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M.M. 40, , Shramoday Awasiya Vidyalaya, Betma Khurd, Indore, Class 8th, Subject: English, , Time: 1:30 hrs, , Section A (Reading), , 1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given:, 2.5 marks, Our ancestors had great difficulty in getting books. Now, our difficulty is what to read. There are books and, books but our hours of reading are very few. Therefore, choice becomes essential. We should be very careful, about what we read. There are books which poison our lives by suggesting evils. We should keep them at, arm’s length., We should read only those books which have stood the test of time. Such books are our great classics like the, Ramayana and the Gita. They contain the wisdom of our sages and saints. They have appealed mankind from, generation to generation. Reading of such books has ennobling influence on our mind and character. It gives, us spiritual enjoyment. These books give us instruction with entertainment. They represent our ancient, culture. They set before us high ideals to follow. They are our best friends, best guides and the best treasure., On the basis of your reading of the above passage choose the right option, Q1. We should be selective because, (a) there is a great number of books available to us, (b) there is scarcity of books, (c) there are only bad books in the market, (d) none of the above., Q2. We should avoid those books which, (a) cost high price, (b) come in paperback, (c) corrupt our lives by suggesting evils, (d) come in more than one volume., Q3. The books which have stood the test of time are called…., (a) great books, (b) rare books, (c) biographies, (d) classics, Q4. What is /are special quality/qualities of classics?, (a) They affect our mind in a good way, (b) They teach us something great and also entertain us., (c) They help us in our spiritual growth, (d) All the above., Q5. An expression in the passage which means ‘good effect’ is, (a) Spiritual enjoyment (b) Ennobling influence, (c) high ideals, (d) Very careful., , 2. Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions given:, , 2.5 marks, , Sympathy, I lay in sorrow deep distressed;, My grief a proud man heard,, His looks were cold, he gave me gold,, But not a kindly word., My sorrow passed I paid him back The gold he gave to me,, Then stood erect and spoke my thanks And blessed his charity., I lay in want and grief, and pain A poor man passed my way He bound my head, he gave me bread;, He watched me night and day;, How shall I pay him back again For all he did to me?, Oh, gold is great, but greater far Is heavenly sympathy., —Charles Mackay, , On the basis of your reading of the above passage answer the question by choosing the correct option, (i) One day the poet was in, (a) trouble, (b) need of money, (c) need of a friend, (d) depression., (ii) The proud rich man offered the poet, (a) sympathy, (b) money, (c) bread, (d) tea, (iii) The poet was in a fix because, (a) he didn’t know how to pay back to the rich proud man, (b) he didn’t know the poor man who served him so much, (c) he wanted to give money to the poor man but he had no money, (d) he didn’t know how to pay back to the poor main’s service to him., (iv) The poet realised in the last that, (a) the poor man was better than the rich man, (b) sympathy was more valuable than gold, (c) the rich main was better than the poor man, (d) money was the most important thing in the world., (v) The word that means opposite to sorrow is, (a) carelessness, (b) ability, (c) joy, (d) beauty., , 3., , Section B (Writing), You are Samiksha / Samarth student of St. Xavier Higher Secondary School, Betul, write a letter to your, principal to issue you a transfer certificate, 5 marks, OR, Write a letter to your friend inviting him / her on your birthday.

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4., , Section C (Grammar), Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the words given in the, following box., 0.5 x 5 = 2.5 marks, guide succeed, , i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), 5., (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), 6., , chair travel pale, , draw, , true, , I met a ____________ from an antique land., I need special ____________ in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the, subject., The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy ____________ to Issac Newton., His other problems ____________ into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap., The meeting was ____________ by the youngest member of the board., Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech., 0.5 x 5 = 2.5 marks, Penny said, “Do you really want it son?”, Mill-wheel said, “Will he ride back with me?”, He said to Mill-wheel, “Do you think the fawn is still there?”, He asked Mill-wheel, “Will you help me find him?”, He said, “Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake?”, Section D (Literature), Answer the following questions:, i), What had happened to Jody’s father?, 0.5 mark, ii), Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer, 0.5 mark, iii), How did Jody bring the fawn back home?, 1 marks, iv), Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?, 1 marks, v), Write eight lines of the poem “When I Set Out for Lyonnesse ”, 2 marks