Under this rubric you will find very useful materials to help you prepare for your bac exam.
Unit One: Gifts of the Youth.
Applying the SQ3R Method
| Arran Fernandez has been offered a place at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, aged just 14. According to his father, Dr Neil Fernandez, it will make him the second youngest Cambridge undergraduate after William Pitt the Younger went to the university at the same age in 1773.The conditional offer was made after Arran, successfully, passed exams set by the university last summer. Professor David Cardwell, who will be teaching Arran, said: ”Fitzwilliam College decided to make Arran a conditional offer after considering his application and his results very carefully, as we do with all students who apply, regardless of background. |  |
”The college looks forward to welcoming Arran in October 2010, and to helping him develop and fulfil his considerable academic potential to ensure a productive and rewarding experience during his studies at Cambridge.”
To enrol on the course, Arran, who already has A-levels in maths and further maths, needs to pass his A-level physics exam. The home-educated teenager said: ”Maths has been my favourite subject for as long as I can remember.
”I enjoy being home schooled because I’m more involved. I can see the mark schemes and help my dad decide the curriculum.” The degree, or ”tripos” as it is known to Cambridge students, is widely regarded as one of the most difficult in the world and former scholars include Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking.
Arran first made headlines in 2001 when, aged five, he gained the highest grade possible in the foundation maths paper. He went on to sit the intermediate GCSE paper the following summer and gained A* in the advanced level paper in 2003. At the time Arran said he aspired to be ”a mathematician, lorry driver or space explorer”. Speaking about his latest ambition, Arran said he now hopes to be a research mathematician.
”It would be nice to work for Cambridge. There are a few things I want to work on; I’d like to solve the Riemann hypothesis, which is a theory about the patterns of prime numbers that has baffled the greatest mathematicians for 150 years.”
www.guardian.co.uk (September 2nd, 2010)
A- Choose the best title for the passage:
a- a gifted college graduate
b- a mathematician
c- a teenage genius
B- Are these sentences true or false? Justify.
1. Arran has been the only youngest undergraduate in the history of Cambridge.
2. Aran got his education at school.
3. The Riemann hypothesis is still unsolved.
C- Answer these questions
1. How old was William Pitt the Younger when he went to Cambridge?
2. Why did the newspapers write about Aran in 2001?
D. Find words or expressions meaning the same as:
1. No matter ( paragraph 2 ) 2. obtained ( paragraph 6 )
E- What do the underlined words in the text refer to?
1. Who ( paragraph 2) ………………
2. Which ( paragraph 7) ………………
Writing: A descriptive paragraph.
My gifted classmate.
Aicha my best friend is one of a kind. When she first joined our class, most of my classmates laughed at her because she was wearing shabby clothes, but not me. I tried to talk to her and then I found out that she was a genius, especially at Maths.
She is a very mature person; whatever the problem is she will cope with it without panicking. She always solves the hardest mathematical problems very easily and faster than a calculator.
She told me once that she had developed her strong ego since she dropped school out for a year to support her poor family. During that year she focused on improving her maths; now she’s come back and tried her best to take advantage of this opportunity. As a result, she is top of our school at maths.
In appearance, she is the skinniest of our class. She has wavy hair and doesn’t care at all for her clothes.
Whoever heard about her story, recognises that she is very special and that we should not judge people from their appearances, but from their deeds and achievements.
By Houda Cahib ( Physics 1)
My classmate is a genius.
Adam, my classmate, is really a prodigy. When I saw him for the first time, I knew that he is an unparalleled boy. He is distinguished at maths. What makes him different is that he is optimistic, sensible and reliable; he helps anyone who needs him.
In appearance, he is short and slim. He has beautiful green eyes and wavy black hair. He is usually dressed in casual clothes, t-shirts, jeans and sneakers.
I like him so much. In my opinion he is going to be the next Einstein.
By S. Ait Salim ( Physics 1)
Focus on vocabulary:
Task one: the following sentences are false correct them:
1- The youths prefer the love of ease to adventure.
2- An ambitious person never has a desire to succeed.
3- The talented youths take everything for granted.
4- The CD player is an abstract concept.
5- People learn their gifts at school.
Task two: write the appropriate word form
1- He had the (audacious) to question my decision.
2- He is a (vigour) old man who spent half of his day on horseback.
3- He has a (passionate) for cock fighting.
4- Che Guevara was a (vitality) and charismatic leader.
Task three: match the words with their synonyms
a- Purposeful 1- full of life
b- Rebellious 2- robust
c- Creative 3- goal-directed
d- Vigorous 4- malcontent
e- Vital 5- originative
Grammar: The verb patterns.
A. Put each verb in the list in the right column.
regret continue promise carry on give up risk agree like allow refuse want encourage miss remember forget begin decide prefer volunteer avoid
| To+ V (Full infinitive) | V ( Bare Infinitive) | V+ing ( Gerund) |
Unit Two: Humour
Reading comprehension: Read the text and answer the questions
Children on average laugh about 300 times a day. Can you guess how many times per day the average adult laughs? Not even close. Just 17 times a day. How sad that we lose our sense of humour as we grow up! The simple act of throwing your head back and roaring at any kind of humour has multiple benefits both mentally and physically.
