KSEEB Class 8 English Comprehension Passages
KSEEB Class 8 English Comprehension Passages
Karnataka State Board Class 8 English Comprehension Passages
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
A great defect of our civilization is that it does not know what to do with its knowledge. Science has given us powers fit for the Gods, yet we use them like small children. For example, we do not know to use our machines. Machines are made to be man’s servants; yet he has grown so dependent on them that they are becoming his masters. Already most men spend most of their lives looking after and waiting upon machines. And the machines are very stern masters.
They must be fed with coal, given petrol to drink, oil to wash with, and they must be kept at the right temperature. Otherwise, they refuse to work or burst with rage and blow up. So we have to wait upon them attentively. Already we find it difficult to work or play without machines and a time may come when they will rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals.
Questions:
1. According to the author, what is the great defect of our civilization?
2. “….. yet we use them like small children”.
“Them” in this sentence refers to:
a) the Gods
b) small children
c) powers
d) civilizations.
3. How have machines become our masters?
4. What happens if we do not wait upon machines carefully?
5. What could be the result of our dependence on machines?
6. Find words in the passage which mean: (a) great anger, (b) fault.
Answers:
1) While our civilization has given us lot of knowledge we don’t know what to do with it. That is the great defect of our civilization.
2) powers.
3) Machines have become our masters because we have to look after them and also serve them.
4) If we don’t take care of the machines, they either refuse to work or blow up.
5) A day will come when the machines will rule over us just as we rule the animals at present.
6) (a) rage, (b) defect.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Ashoka and his victorious army returned home after the war with Kalinga. When Ashoka was back in his palace, he sent for his chiefs and counsellors. Standing before them, he said, “I have seen the horror of victory; I shall not draw the sword again except to defend my country against invasion. My dreams are broken and dead, but today I begin a new dream. Instead of battle, I will give my people safety; for swords and spears I will give them ploughs and implements of the fields”. So began the great reign of Ashoka.He now gathered about him a vast army – but it was an army of workers. He dotted the arid plains of India with wells. Over his lands he planted innumerable trees giving shade to the hot and weary. He planned and built great hospitals, schools and gardens. About his vast country it was said, a woman and child might go in perfect safety for his laws were wise, just and fair.
Questions:
1. Ashoka said that he would fight again
a) when he had a bigger army.
b) when he wanted to invade another country.
c) only to defend his country against invasion.
d) when his dreams were broken.
2. What did Ashoka wish to give his people instead of swords and spears?
3. What did Ashoka’s new army consist of?
4. What did Ashoka do for the welfare of his people?
5. Why could the women and children of his kingdom go in safety?
6. “He dotted the arid plains The word ‘arid’ means
a) vast b) fertile c) coastal d) dry
7. Pick out from the passage the word which is the opposite of ‘defeat’.
Answers:
1) only to defend his country against invasion.
2) Ashoka wanted to give his people ploughs and implements of the fields.
3) Ashoka’s new army consisted of workers.
4) He dug wells and planted trees, built hospitals, schools and gardens for the welfare of his people.
5) Women and children could go in safety in Ashoka’s kingdom, because his laws were wise, just and fair.
6) dry.
7) victory.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Peter had two daughters. Once he asked them: “What is the sweetest thing in the world?”
“Honey!” said his elder daughter. “Salt”, replied the younger one. Peter got angry thinking that the younger daughter was making fun of him. A quarrel broke out between them and in a rage Peter drove her out of the house. As the pretty maiden was roaming about homeless, a young handsome prince saw her.
Struck by her beauty he took her to his splendid palace and married her. The bride invited her father, Peter, to the wedding feast without disclosing her identity. Rich and delicious dishes were served, but they were all without salt. As the guests began to eat the tasteless food, they started to complain loudly. “Ah”, said Peter, the bride’s father, “Salt is truly the sweetest thing in the world. When my daughter said so, I turned her out of the house. Oh God! If only I could see her again and beg for forgiveness”. The bride drew the veil from her face and went to greet her father. Soon, properly salted dishes were served and all the guests were satisfied.
Questions:
1. Why did Peter get angry with his younger daughter?
2. How did he punish her?
3. Who married the young girl?
4. The dishes served at the marriage feast were without salt
a) to make them rich and delicious
b) because the guests complained
c) because the bride wanted to prove her point to her father
d) because the young girl had married a prince.
