GRADE-8 HALF-YEARLY EXAMINATION

QUESTION BANK - ENGLISH

CH: Where the Mind is Without Fear

Learning Objectives

Talk about fear and exchange thoughts on motivation, Understand the importance of peace and
harmony and appreciate those who work towards peace in the world, Understand and appreciate
the poem, Answer comprehension-based questions, Identify metaphors and personification in
the poem, Write a book review

Summary:

The poet prays to God for a free country that is fearless, united, truthful and wise. In such a
world, knowledge will be free, and it will not be broken down by narrow-mindedness.

COURSEBOOK
PRACTISE
Comprehension
A.
1.
a. What does ‘without fear’ mean here?
Ans: It means that the minds of the people are free to think their thoughts. It means that people
do not fear that they will be punished for their ideas.
b. Whose ‘head’ is being referred to here?
Ans: The head of every Indian is being referred to.
c. What does the poet refer to when he uses the word ‘where’?
Ans: The poet refers to a free India, which would be like a ‘heaven of freedom.’
2.
a. What kind of ‘fragments’ are being referred to here?
And: These fragments are the groups of people in India who are different due to their
religion, caste, creed or class.
b.
Ans: ‘Narrow domestic walls’ here break the world. These are the walls of differences
and division between people.
c. Ignorance, hatred, narrow mindedness, prejudice causes these breaks. 3. a. The word
clear suggests freshness and purity. When reason is not tainted by hatred and habitual
thinking, it remains clear.
b. Habitual thought and behaviour cause reason to lose its way. c. They are described as dead
because they do not allow a person to grow.
B. 1. He refers to an action that helps the country and its people to grow in all respects. Itis
thought that
it broadens the horizons of the people.
7 Where the Mind is
Without Fear
45
2. He wants his countrymen to be fearless, proud, knowledgeable, united,
broadminded and hard working.
3. He means that he would like his country to achieve the kind of goals that he describes.
He would
like India to wake up in heaven of freedom.
4. He would like his people to strive tirelessly for perfection.
5. He speaks about freedom of thought and action.
6. The heaven he describes is free. The people live there without fear of anyone. They Are
proud
of their beliefs and they stand for them fearlessly. They work hard to gain perfection and do
not follow
old habits which can only lead them towards death and stagnation. They are free to learn and
gain
knowledge and act in a way that they can bring honour to their country. PERFECT
Poetry Appreciation
A. The metaphors are ‘clear stream of reason’ and ‘dreary desert sand of dead habit’.B. The
poet refers to tireless striving as though it had human qualities and it could stretch its arms
towards
perfection. He also refers to reason as though it were human and could lose its way due to
habitual actions.
Vocabulary
A. 1. fragments 2. domestic 3. perfection 4. stream 5. dreary 6. thought 7. striving 8.
dead 9. heaven 10. freedom Grammar
A. 1. Every book on this list is good.
2. The pillow and the bedspread have fallen on the floor.
3. One of my cousins is a chemical engineer.
4. Leading the choir today are Suresh and Preeti.
5. Potatoes, brinjal and carrots are my favourite vegetables.
6. Everyone has to reach the examination centre at 8 a.m. . 7. Mona, Seema
and Heena are related to each other.
8. Neither Sujata nor her friends want to go to the party.
9. Pride goes before a fall.
10. Physics is a tough subject.
46
B. 1. My friends will go to Scotland next month, but I will accompany them. I had gone to
Bali last year
and I need to save money.
2. By the time he realised that he needed his swimming trunks, it was too late. He Had
Already reached
the swimming club.
3. Sheila woke up and saw that her father had cooked her favourite breakfast and put it
on the table
4. The Dasguptas have lived in CR Park for ten years. In that time, they have added two more
storeys
to their house.

