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Qatar ComprehensiveEducational Assessment

Practice Test 2011English Writing and Reading

Grade 10

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ER10V3

Copyright 2006 by the Supreme Education Council, State of Qatar. All rights reserved.This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of

the Supreme Education Council, State ofQatar.

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A B C D

The writing strategies and mechanics test has a total of 12 questions. It has two parts. Beforeeach part, you will see directions. Read the directions and the sample questions carefully to be

sure you understand how to answer the questions in that part of the test.

Directions: In this part of the test, you will see sentences with blanks. Choose thewords that belong in the blanks. Mark the answers on your answer sheet.

Sample Question:

Choose the word that belongs in the blank.

I cant my pencil. A found

B finds

C find

D finding

The word that belongs in the blank is

find, so the correct answer is C.

Sample Answer:

When you take the test, you will mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

1 Choose the word that belongs in the blank.

Im so sorry forgetting to bring

your notes, but Ill try to remember to do

that tomorrow.

A from

B to

C about

D since

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2 Choose the words that belong in the blank.

Some of the worlds finest cotton

farmers in Egypt.A grows through

B is grown by

C is growing with

D grew with


When we have completed all our studies at

this school, we a lot of

important knowledge.

A are learning

B did learn

C had learned

D will have learned

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4 Choose the word that belongs in the blank.

Soon after the rider climbed onto the horse,

the horse away.

A raced

B race

C races

D racing


Archaeologists discovered a silver coin

with the royal familys name

one side.

A inscribed on

B deported to

C preceded from

D occluded by

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Directions: In this part of the test, you will read some paragraphs. The paragraphs

are followed by some questions. Choose the correct answer for each question. Markthe answers on your answer sheet.

Questions 6-8: Read the paragraphs below and answer the questions that follow.

Physical Exercise

(1) It has always been quite clear that physical exercise . (2) Active people havestronger bodies that can fight off diseases more effectively. (3) Many diseases in humanscan also attack big, strong animals. (4) Physical activity also makes it easier for people tothink clearly or solve complicated problems rapidly. (5) This is because physical effortcauses blood to be pumped more quickly around the body and thus to deliver to the braingreater amounts of the substances needed for its efficient functioning.

(6) exercise is that it can make people simply feel better. (7) For centuries, peoplehave been aware that hard work or a quick run generates a wonderful feeling. (8) Then, in the

1970s, scientists found that the feeling of pleasure may be due to the effects of a number ofsubstances called endorphins, which are produced by the brain itself. (9) Even though moreresearch is still needed, there is already strong evidence that these substances improve theway we feel. (10) They are released in great quantities during intense physical activity,especially in the morning. (11) Studies show that morning exercise keeps a person feeling

good throughout the day.

6 Which of the following is the best way to finish sentence 1 ?

A should be done carefully

B can be done at home

C requires discipline

D is very good for the health

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7 Which of the following is LEAST related to the passage and should be removed?

A Sentence 2

B Sentence 3

C Sentence 4

D Sentence 5

8 Which of the following is the best way to begin sentence 6 ?

A People often

B Especially good and healthy

C Another important advantage of

D First of all, if many children want to

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Questions 9-12: Read the paragraphs below and answer the questions that follow.

(1) Scientists agree that the average air temperature at Earths surface has risen half adegree C (Celsius) since the late 1800s and that thirteen of the warmest years of thetwentieth century occurred after 1980. (2) This would seem compelling evidence that

people have contributed to global warming.(3) Yet the warming could be part of the natural cycle of average global air temperatures,

which have varied by as much as six degrees C during the past 150,000 years. (4) Proof ofpast climate shifts comes from differences in the composition of ice drawn from the depthsof ancient glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica. (5) Several decades of scientific researchhave resulted in significant advances in understanding the oceans role in regulating Earthsclimate.

(6) While a number of temperature shifts have occurred since the end of themost recent glacial ice age, the twentieth-century warming of 0.5 degree C is unusuallylarge, abrupt, and widespread.

9 In sentence 3, which refers to .

A warming

B cycle

C air

D temperatures

10 In sentence 6, which of the following can be used in place of While and not changethe meaning?

A Although

B As long as

C In the time that

D At the same time that

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11 Which sentence does NOT belong with the others in the text?

A Sentence 1

B Sentence 3

C Sentence 5

D Sentence 6

12 Which of the following is the best sentence to begin the third paragraph?

A Better knowledge of past climate change is needed in order topredict future changes.

B For many scientists, however, the critical issues are magnitudeand speed of climate change.

C Signs of a possible slowdown already exist.

D Perhaps the most important complicating factor is uncertaintyabout whether particular regions will become wetter or drier.

