CBSE Class 8 English Sample Paper Set 16

CBSE Class 8 English Sample Paper Set P. It’s always recommended to practice as mane sample papers as possible before the examinations. Students can download the sample papers and also question papers of previous years to practice and score better marks in examinations. Refer to other links too for more sample papers.

Section – A

(Reading )

A.1  Read the given passage carefully.  [5×1=5] 

Arts  and  crafts  are  wholly  human  creations;  they  need  human  eminence,  passion and desire to be brought forth. Arts and crafts differ in their quality and nature. At present, handicrafts are not just opted for leisure pursuits but are being embraced as vocational  courses  too.  Banner  making,  for  example,  is  an  early  art  concept  of sewing banners. This is done by using the techniques of applique, embroidery and many others. Similarly, canvas work is an embroidery work in which long fibers are  stitched  together.  Basically  canvas  work  also  includes  stitches  such  as needlepoint, petit point etc. Some other forms of arts and crafts include cross-stitch, crocheting, knitting, lace making, wood crafts, pottery and sculpting. Nowadays, of all  the  traditional  arts  and  crafts,  embroidery  has  become  the  most  lucrative profession for many while continuing to be a favourite passtime for women. 

Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in  strands  of  thread  or  yarn  using  a  needle.  Embroidery  may  also  incorporate  other  materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines  can be used to create machine embroidery. 

Read the questions given below and write in your answer sheet the option you consider the most appropriate. 

a) Other than desire and passion, arts and crafts need - 

 i)  taste  ii)  will  iii)  human eminence  iv)  colour sense 

b)  People are now taking up handicrafts - 

 i)  as fun  ii)  as a leisure activity   iii)  as a boring task  iv)  as a vocation 

c)  In canvas work - 

i)  long fibres are stitched together  

ii)  paint is used to paint the canvas 

iii)  short fibres are stitched   

iv)  none of the above

d)  Lucrative means - 

(i)  cheap profession 

(ii)  a profession where there is no money 

(iii)  a profession where there is a lot of money 

(iv)  a profession which offers enough money for the person 

e)  Machine embroidery is done by - 

i)  thread, needle and special machine 

ii)  thread and sewing machine 

iii)  thread and machine using special needle 

iv)  none of the above 

A.2  Read the following passage carefully.  [5×1=5]

Nelson Mandela is one of the freedom fighters of the last two decades who at heart  is just like all of us, an ordinary person. Yet, he used his experiences, his sensitivity  to fight for all that he believed in. Mandela was the foster son of a Tembu African  chief and he grew up in a two-culture world - that of his traditional African family  and the culture of the white man who was ruling his country. 

He was trained to be a lawyer and could have lived a comfortable life. But he saw  his  people  around  him  suffering.  The  poor  who  already  lived  in  miserable  circumstances were also constantly harassed. There was no dignity in being a black  man,  there  was  always  some  kind  of  injustice.  Although,  he  lived  a  comfortable  life,  Mandela  could  not  close  his  eyes  to  the  suffering  and  injustice  around  him.  Whenever an act of injustice or violence was meted out to someone, it caused him  pain. It was done to him too. An incident that took  place with his friend Paul, who  took a stand in front of a white magistrate made Mandela take a decision and that  was to fight for freedom and dignity which was the right of every human being. 

Read  the  questions  given  below  and  write  the  option  you  consider  the  most  appropriate in your answer sheet. 

a)  Nelson Mandela used his experience and his ______ to fight for all what he   believed in – 

 i)  culture    ii)  sensitivity   iii)  knowledge    iv)  tradition 

b)  Mandela was the product of which two cultures ? 

i)  Tribal and civilized   ii)  African and Asian   iii)  White and African   iv)  American and Asian 

c)  He had his education in – 

i)  Medicine    ii)  Law   iii)  Engineering    iv)  Literature 

d)  He decided to take up the cause of freedom because – 

i)  he was appalled by the condition of the common man 

ii)  he was a lawyer by profession 

iii)  he wanted to be a politician 

iv)  his father was a freedom fighter 

e)  What is the meaning of the word ‘decade’ ? 

 i)  a period of ten years 

 ii)  a period of twenty years 

 iii)  a period of fifty years 

 iv)  a period of hundred years 

  Read the following passage carefully.  [10]

1.  Effective speaking depends on effective listening. Incompetent listeners fail in a  number  of  ways.  First,  they  may  drift.  Their  attention  drifts  from  what  the  speaker  is  saying.  Second,  they  may  counter.  They  find  counter  arguments  to  whatever a speaker may be saying. Third, they compete. Then, they filter. They  exclude  from  their  understanding  those  parts  of  the  message  which  do  not  readily  fit  with  their  own  frame  of  reference.  Finally  they  react.  They  let  personal  feelings  about  speaker  or  subject  override  the  significance  of  the  message which is being sent. 

2.  What can a listener do to be more effective? The first key to effective listening  is  the  art  of  concentration.  If  a  listener  positively  wishes  to  concentrate  on  receiving a message his chances of success are high. It may need determination.  Some  speakers  are  difficult  to  follow,  either  because  of  voice  problems,  or because of the form in which they send a message. There is then particular need  for the determination of a listener to concentrate on what is being said. 

3.  Concentration  is  helped  by  alertness.  Mental  alertness  is  helped  by  physical  alertness. It is not simply physical fitness, but also positioning of the body, the  limbs  and  the  head.  Some  people  also  find  it  helpful  to  their  concentration  if  they  hold  the  head  slightly  to  one  side.  One  useful  way  for  achieving  this  is  intensive  note-taking,  by  trying  to  capture  the  critical  headings  and  sub headings the speaker is referring to. 

4.  Note-taking has been, recommended as an aid to the listener. It also helps the  speaker.  It  gives  him  confidence  when  he  sees  that  listeners  are  sufficiently  interested to take notes; the patterns of eye-contact when the note-taker looks up  can be very positive; and the speaker's timing is aided - he can see when a note taker is writing hard and can then make effective use of pauses. 

5.  Posture too is important. Consider the impact made by a less competent listener  who  pushes  his  chair  backwards  and  slouches.  An  upright  posture  helps  a  listener's  concentration.  At  the  same  time  it  is  seen  by  the  speaker  to  be  a  positive feature amongst his listeners. Effective listening skills have an impact  on both the listener and the speaker. 

A.3.1  Answer the following questions in brief :  [2×4=8]

a)  According  to  the  passage,  why  does  an  incompetent  listener  fail  in  effective  speaking? Mention two reasons. 

b)  Mention two ways by which a listener can be more effective. 

c)  Why are some of the speakers difficult to follow? 

d)  According to the passage, how can concentration be improved? 

A.3.2  Find words from the passage that mean the same as :  [2]

a)  Not having the skill or ability to do your job or a task as it should be done. (para-1) 

b)  The quality  that  makes  you continue trying  to do something even  when it is difficult.(para-2) 

c)  To suggest (para-4) 

d)  A position in which you hold your body while sitting or standing. (para-5) 

Please click the link below to download CBSE Class 8 English Sample Paper Set P.