Question Bank — Deep Water

QUESTION BANK

Deep Water — William O. Douglas (Flamingo)

Section A — MCQs (10 × 1 = 10 marks)

1. What was Douglas’s age when the misadventure at the YMCA pool occurred?
   a) Eight or nine b) Ten or eleven c) Thirteen or fourteen d) Fifteen

2. Which phrase from the text shows Douglas’s initial reluctance to enter the pool?
   a) “bob to the surface like a cork” b) “subdued my pride” c) “curtain of life fell” d) “flailed at the surface”

3. The “big bruiser” who threw Douglas into the pool was approximately
   a) twelve years old b) fifteen years old c) eighteen years old d) twenty years old

4. Assertion (A): Douglas experienced “sheer, stark terror” that “knows no control.”
   Reason (R): He had never been in deep water before the Yakima River incidents.
   Choose the correct option:
   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.

5. The instructor taught Douglas to exhale under water and then
   a) dive from the board b) raise his nose and inhale c) float on his back d) swim the butterfly stroke

6. Which sentence best captures the final realisation Douglas reached after conquering his fear?
   a) “In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death.”
   b) “The Yakima River was treacherous.”
   c) “I never went back to the pool.”
   d) “I hated to walk naked into it.”

7. Assertion (A): Douglas swam across Lake Wentworth and Warm Lake without panic.
   Reason (R): The instructor’s training completely removed every trace of terror in one month.
   Choose the correct option:
   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.

8. The expression “the curtain of life fell” refers to
   a) the moment Douglas lost consciousness b) the closing of the YMCA pool c) the end of his fishing trips d) his decision to avoid water

9. Douglas’s fear of water stayed with him for
   a) a few weeks only b) several months c) many years d) just one summer

10. The dominant theme of the chapter is
    a) the beauty of nature b) the conquest of fear through persistent effort c) the dangers of the Yakima River d) the importance of swimming competitions

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

Extract 1

“I flailed at the surface of the water, swallowed and choked. I tried to bring my legs up, but they hung as dead weights, paralysed and rigid. A great force was pulling me under.”

1. Who is the speaker/narrator of these lines?
2. What immediate physical sensations does Douglas experience here?
3. Identify the literary device used in “they hung as dead weights.”
4. What does this moment reveal about the intensity of his fear?

Extract 2

“And then, strangely, there was light. I was coming out of the awful yellow water. At least my eyes were. My nose was almost out too. Then I started down a third time.”

1. Where is Douglas at this point in the narrative?
2. Why does he see only “yellow water”?
3. Pick out the phrase that shows his hope rising momentarily.
4. What happens immediately after this moment?

Extract 3

“At last I felt released — free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.”

1. Who is the speaker and what has he just achieved?
2. Which earlier experience is he contrasting with his present state?
3. Identify the figure of speech in “brush aside fear.”
4. How does this sentence encapsulate the central message of the chapter?

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

(Answer in 40–50 words each)

1. Why did Douglas decide to learn swimming at the YMCA pool despite his childhood terror of water?
2. Describe the series of emotions Douglas went through immediately after being thrown into the deep end.
3. How did the instructor help Douglas regain control over his legs and breathing?
4. Why did Douglas continue to test himself in different water bodies even after the instructor declared him a swimmer?
5. What larger meaning does Douglas draw from his experience of near-drowning and eventual victory over fear?

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

(Answer in 100–120 words each)

1. “All we have to fear is fear itself.” How does Douglas’s account of his struggle with hydrophobia illustrate this statement?
2. Draw a character sketch of William O. Douglas on the basis of the chapter “Deep Water,” highlighting his determination and gradual transformation.

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

1. Vocabulary/Grammar task
   From the unit, substitute the underlined words with appropriate words/expressions used by Douglas:
   a) The river was dangerous.
   b) He controlled his embarrassment and entered the pool.
   c) He struggled wildly at the surface.
   d) A feeling of complete helplessness seized him.

2. Writing task
   You have finally overcome a long-standing fear (of water, heights, public speaking, etc.). Write a diary entry (80–100 words) describing the fear, the steps you took to conquer it, and how you feel now. Base the content on the spirit of Douglas’s experience.