CBSE

Class VIII Social Science

Sample Paper – 2
Term II
Time: 2½ hours Total Marks: 75

General Instructions:
i. All questions are compulsory.
ii. Marks for each question are indicated against the question.
iii. In each section, questions from serial number 1 to 5 are multiple choice questions
(MCQs) of 1 mark each. Every MCQ is provided with four alternatives. Write the
correct alternative in your answer book.
iv. Questions from serial number 6 to 10 are 2 marks questions.
v. Questions 11 and 12 for History and Civics section are for 5 marks.
vi. Question 11 and 12 of the Geography section is for 3 marks, while Question 13 is for
4 marks.

SECTION A
History

Question 1 – What was the Portuguese-origin term for Indian textiles? [1]
a) Calicoe
b) Calico
c) Kalico
d) Kalick

Question 2 – The central dome of the Viceroy’s Palace built by the British was influenced
by [1]
a) Gothic architecture
b) Rajput acrchitecture
c) Buddhist stupa
d) Bengali roof architectural style

Question 3 – What was the name of the journal started by William Jones, Henry Thomas
Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhead? [1]
a) Asiatic Journal
b) Asiatick Researches
c) Asian Affairs
d) Asian Chronicle
Question 4 – Which famous Indian reformer used the ancient texts to suggest that widows
could remarry? [1]
a) G. K. Gokhale
b) G. G. Agarkar
c) Swami Dayanand Saraswati
d) Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar

Question 5 – The 1878 legislation which disallowed Indians from possessing arms was
called [1]
a) The Possession of Weapons Act
b) The Arms Possession Act
c) The Arms Act
d) The Weapons Act

Question 6 – Elaborate on the jamdani style of weaving. [2]

Question 7 – What is ‘picketing’? [2]

Question 8 – What is ‘Spinning Jenny’? [2]

Question 9 – Mention two features of the Subsidiary Alliance System. [2]

Question 10 – Do you think it is right to periodise Indian History into Hindu, Muslim and
the British period? Why? [2]

Question 11 – Explain the ideological standpoint of the non-Brahmin movement. [5]

Question 12 – Explain the differences between Gandhi and Tagore on the point of
education. [5]
 SECTION B
Civics

Question 1 – A person is held guilty of crime by a [1]

a) Witness
b) Police
c) Judge
d) Public Prosecutor

Question 2 – Every person has a fundamental right to be defended by a lawyer under [1]
a) Article 12
b) Article 22
c) Article 32
d) Article 42

Question 3 – To secure a majority in the Lok Sabha elections, a party needs to win
minimum of at least how many seats? [1]
a) 270
b) 272
c) 274
d) 276

Question 4 – What facilities does the Government provide to Dalit and Adivasi children? [1]
a) Free or subsidised food
b) Free or subsidised hostels
c) Free or subsidised books
d) None of the above

Question 5 – Power looms are small units with [1]

a) 1–3 units
b) 2–3 units
c) 3–5 units
d) 4–6 units

Question 6 – What steps should be taken by the government to ensure the cleanliness of the
environment? [2]

Question 7 – Who are Adivasis? [2]

Question 8 – What does Article 15 of the Constitution state? [2]

Question 9 – What is reservation policy? [2]

Question 10 – How is the sanitation coverage in India? [2]

Question 11 – Why is the ship-breaking industry growing rapidly in South Asia? [5]

Question 12 – Discuss the structure of courts in India. [5]

SECTION C
Geography

Question 1 – Which of the following continent produces more than half of the world’s tin?[1]
a) Europe
b) Asia
c) Africa
d) South America

Question 2 – In the production of castor seeds, India stands [1]

a) First
b) Second
c) Third
d) None of the above

Question 3 – To which category of industries does the iron and steel industry belong? [1]
a) Small-scale industry
b) Large-scale industry
c) Cooperative sector
d) Agro-based sector

