SRIPOKU.COM - Memasuki awal Semester 1 Kurikulum Merdeka tahun ajaran 2026/2027, siswa kelas 8 SMP/MTs mulai mempelajari materi Bahasa Inggris pada Chapter 1 Celebrating Independence Day.

Pada bab ini, siswa diajak untuk menceritakan kembali peristiwa atau pengalaman masa lalu (Past Events / Personal Recount) khususnya seputar keseruan perayaan Hari Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia.

Berikut adalah Ringkasan Materi Utama Chapter 1 beserta 5 Latihan Soal HOTS (Pilihan Ganda & Essay) lengkap dengan kunci jawaban sebagai bahan pengayaan belajar siswa di rumah maupun acuan bagi guru.

Baca juga: Ringkasan Materi dan 5 Soal HOTS Bahasa Inggris Kelas 9 SMP Chapter 1 Exploring Fauna of Indonesia

Read the text below to answer questions 1–3!

Galang's Story: The Greasy Pole Climbing Competition

Last year, SMP Merdeka held a game day to celebrate Independence Day. The most exciting event was the Panjat Pinang (greasy pole climbing). Galang and his team decided to join the competition.

The pole was extremely tall and slippery because it was covered with oil. On top of the pole, there were various prizes like a new school bag, stationery, and a bicycle wheel. At first, Galang’s team failed three times because the person at the bottom couldn't hold the weight and slipped. However, they didn't give up. On their fourth attempt, they changed their strategy: the strongest member stayed at the bottom, and Galang, who was the lightest, climbed to the top. Finally, Galang reached the top and grabbed the prizes for his team. Everyone cheered happily.

1. Why did Galang’s team fail in their first three attempts, and how did they solve the problem?

A. The pole was not slippery enough, so they replaced it with a shorter pole.

B. The team lacked coordination, so they asked the referee to give them the prizes.

C. The person at the bottom could not hold the weight, so they rearranged their positions based on body weight.

D. Galang was too heavy to climb, so they replaced Galang with another team member.

2. What character value can we learn from Galang and his team's action during the competition?

A. Individual skill is more important than working together.

B. Persistence, teamwork, and smart strategy lead to success.

C. Cheating is fine as long as you win the prizes.

D. Giving up quickly saves time and energy.

3. Consider this sentence: "Galang reached the top and grabbed the prizes for his team."

What would happen to the meaning of the sentence if we change the verbs into "Galang reaches the top and grabs the prizes for his team"?

A. The event is described as something happening regularly in the present, losing its status as a past event story.

B. The sentence becomes grammatically wrong because past events cannot use action verbs.

C. The sentence shows that Galang is currently climbing the pole right now.

D. The meaning stays exactly the same without any difference in time context.

Answer the following questions based on your critical thinking!

4. Read the jumbled events of a parade below:

A. Finally, all participants gathered at the school yard to announce the winner of the best costume.
B. First, students gathered at the school gate wearing traditional and heroic costumes at 07.00 AM.
C. After that, they marched around the village while singing patriotic songs like "Hari Merdeka".
D. Next, the principal officially opened the parade by blowing a whistle.
Question: Rearrange the jumbled sentences into a logical Recount Text paragraph using correct chronological order!

5. Look at the short draft written by a student:

"Last 17th August, my school celebrated Independence Day. We played many games. I join the kerupuk race. I am very happy."

Question: Identify the grammatical errors in the student's draft regarding the rules of Recount Text (Past Tense) and rewrite the sentences correctly!

Kunci Jawaban Soal HOTS Pilihan Ganda
(1) C. The person at the bottom could not hold the weight, so they rearranged their positions based on body weight. (Analisis: Kegagalan awal disebabkan penahan beban di bawah tidak kuat, solusi mereka adalah menaruh anggota terkuat di bawah dan Galang yang paling ringan untuk memanjat ke atas).

(2) B. Persistence, teamwork, and smart strategy lead to success. (Analisis: Pantang menyerah walau gagal 3 kali dan menerapkan strategi tim).

(3) A. The event is described as something happening regularly in the present, losing its status as a past event story. (Analisis: Perubahan dari Past Tense ke Simple Present Tense mengubah konteks cerita sejarah/lampau menjadi kebiasaan/fakta umum masa kini).

Kunci Jawaban Soal HOTS Essay
(4) Urutan Paragraf Kronologis yang Benar: B - D - C - A

"First, students gathered at the school gate wearing traditional and heroic costumes at 07.00 AM. Next, the principal officially opened the parade by blowing a whistle. After that, they marched around the village while singing patriotic songs like 'Hari Merdeka'. Finally, all participants gathered at the school yard to announce the winner of the best costume."

(5) Analisis Kesalahan & Perbaikan:

Kesalahan: Kata kerja join (present) harus diganti joined (past), dan kata am (present) harus diganti was (past) karena menceritakan kejadian masa lalu (Recount Text).

Revisi Kalimat:

"Last 17th August, my school celebrated Independence Day. We played many games. I joined the kerupuk race. I was very happy."