Reflect Reading & Writing, Level 4: Unit 2 Assessment

Name: Class: Date:

VOCABULARY
Choose the best word to complete each sentence.

1. Most universities in the U.S. have students who come from a(n) ________________ range of
countries.
a. diverse b. official c. sensitive
2. In terms of area, Canada is the second largest ________________ in the world, but in terms of
population, it is only the 39th largest.
a. brand b. fusion c. nation
3. Good presenters often use photos, diagrams, or other kinds of visuals to ________________ the points
they want to make.
a. announce b. illustrate c. respect
4. Some global sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup, ________________
every four years.
a. criticize b. divide c. occur
5. During hot weather, ice cream companies ________________ from people’s desire to stay cool.
a. profit b. symbolize c. trade
6. On the streets of multicultural cities like Melbourne and Berlin, one can hear ________________
different languages spoken.
a. multiple b. official c. sensitive
7. Many people believe that famous ________________ are better than the products of companies that
are less well-known, but this is not always true.
a. brands b. impressions c. values
8. Some people think that these days, younger people no longer ________________ older people. I don’t
agree.
a. divide b. occur c. respect
9. In the past, companies would often ________________ new products through advertisements; these
days, they may do it via social media.
a. announce b. criticize c. trade
10. New technologies and new ideas can ________________ people: some people love them and others
have a more negative opinion.
a. criticize b. divide c. illustrate

GRAMMAR
Complete each sentence with the passive form of the verb in parentheses. Use either simple
present or simple past.

11. The children ________________________ (tell) not to make too much noise, but they didn’t listen.

12. Goods from all over the world ________________________ (sell) in most shopping malls.

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13. “Dynamite,” the first English-only song by K-pop band BTS, ________________________ (release)
on August 21, 2020, and quickly became the number one song in several countries.

14. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France ________________________ (build) between 1887 and 1889.

15. Except in rare cases, the New York City marathon ________________________ (run) on the first
Sunday in November.

16. Kongo Gumi, a Japanese construction firm that ________________________ (found) more than 1,400
years ago, is the oldest company in the world.

17. We think of the internet as a modern invention, but actually, the first email message
________________________ (send) in 1971.

18. The sport of golf developed first in Scotland, but now it ________________________ (enjoy) all over
the world.

READING FOR MAIN IDEAS

Read the text and the first sentence of the summary. Then answer the question.

HOW LANGUAGES ARE BORN

A There are fewer than 200 independent countries in the world. However, language experts say
that more than 7,100 languages are spoken. This raises an interesting question: How did all these
languages develop?

B In simple terms, there are two common ways that languages develop. The first way is when a
group of people that speak the same language separate into two or more groups. For example, this
might happen if one nation divides into two independent countries. At first, the languages of the two
groups will be the same. Over time, however, the pronunciation will change slightly. Some new words
will be added, and other words will be lost, and the grammar will change, too. These changes will be
small in the early years after the division. As a result, the two groups will be able to understand each
other with minimal difficulty. If the two groups stay separated, however, the differences will grow. In
the end, their languages will change so much that people can no longer understand each other. At this
point, a new language has been born.

C The example of Latin illustrates this process well. It was the principal language of the Roman
Empire. This was the main power in Europe for hundreds of years. About 1,500 years ago, the Roman
Empire ended. When this occurred, people who spoke Latin separated into many groups. In the years
since then, Latin has changed into multiple languages. In fact, experts say more than 40 languages
developed from it. Of these, Romanian has the most similar grammar. Italian is closest in terms of
vocabulary. And Sardinian has the most similar pronunciation.

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
 D The second common way that languages develop is almost the opposite of the first. In other
words, new languages can be born when two cultures meet. The people from the two groups do not
have a shared language, so they cannot understand each other easily. This makes it hard for people to
share ideas or to trade with each other. To make life easier, a so-called pidgin language might develop.
At first, pidgins have a basic vocabulary with words from both cultures. They also have a limited
grammar for simple communication. When pidgins first develop, they do not have any native speakers.
Everybody who uses them is a native speaker of another language. If the two cultures use the pidgin
for long enough, some people will be born who speak it as their native language. These speakers add
to the vocabulary and grammar, and the language grows and develops. At this point, the pidgin is
called a creole.

E One famous example of a modern creole is Tok Pisin. Tok Pisin began as a pidgin when
English speakers from Australia began trading with people on the island of Papua New Guinea. In fact,
the name Tok Pisin comes from the English words “talk” and “pidgin.” Over time, groups of local
people who spoke different native languages started using Tok Pisin to converse and trade with each
other as well as with Australians. Eventually, children were born who spoke Tok Pisin as their first
language. These days, it is the main language for about one million people.

