Questions and Answers for class – 8:
Textbook Activity
About the Author:
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882) was one of the most famous American poets of his day. Longfellow is well known for his lyric poems, noted for their musicality. His first major poetry collections were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). The present text is a part of Longfellow’s poem of the same name.
An April Day
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Activity – 1
Tick the correct alternative:
1) When the warm sun has returned again, it is nice to –
A) Sing out loud
B) visit the still wood ✓
C) sail down the river
2) The sapling draws its sustenance from –
A) the blue sky
B) rainwater
C) earth’s loosened mold ✓
3) The birds –
A) glance quick in the bright sun ✓
B) sit on the branches of the trees
C) peck at the grains from the ground
4) The green slope throws its shadow upon –
A) the mountain
B) the hollows of the hills ✓
C) the sand dunes
Activity – 2
Complete the following sentences with the information from the text:
A) Spring is the season of ____________
Ans- Spring is the season of seed-time and harvest.
B) The coming-on of storms is foretold by ___________
Ans- The coming on of storms is foretold by dark, many-folded clouds.
C) The birds move along ___________
Ans- The birds move along the forest openings.
D) The bright sunset fills ___________
Ans- The bright sunset fills the silver wood with light.
Activity – 3
Answer the following question:
• Why do you think the poet ” loves the season well?”
Ans- The forest glades wear a greenish beauty. Birds sing sweetly. And the season is not disturbed by any storm. It is a favorable time for sowing and harvesting. So, the poet loves it well.
Also read: Process Writing Example for class – 8 and 9 | Writing Skill | WBBSE
Activity – 4
Fill in the chart with information from the text:
Ans-
Who Did what
1) The first flower
springs in the still wood
2) The forest glades
are teeming with bright forms.
3) The sapling
draws its sustenance from the earth’s loosened mould.
4) The dropping tree
revives
Activity – 5
Answer the following questions:
A) Why is it sweet to visit the woods during springtime?
Ans- It is sweet to visit the woods during springtime because the first flower of the plain blooms.
B) What does winter’s cold do to the tree?
Ans- Winter’s cold strikes the heart of the trees.
C) What time of the day do you think it is when ” the green slop throws its shadows in the hollows of the hills?”
Ans- At sunset, in spring, the green slope throws its shadows in the hollows of the hills
D) Why do you think the poem is titled ” An April Day”? Suggest an alternative title.
Ans- The poem is titled ” An April Day” because it is the beginning of the season of spring when new flowers bloom and it is also the season of seed-time and harvest. The alternative title may be ” Spring Hours”.
Activity – 6 (a)
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms from those given in brackets:
1) He __________ here for the last two years. ( worked, in working, has been working)
Ans- has been working.
2) The baby _________ all morning. ( cries, has been crying, had cried)
Ans- has been crying.
3) It ________ for a long time before we went to school. ( had been raining, rained, rains)
Ans- had been raining.
4) The passengers of the train _________ fast when the accident occurred. ( slept, had been sleeping, sleep)
Ans- had been sleeping.
Activity – 6 (b)
Fill in the blanks with either the Future Continuous Tense or Future Perfect Tense of the verbs given in brackets:
1) I suppose it _______ when we start. (rain)
Ans- will be raining.
2) He ________ us next week. (meet)
Ans- will be meeting.
3) She ________ Jamshedpur by then. (reach)
Ans- will have reached.
4) This book is not fat, I ________ it by lunchtime. ( read)
Ans- will have read.
Activity – 7
Make meaningful sentences of your own with the following words:
Ans-
A) harvest: The farmers are busy at harvest.
B) teeming: The pond is teeming with fish.
C) thrives: The crop thrives in moist heat.
D) glance: He glances at the sky.
Activity – 8 (a)
Write a paragraph on about eighty words on the changes you see in nature when spring comes after winter:
Ans-
When spring comes after winter, several changes are noticed in nature. Fresh leaves come out on trees. New flowers bloom on branches. Nature looks gay, bright and shiny. The mild breeze blows from the south. The sweet fragrance spreads everywhere. Birds and beasts are ready to welcome the changes. New life brings forth. New crop is harvested. People celebrate this season with various forms of festivals and occasions. This season brings a new message for both nature and mankind.
Activity – 8 (b)
You have a separate routine of work in the morning and in the evening. Write a page in your diary on that part of the day which you prefer more:
Ans-
Monday, August 20, 2023 Page No. 156
10 p.m.
Of the two – the morning and the evening, I am always fond of the former. For, morning it is the important part of the day. I get out of bed at 5 a.m., wash my hands and face and go out for a walk in the open field. Pure and fresh air, the melodious music of the morning birds along with the soothing sun make me at one with nature. With renewed energy, I come back home, have my breakfast and set myself to study till 9.30. Frankly speaking, for atmospheric advantages, I always prefer this part of the day.