Solution of Class Eight (VIII) English | Unit- Five | Festivals (Holi)

Festivals

Holi

Ways with words
1. Match the following words with their meanings:

1. ancient- belonging to the past


2. festivities - the activities while celebrating a special event


3. devotee- disciple, follower


4. ceremony- a formal religious or public occasion


5. atheist- disbeliever in god

2. Write two or three lines about each of the following.

a. Fagu

... Answer:
Fagu is another name for Holi. Fagu means the sacred red powder. It is mostly celebrated on the full moon, called Fagu Purnima.

b. Holika

... Answer:
The festival, 'Holi' comes from the name of a mythical demon, Holika. Holika had received a blessing from Lord Bramha to be safe from fire. Holi is said to be celebrated to rejoice Holika's death.

c. Myth

... Answer:
The myth about Holi reveals that Holika and Hiranyakasyapu were sister and brother. Hiranyakasyapu had a son called Pralhad. He was a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu. However, Hiranyakasyapu was an atheist king, and planned to kill his son, Pralhad.

d. Prahlad

... Answer:
Hiranyakasyapu had a son named Pralhad. He was a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakasyapu asked for the help of his sister, Holika. But their attempts always failed since Lord Vishnu protected Pralhad.

e. Kansa

... Answer:
According to the story from the Puranas and the Bhagawat Gita, Kansha sent a female demon named Putna to kill the child Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna was his nephew. Taking the form of a nurse Putna went to Brindaban. She tried to breastfeed him with her poisonous milk but the attempt backfired and she was killed.

Read and answer
1. Read the text again and answer the following questions.

a. In which Nepali month does Holi mostly fall?

... Answer:
Holi mostly falls in Fagun.

b. What do people do with colours at Holi??

... Answer:
At Holi, people smear a variety of colours over their body and face.

c. Who was Hiranyakasyapu?

... Answer:
Hiranyakasyapu was an atheist king who planned to kill his own son, named Pralhad.

d. What blessing had Holika received from Lord Bramha?

... Answer:
Holika had received a blessing from Lord Bramha to be safe from fire.

e. How does Holi bring people of different castes and religions into harmony and fraternity?

... Answer:
Holi brings people of different castes and religions into harmony and fraternity as they celebrate Holi together with a variety of colors forgetting worldly anxieties and just enjoying the finer things.

2. Read the text and put the statements in the correct order.

1. Holika was killed in a fire.


2. People forget their worldly anxieties and enjoy fine things at Holi.


3. Krishna killed a female demon named Putna.


4. Families and friends celebrate Holi with a lot of merry making.


5. People throw water balloons to the passers-by.


6. People in terai observe Holi a day later than the people in the hills.


7. Holi falls in late February or in early March.

The correct order is:

1. Holi falls in late February or in early March.


2. People in terai observe Holi a day later than the people in the hills.


3. Families and friends celebrate Holi with a lot of merry making.


4. People throw water balloons to the passers-by.


5. Holika was killed in a fire.


6. Krishna killed a female demon named Putna.


7. People forget their worldly anxieties and enjoy fine things at Holi.

Grammar (Prepositions)
1. Choose the appropriate prepositions from the brackets.

a. She is cutting mangoes………… her knife. (by, in, with)

... Answer:
with

b. She has been ill…………cold. (from, with, by)

... Answer:
from

c. The children are afraid ………… the cat. (with, of, at)

... Answer:
of

d. I heard it …………the BBC. (at, on, in)

... Answer:
on

e. Hari sits ………… you and me. (upon, between, over)

... Answer:
between

2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.

a. He lives …………Dharan.

... Answer:
in

b. She has come here………… London.

... Answer:
from

c. They went …………the market.

... Answer:
to

d. He came …………a taxi.

... Answer:
in

e. Ram talked ………… you and me.

... Answer:
to