Foundation Skills Assessment

Reading Comprehension
Grade 7 Sample Test

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GRADE 7 READING COMPREHENSION SAMPLE

(45 minutes)

Directions to the Student

There are four reading passages, 20 multiple-choice questions, and one written-response question in this Booklet. Read each passage and question carefully. The numbers in the left margin next to passages tell you where to find information. Every fifth paragraph is numbered 5, 10, 15, and so on. For poetry, every fifth line is numbered 5, 10, 15, and so on. Multiple-Choice Questions (1 mark each) 1. Decide the best answer to each question. 2. On the multiple-choice response form, use an HB pencil to fill in the bubble for the answer you think is correct. 3. If you decide to change an answer, completely erase your first answer. Written-Response Question (4 marks) 1. Write your answers clearly in the space provided in the Booklet, using a blue or black pen. 2. You will score four marks by giving a complete, correct, and clear answer using details from the passage. 3. If you use unacceptable language or content, you may be given a zero for your answer.

Grade 7 Reading Comprehension Sample

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This passage is an excerpt from an adventure story. Brian and Derek have met with an accident and are stranded in a remote area. To make matters worse, Derek has been injured and is now in a coma.

The River
by Gary Paulsen He had noticed it before, of coursewhen they went over the map in his house and when they had first landed. But in the largeness of the country shown on the map, the massive forest the map showed, the river was a small thing, and he had negated it. It wound out the bottom of the lake, the southern end, and headed southeast down into the lakes below and was lost, and he had not followed it except to note the name. The Necktie River. Isnt that a funny name, his mother had said, and Derek had laughed.
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There are lakes named Eunice, or Bootsockthere are so many lakes and rivers, the original mapmakers just made up names as they went. The person drawing the map was probably wearing a tie and thought it would make a good name. Many of them arent named at alljust numbered. The Necktie River, Brian saw, led south and down and drew his eyes away from the lake. The map was laid out in square five-thousand-meter gridsfive-kilometer squaresand he saw that in some places the river wound back almost on itself inside the same five thousand square meters. But in other places it ran straight for a considerable distance and he followed it, through smaller lakes and what he thought must be swamps, through the darker green portions that meant heavier forest. It kept going south to the edge of the map, where it was folded, and he unfolded the next section and spread it in the sun. He did not know why the river drew him, pulled at him. Then, halfway though the second page, he saw it. The river had grown all along, gotten wider so that it made a respectable blue cut across the map and where it made a large bend, cutting back nearly straight east, there was a small circle drawn and the words:

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Brannock Trading Post.

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Leading away from Brannocks Post there was a double line heading down and to the southwest. When he found the symbol for the double line on the maps legend he saw that it stood for an improved gravel road. There would be people there. Right there, on the map, at Brannocks Trading Post there would be people. They wouldnt have a road or name the place or make it a dot on the map unless there were people there. A trading post would have people. Which, Brian thought, doesnt mean a thing.
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He wasnt at Brannocks Trading Post. He was here. Yet he couldnt take his eyes off the spot on the map. It was there, on the same mapjust there. And he refolded the map so it would show the lake where they were and the trading post at the same time. He used his fingers to make a divider and measured it straight down, but it didnt mean anything. Then he remembered that the grids stood for five kilometers each, and when he counted the numbers of grids between the lake and Brannocks he came up with about sixteen squares. So how far is that? he said to Derek. Five times sixteenmaybe eighty, eighty-five kilometers. But that was straightin a straight line southeast.

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The river was nowhere near straight, looping back and forth and actually flowing slightly north back along itself at one point. He started counting, measuring the river as it turned through each fivekilometer square, marking each ten kilometers in the dirt with a line through it, then the next set of ten. It was involved and took him some time, but finally he was done. He counted them. One hundred and fifty kilometers, he said. One point six kilometers to a mile. Just under a hundred miles. He looked at Derek, who did not move, who made no sign.

