English Questions and Answers - Class 8 Mid Term Exams Term 1 2023 Set 7

QUESTIONS

Fill in the blank spaces numbered 1 to 15 with the best alternative from the choices given.

Life is said to be as complicated as the......................1.........................It can be kind, it can be cruel. It will smile at some and......................2.........................at others. To begin with, it is......................3.........................that we adopt a positive attitude to ourselves and......................4.........................around us. There is always a good side to everything even the ......................5........................unpleasant! A positive attitude fosters self confidence which implies......................6........................in oneself and one's capabilities: We ......................7........................believe that even......................8........................we are not among the top ten in class or we do not excel in games and sports, there certainly is something we can do. All we have to do is identify it.

Some people are miserable......................9.......................they have lost faith in themselves. Consequently they become frustrated and depressed either because they are not doing well in anything......................10.......................do not make friends easily. Worse still, they may not ......................11....................... well with anybody and unjustifiably believe that everybody is against them. They ......................12....................... get withdrawn and build a wall ......................13.......................themselves and other people. To escape from the realities of life they ......................14.......................such bad habits as smoking, drinking and drug abuse, ......................12.......................are injurious to health.

1.                      
   1. weather
   2. wind
   3. rain
   4. thunder
2.                  
   1. cry
   2. mourn
   3. frown
   4. gloom
3.                
   1. good
   2. important
   3. necessary
   4. needful
4.              
   1. that
   2. this
   3. these
   4. those
5.                  
   1. least
   2. less
   3. most
   4. more
6.              
   1. belief
   2. believe
   3. believes
   4. beliefs
7.              
   1. might
   2. could
   3. can
   4. should
8.              
   1. when
   2. if
   3. as
   4. while
9.              
   1. since
   2. for
   3. because
   4. incase
10.              
    1. yet
    2. or
    3. then
    4. and
11.                
    1. get along
    2. get over
    3. get on
    4. get through
12.              
    1. however
    2. moreover
    3. therefore
    4. nevertheless
13.              
    1. above
    2. against
    3. among
    4. between
14.                  
    1. for
    2. to
    3. at
    4. in
15.                  
    1. all of which
    2. of which all
    3. which all of
    4. all which of

In questions 16 to 18, choose the word that means the same as the underlined word

16. The striking workers agreed to sign the return to work agreement, albeit unwillingly.
    1. however
    2. nevertheless
    3. moreover
    4. although
17. Harrison was fatigued after doing the day's work.
    1. feared
    2. hungered
    3. exhausted
    4. worried
18. The cultural event was put off to a later date.
    1. changed 
    2. postponed 
    3. transferred
    4. cancelled

For questions 19 and 20, choose the best alternative to complete the sentences given. 

19. Great minds think ..............................
    1. well
    2. gradually
    3. alike
    4. mightily
20. She often sings in the choir,..............................?
    1. doesn't she
    2. isn't it
    3. does she
    4. is it

For questions 21 and 22, choose the sentence that means the same as the underlined one. 

21. All candidates should read the instructions carefully before answering the questions. 
    1. All candidates will read the ifistructions carefully before answering the questions.
    2. All candidates have to read the instructions carefully before answering the questions 
    3. All candidates ought to read the instructions carefully before answering questions 
    4. All candidates can read the instructions carefully before answering the questions
22. There was hardly any day that my father would go to bed before praying.
    1. There was no day that my father would go to bed before praying.
    2. There were very few days that my father would go to bed before praying.
    3. My father would occasionally go to bed before praying.
    4. My father would sometimes go to bed before praying

For questions 23 and 24 choose the word which is the opposite of the three words. 

23.                      
    1. Mourn
    2. Grieve
    3. Rejoice
    4. Lament
24.                
    1. Shelter
    2. Guard
    3. Protect
    4. Attack

For question 25, complete the given analogy.

25. Bear is to den as monk is to:-
    1. nunnery
    2. convent
    3. temple
    4. monastry

Read the passage below and use it to answer questions 26 to 38.

Faraja had always been a shy girl. She did not like being the centre of attention. She always prefers to stay in the background where no one paid much attention to her. Even though she had a lot in her mind, she was often afraid to share her thought or to express her opinions and feelings.

