Baccalaureate English National Exam Humanities July 2013: practise the full Moroccan national English exam for the Humanities stream, session July 2013, 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 Humanities July 2013: Interactive Practice
English National Exam — Humanities July 2013
Interactive practice: Reading (15 pts) · Language (15 pts) · Writing (10 pts)
[1] Born in Casablanca on April 19, 1971, Gad Elmaleh is an actor and comedian of Moroccan- French nationality. He speaks fluently both French and Moroccan Arabic as he was raised in a household that gave him access to a mix of cultural influences. He was educated in Morocco, first at the Georges Bizet School and later at Lycée Lyautey in Casablanca. In 1988, he moved to Montreal, Canada, where he studied political sciences for a year. He also worked on radio and started writing humorous stories which he performed in nightclubs. He soon discovered that he had a talent for entertaining people. This launched him on a career which continues today.
[2] Gad Elmaleh has had roles in a number of films and has enjoyed success as a stand-up comedian. His talents also include singing and voice-overs for animated films. His first cinema role was in 1996 in “Salut Cousin!”, a film by Algerian screenwriter and director Merzak Allouache. His first one-man show, “Décalages”, based on his own life, was performed at the Palais des Glaces in 1997.
[3] Following the success of “Décalages”, Gad Elmaleh’s second one-man show “La Vie Normale” proved to be a huge success. In 2005, Elmaleh returned to the stage with a new style in “L’autre c’est moi”, in which he interacted with the audience and improvised his dialogue. In 2006, he was awarded the “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Minister of Culture and was voted “The Funniest Person in France.”
[4] Gad Elmaleh performed in Montreal and Casablanca, before taking his shows to France, Belgium and Switzerland in 2007. As part of the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal in July 2007, Elmaleh presented his latest production, “Papa est en Haut” for the first time. In December 2007, the show made history when all tickets were sold out at L’Olympia in Paris for seven consecutive weeks.
[5] In 2009, Elmaleh wrote, produced and acted in the film Coco which was another great success. It was based on one of his one-man show “La Vie Normale”. In 2011, the actor had a role in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and appeared in the film The Adventures of Tintin. No doubt, fans are looking forward to future shows by the Moroccan-born actor and comedian Gad Elmaleh.
A. Complete the following chart with information from the text. (3 pts)
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Gad Elmaleh was born. | |
| Gad was voted “The Funniest Person in France” |
B. Are these sentences true or false? Justify. (3 pts)
1. “Salut Cousin!” was Gad’s first experience as an actor in the cinema.
2. People didn’t like “Décalages”.
3. “Papa est en Haut” was first performed at L’Olympia.
C. Answer these questions. (3 pts)
1. Where did Gad receive his secondary education?
2. Why did he go to Canada?
3. How was “L’autre c’est moi” different from Gad’s previous shows?
D. Complete the following sentences. (2 pts)
1. Gad realised that he could entertain people when
2. “Papa est en Haut” was so successful that
E. Find in the text words that mean the same as: (2 pts)
1. brought up (paragraph 1):
2. spectators (paragraph 3):
F. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (2 pts)
1. he (paragraph 3):
2. It (paragraph 5):
A. Fill in each gap with an appropriate word or expression from the list. (2 pts)
read · reading · to read
1. Do you enjoy mysteries or science fiction books?
which · whose · where
2. The police are taking the criminal back to the apartment he killed the old woman.
B. Fill in each gap with the correct phrasal verb from the list. (2 pts)
went out · came back · put out · found out · brought back
Wife: I just that Tommy isn’t taking school seriously.
Husband: How come?
Wife: When I home from work, the school called to tell me that his grades were below average.
C. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the words given. (3 pts)
“Did you see Brad Pitt’s latest film on MBC 2?” Hakim asked his friends.
Hakim asked his friends
Parents should encourage children to eat healthy food.
Children
Mr Johnson didn’t follow his doctor’s advice.
Mr Johnson wishes
D. Put the verbs between brackets in the correct tense. (2 pts)
Dear mum,
I (have) a good time in Paris for the last couple of weeks. I’ll be back in Manchester tomorrow. I (call) you as soon as I get to the airport.
E. Give the correct form of the words between brackets. (2 pts)
Morocco is a tourist (attract) for its nice weather, the hospitality and (kind) of its people.
