Ibn tofail University

Faculty of languages, letters & Arts

Department of English Studies
kenitra
BY KHALID EL AATEFI

Reading Comprehension & Precis

Introducing the Reading Skills

​
Reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition,
comprehension, and fluency. It involves making meaning from print and it
requires that we:​
∙Identify the words in print – a process called word recognition​

∙Construct an understanding from them – a process called comprehension​

∙Identifying words and making meaning so that reading is automatic and

accurate – an​
achievement called fluency.​
In real life, people read a variety of texts for both information and pleasure.
Reading materials differ in content, style and purpose. Our reading style is
adjusted accordingly. To become efficient readers, we have to train ourselves to
read different texts in different ways. For example, we do not read a novel and a
textbook in preparation for an examination in the same way. When we are
reading a novel, we do not need to pay attention to every detail the way we do
when reading a textbook. Most speed-reading involves a process called
chunking. Instead of reading each word, the reader takes words in “chunks,” —
that is, groups of words that make a meaningful unit, such as phrases, clauses or
even whole sentences. As adults, most of our reading is silent. When we read
silently, we save the time spent on articulating words, and read in chunks or
sense groups instead of one word at a time.
​
Sub-skills involved in reading
​
1. Global comprehension​
In reading a text for meaning, it is desirable to go from the ‘whole’ to the
‘parts’, and not vice versa, as unskilled readers tend to do. A poor reader will
pick up information from the text in small bits and pieces, as he/she reads from
one word or one sentence to the next, and try to assemble the bits together. An
efficient reader, on the other hand, will first try to form an overall ‘picture’ of
the entire text. ‘Global Comprehension’, or the ability to get the ‘overall’
meaning from a text, requires the sub-skill of skimming i.e. reading through the
text at high speed in order to identify and pick up the main idea or ideas in the
text while ‘filtering out’ the unnecessary details.
​
2. Understanding the plan of the text
A good reader usually reads a text more than once in order to understand it
adequately. The first reading is done at speed, with the intention of making a
‘general survey’ of the text. Then the reader returns to the text as many times as
needed in order to fill in the details.​
Efficient readers are able to form a ‘plan’ of the text that is being read, which
helps them to recover meaning from it. Most texts – unless they are badly
written – possess unity of thought. There is generally one central idea or ‘theme’
in the text, which is most prominent. There may be other ideas as well, but they
are usually introduced in order to provide support for the main idea. The reader’s
mental plan helps him/her to ‘navigate’ through the text confidently instead of
groping about blindly.
​
3. Making predictions and informed guesses
An unskilled reader plods through a text laboriously, trying to get the
meaning of every word. The skilled reader, after reading a few sentences,
paragraphs or pages, is able to form a fairly accurate picture of what the author
is trying to say, and is able to ‘skip’ through the text, omitting quite substantial
portions of it without missing important information. Most writers have a
tendency to repeat themselves in order to ensure that their readers do not miss
the significance of what they are saying; good readers are aware of this and
know that portions of the text can be safely omitted. Making reliable predictions
about what is likely to be found in the text is an important sub-skill of reading.
​
4. Local comprehension
After reading through the text quickly to form an overall impression, one
should focus on the details of the information provided by the writer, which will
generally be located in different parts of the text. A reader begins by gathering
the ‘facts’ presented by the author in the text. The term ‘factual comprehension’
refers to the ability to absorb and retrieve information contained in the text – i.e.,
information that has been explicitly stated by the writer and is directly available
in the text. Factual comprehension must come before deeper and more thorough
understanding of the text; unless one understands the ‘plain sense’ of the text,
one cannot reach the other levels of comprehension.​
Inferential comprehension refers to the reader’s ability to ‘read between the
lines’. The reader has to understand not just what the writer has said, but also
what he/she might have said but has chosen to leave unsaid. This is done on the
basis of clues provided in the text as well as the reader’s own background
knowledge.​
Evaluative comprehension requires the reader to make a considered
judgment on the truth and the value of what the writer is trying to say, and how
far he/she has succeeded in saying it. This is a more sophisticated skill than the
two previously referred to since the author has to respond to the text more
critically to identify, among other things, the writer’s bias, force and accuracy of
argument and the effectiveness of what he/she is trying to say.
​
5. Guessing the meanings of unfamiliar words
Good readers tackle unknown words in a text by trying to guess their
meanings from the​
context. It is not possible to look up the meanings of all unknown words in the
dictionary. If the reader attempts to do that, the flow of reading is interrupted.
However, this is possible only when the text does not have too many difficult
words.
​
6. Skimming and scanning
'Skimming' a text means going through it quickly to get an overall idea of the
content. We are not interested in details or any specific information while
skimming. 'Scanning' on the other hand, involves searching the text for a
specific piece of information in​
which the reader is interested.
​
7. Understanding Discourse Markers
Discourse markers are ‘signposts’ provided by the writer. These are used in a
text to indicate the sequence of ideas and signal the writer’s point of view.
Understanding the writer’s use of discourse markers is an important sub-skill of
reading. These signposts are helpful because they indicate to the reader the
relationship between parts of the text.
​
8. Note-Taking
Note-taking is a sub-skill of reading that is highly useful for study purposes.
It involves understanding the organization of the text and being able to identify
the main points and the supporting details, in skeleton or outline form.
PARAPHRASING
Paraphrasing is to reword a passage or a statement and presents it in your
own words. It is using your own words to rewrite and restate the ideas of
someone else’s. While paraphrasing a statement, a paragraph, or a passage
from a text using your own words and vocabulary, you have to pay attention to
the original meaning. In other words, you express the same idea with a
different way without distorting or doing damage to the original source.
Besides, nothing of the passage is left out as well as nothing is added
concerning the content. Writers, students and scholars often use paraphrasing
(of sentences and paragraphs) as a way to deliver information in a more concise
way.
When paraphrasing, you are basically writing something in your own words
that still expresses the original idea. Paraphrasing is common when writing an
essay or research paper. It allows you to present important ideas in your own
writing style and focus on the information that is most useful in making your
point and expressing meaning. Even when you put someone else's ideas into
your own words, you must cite the source of your information. This gives
originality to your work and credit to the original author for their ideas.

SOME TIPS FOR PARAPHRASING

 a- Read the text, the passage, or the statement until you understand it
b- Note down the key words or concept before you start paraphrasing
c- Paraphrase by using ideas; do not paraphrase word by word.
d-Do not use more than three words in a row from the original passage.
e- Shuffle or change the order of ideas to facilitate your reformulation without
distorting or doing damage to the expressed ideas.
f-When you finish paraphrasing, you compare your paraphrased version to the
original source to make adjustments.
How much you have to change? The majority of words in the statement or
the passage must be changed. It is not enough just to change few words and
rearrange the phrases or sentences within the passage; you have to paraphrase
what you have understood from the passage and put it in a different way.
As for the length of paraphrasing, it depends on the length of the passage
or the statement; there is not that much difference between the original and
the paraphrased. The paraphrase version could be longer or shorter than the
original.
SOME TECHNIQUES OF PARAPHRASING
1-When you paraphrase, you change the form of words or word class; if you
have a noun, substitutes it with an adjective or vice versa and if you have an
adverb, you can use an adjective.
Politicised………………….politicisation​
Dependence…………..........dependent
Critically…………………...critical
2- Change from the active to the passive or vice versa.
3- Change vocabulary and use synonymy:
Fortitude=strength
Vaccination=inoculation
May= (to be) likely to
Important= Critical
4-Use phrasal verbs
5- The technique of modulation: for example
You can replace I will leave it to you by you can have it.
Upon his arrival by when he arrived.
6- The technique of equivalence: for example
--The cup is half-empty or the cup is half-full.
-- The test was easy or the test was not difficult.

EXAMPLES OF PARAPHRASING
1-The original: Nationalism has failed on several accounts.
→ The paraphrase: The failure of nationalism is due to many factors.
2-The original: Progress has been slower than was predicted.
→The paraphrase: Progress has not been as rapid as expected.
3- The original: Symptoms of influenza include fever and nasal congestion.​
→The paraphrase: A stuffy nose and elevated temperature are signs you
may have the flu.

4- The original: The effective use of technology was behind the success of the
project
→…………………………………………

5-The original: The price of a resort vacation typically includes meals, tips and
equipment rentals, which makes your trip more cost-effective.​
→………………………………….

6-The Original:
The older citizens were honored with a parade for those once in the military.
………………………………

7-The original:

She angered me with her inappropriate comments, rumor-spreading, and

disrespectfulness at the formal dinner table.

…………………………………………………………..

EXAMPLES FROM previous exams

A-Amazon highlighted its diversity by noting that 29 per cent of its employees
are African American.

1.​ Work force from African American diversity, Amazon highlighted.

2.​ Amazon pinpointed its diversity by showing that one third of its
employees is African American.

B- Beyond the jobs, cities are also hoping for investment and an economic boost.

1-​ Cities are wishing for the jobs besides investing and economic boost.
2-​ In addition to employment, cities are looking forward economic growth and
investment

Paraphrasing Paragraphs

Paraphrasing a longer passage can take a little more effort, as you have to
ensure it is different enough from the original to be classed as your own work.

Here is an example of paraphrasing a paragraph from “Family Values and Feudal

Codes: The Social Politics of America’s Twenty-First Century Gangster.” Journal
of Popular Culture 37.4 (2004) by Ingrid Field Walker.

Original passage:​

In The Sopranos, the mob is besieged as much by inner infidelity as it is by

the federal government. Early in the series, the greatest threat to Tony's Family
is his own biological family. One of his closest associates turns witness for the
FBI, his mother colludes with his uncle to contract a hit on Tony, and his kids
click through Web sites that track the federal crackdown in Tony's gangland.

Paraphrased passage:
 In the first season of The Sopranos, Tony Soprano’s mobster activities are
more threatened by members of his biological family than by agents of the
federal government. This familial betrayal is multi-pronged. Tony’s closest friend
and associate is an FBI informant, his mother and uncle are conspiring to have
him killed, and his children are surfing the Web for information about his
activities.

