I.

READING COMPREHENSION

Read the text below. For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. (4p x 5 = 20p)

A FORCE of NATURE nobody can control

What is the most devastating natural disaster that could occur in your country? Perhaps
earthquakes and hurricanes aren’t likely to strike where you live. Nobody, however, can fell completely
safe from the effects of volcanoes. There are some with the potential to erupt so fiercely as to cause
terrible loss of life in distant regions, as well as lasting disruption to farming and travel across the globe.
Volcanic eruptions whose effects have been felt thousands of miles away have taken place once every
hundred years or so in the last few centuries.
In 1783, an Icelandic volcano called Laki erupted in spectacular fashion, with lava shooting almost
a mile into the sky. The enormous eruption created poisonous clouds that blocked out the sun as far as
south as England, where around 10,000 people died as a result of breathing problems and adverse
weather conditions. Crops failed because of the lack of sunlight and acid rain caused by the eruption.
Across the Atlantic, in New Orleans, conditions became so wintry, that the Mississippi River froze. On
Iceland itself, a quarter of the population, that is 9,000 people, died in a famine caused by Laki’s
eruption.
In August 1883, there was a disastrous eruption on the other side of the world. For months there
had been increasing volcanic activity on the island of Krakatoa in the Indian Ocean. Nobody was
prepared for what came next. There were four colossal explosions on one day, the last of which
destroyed most of the island and caused tsunamis that killed 36.000 people on the nearby islands of Java
and Sumatra. The eruption was so loud that people who were 2,000 miles from Krakatoa could hear it.
The eruption changed not only the geography of the region, but it also altered the skies around the world.
Sea voyagers reported seeing green sunrises, and sunsets on land and sea were much redder than usual
because so much dust had been sent into the atmosphere.

1 The writer believes that 4 The Krakatoa eruption

A people don’t know enough about A happened without warning

volcanoes
B people should fear earthquakes more
C every volcano can kill people far away
D volcanoes can have an impact on us all
5 What was a lasting effect of the Krakatoa
2 According to the text, the most serious
volcanic eruptions happen
A once a year
B once in a hundred years
C once in a few hundred years
D once in a thousand years
B was heard on the other side of the world
C destroyed the island of Java
D caused deadly tidal waves
eruption?
A it gave people mental health problems
B It made the region more rainy.
C It attracted tourists to the region.
D It changed air quality..

3 Laki’s 1783 eruption led to

A communication problems
B the destruction of buildings
C the evacuation of Iceland.
D mass hunger
 II.. USE OF ENGLISH (40 p)
A. OPEN CLOZE. For questions 1-10, read the text below and fill in with ONE word
that best fits each gap. (1p x 10 = 10p)

I remember watching TV many hours (1) … day when I was a child. One (2) … the programmes
that I liked very much was “Candid Camera”. There, ordinary people (3) … tricked into doing
ridiculous things (4) … sometimes they were very funny. But as I grew (5) …, things changed.
The European television introduced (6) … we call today “reality shows”. They turn common
people (7) … “stars” by putting them in unusual situations. Some of (8) … are locked in a small
house with cameras running 24 hours a day. Others are filmed in a hostile environment (9) …
they have to find food and shelter or they have to face the thing that they are most afraid (10) … .
In all these cases the viewers are those who decide who should leave or stay.

B.WORD FORMATION.For questions 1-10, use the word given in capitals at the end of
the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. (1p x 10 = 10p)

1. It’s …………………………………………….. ! I’ve won the lottery! BELIEVE

2. I can tell from your ………………………that you are not happy. EXPRESS
3. Would you like to ………………………………………..in a big city? LIFE
4. There’s a lot of ………………………..about that on the Internet. INFORM
5. How long is the ……………………………..from Paris to London? FLY
6. Which ……………………………...should we go in – left or right? DIRECT
7. Be …………………………………! Those boxes are full of glasses. CARE
8. My best friend has got a great……………………………………….. . PERSON
9. You need a lot of …………………...to write a good short story. IMAGINE

10. Animals in zoos don’t live in their………………..environment. NATURE

C . KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATION.
Rephrase the second sentence so that the meaning stays the same. Use the word given
without changing it in any way: (10p)

1. So that Susan would be fit for the skiing, she went to the gym three times a week. ORDER
Susan went to the gym three times a week ......................... fit for the skiing.

2. John had not expected the film to be so good. BETTER

The film .......................................... had expected.

3. I regret taking up smoking. WISH

I ......................................... up smoking.

4. The police are interviewing the suspects. INTERVIEWED

The suspects ……………………….... by the police.

5. The doctor will only see you if you have an appointment. UNLESS
The doctor …………………………….... you have an appointment.
 D. MULTIPLE CHOICE. For questions 1 -10, read the text below and decide which
answer (A,B,C or D) best fits in each gap (1p x 10 = 10p)

There are so many threats to the wildlife on our planet nowadays that we are rarely surprised
when we are 1 .............. about another one. 2.................., some people might find it difficult
to 3............... that small creatures 4................ hedgehogs would be the cause, rather than the
victims, of one of these threats. One resident of an island which 5............... off the west coast
of Scotland 6............. how this extraordinary situation has come about. It appears that
hedgehogs are not native to the islands. They were introduced by a gardener who thought
they 7.............. be an effective way of controlling the slug population. There are now so
8............... hedgehogs on the island that they are putting many rare birds at 9..............
because they eat birds' eggs. The hedgehogs, it seems, are 10............. - so what are the local
people going to do about it?

1. A. mentioned B. explained C. told D. said

2. A. Even B. Although C. Yet D. However
3. A. believe B. convince C. suppose D. consider
4. A. so B. such C. like D. as
5. A. extends B. lies C. covers stretches
6. A. described B. commented C. talked D. meant
7. A. should B. can C. ought D. would
8. A. largely B. much C. many D. far
9. A. danger B. risk C. trouble D. difficulties
10. A. anywhere B. everywhere C. anything D. nothing

III WRITING – 30p

You have seen an advert in your college for a part-time assistant in the local library. Write a
letter of application (120-180 words) applying for the job. State any suitable qualifications
and experience you have and why you have a suitable personality for the job.
 I. READING COMPREHENSION (20p) 1x4p

1D 2B 3D 4D 5D

II.. USE OF ENGLISH (10 p)

OPEN CLOZE 1x10p

1. a/per/each/every
2. of
3. were
4. and
5. up/old/older
6. what
7. into
8. them
9. where
10. of

WORD FORMATION (10 p)

1 unbelievable 4 information 7 careful 10 natural

2 expression 5 flight 8 personality
3 live 6 direction 9 imagination

KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATION (10 p)

1. in order to be
2. was better than John
3. wish I had not taken
4. are being interviewed
5. will not see you unless

MULTIPLE CHOICE (10 p)

1. C; 2. D; 3. A; 4. C; 5. B; 6. A; 7. D; 8. C; 9. B; 10. B