Language Exam

I)Grammar(2003/2004)

1-Complete the following speech with the right pronoun:

Ladies and gentlemen, could I have (1) attention for a moment? As you know, this is a very sad occasion for all of (2), because we have to say goodbye to Duncan Sounders, who retires today after twenty five years with company.
Duncan has been here longer than (3) else and we will miss (4) very much. His sense of humour cheered (5) up. He is a man I respect enormously, even though, as he well knows, we haven’t seen eye-to-eye with (6).
Duncan, if you look at the contribution you have made to the company, you can be proud of (7). And to show (8) appreciation, we would like to give you (9) to remember (10) by. And I am sure I am not just speaking for (11) but for (12) else too when I wish you and your wife a very happy retirement.

2-Complete the following paragraph with the right article. If no article is needed, put Ø

We have just been on (1) holiday to (2) Lake District. At (3) first, we thought of (4) camping, but then we decided to stay in (5) hotel instead. It is (6) wonderful part of England and (7) scenery reminds us of (8) mountainous countries like (9) Switzerland. As (10) matter of (11) fact, we had such (12) good time that we have decided to spend (13) next holiday there again (14) next year. We also paid (15) short visit to (16) Scotland. We went to Edinburgh to see (17) usual sights including (18) Castle. Then we spent (19) week in (20) Highlands.

3-A journalist wrote these notes before an interview with Shirley Glebe, the actress.

1- Title of new film? 2- Shirley’s role in it? 3- Her co-star?

4- His role? 5- Number of actors? 6- Studios?

7- Director? 8- Date of release? 9- She’ll earn?

10- Cost of film?

After the interview, she wrote this text:



The title of Shirley Glebe’s new film is “Dear Aunt Augusta”. In it she plays the role of an agony aunt. Her co-star in this film is Charles Burke. He plays her long-suffering husband. There are only five actors in the film altogether. The film is made at Boreham Studios and it will be released in December. Altogether the film will cost about ten million.

Make eight questions which the journalist actually asked Shirley Glebe during the interview.

4-Supply the correct form of the bracketed items:

a-Many scientific (formula) include mathematical symbols.
b-Income per capita is one, among other (criterion), which help determine the degree of social progress in a given community.
c-Television, just like newspapers, is a very popular (media) of mass communication.
d-Society is seen by some sociologists as an aggregate of numerous (stratum).
e-Many (phenomenon) in society could be analyzed in terms of group (dynamic).

5-Put in the correct words:

a-You can’t wear (a jean / jeans / some jeans) to a job interview.
b-There must be two (shorts / pairs of shorts / pairs of a shorts) in the wash.
c-I need (a knife / a pair of knives / some knives) to spread the butter.
d-I need (a scissor / some scissors / pairs of scissors) to cut this article out.
e-I found (a tight / a pair of tights / tights) in the draw.
f-I’m going to buy (a pyjama / a pair of pyjama / some pyjamas).

6-If necessary, correct these sentences:

a- I heard a knock on the door but when I opened it, there was none there.
b- Helen has gone anywhere. Someone knows where she is. She didn’t tell nobody where she was going.
c- I phoned the booking office but they said they had no seat left for the concert.
d- He’d like to live in Hollywood, doesn’t he?
e- Nobody was hurt in the accident but the damages to car were quite bad.

II) Composition (2001/2002)

A)Sentence level (4marks)
B)Paragraph level (9marks)
C)Writing paragraph (7marks)


Section A: Sentence Level

1-Improve the following sentences by putting paralled ideas into the same grammatical form (2marks)

a-Passing the oral test is usually more difficult than to pass the written test.
b-In his lecture, Professor Hobb both explained the causes of the war and what is results were.

2-Use any of the combining methods to avoid fragments in the following sentences (2marks)

a-On the school steps I saw Alice. Waiting for her mother to pick her up.
b-Waiters who are quick. She prefers those waiters.


Section B: Paragraph Level

1-The capitalization/punctuation/spelling in the following paragraph is either incorrect or missing. Find the errors and correct them. (4marks)

I’m an only child. My mather and I were very poor for a time. She had a brother who lived in australia. His name was edward, uncle edward came to London sevaral times to see us.He was very fond of me and took me for walks in hyde park.

