Date: Class: VIII English Time: 3 Hrs. M. M: 70 General Instructions:. This paper consists of THREE sections : Section A Reading 0 marks Section B Writing & Grammar 5 marks Section C Literature 5 marks. Attempt all questions. 3. Do not write anything on the question paper. 4. All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the Answer sheet provided to you. 5. Read each question carefully and follow the instructions. 6. Strictly adhere to the word limit given with each question. Marks will be deducted for exceeding the word limit.. SECTION A: READING Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. In our families there are the heads ; some of them are successful, others are not. Why? We complain of others in our failures. The moment I am unsuccessful, I say, so-and-so is the cause of the failure. In failures, one does not like to confess one s own faults and weaknesses. Each person tries to hold himself faultless and lay the blame upon somebody or something else, or even on bad luck. When heads of families fail, they should ask themselves, why is that some persons manage a family so well and others do not. Then, you will find that the difference is owing to the man his presence, his personality. Coming to great leaders of mankind, we always find, that it was the personality of the man that counted. Now, take all the great authors of the past, the great thinkers. Really speaking, how many thoughts have they thought? Take all the writings that have been left to us by the past leaders of mankind ; take each one of their books and appraise them. The real thoughts new and genuine that have been thought in this world up to this time, amount to only a handful. Read in their books the thoughts they have left to us. The authors do not appear to be giants to us, and yet we know that they were great giants in their days. What made them so? Not simply the thoughts they thought, neither the books they wrote, nor the speeches they made it was something else that is now gone, that is their personality. As I have already remarked, the personality of the man is two-thirds, and his intellect, his words, are but one-third. It is the real man, the personality of the man, that runs through us. Our actions are but effects ; actions must come when the man is there ; the effect is bound to follow the cause. The idea of all education, all training, should be this man-making. But instead of that, we are always trying to polish up the outside. What is in polishing up the outside when there is no inside? The end and aim of all training is to make the man grow. The man who influences, who throws his magic, as it were, upon his fellow-beings, is a dynamo of power, and when that man is ready, he VIII B Page of 5
can do anything and everything he likes ; that personality put upon anything will make it work. a.) How do people think about themselves in their failures? b.) What should the heads of families do when they fail? c.) What should be the aim of education and training? d.) Which type of man has been called a dynamo of power? How does such a man influence his fellow beings? e.) Find the word similar to the meaning of the word flawless from the passage. f.) Find the word similar to the meaning of the phrase a few from the passage. g.) Find the word similar to the meaning of the phrase an extremely energetic person from the passage. h.) Find the antonym of the word deny from the passage.. Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions that follow. Come to me O ye children : For I hear you at your play And the questions that perplexed me Have vanished quite away. Ye open the eastern windows That look towards the sun, Where thoughts are singing swallows, And the brooks of morning run. In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine, In your thoughts the brooklet s flow ; But in mine is the wind of Autumn, And the first fall of the snow. Ah! What would the world be to us If the children were no more? We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before. 8 What the leaves are to the forest, With light and air for food, Ere the sweet and tender juices Have been hardened into wood. On the basis of your reading of the poem, complete the following summary with one word only. ½*0= 5 The poem is a call for (a.) and an ode to their liveliness. Poet feels the questions that (b.) him in the past have vanished because of their (c.). They open the windows and let the sunshine (d.) the poet s life. In children s heart lie the (e.) and the sunshine. While the poet s heart is like the wind of (f.) or the first fall of the (g.). He sees no meaning in world without VIII B Page of 5
children. They are what (h.) are to forest and what light and air are for food. We should cherish them before their sweet tender age (i.) into old age and harden them into (j.) as in strong adults instead of innocent children. 3. k.) Find the synonym of the word disappear from the poem. l.) Find the antonym of the word hard from the poem. m.) Give a suitable title to the poem. SECTION B WRITING AND GRAMMAR For the first time in your life you are travelling in a crowded bus. You felt very exasperated after the journey. Write a page in your diary describing your experience. (Word Limit 50 words) Hints : Got up late, missed the school bus, boarded DTC bus, crowded, rash driving, sudden brakes, nearly fell, said sorry to lady, deboarded with great difficulty, terrible experience 7 You are Isha/Ishan. Your brother got hurt in a road accident. You are really concerned about the alarming rate of road accidents in your city. Write an article expressing your concern and highlighting the causes of road accidents and suggest some ways of dealing with this problem. (Word Limit 50-80 words) Hints : Poor condition of roads, faulty traffic light, rash and reckless driving, not obeying traffic rules, many valuable lives lost, strict enforcement of rule, other steps to improve overall state 4. Study the following visual carefully. With the help of the visual, write a letter to the Editor of the National Daily at the following address, The Times of India, Times House, 7 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 000, to express your views on Growing Craze for Junk Food among Children (Word Limit 00 words) 8. Arun is a class VIII student. For the last one month he has been feeling very restless and disturbed... Complete the story in about 00 words. Hints : Restless, disturbed, focus on studies, visits temple, astrologer, special prayers, no effects, approaching exams, hard working, met counsellor, systematical preparation, feeling better, relaxed VIII B Page 3 of 5
