IBT- PRACTICE PAPER

GRADE 7

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

Mr. Harding was not a happy man as he walked down
the palace pathway, and stepped out into the close. His
position and pleasant house were a second time
gone from him; but that he could endure. He had been
5 schooled and insulted by a man young enough to be
his son; but that he could put up with. He could even
draw from the very injuries which had been inflicted
on him some of that consolation which, we may
believe, martyrs always receive from the injustice of
10 their own sufferings. He had admitted to his daughter
that he wanted the comfort of his old home, and yet he
could have returned to his lodgings in the High Street,
if not with exultation, at least with satisfaction, had
that been all. But the venom of the chaplain's
15 harangue had worked into his blood, and sapped the
life of his sweet contentment.

'New men are carrying out new measures, and

are carting away the useless rubbish of past centuries!'
What cruel words these had been- and how often are
20 they now used with all the heartless cruelty of a
Slope! A man is sufficiently condemned if it can only
be shown that either in politics or religion he does not
belong to some new school established within the last
score of years. He may then regard himself as rubbish
25 and expect to be carted away. A man is nothing now
unless he has within him a full appreciation of the
new era; an era in which it would seem that neither
honesty nor truth is very desirable, but in which
success is the only touchstone of merit. We must
30 laugh at everything that is established. Let the joke be
ever so bad, ever so untrue to the real principles of
joking; nevertheless we must laugh - or else beware
the cart. We must talk, think, and live up to the spirit
of the times, or else we are nought. New men and new
35 measures, long credit and few scruples, great success
or wonderful ruin, such are now the tastes of
Englishmen who know how to live! Alas, alas! Under
such circumstances Mr. Harding could not but feel
that he was an Englishman who did not know how to
40 live. This new doctrine of Mr. Slope and the rubbish
cart sadly disturbed his equanimity.

'The same thing is going on throughout the

whole country!' 'Work is now required from every
 man who receives wages!' And had he been living all
45 his life receiving wages, and doing no work? Had he
in truth so lived as to be now in his old age justly
reckoned as rubbish fit only to be hidden away in
some huge dust-hole? The school of men to whom he
professes to belong, the Grantlys, the Gwynnes, are
50 afflicted with no such self-accusations as these which
troubled Mr. Harding. They, as a rule, are as satisfied
with the wisdom and propriety of their own conduct
as can be any Mr. Slope, or any Bishop with his own.
But, unfortunately for himself, Mr. Harding had little
55 of this self-reliance. When he heard himself
designated as rubbish by the Slopes of the world, he
had no other resource than to make inquiry within his
own bosom as to the truth of the designation. Alas,
alas! the evidence seemed generally to go against him.

1. The main cause of Mr. Harding’s unhappiness as he leaves the Bishop’s Palace is
A. the loss of his house
B. the loss of his position
C. the need to live with his daughter
D. the thought-provoking words of the chaplain
E. the injustice he has suffered

2. It can be inferred that Slope is

A. the chaplain
B. the Bishop
C. a foreigner
D. a politician
E. a young writer

3. The word equanimity (line 41) most nearly means

A. status
B. happiness
C. justice
D. complacency
E. composure
4. It can be inferred that Mr. Harding is especially disturbed because he
A. does not feel himself to be old
B. is offended by the young man’s impertinence
C. believes no one else feels as he does
D. believe his life’s work has been worthwhile
E. feels there may be some truth in regarding himself as rubbish

5. Mr. Harding differs from others of his school (line 49) because they
A. do not believe Slope
B. have never been called rubbish
C. are sure their conduct is irreproachable
D. have already examined their consciences
E. feel that Mr. Harding is not one of them

6. The tone of the sentence 'New men....live' (lines 34-37) is

A. objective
B. ironic
C. derogatory
D. expository
E. ambivalent

7. The first two sentences of paragraph 3 relate the

A. words of Mr. Slope
B. thoughts of Mr. Harding
C. view of the old school of men
D. viewpoint of the author
E. opinions of all young men
TEXT-2

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the
text to check your answers when appropriate.

Did you know that some people don't do their
reading assignments? It's shocking, but it's
true. Some students don't even read short
texts that they are assigned in class. There are
many reasons for this. They may be distracted
or bored. They may be unwilling to focus. They
may be unconfident readers. Whatever the
reason, it has to stop today. Here's why.
Reading stimulates your mind. It is like a
workout for your brain. When people get old,
their muscles begin to deteriorate. They get
weaker and their strength leaves them.
Exercise can prevent this loss. The same thing
happens to people's brains when they get
older. Brain power and speed decline with
age. Reading strengthens your brain and
prevents these declines.
You can benefit from reading in the near-term
too. Reading provides knowledge. Knowledge
is power. Therefore, reading can make you a
more powerful person. You can learn to do
new things by reading. Do you want to make
video games? Do you want to design clothing?
Reading can teach you all this and more. But
you have to get good at reading, and the only
way to get good at something is to practice.
Do not just discount a text because it is
unfamiliar to you. Each time you read, you are
exposed to new ideas and perspectives.
Reading can change the way that you
understand the world. It can give you a
broader perspective on things. It can make
you worldlier. You can learn how people live in
faraway places. You can learn about cultures
different from your own.
Reading is good for your state of mind. It has a
calming effect. It can lower your stress levels
and help you relax. You can escape from your
troubles for a moment when you read, and it's
a positive escape. The benefits of reading far
outweigh those of acting like a doofus. So do
yourself a favor: the next time you get a
reading assignment, take as much as you can
from it. Squeeze it for every drop of
knowledge that it contains. Then move on to
the next one.

Read everything that you can at school,

regardless of whether you find it interesting.
Reading expands your vocabulary. Even a
"boring" text can teach you new words.
Having a larger vocabulary will help you better
express yourself. You will be able to speak,
write, and think more intelligently. What's
boring about that?
1. Which best expresses the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. Reading is exciting.
b. Reading strengthens your mind.
c. Age affects the body in many ways.
d. Working out keeps your body in shape.

2. Why does the author think that you should read books that are boring?
a. You will eventually grow to love them if you read them enough.
b. You will get better grades in reading class.
c. You will make your teacher very happy.
d. You will learn new words.

3. Which best expresses the main idea of the third paragraph?

a. Reading can benefit you.
b. You can learn to program video games or design clothing by reading.
c. You can learn amazing things and become a better person by reading.
d. Knowledge is power

4. Which is not a reason given by the author why students fail to complete reading assignments?
a. Students may be bored.
b. Students may be distracted.
c. Students may be unwilling to focus.
d. Students may be tired.

5. Which best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this text?
a. He is trying to persuade students to do their reading work.
b. He is teaching people how to become better readers.
c. He is explaining why people don't do their reading work.
d. He is entertaining readers with facts about the mind and body

6. Which best describes the author's tone in the first three sentences?
a. Surprised
b. Sarcastic
c. Informative
d. Irate

7. Which of the following is not one of the author's main points?

a. Reading broadens your perspective and makes you a better person.
b. Reading is a relaxing activity with positive mental side effects.
c. Reading helps you perform on tests and get into selective schools.
d. Reading keeps your mind in shape and prevents losses due to age.
8. Which is not one of the author's arguments in the fifth paragraph?
 a. Reading gives you a broader perspective on the world.
b. Reading changes the way that you understand the world.
c. Reading helps prepare you for your job in the real world.
d. Reading teaches you about distant lands and cultures.

9. Why does the author believe that reading is good for your mind state?
a. It has a calming effect.
b. It can lower your stress levels.
c. It can help you relax.
d. All of these