Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature Straniere e Culture Moderne
2nd Year Lettorato Exam January 12th 2015
Lingue e Letterature
Section I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Choose a, b, c or d to fill in the blanks in the most appropriate way.
“What can I get my mum for her birthday?” “Well you …… her flowers again!”
a) couldn’t send
b) might send
c) shouldn’t send
d) don’t have to send
The customers complained that they …… for more than three hours.
a) were waiting
b) are waiting
c) have been waiting
d) had been waiting
That’s a really nice dress she’s wearing, ……?
a) isn’t she
b) doesn’t she
d) do you think
c) isn’t it
My husband is at ….. work at ….. moment. He is ….. school teacher.
a) ---/ the / a
b) his / this / a
c) --- / this / the
d) his / the / ---
It’s a wonderful car, but it cost him …… money.
a) too many
b) rather a lot of
d) a large number of
The children ran …… the street.
a) by
b) passed
c) rather lots of
c) down
d) at
7.
Marine biologists have noted that many fish …… high levels of dangerous metals.
a) now contain
b) are now containing
c) contain now
d) have now contained
8.
By the time the fire engines ……, we …….. the fire and …… furniture out of the blackened building.
a) had arrived / have put out / had been carrying
b) arrived / had put out / were carrying
c) had been arriving / have put out / carried
d) had arrived / were putting out / had carried
9.
You ……. with this kind of problem before, I expect, so I’ll leave you to handle it.
a) ‘ll have dealt
b) are going to deal
c) had dealt
d) are dealing
10. Before the advent of cable TV, viewers …… such a wide variety of channels.
a) haven’t had
b) weren’t used to have c) wouldn’t have
d) didn’t use to have
11. The opposition have asked for income tax ……
a) being reduced b) to reduce
c) to be reduced
d) in reduction
12. A few weeks ago, while we were out at the cinema, we ……
a) had someone broken into our house
b) had our house broken into
c) have got our house broken into
d) got someone break into our house
13. Luckily I checked my diary. If I ….. that, I …… her birthday.
a) didn’t do / would completely forget
b) hadn’t done / will have forgotten completely
c) hadn’t done / would have completely forgotten
d) don’t do / will completely forget
14. Some of the people interviewed in the survey said they ….. if everyone left them alone.
a) would rather
b) would prefer it
c) would like better
d) feel as though
15. Some people believe that the government …… genetically modified crops to be grown on a large scale, as they
could spread out of control.
a) doesn’t have to allow
b) mustn’t have let
c) shouldn’t allow
d) may not have let
COMPITO E
Section II Choose the option which is correct and has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
16. I don’t usually eat such big meals; I’m full up.
a) I didn’t use to eat such large meals. I can’t eat any more.
b) I ‘m not used to eat such a lot. I can’t eat any more.
c) Normally I’m not eating such a lot. I can’t eat any more.
d) I can’t eat any more. I’m not used to such large meals.
17. I wish you’d told me about the cheap flights to Italy.
a) Unless you’d told me about the cheap flights to Italy, I’d buy one.
b) I’d have bought a cheap flight to Italy if you had told me about them.
c) If only you’d told me about cheap flights to Italy; otherwise I’ll get one.
d) As long as you had told me about cheap flights to Italy, I would buy one.
18. I think it’s so much more fun to watch tennis than golf.
a) Golf isn’t nearly as interesting to watch than tennis.
b) Between to watch tennis and golf, I watch tennis.
c) Tennis is more interesting to watch than golf.
d) Tennis is far away more interesting than golf.
19. It looks like rain.
a) It looks as if it is going to rain.
b) It appears to have been raining.
c) Everything appears to be wet.
d) It appears to be raining.
20. There is more than enough food in the fridge.
a) There is too much food in the fridge.
b) There is plenty of food in the fridge.
c) There is a little food in the fridge.
d) There is some food in the fridge.
21. Good news! The plumber has turned up to fix the shower, at last.
a) The plumber has finally come to fix the shower.
b) The plumber has agreed to fix the shower.
c) The plumber will fix the shower sooner or later.
d) We have finally found the right plumber to fix our shower.
22. You needn’t have spent so much money.
a) You are spending too much money.
b) It is not necessary to spend so much.
c) You spent more than was necessary.
d) You could have spent a lot more money.
23. What’s the price of this model?
a) ‘How much does cost this model?’
b) ‘What costs this model?’
c) ‘Could you tell me what is the price of this model, please?’
d) ‘What does this model cost?’
24. “Stop what you are doing!”
a) He said I would stop what I was doing.
b) He asked me to stop doing it.
c) He told me to stop what I was doing.
d) He told me to stop to do it.
25. This house is worth twice as much as when I bought it.
a) When I bought this house, I paid twice its current price.
b) The value of this house is double since I have bought it.
c) I could have bought two houses for the price of this one.
d) The value of this house has doubled since I bought it.
COMPITO E
Section III Choose the most appropriate word or phrase to complete the text.
