Class 8 English Chapter 8 Question Answers - A Short Monsoon Diary

Q1: What is the importance of diary entry? How does it reflect the mood and phases of the writer?
Ans: Diary entry is a form of literature when one expresses their thoughts without hesitation. A diary writer makes entries that reflect their mood. They also write to keep a record of events and happenings that they would like to remember forever. It is also helpful in understanding the journey a person goes through.

Q2: 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.
Ans: June 24 marked the first day of monsoon mist. All the birds fell silent as the mist climbed up the hills. The author called the hills its blankets them in silence too. On June 25, there was some genuine early monsoon rain. It was warm and humid, contrary to the cold high-altitude weather that the author had been experiencing all year. It seemed to the author that the plants knew it too, and the first cobra lily reared its head from the ferns. He described the weather as ‘a paradise that might have been’. On August 2, it rained all night. There had been no storm or thunder. The author experienced a feeling of "being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain". March 23 marked the end of winter. The blackest cloud he had ever seen spread over Mussoorie, and then it hailed marbles for half an hour. The hailstorm cleared the sky and he saw a rainbow forming.

Q3: The lesson is a record of personal experiences that is helpful in understanding nature. Give your opinion.
Ans: The lesson is a personal account of Ruskin Bond, who described nature and its bounties. It is a writer’s document that is helpful for any traveler. It gives confidence and a detailed account of the hill station. The weather and miracle of nature are narrated so well that anyone can feel an association with the surroundings.