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Thrive in Knowledge, Thrive in Life

MILLENNIUM GLOBAL NAIROBI

END TERM EXAMINATIONS
March 2021

ORDINARY LEVEL
YEAR 7
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
2 HOURS

NAME:_________________________
SIGNATURE:___________________

Answer all questions

Write your answers on the spaces provided.

You are reminded of the necessity for good English and orderly
presentation in your answers.

Mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling will be penalized.

 Year 7 English
Term 2, End-of-term Test

Name:

Class: Date:

Section A: Reading
The extract below retells the story of an ancient
Greek myth from the perspective of one of its
characters. Read the extract and then answer the
questions that follow it.

1 Honestly, talk about fake news! It’s nothing new.

I’ve just heard that Theseus has arrived home in
Athens and is being hailed as a great hero. Well,
I’m glad he’s back safely, but the stories that are
5 being told about him seem to get further and further
from the truth. I suppose that’s the problem with
storytelling – everyone puts their own spin on things.
Fact and fiction seem to get more and more muddled
and unravelling them is like trying to untangle an
10 impossible knot.
It sounds like he’s doing a great job as the new
ruler of Athens. He’s building palaces, uniting the
people and making reforms. He’s also getting huge
praise for heroically defeating the terrible monster in
15 my dad’s basement – the dreaded minotaur. Well, it
wasn’t really Theseus’s bravery that did it. It was
me – using a bit of common sense. One of the
problems with the minotaur was finding it.

1
 My dad’s basement is huge – it’s like a maze and no
20 one seems to have the original building plan, so once
you are in, you can’t get out of it again. It runs for
acres under our palace at Knossos. Anyway, so many
people disappeared that it became quite a challenge
for anyone to come out alive again.
25 Of course, Theseus was up for a challenge.
Anything to make him more popular and earn his
dad’s approval. I saw my opportunity as soon as
I met him. We were both ambitious and had clear
aims. He needed fame and I needed to escape. Being
30 Princess Ariadne is nowhere near as much fun as
people think. It’s true you have wealth and status,
but you can’t do what you want to, go where you
want to, or be friends with the people you want to.
So, we hatched a plan.
35 I gave Theseus a ball of thread and held onto the
end. The thread slowly unravelled as he made his way
down into the depths of the labyrinth. After the battle
with the minotaur, he simply wound up the thread as
he followed it back, and re-emerged victorious. News
40 spread like wildfire – the dreaded minotaur was dead,
and Theseus was the bravest, cleverest, most noble
hero… you get the picture. As part of the deal, he
took me with him to Naxos, one of the most beautiful
islands in the Aegean Sea. I wasn’t supposed to leave
45 Knossos, but I was tired of doing what everyone
else wanted. I wanted to be with my friends, and
Naxos was where I’d find them – so Naxos was our
destination.
I’m still here, and having a wonderful time. But now
50 I’m hearing rumours that Theseus abandoned me and
that, apparently, I wanted to stay with him forever.
Well, it’s simply not true. In fact, he was the one who
tried to persuade me to go with him to Athens – but
I don’t want to be royalty. I want to be free to be

2
55 just me. I won’t contradict the story, though. I don’t
want any attention. I’ll let the ‘news’ and stories build
themselves. Sometimes it’s better that way.

Glossary
acres: a large area (one acre is equivalent to over
4,000 square metres)
minotaur: monster with the body of a man and the
head of a bull, described in ancient Greek myths

3
1 According to the extract, which of these statements
is true? Tick one box.

A All stories should be believed.

B Everything you hear or read about

Theseus is true.

C Stories and news can change as they

are retold.

D All news and stories are fake.

1

2 Look again at this section of the text:

Well, I’m glad he’s back safely, but the stories that are
being told about him seem to get further and further
from the truth. I suppose that’s the problem with
storytelling – everyone puts their own spin on things.
Fact and fiction seem to get more and more muddled
and unravelling them is like trying to untangle an
impossible knot.

