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NCERT Class 8 English Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary
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A Short Monsoon Diary
Chapter: 8
HONEYDEW: PROSE
Textbook Questions With Their Answers
COMPREHENSION CHECK – I
Q. 1. Why is the author not able to see Bijju?
Ans. The author is not able to see Bijju as the whole atmosphere is covered by mist.
Q. 2. What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up?
Ans. The mist conceals the hills, it makes
the hill very sad and silent too as the birds stop singing.
COMPREHENSION CHECK – I
Q. 1. When does the monsoon season begin and when does it end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?
Ans. The monsoon begins in the last week of June and ends in the last of August. We keep raincoats and umbrellas to be ready to face the monsoon. We also make arrangements to keep away the insects and mosquitoes.
Q.2. Which hill-station does the author describe in this diary entry?
Ans. The hill station that the author describes in the story is Mussorie.
Q. 3. For how many days does it rain without stopping? What does the author do on these days?
Ans. It rains non-stop for eight or nine days. The author keeps pacing the room and looking out of the window.
Q.4. Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?
Ans. The snakes and rodents take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. It rains so heavily that their holes are flooded with rainwater.
Q.5. What did the author receive in the mail?
Ans. The author received a cheque in the mail.
WORKING WITH THE TEXT
Q.1. Look carefully at the diary entries for June 24-25, August 2 and March 23. Now write down the changes that happen as the rains progress from June to March.
Ans. Rains in Mussorie begin in June and end by March. June 24 is the first day of monsoon mist which covers the hills and spreads silence. It rains all night and makes sleeping difficult. In August, there are heavy all night showers of rain. It rains continuously for eight or nine days. Afterwards, monsoon changes into winter rain.
Q. 2. Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Ans. The grandmother asks the children not to kill the Chuchundars because they are lucky and they bring money..
Q. 3. What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end?
Ans. The signs we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end are:
(a) The greenery is at its peak.
(b) The seeds of the Cobra lily turn red.
Q. 4. Complete the following sentences:
(i) Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because ___________________.
Ans. dense mist covers and hides the.
(ii) The writer describes the hill station and valley as _____________.
Ans. a paradise that might have been.
(iii) The leopard was successful in __________ but had to flee when__________.
Ans. killing a dog but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived crying curses.
(iv) The minivets are easily noticed because ____________.
Ans. they have bright colours.
(v) It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when ___________.
Ans. a variety of flowers rear their heads from the rocky crevices.
(vi) During monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because ____________.
Ans. their holes are over flooded with rainwater.
Q. 5. ‘Although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.”
(i) Why has the writer used the word,’springing’?
Ans. The word ‘springing’ is used to show suddennees with which water starts leaking from the holes of the roof.
(ii) How is the writer untouched by the rain?
Ans. The writer is inside the room and the rain is not pouring directly on him. So the writer is untouched by the rain.
(iii) How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?
Ans. The writer is in touch with the rain at the same time but the roof is made of tin sheets. The writer continuously listens to the crackling sounds of downpour on the tin roofs.
Q.6. Mention a few things that happen when there is endless rain for days together.
Ans. When there is endless rain for days together, there is a permanent mist. Everything becomes damp and soggy. We are locked inside the room. Besides, the snakes and the rodents enter the house for shelter.
Q. 7. What is the significance of Cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end?
Ans. The first cobra lily appears with arrival of the monsoon. When the cobra seeds begin to turn red, it is an indication of the ending of the rain.
WORKING WITH LANGUAGE
1. Here are some words that are associated with the monsoon. Add as many words as you can to this list. Can you find words for these in your languages?
| downpour, floods, mist, cloudy, powercuts, cold, umbrella |
Ans. insects, wet clothes, leaking roofs, thunder, lightening, hailstorm, raincoats, crackling sounds on the tin-sheet’s rooves, water-blocked drains, muddy streets… etc.
Look at the sentences below:
(i) Bijju wandered into the garden in the evening.
(ii) The trees were ringing with birdsong.
Notice the highlighted verbs.
The verb wandered tells us what Bijju did that evening. But the verb was ringing tells us what was happening continually at sams time in the past (the birds were chirping one after another).
Now look at the sentences below. They tell us about something that happened in the past. They also tell us about other things that happened continually, at the same time in the past.
Put the verbs in the brackets into their proper forms. The first one is done for you.
(i) We (get out) of the school bus. The bell (ring) and everyone (rush) to class.
