Zimbabwe ZIMSEC Grade 7 — English (7010)

Read the passage. Every Monday after assembly, Tapiwa's Grade 7 class walks to the school garden behind the classrooms at their rural Mashonaland school. They water covo, tomatoes and onions from a borehole tank. Last term the garden dried up because someone left the tap running overnight. Now two prefects lock the tap after the last group finishes. Tapiwa likes the work because the vegetables go to the feeding programme, and leftover bunches are sold so the class can buy exercise books. Why does the class go to the garden on Mondays?

• ATo water the vegetables after assembly
• BTo lock the classroom doors for the weekend
• CTo fetch firewood for the school kitchen
• DTo practise the school choir

Read the passage. Every Monday after assembly, Tapiwa's Grade 7 class walks to the school garden behind the classrooms at their rural Mashonaland school. They water covo, tomatoes and onions from a borehole tank. Last term the garden dried up because someone left the tap running overnight. Now two prefects lock the tap after the last group finishes. Tapiwa likes the work because the vegetables go to the feeding programme, and leftover bunches are sold so the class can buy exercise books. What problem happened last term?

• AThe borehole was sealed forever
• BThe garden dried up after a tap was left running
• CThe prefects sold the school land
• DThe class stopped growing any food

Read the passage. Every Monday after assembly, Tapiwa's Grade 7 class walks to the school garden behind the classrooms at their rural Mashonaland school. They water covo, tomatoes and onions from a borehole tank. Last term the garden dried up because someone left the tap running overnight. Now two prefects lock the tap after the last group finishes. Tapiwa likes the work because the vegetables go to the feeding programme, and leftover bunches are sold so the class can buy exercise books. Selling leftover bunches mainly helps the class to

• APunish learners who waste water
• BClose the feeding programme
• CRaise money for exercise books
• DReplace the borehole with a river

Read the passage. Last holiday, Chipo travelled with her uncle from Mutare to Masvingo to visit Great Zimbabwe. She had expected only a few loose stones, but the Great Enclosure's curved walls and the Conical Tower made her fall silent. A guide explained that the site was once a centre of trade and kingship. Chipo bought a small soapstone bird at a craft stall, not as a toy, but as a reminder of a heritage she now wanted to read about. Where did Chipo start her journey?

• AHarare
• BBulawayo
• CGweru
• DMutare

Read the passage. Last holiday, Chipo travelled with her uncle from Mutare to Masvingo to visit Great Zimbabwe. She had expected only a few loose stones, but the Great Enclosure's curved walls and the Conical Tower made her fall silent. A guide explained that the site was once a centre of trade and kingship. Chipo bought a small soapstone bird at a craft stall, not as a toy, but as a reminder of a heritage she now wanted to read about. What made Chipo fall silent?

• AThe long bus queue in Mutare
• BThe impressive stone walls and Conical Tower
• CA sudden rainstorm that cancelled the visit
• DHer uncle forgetting the entrance tickets

Read the passage. Last holiday, Chipo travelled with her uncle from Mutare to Masvingo to visit Great Zimbabwe. She had expected only a few loose stones, but the Great Enclosure's curved walls and the Conical Tower made her fall silent. A guide explained that the site was once a centre of trade and kingship. Chipo bought a small soapstone bird at a craft stall, not as a toy, but as a reminder of a heritage she now wanted to read about. Chipo bought the soapstone bird mainly because she wanted

• AA toy to swap at break time
• BSomething heavier than her school bag
• CA reminder of heritage she hoped to study
• DA gift her uncle had ordered her to buy

Read the notice. NOTICE Mufakose Primary School, Harare School Health Day — Friday Clinic nurses will check eyesight and talk about handwashing. Bring a clean handkerchief. Learners who feel unwell should tell the teacher before the session. Parents may wait under the msasa trees, not inside the classroom block. What should learners bring on Friday?

• AA clean handkerchief
• BA football for the nurses
• CCooked sadza for the clinic
• DThe school's borehole key

Read the notice. NOTICE Mufakose Primary School, Harare School Health Day — Friday Clinic nurses will check eyesight and talk about handwashing. Bring a clean handkerchief. Learners who feel unwell should tell the teacher before the session. Parents may wait under the msasa trees, not inside the classroom block. According to the notice, parents may wait

• AInside the classroom block
• BIn the staff room only
• CAt a clinic in another suburb
• DUnder the msasa trees outside

Read the letter. Dear Aunt Mai Farai, I have started a small tin for coins I used to spend on maputi after school. Gogo said if I save for eight weeks I can buy my own ruler, pencil and a second-hand storybook at the Mutare market. I still help her sell tomatoes on Saturday, but I no longer ask her for every sweet. Saving is slower than I thought, yet I feel proud when I shake the tin. Love, Rudo What new habit has Rudo started?

