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LOURDES CENTRAL SCHOOL

MODEL PAPER - ANNUAL EXAMINATION – MARCH 2024
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH CLASS – VIII
Maximum Marks: 80 Time: 3 hours
Instructions:
(i)The question paper is divided into Three sections.
Section A : Reading (20 marks)
Section B : Grammar & Writing (30 marks)
Section C : Course Book & Literary Reader (30 marks)
(ii) All questions are compulsory
(iii) You may attempt any section at a time.
(iii) All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
Section – A
(Reading – 20 Marks)

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (10 marks)
. 1.The first time the Indian audience was introduced to cinema was when the Lumiere Brothers came
from France to present six soundless short films. The screening took place at the Watson Hotel on 7
July 1896. However, the first experiment with film by an Indian was the production of two short
films of Save Dada who exhibited them with the help of Edison’s Kinescope. Cinema as a new
entertainment form, however, took its first steps in India in the 1900s and in less than a century,
became the largest film-producing industry in the world.
2. The man behind the production of India’s first fully indigenous silent feature film, Raja
Harishchandra was Dadasaheb Phalke. He was a man of various talents and he enjoyed a varied and
colourful career as a painter, Photographer, playwright and magician before he took an interest in
films. Dadasaheb Phalke is also known as the Father of Indian Cinema for his contribution to the
industry. The Dadasaheb Phalke award is the highest award for contribution to cinema and is given at
the National Film Awards by the Government of India.
3. This film Raja Harishchandra was an excerpt adapted from the Mahabharata. The titles of the film
were both in Hindi and English. The movie was released on 3 May 1913 at the Coronation cinema in
Mumbai. This laid the cornerstone of what is now known as Bollywood. Most of the films made
around this time were adaptations i.e the stories were taken from already successful novels and short
stories that had been published around the same time. The films were also often religious in content,
drawing events and incidents from Indian mythology and folktales.
4. With the onset of the 1920s, Indian Cinema gradually grew into regular industry, producing silent
films. This decade was marked by the arrival of many new filmmakers and production houses. As
cinema became a profitable art form, given that it needed to be produced only once and could be
presented a number of times and that it charged per viewing, this encouraged filmmakers to further
invest their profits in new films and set up infrastructure such as studios, laboratories and theatres that
would stilt the industry and take it to the next level.
5. A momentous event in the history of Indian Cinema was the arrival of sound in films in the 1930’s.
The first such sound film, then known as ‘talkies’, was AlamAra (1931). The talkies soon wiped out
the previous tradition of silent films, and longer films with more complex stories started to be made.
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Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions by choosing the correct
option:
1. The Indian audience was introduced to cinema by :
(a) Edison’s Kinetoscope (b) Lumiere Brothers
(c) DadasahebPhalke (d) Save Dada
2. The film Raja Harishchandra
(a) was a new work of fiction (b) was written and made by the Lumiere Brothers
(c) was adapted from the Mahabharata (d) was adapted from the Life of Harishchandra
3. The Indian film industry became the largest film producer in:
(a) less than a century since its inception (b) the 1930’s
(c) The 1950’s (d) 2010
4. Most of the films made around the beginning of the 1900s were :
(a) adaptations of short stories and novels. (b) adapted from films made in Hollywood.
(c) adaptations of the Mahabharata (d) adaptations of Raja Harishchandra
5. ‘This laid the cornerstone of what is now known as Bollywood.’ Substitute the underlined word with
the most appropriate option from the following:
(a) border (b) boundary (C) foundation (d) none of these
6. Large profits from films encouraged the filmmakers to ___________________________.
7. It became easier to make films that had longer and more complex stories when ________________.
8. Find a word from the passage which means the same as: displayed(para1)
9. Find a word from the passage that is the antonym of :uncomplicated (para5)
10. Dadasaheb Phalke award is the highest award in Indian Cinema. (true/false)

2.Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. (5 )
1.Many years ago, when the art of stunting plants was quite unheard of except in remote areas of India,
Buddhist monks in isolated monasteries in Tibet stunted trees like the oak, orange tree, peepal tree,
watching with excitement, the tree still flowering and bearing fruit regardless of this ‘deformity’. Since
the trees looked so artistically beautiful, the art was learnt by some Chinese monks who taught ‘Bonsai’
making, an art that became most sought after in China.

