The Adventure – NCERT Solutions

Q. Tick the statements that are true in the following:

  1. The story is an account of real events.
  2. The story hinges on a particular historical event.
  3. Rajendra Dashpande was a historian.
  4. The place mentioned in the story are all imaginary.
  5. The story tries to relate history to science.

Answer

  1. Not true
  2. True
  3. True
  4. Not True
  5. True

Q. “You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present experiencing a different world.”

Ans. The statement explains the state when Gangadhar Pant was unconscious. His body remained at one place but his mind travelled to a different world. This world was created on the assumption that the battle of Panipat was won by Marathas. Consequently the shapes of things there were different.

Q. “You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a catastrophic experience.”

Ans. The experience was fantastic because it was unusual and strange. Rajendra called it catastrophic also because he was able to rationalize it only on the basis of the catastrophic theory of physics.

Q. ‘Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing around him.’

Ans. Gangadhar was witnessing about him new India. This India was not under the British rule. This had been created as a consequence of a different result of the Battle of Panipat. In this battle the Marathas were the victors and Abdajii was routed.

Q. “The lack of determinism in quantum theory!”.

Ans. There is a cause behind every event. It is known as determinism. But in quantum theory there is lack of determinism. All the laws governing the system of atoms and their other particles are known. But, their behaviour is unpredictable. This is the lack of determinism in quantum theory.

Q. “You need some interaction to cause a transition.”

Ans. An electron can travel from one energy orbit to another energy orbit. But to do so, it must have some interaction.

Q. A single event may change the course of the history of a nation.

Ans. It is quite true that a single event may change the course of the history of a nation. This is quite evident from the history of our own country. If Jaichand had not invited Gori to join his forces and defeat Prithvi Raj, Gori could have never succeeded in establishing an empire in India. Even in the modern times, the imposition of internal emergency in the country turned the course of events. But for it, non-congress parties could not have tasted power in 1977. The latest in the series is the Indo-US friendship. Had the Indian Government not made the atom bomb, the international community would have never given us the respect it is giving us today.

Q. Reality is what is directly experienced through the senses.

Ans. As the story ‘The Adventure’ suggests, there may be many different types of reality existing at the same time. However, an observer can see only one of these many manifestations and to him only that is the, reality. When a mother beats her son, the apparent reality is that the mother is cruel. However, we know that the love behind that cruelty is there. Our senses can perceive only the cruelty and that alone is reality for an observer. Such things happen in the physical world also. A man in trouble feels helpless. He does not know that at the same instant some kind of soul is planning to help him. Science has also proved that when an electron runs from a source, its path is unpredictable. One observer sees it at one place and thinks that it is only there.

Q. The methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar.

Ans. If we have to speak in favour, we can say that the method of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar. All these three branches of knowledge look upon the facts and on their basis draw their conclusions. The type of facts are not the same. History is interested in the lives of old kings and queens. Philosophy depends upon thought and religion while the science is concerned with the facts of nature. If we have to speak against, we can say that methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are poles apart. History enquires into the life of society. It particularly concerns itself with important events like some great war, some great inspire, some well known crisis etc. For this purpose a historian reads old books, A philosopher learns about the working of mind and soul. He does not bother about the facts but the mind that creates those facts. A scientist’s quality is not to take anything for granted. He raises new questions and tries to find their answers by experiments.

Q. The story is called ‘The Adventure’. Compare it with the adventure described in ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die….’

Ans. The story is called, The Adventure: Gangadhar Pant is hit by a truck so, he remains unconscious for two days. He has vision which he remembers after regaining consciousness. He goes to Forbes building to enquire about his son. He goes to the Town Hall Library. He reads history books and comes to know about the Battle of Panipat. He goes to the guest house and hires a room. After having a frugal meal, he strolls towards Azad Maidan. When he tries to force himself into the President’s chair, he is bodily thrown out of the Azad Maidan. He becomes unconscious. He regains consciousness after two days. Similarly in ‘We’re Not Afraid To Die….. If We Can All Be Together.’ The author and his family face strong gales. Disaster comes to them one after the other. They struggle with disasters. They fear that they will sink. Their struggle for survival continues. A torrent of sea water breaks over the ship. The children are not afraid of dying if they could all die together. At last, they find the island, Ile Amsterdam. All is well in the end. Hence, both the stories are adventurous.

Q. Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again?

Ans. It was Prof. Gaitonde’s experience in the public meeting of Azad Maidan which made him do so. It was a public meeting held without a president. The presidential chair was there but it was kept vacant. The audience as well as the speakers were sick of the remarks from the chair. They had realised the futility of such remark. To them only the speakers were important. When Gaitonde tried to force himself into the President’s chair, they bodily threw him out of the Azad Maidan. Thus, Gaitonde realised that the masses did not want the presiding dignitary or his lecture. So, he decided never to preside over meetings again.

Q. Tick the item that is closest in meaning to the given phrases:

  1. to take issue with:
    (i) to a accept (ii) to discuss (iii) to disagree (iv) to add
  2. to give vent to:
    (i) to express (ii) to emphasise (iii) suppress (iv) dismiss
  3. to stand on one’s feet:
    (i) to be physically strong (ii) to be independent (iii) to stand erect (iv) to be successful
  4. to be wound up:
    (i) to become active (ii) to stop operating (iii) to be transformed (iv) to be destroyed
  5. to meet one’s match:
    (i) to meet a partner who has similar tastes (ii) to meet an opponent (iii) to meet someone who is equally able as oneself (iv) to meet defeat.

Answer

  1. to discuss
  2. to express
  3. to be independent
  4. to be transformed
  5. to meet someone who is equally able as oneself

Q. Distinguish between the following pairs of sentences:

  1. (i) He was visibly moved. (ii) He was visually impaired.
  2. (i) Green and black stripes were used alternatively. (ii) Green stripes could be used or alternatively black ones.
  3. (i) The team played the two matches successfully. (ii) The team played two matches successively.
  4. (i) the librarian spoke respectfully to the learned scholar. (ii) You will find the historian and the scientist in the archeology and natural science sections of the museum respectively.

Answer

  1. Visibly (adverb) in a way that is easily noticeable. Visually (adverb) relating to sight.
  2. Green and black stripes were used alternatively. Green stripes could be used or alternatively black ones.
  3. Successfully (adv.) with success. Successively (adv.) following immediately one after the another.
  4. Respectfully (adv.) with respect. Respectively (adv.) relating to each of the thing already mentioned

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