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1 DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, CHANDIGARH Summative Assessment II, Session Class : VIII, Subject : English (Set 1) Time: 3 hours MM: 90 Set number should be w ritten on the title page of the answ er book by the candidate. General Instructions: This paper consists of 4 sections. A. Reading 20 marks B. Writing 23 marks C. Grammar 22 marks D. Literature 25 marks 1. Attempt all the questions. Q.1 Read the following passage carefully: 2. Do not write anything in the question paper. 3. All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the answer sheet provided to you. 4. Ensure that questions for each section are answ ered together. 5. Read each question carefully and follow the instructions. 6. Strictly adhere to the word limit given with each question. Marks will be deducted for exceeding the word limit. SECTI ON A (Reading) 1. Parents would rather see their children honing their computer skills or acquiring expertise in some field that would later enable them to make money. Alternatively, they leave the children to their own devices and, when they become TV addicts, wonder how to cure them of this habit. They are willing to spend any amount of money on toys or 'educational material', but when it comes to investing in storybooks, it's an altogether different matter. 2. Excuses abound that range from lack of time to the burden of the educational curriculum. Yet most parents won't think twice before taking their wards to the shopping malls rather than to bookshops. 3. There is no dearth of good quality children's books in the market and in libraries if one only takes the trouble to look for them. Yet those who consider this a burdensome task are, ironically, the very ones who complain about their child's limited language skills and rush to tutors to remedy this problem. 4. Reading books not only confers a better comprehension of language but also more importantly enhances the ability to deal with life's challenges with maturity and sensitivity. 5. Some, of course, pass the blame on to the children. Getting them to read is apparently an uphill task. But is it really that hard to get children to read these days? The answer is 'yes' and 'no'. Yes' because there are so many

2 additional distractions in the form of TV, videos and computer games. It's a resounding 'no' because it involves just a little bit of time and sincerity to get children hooked to the world of books despite the distractions. 6. All it requires is to introduce them to books at a very early age and have regular storytelling sessions with them. As they grow, you can widen their range of reading, discuss their favourite books and yours, propose alternative story endings, identify their particular narrative interests in short, provide every sort of encouragement for the child reader. 1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage complete the following statements as briefly as possible. Write your answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. (8) (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Excuses made by parents for their indifference to children's reading story books are and Parents find selection of story books for children burdensome yet complain The author favours reading books to coaching by a tutor because Getting children to read these days is considered an uphill task because.. Two ways by which parents can broaden the range of reading are (i) (ii) To interest children in the 'world of books' a little bit of and are required. 1.2 Find words/phrases from the passage which mean the same as the following. Write the answers against the correct blank number in your answer sheet. (2) (a) making sharper or more focused or efficient (para 1).. (b) scarcity or lack of (para 3).. 2. Read the following poem carefully: Wind Wind, come softly. Don t break the shutters of the windows. Don t scatter the papers. Don t throw down books on the shelf.

3 There look what you did-you threw them all down. You tore the pages of the books. You brought rain again. You re very clever at poking fun at weaklings. Frail crumbling house, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters. Crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives, crumbling hearts The wind god winnows and crushes them all. He won t do what you tell him. So, come let s build strong homes, Let s join the doors firmly. Practice to firm the body. Make the heart steadfast. Do this, and the wind will be friends with us. The wind blows out weak fires. He makes strong fires roar and flourish. His friendship is good. We praise him everyday. Wind, come softly. 2.1 On the basis of your reading of the above poem, select the most appropriate option: (5) a) What does the poet want the wind to do? i) to come softly ii) to bring rain iii) to cause destruction iv) to poke fun b) What does the wind do with frail houses? i) crumbles everything ii) builds strong homes iii) spares them iv) joins them firmly c) He won t do what you tell him. He refers to the i) Wind ii) Poet iii) Rain iv) Wind god d) What does the poet suggest to do? i) To build strong homes ii) To befriend the wind iii) To pray to the wind god iv) To plead to the wind e) How can we befriend the wind? i) By flattering the wind god ii) By making the heart steadfast iii) By blowing out weak fires iv) By praising the wind everyday

4 Q.3 Read the following passage carefully. 1. This is the high noon of the Age of Sponsorship. For several years now, we have become used to all kinds of events being sponsored. In many newspapers, every possible feature, barring the editorials, is sponsored. Even the daily weather report is. 2. Student organizations, which were once content to hold low-key festivals in their college, now find corporate sponsors and get massive media exposure for such events. 3. Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival was once an affair confined to individual homes. Today, in Mumbai it provides competition for rival sponsors as the size of the idols grows in height and girth every year and the festivities are held with greater gusto and noise 4. During Dussehra, Mumbai reverberates to the beat of drums. Thousands of young people spend nights dancing to the various versions of the traditional Gujarati 'garba' dance- including the mutant-"disco garba". It is one of those strange twists of irony that dance, which actually liberated women and gave them a legitimate reason to dance their hearts out, has now become a highly sponsored event in which there is no place for traditional 'garba' dancers. In the past, the dancing was free of both self-consciousness; as it was a women's dance, and commerce as it was held in the courtyard. 5. Thus each year something precious is being lost and the worst part of it is that the majority of us are not even aware of it. 3.1 Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given below: (1x5= 5) (a) It is called the age of sponsorship as. (i) there's too much money in the market (ii) newspapers and festivals are all commercialized (iii) common man loves the paraphernalia (iv) money attracts the common man (b) Today Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that. (i) is confined to individual homes (ii) provides an opportunity, for sponsors to invest money (iii) is held for commercial sponsors (iv) has a few sponsors

