202110716-PERFORM-STUDENT-WORKBOOK-ENGLISH-G08-FY_Optimized

practice workbook english Grade 8 Name: Roll No: Section: School Name:

by classklap IMAX is India’s only customised content and educational assessment m. 610+ Published Books Team of IITians & PhDs IMAX Program has authored about 610+ Content development and automation are publications which are used by more than led by a team of IITians, data scientists and 4,50,000+ students. education experts Workshops Lakh Assessments IMAX Program has conducted IMAX Program has conducted more than teacher training workshops for more 85,00,000+ assessments across 17 states in the last 10 years. than 15,000+ teachers. Copyright © 2020 BGM Policy Innovations Pvt Ltd) All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including but not limited to, the content, the presentation layout, session plans, themes, key type of sums, mind maps and illustrations, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior, written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This book is meant for educational and learning purposes. The author(s) of the book has/ have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the contents of the book do not violate any copyright or other intellectual property rights of any person in any manner whatsoever. In the event the author(s) has/have been unable to track any source and if any copyright has been inadvertently infringed, please notify the publisher in writing for any corrective action. Some of the images used in the books have been taken from the following sources www.freepik.com, www.vecteezy.com, www.clipartpanda.com Creative Commons Attribution This book is part of a package of books and is not meant to be sold separately. For MRP, please refer to the package price.

This practice book is designed to support you in your journey of learning English for class 8. The contents and topics of this book are entirely in alignment with the NCERT syllabus. For each chapter, a concept map, expected objectives and practice sheets are made available. Questions in practice sheets address different skill buckets and different question types, practicing these sheets will help you gain mastery over the lesson. The practice sheets can be solved with the teacher’s assistance. There is a self-evaluation sheet at the end of every lesson, this will help you in assessing your learning gap.



TABLE OF CONTENT • Assessment Pattern: 40 Marks • Assessment Pattern: 80 Marks • Syllabus & Timeline for Assessment Page 1: Unit 1: 1.1 The Best Christmas Present in the World Page 2: Unit 1: 1.2 The Ant and the Cricket Page 6: Unit 2: 2.1 The Tsunami Page 7: Unit 2: 2.2 Geography Lesson Page 11: Unit 3: 3.1 Glimpses of the Past Page 12: Unit 3: 3.2 Macavity: The Mystery Cat Page 16: Unit 4: 4.1 Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Page 17: Unit 4: 4.2 The Last Bargain Page 21: Unit 5: 5.1 The Summit Within Page 22: Unit 5: 5.2 The School Boy Page 25: Unit 6: 6.1 This is Jody’s Fawn Page 28: Unit 7: 7.1 A Visit to Cambridge Page 29: Unit 7: 7.2 When I set out for Lyonnesse Page 33: Unit 8: 8.1 A Short Monsoon Diary Page 34: Unit 8: 8.2 On the Grasshopper and Cricket Page 37: Unit 9: 9.1 The Great Stone Face - I Page 39: Unit 10: 10.1 The Great Stone Face - II Page 41: 1. Phrases and Clauses Page 47: 2. Nouns and Kinds or Nouns Page 55: 3. Prepositions Page 62: 4. Sentences- Simple, Complex and Compound Page 69: 5. Modals Page 77: 6. Conjunctions Page 86: 7. Voice Page 93: 8. Speech Page 101: 9. Figures of Speech Page 108: 10. Articles Page 116: 11. Contractions and Possessives Page 124: 12. Determiners and Types Page 133: 13. Pronouns Page 140: 14. Rules of Agreement Page 149: 15. Sentences and Types Page 157: 16. Tenses







No. Nature Marks Difficulty Qtn Type Skill Difficulty Qtn Type Skill 1 Reading Comprehension - Passage 1 4 4/5 Easy VSA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding ASSREeaSdiSngMCoEmNpreThePnsAioTnTERN 4 2/3 MarEEkaasssyy: 40 SA Understanding Easy GrVVaSSGAAdread8UeR/ne8dmE/eeEnrmsngtabglneilsdriiihnsnggh -Passage 2 2 2/3 VSA Remembering Easy 2 Informal /Formal letter/ Article OR Picture Composition/ Diary/ 6 1/2 Medium LA Creating Easy LA Creating Short story based on a given outline or cue/s. 3 Gap filling with one or two words to test Grammar 3 3/4 Easy VSA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding 4 Editing or omission of given paragraph. 4 4/5 Easy VSA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding 5 Sentences Reordering or Sentence Transformation in context. 2 2/3 Easy VSA Analysing Easy VSA Analysing 6 Extracts from prose/ poetry/ drama for reference to context. 3 1/2 Medium VSA Understanding Medium VSA Understanding 7 Questions from Prose 6 3/4 Easy SA Remembering Difficult SA Remembering 8 Questions from Prose and in about 100-120 words OR Questions from the extended 6 1/2 Difficult LA Applying Difficult LA Applying reading texts on theme, plot or character. Beginner Paper: (Easy: 50%, Medium: 40%, Difficult: 10%) Proficient Paper: (Easy: 40%, Medium: 40%, Difficult: 20%) Easy Question: Remembering questions directly from the text or from the given exercises. (Mostly from content of book or end of chapter exercise). Medium Difficulty Question: In-depth understanding of questions, not necessarily from the text. (Slightly modified concepts or end of chapter questions). Difficult Question: Question involving creativity like story writing, analysis question like character analysis, justification of title or extracts (mostly requires creative and thinking skills).

ASSESSMENT PATTERN Marks: 80 Grade8/English Grade � / English Qtn. Question Max Optionals PAPER: BEGINNER PAPER: PROFICIENT No. Nature Marks Reading Comprehension 4/5 Difficulty Qtn Type Skill Difficulty Qtn Type Skill 1 - Passage 1 4 2/3 Reading Comprehension 4 2/3 Easy VSA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding 2 -Passage 2 2 1/2 Informal /Formal letter/ Article 6 Easy SA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding 3 OR Picture Composition/ Diary/ 3/4 4 Short story based on a given 3 4/5 Easy VSA Remembering Easy VSA Remembering 5 outline or cue/s. 4 Gap filling with one or two 2/3 Medium LA Creating Easy LA Creating 6 words to test Grammar 2 1/2 7 Editing or omission of given 3 3/4 Easy VSA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding 8 paragraph. 6 Sentences Reordering or 1/2 Easy VSA Understanding Easy VSA Understanding Sentence Transformation 6 in context. Easy VSA Analysing Easy VSA Analysing Extracts from prose/ poetry/ drama for reference to context. Medium VSA Understanding Medium VSA Understanding Questions from Prose Easy SA Remembering Difficult SA Remembering Questions from Prose and in about 100-120 words OR Difficult LA Applying Difficult LA Applying Questions from the extended reading texts on theme, plot or character. Beginner Paper: (Easy: 50%, Medium: 40%, Difficult: 10%) Proficient Paper: (Easy: 40%, Medium: 40%, Difficult: 20%) Easy Question: Remembering questions directly from the text or from the given exercises. (Mostly from content of book or end of chapter exercise). Medium Difficulty Question: In-depth understanding of questions, not necessarily from the text. (Slightly modified concepts or end of chapter questions). Difficult Question: Question involving creativity like story writing, analysis question like character analysis, justification of title or extracts (mostly requires creative and thinking skills).

