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Academic Year: 2014 / 2015 Level: 2nd Year Baccalaureate

English Exam N°3 Student’s name: ………………
Duration: 2 hours Class: …………………………...

(1) The clearing of tropical forests across the

Earth has been occurring on a large scale basis
for many centuries. This process, known as
deforestation, involves the cutting down, burning
and damaging of forests. The loss of tropical rain
forests is more profound than merely destruction
of beautiful areas. If the current rate of
deforestation continues, the world’s rain forests
will vanish within 100 years-causing unknown
effects on global climate and eliminating the
majority of plant and animal species on the planet.

(2) Deforestation occurs in many ways. Most of the clearing is done for agricultural
purposes: grazing cattle and planting crops. Poor farmers chop down a small area and burn
the tree trunks-a process called Slash and Burn agriculture. Intensive or modern agriculture
occurs on a much larger scale, sometimes deforesting several square miles at a time. Large
cattle pastures often replace rain forests to grow beef for the world market.

(3) Commercial logging is another common form of deforestation: cutting trees for sale as
timber or pulp. Logging can occur selectively where only the economically valuable species
are cut, or by clearcutting where all the trees are cut. Commercial logging uses heavy
machinery, such as bulldozers, road graders and log skidders, to remove cut trees and build
roads, which is just as damaging to a forest overall as the chainsaws are to the individual
trees.

(4) The causes of deforestation are very complex. A competitive global economy drives the
need for money in economically challenged tropical countries. At the national level,
governments sell logging concessions to raise money for projects, to pay international debt
or to develop industry. For example, Brazil had an international debt of $159 billion, on which
it must make payments each year. The logging companies seek to harvest the forest and
make profit from the sales of pulp and valuable hardwoods such as mahogany.

(5) Deforestation by a peasant farmer is often done to raise crops for self-subsistence, and
is driven by the basic human need for food. Most tropical countries are very poor by U.S.
standards, and farming is a basic way of life for a large part of the population. In Brazil, for
example, the average annual earnings per person is $5400, compared to $26,980 per person
in the United States (World Bank,2008). In Bolivia, which holds part of the Amazon rain
forest, the average earnings per person is $800. Farmers in these countries do not have
money to buy necessities and must raise crops for food.

(6) Humans bear the responsibility for

deforestation and the global ecological crisis. But
humankind has the ability and potential to change
its ways. Humans will probably turn the situation
around and the lost forests will be regenerated. The
benefits will be many. Trees will help protect the
land from the rising seas and further erosion.
Biodiversity will be safeguarded, and endangered
species will have better chances for survival. Water and air quality will improve. Human
health will also benefit from medicinal compounds that are given a chance to be discovered.

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I-COMPREHENSION (15 POINTS) BASE YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT.

A – ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. (3 pts)

1- What is deforestation?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………….

2- Why do some countries, like Brazil, deforest their lands?

…………………………………………………………………………………………
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3- List some of the good effects forests have on humankind.

……………………………………………………………………………………
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B - ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY. (6pts)
1- Deforestation is a recent phenomenon.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………

2- Some kinds of wood are expensive.

…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………

3- The statistics about the average earnings in Brazil are issued by the
government.
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C – COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES. (2 pts)

1- The loss of the world’s rain forests will not only affect global climate, but………
…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2- Heavy machinery, like bulldozers and log skidders, is used for………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
D – FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS THAT MEAN THE SAME AS: (2 pts)
1- look for (paragraph 4)……………………………………………………

2- Change(paragraph 6)……………………………………………………..
E – WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO? (2 pts)
1-it (paragraph 4 )………………………………………………………………………….
2-its (paragraph 6 )……………………………………………………………………

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II-LANGUAGE (15 POINTS)

A-FILL IN EACH GAP WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORD FROM THE LIST (2pts)

promote, combating, emancipating, abolish

1- The National Initiative for Human Development , launched ten years ago ,aims to
…………………….urban areas and eliminate poverty.
2-Greenpeace is an international organization which is mainly concerned with
…………………………….deforestation and pollution.

B-PUT THE VERBS BETWEEN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT TENSE. (3pts)

1- I (perfect) ……………………..my English by the time I take an intensive three-

month course in BRITISH COUNCIL.
2-The bell (already/ring )………………………… when I got to school.
3- Ahmed (fall)……………………..asleep while the teacher was explaining the
lesson.

C-GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS BETWEEN BRACKETS. (3pts)

1-A (confer) …………………..on Global Warming will be held in Marrakech next year.
2-The old man lost his (see) ………………………….after the surgery.
3-An(energy )………………………………..person is very active and does not feel
tired quickly.

D-JOIN THE PAIRS OF SENTENCES WITH THE LINKING WORDS GIVEN. (3pts)

1-The weather was beautiful. We went on a picnic. ( since)

………………………………………………………………………………………………
2-Ahmed is not happy, although he is a multi-millionaire .(but)
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3-My little brother is collecting money.He wants to buy a tablet .(with the aim of)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

E-REWRITE THE SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN . (2pts)

1-Mr Jalali and his family wanted to go skiing this winter, but they did not book the
holiday in time.
They should…………………………………………………………………………..
2-I advise you to dress more appropriately, because the party we are invited to is
formal.
You ‘d better…………………………………………………………………………….

F-WRITE AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS. ( 2PTS)

1-Your friend : As far as I am concerned ,the Internet has revolutionized our lives.
You : (Agree)…………………………………………………………….
.2-Your neighbour : Will you please post these letters for me?
You :(Respond to this request)……………………………………………………….

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III-WRITING (10 POINTS)

You once had a problem at school. Write a letter to your friend telling him/her
about it . (Approximately 250 words)

-What was the problem? When was it?

-Who was involved?
-Was the problem solved? How?
-What was your feeling?

January 7th, 2016

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