Class 8 English Seen Passages (15-20)

03/25/2022 by abc

Class 8 English Seen Passages (15-20)

Read the text and answer questions 1, 2, and 3. (Unit–7, Lesson–03)

River gypsies are an ethnic group of people in Bangladesh. They are known as bedey to local people. The gypsies have their own lifestyle and culture. They live in groups and do not own any land. Therefore, they live a nomadic life, traveling from one place to another. These people roam across our rivers and waters from May to December in small country boats. These boats are their houses and these people are a part of our waters. In winter, many water bodies dry up. At that time they return to the mainland and live in make-shift tarpaulin tents on open river banks. You can see their men relaxing in the tents. Toddlers play with dogs or other pets in the dust. Women often idle away time by hair doing, picking off lice in twos or threes sitting in a row. Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with fishing. They also dive for natural pearls in waters. Sometimes, the camp for a couple of weeks. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures. Women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics, and other things. They also try to heal the pains of old people often by sucking out blood from their bodies. Many villagers believe in the magical power of the gypsies.

They can make an evil spirit leave someone’s body by magic or special powers.

Set 1

Choose the best answer from the alternatives :
a) The term ‘ethnic’ is connected with–
people ii. plants iii. animals iv. fishes
b) The gypsies lead a ¾¾
luxurious ii. nomadic iii. fashionable iv. simple
c) They are locally known as ¾¾.
jeley ii. kumar iii. snake charmer iv. bedey
d) ‘Monsoon’ refers to the–
summer ii. winter iii. autumn iv. rainy season
e) The gypsies have no –
language ii. religion iii. land possession iv. culture
Give short answers to the following questions :

(a) Who are river gypsies?

(b) What do river gypsies do for a living?

(d) What do the village people believe about the river gypsies?

(e) How long do they stay on boats?

Summarize the above text in around 85 words.

Answer

(a) (i) people; (b) (ii) nomadic; (c) (iv) bedey; (d) (iv) rainy season; (e) land possession.
(a) The people known as bedey are river gypsies.

(b) River gypsies do fishing, diving for natural pearls in waters, catching snakes, snake charming, healing pains of old people etc. for a living.

(d) The village people believe that river gypsies have magical power and they can drive evil spirit.

(e) They stay on boats for eight months.

River gypsies are known as bedey to us. They live in groups and travel from one place to another. Water is a part of their living. They do fishing, diving for pearls, catching snakes, snake charming, healing pains of aged people etc. for their living. Many villagers thinks that river gypsies have magical power.

Set 2

Choose the best answer from the alternatives.

(a) entertain

annoy ii. mock iii. amuse iv. criticize

(b) heal

cure ii. suffer iii. repair iv. rectify

(c) roam

stay ii. settle iii. relax iv. wander

(d) suck

utilize ii. sip iii. improve iv. idealize

(e) charming

outstanding ii. awful iii. amuse iv. prevent
Answer the following questions in your own words.

(a) Why do river gypsies live a nomadic life and how?

(b) How do women often idle away time?

(d) How can they drive away the evil spirit?

(e) What do river gypsy men do for a living?

Summarize the above text in around 85 words.

Answer

(i) (c) amuse; (ii) (a) cure; (iii) (d) wander; (iv) (b) sip; (v) (a) outstanding.
(a) River gypsies live in groups and do not own any land. Therefore, they live a nomadic life travelling from one place to another.

(b) Women often idle away time by hair doing, picking off lice in twos or threes sitting in a row.

(d) They can drive away an evil spirit from someone’s body by magic or special powers.

(e) River gypsy men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming. They also sell herbal cures, bangles, cosmetics and other things for a living.

Same as Set 1

Set 3

Guess the meaning of the following words.

(a) ethnic

plants ii. racial iii. animals iv. fishes

(b) heal

increase ii. suffer iii. relieve iv. repair

(c) toddlers

boys ii. girls iii. young iv. chidren

(d) nomadic

travellers ii. unemployed iii. wandering iv. strangers

(e) Talisman

keys ii. amulet iii. string iv. canvas
Answer the following questions.

(a) Who are river gypsies?

(b) What do river gypsy men do for their living?

(d) How can the gypsy women drive away the evil spirit?

(e) What do they do throughout the monsoon?