Here is a summary of some of the main changes made during the paraphrasing
process:

●​ Early in the series = first season

●​ Greatest threat = more threatened
●​ One of his closest associates = closest friend and associate
●​ His mother colludes with his uncle = his mother and uncle are conspiring
●​ His kids click through Web sites = his children are surfing the Web

4. The paraphrase: The project succeeded because technology was used

effectively
5. The paraphrase: All-inclusive resort vacations can make for an economical
trip.

6-The paraphrase: Senior citizens were honored with a march for veterans.

7-The paraphrase: Her impoliteness, gossiping, and general lack of respect at

dinner infuriated me.

What is an Inference?

What is an inference? An inference is a process of deduction that involves

using existing information to make educated guesses about missing pieces of
information. People use inference all the time in daily life: it is the process of
extrapolating information. In literature, an inference definition involves
something learned through a combination of a reader's knowledge, historical
context, and what is known of the author.
Inference is a cognitive process whereby we derive conclusions,
assumptions, predictions, and explanations based on our interpretations of
observable data. The process of inferring something serves us well because it
helps us make guesses and estimates, predict outcomes, and come
to well-founded assumptions that can inform our decision-making. It enables us
to make sense of the world around us based on a combination of observation and
prior knowledge.
For example, we make an inference when we notice a wet umbrella and
raincoats in the lobby and infer that it is raining outside. In this instance, you
haven’t actually observed the rain, but you come to your conclusion based upon
data in your surrounds and some logical thinking.
The Importance of Making Inferences
Making inferences is a very important part of reading. Writers will often
deliberately leave out some information and require readers to infer what is
missing based on the evidence. This keeps audiences engaged with the story. A
book where no inferences were required at all would likely be extremely dull to
read because it would explicitly state every detail for the audience.
Making Inferences: Examples
Socrates is a man, and all men are mortal.

Therefore, we can infer that Socrates is mortal.

Harry’s face turned red and he started to yell, balling his hands up
into shaking fists.
It’s not to hard to infer what Harry’s feeling here. From the evidence of his face,
voice, and hands, we infer that he’s really angry about something, though we
don’t yet know what it is.

Sherlock Holmes:
Consider how Sherlock Holmes and similar detectives draw conclusions from
small observations in their surrounds. A speck of mud on a person’s shoe, for
example, could lead Holmes to infer the individual recently visited a specific
location. There’s room for error here, but Sherlock feels confident based on his
prior experience as an investigator and his strong deductive skills

Inferences in Moby-Dick
 The famous opening line of "Moby-Dick" is ''Call me Ishmael.'' The names
that authors choose for their characters are very important, and this is especially
true of Ishmael, which is a biblical name. Readers of Moby-Dick can infer from
the name ''Ishmael'' that the protagonist has been cast out of his home and may
be a wanderer. Melville expects his readers to know who Ishmael the biblical
character is and to be able to infer that the Ishmael in ''Moby-Dick'' likely shares
some or all of his major traits.

“Dad? Dad, come on. You gotta get up.”

(The Lion King)
You probably remember this scene in The Lion King. In it, Simba finds his
father, Mufasa, trampled to death by wildebeests. As viewers, we see Simba
trying to wake his father up, and we infer that Simba doesn’t understand death,
or can’t bring himself to believe that his father is gone. At the same time, we’re
watching Simba make the wrong inference – on the basis of the evidence (his
father lying motionless on the ground), he’s reached the conclusion that Mufasa
is simply sleeping or knocked out.

Symptoms of Sickness:
A doctor sees a patient who complains of frequent coughing a runny nose.
They might infer that the patient has a cold. This inference is based on the
doctor’s knowledge of common cold symptoms. But the doctor might need to
pause and remember they have a responsibility to do some further
investigating and not rely on inference alone, or at least, not yet.

Emotional Intelligence:
Emotional intelligence is based on inference. For example, you might see a
friend crying and therefore infer that they are upset. Facial expressions and
body language often serve as the foundation for such emotional inferences. If
you’re good at making these inferences from subtle signals, you might be highly
emotionally intelligent.
 PRÉCIS WRITING AND SUMMARISING ufmxf2g
​
The word précis is derived from French and it means summary. Précis
writing means the art of summarizing. It is one of the most useful skills you can
learn for your work both as a student and as a professional. Précis writing
involves summarizing a document to extract the maximum amount of
information, then conveying this information to a reader in minimum words. A
précis then is a clear, compact logical summary of a passage. It preserves only
the essential or important ideas of the original text.
​
How should we begin to write a précis?​
1. Read and annotate the article or text.​
2. Reflect on the author's purpose.​
3. Consider the kinds of evidence (facts & information) the author uses.​
4. Restate the author's thesis in your own words.​
5. Write a one or two sentence summary of each section or subdivision of the
article.
​
How to write a critical précis​
1. Read the original piece of writing carefully.​
2. Specify its main points and arguments.​
3. Consider the evidence used by the author.​
4. Check unfamiliar material (definitions, statements, unknown words, data, etc.)​
5. Identify the arguments used by the writer.​
6. Restate the thesis.
​
Characteristics of good précis
​

1. Clarity​
Clarity means getting your message across so that the receiver can
understand what the writer is trying to convey. It is the basic and essential
characteristic of a précis. The ideas should be clear and understandable. There
should not be any ambiguity in your writing. The writer can achieve clarity by
using simple language and simple structure. If your précis is not understandable
to the readers, it will lose its importance and meaning for them.​
2. Correctness​
Mistakes in writing always irritate the reader. Of course mistakes are never
intentional, but there is no excuse for them. At the time of writing or composing
a précis, the writer must make sure that the facts and figures are correct.
Structure of sentences and spellings of words must be correct because a single
mistake in structure and spelling may spoil the message.
​
3. Objectivity
​
Objectivity means the ability to present or view facts uncoloured by feelings,
opinions and personal bias. While making a précis, the writer should adopt an
objective approach. He should not give and add his personal opinion and ideas in
a précis. A précis should be purely summary of the original text without any
addition.​
4. Coherence​
Coherence means the logical and clear interconnection of ideas in a written
piece of work. A good précis should be coherent. The ideas which are presented
in a précis must have a logical connection and they all should be interrelated. In
short, we may say that the ideas should be well knitted so that the writer may not
be confused and lose his interest.​
5. Completeness​
Another striking feature of a good précis is completeness. A précis should be
complete. Completeness means that the writer should include all the important
facts in a précis. He should not omit the important ideas. An incomplete précis
on the part of the writer spoils its importance and meaning.​
6. Conciseness​
Conciseness is a desirable quality of a good précis. Conciseness means
saying all that needs to be said and no more. The writer should write what is
necessary and avoid writing unnecessary details. A concise piece of work
conveys the message in the fewest possible words. However, one point must be
kept in mind. The writer should not omit some basic and essential facts to
achieve conciseness.​
Here are some tips to achieve conciseness:​
∙Omit unnecessary details​

∙Eliminate wordy expressions​

∙Include only relevant material​

∙Avoid unnecessary repetition​

Rules for making a précis​
A well written précis should be a substitute for the original work. The goal
of a précis is to preserve the core essence of the work in a manner that is both
clear and concise. While writing a précis, the writer should follow some rules to
make it an effective piece of work. Among these rules:​
- Reading Carefully: First read the passage carefully twice or three times to
summarize it. This will enable you to understand the main theme of the passage.​
-Underlining: Underline and mark the important ideas and essential points from
the original text.​
-Outlining: With the help of the underlined ideas, draw the outline of your
précis.​
-Omission: Omit all the unnecessary information or the long phrases that could
be replaced by one word. Some additional adjectives and adverbs can also be
omitted in order to make a good précis, but never omit the important points and
ideas which are essential.​
-Size: Keep in your mind that the length of the précis should be one third of the
original passage.​
-Indirect speech: A précis should be written in indirect speech. If there is direct
speech in the passage, it should be changed into indirect speech.​
-Précis of a dialogue: The précis of a dialogue or conversation should always be
expressed in form of a narrative.​
-Objective approach: A précis writer should adopt an objective approach. He
should not add his personal ideas to a précis.​
-One paragraph: There could be two or more paragraphs in the original text.
While making the précis, try to write all the ideas in one paragraph.​
-Rough draft: After omitting all the unnecessary ideas, the writer should
prepare a rough draft to finalize it.​
-Final draft: Having read the rough draft and pointed out some mistakes which
may be found in this first draft, the writer goes on to prepare the final draft.

A-Examples of sentences’ summary

​

1. After she turned on the oven, Michiko mixed the sugar, flour, eggs, milk, oil
and vanilla in the new blender, poured the batter into the buttered pans, and
put the cake in the oven.

Summary: Michiko prepares/prepared a vanilla cake

2. When the Chen family returned from their vacation, they found the back
door broken open, the television set missing, and all the food in their freezer
gone.

Summary: The Chen’s house was/is robbed.

3- Ahmed, my classmate, woke up, got shaved, put on his jersey and trainers,
took a mini-bottle of water and got out.
Summary: Ahmed left for a walk

B-Summarizing a Passage (a paragraph or a text)

When summarizing a passage, the first step is to write a one-sentence summary

of each paragraph. Then you can combine the sentences to write a summary of
the whole passage.

. Summarizing a paragraph

• Write a single, complete sentence that is much shorter than the paragraph.

• Include the main idea and supporting facts and ideas.

• In the summary sentence, follow the same pattern of organization as in the

paragraph.

• Do not add any facts, ideas, or opinions that are not in the paragraph

Note: The topic sentence or main idea sentence can sometimes serve as the
summary sentence, but it often needs to be changed to include important
details found in the paragraph.

EXAMPLES OF PARAGRAPH SUMMARY

Read the paragraph and mark the text to show the main idea, the pattern of
organization, and the supporting facts and ideas. Then present the summary
sentence that contains the most important ideas in the paragraph.

In developing countries, poor people have suffered the most from shortage
of clean water. There are several reasons for this. First, in many developing
countries, the majority of houses in poor villages and urban slums are not yet
served by a piped water system. People living in these places often have to walk
many miles to find water and carry it home in jugs and plastic containers.
Second, these people usually have few alternatives to the piped water
supply. There may be water closer by in rivers or lakes, but this is often
dangerously polluted. In some areas, street vendors sell water by the litre, but
they often charge extremely high prices for water that is not always safe to
drink.
Main idea: Poor people in developing countries have endured many years
of shortage of clean water for several reasons.

