ENGLISH WRITTEN TEST – YEAR 10

6. She advises people to ________________________ England.

I - PRE-READING ACTIVITY

1. Match the following words with their definitions. (10p)

1. a language used for communication between people who speak

a) monolingualism
different languages
b) multilingualism
2. the language someone learns to speak first
c) lingua franca
3. the ability to use only one language for communication
d) native tongue
4. a person living in a country that is not their own
e) expatriate
5. the ability to use more than one language for communication

2. Join the following sentences. (12p)

a) Being monolingual in a global world is
limiting due to 1. in multicultural societies, it might not be
enough to communicate successfully.
b) Most people learn English as a second
language ; however, 2. they speak two or more languages.
c) Learning several languages is very 3. it gives you access to new worlds.
important in order to
4. the need to depend on others to translate for
d) Language learning is a very enriching you.
experience because
5. but it doesn’t allow you to fully understand
e) Approximately half of the world’s cultural differences.
population are bilingual or plurilingual since
6. understand different cultures and realities.
f) English is a lingua franca

3. Read the following text and fill in the blanks with the words below. (16p)

affect  bridge  encouraged  belonging  disadvantage  first  employment 

advantages

Why bilingual is better

In the past it was thought to be a (a) to be torn between two languages. Now children
are (b) to be bilingual.
And why is that? Being bilingual, multilingual or monolingual is likely to (c) a child’s
identity, thinking, schooling and (d). It may even help to determine whom we marry.
Bilingualism increases opportunities and choice and offers a host of possible (e):
communication with the whole family and the community. Where parents have a
different (f) language, a child who is bilingual can develop a special relationship with each
parent. It creates a (g) between generations – with grandparents, for example. This helps
build a sense of (h) to the extended family and community.
 II - READING COMPREHENSION
Read the following text carefully.

I am Indian, but I don’t understand the words

The only language I speak fluently is English, with the next best being rather mediocre French. It wasn’t
until I moved to England a few years ago that I realized how much my identity was tied to the language I
spoke.
Though I grew up in Saudi Arabia and India, I was raised speaking English. My parents, having been
brought up in different states within India, spoke English around the house because it was their only
shared language. Preschool and elementary school in Saudi Arabia were filled with the rich selection of
English-speaking expatriates that the Middle East has to offer. It wasn’t until later in life when I realized
this monolingualism wasn’t ordinary.
It all really hit home when I moved to India for high school. India is painfully multilingual — in urban
areas most people speak at least two languages, while in rural areas you can drive for a day and pass
through half a dozen different linguistic zones. For the first time, I was immersed in life as an Indian, and
not as an expatriate. Nothing can make you stand out more than a complete inability to speak a single
Indian language in a country where most people speak at least two. And my extended Indian family’s
reaction to my monolingualism was an almost distressing medley of amusement and incredulity.
India’s enormous variety of languages and cultures give it a vibrancy that I have yet to experience in any
other country. Yet for someone who speaks none of them fluently, I know I’m missing out on a
fundamental part of being an Indian. To be fair, I never noticed any of this at the time. It was only when I
arrived in London that I realized what I was missing. For once, I knew how to speak, fluently, the
language of the majority. I was finally able to chat with the postman in the morning, or strike up a
conversation with the lady behind the till at the supermarket.
I definitely wouldn’t say I was English, but after years of living in places where I didn’t speak the native
tongue, I finally realized what it was like to feel ‘at home’ in a country.
By Feroz Salam
In http://www.denizenmag.com/2011/04/i-dont-understand-the-words/ (abridged and adapted)

A. TRUE or FALSE? Quote from the text to support your answer. (18p)
1. Feroz speaks two languages fluently.
2. He found out that speaking only one language is not normal.
3. Not knowing how to communicate in Indian attracted people’s attention to him.

B. Answer the following questions on the text in complete sentences and in your own
words as far as possible. (36p)
1. Which countries has Feroz lived in?
2. Why do you think he says “India is painfully multicultural”? (paragraph 3)
3. What does he mean by “I know I’m missing out on a fundamental part of being an
Indian”? (paragraph 4).
4. Why does he feel “at home” in England?

C. Complete the following meaningfully. (18p)

1. Although Feroz is Indian, he …
2. His parents didn’t share …
3. His extended family felt both … and … by his monolingualism.

D. Find the synonyms for the following in paragraph 4. (15p)

1. diversity 2. liveliness 3. essential 4. speak 5. begin
 III - USE OF LANGUAGE

TENSES – Use an appropriate tense of the verbs in brackets. (30p)

Gary Lineker
My wife and I (1. learn) Spanish and Japanese when I played at Barcelona and Nagoya. We
(2. spend) hours and hours in tuition – modern languages prepare you for modern life. As
the world gets smaller, there (3. never/be) a better opportunity to get into languages.
I (4. enjoy) learning Spanish and Japanese so much. Making an effort to understand a
new language can be fun, and you (5. learn) so much about other people and what (6.
make) them behave in a certain way.

Leri Davies
It is important to visit the country whose language you (7. learn) so that you get inspired.
At school you need to dedicate yourself to learning the language. Persevere with it. At
school when I (8. learn) a language, I (9. find) specially the grammar quite boring. But
when you go to that same country and you can speak the language, that’s when you (10.
not regret) all the effort.

IV - WRITING

Do either A or B in about 200 words. (45p)

A. Comment on the following. Express your personal opinion on the subject.

“Everyone should speak the same language. English, being a global language, could
serve that purpose.”

B. What kind of English learner are you?

You have been a student of English for over 6 years now. How important is learning
English for you? Explain why/why not you like learning it and when/how you use it. Also
include some tips on how to learn a foreign language more effectively.

Key “I am Indian, but I don’t understand the words”

I. 1. a3) b5) c1) d2) e4) 2. a4) b1) c6) d3) e2) f5)
3. a) disadvantage b) encouraged c) affect d) employment
e) advantages f) first g) bridge h) belonging
II.
A. 1. F - The only language I speak fluently is English, with the next best being rather
mediocre French.
2. T - It wasn’t until later in life when I realized this monolingualism wasn’t ordinary.
3. T - Nothing can make you stand out more than a complete inability to speak a single
Indian language in a country where most people speak at least two.
B. 1. He has lived in Saudi Arabia, India and England.
2. India is painfully multicultural because people there speak a lot of different languages
making communication between them very hard (even when you speak English).
3. He means that by not knowing how to speak Indian or any other local language he is
unable to fully understand the people and the diverse Indian culture – so he doesn’t really
feel very Indian.
4. He is able to understand everyone and everything around him as he now lives in a
country which speaks his language.
C. 1. … doesn’t speak the language himself. 2. … the same native language.
3. … amused and incredulous
D. 1. variety 2. vibrancy 3. fundamental 4. chat 5. strike up
III.
(1) learnt (2) spent (3) has never been (4) have enjoyed (5) learn (6) makes (7) are
learning (8) was learning (9) found (10) don’t regret