused a terror
in his heart then?
A) The sight of the huge waves
B) The overpowering force of the waves
C) The colour of the water
D) All of these
5. How does the author describe the boy who pushed him into the pool?
A) Lanky
B) Skinny
C) Bruiser
D) Gaunt
6. How old was Douglas when the misadventure took place?
A) 3 or 4 years
B) 10 or 11 years
C) 18 years
D) 9 years
7. Douglas`s aversion to water started when he was in the
A) California Beach
B) River Yakima
C) YMCA pool
D) Tieton
8. “With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end.”Why did ‘he’ do so?
A) To inflict pain on Douglas
B) To help him muster confidence
C) As an act of vengeance
D) Was playing pranks
9. Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE with reference to DEEP WATER
A) Douglas waited for the others in the pool because he used to ape others to master the art of
swimming
B) Douglas was timid of going into the pool alone
C) Douglas had an aversion to water when he was in it.
D) Douglas was not confident at all
10. While drowning, the only signs of life that Douglas felt were the _________________ and
the beating of his heart.
A) pulses
B) Fear in his mind
C) Pounding in his head
D) Sight of the yellow water
11. What made Douglas comment so; ‘the will to live somehow grew in intensity’?
A) He had the courage to overcome all hurdles
B) He had experienced the fear of drowning
C) He had experienced the sensation of dying
D) He had experienced the fear of drowning and the terror it produces.
12. “And then in the midst of terror came a touch of reason.” Choose the option that best matches
with this statement.
A) His toes touched the tiles of the pool
B) He remembered the strategy
C) He did not lose his confidence
D) He could think wisely even on the face of danger
13) How many times did Douglas try to come to the surface of the pool?
A) Twice
B) Once
C) Five times
D) Three times
14. Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to?
A) Because of his hydrophobia
B) Because of his fear
C) Because of his inability to move
D) Because of his fear and inability to move
15. What was stopping Douglas to get into the waters of the Cascades?
A) Memories of the Yakima River
B) Memories of California beach
C) Instructions given by the trainer
D) Memories of the YMCA pool
16. Douglas hated to walk naked into the pool because
A) He had hairy legs
B) He had skinny legs
C) He had hairy arms
D) He had skinny legs and hairy arms
17. How deep was the YMCA pool at the shallow end?
A) 9-10 feet
B) 4-5 feet
C) 2-3 feet
D) 3-4 feet
18. How long did it take the instructor to perfect Douglas`s art of swimming?
A) 6months
B) 8 months
C) 7 months
D) 5 months
19. What do you understand from the statement “The instructor was finished?”
A) He lost his interest
B) He gave up the task
C) He completed the assigned task very well
D) He was no more
20. When he regained consciousness, he
A) Laughed at his experience
B) Had 104° F fever
C) Shook and cried and couldn’t eat anything
D) Told his mother about his misadventure
21. “I was frightened. Father laughed.” Douglas`s father was________
A) perturbed
B) bullying him
C) cool and composed
D) calm but perturbed
22. Which exercise helped Douglas loosen his stiff legs and make them work as he desired
A) Swimming with the help of a pulley
B) Exhaling and inhaling
C) Moving back and forth across the pool
D) Kicking his legs
23. “Then all effort ceased. I relaxed.” Douglas was _______. Pick the option that best matches
this statement.
A) panic-stricken
B) wobbly
C) unconscious
D) comfortable
24. Though the wave receded, it left Douglas petrified. What left him petrified?
A) The drowning in the YMCA pool
B) The incident in the California beach
C) Dirty yellow water
D) Waters of the Cascades
25. “I crossed to oblivion and the curtain of life fell.” Identify the figure of speech used here
A) Metaphor
B) Conceit
C) Personification
D) Simile
26. “Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?” From the statement it is clear that
over the years the speaker became_______
A) sceptic
B) timorous
C) apprehensive
D) poised
27. All we have to fear is fear itself. Who said these words?
A) Douglas
B) His instructor
C) His father
D) President Roosevelt
28. After being haunted by fear for many years Douglas decided to learn to swim. This shows his
A) Urge to swim
B) Desire to enjoy water sports
C) Love for swimming
D) Determination to overcome fear
29. His mother warned him against swimming in the Yakima River because
A) It had strong currents

