ENGLISH TEST DATE:

MARK: /
NAME: CLASS:
20

COMMENTS:

READING COMPREHENSION
NOTE AUX CANDIDATS
Les candidats veillent à :

- respecter l’ordre des questions ;

- faire toujours suivre les citations du numéro de la ligne ;
- Répondre brièvement en anglais aux questions posées sans mention du nombre de mots imposés.

(Document 1)

Could air be the solution to the energy crisis?

There is now an amazing new car that can run on air. It is cheap, creates no
pollution
and costs almost nothing to run. But is it just too good to be true?
The new CAT (compressed air technology) car was on display at the Paris motor
show. The car was invented by Frenchman Guy Negre. He has spent the last six
years developing his idea and has now produced a car that can travel up to 120
miles (200 kilometres) on one tank of compressed air and reach speeds of up to
65 mph (110 kph). The car will cost around 7,000 pounds (10,000 euros) and
will come complete with its own refuelling system.
There is a problem with the car though. It will take around four to five hours to
refuel.
A high speed refuelling station has been designed, but this will cost around
70,000 pounds (100,000 euros). The company believes that the car will sell well
to taxi companies and delivery firms
that operate in towns, because they don't need to travel long distances and
they will
be able to afford the cost of the refuelling station.
Some critics have pointed out that the car hasn't been properly tested yet and
that the company's claims about the car's performance may be exaggerated,
but even if the car can only achieve half of what the makers claim, it could turn
out to be the answer both to the energy crisis and to the problem of inner-city
pollution.

(Document 2)

Trevor Bayliss is another famous British inventor, whose personal focus is on using
technology in innovative ways to deal with social problems. He invented the wind-up radio
in 1993 to allow people living in remote areas to stay in touch with the world. In 1989, he
watched a TV programme about the spread of AIDS in Africa and felt that one way spread
of the disease could be minimized would be by educating people through radio
broadcasts. Despite early rejection from everyone he approached, the turning
point came when Bayliss’ wind-up radio was featured on a TV programme, creating interest
from a number of investors .This enabled Bayliss to form his own company, and since then,
Bayliss has received countless awards, met the Queen and Nelson Mandela and travelled
to Africa to produce a documentary about his life. Furthermore, Bayliss has updated the
radio to include a solar panel so that it runs in sunshine without winding.
In June 2005, Bayliss received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University
and he now runs a company dedicated to helping inventors develop and sell their ideas.
(Document 1)

 Nature : Tick the correct answer .

The document is an article  It is factual 
It is a British  document .

 Identify the topic (What about ?)

  It deals with a new car that is powered only by air . / an eco-friendly air-powered car .

 Complete the following table about the invention :

Car Name :  The new CAT (compressed air technology) car

Inventor : Guy Negre
Country where it was invented : France
Power Source: compressed air
Top Speed : 65 mph (110 kph).
Maximum distance without 120 miles (200 kilometres)
refuelling :

Price : 7,000 pounds (10,000 euros)

Target customers : taxi companies and delivery firms
3 a- This new car: is affordable . True cheap
characteristics ) “It is
 (l. ,1 creates cheap”
no pollution , eco-friendly /costs almost nothing
to run ,amazing , French
b- The latest prototype was first unveiled in London . False 
- slow to refuel unless you buy an expensive refuelling station
Possible problems ?
(l. 3 ) “ the car was on display at the Paris
- a motor show.”refuelling station will cost around 70,000
high speed
pounds
c- The car will have the ability to refuel itself . False 
- the car ‘s performance may be exaggerated.
(l. 8 ) “ thetocar
It will take around four to five -hours hasn't/ been
refuel.” (l. 9 ) properly tested refuelling
“A high speed yet. station has
been designed”.
 Say what the numbers or abbreviations refer to in the text :
d- What the company is aiming at is the urban motorist . True 

 It company
) “The
CAT
(l. 10/11 refers to compressed
believes thatair
thetechnology
car will sell well to taxi companies and delivery
firms that operate in towns”
6 years  It took the inventor 6 years to develop his idea.
e- Like everything else about this vehicle, it all sounds impossible. True 

