Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts June 2009: practise the full Moroccan national English exam for the Arts stream, session June 2009, with interactive questions, instant checking, an answer key and a free PDF with answers. For official information about national exams, visit the Moroccan Ministry of National Education.
Table of Contents
- Practice the exam online
- Answer key (Reading, Language and Writing)
- Exam tips and key vocabulary
- More Baccalaureate English national exams
Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts June 2009: Interactive Practice
English National Exam — Arts June 2009
Interactive practice: Reading (15 pts) · Language (15 pts) · Writing (10 pts)
[1] Traditionally, the idea of a working woman was not accepted by many people; they saw it as a radical change in family life. The reasons were simple: a woman’s place is at home. Who is going to clean, cook, feed the kids, and look after them?
[2] Batool, a 29-year-old Kuwaiti pharmacist and mother of two children says: “I feel guilty.” Now that my eldest daughter is going to school, I’m starting to have second thoughts about being a career woman.” She says that when she was a kid, her mother would wake her up every morning for school. “She made us breakfast, me and five other siblings, whereas I find difficulty taking care of only two daughters,” she added.
[3] Like many other young Kuwaiti women, Batool finds it necessary to be taking a share in the household finances. “It’s not as easy as it used to be with my mother’s generation,” explained Batool. “A woman now has to have her awn income, if not to support her family, then to satisfy her needs. Life is too expensive compared to twenty or thirty years ago.” The number of working women in Kuwait is continuously increasing, with 42 percent participating in the total of Kuwait’s working force, according to a recent study conducted by the Arab Planning Institute.
[4] Reem, a student, says: “I’m studying hard to get a degree, have a good career and make a difference. Moreover, at this point in my life, I don’t want to have any kids. Maybe five years after my marriage, I will start to consider it. But I want to do my master’s degree abroad and I can’t do that unless I’m married; otherwise, my dad won’t permit it.”
[5] Aisha, a 51-year-old mother, has been a housewife all her life. She says: “I got married when I was seventeen and didn’t’ have time to finish high school. Most of my friends studied further. Some of them are successful in their careers.”
[6] Staying at home to take care of children or working to increase the family’s income is apparently a personal choice. “I believe that you can do well in what you believe in if you have your family supporting you,” says Aisha. The debate over working women versus housewives is one that has been going on for generations. This is the issue that women around the world have to deal with. They are under the pressure of supporting a household with an additional income and the guilt of not being available for the kids. Finding the balance between both worlds is what is expected of women, something that is not always feasible.
A. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? (2 pts)
Choose the best title:
B. Are these statements true or false? Justify. (2 pts)
1. Reem will be able to study abroad if she gets married.
2. Aisha has never had a chance to work.
C. Answer these questions. (3 pts)
1. According to Batool, why is it important for a woman to have her own income?
2. What is Reem doing for the moment?
3. According to the author, what is expected of working women?
D. Complete these sentences. (2 pts)
1. Unlike her mother, Batool finds it difficult to
2. The study of the Arab Planning Institute shows that
E. Find in the text words that mean the same as: (3 pts)
1. child (paragraph 2):
2. allow (paragraph 4):
3. look after (paragraph 6):
F. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (3 pts)
1. it (paragraph 1):
2. She (paragraph 2):
3. them (paragraph 5):
A. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate collocations from the list. (3 pts)
film making · have access · take place · have fun · note taking · take care
1. Many people do not to the Internet in the countryside.
2. Listening and are important skills to understand presentations at the university.
3. “Where will the next conference ?” the journalist asked.
B. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. (3 pts)
Parents often worry about their children’s (addict) to computer games. They think that playing games for a long time can be (harm) to their children’s health. They are also afraid of changes that might occur in their (behave) .
C. Put the verbs between brackets in the correct tense. (1.5 pts)
Last Monday, while firemen (try) to put out the fire in the forest, two helicopters (join) them. Unfortunately, most of the trees were destroyed. We hope that by the end of 2011, the local authorities (replant) the forest.
D. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the list. (1.5 pts)
where · which · who · whom · whose
Many Moroccan immigrants live abroad would like to return to Morocco they can invest their money. They have promising projects which will certainly help to improve the local economy.
E. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the words given. (3 pts)
“I won’t be able to attend the wedding party.”
Kamal said
The association has funded many social projects.
Many social projects
Mounir dropped out of school at an early age.
