Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts July 2018: practise the full Moroccan national English exam for the Arts stream, session July 2018, 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 July 2018: Interactive Practice
English National Exam — Arts July 2018
Interactive practice: Reading (15 pts) · Language (15 pts) · Writing (10 pts)
[1] WhatsApp is now the most used messaging application, especially among teenagers, surpassing Facebook, Skype and others. Nearly one billion people use WhatsApp nowadays.
[2] Teens are flocking to WhatsApp because it gives them the privacy and freedom to exchange any messages they want with whoever they want. “On WhatsApp, I usually feel that I am not being judged, particularly because there isn’t any eye contact or physical contact, only words and signs. So, I feel more intimacy and security. I expose myself more, but it isn’t embarrassing, maybe because I don’t see people’s physical reactions,” says Emily, a teenager from the…
[3] Jan Koum and Brian Acton are the founders of WhatsApp. Jan was not from a wealthy family. He stayed with his mother and grandmother in a small apartment. With his hard work, he finally got into San Jose State University where he took training in programming.
[4] Jan met his business partner Brian while he was working at Yahoo as an engineer. They worked together in Yahoo for almost nine years and then left the company together. Then they applied to Facebook, but they were not lucky. They had no plans to become rich until they thought of making an application for iPhone users.
[5] As the initial models failed, Jan was discouraged and was almost about to give up when Brian persuaded him to keep at it. They then created the app which received tremendous success in a very less time. This was because the users found it pretty easy to use and they do not need to register anywhere in order to use the application. After months of beta testing, WhatsApp was, finally, launched in the app store for iPhones in November 2009. Jan chose the name WhatsApp because it sounded similar to the daily phrase, “What’s up”. This was the dream come true for both partners.
[6] Jan and Brian earned millions of dollars without any advertising on the application. They made money in two ways. They started charging iPhone users on first time installation and the Android users every year. A lot of people used the app and paid both of them. Reports state that around 250 million people use WhatsApp in a month. This is a huge number for any application to reach in the smartphone space.
[7] WhatsApp become popular in just a short amount of time, and this caught Facebook’s attention. After several months of venture capital financing, Facebook declared that they were acquiring WhatsApp in February 2014. The deal went down for US $19 Billion. It was Facebook’s largest acquisition till then. Adapted from: www.successstory.com and www.teensafe.com
A. Choose the right answer. (1 pt)
The text is about:
B. Fill in the chart with information from the text. (2 pts)
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2009 | |
| 2014 |
C. Are these sentences true or false? Justify. (3 pts)
1. Emily feels safer when she uses WhatsApp.
2. One of WhatsApp founders studied programming at university.
3. Jan and his partner Brian worked for Facebook after leaving Yahoo.
D. Answer the following questions. (3 pts)
1. How did Jan and Brian get to know each other?
2. How did Jan and Brian make money from WhatsApp?
3. Why did WhatsApp attract the attention of Facebook?
E. Complete the following sentences. (2 pts)
1. The name of WhatsApp comes from …
2. Facebook paid …
F. Find in the text words that mean almost the same as: (2 pts)
1. convinced (paragraph 5):
2. large (paragraph 6):
G. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (2 pts)
1. they (paragraph 2):
2. partners (paragraph 5):
A. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. (2 pts)
Unemployment and (illiterate) are among the most serious problems in today’s world. They’ve become (universe) issues over the last few decades. Poor countries need more (finance) assistance to overcome such problems and ensure (sustain) development.
B. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the list. (2 pts)
1. I’m really bored. How about to see a football match this afternoon?
2. The government should more effort to eradicate crimes.
3. Kate is the girl father has just been elected president of the city council.
4. All the candidates need to the application form before sitting for the interview.
C. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form. (2 pts)
Jamal is preparing for the reading competition which (take place) in three months’ time. He reads a book every week. Today he (read) a new one. He (start) it last night after he (finish) Voltaire’s “Candide”.
D. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the words given. (3 pts)
I couldn’t respond to your email because I didn’t have access to the Internet.
If
Football referees will use video technology in the next World Cup.
Video technology
“I left my umbrella in the school library,” said Amal.
Amal told me that
E. Match each expression to its appropriate function. (2 pts)
1. “I am sorry to say this, but the music is so loud.”
2. “I don’t understand this word. Could you explain it, please?”
3. “I’m glad I passed the exam.”
4. “I don’t share the same opinion about the causes of global warming.”