F What will happen in the future? Will new languages continue to be born? Actually, some
experts worry that many languages might die out. The reason is global languages like English,
Spanish, and Arabic. Many people feel they need to speak these languages to succeed in life. As a
result, they may stop speaking their native languages. This would be a bad thing because languages are
such an important part of people’s cultural heritage, developed over many years.

SUMMARY
Two common situations can lead to the birth of new languages.
•
•
•

19. ________ Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most
important ideas in the text. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas
that are not presented in the text or are minor ideas in the text.
a. When a culture divides, this can result in language change and development.
b. Languages with basic grammar often have a limited vocabulary as well.
c. Most languages spoken on Papua New Guinea are pidgins or creoles.
d. The birth of new languages happens slowly over a long period of time.
e. The languages most likely to change are those spoken by many people.
f. The need to communicate and do business can lead to new languages.

READING FOR DETAILS

Read the text. Then write T (true) or F (false). Correct the underlined section in a false
statement.

HOW LANGUAGES ARE BORN

A There are fewer than 200 independent countries in the world. However, language experts say
that more than 7,100 languages are spoken. This raises an interesting question: How did all these
languages develop?

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
 B In simple terms, there are two common ways that languages develop. The first way is when a
group of people that speak the same language separate into two or more groups. For example, this
might happen if one nation divides into two independent countries. At first, the languages of the two
groups will be the same. Over time, however, the pronunciation will change slightly. Some new words
will be added, and other words will be lost, and the grammar will change, too. These changes will be
small in the early years after the division. As a result, the two groups will be able to understand each
other with minimal difficulty. If the two groups stay separated, however, the differences will grow. In
the end, their languages will change so much that people can no longer understand each other. At this
point, a new language has been born.

C The example of Latin illustrates this process well. It was the principal language of the Roman
Empire. This was the main power in Europe for hundreds of years. About 1,500 years ago, the Roman
Empire ended. When this occurred, people who spoke Latin separated into many groups. In the years
since then, Latin has changed into multiple languages. In fact, experts say more than 40 languages
developed from it. Of these, Romanian has the most similar grammar. Italian is closest in terms of
vocabulary. And Sardinian has the most similar pronunciation.

D The second common way that languages develop is almost the opposite of the first. In other
words, new languages can be born when two cultures meet. The people from the two groups do not
have a shared language, so they cannot understand each other easily. This makes it hard for people to
share ideas or to trade with each other. To make life easier, a so-called pidgin language might develop.
At first, pidgins have a basic vocabulary with words from both cultures. They also have a limited
grammar for simple communication. When pidgins first develop, they do not have any native speakers.
Everybody who uses them is a native speaker of another language. If the two cultures use the pidgin
for long enough, some people will be born who speak it as their native language. These speakers add
to the vocabulary and grammar, and the language grows and develops. At this point, the pidgin is
called a creole.

E One famous example of a modern creole is Tok Pisin. Tok Pisin began as a pidgin when
English speakers from Australia began trading with people on the island of Papua New Guinea. In fact,
the name Tok Pisin comes from the English words “talk” and “pidgin.” Over time, groups of local
people who spoke different native languages started using Tok Pisin to converse and trade with each
other as well as with Australians. Eventually, children were born who spoke Tok Pisin as their first
language. These days, it is the main language for about one million people.

F What will happen in the future? Will new languages continue to be born? Actually, some
experts worry that many languages might die out. The reason is global languages like English,
Spanish, and Arabic. Many people feel they need to speak these languages to succeed in life. As a
result, they may stop speaking their native languages. This would be a bad thing because languages are
such an important part of people’s cultural heritage, developed over many years.

20. According to the text, there are two main ways in which new languages can form.

____________________________________________________________

21. Latin developed into just a few modern languages including Romanian, Italian, and Sardinian.

____________________________________________________________

22. Typically, creoles have a limited vocabulary, simple grammar, and no native speakers.

____________________________________________________________

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
23. Tok Pisin originally developed so that people from Papua New Guinea could trade with people from
other parts of that nation.

____________________________________________________________

24. There is a danger that less widely-spoken languages may die out because of the influence of globally
important languages such as English and Arabic.

____________________________________________________________

NARRBEGIN: L4U2_MC2
Read. Choose the best answer for each question.

HOW LANGUAGES ARE BORN

A There are fewer than 200 independent countries in the world. However, language experts say
that more than 7,100 languages are spoken. This raises an interesting question: How did all these
languages develop?

