SEVEN SQUARE ACADEMY

Academic Year - 2016-2017

Secondary Section
Summative Assessment I (Model Paper)

Name: ___________________________________ Date: 30-08-2016

Class: VIII Division: __________ Roll No: _____________
Subject: English Total Marks: 90 Time: 3 Hours

General Instructions:

(1) This paper consists of four sections:

Section A – Reading Skills 20 Marks
Section B – Writing Skills 25 Marks
Section C – Grammar 20 Marks
Section D – Literature 25 Marks
(2) All questions are compulsory
(3) You may attempt any section at a time
(4) All the answers of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order
(5) Please write down the serial number of the question before attempting it

SECTION A
(READING - 20 marks)

Q.1) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below: (10 Marks)

Advertising was initially meant to make people aware of the goods available in the market. It was as
simple as announcing what you have in your store or the services you offer in your premises. Over the
years, advertising has evolved into a major industry that goes beyond informing to persuading and
influencing. It is a form of brainwashing consumers.

Advertising has become a type of culture with ardent followers. In the process, it attracts enviable
attention from manufacturers and service providers who fancy an edge over their competitors.
Unfortunately, in keeping with the ever-increasing demands of the manufacturers, the advertisers
have resulted to creating unnecessary wants and excess consumption in most of us. This is a craving
for harmful products that we are better off without. It preys on our minds rendering us completely
irrational. The billboards (hoardings), television and radio advertisements target us from a very early
age, forming our view of the world as we grow into adults. The buzzwords in advertising are, 'you are
cool, type, sophisticated, of the hook', if you use this or that product.

The notion that the media is primarily in place to give us news is not very true. If the truth may be told,
the media is there to gather enough audience, package them into a pricey commodity and sell it to the
advertisers. The advertisers, on the other hand, are always on the lookout for a target audience to
persuade them that this product or service is better than that of the competitor.
Advertising does influence people. Most of the advertisements are filled with images that equate
emotional well-being with material acquisition and associate independence and leisure with
consumption of alcohol. Advertising also makes people lavish their affect on products rather than real
people, thereby destroying human relationships We have become trapped in the web of advertising
where products like brands of beer and cigarette take over our minds, doing away with our core family
values.

When you look critically at most of the advertisements on the television, you will discover how
persuasive the advertisers are in deciding for us what, when, how much and why to buy. But most
people think that they are not influenced by advertisements. This is precisely what the advertisers
want us to think, that in the end 'the people decide'. If you think deeply, nobody in his profit-minded
sense will pay so much money to make a thirty second advertisement, which might not be seen by a
hundred people, leave alone convince them to buy. How we strike a healthy balance between the two
will definitely have a direct bearing on the future of our country. It is unfortunate that alcohol and
tobacco advertising forms a sizeable chunk of the industry.

1. What was the initial aim of advertising?

2. What are the two effects of advertising?
3. Which word in the paragraph means gaining?
4. What does the phrase ‘trapped in the web of advertising’ mean?
5. In what ways have advertisers influenced our actions?

Q.2) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below: (5 Marks)
Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States, yet he never went to college. In
fact, Lincoln had nearly no formal education whatsoever, attending schools for less than a year
throughout his childhood. Yet this should not be construed to mean that Lincoln was ignorant or
unlearned; on the contrary, he was one of the most well-read leaders of the time. The fact is that
Abraham Lincoln educated himself by studying books of religion, philosophy, and literature, and he
continued his voracious reading throughout his life.
A lack of public school education did not prevent Lincoln from becoming a great leader. He led the
United States through four years of civil war, which threatened to divide the nation into two separate
countries. He was a powerful opponent of slavery, and it was largely through his leadership that
slavery was abolished in this country.
Lincoln's determination to educate himself through diligent reading also led to his reputation as a
great orator—and even today his speeches are quoted and studied worldwide. He serves as an
example of a great leader—and a great reader. His love of books and good literature enabled Abe
Lincoln to rise to world renown.

