Reading Comprehension & Unseen Passage for Class 8 with Answers

Try each passage without looking at the answers first. Time yourself for 10 to 12 minutes per passage.

Passage 1: The Honeybee’s Busy Day (Factual)

Honeybees are some of the hardest working insects in the world. A single hive may hold more than thirty thousand bees, and each one has a job. Worker bees collect nectar from flowers and carry it back to the hive. There, they turn it into honey and store it in wax cells. Some bees clean the hive, while others guard the entrance from enemies. The queen bee has one main task: laying eggs. When a worker finds a good patch of flowers, she performs a special “waggle dance” to show the others where to go. Without bees, many fruits and vegetables would not grow, because bees carry pollen from one flower to another.

Questions

1. What do worker bees collect from flowers?
2. What is the queen bee’s main job?
3. Why do bees perform the waggle dance?
4. Choose the correct answer. Bees help plants grow because they: (a) make honey (b) carry pollen (c) clean flowers (d) guard hives
5. Write the meaning of the word “guard” as used in the passage.
6. Suggest a suitable title for the passage.

Answers

1. Worker bees collect nectar from flowers.
2. The queen bee’s main job is to lay eggs.
3. Bees perform the waggle dance to show other bees where a good patch of flowers is.
4. (b) carry pollen.
5. “Guard” means to protect something from danger.
6. “The Busy Life of Honeybees” (any suitable title is accepted).

Passage 2: Mira and the Lost Kitten (Story)

One rainy evening, Mira heard a faint cry outside her window. She picked up an umbrella and stepped into the garden. Under a wet bush, she found a tiny white kitten, shivering with cold. Mira wrapped it in her scarf and carried it inside. Her mother warmed some milk, and the kitten drank it eagerly. The next morning, Mira put up small notices around the colony asking if anyone had lost a kitten. Two days passed, but nobody came. Mira smiled and named the kitten Snowy. She had made a new friend, and Snowy had found a warm home.

Questions

1. Where did Mira find the kitten?
2. How did Mira help the kitten feel warm?
3. Why did Mira put up notices?
4. What does the story tell us about Mira’s nature?
5. Pick the word from the passage that means “shaking slightly”.
6. True or false: Someone came to claim the kitten after two days.

Answers

1. Mira found the kitten under a wet bush in her garden.
2. She wrapped it in her scarf and her mother gave it warm milk.
3. She wanted to find the kitten’s owner.
4. Mira is kind, caring and responsible.
5. Shivering.
6. False. Nobody came, so Mira kept the kitten.

Passage 3: Why We Should Save Water (Informative)

Water looks plentiful, yet only a tiny part of the earth’s water is safe to drink. Rivers and lakes are shrinking in many places, and some villages walk for miles to fetch a single pot. Small habits at home can make a big difference. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth can save several litres every day. A leaking tap may waste hundreds of litres in a month, so it should be repaired quickly. Rainwater can be collected and used for watering plants. If every family follows such simple steps, we can protect this precious gift for future generations.

Questions

1. How much of the earth’s water is safe to drink?
2. Mention two ways to save water at home.
3. What problem do some villages face?
4. Which word in the passage means “valuable”?
5. What message does the writer want to give?

Answers

1. Only a tiny part of it is safe to drink.
2. Turning off the tap while brushing and repairing leaking taps (collecting rainwater is also correct).
3. People in some villages have to walk for miles to fetch water.
4. Precious.
5. Everyone should save water through small daily habits so that it lasts for future generations.

Common Mistakes Students Make in a Class 8 Unseen Passage

• • Copying whole sentences without checking if they answer the question.
  • Guessing meanings of words without reading the surrounding lines.
  • Ignoring the marks given, which show how long the answer should be.
  • Writing opinions that the passage does not support.
  • Rushing through the passage and missing small details such as numbers or names.