Word Meaning, Summary, Important Questions Of Chapter 3 Deep Water | Class 12

Chapter 4 A Thing of Beauty

Hindi Meaning Of Difficult Words | Chapter 3 Deep Water

S.No.WordMeaningsMeanings (in hindi)Synonyms
1Treacherous dangerousकपटीfaker, traitor
2Drop slope from the shallow area to the deep areaलोलकflap, pendant
3Skinny thinपतलाdiluted, slender, dilute
4Subdued to overcomeवशीभूतsubjugated, addicted
5Pride self-respectगौरवdignity, honour
6Aversion dislikeघृणा hate, disgust, scorn
7Surf wave of the seaलहरswell, wave.
8Knocked me downthrew him downमुझे नीचे गिराया……….
9Revived brought back to mindपुनर्जीवितbring to life, bring back, rescue
10Aping copyingनकल करनाmimic, simulate
11To feel at ease to feel comfortableआराम से महसूस करने के लिएcosy, pleasant
12Specimenexampleनमूनाsample, cam, model
13Miniature small sizeलघुmini, little, short,
14Ducked push or plunge someone under waterपानी में गोता लगानाdouse
15Tossed threwफेंक दियाemit, shove, plunk
16Wits intelligenceबुद्धिwisdom, brainpower
17Summoned gatheredबटोरनाpick, mass, rally
18Spring pushधक्काimpact, put, blow
19Bob jumpहिलनाtremble, dodder
20Tinge touch of colourरंग coloring, hue, spatula
21Suffocating unable to breathe due to lack of airघुटना-संबंधीasphyxiate, strangle, throttle
22Yell screamचीखshriek, screech, bellow
23Rigid hardकठोरdrastic, stiff, tough
24Expending losing, giving outव्यय करनाconsume, deplete, diffuse
25Ached painedपीड़ा होनाhurt, be in pain
26Throbbed
felt pain in a series of beatsस्फूर्तvibrated, dynamic, shaken
27Dizzy faint, unsteadyचक्‍कर लानेवालाgiddy, light-headed
28Strategy plan of actionरणनीतिmaster plan, game plan
29Strike out extendजल्दी से चलनाpike, skitter
30Thrash hit with forceपीटनाbeat, flog, whip
31Stark severeकड़ाSpartan, inflexible
32Seized grippedजब्तclutch, grasp, snatch
34Vestigestracesअवशेषmark, trail, notch
35Paralysed incapable of movementलक़वा मारा हुआparalytic, palsied, paralysed
36Commandorderआदेशmandate, injunction, testament
37Ceased endedसमाप्तcompleted, Dismissed
38Limp lifelessनिष्प्राणInanimate, defunct, Exanimate
39Curtain of life fell life came to an endजीवन समाप्त हो गयाdying, extinction
40Cascades waterfallझरनेfalls, water chute, cataract
41Handicap a circumstance that makes progress or success difficultअपंगताobstacle
42Canoes small boatsडोंगियों paddle, dinghy
43Ruined destroyedतबाह undone, down-and-out
44Deprived to take awayवंचितdisadvantaged, underprivileged
45Cable thick ropeकेबलcord, rope ,wire
46Slack to reduceकम करनाslow, detract
47Shed removedनिकालनाeject, take out, deport
48Panic fearसंत्रासintimidation, dismay, terror




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About The Poet | William Douglas | Chapter 3 Deep Water

William Douglas (1893-1980) was an American born in Maine Minnesota. He graduated in English and Economics and then later advanced his career in law. He remains the longest-serving justice in the history of court, serving a term of thirty six years. He became the adviser of the President Franklin D Roosevelt. The excerpt “Deep Water” is taken from an autobiography Of Men and Mountains’ written by William Douglas. In this excerpt he has narrated the incidence which was the reason of developing aquaphobia and his strategies through which he braved his fear.

Short Summary Of Chapter 3 Deep Water In English

The author recollects his first encounter with his fear of water as a three or four year old child. His father had taken him to a beach in California. He held his father tightly. However, a wave knocked him down. He felt smothered and scared.

When the writer was ten years old he planned to learn swimming but this time he took caution. He chose YMCA pool as it was safer than Yakima river. The pool was 2 feet at its shallow end and 9 feet at the deeper end.

