NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL

YESHWANTHPUR BANGALORE
HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION 2021-22
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
Class: 7 Max. Marks: 50
Date: 07/10/2021 Time: 2 hours
No. of pages: 6
This paper consists of two parts:
Part A: 25 marks
Part B: 25 marks
Total 50 marks
General Instructions:
1. All the questions are compulsory.
2. Attempt all the questions of one section before proceeding to the next section.
3. Read the questions carefully and then answer, do not exceed the word limit.

Part A - 25 marks

I. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. The worst days of any summer are the rainy ones. We spend all year looking forward to nice weather and
long, hot days. All of winter, with its dreary days and bitter cold, we dream of those endless days at the beach,
laying on the sand and soaking in the bright and burning sun. And then, summer comes, and it rains.

2. As a child, I would wake up to rainy summer days and come close to crying. It wasn’t fair. We suffered
through months of school and miserable weather for those scant ten weeks of freedom and balmy weather.
Any day that I could not spend at the beach or playing ball with my friends seemed like a punishment for
something I didn’t even do. On those rainy summer days, I had nothing to do and could only sit inside, staring
out at the rain like a Dickensian orphan. I was an only child, so there was no one else to play with.

3. My father worked from home, so I was not truly alone, but he could not actively play with me since he was
technically at work. It was those days that I would resign myself to whatever was on television or any books
that I could find lying around. I’d crawl through the day and pray each night that the rain would not be there
the next day.

4. As an adult, though, my opinion of summer rain has changed. When you have to work every day, summer is
not as eagerly anticipated. Mostly, the days run together, passes by so quick that they no longer seem like
separate entities and instead feel like continuations of the same long day. Everything seems monotonous, dull
and listlessness kicks in. Such a mindset makes you cheer for anything new or different.

5. I spend the winter dreaming of summer and the summer dreaming of winter. When summer comes, I
complain about how hot it is. And then I look forward to the rain, because the rain brings with it a cold front,
which offers a reprieve admittedly one that is all too short from the torture of hot and humid days. Rainy days
are still the worst days of the summer, but summer rain today means positively beautiful and considerably
cooler weather the next day.

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 On the basis of your reading, answer the following by choosing the most appropriate option: (1x5=5)
(a) Why does the author call the rainy days the worst days of any summer?

(i) He doesn’t like summers at all.

(ii) He wishes to enjoy the summers and rains spoil the fun.
(iii) He loves winters.
(iv) None of the above.

(b) What does the author mean by the phrase Dickensian orphan used in the passage?

(i) Charles Dickens was a sad person

(ii) Charles Dickens portrayed happy orphans like the author.
(iii) Charles Dickens portrayed orphans who underwent miserable times during childhood.
(iv) Charles Dickens was an orphan

(c) How has the author’s opinion about the summer rain changed as an adult?

(i) He paid no attention because he was busy.

(ii) He ignored the changes because it was waste of time.
(iii) His opinion was good.
(iv) His opinion was like Charles Dickens.

(d) Choose a word which is similar in meaning to the word ‘relief’ (para 5):
(i) reprieve (ii) humid
(iii)admittedly (iv) positively

(e) Choose a word which is opposite in meaning to the word ‘exciting’ (para 4):
(i) eagerly (ii) quick
(iii)opinion (iv) monotonous

II. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. There are two sides to the argument of technological advancement. Some say that it benefits mankind while
another school of thought is that we have lost a lot with these advancements. Some people look back on the
good old days and see everything in the present as changing for the worse whereas, others point out the
advantages and ignore the supposed dangers.
2. The invention of the motor car is one such example. People who possessed a car in the previous century
boasted of freedom and power. But now we complain that roads are congested leading to accidents and
deaths. Parking is a problem. And the exhaust pollutes the atmosphere to dangerous levels. But don’t you
think we must keep in mind the fact that we are able to commute faster, get less tired while travelling longer
distances and to top it all, we travel in comfort?
3. The use of pesticides and artificial manure is alarming. Has it not killed countless species of birds and insects
that were friends of the farmer? At the same time we must not forget the positive side to using pesticides. It
has led to increased food production and helped to control insects and rodents. As a result it has helped to
prevent the spread of diseases. Pesticides have a major role in protecting buildings from termite infestations.

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So, though they may have negative effects, pesticides and fertilizers are also vital to human health and safety
in many ways. Probably, the best solution is to use them judiciously so as to maximize their benefit and limit
risk.
4. In conclusion, can we really consider technological advancement a scourge? Or, is it a blessing?
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following by choosing the most appropriate
option: (1x5=5)

(a) According to the writer, in the previous century the ownership of a car meant .

