The Bees In My Backyard Class 8 English ICSE Textbook Question And Answers

The Bees In My Backyard Class 8 English ICSE Textbook Question And Answers

I. Answer these questions:

A. Which view would the writer witness in the garden at Jaldarshan early in the morning and at twilight?

Ans: The writer would witness in the garden at Jaldarshan early in the morning and at twilight a virtual sanctuary amidst the human-dominated landscape.

B. How many kinds of birds does the writer mention in the text? Write their names.

Ans: The author means almost 9 kinds of birds in the text. They were sunbirds, tailor birds, magpie birds, koels, sparrows, crows, rose-ringed parakeets and pigeons.

C. What did the writer observe about how bees work? What does he suggest modern can learn from bees?

Ans: The bees collected honey using their proboscis, but they also managed to collect pollen that they would transport back to the hive in bristly “baskets” on their hind legs. The writer suggests that modern people can learn from the bees the concept that –“ We would consume less, waste less and live much healthier
lives”.

II. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

‘It’s a calming, hypnotic sound that is largely drowned by the rear and hum of the city’

i. What is the “calming, hypnotic sound” that the sentences above refer to?

Ans: The “ calming, hypnotic sound” referred here is the sound of the bees

ii. Which “city” is the writer talking about in the above sentence?

Ans: The “city” which the writer is talking about in the above sentence is Mumbai.

iii. What other similar contrasts does the writer make in the story?

Ans: The other similar contrasts made in the story the sound of the birds singing, the freshness of new flowers, and the hum of bees.

III. Read to infer

I . The writer says the plants ‘managed to feed such a variety of life forms(and my soul): What do you think he means?

Ans: The writer here is enchanted by the beauty and the vivacity of nature. He appreciates how plants serve as a means to a variety of life forms. On a deeper level, the author also means that the sight of the plants are so enthralling that they provide sanity to the writer’s soul.

II. What is his favourite pastime?

Ans: His favourite pastime was to watch birds from his balcony. In these highly
concrete world dominated by human civilisation, it provided him with an insight into the virtual wildlife sanctuary.

III. Why isn’t he never bored at Mumbai?

Ans: The author is never bored in Mumbai because his balcony provides him with great insight to a virtual wildlife sanctuary. More particularly he used to manage
entertaining himself by watching butterflies, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers,
ants, wasps, and bees.

IV. What is the writer’s regret? Why do you think he has this regret?

Ans: The writer’s regret is that he has the least knowledge about botany. He has this regret that although he has this deep interest and curiosity about plants and flowers he knows very less about it.

V. The writer is making an indirect appeal. What do you think it is?

Ans: The writer is making the indirect appeal to retain our love for nature. He asks
us to pay attention to the intriguing happenings of nature and spend some time for- the sweetness of water, the softness of breeze, the sound of birds, singing, the freshness of new flowers, and the hum of busy bees.

WORD BY WORD:

1. Read these idioms with the face. Match them with their meanings:

a. to have a long face – to have a discontented or sullen facial expression

b. to be wiped off the face of earth – to disappear completely

c. to blow up in your face – to go the wrong unexpectedly.

d. to have a poker face – to show no feelings on your face

e. to cut off your nose to spite your face – to o something to hurt someone else but actually, hurt yourself.