CLASS 12 · FLAMINGO · CHAPTER 3
Original student-friendly answers for Deep Water and its textbook activities.
18 worked answers · short steps first, explanations when you need them
Textbook pages
Question Understanding the Text
Trace the experiences that build his fear.
An earlier beach scare is followed by nearly drowning in the pool, which makes his fear intense.
Question Understanding the Text
List the gradual steps he takes with the instructor.
He learns swimming gradually with an instructor, then practises until he can swim confidently.
Question Understanding the Text
Connect his training with his later tests in the water.
Practice and persistence help him defeat fear and regain confidence.
Question Talking about the Text / Writing
Give a goal, a practice plan, and a way to notice progress.
Set a clear goal, practise safely in small steps, and track progress.
Question Notice these words and expressions
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
“Treacherous” means dangerous and unpredictable; “misadventure” means an unfortunate accident; “subdued my pride” means controlled embarrassment; “bob to the surface like a cork” means rise quickly to the top; “flailed at the surface” means moved arms wildly while struggling; “curtain of life fell” means he lost consciousness and nearly died; “landlocked salmon” are salmon living in inland lakes; “back and forth across the pool” means repeatedly from one end to the other.
Question Think as You Read 1
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
His fear spoiled activities he enjoyed, such as fishing, canoeing and swimming.
Question Think as You Read 2
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
The instructor trained him step by step.
Question Think as You Read 3
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
He tested himself in the pool and then swam across lakes. When fear returned, he kept going until he regained confidence.
Question Understanding the Text 1
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Repeated sinking, choking, yellow water, and painful bodily sensations make readers share Douglas’s fear and helplessness.
Question Understanding the Text 2
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
He hired an instructor and practised regularly.
Question Understanding the Text 3
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
As an adult, Douglas explains how patient training helped him recover. His lesson is that fear can be reduced by facing it gradually.
Question Talking about the Text 1
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Sample: I practised my class speech at home and before family. I was still nervous, but taking a breath helped me begin and finish.
Question Talking about the Text 2
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Mandela continued working for freedom despite imprisonment and danger. His example shows courage as acting for justice despite hardship.
Question Thinking about Language
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Third person reports the boy’s struggle; Douglas’s first-person version feels closer because it shares his thoughts and sensations.
Question Writing 1
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Plan: describe the skill and fear, show practice in safe steps, explain a setback, then show what improved and how you felt.
Question Writing 2
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Dear Riya, I learned to swim by practising breathing and floating with an instructor. I was nervous, but steady practice helped me cross the shallow pool. Your friend, Anaya.
Question Things to Do
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Examples: Goa and the Andaman Islands—scuba diving/kayaking; Rishikesh—river rafting; Kerala—canoeing. Check local safety guidance.
Question Theme
Give the main idea and support it with one clear detail.
Patient practice can reduce fear; courage means continuing carefully even when fear returns.