Question Bank — Silk Road

QUESTION BANK

Silk Road (Prose – Hornbill, Class XI)

Section A — MCQs (10 × 1 = 10 marks)

1. Why did Lhamo give the narrator a sheepskin coat?
   a) To protect him from the cold at high altitude
   b) As a farewell present before he left for Mount Kailash
   c) Because Tsetan asked her to
   d) To make him look like a drokba

2. The wild asses (kyang) are described as moving “as if they were practising manoeuvres” because they
   a) were trained animals
   b) galloped in tight formation, wheeling and turning together
   c) were escaping from Tibetan mastiffs
   d) followed the car

3. Assertion (A): The narrator felt his headache clear after crossing the 5,515 m pass.
   Reason (R): Descending reduced the effect of altitude.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

4. The Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts because they
   a) were brought as tribute along the Silk Road
   b) were excellent sheepdogs
   c) guarded nomads’ tents
   d) were easy to train

5. Assertion (A): The narrator found Hor a grim and miserable place.
   Reason (R): The town had no vegetation and was full of dust, rocks and accumulated refuse.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

6. At 5,210 m the main danger of the snow patch was
   a) its depth
   b) its icy top layer that could cause the car to slip and overturn
   c) the steep bank on one side
   d) lack of fuel in the tank

7. The plateau is described as “pockmarked with salt flats and brackish lakes” because these are
   a) vestiges of the ancient Tethys Ocean
   b) man-made salt pans
   c) dried river beds
   d) volcanic craters

8. The narrator could not sleep in Darchen on the first night mainly because
   a) he was afraid of Tibetan mastiffs
   b) lying down caused his sinuses to block and gave him a heavy feeling in the chest
   c) the guest house was noisy
   d) Tsetan had left him alone

9. Norbu worked at the
   a) Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Ethnic Literature
   b) Darchen medical college
   c) Lhasa University
   d) a salt mine near Hor

10. The narrator finally felt relieved about his kora because
    a) Tsetan agreed to accompany him
    b) Norbu offered to be his companion and they decided to hire yaks
    c) the snow had completely melted
    d) he had recovered fully from his cold

Section B — Reference to Context (3 × 4 = 12 marks)

Extract 1

“A swathe of the white stuff lay across the track… We both pitched in and, when the snow was spread with soil, Daniel and I stayed out of the vehicle to lighten Tsetan’s load.”

i. Who are the speakers/characters present and what is the context?
ii. What danger did the snow pose according to Daniel?
iii. Identify the literary device used in “a swathe of the white stuff”.
iv. What does the phrase “lighten Tsetan’s load” mean in this context?

Extract 2

“These shaggy monsters, blacker than the darkest night, usually wore bright red collars and barked furiously with massive jaws… It wasn’t difficult to understand why ferocious Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs, brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet.”

i. Who are the “shaggy monsters” and where were they encountered?
ii. Why did they behave aggressively towards the vehicle?
iii. Name the figure of speech in “blacker than the darkest night”.
iv. What historical fact about the mastiffs is mentioned?

Extract 3

“‘We could be a team,’ he said excitedly. ‘Two academics who have escaped from the library.’ Perhaps my positive-thinking strategy was working after all.”

i. Who is “he” and what common purpose brought the two men together?
ii. What does the speaker mean by “two academics who have escaped from the library”?
iii. Identify the tone of the line “Perhaps my positive-thinking strategy was working after all.”
iv. What quality of Norbu made him a suitable companion despite his limitations?

Section C — Short Answer (5 × 3 = 15 marks)

(Answer in 40–50 words each)

1. Why did the narrator feel that his experience at Hor contrasted sharply with earlier travellers’ accounts?
2. How did Tsetan help the narrator overcome the snow-blocked passes?
3. What physical difficulties did the narrator face at Darchen and how were they resolved?
4. Describe the behaviour of the Tibetan mastiffs when the car approached the nomads’ tents.
5. Why did the narrator initially feel disappointed on reaching Darchen?

Section D — Long Answer (2 × 6 = 12 marks)

(Answer in 100–120 words each)

1. “Tsetan proved to be a reliable and resourceful companion throughout the journey.” Justify with examples from the text.
2. How does the author bring out the contrast between the harsh physical conditions of the journey and the spiritual/cultural significance of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar?

Section E — Language and Writing (2 × 4 = 8 marks)

1. From the unit, fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words given in brackets:
   a) The snow _ (billow) into the air as the herd galloped.
   b) Tsetan _ (manoeuvre) the vehicle skilfully around the rocks.
   c) The narrator’s head began to _ (throb) at 5,400 metres.
   d) Norbu’s _ (enthuse) for the kora was evident.

2. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) as the narrator on the night you met Norbu in the café at Darchen, expressing your relief and renewed hope of completing the kora.