2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR

FALL SEMESTER
ENGL 181/191 SAMPLE MID-TERM EXAM

SECTION I: READING (Total 30 pts.)

Task A: Questions 1 – 5 (1.5 pts. each)

Read Text 1 and choose the appropriate heading (b-h) for each paragraph. The first
one has been done as an example. There are two extra headings.
You should spend no more than 15 minutes on Task A.

List of Headings

a. Outdoor activities despite the cold weather

b. Oymyakon as the coldest village on Earth
c. Old fashioned methods within the household
d. Positive attitude despite heavy working conditions
e. A very cold village whose residents are very poor
f. Enjoying other various weather conditions
g. Behind in technology yet self-sufficient
h. Maintaining a tradition that has existed for centuries

TEXT 1 Frozen in Time

0 e.g. a

The temperature is below minus 30 as the children skip through the icy snow without their
hats. Their fathers and older brothers who are working outside – chopping ice, splitting wood
and carrying cubes of frozen milk home to their families – have stripped off their warm outer
layers. “Oh, it’s very warm,” says Lyudmila Repina, a teacher, as she begins a Russian class
for 10-year-olds. “We think minus 40 at this time of year is good, but minus 30 is amazing.
Today, the children will be playing outside during break time.”

If you thought it was cold where you are at the moment, then a visit to the Russian village of
Oymyakon might just change your mind. Oymyakon, in far north-eastern Siberia, is one of
the coldest places on earth where winter temperatures can fall into -60°C. The village is
located around 750 metres above sea level, which is what makes it so cold. The length of a
day varies from 3 hours in December to 21 hours in the summer. The extreme cold makes it
difficult to grow anything, so the residents subsist mostly on meat: reindeer, horse, and Arctic
fish.

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For thousands of years, the area was an empty wasteland, home only to small communities
of nomads who depended on reindeer herds for their living. Today, it is one of Russia’s richest
regions, with some of the world’s largest gold and diamond deposits being mined in the world.
Even so, like their ancestors, their ancient passion for hunting and fishing is undimmed; locals
still hunt and fish to bring food to the family table.

Despite the severity of the winter, people say they love the climate and look forward to the
winter. Valentin, a local, says “The cold keeps you healthy and kills bacteria. People here are
very special. It’s probably because the conditions are so difficult; it forces us to work together.
Life here might seem difficult to you, but we have clean air, clean food, mushrooms and
berries. I could live in Moscow, but here is where I want to be. It’s the land of hunting and
fishing. We are happy.” During the short but hot summer, people work from daybreak until
sunset in the fields. “The summer is very hard work,” says Marianna, a 35-year-old teacher
at the school. “We have three cows and we have to cut grass for them all day, to feed them
through the long winter.”

There are few modern conveniences in the village. With a population of over 500, Oymyakon
has a small hospital, and a school which closes only if temperatures drop below -52°C. Also,
there is a single shop selling sweets and biscuits which are brought in from other countries.
Municipal buildings are heated by huge insulated pipes that snake across the snowy
landscape. Many villagers have computers and, although mobile phones don’t work here,
they have direct telephone lines. Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception, the
phones themselves would not work in such cold conditions.

What about their houses and everyday facilities? They use wood rather than stone to build
houses as it is more flexible and lighter. Because of the sub-zero temperatures there is no
plumbing required for water supply, so many houses still have outdoor toilets with a small
hole in the floor, usually some distance from the house. Water for cooking is kept outside in
blocks of ice that are brought into the warm house to be melted before use. Fish and meat
are kept in a storage room under the house which can be reached from inside the kitchen.

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Task B: Questions 6 – 10 (1.5 pts. each)
Read Text 1 and choose the correct answer.
You should spend no more than 10 minutes on Task B.

