Parents often use SCERT Kerala Syllabus 8th Standard English Notes Pdf Unit 2 Chapter 2 A Prescription for Life Questions and Answers Activities Notes to assist their kids with homework.
Class 8 English A Prescription for Life Question Answer Activities
A Prescription for Life Questions and Answers Class 8
8th Standard English A Prescription for Life Question Answer
Question 1.
Why did the narrator visit the British Museum?
(കഥാനായകൻ എന്തിനാണ് ബ്രിട്ടീഷ് മ്യൂസിയം സന്ദർ ശിച്ചത്?
Answer:
The narrator visited the British Museum to research an illness. He thought he might have hay fever and wanted to read about it in a medical book.
Question 2.
Do you think the narrator worries too much? Why?
(കഥാനായകൻ അമിതമായി ഉത്കണ്ഠപ്പെടുന്നുവെന്ന് നിങ്ങൾ കരുതുന്നുണ്ടോ? എന്തുകൊണ്ട്?
Answer:
Yes, the narrator worries too much. After reading about the symptoms of a few diseases, he became convinced that he had all the diseases in the book: This shows he panics easily and worries excessively about his health.
Question 3.
Have you come across anyone who worries about their health just like the narrator? Share your experience.
കഥാനായകനെപ്പോലെ സ്വന്തം ആരോഗ്യത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് വേവലാതിപ്പെടുന്ന ആരെയും നിങ്ങൾ കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ? നിങ്ങളുടെ അനുഭവം പങ്കുവെക്കുക.
Answer:
Yes, I know a person who often worries about their health like the narrator. If they get a small headache, they immediately start searching on the internet and convince themselves it might be a symptom of something serious. They often talk about different illnesses, but when they visit a doctor, they find out that everything is perfectly fine.
Question 4.
How does the narrator describe his condition when he left the reading room?
വായനാമുറിയിൽ നിന്ന് പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ തന്റെ അവ സ്ഥയെ കഥാനായകൻ എങ്ങനെയാണ് വിവരിക്കുന്നത്?
Answer:
The narrator says that he walked into the reading room as a happy, healthy man, but he crawled out as a “decrepit wreck” (a completely broken and ruined person).
Question 5.
Why did the narrator decide to visit the doctor?
കഥാനായകൻ ഡോക്ടറെ സന്ദർശിക്കാൻ തീരുമാനിച്ചത് എന്തുകൊണ്ട്?
Answer:
He decided to visit the doctor because he believed he was a very interesting and valuable medical case with almost every disease. He thought he would be doing the doctor a favour by giving him a chance to “practice” on such a unique patient.
Question 6.
What did the narrator tell the doctor about his illness?
തന്റെ അസുഖത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് കഥാനായകൻ ഡോക്ട റോട് എന്താണ് പറഞ്ഞത്?
Answer:
The narrator dramatically told the doctor that he would not waste time listing all his diseases. Instead, he told him the one disease he didn’t have (‘housemaid’s knee’) and claimed that he had every other disease.
Question 7.
Did the doctor take the narrator’s concerns seriously? Give reasons to support your answer.
ഡോക്ടർ കഥാനായകന്റെ ആശങ്കകളെ ഗൗരവമായി എടുത്തോ? നിങ്ങളുടെ ഉത്തരത്തെ പിന്തുണയ്ക്കാൻ കാരണങ്ങൾ നൽകുക.
Answer:
No, the doctor did not take his concerns seriously. We know this because his actions were playful (hitting him on the chest), and more importantly, the prescription he gave was for a healthy lifestyle, not for any medicine. This shows he knew the problem was only in the narrator’s mind.
Question 8.
Why did the pharmacist return the prescription to the narrator?
എന്തുകൊണ്ടാണ് മരുന്ന് വില്പനക്കാരൻ (phar macist) കുറിപ്പടി കഥാനായകന് തിരികെ നൽകിയത്?
Answer:
The pharmacist returned the prescription because it did not contain any medicines that he could sell. The prescription was for things like a balanced diet and a ten-mile walk. The pharmacist joked that he couldn’t provide those things because he was only a chemist, not a hotel or a store.
A Prescription for Life Class 8 Question Answer – Let’s Rewind
Question 1.
What happened when the narrator began reading the medical encyclopaedia?
കഥാനായകൻ മെഡിക്കൽ വിജ്ഞാനകോശം വായി ക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ എന്ത് സംഭവിച്ചു?
Answer:
When the narrator began reading the medical encyclopaedia, he started to believe that he had every disease he read about. He read the symptoms of diseases like typhoid fever, cholera, and diphtheria and convinced himself that he was suffering from all of them except ‘housemaid’s knee’.
