English Questions and Answers - Class 8 Mid Term 2 Exams 2023 Set 6

Read the passage below. It contains blank spaces numbered 1-15. For each blank space, choose the best alternative from the choices given.

Many people wear clothes to make them __1__ neat, presentable and in fashion __2__ the rest in the society. This __3__
why many people may take a lot of time __4__ clothes to wear. Ladies, for example, have a variety of clothes, __5__ on colour, material, length and occasion she is to __6__. It is therefore __7__ to find a lady taking a bit longer, thinking of what to wear than a man when __8__ are going __9__ a journey. However, is this the __10__ reason why we wear clothes?

To start with, human beings are sensitive to their __11__ and this is one main difference __12__ them and other animals. A __13__ person would not step out of, even the bathroom  without covering themselves. Then, their skin is __14__ and responds to weather conditions very __15__ When it is cold, we wear warm clothes while those living in humid areas normally wear light clothes.

For questions 16 to 18, choose the correct alternative to fill the blank spaces.

16. The ___________________ elections will be held after five years.
    1. great next general
    2. next great general
    3. general next great
    4. great general next
17. She bought five eggs. _______________________were rotten.
    1. some of which
    2. which some of
    3. of which some
    4. some which of

In questions 18 to 20 choose the alternative that means the same as the given sentence.

18. If he doesn't give me the money, I won't take it.
    1. I will take the money as he gives it to me.
    2. After he has given me the money, I will take it.
    3. I can't take the money even if he gives me.
    4. I won't take the money unless he gives it to me.
19. You had better start working now.
    1. It is good you started working now.
    2. You should have started working by now.
    3. It would be good if you started working now.
    4. You should do a better job now.
20. "What will you do tomorrow morning?" his mother asked.
    1. His mother asked him what he will do tomorrow morning.
    2. His mother asked him what he would do the following morning.
    3. His mother asked him what he would do tommorrow morning.
    4. His mother asked him what he will do the next morning.

In questions 21 to 23, choose the alternative which means the opposite of the underlined words.

21. The keen candidate got almost all the questions.
    1. foolish
    2. slow
    3. confused
    4. careless
22. The host received his guests joyfully.
    1. gloomily
    2. excitedly
    3. quietly
    4. silently
23. The courageous herds boy killed the big snake alone.
    1. armed
    2. strong
    3. coward
    4. brave

In questions 24 and 25, choose the correct word from the alternatives given to complete the series.

24.  Solve-solution, maintain-maintenance, grave-______________________
    1. grief 
    2. gravety
    3. graph
    4. groove
25. Write - written, sworn- swear, flown - ________________________
    1. flew
    2. flee
    3. fled
    4. fly

Read the passage below and then answer questions 26 to 38.

The weekend had been extremely busy for me. It was not surprising, therefore, that I overslept on Monday morning. Mum's numerous attempts to wake me up on time did not work. But I really had no regrets. My best friends had visited me on Saturday and they had agreed to prolong their stay until Sunday evening after a little persuasion. You can imagine how weary I became, trying my best to entertain six teenagers with keen appetites. On the whole, it was great fun. My parents left us alone, though they occassionally enquired if everyting was alright. We chatted away for hours told stories, cracked jokes, played and shared experiences.

Monday morning! When it dawned on me that I had to go to school, I struggled out of bed, dressed up hastily threw a few books into my school bag and I was halfway to school before I realised I had not even washed my face. My hair was a mess. I dreaded facing my classmates and my teachers in that state, but I convinced myself that there were usually many other pupils who looked worse.

I arrived late. The teacher on duty was the unforgiving type. She didn't ask for any explanation. Instead, she ordered me to sweep the workshop during lunch break. I was lucky I had eaten plenty of food over the weekend.

In the classroom, the history teacher was full of mockery. "Look at her, walking like a queen but looking like a scarecrow!" The girls giggled, casting curious glances at me.

It did not last long however. I glared at them and I must have looked dangerous. Perhaps they remembered my grandmother who had once terrorised everyone in the local market when another woman insulted her. People still tell different versions of the story but they all agree that the woman groaned in bed for a week and never again insulted another person. They say I resemble my grandmother in more ways than one.

That was the way my day begun and you are right if you think I did not concentrate in my lessons. More than once the teacher had shouted at me, "Jane, pay attention!" I longed for the end of the day and I hoped that Tuesday would be more fulfilling. However, on the way home, I witnessed something that aroused my curiosity.

