REPUBLIQUE TUNISIENNE LYCEE SECONDAIRE MAKNESSY

MINISTERE DE L’EDUCATION ET DE LA PROFESSEURE: Asma KHADRAOUI

FORMATION
DEVOIR DE SYNTHESE No2– Bac EPREUVE: ANGLAIS
2023
Note: ---------/ 30 SECTION: INFO
DUREE: 2 HEURES NOM: --------------------------------------- Number: ---------

THE TEXT

1. Brain drain is a phenomenon where highly skilled and educated individuals leave their home country to
seek better job opportunities, higher wages, and better living standards in another country. This trend
has become a major issue in many developing countries, including those in Africa, Asia, and the Middle
East.

2. The effects of brain drain can be devastating for the economies of developing countries. When highly
skilled professionals, such as doctors, engineers, and scientists, leave their home country, it leads to a
shortage of skilled workers, making it difficult for the country to achieve sustainable economic growth.
The country loses not only its highly trained workforce but also the resources invested in their education
and training.

3. Moreover, the impact of brain drain extends beyond the economic sphere. It also has a social and
cultural impact. As highly educated individuals leave, the country loses potential leaders who could
have contributed to the development of their home country. Additionally, it can create a sense of loss
and frustration among the remaining population, who feel that their country is unable to provide them
with the opportunities and quality of life they desire.

4. Even though little has been said about the implications of the brain drain in Africa, it is believed to be
one of the biggest issues to the African nations. It has cost the African continent over $ 4 billion in the
employment of 150.000 expatriate professionals annually. Ethiopia for instance has lost 75% of its
skilled work force between 1980 and 1991, which harms the ability of such nations to get out of
poverty.

5. Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia are believed to be the most affected. In the case of Ethiopia, the country
produced many excellent doctors but there are more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than there are in
Ethiopia. Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, said in his 1998 “African Renaissance” speech: “I
dream of the day when these intellectuals will return to add to the African pool of brain power, to
enquire into and find solutions to Africa’s problems, to open the African door to the world of
knowledge, to elevate Africa’s place within the universe of research, new knowledge, education and
information.”

Adapted from the Internet

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READING COMPREHENSION (12 marks) Score

1. Tick (√) the right alternative (1 mark)

Choose the most appropriate title for the text:
- The Brain Drain Phenomenon: Causes and Consequences. 
- The Healthcare Crisis Caused by Brain Drain 
- Brain Drain in Developing Countries: Challenges and Solutions. 

2. Focus on paragraph 1 and complete the following table (2 marks)

Debated issue Causes (mention only 1) Affected Countries
Brain Drain -....................................................... -....................................................

3. For each of the following statements pick out one detail showing that it is FALSE: (2 marks)
b. The effects of brain drain are only limited to the economic sphere. (parag 3)
..............................................................................................................................................................
c. Reverse brain drain has no potential benefits to the African nations. (parag 5)
..............................................................................................................................................................
4. Answer the following questions with details from the text: (2 marks)
How does brain drain impact the economies of developing countries? (parag 2)
- .............................................................................................................................................................

How has the loss of skilled workers impacted Ethiopia. (parag 4)

- ............................................................................................................................................................
5. Find in the text words or expressions meaning nearly the same as (2 marks)
a. Salaries (parag 1): ………………………………………………
b. Field (parag 3): ………………………………………………
6. What does the underlined word refer to? (2 marks)
a. It (parag 4): ……………………………………….……………………
b. I (parag 5): ……………………………………….……………………

3. Give a personal justified answer to the following question: (1 mark)

Would you leave your home country and move to another country to live and work? Why
or Why not? ……………………………….…………………………………….
…………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………….…… .

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 II. LANGUAGE (6 marks) Score

1.Circle the correct alternative : (3 marks)

Shortage/ greater / experts / left / so / professional/ initially/ skilled

India is one of the first countries where the phenomenon of reverse brain drain has
occurred. It was well known for being the country where numerous information
technology students ...................... for America for a better education
and ............................. employment opportunities. The Indian Government was
discontented. because tens of thousands of migrants who had ............................ come to
the U.S. for education, preferred to accept jobs in Silicon Valley rather than return to their
home countries, where .......................... opportunities were limited. During the crisis
period many ............................. were forced to return to India due to
the ............................. of jobs in the United States. Besides, the opportunities that existed
back home encouraged them to contribute to the economic revival of their home country.

2. Put the correct tense or form of the bracketed words: (3 marks)

A poll, published Monday, found out that one-third of Americans prefer to have men
managers. The preference for men may be (explain) ........................... in part by the fact
that workers are less likely to encounter female managers. The (effective) ........................
managers worldwide are those who combine assertion and (motivate) ....................to
inspire their workers. Research shows that women tend to be better than their male
colleagues at (acquire) ................................. the skills they lack in order to become that
type of (lead) ........................... . Americans do view female bosses favourably than they
(do) .................... decades ago. But the (relative) ............................... high percentage of
Americans who refuse to have a woman as a boss illustrates the barriers female workers
are still face if they have all the skills necessary.

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 Sco
III. WRITING (12 marks)
re
1. Use the following notes to write a biography of Canadian immunologist Ralph M. Steinman (4
marks)
Birth: 1943/ Montreal, Canada
1968: receiving his M.D. (Medical Doctor) / Harvard Medical School.
Achievement: discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity, 1973.
Awards: Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2011
Death: 2011/ New York, USA.
……………………………………………………. …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………. …………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………. ……………………………………… …………
…………………………… ………………………………… ……………………………………….
……………………………………………………………..…………… ……………………………

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 2. Essay (8 marks)
As playing video games has become a widespread phenomenon especially among teenagers, you
decided to write a 12-line article in your school magazine about the negative effects of overplaying
these games.
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Adherence to task and content adequacy: 3 marks
Lexical appropriacy and grammar accuracy: 3 marks
Mechanical accuracy (punctuation, capitalization and spelling): 2 marks