Class 8 English Seen Passages Part -4 (10-11)
Read the text and answer questions 1, 2, and 3. (Unit–5, Lesson–04)
At the farthest corner of Bangladesh, there is a village called Tarapur. In this village, there lives a man named Kartik Poramanik. He is a hairdresser by profession, but a nature lover at heart.
His passion is to plant saplings, which grow into gigantic trees. He started planting trees when he was only 10 years old. He remembers what his father once told him, “My son, you can earn the blessings of God by planting trees.” He has never forgotten what his father told him. At present, he is 63 years old.
He has planted hundreds of trees in his village. Many of the trees are now 35-40 years old. Once there were hardly any trees in this village. Kartik used to go to different houses for his job. At times he would get tired in the scorching sun, but there were no trees under which he could sit and rest for a while. Thinking about how people suffer in the heat, Kartik began his tree-planting mission.
Occasionally Kartik would wake up early in the morning, take one or two laborers with him and set out to plant trees. He would walk long distances to plant trees, carrying with him some dry food and water. He would pay all the expenses from his own pocket. Kartik has planted trees beside the roads, in and around the Bazar, schools and colleges, open fields and many other places. At times it so happened that Kartik would go to water his plants at 10 or 11 pm. People asked him, “Kartik, are you mad? What are you doing so late at night?” Kartik would smile and say, “What to do, sir. I have to work hard the whole day to earn money for my family. I don’t get time during the day. But my trees would die if I don’t water them. So I come late at night to look after them.”
Even today this old man continues planting trees as many as he can. A man, who can hardly sign his name, is leaving his signature all around in nature.
Set 1
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives :
(a) Kartik was a ¾¾ by profession:
- tree planter ii. barbar iii. barber iv. barberer
(b) The similar meaning of the phrase ‘set out’ is ¾¾.
- awarded ii. went iii. set trees outside iv. wanted
(c) In the passage ‘water’ is used as a/an ¾¾.
- i) noun ii) adjective iii) verb
which option/options is/are correct?
- A & B ii. B & C iii. A & C iv. C
(d) “I come late at night to look after them,” Here ‘them’ refers to ¾¾.
- the people of Tarapur ii. the customers iii. the saplings iv. Kartik’s frind
(e) The word ‘passion’ in the passage means ¾¾.
- obsession ii. outburst iii. apathy iv. hobby
- Give short answers to the following questions :
- a) Who is Kartik Poramanik and how old is he now?
- b) How do you understand that he is a nature lover?
- c) Why did he plant trees?
- d) What do you understand by the saying, “A man who can hardly sign his name, is leaving his signature all around in nature?”
- e) Why did people call Kartik mad?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iii) barber; (b) (ii) went; (c) (iii) A & C; (d) (iii) the saplings; (e) (i) obsession.
- (a) Kartik Poramanik is a hair dresser and lover of nature. Now he is 63 years old.
(b) His passion for planting trees proves that he is a nature lover.
(c) He planted trees to protect people and himself from the burning sun during summer.
(d) It means that Kartik is an illiterate man but he left his mark by planting trees.
(e) Kartik went out late at night to water the plants. so the people called him mad.
- Kartik Poramanik is a hairdresser by profession. He is also a great nature lover his father advised him to plant trees to earn the blessing of God. Never forgetting that advice and always thinking of the sufferings of the people from the scorching sun, he invariably plants trees at various places and takes care of them. he bears all the expenses for this. Sometimes, coming home at late night, he goes to distant places to water the trees though he is an illiterate man, he has left his signature all around in nature.
Set 2
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives :
(a) Kartik was a ¾¾ by profession.
- cultivate ii. tree planter iii. day labourer iv. hair dresser
(b) The word passion means ¾¾.
- job ii. emotion iii. good feeling iv. bad feeling
(c) Some of Kartik’s trees are big and ¾¾.
- great ii. gigantic iii. kingly iv. enormous
(d) The word gigantic refers to ¾¾.
- miniature ii. tiny iii. big iv. very large
(e) Some of his trees are ¾¾ years old.
- 15–20 ii. 25–35 iii. 35–40 iv. 40–45
- answers the following questions.
