GRADE 7

TEXT A

He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they
love her. Sometimes those who love her say bad things of her but they are always said as
though she were a woman. Some of the younger fisherman, those who used buoys as
floats for their lines and had motor-boats, bought when the shark livers had brought much
money, spoke of her as el mar which is masculine. They spoke of her as a contestant or a
place or even an enemy. But the old man ALWAYS thought of her as feminine and as
something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was
because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

1. The narrator of the story intends to …

A. bring the readers closer to the character
B. convey the narrator’s personal view
C. recount his encounter with the old man
D. reveal the inner thoughts of the old man

2. Which of the following lines suggest a personification?

A. … she did wild or wicked things it was …
B. … spoke of her as el mar which is masculine …
C. … those who love her say bad things …
D. … the shark livers had brought much money …

3. The attitude of the old man towards the sea is …

A. complex and reverent
B. detached and formal
C. personal and gentle
D. reflective and sentimental

4. The line, the moon affects her, might reflect ….

A. a fact that moon is a special entity beyond one’s comprehension
B. a make-believe story that creates fear among the fisherman
C. an opinion that suggests the relationship of the old man with the woman
D. a slice of reality like whenever tides occur due to moon’s gravitational force
5. The subject of contention among the townspeople is …

A. the moon
B. the sea
C. the old man
D. the woman in general

TEXT B

I was quite happy in my new place, and if there was one thing that I missed it must not be
thought I was discontented; all who had to do with me were good and I had a light airy
stable and the best of food. What more could I want? Why, liberty! For three years and a
half of my life I had had all the liberty I could wish for; but now, week after week, month
after month, and no doubt year after year, I must stand up in a stable night and day except
when I am wanted, and then I must be just as steady and quiet as any old horse who has
worked twenty years. Straps here and straps there, a bit in my mouth, and blinkers over
my eyes. Now, I am not complaining, for I know it must be so. I only mean to say that for
a young horse full of strength and spirits, who has been used to some large field or
plainwhere he can fling up his head and toss up his tail and gallop away at full speed, then
round and back again with a snort to his companions -- I say it is hard never to have a bit
more liberty to do as you like. Sometimes, when I have had less exercise than usual, Ihave
felt so full of life and spring that when John has taken me out to exercise I really could not
keep quiet; do what I would, it seemed as if I must jump, or dance, or prance, and many a
good shake I know I must have given him, especially at the first; but he was always good
and patient.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

6. What does the narrator wish to regain?

A. companion
B. freedom
C. old home
D. youthful days

7. How does the narrator feel about his current state?

A. confused on what is expected from him
B. contented that he works hard enough
C. nostalgic as if longing for something
D. respectful towards his comrades and master
8. Based on the elements present in the text, what text type is the given excerpt?
A. cause-effect
B. enumeration
C. narrative
D. problem-solution

9. Which of the following statements is true based on the excerpt?

A. The character has been doing the same routine for almost twenty years.
B. The narrator reminisces his youthful days.
C. The problem posed by the character is his suffocating relationship with his master.
D. The setting is at the stable where the narrator’s companions reside as well.
TEXT C

[….]
Light is the power to dispel darkness.

You have this power to move back the darkness in yourself and in others–with the
birth of light created when one mind illuminates another, when one heart kindles
another, when one man strengthens another.

And its flame also enlarges within you as you pass on!

Throughout the history, ... Children of Darkness

have tried to smother this passage of light from man to man

Throughout the history; Dictators, large and small, have tried- ... to
darken, ...to diminish, ...and to separate men by force! But... always in the
end, ... they fail!

For always somewhere in the world the Light remains!

... ready to burn its brightest where it is dark;
... a Light that began when God created the world!

[….]

The Eternal Light by Dr. Jose Rizal

10. The major aim of the poet is to ….

A. describe the contrasting power of light and darkness
B. establish that the good will always triumph over evil
C. explain the source of light
D. recount the gloomy and tragic events in the past
11. Based on the details mentioned in the poem, what would most likely will
happen to the children of darkness?

A. Although they seem weaker, they will linger.

B. They will perish and be overpowered.
C. There will come a time when they will succeed.
D. They will rule over to prove their worth.