Laughter actually increases the immune system, making us stronger and better able to fight off disease. And all that humour requires us to do is breathing in more oxygen, which is good for the entire body. The physical benefits of humour do not end there. Laughing has been proven to lower blood pressure, burn calories and give your internal organs a good massage. It also exercises almost the entire body, which explains why we get sore sides after a good laugh session. Moreover, it lowers stress levels, keeping us calmer.
Humour can change your mood instantly. It is very hard to be angry when something strikes you as funny. Laughing stimulates the brain, both left and right sides, and help the laugher retain more information. Depression and anxiety are almost non-existent in people who have a great sense of humour and who are able to laugh at themselves. These people automatically see the world in different light, simply because of humour. Some doctors even recommend laughing as a therapeutic exercise.
This concept has even gone so far as to form humour clubs where the main activity is laughing. The idea behind this that if you spend and hour giggling, you will be healthier. The people who join these clubs spend the hour or so chortling away and go home feeling rejuvenated and healthy. According to the laughing clubs, you do not have to feel the laughter in order for it to be beneficial. Just opening your mouth and laughing on purpose, forced or not, can increase heart rate, oxygen levels and boost the immune system. And humour is proven to be contagious, so a good group laugh is quite probable every time the members of these clubs get together.
With humour being so good for you, how can you add more of it to your everyday lifer? You can start by smiling at yourself in the mirror each morning and having a five minute laugh to get the day started. Reading jokes, watching comedic films and hanging out with children are some guaranteed ways to get you chuckling yourself and on the road to a better health.
Comprehension:
- Answer the following questions in your own words.
- Why does the writer compare a good laugh session to n exercising session?
- Why do people join humour clubs?
- List three benefits of humour from the text.
- In what way is humour the best medicine?
- Are these sentences true or false? Justify.
- The kids laugh more often than the grown-ups.
- When we laugh we tend to forget important information.
- In the laughing clubs people talk about their own problems.
- complete the following sentences with ideas from the text:
1. ………………………… …..physical and mental …………………………………….
2. For humour clubs it is not necessary to ………………………………………………….
- find in the text words meaning the same as:
- Whole (paragraph 2) ………………………………
- Healing ( paragraph 3) …………………………….
- Infectious (paragraph 4) …………………………..
- What do the underlined words in the text refer to?
- Which ( paragraph 2) ………………………………………………………………..
- This concept ( paragraph 3) …………………………………………………………
- What would be a good title for the text:
- Laughter in clubs
- The benefits of humour
- Drawbacks of humour at work.
Vocabulary:
Focus on vocabulary:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the list:
humour; a joke; to kid; silly; witty; fun; play.
1- The clowns —————- tricks to make children laugh.
2- ———————– is anything said to cause laughter.
3- Mr Bean is very ——————; he is funny in an intelligent way, whereas Said Naciri is very —————————-.
4- ———————- is to laugh at someone in an unkind way.
5- We are having too much ——————— in Casablanca; we are having a good time.
Grammar: Modals
Focus on Grammar: Modals ( present and past).
Study the following chart and do the exercises below.
A- Modals of deduction (certainty, possibility, impossibility).
| Present | must | certainty | Look at jannet she has just bought a new villa. she must be a millionaire |
| Can’t | impossibility | He is just 15. he can’t drive. | |
| May; can; might | possibility | It is cloudy. it may rain |
| Past | Must have + pp | certainty | He has been living in USA for 10 years. he must have learnt English |
| Can’t have +pp | impossibility | She didn’t go to Paris. She can’t have visited Eiffel Tower. | |
| May; can; mightHave +pp | possibility | They went to Casa last week. they may have visited their son there. |
B- Modals of obligation:
| Present | *must / have to + v*ought to + v*should + v | You must respect your parents.You ought to come early.You should be early to school |
| Past | *had to + v*ought to have + pp*should have + pp | You had to revise well earlier.You ought to have finished early last night.You should have thought well before you took that decision. |
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate modals.
1- Look at her dirty and ragged clothes. She ———— be rich.
2- Annas regrets immigrating to Canada. he ————————– thought about it earlier.
3- She didn’t have a penny when she was in London. She ———————- bought that expensive flat.
4- A good citizen ———————— respect the law.
5- I ————————- continue my studies in France, but I am not sure about it.
6- Yesterday I met Tom. He was pale and his eyes were red. He ——————————– ill.
Unit Three : Formal, informal and non-formal education.
Reading comprehension:
Before moving into a safe House for girls, Moono Muleya, 18 , lived in a single-room house with her widowed mother and four siblings. The twelfth-grader at David Livingstone High School struggled to do her homework in a cramped quarter with barely enough light to read and write. Unable to cope with demands at home and school, Moono started thinking about dropping out, like so many other girls she knew. But then she was given the chance to move into a dormitory-like Safe House in Livingstone, Zambia, where she could study well, eat regular meals and learn good hygiene habits. She will graduate in 2006.
For girls like Moono, education remains a challenge in Zambia. Hurdles that limit them from finishing high school include no access to clean water and toilets, lack of money, and distance from school. Beyond that, pressure for girls to drop out increase with the onset of puberty and related problems, like harassment by male teachers and parental pressure to marry. If one or both parents die of HIV/AIDS , the burden of care for the family falls on the girls.
