Chapter 2 – The Tsunami

Content Structure

• A. Word meanings
• B. Exercise questions and answers
  • Unit I – Comprehension Check
  • Unit II – Comprehension Check
  • Unit III – Comprehension Check
  • Working with the text
  • working with language
  • Speaking and writing
• C. Additional questions and answers
  • Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)
    • Unit I
    • Unit II
    • Unit III
  • Fill in the blanks
  • True or False
  • Match the following
  • Short-type questions & answers
    • Unit I
    • Unit II
    • Unit III
  • Long-type questions & answers
• D. Grammar practice with answers

A. Word meanings

Word	Meanings
Archipelago	A group of islands that are close to each other.
Tremor	A small shake or vibration during earthquake
Chaos	A situation where everything is out of control.
Relief helicopters	To make something happen, like action
Recede	To move back
Traumatised	Feeling very sad for scary experience or Shocked for scary experience
Resort	A place where people go for fun
Triggered	To make something happen, like action
Hysterical	To stay strong and not quit when situations are tough.
Refuge	A safe place
Withstood	To stay strong and not quit when situations are tough.
Surge	Force
Daze	A feeling of confusion or shock
Clinging	Holding on tightly
Withstood	Managed to survive
Enticed	To attract

B. Exercise questions and answers

Unit I – Comprehension Check

Say whether the following are true or false.

1. Ignesious lost his wife, two children, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law in the tsunami. (False)
Statement: Ignesious lost his wife and two children. Only the three other children who came with him were saved.

2. Sanjeev made it to safety after the tsunami. (False)
Statement: Sanjeev was swept away while trying to save John’s wife.

3. Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter. (False)
Statement: Meghna was floating on a door made of wood. A wave brought her to the shore.

4. Almas’s father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the island. (True)
Statement: Almas’s father saw the sea move back and noticed a wave was coming.

5. Her mother and aunts were washed away with the tree that they were holding on to. (True)
Statement: Her mother and aunts held a tree, but the water took them away.

3. Unit II – Comprehension Check

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence.

1. Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?
Ans: Tilly’s family came to Thailand for a Christmas holiday in 2004.

2. What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?
Ans: Tilly and her mother saw the sea rising, bubbling, and foaming. They also noticed the water spinning into vortexes, signs that something strange was happening in the ocean.

3. Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them?
Ans: At first, I think Tilly’s mother was not worried, but she started paying attention when she saw that Tilly was scared.

4. Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?
Ans: Tilly had seen the sea move in this strange way in a video she watched during her geography class. The video showed how the ocean behaves before a tsunami.

5. Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape from the tsunami?
Ans: The Smith family and the other people on the beach quickly ran to the third floor of their hotel to stay safe from the massive tsunami waves. They wanted to be in a secure place, far from the fast-moving water. They knew that higher ground was safer and would protect them from the danger of the giant waves.

6. How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?
Ans: Tilly’s geography teacher must have felt very proud and happy because his lesson helped people stay safe.

5. Unit III – Comprehension Check

Answer using a phrase or a sentence.

1. In the tsunami, 150,000 people died. How many animals died?
Ans: In the tsunami, about 150,000 people lost their lives, but only a few animals died because they seemed to sense the danger early and moved to higher ground before the big waves arrived.

2. How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?
Ans: In Yala National Park, 60 people and two water buffaloes were washed away in the tsunami. Most animals moved to safe places before the big waves hit, which helped them stay safe and alive.

3. What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?
Ans: People say that the elephants in Yala National Park ran to higher ground before the tsunami arrived. They seemed to sense the danger and moved to a safer place to stay away from the big waves.

4. What did the dogs in Galle do?
Ans: The dogs in Galle didn’t go on their usual beach walk, which may have saved their lives by keeping them away from the tsunami waves.

Working with the text

Discuss the following questions in class. Then write your own answers.

1. When he felt the earthquake, do you think Ignesious immediately worried about a tsunami? Give reasons for your answer. Which sentence in the text tells you that the Ignesious family did not have any time to discuss and plan their course of action after the tsunami struck?
Ans: Ignesious did not immediately worry about a tsunami when he felt the earthquake. He only felt the shaking and quickly placed his TV down to prevent it from falling. At that moment, he did not know a tsunami was coming and did not realize the danger until afterward.
“In the chaos and confusion, two of his children caught hold of their mother’s father and mother’s brother and rushed in the opposite direction.”
This sentence shows that everything happened so fast that they couldn’t plan or talk about what to do next. They had to act quickly to stay safe.

