Unit 2 Workbook 8 – Wit and Humour Completely Solved

This guide is crafted for Class VIII students of CBSE and other boards. It is designed for those who are using the Oxford University Press’s New Communicate in English Workbook 8. It provides detailed answers and explanations for Unit 2: Wit and Humour. The topics covered include grammar points like passive voice, compound words, use of “too” and “enough”, and suitable adverbs. The guide also includes tasks for writing practice. These tasks include letter writing, narration, and speech preparation. They are aligned perfectly with the workbook’s exercises. This resource is ideal for students searching for Class 8 English workbook solutions. It is also perfect for CBSE grammar practice and Oxford Communicate in English Workbook answers. These resources enhance their understanding and help them prepare effectively for exams.

Grammar in use

Passive voice-1

Look at these sentences:

1. Washington cleaned the bloodstained floor.
2. The bloodstained floor was cleaned by Washington.

We say that sentence 1 is in the active voice and sentence 2 is in the passive voice.

When the subject of the sentence and the agent are the same, the sentence is in the active voice.
When the subject of the sentence is not the agent, the sentence is in the passive voice.

The verb in the passive voice is always composed of a form of the auxiliary be + the past participle of the main verb.
Examples: I am bitten.
You are/were bitten.
He/She is/was bitten.
We/They were bitten.
It has been bitten.
She/He is being bitten.

We generally use the passive voice when the agent or doer of the action is not very important or relevant.
Example: The new employee was treated very well.

• We also use the passive voice when we want to put emphasis on the action or the result of the action rather than on the doer or agent.
  Example:

1. The school provided new furniture in the classrooms.
2. New furniture was provided in the classrooms.

We would use (1), which is in the active voice, if we wanted to talk mainly about the school. We would use (2) if we wanted to emphasize the action or the result of the action, i.e. the providing of new furniture.

A. Use the passive form of the verbs given in the brackets and rewrite the passage.

A machine was in the news recently. On 12 November, the machine
was placed (place) in a room all apart and was set (set) in motion. The room was locked (lock) and sealed (seal), and two guards were posted (post) outside. For a whole fortnight till the seal was broken (break) on 26 November, no one dared to come near the room. Then the door was unlocked (unlock). The wheel was still spinning. It was stopped (stop). Then it was inspected (inspect) and again set going.

B. Complete the passage using the passive form of the verbs given in brackets.

In this hospital, a number of people (1) are operated (operate) upon daily, and a majority of the operations are successful. Surgical instruments (2) are sterilized (sterilize), so that in this way germs (3) are not allowed (allow) to come near the wound. Many difficult operations (4) are performed (perform). For instance, part of the defective cornea in a blind person (5) is removed (remove) and a portion of the cornea of a deceased person (6) is stitched (stitch) in its place. The eyes of a famous American gangster (7) were donated (donate) by him before his execution. When he died his eyes (8) were removed (remove) and rushed to a hospital where a patient was waiting. The cornea of the gangster (9) was sewn (sew) onto the eyeball of the patient. The operation was successful and the patient could see again.

C. Use the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets and complete this passage on migratory birds.

Migratory birds are a great mystery. Swallows leave England in August and September and fly to Africa where they (1) stay (stay) during the English winter. They return to England in spring to nest. A few years ago, seven swallows (2) were caught (catch) near their nests at Bremen in Germany. They (3) were marked (mark) with a red dye so that they could (4) be seen (see) easily. Then they (5) were taken (take) by an aeroplane to Croydon, near London—a distance of 400 miles. The seven swallows (6) were set (set) free at Croydon. Five of them flew back to their nests at Bremen. How did the birds find their way on that long journey which they had never made before? That’s the great puzzle!

Words in action

We sometimes combine two words to make one compound word.
Examples: foot + ball = football
quick + sand = quicksand

A. Use the compound words from the box in the blanks below.

workbook
football
underwater
airport
seashore

1. Let’s go to the seashore and collect some shells.
2. You shouldn’t play football in your slippers!
3. We have been asked to use the workbook alongside the coursebook.
4. The airport is miles away from the town so we don’t suffer from any noise pollution.
5. Take a deep breath and see how long you can stay underwater.

B. What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?

1. The red house is big enough for all of us.
2. The white house is too big for us.

The first sentence has a positive connotation. (Connotation is an idea suggested by a word in addition to its main meaning.) It means the red house is quite big and we can live in it comfortably.

The second sentence has a negative connotation. It means the house is very big and therefore the space will be more than we require.

Complete these sentences using too or enough before or after the adjective.