B) It was meant only for boating

C) Many people had drowned there

D) It had no lifeguards around

30. What is the story Deep Water speaking about?

(a) Fear of water and the way to overcome it
(b) Fear of death
(c) How to overcome fear of death
(d) Fear of swimming

2. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow;

1. The water was still and the tiled bottom was as white and clean as a bathtub. I was timid about
going in alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others.

A) Why was the water still?

 a) No one was there in the pool

b) All were sitting by the side of the pool

c) They were not permitted to dive into the pool

d) The place was quiet

B) What tone of the writer is reflected through these lines?

a) Defensive

b) Open

c) Oversensitive

d) Self-justifying

C) Which word in the extract is synonymous to ‘afraid’?

a) Quiet

b) Tiled

c) Timid

d) Still

D) Mention the figure of speech used?

a) Hyperbole

b) Metaphor

c) Pun

d) Simile

2. Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each piece, he put them
together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off and swim the
length of the pool, crawl stroke.”

I did. The instructor was finished.

But I was not finished. I still wondered if I could be terror-stricken when I was alone in the pool.
I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old terror would return.

A) The phrase ‘piece by piece’ means

 a) Gradually

b) Intensely

c) Swiftly

d) Rapidly

B) How did Douglas feel when the instructor was finished?

a) Terror-stricken

b) Filled with wonder

c) Doubtful

d) Confident

C) What did Douglas do when the tiny vestiges of the old terror returned?

a) Continued with his practice

b) Approached another instructor

c) Gave up swimming

d) Stopped the practice

D) “Now you can swim” Why did the instructor ask Douglas to swim?

a) To boost his confidence

b) To check whether he could swim different strokes

c) To test whether he became a perfect swimmer

d) To remind him of his lack of confidence

3. With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position;
swallowed water and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of
my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump,
come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.

It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before I touched bottom
my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit bottom I summoned all my strength and
made what I thought was a great spring upwards.

A) “With that he picked me up” who is referred to as ‘he’?

 a) Instructor

b) His father

c) A bruiser boy

d) His friend

B) ‘Frighten out of wits’ is a _______

a) Phrase

b) Phrasal verb

c) Idiom

d) Metaphor

C) Pick out the word that is synonymous to ‘summoned’

a) Appeared

b) Gathered

c) Ordered

d) Beckoned

D) Choose the correct statement based on the extract

a) Douglas was completely overpowered by fear

b) Douglas could make use of his reasoning power

c) Douglas could act as he had planned

d) Douglas moved ninety feet down the pool

4. The next I remember I was lying on my stomach beside the pool, vomiting. The chap that
threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling”. Someone said, “The kid nearly died. Be
all right now. Let’s carry him to the locker room.”
Several hours later, I walked home. I was weak and trembling. I shook and cried when I lay
on my bed. I couldn’t eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in my heart. The slightest
exertion upset me, making me wobbly in the knees and sick to my stomach. I never went
back to the pool. I feared water; I avoided it whenever I could.

A) What was the chap’s reaction on his deed?

a) Cool
b) Scared

c) Compassionate

d) Restless

B) Why did the narrator cry, when lying on the bed?

a) He was trembling

b) He felt wobbly

c) He was hungry

d) Fear haunted him

C) What physical problems did he face after recovery?

a) Slightest exertion could upset him

b) He felt wobbly in his knees

c) Suffered intense pain in his stomach

d) All the above

D) After the incident he became_______

a) dauntless

b) fearless

c) timorous

d) insensitive

5. The experience had a deep meaning for me, as only those who have known stark terror and
conquered it can appreciate. In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death, as
Roosevelt knew when he said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Because I had experienced
both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce, the will to live somehow
grew in intensity.
At last I felt released free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.

