FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES ECOLES

EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF SCHOOLS

EUROPÄISCHER SCHULVERBAND
FEDERAZIONE EUROPEA DELLE SCUOLE
FEDERACION EUROPEA DE CENTROS DOCENTES

Organisation Non Gouvernementale dotée du statut participatif auprès du Conseil de l’Europe

NGO enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe

LANGUE VIVANTE EUROPEENNE

ANGLAIS – ECRIT

Compréhension écrite
Connaissances lexicales et grammaticales
Rédaction d’un courrier

Les réponses doivent être reportées sur la fiche optique

Aucun dictionnaire n’est autorisé

Type d’épreuve : QCM et courrier

Durée : 60 minutes

Session : Octobre 2008

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008

UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet
 WRITTEN COMPREHENSION N°1

Coldplay’s strong sales buck industry trend

The band Coldplay and its label, Capitol, have plenty to be happy about. Their new album – “Viva la Vida or
Death and All His Friends” - sold 316,000 copies in the United States on June 17, its first day of release, and
is expected to reach No.1 with sales not only in the U.S but also in Europe. […]

Despite the steep drop in overall album sales in recent years, the opening-week numbers for “Viva la Vida”
are roughly equivalent to those of Coldplay’s last album. […]

The success of “Viva la Vida” affirms Coldplay’s stature as a superstar act and underlines the importance of
non-traditional marketing. For instance, the band made its song “Violet Hill” available as a free download
for a week; organized free concerts in New York City, London and Barcelona. The band has also featured in
a prominent television commercial for iTunes.

“You have to try and be more creative these days to get people’s attention”, said Dave Holmes, Coldplay’s
manager.

Radio has also played a big role in the album’s success. In an aggressive but unusual strategy, the band set
two singles to stations in advance of its release.

About a third of the sales for “Vida la Vida” were for digital downloads. […]

“Unit sales do not equal profitability”, Mr. Greenfield, a media analyst, said. “The weakness in the industry
has moderated a bit, and it appears that the strength of the release schedule is the primary driver of that”.

The New York Times, June 25, 2008

1. What does this article discuss?

a. A brand new band
b. A new approach to direct marketing
c. Downloading techniques
d. The failure of the music industry

2. What does « roughly » mean?

a. drastically
b. totally
c. approximately
d. gently

3. How strong is the industry?

a. Sales have been even over the years?
b. The market has fallen drastically?
c. Listeners are waiting for free events?
d. Unit sales are the foundation of the market?

4. What does « prominent » mean?

a. new
b. unpopular
c. major
d. permanent

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008 2/7
UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet
 WRITTEN COMPREHENSION N°2

Sarkozy to ban ads on state TV

President Nicolas Sarkozy was accused last week of lining the pockets of his media tycoon friends and
exerting a tight grip on the airwaves, after he announced a plan to ban advertising from French public
television and revolutionised state TV along BBC lines.

Sarkozy […] announced that adverts should be eliminated from the five state TV stations in the name of a
“cultural revolution in public service television”. He said that banning adverts would boost state
programming’s quality as part of his promised new renaissance of French civilisation. […]

Scrapping adverts from state TV would mean €800m ($1.2bn) in advertising revenue immediately
transferring to private stations. The government plans to tax those private stations to fund the state television.
Critics were quick to compare the president with Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
wielded formidable control over the media while in office. The Socialist party said that the beneficiaries of
the advertising shift would be Sarkozy’s media tycoon friends. Within minutes of Sarkozy’s announcement,
shares in France’s biggest private TV station, TF1, soared. It is owned by a close friend of Sarkozy, Martin
Bouygues. […]

The Guardian, Weekly, January 18th, 2008

5. What is the plan to ban advertising aiming at?

a. Reducing the government budget
b. Soaring state programs’ quality
c. Taxing state TV
d. Ending public TV

6. What does “tycoon” mean?

a. snake
b. hostile
c. important businessman
d. opponent

7. What did Sarkozy’s announcement trigger?

a. a public demonstration
b. an increase in some private TV station shares
c. an increase in public TV station shares
d. the dismissal of Martin Bouygues

8. Who will take advantage of the advertising shift?

a. Sarkozy’s political party
b. Public TV stations
c. The Socialist party
d. Private TV stations

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008 3/7
UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet
 CONNAISSANCES LEXICALES ET GRAMMATICALES

