Task 1                  4 marks

You will hear some tips on protecting mobile phones from damage. Read
the notes given in your worksheet, then listen to the tips and complete the
notes with one or two words only. You will hear the recording twice.

Hello, friends! Accidents happen all the time with mobile phones. Here are
a few tips to protect your phone if it falls into water!

Switch off the phone immediately. Remove the battery and SIM card at
once. 

Do not attempt to power on your phone to see if it works. Turning it on

when it is still wet can badly damage the circuits. 

Don’t use a hair dryer on the phone. Instead, wipe the inner and outer body
of the phone well with a cotton cloth.  Place the phone on tissue paper and
let it dry in the open for a minimum of 8 hours.

Task 2                              5 marks

You will hear a conversation between a girl and her cousin about the
migration of Monarch butterflies. Read the statements given in your
worksheet, then listen to the conversation and choose five of the options A-
H which are correct. Write the correct letters in the blank boxes. You will
hear the recording twice. 

Which FIVE of the following statements are true?

Girl: Hi, Sahil! I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been hiding?

Boy: Hi, Aleena! I was reading a book about butterflies. My dad gave it to
me before I left for your place for the holidays. He asked me to read it
whenever I found time.

Girl: Butterflies?

Boy: Yes. In fact, it’s all about migratory butterflies. It’s really so interesting.
Have you heard about them?
Girl: Migratory butterflies…? No, I haven’t. I’ve read about migratory birds
but not butterflies!

Boy: Hmmm…just as I thought. Butterflies also migrate like birds, you

know.

Girl: Really? They seem too delicate for something so demanding!

Boy: Yes, I know. But it happens. Do you know that the brilliant orange and
black Monarch butterflies of North America can migrate up to 3000 miles to
Mexico and back?

Girl: My goodness! I don’t believe it! Can they really withstand such a long
journey?

Boy: It’s a bit complicated…Actually, the original group that sets out does
not return to North America. It is their great great grandchildren, who return.
Hard to imagine, isn’t it…that something so delicate can travel so far?

Girl: Yes! It’s really unbelievable.

Boy: But not all Monarchs migrate. Some Monarchs found in tropical
locations such as Central America, the Caribbean islands, and the Pacific
islands don’t migrate at all. They breed there all year-round.

Girl: Oh! So only the ones in North America make the long journey?

Boy: Yes…they migrate to Mexico in the south, mate, lay their eggs and
die. You see, there are about 3 to 4 generations of Monarch butterflies born
between springand summer. Most of them do not live more than 5 weeks.
But the last generation─born in late summer─lives as long as eight months.
It is this group that returns to North America, completing the journey left
unfinished by the forefathers. Nobody knows how they instinctively know
their way back.

Girl: How amazing! But, why do they need to go back at all?

Boy: Good question. It’s for food. You see Monarch butterflies feed and lay
their eggs only on the milkweed plant. The caterpillars also feed only on the
milkweed. These plants are seasonal. After some time, they die out. So,
the butterflies go where the milkweed are plentiful…which is in the land of
their ancestors. Once they arrive, they
begin another cycle of life.

Girl: How interesting! I must read more about this. Can I borrow the book
you are reading, Sahil?

Boy: (laughs) Sure. But only after I finish with it!

 

Task 3                                  5 marks

You will hear five short extracts of people expressing their opinions about
public speaking. Read the statements given in your worksheet, then listen
to the extracts and match each statement A-G to each speaker 1-5. There
are two statements you do not need. You will hear the recordings twice.
 

Speaker 1 (Male): I feel the success of public speaking lies in the best use
of gesture. Eye, hand and head movements with proper facial expressions
are a must if you want to be a good public speaker. Also you mustn’t stand
fixed in one place. You must move from one corner of the stage to the
other, slowly but firmly, as you speak.
Speaker 2 (Female): Public speaking may demand self assurance—how
you present
yourself, make eye contact with the audience and so on. But, most
importantly, it’s all about the way you speak. Your speech represents you.
It reflects you as a person. You need to take time and effort with your
speech. Of course, this gets easier with years of practice and experience.
Speaker 3 (Male): I’d advise a speaker to concentrate on facts and figures
while delivering a speech. A good public speaker is a well informed person.
Whatever you say should be factually true. Don’t try to fool your audience.
People like and respect speakers who have done their homework. Those
who know their subject matter are the ones who will get invited again and
again.
Speaker 4 (Female): What’s the use of a great speech if nobody can hear
you or understand your accent? Express words clearly so your voice gets
louder and becomes understandable. Vary the pitch of your voice. Just as
body movement creates visual interest, changing the way you say things
creates vocal interest. Your tone needs to reflect your interest and passion
and how you feel about the topic under discussion.
Speaker 5 (Male): A lively opening and a strong conclusion are absolutely
important for an effective speech. It is good to use stories, personal
anecdotes and humour. Music or
multimedia can enliven a long talk. Asking questions can make it
interactive. There must
be something in it for everyone. Then you will always be remembered as a
compelling and
entertaining speaker.
 

