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2012 / 2011 :

PART ONE: Reading

(14 pts)
A/Comprehension and Interpretation:
(07 pts)
Read the text carefully then do the activities.
Text:
At two minutes to noon on 1 September 1920, the great clock in Tokyo stopped; Tokyo Bay
shook as if a huge rug had been pulled from under it.
Towering above the bay, the 4000 metre Mount Fuji stood above a deep trench in the sea. It was
from that trench that the earthquake came, at a magnitude of 8.3 on Richter scale.
The sea drawback for a few moments. Then huge waves swept over the city Boats were
carried in land, buildings and people were dragged out to sea.
The tremors dislodged part of a hillside which gave way, brushing trains, stations, and bodies
into water below. Large sections of the sea-bed sank 400 metres; the land rose by 250 metres in
some places and sank in others, three massive shocks wrecked the cities of Tokyo and
Yokohama, and during
the next six hours, there were 171 aftershocks.
The casualties were enormous, but there were also some lucky survivals the most
remarkable was a woman who was having a bath in her room at the Tokyo Grand Hotel. As the
hotel collapsed she and her bath gracefully descended in the street, leaving both her and the
bathwater intact.
1. Are these statements true or false?
a. The earthquake happened during the day.
b. The earthquake started in the city.
c. The earthquake was followed by a great number of aftershocks.
d. There were few victims.
2. In which paragraph it is mentioned that:
a. The earthquake caused a big overflow.
b. There were many victims.
3. Answer the following questions according to the text
a. Which cities were damaged by the earthquake?
b. What happened to the land and the sea-bed?
4. Give the title you think is the most appropriate to the text:
5. Circle the letter that corresponds to the right answer:
The text is:
a. Expository

b. Argumentative
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c. Narrative

B. TEXT EXPLORATION:

(07 pts)

1. Find in the text words that are synonyms to the following:

a. destroyed = (3)

a. noticeable = (3)

2. Complete sentence (b) so that it means the same as sentence (a):

1.(a) . They postponed the flight because it was foggy.
(b) . The flight..
2. (a) . I was caught in a traffic jam.,he said.
(b) . He said that
3. Reorder the following sentences to write a coherent paragraph
a. Important measures were taken by the government.
b. It destroyed the whole town.
c. At midnight a violent earthquake awakened people.
d. To rescue and help the victims
4. Write the silent letter in each of the following words:
Comb

talk

island

knowledge

Part one: Written Expression:

Choose one of the following topics:

(06pts)

Topic One:
Using the following notes write a short paragraph about The 2003 Boumerds earthquake
occurred on May 21st, 2003 in northern Algeria:
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Magnitude 7.3 on Richter scale.

2,266 people killed and 10,261 injured.
More than 1,243 buildings completely or partially destroyed.
150,000 people became homeless.
Solidarity among Algerian (rescuers, food, blood, clothes for victims...)
Foreign aid from Canada, USA, Germany, )
Government program to reconstruct the affected area

Topic One:
The North of Algeria is threatened by the progression of the Sahara desert to the
North. What, do you think, can be done to slow down this progression?

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