Half-yearly Examination

Grade - VIII Set - A

Time: 2 ½ Hours Subject - English M.M - 80
DATE:-29.09.2023

General Instructions:
This question paper consists of four sections: A, B, C, and D.
● Section A “Reading” consists of 15 questions of Unseen passages. Each question carries 1 mark.
● Section B “Writing” consists of 3. Each question carries 5 marks.
● Section C “Grammar” consists of 4 questions. Each question carries 5 and 10 marks respectively.
● Section D “Literature” consists of extract based questions, short questions , long questions.
● Write your answers neatly and legibly. Use figures wherever necessary.
● Answer all questions in the provided answer sheet.
● Read the instructions for each section carefully before attempting the questions.

Section A - Reading [15]

Q-1 Read the passage.
● The beginning of this fun-filled season with the sun hidden behind the grey clouds brings cheer to many of us,
waiting eagerly to splash in the rain. Of course, not everything about rain is glamorous.
● Especially when you think about endless traffic jams, the bad roads dotted with potholes, uncleared garbage and
the spate of waterborne diseases. Also, viral infections like colds and coughs make their presence felt.
● Most infectious diseases prevalent in the rainy season can be prevented by simply washing our hands regularly.
Scrubbing hands regularly with water and soap can prevent us from contracting respiratory and diarrheal diseases.
● Kids have a lower level of immunity, and hence hand washing becomes a crucial part of their lifestyle. When
playing, especially during monsoon season, kids come into contact with germs and can unknowingly become
infected simply by touching their nose, eyes or mouth.
● The Food and Drug Administration states that the human influenza virus can survive on surfaces for up to eight
hours, making people susceptible to catching it each time they touch the infected surface. Hence repeated hand
washing is required.
● To make the best of the rainy season, we should follow some simple guidelines. First of all, if we decide to get
wet in the rain we should change into a dry set of clothes at the earliest. Also, we should keep raw food items at
bay and wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before use.
● Moreover, strict kitchen hygiene should be maintained in order to enjoy one of the most beautiful seasons of the
year. Also, in order to have a trouble-free rainy season, home-made fresh food should be given preference over
the fast food sold in the market.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions: [10]

a. People wait for the rains since they can__________in it.

i. Splash
ii. have potholed roads
iii. spate of waterborne diseases
iv. endless traffic jams
b. After getting wet in rain we should put on dry clothes____________
i. as late as possible
ii. whenever we like to
iii. as early as possible
 iv. when we fall sick
c. Besides maintaining kitchen hygiene, we should_________________ so as to keep us disease free in the rainy
season.
i. avoid raw fruits
ii. enjoy raw fruits
iii. avoid vegetables
iv. consume more fruits and vegetables
d. The passage suggests that small children should wash their hands_____________ ____________in the rainy
season since they have lower immunity.
i. Frequently
ii. rarely
iii. after every meal
iv. before every meal
e. The word in the passage which means the same as’ prone and vulnerable ‘is _______.
i. dotted
ii. hygiene
iii. susceptible
iv. influenza
f. In the sentence, "Moreover, strict kitchen hygiene should be maintained in order to enjoy one of the most beautiful
seasons of the year," what part of speech is the word "Moreover" functioning as?
i. Noun
ii. Verb
iii. Adjective
iv. Adverb
g. In the passage, what is the correct verb tense used when describing the importance of hand washing to prevent
diseases in the rainy season?
i. Past tense
ii. Present tense
iii. Future tense
iv. Conditional tense
h. Which sentence in the passage demonstrates the correct use of a compound sentence?
i. "Kids have a lower level of immunity, and hence hand washing becomes a crucial part of their lifestyle."
ii. "Especially when you think about endless traffic jams, the bad roads dotted with potholes, uncleared garbage
and the spate of waterborne diseases."
iii. "The Food and Drug Administration states that the human influenza virus can survive on surfaces for up to eight
hours, making people susceptible to catching it each time they touch the infected surface."
iv. "To make the best of the rainy season, we should follow some simple guidelines."
i. What are some of the positive aspects of the rainy season mentioned in the passage?
j. What are the negative aspects of the rainy season highlighted in the passage?

Q-2 Read the following poem carefully: [5]

“Homework sits on top of Sunday, squashing Sunday flat.

Homework has the smell of Monday, homework's very fat.

Heavy books and piles of paper, answers I don't know.

Sunday evening's almost finished, now I'm going to go

Do my homework in the kitchen. Maybe just a snack,

Then I'll sit right down and start as soon as I run back

For some chocolate sandwich cookies. Then I'll really do

All that homework in a minute. First I'll see what new
 Show they got on television in the living room.
Everybody is laughing there, but misery and gloom

And a full refrigerator are where I'm at.

I'll just have another sandwich. Homework's very fast.”

On the basis of the poem fill in the blanks to complete the sentences given below the poem.

1. The speaker in this poem feels that his homework is…………………

2. The literary device used in 'Homework sits on top of Sunday' is ………………
3. Homework is "fat" means………...........
4. Homework makes the speaker miserable and so he keeps………………
5. The speaker's diversions from homework are snacking and ……………...
Section B - Writing [15]
Q-3 Write a diary entry about 100-120 words about your experience of donating blood in your school and how you felt
after doing so, specially in relation to those undergoing operations and needing blood. [5]

OR

You saw on your TV screen how glad the scientists of ISRO, the Prime Minister, and all the people were on the success
of India’s Mars Mission. Write a diary entry in about 100-120 words expressing your feelings about the same.

