Grade 8 English Exam Papers With Answers Pdf 2022

Grade 8 English Exam Papers with Answers PDF 2022: Facts in South Africa

Section A: Reading Comprehension

Question 1:

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

The History of South Africa

South Africa has a rich and complex history that spans centuries. The country was first inhabited by the Khoisan people, who were hunter-gatherers. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established a settlement at the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch were followed by the British, who took control of the Cape Colony in 1806.

In the 19th century, South Africa experienced a period of rapid economic growth due to the discovery of diamonds and gold. However, this growth also led to increased tensions between the British and the Afrikaners, who were descendants of the Dutch settlers. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was formed, uniting the four British colonies and the two Boer republics.

The Union of South Africa was a white-dominated state that implemented a system of racial segregation known as apartheid. Apartheid divided the population into four racial groups: white, black, Indian, and coloured. Black people were denied basic rights and freedoms, and were forced to live in separate townships.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was growing opposition to apartheid. The African National Congress (ANC) and other anti-apartheid organizations led a campaign of civil disobedience and resistance. In 1994, the first democratic elections were held in South Africa, and Nelson Mandela became the country’s first black president.

Questions:

1. Who were the first inhabitants of South Africa?
2. When did the British take control of the Cape Colony?
3. What caused rapid economic growth in South Africa in the 19th century?
4. What was the name of the system of racial segregation implemented in South Africa?
5. Who became South Africa’s first black president?

Answers:

1. Khoisan people
2. 1806
3. Discovery of diamonds and gold
4. Apartheid
5. Nelson Mandela

Question 2:

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow:

Invictus

By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance,
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Questions:

1. What is the tone of the poem?
2. What does the speaker say he has not done in the face of adversity?
3. What does the speaker say he is the master of?
4. What is the main message of the poem?

Answers:

1. Defiant and optimistic
2. Winced nor cried aloud
3. His fate
4. That even in the face of adversity, one can maintain their dignity and self-reliance.

Section B: Writing

Question 1: Essay

Write an essay on the following topic:

The Importance of Education in South Africa

In your essay, you should discuss the following points:

• The role of education in reducing poverty and inequality
• The importance of education for personal development and empowerment
• The challenges facing education in South Africa
• Recommendations for improving education in South Africa

Question 2: Letter

Write a letter to the Minister of Education, expressing your concerns about the state of education in South Africa. In your letter, you should:

• Identify the specific challenges that you are concerned about
• Explain how these challenges are affecting students and the country as a whole
• Offer suggestions for how to address these challenges

Section C: Language

Question 1: Grammar

Identify the grammatical errors in the following sentences and correct them:

1. The students was very excited about the trip.
2. I don’t know if I can go to the party, but I will let you know.
3. The teacher asked the students to write a essay about their summer vacation.

Answers:

1. The students were very excited about the trip.
2. I don’t know if I can go to the party, but I will let you know.
3. The teacher asked the students to write an essay about their summer vacation.

Question 2: Vocabulary

Define the following words:

1. Enumerate
2. Prolific
3. Serendipitous

Answers:

1. Enumerate: to list or count one by one
2. Prolific: producing a large number of works or offspring
3. Serendipitous: occurring by chance in a happy or beneficial way