F. Join the following pairs of sentences with the words given. (2 pts)
Kenza works hard at the office. She always finds time to help her son with his homework. (although)
1.
Taoufik joined his friends on Facebook. He wanted to share his new photos with them. (in order to)
2.
G. Complete the following exchanges. (2 pts)
1. Speaker: Videoconferencing is very effective in distance learning.
You: (Express lack of understanding) …
2. Father: The use of the internet may have bad effects on your studies.
You: (Express disagreement) …
Writing: Write an email about women and work. (10 pts)
Some people think that women should stay at home, while others think that they should go out to work. The English magazine “SHE & HE” wants to know readers’ opinions about this issue. Write an email to the editor of this magazine expressing your opinion. Support your point of view with arguments and examples. (Start with: Dear sir or madam,)
Answer key: Reading, Language and Writing
Reading
A. Complete the following chart with information from the text. (3 pts)
1971 → Gad Elmaleh was born (in Casablanca, on April 19).
2006 → Gad was voted “The Funniest Person in France”.
B. Are these sentences true or false? Justify. (3 pts)
- True. “His first cinema role was in 1996 in ‘Salut Cousin!’.” (paragraph 2)
- False. “Following the success of ‘Décalages’…” (paragraph 3)
- False. It was first presented “as part of the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal in July 2007.” (paragraph 4)
C. Answer these questions. (3 pts)
- At Lycée Lyautey in Casablanca.
- To study political sciences (in Montreal).
- It had a new style: he interacted with the audience and improvised his dialogue.
D. Complete the following sentences. (2 pts)
- …he worked on radio and performed humorous stories he wrote in nightclubs.
- …all tickets were sold out at L’Olympia in Paris for seven consecutive weeks.
E. Find in the text words that mean the same as: (2 pts)
- raised
- audience
F. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (2 pts)
- Gad Elmaleh
- The film “Coco”
Language
A. Fill in each gap with an appropriate word or expression from the list. (2 pts)
- reading
- where
B. Fill in each gap with the correct phrasal verb from the list. (2 pts)
found out · came back
C. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the words given. (3 pts)
- Hakim asked his friends if they had seen Brad Pitt’s latest film on MBC 2.
- Children should be encouraged by parents to eat healthy food.
- Mr Johnson wishes he had followed his doctor’s advice.
D. Put the verbs between brackets in the correct tense. (2 pts)
have been having · will call
E. Give the correct form of the words between brackets. (2 pts)
attraction · kindness
F. Join the following pairs of sentences with the words given. (2 pts)
- Although Kenza works hard at the office, she always finds time to help her son with his homework.
- Taoufik joined his friends on Facebook in order to share his new photos with them.
G. Complete the following exchanges. (2 pts)
- Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean by videoconferencing. Could you explain, please?
- I don’t agree, Dad. The internet helps me find information and do my homework.
Writing
Writing: Write an email about women and work. (10 pts)
Dear sir or madam,
I am writing to give my opinion about women and work. In my view, women should be free to go out to work if they want to.
First, work gives women financial independence, and they can help their families. For example, many Moroccan women are teachers, doctors and engineers, and they contribute to the development of the country. Second, working women are role models for their daughters, who learn that they can succeed.
Some people say that working women neglect their children. However, with good organization and the help of the husband, a woman can take care of both her job and her family.
To conclude, women should choose for themselves.
Yours faithfully,
Hind
Download the full exam (Reading, Language and Writing) with the answers as a PDF.
Source: Moroccan Baccalaureate English National Exam, Humanities, July 2013 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 July 2013 Humanities exam is about Gad Elmaleh, a Moroccan-French actor and comedian. 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
- comedian: ممثل كوميدي
- raise: يربّي
- audience: جمهور
- improvise: يرتجل
- stand-up: عرض فردي ساخر
- career: مسيرة مهنية
- talent: موهبة
- award: يمنح جائزة
- sold out: نفدت التذاكر
- consecutive: متتالي
Grammar points in this exam
- Gerund after enjoy and relative adverb where
- Phrasal verbs (find out, come back)
- Reported questions, passive voice and wish
- Present perfect continuous and future with will
- Word formation (attraction, kindness), linking words and language functions
Revise these structures: the Language section of this exam is built on them.
Writing tips
The writing task asks for an email to a magazine about women and work. Start with “Dear sir or madam”, give your opinion, support it with arguments and examples, and close politely.
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.
