NCERT Solutions Class 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary

NCERT Solutions Class 8 English (Honeydew) 

The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter – 8 A Short Monsoon Diary has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise. 

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English (Honeydew)

• Chapter – 1 : The Best Christmas Present in the World
• Chapter – 2 : The Tsunami
• Chapter – 3 : Glimpses of the Past
• Chapter – 4 : Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory
• Chapter – 5 : The Summit Within
• Chapter – 6 : This is Jody’s Fawn
• Chapter – 7 : A Visit to Cambridge
• Chapter – 9 : The Great Stone Face 1
• Chapter – 10 : The Great Stone Face 2

Chapter – 8 (A Short Monsoon Diary) 

Comprehension Check

1. Why is the author not able to see Bijju?
Answer – The author was not able to see Bijju because of the mist that had covered the surroundings.

2. What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up?
Answer – When the mist comes up, the birds fall silent. The mist covers the hills. The forest becomes deathly still as though it were midnight.

Comprehension Check

1. When does the monsoon season begin, and when does it end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?
Answer – The monsoon enters India from east and south somewhere around mid of May. It reaches northern part of the country around second week of June. The monsoon ends around September. People take out umbrellas and raincoats, gumboots are repaired. Leaking roofs are taken care of. In flood hit areas people keep their belongings at a higher and safer place. Old truck tubes are kept in good shape to be used as emergency boat during floods.

2. Which hill-station does the author describe in this diary entry?
Answer – The author has described about Masoorie which is in Uttarakhand. Ruskin Bond used to live in Uttarakhand.

3. For how many days does it rain without stopping? What does the author do on these days?
Answer – It rained without stopping for eight or nine days. Since there was nowhere to go, the author paced in his room and looked out of the window at a few bobbing umbrellas.

4. Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?
Answer – The snakes and rodents take shelter in roofs, attics, and godowns because they are flooded out of their holes and burrows due to excessive rain.

5. What did the author receive in the mail?
Answer – The author received a cheque in the mail.

Working with the text

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.
Answer – The rainy season begins in June. Clouds create a shroud around the hills during this period. The rain is at its peak during August when it rains with no full-stop in sight. March is the month of end of spring. This is the month of hailstorm which clears the sky.

2. Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Answer – The grandmother believes that chuchundars are lucky and they bring money. So, she asks children not to kill the chuchundar.

3. What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end?
Answer – When there is lush growth of all kinds of shrubs on the footpath, walls, roads, rooftops, etc. it shows that monsoon is about to end.

4. Complete the following sentences.
(i) Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because __________________.
(ii) The writer describes the hill station and valley as __________________.
(iii) The leopard was successful in __________________ but had to flee when _________.
(iv) The minivets are easily noticed because __________________.
(v) It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when __________________.
(vi) During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because __________.

Answer –
(i) Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because the dense mist conceals the hills and the surroundings.
(ii) The writer describes the hill station and valley as a paradise that might have been.
(iii) The leopard was successful in attacking one of Bijju’s cows but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived and screamed imprecations.
(iv) The minivets are easily noticed because of their bright colours.
(v) It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when ground orchids, mauve lady’s slipper and the white butterfly orchids bloom.
(vi) During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because they have been flooded out of their holes and burrows.

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’?
Answer – The tin roofs behave like hilly springs because of so many leaks. Hence, the author has used the word springing.

(ii) How is the writer untouched by the rain?
Answer – The author does not get drenched because of rains. Thus, he is untouched by the rain.

(iii) How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?
Answer – The incessant sound of raindrops falling on tin roof creates a connection between the author and the rain. Thus, the author is in touch with the rain at the same time.

6. Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days together.
Answer – Endless rain for many days can be nerve wrecking. Everything in the room becomes moist and a misty smell pervades the room. You don’t get a chance to venture out of your house. There is no sunlight in sight. All of this can be highly depressing.

7. What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end?
Answer – Cobra lily begins to bloom at the beginning of the monsoon. Its seeds turn red at the end of the monsoon.

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?

Answer – Here are some more words that are associated with the monsoon:

• Rain
• Thunderstorm
• Hailstones
• Mud
• Fog
• Raincoat
• Dampness
• Soggy
• Muddy water

2. 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 same time in the past (the birds were chirping in the trees).

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.
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.
(iii) I (wear) my raincoat. It (rain) and people (get) wet.
(iv) She (see) a film. She (narrate) it to her friends who (listen) carefully.
(v) We (go) to the exhibition. Some people (buy) clothes while others (play) games.
(vi) The class (is) quiet. Some children (read) books and the rest (draw).

Answer –
(ii) The traffic stopped. Some people were sitting on the road and they were shouting slogans.
(iii) I wore my raincoat. It was raining and people were getting wet.
(iv) She saw a film. She was narrating it to her friends who were listening carefully.
(v) We went to the exhibition. Some people were buying clothes while others were playing games.
(vi) 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.

(i) Match these words with their correct meanings.
(a) to fall in small drops
(b) to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly
(c) to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound
(d) harsh sound made by birds
(e) ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.)

Answer –
(a) to fall in small drops – drip
(b) to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly – drum
(c) to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound – swish
(d) harsh sound made by birds – caw
(e) ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.) – tinkle

(ii) Now fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words given above.
(a) Ramesh ____________ on his desk in impatience.
(b) Rain water ____________ from the umbrella all over the carpet.
(c) The pony ____________ its tail.
(d) The _________________ of breaking glass woke me up.
(e) The ____________ of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.

Answer –
(a) Ramesh drummed on his desk in impatience.
(b) Rain water dripped from the umbrella all over the carpet.
(c) The pony swished its tail.
(d) The tinkling of breaking glass woke me up.
(e) The cawing of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.

4. And sure enough, I received a cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below by using appropriate phrase from the ones given below.

(i) I saw thick black clouds in the sky. And ___________ ___________ it soon started raining heavily.
(ii) The blue umbrella was ___________ ___________ for the brother and sister.
(iii) The butterflies are ___________ ___________ to get noticed.
(iv) The lady was ___________ ___________ to chase the leopard.
(v) The boy was ___________ ___________ to call out to his sister.
(vi) The man was ___________ ___________ to offer help.
(vii) The victim’s injury was ___________ ___________ for him to get admitted in hospital.
(viii) That person was ___________ ___________ to repeat the same mistake again.
(ix) He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said, ‘___________ ___________.’

Answer –
(i) I saw thick black clouds in the sky. And sure enough it soon started raining heavily.
(ii) The blue umbrella was big enough for the brother and sister.
(iii) The butterflies are colourful enough to get noticed.
(iv) The lady was brave enough to chase the leopard.
(v) The boy was anxious enough to call out to his sister.
(vi) The man was kind enough to offer help.
(vii) The victim’s injury was serious enough for him to get admitted in hospital.
(viii) 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, ‘fair enough.’