The Tsunami Reading Comprehension

AP/ NCERT Reading Comprehension Passages Grade  8 Honeydew 
Chapter 2 The Tsunami 

Reading Comprehension 1

Ignesious was the manager of a cooperative society in Katchall. His wife woke him up at 6 a.m. because she felt an earthquake. Ignesious carefully took his television set off its table and put it down on the ground so that it would not fall and break. Then the family rushed out of the house.

     When the tremors stopped, they saw the sea rising. In the chaos and confusion, two of his children caught hold of the hands of their mother’s father and mother’s brother, and rushed in the opposite direction. He never saw them again. His wife was also swept away. Only the three other children who came with him were saved.

1. What made Ignesious wake up at 6 a.m.?

   a) His alarm clock

   b) His wife because of an earthquake

   c) A loud noise

   d) A phone call

2. Why did Ignesious place his television set on the ground?

   a) To watch it more comfortably

   b) To prevent it from falling and breaking during the earthquake

   c) To connect it to a different power source

   d) To clean it

3. What did Ignesious's family do when they felt the tremors of the earthquake?

   a) They rushed out of the house.

   b) They hid under the table.

   c) They continued sleeping.

   d) They started packing their belongings.

4. What happened to two of Ignesious's children and his wife during the chaos?

   a) They were saved.

   b) They caught hold of their father and mother.

   c) They rushed in the opposite direction and were not seen again.

   d) They helped others to safety.

5. How many children were ultimately saved with Ignesious?

   a) Two

   b) Three

   c) Four

   d) Five

Reading Comprehension 2

Sanjeev was a policeman, serving in the Katchall island of the Nicobar group of islands. He somehow managed to save himself, his wife and his baby daughter from the waves. But then he heard cries for help from the wife of John, the guesthouse cook. Sanjeev jumped into the water to rescue her, but they were both swept away.

     Thirteen year-old Meghna was swept away along with her parents and seventy-seven other people. She spent two days floating in the sea, holding on to a wooden door. Eleven times she saw relief helicopters overhead, but they did not see her. She was brought to the shore by a wave, and was found walking on the seashore in a daze.

1. Where did Sanjeev serve as a policeman?

   a) Katchall island

   b) Nicobar group of islands

   c) Mainland India

   d) Guesthouse

2. Who did Sanjeev initially manage to save from the waves?

   a) His parents

   b) His wife and daughter

   c) His colleagues

   d) His neighbors

3. How did Sanjeev and John's wife end up when they tried to rescue her?

   a) They were both rescued successfully.

   b) They were swept away by the waves.

   c) They managed to reach higher ground.

   d) They found a lifeboat.

4. How long did Meghna spend floating in the sea?

   a) Two hours

   b) Two days

   c) Two weeks

   d) Two months

5. How did Meghna survive while floating in the sea?

   a) She had a life vest.

   b) She held on to a wooden door.

   c) She swam to the nearest island.

   d) She was rescued by a passing boat.

6. How many times did Meghna see relief helicopters overhead?

   a) Eleven times

   b) None

   c) Once

   d) Four times

7. How did Meghna finally reach the shore?

   a) She swam to the shore.

   b) She was rescued by a fishing boat.

   c) She was brought to the shore by a wave.

   d) She was airlifted by a helicopter.

8. When Meghna was found on the seashore, what was her condition?

   a) She was sleeping peacefully.

   b) She was swimming in the sea.

   c) She was walking on the seashore in a daze.

   d) She was building a sandcastle.

Reading Comprehension 3

Almas Javed was ten years old. She was a student of Carmel Convent in Port Blair where her father had a petrol pump. Her mother Rahila’s home was in Nancowry island. The family had gone there to celebrate Christmas.

     When the tremors came early in the morning, the family was sleeping. Almas’s father saw the sea water recede. He understood that the water would come rushing back with great force. He woke everyone up and tried to rush them to a safer place.

     As they ran, her grandfather was hit on the head by something and he fell down. Her father rushed to help him. Then came the first giant wave that swept both of them away.

     Almas’s mother and aunts stood clinging to the leaves of a coconut tree, calling out to her. A wave uprooted the tree, and they too were washed away.

     Almas saw a log of wood floating. She climbed on to it. Then she fainted. When she woke up, she was in a hospital in Kamorta. From there she was brought to Port Blair.

     The little girl does not want to talk about the incident with anyone. She is still traumatised.

