‘TABLE OF CONTENTS coir Chapter 1 - HOW TO WRITE WELL .. igi a | CRITERIA OF EVALUATION 5 MODELS DOs & DONTs a7 a Chapter 2 - HOW TO READ EFFECTIVELY CRITERIA OF EVALUATION TASKS AND SUGGESTED ANSWERS 19 DOs & DONTs 7 ar Chapter 3 - HOW TO SPEAK TO IMPRESS .wrvnnene 28 CRITERIA OF EVALUATION 29 TASKS AND SUGGESTED ANSWERS. 31 TAKING PART IN A CONVERSATION. 34 DOs & DONS 38 Grammar and vocabulary mind maps 39 cussion clock 48 Chapter 4- TESTS. Sacre emeaeeeeeans 40 Reading ~ Subiecte ip 1 (nivel T-A2) 49 Answers 59 Reading — Subiecte tip 2 (nivel B1-B2) 63 Answers 94 Writing ~ Subiecte tip 1 (nivel At- A2) 102 Suggested answers 103 Writing — Subiecte tip 2 (nivel B1-B2) 108 Suggested answers - 108 Speaking - Subiecte tip 1 15 Suggested answers. 116 Speaking - Subiecte tip 2 121 Suggested answers 122 Speaking - Subiecte tip 3 126 Suggested answers 128 Bibliography .. 143Prepare yourself for the BAC exam Structura examenului de bacalaureat la limba engleza Evalvarea competentelorlingvitice limba engleza se face prin trei tipuri de probe: |. proba de infelegere a unui text audiat cu durata de 20 de minute; |.” proba scrisd cu durata de 120 de minute; Il. proba oral cu durata de 10-15 minute. |. Proba de intelegore a unui text audiat Candidatii audiaza doua texte autentice in limba standard: * unul de diffcultate redusa, cu durata de circa 2 minute; * al doilea de dificultate medie, cu durata de 3-4 minute, |. Proba scrisa cuprinde doua par a) Prima parte evalueazé comy te b) Partea a doua evaluea: de redactat doua texte: aeeta%t de dimensiunirelativ reduse si cu un grad scdzut de difcutate (© Scrisoare, un email, o carte postala etc.): al doilea text este de dimen: (un eseu, un articol etc) 28 competenta de producere a unui mesaj seis. Candidatii au 'siuni mai mari, avand un grad de dificultate mai ridicat IIL Proba orala © cerinta care sa implice o scuria relatare: 0 parere Personaia cu justiicare/ argumentare pe o tema de interes) Pe parcursul probei orale se recomanda ca profesorlexaminator $8 interactioneze Cu candidatul in timpul destasurarii probei Pe ansamblul celor trei probe, evaluarea candida din ‘cole inci competente: infolegerea textului audiat, injelegerea textului citi, inleractiune orala (participare la conversatie), producere de mesaje orale, producere de mesale scrise (conform Cadrului European Comun de Referinta pentru Liter CECRL), Fentrufiecare din cele cinci competente evaluate, nivelul de Competenta lingvistica se stabileste dupa cum urmeaza: tlor Se face separat pentru fiecare {17 30 puncte: 1 (introductiv, sau de descoperire) G17 82 puncte: a2 (intermedia, sau de supravietuire) 61-80 puncte: B1 (nivel-prag, sau independent) 81- 100 puncte: 82 (avansat, sau independent) Every § respect task, st organis There a gradual essays, piece the first A2 scal email, if experien Here is Subiect [Continut (Organtzan (Corectitud Woe ‘bular Nivelul de At: fi Az: 3ja doua ematicd mt, peo dicat. isatii au tate (0 iridicat vistica Chapter 1 - HOW TO WRITE WELL CRITERIA OF EVALUATION Every piece of writing for an exam is accompanied by a set of rules that have to be respected and a number of points granted accordingly. Before starting to tackle a particular task, students should be aware of the way their work is to be assessed so that they can ‘organise it for the highest level possible, not forgetting their potential at the same time. There are a number of various written tasks expected to be performed by a high schoo! graduate. The most frequent are: emails, narratives, informal and formal letters, articles, essays. Each of them has a particular structure that must be followed as such so that the piece can send the right message to the reader, which is actually the aim of writing it in the first place. According to the length and the degree of the difficulty, some may fit into AA2 scale (the equivalent of an intermediate level = 60 points maximum), such as the email, informal letters and narratives, while others aim at 82 (the equivalent of an ‘experienced user = 100 points maximum), Here is the marking scheme for A1-A2 scale used for the Baccalaureate exam: Subiectul 1 40 de puncte [Confinut (20 puncte) scrie on tox adbevat sual ipulul de text propus] ——& puncte] | respect Tima leata de numarul de ewinie indica] 4 puncte [rie enunjur simple pe toma propusa i'puncta lexprima in faze scurto coca ce site Uipuncta lexpled pe saurt achunile prezentate / descr Wincta (Organizarea textalut —~[ordoneaz corect cwiele tn enunuri simple puneta (10 puncte) leaga enuntur scura prin conactori col mai Ges folosiy. producand un text simplu gi coerent 5 puncte (Corectitudine gramatical& |foloseste relaliv corect structuri sintactice $i forme ‘gramaticale| {5 puncte) simple, fara a afecta soneul global al mesejului \Vocabular foloseste corect un reperioriu clementar de cuvinle #1 expres (S puncte) adecvate teme propuse Subiectul al tht 60 de puncte (Continut: (30 puncte) [scrie un text adecvat situajiel tipulul de text propus| 10 puncte] respect limita Tegaté de numérul de cuvinte indical] 10 puncte largumonteazs opine prezentate 10 puncte [Organizarea textulul ———[iizeazi_o gama varlall Ge conedor penta a (10 puncte) Jovidenta rolaite dite del 5 puncte folososte corect paragratele 5 puncte] [Corectitudine gramaticala”|olossete corect ructurle gramalicale 6 puncte] (10 puncte) |ojoseste o gama variata de sttuciun gramaticale 5 puncte \Vocabular (10 puncte) |folosesie vocabularul in mod corect ‘S puncte foloseste un vocabularvariat si adecval tomel S puncia ‘Nivelul de competenta se va acorda in functie de punctajul obtinut, dupa cum urmeaza: At: 11-30 puncte A2: 31-60 puncte B1: 61-80 punctePrepare yourself forthe BAC exam MODELS 1. EMAIL You recently borrowed your best friend's DVD playor. Unfortunately it has been broken. Write to him an email of 80-100 words explaining what happened and Suggesting ways to make up for your mistake. STEP 1 » Pay attention to the format of an email * Use a specific way to write the sender's and the recipient's addresses: 70: (the email of the person to whom the e-mail is addressed) FROM: (the address of the person who writes the email) SUBJECT: (what the email is about) * usually starts with Dear... (the recipient's first name) separated by the rest of the (2x but you can also use any other familar greeting depending on the relationship you have with the recipient: Hil, Hello!, My dear. * All the paragraphs start from the left side of the page because e-mails are a fast way of writing messages on computer requiring the least typing effort + The introduction should always include the reason for writing; + The conclusion should always include closing greetings; * Separated from the main body ofthe text, at the end we shoul include a greeting Such as Dearly ..., With love, Hugs... followed by your frst name: + Informal register. STEP 2 Identify the keywords and what you are expected to write: * ecently borrowed, it has been broken = you should include a short explanation of the circumstances in which the DVD player was damaged: + best friend = a highly familiar tone; * @plaining what happened = details of the location and the period of time involved * suggesting ways = apologies and promises of making things right. | STEP 3 * Use connectors to make your ideas easy to follow: because, first, so, thas why, contrary to, in the end. » Use paragraphs to organise your explanations. » Use varied grammatical structures so that your language makes a good impression ‘upon the reader. Use vocabulary related to technology, giving explanations and apologizingPrepare yourself forthe BAC exam > Succesten answer: HELP MODEL [HELP | PARAGRAPHS EMAIL GRAMMAR } [Aasresses To: jane... @yahoo.com pned and | From: doreen...@yahoo.com | Subject: sincere apologies greeting My dear Jane, ae jim writing to tell you how sorry | am that "ve | Connectors for |wnting broken the DVD player thal you lent me last week! raanisin [t must have been my baby brother who tried to| ideas ang | actual detats|watch some cartoons when | was not ai home. I evant shouldn't have let the DVD player within his st of the = regret | reach! Modal verbs tionship: | have already talked to my uncle who is an Convincing engineer and he promised to take care of it, but it © a fast details may take some time. Please, rest assured that ‘you'll have it back alright, or il buy you another one. semen and apobgies | KS and anoles, potng eae Sas Chea ta wtb ori copes! | “out tosses | 2. OPINION ESSAY Write an opinion essay in response to the following statement: Success in life tion of | comes with taking risks or chances. Write your answer in 180-200 words, STEP 1: Pay attention to the format of an opinion essay: + In the Introduction you present the topic and your opinion on the matter. * The main body = Several paragraphs to develop your opinion from different angles; ~no matter what your opinion is, the last paragraph of the main body should deal with @ different perspective than yours and the reasons why you consider it unconvincing; time hy, it * The conclusion should reinforce your opinion, but using different words. + Formal register; sion STEP 2; » Identify the keywords and what you are expected to write » eanoss = Vocabulary related to fame, being successful, winning, positive evaluation; * faking risks / chances = going for something you are not very sure of, but which seems like a good opportunity. 