English For Today chapter 12: Sample Questions

Sample Question

Subject: English 1st Paper

Grade: Eight

Time: 3 hours Marks:100

[Marks for individual items are mentioned next to the test items]

Part A - Reading (Marks: 70)

Read the text and answer the questions 1 & 2

People’s music, also known as folk music, consists of tunes, lyrics, and knowledge passed down orally for generations. Over time, this music has evolved, closely tied to the way people live. Our agriculture, food, ecology, seasons, and rituals are all reflected in these songs. Palligiti, Bhatiyali, Jari, Sari, Gambhira, Lalon Giti, Paalagan, and the songs of Hason Raja all embody the self-expression of the people.

As the landscape changes, the music shifts too. In the hill tracts, you encounter music with the same role but expressed in the diverse languages of the ethnic communities. The instruments used for folk music are crafted from materials found in the surroundings—animal skin, bamboo, and calabash are common examples. The sounds they produce are deeply connected to the land they come from.

As people migrate to cities and villages transform, these traditional tunes are slowly fading. However, folk music still finds its place in mainstream films and music albums.

1. Choose the best answer from the alternatives: 1x7=7

a) The title “people’s music” stands for-

i. classical music

ii. popular music

iii. folk music

iv. jazz music

b) What is a defining characteristic of folk music?

i. It is composed by famous musicians

ii. It only exists in urban areas

iii. It is passed down through generations orally

iv. It is always played using electronic instruments

c) Which folk music form is associated with philosophical and spiritual themes?

i. Jari

ii. Sari

iii. Bhatiyali

iv. Lalon Giti

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d) How has folk music traditionally been passed down through generations?

i. through written manuscripts

ii. through printed songbooks

iii. through oral tradition

iv. through digital recordings

e) Which of the following folk music genres is known for being sung by boatmen?

i. Sari

ii. Jari

iii. Bhatiyali

iv. Gambhira

f) How does folk music help preserve cultural heritage?

i. by keeping traditional stories, values, and customs alive

ii. by replacing modern music trends

iii. by only allowing older people to perform it

iv. by being played only in historical museums

g) How is folk music still relevant in modern times?

i. It is integrated into films and music albums.

ii. It is only played in remote villages.

iii. It has completely disappeared.

iv. It is replaced by pop and rock music.

2. Write short answers to the following questions: 5x2=10

a) How is folk music connected to people’s daily lives?

b) What materials are used to create folk music instruments, and why?

c) Why is folk music slowly fading away?

d) How is folk music in the hill tracts different from other regions?

e) How does folk music help preserve cultural identity?

Read the text and answer the questions 3 & 4:

From that day onward, the children held that farmer in high esteem, and whenever they saw him, even as a distance, they would cry, “There’s our farming teacher!” Whenever he had any fertilizer left, he would bring it over and

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spread it on the children’s field, and their crops grew well. Everyday, someone would visit the field and report to the head-master and the other children on how it was doing. The children learned to know the wonder and the joy of seeing the seeds they had planted themselves sprout. And whenever two or three of them were gathered together, talk would turn to the progress of their field.

3. Complete the passage with suitable words: 1x5=5

The children deeply (a) ____ the farmer and affectionately called him their "farming teacher" whenever they saw him. He supported their efforts by (b) ____ surplus fertilizer, which helped their crops thrive. Each day, a student would check on the field and report its (c) ____ to the headmaster and classmates. Through this experience, the children discovered the joy and wonder of seeing their own planted seeds grow. Their (d) ____ was so great that whenever they gathered in small groups, their (e) ____ naturally turned to the development of their field.

4. Read the passage carefully and replace the following words with their suitable synonyms or antonyms: 1x5=5

a) Esteem (Antonyms)

b) Distance (Synonyms)

c) Report (Synonyms)

d) Wonder (Antonyms)

e) Sprout (Synonyms)

Read the text and answer the questions 5, 6 & 7:

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy who is famously known as Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist, philosopher and moral critic. The writer was born on 9th September 1828 in Yasnaya Polyana, in Tula province of the Russian Empire at his family’s estate. He had a traumatic childhood as he lost his mother, father and his aunt who were their local guardian and took care of him and his siblings after the demise of his biological parents.

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He never completed his studies but managed to concentrate all his energy on his first journal. Later, while serving the army, he wrote his first novel “Childhood” which captured all his fondest memories of his childhood followed by many other books. His most critically acclaimed work that is still read all over the world is “War and Peace” followed by “Anna Karenina” and “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” which made him one of the most renowned novelists in the fiction genre.

He finally gave up all his wealth and acknowledged his wife all his copyrights of his work pre-1881 and headed to pilgrimage incognito. He died on 20th November 1910 in the same house. Later he was buried in his own family estate in Tula province in Yasnaya Polyana where the writer lost most of his beloved ones.

5. Complete the table with information from the passage: 1x5=5

6. Read the statements below. Write ‘True’ if the statement is correct and ‘False’ if it is incorrect. If False, write the correct answer: 1x5=5

a) Leo Tolstoy was born in Moscow, Russia.

b) Tolstoy lost both of his parents and his aunt during his child hood.

c) Tolstoy completed his studies before starting his writing career

d) ‘War and Peace’ is one of Tolstoy’s most critically acclaimed hood.

e) Tolstoy transferred the copyrights of all his works to his wife.

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7. Write a summary of the passage in your own words: 10

8. Match the parts of sentences from the Columns A and B to make five complete sentences: 1x5=5

9. Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written: 1x8=8

a) The traveler, astonished, asked why he was treated so well by a stranger.

b) His home was always open, and his hands never empty of love for others.

c) Without hesitation, Hatem invited him in, offering a feast of food and water.

d) Word spread quickly of his hospitality, and people from all over came to witness his heart.

e) Hatem Tai was known far and wide for his generosity and kindness.

f) Hatem Tai's legacy of kindness lives on, reminding all to give without expecting in return.

g) One day, a poor traveler came to his door, starving and thirsty.

h) Hatem smiled and said, "Kindness costs nothing, but it enriches the soul

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10. Answer any five of the following questions from the poems in your textbook: 2x5=10

a) What does the embroidered quilt symbolize in the poem of The field of the embroidered quilt by Jasimuddin?

b) What is the central theme of "Ode on Solitude" by Alexander Pope?

c) What does the speaker pledge to the "Land of our Birth" in the opening lines of the poem “The Children's Songs” by Rudyard Kipling?

d) How does the poem connect the themes of growth and emotional expression in the poem “A Little Plant”?

e) Why do the wild geese begin their journey in the poem “Something Told the Wild Geese “by Rachel Field?

f) How does the poem contrast urban and natural environments in the poem “Green Escape” by Joseph Auslander?

g) What does the poem suggest about the power of imagination in the poem “The News” by Michael Rosen?

h) What message about life and existence might the poet be trying to convey in the poem “Contemplation”?

Part B - Writing (Marks: 30)

11. Read the opening of a story below and complete it in at least ten new sentences. Give a suitable title to it: 10

One day, a hungry little boy was searching for food to eat. He looked for food here and there. Suddenly, he saw a pot. He took the pot and surprisingly found it filled with golden coins! ……………..

12. Write a paragraph on ‘A Day to Remember’ in 150 words: 10

13. Suppose you are Aiyan/Aiyana. You are having a chat with your cousin, Ratan/Ratna. Now, make a dialogue with him/her about the train/bus/aeroplane journey that you have experienced recently: 10

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