West Bengal Bengali Medium Class 8 Text Book Chapter 11 Solution of Midnight Express written by Alfred Noyes. This article gives you an overview of the Class 8 English Bengali Medium (WBBSE) Textbook Chapter 11 Midnight Express Activity Solution & Model Question Answers.
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.
Answer: 6
(2) Mortimer found a battered old book.
Answer: 1
(3) He started to read the story by candle light.
Answer: 2
(4) Mortimer stopped at page fifty while reading the story.
Answer: 5
(5) The illustration of the story frightened Mortimer every time.
Answer: 4
(6) Mortimer was fascinated by the battered old book.
Answer: 3
Activity – 3 Solution
Answer the following question:
Why do you think Mortimer never read beyond fifty of the book?
Answer: Mortimer might have felt scared to read beyond fifty of the books he never read it.
Activity – 4 Solution
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a) Mortimer noticed in the lamp light _______________________
Answer:a dark and solitary figure which he knew.
(b) The solitary figure faced _____________________________
Answer:the black mouth of a tunnel.
(c) Walking towards the figure Mortimer _________________________
Answer: looked into its face.
(d) The shadow figure stood ______________________
Answer:with a candle.
Activity – 5 Solution
Answer the following questions:
(a) When had Mortimer seen the ‘dark and solitary figure’ in his childhood?
Answer: When Mortimer was reading fifty number page of the book called ‘Midnight Express’.
(b) “Mortimer was shocked.” When was Mortimer shocked and why?
Answer: Mortimer was shocked when he saw a dark and solitary figure on the platform. He was shocked because the image look just like him.
(c) 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 Solution
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.
Answer: F
Supporting Statement : By the armchair was a small, oak table on which lay a battered old book bound in red leather.
(b) Mortimer realized that the book was the same one which he had read in his childhood.
Answer: T
Supporting Statement : 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.
Answer: T
Supporting Statement : He was filled with acute dread.
(d) In the flickering candlelight, the host was seen standing by the table.
Answer: F
Supporting Statement : The shadowy figure stood before Mortimer.
Activity – 7 Solution
Answer the following questions:
(a) To where did Mortimer follow the shadow figure?
Answer: Mortimer followed the shadowy figure to an upper room of the cottage where a bright fire was burning.
(b) Why do you think Mortimer’s hands trembled when he turned the pages of the book?
Answer: Mortimer was scared because it was the same book that he had read in his childhood.
(c) “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, the book which contained the story of ‘Midnight Express.’ Also the figure looked exactly like him, all these events were strange.
(d) Do you think the strange incident that happened to Mortimer would not have occurred if he had not read the book?
Answer: It was all in the head of Mortimer, so if he had not read the book, the strange incident would not have taken place.
Activity – 8(a) Solution
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) I am writing a letter.
Answer: I am writing a letter.
(ii) A letter is being written by me.
Answer: A letter is being written by me.
(iii) The gatekeeper was opening the gate.
Answer: The gatekeeper was opening the gate.
(iv) The gate was being opened by the gatekeeper.
Answer: The gate was being opened by the gatekeeper.
Activity – 8(b) Solution
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
Answer: The artist is painting a picture.
Answer: A song is being sung by Shiela.
Answer: The boy was flying a kite.
Answer: Football was being played by the children.
Activity – 8(c) Solution
Match column A with column B:
A
B
(i) Mother is cooking food for us.
(a) Trees were being planted by the children.
(ii) Father is baking a cake.
(b) A lesson was being learnt by the students.
(iii) The children were planting the trees.
(c) Food is being cooked by mother for us.
(iv) The students were learning a lesson.
(d) A cake is being baked by father.
A
B
(i) Mother is cooking food for us.
Answer: (c) Food is being cooked by mother for us.
(ii) Father is baking a cake.
Answer: (d) A cake is being baked by father.
(iii) The children were planting the trees.
Answer: (a) Trees were being planted by the children.
(iv) The students were learning a lesson.
Answer: (b) A lesson was being learnt by the students.
Activity – 8(d) Solution
Change the voice of the following sentences:
(a) The girl is watching a film.
Answer: A film is being watched by the girl.
(b) Rahul is driving a car.
Answer: A car is being drived by Rahul.
(c) The author was writing a novel.
Answer: A novel was being written by the author.
(d) The man was buying vegetables.
Answer: Vegetables were being bought by the man.
Activity – 9 Solution
Find words in the passage which mean the following:
(a) A passage built underground to allow a railway/ bus to go through a hill.
Answer:Tunnel
(b) To be very afraid of something
Answer:Panic
(c) Shaking of the body
Answer:trembling
(d) The sound that a door sometimes makes when we open it
Answer:Creaking
Activity – 10(a) Solution
Suppose you find yourself alone in a railway station at night. Write a paragraph in about eighty words describing your experience.
Answer:
Being alone in a railway station at night is oddly quiet and a bit eerie. The usual hustle and bustle have given way to an eerie stillness. The dimly lit platform feels vast, and the occasional train passing by sends shivers down your spine. The echoing footsteps and distant hoots of owls make you acutely aware of your solitude, turning the station into a lonely, isolated place that seems suspended in time.
Activity – 10(b) Solution
Write an imaginary conversation between you and you friend discussing the advantages of visiting a library regularly.
Answer:
Friend: Hey, have you ever thought about visiting the library more often?
You: Absolutely! There are so many advantages to spending time in a library. For starters, it’s a treasure trove of knowledge and information. You can find books on virtually any topic you’re interested in.
Friend: That’s true, but why not just use the internet?
You: Well, libraries offer a sense of focus and concentration that’s hard to find online. Plus, they’re a quiet place to read and study without distractions. Also, many libraries provide free access to computers and the internet, so you get the best of both worlds.
Friend: I guess that’s convenient, but what about the cost?
You: Libraries are usually free to join and use, making them a cost-effective resource for everyone. Plus, you can borrow books, magazines, and even movies without having to purchase them.
Friend: That’s a good point. But what about e-books and e-resources?
You: Libraries often have e-books and digital resources too, so you can access them from home. And librarians are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful; they can guide you to the right resources and even offer research assistance.
Friend: So, visiting the library is like having a personal research assistant?
You: Exactly! Plus, libraries are a great place to meet like-minded people, attend events, and foster a sense of community. Overall, regular library visits can broaden your horizons, enhance your learning, and provide a peaceful sanctuary for exploration and personal growth.
Friend: You make a compelling case. I think I’ll start visiting the library more often!
