CBSE Class 11 English Silk Road Worksheet Set 01

Introduction

The chapter ‘Silk Road’ is a travelogue written by the famous adventurer and geographer, Nick Middleton. In this chapter, Nick has explained the importance of the Silk Road, also known as Silk Route, an ancient trade route linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Silk went westward, and wools, gold, and silver went towards east. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the Silk Road. The author also gives a vivid description of kora, a religious pilgrimage taken by Tibetan Monks around Mount Kailash.

THEME

In this chapter, the author chronicles the challenges and hardships he faced in the Silk Road regions. Having no religious inclinations himself, he begins to speculate on Tibetan Buddhism as a prerequisite for survival at such an altitude, yet makes the classic Western error of putting bodily discipline before mental striving. He faces a lot of difficulties, but is able to complete his pilgrimage due to his undeterred faith.

Summary

The author, Nick Middleton, describes his journey to Mount Kailash on the Silk Road. In order to complete his kora, the author wishes to visit Mt. Kailash. Thus, he hires Tsetan (a tourist guide and driver), so that he can get someone to drive him up to the mountain. While he was parting with Lhamo (caretaker of the accommodation at Ravu), he receives a long-sleeved sheepskin coat. In order to gain companionship, the author takes Daniel (interpreter from Lhasa) with him till Darchen.

Upon starting their journey, Tsetan takes a shortcut to the south-west. He says that it is a direct route to Mt. Kailash, and in order to reach their destination, they would have to cross the high mountain passes. However, Tsetan assures them that due to lack of snow, it would be easy to do so. On their way, they cross few gazelles, a herd of wild donkeys and shepherds that were tending their flocks.

Upon reaching the hill, they notice dark tents. They learn that those tents are the homes of nomads and see Tibetan mastiffs guarding the tents. When they reach near the tents, the dogs with large jaws run after their car. Upon entering the valley, they witness mountains and rivers covered in snow and ice.

They ride on the hill which starts turning sharper and bumpier. As they reach higher, the author could feel the pressure and he noticed that they were at a height of 5,210 metres above the sea level. After clearing the first hurdle of snow-filled roads, they were on and about. The author, after some time, starts feeling uneasy due to the height and pressure. At around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, they stop for lunch.

Finally, they reach a small town called ‘Hor’ by late afternoon. The author takes a break in Hor and sits at a local café sipping tea. During this time, Tsetan gets the car fixed and Daniel leaves for Lhasa. The author does not like Hor very much. After resuming the journey, they spend the night at a guest house in Darchen. The author suffers from nose congestion due to altitude change and chilly weather. He goes to see a Tibetan doctor and receives a five-day course of medication.

After that, he feels better and enjoys his stay at Darchen, where he meets another pilgrim, Norbu. As Darchen had no pilgrims, the author is now relieved and decides to complete his pilgrimage with him. Finally, they hire yaks for their luggage and climb Mount Kailash.

About the Author

Nick Middleton teaches geography at Oxford University and is a fellow of St Anne’s College. He is a Royal Geographical Society award-winning writer, and the author of ‘Travelogues’. He specialises in desertification. Dr. Nick Middleton’s background is in the physical side of geography, but his interests span the entire subject. His academic role is supplemented by his work as an environmental consultant and freelance author having written more than 200 articles in journals, magazines and newspapers, and 16 books. He has also co-written and edited another nine volumes.

Questions

Question. Give reasons for the following statement: The article has been titled ‘Silk Road.’
Answer: The article has been titled ‘Silk Road’ because the protagonist explored the region of the old Silk Route which was one of the historical routes for trade. Trade of Chinese silk, spices, teas and porcelain, Indian textiles, pepper and precious stones, the Roman Empire’s gold, silver, glassware, wine, carpets, and jewels, etc. were done through this route.

Question. Give reasons for the following statement: Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
Answer: Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as big hunting dogs. They were fearless and furious with big jaws. They were brought along the Silk Road as watchdogs from Tibet. They were a tribute in ancient times.

Question. Give reasons for the following statement: The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.
Answer: Hor was a grim, miserable place. The dust and rocks were scattered everywhere in abundance; there was little vegetation. The place seemed unfortunate and dejected, though it sat on the shore of the lake Manasarovar. The author was flabbergasted to realise the contrast in his experience to that of the earlier read accounts. A Japanese monk, Ekai Kawaguchi, who had arrived there in 1990, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears. The hallowed waters had a similar effect on Sven Hedin, a Swede who was not prone to sentimental outbursts. However, when the author reached Hor, he first had to get two punctures mended. The only relaxation was the tea served by a Chinese youth in the only cafe in the town, which was constructed from badly painted concrete with three broken windows.

Question. Give reasons for the following statement: The author was disappointed with Darchen.
Answer: The author was disappointed with Darchen because he was having health issues due to the change in altitude. He caught a cold and was unable to sleep at night. The place had no pilgrims and it was filled with loads of remains and trash.

