GEMS UNITED INDIAN SCHOOL-ABUDHABI

SUBJECT: ENGLISH
GRADE: 7
ASSET READING & GRAMMAR WORKSHEET
The Letter from God
Lencho had a field of ripe corn which was destroyed by a storm. He was upset and decided to write a letter
to God.
"God," he wrote. "If you don't help me, my family and I will go hungry. I need a hundred pesos in order to
resow the field and to live until the crop comes."
He wrote "To God" on the envelope, and dropped it in the mailbox.
The postmaster, seeing the letter, laughed, but then turned serious and commented:
"What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter!"
So, in order not to disillusion Lencho, he came up with an idea: answer the letter. He realized that it needed
something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution. He asked for money from his
employees and friends; he himself gave part of his salary.
It was impossible for him to gather together the hundred pesos; so he sent only a little more than half. He
put the bills in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed it: GOD.
Lencho came to ask if there was a letter for him. The postman himself handed the letter with the pride of
having done a good deed.
Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the bills - such was his confidence - but he became
angry when he counted the money… God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho
what he had requested!
Immediately, Lencho wrote a letter and dropped it into the mailbox. It said:
"God, of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest since I need it very
much. But don't send it to me through the mail because the post-office employees are a bunch of crooks.
Lencho."
1. Why did the postmaster laugh when he saw Lencho's letter?
A. He found that Lencho could not write well.
B. He thought Lencho was foolish to expect a reply.
C. He felt that poor farmers should not ask for money.
D. He knew that a destroyed field could not be resowed.
2. What motivated the postmaster to reply to Lencho's first letter?
A. his moral duty to fulfill Lencho's request
B. his admiration for Lencho's steady faith
C. his need to teach Lencho a lesson about charity
D. his desire to check Lencho's ability to spend wisely
3. What made the postmaster's answer to Lencho's letter a difficult task?
A. his duty as a postmaster
B. his lack of helpful friends
C. the shortage of resources
 D. the fear of lying to Lencho
4. Which of these shows how the postmaster might have felt upon reading Lencho's second letter?
I. surprised
II. satisfied
III. angry
A. only I
B. only II
C. I and II
D. I and III
5. Which of these proverbs is a good advice that can be given to Lencho at the end of the story?
A. You can't buy a racehorse for the price of a donkey.
B. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.
C. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
D. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
6. Which of these best describes the final outcome of the story?
A. ironic (opposite to what was expected)
B. justified (exactly what the characters deserve)
C. mysterious (unclear and requires investigation)
D. inspiring (stimulating and cheering to the spirit)

The Dumb Soldier

When the grass was closely mown,
Walking on the lawn alone,
In the turf a hole I found,
And hid a soldier underground. (1)

Spring and daisies came apace;

Grasses hide my hiding place;
Grasses run like a green sea
'er the lawn up to my knee. (2)

Under grass alone he lies,

Looking up with heavy eyes,
Scarlet coat and pointed gun,
To the stars and to the Sun. (3)

When the grass is ripe like grain,

When the scythe* is stoned* again,
When the lawn is shaven clear,
Then my hole shall reappear. (4)

I shall find him, never fear,

I shall find my grenadier;
But for all that's gone and come,
 I shall find my soldier dumb. (5)

He has lived, a little thing,

In the grassy woods of spring:
Done, if he could tell me true,
Just as I should like to do. (6)

He has seen the starry hours

And the springing of the flowers;
And the fairy things that pass
In the forests of the grass. (7)

In the silence he has heard

Talking bee and ladybird,
And the butterfly has flown
O'er him as he lay alone. (8)

Not a word will he disclose,

Not a word of all he knows.
I must lay him on the shelf,
And make up the tale myself. (9)

