ST.

FRANCIS SCHOOL
CBSE/AFF/830413
MODEL PAPER

CLASS: VIII ENGLISH MARKS: 40

Section – A (Reading) 5marks
I. 1. Read the passage given below and answer carefully:
Mirrors have been used since ages. It is said that Archimedes used huge mirrors to
focus the heat of the sun’s rays on enemy ships to burn them. The same principle is
used in solar cookers, where mirrors are used to reflect and focus the sun’s rays on to
cooking containers. Astronomers use huge concave mirrors to focus starlight. The
mirrors used in telescopes are polished by giving a thin coat of silver or aluminium to
the glass. With the telescopes, astronomers can see the heavenly bodies, but even
without the telescopes one can see the moon. A full moon shining overhead is a
beautiful sight. But it is also a puzzle, because if the sun and the moon both give the
same light, then why is the moonlight more pleasant?
The reason is that the moon reflects very little sunlight, in fact, only seven percent of
the light it receives. The earth reflects about half of the radiation that it receives from
the sun. Imagine how bright the earth must be looking from the moon! One can even
read a book on the moon in the earthlight. However, you do not have to travel all the
way to the moon to realize how strong the earth light is. Observe the crescent moon
soon after all the new moon. The bright crescent is illuminated by the sun. The rest of
the moon is illuminated by earthlight. In other words, the light reflected by the earth
is falling on the moon. This is being reflected back to us and is strong enough to show
the moon faintly. As the crescent increases in size, this effect disappears.
Fresh snow is the best reflector of sunlight in nature. As a highly reflective substance,
snow dramatically increases UV-B exposure near the Earth’s surface, as it reflects most
of the radiation back into the atmosphere, where it is then scattered back toward the
surface by aerosols and molecules. Fresh snow can reflect as much as 9.4 percent of
the incoming UV radiation. The bright light reflected by it can dazzle and harm your
eyes. Mountaineers, therefore, use dark glasses.
On the basis of understanding the passage, answer questions that follow. 5X1=5
1. The principle of focusing the sun rays is used in:
a. Solar cooker b. Pressure cooker c. Inverter d. None of the above
2. The dim part of the crescent moon is lit by:
a. sunlight b. satellite c. stars light d. earth light
3. The earth reflects _________ of the radiation received from the sun.
a. about one-fourth b. about three-fourth c. about two-third d. about half
4. The principle of focusing the sun rays is used in:
a. Solar cooker b. Pressure cooker c. Inverter d. None of the above
5. The word ‘crescent’ means______________
a. Demilune b. spherical c. joyous d. bright

Section – B (Grammar & Writing) 10 marks

II. Do as directed: - [5]
2. Which of the following sentences is an example of the first conditional?
a) If it rained, we would stay inside. b) If I had known, I would have helped you.
c) If you study hard, you will pass the exam. d) If I were you, I would have taken the job.
 3. Which of the following is a key characteristic of a good interrogation question?
a) It should be vague and open-ended. b) It should have a single, clear objective.
c) It should be irrelevant to the topic at hand. d) It should contain a lot of information.
4. Convert the given sentence into an interrogative sentence:
"He is a good student."
a) Is he a good student? b) Was he a good student?
c) Why is he a good student? d) Is he not a good student?
5. Which sentence uses an infinitive correctly?
a) To play cricket is my passion. b) Playing cricket is my passion.
c) Played cricket is my passion. d) Cricket played is my passion.
6. In the sentence, "He is interested in painting," what is "painting"?
a) Infinitive b) Gerund c) Participle d) Verb
Writing Skills
7. Write a letter to the Chairman of your Municipality, complaining about the unsanitary condition
of the locality in which you live and request him to take necessary steps in this matter.
(Or)
Write a letter to a teacher who has made a positive impact on your life, expressing
appreciation for their guidance and support.

Section – C (Literature) 24 marks

III. 8. Read the extract given below and attempt the questions that follow. [3]

“The rains have heralded the arrival of some seasonal visitors- a leopard and
several thousand leeches. Yesterday afternoon the leopard lifted a dog from
near the servant’s quarter below the school. In the evening it attacked one of
Bijju’s cows but fled at the approach of Bijju’s mother, who came screaming
imprecations. As for the leeches, I shall soon get used to a little bloodletting
everyday”.
1. Who are the obnoxious visitors that arrive at the hill station?
(a) Leopards and leeches (b) Drongos and minivets
(c) Drongos and leopards (d) Leopards and minivets
2. Whom does the leopard attack?
(a) Dog (b) Minivet (c) Leeches (d) Crows
3. Fearing whom does the leopard run away?
(a) Bijju (b) Bijju’s sister (c) Bijju’s grandmother (d) Bijju’s mother

9. Read the extract given below and attempt the questions that follow. [3]

The poetry of earth is never dead:

When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead,

1. Whose voice would run from hedge to hedge?

(a) The grasshopper (b) The cricket (c) The poet (d) The nature
2. Name the poet.
(a) William Blake (b) John Keats (c) P B Shelley (d) Edward Lear
3. The word cooling means................ .
IV. 10. Answer any THREE out of FOUR questions in 40-50 words. 3X3=9

i). Why was the writer unable to sleep on the night of 2nd August?
ii). Do you agree with the author's belief that climbing the "internal summit" is more
important than climbing physical mountains? Why or why not?
iii). What does the boy enjoy about the summer morning?
iv). Discuss the common features between the grasshopper and the cricket?
11. Answer any TWO out of THREE questions in 30-40 words. 2X2=4
i). Why is education considered ‘a way of life’?
ii). If you were the bird, how would you express gratitude to Princess September for letting you
go?
iii). Why do you think Takshasila and Nalanda have been declared heritage sites?
12. Answer any ONE out of TWO questions in 90-100 words. 5X1=5
i). What does the story teach about the balance between ambition and humility?
OR
ii). Assume yourself to be a tourist who has gone to Musoorie during the
monsoon. Write a note describing your experiences.

NOTE:
 ANNUAL EXAMINATION WILL BE CONDUCTED FOR 80 MARKS.
 NEAT AND LEGIBLE HANDWRITING CARRIES 2 MARKS”.

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