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8 Notes Unit I, 2 & 3
8 Notes Unit I, 2 & 3
VOCABULARY
S.No. Word Meaning Synonyms Antonyms Other form
1 expensive high-priced costly cheap expensively
2 restore bring back rebuild, damage, restoration
reinstate destroy
4 garage a building or indoor repair shop, -- --
area for repairing parking lot
vehicles
5 brute physical physical, basic refined brutal
6 reveal make known tell, disclose conceal --
7 shallow not deep low, narrow deep --
8 curiosity know about interest, apathy curious
something inquisitiveness
9 scruples sense of right and principles immorality --
wrong
10 trenches long deep ditches in ditches, -- --
the ground dugouts
11 crisp crunchy crunchy, soggy --
delicate
12 frosty icy icy, cool warm frost
13 schnapps a German drink made -- -- --
from grain
14 sausage minced pork, beef, or -- -- --
other meat
15 outstretched widely spread extended forded --
16 warmly in a friendly way affectionately, apathetically warm,
lovingly warmth
17 huddles gather together groups, crowd scatterings --
18 resolve come to a decision decide, agree indecision resolution
19 drifting go with the flow wandering, settled --
aimless
20 dugouts pits pits, bunkers -- --
21 carols choruses songs, chants -- --
22 treasure valuables wealth, money -- --
23 conservatory school of the arts -- -- --
24 suffused covered covered, filled -- --
25 tenderly kind-heartedly warmly, unkindly --
lovingly
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Reading Comprehension Passage I
Q3: Why did the author buy that roll-top in bad condition?
Ans: Because it was going for very little money and he thought that he could restore it.
Q4: “It would be a risk, a challenge.” Why did the speaker think so?
Ans: It was a challenge for the author to restore the roll-top and had the risk of loosing
his money.
Q7: What did the last drawer reveal when it was opened?
Ans: The last drawer revealed a shallow space underneath, a secret drawer.
Q12: Pick out the word from the above text which means ‘right or wrong.’ ( b )
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Ans: a) brute b) scruples c) shallow
Dearest Connie,
I write to you in a much…………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………….. not a rifle between them.
Q4: ‘We were all standing in our trenches.” Who does the word ‘we’ refer to?
Ans: The word ‘we’ refers to the British soldiers.
Q7: What was the first sign from the German soldiers to celebrate Christmas with
their enemy?
Ans: The German soldiers waved a white flag from their trenches.
Q10: How can you say that Jim didn’t believe the German soldiers first?
Ans: Jim told his men that it was a trick.
Q11: What things did the German soldiers bring to celebrate Christmas?
Ans: The German soldiers brough schnapps and sausage.
Q12: When did the British soldiers believe the German soldiers?
Ans: The British soldiers noticed dozens of the Germans walking towards them
and there was not even a single rifle between them.
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Q13: Why were the soldiers standing in the trenches? ( b )
Ans: a) because it was the British rule b) because they were fighting the Germans
c) because it was a Christmas day
Q14: Why did the German soldiers wave the white flag? ( c )
Ans: a) because they wanted to make peace with the British
b) because they wanted to stop the war.
c) because they wanted to celebrate Christmas with the British soldiers.
Q4: “I think that is what every soldier wants, on both sides,” Has Wolf said.
What does every soldier want on both sides?
Ans: The war would end soon and they would meet their families.
Q5: What did the British soldiers hear ever after coming back to their dugouts?
Ans: The British soldiers heard the German soldiers singing a carol quite beautifully.
Q7: What did Jim come to know from all that happened?
Ans: Jim came to know how much both armies long for peace.
Q8: Why did Jim feel the day was a treasure to them? ( a )
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Ans: a) because had a time of peace and goodwill.
b) because they played a football match
c) because they shared schnapps and the rum
Q4: What did the author do when he met the old lady?
Ans: The author wished her happy Christmas and handed her the tin box.
Q8: Why did the old lady (Connie) want the author to read the letter for her?
Ans: Because the old lady (Connie) thought he was Jim, her husband.
Q9: What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it the best Christmas present in the
world?
Ans: Connie thought that Jim had come back home from war. She mistook the author for
Jim. She had been waiting for her husband Jim. So the coming home of Jim was the
best Christmas present in the world for her.
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Q10: “I don’t think she was listening.” Why wasn’t she listening? ( c )
Ans: a) because she was reading the letter
b) because she was very old
c) because she was in immense happiness to have the letter again
Q11: What did the old lady want the author to do for her? ( b )
Ans: a) the old lady wanted the author to be with her forever
b) the old lady wanted the author to read the letter for her
c) the old lady wanted the author to go back to war again
Q2: How did the young cricket spend summer and spring seasons?
Ans: The silly young cricket spent the warm, sunny months of summer and spring by
singing and busy enjoying.
Q3: The cricket says, “Oh! What will become of me?” When does he say it, and why?
Ans: The cricket says these words when he finds no food in his home to eat in winter.
