NAME: ____________________________________________ punteggio: (_____/ 60) = ___/30
FACOLTA’ DI LINGUE
2ND YEAR ENGLISH GRAMMAR TEST- Jan. 2008
CORSO DI LAUREA 4
Time allowed: 1 hour
WRITE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THIS EXAM PAPER ! DO NOT USE OTHER
SHEETS OF PAPER.
1. Complete the following passage by inserting an appropriate article (a, an, the); if no
article is necessary, put an X in the gap.
(1)____________ nation with rich oil fields, coal mines, mineral reserves, natural gas and
timber, Russia has long been (2)____________ economic power house. Russia ended 2005
with its seventh straight year of growth, averaging 6.4 per cent annually since (3)____________
financial crisis of 1998. (4)____________ high oil prices and (5)____________ cheap rouble
helped this economic gain. Nevertheless, serious economic problems persist; inflation and
unemployment are high and industries badly need (6)____________ modern equipment. Also,
Russia’s international image as (7)____________ investment location has suffered from
accusations of politicians interfering in (8)___________ business. Despite the problems facing
(9)____________ nation, Russia is still an attractive business destination. Its large natural
resources are a major attraction. With almost 100 percent literacy, the country has potential to
be (10)____________ outsourcing hub. Russia has only limited access to (11)____________
sea, deterring development of a trading mentality.
____/11
2. Put the verbs in parentheses into the most logical form. You may have to use both
active and passive forms.
When Madonna recently gave a series of concerts in Spain, teenage girls
(1)___________________(BE) able to wear at her last performance the same outfit that she
(2)___________________(WEAR) for her first concert. Welcome to the world of instant fashion,
in which a Spanish company (3)____________________ (BUILD) a global brand: Zara. Instead of
trying to create demand for new trends in the summer and winter (4)__________________(USE)
fashion shows, Zara (5)__________________(STUDY) the demands of its customers and responds.
In the process, Zara (6)___________________(BECOME) the most profitable branch of Inditex, a
holding company of eight retail brands, and one of the biggest successes in Spain. How can Inditex
thrive when Europe’s entire textile industry (7)_____________________(THREATEN) by cheap
imports from China? Some 300 designers (8)_____________________(WORK) every day at the
firm’s head office in La Coruna in Galicia. They (9)____________________(KEEP) in touch with
store managers regularly to discover bestselling items. Local firms do the sewing of the clothes and
then all the garments (10)______________________(DELIVER) by lorry to stores all over Europe
and by plane to the rest of the world.
_______/10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
3. Put the verbs in parentheses into an appropriate form using a to-infinitive, bare
infinitive or –ing form.
I regret _________________________(LOSE) all my old photographs
My son always forgets____________________(CALL) on my birthday.
I always stop_________________________(BUY) the newspaper on my way home.
I stopped _______________________ (BUY) the newspaper when my eyes went bad.
I must remember _______________________(WRITE) a letter tonight.
I’ve finished __________________(PREPARE) the monthly report for my boss.
She is looking forward to ______________________(GO) on vacation.
_______/7
4. Write the verbs in the appropriate form to make a conditional sentence.
1. I________________________(NOT HAVE) to deal with all these problems if I
___________________(LIVE) in the country.
2. If Los Angeles ___________________________(NOT BE) so desirable years ago, I
______________________(NOT MOVE) here in 1989.
3. If I _____________________ (HAVE) more money, I ___________________(GO) to more
cultural events.
4. If the Digicomp company____________________(WANT) to expand their market, they
__________________________ (HAVE) to do careful market research.
5. If the CEO of our partner _________________(COME) for a visit, our boss always
_________________ (TREAT) him like royalty.
____/10
5. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate preposition or conjunction.
