Lesson-2 The Tsunami

🌊 Summary in Easy English:The Tsunami

✦ The Tsunami – Summary

This chapter tells us true stories of people who faced the tsunami of 26 December 2004, caused by an undersea earthquake near Sumatra.

Part I – Stories from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Ignatius: A man named Ignatius lost his wife, two children, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. He could not save them when big waves came.
• Sanjeev: He was a policeman who saved many people but was himself drowned while trying to rescue others.
• Meghna: A girl was carried away by the giant waves. She floated in the sea for two days holding onto a wooden door. She was seen by rescue helicopters but was not saved. Finally, she was washed ashore alive.
• Almas Javed: A girl from Car Nicobar island lost her parents, grandfather, and brother. She was injured but survived by climbing a log of wood and later fainted.

Part II – The Story of Animals

Strangely, very few animals were killed in the tsunami.

• People noticed that animals seemed to sense danger beforehand.
• Elephants screamed and ran for higher ground.
• Dogs refused to go for their daily walk on the beach.
• Flamingoes abandoned their low-lying breeding areas.
• A man riding on his pet elephants was saved when the elephants ran to higher land before the waves came.

Message of the Story

• The tsunami caused terrible loss of human life and property, but it also showed bravery and survival skills of some people.
• It also teaches us that animals have sharper instincts than humans, and sometimes they can sense natural disasters before they strike.
• The story makes us aware of the power of nature and the need to respect it.

✦ सुनामी – सारांश (हिंदी में)

यह अध्याय 26 दिसम्बर 2004 को आए भूकंप और सुनामी से जुड़ी सच्ची घटनाओं को बताता है। यह सुनामी इंडोनेशिया के सुमात्रा के पास समुद्र के अंदर आए भूकंप से उत्पन्न हुई थी।

भाग 1 – अंडमान और निकोबार द्वीप समूह की कहानियाँ

• इग्नेशियस: इग्नेशियस नामक व्यक्ति ने इस सुनामी में अपनी पत्नी, दो बच्चों, ससुर और साले को खो दिया। वह उन्हें बचा नहीं सका जब विशाल लहरें आईं।
• संजय/संजू (संजय जोशी): एक पुलिसकर्मी संजीव ने कई लोगों की जान बचाई, लेकिन जब दूसरों को बचाने की कोशिश कर रहे थे तो स्वयं लहरों में बह गए।
• मेघना: एक छोटी लड़की समुद्र की लहरों में बह गई। उसने दो दिन तक लकड़ी के दरवाजे को पकड़कर समुद्र में तैरकर अपनी जान बचाई। हेलिकॉप्टर ने उसे देखा लेकिन बचाया नहीं। अंत में वह किनारे पर आकर बच गई।
• अलमास जावेद: कार निकोबार की लड़की अलमास ने अपने माता-पिता, दादा और भाई को खो दिया। वह घायल हो गई थी, लेकिन लकड़ी के तने को पकड़कर बच गई। बाद में बेहोश हो गई।

भाग 2 – जानवरों की कहानी

आश्चर्यजनक रूप से इस सुनामी में बहुत कम जानवर मरे।

• लोगों ने देखा कि जानवरों को पहले ही खतरे का आभास हो गया था।
• हाथी चिंघाड़े और ऊँचाई की ओर भाग गए।
• कुत्तों ने समुद्र तट पर घूमने से मना कर दिया।
• फ्लेमिंगो (बड़े पक्षी) अपने नीची जगह वाले प्रजनन-क्षेत्र छोड़कर चले गए।
• एक आदमी जो अपने पालतू हाथियों पर बैठा था, बच गया क्योंकि हाथियों ने खुद ही ऊँचाई की ओर दौड़ लगा दी।

कहानी का संदेश

• सुनामी ने इंसानों की ज़िंदगियाँ और घर उजाड़ दिए, लेकिन कुछ लोगों ने बहादुरी और जीवित रहने की कला से अपनी जान बचाई।
• यह हमें सिखाती है कि जानवरों की इंद्रियाँ इंसानों से तेज़ होती हैं, और वे अक्सर प्राकृतिक आपदाओं को पहले ही भांप लेते हैं।
• कहानी हमें यह भी बताती है कि प्रकृति की शक्ति बहुत बड़ी है और हमें उसका सम्मान करना चाहिए।

✦ The Tsunami – Questions and Answers

Comprehension Check (Page 27–28)

Q. 1: 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.
   Ans: True.
2. Sanjeev made his wife climb on the roof with her father and baby.
   Ans: True.
3. The wife of Sanjeev was also washed away.
   Ans: True.
4. Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.
   Ans: False. (She was washed ashore by the waves.)
5. Almas’s father realised that a tsunami was coming.
   Ans: True.
6. Her mother and aunts were washed away with the tree that they were holding on to.
   Ans: True.

Comprehension Check (Page 29–30)

Q. 1: Why did Tilly’s family go to Thailand?
Ans: Tilly’s family went to Thailand to celebrate Christmas.

Q. 2: What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?
Ans: They saw the sea rising, forming big bubbles, and the water moving rapidly towards the beach.

Q. 3: Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them?
Ans: At first, Tilly’s mother was not alarmed, but when Tilly screamed that it was a tsunami, she trusted her and moved quickly.

Q. 4: Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?
Ans: She had seen it in a video of a tsunami in Hawaii during her geography class.

Q. 5: Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape from the tsunami?
Ans: They went to the third floor of a hotel and were safe there.

Q. 6: How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?
Ans: He must have felt very proud and happy that his teaching helped save many lives.

