Chapter: 18. The Second Voyage
Comprehension
A. Answer these questions.
Why did Sinbad leave Baghdad? Sinbad left Baghdad because the wish to see more countries and cities, and to buy and sell in faraway countries grew stronger and stronger, despite having returned home. How did Sinbad get stranded on an island? Sinbad went with some merchants to explore a beautiful island, where he went through the trees to look at some very big, beautiful flowers. The smell of these flowers made him fall asleep, and when he woke up, he was all alone as the ship had sailed away. How did Sinbad escape from the island? Sinbad escaped from the island by tying his turban around the leg of an enormous bird called a Roc (Rukh), which then carried him high into the sky and eventually dropped him in a great valley. How did Sinbad escape from the Valley of Diamonds? Sinbad escaped from the Valley of Diamonds by tying himself to a large piece of meat that merchants threw into the valley. A great bird then picked up the meat (and Sinbad with it) and flew out of the valley to the top of a hill where the merchants were waiting. How did Sinbad become a very rich man in the end? Sinbad became a very rich man by filling his bag with the biggest and best diamonds from the Valley of Diamonds before his escape. The merchants on the hill helped him sell some of these diamonds, and he returned to Baghdad with immense wealth and other goods. B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
I went through the trees to look at some very big flowers of great beauty, and I think the smell of those flowers made me fall asleep. When I woke up, I was all alone. There were no sailors and no other people to be seen.
a. Why did Sinbad go through the trees?
* Sinbad went through the trees to look at some very big flowers of great beauty.
b. How did Sinbad fall asleep?
* Sinbad fell asleep because he thought the smell of the very big flowers made him fall asleep.
c. What happened to Sinbad after he woke up?
* After Sinbad woke up, he found himself all alone; there were no sailors or other people to be seen, and his ship was sailing away. When morning came, the roc took me up, up into the sky. At last, it came down in a great valley with hills like great walls on each side. The roc came down on an enormous snake. I ran to hide by a great stone. The roc took the snake up into the air.
a. What is a roc?
* A roc (or rukh) is an enormous, mythical bird, so big that sailors said they give their young elephants to eat.
b. How was Sinbad able to fly up into the sky?
* Sinbad was able to fly up into the sky by tying his turban around the roc’s leg, and the bird then carried him up.
c. How did Sinbad escape from the roc?
* Sinbad did not actively escape from the roc; rather, the roc carried him into the valley and then flew away with a snake, leaving Sinbad free in the valley. He wasn’t directly escaping the roc itself, but using it to escape the island. C. Answer this literature-based question.
What you have just read is an adventure story. Adventure is one of the genres of English literature. Research on the Internet and, with the help of your teacher, discuss about some more literary genres.
Some other literary genres include: Fantasy: Stories involving magic, mythical creatures, and imaginary worlds (e.g., Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings). Science Fiction: Stories often set in the future or on other planets, exploring advanced technology, space travel, and scientific concepts (e.g., Star Wars, A Wrinkle in Time). Mystery: Stories that involve solving a crime or unraveling a perplexing secret, often with a detective character (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew). Historical Fiction: Stories set in a past period, featuring real historical events or figures, but with fictional characters and plots (e.g., Number the Stars, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry). Realistic Fiction: Stories that portray characters, settings, and events that could realistically happen in the real world (e.g., Wonder, Bridge to Terabithia). Biography/Autobiography: Non-fiction accounts of a person’s life, written by someone else (biography) or by the person themselves (autobiography). Poetry: Literature written in verse, often using rhythm, rhyme, and figurative language to express feelings or ideas. Drama/Play: Stories written to be performed by actors on a stage. 
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