Al Oruba International Schools

English Department (American Section)

Grade 7
Trimester 2: Paper 1 Revision Name:_________________ Class:_________
Section A: Literary skills.
I)Write the correct term for the following definitions.
Definition Word
a short nonfiction work that expresses a writer’s thoughts and
feelings or reflections about an experience or idea
educated guesses, based on the details in the text
is the series of connected events in a story.
a struggle between opposing forces

introduction of the characters, the setting, and the basic

situation.
events that introduce a conflict, or struggle, and increase the
tension; may also include events that explain characters’ past
actions
the story’s high point, or moment of greatest intensity;
often a turning point in the story at which the eventual
outcome becomes clear
events that “calm down” after the climax

the story’s final outcome and tying up of loose ends

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II) Read the story excerpt. Then, answer the questions.
Sunlight dripped through emerald leaves, painting dappled stripes on Maya's
fear. One minute she'd been chasing a scarlet butterfly, the next, the path
vaporized. Panic, a buzzing fly, trapped in her chest. She spun, every towering
oak trunk a stranger. The butterfly, a mocking ghost, fluttered into the unknown.
"Grandma!" she called, voice thin in the green cathedral. Silence, heavy as
moss, pressed down. She remembered Grandma's stories, woven of moonbeams
and courage. Choose a direction, child, and it will lead you home. She picked a
sunbeam piercing the gloom, and walked. Each rustle, a monster's breath. Each
gnarled root, a grasping claw. But with each step, the whimpers quieted, replaced
by the thud of determined boots.
The woods parted, revealing a sun-drenched meadow. Grandma sat on a porch
swing, knitting fireflies into starlight. Relief, a balm, washed over Maya. She ran,
a tearful hurricane, into Grandma's arms.
"Lost, my brave one?" Grandma asked, eyes crinkling. Maya nodded, the
conflict resolved. Not lost, but found. Within the emerald labyrinth, she'd found
the path to her own courage. And sometimes, getting lost was the only way to
find home.

1-What is the conflict in the story? And how is it resolved? Explain.

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2-How does Maya feel during the conflict and in the end? Support your
answer with evidence from the story.
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 III)Label the events of the plot of the following story to put it in the correct
order of stages using the words in the table.y

Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Resolution

Action

Plot Stage Story Event

Immediately after Commander Kalil’s report, there was a huge crash on the left
wing of the ship. One of the engines had been struck by an asteroid! Alarms
sounded and red lights flashed throughout the ship, which immediately began to
plunge toward the unexplored planet. Captain Ramirez shouted, “All power to the
remaining engines!” She worked furiously to regain control of the ship.

Dana Ramirez had been Captain of the starship Frontier for over five years. Her
First Officer, Commander Adom Kalil, was experienced, reliable, and trustworthy.
She was grateful to have him and her dependable crew aboard for their current
mission: to go into deep space to rescue the stranded science vessel Curie. All
communication with the Curie had been lost shortly after the vessel had arrived at
an unexplored planet.

Three weeks into the mission, Captain Ramirez and the crew of the Frontier finally
reached the last known coordinates of the stranded ship Curie. Captain Ramirez
ordered scans of the area, and the Frontier began searching. On the bridge,
Commander Kalil turned nervously to Captain Ramirez and reported, “Captain!
One of our scanners is detecting what might be asteroids nearby!”

Captain Ramirez communicated with the Curie’s captain. Thankfully, the crew was
safe, but the ship was badly damaged. Captain Ramirez had the crew of the Curie
brought aboard. Once everyone was on board, the Frontier turned and slowly
began its journey back home to Earth.

Captain Ramirez managed to get the Frontier settled. She ordered crews to assess
and repair the engine damage. And, as they orbited the unexplored planet, they
eventually discovered the Curie: It had clearly been struck by an asteroid, too, but
more severely. It was in bad shape, barely able to maintain an orbit around the
unexplored planet it had been surveying

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Remember
Reflective Writing
A reflective essay is a short work of nonfiction that expresses an author’s thoughts
and feelings—or reflections—about an experience or idea. The purpose of
reflective writing is to spark readers to respond to the author’s ideas with thoughts
and feelings of their own.
In a reflective essay, an author usually develops his or her central ideas, or main
points, though the details he or she presents about people, events, and ideas.
Sometimes authors state their central ideas directly, but often readers must make
inferences about the central ideas based on information in the text.
As you read a reflective essay, think about the thoughts and feelings the writer
shares, and notice how the author groups details together. Use these details to help
you determine the central ideas.

