GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Gujarat Board GSEB Class 8 English Textbook Solutions Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

GSEB Class 8 English The Tsunami Text Book Questions and Answers

Comprehension Check – I
Say whether the following are true or false:

Question 1.
Igneslous lost his wife, two children, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law In the tsunami.
Answer:
True.

Question 2.
Sanjeev made ft to safety after the tsunami.
Answer:
False.

Question 3.
Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.
Answer:
False.

Question 4.
Almas’s father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the Island.
Answer:
True

Question 5.
Her mother and aunts were washed away with the tree that they were holding on to.
Answer:
True

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Comprehension Check – II
Answer the following in a phrase or sentence:

Question 1.
Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?
Answer:
Tilly’s family came to Thailand to celebrate Christmas.

Question 2.
What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?
Answer:
Both saw the sea rise and It started to foam and form whirlpools.

Question 3.
Do you think Tilly’? mother was alarmed by them?
Answer:
No, Tilly’s mother was not alarmed by them.

Question 4.
Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving In the same strange fashion?
Answer:
Tilly had seen the strange sea behaviour In a video.

Question 5.
Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape from the tsunami?
Answer:
They went to the third floor of the hotel and were saved.

Question 6.
How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done In Phuket?
Answer:
She felt very pleased and satisfied.

Comprehension Check – III
Answer using a phrase or a sentence:

Question 1.
In the tsunami, 150,000 people died. How many animals died?
Answer:
Very few animals died.

Question 2.
How many people and often died in Yala National Park?
Answer:
Sixty visitors and two animals.

Question 3.
What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?
Answer:
People say that the elephants ran from the beach an hour before the Tsunami hit the coast.

Question 4.
What did the dogi In Galle do?
Answer:
The dogs In Galle refused to go to the beach for their daily run.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Working With The Text
Discuss the following questions in class. Then write your own answers:

Question 1.
When he felt the earthquake, do you think Igneslous Immediately worried about a tsunami? Give reasons for your answer. Which sentence In the text tells you that the Igneslous family did not have any time to discuss and plan their course of action after the tsunami struck?
Answer:
Meghna and Almas – both were lucky. Meghna was carried away with her parents and other people. But she alone survived. She was washed ashore by a wave. Almas climbed onto a log of wood. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a hospital in Kamorta.

Question 2.
WhIch words in the list below describe Sanjeev, In your opinion?
(Look up the dictionary for words that you are not sure of.)
Cheerful ambitious brash brave care less heroic selfies heartless humorous
Answer:
brave, heroic, selfless
Use words from the list to complete the three sentences below:
1. I don’t know If Sanjeev was cheerful,………………….. or …………………… .
Answer:
ambitious, brash

2. 1 think that he was very brave, ………………… and …………………….. .
Answer:
heroic, selfless

3. Sanjeev was not heartless, …………………. or …………………….. .
Answer:
careless, humorous

Question 3.
How are Megan. and MMS’s stories Similar?
Answer:
Meghna and Almas – both were lucky. Meghna was carried away with her parents and other people. But she alone survived. She was washed ashore by a wave. Almas climbed onto a log of wood. When she opened her eyes, she found herself In a hospital in Kamorta.

Question 4.
What are the different ways in which Tilly’s parents could have reacted to her behaviour? What would you have done if you were in their place?
Answer:
Tilly foresaw the danger of tsunami at once. She became hysterical. Her parents didn’t ignore her. They were sure that something terribly wrong must be going to happen. So they all left the beach and were saved. If I were in place of Tilly’s parents, I might not ! have believed her. I might have scolded hers for getting hysterical for no reason.

Question 5.
If Tilly’s award was to be shared, who do you think she should share it with her parents or her geography teacher?
Answer:
It is very obvious. Tilly’s award should be shared with her geography teacher. Her parents could not guess the tsunami was coming.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Question 6.
What are the two different ideas about why so few animals were killed in; the tsunami? Which idea do you find more believable?
Answer:
Very few animals were killed in the tsunami. Perhaps they feel the tremor much before humans do. Secondly, the animals have sixth sense. They can guess the coming S disaster and so run away to safer places higher ground. The idea that the animals are gifted with the sixth sense is more believable. They move fast to get over the crisis.