The Zambian education ministry and women’s rights groups are working with USAID to ensure safe environments for girls to encourage them to complete school. More than 4.000 Zambian girls and boys receive help from USAID through the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids relief and the Ambassador’s Girls’ Scholarship Program to pay for high school fees and materials.
In 2005, USAID helped the forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia, a women’s right group, set up the Safe House. The 19 female residents under the care of a matron learn about HIV/AIDS , adolescent health issues and life skills. This has empowered many girls, including Moono, and raised their self-esteem.
The forum has also opened Safe Houses in Kabwe and Serenje, housing 16 and 17 young girls, respectively. Moono says the opportunity to live and study at the Safe house has showed her the light at the end of the tunnel: “ We are happy because we go to school and we hope for the future.”
I. COMPREHENSION ( 20 marks )
I.TICK THE CORRECT ANSWER. ( 3 marks )
1.The text is an extract from: ( 1 mark )
A. A novel. B. A newspaper C. A play. D. An autobiography
2 . The text is about girls from poor families who: ( 2 marks )
1. drop out of school. 2. getting married early. 3. finishing school.
II. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE ? JUSTIFY. ( 4 marks )
1. Moona Muleya is an orphan.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Only girls are encouraged to continue studying.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
III. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. ( 8 marks )
1. Why did Moona think about leaving school ? : ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. What are the obstacles that push girls to stop going to school ?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3.How many students benefit from the program?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4.What in the text that the project of Safe House was successful?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
IV. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS MEANING THE SAME AS : ( 4marks )
1. To deal with ( paragraph 1 ) : ……………………………………….. 2.Obstacles ( paragraph 2 ): ……………………………
3.To finish ( paragraph 3) :…………………………………………… 4.Chance ( paragraph 5 ): ………………………………
V. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS REFER TO? ( 1 mark )
1.Them ( Line 7 ) : ………………………………………………………. 2. My ( Line 19 ) : ……………………………………………
Unit Four: Sustainable development:
Reading Comprehension:
Reading Non-Governmental Organizations
The acronym NGO stands for Non-Governmental Organisation which refers to all private voluntary but legal associations concerned with sustainable development. For this purpose, these organizations play an important role in empowering youth and women in Economic, social and environmental fields.
In the economic field, these organizations help women and youth to work not only by providing them with micro-credits, but also by supporting them take the initiative in setting up their own enterprises and invest their money appropriately through a trainings. In other words, they participate in fighting against poverty especially in rural areas.
Socially, they work on improving the status and situation of women in society so as to achieve social justice and establish a sort of equality between men and women by trying to increase literacy rates among women through informal education. Additionally, they try to provide other basic social services such as health care, running water and electrification of rural areas to stop rural exodus. Moreover, they work hard to eliminate some harmful cultural behaviour like racism, stereotypes and violence against women and children.
As for the environmental side, NGOs do a lot to conserve natural resources for future generations and to reduce pollution by sensitising people about the toxic danger of litter and trash. They also set up programmes to preserve water, to plant trees and to take care of public gardens as well as to protect some endangered species from extinction.
NGOs’ role, therefore, is so important that most of the projects connected to sustainable development are based on their success and perseverance.
Comprehension questions:
1- What are the domains that NGO’s try to improve and enhance?
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2- Who are the people concerned from this move?
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3- Are these NGO’s legal? Who gives them their legitimacy?
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4- How do these NGO’s get the money to finance their projects?
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5- What kind of social problems these NGO’s try to put an end to?
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6- How do they try to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources?
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Vocabulary:
|
Find in the text words that mean the same as:
a) Make stronger ……………………. P 1
b) Stand for ……………………. P 1
c) Without Sth* in return ……………………. P 1
d) Domains ……………………. P 1
e) Interested in ……………………. P 1
f) Start up ……………………. P2
g) Assisting ……………………. P2
h) Places ……………………. P2
i) Position ……………………. P3
*Sth: something
What do the underlined words refer to in the text?
1- Them …………………………… line 4
2- They ………………………….. line 6
Consider the text to complete the collocations:
a) Social …………………………
b) Fight …………………………
c) Rural …………………………
d) Health …………………………
e) Natural …………………………
Fill in the gaps with the following words:
In order to – as well as – in spite of – However – for – therefore – for instance -although
1- She learned to read and write …………………………………. she was 59years old.
2- NGOs help impoverished people ………………………………….. the environment.
3- NOGs play a prominent role in society ……………………………… people are still ignorant and don’t help these organizations. ………………………………….. NGOs collect garbage in one street, some people throw it in the other.
4- Most countries do their best …………………… prosperity and welfare.
5- The rate if illiteracy is increasing day after day. …………………………. The government and NGOs together should endeavor great efforts to reduce it.
6- ………………………………………. the global warm menaces, developed as well as developing countries are still giving off toxic and chemical waste.
7- NGOs work hard ……………………………. improve people’s lives.
Fill in the gaps with the right modal verb:
Must have– ought to – should have – can – could – must – used to
1- She didn’t go to work. I called her but in vain. So, She …………………………………………. left her job.
2- I don’t know a lot about cars, but I suppose BMW ………………………………. be better.
3- If you are absent for 2 days at school, you …………………………….. call your parents.