7__Prepare yourself for the BAC exam STEP 3; » Use connectors to link both sentences and paragraphs in a coherent way, such as; in Tecpinion, irom my point of view, firsty, secondly, in addition, moreover, after alt ‘however, either way, not to mention, to conclude: * Srey Paragraph should deal with one idea, that isto be presented in a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph; * ‘Dress up" your topie sentences with relevant explanations and examples! © Check: > The tense most often used in an opinion essay is the Present Simple, BUT:-if @ particular thing is undergoing a transformation you should use the Present Continuous; ~ you want fo give an example from your personal experience, you should use the Past Simple and mention the time when the events took place. » Use varied grammatical structures for a better impression; ? Use vocabulary related to success, risks, explaining, evaluating. > Succesren answer: L HELP | PARAGRAPHS OPINION ESSAY GRAMMAR itis hard to believe that nowadays we can find a| Modal verbs person who does not desire success, either in their field of work, their hobbies or at least among their group of friends. Unfortunately, the more people | Connectors Strive for success, the more they realize how hard it lis {o reach it, mainly because it implies jaligreat ‘Amount of unexpected Passive voice There are many ingredients for success, such as |Devcring | hard work. good connections, talent, interpersonal Sach kiea into a | skits, charisma, to be In the right plece ate right, Separate time. While the first ones are achievable by will, effort | Gerundia! Paragraph | and dedication, the last one is of @totaliyifertgt| consiucrons kind: it can be done only by being able to take your ‘chances when you recognise them and also to take risks from time to time. | Undoubtedly no one can guarantee success even Senate | |irisks and chances are taken, but itis @ sure thing | @ISCU¥ES | that without them, there is no way to reach it as life is full of surprises of all kinds that cannot be calculated, but welcomed and well-used, pone Conctusion: | In conclusion, | think that two directions should be reinforcing your | followed: to work for our dreams and to be alert to whatever life presents us with {personal pinion 8Such as: jn afer all, in a topic es! |use the U should ace; AR erbs vice Prepare yourself forthe BAC exam 3. FORMAL LETTER »Pay attention to the format of a formal letter — Sender's and the recipient's addresses: * {always sterts ether with Dear (the recipient's full na Madan®) lf you know the person to whom you are wr Madam... in case you don't know him/ ner Separated + The introdueti it uses a specific way of writing the ame oF Mr/ Mrs. and the iting to or with Dear Sin/ by the rest of the letter; * The conclusion always contains closing remarks showing that you expect a reply tothe leer, Such as “I look forward to receiving an enews from you..." “At the end, separated from the main body of the lete, + Formal register; STEP 2: » identi the key words and what you are expected to write * Alter to @ School headmaster is a formal letter as the recipient holds a particular Position in an institution; STEP 3: Use connectors to make your ideas easy to folow by the rea why fist, secondly, as, because, as well as, in conclusion; ? Use paragraphs to organise your leer and your ideas der, Such as: the reason © creck: > Use a variety of grammatical structures fora better impression; » Use vocabulary related to Keywords such as: invitation celebrating, feelings, schoolropare yoursol forthe BAG exam > SuccesteD ANSWER: {HELP MODEL HELP PARAGRAPHS FORMAL LETTER GRAMMAR Sender's 23 Florilor Street, apart. 158 address Bucharest, 6th district June 10, 2012 Recipient's _| Dan lonescu Formal address Headmaster of "No 60" High school constructions 14 West Avenue Bucharest, 6th district Salutation Dear Mr. Ionescu. The purpose of |My name Popescu Radu, the students’ | Passive the letter and | representative ofthe Xilth A grade, and | am writing | Structure the position of | this letter on behalf of my colleagues to invite you the sender to our graduation ball. We would be extremely honoured to have you Giving the | together with us. As the event is scheduled for June ae 17th at 5 p.m. at “Drumetului” Restaurant, we hope letails the remaining week will allow our celebration rye 2 | Connectors to fit your agenda. We look forward to receiving an answer from you, Conclusion | as well as being notified about the way we can help you reach the location. Closing Yours sincerely, ' Popescu Radu ’ 4, ARTICLE Your school magazine organises a competition of articles entitled “Remembering my first day in high school”. Write your