FAHAHEEL AL-WATANIEH INDIAN PRIVATE SCHOOL AHMADI – KUWAIT

Term I Examination
English(Sample Paper)

Max Marks: 80
Class : VIII
Time : 3 hours
General Instructions:

• This question paper will be of 80 marks. There will be four sections.

• Adhere to the word limit wherever asked.
• Mention both the option number chosen and the corresponding answer while attempting
the MCQs.
• Attempt your paper neatly. All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question
paper and written in the answer sheet provided to you.

READING ( 20 marks)
A. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: ( 8 marks)
Every evening, some part of The Great Britain hears the chimes of the Big Ben, largest of the bells
in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The bell is popularly called the Big Ben, and it is
this bell which chimes out at each quarter of an hour to the people of London. For Britons at sea
or living in distant lands, the sound of Big Ben is still a link with home, for the chimes are
broadcast each evening by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Big Ben has been chiming now
for more than one-and -a-half centuries. It started chiming on 31 May, 1859.
Big Ben is 9 feet in diameter, 7 feet 6 inches tall, and the thickness where the hammer strikes is
8.75 inches. The clock that regulates the chiming of Big Ben keeps good time. In 1939, The Royal
Astronomer made a 290-day check on the performance of the clock. He found that during this
test, the margin of error was very less. However, there was an unexpected lapse on 12 August
1949, and anxiety swept through the Ministry of Works. On that dark day, the clock was five
minutes slow. Actually, a flock of starlings (a kind of bird) had perched on the minute hand.
On 21 August 2017, a four-year schedule of renovation works began on the tower. Modifications
will include adding a lift, re-glazing and repainting the clock dials, upgrading lighting and repairing
roof tiles among other improvements. With a few exceptions, such as New Year's Eve and
Remembrance Sunday, the bells are to be silent until the work is completed in 2022.
1.Big Ben is actually the
a) clock tower of the Place of Westminster
b) great bell in the clock tower in the Palace of Westminster
c) exclusive radio signal of the BBC
2. 31st May is significant for Big Ben because it is

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a) the anniversary of Big Ben
b) last day Big Ben was heard
c) 100th anniversary of Big Ben
3. The Word ‘lapse’ used in the second paragraph stands for
a) time lag
b) despair
c) alarm
4. Big Ben is still a link with home
a) For Britons at sea
b) For Britons living in distant lands
c) Both A and B
5. On August 12, 1949, Big Ben’s clock was
a) Broken
b) 5 minutes slow
c) 5 minutes fast
6. People outside London can hear the chimes of the Big Ben because
a) the bell’s sound is so loud that it can travel to all parts of the world
b) the legendary bell has become a global phenomenon
c) The BBC broadcasts the chimes

7. The clock lost five minutes once because

a) The maintenance was not done by the Ministry of Works
b) it was a dark day
c) some starlings had roosted on the minute hand
8. The Big Ben is silent since
a) 21 August, 2017
b) 12 August, 1949
c) 11 June , 1859
Answers: 1.a 2.a 3.a 4.c 5.b 6.c 7.c 8.a

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A2. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. (6)

It happened a long, long time ago. Children lived in caves with their parents. As for
animals, there were only reptiles. Every month the reptiles of Pambupatti had a big meeting.
The president of these meetings was Makara, the biggest crocodile of the forest. Since it
was the strongest, every reptile agreed with what he said.
Now, one day Makara sent a letter to tortoises. He asked them not to come to the next
meeting. A tortoise named Ahistay was very angry at it. Yet, none of the tortoises had the
courage to attend the meeting. Before the meeting Makara polished his teeth red so that they
sparkled. At the meeting, he said that the forest didn’t need tortoises. When some reptile
tried to show his disagreement, Makara shouted to silence him. He said that the tortoises
were stupid and slow. They are stupid enough to carry their houses on their back. Then he
announced that he had given tortoises one week to leave the forest. So the tortoises had to
go. At first, all the animals were sad. But soon thereafter, they were happy because there
was now more food, more water and more space for them. After a few days, Makara
expelled the snakes.
While the animals were happy because they had now no fear of snakebite. A few days
passed and the animals found that there were too many rats around them as there were no
snakes to eat them up. The rats ate up the eggs of lizards and crocodiles. They chewed up
even Makara’s own nest of eggs.
Now they understood the importance of maintaining the ecological balance. They were so
sorry that they caused harm to their own happy forest. But it could not be reverted. The
whole place turned out to be a jungle of rats which in course of time got destroyed.