Working With Language

Question 1.
Go through Part – I carefully, and make a list of as many words as you can find that indicate movement of different kinds. (There is one word that occurs repeatedly – count how many times !). Put them Into three categories – fast movement, slow movement, neither slow nor fast. Can you explain why there are many words In one column and not in the others?
Answer:

First movement (Column A) Slow movement Neither slow nor fast
fall (Once) rising floating
rushed (3 times) recede
swept away (3 this)
washed away (once)

There are more words in Column A. These are related either to the urgent need to escape or to the force and speed of the rushing water. It was natural for men and animals to make fast movements In such a situation. The waves also overtook some people very fast and washed them away.

2. Fill In the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue):

1. The earth trembled, but not many people felt the …………………….. .(tremble)
Answer:
trembling/ tremors

2. When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of ……………… and many animals escaped Into the countryside. (confuse)
Answer:
confusion

3. We heard with ……….. that the lion had been recaptured. (relieve)
Answer:
relief

4. The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his ……………….. was filmed by the TV crew. (rescue)
Answer:
rescue

5. There was much …………… in the village when the snake charmer came visiting. (excite)
Answer:
excitement

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Study the sentences In the Columns ‘A’ and ‘B’:

A B
Meghna was swept away. The waves swept Meghna away.
Almas’s grandfather was hit on the head. Something hit Almas’s grandfather on the head.
Sixty visitors were Washed away. The waves washed away sixty visitors.
No animal carcasses were found. People did not find any animal carcasses.

Compare the sentences In A to the ones In B. Who Is the ‘doer’ of the action in every case? Is the ‘doer’ mentioned in A, or in B? Notice the verbs in A: ‘was swept away, ‘was hit’. ‘were washed away. were found’. They are in the passive form. The sentences are in the Passive Voice. In these sentences, the focus Is not on the person who does the action.

In B the ‘doer’ of the action is named. The verbs are in the active form. The sentences are in the Active Voice. Say whether the following sentences are in the Active or the Passive Voice. Write ‘A’ or ‘P’ after each sentence as shown in the first sentence:
1. Someone stoic my bIcycle. …..A……
2. The tyres were deflated by the traffic police. …………………
3. I found it last night in a ditch near my house. …………..
4. It had been thrown there. ………….
5. My father gave It to the mechanic. ………….
6. The mechanic repaired ft for me. ………….
Answer:
2. P
3. A
4. P
5. A
6. A

Speaking And Writing

Question 1.
Suppose you are one of the volunteers who went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for relief work after the tsunami. You work in the relief camps, distributing food, water and medicine among the victims. You listen to the various stories of bravery of ordinary people even as they fight against odds to bring about some semblance of normalcy in their lives. You admire their grit and determination. Write a diary entry.
You may start in this way:
31 December 2004
The killer tsunami struck these islands l Jive days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story
to tell…
Answer:
The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell. Their stories are hair raising as well as heartening or inspiring. Many were determined to start a new life. They don’t want to stay in the camp for long. Most of them feel a sense of indignity because living on charity was disgraceful. Most of them want to return to their cottages which are no more: there and to get a fishing boat to earn their livelihood. One woman, though old, recalled! hoW she had saved a child from drowning.

Question 2.
The story shows how a little girl saved the lives of many tourists when a tsunami struck the beach, thanks to the geography lesson that she had learnt at school. She remembered the visuals of a tsunami and warned her parents. Do you remember any incident when something that you learnt in the classroom helped you in some way outside the classroom? Write your experiences in a paragraph of about 90-100 words or narrate it to the whole class like an anecdote.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Writing

Write a paragraph on Earthquake -A Natural Calamity.
Earthquake is the tremor in the earth’s crust caused either by volcanic eruptions or by sudden dislocation in the rock structure underneath. The usual phenomena of an earthquake are at first the feeling of a tremor, next two or three severe shocks on earth, and then again there may be a tremor for a short period of time. Sometimes, mild quivering of the earth may continue for several days.

An earthquake causes unaccountable damage, and sometimes heavy destruction of life and; property. If the tremor is strong, the houses 1 rock violently, sometimes causing the high buildings come down, burying the inmates.

