If you are searching for Bihar Board Class 8 English Chapter 5 Solutions then you are at the right place. Below we have shared the written solutions with the complete question-answer of chapter 5 – “The Summit Within” for free. This solution is from the new book of class 8 English – Honeydew.
This chapter shares Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia’s story of climbing Mount Everest and his thoughts on it. It explains why people climb mountains, facing challenges with courage and teamwork. Students will learn about nature’s beauty and inner strength.
Bihar Board Class 8 English Chapter 5 Solutions
Contents
| Chapter | Prose 5. The Summit Within |
| Subject | English (Honeydew) |
| Class | 8th |
| Board | Bihar Board |
COMPREHENSION CHECK
From Page No 76
1. Standing on Everest, the writer was:
(i) Overjoyed.
(ii) Very sad.
(iii) Jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.
Ans: (iii) Jubilant and sad.
2. The emotion that gripped him was one of:
(i) Victory over hurdles.
(ii) Humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) Greatness and self-importance.
(iv) Joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.
Ans: (ii) Humility and a sense of smallness.
3. “The summit of the mind” refers to:
(i) Great intellectual achievements.
(ii) The process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) Overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) Living in the world of thought and imagination.
(v) The triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) A fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the item(s) not relevant.
Ans: (i), (iii), (iv), and (v) are not relevant.
WORKING WITH THE TEXT
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?
Ans: The three qualities that helped the author climb Everest were endurance, persistence, and willpower.
(ii) Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
Ans: Adventure is risky but fun because it feels amazing to overcome challenges. Climbing Everest is tough and dangerous, but reaching the top brings a huge sense of joy and pride. It’s not just about the body—it also lifts your heart and spirit.
(iii) What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
Ans: Mount Everest’s beauty, toughness, and challenges made it irresistible to the author. Its majestic look, steep rocks, and icy paths called to him. Climbing it was so hard that giving up wasn’t an option, even when it was dangerous. Reaching the top gave him a feeling of victory and happiness that he couldn’t resist.
(iv) One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it for, really?
Ans: People climb high peaks not just for fame but for the thrill of pushing themselves. It’s about testing endurance, persistence, and willpower. Overcoming the mountain’s challenges feels exciting and deeply satisfying, both emotionally and spiritually.
(v) “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe.” This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph. Which is the emotion?
Ans: The emotion is humility.
(vi) What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on Everest?
Ans: The team left these symbols of reverence on Everest: a picture of Guru Nanak by the author, a picture of Goddess Durga by Rawat, a relic of the Buddha by Phu Dorji, and a cross by Edmund Hillary.
(vii) What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach him?
Ans: The writer learned that climbing Everest taught him to face life’s challenges with determination. He realized that conquering the “summit within” (his own fears and doubts) is just as important as climbing a mountain. He also felt that these inner victories might be even greater than reaching Everest’s peak.
2. Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence should explain the statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and rewrite them. The first one has been done for you.
(i) The experience changes you completely.
Ans: One who has been to the mountains is never the same again.
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles.
Ans: The joy of climbing comes from facing and overcoming tough challenges with endurance and willpower.
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best.
Ans: The beauty and grandeur of mountains make them a perfect example of nature’s greatness.
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying.
Ans: Climbing the mountain was tough, but reaching the top brought a deep sense of joy and fulfillment.
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience.
Ans: Climbing a mountain is not just physical; it’s a spiritual journey that connects you with God and changes you inside.
WORKING WITH LANGUAGE
1. Look at the italicised phrases and their meanings given in brackets.
Mountains are nature at its best. (nature’s best form and appearance)
Your life is at risk. (in danger; you run the risk of losing your life.)
He was at his best/worst in the last meeting. (it was his best/worst performance.)
Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases from those given in the box.
At hand | At once | At all | At a low ebb | At first sight
(i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the principal _____ and submit your explanation.
Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it first?
Ans:
Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the principal at once and submit your explanation.
Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it first?
(ii) Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not _____ Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle. He is a doctor.
Ans:
Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not at all. Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle. He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love _____.
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?
Ans:
Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love at first sight.
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits _____ today? (Use such in the phrase)
Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard before.
Ans:
Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits at such a low ebb today?
Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close _____.
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.
Ans:
Shieba: Your big moment is close at hand.
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.
2. Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.
(i) Endure _____
Ans: Endurance.
(ii) Persist _____
Ans: Persistence.
(iii) Signify _____
Ans: Significance.
(iv) Confide _____
Ans: Confidence.
(v) Maintain _____
Ans: Maintenance.
(vi) Abhor _____
Ans: Abhorrence.
3. (i) Match words under A with their meanings under B.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Remote | Difficult to overcome |
| Means | Most prominent |
| Dominant | Be overcome/overpowered |
| Formidable | Method(s) |
| Overwhelmed | Far away from |
Ans:
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Remote | Far away from |
| Means | Method(s) |
| Dominant | Most prominent |
| Formidable | Difficult to overcome |
| Overwhelmed | Be overcome/overpowered |
(ii) Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from under A.
(a) There were _______ obstacles on the way, but we reached our destination safely.
Ans: There were formidable obstacles on the way, but we reached our destination safely.
(b) We have no _______ of finding out what happened there.
Ans: We have no means of finding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house _______ from any town or village is more than I can tell.
Ans: Why he lives in a house remote from any town or village is more than I can tell.
(d) _______ by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.
Ans: Overwhelmed by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a _______ position above the sleepy town.
Ans: The old castle stands in a dominant position above the sleepy town.
