NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 18 - The Tsunami

Question 1:

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

Answer:

TRUE

Question 2:

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence. Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?

Answer:

Tilly’s family came to Thailand to celebrate Christmas.

Question 3:

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence. What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?

Answer:

Both Tilly and her mother saw that the water was swelling and kept coming in and the beach was getting smaller and smaller.

Question 4:

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence. Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them (the warning signs)?

Answer:

No, she wasn't alarmed by them as she did not know what was happening.

Question 5:

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence. Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?

Answer:

Tilly had seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion when her teacher in one of the lessons in school showed a video of a tsunami that had hit the Hawaiian islands in 1946.

Question 6:

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence. Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape from the tsunami?

Answer:

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

Question 7:

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence. How do you think Tilly’s geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?

Answer:

I think her geography teacher must have felt proud of Tilly.

Question 8:

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

Answer:

Not many animals died in the tsunami.

Question 9:

How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?

Answer:

Sixty people died whereas only two water buffaloes died in the Yala National Park.

Question 10:

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

Answer:

People say that three elephants of Yala National Park ran for higher ground about an hour before the tsunami hit.

Question 11:

What did the dogs in Galle do?

Answer:

The dogs in Galle refused to go for their daily run on the beach

Question 12:

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

Answer:

No, Ignesious did not worry about a tsunami when he felt the earthquake. Rather he was worried about his television. He took it off the table and put it on the ground lest it should break. The sentence that tells us that Ignesious did not have any time for discussion is — “In the chaos and confusion, two of his children caught hold of the hands of their mother's father and mother's brother, and rushed in the opposite direction.”

Question 13:

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

Answer:

Meghna was swept away along with her parents. She spent two days floating in the sea, holding on to a wooden door. A wave brought her to the shore. Similarly, Almas was also washed away. She climbed on a log of wood and fainted. She woke up to find herself in a hospital. Thus, both escaped death.

Question 14:

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

Answer:

Her parents could have thought that Tilly had lost her wits. They could have also thought that Tilly was having a fit of hysteria. If I had no knowledge about tsunamis, I would also have reacted in the same way.

Question 15:

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

Answer:

I think she should decidedly share it with her geography teacher.

Question 16:

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

Answer:

Firstly, many people believe that animals have a sixth sense. They know when the earth is going to shake. Secondly, some experts hold the view that animals’ acute hearing power helps them to hear or feel the earth’s vibration. The second idea is more believable.

Question 17:

Answer:

(i) A
(ii) P
(iii) A
(iv) P
(v) A
(vi) A

Question 18:

Suppose you are one of the volunteers who went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for relief work after the tsunami. You work in the relief camps, distributing food, water and medicines among the victims. You listen to the various stories of bravery of ordinary people even as they fight against odds to bring about some semblance of normalcy in their lives. You admire their grit and determination. Write a diary entry. You may start in this way.
31 December, 2004
The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell ...

Answer:

31 December, 2004
The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell. A thirteen year old boy told me how he saved seven lives. An old lady and her granddaughter were saved by a boatman. People tell stories how they lost their loved ones when the huge waves came crashing down. Some lost their parents, some siblings and some others, their wives and husbands. Many people have lost all their family members. Rescue operations are still underway and every day survivors are being found stranded on different islands. The survivors are struggling hard to get back to life. I am deeply touched by their grit and determination to live.

Question 19:

The story tells how a little girl saved the lives of many tourists when a tsunami struck the beach, thanks to the geography lesson that she had learnt at school. She remembered the visuals of a tsunami and warned her parents. Do you remember any incident when something that you learnt in the classroom helped you in some way outside the classroom?Write your experiences in a paragraph of about 90-100 words or narrate it to the whole class like an anecdote.

Answer:

Last Monday I was coming back home from school. It was very hot. I saw an old man walking on the road. He seemed to be a simple villager. Suddenly his nose stared bleeding. He was puzzled what to do. I had learnt in my classroom how to deal with a bleeding nose. I got hold of his hand and took him to a tap. I put his head under it and started the supply of the water. Within five minutes his bleeding stopped. He thanked me and went his way.

Question 20:

Which words in the list below describe Sanjeev, in your opinion?
[Look up the dictionary for words that you are not sure of.]
cheerful ambitious brash brave careless heroic selfless heartless humorous
Use words from the list to complete the three sentences below.
(i) I don’t know if Sanjeev was cheerful, _____________ or _____________
(ii) I think that he was very brave, _____________ and _____________
(iii) Sanjeev was not heartless, _____________ or _____________

Answer:

Sanjeev was brave, heroic and selfless.
(i) ambitious, humorous
(ii) heroic, selfless
(iii) brash, careless

Question 21:

Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue).
The earth trembled, but not many people felt the ____________ (tremble).

Answer:

trembling

Question 22:

Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue). When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of ____________ and many animals escaped into the countryside. (confuse)

Answer:

confusion

Question 23:

Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue).
We heard with ____________ that the lion had been recaptured. (relieve).

Answer:

relief

Question 24:

Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue).
The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his ____________ was filmed by the TV crew. (rescue).

Answer:

rescue

Question 25:

Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue).
There was much ____________ in the village when the snake charmer came visiting. (excite).

Answer:

excitement