SYLLABUS FOR ASSESSMENT Grade8/English CHAPTERS PT-1 TE-1 PT-2 TE-2 1. 1.1 The Best Christmas Present in the World ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 1.2 The Ant and the Cricket ✓ ✓ ✓ 2. 2.1 The Tsunami ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 2.2 Geography lesson ✓ ✓ 3. 3.1 Glimpses of the Past ✓ ✓ 3.2 Macavity: The Mystery Cat ✓ ✓ N.D ✓ ✓ 1. How the Camel got his hump 2. Children at Work ✓ ✓ 3. The Selfish Giant ✓ ✓ Grammar ✓ ✓ 4. Sentences and types ✓ ✓ 2. Nouns and kinds of Nouns ✓ ✓ 13. Pronouns and types of pronouns ✓ 11. Contractions and possessives ✓ RWT: Formal letter ✓ 4. 4.1 Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory ✓ 4.2 The last Bargain 5. 5.1 The Summit within ✓ 5.2 The School Boy ✓ N.D 4. The Treasure Within ✓ 5. Princess September ✓ Grammar ✓ 10. Articles ✓ 12. Determiners and types ✓ 16. Tenses ✓ RWT: Reading Comprehension – Seen passage 14: Rules of agreement ✓✓ RWT: Story writing ✓✓ 6. 6.1 This is Jody’s fawn ✓✓ N.D ✓✓ 6. The Fight ✓✓ ✓✓ 7. 7.1 A Visit to Cambridge 7.2 When I set out for Lyonnesse ✓✓ N.D ✓✓ 7. The Open Window ✓✓ ✓✓ 8. 8.1 A short Monsoon Diary ✓✓ 8.2 On the Grasshopper and Cricket ✓✓ ✓✓ N.D 8. Jalebis Grammar 1. Phrases and clauses RWT: Formal letter 3. Prepositions 15. Sentences and types RWT : Diary entry Modals

SYLLABUS FOR ASSESSMENT Grade8/English CHAPTERS PT-1 TE-1 PT-2 TE-2 9. 9.1 The Great Stone face - I ✓ N.D ✓ 9. The Comet - I ✓ 10. The Comet - II ✓ 10. 10.1 The Great Stone face - II N.D ✓ 11. Ancient Education System of India Grammar ✓ 6. Conjunctions ✓ 7. Voice ✓ RWT: Balanced essay ✓ 8. Speech ✓ 9. Figures of Speech Assessment Timeline Periodic Test-1 : 22nd July to 12th August Term 1 Exam : 23rd September to 21st October Periodic Test-2 : 16th December to 13th January Term 2 Exam : 1st March to 30th March

LESSON WISE PRACTICE SHEETS (This section has a set of practice questions grouped into different sheets based on different concepts. By answering these questions you will strengthen your subject knowledge. A self-evaluation sheet is provided at the end of every lesson.)



1.1 The Best Christmas Present in the World Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: That night, back in our dugouts, we heard them singing a carol, and singing it quite beautifully. It was Stille Nacht. Silent Night. Our boys gave them a rousing chorus of “While Shepherds Watched”. We exchanged carols for a while and then we all fell silent. We had had our time of peace and goodwill, a time I will treasure as long as I live. (i) Who does the word ‘them’ in the opening line refer to? (ii) What were they singing? (iii) How were they singing the carol? (iv) What was the carol about? (v) Why was the time they had felt special? Extract 2: First, someone saw a white flag waving from the trenches opposite. Then they were calling out to us from across no man’s land, “Happy Christmas, Tommy! Happy Christmas!” When we had got over the surprise, some of us shouted back, “Same to you, Fritz! Same to you!” I thought that would be that. We all did. But then suddenly one of them was up there in his grey greatcoat and waving a white flag. “Don’t shoot, lads” someone shouted. And no one did. Then there was anothewr Fritz up on the parapet. and another. “Keep your heads down,” I told the men. “It is a trick.” But it wasn’t. (i) What did someone see from the trenches on the opposite side? (ii) Who was calling out to whom? (iii) Which greetings were exchanged? (iv) What do Tommy and Fritz stand for? (v) Who told his men to keep their heads down? 1

1.2 The Ant and the Cricket Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: At last by starvation and famine made bold, All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold, Away he set off to a miserly ant, To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant Him shelter from rain, And a mouthful of grain. (i) What emboldened the cricket? (ii) What did the cricket expect from the ant? (iii) Why did the cricket go to the ant even when he knew that the ant was a miser? 2

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow: So early it’s still almost dark out. I’m near the window with coffee, and the usual early morning stuff that passes for thought. When I see the boy and his friend walking up the road to deliver the newspaper. They wear caps and sweaters, and one boy has a bag over his shoulder. They are so happy they aren’t saying anything, these boys. I think if they could, they would take each other’s arm. It’s early in the morning, and they are doing this thing together. They come on, slowly. The sky is taking on light, though the moon still hangs pale over the water. Such beauty that for a minute death and ambition, even love, doesn’t enter into this. Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really, any early morning talk about it. 1. Answer the following questions by selecting the correct option. 1. What do we understand from “They aren’t saying anything, these boys.” a. They are too busy delivering the newspapers. b. They don’t intend to speak to each other. c. The boys are happy in each other’s company. d. They are not on talking terms. 2. The poem is describing a. The feeling of happiness of the two people that are walking up the road. b. The shabby appearance of the boys. c. The laziness of the newspaper vendors. d. The feelings like death and ambition. 3. “They come on, slowly”. What does “they” refer to? a. The two boys. b. The light and the moon. c. None of these d. The sky and the light. 4. The light of the sky and the moon that hangs create a. A peaceful place. b. A beautiful place. c. A magical moment. d. An unusual place. 5. Choose up the statement which is not true. The mention of light and the moon connects the theme of being happy with small and ordinary things because a. This setting of light and the moon on top is not a rare thing. b. These are usual sights. 3

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) c. We can see that setting many times in our lives. d. It’s an exceptional thing. Answer the following questions in brief: 1. Quote any two suitable instances to show that it is quite early in the morning. 2. What does the author spot as he looks outside the window? 3. Describe the appearance of the boys. II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. A shiny big car stopped beside Hamid’s stall. A man dressed in designer clothes and shoes got out and ordered a bowl of fruit salad. Hamid expertly tossed some fruits in a bowl, added some salt and pepper and handed over to the customer with a cheerful smile and thanked him for the payment. After finishing the des- sert, the man asked Hamid, ‘How’s business?’ Hamid replied that business was slow because it was the rainy season. ‘Then why are you so happy?’ asked the man. With a wide smile, Hamid said, `I’m happy because I’m alive and well.’ ‘But you might earn very little money today. How can you smile like that?’ Hamid’s smile wid- ened, ‘It’s all right. When I think of my family waiting for me, I’m happy.’ The rich man replied sadly, ‘I wish I could find happiness like you.’ With a sigh, he got into his car and drove away. 2. Like the rich man, everyone seems to be searching for happiness. They try to find it through their achieve- ments, material possessions, friends and entertainment. But truly, the secret to happiness lies in the Hamid’s reply. If you enjoy each moment and each day as it comes, you will be happy. 3. Hamid, the fruit salad seller, did not have much money but he was contented with what he had. If he com- pared himself to his customer who dressed so well and drove a luxury car, he would be unhappy. So another secret to happiness is not to make money your goal in life if you want happiness. Those who think that hav- ing more money will make them happy will find that money is never enough because they focus all their time and energy in gathering wealth and they never enjoy what they have. 4. The other secret to happiness Hamid shared with his customer is to treasure relationships. Knowing that you are important to someone will make you feel happy. You should invest time to build and strengthen relationships with family members and close friends if you want happiness. If you neglect the people in your life, you will end up sad and lonely even if you were to become a great success. Happiness is not as difficult to find as some people think. All you need to do is to be thankful for and to enjoy the present, to avoid making money the top priority in life, and to treasure relationships. 1. Complete the following sentences: a. People try to find happiness through their _________________________________. b. ___________________________________but he was contented with what he had. c. If we neglect the people in our life, ________________________________________. 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each: a. What were the two reasons given by Hamid to be happy in spite of slow business? b. How does desire of having more money lead to unhappiness? c. According to the passage, mention any two ways that can bring us happiness. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following: a. Tossed (paragraph 1) b.satisfied (paragraph 3) c. value (paragraph 4) 4

