7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
“The Wall of the World” an excerpt from White Fang by Jack London
Chapter IV
By the time his mother began leaving the cave on hunting expeditions, the cub had
learned well the law that forbade his approaching the entrance. Not only had this
law been forcibly and many times impressed on him by his mother’s nose and
paw, but in him the instinct of fear was developing. Never, in his brief cave-life,
had he encountered anything of which to be afraid. Yet fear was in him. It had
come down to him from a remote ancestry through a thousand thousand lives. It
was a heritage he had received directly from One Eye and the she-wolf; but to
them, in turn, it had been passed down through all the generations of wolves that
had gone before. Fear!—that legacy of the Wild which no animal may escape nor
exchange for pottage.
So the grey cub knew fear, though he knew not the stuff of which fear was made.
Possibly he accepted it as one of the restrictions of life. For he had already learned
that there were such restrictions. Hunger he had known; and when he could not
appease his hunger he had felt restriction. The hard obstruction of the cave-wall,
the sharp nudge of his mother’s nose, the smashing stroke of her paw, the hunger
unappeased of several famines, had borne in upon him that all was not freedom in
the world, that to life there was limitations and restraints. These limitations and
restraints were laws. To be obedient to them was to escape hurt and make for
happiness.
He did not reason the question out in this man fashion. He merely classified the
things that hurt and the things that did not hurt. And after such classification he
avoided the things that hurt, the restrictions and restraints, in order to enjoy the
satisfactions and the remunerations of life.
Thus it was that in obedience to the law laid down by his mother, and in obedience
to the law of that unknown and nameless thing, fear, he kept away from the
mouth of the cave. It remained to him a white wall of light. When his mother was
absent, he slept most of the time, while during the intervals that he was awake he
kept very quiet, suppressing the whimpering cries that tickled in his throat and
strove for noise.
Once, lying awake, he heard a strange sound in the white wall. He did not know
that it was a wolverine, standing outside, all a-trembling with its own daring, and
cautiously scenting out the contents of the cave. The cub knew only that the sniff
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
was strange, a something unclassified, therefore unknown and terrible—for the
unknown was one of the chief elements that went into the making of fear.
The hair bristled upon the grey cub’s back, but it bristled silently. How was he to
know that this thing that sniffed was a thing at which to bristle? It was not born of
any knowledge of his, yet it was the visible expression of the fear that was in him,
and for which, in his own life, there was no accounting. But fear was accompanied
by another instinct—that of concealment. The cub was in a frenzy of terror, yet he
lay without movement or sound, frozen, petrified into immobility, to all
appearances dead. His mother, coming home, growled as she smelt the
wolverine’s track, and bounded into the cave and licked and nozzled him with
undue vehemence of affection. And the cub felt that somehow he had escaped a
great hurt.
White Fang is in the public domain.
1. Which of the following sentences best expresses the theme of “The Wall of the World”?
A. Fearing hunger is important for survival.
B. Young animals must be protected at all times.
C. Showing courage in the face of danger is admirable.
D. Fear of the unknown is a natural instinct that should be respected.
2. Read this sentence from the passage “The Wall of the World.”
Hunger he had known; and when he could not appease his hunger he had felt
restriction.
What does the word appease mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. Limit
B. Reveal
C. Satisfy
D. tempt
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
3. Which quote from “The Wall of the World” best supports the idea that the cub felt “he
had escaped a great hurt”?
A. “When his mother was absent, he slept most of the time, while during the
intervals that he was awake he kept very quiet, suppressing the whimpering cries
that tickled in his throat and strove for noise.”
B. “His mother, coming home, growled as she smelt the wolverine’s track, and
bounded into the cave and licked and nozzled him with undue vehemence of
affection.”
C. “He did not know that it was a wolverine, standing outside, all a-trembling with
its own daring, and cautiously scenting out the contents of the cave.”
D. “The cub was in a frenzy of terror, yet he lay without movement or sound,
frozen, petrified into immobility, to all appearances dead.”
4. In “The Wall of the World,” the narrator states that in the cub “the instinct of fear was
developing.” Which two pieces of textual evidence support this statement?
A. The cub “kept away from the mouth of the cave” and quieted “the whimpering
cries that tickled in his throat.”
