American Big Picture Level 2

Name _____________________________________________________ Date ________________________________

Unit 2 | Reading
Read the text. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

Lost in the Sahara

In 1994, an Italian policeman, Mauro Prosperi, miraculously survived for nine days in the
Sahara Desert. It is an incredible story of survival and endurance. The Sahara is the world's
second largest desert, and it occupies 10 percent of the African continent! There is little water
and food in the desert and temperatures are very high during the day, up to 50 degrees
Celsius. It is not a place you want to be by yourself, but this is where Prosperi found himself in
1994. He was a participant in an extreme sports competition called the Marathon of the Sands.
The competition takes a week to complete. Participants cross 250 kilometers of the Sahara
Desert carrying food and clothes on their backs. The participants only receive nine liters of
water each day and tents for sleeping. During the race, a sandstorm hit the participants and
Prosperi lost his way. He was lost for nine days without a compass, a cell phone or sufficient
food and water. Rescuers found him in western Algeria. He was sick from dehydration and a
few kilograms lighter. He had survived on his own body fluids and by eating bats. Luckily,
Prosperi recovered well from the terrible experience. Amazingly, he entered the Marathon of
the Sands competition again a few years later!

1. The story is about...

a. a man who survived in the desert for over a week.

b. a man who survived an airplane crash in the desert.
c. a police officer who organized a survival competition.

2. The Sahara Desert...

a. is the largest desert in the world.

b. is the second largest desert in the African continent.
c. occupies 10 percent of the African continent.

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3. Prosperi was a participant in a competition to cross the desert...

a. in a week with only nine liters of water a day.

b. with help only from local villagers.
c. carrying food, clothes and a tent for sleeping.

4. Prosperi got lost in the desert after...

a. he lost his compass and his cell phone.

b. he accidentally entered western Algeria.
c. a sandstorm hit the competition participants.

5. Prosperi survived because...

a. he discovered a village in western Algeria.

b. he drank his own fluids and ate wild animals.
c. he carried extra water in his backpack.

Unit 2 | Listening
Listen to the conversation. Complete each sentence with the correct word.

ABP2_U2_L2_audio.mp3

1. Ashley went to the ___________________.

2. On the second day of the vacation, the ___________________ closed.

3. Ashley's ___________________ broke down in the jungle.

4. She found a ___________________ on the floor of the bus!

5. Ashley thinks her ___________________ is more relaxing than her vacation was.

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Unit 2 | Writing
You recently went on a safari vacation abroad for one week. Write a vacation review for a
magazine. Follow the instructions below. Write 80–100 words.

Write three paragraphs. Include some or all of the following points in your review:
• Where you went
• What you expected
• The weather
• What you saw (wildlife, towns, etc.)
• What you think about the people/food/country
• Your opinion about the vacation

Unit 2 | Grammar - Past simple and past continuous (1)

Complete the sentences with the correct past form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. He ___________________ his cell phone with him. (not have)

2. She ___________________ a book when I arrived. (read)

3. While we were sleeping, Richard ___________________ the door.

(open)

4. I ___________________ to the gym at six o'clock. (go)

5. They were walking on the beach when they ___________________

hundreds of birds. (see)

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Unit 2 | Grammar - Past simple and past continuous (2)

Match the parts of the sentences.

1. He lived a. at the gym when Amy called?

2. I was walking b. on an island for three years.

3. She used c. my cell phone to call Brian.

4. Were you d. in town when I saw Melissa and

Dylan.

5. Did you go e. to a concert on the weekend?

Unit 2 | Grammar - Past simple

Complete the sentences with the past simple form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. They ___________________ in the country for five years. (live)

2. I ___________________ by car. (not travel)

3. We ___________________ Holland in 2005. (leave)

4. We ___________________ on a long walk yesterday afternoon. (go)

5. She ___________________ her English homework. (not do)

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Unit 2 | Grammar - Present continuous

Read the sentences. Select True if grammatically correct or False if grammatically
incorrect.

T F
1. I was swimming at the time.

2. They were run fast.

3. We didn't be living in London in 2011.

4. What was you doing yesterday?

5. I was dancing at a party at midnight on Saturday.

Unit 2 | Vocabulary - Geography (1)

Match the parts of the phrases.

1. far from a. everywhere

2. in the b. mountains

3. on the c. rain forest

4. in a d. beach

5. on an e. island

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Unit 2 | Vocabulary - Geography (2)

Complete each sentence with the correct word.

1. There are mountains ___________________ the south of the country.

2. My family lives ___________________ an island.

3. Some Alaskans live in cabins ___________________ the forest.

4. St. Ives is ___________________ the west coast of England.

5. I like being far ___________________ everywhere.

Unit 2 | Vocabulary - Animals (1)

Read the sentences. Select True or False.

T F
1. A deer is a common pet.

2. Cows and sheep are common farm animals.

3. A dog is a zoo animal.

4. A fox is a wild animal.

5. A snake is a wild animal and a zoo animal.

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Unit 2 | Vocabulary - Animals (2)

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

1. A ... is a wild animal.

a. cow
b. fox
c. pet

2. A ... is a zoo animal.

a. giraffe
b. cow
c. rabbit

3. A ... is a wild animal.

a. monkey
b. sheep
c. pig

4. A ... is a common farm animal.

a. lion
b. snake
c. sheep

5. A ... is a common pet.

a. cat
b. lion
c. monkey

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Score __________________

Teacher’s comments ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Teacher’s signature _______________________________________________________________________

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