Midnight Express Class 8 Blossoms Questions Answers

Midnight Express Class 8 Blossoms is given in lesson 11 and it is one of the best short stories in English. All activity Questions and answers from Midnight Express Class 8 Blossoms are discussed in the following.

Word Notes: Midnight Express Class 8 Blossoms

Battered – damaged জীর্ণ বা ছেঁড়া

bound – hey fasten into cover বাঁধানো

Ticked – repeated sound of a Clock ঘড়ির টিকটিক শব্দ

Roared – to make a loud sound সামুদ্রিক গর্জন

Fascinated – attracted আকৃষ্ট হওয়া

illustration – picture ব্যাখ্যা

Threatened – give warning ভয় পাওয়া

Lit-emitted light জালানো

Dull – dim মৃদু আলো

tunnel -an underground passage সুরঙ্গ

midnight -12:00 o’clock at night মধ্যরাত্রি

junction- the place where 2 or more roads or railway lines meet . সংযোগস্থল

Solitary-lonely নির্জন

Instinct- a natural tendency to behave in a particular way ষষ্ঠ ইন্দ্রিয়

Panic-horror আতঙ্ক

Grasp-to take a quick deep breath with open mouth মুখ হা করে বুঝবার চেষ্টা করেন

Surged-sudden rise of strong emotion হঠাৎ কোনো আবেগের বহিঃপ্রকাশ

Stumbled-Tripped খোঁড়াতে খোঁড়াতে

Eco -repetition of a sound প্রতিধ্বনিত হওয়া

Footsteps-movement made by foot পদধ্বনি

Desperate-reckless মরিয়া

Pounded-banged এখানে দরজায় জোরে আঘাত করা

Beckoned-to summon signalling with arm কাউকে হাত দিয়ে ছাড়াই ঢাকা

Cracking stairs-stairs that make a long andhigh sound ক্যাচ ক্যাচ শব্দ করছে এমন ছবি

Departed-went away চলে যাওয়া

Collapsed-broke down এখানে গা এলিয়ে দেওয়া

Realised-understood বুঝতে পারা

Trembling-setting কাঁপছে এমন

Acute-severe মারাত্মক বা তীব্র

Host-one who entertains guest অতিথি আপ্যায়ন করি

Edged-slowly move forward ধীরে ধীরে এগিয়ে আসা

Chil-a cold that causes shivering শীতল স্রোত

Spine-backbone মেরুদন্ড

Flickered-burning unsteadily কাঁপছিল বা জ্বলছিল

Blossoms English Textbook for Class VIII: All Lessons Answers

Midnight Express Class 8 Blossoms: Activity Answers

Let’s do:

Activity -1

(a) Mortimer found the book in his father’s library

(b) The illustration on page fifty showed an empty railway platform

(c) Mortimer was able to read up to page 50 of the book.

(d) Hear ‘Midnight Express’ is a book

Activity – 2

(i) As a young man Mortimer was waiting for a train in an empty junction .-6

(ii) Mortimer found a battered old book .-1

(iii) He started to read the story by candlelight.-2

(iv) Mortimer stopped at page 50 while reading the story –4

(v) The illustration of the story frightened Mortimer every time –5

(vi) Mortimer was fascinated by the battered old book .-3

Activity – 3

Ans:- There was an illustration on page fifty which threatened him for some unknown reason. So, he never read beyond page fifty.

Activity – 4

1. Mortimer noticed in the lamp light a dark and solitary figure which 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 shadowy figure stood with a candle.

Activity – 5

1. Mortimer had read a book called “Midnight Express” in his childhood. At that time he had seen the ‘dark and solitary figure” on page 50 of that book.

2. Mortimer looked into the face of the dark and solitary figure standing on the platform. He realized that he was staring at his own face. So, he was shocked.

3. The echo of his own footsteps was ‘steadily gaining” on Mortimer as he stumbled out of the platform.

Activity – 6

(a)False.
supporting statement:- By the armchair was a small Oak table on which lay a battered old book bound in red leather.

(b)True.
Supporting statement:- with shock, he realized it was the same book from his childhood, the book which contained the story of ‘Midnight Express”.

(c)True.
Supporting statement:- He was filled with acute dread.

(d)False.
Supporting statement:-The shadowy figure stood before Mortimer.

Activity – 7

(a) Mortimer followed the shadowy figure to an upper room of the cottage where a bright fire was burning.

(b) Mortimer was afraid when he found the same book he had read in his childhood in that strange house. Thus, his hands trembled when he turned the pages of the book.

(c) In his childhood, Mortimer had seen a picture in a book that had frightened him. The picture was of a solitary man standing on an empty platform, facing a tunnel. As an adult, he saw these in reality. He found the strange man looking like himself. Running away in terror, he entered a cottage and found the same book lying on a small, Oak table. That was the strange cycle of events.

(d) I think the strange incidents would not have occurred if Mortimer had not read the book. The book, especially the illustration, left a deep impression in his mind. So he had a nightmare when he fall asleep. In his dream, the events he had read about, happened to him even when he grew up.

Activity – 8(a)

1. I am writing a letter – active voice (something is doing )

2. A letter is being written by me .-passive voice (something is being done )

3. The gatekeeper was opening the gate .-active voice (something is doing )

4. The gate was being opened by the gatekeeper. .-Passive voice (something is being done)

Activity – 8(b)

1. Active voice: The artist is painting a picture.

Passive voice: A picture is being painted by the artist .-

2. Passive voice: A song is being song by Sila.

Active voice: Sheila is singing a song.

3. Active voice: The boy was flying a kite .active voice

Passive voice: A kite was being flown by the boy.

4. Passive voice: Football was being played by the children

Active voice: The children were playing football.

Activity – 8(c)

(a) Mother is cooking food for us

Food is been cooked by Mother for us

(b) Father is baking a cake.

The cake is being backed by the father.

(c) The children were planting trees.

Trees were being planted by the children.

Activity – 8(d)

(a) A film is being watched by a girl.

(b) A car is being driven by Rahul.

(c) A novel was being written by the author.

(d) Vegetables were being bought by the man.

Activity – 9

(a) Tunnel

(b) Panicky

(c) Trembling

(d) 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.

Alone in a Railway Station

I was returning home. I was alone in a railway station waiting to board the last train. The platform was empty. There was not a single passenger. It had rained heavily in the evening. So the station was deserted except for a man sitting covered in a blanket. Everything seemed to be mysterious. The dull, yellow lamp on the platform was not enough to see anything clearly. There were strange shadows everywhere. I was scared. At that time I remembered the story ‘Midnight Express.’ It made me even more fearful. Suddenly I heard the whistle of the incoming train. I heaved a sigh of relief.

Activity – 10(b)

Write an imaginary conversation between you and your friend discussing the advantages of visiting a library regularly.

Me: I visit our local library regularly. Do you?

My Friend: I can’t. I have to help my father when I have some free time.

Me: But you should visit a library regularly. You can read many books and increase your knowledge.

My Friend: It is not possible to read all books.

Me: I know. But you can take books of your own choice.

My Friend: How can I do that?

Me: Take books you are interested in. For example, I am interested in detective stories. So, I take the books written by Satyajit Ray.

My Friend: I like to read ‘Sherlock Holmes’

Me: Our library has a volume of it. There are also reference books to help us in our studies.

My Friend: Will you take me to your library on Monday?

Me: Of course. Let’s meet here at 5 o’clock.

My Friend: OK. Thanks.