B In simple terms, there are two common ways that languages develop. The first way is when a
group of people that speak the same language separate into two or more groups. For example, this
might happen if one nation divides into two independent countries. At first, the languages of the two
groups will be the same. Over time, however, the pronunciation will change slightly. Some new words
will be added, and other words will be lost, and the grammar will change, too. These changes will be
small in the early years after the division. As a result, the two groups will be able to understand each
other with minimal difficulty. If the two groups stay separated, however, the differences will grow. In
the end, their languages will change so much that people can no longer understand each other. At this
point, a new language has been born.

C The example of Latin illustrates this process well. It was the principal language of the Roman
Empire. This was the main power in Europe for hundreds of years. About 1,500 years ago, the Roman
Empire ended. When this occurred, people who spoke Latin separated into many groups. In the years
since then, Latin has changed into multiple languages. In fact, experts say more than 40 languages
developed from it. Of these, Romanian has the most similar grammar. Italian is closest in terms of
vocabulary. And Sardinian has the most similar pronunciation.

D The second common way that languages develop is almost the opposite of the first. In other
words, new languages can be born when two cultures meet. The people from the two groups do not
have a shared language, so they cannot understand each other easily. This makes it hard for people to
share ideas or to trade with each other. To make life easier, a so-called pidgin language might develop.
At first, pidgins have a basic vocabulary with words from both cultures. They also have a limited
grammar for simple communication. When pidgins first develop, they do not have any native speakers.
Everybody who uses them is a native speaker of another language. If the two cultures use the pidgin
for long enough, some people will be born who speak it as their native language. These speakers add
to the vocabulary and grammar, and the language grows and develops. At this point, the pidgin is
called a creole.

E One famous example of a modern creole is Tok Pisin. Tok Pisin began as a pidgin when
English speakers from Australia began trading with people on the island of Papua New Guinea. In fact,
the name Tok Pisin comes from the English words “talk” and “pidgin.” Over time, groups of local
people who spoke different native languages started using Tok Pisin to converse and trade with each
other as well as with Australians. Eventually, children were born who spoke Tok Pisin as their first
language. These days, it is the main language for about one million people.

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
 F What will happen in the future? Will new languages continue to be born? Actually, some
experts worry that many languages might die out. The reason is global languages like English,
Spanish, and Arabic. Many people feel they need to speak these languages to succeed in life. As a
result, they may stop speaking their native languages. This would be a bad thing because languages are
such an important part of people’s cultural heritage, developed over many years.

25. The word “minimal” in paragraph B could be replaced with __________.

a. negative b. personal c. convenient d. little
26. The phrase “so-called” in paragraph D most likely means __________.
a. basic c. useful d. easily understood
b. commonly named

27. The word “converse” in paragraph E could be replaced by __________.

a. convince c. communicate d. compete
b. collect

28. The word “heritage” in paragraph F most likely means __________.

a. ability c. population d. tradition
b. opportunity

CRITICAL THINKING SKILL

Read. How could the author improve the strength of each point from the text? Choose the
correct answer.

29. _____ “The example of Latin illustrates this process well. It was the principal language of the Roman
Empire. This was the main power in Europe for hundreds of years. About 1,500 years ago, the Roman
Empire ended. When this occurred, people who spoke Latin separated into many groups. In the years
since then, Latin has changed into multiple languages. In fact, experts say more than 40 languages
developed from it.”
a. by explaining why Latin developed into so many languages
b. by giving examples of other languages spoken in the Empire
c. by saying when the Roman Empire first became so powerful
30. _____ “Tok Pisin began as a pidgin when English speakers from Australia began trading with people
on the island of Papua New Guinea. In fact, the name Tok Pisin comes from the English words “talk”
and “pidgin.” Over time, groups of local people who spoke different native languages started using
Tok Pisin to converse and trade with each other as well as with Australians. Eventually, children were
born who spoke Tok Pisin as their first language.”
a. by explaining the importance of trade between Papua New Guinea and Australia
b. by giving some examples of children who spoke Tok Pisin as their native language
c. by saying how many languages were spoken on Papua New Guinea
31. _____ “What will happen in the future? Will new languages continue to be born? Actually, some
experts worry that many languages might die out. The reason is global languages like English,
Spanish, and Arabic. Many people feel they need to speak these languages to succeed in life. As a
result, they may stop speaking their native languages. This would be a bad thing because languages are
such an important part of people’s cultural heritage, developed over many years.”
a. by contrasting the importance of English, Spanish, and Arabic with that of Latin
b. by describing some ways English, Spanish, and Arabic are similar to each other
c. by mentioning how many people speak English, Spanish, and Arabic

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
 WRITING SKILL
Read. Choose the TWO statements that support the sentence.

