ITL Public School

Summative Assessment 1(2014-15)

ENGLISH (Set -A)

Date: 24.09.2014 Class: VIII
Time : 3 hrs M. M: 70
General Instructions:

1. This paper consist of Three sections:

Section A Reading 20 marks
Section B Writing and grammar 25 marks
Section C Literature and long reading text 25 marks
2. Attempt all questions.
3. Do not write anything on the question paper.
4. All the questions must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the
Answer sheet provided to you.
5. Strictly adhere to the word limit given with each question.

SECTION A – READING

1 Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows by choosing the 5
most appropriate option from those given below:-
Children seem to be impatient to grow up while old people wish they were young again.
Each age brings with it pleasures and pains. One must learn to make the best of each age and
enjoy the present rather than think over the past or dream about the future. Childhood is
blessed as one gets tons of love and affection. Children are pampered. The child is bound by
rules made by the elders. He is constantly told not to do certain things. A child is not free to
make his own decisions. Young age brings with it freedom and self dependence but the
burden of responsibilities also. He is responsible for actions and decisions. In order to be
successful in life, he has to work hard and keep himself out of troubles.
a) The child wants to grow up quickly into an adult
i) as he wants to lead a free life
ii) as he does not want to be bounded by rules and regulations
iii) as he wants to earn his livelihood
iv) as he wants to taste an independent life
b) The responsibilities that come with youth are
i) to lead a free life
ii) to take his own decisions
iii) to earn his livelihood
iv) to make the right judgement
c) Grown up people have to control many of their desires because of
i) the shortage of time
ii) their maturity
iii) keeping themselves away from the pleasures of the day
iv) for the sake of the society
d) Childhood is blessed with
i) responsibilities
ii) pleasures
iii) tons of love and affection
iv) carefree life

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 e) The synonym for „pampered‟ is
i) attract
ii) to indulge
iii) to accept
iv) to spoil

2 Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows by choosing 5
the most appropriate option from those given below:-
Discipline is the watch word of a proper social life. Men living in a society need to follow
certain rules which may help in a smooth functioning of the social set up and this following
of the rules is what is called discipline. The institution or organization which follows its rules
is called a disciplined institution. Those who are members of such an institution or
organization also feel a sense of satisfaction and pride that they belong to a disciplined body.
But to be disciplined means to adjust to curtailment of certain liberties in order to
accommodate the liberty of brother members. We, as social beings, have our liberties but
have to keep our liberties under control and limits so that the liberty of others is not
disturbed. A.G.Gardiner has rightly said, “Liberty is not a personal affair”. While moving on
the road, we have to follow the signals at the crossings, if we violate them the accidents are
bound to occur. Even in personal life a disciplined routine keeps us healthy but, if we
become reckless in our ways of life, we shall end in distress and disease. Therefore being a
social man we have to follow the rules, the violation of which will bring chaos and
confusion.
a) „Discipline‟ means
i) To follow certain rules ii) to do work according to your choice
iii) To act swiftly iv) to think about others while doing the work
b) Discipline gives
i) Irresponsibilities ii) a sense of satisfaction
iii) Lots of burden on the person iv) a feeling of sensible person
c) Liberty
i) Is an affair of society ii) is an institutional affair
iii) Is a personal affair iv) means to think of others
d) Violation of the rules create
i) Chaos and confusion in the society ii) disturbance in the individuals‟ mind
iii) Instability in the organization iv) spoils the thinking of others
e) The synonym of curtailment is
i) Liberty ii) restrictions
iii) Lessen iv) to get less

3 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:- 5
People moan about poverty as a great evil and it seems to be an accepted belief
that if people had plenty of money, they would be happy, and get more out of life. As
a rule there is more genuine satisfaction in life and more is obtained from life in
the humble cottage of the poor man than in the palace of rich men, who are attended
by servants and governesses at a later stage. At the same time I am glad to think
they do not know what they have missed.
It is because I know how sweet and happy and pure the home of honest poverty
is, how free from perplexing care and social envies and jealousies, how loving and
united the members are in the common interest of supporting the family that I
sympathize with the rich man‟s boy and congratulate the poor man‟s son. It is for
these reasons that from the ranks of the poor so many strong eminent self-reliant
men have always sprung. If you read the list of the “Immortals who were not born to
die” you will find that most of them have been poor.
a) What is the popular notion about poverty?
b) Where can one get more genuine satisfaction in life?
c) Why does the author pity the rich man‟s boy?

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 d) Find words which means the same as the following:
i) confusing
ii) self - dependent.
e) Find the antonyms of the words from the passage above:
i) Fake
ii) unknown
4 Read the following poem and answer the questions given: 5
On the doorstep of the temple
Under the hot sun
I see her every day.
Her hands and feet are
Withered like limbs of a dead tree
Her eyes tired of searching
For rays of hope
Are sun like deep caves
In a rock.
Neither they receive light
Nor give it
Her three yard sari
Has torn in thirty places.
Her body has absorbed
Sixty years of dirt.
Her knotty matted hair
Is abode of worm and lice
Here and there some black teeth
Stand as guards in her open mouth
The lines on her face have spread far and deep
Like crow‟s feet.
Raising her shaking hands
With hope in her eyes
She looks at me
And an electric current
Joins together our two hearts
Time goes back fifteen years
Her face changes her eyes twinkle!
When she smiles, her teeth dazzle!
In that one magic moment
I see the image of my dead mother!

