THE SENEGALESE AMERICAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL SHAPING THE WORLD LEADERS OF TOMORROW! Mr.

Wade 7th Grade Anglo 2nd COMPOSITION Wednesday, June 12th, 2013 90 mns

I/ READING COMPREHENSION ( 6pts) A/ Read the following passages and answer to the questions Passage 1 Kwanzaa is a holiday celebrated by many African Americans from December 26 to January 1. It pays tribute to the rich cultural roots of Americans of African ancestry, and celebrates family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa means the first or the first fruits of the harvest and is based on the ancient African first-fruit harvest celebrations. The modern holiday of Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Dr.Maulana Karenga, a professor at the California State University in Long Beach, California. The seven-day celebration encourages people to think about their African roots as well as their life in present-day America. The seven fundamental principles on which Kwanzaa is based are referred to as the Nguzo Saba. These rules consist of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Participants celebrate by performing rituals such as lighting the kinara. The kinara is symbolic of the continental Africans. Each of its seven candles represents a distinct principle beginning with unity, the black center candle. Talking with family, drumming, singing, and dancing are all part of the celebration activities.

Passage 2 Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1902, Langston Hughes grew up to become a prominent writer of the black American experience. During his high school years in Illinois, he began writing poetry. In November 1924, he moved to Harlem, New York, where his life and work contributed greatly to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. In his writing, Langston Hughes portrayed black life in America from the 1920s through the 1960s. He wrote novels, short stories, and plays, as well as poetry. Also, he is known for his engagement with the world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing, as in Montage of a Dream Deferred. Hughes did not personalize his stories because he wanted readers to draw their own conclusions about the experiences of blacks in America.
1

Questions based on Passage 1

1. According to the passage, the holiday of Kwanzaa was created in order to a. celebrate African Americans harvesting skills. b. honor Dr.Maulana Karenga. c. encourage African Americans to think about their roots. d. light the individual candles of the kinara.

2. Which of the seven principles does the black center candle of the kinara represent? a. unity b. faith c. creativity d. responsibility

3. According to the passage, Kwanzaa is celebrated by all of the following EXCEPT a. drumming and rituals. b. dancing and singing. c. dialogue. d. solitude and silence.

4. Which of the following is the best definition of Kwanzaa? a. the first song of the month b. the first corn of the harvest c. the first dance of the night d. the first fruits of the harvest

Questions based on Passage 2

5. Why didnt Hughes personalize his stories? a. He did not have enough personal experiences. b. He only wanted to write about the Harlem jazz experience. c. He wanted readers to draw their own conclusions about the black experience. d. He wanted to keep his personal life a secret.

6. In his poem, Montage of a Dream Deferred, what influenced his writing? a. Renaissance music b. his travel experience c. his high school years d. the world of jazz

7. Langston Hughes was known for which of the following? a. writing poems and plays only b. writing novels and short stories only c. writing plays and short stories only d. writing novels, short stories, plays, and poems

8. His life and work contributed greatly to which of the following? a. the Harlem Renaissance b. the jazz world c. Joplin,Missouri d. his high school in Illinois

B/ Find in the passage 1 or 2, vocabularies for the following definitions. (2pts) 9. Something given or done as an expression of esteem = 10. Complete confidence in a person or plan = .. 11. Of imposing height; especially standing out above others = 12. Serving as an essential component = 11164 II/ GRAMMAR (6pts)

A. Put the verbs in parentheses in the correct forms and tenses (2pts)
13. They a little nap a while ago (to take) 14. What aboutthe Festival? (to attend) 15. Its time we ..a meeting to prepare the Festival. (to hold) 16. If they had got up earlier, they .the bus. (not to miss)

B. Choose the correct word to complete each of the idioms in bold. The meaning of each idiom is in brackets after the sentence. (2pts)
17. You shouldn't try to burn the match / lighter / candle at both ends; you'll exhaust yourself. (to get up early in the morning and go to bed late at night on a regular basis)

18. Once he started looking into the details, he realized what a can of worms / beans / beer they were opening. (a difficult and complicated situation)

19. It was a difficult decision, but he decided to take the goat / cow / bull by the horns and tell his boss that he wanted to leave the company. (to deal bravely or confidently with a difficult situation)

20. Some insurance companies make their customers pay through the ears / nose / mouth for their services. (to pay a lot of money)

C/ In the following sentences, choose the correct verb in bold to complete the phrasal verb in italics. The meaning of each phrasal verb is given in brackets at the end of each sentence. (2pts) 21. Some parents are criticized for the way they bring / make / throw up their children. (to raise children)

22. They refused to move / face / come up to their responsibilities, with disastrous consequences. (to accept an unpleasant state of affairs, and try to deal with it)

23. The President decided to shout / cry / call off his visit to Europe. (not to go ahead with a plan)

24. It is only at election time that senators add / count / read on support from their constituents. (to rely / depend on other people)

III/ VOCABULARY: Fill in the gaps with the right word from the list below. (3pts) ( grisly / drowsy / reliable /acquainted / seceded / luxury / hilarious) 25. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, many republics .. 26.This man is so ..that everyone count on him. 27. I got .with them last summer. 28. The atmosphere was very after the Tsunami. 29. The concert was very ..and we had a great time. 30. He has been working all day long thats why he is .now. IV/ WRITING: Choose one topic and write about 200 words on it. (5pts)

Topic 1: You have witnessed an important event. What was it? When was it? What was it for? Write about the different activities with specific examples and details. Topic 2: Reading books is like being on a journey. It helps you discover lots of mysteries and get lot of knowledge. Do you agree with this assertion? Why / why not? Give detailed

examples to sustain your position.