5. The guests complained, but Peter was sad. Why?
6. When were the guests satisfied?
7. Pick out the word from the passage which means ‘tasting very good’.
Answers:
1) Peter got angry with his younger daughter because he thought she was making fun of him.
2) He drove her out of the house.
3) A young handsome prince married her.
4) because the bride wanted to prove her point to her father.
5) Peter had realised the depth of meaning of her daughter’s reply. He had realised his error.
6) Guests were satisfied when the dishes with salt were’ served.
7) ‘delicious’.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Captain Dutta, a retired Colonel, always believed that men were superior to women in everything. One day Captain Sharma and Mrs. Sharma invited him to a party. After the usual exchange of courtesies the conversation turned to women. “Women demand equal rights with men. Do you think, Captain Sharma, women can fight like men?” said Captain Dutta.
“You are very uncharitable to women” said Captain Sharma. Both men looked at Mrs. Sharma. She was as pale as death. For a moment she could not speak. Then she beckoned to a servant and asked him to bring a bowl of milk. She made signs to him to leave the bowl.
In a few seconds a metre long cobra crawled from under the table and made for the door. Captain Dutta leapt out of his chair but remained cool. The snake drank the milk, crawled out and disappeared. “How did you know that there was a cobra under the table?” asked Captain Dutta. Mrs. Sharma said “It was crawling on my feet”.
“Please pardon me for the unfair remarks I made earlier” said Captain Dutta.
Questions:
1. Fill in the blanks:
a) Mrs. Sharma proved that women are in no way to men.
b) The cobra crawled from under the table and made
2. Answer the questions briefly:
a) What did Captain Dutta ask Mr. Sharma?
b) Where did the servant leave the bowl of milk?
c) How did Mrs. Sharma know that there was a cobra under the table?
d) Why did Captain Dutta apologise?
3. Choose the correct answer:
Mrs. Sharma was as pale as death because
a) A snake was crawling on her feet.
b) A snake bit her toes.
c) Captain Dutta made unfair remarks on men.
d) Captain Dutta made unfair remarks on women.
4. Pick out the word from the passage which means ‘forgive’.
Answers:
1. a) inferior, b) for the door
2. a) Can women fight like men?
b) The servant had left the bowl near the door.
c) It was crawling on her feet.
d) He was uncharitable to women.
or
He had made unfair remarks about women.
3. A snake was crawling on her feet.
4. Pardon.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Smoke started coming out of a block of flats. Within minutes the first two floors were burning. Then women and children ran out of their flats. There was a lot of noise. A woman started screaming ‘My baby is in the house’.
She ran forward. She wanted to get into the house. But before she could do so a man caught hold of her and dragged her away. Just then the firemen came. They had brought with them their dog Hero. They had trained their dog. Weeping loudly the woman told the firemen ‘My baby is in the flat’. ‘Don’t worry’, they told her. Then they told Hero, ‘Go and bring the baby’.
Hero ran into the smoke-filled entrance. They heard him barking, a few times, but could not see him. Suddenly the crowd cheered loudly. Hero was coming out of the house. He was half-carrying and half-dragging a bundle. The mother ran forward and picked up the bundle. The boy was in it. He was smiling. The mother hugged the baby and started crying. ‘
‘Well done, Hero’, the firemen patted Hero and said everything was alright. But Hero kept barking and wanted to enter the block of flats again. The firemen thought there might be another baby inside. So they let Hero enter the flat once more. A few minutes later Hero came running out. He was dragging another bundle. The crowd cheered and ran forward to look at the bundle. ‘Look’, said a woman, ‘he has saved another baby’.
They opened the bundle and burst out laughing. Hero had rescued a big doll!
Questions:
- Why did the people run out of the flats?
- What did the woman scream?
- Did she want to get into the house?
- Who stopped her?
- What was the name of the dog?
- What was in the first bundle?
- What was in the second bundle?
- Pick out the word from the passage which means ‘save’.
Answers:
- Smoke started coming out of a block of flats.
- ‘My baby is in the house’.
- Yes, she did want to.
- A man.
- Hero.
- A baby.
- A big doll.
- rescue.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
“How are you Mangheram and you Bholenath?” The Village Chief hailed them. The two bowed. “Is there anything that you want to tell me?” he asked.
“Yes sir, I bought a piece of land from Bholenath. Today while ploughing the land, I found a jug of gold. I ran to Bholenath to give him what belonged to him for I only bought the land, not the gold that was there. But Bholenath refuses to accept the pot of gold”, said Mangheram. “But I sold that land and with it, everything went to him”, Bholenath argued.