Supporting facts and ideas:

1- People in poor villages and urban slums are usually not served by a
piped water system.

2- These people have few other alternative to have access to sources of fresh
water.

Summary sentence: Poor people in developing countries have endured many

years of shortage of drinkable water because their homes do not have piped
water networks and they have few other alternatives to access clean sources of
water.

ORIGINAL: Wetlands

Wetlands are areas of land that are covered by water all or part of the year.
Throughout history, people have considered wetlands to be land that was
wasted and could be put to better use. For this reason, from the time of the
Romans, wetlands have been drained and filled so that the land could be used
for human activity. Wetlands have been converted into farmland, city
neighbourhoods, industrial facilities, or garbage dumps. However, in recent
years, scientists, environmentalists, and even politicians have begun to realize
that wetlands are a valuable part of the environment, as well as a valuable
resource for humans.

Main idea: Wetlands are pieces of land that that are covered in water all or part
of the year.
Supporting facts and ideas: wetlands have been drained and turned into
farmlands, housing sites, industrial zones and valuable resources for other
human activities.

SUMMARY : Wetlands or marshlands have been drained, turned to productive

pieces of lands and used for different human services like farming, housing, and
valuable resources for other human activities.

ORIGINAL:

The Northern Lights

There are times when the night glows with bands of colour. The bands may
begin as cloud shapes and spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They
may fall in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow
brighter, then suddenly dim. During this time, the sky glows with pale yellow,
pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are called the Aurora Borealis.
Some people call them the Northern lights. Scientists have been watching them
for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them. In ancient
times people were afraid of the lights. They imagined that they saw fiery
dragons in the sky. Some concluded that the heavens were on fire.

SUMMARY:

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are stripes of colour flaring up the
night sky. Ancient people thought that these lights were dragons or the sky on
fire, and even scientists are not sure what they are.
Read the following passage and answer the questions given at the end:

Passage:
​
A life of action and danger moderates the dread of death. It not only
gives us fortitude to bear pain, but also teaches us at every step the precarious
tenure on which we hold our present being. Sedentary and studious men are
the most apprehensive on this score. Dr. Johnson was an instance in point. A
few years seemed to him soon over, compared with those sweeping
contemplations on time and infinity with which he had been used to pose
himself. In the still life of a man of letters, there was no obvious reason for a
change. He might sit in an armchair and pour out cups of tea to all eternity
would it had been possible for him to do so. The most rational cure after all for
the inordinate fear of death is to set a just value on life. If we mere wish to
continue on the scene to indulge our head-strong humour and tormenting
passions, we had better be gone at once,; and if we only cherish a fondness for
existence according to the good we desire from it, the pang we feel at parting
which it will not be very severe.​

Questions:​
​
1. Suggest a suitable title for the passage.​
2. What type of people are afraid of death and why?​
3. How can we get rid of the fear of death?​
4. What idea do you form about Dr. Johnson from this passage?​
5. Explain the meanings of the words written in bold types.​
6. Make a précis of the passage.
 Answer:
1. The fear of death.
2. People who spend much time sitting and studying are the most afraid of
death. Because they lead a peaceful life and want no change.
3. The most sensible way of getting rid of the fear of death is to value life
properly. We should know that our hold upon life is very risky and that we
may die at any moment.
4. From this passage, we learn that Dr. Johnson was afraid of death. He led a
peaceful life and wanted no change. He was fond of tea.
5. Explanation of the meanings of words;
Precarious Tenure - Uncertain period of life
Inordinate fear - Unreasonable fear, fear of death.
6. Summary or précis.
If we lead an active life facing dangers, we will less fear death. People, who
lead a lazy and peaceful life, are the most afraid of death. The most sensible
way of getting rid of the fear of death is to value life properly. If we do not
give unnecessary importance to our life, we will not feel the pang of death.
 TEXT NUMBER ONE

Semester 1 Reading Comprehension and Précis

A Cultural Difference: Being on Time

In the United States, it is important to be on time, or punctual, for an

appointment, a class, a meeting, etc. However, this may not be true in all
countries. An American professor discovered this difference while teaching a
class in a Brazilian university. The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10
A.M. and end at 12 P.M. On the first day, when the professor arrived on time,
no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 10 A.M. Several arrived
after 10:30 A.M. Two students came 10 after 11 A.M. Although all the students
greeted the professor as they arrived, few apologized for their lateness. Were
these students being rude? He decided to study the students' behavior.

The professor talked to American and Brazilian students about lateness at

a lunch with a friend and in a university class, respectively. He gave them an
example and asked them how they would react. If they had a lunch
appointment with a friend, the average American student defined lateness as
19 minutes after the agreed time. On the other hand, the average Brazilian
student felt the friend was late after 33 minutes.

In an American university, students are expected to arrive at the

appointed hour. In contrast, in Brazil, neither the teacher nor the students
always arrive at the appointed hour. Classes not only begin at the scheduled
time in the United States, but they also end at the scheduled time. In the
Brazilian class, only a few students left the class at noon; many remained
past 12:30 to discuss the class and ask more questions. While arriving late may
not be very important in Brazil, neither is staying late.

The explanation for these differences is complicated. People from

Brazilian and North American cultures have different feelings about lateness. In
Brazil, the students believe that a person who usually arrives late is probably
more successful than a person who is always on time. In fact, Brazilians
expect a person with status or prestige to arrive late, while in the
United States lateness is usually considered to be disrespectful and
unacceptable. Consequently, if a Brazilian is late for an appointment with a
North American, the American may misinterpret the reason for the lateness
and become angry.

As a result of his study, the professor learned that the Brazilian

students were not being disrespectful to him. Instead, they were simply
behaving in the appropriate way for a Brazilian student in Brazil. Eventually,
the professor was able to adapt his own behavior so that he could feel
comfortable in the new culture.

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

A. Find in the text words which mean the same as:

-Programmed and planned:

- Impolite:

- A meeting or a date:

- Complex:

- Anticipate:

- Adjust:

B. Check whether these statements are True or False. If a statement is false,

rewrite it to the correct form

1-In American universities, it is important to be on time.

2-In a Brazilian class, the students leave immediately after the class is finished.

3- Most North Americans think a person who is late is disrespectful.

4- In Brazil, successful people are expected to be on time.

5. As a result of the study, the professor changed the Brazilian students'
behaviour.

C. Answer the following questions from the text:

1. Why did the professor study the students' behaviour?

2. What did the professor find out from his study?

3. How lateness is perceived in the Brazil?

4. What can be concluded from the passage?

D. Paraphrase: Paraphrase the following sentence

1. In fact, Brazilians expect a person with status or prestige to arrive late, while
in the United States lateness is usually considered to be disrespectful and
unacceptable.

A. Find in the text words which mean the same as:

-Programmed and planned: scheduled

- Impolite: rude

- A meeting or a date: an appointment

- Complex: complicated

- Anticipate: expect

- Adjust: adapt

B. Check whether these statements are True or False. If a statement is false,

rewrite it to the correct form

1-In American universities, it is important to be on time.

True because students are expected to arrive at the appointed time as the text
states

2-In a Brazilian class, the students leave immediately after the class is finished.

False. Students do not leave classes immediately; they remain there to discuss
the lesson and ask questions

3- Most North Americans think a person who is late is disrespectful.

True because North Americans usually associate lateness with disrespect and
rudeness

4- In Brazil, most successful people are expected to be on time. False

5. As a result of the study, the professor changed the Brazilian students'

behaviour. False

C. Answers to the following questions from the text:

1. Why did the professor study the students' behaviour?

The professor wants to know why Brazilian students arrive late and whether
lateness is a disrespectful or a normal behaviour.

2. What did the professor find out from his study?

The professor concludes that students were not disrespectful, but simply
behaving in the appropriate Brazilian way.

3. How lateness is perceived in the Brazil?

Arriving late in Brazil is a sign of status or prestige.

4. What can be concluded from the passage?

Every culture has a specific perception of time and cultural differences may
result in misunderstanding

D. Paraphrase: Paraphrase the following sentence

1. In fact, Brazilians expect a person with status or prestige to arrive late, while
in the United States lateness is usually considered to be disrespectful and
unacceptable.

1-​ For Americans, lateness is a sign of disrespect and rudeness; whereas, in

Brazilian terms, it is a symbol of social distinction or influence.

Chimpanzees
TEXT NUMBER TWO

Much of the information we have today about chimpanzees comes from the
ground-breaking, long-term research of the great conservationist, Jane Goodall. Jane
Goodall was born in London, England, on April 3, 1934. On her second birthday, her father
gave her a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. Jubilee was named after a baby chimp in the
London Zoo, and seemed to foretell the course Jane's life would take. To this day, Jubilee sits
in a chair in Jane's London home. From an early age, Jane was fascinated by animals and
animal stories. By the age of 10, she was talking about going to Africa to live among the
animals there. At the time, in the early 1940s, this was a radical idea because women did not
go to Africa by themselves.

As a young woman. Jane finished school in London, attended secretarial school, and
then worked for a documentary filmmaker for a while. When a school friend invited her to
visit Kenya, she worked as a waitress until she had earned the fare to travel there by boat.
She was 23 years old.
 Once in Kenya, she met Dr. Louis Leakey, a famous paleontologist and anthropologist.
He was impressed with her thorough knowledge of Africa and its wildlife, and hired her to
assist him and his wife on a fossil-hunting expedition to Olduvai Gorge. Dr. Leakey soon
realized that Jane was the perfect person to complete a study he had been planning for some
time. She expressed her interest in the idea of studying animals by living in the wild with
them, rather than studying dead animals through paleontology.

Dr. Leakey and Jane began planning a study of a group of chimpanzees who were
living on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Kenya. At first, the British authorities would not
approve their plan. At the time, they thought it was too dangerous for a woman to live in the
wilds of Africa alone. But Jane's mother, Vanne, agreed to join her so that she would not be
alone. Finally, the authorities gave Jane the clearance she needed in order to go to Africa and
begin her study.

In July of 1960, Jane and her mother arrived at Gombe National Park in what was
then called Tanganyika and is now called Tanzania. Jane faced many challenges as she began
her work. The chimpanzees did not accept her right away, and it took months for them to get
used to her presence in their territory. However, she was very patient and remained focused
on her goal. Little by little, she was able to enter their world.