B. The cub′s mother “began leaving the cave on hunting expeditions,” and she
“forbade his approaching the entrance.”
C. The cub recognized “the hard obstruction of the cave-wall” and knew “the
hunger unappeased of several famines.”
D. The cub′s mother taught him with “the smashing stroke of her paw,” and she
“growled as she smelt the wolverine's track.”
5. Read this excerpt from “The Wall of the World.”
It was a heritage he had received directly from One Eye and the she-wolf; but to
them, in turn, it had been passed down through all the generations of wolves
that had gone before. Fear!—that legacy of the Wild which no animal may
escape nor exchange for pottage.
Based on the context of excerpt, what does the word legacy mean as it is used in the last
sentence?
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
A. something required by a parent
B. something that is undeniably true
C. something that is naturally occurring
D. something transmitted by an ancestor
6. Read this sentence from “The Wall of the World.”
Possibly he accepted it as one of the restrictions of life.
What does the word restrictions mean as used in the sentence above?
A. complications
B. confinements
C. situations
D. weaknesses
7. The passage “The Wall of the World” states that the grey cub was never afraid but still
knew fear. Write one paragraph explaining how the grey cub could be fearful even if
nothing has happened to cause fear. Use evidence from the passage to support your
ideas.
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Reunion
They always started preparing for the trip in March. Really, there was no reason that it should
take five months to organize a weekend getaway, especially not a weekend getaway that had
been replicated down to the last detail every year for decades. But still, planning was part of
the fun. And when the frozen Midwestern winter started to let loose its stranglehold on the
earth, and the little crocuses1 poked their heads up from the frost and peered hesitantly
around, the whole Richardson family turned its thoughts to summer. They just couldn’t help
themselves.
So, starting in March, the Chicago Richardsons made calls to the Detroit Richardsons. The
Detroit Richardsons made calls to the Iowa Richardsons. The Iowa Richardsons called the
Chicago Richardsons. And somehow they all worked out amongst themselves who would take
responsibility for one thing and another. The duties really never changed, though. Mostly, it
was all just an ornate excuse to chat on the phone. Aunt Martha always brought her famous
potato salad. Uncle Rooster provided three big tents that accommodated almost everyone,
except a few of the older kids who preferred to sleep under the stars anyway. Cousin Liza and
Cousin Marcus could be counted on to supply the fishing gear, inner tubes, and a decently
speedy motorboat.
As for the location, well, that had been decided long, long ago, when Grandpa Richardson,
hiking through the hills of Wisconsin, discovered a most lovely campsite and vowed to teach
the next—still quite tiny—generation of Richardsons the value of connecting with nature. And
that lesson had stuck. Every year, they had returned to the very same campsite in the very
same state park. They had pitched their tents on the very same soft, grassy ground. They had
splashed around in the very same burbling river. Even the constellations seemed always to be
at exactly the same place in the sky. Each year, Hercules2 and Sagittarius3 kept silent, steady
watch over the blissfully sleeping Richardsons. When one generation grew up and had little
Richardsons of their own, they just bought more tents and took the little ones along too.
Of course, there was never any need to reserve their favorite campsite. It was in a remote
neck of the woods, known only to the deer and squirrels. On the appointed weekend, the
Richardsons always just showed up and staked out their usual uncontested4 territory. It never
occurred to them to do otherwise. And so, one hot, humid, happy, July, when the Chicago,
Detroit, and Iowa Richardsons all rolled up together, singing in their merry caravan, to find
the state park’s usually empty parking lot not only full but overflowing—well, you can imagine
their confusion.
1
crocuses: small flowering plants with purple, white, and yellow blooms, often regarded as one of the first signs of spring
Hercules: a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere resembling a Greek warrior
3 Sagittarius: a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere resembling a centaur, or animal with the torso of a human atop the body of a horse,
holding a bow and arrow
4 uncontested: not disputed
2
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
After fifteen minutes of circling, all Richardson cars were finally parked and ready to unload.
As they sorted and divvied their gear, the Richardsons watched strangers stream past singly
and in pairs, or in groups of four, of six, of eight. They were all wearing matching green tshirts that read “Bervis Family Reunion.” The Richardsons looked at each other, shrugged,
and hoisted their gear, ready for the short hike into the campsite.
