Standard 9 – English
Chapter 1.2 – A Synopsis: The Swiss Family Robinson
✨ Summary of the Lesson
Ans:
The Swiss Family Robinson is an adventurous story about a family that survives a shipwreck and learns to live courageously on a deserted island.
William Robinson, his wife Elizabeth, and their four sons — Fritz, Ernest, Jack, and Franz — were travelling on a ship when it was caught in a terrible storm. The other passengers escaped from the ship, but the Robinson family was left behind. Luckily, the ship survived the storm, and the family found themselves near a tropical island.
The next morning, they reached the island and made a temporary camp for safety. William understood that they would have to live there for a long time, so he carefully planned for the future. The family worked together to collect useful things from the ship such as food, tools, weapons, cooking utensils, hammocks, wood, and animals.
At first, they built a tent and later a tree house for protection from wild animals. As time passed, they made better homes, including a cave house and another strong house built on trees. The family used intelligence, courage, teamwork, and hard work to survive on the island.
Many years later, they rescued a stranded English girl named Jenny Montrose. Finally, a British ship discovered the family and rescued them. Everyone admired the Robinson family for their courage, skills, and successful life on the island.
The story teaches us the importance of courage, unity, resourcefulness, and positive thinking in difficult situations.
📖 Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hold | Space in a ship used for cargo |
| pinnace | A small boat attached to a ship |
| evacuated | Left the ship to save themselves |
| reef | Rocks or sand near the surface of the sea |
| vessel | A boat or ship |
| kegs | Small barrels |
| runners | Strips on which something slides |
| exuding | Giving out or emitting |
| abutting | Sharing a common boundary |
| oppressive | Uncomfortable or distressing |
| albatross | A large sea bird |
| stranded | Left helpless and alone |
| vicinity | Nearby area |
🌟 Warming Up!
1. Do you know any stories about people who were lost in uninhabited places and were later rescued? Name them.
Ans:
Yes. One famous real-life survival story is about the Robertson family.
In 1971, the Robertson family sailed around the world on their yacht named Lucette. During the journey, their boat was attacked by killer whales and sank in the Pacific Ocean. The family survived on a small raft and later in a tiny boat.
They had very little food and water. To survive, they drank rainwater and even turtle blood. After struggling for many days in the ocean, a Japanese fishing boat finally rescued them on July 23, 1972.
This story shows courage, patience, and the strong will to survive.
2. Think of one of your favourite interesting stories and fill in/draw an outline-chart like the one shown below.
🌍 The Real Castaways
Change / Problem / Challenge:
Explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew left England on the ship Endurance to cross Antarctica. During the journey, the ship got trapped in ice.
Scene 1:
The crew became stranded in Antarctica for several months.
Scene 2:
The men survived by hunting seals and staying active through games and work.
Scene 3:
Shackleton and a few crew members travelled in lifeboats across dangerous seas to search for help.
Climax:
After a difficult journey through mountains and glaciers, they finally reached a whaling station.
Ending:
Shackleton returned and rescued all his crew members safely.
Find the meaning of ‘anticlimax’.
Ans:
An anticlimax is a disappointing or less exciting ending to an important or thrilling series of events.
3. Group Activity
Ans: Students should do this activity on their own.
📚 In Between the Lesson
Q1. In what way is a work of fiction different from a fact file?
Ans: A work of fiction is based on imagination and creativity, while a fact file contains real and factual information. Fiction may include imaginary characters and events, whereas a fact file presents true details about real people, places, or events.
Q2. How did the family reach the tropical island?
Ans: After the shipwreck, the Robinson family found a tropical island nearby. They made a floating raft using old barrels and other materials from the ship and carefully reached the island with great effort.
Q3. Why did Mother wish to shift the family to a tree-house?
Ans: Mother wanted the family to move to a tree-house because the first camp was unsafe, hot, and open to danger. A tree-house would protect them from wild animals like jackals.
Q4. How did the mother occupy herself while the tree house was being built?
Ans: While the tree-house was being built, Mother kept herself busy by taking care of the garden and growing useful plants.
Q5. What was the third place the family decided to reside in? Why did they wish to shift there?
Ans: The third home of the family was a cave house. They shifted there because winter was approaching, and the cave provided better protection from bad weather and wild animals.