At first, she was able to watch the chimpanzees only from a great distance, using
binoculars. As time passed, she was able to move her observation point closer to them while
still using camouflage. Eventually, she was able to sit among them, touching, patting, and
even feeding them. It was an amazing accomplishment for Jane, and a breakthrough in the
study of animals in tile wild. Jane named all of the chimpanzees that she studied, stating in
her journals that she felt they each had a unique personality.​
One of the first significant observations that Jane made during the study was that
chimpanzees make and use tools, much like humans do, to help them get food. It was
previously thought that humans alone used tools. Also thanks to Jane's research, we now
know that chimps eat meat as well as plants and fruits. In many ways, she has helped us to
see how chimpanzees and humans are similar. In doing so, she has made us more
sympathetic toward these creatures, while helping us to better understand ourselves. The
study started by Jane Goodall in 1960 is now the longest field study of any animal species in
their natural habitat. Research continues to this day in Gombe and is conducted by a team of
trained Tanzanians.

Jane's life has included much more than just her study of the chimps in Tanzania. She
pursued a graduate degree while still conducting her study, receiving her Ph.D. from
Cambridge University in 1965. In 1984, she received the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation
Prize for "helping millions of people understand the importance of wildlife conservation to
life on this planet." She has been married twice: Fast to a photographer and then to the
director of National Parks. She has one son.
 Dr. Jane Goodall is now the world's most renowned authority on chimpanzees, having
studied their behaviour for nearly 40 years. She has published many scientific articles, has
written two books, and has won numerous awards for her groundbreaking work. The Jane
Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation was founded in 1977 in
California but moved to the Washington, D.G., area in 1998. Its goal is to take the actions
necessary to improve the environment for all living things.​
Dr. Goodall now travels extensively, giving lectures, visiting zoos and chimp sanctuaries, and
talking to young people involved in environmental education. She is truly a great
conservationist and an amazing human being.

I.​ What do the underlined words in the passage refer to?

-​ Groundbreaking: ………………………
-​ Foretell: ………………………
-​ Paleontologist: ………………………
-​ Anthropologist: ………………………
-​ Approve: ………………………
-​ Clearance: ………………………
-​ Binoculars: ………………………
-​ Camouflage: ………………………
-​ Eventually: ………………………
-​ Breakthrough: ………………………

II.​ Circle the best answer

1.​ In paragraph 2, why did the toy of a baby chimp seem to "foretell" the course of
Jane's life?
a.​ Because she was fascinated by Africa and African wild animals.
b.​ Because her greatest contribution in life has been made to the study of
chimpanzees.
c.​ Because she loves chimpanzees and raises them.
d.​ Because she finally becomes a famous palaeontologist.
2.​ What is the author's purpose in writing this article?
a.​ To entertain the reader with stories about chimpanzees.
b.​ To inform the reader of the importance of wildlife conservation.
c.​ To warn the reader about the challenges of working in Africa.
d.​ To describe the work and life of Jane Goodall.
3.​ Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons Dr. Leakey chose Jane to work
with him?
 a.​ She knew a lot about Africa.
b.​ She knew a lot about African wildlife.
c.​ She earned the money to travel to Africa on her own.
d.​ She was interested in studying animals in the will
4.​ Which of the following is NOT true of chimpanzees?
a.​ Chimpanzees are often comfortable with strangers right away.
b.​ Chimpanzees eat meat as well as plants and fruit.
c.​ Chimpanzees use tools to help them get food.
d.​ Different chimpanzees have different personalities.
5.​ What is the main idea of this article?
a.​ Chimpanzees are amazing creatures with unique personalities.
b.​ Jane Goodall has taught us a great deal about animal behaviour and wildlife
conservation.
c.​ Africa is full of wildlife that must be both preserved and studied.
d.​ Humans are very similar to chimpanzees and can learn a great deal by studying
them.

III.​ Paraphrase the following sentences

-​ Dr. Jane Goodall is now the world's most renowned authority on chimpanzees, having
studied their behaviour for nearly 40 years
-​ She is truly a great conservationist and an amazing human being.

IV.​ Complete the following sentences from the passage making any necessary changes
-​ All the information we have nowadays about chimpanzees are the result
of……………………………………
-​ As a student, Jane labored as …………………………… to
……………………………… to travel to Kenya
-​ To study chimpanzees, Jane started by………………… then she got closer
to………………………and ultimately managed to ………………………..
-​ Although the chimpanzees refused to ……………., Jane maintained her
…………………… and …………

V.​ Rewrite the story of Jane with the chimpanzees in no more than 100 words

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………

TEXT NUMBER THREE

Reading Comprehension and Précis

Overthinking Is Killing Us, We Need To Get Out Of our Head

Most of us fall victim to some degree

of overthinking: heavily weighing every
single option before making a decision,
focusing on minute details of a
situation and ignoring the big picture,
or choking under pressure when doing
something we already know we are
good at. Overthinking happens as we
grow older and as our curious, child-like brains become jam-packed with
rational, concrete knowledge. When we are young, our brains are at the peak of
curiosity, making billions of connections every minute and soaking up
information like a sponge.

It is important to encourage children's sense of curiosity with creative and

imaginative environments, like art or music. As there is no right or wrong way
to be creative, children are free to guess solutions and use their natural sense
of wonderment without being reprimanded. Sir Kenneth Robinson, author and
international advisor on education, claims that children lose this drive to come
to their own conclusions when they enter the formal educational system. In
his Ted Talk, Robinson tells an anecdote of a little girl in a drawing lesson who
took a chance in answering an unknown question and guessed something
creatively: “She was 6 and she was at the back, drawing, and the teacher said
this little girl hardly ever paid attention, and in this drawing lesson she did. The
teacher was fascinated and she went over to her and she said, 'What are you
drawing?' And the girl said, 'I'm drawing a picture of God.' And the teacher said,
'But nobody knows what God looks like.' And the girl said, 'They will in a
minute.”

At 6 years old, that little girl's curiosity is at its peak. She certainly does not
know what God looks like, but she felt confident in her interpretation, even if it
was incorrect. Robinson argues that with its stigmatization of failure, concrete
letter grades, and focus only on academic ability and the linear goal of getting a
job, the educational system frightens us out of making guesses and being
"wrong" in life. Original, child-like thoughts like that girl's made-up version of
God become replaced by vast quantities of concrete knowledge that is correct
or incorrect.

Because children learn to fear being wrong, they slowly stop offering their
own out-of-the-box ideas. Uninhibited creativity, says Robinson, becomes
squashed. The early years of our lives are filled with so much learning, inside
the classroom and out. We are constantly gathering information in formal as
well as informal settings, such as our respective environments, our peers, and
our parents. Of course, acquiring so much knowledge can be a great thing -- to
a degree.

In his book The Parody of Choice, Dr. Barry Schwartz says it is important for
people to feel like they have choices when making decisions in life. (And)The
only way we learn about the wide variety of choices we have is by obtaining
knowledge and accumulating information. Yet, if we have too much information
at hand, Schwartz says, we become overwhelmed. When we become exposed
to seemingly limitless choices, our decision-making process is stunted and we
can become debilitated.

So, if our educational system provides us with an overload of information

and has made us terrified of being wrong, and if throughout our lives we are
constantly learning new perspectives and ideas from which we base decisions,
overthinking seems a kind of inevitable. We always want to make the right
choice, and there are too many options from which to choose. Psychologist
Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, says our brains are truly hardwired for overthinking. All
of the memories, thoughts, and emotions stored in our brains are woven
together in networks of connections. This spider web of associations definitely
increases our capacity to think, but it also makes us susceptible to overthinking.
According to her, when we are in a bad mood of some type — depressed,
anxious, just altogether upset —our bad mood tends to trigger a cascade of
thoughts associated with our mood. These thoughts may have nothing to do
with the incident that put us into a bad mood in the first place, as when a poor
job performance causes us to think about our aunt who died last year.

Overthinking, especially when our moods affect our thoughts, is detrimental

to our normal functions. A study from UC Santa Barbara suggests that thinking
too much about a situation impedes our judgment and performance. In a study,
researchers observed the functions of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which
supports two kinds of long-term memory: explicit memory, where you actively
recall information and consciously use sensory processes to perform tasks, and
implicit memory, where you unconsciously rely on previous experiences to
perform tasks.

When researchers disrupted the functions of parts of participants' prefrontal

cortexes associated with explicit memory, they found that the decision-making
process actually improved in accuracy. Participants were shown kaleidoscopic
images for one minute and given a break for one minute. They were then given
memory tests with two different kaleidoscopic images and told to distinguish
images they previously saw from the ones they were currently looking at.

When conscious processes of explicit memory were disrupted in the

prefrontal cortex, participants remembered images better. The decision-making
process became more accurate when participants simply guessed and did not
actively think through their decision. We will learn many things throughout our
lives, but the key to managing all of our knowledge is -- so it seems -- to trust
our gut. At the University of Chicago, Professor Sian Beilock studies athletes
who mess up, or "choke" in big games, even after they have been practicing for
years. How is it possible to choke on something that you have been perfecting
for so long? Beilock told the New York Times: “you cannot think your way
through a routine, practiced action, like making a 3-foot putt [in golf]. Compare
it to quickly shuffling down a flight of stairs. You could do that without thought.
But if I asked you to do it, and at the same time think about how much you bend
your knee each time or what part of your foot is touching the stair, you would
probably fall on your face. That’s what happens when people choke. They try to
think their way through the action.”
 Adaptedfrom:https://www.elitedaily.com/life/science-overthinking/7
36245

BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT

I- Comprehension Questions (2O pts)

A-​Are these sentences true or false? Justify (4 pts):

1.​ Children hesitate to express themselves creatively for fear of being

wrong.

……………………………………………………………………………………
………..
2.​ Overthinking has a negative impact on our judgment of events.
………………………….………………………………………………
…………………

3.​ Although she is only 6 years, the girl could conceptualize the image of
God
……………………………….…………………………………………
……………………

B-​Answer the following questions from the text (4pts):

1.​ How does the educational system damage children’s curiosity?

-…………………………………………………….…………………..……
…………………

2.​ When do we feel overwhelmed with making decisions?

-……………………………………………………..…………………………
…………………

3.​ How can children be encouraged to be creative?

 -
…………………………………………………….…………………………
……………….

