Model Test 7 (Full): Class Eight (অষ্টম শ্রেণী) English 1st Paper

1. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives1 × 7 = 7

Read the passage and answer questions 1 & 2

River gypsies in Bangladesh are having various problems. First, Bangladesh is getting urbanised very rapidly. Gypsy people are losing their customers in urban population. Hence, their income is threatened. Secondly, 24,000 kilometres of previous waterways has shrunk into only 6,000 kilometres in the country in dry seasons. Scientists believe that Bangladesh will be worst affected by global climate change. The unpredictable rain and drying out of rivers have made boat movement heavily restricted. Thirdly, many river gypsies are changing their lifestyle in the context of changed reality. They are thinking of living permanently on land. The authority feels that river gypsies need help to survive in the mainstream population. Therefore, the government is offering voting rights, permanent housing and bank loan facilities. However, changes do not come overnight. Traditionally, river gypsies are used to water life. They have inherited from their forefathers necessary life skills to survive in waters. They have no education and training to adapt to mainstream modern society. So the authority feels the need to bring them under formal education network. But they have no permanent living place. Gypsy children are born and brought up on roaming boats. Therefore, they cannot go to conventional schools. And hence, mobile boat-schools are coming up for gypsy children. Some voluntary organisations are running special schools on boats to educate river gypsy children in some areas.

1. (a) The word 'Gypsy' means
   i. nomad ii. aborigine iii. fortune teller iv. gymnast
2. (b) Why can't gypsy children go to conventional school?
   i. For not having any specific address. ii. For not having any conventional school. iii. For not having any facilities of conventional school. iv. For not having any chance of getting admission into a conventional school.
3. (c) The word "Affect" means
   i. result ii. creation iii. damage iv. re-news
4. (d) The word "Voluntary" means
   i. with cost ii. charitable iii. artificial iv. in lieu of hard labour
5. (e) The authority is serious to provide them ⎯ education.
   i. technical ii. fine art iii. formal iv. informal
6. (f) In this passage 'mobile' stands for
   i. static ii. cellular phone iii. easy to access iv. move from place to place
7. (g) The government is offering them
   i. suffrage ii. everything free of cost iii. rationing iv. treatment

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1. (h) River gypsies live in
   i. fixed places ii. brick built-houses iii. roaming boats iv. the hut
2. (i) Global climate change
   i. has a great effect on gypsy people. ii. has developed the lifestyle of gypsy people. iii. has restricted the gypsy people to add with mainstream population iv. has no effect on gypsy people to lead their life.
3. (j) Many river gypsies are changing their lifestyle because
   i. they are unwilling to live in roaming boats. ii. they have accepted the changed reality. iii. they have no education. iv. they are wandering people.
4. (k) River gypsies are used to
   i. rural life ii. water life iii. farming life iv. urban life
5. (l) What does the word 'rapidly' mean?
   i. slowly ii. fast iii. rarely iv. lightly
6. (m) Many river gypsies are thinking of changing their lifestyle
   i. as they cannot earn enough money ii. as they think it is difficult iii. as they do not like it iv. following the changed reality
7. (n) Reason of losing the customers of river gypsies is
   i. urbanization ii. shrinking of water ways iii. development of the rural areas iv. consciousness of the people
8. (o) Gypsy people are losing their customers in urban population. What does the word 'lose' mean in the above statement?
   i. fail to take ii. fail to keep iii. fail to obtain iv. waste
9. (p) What does the word 'customer' refer to?
   i. seller ii. viewer iii. client iv. friend
10. (q) The gypsy people are thinking of living permanently on
    i. air ii. water iii. land iv. bank
11. (r) Some voluntary organisation are running special schools for river gypsy children because
    i. our children do not want to mix with them ii. their language is different iii. their culture is different iv. they cannot go to conventional schools
12. (s) Almost all the customers of rural gypsies are
    i. town women ii. city men iii. urban people iv. rural people
13. (t) The word 'various' refers to
    i. serious ii. injurious iii. different iv. strange

2. Answer the following questions2 × 5 = 10

Answer from the passage about the river gypsies. Write 1–2 short sentences for each.

1. (a) How does global climate change affect Bangladesh?
2. (b) What does the authority feel about gypsy people?
3. (c) What is the effect of global climate change in Bangladesh?
4. (d) Where are the gypsy children born and brought up?
5. (e) How do they learn the skills to survive in waters?

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1. (f) What is mobile boat-school?
2. (g) Where are gypsy children born and brought up?
3. (h) Who have come forward to educate gypsy children?
4. (i) Why can't the gypsy people come to the mainstream of population?
5. (j) Do the river gypsies are thinking of changing their lifestyle? Why?

3. Fill in each gap with a suitable word1 × 5 = 5

Read the passage and answer questions 3 & 4

Thousands of years ago, the first pearl was probably discovered while human beings were searching for food at the sea shore. Throughout history the pearl with its shine has been one of the most highly valued gems. Pearls have been mentioned many times in religious texts and mythologies from the earliest times. The ancient Egyptians valued pearls so much that they were buried with them. It is said that the famous queen of Egypt Cleopatra would dissolve a pearl in a glass and drink it as a sign of love and respect for the entire nation. The Greeks thought of pearls as a sign of wealth and social position. The beauty of pearls was associated with love and marriage. In ancient Rome, pearls were considered the greatest sign of wealth and social status. At that time the young women of noble families loved to wear beautiful pearl necklaces. The brave knights used to wear them in the battles for good luck.