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	careless
heroic	selfless	heartless	humorous

Use words from the list to complete the three sentences below.

(i) I don’t know if Sanjeev was cheerful, ____________, or _________. (cheerful, ambitious, or humorous)
(ii) I think that he was very brave, ______________, and _____________. (brave, heroic, and selfless)
(iii) Sanjeev was not heartless, _____________ or ___________________. (heartless, brash, or careless)

3. How are Meghna’s and Almas’s stories similar?
Ans: Meghna’s and Almas’s stories are similar because both were swept away by the tsunami but survived.

• Meghna sailed for two days on a wooden door before she reached land.
• Almas grabbed a log but passed out, later waking up in a hospital.

Both were very sad after the accident because they lost family members. They also felt scared and confused when the wave came, but they both showed great courage in such a difficult situation.

4. What are the different ways in which Tilly’s parents could have reacted to her behavior? What would you have done if you were in their place?
Ans: Tilly’s parents might have told her to stop worrying or not listened to her because they thought she was just a young girl overreacting. They ignored her or scolded her. But later, they realized they were wrong.
If I were in their place, I would listen to Tilly and go to a safe place to protect my family.

5. If Tilly’s award was to be shared, who do you think she should share it with — her parents or her geography teacher?
Ans: Tilly should share her award to her geography teacher.
Her teacher showed her a movie about tsunamis, which helped her understand how dangerous they can be. Because of this lesson, she was able to save herself and others.

6. What are the two different ideas about why so few animals were killed in the tsunami? Which idea do you find more believable?
Ans: The two ideas are:

• Animals have better hearing and can feel the earth shake before a tsunami comes.
• Some animals may notice natural sounds or smells, which could warn them of danger earlier than humans.

The second idea makes more sense to me because animals have sharper senses than humans, so they might feel the earthquake or notice strange changes before we do.

working with language

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?
Ans:

fast movement	slow movement	neither slow nor fast
Rushed	Floating	Moving
Ran	Rising	Coming
Swept Away	Walking	Falling
Jumped	Receding
Screaming

“Waves” is a word that shows up a lot of times.

The tsunami hit quickly and strongly, so there are more words in the “fast movement” column. The water moved quickly, carrying people and things away. This created a sense of need and speed.

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

(i) The earth trembled, but not many people felt it. (tremble)
Ans: The earth trembled, but not many people felt the tremor.

(ii) When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of and many animals escaped into the countryside. (confuse)
Ans: When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of confusion and many animals escaped into the countryside.

(iii) We heard with that the lion had been recaptured. (relieve)
Ans: We heard with relief that the lion had been recaptured.

(iv) The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his was filmed by the TV crew. (rescue)
Ans: The zookeeper was stuck in a tree, and his rescue was filmed by the TV crew.

(v) There was much _ in the village when the snake charmer came visiting. (excite)
Ans: There was much excitement in the village when the snake charmer came visiting.

3. 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.

(i) Someone stole my bicycle.
(ii) The tires were deflated by the traffic police.
(iii) I found it last night in a ditch near my house.
(iv) It had been thrown there.
(v) My father gave it to the mechanic.
(vi) The mechanic repaired it for me.
Ans:
(i) Someone stole my bicycle. (A)
(ii) The tires were deflated by the traffic police. (P)
(iii) I found it last night in a ditch near my house. (A)
(iv) It had been thrown there. (P)
(v) My father gave it to the mechanic. (A)
(vi) The mechanic repaired it for me. (A)

Speaking and writing

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 five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell.

Ans:

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 learned at school. She remembered the visuals of a tsunami and warned her parents.
Do you remember any incident when something that you learned 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.

Ans:

Using Classroom Knowledge in Real Life
One day while walking home from school I noticed a small fire in a trash can near my house. I remembered learning in science class that water can make an oil or electrical fire worse, so it’s not safe to use it. I told an adult nearby to use sand or a fire extinguisher instead. They quickly put out the fire safely. I felt proud of myself for applying what I learned in school to solve a real-life problem. Knowledge gained in the classroom can be very helpful in everyday situations.

