Università degli Studi di Trento
Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia / a.a. 2004/2005
01.09.05
Lingua Inglese I
Verifica di competenze linguistiche
COGNOME E NOME: ______MATRICOLA: ______
1. GRAMMAR - Read the following text and fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Sometimes it is also necessary to put the adverb in the correct position.
The Wiki Way
The guardians of the largest information resource on earth (1) GATHERED
(gather) in Frankfurt earlier this month for the first international “Wikimania” conference. Among the ‘missionaries’ is Theo Clarke, a 47-year-old management consultant from Ipswich. As his computer (2) PROVIDED/WAS PROVIDING (provide) updates of the second cricket Test Match between England and Australia he (3) DECLARED (declare) that Wikipedia
(4) HAD/HAS FOUND (find) an answer to the world’s insatiable search for knowledge. “There’s no point running a quiz now, as Wikepedia (5) HAS (have) all the answers. It’s everything we’ll ever need (6) TO KNOW (know).” Says Clarke.
In less than 5 years Wikipedia (7) HAS BECOME (become) one of the web’s greatest success stories. The online encyclopedia and its sister projects, including Wikiquote,
(8) RECEIVE (receive) 60 million hits a day and have more than 2.2 million entries in 120 languages. Wiki, from the Hawaiian ‘wiki wiki’ meaning ‘quick and informal’, (9) HAS OPENED (open) the library doors to everyone. Anyone with a computer (10) CAN (can) change or delete any of the 660,000 entries on the English Wikipedia site or add one of the 1,250 new entries each day.
The Wikipedia sites (11) REPRESENT (represent) the ideals of the internet – those dreams of free, accessible information and global conversation. But recently, the Wiki sites
(12) HAVE ALSO BECOME (also become) a target for vandals and detractors, some of whom (13) HAVE BEEN BANNED/ARE BANNED (ban) from contributing.
In April, as white smoke (14) WAS STILL COMING (still come) from the roof of the Vatican an anonymous user of the English Wikipedia (15) REPLACED (replace) the image of Pop Benedict XVI with one of the evil emperor from Star Wars. Luckilyit
(16) WAS SEEN (see) almost immediately by one of Wikipedia’s administrators who (17) RESTORED (restore) the original image. If it
(18) HAD NOT BEEN NOTICED (not notice), the evil emperor’s black, pointy teeth and prune face would have shocked even the most dedicated Catholic. But Jimmy Wales, who
(19) CO-FOUNDED (co-found) Wikipedia in 2001, (20) INSISTS/INSISTED (insist) that such disturbances (21) DOES NOT SHAKE/HAS NOT SHAKEN/DID NOT SHAKE (not shake) his faith in Wikipedia or its aims.
This incident, however, has made him (22) CONSIDER (consider) introducing restrictions, for example freezing certain entries once they (23) HAVE BEEN CHECKED (check).
Many members of Wikipedia’s core community of contributors and administrators
(24) VOLUNTEER (volunteer) more than 30 hours a week correcting entries. They have the power (25) TO DELETE (delete) entries and work around the clock to ensure things such as anti-Semitism or vandalism (26) DO NOT APPEAR (not appear) on any Wiki site.
If the millions of Wikipedia users (27) LOOKED LIKE (look like) Wikipedia’s administrators and contributors we (28) WOULD ALL HAVE (all have) glasses and a bushy beard (at least the men) and wear shabby clothes, in short, the classic geek.
A typical ‘Wikimaniac’ is Andreas Praefcke, 31, a bookseller from Germany, who for the last 14 months (29) HAS USED/HAS BEEN USING (use) Wikipedia for up to six hours a day “I have stopped (30) WATCHING (watch) TV so the important news I get from the ‘What’s New’ button on the Wikipedia site”, he says.
Leon Weber, 14, (31) WAS NOMINATED (nominate) the youngest of Wikipedia’s administrators this year after spending several months correcting entries on the German site. “Wikipedia is so easy to use. It (32) HELPS/HAS HELPED (help) me enormously with my school assignments.”
Wales (33) IS NOW SIMPLIFYING/HAS NOW SIMPLIFIED (now simplify) the Wiki software to encourage a broader range of contributors (i.e. not only geeks).
