EPE SAMPLE1

Vorstudienlehrgang der Wiener Universitäten

1150 Wien

INFORMATIONEN zur Ergänzungsprüfung aus Englisch am VWU

(Stand: 23. September 2021)

Die Ergänzungsprüfung aus Englisch besteht aus einem schriftlichen und einem mündlichen
Teil. Nur wenn die schriftliche Prüfungsarbeit positiv ist, werden Sie zur mündlichen Prüfung
zugelassen.

Wenn aufgrund behördlicher Bestimmungen bezüglich Covid-19 die schriftliche und die mündliche Prüfung
nicht als Präsenzprüfungen abgehalten werden können, halten Sie sich bitte an die aktuellen Informationen,
die der VWU dazu ausschickt.

 Die schriftliche Ergänzungsprüfung aus Englisch (EPE) besteht aus 3 Teilen:

I. Leseverstehen (LV), II. Sprache im Kontext (SIK), III: Textproduktion (TP)

 Für jeden Teil kann man maximal 20 Punkte bekommen = gesamt maximal 60 Punkte.
Für eine positive Note braucht man mindestens 9 Punkte von je 20 Punkten in
jedem der 3 Teile und mindestens 36 Punkte von 60 Punkten insgesamt.

 Arbeitszeit: 150 Minuten

(50 Minuten Leseverstehen, 100 Minuten Sprache im Kontext und Textproduktion).

 Wörterbücher sind nicht erlaubt!

1Alle sample Aufgaben wurden entweder direkt am VWU produziert oder vom “Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung” auf der Website https://aufgabenpool.at/ veröffentlicht.

1
 Supplementary Examination in English: SAMPLE
Vorstudienlehrgang der Wiener Universitäten
1150 Wien

READING 20 p.

SAMPLE TASK FOR TRUE/FALSE/ JUSTIFICATION

Read the text about “Creative job speed dating”. First decide if the statements 1-10 are true (T) or false (F)
and put a cross (x) in the correct box. Then identify the sentence in the text which supports your decision.
Write the first four words of the sentence in the space provided. There maybe more than one correct answer.
Write down only one. The first one (0) has been done for you.

JOBS: CREATIVE JOB SPEED DATING

“OK ladies and gentlemen, let’s begin, you have 5 As freelancers, most people in the creative industry rely
minutes starting now.” greatly on networking, but not everyone has the time or
energy to go to event after event, hoping to strike up a
We were seated at a long black table in a 16th-floor suite helpful conversation. CJSD aims to make this easier.
at Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom. The five pairs engaged in Some were sceptical about the idea at the Sofitel event in
conversation, asking questions, writing notes on carbon June, but then again, how bad could it be?
paper.
The worst that can happen is that you spend a few
I “dated” a food editor for Woman Magazine, an editor at minutes talking to someone you’ll never work with. And
a corporate publishing start-up, Managing Editor of the the best case scenario can be a new job or project, or
business magazine Format, a consultant at a corporate simply inspiration. So far, the “speed dating” events have
branding company and a recently unemployed advertising drawn between 20 and 80 people.
salesman, all in 25 minutes.
Some call it “working the room” – roaming around,
Creative Job Speed Dating (CJSD) is the brainchild of introducing yourself and striking up conversations. While
interior and set designer Rikki Wieland, and fashion and perhaps pushy, this is a necessary evil as a creative
advertising photographer Michael Dürr. They had invited freelancer. In the CJSD setting, it is not crass to brag
mostly members of the press and PR community to this about ideas or projects you are proud of.
third session.
Even asking professionally “personal” questions like
The idea grew out of Dürr’s birthday party in early 2013, “how much does that cost?” or “how much does your
where he had set up a room for traditional speed dating. company rely on ad revenue?” is normal, even expected.
While guests did seem to enjoy themselves and it served
as a fast track for his friends and colleagues to get to In the “waiting room”, invitees said they actually got
know each other, those who were spoken for felt wary pitches for projects and ways to cooperate, simply
about joining in. because that’s what they were there for.

But they had plenty of reasons to talk, and so the idea for In September and October the team will be inviting
quickie “dating” for creative professionals was born. fashion professionals to a Vienna-fashion-week-themed
event, and in October it’s all about art, as Vienna is taken
The classic idea behind speed dating is a series of brief over by the VIENNAFAIR. So if you’re a designer,
encounters: encapsulated life stories, informing, and makeup artist, or fashion photographer – keep checking
perchance enticing the conversation partner in all of 5 CJSD’s Facebook page for future dates and venues.
minutes.

2
 T F First four words

0 Rikki Wieland and Michael Dürr invented x Creative Job Speed Dating
“Creative Job Speed Dating”.

1. At a private event, Dürr had arranged a

romantic speed dating.

2. CJSD allows you to talk to five different

people in less than half an hour.

3. “Creative Job Speed Dating” at Sofitel Vienna

Stephansdom was the first of its kind.

4. All freelancers have a lot of free time and can

easily attend a lot of events.

5. The Sofitel event took place in autumn.

6. The risk you take when attending a “Creative

Job Speed Dating” event is not very high.

7. As a creative freelancer you have to be pushy.

8. It is taboo to ask questions about money.

9. All invitees hope to find an employment.

10. There will be more CJSD events in Vienna.

3
SAMPLE TASK FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE
Read the text about how Las Vegas has developed over the years, then choose the correct answer (A, B, C or
D) for questions 1-6. Put the correct letter (A – D) in the grid below. The first one (0) has been done for you.

