UMA DEVI CHILDREN’S ACADEMY HALF YEARLY EXAM 2018-19 …udca.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CLASS-8-ENGLISH... · Harivansh Rai Bachchan was born on 27 November, 1907 in Allahabad

UMA DEVI CHILDREN’S ACADEMY HALF YEARLY EXAM 2018-19

DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR

ALL THE BEST ALL THE BEST

© XSEED Education English | Grade 8 1

8 English, Test 1


DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



NAME: ____________________________________ GRADE: _______ SECTION: _______

PART I – Short Answer Questions 40 Marks

1. A. Choose the correct words to fill in the blanks.

a. There are little islands to explore along the coasts of India.

b. The prime minister has all polluting factories near water bodies to be illegal.

c. We had the to carry torches on our hiking trip in the mountains.

d. We must show for those less fortunate than us.

e. Indian weddings are very colourful. There is a lot of pomp, show and .

f. The singer’s deep voice through the auditorium.

g. Gautam Buddha is said to have attained under the Bodhi tree.

h. There is something wrong with the TV as the picture is .

B. Make a sentence with the given word:

jammed:

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the box.

My aunt, lives with us, tells us stories about herself,

amuse us a lot. She tells about the man from garden she used to steal

mangoes. Then they would go under a bridge, she and her friends

would eat them in secret.

6

compassion enlightenment splendour foresight resonated quaint blurred proclaimed

2

where who which whose


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3. Fill in the blanks using the simple past, past perfect or past perfect continuous forms of the verb given in the brackets. Use each verb tense form TWICE.

I (complete) my project by the time my friends called me

down to play with them. I (think) for quite some time

about what we could do that evening. We (utilise) our time

by playing an energetic game of football. I believe we (play)

for well over two hours before we (realise) it was getting dark.

We (exhaust) all our energy by the time we were done!

4. Change the voice (active/passive) of each sentence without changing its meaning. A. The thieves were caught by the policemen.

B. The earthquake flattened the village.

5. Look at the picture.

3

2

6


DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



Describe the picture in 3 sentences. Use and underline the following words in each: A. A vivid verb

B. A descriptive adjective

C. An adverb of manner

6. Change the sentences from direct to indirect speech. A. My sister told me, “I will help you with your Maths homework.”

B. Father said, “I will be leaving for Bhubaneshwar tomorrow.”

C. The shopkeeper said, “We don’t have that book in stock just now.”

7. Choose the correct options from the help box to make meaningful sentences. One has been done for you.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3

I have come here in connection with some urgent business.

A. It was

to allow him to travel alone at the age of 12.

B. The storm hit and damaged the crops.

C. He has a degree in biology

one in mathematics.

D. I will say nothing to anyone

peace in this house!

E. He built a memorial

his late father, whom he loved dearly.

6

5

in memory of in connection with in addition to for the sake of out of the question without warning


DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



8. Underline the gerund in each sentence. In the space provided, write if it acts as the SUBJECT or the OBJECT of the sentence.

A. Dancing can be a fun activity. B. Painting is a relaxing hobby. C. Reading is a critical skill that will always help students. D. Do you enjoy swimming?

9. A. Write what each picture is an example of – Dramatic, Situational, OR Verbal Irony.

a.

b.

c.

4

6


DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



B. Write a new example of any one type of irony. Explain which type of irony it is.

PART II – Long Answer Questions 40 Marks

10. Read the two texts and answer the questions.

Harivansh Rai Bachchan was born on 27 November, 1907 in Allahabad. He was a noted Indian poet. From 1941 to 1952 he taught in the English Department at Allahabad University. He was the second Indian to get his doctorate in English Literature from Cambridge University, UK.

In 1955, he joined the Ministry of External Affairs. He was nominated for the Rajya Sabha in 1966 and received the Sahitya Akademi award in 1969. In 1976, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Hindi literature.

Besides a long list of notable compositons, one of the most famous being Madhushala, he will also be remembered for his Hindi translations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello. He died on 18 January, 2003.

My name is Kavipriya Moorthy. I was born on 2 July, 1989 in Chennai. I completed my schooling at St Xavier’s and got an Engineering degree in 2010 from AIHT. Although I completed my MBA in 2013, the corporate industry did not hold my interest for long.

I wrote my first novel I Don’t Wear Sunscreen in 2014, my second in 2016, and haven’t looked back since. I write at length about gender inequality in our country. My views have been published in newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express. I have conducted writing workshops at IIT, Madras. I also founded a Writer’s Club in Chennai.

I like to think of myself as the voice of the voiceless, and envision an India where each and every woman is empowered.

A. Write N for narrative and E for the expository statements.

a. Harivansh Rai Bachchan taught at Allahabad University.

b. The corporate industry did not hold my interest for long.

c. He joined the Ministry of External Affairs in 1955.

d. I like to think of myself as the voice of the voiceless.