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

6. Due to harsh weather conditions, children cannot have pets to play with.
a) Yes b) No c) Not Mentioned

7. Agriculture is a source of employment and income for most people.

a) Yes b) No c) Not Mentioned

8. Even though it’s an undeveloped village, locals still receive health services.
a) Yes b) No c) Not Mentioned

9. Since it’s extremely cold, it is uncommon to have a toilet outside of the house.

a) Yes b) No c) Not Mentioned

10. The discovery of diamond and gold changed the way of living in the region significantly.

a) Yes b) No c) Not Mentioned

Task C: Questions 11 – 20 (1.5 pt. each)

Read Text 2 and choose the correct answer.
You should spend no more than 25 minutes on Task C.

TEXT 2 In a Class of Their Own

1 It's the first day of school for the 500 students of the Ramanujan Mathematical
Academy in Patna which is one of India's poorest states in eastern India. Nowhere has such
success stories that fuel ambition and aspiration more in today's India than in this classroom
at the academy. The students are so keen to learn that they will put up with overcrowding,
even standing for hours in the horribly high temperatures, just to hear their lectures and get
a chance to study. This is because they want to get to the elite Indian Institute of Technology,
a network of seven universities known collectively as IITs.

2 Over the years, the IITs have not just been centers for world class scientific education
and research. They have also created the leaders, the change-makers, and the creative
sparks who have driven India’s development over the last sixty years. In terms of technology,
the IITs are shaping not only India but the world, so it is no wonder that students are so keen
to graduate from them. Some of the most successful graduates who achieved to have
reputable positions include Krishan Kant, former Vice-President of India, Pulickel Ajayan, a

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pioneering scientist in the field of carbon nanotubes, and Sabeer Bhatia, the co-founder of
Hotmail.

3 To achieve this level of fame and success, or just a very good degree from an IIT,
students must first go to a small educational academy like the Ramanujan Academy. Every
student in the class dreams of getting into an IIT, even though only 40 out of 200,000
applicants a year are successful in entering this prestigious world of learning. The
Ramanujan students are eager to impress the teacher – when the teacher asks a question,
a hundred hands shoot up into the air. The Ramanujan Academy accepts 30 low-income
students every year. To gain entrance, students must pass an exam that is, arguably, more
difficult than the entrance exam for the IITs. But once they have been admitted, they are
almost guaranteed a spot at one of the IITs. Most of the students are from extremely poor
villages in the district and they know that only 30 of them will be selected by the academy for
special intensive coaching. The so-called ‘Super 30’ also pay no fees and are given basic
accommodation; therefore competition is fierce.

4 Once they have managed to complete the course at the academy, students have to
take two three-hour exams and be in the top two percent to gain a place at an IIT. If they fail,
they simply have to try again. To get the high grades required, many students study for up to
sixteen hours a day, and even that does not guarantee that they will get into the exact
university course they want. With a year to go before his IIT entrance exams, Nishant Nayan,
a farmer's son, rises at 5am and studies on his own, by the light of a kerosene lamp, for 13
hours a day, seven days a week. He breaks only for lessons and meals. He says he does
not care what becomes of his peers. "We had a tough life growing up. I have to give my family
a better life and only by beating the other students will I get it," says Nayan. This is what
determination looks like in a one-shot society.

5 The parents of many of the students are uneducated farmers who do not always
comprehend and make sense of what their children want to be or do. However, this does not
stop the students from having high ambitions. For example, Krishna Rai, aged 19, wants to
do aerospace engineering and one day travel and work in space. He believes that technology
will transform the world and allow people to live on other planets in the future. He feels this
is vital as the Earth is becoming overcrowded. His father, Gopal Rai, would prefer him to get
a good job in India and buy some land in his home village.

6 All the students attending the academy have an unshakable optimism that they will
succeed, and they firmly believe that studying technology will enable them to live a more
comfortable and easier life than their parents have done. It is vital that they get the IIT place
they dream of because failure for them is not an option. Almost two-thirds of India's 1 billion
people are under 25, and for the vast majority, nothing in life can be taken for granted. For
teenagers the race to the top is fueled by their desperation to escape poverty.

Questions 11 – 20

11. It is important to enter the Indian Institute of Technology because graduates are…
a) provided with professions in famous companies by IIT.
b) able to find respectable jobs upon graduation.
c) superbly influential around world in all areas.
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12. The competition between students in the Ramanujan Academy is hard because…
a) only half of the students will be selected.
b) successful students will pay less tuition.
c) the best students will have exceptional guidance.

