Reading Comprehension Test
for 9th
form Students
Student’s
Booklet
Dictionaries
are not allowed
Reading Comprehension Test for 9th
Form Students
Directions:
In this
test you will read four texts. Each text is followed by some tasks.
Text 1
A Nice Place to Learn?
1. ________________________
A school is like a small
community. A local community should be a happy and safe place to live, and a
school community should be a happy and safe place to learn. But like any
community, sometimes there are problems.
2. ________________________
One of the most common
problems at school is a lack of discipline in the classroom, for example,
students chatting, using their mobile phones and generally not doing what the
teacher wants. This type of behavior disrupts the class and disturbs the
teacher and the other students in the class who want to learn.
3. ________________________
Another common problem in
schools is bullying. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or emotional. It can
take the form of intimidation, insults, spreading rumors, or violence. These
days, more girls are involved than boys, both as bullies and victims. Teachers
may also be victims.
4. ________________________
When students break the rules,
the school should have appropriate strategies to deal with the problem.
Teachers can move students to a different place in the classroom to stop
disruptions, or send students out of the lesson. For more serious problems,
teachers can give detention and in extreme cases head teachers can suspend or
expel students.
5. ________________________
The best solution, of course,
is to prevent antisocial behavior before it happens. In some countries,
students have citizenship lessons where they learn about their rights and
responsibilities. Some schools also have a system of rewards for students so
that they’ve got a positive incentive to behave well.
After reading Text 1, match
the headings A-E with the paragraphs 1-5 above.
A.
Disruptive
classes
B.
Cruel
behavior
C.
Prevention
is better than cure
D.
A
miniature community
E.
Punishments
Text 2
Let’s Celebrate!
What do
you do at New Year? We find out about New Year celebrations around the world.
Kyoko:
New Year is a very important
time for us in Japan. At midnight, in shrines and temples around the country,
bells ring 108 times. This removes the evil from the New Year. Many people go
to the famous tourist attraction, The Watched Night Bell in Tokyo, to listen to
the bells. We also visit our local Buddhist shrine or temple on New Year’s Day.
Some people wear traditional Japanese clothes for this ‘first visit’ and we say
special prayers for the New Year. We always laugh when the New Year begins.
This is because we believe that laughter will bring us enjoyment and good luck
throughout the year. We also send New Year postcards. We send the postcards in
December and the post office promises that they will deliver them on 1 January.
Alejandro:
In Mexico, our New Year
celebrations are noisy and fun! We often have parties with our families and
friends, and there are fireworks at midnight. We think about our achievements
and our disappointments in the past year and our predictions and hopes for the
new year. Will we find love and happiness? We makes a list of our
disappointments and burn it so that we won’t be unlucky in the new year. We
have special decorations in our house and wear certain colors to symbolize our
wishes for the future. For example, red symbolizes love, yellow symbolizes work
and green symbolizes money. When the bell rings twelve times at midnight, we
eat twelve grapes and we make twelve wishes for the future.
Alistair:
We love celebrating New Year
in Scotland. We have a lot of different kinds of entertainment: street parties,
fireworks, and dances. In Edinburgh, we have a procession on December 30. Then
on December 31, there is a big ceilidh – a traditional Scottish dance. We have
a tradition called ‘first footing’. The first person who comes into your house
after midnight on December 31 is very important. Traditionally, the first
footer is always a tall, dark-haired man. He brings special presents which mean
we will have good luck and health in the new year. At the beginning of the new
year, many people sing the traditional song Auld
Lang Syne together. January 1 and 2 are both holidays in Scotland, because
we need two days to celebrate new year!
Use Text 2 to find out in
which country (Japan, Mexico, or Scotland) people:
6. sing
a special song _______________________
7.
listen to bells _______________________ and _______________________
8. eat
fruit _______________________
9.
perform a traditional dance _______________________
10. wear
special clothes _______________________ and _______________________
11. send
postcards _______________________
12. have
two days of holiday _______________________
13. burn
a piece of paper _______________________
Text 3
Black Friday or Buy Nothing
Day?
We talk to two young New
Yorkers about Black Friday.
Thanksgiving is probably the
most important national holiday in the USA. It’s on the fourth Thursday in
November and families prepare and eat special food together. But now the day
after Thanksgiving is also an important date in the US calendar. The fourth
Friday in November in the USA is called Black Friday and it is the busiest shopping
day in the year. Why is it so busy? There are a number of reasons. After their
Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, many people don’t return to work before the
weekend and they go shopping on Friday. It is also traditionally the beginning
of the Christmas season and many people start their Christmas shopping on this
day.
