Free Grade 7 Reading Comprehension Practice Worksheet

In 1974, a group of farmers digging a well near the city of Xi’an, China, made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Beneath the dry earth, they unearthed thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, horses, and chariots. This vast subterranean force is known as the Terracotta Army. It was created over 2,000 years ago by order of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The emperor obsessed over immortality and commissioned this massive underground army to protect him in the afterlife. Remarkably, no two soldiers are exactly alike; each clay figure possesses unique facial features, hairstyles, and armor, reflecting the incredible skill of the ancient artisans.

Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature to solve complex human engineering problems. A famous example is the Japanese Shinkansen, or “bullet train.” When these high-speed trains were first developed, they pushed a massive wave of air ahead of them. As the trains exited narrow tunnels, this compressed air created a deafening “sonic boom” that disturbed nearby residents. An engineer named Eiji Nakatsu, who was also an avid birdwatcher, realized the solution lay in the anatomy of the kingfisher bird. The kingfisher can dive into water at high speeds without making a splash because of its long, streamlined beak. By redesigning the front of the train to mimic the kingfisher’s beak, engineers eliminated the sonic boom, made the train faster, and reduced its electricity usage.

The furious gale battered the stone walls of the Blackwood Lighthouse. Inside, young Elara huddled near the iron stove, trying to ignore the howling wind. As she reached for another log, her hand brushed against a loose brick in the masonry. Curious, she wiggled the brick free. Tucked in the dark cavity was a tarnished brass cylinder. Elara unscrewed the cap and pulled out a brittle roll of parchment. It was covered in a grid of random, seemingly nonsensical letters. However, Elara’s grandfather had taught her about cryptography. She realized that if she skipped every second letter, a hidden message began to form: “The gold lies beneath the…” Before she could finish decoding the phrase, the heavy oak door of the lighthouse crashed open.

When we think of computer programming, we usually imagine modern technology. However, the world’s very first computer programmer lived in the 1800s. Ada Lovelace was a brilliant English mathematician who collaborated with inventor Charles Babbage. Babbage had designed a massive, mechanical calculating machine called the “Analytical Engine.” While Babbage viewed his machine simply as a giant calculator for math problems, Ada realized it had far greater potential. She theorized that if a machine could manipulate numbers, it could also manipulate symbols, meaning it could compose music or process letters. In 1843, she published the first detailed algorithm intended to be processed by a machine, earning her the title of the first computer programmer over a century before electronic computers existed.

The human immune system is a highly complex network of cells and proteins that constantly patrols the body to defend against foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. When a pathogen breaches the body’s outer defenses, a type of white blood cell called a macrophage rushes to the scene. Macrophages act like microscopic vacuum cleaners, engulfing and destroying the invaders. If the infection is severe, the immune system calls upon specialized cells called lymphocytes. These cells produce customized proteins called antibodies, which latch onto the pathogens to neutralize them. Remarkably, the immune system also possesses a “memory.” After defeating a specific virus, it keeps a record of the antibodies used, ensuring that if the same virus attacks again, the body can destroy it before you even feel sick.