“Have you found a boy for your lovely daughter, Supriya”? the chieftain asked Bholenath. “No, Sir, I have been looking for one” Bholenath said. “What about your son, Nirmal?
Is he still unmarried?”, the chieftain turned to Mangheram.
Then the chieftain said, “Both of you present the jug of gold to your children in marriage.”
Questions:
1. “But I sold that land and with it and everything went to him.”
a) Who is the T?
b) What does ‘it’ refer to?
c) Who did he sell it to?
2. Who was the daughter of Bholenath?
3. What did the chieftain enquire about Nirmal?
4. Pick out the sentence which means “Bholenaths daughter was not married.”
5. How did the chieftain settle the case?
6. Pick out the word in the passage which means ‘beautiful’.
Answers:
1) a) Bholenath. b) A jug of gold, c) Mangheram.
2) Supriya.
3) “Is he still unmarried?”
4) “Have you found a boy for your lovely daughter, Supriya?”
5) The chieftain decided that Bholenath’s daughter be wedded to Mangheram’s son and let the jug of gold be given to the married couple.
6) lovely.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
During his campaign in Punjab, Alexander visited a village. He found a headman listening to a dispute between two villagers. He wanted to know how the headman would give justice. So he watched the proceedings. One villager said that he had purchased a piece of land, where he found a pot full of gold. He wanted to return it to the man from whom he had purchased the land, because he had purchased only the land and not the hidden treasure; but the other man did not accept this. Alexander was curious to know how the village headman would pronounce his judgment. The headman asked both of them whether one had a boy of marriageable age and the other had a girl. When both said yes, he said that they should be married and gold should be given to them. Alexander was surprised and said that in his country such a problem would not arise and the buyer would quietly keep the treasure himself.
Questions:
- What was the village headman doing?
- Why did Alexander watch the proceedings?
- What did the villager find in the land?
- Why did he want to return the treasure?
- What was Alexander curious about?
- What was the judgment given?
- What did Alexander say after hearing the judgment?
- Pick out the word from the passage which means ‘bought’.
Answers:
- The village headman was listening to a dispute between two villagers.
- He wanted to know how the headman would give justice.
- The villager found a pot full of gold.
- He had bought the land but not the hidden treasure.
- Alexander was curious to know how the headman would pronounce the judgment.
- The village headman decided that the boy and the girl of the two villagers should be married and the gold should be given to them.
- In his country the buyer would have kept the treasure with himself.
- Purchased.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Man has altered many of the physical features of earth with the tools of science. He has transformed woodlands into farmland. He has constructed lakes and dams to irrigate and to produce hydro-electric power. By cutting through the mountains he has modified the very face of earth.
However, his attempts to bring about change in the physical environment have not always been beneficial. Today pollution of air and water endangers the health of our planet. The automobile exhausts and the smoke from the factories pollute the industrial areas. Even the countryside has become polluted. The air is becoming unhealthy. Pollution from oil slick is killing marine life. The whole ecological balance of sea is getting changed due to oil slick. Industrial domestic wastes have choked several rivers. Conservationists strongly feel that if mankind and life were to survive on earth man must limit the growth of technology.
Questions:
- Why has man constructed lakes and dams?
- Which two things pollute the air?
- What is affecting marine life?
- Why should man limit the growth of technology?
- What do we call the active supporters of preservation of natural balance?
- Which words in the passage mean the opposites of a) die, b) destroyed?
- Which words in the passage mean a) changed b) useful?
- Give a suitable title to the passage.
Answers:
- Man has constructed lakes and dams for irrigation and for producing hydro-electric power.
- Smoke from automobiles and factories have polluted air.
- Pollution from oil slick has affected marine life.
- Man should limit the growth of technology to save mankind.
- Conservationists.
- a) survive, b) constructed.
- a) modified/transformed, b) beneficial.
- Environmental Pollution/Effects of Pollution.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Ravi moved into a new house. His neighbours were blacksmiths. One lived in a hut on his left and the other in a hut on his right. They were a source of great annoyance to him as the blows of their hammers hardly ever stopped during the day. Finally he could bear it no longer and calling in Kengu, the blacksmith to his left, he offered him fifty rupees if he could move to another hut. Kengu agreed to do so and took the money. When Pengu, the other blacksmith, was offered similar sum, he too agreed to move. Ravi was quite pleased with himself, a hundred rupees not too much for some peace and quiet. The next morning he woke up to the sound of hammer. He rushed out of the house to ask the blacksmiths why they had not kept their word. But he found that Kengu had moved into Pengu’s hut and Pengu into Kengu’s.
