AHMEDABAD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

ASSIGNMENT

Name: Roll:
Grade and Section 8 ____ Subject: English (0500)
Date Given on: Date of Submission:
Chapter Name /Topic:

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Answer all questions.
2. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part
question.

Text A- Animals in Captivity

Throughout history, human beings have always had a close relationship with animals and
other creatures with which we share the planet. One aspect of this relationship which
provokes discussion is the issue of keeping animals in captivity.

There are certainly advantages to be gained by animals which are kept in captivity. Many
zoos and safari parks employ veterinary surgeons to ensure that necessary medical
attention is always available for the animals. In addition, nutrition experts are employed, so
the animals have a ready supply of food appropriate to their needs. All of this means that
life expectancy, for some creatures at least, is longer in captivity than in the wild; for
example, wild squirrels live for an average of three years, whereas their captive
counterparts live to be twelve years old. Nowadays, wildlife habitats are being encroached
upon or destroyed at incredible rates; zoos and safari parks offer safe environments for
animals which might otherwise have nowhere to live. Some rare species exist only in zoos
because they have become extinct in the wild. Animals in captivity enable us to see
common links between ourselves and some other species. Recently in one safari park, for
example, the chimpanzee keepers discovered, through hidden cameras, striking similarities
between chimps’ responses to the death of a loved one and those of humans. When chimp
Pansy was dying, her daughter Rosie and her companions stayed by her, apparently
comforting her. Such astonishing research could only have been done with captive animals,
and could influence future approaches to working with apes.

People benefit from animals being kept in captivity; they learn about the world of nature. It
is delightful to see the wonder on a young child’s face as he gazes at an elephant or tiger for
the first time. Only the rich can afford to travel to see animals in their natural habitat,
whereas in zoos, for example, the majority of people can afford to see them in close
proximity. Thus, zoos encourage people to care for our planet and to see that they have a
shared responsibility for its well being. A day out to a zoo or safari park is a form of
relaxation and entertainment, particularly when these places incorporate restaurants and
children’s play parks. Such a trip is an excellent family day out, and helps to bring family
members closer by providing an opportunity for them to enjoy each other’s company.

But zoos and safari parks have their critics too, and most people sit on the fence in this
debate. Although more enlightened zoos attempt to emulate natural environments rather
than using cages, the animals are still kept in relatively small spaces. They are deprived of
their natural habitat, whether it is jungle, open land or seas. In addition, their natural
instincts are curbed; it is all very well that a lion is given a few kilos of meat, but that is at
odds with our image of it stalking its prey on the African plains. Often animals in captivity
experience what is to them an unnatural climate; it is downright stupid to have polar bears
and tigers living at identical temperatures. Although some animals are born in captivity,
zoos and safari parks sometimes obtain animals from the wild population, which reduces
the number of breeding animals in the wild and endangers their species . Animals in
captivity often fail to breed. An example of this is the panda; attempts to get them to breed
in captivity have proved to be notoriously difficult. Baby pandas are undeniably cute, and
when occasionally one is born in captivity, it is a cause for global celebration.

Not all animals live longer in zoos than they would in the wild: it is unusual for an
elephant in captivity to live beyond the age of twenty, whereas its counterpart in the wild
has a life expectancy of around forty years. There is evidence to suggest that elephants and
other large creatures become stressed when kept in captivity. Although zoos and safari
parks enable ordinary people to investigate wild animals for themselves, there are other
ways in which this can happen, such as through books, films or the internetCritics of zoos
and safari parks argue that keeping animals in captivity is no more than cruelty and
exploitation.
Read Text A and then answer the questions 1 (a) to (f)

Question 1

(a) Give two reasons why critics argue against keeping animals in captivity [2]

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(b) Using your own words, explain what the text means by:

1. “encroached upon” [2]

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2. “instincts are curbed” [2]

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(c) Re-read paragraph 2 (‘There are certainly advantages…working with apes.’)