1. What is the main idea of this passage?

a. Abe Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States.
b. Abe Lincoln demonstrated the value of reading.
c. Abe Lincoln was a Republican.
d. Abe Lincoln freed the slaves.
 2. Lincoln accomplished all of the following EXCEPT
a. preventing the United States from being divided.
b. ending slavery.
c. becoming a great leader.
d. establishing the Lincoln Memorial.
3. A voracious reader is
a. likely to become President.
b. a person who makes reading a regular habit.
c. someone who never went to school.
d. probably poor.
4. The underlined word construed, as used in paragraph 1, most nearly means
a. Tormented.
b. taken apart.
c. Unscrewed.
d. Interpreted.
5. According to the passage, what lesson can be learned from the life of Abraham Lincoln?
a. Education is not important.
b. All books are worth reading.
c. Good reading habits can help a person do great things.
d. Politicians are always good role models.

Q.3) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below: (5 Marks)

You are walking through a park you have never visited before when a dog runs past, barking at a
cluster of birds. You turn to see its owner smile and wave. Suddenly, you are overcome by the feeling
that you have been here before—in this same park, with the same dog and birds, while the same
owner is waving his arm in exactly the same way. By the time he lowers his arm, you realize the
situation no longer fits quite so well with your fading recollection. You are sure once again that you
have never been to this park. The familiarity is gone.

Déjà vu, French for "already seen," describes the peculiar feeling of having encountered an identical
situation in the past, without knowing exactly when or where. The memory is most often attributed to
a dream. The feeling lasts only a few seconds and is usually tied to an ordinary event. It may be a visual
scene recalled in detail, or an uncanny knowledge of a new place. What is distinctive about déjà vu is
not the situation itself but the feeling that accompanies it.

More than 70 percent of the population has experienced this phenomenon. Attempts to explain it
range from past lives to repressed memories. Some people believe déjà vu is a form of precognition,
the mysterious ability to know of an event before it happens. Scientists have linked déjà vu to neural
disorders like schizophrenia and epilepsy, suggesting it could be a hiccup of the brain with no
connection to the past. Is déjà vu ordinary or extraordinary? The answer remains a mystery. But
perhaps you've heard this all before...
 1. How would you explain Déjà vu?
2. How do scientists attempt to explain Déjà vu?
3. ‘Uncanny’ means ____________________
a. Unique
b. Strange
c. Detailed
4. The last line of the article is trying to suggest _____________
a. This article was never published before
b. You’ll never fully understand Déjà vu
c. You’ve read this article at a time in the past
d. You can never make up for your past mistakes
5. How long does a Déjà vu last?

SECTION B
(WRITING SKILLS - 25 marks)
Q.4) Expand your ideas on the following in about 80 to 100 words:(Any One) (5 marks)
• The most enjoyable month of the year
• Our forefathers were happier than we are
Q.5) Write a dialogue: (Any One) (5 marks)
• Between a taxi driver and a passenger on the day of strike for taxies and three wheelers.
• Between two friends who have lost their way in a jungle.
Q.6) Write a letter to:
• You are Danny/Eliza, send a letter to your friend Joshua/Diana inviting him/her to join one
week summer camp being organized in your school which includes classes in Art & Craft,
Music and Dance, Marshal Arts and Communication Skills. (7 marks)
OR
• Write an application to the Principal of the school seeking permission to start a ‘Book Club’ in
the school where students can donate books lying unused at their homes.