• ABorrowing coins from classmates
• BSaving coins in a tin instead of buying snacks
• CSelling the school garden vegetables
• DAsking Gogo for more sweets

Read the letter. Dear Aunt Mai Farai, I have started a small tin for coins I used to spend on maputi after school. Gogo said if I save for eight weeks I can buy my own ruler, pencil and a second-hand storybook at the Mutare market. I still help her sell tomatoes on Saturday, but I no longer ask her for every sweet. Saving is slower than I thought, yet I feel proud when I shake the tin. Love, Rudo What does Rudo hope to buy after eight weeks?

• AA new bicycle
• BA mobile phone
• CA ruler, pencil and a second-hand storybook
• DA crate of tomatoes for Gogo

Read the letter. Dear Aunt Mai Farai, I have started a small tin for coins I used to spend on maputi after school. Gogo said if I save for eight weeks I can buy my own ruler, pencil and a second-hand storybook at the Mutare market. I still help her sell tomatoes on Saturday, but I no longer ask her for every sweet. Saving is slower than I thought, yet I feel proud when I shake the tin. Love, Rudo Which sentence best shows that saving has changed Rudo's everyday behaviour?

• AI no longer ask her for every sweet.
• BDear Aunt Mai Farai,
• CLove, Rudo
• DSaving is slower than I thought

Read the passage. On Friday evening, Gogo sat on a reed mat at the homestead near Rusape and placed the mbira on her lap. She told Farai that the instrument is a wooden board with metal keys, often set in a calabash that makes the sound richer. When she played a slow song, the dogs stopped barking. Farai clapped softly, afraid to spoil the tune. Later Gogo said the songs carry family stories, so listening is a way of remembering people who came before. The mbira is described as

• AA plastic trumpet used at football matches
• BA metal cooking pot for sadza
• CA school bell hung on a pole
• DA wooden board with metal keys, often set in a calabash

Read the passage. On Friday evening, Gogo sat on a reed mat at the homestead near Rusape and placed the mbira on her lap. She told Farai that the instrument is a wooden board with metal keys, often set in a calabash that makes the sound richer. When she played a slow song, the dogs stopped barking. Farai clapped softly, afraid to spoil the tune. Later Gogo said the songs carry family stories, so listening is a way of remembering people who came before. Why did Farai clap softly?

• AHe wanted the dogs to bark louder
• BHe did not want to spoil Gogo's tune
• CGogo had ordered him to leave the homestead
• DThe mbira had no sound at all

Read the passage. On Friday evening, Gogo sat on a reed mat at the homestead near Rusape and placed the mbira on her lap. She told Farai that the instrument is a wooden board with metal keys, often set in a calabash that makes the sound richer. When she played a slow song, the dogs stopped barking. Farai clapped softly, afraid to spoil the tune. Later Gogo said the songs carry family stories, so listening is a way of remembering people who came before. Gogo says the songs matter mainly because they

• ATeach learners how to boil water
• BReplace all school reading books
• CCarry family stories and help people remember ancestors
• DAre only for football celebrations

Read the passage. After the first heavy rains, learners at a Bulawayo school noticed their nearby stream looking cloudy. Empty oil bottles and plastic bags had washed down from a workshop up the slope. Mrs Ncube, the science teacher, asked the class not to drink from the stream and to organise a Saturday clean-up with gloves. She also wrote to the workshop owner. "Clean water is part of looking after our home," she said. "A blocked, dirty stream can make children sick." Mrs Ncube first told the class

• ANot to drink from the dirty stream
• BTo swim across the stream after school
• CTo pour more oil into the water
• DTo ignore the plastic bags

Read the passage. After the first heavy rains, learners at a Bulawayo school noticed their nearby stream looking cloudy. Empty oil bottles and plastic bags had washed down from a workshop up the slope. Mrs Ncube, the science teacher, asked the class not to drink from the stream and to organise a Saturday clean-up with gloves. She also wrote to the workshop owner. "Clean water is part of looking after our home," she said. "A blocked, dirty stream can make children sick." Besides warning the class, Mrs Ncube also

• AClosed the school forever and sold the gloves
• BPraised the workshop for dumping oil
• CTold learners to drink extra stream water
• DPlanned a Saturday clean-up and wrote to the workshop owner

Read the passage. At Monday assembly in Harare, the headteacher reminded Grade 7 that every child has the right to be safe at school, to learn, and to be heard when something is wrong. She said rights come with responsibilities: arriving on time, not bullying, and telling a trusted adult instead of spreading rumours. Tendai raised a hand and asked what to do if a bigger learner takes someone's lunch. "Tell a teacher. Do not fight," the headteacher answered. The headteacher said children have the right to