An earthquake causes the trees move unusually as in a storm, and the tanks and the rivers thrown into unusual commotion. During an earthquake, it is unsafe to remain inside a multi-storied building. Houses made of thatch and bamboo are relatively safe. It is better for the Inmates of houses to come out in
the open at the time of an earthquake.

Generally, the neighbours are alerted fearing an earthquake by blowing conch shells. Even at the dead of the night In a village, the sound of conch-shells may awake and alert the sleeping people about an earthquake. The earthquake (Richter Scale of 7.7) of 2001 that took place In Kutch and Ahmedabad caused many buildings collapse and took toll of a number of human lives and cattle.

In Japan, earthquake Is a common phenomenon. It takes place frequently than In other countries In the world. In India, earthquake Is, however, felt from time to time In mild form In different parts of the country. The research in the direction of a forecast of earthquake’ is In progress, and we hope positively that It would help a great deal to withstand earthquakes with the least damages.

GSEB Class 8 English The Tsunami Additional Important Questions and Answers

(A) Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences:

Question 1.
A tsunami is caused by ………………. .
A. a landslide.
B. eruption of volcanoes.
C. earthquakes.
D. All of these three
Answer:
D. All of these three

Question 2.
Tremors Eire ……………… .
A. rising sea waves.
B. shaking of earth.
C. collapsing of structures on land.
D. terrible storm waves.
Answer:
B. shaking of earth.

Question 3.
In the tsunami ……………………. .
A. Ignesious’s wife was swept away.
B. Ignesious’s two children were swept away.
C. Ignesious’s father-in-law and brother-in-law were swept away.
D. All of these three
Answer:
D. All of these three

Question 4.
Sanjeev could not save from tsunami.
A. his wife
B. his cook’s wife
C. his baby daughter
D. his cook
Answer:
B. his cook’s wife

Question 5.
The Smith family from England had gone to Thailand to ……………….. .
A. visit their relatives.
B. pursue some research.
C. celebrate Christmas.
D. None of these three
Answer:
C. celebrate Christmas.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Question 6.
Before the tsunami on the coast of India Eind Sri Lanka,…
A. elephants screamed Eind ran for the higher ground.
B. dogs refused to go outdoors.
C. flamingoes abandoned their low-lying breeding areas.
D. All of these three
Answer:
D. All of these three

(B) Say whether the following sentences are True or False:

1. Katchall is part of the Andaman group of islands.
2. Nsmcowry is an island in the Nicobar group.
3. Ignesious’s wife woke him up at 6 a.m. because she felt Em earthquake.
4. John was a police-guesthouse cook.
5. Meghna saved herself by holding on to a wooden door.
6. Almas’s father could save her grandfather who was hit on his head.
7. Meghna was a student of Carmel Convent in Port Blair.
8. The Smith family belonged to South-East England.
9. The reason of the tsunami on December 26, 2004, was a massive earthquake off northern Sumatra.
10. Tilly’s video lesson helped her save her family and other tourists from tsunami disaster.
11. It is believed that animals have a sixth sense to know in advance about upcoming natural disasters.
Answer:
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. False
8. True
9. True
10. True
11. True

(C) Answer the following questions in two to three sentences each:

Question 1.
What is a Tsunami? When did it hit so many countries and sea coasts?
Answer:
A tsunami is a very large and powerful S wave. It is caused by earthquakes under the S sea. The deadly tsunami hit Thailand, India S Eind the Andaman Islands on 26 December 2004.

Question 2.
Do animals get foreknowledge of the tsunami coming?
Answer:
Yes, it is true that animals sense the coming disaster earlier the in human beings, It became evident in 2004. The tsunami killed more than 1,50,000 people in a dozen countries. But very few animals were reported dead. Buffaloes, goats and dogs remained unharmed. So did elephants Eind leopards. A They ran away to higher places to save their lives.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Question 3.
Who was Igneous? Why did he put his television down on the ground from table?
Answer:
Igneous was the manager of a cooperative society in Catchall. When his wife told him about an earthquake, he immediately took his television set off its table and put it down on the ground so that it would not fall Eind break.

