Class 8 Question Paper 2024-25 English (Mid Term)

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

Question Paper
2024-25
NCERT BASED SYLLABUS

FOR CBSE AND STATE BOARD
FOLLOWING NCERT

Mid Term Exam Question Paper 2024-25

SESSION: 2024-2025
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
CLASS – VIII
Time Allowed: 3 hrs. 15 mins. Max. Marks: 80
General Instructions:
(i) First 15 minutes is allowed only for reading the question paper.
Students must NOT start writing during this time.
(ii) This question paper consists of 5 printed pages.
______________________________________________________________________________
Section A-Reading
1. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: (1x10=10)
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 aluminum 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, it reflects 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, 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

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bright light reflected by it can dazzle and harm your eyes. Mountaineers, therefore, use dark
glasses.

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
6. Reflection of snow scattered back toward the surface by________
7. Mountaineers wear _________ while climbing mountains
8. Why do mountaineers use dark glasses?
9. Why is the moonlight more pleasant?
10. Which is the best reflector of sunlight?

2. Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow: (1x10=10)
Gandhiji was an incurable and irresistible fund raiser. He found special relish in getting
jewellery from women. Ranibala of Burdwan was ten years old. One day, she was playing
with Gandhiji. He explained to her that her bangles were too heavy for her delicate little
wrists. She removed the bangles and gave them away to Gandhiji.
He used to talk jokingly to small girls and created distaste for ornaments and created a desire
in them to part with the jewellery for the sake of the poor. He motivated them to donate their
jewellery for social usage.
Kasturba didn’t appreciate this habit of Gandhiji. Once she stated calmly, “You don’t wear
jewels, it is easy for you to get around the boys. But, what about our daughters-in-law? They
would surely want them.”
“Well!” Gandhiji put in mildly, “Our children are young and when they grow up they will not
surely choose wives who are fond of wearing jewellery.” Kasturba was very upset with the
answer.
Gandhiji was determined to keep the jewels to raise the community fund. He was of the
opinion that a public worker should accept no costly gifts. He believed that he should not own
anything costly, whether given or earned. Kasturba was a female with a desire to adorn. But

Gandhiji moved towards renunciation and donated every penny earned in South Africa to the
trustees for the service of the South African Indians.

a. How did Gandhiji create distaste for jewellery in Ranibala?
b. What solution did Gandhiji suggest for the problem posed by Kasturba?
c. What was Kasturba’s apprehension about their daughters-in-law?
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d. According to you, is this a right way to raise fund? Explain.
e. Find the synonym of the word from passage which means 'delight'.
f. The noun form of the word 'adorn' is ____________.
g. Why, according to Gandhiji boys would not choose wives who are fond of jewellery?
h. How were Kasturba and Gandhiji different from each other?
i. What was Gandhiji’s opinion about costly gifts?
j. Do you support Gandhiji’s views with reference to the passage?
Section B- Writing and Grammar

3. Write a story starting with ‘It was pouring heavily, the street lights had gone off, tree
branches were fallen on the road, the street was empty and I was returning…”.
Complete the story in about 120-150 words, providing an appropriate title to it. (5x1=5)
4. You are Anagh/Anaisha. You recently attended a workshop in your town hosted by your
favourite author. Write a diary entry in about 120-150 words recounting your experience
about the entire event. (5x1=5)

5. Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject: (1x6=6)
a. Vaanya ____________ (doesn't, don't) know the answer to the question.
b. One of my sisters ______ (is, are) going on a trip to Cyprus this summer.
c. The man with all the birds ______ (live, lives) on my street.
d. The movie, including all the previews, _______ (take, takes) about two hours to watch.
e. The players, as well as the captain ________ (want, wants) to win.
f. The cars ________ (were/was) parked opposite to each other in the valet parking

6. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct tense from the option given below:
(1x6=6)
a. I __________ working all afternoon and have just finished the assignment.
A. have been B. had been C. shall be D. am
b. Rohan __________ the movie before he read the review.
A. watches B. have watched C. had watched D. was watching
c. He __________ in the States but he still does not have a command over the English language.
A. have been living B. has been living C. have lived D. living
d. By the next month, we shall __________ the project.
A. has completed B. completing C. completed D. have completed
e. Children ______________ for this event for long and they’re happy that they were able to
perform.
A. has been planning B. are planning C. have planned D. had been planning

f. He __________ daily for a year now.
A. exercises B. was exercising C. has been exercising D. have been exercising

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Section C-Literature
7. Answer the following questions with reference to context:
A. “Or by his homestead, or in shadowed yards (1x5=5)
He lingers where his children used to play,
Or through the market, on the well-worn stones
He stalks until the dawn-stars burn away.

A bronzed, lank man! His suit of ancient black,
A famous high top-hat, and plain worn shawl
Make him the quaint, great figure that men love,
The prairie-lawyer, master of us all.’’
a. From which poem has the above extract been taken?
b. Name the poet of the above lines.
c. Why does the ‘man’ linger?
d. Describe any two physical features of the ‘man’
e. What does the poet mean by ‘prairie-lawyer’?

B. “Good books your faults will never see (1x5=5)
Or tell about them round the town.
If you would have their company
You merely have to take them down.
They'll help you pass the time away,
They'll counsel give if that you need.
He has true friends for night and day
Who has a few good books to read.’’
a. What do you mean by ‘true friends’? (write any 2 points)
b. Why is it easy to be friends with books?
c. Give another word for ‘counsel’ as used in the poem.
d. ‘Good books your faults will never see.’ Do you agree with this statement? Why/Why not?
e. Name the poet of the above lines.

C. “Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw- (1x5=5)
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime – Macavity’s not there!
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,”

a. Why is Macavity called the ‘Hidden Paw’?
b. Who is Macavity?
c. Why is Macavity a mystery cat?
d. Give a synonym of ‘defy’ as used in the above lines.
e. State true or false: Macavity is always there on the scene of crime

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8. Answer any six of the following questions in 50-60 words: (3x6=18)
a. How does Macavity outwit the world’s top investigation agencies?
b. Do you really think Macavity is a cat? Why/Why not?
c. What act did Sherlock Holmes put up when he visited the students’ room and why?
d. If given a choice, which of the four March Girls would you want to be and why?
e. What is the role of the supernatural in ‘The Egyptian Tomb’?
f. Enlist all the people who died mysteriously and state the reason of their death in ‘The
Egyptian Tomb’ while excavating Men-Her-ra’s tomb?
g. What did Mr. Aithappa do to get educated and successful when he went to Bombay?

9. Answer any one of the following questions in 100-120 words: (5x1=5)
a. Why do you think Abraham Lincoln was walking through the streets of Illinois at midnight?
Answer this with reference to the theme of the poem.
b. Write in your own words how the mystery starte

d and finally solved in ‘The Egyptian Tomb’?

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