English Questions and Answers - Class 8 Opener Exams Term 1 2023 Set 4

The passage below contains blank spaces 1 - 15. Read and select the best alternative for each blank
space from the choices given.

Our lives are shaped by the countless decisions we      1         everyday. Every previous decision we made before this very moment shaped our life up till now. Right now, the decision to read this or not         2         shape your thinking one way or the other.

Last night I had to make a decision between      3        a party where I will meet my friends versus staying      4          home to finish up all the work that pilled up when I was sick past few days. Everyday, we make decisions. Big, small          5      seemingly insignificant decisions. These major decisons at different milestones of our         6       can change the way we live for the rest of our lives. But we       7            ignore the countless "insignificant" decisions we make daily that are slowly nudging us to a different path either away          8     closer to the dreams we       9        to achieve.

When we decide to watch some T.V-show, we are deciding to take time away from        10         else we dream of doing. May be its losing weight or learning a new language. You are taking time away from that goal when watching T.V. Life could change         11          if decision is made otherwise.

We make decisions based       12          the mental compasses that we have in our minds. They point us to a       13        direction. These compasses help in making decisions subconsciously. As a life-long learner, one won't think about not watching drama, before simply switching to an educational       14           without much thoughts. Some people live without a mental compass. They are like jellyfish in the ocean, floating to wherever the current takes 15 . Not a so good character to possess.

For questions 16 and 17, select the word which best completes the sentence given. 

16. All the interviewees answered the questions               during the interview.
    1.  anyhowly
    2. anyway
    3. in any case
    4. anyhow
17. The army soldiers sustained gunshot              in the battle field.
    1.  injuries
    2. damages
    3. wounds
    4. breakages

For questions 18 and 19, choose the alternative that can replace the underlined

18. Paulo broke down when he received news that an accident had occured.
    1. cried
    2. collapsed
    3. crashed
    4. cringed
19. She seldom talks to strangers happily when they meet.
    1.  never
    2.  rarely
    3. often
    4.  always.

In questions 20 and 21, choose the phrase which completes the given phrase appropriately.

20. The mechanic said that the bus won't start
    1. when a new battery is fixed
    2. until a new battery is fixed
    3.  for a new battery is fixed
    4. because a new battery is fixed.
21.  It would have been an interesting trip if
    1. we visited Mombasa
    2. we had visited Mombasa
    3. we will visit Mombasa
    4. we would visit Mombasa

For questions 22 and 23, fill the blank spaces with the correct answers.

22. Our teacher was upset because we had made progress in the project.
    1. a little
    2. much
    3. few
    4. little
23. Each candidate will be rewarded for posting               performance in the test.
    1. exemplary
    2. diminishing
    3. accomplishing
    4. culinary

For question 24, change the sentence below from active voice to passive voice.

24. Anita is going to sing a song
    1. A song was sung.
    2. Anita sang a song.
    3.  A song is being sung.
    4. A song is going to be sung.

For question 25, choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.

25.  
    1. 'Clean the house' Nelly told Martin.
    2. The teacher asked her where she had been?
    3. Kashu is born of a well-to-do family.
    4. What an expensive garment?

Read the passage below and answer questions 26-38.

Nothing seemed ordinary as an array of silent wind blew around. Fear crept into Mwendwa. Was this real or some sort of imagination? His heart nearly leapt into his mouth when he saw a silhouette of a huge man. A close-keen look proved to him that it was nothing but a tree. The thought of breaking into a run to save his dear life crossed his mind but his feet were too feeble to move even an inch. His squinted eyes toured from corner to corner trying to unravel the source of the weird noise. Flooded in fear, Mwendwa stammered an inaudible prayer; something which he had never done from time immemorial. Fervently, he tried calling all the spiritual beings he had ever heard about. However, one thing was crystal-clear, they had better and more 'serious' matters to attend to. In great fear, he broke into a run hoping against hope to atleast salvage his dear life. It was very evident that lady luck was without a doubt not on his side, probably the god's were against him. He quickly tiptoed on a loop and feli face flat. To rub salt to injury, he sustained a deep cut which made him to bleed heavily. As if that was not enough, he had ripped off his short. Writhing in pain, he leapt off the mucky ground. It was foolish to labour his mind over such a mere thing. Come what may, he had to put up a fight and see another day. Mwendwa knew he had not a single soul on his side not even the Almighty Deity after all his mischief; he had no one to depend on. He shed teardrops in bitterness and remorse mourning like he had never done before. If actions could be undone then pressing the 'undo' button would have been the best option but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. A look into the clear sky spelt doom for Mwendwa for he had been far away from home. His family members would be left in shock after learning where he was; no company or even a mobile phone. Nothing of such kind had ever happened to them, for any reason whatsoever.