Chantelle Davies, 21, and
three friends are standing in a queue outside Macy’s on 5th Avenue.
“I love Black Friday,” she says. “It’s 5 a.m. and this is the longest queue on
5th Avenue, but that’s OK. All the big department stores have sales
or they give special discounts on Black Friday. I can get the best bargains
today.” When the doors of Macy’s open at 6 a.m., everyone immediately runs into
the store. Half an hour later, Chantelle leaves Macy’s with three bags full of
shopping. She shows me her purchases – two mobile phones (“They were half
price!” she says.) and some designer clothes for her boyfriend.
Some people, however,
celebrate the Friday after Thanksgiving in a very different way. They prefer to
call this day Buy Nothing Day. Brad Simpson, 24, is at a large supermarket.
“I’m not spending my dollars today,” he says. “I’m keeping my wallet in my
pocket. North Americans are the biggest consumers in the world. We live in a
rich country, but we always want more things! We want to have the fastest car
on the street, or the latest gadget. We and then we have problems with debt.
It’s crazy! Today my friends and I are talking to people about Buy Nothing Day.
You can buy things, but you can’t buy happiness!”
Use Text 3 to decide, which
of the statements below are true (T) and which are false (F). Circle the
correct answer below.
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14. Thanksgiving is the
least important national holiday in the United States.
|
T
|
F
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15. Thanksgiving is always
held on a Thursday in November.
|
T
|
F
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16. Stores make the most
money the day after Thanksgiving.
|
T
|
F
|
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17. Thanksgiving marks the
beginning of the Christmas season in the United States.
|
T
|
F
|
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18. A ‘bargain’ is an
expensive product.
|
T
|
F
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19. Brad Simpson likes to
spend money, especially on Black Friday.
|
T
|
F
|
|
20. Black Friday is the
most important national holiday in the United States.
|
T
|
F
|
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21. According to Brad
Simpson, North Americans are the biggest shoppers in the world.
|
T
|
F
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22. According to the text,
if you stand in a long queue on Black Friday, you will save a lot of money.
|
T
|
F
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23. Macy’s is a department
store located on 5th Avenue in New York City and sells mobile
phones and designer clothes.
|
T
|
F
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24. It is implied that getting
up early on Black Friday is advantageous if you intend to go shopping.
|
T
|
F
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Text 4
Teen Science
Who do you look like? Are you
good-looking like your mum, well-built like your dad, fair-haired like your
brother or sister or really, really tall like your great-great-grandparent? Do
people say you’re just like your father or just like your mother or that you
take after your grandparent in every way? Or do people ask where you come from
because you look so different from the rest of your family?
Your genes are responsible
for your appearance and your health. Half your genes are from your mother, the
other half from your father. You are not identical to your mother or your
father, but you probably look a bit like both of them. Or you may resemble one
of your ancestors, for example, a great-great-grandparent. But even if you are
like other members of your family, you are unique. Your genes are different
from everyone else’s genes. The only people who have exactly the same genes are
identical twins.
Some of the features you
inherit from your parents are hair, eye color, skin color, and facial features
like the size and shape of your nose.
You probably have the same
hair color as one of your parents, but this is not always true. Two dark-haired
parents can have a blond or red-headed child. This happens when there was a
blond or red-headed ancestor. It is common for red-headed children to have
freckles, even if the parents don’t have them.
The strongest, or dominant,
gene in eye color is brown. If both parents have brown eyes, their children
probably have brown eyes too. It’s also common for two brown-eyed parents to
have a blue-eyed child, but unusual for two blue-eyed parents to have a
brown-eyed child. As well as eye color, you can inherit poor eyesight from your
parents. So if you’re short-sighted, you’re probably not the only person in
your family who wears glasses.
Tall parents usually have
tall children and short parents usually have short children. But this isn’t
always true – in fact, children are getting taller thanks to improved diets and
healthier lifestyles.
Fifty percent of men with
bald fathers will lose their hair. But the gene for baldness can come from the
mother’s family too – boys should look at their mother’s father. They may take
after him.
There are many different skin
colors: from black, dark brown, brown, light brown to white. Most families
share the same skin color, but black parents can give birth to a
lighter-skinned child if they have pale-skinned ancestors.
