Unseen Passage 3: Robert Falcon Scott and his men (bbc compacta class 6th Module 1 worksheet-1).

Q. Read the following passage carefully:

(1) In 1912 the British explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his men were caught in a snowstorm and died while returning to their base camp after reaching the South Pole. Their tent, buried under snow, was discovered the following year by Sir Ernest Shackleton. Scott was found holding in his dead hand an unfurnished letter addressed to his author~friend, James Barrie. After describing the fierce snowstrom and the approaching death, Scott wrote that he and his colleagues were spending the time singing songs and pleasant conversation. Below these lines he had written in bold letters one word- COURAGE. When he returned to England, Shackleton handed over the letter to Sir James Barrie, who read it and kept it in a box.

(2) A few years later, Sir james developed some defect in his right hand because of which he could not hold a pen. The author lost all hope of ever being able to write again. One day, in a pensive mood, he took out Scott's letter and read it again. It lifted his spirits, and set him thinking. If scott and his men could remain cheerful in the face of certain death, could he not learn to face adversity bravely? He picked up his pen and began practising writing with his left hand. In a few weeks he could write perfectly well with it.

                        Questions

 (I) On the basis of reading of above passage, complete the sentences as briefly as possible. Write the answers in space provided.

(a) Robert Falcon Scott and his men were killed when..............

(b) Sir Ernest Shackleton discovered ...........

(c) Just before his death, scott ..............

(d) The atmosphere in the scott's tent just before  the snowstorm was one of ............ and .............. .

(e) James felt sad and hopeless because ........ .

(f) The lesson Scott's letter taught James was ............. .

(g) "...and set him thinking" (para 2). What thought came to Sir James's mind? 

(II) Find words from the passage which mean the opposite of the following from the lines indicated.

(a) gentle (Paragraph 1)

(b) happy (Paragraph 2)

                       Answers

(I)

(a)  they were returning to their base camp after reaching the south pole. (para 1 line 1)

(b) captain Robert Falcon Scott and his men's tent buried under snow. (para 1 line 2)

(c) found an unfurnished letter addressed to his author friend, james Barrie. (para 1 line 3)

(d) pleasant and joyful. (para 1 singing songs  and pleasant conversation)

(e) he was not able to write again. (para 2 line 2)

(f) To face adversity bravely. (para 2 line 5)

(g) Thought came to Sir james mind was that if scott and his men could remain cheerful in the face of certain death, could he too not learn to face adversity bravely. (para 2 line7)

(II)

(a) fierce

(b) pensive