Q.1. What is Kora?
(A) Yoga Aasan
(B) Medication
(C) name of a small town
(D) meditation performed by Buddhist believer
Q.2. What was the sky looking like due to the sun rays spreading on the mountain tops?
(A) yellow blush
(B) rose-tinted blush
(C) beautiful and fresh
(D) None of the above
Q.3. What did Lhamo give to the protagonist as a farewell gift?
(A) long sleeved sheep-skinned coat
(B) Flowers
(C) leather coat
(D) shoes
Q.4. Why did the driver take a short cut to Changtang?
(A) he wanted to avoid traffic
(B) he knew the shortest route towards Mount Kailash
(C) he had to pick up another passenger
(D) he didn't wanted to go to that town
Q.5. What did the big Tibetan dogs do after they saw the approaching car?
(A) they ran behind it as a bullet
(B) they ignored it
(C) they barked towards the car
(D) they never saw it
Q.6. When did the protagonist feel pressure on his ears?
(A) when they reached Mount Kailash
(B) when he was feeling sick in the car
(C) when they entered a valley along icy river
(D) when they were passing nomads tents
Q.7. Why did the driver stop the car at a sharp turn?
(A) he was tired and wanted to rest
(B) protagonist was feeling sick
(C) car's tyre got punctured
(D) long track of snow was in front of them
Q.8. What were the protagonist, Daniel and Tsetan doing when they saw the snow?
(A) trying to enjoy the snow
(B) sat at a rock to take rest
(C) trying to move smoothly over snowy surface
(D) they were trying to find a guest house
Q.9. At what sea level were the three of them when they saw the snow on the road?
(A) 5210 meters
(B) 6000 meters
(C) 1000 meters
(D) 5300 meters
Q.10. When did the protagonist's head start to feel pulsated again?
(A) when he reached his guest house
(B) when he was climbing the mountain
(C) when he was still in the car
(D) when he fainted
Q.11. What was an old route from Lhasa to Kashmir?
(A) east-west highway
(B) Hor town
(C) west-south highway
(D) south-west highway
Q.12. Why was Hor an ugly and miserable place?
(A) it had no modern markets
(B) it had no vegetation
(C) it didn't had any proper medical facilities
(D) it had no place to live
Q.13. What are the names of four rivers that Lake Mansarovar consists of?
(A) the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Sutlej
(B) the Yamuna, the Ganga and the Indus
(C) the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra
(D) the Indus, the Ganges and the Yamuna
Q.14. Where did Tsetan take the protagonist to seek medical help?
(A) Darchen Medical College
(B) Tibetan Ayurvedic Doctor
(C) to Lhasa
(D) to Ravu again
Q.15. Why was the protagonist facing communication problems in Darchen?
(A) as he never wanted to talk to locals
(B) as he was always busy in his meditation
(C) as no one knew English
(D) None of the above
Q.16. Why did Norbu want to do Kora?
(A) because he wanted to become a monk
(B) because he wanted peace
(C) as he was practising meditation from so long
(D) because he was writing an academic paper on Kailash Kora
Answer key:-
1. (D)
2. (B)
3. (A)
4. (B)
5. (A)
Explanation: They didn't like any car to approach the tent. They were actually hunting dogs.
6. (C)
7. (D)
Explanation: Long track of snow was in front of them and car would skid on that surface.
8. (C)
Explanation: They made a way for their vehicle.
9. (A)
10. (B)
11. (A)
12. (B)
Explanation: it
13. (C)
14. (A)
15. (C)
16. (D)
Extract Based MCQs:-
Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions by choosing the correct option:
A FLAWLESS half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky in the morning we said our goodbyes Extended banks of cloud-like long French loaves glowed pink as the sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush. Now that we were leaving Ravu, Lhamo said she wanted to give me a farewell present. One evening I'd told her through Daniel that I was heading towards Mount Kailash to complete the kora and she'd said that I ought to get some warmer clothes. After ducking back into her tent, she emerged carrying one of the long-sleeved sheepskin coats that all the men wore. Tsetan sized me up as we clambered into his car. "Ah, yes, he declared, "drokba, sir."