4- My sister ………………be fat. But after years of exercises and strict diet, she lost weight and she is slim again.
5- My brother …………………………… speak English when he was 2. He was born in England.
6- This food is so delicious. It …………………….. be mum’s cooking.
7- They slept too late and they were late for school. They …………………………………………. slept early.
Rewrite the following sentences as indicated: (be allowed to – be forbidden to – used to)
1- She can’t stay out late. He parents will get angry.
She is …………………………………………………………………………………………
2- He cheats in the exams.
It’s ……………………………………………………………………………………………
3- You mustn’t drive fast in crowded places and near schools.
It’s ………………………………………………………………………………………………
4- My English was bad. Now I can speak it fluently.
I …………………………………………………………………………………………………
5- Tom smoked a lot when he was a boy. But now he doesn’t.
He ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
6- We don’t use a dictionary in English exams.
It’s ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Focus on vocabulary:
Match the words in column A with those in column B to make collocations.
| Column A | Column B | |
| 1- health2- water3- social4- climate5- raw
6- micro 7- money 8- forest 9- ecological 10- poverty 11- energy 12- recycling 13- transport 14- property 15- civil 16- ,on governmental 17- sustainable 18- renewable 19- urban |
a- organizationb- societyc- developmentd- energiese- care
f- infrastructure g- change h- pollution i- justice j- elimination k- investment l- right m- preservation n- crisis o- materials p- waste q- enterprises r- areas s- preservation |
Now fill in the blanks with the appropriate collocations you have just made:
1- The Friends of Earth is a ———————————————————— that works for the preservation of our environment.
2- The government should encourage the ———————————————– through low rate loans
3- ————————————————— are forms of energy that are renewed as quikly as they are used (ex. solar energy, wind, etc)
4- The ———————————————— is made up of associations, non governmental organisations and non-profit organisations.
Focus on grammar: The future Perfect.
Complete the following table:
| Form | Use | Example |
| Will have + —— |
Now put the verbs ( ) in the correct form:
1- By the end of the decade all the Moroccans (have) ———————————— PCs.
2- Morocco (eradicate) ——————————– illiteracy by the year 2050.
3- By the end of July the students ( get) ——————————- their Bac diplomas.
4- In three weeks time I ( arrive) —————————— to Mexico.
Writing:
Study the information in the following chart.
| Project Area | Environment preservation |
| Goals of your project |
|
| Your main activities ( what are you going to do to meet the goals of your project) |
|
| Requirements ( the equipment and things you would need to implement your project) |
|
| Estimated budget ( How much money would you need to finance your project) |
35.000DH. |
Now use the chart to write an application letter to the local authorities asking them for a grant to fund your project.
Success criteria:
- You should respect the layout of a formal letter.
- Your language should be formal.
- Watch out your punctuation and mechanics.
Unit Five: Women and Power
Compiled with the very friendly help of Mr Mohamed Akhsass
Reading Comprehension 1:
The Lebanese Women: Reality and Aspirations
1.The reality of the Lebanese woman is reflected in the active forces of development within society. The division of work and the fundamental values of Lebanese society all impact on the kind of opportunities women have at the different stages of their lives and define the role and responsibilities they must assume. The civil war and the recurrent Israeli aggressions have led to deep-rooted changes in the social, economic and political structure of Lebanese society and have impacted on the advancement of Lebanese women in all these fields. Moreover, the painful events have caused deterioration in all sectors, and this negative impact has led to a wider gap in Lebanese society in the area of education and the productive capacity of women and men. In turn, the outcome has been a negative impact on all development programs and activities.
2. In terms of economic activity, the labor participation of Lebanese women remains very low and women still tend to be regarded as the secondary breadwinner. This is compounded by the limited labor opportunities, especially for women; the possible exploitive work conditions; and the lack of opportunities for promotion and advancement, all create barriers to the full and effective participation of Lebanese women in the local economy, and decision-making and planning spheres.
3. In the early 1970s, many women who chose to enter the paid labor force were mainly found in the following professions: teaching, administrative work, nursing, handicrafts, sewing and textile industry, various services, as well as working in the agricultural and trading fields. Meanwhile, between the 1970s and the 1990s, we are witnesses to positive progress and a noticeable movement of women into new and less traditional sectors. The proportion of women working in liberal professions – lawyers, engineers, physicians, pharmacists, judges, bank managers, media figures, university teachers, and researchers in the areas of literature, art and science – has increased considerably.
4. The reality of education in Lebanon reveals an increase in the enrollment rates at all levels of education: primary, secondary and post-secondary. And while Lebanon has witnessed an almost equal enrollment rate for women and men, and despite the positive trends outlined above, this equality of opportunity has not translated into a more diverse choice of specialization for women. In effect, the enrollment rate of girls in vocational education remains low, and their enrollment in the faculties of mathematics, physics, sciences and chemistry is still minor compared to their male counterparts.
5. Furthermore, for those women who do enter the labor force, many women find it difficult to balance and fulfill both professional and domestic responsibilities due to the lack of much needed social services. As a result, women are compelled to accept part-time and nominal jobs that have restricted hours, and often limited intellectual and physical requirements.