article in 180-200 words. STEP 1 Pay attention to the format of an article + Acatchy introduction able to make the reader want to continue reading your article; + Semi-formal register + Ideas to engage the reader into your writing, to transmit a positive and memorable message; STEP 2 » Identify the key words and what you are expected to write + remembering = a narrative, using past tenses and respecting the rules of the sequence of tenses; my = first-person narrative, feelings and vocabulary related to feelings;STEP 3: iit, mar | | 2H although, even if if a © cneck: 9 Use nt one idea pe pareoraph anders up with eason and examples = Bin 9 Use a variety of rammatical structures fora beter mpeccen » Use vocabulary related to keywords such as: memories, > Succesren answer _ [MODEL HELP re | HELP PARAGRAPHS, ARTICLE feelings, school, Title Inviting the reader to ors | Participate in your experience Describing the |atmosphere in detail bering 7 a A conclusion for the future rable Remembering my first day in high school Have you ever imagined that a seemingly ordinary day in your life can leave everlasting memories? If, you had asked me about it four years ago, | would have said “never”, but my first day in high school has changed everything While walking closer to the high schoo! building, although happy that the exams were over, | had butterfies in my stomach at the thought of the novelty awaiting us — a mixture of nervousness and enthusiasm that | couldn't explain. at all. The atmosphere in the school yard would have Special look of expecting the best. Soon, | became Part of it, impatient to know the others and to show. Needless to say, hard times would come, but that feeling of self-confidence, in spite ofall the fears that ee a re ino ce up forever, GRAMMAR | Developed adjectives Conditional structure | stead 43 was to realise, | shouldnt have feared anything | useere made anyone feel over the moon: everybady| essa ‘smilingyhands Going shaken teachers’ having that | events | how good | could be. Participiat | | experienced during my first day in high school, will| Passive | ‘never be forgotten. What's more, it will brighten me | StructurePrepare yourso forthe BAC exam 5. ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY Write a for-and-against essay of about it 300-350 words on the following topic: “The ‘importance of sports is overrated”, STEP 1: » Pay attention to the format of a “for and against” essay: * ag introduction should clearly present the topic to be discussed, in your own words, in such a way to emphasize both the pluses and the minuses; * The main body deals with argumen ‘organised in logical paragraphin, * The conclusion should come as a personal opinion after writing the whole essay in an objective manner, so that it offers a balanced view on the topic; + Formal register; ts in favour and against the topic issue, STEP 2: » Identity the keywords and what you are expected to write: * importance of sports = vocabulary related to different sports, health; = reasons why sport is important; “18 overrated = reasons why the issue of sport may be controversial: » Before you start writing your essay, make a two-column list ofthe for and against issues you have in mind; > If you are more “for’ or more “agains, Paragraphs as well as restate them in reader, you should include these ideas in the leading the conclusion, for a stronger effect upon the STEP 3; » ise connectors to link both sentences and paragraphs in a coherent way, such as: on ihe one hand, on the other hand, frst of all, secondly, another, therefore, this is why, on the contrary, consequently. » ‘Dress up" your topic sentences with relevant explanations and examples! . in conclusion, © Cueck: » Every paragraph should deal with one idea only that is to be Sentence at the beginning of the paragraph; > The tense most often used is the present simple, BUT: +l there isa transforming process, you should use the present continuous; *G2ou want to sive an example trom your personal history, you should use Past Simple and mention the time when the event took place. » Use varied grammatical structures for a better impression, ? tse vocabulary related to keywords such as: explaining, giving reasons, sport activities, sport people, positive, negative. Presented in a topic & Sued HELP PARAG introdug topic an balance Viewpoi Advanta for): 13 Paragra Advanta 2nd pas Disadva (against Paragrag Disadvat (against Paragrag Conctusi your pers point of ¥ 6. INFORI Write a st your life. evening, 3 words.