The Wikipedia world order (34) DEPENDS (depend) on the concept that continual correction will produce perfection. Wales hopes that the dedication of administrators such as Weber – who has a simple approach to fact checking – (35) WILL SOON ENSURE (soon ensure) most entries are reliable.
2. VOCABULARY- Complete the text below by choosing a word from the box for each blank. Do NOT use the same word more than once.
timetabletripsantiquitiestourmajesticantiques
journeyvisitstaypicturesqueexcursionancient
check intravelcruisebaggage crossingitinerary
suitcasesvisiting
3-day tour of Ancient Egypt
Day 1:
Upon arrival in Cairo our representative will assist you through passport control formalities, and (1) BAGGAGE reclaim. From the airport you will be transferred by a private car or mini-bus to your hotel to (2) CHECK IN .
Day 2:
Following breakfast at the hotel your guide will transfer you to Giza, legendary as the (3)MAJECSTICand ancient Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerionos. Afterwards a (4) TOUR of the great Sphinx; guarding the Royal Burial Chambers and temple of Cheops. From Giza we have included a(n) (5)EXCURSION/VISIT to Sakkara to see the famous Step Pyramid - built for the 3rd Dynasty Pharaoh Djoser by architect Imhotep. Early in the evening we will transfer you to the Nile river dinner ship to enjoy a wonderful evening sailing along the banks of Cairo with a(n) (6) PICTURESQUE background of city lights. Your (7) CRUISE includes a generous buffet dinner, folklore show with belly dancers and more. Overnight in Cairo.
Day 3:
Following breakfast at the hotel your guide will transfer you to the Egyptian museum of (8) ANTIQUITIES established in 1902 near the city center in Cairo. On display is a rare collection of 5000 years of art. Next on the (9) ITINERARY is the renowned Citadel that was built by Saladin in the 12th Century. In the afternoon we have planned a(n) (10) VISIT/EXCURSION to the Khan El Khalili Bazaars that dates back to 1382. Overnight in Cairo.
3. USE OF ENGLISH - For each numbered gap underline the appropriate word or words from the list below to complete the text. Sometimes no word is needed (--).The first one has been done for you as an example.
Colourful notes
Sticky little pieces of (0) ….. yellow paper began to appear in offices around the world early in (1) ….. 1980s. They were usually stuck to documents, and carried messages scribbled from one executive to (2)….. . Their great advantage was that they could easily be peeled (3)….. after being read, without leaving a mark.
(4)….. the decade advanced, the sticky slips, called Post-it Notes, spread to colleges and finally into homes. Students began using them (5) …… relevant pages in books, and working wives and husbands left hurried messages to each other stuck to the refrigerator.
Post-it Notes were created (6) ….. accident in 1968 in a laboratory in Minnesota, where research was being conducted into superglue. An adhesive was produced (7) …… sticking power was so weak that the company 3M dismissed it as useless (rejected it/discarded it/consigned it to the garbage.).
However, one of its employees, a chemist called Fry, was a choir singer and he used the weak glue to (8)….. bookmarks for his song-book. They could be removed (9)….. they were no longer needed, without damaging the page.
Today Post-it Notes are available in various colours and sizes and are one of (10) ….. popular office products available.
(0) / some / the / / a(1) / / the / years / the years
(2) / other / another / others / one another
(3) / up / on / off / at
(4) / when / as / since / by the time
(5) / mark / to mark / for to mark / marking
(6) / for / in / by / at
(7) / whom / where / which / whose
(8) / prepare / do / make / have
(9) / when / as / while / in case
(10) / most / the most / more / the more
Mediazione Linguistica per le Imprese e il Turismo
Università degli Studi di Trento
Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia / a.a. 2004/2005
01.09.05
Lingua Inglese I
Verifica di competenze linguistiche
COGNOME E NOME: ______MATRICOLA: ______
READING
Global television
1 / A global television channel which will appeal to the entire world population is possible, according to research from a German institute. The author of the research, Helmut Jung, chief executive officer[1] of the Sample Institut, based in Mölln, Germany, says that in order to make it work, the tastes of people in various countries need to be taken into consideration.2 / A possible global television channel is, however, an ideal, as, in practice, people from different countries have different programme preferences. In the former USSR, 87% of the people who took part in the research wanted to see more films compared with a global average of 60%. In the Middle East, 81% of people wanted more home-produced news, as did 79% in Asia. Thispercentage sensibly decreases in Western Europe, North America and Japan, where only about half the respondents felt they needed more internally-produced news.