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) Writing: 1. You are Abhinav Gupta, staying at 23, Vivek Nagar, Bangalore. Write a letter to the Editor of Times of India, Bangalore on the topic “Menace of Junk Food”. (120-150 words): 2. You are Abhinav Shukla, staying at 56, Andheri Mumbai. Write a letter to the Editor of The Times of India, Mumbai to share your views regarding the “Dangers of Reckless Driving”. (Word limit: 100-120 words) 5

2.1 The Tsunami Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: When the tremors stopped, they saw the sea rising. In the chaos and confusion, two of his children caught hold of the hands of their mother’s father and mother’s brother and rushed in the opposite direction. He never saw them again. His wife was also swept away. Only the three other children who came with him were saved. (i) What did they see after the tremors had stopped? (ii) What did the two children do in the chaos and confusion? (iii) Did the children who were with their mother’s father and mother’s brother survive the tsunami? (iv) What happeed to his (Ignesious’s) wife? (v) What happened to his three other children who came with him? Extract 2: Thirteen-year old Meghna was swept away along with her parents and seventy-seven other people. She spent two days floating in the sea holding on to a wooden door. Eleven times she saw relief helicopters overhead, but they did not see her. She was brought to the shore by a wave, and was found walking on the seashore in a daze. (i) How old was Meghna? (ii) Meghna was swept away along with who? (iii) How did she spend two days in the sea? (iv) How many times did the relief helicopters fly overhead? (v) What brought her to the shore? 6

2.2 Geography Lesson Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: When the jet rose six miles high, it was clear the earth was round and that it had more sea than land. But it was difficult to understand that the men on the earth found causes to hate each other, to build walls across cities and to kill. From that height, it was not clear why. (i) At what height is the jet from the ground? (ii) What did the poet realize clearly? (iii) Who hate and kill one another? (iv) Does the poet know the reason behind it? (v) Write the words that rhyme together. 7

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow: I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine. And he knew that it was mine, And into my garden stole When the night had veiled the pole; In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree. 1. On the basis of the reading of the above poem, complete the following summary: The speaker is presenting two scenarios here. In the first, he is ____________ with his friend. He told his friend about his ____________ anger and his anger ____________ went away. In the second scenario speaker is angry with his ____________ enemy. He kept ___________ mum about his anger for his enemy and his anger just ____________ grew. The speaker watered his anger in ____________fears, night and ____________ morning with his tears. He sunned his anger with ____________ smiles and soft ____________ deceitful wiles. In the third stanza, an ____________ apple sprouts from this poison tree of anger. This ‘apple bright’ attracts the attention of his ____________ enemy who then sneaked into the speaker’s ____________ garden one night and ate the apple from this tree. The next morning the speaker was glad to find his enemy lying dead ____________ under the tree, having eaten the poisoned fruit. 2. Answer the following questions by choosing the correct answer from the options given below: 1. Which statement is true about the first stanza? a. The speaker not sharing his anger with his enemy causes his anger to increase. b. The speaker did not share his real feelings with his friend. c. The speaker wants to harm his friend. d. The speaker behaves in the same way with his friend and his foe. 2. Throughout the poem, the speaker compares his increasing anger to: a. A forest b. Growing an apple tree c. Growing a field d. Building a water fountain 3. Which line indicates that the speaker’s wrath increased over time? a. Night and morning with my tears. b. Till it bore an apple bright. 8

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) c. I was angry with my foe. d. And it grew both day and night. 4. In the end what happens to the speaker’s foe? a. The speaker and the foe became friends. b. The speaker finds his foe dead on the ground. c. The speaker continues to grow apple trees. d. The speaker finds his foe taking a nap beneath the apple tree. 5. Identify the poetic device in the line “And I watered it in fears”. a. Metaphor b. Simile c. Alliteration d. Personification 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following: a. Anger (stanza 1) b. entering a place without permission (stanza 4) c. under (stanza 4) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: It is a well-known fact that the Chinese regard the turtle as a supernatural creature blessed with magical qualities and long life. To the fisherman whose livelihood comes from the perilous sea, the turtle is both a protector and a symbol of survival. You can thus imagine the excitement in Hong Kong when some fishermen found a giant turtle in the South China Sea one April morning. A fleet of Chinese trawlers had set out in the grey-blue dawn to catch fish. When they drew in their nets, the fishermen noticed something unusual entangled among their fish, prawns and squid - it was a giant turtle. Immediately they took the creature ashore and asked some zoological experts to estimate its age. They analysed the calcium content of its shell and discovered that the turtle was about 260 years old! It weighed about 160 kilograms, and its moss-green patterned shell measured a meter long. Professor Lai Ying offered an explanation. “The turtle must have strayed north in search of food and so got caught in the net.” However, the fishermen disagreed, saying that it had instead come to pay homage to the goddess Tin Hau on her birthday. Tin Hau is the patron saint of the fishermen, and her birthday is ceremoniously observed on the twenty-third day of the third moon in the lunar calendar [around the end of April]. The turtle was kept in a pool in a temple while waiting to be released on Tin Hau’s birthday. Mr C. H. Ko, a wealthy restaurateur, paid for the privilege. “I’m just like everybody else,” he said. “I also want a long life.” The charity organizers carved his name on the stainless steel plaque and fastened it onto the turtle’s shell. On the chosen day, Mr Ko tied a red ribbon round the head of the turtle and set it free from the launch far out at sea. 1. Complete the following sentences: a. The fishermen in Hong Kong were excited when they found a _____________________. b. The turtle weighed about 160 kilograms, ___________________________ a meter long. c. _________________________________________and fastened it onto the turtle’s shell. 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each: a. How did the Chinese fishermen regard the turtle? b. How did the zoologists know the turtle was 260 years old? c. How did Mr Ko set the turtle free in the sea? 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following: a. Income (Paragraph 1) b. huge (Paragraph 2) c. tied (Paragraph 4) 9

PRACTICE SHEET - 21 (PS-21) Writing: 1. You went to a gift shop to buy a birthday present for your best friend. Absent-mindedly you slipped a pen into your bag after examining it and was accused of shop-lifting. Write a diary entry describing the embarrassing incident. (120-150 words) 2. You are Vishesh. On turning 14, your parents have decided to give you a room of your own. Write a diary entry on your feelings on having your own room. (Word limit: 100-120 words) 10

3.1 Glimpses of the Past Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Taxes continued to ruin the peasants. In Bengal, the Santhals who had lost their lands under new land rules became desperate. In 1855, they rose to rebellion and massacred Europeans and their supporters alike. Discon- tent was brewing in the East India company’s army too. “The while soldier gets huge pay, mansions to live in, servants.” “While we get a pittance and slow promotions!” i) What continued to ruin the peasants? (ii) Who lost their lands under the new land rules? (iii) When did they rise to rebellion? (iv) What did they do? (v) Who else was discontented? Extract 2: “Let us not despise ourselves, our ancient culture is great. And we are capable of greater achievements. We must first reform our society. Superstitions have been ruining us.” He told his wife Uma. “Cows are of different colours, but the colour of their milk is the same.” Different teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is the same. He was attracted by science and modern knowledge. “Knowledge should be practical and scientific.” (i) Who speaks the opening lines? (ii) Who are capable of greater achievements? (iii) What is the essence of every religion? (iv) According to the speaker, what should the characteristics of knowledge be? (v) What was the speaker attracted by? 11

3.2 Macavity: The Mystery Cat Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and thin; You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in. His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed; His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed. He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake; And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake. (i) Describe Macavity appearance and mention any two of his physical features. (ii) What type of head does he have? (iii) How does he sway his head? (iv) Why does he look dirty? (v) Are we right when we think Macavity is half asleep? 12