 Robert Louis Stevenson

7. Which of these can be concluded about the speaker from stanzas 1 and 2?
A. He enjoys the feel of long grass.
B. He loves new spring flowers.
C. He finds secrecy exciting.
D. He fears losing his soldier.
8. Which of these best describes the speaker's tone in the first two lines of stanza 5?
A. gleeful
B. confident
C. impatient
D. aggressive
9. A simile is an expression that compares two things using 'like' or 'as'. Which of these stanza(s)
contain(s) a simile?
A. only stanza 2
B. only stanza 4
C. only stanzas 2 and 4
D. only stanzas 4 and 6
10. The soldier is described as 'dumb' because he is
A. silent
B. foolish
C. unaware
 D. unmoving
11. Which stanza reveals that the speaker would have liked to be in the soldier's place?
A. stanza 4
B. stanza 5
C. stanza 6
D. stanza 7
12. Which of these is most likely the main purpose of writing this poem?
A. to convey that little children are careless
B. to depict the way nature changes with time
C. to explore an imaginative person's thoughts
D. to describe the things seen by a hidden soldier

Native American Conflicts

Prior to European settlement in North America, Native American tribes populated specific areas of the
continent. Their cultures, food, traditions, and beliefs were wrapped up in their environment. Plains
Indians, for instance, hunted buffalo and used the entire animal for food, clothing, shelter and kitchen
goods. The presence of the Europeans created circumstances that would dramatically impact the lives of
Native Americans across the continent. (1)
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Europeans sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. North
America seemed like a dream: lush forests, plenty of freshwater lakes, the promise of gold, and new
unmapped lands lured European explorers. They brought along with them crops and new technology like
metal tools. They also brought along diseases. The arriving settlers had grown immune to such diseases
because those particular diseases had been in Eurasia for over five centuries. Native American tribes had
not built up immunity to these infections, including smallpox. During smallpox epidemics in North
America, 80 to 90 percent of fatalities were part of the Native American populations. (2)
In Jamestown, Virginia, European settlers found themselves in peaceful times with Native Americans when
they were able to exchange technology for food or rights to hunting lands. Though the settlers, who
founded Jamestown in 1607, had to depend on the Native Americans for food and resources, they also
typically viewed the natives as people who should be conquered. When hard times came for the settlers in
1608 and many of them did not have much food, they pressured the natives into giving them food. These
aggressions began as a slew of conflicts now collectively called the Anglo-Powhatan Wars. (3)
Native Americans were suddenly scrambling to share resources with whole new groups of people, who had
access to powerful weapons, technology to build sturdy buildings, and the ability to call for reinforcements
from thousands of miles away. The relationships Native American tribes had built with each other became
weak as the mounting pressure coming from European settlers threatened to destroy their ways of life. This
sparked many clashes between tribes over hunting land, which was becoming more and more scarce as
Europeans continued to settle further into the West. If tribes were forced off their lands, they needed to
either find somewhere else to go, or learn to live with the Europeans who had taken over and assumed
power. This proved impossible much of the time and most natives either died or were displaced in the
process. (4)

13.The Europeans came to North America

A. to escape the smallpox epidemic
B. to conquer the Native Americans
C. to hunt on American lands
D. to obtain more resources

14 Native Americans were willing to sharetheir hunting lands because Europeans

A. would give them more food and money
B. taught them to build sturdy buildings
C. gave them access to new knowledge
D. would help them cure smallpox

15 Which of these was the main cause of conflict between the natives and Europeans in the end?
A. land
B. gold
C. tools
D. crops

16 Which paragraph conveys that the Europeans had an advantageover the Native Americans when
it came to war?
A. paragraph 1
B. paragraph 2
C. paragraph 3
D. paragraph 4

17 Although the native tribes were stronger in resources, they Which of these would meaningfully
complete the sentence above?
A. could not stay united against the settlers
B. Could not find a place to escape the settlers
C. could not accept their defeat by the settlers
D. could not trade them usefully with the settlers

18 The main purpose of this passage is to

A. highlights the reasons why Europe wanted to conquer America
B. convey the political mistakes made by a native population
C. explain how North America came to be a powerful nation
D. trace the events that altered a population's way of life