“The jue, yin > SuccesTeD answer: Disadvantages (against): 1st paragraph Disadvantages (against): 2nd paragraph Conclusion and your personal point of view HELP MODEL HELP PARAGRAPHS ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY GRAMMAR, Introducing the |More and more importance is given to sport topic and the nowadays, either as a career, a show or the’ ‘balance of personal need to stay fit. But | think that too much | Modal verbs ‘viewpoints: focus can become negative, this is why people | Advantages | should be aware of both its advantages and (for): 1st disadvantages. Various [paragraph ‘Qn the one hand, sport is definitely important for | connectors our general health and well-being. Nothing can Advantages: make one fee! more relaxed and fit for both work 2nd paragraph | and living a happy life than a daily sport break. seer Erin of adjectival ‘Secondly, sport isa way for people to socialize and | OF adlectival learn what team spirit and fair play are. Not only are | these essential in every day life, but also in the workplace and in shaping one's character as well Not to mention the supportive effect it has on lonely, shy and isolated people. ‘On the other hand, all the advantages of sport can be shadowed by a wrong use or an overuse of these activities. There are many people who cannot sustain a routine of doing sport if they start it under: the pressure of losing weight, as the moment they stop it the effect on their health and look is much worse than before. It is not the sport that is responsible for the negative effect, but the exaggerated focus on it ‘Another problem is the ever increasing importance given to attending sport events and games, which transformed many of them into a business, Itis not the performance that matters any longer, but the show for the fans and the betting industry created around them. In_conclusion, | personally think that all things should be dealt with patience, moderation and a sense of balance, even more so when sport is involved. Passive Voice Gerundial 6. INFORMAL LETTER Write a short letter to your pen friend telling him/ her about a typical week day in your life. Include information about what you usually do in the morning/ afternoon! evening, and about how you feel at the end of the day. Write your answer in 80-100 words. 13Prepare yourset forthe Bac STEP 1. ? Pay attention to the format of an informal letter: * Nalways stars with Dear... the recipient's first Of the page, separated by the rest ot the letter; name) and its placed in the middle Your first name; * Informal register, STEP 2: > Identity the key words ani what you are expected to write: * A letter to a pen trien is an informal letter with @ particular format; * Wpieal day = vocabulary of daily activities; STEP 3: ? Use connectors to make your ideas fasy to follow by the reader. because, at first, as, while, after ST re D> Succesten ANSWER: [HELP MODEL HELP ] |PARAGRAPHS INFORMAL LETTER ‘GRAMMAR [informa —— Beal Sha ee | greeting | | STE [ExPlaning the | tm wring this Shor leter because I'm missing you | Various | reason tor the |ut tam len awiully busy preparing for my exene | seanectors fieter [Every moming | wake up a 7 o'clock and | have a |eresarbing te! cup of hot chocolate a breakfast so | can stud Waseca vice [situation in harder. usueny et with uring, then take a short | Modal vert | deta | break around 1130 0 ae In the afternoon 1 conti studying until 6 p.m, | | Sontinue studving P.m.| Conundial [Eizo [xtan te or awa cee tt ha | Sona [xeressing internet. The night nv dead tired! feelings nai | Could find you ontine more ote Write to] | ‘me about yourself! | Closing retin [sreetingniddle lings: hould ed by ‘me, ion, Prepare yourslf forthe BAC exam 7. PERSONAL NARRATIVE/ STORY ‘You have just passed through an unusual experience and the editor of your school magazine invited you to share it to the readers. Write a narrative of about 350 words. STEP 1. » Pay attention to the format of a narrative: * A catchy introduction to make the reader continue reading, which should set the scene (place, time, characters) of your story; * The strong point of a narrative is the message it conveys and the sequence of events that lead the reader to the intended message; + Aconclusion written in an unexpected way, in order to remain vivid in the reader's mind; * The tenses normally used are PAST tenses (Past Simple and Continuous, Past Perfect, Future in the Past); + Semi-formal register; + There are different techniques for beginning and ending a story: - a description of the scene from a perceptive standpoint using direct speech = asking a rhetorical question - creating mystery or suspense = referring to feelings or moods - addressing the reader directly ~ a description of people's reactions STEP 2: » Identify the keywords and what you are expected to write: * unusual experience = vocabulary related to