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow: When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake (wood duck) rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. 1. Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option: 1. How does the poet feel at the beginning of the poem? a. Happy and hopeful. b. Anxious and worried. c. Not worried at all. d. None of these. 2. How does the poet react to his feeling of despair? a. He goes and lies down near the pond. b. He tries to gather peace within himself. c. He wakes up suddenly at the least sound. d. He lets that thought go past him. 3. What is the speaker troubled about in the beginning? a. By the goings on in the world. b. Insecurity for the future safety of his family. c. Both ‘a’ and ‘b’. d. None of these. 4. The poet attempts to convey the message that a. Human beings cannot remain calm about the future. b. Nature can help heal our psychological wounds. c. We should live in the moment. d. All of these. 2. Answer the following questions in brief. a. What is one difference between the human beings and other creatures of nature that poet speaks about in his poem? b. What does the speaker do when he feels perturbed by his worry and fear and what does he find? c. What are the different images of nature the poet has spoken about in his poem? d. Mention any two emotions the poet derives when he goes in the lap of nature. 3. Find suitable words from the poem which mean the same to the following: a. ‘Misery and hopelessness’ b. expectation c. beauty 13

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Some love it with burgers, others prefer it with noodles. In fact, tomato ketchup has become very much a part and parcel of our diet. Have you ever wondered how it is actually made? 2. The best tomatoes are chosen for manufacturing tomato ketchup. Out of the tons of tomatoes which are brought into the factory, only those that are dark red in colour are selected. Beauty is not only skin deep; even the flesh has to be rich red in colour. Workers must know how to choose tomatoes which are fleshy as seeds are not used in the production of tomato ketchup. 3. After the selection of tomatoes, the next step is washing. Some tomato ketchup manufacturers who are very hygiene-conscious require the fruits to be soaked for about five minutes. This is followed by spraying to ensure that every part of the surface is clean and pesticide-free. The washed tomatoes are then ready for peeling. Bigger factories make use of a sophisticated steam jacketed equipment known as the Thermobreak to give the tomatoes a rapid heating. However, in smaller factories, the tomatoes are loaded into a wire bas- ket which is then dipped into boiling water for one minute. Workers have to be adept in doing this as delay would result in the tomatoes being cooked. Then the fruit is quickly sprayed with cold water to detach the skin from the flesh. The cold shower cools down the fruit and makes them ready for peeling. Peeling is done by hand, from the bottom to the top of the fruit. 4. As soon as the tomatoes are peeled, they are immediately sent for pulping. In the pulper, seeds, coarse fibres and the remaining fragments of skin are removed speedily. Every minute counts as peeled tomatoes may lose their bright red colour if exposed to air for too long. Manufacturers go to great lengths to preserve the dark colour of the tomatoes. Glass or stainless steel banks are used for storing the tomatoes to ensure that the peeled tomatoes do not come into contact with iron. Otherwise, chemical reactions may occur affecting the colour of the tomato pulp. After pulping, the tomatoes become cyclone juice. 5. One may mistake this juice for tomato ketchup, but it does not have the characteristic flavour of the tomato ketchup that we are accustomed to. The final step is the flavouring of the tomato ketchup. Manufacturers have their own recipes for producing their own brand of tomato ketchup, and they guard their secrets very zealously. Basically, the essential ingredients are sugar, a little salt, cloves, onion, garlic and vinegar. These ingredients are cooked with the cyclone juice, giving rise to a concentrated mixture which is in fact tomato ketchup. The final step in the production of tomato ketchup is packaging. Clear bottles are filled with to- mato ketchup, capped, sealed and labelled. The bottles of tomato ketchup are then packed into cardboard boxes, ready for loading onto trucks for distribution to the wholesale and retail outlets. 1. Complete the following statements on the basis of your reading of the passage: a. ____________________ tomatoes are selected for manufacturing tomato ketchup. b. The pulper helps to remove the _________________________________ speedily. c. The essential ingredients of a tomato ketchup are ___________________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. How do hygiene-conscious manufacturers wash tomatoes? b. Why is time a crucial factor from the moment tomatoes are heated to the time they are pulped? c. State two ways how manufacturers try to preserve the dark colour of the tomatoes at the pulping stage? 3. Find suitable words from the poem which mean the same to the following: a. fast (Paragraph 3) b. rough (Paragraph 4) c. familiar to (Paragraph 5) 14

PRACTICE SHEET - 21 (PS-12) Writing: 1. You are Madhu Sarkar staying at 23, Park Street, Kolkata. Write a letter to the Editor of the Bangl- Times, about the misuse and poor maintenance of a public park in your area. (Word limit: 100-120 words) 2. Write a story taking help of the following clues. Before bedtime-Rashmi reading ghost story-excitement and thrill-halfway-heard squeaky opening of front door-frightened-decided to see-walked right into a dark figure-screamed-dark figure-bright kitchen lights -elder brother-gone out late-good laugh 15

4.1 Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Every Monday, on his way back from work, Bepin Choudhury would drop in at Kalicharan’s in New Market to buy books. Crime stories, ghost stories and thrillers. He had to buy at least five at a time to last him through the week. He lived alone, was not social, had few friends, and didn’t like spending time in idle chat. Today, at Ka- licharan’s, Bepin Babu had the feeling that someone was observing him from close quarters. He turned round and found himself looking at a round faced, meek looking man who now broke into a smile. (i) Where would Bepin Chouchury stop every Monday? (ii) Where was Kalicharan’s shop located? (iii) What did Bepin Choudhury buy at Kalicharan’s? (iv) What type of a man was Bepin Choudhury? (v) Who broke into a smile on seeing Bepin Babu? Extract 2: Next morning, Bepin Babu was back in Calcutta. He realised that there was truly no hope for him. Soon he would lose everything: his will to work, his confidence, his ability, his balance of mind. Was he going to end up in the asylum at……………? Bepin Babu couldn’t think any more. Back home, he rang up Dr Chanda and asked him to come over. Then, after a shower, he got into bed with an ice bag clamped on his head. Just then the servant brought him a letter which someone had left in the letter box. A greenish envelope with his name in red ink on it. (i) What did Bepin Babu realise upon returning to Calcutta? (ii) Where did he think he would die? (iii) Who did Bepin Babu call? (iv) What did he do after a shower? (v) Who brought him a letter? What kind of letter was it? 16

4.2 The Last Bargain Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly. A child sat playing with shells. He raised his head and seemed to know me and said. “I hire you with nothing.” From hence forward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man. (i) What was shining on the sand and how did the sea waves break? (ii) What was the child doing? (iii) Did the child know the poet? (iv) What did the child hire the poet with? (v) What effect did the bargain have on the poet? 17

