English Language Arts 7 (Grade 7) Midterm — Units 5–6

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. Which is the best revision of this wordy sentence? "Due to the fact that it was raining outside, the game was postponed until a later time."
   1. A. Because it was raining, the game was postponed.
   2. B. Due to the fact of rain outside, the game was postponed until later.
   3. C. It was raining outside, and due to that fact the game was postponed until a later time.
   4. D. The game, due to the fact that it rained, was postponed later.
2. Which of these is the best way to judge whether a website is credible?
   1. A. Check whether it has bright colors and pictures
   2. B. Check whether it appears first in search results
   3. C. Check who wrote it, their expertise, and when it was published
   4. D. Check whether it agrees with your opinion
3. What is the main purpose of a citation?
   1. A. To give credit to a source and help readers find it
   2. B. To replace the conclusion
   3. C. To make an essay longer
   4. D. To show the writer's opinion
4. Which transition best shows contrast?
   1. A. Similarly,
   2. B. Nevertheless,
   3. C. Furthermore,
   4. D. For instance,
5. What is plagiarism?
   1. A. Using someone else's words or ideas without giving credit
   2. B. Asking a librarian for help finding sources
   3. C. Summarizing a source and citing it
   4. D. Quoting a source with quotation marks and a citation
6. When using a direct quotation, a writer must
   1. A. change the words to sound more formal
   2. B. use the source's exact words in quotation marks and give credit
   3. C. leave out the author's name
   4. D. combine it with the writer's own opinion inside the quotation marks
7. Which source would be most useful for an essay on how video games affect teen sleep?
   1. A. A blog post about a gamer's favorite games
   2. B. A movie review of a film about video games
   3. C. A medical journal article on screen time and teen sleep
   4. D. A video game company's ad for a new game
8. Which sentence best fits the formal style of a research essay?
   1. A. The evidence suggests that the policy reduced waste.
   2. B. This policy is totally awesome.
   3. C. The policy was great, no joke.
   4. D. Honestly, the policy kinda worked.
9. Which is the best-focused research question?
   1. A. Are animals interesting?
   2. B. How does plastic pollution affect sea turtles?
   3. C. What is the ocean?
   4. D. Do you like sea turtles?
10. In an argument essay, reasons and evidence are used to
    1. A. support the claim
    2. B. describe the setting
    3. C. introduce a new topic
    4. D. replace the counterclaim
11. In literature, a symbol is
    1. A. a direct statement of the theme
    2. B. an object or image that stands for a larger idea
    3. C. a pause in the middle of a line
    4. D. a word that sounds like what it means
12. In poetry, meter is
    1. A. the poem's main message
    2. B. the repeated sounds at the ends of lines
    3. C. the number of stanzas in a poem
    4. D. the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
13. How many lines does a traditional sonnet have?
    1. A. Twelve
    2. B. Ten
    3. C. Sixteen
    4. D. Fourteen
14. Read the sentence: "Her backpack was so heavy she felt like Atlas holding up the sky." The reference to Atlas is an example of
    1. A. alliteration
    2. B. allusion
    3. C. oxymoron
    4. D. onomatopoeia
15. A refrain in a poem is
    1. A. a line that does not rhyme
    2. B. a line or phrase repeated at intervals
    3. C. the first line of the poem
    4. D. the title of the poem
16. Read the poem: "My worries are a flock of crows / that circle overhead at night; / they caw and tumble, come and go, / and scatter with the morning light." What does the comparison suggest about the speaker's worries?
    1. A. They are pleasant and easy to ignore.
    2. B. They are caused by birds near the speaker's home.
    3. C. They grow stronger every morning.
    4. D. They feel loud and restless at night but fade by morning.
17. Which phrase is an oxymoron?
    1. A. Deafening silence
    2. B. Rushing river
    3. C. Gentle breeze
    4. D. Bright sunshine
18. Which line uses imagery that appeals mainly to the sense of smell?
    1. A. The cold metal railing stung my bare hands.
    2. B. Thunder rumbled loudly over the hills.
    3. C. The red and gold leaves glowed in the sunlight.
    4. D. The kitchen filled with the scent of cinnamon and warm bread.
19. Read the passage: "Oh, wonderful. Another Monday morning with a flat tire. Just what I needed." What is the speaker's tone?
    1. A. Peaceful
    2. B. Joyful
    3. C. Sarcastic
    4. D. Grateful
20. An extended metaphor is
    1. A. a comparison using "like" or "as"
    2. B. an exaggeration for effect
    3. C. a word that imitates a sound
    4. D. a comparison developed over several lines or an entire poem

Part 2: Written Response

21. Choose a poem you have read. Explain how its structure (lines, stanzas, rhyme, or meter) and one type of figurative language contribute to its meaning or tone.