Q. 7) Write a paragraph on the following in about 50 words: (Any one) (4 Marks)

a. Save Girl Child
b. Travel: A means of education

Q. 8) Danny/Eliza writes an email to the Assistant Police Commissioner, Thane about the
deteriorating law and order condition of his locality Ramdev Park. Write an Email on his behalf
in minimum 120 words. You may use the following hints: (4 Marks)
a. rough looking anti social elements stand on crossings in bazaars
b. tease young girls and women
c. use inappropriate language
d. public in utter fear
e. no policemen on duty
 SECTION C
(GRAMMAR - 20 marks)
Q.9) Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers: (5 Marks)
1. You must not go out to play ___________ you have done your homework. (after, until)
2. He is __________ the Principal __________ the chairperson of the school. (Use appropriate
conjunction)
3. I saw _______ European in the market today. (Use determiners)
4. The programme starts _________ an hour. (Use prepositions)
5. The song that she _______ (sing) for the competition ___________________ (sing) before by many other
participants. (Use simple past or past perfect form of the verbs given in the bracket)

Q.10) Choose from the correct options given below: (5Marks)

1. Silver is ________ expensive than gold.
a. little b. less c. least
2. A phrase is a group of words that _____________________
a. conveys the complete meaning
b. conveys no meaning.
c. conveys partial meaning
3. My neighbour met with an accident
a. as soon as I reached the airport
b. while taking down her telephone number
c. while he was trying to overtake a truck.
4. He is a big industrialist of our town. (Identify the type of sentence)
a. Imperative
b. Interrogative
c. Declarative.
5. _____________ I attend my friend’s birthday celebration at Pune on Saturday, Dad? (Modal verbs of
permission)
a. Can b. Should c. May
Q.11) Do as directed: (5Marks)
1. Women are better administrators than men. (Change to positive degree)
2. May is a hotter month. (Correct the sentence)
3. Give one word for: ‘something that keeps happening without any break’
4. He narrated an interesting event of his childhood. (Pick out the verb and state its kind)
5. They destroyed the house themselves. (Pick out the pronouns and name their kinds)

Q.12) Transform the following sentences: (5 Marks)

1. She could not attend the school due to her father’s illness. (convert to complex sentence)
2. The tea was too hot for me. I could not drink it. (Combine using coordinating conjunction)
3. He is as careful as anybody else in the whole class. (Change to Superlative degree)
4. My friend’s mother said to me that whether I like vegetable juice. (Correct the sentence)
5. Each person should be treated with respect by us. (Change to active voice)
 SECTION D
(LITERATURE – 25 Marks)
Q.13) A) Read the following extract and choose the correct options from those given below:
(3 marks)
“But to go to school in a summer morn, O! it drives all joy away;
Under a cruel eye outworn, The little ones spend the day,
In sighing and dismay.”
1. ‘A cruel eye outworn’ refers to _________
a. The noisy classroom b. The difficult lessons c. The dull life at school
2. Who is the speaker in the poem?
3. How do the children feel in the classroom?
B) Read the following passage and choose the correct options from those given below.
(3 marks)
“There is another summit. It is within yourself. It is in your own mind. Each man carries within himself
his own mountain peak. It is fearful, and unscalable. It cannot be climbed by anyone else. You have to
do it.”
1. From which lesson have these lines been taken? Name the author.
2. ‘The summit of the mind’ refers to _______________
a. Great intellectual achievements
b. The process of maturing mentally and spiritually
c. A fuller knowledge of oneself.
3. ‘Unscalable’ refers to ________________
a. Mount Everest b. The climb c. The summit within
Q.14) Answer the following in 30 to 40 words: (Any 4) (8 marks)
1. According to the writer, what did his experience as an Everester teach him?
2. The old man offered the speaker a lot of money. Why did he turn down the offer?
3. Why was Dr. Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory?
4. What was the Queen’s reaction to September’s grief?
5. What did Hafeez Contractor do as a gang leader?
Q.15) Answer briefly in 50 to 60 words: (Any 2) (6marks)

1. What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?

2. What did the Principal say to Hafeez Contractor, which influenced him deeply?

3. Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the selfish giant.
Q. 16) Answer the following questions in 70-80 words: (Any one) (5 marks)

1. How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?

OR

2. The Giant saw the most wonderful sight. What did he see and what did he realize on seeing
it?