Baccalaureate National Exam Arts July 2018 with answers
[1] WhatsApp is now the most used messaging application, especially among teenagers, surpassing Facebook, Skype, and others. Nearly one billion people use WhatsApp nowadays.
[2] Teens are flocking to WhatsApp because it gives them the privacy and freedom to exchange any messages they want with whoever they want. ”On WhatsApp, I usually feel that I am not being judged, particularly because there isn’t any eye contact or physical contact, only words, and signs. So, I feel more intimacy and security. I expose myself more, but it isn’t embarrassing, maybe because I don’t see people’s physical reactions,” says Emily, a teenager from the USA.
[3] Jan Koum and Brian Acton are the founders of WhatsApp. Jan was not from a wealthy family. He stayed with his mother and grandmother in a small apartment. With his hard work, he finally got into San Jose State University where he took training in programming.
[4] Jan met his business partner Brian while he was working at Yahoo as an engineer. They worked together in Yahoo for almost nine years and then left the company together. Then they applied to Facebook, but they were not lucky. They had no plans to become rich until they thought of making an application for iPhone users.
[5] As the initial models failed, Jan was discouraged and was almost about to give up when Brian persuaded him to keep at it. They then created the app which received tremendous success in a very less time. This was because the users found it pretty easy to use and they do not need to register anywhere to use the application. After months of beta testing, WhatsApp was, finally, launched in the app store for iPhones in November 2009. Jan chose the name WhatsApp because it sounded similar to the daily phrase, “What’s up”. This was the dream come true for both partners.
[6] Jan and Brian earned millions of dollars without any advertising on the application. They made money in t\.VO ways. They started charging iPhone users on first-time installation and Android users every year. A lot of people used the app and paid for both of them. Reports state that around 250 million people use WhatsApp in a month. This is a huge number for any application to reach in the smartphone space.
[7] WhatsApp became popular in just a short amount of time, and this caught Facebook’s attention. After several months of venture capital financing, Facebook declared that they were acquiring WhatsApp in February 2014. The deal went down for the US $19 Billion. It was Facebook’s largest acquisition till then.
I. COMPREHENSION (15 POINTS) BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT.
A. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ANSWER. (1 pt)
The text is about
a. WhatsApp and teenagers.
b. WhatsApp success story.
c. WhatsApp disadvantages.
The right answer is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. FILL IN THE CHART WITH INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT. (2 pts)
| Year | Event |
| 2009 | ……….. |
| 2014 | ……….. |
C. ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY. (3 pts)
- Emily feels safer when she uses WhatsApp. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . - One of WhatsApp founders studied programming at university.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Jan and his partner Brian worked for Facebook after leaving Yahoo.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. (3 pts)
- How did Jan and Brian get to know each other?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - How did Jan and Brian make money from WhatsApp?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Why did WhatsApp attract the attention of Facebook?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES. (2 pts)
- The name of WhatsApp comes from. . . . . . .
- Facebook paid . . . . . . . . .
F. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS THAT MEAN ALMOST THE SAME AS: (2 pts)
- convinced (paragraph 5): . . . . . . .
- large (paragraph 6): . . . . . . . . . . .
G. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO? (2 pts)
- They (paragraph 2): . . . . . . .
- partners (paragraph 5): . . . . . .
II. LANGUAGE (15 POINTS)
A. GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS IN BRACKETS. (2 pts)
Unemployment and (illiterate)……………………………. are among the most serious problems in
today’s world. They’ve become (universe) ………………………….. issues over the last few decades. Poor countries need more (finance)……….…………………… assistance to overcome such problems and ensure (sustain) ……….……………………development.
B. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LISTS. (4 pts)
- I’m really bored. How about …………………………to see a football match this afternoon?
to go – going – go - The government should ………………………… more effort to eradicate crimes.
have – do – make - Kate is the girl ………………………… father has just been elected president of the city council.
where – who – whose - All the candidates need to …………………………the application form before sitting for the interview.
check in – fill in – take off
C. PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT FORM. (2 pts)
Jamal is preparing for the reading competition which (take place) ……………………………. in
three months’ time. He reads a book every week. Today he (read)……………………………… a new
one. He (start)…………………………… it last night after he (finish) …………………………….