Question 2.
How did the narrator’s visit to the doctor change his perspective on life?
ഡോക്ടറെ സന്ദർശിച്ചത് കഥാനായകന്റെ ജീവിതത്തോ ടുള്ള കാഴ്ചപ്പാടിനെ എങ്ങനെ മാറ്റി?
Answer:
The narrator’s visit to the doctor changed his perspective completely. He realized he wans’t actually sick with deadly diseases. The doctor’s “prescription” was not for medicine but for a healthy lifestyle: a balanced diet, daily walks, good sleep, and not worrying about things he doesn’t understand. This made him understand that a healthy life comes from simple, good habits.
Question 3.
What aspect of the narrator’s character is revealed in the story?
കഥാനായകന്റെ സ്വഭാവത്തിന്റെ ഏത് വശമാണ് കഥയി ൽ വെളിപ്പെടുന്നത്?
Answer:
The story reveals that the narrator is a hypochondriaca person who worries too much about his health and easily imagines that he has serious illnesses. He is easily influenced by what he reads and has a tendency to panic, but he also has a humorous and dramatic personality.
Question 4.
How does the narrator’s experience bring out the risks of self-diagnosis and the benefits of taking medical advice?
സ്വയം രോഗനിർണ്ണയം നടത്തുന്നതിലെ അപകടങ്ങ ളെയും വൈദ്യോപദേശം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നതിലെ പ്രയോജ നങ്ങളെയും കഥാനായകന്റെ അനുഭവം എങ്ങനെ യാണ് വ്യക്തമാക്കുന്നത്?
Answer:
The narrator’s experience shows the great risks of self-diagnosis. By reading a medical book, he wrongly diagnosed himself with almost every disease and became sick with worry. The benefit of taking medical advice is shown when his doctor correctly understands that the problem is in his mind, not his body, and gives him practical advice that saves him from his anxiety.
Question 5.
Have you heard of the saying, ‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’. What do you think it means in the light of ‘A Prescription for Life?
ആരോഗ്യമുള്ള ശരീരത്തിലേ ആരോഗ്യമുള്ള സ്സുണ്ടാവു എന്ന ചൊല്ല് നിങ്ങൾ കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ? A Prescription for Life’ എന്ന കഥയുടെ പശ്ചാ ത്തലത്തിൽ ഇതിനെന്താണ് അർത്ഥമെന്ന് നിങ്ങൾ കരുതുന്നു?)
Answer:
Yes, I have heard the saying. In this story, the saying can also mean the opposite: a healthy mind leads to a healthy body. The narrator’s mind was unhealthy with worry, which made him feel physically sick. The doctor’s prescription was to heal his mind (“don’t stuff up your head with things you don’t understand”). When his mind became calm and healthy, his body also felt better.
A Prescription for Life Activities
Class 8 English A Prescription for Life Activities Pdf – Let’s explore:
Activity 1
A. The events of the story have been jumbled. Rewrite them in the correct order.
കഥയിലെ സംഭവങ്ങൾ ക്രമം തെറ്റിയാണ് നൽകിയിരിക്കുന്നത്. അവയെ ശരിയായ ക്രമത്തിൽ മാറ്റിയെഴുതുക.
• He decides to consult his doctor for help.
• The doctor examines him and gives him a prescription.
• The chemist reads the prescription and finds it interesting.
• Jerome takes the prescription back and reads it for the first time.
• Jerome leaves the pharmacy feeling hopeful.
• Jerome goes to the British Museum to learn more about an illness.
• He expresses his fear to the doctor.
• Jerome takes the prescription to the pharmacy.
• There he reads the medical encyclopaedia and believes he has all the illnesses mentioned in it.
• It was some common sense advice on proper diet and exercise.
Answer:
• Jerome goes to the British Museum to learn more about an illness.
• There he reads the medical encyclopaedia and believes he has all the illnesses mentioned in it.
• He decides to consult his doctor for help.
• He expresses his fear to the doctor.
• The doctor examines him and gives him a prescription.
• Jerome takes the prescription to the pharmacy.
• The chemist reads the prescription and finds it interesting.
• Jerome takes the prescription back and reads it for the first time.
• It was some common sense advice on proper diet and exercise.
• Jerome leaves the pharmacy feeling hopeful.
B. Draft a detailed narrative using the sentences above. You may rephrase them and add more sentences. Add suitable linkers to make the narrative interesting.