HISTORY OF LAS VEGAS

The first Las Vegas Strip hotel, the El Rancho, opened in Steve Wynn, the 80s, and 90s
1941. It became famous for its "all-you-can-eat" buffet
and a Las Vegas tradition was born. Five years later, The opening of Steve Wynn's 3300-room Mirage Resort
"Bugsy" Siegel and his mob affiliates opened the on the Strip in 1989 ushered in a new era of Las Vegas
Flamingo Resort on the Strip. It was the first Las Vegas resorts. Gone and going were the simple gambling halls in
resort to combine a luxury hotel name, entertainment, and favor of huge theme resorts, complete with resident
gambling, and was to become the prototype for the lavish attractions, headliners, and elegant restaurants as well as
Las Vegas casino-resort in the 1950s. casinos. Funding for these mega-resorts was unique also.
The Mirage was the first resort to be constructed with a
Vegas in the 1950s junk bond offering. The free volcano attraction in front
of the hotel as well as the resident Siegfried and Roy show
The Flamingo was followed by the Sahara, the Sands, the became the model for Las Vegas resorts in the 1990s.
Tropicana, the Showboat, the Riviera, and several other
casino resorts. By 1954, over 8 million people were The city of Las Vegas boomed also. By 1995, the city's
visiting Las Vegas each year, drawn by the lavish resort population had skyrocketed to over 350,000 residents,
and name entertainers as much as by the gambling. Top spurred by an incredible 9 percent annual increase in jobs.
performers, such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bing
Crosby, and Dean Martin played in intimate cabaret-style Downtown Las Vegas also experienced a renaissance in
theaters. the 1990s. Fremont Street transformed itself in 1995 into
a pedestrian mall, enclosed by a 90-foot high domed
The 1950s was also the era of nuclear arms testing in screen onto which an elaborate sound and light show is
Nevada. Between 1951 and 1963, the Atomic Energy projected every hour after dark. The area also boasts
Commission detonated over 100 explosions. Despite the street performers, interesting shopping, and frequent free
dangers (largely ignored and underplayed at the time), concerts.
many casinos promoted the tests as tourist attractions and
even built "sky rooms" from which to view the To make more room for the new generation of Las Vegas
mushroom clouds. resorts, developers began imploding, or blowing up, the
old 1950s-style hotels and erecting new resort palaces in
The 50s also saw the city of Las Vegas develop from a their ashes. Such was the fate of the Dunes, the present
casino town to a functioning city. McCarran Airport was site of the Bellagio Hotel &Casino; the Sands, the present
built in 1948; The University of Las Vegas was established site of the Venetian Resort; and the original Aladdin
in 1957; and the Las Vegas Convention Center opened in Hotel in favor of the new Planet Hollywood Resort &
1959. By 1960, Las Vegas had a permanent population of Casino.
over 64,000.
Las Vegas Today
Howard Hughes and the 1960s
Las Vegas today offers something for visitors of all ages.
Many of the early Las Vegas casinos, such as "Bugsy" In addition to the lavish casinos, the city boasts theme
Siegel's Flamingo Hotel, had ties to, and received parks, some of the nation's best restaurants, elaborate
financing from, organized crime syndicates from the pool complexes, and one-of-a-kind shopping arcades.
Midwest and East Coast. In the 1960s, this began to Over 34.7 million travelers visited Las Vegas in 2005.
change. Corporations, led by the example of Howard
Hughes' acquisition of the Desert Inn, started seeing Las
Vegas casinos as legitimate business ventures. By the end
of the decade, organized crime was all but out of the
gaming business.

4
0. The Flamingo Resort

A was the most luxurious casino in the 1940s.

B focused mainly on light entertainment.
C offered all-inclusive package holidays.
D was the first of its kind.

1 In the 1950s show business celebrities

A performed to small audiences.

B visited Las Vegas in huge numbers.
C concentrated on comedy mainly.
D always stayed in luxury hotels.

2 The testing of nuclear weapons in the 1950s

A was viewed by huge numbers of tourists.

B furthered the development of atomic war technology.
C triggered the public’s interest in atomic energy.
D was advertised in order to draw visitors to Las Vegas.

3 In the 1960s, Las Vegas casinos

A became the centre of large-scale money transactions.

B had to close down due to criminal activities.
C were eventually regarded as lawful enterprises.
D had to cope with the pressures of competing businesses.

4 Steve Wynn’s Mirage Resort

A quickly became the most popular casino on the Strip.

B set new standards for future Las Vegas resorts.
C offered fine dining for hotel guests only.
D was the first hotel to put on spectacular nightly entertainment.

5 In the 1990s the city centre of Las Vegas

A was upgraded with a few high-tech cinemas.

B attracted the entertainment industry.
C became much more lively.
D offered hourly outdoor laser shows throughout the day.

6 A number of modern luxury hotels were built

A along the most attractive stretches of the Strip.

B in an environmentally friendly way.
C to appeal mainly to the younger visitors.
D on the sites of the old hotels.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
D

5
SAMPLE TASK FOR MULTIPLE MATCHING
Read the texts about three young immigrants. Find out which statement is true for which person and put a
cross below the right person. Just use one cross for each line. The first one (0) has been done for you.

Find out which person… Sayeed Maika Mai Hua Ta

0. was born in Kuwait. X

1. found that the English which people spoke

was not like the English taught in school.