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The reading test has a total of 25 questions. You will see samples below. Read the samplescarefully to be sure you understand how to answer the questions in this part of the test.

Directions

In this part, you will see some texts. Read each text and answer the questions about it.Your answers should be based on what is stated or implied in the text.

Sample:

Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

Coffee has been part of Arab life for a very long time, but who firstdiscovered how to make it? There are many different stories. One of themgoes like this: Long ago, there was a shepherd who lived in Yemen. One day

Line he noticed some red berries growing on a bush. He saw that when the goats5 ate the berries, they became very restless and excited. From these berries a

strong, hot drink was made. Ever since that time, people have been drinking

coffee for its good tasteand to keep awake.What is the text mainly about?

A The best way to prepare coffee

B The most popular kind of coffee

C The dangers of drinking too much coffee

D The discovery of coffee

Sample Answer:The correct answer is D, The discovery of A B C Dcoffee.

The word noticed in line 4 is closest in meaning to .

A selected

B saw

C wanted

D ate

Sample Answer:The correct answer is B, saw. A B C D

When you take the test, you will mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

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Questions 13-15: Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

Hi Fatima,

We are now in sunny Barcelona, Spain, and having the best time. Its after4 A.M. andpeople are still all over La Rambla, which is the most exciting street in Barcelona. Its alsowhere our hotel is. La Rambla is full of street performers and outdoor cafs, and people areout here all hours of the day and night. And the tapas!!! Well, tapas are these small dishesof everything, from fish to octopus to mushroomsa little like Spanish appetizers. Lastnight we went to dinner in this castle where they brought in a family of Flamenco dancers.It was one of the best things we did on this trip.

Just getting to our hotel was an adventure. It turned out that the hotel, Oriente Barcelona,had no record of our reservation. They said they were very sorry, but they had no room forus. So there we were in Barcelona on a Saturday in the summer without hotel reservations!We walked for six and a half hours looking for a place to stay, and were told everywherethat there were no empty rooms in all of Barcelona. Fortunately, Dad had a brilliant ideato call Oriente Barcelona again. It turned out that a family that had booked a room did notcheck in, and so they had a room for us after all. So here we are, in a great hotel and on the

busiest street in town.

So far we have been getting around on tourist buses. We have visited a few Gaudibuildings. Antonio Gaudi was a well-known architect from the early 1900s. His buildingsare really interesting. Instead of straight lines and right angles, the walls have curves thatrise and falllike waves.

I have to stop here. We have to get up early tomorrow. Dad wants to see the BarcelonaOlympic Stadium, Mom wants to visit more Gaudi buildings, and we all want more tapas!

Hope you are having as much fun back home.

Your friend,

Amna

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13 Why did Amna say that just getting to the hotel was an adventure (paragraph 2) ?

A The hotel was on the busiest street in Barcelona.

B The family almost did not get a room at the hotel.

C The hotel was designed by Antonio Gaudi.

D Her parents wanted to stay in another hotel.

14 What was Amnas fathers brilliant idea (paragraph 2) ?

A To reserve a room before leaving home

B To find a family that had an extra room

C To call back the hotel where the family first wanted to stay

D To walk around Barcelona for six and a half hours

15 Instead ofstraight lines and right angles (paragraph 3) suggests that

A most buildings in Barcelona have unusual architecture

B the Olympic Stadium was built by Gaudi

C Gaudi designed almost all the buildings in Barcelona

D Gaudis buildings are curved

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Questions 16-18: The essay below was written by a student. Read the essay and answer

the questions that follow.

Line

5

10

15

The use of e-mail has increased dramatically in recent years. It is now possible tocommunicate quickly, easily, and cheaply with people who live thousands of kilometersaway. But some people are critical of the widespread use of e-mail. They say that itmakes communication less personal and therefore less meaningful. According to them,

personal contact is the most important part of communication. Without a face-to-facemeeting or even a telephone call, communication is mechanical and impersonal. Theyconclude that e-mail is not really personal communication, because it does not havevoices or faces. They think that using e-mail means losing something very valuable.

However, e-mail is not the only form of communication that lacks voices and faces.Lettersthe most common form of communication for thousands of yearsdo not havea voice or a face, but we can certainly get to know a person through writing. Personalityshows through the written word. In this respect, e-mailing and letter writing are verysimilar.

In fact, I think e-mail is a very personal means of communication, because it providesa way to communicate instantly. That is a large part of its appeal. You can write and deliverthoughts immediately. There is no need to wait until you receive a letteror even untilyou can meet in person or talk on the phone. With e-mail, messages can be written,received, and responded to within seconds. I think e-mail is better than traditional formsof communication because it has made the world a smaller and more personal place.