Q7: What did the cricket request the ant to give him?
Ans: The cricket requested the ant to give him a mouthful of grain, shelter from rain. (or)
The cricket requested the ant to give him food and shelter.
Q9: Why didn’t the ant give food and shelter to the cricket? ( b )
Ans: a) because the ant didn’t have any food to give
b) because the ant neither lend nor borrow
c) because the ant didn’t like the cricket
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c) because he was lazy
Q11: What advice did the ant give the cricket to do in winter? ( c )
Ans: a) go and find a suitable place
b) to ask someone for food
c) to dance in the winter
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CLASS VIII :: UNIT II :: THE TSUNAMI
VOCABULARY
S.No. Word Meaning Synonyms Antonyms Other form
1 tsunami a very large and powerful -- -- ---
wave caused by
earthquakes under sea.
2 archipelago a group of many -- -- --
islands and the
surrounding sea
3 tremor a slight shake shiver, -- --
vibration,
quiver
4 chaos complete disorder and disorder, order --
confusion confusion
5 rescue save someone from a save abandon --
dangerous situation
6 daze a state of confusion shock, -- --
surprise
7 cling hold on tightly to hang, grip, give up --
adhere
8 traumatized greatly shocked and hurt, shock -- --
distressed
9 recede move back withdraw advance --
10 massive exceptionally large huge, tiny, compact --
enormous
11 triggered activated activated, halted --
started
12 whirlpools a quick rotation of -- -- --
water in a river or sea
13 landslides a collapse of rock from -- -- --
a mountain
14 refuge place of safety shelter -- --
15 surge outpouring flow, flood -- --
16 abandoned give up completely leave, keep, abandonment
discard continue
17 enticed attract by offering tempt, attract repel --
pleasure
18 possess have have, own lack possession
19 disaster a natural catastrophe tragedy, -- --
catastrophe
20 realise understand clearly understand fail realisation
21 hysterical feeling extreme agitated, composed hysteria
emotion
22 carcass the dead body of an remains, -- --
animal skeleton
23 excited very eager eager, calm, excitement
enthusiastic indifferent
24 slammed shut forcefully crashed, praised --
banged
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Reading Comprehension Passage I
Q1: How many people were swept away along with Meghna?
Ans: Seventy seven people were swept away along with Meghna.
Q7: What was Almas’ family doing when the tremors came?
Ans: Almas’ family was sleeping when the tremors came.
Q8: How did Almas’ mother and aunts try to save their lives?
Ans: They stood clinging to the leaves of a coconut tree but a wave uprooted the tree and they
were washed away.
Q9: Pick out the word from the above text which means ‘greatly shocked.’
Ans: Traumatised.
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Reading Comprehension Passage II:
Q7: Why did Tilly Smith sense that something was wrong?
Ans: She remembered that she had seen the same scenes like foam, whirlpools etc.
in a video of tsunami in her geography class.
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Ans: Some experts believe that animals’ more acute hearing helps them to hear or feel the
earth’s vibration. They can sense an approaching disaster long before humans realise
what’s going on.
Q3: How many people and animals were killed by the giant waves of the Indian Ocean?
Ans: More than 1,50,000 were killed in a dozen countries but not many animals have been
reported dead.
Q7: How many people were washed away from the beach inside the park?
Ans: Sixty visitors were washed away from the Patanangala beach inside the park; but
no animals carcasses were found.
Q8: What did the people at the Yala National Park observe an hour before tsunami hit?
Ans: The people at the Yala National Park observed three elephants running away from
the Patanangala beach.
Q9: What did a Sri Lankan gentleman say about his dogs’ behaviour that day?
Ans: He said that his dogs refused to go for their daily run on the beach.
Q10: “not many animals have been reported dead” What might be reason? ( b )
Ans: a) tsunami can’t kill animals
b) animals could sense the approaching danger long before humans
c) animals know when disasters will happen
Q11: Pick out the word from the above text which means ‘remains of animals.’ ( a )
Ans: a) carcasses b) perished c) realise
Comprehension Questions:
Q1: Find three or four phrases in stanzas one and two which are likely to occur in a
geography lesson.
Ans: 1.scaled six inches to the mile
2. valleys were populated
3. land and water attracted man.
Q2: Seen from the window of an aeroplane, the city appears ( iii )
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Ans: (i) as haphazard as on ground.
(ii) as neat as a map.
(iii) as developed as necessary.
Q3: Which of the following statements are examples of “the logic of geography”?
Ans: i) There are cities where there are rivers ( T )
ii) Cities appear as they are not from six miles above the ground
iii) It is easy to understand why valleys are populated ( T )
‘ iv) It is difficult to understand why humans hate and kill one another ( T )
v) The earth is round, and it has more sea than land.