Question 4.
How did Sanjeev lose his life?
Answer:
When Sanjeev heard cries for help from the wife of John, the guest house cook, he immediately jumped into the water to rescue her. But unfortunately, they were both swept away by the powerful waves.

Question 5.
What is the view of some experts about the animals?
Answer:
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.

Question 6.
How did ‘Lilly Smith save her family from the deadly waves?
Answer:
Tilly Smith with her family was celebrating Christmas at a Beach In Thailand. She was only 10 years old. She noted the seawater flowing towards the beach. She was reminded of a geography lesson and the video of Hawaiian Islands In 1946. She started shouting to her parents to clear off the beach. Her parents heeded her. They all took shelter In the third floor of the hotel and were saved.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

(D) Answer the following questions in four to five sentences each:

Question 1.
Give a brief account of how the Animals saved themselves when the giant waves hit India and Sri Lank.
Answer:
Before the great waves moved towards the coast In India and Sri Lanka. the wild and domestic animals foresaw the danger. Elephants ran for higher ground. Dogs refused to go outdoors. Zoo animals rushed into their shelters. This was perhaps the animals possess a sixth sense, which Is very sharp and works as warning during disasters. So not many animals lost their lives In 2004 Tsunami while thousands of people were washed away.

Question 2.
What happened to Almas and her family?
Answer:
When the tremors came early In the morning. Almas and her family were sleeping. Suddenly Almas’s father saw the seawater recede. He understood that the water would come rushing back with great force. He woke everyone up and tried to rush them to a safer place. As they ran, her grandfather was hit on the head by something and fell down. Her father rushed to help him. But soon a giant wave came and swept both of them away. Her mother and aunts too were washed away by the mighty waves. Almas was somehow saved. But she became the victim of trauma.

(E) Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions given below them:

Question 1.
When the tremors came early in the morning, the family was sleeping. Almas’s father saw the seawater recede. He understood that the water would come rushing back with great force. He woke everyone up and tried to rush them to a safer place. As they ran, her grandfather was hit on the head by something and he fell down. Her s father rushed to help him. Then came the first giant wave that swept both of them away. Almas’s mother and aunts stood clinging to the leaves of a coconut tree, calling out to her.

A wave uprooted the tree, and they too were washed away. Almas saw a log of wood floating. She climbed onto it. Then she fainted. When she woke up, she was in a hospital in Kamorta. From there she was brought to Port Blair. The little girl does not want to talk about the incident with anyone. She is still traumatised.
Questions:
(1) What was the indication of tsunami, that Almas’s father sensed?
Answer:
Almas’s father saw the seawater recede. He understood that the water would come rushing back with great force and bring disaster to them.

(2) How did Almas’s father lose his life?
Answer:
As the family members of Almas ran, her grandfather was hit on the head by something and he fell down. Her father rushed to help him. At that time came the first giant wave that swept both of them away.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

(3) How were Almas’s mother and aunts washed away?
Answer:
Almas’s mother and aunts stood clinging to the leaves of a coconut tree. At that time, a giant wave uprooted the tree, and they were washed away.

(4) Why did Almas not want to talk about the incident with anyone?
Answer:
Almas did not want to talk about the Incident with anyone because she was greatly traumatised.

Question 2.
But Tilly Smith sensed that something was wrong. Her mind kept going back to a geography lesson she had taken in England just two weeks before she flew out to Thailand with her family. Tilly saw the sea slowly rise, and start to foam, bubble and form whirlpools. She remembered that she had seen this in class in a video of a tsunami that had hit the Hawaiian islands in 1946. Her geography teacher had shown her class the video, and told them that tsunamis can be caused by earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.

Tilly started to scream at her family to get off the beach. “She talked about an earthquake under the sea. She got more and more hysterical,” said her mother Penny. “I didn’t know what a tsunami was. But seeing my daughter so frightened, I thought something serious must be going on.”
Questions:
(1) What did Tilly recall?
Answer:
Tilly recalled that she had seen this in class in a video of a tsunami that had hit the Hawaiian islands in 1946.

(2) What are tsunamis caused by?
Answer:
Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.