5. Given below is an excerpt from the interview of a budding chess champion. On the basis of the conversation, fill in the blanks in Reported Speech. 4 Interviewer : What is your aim? Sunil : I want to be a very good chess player. Interviewer : Do you like any particular chess player. Sunil : Yes, I like Kasparov and Anand. Interviewer : What is your next move? Sunil : I want to become an I M (International Master). I hope to play in the Asian Under-4 Championship. Interviewer : Very well, All the Best! May God bless you! The interviewer asked Sunil (a.), Sunil replied that he wanted to be a very good chess player. He was then asked (b.) He replied in affirmative and said that he liked Kasparov and Anand. The interviewer further questioned him what his next move was. Sunil answered that (c.) and hoped to play in the Asian Under-4 Championship. The interviewer further applauded his aspirations and wished (d.) 6. In the following passage one word has been omitted in each line. Write the omitted word along with the word that comes before and the word that comes after it in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. Underline the missing word. Physical health affects the mind and vice-versa. A sound mind a sound body are prerequisites high efficiency and good quality work in the office, factory or field leads to a sense achievement and fulfillment. Our health is course, important not only to us but also our families and even our employers. Before Missing Word After a.) b.) c.) d.) e.) f.) g.) h.) 7. Rearrange the following jumbled words to make meaningful sentences. ½* 8=4 a.) flat tyre / which / school / bus / the / a / got / going / was / to b.) told me / cancelled / he / was / that / the / trip 8. SECTION C LITERATURE & LONG READING TEXT Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (a.) So stooping down from hawthorn top, He thought to put him in his crop. The worm, aware of his intent, Harangued him thus, right eloquent: 3 VIII B Page 4 of 5
(i) Who stoops down from the hawthorn top and why? (ii) Pick out one poetic device from the above lines. (iii) Explain the line Harangued him thus, right eloquent. (b.) I saw him sneak in here about ten minutes ago, and if you want proof, his prison clothes be in the next room. I was just going to fetch my uncle-the constable of the village, you know- and these boys tried to stop me. That s why we were fighting when you came in. (i) Name the lesson and author of the lesson from which these lines are taken. (ii) What were they fighting about? (iii) Who was fighting with whom? 9. Answer the following questions briefly in about 30-40 words each. a.) Why did Connie mistake the author for her husband Jim Macpherson? b.) Who truly deserved the plate of gold and why? c.) Justify the title of title of the play The Unexpected. d.) What is Connie s Christmas present? Why is it the best Christmas present in the world? 0. Answer any one of the following questions in about 80-00 words. a.) War is as much a punishment to the punisher as it is to the sufferer. Elucidate the statement based on the lesson The Best Christmas Present in the World b.) Honesty is the best policy. But Mrs. Parker practised dishonesty to help her son Roger escape from the prison. Do you justify her action?. LONG READING TEXT AROUND THE WLD IN EIGHTY DAYS Answer the following questions in about 00-0 words. a.) Write a brief pen-portrait of Fix. b.) Describe the events that led to the disappearance of Jean Passepartout. *4=8 4 *5=0 VIII B Page 5 of 5
ENGLISH ANSWER KEY SECTION A READING A..a.) In failures, one does not like to confess one s own faults and weaknesses. Each person tries to hold himself faultless and lay the blame upon somebody or something else, or even on bad luck. When heads of families fail, they too complain of others in their failures. b.) When heads of families fail, they should ask themselves, why is that some persons manage a family so well and others do not. Then, they will find that the difference is owing to the man his presence, his personality. c.) The idea of all education and all training should be man-making and building up his personality. But instead of that, we are always trying to polish up the outside. What is in polishing up the outside when there is no inside? The end and aim of all training is to make the man grow. d.) The man who influences, who throws his magic, as it were, upon his fellow-beings, is a dynamo of power, and when that man is ready, he can do anything and everything he likes ; that personality put upon anything will make it work. e.) faultless f.) handful g.) dynamo h.) confess A..a.) children b.) perplexed c.) play d.) enter e.) birds f.) autumn g.) snow h.) leaves i.) turns j.) wood k.) vanished l.) tender m.) Title is subjective SECTION B WRITING & GRAMMAR A.3.) Diary Entry Content -4, Fluency & Expression 3 Article - Content -4, Fluency & Expression 3 A.4.) Formal Letter Content -4, Fluency & Expression, Accuracy Story - Content -5, Fluency & Expression 3 GRAMMAR A.5.) Editing Omission a.) mind in a b.) prerequisites for high c.) quality of work d.) field which leads e.) sense of achievement f.) is of course g.) also to our h.) even to our A.6. a.) what his aim was b.) if he liked any particular chess player c.) he wanted to become an I M (International Master) d.) him all the best and gave God s blessings A.7.a.) The bus which got a flat tyre was going to school. b.) He told me that the trip was cancelled. SECTION C LITERATURE A.8. a.(i) The Nightingale stoops down from the hawthorn top to look for a prey as it was hungry. (ii) Alliteration harangued him Personification his intent
(iii) The glow-worm criticized the nightingale in very expressive terms when it came to know of its intent to eat the glow-worm. b. (i) Lesson The Unexpected, Author Luella(Ella) Adkins (ii) The speaker is Joe here & he is speaking about seeing somebody coming inside the house. (iii) Joe is fighting with Tom and Alec A.9.a.) Connie mistook the author for her husband Jim Macpherson because she was very old and slightly confused and secondly Jim had promised her that he would return back to her next Christmas in his last letter. b.) The poor peasant truly deserved the plate of gold because he was the only one who could empathise with the poor beggar and said encouraging words to him. He was the perfect embodiment of love and compassion and hence a true reflection of God. c.) The title The Unexpected is very apt for the play as the story of Mrs. Parker and the story ends with an expected twist in the tale when Roger escapes from the cops fooling Joe Badger and everyone present at Mrs. Parker s house with the help of his mother without leaving any trace of evidence. d.) Connie s Christmas present was the coming back of her husband Jim. It was the best Christmas present in the world because she was waiting for all these years for Jim to come back after the war had ended. A.0.) Subjective Answer A..) Subjective Answer A..) Subjective Answer