DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION ENGLISH TEST FOR MATURE AGE. TIME: 50 minutes

Transcription

1 I ~ I.JIfWw SERVCss POlmCHNIC'or.- NAMl8IA p~.~ ;;;B I~ SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION, LEGAL AN SECRETARIAL STUIES EPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION ENGLISH TEST FOR MATURE AGE TIME: 50 minutes PERSONAL INFORMATION: Fill in the following information. Please PRINT, and make sure that you write the correct student number. SURNAME: ATE OF BIRTH: IPLOMA: CENTRE: FIRST NAME: STUENT NO. (If any): FULL TIME / PART TIME / ISTANCE (Underline your choice) SECONARY SCHOOL: Name: Region: HOME LANGUAGE: WHICH OTHER LANGUAGES O YOU SPEAK? MARKS: PART 1 REAING COMPREHENSION 15 PART 2 CONTEXTUAL 20 PART3 WRITING 15 TOTAL 50 X2= CJ MARKER:. ATE: Please O NOT TURN THE PAGE OVER until the examiner gives instructions.

2 \, PART 1: REAING COMPREHENSION AN SUMMARY [15 marks] INSTRUCTIGNS: Readthe following passageandthen answerthe questions. awn of a thirsty century By Environmcnt Correspondent Alcx Kirby The amount of water in the world is limited. The human race, and the other species which share the planet, cannot expect an infinite supply. Water covers about two-thirds of the Earth's surface, admittedly. But most is too salty for use. Only 2.5% of the world's water is not salty. and two-thirds of that is locked up in the icecaps and glaciers. Of what is left. about 20% is in remote areas, and much of the rest arrives at the wrong time and place, as monsoons and floods. Humans have available less than 0.08% of all the Earth's water. Yet over the next two decades our use is estimated to increase by about 40%. In] 999 the United Nations Environment Programme (linep) reported that 200 scientists ill 50 countries had identij~ed water shortage as one of the two most worrying problems for the new millennium (the other was global warming). We use about 70% of the water we have in agriculture. But the World Water Council believes that by 2020 we shall need 17% more water than is available if we are to feed the world. So if we go on as we are, millions more will go to bed hungry and thirsty each night than do so already. Today, one person in five across the world has no access to safe drinking water, and one in two lacks safe sanitation. Today, and every day, more than 30,000 children die before reaching their fifth bilihdays, kijled either by hunger or by easily-preventable diseases. And adequate safe water is the key to good health and a proper diet. There are several reasons for the water crisis. One is the simple rise in population, and the desire for better living standards. Another is the inefficiency of the way we use much of our water. Irrigation allows wastage on a prodigal scale, with the water trickling away or simply evaporating before it can do any good. And pollution is making more of the water that is available to us unfit for use. Increasingly, governments are seeking to solve their water problems by turning away from reliance on rainfall and surface water, and using subterranean supplies of groundwater instead. But that is like making constant withdrawals from a bank account without ever paying anything into it. Climate change will probably bring more rain to some regions and less to others, but its overajl impact remains uncertain, and if we are to get through the water crisis, we should heed the UNEP report's reminder that we have only one interdependent planet to share. It said: "The environment remains largely outside the mainstream of everyday human consciousness, and is still considered an add-on to the fabric of life." (BBC NEWS, news.bbc.co.uk, 2 June 2000) Explain in ONE COMPLETE SENTENCE what problem is discussed in this passage. (2) 2 It is not possible for us to make use of all the water available in the world because... (Tick the box with the correct answer 0). (1) most of it is sea water much of it is frozen it occurs in the form of natural disasters all of the above

3 meter, I I I PART 2: CONTEXTUAL [20 marks J Read through thefollolving article very carefully, andfollo}1' these instructions: a) Fill in the spaces, using the correct form of the word in brackets e.g. This is a (beauty) beautiful place. I (to like) likeit very much. b) ChOOSe Weare in each box. and underline it. livingl tomorrow Making a connection to a city's electrical supply is not only against the law, but also (extreme) dangerous. A municipality (to supply) "... to the homes of I some, any, ol1e I resident unless he has signed a conjtractl with, to, from r the Town Council. It is therefore illegal to redistribute or sell power to neighbouring premises without (approve) from Council. The Council cannot be held responsiblei to, for, withouti any loss of propertyor damageto a person IWhom, whose, who, who's I have) """'"'''''''''''''''''''''' been tampering with the electricity supply. The residents themselves (to a responsibi lity to ensure that they register for power supply and that power 1 metre fonnections (not to be tamper) with. In cases of redistribution of power, I little, less, small I attention is paid to safety. This (to cause) problems with electricity load limits and is (danger) to those who may accidentally step on or touch a I live, Iife I wire. Already many lives (to be lost) as a result of illegal connections. There have also been many (necessary) injuries such as burns and loss of limbs. An 18 year old young man recently (to die) " because he cut through an electrical wire while trying to connect power to his shack in a squatter camp. The Council would like to remind power consumers to take measure to prevent damag9 to, from,withl any equipment forming part of the power service apparatus. Residents are also reminded that only authorised Council engineers (to be allow) to work on such apparatus. It also advices, advises people never to touch any uninsulated wires unless one is a trained technician. (Adapted from: The Aloe ecember 2001),t'-"-' uup \py ~.F=c':;'l!("'r. ~(j\ """r.:c,.!,,:ir',".n \ :'b;\.:..f, 'I 'coc~=~~~_~,=,1 j,,!,:j'f~+\.~ z

4 3 Is the shortage of water going to get more serious over the next twenty years? Write down a group of 8-11 words from a sentence in the passage to support your answer. (2) 4 Name two ways in which water is wasted, as mentioned in the passage. (2) 5 What two sources of fresh water are mentioned in the passage? (2) 6 The problem with using underground water is that..... (Tick the box with the correct answer 0). (1) it is polluted it is difficult to bring to the surface it cannot be replaced or replenished none of the above 7 Briefly summarize the main ideas of this passage in a paragraph. (Marks will be awarded for both content and grammar) (5)

5 -' (, ~ PART 3:WRITING Choose EITHER Question I OR Question 2. (o NOT do both questions) Write ;-'ouranswer in the space provided on the back of this page. Question 1 [15 marks) Write an essay about the picture. using the guidelines given below. Use your imagination to make up the story. (You should write approximately ONE page.) - ~ ~,~.~,:: -""'--':"'.""';:"',:;; How do you think this young lady managed to get the job she has? escribe what do you think her job is. If she does this job well, what do you think her future will be like? (From: FLAMINGO -Air In Flight magazine - April 2003) Question 2 OR Write an essay about the picture, using the guidelines given below. Use your imagination to make up the story. (You should write approximately ONE page.). What would these two men tell each other about their childhood days?. What do you think they are talking about now? ~. What do you think they will do after the party? (From:IMAGINE- Edgars Maga=ine) f.'~'-ui>aalily "' JIe.~-~ r P0:..YTECf-NCor: NAMfelp. i pgag i:r.'~(j.... ',, ' "~ '''''\i. rvr::.(., ',.. I ; ~, i_i..wl...,.. "".-:'.:1".... f i..,.,,,,.., - ~'.,;..~ "3

6 PART 3: Question-,'" ~. )..,); EN OF TEST