Class 8 Question Paper 2024 English (with Answers)

ANNUAL EXAMINATION

Question Paper
2024

NCERT BASED SYLLABUS
FOR CBSE AND STATE BOARD
FOLLOWING NCERT

Annual Exam Question Paper 2024

SEE/TERM-II 2023-24
CLASS: VIII
SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
TIME: 2:30Hrs. M M: 60
General Instructions;
1. All the questions are compulsory.
2. Question paper is divided into four sections;
(A Reading Skills 15 marks
)
(B Writing Skills 15 marks
)
(C Grammar 10 marks
)
(D Literature and Textbook 20 marks
)

SECTION A- Reading Skills (15 Marks)
1. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: (10 X 1=10 Marks) [10
]
Overpowering prey is a challenge for creatures that do not have limbs. Some species like
Russell's viper inject poison. Some others opt for an alternative non-chemical method – rat
snakes, for instance, catch and push their prey against the ground, while pythons use their muscle
power to crush their prey to death. But snakes can't be neatly divided into poisonous and
non-poisonous categories.
Even species listed as non-poisonous aren't completely free of poison. The common Sand Boa,
for instance, produces secretions particularly poisonous to birds. So the species doesn't take any
chance – it crushes its prey and injects poison as an extra step.
Do vipers need powerful poison enough to kill hundreds of rats with just one drop? After all,
they eat only one or two at a time. While hunting, animals try their worst to kill most efficiently,
their prey use any trick to avoid becoming a meal, such as developing immunity to poison. For
instance, Californian ground squirrels are resistant to Northern Pacific rattlesnake poison.
Competition with prey is not the only thing driving snakes to evolve more and more deadly
poison. Snakes also struggle to avoid becoming prey themselves.
Some snake killers have partial immunity to poison. Famously, mongooses are highly resistant
to cobra poison, and with their speed and agility, kill snakes fearlessly. It would be the death of
cobras as a species if they didn't evolve a more deadly poison to stop mongooses. Poison has
another important role. It's an extreme meat softener, specific enzymes break up the insides of
the prey. Normally, a reptile depends on the sun's warm rays to aid digestion. But I wonder if we
cannot use venom in our favor. In remote parts of India, local hospitality often involves leather

tough meat. I chew and chew until my jaws ache. If I spit it out or refuse, our hosts would be
offended, I swallow like a python stuffing a deer down its throat and hope I don't choke. If only I
had poison.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions-
I. Overpowering ________ is a challenge for creatures that do not have limbs.
Page 1 of 5

a) prey b) humans c) a python d) killer
II. How do pythons overpower their prey?
a) Catch and push the prey to the ground b) Inject poison
c) Use Non-Chemical Method d) Use muscle power
III. Which reptile cannot be put into poisonous or non-poisonous categories?
a) Russell Viper b) Rat Snake c) Python d) Snake
IV. What extra step does Sand Boa take to be sure of their prey’s death?
a) Inject Poison b) Push it to the ground c) Play with its prey d) Overpower it
V. What trick is used by the prey to avoid becoming a meal?
a) Bite the reptiles b) Kill the reptiles before attacking them
c) Develop Immunity to poison d) Push back the reptiles
VI. Why would Indian hosts be offended?
a) If one cooks meat b) If one spits out meat
c) If one sells meat d) If one buys meat
VII. What makes mongoose a snake predator?
a) Their speed and agility b) High Resistance to cobra poison
c) All of these d) Kills snakes fearlessly
VIII. Which reptile is dangerous to birds, according to the passage?
a) Sand Boa b) Cobra c) Russell Viper d) Mongoose
IX. Poison ________ meat.
a) breaks down b) hardens c) softens d) enhances taste of
X. Californian squirrels are ________ rattlesnake poison.
a) helpless against b) indifferent to c) afraid of d) resistant to
2. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: - (CCT) (5 X 1=5 Marks) [5]
Benjamin franklin was born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. He came from a big family.
He had 16 brothers and sisters. When Benjamin was 15, his brother started the first Boston
newspaper. It was called The New England Courant. He worked for the newspaper for a short
time, but he was not happy. So, he went to Philadelphia and work as a printer. In 1729, he bought
a newspaper business. The newspaper was the Pennsylvania gazette. He was very busy. In 1733,
he started publishing poor Richard’s almanac. His pen name (The name he used as an author)
was Richard Saunders. This book came out every year. Almanacs have information about
weather and crops. They also have wise sayings. The wise saying “A penny save is a penny
earned” come from poor Richard’s almanac. Benjamin franklin was also an inventor. In 1743 he
invented a very good stove called the franklin stove. He invented swim fins. He invented bifocal
glasses. He also invented the first odometer. He retired from his newspaper business in 1749. He
stopped working on it then become busy with science. Benjamin Franklin was also very
interested in American politics. He helped Thomas Jefferson write the declaration of
independence. In 1776, he and other people signed the declaration of independence. Franklin
died on April 17, 1790. He was 84 years old.
I. Which newspaper did Ben Franklin buy?
a) The News England Courant b) New England Gazette

