Class 11 English Unit 19: Discovering West Nepal- The Wild Frontier

 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqFU1XtnSh8

Unit 19 Discovering West Nepal- The Wild Frontier (page 172)

Reflection of the Text

During a five-week trek through the remote western Himalayas of Nepal, the writer embarked on an unexpected adventure after a simple mistake. Aiming for the Dhaulagiri Circuit, they accidentally started on the wrong trail. Instead of turning back, they embraced the detour, deciding to walk to Mukhtinath and then make a pilgrimage to Rara Lake.

The journey was a challenging and surreal experience through a raw, medieval-feeling world. They encountered pink-feathered roosters, rare Himalayan monal birds, pink grass, and stayed in simple stone houses. The walk involved exhausting climbs (mathi) and descents (tala), crossing icy rivers, and trekking through deep snow. Along the way, they were helped by kind locals—like a bahini who helped them cross a dangerous river and families who offered food and shelter.

After days of walking through villages like Lamsung and Bhujekhung, and over high passes like Jang La, they fell ill in Jumla but recovered with help from a fellow traveler. The final push to Rara Lake involved a risky shortcut over a snowed-in, treacherous cliff path at 4,000 meters. With no tent or proper equipment, they carefully crossed, digging hands and heels into the snow.

Finally, they arrived at the stunning Rara Lake—Nepal’s largest freshwater lake—where glittering waters, pine forests, and distant white peaks created a peaceful, otherworldly scene. The trek covered a significant portion of the Nepal Himalayas via the lower Great Himalayan Trail. This journey through the wild west shattered any prior assumptions about Nepal, revealing a land where survival depends on instinct, human connection, and harmony with nature.

A.   Find the words from the text that mean the following.

a.      became fuller and softer by shaking – fluffed

b.     sound mental health – sanity

c.      consisting of or easily breaking into small pieces – crumbly

d.     neither very hot nor very cold – temperate

e.      land that does not have enough water to support the growth of plants – arid region

f.       only slightly warm – lukewarm

B.    Find the meanings of the following words in an English dictionary, write their word classes, and use them in your own sentences.

a.      hazy (adjective): not clear, especially because of heat

The mountains were hazy in the distance.

b.     frontier (noun): a line that separates two countries; the land near this line

Many people traveling across the frontier were illegal immigrants.

c.      lush (adjective): covered in healthy grass and plants

He glanced at the lush green hills.

d.     flip-flops (noun): open shoes

She took off her flip-flops before crossing the stream.

e.      altitude (noun): height above sea level

My friends are flying at an altitude of 10000 m.

f.       fatal (adjective): causing death

If her sister gets ill again, it could prove to be fatal.

g.     magnificent (adjective): extremely attractive and impressive

Pashupati temple looks magnificent in the evening.

C. Make a list of the Nepali words used in the text and write their English equivalents.

bideshi: foreign               Tatopani: lukewarm water                  raksi: wine
bahini: younger sister     mathi: up                                           tala: down
sutne: sleep                    panipuri: water balls/water bowels     pani: water

Comprehension

Answer these questions.

a.      How did the author feel when she saw a colorful rooster in the western Himalayas?

The author felt amused when she saw a colorful rooster in the western Himalayas. Furthermore, she felt the rooster glance at her for a brief moment and winked at her.

b.     How does she describe the houses on the trails of western Nepal?

She describes the house on the trails of western Nepal as made of the stones under a rock over a river. They looked too crumbly to live in but people were comfortable with them.

c.      What does she mean when she says, “I walked towards a village 15 kilometers further as the crow flies?”

When she says “I walked towards a village 15 kilometers further as the crow flies,” she means the distance she had to cover was measured between two places.

d.     Describe the village Thankur in brief.

The village Thankur have had only two houses. The village is located in an arid region. There is not much human mobility. Shiny and rainbow-colored large birds called Himalayan monal are found there.

e.      What happened when she reached Jumla, and how was she relieved?

When she reached Jumla, she was ill with an unknown virus and a bad tummy. She was relieved after having medicine and pani puri.

f.       How does the author describe the bucket of water in Khali Lagna?

The water surface on the bucket was frozen. When she cracked it, she felt satisfied as the water underneath was surprisingly lukewarm.

g.     How was Rara Lake on the day she reached there?

The water in Rara Lake was glistening in its dark blue glory when she reached there.

D.    Practise saying these words with consonant clusters /sk/, /sp/ and /st/ aloud with your friends.

/sk/                                 /sp/                                 /st/

skin           scare            spot             speak           star              stone school        scarf            speed           space           stupid          step

skill          skull            sport            spend          steal            stand scale   skip          spark           special         stock           stain

skirt          ski               speech         spoon          staff             study

Consonant sounds that come together while forming word are consonant clusters. They may come initially or finally.

Example: spray (spr)- Initially,  wasp (sp) – finally

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxKUWoNfetE 

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