ENGLISH TEST SUP DE VINCI B2 M.

SIMOUR

I- LISTENING (5 pts)

QUESTIONS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10
ANSWERS

2- GRAMMAR / VOCABULARY QUESTIONNAIRE (18 pts)

Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence
1. You should check with the manager, _________ you 9. Because Chicago is in the Midwestern United States, it
might get in trouble for making the decision yourself. can experience a wide ______ of weather in any 24-hour
A. Unless period.
B. Otherwise A. Type
C. If B. Varieties
D. In case C. Distinctness
D. Range
2. Although the shipment arrived on time, it was
________ at customs. 10. The Uncommon Townhouses are ______ located to
A. Delay provide for all your living needs.
B. Delays A. Centeral
C. Held up B. Centraly
D. Held down C. Centrally
D. Centered
3. After ITC LTD. bought Banana Computers, its
brand ____________ increased threefold. 11. _____ English had been his first language, Mr. Li might
A. Recognition not have misunderstood the sales representative from the
B. Recognized Australian corporation.
C. Recognize A. Unless
D. Recognizable B. If
C. As
4. Next June, Avery Animation will unveil a
D. Even
__________ new video game based on the movie
“Warlords.” 12. Highman & Sons’ profits _______________ to increase
A. Fascinate 15 percent in the next fiscal quarter.
B. Fascinating A. Are predicted
C. Fascinated B. Will predict
D. Fascinates C. Is predicted
D. Are predicting
5. We promise to send _________ proposed contract
to them by Wednesday morning. 13. The ___________ e-mail from corporate headquarters
A. They’re said that personal phone calls will no longer be allowed at
B. Theirs the office.
C. Their A. Latest
D. Themselves B. Most early
C. Consistent
6. Satisfaction is __________ or your money back
D. Later
when you order color prints from Technichrome Inc.
A. Happened 14. The R & D Department will __________ try to have the
B. Guaranteed beta product on the market by the end of next month.
C. Predicted A. Certain
D. Requested B. Certifiably
C. Certainly
7. Since being promoted last summer, Brenda in
D. Certainty
marketing has been __________ boasting about her
new boat. 15. The employees __________ about the new appointment
A. Finally before the news was made public.
B. Consecutively A. Were aware
C. Normally B. Were known
D. Constantly C. Have known
D. Were told
8. An appetizer at Royal Steakhouse costs as much
 ENGLISH TEST SUP DE VINCI B2 M. SIMOUR

______ a full meal at McDougal’s. 16. ______________ their plane was delayed, they made it
A. As to the conference on time.
B. Than A. Although
C. For B. After
D. Then C. During
D. Because
17. Thomas has __________ completed the report.
A. Still 26. We wanted to ________ that the contract was
B. Ever completely legally binding.
C. Already A. Insure
D. Closely B. Assure
C. Ensure
18. _____ all those who applied for the position, Kate
D. Make assure
was the best candidate for the job.
A. In 27. The cost of living is steadily __________.
B. Against A. Risen
C. From B. Rising
D. Of C. Raising
D. Arising
19. Twotalk Communications has built _____ a
reputation for being a reliable service provider. 28. ___ responsible for the accounts department reports?
A. On A. Whose
B. In B. Who
C. Up C. Who's
D. From D. Whom is
20. The Global Financial Crisis has created much 29. _________ the ones to ask about the profits.
_____________ in the business sector. A. Their
A. Uncertainty B. There
B. Uncertain C. They're
C. Hesitation D. They
D. Hesitance
30. _________ Sally, you are the only person who could
21. The report will be delivered to the staff _______ complete this task.
this afternoon or tomorrow morning. A. Beside
A. Neither B. Besides
B. Either C. Apart
C. On D. In addition to
D. Both
31. We have all been very ________ in the results of the
22. It is faster if you go by train _________ of by taxi. investigation.
A. Besides A. Concerned
B. Rather B. Interest
C. Besides C. Interested
D. Instead D. Interesting
23. The presentation will focus on first quarter profits 32. We were very grateful _____ the present.
_________ than employee professional development. A. To
A. Instead B. For
B. Better C. On
C. Rather D. With
D. Except
33. Are you familiar _____ this software package?
24. In the television interview, the president of the A. On
company ___________ that it would suffer a loss this B. To
year. C. With
A. Convinced D. For
B. Admitted
34. They are accustomed ____ beginning work at 9am.
C. Required
A. For
D. Alluded
B. With
25. ________ saw the customer waiting at the register. C. On
A. Anyone D. To
B. No one
35. When the photocopier jams, I always get Jason _______
 ENGLISH TEST SUP DE VINCI B2 M. SIMOUR