(a) Who is Kartik Poramanik?
(b) Why did he plant trees?
(c) Where has Kartik planted trees?
(d) When does Kartik water the plants?
(e) What is Kartik’s mission?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iv) hair dresser; (b) (ii) emotion; (c) (ii) gigantic; (d) (iv) very large; (e) (iii) 35-40.
- (a) Kartik Poramanik is a hairdresser but a nature lover at heart.
(b) He planted trees to protect people and himself from the burning sun during summer.
(c) Kartik has planted trees beside the roads, in and around the Bazar, schools and colleges, open fields, and many other places.
(d) Kartik waters the plants at 10 or 11 p.m.
(e) Kartik’s mission is to plant trees more and more so that people can save themselves from the burning sun.
- Same as Set 1
Set 3
- Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.
(a) gigantic
- diminutive ii. minuscule iii. colossal iv. pygmy
(b) mission
- end ii. profession iii. assignment iv. goal
(c) blessing
- bright ii. grace iii. bliss iv. disapproved
(d) Scorching
- severe ii. burning iii. serious iv. warm
(e) expense
- sacrifice ii. rate iii. liability iv. cost
- Answer the following questions.
(a) Give detailed identity of Kartik Poramanik.
(b) What motivation worked behind his planting trees?
(c) Who would give monetary support to him in planting trees?
(d) How do you conclude that Kartik is a nature lover?
(e) What do you understand by the saying ÒA man, who can hardly sign his name, is leaving his signature all around in nature.
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iii) colossal; (b) (iv) goal; (c) (iii) bliss; (d) (ii) burning; (e) (iv) cost.
- (a) Kartik Poramanik is a hairdresser living in the village of Tarapur. He is 63 years old. His passion is to plant trees. He is a nature lover.
(b) His father’s advice worked behind his planting trees.
(c) Kartik would pay all the expenses from his own pocket.
(d) Sometimes Kartik went to water his plant at the late house of night. Because he had to work hard to earn his livelihood. That proves that Kartik is a nature lover.
(e) From this saying, we can realize that a man can door achieve great things if he has strong willpower.
- Same as Set 1
Set 4
- Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.
(a) nature
- character ii. spirit iii. natural world iv. feature
(b) plant
- plough ii. cultivate iii. lodge iv. sow
(c) gigantic
- huge ii. minute iii. diminutive iv. miniature
(d) rest
- break ii. balance iii. place iv. relax
(e) profession
- job ii. professor iii. occupation iv. process
- Answer the following questions.
(a) How do you understand that Kartik is a nature lover?
(b) How can we get the blessing of God?
(c) What will happen if we do not water the plants?
(d) Where does he plant trees?
(e) What do you understand by the saying: “A man who can hardly sign his name. is leaving his signature all around in nature?”
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (i) (c) natural world; (ii) (d) sow; (iii) (a) huge; (iv) (d) relax; (v) (c) occupation.
- (a) Kartik’s passion for planting trees proves that he is a nature lover.
(b) We can get the blessing of God by planting trees.
(c) The plants will die if we do not water them.
(d) He plants trees beside the roads, in and around the Bazar, schools and colleges, open fields, and many other places.
(e) From the saying I can understand that a man can do or achieve great things if he has strong willpower.
- Same as Set 1
Set 5
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives.
(a) Kartik was a ¾ by profession.
- cultivator ii. tree planter iii. day labourer iv. hair dresser
(b) “Farthest” refers to ¾.
- nearest ii. remotest iii. hilly iv. coastal
(c) What does the word ‘gigantic’ mean?
- Beautiful ii. Useful iii. Enormous iv. Herbal
(d) The word ‘hardly’ means ¾.
- always ii. frequently iii. gradually iv. scarcely
(e) “Mission” refers to ¾.
- hobby ii. interest iii. behaviour iv. task
- Answer the following questions in your own words.
(a) Who was Kartik Poramanik?
(b) How do you understand that he is a nature lover?
(c) What does his father tell him?
(d) Why did he plant trees?
(e) How did he begin his tree-planting mission?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iv) hairdresser; (b) (ii) remotest; (c) (iii) Enormous; (d) (iv) scarcely; (e) (iv) task.
