Test B (Modules 4-6)
LISTENING (10 marks)
Listen to a radio programme about a university in the Arab world. Answer the following questions.
1 What three things is the university notable for?
2 Who was the founder of the university?
3 Name four subjects that were taught when it opened.
4 What important mathematical development may have originated there?
5 What does the teaching focus on in the twenty-first century?
1 What three things is the university notable for?
It is the world’s oldest existing educational institution, the only one to have stayed open continually, and it awarded the very first degree.
2 Who was the founder of the university?
Its founder was Fatima al-Fihri.
3 Name four subjects that were taught when it opened.
Any four of the following: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Medicine, Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry, History, Geography and Music.
4 What important mathematical development may have originated there?
Arabic numerals and the idea of zero may have been introduced to Europe from there.
5 What does the teaching focus on in the twenty-first century?
Today, teaching focuses on Islamic Religious and Legal Sciences, as well as Classical Arabic.
READING (20 marks)
Read the following text carefully, and then answer all the questions that follow.
World Memory Championships
A The World Memory Championship is an annual three-day event that has been held in different locations all over the world since 1991 CE. There are ten contests, each one testing different uses of short-term memory.
B The contests include listening to numbers spoken out loud and then recalling them (the world record is 364), memorising a sequence of abstract images in fifteen minutes (the world record is 492), memorising lists of words, etc. A German man achieved a world record of 501 numbers in random order during the 2013 CE championship. At the same event, a Welsh man managed to recall 224 random words, after he had studied them for only 15 minutes.
C In 2001 CE, the interval between the numbers was shortened from two seconds to one. Even with this change, the records still reveal great achievements. The slogan on the World Memory Championships says ‘Human Potential is Infinite’. With the evidence of the championships’ results, perhaps that is true.
A Match the sentence beginnings 1–5 with their endings a–e. (10 marks)
1 The championships have different contests
2 A man from Germany
3 A man from Wales
4 The interval between numbers
5 The results of the championships
a was shortened from two seconds to one in 2001 CE.
b remembered 224 random words.
c could remember 501 numbers in random order.
d prove the infi nite human capacity.
e for different uses of short-term memory.
1 The championships have different contests e
2 A man from Germany c
3 A man from Wales b
4 The interval between numbers a
5 The results of the championships d
a was shortened from two seconds to one in 2001 CE.
b remembered 224 random words.
c could remember 501 numbers in random order.
d prove the infi nite human capacity.
e for different uses of short-term memory.
Read the following text carefully, and then answer all the questions that follow.
World Memory Championships
A The World Memory Championship is an annual three-day event that has been held in different locations all over the world since 1991 CE. There are ten contests, each one testing different uses of short-term memory.
B The contests include listening to numbers spoken out loud and then recalling them (the world record is 364), memorising a sequence of abstract images in fifteen minutes (the world record is 492), memorising lists of words, etc. A German man achieved a world record of 501 numbers in random order during the 2013 CE championship. At the same event, a Welsh man managed to recall 224 random words, after he had studied them for only 15 minutes.
C In 2001 CE, the interval between the numbers was shortened from two seconds to one. Even with this change, the records still reveal great achievements. The slogan on the World Memory Championships says ‘Human Potential is Infinite’. With the evidence of the championships’ results, perhaps that is true.
B The text has three paragraphs. In which paragraph (A–C) can you find information about the following? (5 marks)
1 the kinds of contests that the championships involve: __________
2 the year of the first World Memory Championships event: _______
3 the slogan of the World Memory Championships: __________
4 the duration of the championships: ________
5 a world record in the 2013 CE championship: __________
1 the kinds of contests that the championships involve: paragraph B
2 the year of the first World Memory Championships event: paragraph A
3 the slogan of the World Memory Championships: paragraph C
4 the duration of the championships: paragraph A
5 a world record in the 2013 CE championship: paragraph B
Read the following text carefully, and then answer all the questions that follow.
World Memory Championships
A The World Memory Championship is an annual three-day event that has been held in different locations all over the world since 1991 CE. There are ten contests, each one testing different uses of short-term memory.
B The contests include listening to numbers spoken out loud and then recalling them (the world record is 364), memorising a sequence of abstract images in fifteen minutes (the world record is 492), memorising lists of words, etc. A German man achieved a world record of 501 numbers in random order during the 2013 CE championship. At the same event, a Welsh man managed to recall 224 random words, after he had studied them for only 15 minutes.
