Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Here we are providing Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why was the author disappointed with Darchen?
Answer:
Darchen was shabby. The narrator was sick in Darchen. He passed an extremely uncomfortable night because of his breathing problem. Next day when he felt better, he disliked Darchen less.

Question 2.
How did the author and his companions cross the first snow blockage on their way to Mount Kailash?
Answer:
Snow was so steep that they could not go around it. They had to go over it. The danger was that they could slip. They flung handfuls of dirt and covered the snow completely with soil. The narrator and Daniel got off the vehicle to lighten the load and Tsetan drove the vehicle over the snow.

Question 3.
Comment on the sensitive behaviour of hill folk.
Answer:
In the story ‘Silk road’, the Hill folks are very simple, naive and unsophisticated. They are polite and courteous towards all tourists. They actually take good care of all their tourists. They know the fact that they win their bread because of these tourists. They were very hospitable and God-fearing.

Question 4.
How does the author recount his experience at the Darchen Medical College?
Answer:
The doctor at the Darchen Medical College did not wear the traditional white coat of a doctor. He observed the author and diagnosed his problem as the effect of cold and high altitude. He gave him brown powders and pellets to be taken with hot water. The author benefitted with this treatment.

Question 5.
How was the author’s experience at Hor a stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place?
Answer:
The author was disappointed and rather depressed on arrival at Hor. Previous visitors had been overwhelmed by the beauty of Mansarovar Lake, but the author found Hor shabby and dirty.

Question 6.
How can the presence of salt flats in Tibet be explained?
Answer:
Salt flats are vestiges of Tethys ocean which bordered Tibet before the great continental collision.

Question 7.
Where is the town of Hor situated? Describe the town.
Answer:
Hor is located on the eastwest highway when one travels from Lhasa to Kashmir. It is a grim desolate place littered with accumulated refuse. There is no vegetation in this town. It is located on the shore of Lake Mansarovar. On the whole, it has badly painted concrete buildings.

Question 8.
What is the importance of Lake Mansarovar?
Answer:
Lake Mansarovar holds sacred importance for both the Hindus and the Buddhists. It is a source of four great Indian rivers i.e., the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Ganges and the Sutlej. It is an extremely beautiful lake. Its first site often move the tourists into tears.

Question 9.
How did the author suffer at Darchen?
Answer:
Due to extreme cold winds at Hor, on reaching Darchen the author suffered from cold and a blocked nose. He gasped for oxygen, could breathe through one nostril only. He could not sleep at night. He sat up and felt better.

Question 10.
Who was Norbu? How was he different from the local people?
Answer:
Norbu has a Tibetan working in Beijing at the Chinese Academy. He was different from other Tibetans as he was wearing a windcheater and metal rimmed spectacles of a Western style and he spoke English fluently.

Question 11.
Why was the narrator relieved on meeting Norbu?
Answer:
The narrator was quite relieved on meeting Norbu firstly because he was all alone at Darchen. He found a companion in Norbu. He could speak English fluently. He was educated. He didn’t believe in doing Kora on foot in the conventional manner. Both of them decided to hire yaks. In every aspect, Norbu appeared to be an ideal companion for the narrator.

Question 12.
Where was the narrator going? Through what kind of terrain would he have to pass?
Answer:
The narrator was journeying towards Mount Kailash and the Mansarovar Lake where they he had to pass through several high mountain passes. He had to journey through a lot of snow and vast open plains.

Question 13.
Did the narrator encounter any wildlife in the course of his journey?
Answer:
Yes, on the course of his journey, the narrator came across gazelles and herd of wild asses.

Question 14.
What have you learnt about the Tibetan mastiff from the essay?
Answer:
After reading the essay, we found that Tibetan mastiffs are too violent and ferocious with big heads. They are black in colour with their red collars. They attack like bullets fired from guns. They possess massive jaws. Their bark is furious. These mastiffs are so fearless that they can also attack cars and jeeps.

