Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 Important Question Answers - The Tsunami

Q1. What is it that people believe about animals concerning natural disasters?

Ans:  Many people believe that animals have a sixth sense that lets them know when the earth or surroundings will shake. According to experts, they believe that the hearing ability of the animals is the main reason for this perception. Animals can hear and feel the earth’s vibrations with their hearing power. The animals could sense when a disaster is approaching and predict it before human machines. It also happens that they don’t collect data accurately. In some cases, humans also fail to understand these changes in nature.

Q2. What did people observe at Yala National Park an hour after the Tsunami?

Ans: At Yala National Park, visitors observed three elephants fleeing from Patanangala Beach about an hour after the tsunami struck. A local man from the coast near Galle noted that his dogs refused to go for their usual beach run that day. He mentioned that they typically looked forward to this outing, but on that occasion, they stayed indoors, likely saving their lives in the process.

Q3. How are Meghna and Almas’s stories similar?

Ans: Almas and Meghna both experienced the devastating impact of a tsunami, becoming the sole survivors of their families. They spent several days adrift in the water, facing harrowing challenges. Almas, who was ten years old, clung to a floating log and lost consciousness, later waking up in a hospital in Kamorta before being transferred to Port Blair. In contrast, Meghna, aged thirteen, floated for two days while holding on to a wooden door. Eventually, she was washed ashore by a wave and found wandering in a daze. Both girls were deeply traumatised by the tragedy and felt unable to discuss their experiences with anyone.

Q4. What happened after the tremors?

Ans: After the tremors, many believed they had ceased, but they noticed a rise in sea level. In the ensuing chaos, two children grasped their mother's father and brother's hands, fleeing in the opposite direction. Tragically, they were swept away, along with their mother. Ultimately, only the father and his surviving children were saved.

Q5. Where was Meghna found?

Ans: Meghna was swept away by tsunami waves along with her parents and many others. She spent two days floating in the sea, clinging to a wooden door. Despite seeing relief helicopters overhead multiple times, none spotted her. Eventually, a wave brought her to the shore, where she was found walking in a dazed state along the seashore.

Q6. What were the signs Penny Smith and her daughter noticed about the Tsunami?

Ans: Penny Smith and her daughter noticed several unusual signs about the sea. The seawater level was rising, and the beach was getting smaller. Despite the changes, many were unaware of the impending danger. Tilly observed that the water was foaming, bubbling, and forming whirlpools, which heightened her concern.

Q7. Does the Tsunami affect the areas along India’s Cuddalore coast?

Ans:  Tsunami affected many different regions of the world. In India, houses were destroyed along the Cuddalore coast, and many lost their lives. However, buffaloes, goats, and dogs were found as they were, unharmed. Sri Lanka suffered a major loss of human lives, but animals were left unchanged. Different types of animals are presently found in Yala National parks, such as elephants, leopards, and 130 species of birds. However, the national park was hit by a tsunami and washed away many visitors. Besides, no one saw a single carcass of animals except two water buffaloes.

Q8. Write a brief note on tsunamis.

Ans: A tsunami is a large and powerful wave caused by earthquakes occurring beneath the sea. On 26 December 2004, a devastating tsunami struck regions of Thailand and parts of India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the coast of Tamil Nadu. This disaster profoundly impacted many lives.

Those who survived the tsunami displayed remarkable courage. Many lost their families, homes, and possessions, yet they continue to rebuild their lives with strength and resilience. The stories of these survivors highlight the bravery of individuals facing such overwhelming challenges.

Q9. Who was Igneous? Why did his wife wake him up?

Ans: Igneous was a corporate employee who worked as a manager at a cooperative society in Catchall. During the earthquake, his wife felt something unusual and woke him up at 6 a.m. Igneous immediately kept his television on the ground, so it did not break. The entire family ran outside the house towards a safe location.

Q10. What happened when Sanjeev heard about the Tsunami?

Ans: Sanjeev was a policeman on Katchall Island when the tsunami struck. He successfully saved himself, his wife, and their baby daughter from the waves. However, upon hearing the cries of John's wife, the cook, he bravely jumped back into the water to rescue her. Tragically, both were swept away by the powerful waves.

In the chaos, two of his children ran in the opposite direction, holding onto their grandfather and uncle. He never saw them again, and his wife was also lost to the tsunami. Only three of his children, who had stayed with him, survived.

Q11. Who was in the Smith family? What were they doing in Thailand?

Ans: Tilly Smith, a ten-year-old girl, recognized signs of a tsunami from her geography lessons when she noticed the sea behaving strangely during her family's vacation in Thailand. 

She warned her parents, and her screams prompted them to leave the beach and seek shelter in their hotel. Thanks to her quick thinking, her family survived the devastating tsunami that claimed many lives.

Q12. What happened in Sri Lanka when the giant waves slammed into the coast of India?

Ans:  Before the tsunami hit Sri Lanka, both wild and domestic animals seemed to sense the impending disaster. Elephants screamed and ran to higher ground, flamingos abandoned their low-lying breeding areas, and zoo animals took shelter. Dogs refused to go outside, and in one case near Galle, this behavior saved their owner’s life. 

At Yala National Park, three elephants were seen fleeing the beach just before the waves arrived. Despite the tsunami claiming over 150,000 human lives, remarkably few animals were reported dead, showing their instinctive awareness of the danger.