SRIRAM PUBLIC SCHOOL, KAMBAINALLUR

PERIODIC ASSESSMENT 02 - ENGLISH - GRADE VIII - 80MARKS

SECTION-A (READING SKILLS)

1. Reading Comprehension:

One day the old emperor Shahjahan became ill. His son Aurangzeb, who always
wanted to be the emperor, put his father in a jail. Jahanara Begum, the eldest child of
Shahjahan, did not leave her father and went to jail along with him. She said, “ I shall
share the suffering of my father. He needs me in his old age, and I shall never leave
him.” Shahjahan lived in the jail for seven years and then he died. During that period,
Princess Jahanara stayed with him and took care of him. After the death of her father,
she returned to her own palace. She continued to live there and spent the rest of her
life serving the needy and the poor. Before her death, she gave away all her money to
the poor and the needy. She was highly educated and well-versed in Persian and
Arabic, as well as a writer, painter and poet. Jahanara was Shahjahan’s preferred
child. Legend says that once when Aurangzeb was severely sick, Jahanara took care
of him. Jahanara died on September 5, 1681, at the age of 67. Upon her death,
Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title: Sahibat-uz-Zamani (mistress of age).

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions:

a) What was Aurangzeb’s aim in life?(2m)

b) Who was the eldest child of Shahjahan?(1m)

c) What did Aurangzeb do when his father became ill?(2m)

d) Jahanara was a kind lady. Explain.(2m)

e) Find words in the passage which mean the same as:(1m)

(a) King

f)What skills and talents did Jahanara possess?(1m)

a) She was highly educated and skilled in painting and poetry.
b) She was skilled in horse riding.
c) She was a great warrior.
d) She was a talented musician.

g) Describe Jahanara's character traits based on the passage.(1m)

a) Selfish and uncaring.
b) Kind, compassionate, and devoted.
c) Greedy and dishonest.
d) Lazy and unskilled.
2.Reading Comprehension:

Many kids are becoming overweight because they are changing their lifestyles and
eating habits, and they don’t get enough exercise. Even though there isn’t an official
survey, doctors who work with kids think that children in cities and from well-off
families are getting heavier. In fancy city areas, about 10 per cent of children have a
problem with being overweight. Lots of kids are eating fast food every day instead of
healthy food.

This is a big concern for doctors and counsellors all over the country. It’s a serious
problem because many school cafeterias sell sugary drinks, chips, and ice cream.
These foods and drinks cause several problems. Too much sugar can lead to diabetes,
and it can make kids feel very hyper and then very tired. This affects their ability to
focus, learn, and behave well. Instead of drinking healthy drinks with calcium,
students are drinking sodas with caffeine, which makes it hard for them to concentrate
and remember things.

1)What are some reasons contributing to kids becoming overweight according to the
passage?
a) Lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits
b) Lack of sleep and too much screen time
c) Too much studying and stress from school
d) Playing too many video games and not enough social interaction.

2. What are some of the unhealthy foods available in school cafeterias?

3. Find a word that is opposite in meaning to “Light.”

4.Why is the availability of sugary drinks, chips, and ice cream in school cafeterias
considered a serious problem?
a) They contribute to tooth decay
b) They cause children to become too hyperactive
c) They lead to obesity and other health issues
d) They are expensive for children to buy

5.What health issue can result from consuming too much sugar?
a) High blood pressure
b) Diabetes
c) Asthma
d) Arthritis

6.What group of professionals is concerned about the issue of children's weight gain?
a) Dentists
b) Psychologists
c) Doctors and counsellors
d) Teachers
7.What is the impact of caffeine in sodas on students?

8. Suggest a suitable title for this passage.

9.Approximately what percentage of children in fancy city areas have a problem with
being overweight?
a) 5%
b) 10%
c) 15%
d) 20%

SECTION B

GRAMMAR (10 marks)

3.Complete any 10 of 12 tasks given below:

A) Write the meaning of the phrasal verb “look forward to” and frame a sentence
with it.

B) Correct the errors related to the modal verbs in the following sentence and
rewrite with correct sentence.
“I ought to help you with the project”,Tina promised her brother.

C) Use collocation for the sentence given :

Yes,and then we can ______ for a walk.

D) Identify and underline the noun clause:

Whoever wins the race will receive a gold medal.

E) Combine the sentences given below using a relative clause:

The athlete won a gold medal.Her performance impressed the judges.

F) Add the appropriate suffix.

The factory made proper arrangements to dispose of _________ waste
(hazardous)

G) Complete the sentence using an adverbial clause.

I saw him running down the street_________(Adverb of time)

H) Correct the errors related to determiners and rewrite it.

Much people lost their homes during the floods.

I) Transform the direct speech into reported speech.

The news anchor reported, “There is a severe storm warning in effect”

J) Fill the gap with a suitable idiom.

