Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour Grade: ______

Name: ______Date: ______

Reading Comprehension

Read the following article about two Lebanese graffiti artists and answer the questions that follow.

Urban Artists: Ashekman

Rebels! But with a cause! These modern role models for teens are urban artists who have managed to change the meaning of graffiti from a social problem to a street art.

For most people, the word ‘graffiti’ usually creates images of vandalismof public and private property and of unsightlydecay. Yet, others recognize graffiti as a unique art form that expresses the urban artist’s love for his city and modern pop culture. Lebanese urban culture enjoys a lot of youthful talents that are organized and serious, such as Ashekman. Identical twin brothers, Mohamed and Omar Kabbani, have developed the art of Arabic graffiti, which originates from their love for their culture, language and heritage.

The Kabbani twins, who graduated from the Lebanese American University with degrees in graphic design, are from a typical Beiruti family. They started with the hobby of sketching and listening to hip hop music. The September 11 attacks meant that the eyes of the world were on the Middle East, which is when Ashekman decided to say what they believe in. The twins, who spoke out about social and political issues they witness in their community, became an instant hit among teens and young adults. Ashekman rebelled against the rules of commercial success based on the popularized images of women, love and romance and censored swear words. They took their voices to the streets and turned graffiti from an image of vandalism and destruction to that of beauty and self-expression. “Vandalism is a crime, and it is bad,” says Mohamed. “When we pick a location to draw our graffiti, we choose aneyesorethat is filled with bullet holes or offensive andtacky photos.” At the same time, the twins didn’t want to follow fads from the west but rather create their own. Using old Arabic calligraphy, they established the first Arabic graffiti form and took it to the streets where it received great support. The scrawled names and slogans have become appreciated by people. They have become so famous that patrolling police no longer stop them, but rather stand to watch. Ashekman insists that graffiti art in Lebanon, unlike the west, is a collaboration between various artists that join in a peaceful rebellion of color and critical messages on the walls.

Ashekman is now a leader in the Lebanese hip hop culture, with music, art, and now designer T-shirts; they have turned their hobby into profitable business. But their aim remains to make Beirut beautiful again, and they get their inspiration from the street itself. “We control the streets with a spray can and a pencil, so no one can tell me the street is not mine,” Mohamed says. They may be right, for their messages are there written on the walls of our city.

Time Out Beirut Kids, July-September 2009

A-Give the meaning of the underlined words in the text. (6pts)

Vandalism: ______

Unsightly: ______

Eyesore: ______

Tacky: ______

Fads: ______

Scrawled: ______

B-What is Ashekman? Detail in not less than 30 words. (3pts)

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C-When did the Kabbani twins become popular among the young generation? (2pts)

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D-Where do they sketch their designs? Why do they choose such places? (3pts)

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E-Find in the text fans of Ashekman other than teens and young adults. Justify your answer. (3pts)

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F-In your opinion, why did the writer of the article refer to the urban artists as “Rebels! But with a cause!”? (4pts)

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GRAMMAR

A-Fill in the gaps with the right forms of the words in brackets. (3pts)

Most teenagers are ______and they never obey rules. (rebel)

At Christmas time, we often see ______performing music in public places. (busk)

The dancers were all tall and ______.(grace)

Our new house has got three ______bedrooms. (space)

It’s becoming ______to have long hair again. (fashion)

The big statue at the entrance looks ugly and ______.(taste)

B-Rewrite the following sentences using the words given between brackets. (5pts)

a-It’s such a big mansion. There are 6 bedrooms. (so … that)

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b-I am working hard in order to have good grades. (so that)

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c-This wine is tasteless. Where did you get it from? (such)

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d-Donna started driving at the age of 18. She is already 24 now and she drives very well. (since)

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e-I read the newspaper and I walked to the bus station. (having)

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C-Complete the sentences using the following verbs in the correct form: Present Participle or Past Participle. (5 pts)

cover- call – invite – live – offer – read – ring – sit – study - work

a-I was woken up by a bell ______.

b-Some of the people ______to the party can’t come.

c-Life must be very unpleasant for people ______near busy airports.

d-A few days after the interview, I received a letter ______me the job.

e-Somebody ______Jack phoned while you were out.

f-The waiting room was empty except for a young man ______by the window ______a magazine.

g-Ian has a brother ______in a bank in London and a sister ______economics at university in Manchester.

h-I was looking at the mountains ______with snow.

D-Combine the two sentences using a relative pronoun. Add commas where necessary. (6pts)

1-We first went to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.

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2-I have 4 sisters. One lives in France and she’s studying biochemistry.

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3-I work with these people; they are very outgoing and friendly.

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4-The woman is begging on the street. Her clothes are dated.

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5-Dad works at an art gallery. There was an exhibition there last week.

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6-He kneeled while proposing to her. It was so touching!

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GOOD LUCK 