Task 4                          6 marks

You will hear a speech about online books. Read the questions given in
your worksheet,
then listen to the extract and choose ‘a’ or ‘b’ or ‘c’ for each question. You
will hear the
recording twice.
Hello, friends! Thank you for inviting me to share ideas on the current
trends in online books. 

As you know, technology-based education is becoming more and more

popular every day. Parents want their children to go to schools that offer
smart education. Classrooms have become highly interactive and
technological tools have transformed the way education is imparted. This
has made teachers and students constantly look for the latest research in
all subjects and school libraries can’t afford to keep buying new books for
such varied and changing requirements!
 

I would say the idea of learning has reached a stage where the Internet is
the only way
forward. You spend hours browsing online with the help of search engines,
don’t you? You know you can find material that goes beyond the textbook
and present concepts in a far more interesting way. But the search can be
time-consuming and distracting. And you may not always get what you are
looking for. This leads you to the big question, “What if there was a single
place online where I could find relevant information in a simpler and faster
way?”
Ladies and gentlemen, that single perfect place is the online bookstore…a
place with
electronic or digital material that outnumbers needs…a place for research
whenever and
wherever required…a place, according to an e-book survey, that can grow
as much as it wants to grow, with millions of books being bought and sold
around the world in a single day.
In fact, the market is so huge it requires constant market research to help
online bookstores understand the range of needs to provide for. Newer and
newer ways of packaging and selling books online have evolved, including
study material with sound, movement or other special audio-visual effects.
Even publishers have joined hands with these bookstores to widen
their market base and provide their books in digital formats. Thousands of
books from national and international publishers have thus become
available for a global readership.
And that is not all. Software is becoming cheaper and more easily available
to access
the virtual world. Good online bookstores are offering their own tablets and
e-readers
with attractive features at competitive prices. Simple applications such as
Add Notes and
Bookmarks have also made reading far more user-friendly.
Ladies, and gentlemen, online books have a great future. Will they replace
the printed book or the expert teacher? I cannot say for sure. I think it’s
best to wait and see!
Thank you!
 CBSE: Assessment of Speaking and Listening Skills
(ASL)
Class – VIII Code VIII-L-03
Time: 40 min Max Marks: 20
LISTENING TEST
 

Task – 1                  4 marks

You will hear some tips on protecting mobile phones from damage. Read
the notes below, then listen to the tips and complete the notes with one or
two words only. You will hear the recording twice.
Protecting Your Mobile Phone
1. First, ___________ the battery and the SIM card without delay.
2. Keep the phone switched off and protect its _______________.
3. Next, ______________ the phone with a cloth.
4. Let it dry out completely, then ____________ it.
 

Task – 2                    5 marks

You will hear a conversation between a girl and her cousin about the
migration of
Monarch butterflies. Read the statements below, then listen to the
conversation and
choose five of the options A-H which are correct. Write the letters in the
blank boxes.
You will hear the recording twice.
Which of the following statements are true?
A. Some Monarch butterflies travel over three thousand miles.
B. Migratory Monarch butterflies leave a country forever.
C. These butterflies have striking red and black colours.
D. Monarch butterflies outside North America remain where they are.
E. Only one generation of Monarch butterflies lives longer.
F. Young Monarch butterflies are taught their migratory flight path.
G. A particular plant determines the movement of these butterflies.
H. Baby Monarch butterflies are milky white and brown in colour.
 

Task – 3                   5 marks

You will hear five short extracts of people expressing their opinions about
public
speaking. Read the statements below, then listen to the extracts and match
each
statement A-G to each speaker 1-5. There are two statements you do not
need. You will
hear the recordings twice.
 

Task – 4                6 marks

You will hear a speech about online books. Read the questions below, then
listen to the
extract and choose ‘a’ or ‘b’ or ‘c’ for each question. You will hear the
recording twice.
1. The speaker believes education has changed because
a. virtual schools are gaining popularity.
b. technology has entered the field.
c. e-textbooks have been introduced.
2. The speaker feels that school libraries
a. balance their selection of fiction and research books.
b. maintain a select list of research and technical books.
c. are unable to update selections according to needs.
3. The speaker says when people search online, they
a. waste time and energy.
b. reproduce work carelessly.
c. take shortcuts without real benefits.
4. According to a survey, the growth potential of online bookstores is
a. encouraging.
b. limitless.
c. balanced.

5. Online bookstores design and sell books creatively

a. to meet different customer requirements.
b. to fight competition from other stores.
c. to build an identity of their own.
6. The speaker ends his speech on
a. an angry note.
b. a confused note.
c. an undecided note.