12. The light described in this poem refers to ….

A. the power of the people to overthrow tyrant

B. the divine light that became the source of life
C. one’s intellectual capacity that can enlighten the lost and confused
D. unmasking of the injustice and corruption of dictators

13. What does the author wish to convey to his readers?

A. inform his readers about the power struggle between light and darkness
B. compel his readers to believe on what they can do to end the darkness
C. warn his readers about the looming darkness
D. inspire his readers to make the right choice

TEXT D

First, a poem must be magical Then

musical as a seagull.
It must be a brightness moving
And hold secret a bird’s flowering
It must be slender as a bell,
And it must hold fire as well.
It must have the wisdom of bows And it
must kneel like a rose.
It must be able to hear
The luminance of dove and deer.
It must be able to hide
What it seeks, like a bride.
And over all I would like to hover
God, smiling from the poem’s cover

A Poem Must Be Magical by Jose Garcia Villa

14. The words magical, musical and moving describe what a poem should be.
What sound device is used in the given words?

A. assonance
B. alliteration
C. consonance
D. onomatopoeia

15. What does the persona speak about?

A. the essential characteristics of a poem
B. the reason why poem is difficult to develop
C. the resemblance of a poem to nature
D. the uniqueness of his poem from other poems

16. All of the following are comparisons used by the poet to express his message
except …

A. bell
B. God
C. seagull
D. rose

17. What might be the reason that a poem must be musical?

A. Some poems have meter and rhyme.
B. Poems are originally intended to be sung.
C. The persona dedicates the poem to his bride.
D. Poem has stronger impact when created with melody.

TEXT E
It was very warm. The sun, up above a sky that was all blue and tremendous and beckoning
to birds ever on the wing, shone bright as if determined to scorch everything under heaven,
even the low, square nipa house that stood in unashamed relief against the gray green
haze of grass and leaves.

It was a lonely dwelling, located far from its neighbors, which were huddled close to one
another as if for mutual comfort. It was flanked on both sides by tan, slender bamboo trees
which rustled plaintively under a gentle wind.

‘The Small Key’ by Paz Latorena

 18. Where might this story have happened?

A. Beside the ocean

B. In the middle of the city
C. In a field
D. Along the road

19. What might be the season of the year when this story took place?
A. Rainy
B. Summer
C. Cold
D. Spring

20. Which of the following lines uses alliteration that evokes a clear image?

A. … a lonely dwelling, located far from its neighbors …

B. … against the gray green haze of grass and leaves …
C. …huddled close to one another as if for mutual comfort …
D. … tremendous and beckoning to birds ever on the wing …

21. What emotional effect does the passage create to the readers?

A. calm and peaceful

B. gloomy and mysterious
C. confining and tense
D. dreamy and satisfied

TEXT F

Travel has become the great Filipino dream. In the same way that an American dream of
becoming a millionaire or an English boy dreams of going to one of the great universities,
the Filipino dreams of going abroad. His most constant vision is that of himself as tourist.

To visit Hongkong, Tokyo and other cities of Asia, perchance, to catch a glimpse of Rome,
Paris or London and to go to America (even if only for a week in a fly-specked motel in
California) is the sum of all delights.

Consider the Pinoy abroad. He has discarded barong tagalong or "polo" for a sleek, dark
Western suit. He takes to the habiliments from Hongkong, Brooks Brothers or Savile Row
with the greatest of ease. He has also shed the casual informality of manner that is
characteristically Filipino. He gives himself the airs of a cosmopolite to the credit-card born.
He is extravagantly courteous (specially in a borrowed language) and has taken to hand-
kissing and to plenty of American "D'you minds?"

[…]
After a few days of these debacles, the Pinoy, sick with longing, decides to comb the
strange city for a Chinese restaurant, the closest thing to the beloved gastronomic county.
There, in the company of other Asian exiles, he will put his nose finally in a bowl of rice
and find it more fragrant than an English rose garden, more exciting than a castle on the
Rhine and more delicious than pink champagne.

Where’s the Patis by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil

22. What reality is described in the given excerpt?

A. Filipinos love to travel around the globe.

B. There are many Filipinos working abroad.
C. The best thing in life is becoming a tourist.
D. There are more beautiful places abroad than Philippines.

23. Considering the subject of the essay, what type of text is developed by the
author?

A. Compare and contrast

B. Descriptive
C. Narrative
D. Problem-solution

24. Which of the following is the significant point of view expressed by the
author about the Filipino?

A. Chinese culture is closely linked with the Filipino culture.

B. Filipinos like Americans share the same travel goals.
C. Since Filipinos can adapt easily, they tend to forget their culture.
D. In spite of the delightful experience abroad, Filipinos still miss the cuisine from
their native land.

25. What does the title of the essay signify?

A. Filipinos miss the delicacy and culture of their country.

B. Filipino dish is incomplete without the common condiment, patis.
C. Filipinos can speak English better than other Asian countries.
D. Regardless of whereabouts, Filipino’s culture is dominant and unique
compared to others.