Introduction: “Robinson Crusoe” is Lesson 5 (prose) of the ASSEB (Assam Board / SCERT) Class 6 English textbook Rainbow. The lesson is a short first-person extract adapted from Daniel Defoe’s famous adventure novel The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719). It is written like a page from Robinson Crusoe’s own journal and describes the events of just one day on the lonely island — the day a terrible earthquake struck, followed by a violent hurricane and heavy rain. It shows how Crusoe used his courage, presence of mind and caution to survive an adventure of a very different kind.
The Lesson
Robinson Crusoe was an adventurer. He went on several voyages. Unfortunately, during one voyage, the ship in which he was voyaging was destroyed. Luckily, Robinson Crusoe reached an island safely. He spent twenty-eight years there. Surviving on that island was not less than an adventure for him. His days were eventful. He kept a journal and carefully noted down almost everything he did and experienced there.
Here is an account of the events of one day from his journal. This will give a glimpse of how adventurous Robinson Crusoe’s days were on the island.
I was at the entrance into my cave. All of a sudden, I was shocked by something frightening. I looked around and saw pieces of earth from the roof of the cave and the edge of the hill coming towards me. I was very scared. I thought I would die if I stayed in the cave any longer. I knew I was not safe in the cave at that moment. So, I ran out of the cave to the open. As soon as I stepped on the ground, I realised it was a terrible earthquake.
The ground that I was standing on shook terribly. I dropped on the ground on my knees and hands. The violent motion of the earth made my stomach sick. There were three major shocks at about eight minutes’ distance. The earthquake was very powerful. It could have destroyed the strongest building on the earth. I heard a deafening sound. It was the sound of a big rock falling into the sea. I looked towards the sea.
The sea was becoming fearful. I knew it was because of the earthquake. The tremors were stronger under the sea than on the surface. The sea appeared angry and violent. At the same time, the sky was covered with black clouds. The wind started to blow and grew little by little to become a strong hurricane. All of a sudden, the sea was covered with foam, the shore was overflowed and the trees were uprooted in a horrifying manner. What a fearful sight it was!
The storm weakened after a few hours. But that did not bring me any relief as it started to rain heavily. I went in and sat down in my tent. It was raining heavier than before. I decided to go to the cave. I sat in the cave cautiously. There were no more shocks. I felt safe. I told myself, “What an adventure I had today! I must celebrate my survival of the day!” It was indeed an adventure — an adventure of a very different kind.
Summary
This ASSEB Class 6 English lesson “Robinson Crusoe” from Rainbow is a single journal entry describing one adventurous day. Robinson Crusoe, an adventurer who had already spent twenty-eight years alone on an island after his ship was destroyed, was standing at the entrance of his cave when pieces of earth suddenly began to fall from the roof of the cave and the edge of the hill. Realising it was a terrible earthquake, he ran out into the open. The ground shook with three major shocks about eight minutes apart; the violent motion made his stomach sick, and a huge rock crashed into the sea with a deafening sound.
Because the tremors were stronger under the sea, the water turned angry and violent, the sky filled with black clouds, a strong hurricane blew, the shore was overflowed and the trees were uprooted. After a few hours the storm weakened, but heavy rain began. Crusoe first sheltered in his tent and then moved to the cave, where he sat cautiously until the shocks stopped. He felt safe at last and told himself, “What an adventure I had today!” It was an adventure of a very different kind — a reminder of the courage and caution needed to survive a natural disaster.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| adventure | an unusual and exciting or daring experience |
| voyage | a long journey by sea |
| journal | a daily record of one’s experiences; a diary |
| tremors | shocks; shivering |
| deafening | very loud |
| foam | a mass of small bubbles |
| edge | the outside limit of an object, area or surface |
| cautiously | carefully, especially in order to avoid danger, mistakes or risks |
| uprooted | pulled a tree or a plant, etc. out of the ground |
| weakened | became less strong, powerful, determined or effective |
| scared | feeling fear |
| hurricane | a violent storm with very strong wind |
| earthquake | a sudden violent shaking of the earth’s surface |
Question Answers
These are the textbook ACTIVITIES printed at the end of the lesson, reproduced in the same order with answers based on the lesson text.
Activity 1. Answer the following questions:
(a) What happened during the earthquake?
Answer: During the earthquake, pieces of earth began to fall from the roof of the cave and the edge of the hill. The ground shook terribly, so Robinson Crusoe dropped on his knees and hands, and the violent motion of the earth made his stomach sick. There were three major shocks at about eight minutes’ distance. The earthquake was so powerful that it could have destroyed the strongest building on the earth. With a deafening sound, a big rock fell into the sea, and the sea became angry and violent.
(b) Why didn’t Robinson Crusoe feel safe during the earthquake?
Answer: He was at the entrance of his cave when pieces of earth started falling from the roof of the cave and the edge of the hill. He feared that he would be buried alive if he stayed inside the cave any longer. That is why he did not feel safe, and he ran out of the cave into the open.
