NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 7 The Adventure

Understanding the text

Question:- I. Tick the statements that are true.

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

Answer:- 1. False

2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True

Question:- II. Briefly explain the following statements from the text.

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

Answer:-  1. This comment was given to Professor Gaitonde by Rajendra Deshpande, and it implied that Gaitonde had crossed over from one universe to another and back. As a result, he was able to experience two universes at the same time, but only one of them at a time. He didn’t go back in time or forward in time. For two days, he was in the present but in another universe.

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

Answer:- 2. This comment was given to Professor Gaitonde by Rajendra Deshpande, and it signified that Gaitonde had experienced the unique experience of being in two universes at the same time, one in which he was now and the other in which he had spent two days.

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

Answer:- 3. Professor Gaitonde was familiar with the India in which the Peshwas’ power waned and the British colonised the country. However, the India he had seen over the previous two days was quite different. The British had not yet colonised the country. Instead, it was self-sufficient and respected itself. He compared and contrasted the two states of the country.

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

Answer:-  4. This means that if a bullet is launched from a gun in a specific direction at a specific speed, one can predict where it will go at any point in the future, but this cannot be said for an electron, which is subject to Quantum theory. When an electron is ejected from a source, it could be here, there, or elsewhere. In quantum theory, this is referred to as a lack of determinism. According to this idea, reality is never one-sided. It’s possible that multiple worlds exist at the same moment.

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

Answer:- 5. Professor Gaitonde made a transformation, which Rajendra Deshpande believes was caused by the interaction that occurred in his head at the time of his collision. Gaitonde was thinking about the Catastrophe Theory and its significance in conflicts at the time of the collision. He was probably thinking about the third battle of Panipat and its ramifications. The interplay in his brain functioned as a catalyst for a change.

Talking about the text

Question:- 1. Discuss the following statements in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.

(i) A single event may change the course of the history of a nation.

Answer:- For:

• The defeat of significant leaders such as Napoleon, Hitler, and others has aided in the construction of today’s versions of historical events for many countries.
• If one of these events had not occurred, history might have turned out quite differently.
• Similarly, this work attempts to depict what would have happened in India if the Marathas had not been crushed by the British.
• Unlike the British India we’ve known via historical events, the India depicted in the poem is greatly influenced by the Marathi kingdom. As a result, modifying historical events can affect a nation’s history.

Against:

• It’s impossible to say whether or not changing a single event will influence the path of history.
• While this essay tries to demonstrate that even if the Marathas had won the war, the British might still have gained control and formed the British India we know today.
• All of what is depicted here is conjecture, as it is impossible to change historical occurrences.

 (ii) Reality is what is directly experienced through the senses.

Answer:- For:

• Gaitonde’s other version of history is so convincing that he feels he has seen a different form of reality than the one we are familiar with.
• Similarly, he is able to persuade Rajendra of this truth since he has a scrap of paper with notes on all of the possible outcomes.
• Both of these characters believe that what they see with their eyes and ears is true.
• They demonstrate how our senses create reality for us.
• Empiricism is a school of philosophy that thinks reality is created via our experiences.

Against:

• The absence of clarity or solid proof that any of the events Gaitonde felt occurred actually occurred suggests that it was all in his head.
• Similarly, the piece of paper he gives as proof could be nothing more than a work of fiction.
• This could possibly be the result of Gaitonde’s memory being changed or destroyed as a result of the accident, leading him to believe in parallel universes.
• All of the events in this storey can also be explained using rational reasoning.

 (iii) The methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar.

Answer:- For:

• In the novel, Gaitonde, a history professor, encounters an other version of historical events that are intricately linked to time, which Rajendra compares to physics’ quantum theory.
• Rajendra’s way of explaining the physics behind this to Gaitonde is very similar to how philosophers discussed things by using examples to reduce hard topics.
• As a result, we can observe how all three disciplines are intertwined in the text due to their grasp of time and reality.

Against:

• If the three disciplines’ methodologies and topics of research were so tightly related, they wouldn’t be studied individually.
• However, because the concepts they address are so dissimilar, they are studied independently.
• Furthermore, just because the inquiry is identical in the book does not mean that all methods of inquiry employed by these disciplines are similar, given the text only covers one instance.
• And this could be vastly different in these sectors in other cases.

Question:- 2. (i) The story is called ‘The Adventure’. Compare it with the adventure described in ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die…’

Answer:- Both stories, ‘The Adventure’ and ‘We Are Not Afraid to Die,’ have the same underlying message. However, the way the theme is applied to events differs in both cases. One is about an adventure that occurred in real life, while the other is about an adventure that occurred in the mind.

The characters in the storey ‘We Are Not Afraid to Die’ embark on a perilous sea expedition, defy the obstacles, and survive. The threats, whatever they were, were quite serious. The protagonist (Gaitonde) in the storey ‘The Adventure’ does not embark on an adventurous adventure. His collision with the truck causes his consciousness to wander to a world that is not the same as the one he is familiar with.

 (ii) Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again?

Answer:- (ii) Professor Gaitonde was reliving the Battle of Panipat in a different way. According to this storey, the Marathas won the battle and began spreading their control across the entire kingdom. In actuality, his mind was viewing a distinct version of historical events. Interestingly, he was also watching an occurrence that did not follow the rules. The occasion was a talk on the Battle of Panipat’s consequences. During this presentation, Prof. Gaitonde saw that the President’s chair was vacant. This was, once again, against the rules. Prof. Gaitonde hastened to take his seat and began explaining why a President was needed in a presentation like this. On this point, the public became enraged and began throwing objects at him. He had a terrifying ordeal. As a result, he decided not to preside over meetings any more.

Thinking about language

Question:- 1. In which language do you think Gangadharpant and Khan Sahib talked to each other? Which language did Gangadharpant use to talk to the English receptionist?

Answer:- Gangadharpant and Khan Sahib communicated in Marathi, and the English-speaking receptionist was communicated with through a translator.

Question:- 2. In which language do you think Bhausahebanchi Bakhar was written?

Answer:- In the Maratha language.

Question:- 3. There is mention of three communities in the story: the Marathas, the Mughals, the Anglo-Indians. Which language do you think they used within their communities and while speaking to the other groups?

Answer:- They used their customary vernacular when speaking to each other, but when speaking to other groups, they used a language that was intelligible by members from all three tribes.

Question:- 4. Do you think that the ruled always adopt the language of the ruler?

Answer:- No, they do not, because learning a new language, especially one written in a different script, would be challenging. Because Marathi, English, and Urdu are written in three different scripts, this is the case here.

Working with words

Question:- I. Tick the item that is closest in meaning to the following phrases.

1. to take issue with

(i) to accept

(ii) to discuss

(iii) to disagree

(iv) to add

Answer:- (iii) to disagree

2. to give vent to

(i) to express

(ii) to emphasise

(iii) suppress

(iv) dismiss

Answer:- (i) to express

3. to stand on one’s feet

(i) to be physically strong

(ii) to be independent

(iii) to stand erect

(iv) to be successful

Answer:- (ii) to be independent

4. to be wound up

(i) to become active

(ii) to stop operating

(iii) to be transformed

(iv) to be destroyed

Answer:- (ii) to stop operating

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:- (iii) to meet someone who is equally able as oneself