الاختبار الأول في اللغة الإنجليزية للفصل الأول، السنة الأولى ثانوي (جذع مشترك علوم وتكنولوجيا)
المدة: 2 hours المحاور: Unit 1: Getting through (communication, ways of communicating, telephone and mobile phones), Unit 2: Eureka (inventions and discoveries, famous scientists and inventors), Grammar: past simple and present perfect, passive voice (present and past simple), linking words (although, so, because, but), modals (must, mustn't, should, can't), Pronunciation of the -ed ending, Vocabulary in context and reference words, Writing a short biographical paragraph from notes
Part One: Reading Comprehension (8 points)
Read the text carefully, then do the activities.
The Telephone: A Voice Across the Wires
Alexander Graham Bell was a teacher of deaf students, and he was very interested in sound and speech. In the 1870s he worked with his assistant, Thomas Watson, in a small workshop in Boston. At that time, many inventors were trying to send messages by electricity, but the telegraph could only carry short signals in Morse code. Bell wanted to send the human voice itself.
On 10 March 1876, Bell spilled some acid and called to Watson, who was in the next room: "Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you." Watson heard the words through the device. It was the first sentence ever transmitted by telephone. Bell's invention was soon improved, and within a few years thousands of telephones were installed in homes and offices.
Today, people use mobile phones to speak, write messages and share pictures with friends all over the world. Although technology has changed the way we communicate, Bell's idea is still the basis of modern phones.
Activity 1 (2 points)
Write True or False, then justify your answer with a phrase from the text. (4 × 0,5)
- Bell taught students who could hear well.
- The telegraph could carry the human voice.
- Watson was in the same room as Bell when he heard the words.
- Bell's idea is still used in today's phones.
Activity 2 (3 points)
Answer the questions according to the text. (3 × 1)
- Where did Bell and Watson work?
- What did Bell want to send that the telegraph could not carry?
- Why is the sentence of 10 March 1876 important?
Activity 3 (1 point)
What do the underlined words refer to? (2 × 0,5)
- "...Bell spilled some acid and called to Watson, who was in the next room." → who = ...
- "Watson heard the words through the device." → the device = ...
Activity 4 (2 points)
Find in the text words or phrases that mean the same as: (4 × 0,5)
- sent from one place to another → (paragraph 2)
- put in place and ready for use → (paragraph 2)
- made better → (paragraph 2)
- the main base or foundation → (paragraph 3)
الحل وسلم التنقيط
Activity 1 (2 points: 4 × 0,5; 0,25 for True/False and 0,25 for the justification)
- False – "Bell was a teacher of deaf students". (0,5)
- False – "the telegraph could only carry short signals in Morse code". (0,5)
- False – "Watson, who was in the next room". (0,5)
- True – "Bell's idea is still the basis of modern phones". (0,5)
Activity 2 (3 points: 3 × 1)
- They worked in a small workshop in Boston. (1)
- He wanted to send the human voice. (1)
- Because it was the first sentence ever transmitted by telephone. (1)
Give 0,5 for an answer that is correct but incomplete or has a language mistake that does not stop understanding.
Activity 3 (1 point: 2 × 0,5)
- who = Watson (0,5)
- the device = the telephone / Bell's invention (0,5)
Activity 4 (2 points: 4 × 0,5)
- transmitted (0,5)
- installed (0,5)
- improved (0,5)
- basis (0,5)
Part Two: Mastery of Language (6 points)
Activity 1 (2 points)
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (past simple or present perfect). (4 × 0,5)
My cousin Karim (1) ........ (live) in Oran since 2022. He (2) ........ (send) me a video message last night. We (3) ........ (not / meet) each other for a year. He (4) ........ (just / buy) a new smartphone.
Activity 2 (1 point)
Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice. (2 × 0,5)
- Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
- People use mobile phones all over the world.
Activity 3 (1 point)
Join each pair of sentences using the word in brackets. (2 × 0,5)
- Bell's telephone was successful. Many people could not buy it at first. (although)
- The telegraph was slow. Inventors looked for a better way to communicate. (so)
Activity 4 (1 point)
Classify these verbs according to the pronunciation of the -ed ending: /t/, /d/ or /ɪd/. (4 × 0,25)
worked – called – wanted – installed
| /t/ | /d/ | /ɪd/ |
|---|---|---|
Activity 5 (1 point)
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. (2 × 0,5)
- You ........ (must / mustn't) use your mobile phone during an exam.
- I can't hear you well. You ........ (should / can't) speak louder.
الحل وسلم التنقيط
Activity 1 (2 points: 4 × 0,5)
- has lived (0,5)
- sent (0,5)
- haven't met / have not met (0,5)
- has just bought (0,5)
Activity 2 (1 point: 2 × 0,5)
- The telephone was invented by Bell in 1876. (0,5)
- Mobile phones are used all over the world (by people). (0,5)
Activity 3 (1 point: 2 × 0,5)
- Although Bell's telephone was successful, many people could not buy it at first. (0,5)
- The telegraph was slow, so inventors looked for a better way to communicate. (0,5)
Activity 4 (1 point: 4 × 0,25)
| /t/ | /d/ | /ɪd/ |
|---|---|---|
| worked (0,25) | called (0,25), installed (0,25) | wanted (0,25) |
Activity 5 (1 point: 2 × 0,5)
- mustn't (0,5)
- should (0,5)
Part Three: Written Expression (6 points)
Your school English club is preparing a wall magazine called "Great Minds of Science". Use the notes below to write a paragraph of 8 to 10 lines about the engineer Al-Jazari.
| Notes about Al-Jazari |
|---|
| Born in 1136 in the Jazira region (Upper Mesopotamia); a Muslim engineer and inventor |
| Worked for the rulers of the Artuklu dynasty as chief engineer |
| 1206: wrote The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices |
| Described about fifty machines: the elephant clock, water-raising machines, automatic doors |
| Used the crank and connecting rod system; his ideas are still important in modern engineering |
| Died around 1206 |
Use the past simple, at least two passive sentences and some linking words (and, but, because, so, although).
Marking guide: relevance and use of the notes (2 points); correct grammar and vocabulary (2 points); organisation and linking words (1 point); spelling and punctuation (1 point).
الحل وسلم التنقيط
Model answer
Al-Jazari was a famous Muslim engineer and inventor. He was born in 1136 in the Jazira region, and he worked as a chief engineer for the rulers of the Artuklu dynasty. In 1206, he wrote The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. In this book, about fifty machines were described, such as the elephant clock, water-raising machines and automatic doors. Al-Jazari used the crank and connecting rod system, so his work became very important for engineers. Although he lived almost nine centuries ago, his ideas are still used in modern machines. He died around 1206, but he is remembered today as one of the greatest engineers in history.
Marking guide (6 points)
- Relevance and use of the notes (2 points): the paragraph covers the main notes (birth, job, book, machines, importance) = 2 points. Give 1 point if half of the notes are missing, and 0 if the text is off-topic.
- Grammar and vocabulary (2 points): correct use of the past simple and at least two passive sentences (for example "about fifty machines were described", "he is remembered"). Take off 0,25 for each serious mistake, up to 2 points.
- Organisation and linking words (1 point): a logical order and at least three linking words, in one well-organised paragraph of 8 to 10 lines.
- Spelling and punctuation (1 point): capital letters, full stops, commas and correct spelling. Take off 0,25 for each group of three mistakes.