(a) Everyone agreed to what Makara said because ____________________________

__________________________________________________________________
(b) Makara did not want tortoises in the forest as they _________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(c) When the snakes were ordered to quit, all were happy as ____________________
__________________________________________________________________
(d) The rats moved freely as there were _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(e) Another word for ‘munched’ given in the passage is ________________________
(f) The expression for ‘sluggish’ as given in the passage is _____________________
__________________________________________________________________

Ansers:
1. he was the strongest 2. they were stupid and slow according to Makara
3. they need not fear the snake bite 4. no snakes to eat them
5. chewed 6. Stupid and slow

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A3 Read the following poem carefully and answer: (6)

REMEMBER, no men are strange, no countries foreign,

Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours; the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvest, by war’s long winter starv’d
Their hands are ours, and in their lines, we read
A labour not different from our own.
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is the common life
That all ca

n recognize and understand.

Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other.
It is the human earth that we defile,
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of the air that is everywhere our own.
Remember, no men are foreign and no countries strange.

On the basis of your reading of the above poem, choose the correct option from the ones
given.

1. What is there under all uniforms is

a) a human body
b) a single body
c) a plain body
d) a long body
2. What starves a man as given in the poem is?
a) quarrel
b) fight
c) war
d) battle
3. Hating our brother’s means
a) betraying
b) condemning
c) dispossessing
d) all the three
4. If we fight against our own brothers, we
a) starve
b) clean the earth
c) make the earth hellish

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 d) spoil the earth
5. The word ‘betray’ means
a) deceive
b) ill-treat
c) dishonest
d) frustrate
6. `… we who take arms …’ means
a) who twist arms.
b) who handles arms.
c) who raise voices.
d) who fight together.
Answers: 1.b 2.c 3.d 4.d 5.a 6.d
Note: Questions may vary as MCQ’s, Short answers, gap filling etc.

SECTION B –WRITING (15 marks)

B1. You are Neha/Atul, the Head boy of your school. Draft a notice for your school notice
board in more than 50 words about the ANNUAL DAY to be held next month, inviting
names of the students who wish to participate in cultural activities. Give details of the date,
venue, time and items to be held. Add all other necessary details.
[4Marks]

B2. You are Rohit Sharma, monitor of class VIII in SM Arya Public School, Faridabad.
Write a letter to your Principal asking him to arrange for special coaching in science. Give
reasons why you need this in about 80-100 words.
[6Marks]

B3. Given below is some information about a drawing competition in ABC international
school. Use the information to write a descriptive paragraph in about 80-100words.
[5 Marks]
[Students of VI to VIII – various schools – brought – colours – canvas – 60 participants –
theme – environment protection – marvelous paintings – DPS won – first prize.]

GRAMMAR (20 marks)

C1. Read the following conversation and complete the sentences in reported speech (3 marks)
Farah: “Hi, I haven't seen you since June."
Joe: “I've just come back from my holidays in Scotland."
Farah: “Wow! How was your trip?"
Farah greeted Joe and told (i) …………………………………
To this Joe replied (ii) ………………………..

