St Benedict College Middle School Half-Yearly Examinations February 2017 Level 5-6-7 Year 7 English Time: 2 hours Question Oral Listening Language Reading Comprehension Literature Composition Global Mark Max. Mark 10 10 15 20 20 25 100 Mark Instructions to students: Answer ALL questions. Good English and orderly presentation are important. Read each question carefully. DO NOT WRITE ABOVE THIS LINE Name: Class: SECTION A LANGUAGE 15 MARKS A. Read the following passage and underline the correct form of the verbs in brackets. 5 marks [ ] Last night, while I (0) (do, was doing) my homework, Angela (1) (called, calls). She said, I (2) (call, am calling) you from my mobile phone from my biology classroom at university. I asked (3) (Are you waiting, Do you wait) for class? However she replied, The professor (4) (was, is) at the front of the hall lecturing while I (5) (am talking, talk) to you. I cannot believe you (6) (are making, make) a phone call during the lecture! I exclaimed. It seems that her biology professor (7) (was, is) so boring that several of the students actually (8) (slept, sleep) in class. Some of the students end up (9) (talk, talking) about their plans for the weekend while others (10) (scribble, are scribbling) on their notebooks. English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 1 of 8
B. Read the following passage and underline the correct alternative of the words in brackets. 5 marks [ ] David and his wife Jane decided to take their children Peter and Paula out for (0) a picnic. When they arrived in the countryside, they realised that there weren't (1) (any, some, a, an) people except for another family of four. David started playing with his son. Both of them picked up (2) (any, some, a, an) racket and started showing off their tennis skills. Meanwhile, Jane was laying the food on (3) (any, some, a, an) plates while Paula helped. There were tuna sandwiches and a lot of different fruit but Paula soon became upset when she realised there weren't (4) (any, some, a, an) oranges. Her mother had forgotten them. Jane offered Paula (5) (any, some, a, an) apple but she refused. Instead, Paula reached out for (6) (any, some, a, an) pear. Soon Peter was feeling thirsty. After asking his mother (7) (any, some, how much, how many) bottles of water were packed in the picnic basket, he grabbed one and drank it all. (8) (Any, Some, A, An) few minutes later, all the family was sitting on the green grass, eating sandwiches and chatting. Suddenly, David felt (9) (any, some, a, an) raindrop splashing on his head. Seeing that it had become rather cloudy, they quickly started putting their things in the car while Jane wondered silently (10) (any, some, how much, how many) time would pass before it started raining heavily. C. Read the following passage and fill each blank with ONE suitable word. 5 marks [ ] People like you and I (0) keep pets like dogs, cats or guppies. My friend, Jennifer, however, had a most (1) pet -- a snake called Cecil. Cecil was a small black snake less than one metre in (2). Some people were a little (3) of Cecil because his fangs were threatening. (4), he was a harmless creature (5) did not bite. He was an extremely friendly creature and would even (6) strangers to touch and pet him. If you (7) your hand out, Cecil would even slither up your arm and coil around your hand. Cecil's skin felt cool, dry and slimy. Cecil's home was a large green tank. To make him (8) more comfortable, the tank was (9) with his favourite branches and leaves. Surprisingly, Cecil didn t eat very English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 2 of 8
frequently and he would sometimes eat only once a month. His favourite foods were lizards and live insects (10) as beetles and flies. SECTION B READING COMPREHENSION 20 MARKS Read the passage about the Greatest Outdoor show on Earth which is on a separate sheet, then answer the questions below. 1. State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F). 2 marks [ ] a. The Calgary stampede takes place in Canada. b. This outdoor event lasts a month July. c. It is not a very popular event. d. During the Stampede, visitors can only see horses. 2. What is the reason for celebrating The Calgary Stampede? 1 mark [ ] 3. What do people wear for this event? 1 mark [ ] 4. List down four things that are prepared in the city before the festival. 2 marks [ ] a. b. c. d. 5. Find two adjectives from the text which describe the nice atmosphere during the Stampede festival. 2 marks [ ] a. b. 6. Underline the correct word/phrase from the passage to complete this paragraph. 2 marks [ ] The (paintballs, rodeo, theme park) is the most important event happening at the Calgary Stampede. This is one of the (most boring, most famous, most cruel) festivals of its kind. English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 3 of 8
Cowboys need to be (quiet, skilled, shy) to participate in this event. There are (seats, tents, tickets) which can be bought before the event. 7. What are the two things that make an excellent rodeo? Underline the correct answers. 2 marks [ ] a. The length of the person b. The quality of the horse or bulls c. The talent of the rodeo d. The crowd present at the event b. List down four things that visitors can do at the Stampede Midway. 2 marks [ ] a. b. c. d. c. What type of music is played at this festival? 1 mark [ ] d. What do the following words refer to in the passage: 2 marks [ ] a. you (line 1) b. they (line 9) c. their (line 10) d. it (line 14) e. Match the meanings to the words: 2 marks [ ] a. outstanding talented b. to buy brave c. fearless spectacular d. very good at doing something purchase f. Why does the author tell us that it is a must to try new food available at the Stampede festival (line 28)? 1 mark [ ] English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 4 of 8