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Scientists believe that dinosaurs came into being about 180 million years ago and died out about 60 million years ago. Since dinosaurs were reptiles, they must have developed from reptiles that lived before them. The first reptiles appeared long before the dinosaurs. They were able to live in water and on land. They hatched eggs and the young ones had legs and lungs. They could breathe air and probably ate insects. Then the other reptiles became larger and stronger. Some looked like big lizards and others like turtles. They had short tails, thick legs and big heads. They ate plants. 2. The first dinosaurs to develop resembled their reptile ancestors. They were slender and probably no bigger than a turkey and, like a turkey, they walked on their hind legs. Some kinds remained small, but others grew heavier and longer. There were even a few that were six meters long, weighing as much as an elephant. They had small heads and short, blunt teeth, which were only good for eating plants. They lived in low, swampy places. Then came the next period in the Age of the Reptiles. Some of the plant-eating dinosaurs became so large that even four legs could not support them on land. These were the largest of all the reptiles. The larg- est dinosaurs were probably the biggest animals that ever walked the earth. They had to spend most of their lives in rivers and swamps. One of these giants was the Brontosaurus, 25 meters long and weighing about 40,000 kilograms! 3. At the same time, other dinosaurs were able to walk about on land. One of these, the Allosaurus, was 10 meters long, had sharp teeth and claws, and fed on the Brontosaurus and other plant eaters! Dinosaurs de- veloped in many different ways, but none of them ever developed a good brain. One of the reasons dinosaurs disappeared may be that they were just not bright enough to know how to survive and escape from all their natural enemies. But some scientists believe that changes in the earth and in climate killed off the dinosaurs. Swamps dried up and mountains appeared, making life difficult for dinosaurs that could not live on dry land. Also, changes in climate produced changes in vegetation, and since many dinosaurs were plant eaters, their food supply disappeared. Finally as the earth began to have seasons, shifting from hot summers to snowy winters, dinosaurs could not fit themselves to these changes and gradually became extinct. 4. There are other scientists who believe that the dinosaurs disappeared because of an incident that happened 65 million years ago. An enormous and very heavy asteroid hit the earth. There was a huge explosion and this caused tons of dust to be blasted into the earth’s atmosphere. There was such a thick layer of dust covering our earth that it blocked out sunlight for as long as five years. That was how plants died and the dinosaurs were deprived of food. Eventually they starved to death. 1. Answer the following questions by selecting the correct option. 1. Which of the following statements about the first reptiles in not true? a. They existed about 180 million years ago. b. They were the ancestors of dinosaurs. c. They were both land and sea animals. d. They laid eggs. 2. How were the first dinosaurs similar to reptiles? a. They were of the same size. b. They walked on their fore legs. c. They had big heads. d. They were plant eaters. 18

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) 3. From the fifth paragraph, we know that a. The Brontosaurus fed on other smaller dinosaurs. b. The Brontosaurus had sharp claws and teeth. c. Giant dinosaurs lived mostly in swamps and rivers. d. The largest of the dinosaurs had two legs that could not support them. 4. Put the following facts regarding the appearance of the dinosaurs in correct order.   a. The first dinosaurs were about the size of a turkey. b. Then came the large reptiles that are plants. c. The earliest reptiles ate insects. d. Then some dinosaurs grew to be as big as elephants. 5. Which of the following statements that appear in the passage is considered a fact? a. Dinosaurs became extinct 60 million years. b. Dinosaurs were developed from reptiles. c. The first reptiles ate insects. d. The Age of the Reptiles was the period when reptiles ruled the earth. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Mention any two reasons why the dinosaurs disappeared? b. What did the earliest reptiles feed on? c. When did the earth begin to have seasons? 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following: a. Be similar to (Paragraph 2) b. died-out (Paragraph 3) c. in the end (Paragraph 4) 2. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Everybody knows Hercules was a ‘strongman’. But to the ancient Greeks he was much more than that. They worshipped him as a god. According to legend, Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Zeus was a Greek god and Alcmene was a princess from our earth. Zeus had a wife in heaven called Hera. She hated Hercules. While he was still in his cradle, she sent two serpents to kill him, but the infant strangled them. When he grew up, Hercules married Megara, but the evil Hera caused him to be seized with a fit of madness and during the seizure, he killed his wife and children. 2. To make up for this terrible deed, the oracle at Delphi ordered Hercules to offer his services to King Eurys- theus. The king gave him twelve labours to do. They were difficult and fearsome tasks. It is these twelve labours which Hercules undertook that make up most of the legend about him. First he strangled a fierce lion with his bare hands. Then he was sent to kill the dragon Hydra, a monster which had devoured many beau- tiful young girls. It had nine heads, eight of which were mortal and one immortal. Every time Hercules struck off a mortal head, two more grew in its place. In the end, Hercules managed to kill the Hydra. 3. His third labour was to kill the golden-horned stag and after that, he was to slay a wild boar. His next labour was indeed a Herculean task. King Augeas had a stable of 3000 oxen and they had not been cleaned for 30 years. Hercules was ordered to do the job. He directed the courses of two rivers into the stables and complet- ed the task in a day. The way he handled the problem proved that not only had Hercules great strength and 19

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) courage but he was also a wise man. 4. His sixth labour was to kill the birds of Stymphalus; his seventh to capture the Cretan bull. Naturally the birds and the bull were no ordinary animals and it took him great effort to finally overcome them. His eighth task was to capture the wild horses of Diomedes, which fed on human flesh. For his ninth labour, he brought back the belt of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. For his tenth, he brought hack the oxen of Geryon from a far-western island. On his way he split apart a mountain to form what is known today as the Straits of Gibral- tar. His eleventh labour was to secure three golden apples from Hesperides and his twelfth was to bring to King Eurystheus the watchdog of Hades. 1. Complete the following statements on the basis of your reading of the passage: a. Hercules first showed his strength when___________________________________. b. The most remarkable thing about the way Hercules handled his fifth labour that _____________________ ______________. b. Among the creatures mentioned in the passage, most of them were monsters except  ___________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Who were the two immortal beings in Hercules’s family? b. What was Hercules’s punishment for killing his wife and children? b. In what way was Hercules’s first four labours similar? 3. Find suitable words from the poem which mean the same to the following: a. a famous tale (Paragraph 2) b. rough (Paragraph 4) c. familiar to (Paragraph 5) PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) Writing: 1. You are Abhineet Sharma, staying at 23, Balaghat, Mumbai. Write a letter to the Editor of The Times of India, Mumbai to share your views regarding the neglect of priceless historical monuments in and around your city. (Word limit: 100-120 words) 2. You are Mohit. You were given a prize by your headmaster for being the best athlete. You were full of joy and exuberance. Write a diary entry expressing your feelings about the same in 100-120 words: 20

5.1 The Summit Within Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: There is another summit. It is within yourself. It is in your own mind. Each man carries within himself his own mountain peak. He must climb it to reach to a fuller knowledge of himself. It is fearful, and unscalable. It cannot be climbed by anyone else. You yourself have to do it. The physical act of climbing to the summit of a mountain outside is akin to the act of climbing the mountain within. The effects of both the climbs are the same. Whether the mountain you climb is physical or emotional and spiritual, the climb will certainly change you. It teaches you much about the world and about yourself. (i) Which is the other summit? Where is it? (ii) Why does the writer term it as ‘fearful and unscalable’? (iii) Why can’t anybody else climb it? (iv) Why is climbing a mountain outside same as climbing a mountain within oneself? (v) What can one learn by climbing a mountain? Extract 2: Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles. The obstacles in climbing a mountain are physical. A climb to a summit means endurance, presistence and will power. The demonstration of these physical qualities is no doubt exhilarating, as it was for me also. (i) What gives a man happiness? (ii) What does ‘a climb to a summit’ mean? (iii) How does a man feel when he gets a chance to test his qualities by climbing a mountain? (iv) For whom is the demonstration of physical qualities exhilarating? (v) Make sentences using the following words: obstacles, exhilarating. 21

5.2 The School Boy Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: O! Father and Mother, If buds are nip’d, And blossoms blow away. Ad if the tender plants are strip’d Of their joy in the springing day. By sorrow and cares dismay. How shall the summer arise in joy. Or the summer fruits appear? (i) Who is the speaker of these lines? (ii) What happens to tender plants if their joys of spring are taken away? (iii) Why does the poet compare himself to a nipped bud? (iv) What happens to the plant if its blossoms are blown away? (v) Write the rhyming words. 22