Q-4 Attempt any ONE of the following: [5]

Study any ONE of the pictures given below and write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you.
Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a
clear connection between the picture and your composition.

Or
 Q-5 Attempt any ONE of the following: [5]
You, Ashish/Shreya, were impressed by a saying “Great leaders are not born but made.” Acquisition of leadership
qualities begins at school. Write an article about the role of school in fostering the leadership qualities in the students
in about 100-120 words.
● Education Beyond Books
● Teamwork and Collaboration
● Public Speaking and Communication
● Responsibility and Accountability
● Conflict Resolution
● Mentorship and Role Models
● Encouraging Innovation
● Character Building
OR

You, Bilal/Rita, came across a picture in a newspaper. It shows workers removing a large quantity of dead fish from a
river. You were moved and decided to write an article for your school magazine on ‘Environmental Degradation’.
Write an article of not more than 120 words, using your own ideas and give suggestions on how water pollution can be
curbed.
● The Plight of Our Waters
● The Culprits
● The Consequences
● Solutions and Suggestions:-
★ Regulations and Enforcement
★ Community Awareness
★ Technology and Innovation
★ Education

Section C -Grammar [25]

 Q6. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of verbs: [10 x 0.5=5]
a. Neither Raj nor Priya ____ interested in the movie.
b. The team, as well as their coach, ____ been practicing diligently.
c. Ten dollars ____ a reasonable price for that book.
d. The company ____ announced a new product launch.
e. Many tourists ____ exploring the ancient ruins.
f. This classic novel ____ a timeless masterpiece.
g. Sarah and Mark ____ excited about their upcoming vacation.
h. A considerable amount of water ____ spilled during the storm.
i. The pair of shoes ____ neatly arranged on the shelf.
j. The professor, along with his students, ____ attending the conference.
Q7. Convert the following sentences into direct or indirect speech accordingly: [5 x 1=5]
a. She told me that she had just finished reading the book.
b. He said, "I will meet you at the park tomorrow."
c. They asked, "Have you seen the latest movie?"
d. Mary told me that she had never traveled to Europe.
e. The teacher said, "Please submit your assignments by Friday."
Q8. Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners: [10 x 0.5=5]
I was planning to visit (a) ___ (the/a/an/this) museum. On (b) ___ (my/our/the/that) way there, I met (c) ___
(a/an/the/some) archaeologist. He was searching for (d) ___ (the/a/some/this) ancient artifact that had been
buried near (e) ___ (the/a/this/that) riverbank for centuries. The archaeologist believed that (f) ___
(the/an/x/any) discovery of this artifact could change (g) ___ (the/a/our/x) understanding of history. However,
he hadn't found (h) ___ (no/any/much/a) significant clues yet. I offered to help him in (i) ___ (the/this/an/our)
search for the artifact. We spent (j) ___ (a/x/many/much) hours digging and exploring the area.
Q9. The following passage has not been edited. It contains tense related errors. Write the wrong word well as
the corrected word: [10 x 1=10]
Error Correction
I come in very late last night and (a) ______ _______
unfortunately, the dog wakes up and (b) ______ _______
he started to bark. This awake my (c) ______ _______
mother. She does not hear my voice (d) ______ _______
because the dog is barking very loudly. (e) ______ _______
She therefore go back to her room, (f) ______ _______
close the door and (g) ______ _______
telephone the police. (h) ______ _______
The police come right away and (i) ______ _______
the entire neighbourhood wake up. (j) ______ _______

Section D - Literature [25]

Q10. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below: [5x1=5]
“I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.”

a. Which literary device is used in “And joy, like pearl…

i. personification
iii. metaphor
 ii. simile
iv. hyperbole
b. What is meant by “saps the soul”?
c. Which place is the poet referring to?
d. How does the poet want the earth to be?
e. ________ from the extract means the same as “extreme greed”.

Q11. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below: [5x1=5]

“When I first visited Henry, he would treat me with great caution, sitting perfectly on his perch with his back to me.
His nearest eye would move around like the beam of a searchlight until it had me well in focus. Then it would stop,
and the other eye would begin an independent survey of its own. For a long time, Henry trusted no one and
responded to my friendly gestures with grave suspicion.”

a. How was the author treated by Herny on their first meeting?

b. Why was Henry cautious?
c. Write an example of a metaphor from the passage.
d. What is unique about Henry’s eye movements?
e. _______ from the passage is an antonym of “faith”.
i. Suspicion
iii. Gestures
ii. Caution
iv. Perch
Q12. Answer any FIVE of the following in about 50 words: [5x2=10]

a. How did the people react when they spotted the chameleon?
b. What did king Dheema realize when he visited Kamlibai’s house?
c. What was Sidhu Tai told about the processions of a woman’s life?
d. Why did Nicholas enter the lumber room?
e. Why does the schoolboy love to rise on a summer morning?
f. Which personality traits of Miss Pushpa were discussed by the poet?

Q13. Attempt any ONE of the following in about 80-100 words: [5x1=5]

Grandfather saved the Chameleon from certain death and brought him home. What does it tell us about grandfather? If
you were in his place, what would you have done? Why?

OR

“She started begging more earnestly in order to feed the many children that she had now adopted.” Do you thi Sindhu
Tai’s decision was a very difficult one? Why?