Question 4 – Which of the following industries is not a heavy industry? [1]

a) Cotton textile
b) Cement
c) Iron and steel
d) Ship building

Question 5 – Which kind of irrigation is highly effective in the dry regions? [1]
a) Sprinkle irrigation
b) Drip irrigation
c) Well irrigation
d) None of the above

Question 6 – Define agriculture. [2]

Question 7 – What is the difference between sericulture and pisciculture? [2]

Question 8 – Define industry. [2]

Question 9 – What were the factors responsible for setting up the first successful
mechanised textile mill in Mumbai? [2]

Question 10 – Define ‘life expectancy’. [2]

Question 11 – Distinguish between secondary and tertiary activities giving examples of

each. [3]

Question 12 – Classify resources on the basis of their origin and status of development. [3]

Question 13 – Discuss four methods by which soil can be conserved. [4]

 CBSE
Class VIII Social Science
Sample Paper – 2 Solution
Term II

SECTION A
History
Answers
1. (b) - Calico
2. (c) – Buddhist stupa
3. (b) - Asiatic Researches
4. (d) - Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar
5. (c) - The Arms Act

Answer 6
Jamdani is fine muslin on which decorative motifs are woven on the loom, typically in grey
and white. Often a mixture of cotton and gold thread was also used. The most important
centres of jamdani weaving were Dacca in Bengal and Lucknow in the United Provinces.

Answer 7
‘Picketing’ implies people protesting outside a building or shop to prevent others from
entering.

Answer 8
Spinning Jenny is a machine by which a single worker could operate several spindles on to
which thread was spun. When the wheel was turned, all the spindles rotated.

Answer 9
Two features of the Subsidiary Alliance System were:
 Indian states entering subsidiary alliance were protected by the Company’s forces
but had to pay for the maintenance of British troops.
 Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces. They also
could not sign treaty with any other state without the permission of the British.

Answer 10
No, it is not right to periodise Indian History into Hindu, Muslim and the British period. It is
because it is not correct to periodise Indian history on the basis of religion of the rulers. For
example, when the Hindu kings ruled in ancient India, many religions existed peacefully.
The same is also true for mediaeval India. It was not correct to periodise mediaeval India as
Muslim History because people belonging to different faiths existed during this time.
Such periodisation which was based on the religion of the rulers suggests that the lives,
practices and culture of the other people do not matter.
Answer 11
The non-Brahman movement started in the early part of the twentieth century. The
political initiative came from those non-Brahman castes which had acquired access to
education, wealth and influence. They argued that Brahmans were actually heirs of Aryan
invaders from the north who had conquered southern lands from the original inhabitants
of the region—the indigenous Dravidian races. These castes also openly challenged the
Brahmanical claims to power.

Answer 12
Even though Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore agreed on many points on the
matter of education, there were some discernible and significant differences too. Gandhiji
was highly critical of Western civilisation and the prominence of machines and technology
in it. On the other hand, Tagore wanted to combine elements of modern Western
civilisation with what he saw best within Indian culture. He often emphasised the need to
teach science and technology at Santiniketan along with art, music and dance.

SECTION B
Civics
Answers
1. (b) - 12
2. (b) - Article 22
3. (b) - 274
4. (b) - Free or subsidised hostels
5. (d) - 4–6 units

Answer 6
Steps which should be taken by the government to ensure the cleanliness of the
environment are:
 To ask the industries to replace old conventional technology by cleaner technologies
and processes in the industry.
 Government should provide incentives and tax rebate for the companies which use
cleaner technologies.
 Fines should be imposed on the industries which create pollution in excess of the
prescribed limit

Answer 7
The term Adivasis means ‘original inhabitants’. They are communities who have
historically lived in and even now continue to stay in forests.

Answer 8
Article 15 of the Constitution states that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against
on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. This article has been used by Dalits
to seek equality where it has been denied to them.

Answer 9
Reservation policy is a law which reserves seats in education and Government employment
for Dalits and Adivasis.

