“Midnight Express” is a lesson from the Textbook “Blossom” approved by West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for the students of Class 8. Here all the Activity Questions are done by English teachers.
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
Answer: Mortimer found the book 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
Answer: The illustration on the page showed an empty railway platform.
(iii) 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 boo
Answer: Mortimer was able to read up to page fifty of the book.
(iv) Here Midnight Express is
(a) an express train
(b) a railway station
(c) a book
Answer: Here Midnight Express is 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 candlelight. [ 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 questions:
1.) Why do you think Mortimer never read beyond fifty of the book?
Answer: Because Mortime felt something threatening in the illustration on page fifty of the book.
Activity 4
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1.) Mortimer noticed in the lamp light a dark and solitary figure he knew.
2.) The solitary figure faced the black mouth of a tunnel.
3.) Walking towards the figure Mortimer looked into its face.
4.) The shadow figure stood with a candle.
Activity 5
Answer the following questions:
1.) When had Mortimer seen the ‘dark and solitary figure’ in his childhood?
Answer: Mortimer had seen the ‘dark and solitary figure’ on page fifty of the book ‘Midnight Express.’
2.) “Mortimer was shocked.” When was Mortimer shocked and why?
Answer: Mortimer was shocked when he saw the dark and solitary figure on the platform. He was shocked because the image looked just like him.
3.) What was “steadily gaining” on Mortimer as he stumbled out of the platform?
Answer: The footsteps of the dark and solitary figure were steadily gaining on him on the platform.
Activity 6
Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements in the given boxes. Give supporting statements for each of your answers:
1.) Mortimer found the old battered book on the armchair. [ False ]
Supporting Statement: By the armchair was a small, oak table on which lay a battered old book bound in red leather.
2.) Mortimer realized that the book was the same one which he had read in his childhood. [ True ]
Supporting Statement: With a shock he realized it was the same book from his childhood, the book which contained the story of ‘Midnight Express.’
3.) Mortimer felt immensely afraid of the things happening around him. [ True ]
Supporting Statement: He was filled with acute dread.
4.) In the flickering candlelight, the host was seen standing by the table. [ False ]
Supporting Statement: The shadowy figure stood before Mortimer.
Activity 7
Answer the following questions:
1.) To where did Mortimer follow the shadowy figure?
Answer: Mortimer followed the shadowy figure to an upper room where a bright fire was burning.
2.) Why do you think Mortimer’s hands trembled when he turned the pages of the book?
Answer: Mortimer was astonished and afraid when he found the same book on the table that he read in his childhood.
3.) “Mortimer tried to grasp the strange cycle of events he was going through” what was the strange cycle of events?
Answer: Mortimer realized that it was the same book from his childhood, which contained the story of ‘Midnight Express.’ Also the figure looked exactly like him, all these events were strange.
4.) Do you think the strange incident that happened to Mortimer would not have occurred if he had not read the book?
Answer: I think the strange incidents that happened to Mortimer 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:
1.) I am writing a letter.
2.) A letter is being written by me.
3.) The gatekeeper was opening the gate.
4.) The gate was being opened by the gatekeeper.
Activity 8(b)
Identify 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 | |
| (i) Mother is cooking food for us. | (a) Trees were being planted by the children | iii |
| (ii) Father is baking a cake. | (b) A lesson was being learnt by the students. | iv |
| (iii) The children were planting trees. | (c) Food is being cooked by mother for us. | i |
| (iv)The students were learning a lesson. | (d) A cake is being baked by father. | ii |
Activity 8(d)
Change the voice of the following sentences:
1.) The girl is watching a film.
Answer: A film is being watched by the girl.
2.) Rahul is driving a car.
Answer: A car is being driven by Rahul.
3.) The author was writing a novel.
Answer: A novel was being written by the author.
4.) The man was buying vegetables.
Answer: Vegetables were being bought by the man.
Activity 9
Find words in the passage which mean the following:
1.) A passage built underground to allow a railway/ bus to go through a hill – Tunnel
2.) To be very afraid of something – Panic
3.) Shaking of the body – Trembled
4.) The sound that a door sometimes makes when we open it – Creaking
Activity 10 (a)
Suppose you find yourself alone in a railway station at night. Write a paragraph in about eighty words describing your experience.
Answer:
I still remember that night when I was alone in a railway station. It was one of the most horrible experiences I have ever had. There was literally pin drop silence. I had missed the train and that is why I was left all alone. I sat on the bench waiting for the next train to arrive. I was so scared that I couldn’t even move even though I wanted to go to the washroom. I tried to close my eyes but I felt someone touching my feet and when I opened my eyes it was a dog. I started imaging horror things even though I wanted to think good things. But my mind started wandering somewhere else. Then I felt relieved when there was an announcement which said that the next train was about to arrive in the next half an hour. When I still think of that night, I get goosebumps.
Activity 10 (b)
Write an imaginary conversation between you and you friend discussing the advantages of visiting a library regularly.
Answer:
Me : Hello Sanket, How are you?
Sanket : I’m good.
Me : You look sad today. Is everything fine?
Sanket : Actually the thing is that I have to submit my final project and I cannot find any reference material related to that.
Me: I can help you. You can come with me to the library where I go often.
Sanket : That’s very kind of you. How often do you go to the library?
Me : I go to the library at least twice a week. You know I get so much information about many things. Going to the library makes me active and I get to know many things. And also the fee is quite affordable.
Sanket : I would also like to join your library.
Me : Sure.
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