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NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary

IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow choosing the correct options among the given ones :

I. Through the mist Bijju is calling to his sister. I can hear him running about on the hillside but I cannot see him. (Page 113)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. The scene being described here is
(a) the first day of monsoon
(b) the last day of monsoon
(c) an ordinary day on the hills
(d) a winter day.

2. The author cannot see Bijju because
(a) he is not in the line of his eyes
(b) it is misty
(c) it is night
(d) he is blind.

3. The passage is written by
(a) Satyajit Ray
(b) Rabindranath Tagore
(c) Nathaniel Hawthorne Answers
(d) Ruskin Bond.

Answers:
1. (a) the first day of monsoon
2. (b) it is misty
3. (d) Ruskin Bond

II. 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. (Page 114)

Questions
1. What does ‘it’ in the first line refer to ?
2. What causes the bloodletting ?
3. What did Bijju’s mother do ?
4. Find a word in the passage which means ‘curses’. Answers

Answers:
1. ‘It’ refers to the leopard.
2. The leeches cause the bloodletting.
3. Bijju’s mother chased the leopard away.
4. Imprecations.

III. It is a good sound to read by—the rain outside, the quiet within—and, although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.

Multiple Choice Questions
1. Here, the author is praising
(a) tin roofs
(b) rain
(c) springing
(d) leaks.

2. The ‘good sound’ is produced by
(a) rain only
(b) tin roofs only
(c) rain and tin roofs
(d) rain and leaks.

3. The word ‘springing’ here means
(a) jumping
(b) creating
(c) a season
(d) finishing.

Answers:
1. (a) tin roofs
2. (c) rain and tin roofs
3. (b) creating

IV. The blackest cloud I’ve ever seen squatted over Mussoorie, and then it hailed marbles for half an hour. Nothing like a hailstorm to clear the sky. Even as I write, I see a rainbow forming. (Page 117)

Questions
1. What season is being described ?
2. What do the ‘marbles’ refer to ?
3. What does the author mean by ‘clear sky’ ?

Answers:
1. Rainy season is being described here.
2. The marbles refer to ‘hails’.
3. A clear sky means ‘a sky free of clouds’.

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 115)
1. Why is the author not able to see Bijju ?
2. What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up ?

Answers
1. The author is not able to see Bijju because of the mist. The mist has blocked the vision.
2. The mist covers the hills and all the atmosphere. So they cannot be seen. The second change is that the birds stop singing. This makes the hills suddenly silent.

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 117)
1. When does the monsoon season begin and when does it end ? How do you prepare to face the monsoon ?
2. Which hill-station does the author describe in this diary entry ?
3. For how many days does it rain without stopping ? What does the author do on these days ?
4. Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter ? Why ?
5. What did the author receive in the mail ?

Answers
1. The monsoon generally begins in the end of June. It generally ends in the end of August or in the beginning of September. We buy raincoats or umbrellas to face the monsoon.
2. Mussoorie.
3. It has rained for eight or nine days without stopping. During these the author has been pacing the room or looking out of the window.
4. The snakes and rodents take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. They do so because their holes are flooded with water. Out of the holes, these are the convenient places for them.
5. The author received a cheque in the mail.

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 118)
Question. 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:
Monsoon arrives on June 24. The first real monsoon shower comes on June 25. The whole nature welcomes it. The author feels the joy himself and in everything around him.

By August 2, the people become weary of the monsoon. It is so because the movement in the open has become difficult. There is no sunshine for more than a week.

March 23 heralds the end of winter. After a hailstorm, there is a rainbow in the sky. It shows the beauty of nature.

Question. 2.
Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar ?

Answer:
Grandmother believed that Chuchundars are lucky. She thought that with them came money. So she asked the children not to kill it.

Question. 3.
What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end ?

Answer:
At the end of the monsoon, the lush monsoon growth reaches its peak. The seeds of the cobra lily turn red. These things show that the monsoons are about to end.

Question. 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) the mist obstructs the author’s vision.
(ii) ‘A paradise that might have been’.
(iii) killing a dog but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived crying curses.
(iv) of their bright colours.
(v) they are covered by a variety of flowers.
(vi) their holes are flooded with water and these things provide them convenient shelters.

Question. 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’ ?
(ii) How is the writer untouched by the rain ?
(iii) How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time ?

Answer:
(i) The word ‘springing’ gives the idea of suddenness.
(ii) The author is untouched by the rain because he is in a room. The room pro-tects him from rain.
(iii) The writer hears the sound of rainfall on his tin-roof. So he is in touch with the rain.

Question. 6.
Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days together.

Answer:
When there is endless rain for days together, the life becomes difficult. To go out becomes difficult. One gets bored living in the room all the time. Everything becomes damp and soggy. The washed clothes do not get dried. Constant rainfall is an invitation for many insects, rodents and snakes to enter the house.

It can also cause diseases. The sun is the source of life. If sunlight doesn’t reach people for a long time, they fall ill.

Question. 7.
What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end ?

Answer:
The first cobra lily is seen with the arrival of the monsoon. When its seeds begin to turn red, it is an indication that the rains are over.

WORKING WITH LANGUAGE (Page 118)

Question 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 ?

Answers
rainwater, fog, overcast, damp, soggy, raincoat, darkness, leaks.
Hindi words for those given in the question are :

Question 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).

Answers:
(ii) The traffic stopped. Some people were sitting on the road and they were shouting slogans.
(iii) I was wearing my raincoat. It was raining and people were getting wet.
(iv) She had seen 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.

Question 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 id) harsh sound made by birds
(e) ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.)

(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.

Answers:
(i) (a) —> drip
(b) —> drum
(c) —> swish
(d) —> caw
(e) —> tinkle

(ii) (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 tinkle of the breaking glass woke me up.
(e) The caw of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.

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

1. I saw thick black clouds in the sky. And ___ ___ it soon started raining heavily.
2. The blue umbrella was ___ ___ for the brother and sister.
3. The butterflies are ___ ___ to get noticed
4. The lady was ___ ___ to chase the leopard
5. The boy was ___ ___ to call out to his sister.
6. The man was ___ ___ to offer help.
7. The victim’s injury was ___ ___ for him to get admitted in hospital
8. That person was ___ ___ to repeat the same mistake again.
9. He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said,___ ___

Answers:
(i) sure enough
(ii) big enough
(iii) colourful enough
(iv) brave enough
(v) anxious enough
(vi) kind enough
(vii) serious enough
(viii) foolish enough
(ix) “Fair enough”

SPEAKING (Page 120)
Question 1.
Do you believe in superstitions ? Why, or why not ? Working with your partner, write down three superstitious beliefs that you are familiar with.

Answer:
No. I don’t believe in superstitions. However there is one snag in this statement. One man’s belief may be superstitious to the other and vice versa.
Three common superstitions are :
(i) No. 13 is ominous
(ii) Stop if a black cat crosses your path.
(iii) Do not sleep with your feet pointing towards south.

Question 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.

Answer:
We come across five kinds of birds in this lesson. These are: minivets, drongos, crow, whistling thrush and ‘shrew’. We do not see many varieties in our neighbourhood. There are two birds which used to be seen in our neighbourhood but have now disap-peared. These are peacocks and vultures. Poaching, felling of trees and pollution of the environment are three important reasons for its happening.

WRITING (Page 121)
Question 1.
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, water flooding the house or the classroom, powercuts and so on.
Write a paragraph describing an incident that occurred during the rains which you can never forget.
Or
Write a poem of your own about the season of spring when trees are in full bloom.

Answers:
A rainy day in summer is a great blessing. Last Friday, I had not yet left for school, when it began to rain. It rained heavily. Going to school was out of question. So I placed my books on the table and stood near the window. Water had collected everywhere. People were wading through water with raincoats on. Some had umbrellas in their hands. But these gave them little shelter. Children absented themselves from schools.

They played in rain-water and cared little for their mothers who got angry. The roads became slippery. Some persons who slipped on the road, spoiled their clothes. The children had a hearty laugh.
Or
Spring is the season of joy
When Nature becomes a toy.
The trees are in full bloom
Some flowers are in my room.
In spring comes Holi
Let’s play with colour and roli.
There is summer in the air
How lovely the birds and hare !
Spring is the season of joy
When Nature becomes a toy
The trees are in full bloom
I have roses in my room.

Read More: rainy season paragraph

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

The Little Round Red House Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English:

• The Best Christmas Present in the World Question Answer
• The Tsunami Question Answer
• Glimpses of the Past Question Answer
• Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Question Answer
• The Summit Within Question Answer
• This is Jody’s Fawn Question Answer
• A Visit to Cambridge Question Answer
• A Short Monsoon Diary Question Answer
• The Great Stone Face I Question Answer
• The Great Stone Face II Question Answer

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow choosing the correct options among the given ones :

I. The only thing that makes you stronger is seeing somebody like you, achieving something huge. Then you know how much is possible and you reach out further than you ever thought you could. (Page 101)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. The speaker in these lines is talking of
(a) himself
(b) Stephen Hawking
(c) Hawking’s assistant
(d) disabled people.

2. One feels inspired and confident when one finds someone in the same or worse circumstances
(a) needing his help
(b) living a decent life
(c) doing something great
(d) earning much money.

3. The phrase ‘reach out’ means
(a) walk
(b) move your hand
(c) go out
(d) try to get.

Answers
1. (d) disabled people
2. (c) doing something great
3. (d) try to get

Application for leave

II. Every time I shifted in my chair or turned my wrist to watch the time—I wanted to make every one of our thirty minutes count—I felt a huge relief and exhilaration in the possibilities of my body. How little it mattered then that I would never walk, or even stand. (Page 102)

Questions
1. Why was the author looking at his watch so often ?
2. Why did he feel relief and exhilaration ?
3. Explain the meaning of the last sentence.

Answers
1. The author had been granted only thirty minutes to talk to Hawking. He wanted to make full use of each minute.