C. Additional questions and answers

Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

Unit I

1. Which country was hit by the tsunami?
(a) China
(b) USA
(c) Japan
(d) Thailand

Ans: (d) Thailand

2. Which parts of India were affected?
(a) Rajasthan and Gujarat
(b) Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu coast
(c) Delhi and Punjab
(d) Kerala and Karnataka

Ans: (b) Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu coast

3. How many people from Ignesious’s family were saved?
(a) Two Children
(b) Three Children
(c) Four Children
(d) Five Children

Ans: (b) Three Children

4. Who did Sanjeev try to save?
(a) His wife
(b) His daughter
(c) John’s wife
(d) A fisherman

Ans: (c) John’s wife

5. Who floated on a wooden door after the tsunami?
(a) Almas
(b) Sanjeev
(c) Meghna
(d) Ignesious

Ans: (c) Meghna

6. How old was Meghna during the tsunami?
(a) 10 years old
(b) 12 years old
(c) 13 years old
(d) 15 years old

Ans: (c) 13 years old

7. Who helped Meghna reach the shore?
(a) A rescue team
(b) A helicopter
(c) A boat
(d) A big wave

Ans: (d) A big wave

8. Why did Almas’s family go to Nancowry Island?
(a) For a wedding
(b) To visit relatives
(c) To celebrate Christmas
(d) For a vacation

Ans: (c) To celebrate Christmas

9. How old was Almas Javed?
(a) 10 years old
(b) 9 years old
(c) 11 years old
(d) 12 years old

Ans: (a) 10 years old

10. What did Almas’s father own?
(a) A petrol pump
(b) A grocery store
(c) A bakery
(d) A hotel

Ans: (a) A petrol pump

Unit II

1. Who was Tilly Smith?
(a) A scientist
(b) A British schoolgirl
(c) A rescue worker
(d) A news reporter

Ans: (b) A British schoolgirl

2. What did Tilly win for her bravery?
(a) A medal
(b) A number of awards
(c) A trip to Thailand
(d) A new schoolbag

Ans: (b) A number of awards

3. Where did Tilly save many lives?
(a) India
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) Phuket beach in Thailand
(d) Andaman Islands

Ans: (c) Phuket beach in Thailand

4. What were Tilly’s parents’ names?
(a) John and Mary Smith
(b) David and Emma Smith
(c) Penny and Colin Smith
(d) Robert and Lily Smith

Ans: (c) Penny and Colin Smith

5. Where was the Smith family from?
(a) South-East England
(b) South Africa
(c) South America
(d) South India

Ans: (a) South-East England

6. How old was Tilly Smith?
(a) 7 years old
(b) 10 years old
(c) 12 years old
(d) 15 years old

Ans: (b) 10 years old

7. Which lesson helped Tilly understand the tsunami?
(a) Science
(b) History
(c) Geography
(d) Math

Ans: (c) Geography

8. Which year’s tsunami video did Tilly remember?
(a) 1946
(b) 1956
(c) 1966
(d) 1976

Ans: (a) 1946

Unit III

1. Which animals sensed danger?
(a) Only dogs
(b) Only zoo animals
(c) Wild and pet animals
(d) Only birds

Ans: (c) Wild and pet animals

2. What did elephants do before the tsunami?
(a) Ran to higher area
(b) Stayed in one place
(c) Played in water
(d) Walked on the beach

Ans: (a) Ran to higher area

3. What did dogs do before the tsunami?
(a) Went outside
(b) Stayed inside and refused to go out
(c) Ran to the beach
(d) Slept peacefully

Ans: (b) Stayed inside and refused to go out

4. How many people died in the tsunami?
(a) 50,000
(b) 100,000
(c) More than 150,000
(d) 10,000

Ans: (c) More than 150,000

5. How many visitors were washed away from Patanangala beach?
(a) 50
(b) 60
(c) 70
(d) 100

Ans: (b) 60

6. Which animals were found safe on India’s Cuddalore coast?
(a) Tigers and lions
(b) Buffaloes, goats, and dogs
(c) Snakes and crocodiles
(d) Only birds

Ans: (b) Buffaloes, goats, and dogs

7. Where is Yala National Park located?
(a) India
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) Thailand
(d) Indonesia

Ans: (b) Sri Lanka

8. What did the dogs in Galle do before the tsunami?
(a) Ran to the beach
(b) Stayed back and didn’t go
(c) Played in outside
(d) Barked loudly

