WEEKEND WORKSHEET FOR LEVEL B
March 20th 2009

Read the following passage on the negative effects of video games and fill
in the blanks
Computer games have been popular for decades now and many households have at least one.
However it can be seen that playing these games causes social, educational and personal problems
1) ________ several kinds both 2) ________ youngsters and society.
Firstly, youngsters who spend 3) ________ great deal 4) ________ time in front 5) ________
6) ________ monitor 7) ________ not studying, playing sport, socialising or learning about life.
The skills which they need in order 8) ________ interact with others and succeed in the real world
9) ________ not being nurtured. Moreover, studies have shown that this generation 10)
________ young males is actually growing less than previous generations due 11) ________ lack
12) ________ exercise. Following from this, they 13) ________ more likely 14) ________ be
overweight and less healthy, so more prone 15) ________ diseases such as diabetes.
In addition, the games themselves 16) ________ often quite violent and dangerously sexist. For
example, there 17) ________ games which show graphic fighting scenes where the most brutal is
most applauded. Women 18) ________ shown as either sexy, but weak, or as improbable
amazons. Violence against women is often part 19) ________ these games which encourages
misogynistic behaviour. The language tends 20) ________ be violent and sexist which further
adds 21) ________ the problems 22) ________ the lack 23) ________ interaction and social
skills.
It is easy 24) ________ imagine the effects 25) ________ such games on young minds. If we
wish children 26) ________ grow up 27) ________ become well-adjusted members 28)
________ society, these games should be more tightly controlled.

Read the whole text carefully and then circle the correct form of the
verbs.
Muhammad Ali – Boxing Champion
In the 1960s Muhammad Ali was a brilliant, fast, skillful and intelligent boxer. In 1964 he
has become/became heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Ali was born with the
name Cassius Clay in 1942. But he always hates/has always hated that name because he
says it is “his white name”. Martin Luther King and his speeches influenced / have
influenced Ali, even as a boy, and he took/was taken a black name when he was a young
man. At the age of 18 Cassius Clay drank /was drinking a cup of coffee in a café in his
home town, Louisville, USA, when he was asked /asked to leave the café by some men
because he was black. At the age of 25 Ali had/was having more problems. He was/has
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been a pacifist so he didn’t want to fight for the USA in the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
Because of that they stopped//have stopped him from boxing for three-and-a half years,
from 1967. Now Muhammad Ali, being an old man, walks/is walking and talks/is
talking slowly.
Word Meanings From Context
1. It was a sad and haunting strain that met our ears as we entered the old theater. There was a
beauty in the voice that we’d never forget. This would be a special concert.
What does “strain” mean in the context of the selection?
a. effort
b. injury
c. melody
d. filter
2. I want you to weigh his words carefully. He seems sincere and presents his arguments well.
There is, however, something that doesn’t quite ring true about the
candidate.
What does “weigh” mean in the context of the selection?
a. to measure the mass
b. to put pressure on a scale
c. to think about
d. to be important
3. Michael is an ardent supporter of his presidential candidate. That became obvious to me when I
found out how much time he’s donated to the campaign. Perhaps Michael knows what he’s doing.
What does “ardent” mean in the context of the selection?
a. old
b. intelligent
c. foolish
d. very strong
4. Mary, of course you’re overweight. You eat too much junk food. Even worse, you exercise
infrequently.
What does “infrequently” mean?
a. with a frown on one’s face
b. at a gym
c. while wearing heavy clothes
d. not often

Put a circle around the number next to each correct answer.
The Indians made little progress during the thousands of years before the Europeans came. One
reason for this was that horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens were not found in America. Without
horses, the Indians had a hard time digging up the soil, and they could only get animal food by
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hunting. Another reason for their lack of progress was that they did not know how to use metals to
make tools. Stones and flat bones do not make good tools.
A. This story is mainly about 1. problems the Indians had.
2. how poor the Indians were.
3. reasons for the Indians' lack of progress.
4. Indian farming and hunting.
B. Why is it better to raise animals than to hunt for them?
1. Hunting takes too much time.
2. Hunting is a sport.
3. Hunted animals are too sickly.
4. Wild animals can not be eaten.
C. The Indians made tools out of 1. metals.
2. stones and wild animal bones.
3. the bones of horses and cows.
4. arrowheads.
D. Which of these is not a tool?
1. Hammer
2. Knife
3. Buffalo bone
4. Screwdriver
Eastern Indians who were related lived in the same house or in nearby houses. Today, we call such a
group a "clan." Several clans made up a "tribe." From the old men in each clan a ruler or "sachem"
was elected. The sachems from the clans met together to make rules for the tribe and to punish
those who broke the rules. Each clan also elected a war chief, who led the warriors in battle. Some
tribes also elected a head war chief.
A. This story is mainly about 1. war chiefs.
2. sachems.
3. clans.
4. how Indians were organized.
B. Sachems were chosen from among
1. the men.
2. the men and women.
3. the old men.
4. the entire clan.
C. The word "clan" describes 1. the sachems of the tribe.
2. the people in the tribe.
3. people who are related who live together or near to one another.
4. Indian tribes.
D. The head war chief was the head war chief of
1. the tribe.
2. the clan.
3. the sachems.
4. the old men.
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REWRITE THE FOLLOWING WITH “USED TO”
1. Mert never smoked at all when he was at the university but now he smokes ten cigarettes a day.
________________________________________________
2. Mr.Carlos travelled a lot when he was young but now he writes books for travellers.
___________________________________________________
3. Aylin worked here for five years but now she works for an international oil company.
__________________________________________________.
4. My grandparents told me a lot of interesting things about the Independance War but they can’t
do it now because both of them died years ago.
_______________________________________________________:
5. Women didn’t vote in elections in the past but now they have the right to be a member of the
parliament.
________________________________________________________.
6. How did people get news before the invention of radio and television?
_______________________________________________________.
7. Did people wear fashionable clothes in earlier ages?
______________________________________________________:
8. There weren’t so many robberies in my childhood.
_______________________________________________________.
9. There was a lonely woman in that house before it was knocked down.
________________________________________________________.
10. The number of people living in this city was much less than it is now.
____________________________________________________.
Word Formation
Giving the ideal speech is a matter of …………. (1) in yourself
CONFIDENT
and in what you’re going to say. This may be …………. (2) said
EASY
than done, but part of the answer lies in your careful …………. (3).
PREPARE
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Note down your key points, …………. (4) on postcards or other
PREFER
small slips. Don’t make the mistake of trying to script your
speech word for word. You may gain a sense of …………. (5) from
SECURE
doing this but when you come to deliver your speech it will sound …………. (6).
NATURE
Keep it brief. It’s no good saying afterwards, ‘I delivered
it well but they fell asleep.’ To grab their …………. (7), begin
ATTEND
your speech with a few arresting thoughts or phrases, but
steer clear of jokes. As a …………. (8), you’ll show your
BEGIN
…………. (9) in your face as you wonder whether your joke will
NERVOUS
succeed. Be a top-class speaker – not an amateur …………. (10)
COMEDY
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