He got a pair of water wings. He mustered courage and paddled aping others. He started regaining his confidence. But, this newly found courage was soon lost. An 18 year old boy hurled him into deep side of the pool. There was nobody close to the pool. Douglas went to the bottom of the pool. He was alert. He planned to push himself up on touching the bottom of the pool, then lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool. But that seemed to be a never ending fall. These nine feet appeared to him like ninety feet. He felt acute uneasiness and his lungs seemed to burst. As soon as he touched the bottom, he tried to jump but much to his disappointment it was very slow and all he could see was water. He felt extremely terrified and suffocated. Douglas started making desperate efforts for survival. He looked for a rope but could not find it. He could see only water all around. His legs got stiff like lifeless objects. He again sank back to the bottom of the pool. Breathless, he hit at the bottom with all his strength. His screams were lost in water. He got a throbbing pain in his head, his lungs almost gave up and he started filling dizzy. However, his mind was still planning to escape this drowning. He was panic-stricken. He was going down endlessly. There was water all around. He was extremely frightened but his limbs gave up. He tried calling for help but it was in vain. Then fortunately he saw light. His eyes and nose came to the surface but then he sank again for the third time as this success was momentary. The writer gave up all his efforts. He accepted this as his destiny and went into oblivion.

When he regained his consciousness, he found himself vomiting next to the pool. The boy who hurled him was saying that he was fooling around. Douglas had a close meet up with death.

This incident had a deep-seated impact on him. He reached home and was feeling weak and trembling. He could not eat anything that night. For days he was terrified. Consequently, he avoided water whenever he could.

This fear of childhood followed him. This did not let him relish the joy of fishing, canoeing, boating or swimming.

Once Douglas grew old he was determined to overcome this fear. Finally, he decided to get an instructor to learn swimming. He went to the pool and practiced five days a week, one hour each day. The instructor put a belt around him which was attached to a rope. So he practiced swimming forward and backward. For weeks he practiced. It took almost three months for the tension to release. The instructor taught him the breathing techniques exhaling underwater and inhaling by raising his nose. He practiced it hundreds of times. Then the instructor taught him to kick with his legs in water. Initially, his legs got stiff but gradually he developed complete control on them. Soon Douglas could swim across the length of the pool. But he was still scared when left alone in the pool. His childhood fear petrified him. Therefore, he thought of conquering his fear. He went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Trigs island, and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. For once did the terror return but he continued to swim. For his own reassurance, he went up the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek trail to Meade Glacier and camped at the side of Warm Lake. He swam across the other shore and back. He was thrilled that he had finally overcome his fear.

The narrator felt victorious that he had finally conquered his fear. He quoted that the death is full of peace, but the fear of death terrorizes. In this excerpt Douglas has narrated his near-death experience and the way fear of death intensifies his will to live.

Important Previous Year Questions From Chapter 3 Deep Water

  1. SA I (2 marks)
    1. Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water? (Delhi 2014 C)
    2. Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?(Delhi 2014 C)
    3. How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer? (Delhi 2013)
    4. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror? (AI 2013)
    5. Narrate the childhood experience of Douglas. (AI 2013)
    6. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? (Delhi 2012)
    7. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror flee? (AI 2012)
    8. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water? (AI 2012)
    9. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? (Delhi 2012)
    10. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time? (Delhi 2011)
    11. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?(Delhi 2011)
    12. Which factors led Douglas to decide in favor of YMCA pool? (Delhi 2011)

    SA II (3 marks)

    1. How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer? (Delhi 2019)
    2. How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas? (Delhi 2016)
    3. What deep meaning did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool have for Douglas? (AI 2016)
    4. All we have to fear is fear itself. When did Douglas learn this lesson? (AI 2016)
    5. How did the feeling of terror Douglas at Lake Wentworth? How did he to react? return (Foreign 2016)
    6. Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that at the YMCA (Delhi 2015) he should learn swimming swimming pool?
    7. How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water? (Delhi 2015)
    8. How did Douglas experience at YMCA pool affect him? (Delhi 2015)
    9. What lesson did Douglas learn when he go rid of his fear of water? (Delhi 2015 C)

    LAI (5 marks)