മുകളിൽ നൽകിയിട്ടുള്ള വാക്യങ്ങൾ ഉപയോഗിച്ച് ഒരു വിശദമായ വിവരണം തയ്യാറാക്കുക. നിങ്ങൾക്ക് വാക്വ ങ്ങൾ മാറ്റിയെഴുതുകയും പുതിയവ ചേർക്കുകയും ചെയ്യാം. വിവരണം കൂടുതൽ രസകരമാക്കാൻ അനു യോജ്യമായ യോജിപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള വാക്കുകൾ (linkers) ചേർക്കുക.
Answer:
A Day-of Medical Discovery
The story begins when the narrator, Jerome, goes to the British Museum to research an illness he suspects he has. First, he reads the medical encyclopaedia, but this only makes things worse, as he soon believes he has almost all the illnesses mentioned in it.
Feeling horrified by his self-diagnosis, he decides that he must consult his doctor for help. Therefore, he goes to his doctor, who is an old friend. At the clinic, he expresses his fear to the doctor, dramatically explaining that he has every disease except for ‘housemaid’s knee’.
After listening patiently, the doctor examines him and writes a prescription. Without reading it, Jerome takes the prescription straight to the nearest pharmacy. There, the chemist reads the prescription, but hands it back, saying he cannot provide what is written. Feeling confused, Jerome takes the prescription back and reads it for the first time himself.
He is surprised to see that it was not for medicines, but some commonsense advice on proper diet and exercise. Finally, understanding that his problem was only in his mind, Jerome feels relieved and hopeful, ready to follow the doctor’s simple but wise advice.
Class 8 English A Prescription for Life Question Answer – Activity 2
A. Read the following diary entry.
താഴെ നൽകിയിട്ടുള്ള ഡയറിക്കുറിപ്പ് വായിക്കുക
Monday, 18 June 2025
Oh! What a day! Truly unforgettable. I went to the British Museum Library today, hoping to learn something about hay fever. Going through the medical encyclopaedia, I felt I had almost all the diseases listed in it. All except ‘housemaid’s knee’! Why was that illness left out? I don’t know. Good heavens! Am I a hospital myself? Anyway, good thing I consulted a doctor and that too a close front of mine. After his routine physical examination and a few questions, he gave me a prescription. And what a prescription it was? Oh… I made such a fool of myself when I took the prescription to the chemist who was quite helpless. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it out: Have a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, take a long walk daily and go to bed early. Thank goodness! I’m quite relieved. In fact, I was making a fuss about nothing. From now on, I’ll strictly follow the doctor’s advice.
Well, that’s it for today. Enough of my worrying and overthinking!
Early to bed…
• What style of narration do we observe in the diary entry above – first person/third person narration?
മുകളിലെ ഡയറിക്കുറിപ്പിൽ ഏത് രീതിയിലുള്ള ആ ഖ്വാനമാണ് നാം കാണുന്നത് പ്രഥമ പുരുഷനോ (first person) അതോ തൃതീയ പുരുഷനോ (third per rson)?
Answer:
We observe first-person narration (e.g., “I went…”, “I felt…”).
• Is the language of the diary entry formal or informal?
ഡയറിക്കുറിപ്പിലെ ഭാഷ ഔദ്യോഗികമാണോ (formal) അതോ അനൗദ്യോഗികമാണോ (informal)?
Answer:
The language is informal, as it uses personal and emotional expressions like “Oh! What a day!” and “Good heavens.
• What kind of events or experiences do we include in a diary entry?
ഏത് തരത്തിലുള്ള സംഭവങ്ങളോ അനുഭവ ങ്ങളോ ആണ് നമ്മൾ ഒരു ഡയറിക്കുറിപ്പിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തുന്നത്?
Answer:
We usually include personal thoughts, feelings, memories, and significant events or experiences that happened during the day.
C. Share your thoughts by filling in the blanks in the table.
താഴെ നൽകിയിട്ടുള്ള പട്ടികയിലെ വിട്ടഭാഗങ്ങൾ പൂരിപ്പിച്ച് നിങ്ങളുടെ ചിന്തകൾ പങ്കുവെക്കുക
| Sample A (Narrative) | Sample B (diary entry) | |
| Point of view | • third person | • first person |
| Purpose | • To tell a story about a event. | • to record personal thoughts feelings, and experience. |
| Style | • descriptive | • reflective |
| Structure | • a beginning, middle and end. | • Organised by date; focuses on personal feelings. |
D. Now, let’s attempt the likely diary entry of the chemist at the pharmacy.
ഇനി, ഫാർമസിയിലെ കെമിസ്റ്റിന്റെ ഡയറിക്കുറിപ്പ് എഴുതാൻ ശ്രമിക്കാം.
Answer:
Tuesday, 17 June 2025
A very strange thing happened today! A man came into the pharmacy this afternoon, looking very pale and worried. He silently handed me a doctor’s prescription. I thought it would be for some complex medicines, given his anxious look.
