CBSE Class 8 English Spectacular Wonders Worksheet Set 04

Fill in the Blanks

Question. The courtyard is ________ in spring with lots of beautiful flowers in bloom.
Answer: in full glory
Explanation: "In full glory" means the flowers are at their brightest, freshest, and most beautiful state.

Question. There are no easy solutions to the ________ of traffic jams.
Answer: age-old problem
Explanation: An "age-old problem" is a trouble or difficulty that people have faced for a very long time.

Question. The sunderbans are a kind of ________ forest.
Answer: mangrove
Explanation: Mangrove forests are special coastal trees with tangled roots that grow in salty water and mud.

Question. The ________ marble monument looks even more magnificent in the moonlight.
Answer: glowing
Explanation: "Glowing" means shining with a soft, bright light under the dark night sky.

Question. Meghalaya’s largest living root bridge is ________ feet in length.
Answer: 175
Explanation: The longest natural bridge woven from live tree roots measures an amazing 175 feet long.

Question. I have read many tales ________.
Answer: to name a few
Explanation: "To name a few" is used when you have read many things and are listing only two or three of them.

Question. The Sun Temple in Konark displays intricately ________ stone wheels and walls.
Answer: carved
Explanation: "Carved" means artists cut beautiful patterns into hard stone using chisels and hammers.

Question. The magnetic hill is situated in ________
Answer: Leh
Explanation: Magnetic Hill is located near the town of Leh in the high mountain desert of Ladakh.

Question. His hard work has aided him ________.
Answer: to no end
Explanation: "To no end" is a saying that means something helped someone very much.

Question. The ________ view of the Himalayas from Darjeeling pulls visitors from all over the world.
Answer: amazing
Explanation: "Amazing" describes something so wonderful that it fills people with great surprise and joy.

Question. There is a ________ with the attracting hill.
Answer: magnetic road
Explanation: It is the stretch of road near the hill where vehicles look like they are rolling uphill on their own.

True or False

Question. The brother was aware of the cause for the formation of colours on the mountain.
Answer: True
Explanation: The brother understood that natural minerals in the ground created the colorful stripes on the mountain.

Question. The brother admitted to not knowing about his sister’s preferred picture.
Answer: True
Explanation: He honestly told his sister that he did not know which photograph she liked best.

Question. The sister claimed that the rainbow mountain was like any other mountain.
Answer: False
Explanation: She knew the mountain was very special because of its unusual and vibrant rainbow colors.

Question. Identify whether the following statement is true or false. Some natural phenomena can astonish people.
Answer: True
Explanation: Nature does amazing things like glowing water and vanishing seas that fill people with great wonder.

Question. The brother was taken aback to see the displayed pictures.
Answer: False
Explanation: The brother was not shocked or taken aback; he was calmly looking at the photographs with his sister.

Questions / Short Question Answers

Question. Why is the Lonar Crater Lake considered an extraordinary and rare site?
Answer: It was formed when a meteorite struck the basaltic region, creating a circular depression that became a salt lake. It is the only crater in India formed in basaltic rock by a meteorite impact and ranks among the top five largest craters globally.
Explanation: A rock from outer space smashed into hard volcanic rock to create this rare, giant saltwater lake.

Question. What does the author want to convey with the use of the phrase ‘playing hide-and-seek with its visitors’?
Answer: The writer wants to convey how the sea disappears and appears periodically due to the tides.
Explanation: Just like a game of hide-and-seek, the sea rolls miles away at low tide and then comes right back.

Question. How are the living root bridges a blessing for the local people of Meghalaya?
Answer: Wood and bamboo bridges cannot withstand the heavy monsoon rains and easily rot. Living root bridges use living tree roots that grow stronger over time and allow villagers to cross swollen rivers safely.
Explanation: When torrential rains flood streams, these live tree bridges do not wash away and keep villagers safe.

Question. How does the magnetic hill challenge gravity?
Answer: If a vehicle is parked or left in neutral at the marked spot, it appears to roll uphill at a speed of 15 to 20 km/hr.
Explanation: It looks like cars roll upward on their own, defying gravity, because of an optical illusion created by the slopes.

Question. Which spectacle is located in Chamoli district?
Answer: The Valley of Flowers
Explanation: The famous Valley of Flowers National Park is located high in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Question. What causes the bizarre occurrence at the magnetic hill?
Answer: It is caused by the peculiar alignment of the surrounding slopes and the horizon line, creating an optical illusion.
Explanation: The slant of the surrounding hills tricks your eyes into seeing an uphill climb when the road actually goes down.

Question. What is the scientific explanation behind the glowing waters of Kumbalangi?
Answer: The backwaters are rich in marine life known as phytoplanktons. These tiny organisms emit light through a chemical reaction called bioluminescence.
Explanation: Microscopic sea creatures produce their own natural blue sparkles when water moves in the dark.