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16 The word lacks in line 9 is closest in meaning to .

A does not have

B is better than

C does not need

D is similar to

17 What does the author mean in paragraph 2 by the statement, Personality showsthrough the written word?

A You can learn about people from their handwriting.

B Peoples letters and e-mails can tell you a lot about them.

C A letter can be more personal than a face-to-face meeting.

D E-mail is personal because it is a way to communicate instantly.

18 Which statement below is an opinion?

A It is now possible to communicate with people who live far away.

B E-mail has made the world a smaller and more personal place.

C People have used letters to communicate for thousands of years.

D E-mail messages can be written and responded to within seconds.

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Line

5

10

15

Pearls

Pearls form inside shell-covered water animals called mollusks.Mollusks include oysters, clams, and mussels. These molluskscover the inside of their shells with a shiny material called nacre.Most mollusks can produce pearls, but the most commonmollusks used for producing pearls are oysters, which producesaltwater pearls, and mussels, which produce freshwater pearls.

A pearl forms when a foreign body enters the shell and gets in between the shell and the

animal living inside (Figure A). The foreign body might be a piece of sand or wood or asmall fish. This body makes the mollusk uncomfortable, just as people are uncomfortablewhen they get some food caught between their teeth. Mollusks have a way of gettingrelief: the outer membrane of the mollusk encloses the irritating object (Figure B) andstarts covering it in layers of nacrethe same shiny material it uses to cover the inside ofits shell. As time passes, the foreign body is covered with more and more layers of nacre,and a fully formed pearl is developed (Figure C).

Most pearls currently sold as jewelry are cultured. Cultured pearls, like natural pearls,develop inside the mollusk and are made of nacre. Cultured pearls, however, begin withan object introduced by humans. A person puts a small piece of shell into the mollusksmantle, and the mollusk is returned to the water until the cultured pearl is formed. It takesabout three years to produce a cultured pearl large enough to use in jewelry.

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19 What is the main topic of the text?

A How pearls are made

B Ways people use pearls

C Dangers to mollusks

D Foods that mollusks eat

20 The words foreign body in line 7 refer to _.

A an object from outside

B an island in the ocean

C something from outer space

D a person from a different country

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21 What is probably true about the construction of the villas?

A Only Phase 1 has been completed.

B Only Phase 2 has been completed.

C Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 have been completed.

D Neither Phase 1 nor Phase 2 have been completed.

22 Which question does the text NOT answer?

A How many villas will be built?

B How can the reader get more information?

C Are there shops and services near Shady Gardens?

D Are there places to park cars in Shady Gardens?

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Questions 23-25: The two passages below are from different geography textbooks. Read

both passages and answer the questions that follow.

Line

5

10

15

Passage 1

Situated in Eastern Asia, Lake Baikal is a very unusual body of water. It is thedeepest lake in the world, and it contains one fifth of the world's freshwater. Infact, it is so large that when seen from its banks, it looks like a sea, but the reasonBaikal is not considered a sea is that it does not have salt water and is not directlyconnected to an ocean.

Lake Baikal is the home of a large number of unusual animals that are normallyfound in the oceans around the world and not in lakes. For example, the onlyfreshwater seal in the world lives in Lake Baikal. Moreover, Lake Baikal has its

freshwater versions of other marine animals such as shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. Likea sea, Lake Baikal is also inhabited by a great variety of animals, even at its bottom.

Passage 2

Most lakes get their oxygen from underwater plants that fill the upper layersof water with this important element. Many lakes depend on wind for oxygen.Wind blows across the surface and oxygenates the water. The animals that liveat the bottom of Lake Baikal can breathe because of underwater cracks in the lake

bottom, which release hot, oxygenated water. Because strong currents distributethat oxygenated water over the bottom, the oxygen levels there are exceptionallyhigh for a lake, and life is as possible there as on a seabed.

23 Both passages are concerned primarily with the subject of .

A oxygen consumption by sea animals

B the unique characteristics of a specific lake

C salt content in seawater

D the diet of the Baikal seal

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24 The phrase connected to in line 5 is closest in meaning to .

A attached to

B next to

C similar to

D important to

25 Why are many animals in Lake Baikal considered unusual?

A They can remain in low-oxygen water for long periods of time.

B They are larger than most known species of animals.

C They are not often found in lakes.

D They tolerate saltwater.

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QCEA 2011

English ReadingGrade 10Answer Sheet

WRITING STRATEGIES AND MECHANICS

A B C D A B C D A B C D

1. 5. 9.

2. 6. 10.

3. 7. 11.

4. 8. 12.

READING

A B C D A B C D A B C D

13. 18. 23.

14. 19. 24.

15. 20. 25.

16. 21.

17. 22.

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