A) Here, Douglas shares his ________________with his readers.

a) apprehensive nature

b) indomitable spirit
c) intimidating spirit

d) daunting nature

B) Which among the following is the most undesirable quality according to Douglas as described
in Deep Water?

a) Extensive fear

b) Adaptability

c) Persuasiveness

d) Perseverance

C) What does the word ‘stark’ mean?

a) Partial

b) Absolute

c) Rigid

d) Painful

D) Douglas speaks with conviction that “There is terror only in the fear of death?” How do we
know that?

a) Because he had experienced the sensation of dying

b) Because he had experienced the terror that fear can produce

c) Because he had conquered his fear of water

d) Because he knew President Roosevelt very well

3. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each

1. Who continually warned him against the Yakima River? How?

2 How do you know that the Y.M.C.A pool was safe for someone who didn`t know swimming?

3. How did the narrator develop an aversion to water?

4. What stirred childish fears in Douglas?

5. “But I subdued my pride and did it.” What is Douglas talking about?
6. What ‘unpleasant memories ‘are revived with his introduction to the Y M C A pool?

7. How did he learn swimming in the YMCA pool?

8. Describe how Douglas tried to save himself from drowning.

9. What strategy did he make on his way down the pool?

10. What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time?

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?

12. What strange experience did Douglas have when he went down the third time?

13. How did Douglas know that he had been saved?

14. How did ‘the terror that seized him in the pool ‘affect him?

15. The haunting fear of the water deprived the narrator many pleasures that he really wanted to
enjoy. Mention a few activities that he could not enjoy because of this haunting fear of the water.

16. When did Douglas decide to get an instructor to overcome his fear of water?

17. What did the instructor do in order to make Douglas command his legs?

18. This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by.” What is the handicap mentioned here?
How did the speaker overcome it?

19. The old sensation returned in miniature.” What is the old sensation referred here and how did
the narrator react to it?

20. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror
flee?

4. Answer the following questions in 120-150 words

1. Explain the circumstances which led the narrator to avoid water whenever he could?

2. “Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer.” What were the steps adopted by the instructor to
make Douglas a swimmer?

3. “There is terror only in the fear of death.”Elucidate the incidents which led William Douglas
to come to this conclusion.

4. Do you think this account of Douglas`s act of courage will inspire and motivate people who
lack courage and self –confidence. How?
5. How does the story ‘Deep Water’ highlight the importance of conquering fear?

ANSWERS
I. Choose the most appropriate option.

1. Of Men and Mountains

2. Unpleasant

3. With courage, guidance and determination

4. The overpowering force of the waves

5. Bruiser

6. 10 or 11 years

7. California Beach

8. Was playing pranks

9. Douglas was not confident at all

10. Pounding in his head

11. He had experienced the fear of drowning and the terror it produces

12. He remembered the strategy

13. Three times

14. Because of his fear and inability to move

15. Memories of the YMCA pool

16. He had skinny legs

17. 2-3 feet

18. 7months

19. He completed the assigned task very well.

20. Shook and cried and couldn`t eat anything

21. cool and composed

22. Kicking his legs

23.unconscious

24. The incident in the California beach

25. Metaphor

26. poised

27. President Roosevelt

28. His determination to overcome fear

29. Many people had drowned there

30. Fear of water and the way to overcome it

2. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow;

1. A) No one was there in the pool

B) Open

C) Timid

D) Simile

2. A) Gradually

B) Doubtful

C) Continued with his practice

D) To test whether he became a perfect swimmer

3. A) A bruiser boy

B) Idiom

C) Gathered

D) Douglas could make use of his reasoning power

4. A) Cool

B) Fear haunted him

C) All the above

 D) Timorous

5. A) Indomitable spirit

B) Extensive Fear

C) Absolute

D) Because he had conquered his fear of water

3. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each

1. William`s mother continually warned against the Yakima River as it was treacherous. She
used to narrate the details of each drowning in the river.

