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KEY - Midterm ESP 1 Reading Exam

The document provides a series of exercises focused on understanding vocabulary and phrases related to the impact of Storm Daniel in Libya, including definitions and explanations of key terms. It also includes comprehension questions about the disaster's severity, the role of rival governments, and the international community's response. Additionally, it offers guidance on paraphrasing techniques for effective communication.

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Linh Đỗ
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3 views6 pages

KEY - Midterm ESP 1 Reading Exam

The document provides a series of exercises focused on understanding vocabulary and phrases related to the impact of Storm Daniel in Libya, including definitions and explanations of key terms. It also includes comprehension questions about the disaster's severity, the role of rival governments, and the international community's response. Additionally, it offers guidance on paraphrasing techniques for effective communication.

Uploaded by

Linh Đỗ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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KEY

I. Find the words in the article which have the following meaning. (2.5 points)
1. very heavy rain = torrential rain(s) (Paragraph 1) (0.75 point)

 Word form: Adj + Noun

2. destruction / caused by floods = devastation / wreaked by floods (Paragraph 1) (1 point)

 Word form: Noun + Past participle

3. actions that eliminate or reduce risks from future disaster events = mitigation measures
(Paragraph 3) (0.75 point)

 Word form: Noun

II. Explain the meaning of the underlined expressions, as used in the article. (03 points)
Warlord Khalifa Haftar

Muammar Gaddafi (deceased)


1. the rival governments (Paragraph 2) = the competing administrations in Libya: the
internationally-recognised in Tripoli & the Warlord/ General Khalifa Haftar-led in eastern
Libya (1 point) -0,5 point if you can’t name the 2 governments.
 Word form: Noun
2. triggered landslides and infrastructure collapse (Paragraph 3) = caused landsides and destroyed
infrastructure like roads, bridges, buildings, etc. (1 point)
 Word form: Past participle
3. languish in jail (Paragraph 6) = are imprisoned/ are put in prison (1 point)
 Word form: Infinitive without to (“be”  “are”)

NOTE: Exam skills on How to explain words and phrases

- Word Forms: The word form used in the explanation should be the same as it is used in the
original words/ phrases.
- Paraphrasing: Using your own words
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Correct usage of grammar

III.Answer the following questions based on the article. (4.5 points)


1. How seriously has Storm Daniel destroyed eastern Libya? (1.5 points)
Original:
1. In Derna, where two dams burst after torrential rains, a wall of water deluged the city
and sliced out the land from beneath its inhabitants. (0,4p)
2. Entire neighbourhoods were swept into the sea, which is now dumping bodies along the
shore. (0,4p)
3. More than 6,000 have died there, and 10,000 people are said to be missing, but because
entire families were washed away, there may be no survivors to report some losses.
(0,4p)
4. With other towns and settlements inundated, too, tens of thousands are displaced. (0,3p)

 1. Heavy rainfall from Storm Daniel has caused two dams to burst/ has broken two dams in
Derna, thus inundating the city as well as other towns and settlements, causing landslides
and burrying its residents.
2. The whole neighbourhoods have been swept into the sea.
3+4. More than 6,000 have died, 10,000 have gone missing and tens of thousands have
been displaced/ lost their houses/ shelters.
2. According to the article, why must Libya’s authorities be blamed for this terrible disaster?
(2 points)
The horror and despair of Libyans is matched by their fury at the rival governments that have
split the country and pursued power and profit while ignoring the people’s needs. (paragraph 2)
 Libya’s authorities must be blamed for this terrible disaster because they have divided the
country and pursued their own power and profit while ignoring Libyans’ needs. (0.5 point)

Libya shows the disastrous consequences when governments not only fail to protect their
citizens but also put them into greater danger. Muammar Gaddafi’s corrupt regime has been
followed by more than a decade of revolution, civil war and political deadlock. Essential
infrastructure has not only been neglected – one of Derna’s dams had reportedly not been
maintained since 2002 – but also plundered by the powerful and their cronies. (paragraph 4)

 As for the internationally - recognised government in Tripoli, they have not only failed to
protect their citizens but also put them into greater danger. Due to corruption as well as
years of civil war, they have neglected/ have not properly maintained the country’s
infrastructure, including the dams, thus making the city so vulnerable. (0.5 point)

Even when disaster loomed, the authorities in eastern Libya, controlled by the warlord Khalifa
Haftar, failed in their most basic duties. As Anas el Gomati of the country’s Sadeq Institute
has pointed out, this is not like the earthquake that struck without warning in Morocco last
week, killing at least 2,900 people. Officials saw Storm Daniel’s impact in Greece and had days
to plan an evacuation. Some people were apparently told to leave, but others were reportedly
ordered to stay at home even as water swelled behind the dams.
 The administration in eastern Libya, controlled by the warlord Khalifa Haftar, also failed
in their most basic duties. Although they witnessed impacts caused by Storm Daniel in
Greece days before it actually hit Libya, they implemented almost no pre-storm measures
and pre-evacuation plans to help their residents. (0.5 point)

There is widespread cynicism about the willingness of the internationally recognised


government in Tripoli and Mr Haftar’s rival government to truly put the suffering first. Key
figures in civil society, precisely the people who might mobilise relief efforts, languish in jail
while their compatriots need them.
 What’s more, in the aftermath of the disaster, the competition between Libya’s two rival
governments as well as the destruction of essential infrastructure have hampered/
prevented rescue and relief efforts/ operations and the authorities’ willingness to give
priority to the storm victims has been questioned. (0.5 point)
3. How has the international community responded to such a catastrophe, as implied in the article?
(1 point)
Original: But there is also anger that most other governments appear slow to respond to this
catastrophe. Vast fossil fuel reserves and regional security objectives have encouraged foreign
powers to meddle in Libya. The EU has given the country hundreds of millions of euros to curb
migration, ignoring appalling abuses by the Libyan coast guard. Is it now willing to help
ordinary Libyans? France, which has done so much to bolster Mr Haftar, has a particular
responsibility to ensure a strong European response. Libyans have good reason to feel that they
have been failed by the international community as well as their own leaders.

 As implied in the article, the international community has seemed slow to respond to
this disaster. (0,5p) From previous interventions (immigration bans) and harmful actions
towards Libya (overlooking serious abuse on the Libyan coast, supporting the civil war), the
Libyan people expect a faster and stronger response from major countries like France and
the EU. (0,5p)

NOTE: Exam skills on How to answer comprehension questions

- Forms: Questions can be answered in a complete sentence or in a phrase.


- Paraphrasing: Using your own words to answer the questions.
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Correct usage of sentence structures, tenses, etc.
- Verb tense: The tense used in the answer should be the same as it is used in the question.

How can you do paraphrasing?


There are different methods of paraphrasing sentences:
1. Use Synonyms
One of the effective ways of paraphrasing is to replace some words in the
sentence with synonyms. For example,
Crime needs to be controlled as it affects development of a city.
It is necessary to control violence in the city as it hampers its growth.
2. Change Active to Passive Voice
Changing the voice of sentence from active to passive is another good method
of paraphrasing a sentence. For example,
Government should implement the changes in policies as quickly as
possible.
The changes in policies should be implemented by the government as
soon as possible.
3. Change order of words/phrases
The simplest way of paraphrasing is to change the order of words in a
sentence. For example,
The status of women in the society has changed a lot for the past few
years.
In the society, there has been a drastic change in the status of
women for the last few years.

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