From a distance, I could see a huge crowd watching something. Vehicles were parked on either side of the road. I ran to the scene and found my way to the front. What I saw shocked me. A man of about fifty was trapped inside a wreck of a car, bleeding. Each time he tried to speak, his face twisted in pain. I heard that the driver lost control of the car after the brakes had failed and it had rolled several times before crashing into a tree.

The crowd just stared. They stood there shrugging their shoulders and mumbling meaningless things. Nobody tried to save his life. Nobody except one lady, a nurse I think, who behaved as if the crowd did not exist. She had put her bag down, taken off her expensive-looking cardigan and was tearing it to pieces and tying the man's wounds to stop the bleeding.

Satisfied that the bleeding was checked, she started dragging him out of the mangled car but he was too heavy for her. She looked at the crowd but nobody moved forward to help. Then her pleading eyes caught mine. I stepped forward and together with that great woman, we got him out of the car and carried him, with great difficulty, to a police car that had just come. My disappointment vanished. I felt happy that I had been of assistance to a needy person. The 'nurse' and I bid each other farewell. As she walked away in the opposite direction, I knew I had had an encounter with a truly wonderful person. My day had not been wasted after all.

26. Why did the writer oversleep on Monday?
    1. Entertaining her friends had worn her out. 
    2. Her friends had agreed to prolong their stay.
    3. She had been very busy doing various things.
    4. Her mother's attempt to wake her did not work.
27. How did waking up late affect Jane's preparation for school? She
    1. did everything in a hurry and got to school in time
    2. was half-way to school before she really woke up
    3. failed to wash her face and comb her hair
    4. forgot to do the most important things.
28. What does the writer mean by "when it dawned on me..."? She
    1. suddenly knew
    2. then knew
    3. saw the light
    4. thought of school.
29. What do we know about the punishment the writer received? It
    1. made the class laugh at her
    2. made her miss lunch
    3. was meant for late comers
    4. was necessary to correct her.
30. Why do you think the other girls giggled? 
    1. Jane was pretending to be a queen.
    2. Jane had been punished.
    3. Girls giggle at the slightest excuse.
    4. Jane probably looked funny and untidy.
31. The story of the grandmother is told to show us
    1. that Jane resembled her grandmother
    2. how terrifying Jane actually looked
    3. that girls were always afraid of Jane
    4. that Jane was about to beat them up.
32. Which of the following statements best explains why Jane longed for the end of the day?
    
    1. Everything had been particulary unintresting.
    2. She had been punished for going to school late.
    3. Everything had gone against her expectations.
    4. She had been late for school, punished and mocked.
33. "What I saw shocked me" Why was Jane shocked? The
    1. man was badly hurt but there was a lady helping him
    2. injured man was bleeding and seemingly in great pain
    3. man was trapped in the mangled car
    4. car was a wreck and people just watched passively.
34. What do we learn about the 'nurse' in the story? She
    1. would do the right thing no matter what others did
    2. had received some training in first aid
    3. had expensive cardigans which she tore to pieces
    4. was angry with the crowd for not offering to help.
35. Why does the writer refer to the lady as 'great'? She
    1. wanted to end the day well
    2. did what no one else was willing to do
    3. was not afraid of the crowd
    4. must have been big and strong.
36. Jane stepped forward to help because
    1. the lady seemed to beg her
    2. no one else was able to help
    3. she admired the lady
    4. she wanted to end the day well.
37. Why is the word 'nurse' in the last paragraph put in quotation marks?
    1. As Jane knew the lady was a nurse.
    2. To show the lady's profession.
    3. Since it's not known if actually she was a nurse.
    4. To show the importance of action in helping the man.
38. Which of the following statements best summarises the story?
    1. An experience one cannot forget.
    2. How a school day can be messed up by oversleeping.
    3. An encounter with most horrifying experience.
    4. How a bad day changed because of an act of kindness.

Read the passage below and then answer questions 39-50.

There are obvious differences between the rural and urban life. Such differences are evident in the availability of certain facilities, people's activities, the kind of neighbours they have and even the pace at which they do things. Although it is difficult to do everything uniform, some of the differences can be minimised. Infact some of the facilities are only readily available in towns for example, butare essential to all people wherever they live.

A great deal has been done in providing modern facilities such as electricity, telephone services and tap water in rural areas. As a result, some rural homes are now similar to those in urban centres. In addition, a number of rural shopping centres have now been blessed with shops, richly stocked with a wide variety of commodities which were previously only available to urban folk.