Usually, a black and a white
parent have dark-skinned children because black is a dominant gene. But twin
sisters Hayleigh and Lauren are exceptions. One twin is black and the other is
white. Hayleigh looks exactly like her black father and Lauren is the image of
her white mother. This was only possible because their father had a white
relative in his past.
Finally, if you are
left-handed or if you have dimples in your cheeks or chin, you can thank your
genes.
Questions 25-30 refer to Text
4. Circle the correct letter A, B, C or D.
25. From
the second paragraph, we learn that genes
A. come mainly from your mother
B. mean you always resemble one of your parents
C. determine what you look like
D. are always unique to you
26. If a
brown-eyed child has two blue-eyed parents, this is
A. uncommon
B. fairly common
C. impossible
D. extremely common
27. The
reason some children are tall is because
A. their parents are very healthy
B. they have short parents
C. they enjoy their lifestyle
D. they eat well and live well
28. Men
who go bald
A. always lose their hair because of their
father’s genes
B. nearly always have sons who go bald
C. sometimes inherit baldness from their
mother’s side
D. never pass on baldness through their
daughter’s genes
29. When
is it possible to have black and white twins?
A. when a black parent has white skinned
ancestors
B. when there is a dominant black gene in the
family
C. when the parents are both black
D. when the parents are both white
30. What
would be the best title for the text?
A. What do you look like?
B. A family tradition
C. Where are you from?
D. It’s all in the genes
Listening
Comprehension Test
for 9th
form Students
Vegetarians
The word
‘vegetarian’ was coined in about 1840 to mean people who lived without killing
for food, either for moral or health reasons, or both. But the practice is much
older than that. Greek philosophers recommended vegetarianism and famous people
who have practiced it in the past include Leonardo da Vinci, Tolstoy and
Voltaire, Milton, Newton, and George Bernard Shaw. Surely this proves that
mental activity does not depend on foods of the flesh. What are the arguments
that might stop us from eating meat?
Man’s
body is more like those of fruit-eating animals (such as our ‘cousins’ the
apes) than like those of flesh-eating animals. For millions of years, man must
have lived on fruit, nuts, and leaves and so developed a digestive system
accustomed to this diet. Perhaps the more we move away from this diet towards
meat-eating, the less likely we are to be healthy. Cancer, tuberculosis, and
heart disease are certainly more common in meat-eating communities. Man may
have started eating the flesh of animals during the Ice Age when most of the
vegetation was destroyed.
A diet
of vegetables, fruit, grains and nuts together with a few dairy products can
give us all the vitamins and minerals we need. By eating meat, we are getting
the basic food elements secondhand after they have been digested by the animal.
It is worth considering how wasteful meat-eaters are with land. A meat-eater
needs about three times as much land to support himself and his animals as a
vegetarian does. For every 45 kilos of dry food eaten by cattle, only 1.8 to
7.3 kilos come back as food for us humans – an expensive method of producing
food.
Listening
Comprehension Test
for 9th
form Students
Student’s
Booklet
Directions: in this part of the section you will listen to
a text. After listening look at the questions 1-10, decide, which of them are
true (T) and which are false (F) according to the text you have heard and mark
the letter you have chosen by encircling it.
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1. Vegetarians are people
who live without killing animals for food, either for moral or health
reasons.
|
T
|
F
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2. In ancient times, there
were not so many people who practiced vegetarianism.
|
T
|
F
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3. These people considered
that mental activity did not depend on meat for food.
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T
|
F
|
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4. Man’s body is more like
those of fruit-eating animals than like those of flesh-eating animals.
|
T
|
F
|
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5. For millions of years,
man must have lived on fruit, nuts, and leaves.
|
T
|
F
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6. The more we move away
from vegetarianism towards meat-eating, the less we are able to be healthy.
|
T
|
F
|
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7. A diet of vegetables,
fruit, grains, and nuts together with a few dairy products can give us all
the vitamins and minerals we need.
|
T
|
F
|
|
8. We should all eat and
drink to be merry.
|
T
|
F
|
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9. A meat-eating diet is more expensive to
support than a vegetarian diet.
|
T
|
F
|
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10. Cancer, influenza, and
heart disease are more common in meat-eating communities.
|
T
|
F
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PLEASE
STOP AND WAIT FOR THE SECOND READING OF THE TEXT.
Directions: in this part of the section
you will listen to the text tor the second time. After listening look at the
questions 11-20, decide, which of the given answers (A, B, C or D) best
corresponds to what was stated or implied in the text you have heard and mark your
answer by encircling the letter of your choice.
