REVISION FOR THE 1ST MIDTERM
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SPEAKING STRATEGY
EXTENDING YOUR RESPONSES
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MDB2051 READING AND SPEAKING IN ENGLISH
1ST MIDTERM REVISION
A)
Complete the sentences in the following sections with the BEST word from the table. Two
words are EXTRA in each section. (Weeks 3 / 4 / 5 / 6)
abuse
commitment
struggle
crucial
contribute
component
gratification
restraining
sustain
instantly
1. The government needs to follow certain policies to sustain economic growth. Otherwise, it would be
difficult to maintain development in financial issues.
2. Jane thought that it was a(n) crucial moment in her career to accept the new position in Spain. She
had to make a very important decision.
3. I was impressed by the energy and commitment shown by the players. All the team members had did
their best to win the game.
4. Child abuse is more than bruises or broken bones. Ignoring children’s needs, putting them in
dangerous situations, or making them feel worthless are also examples of child harassment.
5. Boring and monotonous work do not give any gratification. One needs to add something exciting to
his/her work in order to get pleasure and satisfaction.
6. At least 48 people were killed instantly in an explosion in Johannesburg in Africa last year. They died
immediately after the bombing of terrorists.
7. In order for a team to win, everyone has to contribute. You cannot reach success without the support
of individual members.
8. Tensions boil over as Hungarian police struggle with the number of refugees heading towards the
country's border. They really have hard time in dealing with the problem caused by refugees.
provoked
precious
emphasis
petition
stemmed from
booming
displayed
outpouring
awareness
1. She displayed no emotion on the witness stand in the court. She didn't show any sign of excitement
and answered all the questions in a cool manner.
2. The famous actor's dismissal from the theatre company was found anti-democratic and provoked a
debate. It forced and leaded people to criticize the situation.
3. Emotional wellness is related with your awareness of your feelings and thoughts. You are
emotionally healthy as long as you are conscious about how you feel.
4. The French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) claimed that all of humanity's
problems stemmed from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. He believed the origin of each
question we face lied under this fact.
5. The Guardian’s climate change campaign has passed the 100,000 signature milestone since it was
launched on Monday. The written request was so powerful that a lot of people signed the online
petition.
6. Water is our most precious natural resource. We need to work together to use this valuable source of
wealth wisely.
7. The brutal killing of Cecil, the lion in Zimbabwe, sparked a(n) outpouring of anger in social media.
People were extremely angry about this brutality.
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B)
Read the following text and choose the BEST option to answer the questions below.
ART OR VANDALISM? (Also EXTENSIVE READING for the ORAL EXAM)
1
The term “graffiti” means words or
drawings scratched or painted on a wall. It comes
from the Greek term "graphein", which means “to
write.” People have been writing graffiti on walls
for thousands of years, but today it stands as a
controversial issue. Some people believe that
certain types of graffiti can be categorized as a
genuine art form whereas others regard it as a
type
of
vandalism.
2
People have been painting and
writing on walls throughout history. In prehistoric
times, people in Africa and Europe used to paint
pictures of animals and people in caves. Graffiti
has been found on buildings at ancient sites in
Greece, Italy, Syria and Iraq. In the Roman town
of Pompeii, archaeologists have found numerous
examples of graffiti written in Latin. These include
religious, political and romantic messages, and
even some magic spells!
3
In the late twentieth century, graffiti
and street art became an international
phenomenon. In the 1970s, young people in New
York used pens to write their names or “tags” on
walls around the city. Later on, some teenagers
started writing tags with aerosol paints. Their tags
were bigger, more colourful and took more time
and imagination than the simple, pen-written tags.
The trend spread and aerosol paint graffiti
became a common sight on trains, buses and
walls in cities around the world. In the 1990s,
graffiti continued but there was also an explosion
in street art around the world. Some artists wanted
to make political points and produced art that tried
to make people think about war, inequality and
discrimination. Other street artists were more
concerned with producing beautiful, attractive
work. In South America, many street artists went
to work in poor areas adding colour, life and
beauty to grey, city walls.
4
Of course not everyone likes or
approves of the graffiti on city walls. In fact, most
people think of creating graffiti as vandalism rather
than art. For the majority of people, doing graffiti
without someone’s permission is not freedom of
expression; it’s arrogance. And the presence of
graffiti in their neighbourhoods makes many
people feel less safe. Seeing graffiti all around
them makes many people feel that danger is just
around
the
corner.