2. The author was a disabled person. However, there was before him a totally invalid person— Hawking. Yet this invalid had reached great heights. So the author was pleased to see that his limbs were much better than that of Hawking. He thought if Hawking could do so much with his body, he (the author) could do much more.

3. The thought that he could not walk or stand did not cause any sorrow now. After all people with weaker bodies have done much useful work in life. He had realised it after meeting Hawking.

III. “I know what you mean.” I remembered the years I’d spent trying to play a Spanish guitar considerably larger than I was ; and how gleefully I had unstringed it one night. (Page 103)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. The speaker of the above lines is
(a) Firdaus Kanga
(b) Hawking
(c) Hawking’s assistant
(d) Newton.

2. ‘You’ in the passage refers to
(a) Firdaus Kanga
(b) Hawking
(c) Hawking’s assistant
(d) Newton.

3. What did the speaker gleefully do ?
(a) he played on the guitar
(b) he threw the guitar away
(c) he broke the strings of the guitar
(d) he became quiet.

Answers
1. (a) Firdaus Kanga
2. (b) Hawking
3. (c) he broke the strings of the guitar

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 104)
Which is the right sentence ?

1. “Cambridge was my metaphor for England.” To the writer,
(i) Cambridge was a reputed university in England.
(ii) England was famous for Cambridge.
(iii) Cambridge was the real England.

2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawking’s house
(i) from the nearest phone booth.
(ii) from outside a phone booth.
(iii) from inside a phone booth.

3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because
(i) he wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask.
(ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
(iii) he was face to face with a legend.

4. “I felt a huge relief…in the possibilities of my body.” In the given context, the highlighted words refer to
(i) shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
(ii) standing up, walking.
(iii) speaking, writing.

Answers
1. (iii)
2. (ii)
3. (ii)
4. (i).

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 104)
Answer the following questions :

Question. 1.
(i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous ? If so, why ?
(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited ? If so, why ?

Answer:
(i) Yes, the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking made the writer nervous. He was doubtful whether he would be allowed to meet him even for ten minutes,
(ii) At the same time, the writer felt very excited. It was because he was allowed to meet Professor Stephen Hawking for half an hour.

Question. 2.
Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.

Answer:
The first question was how he felt when someone asked him to be brave.

Question. 3.
Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice ? What was it ?

Answer:
Yes, the writer thinks there was a choice. It was to live creatively with the reality of one’s disintegrating body. This was Hawking’s choice. He had refused to lead a dull life of an inactive disabled person.

Question. 4.
“I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish ?

Answer:
The anguish was that his pale fingers and eyes were frustrated in exhaustion. He could not express himself freely though ideas were floating in his mind.

Question. 5.
What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world ?

Answer:
The scientist’s one-way smile endeared him to the writer. So he said he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world.

Question. 6.
Read aloud the description of ‘the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the description ?

Answer:
“Before you, like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin you glimpse only the light inside is the incandescence of a man.”

Question. 7.
(i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be ?
(ii) What is housed within the thin walls ?
(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison ?

Answer:
(i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, its ‘walls’ would be the skeleton-like physical structure.
(ii) The light/glow of the eternal soul is housed within the thin walls.
(iii) From this comparison, the writer draws the general conclusion that ‘It is not the body but the eternal soul that matters’.

Question. 8.
What is the scientist’s message for the disabled ?

Answer:
The disabled should concentrate on what they are good at. It is foolish to waste time in imitating the normal people.

Question. 9.
Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident ? Which idea does it support ?

Answer:
The writer spent many years trying to play a Spanish guitar considerably larger than he was. One night, he unstringed it very joyfully.

It supports the idea that things like the disabled Olympics are a waste of time. One should practise only what one is good at.

Question. 10.
The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for ?

Answer:
Stephen Hawking spared time for the writer. After meeting him the author felt much inspired. He felt that he had met the greatest and best disabled person on earth. Therefore, the writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking.

Question. 11.
Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both the boxes below.
(i) There was his assistant on the line …
(ii) You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, …
(iii) There he was, …
(iv) You look at his eyes which can speak, …
(v) It doesn’t do much good to know …
A
• tapping at a little switch in his hand
• and I told him
• that there are people
• as if you have a courage account
• and they are saying something huge and urgent
B
• trying to find the words on his computer.
• I had come in a wheelchair from India.
• on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.
• smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.
• it is hard to tell what.

Answer:
(i) and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India.
(ii) as if you have a courage account, on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.
(iii) tapping at a little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his com-puter.
(iv) and they are saying something huge and urgent—it is hard to tell what.
(v) that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

WORKING WITH LANGUAGE (Page 106)
Question 1.
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the words given in the following box.

• guide
• succeed
• chair
• travel
• pale
• draw
• true

(i) I met a___from an antique land.
(ii) I need special___in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject.
(iii) The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy___to Issac Newton.
(iv) His other problems___into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap.
(v) The meeting was___by the youngest member of the board.
(vi) Some people say ‘yours ___’ when they informally refer to themselves.
(vii) I wish it had been a____match. We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least.

Answers
(i) traveller
(ii) guidance
(iii) successor
(iv) paled
(v) chaired
(vi) truly
(vii) drawn.

Question 2.
Look at the following words.

• Walk
• Stick

Can you create a meaningful phrase using both these words ?
(It is simple. Add -ing to the verb and use it before the noun. Put an article at the beginning.)
..a walking stick

Now make six such phrases using the words given in the box.

• read / session
• smile / face
• revolve / chair
• walk / tour
• dance / doll
• win / chance

Answers
(i) a reading session
(ii) a smiling face
(iii) a revolving chair
(iv) a walking tour
(v) a dancing doll
(vi) a winning chance

Question 3.
Use all or both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one or the other.
(i) He has two brothers ____are lawyers.
(ii) More than ten persons called.___of them wanted to see you.
(iii) They____cheered the team.
(iv) ___her parents are teachers.
(v) How much have you got ? Give me___of it.

Answers
(i) He has two brothers. Both are lawyers.
(ii) More than ten persons called. All of them wanted to see you.
(iii) They all cheered the team.
(iv) Both her parents are teachers.
(v) How much have you got ? Give me all of it.

Explanation
Both ‘means’ two out of two’.
‘All’ means ‘every-one (everything) out of more than ‘two’.

Question 4.
Complete each sentence using the right form of the adjective given in brackets.
(i) My friend has one of the___cars on the road. (fast)
(ii) This is the___story I have ever read. (interesting)
(iii) What you are doing now is___than what you did yesterday. (easy)
(iv) Ramesh and his wife are both___. (short)
(v) He arrived___as usual. Even the chief guest came___than he did. (late, early)

Answers
(i) My friend has one of the fastest cars on the road.
(ii) This is the most interesting story I have ever read.
(iii) What you are doing now is easier than what you did yesterday.
(iv) Ramesh and his wife are both short.
(v) He arrived late as usual. Even the chief guest came earlier than he did.

SPEAKING AND WRITING (Page 107)

Question 1.
Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in color loudly and clearly.

•  In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one that is more prominent than the other syllable(s)
• A word has as many syllables as it has vowels, man (one syllable)
  man’ner (two syllables)
• The mark (‘) indicates that the first syllable in ‘manner’ is more prominent than the other.

Answer
Attempt yourself.

Question 2.
Underline stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary or ask the teacher if necessary.

Answer

Question 3.
Writing a notice for the School Notice Board.

Step 1
Discuss why notices are put up on the notice board.
What kinds of ‘notices’ have you lately seen on the board ?
How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph ?

Step 2
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus.
What have you lost or found ?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found something, you want to return it to its owner.

Step 3
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class, section and date.

Step 4
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class.
Compare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if necessary, with the help of the teacher.

Or

Imagine that you are a journalist.
You have been asked to interview the president of the village panchayat.
Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.
The questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.

Answers

ABC SCHOOL
NOTICE
LOST—LOST—LOST

25 May 2014
I have lost my book titled Golden English Guide. I lost it somewhere in the school premises. The founder is requested kindly to give it back to me. I shall be very grateful.
Ram Manohar
Class VIII A

Or

An Interview with the President of the Village Panchayat.

Journalist : How many houses are there in your village ?
Sarpanch : There are about two hundred houses in our village.
Journalist : How many schools are there in it ?
Sarpanch : There is only one Primary School in it.
Journalist : How many boys and girls study in it ?
Sarpanch : About a hundred boys study in it. No girls study there.
Journalist : Where do you hold your general meetings and when ?
Sarpanch : We hold our general meetings in the school building on Sundays and other holidays.
Journalist : How many voters are there in this village ?
Sarpanch : There are about four hundred voters in this village.
Journalist : Do you use well-water or tap-water for drinking ?
Sarpanch : We use the water of the well for drinking.
Journalist : Is your village electrified ?
Sarpanch : No. We use kerosene oil lamps to light our houses.
Journalist : Where do you purchase milk from ?
Sarpanch : We get milk from our buffaloes, cows and goats

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Marvellous Travel Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English:

• The Best Christmas Present in the World Question Answer
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Class 12 English NCERT Solutions Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English

Deep Water Textual Questions and Answers

Think-as-you-read Questions

Question 1.
What is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about?
Answer:
The ‘misadventure’ is the incident in which the author at the age of ten or eleven was picked up and thrown into the swimming pool of Y.M.C.A. by a bruiser. The author didn’t know how to swim and was about to drown.

Question 2.
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plan did he make to come to the surface?
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the water by a big bruiser, initially he was shocked and frightened. He went deep into the water in the same posture in which he was sitting. He was terrified and panic- stricken. But he kept his presence of mind and planned to make a big jump the moment his feet touched the bottom and to spring to the surface like a cork. But unfortunately all his three attempts failed and at the end he felt suffocated and paralysed. Full of stark terror, he became unconscious.