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: Gir is one of oldest sanctuaries in India and it is famous for being home to the majestic Asiatic Lion. It is the only place in India where there animal is found. The sanctuary is spread over 1412 square kilometre of forest, grasslands and rocky hills. Gir has about 400 lions and 300 leopards. Apart from lion and leopard, jungle cats, desert cats and rusty-spotted cats are also found in the forest. Deer such as Sambars and Chitals, Antelopes such as blue bulls, four-horned antelopes, Indian gazelles and wild boars are found in abundance in Gir. Jackals, striped hyenas, jungle cats and rusty spotted cats, langurs, porcupines and black naped hares are among the other animals found in Gir. Gir is home to over 300 species of birds, many of which can be seen in year-round. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence. 1. Gir is most famous for _________________________________________________. a. being home to the majestic Asiatic lion. b. being one of the oldest sanctuaries in India. c. being one of the largest sanctuaries in India. d. providing habitat to a wide vareity of animals 2. Gir is especially important for Asiatic lions as _________________________________________________. a. It is the only place where they found in large numbers. b. Its is the only place in India where they are found. c. It is the place where they are found in the largest number. d. It is a place where they can roam around freely. 3. The sancturay is spread over ____________________ sq.km of forest. a. 1412 b. 1542 c. 1432 d. 1324 4. Apart from lions and leopards, also found in the forest are other memebers of the cat family such as _________________________________________________. a. langurs, porcupines, black-naped hares. b. anteelopes, jackals and desert cats. c. jungle cats, desert cats and rusty-spotted cats. d. four-horned antelopes, Indian gazelles and wild boars. 5. The word in the passage which means ‘plenty’ is ________. a. majestic b. spotted c. mammal d. abundance II. Read the following passage and attempt the questions that follow: 1. One day, more than hundred years ago, a French boy called Louis Pasteur was playing with his friends in Arbois, the little town that was his home. Suddenly there came a sound of running feet and voices of people shouting. Louis looked up. “What has happened?” he asked a man standing near him. “Someone has been bitten,” said the man. “By a mad dog?” asked Louis. The man looked frightened. “No,” he said, “not a dog – a wolf. A mad wolf came down from the mountains.” 2. Louis hurried home. He too felt afraid, and he was glad to reach the safety of the house. The mad wolf was suffering from a disease called rabies. Louis did not forget that day; though he did not then know that later in his life he would discover a way of preventing the disease. When Louis left school, he trained himself as a scientist. At first he worked at problems in chemistry, making discoveries for which he became famous. Soon he began to interest himself in such questions as: What sours milk? He discovered that when milk sours, the change is brought about by the presence of certain bacteria, very tiny and simple living plant-like things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Pasteur was able to observe them 23

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) through his microscope. 3. He found that the bacteria that cause souring can be killed by heat, by raising the temperature a certain amount for a certain length of time. Heat treatment of milk is still carried out today, and, in honour of Pasteur, it is known as pasteurization. We know that pasteurization destroys not only bacteria that cause souring but also germs that cause diseases in human beings. Another field in which Pasteur worked as a scientist was the study of disease causing germs. Certain diseases are caused by bacteria and some other are caused by viruses which are too small to be seen with the kind of microscope that was in use on Pasteur’s time. 4. While doing all this, Pasteur had never forgotten the man in Arbois who was bitten by the mad wolf. The germ that causes rabies is a virus too small to be seen under an ordinary microscope. The disease may affect dogs, wolves, jackals, other animals and men. Pasteur removed the infected parts of rabbits suffering from rabies and, by treating these parts, obtained the virus. With this he injected animals. The animals remained healthy, and did not develop the terrible symptom of the disease. 5. So far, Pasteur’s patients had been animals. He had not ventured to try his methods on human beings. Then one day-the sixth of July 1885, a very memorable day for Pasteur –a woman came to him in great distress, with her son Joseph Meister. “Save my son!” She cried.” Save him, sir! He had been bitten by a mad dog. He is covered with bites.” The boy had indeed been badly bitten. He took the boy into his own home so as to watch him carefully, and gave him a series of injections. He waited anxiously to see what would happen. At last the danger period had passed. The boy was well and strong again. A method of preventing rabies had been found! Pasteur’s fame spread, funds flooded in, and he received honours from many countries. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. Louis Pasteur lived in _____________, the little town_______________. b. The mad wolf came _______________and was suffering from a disease called__________. c. When Louis started working as a scientist, he worked_______________, making discoveries _______________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. What did Louis Pasteur discover about the milk turning sour? b. Describe the process of pasteurization as given in the passage. c. How did Louis Pasteur obtain the virus to cure the dreadful disease ‘rabies’? d. How did the sixth of July 1885 become a very memorable day for Pasteur? 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Scared (para 1)   b.  very bad (para 4) c. attempted (para 5) PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) Writing: 1. You are Abhinav Shukla, staying at 56, Andheri Mumbai. Write a letter to the Editor of The Times of India, Mumbai to share your views regarding the Dangers of Reckless Driving. (Word limit:100-120 words) 2. You are Raghu staying at 46, Marconi Street, Jabalpur. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily, sharing your views on celebrating Diwali without crackers. (120-150 words) 24

6.1 This is Jody’s Fawn Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest, his eyes were open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated. Jody said. “How are you feeling, Pa?” “Just fine, son. Old Death has gone thieving elsewhere. But wasn’t it a close shave!” “I agree.” (i) What could Jody not keep out of his mind? (ii) What did Jody do? (iii) Who was Penny? (iv) Describe Penny’s eyes. (v) What do you understand by the phrase ‘Old death has gone’? Extract 2: Then a buzzard rose in front of him and flapped into the air. He came into the clearing under the oaks. Buzzards sat in a circle around the carcass of the doe. They turned their heads on their long scrawny necks and hissed at him. He threw his bough at them and they flew into an adjacent tree. The said showed large cat prints but the big cats killed fresh, and they had left the doe to the carrion birds. (i) What flapped into the air? (ii) Where and how did the buzzards sit? (iii) Describe how the necks of the buzzards looked like. (iv) Why had the big cat left the dead doe to the buzzards? (v) Who are carrion birds? 25

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following poem and attempt the questions that follow: 1. The leaves are fading and falling, The winds are rough and wild, The birds have ceased their calling, But let me tell you, my child, 2. Though day by day, as it closes, Doth darker and colder grow, The roots of the bright red roses Will keep alive in the snow. 3. And when the Winter is over, The boughs will get new leaves, The quail come back to the clover, And the swallow back to the eaves. 4. The robin will wear on his bosom A vest that is bright and new, And the loveliest way-side blossom Will shine with the sun and dew. 5. The leaves to-day are whirling, The brooks are dry and dumb, But let me tell you, my darling, The spring will be sure to come. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from the passage. a. The roots of the bright red roses______________. b. The robin ________________________________bright and new. c. In the season of autumn,___________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. What signs of the coming winter are mentioned in the second stanza? b. Write any two signs of autumn as mentioned in the first stanza of the poem. c. What happens to the brooks in autumn? d. How is the poet trying to fill the child with positivity at the end? 3. Find the words which mean the same as following. a. Stopped (stanza 1)   b.  branches (stanza 3) c. silent (stanza 5) II. Read the following passage and attempt the questions that follow: 1. Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali Empire and is popularly referred to as the Lion King. Prior to this, Sundiata was the king of a small Mandinka tribe within the Ghana Empire. With the decline of the Ghana Empire during the 13th century AD, Sundiata snatched the opportunity to increase his power. Much of what we know about Sundiata’s life is derived from what is popularly known as the Epic of Sundiata. Additionally, written evidence about this ruler can be found in the writings of several Muslim travellers who visited Mali. 2. According to the Epic of Sundiata, the founder of the Mali Empire was the son of a king by the name of Maghan Kon Fatta (meaning ‘Maghan the Handsome’). Maghan married a woman named Sogolon. According to the epic, the Sogolon is described as a ‘Buffalo Woman’. “She is ugly, she is hideous, and she bears on her back a disfiguring hump. Her monstrous eyes seem to have been merely laid on her face.” says the epic. 3. Sogolon eventually bore the king’s son, and gave birth to Sundiata. Sundiata had quite an uneventful early childhood. In fact, the child seemed to have taken after his mother, and looked very unpleasant. “At the age of three, he still crawled along on all-fours while children of the same age were already 26