4.​Mention three symptoms of overthinking.

a-.……………………………………………………………..…………………
……………..

b-…………………………………………………………………………………
………..

c-.…………………………………………………………………………………
…………..

D-What do these words in the text refer to (1pt):

1.​ she: (para2) : ……………………………. 2-they ( para8) :

……………………

E-Find in the text words or expressions that mean the same as (1 pt):

1.​ Unrestricted : (para 5)……………………………....

2.​ Obstruct : (para 7) ……………………………….

F-Use context to explain the following words:

1.​ Jam-packed (para 1)
2.​ Stunted (para 5)

II-Paraphrasing (4 pts)

Paraphrase the following sentences from the text

1- It's important to encourage children's sense of curiosity with creative and
imaginative environments, like art or music. As there is no right or wrong
 way to be creative, children are free to guess solutions and use their natural
sense of wonderment without being reprimanded.

……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……….

2- If our education system provides us with an overload of information and

has made us terrified of being wrong, and if throughout our lives we are
constantly learning new perspectives and ideas from which we base
decisions, overthinking seems a kind of inevitable.

……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
………

III-Summarasing (4 pts)

2-​ In less than 60 words, write a summary of the first paragraph of the text
starting from: “ Most of us fall victim to some degree of
overthinking………………….. making billions of connections every
minute and soaking up information like a sponge.”

…………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………

Good Luck!

Future directions: Ecology or technology?

1- In 1954, Canadian artist Alex Colville finished what is probably his most
famous painting, Horse and Train. Set against a stark, surrealistic background,
the painting depicts a horse galloping down the middle of the railroad tracks
toward an oncoming train. Colville’s painting is subject to many interpretations,
but whether the horse and the train symbolize instinct versus rationality, nature
versus man, or ecology versus technology, the artist warns that unless
something intervenes to alter the course, tragedy is imminent.
2- In 1972, the appearance of the book the Limits to Growth unleashed a
controversy concerning the future of the planet. Commissioned by the Club of
Rome and conducted by researchers/ authors Donella Meadows, Jørgen
Randers, Dennis Meadows, and William W. Behrens III, the project applied
systems dynamics and computer modelling to simulate 12 scenarios based on
the interactions of population, food production, industrial production,
pollution, and consumption of non-renewable natural resources. Using the
World3 computer model developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
the authors projected the implications of the data input and concluded that if
human society continued on the path of exponential growth and unrestrained
consumption and resource exploitation, the planet’s physical carrying capacity
would be exceeded by the middle of the twenty-first century. The only way
humanity could avoid inevitable collapse was to reduce its ecological footprint
through far-reaching technological, cultural, and institutional changes. Although
their predictions appeared dire, they believed that disaster was avoidable. They
warned, however, that unless people and policy makers tackled the
underlying causes of the problem—and the sooner the better—the less likely
they would be able to turn things around.
3- The Limits to Growth’s explicit message provoked strong reactions.
Economists, politicians, and industrialists were outraged at the suggestion that
people should have to impose constraints on their pursuit of growth, growth,
and more growth. Since the Industrial Revolution, growth has been driving the
global socioeconomic system, and to this day, it is still equated with progress,
profit, prosperity, and success. To question growth, let alone challenge the
corporate world’s quest for unlimited profit, was next to heresy. Those who did
not deny the Limits to Growth’s findings tried to debunk the team’s
methodology or disseminate scare stories based on misinterpretations and
misrepresentations of the book’s conclusions. On the other side of the
political-economic fence, those who had neither power nor profits to lose
regarded the Limits to Growth as groundbreaking and courageous.
Environmentalists, scientists, and thinkers applauded Donella Meadows and her
colleagues for caring deeply enough about the planet to initiate an urgent
discussion on its future.
4- At the core of the Limits to Growth are the concepts of overshoot and
sustainability. Overshoot happens when a course of action goes too far and
exceeds its physical limits. Imagine what would happen if you drank too much
alcohol, or if a timber company practiced clear-cut logging. Common sense tells
us that we cannot drink excessively without passing out, getting sick, and
ending up with a horrendous hangover, and that we cannot cut down a forest
without decimating the ecosystem. On a larger scale, it is the result of rapid,
uncontrolled growth, and when no one pays attention to or responds to the
problem, coupled with the lack of accurate data and the persistent belief that
there is no tomorrow, the consequences of overshoot are collapse. Overshoot
can be compared to the bubble that occurs on the stock market when irrational
exuberance for a particular stock, such as dot.com companies at the turn of this
century, inflates prices until the bubble bursts and the market crashes.
5-The alternative to overshoot is sustainability, first defined by the 1987
Brundtland Commission as development that “meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.” ? Sustainability does not mean, as many naysayers and critics would
argue, zero growth, economic paralysis or stagnation, rigid political control,
cultural uniformity, or the end of democracy. It does mean responsible
management of resources, long-term planning, and a more equitable
redistribution of food, services, and capital so that everyone has enough to live
comfortably and with dignity. It is crucial, therefore, that we ask ourselves: do
we stand on the side lines, gazing helplessly at a horse and a train on a collision
course, or do we take our lives and the future of our children into our hands
and set a new direction?
PART ONE: COMPREHENSION & VOCABULARY (12PTS)
A. Are the following statements True or False? Justify your answer. (3PTS)
1_________: The painting draws attention to an inevitable catastrophe
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2. ________: Limits to Growth’s propositions were welcomed by everyone.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
3. ________: The author believes that the concept of industrial revolution is
beyond questioning.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
B. Using context of the words in bold, circle the correct answers (a, b, c or d)?
(3PTS)
Exponential (P2): : a. descending b. mounting c. stagnant
d. impermanent
Hangover: (P3): a. sobriety b. drunkenness c. relief d.
discomfort
Inflates (P3): a. negotiates b. bargains c. amplifies
d. diversifies
C. Answer the following questions from the text? (6PTS)
1. What is the main idea of the text?
_____________________________________________
2. What does the author imply by “set a new direction”?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________
3. What do people need to do to achieve an effective turnaround?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______
4. What is the message behind Train and Horse and The Limits to Growth?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______
PART TWO: REFERENCE & PARAPHRASING (8PTS)
A. What do the underlined words refer to in the text: (2PTS)​
“It” (paragraph 3): ______________________________________
“It” (paragraph 4): ______________________________________
B. Re-write the following sentences in your own words? (6PTS)
1. “They warned, however, that unless people and policy makers tackled the
underlying causes of the problem—and the sooner the better—the less likely
they would be to turn things around.”
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______
2. “Those who did not deny the Limits to Growth’s findings tried to debunk the
team’s methodology or disseminate scare stories based on misinterpretations
and misrepresentations of the book’s conclusions.”
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______
3. Development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________

The Irish Potato Famine

During the summer of 1845, a "blight of unusual character" devastated
Ireland's potato crop, the basic staple in the Irish diet. A few days after
potatoes were dug from the ground, they began to turn into a slimy, decaying,
blackish "mass of rottenness." Expert panels convened to investigate the
blight's cause suggested that it was the result of "static electricity" or the
smoke that billowed from railroad locomotives or the "mortiferous vapours"
rising from underground volcanoes. In fact, the cause was a fungus that had
travelled from Mexico to Ireland.

"Famine fever"--cholera, dysentery, scurvy, typhus, and infestations of

lice--soon spread through the Irish countryside. Observers reported seeing
children crying with pain and looking "like skeletons, their features sharpened
with hunger and their limbs wasted, so that there was little left but bones."
Masses of bodies were buried without coffins, a few inches below the soil. Over
the next ten years, more than 750,000 Irish died and another 2 million left their
homeland for Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. Within five years,
the Irish population was reduced by a quarter.

The Irish potato famine was not simply a natural disaster. It was a product of
social causes. Under British rule, Irish Catholics were prohibited from entering
the professions or even purchasing land. Instead, many rented small plots of
land from absentee British Protestant landlords. Half of all landholdings were
less than 5 acres in 1845.

Irish peasants subsisted on a diet consisting largely of potatoes, since a farmer

could grow triple the amount of potatoes as grain on the same plot of land. A
single acre of potatoes could support a family for a year. About half of Ireland's
population depended on potatoes for subsistence.
The inadequacy of relief efforts by the British Government worsened the
horrors of the potato famine. Initially, England believed that the free market
would end the famine. In 1846, in a victory for advocates of free trade, Britain
repealed the Corn Laws, which protected domestic grain producers from
foreign competition. The repeal of the Corn Laws failed to end the crisis since
the Irish lacked sufficient money to purchase foreign grain.

In the spring of 1847, Britain adopted other measures to cope with the famine,
setting up soup kitchens and programs of emergency work relief. But many of
these programs ended when a banking crisis hit Britain. In the end, Britain
relied largely on a system of workhouses, which had originally been established
in 1838, to cope with the famine. But these grim institutions had never been
intended to deal with a crisis of such sweeping scope. Some 2.6 million Irish
entered overcrowded workhouses, where more than 200,000 people died.

The Irish Potato Famine left as its legacy deep and lasting feelings of
bitterness and distrust toward the British. Far from being a natural disaster,
many Irish were convinced that the famine was a direct outgrowth of British
colonial policies. In support of this contention, they noted that during the
famine's worst years, many Anglo-Irish estates continued to export grain and
livestock to England.