c) Pennsylvania Courant d) Pennsylvania Gazette
II. What was Ben Franklin’s pen name?
A. Richard Franklin B. Richard Saunders
C. Thomas Jefferson D. Benjamin Saunders
III. When did his brother start the first Boston newspaper?

Page 2 of 5

IV. What invention did Benjamin Franklin invent?
V. “A penny save is a penny earned.” Do you agree with the statement? Why/why not?
SECTION B - Writing Skills (15 Marks)
3. You are Rohini Mittal, a student of Delhi Public School,Ghaziabad. Write an application to your [5]
principal asking him to sanction you medical leave for 2 weeks. Give reasons, why you need the
leave.
OR
You are Aakriti/ Abhinav. Write a letter to your friend describing your boarding school.

4. Meenakshi Goel is the sports captain of Navodaya school. The sports day is to be held on [5]
September21st which is just two weeks away. She has to inform the house captains that they
have to submit the names of the participants to her in a week’s time. A student cannot take part
in more than three events excluding the relay. Any delay or wrong information will lead to
disqualification of the student. Write the notice for Meenakshi using not more than 40 words.

OR
Yesterday it was your first day in your new school. You made new friends. Teachers were good
to you and you liked the infrastructure of the school. Write about your experiences and feelings
about the new school in your diary.
5. Write a paragraph on any one of the following topics- [5]
a) The morning scene in a village. b) A Visit to the Zoo
c) Importance of Sports and Games
SECTION C -Grammar (10 Marks)
6. Fill in the following blanks with the correct tense of the verbs given in brackets. (1x4=4) [4]
(Past Tense)
a) Mohan had already_______ his breakfast. (take)
b) If she ________ for the examination she would not have failed. (prepare)
c) The bell ________ before I reached the school. (go)
d) The patient ________ before the doctor arrived. (die)

7. Re-arrange the following words/phrases to make meaningful sentences: (1x3=3) [3]
a) bring / festivals / life / colours / to / the / human / of / a
b) many / festivals / celebrated / in / types / India / of / are
c) these / Holi / some / Diwali / of / are / Eid / Christmas / and

8. Write the sentences in passive voice. (1x3=3) [3]
a) We must write to him.
b) They are doing the work.
c) The car hit the man.
SECTION D -Literature and Textbooks (20 Marks)
9. Read the stanza carefully and answer the question that follows: (1x4=4) [4]

O! Father and Mother, if buds are nip’d,
And blossoms blew away,
And if the tender plants are strip’d,

Page 3 of 5

Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care dismay,
How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer fruits appear?
a) Pick out the idiom from the stanza.
b) What time of the season is replicated?
c) Complete the sentence: Plants are stripped of ________.
d) Who is the author of the poem?
OR
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow choosing the correct
options from among the given ones:
That is the grasshopper’s - he takes the lead
In summer luxury - he has never done.
With his delights, for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
a) The word ‘that’ refers to -
(i) the voice (ii) the insect (iii) the bird (iv) the hedge
b) The grasshopper is happy in-
(i) winter (ii) spring (iii) summer (iv) autumn
c) The grasshopper has never done means-
(i) he is never crying (ii) he is never content (iii) he is always singing (iv) he is
always on the move
d) The author of the poem-
(i) Rabindranath Tagore (ii) Thomas Hardy (iii) John Keats (iv) Zulphikar Ghose
10 Answer any FOUR of the following questions in 30 to 40 words each. (2x4=8)
.
a) What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it the best Christmas present in the world? [2]
b) Who was Ignesious? Why did he put his television down on the ground from table? [2]
c) What were the symbols of reverence left by members of the team on the Everest? [2]
[2]
d) What took the author Firdaus to England? Why did he wish to see Hawking?
[2]
e) How do the hills look like in the mist?
11 Answer any TWO of the following questions in 30 to 40 words each. (2x2=4)
.
a) What food did Velu and Jaya get from the garbage bin? [2]
b) What did the other Princesses do out of jealousy towards Princess September and her little [2]
bird? [2]
c) How did Ranji and Suraj become friends?
12 Describe the various metaphors employed in the story. Write your answer in the context of [4]
Jalebis.
OR
In This is Jody’s Fawn, Jody’s father uses a ‘home remedy for a snake bite. What should a
person now do if he or she is bitten by a snake? Are all snakes poisonous? Write a short

