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Name:

Section:

Jeddah Knowledge International School

ENGLISH EXAM REVISION PACK

Quarter 2

2014

GRADE 8

Girls’ Section

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SECTION: A- LITERATURE- “of Mice and Men”

1. Analyze the following quote and identify the language features used.

Which technique is being used?

Provide evidence by quoting the words used

Explain the effect on the reader

2. What does ‘PEE’ stand for : ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Use the above quote from question 1 and write down your own paragraph by using the ‘PEE’ technique.

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Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to

bring a ball to its master, Lennie

approached, drew back, approached

again. George snapped his fingers sharply,

and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his

hand. {Page 9}

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4. Complete the summary of chapter 3 by using the words provided. cuddling friendship old dog agrees Lennie Weed George barn mule Bunk house Carlson Slim

George and __________________________________ sit in the _______________________________. George tells Slim

about his __________________________________ with Lennie and explains why they had to leave

_________________. Lennie arrives, ________________________ the puppy which Slim has given him.

__________________________ makes him take it back to the _____________________. Candy and ____________________

come in. Carlson tells Candy he ought to shoot his _____________________________. Eventually Candy

___________________. Carlson takes the dog away. George and ____________________ go to tend to an injured

______________________.

5, Describe Candy’s appearance and personality.

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6. What did Carlson do with his Lugar and why?

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7. What card game do the ranch men usually play?

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8. Identify Crooks personality and appearance.

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9. When Lennie tells Crooks about the land, what is his initial reply?

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10. Why does Lennie kill Curley’s wife?

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11. What was George’s reaction when he found out about Curley’s wife’s death?

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12. The fourth chapter of the novel takes place in the harness room where Crooks lives.

Complete the following statements by analyzing the character of Crooks and using examples to

justify them.

Why do you think Crooks is portrayed as being intelligent?

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Why would you say that Crooks is a skilled worker?

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Why is Crooks depicted as being segregated from the rest of the ranch men?

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13. Read the following quotes and choose the correct speaker:

1. "Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a

thin and bony nose.

A. Lennie

B. George

C. Curley

2. "His slow speech had overtones not of thought but of understanding

beyond thought."

A. Crooks

B. Lennie

C. Slim

3. "I don' like Curley. He ain't a nice fella."

A. Curley’s wife

B. Lennie

C. Slim

4. "He stood crying, his fist lost in Lennie's paw."

A. Candy

B. Curley

C. George

5. "He kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs."

A. Crooks

B. Curley

C. Lennie

6. "I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you."

A. Slim

B. Lennie

C. George

7. "I just done it... He had your gun."

A. George

B. Curley’s wife

C. Lennie

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8. "We gotta house and chickens an' fruit trees an' a place a hundred times

prettier that this. An' we got fren's, that's what we got."

A. Crooks

B. George

C. Candy

9. ".. the meanness and the planning and the discontent and the ache for

attention were all gone from her face."

A. candy

B. Lennie

C. Curley’s wife

10. "George wouldn't do nothing like that. He'll come back tonight."

A. Curley

B. Lennie

C. Slim

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SECTION B: Comprehension -1 Summer Rain

The worst days of any summer are the rainy ones. We spend all year looking forward to nice weather and long, hot days. All of winter, with its dreary gray days and bitter cold, we dream of those endless days at the beach, laying on the sand and soaking in the bright and burning sun. And then, summer comes, and it rains. As a child, I would wake up to rainy summer days and come close to crying. It wasn’t fair. We suffered through months of school and miserable weather for those scant ten weeks of freedom and balmy weather. Any day that I could not spend at the beach or playing ball with my friends seemed like a punishment for something I didn’t even do. On those rainy summer days, I had nothing fun to do and could only sit inside, staring out at the rain like a Dickensian orphan. I was an only child, so there was no one else to play with. My father worked from home, so I was not truly alone, but he could not actively play with me since he was technically at work. It was those days that I would resign myself to whatever was on television or any books that I could find lying around. I’d crawl through the day and pray each night that the rain would not be there the next day. As an adult, though, my opinion of summer rain has changed. When you have to work every day, summer is not as eagerly anticipated. Mostly, the days run together, bleeding into each other so that they no longer seem like separate entities and instead feel like continuations of the same long day. Everything seems monotonous and dull, and an ennui or listlessness kicks in. Such a mindset makes you cheer for anything new or different. I spend the winter dreaming of summer and the summer dreaming of winter. When summer comes, I complain about how hot it is. And then I look forward to the rain, because the rain brings with it a cold front, which offers a reprieve—admittedly one that is all too short—from the torture of 100° and humid days. Rainy days are still the worst days of the summer, but summer rain today means positively beautiful—and considerably cooler—weather tomorrow.