Question. Give reasons for the following statement: The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Answer: The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all because he finally met someone who understood his language and was there to complete the kora just like him. Earlier, he got ill as soon as he reached the place. No one understood English well. He felt lonely as there were no pilgrims around. He met Norbu at Darchen’s only cafe and decided to team up with him to complete his journey. He was glad that he maintained his positive thinking approach in life.

Briefly comment on

Question. The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash.
Answer: The author wanted to go to Mount Kailash to complete the kora which is an essential pilgrimage in Buddhism. Buddhist believers are supposed to perform meditation during this process.

Question. The author’s physical condition in Darchen.
Answer: The author was ill when he reached Darchen. He caught a cold because of the weather and altitude change. He didn’t sleep well and the next day, he went to a Tibetan doctor who gave him some medicine.

Question. The author’s meeting with Norbu.
Answer: The author was feeling lonely in Darchen as Tsetan left for Lhasa. No one knew the English language much in that place. There were no pilgrims at that time of the year. He met Norbu at a local café. Norbu was an academic from Beijing who worked for the Institute of Ethnic Literature. He was at Darchen to complete the kora.

Question. Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Answer: Tsetan played an important role during the author’s journey. He was an efficient driver. He took care of the author when he got ill after reaching Darchen. He took him to the medical college and got medicine for him. He also informed him about the places they were visiting in their journey.

Question. “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.”
Answer: Tsetan was a Buddhist who believed that death is not the end. He might have gone directly to heaven as Kailash is a holy place. He thought it would be bad if the author died because it might affect his business and he would not get any customers in the future. He could have lost his credibility.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Discuss in groups of four

Question. The sensitive behaviour of hill-folks.
Answer: The hill-folks are very innocent and unsophisticated people. They are good at hospitality like Tsetan, who took care of the author all the time.

Question. The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.
Answer: The author was an academician who wanted to take the journey for the purpose of education. He wanted to learn from this experience. Normally, people take such a difficult journey for the spirit of adventure. Also, religious beliefs play an important role in such journeys.

Question. The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality.
Answer: Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are two prominent places in legends. Many people talk about these and there are many articles published online regarding the two places.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE

Question. Notice the kind of English Tsetan uses while talking to the author. How do you think he picked it up?
Answer: Tsetan must have picked up English through his interactions with tourists.

Question. What do the following utterances indicate?
(i) “I told her, through Daniel …”
(ii) “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
Answer: (i) She didn’t know English, so Daniel translated what the author was saying in the Tibetan language.
(ii) The Tibetan doctor was speaking in the Tibetan language. Tsetan translated it to the author in English.

Question. Guess the meaning of the following words: kora, drokba, kyang. In which language are these words found?
Answer: Kora – circumambulation of the temple
Drokba – shepherd
Kyang – a wild donkey of Tibet
These words are found in the Tibetan language.

WORKING WITH WORDS

Question. The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the mountainside like: A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky. Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.
Answer: (i) After ducking back into her tent, she emerged carrying one of the hand sleeved sheepskin coats that ....
(ii) It involved crossing several fairly high mountain passes.
(iii) Extended banks of cloud like French loaves glowed as the Sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush.

Question. Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases.
(i) shaggy monsters
(ii) brackish lakes
(iii) rickety table
(iv) hairpin bend
(v) rudimentary general stores
Answer: (i) Shaggy means hairy and unkempt
(ii) Brackish means slightly salty
(iii) Rickety means wobbly or shaky
(iv) Hairpin means very sharp
(v) Rudimentary means elementary or basic

Extract-based Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow. 

A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky on 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.”

Question. (a) Where was the author heading towards?
(i) Mount Kailash
(ii) Himalayas
(iii) Uttarakhand
(iv) Delhi
Answer: (i) Mount Kailash

Question. (b) What do you understand by ‘drokba’?
Answer: Drokba refers to the people who wander as nomads in the region of Tibet.

Question. (c) Who was Lhamo?
Answer: Lhamo was a Tibetan woman who had set up a tent for pilgrims near Ravu. She was honest and helpful. She offered a long-sleeved sheepskin coat as a farewell gift.

Tired and hungry, I started breathing through my mouth. After a while, I switched to single-nostril power which seemed to be admitting enough oxygen but, just as I was drifting off, I woke up abruptly. Something was wrong. My chest felt strangely heavy and I sat up, a movement that cleared my nasal passages almost instantly and relieved the feeling in my chest. Curious, I thought.

Question. (a) Where is the author in the given extract? What has happened to him?
Answer: The author is in a guest house staying for a night in Darchen. His nostril was blocked again due to which he couldn’t sleep that night. He was gasping for oxygen throughout the night.

Question. (b) Was he able to sleep that night?
Answer: No, he could not sleep at all that night. As soon as he laid down to sleep, his sinuses filled and he felt something strange in his chest.