Type one word in each gap.

Pearls were discovered thousands of years ago while they were (a) ____ for food at the sea shore. Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks valued pearls very (b) ____ . The Egyptians would take away pearls to their (c) ____ . The ancient Romans and Greeks considered it as a (d) ____ of wealth and social position. In the battle field the brave knights used to (e) ____ them for good luck.

4. Write the synonym or antonym as directed1 × 5 = 5

(a) ancient (antonym): ____ (b) status (synonym): ____ (c) pearl (antonym): ____ (d) discover (synonym): ____ (e) shine (antonym): ____

5. Complete the table with information from the passage1 × 5 = 5

Read the passage and answer questions 5, 6 & 7

Thomas Alva Edison was born in 1847 in Ohio, America. As a little boy, he was very inquisitive. He always wanted to know how things were done. Very early in life he showed that he was full of curiosity, a quality which is so important to inventors. In 1869 he went to New York where he worked for some time as a telephone operator. But soon he became interested in inventions. In a very short time they were his chief business. In order to carry on this business, which became his life's work, he built a laboratory at Menlo Park, where he had gone to live. His first great invention was a system of telegraphy. Soon afterwards he invented the 'phonograph', the first form of the instrument that we now know as the 'gramophone' or record player. The word 'phonograph' means something that can write or record sound. Other scientists before Edison had thought of instruments which would do this, but Edison was the first to make an instrument which actually worked. He also invented the 'incandescent' lamp, a lamp in which the light is caused by a heated wire called a 'filament'. The wire is heated by an 'electric current'. People can now use 'electricity' to illuminate their homes. By the time Edison died in 1931 he had about a thousand inventions to his credit.

Complete the table with information from the passage.

6. Read the statements. Write (T) if true, (F) if false. If false, write the correct answer1 × 5 = 5

Choose True or False. If you choose False, the correct statement will be shown.

1. (a) Thomas Alva Edison was very inquirious.
   True (T) False (F)✓ Correct: Thomas Alva Edison was very inquisitive.
2. (b) Curiosity is very important for inventors.
   True (T) False (F)✓ This statement is True.
3. (c) His first invention was a system of telegraphy.
   True (T) False (F)✓ This statement is True.
4. (d) He built a laboratory to research on flying.
   True (T) False (F)✓ Correct: He built a laboratory to carry on his inventions.
5. (e) Edison had about a thousand inventions to his credit.
   True (T) False (F)✓ This statement is True.

7. Summarize the above text in your own words10

Write 5–7 sentences summarizing the passage about Thomas Alva Edison.

8. Match the parts of sentences in columns A and B to make five complete sentences1 × 5 = 5

Choose the right part from Column B for each sentence in Column A.

• 6 enlisted UN working languages.
• were also done by its speakers.
• language reigned the world.
• language according to a recent survey.
• Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa.

1. (a) Arabic is the oldest
2. (b) It is spoken in almost all
3. (c) It is also one of the
4. (d) Once speakers of this
5. (e) Important scientific inventions

9. Rearrange the following sentences in correct order1 × 8 = 8

Type 1 to 8 beside each sentence to show its place in the story.

(a) Some of the youths became very devoted to him. (b) Young men gathered round him. (c) One of the charges was that he was corrupting Youngman of the city of Athens. So, Socrates was arrested and put on trial. (d) These people brought charges against Socrates. (e) The men in authority were jealous of the great popularity of Socrates among people. (f) These young people learnt from the great teacher such knowledge that is remembered even today all over the world. (g) Socrates was never tired of teaching them. (h) Socrates soon became very popular.

10. Answer the following questions from the poems in your textbook (any 5 of 8)2 × 5 = 10

Answer any 5 of the 8 questions — the best five self-marks count. These questions are from your textbook poems, so please consult your textbook to verify your answers.

1. (a) What is Hason Raja's concern?
2. (b) In the poem "The field of the embroidered quilt" how does the quilt symbolize the woman's emotions?
3. (c) How does Kipling depict the relationship between children and adults in the poem "The Children's Song"?
4. (d) In the poem "Ode on Solitude" what provisions does the man enjoy from his surroundings?
5. (e) In the poem "Green Escape" why does the speaker turn away from the streets and crowds?
6. (f) In the poem "Green Escape" how does the speaker describe their connection to nature?
7. (g) What is the main subject of the poem "The News"?
8. (h) What uncertainty troubles Hason Raja?

11. Read the beginning of the story. Complete it and give a suitable title10

Beginning: Lord Buddha - a woman with dead child in arms came - prayed to bring back her son's life - Buddha moved - asked to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death never occurred - the woman went - came back disappointed - advice : death is the common lot of all.

12. Write a paragraph on "My Visit to a Book Fair" in 150 words10

Answer the questions: (a) When and where did you visit the book fair? (b) Who did you go with? (c) What did you see at the book fair? (d) What types of books were available? (e) How did you feel after visiting the fair?

13. Write a dialogue about your favourite hobby10

Suppose you are Selim/Selima and your friend is Dipak/Dipika. Make a dialogue between you and your friend about your favourite hobby.