2. doesn´t want to return to his/her country

of birth.

3. found the English weather very cold at first.

4. says people in England don´t care that

much about their clothes.

5. didn´t know how to use cutlery.

6. can speak only English fluently.

7. misses the food from his/her native country.

8. thinks the British tend to be conservative.

9. finds some aspects of family life better in

Britain.

Find out whose…

10. family doesn’t live in England.

SAYEED

My father left Palestine when the war started and fled to Kuwait. He met my mother there, although she´s English, and
I was born there. They sent me to school in England when I was 10, which I quite enjoyed. It was vastly different from
life in Kuwait; there were so many rules and it seemed so alien to me. But I tried hard to fit in. We spoke English at
home, so the language wasn´t a problem when I came to England. Nowadays I wish I had learnt Arabic while I was
little, and not been so against learning it. I had a private tutor, but I´m afraid I was a horrible pupil. One day I really
upset him so he wouldn´t come back and teach me any more!

It would have been nice to speak two languages fluently, but I think I´m not really talented as far as languages go. I´m
hopeless at French, in spite of learning it for years at school.

What I miss about life in Kuwait is the big family gatherings. There´s much more to family life than in England. But I
like the freedom you have here too. Too much family can get annoying.

6
I love Arabic food and I suppose I just copied my dad when it came to eating Arabic style. My brother and sister and I
were not like typical Kuwaiti kids and he would always joke about us being "weak from the English side", although I
know he was very proud of us too.

If I have a family I would want my children to belong to both cultures. I think it´s important not to deny your origins,
and to continue being Palestinian. I think of myself as a "double-caste" not a "half-caste"!

During the Gulf War I felt threatened, a bit less confident. But apart from some bad experiences when some people
reacted badly to me, I´ve never been discriminated against. The only racist experiences I´ve had were in my head. In
fact London especially is a very tolerant place. I like the way the English are straight with you, they don´t like airs and
graces. They can be a bit conservative for my liking, and I can´t stand being patronised by some of them. But the
variety of cultures is great, it makes London a great place to live in.

MAIKA

I came from Poland in 1989. It was quite unstable there then and life here in England seemed much easier. I was
married to an Englishman and he was brought back here by his company. There are lots of differences, for example
there´s a bigger variety of food here, with the Indian and Chinese restaurants, and so on. I had learnt English in school,
but when I got here it wasn´t the same. Some accents, like cockney, are so difficult to understand!

Apart from my family and friends I don´t really feel I´m missing very much. It´s important to keep in touch and I do
mix with Poles when I can. If I have children I want them to learn Polish and keep up the cultural traditions. Families
in Poland are much closer than in Britain. I was amazed how some people here don´t see their sisters or brothers ever!
In Poland it is more like it used to be here. They take care of the old people and there´s more discipline. Families help
each other more.

People here in England dress more casually, different than in Poland. They don´t care what they look like. But I enjoy
the differences. The British are very tolerant and friendly. I´ll always be Polish, I think it´s impossible to change deep
down, and I don´t see any advantage in changing.

MAI HUA TA

My grandmother was one of the "Boat People" who left Vietnam in little boats to get away from persecution. We
immigrated to Britain later when I was only seven. My grandmother came to the airport to meet us with loads of
jackets, it was so cold. I´ll always remember seeing English people for the first time. Their hair is so colourful! And
compared to us they are so big.

It was easy for me and my brother to learn English but my parents still don´t speak good English. They can get by in
everyday situations but can´t really converse properly.

My mum still can´t use a knife and fork properly, but we children soon got used to everything. I´d never seen cheese
before, and apples and grapes were very strange too.

We are ethnically Chinese, not Vietnamese, and in our tradition the old people are treated with a lot of respect. I want
my children to learn that too, because after all, I´m going to be old one day too.

I don´t want to go back to Vietnam. There´s a lot of corruption there and I´ve heard of people having to pay the police
to stop them making trouble for them. My mum misses being with Chinese people but I find it better here. The
standard of living is much higher, though I miss the family closeness, and some of the food.

The older generation Chinese people are very strict with the young people. You are not supposed to kiss your
boyfriend, or even hold hands in public. There´s too much gossip. I don´t mix with the Chinese much. There´s more
freedom here. I like the British, I like their openness, and they are more straightforward than the Chinese. But I want
my children to learn Chinese, I want the best of both cultures.

7
LANGUAGE IN USE 20 p.

SAMPLE TASK FOR WORD FORMATION

Read the text about whether it is right to keep pets. Some words are missing from the text. Use the words in
brackets to form a word that fits in the gap (1-10). Write your answers in the spaces provided on the answer
sheet. The first one (0) has been done for you.

PROS AND CONS OF KEEPING PETS

Because of pet overpopulation, just about all animal activists would (0) ___ (probable) agree that we should
spay and neuter our cats and dogs. But there would be some (1) ___ (agree) if you were to ask whether we
should breed cats and dogs if all the shelters (2) ___ (be) empty and there were good, loving homes available.
Animal (3) ___ (industry), such as the fur industry and factory farms, try to discredit animal (4) ___
(protect) groups by claiming that activists want to take people’s pets away. While some animal rights activists
do not (5) ___ (belief) in keeping pets, I can assure you that no one wants to take your dog away from you.

What are the arguments for keeping pets?

