PART ONE: Reading and Interpreting (14 points)
Read the text carefully then do the activities.
The United Nations' children's fund, UNICEF, says 115 million children worldwide are still missing out on an education, most of them girls. 2005 is the year set by the UN to achieve gender equality in primary education.
UNICEF says many countries in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East cannot meet the target of gender equality this year. UNICEF is especially concerned about the situation in west and central Africa, where, it says, emergency measures are now needed to promote primary education. Only five countries out of 24 are set to achieve gender equality there. Conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo have done incalculable damage to children's education. In South Asia, UNICEF says, progress has been made but not enough. Forty-two million children across the region don't go to school. Afghanistan and Pakistan have the widest gender gaps. For Pakistan to have the same number of girls as boys in school by 2015, it would have to increase girls' school attendance by over 3 per cent each year.
Moreover in eastern and central Europe there is cause for concern, too. The introduction of fees for tuition, schoolbooks and uniforms has led to rising dropout rates -- and girls drop out sooner than boys. Belarus and Tajikistan will not achieve gender equality, neither will Turkey. UNICEF says a quantum leap is now needed to achieve universal primary education by 2015. it insists that huge efforts should be made in this field if poverty is to be eradicated by then.
Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Geneva
(A/ COMPREHENSION / INTERPRETATION)
1. Circle the choice (a, b and c ) that best completes statements A,C and D.
A. The aim of the passage is to: a) argue a point b) inform c) entertain
B. The text is addressed to: a) children b) the general reader c) specialists
C. The text is: a) letter b) report c) newspaper article
2. Are the following statements true or false? Quote from the text to justify your choice about false ones.
There are more girl students than boy students in the world.
No more than 19 countries are likely to achieve equality between girls and boys in schools.
Education is free in all countries of the world.
Education is very important for fighting poverty.
3. Choose the most suitable title for the reading passage.
The Importance of Education
UNICEF Report on Education
The Problem of Education in Africa
4. Find in the text the words whose definitions follow.
to succeed in reaching a particular goal or standard (§ 1)
very large, too big to measure (§2)
to leave school without finishing studies (§3)
one thousand years ( 3)
( B/ TEXT EXPLORATION )
5.Fill in the table with the missing word category
Verb Noun Adjective Adverb
………….. education ………….. /////
………….. equality ………….. …………..
to promote ………….. ………….. /////
6.Select the appropriate connector / link word and complete the sentences below according to the text:
because of besides then although
Dropout rates in Central and Eastern Europe have risen……………………………..
The number of children missing school is very high……………………………
7. Underline the stressed syllable in each word.
Example: achieve
A) nation B) education C) situation D) to increase
8. The sentences below are in jumbled order. Reorder them to have a coherent paragraph:
A - They can also bring out sustainable development.
B - Education should be directed to the strengthening of respect of human rights.
C - These aspects of education can help achieve peace in the world.
D - It ought to promote understanding, tolerance and friendship.
SECTION TWO: WRITTEN EXPRESSION( 6 points)
Choose one of the following topics:
Topic 1
A UNICEF representative is visiting your school. Write (hand him) a petition to protest against the abuses against children’s rights in many parts of the world. Do not forget to make suggestions for improving their conditions. (You can use information from the text.)
Topic 2
Respond to the text by writing a letter of opinion to a UNICEF magazine about the problem of the abuses of the rights of the child in the world. Support your opinion with examples and suggest ways to change the situation.
KEYS
PART 1.
1. A (b) - B (b) C (b)
1.5
2. a) F : still missing out on education, most of them, girls
- b ) T
- c F : the introduction of fees for tuition….
-d T
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
3. b
1
4. a) achieve -b) incalculable -c) dropout -d) millennium
2
5. to educate - educational
to equal - equal - equally
promotion - promotional
0.5
0.5
0.5
6. A ……because of the introduction of fees……..
B…….although some progress has been made
1
1
7. A. nation B education C) situation D) to increase
2
8. B - D – C - D
2
PART 1.
