Chapter’s Name: Deep Water

1. Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract : [1x 4=4]

A. My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was
terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves. My
introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant
memories and stirred childish fears.
But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with
my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by
aping them. I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel at
ease in the water when the misadventure happened.
i Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given
below.
Statement 1: The author’s father laughed to mock his son’s inability to
swim.
Statement 2: The author wanted to swim just to prove to his father that
he can swim.
a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.

ii “My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant

memories and stirred childish fears.” It can be inferred that this was a
clear case of
a) suppression
b) oppression
c) depression
d) repression
iii The misadventure that took place right after the author felt
comfortable was that
a) the author slipped and fell into the swimming pool.
b) a bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun.
c) his coach forgot to teach him how to handle deep water.
d) his father couldn’t help him from drowning into the water.
(Source:https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf)

iv Choose the option that describes the equipment used by the author
while learning to swim.
a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4

2. I. …….now I must go to sleep……….

I crossed to oblivion , and the curtain of life fell. [1x4=4]

i. What was the incident which nearly killed Douglas?

A. Incident at the beach

B. Incident at YMCA pool

C. Incident at the lake

D. None of these

ii. ‘The curtain of life fell '. Corresponds to an aspect of

A. Geometry

B. History

C. Sports

D. Drama

iii. What opinion indicates that boy has lost consciousness?

A. I must go to sleep.

B. I crossed to oblivion

C. The curtain of life fell

D. None of these

iv. This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by.

I ) What is the handicap being talked about in the given lines?
A. The handicap being referred to is the fear of water Douglas

Had developed due to unfortunate incidents in childhood

B. His memory of incident at the beach

C. His memory of incident at the pool

D. None of these

II. The handicap affected his pursuit of water sport. [1]

Pick the correct statement related to above statement

A. It ruined his fishing trips

B. He lost his joy of canoeing, boating and swimming.

C. Both A&B

D. None of these

III. What are the events that make the writer handicapped? [1]

A. He was knocked down by the waves at California beach

B. A brusier flung him into a swimming pool

C. Both A&B

D. None of these
(KV Chandigarh Region Support Material)

3. ‘The instructor was finished , but I was not finished’ [1x3=3]

i. Why does the speaker say this?
A) William had overcome the fear.
B) He had not overcome the fear yet.
C) He wondered if the terror would grip
him when he would be alone in the water.
D)He did not want to swim alone
ii. What had the instructor finished?
A)The instructor had finished his training.
B) The instructor left him
C) The instructor refused to help him
D) All of these

iii. Statement 1. The instructor had finished his training.

Statement 2. The author was not confident on wheather the fear Of drowning had left him or
not.

A. Statement 1 is true and statement 2 is false

B. Statement 2 is true and statement 2 is false

C. Both the statements are correct

D. Both the statements are wrong.

(KV Chandigarh Region Support Material)

4. Stand Alone MCQs. [1x7=7]

i The most appropriate justification for the title of the chapter
‘Deep Water’ is that
A. it's about the dangerous depth of the swimming pool.
B. It reveals the author’s lack of surety about overcoming his fear of swimming.
C. it underlines the author’s fear of water and how he overcomes it.
D. it includes the methods of the author’s coach to overcome the fear of deep water.

ii Choose the quote that DOES NOT resonate with the central idea of
the chapter.

A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
iii Samuel has a phobia of heights but is scared and can’t overcome it.
Choose the option that displays an advice.
1 2 3 4
Go to the If I were you, I’d Unbelievable! Fear is a major
swimming pool begin small, like What’s the issue if you let it
and jump in it spending 10 problem? I have control you. I
from the minutes looking done bungee think it will take
highest diving down from my jumping! It’s a firm grip on you
board that you balcony, each piece of cake. if you don’t
see there. day, for a week. address it soon.

iv The chap that threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Choose the option
mentioning the personality traits of this ‘chap’.
[1x4=4]
1. persuasive
2. irresponsible
3. domineering
4. manipulative
5. callous

a) 1, 2, 4
b) 2, 4, 5
c) 2, 3, 5
d) 1, 3, 5
(Source: Independent MCQs
source-https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf)

v. Given below are four characteristics of autobiographical stories.

Which of these aspects CANNOT be applied to the text 'Deep Water'?
A. Events are centred on a lesson learned by the writer.
B. Events are focused more on facts than on emotions.
C. Events are written from a first-person perspective.
D. Events are arranged from childhood to adulthood.
( Source: 2021-22 English Core Practice Questions, www.cbse.nic.in)

vi. This is nice ……..to be drowsy ……..to go to sleep…..