Question 3.
How did this experience affect Douglas?
Answer:
After the Y.M.C.A. misadventure, Douglas developed a fear of water. This experience became a handicap for him. Whenever he tried to enter water, the terror which seized him in the pool would come back. He could not enjoy any water sports such as canoeing, boating, rafting and swimming. This experience left a haunting fear of water in his heart.

Question 4.
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? [Delhi 20l2j
Answer:
Douglas wanted to live his life to the fullest. This fear was a hindrance to his enjoying the pleasures
of life. This fear ruined all his fishing trips. He could not enjoy any water sport like canoeing, fishing, swimming, etc. So he was determined to get over his fear of water.

Question 5.
How did the instructor build a swimmer out of William Douglas? [All India 20 u (t > Delhi 2(!?j
OR
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer? [Delhi 2019]
Answer:
The instructor built a swimmer out of William Douglas bit by bit. The instructor used to tie a belt round his waist and attach it to a pulley with a rope. Every day Douglas practised using this device by putting his head under water and kicking his legs by the side of the pool. Over a period of three months, by imparting strategically planned intense practice, the instructor was able to build a swimmer out of William Douglas.

Question 6.
How did Douglas make sure that he had conquered the old terror?
Answer:
Douglas felt that when he was alone in the pool, tiny vestiges of old fear would return. To make sure that he had got rid of his fear of water, he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Islands and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. After this, he became confident that he had conquered his long standing fear, of water.

Deep Water Understanding the Text

Question 7.
How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
Answer:
When Douglas was flung into the pool by a bruiser, he almost drowned. He was terrified but did not lose hope. While going down the water, he planned to save himself. He decided that when his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump and come to the surface and then lie down and paddle to the edge of the pool. But this plan didn’t work for him. As a result, he went down again. This time also Douglas tried, but in vain. Now panic seized him. He realised that he was going to drown. His limbs were paralysed, his lungs filled with water and ached. The mass of yellow water filled him with stark terror and he started fainting.

Question 8.
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas was haunted by the fear of water for many years. In order to overcome his fear, he decided to hire an instructor and started practising swimming regularly. The instructor very innovatively devised a method to teach him swimming. Douglas used to wear a belt around his waist and a rope was attached to it which went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. So it pulled him out whenever he felt panicky while swimming. After three months of rigorous practice, he started to feel relaxed.

Douglas also paddled his legs in water by the side of the pool. Initially, Douglas felt paralysed and his legs didn’t move but gradually he overcame his nervousness. The instructor told him that his job was done and Douglas had become a complete swimmer. But in order to be confident Douglas swam in different lakes. Finally, when he swam in Warm Lake, he realised that he had overcome his fear of water.

Question 9.
Why does Douglas, as an adult, recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Answer:
Douglas, as an adult, recounts his childhood experience of terror. It was like an encounter with death for him. He could feel the terror that he was going through when he was about to drown in the pool. This fear haunted him for years and finally his zest for overcoming this fear strengthened him. Rigorous practice, courage, willpower and determination conquered the inherent fear of his heart and he gained confidence. Through this experience, Douglas was able to understand the fact that clinging to the past fears only spoils our present. In life, fear is the greatest enemy of man, which holds him back from taking initiatives. Douglas understood that in spite of the fact that in life, situations are risky, at times, one must have courage to face them boldly.

Deep Water – Solved Question Bank

Reference-to-Context Questions
Read the extracts given below.

Question 1.
The Yakima River was treacherous. Mother continually warned, against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end, and while it was nine feet deep at the other, the drop was gradual. I got a pair of water wings and went to the pool.
Answer the following.
(a) Mother warned the author about the __________ river.
(b) The pool was safe because it was not very deep. (True/False)
(c) The author ignored each drawning in the river. (True/False)
(d) Find a word from the extract that is the opposite of ‘deep’.
Answer:
(a) treacherous/Yakima
(b) True
(c) False
(d) Shallow

Question 2.
From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in it. This started when I was three or four years old and father took me to the beach in California. He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves knocked me down and swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone.
Answer the foliowing.
(a) The author hated water as his mother did not let him go near water. (True/False)
(b) The author was __________ as he nearly drowned in water.
(c) Gradually the narrator practised __________ .
(d) Find a word from the extract that means ‘a strong feeling of not liking something’.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) scared
(c) swimming
(d) aversion

Question 3.
It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before I touched bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit the bottom I summoned all my strength and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. I imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork. Instead, I came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water — water that had a dirty yellow tinge to it.
Answer the following.
(a) The narrator was going down the __________ .
(b) The author was trying to come to the __________ .
(c) He used a spring board to come out of the pool. (True/False)
(d) From the passage pick a word similar in meaning to ‘gathered’
Answer:
(a) swimming pool
(b) surface
(c) False
(d) summoned

Question 4.
And then sheer, stark terror seized me, terror that knows no understanding, terror that knows no control, terror that no one can understand who has not experienced it. I was shrieking under water. I was paralysed under water—stiff, rigid with fear. Even the screams in my throat were frozen. Only my heart, and the pounding in my head, said that I was alive.
Answer the following.
(a) The author was unable to __________ out of the pool.
(b) He got __________ as he was experiencing death.
(c) Terror cannot be understood by someone who has not felt it. (True/False)
(d) From the passage give a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘yelling’.
Answer:
(a) swim
(b) terrorized
(c) True
(d) shrieking

Question 5.
Then all effort ceased. I relaxed. Even my legs felt limp; and a blackness swept over my brain. It wiped out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet and peaceful. Nothing to be afraid of. This is nice… to be drowsy… to go to sleep… no need to jump… too tired to jump… it’s nice to be carried gently… to float along in space… tender arms around me… tender arms like Mother’s… now I must go to sleep. .
Answer the following.
(a) The narrator had __________ experience.
(b) He was getting __________ and did not remember anything.
(c) He was reminded of his mother. (True/False)
(d) From the passage pick up the opposite of ‘disturbed’
Answer:
(a) death
(b) unconscious
(c) True
(d) relaxed

Question 6.
A few years later when I came to know the waters of the Cascades, I wanted to get into them. And whenever I did—whether I was wading the Tieton or Bumping River or bathing in Warm Lake of the Goat Rocks—the terror that had seized me in the pool would come back. It would take possession of me completely. My legs would become paralysed. Icy horror would grab my heart.
Answer the following.
(a) The writer wanted to lead a wholesome life. (True/False)
(b) The narrator could not __________ his fear.
(c) The narrator was filled with __________ whenever he came close to water.
(d) Give one word for the phrase ‘walking with your feet in water’.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) overcome
(c) horror
(d) wade

Question 7.
But the jump made no difference. The water was still around me. I looked for ropes, ladders, water wings. Nothing but water. A mass of yellow water held me. Stark terror took an even deeper hold on me, like a great charge of electricity. I shook and trembled with fright. My arms wouldn’t move. I tried to call for help, to call for mother. Nothing happened.
Answer the following.
(a) The narrator was trying to __________ out of water.
(b) Electric shock struck him when he was in the pool. (True/False)
(c) No body heard his cries, and sometime happened. (True/False)
(d) From the passage give a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘absolute’.
Answer:
(a) get
(b) False
(c) False
(d) Stark

Question 8.
I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its grip. Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A rope attached to a belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable.
Answer the following.
(a) He went to the same pool where the accident happened. (True/False)
(b) He needed an instructor to get over his phobia. (True/False)
(c) He was attached to a __________ to assist him in swimming.
(d) He was __________ to get over his fear.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) True
(c) pulley
(d) determined

Question 9.
On each trip across the pool a bit of the panic seized me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under, some of the old terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the tension began to slack. Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and to raise my nose and inhale. I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.
Answer the following.
(a) These lines reflect the narrator’s __________ .
(b) The instructor finally succeeded in relieving the narrator of his __________ .
(c) The narrator was working hard as swimming is a good exercise. (True/False)
(d) From the passage give a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘controlled’.
Answer:
(a) perseverance
(b) tension
(c) False
(d) seized

Question 10.
Next he held me at the side of the pool and had me kick with my legs. For weeks I did just that. At first my legs refused to work. But they gradually relaxed; and finally I could command them.
Answer the following.
(a) The narrator had a problem with his legs and so he was exercising regularly. (True/False)
(b) He was held to the side of the pool by the __________ .
(c) ‘They’ here refers to his __________ .
(d) From the passage give a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as the ‘order’.
Answer:
(a) False
(h) instructor
(c) legs
(d) command

Question 11.
But I was not finished. I still wondered if I would he terror-stricken when I was alone in the pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old terror would return. But now I could frown and say to the terror, “Trying to scare me, eh? Well, here’s to you! Look!”
Answer the following.
(a) ‘I was not finished’ means __________ .
(b) He frowned to his __________ .
(c) He was not scared of that bully. (True/False)
(d) From the passage give a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘remnant’.
Answer:
(a) not over yet
(b) old terror
(c) False
(d) vestige

Question 12.
The experience had a deep meaning for me, as only those who have known stark terror and conquered it can appreciate. In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death, as Roosevelt knew when he said, “ All we have to fear is fear itself. ”
Answer the following.
(a) Experience the narrator mentions is __________
(b) __________ faced stark terror and conquered it.
(c) Fear became a __________ force for the author.
(d) The narrator won over his fear of death by conquering it. (True/False)
Answer:
(a) near drowning
(b) The narrator
(c) driving
(d) True

Deep Water Short Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How did William Douglas’ aversion to water begin? [Delhi 2013(C)]
OR
Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water? [Delhi 2014(C)]
Answer:
Douglas had a very bad experience at the age of three or four years. His father took him to the beach in California and there he was knocked down by huge waves and was almost buried under water. This left a scary impact on his mind. Second, when he was ten or eleven years old, a bruiser threw him into the Y.M.C.A. pool. This time he narrowly escaped death. He was saved from getting drowned but an aversion to water overpowered him. As a result, he became scared of water and couldn’t enjoy swimming, canoeing fishing or any other water sport.