Four to five hours  It to

refers to the” amount of time it will take to refuel the car.
(l. 2 ) “But is it just too good be true?
£ 70,000  It refers to the cost or a high-speed refueling station .
f- This new non-polluting car has been criticized . True 

(l.13 Say
/14 )if “the
Some critics statements
following have pointed
are out
Truethat
or the
False
car? hasn't
: Tick the correct
been answer
properly and justify
tested yet” “ your
that the
choice with a quote.
company's claims about the car's performance may be exaggerated”,

g- The car has already been marketed. False 

(l. 6 ) “The car will cost around 7,000 pounds” /(l. 3 ) “the car was on display at the Paris motor
show”.

h-It was designed to address the issue of air pollution. True  (l. 15/16 ) “ it could turn out
to be the answer both to the energy crisis and to the problem of inner-city pollution.”
 Match the bold words from the text to their meanings/definitions . Write a-h next to the
numbers 1- 8

1e a difficult time pointed out

a.
2h being shown too good to
b. be true
3f container for to afford
c.
fuel
4a commented run on
d.
5g people who
disagree with
something
6d be powered by tank
f.
7c to have enough critics
g.
money to buy
something
 (Document 2)

 Explain in your own words what the text deals with.

The text deals with a British inventor called Trevor Bayliss who invented a
wind-up radio to in 1993 to educate African people about AIDS through radio
broadcasts.

 Find information about the inventor and its invention. Complete the following table:

Inventor Invention

Name: Trevor Bayliss Name: a wind-up radio

Country of Great Britain Date of

origin : invention :
1993

Main Educate people in Africa Power source : man’s muscle 

Motivation :
to minimize the spread of
AIDS (social problems) /
solving social problems
through innovation

Year when he 1989 Country Africa

came up with targeted :
the idea :

Main - honorary doctorate Purpose : - stay in touch with the world

achievements
: from Leeds
- educate people through
Metropolitan
radio broadcats
University

- Company owner

- has received
countless awards,
met the Queen and
Nelson Mandela
 Choose the best title for the text :

a- Dealing with the issue of AIDS in Africa.

b- Trevor Bayliss: Inventor helped remote parts of Africa tune in to education.
c- Stopping the spread of AIDS by educating people in Africa.
d- 1993 : Wind-up radio

 True or False ? : Tick the correct answer and justify your choice with a quote from the text.

a- Trevor Bayliss thought that he could invent a device to connect and inform people living in

Africa. True  (l. 2/3 ) “ to allow people living in remote areas to

stay in touch with the world.”

b- Success came instantly . False  (l. 5 ) “Despite early rejection from everyone”

c- His invention was later improved . True  (l. 8/9 ) “Bayliss has updated the radio to
include a solar panel so that it runs in sunshine without winding”.

d- Trevor Baylis has been quite successful. True  (l. 7 ) “Bayliss has received countless
awards, met the Queen and Nelson Mandela” / (l. 10) “In June 2005, Bayliss received
an honorary doctorate “.

e- He is no longer involved in the innovation process. False  (l. 10/11) “ he now runs a
company dedicated to helping inventors develop and sell their ideas.”

(Document 1 and Document 2)

 Match each statement on the left with the appropriate document(s) on the right

1- Giving a personal testimony. b- ONLY Document 2

a- ONLY Document 1
2- Stating facts based on a study . a- ONLY Document 1 b- ONLY Document 2
c- Document 1 AND
3- The focus is on innovation to deal with social and environmental
problems. c- Document 1 AND Document 2 Document 2
d- None
4- The invention was aimed at changing people’s lives in the
developing world. b- ONLY Document 2

5- It was meant to educate people about health issues. b- ONLY

Document 2

6- It addresses the issue (= problem) of pollution. . a- ONLY

Document 1
7- It is a good example of Innovation. c- Document 1 AND
Document 2