(3) How did Tilly react sensing earthquake under the sea?
Answer:
Sensing earthquake under the sea, Tilly started to scream at her family to get off the beach. She got more and more hysterical.

(4) What made Tilly’s mother think seriously?
Answer:
Seeing Tilly frightened, her mother? thought something serious must be going on.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Question 3.
Before the giant waves slammed into the coast in India and Sri Lanka, wild and domestic animals seemed to know what was about to happen. They fled to safety. According to eyewitness accounts, elephants screamed and ran for higher ground; dogs refused to go outdoors; flamingoes abandoned their low lying breeding areas, and zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed to come back out.

Many people believe that animals possess a sixth sense and know when the earth is going to shake. 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.
Questions:
(1) What did the wild and domestic animals do anticipating tsunami?
Answer:
Anticipating tsunami, the wild and domestic animals fled to safety.

(2) What did the elephants and the dogs react?
Answer:
The elephants screamed and- ran for higher ground. The dogs refused to go outdoors.

(3) How did the zoo animals behave?
Answer:
The zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed to come out.

(4) What acute faculty do animals have which is far better than that of human beings?
Answer:
Animals have more acute hearing which helps them to hear or feel the earth’s vibration. This faculty of theirs is far better than that s of human beings.

Vocabulary

(A) Replace the underlined words selecting the most appropriate options from the brackets :
(1) We were a little late leaving the house, but we’re on our way! (at a long distance, in the process of travelling, quite near)
(2) The actor says he has been in a daze following the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his latest film. (greatly pleased, quite upset, in a confused state of mind)
(3) She was considered a strong contender to win the local election, but she backed out at the last minute. (got discouraged, withdrew, enrolled again)
Answer:
(1) We were a little late leaving the house, but we’re in the process of travelling!
(2) The actor says he has been in a confused state of mind following the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his latest film.
(3) She was considered a strong contender to win the local election, but she withdrew at the last minute.

(B) Choose the correct words from the brackets and complete the following passages:

Question 1.
(forewarned, terrifying, Thanks, entire, back, later)
The Smiths ….1…. met other tourists who had lost ….2…. families. ……3…. to Tilly and her geography lesson, they had been ….4… Tilly went ….5…. to her school in England and told her classmates her ……6….. tale.
Answer:
1. later
2. entire
3. Thanks
4. forewarned
5. back
6. terrifying

Question 2.
(foam, shown, whirlpools, caused, slowly, hit)
Tilly saw the sea ….1…. rise, and start to …2…, bubble and form ….3….. She remembered that she had seen this in class in a video of a tsunami that had ….4…. the Hawaiian islands in 1946. Her geography teacher had ….5…, her class the video, and told them that tsunamis can be ….6…. by earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.
Answer:
1. slowly
2. foam
3. whirlpools
4. hit
5. shown
6. caused

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

GRAMMAR

(A) Choose the correct Article(s), Conjunction (s) and Preposition(s) and complete the following passages:

Question 1.
Sanjeev was …1….. policeman, serving in ……2…… Catchall island …..3….. the Nicobar group of islands. He somehow managed to save himself, his wife …..4….. his baby daughter ….5….. the waves. ….6…. then he heard cries for help from the wife of John, the guesthouse cook.
Answer:
1. a
2. the
3. of
4. and
5. from
6. But

Question 2.
Almas’s mother ….1…. aunts stood clinging …2…. the leaves of ….3…. coconut tree, calling …..4…. to her. A wave uprooted ……5….. tree, and they too were washed ….6…..
Answer:
1. and
2. to
3. a
4. out
5. the
6. away

(B) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of verbs given in the brackets and complete the texts:

Question 1.
Almas saw a log of wood …..1…… (float): She climbed onto it. Then she fainted. When she ….2…… (wake) up, she was in a hospital in Kamorta. From there she …..3….. (bring) to ‘ Port Blair.
Answer:
1. floating
2. woke
3. was brought

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Question 2.
“The water ….1….. (swell) and kept coming in,” Penny Smith …..2…….. (remember). “The beach was getting smaller and smaller. ….3…… (not + know) what was happening.”
Answer:
1. was swelling
2. remembered
3. didn’t know

