English Final Exam 2011 BMS

English Final Examination 2011 /Version A 07 June 2011

Cover Sheet Instructions, Points & Markings

Name:………………………………. First Name:…………………………………..

Your written exam consists of the following three parts: Total time: 120 minutes

A Reading Comprehension 40 points B Grammar & Structures 46 points

C Writing 44 points

All parts are handed out at the beginning of the exam. Manage your timing well. You cannot use a dictionary during the exam.

Points part A: ………/ 40

Points part B: ………/ 40

Points part C: ………/ 44

Total: ………/126

Final Mark: ………….

Good Luck!

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Part A: Reading Comprehension (40 points)

Eco Tourism

Read the article by A. Smith, which was downloaded from Swiss Engine Magazine, and answer the questions on the following page

(italic & bold words are translated in the glossary p.4)

It was one of those rare occasions in the west of Ireland when the weather was warm and sunny. We had spent the morning learning about the mysteries of Irish peat bogs at the Connemara National Park Visitor Centre and we were ready for our picnic outside in the beautiful sunshine. It was green and pleasant in the shade of the trees, on the edge of Ireland’s most spectacular national park. It was only after our sandwiches and snacks that we noticed there were no litter bins to be seen 5 anywhere. How on earth could the planners of the Visitor Centre have forgotten such a basic necessity as rubbish bins? And yet a look round revealed that not one scrap of litter lay on the ground or among the fuchsia plants that grew everywhere. Then the penny dropped. The lack of bins was a deliberate policy, designed to ensure that visitors took their rubbish home with them. 10 Initiatives such as this one are part of a general trend towards a more environmentally friendly approach to tourism. With growing numbers of tourists visiting different parts of the world, the need to reduce 15 tourism’s impact on the environment is indeed becoming increasingly urgent. In 2002, for example, there were something like 715 million tourist visits, an increase of 3.1% on the previous year, generating around US$ 500 billion 20 worth of income, making tourism the world’s largest industry. The consequences of so many people moving about the globe in search of holiday pleasure can in many cases be disastrous for the environment and rather than help local communities, it brings them many problems. 25 Without doubt, mass package tourism is the worst offender in terms of negative environmental impact. When large numbers of tourists descend upon an area, increased pressure is put on such important resources as fresh water. This is especially true in dry zones such as the southern Mediterranean, which also happens to be one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Tourists 30 typically consume more fresh water than local people. In Spain, for example, tourists consume almost twice as much fresh water as the average Spanish city dweller. Golf tourism, which is growing in popularity, puts considerable pressure on water sources since golf courses in hot countries need vast amounts of water every day. According to the organisation 35 Tourism Concern, a typical golf course in a tropical country like Thailand “needs 1500 kg of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year and uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers.” When tourist resorts grow quickly to satisfy rising demand, the results are often disastrous. The natural beauty spots which originally made the destinations attractive, are spoilt by the presence of 40 large, ugly hotel complexes and tacky night clubs that are totally out of keeping with the natural landscape. Not so many years ago, the island of Paros, one of the Greek islands in the Cyclades

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group, was a paradise, a quiet haven with unspoilt beaches and pretty fishing villages. Now all that has gone. Luxury hotels have taken the place of the friendly boarding houses and the place has become overrun by noisy tourists. 45 Of course, it is not only mass package tourism that is to blame for damaging the environment. In this so-called age of leisure, more and more people flee the cities whenever they can for a break in some rural spot – in 50 the mountains, for example, or national parks. The increasing numbers of trekkers in mountain areas leads to the erosion of mountain paths and, unfortunately, to the dirtying of the natural landscape through the dropping of litter. Some mountain trails in Nepal are so 55 packed with trekkers who drop rubbish, that they have been given nicknames such as “coca cola trail” or “toilet paper trail”. In order to cope with more visitors to national parks, there has been a corresponding need to build 60 tourist facilities, improve road access and build suitable car parks. All of this results in habitat loss for animals and increases air pollution caused by cars. According to the Trade and Environment Database, increased visits by car to the Yosemite National Park in the USA have led to more frequent occurrences of thick smog in the Yosemite Valley, causing harm to animals and vegetation in the Park. 65 In African parks, where tourists go to observe wildlife, animals sometimes show signs of stress. According to a report by the United Nations, in Kenya this “has led to animals becoming so disoriented that at times they neglect their young or fail to mate.” 70 The news regarding tourism, however, is not all bad. Even large tour organisations now realise that unless they operate in a sustainable way, the tourism industry itself will suffer. People travel because they want to see and experience something different. They are often looking for an authentic experience as well as an enjoyable holiday. All of this means that the tourism industry has to limit the negative impact it has on the environment and has to try to bring prosperity to those developing 75 countries which are often the destination for wealthy tourists from the rich parts of the world. Large hotel complexes will no doubt still be built, but the need to economise on such things as energy and water consumption has encouraged the development of less wasteful facilities. The Atlantis Hotel in Bermuda is an example. It has a total of 2,300 rooms, some of which cost as much as 80 £17,000 a night! Costing more than £500 million to build, the hotel complex includes water parks and landscaped gardens, 38 restaurants and bars, 11 swimming pools and aquariums with 50,000 sea creatures! Charlie Davis from Miami in the USA, who has visited Atlantis with his family several times, says, 85 “Atlantis is perfect paradise for us. With 3 young children to keep happy, the facilities here are just great.” Despite its size, Atlantis has been built to economise on energy and water consumption. The air conditioning cuts out whenever you step out of your room onto the balcony. The toilet uses semi-90 clean or “grey” water instead of wasting the more costly and more precious fresh water. Atlantis could not be really classified as a “green” hotel, of course, but there do exist now a growing number of hotels and lodging houses that pride themselves on maintaining a low impact on the