2.Every garden, among plant lovers, had at least half a dozen ‘bonsais’. China and India claimed rights to
the art, till Japan followed, enamoured by its beauty. Today, Japan leads in Bonsai making of plants and
has derived new methodologies to make the plants look aesthetic and artistic. The most beautiful is the
Cherry blossom, from Sweden, that is breathtakingly attractive. The bonsai remains full grown for even
more than ten years, although it needs constant pruning, watering, shaping and correct environment. The
trees can be planted in colourful containers of your choice.

3.Innumerable schools have mushroomed, where the art is taught and cultivated. Best known among them
is the Indian Bonsai Association.
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4.India has great demand for Bonsai, and hotels, homes, garden houses, farm houses, restaurants, guest
houses, invariably decorate lobby’s dining halls, drawing rooms with these exotic plants. It is aptly said
that, ‘a thing of beauty is a joy forever’. Indeed the Bonsai lasts in one’s imagination long after the plant
has lived its life.

On the basis of your reading the passage, answer the questions by choosing the correct
option: 5 x1 = 5
1. Who pioneered stunting of trees and plants?
(a) Buddhist monks (b) Chinese monks (C) Japanese (d)none of these

2. Which country leads in making Bonsai plants look aesthetic and artistic?
(a) The Chinese (b) The Indians (C) The Japanese (d) The Swedish

3. __________is the most beautiful Bonsai plant.

4. Find a word from the passage which means the same assecluded (para 1)

5. Find a word from the passage that is the antonym of repulsive (para 2)
3. Read the following passage carefully : 5
1. Libraries can be termed as storehouses of knowledge. The aim of a library is to encourage reading for
pleasure. It helps to develop in pupils the ability to learn from the books even without a teacher like
picture books which contain stories and rhymes with pictures. Every child must read the lives of others,
for the acquisition of a set of values which will stand him in good stead.
2. The school library more than anything else is a part of the community, for it must be an interesting
factor in the life and work of the school and it must at the same time be in a link with out-of-school and
adult interest. Today we find children, once out of school, dislike having to open a book. They will,
therefore, neither read books for pleasure, nor pursue hobbies which may lead them to consult books.
Read the following questions and write the option you consider the most appropriate:
1. Libraries can be called as storehouses of knowledge because ____________.
(a) They store books
(b) The books kept in library give us knowledge
(c) They house knowledge
(d) They have only books
2. Libraries should encourage children to __________________.
(a) Read for enjoyment
(b) Read for learning
(c) Read with the purpose of writing an exam
(d) None of the above
3. By reading autobiographies youngsters can acquire____________.
a) Knowledge about those people (b) Motivation
(c) Values (d) All
4. Complete the sentence: Picture books contain _____________________.
5. Find a word from the passage which means the same as: follow or continue with (para 2)
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SECTION B
(GRAMMAR & WRITING: 30 Marks)
4. Fill in the blanks using suitable Conjunctions: (and, but, so, by, because) (4 x ½ = 2)
Mr. Puri has a car of his own (a)_________does not drive it. He goes to his Office(b)____bus. His sons,
Mihir(c) ______Kabir often ask him to start driving to nearby places (d) ______ that he may not face any
problem when they are away.
5. Do as directed: (4 x ½ = 2)
(a) Things have started to look (up / out) for the team ever since they won the tournament.
(Choose the correct preposition to make a Phrasal Verb)
(b) My mother used___________ every night.(read) (Complete the sentence using infinitives)
(c) Would you prefer ___________ to him on the phone? (speak)
(Complete the sentence using participles)
(d) ‘respect’ (add a prefix to form the opposite of the word)

