NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter 5 The School Boy; The Summit Within

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 8TH

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Class : 8th
Subject : English-1
Chapter : 5
Chapter Name : The Summit Within

Q1 Standing on Everest, the writer was
(i) overjoyed.
(ii) very sad.
(iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.

Answer. (iii) Standing on Everest, the writer was jubilant and sad.

Page : 80 , Block Name : Comprehension Check

Q2 The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles.
(ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance.
(iv) joy of discovery.

Answer. (ii) The emotion that gripped him was one of humility and a sense of smallness.

Page : 80 , Block Name : Comprehension Check

Q3 “The summit of the mind” refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.
(v) the triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the item(s) not relevant..

Answer. (i), (iii), (iv) and (v) are not relevant.

Page : 80 , Block Name : Comprehension Check

Q1 Answer the following questions.
(i) What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?
(ii) Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
(iii) What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
(iv) One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it for, really?

(v) “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe.” This
awareness de nes an emotion mentioned in the rst paragraph. Which is the emotion?
(vi) What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on Everest?
(vii) What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teachhim?

Answer. (i) The three qualities that played a major role in the author's climb are endurance,
persistence and will power.
(ii) Adventure is risky, but pleasurable. Though it presents great dif culties, man takes delight in
overcoming such hurdles. Everest is the highest, the mightiest, and many attempts have been
made to climb it. According to the author, when the summit is climbed, there is the feeling of
"exhilaration, the joy of having done something, the sense of a battle fought and won-. There is a
feeling of victory and of happiness. The physical conquest ot a mountain is only one part of the
achievement. It is followed by a sense of ful lment and satisfaction. The experience is not merely
physical, but it is emotional and spiritual also.
(iii) Everest drew him towards itself by its beauty, aloofness, might, ruggedness and the dif culties
encountered on the way. That is My he found it irresistible.
(iv) Climbing a peak means endurance, persistence and will power. The demonstration of these
physical qualities is exhilarating for a climber. The experience, apart from being merely physical,
is also emotional and spiritual. It surely presents great dif culties. However, man takes delight in
overcoming obstacles. Therefore. it is not for fame alone that one climbs a mountain. It is actually
for the feelings of exhilaration and satisfaction.
(v) "He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe." This
awareness de nes the emotion of humiliW.
(vi) On Everest. a picture of Guru Nanak was left by the author: a picture of Goddess Durga was left
by Rawat; a relic of the Buddha was left by Phu Dorji. Apart from these 'symbols of reverence' there
was also the cross that had been buried by Edmund Hillary.
(vii) According to the writer, his experience as an Everester provided him with the inspiration to
face lite's ordeals determinedly. It taught him that the conquest of the intemal summit is as
worthwhile as climbing the mountain. He also concluded that perhaps the internal summits are
higher than Everest.

Page : 81 , Block Name : Working With The Text

Q2 Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence should explain the
statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and rewrite them. The rst one has been done
for you.
(i) The experience changes you completely. One who has been to the mountains is never the same
again.
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles._________________________________________
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best._________________________________________
(iv) The going was dif cult but the after-effects were
satisfying._________________________________________
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual
experience._________________________________________

Answer. (i) The experience changes you completely. One who has been to the mountains is never
the same again.

(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles. The demonstration ot endurance, persistence and
will power in overcoming great dif culties is delightful.
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best. The beauty and majesty of the mountains pose a great
challenge tor a climber.
(iv) The going was dif cult but the after-effects were satisfying. Climbing the mountains was
dif cult, but reaching the summit was a feeling of satisfaction and deep ful llment.
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is reality a spiritual experience. The act of making a
physical conquest of the mountain is actually a conquest of the mountain within, which gives a
deep satisfaction and is spiritual.