But when I read it, I was astonished. The prescription said: “A balanced diet, a ten-mile walk every morning, and don’t stuff your head with things you don’t understand. It was the most unusual prescription I have ever seen in my life! I had to politely hand it back and explain that since I am only a chemist, I couldn’t provide him with a balanced diet or a ten-mile walk. He looked so confused and left with the paper in his hand.
I wonder what his story was. I’d like to know if he took the doctor’s advice and became better.
Std 8 English A Prescription for Life Question Answer – Activity 3
A. Let’s read the doctor’s prescription again.
നമുക്ക് ഡോക്ടറുടെ കുറിപ്പടി ഒരിക്കൽ കൂടി വായിക്കാം
“A balanced diet with water every couple of hours. A ten-mile walk every morning. To bed at sharp 11 o’clock every night. And don’t stuff up your head with things you don’t understand.”
• Do you think this prescription will be helpful for healthy living? Why?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
ആരോഗ്യകരമായ ജീവിതത്തിന് ഈ കുറിപ്പടി സഹായ കമാകുമെന്ന് നിങ്ങൾ കരുതുന്നുണ്ടോ എന്തുകൊണ്ട്
Answer:
Yes, I think this prescription is very helpful for healthy living. This is because it covers the most important aspects of both physical and mental health. It advises on:
- Proper Diet (a balanced diet and water).
- Regular Exercise (a ten-mile walk).
- Sufficient Rest (sleeping on time).
- Mental Peace (not worrying about things we don’t understand). Following these simple rules can keep a person healthy and happy.
B. The list of essential habits for maintaining good health is given below. Add a few more such expressions to the list.
നല്ല ആരോഗ്യം നിലനിർത്തുന്നതിനുള്ള പ്രധാന ശീലങ്ങളുടെ ഒരു പട്ടിക താഴെ നൽകിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ആ പട്ടികയിലേക്ക് അത്തരം ചില ശീലങ്ങൾ കൂടി ചേർക്കുക
• Have a balanced diet.
• Drink enough water.
• Sleep well.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain personal hygiene.
• Spend quality time with family and friends.
Don’t you think that, while we practise healthy habits, we should also avoid unhealthy practices? Why?
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
നല്ല ശീലങ്ങൾ പാലിക്കുന്നതോടൊപ്പം, അനാരോഗ്യകര മായ ശീലങ്ങൾ ഒഴിവാക്കുകയും വേണ്ടേ? എന്തുകൊണ്ട്?
Answer:
Yes, it is very important to avoid unhealthy practices. This is because bad habits can destroy the benefits of our good habits. For example, even if we exercise daily, eating too much junk food can still lead to health problems. For a truly healthy life, we must do good things and avoid bad things at the same time.
C. Now, add a few more to the list of unhealthy practices we should avoid.
ഇനി, നമ്മൾ ഒഴിവാക്കേണ്ട അനാരോഗ്യകരമായ ശീലങ്ങ ളുടെ പട്ടികയിലേക്ക് കുറച്ചുകൂടി ചേർക്കുക
Answer:
- Too much junk/processed food
- Lack of physical activity
- Excessive screen time
- Going to bed very late at night. Skipping meals, especially breakfast.
- Smoking or using other harmful substances.
D. We have discussed the healthy habits we need to develop and the unhealthy practices that we should avoid. Now, write a paragraph on ‘The Role of Habits in Shaping Health and Well-being’.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
നമ്മൾ വളർത്തിയെടുക്കേണ്ട ആരോഗ്യകരമായ ശീലങ്ങ ളെക്കുറിച്ചും ഒഴിവാക്കേണ്ട അനാരോഗ്യകരമായ ശീലങ്ങ ളെക്കുറിച്ചും ചർച്ച ചെയ്തു. ഇനി, ആരോഗ്യവും സൗഖ്യവും രൂപപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതിൽ ശീലങ്ങളുടെ പങ്ക് എന്ന വിഷയത്തിൽ ഒരു ഖണ്ഡിക എഴുതുക.
Answer:
The Role of Habits in Shaping Health and Well-being
Our daily habits play the most important role in shaping our overall health and well-being. Good habits act as the foundation for a strong and energetic life. When we consistently follow healthy practices like eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep, we build a strong body and a sharp mind. These habits protect us from many illnesses and give us the energy to enjoy life fully. On the other hand, unhealthy habits like eating too much junk food, living without physical activity, and sleeping late can slowly damage our health, making us weak and prone to diseases. Therefore, our health is not a matter of chance, but a result of the daily choices we make. By consciously choosing good habits and avoiding bad ones, we can ensure a long, healthy, and happy life.