Many people consider their pets to be (6) ___ (member) of the family, and treat them with love and respect.
The feeling often appears to be mutual, as our dogs and cats seek us out to play, to be (7) ___ (pet), or to just
simply sit in our laps. They provide (8) ___ (condition) love and devotion. To deny them and us this (9) ___
(relate) seems unthinkable to some. Also, keeping pets does not "use" the animals in the same way that
factory farms, animal testing labs or circuses use and (10) ___ (use) the animals.

0 probably 6

1 7

2 8

3 9

4 10

8
SAMPLE TASK FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE
Read the text about a young woman’s career plans. Some words are missing from the text. Choose the correct
answer (A, B, C or D) for each gap (1-10) in the text. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first
one (0) has been done for you.

KATY’S INTERNSHIP
Have you ever thought of doing an internship? Let me tell you about Katy, (0) ___ came to work at our hotel, The
Carlington. It was just after Easter that I (1) ___ Katy’s email. She wrote that, as a little girl, she had spent a holiday at
The Carlington, and since then had (2) ___ dreamed of running a hotel. She had already applied to study Tourism and
Hotel Management at university. However, she was unsure whether the hotel business was (3) ___ for her.
Was she really suited? She asked if I (4) ___ be interested in having her at The Carlington to do an internship during the
summer. She was looking for a way of gaining first-hand experience of the hotel business and thought this would be the
ideal opportunity. She didn’t expect any payment.
I was impressed by Katy’s attitude. She was prepared to (5) ___ up her free time to get to know the hotel business.
Moreover, I could tell that she was keen to learn and (6) ___. She didn’t simply assume that anybody could be a
successful hotel manager; she understood that she needed training and qualifications as well as her passion. It was also
nice to hear, of course, that our establishment had been her inspiration.
Katy came to us in August, at the height of the holiday (7) ___. At first she shadowed our regular staff, which means
that she observed them (8) ___ and, with their support, assisted in small ways. She was occupied mainly at reception,
where she had to deal with guests, and in the office, where I took the time to (9) ___ certain procedures and important
aspects of the job to her. As it became clear that Katy was an extremely competent and independent young lady, she
was allowed (10) ___ more on her own. At the end of the month, when she left us, Katy knew for certain that she had
chosen the right career. Next summer she’s coming back to The Carlington – and this time she’ll get paid. The internship
was an excellent idea for her and us, wasn’t it!
0 A that B which C who D what

1 A became B received C delivered D reached

2 A always B mostly C usually D normally

3 A being right B a right thing C the right thing D to be right

4 A should B could C will D would

5 A split B give C break D make

6 A study fast B do more C work hard D try better

7 A destination B activity C season D resort

8 A from outside B for details C in the distance D at work

9 A explain B tell C talk D discuss

10 A doing B to do C to make D making

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9
SAMPLE TASK FOR EDITING
Read the text about the Austrian capital. In most lines (1-10) there is a word that should not be there. Write
these words in the spaces provided on the answer sheet. 2-4 lines are correct. Make a  in the space if the
line is correct. There are three examples (0, 00, 000).

VIENNA
0 Arriving in a new city is always an exciting prospect, especially if one 

00 has never visited it before. For six months ago this year, Vienna is the ago

1 place I’m calling at home. I had always imagined Vienna to be a city filled

2 with cafés and museums, in short, a such place where traditional values are

3 still upheld. I was rather nervous at the prospect of having been to spend

4 my days in a smoke-filled café with no any other activities to keep me

5 occupied apart from visiting up various monotonous museums. Little did I

6 know that Vienna, which with its charming old-school atmosphere, had

7 so much to offer I had never imagined me Vienna to be the modern, hip

metropolis that it has turned out to be.

8 Vienna seems to have it for all – culture with its museums, music

9 venues and historical significance, a great nightlife and an active sports

000 scene – all against a exciting very colourful background. However, as with exciting

10 most things, there has to be a downside, and for me, the traditional food

seems to be a little on the stodgy side. The food is delicious, but

in my view, lacking in vegetables and heavy on the meat.

10
SAMPLE TASK FOR A CLOZE TEXT
Read the text about the coffee company Nespresso. Complete the text by filling in the missing letters. There
is one letter per underscore. The first one (0) has been done for you.

COFFEE COMPANY TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY

The coffee company Nespresso has announced ambitious new plans to help make its operations more
sustainable. The company is a brand name of the Nestlé group of companies.

It makes and se l l s (0) espresso coffee machines and the single-use containers of coffee nee_ _ _ (1)
for the device. Its new initi_ _ _ _ _ (2) on sustainability is cal_ _ _ (3) 'The Positive Cup'. This aims to
obtain coffee thr_ _ _ _ (4) totally sustainable methods, wh_ _ _ (5) helping some of the world's
poo_ _ _ _ (6) coffee farmers. It will inv_ _ _ (7) just over $16 million in Ethiopia, Kenya and South
Sudan. A company spokesperson said it, "aims to protect the fut_ _ _ (8) of the highest quality coffees
and sec_ _ _ (9) the livelihoods of the farmers that gr_ _ (10) them".