(i) a feeling of security

(ii) a feeling of independence
(iii)a feeling of fear of accidents
(iv) a feeling of pride

(b) The negative effect of artificial manure and pesticides is that they have destroyed .
(i) animals which helped crops
(ii) natural soil
(iii) farmers
(iv) crops

(c) The writer wants us to .

(i) stop using pesticides
(ii) maximize the use of pesticide
(iii) use the right quantity of pesticides
(iv) know about the pesticides

(d) The meaning of the expression ‘supposed’ in the para 1 is .

(i) disastrous
(ii) apparent
(iii) actually
(iv) really

(e) In paragraph 1, the synonym for ‘development’ is .

(i) benefits
(ii) advantages
(iii) advancement
(iv) construction

III. Read the following extract, choose the appropriate option and fill in the blanks: (1x3=3)

With lutes in our hands ever - singing we roam,

All men are our kindered, the world is our home.
(a) The theme of the poem ‘Wandering Singers’ is .
(i) we must wander to explore the world (ii) keep singing
(iii) universal brotherhood (iv) keep roaming

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(b) ‘kindered’ means .

(i) kindness (ii) family

(iii) friends (iv) foe

(c) The poetic device used in the first line is .

(i) simile (ii) alliteration

(iii) metaphor (iv) personification

IV. Read the following extract, choose the appropriate option and fill in the blanks: (1x2=2)

I kept silent.
“I expect you’re homesick,” he said.
I nodded miserably.

(a) In the second line, I refers to .

(i) the Matron (ii) the school doctor

(iii) the Nanny (iv) Dr Dunbar

(b) The speaker kept silent because .

(i) he was caught. (ii) he was unable to speak.

(iii) he was in severe pain. (iv) he was annoyed.

V. Fill in the blanks as directed by choosing the correct options: (1x10=10)

(a) I would like to travel abroad. The Infinitive in the given sentence is .

(i) would (ii) like (iii) to travel (iv) abroad

(b) Rani wants to play in the playground. The Finite Verb in the sentence is .
(i) wants (ii) to play (iii) in (iv) none

(c) Swimming is a wonderful summer activity. The underlined word is a .

(i) gerund (ii) infinitive (iii) participle (iv) subject

(d) This time last week, I in New Delhi.

(i) was (ii) will be (iii) am (iv) had

(e) The early risers on the beach.

(i) has walked (ii) have (iii) walking (iv) were walking

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(f) My uncle here since 1970.
(i) has been living (ii) is living (iii) has been lived (iv) lived

(g) I was writing an essay. The passive voice for the given sentence is .

(i) An essay was being written by me (ii) An essay was written by me

(iii) An essay was writing by me (iv) An essay is written by me

(h) She looks after the child. The passive voice for the given sentence is .

(i) The child is looked after by her. (ii) The child was looked after by her.

(iii) The child looked after by her. (iv) The child is looking after by her.

(i) I ate a mango. The underlined word is a / an .

(i) subject (ii) object (iii) finite verb (iv) Infinitive

(j) We are attending the workshop. The given sentence is in tense.

(i) simple present (ii)present continuous

(iii) present perfect (iv) past continuous

Part B - 25 marks

VI. Design a poster on the value of books and good reading habits for your school library using slogans and
pictures to emphasise the same in not more than 50 words. (5)
VII. You are Nitin / Nutan of H. No. 123/8, Sai Nagar, New Delhi. Social networking sites have become
the latest fad among school-going children. The craze has a very bad impact on youngsters. Considering
its gravity, you want to express your concern by writing a letter to the Editor of the Hindustan Times in
about 80-100 words. (5)
VIII. Answer the following questions in about 20-30 words. (2x2=4)
(a) Which are the kinds of maps mentioned in the poem ‘maps’?
(b) Why did the narrator drag the mattress to the middle of the room?
IX. Answer the following questions in about 40-60 words. (3x2=6)
(a) How did Monsieur l’Abbaye test Signor Bartoli’s patience? Was Bartoli satisfied with the outcome in the
end?
(b) Why do you think the Matron or the resident doctor could not guess that the speaker was feigning
sickness?

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X. Answer the following question in about 80-100 words. (5x1=5)

What was the boxing match a threat to? How did Felix and Antonio go about tackling the situation in a
wise manner? Elaborate.