Question 2.
How did Douglas’s experience at Y.M.C.A. pool affect him? [Delhi 2015]
OR
How did the incident at Y.M.C.A. pool affect Douglas later in life? [HOTS]
Answer:
This incident spoiled the confidence of Douglas. He became hydrophobic and always avoided water. The moment he entered water, his limbs would become paralysed and a terror would grab him. This fear ruined his fishing trips. He could not enjoy any water sports like canoeing, fishing, swimming, etc. due to this fear of water.

Question 3.
How did Douglas’ misadventure at the Y.M.C.A. pool affect his later life? [All India 2010(C)]
Answer:
Douglas’ misadventure at the Y.M.C.A. pool developed an aversion of water in him. He suffered from hydrophobia and could not swim. As a result, he was devoid of pleasures of swimming, rafting, fishing, canoeing and other water sports. This made him feel incomplete.

Question 4.
What factors led Douglas to decide in favour of Y.M.C.A. pool? [All India 2011, Delhi 2015(C)]
Answer:
When Douglas was three years old, he was swept over by sea waves at the California beach. Since then he developed an aversion to water. But he wanted to learn to swim. So he decided to learn to swim at a safer place. The Y.M.C.A. pool was the safest pool with two or three feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet at the deep side. It was very safe even for the beginners. Thus Douglas decided to learn to swim at the Y.M.C.A. pool.

Question 5.
Douglas’s mother (ironically) thought that YMCA pool was safe for learning to swim. What are your views? [Foreign 2017]
Answer:
Swimming in the pool is always predictable because it is not so deep as the river. It may be two or three feet deep at the shallow end. So, the question of drowning does not arise in a shallow swimming pool like the YMCA pool. Thus, it was quite safe to learn swimming in the YMCA pool, as Douglas’ mother thought.

Question 6.
What was Douglas’ initial reaction on being thrown into the pool?
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he was frightened. He knew that he was going to drown as he didn’t know how to swim. But even then he was not out of his wits. On his way down the pool, he planned that when he hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

Question 7.
What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water for a second time? How could he feel that he was still alive?
Answer:
When Douglas went down for a second time, panic seized him. His lungs ached, his head throbbed and he was terrified. He was shrieking and was paralysed under water. But he could realise that he was alive as he shook and trembled with fright. He didn’t give up and tried for a third time to save himself.

Question 8.
What was the immediate effect of Douglas’ experience of nearly drowning in the pool? And what was the long-term effect?
Answer:
The immediate effect was both physical and mental. Douglas was sick and could not eat that night and was weak at the knees. It took him many days to recover. The long-term effect was that he developed hydrophobia, i.e. a fear of water, and, as a result, he dreaded going near water to enjoy any water sport and fishing.

Question 9.
What shocking experience did Douglas have at YMCA pool? [Delhi 2017]
Answer:
Douglas had a shocking experience at the YMCA pool that affected him badly. As he was sitting on the side of the pool, a big bully of a boy, eighteen years of age, picked him up and threw him into the pool at the deep end thinking he knew swimming.

Question 10.
Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to? [All India 2012]
Answer:
Douglas had decided to hit the surface by making a big jump but it was not as simple as he had imagined. After repeated attempts, he was seized by terror and let himself slip into oblivion.

Question 11.
How did Douglas’ introduction to YMCA pool revive his childhood fear of water? [All India 2017]
Answer:
Douglas’ introduction to YMCA pool revived his childhood fear of water; The experience he had as a child of three or four had left an indelible imprint in his mind, when he was thrown into water thus, the YMCA swimming poor evoked the same childish fear.

Question 12.
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water at the age of three or four? [Foreign 2017]
Answer:
When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach in California. His father and he stood together in the surf. Douglas hung on to him, yet the waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried under water. As a result, Douglas developed an aversion to water.

Question 13.
How did Douglas hope to come out when he was thrown into YMCA pool? [Foreign 2017]
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the YMCA pool, he landed in a sitting position in water. He gulped lot of water. Frightened, as he was sinking, he planned to hit the bottom, make a big jump and come out to the surface.

Question 14.
When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself? [Delhi 2010]
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the deep water of the pool, he was terrified. He knew that he was going to drown as he didn’t know to swim. So he thought of a strategy to save himself. He decided that as his feet hit the bottom of the pool, he would make a big jump and come to the surface. Then he would swim to the edge of the pool.

Question 15.
Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror flee? [All India 2012]
OR
How did Douglas make sure that he had conquered the old terror. [All India 2013]
Answer:
After getting training from the instructor, Douglas, in pursuit of complete elimination of fear of water, decided to go to various waterbodies. Finally, he decided to go to go to Lake Wentworth to test himself for fear. He swam there without fear, which made him confident to believe that he had chased away all residual fears and terrors.

Question 16.
How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water? [Delhi 2015]
OR
“The instructor was finished. But I was not finished.” What does this refer to? Explain briefly. [HOTS]
Answer:
The instructor worked with Douglas for seven months. Through rigorous training, the instructor made him get rid of his fear of water. But still some vestiges of fear used to haunt Douglas whenever he was alone in water. So he decided to go to the various waterbodies to overcome his fear of water and become confident.

Question 17.
What happened to Douglas when he failed in his attempt to come onto the surface of water a third time?
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he tried his best to save himself. He planned a strategy to come onto the surface of water. He tried twice but failed. As Douglas went down a third time, he sucked water as he tried to breathe air. Then all his efforts stopped. He had a blackout. Everything became quiet and calm.

Question 18.
Why did Douglas want to overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas wanted to overcome his fear of water because this fear had become his handicap. The moment he entered water, his limbs would become paralysed and terror would grab him. This fear ruined all his fishing trips. He could not do canoeing, boating and swimming. So in order to enjoy his life completely, he decided to overcome his fear of water.

Question 19.
Why could Douglas not come up in his first attempt?
Answer:
Douglas couldn’t come up in his first attempt, though he tried his best. His strategy didn’t work. His strategy was that when his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come onto the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge. But by the time he reached the bottom, he felt as if his lungs were about to burst and he became helpless.

Question 20.
How did Douglas get rid of all the residual fear of water that he had?
Answer:
The instructor had built a swimmer out of Douglas, but still same vestiges of fear used to haunt him whenever he was alone in water. In order to get rid of all the residual fear, Douglas swam across various waterbodies. He went up to the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail to Meade Glacier and, finally, camped at Warm Lake.

Question 21.
Explain how Douglas felt when he was thrown into the pool. What plan did he make to come to the surface? [All India 2014 (C)]
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he got frightened and a sense of panic gripped him. But still he was not out of his wits. He thought of a strategy to save himself. He decided that as his feet hit the bottom of the pool, he would make a big jump and come to the surface. He would lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

Deep Water Long Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water? [Delhi 2o12]
OR
‘I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.’ What was the incident which nearly killed Douglas and developed in him a strong aversion to water? [Foreign 2014, 2015]
Answer:
When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to the California beach. The waves of the sea knocked him down and almost buried him in water. He was terrified and unable to breathe. Since then he developed an aversion to water. Later on, when he was ten or eleven years old, one day while sitting on the side of the swimming pool, he was flung into the pool by a bruiser.

It was really an encounter with death. He underwent the terrible experience in his attempt to save himself. He almost drowned in water, which suffocated him, an abject fear immobilised his limbs. Though he was rescued, he became hydrophobic. He could not swim and do any other water activity like canoeing, fishing, boating, rafting, etc. Everytime he came in contact with water, pangs of panic would paralyse him. He spent many years of his life under this fear and then finally decided to conquer it.

Question 2.
How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the Y.M.C.A. pool? [Delhi 2012]
Answer:
When Douglas was flung into the swimming pool by a big boy, he became fearful. But he thought rationally and planned a strategy to save himself from drowning. He decided that as he hit the bottom of the pool, he would take a big jump to come to the surface of water. Then he would lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool. But unfortunately, it took long for him to reach the bottom and he felt as if his lungs would burst. Even then he tried to take a big jump using all his might, but in vain. Once again, he tried the same technique but his action did not produce the desired result. Finally, panic seized him. His limbs got numb and he fainted.

Question 3.
Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water? [CBSE 2018]
Answer:
Fear has a tendency to cripple and paralyse us. It doesn’t allow us to make efforts to succeed. We ought to overcome fear in order to be successful.

Douglas realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to fear is fear itself”.

To overcome his fear of water, Douglas ultimately decided to hire an instructor to learn swimming. The instructor started working with him five days a week, an hour each day. He put a belt around Douglas and attached a rope to it. The rope went through an overhead pulley. The instructor held on to the end of the rope and monitored the swimming. On each trip across the pool, a little panic gripped Douglas. It took almost three months before the tension reduced. Then the instructor taught him inhalation and exhalation under water. For several weeks his instructor taught Douglas to kick with his legs, until he was able to command his legs at will.

So the instructor was able to make Douglas a swimmer. Douglas was able to swim, dive, crawl and do other moves in swimming.

Question 4.
Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” How did this realization help him brush aside his fear and become an expert swimmer? [Foreign 2014]
Answer:
Fear is a paralysing emotion. It restricts all kinds of efforts, creativity and all kinds of ventures that one thinks of achieving. But with grit, determination and hardwork, fear can be conquered. William Douglas proved this. He chased away his fear of water by first psychoanalysing it and then treating it in a systematic manner. After his misadventure at Y.M.C.A. pool, Douglas developed hydrophobia.

In spite of that, he hired a professional trainer and learnt swimming step by step. Due to his strong willpower and rigorous practice, Douglas was made a swimmer by the trainer. But even now Douglas was not satisfied and set a higher benchmark for his perfection and devised various tests and situations to defeat the fear in all forms. Ultimately, Douglas was able to overpower his fear of water and became an expert swimmer.