9. Their analysis has never been _____________ satisfying.

a. globally
b. totally
c. generally
d. entire

10. He is one of the only people who will automatically ____________ a smile from kids to adults:
Santa Klaus.
a. break
b. paste
c. elicit
d. bring

11. Tickets will not be _________________ for cash or credit at any time.
a. redeemable
b. paying
c. reimburse
d. refounded

12. The organizers of the trip reminded participants to ______ at the steps of the city hall at 10:00
a.m.
a. see
b. combine
c. meet
d. go

13. Staff members are reminded that professional _________ is a daily requirement of the
company.
a. attire
b. ambivalence
c. assembly
d. approach

14. Cooks must remember that some raw foods are very ________ and should be refrigerated or
chilled until ready to be eaten or cooked.
a. peripheral
b. perishable
c. periodic
d. permanent

15. Proposed changes that are not __________ with existing safety regulations will not be
considered.
a. dependent
b. compliant
c. relating
d. supportive

16. I heard that the last day of ___________________for the yoga class is tomorrow.
a. registering
b. registration
c. register
d. be registering

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008 4/7
UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet
 17. The Dean of Faculty works with the Ministry of Education to _______________ that the
programs of the university are meeting the needs of the institution.
a. ensure
b. define
c. accept
d. imply

18. We check all our products _________________ to make sure they are absolutely no defects in
any of them.
a. thoroughly
b. thoughtfully
c. trustfully
d. truly

19. Mr Abrams resigned last month from his position as ______ executive of the company.
a. chef
b. front
c. chief
d. fine

20. Two assistants will be required to _________ reporters’ names when they arrive at the press
conference.
a. remark
b. check
c. notify
d. ensure

21. This year, there is more to___________: new legislation to reduce global pollution by
companies.
a. be come
b. be coming
c. have come
d. come

22. _____________ he has never sold many albums, he has been quite famous over the decades.
a. inspite
b. although
c. despite
d. but

23. So far, they __________ immense work into the production and success of the company’s sales.
a. putted
b. have put
c. has put
d. put

24. The state board of education has changed teaching standards to acknowledge the shortcomings
of evolution that are recognized by _____ scientists.
a. fewer
b. less
c. few
d. little

25. You ________ register early if you would like to attend next Tuesday’s seminar on project
management.
a. had
b. need
c. should
d. has to

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008 5/7
UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet
 26. The recent worldwide increase in oil prices has led to a _________demand for electric cars.
a. greater
b. greatest
c. greatly
d. greatness

27. As we discussed on the telephone, you ________ twice a month by our company.
a. will pay
b. have paid
c. will be paid
d. has been paid

28. I promise you have nothing to apologize ______.

a. about
b. for
c. in
d. to

29. This report is so long that I ______________.

a. haven’t finished it yet
b. haven’t finished it already
c. still hadn’t finished it
d. still haven’t finished it already

30. When changing jobs, it is important to consider __________ salary and benefits.
a. both
b. either
c. yet
d. or

31. Please ask the audience ______________ during the ceremony.

a. don’t applaud
b. not to applaud
c. not applauding
d. don’t to applaud

32. He has not visited his family _________ he came back from his business trip.
a. while
b. since
c. for
d. during

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008 6/7
UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet
 REDACTION DE COURRIER (/24 POINTS)

You are Carmen Mierra, assistant to Mr Silvio Marquez, financial director of Suarez Drilling
Corporation in Argentina (2532 Delta Avenue, Buenos Aires).
Mr Marquez asks you to write a letter on his behalf to Mrs Amy Dihoff, who works as an auditor at
Antioch Auditors in Canada (1027 Lancaster Avenue, Toronto, Ontario).
Mrs Dihoff will come and conduct an audit of the company in January 2009.

Instructions:

• Welcome Mrs Dihoff to the headquarters for the year-end auditing procedures.

• Confirm the pieces of information concerning her visit:

- flight number
- pick-up day and time at the airport
- Carmen will drive her to the office

• Explain that a personal office with a computer terminal will be at her disposal during her stay.

• Tell her that you booked a hotel room in the downtown area which serves breakfast and dinner.

• Ask her to call Carmen if she needs specific requirements.

• Enclose information about the hotel.

This letter must be written in well structured English (about 150 words).

© Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles – European Federation of Schools – Octobre 2008 7/7
UC B1/B2/B3 ANG Ecrit – Sujet