WS / HW / / RS /316: 2021 - 2022: TERM: I / II

NAME________________________ CLASS: 8 DIV: A B C D E F ROLL NO.: ____ DATE: ____________

SUBJECT: ENGLISH TOPIC: Paper Practice –Paper 1 TEACHER’S NAME: Ms. Mona Roy

Note: This sheet can be assessed. MARKS / GRADE: _____

Text A

Penguin habitat
Penguins are found in many areas in the southern hemisphere. Most people
think they only live in very cold climates like the icy continent of Antarctica, but
they also live in milder areas like the Galapagos Islands, Australia and South
Africa. There are 17 species of penguin. It is the larger species, such as the
Emperor penguin that live in the colder climates.

Penguin characteristics
Penguins are flightless birds, and on land they can only waddle along on their
feet or slide on the ice on their stomachs. However, penguins are excellent
swimmers and spend more than half their time in the sea. They can swim very
fast and dive deep under water when looking for food. A layer of fat together with
air trapped in their feathers keeps them warm in the water and on land in almost
any weather.

Penguin appearance
Penguins are black and white, which gives them excellent camouflage in the
water. When swimming in the ocean, their white stomachs make them hard to
see from below against the sky and sunlight above. Likewise, their black backs
mean they are difficult to spot in the dark ocean.
Penguins mainly eat fish. The types of fish they eat depend on where they live.
They also eat krill (tiny shrimplike animals), squid, shellfish and octopus. Due to
factors such as overfishing and climate change, fish stocks are declining. This
means that the number of penguins is decreasing too as it’s becoming more
difficult for them to feed themselves.

Penguin families
Every spring, penguins return to the same place to lay their eggs. Both parents
take turns sitting on the egg, or eggs, to keep them warm. They also stay close to
new-born chicks to protect them from predators. While one parent watches over
the chick, the other parent will get food, and stores it in its mouth to feed the
chick. The parents look after their chick for several months until it’s old enough to
find food for itself.

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 Text B

Hiking in the Polar Regions: Antarctica

Imagine standing high up on a slope, overlooking an ice-filled bay. Kayaks* glide

across it, the wind gently kisses the surface of the water, and you smile, as you
realise that Antarctica is everything you imagined it would be.

Nothing prepares you for the heart-stopping beauty of Antarctica. The sight and
sound of the amazing penguin colonies. Ice fields, ice cliffs and deep blue
icebergs that dwarf everything around. Seabirds soaring and swooping. Huge,
fabulous whales and colossal elephant seals! Sunsets and sunrises separated by
crimson-streaked skies. It really is an ice paradise!

Who can do it?

Anyone can take part in our hiking programme. The longer hikes last from two to
three hours, but there are shorter walks, up to a number of viewpoints or along
the beach.

What is provided?
Although we only organise our hikes in safe areas, conditions can change
quickly, which may result in delays. Our guides, therefore, always carry safety
equipment. We also have trekking poles for your use and snowshoes to help
improve your grip on slippery surfaces and deep snow.

What do you need to bring?

Hiking boots are required for some of the routes offered. In addition, it’s good to
have a small backpack in order to carry some extra supplies as well as an extra
layer of clothing.

Glossary
kayak: a type of small boat.

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 Section A: Reading
Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read Text A, in the Insert, and answer questions 1–9.

1 Look at the information in the first paragraph.
Where do Emperor penguins live? Tick ( ) one box.
South Africa
Australia
The Galapagos Islands
Antarctica [1]

2 Give two words from the second paragraph which tell us how penguins move
across land.[2]

3 A penguin has two special features that prevent it from getting too cold. What
are the two features?[2]

4 Find one word in the third paragraph which tells us the purpose of penguins’
colouring.[1]

5 Look at this sentence:

‘They also eat krill (tiny shrimplike animals), squid, shellfish and octopus.’
(Line 17)
Why is ‘tiny shrimplike animals’ in brackets?
How does a parent penguin bring fish to its young? [1]

7 (a) Look at the subheadings in the text. Write a similar subheading that is
suitable for the fourth paragraph.[1]

(b) What is the purpose of subheadings in a text like this?[1]

8 Tick ( ) two boxes that we know are true from the passage.
Penguins become independent after a few weeks.
Penguins can be found all over the world.
Penguins are finding it harder to locate food.
Penguins live most of their lives on land.
Penguins from different places eat different food. [2]

9 Why are the number of Penguins diminishing? [2]

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 Text B
Read Text B, in the Insert, and answer questions 10–15.

10 Look at this sentence:

‘Imagine standing high up on a slope, overlooking an ice-filled bay.’ (Line 1)
What effect is the writer trying to have on the reader?[1]

11 Look at this sentence:

‘It really is an ice paradise!’ (Line 8)
Give two ways the writer has emphasised the information in this sentence.[2]

12 Give an example of each of the following from Text B.

alliteration
personification [2]

13 Name two things the company supplies to make walking easier. [2]

14 Give a reason from Text B to explain why it is a good idea to take along the
following items when hiking:
extra clothing
extra supplies [2]

15 Text B has five paragraphs. The main purpose of the first and second
paragraphs is to persuade the reader to go to Antarctica.
(a) What is the main purpose of the third, fourth and fifth paragraphs?[1]

(b) Explain why the writer has chosen to use questions for subheadings in this
text.[1]

Section B: Writing
Spend 30 minutes on this section.
16 Text B is a persuasive article, persuading people to go on a trip to Antarctica.
Write your own article for a school magazine about a leisure-time
activity you really enjoy doing. Try to convince your readers that they would
really enjoy doing it too.
The activity could be:
an individual or team sport
a creative activity, such as dancing, painting, playing / listening to music
a game, such as a computer game or board game.

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