END OF TERM ENGLISH EXAM N°2
Name ___________ Surname ____________ 4the FORM ARTS
In his insightful new book, Flight Capital: The Alarming Exodus of America’s
Best and Brightest, David Heenan, explains in the thesis that although for centuries,
many of the world’s most talented scientists and mathematicians regarded the United
States as the promised land, now the tide has turned. America’s foreign-born
superstars—many of our best and brightest in science and technology—are deciding that
there’s no place like home. And they are heading back to their home countries at the
alarming rate of up to 1,000 per day.
For more than five years, Heenan crisscrossed the globe, traveling to eight
countries on three continents—Ireland, Iceland, India, China, Taiwan, Singapore and
Mexico—to study what he calls America’s “reverse brain drain.” If the exodus
continues, Heenan warns, America’s technological and scientific prominence and its
economic strength will be in jeopardy.
For example, more than 5,000 highly qualified people have repatriated to India
from the U.S. in the last two years alone. What’s luring them back? For the most part, it’s
a huge potential market in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, coupled with
vastly improved living standards. Ireland is on a mission to bring its brainpower back
home with a massive development plan costing some $2 billion. According to one of its
initiatives, Enterprise Ireland, more than 75% of its targets—some of America’s most
distinguished life scientists and researchers—report that they want to return home within
five years.
So America has two choices—either cultivate its homegrown talent or staunch the
exodus of repatriates. Heenan urges immediate action on both options, offering various
strategies to reverse the American brain drain.
https://www.amanet.org/articles/
(Adapted)
[1]
I- COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (12 marks):
1) Fill in the table with information from the text (3 marks):
The Book The Author The Thesis
------------------------------------- -------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------
1) For the following statements, pick out one detail from the text showing that it is false
(4 marks):
a- A few scientists are leaving America towards their homelands. (Pg 1)
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b- Reverse brain drain is harmless to America’s economy. (Pg 2)
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c- No country has taken measures to let its scientists come back to their homelands. (Pg 3)
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d- America can’t reverse the brain drain. (Pg 4)
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2) What do the underlined words refer to in the text (2 marks):
e- They (pg 1) refers to: -------------------------------------------------
f- Its (pg 3) refers to: -------------------------------------------------
3) Find words/expressions in the text meaning nearly the same as (2 marks):
g- sent back to one’s own country (pg 3): -------------------------------------------------
h- stop or restrict (pg 4): -------------------------------------------------------------
4) Give a personal and justified answer to the following question (1 mark) :
If you were a scientist living in a developed country, would you accept to return to your developing
country and work there? Why or Why not? If I were allowed to come back to my own country, I
would / I wouldn’t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ because -----------------------------------------------------
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[2]
II- LANGUAGE (6 marks):
1) Fill in the blanks with 6 words from the following box (3 marks):
of – should – against – raises – visible – by – for – may
"Glass ceiling" means an invisible upper limit in corporations and other organizations, above
which it is difficult or impossible for women to rise in the ranks. "Glass ceiling" is a metaphor
-------------------------- the hard-to-see informal barriers that keep women from getting promotions,
Pay ------------------------------, and further opportunities. The "glass ceiling" metaphor has also been
used to describe the limits and barriers experienced ------------------------- minority racial groups.
It is "glass" because it's not usually a ----------------------- barrier, and a woman may not be aware of
its existence until she "hits" the barrier. In other words, it's not an explicit practice of discriminating
---------------------------women — though specific policies, practices, and attitudes
----------------------------exist that produce this barrier without the intention to discriminate.
2) Put the words between parentheses in the right Tense and/or Form (3 marks):
In October 2014, Malala, along with Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi, was
named a Nobel Peace Prize winner. At age 17, she became the (young) ----------------------person
to receive this prize. Accepting the award, Malala (reaffirm) -----------------------that
“This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those
(fright) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want
change.” Today, the Malala Fund has become an organization that, through education, (empower)
---------------------------- girls to achieve their potential and become confident and strong leaders in
their own countries. Funding education projects in six countries and working with international
leaders, the Malala Fund joins with local partners to invest in (innovate) ---------------------
solutions on the ground and advocates globally for quality secondary education for all girls.
(Current) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - residing in Birmingham, Malala is an active proponent of education
as a fundamental social and economic right.
III- WRITING (12 marks):
1) Develop the following notes to obtain a coherent paragraph (4 marks):
The internet / enable / fast access / information around / world.
It / the cheap / means / accessing / information.
the internet / define / as a tool / can link up all the people / world
but it can act / weapon against us. Therefore / question to ask / : internet a blessing / curse?
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2) Topic (8 marks):
“In essence, robots are used to offer service to humans.”
Write a 12-line article, to be published on your school website, where you (dis)agree with this
statement. Support your arguments with concrete examples.
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