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environment while at the same time providing the comforts that tourists clearly need. 95 In another part of Bermuda, for example, there is the Tiamo tourist resort, owned and run by an American couple, Mike Harton and his wife Petra. Located on Andros Island behind a tropical beach, the hotel’s eco-friendly bungalows are hidden among the palm trees. Built on stilts, the pine bungalows are designed to minimise the impact of tourists on the natural environment. Waste from 100 the toilet goes into a special treatment tank under the bungalow and breaks down to create garden compost in just 6 weeks. Guests at the resort are also required to take away their own non-biodegradable rubbish when they leave. Solar panels mounted on the roof heat the water and electrical energy is supplied by other panels situated a short distance away. “Almost all of our electrical needs are met by the sun,” Mike says. 105 Travel companies specialising in ecotourism are springing up all the time, attracted no doubt by the business opportunities that ecotourism represents. UK based Tribes, is one such organisation that was founded four years ago by Guy and Amanda Marks, both of whom had had considerable experience at organizing small group holidays in such places as Egypt and South America. Amanda is 110 the first to admit that Tribes is out to make a profit from the ecotourism business, but she is insistent that they do try their hardest to be ethically responsible. This means that Tribes always uses local services in the countries where it operates and employs local guides. They also steer clear of multinational hotels, so that as much money as possible remains 115 in the community visited by the tourists. Tribes operates in 14 countries around the world, and offers customized adventure holidays ranging from climbs up Mount Kilimanjaro to trekking the Inca trail in Peru. 120 Of course, ecotourism need not mean travelling to wild or remote spots on the earth. It is really often a question of personal attitude and taking care when visiting anywhere to leave it as you found it. And it may take only the smallest of gestures, as in the Connemara National Park, when visitors take away their own rubbish when they leave.

Glossary

peat bogs Torfmoor

deliberate absichtlich

package tourism Pauschalreisen Tourismus

tacky kitschig

boarding houses Privatpensionen (Herbergen)

to mate sich paaren

sustainable Nachhaltig

prosperity Wohlstand

stilts Stelzen

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A1 True or False? (20 points)

Cross () the statement as true (T) or false (F): if it’s false, correct it!

Example: T F

0. The writer of this text is Angela Patmore.

False, the writer is A. Smith.

T F

1. Throughout paragraph one the author expresses his amazement that there are no litter bins in Connemara National Park in Ireland.

2. 'It' in line 24 talks about ‘damage to nature’.

3. Huge hotel facilities do not fit in with their surroundings

4. Trekkers in Nepal, who did not contribute to landscape erosion, renamed a few trails to make them more interesting.

5. The writer is encouraged by some aspects of tourism

6. According to the writer, the Atlantis Hotel is wasteful complex.

7. In the Tiamo resort all waste is specially treated, a concept which was implemented by Mike and his wife Petra.

8. It has been noticed that Eco Tourism companies are significantly increasing.

9. The travel company called Tribes avoids major chain hotels.

10. According to the article, the writer says that very small actions may contribute to the success of eco-tourism.

points:……….…/20

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A2 Vocabulary (10 points)

Explain the meaning (not just one word synonym) of the bold printed & underlined expressions or phrases in your own words. Do not use these words in your explanations.