1. The potato curry was too hot to eat.
2. The water in the lake is too cold to swim in.
3. She was kind enough to drop me home after the concert.
4. The news seems too good to be true.
5. Ananya is old enough to decide for herself.
6. The candidate was too nervous to reply to our questions.
7. We didn’t miss the train because we left early enough.

C. Use a suitable adverb from the ones given in the box and fill in the blanks below.

thoughtfully
immediately
greedily
correctly
rapidly

1. I answered every question correctly and got full marks.
2. The fog spread rapidly over the whole countryside.
3. On hearing the news of the accident, the doctor immediately rushed to the site.
4. The puppy lapped up the milk greedily.
5. The poet gazed thoughtfully into the fire.

D. The letter e has been left out in some of these words. Find them and write them out correctly.

1. Leav you alone, my child? Is that wise?
   • Leave you alone, my child? Is that wise?
2. Yuck! I hav chewing gum stuck on my shoe.
   • Yuck! I have chewing gum stuck on my shoe.
3. Wherever thre was water, I was crtain to find people living nearby.
   • Wherever there was water, I was certain to find people living nearby.
4. During winter most tortoises hibrnate.
   • During winter most tortoises hibernate.
5. One day an elephant came across a squirrel on his way to the river.
   • One day an elephant came across a squirrel on his way to the river.

Writing practice

A. Imagine you are Pawan Singh. Write a letter to your friend telling him/her how you saved the three women and the boy from drowning.

Dear [Friend’s Name],

I hope you are well. Today, something very daring happened. I was on duty near the Yamuna river when suddenly three women and a young boy fell into the water. They were holding hands and slipped on the bank. The current was strong and they were shouting for help. Without thinking twice, I jumped into the river. First, I pulled out one woman, but the boy was holding onto me tightly around my neck. Then, one by one, I rescued the other two women. I am happy that everyone is safe now. It was a scary experience but I am glad I was able to help.

Take care,
Pawan

B. Imagine you are the young man from Dublin airport. Narrate your experience.

I was supposed to fly to Amsterdam early in the morning. Unfortunately, I reached the airport late because the taxi got stuck in traffic. When I arrived, the plane’s doors had already closed. I begged the staff to let me in, but they refused. I became desperate because I had an important meeting. In my panic, I broke through the airport door and ran onto the tarmac, trying to signal the plane to stop. Security stopped me quickly. They arrested me for breaking the rules. I was embarrassed and missed my flight, but thankfully no one was hurt. I learnt my lesson to always arrive early at the airport.

C. Take a stand. Agree or disagree with the topic and prepare a speech on ‘Plastic Bags and Bottles Should Be Manufactured’.

Respected teacher and friends,

I do not agree that plastic bags and bottles should be manufactured. Plastic harms our environment. When we throw away plastic, it stays in the soil and water for many years. Animals and fish sometimes eat plastic and get very sick. Our beautiful parks and rivers get dirty. Instead of using plastic, we should use bags made of cloth or paper and bottles made of glass or metal. Let us save our Earth by saying no to plastic bags and bottles.

Thank you.

Test-1

(10 Marks)
Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.

1
Touch is a brisk game, and may be played by any number of children.
One of the players is chosen as Touch; this player runs after the other
players till she/he can touch another player, who subsequently becomes
Touch. Sometimes it is held as a law that Touch shall have no power over
those who can touch iron or would. The players then, when out of breath,
rush to the nearest iron or wood they can find, to render themselves secure.

Q1. Which of the following is opposite in meaning to ‘brisk’, as used in the passage?

1. interesting
2. sluggish
3. lively
4. exciting

Q2. Which of the following can best replace ‘subsequently’, as used in the passage?

1. then
2. at short notice
3. later
4. always

Q3. Which of the following could replace ‘held as a law’, as used in the passage?

1. programmed
2. decided
3. believed
4. carried out

Q4. Which of the following could replace ‘power’, as used in the passage?

1. skill
2. influence
3. ability
4. authority

Q5. Which of the following could replace ‘those’, as used in the passage?

1. all the players other than Touch
2. Touch and the other players
3. Touch
4. some of the players

Q6. Which of the following could replace ‘touch’, as used in the passage above?

1. a player in the game
2. feel
3. lay a hand on
4. affect

Q7. Which of the following is the correct spelling of the word ‘would’ as used in the passage?

1. wood
2. wud
3. woud
4. wold

Q8. Which of the following could replace ‘out of breath’, as used in the passage?

1. choking
2. breathless
3. anxious
4. tired

Q9. Which of the following is the correct meaning of the phrase ‘to render’ in the passage?

1. to represent
2. to provide
3. to make
4. to perform

Q10. Which of the following is opposite in meaning to ‘secure’, as used in the passage?

1. unsafe
2. guarded
3. strong
4. gain

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