Ans: (b) Stayed back and didn’t go

Fill in the blanks

1. _____________________ jumped into the water to save John’s wife. (Sanjeev)
2. Ignesious’s wife was also _______________ away. (Swept)
3. ___________ understand earth disasters before people. (Animals)
4. Sanjeev was a __________ in Katchall Island. (Policeman)
5. Meghna floated in the sea for ______ days, holding onto a ______ door. (Two wooden)
6. ______ times she saw relief ______ overhead, but they did not see her. (Eleven, helicopters)
7. Almas Javed was a student of _______________ in _____________. (Carmel Convent, Port Blair)
8. Almas Javed’s mother _______ home was in ________________. (Rahila’s, Nancowry island)
9. Almas was in a hospital in ______ and later taken to ______. (Kamorta, Port Blair)
10. _______________ means the earth shakes during an earthquake. (Tremor)
11. The Smith family from ______ celebrated ______ in Thailand. (South-East England, Christmas)
12. In ______, many people ______, but buffaloes, goats, and dogs were ______. (Cuddalore, died, safe)

True or false

1. Sanjeev was the manager of a cooperative society in Katchall. (False)

2. Almas’s grandmother and aunts stood clinging to the leaves of a coconut tree. (False)

3. In the hospital of Kamorta, Almas woke up after the tsunami. (True)

4. A tsunami is a sea wave caused by earthquakes under the sea. (True)

5. Yala National Park is located in Andaman Nicobar. (False)

6. Meghna saw the relief helicopter 13 times. (False)

7. The Smith family was from North-West England. (False)

8. Penny Smith’s initial reaction to the tsunami was confusion. (True)

9. Alma was saved because of the wood floating in the water. (True)

10. The giant waves slammed into the coast in Sri Lanka and Goa. (False)

Match the following

Column A	Column B
(i) On 26 December 2004	a. Shelter or protection from danger
(ii) In 1946	b. Force
(iii) Refuge	c. Greatly shocked and distressed
(iv) Surge	d. Manager of a cooperative society in Katchall
(v) Traumatised	e. Located in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
(vi) Patanangala beach	f. Tsunami hit India and Thailand
(vii) Lgnesious	g. Hawaiian islands

Ans:

Column A	Column B
(i) On 26 December 2004	f. Tsunami hit India and Thailand
(ii) In 1946	g. Hawaiian islands
(iii) Refuge	a. Shelter or protection from danger
(iv) Surge	b. Force
(v) Traumatised	c. Greatly shocked and distressed
(vi) Patanangala beach	e. Located in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
(vii) Lgnesious	d. Manager of a cooperative society in Katchall

Short-type questions & answers

Unit I

1. What is a tsunami?
Ans: A tsunami is a huge and powerful wave in the water caused by an earthquake, volcano, or landslide under the surface. It moves fast and can flood coastal areas, damaging everything in its path.

2. When did the tsunami happen?
Ans: The tsunami happened on December 26, 2004, and it hit countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, causing great damage.

3. How was Ignesious saved from the tsunami?
Ans: It was early in the morning when Ignesious felt the earthquake. He quickly turned around and ran outside with three of his children. Sadly, the huge waves swept away his wife and two other children.

4. Why did Sanjeev jump into the water?
Ans: Sanjeev, a police officer, made sure his wife and child were safe from the waves. After that, he jumped into the water to help John’s wife when he heard her crying for help. Sadly, both of them were swept away by the strong waves.

5. Why was Meghna floating on a wooden door?
Ans: Meghna was carried away by the strong waves when the tsunami struck. She managed to hold on to a wooden door and floated on it for two days, hoping for help, but no one noticed her.

6. How did Meghna reach the shore?
Ans: Meghna floated on the water for two days and wasn’t rescued. Finally, a big wave pushed her to the shore, where she was found confused

7. What was the name of Almas’s mother? Where did she live?
Ans: Almas’s mother was named Rahila. She lived on Nancowry Island. Almas and his family had gone there to celebrate Christmas when the tsunami hit.

8. How did Almas’s mother and aunt fight the tsunami?
Ans: Almas’s mom and aunt held on to the tree’s leaves to stay safe from the tsunami. But a huge wave pulled the tree out of the ground, and they were swept away by the water.