Comprehension Check (Page 31)

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

Q. 2: How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?
Ans: 60 people died, but not a single animal was found dead.

Q. 3: What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?
Ans: People say the elephants ran from the beach to higher land before the tsunami waves came.

Q. 4: What did the dogs in Galle do?
Ans: The dogs refused to go for their usual walk on the beach that day.

Working with the Text

Q. 1: When he felt the earthquake, do you think Ignesious immediately worried about a tsunami? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: No, he did not think about a tsunami. He only took the TV off the table and kept it on the ground to protect it from falling.

Q. 2: Which words in the list below describe Sanjeev, in your opinion?
cheerful, brave, heroic, selfish, heartless
Ans: Brave and heroic. He risked his life to save others.

Q. 3: How are Meghna and Almas’s stories similar?
Ans: Both were young girls who lost their families in the tsunami. Both were alone and survived after struggling in the water.

Q. 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?
Ans: They could have ignored her or told her to calm down. But they trusted her and acted quickly, which saved lives. If I were in their place, I would also listen to her because children can sometimes notice important things.

Q. 5: If Tilly’s award was to be shared, who do you think she should share it with – her parents or her geography teacher? Why?
Ans: She should share it with her geography teacher because his lesson helped her recognise the tsunami signs.

Q. 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:

• One idea: Animals have a sixth sense and can feel the coming of natural disasters.
• Another idea: Animals have sharper hearing and can feel the vibrations in the earth.
  I find the second idea more believable because animals are more sensitive to nature than humans.

Page 1 (Map Exercise)

Rewrite the incorrect sentences after correcting the mistakes:

1. Katchall is an island.

   • ✅ Correct.

2. It is part of the Andaman group of islands.

   • ❌ Incorrect. Corrected: “Katchall is part of the Nicobar group of islands.”

3. Nancowry is an island in the Nicobar group.

   • ✅ Correct.

4. Katchall and Nancowry are more than a hundred miles apart.

   • ✅ Likely correct (based on the map).

5. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are to the west of India.

   • ❌ Incorrect. Corrected: “The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are to the east of India.”

6. The Nicobar Islands are to the north of the Andaman Islands.

   • ❌ Incorrect. Corrected: “The Nicobar Islands are to the south of the Andaman Islands.”

Page 4 (Comprehension Check – Part I)

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.

   • True.

2. Sanjeev made it to safety after the tsunami.

   • False.

3. Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.

   • False.

4. Almas’s father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the island.

   • True.

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

   • True.

Page 5 (Comprehension Check – Part II)

Answer in a phrase or a sentence:

1. Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?

   • To celebrate Christmas at a beach resort.

2. What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?

   • The sea was swelling, bubbling, and forming whirlpools.

3. Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them?

   • No, not until Tilly got scared.

4. Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?

   • In a video of a tsunami in Hawaii shown in her geography class.

5. Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape from the tsunami?

   • To the third floor of the hotel.

6. How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?

   • Proud and happy.

Page 7 (Comprehension Check – Part III)

Answer in a phrase or a sentence:

1. In the tsunami 150,000 people died. How many animals died?

   • Not many animals died.

2. How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?

   • Sixty people; two water buffaloes.

3. What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?

   • The elephants ran away from the beach before the tsunami hit.

4. What did the dogs in Galle do?

   • They refused to go for their usual run on the beach.

Pages 7-8 (Working with the Text)

1. Why didn’t Ignesious worry about a tsunami immediately? Which sentence shows they had no time to plan?

   • He was trying to save his TV during the earthquake.

   • Sentence: “In the chaos and confusion, two of his children caught hold of the hands of their mother’s father and mother’s brother, and rushed in the opposite direction.”

2. Describe Sanjeev using words:

   • Heroic, selfless, brave.

3. How are Meghna and Almas’s stories similar?

   • Both lost their families but survived by holding onto floating objects.

4. How could Tilly’s parents have reacted to her behavior? What would you do?

   • They could have ignored her or listened.

   • I would listen and move to safety.

5. Should Tilly share her award with her parents or geography teacher?

   • With her geography teacher.

6. Why were few animals killed? Which reason is more believable?

   • Animals could sense vibrations.

   • Vibrations are a more believable reason (scientific).

Pages 8-9 (Working with Language)

1. List movement-related words and categorize them:

   • Fast movement: rushed, swept, jumped.

   • Slow movement: floating.

   • Neither slow nor fast: caught, climbed, clung.

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms:

   • (i) Trembling

   • (ii) Confusion

   • (iii) Relief

   • (iv) Rescue

   • (v) Excitement

3. Identify the voice (Active or Passive):

   • (i) Someone stole my bicycle. – Active

   • (ii) The tyres were deflated by the traffic police. – Passive

   • (iii) I found it last night in a ditch near my house. – Active

   • (iv) It had been thrown there. – Passive

   • (v) My father gave it to the mechanic. – Active

   • (vi) The mechanic repaired it for me. – Active

Page 9 (Speaking and Writing)

1. Diary Entry as a Tsunami Relief Volunteer:

   31 December 2004
   The tsunami struck five days ago. Even now, victims keep coming. Today, I helped distribute food and water. I met a man who swam to save his son, and a girl who lost her family but still smiled. Their courage gives me strength. It is tiring work, but their hope keeps me going.

2. Incident Where Classroom Learning Helped:

   I learned first aid in school. One day, my friend fell off his bike and hurt his knee. I cleaned the wound and tied a bandage just like I learned. It felt good to help.

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