Sample paper
THAMES EXAMINATIONS
ACADEMIC
SECTION A : READING
2 Parts (30 marks)
SECTION B : ENGLISH USAGE
3 Parts (30 marks)
SECTION C : WRITING
2 Parts (40 marks)
3 HOURS Please answer ALL the questions Please use CAPITAL LETTERS
Family name First name Date of birth Candidate number Town
DO NOT START UNTIL THE INVIGILATOR TELLS YOU TO
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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Page 1
SECTION A: READING PART 1 (15 marks) Read the text below and answer the questions on the following pages. SLAVE LETTER (1) A letter, written in 1865 by a freed slave to his former master, was published on an American history website in January of this year. It appeared on www.LettersOfNote.com and received over two million hits within the first week of publication. (2) Shaun Usher, who has published historical letters on his website since 2009, said the letter had generated record traffic after being picked up by Yahoo to coincide with American Black History Month. (3) The letter was written by a former slave, Jourdon Anderson, with the help of a lawyer in the town of Dayton, Ohio, which is a northern state of the USA. Jourdon wrote the letter in response to a request from his former owner, Colonel Patrick Hennessy Anderson, who lived in the southern state of Tennessee. In his letter, Colonel Anderson asked his former slave to go back to Big Spring, Tennessee and work for him again on his farm. (4) Jourdon Anderson was one of the ancestors of twelve million African slaves, who were taken from their homeland between the 16th and 19th centuries. Along with his wife, Mandy, he worked for Colonel Anderson for thirty-two years as a farm labourer. During this time, life was very hard for the couple as they were not paid and Jourdon was shot three times by his owner. (5) In his reply to the Colonel, Jourdon suggests that his former owner should pay him and his wife for the years that they had worked without any wages. He argues that they should be given more than $11,680 plus interest: “I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, as did Mandy for twenty. At twenty-five dollars a month for me and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand, six hundred and eighty dollars.” (6) Despite the cruelty of his former master, Jourdon is very polite to the Colonel: “I got your letter and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can.” He adds, “It was no disgrace to belong to Colonel Anderson. I was proud to once call you master.”
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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(7) As well as suggesting that the Colonel pay him and his wife for the time they had worked on his farm, Jourdon also reminds the man that he is now free and no longer a slave. The Civil War in America, between the North and the South, was fought over slavery. The North won, meaning that slavery became illegal. In his letter to Jourdon Anderson, the Colonel offered him his freedom, but Jourdon writes: “As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained from this as I got my free papers in 1864 from the authorities in Nashville.” (8) Jourdon even shows kindness and sympathy to Colonel Anderson and his family. He writes, “I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again and see Miss Mary, Miss Martha, Allen, Esther, Green and Lee. Give my love to them all and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this one.” (9) Shaun Usher suggests that Jourdon Anderson was a brave and clever man: “Even though he had an awful life, he was certainly highly intelligent and seems like a very courageous individual.” Questions 1-5 Do the following statements agree with the information in the text above? Write your answers in the box below as follows (the first one is an example): TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN
if the statement agrees with the information in the text if the statement does not agree with the information in the text if there is no information about the statement in the text
0
Mandy was married to Colonel Anderson.
1
The letter received a great deal of attention before it was published on an American history website.
2
Yahoo organised American Black History Month.
3
Someone assisted Jourdon with writing his letter to the Colonel.
4
All of the Africans who were taken from their homeland between the 16th and 19th centuries were treated badly.
5
Jourdon was given money by the Colonel for thirty-two years.
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FALSE
THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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Page 3
Questions 6-10 Complete the summary, below, of part of the text Slave Letter. Write no more than ONE word for each answer: Although his (6) acted cruelly towards him, Jourdon seems to bear no malice towards the Colonel. His (7) shows the reader that the former slave was proud to work for the man. As well as seeking (8) , Jourdon informs Anderson that he is in fact not a slave but a free (9) . Shaun Usher praises Jourdon’s intellect and bravery, suggesting that the former slave showed not just intelligence, but also courage in the face of Anderson. He argues that although the slave had a very (10) life, he was clever and brave. Questions 11-13 What do the following words refer to in the text? (11) It (12) Who (13) He
(Paragraph 1) (Paragraph 4) (Paragraph 7)
(11) (12) (13) Questions 14-15 Give another word or phrase for the following, as used in the text: (14) Response (15) Glad
(Paragraph 3) (Paragraph 6)
(14) (15)
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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SECTION A: READING PART 2 (15 marks) Read the text below and answer the questions on the following pages.