6. There are also other difficulties that persist – the traditional attitude of parents and the society at large towards women’s work; the pressure on women to marry early and not to work after marriage; the dedication of domestic chores to young girls; the low level of vocational rehabilitation and training for working women; the current high level of unemployment; and finally, the prejudiced laws that don’t ensure women’s equal opportunities in work, wages, and promotion. As a result, the Lebanese women do not have a real chance to access executive, legal and judicial decision-making spheres.
7. Some statistics cited in the National Report about the Situation of Women in Lebanon for the Year 2000 demonstrates women’s limited participation in decision-making at different levels:
- Members of Parliament: 3 women out of 128 MPs
- Director General: 3 women out of 22 Directors Generals
- Mayors: 2 women
- The Secondary Teachers’ Union: 2 women out of 18 board members
8. Undoubtedly, the difficult circumstances that Lebanon underwent present notable barriers to women’s advancement in the various sectors and fields. Sex discrimination still constitutes a violation of the principle of equality in rights and the respect of the human dignity. However, still today discrimination impedes the Lebanese woman from taking full part in her country’s life; hampers the prosperity and development of the family; and complicates her empowerment in the service of her country and its development.
9. On the level of civil action, the Lebanese women have demonstrated their presence and offered many important services. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the women’s movement has mobilized and gathered its experience and expertise in the interest of social development, as well as achieving just and balanced gender equality.
10. The 1990s have been characterized by the preparation of the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 that represented a substantial and global change in the interest of women’s affairs not only on the feminist level, but also in the cultural, social and educational bodies and unions. A firm conviction emerged and confirmed the necessity and inevitability of change, especially in the attitude of society, in order to transform the prevailing thoughts and behavior patterns that are based on stereotypes as to the image, distribution of roles and responsibilities of women and men.
11. It is also worth noting the creative role of women in the different artistic fields. Women writers address great issues such as freedom, love and nationhood (its geographical and human dimensions). In the various literary fields, women are particularly active and have had numerous prosaic and poetic publications. In addition to literature, women participate in painting, music and singing through expositions and theater performances. On the whole, they make significant contributions to the promotion of life and the refinement of the public awareness and taste. In the area of manual skills, women are active in the organization of exhibitions for handicraft arts. 12. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the aspirations and ambitions of the Lebanese women are numerous. Through official and civil institutions, women are seeking to include their cause in the public interest sphere of civil society, and to place it in the framework of comprehensive and integrated development, tied to human rights. The vision of reform and progress can be built only on the basis of the inter-linkages between women and men in all areas of life, and in facing their common destiny together.
Questions
A. Refer to paragraphs 2, 4, &6 of the selection to reveal the women’s status in each of the following domains or fields. (Score: 1.5pts)
| Domain | Women’s Status |
| Economy | |
| Education | |
| Society |
B. Answer each of the following questions in 2-3 sentences in your own words.
1. Why do women accept part-time and nominal jobs?
2. What purpose does the use of statistical figures in paragraph 7 serve?
3. Describe the writer’s tone in paragraph 10. Support your answer with evidence.
4. In not more than two sentences, paraphrase the sentence underlined in paragraph 12.
5. Specify two types of audience (other than the general reader) who would be interested in reading this article. What interest does each find in it?
6. Identify the two patterns of organization used in paragraph 6.
C. Pick from paragraphs 1, 4, 5, &8 words that match the following meanings.
1. impairment/ weakness
2. registration/ entering a list
3. interferes with or slows the progress
4. forced
Reading Comprehension 2:
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a very important concern in today’s society. Terms such as family violence, wife battering and domestic abuse refer to the same thing. The issue is not limited to the physical beatings. One of the different types of abuse is physical violence which includes slapping, kicking, punching, locking a person out of the home, and other acts designed to injure, endanger or cause physical pain. Another is emotional abuse which consists of constantly doing or saying things to shame, insult, ridicule, or mentally hurt another person. Both of these types have very emotionally damaging effects. Even though domestic violence can be caused by either the male or the female, it is usually caused by the male due their controlling nature and physical advantage.
Since the dawn of time, physical force has been used to control subordinate groups by dominant people in society. Men have always been physically stronger than women and since most societies are male dominated, the woman has always been the most common victim. Although the issue is being largely publicized, domestic violence is still very common in today’s society and more needs to be done to stop it.
There is never one reason for domestic violence but it usually starts with the need to control one’s spouse. It begins with verbal insults then over time escalates into physical violence. There are usually many stressors that cause these inherent or learned abusers to begin the abuse; unemployment, drugs and alcohol, low income levels, and lower education levels and simply different points of view.
Abusers usually share common traits, background factors, and behaviour patterns. Many abusers share the same personality disorders such as luck of empathy, depression, general hostility, and feeling of victimization. These people often have trouble accepting responsibility for their behaviour. They usually feel guilt for their actions but they try to justify or deny their behaviour. Those who abuse adult partners often grew up in homes marred by violence. I think that it is very important to understand and recognize people with abusive personalities so that they can be stopped and treated for what some would call a disease. We know that it is dangerous and emotionally destructive for children who grow up in violent homes.
