English Test – Unemployment

“English Test – Unemployment” is one among other English Tests that can help learners practice and get used to tests in English. These English Tests cover Reading, Language, and Writing. Take the test, check the answers, and see your level.

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High unemployment has become one of the greatest problems in most countries nowadays. In Western Europe, more than twenty million workers are on the dole, and nearly half of them have been out of work for more than a year. In the USA about nine million people are jobless and the economy does not seem to recover. For the first time, millions of workers have part-time or temporary jobs that they may lose at any time and in which they have no social guarantees such as health and retirement benefits.

The rise in unemployment is partly due to the economic crisis. Because of the competition with Japan and other countries which produce better quality goods at a minimum cost, thousands of factories in America and Europe have been forced to close or reduce the number of their workers. On the other hand, millions of unemployed people are jobless because the work they once did is now necessary or has been made easier and faster by machines: farming, automobile assembly, and banking rely more and more on robots and computers.

To fight unemployment, people have to adapt to a fast-changing job market. More importance now is given to information, education, and knowledge. Although workers still use their hands, their work is less physically tiring, but they also have to think and take more important decisions when doing a task. As an expert in economy said: “The future belongs to people who use their heads instead of their hands.” It is estimated that tomorrow’s young qualified worker can expect to change careers six times during his working life. If a worker learns a job today, within ten years or less, this job will probably disappear. The best way for people to prepare for these changes is through continuous training and education while they are looking for a job in their place of work.

I.COMPREHENSION [15 POINTS]

          (BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT)

A. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS (3 pts; 1.50 pts each)

1. Why are some Asian countries responsible for unemployment in America and Europe?
2. What are the advantages of using robots and computers in factories?
3. Why can tomorrow’s qualified workers expect to change careers or expect their job to disappear?

B. COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES ( 3 pts, 1.50 each)

1. Jobs nowadays require the worker to use both……………………
2. Continuous training and education are necessary if a worker……….

C. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH ONE WORD IN EACH BLANK FROM THE TEXT (3pts;1 each)

 Nowadays, firms………………………..on machinery: robots, computers, etc. So to keep a place in a changing job market one should be armed with………………………….training and education, otherwise, he/she will run the risk of becoming………………………..

D. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS THAT MEAN THE SAME AS (4 pts; 1 each)

1. Money that the government gives to jobless people (paragraph 1)………………..
2. Pushed (paragraph 2)………………………
3. Exhausting  (paragraph 3)………………
4. Throughout (paragraph 5)………………

E. WHAT DO THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO (2pts; 1 each)

1. Them (paragraph 1, line 2)………………………………………
2. His  (paragraph 3, line 5)………………………………………….

II.LANGUAGE [15 POINTS]

A. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM TEH LIST BELOW (3pts)

challenges – networking  – vital – preserve – progress – go up

1. No …………………………will happen if developing countries do not join their efforts in all fields.
2. During Ramadan, the prices of some products………………………..because of the increasing demand for them.
3. Good governance and the involvement of youth and women are ……………………..for our development.  

B. GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS BETWEEN BRACKETS (3pts; 1 each)

1. Morocco has made a lot of (improve)…………………………………..in the field of ICT.
2. The TV should have an (education)………………………………..and informative role.
3. Selling drugs like Hashish in schools is completely (legal)……………..

C. PUT THE VERBS BETWEEN BRACKETS IN THEIR CORRECT FORM (3pts; 1 each)

1. You (should/tell)……………………………..your parents that you are coming with us to the party.
2. By the end of the next month, I (learn)……………………………..many useful English idioms.
3. If I (know)……………………………….you would come, I would have gone to the airport to meet you.

D.REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN (4pts)

     1. Although I worked in that company for many years I was fired a month ago.

           In spite of ………………………………………………………………………………………

     2. It was impossible that Karim failed the exam. He prepared well.

           Karim ………………………………………………………….………………………………….

    3. ” The government is going to take serious measures to stop the phenomenon of brain drain”

           A minister said…………………………………………………………………………………

    4.   You should learn English seriously this year.  

English ………………………………………..

E. MATCH THE FUNCTIONS IN COLUMN A WITH WHAT THEY EXPRESS IN COLUMN B (2 pts)

II.WRITING [10 POINTS]

 “Many students leave school early; before they are 16. There are many causes and consequences of students dropping out of school.”

Write a letter to the editor of your school magazine about the causes and consequences of this phenomenon and suggest some measures to reduce its negative effects.