Question 5.
Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in Deep Water. [All India 2014 (C)]
OR
Courage and optimism are attributes that can make the impossible possible. Elucidate with reference to Deep Water. [HOTS]
Answer:
It is only through courage, desire and determination that man has succeeded in making the impossible possible. The most appropriate example is William Douglas’ pursuit to overcome his fear of water. After the terrible experience of almost drowning at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool, Douglas developed a fear of water. The moment he entered water, pangs of panic paralysed his lumbs. He spent many years of his life, under this fear.

But finally he decided to overcome this fear and succeeded in his attempts due to his relentless efforts and positive approach. He hired the services of an instructor, who after rigorous training and special technique, built a swimmer out of him. It took Douglas almost seven months to overcome his fear. But, finally, Douglas proved that it was courage, determination, desire, diligence and optimism that made him get rid of fear.

Question 6.
‘This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by.’ Which handicap is being referred to and what are the events that made Douglas handicapped?
Answer:
The handicap being referred to is the fear of water Douglas had developed due to some unfortunate incidents in his childhood. As a result, he could not enjoy water sports and swimming. When he was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach in California. Douglas was knocked down by sea waves and was almost buried in water. He developed an aversion to water.

Moreover, when he was ten or eleven years old, a bruiser flung him into a swimming pool. At that time he had a terrible experience. He was almost in water, which suffocated him and the fear immobilised his limbs. However, he somehow escaped drowning. Since then he was scared of water and could not enjoy conoeing, swimming, rafting, fishing, etc. This became a handicap for him, as he was deprived of the joy of water sports and swimming.

Question 7.
‘But I was not finished.’ Describe how Douglas gained confidence as a swimmer after the instructor had left him.
Answer:
Douglas was slowly made a swimmer by the instructor. He trained him to overcome his fear of water, swim, move his legs and inhaie and exhale while swimming. In seven months, the instructor made a swimmer out of Douglas. But Douglas was not confident as yet. The vestiges of fear of water still haunted him. So he decided to swim in various pools and lakes to completely overcome his fear. He went to the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail, to Meade Glacier and finally swam in Warm Lake. After this, Douglas was confident that he had completely overcome his fear of water.

Question 8.
Do you think that ‘Deep Water’ is an appropriate title. Give reasons in support of your answer.
Answer:
‘Deep Water’ is the most appropriate title to the story ‘Deep Water’, which literally means ‘in trouble’. The author suffered from hydrophobia and was really afraid of going deep in water. The misadvanture at the Y.M.C.A. pool made his efforts more difficult when a big bruiser threw him into deep water. The author underwent a series of emotions under water. He made a plan to come up to the surface of the water but failed.

He survived somehow. In order to overcome his fear, he hired an instructor and mastered each step of swimming. His grit, determination and rigorous practice enabled him to be an expert swimmer. The title ‘Deep Water’ signifies that the phobia of water was very deep-rooted and was rid of with great difficulty.

Question 9.
Cases of older children bullying younger ones have become alarmingly common, especially in school environment. How would you connect this phenomenon to William Douglas’ experience at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool? What is the mindset of the modern youth that is reflected through such incidents? Discuss.
Answer:
Bullying at school or at college is common. Senior students making fun and at times physically assaulting and mentally torturing the juniors has become very common nowadays. This is what happened to Douglas at the Y.M.C.A. pool when a big bruiser threw him into the deep water. The youth today believe that by such acts they can show their might. But they fail to understand that the one who exerts his might on the weaker is the weakest. We need to study the reason for bullying others and also the way to fight such bullies and to save ourselves.

The first quality that the youth need to . nurture is confidence in themselves and to be free from any complexes. They need to be honest and accept their weakness or shortcomings bravely. They should never pretend to be oversmart. On the . other hand, they should not allow everyone to order them or unnecessarily overpower them. The present youth must imbibe in themselves the toughness, right approach and willpower to counter these elements. Thus, if the present generation is vigilant, confident and cautious, evils like bullying will soon disappear.

Question 10.
There is terror only in the fear of death’, as Roosevelt knew when he said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ Coming face to face with fear, instead of suppressing it, helps one to do away with it completely, just like Douglas did in the story ‘Deep Water’. Discuss.
Answer:
Fear is just a state of mind and as Roosevelt has rightly said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ No doubt, if one wants to live a fulfilled life, one must get rid of all kinds of fears that restrict one’s happiness. But most of us live in the fear of one thing or the other throughout our life. One needs to be strong and determined, like Douglas, to overcome fear. When he was flung into the pool by a bruiser, Douglas did not give up. Though fearful, he showed his determination to save himself by attempting three times to come on to the surface.

In spite of being a hydrophobic, Douglas decided to conquer his fear of water. It was only due to his willpower and perseverance that the instructor could build a swimmer out of him. His persistent efforts and rigorous practice were the key factors. Even • after the instructor told him that he had become a swimmer, Douglas tested himself by swimming in different lakes and finally got satisfaction at Warm Lake. It was his steadiness and tenacity which empowered him to fight and shed away the fear from his mind.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Prose

• The Last Lesson Question Answer
• Lost Spring Question Answer
• Deep Water Question Answer
• The Rattrap Question Answer
• Indigo Question Answer
• Poets and Pancakes Question Answer
• The Interview Question Answer
• Going Places Question Answer

Matchbox Summary

Hiroshima Child Summary In English

Class 12 English NCERT Solutions Flamingo Chapter 6 Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Poem Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Textual Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes?
Answer:
The words ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ refer to the fearlessness and confidence of the tigers. They are male and enjoy freedom.

Question 2.
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are ‘fluttering’ through her wool in the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s hands are ‘fluttering’ through her wool while she is embroidering tigers on the panel. Her needle work is a medium for expressing herself. But she is finding it difficult to make those tigers and expressing those feelings due to oppression and weight of marriage, gender role and a dominating society.

Question 3.
What is suggested by the image ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’?
Answer:
The “massive weight of uncle’s wedding band’ refers to the male-dominated society in which Aunt Jennifer lives. The weight of this marriage band restricts her from expressing her feelings and to live freely.

Question 4.
Of what or of whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified in the third stanza?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is terrified of the dominance of her husband in the patriarchal society in which she is living. She is oppressed and bonded and is denied any freedom in her life.

Question 5.
What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by? Why is it significant that the poet uses the word ‘ringed’? What are the meanings of the word ‘ringed’ in the poem.
Answer:
The ‘ordeals’ refer to the responsibilities and duties that Aunt Jennifer has been doing in a patriarchal society. The poet has used the word ‘ringed’ so as to emphasize the fact that she has to carry the weight of her marriage band, whether dead or alive.

Question 6.
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character? What might the poet be suggesting through this difference?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer created tigers that are fearless and confident. They are the opposite of what Aunt Jennifer is in reality. In fact, through her creations, she wants to express her longing for being confident and strong. The poet, through this difference, wants to emphasize the impact of the oppression on women in a male-dominated society.

Question 7.
Interpret.the symbols found in this poem.
Answer:
Tiger and ring are two symbols used in the poem. The tiger is a symbol of power, confidence and masculine world. ‘Ring’, though represented as ‘wedding ring’, refers to the band or chain that binds a person to enslave him. The ‘tiger’ represents the longing of Aunt Jennifer, whereas ‘ring’ refers to her present position of oppressed and subjugated by the male-dominated world.

Question 8.
Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?
Answer:
Yes, I do sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. The speaker also has her sympathies for Aunt Jennifer. In fact, the poem is a ‘feminist’ poem which criticizes the male-dominated world for terrifying and denying the women equal rights.

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers – Solved Question Bank

Reference-to-context Exercises
Read the extracts given below.

Question 1.
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Answer the following.
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance about her room. (True/False)
(b) The tigers are not afraid of the men beneath the tree. (True/False)
(c) What is meant by a ‘world of green’.
(d) The tigers pace on the screen in chivalric _________ .
Answer:
(a) False
(b) True
(c) a forest
(d) certainty

Question 2.
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
Answer the following.
(a) Aunt Jennifer and her tigers prance across the screen. (True/False)
(b) The tigers are the denizens guarding Aunt Jennifer. (True/False)
(c) The tigers are seen dancing across the _________ .
(d) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers were made on a _________ .
Answer:
(a) False
(b) False
(c) screen
(d) screen

Question 3.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Answer the following.
(a) ‘They’ in the passage are the tigers on Aunt Jennifer’s tapestry. (True/False)
(b) The tigers are beneath the tree. (True/False)
(c) The men in the tapestry are placed _________ a tree.
(d) The tigers in the tapestry _________ about with certainty.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) False
(c) beneath
(d) pace

Question 4.
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool [All India 2017]
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.
Answer the following.
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s fingers flutter as she holds the wool. (True/False)
(b) Aunt Jennifer’s needle is of massive weight. (True/False)
(c) What sits heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand?
(d) Aunt Jennifer uses an _________ needle for her work.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Wedding band
(d) ivory

Question 5.
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie [Foreign 2017]
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
Answer the following.
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s hands died feeling terrified. (True/False)
(b) Even when Aunt Jennifer died she was still _________ by her ordeals.
(c) The tigers in the panel continued to _________ even after she had died.
(d) The poet uses the personification of the _________ to depict her terrified state.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) ringed
(c) prance
(d) hands

Question 6.
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
Answer the following.
(a) The lines talk of the time when Aunt Jennifer will be dead. (True/False)
(b) Aunt Jennifer and her ordeals will follow her after her death. (True/False)
(c) Besides Svedding band’, what is the other significance of ‘ringed’.
(d) The two qualities that Aunt Jennifer’s tigers had were pride and _________ .
Answer:
(a) True
(b) True
(c) surrounded
(d) fearlessness

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Short Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Aunt Jennifer’s efforts to get rid of her fear proved to be futile. Comment. [Delhi 2016]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s effort to get rid of her fear of Uncle proved futile because all through her life she remained subservient and conformed to the patriarchal society. She felt trapped in a failed marriage and succumbed to the male-dominated world.

