Ain Zaouia Secondary School February 21st, 2021

First Year Scientific Stream Duration: 2 hours

FIRST TERM ENGLISH EXAMINATION

Part One: Reading. (15Points)

A/ Comprehension. (08Pts)

Read the text carefully to do the activities below.

We live in a time and age where information is just a button press away. We are influenced by
information all around us. We want to know, read, understand and then speak our minds about it. That is
where social media come into play. Social media are one of the biggest elements that we live with and
cannot ignore.

Social media are collection of websites, applications and other platforms that enable us to share or
create content and also help us to participate in social networking. They are not limited to blogging and
sharing pictures, but there are a lot of strong tools also that social media provide.

Today, social media is a topic of controversy. Some people feel they are a benefit while others feel that
they are a curse. Most people feel that social media have destroyed human interaction with a rapid rate
and have modified modern human relationships. However, there are others who feel that they are a
blessing that have connected us to every part of the world. It is an unarguable fact the presence of social
media has made our lives convenient, easier and much faster.

Adapted from: https://www.indiacelebrating.com

1. Are the following statements true or false? Write T or F next to the letter corresponding to the
statement.

a. One click provides any information we want.

b. Social media are used neither to blog nor to send pictures.
c. The majority of people feel that social media are a benefit.

2. In which paragraph is it mentioned that ‘social media have both positive and negative consequences’?

3. Answer the following questions according to the text.

a. What are social media?
b. Are social media used only to share pictures? Justify your answer.
c. List the negative aspects of social media mentioned in the text above.

4. Give a title to the text.

B/ Text Exploration. (07Pts)

1. Find in the text words or phrases that are opposite in meaning to the following. (≠)
a. know (§1) - b. weak (§2) - c. disadvantage (§3)

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2. Complete the following chart as shown in the example.

Verbs Nouns Adjectives

Example To live life alive
…………… information ……………..
To create …………………. ………………
…………….. ………………… modified

3. Combine each pair of sentences using the connectors given between brackets. Make changes where
necessary.

a. Social media have made our lives convenient. Social media have made our lives easier. (both ... and..)
b. My father doesn’t have a smartphone. My father doesn’t have a personal computer. (neither.. nor..)

4. Reorder the following sentences to get a coherent passage.

a. They look for interesting websites and chat with people all over the world.
b. that they are internet addicts.
c. A lot of people enjoy surfing on the net.
d. However, most of them spend so many hours on line

Part Two: Written Expression. (05 points)

Choose ONE of the following topics.

Topic One:

Internet and social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Viber have made the world like a small
village and they become the key element in our life. However, they are sometimes very dangerous if people
don’t know how to use them. Write a composition of about 80 to 100 words in which you discuss the
benefits and disadvantages of using the internet and social media.

Make the best use of these notes:

 The benefits:
- Connect with family and friends.
- People use them as means of entertainment (play games, watch videos, listen to music…).
-Help students in their studies and researches.

 The disadvantages:
-they are waste of time and money.
-Pupils may lose their works and studies.
-they affect people’s health badly.

Topic Two:
Your pen friend has sent you an email in which he describes his daily activities and informs you about
his family and his town. Now, it is your turn to write a reply to this friend.

‘When you believe in yourself, you need no other to believe in you.’

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