Samacheer Kalvi 8th English Prose Exercise Solutions
Samacheer Kalvi Class 8 English prose exercise solutions — The Nose Jewel, The Woman on Platform 8, My Reminiscence, A Hunter Turned Naturalist, Sir Isaac Newton textbook questions and answers.
Updated 18 June 20266 min read
Samacheer Kalvi Class 8 English — Prose Exercise Solutions
The Nose Jewel
Q1. What misunderstanding forms the basis of 'The Nose Jewel'?
Answer
The story revolves around a jewel belonging to a woman in the household. A series of misunderstandings leads each character to suspect another of stealing or misplacing it. The comedy arises from the gap between what characters assume and what has actually happened. The jewel is eventually found in an unexpected, harmless place.
Q2. What kind of humour does Sivasankara Pillai use?
Answer
Situational humour — the comedy arises from the situation (the misunderstanding) rather than jokes. Characters overreact, jump to conclusions, and suspect each other without evidence. The story gently satirises human tendency to assume the worst and the chaos that follows from poor communication.
Q3. What lesson does 'The Nose Jewel' teach?
Answer
Communication and patience resolve most misunderstandings. The chaos in the story could have been avoided if people had simply spoken to each other calmly instead of assuming guilt. The story teaches: don't jump to conclusions; ask before accusing.
The Woman on Platform 8 — Ruskin Bond
Q1. Who is Arun and what is his situation at the beginning of the story?
Answer
Arun is a 12-year-old schoolboy travelling alone by train for the first time. He is waiting on Platform 8 at a railway station, feeling lonely, hungry, and a little frightened. He misses his mother. He is going to a boarding school.
Q2. Who is the woman and what does she do for Arun?
Answer
A woman notices Arun sitting alone, hungry and sad. Without being asked, she buys him food, sits with him, talks to him kindly, and keeps him company until his train arrives. She behaves exactly like a mother would — caring, warm, and attentive.
Q3. Why is the ending of the story significant?
Answer
When Arun looks for the woman to thank her, she has disappeared. His own mother arrives and, when he describes the woman, she says she doesn't know who it could be. The disappearance creates mystery — was the woman real? Perhaps she was a guardian angel or a symbol of universal motherhood. The story suggests that kindness from strangers can be as powerful as a mother's love.
Q4. What is the theme of this story?
Answer
Unexpected kindness and universal compassion. Ruskin Bond shows that strangers can show genuine care for one another. The woman asked for nothing in return — pure, selfless love. Theme: kindness transcends relationship; a stranger can be a mother.
My Reminiscence — Rabindranath Tagore
Q1. What does Tagore recall in 'My Reminiscence'?
Answer
Tagore recalls his childhood memories — his early encounters with nature, language, literature, and learning. He describes how he developed a love for words and poetry from a young age, and how his imagination was shaped by the world around him. The essay is warm, reflective, and lyrical.
Q2. How did Tagore develop his love for poetry?
Answer
Through exposure to the rich Bengali literary tradition at home, the sounds of words, and his keen observation of nature. Even as a child, Tagore was sensitive to the beauty of language. He recalls being moved by songs, verses, and the rhythm of spoken words. This early sensitivity became the foundation of his later greatness.
Q3. What does Tagore's reminiscence tell us about the importance of a nurturing environment?
Answer
A child's imagination flourishes when surrounded by art, nature, and language. Tagore was fortunate to grow up in a household full of music, literature, and intellectual discussion. His reminiscence suggests that the seeds of creativity are planted in childhood — the environment a child grows up in shapes who they become.
A Hunter Turned Naturalist — Jim Corbett
Q1. How did Jim Corbett change from hunter to naturalist?
Answer
Jim Corbett began as a hunter of man-eating tigers and leopards in the Kumaon hills. His deep time in the jungle, however, gave him immense respect and love for wildlife. He realised that wild animals were not enemies but vital parts of the ecosystem under threat from human encroachment. He became a passionate conservationist and photographer.
Q2. What is Corbett's contribution to wildlife conservation?
Answer
Jim Corbett advocated strongly for the protection of Indian wildlife, especially tigers. The Corbett National Park (now Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand — India's first national park, established 1936) is named in his honour. He was among the first to warn that tigers faced extinction if hunting continued.
Q3. What does Corbett's transformation teach us?
Answer
People can change deeply when they truly understand what they are dealing with. Corbett's love for the jungle grew into respect for all life within it. His story teaches that conservation begins with understanding — when we know and love nature, we protect it.
Sir Isaac Newton
Q1. What inspired Newton's law of gravity?
Answer
According to popular tradition, Newton observed an apple falling from a tree and wondered why it fell straight down — not sideways or upward. This led him to think about the force that pulls all objects towards the Earth (and all masses towards each other): the force of gravity.
Q2. Name Newton's three laws of motion.
Answer
1. First Law (Inertia): An object at rest stays at rest; an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted on by an external force. 2. Second Law: Force = mass × acceleration (F = ma). 3. Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Q3. What qualities made Newton a great scientist?
Answer
Curiosity — he asked "why?" about ordinary things. Perseverance — he worked on problems for years. Mathematical genius — he invented calculus to solve physics problems. Humility — he famously said, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Exam Checklist
Nose Jewel: situational humour; misunderstanding about jewel; lesson: communicate before accusing.
My Reminiscence: Tagore; childhood memories; love of language and nature; nurturing environment shapes creativity.
A Hunter Turned Naturalist: Jim Corbett; hunter → conservationist; Corbett National Park; tigers.
Sir Isaac Newton: gravity (apple); 3 laws of motion; F=ma; action-reaction; calculus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key prose chapters: The Nose Jewel (humour — Sivasankara Pillai; misunderstanding about a jewel), The Mystery of the Cyber Friend (online safety), The Woman on Platform 8 (Ruskin Bond; kindness of a stranger), My Reminiscence (Rabindranath Tagore; childhood memories), A Hunter Turned Naturalist (Jim Corbett; wildlife conservation), Sir Isaac Newton (biography; laws of motion, gravity), Making Life Worth While (inspirational).