LS English 7 End of Year Test

CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 7: END-OF-YEAR TEST
Name Date
End-of-year test
Part 1: Non-fiction
Section A: Reading
Spend around 30 minutes on this section.
Read Text A (The Ancient Olympic Games), then answer questions 1–9.
Text A: The Ancient Olympic Games

About three thousand years ago, the first Olympic Games took place in
Olympia in Greece. Originally, the games were part of a religious festival to
honour Zeus, the god of the sky and the leader of the Greek gods who
lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.
What events and awards were part of the ancient Olympics?
5 At the beginning, the games were just running races; the path was about
700 feet long and as straight as an arrow. It was also wide enough for
twenty men to run side-by-side. Gradually, other events were added but
there were no team sports like in the modern Olympics. Also, there were
no medals like the gold, silver, and bronze medals we have today. There
10 was only one winner and he was given a wreath of olive leaves as a prize.
They were taken from a sacred tree that was located at Olympia behind
the temple dedicated to Zeus. To reward his mastery of the events, a
statue was built in the winner’s honour.
The games were held once every four years in August. Over time, the
15 events expanded to include horse races, chariot races, boxing, and
wrestling. There was also a special event that consisted of five different
sports’ activities: wrestling, running, the long jump, disc-throwing, and
spear-throwing.
Were women allowed to participate?
Married women were not allowed to attend the Olympics, and women
20 were forbidden from competing in any of the events. There was a
separate women’s festival that was dedicated to the honour of Hera, the
wife of Zeus.
Cambridge Lower Secondary English 7 – Creamer, Williams, Rees-Bidder & Elsdon © Cambridge University Press 2021 1
Why did they end?

The Ancient Olympic games were held for over a thousand years and
ended in 393 AD when the Roman emperor Theodosius banned them.
25 He had outlawed the worship of the ancient gods.
The modern Olympics
The modern Olympics were started in 1896 by a French historian, Pierre
de Coubertin. He felt that the world’s countries would be more peaceful if
they gathered together to play sports. He designed the five colour rings
that are used as a symbol of the Olympic Games today. The rings
30 represent North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. At
the beginning of the games, a flame is lit at Olympia and is passed from
torch to torch across the world until the location of the games is reached.
Today, the Olympic Games are the largest sporting event in the world.
Men and women from all over the world compete to win the gold, bronze,
35 and silver medals.
1 Where were the Olympic Games first held (lines 1–4)?
[1]
2 Where did Zeus live (lines 1–4)?
[1]
3 Give two differences between the events held and the prizes awarded at the ancient
Olympic Games and the modern Olympic Games (lines 5–10).
Events held:
Ancient:
Modern:
Prizes awarded:
Ancient:
Modern: [2]
4 What is the author suggesting about the olive leaves when they say, ‘They were
taken from a sacred tree…’ (line 11)?
[1]
5 Are the following statements about the ancient Olympic Games True or False?
Tick () one box for each statement. True False
Only running races were included in the games.
There were no second- or third-place winners.
No women were allowed to watch the games. [3]
6 How does the last paragraph differ from the rest of the text?
[1]
7 Give one word and one phrase from lines 29–30 that both mean ‘to stand for something’.
 [2]
8 Suggest one reason why carrying the Olympic flame is continued as a tradition in the
modern Olympic Games.
[1]
9 Text A is an information text, which means it gives factual information about a topic.
Give two more features of an information text used in Text A.
 [2]
Read Text B (‘Rudolph ran and the world went wild’), then answer questions 10–16.
Text B: Rudolph ran and the world went wild

Wilma Rudolph was a sight to behold. At 1.8 metres and under 60 kilos,
she ran like lightning. Spectators were told: ‘Don't blink. You might miss
her. And that would be a shame.’
At the 1960 Rome Olympic games, Rudolph became ‘the fastest woman in
5 the world’ and the first American woman to win three gold medals in one
Olympics. She won the 100- and 200-metre races and led the U.S. team to
victory in the 400-metre relay, breaking records along the way.
Rudolph’s Olympic performances were spectacular, but it is the story of
how she got there that makes her accomplishments legendary.
10 She was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 weighing 2 kilos. The bulk of
her childhood was spent in bed. She suffered from double pneumonia,
scarlet fever and later she contacted polio. She was fitted with metal leg
braces when she was six.
Years of treatment and a determination to be a ‘normal kid’ worked and
15 Rudolph was out of her leg braces at the age of nine. When she was 11,
her brothers set up a basketball hoop in the yard. ‘After that,’ her mother
said, ‘it was basketball, basketball, basketball.’
After playing on the girls’ basketball team for her school and for the State
of Tennessee, Ed Temple, the State track coach came calling. He planned
20 to form a girls’ running team, so he could turn one of the forwards into a
sprinter. And Wilma was the one.
She had natural ability she couldn’t explain. ‘I don't know why I run so
fast,’ she said. ‘I just run.’ Honours kept flooding in for Rudolph. She was
voted into the Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and the National Track
25 and Field Hall of Fame in 1974. NBC made a movie about her life from her
autobiography, ‘Wilma’.
Rudolph died in 1994 in Nashville. Bill Mulliken, a 1960 Olympics teammate of
Rudolph’s said: ‘She was beautiful, she was nice, and she was the best.’
10 What is the main purpose of the first paragraph of Text B?
tick () one box.
to inform people about Wilma Rudolph’s career
to encourage people to take up sports
to show how fast Wilma Rudolph could run
to explain that Wilma Rudolph looked amazing [1]
11 Give one example of a simile in the first paragraph and explain why it is effective.
Example:
Explanation: [2]
12 Why is the phrase ‘the fastest woman in the world’ in inverted commas in the
second paragraph?
[1]
13 Give one example from lines 8–9 of an extreme adjective.
[1]
14 What is ‘Honours kept flooding in…’ (line 23) an example of ?
Tick () one box.
alliteration personification
metaphor onomatopoeia [1]
15 Make a list of Wilma Rudolph’s achievements.
 [3]
16 Write a summary of up to 40 words about Wilma Rudolph’s achievements.

