PRACTICE EXAM 1

READING AND USE OF ENGLISH

In 1960, Dr Bolin warned that a gradual warming of the earth, or global warming, would lead to dramatic changes in its climate. An increase of 2ºC may seem insignificant, but its effects on our planet are already being felt. Polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate, winters are shorter and not as cold as they used to be, and summers are longer, hotter and drier. Scientists predict that the greenhouse effect will cause the level of the sea to rise by 1.5 metres by 2050. This will affect low-lying areas around the world, which could be flooded.

For people living in cold areas such as northern Europe, this warmer weather may be a blessing. Higher temperatures may allow longer growing seasons but there is also likely to be increased rainfall. For warm regions such as the Mediterranean, this change may mean hotter summers and even less rainfall.

Experts seem unable to predict how long global warming will last or what its precise consequences will be. What is clear, though, is that we will all have to get used to progressively changing weather conditions.

**Read the text and answer the questions.
1 Write some of the changes that the global warming of the Earth is going to bring about.
2 What is the opinion of experts with reference to the future at the end of this text?

**Read the text again and decide if the statements are true or false.
1.There is much less ice at the poles.
2.Sea levels will have fallen by 1.5 metres by the year 2050.
3. It�s very difficult to predict the results of global warming.

** Find words in the text that mean the same as:
1 all over the world (para. 1) _____________________________________
2 say what will happen in the future (para. 1) ________________________
3 covered by water (para. 1) _____________________________________
4 results (para. 3) ______________________________________________

** Find words in the text that mean the opposite of:
1 quick (para. 1) ______________________________________________
2 decrease (para. 1) ____________________________________________
3 important (para. 1) ___________________________________________
4 reassuring (para. 1) __________________________________________

**Rewrite the sentences using the words given.
1 Don't put the bottles in that container, said my brother. My brother __________________________________________________.
2 They recycle plastic and glass in special recycling plants.Plastic and glass ______________________________________________.
3 It is advisable to use cars as little as possible.We should ___________________________________________________.
4 I don�t eat meat now but I did years ago.I ___________________________________________________________.

WRITING.- Write a short article of about 180 words for your school magazine describing how students can help protect the local environment and why it is important to do so.

a British assistant at our school

This year we are gfoing to have a british assistant at our school. His name is Joseph Hopkins and he will be here from Octber to May, helping the English teachers with conversation in 4th year of ESo and 1st Bachillerato.

I am very happy about it. M.H.