Some words that convey an author’s thoughts and feelings are:

Thoughts Feelings
think- realize- conclude- feel- sense-confused-
consider- calculate- shocked-startled-disgusted-
comprehend- learn- irritated-nervous-
wonder-speculate distracted-excited-happy-
angry- sad-worry

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 IV) Now read each of the following sentences If the sentence is likely from a
reflective essay, write R on the line. If the sentence is not from a reflective
essay, write N on the line.
1- _________When my parents told me they had a surprise for me, I kept
wondering whether it was the puppy I had always wished for.
2- _________ This essay discusses diamonds, explaining how they are formed,
how people mine them, and how valuable they are.

3- _________ It was my first time to meet my long-lost brother. I was confused

and nervous, but the moment I saw him, I felt an instant connection.
4- _________The African Bush Elephant can reach up to 3 meters tall and
weigh around 6,000 kilograms.

V)Read the passage below. Then, answer the question that follows.

When I look up at the stars sometimes, I think of many things. One thing I think
of in particular is my love of travel. And then I begin to wonder how I might like to
travel to outer space. I worry that the preparation would be more difficult that I could
handle, but on the other hand, I would gain a unique experience I would remember
for the rest of my life. The question becomes, then, what kind of a mark do I want to
leave with my life? Do I want to do only what I know I can do, or do I want to take
a chance at having the most incredible experience of my life? I think I want to take
that chance!

1-Give two examples of thoughts or feelings that the author expresses in the
passage.
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2-What can you infer is the central idea of the passage?
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Section B: Comprehension Skills: Choose the best answer.
I) From An American Childhood
1- In the selection from An American Childhood, how does the narrator
finally get the microscope she wants?
a. She uses the one at school.
b. She saves her money to buy it.
c. Her parents give it to her for Christmas.
d. Her father locates and purchases a used one.
2- What is supposed to happen when the narrator of the selection from An
American Childhood adds water to the hay infusion?
a. She should see enlarged grass.
b. She should see one-celled animals.
c. She should see transparent diatoms.
d. She should see long, iridescent crystals.
3-When the narrator of the selection from An American Childhood rushes upstairs
to invite her parents to see the amoeba, what is their reaction? Choose two options.
a. They ignore her.
b. They express happiness.
c. They decline to go see it.
d. They urge her to play outside.
e. They scold her for interrupting.
4- Which sentence most clearly expresses how the narrator feels toward her
parents, as expressed in the selection from An American Childhood?
a. She feels that they pushed her in a specific direction.
b. She feels that they freed her to be what she wanted to be.
c. She feels that they shared most of her desires and activities.
d. She feels that they misunderstood and discouraged her hobbies.

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5- In the selection from An American Childhood, the narrator first observes
materials from her kit. Next, she observes “things at hand.” Finally, she
observes materials from outdoors. What are some examples of “things at
hand” that the narrator observes during the winter? Choose two options.
a. cork
b. blood
c. coffee
d. volvox
e. amoeba
6-The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A In the selection from An American Childhood, what is the narrator’s
attitude toward microscopes?
a. She thinks that they are essential.
b. She thinks that they are too expensive.
c. She thinks that they are just for children.
d. She thinks that they are uninteresting to adults.
Part B Which sentence from An American Childhood best supports the
answer to Part A?
a. Everybody needed a microscope.
b. Although usually I had to save my tiny allowance for things I wanted, that year
for Christmas my parents gave me a microscope kit.
c. All that winter I played with the microscope.
d. In the basement at my microscope table I spread a scummy drop of Frick Park
puddle water on a slide, peeked in, and lo, there was the famous amoeba.

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7- In the selection from An American Childhood, the narrator describes the
materials that come with her microscope kit. She concludes, “It was years
before I saw a recognizable, whole diatom. The kit’s diatomaceous earth was a
bust.” What does she mean?
a. The diatomaceous earth sample in the microscope kit is missing.
b. She received the wrong diatomaceous earth materials with the microscope kit.
c. The diatomaceous earth sample in the microscope kit does not look as promised.
d. She does not understand how to use the microscope with the diatomaceous earth
sample.
8- In the selection from An American Childhood, the narrator learns that
“you do what you do out of your private passion for the thing itself.” What is
another way to state this idea?
a. People should keep what they care about mostly to themselves.
b. People should not expect to be able to control their likes and dislikes.
c. People should follow their interests without expecting other people to share
them.
d. People should explore ideas in private before performing actions that affect
others.
9- The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A Why must the narrator of the selection from An American Childhood
wait a long time before she sees the “famous amoeba”?
a. She is not sure where the amoeba might live.
b. It takes time to adjust the microscope to see an amoeba.
c. Local water is not yet warm enough for amoebas to survive.
d. Her parents have no interest in helping her to find the amoeba.

