Prepare yourself for the BAC exam
CHAPTER 4 - TESTS
TEST 1
READING - SCALE A1-A2
Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-7 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B)? If there is not enough information to answer 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B) choose 'Doesn't say' (C). Write your answers on your exam sheet.
The Glastonbury Festival, held at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, is Britain’s most famous music festival. Despite over 100,000 tickets going on sale, the demand is far greater than the supply and as soon as they go on sale, there are a lot of requests. In 2007, over 300,000 people applied for tickets, despite increasingly rigorous security measures that involve photo ID needing to be provided. It is popular to such an extent that most of the workers are volunteers - people are happy to be stewards or bar staff in return for free entrance. But how did a humble arts get together held in a back-country farm ever get so big?
It all started in 1970 when Michael Eavis, influenced by the growing hippy movement, decided to host his own gathering. The site is still a working dairy farm for most of the year, despite the festival being a huge money-spinner. Glasto, as the event is often known, started off small, with only 1,500 people attending its first edition, but things really started to take off in the 1990s.
During this decade, with the rise of grunge and then of Britpop, there was huge enthusiasm for the idea of spending a weekend at a festival, listening to favourite bands and camping out in the open. Glasto, while still retaining its alternative lifestyle roots, had become bigger than anyone could have ever imagined.
It only became an annual event in 1981, although every five years, Eavis ensures that there is a "fallow year", when the festival is not held. This, he says, is to allow the fields to recover, and the local area to get some respite from the massive annual influx of revellers and music lovers.
(Adapted from suite101.com
1. Glastonbury is a talent competition for young musicians.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
2. In 2007, more than 300,000 people wanted to buy tickets.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
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3. Security measures are taken to prevent terrorism.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
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4. Most of the workers are very well paid.
A. Right B. Wrong C Doesn't say
5. Glastonbury became popular in the 1990s.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn’t say
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6. The locals disapprove of this noisy gathering.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
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7. The festival is held every five years.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
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READING - SCALE B1-B2
(Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think best fits the text. Write your answers on your exam sheet.
Among the countless tourist attractions in contemporary London, such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace, the one that can easily be considered the unforgettable "Queen" amongst them all, is the British Museum. Britain's national museum of archaeology and antiquities was established by an act of Parliament in 1753, when the government purchased three large private collections consisting of books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, paintings, medals, coins, seals, cameos and natural curiosities. Today, home of approximately seven million objects from all continents, the British museum is considered to be the most popular and famous museum in the world.
Located in a central area of London, the British Museum's collections in archaeology and ethnography are particularly outstanding. Being one of London’s principal tourist attractions, the visitor can admire its famous holdings, like the Elgin Marbles, carvings from the Athenian Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, the Portland Vase, the Benin Bronzes, Egyptian Mummies and the Chinese ceramics. Its drawings collection holds more than 2,000 drawings constituting the world's largest and most comprehensive collections.
Since it first opened its doors to the public, on January 15, 1759 the museum has been illustrating and documenting the story of human development and culture from its early years to the present day. Because the British Museum does not charge any admission fees, the exception being some temporary special exhibitions, interested publics from around the globe line up outside its doors waiting to enter its amazing gallery showrooms and admire the plethora of human creations kept in there.
But some of its most prestigious holdings, like the Parthenon Marbles and the Benin Bronzes are among its most disputed collections. These collections are the subject of great controversy and political debates since various organizations lobby in favor of their return to their native countries of Greece and Nigeria, respectively. But regardless of the harsh criticism, the British Museum has refused to return either collection, arguing that if the British Museum was to return to their original geographical location any of its current possessions that would mean empty rooms for a great many museums around the world. Although critics argue that these artifacts, among others, should now return to their home countries, the British Museum continues to support that it is an appropriate custodian and has the inalienable right over these disputed creations under British law. Nevertheless, the fact still remains that the British Museum is one of the most important London destinations one should not miss visiting when circumstances allow a ride to one of the most famous and interesting capitals in the world.
(Article Circle -www.articlecircle.com)
1. British Museum is
A. the residence of the Queen of England.
B. the jewel of the Crown.
C. a noteworthy tourist spot.
D. London's most impressive landmark.
2. British Museum
A. was founded by a governor in honour of the king.
B. was opened in 1753.
C. was set up by the Parliament.
D. was restored.
3. The Museum
A. has three large collections.
B. houses artefacts from all over the world.
C. displays objects from England only.
D. is famous for its seven million pounds worth of objects.
4. It is located
A. on the outskirts of London.
B. in Soho.
C. in downtown London.
D. close to Heathrow airport.
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5. It holds impressive collections in
A. archaeology and painting.
B. ethnography and ceramics.
C. antiques and medals.
D. archaeology and ethnography.
6. The visitor can marvel at
A. controversial manuscripts.
B. well-known exhibits:
C. bronze made statues.
D. the world's largest collection of Chinese ceramics.
7. The Museum’s collections:
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7. The
A. retrace the evolution of human civilization.
B. depict modern day life.
C. reach back to the 18th century
|D. have more than 6 million objects.
