NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory PDF are available for free on our website that helps you a better understanding of the chapter. These NCERT solutions have been provided after a detailed analysis of the latest syllabus issued by CBSE. Students of Class 8th can study the answers provided here to score well in their school exams.
CBSE Class 8 English Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Textbook Questions and Answers
Comprehension Check (Page 61)
Question 1: Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu’s is disbelief?
Answer: The man, Parimal Ghose, was dismayed when he was not recognized by Bepin. He hadn’t believed Bepin had a memory lapse.
Question 2: Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October’ 58?
Answer: Bepin Babu has said he was in Kanpur in October 58.
Question 3: Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.
Answer 3: Parimal Ghosh knew that Mrs Choudhury was dead. He knew that his only brother had died insane. He also knew that Bepin Babu carried a bag of books when he went for sight-seeing. He knew that Bepin Choudhury had no children.
Comprehension Check (Page 64)
Question 1: Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?
Answer: Bepin Babu was surprised that Parimal Ghose knew a lot of his personal details. He was aware of Bepin’s leg injury, bag of books, his wife’s death and his brother’s insane behaviour. After hearing so many details from that man, Bepin Babu felt with conviction that there was no valid reason for Parimal to lie about his trip to Ranchi. This made him wonder if he really had a temporary memory loss about his visit to Ranchi.
Question 2: How did he try to decide who was right— his memory or Parimal Ghose?
Answer: Mukerji did not clearly respond. But he said he had twice been to Ranchi. He was not sure what the trip was about. Bepin Babu needed to know wondered if he had actually forgotten about his Ranchi visit.
Question 3: Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr. Mukerji? Why did he finally decide to phone him?
Answer: Bepin Babu hesitated to visit Mr. Mukerji thinking that it would be ridiculous if he had really visited Ranchi. Mukerji would think Bepin Babu had gone mad. Hence, Bepin babu finally decided to phone him.
Question 4: What did Mr. Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add to his worries?
Answer: Mukerji didn’t reply clearly. But he said that he had been to Ranchi twice. He was not sure about the trip. Bepin Babu exactly wanted to know. It made Bepin Babu more puzzled. He lost his appetite.
Comprehension Check (Page 67)
Question 1: Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?
Answer: Chunilal was Bepin Babu’s school mate. He’d been having a rough time lately and had been coming to see Bepin Babu for a job. Bepin Babu knew he could not do much to help Chunilal. However, Chuni kept turning up to his house like a bad penny often.
Question 2: Why was Dr. Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory?
Answer: Paresh Chanda was a young physician. He had never dealt a case of memory loss. So, he was puzzled. He gave a suggestion to Bepin Babu to visit Ranchi again.
Comprehension Check (Page 69)
Question 1: Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?
Answer: Perhaps not. He finally recollected his memory and admitted that he had visited. Ranchi in 1958.
Question 2: Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?
Answer: Chunilal was wanting some money from his old friend Bepin Babu. And he went in for support with him. He assured Bepin that his fortune would return to its term. Chunilal didn’t have any money but he had wit and mind.
Working With the Text (Page 69)
Question 1: The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man. What evidence can you find in the story to support this?
Answer: Bepin Babu was a serious, honest and hardworking fellow. He went to the office regularly. He was doing a responsible job. He was not a good mixer. Being serious minded, he didn’t waste time in idle chat.
Question 2: Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was the result of this meeting?
Answer: Bepin Babu refused the first meeting with Chunilal. He was in no mood to help Chunilal get out of his distress. But, eventually, he changed his mind. He thought about something Chunilal would recall about his 1958 trip to Ranchi.
Question 3: Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hundroo Falls. What do you think was the reason for this?
Answer: Bepin Babu might have slipped near Hundroo Falls that made him unconscious.
Question 4: How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?
Answer 4: When Bepin Babu found out that he was tricked by Chunilal, he was filled with remorse for not helping Chuni in his time of need. He regretted for refusing to help Chunilal and realised that he had indeed become a victim of forgetfulness as he had forgotten the real meaning of friendship at the time of his affluence.
Working with Language
Question 1: Look at these two sentences.
- He had to buy at least five books to last him through the week.
- Bepin had to ask Chuni to leave.
Had to is used to show that it was very important or necessary for Bepin Babu to do something. He had no choice. We can also use “have to’/ ‘has to’ in the same way.
Fill in the blanks below using ‘had to’/have to’/ ‘has to’.
(i) I _________________ cut my hair every month.
(ii) We _______________ go for swimming lessons last year.
(iii) She_______________ tell the principal the truth.
(iv) They_____________ take the baby to the doctor.
(v) We________________ complain to the police about the noise.
(vi) Romit_________________ finish his homework before he could come out to play.
(vii) I _________________ repair my cycle yesterday.