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Part B Which excerpt from An American Childhood best supports the answer
to Part A?
a. I wanted especially to see the famous amoeba, who had eluded me.
b. He [the amoeba] lived outside in warm ponds and streams, too, but I lived in
Pittsburgh, and it had been a cold winter.
c. In the basement at my microscope table I spread a scummy drop of Frick Park
puddle water on a slide, peeked in, and lo, there was the famous amoeba.
d. They [my parents], too, could see the famous amoeba. I told them, bursting, that
he was all set up, that they should hurry before his water dried.

10- Which features most clearly identify the selection from An American
Childhood as a reflective essay? Choose two options.
a. It presents the writer’s opinion about a scientific topic.
b. It includes no dialogue and very little description.
c. It expresses the writer’s thoughts and feelings.
d. It shares an experience from the writer’s life.
e. It uses a variety of technical terms.

11-Which of the following best describes the interaction between the narrator
and her parents at the dining table in the selection from An American
Childhood?
a. The narrator is eager; the parents are cold and distant.
b. The narrator is anxious; the parents are solemn and concerned.
c. The narrator is excited; the parents are pleasant but uninvolved.
d. The narrator is distressed; the parents are curious but not alarmed.

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12-The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A As the narrator of An American Childhood reflects on her experience
with the microscope and her interaction with her parents, what major
conclusion does she draw?
a. Her parents will never approve of her pastimes.
b. Children appreciate the natural world more than adults do.
c. Scientific research is not something that her parents can support.
d. She is allowed to be her own person outside of her parents’ influence.
Part B Which excerpt from An American Childhood best supports the answer
to Part A?
a. My parents were still at table, drinking coffee. They, too, could see the famous
amoeba.
b. Mother regarded me warmly. She gave me to understand that she was glad I had
found what I had been looking for.…
c. She [Mother] did not say, but I understood at once, that they had their pursuits
(coffee?) and I had mine.
d. In subsequent years my parents would praise my drawings and poems, and
supply me with books, art supplies, and sports equipment.…

II) Thank You, M’am

1- In “Thank You, M’am,” how do Mrs. Jones and Roger meet?
a. He tries to snatch her purse.
b. She invites him into her home.
c. He robs the shop where she works.
d. She offers to buy him a pair of shoes.
2- In “Thank You, M’am,” why does Roger grow afraid?
a. He thinks Mrs. Jones will kidnap him.
b. He thinks Mrs. Jones will hurt him physically.

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c. He thinks Mrs. Jones will turn him in to the police.
d. He thinks Mrs. Jones will tell his parents what he did.
3- In “Thank You, M’am,” what is the first thing Mrs. Jones tells Roger to do?
a. eat dinner
b. wash his face
c. behave himself
d. go buy some milk
4- In “Thank You, M’am,” why does Mrs. Jones say that she wishes Roger
were her own son?
a. so she could punish him properly
b. so she could teach him right from wrong
c. so she could buy him all the shoes he wanted
d. so she could make sure he gets a good education
5- In “Thank You, M’am,” what similarity between Roger and Mrs. Jones
does she mention?
a. They are both poor.
b. They both want suede shoes.
c. They have both hurt people they loved.
d. They have both done things they aren’t proud of.
6- At the end of “Thank You, M’am,” Roger “wanted to say something else
other than ‘Thank you, m’am’ to Mrs. Jones, but he couldn’t do so….” What
is the most likely reason he couldn’t do so?
a. He still hasn’t learned any manners.
b. He is upset that she wants him to leave.
c. He doesn’t really need the money she gave him.
d. He can’t think of words to fully express his gratitude.

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7- The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A In “Thank You, M’am,” what can readers infer about Roger’s life?
a. His family has money for shoes.
b. His parents left him on the street.
c. He usually has to take care of himself.
d. He spends a lot of time at the city jail.
Part B Which passage from the selection best supports the answer to Part A?
a. “I’m very sorry, Lady, … ” whispered the boy.
b. “There’s nobody home at my house,” said the boy.
c. “You gonna take me to jail?” asked the boy.…
d. “Do you need somebody to go to the store,” asked the boy....
8- The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A In “Thank You, M’am,” what is Mrs. Jones’s main hope for Roger?
a. She wants Roger to feel miserable.
b. She wants Roger to become her son.
c. She wants Roger to feel trustworthy.
d. She wants Roger to return her money.
Part B Which passage from the story best supports the answer to Part A?
a. When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a
large kitchenette-furnished room at the rear of the house.
b. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she
watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed.
c. She heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and
set the table.
d. The woman did not ask the boy anything about where he lived, or his folks, or
anything else that would embarrass him.

