English TEXTUAL QUE UNIT [2M]

According to the diarist, the seasonal visitors are a leopard and several thousand leeches. They arrive when it rains.

In the hills, the narrator witnesses endless winter rains. The rain keeps on drumming on the corrugated tin roof. At that time, the narrator has to keep himself shut up in a room, where he experiences hushed silence. It is very lonely and very quiet. The narrator sitting in the room enjoys a liquid silence, a silence within is contrasted with the noisy rain outside.

After the rains, there come the scarlet minivets. They flit silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. Even if they take shelter on leafy trees, they cannot conceal themselves because of their bright colour. Sometimes they plan to go unnoticed by remaining absolutely silent. but they don't succeed in hiding themselves. A pair of drongos chase them away.

The previous day afternoon, the leopard lifted a dog from near the servants' quarter below the school. In the evening. it attacked one of Bijju's cows, but fled as Bijju's mother came.

The monsoon enters India from east and south somewhere around mid of May. It reaches northern part of the country around second week of June. The monsoon ends around September. We take out our rain coats and umbrellas to face the monsoon.

The summer monsoon brings heavy ’ rains and creates a moisture-rich atmosphere, while the winter monsoon generated long periods of dry and arid conditions. The summer monsoon generally begins in April and lasts through late September, while the winter monsoon arrives in October and ends in March. Rainfall during the summer monsoon s can be very intense and may even cause flash floods. Winter monsoons are usually less powerful than summer monsoons and may bring high winds in addition to dry air.

When monsoon begins, the first cobra lily appears from the ferns. When the seeds of the cobra lily turn red, it signifies that the monsoon is coming to an end.

When there is endless rain for days together, everything becomes damp and soggy. There is no place for anybody to go to. The hillsides are lush as late monsoon flowers such as wild balsam, dahlias, begonias and ground orchids begin to appear.

The snakes and rodents take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns in order to save themselves from rain water.

There is endless rain, so almost at the end of August lush monsoon growth has been in abundance. The seeds of the cobra lily have turned red. There are firm. green and upright ferns. Ground orchids have come up. Wild dahlias of red, yellow and magenta have raised their heads from the rocky crevices. Thus, monsoon growth has reached its peak.

In the first half of August. It rains continuously. There is no storm, no thunder. It is just the steady swish of a tropical downpour. It stops for a day or so, but again there is endless rain and a permanent mist. The sun is not seen for days together Everything is damp and soggy.

There is no dearth of food for the insectivorous birds because with rain innumerable insects come up. They are so great in number that insectivorous birds don't have to hunt around for them. They are never in the want of insects in this season.