Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VI – Western Visayas
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ILOILO
Luna St., La Paz, Iloilo City
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UNIFIED TEST IN GRADE 8 ENGLISH
FIRST QUARTER

Name: ____________________ Grade & Sec.:______________ Date:__________ Score: ____

Context Clues: Figure out the meaning of each underlined word using context clues. Write the
letter of your answer on the space before the number.

_____ 1. The little sister implored the fat woman not to go out and work under the sun for she
would melt.
A. begged B. forced C. teased D. commanded
_____ 2. They trekked across the country in her old car.
A. walked B. climbed C. travelled D. migrated
_____ 3. The water animals traveled very slowly for they were not accustomed to the journey on
land.
A. popular B. used C. happy D. excited
_____ 4. The Baboon thought it was nonsense to attempt to dig pitfalls for one another because
he was aware that his race would benefit from the agreement.
A. traps B. holes C. doubts D. pools
_____ 5. The Department of Health hopes that the clean- up drive, with the cooperation of all
the sectors, will exterminate the dengue carrying mosquitoes.
A. stop B. propagate C. wipe out D. clean

Read each sentence carefully, choose the letter of your answer and write on the space
before the number.

_____6.“At dawn I unite with the breeze, to announce the coming or light.”
To what sense do the lines appeal?
A. sight B. hearing C. smell D. touch
_____7.“I am a star fallen from the Blue tent upon the green carpet.” The lines appeal to what
sense?
A. smell B. touch C. hearing D. sight
_____8. As I embrace slumber the eyes of
Night watch over me, and as I
Awaken I stare at the sun, which is
The only eye of the day.
What literary device is employed for lines 2 and 4?
A. symbolism C. figures of speech
B. rhyme D. meter
_____9. “The graceful sway of grass folk-dancing on the lea
The green of narra leaves, the blue of sky and sea…”
What figures of speech is used in the lines?
A. Simile B. Personification C. Metaphor D. Irony
_____10. “Can we stop for a while to rest?” (One hiker to his companions)
Based on this statement, what was the speaker’s purpose?
A. offering C. requesting
B. demanding D. pleading
_____11.“Dice the tomatoes and slice the bananas.” (A recipe)
What is the speaker’s purpose in this statement?
A. instructing B. scolding C. commenting D. advising
_____12. “I am really sorry! But I did not mean it that way.” (A friend to another)
What does the speaker wants to convey?
A. pleading B. inquiring C. requesting D. apologizing
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Idiomatic Expressions: From the given choices, choose one that best expresses the meaning of
the underlined idiomatic expression. Write the letter of your answer.

_____ 13. Monique Lhuillier has carved her own niche in the international fashion scene. All
mean the same except:
A. made a name C. gained fame
B. established a reputation D. made new friends
_____ 14. Once in a blue moon, we meet.
A. frequently C. very seldom indeed
B. hardly ever D. in the light of a blue moon
_____ 15. He has been jobless for several months, and it his wife who keeps the pot boiling.
A. avoids starvation C. keeps the fire burning
B. is angry D. keeps firing
_____ 16. In the end he had to eat the humble pie.
A. apologize humbly C. adopt an aggressive attitude
B. defend himself vigorously D. none of these
_____ 17. Cecilia poured her heart out to me.
A. told her secret C. did some exercises
B. was angry with me D. feel in love with me

Speech
_____ 18. It refers to the brief silences in speech. They enable the speaker to manage their
breathing when they speak and allow the listeners to process information
A. rate B. pitch C. pauses D. intonation
_____ 19. It refers to the highness or lowness of the speaker’s voice or the placement of the
voice.
A. stress B. pitch C. volume D. pauses
_____ 20. Which of the following words differs from the rest in the position of the main/primary
stress?
A. protect B. compose C. relate D. settle
_____ 21. Which of the words is stressed on the first syllable?
A. biologist B. photographer C. psychiatrist D. secretary
_____ 22. It refers to the pitch pattern used when one utters a sentence.
A. stress B. intonation C. pause D. volume
_____ 23. Are you prepared for this test? Which intonation pattern should this sentence should
follow?
A. rising B. rising-falling C. non-final d. falling-rising

Grammar
____ 24. Which of the following sentences contains parallel structures?
A. The dog was excited: running, barking, and he chased after the boys.
B. Mary wanted to paint her office, to add some new draperies, and to clean the
carpet.
C. The apartment was filled with old newspaper, broken bottles, and the ashtrays
were overflowing.
D. When Friday rolls around, do you go to the mall, head to the disco, or are you
going to church?
_____ 25. Which of the following sentences contains faulty parallelism?
A. The mouse ran across the floor, under the table, and its hole was the last stop.
B. My goals are making the soccer team, earning good grades, and getting a job.
C. If you do no homework, and if you show no interest in the classroom, you may
fail the subject.
D. We wondered what was in the box, where it came from, who had sent it, and why
it had not been wrapped.
_____ 26. Which of the following sentences has parallelism?
A. She left me angry, frustrated, and wearing a frown.
B. We have things to do, people to see, and places to visit.
C. The comedian was clever, original, and kept us laughing.
D. I enjoy my job because of the opportunities it offers, the fringe benefits I
receive, and I earn a good salary.
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Fill in each blank with the most appropriate conjunction from the choices given. Write your
answer on the blank.