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) walking. He had nothing of the great beauty of his father. He had a head so big that he seemed unable to support it; he also had large eyes which would open wide whenever anyone entered his mother’s house. He was a silent child and used to spend the whole day just sitting in the middle of the house.” 4. At the age of seven, Sundiata’s father died. The epic says that Sundiata and Sogolon were treated harshly by this half-brother as the late king had been fonder of them than of him. Legend says that willpower and hard work allowed Sundiata to eventually overcome his physical challenge. He was finally able to walk. By the age of ten, the future emperor showed signs that he was destined for greatness. However Sogolon decided that if she continued to stay where she was, her children would be killed so she decided to go into exile with her children. In due course, they arrived in the court of the King of Mema who granted them shelter. Sundiata became a favourite of the king who admired his drive to overcome his hardships, and he rose in the king’s court. He was eventually appointed as the king’s viceroy and governed in the king’s absence. Yet, Sundiata’s destiny was to be much greater than this, and eventually, he returned to his homeland. 5. At one of the battles, he defeated his half-brother and this victory was his first step in the rise of the Mali Empire. The empire of Mali was ruled by Sundiata for many years and he was now known as the ‘Lion King of Mali’. Sundiata is thought to have died in around 1255 AD, though his cause of death is still disputed. Some say he was accidentally shot by a poison arrow and others suggest he was a victim of political assassination. But the most widely accepted cause of Sundiata Keita’s death is drowning in the Sankarani River, where a shrine with his name can still be seen. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words: a. Prior to becoming the founder of the Mali Empire, __________________________. b. Sogolon decided to go into exile with her children because_____________________. c. We know about Sundiata’s life from two sources, one is ________________and secondly ___________________________who visited Mali. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Whom did Maghan marry? How has she been described as in the epic and why? b. Why was the King of Mema impressed with Sundiata and how did he reward him? c. What are two popular notions about Sundiata’s death? 3. Find the words which mean the same as following a. Grabbed (para 1)   b.  leave the country (para 4) c. uncertain (para 5) PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) Writing: 1. Write a short essay on the topic “Why Students Should Wear Uniforms”. Give balanced views to support your point of view. (200-250 words). 2. You went to a restaurant to have your lunch. Suddenly a man sitting near you faints and falls down. Describe the situation how you found yourself not knowing what to do. 27

7.1 A Visit to Cambridge Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: And suddenly I felt weak all over. Growing up disabled, you get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque. The only thing that makes you stronger is seeing somebody like you, achieving something huge. Then you know how much is possible and you reach out further than you ever thought you could. (i) Name the author of the lines. (ii) What is wrong with him? (iii) What irritated him? (iv) From where does he get strength? (v) By meeting somebody like him, what are the feelings evoked in him? Extract 2: An hour later, we were ready to leave. I didn’t know what to do. I could not kiss him or cry. I touched his shoulder and wheeled out into the summer evening. I looked back; and I knew he was waving though he wasn’t. Watching him an embodiment of my bravest self, the one I was moving towards, the one I had believed in for so many years, alone, I knew that my journey was over for now. (i) What were the author’s feelings when he had to leave? (ii) How did he bid him goodbye? (iii) What did he feel when he looked back? (iv) Was Stephen waving him goodbye? (v) Why was the author’s journey over? 28

7.2 When I set out for Lyonnese Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: When I returned from Lyonnesse With magic in my eyes. All marked with mute surmise My radiance rare and fathomless, When I returned from Lyonnesse With magic in my eyes. (i) What happened to the poet after his visit to Lyonnesse? (ii) How did everyone react to it? (iii) Describe the poet’s glow. (iv) Give meaning of the following words. (a) fathmoless (b) surmise (v) Write the words that rhyme together. 29

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. In West Africa during the medieval period, salt was traded for gold. This may seem astonishing since salt is a cheap commodity in today’s society and is easily available today but this was not the case in ancient times. In the past, salt was difficult to obtain in certain parts of the world. This means that areas producing salt had a valuable trade item in it and they could exchange it for gold. Salt in fact led to the development of trade routes, and brought great wealth to the cities and states which they passed through. 2. Salt has many uses, though it is primarily associated with food. Today, salt is most commonly used to make food salty. In the past, salt had another important function that is, the preservation of food. Prior to the advent of refrigeration, meat and vegetables were salted so that they could be eaten at a later date. 3. The importance of salt may be seen during the Roman period, when soldiers were paid in ‘salt money’. Around the 5th century AD, the use of camels allowed people to cross the Sahara Desert. Trade was flowing between the Saharan and sub-Saharan regions of West Africa. In sub-Saharan West Africa, gold was abundant, and this was exchanged for salt brought by caravans arriving from the north. The salt transported by these caravans was obtained from salt mines in the Sahara Desert. In certain areas, salt deposits can be found not far beneath the surface of the desert. Mining operations were set up in such areas and slaves brought in work there. The salt, which was in the form of blocks, would then be loaded onto the backs of camels, and be transported to the south, where they were traded for gold. 4. Trading was carried out using a process called ‘silent barter’. During this, neither party spoke to each other and often did not even meet each other. At the chosen trade location, the salt traders would display the salt they brought, beat their drums to announce their plan to trade, and return to their camp. The gold traders, hearing the drums, would show up, have a look at the salt, and place an amount of gold that they believe would be a fair trade. 5. Some of the historians don’t agree with this story. They say that salt was not the only commodity brought by merchants from the north. Other goods that travelled with the caravans included glass, precious stones etc. In addition, the people of West Africa could obtain salt from plants and the soil, which would have been sufficient for local consumption. Still, the impact of the salt trade in the region is undeniable. With the help of it, the West African powers were able to control the trade routes. Gaining control of these routes meant earning lot of money from the caravans that travelled along them. This brought much wealth and led to the establishment of great empires including the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires. 1. Complete the following sentences: a. The traders could exchange the salt for gold because _______________________. b. Salt led to the development of trade routes and ____________________________. c. Some of the historians don’t agree with the story of the salt trade because in addition to the salt, the merchants used to bring ___________________________________. d. Salt trade led to the establishment of great empires including___________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Why the fact that the salt was traded for gold may sound astonishing in the present era? b. Apart from making food salty, what was the other vital function performed with the help of the salt in the past? Why was it done? c. Name some important regions where salt trade used to take place. d. Explain the system of ‘silent barter’ as described in the passage for your reading. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following: a. Shocking (para 1)   b.  arrival (para 2) c. undisputable (Para 5) 30