There are an estimated 25,000 centenarians (1)____________ the United States, and their
numbers are rapidly increasing. (2)____________ better understand what promotes longevity, the
lives of centenarians and their personal characteristics need to be closely examined. We are very
interested (3)_____________ discovering what kind of lifestyle and particularly what kind
(4)_______________ personality determines longevity. Although we may anticipate being told that
there are uniform traits (5)________________ centenarians, this is not true. It was originally
thought that centenarians must be calm, serene, Type B personalities, (6)_____________ stress-free
lives. However, there are centenarians who thrive (7)____________ living fast-paced, high tension
lives. As far (8)______________ physical characteristics are concerned, very few claim to have
been obese (9)_______________ any time in their lives. Many admit to having been social drinkers
(10)_____________ their lives, and many like to drink coffee. They have a wide range of
nutritional habits—some are vegetarians, but most eat meat. Most (11)_____________ them eat
just about everything.
______/11
6. Fill in the blanks with ONE appropriate word.
No one better personified the vitality of the American Dream in the second half of the 20th
(1)_____________ than Sam Walton. (2)____________ started out as the owner of a variety store
in Newport, Arkansas to become the (3)______________ retailer in the world and one of the richest
men in America. When Walton died in 1992, with a net worth of $25 billion, he left an important
legacy in American business as well as a corporate monument. Wal-Mart stores is the number 4
(4)_______________ in the Fortune-500, with annual sales of close to $120 billion. Walton
(5)_______________ just change the way much of America shopped, he changed the philosophy of
most American (6)________________, beginning the shift of power from manufacturer to
consumer that has become prevalent today. Although it is hard to (7)_______________ now,
discount retailing was a controversial concept when it started in the 1950’s. Traditional retailers
hated it, and so (8)_______________ manufacturers; it threatened their control of the marketplace.
In the 1960’s Walton realized he could not grow at the pace he desired (9)_______________
computerizing merchandize controls. He (10)_____________ right, of course, and Wal-mart went
on to become the icon of inventory control and sophisticated logistics and the first to use these
systems to cut costs. To his delight, Walton spend much of his career unnoticed by the public or the
press. In fact, hardly (11)______________ had ever heard of him when Forbes magazine
proclaimed him the richest man in America in 1985.
_____/11
NAME: ____________KEY_ _____________punteggio: (_____/ 60) = ___/30
FACOLTA’ DI LINGUE
2ND YEAR ENGLISH GRAMMAR TEST- Jan. 2008
CORSO DI LAUREA 4
Time allowed: 1 hour
WRITE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THIS EXAM PAPER ! DO NOT USE OTHER
SHEETS OF PAPER.
1.Complete the following passage by inserting an appropriate article (a, an, the); if no
article is necessary, put an X in the gap.
(1)_____A______ nation with rich oil fields, coal mines, mineral reserves, natural gas and
timber, Russia has long been (2)___an ____economic power house. Russia ended 2005 with its
seventh straight year of growth, averaging 6.4 per cent annually since (3)____the_____
financial crisis of 1998. (4)_____X_______ high oil prices and (5)____the_____ cheap rouble
helped this economic gain. Nevertheless, serious economic problems persist; inflation and
unemployment are high and industries badly need (6)____X_______ modern equipment. Also,
Russia’s international image as (7)____an______ investment location has suffered from
accusations of politicians interfering in (8)____X______ business. Despite the problems facing
(9)___the______ nation, Russia is still an attractive business destination. Its large natural
resources are a major attraction. With almost 100 percent literacy, the country has potential to
be (10)____an______ outsourcing hub. Russia has only limited access to (11)___the____ sea,
deterring development of a trading mentality.
____/11
2.Put the verbs in parentheses into the most logical form. You may have to use both active
and passive forms.
When Madonna recently gave a series of concerts in Spain, teenage girls
(1)___were__________(BE) able to wear at her last performance the same outfit that she
(2)__had been wearing(WEAR) for her first concert. Welcome to the world of instant fashion, in
which a Spanish company (3)____has built_______ (BUILD) a global brand: Zara. Instead of
trying to create demand for new trends in the summer and winter (4)____using____(USE) fashion
shows, Zara (5)___studies______(STUDY) the demands of its customers and responds. In the
process, Zara (6)__has become____(BECOME) the most profitable branch of Inditex, a holding
company of eight retail brands, and one of the biggest successes in Spain. How can Inditex thrive
when Europe’s entire textile industry (7)____is being threatened___ (THREATEN) by cheap
imports from China? Some 300 designers (8)_____are working_/work__(WORK) every day at the
firm’s head office in La Coruna in Galicia. They (9)___keep____________(KEEP) in touch with
store managers regularly to discover bestselling items. Local firms do the sewing of the clothes and
then all the garments (10)__are delivered________(DELIVER) by lorry to stores all over Europe
and by plane to the rest of the world.