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8. As all national museums, the British Museum
A. charges a small entrance fee.
B. provides free access to its collections.
C. is open on Mondays.
D. is free only to British visitors.
9. Some of its most prestigious holdings
A. are at the heart of great controversy over ownership.
B. are worth millions of pounds.
C. are about to be returned to their country of origin.
D. are being insured against theft.
10. The Museum
A. has agreed to repatriate all disputed collections.
B. hasn't yet decided to return the disputed collections.
C. has no legal rights over the disputed collections.
D. has declined to give back all the disputed collections.
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WRITING - SCALE A1-A2
Write a short letter to your friend asking for his/ her advice on how to convinces your parents to allow you to go on a trip to the mountains scheduled for the] beginning of the holiday. Write your answer in 80-100 words.
Writing – SCALE B1-B2
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The editor of your school magazine has asked you to write an article about howl fashion is generally perceived by teenagers. Write your answer in 180-2001words.
SPEAKING
1. Answer the following question: Are clothes and fashion important to you? Why/ Why not?
2. Speak about your favourite pastime.
3. Express your opinion on the following: The people we remember best are the ones who broke the rules. Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
TEST 2
READING - SCALE A1-A2
Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-7 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B)? If here is not enough information to answer 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B), choose 'Doesn't say' (C). Write your answers on your exam sheet.
My job involves working long hours and there is always a lot going on. But I have been involved in volunteering for years and there's always a way of making time for it.
I first began volunteering at school when I would read with the younger kids for half an hour on a Monday morning. I carried this experience through my gap year when I volunteered to teach English at a school in Germany. I have always found that I get as much out of volunteering as I put in and in this case it was my German that benefited.
It was at Nottingham University that I began volunteering as a switchboard operator for the charity ChildLine. As the first person a child speaks to when they're calling for help, I had to persuade them to tell me their name, gaining their trust before introducing them to a counsellor. The skills I developed across all my voluntary experiences, such as a persuasive telephone manner, have been useful in the job I'm doing now. The Home Office, like many other employers, has an employee volunteering scheme.
As 2005 is the Year of the Volunteer, a team of us from work recently helped out at a homelessness shelter. We served food and helped clean up, while the volunteers who helped at the shelter kept us all laughing. Through Community Service Volunteers (CSV), our office has since spent a whole day cleaning up, rebuilding and painting an adventure playground. Everyone had a great time.
The overriding feeling I get from volunteering is that it's just great fun. I never fee) like I'm working because I'm doing something I really enjoy. Helping others makes you feel good, and I know that I end up benefiting from volunteering just as much as the people I'm supposed to be helping. I've gained so much - I'd recommend anyone to get involved in volunteering. Just go for it!
(WorldVolunteerWeb - ww.worldvolunteerweb.org)
pare yourself for the BAC exam
1. The writer has an active social life.
A. Right B. Wrong
C. Doesn't say
pare yourself for the BAC exam
2. She has been a volunteer since she was a student.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
3. She taught French at a school in Germany.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
4. Being a volunteer requires critical thinking skills.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
Prepare yourself for the BAC exam
5. The abilities she acquired during her volunteer work help her in her career.
A. right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
6. In 2005 she did volunteer work in a homeless shelter.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
Prepare yourself for the BAC exam
7. She has mixed feelings about volunteering.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
READING - SCALE B1-B2
Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. Write your answers on your exam sheet.
Few who believe in the potential of the Web deny the value of books. But they argue that it is unrealistic to expect all children to read "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Pride and Prejudice" for fun. And those who prefer staring at a television or mashing buttons on a game console, they say, can still benefit from reading on the Internet. In fact, some literacy experts say that online reading skills will help children far better when they begin looking for digital-age jobs.
Some Web evangelists say children should be evaluated for their proficiency on the Internet just as they are tested on their print reading comprehension. Starting next year, some countries will participate in new international assessments of digital literacy, but the United States, for now, will not.
Clearly, reading in print and on the Internet are different. On paper, text has a predetermined beginning, middle and end, where readers focus for a sustained period on one author's vision. On the Internet, readers skate through cyberspace at will and, in effect, compose their own beginnings, middles and ends.
Young people "aren't as troubled as some of us older folks are by reading that doesn't go in a line," said Rand J. Spiro, a professor of educational psychology at Michigan State University who is studying reading practices on the Internet. "That's a good thing because the world doesn't go in a line, and the world isn't organized into separate compartments or chapters."
Some traditionalists warn that digital reading is the intellectual equivalent of empty calories. Often, they argue, writers on the Internet employ a cryptic argot that vexes teachers and parents. Zigzagging through a cornucopia of words, pictures, video and sounds, they say, distracts more than strengthens readers. 'And many youths spend most of their time on the Internet playing games or sending instant messages, activities that involve minimal reading at best.