ORIENTATION COURSE FOR

VERSANT ENGLISH PLACEMENT

TEST

Session 2

1
A- Read Aloud

Instructions: Read the passage aloud smoothly and naturally in a clear voice.
You will be stopped after 30 seconds. This is not a speed reading test. You
may not be able to finish reading the entire passage, but that is okay. When
your time is up, you will automatically move on to the next item.

The bald eagle is a bird of prey belonging to the fish and sea eagle group. Bald

eagles are the only eagles that can only be found in North America. They are

not actually bald. They were named bald eagles because of their white head.

The word “bald” actually meant “white headed” many years ago. Bald eagles

are large birds. They can weigh up to fourteen pounds and have a wingspan

of 72 to 90 inches. They can live as long as 30 years. Bald eagles prefer to live

near large bodies of open water where they can easily locate fish.

2
B- Repeat

Instructions: Please repeat each sentence that you hear. Example: You hear:
"Leave town on the next train." You say: "Leave town on the next train."

C- Sentence Builds

Instructions: Please rearrange the word groups into a sentence. Example:

You hear: "was reading" ... "my mother" ... "her favorite magazine" You
say: "My mother was reading her favorite magazine.

1. was attacked - his shop - by some thieves.

2. cooking tonight - I don’t - feel like.

3. out - eat - let’s.

4. in the washing machine - my dress - fell apart.

5. while - quit - you are ahead.

6. turn the music - can you - up?

7. this - my favorite song - is.

8. in ten minutes - finishes - the download.

9. an article - am reading - I .

10. this program - before - you have downloaded.

3
D - Conversations

Instructions: You will hear a conversation between two people, followed by a

question. Give a short, simple answer to the question.
Example: You hear: Speaker 1: "Lucy, can you come to the office early tomorrow?"
Speaker 2: "Sure, what time?" Speaker 1: "7:30 would be great." Question: "What will
Lucy have to do tomorrow morning?" You say: "Go to the office early." or "She will go to
the office at 7:30."

E- Typing

Instructions: This section allows you to get used to the keyboard and also
measures your typing speed. You will have 60 seconds to type as much as you
can. Type quickly and accurately. Keep typing until your time finish. Your
work will be saved automatically.

4
F-Sentence Completion

Instructions: Please type one word that best fits the meaning of the sentence.
Type only one word. You will have 25 seconds for each sentence. Click "Next"
when you are finished.

1- I don’t think so. I ------------- with you.

2- He said it is ---------------- to solve the problem and I agree with him I
can’t find a solution.
3- She has the ---------------- to pass the exam.
4- My teacher says there has been a big --------------- in my English lately.
5- Be sure to contact him if you need advice. He’s a very --------------
person.

G - Dictation

Instructions: Please type each sentence exactly as you hear it. You will have
25 seconds for each sentence. Pay attention to spelling and punctuation. Click
"Next" when you are finished. After 25 seconds, your work will be saved
automatically.

5
H-Passage Reconstruction

Instructions: You will have 30 seconds to read a paragraph. After 30 seconds,

the paragraph will disappear from the screen. Then, you will have 90 seconds
to reconstruct the paragraph. Show that you understood the passage by
rewriting it in your own words. Your answer will be scored for clear and
accurate content, not word-for-word memorization. After 90 seconds, your
work will be saved automatically

Original Passage:

I like all fruits, but my favorite fruit is strawberry. Strawberry is a small

fruit. Its shape is different from other fruits. It has small spike like seeds
outside its body which makes it look more beautiful. I like all food that are
made with strawberry like ice creams, cakes, milkshakes, jams, salads etc.
They are packed with nutrients and are excellent source of vitamin C.
Strawberries have a sour taste but when processed are used as a flavoring
agent. They give sweetness to food items.

Original Passage:

Smoking cigarettes is a bad habit. Smoking leads to many deadly diseases.

People begin to smoke for the fun of it. They think that it’s easy to stop all of a
sudden. The truth is that it is very difficult to quit smoking. Some people get
addicted to smoking and needs to smoke cigarettes continuously. It is called
chain smoking. When we sit beside a smoker, we unknowingly breathe in
smoke. This is called passive smoking which is equally bad for our health.

6
I- Summary and Opinion

Instructions: Read the passage. Then, in the first box, write a short summary
of the author’s opinion in 25-50 words. In the second box, write your opinion
on the topic. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why? Try to use your
own ideas. You must write at least 50 words. You will have 18 minutes to read
the passage and write both the summary and opinion. Write both the
summary and the opinion before clicking ‘Next’. Write in complete sentences.
After 18 minutes, your work will be saved automatically.

The most important part of a teacher’s role is that they help in building
people’s characters. Certainly, a child’s upbringing is hugely influenced by
his/her parents, but a teacher also has a great role in the development of a
child’s personality.

As teachers are responsible for building people’s characters, the peace and
development of society also depends on them to a great extent. Any society
needs people who can guide the newer generation. A teacher’s perception of
various important subjects will build a person’s opinion. In this sense,
teachers act as guides for students.

Teachers assist children in discovering their talents and abilities. This

enables children to realize what things they like or dislike. Under the care of a
teacher, a child is more able to decide his/her career. A teacher doesn’t
always have to be an officially appointed professional in a school. A person
from a family, like parents, grandparents or even older siblings can also
become a great example of a teacher.