1. Line 4: . . .the shade of the trees. .

2. Line 19: . . . something like . .

3. Line 29: . . .dry zones

4. Line 39: . . .disastrous.

5. Line 40: . . . natural beauty spots

6. Line 61: . . ..tourist facilities

7. Line 75: . . developing countries

8. Line 90: . . . cuts out

9. Line 105: . . . met by the sun

10. Line 116: . . . the community

points:……….…/10

A3 Antonyms (10 points)

10 words in the text are italics & underlined; give an antonym (maximum two words) for each one of them which could be used in the text.

0. Line 01: . . . warm . . . cool

1. Line 35: . . . vast. . .

2. Line 37: . . . much. . .

3. Line 62: . . . increases . . .

4. Line 75: . . . negative . . .

5. Line 85: . . . several. . .

6. Line 91: . . . fresh . . .

7. Line 102: . . . take away. .

8. Line 104: . . . short. . .

9. Line 111: . . . profit. .

10. Line 123: . . . smallest . . .

points:……….…/10

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Part B Grammar (40 points) B1: Active or Passive? Sites to be seen and saved (10 points)

Read this report and underline the best tense A, B, C or D. The recent collapse of a 2,000-year-old building in Pompeii is a reminder of the need to protect our historical and cultural sites. The building 1)...... the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, when the ancient city with its 13,000 inhabitants 2) ...... However, exposure and heavy rain 3) ......to its collapse in November 2010. Pompeii, visited by 2.5 million tourists a year, is unique because it holds a historic moment in time: people 4)...... their daily lives when the volcano erupted and the town 5) ...... under six metres of hot ash. In this way, the Roman town provides an amazingly clear picture of life 2,000 years ago. The collapsed building was a ‘clubhouse’ where the gladiators trained and where they waited before fighting. It also housed the men’s armour and weapons for fighting. The walls 6) .......with rich, ancient pictures showing military events. What is remarkable about this incident is that it 7) ......in such a well-known, established site and in such a wealthy country. However, the Global Heritage Fund reports that archaeologists and historians in all corners of the globe feel frustrated at the lack of attention and money given to protect such places. According to the report there are sites on every continent in need of protection. Mirador, the Mayan pyramid site in Guatemala, is one example, hidden for centuries from the outside world by the jungle. Now the site 8)......by people cutting down the surrounding trees, as well as by looters. The 1,000-year-old Kenyan town of Lamu, an ancient trading centre, is threatened by modern developments. Construction is also a danger in Chersonesos, an ancient Greek city in the Ukraine which 9) ...... 2,500 years ago. In addition, the site suffers from natural and human destruction: tourists sometimes damage or remove parts of the buildings. Angkor Wat, Cambodia, now attracts the same number of tourists as Pompeii does and ironically, it is this huge amount of tourist traffic which is threatening the temple complex. In contrast, there are a number of ancient cultural sites in Iraq, which receive relatively few visitors. Here, the authorities are concerned that thousands of precious articles 10) .......by looters so far, taken from their context and sold into private hands abroad. It is true that history repeats itself, but history once lost is lost forever.

1 A survived B had survived C have been survived D was being survived

2 A was being destroyed B was destroyed C destroyed D are destroyed

3 A led B lead C has lead D has been leading

4 A are going about B had went about C went about D were going about

5 A was been buried B was buried C have been buried D are buried

6 A have been decorated B were being decorated C are being decorated D were decorated

7 A happens B is happening C happened D was happened

8 A have been threatening B is being threaten C is threatening D is threatened

9 A found B has been founded C was founded D was being founded

10 A have been stolen B are stolen C were being stolen D stolen

points:……….…/10

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B2 Prepositions: Chilean Miners (8 points)

Cross ( ) the correct preposition in the boxes provided.