A main component of the camp_ _ _ _ (11) is to recycle all of the alum_ _ _ _ _ (12) capsules used in
the machines. The company wi_ _ (13) collect the capsules "wher_ _ _ _ (14) the company does
business" and "incr_ _ _ _ (15) recycling rates". The company also said it would bec_ _ _ (16) "100 per
cent carbon neutral" by 2020 by plan_ _ _ _ (17) trees to compensate for its carbon footprint.
Hollywood actor George Clooney said: “The investment […] in South Sudan's coffee sector, ev_ _ (18)
while the conflict is going on, is providing much-needed income for hundreds of far_ _ _ _ (19) and
their families liv _ _ _ (20) in coffee communities.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

sells

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

11
SAMPLE TASK FOR AN OPEN GAP FILL TEXT
Read the text about the daily routine of the Queen. Some words are missing. Complete the text by writing
one word for each gap (1-10) in the spaces provided on the answer sheet. The first one (0) has been done for
you.

A MORNING IN THE LIFE OF THE QUEEN

The Queen has many different duties to perform every day. Some are public duties, such (0) ___
ceremonies, receptions and visits within the United Kingdom or abroad. Other duties are carried (1) ___
away from the cameras, but they are no less important. (2) ___ include reading letters from the public,
official papers and briefing notes; audiences with political ministers or ambassadors and meetings with
her Private Secretaries to (3) ___ daily business and her future diary plans. Even when she is away from
London, in residence at Balmoral or Sandringham, she receives official papers almost every day of every
year and remains fully briefed (4) ___ matters affecting her realms. In front of the camera or away from
it, the Queen's duties go on, and no two days in her life are ever the (5) ___. The Queen's working day
begins like many people's – at her desk. After scanning the daily British newspapers, the Queen reviews
her correspondence. Every day, 200-300 (and sometimes many more) letters from the public (6) ___.
The Queen chooses a selection to read herself and tells members of her staff how she would (7) ___
them to be answered. This enables Her Majesty personally to see a typical cross-section of her daily
correspondence. Virtually (8) ___ letter is answered by staff in her Private Secretary's office or by a lady-
in-waiting. The Queen will then see, separately, two of her Private Secretaries with the daily quota of
official papers and documents. This process (9) ___ upwards of an hour. Every day of every year,
wherever she is, the Queen receives from government ministers, and from her representatives in the
Commonwealth and foreign countries, information in the (10) ___ of policy papers, Cabinet documents,
telegrams, letters and other State papers.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

as

12
WRITING 20 p.

SAMPLE TASK FOR A BLOG COMMENT

 “Glued to the Screen”:

“Glued to the screen“

by Samantha Simon (“SamSim33”); 27/09/2020; 09:14 p.m.

Yesterday, I was riding the train for about one and a half hours and what
I experienced on this ride was really shocking: I saw dozens of young
people, aged between 6 and 40 who were all staring at their smart phone
screens or tablets, completely submerged in their virtual, digital world. I
didn’t see any conversation between these people even though, I’m sure,
some of them were friends, colleagues, classmates, neighbours or the like.

I am really worried that this has become the new reality: that people don’t
interact with each other face to face any more but only via social media. I
truly think that this is a development for the worse and that mobile
phones should be banned in public altogether.

Where are the good old times, when you talked to people, made eye
contact and smiled to strangers, asked the time or the way and made
friends and new acquaintances while doing so?

My question and a message to all the young people out there is:

What’s so exciting about being online all the time? Stop being glued to the screen and enjoy the real world and real
people instead!

You have just read the above post on a personal blog and have decided to comment on this
blog post. In your blog comment you should:

 analyse Samantha’s attitude towards digital technology.

 discuss reasons why young people spend a lot of time in front of their screens.
 suggest rules and guidelines for the use of mobile phones in public.

Give your user name and the date at the beginning and include interactive elements, i.e.
address your readers directly. Structure your blog in a coherent way.

Write 250 words. (+/- 10%)

Texts that grossly fail to meet the word limit will be penalized.

13
  “Food Options at School”: This is what a young woman from Britain writes:

By Jessica Miller

March 10

I still remember the day when I carried my lunchbox to school but I can’t
remember what was inside. Maybe I can’t remember because it was the same as
everyone else’s food. And with school cafeterias the variety of food offered at
school didn’t get any better.

So, really, please tell me why is it that we do not care about the food that is
offered at school? What’s it like in your country, at your school/ university?

Please leave your comments below.

You have just read the above post on a personal blog on “Betterfood”, an online platform
where people post their ideas about food options at schools and you have decided to
comment on this blog post. In your blog comment you should:

 describe the food situation at your school

 suggest what kind of food should be offered at school
 discuss if schools are responsible for teaching pupils about food

Give your user name and the date at the beginning and include interactive elements, i.e.
address your readers directly. Structure your blog in a coherent way.

Write 250 words. (+/- 10%)

Texts that grossly fail to meet the word limit will be penalized.

14
 EPE SAMPLE - ORAL EXAM
Vorstudienlehrgang der Wiener Universitäten
1150 Wien

Bei der mündlichen Prüfung werden Ihnen zwei Themen aus dem Themenpool genannt, Sie wählen eines davon und erhalten
einen Impuls, über den Sie mit Ihrer Prüferin / Ihrem Prüfer ein etwa siebenminütiges Gespräch führen.

Im Anhang finden Sie zwei Beispiele für Bildimpulse und Beispiele für Fragen, die Ihnen gestellt werden. Es dürfen keine
Wörterbücher verwendet werden.

