I.

COMPREHENSION: (15 PTS)

BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE
TEXT

1 One thousand people were surveyed about

a range of issues which affect cities, and the
remarkable findings show that life in today's
mega-cities is so stressful that at least two-
thirds of those currently living in big cities
would like to relocate to the countryside or a
small town.
2 The stress of the getting from A to B in big
cities is at the top of the list of problems. For many people, the daily commute to work is a
source of frustration. Forty per cent of the people in the survey have suffered from road
rage while stuck in traffic on the way to work. Three-quarters of people say that public
transport in their city is often subject to delays, breakdowns and cancellations. The
extortionate cost of public transport is also a serious problem. Many people see the price of
underground and bus travel as a rip-off, and have to devote more than ten per cent of their
salary to transport costs.
3 Another issue facing people who live in cities is rising crime. Crime rates have rocketed
in many big cities, and many say there are several dangerous no-go areas in their city. Fear
of crime is on the increase - street crimes, such as mugging, assault and vandalism, are now
very common - and many are afraid of going out at night alone. People also have to deal
with antisocial behaviour, such as verbal abuse in the street.
4 Many were also concerned by the lack of green spaces and play facilities for children.
Most major conurbations surveyed have a far smaller number of parks and gardens than a
generation ago. Planning permission seems to have been given for an ever-greater number
of supermarkets, office developments and apartments on sites where there were previously
green spaces. Many of the respondents in the survey said they felt stressed and suffocated in
the city, a problem which is compounded by pollution.
5 Although some of the cities surveyed, like Amsterdam, have had some success in
reducing pollution, overall air quality has worsened, with cases of respiratory diseases such
as asthma and bronchitis soaring in recent years. Children as young as two or three are now
being affected by these medical conditions, and at the other end of the scale, a greater
number of elderly people are being admitted to hospital with illnesses caused by pollution.
Traffic congestion and an increasing number of
vehicles on the road have resulted in cities being
badly affected by air pollution.

6 And finally, the majority of people in the survey

were fed up with the constant noise pollution - the
roar of traffic, the sound of loud music blaring out of
a neighbour's window, and the constant sound of
activity. It is not surprising, then, that the levels of
stress-related illnesses among people who live in
cities are higher than ever before. Big cities, once a
Mecca for ambitious people seeking fame and
fortune, are now less and less popular among people
of all ages. Perhaps the 21st century is set to be the
century of the small town and the countryside.
A/- CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER? (1 pts)

The text is a:

1. Magazine article 2. Report 3. Complaint letter

B/- ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS (3 pts)

1. Why some drivers got angry?

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2. Is it safer to live in a city? Explain?

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3. who are most affected by air pollution in the cities?

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C/- Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). (3 pts)

1. The majority of people who live in cities would like to move somewhere smaller.
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2. Most people think public transport is reasonably priced.

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3. There are fewer green areas in cities nowadays than in the past.
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D/- COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES (2 pts)

1. Traffic congestion and more cars have led to ..................................................................................................................................

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2. The majority of people in the survey were unhappy because of ...................................................................................

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E/- What do these words refer to? (3 pts)

a. “Their” in (paragraph 2) ………………………………………….…..…………

b. “There” in (paragraph 4) ………………………………………………….…………

c. “They” in (paragraph 4) ………………………………………………..…….……

F/- FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS WHICH MEAN THE SAME AS (3 pts)

1. Move to another place (paragraph 1) ……………………………………..………..……

2. Increased rapidly (paragraph 3) ………………………………………..……..…

3. Senior citizens (paragraph 5) ……………………………………………….……….…

II. LANGUAGE: (15 POINTS)

A/- Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word from the list. (2 PTS)

issue, warming, backgrounds, discrimination, prejudice, access, needs, tolerance

1. Gender ………………………………………decreases thanks to coeducation.

2. Pollution contributes to global ……………………………………………..
3. New York is a city where people from different cultural …………………………….. coexist.
4. Good citizens usually exhibit values such as …………………………….and forgiveness.

B/- REWRITE THE SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN. (2 PTS)

1. “If I were you, I would try again and again” the coach said.
The coach advised. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. The committee will have selected two films for an international festival.
Two films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Our team didn’t qualify for the final match because they didn’t play well.
If . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , they. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. They definitely left earlier.
They. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …………….. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C/- PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT TENSE. (3 PTS)

Ahmed (work) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . as a waiter for 15 years in Spain before he (start) . . . . . . . . .

. . . ……… . . his own business three years ago. At present, he has some financial problems
because of the economic crisis. He wishes he (can) . . . . . . . . . . . find someone to lend him money.
D/- FILL IN EACH GAP WITH THE CORRECT PHRASAL VERB FROM THE LIST. (2 PTS)

turns down – goes through – calms down - comes back - breaks down

Tim: What does your father do when his car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . ?

David: Guess what? He gets very furious and starts shouting. But he soon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
and calls a mechanic.

E/- GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS IN BRACKETS. (2 PTS)

More and more parents are worried about their children’s (addict) . . . . . . . . . ………….. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . to
computers and smart phones. They say that these means of (entertain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . are
isolating them from the real world.

F/- JOIN THE FOLLOWING PAIRS OF SENTENCES WITH THE WORDS GIVEN. (2 PTS)

1. Many people learn computer skills. They want to get better jobs. (so that)
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2. Taoufik had family problems. He could concentrate on his work. (in spite of)
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G/- COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING DIALOGUE. (2 PTS)

Manager: Can I help you sir?

You: (complain about the bad service in the restaurant) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ………………………. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …………………………………… . . . . . . . . .

Manager: (apologise and promise to talk to the waiter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …………………………. . . . . . . . .

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

You : Thank you.

III- WRITING: (10 PTS)

Write an article to your school magazine about one of these topics.

1. People who live in large 2. Some people prefer to 3. The phenomenon of

cities face a range of live in the city whereas overcrowding in cities is due
problems in their daily life. others choose to live in the to rural migration. Why
What are the main countryside. Which one do these people move to cities?
problems they face, and you think is better? What are the consequences?
how can these problems be Suggest some possible
tackled? solutions

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