Here we have given you Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8. Alfred Noyes is the writer of the story “Midnight Express”, a story in the syllabus of class 8 and here is the solution of all the textual questions.
Alfred Noyes (1880-1 958) was a renowned English poet who is Highwayman and The Barrel-Organ. Midnight Express is an edited version of one of his most famous short stories of the same name for his ballads, The Let’s share:
Suppose you are standing before a mirror and you see there a person different from yourself. How would you react in such a situation?
Suppose you have read about a character in a book. How would you feel if ou meet that character in real life?
Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8
Activity 1
Tick the correct alternative:
(i) Mortimer found the book (a) at a friend’s place (b)in a book fair (C) in his father’s library
Ans- (C) in his father’s library
(ii) The illustration on the page showed (a) a vast sea (b) an empty railway platform (c)a dark library room
Ans- (b) an empty railway
(ii) Mortimer was able to read up to (a) page fifty of the book (b) the last page of the book (c) page fifty five of the book
(iv) Here Midnight Express is (a) an express train (b) a railway station
Ans- (a) book
Activity 2
Rearrange the following sentences in the correct order and put the numbers in the given boxes:
(1) As a young man, Mortimer was waiting for a train in an empty junction. [6 ]
(2) Mortimer found a battered old book. [1 ]
(3) He started to read the story by candle light. [2]
(4) Mortimer stopped at page fifty while reading the story. [5]
(5) The illustration of the story frightened Mortimer every time. [4]
(6) Mortimer was fascinated by the battered old book. [ 3]
Activity 3
Answer the following question:
Why do you think Mortimer never read beyond page fifty of the book?
Answer- Mortimer never read beyond page fifty because an illustration on page fifty threatened him for some unknown reason.
Activity 4 (Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8)
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a)Mortimer noticed in the lamp light… a dark and solitary figure he knew.
(b) The solitary figure faced.. the black mouth of a tunnel.
(c) Walking towards the figure Mortimer… looked into its face and got shock to see that it was his own face.
(d) The shadowy figure stood… With a candle.
Activity 5
Answer the following questions:
(a) When had Mortimer seen the ‘dark and solitary figure’ in his childhood?
Answer- Mortimer had seen the dark and solitary figure on the page fifty of his book “Midnight Express”.
(b) “Mortimer was shocked”- When was Mortimer shocked and why?
Answer- When Mortimer looked at the face of that solitary figure, he got shock because he saw that he was looking at his own face.
(c) What was “steadily gaining” on Mortimer as he stumbled out of the platform?
Answer– The echo of his own footsteps was steadily gaining on Mortimer as he stumbled out of the platform.
Activity – 6 (Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8)
Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F for false statements in the given boxes. Give supporting statements for each of your answers:
(a) Mortimer found the old battered book on the armchair. [ F ]
ss- By the armchair was a small, oak table on which lay a battered old book bound in red leather. [ T ]
(b) Mortimer realized that the book was the same one which he had read in his childhood.
ss- With a shock he realized it was the same book from his childhood, the book which contained the story of “Midnight Express”.
(c) Mortimer felt immensely afraid of the things happening around him. [ T ]
ss– He was filled with acute dread.
(d) In the flickering candlelight, the host was standing by the table. [ F ]
ss- The shadowy figure stood before Mortimer.
Activity 7 (Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8)
Answer the following questions:
(a) To where did Mortimer follow the shadowy figure?
Answer- Mortimer followed the shadowy figure to an upper room where a bright fire was burning.
(b) Why do you think Mortimer’s hands trembled when he turned the pages of the book?
Answer-When Mortimer turned the pages of the book, his hands trembled because there was a story about a man who had read a book which contained a frightening picture.
(C) “Mortimer tried to grasp the strange cycle of events he was going through”- what was the strange cycle of events?
Answer-The strange cycle of events was of Mortimer’s book in childhood, the shadowy figure, the same figure in the lamp light like page fifty of his book and the figure in the house as a host.
(d) Do you think the strange incidents that happened to Mortimer would not have occurred if he had not read the book?
Answer- I think the strange incidents would not have occurred if he had not read the book.
Activity 8(a)
In the following sentences, underline the verb forms which show that the person denoted by the Subject is doing something. Circle the verb forms which show
that something is being done to the person denoted by the Subject:
(i) l am writing a letter.