Complete the statements :-

a) The setting of the poem is …………….. .

b) The eyes that do not give or take light suggests that woman is ……………… .
c) The woman is about………….years old.
d) The woman reminds the poet of ………………. .
e) The mood of the poet in the poem is that of ……………

SECTION B – WRITING AND GRAMMAR

5 You are Aakash/ Aashima staying in a boarding school in Shimla.Write a letter to your father 6
in about 120-150 words seeking his permission to join an educational tour organized by your
school. You may take help of the value points given below:
[Name of the place and date of journey– purpose of visit – no of students – cost of the trip –
no of days – educational importance]

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6 There is need to improve existing conditions and provide new facilities to attract tourists 5
from within the country and also from foreign countries to historical places in your city/
state.
Write an article in about 100-120 words for publication in any of the newspapers suggesting
ways and means to attract the tourists. Use the value points given.
[Maintenance of public facilities – adequate information – proper hygiene to be maintained
in hotels and tourist places – promote Indian heritage - awareness to respect tourist.]

7 Write a story on ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ with the help of the clues given: 4
Mention the name of the story.(word limit 80 words)
[Two friends – travelling – thick forest – fierce bear coming – one friend ran away – climbed
a tree – other lay down – acted dead – bear sniffed – thought man is dead – went away – first
friend asked – what the bear told him – second friend said – beware of friends who run away
in danger]

8 The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each of the lines. Write 3
the incorrect word and the correct word in the space provided. The first one has been
done.
INCORRECT CORRECT
Steffi start playing at the start started
age of four. Encouraged from a) _________ __________
her father, she become the b) _________ __________
second youngest player for receive c) _________ __________
a world ranking. Tennis is saw d) _________ __________
as a job by him. e) __________ __________
She does it in a brisk manner and gives the
impression that she would finished f) _________ __________
the job in hand as quickly as possible

9 Fill in the gaps below with one suitable word in each by choosing the correct option: 4
Ram Sanehi is a boy of 12. He works in a tea stall. His father, a landless labourer (a)
_________ (from / in / of) Bihar, is unable to support a family of seven. Hunger and poverty
(b) ____________ (forced/made/compelled) him to seek means of livelihood here. The boy
(c) ___________ (which / who / that) was accompanied by his uncle was illiterate and unable
to undertake a skilled job. He has to get up at 5 a.m(d) __________ (whenever/when/then) it
is still dark. He is required to sweep the area (e) ___________ (but/and/therefore) dust the
furniture. He is busy till it is 11 p.m. He has no place where he (f) _____(could/would/can)go
to take rest. So he lies down on a bench (g) _________(close to/near/nearer) the fireplace. He
is paid Rs.450 out of (h)_________ (that/this/what) he has to send Rs.400 to his father.

10 Rewrite the following jumbled words to make meaningful sentences: 3

a) sort of / have /house/ do/ you/ what/?
b) in a / flat / centre of town / in the / live / I
c) how far / to the / is it / nearest supermarket/ from your home/?

SECTION C - LITERATURE AND LONG READING TEXT

11 Reference to Context:
a) “The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed”
i) Whose hand and heart has the poet referred to in this line? Name the poet. 1

b) “For the next three hours she would not leave that cage. She gave him tea, lemonade,
cakes, ice cream and what not. Then „closing time‟ came and we had to leave”
i) Who is „she‟ referred to? Why was she not ready to leave the cage? 1
ii) From where has the above lines been taken? 1

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12 Answer ANY FOUR out of the following questions in brief in about 30-40 words. 4x2=8
a) What necessitated the decision that Baba should be sent to a zoo?
b) Ozymandias refers to himself as „Kings of Kings‟. Which of his character traits does
this statement reveal?
c) What were the first signs of physical disability that the narrator‟s mother noticed?
d) Why was Mme Loisel anxious to hurry away from the ball?
e) What is the significance of the “letter A” to Christy and his family?

13 Answer ANY ONE out of the following questions. 4

Christy Brown was born with a rare disease, which made him physically disabled. But with
the support of his parents and his own strong will power he was able to overcome his severe
disability and became a successful writer. He gives all credit to his mother who supported
him all throughout his tough journey to success.
Imagine you are Christy Brown. Write a letter to your mother expressing your thoughts and
feelings and about the role she played in helping you to live a life of dignity.
OR
In the story „The Necklace‟ the narrator tells us at the beginning that Mathilde Loisel was
very unhappy with her life. What was the reason for her misery? Do you think Mathilde was
justified in feeling so miserable?

14 Answer the following questions in about 80-100 words: 2x5=10

a) Do you think it reasonable that Orlando should not recognize Rosalind?
b) Write a brief character sketch of Rosalind from the novel, „As you Like It‟ by
William Shakespeare.

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