UNRWA Education Development Center

Education Programme - LFO Grade 8 End of Unit 5 Assessment

2018 – 2019 English Language - April 2019
Name: ______________________ Date: __________________
School: ______________________ Score: _______/40 Class section: ___
Part One: Reading Comprehension (Score: 17 / 40)

Read the following text in which the writer talks about Namira Salim, the first woman astronaut and the
founder of a “Space Trust”. Then answer the questions that follow on your answer sheet.

1. Namira Salim, artist and soon to be a space traveler, is Pakistan’s newest celebrity. Up until March 2006,
Namira was recognized for her unique music-art sculptures and her interest in astronomy and star-gazing.
Since early childhood, Namira was convinced that commercial space travel would become a reality in her
lifetime. She pursued her interest in astronomy and studied hard to become well-known in this field. This
made Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group and one of the world’s most adventurous entrepreneurs,
to choose her along with another 99 interested people to fly into space on a commercial spaceship.
Eventually, she has become a space traveler.
2. Namira was trained in the world’s most advanced space-training center. In order for Namira to become able
to travel in space, she was trained. The training process assessed her ability to tolerate and adapt to
increasing gravitational forces, weightlessness, and motion sickness.
3. In 2015, Namira, being an entrepreneur herself, founded her non-profit ‘Space Trust’ to promote her project
“Space as the New Frontier for Peace”, and make it known, particularly to support the work of the UN
Office for Outer Space Affairs. The mission of ‘Space Trust’ is to find innovative solutions, which were not
used before, for a peaceful world by advocating space as the “New Frontier for Peace” on Earth.
4. At the personal level, after so many years of working abroad, and being subject to undervaluing her and her
abilities being a woman, she realized that women who believe in gender discrimination will always face it.
Gender discrimination doesn’t exist in Namira’s dictionary. She is a global citizen and works in an industry
which is universal. She has fought discrimination through performing with excellence, good work ethics and
exemplary conduct. Namira urges them to believe in themselves as they have the power to create and be
confident, strong and independent. She became a symbol of women's empowerment when she was awarded
the 'First Pakistani Astronaut' title in 2006. She is currently working on developing a Cube Satellite which
will be launched in 2020 to play messages of peace in orbit in the voices of world leaders. It is one of the
‘Space Trust’ projects.
5. Moreover, her message is for our politicians to understand the potential which the outer space offers towards
Peace and Space Diplomacy for resolving historic conflicts on Earth, which can lead our countries to a
whole new level of peace-making.

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 Questions:
A. Answer the following questions in complete sentences using your own words. (Score: 8.5)

1. How has Namira Salim become a space traveler?

2. According to paragraph 3, how did Namira use her experience as a space traveler to help the world?
3. According to paragraph 4, do you think Namira’s achievements and potential spaceflight will help inspire
women to follow their dreams? Explain.
4. According to the selection, how can we use space to help spread peace on Earth?
5. If you were Namira Salim, what mission would you choose to do? Explain.
6. Based on the selection, what does each of the following underlined pronouns refer to :
a. her ( Paragraph 1 ) b. it ( Paragraph 4) c. them (Paragraph 4)

B. Refer to the selection and complete the following sentences. ( Score: 02)
1. Space travelling is not only for men, ____________________
2. To avoid gender discrimination, one should _______________________

C. Refer to the selection, find the words in BOLD that have the following meanings. ( Score: 2.5 )
1. New and creative especially in the way that something is done (Para. 3): _______________
2. To support or speak in public in favor of something (Para. 3): _______________
3. To judge the value of something or somebody as being lower than it really is (Para. 4): _______________
4. Unfair treatment of one person or group because of age, race and others (Para. 4 ): _______________
5. To give somebody a greater sense of confidence or self-esteem (Para. 4): _______________

D. Read extracts A and B carefully and then choose from paragraphs (1-5)the one that correctly fits with
each extract. (Score: 02)

1. Extract (A): Namira was proved that she had all the needed physical abilities to travel into space.

2. Extract (B): Namira hopes to break new ground for women to enter into fields considered out of bounds for
them.

E. The table below shows the yearly number of successful orbital launches in different countries. Read the
table carefully and then answer the following question. (Score: 02)

The Yearly Number of Successful Orbital Launches in Russia and USA

Year
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Country
Russia
25 27 28 30 31
USA
22 23 25 26 29

How are Russia and USA similar and different in the space race advancement? Explain with evidence from table.

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Part Two: Language Focus (Score: 7/40)

A. Rewrite the following sentences by using a proper conjunction, starting each as indicated without
changing the meaning (Score: 2.5).
1. Nanoscience will improve our health and lives in the coming few years.
Our health and lives ___________________________________________________________________
2. Scientists explored only ten percent of the deep sea.
Only ten percent of the deep sea ______________________________________________________________
3. Guernica was painted by Picasso at that time.
Picasso _____________________________________________________________________________
4. Biological diversity is considered a crucial survival issue by Professor Edward Wilson.
Professor Edward Wilson ______________________________________________________________
5. A wise person can trust no way of thinking without a proof.
No way of thinking ___________________________________________________________________

B. Identify the ONE grammatical error in each of the following sentences, and then correct it. (Score: 2.5)
1. More people could been allowed to travel into space.
2. Collecting seashells are my sister’s favorite pastime.
3. A few critics refused transform ordinary objects into works of arts.
4. Physics study matter, its motion and behavior through space and time.
5. A pair of Ali’s socks were fished out by Salma for her cold feet.

C. Choose the correct answer, and write it in your booklet. (Score: 02)
1. Nadia had given her daughter two almond balls to eat_______ she left for school.
a. before b. because c. if d. in order that
2. Her mother will not be happy __________ she eats them both.
a. though b. until c. than d. that
3. ______ Jad told the cook about the honey-seller and what he had done, the cook laughed.
a. Unless b. Which c. When d. Where
4. _______ Aya got home from school, her father prepared a sweet rice pudding for her to eat.
a. Who b. Whom c. Whether d. As soon as

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Part Three: Writing (Score: 16/40)
Choose ONE of the following prompts.
Prompt (A)
Space exploration is one of the biggest achievements of humans as a whole, and it has paved the way to a greater
scientific understanding and technological advancement over the years. However, it can’t be denied that it also
has several disadvantages, which is why governments and scientists should find a balance between the advantages
and disadvantages as soon as possible.
Based on the above, write about the positive side as well as the dark side of spending money on space exploration.
While you are developing your ideas refer to the role of government in attaining a balance between both sides.
Provide an outline and a suitable title. In your essay, provide a thesis statement in the introduction, topic sentence
for each body paragraph, and support the main idea with relevant, specific and adequate details. Give examples
drawn from your reading, experience, and observation.
Your essay should be between 150-200 words. Revise and proofread your essay.

Prompt (B)
Dreams do come true even if they were out of this planet, right to the space.
Imagine that you were given the chance to become an astronaut, select the planet that you would like to go to, and
choose the mission you decide is best for the planet Earth and more specifically to your community, family and
yourself. Which planet would you choose? What would your mission be? Whom would you take with you? How
would you prepare yourself? What would you take with you to that planet and what would you want to find there
being along? How much time would you spend there? What problems do you expect to face?
Copy and fill in the chart below, and then write an essay. Develop your narrative essay by providing sufficient
details about the events, the challenges and the achievements. Your essay should be between 150-200 words with
an appropriate title. Revise and proofread.

Title
Setting
Characters
Challenges
Event
Achievements

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