Question. (c) Where did Tsetan take the author to seek medical help the next day?
(i) Darchen Medical College
(ii) Tibetan Ayurvedic Doctor
(iii) To Lhasa
(iv) To Ravu
Answer: (i) Darchen Medical College

These shaggy monsters, blacker than the darkest night, usually wore bright red collars and barked furiously with massive jaws. They were completely fearless of our vehicle, shooting straight into our path, causing Tsetan to brake and swerve. The dog would make chase for a hundred metres or so before easing off, having seen us off the property. It wasn’t difficult to understand why ferocious Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs, brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet.

Question. (a) Why were Tibetan mastiffs popular in China’s imperial courts?
Answer: Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. They were huge black dogs used as watch dogs.

Question. (b) Why was the author fascinated by seeing the Tibetan Mastiffs?
Answer: Crossing the nomad’s dark tents pitched in remoteness, the author noticed that a huge black dog guarded most of the tents. These monstrous creatures would tilt their great big heads when someone moved towards the them.

Question. (c) What did the big dogs do when they saw the approaching car?
(i) They ran behind it as a bullet fired from a gun.
(ii) They ignored it.
(iii) They barked towards the car.
(iv) They never saw it.
Answer: (i) They ran behind it as a bullet fired from a gun.

Hor was a grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse, which was unfortunate given that the town sat on the shore of Lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology pinpoints Manasarovar as the source of four great Indian rivers: the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra. Actually only the Sutlej flows from the lake, but the headwaters of the others all rise nearby on the flanks of Mount Kailash. We were within striking distance of the great mountain and I was eager to forge ahead.

Question. (a) What was unfortunate, according to the author?
Answer: It was unfortunate that the town of Hor which sat on the shore of lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water, had become a grim, miserable place with years of accumulated refuse.

Question. (b) Why was Hor an ugly and miserable place?
(i) Because it had no modern markets
(ii) Because it had no vegetation
(iii) Because it didn’t had any proper medical facilities
(iv) Because it had no place to live
Answer: (ii) Because it had no vegetation

Question. (c) How was the author feeling on reaching Hor?
Answer: The author was feeling disappointed and depressed on reaching Hor.

One afternoon I sat pondering my options over a glass of tea in Darchen’s only cafe. After a little consideration, I concluded they were severely limited. Clearly I hadn’t made much progress with my self-help programme on positive thinking. In my defence, it hadn’t been easy with all my sleeping difficulties, but however I looked at it, I could only wait. The pilgrimage trail was well-trodden, but I didn’t fancy doing it alone. The kora was seasonal because parts of the route were liable to blockage by snow.

Question. (a) What is ‘kora’?
(i) Yoga asana
(ii) Medication
(iii) Name of a small town
(iv) Meditation in Buddhist tradition
Answer: (iv) Meditation in Buddhist tradition

Question. (b) Why did the author not dare to do the kora alone?
Answer: The author was afraid of getting sick and he thought that someone should be there with him if he needs any kind of help or care. So he did not dare to complete the kora alone.

Question. (c) How did the author conclude that he had arrived early to do the kora?
Answer: The author had planned to do the kora in the company of other devotees. But to his surprise, there were no pilgrims to be found in Darchen. It looked quite deserted.

Short Answer Questions 

Question. While crossing the rocky wilderness, whom did they see and what was their reaction?
Answer: While crossing the rocky wilderness, they saw solitary drokbas, both men and women, well-wrapped in sheepskin coats, who were tending their flocks. They would pause and stare at their car, sometimes waving as they passed.

Question. How did the Tibetan mastiff react when they approached?
Answer: The dogs cocked their great big heads when they became aware of their approach and fixed them in their sights. As they drew nearer, they exploded into action, speeding directly towards them as fast as a bullet from a gun.

Question. How did the author feel when they were at a height of about 5,400 metres above the sea level?
Answer: When they were up about 5,400 metres from the sea level, the mountain was covered with snow and the author felt his head throbbing horribly. He took some water from his bottle, which was supposed to help a rapid ascent.

Question. What disappointed the author at Darchen?
Answer: Darchen was grimy, partially dilapidated place scattered with rubble and refuse. The lethargic and sluggish town had few simple general stores which sold Chinese cigarettes, soaps and other basic necessities, as well as customary strings of prayer flags. The high altitude also gave him health problems and he caught a cold. He did not see any pilgrims in the place because of his early arrival. All these circumstances disappointed him.

Question. When did the author feel unwell for the first time? What did he do?
Answer: When they went further up the trail and were 5,400 metres above the sea level, the author got an awful headache. He took gulps from his water bottle, which was supposed to help during a speedy uphill journey. His headache soon cleared as they went down the other side of the pass.

Question. What was the sight on the plateau ruins of the Tethys Ocean?
Answer: The author and his friends stopped for lunch in a long canvas tent, beside a dry salt lake. The plateau was covered with salty desert area and salty lakes that were remnants of the Tethys Ocean. The place was bustling with activity. Men with pickaxes and shovels were moving back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-covered boots.