9. Where did Almas go after the tsunami?
Ans: Almas was taken to a hospital in Kamorta after the tsunami. Then, she was taken to Port Blair for more treatment and care.

10. How was Almas saved?
Ans: Almas held on to a floating log when the wave hit. She became unconscious, and when she woke up in the hospital, she was safe but very shocked.

Unit II

1. Where did the Smith family live?
Ans: The Smith family lived in South-East England. They decided to go to Thailand for their Christmas vacation to enjoy some fun time together in a warm place.

2. Where did Tilly learn about tsunamis?
Ans: Tilly learned about tsunamis in her school geography class. Her teacher showed a movie about a tsunami in Hawaii that happened in 1946. This lesson helped Tilly recognize the signs of a tsunami when she was in Thailand.

3. Why did Tilly get an award?
Ans: Tilly won an award because she helped many people. She remembered what she had learned in school and warned her family and other guests about the tsunami. Her quick thinking helped everyone get to safety in the hotel and stay safe.

4. What were the names of Tilly’s parents?
Ans: Tilly’s parents were Penny Smith and Colin Smith. They went to Thailand to celebrate Christmas.

5. What caused the tsunami?
Ans: The tsunami happened because of a big earthquake under the ocean. The earthquake made huge waves that moved fast across the sea. When the waves reached the land, they crashed onto the shore and damaged many places.

unit III

1. Why did people think animals have a sixth sense?
Ans: People believed animals had a sixth sense because they ran to safety before the tsunami. Dogs and cats refused to go outside, birds flew away, and elephants moved to higher ground. Scientists think animals can sense danger because of their excellent hearing and ability to feel vibrations in the ground.

2. How many people and animals died on India’s Cuddalore coast?
Ans: Thousands of people lost their lives on India’s Cuddalore coast due to the tsunami. However, only a few animals were found dead, as many animals managed to escape to safety before the waves hit.

3. Where is Yala National Park located?
Ans: Yala National Park is located in the southern part of Sri Lanka. It is famous for its wildlife, including elephants, leopards, and many types of birds.

4. How many animals live in Yala National Park?
Ans: Yala National Park is home to many animals, including elephants, leopards, crocodiles, and over 130 species of birds.

5. How did animals behave before the tsunami?
Ans: Animals acted strangely just before the tsunami. Elephants ran to higher places, dogs refused to go outside, birds flew away, and zoo animals went into their shelters. This made people believe that animals might sense the tsunami before humans did.

Long-type questions & answers

1. Why is geographic knowledge important?
Ans: Geography helps us understand the Earth, weather, and natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. It teaches us how these disasters happen and how we can protect ourselves. For example, Tilly Smith learned about tsunamis in her geography class. When she saw signs of a tsunami on the beach, like the water pulling back and bubbles forming, she quickly warned her family and other tourists to leave the area. Because of her knowledge, many lives were saved. This shows how important geography is and how it helps us stay safe during natural disasters.

2. What do people believe about animals during natural disasters?
Ans: People believe that animals can feel danger before humans do. Before the tsunami, elephants ran to higher ground, dogs didn’t want to go outside, and birds flew away from low areas. Their actions showed they noticed something bad was coming, like an earthquake or flood. Scientists think animals are better at sensing danger than people. They have better hearing and can feel small changes in the ground before big events like earthquakes or tsunamis. This helps them move to safety. Animals often escape disasters before people know what’s happening. This shows that animals have a special instinct that helps them survive.

D. Grammar practice with answers

Look at each sentence and figure out whether it’s in active or passive voice. Write A for active or P for passive after each sentence

(i) The book was read by all the students.
(ii) The cat chased the mouse.
(iii) She sings beautifully.
(iv) The car was washed by John.
(v) The children ate the cake.
(vi) The dinner was served by the waiter.
(vii) She wrote a beautiful poem.
(viii) The letter was mailed by Sarah.
(ix) My grandmother told the story.
(x) The message was delivered by the postman.
Ans:
(i) The book was read by all the students. (P)
(ii) The cat chased the mouse. (A)
(iii) She sings beautifully. (A)
(iv) The car was washed by John. (P)
(v) The children ate the cake. (A)
(vi) The dinner was served by the waiter. (P)
(vii) She wrote a beautiful poem. (A)
(viii) The letter was mailed by Sarah. (P)
(ix) My grandmother told the story. (A)
(x) The message was delivered by the postman. (P)

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