19 Which of these best describes the passage?

A. scientific
B. narrative
C. descriptive
D. argumentative
 Hogwarts Express Comes to London!
It has long been a Harry Potter tradition for fans visiting King's Cross station to look for Platform 9-3/4 and
pose with a luggage trolley as it disappears through the platform wall. But now the secretive Hogwarts
Express platform is expanding; it will be unveiled in full at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Watford in
March. (1)
The 20,000 square foot construction, which will include the original Hogwarts Express steam engine and a
recreation of the iconic platform, will also give a glimpse into how some of the film's most-loved scenes
were created. (2)
Fans of Harry Potter may know that British steam train no. 5972, 'Olton Hall,' was used as the Hogwarts
Express. And now, the 78-year-old red engine will return to its production home to be displayed on a set of
tracks—complete with billowing steam. (3)
The new attraction will officially open on March 19, and will be built by the same crew who worked on the
film. (4)
Guests will also be able to sit in the interior carriage that was used during filming, and even be able to see
how the 'windows' were used to show Harry's first Chocolate Frog. A train-themed souvenir shop will also
be open on the platform. Entry to the new Platform 9-3/4 section will be included in the standard ticket
price. (5)
"We can't wait to open our first expansion, Platform 9-3/4, just before the Studio Tour's third anniversary in
March," said Sarah Roots, Vice President of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. Stuart Craig, the
Production Designer on all eight Harry Potter films, added: "The Hogwarts Express was the setting for
many iconic scenes from Harry, Hermione and Ron's first meeting to the moment the trio's children embark
on their first journey to school 26 years later." (6)
20. Which is the most likely reason for Warner Bros. Studio to build Platform 9-3/4?
A. to increase the size of the studio area
B. to let visitors sit inside the train carriage
C. to let fans view a special cinematic moment
D. to display the British steam train, Olton Hall
21. Which of these can replace 'unveiled' in the passage?
A. created
B. revealed
C. explored
D. accessed
22. Which of these was an actual part of the original Harry Potter film set?
A. Harry's chocolate frog
 B. the souvenir shop
C. the train engine
D. the platform
23. Which of these questions is answered by the passage?
I. How will visitors get access to Platform 9-3/4?
II. Where in London is Warner Bros. Studio located?
III. How long is the Hogwarts Express?
A. I and III
B. I and II
C. only III
D. only I
24. Which paragraph tells us the age of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London?
A. paragraph 1
B. paragraph 3
C. paragraph 4
D. paragraph 6
25. In which of these is the passage most likely to appear?
A. a guide to film-making
B. a magazine for children
C. an encyclopedia about trains
D. a book on studio architecture