- (a) Kartik Poramanik was a hairdresser and lover of nature.
(b) Kartik’s passion for planting trees proves that he is a nature lover.
(c) His father tells him that he (Kartik) can earn the blessings of God by planting trees.
(d) He planted trees to protect people from the burning sun during summer.
(e) There were hardly any trees under which one could sit and rest for a while Kartik thought how people suffered in the heat. Then he began his tree planting mission.
- Same as Set 1
Set 6
- Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.
(a) scorching
i flame ii. fire iii. burning iv. fiery
(b) gigantic
- pigmy ii. tiny iii. huge iv. tall
(c) blessing
- bliss ii. curse iii. accusation iv. conviction
(d) continue
- stop ii. put off iii. carry on iv. adjourn
(e) saplings
- trees ii. supply iii. young tree iv. sappy
- Answer the following questions.
(a) Who is Kartik Poramanik?
(b) When did he plant the first tree?
(c) Why did he water the plants at night?
(d) What does his father tell him?
(e) Is Kartik Poramanik a nature lover? If yes, how?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iii) burning; (b) (iii) huge; (c) (i) bliss; (d) (iii) carry on; (e) (iii) young tree.
- (a) Kartik Poramanik is a hairdresser and lover of nature.
(b) He planted the first tree at the age of ten.
(c) He watered the plants at night because he had to work hard the whole day to earn money for his family.
(d) His father tells him that he can earn the blessings of God by planting trees.
(e) Yes, he is. His love for nature is revealed in his planting saplings and looking after them even at late night and expending on them.
- Same as Set 1
Set 7
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives.
(a) ‘farthest’ refers to ¾¾.
- nearest ii. remotest iii. hilly iv. coastal
(b) Kartik is fond of ¾¾.
- nature ii. natural iii. naturally iv. naturalization
(c) Kartik is a ¾¾ person.
- lazy ii. cruel iii. spirited iv. dishonest
(d) What does the word ‘gigantic’ mean?
- Beautiful ii. Useful iii. Enormous iv. Herbal
(e) The word ‘scorching’ means ¾¾.
- pleasant ii. glowing iii. burning iv. heavenly
- Give short answers to the following questions.
(a) How do you understand that kartik is a nature lover?
(b) Where did he plant trees?
(c) Why did he water the plants at night?
(d) What does his father tell him?
(e) What do you understand by saying: “A man, who can hardly sign his name, is leaving his signature all around in nature?”
- Summarize the above passage in around 50 words.
Answer
- (a) (ii) remotest; (b) (i) nature; (c) (iii) spirited; (d) (iii) Enormous; (e) (iii) burning.
- (a) Kartik’s passion for planting trees proves that he is a nature lover.
(b) He planted trees beside the roads, in and around the bazar, schools and colleges, open fields, and many other places.
(c) Because he didn’t get time during the day.
(d) His father tells him, “My son, you can earn the blessings of God by planting trees.”
(e) It means that Kartik is an illiterate man but he has contributed a lot to nature and made his mark in his village by planting trees of his own accord and at his own expense.
- Same as Set 1
11
Class 8 English Seen Passages
Read the text and answer questions 1, 2, and 3. (Unit–5, Lesson–05)
Once upon a time, a dove and a bat were very good friends. One day the two friends decided to set out on a journey. They flew over the rivers and hills and came to a big jungle. Both the friends were very tired, they needed to sit down and take a rest. Soon night fell and it was dark all around.
A storm arose. It started to rain heavily. The dove and the bat started to look for shelter.
They came upon a century-old rain tree. An owl had his nest in that tree. The dove and the bat knocked at the owl’s door. The old grumpy owl opened the door. The dove and the bat requested him to give them shelter. The owl unwillingly let them in. The two birds were hungry too. They begged for some food. The selfish owl was not happy. However, he shared his dinner with them.
The dove was so tired that she could hardly eat. But the bat was sly. He ate greedily. He began to praise the owl with the thought of getting more food. The bat said, “O wise and brave owl, you are the most generous person I have ever seen. You are powerful and mighty.” The owl was very pleased at the bat’s flattery. He puffed and ruffled himself, trying to look as wise and brave as possible. Then he turned to the dove and asked, “Now little dove, what do you think about me?”