SECTION C LITERATURE 20 MARKS PART I POETRY: UNPREPARED TEXT 10 marks [ ] Read the poem and answer all the questions below. The old house The old house awoke one morning, And stretched from eave 1 to eave, He looked about his neighbourhood, And did not like what he perceived. Up and down and across the street, All his old friends were gone, Through the years, they'd disappeared, Demolished and torn down. First a new house was built, and then another, Soon a whole group that looked like clones, Identical in style and size, A row of postage stamp, box homes. For the foundation of each house, Cold, grey cement was poured, Which was topped 2 by sheets of plywood, Unlike his handsome hardwood floors. But the old house was happy, He was designed with love in mind, And people passing by him, Sensed warmth behind his blind. 1 eave part of a roof of a building. 2 topped placed on top of something. Adapted from a poem by Virginia Ellis 1. The poem is about: 1 mark [ ] i) An old house. ii) A newly-built house. iii) A row of houses. English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 5 of 8
2. Underline the correct answer. 1 mark [ ] The poem is written in five (verses, stanzas, lines) of four (verses, stanzas, syllables) each. 3. a) Quote a pair of rhyming words 1 mark [ ] - b) Give the rhyming scheme of the third stanza. 1 mark [ ] 4. Underline the correct answer. A row of postage stamp, box homes. (Stanza 3) is an example of (simile, metaphor, alliteration). It means that the new houses were (different, small, huge) in size. 2 marks [ ] 5. From the poem, quote an example of: 2 marks [ ] a) a simile: b) a personification : 6. Underline the correct answer. Sensed warmth behind his blinds. (Stanza 5) gives us the impression that the house was a (hot, welcoming, dangerous) place to live in. 1 mark [ ] 7. The use of personification in this poem helps us imagine the old house as being a (friendly, strange, young) person while the new houses seem (emotionless, happy, fresh). 1 mark [ ] PART II PROSE: UNPREPARED TEXT 10 marks [ ] Read this extract and answer the questions about it. The man ran desperately along the road. His heartbeats sounded in his ears in time with his echoing feet on the iron-hard, icy ground. Sweat poured into his eyes though it was bitterly cold. The headlights of cars going the other way swept past him. No cars seemed to be going his way. His desperation grew. At last, the sound of a car came from behind him. He stepped into the road and into the glare of its headlamps, waving his arms and hardly caring for his safety. The car drew to a halt and the man opened the passenger door. Please take me to the next town, he gasped. English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 6 of 8
The driver wore a heavy overcoat, a hat pulled low over his face and a woollen scarf as white as snow. Certainly, he said in a level, sweet smooth voice. The driver s kind voice was music to his ears. He looked and sounded like an angel that had been sent to save him. For some minutes the journey proceeded quietly. The muffled figure behind the wheel drove speedily along the straight, dark road. 1. In which season does the story take place? Underline the correct answer. a. Spring b. Summer c. Autumn d. Winter Adapted from Faces by Dennis Hamley 1 mark [ ] 2 a. Underline the correct answer. 1 mark [ ] His heartbeats sounded in his ears shows that the man was feeling: a. sad b. scared c. happy 2 b. Find another word in the first paragraph which shows the same feeling. 1 mark [ ] 3. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word. 2 marks [ ] hardly caring for his safety reveals that the man preferred to risk his rather than remain out in the. 4. Underline the correct answer. 1 mark [ ] He looked and sounded like an angel is a. a metaphor b. a stanza c. a simile 5. In the phrase a woollen scarf as white as snow, the driver s is compared to 2 marks [ ] 6. Underline the correct answer. The driver s kind voice was music to his ears is an example of: a. metaphor b. personification c. simile 1 mark [ ] English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 7 of 8
7. Underline the correct answer. sweet smooth is an example of: a. simile b. personification c. alliteration 1 mark [ ] SECTION D COMPOSITION Write between 100 and 150 words on ONE of the following: 25 MARKS 1. Describe your first day at Middle School. You can talk about what you saw and heard and also about how you felt on that day. The following words may help you: buildings, classrooms, students, teachers, yards, assembly, library, classmates, students shouting, playing, break time, uniform, school bags, time table, books 2. Continue the story: The children run up the stairs shouting 3. Your German friend is visiting Malta for the Easter holidays. Write a letter telling him/her about some places of interest in Malta and Gozo which you enjoy visiting. Your address is 23, Pear Street, Paola PLA 1209. Composition title number: English Student s Paper Yr 7 L 5-6-7 - Feb 2017 Page 8 of 8