6. Use the correct form of the words given in brackets and rewrite the sentences:
(2 x 1=2)
(a) The date 15th August 1947 is of great (history) (important) to India.
(b) This leader’s (honest) deserves (appreciate).
7. Complete the following paragraph using suitable prepositions: (4 x ½ = 2)
The chameleon is a relative (a)__________ the lizard. It is a reptile. It can be found (b) ____ Africa and
Madagascar. You can also find it in some parts of Asia and Southern Europe. Some varieties of
chameleons can grow (c)________ a length of 60 cm. However, the most common variety does not grow
more than 30cm long. The most interesting thing (d) _______the chameleon is that it is able to change
colour.
8. Change the following sentences into Passive voice (2 x 1 = 2)
(a) I was preparing a pizza for everyone in the house.
(b) Ruskin Bond wrote the Island of Trees.

9.In the following paragraph there is one error in each line. Write the error and your correction in the
space provided. The first one has been done for you as an example. (6 x ½ = 3)

Passage Incorrect Correct

Helen Keller is aged two when (e.g) is was

an illness take away her sight and .

hearing. She also lose the ability

to spoke. So, as a child

she live in a dark and silent

world. At first, it seem impossible

that she would even understood others.

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10.Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been
done for you as an example. (2 x 1 = 2)
Eg.is / modern / complex / life / highly
Modern life is highly complex.
(a) causes / day’s / and body / hard work / on mind / strain / a great
(b) is / therefore / for rest / necessary / leisure / relaxation / and
11. You are the Cultural Secretary of R.M. Public School, Vikaspuri, Delhi. You have been asked to
inform students of class VI to VIII about an Inter – School Dramatics competition. Draft a Notice in
not more than 50 words for the students Bulletin board with all necessary details. 4
12.You a Raju / Rona.Write a letter to the Editor of Deccan Herald complaining about the irregular
clearance of garbage in your locality. 5

13. Write a story beginning with the following input in 125 – 150 words
It was a pleasant Sunday morning. I was enjoying a cup of tea when there came a cute
puppy and started licking my feet ........................................... 6

SECTION C
(COURSE BOOK & LITERARY READER: 30 Marks)
14. Read the following extracts and answer the following: (4 x 1 = 4)
1) ‘Because you’ve dared to laugh at me, you’ll earn your living as a jester – a Vikatakavi.’

(a) What made Tenali Raman laugh?

(b)Why did the goddess curse Tenali Raman?
(b)What was the curse given to Tenali Raman?
(c)What was the outcome of the curse?
2) ‘I wish I could wrap my words (3 x 1 = 3)
Around each fleeting thought
That flits and flutters through my mind
A moth that won’t be caught.'

(a) Name the poem and the poet?

(b) What does the poet wish?
(c)Identify the poetic device in the 3 rd line

3) ‘Did he smile His work to see (3 x 1 = 3)

Did He who made the lamb make thee?’

(a)Who is ‘He’ in the above lines?

(b)Why is the poet puzzled?
(c)What does the ‘lamb’ represent?
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15. Answer any SIX of the following questions in 30 – 40 words (2x 6 = 12)

a) Did the Nobel Prize bring the Curries what they wanted most?
b) Why did Puja’s father take a whole minute to read the meaning of Advia?
c) What effect did the ‘living word’ have on Hellen Keller?
d) What attracted Koki’s great grandfather to the island in the river? What did it result in?
e) List the ways in which tree planting helped Wangari’s movement.
f) According toArun Krishnamurthy what should everyone do to reduce the population we
see around us?
g) Which were the two aims King Ashoka wanted to achieve after he became a Buddhist?

16. On the basis of the lesson ‘Palindrome’ write a brief character sketch of Tenali Raman

OR (1x 4 = 4)

How did scrooge change his life after the visit of the three spirits?

17. Describe the role of Anne Sullivan in the life of Helen Keller. (1 x 4 = 4)

OR

‘‘I think it was the Pool that brought us together more than anything else’’ Elucidate

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