Question. Who constructs these bridges?
Answer: The indigenous or local people of Meghalaya.
Explanation: Local Khasi and Jaintia villagers guide the living tree roots across rivers with great patience.

Question. The Sunderbans is situated in the delta of which rivers?
Answer: It is in the delta formed by the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers.
Explanation: These three major rivers flow together into the sea, depositing fertile mud that forms the mangrove forest.

Question. For how long can the root bridge persist?
Answer: It can persist for hundreds of years.
Explanation: Because the tree roots are alive and continuously growing, the bridge does not rot and lasts for centuries.

Question. When does the sea disappear from the Chandipur beach?
Answer: The disappearance of seawater up to 5 km occurs during ebb tide (the period between high tide and low tide), and the water returns at high tide.
Explanation: Twice a day at low tide, the sea moves back several kilometers, leaving the wet sand open to walk on.

Question. Replace the underlined phrase with one from the extract. India is the cradle of several rare species of flora and fauna that thrive in its diverse ecosystems.
Answer: India is home to several rare species of flora and fauna that thrive in its diverse ecosystems.
Explanation: "Is home to" means that our country provides a safe, natural habitat for many special plants and animals.

Question. What structures are made of roots?
Answer: Living root bridges
Explanation: Living root bridges are handmade crossings grown from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees.

Question. What takes place in the months of May to October in the valley of flowers?
Answer: It becomes a botanical wonderland with several varieties of flowers in full bloom.
Explanation: When the winter snow melts, hundreds of bright, rare flowers blossom across the entire green meadow.

Question. How distant is the magnetic hill from Leh?
Answer: It is approximately 30 km from Leh.
Explanation: A short drive of about thirty kilometers from Leh along the highway brings you to this mystery spot.

Question. What does the phrase ‘nature’s unusual side’ indicate about the phenomena described?
Answer: It suggests that the phenomena are rare and not a common, everyday occurrence.
Explanation: It means natural wonders that look surprising, magical, and very different from what we see every day.

Question. Which plant is popular in the sundarbans?
Answer: The Sundari tree
Explanation: The Sundari tree is a famous mangrove plant that grows everywhere in this coastal forest and gives it its name.

Question. Which of the Spectacular wonders explored in the lesson are UNESCO World Heritage sites?
Answer: The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand and the Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya.
Explanation: UNESCO recognizes and protects these unique places because of their global natural and cultural value.

Question. What can be the elevation of a root bridge?
Answer: They can go up to 50 to 100 feet in the air.
Explanation: Some of these bridges hang very high above deep river gorges so people can cross safely above water.

Question. Which mountain system forms the backdrop of the valley of flowers?
Answer: The Himalayan range
Explanation: Giant snowy peaks of the mighty Himalayas stand tall all around the colorful flower valley.

Question. How much territory does the sunderbans cover?
Answer: It covers almost a 1,400 sq km area in West Bengal.
Explanation: It is a massive wildlife forest spreading over hundreds of kilometers along the coast.

Question. Describe the Magnetic Hill and the event that occurs there?
Answer: The Magnetic Hill is about 30 km from Leh. When a vehicle is parked at the designated spot in neutral, it appears to roll uphill at 15 to 20 km/hr due to an optical illusion created by the surrounding landscape.
Explanation: The road slopes slightly downward, but the mountains around it trick your eyes into seeing a hill climb.

Match the Following

Question. Complete the details in the table given below. One example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

Explanation: This table matches each of India's spectacular natural wonders with its state and what makes it extraordinary.

Question. Match the binomial expressions in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. You may refer to a dictionary.

Explanation: Binomials are pairs of two words joined by "and" or "or" that always go together in English to mean something special.

Vocabulary Activity - "Guess the Word"

Question. Select the word that matches: breath-taking, dazzling, awe-inspiring
Answer: spectacular
Explanation: "Spectacular" means so grand, beautiful, and dramatic that it catches everyone's eye.

Question. Select the word that matches: mysterious, confusing, baffling
Answer: enigmatic
Explanation: "Enigmatic" means full of mystery and difficult for anyone to understand or explain.

Question. What does the word ‘unique’ suggest about the beach in Balasore?
Answer: one of its kind
Explanation: "Unique" means very special because there is nothing else quite like it in the world.

Question. Select the word that matches: quiet, calm, tranquil
Answer: serene
Explanation: "Serene" means peaceful, calm, and completely free from any loud noise or trouble.

Question. Complete the relationship by choosing the correct option. spark: imagination : : ________ : ________
Answer: wonder; amazement
Explanation: A spark triggers imagination, just like feeling wonder leads directly to amazement.

Question. Select the word that matches: mighty, enormous, huge
Answer: colossal
Explanation: "Colossal" means gigantic or extraordinarily large in size.

Question. Select the word that matches: uncommon, peculiar, foreign
Answer: exotic
Explanation: "Exotic" describes plants, animals, or sights that are unusual, rare, and from far-off places.

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