Sample of English Placement Exam (2008/2009)
English Proficiency
All new undergraduate students who apply for admission at CIC must write English, computer, and mathematics placement tests. The results of the English placement test will affect the number of major courses offered for the students. The students will be placed according to their scores at an English level as follows:
CIC Score English course Hrs of English per Week 6 16 16 25 25 25 25 Other Courses Permitted per Semester 5 2 2 1 1 0 0
70 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 Below 45
ENGL 101/102** ENGL 100 a ENGL 100 b ENGL 99 a ENGL 99 b ENGL 99 c English courses (Training Centre)
NB.Students holding a valid International TOEFL certificate with an equivalent score of 550 and above are exempt from the placement test, but must comply with program requirements.
Part I. Writing:
Time: 30 minutes 20 marks
Write a well organized essay on the following topic:
People attend school for many different reasons (for example, expanded knowledge, societal awareness, and enhanced interpersonal relationships). Why do you think people decide to go to school? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Structure and written expressions:
Time: 30 minutes 20 marks
Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence:
1. The planet mercury---------- rotations during every two trips around the sun. a. three complete b. completes three c. the completion of three d. completing three of the 2. In prehistoric ------------ of western Utah was covered by Lake Bonneville. a. times, a large part b. times, there was a large part c. part of the time d. for large parts of time 3. The helicopter is able to hover in ------------- powered rotors produce lift even at zero forward speed. a. flight because of the b. flying the c. the flying of the d. flight because the 4. The upper level of the sun's atmosphere are of very low ----------- heats the gases there to very high temperatures. a. dense and solar b. density ,solar activity c. density, but solar activity d. density and activity of the Sun is 5. Lapis Lazuli, ---------- stone, has been valued for ornamental purposes for more than 6,000 years. a. an opaque deep blue b. is an opaque deep blue c. it is an opaque deep blue d. that is an opaque deep blue 6. Mountaineers ------------ climb Mount Everest must make reservations to do so, often up to seven years in advance. a. want to b. the way to
c. who want d. wanting to 7. Created by dissolution of limestone, the underground cave system --------Mammoth cave is noted for its stalactites and stalagmites. a. is known as b. it is known to be c. known as d. to be known 8. Most slang terms are simply old words ---------------- additional new meanings. a. give b. given c. are given d. they are given
9. North Carolina's Outer Banks are a chain of low, narrow islands ------------- the mainland from the frequent Atlantic storms in the area. a. they buffer b. that buffer c. to buffer them d. that they buffer 10. It is at the age of approximately eighteen months ------------- children begin to make combinations of two or three words. a. when many b. when are many c. when do many d. when have many of the
11. Story of a bad boy, a semi autobiographical novel by Thomas Bailey Alderich, ranks high among books. --------------- have incorporated their boyhood experiences. a. the American Authors b. which are American authors c. in which American Authors d. are those which American Authors 12. --------- provided a living for nearly 90 percent of the American colonies. a. Farming was what b. What farming c. Farming was
d. What was farming 13. Not only ------------ more brittle than hard maples, but they are also less able to withstand high winds. a. soft maples are b. are soft maples c. they are soft maples d. soft maples 14. -------------- become blocked so that heat and moisture could not escape, death would result. a. Were the skin's pores to b. The pores of the skin were to c. The skin's pores d. If the pores of the skin 15. The president ------------ the election by landslide. a. won b. he won c. yesterday d. fortunately
16. For most people, it takes ----------- to become fluent in a second language. a. long b. long time c. a long d. as long
17. However, basic language structures are quickly learnt if you ---------to make the effort. a. are willing b. are waiting c. will d. be waiting 18. Since then, the member countries --------------- on a modus operandi` which suits them all. a. have been working b. worked c. work
d. works 19. -------------- with foreign students or making foreign friends can also help a lot. a. Living b. Life c. Live d. Alive 20. It is wise to wait until ordered goods a re received before --------------- credit card payment online. a. to authorize b. authorizes c. authorizing d. has been authorizing
III.
