CLASS SET

7th GRADE ENGLISH: SEMESTER TEST

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions using a scantron and a #2 pencil (mechanical pencils are ok).

IDIOMS, METAPHORS, SIMILES and ANALOGIES

“Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco

Let them be as flowers,

always watered, fed, guarded, admired,

but harnessed to a pot of dirt.

I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed,

clinging on cliffs, like an eagle

wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks.

To have broken through the surface of stone,

to live, to feel exposed to the madness

of the vast, eternal sky.

To be swayed by the breezes of an ancient sea, carrying my soul, my seed, beyond the mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre.

I’d rather be unseen, and if

then shunned by everyone,

than to be a pleasant-smelling flower,

growing in clusters in the fertile valley,

where they’re praised, handled, and plucked

by greedy, human hands.

I’d rather smell of musty, green stench

than of sweet, fragrant lilac.

If I could stand alone, strong and free,

I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed

1. In the above poem, the line “Let them be as flowers” is an example of

  1. a personification
  2. a metaphor
  3. a simile
  4. an allusion

2. In the above poem, the line “I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed” is an example of

  1. a personification
  2. a metaphor
  3. a simile
  4. an allusion

3. The sentence Love is an anchor is an example of

  1. a personification
  2. a metaphor
  3. a simile
  4. an allusion

4. The sentence He kicked the bucket is

  1. personification
  2. an idiom
  3. a simile
  4. an allusion

VOCABULARY

DIRECTIONS: Choose the word that means the same, or about the same as the underlined word.

5. Through their dialogue, Chris and Lee discovered many common interests.

  1. expressions
  2. disappointments
  3. conversations
  4. activities

6. Only a remnant of her paper remained after her computer crashed.

  1. memory
  2. copy
  3. answer
  4. part

7. The two friends had a dispute over which team would win the tournament.

  1. agreement
  2. argument
  3. contest
  4. party

INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS

8. What purpose do a street sign, textbook, newspaper article and instructional manual all share?

  1. To inform
  2. To entertain
  3. To persuade
  4. To report

Bears Beat Lions 5-4 in Historic Game
by Helen Rich
Bloomington, Minn, February 12-
In a hard fought game played in the Summit Rink this afternoon, the Bears beat the Lions, five goals to four. What made this game historic is that Josie Turner skated in right wing. She is the first girl to play in a Bloomington hockey team. And what a player she is! She scored three of the five goals, with assists from Jimmy Brown and Jake Podwaski. Way to go Josie!

9. The headline of the newspaper article above indicates that…

  1. the Bears won a game and made history
  2. the Bears won another game
  3. Josie Turner scored three goals
  4. two boys assisted Josie

LITERARY RESPONSE AND ANALYSIS

For questions 10-16 read the following story. Then, read each question, and write the letter of the best response.

“The Dinner Party”by Mona Gardner

The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their dinner party. They are seated with their guests – army officers and government officials and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist – in their spacious dinning room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters, and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda.

A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who insists that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a colonel who says that they haven’t.

“A woman’s unfailing reaction in any crisis,” the colonel says, “is to scream. While a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of nerve control than a woman has. That last ounce is what counts.”

The American does not join in the argument, but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. With a slight gesture she summons the Indian boy standing behind her chair and whispers to him. The boy’s eye’s widen; he quickly leaves the room.

Of the guests, none except the American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing – bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters – the likeliest place – but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left – under the table.

His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so arresting that it sobers everybody.

“I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count to three hundred – that’s five minutes – and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit fifty rupees. Ready!”

The twenty people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying “…two hundred and eighty…” when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.

“You were right, Colonel!” the host exclaims. “A man has just shown us an example of perfect control.”

“Just a minute,” the American says, turning to his hostess. “Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that the cobra was in the room?”

A faint smile lights up the woman’s face as she replies: “Because it was crawling across my foot.”

