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

Q1: Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
Winter rains in the hills in the hushed silence of the house when I am quite alone, and my friend, who was here has gone, it is very lonely, very quiet, as I sit in a liquid silence, a silence within, surrounded by the rhythm of rain, the steady drift of water on leaves, on lemons, on roof, drumming on drenched dahlias and window panes, while the mist holds the house in a dark caress. As I pause near a window, the rain stops. And starts again. And the trees, no longer green but grey, menace me with their loneliness.

(i) What was the writer doing on January 26?
Ans: The writer was sitting alone on January 26.

(ii) How did he describe the rhythm of rain?
Ans: He described the rhythm of rain, the movement of water on leaves, lemon, roof.

(iii) Explain ‘the mist… dark cares’.
Ans: The mist surrounded the house giving it a cover as if the mist were touching the wall lovingly.

(iv) What did he observe by standing near a window?
Ans: He observed that the rain stopped and started again.

(v) Find the suitable word from the extract which means ‘soaked thoroughly’.
Ans: Drenched

Q2: Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
The rains have heralded the arrival of some seasonal visitors—a leopard, and several thousand leeches. Yesterday afternoon the leopard lifted a dog from near the servants’ quarter below the school. 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. Other new arrivals are the scarlet minivets (the females are yellow), flitting silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds cannot conceal themselves, although, by remaining absolutely silent, they sometimes contrive to go unnoticed. Along come a pair of drongos, unnecessarily aggressive, chasing the minivets away.

(i) Whom did the writer call ‘some seasonal visitors’?
Ans: ‘Some seasonal visitors were a leopard and several thousand leeches.

(ii) How did Bijju’s mother manage to save his cow?
Ans: When a leopard attacked one of Bijju’s cows, his mother came screaming and scared away the leopard.

(iii) What are ‘brilliant jewels’?
Ans: Brilliant jewels are the scarlet minivets, moving swiftly through the leaves.

(iv) How can these birds go unnoticed?
Ans: The brightly coloured birds cannot go unnoticed but if they remain quiet, they could go unnoticed.

(v) Choose antonym of the word submissive from the passage.
Ans: Aggressive.

Q3: Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
It is the last day of August, and the lush monsoon growth has reached its peak. The seeds of the cobra lily are turning red, signifying that the rains are coming to an end. In a few days the ferns will start turning yellow, but right now they are still firm, green and upright. Ground orchids, mauve lady’s slipper and the white butterfly orchids put on a fashion display on the grassy slopes of Landour.
Wild dahlias, red, yellow and magenta, rear their heads from the rocky crevices where they have taken hold. Snakes and rodents flooded out of their holes and burrows, take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. A shrew, weak of eyesight, blunders about the rooms, much to the amusement of the children. “Don’t kill it,” admonishes their grandmother. “Chuchundars are lucky – they bring money!” And sure enough, I receive a cheque in the mail. Not a very large one, but welcome all the same.

(i) What do seeds of cobra lily signify?
Ans: It signifies that the rains are coming to an end.

(ii) How did ferns look like?
Ans: The ferns were still firm, green and upright.

(iii) What showed up from the rocky crevices?
Ans: Wild dahlias of red, yellow and magenta colour were showing up from the rocky crevices.

(iv) Why did snakes and rodents run out of their holes?
Ans: The snakes and rodents ran out of their holes and burrows because of the monsoon and incessant rains.

(v) What do the homes of snakes rodents called?
Ans: The homes of snakes and rodents are called holes and burrows respectively.

Q4: Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
The first day of monsoon mist. And it’s strange how all the birds fall silent as the mist comes climbing up the hill. Perhaps that’s what makes the mist so melancholy; not only does it conceal the hills, it blankets them in silence too. Only an hour ago the trees were ringing with birdsong. And now the forest is deathly still as though it were midnight. Through the mist, Bijju is calling to his sister. I can hear him running about on the hillside but I cannot see him.

(i) What was strange in monsoon mist?
Ans: It was strange how all the birds fall silent as the mist comes climbing up the hill.

(ii) What made the mist so melancholy?
Ans: Because it covered hills with silence.

(iii) Whom was Bijju calling?
Ans: Bijju was calling to his sister.

(iv) What was special about June 24?
Ans: June 24 was the first day of monsoon mist. So it was special.

(v) Explain ‘the forest is deathly still’.
Ans: Because of mist the forest was all quiet. There was no movement. Everything was still.