AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

CLASS – VIII
English MLP – U.T 2
Syllabus - L – Eklavya: The Brave Archer, Omission, Question Tags and Article Writing
Section – A (Reading) Kindly attempt reading poem comprehension from the question
bank.
SECTION-B
Article Writing

An article is an expression of one’s thought on an issue or a subject logically and coherently written in
meaningful paragraphs. Writing an article is a challenging task. It needs creativity, good vocabulary, good
knowledge of the subject and skill to organize ideas.
Purpose
To focus on themes like social concern, narrating an event, description of a place, etc.
Format
Heading/Title- (Must be catchy)
By- (Name of the author)

(Para – 1) : Introduction -Start with a slogan, a rhetoric question, an amazing fact, figure
or statement.

(Para – 2) : Content -Causes, effects, present state of affairs, etc.

(Para – 3) : Conclusion -Draw solutions and conclusions

POINTS TO REMEMBER
 Give a title that catches the attention of the reader.
 Begin with a striking opening sentence which addresses the readers and gets them interested
in the topic.
 Present a strong argument for your ideas supporting it with evidences to elaborate.
 Use linking words (however, therefore, although, even though, in order to…) to make the
composition appear effective.
 Introduce a new point at the beginning of each paragraph that follows, to strengthen your
ideas.
 Develop your ideas as much as you can to make them interesting and substantial.
 Conclude with your strongest point.
 Use active voice, humour and rhetorical questions to provide a specific effect.

SAMPLE ARTICLE WRITING

CHILD LABOUR
BY:__________________
INTRODUCTION
Child labour has been an international concern because it damages, spoils and destroys the
future of children. The problem of child labour is a serious matter not only in India but also in
other developing countries. It is a great social problem. Children are the hope and future of a
nation. Yet, there are millions of deprived children in our country who have never known a
normal, carefree childhood. According to the Indian constitution no child below age of 14 can be
employed either in a factory or office or restaurant. In fact, India’s international business has
been severely affected in many cases because child labours, violating human rights, have been
used in some stage or the other in manufacturing, packaging a transport of those items. And, in a
large number of cases of export of ready-made garments, prawn and several other items from
India has been rejected on grounds of child labour being used.
CONTENT
Truly speaking child labour is frequently utilized in India in various places of production and
service e.g., small scale industry, restaurant service, domestic aid, shopkeeper’s assistant, stone
breaking, book binding, in fact in every house-hold industry. There can be many causes of child
labour it can be because of an individual who wants to work to increase the income of a poor
family. It can also be due to some selfish capitalists who aim to reduce the labour cost involved
in the production. There are innumerable reasons for engaging them as domestic aid as the
children are less doubtful about dishonesty or less liable to misbehave or be violent.
In a developed society where every citizen counts, all citizens have to have proper education,
health care support, games and entertainment and complete education so that when they grow as
an adult they can get a full employment with standard salary.
CLOSURE
The need of the hour is to find solution to the problem of child labour. The child labour laws
need to be strictly enforced by the government. The general public need to be made aware of the
severe consequences of child labour. An increase in employment opportunity for adults would
help in overcoming the problem of poverty and child labour. Government should also ensure that
every child gets the opportunity to go to school. The owners of factories and mines should take a
pledge not to engage children in their place of business. If the boy or girl takes up a small job as
a domestic help or restaurant boy against a nominal salary of Rs. 750-1800 per month, he does
not get enough time for primary and secondary education and is most likely to remain
completely illiterate, unskilled, perhaps with a weak health and will have to remain unemployed
or be engaged as an unskilled labour when he is grown up. Hence in his own benefit and interest
no child should be engaged as labour both from legal point of view as well as the child’s future
interest.

Section – C (Grammar)
Rewrite the following sentences using an appropriate question tag:

1.There are a lot of people here.

_____________________________________________________

2.Let’s go out tonight.

_____________________________________________________

3.This isn’t very interesting.

_____________________________________________________
4.I’m too impatient.

___________________________________________________

5.You wouldn’t tell anyone.

__________________________________________________

6.I shouldn’t have lost my temper.

__________________________________________________

7.Don’t drop that vase.

__________________________________________________

8.He’d never met her before.

_________________________________________________

9.You’re with a friend outside a restaurant. You’re looking at the prices, which are very high.
What do you say? (expensive)

It _______________________________________________

10.You’ve just come out of the cinema with a friend. You really enjoyed the film. What do you
say to your friend? (great)

The film __________________________________________

11.You and a friend are listening to a woman singing. You like her voice very much. What do
you say to you friend? (a lovely voice)

She ______________________________________________

12.You are trying on a jacket. You look in the mirror and you don’t like what you see. What do
you say to your friend? (not/ look/ very good)

It ________________________________________________

Q.2 (a) In the following passage one word has been omitted. Write the missing words along
with the words that come before and after it in your notebook.

Before Word After

One thing we all must do to cooperate i) ______ ______ ______
With police and pay heed to their advice. ii) ______ ______ ______
They warn us not touch unidentified, iii) ______ ______ ______
unclaimed suspicious objects like transistors, iv) ______ ______ ______
brief cases etc. We need watch out for v) ______ ______ ______
the abandoned cars, scooters report vi) ______ ______ ______
details of such objects to the nearest
police control room.