32. _____ Huqin are a family of traditional string instruments.

a. Huqin are played in many parts of China.
b. Learning an instrument can benefit children.
c. The most common huqin is called the erhu.
d. The population of China is about 1.4 billion.

33. _____ Injera is a traditional East African flatbread with a slightly sour taste.
a. It is easy to find restaurants selling African dishes in some cities.
b. It is made from water and an ancient grain that is called teff.
c. It is widely eaten in the countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
d. Not everybody likes to eat foods that have a sour taste.

34. _____ Hangul is the name for the main system used to write in Korean.
a. Being able to write is important, but it can take time to learn to do it well.
b. Hanja is the other writing system, but it is not commonly used these days.
c. Most people in Korea use a phone to communicate with friends and family.
d. Historical documents suggest that it was invented by King Sejong the Great.

WRITING PRACTICE 1
Read the sentence. If the sentence has a passive verb, rewrite it with an active verb. If the
sentence has an active verb, rewrite it with a passive verb.

35. Many influential styles of music have been developed by American musicians.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

36. Although pizza is originally an Italian dish, it is enjoyed by people all over the world.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

37. You can find many world-famous tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

38. Clothing styles that people wore in the past often have a big impact on modern fashions.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

39. William Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 WRITING PRACTICE 2
Read the prompt. Then write a response of at least 150 words. Your response should have an
introductory paragraph, one or two body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.

40. In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of your culture, and why: art or literature, clothes,
food and drink, music, language, sports, traditions, or something else?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
 UNIT 2 Test
Answer Key

1. ANS: A
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

2. ANS: C
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

3. ANS: B
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

4. ANS: C
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

5. ANS: A
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

6. ANS: A
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

7. ANS: A
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

8. ANS: C
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

9. ANS: A
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

10. ANS: B
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Vocabulary NAR: L4U2_MC1

11. ANS: were told

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

12. ANS: are sold

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

13. ANS: was released

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

14. ANS: was built

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

15. ANS: is run

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

16. ANS: was founded

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

17. ANS: was sent

PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

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©2021 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company
18. ANS: is enjoyed
PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Grammar NAR: L4U2_CO1

19. ANS: A, D, F PTS: 6 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading for Main Ideas
MSC: TOEFL/IELTS NAR: L4U2_MR1

20. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: L4U2

TOP: Reading for Details NAR: L4U2_MTF1

21. ANS: F
many
a lot of
several
more than 40
more than forty
multiple
PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading for Details
NAR: L4U2_MTF1

22. ANS: F, pidgins

PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading for Details
NAR: L4U2_MTF1

23. ANS: F, Australia

PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading for Details
NAR: L4U2_MTF1

24. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: L4U2

TOP: Reading for Details NAR: L4U2_MTF1

25. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading Skill

MSC: TOEFL/IELTS NAR: L4U2_MC2

26. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading Skill

MSC: TOEFL/IELTS NAR: L4U2_MC2

27. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading Skill

MSC: TOEFL/IELTS NAR: L4U2_MC2

28. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: L4U2 TOP: Reading Skill

MSC: TOEFL/IELTS NAR: L4U2_MC2

29. ANS: A PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Critical Thinking Skill

NAR: L4U2_MC3

30. ANS: C PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Critical Thinking Skill

NAR: L4U2_MC3

31. ANS: C PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Critical Thinking Skill

NAR: L4U2_MC3

32. ANS: A, C PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Skill

NAR: L4U2_MR2

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33. ANS: B, C PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Skill
NAR: L4U2_MR2

34. ANS: B, D PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Skill

NAR: L4U2_MR2

35. ANS:
Students’ own answers.
Sample answer: American musicians have developed many influential styles of music.
PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Practice 1
NAR: L4U2_SA1

36. ANS:
Students’ own answers.
Sample answer: Although pizza is originally an Italian dish, people all over the world enjoy it.
PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Practice 1
NAR: L4U2_SA1

37. ANS:
Students’ own answers.
Sample answer: Many world-famous tourist attractions can be found in Rio de Janeiro.
PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Practice 1
NAR: L4U2_SA1

38. ANS:
Students’ own answers.
Sample answer: Clothing styles that were worn in the past often have a big impact on modern fashions.
PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Practice 1
NAR: L4U2_SA1

39. ANS:
Students’ own answers.
Sample answer: Many famous plays were written by William Shakespeare.
PTS: 2 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Practice 1
NAR: L4U2_SA1

40. ANS:
Students’ own answers.
PTS: 8 REF: L4U2 TOP: Writing Practice 2
NAR: L4U2_ES1

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