الاختبار الأول في اللغة الإنجليزية للفصل الأول، السنة الأولى ثانوي (جذع مشترك آداب)

Read the text carefully, then do the activities.

A Day at Timgad

Last spring, our class from Batna visited the Roman city of Timgad. Our teacher, Mrs Amina, told us that Emperor Trajan founded the city around 100 AD as a home for retired soldiers. At first, about 15 000 people lived there. The city was built on a regular plan: the streets crossed each other at right angles, which made it easy to walk around.

While we were walking along the main street, our guide showed us Trajan's Arch. It is the most famous monument of the site. Nearby, we saw the library and the theatre, which could hold about 3 500 spectators. Although the city was abandoned many centuries ago, a lot of its buildings are still standing today because the dry climate and the sand protected them. In 1982, UNESCO added Timgad to its World Heritage list.

Karim, who used to think that history was boring, took photos all day. Now he dreams of becoming an archaeologist.

A. Are the following statements true or false? Justify your answer with a quotation from the text. (2 points)

1. Timgad was built as a home for farmers. (0,5)
2. The streets of the city were arranged in a regular way. (0,5)
3. The theatre could hold fewer than 2 000 spectators. (0,5)
4. Timgad was added to the World Heritage list in 1982. (0,5)

B. Answer the following questions according to the text. (3 points)

1. Who founded Timgad, and why? (0,75)
2. What was special about the plan of the city? (0,75)
3. What was the class doing when the guide showed them Trajan's Arch? (0,75)
4. Why are many buildings still standing today? (0,75)

C. What do the underlined words refer to? (1 point)

1. "It is the most famous monument of the site." (0,5)
2. "... the dry climate and the sand protected them." (0,5)

D. Find in the text words that mean the same as, or the opposite of: (2 points)

1. a person who studies the remains of ancient civilisations (same meaning) (0,5)
2. left and no longer used or lived in (same meaning) (0,5)
3. difficult (opposite) (0,5)
4. interesting (opposite) (0,5)

Exercise 1. Put the verbs between brackets in the past simple or the past continuous. (2 points)

1. While Karim (take) ______ photos, his friend Sara (find) ______ an old coin. (1)
2. The guide (speak) ______ about the baths when it (begin) ______ to rain. (1)

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with one of these linking words: although – because – however. (1,5 points)

1. The ruins are very old; ______, they are well preserved. (0,5)
2. ______ it was very hot, we stayed on the site all day. (0,5)
3. Many tourists visit Timgad ______ it is a World Heritage site. (0,5)

Exercise 3. Follow the instructions. (1,5 points)

1. Rewrite the sentence using used to: "Karim thought that history was boring." (0,5)
2. Ask a question about the words in bold: "Emperor Trajan founded Timgad around 100 AD." (0,5)
3. Ask a question about the words in bold: "Emperor Trajan founded Timgad around 100 AD." (0,5)

Exercise 4. Classify the following verbs according to the pronunciation of the -ed ending: walked – lived – visited – stopped. (1 point)

Exercise 5. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in brackets. (1 point)

1. The guide was very ______ and answered all our questions. (help) (0,5)
2. Timgad is an important ______ site in Algeria. (history) (0,5)

Choose ONE topic only.

Topic 1. Last year, you visited a historic place in Algeria (for example Tipasa, Djemila, the Casbah of Algiers or Tlemcen). Write a paragraph of 80 to 100 words to tell your penfriend about this visit. Say where and when you went, what you saw, what you were doing when something interesting happened, and how you felt.

Topic 2. Your grandfather used to live in a small village when he was young. Write a paragraph of 80 to 100 words to describe his childhood: where he lived, what he used to do every day, how life was different from yours, and why you like listening to his stories.

Remember to use: the past simple, the past continuous or used to, and linking words (and, but, because, although, however).

Marking: relevance of ideas and respect of the task (1 pt); organisation and linking of ideas (1 pt); correct use of grammar and tenses (2 pts); vocabulary, spelling and punctuation (1 pt).