Chapter – 8 Silk Road Important Question
A. Very short answer questions – 1 marks
1. Word-Meaning i. Clambered ii. Galloping iii. Incongruous iv. Cavernous
Answer- i. Climb ii. Going at the pace of horse iii. Out of place iv. Vast
2. Which place does the author decide to go?
Answer- The author decided to go to Mount Kailash.
3. Why does the author go to Mount Kailash?
Answer- The author decided to go to Mount Kailash to complete the kora.
4. Why does the author take the shortcut?
Answer- The author took the shortcut to get off the Changtant.
5. Which dog was famous in China and why?
Answer- Tibetan mastiffs were famous in China‟s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were a tribute in ancient times from Tibet.
B. Short Answer Questions – 2 marks
1. Who was Lhamo? Answer- Lhamo is the girl in the article “Silk Road” who wanted to give a farewell present to the author and advised him to carry some warm clothes while travelling to Mount Kailash.
2. What difficulties did Tsetan faced while taking shortcut? Answer- Tsetan and the author took a short cut to get off the Changtang. The short cut involved crossing several fairly high mountain passes. The plains became less
grassy and stonier. A herd of wild ass came in between during the short cut.
3. What did the doctors in the Darchen Medical College look? Answer- In the Darchen Medical College, there were Tibetan doctor that wore none of the paraphernalia that the author had been expecting. No white coat, the doctor looked like any other Tibetan with a thick pullover and a woolly hat.
4. Why does Kora mean?
Answer- The Kora indicates a rite of circumambulating the holy mountain that is taking a full circle around it. For this, the author took up the Silk route to reach Mount Kailash and faced heavy odds to reach there.
5. Comment on the appearance of Darchen Medical College.
Answer- The College in Darchen or the Darchen Medical College was new and looked like a monastery from the outside with a very solid door that led into a large courtyard. The author and Tsetan found the consulting room which was dark and cold and occupied
by a Tibetan doctor who wore none of the paraphernalia that they had been expecting.
C. Short answer questions – 3 marks
1. “As a good Buddhist, he knew that it didn‟t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business.” Demonstrate.
Answer- Tsetan was a Buddhist. He believed that death is the final „Nirvana‟. Kailash was a holy place. He had a feeling that his death would discourage the tourists from coming which will be bad for their business. It will not be good for his business because the credibility would be at stake in looking after the tourists.
2. How the experience of the author at Hor was different from the earlier visits to the place?
Answer- If we look into the earlier account, Hor is filled with natural beauty. It was situated on the sacred Lake Manasarovar. There were stories that various pilgrims have cried seeing the beauty of the place. But the narrator‟s experience was different from theirs. He did not feel good about the place as he observed that there is no vegetation in Hor. The entire place looked dusty and rocky.
3. What made the author believe that his strategy of positive thinking went well?
Answer- The author observes that the place Darchen gets thousands of visitors throughout the year but it is mostly deserted or he had arrived early as Tsetan had left for Lhasa. He felt lonely as there were no pilgrims around and then he met Norbu. Norbu was an English speaking Tibetan and wanted to visit Kailash and has written about Kailash Kora quite a few times. The writer and the author felt that they could team up and visit the Kailash together.
4. What disappointed the author in Darchen?
Answer- Darchen was grimy, partially dilapidated and scattered by loads of rubble and refuse. The lethargic and sluggish town had a couple of simple general stores that sold Chinese Cigarettes, soap and other basic requirements, as well as the customary strings of prayer flags. The high altitude gave him health problems. He caught cold and was awake throughout the nights. He did not see any pilgrims in the place because of his early arrival. All these circumstances disappointed the author.
5. How do you think Tsetan has supported the author during his journey?
Answer- Tsetan was a Buddhist who was also a good and efficient driver in the hills. He was very careful while driving. In his journey with the author to Darchen, he looked after the author. When he saw that the author is feeling unwell, he immediately took him to Darchen Medical College and got him treated.
D. Long Answer Questions- 5 marks
1. Why do you think the lesson has been named as „Silk Road‟? Answer- The Silk Road is a network of overland routes that link Europe with Asia. The Europeans had been following this route for their trades such as silk, horses and exotic fauna and flora of the East since ancient times. The Travellers buy and sell many items, such as silk and spice from China along the route. The author follows the same route to reach Mount Kailash for Kora. Thus, the title is “Silk Road.” The chapter defines the whole route and difficulties people often encounter there.
2. What was the physical condition of the author in Darchen.
Answer- In Darchen, the doctor had a disturbing night. He caught cold and his nostrils got blocked because of the weather in Darchen. He was unable to breathe
through the mouth either. He felt tired and hungry at the same time. When the author could not sleep, he woke hastily and there was heaviness in his chest. He sits and clears his nasal passage which relieved him but not completely. He felt if he sleeps, he might die so he kept awake the whole night. And the following morning, Tsetan takes him to consult a doctor who prescribed some medicines that finally relieved the author.
3. Why does the narrator think that the snow was dangerous yet beautiful?
Answer- Silk Road by Nick Middleton is a thorough account of the author‟s visit to Mount Kailash. Tsetan on his way reviewed the snow on the path by stomping on it. The snow was not deep enough. But they feared if they slipped, the car would turn over. Therefore, they flung a handful of dirt across the frozen surface to cover the risk. After that, they were able to drive without any trouble. Ten minutes later, they stopped at one more obstruction. This time they determined to drive about the snow. However, the risks did not weaken the attractive beauty of the place. In the valley, they saw mountains that were totally covered with snow and the river was wide but mostly jammed with ice that was sparkling in the sunshine.
4. Write down the third stanza of the poem “Father to Son” and describe it. Answer- Silence surrounds us. I would have Him prodigal, returning to His father‟s house, the home he knew, Rather than see him make and move his world. I would forgive him too, shaping from sorrow a new love.
In the third stanza, the poet has written about how a father sees his son as the „prodigal son‟. He believes that his son spends money recklessly. The father has waited for his son to return home.
5. Write the summary of the poem Father to Son.
Answer- The poem Father to Son is written by Elizabeth Jennings. The poet has described the problematic relationship between a father and his son. She has described the generation gap between the two men and how the father is mourning as he is helpless in understanding his child. The father is desperate to have the same kind of bond that he had with son when the son was a child. The father wants to understand why in his grief, he gets angry at his son. But now the relationship lacks communication and understanding. They have been living in the same house for years but they behave like strangers.