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DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



B. Fill in the table:

Two differences between these accounts

1.

2.

Two similarities between these accounts

1.

2.

C. Fill in the table based on the biography.

Main idea 2 key details

He was a notable Indian poet.

1.

2.

D. Rewrite the following excerpt from the autobiography in THREE SENTENCES in your own words. Write from the 3rd-person point of view.

I wrote my first novel I Don’t Wear Sunscreen in 2014, my second in 2016, and haven’t looked back since. I write at length about gender inequality in our country. I like to think of myself as the voice of the voiceless, and envision an India where each and every woman is empowered.


DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



11. Read the poem and answer the questions in complete sentences.

My Brother, My Friend! On this very night twenty years ago,

We had paced these floors to and fro The hardest goodbye I had ever said My heart had been filled with dread

Those twenty years now have passed Today, we will meet again at last

The hotel doorman hands me a note O Soul! I can’t believe what he wrote

“Don’t wait for me, my brother, my friend My unlawful ways I never did mend

The long arm of the law now looks for me Even if I live, I shall never live free”

As wretched as a beggar I suddenly felt My life a fallen pack of cards, my heart a welt

My brother was laughter and he was life His fateful words stabbed me like a knife

Never again will I cross seven shores, Never again will I return to these doors.

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DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



A. How does the poet feel when he reads the note his brother left for him? B. Why do you think he feels this way? Cite evidence from the poem. C. Fill in the table.

Figure of speech Example from the poem Meaning in the poem

a. Simile

b. Metaphor

D. The poet repeats “Never again will I …” in the last 2 lines of the poem. What is the effect of this repetition? Answer in 2–3 sentences.

12. Read the story and answer the questions in complete sentences.

For Yamini, it wasn’t easy fitting in. She had been given a name that meant ‘night’. She had been born on the same night her father died while rushing to the hospital. Her mother was heartbroken. Through no fault of her own, Yamini brought a weight into the world—of being a source of loss. Yamini grew up being jealous of her older brother. Her mother tried to make her see that she was as good as her brother. Yamini didn’t believe it. “No, I am the cause of my father’s death,” she’d say and walk away. She always looked sad, and never smiled. She would longingly watch her brother and his friends play basketball in the park. The first day she walked into middle school, she was greeted with laughter. She closed her mouth to hide her crooked teeth. “I am ugly,” she thought. Days went by. Classes seemed never-ending and besides, she was the tallest in her class and seemed different from everyone. One afternoon after school she bumped into a tall man. “I am the girls’ basketball team coach, Mr. Wasim!” he announced. Yamini gave a slight smile. He threw her a basketball, which she caught in a smooth movement. “Over there,” he said. She ran to the court, took aim and made the hoop. Once, dribble, twice, dribble, thrice! “Tomorrow, you start with the school team,” Mr. Wasim announced. Yamini stared up at the coach.

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DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



A. Why do you think Yamini said, “No, I am the cause of my father’s death”? Give reasons for your answer.

B. What kind of person do you think Mr. Wasim was? Give reasons for your answer.

C. What was the main problem in the story? Give a reason for your answer.

D. Write a suitable ending to this story in 7 to 8 sentences.

END OF QUESTIONS IN TEST PAPER


DATE: 27.09.2018 MM: 80 TIME: 3 HOUR



Score Report

Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Roll No.: ______________ Grade: ______________ Section: ______________

To be filled in by the teacher:

SECTION QUESTION NUMBER/TOPIC MARKS TOTAL MARKS

Part I Short Answer

Questions

1. Keywords and their Meanings 6

2. Verb Forms: Simple Past, Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous 2

3. Relative Clauses 3

4. Active and Passive Voice 2

5. Descriptive Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs and Adverbs 6

6. Direct and Indirect Speech 6

7. Prepositional Phrases 5

8. Gerunds; Identifying Subject and Object 4

9. Irony: Verbal, Dramatic and Situational 6

PART I SUBTOTAL 40

Part II Long Answer

Questions

10. Biography and Autobiography: Narrative and Expository Statements; Differences and Similarity between 2 Non-Fiction Texts; Main Idea and Key Details, Paraphrasing

13

11. Poem Comprehension: Character and Events; Imagery; Mood; Simile, Metaphor & Personification; Effect of Repetition

13

12. Story Comprehension: Characters’ Motivations and Traits, Problem and Solution; Logically Concluding an Open-Ended Story

14

PART II SUBTOTAL 40

TOTAL MARKS 80

Documents

UMA DEVI CHILDREN’S ACADEMY HALF YEARLY EXAM 2018-19 …udca.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CLASS-8-ENGLISH... · Harivansh Rai Bachchan was born on 27 November, 1907 in Allahabad