surprise, shook, fear; * share an experience = you must always keep the reader in your mind and write for them; STEP 3: » Use connectors to make your story easy to follow, especially to clarify the sequence of events: before, after, then, in the meantime, while, when, suddenly, » Use a variety of adjectives and adverbs to create an interesting atmosphere and keep the reader's attention alive; © Check: » Before starting to write, decide on the precise sequence of events to be outlined. » Use vocabulary related fo the task keywords: ie. feelings, unusual experiéncePrepare yourselt forthe BAC exam > SuccesreD answer: HELP. MODEL HELP PARAGRAPHS PERSONAL NARRATIVE/ STORY GRAMMAR Tile Life can be full of surprises! Catching the |! have never considered myself @ strong guy, ready reader's to fight to defend my principles, but what happened ‘attention and | last week at the local Post Office definitely changed setting the | my opinion about myself. Scene of the it was around lunch time, on a sunny day and | was story ‘queuing to the cashier counter to collect my monthly allowance. | wasn't paying to much attention to what was happening around me because | was. making plans on how to spend the money. ‘Suddenly, my attention was caught by the slowly eaaenecs of moving hand of a young man sh seemed to erie gthe | Waiting in the queue just like me. His hand had a Simosphere {ery strange trajectory, towards no apparent point of| eS interest. Or al least this s what | thought, because | 146 he interesting destination was he schoolbag of a |Vatious 8-year old girl whose mobile phone could be seen | Mees through one of the openings, | just couldn't believe my eyes! But he indeed picked the phone delicately with two fingers, pulled it out without anyone noticing anything and put it into his ‘own pocket. It was just too much for me. When | saw him ready to leave, | jumped at him shouting to give the mobile phone back to the litle gil. Everybody else started to yell at him too, hands stretched to. ‘grab him, when unexpectedly, the litle girl stopped Us all She explained that the young man was her elder brother and that he couldn't have tried to steal it from her. But the young man smiled and said that he was. actually trying to teach her a lesson, because it had ‘happened to her so many times before to have her things stolen, ‘Needless to say that | was feeling both embarrassed ‘and furious while listening to their story. But everything changed when the young man started to, shake my hand, thanking me for my behaviour. ‘An unexpected jendng |The end? 1 found some wonderful friends and | started to feel more confident and proud about ‘myself. After all, ! had the chance to prove that | am Not just “anybody” and I didn't miss it!EP RAMMAR | Prepare yourself forthe BAC exam DOs & DON'Ts DOs: * Use as much thematic vor your English is rich, * Do research on the topic either by readin t's normal to have problems in finding cabulary 8s possible. You will convince the assessor that Wg Some articles or by browsing the internet. Your words for almost any topic, but there is Plenty of information around and you are expected to use it * (Ge Natious grammatical constructions. You will convince that your English is complex. + se draft by all means! You wil be able to organise your ideas/ paragraphs better and avoid a lot of mistakes, * Use the required number words — Not waste your time, you will stick * Double-check the spelling of the not adding or lacking more than 5 words. You will {0 the point and you will not get penalized, Words you used, DON'Ts: * Pont use words and grammatical structures that You are not sure off It is better to have a simpler language than an inaccurate one * Don't mix up registers! if you started in one * Don't us street way, stick to it) S@ colloquial language! This is an examination, not a Conversation in the * Don't count your words one by one because neit waste time. itis enough to count the numbe multiply it to the number of full ines written her will the assessor — you witl Of words you write on one fullline andPropare yourself for the BAC exam Chapter 2 - HOW TO READ EFFECTIVELY CRITERIA OF EVALUATION The reading paper consists of two parts: one text followed by five multiple choice questions for the A1-A2 level, and a second text followed by ten multiple choice questions for the B1-B2 level. Candidates are required to solve both the first and the second task. {in real life, people read in different ways according to the purpose they have. If they want ‘o know the price of a car, they will surely scan the classified ads in the newspaper. If they have just received an e-mail from their best friend, they will probably skim it to see what itis