(c) Why did the sea become fearful?
Answer: The sea became fearful because of the earthquake. The tremors were stronger under the sea than on the surface, so the sea appeared angry and violent. Soon the sky was covered with black clouds, a strong hurricane began to blow, the sea was covered with foam, the shore was overflowed and the trees were uprooted.
(d) Where did Robinson Crusoe take shelter first when it rained?
Answer: When it started to rain heavily, Robinson Crusoe first went in and sat down in his tent. As it kept raining heavier than before, he later decided to go to the cave.
(e) What qualities of Robinson Crusoe helped him survive the day?
Answer: Robinson Crusoe’s courage, presence of mind and caution helped him survive the day. He kept his wits about him, ran out of the unsafe cave in time, and later took shelter carefully — first in his tent and then in the cave.
Activity 2. Say whether the following statements are True or False:
- (a) Robinson Crusoe was in the cave when the earthquake struck. — True (he was at the entrance of his cave when the earth began to fall).
- (b) Robinson Crusoe dropped on the ground on his knees and hands. — True
- (c) There were eight shocks in about three minutes. — False (there were three major shocks at about eight minutes’ distance).
- (d) The sky became clear after the hurricane had abated. — False (after the storm weakened, it started to rain heavily).
- (e) There was another mild shock after the hurricane was over. — False (there were no more shocks; he felt safe).
Activity 3. Match the following:
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| The earthquake | falling pieces of earth from the roof of the cave and the edge of the hill |
| The storm | overflowing of the shore, uprooting of trees, etc. |
| The rain | flooding of the fortification |
Activity 4.
(a) Write what Robinson Crusoe did to reduce the risk of injury when the earthquake occurred:
Answer: As soon as he realised the danger, Robinson Crusoe ran out of the cave into the open so that the falling earth and rock could not bury him. When the ground shook violently, he dropped down on his knees and hands to steady himself and avoid falling and getting hurt.
(b) Look at the pictures and write the word or phrases from the box (HOLD ON, DROP, COVER) under the appropriate picture:
- Picture 1 (crouching low with a downward arrow) — DROP
- Picture 2 (crouching beside a firm support) — HOLD ON
- Picture 3 (taking shelter under a table) — COVER
These are the three basic earthquake safety steps — Drop, Cover and Hold On.
(c) Work in pairs: Find some other such safety measures and write them down on a piece of paper. Display the work in the classroom.
Guidance: Some other safety measures during an earthquake are — stay away from windows, glass and heavy furniture that may fall; do not use lifts; if outdoors, move to open ground away from buildings, trees and electric poles; protect your head and neck with your arms; and stay calm.
Activity 5.
(a) Look at the pictures and write below each picture what the person in that picture is doing.
- Picture 1: The boy is running down the stairs during the earthquake.
- Picture 2: The man is standing in the flood water and holding on to an electric pole.
- Picture 3: The girl is taking shelter under a tree during the storm.
- Picture 4: The girl is trying to hold on to an umbrella in the heavy rain and flood.
(b) Discuss in groups what may happen to the person in each picture and suggest ways to reduce the risk of injury or threat to life.
Guidance: Running down stairs during an earthquake may cause a fall or injury — it is safer to Drop, Cover and Hold On. Standing in flood water near an electric pole is dangerous because of the risk of electric shock — move to higher, dry ground. Standing under a tree in a storm can be deadly if lightning strikes or the tree falls — take shelter in a safe building. Wading through flood water to catch an umbrella is risky — stay indoors and away from moving water.
Activity 6. Complete the crossword puzzle using the hints given below:
| Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Across (i) | a sudden violent shaking of the earth’s surface | EARTHQUAKE |
| Across (iv) | natural movement of air | WIND |
| Across (v) | the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly in separate drops | RAIN |
| Down (ii) | a violent storm with very strong wind, especially in the western Atlantic | HURRICANE |
| Down (iii) | an extreme condition of weather with wind and rain and often thunder and lightning | STORM |
Now, make sentences using the words you have found (sample sentences):
- earthquake — A terrible earthquake shook the whole island.
- wind — The strong wind uprooted many trees.
- rain — It began to rain heavily after the storm.
- hurricane — The wind grew little by little to become a strong hurricane.
- storm — The storm weakened after a few hours.
Activity 7. Learn the meaning of these words and fill in the blanks:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| edge | the outside limit of an object, area or surface |
| cautiously | carefully, especially in order to avoid danger, mistakes or risks |
| uprooted | pulled a tree or a plant, etc. out of the ground |
| weakened | became less strong, powerful, determined or effective |
| scared | feeling fear |
Fill in the blanks with the words you have just learned:
Answer: He was standing cautiously at the edge of the cliff. He was not scared. He looked below. He saw the trees were uprooted by the storm last night. The storm caused a lot of damage before it weakened after an hour.
