CBSE Class 8 Practice Question Bank

SECTION A – ENGLISH

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Hibernation

Hibernation is one of the main adaptations that allow certain northern animals to survive long, cold winters. Hibernation is like a very deep sleep that allows animals to save their energy when there is little or no food available. The body functions of ‘true hibernators’ go through several changes while they are hibernating. Body temperature drops, and the heart rate slows. For example, a hibernating woodchuck’s body temperature drops by more than 30 degrees Celsius, and its heart rate slows from 80 to 4 beats per minute! Other true hibernators include the jumping mouse, little brown bat, eastern chipmunk, and several ground squirrels.

Other animals, such as the skunk and raccoon, are not considered true hibernators, as they wake up in the winter to feed, and their body functions do not change as much. Since they only sleep for a little bit at a time, the term dormancy or ‘light sleeping’ is used to describe their behavior. The largest animals to hibernate are bears. Their heart rate may slow down from a usual 40 –50 beats per minute to 8-12 beats per minute, but their body temperature changes very little, so they are able to wake up quickly.

Hibernating animals have a special substance in the blood called hibernation inducement trigger, or HIT. This substance becomes active in the fall, when the days become cooler and shorter. When HIT becomes active, the animals start preparing for winter. Some animals store food so that they can eat when they wake up, and some animals eat a lot in late summer and fall to add excess fat to their bodies. This fat keeps them warmer and acts as a source of energy while they are sleeping. Some animals also make changes to the places where they will sleep (dens). They add leaves and grasses to keep them warm.

Answer the questions about hibernation:

1. The animals hibernate because:

a) They want to sleep

b) They don’t have food to eat

c) They save their energy because of non-availability of food.

2. The changes that occur in the functions of an animal’s body when it hibernates?

a) Body temperature drops

b) The heart rate slows

c) Both of the above

3. State which statement is true.

a) HIT becomes active in the summers.

b) The stored extra fat keeps hibernating animals warm in winters.

4. PUT the following into REPORTED SPEECH: "What are you doing, Bill?" his mother asked him.

a His mother asked that what was he doing.

b His mother asked him: "what are you doing, Bill?"

c His mother asked him what he was doing.

d His mother asked him that what was he doing.

Choose the correct option:

5. He said, “I cannot come today because I have not finished my work.”

a) He said that he can not come that day because he had not finished his work.

b) He said that he could not come that day because he did not finish his work.

c) He said that he could not come that day because he had not finished his work.

d) He said that he could not come that because he had not finished his work.

6. You ____________________ all go out to play when you have finished this exercise.

a) should b) must c) can

Please refer to attached file for CBSE Class 8 Practice Question Bank