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So, is graffiti art or vandalism? This
depends on your point of view, but in many
countries, writing or painting on public or private
property is considered vandalism. Many street
artists have been stopped by the police and some
have had to pay fines. Many city councils complain
about the high cost of cleaning graffiti off buildings,
buses and trains. Does this mean the end of
graffiti? Not quite. In some countries, councils
have tried to encourage artists not to paint
randomly on walls by allowing them to work in
designated areas. In Taiwan, there are “graffiti
zones” where artists are free to paint and write on
walls. In Sao Paulo in Brazil, the city council has
even allowed some graffiti artists to paint on the
city’s subway trains. In Australia, well-known
companies sponsor graffiti competitions. There are
also hundreds of web sites dealing with graffiti art,
as well as many books and instructional videos.
And, of course, there are still people who will try to
leave their mark on someone else’s wall.
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And what does the art world think of
graffiti and street art? Recently, there has been a
growing recognition of its value as an art form.
There have been major exhibitions of street art in
galleries in Paris, London and Los Angeles.
American artist Elura Emerald organised a street
art exhibition at a New York Gallery in 2008. She
defended street artists, saying “artists who paint
on the street are merely expressing themselves,
not hurting anyone. They should be appreciated
and
celebrated”.
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1. The word “trend” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ___________ .
a) imagination
b) movement
c) inequality
d) discrimination
2. In paragraph 4, which one is NOT stated as a reason for some people to disapprove the graffiti on city
walls?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Creating graffiti is accepted as more vandalism than art.
It is definitely ego rather than freedom of expression.
People feel less safer.
They generally include political messages.
3. In paragraph 5, “graffiti zones” mean _____________________________ .
a)
b)
c)
d)
public or private property in cities
designated areas where people are free to paint and write
books and instructional videos on graffiti
graffiti competitions in Australia
4. According to the passage, the writer _____________________________.
a)
b)
c)
d)
claims that graffiti is a form of vandalism and should be banned
tries to convince readers that cleaning graffiti off buildings is very expensive
wants to persuade readers that street art should be recognised as a valuable art form
informs readers about street art and graffiti by stating the opposing viewpoints towards this
form of art
5. People in the art world believe that _____________________________.
a) major exhibitions of street art in galleries in big cities decrease the value of this type of art
b) we should be thankful for the street artists since they just express themselves without hurting
anyone
c) most people are far from recognizing the value of street art
d) the art world is pessimistic about the future of street art
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C) Read the following texts and match them with the most suitable heading from the list given. Each
heading can only be used ONCE. There are two headings you will not need. Text 0 has been
matched with its heading as an example.
eBay Tips for Selling Successfully
These are selling tips from eBay Inc., which is an American Internet company that manages eBay.com. They
organize public sales in which the person who offers the highest price gets the item. Here is some advice to
sell your stuff successfully.
TEXT 0 ___F____
By using the "What’s It Worth?" tool, you will find useful information about your item; such as the average
selling price, average starting price, and volume of recently sold items. You can also find great information on
pricing, features, and key words that attract buyers by browsing Completed Listings.
TEXT 1 ___A____
Getting that first bid is critical, as buyers are more likely to jump in if there are already bids on auction. Buyers
may lose interest if they assume an item is overpriced. Many successful sellers set a low opening bid to
jumpstart bidding and increase their final price.
TEXT 2 ___D____
Specifying reasonable shipping and handling costs in your listing is essential for smart selling. eBay’s free
"Shipping Calculator" provides real-time shipping costs to buyers all over the world, so you can increase your
chances of success. Remember that a long wait can be both boring and frustrating for customers.
TEXT 3 ___B____
Maximizing your item title is a must if you want to sell your product. Be sure to include key words that buyers
will search for, such as unique or descriptive attributes, and always check your spelling. Your item title is
critical in helping users find your items, so use each character wisely.
TEXT 4 ___H____
A picture really is worth more than a thousand words! Use clear, well-lit photos from a variety of angles to
accurately showcase your item. Use good lighting and an uncluttered background to get the most out of your
photo. Add more photos to showcase details and unique features of your item.
TEXT 5 ___E____
Always respond quickly to any buyer questions. Include extras or a handwritten note in the box to really
surprise and delight your customer. Make sure to leave feedback for your buyer so they will do the same for
you. Successful communication is one of the keys to successful business.
