STEOP – Modulprüfung „Mehrsprachigkeit“
Sprachorientierungstest
B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
Nachname:
Vorname:
Matrikelnummer:
Ergebnis:
Aufgabe 1: ________
Aufgabe 2: ________
Aufgabe 3: ________
GESAMT: ________
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Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 1, page 1
Instructions:
Five passages have been removed from the text below. Choose the appropriate
passage (A to F, see page 2) for each gap by marking the corresponding letter with
an X below. Note: One passage does not belong in the text.
(20 points)
Natural ball lightning probed for the first time
A great ball of lightning seen in China offers first evidence in nature that the elusive
glowing orbs form thanks to vaporised dirt.
1
A
B
C
D
E
F
Lacking detailed observations, explanations have ranged from electrically charged
meteorites to hallucinations induced by magnetism during storms. In 2012, Jianyong
Cen and his colleagues at the University of Lanzhou, China, were observing a
thunderstorm with video cameras and spectrographs.
2
A
B
C
D
E
F
The spectrograph revealed that the main elements of the ball were the same as
those found in the soil: silicon, iron and calcium.
3
A
B
C
D
E
F
If there is also carbon in the soil, perhaps from dead leaves or tree roots, it will steal
oxygen from the silicon oxide, leaving a bundle of pure silicon vapor.
4
A
B
C
D
E
F
The theory garnered support in 2006, when scientists in Israel were able to create
ball lightning in the lab by firing mock lightning at sheets of silicon oxide.
5
A
B
C
D
E
F
The study authors say that other mechanisms could also explain their observations.
Adapted from: New Scientist Magazine, 2014-01-16
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
A language: English
Part 1, page 2
Missing passages
A
But Abrahamson doesn’t think the findings are a perfect fit for the soil hypothesis.
“Here’s an observation which has none of the hallmarks of our theory,” he says.
B
The observations support the theory for making ball lightning put forth by John
Abrahamson, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, who surmised that when
lightning hit the ground, the sudden, intense heat can vaporise silicon oxide in the
dirt, and a shockwave blows the gas up into the air.
C
Purely by chance, they recorded a ball lightning event. When a bolt struck the
ground, a glowing ball of about 5 metres wide rose up and travelled about 15 metres,
disappearing after 1.6 seconds.
D
The event in China marks the first time such an orb has been captured in nature with
scientific instruments.
E
Anecdotes about ball lightning stretch back for centuries, but the phenomenon has
been hard to study as the balls are unpredictable – and when they do materialise,
they last for mere seconds.
F
But the planet’s oxygen-rich atmosphere rapidly deoxidises the hot ball of gas, and
this reaction makes the orb glow briefly.
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 2, page 1
Instructions:
Complete the truncated words in the texts below. In each case, the second part of
the word either contains the same number of letters as the first part or is one
letter longer than the first part (punctuation marks are also considered letters).
(20 points)
AIRLINE NEWS
WHY THE NO-FRILLS, CATTLE-HERDING, FEE-CRAZY AIRLINE BUSINESS IS
HERE TO STAY
At airline-industry confe________, you can pre________ confidently b________ that
some lunc________ speaker will sag________ intone some________ along the
li________ of: “I________ the wo________ of avia________, the only
cons________ is cha________.” Well, n________ anymore. Lo________ it or
ha________ it (po________ say more fo________ dislike it stro________), the
w________ we f________ today, our air-travel experience, isn’t likely to change
fundamentally for years to come.
Adapted from: Time, 5 July 2013
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 2, page 2
SEX, ALCOHOL AND OVERSHARING
What makes us reveal too much on Facebook and Twitter? And why do we do it?
There i________ is. On yo________ Facebook fe________: a pic________ of a
ta________, clear gl________ full of wh________ appears to be a red
smoo________. “That lo________ good,” you th________. And then you
re________ the cap________: “Mommy’s first Placenta Shake. It tas________ like
hea________ - yummmmm.” Congrat________: you’re a vic________ of an
ext________ social me________ overshare. Maybe your anno________ neighbor
to________ everyone about his appendectomy. Or perhaps your sister posted too
much about her attempt to conceive Baby No. 3.
Adapted from: Time, 5 July 2013
Correct second parts: ______/40 (:2)
= Points: ______/20
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 3a, page 1
Instructions:
Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for each gap in the text below.
(15 points)
Snowden’s Worst-Case Scenario: What if No Countries Take Him?
Edward Snowden, ___1 who’s been ___2 so long inside a transit zone ___3 that reporters
and pundits ___4 to The Terminal, the 2004 comedy-drama starring Tom Hanks, wants out.