Für die Beurteilung der Sprechperformanz werden folgende Teilbereiche bewertet:

 task achievement (task addressed and expanded; clear and convincing arguments)

 fluency & interaction (tempo; connected ideas; ease of expression; effective turn-taking; productive pauses - lack of hesitation)

 range of spoken language (vocabulary & structures)

 accuracy of spoken language (lexical & grammatical control; pronunciation; intonation)

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 TOPICS EPE

1. family, friends and relationships

defining friendship • number of friends • qualities of a true friend • kinds of friendship • childhood friendship • adult
friendship • work husband/work wife • circle of friends • friend or acquaintance
how to make a relationship work • what being in a relationship means • online dating • first love • true love • being
single • depiction of romantic love in film
definition of family • forms of family (nuclear families, extended families, single parents, same sex families) • changing
family structures • having children • parenting styles • functions of family • working parents • stay-at-home parents •
maternity and paternity leave • divorce

2. hobbies, free-time activities and (celebrating) special events

traditions (Christmas, New Year, birthdays, etc) • having a good time • being on holiday • spending a holiday • gap year
• graduating from university • personal achievements • special moments • student parties
e-readers • future of books • reading habits • choosing a book • favourite book • genres • what makes a good book •
book vs film • fiction versus non-fiction • classics • educational aspects of reading • fairy tales • poetry • benefits of
reading • libraries • book clubs • stress prevention • sports and exercise • extreme sports • team sports

3. nutrition and health

food pyramids • fast food • restaurants and eating out • food delivery services • healthy living/ lifestyles • school
lunches • being on a diet • plant based nutrition (vegetarians - fruitarians – vegans) • food industry • food additives •
eating disorders • fighting world hunger • alternative food sources • effects of food production on the environment •
smoking • food addictions • food allergies • stress relief • sports and exercise • GM (genetically modified) food

4. homes and living; countries, cities, home towns

types of housing • moving out of your family home • city vs country life • living in remote areas • back to nature •
house vs home • renting vs buying • dream house • green houses • tiny houses and micro apartments • student
accommodation • living on your own vs living in a dorm/ shared flat • smart homes • suburban areas • megacities •
cities of the future • urbanization • outdoor spaces historic cities • modern cities • urban planning • moving and
relocating • mobile living • differences between students‘ home towns and Vienna

5. shopping/ consumerism
shopping for happiness? • shopaholics • second hand products • ethical clothes • sustainable shopping trends •
alternative shopping • online shopping • purchase decisions • marketing and marketing strategies • supermarket secrets
/ supermarket tricks • bargains • spending/saving/ earning money • (fixed) expenses

6. world of work, jobs

different working places • working conditions • working environments • types of work • payment/ salary •
qualifications, competences and skills • work experience • internships • blue / white collar • manual labour versus office
work • employment/ career chances • unemployment • personal skills (strengths and weaknesses) • job application/cv •
job interview • job descriptions • equal rights/opportunities of men and women • gender equality • diversity
management • outsourcing • brain drain • working teenagers • jobs of the future • work and health • work-life-balance •
stress management (burn-out prevention)

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7. education, university and language learning
knowledge vs skills • teaching methods • flipped classroom • teacher centred learning • student centred learning • fixed
mindset vs growth mindset • language learning techniques • home-schooling • coeducation • public and private schools
• comprehensive school • school uniforms • standardized testing • schools now and then • British, US American and
Austrian school system • modern technologies at school • student exchange • language trips • lifelong learning •
motivation • gap year • studying abroad • applying for university • student loans • university fees • school and personal
development • jobs and professions for young people • summer jobs • working as a teenager • money and job
satisfaction • volunteering • jobs and family life • future career
language acquisition • how to learn a new language • traditional versus new/ digital methods • the perfect teacher • the
perfect student • the perfect classroom • the perfect school • online learning/ tutoring • learning apps • using a
language outside the classroom • mnemonic-techniques • learning by doing • (coping with stressful) exam situations

8. media and communication

types of media (traditional vs. modern, social) • role of media today • media use today • young people and the news •
watching TV - consumption and opinions of young people • reality shows and docu-soaps • film – genres, forms of
consumption • film industry • fiction vs. reality in films, shows • surveillance and the media – identity and privacy •
celebrities • paparazzi • newspapers (tabloids and broadsheets) • English as a global language • means of
communication in the past and present • influences of modern technologies on communication • advantages and
disadvantages of smartphone communication • intercultural communication • social networks • cyber bullying

9. travel, tourism, means of transport

different means of transport • means of public transport • rush hour, traffic jams • commuting to/ from work •
alternative forms of transport • carbon footprint • different types of tourism • positive and negative aspects of tourism
• problems of mass tourism (over-tourism) and solutions • gap year • eco-tourism • sustainable tourism • planning a trip
• trends in the tourism industry • target groups for various forms of tourisms • marketing in tourism • (favourite)
holiday destinations • traveller versus tourist • sustainable travel • Austria as a tourist country • tourism and the
economy

10. future plans, future trends and future dreams

modern technologies and their role for young people • education and modern technologies • influences of modern
technologies (smart phones, tablets) on child development • computer gaming – chances and risks • traditional and
modern forms of games • influences of internet technologies on modern life • genetic engineering • genetic
modification of food • Fridays for future • driverless cars • electric cars • green cities • banning cars from inner city
centres

11. clothes, fashion

fashion trends • fashion and the media • fashion industry • modelling • super models • fashion icons and idols • male
fashion • celebrities • privacy and paparazzi • tattoos and body modification • body building • peer pressure • social
trends • life cycle of trends • trend setters • subcultures • youth cultures • food trends and food stylists • bloggers and
vloggers • back to basics • body image • trends, hypes and things going viral