    1. The story “Deep Water” has made you realize that with determination and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write a paragraph in about 100 words on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve success in life. (Delhi 2014)
    2. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas experience in “Deep Water”.(Delhi 2014)

    LA II (6 marks)

    1. How did Douglas develop a fear of water?(2020)
    2. Childhood fears are deeply entrenched in our mind. Determination, hard work and right training are needed to get rid of them. Comment on the statement in the light of Douglas’ efforts to overcome his fear of water. (AI 2019)
    3. Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water? (2018)
    4. What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas mind? (Foreign 2015)
    5. How did Douglas experience at the YMCA pool affect him ? How did he get over this effect? (Foreign 2015)
    6. Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water. (Foreign 2015)
    7. “All we have to fear is fear itself. Describe Douglas’ experiences which led to the making of this statement. (Delhi 2015 C)

    LAIV (10 marks)

    1. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water? (Delhi 2012)
    2. How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the YMCA pool! (Delhi 2012)
    3. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer? (AI 2012)

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Answer Of Chapter 3 Deep Water ​ For The Above Questions

  1. The very first incident was the one at the beach with his father when Douglas was three or four year old. A wave had knocked him over and engulfed him in it completely. The next incident was at YMCA when an eighteen year old boy pashed Douglas into the swimming pool.
  1. Douglas’ mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA pool because unlike the Yakima river, which was treacherous and had drowned many, the pool was safe. It was only 2-3 feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet deep at the other end. There too, the fall was gradual.
  1. Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool until Douglas began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practiced this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practice with his instructor made Douglas lose his fear of water and merge as a confident swimmer.
  1. To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum tiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realized that he had finally conquered his fear.
  2. William Douglas wanted to learn swimming. He went to YMCA pool as it was safe. But an eighteen years old came and tossed Douglas into the deep end of the pool. He was frightened but planned a strategy. He decided that the moment his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to t o the edge of the pool. However, because of too much depth, Douglas could not resurface. He tried more than a couple of times. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth.
  1. When Douglas was a child, he had two near drowning experiences, which left in him a deep seated fear of water. This phobia of water often ruined his fishing trips and deprived him of the joy of all water related activities, such as canoeing boating and swimming He felt handicapped due to this fear and it bothered him. This is why Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water.
  1. Douglas went to lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to be sure that the old terror of water had left him for good after the swimming lessons.

Douglas swam two miles across the lake. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. But, he laughed at his fear and brushed it aside. His terror fled away and he swam on.

  1. To get over his fear of water, Douglas hired a swimming coach. Though it took him a lot of time, the instructor showed a great amount of patience and kindness towards Douglas. Bit by bit he taught him to swim and at the same time helped Douglas to overcome his fear. To be sure that he was completely free of his fear of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth to swim across the lake.
  1. Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water because it had ruined his fishing trips. Also, could not enjoy water sports like canoeing, boating or swimming.
  1. Douglas experienced panic and suffocation. He was frightened but he was not out of his wits.
  1. Refer to answer 7.
  1. The YMCA pool was an ideal place for Douglas to learn swimming. It was safe. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end. Though it was nine feet deep at the other end, the drop was gradual.
  1. Refer to answer 3.
  1. At YMCA swimming pool, when Douglas was thrown into the water, it affected him quite deeply. The experience scared him so much that he was unable to eat due to the haunting fear. He become wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach and the slightest exertion tired him. Eventually, he developed fear of water. Since he could not go near the water for many years, he was deprived of the joy of various water related activities, such as canoeing, boating, fishing, etc. in his adulthood.
  1. Douglas developed a fear of getting into the water at a very young age due to two severe water related accidents. However, later when he realized that he was missing out on a lot of fun because of his fear, he decided to face it. The experience of fear and death and its conquest made him live intensely. It made him realize true value of life and helped him enjoy every moment of it.
  1. Once the writer realized that his fear of water was keeping him from enjoying any of the water related sports and activities, he decided to engage a swimming instructor, who gradually helped him face his fear. However, it was after his successful swimming attempts in Lake Wentworth and Warm Lake that the writer understood the real meaning of conquering one’s fear in order to truly value life and enjoy every moment of it. This revelation made the writer confident and determined.
  1. Refer to answer 7.
  1. Refer to answer 2.
  1. Douglas removed his residual doubts by diving into the Warm Lake and swimming across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy when he was able to achieve this feat. He had finally conquered his fear of water.
  1. His experience at the YMCA pool left Douglas haunted by fear of water. He became extremely weak physically and never went back to the pool again. He felt handicapped for years as he couldn’t enjoy any water sport like swimming fishing, boating, etc.
  1. When Douglas finally got rid of his fear of water, he realized that all one has to fear is fear itself. Once the fear is conquered or overcome, one can achieve anything one wants.
  1. In the story Deep Waters, we see Douglas overcoming his childhood fear of water, through determination, perseverance and hard work Thus, this story shows that with positive attitude and strength of will, we can accomplish almost anything. All of us may fear something or the other. But fear, when conquered through courage, becomes victory. The victory, emerging from the bitterness of failures and hardships of enduring them for a long period of time, has its own significance and joy. It might appear to be a long and arduous journey, but it will definitely culminate in success.
  1. Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep Water’ is a great example of how desire, determination and diligence lead to success. When Douglas was just a child, he had major water-related misadventures and (he almost drowned), which affected him badly and he was left with a deep rooted fear of water. This fear stayed with him as he grew older. As the fear lingered on, Douglas realized that it prevented him from enjoying all the activities related to water, such as boating, canoeing, swimming, etc. It was no longer acceptable to Douglas.