  1. The setting of the story is colonial –

A. AmericaB. IndiaC. AfricaD. Australia

  1. Which of the following events in the plot happens first?

A. The American challenges the guests to remain still.

B. A cobra is attracted to milk.

C. The hostess whispers to a servant.

D. The colonel argues with a girl.

  1. What later event explains the strange expression on the hostess’s face?

A. A cobra has crawled across her foot.

B. She dislikes the colonel’s biased opinions about women.

C. The servant is not doing his job.

D. She sees a cobra on the veranda.

  1. What later event explains why the boy places the milk on the veranda?

A. The colonel’s speech bores him.

B. The American sees a cobra.

C. A cobra goes to drink the milk.

D. The cobra emerges, and screams ring out.

  1. What event marks the climax of the story?

A. The argument between the girl and the colonel ends.

B. The boy places a bowl of milk on the veranda.

C. The American begins to count.

D. The cobra emerges, and screams ring out.

  1. The resolution of the story shows that

A. colonel was wrong

B. young girl was right

C. hostess was brave

D. All of the above

  1. In the line “There is only one place left – under the table.” The dash between left and under is used to –

A. explain the meaning of the words in the sentence

B. enclose material that is added to the sentence, but not considered important.

C. add emphasis to the words, “under the table.”

D. for no particular reason.

For questions 17-20 read the following poem. Then, read each question, and write the letter of the best response.

“The Twins”by Henry S. Leigh

In form and feature, face and limb

I grew so like my brother,

That folks got taking me for him,

And each for one another

It puzzled all our kith and kin

It reached an awful pitch

For one of us was born a twin,

Yet not a soul knew which

One day (to make matters worse),

Before our names were fixed,

As we were being washed by nurse

We got completely mixed,

And thus, you see, by Fate’s decree,

(Or rather nurse’s whim),

My brother John got named as me

And I got named as him

This fatal likeness even dogged

My footsteps when at school,

And I was always getting flogged,

For John turned out a fool.

I put this question hopelessly

To everyone I knew-

What would you do if you were me

To prove that you were you?

Our close resemblances turned the tide

Of my domestic life;

For somehow my intended bride

Became my brother’s wife.

In short, year after year the same

Absurd mistakes went on;

And when I died-the neighbors came

And buried brother John.

17. Which words from the poem show that it is written in first person?

  1. form, feature, face
  2. puzzled, mixed
  3. I, my, we, our
  4. him, everyone

18. We can tell from events described in the poem that the speaker

  1. had a challenging life
  2. made many mistakes
  3. did poorly in school
  4. never had many friends

19. The theme of this poem deals with the

  1. shortness of life
  2. need for companionship
  3. loss of identity
  4. power of destiny

20. In the last stanza of the poem, which lines contain an example of a metaphor?

  1. In form and feature, face and limb, I grew so like my brother. (comparing limb to brother)
  2. This fatal likeness even dogged my footsteps when at school. (comparing likeness to footsteps)
  3. As we were being washed by nurse we got completely mixed. (comparing nurse to mixed)
  4. Our close resemblance turned the tide of my domestic life. (comparing life to the tides)

21. A story which may run from twenty to one hundred pages is known as a

A.short story

B.novella

C.novel

D. poem

WRITING STRATEGIES

DIRECTIONS: Read the paragraph from a student’s research report on mongooses. Then, read the questions below it. Choose the best answer for each item, and mark your answers on your own paper.

(1) Because of the popularity of Rudyard Kipling’s “Rikki-tikki-tavi”, mongooses are well known for attacking and killing poisonous snakes. (2) Not all mongooses attack snakes, and those who do not, as some believe, are immune to venom. (3) Instead, “the mongoose uses its speed and agility to strike the snake’s skull with its sharp teeth.” (Jenkins 95) (4) Mongooses are small, with short legs and long, furry tails. (5) Though fierce mongooses can be tamed and are often kept as pets in countries, such as India, where poisonous snakes are a threat.

