The Tsunami

AP/ NCERT Solutions for Grade 8 English Honeydew 
Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Comprehension Check (Page 27)

Say whether the following are true or false.

1. Ignesious lost his wife, two children, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law in the tsutsunami.

2. Sanjeev made it to safety after the tsunami.

3. Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.

4..Almas’s father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the island.

5. Her mother and aunts were washed away with the tree that they were holding on to.

Answers:

1. True

2. False

3. False

4. True

5..True

Comprehension Check (Page 28)

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence.

1. Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?

Tilly's family came to Thailand to celebrate Christmas at a beach resort.

2. What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?

The warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw were the sea slowly rising, foaming, bubbling, and forming whirlpools. 

3. Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them?

Yes, Tilly's mother was alarmed by the warning signs. She became more and more hysterical as Tilly talked about an earthquake under the sea and became frightened.

4. Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?

Tilly had seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion in a video of a tsunami that had hit the Hawaiian islands in 1946, which was shown to her class by her geography teacher

5. Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape; from the tsunami?

The Smith family and the others on the beach went to the swimming pool at the hotel to escape from the tsunami. 

6. How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?

It is not mentioned how Tilly's geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket.

Comprehension Check (Page 30)

Answer using a phrase or a sentence.

1. In the Tsunami 150,000 people died. How many animals died?

Very few animals died.

2. How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?

Sixty visitors and two animals.

3. What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?

People say that the elephants ran from the beach an hour before the Tsunami hit the coast.

4. What did the dogs in Galle do?

The dogs in Galle refused to go to the beach for their daily exercise.

Working With the Text (Page 30)

Discuss the following questions in class. Then write your own answers.

1. When he felt the earthquake, do you think Ignesious immediately worried about a Tsunami? Give reasons for your answer. Which sentence in the text tells you that the Ignesious family did not have any time to discuss and plan their course of action after the tsunami struck?

When he felt the earthquake, it is not clear whether Ignesious immediately worried about a tsunami. The text does not provide specific information about his immediate thoughts or concerns. The sentence in the text that tells us that the Ignesious family did not have any time to discuss and plan their course of action after the tsunami struck is: "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." 

2. Which words in the list below describe Sanjeev, in your opinion?

Choose the words	Humourous
Cheerful	Heroic
Ambitious.	Selfless
Brash	Careless
Brave	Heartless

Answer : brave, heroic, selfless

Use words from the list to complete the three sentences below.

1. I don’t know if Sanjeev was cheerful, ………………. or……………….

2. I think that he was very brave, ……………….. and……………….

3. Sanjeev was not heartless, ……………….. or……………….

Answer:

1. ambitious or brash.

2. heroic and selfless.

3. careless or humorous.

3. How are Meghna and Almas’s stories similar?

Meghna and Almas's stories are similar in that both of them were swept away by the tsunami along with their families and experienced the devastating effects of the disaster.

4. What are the different ways in which Tilly’s parents could have reacted to her behaviour? What would you have done if you were in their place?

The different ways in which Tilly's parents could have reacted to her behavior include dismissing her concerns, not taking her seriously, or panicking and acting irrationally. If I were in their place, I would have listened to Tilly and taken her concerns seriously, especially considering the warning signs they were witnessing. I would have immediately moved away from the beach and sought higher ground or a safer location.

5. If Tilly’s award was to be shared, who do you think she should share it with— her parents or her geography teacher?

If Tilly's award was to be shared, she should share it with her geography teacher. 

6. What are the two different ideas about why so few animals were killed in the tsunami? Which idea do you find more believable?

The two different ideas about why so few animals were killed in the tsunami are that animals have a natural instinct to sense danger and move to higher ground, or that they have a heightened sensitivity to seismic activity. I find the idea that animals have a natural instinct to sense danger and move to higher ground more believable.

Working with Language (Page 31)

1. Go through Part-I carefully, and make a list of as many words as you can find that indicate movement of different kinds. (There is one word that occurs repeatedly-count how many times!). Put them into three categories.

fast movement slow movement neither slow nor fast Can you explain why there are many words in one column and not in the others?