Voltaire’s “Candide”.
D. REWRITE THE SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN. (3 pts)
- I couldn’t respond to your email because I didn’t have access to the Internet.
If . . . . . . . . . . . - Football referees will use video technology in the next World Cup.
Video technology . . . . . . . - “I left my umbrella in the school library,” said Amal.
Amal told me that. . . . . . .
E. MATCH EACH EXPRESSION TO ITS APPROPRIATE FUNCTION. (2 pts)
- “I am sorry to say this but the music is so loud.”
- “I don’t understand this word. Could you explain it, please?”
- “I’m glad I passed the exam.”
- “I don’t share the same opinion about the causes of global warming.”
a. asking for clarification
b. making a complaint
c. expressing disagreement
d. expressing good news
e. apologizing
1 . . .. . 2 . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . .
F. WRITE AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO EACH SITUATION? (2 pts)
- Your friend: “I’m really addicted to Facebook. I can’t stop using it. ”
You: . . . . . . . . . - Your friend: “I got excellent marks in the national Baccalaureate exam.”
You: . . . . . . . . .
III. WRITING (10 POINTS) DO TASKS 1 AND 2
TASK 1: In some societies, the number of crimes committed by teenagers is growing. Write an article for your school magazine explaining the causes of this problem. (6 pts)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TASK 2: Respond to your friend’s questions. (4 pts)
What are your plans for the future? What are you going to do after you get your Bac?
After getting my Bac, I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Answers to Baccalaureate National Exam Arts July 2018 with answers
[tds_partial_locker tds_locker_id=”20101″]I. COMPREHENSION (15 POINTS)
Testees should not be penalized for spelling and grammar mistakes in the comprehension section.
A. THE RIGHT ANSWER: (1 pt) The right answer is:
b. WhatsApp success story.
B. CHART FILLING: (2 pts; 1 pt each)
2009 WhatsApp was launched in the app store for iPhones
2014 Facebook declared that they were acquiring WhatsApp
C. TRUE OR FALSE: (3 pts)
- True. I feel more intimacy and security.
- True. Jan took training in programming.
- False. they applied to Facebook, but they were not lucky.
D. WH QUESTIONS: (3 pts; 1 pt each)
- They met while they were working at Yahoo.
- They started charging iPhone users on first-time installation and the Android users every
year / They sold WhatsApp (to Facebook) - WhatsApp became popular in just a short amount of time.
E. SENTENCE COMPLETION: (2 pts; 1 pt each)
1 …. the daily phrase, “What’s up”.
2 ….. US $19 Billion to buy WhatsApp (as a deal to buy WhatsApp).
F. WORD MEANING: (2 pts; 1 pt each)
1. persuaded
2. huge
G. WORD REFERENCE: (2 pts; 1 pt each)
1. Teens
2. Jan Koum and Brian Acton
II. LANGUAGE (15 POINTS)
A. WORD FORM: (2 pts; 0.5 pt each)
illiteracy – universal – financial – sustainable
B. GAP FILLING: (4 pts; 1 pt each)
1. going
2. make
3. whose
4. fill in
C. VERB TENSE: (2 pts; 0.5 each)
is taking place/will take place/is going to take place – is reading –
started – had finished/finished
D. SENTENCE REWRITING: (3 pts; 1 pt each)
- If I had had access to the internet, I could/would have responded to your email.
- Video technology will be used in the next World Cup (by football referees).
- Amal told me that she had left her umbrella in the school library.
E. MATCHING: (2 pts; 0.5 pt each)
1. b
2. a
3. d
4. c
F. COMPLETING EXCHANGES: (2 pts; 1 pt each)
Accept any correct and appropriate response