Reading: Reading A
Time: 45 minutes
20 marks
5
10
15
20
25
Today's cars are smaller, safer, cleaner, and more economical than their predecessors, but the car of the future will be far more pollution-free than those on the road today. Several new types of automobiles engines have already been developed that run on alternative sources of power such as electricity, compressed natural gas, methanol, steam, hydrogen and propane. Electricity, however, is the only zero –emission option presently available. Although electric vehicles will not be truly practically until a powerful, compact battery or other dependable source of current is available, transportation experts foresee a new assortment of electric vehicles entering everyday life: shorterrange commuter electric cars, three-wheeled neighborhood cars, electric delivery vans, bikes, and trolleys. As automakers work to develop practical electrical vehicle, urban planners and utility engineers are focusing on infrastructure systems to support and make The best use of the new cars. Public charging facilities will need to be as common as today's gas stations. Public parking sports on the street or in commercial lots will need to be equipped with devices that allow drivers to charge their batteries while they shop, dine, or attend a concert. To encourage the use of eclectic vehicles, the mot convenient parking in transportation centers might e reserved for electric cars. Planners foresee electric shuttle buses, trains, buses and neighborhood vehicles all meeting at transit centers that would have facilities for charging and renting. Commuters will be able to rent a variety of electric cars to suit their needs: light trucks, one-person three-wheelers, small cars, or electric/gasoline hybrid cars for longer trips, which will no doubt take place on automated freeways capable of handling five times the number of vehicles that can be carried by a freeway today. 1. The following electric vehicles are all mentioned in passage EXCEPT a) vans b) trains
c) planes d) trolleys 2. The author's purpose in the passage is to a) criticize conventional vehicles b) support the invention of electric cars c) narrate a story about alternative energy vehicles d) describe the possibilities for transportation in the future 3. The passage would most likely be followed by details about a) automated freeways b) pollution restrictions in the future c) the neighborhood of the future d) electric shuttle buses 4. In the second paragraph the author implies that a) a dependable source of electric energy will eventually be developed b) everyday life will stay much the same in the future c) a single electric vehicles will eventually replace several modes of transportation d) electric vehicles are not practical; for the future According to the passage , public parking lots of the future will be a) more convenient than they are today b) equipped with charging devices c) much larger than they are today d) as common as today's gas stations
5
Reading B
Red Rock Canyon, part of the Red Rock Recreation Lands in Nevada, is an escarpment of crimson Aztec sandstone cliffs and canyon walls that reveal the geologic history of the area. Bands of sediment layers tell of a deep sea bed that 400 million years ago rose eastward to a shoreline in present-day western Utah. As the 5 ancient sea grew progressively more shallow, about 225 million years, marine limestone and shales were overland by sediments washed in from emerging land areas. As the water in the shallow inland seas evaporated, salts and minerals were deposited in thick beds and fluctuating shorelines created intermixed beds of limestone, shales and minerals. Sediments from this period gave the canyon its 10 name. Their red color was created from the weathering of iron compounds within. About 180 million years ago the area became arid and was covered in sand dunes more than 2000 feet deep, which became cemented into the Aztec sandstorm that is prominent in the canyon today. Its alternating hues of red, yellow and white are believed to have resulted from ground water percolating through the sand and
15 leaching out the oxidized iron. The most significant geologic feature of the area is the Keystone Thrust fault, a fracture in the earth's crust. Sixty – five million years ago , intense pressure thrust one rock plate over another , a phenomenon that can clearly be seen in the contrasting bands of gray limestone and red sandstone , where the gray limestone cap is 20 actually older than the sandstone beneath it . The Keystone is one of the most easily identifiable thrust faults to be found anywhere. 1.With what topic is the passage mainly concerned? a) b) c) d) The creation of the keystone Thrust Fault How Red Rock Canyon acquired its name The formation of Aztec sandstone The geologic history of Red Rock Canyon
2.The author of this passage is most likely a) b) c) d) an animal rights activist a geologist a public relations writer a public works engineer
3. The word "its " in line 13 refers to a) b) c) d) Aztec sandstone shorelines cement hues
4. In line 21 the word "identifiable "could best be replaced by which of the following ? a) b) c) d) Observable Significant Discovered Created
5. According to the passage, the red of the canyon walls is primarily a result of a) ground water percolating through the sand b) the weathering of iron compounds c) the evaporation of the inland sea d) intense pressure on rock plates
Reading C
Sylvia Earle, a marine botanist and one of the foremost deep–sea explorers, has spent over 6000 hours, more than seven months, underwater. From her earliest years, Earle had an affinity more marine life, and she took her first plunge into the open sea as a teenager. In the years since then she has taken part in a number of landmark underwater projects, from exploratory expeditions around the world to her celebrated "Jim dive "in 1978 , which was the deepest solo dive ever made
5
without cable connecting the diver to a support vessel at the surface of the sea . Clothed in a Jim suit , a futuristic suit of plastic and metal armor , which was secured to a manned submarine , Sylvia Earle plunged into the Pacific 10 Ocean , at times at the speed of 100 feet per minute . On reaching the ocean floor, she was released from the submarine and from that point her only connection to the sub was an 18-feet tether. For the next two and a half hours. Earle roamed the seabed taking notes, collecting specimens, and planting a U.S. flag. Consumed by a desire to descend deeper still, in 1981, she became involved in the design and 15 manufacture of deep- sea submersibles, one of which took her to a depth of 3000 feet. This did not end Sylvia Earle's accomplishments.