Many psychologists believe that teaching our children that violence is inappropriate and teaching them better methods of problem solving, is the first step in ending domestic violence. Educating society as a whole is also a very important key to ending the epidemic. This can be accomplished through changes in public society and practices. Much tougher laws are needed. Domestic violence is still subtly allowed, even encouraged some say, by various groups. Our media and entertainment industry still glamorises and tones down the seriousness of domestic violence. There are still police that ignore and trivialize domestic violence. And judges that give weak punishment or simply let the abusers off are all problems that are plaguing our society and making it more difficult to end domestic violence.
COMPREHENSION
(BASE YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT)
- ARE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY
1. Abusers usually refuse to recognize their wrong deeds.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Television tends to minimize the problem of domestic violence.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
- ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. Why is domestic violence attributed to men?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
2. What does the writer compare domestic violence to?
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What do psychologists suggest to reduce domestic violence?
………………………………………………………………………………………
- PICK OUT FROM THE TEXT AN EXPRESSION WHICH SHOW THAT
1. Abusers are usually addicted people.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
2. An argument could lead to domestic violence.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
- FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS THAT THE SAME AS
1. The beginning of history (paragraph 2): …………………………………
2. characteristics (paragraph 4): ………………………………..
3. more severe (paragraph 5): …………………………………..
- WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO?
1. the issue (paragraph 1): _____________________
2. both of the types (paragraph 1): ________________________
3. they (paragraph 4): __________________________________
them (paragraph 5): _______________________________
Grammar: The Passive Voice.
1 Rewrite the sentences using the passive voice.
1 The police questioned George.
George ______________________________.
2 We have chosen this one.
This one _____________________________.
3 They were rebuilding their house.
Their house __________________________.
4 They have drunk all the wine.
All the wine __________________________.
5 They have broken the window.
The window __________________________.
6 They can draw a house easily.
A house _________________________ easily.
7 They are repainting the house.
This house ___________________________.
8 They are cutting down the tall trees in our
street.
The tall trees in our street __________________________________.
9 They are broadcasting this program all over
the world.
This program___________________________ all over the world.
10 The wind blew away our tent.
Our tent ______________________________ by the wind.
11 The police has caught the bank robbers.
The bank robbers _______________________ by the police.
12 Somebody was digging a big hole in the garden.
A big hole _____________________________ in the garden.
13 Somebody has bought all the ingredients.
All the ingredients __________________________________.
14 Somebody beat him up last week.
He ___________________________________ last week.
15 Shakespeare wrote this play.
This play _____________________________ by Shakespeare.
16 Nobody is dealing with this problem.
This problem __________________________.
17 Nobody ate the food.
The food ______________________________.
18 He never does his homework.
His homework __________________________.
19 A robot drives this airplane.
This airplane __________________________ by a robot.
20 A dog bit her yesterday.
She _________________________________ by a dog yesterday
21 They are lending the picture to a famous
museum.
The picture ____________________________ to a famous museum.
22 They left the stolen car in the ditch.
The stolen car __________________________ in the ditch.
23 They did not mislead John and Ann.
John and Ann __________________________.
24 Nobody had known it for years.
It ___________________________________ for years.
25 They could not keep the thing secret.
The thing _____________________________
secret.
26 Peter and Tom hurt themselves in an accident
yesterday.
Peter and Tom _________________________ in an accident yesterday.
27 A hurricane has hit southern Florida and Hawaii.
Southern Florida and Hawaii _______________ ___________ by a hurricane.
28 They must have hidden the treasure.
The treasure ___________________________.
29 Everything they had overheard remained secret.
Everything that _________________________ remained a secret.
30 They have not given me the money.
The money _______________________ to me.
31 They have not given me the money.
I __________________________________.
32 They froze all bottles before transportation.
All bottles _____________________________ before transportation.
33 I cannot forgive him what he has done to me.
What he has done to me __________________________________.
34 They are going to forget everything.
Everything ____________________________.
35 Everybody forbids everything.
Everything ____________________________.
36 I will find the best way.
The best way __________________________.
37 They had fought the battles for liberation.
The battles for liberation __________________________________.
38 We could not feel the mosquito bite.
The mosquito bite _______________________.
39 They say that learning English is easy.
It ___________________________________ that learning English is easy.20.
40 We feed our horses well.
Our horses ____________________________.
Funtions: Addition and Concession
Study the following examples:
| although subject + verbex: Although it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holidays | in spite of + noun or gerund or a pronoun despite ex: In spite of the rain, we enjoyed our holidays.Despite that, we had a lot of fun.We travelled a lot in spite of being short of money, |
| However, subject + verbIt rained a lot. However, we enjoyed our holidays. |
A. Complete these sentences with although, however or in spite of:
1. ___________________ all my careful plans, a lot of things went wrong.
2. I had planned everything carefully, ___________________ a lot of things went wrong.
3. I love music, ___________________ I can ‘t play an instrument.
4. I had the necessary qualifications. __________________, I didn’t get the job
5. ___________________ being tired, we carried on walking.