paragraph on – What to do if a snake chooses to bite you.

Page 4 of 5

SESSION ENDING EXAMINATION-2024
CLASS 08 - ENGLISH

MARKING SCHEME

1. I-(a) prey II.(d) Use muscle power III.(d) Snake
IV.(a) Inject Poison
V.(c) Develop Immunity to poison VI. (b) If one spits out meat
VII. (c) All of these VIII.(a) Sand Boa IX.(c) softens
X.(d) resistant to
2) I. (d) Pennsylvania Gazette II B. Richard Saunders
III-Full Credit: His brother started the first Boston newspaper when Benjamin
franklin 15 years old.
No credit: to all other response.
IV- Full Credit: he invented the first odometer, the franklin stove, swim fins and
bifocal glasses.
Partial credit: any three or less than three items. No credit: to all other response.
V-Full Credit: Yes, I agree with the statement that a
penny save is a penny earned because if a person does not spend a penny, he would
have a penny with him in the same way as a person who has earned the penny so it is
correct.
Partial credit: yes/no with no relevant points. No credit: to all other response
3) 3rd September, 20XX
The Principal
Delhi Public School
Ghaziabad-127890
Subject-Leave application.
Sir,
I am a student of class VIII A, in your school. I am suffering from Dengue
fever. For this reason I have been admitted to Action Balaji Hospital. I would like to
apply for medical leave from 2nd September, 2014 to 16th September, 2014.
Kindly sanction the leave so that I do not fall short of attendance during Half
Yearly Examination. I shall be obliged to you.
Thanking you.
Yours obediently
(Sign)
Rohini Mittal VIIIA
OR
B-32, sector-11
Rohini
New Delhi-110085
March 15, 2023
Dear Muskan,

How have you been? I hope my letter finds you in best of health and spirits. It
has been almost a month since I transferred to the boarding school. I am very happy in
my new school. The classes and dormitories are very spacious. There are well

equipped science laboratories and a library with a great collection of books. The
school has amazing sports facilities such as swimming pool, horse riding track and
archery range.
I believe my life here will be interesting and enjoyable. Although I have made
many new friends, I still miss you and the other friends. Please, pay my regards to
your parents.
Yours sincerely.
Aakriti/ Abhinav
4)

OR
Wednesday, 1st July, 20XX
8:30 pm
Dear diary,
Today, I joined my new school. It was a very nice and exciting. My class teacher was very
nice to me. She introduced me to the entire class. I sat with Neha, the monitor of the class.
She helped me in every way possible. She gave me her notebooks, shared her lunch with me.
She even helped me with my classwork.
The best thing I liked about the school was the library. It was big and spacious. I am a
passionate reader and I found many books of my favourite authors. The computer lab was
well equipped with the latest models of computers.
I look forward to going to school tomorrow. Now, I am not missing my old friends and my
old school. Now, I am going to sleep as I have to get up early in the morning to get ready for
school.
Babli
5) a) The Morning Scene In A Village
Life in a village is calm and peaceful. The morning scene in a village is very different
from that in a city. In the village, the atmosphere is very peaceful. There is no noise or sound.
The air is pure and fresh. Birds are chirping in the trees. Last week I went to one of my
friends who live in a village. I spent the night with him. In the morning, we went out for a
walk. lt was a pleasant experience. The farmers and labourers were going to work in the
fields in the early morning. The sight of the crops waving in the wind gave me a lot of
pleasure. We went to the river that lies beyond the village. In the morning light, the water of
the river looked clean and sparkling. Some persons were taking bath in the river. We also
took off our clothes and jumped into the river. The cool and freshwater refreshed our bodies
and minds. Indeed the morning scene in a village is very pleasant.

