Social Studies Grade 8 2nd Term 2025 Past Paper PDF

Social Studies-Grade 8-2nd Term 2025 Module 27: The Indian Subcontinent Key Terms: Subcontinent: A large land mass that is smaller than a continent. Mount Everest: The highest mountain in the world that is located in India and Nepal. Ganges River: A major River in northern India. Delta: A l...

Social Studies-Grade 8-2nd Term 2025 Module 27: The Indian Subcontinent Key Terms: Subcontinent: A large land mass that is smaller than a continent. Mount Everest: The highest mountain in the world that is located in India and Nepal. Ganges River: A major River in northern India. Delta: A landform at the mouth of a river created by sediment deposits. Indus River: A major river in Pakistan. Monsoons: Seasonal winds that bring either dry or moist air. Delhi: A city I n Northern India that was the capital of Mughal Empire. Colony: A territory inhabited and controlled by people from a foreign land. Partition: Division Hinduism: The main religion of India: it teaches that everything is a part of a universal spirit called Brahmin. Buddhism: A religion based on the teachings of the Buddha that developed in India. Jainism: An Indian religion that based on the teachings of Mahavira, who teaches all life is sacred. Sikhism: A religion native to India that embraces equality for all, belief in one God, serve to humanity, and honest labor. Caste System: The division of Indian society into groups based on birth or occupation. Mumbai (Bombay): A major city in western India. Kolkata (Calcutta): A major city in eastern India. Urbanization: The increase in the percentage of people live in cities. Green Revolution: A program that encouraged farmers to adopt modern culture methods to produce more food. Sherpas: An ethnic group from the mountains of Nepal. Kashmir: A disputed region between India and Pakistan. Dhaka: The capital of Bangladesh. Kathmandu: The capital of Nepal. Assessment: 1-How have the Hindu Kush affected the history of the Indian Subcontinent? a. They slowed the migration of people from India’s east coast to the country’s interior. b. They made it expensive to move goods from India’s west coast to the country’s interior. c. Their mountain passes have allowed people to enter the subcontinent for thousands of years. d. Their tall peaks have kept invading armies from reaching the subcontinent for thousands of years. 2-How do winter monsoons affect the Indian Subcontinent? a. by bringing dry air to the region b. by bringing cold air to the region c. by bringing heavy rains to the region d. by causing heavy snowfall in the region 3-Which of the following helped lead to the decline of the Gupta Empire? a. a series of destructive floods  b. a series of attacks by invaders c. a number of power struggles among leaders d. an interruption of trade along several major routes 4- How did the East India Company control India? a. by making Indian farmers contribute half of their crops each year b. by allowing local Indian leaders to govern various regions c. by forcing Indian workers to labor in textile factories d. by using an army made up of mostly Indian troops 5-Why did the British government agree to the partition of India? a. to avoid a civil war b. to punish nationalists c. to reward Muslim allies d. to establish a Hindu homeland 6-How are Hindus and Buddhists similar? a. They share a belief in reincarnation. b. They share a belief in social equality. c. They share a desire to free their souls. d. They share a desire to end personal suffering. 7-Which of the following statements about present-day India is accurate? a. India has few large cities. b. Most Indians live in villages. c. India has few modern industries. d. Most Indians graduate from college. 8-How has India’s industrial expansion had a harmful effect on the country? a. by increasing levels of air pollution b. by increasing the unemployment rate c. by decreasing the gross domestic product d. by decreasing levels of agricultural production 9-How is Bangladesh different than Bhutan? a. Most people in Bangladesh are Tamils, while most people in Bhutan are Sherpas. b. Most people in Bangladesh are Sherpas, while most people in Bhutan are Tamils.  c. Most people in Bangladesh are Muslims, while most people in Bhutan are Buddhists. d. Most people in Bangladesh are Buddhists, while most people in Bhutan are Muslims. 