C In 2001 CE, the interval between the numbers was shortened from two seconds to one. Even with this change, the records still reveal great achievements. The slogan on the World Memory Championships says ‘Human Potential is Infinite’. With the evidence of the championships’ results, perhaps that is true.
C Complete the following summary with words from the text. (5 marks)
The World Memory Championship is an (1) ________________ that is held every year. It has different contests which test (2)______-_______ memory. World (3) ___________ have been broken by participants of different nationalities. The (4) _______________ are becoming greater every year. This championship proves how limitless human (5) _________is.
The World Memory Championship is an (1) event that is held every year. It has different contests which test (2)short- term memory. World (3) records have been broken by participants of different nationalities. The (4) achievements are becoming greater every year. This championship proves how limitless human (5)potential is.
USE OF ENGLISH (20 marks)
A Choose the correct word to complete the following text.
Learning a second language has many benefits. It can help us in the following ways: Firstly, it improves the memory and heightens creativity. (1)However/ Secondly , it increases cognitive health later in life. Thirdly, it enhances mental flexibility. What is remarkable, though, (2) is/was that high communicative ability can still (3) be / would be found in people who do not have any spoken language at all. Several decades ago, there was great media attention on a deaf man who could not communicate by either sign language or spoken language, and yet (4) is / was shown to have remarkably high brain function and recognition skills. He found other ways to communicate, such as giving objects to people or using facial expressions to show that he needed something. His methods of communication were basic but very effective, and his intelligence is thought (5) will / to be at least as high (6) as / like an average speaking person. Despite (7) it / this , attempts to teach him either sign language or basic speech were all unsuccessful. We could ask what might have happened if he (8) is / had been taught these skills earlier in life.
So, scientists are now asking (9) what / how this means for those of us who find language learning difficult. Should we carry on, or is it enough to focus instead on becoming expert communicators? Both personal attributes are valuable in the workplace – as (10) many / much as they are in life!
Learning a second language has many benefits. It can help us in the following ways: Firstly, it improves the memory and heightens creativity. (1)However/ Secondly , it increases cognitive health later in life. Thirdly, it enhances mental flexibility. What is remarkable, though, (2) is / was that high communicative ability can still (3) be / would be found in people who do not have any spoken language at all. Several decades ago, there was great media attention on a deaf man who could not communicate by either sign language or spoken language, and yet (4) is / was shown to have remarkably high brain function and recognition skills. He found other ways to communicate, such as giving objects to people or using facial expressions to show that he needed something. His methods of communication were basic but very effective, and his intelligence is thought (5) will / to be at least as high (6) as / like an average speaking person. Despite (7) it / this , attempts to teach him either sign language or basic speech were all unsuccessful. We could ask what might have happened if he (8) is / had been taught these skills earlier in life.
So, scientists are now asking (9) what / how this means for those of us who find language learning difficult. Should we carry on, or is it enough to focus instead on becoming expert communicators? Both personal attributes are valuable in the workplace – as (10) many / much as they are in life!
B Read the text and complete it using the correct form of the words in capitals at the end of each line. (10 marks)
Entrepreneur: A word meaning someone who sets up a business. In the Middle East today, entrepreneurship is (1)_______________ important among young people, because of the
(2) ________________ job market. It is important to give young people the (3) ____________ so that they can help themselves. If they cannot find jobs, they can create their own and then, (4) ___________ , generate jobs for others.
(5)_________________have been set up to guide young people through the process of business (6) _____________.
There are training courses and programmes to support this cause. Universities in the region have started (7)______________ entrepreneurship courses to students. Even large (8) __________ now support young entrepreneurs.
The common philosophy is as follows: give young people the opportunity to create their own companies so that they can have control over their own (9) ___________futures. In the Middle East, it is a (10) _______________ learning experience for young people.
PARTICULAR
COMPETE
KNOW
IDEAL
ORGANISE
CREATE
TEACH
BUSINESS
ECONOMY
CRITIC
Entrepreneur: A word meaning someone who sets up a business. In the Middle East today, entrepreneurship is (1)Particularly important among young people, because of the
(2) competitive job market. It is important to give young people the (3)knowledge so that they can help themselves. If they cannot find jobs, they can create their own and then, (4) ideally , generate jobs for others.
(5)Organisations have been set up to guide young people through the process of business (6) creation. There are training courses and programmes to support this cause. Universities in the region have started (7)teaching entrepreneurship courses to students. Even large (8) businesses now support young entrepreneurs.
The common philosophy is as follows: give young people the opportunity to create their own companies so that they can have control over their own (9) economic futures. In the Middle East, it is a (10) critical learning experience for young people.