Q6. What made the family change over to their fourth residence? What precaution did they take before building it?
Ans: One of their huts was destroyed by a herd of elephants. Therefore, they decided to build a stronger house using four large trees as support. They avoided using weak stilts so that elephants could not knock the house down.
Q7. Do the changes in the family’s residence remind you of the history of man’s evolution?
Ans: Yes. The changes in the family’s homes remind us of the evolution of early humans. Like ancient humans, the Robinson family used available resources, tools, and intelligence to build safer and better shelters over time.
Q8. How did Fritz learn about another victim, forsaken on a far away island?
Ans: Fritz shot an albatross bird and found a message tied to its leg. The message said that an Englishwoman was stranded on another island called Smoking Rock.
Q9. Who was the victim and how long had she survived?
Ans: The victim was a young Englishwoman named Jenny Montrose. She had survived alone on the island for three years.
Q10. Who is included in the word ‘Everyone’ in ‘Everyone was amazed …’?
Ans: The word ‘Everyone’ includes the passengers and crew members of the British ship that rescued the Robinson family.
Q11. How does the adventure come to a happy end?
Ans: The adventure ends happily when a British ship rescues the Robinson family and Jenny Montrose. Everyone is amazed by the family’s courage, health, and successful life on the island.
✍️ ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Compound Words
Using a dictionary, find the meanings of the following compound words.
(a) armloads
Ans: A quantity that can be carried in one’s arms.
(b) driftwood
Ans: Pieces of wood floating in water.
(c) cross-currents
Ans: Water currents flowing across one another.
(d) footprints
Ans: Marks left behind by feet.
(e) fireplace
Ans: A place where a fire is lit for warmth.
(f) spyglass
Ans: A small telescope used for viewing distant objects.
2. Use the following words as both nouns and verbs.
(a) hold
Ans:
Noun: She has a strong hold over her younger brother.
Verb: Please hold this bag for me.
(b) value
Ans:
Noun: Honesty is an important value.
Verb: I value my parents’ advice.
(c) knot
Ans:
Noun: There was a knot in the rope.
Verb: Knot the string tightly.
(d) travel
Ans:
Noun: Travel helps us learn new things.
Verb: We travel during vacations.
(e) return
Ans:
Noun: His return made everyone happy.
Verb: Please return the book tomorrow.
(f) reach
Ans:
Noun: The fruits were beyond my reach.
Verb: We reached school on time.
(g) knock
Ans:
Noun: I heard a knock at the door.
Verb: Knock before entering.
(h) attack
Ans:
Noun: The army stopped the attack.
Verb: Wild animals may attack suddenly.
(i) mark
Ans:
Noun: He scored good marks in English.
Verb: Mark the correct answer.
3. Human Attributes
(a) Resourcefulness
(b) Cautiousness
(c) Foresight
(d) Knowledge and its application
(e) Perseverance and positive attitude
(f) Family bonds and courage
(g) Humanity and sensitivity
🏠 4. How did the Robinson family make each of their homes?
Ans:
First Home – Tent
The family first built a tent using sails from the ship. They spread soft grass on the floor to make comfortable beds.
Second Home – Tree House
The second home was a tree-house. They used strong branches as platforms and built a bamboo ladder to climb up safely.
Third Home – Cave House
The family later made a cave house by cutting an opening in a rock. They added windows for sunlight and ventilation.
Fourth Home – Strong Tree House
After elephants destroyed one of their huts, the family built a stronger home using four large trees as support.
🌟 5. Expand the following ideas in a paragraph or two.
(1) Where there is a will, there is a way.
Ans: The proverb “Where there is a will, there is a way” means that strong determination helps people overcome difficulties. A person who works hard with confidence and dedication can achieve success even in difficult situations.People with determination never lose hope. They continue trying until they find a solution. This attitude helps them face challenges bravely and achieve their goals.
(2) Courage and resourcefulness are the keys to overcome problems.
Ans: Courage and resourcefulness help people face difficult situations successfully. Courage gives people strength to face fear and danger, while resourcefulness helps them find smart solutions to problems.
A courageous and resourceful person stays calm during difficulties and uses available resources wisely. These qualities help people become strong, confident, and successful in life.