CH: Haroun Meets Iff

COURSEBOOK
PRACTISE
Comprehension
A. 1. a. He was not able to write any more stories. Also, he had been asked to write ‘praising
tales’
–this made him angry as he did not wish to be ordered about 2. b. He came to cut off Haroun’s
Story Water supply.
3. c. The Walrus was the Grand Comptroller at P2C2E House in Gup City. 4. d. The Grand
comptroller had ordered him to do so. Rashid Cancelled his
subscription to the Supplier of Story Water from the Great Story Sea. 5. e. He wanted to meet
the Walrus so that he could get the blunder about his father's water supply
reversed before it was too late.
6. f. Haroun waved the disconnecting Tool in the Bluebeard's face—he had taken it away from
him.
He agreed to take him so that he could get the tool back.
B. 1. a. Rashid was a master storyteller and Haroun was his son. b. The living room was in a
houseboat called Arabian Nights Plus One. c. Uniformed boatmen showed them to their
bedrooms. d. Iff visited the houseboat.
2. a. Rashid is the speaker.
b. He won’t be able to tell stories again.
c. He said so because he felt that he could not think of any new stories to tell as his wife had
left him.
d. His son Haroun tried to help him.
3. a. His name was Off.
b. Haroun was being addressed by Iff.
c. He was asking him to feel a patch of empty air six inches above the basin. This Is The Story
tap. It was invisible.
d. He felt the invisible story tap
C. 1. Rashid was asked to think of a story he could tell by a corrupt politician. It was to be a
‘praising tale.’
2. He had lost his inspiration and could not think of any new stories. This happened ever since
his wife
left him.
3. A corrupt local politician sent Rashid and his son Haroun to the luxurious houseboat, as he
wanted
Rashid to campaign for him.
4. Haroun and Rashid walked up on a wooden ladder that led to a verandah of intricately
carved wood and
into a living room with crystal chandeliers and throne-like seats with ornate brocade
cushions
and walnut tables carved to look like flat-topped trees in which you could sweeten birds,
and also
what looked like winged children but were in fact, fairies. The walls were lined with shelves
full of
49
fake leather-bound volumes. The bedrooms were even more opulent than the
lounge. There was an
enormous painted wooden peacock in Rashid’s bedroom. Haroun’s bedroom had an
equally outsize
turtle, which likewise became a bed when its shell was removed. 5. The bedrooms were even
more opulent than the lounge. There was an enormous painted wooden
peacock in Rashid’s bedroom. Haroun’s bedroom had an equally outsized turtle, which
likewise became
a bed when its shell was removed.
6. He couldn't sleep because he was worried about the fact that he had lost his ability to make
up new
stories to tell.
7. Iff, a water genie visited the houseboat to cut off Rashid Story Tap supply. 8. Iff was a
small, ancient-looking man with an outsize onion for a head and outsize aubergines for legs.
He had a toolbox in one hand and what looked like a monkey wrench in the other. He wore a
huge
purple turban on his head and baggy silk pyjamas gathered at the ankles. He Had An
Impressive full
set of whiskers, of a most unusual colour: the palest, most delicate shade of sky blue. He
spoke
amusingly and carried out all his actions with a flourish. He behaved in an officious
manner,
as though he meant business.
9. Iff told Haroun that at P2C2E House, Gup City, Kahani the leader was the walrus. All
stories came
from there. At P2C2E House in Gup City, there are many brilliant persons employed, but
there is only
one Grand Comptroller. All the others were Eggheads.
10. Haroun wanted to go there because he wanted the Walrus to reverse the order that said that
Rashid’s
Story supply subscription would be cancelled. He took away Iff's tool from him and
refused to give
it back to him if he refused to take him to Gup City. 11. Answers may vary. Encourage
learners to come up with their answers. Accept appropriate
responses. Some points to ponder :
a. The creation of a place like a houseboat Arabian Nights. b. The creation
of a character like Iff.
c. The creation of Gup city and Walrus.
d. The imaginary Story Supply tap. All these have to do with the art of storytelling. Rashid is a
storyteller who is unable to tell stories and Gup City is supposed to be the source of all his
stories.
12. Answers may vary. Encourage learners to come up with their answers. Accept
appropriate
responses. Sample answer-Story writers need some kind of inspiration–could be
from anywhere.
PERFECT
Vocabulary
A. 1. explode 2. cancel 3. distribute 4. draw attention to 5. extinguish 6. write 7. discuss 8.
be friends again 9. admire
B. Answers may vary. Encourage learners to come up with their answers. Accept all
appropriate responses.
Grammar
A. 1. S 2. CPX 3. CPX 4. CMP 5. CPX 6. CPX 7. CMP 8. CPX 9. CMP 10.
CPX