22. Which of the following research questions does this paragraph BEST answer?

  1. What do mongooses eat?
  2. Do mongooses really kill snakes, and if so, how?
  3. How do mongooses raise their young?
  4. Could I keep a mongoose as a pet?

23. If you were revising this paragraph to make it more coherent, which sentence could you delete or switch to another paragraph?

  1. 1
  2. 3
  3. 4
  4. 5

24. In the above passage, what is the correct way to use endnotes?

A.teeth (Jenkins 95.)

B.teeth” (Jenkins 95).

C.teeth.” (Jenkins, 95)

D.Correct as is

25. Which of the following transitions might be added to the beginning of sentence 2 to show the relationship between the ideas in sentences 1 and 2?

  1. However,
  2. First,
  3. Consequently,
  4. In addition,

26. Which of the following research questions might help you find additional relevant information for a report on mongooses?

  1. In India, how serious a threat to humans are poisonous snakes?
  2. What other books did Rudyard Kipling write?
  3. Why is snake venom poisonous?
  4. What are the varieties of mongooses?

27. If you were asked to give a presentation based on the paragraph above, which of the following visuals would best help you to share the information in the paragraph with your audience?

  1. a map of India
  2. an enlarged photograph of a mongoose striking a snake
  3. a drawing of a mongoose
  4. a chart showing mongoose populations in various regions.

28. How should the following Works Cited (Bibliography) be revised?

Jim Jenkins. Fun with Mongooses. Boston: Free Spirit Publishing, 2002.

  1. Remove the date the book was published.
  2. Put the author’s last name first.
  3. Put the state after the city.
  4. Put the title of the book in quotations.

WRITTEN CONVENTIONS (Sentence Structure)

DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence below. There may be a mistake in sentence structure. If you find a mistake, choose the answer that is written most clearly and correctly. If there is no mistake, choose Correct as is.

29. The shoes with the thick soles in my class belong to a girl.

  1. The shoes with the thick soles belong to a girl in my class.
  2. The shoes in my class with the thick soles belong to a girl.
  3. The shoes belong to a girl with the thick soles in my class.
  4. Correct as is.

30. Harriet Smith wrote a book about sailing, who is a teacher.

  1. A book by Harriet Smith about sailing who is a teacher was written.
  2. Harriet Smith, a teacher, wrote a book about sailing.
  3. A book about sailing by a teacher was written by Harriet Smith.
  4. Correct as is.

DIRECTIONS: Read the sentence. There may be a mistake in grammar. If you find a mistake, choose the answer that is written most clearly and correctly. If there is no mistake, choose Correct as is.

31. Both Bruce and Cathy splatters tomato sauce on their shirts.

  1. Bruce or Cathy splatter tomato sauce on their shirts.
  2. Neither Bruce nor Cathy splatter tomato sauce on their shirts.
  3. Both Bruce and Cathy splatter tomato sauce on their shirts.
  4. Correct as it is.

WRITTEN CONVENTIONS (Parts of Speech)

DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence below. Choose the answer that best identifies each underlined word or word group.

32. Mark visited an interesting museum in Colorado.

  1. pronoun
  2. adjective
  3. noun
  4. preposition

33. Lois’s friends said they would help her.

  1. noun
  2. pronoun
  3. verb
  4. adjective

34. A spotted coat helps the leopard hide from its prey.

  1. adjective
  2. noun
  3. verb
  4. pronoun

35. The loyal fans cheered their team in the game.

  1. adjective
  2. article
  3. verb
  4. preposition

36. Many people in Africacan speak more than one language.

  1. helping verb
  2. action verb
  3. noun
  4. preposition

37. He desperately built a fire under a tree.

  1. verb
  2. noun
  3. pronoun
  4. adverb

38. I love the words, yet not the melody of that song.

  1. conjunction
  2. noun
  3. preposition
  4. pronoun

39. We watched a group of friends play tag.

  1. simple subject
  2. complete subject
  3. simple predicate
  4. complete predicate

40. By the age of twenty-five, the adventurous young man changed his goal in life.

  1. simple subject
  2. complete subject
  3. simple predicate
  4. complete predicate

41. The four students passed the exam.

  1. simple subject
  2. complete subject
  3. simple predicate

D.complete predicate.