Answer 10
The sanitation coverage in India is really bad and lower than the coverage of safe drinking
water. Official figures for 2001 show that 68% of the households in India have access to
drinking water and about 36% have access to sanitation (toilet facilities within the
premises of residence).

Answer 11
To prevent the domination of a majority community over the others following provisions
have been made in the Indian Constitution:
 India has no official religion. It neither encourages nor discourages practice of any
religion. For example, in government spaces like the court room, government schools
and offices, no one can promote any religion.
 The Indian State respects the religious sentiments of all people. Thus, it follows a policy
of non-interference in the religious practices of the people. For example, the State
allows the Sikhs to not wear a helmet as wearing a pagdi is part of their religious
practice.
 The Indian State also follows the strategy of intervention in cases where members of
one community discriminate against members of the same religious community. For
example, in order to prevent upper-caste Hindus from dominating lower-caste Hindus,
untouchability has been abolished and no discrimination is allowed on the basis of caste
or sect.
 By following the policy of intervention, the Indian State also guarantees the right to
minority groups of establishing their own educational institutions and colleges. It also
provides financial assistance to them.

Answer 12
 India has a single integrated judicial system as the decisions
Supreme Court
made by the higher courts are binding on the lower courts.
 The judiciary in our country exists at three different levels. There
High Courts
are numerous courts at the district level. These are also known as
session courts. District courts are presided over by the District
Judge. Lower Courts

 At the second level are the High Courts. Every state has a High
Court which is the highest court of appeal.
 At the top of the Indian judicial system is the Supreme Court which is presided over by
the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court in India is located at New Delhi.

SECTION C
Geography
Answers
1. (b) - Asia
2. (b) - Second
3. (b) - Large-scale industry
4. (a) - Cotton textile
5. (b) – Drip irrigation

Answer 6
Agriculture refers to the process of preparing the land for the cultivation of crops and to
the rearing of livestock. Agriculture is one of the oldest occupations known to humans. It is
a primary activity.

Answer 7
Sericulture is the commercial rearing of silkworms. It may supplement the income of the
farmer. Pisciculture, on the other hand, is the breeding of fish in specially constructed tanks
and ponds.

Answer 8
Industry is defined as an economic activity concerned with the production of goods,
extraction of minerals or provision of services.

Answer 9
The first successful mechanised textile mill was established in Mumbai in 1854 because of
its warm and moist climate, a port for importing machinery, availability of raw material
and skilled labour, all of which resulted in rapid expansion of the textile industry in this
region.

Answer 10
Life expectancy is the number of years which an average person can expect to live.

Answer 11
Secondary activities are concerned with the processing of natural resources. Manufacturing
of steel, baking of bread and weaving of cloth are examples of this activity. Tertiary
activities are those economic activities which provide support to the primary and
secondary sectors through services. Examples of tertiary activities are transport, trade,
banking, insurance and advertising.
Answer 12
On the basis of origin, resources can be classified into biotic and abiotic resources.
Biotic Resources: These resources are obtained from nature and have life. Examples:
Humans, forests, fisheries, livestock

Abiotic Resources: These resources are obtained from nature but are made of non-living
things. Examples: Metals, air, soil

On the basis of status of development, resources can be classified into Actual and
potential resources.
Actual Resources: Resources whose quantity is known is called actual resources. Example:
Coal deposits in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand

Potential Resources: Resources whose quantity is not known and they are not being used
at present. Example: Uranium present in Ladakh is a potential resource which could be
used in the future.

Answer 13
Four methods by which soil can be conserved are:
 Mulching: An uncovered piece of land is covered with straw or any other layer of
organic matter. This method helps the soil to retain moisture.
 Contour Barriers: Barriers along the contours are made by growing grass or by
putting stones to help in preventing soil erosion.
 Rock Dam: Rocks are placed above one another to regulate and slow down the
speed of water. This help in preventing gully erosion and soil loss.
 Terrace Farming: It is the construction of terraces or flat steps on steep slopes.
Terrace farming helps in reducing surface runoff water and prevents soil erosion.