(C) Change the voice of the following:

(1) HIs wife woke him up at 6 a.m.
(2) Igneslous carefully took his television set off Its table.
(3) He never saw them again.
(4) ThIrteen-year-old Meghna was swept away along with her parents.
(5) Her grandfather was hit on the head by something and he fell down.
(6) They had been triggered by a massive earthquake.
Ans.
(1) He was waken up by his wife at 6 a.m.
(2 ) HIs television set was carefully taken off Its table by Igneslous.
(3 ) They were never seen again by him.
(4) The tsunami swept away thirteen-year-old Meghna along with her parents.
(5) Something hit her grandfather on the head and he fell down.
(6 ) A massive earthquake had triggered them.

(D) Rewrite as directed:

(1) Then the family rushed out of the house. (Turn Into Negative.)
(2) Sanjeev Jumped Into the water to rescue her, but they were both swept away.(Use even though)
(3 ) The family had gone to the Nancowry Island to celebrate Christmas. (Use ‘with a view to’.)
(4) Then came the first giant wave that swept both of them away. (Make It Simple.)
(5)! didn’t know what was happening. (Turn Into Afirmattue.)
(6) TIny started to scream at her family to get off the beach. (Use ‘so that’.)
(7 ) Seeing my daughter so frightened, I thought something serious must be going on.
(Use ‘when’.)
Answer:
(1) Then the family did not stay bark In the house for a moment.
(2) Even though Sanjeev Jumped Into the water to rescue her, they were both swept away.
(3)The family had gone to the Nancowry Island with a view to celebrating Christmas.
(4) The first giant wave swept both of them away.
(5)! was unaware of what was happening
(6) TIlly started to scream at her family so that they could get off the beach.
(7) When I saw my daughter so frightened, I thought something serious must be going on.

GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 The Tsunami

The Tsunami Summary in English

The Tsunami Summary:
Part – I
Tsunami refers to a very large and powerful wave in the sea. It is caused by some earthquake under the sea. One such calamity hit several countries on December 26, 2004. The worst affected parts were coastal parts of India, the Andaman and Nicobar islands and Thailand. Some 1,50,000 people lost their lives. But animals suffered very few casualties. Perhaps they had sensed the coming earthquake and they ran to safer high places.

This lesson recounts a few stories of bravery and intelligence when the Tsunami hit the Andamans. The first story is about Igneous, the manager of a cooperative society in Catchall. He was woken up by his wife at 6 am. The family rushed out of the house. When the earth stopped shaking, the sea started rising. The waves washed away his two children and in-laws. But the three other children were saved because they were with him.

Sanjeev was a policeman. He managed to save himself, his wife and daughter from the waves. But soon he heard cries for help from the wife of John, the guesthouse cook. He jumped into the water to rescue her. But both were washed away. 13-year-old Meghna was carried away along with her parents and 77 other people. She held on to a wooden door for two days. Eleven times the relief helicopters flew overhead, but they couldn’t spot her. However, she was brought to the shore at last by a wave.

Almas Javed was a ten-year-old student of a convent school in Port Blair. Her family had gone to another island to celebrate Christmas. Almas’s father saw the sea waves receding in the morning. They understood that the waves would come back with force. He tried to take his family to a safer place. But her father and grandfather were swept away by a giant wave. Her mother and aunts were washed away. Almas climbed onto a log of wood. She later found herself in a hospital.

Part – II

There Is also a story from Thailand. The Smith family was celebrating Christmas at a beach resort. The parents had two daughters. The water kept coming In on 26 December 2004. But little Tffly Smith sensed the danger ahead. She recalled the geography lesson that Thunami could be caused by quakes, volcanoes and landslides. She called her family to get out of the beach. Her parents went up to the third floor of the hotel and survived. Thus her geography lesson saved their lives.

Part – III

While humans lost their lives. wild and domestic animals sensed the danger In time. Elephants ran for higher ground and the dogs, birds and zoo animals looked for safer places. perhaps animals possess a sixth sense. They feel the tremor long before humans realise it. So not many animals were reported dead. At Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. no dead bodies of animals were found while sixty visitors were washed away.

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