6TH Year

1st Term-Test

A) Read and answer the questions

Towards a global language

How can Piotr in Poland talk to Francoise in France and make sure there are no
misunderstandings? For a long time, people have felt the need for a global language so that
we can all talk to one another. For a while it was thought that artificial languages would be
the solution. Six hundred and fifty languages have been tried and abandoned. The most
successful artificial language has been Esperanto. Many people thought that it would
become the global language. It has not. Instead, English has spread across the world and
millions of people are learning it for a variety of reasons from listening to rock music to
understanding computers. Judging by present evidence, it is going to continue to spread:
 About eighty per cent of the data stored in the world’s computers is in English and
you need it to surf the Internet
 Airspeak, used by pilots and air-traffic controllers, and policespeak, used in
international policing, are based on English.
 You need it for your holidays. Getting around in far-away corners of the globe is no
problem if you speak English.
 You need it for entertainment. Four or five out ten songs in the pop charts in most
countries at any given time are sung in English.
 The World University, the first international university on a cable and satellite
network, will broadcast in English.

English is by far the most widely taught foreing language. In addition, some countries
are introducing changes to their educational system: more children are to learn more
English at an earlier age. Of course many new learners are already familiar with the
language: Hollywood and pop music have made sure of that.
English is not welcome everywhere, though. Some nations consider the use of English
to be a challenge to their national identity. Others simply want to stop the unwelcome
invasion. The Académie Francaise, an official body which protects and regulates the French
language, has banned English words like walkman in official documents. It wants people to
use French words instead.
As a second language that allows easy communications across international borders,
English is the answer to Piotr and Francoise’s problem. So it looks as if English will
continue to be the language the world wants to speal.

1. What makes it possible for Piotr and Francoise to communicate with each other?
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2. How did people once think they could overcome the communication gap among
speakers of different languages?
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3. In view of present evidence, what do you think the future of the use of English
language will be?
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4. How have educational systems responded to the increasing need of English?

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5. Why can the use of English be seen as a threat by some nations?

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Find a word or phrase from the passage that means the following

1. fake; imitation .......................................................

2. facts proved by reason .......................................................
3. moreover, besides .......................................................
4. not wanted .......................................................
5. prohibited, forbidden .......................................................

B. Read the article about Houdini and complete each blank with one word.

Ehrich Weiss, who called himself Houdini, was a great magician. He was also, perhaps, the
greatest escape artist of all time. Houdini 1) ..................... born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in
1874, and later moved 2) .......................... New York City. At seventeen, taking the stage
name of “Houdini”, he set 3) .......................... to become a magician. He struggled for eight
years, working in small-town shows.
Along with his magic routine, Houdini had an escape act. He had long been 4) ............... by
locks and rope knots. He soon found 5) ............................. his escapes were better received
6) ....................... his magic. This led Houdini to make a serious study of locks. He even got
drowings from lock manufacterers so he 7) ........................... study how the locks worked 8)
........................ he went, Houdini visited locksmiths to pick up more secrets.
9) ........................... big break came in 1899 when Martin Beck, a man 10) ....................
signed up acts for theatres, saw Houdini’s act.

1) were – was – has

2) to – in – at
3) by – off – back
4) interested- attracted – keen
5) in – out – back
6) the – than – that
7) will – would – could
8) wherever – where – there
9) this – the – a
10) has – who – to

C) Complete the text with a suitable tense. Use modals if necessary.

Scotland Yard 1) (investigate) ......................... new medical evidence which reveals that the
boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun, who 2) (come) ................................ to the throne aged nine
and reigned for only ten years 3) (murder) .......................... . His body 4)
(discover) ............................ by British archaeologists Howard Carter and the Earl of
Carnavon in 1922. While 5) (dig) ............................ in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt,
they 6) (come across) .................................... “the greatest treasure ever 7)
(find) ............................. “ . Peering into a tomb, they 8) (see) ..................... “strange
animals, statues and gold”, but the most important discovery 9) (be) ..................... the
magnificent gold mask of the King. The tomb, however 10) (not give up) ...................... all
his secrets. Nearly half a century later, X-rays showed possible evidence of damage to the
Pharaoh’s brain.
11) (reopen) ................................ the case after 3.000 years, Scotland Yard is 12) (examine)
......................... the evidence and trying to identify the killer. Several people 13)
(want) ................................. to get rid of the younk King. Ay, his chief adviser, who 14)
(relate) ......................... to him, 15) (took) ................................ over the throne after his
death and married his widow.

D) Rewrite the sentences without changing their meaning

1. I couldn’t get the job because I wasn’t qualified enough

If I ..............................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
 2. I wish I could stay

I want ............................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................

3. It doesn’t bother me to stay if I have to

I don’t mind .................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

4. His mother didn’t let him have a mobile phone

He wasn’t .....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................

5. His joke was so funny that I laughed and laughed

I couldn’t ......................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................

D) Inside Out

Verb patterns: Underline the correct form

1. I wanted (to stay/staying) but I couldn’t.

2. My mother taught me (to cook/cooking) last year.
3. I don’t mind (to wait/waiting) at the airport.
4. You can’t avoid (to laugh/laughing)
5. She ordered them (to stop/stopping)
6. They always encouraged me (to study/studying) hard.
7. My brother is considering (to learn/learning) Portuguese.
8. We’ve arranged (to travel/travelling) next Friday.
9. He refused (to move/moving)
10. His mother wouldn’t allow him (to have/having) a mobile phone.

So & neither: Agree with these statements

1. He can’t ski .........................................................................................................

2. I’ve never eaten paella ........................................................................................
3. I’d love a cup of tea .............................................................................................
4. I was really happy ..............................................................................................
5. I used to enjoy love stories ................................................................................
Question tags: Complete the questions

1. Nobody’s phoned yet, ...........................................................................................?

2. Let’s eat .................................................................................................................?
3. You didn’t study, ..................................................................................................?
4. She must have arrived, ..........................................................................................?
5.They weren’t absent, ..............................................................................................?

E) Writing: Choose one of the following topics and write between 150 and 180 words.

 Write about your favourite famous person

 Write a letter to a friend. Tell him/her your latest news.