• AStay away from all lessons
• BBe safe, to learn, and to be heard
• CBully younger learners at break
• DTake other people's lunch

Read the passage. At Monday assembly in Harare, the headteacher reminded Grade 7 that every child has the right to be safe at school, to learn, and to be heard when something is wrong. She said rights come with responsibilities: arriving on time, not bullying, and telling a trusted adult instead of spreading rumours. Tendai raised a hand and asked what to do if a bigger learner takes someone's lunch. "Tell a teacher. Do not fight," the headteacher answered. If a bigger learner takes someone's lunch, the headteacher wants pupils to

• AFight back immediately
• BSpread the story as a rumour
• CTell a teacher instead of fighting
• DHide the problem from every adult

Read the diary entry. Sunday We left Nyanga rest camp at dawn to walk toward a pine-covered hill. The air was so cold that my fingers ached, but mist over the valley looked like cotton wool. A ranger told us not to leave orange peels on the path because baboons learn to raid picnic bags. I wrote three new words in my book: plateau, evergreen and waterfall. I want to describe this place in next week's composition. What did the ranger warn the group not to do?

• ALeave orange peels on the path
• BWalk at dawn
• CWrite new words in a book
• DLook at the mist

Read the diary entry. Sunday We left Nyanga rest camp at dawn to walk toward a pine-covered hill. The air was so cold that my fingers ached, but mist over the valley looked like cotton wool. A ranger told us not to leave orange peels on the path because baboons learn to raid picnic bags. I wrote three new words in my book: plateau, evergreen and waterfall. I want to describe this place in next week's composition. Why did the writer copy the words plateau, evergreen and waterfall?

• ATo forget the ranger's warning
• BTo pay the rest-camp fee
• CTo keep fingers warm
• DTo collect words for a composition

Read the diary entry. Sunday We left Nyanga rest camp at dawn to walk toward a pine-covered hill. The air was so cold that my fingers ached, but mist over the valley looked like cotton wool. A ranger told us not to leave orange peels on the path because baboons learn to raid picnic bags. I wrote three new words in my book: plateau, evergreen and waterfall. I want to describe this place in next week's composition. The phrase "mist over the valley looked like cotton wool" is an example of

• AA command telling readers what to do
• BA simile comparing mist to cotton wool
• CA formal business letter
• DA list of school rules

Read the passage. The computer lab at Kuwadzana Primary is open at break for Grade 7 research. Learners may use only the school log-in. They must not eat maputi at the keyboards, download games, or share their password. If a screen freezes, they raise a hand instead of restarting another pupil's machine. Printed notes may be taken to class; memory sticks from home are not allowed this term. Learners who want to use the lab must

• AEat snacks at the keyboard
• BDownload games first
• CUse only the school log-in
• DShare passwords with friends

Read the passage. The computer lab at Kuwadzana Primary is open at break for Grade 7 research. Learners may use only the school log-in. They must not eat maputi at the keyboards, download games, or share their password. If a screen freezes, they raise a hand instead of restarting another pupil's machine. Printed notes may be taken to class; memory sticks from home are not allowed this term. If a screen freezes, the correct action is to

• ARaise a hand and wait for help
• BRestart a classmate's computer
• CPour water on the keyboard
• DLeave a memory stick in every machine

Read the passage. The computer lab at Kuwadzana Primary is open at break for Grade 7 research. Learners may use only the school log-in. They must not eat maputi at the keyboards, download games, or share their password. If a screen freezes, they raise a hand instead of restarting another pupil's machine. Printed notes may be taken to class; memory sticks from home are not allowed this term. The ban on home memory sticks this term is most likely meant to

• AStop learners from writing any notes
• BMake research impossible
• CEncourage eating in the lab
• DProtect school computers from unwanted files and keep work inside the school system

Read the passage. On a Sunday morning at a homestead near Gokwe, little Noma discovered that the family's brown goat was missing. She checked the kraal gate, which had been left unlatched after milking. Sekuru sent Noma and Mukoma Tino along the footpath toward the river while he asked neighbours. They found the goat nibbling bean leaves in Mrs Dube's field. Noma apologised, and Mukoma helped repair the latch with wire before sunset. What first clue showed how the goat escaped?

• AThe river was dry
• BThe kraal gate had been left unlatched
• CMrs Dube had sold the goat
• DSekuru was away in Harare

Read the passage. On a Sunday morning at a homestead near Gokwe, little Noma discovered that the family's brown goat was missing. She checked the kraal gate, which had been left unlatched after milking. Sekuru sent Noma and Mukoma Tino along the footpath toward the river while he asked neighbours. They found the goat nibbling bean leaves in Mrs Dube's field. Noma apologised, and Mukoma helped repair the latch with wire before sunset. How did the children put things right after finding the goat?