Grammar
A. 1. The island of Seriphos was ruled by king Polydectes.
2. finite verbs
3. 2 clauses
B. 1. Simple 2. Simple 3. Compound 4. Simple 5. Compound 6. Complex 7. Complex 8.
Simple 9. Compound 10. Complex C. 1. The man is very poor and it is difficult for him
to feed his family. 2. Keep quiet or go away.
3. Though my neighbour is very wealthy, he works very hard. 51
4. When the sun came out, everything looked warm and cheerful. 5. He ran fast but he
missed the train.
6. Sita was so tired that she slept halfway through the movie. 7. If they do not
work together as a team, they will lose the match.
8. If you misbehave again, you will be expelled from the institution. 9. I went to the
gallery because my brother had asked me to go there. 10. You cannot apply for this job
unless you have relevant experience

Ozymandias

COURSEBOOK
PRACTISE
Comprehension
A.
1.’’Two vast and trunkless legs of stones stand in the desert...”
a.who is the speaker here?
Ans: The traveller from the antique land is the speaker here.
a.who is being referred to here?
Ans: The statue of Ozymandias is being described.
b.why do you think the poet used 'vast' and ‘trunkless’ here?
Ans: Vast suggests that the statue was big and trunkless suggests that the statue did not have a
head and a body.
2. “Near them, on the sand Half sunk a shattered visage lies…”
a. What has happened to the head and face of the statue?
Ans: The head and face broke and fell off the statue.
b. How well has the face of the statue survived?
Ans: The face has fallen off the statue but the expression on the face remains intact.
c. Why is this significant?
Ans: It is significant because the sculptor had managed to depict the king’s expression
very well in the statue.
3."My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look at my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
a. How did Ozymandias want to go down in history?
Ans: He wanted to go down as the greatest of all kings and he wanted people to remember
him with awe and to marvel at his great works.
b. Why does he want the viewer to despair?
Ans: He wanted him to despair as he wanted him to remember that none was as great as
Ozymandias.
c. Why should the viewer be actually in despair?
Ans: The viewer should despair when he sees the pitiable condition of the statue of
Ozymandias as it lies broken and destroyed in the sand.
B.
1. He met a traveller from an antique land in the present place he was in.
2. The traveller speaks about the statue of King Ozymandias.
3. He says that the statue lies broken in the sand. It is a headless statue, and the trunk is
missing too.
The legs remain in the sand and the head lies next to it in the sand. The pedestal on which
the legs
The rest are the words 'My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my works, ye
mighty, and despair!'
4. He says that the sculptor understood the character of the king very well and managed to
depict his
expression perfectly in his statue.
5. We learn that Ozymandias was an arrogant and proud king. He wanted to be feared
and admired
forever, even after his death.
6. The statue could not stand the ravage of time and it was destroyed by the wind, rain and Sun.
7. These lines mean that the sculptor managed to make a statue that clearly showed the
expression of
Ozymandias’s face. He captured the serious look of the king and the look could be seen on the
face
of the statue even after all the years of decay.
8. No, he did not have the legacy he wanted. It was not the lasting impression the statue could
not
survive the ravages of time.
9. The message is that nothing lasts forever. No matter how great a person might think himself
to be
His greatness is bound to be forgotten with time. Ozymandias thought that his statue would
make
him immortal but it could not.
10. The statue was made because Ozymandias wanted kings and commoners to marvel at him
and his
works and always is in awe of him. He wanted to be remembered forever. This Shows That he
was
arrogant and ambitious.
PERFECT
Poetry Appreciation
A. Personification has been used in the lines ‘The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed'.
The hand
is that of the sculptor and it is said to copy the image of Ozymandias vividly. The Heart of the
sculptor
understood the emotions of Ozymandias and managed to show them effectively in the statue he
made
B. Ozymandias calls himself the King of Kings. He says, 'My name is Ozymandias, King of
Kings; Look on my
works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ The irony is in the fact that Ozymandias boasts his glory and
power but
The statue of Ozymandias now lies broken and destroyed. It is forgotten and lost cities in the
sand.
C. ‘besides,’ ‘boundless,’ and ‘bare’...
.’remains’ and ‘round’;
‘lone’ and ‘level’
survive, stamp