The rustling of leaves under his feet brought him back to reality. He had to quickly formulate a plan which would see him escape his immediate predicaments. Through thick and thin he had to survive and live to tell the tale if anyone cared to listen. A continued run into an alien place was riddled with the option of no trace but remaining alive was a very slim chance. In the recent days, there had been numerous complains of how difficult it had become to put food on the table. Worse still was the opportunity for Mwendwa getting employed despite being a minor. Nobody would risk it. At the same time, hunger pangs were making his belly to feel uncomfortable. Not even some wild berries would be spotted in sight to quench his starving body. He made a big yawn before proceeding with his journey which only God knew where to. A clear stream of mountain waters gave Mwendwa a reason to believe that he would actually survive. He knelt down and drank to his fill straight from the stream. All this while he was so grateful to have come across it. He also opted to wash his dry face and dusty feet before marching on. The sun was setting fast when he came across a dusty, abandoned road. He clearly felt that his body was giving in pretty fast. Any nearby person would have helped him but there was none in sight.

With a thud, his mass of body collapsed right away on the side of the road. He was gone, not sure whether he would walk on earth again. After seemingly having had been in deep slumber, Mwendwa came to only to find a young lady with a stethoscope standing next to him. He smiled at her and she did smile back assuring him that he was alive and in the hospital. No family member was in sight but the nurse informed him that they had spent the previous night watching over him and that they had rushed back home before coming back during visiting hours. The nurse asked him to rest and that they would talk at a later time. Mwendwa obliged though not knowing how he would explain his disappearance as well as his action.

26. From the first paragraph, what actual thing had scared Mwendwa?
    1. A huge man.
    2. A tree.
    3. Blowing wind.
    4. His imagination. 
27. According to the passage, what had led to Mwendwa's short getting torn?
    1. He was bleeding profusely.
    2. He had fallen down.
    3. He was held by thorns.
    4. He was struggling to save his life.
28. Through thick and thin as used in the passage 
    1. very extensive moments
    2. extremely fatigued
    3. under all circumstances 
    4. really ordinary times.
29. From the passage, what would make it difficult  for Mwendwa to get employed?
    1. He was underage.
    2. He had never worked before.
    3. He was far away from home.
    4. He was extremely hungry.
30. The writer say that 'the clear sky spelt doom'.
    This means that
    1. he had given up
    2. he was being followed
    3. he prayed for help
    4. he was far from home.
31. How did Mwendwa feel after coming acrossthe clear stream?
    1. He was confused.
    2. He was shocked.
    3. He was remorseful.
    4. He was thankful.
32. Who did Mwendwa see first after regaining consciousness?
    1. Family members.
    2. Teacher.
    3. Nurse.
    4. Neighbour.
33. Why did Mwendwa feel that he was all by means that himself?
    1. Because of fear.
    2. Because of his misdeeds.
    3. Because he saw a huge man.
    4. Because of his imagination.
34. What tells that Mwendwa was not a prayerful boy?
    1. It was long before he prayed.
    2. The god's were busy.
    3. He believed in spiritual beings.
    4. He wasn't going to church.
35. The word 'minor' has been used in the passage 
    Which word means its opposite as used in the passage?
    1. Adult.
    2. Major.
    3. Important.
    4. Small.. 
36. Why was Mwendwa's body giving in very fast?
    1. He was thirsty.
    2. He was exhausted.
    3. He was starving.
    4. He had collapsed.
37. Which of the sentences below does not describe the place where Mwendwa was found lying?
    1. The road was lonely.
    2. The place was filled with dust.
    3. There was a nearby stream.
    4. There was a thud.
38. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for this passage?
    1. Mwendwa cheats death.
    2. Pride comes before a fall.
    3. The nurse who carried a second life.
    4. Life in the woods.

Read the passage below and answer questions 39 - 50.

