Year 12 – Listening assessment

Democracy and globalisation

Name _________________________________________________ No. _______ Class __________ Date ________________

1. Listen to a UNESCO video about the importance of free access to information and complete the
sentences. [áudio aqui]
a. Sweden and Finland introduced access to information into their constitution in ________________.
b. This fact came to abolish ____________________________________________________________.
c. Access to information allowed _______________________ and ______________________ to grow.
d. In 1948, free information was inscribed in ______________________________________________.
e. True access to information means everyone has access, regardless of their ____________________.
f. World leaders agreed to make access to information a universal right by _____________________.
g. Free access to information will make the world more _____________________________________.
h. Only in such a world will people be able to make _________________________________________.
(8 x 7,5 p = 60 p)

2. Listen to some people answering the question “Why do you think it’s important to give citizens
training in democracy?” and match the speakers with their answers. [áudio aqui]

1. Democracy can only be learnt at a young age, not in adulthood.

2. It is important to prepare people to make informed decisions when they
a. Esther
are called to vote in elections.
b. Brian 3. Young people need to be taught to think critically.
4. School should teach that democracy is about exercising your right as
c. Carolyn
citizen.
d. Arthur 5. Not only schools, but also parents are responsible for teaching about
democracy.
e. Sebastian
6. Democracy should be taught in schools.
7. Young people should be able to judge the information they receive.
(7 x 10 p = 70 p)
3. Listen to a news report on Angelina Jolie and choose the right option. [áudio aqui]
3.1 Angelina Jolie is the special envoy for the United Nations High Commission for
a. Refugees. b. Migrations. c. Women’s Rights.
3.2 Angelina Jolie has been on more than sixty
a. UN summits. b. refugee camps. c. field missions.
3.3 Her most recent visit as a special envoy was to
a. Afghanistan. b. Congo. c. Yemen.
3.4 Americans are connecting more to Ukrainian refugees because
a. they can relate to them. b. they are receiving them c. they are closer
as refugees. geographically.
3.5 Angelina finds it really important
a. to send humanitarian b. not to forget and be c. to open the borders to
help. conscious that human welcome more displaced
beings are suffering. people.
(5 x 14 p = 70 p)
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 Year 12 – Reading & Use of language assessment
Democracy and globalisation

Name _________________________________________________ No. _______ Class _________ Date __________________

READING

1. Read the following text.

We must end this war – saving Ukraine’s democracy is just one reason to do so

War and democracy have always been more comfortable bedfellows than they should be. Our
own history makes that perfectly clear. That reality is all the more true in an acknowledged fragile
democracy like Ukraine.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s governments have often been marked by
5 corruption and repression. The 2019 election brought to power a more democratic leadership
headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but challenges remain. In 2020 alone, Ukraine’s Institute
of Mass Information reported 229 free speech violations, including 171 physical attacks against
journalists. In 2021 and 2022, Ukraine was rated at a low 39 on its democracy percentage for
nations in transition. It noted that while “laws and strategies respecting civil society, ethnic
10 minorities, and human rights” had been adopted, they were “accompanied by the imposition of
sanctions on a record number of Ukrainian citizens, businesses, and media”.
Now things are much worse. Whatever democratic openings Zelenskiy’s election may have
heralded, Ukraine’s democracy is clearly threatened – certainly by the Russian invasion, but also by
the corrosive impact war has on all democratic structures. Few countries mobilised for war,
15 whether aggressive or defensive, have not faced losing many of whatever democratic freedoms had
previously existed. In February 2021, a year before the war, Zelenskiy’s administration banned
some TV stations, claiming they were part of Russian disinformation, and a month into the invasion
banned eleven opposition political parties. None of that is surprising for a nation at war.
The best way to ensure a strengthened democracy in post‐war Ukraine is to end this war as soon
20 as possible, before more Ukrainians are killed, more Ukrainian cities are destroyed, and more of
Ukraine’s already imperilled democracy is lost. There are many urgent reasons this war must be
ended soon, and protecting the chances for Ukraine’s post‐war democracy is only one of them. The
war has been a disaster for the global economy, a danger to the environment, as governments hunt
for more fossil fuels as oil prices rise, and a threat to millions facing famine as grain exports dry up.
25 Any one of those reasons, along with the need to stop the killing of Ukrainians, should be enough
to end this war. Together, they demand an urgent call for an immediate ceasefire and diplomacy,
not escalation, to end this war.
Phyllis Bennis, in https://www.theguardian.com/ (adapted and abridged; accessed February 2022)

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2. Match each word from text (column A) to what they refer to (column B). Three options aren’t used.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. human rights
2. laws and strategies
a. they (line 10)
3. those reasons
b. they (line 17)
4. democratic freedoms
c. they (line 26)
5. TV stations
6. Ukrainians

(3 x 10 p = 30 p)

3. Match each word from text (column A) with the word in column B that can replace it in the text. Two
options aren’t used.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. driven
a. rated (line 8) 2. mentioned
b. noted (line 9) 3. classified
c. heralded (line 13) 4. ranked
d. mobilised (line 14) 5. indicated
e. imperilled (line 21) 6. endangered
7. forced

(5 x 4 p = 20 p)

4. Choose the correct option to complete the sentences according to the text.

4.1 “War and democracy have always been more comfortable bedfellows than they should be”
means
a. they exclude each other.
b. they are a hazardous combination.
c. they walk side by side.
d. they strengthen each other.

