English Test – CAN 2017

“English Test – CAN 2017” is one among other English Tests that can help learners practice and get used to tests in English. These English Tests cover Reading, Language, and Writing. Take the test, check the answers, and see your level.

English Test – CAN 2017

1. It’s 60 years since the first-ever Africa Cup of Nations (CAN). There will be more glitz and more teams taking part. But the will to win will be the same as when Egypt won that first all-Africa tournament. 10 February will mark 60 years since Egypt and Sudan played the opening match at the inaugural CAN in Sudan. A few days after that first game, Mohamed Diab Al-Attar, better known as Ad-Diba, scored all four goals as Egypt thrashed Ethiopia to win the first of their seven titles.

2. The trophy presentation ceremony at the Municipal Stadium in Khartoum was standard fare for the times – handshakes, embraces, the distribution of medals, and laps of honor. Those elements still feature decades on in post-match celebrations, but the victorious team on 5th February in Libreville will be blasted by music from a weapons-grade sound system and a firework display explosive enough to freak out the hawks in the Pentagon and Kremlin.

3. What remains unchanged, though, is the fervor to win a Cup of Nations medal. Back in the early 1960’s only six teams appeared at the event. The tournament was expanded to eight teams for the 1968 competition in Ethiopia. The number rose to 12 in 1992 in Senegal, and since 1996, it‘s been a 16-side format.

4. The Cup of Nations’ preceded UEFA’s (Union of European Football Associations) European championships by three years. Yet the younger brother moved to a 24-team structure for the EURO 2016 in France. That was estimated to have raked in 1.2 billion euros in tourism and spending related to the event. Gabon 2017 is unlikely to harvest anywhere near that amount, but the sums underscore the potential that can be wrung from the sport. Top executives at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which organizes the Cup of Nations, can only look on in envy at the seemingly relentless acquisitiveness of their counterparts at FIFA, world football’s governing body. Just four days before the opening match in Libreville, the FIFA council agreed to expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams from 2026 onwards. It’s a far cry from the 13-nation event of 1930 in Uruguay.

5. “The Africa Cup of Nations is a great tradition. I would call it a Pan-African institution unlike any other, especially because the culture of football is unlike any other passion,” says Peter Alegi, professor of African history at Michigan State University and author of several books on football in Africa. “Politically, it’s also important to prove that Africans can organize these major events. But if you could bring roughly half of CAF’s 55 members to a tournament, that wouldn’t necessarily add matches to an already crowded calendar.”
The expansion would make it difficult for most nations to host the tournament, He points out. “You’d be looking at a handful of countries being able to host it on rotation – probably with South Africa and several of the North African nations being in pole position.”

I. COMPREHENSION

A. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FROM THE TEXT?

1. Who played the first match in the African football ceremony?
2. Where did the 1st CAN take place?
3. Why CAN is important for Africans?

B. COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES FROM THE TEXT

1. The first Cup of African Nations took place ……………. ago.
2. During the early 1960s ………………
3. Starting from 2026, FIFA …………….

C. ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY FROM THE TEXT.

1. Ethiopia was the first African country to win The CAN title.
2. UEFA’s European championship is older than CAN.
3. The growth of the number of countries participating in CAN makes it tough to organize such a ceremony.

D. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO?

1. Those (paragraph 2): ………….
2. It (paragraph 3): ……………….
3. He (paragraph 5): …………

E. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS WHICH ALMOST MEAN THE SAME AS

1. Competition (paragraph 1): …………………………
2. Winning (paragraph 2): …………………………
3. Eagerness (paragraph 3): …………………………
4. Expected (paragraph 4): …………………………

F. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS WHICH ARE ALMOST OPPOSITE TO

1. to defeat (paragraph 1): …………………………
2. Affected (paragraph 3): …………………………
3. Followed (paragraph 4): …………………………
4. Uncertainly (paragraph 5): …………………………

II. LANGUAGE 

A. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LIST. (2 PTS)

must – need to – wouldn’t – may – needn’t

1. Why don’t you read this story? You………… like it.
2. You ………….. go to the university to register; you can send your application by e-mail.

B. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LIST. (2 PTS)

rights – equal – countries – technical – communities

1. UNESCO helps local……….. in rural areas to fight illiteracy.
2. All citizens should have …………..opportunities regardless of their race, gender, or age.

C. GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS BETWEEN BRACKETS. (2 PTS)

1. I’m really sorry for this (understanding) ………………; I didn’t mean to hurt you.
2. Recent developments in (medical) …………… have given people a lot of hope.

D. PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT TENSE. (2 PTS)

Tourism (be) ……… a vital sector of the Moroccan economy. The authorities (work) …… hard for many years to promote the tourist industry. Last year, about nine million tourists (visit) …… Morocco. By the end of 2030, the number of tourists (reach) …………ten million.

E. REWRITE THE SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN. (3 PTS)

1. I‟m not good at math; I can’t solve this equation.
   • If I ………………, I……………
2. The world financial leaders signed a new trade agreement last month.
   • A new trade agreement ………
3. Aicha has an American accent. I‟m sure she studied in the USA.
   • She must ……………

F. JOIN THE PAIRS OF SENTENCES WITH THE LINKING WORDS GIVEN. (2 PTS)

1. Malaysia exports high technology. It invests in tourism as well. (in addition to)
2. Randa went to work this morning. The doctor advised her to stay in bed. (although)

G. MATCH EACH EXPRESSION WITH ITS APPROPRIATE FUNCTION. (2 PTS)

Expressions 

1. You should review your lessons regularly. 
2. Sorry, What do you mean by “gender”? 
3. What about having a tagine for lunch? 
4. In my view, parents should control their children’s use of the Internet. 

Functions

a. expressing opinion
b. giving advice
c. making a suggestion
d. asking for clarification

III. WRITING 

The website www.toptvprogrammes.org is collecting youth opinions about their favorite TV programs. Write an email to the editor of the website about your favorite TV program. In your email, include the following information: title and type of the program, TV channel, day and time, animator/presenter, what it is about and why you like it, etc.

Key Answers to English Test – CAN 2017

I. COMPREHENSION

A. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FROM THE TEXT?

1. Egypt and Sudan played the first match in the African football ceremony.
2. The first CAN took place in Sudan in Khartoum.
3. It proves that Africans can organize these major events. 

B. COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES FROM THE TEXT

1. The first Cup of African Nations took place 60 years ago.
2. During the early 1960s, only six teams appeared at the event.
3. Starting from 2026, FIFA will expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams.

C. ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY FROM THE TEXT.

1. False. Egypt thrashed Ethiopia to win the first of their seven titles.
2. False. The Cup of Nations preceded UEFA’s European championships by three years.
3. True. The expansion would make it difficult for most nations to host the tournament.
   • You’d be looking at a handful of countries being able to host it on rotation.

D. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO?

1. Handshakes, embraces, the distribution of medals, and laps of honor.
2. The number of teams.
3. Peter Alegi

E. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS WHICH ALMOST MEAN THE SAME AS

1. Tournament
2. Victorious
3. Fervor
4. Estimated

F. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS WHICH ARE ALMOST OPPOSITE TO

1. To win
2. Unchanged
3. Preceded
4. Necessarily

II. LANGUAGE 

A. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LIST. (2 PTS)

1. Why don’t you read this story? You may like it.
2. You needn’t go to the university to register; you can send your application by e-mail.

B. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LIST. (2 PTS)

1. UNESCO helps local communities in rural areas to fight illiteracy.
2. All citizens should have equal opportunities regardless of their race, gender, or age.

C. GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE WORDS BETWEEN BRACKETS. (2 PTS)

1. I’m really sorry for this misunderstanding; I didn’t mean to hurt you.
2. Recent developments in medicine have given people a lot of hope.

D. PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT TENSE. (2 PTS)

Tourism is a vital sector of the Moroccan economy. The authorities have been working hard for many years to promote the tourist industry. Last year, about nine million tourists visited Morocco. By the end of 2013, the number of tourists will have reached ten million.

E. REWRITE THE SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN. (3 PTS)

1. If I were good at math, I could solve this equation.
2. A new trade agreement was signed by the world financial leaders last month.
3. She must have studied in the USA.

F. JOIN THE PAIRS OF SENTENCES WITH THE LINKING WORDS GIVEN. (2 PTS)

1. Malaysia exports high technology in addition to investing in tourism as well.
2. Although Randa went to work this morning, the doctor advised her to stay in bed.

G. MATCH EACH EXPRESSION WITH ITS APPROPRIATE FUNCTION. (2 PTS)

1. b. giving advice
2. d. asking for clarification
3. c. making a suggestion
4. a. expressing opinion