The teachers who were aware of this tried to help her to come out of her shell. However, the more attention they paid to her, the more uncomfortable she felt. The other pupils knew this and sometimes they would tease her. At other times, they would turn all their attention to her when they wanted her to do something. She would give in easily, simply to avoid being the centre of attention.

One morning, the teacher of English Miss Tumaini gave them a spelling drill. She would call any of the pupils at random and asked them to spell a word on the whiteboard. The pupils spelt the words correctly. Then she called out Faraja's name. Suddenly, Faraja felt hot all over her body. She called out again and smiled. The smile made Faraja feel a little better. She stood and walked to the whiteboard. Miss Tumaini asked her to spell the word 'committee'. A hush fell over everyone because they all found it difficult to spell this word.

Faraja, on her part knew how to spell the word. She lifted the white board marker pen to the whiteboard ready to write the word. When she had written the first letters 'com', she panicked. She could not remember whether the next syllable was 'mi' or 'it' when she heard the class giggle, she was so tensed up that she wished the ground would open up and swallow her. At that instant, she forgot even the word that she was to spell. The teacher on realizing this warned the other pupils against laughing at her. She then gently repeated the word one more time. Faraja felt as though the cobwebs in her mind have been brushed off. This time she easily spelt the word correctly and confidently. "Well done!" said the teacher as Faraja walked back to her seat. She was feeling good about herself.

After classes, Miss Tumaini had a talk with Faraja.

"You are very unique and no other pupil in this school is like you," said miss Tumaini. Faraja felt very special when the teacher said those words. The teacher then told her to write a list of the things that she was sure she could do. Faraja was surpised to find that she had a long list of things that she could do. From that time, Faraja felt more confident and her participation in class increased.

26. Which one of the following best describes Faraja?
    1. She was an introvert. 
    2. She was an extrovert.
    3. She was an ambivert.
    4. She was an outgoing.
27. Faraja could not share her thoughts because:-
    1. she knew nobody cared about her.
    2. she had a lot in her mind.
    3. she lacked the courage to do it.
    4. she cared less about them.
28. How did Faraja feel when her name was called out?
    1. She felt special.
    2. She felt like fainting.
    3. She felt hot all over her body.
    4. She felt courageous
29. What would Faraja do to avoid being the centre of attention?
    1. She would sit at the back of the class.
    2. She would do what the pupils wanted.
    3. She often said what she thought.
    4. She let other pupils tease her.
30. In the passage, "a hush" can be replaced by:-
    1. confusion
    2. murmur
    3. noise
    4. silence
31. The sentence, "she wished the ground would open up and swallow her" means Faraja:-
    1. wished she wouldn't have been called to spell the word.
    2. wished she could disappear.
    3. wished she had not messed up.
    4. wished she had not misspelt the word.
32. Why did Miss Tumaini repeat the word?
    1. Faraja had panicked.
    2. Faraja was shy.
    3. Faraja had forgotten.
    4. Faraja asked her to.
33. Why did the teacher warn the other pupils to stop laughing?
    1. They were making Faraja anxious.
    2. They were confusing Faraja.
    3. They were making noise.
    4. They were teasing Faraja
34. Which of the following words does not describe Faraja?
    1. Shy
    2. Timid
    3. Clever 
    4. Bold
35. Why did the teacher say 'well done"! 
    1. To amuse the class.
    2. To make Faraja gain confidence. 
    3. To encourage Faraja
    4. Faraja had accurately spelt the word.
36.  Why do you think Miss Tumaini told Faraja that she was unique?
    1. She wanted Faraja to be proud.
    2. She wanted Faraja to be confident
    3. She wanted other pupils to know what Faraja was capable of doing.
    4. She wanted to know what Faraja can do
37. Why was Faraja surprised?
    1. Miss Tumaini told her she was unique
    2. She felt more confident about herseit
    3. Because she discovered that she was able to spell the word correctly.
    4. There were many things she could do.
38. What would be the best summary of the above passage?
    1. Teasing from other people can scare away our confidence.
    2. Shyness can definitely make us forget most of the things.
    3. With confidence, we can do all what we are set to do.
    4. We should seek help from the teachers whenever our confidence goes Down.

Read the passage below and use it to answer questions 39 to 50.

Performance in national examinations contribute to a great deal to one's future. In Kenya, there are national examination at the end of grade six, class eight and end of form four. Performance in these examinations determines the education path that one takes. This probably explains the jitters that parents, teachers and pupils get when the examination period comes during the end of academic year.