​
PART ONE: COMPREHENSION & VOCABULARY (13PTS)
A. Are the following statements True or False? Justify your answer. (3PTS)
1_________: 1. The Irish potato famine happened because of natural causes
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2. ________: Catholics were treated fairly then by the British government.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
3. ________: The Irish had other resources to live on apart from the potato
crops.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
B. Using context of the words in bold, circle the correct answers (a, b, c or d):
(4PTS)
1. Convened: (line.3) a. gathered b. agreed c. participated. d. declined
2. Fungus: (line 5) a. sickness. b. a deadly insect c. a sort of bird d. a sort of
parasite
3. Advocates: (line 21) a. lawyers b. politicians. c. fans d. defenders
4. Repeal: (line 23) a. appeal b. cancelling c. implementation d. introduction
C. Answer the following questions from the text: (6PTS)
1. What were the causes of the Irish potato famine?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________
2. Why were the workhouses insufficient to solve the problem?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
3. On whom does the author lay the blame?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
PART TWO: REFERENCE & PARAPHRASING (7PTS)
A. What do the underlined words refer to in the text? (2PTS)​
1. “Staple” :( line 1): ______________________________________
2. “It” (line 4): ______________________________________
B. Re-write the following sentences in your own words: (5PTS)
1. During the summer of 1845, a blight of unusual character devastated
Ireland’s potato crop, the basic staple in the Irish diet. (1.5pts)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
2. But these grim institutions had never been intended to deal with a crisis of
such sweeping scope. (1.5pts)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
3. The Irish Potato famine left as its legacy deep and lasting feelings of
bitterness and distrust toward the British. Far from being a natural disaster,
many Irish were convinced that the famine was a direct outgrowth of British
colonial policies. (2pts)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
___________________

Reading comprehension: Text number four

Cinema
For the first half of the 20th century the cinema dominated all
other forms of popular entertainment in the world. During the heyday of
the 'movie theatre' or the 'picture house' - as the Americans and British
variously called their cinema halls- millions of people throughout the
world developed the habit (almost the addiction) of going to see a film at
least once a week. This was the golden age of Hollywood, film capital of
both the United State and the world.

The first silent film (in black and white, of course) were shown during
the 1890s as part of music -hall entertainment, taking turns along with
various live acts such as singers, dancers and magicians. Such films were
simply to give the audience a thrill; the vision of a huge locomotive racing
towards you out of the screen usually produced the effect that both the
promoter and the audience desired. Indeed, this thrill element continues
to be very significant in movies, as is witnessed by the demand for
more and more spectacular 'special effects' in various science- fiction
extravaganzas.

A Frenchman, Georges Melies, created the first actual story related

movies around 1900 and the first American story film was the Great Train
Robbery in 1903. From then until 1914, American and European film-makers
were more or less equal, but after the outbreak of the First world War,
Europeans had other more pressing concerns, and far away in, California,
near the city of Los Angeles, the film-makers of the New world went ahead
on their own, producing first the 'talkies' and then 'Technicolor'. Many
European countries (including France, Britain, Russia and Germany) have
continued to make film, but they have never really managed to catch up
with the lead that Hollywood established during and after the Great War.

The only nation that can 'nowadays be said to rival the united
states in the volume of films produced, money made and numbers
entertained is India, which has an extremely successful home and
export business in films. India makes movies available both to Indian
communities established in other parts of the world and to countries
whose people are culturally closer to Bombay than to Hollywood.

The cinema, since its inception, has been in direct competition with a
variety of other forms of entertainment. These include: participating in and
watching sports and games, acting in or going to the live theatre, performing
for or listening to radio, watching television, and -most recently- playing
video games. The live theatre has not done particularly well in the face of
competition from the cinema. While in turn the cinema has not done too
well when faced with the domestic miracle of millions of private screens in
people's own home. Looking back at the way in which television has
displaced the movies since the early 1950s, we might even say that the
cinema was the dinosaur ancestor of TV, rather than that TV is a miniature
cinema. The only clear advantage that the public movie has over the private
tube is the size of the picture offered. Even that advantage may not last
much longer, however, as more and more people in affluent parts of the
world become interested in large TV wall screeners for their living rooms.

Not, of course, that Hollywood is going to stop making films, the TV

companies will need them for a long time to come, as will the videotape
industry. The framing of celluloid dreams goes on, with whole galaxies of
'stars', 'starlets' and 'superstars' whom we can watch, love, hate, envy or
disdain (according to our inclinations). It is a state of affairs that could never
have been imagined in, say, 1839, the year when Sir John Hershel first
offered the world the term 'photography'.

I. VOCABULARY
A. Choose anyone for each of the words given below. each word has four
choices beside it.
1. thrill: peaceful feeling- electric shock-illusion-intense excitement
2. spectacular : striking- subtle- sensible- dogmatic
3. outbreak : destruction- start- clash- end
4. pressing : ordinary- squeezing- urgent- creative
5. disdain: discourage- scorn- worship -imitate

B. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the text

1. heyday: …………………..
2. addiction: …………………..
3. promoter: …………………..
4. actual: …………………..
5. rival : …………………..

II. COMPREHENSION

A. Using your own words, answer the following questions in complete

sentences.
1. What was, according to the author, the "golden age" of the cinema?
Why?
2. What is the difference between the films produced before 1900 and
after?
3. What was the impact of the First World War on the international film
industry?
4. Who, according to the author, appreciates Indian films?
5. Why does the writer think that the cinema could best be defined as the
dinosaur ancestor of TV?

B. Say whether the following statements are right or wrong. Justify your
answers.

1. The cinema was the primary medium of entertainment in the world

during the first fifty years of the 20th century.
2. Americans used to call a hall for showing films a "picture house".
3. The first silent films showing singers, dancers and magicians gave the
audience a thrill.
 4. The element that was most important in films in the 1890s is no longer
very significant in film-making today.
5. No nation today comes anywhere near the United states in the
production and commercial distribution of films.

III. PARAPHRASE

Using your own words, rewrite the following sentences.

1. "They have never really managed to catch up with the lead that
Hollywood established during and after the Great War."
2. "The cinema, since its inception, has been in direct competition with a
variety of other forms of entertainment."

TEXT NUMBER FIVE

The Best Leaders

The best leadership is not based on your personal qualities, but rather on
your individual deeds. It is established when leaders avoid the following four
behaviors. First and foremost, the best leaders realize that they are not more
likely to help others if they take on every single task by themselves. They are
capable of recognizing their shortcomings, and are comfortable seeking out
others who can fill in their weaknesses. People who avoid doing everything
alone build diverse teams, full of many talents, to make their organization as
powerful as possible. The best leaders seek the views of others, attempt to
find those who contest their ideas, and are all ears to possibilities that they
had not considered on their own. By accepting the help of others, these leaders
broaden the spectrum of possibilities for their future and get those around them
to invest in their cause.
In the second place, leaders who remain complacent fail to adapt to the
ever-changing world and are left behind. The best leaders are those who seek
knowledge with an insatiable hunger and who constantly look for ways to
improve. They avoid becoming stagnant at all costs, because they know that if
they stay in the same place for too long, their competitors will likely pass them.
They are courageous enough to ignore precedents set in the past to pursue
endeavors that are more brilliant in the present. Keeping away from
complacency means constantly striving for new and novel ways of
refinement, which allows leaders to achieve personal growth and
continually lead others more constructively. What does “it” refer to?
Equally important, the best leaders are those who come to terms with
failure, whether it is theirs or that of their colleagues. These leaders believe that
they have a direct impact on their followers and therefore see any failure on
their part as a failure of their own. When leaders defer responsibility they create
resentment in their organization, but when they claim responsibility for failure
and own it, they often gain greater loyalty from their followers.
Last, but not least, one of the greatest mistakes that leaders make is
ignoring what they see around them. The best leaders are constantly watching
their followers and their organization to make sure that everything is going as it
should. They believe in trusting their followers to get the task done, but also
recognize the necessity of verifying that they complete work to the proper
standard. Furthermore, as the leader checks in on his or her followers, they are
not afraid to act when they see something is wrong. They step in when they see a
serious problem, and make sure that they solve any issues before they become a
greater threat to the organization. By constantly checking on their followers and
their organization, the greatest leaders identify issues before they get out of hand
and solve them so that they can continue to make forward progress.

I-​ Vocabulary Practice and Reading Comprehension:

A-​ What do the Following Words in the Text Mean? Circle the Correct
answer

1-​ Likely (parag 1)

a-​ Certainly b- Probably c- Essentially

2-​ Complacent (parag 2)

a- Self-satisfied b- Modest c- Friendly

3-​ Impact (parag3)

a- Cause b- Progress c- Influence

B-​ Find in the Text Words Meaning the Same as:

1-​ Skills (parag 1): …………………………………………………

2-​ To make progress (parag2) :
…………………………………………………
3-​ Faithfulness (parag 3) : …………………………………………………
 C-​ Find in the Text Words Meaning the Opposite of:

1-​ Succeed (parag 2): ....................................................................................

2-​ Calmness (parag 3): ....................................................................................
3-​ Occasionally (parag 4):
………………………………………………………

D-​Are these Statements True or False? Justify your Answers:

1-​ The best leadership is founded on actions.

…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
……

2-​ The best leaders are those who enjoy their comfort zone.

…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
……

3-​ The best leaders are those who do not accept failure.

…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
……

E-​Read the Text Carefully and Answer the Following Questions. Use
your own English:

1-​ Why is it important for leaders to avoid stagnation?

……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………..
2-​ Why do the best leaders claim their responsibility for failure?

……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………..
 3-​ Why do the best leaders have to keep their eyes on their followers and
their organization?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
…………………….

II-​ Paraphrasing and Summarising:

A-​Paraphrasing: Paraphrase the Following Key Statements in the Text

using your own English:

1-​ “The best leaders seek the views of others, attempt to find those who
contest their ideas, and are all ears to possibilities that they had not
considered on their own.”

……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
…………………….