Summarize the passage in around 50 words.

Answer

(a) (ii) racial; (b) (iii) relieve; (c) (iv) children; (d) (iii) wandering; (e) (ii) amulet.
(a) River gypsies are an ethnic group in Bangladesh.

(b) River gypsy men catch fish or entertain people with snake charming for their living.

(c) They live in groups and do not own any land. Therefore, they live a nomadic life traveling from one place to another.

(d) The gypsy women are believed to have the magical power to drive away from the evil spirit by magic or special powers.

(e) Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with fishing. They also dive for natural pearls in water. Men catch snakes. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures and women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics, and other things.

Same as Set 1

Class 8 English Seen Passages

Read the text and answer questions 1, 2 and 3. (Unit–8, Lesson–01)

A six-year-old boy from Bangladesh is hoping to become the world’s youngest computer expert. Wasik Farhan-Roopkotha turned six in January 2012. He is hoping his skills will be recognized by Microsoft and Guinness World Records. Wasik started to show a talent for computers in early childhood. Before the age of four, he mastered playing video games and typing in Microsoft Word. His mother Cynthia Farhan-Risha said, “I knew he was very different since his birth.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when he began computing as a seven-month-old child.” At his local primary school, Wasik was above the average level. So his parents decided that he should be taught at home. According to his mother, Wasik’s English is still limited. However, he has a few words to say in Bengali. “I really enjoy playing on the computer and learning new skills,” Wasik told to say the BBC.

“My ambition is to be a computer expert at a big computer firm in the future”

Wasik is a computer-nerd. But he still enjoys mixing with other children, playing football, and listening to music. However, computers are his main passion. Farhan-Risha hopes that Wasik will be mentioned in Guinness World Records. They have not yet listed anyone as the youngest computer programmer in the world. Guinness World Records said, “We do not monitor such a record in our database at the moment. But Wasik’s family is welcome to make a claim on our website,”

Set 1

Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text :
a) Average:
exceptional ii. remarkable iii. extreme iv. medium
b) Talent:
inability ii. dullness iii. genius iv. weakness
c) Limited:
restricted ii. prescind iii. pleasant iv. mandate
d) skill:
denature ii. grande iii. incident iv. expertness
e) Welcome:
appreciated ii. rejected iii. discouraged iv. undesirable
Answer the following questions :
a) How old will be Wasik in 2015?
b) Why was he taught to teach at home?
c) What are his enjoyments?
d) Shy do Guinness World Records welcome Wasik’s family?
e) What did Wasik master before the age of four?
Summarize the above text in around 85 words.

Answer

(a) (iv) medium; (b) (iii) genius; (c) (i) restricted; (d) (iv) expertness; (e) (i) appreciated.
(a) Wasik will be nine years in 2015.

(b) He was taught to teach at home because he was above the average level at his local primary school.

(d) Guinness World Record welcomes Wasik’s family to make a claim on their website.

(e) Before the age of four, he mastered playing video games and typing in Microsoft Word.

Wasik Farhan is six years old. He hopes to be the world’s youngest computer expert. From his early childhood, he is good at computers. At four, he was a master of playing video games and typing in Microsoft Word. At seven he began computing. He wants to be a computer expert at a big computer firm in the future. His mother hopes that Wasik will be mentioned in Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records welcomes Wasik’s family to make a claim on their website.

Set 2

Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.

(a) started

stopped ii. spoilt iii. began iv. startled

(b) records

song ii. disk iii. situation iv. example

(c) local

urban ii. village iii. upashahar iv. district

(d) hopes

expects ii. thanks iii. thinks iv. rise

(e) make

ruin ii. destroy iii. damage iv. build
answer the following questions.

(a) How old was Wasik when he began computing?

(b) What is his ambition?

(d) What does his mother hope?

(e) What does he enjoy?

Summarize the text in section A in your own words (around 85 words).

Answer

(a) (iii) began; (b) (iv) example; (c) (ii) village; (d) (i) expects; (e) (iv) build.
(a) Wasik began computing at the age of seven months.

(b) His ambition is to be a computer expert at a big computer firm.

(d) His mother hopes that Wasik should be enlisted as the youngest computer programmer in the world.

(e) He enjoys mixing with other children, playing football, and listening to music.