1. Where did Almas Javed attend school?

   a) Carmel Convent in Nancowry island

   b) A school in Port Blair

   c) A school in Kamorta

   d) Her father's petrol pump

2. How did Almas's family end up in Nancowry island?

   a) They lived there.

   b) They went there to celebrate Christmas.

   c) They were on a vacation.

   d) Almas's mother's family lived there.

3. What did Almas's father notice about the sea water before the tsunami?

   a) It was unusually calm.

   b) It was receding.

   c) It was rising rapidly.

   d) It was sparkling in the sunlight.

4. What happened to Almas's grandfather and father during the tsunami?

   a) They were saved.

   b) They were hit on the head by something and swept away.

   c) They climbed a tree.

   d) They rushed to a safer place.

5. Almas's mother and aunts were able to hold on to a coconut tree when the wave struck.

   (True/False)

6. Almas regained consciousness in a hospital in Nancowry.

   (True/False)

Reading Comprehension 4

Tilly Smith (a British school girl) was able to save many lives when the tsunami struck Phuket beach in Thailand. Though she has won a number of awards, her parents have not allowed their daughter to be interviewed on television and made into a heroine. Why do you think they took that decision?

Now here is a story from Thailand.

     The Smith family from South-East England were celebrating Christmas at a beach resort in southern Thailand. Tilly Smith was a ten-year-old schoolgirl; her sister was seven years old. Their parents were Penny and Colin Smith.

     It was 26 December 2004. Deadly tsunami waves were already on their way. They had been triggered by a massive earthquake off northern Sumatra earlier that morning.

     “The water was swelling and kept coming in,” Penny Smith remembered. “The beach was getting smaller and smaller. I didn’t know what was happening.”

     But Tilly Smith sensed that something was wrong. Her mind kept going back to a geography lesson she had taken in England just two weeks before she flew out to Thailand with her family.

1. Where were the Smith family celebrating Christmas when the tsunami struck?

   a) South-East England

   b) Phuket beach in Thailand

   c) Northern Sumatra

   d) A beach resort in Phuket

2. What triggered the deadly tsunami waves on 26 December 2004?

   a) A volcanic eruption

   b) A massive earthquake off northern Sumatra

   c) A meteor impact

   d) High tide

3. What made Tilly Smith realize that something was wrong on the beach that day?

   a) She heard sirens warning of a tsunami.

   b) She saw unusual clouds in the sky.

   c) Her mind recalled a recent geography lesson.

   d) She felt a sudden change in the weather.

4. How old was Tilly Smith at the time of the tsunami?

   a) 7 years old

   b) 10 years old

   c) 14 years old

   d) 17 years old

5. Tilly Smith's parents allowed her to be interviewed on television and made into a heroine.

   (True/False)

6. The tsunami was caused by a volcanic eruption.

   (True/False)

Reading Comprehension 5

Tilly saw the sea slowly rise, and start to foam, bubble and form whirlpools. She remembered that she had seen this in class in a video of a tsunami that had hit the Hawaiian islands in 1946. Her geography teacher had shown her class the video, and told them that tsunamis can be caused by earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.

     Tilly started to scream at her family to get off the beach. “She talked about an earthquake under the sea. She got more and more hysterical,” said her mother Penny. “I didn’t know what a tsunami was. But seeing my daughter so frightened, I thought something serious must be going on.”

     Tilly’s parents took her and her sister away from the beach, to the swimming pool at the hotel. A number of other tourists also left the beach with them. “Then it was as if the entire sea had come out after them. I was screaming, ‘Run!’”

     The family took refuge in the third floor of the hotel. The building withstood the surge of three tsunami waves. If they had stayed on the beach, they would not have been alive.

     The Smiths later met other tourists who had lost entire families. Thanks to Tilly and her geography lesson, they had been forewarned. Tilly went back to her school in England and told her classmates her terrifying tale.

1. What did Tilly Smith witness happening to the sea that raised her concern on the beach?

   a) The sea was calm and peaceful.

   b) The sea started to rise and form whirlpools.

   c) She saw dolphins swimming near the shore.

   d) The sea turned bright blue.

2. How did Tilly learn about tsunamis and what can cause them?

   a) She read about it in a book.

   b) She watched a documentary on television.

   c) Her geography teacher showed a video in class.

   d) Her parents explained it to her.

3. Why did Tilly start screaming at her family to get off the beach?

   a) She was excited to go swimming in the pool.

   b) She spotted a rare sea creature.

   c) She was worried about an earthquake under the sea.

   d) She wanted to build a sandcastle.