THE GHOSTWRITING BUSINESS (1) For many students in the People’s Republic of China, their hopes of studying abroad are often dashed by their performance in English language proficiency exams. While the majority of students accept that this is how the system works, some have avoided the disappointment of failure by paying others to sit an exam for them. This practice, known as ghostwriting, has become big business in East Asia. (2) The Chinese website ‘Xianfeng Daikao’, which translates into English as ‘Pioneering Ghostwriting’, is an agency providing ghostwriting services to millions of students in the People’s Republic of China, who want to study abroad but fear they will never make the English language entry requirements. On their website, Xianfeng Daikao claim that their agency is, “very experienced in ghostwriting and cheating in exams. Exams are crucial in a student’s life so you can’t be too serious when choosing a capable and reliable ghostwriter.” (3) A Chinese newspaper revealed that Xianfeng Daikao hired a ghostwriter to sit an IELTS test in Hong Kong for a high school student from the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The student, a girl with the online nickname of Baobao Tang, told the newspaper that she needed an IELTS score of 7.0 to study at a university in the UK. However, after twice obtaining a score of 6.0, she decided that the only way to achieve her goal was to hire a ghostwriter. (4) If a candidate is caught cheating in the People’s Republic of China, they face a lifetime ban from the IELTS test and will not be awarded a valid certificate. This may end a student’s chances of ever being accepted for study at a university in the UK, according to the British Council, one of the organising bodies of the IELTS test. (5) Hong Kong, which is separate from China, has therefore become the chosen location for many ghostwriters. Baobao Tang explains that, “if you’re caught cheating in Hong Kong, the record won’t reach the IELTS headquarters in Beijing, China’s capital city. This means there’s no risk if you want to take the test again in China. It’s just a matter of money.” Tang spent 70,000 Yuan (8,590 Euros) on a ghostwriter provided by Xianfeng Daikao, plus another 2,000 Yuan (245 Euros) on the trip to Hong Kong.
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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(6) Xianfeng Daikao charges its clients 10,000 Yuan (1,230 Euros) for each point of an IELTS score, so if someone needs a 7.0, they will have to pay 70,000 Yuan to the agency, excluding travel and accommodation fees for both the candidate and the ghostwriter. A staff member noted that the ghostwriter is only paid 1,500 Yuan (185 Euros) per point. (7) However, the authorities in Hong Kong are now aware of what is happening. In 2011, a Chinese student was imprisoned for six months for pretending to be another candidate when taking the SAT test. The SAT test, known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, is the college entrance exam for American universities and is therefore very high stakes. (8) Chinese English language teacher, Jacky Chen, condemns the practice of ghostwriting: “If you’re going to study abroad, the English language is a must-have skill. Are you going to cheat every time you have homework or term papers to write at university? You’ll be expelled immediately if you’re caught. You may get away with the help of one of those agencies once, but you won’t get away with cheating at everything in life.” Questions 1-5 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) according to the text. Then put your answers in the box on the following page. 1. a) b) c)
What problem do some Chinese students face? They do not understand the system They pay other people to sit exams for them They do not score high enough grades in entrance exams
2. a) b) c)
What do Xianfeng Daikao boast they are able to do? Provide millions of Chinese students with help on where to study abroad Help students to cheat when being tested Help students to learn how to ghostwrite
3. Why has Hong Kong become the chosen location for many ghostwriters? a) Because they may face harsh punishments if they are caught cheating in China b) Because it is much cheaper to take the IELTS test there c) Because it is where students can take the test again 4. Why was a Chinese student sent to prison? a) Because he pretended to be somebody else b) Because he took an IELTS test in Hong Kong c) Because he cheated to get into a UK university
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS 5. a) b) c)
Academic sample paper
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What does Jacky Chen say? It is good to use agencies once if you can get away with it Cheating could result in expulsion from university Ghostwriting, as well as English language, is a must-have skill at university
Answers: 1
2
3
4
5
Questions 6-10 What do the following names used in the text refer to? Write your answers in the box below. The first one is an example: NAME
Example Xianfeng Daikao 6
Baobao Tang
7
The British Council
8
Beijing
9
SAT test
10
Jacky Chen
WHAT IT REFERS TO
A Chinese website
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
Academic sample paper
Questions 11-13 What do the following words refer to in the text? (11) They (12) Which (13) You
(Paragraph 2) (Paragraph 5) (Paragraph 8)
(11) (12) (13) Questions 14-15 Give another word or phrase for the following, as used in the text: (14) Obtaining (15) Clients
(Paragraph 3) (Paragraph 6)
(14) (15)
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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SECTION B: ENGLISH USAGE PART 1 (10 marks) For questions 1-10, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only ONE word in each gap. Write your answers in the box that follows.