Give two reasons as to what are the two advantages of keeping animals in captivity

[2]

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(d) Re- read paragraph 3 and 4 ( ‘People benefit from…cause for global celebration.’)

1. Identify two benefits that humans gain from keeping animals in captivity. [2]

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 2. Explain why some people argue that keeping animals in captivity is harmful.

[3]

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(e) Re-read paragraph 5 (‘Not all animals…cruelty and exploitation.’)

Using your words describe three potential negative impacts of keeping large animals

such as elephants, in captivity. [3]

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Question 1 (f) Read Text A: Animals in captivity and identify a word or phrase from the
text which suggests the same idea as the word/phrases underlined: [9]

1. There are certainly benefits to be gained by animals which are kept in confinement.

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2. Wild squirrels typically live for three years, but those in captivity can survive for

twelve years.

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3. Wildlife habitats are being invaded upon.

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4. Certain rare species have vanished from the wild and can now only be seen in zoos.

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5. Remarkable discoveries could only be made by studying animals in captivity.

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6. Zoos inspire people to protect our planet.

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7. A visit to a zoo or safari park offers a chance to unwind and have fun.

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8. Most people hesitate to choose a side in this debate.

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9. Keeping animals in captivity is nothing but brutality and exploitation.

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 Text: B Shopping

Markets, bazaars, corner shops, high street stores or out-of-town retail centres – wherever
you live, shopping plays some part in your life, and the hours available for this common
activity will vary.

Extending the opening hours of shops has many advantages. People do not have to rush to
the supermarket after a hard day at the office. If a shop is open for a restricted number of
hours per week, say forty, then one set of employees is sufficient to run it, but extended
opening hours mean that more people are needed to work in the store, thus providing an
income for them. This can be particularly beneficial for students, who are able to work for a
limited period to earn some money without compromising their studies. Families can also
benefit: parents, usually mothers, can work a few hours part-time in the local supermarket
when their spouses are not at work. Bringing in additional income and effectively avoiding
additional child care support. Extended opening hours mean more income for the shop
owner.

But extended shopping hours are sometimes under fire from critics who argue that, far
from promoting family life, the ‘shop till you drop’ mentality actually decreases the
opportunities for family activities. Indeed, the very expression ‘shop till you drop’ suggests
silly, robot-like behavior. Children miss out on valuable recreational excursions with their
parents, who take them on endless shopping trips instead of, for example, to an art gallery.
If mum is working in the supermarket in the evening, chances for family bonding, such as
simply eating dinner together, or watching television, have been removed. Children are not
taken to run around parks and playgrounds because they are shopping instead. The
resulting lack of exercise perhaps contributes to increasing childhood obesity in some parts
of the world. Extending shopping hours also has a detrimental effect on employees and the
employer, whose own family life is interrupted or compromised by choosing to keep their
business open for long hours.

To conclude, if people know that the shops are open constantly, they will waste the time
that they might have spent doing more useful things.
Read Text B Shopping and answer Question 2 (a) on this question paper.

Question 2 (a) According to Text: B Shopping write a summary about the advantages and
disadvantages of extended shopping hours.

You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as
possible

Your summary should not be more than 120 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer and up to 5 marks for the
quality of your writing. [15]

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Read Text B Shopping and then answer Questions 2 (b) (1-10)

Question 2 (b) [10]

1. What is the main topic of the passage?

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2. Write any two benefits of extended shopping hours

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3. What is a potential negative impact of extended shopping hours on families?

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4. What is the meaning of the phrase, ‘shop till you drop’?

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5. Extended opening hours of the shops can particularly benefit whom?

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6. How can families avoid additional expenditure of child care support?

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7. ‘Extended opening hours mean more income for the shop owner.’ re-write this

statement using an appropriate synonym for the term extended. Paraphrase

without changing the meaning.

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8. Children miss out on what with their parents because of the endless shopping
trips?

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9. Explain the term:

● Recreational excursion
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10. Explain the term:

● Detrimental effect
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