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Question
“These two children had given me a profound lesson …” Elucidate.
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Solution
The author had self-pity and was cursing the accident that had caused him and his wife great pain and inconveniences in the daily routine. But the two little boys, one almost scarred to death with both eyes gone and the other with an amputated arm and no hope of recovery were together celebrating the joy of being alive. They minded the business of living ignoring pain, surgery, and the sickly environment. Dr. Barnard learned the lesson from the children that the business of living is joy in the real sense of the word. It was not just something for pleasure, amusement, or recreation. The business of living in the celebration of being alive.
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There are several physically-challenged people who have lived successful and meaningful lives. Here are a few personalities who have fought great odds and lived a life of blazing achievements. Let’s share what we know about each of them and complete the table below.
| Name of the personality | Nature of challenge | Field of achievement |
| e.g. Beethoven | Hearing impairment | Music |
| Demosthenes | ||
| Helen Keller | ||
| Mariyappan Thangavelu | ||
| Mozart | ||
| John Milton | ||
| Sudha Chandran |
What were Dr. Barnard’s feelings when he was hospitalized after an accident?
How did the hospitalization of Dr. Barnard and his wife affect their routine?
How was the unattended trolley put to use?
What injuries did they sustain in the accident?
Why does Dr. Barnard describe the blind boy as a ‘walking horror’?
What were the problems the trolley driver suffered from?
Adventures, expeditions, and explorations are always exciting. Especially when they are real and if it is the first of its kind, it is even more thrilling. The only question that comes to one’s mind is what makes one to take up such tasks that involve high risks. It is the spirit of formidable adventure and certain qualities which make them achieve such feats.
Tick the qualities that are required to achieve such a feat.
| passion | reward | determination | physical |
| fame | faith | courage | money |
| drive | vengeance | inspiration | self-satisfaction |
| vision | undying spirit | inner-urge | perseverance |
How did the mountaineers belay?
The soft snow was difficult and dangerous. Why?
When did the children shy away from the chair?
How was the chair made and how did the villagers react to it?
Classify these pictures to show what they depict–Personal freedom/Public liberty.
| Personal freedom | Public liberty |
| colouring the hair red | |
Define ‘liberty’ as perceived by the author.
According to the author, what are we more conscious of?
Explain in your own words, "What freedom means?"
Para 4
Tenzing kicked steps in a long
traverse back towards the ridge, and we
reached its crest where it forms a great
snow bump at about 28000 feet. From
here the ridge narrowed to a knife-edge
and, as my feet were now warm, I took
over the lead.
Para 5
The soft snow made a route on top
of the ridge both difficult and dangerous,
which sometimes held my weight but often
gave way suddenly. After several hundred
feet, we came to a tiny hollow and found
there the two oxygen bottles left on the
an earlier attempt by Evans and Bourdillon.
I scraped the ice off the gauges and was
relieved to find that they still contained
several hundred liters of oxygen-enough
to get us down to the South Col if used sparingly
Para 6
I continued making the trail on up
the ridge, leading up for the last 400 feet
to the southern summit. The snow on this
the face was dangerous, but we persisted in
our efforts to beat a trail up it.
We made frequent changes of
lead. As I was stamping a trail in the deep
snow, a section around me gave way and
Para 7
I slipped back through three or four of
my steps. I discussed with Tenzing the
the advisability of going on, and he, although
admitting that he felt unhappy about the
snow conditions, and finished with his
the familiar phrase “Just as you wish”.
Para 8
I decided to go on, and we finally
reached firmer snow higher up, and then
chipped steps up the last steep slopes and
crampon onto the South Peak. It was now 9 a.m.
Give an account of the journey to the South Col from 28,000 feet. (Para 4 to 8)
How responsible and capable are you at home?