2-Write a topic sentence for the following paragraph (1mark)

At the beach I have no witness but the beach, and I can speak and think with pleasure. No one can interrupt me and the beach will always be there to listen to every thing I want to say. In addition, it is a quiet place to go mandate. Many times when I am confused about something, I go to the beach by myself, and I find that this is the best place to resolve my conflicts.

3- Match the right transitional word with the number given(4marks)

We decided to give a party last week, (1) (so/now/again), as you can imagine, I’ve imagine, I’ve been busy sending out invitation, preparing food, etc.(2)(again/then/indeed), a couple of days before the party, my sister unexpectedly arrived to stay for a week. She is the most impractical person I know! She kept tying to “help”, ad (3) (in the end/in fact/to be sure), I became so cross that t sent her round to my neighbor’s while I finished the party preparations. (4) (For this reason/by the time/gradually) our first guest arrived, I was beginning to regret the whole idea. But every thing went off well, (5) (in particular/for that reason/because) most of the people already knew one another, it didn’t take long for the party to get going. (6) (For that reason/However/after all), I’m not sure if Alice, one of the girls from work, enjoyed it- she’s terribly shy and (7) (this/certainly/anyway), sometimes makes her appear rather unfriendly. (8) (Finally/although/to this end), I’d like to help her, it’s difficult when people don’t help themselves.

Section C. Writing a paragraph

In 80-100 words, describe a person you admire or you dislike very much. Explain why you feel this way about him.

III) Comprehension(2004/2005)

Volcanic eruptions have been a fact of life since the earth first formed as a solid planet, and they have taken a huge toll of human life over centuries. One of the earliest recorded disasters was the Vesuvius eruption in AD 79, which buried the Italian city Pompeii under ash, killing an estimated 16.000 people. The most violent eruption of modern times was Krakatoa, Indonesia, in 1983, when more than 36.000 people were killed and debris was scattered across the Indian Ocean as far away as Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa.

There are about 500 active volcanoes in the world today, though it is always unsafe to assume that any volcano is in the retired list. The types of eruption vary greatly. The simplest kind, found in Hawaii and Iceland, is a more or less continuous fountain of fire, sometimes reaching incredible heights. Next in order of complexity are eruptions that follow the Stromboli patter, where the lava is less fluid and the rate of eruption is not so high - from one every few seconds to one every couple of hours.

But even well-behaved volcanoes can turn nasty if water gets into them. It boils to produce stream and this increases explosive power. When a section of rain-sodden ground fell into Mount Etna in 1979, blocking the flow of lava, pressure built up so much that when it was released the huge explosion killed nine tourists who were peering inside. Even more dangerous is the nuee ardente (a burning cloud), which occurs in volcanoes where the lava is viscous and rich in gas. Pressure builds up gradually and imperceptibly, though towards the end a district swelling of the mountains may be detected, as if it is getting ready to give birth. When the eruption finally happens the gas is released like the fizz in a well-shaken bottle of champagne throwing out a mass of dust, ash and solid chunks of lava at speeds of up to 100 kmh and temperatures between 100 and 900 c. The hot gases destroy the tissues of the lungs, which can no longer absorb oxygen from the air. Death is by suffocation.


Questions:

1-True or false and Justify from the text (4marks)

a-Volcanic eruptions are as old as earth.
b-Vesuvius eruption is the oldest eruption on earth.
c-Volcanic eruptions are the same.
d-Death by suffocation is caused by the dangerous nuee ardente.

2-Answer the questions in your own words (6marks)

a-What was the most violent eruption of our times according to the text?
b-What are the types of eruptions mentioned in the text?
c-How is gas realed during the eruption?
d-Why is the release of gas suffocation?

3-What do you infer from the following statements? (2marks)

a-They have taken a huge toll of human life over the centuries (par1)
b-Well behaved volcanoes can turn nasty if water gets into them (par2)

4-Explain or find sunonyms for the following words (5marks)
Debris, fluid, fizz, suffocation.

5-Summarise the text in no more than 6 lines (3marks)