Question 2.
What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’? [All India 2016]
Answer:
The poem depicts how Aunt Jennifer feels oppressed by her tyrannous husband who stifles her creativity and freedom by dominating her. He represents a typical male of a patriarchal society.

Question 3.
How does the poet show the futility of Aunt Jennifer’s efforts? [Foreign 2016]
Answer:
All her life, Aunt Jennifer pined for freedom of spirit from her burdensome husband and gave vent to her feelings by creating fearless and majestic tigers. And even in her death, she had to conform to the patriarchal society as she carried the weight of the ring around her finger. Her efforts never bore fruit.

Question 4.
What lies heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How is it associated with her husband? [All India 2013]
Answer:
The ‘wedding ring’ lies heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand. This is associated with her husband because his dominant behaviour has oppressed Aunt Jennifer and made the ‘wedding ring’ a heavy burden for her.

Question 5.
Why has Aunt Jennifer made ‘prancing, proud and unafraid’ tigers? [Delhi 2013 (C )]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer has tried to express herself through her art. She has created proud, prancing, unafraid tigers on her panel because she wants herself to be like her tigers, confident with freedom to live her life in her own way.

Question 6.
Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? Why? [Foreign 2013]
Answer:
Yes, I do sympathise with Aunt Jennifer because she is in a pathetic condition. She is oppressed and
denied any freedom. She is living a life of a slave. In fact, it is totally inhuman to take away anyone’s . freedom.

Question 7.
What will happen when Aunt Jennifer is dead? [Foreign 2015]
Answer:
The tigers that she has made will remain the same even when Aunt Jennifer is dead. They will still remain on the panel prancing with confidence and chivalry. In fact, the masculine world which suppressed her will continue to enjoy freedom which was denied to her.

Question 8.
How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger against the male domination? [Delhi 2014 (C)]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer expresses her anger and bitterness against the male domination by creating proud, fearless, chivalric tigers on a panel.

Question 9.
How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her? [All India 2014]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is a meek and suppressed woman in a male-dominated society. She is denied every kind of freedom and is always oppressed. But the tigers that she has made are free, bold, confident, chivalric, and courageous.

Question 10.
What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life? [Delhi 2014]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer was dominated by her husband. She was denied every kind of freedom and was oppressed. In the male-dominated society, Aunt Jennifer was enslaved and subjugated to all kinds of oppression.

Question 11.
How do the words, ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of Aunt Jennifer’s tigers? [All India 2012]
Answer:
The tigers are referred to as ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ as they are in their habitats. They are fearless and gallant. These tigers are confident and masters of their domain. They have respectable position in the world of animals.

Question 12.
Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel? [Delhi 2012]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer lived an oppressed life. But she wanted to have a life of freedom and wanted to be confident and bold. In order to express his inner feelings and longings of her heart, she embroidered tigers on the panel.

Question 13.
Why does Aunt Jennifer create animals that are so different from her own character? [Delhi 2015]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer used her art as a medium to vent out her oppressed feelings. She made the tigers which were confident and majestic. She had been a victim of male chauvinism and was submissive and subdued. But she wanted to be free and liberated like tigers. That’s why she created animals that were so different from her own character.

Question 14.
What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead? [Delhi 2013]
Answer:
The tigers that Aunt Jennifer has embroidered will outlive her. They will keep on moving blatantly, confidently and intrepidly even after her death as they belong to the piece of art which is immortal.

Question 15.
How is Aunt Jennifer different from her tigers? [Foreign 2015]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are fearless and confident, whereas Aunt Jennifer is submissive and subdued. Aunt Jennifer is terrified of the patriarchal society in which she lived. She is oppressed by her husband. She is meek and weak unlike the tigers who are chivalric and enjoy freedom.

Question 16.
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are totally different from her own character. Highlight this contrast. [Foreign 2013]
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are in contrast to Aunt Jennifer herself. Aunt Jennifer is submissive and is oppressed by her husband. She is victimized and subjugated by the male-dominated world. She has been denied the freedom to live as per her own wish. On the contrary, the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer represent her longing for freedom. These tigers are dominating and chivalric. They conduct themselves in a heroic fashion and are confident and bold.

Question 17.
‘The tigers represent Aunt Jennifer’s spirit and her hands represent her reality.’ How?
Answer:
The tigers that Aunt Jennifer created represent her spirit. She was bold and confident in her spirit. But her hands trembled and could not pull the needle which depicts her reality. She was oppressed and dominated by her husband in real life. Her hidden desire to break free is detected in the tigers she embroidered.

Question 18.
Why does Aunt Jennifer seek refuge in art?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer was oppressed and dominated by her husband. But she wanted to break free from this oppression and become a confident and respectable person. She was not able to do so in real life. She created the tigers which symbolise her freedom of spirit. Thus she displayed her inner desire through her art.

Question 19.
What impression do you gather regarding Aunt Jennifer’s husband?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s husband is a male chauvinistic who believes in dominating his wife. He seems to be a tyrant who never bothers for the joys and sorrows of his wife. In fact, he represents a callous, emotionless husband in a male-dominated society.

Question 20.
Explain the irony at the end of the poem.
Answer:
It is ironic that even death would not liberate Aunt Jennifer from the oppression that she faced. Her fingers remained ‘ringed’ with the uncle’s wedding band. But the tigers that she made would always remain fearless and bold.

Question 21.
What message does the poet want to convey through this poem?
Answer:
The poet, Adrienne Rich, has tried to depict the theme of male chauvinism where a woman has no liberty, not even self-expression. The poem emphasises the value of freedom and brings out the message that women need to be respected and should have liberty to live their live according to their i own desires.

• Post Early for Christmas Summary

Lost Summary in English

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poetry

• My Mother at Sixty-six Question Answer
• An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Question Answer
• Keeping Quiet Question Answer
• A Thing of Beauty Question Answer
• A Roadside Stand Question Answer
• Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Question Answer

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn

IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow choosing the correct options among the given ones :

I. He had held it, in his dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated. (Page 87)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. ‘He’ in the passage refers to
(a) Jody
(b) Penny
(c) Doc Wilson
(d) Mill-wheel

2. ‘It’ refers to
(a) the table
(b) the fawn
(c) Penny’s eyes
(d) the bed.

3. He went to his father’s bedside to/for
(a) enquire about his health
(b) get some money
(c) talk about the doe
(d) the sake of the fawn.

Answers
1. (a) Jody
2. (b) the fawn
3. (d) the sake of the fawn

II. Doc Wilson said, “That’s right, Ma’am. Nothing in the world comes quite free. The boy’s right and his daddy’s right.”
Mill-wheel said, “He can ride back with me. I’ll help him find it.” (Page 89)

Questions
1. Who was right ?
2. What did he want ?
3. How was Mill-wheel going to help ?

Answers
1. Jody was right.
2. He wanted to bring the fawn home.
3. Mill-wheel wanted to help the boy to find the fawn.

III. He waited for the sound of the hooves to end, then cut to the right. The scrub was still. Only his own crackling of twigs sounded across the silence. He wondered for an instant if he had mistaken his direction. (Page 90)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who was it that went away on the horse ?
(a) Jody
(b) Penny
(c) Mill-wheel
(d) Doc Wilson.

2. He was trying to
(a) find the fawn
(b) get a hare
(c) pick some herbs
(d) find his way in the forest.

3. He had come to the place where
(a) he usually came
(b) the Doe was killed
(c) his father had asked him to go
(d) his mother had sent him.

Answers
1. (c) Mill-wheel
2. (a) find the fawn
3. (b) the Doe was killed

IV. Movement directly in front of him startled him so that he tumbled backward. The fawn lifted its face to his. It turned its head with a wide, wondering motion and shook him through with the stare of its liquid eyes. It was quivering. It made no effort to rise or run. Jody could not trust himself to move. (Page 91)

Questions
1. Who is ‘he’ in the first sentence ?
2. Who caused the movement ?
3. Why was Jody so pleased ?

Answers
1. In the first sentence ‘he’ refers to Jody.
2. The fawn had caused the movement.
3. Jody was very much pleased to see the fawn, its movement and the expression in its liquid eyes.

V. The fawn stared after him. He came back to it and stroked it and walked away again. It took a few wobbling steps toward him and cried piteously. It was willing to follow him. It belonged to him. It was his own. He was light-headed with his joy. (Page 92)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. The fawn started after
(a) Penny
(b) Ma Baxter
(c) Jody
(d) Mill-wheel.

2. He was light-headed with joy as he felt that
(a) the fawn was crying
(b) it was taking wobbling steps
(c) it was not able to run
(d) the fawn was really his.

3. The passage is taken from
(a) The Tsunami
(b) This is Jody’s Fawn
(c) A visit to Cambridge
(d) The Great stone Face.

Answers
1. (c) Jody
2. (d) the fawn was really his.
3. (b) This is Jody’s Fawn

VI. Penny turned his head. Jody stood beside him, the fawn clutched hard against him. It seemed to Penny that the boy’s eyes were as bright as the fawn’s. He said, “I’m glad you found him.” (Page 93)

Questions
1. Who was Penny ?
2. Was Penny pleased to see the fawn ? Why ?
3. Find a word in the passage, which means ‘gripped’.

Answers
1. Penny was Jody’s father.
2. Yes, Penny was pleased to see the fawn. Penny loved his son Jody. Jody was unhappy without the fawn. Now that the fawn had been found, Jody was happy. Jody’s happiness was the happiness of Penny.
3. ‘clutched’.

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 90)
1. What had happened to Jody’s father ?
2. How did the doe save Penny’s life ?
3. Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home ?
4. How does Jody know that the fawn is a male ?

Answers
1. Jody’s father had been bitten by a rattle-snake.
2. Jody’s father Penny killed the doe. He used its heart and liver to draw out the poison.
3. Jody’s father had killed the fawn’s mother. Now the fawn could not get its milk. He was likely to starve in the forest. So Jody wants to bring the fawn home. He intends to raise the fawn.
4. Jody’s father had told Jody how to recognise whether a fawn is male or female. The spots on this fawn are all in a line. So Jody knows that it is a male. On a female fawn the spots are in different directions.

