GSEB Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2 Geography Lesson Solutions

Geography Lesson Class 8 Questions and Answers GSEB

Working With The Poem

Question 1. Find three or four phrases in stanzas one and two which are likely to occur in a geography lesson.
Answer: Some expressions that might appear in a Geography lesson are 'the city had grown in its specific way', 'it measured six inches to the mile', 'towns where the rivers flowed', and 'the valleys were full of people'.

Exam Tip: When asked to identify phrases from a poem that relate to a specific subject, ensure your selections directly reflect facts or concepts from that subject, such as geography.

Question 2. Seen from the window of an aeroplane, the city appears
(i) as haphazard as on ground.
(ii) as neat as a map.
(iii) as developed as necessary.
Mark the right answer.

Question 2. Seen from the window of an aeroplane, the city appears
(i) as haphazard as on ground.
(ii) as neat as a map.
(iii) as developed as necessary.
Answer: (iii) as developed as necessary.
In simple words: When viewed from an airplane, the city looks like it has grown exactly as it needed to, showing a planned appearance.

Exam Tip: For multiple-choice questions, carefully read each option and select the one that most accurately reflects the information presented in the poem or text.

Question 3. Which of the following statements are examples of 'the logic of geography'?
(i) There are cities where there are rivers,
(ii) Cities appear as they are not from six miles above the ground.
(iii) It is easy to understand why valleys are populated.
(iv) It is difficult to understand why humans hate and kill one another.
(v) The earth is round, and it has more sea than land.
Answer: The statements (i), (iii), and (v) are instances that show 'the logic of geography'.

Exam Tip: Identify key geographical principles like resource availability, landforms, and human settlement patterns to correctly select statements that demonstrate 'the logic of geography'.

Question 4. Mention two things that are
(i) clear from the height.
(ii) not clear from the height.
Answer:
(i) From that altitude, it was evident why cities in the country had formed where rivers flowed and why valleys were full of people. It was also apparent that the earth was round and contained more ocean than dry land.
(ii) From that height, it was hard to grasp why people on earth found reasons to dislike each other. It was also unclear why men had to construct barriers across cities and engage in killing.

Exam Tip: Always separate your points clearly when asked for multiple distinct pieces of information, especially for parts that are 'clear' versus 'not clear' from a given perspective.

GSEB Class 8 English Geography Lesson Additional Important Questions and Answers

Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences:

Question 1. The poet realised why...
A. he was in the sky.
B. the city had developed.
C. there were new ways in the city.
D. the city had taken the shape it had.

Question 1. The poet realised why...
A. he was in the sky.
B. the city had developed.
C. there were new ways in the city.
D. the city had taken the shape it had.
Answer: (D) the city had taken the shape it had.
In simple words: The poet understood the reasons behind the city's specific layout and form.

Exam Tip: When a question asks what the poet 'realized', focus on conclusions or understandings drawn from the elevated perspective described in the poem.

Question 2. What seemed inevitable to the poet?
A. The way the city had developed.
B. Going up in the sky.
C. Travel by a jet plane.
D. A mile on the ground looked only six inches.
Answer: (A) The way the city had developed.
In simple words: The poet felt that the city's growth pattern was something that simply had to happen.

Exam Tip: The word 'inevitable' suggests something unavoidable or bound to happen; identify which option aligns with this sense of natural progression in the poem.

Question 3. Valleys are populated because
A. people love to live by hillside.
B. water is easily available there.
C. the climate is good.
D. valleys are far from the hustle-bustle of city areas.
Answer: (B) water is easily available there.
In simple words: Valleys are places where many people live because it's simple to get water there.

Exam Tip: Recall the fundamental needs for human settlement in geography; water availability is a primary factor influencing population density in specific regions.

Question 4. What logic of geography could the poet see from a great height?
A. The rivers and valleys looked very beautiful from that height.
B. The majority of people loved to live in cities.
C. The people chose to live close to rivers.
D. None of these three.
Answer: (C) The people chose to live close to rivers.
In simple words: From high above, the poet could clearly see that people naturally chose to settle near rivers.

Exam Tip: Geographical logic often links human settlement with essential resources; consider which option best describes this connection from the poet's high vantage point.

Question 5. When the jet rose six miles high, the poet saw that
A. the earth was round.
B. the earth had more sea than land.
C. men had built walls.
D. Both 'A' and 'B'.
Answer: (D) Both 'A' and 'B'.
In simple words: When the jet flew up to six miles, the poet noticed both that the earth was round and that there was more ocean than land.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to all details observed at a specific altitude. Sometimes, multiple observations are correct and combined in an option like 'Both A and B'.

Question 6. What does 'walls' in this poem stand for?
A. Differences
B. Unity
C. Communication gap
D. Proximity
Answer: (A) Differences
In simple words: In the poem, 'walls' symbolize the separations and disagreements between people.

Exam Tip: In poetry, symbols often represent abstract concepts. Consider the broader message of the poem about human conflict and division to interpret the meaning of 'walls'.