A
A modest start is more intelligent
G Request your buyer’s opinion
B
A well-planned explanation can attract buyers
H Show what it looks like
C
Put your photographs in the background
D
Delivery prices can help you sell
E Exchanging messages will help you sell
F Important characteristics you want to know about
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D) Fill in the blanks in the dialogue with the suitable phrases from the list below. Sometimes more
than one option is possible.
Todd
: So, Monica, you do Tai Chi?
Monica
: Yes, I've just joined a Tai Chi club.
Todd
: Personally I think, someone must be brave to do martial arts. What made you join the Tai
Chi club?
Monica
: What do you mean exactly by bravery?
Todd
: What I'm trying to say is that one must be courageous to deal with that kind of sports.
Monica
: Well, I don't feel the same way. You don't necessarily have to be courageous, because it
is surprisingly not similar to other martial art sports like Karate or Judo. More
accurately,
it is the harmony and relaxation of body and mind. Maybe, you can name it
as dedication. I
wanted to do something that was definitely different to what I usually
do, which is high
impact sports like basketball and tennis.
Todd
: In other words, you wanted to do something that was apparently slower?
Monica
: Yeah, well, I don't usually enjoy exercise that is quite slow such as yoga, but I decided to
join this club and I'm really enjoying it.
Todd
: So, what exactly is Tai Chi? What do you do in Tai Chi?
Monica
: Well, there are different types of Tai Chi. There's the original Tai Chi which involves quick
fast movements, and then there's a slower form of Tai Chi which is quite popular in
Japan. I
think it's called Mr. Young Tai Chi, and that involves very slow pronounced
movements, and
that's the Tai Chi that I'm doing.
Todd
: How do you feel? Like after you do Tai Chi, do you feel tired? Do you feel energetic?
Monica
: If I do Tai Chi, I feel quite energetic actually. I don't really feel tired because I haven't had a
really hard workout, but I feel that my mind is very relaxed and focused. It might /
can have a
stimulating effect on me, because I'm very motivated to do whatever I need to
do for the
rest of the day.
Todd
: Now, you actually are a tennis coach, so you teach sports. Would you recommend Tai Chi
for other athletes?
Monica
: Yeah, it's fairly certain that Tai Chi is for other athletes. It's quite difficult to know exactly
how you would benefit from Tai Chi, and how it can directly relate a specific sport,
but it
inevitably works on your energy levels, and focuses your mind so that everything is
in balance.
Frankly speaking, it can / might help in any kind of sport because even in a sport
like tennis,
it's important to have balance when you're hitting the ball, when you're
volleying, when you're
getting ready for a smash. All things considered, it actually
involves having balance in terms
of where your centre of gravity is, so yeah, the concepts are
similar.
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SPEAKING
 For each question below, decide which you think is the best answer. Give reasons why the
other answers are less satisfactory.
1)
Do you work or are you a student?
A. I work. (too short / speaker could also say what kind of company he works for / what his job
is)
B. I'm currently studying history at Moscow State University. I'm in my second year. (Good answer)
C. I work as a dentist in Budapest. It's a very rewarding job and I earn good money. We get vast
numbers of foreigners coming to get dental treatment in Hungary, because it's far cheaper here than
in many other countries. As well as being cheap, we offer high quality dental care and our patients
are always happy with our work. I had to study for many years to be a dentist but it was worth it.
People generally respect you for being a dentist as it's considered to be a good job, although
perhaps it isn't as prestigious as being a doctor. I could have chosen to be a doctor and in fact, this
is what my father wanted me to do. However, I have some friends who are doctors and they say
they work very long hours and can't spend enough time with their families. I think I made the right
career choice.
(too long / everything isn't relevant – e.g. section about becoming a doctor)
2)
Why did you choose that course or job?
A. I didn't choose it. (too abrupt / almost sounds rude)
B. I chose it because French was always my best subject at school and I enjoy meeting new people. I
thought interpreting would suit me, therefore, as you have to be a good communicator and of course
skilled in foreign languages. (good answer)
3)
What is the most difficult thing about your studies or job?
A. I'm not sure. Er.... I would say the most difficult thing is that we have tight deadlines, so I'll be given
project and then told it's to be completed in one week, which is nowhere near enough time. That's
difficult but it doesn't stop me enjoying my work. (Despite beginning with "I'm not sure, Er...",
good answer. This isn't a problem if you don't hesitate too long / give a full reply / also using timefillers is good idea to gain time)
a
B. I don't enjoy attending meetings. It's often very boring and the meetings last too long.
(not a relevant answer)
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