_____ 27. She has decided to move to Passi ____________ there are more opportunities for
employment in that city.
A. even if B. because C. so that D. until
_____ 28. You can borrow my car ____________ you agree to be very careful with it.
A. so that B. until C. even if D. as long as
_____ 29. _____________ he can save a lot of money by taking the bus, Antonio Padilla still
drives his car from Banate to the city every day.
A. Because B. So that C. Even if d. Until
_____ 30. He took the banana que eagerly __________ he had eaten nothing since dawn.
A. for B. but C. and D. so
_____ 31. Tom was angry _________ he listened to me patiently.
A. nor B. or C. but D. for
_____ 32. The whole distance is _____________ far _____________ the eyes can see.
A. both…and C. as…as
B. whether…or D. neither…or
_____ 33. This word may be used ___________as a noun ___________ as a verb.
A. either…or C. not only…but also
B. as…as D. whether…or
_____ 34. He is discourteous _____________ to his classmates ___________ to the teachers.
A. either…or C. not only…but also
B. as…as D. whether…or

Transitional Devices. Choose the letter that correctly connects the ideas in the sentence.
Write the letter of your answer on the space before the number.

_____ 35.The mosquito spends its early life in the water ___________ lives on land and in the air
for the rest of its life.
A. but B. since C. therefore D. besides
_____ 36. Studies show that a person’s I.Q. increases with age ___________, as people grow
older, they become more tolerant and more open-minded and objective in their thinking.
A. therefore B. furthermore C. instead D. yet
_____ 37. Typhoon Yolanda hit the town of Concepcion. ___________, many houses and trees
lay in complete ruins.
A. However C. Besides
B. As a result D. Because
_____ 38. The barangay officials had a close-door meeting this morning. _____________, the
committee members were invited in.
A. Later B. First C. Until D. During
III. Determine the main idea of the following selections by selecting the letter of your
answer from the choices given. Write your answer on the space before the number.

_____39. The ability to follow directions is an important skill that you use all your life. Scarcely a
day goes by without the need to obey directions. Cooking, baking, taking medication,
driving, traveling, planning, taking exams and a hundred other common activities
require the ability to follow directions.
A. Everyone must follow directions.
B. Following directions is a special ability.
C. Knowing how to follow directions is important.
D. Other Common activities require the ability to follow directions.
_____40. A person cannot relax and study at the same time. Studying requires a certain amount
of tension, concentration, and effort in specific direction. Of course, the amount of
tension varies with different individuals. The point is that studying is hard work and
people who are not prepared to make a proper effort are wasting their time.
A. Studying is hard work.
B. To study is a waste of time.
C. People vary in their ways of studying.
D. A person cannot relax and study at the same time.
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_____41. The war in Marawi City was very harmful. Thousands of soldiers were killed. Much
property was destroyed. Many innocent women and children suffered unjustly.
Wounded and discouraged fighting men returned home to begin new and uncertain life.
A. The ill-effects of war.
B. Many were killed during war.
C. Much property was destroyed during war.
D. Fighting men who were wounded and discouraged return to their homes.

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by writing the letter only.

The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter

Southern Nigeria

(A) There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild
beasts and animals. (C) Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men.
This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince
did not like any of them. (E) The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had
a daughter who was finer than the prince’s wives, and who found favor in his son’s eyes, the girl
herself and her father and mother should be killed.

_____ 42. The king is best described as __________________.

A. mature and unyielding C. exceptional and kind
B. hardheaded and unreasonable D. grumpy and stern
_____ 43. Sentences A to C reveal that __________________.
A. men and animals coexist C. the tortoise is wise
B. the king is powerful D. there is war between beasts and men
_____ 44. The king sanctioned a law for he was mad at ___________________.
A. the beautiful girls C. himself
B. his son’s wives D. his discontented son
_____ 45. The prince did not like any of his wives because __________________.
A. they are ugly C. he doesn’t want to marry
B. they are poor D. he doesn’t love any of them
_____ 46. What is the king’s motive in passing the law?
A. to punish his son C. to punish the beautiful girls
B. to punish the animals D. to threaten the people
_____ 47. Is the law fair to both men and animals?
A. Yes B. No C. At times D. Not stated
_____ 48. Ekpenyon is a (A. plot B. subject C. character D. voice) in the story.

One day, when both the tortoise and his wife were away on their farm, the king’s son
happened to be hunting near their house, and saw a bird perched on the top of the fence round
the house. The bird was watching the little girl, and was so entranced with her beauty that he did
not notice the prince coming. The prince shot the bird with his bow and arrow, and it dropped
inside the fence, so the prince sent his servant to gather it. While the servant was looking for the
bird he came across the little girl, and was so struck with her form, that he immediately returned to
his master and told him what he had seen.

_____ 49. What will probably happen next?

A. The prince will take the bird.
B. The servant will be sent home.
_____ 50. What will be the king’s reaction to this?
A. He will reward the servant.
B. He will get the bird.
C. The prince will make friends with the girl.
D. The prince will fall in love with the girl.
C. He will look for the girl’s parents.
D. He will get mad at his son.

Prepared by:

Herma V. Mahinay
BCNHS English

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