Table 1

Fast Movement	Slow Movement	Neither fast nor slow
Fall (once)	Rising	Floating
Rushed (3 times)	Recede
Swept away (3 times)
Washed away (once)

There are more words in column A. These are related to fast movements of escape from the tsunami. It was natural for men and animals to make fast movements in such situation. The waves also overtook some people very fast and washed them away.

2. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue).

1. The earth trembled, but not many people felt the………………………… (tremble)

2. When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of……………………. and many animals es­caped into the countryside, (confuse)

3. We heard with………………. that the lion had been recaptured, (relieve)

4. The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his ……………………… was filmed by the TV crew, (rescue)

5. There was much……………….. in the village when the snake charmer came visit­ing. (excite)

Answer:

1. trembling/termors

2. confusion

3. relief

4. rescue

5. excitement.

3. Study the sentences in Column A ans Column B.

Table 2

A	B
Meghna was swept away.	The waves swept away Meghna.
Alma's grandfather was hit on the head.	Something hit Almas’s grandfather on the head.
Sixty visitors were washed away.	The waves washed away sixty visitors.
No animal carcasses were found	People did not fond any animal carcasses

Compare the sentences in A to the ones in B. Who is the ‘doer’ of the action in every case? Is the ‘doer’ mentioned in A, or in B?

Notice the verbs in A: ‘was swept away’, ‘was hit’, ‘were washed away’, ‘were found’. They are in the passive form. The sentences are in the Passive Voice. In these sentences, the focus is not on the person who does the action.

In B, the ‘doer’ of the action is named. The verbs are in the active form. The sentences are in the Active Voice.

Say whether the following sentences are in the Active or the Passive voice. Write A or P after each sentence as shown in the first sentence.

(i) Someone stole my bicycle. A

(ii) The tyres were deflated by the traffic police. ____________

(iii) I found it last night in a ditch near my house. _____________

(iv) It had been thrown there. ________

(v) My father gave it to the mechanic. __________

(vi) The mechanic repaired it for me. ___________

Answers:

(ii) P

(iii) A

(iv) P

(v) A

(vi) A

Speaking And Writing (Page 32)

1. Suppose you are one of the volunteers who went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for relief work after the tsunami. You work in the relief camps, distributing food, water and medicine among the victims. You listen to the various stories of bravery of ordinary people even as they fight against odds to bring about some semblance of normalcy in their lives. You admire their grit and determination. Write a diary entry.

You may start in this way.

31 December, 2004

The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell….

Diary Entry 

31 December, 2004

Dear Diary,

Today was another challenging day at the relief camps in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As a volunteer, I witnessed the incredible bravery and resilience of the survivors. Despite the devastation, they continue to fight against all odds to rebuild their lives. It's truly inspiring to see their unwavering determination and strength. I feel privileged to be able to contribute by distributing essential supplies and providing support. Their stories of courage and resilience remind me of the indomitable spirit of humanity. See you tomorrow. 

Yours 

Prerna

2. The story shows how a little girl saved the lives of many tourists when a tsunami struck the beach, thanks to the geography lesson that she had learnt at school. She remembered the visuals of a tsunami and warned her parents.

Do you remember any incident when something that you learnt in the classroom helped you in some way outside the classroom?

Write your experiences in a paragraph of about 90-100 words or narrate it to the whole class like an anecdote.

I vividly remember an incident when something I learned in the classroom helped me in a real-life situation. It was during a hiking trip with my friends in the mountains. As we were making our way through a dense forest, we suddenly came across a snake blocking our path. While my friends panicked and froze in fear, I remembered a lesson from my biology class about snake behavior. I knew that most snakes are non-aggressive and would only attack if they felt threatened. So, I calmly instructed my friends to slowly back away and give the snake space. Following my advice, we were able to safely navigate around the snake and continue our hike. It was a moment of relief and gratitude for the knowledge I had gained in the classroom.

OR

I remember a time when something I learned in my science class helped me outside the classroom. It was during a camping trip with my family, and we decided to go for a hike in the woods. As we were walking, I noticed some plants with three shiny leaves, and I immediately recognized them as poison ivy. Thanks to my biology class, I knew that coming into contact with poison ivy could cause a painful rash. I warned my family to stay away from the plants and explained how to identify them. Because of this knowledge, we were able to avoid any unpleasant encounters with poison ivy and enjoy our hike without any discomfort. It was a moment when I realized the practical value of what I had learned in the classroom.