2. The YMCA pool was safe as it was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end and nine
feet at the deep end. The drop was gradual too. It offered people an opportunity to learn
swimming without any tension.

3. The narrator developed an aversion to water when he was three or four years old. He stood at
a beach with his father when a wave swept over him and knocked him down. He was buried
under water and was breathless. He was terrified at the overpowering force of the waves and
started hating water.

4. When William Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim. He preferred
the YMCA pool which was safer to the Yakima River. His introduction to the YMCA pool
revived his terrifying experience in the California beach where he was knocked down by the
strong waves.

5. In order to learn how to swim he went to the YMCA pool with a new pair of water wings. He
did not like to wear the swimming costume which exposed his thin legs but as he was keen to
swim, he subdued his pride and wore it.

6. When Douglas was three or four years old his father took him to California beach. He stood at
the beach with his father when a wave swept over him and knocked him down. He was buried
under water and was breathless. He was terrified at the overpowering force of the waves and
started hating water. His introduction to the pool revived these unpleasant memories.

7. Douglas, first of all, equipped himself with a new pair of water wings in order to avoid
drowning. Secondly he subdued his pride and walked to the pool exposing his skinny legs. He
learnt to paddle with his water wings by watching and aping other boys in the pool.

8. First time when Douglas went down and his feet touched the bottom, he made a great spring
upwards .He came up slowly. He tried to yell but no sound came out then he tried to grab
something but he was surrounded by water. He tried to pull his legs up but in vain. He went
down again a second time he jumped up with all his might .He came up He looked for ropes,
ladders, water wings but in vain. He couldn't call for help. Then he lost hope and went down a
third time.

9. On the way down he had adopted a strategy in his mind. When his feet touched the bottom, he
would make a great spring upward. Then he would paddle to the edge of the pool and be safe.

10. When Douglas was pushed into the pool, he at once went to the bottom. He swallowed
water. The nine feet deep pool appeared like ninety. He felt uneasy as his lungs were ready to
burst. Despite the unfavourable situation, he made desperate efforts for survival.

11. When Douglas went down the water with a yellow glow it was a nightmarish experience for
him. His legs were almost paralysed, his lungs were aching and his head was throbbing. He felt
the thumping of his heart and the pounding in his head and these made him realize that he was
still alive.

12. He sucked for air and got water. The yellowish light was going out and he stopped making
efforts. He felt relaxed. His legs felt limp and blackness swept over his brain .Fear and terror was
gone. It was quiet and peaceful. He felt drowsy .He felt like floating in space.

13. When he regained consciousness he knew that he had been saved and he was lying on his
stomach beside the pool. He was vomiting. The boy who had thrown him into the pool said he
was only fooling .He heard someone saying ‘The kid nearly died.’

14. He felt weak and was trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. For days he
was haunted by fear He was easily upset, made him wobbly in his knees and sick .He feared
water and avoided it whenever he could. Whenever he tried to get into the water, the terror that
seized him in the pool would come back and take possession of him completely.

15. After the YMCA misadventure, Douglas developed a fear of water. This experience became
a handicap for him. Whenever he tried to enter water, the terror which seized him in the pool
would return. He could not enjoy any of the water sports such as canoeing, boating, rafting and
swimming.

16. Douglas wanted to wade in the waters of the cascades. The fear of water seized him
whenever he tried to do so. He would feel paralysed whenever he tried to bathe in a river .The
fear of water ruined his joy of fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming .Then he decided to get
an instructor.

17. After practicing inhaling and exhaling under water, the instructor held Douglas at the side of
the pool and made him kick with his legs. At first his legs refused to work. For several weeks he
practised the same and finally he could command them.
18. The haunting fear of water which started at the California beach and accelerated after the
YMCA incident stayed with him as a handicap. It deprived him the joy canoeing, boating and
swimming which he enjoyed the most. So he was determined to overcome this handicap at any
cost. He got an instructor and practised vigorously for months till he could overcome his fear.

19. The old sensation is the haunting fear of water which troubled Douglas for a long time. As he
could overcome this fear he laughed at it and could enjoy the different water sports that he loved.