12. environmental issues and change

(global aspects of) climate change – facts, reasons and how to prevent it • global warming • natural disasters • the
weather • deforestation and greenhouse gases • forms of pollution and how to stop it • environmental footprint •
energy production and the environment • (non) renewable energy (fossil fuels, solar energy, nuclear power plants, etc.) •
an environmentally friendly school • aspects of modern waste management • protection of nature and the growth of
modern cities • the role of the individual in fighting pollution and climate change • greenhouse effect • sustainability •
biodiversity • animals at the brink of extinction • eco-friendly-lifestyles • NGO initiatives (WWF, Greenpeace, Fridays
for Future)

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Sample 11: Topic ”Special Events“

Questions on the stimulus:

1. Compare and contrast the pictures

2. Evaluate the importance of special events and traditions for young people.
3. Speculate how traditions might change in the future.

Sample 2: Topic: ”Hobbies and free-time activities“

Questions on the stimulus:

1. Compare and contrast the pictures.

2. Explain what makes movies attractive.
3. Suggest ways to encourage young people to go to the theatre

1
Quelle: Bundesministerium Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung: „Modellaufgabenstellungen für die mündliche Reifeprüfung in den Lebenden
Fremdsprachen.“ (April 2018)

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 KEY TO THE SAMPLE TASKS

READING

 TRUE/ FALSE /JUSTIFICATION

T F first four words
0 Rikki Wieland and Michael Dürr invented “Creative Job Speed Dating”. X Creative Job Speed Dating

1. At a private event, Dürr had arranged a romantic speed dating. X The idea grew out

2. CJSD allows you to talk to five different people in less than half an hour. X I “dated” a food

3. “Creative Job Speed Dating” at Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom was the first of its X They had invited mostly
kind.

4. All freelancers have a lot of free time and can easily attend a lot of events. X As freelancers, most people

5. The Sofitel event took place in autumn. X Some were skeptical about

6. The risk you take when attending a “Creative Job Speed Dating” event is not X The worst that can
very high.

7. As a creative freelancer you have to be pushy. X While perhaps pushy, this

8. It is taboo to ask questions about money. X Even asking professionally

“personal”

9. All invitees hope to find an employment. X In the “waiting room”

10. There will be more CJSD events in Vienna. X In September and October

 MULTIPLE CHOICE

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
D A D C B C D

 MULTIPLE MATCHING
Sayeed Maika Mai Hua Ta
0 x
1 x
2 x
3 x
4 x
5 x
6 x
7 x
8 x
9 x
10 x
LANGUAGE IN USE:

 MULTIPLE CHOICE
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
C B A C D B C C D A B

 WORD FORMATION
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

probably disagreeing were industries protection believe members petted unconditional relationship abuse
disagreement misuse
disagreements

 EDITING
0 00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 000 10

 ago at such been any up which me for  exciting 

 CLOZE

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

sells needed initiative called through while poorest invest future secure grow

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

campaign aluminium will wherever increase become planting even farmers living

 OPEN GAP FILL

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

as out These/ discuss on/ same arrive/ like/ every takes/ form
these about come need/ lasts/
want/ requires
wish
WRITING
 Authentic student performance for model blog comment “Glued to the screen”

User: justwannaputitright01;

September 28, 2020; 11:05

@SamSim
I can only partly agree with your post. I am a teenager and I don’t use my phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and neither do my
friends. As it seems to me, we use our mobile phones and tablets in appropriate ways at the right time and at the right places and
our aim is definitely not to hide behind them because of our shyness.

On the other hand, I can fully understand older adults and their dissatisfaction with the younger generation (my parents have the
same opinion as you ). But I disagree that using mobile technologies for a long time means we want to escape from reality.
There are some reasons why we are “glued to the screen” as you said.

First of all, our generation (born in the 2000s) grew up already surrounded by computers and telephones – we watched the devices
developing, getting more options, becoming easier to use. Adults who didn’t have any phones in their childhood and got used to
living without them can’t understand the importance of mobile technologies in our modern world.

To my mind, phones are meant as sources of communication; that’s why there’s nothing bad in being able to keep in touch with
friends and relatives. The next reason is a big variety of options on our devices that are helpful in lots of ways in our life, e.g. for
studying, looking up timetables of public transport, searching for unknown words, listening to music.

But even though we can’t imagine our life without phones anymore, it’s important to stay in real life. We all know these parties
when everybody is on the phone, right guys? In my point of view, it’s also impolite to use phones while speaking with
somebody or during lessons (even if nobody notices it.) Furthermore, while attending meetings or using some public places (the
library for instance), you should better turn the sound off.

Do you guys have any other ideas how to use your smartphone appropriately? Also, I think Samantha could need some more
assurances from us youngsters that we are not lost behind our screens all the time. What do you think?
# we_are_not_addicted_to_our_phones
  Authentic student performance for a model blog comment “Food options at school”1:

student01

29/09/2020; 09:48

Although the school which I attend usually offers a great variety of different food, I hear your problem, Jessica, about the school
cafeterias and the food they offer.

Considering the fact that cooking is a class at my school and professional chefs and their students prepare our meals daily, it
probably is self-explaining that our food is fresh and mostly healthy.