C. Assistant it.
D. A assistant A. Fix
B. To fix
36. The report suggested that the company establish a
C. To correct
training program and ________ a mentor system.
D. Fixing
A. Set out
B. To set up 39. If the computer develops a virus, then it _______ a
C. Setting up technician.
D. Set up A. Need
B. Needs
37. The results of the tests were too __________ to
C. Would have needed
change the scientists' opinions.
D. Needed
A. Inconclusive
B. Conclusive 40. Customers these days are _______ demanding than in
C. Unpredictable the past
D. Obvious A. Too
B. Much
38. If I were you, I __________ request a raise.
C. More
A. Would have
D. So
B. Could have
C. Might have
D. Would

3- COMPREHENSION
TEXT 1
New Fact Checking Website Arrives (3 pts)
Africa Check, a fledgling fact checking website, is attempting to pin down unfounded claims made by the
country's leaders, media outlets along with widely held beliefs.
There is a common claim in Johannesburg that it has the largest man-made forest in the world. It's easy to
believe; the city has lush, green canopy that covers many neighborhoods. But it's not true, according to Africa
Check, which found that the largest man-made forest is actually in China, next to the Gobi desert.
Debunking bogus claims, politically charged fictions and unfounded statements, Africa Check is a website that
challenges media, politicians and the occasional social media celebrity when they massage the truth, or ignore
it completely, said Julian Rademeyer, southern Africa editor for the site.
"I think the fundamental element of our work is that we are trying to get people to question what they're told,
what they read, what politicians say to them, and to look at what the information that is there and ask
essentially what the fundamental question is 'Where is the evidence?' If someone makes a claim, where is the
evidence to support that claim, and to actually interrogate those claims and not to accept things purely for what
they are," Rademeyer said.
Africa Check was launched in June 2012 by the Agence France Press foundation in partnership with the
University of Witswaterand's journalism department. Rademeyer and a researcher are the site's two full-time
employees. There is also a team of freelance reporters who work on fact checking assignments.
Following in the footsteps of popular American websites like PolitiFact and Factcheck.org, Africa Check is
the first media outlet in South Africa to solely work in fact checking. South Africa has a strong legacy of
investigative journalism and photography that dates back to the apartheid era. But like many countries,
Rademeyer says its news industry has been hampered by shrinking budgets and newsrooms.
"Because of the fact that newspapers don't have the resources they would've had in the past, or don't have
specialist beat reporters," he said. "It allows public figures and it allows politicians to make claims that don't
go checked. I think that's where we play a role. We come in and look at those claims and we have the ability
and the time to go through those claims."
 ENGLISH TEST SUP DE VINCI B2 M. SIMOUR