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Roopkund, in the state of Uttarakhand in India, is a famous glacial lake. This lake is famous due to more than five hundred skeletons of humans found at the edge of the lake. It is located in the Himalayas and rests at an altitude of nearly 4,800 meters. Roopkund is one of the best sites for trekking in Uttarakhand and is closer to hill stations like Nainital. It is also one of the major adventure attractions for people in the country and also for people who are travelling from abroad. Roopkund is also known as the ‘Mystery Lake’ since one can find human skeletons at the bank of the lake and it is believed that they belong to the Palaeolithic age. 2. These skeletons are believed to be of the heroes who had fought here in the earlier times. Along with the skeletons of humans, you can also find skeletal structure of horses and other animals. There are reports that these skeletons belong to the 12th century to the 15th century. It is believed by specialists that the death of many people in this region was a result of landslides or an epidemic. The human skeletons were discovered in 1942 by H K Madhwal, who was a Nanda Devi Game reserve ranger. 3. Later in 2004, a team of Indian scientists along with some Europeans visited the area to gain more information about them. On extensive research and findings, they found human skulls, bones and other jewellery. The DNA of the skeletons was taken, and it appeared that the people belonged to many classes. There was a group of short people and tall people who were believed to be closely related to each other. Though the exact number of the skeletons cannot be ascertained, but a total number of around 500 hundred skeletons were found. It is also believed that an equal number of skeletons perished due to the natural environment. 4. The Radiocarbon dating of the skeletons at the Oxford University determines the age of the skeletons to be somewhere around 850 AD. Many scientists are of the idea that the people did not die of an epidemic but due to sudden hailstorms. The cold and icy weather condition can be said to be the reason for the preservation of the skeletons for such a long time. The favourable weather conditions prevented the skeletons to decay off and decompose into soil. With landslides that were widespread in the area, many bodies slipped into the lakes and stayed there for a long time. The bodies that fell into the lake had a greater shelf-life as compared to the ones which remained in the open. However it is still not determined if this group of people lived here, or if they were heading towards a destination. 5. Lohajung is the starting trekking point for Roopkund. The Roopkund trek can also be called Skeleton Trek due to the presence of different skeletons in and around the lake. The lake is surrounded by snow clad mountains and rock- strewn glaciers. Trekking in India and choosing the Roopkund trek is an adventurous journey which passes through many exotic and beautiful locations. As you trek towards the lake, you can enjoy the natural and lush green beauty of the surroundings with the pleasant breeze that blows all around you, giving a soothing effect to your senses. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. Roopkund is famous because of ________________________________________. b. On extensive research and findings, the scientist have found __________________. c. The skeletons could remain preserved for such a long time because of ____________________________ ______________________________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Why had Roopkund emerged as one of the major adventure attractions for people? b. Who discovered the human skeletons in Roopkund and when? c. What are two primary reasons which caused the death of people in this region? d. What makes Roopkund trek an adventurous journey as described in the passage? 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. height (Para 1)   b.  wide-spread (para 2) c. positive (para 4) 31

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) Writing: 1. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily expressing your views regarding cases of bullying in the schools. Suggest some measures to combat with the problem. You are Kishan Kumar staying at 46, Vivek Nagar, Bangalore. (Word limit: 120-150 words) 3. Write a balanced essay on the topic “Why learning a foreign language can be beneficial for a person”. Present strong views favouring your stand. (200-250 words) 32

8.1 A Short Monsoon Diary Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: The rain stops on August 3rd. The clouds begin to break up, the sun strikes the hill on my left. A woman is chopping up sticks. I hear the tinkle of cowbells. In the oak tree, a crow shakes the raindrops from his feathers and caws disconsolately. Water drips from a leaking drainpipe. And suddenly, clean and pure, the song of the whistling thrush emerges like a dark sweet secret from the depths of the ravine. (i) When does the rain stop? (ii) What happens to the sky? (iii) Where does the sun strike? (iv) What does a crow in the oak tree do? (v) What emerges like a dark sweet secret from the depths of the valley? Extract 2: Snakes and rodents, flooded out of their holes and burrows, took shelter in roots, attics and godowns. A shrew, weak of eyesight, blunders about the rooms, much to the amusement of the children. “Don’t kill it,” admonishes their grandmother. “Chuchundars are lucky—they bring money!” And sure enough, I receive a cheque in the mail. Not a very large one, but welcome all the same. (i) Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? (ii) Why do the snakes and rodents leave their holes and burrows? (iii) Who blunders about the rooms? (iv) What does shrew mean? (v) Why does grandmother ask the children not to kill chuchundars? 33

8.2 On the Grasshopper and Cricket Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: The poetry of earth is never dead: When all the birds are faint with the hot sun, And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead, That is the grasshopper’s — he takes the lead In summer luxury — he has never done With his delights, for when tired out with fun He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed. (i) When do the birds faint? (ii) Who sings the poetry of earth in summer? (iii) When it is tired, where does the grasshopper take shelter? (iv) Name the poem and the poet. (v) Write all the rhyming words from the given extract. 34

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. The social and religious reform activities of Dayananda Saraswati were the main inspiration behind the many reform movements of the 19th and the early 20th century. These reform movements transformed the Indian society. He was a man committed to eradicate the evil practices that had crept into the Hinduism. Dayananda (named Moolshanker at birth) was born in 1824 at Tankara, Gujarat in an extremely religious background. Inspired by a couple of early experiences in life, he left home in 1846 to become a sanyasi, adopting the name ‘Dayananda’. He received guidance under Swami Virjananda. To deliver and spread his ideas on reform, he wrote a significant number of pamphlets and books including the Satyarth Prakash, Bhratinivarna etc. 2. Dayananda was keen to rid Hinduism of its belief in idol worship, avataras (reincarnation), animal sacrifices and many of its rites. He propagated monotheism, and stated that God was omniscient (all- knowing), infinite (limitless), formless, merciful and just. His inspiration was the Vedas. His religious reform works inspired confidence among the Indians regarding their racial and national past. It also instilled a sense of national pride and consciousness. 3. To remove the various ills of the caste system, Dayananda held the character of individuals and the actions performed by them and not birth as the basis for determining the caste. He informed the masses that untouchability was a crime that went against the Vedic principles. Opposing child marriage, he increased the marriageable age of both women and men. He suggested widow remarriage. As education was important for forming individual character, he said that it was the states’ responsibility to provide compulsory education to children. 4. Dayananda’s founding of the Arya Samaj at Bombay in 1875 as an organisation expressing his social and religious principles was a noteworthy achievement. Though Dayananda laid down 28 guiding principles for the Samaj, they were made into “Ten Principles of the Arya Samaj” in 1877. The Vedas are believed to be the true books. The Samaj would work for the physical and spiritual welfare of men and spread knowledge among them. Love, justice, truth and virtue are the moral qualities that accorded importance. With the setting up of the Samaj, many gurukuls and Dayananda Anglo-Vedic colleges are established and the Arya Samajists continue to perform welfare activities to this day. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. The religious reform works by Dayanand inspired confidence among the Indians _____________________________ and also instilled_______________________. b. The 28 guiding principles for the Samaj laid down by Dayanand were made into ____________________ _____________________________________in 1877. c. Dayanand Saraswati gave importance to the moral qualities of_________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Where was Dayananda Saraswati born and when? What do you gather about his childhood from the passage? b. What did Dayananda do to deliver and spread his ideas on reform? c. What did Dayanand do to remove the various ills of the caste system? d. What impact of the Arya Samaj can be seen in the present time? 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Changed (para 1)   b.  tried to spread (Para 2) c. for the well-being (Para 4) II. Read the following poem and attempt the questions that follow: If I could catch a rainbow, I would do it, just for you, And, share with you, its beauty, on the days you’re feeling blue. If I could, I would build a mountain, you could call your very own. A place to find serenity, a place just to be alone. If I could, I would take your troubles, and toss them into the sea. 35

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) But, all these things, I’m finding, are impossible for me. I cannot build a mountain, or catch a rainbow fair; but, let me be, what I know best, A Friend, who’s always there. I promise to defend you, should the occasion ever rise, And, I promise to wipe away the tears, which might stream from your weeping eyes. Let me be the trusted Friend, the one that you know best. I will never leave you, on that, you can surely rest. Feeling blue means feeling sad. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from the passage. a. The poet wants to take away _____________________and throw it in the sea. b. When the poet’s friend is in tears, the poet____________________________. c. The poet imagines doing impossible things for his friend. This shows his___________________________ _________________________________. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Why does the poet want to catch the rainbow? b. What will the poet’s friend be able to do if the poet would build a mountain for him? c. What is the main idea of the poem? Write in brief. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Peace of mind   b.  throw c. protect/safeguard someone PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) Writing: 1. You woke up today and it was not a usual day. Your tooth hurt through the night. Your mother took you to a dentist and it happened to be your first visit to him. Write your experience in the form of a diary entry in 120-150 words. 2. Write a short essay on “Should our school examination system be abolished?” Give reasons for your stand in 200-250 words. 36