1 .When did Sylvia Earle discover her love of the sea ? a) b) c) d) In childhood During her 6000 hours underwater After she made her deepest solo dive Well into her adulthood
2. It can be inferred from the passage that Sylvia Earle a) b) c) d) is not interested in the scientific aspects of marine research is uncomfortable in tight spaces does not have technical expertise has devoted her life to ocean exploration
3. The author's opinion of Sylvia Earle is a) critical b) supportive c) ambivalent d) disrespectful
4 According to the passage, the Jim suit was made of a) extra tough fabric b) rubber and plastic c) plastic and metal d) chain mail 5. The word "consumed "in the line 13 means a) devoured b) defeated c) exhausted d) overwhelmed
Reading D
5
10
15
20
25
Most of the early houses built in America were suited to farm life , as it was not until cities became manufacturing centers that colonists could survive without farming as their major occupation. Among the earliest farmhouses in America were those built in Plymouth colony . Generally they consisted of one large rectangular room on the ground floor, called a hall or great room and having a fireplace built into one of the walls , and a loft overhead . Sometimes a lean – to was attached alongside the house to store objects such as spinning wheels, firewood , barrels , and tubs . The furnishing in the great room were sparse and crudely built. Tabletops and chest boards were split or roughly sawed and often smoothed only on one side. Benches took the place of chairs, and the table usually had a trestle base so it could be dismantled when extra space was required. One or two beds and a six-board chest were located in one corner of the room. The fireplace was used for heat and light, and a bench often placed nearby for children and elders , in the area called the inglenook . The original houses in Plymouth Colony were erected within a tall fence for fortification. However, by 1630 Plymouth Colony had 205 inhabitants, most living outside the enclosure. By 1640 settlements had been built some distance from the original site. Villages began to emerge throughout Massachusetts and farmhouses were less crudely built. Windows brought light in to homes and the furnishings and decor were more sophisticated. As more diversified groups of immigrants settled the country, a greater variety of farmhouses appeared, from Swedish log-style houses in the Delaware Valley to saltbox houses in Connecticut, Dutch-Flemish stone frame houses in New York , and clapboard farmhouses in Pennsylvania . From Georgian characteristics to Greek revival elements farmhouses of varied architectural styles and building functions populated the landscape of the new frontier.
1. Which of the following is not mentioned as part of the furnishings in farmhouses? a) Rocking chair b) Six – board chest c) Bench d) Trestle- based table
2 According to the passage the earliest farmhouses were built in a) Delaware Valley b) Massachusetts c) Pennsylvania d) Connecticut 3. In line 10, the word "it" refers to a a) trestle base b) chest board c) space d) table 4. It can be inferred from the passage that a) sophisticated tools were available to the early immigrants b) the major occupation in Plymouth Colony was carpentry c) the extended family lived together in the farmhouse d) cloth was important from England
5 . The word 'emerge "in line 18 could best be replaced with a) b) c) d) proceed come out settle appear
IV.
Listening :
30 minutes
20 marks
I. Answer the following question: Although it is 5 A.M. and it is still dark Jennifer still can see, why? II. Listen to the audio journal. Mark the statements T (true) or F (false). Jennifer…….. -------- 1. climbed part of the mountain the day before this recording. -------- 2. is climbing alone. -------- 3. is climbing in the morning. -------- 4. hunt her foot during the climb. -------- 5. is climbing on snow and ice. -------- 6. does not reach the summit of the mountain. III. Circle the best answer to complete each sentence. 2. Helen Lake: Jennifer’s body hunts from-----------. a. climbing today b. yesterday’s climb c. sitting down too long 3. Avalanche Gulch: When climbing , Jennifer plants her ice axe ---------a. In front of her b. To the side c. In back of her 4. Avalanche Gulch: Jennifer uses a ----------- to help her climb. a. song b. rhythm c. story 5. Red Banks: Jennifer ------------- the mountain. a. slips and almost falls down b. turns around and walks down c. sits down and rests on 6. Misery Hill : The weather on Misery Hill is-------------. a. rainy b. windy c. deceiving 7. Misery Hill: Jennifer thinks about ------------. a. eating lunch
b. her tried legs c. life at home 8. Below the summit: Jennifer feels -----------. a. a rush of energy b. almost too tried c. like turning around and going home 9. Below the summit : There are ----------- members of the group ahead of Jennifer. a. no b. two c. three 10. At the summit :Tom ----------- Jennifer and Doug. a. Sings to b. Laughs with c. Takes a photo of 11. At the summit : Jennifer sees ---------- below her. a. The other climbers b. An airplane flying c. A snowstorm
V.
Speaking:
15 minutes
20 marks
Go to the oral interview scheduled room as instructed by your teacher.