Grade VII English Practice Paper 1 Comprehension & Letter Writing

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1 The most beautiful humming birds are found in the West Indies and South America. The crest of the tiny
head of one of these shines like a sparkling crown of coloured light. The shades of colour that adorn its
breast are equally brilliant. As the bird flits from one object to another, it looks more like a bright flash of
sunlight than it does like a living being.

2 But, you ask, why are they called humming birds? It is because they make a soft, humming noise by the
rapid motion of their wings—a motion so rapid, that as they fly, you can hardly see that they have wings.
One day when walking in the woods, I found the nest of one of the smallest humming birds. It was about
half the size of a very small hen and lays egg, and it was attached to a twig no thicker than a steel knitting
needle. It seemed to have been made of cotton fibres and was covered with the softest bits of leaf and
bark. It had two eggs in it, and each was about as large as a small sugarplum.

3 When you approach the spot where one of these birds has built its nest, it is necessary to be careful.
The mother bird will dart at you and try to peck your eyes. Its sharp beak may hurt your eyes most
severely and even destroy your sight.

4 The poor little thing knows no other way of defending its young, and instinct teaches it that you might
carry off its nest if you find it.

(a) The most beautiful ………………………………… birds are found in the West Indies and South
America.

(b) They are called humming birds because they make humming noise by the rapid
………………………………… of their wings.

(c) The nest of the humming bird was about ………………………………… the size of a very small hen.

(d) The shades of colour that adorn the breast of the humming bird is quite brilliant. (True/False)

(e) The nest of the humming bird is made of silk fibres and covered with bits of hay and bark. (True/False)

(f) Pick from the passage the synonym for ‘dash’ (para 3)

(g) You can hardly see that the humming birds have wings because of the:
(i) rapid motion of their wings as they fly.
(ii) humming noise as they fly.
(iii) shining colour of their wings.
(iv) invisible wings due to a bright flash of sunlight.
 Grade VII English Practice Paper 1 Comprehension & Letter Writing

h. The mother bird will dart at you and try to peck your eyes when you:
(i) throw stones at her nest.
(ii) approach the spot where the nest is built.
(iii) try to steal her eggs from the nest.
(iv) threaten the bird near her nest.

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Harry and Annie lived a mile from town, but they went there to school every day. It was a pleasant walk
down the lane and through the meadow by the pond. I hardly know whether they liked it better in summer
or in winter.

2. They used to pretend that they were travellers exploring a new country and would scatter leaves on the
road so that they might find their way back again. When the ice was thick and firm, they walked across
the pond. But their mother did not like to have them do this unless someone was with them. Don’t go
across the pond today, children, she said as she kissed them and bade them goodbye.

3. One morning it is beginning to thaw. “All right, mother,” said Harry, not very good-naturedly because he
was very fond of running and sliding on the ice. When they came to the pond, the ice looked hard and
safe. “There”, said he to his sister. “I knew it hadn’t thawed any”. Mother is always afraid we will drown.

4. Come along, we will have a good time sliding. The school bell will not ring for an hour at least. But you
promised mother, said Annie. No, I didn’t I only said; All right and it is all right. I didn’t say anything, so I
can do as I like said Annie.

5. So they stepped on the ice, and started to go across the pond. They had not gone far before the ice
gave way, and they fell into the water. A man who was at work near the shore heard the screams of the
children and plunged into the water to save them.

6. Harry managed to get to the shore without any help, but poor Annie was nearly drowned before the
man could reach her. Harry went home almost frozen and told his mother how disobedient he had been.
He remembered the lesson learned that day as long as he lived

(a) Harry and Annie used to pretend that they were travellers exploring a new country because they felt
that their pleasant journey:
(i) down the lane and through the meadow by the pond, will lead them to their dreamland.
(ii) to their school through the meadow by the pond, is the source of their untold happiness.
(iii) is more important to them than going to school every day.
(iv) explores a new way to go to a new school.

(b) “Don’t go across the pond today, children,” she said as she kissed them, is a warning to Harry and
Annie for getting them:
(i) careful to cross the icy pond.
(ii) alert if they go for sliding on the ice in the pond.
 Grade VII English Practice Paper 1 Comprehension & Letter Writing

(iii) cautious lest they be drowned in the pond.