Choose the most suitable correct answer:

1) The passage makes use of language that is

A. metaphorical

B. rhetorical

C. formal

D. ambiguous

2) According to the passage, summer is different for adults because

A. rain brings with it cold temperatures for the following days

B. the weather is much warmer than it is for children

C. they do not get a long time off from work for the season

D. they better know how to occupy their downtime

3) According to the passage, which of the following is a true statement about the narrator as a

child?

A. He or she was often bored on summer days.

B. He or she preferred cooler weather.

C. He or she liked staying indoors.

D. He or she had no siblings.

4) Compared to how he or she was as a child, the narrator as an adult is

A. more realistic

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B. less excitable

C. more idealistic

D. less calm

5) As used in the final paragraph, the word reprieve most nearly means

A. a permanent conclusion

B. a short continuation

C. a higher level of pain

D. a temporary break

6) The author of this passage describes his or her feelings about rainy summer days. In general,

how do you feel about such days? Do you agree with the author’s opinions, or do you not mind this

type of weather? Briefly explain your views below.

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7) In paragraph 4, the author describes why he or she no longer looks forward to summertime the

way he or she used to do as a child. What do you think of this change? Do you believe that you will

come to feel this way one day? Why or why not?

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Comprehension-2 Tigers

Who would win in a fight, a lion or a tiger? Well, if size has anything to do with the matter, the tiger would win. That’s because tigers are the largest of all cat species. They grow up to eleven feet long and weigh as much as 670 lbs. This makes tigers the third largest land carnivore. The only larger land carnivores are polar bears and brown bears. Tigers are not only large, they are also fast. They can sprint as fast as 40 miles per hour for short distances and leap as far as 30 feet horizontally. This makes for an extremely dangerous pounce. You might not think that such large, fast, and ferocious creatures need help to survive, but they do. The tiger is an endangered species. Despite all of the tiger’s strengths, the future of the species is uncertain. Tigers face a very high risk of extinction. It is estimated that at the start of the 20th century, there were over 100,000 tigers living in the wild. By the turn of the century, the number of tigers outside of captivity dwindled to just over 3,000. Interestingly, the most serious threats that tigers face come from a much smaller species, one with an average weight of around 140 lbs. That species is Homo sapiens, better known as humans. Humans threaten tigers in primarily two ways: hunting and destroying habitat. Tigers are hunted for many reasons. People have long valued the famous striped skins. Though trading tiger skins is now illegal in most parts of the world, tiger pelts are worth around $10,000 on the black-market. Though the fur would be incentive enough for most poachers, other parts of the tiger can also fetch a pretty penny. Some people in China and other Asian cultures believe that various tiger parts have healing properties. Traditional Chinese medicine calls for the use of tiger bones, amongst other parts, in some prescriptions. Tigers have also been hunted as game. In other words people hunted tigers solely for the thrill and achievement of killing them. Such killings took place in large scale during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when a single maharaja or English hunter might claim to kill over a hundred tigers in their hunting career. Though this practice is much less popular today than it was in the past, it has not ceased entirely. Humans have done considerable damage to the world’s tiger population through hunting, but perhaps more damage has been caused through the destruction of habitat. Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, all the way from Turkey to the eastern coast of Russia. But over the past 100 years, tigers have lost 93% of their historic range. Instead of spanning all the way across Asia, the tiger population is now isolated in small pockets in south and southeastern Asia. This is because humans have drastically changed the environments. Humans have built towns and cities. Road and transit systems were created to connect these towns and cities.

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To feed the people living in these areas, forests and fields have been cleared to create farmland. Large tracts of land have been strip-mined to yield metals and other materials used in manufacturing. All of these activities have consumed habitats that at one time supported tigers. A major obstacle to preserving tigers is the enormous amount of territory that each tiger requires. Each wild tiger demands between 200 and 300 square miles. Tigers are also both territorial and solitary animals. This means that they are protective of the areas that they claim and they generally do not share with other tigers. Because tigers need so much territory, it is difficult for conservationists to acquire land enough to support a large population of tigers. Even when such these considerable spaces are allocated, it is even more difficult to patrol such large areas to prevent poaching. There is no easy way to preserve the wild tiger population without making large sacrifices. Though tiger population faces many threats and obstacles to recovery, there have been some successes in conservation and preservation efforts. For example, Save China’s Tigers, an organization working to restore the wild tiger population, successfully rewilded a small number of South China tigers. These tigers were born into concrete cages from parents who were also captive and unable to sustain in the wild. This organization brought these tigers to South Africa and helped them learn the necessary skills for a predator to survive in the wild. Current evidence indicates that the project was been successful. While this is just a small step, it shows that restoring the world’s tiger population is possible.