b) A Visit to The Zoo
One day my friends and I went to see the zoo. We bought tickets and went in. First,
we saw many water-birds, ducks and cranes in a pond. On one side there were monkeys in
different cages. In other cages, lions, tigers, wolves and bears were kept. The lion was

sleeping and the lioness was playing with her cubs. They looked very fearful. They roared at
us and we moved on. Then we come to the glasshouses. Birds of different kinds and colours
were kept in them. They were chirping. The white parrot and the white crow were new for us.
Lastly, we enjoyed an elephant ride and returned home.

c) Importance of Sports and Games
Sports and games are very important in our life. They help us to build our body.
Sports and games also teach us the team spirit, unity and leadership. They play a very
important role in our personality development. Many a time we can even take these sports
and games as our profession. Therefore, participation in sports and games should be
encouraged. They help us to keep our body fit.
6) a). taken b). had prepared c). had gone d). had died
7) a). Festivals bring colours to the life of a human. b). In India, many types of festivals
are celebrated.
c). Some of these are Holi, Diwali, Eid, and Christmas.
8) a). He must be written to by us. b). The work is being done by them. c). The man was
hit by the car.
9) a). Buds are nip’d. b). It is the summer season and spring is nearing.

c). Joy d). Ravindernath Tagore
OR
a). the voice b). summer c). he is never content d). John
Keats
10) a). When the narrator came to return Connie's letter and the box, she mistook him for
her husband Jim, due to memory loss and old age. She thought that Jim had come back home
for Christmas. That delusion was Connie's Christmas present. It was the best Christmas
present in the world for her because Jim had written in the letter that he would come home on
Christmas. She had read that letter several times every day to feel that he was near her. Now
that he was finally there with her, she was extremely happy.
10) b). Ignesious was the manager of a cooperative society in Katchall. When his wife told
him about an earthquake, he immediately took his television set off its table and put it down
on the ground so that it would not fall and break.
10) c). The symbols of reverence left by members of the team on the Everest were: i). a
picture of Guru Nanak,
ii). a picture of Goddess Durga, iii). a relic of the Buddha and iv). a
cross.
10) d). Firdaus Kanga visited Britain in order to write a book about his travels. He himself
could move only in a wheel-chair. On the advice of his guide, Kanga planned to meet the
most brilliant and completely paralysed astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking in Cambridge.
Hawking was also the author of the book 'A brief History of Time', one of the biggest
best-seller.
10) e). The mist in the hills provides privacy. Nothing can be seen. The hills are completely
surrounded by mist making them silent. The birds sitting on the tree fly away to different
places. As soon as the mist surrounds the hills, birds too fall silent.
11) a). Two bananas and one vada were all that Jaya got from the garbage bin. She gave a
banana and vada to Velu. She ate the other banana herself. This was all they ate.
11) b). The other princesses asked Princess September to put the little bird in the cage. They
suggested that she would be safe and won’t go away.
11) c). Suraj put his arm lovingly around Ranji and said, "we are friends now, yes?" They
looked at each other with honest, unflinching eyes, and at that moment, love and
understanding were born. "We are friends", said Ranji.

12) The story employs quite a few metaphors. The jalebis, hot and syrupy, stand as a
metaphor for various temptations that young children have and which they are unable to
resist. The boy is lured by the prospect of buying jalebis with his fees money and pay the fees

money with his scholarship money. The four coins, are also metaphors in the story as they
tempt the boy in believing that he could give in to temptation now and make plans of paying
with the money which he did not have yet. The noises produced by the coins, their jingle and
clamour, is representative of the mental conflict going on in the boy’s mind. He was unable to

control his temptation. Therefore, coins are referred to as the 'talking coins', on whom he
transfers the onus of his temptation.
OR
In This is Jody’s Fawn, Jody’s father uses a ‘home remedy for a snake bite. What should a
person now do if he or she is bitten by a snake? Are all snakes poisonous? Write a short
paragraph on – What to do if a snake chooses to bite you.

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