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Farah exclaimed with joy and asked him(iii)……………………
Ans: a. that she hadn’t seen him since June b. that he had just come back from his holidays
c. how his trip had been
C2. Pick out the non-finite verbs and state whether they are infinitives, participles, or gerunds:
(1/2x4=2 marks)
i. The three bears went to the forest to find firewood.
ii. Parking is almost impossible these days.
iii. The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams
iv. The students were asked to submit their assignments by Friday.
Ans: i) to find – infinitive ii) Parking – Gerund iii) Sleeping – Participle iv) to submit - infinitive
C3. Analyse the following sentences stating whether they are simple, complex, or compound.
Also name the clauses. (3 marks)
i. The weather was conducive, but I didn't go out.
ii. You shouldn’t take the risk until you are well prepared and confident.
iii. Every cloud has a silver lining.
i) mc-cc, compound ii) mc-sc, complex iii) mc, simple
C4. Join the sentences using appropriate conjunction. (1/2x4=2 marks)
i. You will do well in the term exam. You study well.
ii. The children were playing in the garden. The father returned from his office.
Ans. i) ………if you study well ii)….when father returned from his office
C5. The following sentences are grammatically incorrect. Rewrite them correctly. (1x2=2 marks)
i. The woman gave a loud scream and fall to the ground.
ii. When Rim arrived at the party, the guests had already leave the venue.
Ans. (i) fell (ii) left
C6. Complete the following passage using the clauses given in the boxes. [4X ½ =2 Marks]

where he should go
how to escape from them
that they should hide for the night
who could barely walk

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The city was plunged in darkness. The little boy did not know (a)--------------------------------.He was
accompanied by his sister (b)…………………………………. He knew he was being followed by
criminals. But he did not know (c)………………………………… . He told his sister
………………………………… .

Ans. a)where he should go b)who could barely walk c)how to escape from them d) that they
should hide for the night

C5. Insert the correct form of the verb in the following sentences. [3X 1 =3Marks]

1.Our Holy Books tell us that man —————— mortal.

a) is

b) was

c) will be

2. The teacher asked the boys whether they —————— the problems.

a)solve
b)have solved
c)had solved
3.His health has improved since he ——————– from the hills.

a) return
b) returned
c) would return

Ans. 1) is 2) had solved 3) returned

C7. Rearrange the following word or phrases to make meaningful sentences. [6X ½ =3 Marks]

i. enters / million tons / the/ every year / of / ocean /plastic.

ii. population / middle-class / increasing / is / coastlines / along.

iii. trash/ increase/ has led / waste management/lack/of/in / to.

Ans. (i) Every year million tons of plastic enters the ocean ..

(ii) Middle class population is increasing along coastlines.

(iv) Lack of waste management has led to increase in trash.

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 LITERATURE (25 marks)
D1. Read the following extract and the answer the questions given below. (1x4=4 marks)
“Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.” I knew
as I did it that it was wrong of me to open the box, but curiosity got the better of my scruples. It
usually does.
i. “To be buried with me’’ here me is ………….
a. Mrs Macpherson
b. Jim
c. The narrator
ii. “I knew as I did” The narrator was going to…
a. repair the roll top desk
b. was going to read the letter
c. meet Jim
iii. The above lines suggest that the narrator was a
a. scrupulous person
b. careless person
c. curious person
iv. Jim is Mrs Macphersons…….
a. brother
b. husband
c. neighbour
Ans. 1.a 2.b 3.c 4.husband
D2. Read the following extract and the answer the questions given below. (1x4=4 marks)
I. At last by starvation and famine made bold.
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
i. The cricket went to the ant because

a. it was raining

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b. it was cold

c. he was starving

ii. The cricket only wished the ant would

a. provide him food

b. provide shelter

c. both (a) and (b)

iii. The poetic device used in the second line is

a. metaphor

b. simile

c. alliteration

iv. Synonym for shortage of food

a. starvation

b. famine

c. scarcity

Ans. 1.c 2.c 3.c 4.b

D2 Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. (2x4=8)

1. What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?

2.What was difficult to understand about the earth when the jet was six miles high?

3.How old was Mrs. Macpherson now? Where was she?

4.Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?

D2. Ans.
( i) * They should concentrate on what they are good at
• They should make the best use of them and thank God
( ii.) * difficult to understand why humans hate each other
• build borders, walls and create fences.
• not living in harmony
( iii.)
• A hundred and one year old

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 • She was in a nursing home in Burlington house, on the Dorchester Road, on
the other side of the town.
iv
• Old schoolmate of Bepin Babu.
• Had been having a rough time lately and had been coming to see Bepin Babu
for a job.

D3. As Chunnilal write a diary entry about how and why you decided to teach a lesson to Bepin Babu.

(100 – 120 words) (6 marks)

D4. Vocabulary exercise from the text books. (3)

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