11. When was the word ‘vegetarian’ coined?
a. In 1842
b. In 1845
c. In 1840
d. In 1848
12. What was the original meaning of ‘vegetarian’?
a. People who ate meat.
b. People who didn’t eat meat.
c. People who ate vegetables and meat.
d. People who ate only fish.
13. Who recommended vegetarianism in ancient times?
a. Greek philosophers
b. Roman philosophers
c. Latin philosophers
d. French philosophers
14. What famous English people practiced vegetarianism in the
past?
a. Tolstoy and Voltaire
b. Newton, Milton, and Bradley
c. Jane Fonda and Sly Stallone
d. Brad Pitt and Kate Winslet
15. What are the main arguments that might stop us from eating
meat?
a. Vegetables are bad for our digestive system.
b. Meat is unhealthy.
c. Eating meat brings us closer to our ancestors.
d. Our culture forbids us from giving up meat.
16. What terrible diseases are certainly more common in
meat-eating communities?
a. Cancer, tuberculosis, and heart disease
b. AIDS and influenza
c. Pneumonia
d. Depression
17. When did man start eating the flesh of animals?
a. During the Bronze Age
b. During the Ice Age
c. During the Renaissance
d. During World War I
18. Why did we start eating meat then?
a. Because of the destruction of vegetation
b. Because they had no energy
c. Because they had digestive problems
d. Because there were too many animals
19. What does a vegetarian’s diet consist of?
a. Vegetables and fruit only
b. Vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts and a few dairy products
c. Grains and nuts
d. Grains and leaves
20. What do we get by eating meat?
a. We get basic food elements secondhand
b. We get physical discomfort
c. We get psychological discomfort
d. We get a healthy digestive system
Speaking
Comprehension Test
for 9th
form Students
Directions:
In this test, you will select three task slips from those before
you. After selecting three, choose the one you feel you are most capable to speak
about and return the other two to the table face down. Then take about a minute
to collect your thoughts before you begin to speak on the topic. You may refer
to the topic as needed. Take a deep breath and begin.
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1.
|
What comes to your mind when you hear the
word “adventure”? Do you like adventures? In what way is learning English an
adventure for you? Who would you like to have a big adventure with? Does
there have to be an element of danger in an adventure? Do you like adventure
movies? Are you an adventurous person? Is adventure important in your life?
What was your most unforgettable adventure?
|
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2.
|
Is laughter ‘the best medicine’? Do you ever have
uncontrolled fits of laughter? Why do you think some people laugh more than
others? Do men and women laugh about different things? What definition would
you give to laughter? Do you laugh a lot? How important is laughter in your
life? Is laughter infectious/ catching? What do you think of a person who
bursts in laughter in public places?
|
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3.
|
What bothers you most about being a
teenager? Do your parents understand that you are not a “kid” anymore? Or do
you feel that kids your age are being forced to grow up too fast and “be
adult?”
|
|
4.
|
The Internet has provided the world with a wonderful tool
for communication. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the
Internet? How has the Internet allowed people from different cultures to
interact? In what ways
has the Internet changed society?
|
|
5.
|
Imagine that you have been asked to write a travel guide for
Ukraine. What clothing items would you suggest travellers pack? What cities
would you recommend, and what attractions should people see in these cities?
Do you think it is important that visitors to Ukraine also experience life in
a village? Why? Why not?
|
|
6.
|
Fifty percent of
the world’s population (about 3.3 billion) now lives in urban areas. Why do you think so many people want to
live in cities rather than in towns or villages? Do you think the number of
people living in cities will continue to increase? Why? Do you think
urbanization has a positive or a negative effect on societies?
|
|
7.
|
Would you like to work in the movie industry?
Which movie would you like to live in? What’s the best movie you’ve ever
seen? Do you prefer watching movies at the cinema or on TV? Who is your
favourite movie star? Who would you want to play you in a movie based on your
life? Would you like a job as a movie critic? Do you prefer to watch a good
movie or a good sport game?
|
|
8.
|
Many people dream of being famous musicians. If you could
be a famous musician, what instrument would you play? What genre of music would you play? What
kind of audience would you write your music for?
|
|
9.
|
Imagine that Ukraine has decided to colonize a new planet
and you have been selected as one of five Ukrainians to go into space. If you
could take only five things with you, what would you take? What would you
miss most about Ukraine? What are the first three things you would do on the
new planet?
|
|
10.
|
Imagine that you have caught the
Golden Fish. What would you do if you had three wishes and why so?
