END OF SEMESTER ENGLISH EXAM

ENGLISH TEST

READING COMPREHENSION (50 points)

A. Read the following text and answer these comprehension questions (10 points):

- What is this study case about?

- What are the main characteristics of this case?

- What do the girl’s parents think and feel about this situation?

CASE STUDY: Joanna Chapman: 4 years old; lives in Birmingham; an only child

Parents: Ken Chapman (father);31; bus driver; Alice Chapman (mother);32;doctor's receptionist

Situation: IQ of 150 at age 3 (ie: higher than genius level). She reads books for 12-year-olds and solves complicated maths problems. After hearing a few words of German on television, (her first foreign language), she started to repeat the words and ask what they meant. Her parents bought a phrase book, and tapes and she is now fluent and has been interviewed on German television.

Ken: It's like having a foreigner for a daughter. She won't speak to me in English any more and now she wants to learn French.

Alice: I'm worried about her starting at the local primary school. How will she get on with the other kids? I want to do my best for her but I don't know what that is. She may be a genius but we're not!

B. You are at a case study meeting to talk about Joanna and decide what is best for her. Make notes on what you are going to say and expand them. (20 points).

C. Read the following reference on the case stud y of Joanna, a young genius (20 points).

- J.R. O’Brian, headteacher of the local primary school: Feels that this school is the best for Joanna as it is local and she will make friends of her own age and develop normal interests.

- Ravi Singh, teacher at a special school for gifted children: Believes that Joanna will be bored and unhappy at a normal school and that she will be much better amongst children like herself, and in a place where she can be stimulated. Her parents will need to move nearer to the school and there is also the question of fees.

-Alex McKellen, educational psychologist: Recommends the local school but with extra lessons in music, languages, etc which the parents would have to pay for. Joanna needs a computer and access to the Web.

-Professor Dyer, member of a gifted children's organisation: Genius is a great gift and should not be wasted. Alice should give up her job to teach Joanna at home and help her to develop her abilities. If 1 END OF SEMESTER ENGLISH EXAM money is a problem, they should try to exploit the situation and sell their story to newspapers and television ...

- Dr Roberts, general practitioner and Joanna's doctor: Joanna should not be pushed too hard. She is small for her age and very sensitive. She could become ill if there is too much pressure on her. She should be allowed to develop naturally and see what happens when she gets older ...

You have been asked to write to Ken and Alice Chapman telling them what was discussed in the case study meeting and giving them some recommendations as to what course of action to follow. Make this a formal letter, with the correct format and several paragraphs. You should give the reasons for any suggestions you make and offer further help and advice if needed. Try to be friendly and positive as well as formal.

1. VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR (30 points):

VOCABULARY (10 points):

Explain these sets of words from the text and make up sentences using them:

 an only child

 get on with

 do one’s best for

A. Phrasal verbs or single word. You know now how frequent phrasal verbs are in informal English. Compare the two texts written in formal and informal English and then fill in with the suitable missing phrasal verb (20 points):

1. Temple Tour: The coach will depart at 9 o’clock. Leaving the city it will ascend the mountain passes to reach the temple at 10.30. A local guide will conduct the tour and will answer any questions that arise. Visitors will not be admitted unless they are wearing suitable clothing, and will be expected to remove their shoes before entering the temple. The group will return via the Lost Valley, where lunch will be provided for those who have requested it.

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2. Use a form of one of each of the phrasal verbs to fill the gaps in the following letter: ask for, come back, come up, get to, go in, go up, lay on, let in, set off, show round, take off.

For me, the highlight of the whole holiday was the trip to the temple. We...... at nine in the morning and were soon ...... some hair-raisingly steep roads. We...... the temple about half ten. We had to wear long-sleeved tops and long trousers or they wouldn’t have...... us...... Of course, we had to ...... our shoes ...... before we ...... the temple, too. A local guide ...... us ...... , which was good, because lots of questions...... about how we were supposed to behave and about the history of the place. The temple itself was absolutely breathtaking but that wasn’t the best thing because we ...... through what they call the Lost Valley. Lunch was ...... for people who’d ...... it, but we’d taken a packet lunch with us and we agreed that it was the most spectacular picnic spot we’d ever seen!

III. LISTENING and WRITING COMPREHENSION (20 points):

A. You are going to listen to a guide speaking about some touristic places in London. Draw the exact map according to his presentation and write the name of the buildings on the map (e.g.: He says there is the National Museum on the left...and so on) – 10 points:

B. Now you are the guide. Choose a place in England/Romania and make us anxious about going there. You can make use of the ideas developed during this semester English classes (e.g. a guided tour idea, factfiles about touristic areas, etc) - 20 points

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