After Russia insisted that he could stay only ___5 that he muzzled himself and stopped
“harming” the U.S., the ___6 WikiLeaks announced on July 2 that Snowden ___7 around
the world, ___8 to find a more permanent home. It’s an interesting list. But after just ___9
more than half the countries responded. Some gave a ___10 (Brazil, India, Poland), while
others said Snowden would have to ___11 in order to make the request properly (Ecuador,
Ireland, Norway). The rest are taking their time to reply. Guy Goodwin-Gill, a professor of
international refugee law ___12 and former ___13 to the U.N. ___14 for Refugees, says
___15 in Snowden’s case. International law allows him to apply anywhere he wants.
Adapted from: Time, 5 July 2013
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 3a – page 2
1:
A: U.S. speaker
B: the U.S. leaker
C: the U.S. speaker
D: U.S. leaker
2:
A: holed up
B: holed out
C: holed about
D: holed in
3:
A: of a Moscow airport
B: of a Moscau airport
C: of a Moskau airport
D: of a Moscow’s
airport
4:
A: are drawing
conclusions
B: are drawing
attention
C: are drawing
comparisons
D: are drawing pictures
5:
A: for the condition
B: subject the condition
C: on the condition
D: at the condition
6:
A: whistle organization
B: whistle-player
organization
C: whistle-blower
organization
D: whistle-playing
organization
7:
A: failed 21 asyl
requests
B: filed 21 asyl requests
C: failed 21 requests for
asylum
D: filed 21 requests for
asylum
8:
A: a signal of his
intend
B: signaling his intent
C: signal of his intent
D: signaling his intend
9:
A: most hours
B: much more hours
C: mere hours
D: more hours
10:
A: a flat-out “no”
B: a flat-in “no”
C: a flattering “no”
D: a flattening “no”
11:
A: physiologically walk
onto their soil
B: physically walk onto
their soil
C: psychologically walk
onto their soil
D: phonetically walk
onto their soil
12:
A: at Oxford University
B: at the Oxford
University
C: in Oxford University
D: in the Oxford
University
13:
A: Legal Council
B: legal council
C: legal advice
D: legal adviser
14:
A: High Comissioner
B: High Commissary
C: High Commissioner
D: high Commissioner
15:
A: politics is the
dominant factor
B: politics are the
dominant factor
C: policies are the
dominant factor
D: policy is the
dominant factor
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 3b, page 1
Instructions:
Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for each gap in the text below.
(15 points)
The Difference Between American and British Humour—Apart From the Spelling of
the Word, Obviously
It’s often dangerous to generalize, but under threat, I would say that Americans don’t hide
their hopes and fears. They applaud ambition and ___1 Brits are more comfortable with
___2 We embrace the underdog until it’s no longer the underdog. We like to bring authority
___3 ___4 Americans say, “have a nice day” whether they mean it or not. Brits are terrified
to say this. We tell ourselves it’s because we don’t want to sound ___5 but I think it might
be for the opposite reason. We don’t want to celebrate anything too soon. Failure and
disappointment ___6 This is due to our ___7 There’s a received wisdom in the U.K. that
___8 This is of course not true. But what is true is that they don’t use it all the time. We
___9 prepositions in everyday speech. We __10 We use sarcasm as a shield and a
weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary. We __11 we like or dislike. And
ourselves. This can sometimes be perceived as nasty if __12 Brits almost expect __13 so
to start off that way but then have a happy ending is an unexpected joy. In Britain we stop
watching things like Big Brother __14 We don’t want to watch a bunch of idiots having a
good time. We want them to be __15 America rewards upfront niceness.
Adapted from: Time, 5 July 2013
 ZTW/Universität Wien
Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft
Modul „Mehrsprachigkeit“ – SPOT – B-/C-Sprache Englisch
WS 2013-14 – 2. Termin
B/C language: English
Part 3b, page 2
1:
A: openly reject
success.
B: openly reform
success.
C: openly redirect
success.
D: openly reward
success.
2:
A: life loosers.
B: life’s losers.
C: life’s loosers.
D: living losers.
3:
A: down a peg or two.
B: down a pig or two.
C: down a place or two.
D: down a pack or two.
4:
A: Just for the hell of it.
B: Just for hell.
C: Just for a hell of it.
D: Just for a hell.
5:
A: unsincere
B: insincerely
C: insincere
D: unsincerely
6:
A: lure around every
corner.
B: lurk around every
corner.
C: languish around every
corner.
D: labor around every
corner.
7:
A: bringing it.
B: bringing it up.
C: bringing up.
D: upbringing.
8:
A: irony is lost for
Americans.
B: irony is lost on
Americans.
C: irony is lost in
America.
D: irony is lost in the
U.S.
9:
A: use it like the
liberals as
B: use it live as
C: use it as lively as
D: use it as liberally as
10:
A: tease our friends.
B: please our friends.
C: appease our friends.
D: lease our friends.
11:
A: mercifully take the
products to people
B: mercifully take the
pan out to people
C: mercilessly take the
piss out of people
D: mercilessly take the
power out of people
12:
A: the recipients aren’t
used to be confronting
irony.
B: the recipients aren’t
used to being
confronted with irony.
C: the recipients aren’t
used to be confronted
with irony.
D: the recipients aren’t
using and confronting
irony.
13:
A: dawn and glawn
B: dean and glean
C: dome and glome
D: doom and gloom
14:
A: when the villa is
evicted.
B: when the villain is
evicted.
C: when the villa is
evaporated.
D: when the villain is
evaporated.
15:
A: as miserable as we.
B: as miserable as us.
C: miserable as we.
D: as miserable like we
are.
 ZTW/Universität Wien