Name: Date: STUDENT: PLEASE NOTE – THAT WHEN YOU COMPLETE THIS EQUIVALENCY TEST FOR Semester 1, you will receive a proficiency score to help with your Quarter 1-2 Grade. These are 7th Grade ELA literary and comprehension skills that were covered in that Quarter. When taken with a 70% or better proficiency score, it will boost your overall grade from FAILING 0% to PASSING 60%. If you should want to gain a higher quarter grade, please feel free to download ANY 4 packets on your teacher’s website for more credit for your ELA grade. A grade change will take up to 2 weeks to remedy ANY grade in the school year 2020-2021. Grade 7 : SEMESTER 1 EQUIVALENCY TEST LITERARY TEXT: from “Rikki-tikki-tavi,” Rudyard Kipling Read this passage from “Rikki-tikki-tavi” by Rudyard Kipling. Then, answer the question(s). (1) He had forgotten the egg. It still lay on the veranda, and Nagaina came nearer and nearer to it, till at last, while Rikki-tikki was drawing breath, she caught it in her mouth, turned to the veranda steps, and flew like an arrow down the path, with Rikki-tikki behind her. When the cobra runs for her life, she goes like a whiplash flicked across a horse’s neck. (2) Rikki-tikki knew that he must catch her, or all the trouble would begin again. She headed straight for the long grass by the thornbush, and as he was running Rikki-tikki heard Darzee still singing his foolish little song of triumph. But Darzee’s wife was wiser. She flew off her nest as Nagaina came along, and flapped her wings about Nagaina’s head. If Darzee had helped they might have turned her; but Nagaina only lowered her hood and went on. Still, the instant’s delay brought Rikki-tikki up to her, and as she plunged into the rat hole where she and Nag used to live, his little white teeth were clenched on her tail, and he went down with her—and very few mongooses, however wise and old they may be, care to follow a cobra into its hole. It was dark in the hole; and Rikki-tikki never knew when it might open out and give Nagaina room to turn and strike at him. He held on savagely, and struck out his feet to act as brakes on the dark slope of the hot, moist earth. (3) Then the grass by the mouth of the hole stopped waving, and Darzee said: “It is all over with Rikki-tikki! We must sing his death song. Valiant Rikki-tikki is dead! For Nagaina will surely kill him underground.’’ (4) So he sang a very mournful song that he made up all on the spur of the minute, and just as he got to the most touching part the grass quivered again, and Rikki-tikki, covered with dirt, dragged himself out of the hole leg by leg, licking his whiskers. Darzee stopped with a little shout. Rikkitikki shook some of the dust out of his fur and sneezed. “It is all over,’’ he said. “The widow will never come out again.’’ 1. The author says that Nagaina “flew like an arrow down the path.” What figure of speech is this description? metaphor b. simile c. hyperbole a. © by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1 GRADE 7 • BEGINNING-OF-YEAR TEST 2. How do the actions of Darzee’s wife develop the plot of this story? Her song encourages Rikki-tikki to keep fighting Nagaina. b. Her flapping about reveals the location of Nagaina’s hole. c. Her leaving the nest makes Nagaina want to attack her. d. Her attack gives Rikki-tikki time to catch Nagaina. a. 3. Which part of the story does this passage most likely represent? the exposition b. the falling action a. the climax d. the development c. 4. Which literary theme do Rikki-tikki’s actions illustrate? creativity b. friendship c. courage d. wisdom a. LITERARY TEXT: Short Story Read the passage, and answer the question(s). Jason woke up to the sound of his mother calling his name. He looked over at his alarm clock and sat up with a jolt. It was 7:55. “Not again!” he groaned. His bus was going to be there in five minutes! Jason jumped out of bed, threw on his clothes, and ran down the stairs with only a minute to spare before his bus was due to arrive. He was about to walk out the door when he realized that he had forgotten his homework. As he ran back up the stairs, he heard the sound of his bus as it drove away without him. 5. Which of the following is the conflict that most clearly drives the action in this paragraph? a conflict between Jason and his c. a conflict between Jason and his mother alarm clock b. a conflict between Jason’s habit d. a conflict between Jason’s desire of waking up late and his desire to to do well in sc