Grammar A. 1. simple 2. compound 3. compound 4. compound 5. Complex 6. compound 7.

COURSEBOOK
PRACTISE
Comprehension
A. 1. It was soil from their home country—India. She gave them just so that they didn't forget
about
their homeland and also to dispel homesickness away.
12 En Route to America
65
2. She was very worried and was concerned about their trip.
3. These warnings were that the ship would not have any of the peacetime amenities and there
was
danger of an enemy attack.
4. Officers and the troops on the ship.
5. A metal kangaroo and a boomerang as a souvenir.
6. She was ashamed to admit to a stranger that she was homesick. 7. He
thought so because her English was very good.
B. 1. a. It was her parents she was talking about.
b. She and her sister travelling to America alone in 1943, in a troopship during the second
world
war is the event she is talking about.
c. She meant that the war was on.
2. a. The girls’ aunt, Krishna Huteesing said this.
b. If they looked helpless, someone would help them. If not then they would be efficient
enough
to take care of themselves.
c. When the sisters were about to embark on the ship.
3. a. The narrator says this when their ship reached Australia. b. It can be inferred that it
was cold and foggy on the deck. She had been on the ship for long
and was homesick, so even a glimpse of land cheered her. c. The city of
Melbourne.
C. 1. That her parents had the courage and confidence to send two girls alone troopship to
America
during wartime baffled the narrator.
2. She helped them with shopping and various other arrangements. 3. It means
regular up and down movement of the ship.
4. She went out onto the deck and enjoyed the spray of ocean water on her face. 5. Answers
may vary. Accept all appropriate responses. Encourage learners to come up with their
answers.
• People from 11 nationalities
• Maori army officer
• A thin Englishman who complained about the weather • Tall Dutch officer who
entertained them • A quiet Chinese student
6. Answers may vary. Accept all appropriate responses. Encourage learners to come up with
their
answers.
Sample points to consider:
The narrator: could appear helpless, gets homesick, very concerned about her appearance.
Lekha: the efficient one, had a sense of humour, offered moral support to the
narrator, more practical
then her sister.
7. She felt sick due to the motion of the ship and the cabin was very stuffy, there was a foul
smell in the
airless cabin. She also rolled down from her bunk 8. At the command of 'all hands abandon
ship,' everyone had to run to the deck. 9. She ensured that she looked presentable but her sister
thought it was foolish todos when it was
a life and death question.
10. He did not believe that she was an Indian. He thought her parents were missionaries. The
narrator
gets quite irritated with his questions, his ignorance about the political activities in
India.

PERFECT
Vocabulary
A. 1. the ship – amenities, seasickness, deck, cabin, messroom, bunks, voyage, porthole,
heaving rhythm,
the submarine, disciplinary exercise.
2. people – apprehensive, helpless, efficient, rumbling laughter, gazed soulfully,
companionable, ragamuffin,
thoughtful, shy wiry etc
B. Answers may vary. Accept all appropriate responses. Encourage learners to come up with
their answers.
C. 1. laughter which cannot be controlled
2. stuffiness in a small, smelly cabin
3. Out on the deck due to the movement of the ship the waves went zigzag. These
Appeared to tease
the narrator who wanted fresh air and freedom from motion. 4. Hitler would have
laughed secretly at the idea of fighting for freedom. He Did Not Allow any such thing.
5. The narrator would have to think of the ocean like a poet not to be frightened of it.

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