Answer the following questions in two to three sentences each:

Question 1. Sum up the main ideas of the poem in about 50 words.
Answer: The poet traveled over the city in a jet. He noticed the city seemed to spread out without much order, but understood this was natural. From 10,000 feet, he realized why valleys were populated and saw the earth's roundness with more water. Yet, he struggled to grasp why humans dislike each other, divide land, and cause conflict.

Exam Tip: When summarizing, focus on the poet's journey through different altitudes and the distinct observations made at each level, covering both geographical logic and human illogicality.

Question 2. What lesson of Geography did the poet learn when he flew above his city?
Answer: As the poet flew high above, he realized that cities below lacked proper design and that their growth was an unstoppable event. From 10,000 feet, he understood why valleys attracted people, driven by the need for flat land, water, and food—a clear geographical influence. However, he found it illogical and truly inhumane that people still foster hatred and violence toward each other on our small planet.

Exam Tip: Distinguish between the logical geographical patterns the poet observed (settlement near resources) and the illogical human behaviors (hatred, division) that remained incomprehensible.

Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below them:

Question 1. When the jet sprang Into the sky, it was clear why the city s had developed the way it had, seeing it scaled six inches to the mile. There seemed an inevitability about what on ground had looked haphazard, unplanned and without style When the jet sprang into the sky.
(1) What does the poet think when he goes up in the jet?
Answer: When the poet ascends in the jet and looks down, it becomes evident to him why the city has grown in this particular manner.
(2) How does the set up on the ground seem to the poet?
Answer: To the poet, the arrangement on the ground seems quite disorganized.
(3) What, according to the poet, is 'inevitability'? .
Answer: According to the poet, the way the city has developed represents 'inevitability'. This means when a need emerged, it began to grow without a specific system.

Exam Tip: When analyzing stanzas, always connect the poet's observations directly to the specific lines or phrases provided in the poem for accuracy.

Question 2. When the jet reached ten thousand feet, it was clear why the country had cities where the rivers ran and why the valleys were populated. The logic of geography- that land and water attracted man- was clearly delineated When the jet reached ten thousand feet,
(1) What became dear to the poet when the jet soared ten thousand feet?
Answer: As the jet climbed to ten thousand feet, it became clear to the poet why urban areas were built along rivers and why people chose to live in valleys.
(2) What logic of geography is revealed in this stanza?
Answer: The geographical logic shown in this stanza is that water is a basic need for all living things. All human societies have formed near rivers for this reason, and similarly, valleys are inhabited for the same basic need.
(3) Pick out the refrain from the stanza.
Answer: The repeated phrase from the stanza is: 'When the jet reached ten thousand feet.'

Exam Tip: For passage-based questions, identify direct answers within the provided text. For "refrain," look for a line that is repeated, often at the beginning or end of stanzas.

Question 3. When the jet rose six miles high, it was clear the earth was round and that it had more sea than land. But it was difficult to understand that the men on the earth found causes to hate each other, to build walls across cities and to kill. From that height, it was not clear why.
(1) What became clear to the poet when his jet rose six miles high?
Answer: When the poet's jet went up six miles high, it became evident to him that the earth was circular and a large part of it was covered by water.
(2) What was difficult for the poet to understand ?
Answer: It was hard for the poet to grasp why people dislike each other, construct boundaries and dividers, and commit violence against one another.

Exam Tip: Contrast the clear physical observations (earth's shape, sea/land distribution) with the complex, human-made issues (hatred, division) that puzzle the poet.

Question 3. (3) What is the message that the poet wants to convey in the poem?
Answer: In this poem, the poet wishes to communicate that despite gaining much knowledge and understanding, humans still create divisions, foster animosity, and are willing to harm each other. They have failed to love one another and coexist peacefully on this beautiful planet.

Exam Tip: The core message of a poem often relates to a universal human condition or a critical commentary on society; here, it's the contrast between human intelligence and their capacity for conflict.

Geography Lesson Summary in English

Geography Lesson Summary:

The poem discusses how the earth appears from various heights. It is separated into three sections. As the jet takes off and starts to climb into the sky, you can get a full overhead view of the city. The city grew as needed, not following a strict plan. It does not possess any particular design. As the jet rises, the map of the city below shows that one mile on the ground matches six inches in scale. When the jet ascends higher, to ten thousand feet, he could comprehend that cities developed near water sources. Water supplied essential needs like farming, transport, business, and other activities. He observed that valleys were populated because they met the people's needs. When the jet reached above six miles, there was more water than land on our planet. While admiring the geographical subtleties of our earth, the poet cannot grasp the human desire to establish borders, erect fences, and create divisions. Then he reflected that people on earth are self-centered and narrow-minded, hating one another. He found the earth to be united, but the people living on it were not; they are split by superficial concerns. The poet suggests we should understand that if God-made earth is one whole and undivided, then humanity should also be one, despite our racial, cultural, and ethnic differences. Why we continue to hate or kill each other is beyond the poet's comprehension!