Silk Road
NCERT Solutions • Class 11 English Hornbill • Chapter 6Understanding the Text
I. Give reasons for the following statements.
1. The article has been titled ‘Silk Road.’
Because the author traveled on the historical trade route known as the Silk Road, which once connected China to the Mediterranean. His journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet followed parts of this ancient path used for silk and spice trade.
2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
They were popular as hunting dogs because they were huge, black, fearless, and ferocious beasts. They were brought along the Silk Road as tribute from Tibet.
3. The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts.
Earlier travelers like Ekai Kawaguchi and Sven Hedin were moved to tears by the sanctity and beauty of Lake Manasarovar at Hor. In contrast, the author found Hor grim, miserable, and filthy, filled with refuse and rocks, with no vegetation.
4. The author was disappointed with Darchen.
He expected Darchen to be bustling with pilgrims (as he had read). Instead, he arrived early in the season to find it dusty, deserted, and quiet, with heaps of rubble and no pilgrims to perform the Kora with.
5. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
After initially feeling lonely and blocked by ill health, his positive thinking led him to meet Norbu in a café. Norbu was also an academic looking to do the Kora, providing the author with the ideal companion he needed.
Because the author traveled on the historical trade route known as the Silk Road, which once connected China to the Mediterranean. His journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet followed parts of this ancient path used for silk and spice trade.
2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
They were popular as hunting dogs because they were huge, black, fearless, and ferocious beasts. They were brought along the Silk Road as tribute from Tibet.
3. The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts.
Earlier travelers like Ekai Kawaguchi and Sven Hedin were moved to tears by the sanctity and beauty of Lake Manasarovar at Hor. In contrast, the author found Hor grim, miserable, and filthy, filled with refuse and rocks, with no vegetation.
4. The author was disappointed with Darchen.
He expected Darchen to be bustling with pilgrims (as he had read). Instead, he arrived early in the season to find it dusty, deserted, and quiet, with heaps of rubble and no pilgrims to perform the Kora with.
5. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
After initially feeling lonely and blocked by ill health, his positive thinking led him to meet Norbu in a café. Norbu was also an academic looking to do the Kora, providing the author with the ideal companion he needed.
II. Briefly comment on:
1. The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash.
He was an academic who wanted to complete the ‘Kora’ (a religious circumambulation) around Mount Kailash to get a feel for the spiritual experience, although he wasn’t religiously inclined himself.
2. The author’s physical condition in Darchen.
He suffered from a severe cold and altitude sickness. His sinuses were blocked, forcing him to breathe through his mouth, which made sleeping impossible. He felt he might die if he slept, leading to a fearful, sleepless night.
3. The author’s meeting with Norbu.
It was a stroke of luck. He met Norbu in a café while feeling despondent. Norbu was a Tibetan working in Beijing who also wanted to do the Kora but was too fat to walk it. They decided to hire yaks and do it together, bonding over their shared academic backgrounds.
4. Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Tsetan was an excellent guide and driver. He maneuvered the car through dangerous snow-blocked passes, cared for the author’s health in Darchen by taking him to the medical college, and ensured he was safe before leaving.
5. “As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business.”
This humorous remark by Tsetan highlights his professional pragmatism mixed with his faith. While his religion teaches that death is just a transition (rebirth), the death of a tourist would ruin his reputation and business as a driver.
He was an academic who wanted to complete the ‘Kora’ (a religious circumambulation) around Mount Kailash to get a feel for the spiritual experience, although he wasn’t religiously inclined himself.
2. The author’s physical condition in Darchen.
He suffered from a severe cold and altitude sickness. His sinuses were blocked, forcing him to breathe through his mouth, which made sleeping impossible. He felt he might die if he slept, leading to a fearful, sleepless night.
3. The author’s meeting with Norbu.
It was a stroke of luck. He met Norbu in a café while feeling despondent. Norbu was a Tibetan working in Beijing who also wanted to do the Kora but was too fat to walk it. They decided to hire yaks and do it together, bonding over their shared academic backgrounds.
4. Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Tsetan was an excellent guide and driver. He maneuvered the car through dangerous snow-blocked passes, cared for the author’s health in Darchen by taking him to the medical college, and ensured he was safe before leaving.
5. “As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business.”
This humorous remark by Tsetan highlights his professional pragmatism mixed with his faith. While his religion teaches that death is just a transition (rebirth), the death of a tourist would ruin his reputation and business as a driver.
Talking About the Text
1. The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk.
Hill-folk (like Lhamo and Tsetan) are generally simple, hospitable, and tough. Lhamo gifted the author a sheepskin coat to protect him from the cold. Tsetan cared for him like a friend rather than just a client. Their kindness contrasts with the harsh landscape they inhabit.
2. The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.
People undertake such hardships for:
- Spiritual Quest: To attain inner peace or religious merit (like the Kora).
- Adventure: The thrill of conquering nature and visiting exotic, untouched lands.
- Academic Curiosity: To document cultures and geography (like the author).
Thinking About Language
1. Tsetan’s English
Tsetan uses simple, functional English. He likely picked it up by interacting with English-speaking tourists and pilgrims over the years as a driver, rather than through formal education.
3. Meaning of Tibetan Words
- Kora: A religious circumambulation (walking around a sacred site).
- Drokba: A shepherd or nomad (literally “people of the high pasture”).
- Kyang: A wild ass found in Tibet.
Working with Words
1. Picturesque phrases describing scenery
- “Extended banks of cloud like long French loaves.”
- “Sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush.”
- “Great herd of wild ass… galloping en masse… wheeling and circling.”
- “Solitary drokba tending their flocks.”
2. Explain the use of the adjectives
- (i) Shaggy monsters: Refers to the Tibetan mastiffs, emphasizing their huge, hairy, and frightening appearance.
- (ii) Brackish lakes: Refers to saltwater lakes (like Manasarovar remnants), unfit for drinking.
- (iii) Rickety table: A table that is shaky and unstable, showing the poor condition of the café.
- (iv) Hairpin bend: A very sharp U-shaped bend on a mountain road, resembling a hairpin.
- (v) Rudimentary general stores: Basic, simple shops selling only essential items, lacking variety.
Noticing Form
Active vs Passive Voice
The narrative primarily uses Active Voice.
Contribution to Style: Active voice makes the travelogue feel immediate, dynamic, and personal. It places the focus on the “doer” (the author, Tsetan, the car), making the journey feel like an unfolding adventure rather than a passive observation.
Contribution to Style: Active voice makes the travelogue feel immediate, dynamic, and personal. It places the focus on the “doer” (the author, Tsetan, the car), making the journey feel like an unfolding adventure rather than a passive observation.
Things to Do
Understanding the Tethys Ocean
(Context for Student Research)
The Himalayas were formed by the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate. Before this collision, a vast body of water called the Tethys Ocean existed between them. As the land rose to form the mountains, the ocean floor was pushed up, leaving behind salt flats and marine fossils (like ammonites) at high altitudes in Tibet today.
The Himalayas were formed by the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate. Before this collision, a vast body of water called the Tethys Ocean existed between them. As the land rose to form the mountains, the ocean floor was pushed up, leaving behind salt flats and marine fossils (like ammonites) at high altitudes in Tibet today.