The story of the miners 1).....Chile captured the interest of people worldwide. Around 1,500 journalists were 2)...... the final rescue, and it was broadcast to over one billion people. This story probably caught people’s attention because it was unusual. News is frequently negative, and positive stories are rare and usually short-lived. This story lasted 3) ......weeks and it was a disaster story that for once ended happily. However, the miners’ experience was certainly not an easy one. The accident happened in early August when a tunnel collapsed 4) ......the San Jose gold and copper mine, trapping 33 workers 700 metres ground. 5)...... 17 frightening days they waited in the small, dark and humid space (above 30C) with very little food and drink, before contact was made 6) ...... those above ground. In total they remained 69 days under ground. Fortunately, soon after the initial discovery, food, medicine, letters and supplies were passed down a tube 7) ...... the trapped men. The miners were considerably helped 8) ......modern technology during the experience. Through the 9 cm tube, people above ground sent military-style food (including hot meals), music which was regularly downloaded, small beds and a projector screen. High tech engineering meant that they could be rescued sooner than originally thought. The rescue capsule, made by NASA and Chilean navy experts, was an amazing piece 9) ...... engineering. – it could even separate 10) .... two in an emergency. While trapped, the men were given video training by NASA experts on how to remain fit and healthy.

One miner received distance training 11) ......a medical care team so he could look after the men, as some were suffering from skin, teeth or breathing problems. However, it was the miners’ mental health which was the biggest worry. Some suffered 12) ......anxiety and depression when trapped. Adjusting back 13)...... normal life may be difficult for some, and the media attention could make this worse. The men and their families have received expert advice 14) ...... how to help. Even when underground, the miners worked hard to keep themselves mentally healthy – they had fixed daily routines, balancing work and relaxation. They were also given advice 15) ...... two Australian miners who had themselves been trapped for two weeks.

This is an unbelievable story of hope and endurance. For Chile it is now a symbol 16)....national pride. It also reminds us of the dangers that some people face on a daily basis in their work.

on of from for in at into to by

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

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B3: All Conditionals (8 points)

Complete the sentence for each situation with the correct conditional, adding negative forms where necessary.

1. If you ___________________ (go away) now, you ___________________ (keep) in touch,

won't you?

2. What noisy neighbours you've got! If mine ________________ (be) as bad as yours, I

_______________ (go) crazy.

3. The passengers at the front of the plane were all killed, but Alice, who was sitting at the

back, survived. If she ________________ (choose) a seat nearer the front, she

________________ (kill).

4. A. We have no money at all- we're broke. Did you know that?

B. It's because our holiday to Asia cost so much. You should have listened to me. If we

______________________ (go) where I wanted to go, it _________________________

(be) a lot cheaper.

5. The style of that dress is lovely, but I'm not so keen on the colour. If the blue

_______________________ (be) a bit lighter, it _____________________ (look) better.

6. Unless house plants ________________________ (water) regularly, they

__________________________ (die) quite quickly.

7. My wife and I met on a cruise. I was recovering from an illness, and she was the ship's

doctor. Just imagine if she___________________________ (not be) there, we it

_______________________ (not get) married!

8. If you ____________________ (know) how to do this exercise, you___________________

(be) clever!

points:……….…/8

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B4 Open Cloze: On a trip to Bangkok (14 points)

Complete the extract with one word for each gap.

My brother always told me 0_to_ be more careful but I wasn’t and now, 1______________ I

can pay the fine, I am going to prison. How 2______________this happen? I

3______________ staying with my brother in his flat in 4______________Bangkok, when I

received a call. The man on the phone 5______________ me he lived downstairs and he

6______________ closed the door of his flat and left the key inside. He asked me

7______________ I could help him get back into his house. My brother’s balcony is just

above his so I saw that if I climbed down from my brother’s balcony I 8______________be

able to get into flat. These apartments, 9______________ were built fifty years ago, are very

strong and I have 10______________of experience of climbing so it was very easy. I was

inside the flat in five minutes. I told the man he was lucky 11______________I was such a

good climber. He just laughed.

The next morning I 12______________ arrested for helping a burglary. The man

13______________ have been a thief. I thought I 14______________helping someone into

their flat, not stealing everything from a policeman’s flat. My brother was right. I definitely

need to be more careful.

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Part C Writing (44 points) Write ONE essay on one of the following topics. Write between 130-150 words.

1. ‘Mass tourism has destroyed the adventure of foreign travel.’ Discuss. 2. The Chilean Miners were helped by modern technology. How does modern technology help

the Swiss? 3. 'Some people face danger on a daily basis in their work'. Discuss.

Evaluation Criteria: Points

Content:

length (at least 120 words) 6

understanding (own text, to the point) 6

quality, depth 6

Structure:

divided into paragraphs,

logical sequence 2

Style:

conciseness, adequacy 4

Vocabulary:

accuracy 4

range 4

Sentence Patterns:

complexity, variety, word order 2

Grammar:

grammar mistakes 5

spelling mistakes 5

__________/44points

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