Baccalaureate English National Exam Arts June 2023

A. Fill in the chart with information from the text. (2 pts)

$3.2 billion → Cisco Systems bought WebEx (in 2007).
2011 → Yuan started his own company and launched the Zoom platform.
Total duration of meetings → over 20 billion minutes.
Value of Zoom → $9.2 billion.

B. Are these statements true or false? Justify. (3 pts)

1. False. “He got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics and computer science… in his country.” (paragraph 2)
2. False. “His visa application was denied 8 times.” (paragraph 2)
3. True. “More than 40 fellow engineers followed me in my new venture.” (paragraph 4)

C. Answer these questions. (3 pts)

1. Because customers had become dissatisfied with the quality of the services.
2. Because of the corona virus pandemic: lockdowns made companies, schools and colleges start using Zoom.
3. The paid plan allows unlimited meetings.

D. Complete the sentences with information from the text. (3 pts)

1. charges a subscription fee for its various products (and promotes hardware products).
2. fierce competitors of Zoom.
3. a serious security threat.

E. Choose the right meaning of each word according to the text. (2 pts)

1. a. insisting
2. b. strong

F. What do the underlined words in the text refer to? (2 pts)

1. WebEx
2. Zoom

A. Fill in the gaps with the correct words from the lists. (2 pts)

1. making
2. walking
3. carry on
4. where

B. Fill in the gaps with the correct words from the list. (1 pt)

non-profit · endangered

C. Put the words in brackets in the correct form. (2 pts)

entertainment · ecological

D. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense. (2 pts)

was surfing · came · will have saved

E. Rewrite the sentences as suggested. (4 pts)

1. Different types of fish can be seen at the Sealife center.
2. Amina promised her dad (that) she would visit her grandparents at the weekend.
3. If the employees had finished their work, they wouldn’t have got into trouble.
4. Although Maria lives next door, we rarely see each other.

F. Choose the appropriate responses. (2 pts)

1. a. I suppose you’re right.
2. c. I’m not sure I can.

G. What would you say in the following situation? (2 pts)

You: You’re always late for the gym! It’s really annoying.
Your friend: I’m sorry. I’ll try to be on time from now on.

Task 1: Complete the following paragraph. (4 pts)

Another example, people will travel in electric and self-driving cars, so there will be fewer accidents and less pollution. In addition, students will study at home with virtual reality, and doctors will use artificial intelligence to treat patients. Finally, many people will live and work on other planets.

Task 2: Write a reply to Jamal’s email. (6 pts)

Hi Jamal,

Thanks for your email. I understand your situation, and here is my advice.

First, you should talk to your boss about the problems and see if the conditions can improve. Second, don’t leave your job before you find a new one, because it is difficult to find a well-paid job. In addition, you could look for offers on the Internet and send your CV to several companies. Finally, think carefully: money is important, but so is your happiness.

Good luck!

Best wishes,
Samir