Ans. We got out of the school bus. The bell was ringing and everyone was rushing to class.
(ii) The traffic (stop). Some people (sit) on the road and they (shout) slogans.
Ans. The traffic stopped. Some people were sitting on the road and they were shouting slogans.
(iii) I (wear) my raincoat. It (rain) and people (get) wet.
Ans. I wore my raincoat. It was raining and people were getting wet.
(iv) She (see) a film. She (narrate) it to her friends who (listen) carefully.
Ans. She saw a film. She was narrating it to her friends who were listening carefully.
(v) We (go) to the exhibition. Some people (buy) clothes while others (play) games.
Ans. We went to the exhibition. Some, people were buying clothes while others were playing games.
(vi) The class (is) quiet. Some children (read) books and the rest (draw).
Ans. The class was quiet. Some children were reading books and the rest were drawing.
3. Here are some words from the lesson which describe different kinds of sounds.
drum, swish, ring, tinkle, caw, drip.
1. Match these words with their correct meanings:
(a) to fall in small drops.
Ans, drip.
(b) to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly.
Ans. drum or ring.
(c) to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound
Ans. tinkle.
(d) harsh sound made by birds.
Ans. caw.
(e) to be filled with sound.
Ans. swish.
II. Now fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words given above.
(a) Ramesh ___________ on his desk in impatience.
Ans. Ramesh was drumming on his desk in impatience.
(b) Rain water ___________ from the umbrella all over the carpet.
Ans. Rain water was dripping from the umbrella all over the carpet.
(c) The pony ____________ its tail.
Ans. The pony is tinkling its tail.
(d) The ___________ of breaking glass woke me up.
Ans. The ringing of breaking glass woke me up.
(e) The ____________ of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.
Ans. The cawing of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.
4. And sure enough, I receive a cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below by using appropriate phrase from the ones given below.
| sure enough | colourful enough |
| serious enough | kind enough |
| big enough | fair enough |
| brave enough | foolish enough |
| anxious enough |
(i) I saw thick black clouds in the sky. And ____________ it soon started raining heavily.
Ans. I saw thick black clouds in the sky. And sure enough it soon started raining heavily.
(ii) The blue umbrella was _____________for the brother and sister.
Ans. The blue umbrella was big enough for the brother and sister.
(iii) The butterflies are _____________ to get noticed.
Ans. The butterflies are colourful enough to get noticed.
(iv) The lady was ___________ to chase the leopard.
Ans. The lady was brave enough to chase the leopard.
(v) The boy was __________ to call out to his sister.
Ans. The boy was anxious enough to call out to his sister.
(vi) The man was ___________ to offer help.
Ans. The man was kind enough to offer help.
(vii) The victim’s injury was ___________ for him to get admitted in hospital.
Ans. The victim’s injury was serious enough for him to get admitted in hospital.
(viii) That person was ___________to repeat the same mistake again.
Ans. That person was foolish enough to repeat the same mistake again.
(ix) He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said, ‘________________’.
Ans. He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said fair enough.
SPEAKING
Q. 1. Do you believe in superstitions? Why, or why not? Working with your partner, write down three superstitious beliefs that you are familiar with.
Ans. No, I don’t believe in superstitions because these are just orthodox myths. Nothing good or bad can happen due to these traditional quotations.
I am familiar with many superstitious beliefs, three of them are:
(i) Not to move ahead, if a black cat cuts one’s way.
(ii) Not to go for a work out of home, for a few minutes if someone sneezes.
(iii) To wear ‘Tabiz’ etc. for welfare and solution of personal problems.
Q. 2. How many different kinds of birds do you come across in the lesson? How many varieties do you see in your neighbourhood? Are there any birds that you used to see earlier in your neighbourhood but not now? In groups discuss why you think this is happening.
Ans. Scarlet minivets and drongos birds are mentioned in the lesson. In the neighbourhood, we come across sparrows, crows, pigeons, parrots, and cuckooo birds. There are many other birds that could be seen earlier in our neighbourhood easily but not now. It is happening because of increasing changes in environment these days. Global warming, hunting, deforestation and pollution are some of the reasons for the decreasing number of birds and animals.
WRITING
The monsoons are a time of great fun and even a few adventures: playing in the rain and getting wet, wading through knee-deep water on your way to school, using towels to catch fish, water flooding the house/ classroom, power cuts and so on.
Write a paragraph describing an incident that occurred during the rains which you can never forget.
Ans.