(b)
Before Word After
It is the adult world destroys i) ______ ______ ______
the intelligence sharp minds of ii) ______ ______ ______
children and abilities. The iii) ______ ______ ______
constant rejection and quieting child iv) ______ ______ ______
when she asks question slowly v) ______ ______ ______
builds the child's inhibition
destroys her curiosity. vi) ______ ______ ______

Section – D (Literature)
Read the summary with the values we learn from the inspirational story of Eklavya

*Eklavya who wanted to learn archery from the famed guru Dronacharya. Eklavya, however,
was from a tribal lineage (lower caste) and Dronacharya didn’t accept Eklavya as his student.
depressed, yet determined, Eklavya made a mud statue of Dronacharya and practised in front of
it, day in and day out, meditating on his craft, taking inspiration from his guru, and eventually
becoming a mighty archer.
*Guru Dronacharya’s best pupil was ‘Arjuna’. Once, in a moonless night, Dronacharya and his
students were hunting in the jungle when they saw a dog whose mouth was stitched together by
seven arrows. Surprisingly, the dog was only muzzled, not hurt.
Arjuna was surprised and asked Dronacharya how this feat could be possible in a pitch dark
environment. Dronacharya replied that this was achieved by the courtesy of a skill where the
archer aims by listening to the sound and not by seeing the target. It was an advanced skill which
Arjuna had not yet learnt. Dronacharya followed the source of the arrows and came to the place
where Eklavya was practicing his craft.
*A visibly impressed Dronacharya asked Eklavya, “Who’s your teacher?”. “You, Sir”, Eklavya
replied, showed Dronacharya the statue and told him how he was ‘inspired’ and ‘taught’ by him.
Dronacharya was impressed, confused and angered. In a match Arjuna vs. Eklavya, Eklavya was
a superior archer. In a maneuver to retain Arjuna’s position as the best archer in the Kingdom.
Dronacharya asked the right thumb of Eklavya as his guru dakshina.
In ancient times, a common practice in learning was Guru Dakshina, where a student would give
a token of gift or fee to his teacher for the knowledge gained by the student.
Eklavya cut off his right thumb with a knife and presented it as the guru dakshina. Eklavya was
crippled but even with this handicap he was still considered as one of the best archers of his time.

Values to learn:
Eklavya till today is the greatest example of hard work, persistence and devotion. He is an
epitome of true discipleship even today. He loved archery and wanted to do nothing else
than learn and master the art and science of archery. It was his sole aim. He worked hard
at it for many years and persisted with his efforts. He had the initial setback that he could
not have a guru. Still he persisted. It is rightly said that genius is 10% of inspiration
(meaning born talent) and 90% of perspiration. Nothing beats hard work and
persistence. This is one of the greatest secrets of success.

Answer the following questions:

i)What transformed Eklavya the mere tribal hunter into Eklavya the extraordinary archer?
ii)How is Eklavya remembered even today?
iii)What kind of wisdom does the character of Eklavya teach us all?
iv)What objection did prince Arjuna have when Eklavya expressed his desire to learn archery
from Dronacharya?

AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

CLASS – VIII
English HLP – U.T 2
Syllabus - L – Eklavya: The Brave Archer, Omission, Question Tags, Article Writing
Section – A (Reading) Kindly attempt reading poem comprehension from the question
bank.
SECTION – B ARTICLE WRITING ( FORMAT)
HEADING
By-___________
Introduction (Para – 1)

Content (Para – 2)

Closure (Para – 3)

Practice Question
Write an article on the topic ‘Modern Wonders of the World’ in 150 – 180 words.

GRAMMAR
Q.1 Rewrite the following sentences using an appropriate question tag:
1.They should have been informed long before the arrival.

__________________________________________________________

2.Playing a musical instrument isn't as easy as supposed.

__________________________________________________________

3.He has hardly ever come to school.

__________________________________________________________

4.They've already sent you the invitation.

_________________________________________________________
5.You couldn't do me a favour.

_________________________________________________________

6.You never work on Sundays.

_________________________________________________________

7.I think she deliberately provoked the others.

________________________________________________________

8.I am afraid he is seriously ill.

________________________________________________________

9.There wasn't enough paper in the printer.

________________________________________________________

10.You were disappointed when you got your exam results.

________________________________________________________

Q.2 (a) In the following passage one word has been omitted. Write the missing words along
with the words that come before and after it in your notebook.

Before Word After

Governments are starting programmes teach i) ______ ______ ______

adults how to read write, ii) ______ ______ ______
how find jobs better, how to farm, how to iii) ______ ______ ______
become healthy take care of their families. iv) ______ ______ ______
Programmes have launched to help adults finish v) ______ ______ ______
high school. Such programmes are run many vi) ______ ______ ______
countries across the world.

Section – D (Literature) Eklavya – The Brave Archer

(H.O.T.S) Was Ekalavya’s Thumb sacrifice justified?

When you write for justification, you have to state from whose point of view the justification is
sought. Your point of view? Eklavya’s point of view? Drona’s point of view?

Drona had a mission and plan. To train Arjuna so that he can capture Drupad and defeat his
army. He dedicated all his time in teaching Arjuna all the best practices of archery. Arjuna was a
dedicated disciple and hence Drona had faith on his loyalty, that Arjuna will never disobey his
command. However, Drona could not allow others to learn his techniques behind the bush,
without his due permission. Knowledge taken without Guru’s permission is equivalent to theft.
Hence Drona deserves the right to punish Eklavya, for stealing his knowledge without due
permission.
Drona could not teach his skills to anyone other than Arjuna. This is the exact reason why he
denied Karna admission to the school. If he had taught Karna or Eklavya, there wass a chance
that they might have joined Drupad’s army and pacify Arjuna. Arjuna was Drona’s instrument
towards Drupad and hence Drona could not risk teaching all the skills to the two archers.
So, he demanded Eklavya’s thumb because he had literally stolen his blessings without his
permission.
The thumb sacrifice might not be justified to you. But it was justified to Drona.
It is indeed an unparalleled sacrifice in the mythological past of India.