Same as Set 1

Class 8 English Seen Passages

Read the text and answer questions 1, 2 and 3. (Unit–8, Lesson–03)

With only 2,500 taka in her pocket, Rona Begum began her small business. She also had a sewing machine from her sister. She attended a six-month vocational training run by the Department of Youth Development before that.

Rona’s Utsab Tailors Training and Sales Center began in 1997.

Fifteen years later, she now owns a small production house of fashion garments.

Traditional items, block print works, and embroidery are done at her production house. “Despite serious trouble in my personal life, I worked very hard to survive,” said Rona.

She supported herself by working at three places. At a time she worked at a local diagnostic center, at a private medical college, as well as at her own training and boutique center. She continued this till 2007.

“At first, I got almost no support from my family. Instead, I faced objections. But I’m happy now and busy with my business. The atmosphere at home has also changed.” said Rona.

Ms Rona has just started several more commercial projects with partners. She decided to expand her business earlier. But she did not get support from any bank or financial institutions. Then she joined the Women Business Forum (WBF), Sylhet and things started to change. At present, she is the General Secretary of WBF, Sylhet.

In the last fifteen years, Rona received much appreciation and a number of awards. Along with other awards, she received Jatiya Juba Padak in 2012.

Set 1

Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning close to the text :
i) Business:
a) profession b) commerce c) trade d) production
ii) Traditional:
a) hereditary b) historic c) remarkable d) habitual

iii) Diagnostic:

a) picking b) detecting c) discovering d) cornerwise
iv) atmosphere:
a) climate b) character c) context d) surroundings
v) Appreciation:
a) recognition b) realization c) perception d) improvement
Answer the following questions :

(a) Why did Rona get appreciation and awards?

(b) How was vocational training helpful for Rona?

(d) Why did Rona leave the other two jobs?

(e) What do you think the initiatives of Rona are examples for the poor? Why?

Summarize the text in section A in your own words (around 85 words).

Answer

(i) (c) trade; (ii) (d) habitual; (iii) (b) detecting, (iv) (d) surroundings, (v) (a) recognition.
(a) Rona got appreciation and awards for her consistent willpower and good performance in the business.

(b) Rona started the business earlier but after getting the vocational training she flourished her business gradually and became very successful.

(d) Rona became very busy for the expansion of her own business in the fashion garments center. So she left the other two jobs.

(e) I think the initiatives of Rona, belong to a series of qualities like willpower, confidence, devotion, and hard work. If the poor like Rona possess such qualities, they must be successful.

The story was published in The Daily Star about Rona Begum who came from a very poor family. She wanted to start a business and tried to take help from others but none came forward. With 2500 taka and a borrowed sewing machine, she started a business. Then she took vocational training and owned the centre of a garment through all sufferings. Rather she left the other two jobs and expanded her own business as well as projects with partners. Now she is the General Secretary of Women Business Forum, Sylhet. By 15 years she was given awards and Jatiya Juba Padak 2012.

Class 8 English Seen Passages

Read the text and answer questions 1, 2 and 3. (Unit–9, Lesson–01)

Human beings have invented many important things so far. They have brought great civilization to the world through these inventions. Do you know which invention is the greatest? It is ‘the wheel’. A wheel is a circular object. It can rotate around its axis and help ease the movement of things across a surface. The wheels are, in fact, everywhere. They are on our cars, trains, planes, wagons, and so on.

Besides, they are on most factory and farm equipment. Fans, propellers, turbines are also other types of wheels. So the wheel is very important. We cannot imagine modern life without wheels.

But do we know exactly who made the first wheel?

Set 1

Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to it.

(a) object

think ii. thing iii. surrounding iv. matter

(b) axis

earth ii. orbit iii. moon iv. sun

(c) across

from one side to another ii. beside iii. before iv. after

(d) equipment

dress ii. tool iii. food iv. cloth

(e) sort

source ii. sample iii. tire iv. type
answer the following questions.

(a) Why is the wheel the greatest invention?

(b) What can we do with the help of a wheel?

(d) How have human beings brought great civilization to the world?

(e) What kind of object is a wheel?

Summarize the passage in around 50 words.

Answer

(a) (ii) thing; (b) (ii) orbit; (c) (i) from one side to another; (d) (ii) tool; (e) (iv) type.
(a) The wheel is the greatest invention because without it we cannot imagine our modern life.