13. ‘pioneering’ in paragraph 2 means...

a) successful and hardworking.
b) open to new and innovative work.
c) highly motivated and diligent.

14. ‘that’ in paragraph 4 refers to...

a) having to take two-three hour exams.
b) getting the high grades required.
c) studying up to sixteen hours a day.

15. Most Indian parents...

a) support their children throughout their education.
b) force their children to become farmers in the future.
c) find it hard to understand their children’s ambitions.

16. Krishna Rai believes that in the future …

a) technology will affect the world in a limited way.
b) he will fulfil most of his father’s wishes.
c) existence on other planets will be likely.

17. What is the main idea of paragraph 5?

a) It is highly prestigious to work in good jobs and own lands in India.
b) There is a huge difference between children’s and their parents’ future intentions.
c) Farmers in India give more importance to working than going to school.

18. ‘unshakable’ in paragraph 6 means...

a) determined.
b) questionable.
c) possible.

19. Which of the following ideas would the writer of this text agree with?
a) Students in poorer countries are often more motivated to study than those in developed countries.
b) Education is one of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty.
c) Being from a poor family can often stop young people from chasing their dreams.

20. Which of the following is the main idea of the whole text?
a) Indian teenagers are working hard at the Ramanujan Academy for a better future.
b) The Ramanujan Academy is promising a better future for almost all Indian teenagers.
c) India is moving towards a brighter future with the help of educational academies.

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SECTION II: VOCABULARY (Total 5 pts.)

Task D: Questions 21 – 25 (0.5 pt. each)

Fill-in the gaps using each word once. There are two extra words.
You should spend no more than 5 minutes on Task D.

a) harm b) objections c) tend to d) reluctant

e) functional f) delicate g) outcome

21. Janet was _____ to hire any new employees because she was worried about the budget.

22. The scientists were surprised by the _____ of the study; it was not at all what they had
expected.

23. The students _____ arrive early and leave late because they have so many questions
for the professor.

24. If you do not have any _____ to the design, I am going to hire a craftsman to build it.

25. I bought the table because it was _____, not because it looked great.

Task E: Questions 26 – 30 (0.5 pt. each)

Choose the best word in each sentence.
You should spend no more than 5 minutes on Task E.

26. It is easy to get _____ when your ideas are not taken seriously.
a) modest b) frustrated c) introverted

27. There was a _____ in the design and the colours did not match.
a) flaw b) tradition c) piece

28. I get excited when I find a piece of artwork that I really _____.
a) value b) imitate c) confirm

29. Technology is _____ changing and advancing.

a) similarly b) constantly c) equally

30. Marta is a talented artist. Her brother, _____ isn’t creative at all.
a) in spite of b) in the same way c) on the contrary

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ENGL 181/191 2021-22/FALL /SAMPLE MID-TERM EXAM – ANSWER KEY
READING:
Task A – Matching Headings
1. b
2. h
3. d
4. g
5. c

Task B – Identifying Information

6. c (para. 0)
7. b (para. 1)
8. a (para. 3)
9. b (para. 4)
10. c (para 0)

Task C – Multiple Choice

11. b (para. 2)
12. c (para. 3)
13. b (para. 2)
14. b (para 4)
15. c (para. 5)
16. c (para. 5)
17. b (para. 5)
18. a (para. 6)
19. b (whole text)
20. a (whole text)

Vocabulary _Gap-fill (Numbers refer to Unit)

21. d /reluctant (3)
22. g /outcome (1)
23. c /tend to (1)
24. b /objections (2)
25. e /functional (2)

Distractors: f) delicate (2), a) harm (2)

Task E– Vocabulary _Multiple choice (Numbers refer to Unit)

26. b /frustrated (1)
27. a /flaw (2)
28. a /value (2)
29. b /constantly (3)
30. c /on the contrary (3)

Distractors: introverted (1), modest (1), tradition (2), piece (2), imitate (2), confirm (1),
similarly (3), equally (3), in spite of (3), in the same way (3)
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