The Text

1- Ever since I was quite seriously bitten by a dog when I was a young
child, I had been terrified of those animals. When I saw someone walking a
dog, I would immediately rush to the other side of the street. When I
planned to visit friends, I always made it clear that their dogs had to be put
elsewhere during my visit. I had told myself many times that my fear was
silly, but I simply couldn’t control myself. Every time I got close to a dog, I
started shaking. I didn’t know how to free myself from my fear.

2- Then one day I read a short article in the local newspaper about a rescue shelter that needed
volunteers for dog-walking and other duties, and it was as if a light came on in my mind. I
suddenly realised that all I had to do was face my fear. I immediately called the shelter and made
an appointment to visit the next day.

3- When I arrived, I introduced myself to Susan, the person who was going to train me, and then
I explained my issues with dogs. She said that I wasn’t the first person to come in with that
problem, and she felt sure I would feel differently as soon as I had met a few of the animals. Then
she led me to a kennel where a large brown dog, Buddy, was sleeping. He immediately stood up
and looked at me, then walked over and put his nose close to my hand. At first, we looked at each
other with suspicion, and I suddenly felt really scared. But as soon as I saw the look of hope in
Buddy’s eyes, I was convinced.

4- Susan explained that Buddy had been brought to the shelter by the police after they had
arrested his owner on suspicion of drug dealing, shoplifting and other crimes. Buddy’s owner was
likely to spend a long time in jail, and Susan was certain that Buddy would need a new home. ‘And
look,’ she said. ‘He already likes you! You’re actually the first man he’s not been afraid of.’

5- I spent many hours with Buddy, walking and feeding him, and we became close friends. After
several weeks, I announced that I was ready to take Buddy home. Some of my more doubtful
friends claimed that I had been pretending to be afraid of dogs all along, and others have said they
were amazed to hear I was adopting a pet of any kind. But all I can say is that Buddy has
introduced me to many of the small pleasures of life. We are so close that now I feel obliged to
persuade all teenagers including young offenders who’ve just come out of prison to volunteer at
animal shelters.
Adapted from BBC Focus 3 Second Edition

El Menzah VI Prep. School

 Thursday June 01st, 2023
1- English Term Test
Level: 09th Form
Mrs Ben Hammouda / Mrs Mouhli / Mr. Cherif

February 27th, 2016

Name: ……………………………............................................. Class: ....... N°: …

I/ Reading comprehension: (6 marks)

1- The following statement is FALSE. Correct it with details from the text. (1 mark)

- Before going to the animal shelter, the narrator had an inexplicable fear of dogs.

- ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

2- Tick (√) the most appropriate option. (1 mark)

- The narrator’s first impression of Buddy was that the dog was:
a- ill and miserable. (…)
b- happy to be in the shelter. (…)
c- dangerous but hopeful. (…)

3- Answer the following question with details from the text. (1 mark)

- How did Buddy end up being at an animal shelter?

- ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

4- Fill in each blank with ONE word from paragraph two. (1 mark)

- After overcoming his fear of dogs, the narrator ..................................... that these animals shouldn’t
be left alone no matter who their owners were. Now he thinks that one of his
..................................... is to convince teenagers with different backgrounds to volunteer at animal
shelters.

5- Find out ONE word from the last paragraph having the same meaning as: (1 mark)

- Criminals = .................................................

6- What does the underlined word in the text refer to? (1 mark)

- ‘he’ (paragraph 4) → .................................................

El Menzah VI Prep. School
II/ Language: (8 marks)

1- Fill in the blanks with six words from the list. (3 marks)

lack / for / lend / charitable / income / with / homelessness / starving

Most of us believe that homeless people live on the streets as a result of drug or alcohol
addiction. Consequently, we might think that there is no need to ................................. a helping
hand as their addiction will continue to be the problem. Additionally, there is this general
belief that ................................. organisations already help the homeless, so this may be enough.
Well, in my opinion, this approach ignores the bigger picture.
There is no doubt that drug abuse is a major cause leading to ................................. . But on the
other hand, there are increasing numbers of people who are homeless because it’s hard for
them to keep up with payments on their homes. So, the ................................. of affordable
housing is another major problem here!
In today's society, it is essential that governments make sure that low-.................................
families are paid sufficient wages. It is unacceptable that working people cannot afford to pay
for a house to live in. Similarly, since housing prices are so high, governments should focus on
providing decent accommodation ................................. the least fortunate families.

2- Put the bracketed words in the correct tense or form. (2.5 marks)

Shall we dance? That was the suggestion made by students at one Oxford college to raise
money for young carers in the local area. A young carer is a young person who cares for a
parent or a sibling who, due to an illness, a (disable) ........................................... or an addiction
cannot cope with their support. The students at this college have organised a 24-hour dance
marathon, where every (donate) ........................................... has promised to give 10 to £20 for
every hour a couple dances. Sarah Smith and Tom Wang took a break from dancing to explain.
“I met Tom earlier in the day when I (subscribe) ........................................... for the dance. He
told me that he started being a full-time carer for his crippled mother at the age of twelve,”
Sarah said. “He also informed me that when he was younger he never got to play with other
kids and he (can/not) ........................................... keep up with his schoolwork.” Tom joins in,
“So today’s event is to raise money for a centre which gives young carers time off, where they
can meet each other and just have some fun. We (already/manage) ...........................................
to raise £4,000.” Sarah signals the end of their break as they head back to the dance floor.
“We've been dancing since 5 o'clock and I'm exhausted!”

El Menzah VI Prep. School

3- Circle the correct alternative. (2.5 marks)

Have you ever felt that it’s hard to be accepted by the people around you? Wanting to belong
is part of growing up, but it’s definitely more difficult when you (travel / flee / tour) your
country and move to a new one.
Mateo Martinez is fifteen but his family moved to the USA from Mexico when he was a few
years old. (Moreover / Although / However) he loves his life in the USA, Mateo still faces
hardships, “Some Americans expect me to be lazy,” he explains. “That’s what they think of
Mexicans, I don’t take it personally, but I don’t like that kind of label,” he says, “Our countries
are neighbours, so people should be (intolerant / aware / cooperative) of who we are and
what culture we have. I know that almost one quarter (¼) of the US population are first or
second generation (refuges / immigrants / peers). Yet, that doesn’t make life easier in this
big country!”
Adele Parker, an English teacher, is helping Mateo. “I teach English and I teach my students
about the culture too. I try to help students like Mateo to fit (by / over / in) through extra
social activities. I know that many children move to the USA due to various problems in their
home countries. So I try to establish a friendship bond between them based on mutual
respect,” says the teacher.

III/ Writing: (6 marks)

Essay topic:

Your school organised a visit to an orphanage in the local area last week. As a member
of the team which was in charge of the event, you decided to write a report to be
posted on your school Facebook page to describe what you did in this visit and to
encourage the other pupils to get involved in such humanitarian activities.

El Menzah VI Prep. School

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El Menzah VI Prep. School