4. Where did Tilly and her family seek refuge from the approaching tsunami?

   a) They stayed on the beach.

   b) They went to a nearby restaurant.

   c) They found safety in a swimming pool at the hotel.

   d) They returned to their home.

5. Tilly and her family stayed on the beach during the tsunami.

   (True/False)

6. Tilly's geography lesson saved not only her family but also other tourists from the tsunami.

   (True/False)

Reading Comprehension 6

Look carefully at the picture of the boy and his dog, and try to describe the things that you see, using just words and phrases. Either the teacher or one of the students can write down the words and phrases on the blackboard.

     This is how you can start —

     calm, blue sea .... ruined huts......…

     Before the giant waves slammed into the coast in India and Sri Lanka, wild and domestic animals seemed to know what was about to happen. They fled to safety. According to eyewitness accounts, elephants screamed and ran for higher ground; dogs refused to go outdoors; flamingoes abandoned their low-lying breeding areas; and zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed to come back out.

     Many people believe that animals possess a sixth sense and know when the earth is going to shake. Some experts believe that animals’ more acute hearing helps them to hear or feel the earth’s vibration. They can sense an approaching disaster long before humans realise what’s going on.

1. According to the passage, what did wild and domestic animals do before the giant waves hit the coast?

   a) They remained calm and unaffected.

   b) They fled to higher ground.

   c) They continued with their usual activities.

   d) They played near the sea.

2. What did the flamingoes do as a sign of an approaching disaster?

   a) They started flying higher in the sky.

   b) They abandoned their low-lying breeding areas.

   c) They gathered near the water's edge.

   d) They built nests on the ground.

3. Why do some experts believe that animals can sense an approaching disaster?

   a) Because animals have a sixth sense.

   b) Because they can predict the weather.

   c) Because they have a better understanding of earthquakes.

   d) Because their acute hearing allows them to detect earth's vibrations.

4. What is mentioned as a possible reason why animals can sense an approaching disaster?

   a) They have a strong sense of smell.

   b) They communicate with each other through telepathy.

   c) They are more connected to nature.

   d) They may hear or feel the earth's vibration.

5. What was the behavior of zoo animals when the disaster was approaching, as mentioned in the passage?

   a) They continued their normal routines.

   b) They panicked and fled the zoo.

   c) They rushed into their shelters and stayed there.

   d) They remained calm and unaffected.

Reading Comprehension 7

We cannot be sure whether animals have a sixth sense or not. But the fact is that the giant waves that rolled through the Indian Ocean killed more than 150,000 people in a dozen countries; but not many animals have been reported dead.

     Along India’s Cuddalore coast, where thousands of people perished, buffaloes, goats and dogs were found unharmed. The Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is home to a variety of animals including elephants, leopards, and 130 species of birds. Sixty visitors were washed away from the Patanangala beach inside the park; but no animal carcasses were found, except for two water buffaloes. About an hour before the tsunami hit, people at Yala National Park had observed three elephants running away from the Patanangala beach.

     A Sri Lankan gentleman who lives on the coast near Galle said his two dogs would not go for their daily run on the beach. “They are usually excited to go on this outing,” he said. But on that day they refused to go, and most probably saved his life.

1. What is the contrast between human and animal casualties in the Indian Ocean tsunami?

   a) More animals perished than humans.

   b) Animals and humans suffered equal casualties.

   c) More humans perished than animals.

   d) Animals were not affected by the tsunami.

2. What was the condition of buffaloes, goats, and dogs along India's Cuddalore coast after the tsunami?

   a) They were found washed away.

   b) They were unharmed.

   c) They were evacuated to safety.

   d) They were reported missing.

3. How did the animals at Yala National Park in Sri Lanka react before the tsunami hit?

   a) They were observed trying to rescue humans.

   b) No animal carcasses were found.

   c) They panicked and ran towards the beach.

   d) Many animals were found dead.

4. What behavior did the Sri Lankan gentleman's dogs exhibit on the day of the tsunami?

   a) They were excited to go for their daily run on the beach.

   b) They refused to go for their run.

   c) They barked loudly at the approaching tsunami.

   d) They helped in rescue efforts.

5. How did people at Yala National Park react to the observation of elephants running away from the Patanangala beach?

   a) They ignored the behavior of the elephants.

   b) They followed the elephants to the beach.

   c) They evacuated the area.

   d) They believed it was a normal occurrence.