about, These two reading strategies, scanning and skimming, are very important in real life situations and they will be come in handy during the examination, Scanning is reading quickly to find specific information. Your focus here is to find a certain detail. ‘Skimming is reading quickly through a text to understand the main ideas and get an overview. Your focus here is to get the main idea of the text. To perform the examination tasks successfully, you have to use both scanning and skimming Below you can read the marking scheme for this part of the test, used for the Baccalaureate exam: Subiectul | 40 de puncte (6 raspunsuri x 8 puncte) Subiectul al I-lea ___60 de puncte (10 raspunsuri x 6 puncte) Nivelul de competent se va acorda in functie de punctajul obtinut, dupa cum urmeazé: At: 11- 30 puncte A2: 31- 60 puncte B1: 61- 80 puncte 2: 81-100 puncte 4Prepare yourself forthe BAG exam ELY TASKS AND SUGGESTED ANSWERS A. SUBIECT TIP 1 (NIVEL A1 ~A2) + Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B)? If there is iple choice | Bot enough information to answer ‘Right’ (A) or Wrong’ (B), choose ‘Doesn't say’ caren’ | {C). Write your answers on your exam sheet, econd task z = F 2 8 = a g a a a g ety want Westminster. The present building was designed by Chere’, Phipps and was pce wel p seyatucted in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohim Tree, who eciobehed yes Pee what | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art atthe theatre. Inthe early decsdos me tose contury, inreal lta | Si Neale hosted premiéres by major playwrights such as George Bemard Shaw J hy = {ofind a | inhosting musicals. The theatre has been home to record-setting musical theatre runs, Ind get an | {Ho¥c! Webber's The Phantom of the Opere, which has played continuously at Her Majesty's since 1986. {re name of the theatre changes with the gender of the monarch. It first became the ming and | King’s Theatre in 1714 on the accession of George |. Most recently, the theatre was Known as His Majesty's Theatre from 1901 to 1952, and it became Her Majesty's on the d for the | accession of Elizabeth Il (Wikipedia) 1. Her Majesty's Theatre is located in the City of Westminster A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say 2. Itwas constructed in 1850. A. Right B. Wrong ©. Doesn't say 3. Herbert Beerbohm Tree produced spectacular productions, such as Romeo and let. inci A. Right B. Wrong ©. Doesn't say | Waite Phantom of the Opera has played coninuously at Her Majesty's theatre since World War | A. Right 8. Wrong C. Doesn't say Pa cum | 5. The thealre became Her Majesty's theatre on the accession of Elizabeth i A Right B. Wrong . Doesn't say tips * The questions always follow the order of the text. * Skim the text frst. Try to get an idea of what the text is about. * giRere are words you don't know, try to deduce their meaning from the context It 's not important to understand every word or phrase. * fond he five statements carefully and underiine the keywords, Keep in mind that {he information in the sentences is worded differently than the infornation the ext, so look for sentences with the same meaning, not with the same words 192030 YOU Tor the BAC exam * Sean the toxt and mark the part wh Read this part of the text carefully * Your knowledge of the subject is * Double-check your ord el find the answer for each sentence, 4.17 and choose the correct answer fot important. Stick to the texi! 2M answers before you write them on the exam sheet 38 7 “Are you ready? Let's check your answers, q ‘ SD Answers: A CHer Majestys Theatres a West End theatre, located inthe Haymarket, inthe City Westminster) 2.B ("The present building was Mesigned by Charles J, Phipps and was Constructed in ) > 3.0 ( The text doesn't give us any information) 48 (‘Andrew Lioyd Webber's The AN 1B§ 1 nantom ofthe Opera, which has Played continuously v St Her Majesty's since 1986") 2 5. A(‘Most recent ;: ‘a 380 " right (A) or Wrong’ (8)? H there is aac Not enough informatio, (A) or Wrong’ (B), choose ‘Doesn't say’ a (C), Write your answers = Many people automati war ¢ {stant destinations winen they think off = © Vacations. Is it true th way place in ord vacation? While trave When planning a mini will be different for ev circumstances. A shor enjoyable, such as a dinner oF going to dinn Needed break in your you have been so bu: 1. Read ou thin You the most enjoyment. This | ¥ 1p tat even cies for ome pe depending on the rue t0 a place you've never taker the time to visit can be quite trp to the neighborhood zoo cy rseum. Taking yourself out to seh 8 friend doesn't take much time, butitcan provide a much. daily routine, ‘sy that you haven't just doing everything had time