Cuba’s extraordinary global medical record shames the US blockade
Four months…(26)… the internationally declared Ebola emergency that …(27)…
…(28)… the world in direct medical support…(29)…
west Africa, Cuba
the epidemic. The US and Britain …(30)…
thousands of troops and, …(31)… other countries, promised aid – …(32)… of which has …(33)… to
materialise. But, as the World Health Organisation has insisted, what’s …(34)… are health workers. The
Caribbean island, with a population of just 11m and official per capita income of $6,000, answered that call
before it …(35)… . It was first on the Ebola frontline and has sent the largest contingent of doctors and
nurses –256 are …(36)… in the field, with another 200 volunteers …(37)… . The need …(38)… . More
than 6,000 people have already died. So shaming has the Cuban operation been that British and US
politicians …(39)… to offer congratulations. John Kerry described the contribution of the state the US has
been …(40)… for half a century “impressive”. The first Cuban doctor to contract Ebola has been treated by
British medics, and US officials promised they would “collaborate” with Cuba to fight Ebola.
26. a) into
b) of
c) past
d) within
27. b) is ruined
b) has devastated
c) has been demolished
d) was distressing
28. a) conducts
b) was dominant
c) is influenced by
d) leads
29. a) for struggling
b) for combating at
c) to beating
d) to fight
30. a) have sent
b) will be sent
c) had been sending
d) were sending
31. a) in addition
b) in collaboration
c) along with
d) together
32. a) majority
b) the biggest bit
c) most
d) the least
33. a) just
b) already
c) yet
d) not
34. a) most urgently needed
b) most desperately requested c) the biggest need
d) the more urgent
35. a) has materialized
b) had been registered c) was made
d) arisen
36. a) still
b) already
c) yet
d) not
37. a) that arrive
b) who had come
c) on their way
d) in their way
38. a) was greater than ever
b) could not be greater c) is pressed
39.
40. a) hating
d) is high
a) have felt obliged
b) have found each other forced
c) have felt their need
d) have been constraining
b) fighting at
c) engaged on
d) trying to overthrow
COMPITO E
Section IV Choose the most appropriate word or phrase to complete the text.
"I'll fix some supper," she …41… When she walked across the room, she couldn't feel her feet touching the floor. She
couldn't feel anything except a …42… sickness. She did everything without thinking. She went downstairs to the
freezer and …43… of the first object she found. She …44… it out, and looked at it. It was …45… in paper, so she took
…46… the paper and looked at it again --- a leg of lamb.
All right, then, they would have lamb for supper. She carried it upstairs, held the …47… bone-end with both her hands.
She went into the living room, saw him standing by the window with his …48… her, and stopped. "I've already told
you," he said. "Don't make supper for me. I'm going out." At that point, Mary Maloney simply …49… behind him and
without any pause, she …50… the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it …51… as hard as she could on
the back of his head. She …52… as well have hit him with a steel club. She stepped …53…, waiting, and the strange
thing was that he remained …54… there for at least four or five seconds. Then he crashed onto the …55….
The violence of the crash, the …56… , the small table …57… , helped to bring her out of the shock. She came out
slowly, feeling cold and …58… , and she stood for a few minutes, looking at the body, still holding the piece of meat
…59… with both hands. All right, she told …60…. So I've killed him.
41. a) told
b) urged
c) whispered
d) threatened
42. a) almost
b) large
c) slight
d) quite
43. a) took hold
b) grasped
c) lifted
d) put
44. a) pushed
b) lifted
c) removed
d) kept
45. a) stuffed
b) wrapped
c) gifted
d) papered
46. a) up
b) on
c) in
d) off
47. a) decreasing
b) wide
c) fattening
d) thin
48. a) back on
b) back in
c) back at
d) back to
49. a) came to
b) walked up
c) got up
d)ran to
50. a) swung
b) bent
c) twisted
d) carried
51. a) towards
b) on
c) over
d) down
52. a) must
b) might
c) could
d) should
53. a) behind
b) beyond
c) back
d) under
54. a) bending
b) lying
c) standing
d) sitting
55. a) window
b) ceiling
c) cellar
d) carpet
56. a) rumour
b) noisy
c) loud
d) noise
57. a) overturning
b) crashed
c) inside-out
d) knocked
58. a) surprised
b) shocking
c) murdering
d) calculated
59. a) firmedly
b) graspingly
c) tight
d) grippingly
60.) a) she
b) herself
c) her
d) to her
COMPITO E
L&L
Section 1
1 c
2 d
3 c
4 a
5 b
6. c
7. a
8. b
9 a
10 d
11 c
12 b
13 c
14 b
15 c
Section 2
16 d
17 b
18 c
19 a
20 b
21 a
22 c
23 d
24 c
25 d
Section 3
26 a 27 b 28 d 29 d 30 a 31 c 32 c 33 c 34 a 35 c 36 b 37 c 38 b
39 a 40 d
Section 4
41 c 42 c 43 a 44 b 45 b 46 d 47 d 48 d 49 b 50 a 51 d 52 b 53 c 54 c
55 d 56 d 57 a 58 a 59 c 60 b
COMPITO E
Lingue e Letterature
Time: 75 minutes
COMPOSITION
Write a well-organised, interesting composition or dialogue of between 225-250 words on ONE of
the following topics.
If you choose 1 or 2 you should use a suitable layout and organise your essay into paragraphs. If
you choose 3, the dialogue, you should use a suitable register and add any necessary stage
directions.
WRITE THE NUMBER OF WORDS AT THE END
1. Describe a family event/tradition with both the good and the bad aspects
2. They are planning to build several skyscrapers in Turin which is a
controversial subject. Discuss.
3. You meet a favourite old teacher from your young school days. Write the
dialogue which takes place between the two of you after a long time of not
seeing each other.
COMPITO E