KEY

I. Find the words in the article which have the following meaning. (2.5 points)
1. very heavy rain = torrential rains (Paragraph 1) (0.75 point)

 Word form: Adj + Noun

2. destruction / caused by floods = devastation / wreaked by floods (Paragraph 1) (1 point)

 Word form: Noun + Past participle

3. actions that eliminate or reduce risks from future disaster events = mitigation measures
(Paragraph 3) (0.75 point)

 Word form: Noun

II. Explain the meaning of the underlined expressions, as used in the article. (03 points)
1. the rival governments (Paragraph 2) = the competing administrations in Libya, i.e. the
internationally-recognised in Tripoli & the Warlord/ General Khalifa Haftar-led in eastern
Libya (1 point)
 Word form: Noun
2. triggered landslides and infrastructure collapse (Paragraph 3) = caused landsides and destroyed
infrastructure like roads, bridges, buildings, etc. (1 point)
 Word form: Past participle
3. languish in jail (Paragraph 6) = be imprisoned/ put in prison (1 point)
 Word form: Infinitive

NOTE: Exam skills on How to explain words and phrases

- Word Forms: The word form used in the explanation should be the same as it is used in the
original words/ phrases.
- Paraphrasing: Using your own words
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Correct usage of grammar

III.Answer the following questions based on the article. (4.5 points)

1. How seriously has Storm Daniel destroyed eastern Libya? (1.5 points)

Heavy rainfall from Storm Daniel has caused two dams to burst/ has broken two dams in Derna,
thus inundating the city as well as other towns and settlements, causing landslides and burying
its residents. The whole neighbourhoods have been swept into the sea. More than 6,000 have
died, 10,000 have gone missing and tens of thousands have been displaced.

2. According to the article, why must Libya’s authorities be blamed for this terrible disaster?
 (2 points)

Libya’s authorities must be blamed for this terrible disaster because they have divided the
country and pursued their own power and profit while ignoring Libyans’ needs. (0.5 point)

As for the internationally - recognised government in Tripoli, they have not only failed to
protect their citizens but also put them into greater danger. Due to corruption as well as years
of civil war, they have neglected/ have not properly maintained the country’s infrastructure,
including the dams, thus making the city so vulnerable. (0.5 point)

The administration in eastern Libya, controlled by the warlord Khalifa Haftar, also failed in
their most basic duties. Although they witnessed impacts caused by Storm Daniel in Greece
days before it actually hit Libya, they implemented almost no pre-storm measures and pre-
evacuation plans to help their residents. (0.5 point)

What’s more, in the aftermath of the disaster, the competition between Libya’s two rival
governments as well as the destruction of essential infrastructure have hampered/ prevented
rescue and relief efforts/ operations and the authorities’ willingness to give priority to the
storm victims has been questioned. (0.5 point)

3. How has the international community responded to such a catastrophe, as implied in the article?
(1 point)

As implied in the article, the international community has seemed slow to respond to this
disaster. The author believes that it has failed ordinary Libyans, especially storm victims/ has
not done quickly enough to help ordinary Libyans, especially storm victims. Although he admits
that the EU, particularly France, has provided great support, he argues that such support has
been given to the authorities and for other matters.

NOTE: Exam skills on How to answer comprehension questions

- Forms: Questions can be answered in a complete sentence or in a phrase.

- Paraphrasing: Using your own words to answer the questions.
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Correct usage of sentence structures, tenses, etc.
- Verb tense: The tense used in the answer should be the same as it is used in the question.

How can you do paraphrasing?

There are different methods of paraphrasing sentences:
1. Use Synonyms
One of the effective ways of paraphrasing is to replace some words in the sentence with synonyms.
For example,
Crime needs to be controlled as it affects development of a city.
It is necessary to control violence in the city as it hampers its growth.
2. Change Active to Passive Voice
Changing the voice of sentence from active to passive is another good method of paraphrasing a
sentence. For example,
Government should implement the changes in policies as quickly as possible.
The changes in policies should be implemented by the government as soon as possible.
3. Change order of words/phrases
The simplest way of paraphrasing is to change the order of words in a sentence. For example,
The status of women in the society has changed a lot for the past few years.
In the society, there has been a drastic change in the status of women for the last few years.