ONE MAN AND HIS CAT A Big Issue seller, called James Bowen, found Bob, a large, ginger cat, after he (1) ______ been attacked by a dog in Islington. Bob was badly injured. Unfortunately, James is homeless and (2) ______ in sheltered accommodation, but the man and his cat seem very happy together. They travel around London on buses and tube trains and Bob has even been presented (3) ________ his own travel card by London Transport. However, when the cat becomes too tired to walk, he simply lies across his owner’s shoulders. To make money, James sells the Big Issue magazine (4) _______ the streets of Islington, London. People like seeing the pair of them, especially as James seems like a nice person. When James found Bob, he nursed the sick animal (5) ________ to health, imagining that he would never see him again. However, they are still together. Bob is not the only homeless cat in London to become famous. In 1989, another cat, called Humphrey, wandered (6) _______ the official residence of the British Prime Minister and (7) _________ it his home. Humphrey’s story has been made into a film called A Day in the Life of Humphrey. (8) _______ March 2012, the story of the pair, A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets, was published. It was very (9) ________ reviewed and it is thought that the story may be bought by film makers in Hollywood. This means that (10) ______ is a good chance that Bob, like Humphrey, may become a cat film star.
Answers:
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 www.thamesenglish.com
THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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SECTION B: ENGLISH USAGE PART 2 (10 marks) Complete each sentence below, using the words given, so that it has a similar meaning to the original sentence. DO NOT CHANGE THE WORDS GIVEN. The first one is an example.
0. Although he is clever, he finds exams difficult Answer:
(IN SPITE)
In spite of being clever, he finds exams difficult 1. I went to bed too late last night
(WISH)
2. As soon as we landed in Hong Kong, it started to rain
(NO SOONER)
3. I packed a torch in my suitcase, but I never used it
(NEEDN’T)
4. The garage at the end of the street repaired our car
(HAD)
5. “I’m sorry I took your credit card without asking, Dad”
(APOLOGISED)
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SECTION B: ENGLISH USAGE PART 3 (10 marks) Complete the text below using the correct form of the word in brackets. Write your answers in the box below. The first one is an example.
THE PARALYMPIC GAMES
(big) multi-sport event for disabled Today, the Paralympic Games is the (0) sportspeople in the world. Participation spans 160 countries and covers six (1) (classify) groups from those with (2) (spine) cord injuries to the visually impaired. At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, more than 4000 (3) (athletics) competed in 20 sports watched by television audiences around the world. The Games has expanded beyond (4) (recognise) since the early days of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The (5) (create) of the Paralympics was a German neurosurgeon called Ludwig Guttmann. In early 1939, he and his family left Nazi Germany for England because they were (6) (Jew). In 1943, Dr Guttmann established a special treatment centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for soldiers injured in the Second World War. His (7) (believe) was that sport could develop mental (8) (active), self-confidence, self-discipline, a (9) (competition) spirit and comradeship. Dr Guttmann organised the first Stoke Mandeville Games for soldiers with physical (10) (disabled) on 28th July 1948, the same day as the start of the London 1948 Summer Olympics. He called his event the Parallel Games in order to encourage his patients to take part. In 1960, thanks to Dr Guttmann’s efforts, the first ever Paralympic Games were officially held in Rome. Answers:
0 1 2 3 4 5
biggest 6 7 8 9 10 www.thamesenglish.com
THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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SECTION C: WRITING PART 1A (10 marks) Write a short essay of about 100 words on the following topic: The causes and effects
of obesity.
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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SECTION C: WRITING PART 1B (10 marks) Write a short essay of about 100 words on the following topic: The similarities and
differences between life in cities and life in the countryside.
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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SECTION C: WRITING PART 2 (20 marks) In a recent English lesson you discussed the topic of visiting other countries. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay of about 200 words in which you discuss the advantages and disadvantages of visiting other countries and state your own opinion on the subject.
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THAMES EXAMINATIONS
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