A MEMORABLE INCIDENT DURING THE RAINS
Once it started raining while I was in the school. I was greatly excited because I love rains. I kept on looking outside the windows. It was raining heavily. Just then the bell for recess period rang. All of us ran out of our classroom. We played and danced in the rains. Soon there was water everywhere in the school grounds. We made paper boats to float in the rain water. Even our teachers came to enjoy with us. It rained for around two hours. We enjoyed a lot. It was fun. We loved an unusual experience at school except studies and co- curricular activities. It was quite a memorable incident for me during the rains.
Or
Write a poem of your own about the season of spring when trees are in full bloom.
Ans.
Spring Season
Trees are in full bloom,
Birds are singing,
Here comes the Spring Season,
Cowbells are clinging.
The weather is pleasant,
Happiness everywhere
Flowers are blossoming,
Silence is nowhere
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
PASSAGE – 1
The rains have heralded the arrival of some seasonal visitors — a leopard, and several thousand leeches.
Yesterday afternoon the leopard lifted a dog from near the servants’ quarter below the school. In the evening it attacked one of Bijju’s cows but fled at the approach of Bijju’s mother, who came screaming imprecations.
As for the leeches, I shall soon get used to a little bloodletting every day.
Other new arrivals are the scarlet minivets (the females are yellow), flitting silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds cannot conceal themselves, although, by remaining absolutely silent, they sometimes contrive to go unnoticed. Along come a pair of drongos, unnecessarily aggressive, chasing the minivets away.
A tree creeper moves rapidly up the trunk of the oak tree, snapping up insects all the way. Now that the rains are here, there is no dearth of food for the insectivorous birds.
Questions
1. Name the lesson and the author.
Ans. The name of the lesson is “A Short Monsoon Diary” and the author is Ruskin Bond.
2. What does the word ‘heralded’ mean?
Ans. The word ‘heralded’ means announced.
3. What were the minivets doing?
Ans. The minivets were flying or moving lightly and rapidly.
4. What is the colour of female minivets?
Ans. The colour of the female minivets is yellow.
5. How do minivets try to remain unnoticed?
Ans. Minivets try to remain unnoticed by remaining absolutely silent.
6. What is the advantage of rain to insectivorous birds?
Ans. The rain is advantageous to insecti- vorous birds as they get ample food to eat.
PASSAGE – 2
In a few days the ferns will start turning yellow, but right now they are still firm, green and upright. Ground orchids, mauve lady’s slipper and the white butterfly orchids put on a fashion display on the grassy slopes of Landour. Wild dahlias, red, yellow and magenta, rear their heads from the rocky crevices where they have taken hold.
Snakes and rodents, flooded out of their holes and burrows, take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. A shrew, weak of eyesight, blunders about the rooms, much to the amusement of the children.
Questions
1. On what date does the author write this part of the diary?
Ans. The author writes this part of the diary on August 31.
2. What changes will be observed in few days?
Ans. The ferns will start turning yellow in few days.
3. Which flowers blossom during that period?
Ans. Wild dahlias, red, yellow and magenta blossom during that period.
4. What is the special characteristic of a shrew?
Ans. The special characteristic of a shrew is that it moves very slowly and in weak of eyesight.
SOME OTHER QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION
Q. 1. What is a diary? What do you know about Ruskin Bond’s nature after reading his diary?
Ans. A diary is a record of personal experiences/events that occurs in the writer’s life. It is written day after day. We find that Ruskin Bond is a great lover of nature. He observes minutely the colour of flowers, actions of birds and animals.
Q. 2. Why does the writer find himself lonely during winters?
Ans. The writer finds himself lonely during winters because his friend who was with him has gone.
Q. 3. What changes are observed by the writer during late March? What is the significance of hailstorm?
Ans. The dark clouds cover the sky of Mussoorie. The hailstorms help to clear the sky.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Tick (✔) the correct option
1. How does the mist become so melancholy?
(a) It conceals the hills.
(b) It blankets them in silence.
(c) Both (a) and (b).
(d) None of these.
Ans.
2. Which of the following words mean: ‘Cracks in rock or wall’ ?
(a) attics.
(b) crevices.
(c) hushed.
(d) drift.
Ans. (b) crevices
3. What does ‘caress’ mean?
(a) loving or affectionate touch.
(b) wet all over.
(c) make foolish mistakes.
(d) none of these.
Ans. (a) loving or affectionate touch
4. ‘Frozen rain drops storm’ is called a ____________.
(a) snow.