Therefore, his strong desire to overcome his fear of water made him take swimming lessons. Even though, the old fear kept coming back, weakening him initially, however, his determination kept him going. Eventually, with rigorous training, vigorous practice and perseverance, he was able to get rid of his fear of water.

  1. Douglas’s first experience with water was when he was a toddler. He was three years old when his father took him to the beach in California. There the waves knocked him down and submerged him completely. He got the fright of his life that was the first instance of Douglas’s terrifying experience with water. The next horrifying episode cemented Douglas’ feelings towards water. After a few years when he was about 10 or 11 years Douglas decided to learn swimming and overcome his fear of water Unfortunately there a bully who made fun of Douglas’ physique and this muscular boy threw Douglas into the deepest ends of the pool. He went straight to the bottom of the pool and had a panic attack. This incident triggered old traumas and from there onwards Douglas aversion to water started to develop into a fear of water so concrete that will affect his regular life in a huge way.
  1. Refer to answer 23,
  1. Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool until Douglas began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practiced this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken but continuous practice with his instructor made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer.

To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum anxiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realized that he had finally conquered his fear.

  1. Refer to answer 5.
  1. Refer to answer 8 and also, His experience at the YMCA pool left Douglas haunted by fear of water. He became extremely weak physically and never went back to the pool again. He felt handicapped for years as he couldn’t enjoy any water sport like swimming, fishing, boating, etc.
  1. Refer to answers 3, 4, 7 and 8.
  1. Refer to answers 4 and 7

31. Douglas was merely three or four years old when he had his first water related accident. His father had taken him to the beach in California where they stood together in the surf. The waves knocked

For more chapters word meanings click on the links given below.

Prose

Chapter 1 The Last Lesson 
Chapter 2 Lost Spring 
Chapter 3 Deep Water 
Chapter 4 The Rattrap 
Chapter 5 Indigo 
Chapter 6 Poets and Pancakes 
Chapter 7 The Interview 
Chapter 8 Going Places

Poem

Chapter 1 My Mother at Sixty-six 
Chapter 2 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum 
Chapter 3 Keeping Quiet 
Chapter 4 A Thing of Beauty 
Chapter 5 A Roadside Stand 
Chapter 6 Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

Vistas

Chapter 1 Third Level  
Chapter 2 The Tiger King 
Chapter 3 The Enemy 
Chapter 4 Journey to the End of the Earth 
Chapter 5 Should Wizard Hit Mommy? 
Chapter 6 On the Face of It 
Chapter 7 Evans Tries an O-level 
Chapter 8 Memories of Childhood

Download Free pdf For NCERT English Solutions Class 12

Chapter 1 The Last Lesson 
Chapter 2 Lost Spring 
Chapter 3 Deep Water 
Chapter 4 The Rattrap 
Chapter 5 Indigo 
Chapter 6 Poets and Pancakes 
Chapter 7 The Interview 
Chapter 8 Going Places

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