Mounir wishes
F. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words or expressions from the list. (3 pts)
whereas · due to · as a result · despite · though · so as to
1. Jane was often absent from work; , her director dismissed her.
2. I’ll try to find some time to see you this afternoon I have so many things to do.
3. Thousands of people are driven out of their homes civil wars in many parts of the world.
Writing: Write an email to a friend about a problem. (10 pts)
Young people often face many problems at home and at school. Write an email to a friend telling him/her about a problem that you or one of your friends once faced. (Approximately 250 words)
– What was the problem? When was it?
– Who was involved? (father, mother, teacher, headmaster, classmates, etc.)
– Was the problem solved? How?
– How did you or your friend feel?
Answer key: Reading, Language and Writing
Reading
A. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? (2 pts)
2. The problem of working women in Kuwait
The text discusses the choices and pressures of working women in Kuwait.
B. Are these statements true or false? Justify. (2 pts)
- True. “I want to do my master’s degree abroad and I can’t do that unless I’m married.” (paragraph 4)
- True. “Aisha, a 51-year-old mother, has been a housewife all her life.” (paragraph 5)
C. Answer these questions. (3 pts)
- To support her family, or at least to satisfy her own needs, because life is too expensive compared to twenty or thirty years ago.
- She is studying hard to get a degree.
- They are expected to find the balance between supporting the household with an additional income and being available for their kids.
D. Complete these sentences. (2 pts)
- …take care of her children (her two daughters).
- …the number of working women in Kuwait is continuously increasing, with 42 percent of the total working force.
E. Find in the text words that mean the same as: (3 pts)
- kid
- permit
- take care of
F. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (3 pts)
- The idea of a working woman
- Batool
- Aisha’s friends
Language
A. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate collocations from the list. (3 pts)
- have access
- note taking
- take place
B. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. (3 pts)
addiction · harmful · behaviour
C. Put the verbs between brackets in the correct tense. (1.5 pts)
were trying · joined · will have replanted
D. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the list. (1.5 pts)
who · where
E. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the words given. (3 pts)
- Kamal said (that) he wouldn’t be able to attend the wedding party.
- Many social projects have been funded by the association.
- Mounir wishes he hadn’t dropped out of school at an early age.
F. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words or expressions from the list. (3 pts)
- as a result
- though
- due to
Writing
Writing: Write an email to a friend about a problem. (10 pts)
Dear Sara,
How are you? I am writing to tell you about a problem my cousin faced last year. He was in the last year of high school, and he was often late because he used to stay up late playing video games. His teacher complained to the headmaster, and his parents were told.
His father was very angry and punished him, and he felt guilty and stressed. Fortunately, his older brother talked to him calmly and helped him make a timetable for study and rest. He limited his gaming to weekends, and his marks improved a lot by the end of the term.
I think the problem was solved because someone listened to him instead of only blaming him. Write to me soon and tell me your news.
Best wishes,
Amine
Download the full exam (Reading, Language and Writing) with the answers as a PDF.
Source: Moroccan Baccalaureate English National Exam, Arts, June 2009 session. The score counts only the questions that can be checked automatically; open answers (chart, sentences, dialogues, writing) are for self-checking against the model answers. More than one correct answer is often possible.
Exam Tips and Key Vocabulary
What this exam tests
The reading text of the June 2009 Arts exam is about working women in Kuwait and the choice between a career and staying at home, with the voices of Batool, Reem and Aisha. The paper tests Reading, Language and Writing, so read the text twice before answering and base every answer on the text.
Key vocabulary from the text
- career: مهنة
- housewife: ربة بيت
- income: دخل
- household: الأسرة
- guilty: مذنب
- permit: يسمح
- balance: توازن
- feasible: ممكن
- pressure: ضغط
- generation: جيل
Grammar points in this exam
- Collocations (have access, take place, note taking)
- Word formation (addiction, harmful, behaviour)
- Past continuous, past simple and future perfect
- Relative pronouns (who, where)
- Reported speech, passive voice and wishes
- Linking words (as a result, though, due to)
Revise these structures: the Language section of this exam is built on them.
Writing tips
The writing task asks for an email to a friend. Start with a greeting, say why you are writing, then answer every guiding question (what, when, who, how it was solved, how you felt) in short paragraphs. Close with a friendly ending and your name.
FAQ
Where can I download this exam with answers?
Use the download button under the exam: the PDF contains the original exam pages and a one-page answer key.
Are the answers on this page official?
No. They are model answers written for practice; any appropriate answer is accepted.
More Baccalaureate English National Exams (Arts)
- Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts June 2008
- Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts June 2010
- All Baccalaureate National Exams