3 / Generally speaking, where programming is left to TV controllers, audiences are satisfied. Jung identified regions where people were little satisfied with the broadcast programmes, including Central and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America, as they have state-run television. In contrast, such regions as Western Europe and North America, which have independent programming, were reported to provide a wide choice of entertainment opportunities to their TV viewers.
4 / Given these findings, Jung thinks there is a more realistic alternative for the near future, namely ‘Multicultural Regional TV’ or MRTV. Speaking recently in New York, Jung stated, “I’m convinced that the concept of global television is basically promising, and that the process of globalisation will continue and will first happen in the area of media and telecommunications. But I’m also convinced that the idea of global television will be restricted to a limited number of channels and to specific kinds of programmes. The choice for the next twenty or thirty years will be more in the area of regional television.”
5 / Jung also admitted that viewers still prefer home-produced news, and that cultural differences are a crucial factor. For example, Asian audiences tend to look for education, while Latin Americans and Europeans generally reject violent programmes.
6 / Jung’s research has been supported by surveys in Europe which found that pan-European channels such as Eurosport were tempting more people to watch television. Indeed, the presence of international channels increased the average number of hours of television watched among wealthier people in Austria, Germany and Switzerland by 15%, and in Southern Europe by 3%.
7 / What implications will the globalisation of television have? Certainly, it will strengthen the position of English as the top language for media in the world, which, in turn, may undermine the status of other languages. However, the need for differences and the strength of national cultures will keep playing a relevant role in shaping people’s choices.
- Find the words and phrases in the article that have the following meanings.
You will find what you need in paragraphs 2, 4 and 6.
Note that the words and expressions are in order.
a. The perfect example of something that you can imagine ______IDEAL______
b. A person who answers questions in a survey ______RESPONDENT______
c. To believe completely in somebody/something _____TO BE CONVINCED______
d. A television station ______CHANNEL______
e. To arouse desire, attract ______TEMPTED______
2. Write T (true) or F (false) next to the following statements:
a. Most people in most regions of the world want to watch similar kinds of programmes. __F_
b. Nearly eight out of ten Asian viewers feel that they do not have enough locally-produced news programmes __T_
c. Jung stated in New York that global TV is only a promise __F_
d. Surveys have shown that channels such as Eurosport are attracting viewers _T__
e. In German-speaking countries, rich people generally like watching international channels __T_
3. Put an X next to the most suitable ending to the following sentences.
3.1. Jung feels that global television could be possible if
c. each country’s viewing habits are taken into consideration
3.2. According to research, people in the former USSR
c.thought that the number of films shown on their national television stations was inadequate.
3.3. According to Jung’s survey, TV viewers across the world were happy
b. when TV controllers decided what programmes to broadcast.
3.4. What is Jung’s prediction about the future?
b. MRTV is more likely to succeed in the long term
c. MRTV is the most probable short-term development.
3.5. The advent of global TV could mean that minority languages
b. might be replaced by English
Mediazione Linguistica per le Imprese e il TurismoUniversità degli Studi di Trento
Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia / a.a. 2004/2005
01.09.05
Lingua Inglese I
Verifica di competenze linguistiche
COGNOME E NOME: ______MATRICOLA: ______
TRANSLATION
Translate the following sentences into English. Please write clearly.
- Domani andrò a mangiare dal mio capo e dovrò portarle un regalo.
I’M GOING TO MY BOSS’S FOR DINNER/LUNCH / I’M EATING AT MY BOSS’S TOMORROW AND I HAVE TO/I’LL HAVE TO GET HER/TAKE HER A PRESENT/GIFT
- Nel 2005 il numero di turisti italiani che hanno trascorso le vacanze all’estero è aumentato del 3,5%.
In 2005 the number of Italian tourists who spent/HAVE SPENT their holiday(s) abroad went/HAVE GONE abroad on holiday rose/went up by 3.5%
- Signorina, potrebbe dirmi da quanto tempo lavora come cameriera?
(Excuse me) Miss, could you tell me how long you’ve been working/you’ve worked as a waitress?
- Tuo fratello vive ancora con i tuoi genitori?
Does your brother still live with your parents?
- Vorrei che tu studiassi di più.
I’d like/ I want you to study more. / I wish you would study more.
1
[1] The most important director of a company.