o Bachani Nagar o Ashok Nagar o Thakur Complex

Malad (E) Kandivli (E) Kandivli (E)

FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION 2016-2017 ICSE

Grade : VIII Subject : ENGLISH-I Marks: 80

Date : 08/10/16 Time : 2 hrs
 You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
 This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
 The time given at the head of this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
 This paper consists of 4 printed pages
Attempt all questions.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets []
You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering Question 1 and 25 minutes in answering
Question 2

Question.1. (Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question.)

Write a composition (350 – 400 words) on any one of the following: [25]
a. You were always sitting on the fence when it came to believing in ghosts or
spirits. Narrate an incident that has strengthened your belief in spirits.
b. While on a train journey, there is a fire in your compartment. However all
passengers are rescued and no one is hurt. Give a vivid account of the accident.
c. Write an original story that begins with the words: “I wish I could take back that
moment, at the fortune-teller’s table…”
d. “Children’s books can change children’s value.” Express your views either for
or against the statement.
e. Study the picture given below. Write a short story or description or an account
of what the picture suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject
of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, your composition
must have a clear connection with the picture.

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Question.2. (Do not spend more than 25 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following. [10]
a. A friend is coming to visit you. He is arriving by train. Write a letter to your
friend saying that you will meet him/her at a particular place at the railway
station. Also give him/her exact directions to enable your friend to reach your
house in case you miss each other at the station.
b. Your principal has asked for suggestions for the cleanliness drive to be undertaken
by the students and teachers on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. As the Head
Girl/Boy of your school, write a letter to your principal, giving your suggestions.
Question.3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [25]
The Tomato History has origins traced back to the early Aztecs around 700 A.D;
therefore it is believed that the tomato is native to the Americas. It was not until around
the 16th century that Europeans were introduced to this fruit when the early explorers
set sail to discover new lands. Throughout Southern Europe, the tomato was quickly
accepted into the kitchen, yet as it moved north, more resistance was apparent. The
British, for example, admired the tomato for its beauty, but believed that it was
poisonous, as its appearance was similar to that of the wolf peach.
"...most Europeans thought that the tomato was poisonous because of the way
plates and flatware, were made in the 1500's.
Rich people in those times used flatware made of pewter, which has high lead
content. Foods high in acid, like tomatoes, would cause the lead to leech out into the
food, resulting in lead poisoning and death. Poor people, who ate off of plates made of
wood, did not have that problem and hence did not have an aversion to tomatoes. This
is essentially the reason why tomatoes were only eaten by poor people, especially
Italians, until the 1800s.
What changed in the 1800s? First, and most significantly, was the mass
immigration from Europe to America and the traditional blending of cultures. Many
Italian-Americans ate tomatoes and brought that food with them. But also, and perhaps
equally important, was the invention of pizza. There is no pizza without tomato sauce,
and pizza was invented around Naples in the late 1880s. The story goes that it was
created by a restaurateur in Naples to celebrate the visit of Queen Margarite, the first
Italian monarch since Napoleon conquered Italy. The restaurateur made the pizza from
three ingredients that represented the colours of the new Italian flag: red, white, and
green. The red is the tomato sauce, the white was the mozzarella cheese, and the green
was the basil topping. Hence, Pizza Margarite was born, and is still the standard for
pizza. And what could have led more to the popularity of the tomato than the pizza!
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 It was not regarded as a kitchen vegetable until the times preceding the Civil War
Period in the United States. From this point forward, tomatoes have become a staple
item in the kitchen throughout the world. Each area of the world has its own tomato
history and how it is used in everyday dining. It appears though that tomatoes have had
the deepest impact on American eating habits, as they are responsible for enjoying over
12 million tons of tomatoes each year.
a) Give the meanings of the following words as used in the passage. One word
answers or short phrases will be accepted: [3]
i. native -
ii. apparent-
iii. aversion-
b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words: [12]
i. Which period does the tomato date back to? Which place is it native to? [2]
ii. When were the Europeans introduced to the tomato? What were the beliefs of the
British with regard to the tomato? [2]
iii. Why did the Europeans think that the tomato was poisonous? People of which
country favoured the tomato? [2]
iv. State the changes that occurred in the 1800s as mentioned in the passage? [2]
v. What was invented in the 1800s? Why? [2]
vi. What were the three ingredients used? What did they represent? [2]
c) In not more than 60 words, describe how the tomato became known to and
accepted in the various countries of the world. [8]
d) Give an appropriate title to (c). [2]
QUESTION- 4 [20]
a. Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given
in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the
word or phrase appropriate to the blank space. [4]
Falconry is the art of 0________ (catch) animals by using specially 1_________
(train) hawks and falcons. It 2___________ (start) as a very old sport dating back to
2000 B.C. However, it 3___________ (be) not very popular today.
The bird is tamed first. After the 4__________ (train) , it is taken out to hunt. It
5___________ (perch) on the owner's gloved left hand and wears a hood which keeps it
quiet. If the owner wants the bird to attack an animal, he 6 ________(cast) the bird off
by 7 ____________(throw) his left arm forward. The bird then 8 ____________ (fly)
towards its prey, pounces on it and kills it.
0-catching

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b. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words: [4]
1. Adrianna could not get ____________ the shock of her friend’s sudden death.
2. Jim borrowed colours from the boy sitting ______________ him.
3. This place becomes intolerably hot in the summer when the temperature goes
______________ 45o.
4. One must face challenges in life ______________ any fear of failure.
5. They will set ______________ for Delhi this evening.
6. Even though I was very tired, I tried my best to keep ___________ with the other
runners.
7. The car stopped in the midway. It had run ______________of fuel.
8. Chirag and Deepak are best friends. There have no secrets _____________ them.
c. Join the sentences without using and, but and so. [4]
1. She never came to me. I did not help her earlier.
2. His performance was not emotional. His performance was not creative.
3. You stand in the queue early. You will not get the tickets for the show.
4. The player came late for the practice. He managed to escape the punishment.
d. Do as directed. [8]
1. Fateh Chand replied that he did not care about the job. (Rewrite using the
quotation marks)
2. It’s too late to start a new project. (Use: so…that)
3. Jim has not brought this gift for you. (End: …?)
4. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world (Use: high)
5. No sooner did the teacher bring the cane than the boy apologized. (Begin: As
soon as…)
6. I do not want anybody to intervene at this stage. (Use: intervention)
7. The new books have been ordered by the librarian. (Begin: The
librarian…)
8. The officer asked him, “Have I ever humiliated you?” (Rewrite without the
quotation marks)

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