At other schools, especially in the US, though, this isn’t as common as it is at our school. Over the past years, blogs, websites and
newspaper articles have showed how unhealthy the food is which most cafeterias offer. The problem is that mostly, students don’t
have much choice since their parents probably have full-time jobs and not enough time to take care of their lunch.

I think it is underestimated how important healthy nutrition is. Therefore, cafeterias should prepare the meals freshly and offer a
greater variety of food, especially more vegetables.

I would also suggest that schools and their cafeterias let students be a part of the whole food-making process. This way students are
taught cooking skills as well as some knowledge about healthier food and its preparation. Also, the school may save some money by
letting their students help.

Schools need to realize they may aren’t entirely responsible for teaching these students about healthy nutrition but they definitely
are an important part of it.

What does everyone else think? I’d be interested in other comments as well!

 Authentic student performance for a model blog comment “Food options at school”:

student02

29/09/2020; 09:48

Dear Jessica,

I have read your blog post about the food which is offered at school and I would like to make some comments.

I attend a tourism school in Austria. In general, the food in our school is ok. We have two possibilities to get lunch. The first one is
to go the cafeteria, where the food is cooked by some students and chefs. I think that is a great opportunity for eating lunch,
because students can choose between two main dishes and for every lunch students get different types of salads. The second
opportunity is to go to the school buffet and buy a sandwich or something sweet.

I think the food in the cafeteria is much better than on the buffet, because you have the possibility to get more or less healthy food
for lunch which is very important. On the other hand, I don’t want to say that every school should offer only vegetables every day
because it is healthy. Generally, schools should find a “balanced” way, this means that healthy food is important, but shouldn’t be
the only possibility to eat lunch.

On the one hand it is important that students are well informed of “good” and of “bad food” but on the other hand the decision
what to eat has to be done by oneself. In my opinion, teachers could try to teach pupils about food but I am sure that not
everybody would listen, because not everybody would be interested.

I think the most important people who can influence the children concerning food are their parents.

What do you guys think? Please add your comments below!

HINWEIS: Es handelt sich bei diesen Texten um authentische, nicht korrigierte Performanzen zur Illustration positiv bewerteter Blogkommentare
(blog comments).

1vgl. pdf Aussendung des Bundesministeriums für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung: „Blogeintrag-/ kommentar als Textsorte
bei der schriftlichen Reife- und Diplomprüfung in den lebenden Fremdsprachen.“ (Jänner 2020)
  CHARACTERISTICS of the text type blog:
Zweck/Funktion: – Für persönliche und private Zwecke, um (1) Meinungen auszudrücken, zu informieren und Erfahrungen
mitzuteilen oder um (2) auf Einträge anderer zu reagieren und diese zu kommentieren.

Leserschaft: Freund/innen, Gleichgesinnte

Layout: Titel (nur bei Blog Post), Benutzername, Datum/Uhrzeit

Aufbau: Titel (nur bei Blog Post): Soll die Aufmerksamkeit/das Interesse der Leserschaft wecken (z.B. durch Titel in Frageform,
Wortspiele, schockierende oder überraschende Statements) und auf den vorigen Eintrag Bezug nehmen.

- Einleitung: Soll die Aufmerksamkeit der Leserin/des Lesers wecken, zum Weiterlesen anregen (z.B. durch Anekdoten,
Zitate, indirekte Fragen etc.) und auf den vorigen Eintrag Bezug nehmen.

- Hauptteil: Soll in Absätze gegliedert werden.

- Schluss: Ein erkennbarer Schluss ist vorhanden; dieser kann einen Bezug zur Einleitung herstellen oder eine
Zusammenfassung geben.

Register/Stil: – Muss an die Leserschaft angepasst werden, entweder persönlich oder neutral. Stilistische Aspekte sind abhängig
von der Leserschaft/Zielgruppe.

- Häufige Verwendung der Ich-Form; Einbau von interaktiven Elementen; Leserschaft soll (direkt) angesprochen werden

 ASSESSMENT SCALE for the writing task (20 pts)

max. Task Achievement Organisation Lexical and Structural Range Lexical and
pts and Coherence Structural Accuracy

5 (a) Requirements of set task type fully (a) Performance (a) Expresses him / herself very (a) Very good
observed has a very clear clearly without any sign of structural control
overall structure having to restrict what he / she
(b) Salutation / closing appropriate and at the text level wants to say (b) Hardly any slips
precise or errors
(b) Highly (b) Uses a very good variety of
(c) All content points addressed and fully effective use of structures (c) Excellent
developed paragraphing control of spelling
(c) Uses a range of complex
(d) Relevant supporting details / (c) Develops structures / sentence forms (d) Lexical
examples are provided for all content points in a very accuracy is very
points clear and (d) Uses a very wide range of high; hardly any
systematic way vocabulary incorrect word
(e) Evaluates different ideas or solutions choice
to a problem very well (d) Marks (e) Varies formulation to avoid
relationships repetition (e) Highly accurate
(f) Gives very good reasons in support of use of linking
between ideas in
/ against points of view (f) Expresses him / herself very devices
a very clear way
confidently, clearly and politely
(g) Successfully and convincingly in a register appropriate for the (f) Meets all
(e) Uses a wide
highlights the personal significance of set task expected standard
variety of
events / ideas punctuation
linking devices
(g) Uses a very good range of conventions
(h) Expresses news and views effectively language to express viewpoints
and relates convincingly to those of / develop arguments (g) No re-reading
others necessary
(i) Set word length (+/- 10 %) observed