Q4: Mention two things that (i) CLEAR from the height (ii) NOT CLEAR from the
height
Ans: i. From the height, it is clear that the cities and valleys of various countries are
populated near the rivers. Besides, it also implies that the earth is round and that it
had more sea than land.
ii. From the height, it is difficult to understand why the men on the earth find reasons
to hate each other and build walls across the cities and want to kill.
Q5: What was clear to the poet when the jet sprang into the sky?
Ans: When the jet sprang into the sky it was clear to the poet that the city had developed as
per the necessity of the people but not as per proper planning.
Q6: How was the city when the poet looked at it from the jet?
Ans: The city seemed unplanned and unorganised. It did not have any particular style and
design.
Q7: What did the poet notice when the jet reached ten thousand feet high?
Ans: The poet noticed why the country had cities near the rivers and why the valleys were
populated.
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UNIT III: GLIMPSES OF THE PAST
S.No. Word Meaning Synonyms Antonyms Other forms
of word
1 glimpse a quick look sight, preview stare --
2 martyr a person who is victim, sufferer -- --
killed because of
their religious
beliefs
3 conquest subjugation takeover, invasion release --
4 subdue calm down pacify, calm aggravate --
5 dethrone unseat defeat, remove install --
6 preach deliver an address speak, lecture -- --
7 scorned turned down refused admired scornful
8 abandon leave uncared leave, quit continue abandonment
9 starvation food shortage hunger, famine -- starve
10 despise look down on hate admire --
11 superstition a false belief misconception -- --
12 suspicious doubtful doubtful, trust suspicion
skeptical
13 oppression domination domination liberty oppress
14 intellectual knowledgeable intelligent ignorant intellect
15 massacre killing a large death, slaughter -- --
number of people
16 brewing growing developing -- --
17 humiliate make feel degrade, dignify humiliation
ashamed dishonour
18 revolt revolution revolution, attract --
mutiny
19 patriot a person who loyalist, partisan turncoat patriotism
loves his country
20 abolish put an end to stop, end establish abolition
21 pittance a small amount of -- -- --
money
22 adjutant a military officer -- -- --
23 upsurge a sudden rise -- -- --
24 pounce spring suddenly -- -- --
Q2: What appeal did the speaker in the first picture make to the countrymen?
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Ans: The speaker appealed the countrymen to recall the sacrifices of India’s martyrs.
Q6: Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach in 1857?
Ans: Yes. The Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach as they failed to under-
stand the bad intentions of the British and quarreled among themselves.
Q7: How did the East India Company subdue the Indian princes?
Ans: The East India Company subdued the Indian princes by taking the advantage of the
rivalry among the Indian princes.
Q8: What ideas did the religious leaders preach between 1765-1836?
Ans: Religious leaders preached the ideas like untouchability and child marriages.
Q9: Name some superstitions preached by the religious leaders in those days?
Ans: 1. Anyone who crosses the seas loses his religion.
2. All the misery in the world is due to women.
Q10: Who is an artisan? What happened to him during the British rule?
Ans: An artisan is a skilled worker in making things by hand. The British policies ruined
the artisans and their business.
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© the British defeated them (d) they were not good
Q2: Quote the words of Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same
principles.
Ans: Cows are of different colours, but the colour of their milk is the same. Different
teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is the same.
Q5: Which act had the British passed in 1818 to oppress the Indians?
Ans: The British had passed Regulation III. Under it an Indian could be jailed without trial
in a court.
Q8: By which year had the British conquered the whole of India?
Ans: The British had conquered the whole of Indian by 1856.
Q9: What did the group of intellectuals think to improve the material conditions of the
people?
Ans: They decided to convey their grievances to the British Parliament.
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Q10: The worst sufferers under the British rule were ( d )
(a) who served in East India Company (b) the business community
(c) the religious leaders (d) the poor farmers and artisans
Q11: In the early nineteenth century Raja Ram Mohan Roy was ( b )
(a) Indians were to pay higher taxes (b) British goods became cheap
(c) cotton-wearers became poor
(d) Indians could be jailed without trial in a court.
Q13: Between 1822 and 1836 ___ people died of starvation in India. ( b )
Q15: What was the value of the British goods exported to India in 1829? ( c )
Q16: How does the speaker explain the problem to his wife? ( a )
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Reading Comprehension Exercise III:
7. The Sparks (1855-57) 8. Revolt (1857) 9. The Fight for Freedom (1857)
Q3: Why was discontent brewing in the East India Company army?
Ans: Discontent was brewing in the East India Company army because the Indian soldiers
were getting pittance and the while soldiers were getting huge pay and mansions to
live in.
i) The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting
KUNWAR SINGH
ii) The person who wanted to reform the society RAM MOHAN ROY
iii) The person who recommended the introduction of English education in India
MACAULAY
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THEY LOST THEIR LANDS AND JOBS & THEY WERE CONVERTED BY
THE BRITISH
Q11: The grease on the bullet the Indian soldiers had to bite was made from ( c )
(a) cows and buffaloes (b) pigs and buffaloes
© cows and pigs (d) none of the above
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