Extract Based Questions: Deep Water

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.
(Deep Water)

Question (i) Who picked up and tossed the narrator into the deep end?
(a) His father
(b) His friend
(c) His teacher
(d) His coach
Ans: (a)
Explanation: The sentence begins, "With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end." In the narrative the pronoun "he" refers to the narrator's father who threw him into the deep end. This confirms option (a) as the correct choice.

Question (ii) What did the narrator do on the way down to the bottom of the pool?
(a) He screamed for help
(b) He flailed his arms
(c) He planned his escape
(d) He closed his eyes
Ans: (c)
Explanation: The narrator states, "On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump..." This line shows that instead of panicking, he formed a clear plan to jump to the surface and paddle to the edge, so (c) is correct.

Question (iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "frightened out of my wits" suggests that ____________.
Ans: The phrase "frightened out of my wits" suggests that the narrator would be so terrified that he could not think or act sensibly, but here he was not yet in that state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idiom "frightened out of my wits" means being so terrified that clear thought and sensible action are lost. The narrator explicitly adds "but not yet," which shows he was very frightened yet still able to plan and act. Hence the completed idea is that he was extremely scared but still capable of clear thought and action.

Question (iv) Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that the narrator had some swimming skills.|Ans: The lines "lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool" show that he knew how to position himself on the water and paddle towards the side.
Step-by-step explanation:
These instructions describe deliberate swimming actions-lying flat on the surface and paddling to the edge-so they indicate the narrator possessed basic swimming knowledge and a plan for getting to safety.

Question (v) Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) A Boy's First Encounter with Water
(b) A Father's Attempt to Teach His Son Swimming
(c) A Boy's Struggle to Survive in the Pool
(d) A Father's Mistake That Traumatized His Son
Ans: (c)
Explanation: The extract focuses on the boy's immediate fear and his effort to survive after being tossed into the deep end. It emphasises his struggle to reach the surface and safety, so option (c) best captures the central idea.

Question (vi) Complete the sentence with ONE word.
The phrase "I landed in a sitting position" suggests that the narrator was _______________.
Ans: unprepared
Step-by-step explanation:
Landing in a sitting position implies he had no time to brace or ready himself before hitting the water. This shows he was not expecting the action and therefore was unprepared.

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
And then sheer, stark terror seized me, terror that knows no understanding, terror that knows no control, terror that no one can understand who has not experienced it. I was shrieking under water. I was paralysed under water - stiff, rigid with fear. Even the screams in my throat were frozen. Only my heart, and the pounding in my head, said that I was still alive. And then in the midst of the terror came a touch of reason. I must remember to jump when I hit the bottom. At last I felt the tiles under me. My toes reached out as if to grab them. I jumped with everything I had.
(Deep Water)

Question (i) What is the narrator's main emotion in this extract?
(a) Anger
(b) Sadness
(c) Joy
(d) Fear
Ans: (d)
Explanation: Words such as "terror," "paralysed," "shrieking," "stiff, rigid with fear" clearly describe intense fear. These descriptions make fear the dominant emotion, so option (d) is correct.

Question (ii) What did the narrator do when he felt the tiles under him?
(a) He screamed for help
(b) He grabbed them with his toes
(c) He jumped with everything he had
(d) He closed his eyes and prayed
Ans: (c)
Explanation: The extract states, "At last I felt the tiles under me... I jumped with everything I had." This shows that on touching the bottom he made a powerful jump toward the surface, so (c) is correct.

Question (iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "a touch of reason" suggests that ____________.
Ans: the narrator regained a small amount of clear thought and remembered what action to take to survive.
Step-by-step explanation:
"A touch of reason" means a brief return of rational thought amid panic. Here it enabled him to recall his plan-"I must remember to jump when I hit the bottom"-which led to his attempt to escape the water.

Question (iv) Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that the narrator was still alive underwater.
Ans: The evidence is: "Only my heart, and the pounding in my head, said that I was still alive."
Step-by-step explanation:
The narrator hears the beating of his heart and the pounding in his head; these sensations are signs of life and show that he remained alive despite being paralysed and unable to cry out.

Question (v) Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) A Boy's Courageous Escape from Drowning
(b) A Boy's Near-Death Experience in Water
(c) A Boy's Discovery of His Love for Water
(d) A Boy's Lesson on How to Swim
Ans: (b)
Explanation: The extract concentrates on the narrator's intense terror and the life-threatening situation underwater, emphasising how close he came to death. Therefore, option (b), which points to a near-death experience, best fits the central idea.

Question (vi) Complete the sentence with ONE word.
The phrase "Even the screams in my throat were frozen" suggests that the narrator was _______________.
Ans: speechless
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase indicates that even the urge or ability to scream was stopped; he could not make a sound. This condition is best described by the single word "speechless."

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its grip. Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool a bit of the panic seized me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under, some of the old terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the tension began to slack. Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and to raise my nose and inhale. I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.
(Deep Water)

Question (i) What did the narrator decide to do one October to overcome his fear of water?
(a) He decided to go to a beach and play with the waves
(b) He decided to get an instructor and learn to swim
(c) He decided to buy a book and read about swimming
(d) He decided to watch a movie and relax
Ans: (b)
Explanation: The narrator clearly states, "Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim." This direct statement identifies option (b) as correct.

Question (ii) What did the instructor use to help the narrator practice swimming in the pool?
(a) A belt, a rope, and a pulley
(b) A float, a net, and a hook
(c) A mask, a snorkel, and a fin
(d) A board, a paddle, and a whistle
Ans: (a)
Explanation: The extract explains that the instructor put a belt on the narrator and a rope attached to it ran through a pulley on an overhead cable. This description matches option (a).

Question (iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "a bit of the panic seized me" suggests that ____________.
Ans: the narrator still experienced some fear at times, though it was less intense than before.
Step-by-step explanation:
"A bit of the panic seized me" indicates a small recurrence of fear during practice sessions. It shows improvement from earlier levels of panic but also that traces of the old fear remained during certain moments.

Question (iv) Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that the narrator practiced swimming for a long time.
Ans: He practised "five days a week, an hour each day" and it took "three months before the tension began to slack."
Step-by-step explanation:
These details show regular, sustained effort: daily practice across weeks and months. The three-month period until noticeable relaxation of tension confirms the long duration of training.

Question (v) Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) A Boy's Journey from Fear to Confidence in Water
(b) A Boy's Adventure with an Instructor in Water
(c) A Boy's Discovery of His Passion for Water
(d) A Boy's Challenge with a Belt, a Rope, and a Pulley in Water
Ans: (a)
Explanation: The extract traces how the narrator gradually overcomes panic through steady practice and instruction, moving from fear towards confidence. This progress is captured best by option (a).

Question (vi) Complete the sentence with ONE word.
The phrase "Bit by bit I shed part of the panic" suggests that the narrator was _______________.
Ans: improving
Step-by-step explanation:
"Bit by bit" indicates gradual change, and "shed part of the panic" means he was reducing his fear. Together these show steady improvement in his confidence and control in the water.