Page : 81 , Block Name : Working With The Text

Q1 Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases from those given in the
box.
At hand At once At all At a low ebb At rst sight

(i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the principal ________________ and
submit your explanation. Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it rst?
(ii) Arun: Are you unwell? Ila: No, not ________________ Why do you ask? Arun: If you were unwell, I
would send you to my uncle. He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian lm has an episode of love ________________. David: Is that what
makes them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits ________________ today? (Use such in the phrase)
Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close ________________. Jyoti: How should I welcome it?

Answer. (i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the principal at once
and submit your explanation. Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it rst?
(ii) Arum Are you unwell? lla: No, not at all. Why do you ask? Arum It you were unwell, I would
send you to my uncle. He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian lm has an episode of love at rst sight. David: Is that what makes
them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits at such a low ebb today? (Use such in the
phrase) Ashok I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close at hand. Jyoti: How should I welcome it? Shieba: Get up and
receive the trophy.

Page : 82 , Block Name : Working With The Language

Q2 Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.
(i) endure ________________
(ii) persist ________________
(iii) signify ________________
(iv) con de ________________
(v) maintain ________________
(vi) abhor ________________

Answer. (i) endure : endurance
(ii) persist : persistence
(iii) signify: signi cance
(iv) con de: con dence
(v) maintain: maintenance
(vi) abhor: abhorrence

Page : 82 , Block Name : Working With The Language

Q3 (i) Match words under A with their meanings under B.

(ii) Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from under A.
(a) There were ________________ obstacles on the way, but we reached our destination safely.
(b) We have no ________________ of nding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house ________________ from any town or village is more than I can tell.
(d) ________________ by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a ___________ position above the sleepy town.

Answer. (i) remote = far away from
means = method(s)
dominant = most prominent
formidable = dif cult to overcome
overwhelmed = be overcome/overpowered
(ii) (a) There were formidable obstacles on the way. but we reached our destination safely.
(b) We have no means of nding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house remote from any town or village is more than I can tell.
(d) Overwhelmed by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a dominant position above the sleepy town.

Page : 83 , Block Name : Working With The Language

Q1 Write a composition describing a visit to the hills, or any place which you found beautiful and
inspiring.
Before writing, work in small groups. Discuss the points given below and decide if you want to use
some of these points in your composition.

Consider this sentence
Mountains are a means of communion with God.

Think of the act of worship or prayer. You believe yourself to be in the presence of the divine
power.In a way, you are in communion with that power.

Imagine the climber on top of the summit—the height attained; limitless sky above; the
climber’s last ounce of energy spent; feelings of gratitude,humility and peace.

The majesty of the mountains does bring you close to nature and the spirit and joy that lives
there, if you have the ability to feel it.

Some composition may be read aloud to the entire class afterwards.

Answer. DIY

Page : 83 , Block Name : Speaking And Writing

Q1 Find three or four words/phrases in stanza 1 that re ect the child's happiness and joy.

Answer. The words/phrases that re ect the child’s happiness are the song of birds and the skylark,
and the sound of hunter’s horn.

Page : 85 , Block Name : Working With The Poem

Q2 In stanza 2, the mood changes. Which words/phrases re ect the changed mood?

Answer. The words/phrases re ecting the child’s mood are:
(a) drives all joy away
(b) cruel eye outworn (of the Teacher)
(c) sighing and dismay.

Page : 85 , Block Name : Working With The Poem

Q3 ‘A cruel eye outworn’ (stanza 2) refers to
(i) the classroom which is shabby/noisy.
(ii) the lessons which are dif cult/uninteresting.
(iii) the dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work and no play.
Mark the answer that you consider right.

Answer. (iii)

Page : 85 , Block Name : Working With The Poem

Q4 ‘Nor sit in learning’s bower
worn thro’ with the dreary shower’
Which of the following is a close paraphrase of the lines above?
(i) Nor can I sit in a roo ess classroom when it is raining.

(ii) Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go on lecturing and explaining.
(iii) Nor can I sit in the school garden for fear of getting wet in the rain

Answer. (ii)

Page : 85 , Block Name : Working With The Poem