Set 1
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives :
- a) After flying over the hills and rivers they came to a ¾¾.
- tree ii. jungle iii. river iv. hill
- b) Both the friends became very ¾¾.
- fresh ii. joyful iii. exhausted iv. delighted
- c) They took shelter ¾¾.
- on a rain tree ii. in the owl’s nest iii. in a hole iv. on a mango tree
- d) The word ‘generous’ means ¾¾.
- cruel ii. fine iii. wise iv. kind
- e) The owl was ¾¾ with the flattery of the bat.
- satisfied ii. tired iii. displeased iv. angry
- Give short answers to the following questions :
- a) What did the two friends decide to do?
- b) Why did they look for a shelter?
- c) Why couldn’t the dove eat?
- d) Why did the bat praise the owl?
- e) What action of the owl tells you that he (the owl) wanted to hear more good things about him?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (ii) jungle; (b) (iii) exhausted; (c) (ii) in the owl’s nest; (d) (iv) kind; (e) (i) satisfied.
- (a) The two friends decided to set out on a journey.
(b) they looked for shelter, to save themself from storm and pain.
(c) The dove could not eat because she was very tired.
(d) The bat praised the owl to get more food from him.
(e) The owl turned to dove and asked her what she thought about him. This action of the owl tells me that he wanted to hear more good things about him.
- One day the two friends, a dove, and a bat set out on a long journey. After flying over rivers and hills, they came to a big jungle. a storm rose and it started to rain heavily. So they sought for shelter from an owl. the grumpy owl reluctantly gave them shelter and food. The bat falsely praised the owl to get more food. The owl was very pleased and also wanted to hear some good comments from the dove.
Set 2
- Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.
(a) praise
- backbite ii. criticize iii. flatter iv. admire
(b) grumpy
- cruel ii. greedy iii. coy iv. moody
(c) unwillingly
- eagerly ii. frequently iii. courageously iv. reluctantly
(d) generous
- mean ii. shrewd iii. noble iv. selfish
(e) bat
- a piece of wood ii an imaginary creature
iii. an animal like a mouse with wings iv. playing instrument
- Answer the following questions.
(a) Why were the two friends tired?
(b) Where did the dove and the bat come?
(c) Why did the bat praise the owl?
(d) Which words indicate that the owl was not good at heart?
(e) What action of the owl tells you that he wanted to hear more good things about him?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iv) admire; (b) (iv) moody; (c) (iv) reluctantly; (d) (iii) noble; (e) (iii) an animal like a mouse with wings.
- (a) The two friends were tired because they had flown a long distance.
(b) The dove and the bat came to a big jungle.
(c) The bat praises the owl with the thought of getting more food.
(d) The owl unwillingly let them in. These words indicate that the owl was not good at heart.
(e) The owl puffed and ruffled himself, trying to look as wise and brave as possible. This action tells us that he wanted to hear more good things about him.
- Same as Set 1
Set 3
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives :
(a) The dove and the bat became very ¾¾.
- delighted ii. joyful iii. exhausted iv. fresh
(b) They needed to take rest because of their ¾¾.
- freshness ii. mirth iii. joy iv. fatigue
(c) The owl gave them shelter out of ¾¾.
- willingness ii. unwillingness iii. kindness iv. pleasure
(d) The bat ate food ¾¾.
- stealthily ii. indifferently iii. slowly iv. voraciously
(e) The owl was not ¾¾.
- self-centred ii. ill-tempered iii. kind-hearted iv. ill-natured
- Give short answers to the following questions.
(a) What did the dove and the bat search for?
(b) Why did the bat praise the owl?
(c) Why couldn’t the dove eat?
(d) How was the owl?
(e) What did the owl turn to the dove for?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iii) exhausted; (b) (iv) fatigue; (c) (ii) unwillingness; (d) (iv) voraciously; (e) (iii) kind-hearted.
- (a) The dove and the bat searched for shelter.
(b) The bat praised the owl with the thought of getting more food.
(c) The dove couldn’t eat because she was very tired and flattering.
(d) The owl was selfish.