TEXT NUMBER SIX

The Enigma of Beauty

​
Read the text then answer the questions in your answer sheets (only one answer is
possible).
1- Sheli Jeffry is searching for beauty models. As a scout for Ford Fashion Company, one
of the world’s top model agencies, Jeffry scans up to 200 young women every Thursday
afternoon. They queue up and one by one, the line disappears. Tears roll and there are long
faces as the refrain ‘You’re not what we’re looking for right now’ extinguishes the
conversation – and hope. Faced with this, one hopeful Rebecca from Providence asks: ‘What
are you looking for? Can you tell me exactly?’ Jeffry answers the question with a composed
reply. ‘It’s hard to say. I know it when I see it.’ Beauty is shaped by the norms of
marketability and allure of the image.
9- Define beauty? People may see beauty as a matter of taste; that beauty is only in the
eye of the beholder. Yet it does seem that across different cultures we can agree on certain
points. Psychologists have proven this by testing the attractiveness of different faces on
children. Symmetry is one characteristic that meets with general approval; averageness is
another: we seem to prefer features that are not extreme. Things that speak of strength and
good health – a glowing complexion and full lips in women, a strong jaw in men – are also
universal qualities. Scientists maintain that this is the true definition of beauty, because for
them we are influenced not only by aesthetic, but also by biological considerations: the need
to produce healthy children.
18- At the same time, we also observe cultural differences in how beauty is defined. The
women of the Padaung tribe in Myanmar put copper coils around their necks to extend them
because in their culture very long necks are considered beautiful. In China and Japan small
feet are admired in women, though thankfully the ancient practice of foot-binding has long
since disappeared. In cultures where people’s skin is of a dark complexion, it is often seen as
desirable to have a fair skin. Conversely, in the northern hemisphere among the naturally
fair-skinned, people hanker after a tanned skin. Present-day standards of beauty in India have
taken a turn towards western ideals, now putting pressure on women to lighten their skin and
slim down in a bid to hold court with the women of the West. However, one of the most
enviable traits of the modern-day Indian beauty their thick, lustrous hair.
28- Perceptions of beauty also change over time. Historically in northern Europe, a tanned
skin belonged to those who were forced to work outside – agricultural workers or other poorer
members of society – and so a white skin was a symbol of status and beauty. Now a tan
reflects status of a different kind: those that can afford time relaxing in the sun on a beach
holiday in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean.
33- Our idea of the perfect body shape is also different from 200 years ago. In almost all
cultures, a little fat was formerly seen as a positive trait, a sign of wealth and well-being.
Nowadays a very different image stares out at us from the pages of fashion magazines: that of
a long-limbed, excessively slim figure and ultra-thin; there is a culture of thinness determined
by weight control, fasting and self-induced vomiting. However, body dissatisfaction and
perceptions of beauty are inextricably linked; it leads to risk factors as eating disorders and
chronic dieting. Whatever the perception of ideal beauty may be, the search for it has
preoccupied people of all cultures for centuries, from ancient Egypt to modern China.
41- Is it a shallow quest? We all like to think that beauty is not only skin deep; that
personality and charm contribute as much, if not more, to attractiveness as superficial beauty.
Certainly, as we grow older, the more generous our definition of beauty seems to become.
Experience teaches us to look for the beauty within, rather than what is on the outside.

​
1)​ In paragraph two the author reinforces the idea that psychologists see:
A.​ Symmetry as the only feature of children faces’ attractiveness
B.​ Averageness as the only feature of children faces’ attractiveness
C.​ Neither averageness nor symmetry is taken into account in testing beauty
D.​ Both averageness and symmetry are features of children’s faces attractiveness
2)​ Women of Padaung in Myanmar put copper around their necks to:
A.​ Whiten their necks
B.​ Look beautiful
C.​ Protect their necks from sun burns
D.​ Look powerful
3)​ “Complexion” in line 22 means the same as:
A.​ feeling
B.​ colour
C.​ Skin
D.​ Attractiveness

4)​ In the northern hemisphere, people:

A.​ Are eager to have tanned skin
B.​ Are eager to have fair skin
C.​ Are eager to have an extreme white skin
D.​ None of the above
5)​ In Parag. 2, the expression “Beauty is only in the eye of the beholder” means:
A.​ The definition of beauty does not differ from one person to another
B.​ The standards of beauty differ from one person to another
C.​ The definition of beauty is the same for all cultures
D.​ Eyes are universal standards of beauty
6)​ Paragraph 5 reinforces the idea that:
A. The perception of beauty does not change over time
B. There is no relationship between beauty and the change of time
C. The perception of beauty changes over time
D. The perception of beauty is only influenced by culture
7) In paragraph 2, the definition of beauty by scientists maintains that:
A. Only biological features are taken into consideration
B. Only aesthetic features are taken into consideration
C. Nether biological nor aesthetic factors are taken into consideration
D. Both biological and aesthetic features are taken into consideration
8) In Japan and China, the practice of foot binding:
A. Is no longer practised today
B. Is still practised today​
C. Is still practised only in some areas
D. Is practised only in specific occasions
9) Nowadays, Fashion magazines:
A. Prefer little fat models
B. Prefer slim models
C. Prefer a mixture of fat and slim models
D. Black slim models
10) The expression “in a bid to hold court with the women of the west” means:
A. To have a look that is a very similar to western women
B. To be different to how western women look
 C. To be in competition with western women to gain more attention
D. To be compared to how western women look
11) The word “a trait” in line 34 means the same as:
A. An idea
B. A characteristic
C. A cause
D. A preference
12) Historically, in Northern Europe, tanned skin symbolised:
A. Power and wealth
B. Elegance and beauty
C. lower social status
D. Both A and B
13) The pronoun “it” in line 39 refers:
A. The perception of ideal beauty
B. The perception of beauty
C. Risk factors
D. Body dissatisfaction
14) In paragraph 5, body dissatisfaction may lead to:
A. Psychological disorders
B. Health problems
C. Body perfection
D. Problems of self-confidence
15) ONE of the following ideas summarises paragraph 3:
A. Cultural differences do not influence our perception of beauty
B. Cultural differences influence our perception of beauty
C. Cultural differences influence the perception of beauty in the past
D. Cultural differences influence the perception of beauty only in Europe
16) Paragraph 6 suggests that:
A. Beauty is a product of superficial norms
B. Beauty is only about body dissatisfaction
C. Beauty should consider both appearance and personality
D. Beauty should consider only body attractiveness
17) The text is about:
A. The aesthetic, cultural and scientific considerations of beauty
B. Cultural factors that shape the perception of beauty
C. The perception of beauty as a human value
D. The definition of beauty as a historical phenomenon
18) According to the text, the concept of beauty is:
A. Inactive​
B. Changing
C. Objective
D. Static
19) The word “lustrous” in line 27 means the same as:
A. Curly
B. Shining
C. Fair
D. Dense
20) In paragraph 1, the author argues that beauty:
A. Is a cultural and social phenomenon
B. Is controlled by the demands of markets
 C. Is a part of fashion industry
D. Both B and C

TEXT NUMBER SEVEN

The Paper Architect

Read the text then answer the questions in your answer sheet (Only one answer is possible).
1- For a long time Zaha Hadid was known as “the paper architect”, someone whose
designs never left the page to become real buildings. But in recent year her buildings have
sprouted like mushrooms all over the world: the Guanghzou Opera House in China, a
contemporary art meseum in Rome and the Acquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics in
London. Hadid is one of the most sought architects of our age. She is also one of the few
women who have made it in a profession still dominated by men. In Britain, where Hadid
lives (she was born in Iraq 1950), less than 15 per cent of practising architects are women. A
lot more than that enter the profession, but either because of difficulty in being
acknowledged or because of the deep conservatism surrounding most British architecture,
over a half of them leave. But being ‘a woman in man’s world’ seems to have given Hadid
extra strength. At times, she felt she was banging her head against a wall trying to get her
designs accepted, but she resisted all impediments because of her ingenuity, originality and
perseverance. Famous for her independence, one of her former tutors called her ‘a planet in
its own orbit’.
14- Pinning down her individual style is difficult. Certainly, she has been influenced by the
modern trend in architecture that likes to play with the traditional shapes of buildings and
fragment them, creating unpredictable angles and hybrid surfaces. Working this way she and
her fellow architects have produced various rather off the wall spaceship-like structures that
seem to defy the normal laws of engineering and patterns of architecture, but which have
intrigued and excited the public. So, the visual impact of her designs from the outside is
clearly important to her, but Hadid maintains that the key consideration when she creates
architectural design is people’s well-being. In other words, how they will feel inside the
spaces she creates.
22- This has drawn her increasingly to be interested in public projects, such as housing,
schools and hospitals. Recently she won the RIBA Sterling Prize for her design of a school
complex in Brixton, south London. Shaped as a zig-zag, the steel and glass structure of Evelyn
Grace Academy take up only 1.4 hectares compared to eight hectares of a typical secondary
school. To compensate for the lack of internal space, Hadid designated a building with lots of
natural light and dramatic angles, so that students see the activity of students from each
different perspective within the structure.
29- This idea of offering the viewer multiple perspectives from within the building is a
leitmotif that runs across Hadid’s work. Her famous building MAXXI-a museum for the 21st
century-in Rome, is a great example. It is a complex and spectacular structure of interlocking
concrete shapes. Inside spaces interconnect ‘like winding streets compressed into one single
site in the building’, so that the visitor surprised and mesmerised at each turn. The Rosenthal
Center at Cincinnati produces a similar effect. Like an extension of the street it sit on, it
draws you in, with walkways directing you this way and that and windows inviting you to
sample the view. ‘It is about promenading’ says Hadid, ‘being able to pause, to look out, look
above, look sideways’.
38- The structures she designed successfully accomplished what mystifies so many when
they observe great architecture. She took the strongest materials from the world and
manipulated them to form objects that appear soft and sturdy at the same time. She creates
patterns with overlapping angles and curves that play around with tubes and volumes in
open infinite possibilities. She is called the “queen of curves”. Hadid’s creative designs
transcend the normal. She stretches the limits and boundaries and never creates something
bland or mild.
44- So what inspires someone like Hadid to produce such radically different buildings?
She speaks in complimentary terms about the work of her contemporaries. She also cites
the natural landscape and organic geological patterns as influence. Hadid is an artist, sharing
with us her vision of what buildings should be like and always, as she does so, trying to keep
human interests- our interests as viewers and users – at heart. Zaha Hadid liberated
architectural geometry from conventional constraints, by giving it a new expressive identity.
Reading Comprehension Module S2 Morning

1) The word “ingenuity” in line 12 means the same as:

A. Creativity ​
B. Patience
C. Honesty
D. Insistence

2) The word “expressive” in line 49 means the same as:

A. Emotional
B. Energetic
C. Meaningful
D. Sympathetic

3) The opposite of the word “bland” in line 43 is:

A. Boring
B. Interesting
C. Confusing
D. Modest
4) The word “mesmerised” in line 33 could be replaced by:
A. Shocked
B. Fascinated
C. Delighted
D. Confused

5) Being a female among male architects made Hadid:

A. Much more powerful
B. Less competitive
C. Less creative
D. a and b

6) Hadid’s new and alternative designs:

A. Confused people
B. Made people dissatisfied
C. Made people indifferent
D. startled and impressed people

7) The idea or the expression…is a leitmotif that runs across Hadid’s work… means:
A. It is a recurrent theme in her work
B. It is a major weakness of her work
C. It is a powerful device in her work
D. It is an optional orientation in her work

8) Entering the field of architecture was difficult because:

A. There were a solid conservative thinking and lack of recognition in the field
B. There was no financial support for her projects
C. It was a highly competitive profession
D. The public did not like her buildings in the beginning
9) Only ONE of the following ideas is discussed in paragraph 4:
A. The inside designs of Hadid offer a vision of the building outside space and time
B. They lock you inside with no comfort
C. They make you enjoy the visit and the open view of the whole scene
D. They give you the impression of being suffocated

10) Zaha Hadid played with the traditional architecture to:

A. Make distinction between herself and other architect
B. Come up with an alternative style to both impress the public and challenge traditional ​
norms
C. Draw a line between female and male designs
D. Celebrate her difference as an artist of Arab origin

11) In paragraph 2, the author reinforces the idea that:

A. By challenging traditional norms, Hadid was able to impose her unique style and attract ​
the attention of the public
B. Her style is an attempt to show her difference to her fellow architects
C. Hadid created a different style to impress the audience
D. Hadid changed the conventions of engineering to be famous

12) According to the text, what made Hadid a great architect is ONE of the following:
A. Her ability to use unfamiliar structures and radically independent and original style of ​
building
B. Her dependence on natural and geological influences
C. Her courageous defiance of conservative thinking
D. Her combination of methods borrowed from other architects

13) For Hadid:

A. The exteriors of her buildings have the same characteristics of the interiors
B. The interiors are given much more importance
C. The exteriors are as important as the interiors
D. Respecting conventional norms in designing both the interiors and the exteriors
14) ONE of the following words could replace the word “impediments” in line 11:
A. Possibilities
B. Capabilities
C. Consequences
D. Obstacles

15) The best paraphrase for the statement: “she speaks in complimentary terms about the workof
contemporaries”:
A. She respects and admires the work of her colleagues
B. She criticises the designs of her colleagues
C. She borrows secretly from the work of her colleagues
D. She speaks of her colleagues with negative tones

16) The purpose of the author in writing this text is to:

A. Entertain the reader with the life story of Zaha Hadid
B. Inform the reader of the theories of conventional architecture
C. Compare the stylistic features of modern and traditional architecture
D. Highlight how Zaha Hadid came up with a unique style of designs and architecture that ​
goes beyond conventional norms

17) The statement that best summarises paragraph 5 is:

A. Hadid’s unique style uses a mixture of different materials and innovative designs
B. Hadid sophisticated her designs by integrating the modern and the traditional
C. The ability of Hadid to challenge men’s natural and traditional ideas
D. The philosophy of Hadid in dealing with her colleagues

18) When she creates her designs, Hadid:

A. Gives a little importance to people’s feelings and comfort
B. Considers people’s feelings and comfort
C. Does not take into consideration people’s feelings and comfort
D. Focuses on how to change people’ sense of place
19) The pronoun “it” in paragraph 4 refers to:
A. Similar effect
B. Extension of the street
C. The Rosenthal Center
D. The building

20) ONE of the following statements summarises the reading text:

A. The life and the education of Zaha Hadid
B. Hadid’s political interests and architectural influences
C. The strengths and the weaknesses of Hadid’s designs
D. The unconventional designs and the stylistic features of Hadid’s architecture

TEXT NUMBER EIGHT

Cryptocurrencies: the Deep Pockets of the Future
P1-A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, which
makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend. Many cryptocurrencies are
decentralized networks based on blockchain technology—a distributed ledger enforced by a
disparate network of computers. A defining feature of cryptocurrencies is that they are
generally not issued by any central authority, rendering them theoretically immune to
government interference or manipulation. A cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset based on
a network that is distributed across a large number of computers. This decentralized structure
allows them to exist outside the control of governments and central authorities and beyond the
assault of malignant bodies online.
P2-Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies underpinned by cryptographic systems.
They enable secure online payments without the use of third-party intermediaries. "Crypto"
refers to the various encryption algorithms and cryptographic techniques that safeguard these
entries, such as elliptical curve encryption, public-private key pairs, and hashing functions.
Cryptocurrencies can be mined or purchased from cryptocurrency exchanges. Not all
ecommerce sites allow purchases using cryptocurrencies. In fact, cryptocurrencies, even
popular ones like Bitcoin, are hardly used for retail transactions. However, the skyrocketing
value of cryptocurrencies has made them popular as trading instruments. To a limited extent,
they are also used for cross-border transfers.
P3-Central to the appeal and functionality of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is
blockchain technology. As its name indicates, blockchain is essentially a set of connected
blocks or an online ledger. Each block contains a set of transactions that have been
independently verified by each member of the network. Every new block generated must be
verified by each node before being confirmed, making it almost impossible to forge
transaction histories. The contents of the online ledger must be ratified by the entire network
of an individual node, or computer maintaining a copy of the ledger. Experts say that
blockchain technology can serve multiple industries, such as supply chain, income curves and
processes such as online voting and crowdfunding. Financial institutions such as JPMorgan
Chase & Co. (JPM) are testing the use of blockchain technology to lower transaction costs by
streamlining payment processing.
P4-Bitcoin is the most popular and valuable cryptocurrency. An anonymous person called
Satoshi Nakamoto invented it and introduced it to the world via a white paper in 2008. There
are thousands of cryptocurrencies present in the market today. Each cryptocurrency claims to
have a different function and specification. For example, Ethereum’s ether markets itself as
gas for the underlying smart contract platform. In the wake of Bitcoin's success, many
other cryptocurrencies, known as "altcoins," have been launched. Some of these are clones of
Bitcoin, while others are new currencies that were built from scratch. They include
Solana, Litecoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and EOS.
P5-Cryptocurrencies were introduced with the intent to revolutionize financial infrastructure.
As with every revolution, however, there are tradeoffs involved. Cryptocurrencies represent a
new, decentralized paradigm for money. In this system, centralized intermediaries, such as
banks and monetary institutions, are not necessary to enforce trust and police transactions
between two parties. Cryptocurrencies promise to make it easier to transfer funds directly
between two parties, without the need for a trusted third party like a bank or a credit card
company, thus killing or putting an embargo on central banks. Though they claim to be an
anonymous form of transaction, cryptocurrencies are actually pseudonymous. They leave a
digital trail that agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can decipher.
Cryptocurrencies have become a popular tool with miscreants for nefarious activities such as
money laundering and illicit purchases like selling narcotics on the dark web. One of the
conceits of cryptocurrencies is that anyone can mine them using a computer with an Internet
connection. However, mining popular cryptocurrencies requires considerable energy,
sometimes as much energy as entire countries consume.
P6-Not least of all, cryptocurrencies smart tech do not have the backing of any public or
private entities. For so many reasons, it has been difficult to make a case for their legal
status in different financial jurisdictions throughout the world. It does not help matters that
cryptocurrencies have largely functioned outside most existing financial infrastructure. The
legal status of cryptocurrencies has implications for their use in daily transactions and trading

1. The best paraphrase for “make a case for their legal status”, para 6, is:
A. Mitigate their legal status​
B. Mortify their legal status
C. Restrain their legal status
D. Corroborate their legal status
2. The word “disparate”, para 1, means:
A. Impaired B. Integrated
C. Analogous D. Heterogeneous
3. The adjective “pseudonymous”, para 5, is a synonym for:
A. Illicit B. Bogus
C. Eponymous D. Veracious
4. “Encryption” indicates:
A. The process of converting soft cash to hard cash
B. The process of converting soft data to hard data
C. The process of converting data to codes
D. The study/art of writing or solving codes
5. “They”, para 4, refers to:
A. New currencies B. Altcoins
C. Cryptocurrencies D. Clones of Bitcoin
6. The word “malignant”, para1, means the same as:
A. Benignant B. Ferocious
C. Deleterious D. Benevolent
7. The main idea of paragraph 5 is:
A.The pitfalls and privileges of cryptocurrencies
B. The conceits and hubris of cryptocurrencies
C. The benefits and the strengths of cryptocurrencies
D. The weaknesses and strengths of cryptocurrencies
8. A distinctive attribute of cryptocurrencies is that:
A. They facilitate fund raising without the interference of governments
B. They can be mined by anyone using a computer without the control of authorities
C. They are secured by a network of interrelated computers
D. They are unsusceptible to the surveillance of governments
9. A ledger, para 3 , is:
A. A register of transfers B. A register of profits
C. A register of contracts D.A register of income
10. The word “ratified”, para 3, means:
A. Sanctioned B. Encrypted
C. Deciphered D. Decoded
11. The word “conceits”, para 5, means:
A. Benefits B. Defects
C. Strengths D.Vanities
12. The word “nefarious”, para 6, is the antonym of:
A. Acrimonious B. Legal
B. Copious C. Lawless
13. The best paraphrase of “Ethereum’s ether…smart contract platform”, para4, is:
A. Ethereum is the only provider of real gas to keep cryptocurrencies functioning
B. Ethereum promotes its transaction application as the reward force that keeps
cryptocurrencies functioning
C. Ethereum’s ether is the force that controls the contract platforms on virtual markets
D. Ethereum is the force behind the success of ecommerce markets worldwide
14. “Hashing”, para 2, is an algorithm of:
A. Hacking B. catfishing
C. Verification D. Encoding
15. “A block chain”, para 3, is:​
A. A distributed database of transactions shared by blocks and nodes in computers network
online
B. A decentralised and distributed machine of blocks that runs the whole node system online
C. A stock market that organises the flow of soft money for collective investment online
D. A network of financial counts and nodes that runs soft money management online
16. One advantage of cryptocurrencies is:
A.They are financial systems that uses a decentralised model of emoney management
B.They are soft money that is protected by trusted institutions
C.They are financial systems that rely on a third party to complete the transaction
D.They are virtual financial systems that are risk free investment online
17. Which paragraph explains the system and nature of cryptocurrencies?
A. Paragraph one B. Paragraph two
C. Paragraph three D. Paragraph four
18. Mining cryptocurrencies is:
A. Having access to a random cryptography B. Creating new cryptocurrency
C. Converting cryptocurrency to hard currency D. None of the above
19. The text was most likely written to:
A. Expound and persuade
B. Persuade and entertain
C. Describe and inform D. Inform and expound
20. Ether is:
A.an ethereum algorithm
B. an altcoin
C. a hard coin
D. a clone of Bitcoin