Girish is determined to score well in the upcoming exams. he has been
______________.
 K)Use the given idiom in your own sentence.
“ Burn the midnight oil”

L) Choose the appropriate answer:

The difference between what someone would reasonably expect to happen and what
actually happens is called ____________
a) Irony B)pun c)Imagery d)Metonymy

WRITING SKILLS (10marks)

4. OPINION ARTICLE

A)The correspondent of your school wants to hear the students’ views on whether
homeworks are necessary for students to succeed academically. Write an option
article to be included in 150 words.
(OR)
B)Is social media beneficial or harmful for teenagers? Express your views via an
opinion article for 100 to 150 words.

5.
A)DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH.

Write a descriptive paragraph about the topic

“Why learning English language is important?”

B)LETTER WRITING.

Write a letter to your friend telling them about a recent movie you watched and
sharing your thoughts and opinions on it.

SECTION C

LITERATURE

6.READ THE POEM EXTRACT AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING

QUESTIONS: (2×5=10)

Once there were two magnificent towers,

Where lived and worked so many of ours.

It took seven long years to build them straight They stood near the Empire State.

This event happened on the eleventh of September,

It’s an occurrence that generations will remember.

Because thousands of people have died,

Not only of US, but the world’s pride.

Everyone saw with awe and fright,

Twin towers crash in broad daylight.

None quite knows what will happen now,

When ? Where ? And how ?

May God give wisdom to those,

Who are devils in gentlemen’s pose.

Now let us all remove hatred and vice,

And let the world be happy and nice.

QUESTIONS:

1.The title implies that the poem is about………………….

(a) a day in the month of September

(b) a tragedy that occurred on the 11th of September

(c) the importance of number eleven

(d) the wonderful events of the month of September

2. The pronoun ‘them’ in the third line refers to………………………

(a) people (b) Empire State building (c) towers (d) seven years

3. The expression’ Who are deznls in gentlemen’s pose’ can be replaced

by………………..

(a) dogs which look like cats

(b) snakes in the grass

(c) horses with zebra stripes

(d) wolves in lamb’s clothing

4. What can we infer from this line—‘None quite knows what will happen now’ ?

(a) The future appears certain

(b) No one knows about the twin towers

(c) We must be prepared for everything

(d) None but we know about what is to come

5. In the end, the poetess hopes that…………………

(a) God forgives the wrong doers

(b) we seek forgiveness for all of our sins

(c) we join hands in replacing evil with good intentions

(d) we watch whatever is happening in silence.

7.POEM EXTRACT :

Whenever I see Gas balloons go up I wonder where we’d end up If we’re balloons.

Would we go far away To some unknown destiny ?

Or will it be carefully decided goal We would work our way to ?

Balloons! How much they’re

like human beings-

so different from each other

in colours, shapes, design and sizes

Some live long and some don’t

Just like us some find

A pair of loving hands and some don’t

They get lost, burst or destroyed

Like we do

At times
They rub cheeks affectionately

Occasionally you can hear

them whisper secrets

As only friend will

And once in a while, in the chill

of the night, or mist of dawn

you may find one tear

flowing down

silently

QUESTIONS:

1)The poem describes the similarities between………………………..

2)Just as we are unaware about the fate of balloons, we are also……………..
3)Outwardly balloons are different from each other in…………………
4)The line used to describe die rustling sound of balloons is………………………
5)The word from the poem that comes closest in meaning to ‘fate’ is_________.

8.ANSWER ANY FOUR OF THE FIVE QUESTIONS FOR ABOUT 60 TO 80

WORDS : (4×3=12)

a)Briefly convey the message of the folk tale “A Happy Man’s Shirt”

b)What aspects of studying did the author consider their most precious moments?

c)What is the theme of the poem ‘Trains’

d)Why do Subal’s clothes seem bigger ?

e)Use the modal ‘could’ in two sentences to convey ability and a polite request.

9.EXPLAIN ANY TWO OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS GIVEN BELOW.

(2×3=6)

A) Do you think the citizens of the country were kind men ? Support your answer
with evidence from the story.
B)In the poem ‘Trains’ the child is curious and observant. He describes the trains in
detail and asks a lot of questions. Do you think it's important to observe and ask
questions in order to learn?

C)Sushil desired freedom and wanted to enjoy his playtime without any restrictions.
Compare or contrast the same situation with your own experience.

10.ANSWER ANY TWO FROM THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (2×6=12)

A)Read the following extract from “ The Country of the Blind”.Identify and explain
the type of conflict shown in the extract.How is it resolved?

“There was great opposition to the marriage because Nunez was still an outsider, a
man with imperfections. They held him to be an incompetent person.”

B)Write a poem on your own words either on the topic “Memories” or any topic on
your own including rhyming words,schemes and literary devices too.

C) Write a descriptive paragraph in 100to200 words about a time when you saw
something funny happening and could not stop laughing.