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 91)
1. Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What were they ?
2. Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone ?

Answers
1. Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel because he feared the disappointment. He feared that his search for the fawn might be wasted. The fawn might have been killed. He might have been lost. In that case, he did not want Mill-wheel to see the disappointment on his face. The other reason was the opposite. In case he found the fawn, the meeting would be very lovely and secret. In that case, he would not like to share it with anyone else.
2. Jody was a child. He could lose himself in the forest or be bitten by a snake. So Mill-wheel was afraid to leave him alone.

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 94)
1. How did Jody bring the fawn back home ?
2. Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn. Can you find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt ?
3. How did the deer drink milk from the gourd ?
4. Why didn’t the fawn follow Jody up the steps as he had thought it would ?

Answers
1. The fawn’s mother’s carcass lay in a clearing. Jody feared that its smell might agitate the fawn. So he skirted the clearing. In doing so, he had to pass through the thicket. Here, the fawn’s legs were caught in the bushes. He did his best to protect the fawn. Reaching the trail, he walked fast. He stopped for rest when he reached the road home. There he put the fawn down. The fawn bleated and looked at him. Jody was enchanted.

Now he walked slowly to see if the fawn would follow him of his own. The fawn didn’t do so. So he came back to pick it up. After some distance, he had to stop for rest again. When he resumed his walk, the fawn followed him this time. After a while Jody picked him again. Thus he reached home carrying the fawn in his arms.

2. The three phrases which show Jody’s feelings are :
(i) (the fawns) shook him through with the stare of its liquid eyes.
(ii) The touch made him delirious.
(iii) as though the fawn was a china deer. ,

3. At first the deer could not drink from the gourd. Jody dipped his fingers.in the milk. Then he thrust them into the fawn’s mouth. It sucked greedily. Next time, as the deer sucked his fingers, he lowered them into the gourd. This worked. The fawn began to suck from the gourd.

4. The fawn didn’t know how to raise its feet to climb the steps.

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 94)

Question. 1.
Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it ?

Answer:
There were two reasons. First, he loved Jody too much to deny him what he wanted. Second, he was convinced by Jody’s argument. He realised that it would be ungrateful if they left the fawn to starve. After all, he had killed his mother to save his own life. Therefore, it was his duty to protect and raise her baby.

Question. 2.
What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, “Nothing in the world ever comes quite free” ?

Answer:
Doc Wilson meant that they must pay the price of the doe they had killed. The price, according to him, was to raise her fawn.

Question. 3.
How did Jody look after the fawn, after he accepted the responsibility for doing this ?

Answer:
Jody gave fawn the affection of a mother. First, he fed him with his fingers. Then he taught him to suck milk from the gourd.

Question. 4.
How does Jody’s mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home ? Why does she react in this way ?

Answer:
Jody’s mother catches her breath in surprise when she hears about Jody’s plan. She was pouring the coffee. She held the coffee pot in mid air.

She reacted in this manner because she disliked the idea of a fawn at home. Moreover, she did not want to spend her money on an animal.

WORKING WITH LANGUAGE (Page 94)

Question 1.
Look at these pairs of sentences.
Penny said to Jody, “Will you be back before dinner ?”
Penny asked Jody if he would be back before dinner.
“How are you feeling, Pa?” asked Jody.
Jody asked his father how he was feeling.
Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech.
(i) Penny said, “Do you really want it son ?”
(ii) Mill-wheel said, “Will he ride back with me ?”
(iii) He said to Mill-wheel, “Do you think the fawn is still there ?”
(iv) He asked Mill-wheel, “Will you help me find him ?”
(v) He said, “Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake ?”

Answers
(i) Penny asked his son if he really wanted it.
(ii) Mill-wheel asked if he would ride back with him.
(iii) He asked Mill-wheel if he thought the fawn was still there.
(iv) He asked Mill-wheel if he would help him find him.
(v) He asked if it was up there that his Pa had got bitten by the snake.

Question 2.
Look at these two sentences.
He tumbled backward.
It turned its head.
The first sentence has an intransitive verb, a verb without an object.
The second sentence has a transitive verb. It has a direct object. We can ask: “What did it turn ?” You can answer: “Its head. It turned its head.”

Say whether the verb in each sentence below is transitive or an intransitive. Ask yourself a ‘what’ question about the verb, as in the example above. (For some verbs, the object is a person, so ask the question ‘who’ instead of ‘what’.)
(i) Jody then went to the kitchen.
(ii) The fawn wobbled after him.
(iii) You found him.
(iv) He picked it up.
(v) He dipped his fingers in the milk.
(vi) It bleated frantically and butted him.
(vii) The fawn sucked his fingers.
(viii) He lowered his fingers slowly into the milk.
(ix) It stamped its small hoofs impatiently.
(x) He held his fingers below the level of the milk.
(xi) The fawn followed him.
(xii) He walked all day.
(xiii) He stroked its sides.
(xiv) The fawn lifted its nose.
(xv) Its legs hung limply.

Answers
(i) intransitive
(ii) intransitive
(iii) transitive
(iv) transitive
(v) transitive
(vi) intransitive
(vii) transitive
(viii) transitive
(ix) transitive
(x) transitive
(xi) transitive
(xii) intransitive
(xiii) transitive
(xiv) transitive
(xv) intransitive

Question 3.
Here are some words from the lesson. Working in groups, arrange them in the order in which they would appear in the dictionary. Write down some idioms and phrasal verbs connected to these words. Use the dictionary for more idioms and phrasal verbs.

Answers
Order in the dictionary
clearing, close, draw, light, make, parted, pick, scrawny, sweet, wonder

Idioms and phrasal verbs
1- Clearing. No idioms or phrasal verbs are found in the dictionary.

2. Close
Idioms, close ranks, close up, at close quarters, a close call, a close shave, a close thing, close to someone’s heart, close to home, keep one’s cards close to one’s chest, keep a close eye, keep close
Phrasal Verbs, close around, close down, close in, close up, close with.

3. Draw
Idioms. Beat to the draw, draw oneself up, draw the curtain on/over, luck of the draw, draw blood, draw in one’ horn, draw the line, draw trumps, draw up, draw a blank Phrasal Verbs, draw back, draw in, draw on, draw somebody on, draw up

4. Light
Idioms. According to one’s lights, at first light, bring to light, come to light, in a good/ bad light, in the light of, shed the light.
Phrasal Verbs. Light up

5. Make
Idioms. Make/do with something, make good, make it, make the most of, make much of, make nothing of, make or break, make love, make merry.
Phrasal Verbs. Make after, make at, make away with, make for, make out of, make up for something.

6. Parted
Idioms. A fool and his money are soon parted Phrasal Verb. Part with

7. Pick
Idioms, a bone to pick with, pick and choose, pick a fight, pick holes, pick some one’s pocket, pick to pieces, pick up the gauntlet, pick up speed, pick a winner Phrasal Verbs, pick somebody off, pick on somebody, pick out, pick something over, pick up.

8. Scrawny. No idioms or phrasal verbs are found in the dictionary

9. Sweet
Idioms, at one’s own sweet will, have a sweet tooth, keep somebody sweet, revenge is sweet, short and sweet, sweet nothings.
Phrasal Verbs. ‘Sweet’ is not a verb. So no phrasal verbs are possible.

10. Wonder
Idioms, a chinless wonder, work wonders, a nine days’ wonder Phrasal Verbs. None

SPEAKING (Page 96)
Question 1.
Do you think it is right to kill an animal to save a human life ? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer
Animals have been killed since ages to save human life. Fish oil is one example. The bones of many animals are said to be cures for many human diseases. So there is nothing new if animals are killed to save human life.

The morality doesn’t ask us to let a man die if he can be saved. After all the life of a man is more important than that of an animal. It doesn’t however mean that we should kill animals indiscriminately. We should do so only when there is no other alternative. For those who think it is immoral, I have only one thing to say. It is nature’s law that one life depends upon other lives. Eating vegetables is also taking lives of some plants etc.

Question 2.
Imagine you wake up one morning and find a tiny animal on your doorstep. You want to keep it as a pet but your parents are not too happy about it. How would you persuade them to let you keep it ? Discuss it in groups and present your arguments to the class.

Answer
I wanted to keep a dog as a pet. My parents were against the idea. My mother was particularly against it. She had her reasons. First, she hated the very sight of an animal roaming about the house. Then feeding a dog properly was also not easy. There was always a fear that it might bite somebody and cause much trouble. She said that she already had too many problems to invite one more.

I am glad that I was able to persuade her to my point of view. I told her that the dog would not cause any problem. Feeding would be my responsibility too. As far its biting, I told them a dog need not bite a person unless, provoked. Moreover, I offered to buy a very gentle breed which does not even bark much. I undertook the responsibility for its regular medical check up too. Seeing that I wanted a dog so much, my parents agreed. Although I dare say that they did so only unwillingly.

WRITING (Page 96)
Question 1.
Imagine you have a new pet that keeps you busy. Write a paragraph describing your pet, the things it does, and the way it makes you feel. Here are some words and phrases that you could use.
frisky, smart, disobedient, loyal, happy, enthusiastic,
companion, sharing, friend, rolls in mud, dirties the bed, naughty,
lively, playful, eats up food, hides the newspaper, drinks up milk,
runs away when called, floats on the water as if dead

Answer
I have a dog as a pet. It is very frisky and smart. Whenever I reach home, it jumps high and tries to embrace me. At that time, he refuses to obey me if I ask him to keep away. Otherwise it is very loyal and keeps a good watch in the house. Its happiness is infectious as it keeps everyone happy. It is a trained dog who does not roll in mud or dirties the bed. It waits for the newspaper at the door. As soon as the paper arrives, it brings it to me.