4.2 Which idea is not conveyed by the text about democracy in Ukraine?
a. That it is a work in progress.
b. That it is a recent development.
c. That it is a vulnerable reality.
d. That it is reinforced by the conflict.
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 4.3 The author believes that what should be done to end the war is
a. to call off hostilities and encourage negotiation.
b. to minimise the escalation of violence as much as possible.
c. to provide Ukraine with more support in their defensive effort.
d. to stabilise the global economy to prevent oil prices rise and famine.
(3 x 10 p = 30 p)

5. Read the following text about the global effects of the war in Ukraine. Three sentences have been
removed from it. From sentences 1 to 5, choose the one which fits each gap (a – c). There are two
extra sentences.

The war in Ukraine is driving food and energy crises globally

Global food and energy markets are feeling the strain of the war – which means people around the
world are feeling it, too.
As the war disrupts production and export processes, a. __________________________________.
Global access to oil and gas has been significantly reduced. Much of the world’s wheat, corn and barley
remains in Ukraine and Russia. An even larger portion of the global fertiliser supply – especially crucial
for agriculture in soil‐depleted countries – remains in Russia and Belarus. The Black Sea Grain Initiative,
which has allowed Ukrainian grain exports to resume as of 1 August 2022, is expected to provide some
relief.
Nevertheless, b. __________________________________. The cost of food has risen by 50 per cent
since the start of 2022. Crude oil prices — currently up 33 per cent – are projected to rise above 50 per
cent by the end of the year. Soaring prices are contributing to a global cost‐of‐living crisis,
c. __________________________________. Communities across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the
Middle East have been hit hard, with already vulnerable households paying the highest price.
https://www.unwomen.org/ (abridged and adapted; accessed February 2023)

1. countries reliant on this grain have suffered as a consequence

2. the impacts of which are falling disproportionately on developing countries
3. essential commodities are becoming less and less available
4. repercussions of the war have had catastrophic impacts on countries already facing crises
5. these shortages are driving record price hikes

(3 x 10 p = 30 p)

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 USE OF LANGUAGE
1. Complete the text with the words/expressions in the box.

stranded lack of resources displacement crisis scant facilities humanitarian assistance

urgent needs uprooted sanitation facilities neighbouring countries safety and accommodation

Humanitarian crisis
Millions of people have been a. ___________________ from their homes in Ukraine and are in need
of b. ___________________________, in what has become the largest and fastest
c. ____________________________ since World War II. Of these, over 8 million have fled to
d. ___________________________ as refugees. Many others are e. _________________________ or
unable to leave Ukraine due to the increasing violence, the destruction of bridges and roads, as well as
the f. ________________________________ or information on where to find
g. ________________________________.
Huge numbers of people continue to arrive at Ukraine’s borders with Poland, Romania, Hungary,
Slovakia and Moldova with only what they can carry. In many places, there are long waits to cross and
h. _______________________ waiting for them on the other side. i. _______________________
include food, water, emergency shelter, health care and j. ______________________________, and
protection and trauma counselling.
https://www.rescue.org/topic/ukraine‐crisis (abridged and adapted; accessed in February 2023)

(10 x 2 p = 20 p)

2. Complete the text with the gerund or the to‐infinitive form of the verbs in brackets.

Democracy intends a. ________________ (make) society equal by b. _________________ (distribute)

power. It’s often described as the “rule of the majority”, as important decisions are based on the votes
of the people. Although not perfect, democracy aims c. ___________________ (bring) the most benefits
to the highest number of people by:
 d. _______________ (protect) citizens’ interests. People get the chance e. _______________ (vote)

on key issues affecting their country and are able f. _________________ (elect) representatives to make
these decisions.
 g. __________________ (promote) equality. One principle of democracy is that all people are equal in

the eyes of the law and every person gets a vote.

 h. ___________________ (prevent) abuse of power. In democracies, elected officials are responsible

for i. ___________________ (carry) out the will of those who elected them. If they misuse their position,
they risk j. ___________________ (not be) re‐elected.
(10 x 4 p = 40 p)
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3. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one. Use between two
and five words.

a. Will you help us find accommodation for the refugees?

Would you mind ____________________________________________________ for the refugees?
b. Humanitarian help will never be more relevant than at this moment we are living in.
Never ______________________________________ relevant than at this moment we are living in.
c. The world has not witnessed such a serious refugee crisis since World War II.
Not since World War II ______________________________________ such a serious refugee crisis.
d. NATO decided not to intervene in the conflict; otherwise, it might have started a global war.
Had _____________________________________ in the conflict, it might have started a global war.
e. Many citizens can only survive if they flee their destroyed villages.
Only by ____________________________________________________, can many citizens survive.
(5 x 6 p = 30 p)

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 Year 12 – Writing assessment
Democracy and globalisation

Name ________________________________________________ No. _______ Class _________ Date ________________

1. Imagine that you are a reporter covering something that happened in a war scenario. Write a news
report.
Remember to:
 Write an eye‐catching headline.
 Write a paragraph giving an overview of the basic questions (who, what, where, when, why and
how it happened).
 Give details and explanations.
 Use quotations in direct speech with the opinions of people involved to show different angles of
the story.

(200 p)

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