Half Yearly Examination 2022-23

Class-VIII Marks- 80

Sub-English Time-3 hrs

Student’s Name- Roll No-

ENGLISH READER

Q.1.A) Write the meaning of the following words. 6 Marks

i) depressed- ii) mighty- iii) minions-
iv) piercing- v) astounding- vi) worthwhile-

B) Answer the following question: (any 7) 14 Marks

i)Who was Meena? What was strange about her?
ii)What are the other challenging roles in which Mark Inglis had succeeded?
iii)Who made the King a prisoner? Why?
iv)What does ‘Protective arms’ mean?
v)Why did the tribal chief send for the priest?
vi)What is the inspiring message that Mark Inglis gave by his astounding feat?
vii)Describe the scene that Meena saw through the window.
viii)What are the precautions that Mark Inglis took during his climb to the summit?
ix)What made the kingdom prosperous?
x)Compare what Hamid did at the fair with what his friends did.

C) Complete the following sentences. 3 Marks

i) The village was agog with excitement because______
ii)Amina felt tightening around her heart because______
iii)Hamid did not ride on wooden horses & camels suspended on rods because____

D) Choose the correct answer. 2 Marks

1. Little Daddy was different from all the other children because
a) they all came to school before the bell rang. b) they did not read books.
c) little Daddy was always late for school.

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2. This is NOT the reason why the grandparents would lose their patience with Little
Daddy.
a) He wouldn't keep the book down. b) He wouldn't do his homework.
c) He would weep.

UNSEEN PASSAGE

Q.2) Read the passage given below and answer carefully: 5 Marks

One day the old emperor Shahjahan became ill. His son Aurangzeb, who always
wanted to be the emperor, put his father in a jail. Jahanara begum, the eldest child of
Shahjahan, did not leave her father and went to jail along with him. She said, “ I shall share
the suffering of my father. He needs me in his old age, and I shall never leave him.”
Shahjahan lived in the jail for seven years and then he died. During that period princess
Jahanara stayed with him and took care of him. After the death of her father she returned
to her own palace. She continued to live there and spent the rest of her life serving the
needy and the poor. Before her death she gave away all her money to the poor and the
needy. She was highly educated and well versed in Persian and Arabic, as well as a writer,
painter and poet. Jahanara was Shahjahan’s preferred child. Legend says that once when
Aurangzeb was severely sick, Jahanara took care of him. Jahanara died on September 5,
1681, at the age of 67. Upon her death, Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title: Sahibat-
uz-Zamani (mistress of age).

Q 1) What was Aurangzeb’s aim in life?

Q 2) Who was the eldest child of Shahjahan?
Q 3) Pick out and write the line from the passage which shows that Jahanara begum was a
caring daughter?
Q 4) What did Aurangzeb do when his father became ill?
Q 5) Find words in the passage which mean the same as:
(a) King- (b) Sick-

SEEN POEM

Q.3A) Choose the correct answer: 5 Marks

i) On seeing the rider coming with a smile, the speaker
a) felt that he should help him. b) set his hopes very high.
c) thought that the luck of his life had come.
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 ii) The speaker of the poem was not
a) poor b) greedy c) generous

iii) The word ‘crania’ means

a) the brain b) the parts of the skull enclosing the brain c) head

iv) In the phrase ‘in its shrine’ the word ‘it’ refers to
a) the daisies b) America c) television

v) The rider on the chariot is referred to as the’ King of all kings’ because he is
a) a powerful king b) God himself c) a supreme king

B) Answer the following. (any 4) 8 Marks

i) Why are the daisies sad?

ii)Which are the two birds mentioned in the poem ‘The Echoing Green.’
iii)Why did the King of all kings beg to the beggar.
iv) Describe the market scene in the poem in your own words.
v)How is ‘the truth of the world’ accessed?
vi) Write what the following lines meaning—'They perhaps lost the competition’.

C) Write information about the poet “Rabindranath Tagore". 2 Marks

GRAMMAR

Q.4. A) Change the given sentences into passive voice. 4 Marks

i)Wordsworth wrote wonderful poetries.

ii)He had watched a movie.
iii)Soma will write an essay.
iv)I have planted two trees.

B. Read the following options and choose the correct form of the infinitive verb from
the given options. 3 Marks
i) Tina was happy -----.the examination cut-off. (clearing)
ii) Yuvraj was unfit -----.in the match. (playing)
iii) The Convict was reluctant -------the truth. (speaking)
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Q.5. A) Read the following sentences and change into indirect speech. 4 Marks

i) She said, “Shall we start?”

ii) Mahesh said , “Honesty is the best policy.”
iii) He said to me, “What are you doing?”
iv) The teacher said to Rehman, “Stand up right now.”

B) Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject. 2 Marks

i) Every one of those books------ ( is, are ) fiction.

ii) Nobody ----(know, knows ) the trouble I’ve seen.

C) Identify the figures of speech. 2 Marks

i)Go and gather the green leaves on the grass.
ii)She has got a pea-sized brain

Q.6. A ) Do as directed. 2 Marks

i) She plans to visit her brother next month.
( Change into the Present prefect continuous tense)
ii) He runs fast .(Change into Past continuous tense)

B) Read the short paragraphs. Use the words given in the boxes and fill in the blanks
in each case. 3 Marks

Reign reins rain

There was heavy ------ .that day. The king who began his ------.only a few months back
decided to tour his kingdom in disguise. He mounted his horse and took the-------in his
hand, and off he went into the darkness.

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 WRITING SKILL

Q.7)You are Kiran, school captain of Oxford High School, Bahadurgarh. Write a
Notice informing the students about a Poem recitation competition to be held on 25th
September. 7 Marks
OR

Q.You dislike the behaviour of some of your friends. Write a diary entry about your
feelings in about 120 words.

Q.8) Write a letter to your father thanking him for the new bicycle that you received
as your birthday gift. You are Raj staying in Boy's hostel at Shimla.
8 Marks