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There are people just under a hundred miles from here. But what good did that do? Here it isI could leave you and try to follow the river out and bring help back.

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Which, he thought, sounded insane. There were animals. They would come, and if they thought Derek was dead. He was defenseless. They might attack him. Even small thingsants, bugs. I cant leave you.
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Brian looked at the map again. It was there, the answer was there. Brannocks Trading Post was the answer and the river was the answer, but he didnt see how. He couldnt leave Derek. He couldnt leave Derek. What if he took Derek with him? He said it aloud. What if we went out together?

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On the face of it, it sounded like madness. Haul a man in a coma nearly a hundred miles out of the wilderness on a river. You could say that, Brian thought, but there was a lot of difference between saying it and doing it. How could he? The river. If he had a boator a raft. If he made a raft and put Derek on the raft, there might be a way he could make the run1 and take Derek out, get him to the trading post and to help.

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And even as he said it he knew it was crazy. A hundred miles on a wilderness river with a raft, hauling a grown man who would be nothing but dead weight, was impossible. He would have dropped it, except that he looked up from the map and saw the truth then; looked up and saw Derek with his eyes half open and not seeing, awake but not truly living, the minutes of his life moving past and Brian knew that he really didnt have any choice. If he stayed Derek would die of thirst in two, perhaps three days. Well before the week or ten days that would pass before the pilot came looking to see what happened. If he stayed, Derek would die. If he made the run, took Derek down the river, at least there was a chance.

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He had no choice.

1run: taking a boat, raft, or canoe down a river

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1. What is the central problem in this passage? A. B. C. D. how to save a friends life how to navigate a wilderness river how to attract the attention of a pilot how to identify a populated area on a map

2. What does the double line symbol on the map legend represent? A. B. C. D. a river a swamp a gravel road a trading post

3. What was the main reason that the winding course of the river was a problem for Brian? A. B. C. D. It was harder to navigate. The map was laid out in grids. It was farther to travel to reach safety. It would take longer for his rescuers to reach them.

4. Why was Brannocks Trading Post the answer? A. B. C. D. Brian could buy a river raft. There would be people there. Brian could get supplies there. There would be an airstrip where the pilot could land.

5. Why is the river important? A. B. C. D. It leads to safety. It is extremely scenic. It has an unusual name. It is the only available source of drinking water.

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6. In any good story, the setting (place/time) helps develop the readers interest. Explain how the setting of this story makes the passage more interesting. (4 marks)

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This poem describes some of the unusual characteristics of the harbour seal.

Hearing
by David Bouchard As you walk along the ocean And peer out toward the water And you see a log thats floating Look again, it might be me.
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Come right down into the harbor, But be quick, I must keep moving. I am one the orcas hunting, And he frequently swims here. Like the orca, I send signals, Only mine sound much like clicking. They bounce back with a clear message: Is it time to flee or eat?

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It would serve me if you showed Them How I dive into the ocean. 15 How the channels to my ears fill And then serve me like a drum That amplifies the slightest sound Thats how I hear in water. Theres more that makes me special. I can hear on land as well. They have surely heard me talking With my friends out on their shores.

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Come and look across your harbor. Im here peeking. Can you see me? 25 Please be quick. I must keep moving. Now you see me, now you dont.

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7. Who is the seal speaking to in this poem? A. B. C. D. an orca a person its friends another seal

8. What does the seal say it might be mistaken for? A. B. C. D. a log a drum an orca a human

9. Why must the seal keep moving? A. B. C. D. to send signals to hunt and eat to hear in water to avoid the orca

10. What sound does the seal make? A. B. C. D. talking clicking whistling drumming

11. Which of the following strategies does the seal use to avoid the orca? A. B. C. D. diving camouflage listening to other seals using its ability to hear on land

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Read the passage to learn about the process of creating a totem pole.