Activity 8. List a few situations when you were frightened:
Answer (sample):
- When I lost my way in a crowded market.
- When I heard loud thunder and lightning during a storm at night.
- When a stray dog chased me on my way to school.
- When I had to stand up and speak in front of the whole class.
- When the lights suddenly went off and the room became completely dark.
Now, work in pairs and come up with some ways to handle such situations confidently — for example, staying calm, taking deep breaths, asking an elder for help, and thinking before acting. Share your ideas with the class.
Activity 9. Read the words in the box aloud (pronunciation practice):
Words: dreadful, earth, death, heavily, heard, deafening.
In the words “dreadful”, “death” and “heavily”, the combination of the vowels “e” and “a” (ea) is pronounced like the vowel “e” in bed. In the words “earth” and “heard”, the combination of the vowels “e” and “a” is pronounced like the letter “i” in bird. Practise saying these words correctly. (This is a speaking activity.)
Activity 10. Learn some grammar (prepositions):
Look at the underlined prepositions in these sentences from the lesson:
- (a) I was at the entrance into my cave.
- (b) I thought I would be buried alive if I stayed in the cave any longer.
- (c) As soon as I stepped on the ground, I realised it was a terrible earthquake.
- (d) I heard a deafening sound of a big rock falling into the sea.
- (e) The tremors were stronger under the sea than on the surface.
Words like “at”, “into”, “in”, “on”, “under”, etc. are called prepositions. They are used to show the position of one thing in relation to another.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions from the box (in, on, at, under):
Answer: One day Robinson Crusoe was walking on the shore. Suddenly, it started to rain. Robinson Crusoe had to take shelter under a tree. After some time the rain abated. He looked at the sky. There were still a lot of black clouds in the sky.
Activity 11. Practise grammar (Simple Present Tense):
(a) Expressions Robinson Crusoe used while narrating the earthquake: all of a sudden, tremors, shocks, powerful, out in the open, shook terribly, destroyed, sick in the stomach, major shocks, three shocks in eight minutes’ distance.
(b) Now, using ideas from the expressions, write a few sentences about what happens when an earthquake occurs. Use the verbs in the Simple Present Tense (sample):
Answer: An earthquake comes all of a sudden. The ground shakes terribly. There are tremors and major shocks. The shocks are very powerful and destroy buildings. People feel sick in the stomach. They run out in the open to save themselves.
Activity 12. Write a paragraph about a natural disaster like a flood, storm, etc.
Answer (sample — A Flood): A flood is a terrible natural disaster. It happens when heavy rain makes the rivers overflow their banks. The water spreads over the fields, roads and houses. Many people lose their homes, crops and cattle. Sometimes people and animals are drowned in the strong current. Clean drinking water becomes scarce and diseases spread. During a flood we should move to a safe, high place, listen to the warnings of the authorities, and help those who are in danger.
Activity 13. Listen to the weather forecast and mark the statements True or False:
Based on the weather forecast (the teacher reads that the forecast is for Gopalpur, for the next twenty-four hours, today being November 10; the day will be sunny; thick fog and chilly wind may be expected at late night; the maximum temperature is 24°c and the minimum is 18°c):
- (a) The weather forecast is for November 9. — False (it is for November 10).
- (b) The day will be sunny. — True
- (c) The weather forecast is for 12 hours. — False (it is for twenty-four hours).
- (d) Thick fog and chilly wind may be expected in the afternoon. — False (they may be expected at late night).
- (e) The maximum temperature is predicted to be 18°c. — False (the maximum is 24°c; 18°c is the minimum).
Activity 14. Project work:
Some of the oldest and most widely read stories in the world are stories of adventure. Find out if there are any such adventure stories in your own culture from your elders or someone in your community. Learn the stories and share them with your friends in the class. (This is a project/collaborative task to be done by each student.)
Additional Important Questions and Answers
The following questions are extra practice prepared for revision. They are not part of the printed textbook exercises.
A. Multiple Choice Questions
1. How many years did Robinson Crusoe spend on the island?
Answer: Twenty-eight years.
2. How many major shocks were there during the earthquake?
Answer: Three major shocks, at about eight minutes’ distance.
3. What caused the deafening sound?
Answer: The sound of a big rock falling into the sea.
B. Fill in the blanks
- Robinson Crusoe kept a journal of everything he did on the island.
- The tremors were stronger under the sea than on the surface.
- The wind grew little by little to become a strong hurricane.
- When it rained heavily, Crusoe first sat in his tent.
C. Short Answer Questions
1. Why did Robinson Crusoe finally feel safe?
Answer: After he sat cautiously in the cave, there were no more shocks, so he finally felt safe and decided to celebrate his survival of the day.
2. What does Robinson Crusoe mean when he calls the day “an adventure of a very different kind”?
Answer: He means that surviving the earthquake, hurricane and heavy rain in a single day was itself a thrilling and dangerous experience — a different kind of adventure from his sea voyages, one that tested his courage and presence of mind on land.