MODULE 2 Test Name: Mark: .

Written Comprehension (20 points)

A Web Page
1 Read the web page about a tourist site in Los Angeles, California. Then complete the sentences. (5 points)

Beaches | Home of the Stars Tour | Off the Beaten Track

Discover Los Angeles Movie Studio Tours | Museums

Watts Towers like the Eiffel Tower, and decorated them

Track
In south-central Los Angeles, about 25 km from Hollywood,
with colourful pieces of pottery, mirrors,
is the area known as Watts, where you can see the Watts
glass bottles and seashells. See
See photos
5 Towers. This landmark, which was created by one man, took
photos here
here

Movie Studio Tours | Museums

Safety Concerns
more than three decades to build and has survived
Despite lacking formal knowledge,
earthquakes, the city’s attempt to destroy it and violent riots.
30

Rodia was a construction genius. In

Building the Towers
Simon Rodia (1879-1965), who immigrated to the US from
10 Italy at age 15, built the towers by himself on property he
bought, beginning in 1921. Supporting himself with minor
construction jobs, Rodia spent most of his free time on his
creation. He drew no plans, had no architectural or
15 engineering training and used only simple, non-electric tools.
In 1955, Rodia completed his project, and for some unknown
reason, he gave his property to a neighbour and moved
away.
Special Features
20 Rodia’s extraordinary creation is the world’s largest structure
built by one person. Its 17 connected parts include three
towers rising to 30, 29.5 and 16.5 metres and several shorter
ones. Some people describe the towers as upside-down ice
cream cones. However, art historians believe that the towers
25 were inspired by the tall lilies constructed for the annual lily
festival that Rodia saw as a child in Italy. Using concrete,
steel and wire, Rodia built the structures in “openwork” style,
1959, the city of Los Angeles ordered
the destruction of the towers for safety
35
reasons, but some people paid for
a structural stress test to save them. A cable was attached
between the tallest tower and a lorry, which attempted to pull
down the tower. It held so firmly that the lorry rose off the
ground!
40
A Symbol of Strength
The towers were unharmed during riots in 1965, when
nearly 1,000 buildings in Watts were damaged or destroyed.
To the Watts residents, the towers became a symbol of
freedom and individual initiative. The city of Los Angeles
45
acquired the property on which the Watts Towers stand on
24th October 1975 and founded Watts Towers Art Center.
Fun Facts
Simon Rodia appears next to Bob Dylan on the album cover
of the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Read
Read more
more here
here

1. While working on the towers, Rodia did minor jobs to .

2. The Watts Towers are unique in the world because they .
3. The Eiffel Tower is mentioned on the web page because .
4. The structural stress test proved that the towers .
5. Simon Rodia and Bob Dylan are two of the people .

2 Answer the questions. (10 points)

1. Why is it incredible that the Watts Towers have survived?
2. What is surprising about the completion of the towers?
3. What is the connection between the towers and lilies?
4. Why are the Watts residents so proud of the towers?
5. What is ironic about the years 1959 and 1975?

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 MODULE 2: Test

3 Find words in the text to match the definitions below. (5 points)

1. a disturbance of the peace by a crowd (lines 2-6)
2. went to live somewhere else (lines 8-16)
3. not having (lines 30-38)
4. securely (lines 30-38)
5. received ownership of (lines 40-45)

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 MODULE 2: Test

Written Production (10 points)

Task 1: An Online Forum

Write comments for an online forum about mobile phones.
Include the following about your mobile phone:
a. its functions
b. what you like and don’t like about it, and why
c. why you would / wouldn’t recommend it to people your age

Task 2: A Report
Write a report about a building you have visited on a school trip
(such as a museum, cathedral or castle) or have seen on TV.
Include:
a. name and location
b. what it looks like, what people do there (and its history, if you
know it)
c. your opinion of the building

1
Oral Comprehension (10 points)
04

0
20
A Podcast
2

1 Listen to the podcast about a prestigious award and complete the notes. (5 points)
The MccArthur Fellowship
1. Informal name:
2. Year the award began:
3. Number of people proposed each year:
4. Number of annual winners:
5. Prize amount:

2 Listen again and correct one mistake in each sentence. (5 points)

1. How often is there a new discussion on Wow?
2. What kind of people does the foundation look for?
3. Why are people surprised to learn they’ve won?
4. How were the reactions of the winners similar?
5. What was the initial aim of the prize money?

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 MODULE 2: Test

Oral Production (10 points)

A Conversation
Look at the activities below. Ask your partner if he / she would like to do the activities. Tick (✓) the response and write
his / her reason.

Activity Partner’s response Reason

Yes No
Zumba – Friday 5-6 pm, Saturday 3-4 pm
Cinema film club – Saturday 7-10 pm
Computer game design – Friday 4-6 pm
Volunteer at animal shelter – Saturday 9 am-12 pm
Indian cooking – Friday 5-7.30 pm

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