Astronauts and Life in Space

Requirements Astronauts must:
 Have a bachelor's degree
 Swim 75 meters and tread water for 10 minutes
 Finish 1,000 hours of flight time
 Have vision correctable to 20/20
During the application cycle the acceptance rate is 0.5%
 Applicants: 4015
 Accepted: 20
Space Food
 The number of tortillas taken on each mission - it's a no-hassle food in zero gravity.
Spacesuit
 Tailored for each astronaut.
 They are created to be reused for up to 15 years.
 It takes 45 minutes to put on a spacesuit.
 Spacesuits have 11 layers.
 One suit costs about $2 million.
 Man-hours to build one suit: 5000
 Since spacewalks can last up to eight hours, astronauts wear a 'Maximum Absorption Garment' (an extra
absorbent adult diaper).
Astronauts in Space
 Space shuttle pilot Bob Crippen: First
 In total, 51 women and 307 men have spent 8293 days (almost 23 years) on-board a shuttle.
 Franklin Chang-Diaz and Jerry Rose: Tied with the most shuttle flights at 7
 Sally Ride: First American woman in space in the year 1983
 January 28, 1986: Space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight. All seven crew members
aboard died.
 February 1, 2003: Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry. All seven crew members aboard died.
 John W. Young: First American space shuttle commander
 Kent Rominger: Spent the most time in a shuttle - 67 days
Not just for the humans
 Squids, squirrels, monkeys, frogs, sea urchins, Japanese killifish, and spiders have all visited space in the
shuttles.
26. Based on the passage, which of these is true?
A. A driver's license is mandatory to be accepted as astronauts.
B. Astronauts do not feel the need to urinate when in space.
C. Some food types are better suited to space than others.
D. John W. Young spent more than 70 days in space.
27. Which of these questions does the passage answer?
 A. Why do spacesuits need to be layered?
B. Which was the first animal to go to space?
C. How much food should astronauts consume per day in space?
D. What are some reasons for rejecting applicants to an astronaut's job?
28. Which of these make(s) it difficult to tailor separate spacesuits for each astronaut?
I. time
II. talent
III. expense
A. only I
B. I and II
C. I and III
D. I, II, and III
29. Which of these puts the events in the order in which they took place?
I. Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry.
II. Space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight.
III. Astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.
A. III - II - I
B. I - III - II
C. II - III - I
D. III - I - II
30. What makes the infographic factual in tone?
A. absence of author's name
B. absence of astronautic quotes
C. absence of astronautic pictures
D. absence of author's personal opinions
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball. As the first African American to
play in the major leagues, Jackie Robinson became the target of harsh racial abuse. In his autobiography,
Robinson described how he played the best baseball he could against the Brooklyn Dodgers, as torrents of
abuse were heaped upon him, and the entire nation focused its attention on his game. Robinson, reputedly
known to be a man who would not accept insults, had to control his urge (1) to strike back. In the
 ballpark*, he answered the "haters" with the perfect eloquence (2) of a well-hit ball. In 1949, his best year,
Robinson was named the league's Most Valuable Player, and in 1962 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of
Fame.
Having captured the attention of the American public in the ballpark, he now delivered the message that
racial integration (3) in every aspect of American society would enrich the nation. Even after he retired,
every American President who held office between 1956 and 1972 received letters from Jackie Robinson
expressing varying levels of criticism for not going far enough to advance (4) the cause of civil rights.
Indifferent to (5) any political links, he measured a President's performance by his level of commitment to
civil rights. Robinson's stand was firm and nonnegotiable. The letters reveal the passionate and, at times,
combative (6) spirit with which Robinson worked to remove the racial barriers in American society.
31. Which of these means the same as 'urge'in (1)?
A. call
B. hope
C. impulse
D. command
32. Which of these explains the meaning of 'eloquence'in (2)?
A. knowledge
B. fluency
C. sound
D. swing
33 The word 'integration' in (3) can be best explained as the act of
A. distributing
B. inspecting
C. including
D. dividing
34 Which of these is OPPOSITE inmeaning to 'advance'in (4)?
A. quit
B. retreat
C. improve
D. remember
35 Which of these can replace 'indifferent to'in (5)?
A. unafraid of
 B. unknown to
C. uninterested in
D. uncertain about
36 Which of these means the same as 'combative'in (6)?
A. shocking
B. fighting
C. patient
D. silent
Whatif
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear (2)
And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song: (4)
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool? (6)
Whatif I get beaten up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup? (8)
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die? (10)

