Baccalaureate National Exam 2009 July Sciences
Educating girls offers many benefits to current and future generations. Yet, in many developing countries, girls’ illiteracy still remains a serious issue because it is often considered an obstacle to social and economic development. Over 120 million children of primary school age are not at school. The majority are girls, and Geetha is one of them.
Geetha can barely read and write. The pretty eleven-year-old girl is the youngest child in a poor family living in rural India. She was pulled out of school two years ago. Her father thought her time would be better spent looking after the family’s goats and doing the housework.
Geetha’s former teacher tried to convince Geetha’s father and the village elders to send girls like Geetha back to school but in vain. “This is the way it has always been, and it will not change,” her father argued. “I didn’t study myself. We are simple people.” Government incentives in the form of books, scholarships, uniforms, and even meals made no difference. A lifelong struggle to survive marked by poverty and ignorance has solidified their views.
The boys in the village attend school every day. They pass by Geetha who walks the narrow country road alongside her goats. “The boys tease me,” she says, her big eyes full of sadness. She wished she could go with them. “When I was younger, I thought I’d study well and get a job. I really wanted to be a teacher. Now I just follow the goats.”
Geetha has little hope for her own future. Like her mother and her grandmother, she will spend her life working in the fields and around the house. She has seen the value of education and has a different dream for her own children. “I will let my children study,” she vows. Perhaps it is also not too late even for her. Many girls in India start school at a later age. With support from programs organized by the Indian government and international institutions, she may yet one day join the boys on their daily walk to school.
I- COMPREHENSION: (15 POINTS) BASE YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT.
A. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE THE BEST TITLE FOR THE PASSAGE? 2 pts
1. Poverty in Geetha’s village
2. The story of Geetha’s father
3. The problem of Geetha’s education
THE BEST TITLE IS: ………………………………………
B. ARE THESE SENTENCES ‘TRUE’ OR ‘FALSE’? JUSTIFY: 3 pts
1. Geetha has never attended school.
2. Geetha’s father thinks that sending her to school is not beneficial to the family.
3. Geetha’s father was illiterate.
C. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 3 pts
1. Why is girls’ illiteracy still a problem in developing countries?
2. What does the government offer to encourage girls to attend school?
3. How does Geetha feel when boys walk past her on their way to school?
D. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES: 2 pts
1. Geetha’s previous teacher didn’t succeed in ……………
2. Geetha’s dream is ………………
E. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS THAT MEAN ALMOST THE SAME AS: 3 pts
1. beautiful (paragraph 2) …………
2. make fun of (paragraph 4) ………
3. help (paragraph 5) …………
F. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO? 2 pts
1. it: …………
2. Them: ……
II- LANGUAGE: (15 POINTS)
A. GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS BETWEEN BRACKETS: 3 pts
Some NGOs make a lot of efforts to (improvement) ……………………… women’s position in society. They provide some of them with (finance) ……………………… assistance and help others to attend (literate) ………………… classes.
B. REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES AS SUGGESTED: 3 pts
1. Visitors should not use cameras in national museums.
Cameras……………………
2. “I will join the university in September,” Soumia said.
Soumia told her friend………………………
3. Brahim didn’t attend last year’s computer classes.
He wishes…………………
C. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE PHRASAL VERBS: 3 pts
give up – find out – get up – let down – go through – break down
1. “You shouldn’t ….………………… your old friends;” he told me.
2. John has decided to ….………………… football at the end of the lesson.
3. “I’ve never imagined to ….………………… such a difficult time,” Mary said.
D. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LIST: 3 pts
so as to – despite – although – therefore – thanks to – because
1. ….………………… his parents’ care and encouragement, Soufien has received a good education.
2. Sue worked hard ….………………… get a good mark on the final exam.
3. ….………………… the geography test was easy, many students didn’t get a good mark.
E. PUT THE VERBS BETWEEN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT FORM: 3 pts
When he (finish) ….… his studies in Europe, Kamal returned to Morocco. Now, he (work)
….…… as a teacher at a university. He (just/publish) ………… a book on study skills.
III- WRITING: (10 POINTS)
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in the development of local communities. Write a short article to your school magazine about a project that has been realized by a local NGO in your village/town/city. (Approximately 150 words)
These questions and cues may help you:
– What kind of project is it? (environmental / social / educational…)
– What has the project achieved? (provide free classes / create professional centers for youths or for the
handicapped/keep your area clean / plant trees / build a school, hospital,..)
– Who contributed to the realization of the project? (local people / students / women / others…)
Key Answers to Baccalaureate National Exam 2009 July Sciences
[tds_partial_locker tds_locker_id=”20101″]I – COMPREHENSION:
A. THE BEST TITLE
The problem of Geetha’s education
B. TRUE/ FALSE STATEMENTS
1. False. She can barely read and write/she was pulled out of school.
2. True. Her father thought her time would be better spent looking after the family’s goats/doing the housework
3. True. “I didn’t study myself’
C. WH – QUESTIONS
1. …because it is considered an obstacle to social and economic development.
2. …incentives/incentives in the form of books, scholarships, uniforms,…
3. .. ..sad/full of sadness/unhappy…
D. SENTENCE COMPLETION
l …convincing Geetha’s father and the village elders to send their children back to school.
2. …to let her children study/to educate her children/…to send her children to school
E. WORD MEANING
1. Pretty
2. tease
3. support
F. WORD REFERENCE
1. girls’ illiteracy
2. the boys
II – LANGUAGE:
A. WORD FORMATION
1. improve
2. financial
3. literacy
B. REWRITING SENTENCES
1. Cameras should not / shouldn’t be used in the national museum.
2. Soumia told her friend (that) she would join the university in September.
3. He wishes he had attended last year’s free computer classes.
C. PHRASAL VERBS
l. let down
2. give up
3. go through
D. GAP FILLING
1. thanks to
2. so as to
3. although
E. TENSES
finished – is working/works – has just published