Read each question carefully and choose the best answer. Refer to the text if necessary. Underline

your answer:

1. Which of the following is not a reason in the article explaining why tigers are hunted?

a. Because tiger skins are worth a lot of money

b. Because tiger parts are used as medicines in some cultures

c. Because some tigers attack local villages

d. Because tigers are hunted for enjoyment by some people

2. Which animal does not grow larger than the tiger?

a. Brown bear

b. Lion

c. Polar bear

d. All of these animals grow larger than a tiger

3. Which number is closest to the estimation of the wild Tiger population in 2003?

a. 3,000

b. 100,000

c. 140

d. 30,000

4. Which of the following best describes the author’s main purpose in writing this article?

a. To provide readers with interesting information about the lifestyles of tigers

b. To persuade readers to help the world’s tiger population and to offer ways to help

c. To entertain readers with stories about how tigers hunt and are hunted

d. To explain to readers why the world’s tiger population is endangered

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5. Information in the third paragraph is mainly organized using which text structure?

a. Cause and effect

b. Compare and contrast

c. Chronological order

d. Spatial order

6. Which best explains why tigers have lost so much of their habitat according to the text?

a. Because humans are afraid of tigers

b. Because tiger skins are extremely valuable

c. Because humans have changed the land

d. Because tigers need so much space to survive

7. Based on information in the text, which best explains why tigers are poached?

a. Poachers hunt tigers to protect their families from dangerous animals.

b. Poachers hunt tigers for medicine to cure sick family members.

c. Poachers hunt tigers because they enjoy killing dangerous animals.

d. Poachers hunt tigers to earn large amounts money.

8. Which best explains why it is so difficult to preserve the wild tiger population?

a. Tigers do not get along with most other animals.

b. Tigers must make their homes close to rivers and the world’s rivers are evaporating.

c. Tigers require a lot of space.

d. Tigers hunt in large packs and there are too few tigers left to make these packs.

9. Which of the following is an opinion?

a. Tigers can grow up to eleven feet long.

b. Saving the wild tiger population is important.

c. South China tigers were brought to live in South Africa.

d. Humans have endangered the world’s wild tiger population.

10. Based on context, which best defines the term “rewilded” as used in the last paragraph?

a. To preserve animals by keeping them in zoos

b. To teach animals to coexist with humans

c. To teach humans to coexist with animals

d. To bring animals born in zoos back to nature

11. What does this idiom mean: “other parts of the tiger can also fetch a pretty penny”?

a. The fur is the only valuable part of the tiger.

b. Other parts of the tiger are worth a lot of money.

c. The tiger is a very beautiful animal.

d. Tigers can be trained to do tricks like in the circus.

12. Which of the following could be best supported by information from the text?

a. Efforts to save tigers have had some success, but there are many obstacles to recovery.

b. Efforts to save tigers have failed in the past, but there is reason to continue trying.

c. Efforts to save tigers have been so successful that they saved tigers from endangerment.

d. Efforts to save tigers have failed completely.

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Comprehension-3 Coral Reefs

For millions of years, coral reefs have provided homes and food for thousands of different living

things. Fish and sea birds share the reef with giant clams, sea turtles, crabs, starfish, and many

others. Now these beautiful places are in danger. So are all the sea plants and animals that

depend on them. Scientists have found that people and pollution have ruined more than one-

fourth of the earth’s coral reefs. Unless things change, all of the remaining reefs may die within

your lifetime.

Some people think that coral is stone because of its rough, hard surface. But coral is an animal!

Tiny polyps form the coral reefs. They come in many colors. These colors come from the algae

living inside the coral. Billions of coral polyps stick together. New ones grow on the skeletons of

dead coral. This happens year after year. Over time, the coral builds up a reef. The reef rises

from the ocean floor until it almost reaches the sea’s surface. It takes coral 500,000 years to

build a huge reef. It has taken human beings less than 100 years to start wrecking the reefs.

The coral reefs have been harmed in different ways. People have broken off pieces of coral.

They wanted to sell or keep them. To catch more fish, people have dropped sticks of dynamite

into the water. This has blown up parts of the reefs. Water pollution has encouraged overgrowth

of the sea plants that grow near coral reefs. They block the sun that the algae need. The worst

problem is the heating up of the world’s oceans. Warm water kills the algae. When the algae

die, the coral loses both its food and its color. The coral turns white and dies. Scientists call this

coral bleaching. The bleaching part of the coral reef cannot recover.

Questions:

1. In what ways have reefs been of great value or use over the years?

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2. What is the main problem facing the reefs? (Refer to paragraph 1)

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3. Approximately how long does a coral reef take to develop?