Give the two things that the writer describes as being

tangled in a knot.
1

5
3 Look again at this section of the text:

It sounds like he’s doing a great job as the new ruler

of Athens. He’s building palaces, uniting the people
and making reforms. He’s also getting huge praise for
heroically defeating the terrible monster in my dad’s
basement – the dreaded minotaur.

Give three pieces of information about what Theseus has

done since returning to Athens.
1

6
4 Look again at this section of the text:

One of the problems with the minotaur was finding it.

My dad’s basement is huge – it’s like a maze and no
one seems to have the original building plan, so once
you are in, you can’t get out of it again. It runs for
acres under our palace at Knossos. Anyway, so many
people disappeared that it became quite a challenge
for anyone to come out alive again.

a) In your own words, explain why so many people

disappeared when looking for the minotaur.

b) Give evidence from the text to support your ideas.

7
5 Look again at this section of the text:

I saw my opportunity as soon as I met him.

a) What does this statement suggest about Ariadne?

A She recognised Theseus as soon as

she saw him.

B She wanted to meet Theseus as

soon as possible.

C She wanted to spend the rest of

her life with Theseus.

D She realised she could benefit from

Theseus’s presence.

b) Give evidence from the text to support your

answer.

8
6 Look again at this section of the text:

It’s true you have wealth and status, but you can’t do
what you want to, go where you want to, or be friends
with the people you want to.

a) Which answer best describes this sentence?

A It is a complex sentence, containing

multiple ideas linked with
conjunctions.

B It is a simple sentence, containing

one main idea and no conjunctions.

C It is a short sentence that is used

for impact.

D It is a simple sentence containing

multiple ideas but no conjunctions.

b) Identify two conjunctions in this sentence.

1

9
7 Look again at this section of the text:

I gave Theseus a ball of thread and held onto the end.

The thread slowly unravelled as he made his way
down into the depths of the labyrinth. After the battle
with the minotaur, he simply wound up the thread as
he followed it back, and re-emerged victorious.

a) Which word emphasises the extent of the tunnels

in the labyrinth?

b) Explain in your own words how Theseus used

the ball of thread.

10
8 Look again at this section of the text:

I’m still here, and having a wonderful time. But now

I’m hearing rumours that Theseus abandoned me and
that, apparently, I wanted to stay with him forever.
Well, it’s simply not true. In fact, he was the one who
tried to persuade me to go with him to Athens – but I
don’t want to be royalty. I want to be free to be just me.

a) What is the rumour that Ariadne has heard?

b) Give two pieces of evidence from the text that

show the rumour to be untrue.
1

11
9 Why do you think the writer retold this ancient Greek
myth from Ariadne’s point of view? Tick one box.

A The writer knows the truth about what

actually happened.

B The writer wants to show that not all

stories and news are true.

C The writer wants to show that Theseus

was a liar.

D The writer likes retelling ancient

Greek myths.
1

Total for section A = 19 marks

12
 Section B: Writing

10 Retell a familiar traditional story, or a part of a

traditional story. It could be an ancient myth or
legend, a fairy tale or a folk tale.
You could:
• use one of the characters to tell the story
• add something new to the story to interest the
reader
• end the story in a new way
• use some of the traditional elements of the story
• emphasise a message that is relevant to
modern life.

13
14
15
 20

Total for section B = 20 marks

16
SECTION C: GRAMMAR
1.Choose the Appropriate word or phrase to complete the sentence(2mks)

I don’t have ……………………. much time for reading………………I would like

A) a/as
B) more/than
C)so/that
D)too/that
E) such/that
My students’ sleepless night became …………….as the finals approached
A) so frequently
B) more frequent
C) as frequent
D) much more frequently
E) far more frequent than

2.Complete the following sentences with comparative or superlative forms of the given
words.(3mks)

This problem is …………………………………………… that problem. (easy)

Sam is ………………………………………………… boy in our class. (tall)

My brother is ………………………………………… my sister. (fat)

3.Choose the appropriate options to complete the sentences (2mks)

I have never owned ----------- independent cat before!