Include at least five of the points from your answer to Question 15.
[2]
Section B: Writing
1 Write a speech for your class on the importance of always trying your best.
You should consider:
• working hard at school
• activities you take part in and interests you have
• what trying your best shows about your character. [25]
Space for your plan:
Write your speech:
Part 2: Fiction
Section A: Reading
Read the extract from ‘The Winter Oak’ by Yuri Nagibin, then answer questions 1–15.
Savushkin, a young boy who lives in rural Russia, is late for school because he has
been walking through the forest in the snow.
The Winter Oak

The piercing bell that announced the beginning of the school day had hardly
died down when Anna Vasilevna came into the class-room. The children
stood up in a friendly way to greet her, and then settled back into their
places. Quiet was not immediately established. There was a banging of desk
5 lids and a squeaking of benches and someone sighed noisily, apparently
bidding farewell to the serenity of the morning atmosphere.
‘Today we are going to continue learning about parts of speech.’
The class quietened down and a heavy lorry with a trailer could be heard
crawling along the road.
10 Anna Vasilevna remembered how last year she used to worry before a lesson,
and would repeat to herself like a schoolgirl at an examination, ‘The noun is
that part of speech…the noun is that part of speech…’. And she remembered
too how she used to be tormented by a ridiculous fear that perhaps they
would not understand her.
15 Anna Vasilevna smiled at this memory, pushed a hairpin back into her
heavy knot in her hair, and, conscious of the self-control which spread like
warmth through her whole body, began in a calm voice:
‘The word noun is used for that part of speech which is the subject. In
grammar the subject is what we call everything about which we can ask,
20 who is this, or what is this. For instance, “Who is this?” – “A pupil.” Or:
“What is this?” – “A book.”’
‘May I come in?’ A small figure in worn felt boots and covered in sparklets
of frost that were thawing and losing their brightness stood by the half
open door. The round face was burning and as red from the frost as if it
25 had been rubbed with beetroot.
‘Late again, Savushkin? Like most young teachers, Anna Vasilevna enjoyed
being stern, but on this occasion her question sounded plaintive.
Assuming that the schoolmistress’s words gave him permission to enter
the class-room, Savushkin quickly slipped into his place. Anna Vasilevna
30 saw the boy push his oil-cloth bag into his desk, and, without turning his
head, say something to his neighbour, presumably asking what she was
explaining.
Anna Vasilevna was disappointed by Savushkin’s lateness; it was an
unfortunate mishap spoiling a day that had begun well. She had had
35 complaints about Savushkin being late from the geography mistress, a
shrivelled little old woman who looked like a moth. Actually, she often
complained of noisy classes and inattentive pupils. ‘The first lesson is so
difficult,’ the old woman would sigh. ‘It is for those who cannot control
children and make the lesson interesting,’ Anna Vasilevna thought to
40 herself with self-assurance.
‘Do you all understand?’ Anna Vasilevna asked, addressing herself to the
class.
‘Yes, yes,’ chorused the children.
‘Good. Now give me some examples.’
45 There was absolute silence for some seconds and then someone said
uncertainly:
‘Cat.’
‘Right,’ said Anna Vasilevna, immediately remembering that last year the
first example had also been ‘cat’. And then there was an outburst.
50 ‘Window! Table! House! Road!
‘Right,’ Anna Vasilevna went on saying.
The class bubbled happily. Anna Vasilevna was surprised by the delight
with which the children named familiar objects. The range of examples
went on widening, but in the first minutes the children stuck to what was
55 closest to them – wheel, tractor, well, starling, house.
Then someone said timidly:
‘Town.’
‘Town, that’s good,’ said Anna Vasilevna approvingly.
And then the words began to fly:

60 ‘Street, metro, tram, film.’
‘That’s enough,’ said Anna Vasilevna, ‘I see you understand.’
Rather unwillingly, the voices fell silent. Suddenly, just as if he had woken
up out of a dream, Savushkin stood up on his desk and shouted out in a
ringing tone:
65 ‘Winter oak.’
The children began to laugh.
‘Quiet,’ said Anna Vasilevna, banging the table with her hand.
‘Winter oak,’ Savushkin repeated, noticing neither the laughter of his
schoolfellows, nor the teacher’s admonishment. He did not speak as the
70 other children had. The words were torn out of his soul, like a confession,
or a joyful secret which he could not keep from spilling out of his heart.
Not understanding his strange excitement, Anna Vasilevna hid her irritation
with difficulty, and said:
‘Sit down Savushkin; this is what happens when you are late. “Oak” is a
75 noun, and we have not yet come to what “winter” would be. Kindly come
and see me in the staff-room during break.’
1 What does the word ‘piercing’ (line 1) tell you about the sound of the bell ?
[1]
2 Give two examples of the noise in the classroom after Anna Vasilevna has entered.
 [2]
3 Give one word from the text that shows that the lorry was moving slowly (lines 8–9).
[1]
4 Look at lines 10–14. Explain, using your own words, how Anna Vasilevna’s feelings
about being a teacher have changed since the previous year.
She used to be
Now she is [2]
5 ‘A small figure in worn felt boots and covered in sparklets of frost that were thawing and
losing their brightness stood by the half open door. The round face was burning and as
red from the frost as if it had been rubbed with beetroot.’ (lines 22–25)
Suggest two ways the writer uses descriptive language to make Savushkin stand
out in these lines.
[2]
6 Why does Savushkin speak to his neighbour ‘without turning his head’ (lines 30–31)?
Tick () one box.
Because he doesn’t really like his neighbour.
Because he doesn’t want his teacher to know he is talking.
Because he is too shy to look at anyone in the class.
Because he is ashamed of being late to school. [1]
7 Explain, using your own words, why Anna Vasilevna is disappointed by Savushkin
arriving late to her class.
[1]
8 What literary technique is ‘little old woman who looked like a moth’ (line 36) an
example of?
Tick () one box.
alliteration simile
metaphor onomatopoeia [1]
9 Explain, using your own words, why Anna Vasilevna thinks that the geography teacher
finds her classes difficult. Give two reasons.
 [2]
10 Give one phrase from lines 41– 44 that shows you that the pupils all spoke at the
same time.
[1]
11 Suggest two ways the writer uses structure to build up a sense of excitement in
lines 50 –57.
Support each suggestion with a different quotation or example from the text.
[4]
12 Why does the pupil who suggests ‘town’ say it ‘timidly’ (line 56)?
[1]
13 Explain what the phrase ‘the words began to fly’ tells you about the class (line 59).
[1]
14 What does the phrase ‘ringing tone’ (line 64) tell you about the way that Savushkin
speaks ?
[1]
15 Use your own words to give two impressions of Savushkin’s character.

You should support each suggestion with a short quotation from the text.
[4]
Section B: Writing
1 Write a story about someone who arrives late to an important event.
You should consider:

• the person who is narrating the story
• the person who is late and why they have been delayed
• where the person is and where they are meant to be
• what happens as a result of the person being late. [25]
Space for your plan:
Write your story:

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CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 7: END-OF-YEAR TEST

Text A: The Ancient Olympic Games

Why did they end?

1 Where were the Olympic Games first held (lines 1–4)?

2 Where did Zeus live (lines 1–4)?

Tick () one box for each statement. True False

Only running races were included in the games.

There were no second- or third-place winners.

No women were allowed to watch the games. [3]

Text B: Rudolph ran and the world went wild

10 What is the main purpose of the first paragraph of Text B?

tick () one box.

to inform people about Wilma Rudolph’s career

to encourage people to take up sports

to show how fast Wilma Rudolph could run

to explain that Wilma Rudolph looked amazing [1]

13 Give one example from lines 8–9 of an extreme adjective.

14 What is ‘Honours kept flooding in…’ (line 23) an example of ?

Tick () one box.

metaphor onomatopoeia [1]

15 Make a list of Wilma Rudolph’s achievements.

16 Write a summary of up to 40 words about Wilma Rudolph’s achievements.

Space for your plan:

Write your speech:

The Winter Oak

And then the words began to fly:

Now she is [2]

Tick () one box.

Because he doesn’t really like his neighbour.

Because he doesn’t want his teacher to know he is talking.

Because he is too shy to look at anyone in the class.

Because he is ashamed of being late to school. [1]

Tick () one box.

metaphor onomatopoeia [1]

15 Use your own words to give two impressions of Savushkin’s character.

1 Write a story about someone who arrives late to an important event.

You should consider:

Space for your plan:

Write your story:

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