‭We’re Not Afraid to Die‬

‭1.‬ W
‭ hat did the narrator plan to do? What preparations did he make for it?‬
‭The‬‭narrator‬‭planned‬‭to‬‭go‬‭on‬‭a‬‭round-the-world‬‭sea‬‭voyage‬‭just‬‭like‬‭Captain‬‭James‬‭Cook.‬‭For‬‭16‬‭years,‬‭he‬
‭and his wife had spent all their leisure time developing and improving their seafaring skills.‬

‭2.‬ G
‭ ive a brief description of the narrator’s boat. How had the narrator equipped and tested it?‬
‭The‬‭narrator’s‬‭boat‬‭was‬‭called‬‭‘Wavewalker’.‬‭It‬‭was‬‭a‬‭beautiful‬‭23‬‭metre‬‭long,‬‭30‬‭ton‬‭wooden-hulled‬‭boat.‬
‭It‬ ‭had‬‭been‬‭professionally‬‭built.‬‭They‬‭had‬‭spent‬‭months‬‭fitting‬‭it‬‭out‬‭and‬‭testing‬‭it‬‭in‬‭the‬‭roughest‬‭weather‬
‭they could find.‬

‭3.‬ W
‭ hat did the narrator do to protect the ship when rough weather began?‬
‭In‬ ‭order‬ ‭to‬ ‭protect‬ ‭the‬ ‭ship‬ ‭from‬ ‭rough‬ ‭weather,‬ ‭the‬ ‭captain‬ ‭decided‬ ‭to‬ ‭slow‬ ‭it‬ ‭down.‬ ‭So‬ ‭he‬‭dropped‬‭the‬
‭storm‬ ‭jib‬ ‭and‬ ‭lashed‬ ‭heavy‬ ‭mooring‬‭rope‬‭in‬‭a‬‭loop‬‭across‬‭the‬‭stem.‬‭Then‬‭they‬‭double‬‭fastened‬‭everything‬
‭and went through their life-raft drill.‬

‭4.‬ W
‭ hat did the narrator do to check the flooding of the water in the ship?‬
‭The‬ ‭captain‬ ‭stretched‬ ‭canvas‬ ‭and‬ ‭secured‬ ‭waterproof‬ ‭hatch‬‭covers‬‭across‬‭the‬‭gaping‬‭holes.‬‭When‬‭the‬‭two‬
‭hand‬ ‭pumps‬ ‭got‬ ‭blocked‬ ‭by‬ ‭debris‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭electric‬ ‭pump‬ ‭short‬ ‭circuited,‬ ‭he‬ ‭found‬‭another‬‭electric‬‭pump‬
‭which connected to an out pipe and started it.‬

‭5.‬ D
‭ escribe the condition of the voyagers on 4th and 5th January.‬
‭On January 4, the voyagers felt relieved after 36 hours of continuous pumping out‬
‭water.‬‭They‬‭had‬‭their‬‭first‬‭meal‬‭in‬‭almost‬‭two‬‭days.‬‭However,‬‭their‬‭respite‬‭was‬‭short-lived.‬‭The‬‭black‬‭clouds‬
‭began‬ ‭building‬ ‭up‬ ‭behind‬ ‭them.‬ ‭Within‬ ‭an‬ ‭hour‬ ‭the‬ ‭wind‬ ‭was‬ ‭back‬‭to‬‭40‬‭knots‬‭and‬‭the‬‭seas‬‭were‬‭getting‬
‭higher.‬‭The‬‭weather‬‭continued‬‭to‬‭deteriorate‬‭throughout‬‭the‬‭night,‬‭and‬‭by‬‭dawn‬‭on‬‭January‬‭5‬‭their‬‭situation‬
‭was again desperate.‬

‭6.‬ W ‭ hat‬ ‭difference‬ ‭did‬ ‭you‬ ‭notice‬ ‭between‬‭the‬‭reaction‬‭of‬‭the‬‭adults‬‭and‬‭the‬‭children‬‭when‬‭faced‬‭with‬