It is not very expensive. Apart from milk and dog-biscuits. I give him only such things which are consumed at home. Of course, I take him to doctor once a month to see that everything is alright. I am afraid, he serves me so faithfully that it might turn my head. It makes me feel important.

Question 2.
Human life is dependent on nature (that’s why we call her Mother Nature). We take everything from nature to live our lives. Do we give back anything to nature ?
(i) Write down some examples of the natural resources that we use.
(ii) Write a paragraph expressing your point of view regarding our relationship with nature.

Answer

• Some of the natural resources that we use are air, water, oil, coal, wood etc.
• Our Relationship With Nature

Our life is completely dependent on nature. We cannot think of anything that comes to us without the help of nature. The only thing is that many of these things come indirectly to us. For example there are the books, the telephone etc. On the other hand, there are some natural resources, we use directly. Chief among them are, water, air and trees. Now, human beings have proved to be very ungrateful children of nature. We have been doing everything to pollute nature which is the source of life. Man has been destroying his environment. The good news is that he has realised his mistake. Hopefully, we shall find ways and means not to further pollute it. We cannot perhaps ever give it back its pristine glory. We use the blessings of the earth as if they will never end. Nothing comes free. If we get something from nature, nature has to suffer for it.

Question 3.
In This is Jody’s Fawn, Jody’s father uses a ‘home remedy’ for a snake bite. What should a person now do if he or she is bitten by a snake ? Are all snakes poisonous ? With the help of your teacher and others, find out answers to such questions.Then write a short paragraph on—What to do if a snake chooses to bite you.

Answer
If a snake chooses to bite me I must take immediate action. As it bites I should bind the place tightly. I should make a cut with sharp clean blade or knife at the place of biting. It will press out the poisonous blood. Immediately after this some antiseptic should be applied. Then I should go to a nearby physician or hospital for further treatment.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

From A Railway Carriage Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English:

• The Best Christmas Present in the World Question Answer
• The Tsunami Question Answer
• Glimpses of the Past Question Answer
• Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Question Answer
• The Summit Within Question Answer
• This is Jody’s Fawn Question Answer
• A Visit to Cambridge Question Answer
• A Short Monsoon Diary Question Answer
• The Great Stone Face I Question Answer
• The Great Stone Face II Question Answer

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 5 The Summit Within are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 5 The Summit Within.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 5 The Summit Within

IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow choosing the correct options among the given ones :

I. By climbing the summit of Everest you are overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy and thankfulness. It is a joy which lasts a lifetime. The experience changes you completely. The man who has been to the mountains is never the same again. (Page 76)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. ‘You’ in the passage can be replaced by
(a) the author
(b) the climber
(c) the reader
(d) Rawat.

2. The climber is full of thankfulness to
(a) God
(b) friends
(c) Mountain
(d) other climbers.

3. The change which comes makes the man
(a) proud
(b)happy
(c) humble
(d) courageous.

Answers
1. (b) the climber
2. (a) God
3. (c) humble

II. The demonstration of these physical qualities is no doubt exhilarating, as it was for me also. (Page 77)

Questions
1. Which physical qualities is the author talking of ?
2. In which way are the qualities demonstrated ?
3. Name the author of these lines.

Answers
1. The author is referring to the physical qualities of persistence, humility and endurance.
2. These qualities are demonstrated in climbing of the mountain.
3. The author is H.P.S. Ahluwalia.

III. Consider a typical climb, towards the summit on the last heights. You are sharing a rope with another climber. You firm in. He cuts the steps in the hard ice. (Page 78)

Multiple Choice Questions
1. In a typical climb, the rope is shared so that
(a) the rope is cut into two
(b) the climbers hold the rope together
(c) the two hold one end of the rope each
(d) they throw the rope with force.

2. “You firm in.” means that
(a) you are resolved
(b) you put your feet firmly on the ground
(c) you improve yourself
(d) you become strong.

3. “He cuts the steps….,” means
(a) he cuts his feet
(b) he prevents others from walking
(c) he cuts the ice to make foot-holds
(d) he lifts his feet high.

Answers
1. (c) the two hold one end of the rope each
2. (b) you put your feet firmly on the ground
3. (c) he cuts the ice to make foot-holds

IV. There is another summit. It is within yourself. It is in your own mind. Each man carries within himself his own mountain peak. (Page 79)

Questions
1. Where is this ‘another summit’ ?
2. What is meant by the ‘peak’ within ?
3. What happens when one is able to climb this peak ?

Answers
1. This ‘another summit’ is within our mind.
2. The ‘peak’ within refers to the spiritual heights.
3. When one reaches this peak, one gets a fuller knowledge of oneself.

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 80)
1. Standing on Everest, the writer was
(i) overjoyed.
(ii) very sad.
(iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.

2. The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles.
(ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance.
(iv) joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.

3. “The summit of the mind” refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.
(v) the triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the item(s) not relevant.

Answers
1. (iii) jubilant and sad.
2. (ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
3. (iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 81)
1. Answer the following questions :

Question (i)
What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb ?

Answer:
The three qualities played a major role in the author’s climb. They are : endurance, persistence and will-power.

Question (ii)
Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable ?

Answer:
A risky adventure presents great difficulties. It is human nature to feel pleasure in overcoming difficulties. That is why an adventure which is risky is also pleasurable.

Question (iii)
What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible ?

Answer:
Mount Everest offers great challenges to a climber. The call to face these challenges is the thing which was irresistible.

Question (iv)
One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame ‘alone. What does one do it for, really ?

Answer:
One climbs a mountain not for fame alone. There is a sense of fulfilment. The desire to rise above one’s surroundings is satisfied. It is the eternal love of adventure in man. The experience is really emotional and spiritual.

Question (v)
“He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe.” This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph. Which is the emotion ?

Answer:
The emotion is of humility.

Question (vi)
What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on Everest ?

Answer:
Ahluwalia left on Everest a picture of Guru Nanak. Rawat left a picture of Goddess Durga. Phu Dorji left a relic of the Buddha. Edmund Hillary had buried a cross under the cairn. All of these were symbols of reverence, not of conquest.

Question (vii)
What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach him ?

Answer:
The writer Ahluwalia’s experience as an Everester taught him many things. First among them was humility. It also taught him to face life’s ordeal resolutely. It was an ennobling experience.

Question 2.
Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence should explain the statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and rewrite them. The first one has been done for you.
(i) The experience changes you completely.
One who has been to the mountains is never the same again.
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles.
__________________________
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best.
_________________________
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying.
____________________________
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience.
_____________________________

Answers
(ii) It is a pleasure to face challenges successfully.
(iii) Nature’s beauty can be best seen in the mountains.
(iv) Climbing the mountains was a worthwhile experience.
(v) The physical act of climbing the summit of a mountain is akin to the act of climbing the mountains within.

WORKING WITH LANGUAGE (Page 82)

Question 1.
Look at the italicised phrases and their meanings given in brackets.
Mountains are nature (nature’s best form and appearance)
at its best.
Your life is at risk. (in danger ; You run the risk of losing your life.)
He was at his (It was his best/worst performance.)
best/worst in the
last meeting.
• Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases from those given in the box.
at hand
at once
at all
at a low ebb
at first sight

(i) Teacher : You were away from school without permission. Go to the principal___and submit your explanation.
Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it first ?
(ii)Arun : Are you unwell ?
Ila : No, not___Why do you ask ?
Arun : If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle.
He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary : Almost every Indian film has an episode of love___
David : Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries ?
(iv) Asif : You look depressed. Why are your spirits___today ? (Use such in the phrase)
Ashok : I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard before.
(v) Shieba : Your big moment is close___.
Jyoti : How should I welcome it ?
Shieba : Get up and receive the trophy.

Answers
The phrase to be filled are given against the sentence numbers.
(i) at once
(ii) at all
(iii) at first sight
(iv) at such a low ebb
(v) at hand

Question 2.
Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.
(i) endure___
(ii) persist ___
(iii) signify ___
(iv) confide___
(v) maintain___
(vi) abhor___

Answers

Question 3.
(i) Match words under A with their meanings under B.

(ii) Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from under A.
(a) There were___obstacles on the way, but we reached our destination safely.
(b) We have no__of finding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house ___from any town or village is more than I can tell.
(d) ____by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a___position above the sleepy town.

Answers
The words to be filled in are given against sentence numbers,
(a) formidable
(b) means
(c) remote
(d) Overwhelmed
(e) dominant

SPEAKING AND WRITING (Page 83)
Write a composition describing a visit to the hills, or any place which you found beautiful and inspiring.
Before writing, work in small groups. Discuss the points given below and decide if you want to use some of these points in your composition.

• Consider this sentence
  Mountains are a means of communion with God.
• Think of the act of worship or prayer. You believe yourself to be in the presence of < the divine power. In a way, you are in communion with that power.
• Imagine the climber on top of the summit—the height attained; limitless sky above; the climber’s last ounce of energy spent; feelings of gratitude, humility and peace.
• The majesty of the mountains does bring you close to nature and the spirit and joy that lives there, if you have the ability to feel it.
  Some composition may be read aloud to the entire class afterwards.

Answer:
A Visit to the Hills
I have not been fortunate enough to climb high hills. However, last time when I was in Shimla, we went to Kufri. Even this was a great experience. We were completely tired when we reached the top. On the way I and my companions were filled with awe to see the majestic mountains. It brought us closer to nature. It seemed that nature has a spirit too. This spirit is filled with joy. Once on the top, we bowed our heads in thankfulness to God.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 5 The Summit Within help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 5 The Summit Within, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

A Shipwrecked Sailor Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English:

• The Best Christmas Present in the World Question Answer
• The Tsunami Question Answer
• Glimpses of the Past Question Answer
• Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Question Answer
• The Summit Within Question Answer
• This is Jody’s Fawn Question Answer
• A Visit to Cambridge Question Answer
• A Short Monsoon Diary Question Answer
• The Great Stone Face I Question Answer
• The Great Stone Face II Question Answer