(iv) frightened to cross the pond unless somebody was with them.

(c) When the ice was thick and ………………………………… they walked across the pond.

(d) Mother is always afraid we will ……………………………….. .

(e) Harry went home almost frozen and told his mother how ………………………………… he had been.

(f) Harry and Annie went to school, walking down the lane and through the meadow by the pond. (True
/False)

(g) Mother of Harry and Annie liked them to practise sliding on the ice in the pond. (True/False)

(h) Annie was nearly drowned in the icy pond. (True/False)

3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1 Many a time people feel fatigue because of poorly designed workspaces. Your desk, your chair, your
computer and keyboard the placement, height, and angle of each of them – play a crucial role in
preventing muscle and eye strain. That is what has given rise to an interest in the study of ergonomics. It
is the applied science of equipment design at the workplace. Ergonomics is intended to reduce fatigue
and discomfort for people sitting and working in offices.

2 So why does it make sense for organizations to follow ergonomic principles? In a recent study, it has
been found that over 60% of individuals diagnosed with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) had received no
training in strain injury at their offices and another 30% had received incorrect ergonomic advice.

3 Another interesting find has been that employees who turn up to work in spite of being in pain can
cause massive productivity losses amounting to thousands of dollars annually. Research findings have
shown that most offices in India are operating with furniture that is a mismatch to the highly networked
work culture that exists and there is hardly any awareness among employees about ergonomics and how
it impacts them. This has resulted in an alarming 71% of employees suffering from rapidly spreading
Musculo Skeletal Disorders (MSD). The symptoms are back pain, shoulder pain of varying intensity,
leading to lowering of productivity of employees at work.

4 To counter this problem, some companies have created volunteers who are part of a ‘train and trainers’
initiative. They act as custodians of their bays and monitor their colleagues’ postures and advise them on
a day-to-day basis.

5 Talking about the part that employees can do to make their workplaces comfortable, some experts say
that from an employee’s perspective having knowledge of what is a safe working position, and what are
 Grade VII English Practice Paper 1 Comprehension & Letter Writing

the right ways of relieving fatigue, how the current set-up can be optimized, what simple solutions can be
incorporated, can go a long way in creating a stress-free environment with healthy employees.

(a) The study of ergonomics is essential in workplaces because it:

(i) plays a crucial role in preventing muscle and eye strain.
(ii) is intended to increase fatigue.
(iii) causes massive productivity gains.
(iv) cannot create a stress-free environment.

(b) To create a stress-free environment with healthy employees, organisations:

(i) need to follow ergonomic principles.
(ii) must train the employees the science of ergonomics.
(iii) should engage specialist to detect the MSD (Musculo Skeletal Disorders).
(iv) are intended to look into the poorly designed workspaces.

(c) Ergonomics is the applied science of ………………………………… design at the workplace.

(d) The symptoms of MSD (Musculo Skeletal Disorders) are back ………………………………… pain.

(e) To counter the problem of ergonomics, some organisations have created

………………………………… who are part of a ‘train and trainers’ initiative.

(f) Your desk, your chair, your computer and keyboard are the indispensable components of ergonomics.
(True/False)

(g) Individuals diagnosed with RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and MSD (Musculo Skeletal Disorders) have
a congenial, stress-free environment in the organisation. (True/False)
(h) The right ways of relieving fatigue and discomfort for people sitting and working in offices is to design
workspaces ergonomically. (True /False)

LETTER WRITING

Letter to be written in 100-120 words

Q.1.Write a letter to your friend about the increase in COVID Rate/cases and precautionary
measures to be taken.

Q.2. Your friend has planned to go on a vacation to your hometown. As you are familiar with the
place, write a letter suggesting three good places to visit during the trip.

Q.3. Recently you visited a retreat with your family where the use of communication technology
was restricted. Instead the guests were encouraged to engage in meaningful activities with each
other. Write a letter to your friend sharing your experience on how you managed to occupy
yourself, what you gained from the experience, and how you felt at the end of your stay.
Grade VII English Practice Paper 1 Comprehension & Letter Writing