What were the first indications of the ‘impending disaster’ that ultimately struck them on January 2?

List the steps taken by the captain:

(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.

(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.

Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.

Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each section.

What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when faced with danger?

How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?

What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?

Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?

The following words used in the text as ship terminology are also commonly used in another sense. In what contexts would you use the other meaning?

The following three compound words end in-ship. What does each of them mean?

The following are the meanings listed in the dictionary against the phrase ‘take on’. In which meaning is it used in the third paragraph of the account:

take on sth: to begin to have a particular quality or appearance ; to assume sth

take sb on: to employ sb ; to engage sb

to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game, contest or conflict

take sb / sth on: to decide to do sth ; to allow sth/sb to enter e.g. a bus, plane or ship ; to take sth/sb on board