No need to jump....... too tired to jump………
The purpose of. Using “………..” in above lines is

A) Show omission
B) Indicate pause

C) Shorten dialogue

D) Replace an idea
(Source: KV Chandigarh Region Support Material)

vii. Match the following

a) fear of being in a small space (i) Hydrophobia
b) fear of ocean. (ii) Claustrophobia
c) fear of water. (iii) Thalssophobia
A) a- i ,b- ii ,c-iii
B) a- ii ,b- iii ,c- i
C) a- iii ,b-ii ,c – i
D) a- ii ,b- I , c-iii
(Source: KV Chandigarh Region Support Material)

5. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow. [1x5= 5]
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 would 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. But now I could frown and say to that terror,
"Trying to scare me, eh? Well, here's to you!
Look!" And off I'd go for another length of the pool.

i. What led the narrator to believe that he was 'not finished'?

A. his childhood experience of swimming
B. his instructor's attitude towards his swimming
C. his insecurity over his ability to overcome fear
D. his motivation to overcome his newly-developed fear

ii. Which of these BEST describes the narrator's relationship with his fear?
A. hostile
B. evasive
C. indifferent
D. repressive

iii. Which of these BEST describes the contrast in the focus of the
swimming instructor and the narrator when it came to swimming?

A. While the former focused on the mechanics, the latter focused on the
Creativity involved.
B. While the former focused on the physical, the latter was more focused on the psychological.
C. While the former focused on the practical, the latter was more focused on thetheoretical
aspects.
D. While the former focused on casual learning, the latter focused on Learning how to do it
competitively.

iv. The narrator mentions his conversations with fear in this story to
emphasize the
__________.
A. gaps in his skills as a swimmer
B. grip that fear of water still has on his life
C. improvement in his assurance as a swimmer
D. ease with which he forgot about his fear of swimming

v. The swimming instructor helped the narrator to regain his __________.

A. strength
B. prosperity
C. innocence
D. confidence
(Source: 2021-2022 English Core Parctice Quections-www.cbse.nic.in)

6. Attempt the extract given. [1x6 = 6 marks]

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

i. What does the narrator mean by ‘in death there is peace.’?

ii. Choose the quote that DOES NOT resonate the central idea of the extract.

A. Overcoming challenges make life meaningful.

B. Fear is the path to the dark side.

C. Courage is the resistance to fear, mastery of fear not absence of fear.

D. He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.

iii. What is the experience referred here?

iv. Why does the narrator at last feel released?

v. Assertion: In death there is peace.

Reason: There is terror only in the fear of death.

A. If A is the cause, R is the effect.

B. If A is the effect, R is the cause.

C. Both A& R are the effect of a common cause.

D. Both A& R are the effects of independent causes.

vi. “I had experienced both the sensation of dying and terror that fear of it can produce”, which
of the following idioms might describe the above

statement

A. To be scared to death

B. Be close to death

C. Be at death’s door

D. Have fate worse than death

(Source: KV Sitapur Second Pre- Board, 2023-24)

7. Answer in 30-40 words

i. Seemingly small everyday wins are actually the greatest learnings of life. Comment on the
statement with reference to the chapter “Deep Water”.
(Source: [2]
https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf)

ii. Why did Douglas' mother recommend that he should learn swimming
at the YMCA swimming pool? [2]

(Source: KV Sitapur Second Pre- Board, 2023-24)

iii. If you could give the chapter a new title, what would it be? Support your
answer with reference to the chapter “Deep Water”. [2]

(Source:https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf)
iv. Describe both the physical and emotional impacts that the misadventure at
the YMCA pool had on the narrator. [2] [2]

(Source:https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf)

v. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in Hampshire? [2]

(Source: Raipur KV Support Material)

8. Answer in 120 - 150 words [5] {

i. Imagine that the bully who threw Douglas into the pool, reads this
chapter and realizes his mistake. As the bully, write a dairy entry
penning down your response to Douglas’ perseverance and your own
feelings of guilt and regret. [5]
(Source: https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf)

ii Douglas’ mother writes to the YMCA authorities holding them

accountable for the mishap as well as demanding that the authorities
employ a team of guards near the pool for supervision of the children. As the mother, write a
letter to the authorities with reference to the case of your son. You may begin like this:

Sir
Subject: Negligence on Premises
This is with reference to the incident of near fatal drowning of my son,
William on your premises. We were… [5]

(Source: https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/QuestionBank/ClassXII/EnglishCoreXII.pdf