As the largest of all land mammals, African elephants play an important role in balancing nature. They trample forests and dense grasslands, making room for smaller species to co-exist. Elephants also create water holes used by other wildlife as they dig dry riverbeds when rainfall is low. Herds travel over vast grasslands and they disperse seeds in their dung, which helps generate new green growth. But threats to this giant of the forest are numerous. African elephants are most threatened by the poaching crisis. A great number is killed every year for their tusks; the natural growth rate in most elephant populations has yet to overtake the rate of killings. Many elephants are also the victims of retaliatory attacks after they venture into human settlement and farm areas.. Meanwhile, climate change and human land use are degrading wild lands, breaking up essential elephant habitats and impending ancient migratory corridors. With the growth of commercial agriculture and infrastructure development, as well as extractive industry across the continent, the future of this species is at risk.

To reserve the drastic decline and secure natural habitats, a deliberate effort to protect the ecosystem is needed. Conservation work should extend across a range of states, including Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Identified priority landscapes- some spanning thousands of kilometres across countries are under watch. Provision of wildlife rangers and community scouts with the skills and equipment is needed to prevent the illegal killing of this keystone species. At the same time, working with local communities and landowners to minimize habitat loss caused by unsustainable farming and overgrazing is an ideal thing to do. The training of farming communities in conservation-friendly agriculture and creating land-use plans with communities that might otherwise encroach on critical wildlife corridors outside protected areas is recommended. The Amboseli is a vital elephant stronghold and popular tourist destination in East Africa. The community created conservancies to secure more space for elephants and other wildlife species. On these communal lands there is provision of an alternative livelihood for pastoralist groups using wildlife corridors as grazing land. By building the technical capacity of wildlife protection, rangers on the ground has strengthened monitoring systems that track threats across vast landscapes. Ranger training and provision of monitoring equipment patrol teams have destroyed uncountable poaching camps, arrested the poachers and confisticated elephant tusks and firearms.

However, catching poachers is only half the battle. Training and deployment of sniffer dog units at strategic ports of entry and exit has helped to deter trafficking and catch smugglers. Without effective prosecution, wildlife offenders can evade punishment-and worse still, continue to engage in crime against elephants. Prosecutors and law enforcers offer effective wildlife crime investigation and prosecution. In Tsavo which stretches across Kenya and Tanzania, cross-border coordination between anti-poaching units and wildlife law enforcement units has continued to deliver the much needed impact. Aerial widlife count shows that elephant population has increased tremendously. In addition to the growth of elephant population, buffalo and giraffe populations have increased. However, some elephant carcasses were spotted. This is a reminder that the elephant species is under constant threat from habitat loss, human wildlife conflict and poaching for its ivory.

39. Where are elephants most likely to be found in Africa?
    1. On grasslands and forests.
    2. On mountains and grasslands.
    3. On sparse grasslands only.
    4. On the savanna and plateaus 
40. Which of the below would secure natural habitats?
    1. Development of infrastructure.
    2. Provision of 24-hour security.
    3. Conservation efforts.
    4. Proper land scaping.
41. What is the main reason why elephants are killed?
    1. Because of destroying vegetation.
    2. Because of food demand by other animals.
    3. Because of their tusks.
    4. Because of their high population. 
42. The word popular has been used in the passage.Which word can be used in its place?
    1. Famous.
    2. Enjoyed.
    3.  Fashionable.
    4. Liked. 
43. Which of the below is making elephants to change their migratory routes?
    1. Human land disuse.
    2. Climatic changes.
    3. Few wild lands.
    4. Lack of enough pasture.
44. What has led to destruction of poaching camps?
    1. Lack of forest cover.
    2. Death of elephants.
    3. Rangers training.
    4. Provision of firearms.
45. Which of the below countries is Tsavo found?
    1. Tanzania.
    2. Botswana.
    3. Zimbabwe.
    4. Cameroon.
46. What do you think has been used to establish the actual population of elephants?
    1. Trucks.
    2. Aeroplane.
    3. Survey.
    4. Monitors.
47. It is true to state that
    1. farm areas are near forests
    2. wildlife crime investigation is slow
    3. sniffer dogs are placed at exits only
    4. killed elephants are more than those born.
48. Which animal has not benefited from the conservation efforts?
    1. Buffaloes.
    2. Elephants.
    3. Giraffes.
    4. Gazelles.
49. Who is responsible for the prevention of illegal killing of animals?
    1. Community scouts.
    2. Poachers.
    3. Prosecutors.
    4. Police officers.
50. Choose the appropriate title for the above passage?
    1. The extinction of African elephants.
    2. Elephants' support of Africa's ecosystem.
    3. Poaching and its effects.
    4. The real value of ivory.

Write a composition starting with the following sentence. Make your work as interesting as possible

Schools had just opened and the lessons had started off well. Everything changed when we heard the bell ring......................

MARKING SCHEME

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