Q. 1. Which figure of speech can you spot in, "Extended banks of cloud-like long French loaves"?
(A) Simile
(B) Metaphor
(C) Alliteration
(D) Oxymoron
Q.2. Which of the following objects could be seen in the sky on that day?
1. Moon
2. Sun
3. Trees
4. Bread
5. Clouds
6. Mountains
(A) 1,2,3
(B) 1,2,5,6
(C) 2,5,6
(D) 2,3,6
Q.3. Based on the above extract, classify the following as Fact (F) or Opinion (O).
1. The author was heading towards Mount Kailash to complete the Kora.
2. Author didn't have any warm clothes. 3. Lhamo didn't understand any word of the author.
4. Mountains must have been capped with snow.
5. The moon and the sun both are visible in the sky. 6. Daniel was the translator for the author.
(A) F-1,5,6; O-2,3,4
(B) F-1,2,4; O-3,5,6
(C) F-1,4,5; O-2,3,6
(D) F-4,5; O-1,2,3,6
Q.4. What is meant by 'ducking back?
(A) going out and coming in
(B) going in and coming out
(C) bending the waist and craning the neck
(D) to and fro movement
Answer key:-
1. (A)
Explanation: comparison using 'like'.
2. (B)
3. (A)
4. (B)
Explanation: Frantic race is to go to a level of madness.
Short Answer Type Questions:-
Q.1. Why did the author take the short cut inspite of high mountain passes ?
Ans. The short cut would take them south west, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. Crossing high mountains passes posed breathing problems. Absence of snow meant a fairly good ride.
Q.2. What did the author notice in the vast open plains after leaving Ravu?
Ans. These vast open plains had only dry pastures. A few gazelles could be seen nibbling the grass. When the plains grew more stony than grass, he saw a great head of wild asses.
Q.3. What were drokbas doing in the "rocky wilderness" ?
Ans. Drokbas are the people, men or women who were tending their flocks in the rocky wilderness. They wear long sleeved sheepskin coat to protect themselves from the cold of the high mountains.
Q.4. Why did the author complain of headache? How did he get relief?
Ans. The author was not used to high altitude climbing. He complained of headache when they had crept past 5,400 metres. He took gulps from his water bottle. This helped somewhat. His headache cleared as they moved down the other side of the pass.
Q.5. How did the author pass the first night at Darchen ?
Ans. It was a very troubled night. The author suffered from cold. He breathed through his mouth. His chest felt heavy. He tired his best to sleep but in vain. Almost the whole night, he had to keep awake.
Q.6. The author's experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place. Give reasons.
Ans. The author had heard about the experience of Japanese monk who was so moved by the sanctity of the lake Mansarovar that he burst into tears. But author was disappointed when he himself visited Hor. It was a grim and miserable place. There was no vegetation. There were only dust and rocks. The town was on the banks of holy lake which was affected badly by the garbage of the town.
Q.7. The author was disappointed with Darchen. Give reasons.
Ans. The author had heard that the town was bustling with visitors in the pilgrimage season. The author was there at the beginning of the season. But he was disappointed to find that there were no visitors. He had come early.
Q.8. The author's meeting with Norbu.
Ans. The author was mentally much troubled when he met Norbu. He was pondering his options over a glass of tea in Darchen's only cafe. His self-help programme on positive thinking was not very helpful either. It was then Norbu come to him. He was a Tibetan who, like the author was there to do Kora. Getting a companion for the journey gave the author his much needed positivity.
Q.9. Thetan's support to the author during the journey.
Ans. Tsetan was a great support to the author The difficult, car journey could not have been possible without him. At Darchen, he took sick author to Darchen Medical College where he was given medicines. These medicines restored his health. Without his help the author could not have visited the Kailash.
Q. 10. "As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn't really matter, if I passed away but he thought it would be bad for business."
Ans. These apparently cruel comments by Tsetan are not at all cruel from the Buddhist point of view. Buddha says that life is full of sorrow and so one should not worry much about death. However, Isetan was a taxi driver too. It would not help if any one who travelled by his car dies soon after the journey. He therefore, says that the author's death would be bad for business.