Paula Fray, former editor for the Star Newspaper and a media consultant, says Africa Check may put a much-
needed pressure on newsrooms.
"At the moment Africa Check is not known as much as I'm hoping as it going to be known," she said. "I'm
hoping that eventually journalists will be writing their stories and thinking if my news editor doesn't pick up
that something hasn't been verified, Africa Check might pick up that it hasn't been verified. So I'm not going to
put anything in my stories unless I can prove it."
She also hopes it will create a greater culture of accountability. "I think the more organizations out there
holding journalism to account the better actually for the industry," Fray said.
The site also takes on myths that get repeated so often that they go unchecked. When a South African musician
with 175,000 Facebook followers made the claim that white South Africans are being killed at an alarming
rate, Africa Check looked into the facts. It found that most of the musician's claims were exaggerated or
untrue.
The site has also debunked claims made about traditional healers, South Africa's rate of asylum seekers and a
BBC report about white squatter camps in South Africa.
Long term, Rademeyer envisions the site expanding across the continent. "I really do think as a project it could
play a very important role," he said. "We've done some very basic fact checking or fact sheet-related reporting
on elements of the elections in Zimbabwe recently. We'd obviously like to do more of that in the next elections
in Zimbabwe, for instance, and elections in neighboring countries. And try to expand our reach." With
presidential elections looming next year in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia, the site will be
busy.
Source: http://voanews.com
Questions:
1. The new website has been set up to show Africa in a more positive light.
false
true
2. The new website proved that more money is spent on the environment in China.
false
true
3. What are the stated aims of Africa Watch?
to get people angry
to get people reading more
to get people to think
4. Which of these has hit South African journalism?
bribery
money problems
corruption
5. How will Africa Watch put pressure on newspapers?
by making them check information before publishing
by taking website traffic from them
by giving them better journalists
6. What was the Facebook musician found to inaccurate about?
crime by whites
how many white killers there are
crime against whites
7. What hopes does Julian Rademeyer have for the site's future?
that it can predict election results better
that it can become more important across the continent
that they will be allowed into Zimbabwe
 ENGLISH TEST SUP DE VINCI B2 M. SIMOUR

TEXT 2

The Digital Divide (4 pts)

Instructions: Read through the text, answer the questions that follow
A recent survey has shown that the number of people in the United Kingdom who do not intend to get internet
access has risen. These people, who are know as 'net refuseniks', make up 44% of UK households, or 11.2
million people in total.
The research also showed that more than 70 percent of these people said that they were not interested in
getting connected to the internet. This number has risen from just over 50% in 2005, with most giving lack of
computer skills as a reason for not getting internet access, though some also said it was because of the cost.
More and more people are getting broadband and high speed net is available almost everywhere in the UK, but
there are still a significant number of people who refuse to take the first step.
The cost of getting online is going down and internet speeds are increasing, so many see the main challenge to
be explaining the relevance of the internet to this group. This would encourage them to get connected before
they are left too far behind. The gap between those who have access to and use the internet is the digital
divide, and if the gap continues to widen, those without access will get left behind and miss out on many
opportunities, especially in their careers.
Questions

STATEMENTS TRUE FALSE

1 - More people in the UK do not intend to get internet access than before. … …
2 - The majority of people in the UK are 'net refuseniks'. … …
3 - Most of those without internet access want to get it. … …
4 - The minority of the people surveyed in 2005 weren't interested in having … …
internet access.
5 - The main reason for not getting internet access is the cost. … …

6 - High speed internet is not available everywhere in the UK. … …

7 - Both costs and speeds are increasing. … …
8 - Many people think that getting the costs down is the key to this problem. … …
9 - The digital divide is widening in the UK. … …
10 - Not having access to the internet will only affect people's careers. … …

4- WRITING (8 pts)
Write a well structures short essay on one of these questions (about 150 words)
Clearly distinguish the 3 parts, introduction, development and conclusion, and use appropriate linking
words
 ENGLISH TEST SUP DE VINCI B2 M. SIMOUR

TOPIC 1

It has often been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast
knowledge we get thanks to experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source do
you think is more important?
___________________
TOPIC 2
Some people prefer to work for themselves or own a business. Others prefer to work for an employer. Would
you rather be self-employed, work for someone else, or own a business? Use specific reasons to explain your
choice.
___________________
TOPIC 3

The leaders of most organizations tend to be older people. However, some argue that younger people make
better bosses.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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