Writing
( See writing evaluation grid in the syllabus)
6
Read the text carefully then do the activities.
The United Nations' children's fund, UNICEF, says 115 million children worldwide are still missing out on an education, most of them girls. 2005 is the year set by the UN to achieve gender equality in primary education.
UNICEF says many countries in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East cannot meet the target of gender equality this year. UNICEF is especially concerned about the situation in west and central Africa, where, it says, emergency measures are now needed to promote primary education. Only five countries out of 24 are set to achieve gender equality there. Conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo have done incalculable damage to children's education. In South Asia, UNICEF says, progress has been made but not enough. Forty-two million children across the region don't go to school. Afghanistan and Pakistan have the widest gender gaps. For Pakistan to have the same number of girls as boys in school by 2015, it would have to increase girls' school attendance by over 3 per cent each year.
Moreover in eastern and central Europe there is cause for concern, too. The introduction of fees for tuition, schoolbooks and uniforms has led to rising dropout rates -- and girls drop out sooner than boys. Belarus and Tajikistan will not achieve gender equality, neither will Turkey. UNICEF says a quantum leap is now needed to achieve universal primary education by 2015. it insists that huge efforts should be made in this field if poverty is to be eradicated by then.
Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Geneva
(A/ COMPREHENSION / INTERPRETATION)
1. Circle the choice (a, b and c ) that best completes statements A,C and D.
A. The aim of the passage is to: a) argue a point b) inform c) entertain
B. The text is addressed to: a) children b) the general reader c) specialists
C. The text is: a) letter b) report c) newspaper article
2. Are the following statements true or false? Quote from the text to justify your choice about false ones.
There are more girl students than boy students in the world.
No more than 19 countries are likely to achieve equality between girls and boys in schools.
Education is free in all countries of the world.
Education is very important for fighting poverty.
3. Choose the most suitable title for the reading passage.
The Importance of Education
UNICEF Report on Education
The Problem of Education in Africa
4. Find in the text the words whose definitions follow.
to succeed in reaching a particular goal or standard (§ 1)
very large, too big to measure (§2)
to leave school without finishing studies (§3)
one thousand years ( 3)
( B/ TEXT EXPLORATION )
5.Fill in the table with the missing word category
Verb Noun Adjective Adverb
………….. education ………….. /////
………….. equality ………….. …………..
to promote ………….. ………….. /////
6.Select the appropriate connector / link word and complete the sentences below according to the text:
because of besides then although
Dropout rates in Central and Eastern Europe have risen……………………………..
The number of children missing school is very high……………………………
7. Underline the stressed syllable in each word.
Example: achieve
A) nation B) education C) situation D) to increase
8. The sentences below are in jumbled order. Reorder them to have a coherent paragraph:
A - They can also bring out sustainable development.
B - Education should be directed to the strengthening of respect of human rights.
C - These aspects of education can help achieve peace in the world.
D - It ought to promote understanding, tolerance and friendship.
SECTION TWO: WRITTEN EXPRESSION( 6 points)
Choose one of the following topics:
Topic 1
A UNICEF representative is visiting your school. Write (hand him) a petition to protest against the abuses against children’s rights in many parts of the world. Do not forget to make suggestions for improving their conditions. (You can use information from the text.)
Topic 2
Respond to the text by writing a letter of opinion to a UNICEF magazine about the problem of the abuses of the rights of the child in the world. Support your opinion with examples and suggest ways to change the situation.
KEYS
PART 1.
1. A (b) - B (b) C (b)
1.5
2. a) F : still missing out on education, most of them, girls
- b ) T
- c F : the introduction of fees for tuition….
-d T
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
3. b
1
4. a) achieve -b) incalculable -c) dropout -d) millennium
2
5. to educate - educational
to equal - equal - equally
promotion - promotional
0.5
0.5
0.5
6. A ……because of the introduction of fees……..
B…….although some progress has been made
1
1
7. A. nation B education C) situation D) to increase
2
8. B - D – C - D
2
PART 1.
Writing
( See writing evaluation grid in the syllabus)
6