A. a more than
B. such an
C.so
D.as much an
E as such

Ryan has been working ------- since he was promoted.

A .such a
B. so
C. more and more
D. just as
E. more than
4.Choose the correct tense to go in the gap.(2mks)

When you phoned, I ……………….. a shower.

A.was having

B.am having

C.had

If you had arrived late, I ………………….. angry.

A.had been

B.would have been

C.will have been

5.Use the correct possessive

The dog and the cat are having ……………………….. milk. 1mk

A. theirs

B. them

C. their

6.Place the apostrophe in its correct place(2mks)

All the competitors numbers were printed upside down.

Are you sure you havent heard about the new policy?

7.Punctuate the sentence correctly

The basketball team brought balls, shoes, and snacks and they played, ran, and ate.
A. brought: balls
B. they: played
C. snack; and
D. snacks: and 1mk
8.Insert appropriate verb forms in the blanks.

It was John who …………………… the police.

A. alert

B .alerts

C. alerted 1mk

(TOTALFOR SECTION C=14 MKS)

SECTION D: POETRY
The Loner
By Julie Holder
He leans against the playground wall,
Smacks his hands against the bricks
And other boredom-beating tricks,
Traces patterns with his feet,
Scuffs to make the tarmac squeak,
Back against the wall he stays -
And never plays.
The playground's quick with life,
The beat is strong.
Though sharp as a knife
Strife doesn't last long.
There is shouting, laughter, song,
And a place at the wall
For who won't belong.
We pass him running, skipping, walking,
In slow huddled groups, low talking.
Each in our familiar clique
We pass him by and never speak,
His loneness is his shell and shield
And neither he nor we will yield.
He wasn't there at the wall today,
Someone said he moved away
To another school and place
And on the wall where he used to lean
Someone had chalked
'watch this space'.
QUESTIONS:
1. Fact and Detail (FD)
In the second stanza, the poet points out that the playground is...
a. full of activity.
b. a violent place.
c. uninviting.
d. extensive. (2mks)

2. Word in Context (WC)

The poet used the word 'clique' in the third stanza. This means...
a. class.
b. group.
c. grade.
d. club. (2mks)

3. Figurative Language (FL)

Which of the following is an example of a metaphor?
a. 'Traces patterns with his feet'
b. 'His loneness is his shell and shield'
c. 'The beat is strong'
d. 'Strife doesn't last long' (2mks)

4. Comparing and Contrasting (CC)

The poet uses the simile 'sharp as a knife' to describe...
a. the classroom.
b. the uniform.
c. short lived strife in the playground.
d. the loner. (2mks)

5. Main Idea (MI)

What is the main idea of the poem?
a. There will always be people who are excluded by others.
b. Friendships do not last forever.
c. In life it is important to be independent.
d. Playgrounds can be unpredictable places. (2mks)

6. Meaning in Context (MC)

In the second stanza, the apostrophe in the word 'playground's' is
used...
a. to show possession.
b. because the word ends in 's'.
c. because there is more than one playground.
d. to show that a letter has been omitted. (2mks)
7. Prediction (P)
Predict what would have occurred if the boy had not moved away.

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

………………………….(3mks)

8. Figurative Language (FL)

Which of these contains an example of alliteration?
a. ‘And other boredom-beating tricks’
b. 'There is shouting, laughter, song’
c. 'For who won't belong’
d. 'We pass him, running, skipping, walking' (3mks)

9. Facts and Details (FD)

What does the boy scuff?
……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..

(3mks)
10. Conclusion and Inferences (CI)
The poet suggests that the person who wrote 'watch this space'...
……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………….…

(3mks)

11. Author’s Purpose (AP)

This poem is an example of a...
a. ballad.
b. descriptive poem.
c. haiku.
d. cinquain. (2mks)

12. Cause and Effect (CE)

Why does the boy adopt 'boredom-beating tricks'?
……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………......................................

(3mks)

SECTION D = 29 MARKS