 Shel Silverstein

1. Which figure of speech appears in lines 1-4 of the poem?

A. metaphor (an indirect comparison between two unrelated things withoutusing the words 'like' or 'as')
B. personification (a figure of speech where an abstract idea or an animal is given human qualities)
C. simile (a literary expression in which two ideas are compared using 'like' or 'as')
D. pun (a play with words that sound alike but have very different meanings)
2. Which of this best describes how the speaker is feeling in the poem?
A. sad
B. hurt
 C. worried
D. hopeless
3. Which of these best describes the main purpose of writing this poem?
A. to show a grown-up's care for children
B. to lighten children's fears using humour
C. to make children focus on what is important
D. to advise parents to encourage their children
The Creepiest Place on Planet Earth
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, scientific projects don't always go according to plan.
Turkmenistan's aptly named Door to Hell is a 230-foot wide crater in the middle of (40) of Deweze. In
1971, a team of Soviet scientists (41) drilling platform looking for natural gas reserves. The rig collapsed,
and (42) the spread of poisonous methane gas, the researchers set the crater on fire. They hoped it (43) burn
out in a few hours.
That was more than 40 years ago.
The site is still burning, attracting hundreds of tourists every year, (44) the country's president ordered it to
be filled in 2010. Turkmenistan's natural gas reserves rank fifth in the world, but a lack of international
pipelines (45) development efforts.
40. A. desert near a village
B. desert near the village
C. the desert near a village
D. the desert near the village
41. A. set in
B. set up
C. set off
D. set out
42. A. fearing
B. fearing of
C. the fear of
D. having fear of
43. A. will
B. can
 C. could
D. would
44. A. even though
B. as though
C. even as
D. even if
45. A. has disturbed
B. are disturbing
C. have disturbed
D. have been disturbing
46. Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly?
A. "You won’t need your passport" said the lady.
B. "You w'ont need your passport," said the lady.
C. "You won't need your passport," said the lady.
D. "You won't need your passport." said the lady.
47. Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly?
A. He took the teapot and, trying not to drop it, put it on the tray.
B. Like every evening, we closed the shop, before it got too dark.
C. Although she was, an engineer, she could hardly use a computer.
D. When, he was in high school, he did not study a foreign language.
48. Let's have dinner now, we? Which of these words completes the above sentence meaningfully?
A. will
B. shall
C. could
D. would
49. Smoke from this chemical the animals' ability to Which of these words complete the sentence above
correctly?
A. affects: breath
B. effects; breathe
C. affects; breathe
 D. effects; breath
50. The robber was caught red-handed. He did not confess his crimes. Which of these options correctly
combines the sentences above?
A. Since the robber was caught red-handed, he did not confess his crimes.
B. Although the robber was caught red-handed, he did not confess his crimes.
C. Either the robber was caught red-handed, or he did not confess his crimes.
D. Not only was the robber caught red-handed, but he also did not confess his crimes.
51. Rupa's temper is than Arti's, but Nitin's temper is the
A. worse, worst
B. worser, worsest
C. more worse, worst
D. worse, most worse
52. Given that Vini karate classes ever since her school days, she is sure to win the match! Which of these
meaningfully completes the sentence above?
A. took
B. is taking
C. will have taken
D. has been taking
53. In the sentences below, which underlined phrase forms a complete sentence on its own?
A. The old pastor told us that the church will be twenty-two years old this May.
B. Supper was nearly over when Sheila decided to throw a fit about the soup.
C. We will never know why the old lady came to our house and when she left.
D. That blue book and the one beside it are from our school's ancient library.
54. Have you heard of David? He is pharmacist; he manages Visited last week. Which combination of
words can complete the sentence above correctly?
A. a; a
B. a; the
C. the; a
D. the; the
55. Make hay the sun shines. Strike the iron is hot. Which word would complete both the sentences
correctly?
 A. though
B. unless
C. before
D. while
56. "On what ground do you claim to own this house?" asked Sansa. Which of these sentences uses the
word 'ground' in the same way as the sentence above?
A. The British forces gained ground in the east one step at a time.
B. The club has announced the grounds of eligibility for its membership.
C. The grounds at The Eden Gardens have witnessed many a good game.
D. Following the crashes, the air force has been asked to ground their planes.
57. Which of these sentences shows a comparison being made?
A. The news of India's win is music to my ears.
B. All the ministers want the building repainted.
C. Mother was shivering with fever this morning.
D. I loved sinking my feet into the hot, dry sand.
58. Our picnic plans when it suddenly started raining. Which of these meaningfully completes the
sentence above?
A. fell in
B. fell out
C. fell back
D. fell through
59. "Why does Mrs. Paul need a mirror when she can simply see her reflection on her husband's head?"
laughed Om. Then suddenly, he looked alarmed. Mr. Paul was right behind him. "Come to my office
after school, Om. I'll make sure you never want to look at a mirror again," said the old headmaster
coldly. Om's response to Mr. Paul should be:
A. I'm sorry, Sir; I didn't mean to offend you
B. I didn't see you coming this way
C. I will apologise to your wife for this
D. I have an extra class this afternoon

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