(b) We can move heavy things across a surface easily with the help of wheels.

(d) Human beings have brought great civilization to the world through inventing many important things.

(e) A wheel is a circular object.

The wheel is the greatest invention. They are on our cars, trains, planes, wagons etc. Modern life cannot be thought of without it but we do not exactly know the name of the first inventor of it.

Class 8 English Seen Passages

Read the text and answer questions 1, 2, and 3. (Unit–9, Lesson–04)

Human beings conquered the distance on earth by discovering wheels. They endeavored further. Then on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers in America made the first experiment of flying in a plane. In the experiment, a machine carried a man and rose above by its own power. The machine was called ‘aka airplane’. It flew naturally at a smooth speed, and finally landed without damage.

That was a human being’s first real take-off. And now, they have got a supersonic speed. In a supersonic speed, something travels faster than sound! So the sky’s the limit now! Modern aircraft companies are making revolutions in aviation technology. Boeing as well as Airbus is producing modern passenger airplanes. These planes fly very fast. Boeing 787 flies 950 km/h. However, Airbus 350 is expected to fly in a couple of years. Its speed will be 945 km/h. You find attractive ads on the websites of both Boeing and Airbus planes. Both have excellent features. But in speed, neither could beat the Concorde.

It is the world’s fastest supersonic passenger aircraft. Its normal speed was 2,170 km/h. The Concorde was a joint project by France and Britain. It started passenger flight in 1976. Unfortunately, the Concorde fleet was grounded forever in 2003 after a major accident.

Set 1

Choose the best answer from the alternatives :

(a) The invention of wheels cannot help ¾¾ the distance.

conquer ii. conquering iii. conquered iv. increase

(b) They endeavored further. Here ‘endeavor’ means ¾¾.

experienced ii. exercised iii. tried iv. failed

(c) The first experiment of flying in a plane was made by the ¾¾.

Asians ii. Americans iii. Australians iv. Chinese

(d) Which one is the first plane of human beings?

Boeing ii. Aka airplane iii. Boeing 787 iv. The Concorde

(e) “Supersonic speed” means ¾¾.

as fast as sound ii. faster than sound iii. less fast than sound iv. not related with sound
Answer the following questions.

(a) Who made the first successful experiment in flying an airplane?

(b) What was the first flying machine called?

(d) What was the world’s fastest passenger airplane?

(e) What is Concorde?

Summarize the above text in around 85 words.

Answer

(a) (ii) conquering; (b) (iii) tried; (c) (ii) Americans; (d) (ii) Aka airplane; (e) (ii) faster than sound.
(a) Wright brothers made the first successful experiment in flying an airplane.

(b) The first flying machine was called ‘aka airplane’.

(d) The Concorde was the world’s fastest passenger airplane.

(e) The Concorde is the world’s fastest supersonic passenger aircraft.

Human beings conquered the distance on earth by inventing wheels. But they attempted further on December 17, 1903. The Wright brothers in America made the first experiment of flying in a place called ‘aka airplane’ which landed without any damage. Now they have got a supersonic speed. Now modern planes are flying very fast. But in respect of speed, the Concorde is the fastest whose normal speed was 2,170 km per hour.

Set 2

Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.

(a) take off

torn ii. adventure iii. journey iv. flying

(b) feature

picture ii. characteristic iii. chart iv. row

(c) distance

remoteness ii. shortness iii. smallness iv. greatness

(d) naturally

artificially ii. whimsically iii. automatically iv. particularly

(e) smooth

hard ii. easy iii. difficulty iv. harsh
answer to the following questions.

(a) What do Boeing and Airbus produce?

(b) How many persons did “aka airplane” carry?

(d) What is Concorde?

(e) ‘The Sky’s the limit’ ¾ What does this mean?

Summarize the above text in around 85 words.

Answer

(a) (iv) flying; (b) (ii) characteristic; (c) (i) remoteness; (d) (iii) automatically; (e) (ii) easy.
(a) Boeing and Airbus produce modern passenger airplanes.

(b) ‘Aka airplane’ carried only one person.

(d) The Concorde is the world’s fastest supersonic passenger aircraft.

(e) It means that there is no limit to what somebody can achieve as the sky has no limit.