Ministry of Education and Higher Education(MEHE)

Borj El- Barajneh Third Intermediate Public School Scholastic Year: 2018- 2019 Grade/
Monthly Exam 40
Teacher: Hiba Jaber –Hana –Al Hajj
English Language

Name:____________________ Grade:8 Allotted time: 120 minutes Date:

Part one: Reading (score24/40)

Read the following text in which the narrator narrates an incident that shows how important is the
family and how family ties help a person to overcome his/ her challenges and problems in life. When you
are through with the reading answer the questions that follow.
Rough Hands
1. The middle aged woman, who looked more like she was in her sixties, wiped the sweat from her brow as
she entered her little house. She saw her teenage daughter lying on the only bed they had and noticed that
there were tears in the little girl's eyes. The mother noticed that her daughter is facing a problem and tried ft
comfort her and ease her pain.

2. The mother asked her daughter about the tears in her eyes when the latter started crying and said that she
didn't want to go to school anymore. When the mother insisted on knowing the reason behind her daughter's
sadness, the girl told her that her classmates were so rude with her. They ignored her. They talked to each
other, they cracked jokes with each other, but they kept away from her. The daughter explained that she felt
horrible for her friends ignored her, she felt different because they were all wearing the latest fashionable
tops and skirts; they were all carrying cell phones, chatting and SMS- ing all the time. She felt strange being
there.

3. The mother looked at her little girl, went close to her and sat by her side. The hands that stroked the girl's
body were rough and blistered. "But you can make it easy for yourself," said the mother. "How mother,
how?" sobbed the girl. "By doing in college what you entered college for. You didn't enter to make fashion
statement. You didn't enter to impress the others. You go to college, my child, to study hard and to be
somebody one day.

4. " My hands are rough, aren't they? Remember then my child, if you can give those five years all you have
got, if you can see the goal you have set out, then you need not to have hands that do all the work I do.
Forget these phones, those fancy clothes; they will be yours when it is time.
Walk tall in what you wear, shine in the subject you have taken, surely you will get your due."

5. The little girl kissed her mother's hands. A tear dropped from her mother's eyes. "I wasted years with
fancy stuffs; my hands pay the price now."
Questions
A. Answer the following questions in complete sentences of your own.(score:06)
1. State the reason that let the girl to become sad.(score02)
2. How did her mom help her? (score:01)
3. In 2 to 3 sentences, draw a character sketch of the mother.(score:02)
4. If you had been in the girl's place, what would you have done? Explain.(score:1)
B- What does each of the underlined pronouns in the text refer to? (Score: 02)
 1. She (Paragraph 1) 2. She (Paragraph 2) 3. they(Paragraph 2) 4. They (Paragraph 4)

C-Refer to the story to complete the chart below, then copy it on your answer sheet. (Score: 04)
Mode of writing
Purpose of the author
Theme
Point of view

D- The following statements are incorrect because they misinterpret the information presented in the
text. Rewrite them correctly.(score:02)

1. The girl's classmates were so polite with her, and they were always beside her.

2. The mother has smooth hands because she is living a luxurious life.

E- Use contextual clues to figure out the meaning of each word in the box below. Then fill in the blanks with the
correct words to complete the following sentences. Make the necessary changes. (Score: 04)

comfort (parag1) ignored(parag2) rough(parag3)

fancy (parag4) wasted (parag5)

1. If we continue to ----------------- these problems, they will only get worse.

2. They don't -------------- any more of my time.

3. We travelled over ------------------ dirty roads.

4. I don't want a big, ------------------- wedding.

F- Form questions whose answers are the underlined words or clauses in the sentences below.
(Score:04)

1. The little boy usually reads comics at night.

2. My children are playing outside because they have finished their daily assignments.
3. My mom usually answers my questions calmly.
4. Sometimes, I send invitation cards to my friends on special occasions.

G- Rewrite the following sentences correcting the one mistake in each. (Score:02)
1. Where does usually the child play when his mom isn't at home?
2. Kelly's dad doesn't listen to his children, nor do he speak with them.
3. The little boy drew a nice picture for his family right now.
4. My mother usually react angrily and impatiently when I ask her a question.
Part Two: Writing (Score: 16/40)
Choose One of the following prompts:
Prompt (A): Write about a touching experience you had experienced with an old person, say your
grandfather, grandmother, a relative, etc. focusing on the happy and funny side of this experience.
Copy and fill in the following graphic organizer into your booklet. Provide your essay with a title, and use
the ideas that you have filled to develop it.

Title
Experience
Events
Your impression
Your essay will be evaluated based on ideas (score: 05), language: (score: 05), organizer and title (score:04),
tidiness and handwriting(score:2)

Prompt (B): Every member in our family has his own character, qualities, and personality.
Choose any two of your family members to write a compare-contrast composition of 150-200 words in
which you speak about the similarities and differences between the two members.
Before you start writing, use the Venn- Diagram to organize your topic. Your writing will be assessed for
both ideas and form.

Your essay will be evaluated based on ideas (score: 05), language: (score: 05), Venn- diagram and title
(score:04), tidiness and handwriting(score:2)

Good Luck
 Grade 8- Answer Key(Monthly Test)

Rough Hands

Part one: Reading (score:24/40)

A- Questions (score: 06)

1- The girl became sad because her classmates were so rude with her. They ignored her. They talked to each
other, they cracked jokes with each other, but they kept away from her. She felt horrible for her friends
ignored her, she felt different because they were all wearing the latest fashionable tops and skirts; they were
all carrying cell phones, chatting and SMS- ing all the time. She felt strange being there.
)score:02(

2- Her mom tried to comfort her and ease her pain by telling her that she shouldn't waste her time thinking about silly
things. What is important is to study hard and to be somebody one day because she didn't enter to make fashion
statement. She didn't enter to impress the others.(Score: 01)
The mother was a middle aged woman, who looked more like she was in her sixties. She is a wise and -3
experienced woman. She is a hard working woman with rough hands which shows how hard her life is.(score: 02)

Answers vary. Example: If I were in her place, I wouldn't have thought about silly things and I would have studied -4
hard and passed to be an important member in society and help my family. (score:01)

B- (score:02)(0.5 pt each)

she refers to the mother 2. She refers to the girl (her daughter) .1

they refers to the classmates 4. they refers to the rough hands .3

.C- (score:02) 1. Her classmates were so rude with her, and they ignored her

.The mother has rough hands because she is a hardworking woman and she is living a miserable life .2

D- (score:04) Mode of writing: Narrative Purpose: tell a story and teach a moral lesson

Theme: We should never waste our time on silly things and ignore our goals in life. We must work hard to achieve our
.goals

Point of view: Third person point of view

E- (score:04) 1. ignore 2. waste 3.rough 4. fancy

?F- (score:04) 1. What does the little boy usually do at night? 2. Why are your children playing outside

?How does your mom usually answer your questions? 4. What do you send to your friends on special occasions .3

?G- (score:02) 1. Where does the child usually play when his mom isn't at home

.Kelly's dad doesn't listen to his children, nor does he speak with them .2

.The little boy is drawing a nice picture for his family right now .3

.My mother usually reacts angrily and impatiently when I ask her a question .4

Part two: Writing (score: 16/24)

ideas and organization (score:05)language(score:05),organizer or Venn- Diagram and title(score:04)tidiness and

handwriting(score:02)