But the campsite too was clotted with Bervises. Bervises at the barbecue pit. Bervises
around a fire. Bervises pitching tents on the soft, grassy ground and splashing in the river
and laughing and singing and settling right in as though they actually belonged here. Who
were these Bervises, thought the Richardsons. What right had they to gather here, in this,
the Richardsons’ spot?
“What do we do?” asked Aunt Martha. She was so flustered that she nearly dropped her
potato salad.
Just then, an envoy of the Bervis clan approached. He wiped sweat from his brow and
smiled in a helpful kind of way. “You all look a little lost,” he said.
“We’re trying to find a place to camp,” said Cousin Marcus.
“Well,” the man said, “I guess we didn’t leave much room for anyone else here. But there’s
another group site a little way down the trail. It’s fairly comparable to this one.”
Heavy hearted, the Richardsons hiked on. Eventually, the green-shirted Bervises dwindled in
number, and the Richardsons once again found themselves in relative peace. When they
finally reached the new campsite, they flung their gear to the ground, appraised their
surroundings, and heaved a sigh of disappointment.
“This isn’t at all comparable,” said Cousin Liza. She pointed out the rocky, uneven ground,
the inconvenient distance from the river, and the shortage of handy kindling for the fire.
The Richardsons all turned to Grandpa, who had unfolded a collapsible chair and already
had his bare feet stretched out comfortably on a fallen log. “Looks just fine to me,” he said.
And indeed, by the time Hercules and Sagittarius took up their posts, the Richardsons had
forgotten all about the Bervises, the river, the uneven ground, and the kindling. They had
forgotten, in fact, that they were anywhere at all except under a dazzling, velvety night sky
with each other.
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
8. Read this sentence from the passage.
And when the frozen Midwestern winter started to let loose its stranglehold
on the earth, and the little crocuses poked their heads up from the frost and
peered hesitantly around, the whole Richardson family turned its thoughts to
summer.
What is the most likely reason that the author described the crocuses in this way?
A. to contrast the features of the seasons
B. to show the reader that some flowers grow in the winter
C. to give the reader insight into the Richardson family's summer plans
D. to convey the idea that everyone was hopeful, but unsure if winter was really
over
9. How do the constellations of Hercules and Sagittarius help with the setting of the
story?
A. The Richardsons are very interested in astronomy.
B. The Richardsons feel that nature is theirs to enjoy.
C. The Richardsons feel safer knowing the constellations are in the night sky.
D. The Richardsons realize that no matter what happens some things never
change.
10. How does finding the Bervis family at the campsite ultimately affect the Richardson
family?
A. They realize the importance of planning ahead.
B. They realize that being with family is what matters most.
C. They decide that they should have had T-shirts made for the trip.
D. They decide that the starry night sky can be shared with everyone.
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7th Grade Sample Assessment
Literary Analysis
11. What two pieces of evidence best explain why the Richardson family felt their
campsite was so special?
A. They never had to reserve their campsite, and it was situated right next to
the river.
B. The campsite was far from other people, and the constellations were always
in the right place.
C. They enjoyed preparing for their trip to the campsite, and looked forward to
seeing it every year.
D. The campsite had been discovered long ago, and the family had returned to
it every year since then.
12. Read this excerpt from the passage.
“This isn’t at all comparable,” said Cousin Liza. She pointed out the rocky,
uneven ground, the inconvenient distance from the river, and the shortage of
handy kindling for the fire. The Richardsons all turned to Grandpa, who had
unfolded a collapsible chair and already had his bare feet stretched out
comfortably on a fallen log. “Looks just fine to me,” he said.
Which of the following best explains how Grandpa Richardson’s reaction to the new
campsite helps support the central idea of the story?
A. Grandpa Richardson does not care about the campsite, but just wants things
to be convenient.
B. Grandpa Richardson is exhausted from all the traveling and really just cares
about being able to relax.
C. Grandpa Richardson is disappointed about not being able to carry on the
tradition, but he wants to make the best of it.
D. Grandpa Richardson is most interested in the yearly tradition of spending
time with family, so he is not concerned about the campsite.
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