10-Which of the following has caused a major problem in modern-day Sri Lanka? a. the inability to slow the rate of deforestation b. conflict between two of the country’s ethnic groups c. conflict between the country’s military and civilian leaders d. the inability to control flooding along the country’s streams and rivers Module 28: Early Civilizations of China Key Terms: Chang Jiang (Yangzi River): A major river in China Huang He (Yellow River): A major river in northern China. Mandate of heaven: The idea that heaven chose China’s ruler and give him/her the power. Xian: The capital of China during the Qin dynasty. Great Wall: A barrier made of walls across China’s northern frontier. Sundial: A device that uses the position of shadows cast by the sun to tell the time of day. Seismograph: A device that measures the strength of earthquakes. Acupuncture: The practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to cure disease or relieve pain. Silk Road: A network of trade routes that stretched across Asia from China to the Mediterranean Sea. Grand Canal: A canal linking northern and southern China built during the Sui dynasty. Kaifeng: The capital of China under the Song dynasty. Porcelain: A thin, beautiful type of pottery. Woodblock Printing: A form of printing in which an entire page is carved into a block wood. Gunpowder: A mixture of powders used in guns and explosives. Compass: An instrument that uses Earth’s magnetic field to show directions. Bureaucracy: A body of unelected government officials. Civil Service: The body of people who work as government officials. Schoolar-Official: An educated member of the government. Beijing: The capital of China Forbidden City: A huge palace complex built by Ming emperors of China. Isolationism: A policy of avoiding contact with other countries. Assessment: 1-Why did Chinese civilization begin along the Huang He rather than in the Chang Jiang Valley? a. Rice could no longer be grown in the Chang Jiang valley. b. Flooding could no longer be controlled in the Chang Jiang valley. c. The clay located along the Huang He was good for making fine pottery. d. The land located along the Huang He was better for growing cereal crops. 2-How did Shi Huangdi change China? a. by keeping all power for himself b. by instituting the mandate of heaven c. by making farmers grow food for lords d. by giving people land in exchange for military service 3-How did the Han change Chinese society?  a. by taking control of all farmland b. by instituting a strict class system c. by building a vast system of roads d. by allowing farmers to control grain supplies 4-How did trade along the Silk Road affect Chinese culture? a. It led to jade being introduced to China. b. It led to papermaking being introduced to China. c. It led to new religions being introduced to China. d. It led to historical writing being introduced to China. 5-How was the Tang dynasty different than other Chinese dynasties? a. It was the only one to have a female ruler. b. It was the only one to establish a state religion. c. It was the only one to make major advances in science. d. It was the only one to make major improvements in transportation. 6-How did trade change during the Song dynasty? a. China began to import food from Japan. b. China began to export silver to Central Asia. c. China began to welcome traders from Korea. d. China began to allow foreign traders into its Pacific ports. 7-How did the Chinese, under the Song, improve upon a development made during the Tang dynasty? a. by issuing metal coins b. by inventing moveable type c. by perfecting the magnetic compass d. by perfecting the formula for gunpowder 8-How did Confucianism change during the Song dynasty? a. It became controlled by the nobility. b. It began to emphasize spiritual matters. c. It began to emphasize scientific matters. d. It became controlled by the government. 9-Beginning in the Song dynasty, how did a person become a member of the Chinese civil service? a. by reciting a list of historical facts  b. by having experience collecting taxes c. by passing a series of written examinations d. by having experience designing irrigation systems 10-How did Mongol rule affect China? a. It resulted in a military alliance with Japan. b. It resulted in decreased trade with Europe. c. It resulted in major changes to the civil service exams. d. It resulted in vast improvements to transportation systems. 11-Which of the following was an effect of the voyages of Zheng He? a. They led to the exploration of new lands. b. They led to the creation of new trade routes. c. They allowed China to be seen as a major power. d. They allowed China to maintain diplomatic relationships. 12-How did censors serve Ming emperors? a. by choosing what building projects to fund b. by writing questions for civil service exams c. by trying to prevent government corruption d. by deciding what was taught in government schools