42. Lois Lowry writes great science fiction.

  1. simple subject
  2. complete subject
  3. simple predicate
  4. complete predicate

Find the adjective and the noun it modifies. (adjective, noun)

43. The tide carries interesting items from the sea.

  1. from, sea
  2. tide, carries
  3. carries, interesting
  4. interesting, items

WRITTEN CONVENTIONS (Grammar)

DIRECTIONS: Read the sentences. There may be a mistake in grammar. If you find a mistake, choose the answer that is written most clearly and correctly. If there is no mistake, choose Correct as is.

44. Each of the girls has offered ______ideas.

  1. her
  2. their
  3. his
  4. none of the above

45. She drived the car to the mall.

  1. drove
  2. has driven
  3. droven
  4. Correct as is

WRITTEN CONVENTIONS (Punctuation)

DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence. Look at the underlined words in each one. There may be a mistake in punctuation. If you find a mistake, choose the answer that is the best way to write the underlined section of the sentence. If there is no mistake, choose Correct as is.

46. You should try the soup it really is delicious.

  1. soup, it
  2. soup. It
  3. soup: it
  4. Correct as is

47. To tell the truth, Jan is one of my best friends.

  1. To tell the truth Jan is one of my best friends.
  2. To tell the truth, Jan, is one of my best friends.
  3. To tell, the truth, Jan is one of my best friends.
  4. Correct as is

48. I was surprised when the phone rang, quickly, I answered it.

  1. rang; quickly
  2. rang: quickly
  3. rang and quickly
  4. Correct as is

49. Remember to pack the following items for your trip, a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss.

  1. trip a toothbrush, toothpaste
  2. trip: a toothbrush, toothpaste
  3. trip; a toothbrush, toothpaste
  4. Correct as is

50. I felt prepared for the test but Luther did not.

  1. test; but Luther
  2. test but, Luther
  3. test, but Luther
  4. Correct as is

WRITTEN CONVENTIONS (Capitalization)

DIRECTIONS: There may be a mistake in capitalization. If you find a mistake, choose the answer that is written most clearly and correctly. If there is no mistake, choose Correct as is.

51. Waite Hoyt pitched for the new york yankees in 1927.

  1. new york Yankees
  2. New York Yankees
  3. New York yankees
  4. Correct as is

52. Phyllis attended carverMiddle School for two years.

  1. CarverMiddle School
  2. Carver middle School
  3. CarverMiddle school
  4. Correct as is

53. Then i told her the news from washington.

  1. i told her the news from Washington.
  2. I told her the news from Washington.
  3. I told her the news from washington.
  4. Correct as is.

54. She shouted, “Stop! Come back!”

  1. shouted, “Stop! come back!”
  2. shouted, “stop! Come back!”
  3. shouted, “stop! come back!”
  4. Correct as is

WRITING CONVENTIONS: (Spelling)

DIRECTIONS: Read each group of sentences. Decide if one of the underlined words is spelled wrong or if there is No mistake. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.

55.

  1. Do you ever listen to classical music?
  2. Please stop bothering me.
  3. I’ve already found another hat to wear.
  4. No mistake.

56.

  1. Everyone went except Sally’s younger brother.
  2. The salt disolved in the warm water.
  3. Please tell me whose shoes these are.
  4. No mistake

57.

  1. People in the tiny country looked forward to a period of piece.
  2. Today is Raul’s birthday, and he turns twelve.
  3. The town council will meet tomorrow morning.
  4. No mistake

58.