Many people in urban centres work in factories, offices and shops. The nature of their work influences their lifestyle. Since work, for instance, has to begin at a certain time, people usually have to wake up early, catch a bus or a matatu or even walk and make sure that they arrive on time. That is why they seem more strict with time. In fact, a person visiting a city like Nairobi from the rural areas is amazed at how busy urban people look. Everybody seems to rush all the time. They do not even have the time to shake hands or to have a friendly chat. In banks, restaurants and shops, they seem to have little patience. They are always rushing, pushing and scrambling....

People from the rural areas are likely to find towns strange and unfriendly. It is easy to notice them because sometimes they dress differently, are hesitant and may spend hours gazing at the skycrappers or admiring the many wonders of urban life. Things happen so quickly that one may feel dizzy. Inspite of the many excitements and comforts of urban life, most rural folks prefer the relaxed atmosphere of rural life where people are not only friendly but also have time for each other.

In rural areas, most people are either farmers, herdsmen or fishermen. Although time is an important factor, it does not enslave the people. In other words, there is not as much hurry. People organise their work patterns according to the seasons. Of course, there are times of hard work especially during planting and harvesting but there is also time to rest and have fun.

What makes it so difficult for a rural person to settle in the town is the fact that one may have neighbours who seem not to care about or to notice any other person. In some cases, neighbours do not even know each other's names. However, in the rural areas, people live close to members of their families or relatives. If one has a problem, others help willingly, without having to be requested.

Perhaps, as the years go by, many of the differences that still exist between urban and rural areas will be removed. But we hope that the good values will remain

39. What does the writer say about the differences between the urban and rural life?
    1. It is not necessary to remove the differences.
    2. The differences should not be made fewer.
    3. It is not easy to remove the differences.
    4. The differences are impossible to remove.
40. The phrase "....only readily available in towns.." means that the facilities are
    1. usually available in towns
    2. not available elsewhere
    3. are meant only for use in towns 
    4. are really unsuitable for rural areas.
41. According to the passage, electricity, telephone services and tap water are examples of
    1. facilities that rural people would like to have
    2. facilities essential for all people
    3. facilities that have been provided in all rural areas
    4. facilities available only in towns.
42. What does the writer mean by 'life-style'?
    1. A special way of living.
    2. A style in people's lives.
    3. The way people organise their lives. 
    4. A modern interesting way of life.
43. In what ways are some rural areas similar to towns?
    1. Peoples now have access to many wonderful things.
    2. There are more shopping centres with blessed shops.
    3. Rural homes are similar to those in towns.
    4. They have modern facilities and many good shops.
44. Why do people seem to be in a great hurry in towns?
    1. They have to catch a bus or a matatu. 
    2. They are very strict in their use of time.
    3. They do not have much time to do their work.
    4. They have to report to work at a specific time.
45. Rural people feel uncomfortable in towns because
    1. urban people do not like others and they do not shake hands
    2. people in towns are always rushing, pushing and scrambling
    3. people in towns have no time for others and alot of things are strange
    4. people spend hours gazing at the wonders of the towns.
46. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
    1. Although towns are exciting, people seem unfriendly.
    2. Work in rural areas does not affect people's lives.
    3. People in towns do not have much to do with their neighbours.
    4. people in rural areas have time for one another.
47. What does the writer mean by 'the relaxed atmosphere of rural life'?
    1. Things are not done at the right pace.
    2. People are not strict about things.
    3. The air makes it easy for one to relax.
    4. Things are not done in unnecessary haste.
48. How are rural people different from urban dwellers in managing time?
    1. Urban people seem hurried and impatient. 
    2. Rural people seem to have time for everything.
    3. Urban people have more to do in less time.
    4. Rural people do not care much about time.
49. The writer gives the example of people in urban areas not knowing each other's names to show
    1. how different the neighbours are 
    2. that names are not important in towns
    3. how difficult it is to get help in towns
    4. people in towns have no relatives.
50. The best title for this passage would be
    1. The rural man in the town.
    2. The rural and urban life-styles. 
    3. The strange and unfriendly towns.
    4. The busy town-dwellers.

COMPOSITION  

You have 40 minutes to write your composition.

Below is the beginning of a story. Write and complete the story, making it as interesting as you can.

We had all agreed to meet at that specific place that Sarturday afternoon. However, one hour later, Kanze had not come
................................................................................................................................................................

MARKING SCHEME

1. A
2. C
3. B
4. D
5. C
6. B
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. D
13. B
14. C
15. A
16. B
17. A
18. D
19. C
20. B
21. D
22. A
23. C
24. B
25. D
26. C
27. D
28. A
29. B
30. D
31. B
32. C
33. D
34. A
35. B
36. A
37. C
38. D
39. C
40. A
41. B
42. C
43. D
44. B
45. A
46. B
47. D
48. A
49. C
50. B