REVISION WORKSHEET 1 CLASS 8

Topic covered: Comprehension Passages ( Section A)

A. Read the passages carefully and answer the questions that follow:
(1x5)

SIR CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, was born on 16 April 1889. He

was an English comic actor, film director and composer best-known for
his work during the silent film era. He became one of the most famous
film stars in the world before the end of the First World War. His most
famous role was that of The Tramp. From the April 1914 onwards he
was writing and directing most of his films. By 1916 he was also
producing them, and from 1918 he was even composing the music for
them. With Mary Pickford , Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith, he co-
founded United Artists in 1919.

Chaplin was one of the most creative and influential personalities of the
silent-film era. He was influenced by his predecessor, the French silent
film comedian Max Linder, to whom he dedicated one of his films. His
working life in entertainment spanned over 75 years, until his death at
the age of 88. His high-profile public and private life encompassed both
adulation and controversy.

In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Chaplin the 10th greatest
male screen legend of all time. In 2008, Martin Sieff, in a review of the
book ‘Chaplin: A Life’, wrote: "Chaplin was not just 'big', he was
gigantic. In 1915, he burst onto a war-torn world bringing it the gift of
comedy, laughter and relief while it was tearing itself apart through
World War I. Over the next 25 years, through the Great Depression and
the rise of Adolf Hitler, he stayed on the job. It is doubtful any
individual has ever given more entertainment, pleasure and relief to so
many human beings when they needed it the most". George Bernard
Shaw called Chaplin "the only genius to come out of the movie
industry".

On the basis of your reading and understanding the passage above,

complete the following sentences choosing the right answer from the
list of options given:

A. Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was also

called……………………………………………

i). Spencer Chaplin ii) Charles Spencer iii).Charlie Chaplin

B. Charlie Chaplin dedicated one of his films to

…………………………………………..

i) Martin Sieff ii) Max Linder iii) George Bernard Shaw

C. From 1914 onwards, Chaplin started………………………………………….

i) acting in films ii) producing most of his films iii) writing and directing
most of his films

D. The word ‘adulation’ in the second paragraph of the passage

means……………………………….

i) praise ii) criticism iii) scolding

E. In the third paragraph of the passage, the word ‘gigantic’

means…………………………………

i) huge ii) small iii)horrible

 B. Become a Good Listener

Listening is the power of concentration and it is also one of the best

parts of self development. A vital skill in becoming an effective
communicator is the ability to listen. Listening effectively is a powerful
skill that can be learnt and practiced. You will gain more respect and
esteem through listening, rather than through talking.

Effective listeners appreciate the flow of new ideas and information.

The first habit of listening is to pay attention to the person who is
speaking. Give him your full attention. Attend not only with your ears
but with your whole body. Turn to face them. Gaze intently at them.

A good listener makes deliberate efforts to give a chance to other

speakers also to express their thoughts and views. He tries to learn
from every speaker. He focuses on the content of the speaker’s
message and not on the speaker’s personality and looks.

Sometimes the speaker has difficulty getting his point across. Maybe
they are not that good at speaking or are seeking to explain a complex
concept. You can help them and yourself by positive encouragement.

If they lack confidence, encourage them with nods, smiles and positive
noises. Show that you are interested in them and don't mind that they
are not particularly educated. If they are struggling with a concept, try
to paraphrase what they are saying. Asking positive questions is a
generally good approach, both to test your own understanding and also
to demonstrate interest.

Finally, be careful with how you react to what the other person says. It
is easy to be put off by listeners who show a clear lack of interest, who
do not seem to understand what you are saying or who seem more
concerned with criticizing you and showing how they do not need to
listen to you.

Before you give a response or a comment about what the other person
has said, pause and think. Think about what you would say and the
effect that it would have. Consider if this is what you want to achieve.
Effective listening enhances the communication quality. It makes you
attentive. It encourages optimistic attitude, healthy relations and more
participation. It leads to better decision- making..

From your reading and understanding the passage, answer the

following questions.
Q.1. What is the first habit of effective listening? (2)

Q.2. What does a good listener do? (2)

Q.3. Refer to the last paragraph, and mention any one benefit of
effective listening that the writer is talking about. (1)

Q.4. On the basis of your understanding the passage, pick the right
meaning for the following words, from the list of options given: (1x2)
 a. vital (paragraph 1): important/ silly/ heavy

b. gaze (paragraph 2): look/ smile/ push

Q.5 Complete the following sentences using words from the passage.
(1x3)

a. Effective listeners ………………………. the flow of new ideas and

information.

b. You can help them and yourself by positive ……………………………

c. Asking positive questions is a generally good ………………………….

C. Gift the Habit of Reading

Right from childhood, a human being starts enjoying the pleasure of

reading. As a child, he learns the ways of life through reading and
writing. He is thrilled by going through new little things and learning
through them. Any new lesson that comes his way excites his emotions
by giving his little mind freshness of knowledge.

The pleasure one derives from reading is indeed recreational as well as

instructive. Reading sharpens your thought processes. It increases your
attention span. It gives you the abilities of thinking and understanding.
Reading a book aloud can be a good exercise not just for memorization
but also for improvement of speech and vocabulary. Books trigger your
power of imagination, too.
Reading of novels or their interesting literature makes a person forget
the worries and cares of life. The reading of a newspaper, periodical,
journal etc. which is light reading gives the reader knowledge about
human life around and solves his curiosity about the world. Newspaper
and journals give information about the events taking place in the
world and happenings in the state and the locality a person lives in.

The newspapers also publish important news and views in the fields of
economics, politics and science. Reading of newspaper is absolutely
necessary for even a little educated citizen in modern society.
The reading of novels is the most popular pastime of a large number of
people. The attraction of novel lies in its ability to create interest, to
maintain it and take the reader to the heights of imagination and
fiction. All fictions are somewhat connected with life and give in words
the picture drawn from the real life or from imagination. As such, of all
forms of literature, novels are the most popular and interesting. They
portray pictures from our real life and society and present the character
of the people we see around or wish to see. A novel inspires the
interest and intention of the reader because in it, scenes rapidly shift
and change and there are unexpected turns of events giving shocks and
shakes to the mind.

Next, we come to the books of travel and adventure. The spirit of

adventure is in the very blood of man. A man wants glamour and
romantic life, full of adventure and material spirit. Books of travel and
adventure introduce a spirit of fearlessness which the travelers, who
are the heroes of the books, may inspire in us. Among the books of
adventure lies the best literature in world.

Whatever the type of books one reads, the reading is always a source
of pleasure and enjoyment, the habit of reading is a sign of good
culture. It is a source of knowledge and the best means of making use
of one's leisure. Books are, after all, a goldmine of knowledge, art,
literature and science. Books are not only useful and instructive but
also entertaining and fun!

From your reading and understanding the passage, answer the

following questions.
Q.1. Give at least two benefits of the habit of reading. (2)

Q.2. Mention any two reasons why the reading of newspapers help us?
(2)

Q.3. What does the attraction of novels lie in? (1)

Q.4. On the basis of your understanding the passage, pick the right
meaning for the following words, from the list of options given: (1X2)

a. derives (paragraph 2): walks/receives/thinks

b. rapidly (paragraph 4): slowly/foolishly/quickly

Q.5 Complete the following sentences using words from the passage.
(3)

a. Books are, after all, a …………………………….. of knowledge.

 b. The pleasure one derives from reading is indeed ………………… as
well as instructive.

c.. Books of travel and adventure introduce a spirit of

……………………………….