Grade 7 English Revision
Grade 7 English Revision
“Koko”
Did you know that humans aren't the only species that use language? Bees communicate
by dancing. Whales talk to each other by singing. And some apes talk to humans by using
American Sign Language.
Meet Koko: a female gorilla born at the San Francisco Zoo on July 4th, 1971. Koko
learned sign language from her trainer, Dr. Penny Patterson. Patterson began teaching
sign language to Koko in 1972, when Koko was one year old. Koko must have been a
good student, because two years later she moved onto the Stanford University campus
with Dr. Patterson. Koko continued to learn on the campus until 1976. That's when she
began living full-time with Patterson's group, the Gorilla Foundation. Patterson and
Koko's relationship has blossomed ever since.
Dr. Patterson says that Koko has mastered sign language. She says that Koko knows over
1,000 words, and that Koko makes up new words. For example, Koko didn't know the
sign for ring, so she signed the words finger and bracelet. Dr. Patterson thinks that this
shows meaningful and constructive use of language.
Not everyone agrees with Dr. Patterson. Some argue that apes like Koko do not
understand the meaning of what they are doing. Skeptics say that these apes are just
performing complex tricks. For example, if Koko points to an apple and signs red or
apple, Dr. Patterson will give her an apple. They argue that Koko does not really know
what the sign apple means. She only knows that that if she makes the right motion, one
which Dr. Patterson has shown her, then she gets an apple. The debate is unresolved, but
one thing is for certain: Koko is an extraordinary ape.
Sign language isn't the only unusual thing about Koko. She's also been a pet-owner. In
1983, at the age of 12, researchers said that Koko asked for a cat for Christmas. They
gave Koko a stuffed cat. Koko was not happy. She did not play with it, and she continued
to sign sad. So for her birthday in 1984, they let her pick a cat out of an abandoned liter.
Koko picked a gray cat and named him "All Ball." Dr. Patterson said that Koko loved and
nurtured All Ball as though he were a baby gorilla. Sadly, All Ball got out of Koko's cage
and was hit by a car. Patterson reported that Koko signed "Bad, sad, bad" and "Frown,
cry, frown, sad" when she broke the news to her.
It seems like Patterson and Koko have a good relationship, but not everyone agrees with
it. Some critics believe that Patterson is humanizing the ape. They believe that apes
should be left in the most natural state possible. Even Dr. Patterson struggles with these
feelings. When asked if her findings could be duplicated by another group of scientists,
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she said, "We don't think that it would be ethical to do again." She went on to argue that
animals should not be kept in such unnatural circumstances. Nonetheless, Koko lives in
her foundation today.
As for the future, Dr. Patterson and the Gorilla Foundation would love to get Koko to an
ape preserve in Maui, but they are having trouble securing the land. So unless you have a
few million dollars to spare, Koko's going to be spending her time in Woodland,
California with Dr. Patterson. Koko probably doesn't mind that. If she moved to Hawaii,
she'd have to give up her Facebook page and Twitter feed, and she's got like 50 thousand
"likes." Some may deny that she knows sign language, but nobody says that she doesn't
know social networking.
3. Which best expresses the author's purpose in writing the second paragraph?
a. The author is describing the environment in which Koko lives.
b. The author is informing readers how Dr. Patterson developed her skills.
c. The author is persuading readers that Koko should be freed.
d. The author is telling readers about Koko and Dr. Patterson's background.
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5. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
a. Koko has mastered sign language without a doubt.
b. Everybody likes how Dr. Patterson has raised Koko.
c. Koko doesn't really know sign language.
d. Some people are troubled by how Koko was raised.
6. Which best defines the word duplicated as it is used in the sixth paragraph?
a. To dispute a fact or disagree with someone
b. To lie to someone or to fool them
c. To copy or recreate something
d. To be disproven through debate
10. If a book were being written about Koko and All Ball, which title would best summarize
their story?
a. Long Wanted, Short Lived: A Tale of Strong Loves Lost
b. Happy Ending: The Gorilla Who Got What She Wanted
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c. A Tale of Two Kitties: A Stuffed Cat Versus a Real One
d. Plushy Love: How A Gorilla Fell in Love with a Stuffed Cat
GRAMMAR
2. ACTIVE VOICE AND PASSIVE VOICE: Read the following sentences. Decide if
the underlined verb is active or passive.
3. SIMPLE TENSES: Identify whether the boldfaced verb is in the present, past, or
future tense.
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6. This piece of wisdom will cost you ten dollars. _____________
7. You will never understand my position. _____________
8. Sorry, I didn’t hear you at the door. _____________
9. My watch is broken and it needs to be fixed again. _____________
10. Sarah and Elsah played snake and ladder at Salah's house yesterday. _____________
11. The food in Japan is expensive. It costs a lot to live there. _____________
12. When the kettle boils, will you make some tea? _____________
13. Listen! There's someone at the door. I will open the door for you. _____________
14. There will not be anything left to wish for. _____________
15. Saud told me the story about a cruel king of Arabia last week. _____________
4. PERFECT TENSES: Circle the verb in each sentence. Write whether the verb is in
the present, past, or future perfect tense.
1. You will have finished your report by this time next week. _____________
2. Had you studied English before you moved to New York? _____________
3. Jim hasn’t worked on Fridays since he joined the company. _____________
4. I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet. _____________
5. Those kids have never played rugby, have they? _____________
6. We had had that car for ten years before it broke down. _____________
7. Will you have eaten when I pick you up? _____________
8. I will have been here for four years on September 25th. _____________
9. She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. _____________
10. I‘ve already made several calls. _____________
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3. I study when the phone rang. (past progressive)
______________________________
4. They ate when their friends showed up. (past progressive)
______________________________
5. Caroline looks for the latest brochure. (present progressive)
______________________________
6. I go to the store in about ten minutes. (present progressive)
______________________________
7. It rained the entire week. (future progressive)
______________________________
8. Kato plays the guitar and Yukito listens to him. (present progressive)
______________________________ ______________________________
9. While the cat slept the mice ate its food. (past progressive)
______________________________ ______________________________
10. We had a very nice picnic when it started to rain. (past progressive)
______________________________
2. The lady (won’t ever, won’t never) find her lost cat.
6. The shoppers looked for bargains at the store, but there (weren’t any, weren’t none).
8. The teacher (hasn’t never, has never) told (anyone, no one) about her children.
9. I (did not barely, did barely) understand what you were saying.