_______/10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
3.Put the verbs in parentheses into an appropriate form using a to-infinitive, bare
infinitive or –ing form.
I regret ____losing________________(LOSE) all my old photographs
My son always forgets ____to call______(CALL) on my birthday.
I always stop ___to buy_________________(BUY) the newspaper on my way home.
I stopped __________buying________ (BUY) the newspaper when my eyes went bad.
I must remember _____to write___________(WRITE) a letter tonight.
I’ve finished ___preparing__________(PREPARE) the monthly report for my boss.
She is looking forward to ________going_________(GO) on vacation.
_______/7
4.Write the verbs in the appropriate form to make a conditional sentence.
1. I ____wouldn’t have___________(NOT HAVE) to deal with all these problems if I
_____lived_________(LIVE) in the country.
2. If Los Angeles ____hadn’t been_________________(NOT BE) so desirable years ago, I
__wouldn’t have moved____________________(NOT MOVE) here in 1989.
3. If I ____had_________________ (HAVE) more money, I ___would go_________(GO) to more
cultural events.
4. If the Digicomp company __wants______________(WANT) to expand their market, they
____will have___________________ (HAVE) to do careful market research.
5. If the CEO of our partner _____comes____________(COME) for a visit, our boss always
____treats_________ (TREAT) him like royalty.
____/10
5.Fill in the blanks with an appropriate preposition or conjunction.
There are an estimated 25,000 centenarians (1)___in_______ the United States, and their
numbers are rapidly increasing. (2)__To________ better understand what promotes longevity, the
lives of centenarians and their personal characteristics need to be closely examined. We are very
interested (3)___in________ discovering what kind of lifestyle and particularly what kind
(4)_______of______ personality determines longevity. Although we may anticipate being told that
there are uniform traits (5)__among/for______ centenarians, this is not true. It was originally
thought that centenarians must be calm, serene, Type B personalities, (6)__with_____ stress-free
lives. However, there are centenarians who thrive (7)__on/by________ living fast-paced, high
tension lives. As far (8)__as__________ physical characteristics are concerned, very few claim to
have been obese (9)___at__________ any time in their lives. Many admit to having been social
drinkers (10)___during_______ their lives, and many like to drink coffee. They have a wide range
of nutritional habits—some are vegetarians, but most eat meat. Most (11)____of_______ them eat
just about everything.
______/11
6.Fill in the blanks with ONE appropriate word.
No one better personified the vitality of the American Dream in the second half of the 20 th
(1)___century_____ than Sam Walton. (2)____He______ started out as the owner of a variety
store in Newport, Arkansas to become the (3)___biggest_____ retailer in the world and one of the
richest men in America. When Walton died in 1992, with a net worth of $25 billion, he left an
important legacy in American business as well as a corporate monument. Wal-Mart stores is the
number 4 (4)__company____ in the Fortune-500, with annual sales of close to $120 billion.
Walton (5)___didn’t_______ just change the way much of America shopped, he changed the
philosophy of most American (6)___retailers_____, beginning the shift of power from manufacturer
to consumer that has become prevalent today. Although it is hard to (7)__believe_____ now,
discount retailing was a controversial concept when it started in the 1950’s. Traditional retailers
hated it, and so (8)___did_________ manufacturers; it threatened their control of the marketplace.
In the 1960’s Walton realized he could not grow at the pace he desired (9)__without______
computerizing merchandize controls. He (10)__was________ right, of course, and Wal-mart went
on to become the icon of inventory control and sophisticated logistics and the first to use these
systems to cut costs. To his delight, Walton spend much of his career unnoticed by the public or the
press. In fact, hardly (11)___anyone____ had ever heard of him when Forbes magazine proclaimed
him the richest man in America in 1985.
_____/11