(ii) A letter is being written by me.
(ii) The gatekeeper was opening the gate.
(iv) The gate was being opened by the gatekeeper.
Let’s learn:
The verb forms that you have underlined are in the Active Voice. The verb forms you have circled are in the Passive Voice.
Let’s do:
Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8
Activity 8(b)
Identity the voice of the following sentences and fill in the chart given below:
(i) The artist is painting a picture.
(ii) A song is being sung by Shiela.
(iii) The boy was flying a kite.
(iv) Football was being played by the children
| ACTIVE VOICE | PASSIVE VOICE |
| (i) The artist is painting a picture. | (ii) A song is being sung by Shiela. |
| (iii) The boy was flying a kite. | (iv) Football was being played by the children |
Activity 8(c)
Match column A with column B:
| A | B |
| Mother is cooking food for us. | Food is being cooked by mother for us. |
| Father is baking a cake. | A cake is being baked by father. |
| The children were planting trees. | Trees were being planted by the children. |
| The students were learning a lesson. | A lesson was being learnt by the students. |
Activity 8(d) (Midnight Express Activity question answer class 8)
Change the voice of the following sentences:
(a) The girl is watching a film.
Ans- A film is being watched by the girl.
(b) Rahul is driving a car.
Ans- A car is being driven by Rahul.
(c) The author was writing a novel.
Ans- A novel was being written by the author.
(d) The man was buying vegetables.
Ans- Vegetables were being bought by by the man.
Activity 9
Find words in the passage which mean the following:
(a) a passage built underground to allow a railway / bus to go through a hill. [ tunnel ]
(b) to be very afraid of something [shocked// panicked]
(c) shaking of the body [ trembling ]
(d) the sound that a door sometimes makes when we open it [ creaking ]
Let’s talk:
Do you think the title of this story ” Midnight Express” is apt? Can you suggest any other title? Discuss in groups and give reasons.
Let’s do:
Activity 10 (a)
Suppose you find yourself alone in a railway station at night. Write a paragraph in about eighty words describing your experience.
Experience of a Night in a Railway station
The strange silence engulfed me as I stood by myself on the empty platform of the train station. Long, eerie shadows swirled across the deserted railroad lines as a result of the flickering overhead lights. Through the silence, one could hear the occasional passing train’s distant hum. It produces a disturbing contrast. There was a strong sensation of isolation in the air. The empty benches and ticket windows at the station served as quiet witnesses to the nighttime stillness. It was a dreamlike situation where time seemed to stand still. The only company I had as I waited for the next train to break the silence were the echoes of my own footsteps.
Activity 10 (b)
Write an imaginary conversation between you and your friend discussing the advantages of visiting a library regularly.
The advantages of visiting a library regularly
Friend: Hey there! I heard you’ve been visiting the library quite often lately. What’s the deal with that?
You: Oh, absolutely! I can’t recommend it enough. Regular library visits offer numerous advantages. Firstly, libraries are treasure troves of knowledge. You have access to an extensive collection of books, magazines, and digital resources, which can broaden your horizons and keep you informed about various topics. Plus, it’s a peaceful and distraction-free environment, perfect for focused reading and studying.
Friend: That’s true, but isn’t the internet a more convenient source of information?
You: Well, libraries also promote deep learning and critical thinking. Unlike the internet, where information can be unreliable, libraries curate quality content. Additionally, libraries are community hubs where you can attend events, workshops, and engage in discussions, fostering personal growth and social interaction. Plus, it’s budget-friendly since most library services are free.
Friend: You make a compelling case! I’ll definitely start visiting the library more often.
You: Great! You won’t regret it. Libraries are not just about books; they’re gateways to a world of knowledge and personal development.
Other lessons- of class 8 texts questions answers
Making a Collage
A collage is an artistic composition by sticking bits of paper, cloth, string, etc to a surface.
Materials required : old magazines/newspapers glue a piece of cardbord cut into a square for the background surface scissors
Method :
(1) Search through old magazines or newspapers and find pictures relating to any one theme.
(2) Cut them out.
(3) Spread a layer of glue on the back of the pictures.
(4) Lay the pictures and the cardboard piece.
(5) Let the glue dry.
(6) See that the pictures to cover the background.
(7) Your collage is ready.
(8) Give a title to your collage.
Now present your collage to the class and say a few lines on it.