Questions:
- Who were Ravi’s neighbours?
- Why were the neighbours a great source of annoyance?
- What were the names of the blacksmiths who lived on either side of Ravi’s house?
- Why did Ravi offer Rs. 50 to each of the blacksmiths?
- Why was Ravi pleased with himself?
- How had the blacksmiths kept their word?
- Pick out the word from the passage that means ‘alike’.
- They had not kept their word. The term ‘word’ means a) assurance b) statement c) promise d) acceptance.
Answers:
- Ravi’s neighbours were blacksmiths.
- His neighbours struck blows with the hammers throughout the day which caused a lot of sound.
- Kengu and Pengu.
- He wanted them to leave that place and move to another hut.
- Ravi could get peace and would get rid of the sound caused by the hammer.
- Pengu moved into Kengu’s hut and Kengu moved into Pengu’s hut.
- similar.
- promise.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Although Lai Bahadur Shastri served as the Prime Minister of India for only eighteen months, India will remember him for ever For those eighteen months were one of the most difficult periods in the country’s history. Shastriji was born in 1904. As a boy he was gentle and soft-spoken. Although he was small, short and shy the bigger boys never tried to bully him.
All of them loved him for his gentle manners. He was very obedient to his parents. Since he was very polite and soft-spoken some people thought that he was weak but they were mistaken. He showed the world that he was firm and strong in the twenty-two-day war with Pakistan. Under his leadership the Indian army fought very bravely. Although India was winning the war, Shastriji was eager for peace, for that was an ideal which was very dear to the people of India.
As soon as the war was over, Shastriji met the leaders of Pakistan at Tashkent, in Russia. Shastriji signed an agreement with Pakistan on 10th January, 1966. Early the next morning, he complained of chest pain. A number of specialists tried their best to save him but unfortunately he died. We lost a great leader.
Questions:
- Describe the physical appearance of Lai Bahadur as a boy.
- What kind of boy was he?
- Why did some people think he was not strong?
- Pick out the words from the passage which mean ‘a brief period’.
- Why will India always remember him?
- How long did India fight with Pakistan?
- Why did Shastriji go to Tashkent?
- When did Shastriji pass away?
Answers:
- Lai Bahadur, as a boy, was small and short.
- He was shy, gentle and soft-spoken.
- He was very polite and soft-spoken. / He was small and short.
- Only eighteen months.
- He served India in the most difficult days. He taught a lesson to Pakistan when it declared war against India.
- India fought against Pakistan for twenty-two days.
- Shastriji went to Tashkent for peace talk.
- Shastriji passed away on 11th January, 1966.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Lokmanya Tilak was imprisoned by the English. He kept himself busy in studies while in jail. The jail was a very quiet place, where even the birds wouldn’t chirp. Tilak started putting away some food for birds while having his meals. The food was untouched in the beginning, but after some days, a few birds started coming ther.e. Slowly their number increased and they were all. around Tilak. The birds would sit on his head and shoulders fearlessly. Their chirping provided sweet music to the atmosphere.
One day a jailer came to Tilak’s cell while on his rounds. On hearing the chirping of birds, he peeped in and he was totally surprised. “So many birds; where have they come from?” he asked. Tilak replied, “Friend, I didn’t bring them from India. These are from here only.” The jailer was surprised. He said, “Everybody eats birds; hence the birds do not come here.” Tilak laughed and said, “The birds can also distinguish between friends and foes. ”
Questions:
1. What is the passage about?
2. How did Tilak spend his time in jail?
3. “The food was untouched in the beginning, but after some days, a few birds started coming there.”
a) Why didn’t the birds touch the food in the beginning?
b) What made the birds come there later?
4. Why was the jailer surprised?
5. What makes you think that the birds loved Tilak?
6. Pick out the word from the passage which means ‘to make a short high sound or sounds’.
Answers:
1) It is about Tilak’s imprisonment and his immense love for birds.
2) Tilak spent his time studying.
3) The birds didn’t come there and touch food because
a) man may kill and eat them.
b) the birds understood that Tilak would not harm and kill them.
4) The jailer saw birds sitting on Tilak’s head and shoulders fearlessly.
5) The birds came to Tilak’s cell and sat around Tilak without any fear. They sat on his head and shoulders.
6) Chirping.
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