(b) rain.
(c) hailstorm.
(d) wet.
Ans. (c) hailstorm.
5. Where do snakes and rodents take shelter?
(a) roofs.
(b) attics.
(c) godowns.
(d) all of these.
Ans. (d) all of these.
6. The opposite of ‘abundance’ is:
(a) dearth.
(b) shortage.
(c) either (a) or (b).
(d) None of these.
Ans. (c) either (a) or (b)
MAKE SENTENCES
Use the following words in sentences of your own:
(i) aggressive.
(ii) conceal.
(iii) miracles.
(iv) published.
(v) caress.
Ans. aggressive: Due to the quarrel some atmosphere in the house, Ramesh has become very aggressive.
(ii) conceal: Young children should not conceal anything from their parents.
(iii) miracles: Miracles do happen in nature.
(iv) published: I want to get my poems published in a popular magazine.
(v) caress: The caress and sweet words from my friend made me comfortable.
On The Grasshopper And Cricket
HONEYDEW: POEM
Textbook Questions With Their Answers
WORKING WITH THE POEM
Q. 1. Discuss with your partner, the following definition of a poem.
A poem is made of words arranged in a beautiful order. These words, when read aloud with feeling, have a music and meaning of their own.
Ans. The poem is the result of poet’s imagination. He perceives it as a mode of expression. For example, the poem ‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’ relates to contribution towards nature. The poet or any experienced creator imagines and hence writes down a poem that express their feelings, likes and dislikes.
Q. 2. The poetry of earth’ is not made of words. What is it made of, as suggested in the poem?
Ans. The earth is a symbol of life. So its inhabitants and people who live there resemble its poetry.
Q. 3. Find in the poem the lines that match the following:
(i) The grasshopper’s happiness never comes to an end.
Ans.____ he has never done with his delights _______.
(ii) The cricket’s song has a warmth that never decreases.
Ans. The cricket’s song _____________ in warmth increasing ever.
Q. 4. Which word in stanza-2 is opposite in? meaning to ‘the frost’?
Ans. Warmth.
Q. 5. The poetry of earth continues round the year through a cycle of two seasons. Mention each with its representative voice.
Ans. Summer season —- grasshopper.
Winter season —– cricket.
COMPREHENSION STANZAS
Read the stanzas carefully and answer the questions that follow:
The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead,
That is the grasshopper’s-he takes the lead
In summer luxury-he has never done
With his delights, for when tired out with fun
He rests at case beneath some pleasant weed.
Questions
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
Ans. (a) The poem is ‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’ by John Keats.
(b) Which season is talked about here?
Ans. Summer season is talked about here.
(c) Where do the birds generally rest?
Ans. The birds generally rest in cooling trees.
(d) Where does the grasshopper rest?
Ans. The grasshopper rests beneath some weed.
(e) Describe grasshopper in one word.
Ans. We can say that grasshopper is fun-loving.
STANZA – 2
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stone there shrills
The cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost;
The grasshopper’s among some grassy hills.
Questions
(a) Which word from the stanza means ‘end’?
Ans. Ceasing.
(b) What is heard on an evening?
Ans. The cricket’s shrills is heard in an evening.
(c) What does the frost bring?
Ans. The frost brings out silence.
(d) Which word in the stanza means sleepy or half-asleep or tired?
Ans. Drowsiness.
(e) Where do we find among the grasshopper?
Ans. The grasshopper is seen among the grassy hills.
SOME OTHER QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION
Q. 1. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem in stanza 1, how do you derive at it?
Ans. dead —– a
sun —— b
run ——- b
mead —– a
lead ——- c
done ——- d
fund ——– d
weed ——- c
Q. 2. How does the grasshopper take the lead?
Ans. The grasshopper takes the lead during the summer time to continue the poetry of the earth.
Q. 3. Explain the statement: And seems to one in drowsiness half lost.
Ans. On a summer afternoon when one is lost and half asleep, tired and exhausted from the day’s work, the voice of the grasshopper is heard.
MAKE SENTENCES
Frame sentences of your own from the following:
(a) warmth.
(b) drowsiness.
(c) shrills.
(d) wrought.
Ans. (a) warmth: The dawn’s warmth on a winter morning really comforts me.
(b) drowsiness: After working for the whole day, I was lost in drowsiness.
(c) shrills: In a horror story, we are submitted to the shrills of deadly witches.
(d) wrought: The announcement of me being the Head girl has wrought an exciting mood in my house.