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9- The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A Which passage from “Thank You, M’am” is part of the story’s
exposition?
a. He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes
and blue jeans.
b. She heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and
set the table.
c. When she got to the door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a
large kitchenette-furnished room….
d. There was a long pause. A very long pause. After he dried his face and not
knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around….
Part B Why is the passage you identified in Part A considered part of the
exposition?
a. It describes Roger using lively adjectives.
b. It shows how Mrs. Jones and Roger made peace.
c. It creates tension between Roger and Mrs. Jones.
d. It gives background information about Roger.
10- Which event in the rising action of “Thank You, M’am” helps increase
tension in the story?
a. Mrs. Jones walks down the street.
b. Mrs. Jones drags Roger to her home.
c. Mrs. Jones heats up food for supper.
d. Mrs. Jones tells Roger about her job.

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11- Read this passage from “Thank You, M’am.”
“Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,” said the woman,
whereupon she turned him loose—at last. Roger looked at the door—looked at
the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink.
What is the effect of the italics at the end of the passage?
a. They heighten the reader’s fear.
b. They point ahead to the outcome of the story.
c. They create a sense of satisfaction in the reader.
d. They draw attention to a turning point in the story.
12- Which statement best explains why readers get a sense of satisfaction from
the story’s resolution?
a. Mrs. Jones has gotten revenge for the attempted robbery.
b. Mrs. Jones will probably never have to see Roger again.
c. Roger will soon start a new life as Mrs. Jones’s son.
d. Roger has learned that he can be trusted and valued.

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Section C: Reading Comprehension
Snip, Snip
Angela hurried in the front door and headed for the stairs, clutching a plastic bag
in her hand.
“Let’s see what you bought at the mall,” Mom called from the kitchen.
“No, I’d rather not show you yet,” Angela replied. “Wait till I try them on.”
“Well, now I know it’s something to wear,” her mother teased. “I can’t wait to see
what you picked out, and Grandma will want to know how you spent your birthday
money too.”
Angela closed her bedroom door, dropped the bag on herbed, and kicked off her
sneakers. She pulled on the new pair of jeans. Then she looked in the mirror. They
fit perfectly, she thought. Just a teeny bit too long, but I know how to fix that.
Quietly, Angela walked down the hall to Mom’s bedroom and found a pair of
sharp scissors next to the sewing machine. Angela picked them up carefully and
carried them back to her room. Then, she cut into the fabric at the bottom of her
jeans. Slowly she began to trim an inch of cloth from the bottom edge of the left
leg. When the front was done, she twisted her leg, trying to reach the back. I guess
I’ll have to take them off, she thought.
With the jeans in her lap, Angela finished trimming an inch from the bottom of
the left leg. Then she put the pants on again and looked in the mirror. She had done
a good job. The cut leg looked nice and even, but it was still a bit too long.
I’ll do the second leg now and make it a little shorter, Angela thought. Then I’ll
redo the first leg. She carefully cut two inches from the bottom of the right leg. But
when she tried the jeans on, they still looked long. By this time, Angela was
becoming impatient. She took off the jeans, grabbed the scissors, and cut off two
more inches from the right leg. Now the right leg was shorter by four inches!
“Oh, no!” cried Angela when she looked at herself in the mirror and saw that the
right leg was way too short. She could never wear the jeans now! What would she
tell Grandma?
“My, you are slow! Aren’t you changed yet?” called her mother from
downstairs. Angela quickly took off the new jeans. She got a ruler and, with white
chalk, drew two lines on the jeans. Here goes nothing, she thought, and cut along

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the lines. Then Angela put the new jeans on once more and ran down the stairs . .
wearing shorts!
1. What did Angela do first in this story?
a-She tried on her new jeans.
b-She hurried in the front door.
c-She spoke to her mother.
d-She closed her bedroom door.
2. What did Angela do right after she closed the door and kicked off her
sneakers?
a-She pulled on her new jeans.
b-She headed for the stairs.
c-She cut the left leg.
d-She spent her birthday money.
3. Before Angela cut the first piece from her jeans, she……………….. .
a-showed the jeans to Mom
b-put them on for the second time
c-carried scissors to her room
d-drew a line with chalk
4. When did Angela use a ruler?
a-before she did any cutting at all
b-after she went downstairs
c-before looking in the mirror
d-after she cut the jeans too short
5. Tell what Angela did to her jeans by writing the steps she took in the correct
order.
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