Hornbill Prose : Chapter 6 Silk Road English Core - Hornbill Prose : Chapter 6 Silk Road

The turns became sharper and the ride bumpier, Tsetan now in third gear as we continued to climb. The track moved away from the icy river, labouring through steeper slopes that sported big rocks daubed with patches of bright orange lichen.

1.Who is the author of these lines ?
(A) Khushwant Singh
(B) Nick Middleton
(C) Terence Rattigan
(D) Nani Palkhivala

2.What was there beneath the rocks?
(A) Icy river
(B) Hunks of snow
(C) Orange lichen
(D) Red roses

 3.Who was driving the car?
(A) The narrator
(B) Nick Middleton
(C) Tsetan
(D) Kyangu

My initial relief at meeting Norbu, who was staying in the guest house, was tempered by the realisation that he was almost ill-equipped as I was for the pilgrimage. He kept telling me how fat he was and how hard it was going to be. “Very high up,’ he kept reminding me, ‘so tiresome to walk.’ He wasn’t really a practising Buddhist, it transpired, but he had enthusiasm and he was, of course, Tibetan.

Although I’d originally envisaged making the trek in the company of devout believers, on reflection I decided that perhaps Norbu would turn out to be the ideal companion. He suggested we hire some yaks to carry our luggage, which I interpreted as a good sign, and he had no intention of prostrating himself all round the mountain. ‘Not possible,’ he cried, collapsing across the table in hysterical laughter. It wasn’t his style, and anyway his tummy was too big. 

1. How does the narrator initially feel about meeting Norbu?
A) Relieved
B) Disappointed
C) Annoyed
D) Indifferent

2.What does Norbu suggest they do to alleviate the burden of carrying their luggage?
A) Hire porters
B) Use mules
C) Rent yaks
D) Carry everything themselves

3.How does Norbu feel about the prospect of prostrating himself around the mountain?
A) Enthusiastic
B) Indifferent
C) Resistant
D) Excited

I didn’t think he was from those parts because he was wearing a wind-cheater and metal-rimmed spectacles of a Wester style. He was Tibetan, he told me, but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in the institute of Ethnic Literature. I assumed he was on some sort of fieldwork. ‘Yes and no,’ he said. ‘I have come to do the kora.’ My heart jumped. Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years, he told me, but he had never actually done it himself.

When the time came for me to tell him what brought me to Darchen, his eyes lit up.‘We could be a team,’ he said excitedly. ‘Two academics who have escaped from the library.’
Perhaps my positive-thinking strategy was working after all.

1. What is notable about the attire of the Tibetan man the narrator encounters?
A) He is wearing traditional Tibetan clothing.
B) He is dressed in Western-style clothing.
C) He is wearing ceremonial robes.
D) He is dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt.

2.What is the profession of the Tibetan man the narrator meets?
A) Farmer
B) Monk
C) Academic researcher
D) Businessman

3. What is the significance of the kora to the Tibetan man?
A) He has been conducting research on it for many years.
B) He is leading a group of tourists on the kora.
C) He is studying the cultural significance of the kora.
D) He is embarking on the kora for the first time.

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 Brahamputra. 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.

But I had to wait. Tsetan told me to go and drink some tea in Bor’s only cafe which, like all the other buildings in town, was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate for the draught. I was served by a Chinese youth in military uniform who spread the grease around on my table with a filthy rag before bringing me a glass and a thermos of tea. Half an hour later, Tsetan relieved me from my solitary confinement and we drove past a lot more rocks and rubbish westwards out of town towards Mount Kailash.

1. What characterized the town of Hor?
A) Lush vegetation and greenery.
B) Dust, rocks, and accumulated refuse.
C) Vibrant culture and bustling markets.
D) Well-maintained buildings and streets.

2.What significance does Lake Manasarovar hold in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology?
A) It is believed to be the source of four great Indian rivers.
B) It is considered a sacred pilgrimage site.
C) It is known for its crystal-clear waters.
D) It is believed to be inhabited by divine beings.

3. How did the narrator pass the time while waiting in Hor?
A) Drinking tea in a cafe.
B) Exploring the town's landmarks.
C) Hiking around Lake Manasarovar.
D) Visiting religious temples.

Ten minutes later, we stopped at another blockage. ‘Not gopd, sir,’ Tsetan announced as he jumped out again to survey the scene. This time he decided to try and drive round the snow. The slope was steep and studded with major rocks, but somehow Tsetan negotiated them, his four-wheel drive vehicle lurching from one obstacle to the next. In so doing he cut off one of the hairpin bends, regaining .the trail further up where the snow had not drifted.

I checked my watch again as we continued to climb in the bright sunshine. We prept past 5,400 metres and my head began to throb horribly. I’d thought that the labourers had left me some days previously, but they were back at work again. I took gulps from my water bottle, which is supposed to help a rapid ascent.

We finally reached the top of the pass at 5,515 metres. It was marked by a large cairn of rocks festooned with white silk scarves and ragged prayer flags. We«all took a turn round the cairn, in a clockwise direction as is the tradition, and Tsetan checked the tyres on his vehicle. He stopped at the loud hiss. The lower atmospheric pressure was allowing the fuel to expand. It sounded dangerous to me. “May be° sir”, Tsetan laughed “but no smoking.”

1. How did Tsetan decide to navigate around the blockage encountered?
A) By driving straight through the snow.
B) By driving over the snowbank.
C) By driving around the snow.
D) By waiting for the snow to melt.

2. What symptom did the narrator experience as they climbed past 5,400 meters?
A) Nausea.
B) Throbbing headache.
C) Shortness of breath.
D) Dizziness.

3. What issue did Tsetan encounter with the vehicle at the top of the pass?
A) Flat tire.
B) Engine trouble.
C) Fuel expansion due to lower atmospheric pressure.
D) Braking system failure.

‘He suggested we hire some yaks to carry our luggage, which I interpreted as a good sign’. Why does the narrator feel so?

Who was Norbu? How could he be a help to the narrator?

‘I hadn’t made much progress with my self-help programme on positive thinking.’ Why does the narrator feel so?

‘Darchen didn’t look so horrible after a good night’s sleep.’ Justify

The narrator ‘slept very soundly. Like a log, not a dead man’. Explain.

Give a brief account of the author’s visit to the medical college at Darchen and the effect of the Tibetan medicines on him.

Meeting Norbu came as an immense relief to the narrator. Why?

Narrate the narrator’s meeting with the Tibetan doctor.

Describe in detail the narrator’s miserable night in Darchen.

Enumerate the difficulties that the group faced in Hor.