‭danger?‬
‭There‬ ‭was‬ ‭a‬ ‭lot‬ ‭of‬ ‭difference‬ ‭between‬ ‭the‬ ‭way‬ ‭in‬ ‭which‬ ‭the‬ ‭adults‬ ‭and‬ ‭children reacted‬ ‭when‬‭they‬‭faced‬
‭danger.‬‭The‬‭adults‬‭acted‬‭bravely‬‭and‬‭tried‬‭to‬‭do‬‭everything‬‭to‬‭protect‬‭the‬‭boat‬‭from‬‭drowning.‬‭However,‬‭one‬
‭could‬ ‭often‬ ‭see‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬ ‭adults‬ ‭often‬ ‭faced‬ ‭hopelessness‬ ‭and‬ ‭almost‬ ‭succumbed‬ ‭to‬ ‭death,‬ ‭whereas‬ ‭the‬
‭children‬ ‭remained‬ ‭hopeful‬ ‭throughout‬ ‭the‬ ‭journey‬ ‭and‬ ‭played‬ ‭a‬ ‭pivotal‬ ‭role‬‭during‬‭the‬‭tough‬‭times.‬‭They‬
‭offered‬ ‭moral‬ ‭support‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭adults.‬ ‭They‬ ‭displayed‬ ‭maturity‬ ‭and‬ ‭tolerance.‬ ‭Jonathan‬ ‭expressed‬ ‭his‬
‭fearlessness‬ ‭and‬‭courage‬‭when‬‭he‬‭said‬‭that‬‭they‬‭were‬‭not‬‭afraid‬‭of‬‭dying‬‭if‬‭they‬‭all‬‭could‬‭be‬‭together.‬‭Sue‬
‭expressed‬‭her‬‭love‬‭and‬‭gratitude‬‭for‬‭her‬‭parents‬‭by‬‭making‬‭a‬‭greeting‬‭card. She‬‭was‬‭strong‬‭enough‬‭not‬‭to‬‭let‬
‭her parents know about her serious injuries. She did not want to bother her parents at the time of danger.‬

‭7.‬ H
‭ ow does the story suggest optimism helps to “endure the direst stress”?‬
‭The‬ ‭story‬ ‭suggests‬ ‭that‬ ‭optimism‬ ‭certainly‬ ‭helps‬ ‭to‬ ‭endure‬ ‭the‬ ‭direst‬ ‭stress‬ ‭and‬‭the‬‭behaviour‬‭of‬‭the‬‭four‬
‭adults‬‭and‬‭two‬‭kids,‬‭during‬‭the‬‭crisis,‬‭proves‬‭it.‬‭The‬‭mighty‬‭waves‬‭had‬‭smashed‬‭the‬‭deck‬‭and‬‭water‬‭entered‬
‭the‬ ‭ship‬ ‭through‬ ‭many‬ ‭holes‬ ‭and‬ ‭openings.‬ ‭Right‬ ‭from‬ ‭the‬ ‭evening‬ ‭of‬ ‭January‬ ‭2,‬ ‭Larry‬ ‭and‬ ‭Herb‬ ‭kept‬
‭pumping‬‭water‬‭out.‬‭They‬‭worked‬‭continuously‬‭and‬‭it‬‭was‬‭as‬‭a‬‭result‬‭of‬‭their‬‭continuous‬‭pumping‬‭that‬‭they‬
‭were‬‭able‬‭to‬‭control‬‭water‬‭level‬‭by‬‭January‬‭4.‬‭They‬‭remained‬‭cheerful‬‭and‬‭optimistic‬‭while‬‭facing‬‭extremely‬
‭dangerous‬ ‭situations.‬‭The‬‭narrator‬‭as‬‭well‬‭did‬‭not‬‭lose‬‭his‬‭courage,‬‭hope‬‭or‬‭presence‬‭of‬‭mind‬‭while‬‭facing‬
‭problems.‬ ‭He‬ ‭did‬ ‭not‬ ‭worry‬ ‭about‬ ‭the‬ ‭loss‬ ‭of‬ ‭equipment‬ ‭or‬ ‭the‬ ‭injuries‬ ‭sustained‬ ‭by‬ ‭his‬ ‭children.‬ ‭He‬
‭focussed‬ ‭completely‬‭on‬‭the‬‭bigger‬‭picture,‬‭which‬‭was‬‭to‬‭save‬‭the‬‭boat.‬‭He‬‭used‬‭whatever‬‭was‬‭available‬‭to‬
‭save‬ ‭the‬ ‭boat‬ ‭from‬ ‭drowning.‬‭His‬‭self‬‭confidence‬‭and‬‭practical‬‭knowledge‬‭helped‬‭them‬‭to‬‭steer‬‭out‬‭of‬‭the‬
‭storm‬‭and‬‭reach‬‭the‬‭Ile‬‭Amsterdam.‬‭As‬‭for‬‭Mary,‬‭she‬‭bravely‬‭complimented‬‭her‬‭husband‬‭by‬‭staying‬‭at‬‭the‬
‭wheel‬‭for‬‭all‬‭the‬‭crucial‬‭hours‬‭while‬‭he‬‭was‬‭fixing‬‭the‬‭boat‬‭and‬‭also‬‭provided‬‭emotional‬‭support.‬‭She‬‭did‬‭not‬
‭lose‬‭hope‬‭or‬‭courage‬‭either.‬‭The‬‭children‬‭displayed‬‭maturity‬‭and‬‭optimism‬‭too.‬‭They‬‭were‬‭a‬‭constant‬‭source‬
‭of‬‭inspiration‬‭for‬‭the‬‭narrator.‬‭Therefore,‬‭one‬‭can‬‭say‬‭the‬‭story‬‭does‬‭suggest‬‭that‬‭optimism‬‭helps‬‭to‬‭endure‬
‭the direst stress.‬