NCERT Solutions for Class 8th English Chapter 4 Environment
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Six-year-old Rakesh plants a cherry seed in his grandfather's garden in Mussoorie. A goat strips it, a woman's scythe cuts it in two, snow bends it double — and still it grows, until at the end Rakesh touches its bark and wonders, 'Is this what it feels to be God?' Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — A four-stanza song of thanksgiving set at harvest time. Men's Voices praise Surya and Varuna, Women's Voices praise Prithvi, and All Voices praise Brahma. The archaic thou / thee / thy / thine and the repeated 'We bring thee…' give it the shape of a temple chant. Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Velu's fields lie cracked and empty after the rains fail. An old woman under a tree tells him what neither astrologers nor the weather office could: the ear
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond)
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu)
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian)
Quick revision
| Word | Meaning | Where it appears | Used in a sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| stunted | stopped from growing to the usual size | The Cherry Tree | The dry cold winds stunted the growth of most plants. |
| yielding | giving way under pressure | The Cherry Tree | The earth in that corner was soft and yielding. |
| tang | a strong, sharp taste | The Cherry Tree | He rolled the seed on his tongue until all the tang had gone. |
| scythe | a tool with a long, sharp, curved blade and a long handle | The Cherry Tree | One sweep of the scythe and the cherry tree was cut in two. |
| grumpy | bad-tempered | The Cherry Tree | No newspaper for days made Grandfather quite grumpy. |
| munificent | very generous | Harvest Hymn | Bright and munificent lord of the morn! |
| bounty | generous giving; a rich supply | Harvest Hymn | Thine is the bounty that nurtured our corn. |
| succour | help given at a time of need | Harvest Hymn | Grant us thy succour, thy counsel, thy care. |
| ineffable | too great to be described in words | Harvest Hymn | Father eternal, ineffable Om! |
| forlorn | sad and neglected | Waiting for the Rain | The barren land looked forlorn. |
| dejected | sad and disappointed | Waiting for the Rain | He walked back to the village, tired and dejected. |
| ceaseless | continuous, never stopping | Waiting for the Rain | The land was taking a break from ceaseless year-round cultivation. |
Exercises
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us do these activities before we read Page 155
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us discuss Page 159–160
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us discuss Page 164
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us think and reflect (Extracts) Page 164–166
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us think and reflect Page 166
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us learn Page 166–169
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us listen Page 170
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us speak Page 170–171
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us write Page 171–172
- The Cherry Tree (Ruskin Bond) — Let us explore Page 172
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us do these activities before we read Page 173
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us discuss Page 176–177
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us think and reflect (Extracts) Page 178–179
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us think and reflect Page 179
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us learn Page 179–181
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us listen Page 181
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us speak Page 182–183
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us write Page 183–184
- Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us explore Page 184
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us do these activities before we read Page 185
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us discuss Page 188
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us discuss Page 191
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us think and reflect (Extracts) Page 191–192
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us think and reflect Page 193
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us learn Page 193–197
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us listen Page 197
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us speak Page 198
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us write Page 199
- Waiting for the Rain (Kamakshi Balasubramanian) — Let us explore Page 199–200