• AThey blamed Mrs Dube for stealing it
• BThey left the latch broken
• CNoma apologised and Mukoma helped repair the latch
• DThey hid the goat in the river

Read the passage. On a Sunday morning at a homestead near Gokwe, little Noma discovered that the family's brown goat was missing. She checked the kraal gate, which had been left unlatched after milking. Sekuru sent Noma and Mukoma Tino along the footpath toward the river while he asked neighbours. They found the goat nibbling bean leaves in Mrs Dube's field. Noma apologised, and Mukoma helped repair the latch with wire before sunset. The best title for this story is

• AThe Unlatched Gate
• BHow to Cook Bean Leaves
• CA Holiday in Harare
• DMrs Dube's New Bicycle

Read this sentence. Although the borehole queue was long, Ambuya insisted that the children wash mangoes before eating them after the dusty bus ride from Beitbridge. This sentence mainly shows that Ambuya

• ADoes not care about dirt on fruit
• BWants the children to skip washing
• CPrefers dusty mangoes to clean ones
• DValues cleanliness even when it takes extra time

Read this sentence. The prefect's voice trembled, yet she finished the anti-litter speech at assembly without looking at her notes. What can you reasonably infer?

• AShe refused to speak at assembly
• BShe was nervous but well prepared
• CShe had not prepared any speech
• DThe assembly was cancelled

Read this sentence. By the time the kombi reached Sakubva market in Mutare, Thandi had counted her vegetable money twice and tucked the notes inside her school-shirt pocket. The writer wants you to understand that Thandi

• ALost all the money on the road
• BWas not trusted with any money
• CWas careful because the money mattered
• DWas going to throw the notes away

Choose the correct verb to complete the sentence. Yesterday the Grade 7 choir _____ the national anthem at assembly in Gweru.

• Asang
• Bsing
• Csinging
• Dwill sang

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. Neither the prefect nor the monitors _____ late for duty this week.

• Ais
• Bhas
• Cwas
• Dwere

In the sentence "The clever girl quickly mended the torn chitenge," the word quickly is

• AA noun naming a person
• BAn adverb telling how she mended
• CA preposition showing place
• DA conjunction joining clauses

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• A"Please close the classroom door." said Mr Moyo
• BPlease close the classroom door said Mr Moyo.
• C"Please close the classroom door," said Mr Moyo.
• DPlease close the classroom door, "said Mr Moyo".

Choose the correct word. The learners left _____ books on the desk near the chalkboard.

• Atheir
• Bthere
• Cthey're
• Dthey

Choose the correct verb form. Tariro _____ in Bulawayo since January.

• Alive
• Bis live
• Cliving
• Dhas lived

Choose the correct article. _____ Zambezi River is one of Zimbabwe's most famous rivers.

• AA
• BThe
• CAn
• DThose

Choose the correct preposition. The visitors arrived _____ Victoria Falls late in the afternoon.

• Aon
• Bby
• Cat
• Dinto

Which sentence is a command?

• AFetch a bucket of water from the borehole.
• BThe borehole is behind the kitchen.
• CIs the borehole working today?
• DHow cold the borehole water is!

The prefix in the word unhappy means

• AAgain
• BWrongly
• CBefore
• DNot

Choose the correct comparative form. Nyanga is _____ than Harare in July.

• Acold
• Bcolder
• Ccoldest
• Dmore colder

Choose the correct word. _____ of the two sisters has finished her English composition.

• AThem
• BThey
• CEach
• DOurselves

Choose the correct conjunction. We wanted to play netball, _____ the field was too muddy.

• Abut
• Bbecause
• Cor
• Dso that

A synonym for brave in "The brave boy reported the bullying to the teacher" is

• AFearful
• BSilent
• CCareless
• DCourageous

The opposite of scarce in "Clean water was scarce after the drought" is

• ARare
• BPlentiful
• CEmpty
• DHidden

The plural of tomato is

• Atomatos
• Btomatoe's
• Ctomatoes
• Dtomatoen

Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?

• AThe girls' chitenges were folded on Gogo's chair.
• BThe girls chitenges were folded on Gogos chair.
• CThe girl's chitenges were folded on Gogo chair's.
• DThe girls chitenge's were folded on Gogos' chair.

Choose the pair that completes the sentence correctly. The headteacher will not _____ late homework, _____ on medical grounds.

• Aexcept; accept
• Bexcept; except
• Caccept; accept
• Daccept; except