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4. How much of the world’s reef has been ruined to date?

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5. In what ways are people destroying the reefs? Give three instances.

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6. According to the writer what is the worst problem the reef faces?

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7. Explain what happens and how it happens.

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8. a) Is there a topic sentence in paragraph 3. If so, select the topic sentence.

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8. b.) In your own words say what the main idea in paragraph three is.

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9. How would you know a coral reef has died?

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10. How can we save a reef?

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11. Suggest a suitable title for this passage.

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SECTION C - GRAMMAR

1. Circle the direct object in each sentence.

1. Brittany played a short song on the violin.

2. We visited Hong Kong last month.

3. Rebecca made a paper airplane during recess.

4. Foreign diplomats must carry their passports at all times.

5. The voting computer will automatically record each choice.

6. Timothy still remembers his first airplane ride.

7. Melissa bought ripe apples and bananas.

8. The poor weather ruined our vacation.

9. Many students found the new library technology quite useful.

10. The woman in the horror movie wore a long red gown.

2. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

Underline the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. John and Tanya (was, were) very upbeat.

2. Parents and friends sometimes (shout, shouts) a lot at basketball games.

3. Laughter (swell, swells) up in his chest and nearly (make, makes) him choke.

4. She (write, writes) to her family each day.

5. Peas and carrots (is, are) my favorite vegetables.

3. Identifying Direct and Indirect Objects

Underline each direct object once, and circle each indirect object.

1. I sang Tanya a song about happiness.

2. She drank juice for breakfast every day.

3. The glee club offers students an opportunity to sing.

4. The dogs licked José in the face.

5. Nick tossed Alicia a big, juicy apple.

6. Each of the players knew the rules.

7. The children loved the clown.

8. Parents asked teachers many questions.

9. The little girl ate a lollipop.

10. The little boy gave his mother a drawing.

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4. Distinguishing Between Verbs in Past and Present Tense

Read the following paragraph, and decide whether each numbered, underlined verb

is written in the present tense or in the past tense. Write your answers in the space

provided below the reading selection.

Fish, flowers, and landscapes (1.) are the subjects of paintings by Joseph Raffael,

a California painter. Raffael (2.) experimented with color and light in many of his

works. (3.) Examine his paintings. They (4.) have very bright colors. In the painting

Joseph and Reuben, which he (5.) painted in 1984, Raffael (6.) used a strong contrast

between darkness and light. This technique (7.) is different from that in his other

paintings. It (8.) gives the painting the look of a snapshot.

1. ______________________________ 5. _____________________________________

2. ______________________________ 6. _____________________________________

3. ______________________________ 7. _____________________________________

4. ______________________________ 8. _____________________________________

5. Writing Verbs in Present and Past Tenses

Write two sentences each for the verbs walk and jump. Follow the guidelines in

parentheses.

1. Walk (present tense)

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2. Walk (past tense)

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3. Jump (present tense)

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4. Jump (past tense)

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6. Showing Past and Past Participle Forms

In the space provided write the past form and the past participle form of each verb.

Base Form Past Form Past Participle

1. sing ______________________ ________________________

2. bring ______________________ ________________________

3. sleep ______________________ ________________________

4. tear _______________________ ________________________

5. bite ______________________ ________________________

6. catch ______________________ ________________________

7. let _______________________ ________________________

8. write _______________________ ________________________

9. swim _______________________ ________________________

10. go _______________________ ________________________

11. is ________________________ ________________________

12. do ________________________ ________________________

8. Using the Past Participle of Irregular Verbs- Rewrite the sentences, using the tense

described in parentheses.

1. The storks fly south to Africa for the winter. (future perfect) ______________________________

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2. Felicia chose to drive to the countryside. (past perfect)___________________________________

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3. We rode bicycles all day long. (present perfect) ________________________________________

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4. Geraldine was swinging in the garden. (future perfect) ___________________________________

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9. Put the words in brackets in the appropriate form (use prefixes or suffixes):

1. He was acting in a very_______________________ way. (child)

2. She looked _____________________ .She started to cry. (happy)

3. He passed his exam. He was _____________________for the second time. (succeed)

4. The team that he supported was able to win the_______________________. (champion)

5. I couldn't find any _______________________in his theory. (weak)

6. He wants to be a _________________________when he grows up. (mathematics)

7. There were only a ___________________________ of people at the match. (hand)

8. The road was too narrow, so they had to__________________ it. (wide)

9. I think that you should ______________________ your decision. It may not be the best thing to

do. (consider)

10. You need a _________________________ of motivation, organization and hard work to realize

your dreams. (combine)