EnglishCBSE Class 11 · We're Not Afraid to Die... if We Can All Be Together

We're Not Afraid to Die (Cook and East): Survival, Courage and Teamwork, Class 11

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In this account the family and two crewmen survive a gigantic wave in the southern Indian Ocean through courage, presence of mind, teamwork, hard work and family love. The narrator patches the hull and pumps water; the children keep up hope with Jon's words that they are not afraid to die if they can all be together; and a careful compass course brings them to Ile Amsterdam.

Link each quality to one event: the wave tests courage, the repairs show presence of mind, Jon's words bring hope, and the compass shows planning.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork

The crisis. On 2 January a gigantic vertical wave, nearly twice the height of the others, crashes onto the Wavewalker. The narrator is flung overboard but pulled back by his lifeline. The starboard side is smashed and water floods the boat.

Practical actions. The narrator covers the holes with canvas and hatch covers, finds a spare electric pump and connects it, and Larry and Herb pump nonstop. After thirty-six hours the water is under control. Mayday calls get no reply. Australia is too far, so he decides to head for Ile Amsterdam, a tiny island a few hundred kilometres east.

The role of the children. Sue has a badly swollen head and a cut arm but keeps quiet so that her father is not worried. Jon says they are not afraid of dying if they can all be together. These words give the narrator fresh determination. Sue makes a loving card for her parents.

Navigation. With a spare, uncorrected compass and careful calculations, he sets the course. The island is spotted on the evening of 6 January, and the narrator calls it the most beautiful island in the world.

Qualities. Courage, presence of mind, planning, unity and optimism are the qualities to name. Train yourself to link each quality to an event. Neighbouring topics (summary and the opening of the voyage) are on the chapter page.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

we aren't afraid of dying if we can all be together
Jonathan: During the second storm.
The children's courage and family unity give the narrator strength.
I didn't want to worry you when you were trying to save us all.
Sue: When her injuries are discovered.
Her selflessness and silent bravery.
the most beautiful island in the world!
Narrator: On sighting Ile Amsterdam.
Shows relief and joy after the ordeal.

We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork: key facts

Crisis response: Danger
Action
Result; Hull smashed, canvas and pump, water controlled.
Qualities of survivors: Courage
Presence of mind
Teamwork
Hope; Link each quality to an event.
Route: Plymouth
Cape Town
Ile Amsterdam; The planned voyage and the emergency landfall.

How to answer We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork questions

Use this for any question on survival qualities or the role of a character.

1Name the crisis: the gigantic wave on 2 January.
2Give two or three actions of the narrator or the crew.
3Add the children's contribution with a quotation.
4Name the quality each shows.
5End with the sighting of Ile Amsterdam.

We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Staying calm in a power cut

Suppose a lift stops between floors with a family inside. The father reads the emergency notice, the mother calms the children, and an older child says, "Let us sing until the technician comes."

Which survival qualities from the chapter does this show?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Presence of mind in reading the notice.
Teamwork between the parents.
Hope shown by the child.

Answer: It shows presence of mind, teamwork and optimism, the same qualities that helped the family on the Wavewalker.

Memory hook: Calm head, joined hands, hopeful heart.

Tricks to remember We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

C-P-T-H
Courage, Presence of mind, Teamwork, Hope.
Use it when: The four survival qualities.
Wave, Wheel, Water
The wave struck, he took the wheel, then the flooding was found.
Use it when: Order of the early crisis.

We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Name of the boat · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The name of the family's yacht was
(a) Wavewalker (b) Cook (c) Plymouth (d) Amsterdam

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The family sailed in the Wavewalker (1 mark).

Answer: (a)

Example 2: Sue's silence · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why did Sue not tell her father about her injuries? Answer in 30-40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

She did not want to worry him (1).
He was trying to save everyone (1).
Shows her selflessness (1).

Answer: Sue had a badly swollen head and a cut arm but kept quiet, because she did not want to worry her father while he was trying to save them all. It shows her bravery and selflessness.

Example 3: Fixing the hull · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

How did the narrator control the flooding after the wave? (40-50 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Covered holes with canvas and hatch covers (1).
Found a spare electric pump (1).
Larry and Herb pumped nonstop (1).

Answer: He covered the smashed holes with canvas and hatch covers and connected a spare electric pump. Larry and Herb pumped nonstop, and after thirty-six hours the water was under control.