Answer:
(i) have to
(ii) had to
(iii) had
(iv) had to
(v) have to
(vi) had to
(vii) had to
Question 2: Here are a few idioms that you will find in the story. Look for them in the dictionary in the following way.
First, arrange them in the order in which you would find them in a dictionary. (Clue: An idiom is usually listed under the first noun, verb, adjective or adverb in it. Ignore articles or prepositions in the idiom). To help you, we have put in bold the word under which you must look for the idiom in the dictionary.)
(i) at/from close quarters (close: adjective)
(ii) break into a smile (break: verb; look under ‘break into something’)
(iii) carry on (carry: verb)
(iv) have a clean record (you may find related meanings under both these words)
(v) beat about the bush (verb)
Now refer to your dictionary and find out what they mean.
Answer: (i) at/from close quarters – This means stay nearby or close by.
(ii) break into a smile – This means to smile suddenly.
(iii) carry on – This means to continue with some task or work.
(iv) have a clean record – This means to have a clean conduct or track record.
(v) beat about the bush – This means to make rough guesses without proper knowledge.
Question 3: Study the sentences in the columns below:
| A | B |
| I saw this movie yesterday Bepin Babu worked here for a week last year Chunilal Wrote to a publisher last week. I visited ranchi once, long ago. | I have seen this movie already. Bepin Babu has worked here since 2003 Chunilal has written to a publisher I have visited Ranchi once before. |
Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms. Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.
(i) Which column tells us that Bepin Babu is still working at the same place?
(ii) Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from the publisher?
(iii) Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he saw?
(iv) Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still fresh in the speaker’s mind?
Answer:
(i) Column A
(ii) Column A
(iii) Column B
(iv) Column A
Question 4: Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words in each sentence to form correct sentences.
You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its meaning. Then use your dictionary to check the meaning. One sentence has been worked out for you as an example.
Jumbled sentence: vanished/The car/seemed to/into thin/have/air.
Answer: The car seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Idiom: vanished into thin air: disappeared or vanished in a mysterious way.
(i) Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you want/the bush.
Answer: Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.
Idiom: beating about the bush—talk vaguely
(ii) don’t pay/if you/attention/you might/the wrong train/to the announcement/ board.
Answer: If you don’t pay attention to the announcement, you might board the wrong train.
Idiom: Pay attention: be careful
(iii) The villagers/tried/the crime/on the young woman/to pin.
Answer: The villagers tried to pin the crime on the young woman.
Idiom: Pin the crime on (implicate the wrong person)
(iv) Bepin Babu/orders to/telling people/under/loved/doctor’s/eat early/that he was.
Answer: Bepin Babu loved telling people that he was under doctor’s order to eat early.
Idiom: Under one’s order (doctor’s): under instruction of someone
(v) the students/The teacher/his eyebrows/when/said that/all their lessons/ raised/they had revised.
Answer: The teacher raised his eyebrows when the students said that they had revised all their lessons, (showed his assessment).
Idiom: Raised the eyebrows—to feel annoyed: showing annoyance.
Speaking And Writing
Question 1: What do you think happened after Bepin Babu came to know the truth? Was he angry with this friend for playing such a trick on him? Or do you think he decided to help a friend in need?
Answer 1: When Bepin Babu came to know the truth of how Chunilal tricked him, he was ashamed and filled with remorse combined with a mixed anger feeling for not helping Chuni when he would come to him asking for help. Bepin Babu was angry on Chunilal for his ill health, however he was also happy to know that he didn’t suffer any memory loss whatsoever. Soon after he realised that he had indeed become a victim of forgetfulness by forgetting the real purpose of friendship due to his affluence. Bepin Babu learnt a lesson from this incident and he decided to always help a friend in need going forward.
Question 2: Imagine you are Bepin Choudhury. You have received Chunilal’s letter and feel ashamed that you did not bother to help an old friend down on his luck. Now you want to do something for him. Write a letter to Chunilal promising to help him soon.
Or
A prank is a childish trick. Do you remember any incident when someone played a prank on you or your friends? Describe the prank in a paragraph.
Answer 2:
15th November, 20XX
My Dear Chunilal,
Let me first thank you for your letter dated 10th November. I am really feeling sorry for disappointing you. I can understand your resentment. Now allow me to give you a happy news. I spoke to my friend in Delhi, and he has agreed to engage you as assistant manager in his firm.
Please come to me on Sunday. I shall then introduce you to my friend.
With regards
Yours sincerely
Bepin Choudhury
Or
On March 26, I received a letter from one of my friends. It contained a happy news that I had been granted scholarship from back date. He asked me to call on him in April, so that both would go together to the office of the Superintendent of the school. I was very glad. I even distributed sweets to my neighbours. But when I reached my friend’s house, I found him laughing at me. It was April the first. All Fools Day.’ I got over it soon and admired the practical joke or the prank.