20. Even after his vigorous swimming practice, Douglas was not very sure if his fear for water
had gone. Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire to test whether he still had any
fear of water. He dived into the lake and swam across the shore and back and made sure that he
was no longer afraid of water.

4. Answer the following questions in 120-150 words

1. Douglas`s experience with the overpowering waves in the California beach had developed in
him an aversion to water. There the waves knocked him down and he was buried in water.
Young Douglas was terrified. This fear was accelerated by a misadventure at the YMCA pool
where he came with high expectation of mastering the art of swimming. One day when he was
sitting at the edge of the pool waiting for his friends, a bruiser boy tossed Douglas into the deep
end of the pool. He made a futile attempt to come to the surface. His lungs were ready to burst.
He opened his eyes and saw nothing but water. He was suffocating. His legs would not come up.
They were paralysed and dead .Then all his efforts seized .He crossed to oblivion. Later he found
himself lying on his stomach vomiting beside the pool. This experience had a far reaching effect
on Douglas. He never went back to the pool. He was scared of water and tried to avoid it
whenever he could. Whenever he went to a pool, the terror that seized him in the pool would
come back and an icy horror would grab his heart.

2. After a few futile attempts to overcome his fear of water, Douglas decided to get an instructor
and learn to swim. The instructor systematically taught him how to swim, starting from the
basics and taking all the required safety measures, which gave Douglas confidence. 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 slackened.
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.
3. Fear is a paralyzing emotion. As Roosevelt rightly said,” All we have to fear is fear itself.”If
we wish to lead a happy and fulfilled life, we have to get rid of fear. It restricts all kinds of
activities. With grit, determination and hard work, we can conquer fear. William Douglas, by
driving away his fear of water, proves it. After his misadventure at the YMCA pool, he has
developed hydrophobia. He tried several methods to overcome it, but in vain. He didn`t give up,
instead he decided to hire an instructor who taught him very systematically. Thus with his strong
determination, will power and rigorous practice, he was made a good swimmer by the trainer.
Even then he was not completely satisfied .He devised various tests to check his confidence. This
continued till he could completely brush away his fear. Thus, Douglas proves that if we are able
to chase away our fear, even the seemingly impossible tasks become possible.

4. Courage, determination and perseverance is a combination of attributes and abilities that drive
people to set goals for themselves and then to take the initiative to achieve these goals. Douglas
was able to overcome his fear of water by the values of positive attitude and courage. Initially he
was afraid of water but his grit and determination made him get an instructor and overcome his
fear. Determination today leads to our success tomorrow. It is that innate quality in our soul,
which comes to surface when an incident irks it. It is a reflection of our values taught to us by
society and circumstances and enables us to overcome all obstacles. There is always admiration
for heroes like William Douglas who face challenges courageously and finally emerge
successful. For years the fear of water haunted him. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing,
swimming, fishing and boating. However, it was deliberate, planned and continuous efforts that
enabled Douglas to get over his fear. He was absolutely determined to get rid of his fear and it
was due to his perseverance and resoluteness that he emerged victorious. Stories like this
definitely encourage and motivate younger generation.

5. Greatest challenge for everyone is to overcome one’s fears. Each and every human being has
some fear. Some people fear the dark; some fear heights; some fear crowded places; some fear
water; some fear wild animals; and so on. Having a little amount of fear is normal; but having
inordinate fear of anything is abnormal. In the chapter Deep Water the author, William Douglas
narrates an incident from his life showing us how he overcame his fear of water. He was under
the firm grip of fear of water. But as he understood that it deprived him of his pleasures, he tried
adopting different methods to overcome it. He had to work very hard to overcome his deeply
ingrained fear of water that he had got infected with at the YMCA pool after the tragic incident.
Thus his story tells us that fear is our greatest enemy and it hampers all our progress.
In order to be successful one has to overcome one’s fears. The secret of overcoming fears lies in
our courage to face them. The moment we face our fears, they lose power.