Example 4: Qualities that helped · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Choose incidents from the chapter to show how different strengths of the narrator, the crew and the children worked together in the crisis. (120-150 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Courage with an incident (1).
Presence of mind with repairs (1).
Teamwork with the crew pumping (1).
Hope and love with Jon's words (2).
Conclusion (1).

Answer: Several qualities helped them survive. The narrator showed courage and presence of mind, taking the wheel though hurt, covering the holes and connecting the spare pump. Larry and Herb pumped for hours, which shows teamwork. Sue bore her injuries without complaint, and Jon's words that they were not afraid of dying if they could all be together gave the narrator fresh determination, showing family love and hope. Finally, careful navigation with a spare compass brought them to Ile Amsterdam. The qualities worked together: planning, hard work and love kept them alive.

Example 5: The children's role · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

"The children, not the adults, keep the voyage alive." Evaluate with evidence. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Evidence for: Jon's words, Sue's card (1).
Against: the adults act and pump (1).
Judgement (1).

Answer: This is partly true. Jon's words and Sue's card give the narrator hope, but the adults patch the hull, pump and navigate. The children keep the spirit alive; the adults keep the boat afloat.

Where students lose marks in We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Listing events only
The question asks for qualities.
Wrong working
A wave hit and they pumped water.
Right working
The narrator showed presence of mind by connecting the spare pump.
Do this: Name the quality each time.
Usually costs: 2 marks of 6.
Mistake: Forgetting the children
They are central.
Wrong working
The adults saved the ship.
Right working
Jon's words and Sue's silence gave courage.
Do this: Always include them.
Usually costs: 2 marks of 6.
Mistake: Wrong destination
The island is the goal.
Wrong working
They reached Australia.
Right working
They reached Ile Amsterdam.
Do this: Learn the route.
Usually costs: 1 mark of 3.

Exam tips

Link every quality to one incident.
Quote Jon's line about not being afraid of dying together.
Name Ile Amsterdam and the date of the sighting for full marks.
Use first person for a narrative or diary question.
Keep a 3-mark answer to 40-50 words and a 6-mark answer to 120-150 words.

Practice questions on We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Where did the family finally reach?
(a) Cape Town (b) Ile Amsterdam (c) Plymouth (d) Australia
Hint
A tiny island with a French scientific base.
Answer
(b)
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why did the narrator decide against sailing to Australia? (40-50 words)
Hint
The hull was badly broken.
Answer
The hull was badly broken and Australia was too far away to reach safely. He therefore chose Ile Amsterdam, a tiny island a few hundred kilometres east, as their best hope.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does the narrator find the island with a spare compass? (40-50 words)
Hint
It was uncorrected.
Answer
The ship's own compass was not usable, so he used a spare, uncorrected compass and made careful calculations to set a course. This shows planning and skill, since the island was a tiny dot in a vast ocean.
Q4 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Write a diary entry for 2 January from the narrator's point of view. (120-150 words)
Hint
First person, past tense, feelings.
Answer
2 January. Today the sea turned monstrous. We prepared, slowed the boat and put on life jackets, then an eerie silence fell and a gigantic wave crashed on the Wavewalker. I was flung overboard and was sure it was the end, but my lifeline dragged me back as the boat righted. I took the wheel. Then Mary shouted that we were sinking. Below, the starboard side was smashed and water was everywhere. I covered the holes with canvas, found the spare pump and Larry and Herb began pumping. Our Mayday calls bring no answer. I am frightened, but I have my family around me, and that gives me courage.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Do you think the family was right to undertake the voyage with young children? Give a balanced view. (3 marks)
Hint
Mention training and risk.
Answer
The family had trained for sixteen years, which shows care, and the children showed great courage. But the voyage put them at serious risk. A balanced view is that preparation reduces danger but cannot remove it.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Name the yacht.Show answer
Wavewalker.
2.Whose voyage did the family plan to retrace?Show answer
Captain James Cook's.
3.Who were the two crewmen?Show answer
Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler.
4.How long did they pump before the water was controlled?Show answer
Thirty-six hours.
5.Where did they land?Show answer
Ile Amsterdam.

We're Not Afraid to Die: Survival, Courage and Teamwork: frequently asked questions

Is this a true story?

Yes, the chapter is a first-person account by Gordon Cook and Alan East.

What is the main message?

Courage, unity and presence of mind help people survive a crisis.

Who spotted the island?

The children saw it on the evening of 6 January.