5 (c) 'reverberates in para 4 means. (i) be repeated as an echo (ii) unimaginable (iii) dangerous (iv) adapted or changed (d) The role 'Garba' played in the lives of the women in the past was to. (e) (i) help them get rid of their inhibitions (ii) provide a stage for their talent (iii) root them in tradition (iv) prove commercially viable for them According to the author, the greatest tragedy of sponsorship is. (i) the loss of money (ii) the focus on unnecessary expenditure (iii) the common man is being duped (iv) the loss of the essence of our culture without realizing it Section - B (Writing) Q.4 Mrs. Roy rang up at her residence. She wanted to talk to her son, Aditya. Her daughter picked up the phone. On the basis of the following telephonic conversation, write a message for Aditya from his sister, Karuna. Do not exceed 50 words. Put the message in a box. (4) Mrs. Roy : Hello, Karuna. Is Aditya at home? Karuna : No, Mom. He has gone out. Mrs. Roy : Well, listen to me carefully and convey my message to him. Karuna : Yes, Mom. Mrs. Roy : Tell him that he must go to Mrs. Prakash's house and return the books I had borrowed from her. They are lying on the table in my room. He must also remember to reach the dentist at 6:00 p.m., as he has an appointment. Karuna : Would that be all, Mom? Mrs. Roy : Yes, you must tell him. Karuna : I'll certainly tell him.

6 Q.5 Given below are some instructions, use them to complete the paragraph that follows. (4) HOW TO MAKE PURI S Prepare dough using water. Leave aside for half an hour. Divide the dough into small balls. Roll them up and deep fry in hot oil. Serve hot with a curry of choice. A dough is (a).it is then (b).the dough is (c).they are (d) and deep fried in hot oil. The puris are now ready to be served with a curry of your choice. Q.6 You forgot to invite a close friend of yours to a picnic you organized on your birthday. As a result he / she is annoyed with you. Write an in about 125 words apologizing to your friend and explaining your position and requesting him / her to forgive you. Offer a special treat. (8) Date: From: To: Subject: Dear Yours Q.7 You are Sukanya/ Suraj and you happened to travel by the prestigious Delhi Metro. You are shocked to find that the people of Delhi push each other in their hurry to board the train causing lot of inconvenience to others. Write a thought provoking speech in about 150 words on the topic Do We Really Deserve the Metro?' using the hints given below. (8) Delhiites spoiling the paradise people crowding at the ticket counters crowd at the entrance door of Metro - don t let the passengers deboard passengers should realize their responsibility should be courteous strict security personnel required

7 Section C (Grammar) Q.8 The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction as against the correct blank number in your answer sheet. (½ x8= 4) Libraries can be termed like store houses (a). of knowledge. A aim of a library is to (b). encourage reading habits. It helps to (c). develop on pupils the ability (d). to learn from the books even with a teacher. (e). The school library are a part of the (f). community and has an active role for play in providing the right values between the books. (g). (h). Q.9 Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences. (5) a) but games / very important / for a student / are also / education / not only b) to exercise / help / games / the body c) to remain / physically / the students / fit always / they help d) exists / healthy body/ a healthy / only in a / mind e) is incomplete/ without / and games/ education / sports Q.10 Complete the dialogues by choosing the most appropriate alternatives from those given below. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole passage. (4) Sonu : Hello Raju! Where are you coming from? Raju : Hello! I am returning from the railway station (a) a ticket for my brother for Delhi. Sonu : (b) to Delhi? Raju : On the 18th. I have heard that (c). Sonu : Yes, but not now, I have an (d) this week. Raju : Good Luck for it! (a) (i) where I had gone to book (ii) where he had gone to book (iii) that he had gone to book (iv) that had I gone to book (b) (i) Where your bother will go (ii) When will your bother go (iii) When your bother will go (iv) Where has your bother come from (c) (i) he was going to Delhi (ii) was he going to Delhi (iii) why was he going to Delhi (iv) you too are going to Delhi

8 (d) (i) football match (ii) final exams (iii) important examination (iv) marriage to attend Q.11 Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph in Indirect Speech. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole passage. (5) Praveen : Where s Shaila? Mamta : She has gone to see a play. Praveen : Does she see it every month? Mamta : No, only once in two months. Praveen : Thanks. Praveen enquired from Mamta (a).. Mamta informed (b) Praveen wanted to know (c)... Mamta replied (d). Then Praveen (e) Q.12 Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate options from those given. Write the correct answers against the correct blank numbers in your answer sheet. Do not copy the whole passage. (4) Money (a)... (was / were /in) invented by man to get power but now money (b)... (have / has / is) become more powerful (c)... (than / is / has) man. All over the world, money (d)... (but / and / was) power work together. The more money (e)... (the / a / he) person has, the (f)... (much / more / most) successful he is judged to be. A rich man is accepted (g)... (by / to / for) society even if he is corrupt (h)... (than/ or/ but) evil. Section D (Literature) Q.13 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow a) What makes the poet so sure that he would get peace there? (2) b) Describe the morning that the poet would have in Innisfree. (1) c) Why does the poet want to go there? (1) Q.14 Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow. My deeds upon my head. I crave the law, The penalty, and forfeit of my bond a) Who is the speaker of these lines? (1) b) Which bond is being talked about here? (1)

9 c) Explain: My deeds upon my head (2) Q.15 Answer the following questions in words each. (2x3= 6) a) In the poem Lake Isle of Innisfree why does the poet repeat repeat I will arise and go now. b) Why did the bearded man ask the King to forgive him? c) Based on your understanding of the poem 'If', what do you mean by And hold on when there is nothing in you. Q.16 Give a brief character sketch of Portia in words. (5) Q.17 Imagine you are the wounded man. You had gone to kill the King and avenge your brother s death but the King saved your life. Describe your feelings and experience in a diary entry in not more than 100 words. (5)