Question 15.
How did the narrator and Tsetan negotiate the hurdle of the swathe of snow?
Answer:
The snow was so steep that they could not go around it. They had to go over it. The danger was that they could slip. They flung handfuls of dirt and covered the snow completely with soil. The narrator and Daniel got off the vehicle to lighten the load and Tsetan drove the vehicle over the snow.

Question 16.
What problems did the narrator and his team experience due to low atmospheric pressure?
Answer:
Due to low atmospheric pressure, the narrator and his team felt their heads going heavy. The low pressure also caused the fuel to expand, making it extremely difficult for them to carry forward onto their journey.

Question 17.
Why has the article been titled ‘Silk Road’?
Answer:
The article has been titled ‘Silk Road’ because the narrator travelled along the old Silk Route in the Himalayas that touches Tibet to reach Mansarovar.

Silk Road Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe the difficulties and disillusionment faced by Nick Middleton during his journey to Mount Kailash.
Answer:
Nick Middleton, the narrator had to journey through the difficult terrain to reach Mount Kailash. The path was totally snow covered, the snow was so steep that they could not go around it. They somehow went over it. The danger was that they could slip. They flung handfuls of dirt and covered the snow completely with soil.

The narrator and Daniel got off the vehicle to lighten the load while Tsetan drove the vehicle over the snow. Due to low atmospheric pressure, he got a headache. The fuel of vehicle also expanded due to the low pressure, which would prove perilous for them. In Darchen, the narrator also suffered from blocked sinuses that resulted in extreme cold and breathing problems. The town Hor was shabby, dirty and very depressing. Overall, the journey of the author was adventurous.

Question 2.
What was the purpose of the narrator’s journey? What route did he take to reach his destination?
Answer:
The author had set up on a religious pilgrimage to perform Kora to Mount Kailash and the Mansarovar Lake. He travelled through the old Silk Route in the Himalayas that touches Tibet to reach Mansarovar. One has to pass through several high mountain passes covered with snow and vast open plains in order to reach this destination. Enroute the narrator crossed Hor and Darchen. The weather at Hor was extremely chilly. The narrator found Hor to be depressing and shabby. Darchen was another dirty place where the narrator suffered from extreme cold and had to take medical help.

Question 3.
What physical discomfort did the narrator experience in Darchen? How did he find relief?
Answer:
While in Darchen, it became extremely tough for the narrator as he got extreme cold due to blocked sinuses. He was gasping for oxygen. He could breathe through only one nostril. He could not sleep, felt utter restlessness. He had fear that he might die if he would sleep. So, he sat up the whole night. Next morning, Tsetan took him for the medical help to the Darchen Medical College. He was given a five-day course of Tibetan medicine which gave him a lot of relief and comfort. After undergoing the treatment, he felt somewhat better. Now, he could sleep soundly.

Question 4.
Why was the narrator disappointed to find no pilgrims at Darchen? Was his disappointment dispelled?
Answer:
The narrator had to do the Kora to Kailash and Mansarovar. He was expecting to join the bands of pilgrims. But it was too early in the season when he reached Darchen. He became so disappointed and desolate. He felt lonely and unhappy without any companion. It became difficult for him to pass leisure time. But, soon he got over this disappointment upon meeting Norbu.

He interacted with him and felt too comfortable in his company. Somewhere, they had similar nature and thoughts which made them perfect for each other. The narrator decided to do Kora with him. They decided to hire yaks as both of them did not believe in doing Kora on foot in the conventional way.
The best part was that in spite of being a Tibetan, Norbu could converse well in English. The narrator felt Norbu would be a perfect companion.

Question 5.
Discuss the accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality.
Answer:
Exotic places are those which are seemingly exciting and unusual. At times, they are connected to foreign countries. We have read about numerous exciting places in the legends i.e. in the ancient stories which take us into the ancient times. Often the accounts and descriptions of such places.

may be exaggerated or heightened not due to a desire to deceive, but due to the writer’s own heightened emotional response. If we visit these places, the reality may be quite different. We should not forget that while writing, the writer often dives into a deep world of fantasy and imagination. So, at times, the writer might accentuate a place. He never does this to mislead his readers, it is done out of writer’s feelings and emotions.