Long Answer Type Questions:-
Q.1. Describe Nick Middleton's journey from Ravu to the height of 5,210 metres.
Ans. The author Nick Middleton started from Ravu early one morning. He was starting on his pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. On this occasion a woman named Lhamo gave him a farewell present. It was a long sleeved sheepskin coat. Such coats are worn by all the men in that area to protect themselves from cold. Nick Middleton started on his journey in a car which was being driven by Tetan. There was one more person named Daniel with him. Isetan took a short cut to take the author almost directly towards Kailash. This short cut took them across vast open plains with nothing except a few gazelles in them. Stony plains followed these and pastures. There, the author saw herds of wild asses which Isetan called Kyang After these rocky plains, the hills were visible. Here, the author saw solitary Drokbas tending their flocks. Then, there were nomads dark tents. Almost, all of these tents were guarded by Tibetan mastiffs. The snow-capped mountains now came into view. The ride became very bumpy. At one point, the car had to stop. There was ice on the track for about 15 metres. They threw some dust on the ice and then the car moved on. This happened at the height al 5,210 metres
Q.2 Describe the author's journey from the top of the pass to his stay at Hor.
Ans. The top of the pass was at 5,515 metres.
It was marked by a cairn of rocks. The author along with the two other persons took a turn round the cairn in a clockwise direction as is the tradition. The author was suffering from severe headache at this altitude Now, the car careered down to the other side of the pass. He was glad that his headache had now disappeared, At about 2 p.m. they stopped for lunch. Then they started again and by late afternoon reached the small town of Hor. Here, Daniel parted company. He went back to Lhasa in a truck that was going there. Isetan decided to repair his punctured tyres here. So, he sent the author to a cafe to pass about half an hour. Hor did attract the author. Though, he sat on the shore of the sacred lake Manasarovar, it was dirty and full of refuse When Tsetan came back the author started on his journey again.
Q. 3. Give a brief account of the author's visit to the medical college at Darchen and the effect of the Tibetan medicines on him.
Ans. At first, the author was impressed neither by the building of the medical college nor the Tibetan doctor. The building looked like a monastery. The consulting room was dark and cold. The doctor himself appeared like any other Tibeten in a thick-pullover and wooly hat. He had no paraphernalia of a doctor like a white coat on him. The author explained his sleepless symptoms and sudden avension to lying down While feeling his pulse, the Tibetan doctor asked the author some questions. He diagnosed his illness as a cold and effects of the altitude. By now, the author had developed some confidence in the doctor He asked if he would recover enough to be able to do the Kora. The doctor assured him that he would be fine. The doctor gave him a five day course of Tibetan medicine in fifteen screws of paper. The after breakfast package contained a brown powder. The author took it with hot water. The lunch time and bed time package contained small spherical brown small pills. They looked like sheep dung, but the author took them. He found the medicines quite effective. After his first full day's course, he slept soundly at night.
Q.4. What impression do you form of the author, Nick Middleton, on the basis of reading 'Silk Road' ?
Ans. The author is bald headed gentleman who knows English. He was keen on performing Kailash Kara. He undertook the hazardous journey to Mount Kailash for this purpose, he hired Tsetan's car and took Daniel as companion for escorting him upto Darchen. He seems to be a lover of adventure one who is not at all afraid of taking risks. This is evident from his assent to take a short-cut through high mountain passes involving the risk of slipping on snowy roads.
He is a keen observer of men and manners. He has a sharp eye for details. He describes the hilly people quite sensitively. He gives a graphic account of difficulties faced during ascent. His headache and loss of sleep wan caused by cold and high altitude. His observations about lake Manasarovar and Hor reveal the differe between legend and reality. He dislikes dirt and shabbiness. He faces communication problem after Tsetan leaves and before he meets Norbu. However, he walts and takes correct decisions. He approves of Norbu's practical suggestion to hire yaks to carry luggage. In short, he is a sensitive and likeable fellow.
