The Tsunami Summary & Solution chapter 2 - CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew 

The chapter starts with Ravi waking up early in the morning to join his friends for a game of cricket. They play near the shore, enjoying the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. Ravi feels a strong connection to the sea; it brings him peace and joy.

As they play, Ravi notices unusual changes in the sea. The water withdraws far back, revealing the seabed, and the fish flop around as if struggling. Ravi and his friends find this strange and fascinating but don't fully understand the danger it signals.

Ravi remembers stories from his grandfather about similar incidents before a big wave hit their village. Alarmed, he tries to warn others, but they dismiss his concerns, thinking it's just a small event. Ravi feels frustrated and anxious, realizing the potential danger.

Despite his warnings, the adults continue their activities near the shore, unaware of the impending disaster. Ravi's fear grows as he watches the sea, feeling the urgency to alert everyone. But before he can do anything, a massive wall of water rushes toward the shore, engulfing everything in its path.

Panic ensues as people try to flee, but the wave is too fast and powerful. Ravi runs for his life, desperately trying to reach higher ground. He witnesses the destruction around him—houses demolished, trees uprooted, and people struggling in the water.

Ravi manages to climb to safety, but he's overwhelmed with sorrow and shock at the devastation. He searches for his family and friends, hoping they are safe amidst the chaos. The village is now a scene of devastation, and Ravi realizes the enormity of the disaster.

As the chaos settles, rescue teams arrive to help survivors and provide aid. Ravi assists in any way he can, helping others find their loved ones and providing support to those in need.

The chapter ends with Ravi coming to terms with the tragedy, understanding the importance of being prepared for such natural disasters and the necessity of swift action in saving lives.

In essence, Chapter 2 of "The Tsunami" depicts Ravi's experience during a catastrophic tsunami, his attempts to warn others, and the aftermath of the disaster, emphasizing the importance of readiness and quick response during such emergencies.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Comprehension Check (Page 27)

Say whether the following are true or false.

Questions:

Ingenious lost his wife, two children, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law in the tsunami.

Sanjeev made it to safety after the tsunami.

Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.

Almas' father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the island.

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

Answers:

True

False

False

True

True

Comprehension Check (Page 28)

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence.

Questions:

1. Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?
2. What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?
3. Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them?
4. Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?
5. Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape; from the tsunami?
6. How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?

Answers:

1. Tilly’s family had come to Thailand to celebrate Christmas.
2. Both saw the sea rise and it started to foam and form whirlpools.
3. No, Tilly’s mother was not alarmed by them.
4. Tilly had seen the strange sea behaviour in a video.
5. They went to the third floor of the hotel and were saved.
6. She felt very pleased and satisfied.

Comprehension Check (Page 30)

Answer using a phrase or a sentence.

Questions:

1. In the Tsunami 150,000 people died. How many animals died?
2. How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?
3. What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?
4. What did the dogs in Galle do?

Answers:

1. Very few animals died.
2. Sixty visitors and two animals.
3. People say that the elephants ran from the beach an hour before the Tsunami hit the coast.
4. The dogs in Galle refused to go to the beach for their daily exercise.

Working With the Text (Page 30)

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

Question 1:

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

Answer:

No, Ingenious did not think about the tsunami. He thought that it was just an earthquake. So he took the television off the table and put it on the ground. His family did not have time to discuss and plan their course of action. The following sentence tells about 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 2:

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

Answer:

brave, heroic, selfless

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

1. I don’t know if Sanjeev was cheerful, ………………. or……………….
2. I think that he was very brave, ……………….. and……………….
3. Sanjeev was not heartless, ……………….. or……………….\

Answer:

1. ambitious or brash.
2. heroic and selfless.
3. careless or humorous.

Question 3:

How are Meghna and Almas’s stories similar?

Answer:

Almas and Meghna were both fortunate. Together with her parents and other individuals, Meghna was taken away. But only she made it through. A wave carried her onshore. Almas got up onto a wooden log. She discovered herself at a Kamorta hospital when she opened her eyes.

Question 4:

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

Answer:

Tilly immediately realised the threat posed by a tsunami. Her health deteriorated. Her parents paid attention to her. They were certain that something was going to go wrong. They were all saved and departed the beach as a result. I may not have believed Tilly if I had been her parents. I could have reprimanded her for creating such a ridiculous scenario.

Question 5:

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

Answer:

It is blatantly apparent. Tilly's geography teacher ought to receive a portion of her award. Her parents were unaware that the tsunami was approaching.

Question 6:

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

Answer:

The tsunami claimed the lives of very few animals. Maybe they sense the tremor far sooner than people do. Second, the creatures possess a sixth sense. They can foresee impending disasters and flee to higher, safer terrain. It makes more logical to believe that animals are endowed with a sixth sense. They move quickly to resolve the situation.

Working with Language (Page 31)

Question 1:

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

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

fast movement                 slow movement neither                     slow nor fast

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

Question 2:

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

1. The earth trembled, but not many people felt the………………………… (tremble)
2. When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of……………………. and many animals es­caped into the countryside, (confuse)
3. We heard with………………. that the lion had been recaptured, (relieve)
4. The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his ……………………… was filmed by the TV crew, (rescue)
5. There was much……………….. in the village when the snake charmer came visit­ing. (excite)

Answer:

1. termbling/termors
2. confusion
3. relief
4. rescue
5. excitement.

Question 3:

Study the sentences in the columns A and B.

Examine the differences between sentences A and B. In each instance, who is the "doer" of the action? Does A or B mention the "doer"?

Take note of the verbs in A: "were found," "were washed away," "were hit," and "was swept away." They are in the state of passivity. The passive voice is used in the sentences. The subject of these lines is not the one doing the activity.

The "doer" of the activity is identified in B. The active form of the verbs is used. The active voice is used in the sentences.

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

(i) Someone stole my bicycle.  A

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

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

(iv) It had been thrown there. ________

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

(vi) The mechanic repaired it for me. ___________

Answer:

(ii) P

(iii) A

(iv) P

(v) A

(vi) A

Speaking And Writing (Page 32)

Question 1:

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

You may start in this way.

31 December, 2004

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

Answer:

Five days ago, these islands were hit by the deadly tsunami. However, the victims are still being brought in. Everybody has a tale to share. Their tales are not just comforting or inspirational, but also hair-raising. A lot of them were eager to begin a new life. They wish to leave the camp as soon as possible. They felt insignificant since it was shameful to live off charity. The majority of them desire to purchase a fishing boat so they may support themselves and return to their now-gone cottages. An elderly grandmother remembered preventing a toddler from drowning.

Question 2:

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

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

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

Answer:

For self-attempt