F. Write an appropriate response to each situation. (2 pts)
1. Your friend: “I’m really addicted to Facebook. I can’t stop using it.”
You: …
2. Your friend: “I got excellent marks in the national Baccalaureate exam.”
You: …
Task 1: Respond to your friend’s questions. (4 pts)
What are your plans for the future? What are you going to do after you get your Bac?
After getting my Bac, I …
Task 2: Write an article about teenage crime. (6 pts)
In some societies the number of crimes committed by teenagers is growing. Write an article for your school magazine explaining the causes of this problem.
Answer key: Reading, Language and Writing
Reading
A. Choose the right answer. (1 pt)
b. WhatsApp success story.
The text tells how WhatsApp was created and became a huge success.
B. Fill in the chart with information from the text. (2 pts)
2009 → WhatsApp was launched in the app store for iPhones (in November).
2014 → Facebook acquired WhatsApp (in February) for US $19 billion.
C. Are these sentences true or false? Justify. (3 pts)
- True. “I feel more intimacy and security.” (paragraph 2)
- True. “He finally got into San Jose State University where he took training in programming.” (paragraph 3)
- False. “Then they applied to Facebook, but they were not lucky.” (paragraph 4)
D. Answer the following questions. (3 pts)
- They met while Jan was working at Yahoo as an engineer (they were colleagues at Yahoo).
- They charged iPhone users on first-time installation and Android users every year.
- Because it became popular in a very short amount of time.
E. Complete the following sentences. (2 pts)
- the daily phrase “What’s up” (it sounds similar).
- US $19 billion to acquire WhatsApp.
F. Find in the text words that mean almost the same as: (2 pts)
- persuaded
- huge
G. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (2 pts)
- Teens (teenagers)
- Jan and Brian
Language
A. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. (2 pts)
illiteracy · universal · financial · sustainable
B. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the list. (2 pts)
- going
- make
- whose
- fill in
C. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form. (2 pts)
will take place · is reading · started · had finished
D. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the words given. (3 pts)
- If I had had access to the Internet, I could have responded to your email.
- Video technology will be used by football referees in the next World Cup.
- Amal told me that she had left her umbrella in the school library.
E. Match each expression to its appropriate function. (2 pts)
- making a complaint
- asking for clarification
- expressing good news
- expressing disagreement
F. Write an appropriate response to each situation. (2 pts)
- You should limit the time you spend on it, and find a hobby or play sports.
- Congratulations! That’s wonderful news. You deserve it!
Writing
Task 1: Respond to your friend’s questions. (4 pts)
After getting my Bac, I am going to join the faculty of arts to study English. I want to become an English teacher. First, I will study hard for three years to get my degree. Then I will take the entrance exam for the teacher training centre. In the future, I hope to teach in my own region and help young students learn English.
Task 2: Write an article about teenage crime. (6 pts)
Why Do Some Teenagers Commit Crimes?
The number of crimes committed by teenagers is growing in some societies. There are several causes for this problem.
First, poverty and unemployment push some young people to steal. Second, many teenagers drop out of school and have nothing to do, so they spend their time in the streets with bad friends. Moreover, violent films and video games may influence their behaviour. Finally, some parents do not pay enough attention to their children.
In conclusion, families, schools and society must work together to protect our teenagers.
Download the full exam (Reading, Language and Writing) with the answers as a PDF.
Source: Moroccan Baccalaureate English National Exam, Arts, July 2018 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 2018 Arts exam is about WhatsApp, its founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton, and its success story. 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
- messaging application: تطبيق مراسلة
- privacy: خصوصية
- intimacy: حميمية
- founder: مؤسس
- discouraged: محبط
- persuade: يقنع
- tremendous: هائل
- launch: يطلق
- acquire: يستحوذ على
- acquisition: استحواذ
Grammar points in this exam
- Word formation (illiteracy, universal, financial, sustainable)
- Gerund after how about, collocation make effort, whose
- Present, past simple and past perfect
- Conditional type 3, passive and reported speech
- Language functions (complaining, clarification, disagreement)
Revise these structures: the Language section of this exam is built on them.
Writing tips
The writing paper has two tasks. In task 1, answer your friend’s questions about your future plans using will or going to. In task 2, write an article explaining the causes of teenage crime.
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 2018: the other 2018 session
- Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts July 2017
- Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts July 2019
- All Baccalaureate National Exams