6. The heating was full on, but ___________________ this the house was still cold.
7. Keith decided to give up his job ___________________ I advised him not to.
B. Re-write the following sentences below using the word in brackets and make the necessary changes:
1. Although he’ s got an English name, he is in fact German. (despite)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In spite of her injured foot, she managed to walk to the village. (although)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. I decided to accept the job although the salary was low. (however)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. We lost the game a1though we were the better team. (despite )
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. In spite of not having eaten for 24 hours, I didn ‘t feel hungry. (even though)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Although the traffic was bad, I arrived on time. (however)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Although the traffic was bad, I arrived on time. (in spite of)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
C. Re-write the following sentences starting them with the word in brackets:
- The burglar took my jewels, He also stole my paintings. (as well as)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
- Money is useful. It is also necessary in a civilized country. (both…and)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
- He complained about the delay. He demanded a refund. (not only…but also)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
- I didn’t go to the swimming pool because I was feeling sick. I had no car. (besides)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Writing:
Nowadays domestic violence has become a serious problem that causes much physical and emotional pain that usually ends up with divorce. Write an article about its causes and consequences. What are the possible solutions in your opinion?
PARAGRAPH 2: CAUSES
- One of the spouses tries to control the other by the use of force.
- The abuser is a drug or alcohol addict, which affects his character and makes him violent.
- The family suffers from the lack of money and the husband is unable to cater for his wife’s needs.
- The abuser was brought up in a family advocating violence or has been victim of violence himself.
- The spouse lives or lived in a patriarchal society in which husbands are the authority and lawmakers.
PARAGRAPH 3: CONSEQUENCES
- It is dangerous and emotionally destructive for children as it badly influences their progress at school and breeds hatred for one of the parents or both.
- It creates trauma in the victims’ personality and makes her isolated, fearful and unconfident, which may lead her to adopting violence.
- Sometimes the abuse ends up with physical disabilities or murder and the abuser ends up in jail whereas the kids become vagrants and without a breadwinner, which aggravates the situation for all.
PARAGRAPH 4: SOLUTIONS
- We should pass more severe laws to punish the abuser.
- There should be massive campaigns to raise people’s awareness about the issue.
- The police should take domestic violence seriously and interfere immediately in case of complaints about domestic violence.
- Our system of education should educate kids and inform them of the issue, its consequences and encourage them to report any case they witness.
Unit Six: Cultural values
Focus on vocabulary.
What does the word ‘value’ mean in the following examples:
1- The real estate has a high value in Agadir. ————————-
2- Albert Einstein is a valued scientist. ————————–
3- The North African countries share many values. —————————–.
4- What’s the value of the € today? ——————————-.
5- He puts a high value on the morals. ———————-
Match the words in column A with those in column B to make collocations.
| Column A | Column B | |
| 1- culture2- civic
3- moral 4- cultural 5- common 6- global |
a- educationb- good
c- shock d- citizenship e- obligations f- diversity |
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate collocations from the table above.
1- A good citizen should fulfil his —————————— towards his society.
2- All people must participate in the ————————————— of their community.
3- the biggest characteristic of Morocco is its —————————.
4- —————————— is concerned with educating the children on the love of their country.
5- Recognising that all people around the world are equal to us is referred to as ———————-.
6- during the first month of my stay in Canada I experienced the ————————- because I found myself in a totally different culture.
Focus on grammar:
Match the phrasal verbs with their appropriate explanations:
| Phrasal verbs | Explanations |
| 1-Put up with 2-Give up
3-Bring about 4- Keep on 5-Break down 6-Look up 7-Take up |
a- start a hobby or a new activityb- search for the meaning of a word in the dictionary
c- continue d- cause to happen e- stop an activity f- stop functioning g- tolerate |
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verbs from the list:
apply for; turn down; set up; look forward to; find out; fill in; make up.
1- He ———————— his own business by himself.
2- You should ——————————– all the parts of the application form.
3- He ——————————— for the advertised job, but the y ————–him —————-
4- We —————————————– the dancing party next Saturday.
5- Don’t believe him; he always ——————————— stories.
6- We still haven’t ——————————– who broke the front door of the house.
Reading comprehension:
During the 2003 occupation of Iraq, an Iraqi woman balks when an American soldier uses his sniff dog to check her purse. When the officer on duty opens the purse and empties the contents on the ground, including the Qur’an, the woman and bystanders become enraged.
The Qur’an is the holy book of the Muslim world. To throw it on the ground is a great offense because the ground is dirty and pollutes the holy words. Compounding the offense, the soldiers were unaware that Iraqis, like most Muslims, consider dogs unclean. They only use them for guarding or hunting and never as household pets. And they would certainly never let an unclean dog near their Holy Book.
Akin to this, U.S. Muslim customers complained to a chain bookstore about the placement of the Qur’an in one of their stores. Unaware of the sacredness of the book, staff members had placed the book on the lowest shelf. After learning that this was offensive, sales associates moved it to a higher shelf.
• The Qur’an is the sacred text for all Muslims and requires physical as well as psychological respect. Being placed on a shelf close to the ground and being sniffed by dogs are offensive acts.
A. Answer the following questions:
- Why did women and the bystanders become enraged?
- What are dogs used for in Islamic countries?
B. Are these sentences true or false? Justify.
- A clean dog can sniff the Holy Qur’an.
- the staff members placed the Holy Qur’an on the lower shelves on purpose.
C. What do the underlined words in the text refer to?
1. it ( paragraph 2) ………………………… this (paragraph 3)……………………..
D. Find words in the text meaning almost the same as:
- People present but not involved (p 1)
- unconscious ( p 3)
E. What would be a good title to the text?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Writing:
Sandra is your Italian e-pal. He wants to visit Morocco, but he still has many worries and inquiries.