Totem Poles
by Pat Kramer
Carving a Totem Pole

Totem poles are first planned in meetings between the artist / carver, the poles commissioning body1, and elders (if necessary). A place to carve the pole must be arranged and a lumber company consulted to provide a clear tree. Clear trees have few knots or imperfections. In some cases, the carver will travel into the woods to inspect the tree before it is cut down and occasionally, the carver personally fells the tree. Meanwhile, design preliminaries are made on paper and the design is repeatedly brought to its owner for approval. The design is finalized.

Sometimes a small model of the pole is carved to see how each figure will be integrated into the total design. Workers prepare blocks to elevate the log to a convenient horizontal height for the carvers to work without bending. Totem pole carving tools, custom-made for the purpose, are sharpened. All is made ready for the arrival of the log. The tree is delivered to the carving shed, where it is debarked and tested for imperfections. Some trees contain hollow centres that lie undetected. These must be uncovered and repaired, or the log is rejected. Once the outer bark is removed, the wood is given a cursory2 smoothing. Sometimes elders are called in to say prayers over the log and ask it to release its spirit to the carvers. The artist or master carver draws the outlines of the approved design onto the wood and the sapwood is feathered away. The tree is very fragrant at this time and its heady aroma fills the carving shed. Carvers now begin to sing songs to the log and talk to it as they work. The figures begin to emerge from the wood.
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Most carvers begin from the bottom of the pole, moving gradually to the top. Bottom figures are carefully detailed because observers see these figures

1commissioning body: the group of

2cursory: quick; not thorough

people who have asked for the work to be done

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close-up. The flow of the design between characters is sometimes revised from the original plan. The master carver chops out the rough forms, then discusses the overall concept with each of the new apprentices as they arrive. Morale is a matter for the master carver, who is expected to inspire the team. A team of apprentice carvers now arrives to help with the carving, and they begin to work under the guidance and inspiration of the master carver. The bottom end of the pole and important details are finished by the master, while the outlines and top end of the pole are completed by the apprentices. Finally, the shapes are refined and the final form of the finished pole is evident. Various finishing techniques are applied, attention being paid to each detail: the tail of Beaver is cross-

hatched; each eye is carefully delineated3. Carvers work in teams of one to three persons and take frequent breaks. Small poles take two or three months; large poles up to eight or nine months to finish. The duration of the project is determined by the length of the pole and the money available to pay the carvers. Paint is applied, if necessary, and arrangements for the raising ceremony are made. Incising 4 and other details are added with the approval of the master carver. At this point, some poles are washed and cleansed.

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Finally, the pole lies in wait for its moment of glorythe raising ceremony.
3delineated: outlined; traced 4incising: cutting

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12. According to the article, why might a tree be rejected? A. B. C. D. It has a heady aroma. Its spirit cannot be released. Its outer bark has been removed. Its imperfections cannot be repaired.

13. Why does the master carver concentrate on the bottom section of the pole? A. B. C. D. The bottom figures are more closely viewed. The pole is too long to be completed by only one person. The master carver is focused on inspiring the apprentices. Only the apprentices are expected to climb to the top of the pole.

14. Which statement is true about the apprentices? A. B. C. D. They work in teams. They revise the original plans. They say prayers over the log. They draft preliminary designs.

15. According to the article, which of the following actions completes the sequence? (Mark your answer on the multiple-choice response form. Do not fill in the box below.)

finalizing the design

praying over the log

refining the shapes

A. B. C. D.

carving the log chopping rough shapes releasing the trees spirit preparing the carving tools

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16. Which word best describes the process of carving a totem pole? A. B. C. D. cursory individual cooperative spontaneous

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In this excerpt from a novel by Canadian writer W.D. Valgardson, three family members have discovered an old family trunk.