(e) The owl turned to the dove to know about him.
- Same as Set 1
Set 4
- Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text.
(a) Grumpy
- well-behaved ii. well-mannered iii. ill-tempered iv. courteous
(b) unwillingly
- reluctantly ii. carefully iii. happily iv. eagerly
(c) brave
- brief ii. brevity iii. courage iv. courageous
(d) praise
- condemn ii. admire iii. perfer iv. dislike
(e) generous
- tough ii. liberal iii. cruel iv. hard
- Answer the following questions.
(a) Who were the two good friends?
(b) What did they decide to do?
(c) How was the owl?
(d) Why did the bat praise the owl?
(e) How did the owl feel at the bat’s flattery?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (iii) ill-tempered; (b) (i) reluctantly; (c) (iv) courageous; (d) (ii) admire; (e) (ii) liberal.
- (a) A dove and a bat were the two good friends.
(b) They decided to set out on a journey.
(c) The owl was grumpy.
(d) The bat praised the owl for getting more food.
(e) The owl felt as wise and brave as possible at the bat’s flattery.
- Same as Set 1
Set 5
- Choose the best answer from the alternatives.
(a) ‘To set out’ in the passage is a ¾¾.
- verbal phrase ii. noun phrase iii. prepositional phrase iv. adverbial phrase
(b) The owl opened the door at the ¾¾.
- knocking ii. knocked iii. knoackaging iv. knock down
(c) The bat is a ¾¾.
- hypocrite ii. hypocracy iii. hypocritic iv. hypocritically
(d) The two heartless friends ¾¾ the dove.
- attacked ii. called a spade a spade iii. fought with iv. started to torture
(e) The dove will be awarded by the ¾¾.
- romantic poet ii. ancient poet iii. love poet iv. love theme
- Answer the following questions.
(a) What made the two helpless creatures knock at the door of the owl?
(b) Whose insistence has compelled the owl to give shelter in his house and how?
(c) Why did the dove remain silent at the praise of the bat?
(d) How did the bat praise the owl outwardly?
(e) What is the moral of the story?
- Summarize the above text in around 85 words.
Answer
- (a) (i) verbal phrase; (b) (i) knocking; (c) (i) hypocrite; (d) (i) attacked; (e) (i) romantic poet.
- (a) Dark night and heavy rainfall made the two helpless creatures knock at the door of the owl.
(b) The insistence of the bat has compelled the owl to give shelter in his house. It was possible for the flattery of the bat.
(c) The dove remained silent at the praise of the bat because he did not like flattery.
(d) The bat praised the owl outwardly by his flattery
(e) The moral of the story is that justice is divine.
- Same as Set 1
Set 6
- Choose the best answer from the following alternatives.
(a) Generous is connected with ¾¾.
- general ii. generation iii. liberal iv. high
(b) What is the relationship between the dove and the bat?
- classmates ii. cousins iii. friends iv. brothers
(c) The storm came at ¾¾.
- night ii. dawn iii. dusk iv. noon
(d) The owl was ¾¾.
- young ii. old iii. teenaged iv. tender in age
(e) The term ‘grumpy’ refers to ¾¾.
- cruel ii. directly iii. harsh iv. ill-tempered
- Read the text again. Now answer the following questions.
(a) What did the two friends decide?
(b) Why did the bat praise the owl?
(c) Have the cruel bat and the owl been punished and the honest dove rewarded properly on the part of God? If yes/ not, how?
(d) What happened after the journey?
(e) Why did they look for shelter?
- Write the summary of the passage in around 50 words.
Answer
- (a) (iii) liberal; (b) (iii) friends; (c) (i) night; (d) (ii) old; (e) (iv) ill-tempered.
- (a) Two friends decided to set out on a journey.
(b) The bat praised the owl to get more food from him.
(c) Yes, they have been. The cruel bat and the owl cannot see and move in the daylight while the dove is rewarded for her truthfulness. The dove’s name shall be used by the poets as long as the world lasts to rhyme with love.
(d) After the journey, they were very tired. They needed to sit down and take a rest.
(e) They looked for a shelter because night fell and it was dark all around. At the same time, a storm rose and it started to rain heavily.
- Same as Set 1