Write a letter to Sandra urging her to pay a visit to your country and telling her about some Moroccan cultural aspects.
The following ideas may be useful:
– Moroccan manners: hospitality, generosity,….etc.
– Eating habits
– Music
– Clothing
– Folklore
Phrasal verbs 1:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verbs from the list:
apply for – break down – bring about – call for – calm down – come back
- . I will change my car because it always ……………………
- I would like to …………………a grant to finance my project.
- His situation ……………………….an urgent operation.
- My father usually ……………………work at 6.30
- Heavy smoking ………………….lung cancer.
- The policeman asked the angry driver to …………………
Phrasal verbs 2:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verbs from the list:
fill in- find out -get into -get up -give up -go through
- When my brother first arrived in Canada he …………………..a lot of difficulties.
- Sam …………………smoking last year because he was very sick.
- Before getting a visa you have to …………………an application form.
- The police finally …………………….the real criminal.
- I couldn’t ………………..my house because I forgot my keys at work.
- – “What time do you usually …………………in the morning?”
-“6.30”
Phrasal verbs3:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verbs from the list:
keep on – look up- grow up- look forward to -leave behind – look for
1. Shakespeare ………………………in a small village.
2. If you …………………..singing the teacher will ask you to leave.
3. When they immigrated to Europe they …………everything ……………
4. I have been ……………………my keys for three hours, but I can’t find them.
5. If you need a phone number …………it ………..in the phone book.
6. We are …………………………..seeing you soon.
Phrasal verbs 4:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verbs from the list:
make up – set up- show up -stand for- take up- take care of- turn down
- After he had come back from France, he ………………..his own business.
- Don’t believe him; he always ……………….stories.
- I waited for you for three hours, but you didn’t …………….yesterday.
- I still don’t understand why they ………..my request …………..
- I have …………………aerobics to keep fit.
- When I go shopping my small sister …………………….the kids.
- W.T.C ………………..World Trade Centre.
Unit Eight: International Organisations
Reading comprehension:
I spent last week driving around Fukushima, taking our radiation experts to spots where they suspected there was a high level of contamination.
Always carrying a personal dose meter with us, which tells us how much radiation we are being exposed to, we arrive at ‘hotspots’ wearing a one-piece protection suit, gumboots, gloves and a mask to avoid contact with radioactive particles. We also cover our car seats, and floor mats using a disposal plastic sheet which we had to change every day.
We look a bit over the top, especially when we pass locals wearing plain clothes, and are often not even wearing a mask. We often see children playing outside and touching flowers and the ground. It’s very sad, and easy to imagine that they put their possibly contaminated hands in their month. Internal exposure is hard to estimate and children are more vulnerable to radiation. I started talking to mothers and children whenever I have the chance, explaining the risks and calmly urging them to take precautions. Unfortunately there is no way that I can talk to all the mums and kids in town.
The other day, I had what turned into an interesting interview. At the highway roadside service station, we interviewed the young father of two primary school kids who had just finished their entry ceremony to the school that day. I asked a few questions about what he thinks about the on-going nuclear crisis and safety, if he is getting enough information, and so on. His answer was very typical. He said he simply follows the Government instructions, but he is worried about his kids’ health. I translated this for Jan – one of the radiation experts – and he pointed out that that this was an interesting answer because while the man is following what the government says, he is also suspicious of its claim that there is no immediate health risk to people.
One day last week, I had a chance to visit one of the evacuation centres to do some volunteer work. After carrying boxes of water with other volunteers, I ended up in a daily volunteer meeting. There were many high school and university students with lots of chit-chat and laughs. They discussed distribution of relief supply, demand from evacuees, and other issues. I talked with one of the coordinators and found out that he was actually one of the evacuees as well as being involved in the volunteer group.
Neither of us could foresee how long the contamination will last and when he can go back. I didn’t want to be the first one to start crying so I left the room.
Adapted from http://www.Greenpeace.com (April 14, 2011 at 15:46)
I. COMPREHENSION: 15 POINTS
BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT
A. WHAT IS THE WRUTER’S ATTITUDE?(2pts)
CIRCLE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER
The text is about
1. Concerned about the disaster
2. Indifferent to the disaster
3. Pleased with the disaster
B. ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY. ( 3 PTS)
1. The group of experts went to the safer parts of Fukushima
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The writer talked to all the mothers and kids in the town.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Jan is Japanese.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
C. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN YOUR OWN WORDS. (2PTS)
1. Why are the experts carrying a dose meter with them?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. How do the volunteers feel about the future? Explain.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
D. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES ( 2 PTS)
1. The experts are wearing protection clothes…………………………………………………
2. Although the father follows the government instructions, ………………………………
E. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS THAT MEAN THE SAME AS.( 3 pts)
1. measures taken in advance as prudence ( paragraph 3) ……………………………………
2. doubtful ( paragraph 4 ) …………………………………………………………………….
3 see beforehand( paragraph 6 ) …………………………………………………………………………………………………
F. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO.( 3 PTS)
1. us ( paragraph 2) ………………………………………………………………………….
2. he ( paragraph 4) ……………………………………………………………………………
3. they ( paragraph 5) ……………………………………………………………………….
Jallall 