to devote tPropare yourself for the BAC exam ach sentence, 4. Travelling to distant places is the only way of relaxing, A Right B. Wrong ©. Doesn't say 2. Mini-vacations can relieve stress, : A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say 3. Elaborate vacation plans can create comfort A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say 4. The writer suggests a trip to the local 00. A. Right B, Wrong C. Doesn't say H inthe City Fs |n order to relax you must go to the cinema with @ friend, A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say instructed in % Answers: 1-8 Cis it true that it has to be a far away place In order to make for a wonderful ontinuously vacation? While traveling can certainly provide an enjoyable vacation, there are also ways taking itte “mini-vacations" to relieve stress} 01 to 1952, 2.A (While traveling can certainly provide an enjoyable v acation, there are also ways ‘aking litle “mini-vacations* to relieve stress. ") 5-8 (infact, sometimes elaborate vacation plans can cause more stress than they help relax.") Bee'e fe MEA cA srt ti wr place ouve never taken the time to visit can be quite enjoyable, pent say Such as a trp to the neighborhood z00 or museum.) yy think of | ®:C (the text doesn't give us any information) wonderful Fare also Weealion |B, SUBIECTE DE TIP 2 (nivel B1 ~ 82) yO Be" BPA Resd the toxt below For ‘questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which ent, This | YOU think best fits the text: Write your answers on your exam check gon the | Amost a quarter of children are overweight or obese the me they start primary school, be quite | ene snore than a third are by the time they leave, new NHS (National fein Service) M Out to | Nan a afental ‘Oday. The data, based on measuring the height and weight ot mor) ro ee ailion pupils in England, undertines the extent and continued grown ogres canton 2% of four and five-year-olds are classed as obese when they sero, fating, | "2¢ebtion class, according tothe inieee ones figures from the National Child 9 | Measurement Programme (NCMP). Butby the time they reach, 10 to 14 and are in year Mriyect | 8:thel final year, that has ainost gouty 7%, Says a report today trom the NHS Garey | formation Conte, which gives the NCMP Sater io see Fr” Ancet one vir csp eat a sar ‘overweight or obese - 23.1% - while among com) | Year Gldren, the fgure is 33.4% « more than a thd. Both figures are only slightly up ne ne iten the equivalent figures were 22.8% and 32.6% but they uve aoe by neath inner of young children with weight problems, The figures contiadier einsara Any hope that Whitehall may have had for a quick fi te e,cPidemic has been shattered by today's figures," said To Fry, chairman of the Child okesman for the National Obesity Forum, which represents doctor nurses and dieticians involved in obesity “The fact that obesity doubles during the that the Department of Education must primary school years from reception year shows rethink ts recent proposals on school dinners and Physical activity Some experts fear that the true because some of the 9% of child their parents did not want their of Prevalence of childhood obesity may be even worse fan who did not take part were not measured because ffspring's serious obesity to be identified, Programmes for children Showed yet again that there is a “childhood obselt Extremely conceming that childhood obesity is on the {oreverse this worrying trend," said Sacher. "With new Sr abese in the UK, mora needs to be done to protect {and avoid the short and long-term fir time. We hope that these figures will living programmes as a solution to the Dr Helen Walters of the UK fa increases “indicate that we are will take decades to sort out ar ‘across the UK, said the new data 'y crisis" which is worsening. “It is increase and action must be taken ly one in three children overweight 4 the health of our nation’s children incial burden of child obesity on NHS at this o urge the gover 1 crisis,” Gilly of Public Health said that the small year-on year fralting the rise (in childhood obesity). But the silacten ind, as it stands, the picture remains bleak. (wen: guardian.co.uk) 1. The new NHS report reveals that &. a milion pupils in England are overweight B. more than a third of children leavin, C. a quarter of children leaving primar y School are overweight or obese. D. a third of the children Starting primary school are overweight or obese. 2. The bolded verb to tackle in the first Paragraph suggests that A. the government should ignore the problem. 8. the government should not take in further action C. the government should try to deal with the problem. D. the government should call health experts. 22