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11.
|
Historically, baseball has been America’s favorite sport.
Now many Americans prefer basketball or American football. Is there a
favorite sport of Ukrainians? Why do Ukrainians love this sport so much? Do
you think the favorite sport of Ukrainians will ever change?
|
|
12.
|
How important are books to you? What would life be like
without books? What kind of books do you like to read? Do you prefer
paperbacks or hardbacks? If you wrote a book, what would you write about? If
you could have only one book for the rest of your life what would it be and
why? Do you think the Internet will make books disappear? What do you think
of the idea of E-books? Do you prefer to keep the books you read? How often
do you want a story in a book to never end?
|
|
13.
|
School uniforms are becoming more popular in both
Ukrainian and American schools, but students don’t always seem to like them.
In your opinion, why are more and more schools requiring uniforms? What effects do uniforms have on students,
teachers, and education? Why do people in certain professions have to wear
uniforms? Is this a
good or bad thing and why?
|
|
14.
|
Imagine you are friends with a time traveller. Your friend
has just arrived in 2017 from 100
years ago. What will be the biggest surprises for your new friend? How will
you help guide your friend through modern life? What challenges will you and
your friend face?
|
|
15.
|
Imagine that you are the owner of a new restaurant. What type of restaurant would you like to
own? For what three dishes would your restaurant be known? What issues do you
have to keep in mind when owning and operating a restaurant?
|
|
16.
|
A ‘Round the World’ ticket is a special deal most major
airlines offer. With it, a passenger can choose multiple destinations and fly
between them for one set price as long as he or she travels in one direction.
Design your own trip and choose from three to five destinations. Why would
you want to go to these places? What are the advantages of seeing them all in
one trip? What would
you need to take with you?
|
|
17.
|
Do you think all children should
study art at school? How great is your interest in art? Do you think children
should learn art history? Do you think a painting can really be worth a
million (or more) dollars? Do you have a favorite artist? What kind of art do you like – paintings,
sculpture, ceramics, etc? Does art change the way you think or feel? Do you
think anyone can be an artist or do you need a special talent? Do you have
any artistic talent? How would the world be different without artists?
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18.
|
There is an opinion
that the work and school week should be shortened to four days because people
are more productive when they have more free time. Do you agree with it or
not? Give your point of view.
|
|
19.
|
You can be
the president of any country in the world. Which country do you want to
govern and why?
|
|
20.
|
What makes
one person interesting to another person? Give four examples of how this
occurs.
|
|
21.
|
If you had
to live somewhere without a television, movies, or use of a computer, what
would you do for entertainment? Give examples.
|
|
22.
|
If you
appreciate music, what is more important for you, the melody or the lyrics?
Tell us about an example of your choice.
|
|
23.
|
Describe your
country’s prettiest sight.
|
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24.
|
You are
learning to speak the English language in your school. What do you think is
the most difficult part about learning the English language? Why?
|
|
25.
|
Talking and being with friends is good. Is
online communication a substitution? How often do you spend your free time
with your close friends? What do you usually talk about? Do you chat with
your friends or strangers on the Net? What do you usually chat about? Can you be
online late at night? Chatrooms are fun and entertaining, but can they be
dangerous? What is your online experience?
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Writing Comprehension Test
for 9th
form Students
Directions:
In this test, you will be given the task written on the board to
complete. You will begin writing your essay on the pages provided. When you are
finished close your papers. Lay down your pen and wait for us to collect your
test materials.
Choose one of the three suggested topics and develop it is a
written form. Make sure that you do not only make general comments but also
provide personal facts, ideas, and feelings.
1. Have you already chosen your future profession? Is it a question that
makes you feel uneasy?
§ What professions are very popular nowadays? Why?
§ What are the professions of your parents? Do your parents’ jobs
influence your family daily routine?
§ What profession(s) best suit your character?
§ Why would you like to work with or for people in the future? Do you
want to be in the public eye?
2. Many people think that parents are the most important role
models.
§ Are your parents your role models? If not, who are your role
models?
§ What qualities do you feel are important in a good role
model?
§ What responsibilities do role models have?
3.
What
comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘knowledge’? People say ‘knowledge is
power’ – is this true?
§ What is the best way to increase your knowledge? Do
you think people with a lot of knowledge are wise?
§ What is better - to have great imagination or lots of
knowledge? Are some people born with a better ability to learn than others?
§ Have you ever been frustrated because of lack of
knowledge? Do you ever impress people with your knowledge?
What is the difference between knowledge and edu
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