The world has become very competitive today. One has to work hard inorder to excel in any endavour such as examinations. One's performance in examinations has an effect not just on the candidate, but also on the candidate's parents, teachers and even peers.

Parents beam with pride when their children perform well in examinations. It is not uncommon to hear a parent say that the child is "just like the father or mother". Some parents even hold parties to celebrate the child's performance in examinations. Siblings and other relatives join in the celebrations because they have contributed to the pupils good performance in one way or the other.

Teachers are also very excited when they learn their pupils have performed well in the examinations. Their efforts in preparing the pupils for the examination have paid off. They therefore feel that they have succeeded in preparing the pupils for the next stage in education.

Peers also celebrate one's good performance. They would like to be associated with someone who has excelled in examinations. For other pupils in the school, the good performance presents them with proof that it is possible to excel in examinations. It provides them with a challenge to work hard so that they can perform even better in the national examinations.

This has led to a situation where everyone wants to be associated with top marks. In some schools, pupils, teachers and even parents spare no effort in ensuring that they succeed through honest hard work. They burn the midnight oil as they prepare for examinations.

The school fraternity cultivates an environment where each person works towards excellence.

Poor performance in examinations, on the other hand can be a cause of conflict. Parents may blame their children for not working hard enough. Some parents end up blaming the teachers or even the school administration.

There are also pupils who would do anything under the sun to get good grades without putting in much effort. To them, the end justifies the means. They end up cheating in the examinations because they have not studied hard enough.

This is often discovered and, sadly, their results are cancelled. They may go on to be irresponsible people who do not care about the consequences of their actions.

39. From the first paragraph, it is wrong to say that:-
    1. performance in national examinations contributes very little to one's future.
    2. performance in national examinations contributes a great deal to one's future.
    3. performance in national examination determines the education path one takes.
    4. parents, teachers and pupils get jittery when the examination period approaches.
40. Why do peers celebrate one's good performance?
    1. They are sure to perform even better in the national examinations.
    2. They may not perform as well in the examinations.
    3. The good performance is the best possible performance
    4. They would like to be associated with someone who has excelled
41. The phrase "burn the midnight oil" means:-
    1. to sleep late at night
    2. to study until late at night.
    3. to pray until late at night.
    4. to sit examinations until late at night.
42. What do some parents do when their children pass examinations?
    1. They name other children after the good performers
    2. They hold parties to celebrate their performance
    3. They do not challenge other children to perform better.
    4. They challenge teachers to teach better.
43. Which word can best replace the word "jitters" in the passage?
    1. Confident
    2. Joy
    3. Anxiety
    4. Calmness
44. What happens when uere is a poor examination performance?
    1. Teachers are excited to learn about their pupils performance
    2. Parents blame children for not working hard enough
    3. Parents hold parties to celebrate their children's performance
    4. It is a challenge for peers to perform even better
45. Why do teachers celebrate when the pupils do well in examinations?
    1. The parents will not blame them.
    2. Their hard work has ensured good results
    3. The school will not blame them
    4. Their hardwork does not pay off
46. According to the passage, the phrase, "the end justifies means:-
    1. what matters is how the results are achieved
    2. what matters is the results and not how they are achieved
    3. both the results and how they are achieved matters.
    4. the results and how they are achieved do not matter
47. Why do teachers and pupils in some schools work very hard?
    1. They want to achieve good marks
    2. They want to use any means to excel.
    3. So that they can burn the midnight oil.
    4. They want to hold parties for pupils.
48. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
    1. Examination success boosts the pride of candidates and parents
    2. Teachers are excited by the success of their pupils.
    3. A bad performance in examinations affacts one's future.
    4. Teachers whose subject are not performed well are never rejected by parents.
49. A poor performance :-
    1. makes the candidates very angry with themselves.
    2. can make the pupils receive a bad recognition.
    3. can cause conflict between teachers and parents
    4. confirms that the pupils are to blame
50. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
    1. Burning the midnight oil.
    2. Performance in national examination.
    3. The national examination.
    4. The good and bad of termly examination

COMPOSITION

You have 40 minutes to write your composition.

Below is the beginning of a story. Complete it in your own words making it as interesting as possible.

It was a pleasant day. I had no idea that the day would take a turn for the worse .............................................................................................................................

MARKING SCHEME