Frances
by W.D. Valgardson The trunk sat in the middle of the living room on newspapers her mother had spread out to keep the dust off her carpets. They tried to force the lid open but no matter how they pulled or pried, it stayed stubbornly shut. There must be a way, Mom said. Theres no lock and no place to put a lock so the lock must be in the box itself. They wiped the box, getting every speck of dust and cobweb off it. Then they studied it from every direction. It wasnt a particularly beautiful box. It was longer than it was wide. It had a slightly rounded top. There were two ribs in the top. The sides were roughly carved with horses.
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Interesting carvings, Gran said. They show the integrity of the carver. Theres no concern for the marketplace. Folk art is in, Mom replied. Hand-crafted. It should be worth quite a lot. Frances ran her fingers lightly over the horses. They were wonderful. No details, just the outline of horses running freely like unfettered spirits. The numbers, 1873, were not, as theyd first thought, part of the lid, but each number was fixed in place with a single brass bolt. The trunk had been painted blue and the numbers red. Now most of the paint had faded away. Well have another look at it in the morning, Mom finally said. I need to put myself together. Frances woke up while it was still dark. She looked at her bedside clock. Four a.m. She lay in bed and listened to the waves on the beach. That was one of the best things about the cottage. She loved going to sleep to the sound of the waves and waking up to the sound of the waves.

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As she lay there, she could see the box, just as if it was sitting in front of her except that she was staring at the ceiling. She turned it around in her head, the way she could turn pictures of objects around on the computer. There was a mystery to it, and she loved mysteries. When she grew up, she thought she might be a detective or a coroner or an anthropologistsomeone who was always trying to find answers.

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Why do you want to know the answers to everything? her mother often chided her. I dont know, Frances replied. I just do. Questions need to be answered. Her mother thought it was all nonsense. The only thing she wanted to know was who wanted to sell a house and who wanted to buy one.
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Frances slipped out of bed and crept into the living room To her surprise, her gran was sitting there staring at the box. Frances sat down on the floor beside her. This was my grans, Fjola whispered. Id forgotten all about it. The last time I saw it must have been when I was your age. My great-great-grandmothers, Frances said. She leaned forward and put her arms around the front of the box as if she were hugging it. She brought it out from Iceland with her. Imagine being thirteen and putting all your worldly goods in a box and then getting on a boat and traveling half the world to start a new life. There was the smallpox, Frances said. Shed heard that story. About everybody dying of smallpox.

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That was before, Gran said. She didnt come out with the first settlers. The smallpox had come and gone and there was a settlement and some farms. Thered been flooding and terrible weather. A lot of the first settlers went to the Dakotas. Her father and aunt took over an abandoned farmstead. They sat there in silence, listening to the waves, but Frances wasnt really hearing the water lapping on the shore. She was staring at the box, turning it this way and that in her mind. She leaned forward, put her hand on the first number and twisted. She felt it give a little. She turned it harder and it stiffly moved to an angle. Then she did the same with the other three numbers. This time when they pulled on the lid, it came up easily.

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17. What is the main appeal of the box to Frances? A. B. C. D. It is mysterious. It may contain treasure. It is ornate and beautiful. It is a highly valuable antique.

18. What do the interesting carvings on the trunk indicate? A. B. C. D. the age of the box the beauty of the box the identity of the carver the integrity of the carver

19. Why does Mother believe that the box is worth a lot of money? A. B. C. D. Folk art is very popular. Old trunks are valuable antiques. The beauty of the box is appealing. The interesting carvings are remarkable.

20. In her imagination, to what does Frances compare the image of the box? A. B. C. D. Frances dreams mysterious questions memories of long ago objects turning on a computer screen

21. Who originally owned the box? A. B. C. D. Fjola Frances Frances mother Frances great-great-grandmother

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Acknowledgments

The River, by Gary Paulsen. The River. Delacorte Press, 1991. pp. 7780. Hearing, by David Bouchard. Voices From the Wild: An Animal Sensagoria. Chronicle Books, 1996. p. 53. Totem Poles, by Pat Kramer. Totem Poles. Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd. 1998. pp. 5657. Frances, by W.D. Valgardson. Frances. Groundwood Books / Douglas & McIntyre, 2000. pp. 1821.