Epreuve bfem 2008

EXAMEN DU B.F.E.M. 2008 - EPREUVE D'ANGLAIS LV1-DUREE: 2H-COEF:2
Without water, life could not exist. Water is essential to people in more ways than we might think. We need water for cooking, bathing, transportation and recreation. We eat aquatic plants and animals. We use water to irrigate our crops and manufacture our products. We think there is plenty of it- in oceans, lakes, rivers and streams. It may even seem as though we have more water than we need.

Most of the water on earth-97 percent- is salt water stored in oceans. Only about three percent of the earth's water is fresh water- and most of that is locked up in ice caps and glaciers. The same water is simply recycled over and over again. Just think- the water we are using is the same that the dinosaurs used millions of years ago.

Where does your drinking water come from? Some folks depend on surface water, such as lakes and rivers; others use water that collects underground. In some small communities, people get their water fom public wells and carry it home in pots and buckets. Many big cities rely on networks of pipes, pumps and other equipment that cleans and carries water from the watershed to the kitchen.

Because water is esential; we must manage it carefully. Water is considered at "risk" when it contains materials than can harm people and other organisms. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants may be chemical, industrial waste, small particles of soil or sewage.

The color and clarity of water can tell you a lot about whether it is polluted. Green color may indicate that the water contains fertilizers or animal waste. Orange-red may indicate that the water contains oil, blood from meat-processing plants, or chemicals from mines. Dark red, purple, and black might mean that the dyes from a textile mill or leather- tanning factory have got into water. The smell of water is another indicator of pollution. Thus, rotten-egg smell may indicate that water contains sewage or industrial waste.
Adapted from English Teaching forum, Jan-Mar 1999(pp 47-48)

I. Reading Comprehension ( 7pts)
A. True or False: write True or False after the folowing sentences, then justify with a relevant quotation from the text (1.5)

1. Polluted water is dangerous for people only.
Justify: ....................................................................
2. The biggest part of the water on earth is drinkable.
Justify:.....................................................................
3. Only color and clarity permit to recognize polluted water.
Justify:....................................................................
B. Title/Paragraph matching: Match these titles with the paragraphs of the text. The first is given as an example ( 2pts)

Titles Paragraphs
4. Different sources of water / Paragraph 3
5. Water- indispenable for all / Paragraph.........
6. How to recognize the impurity of water/ Paragraph.........
7. So much water and so little to drink/ Paragraph........
8. Let us protect our water from danger/ Paragraph........

C. Reference: Who or what do the underlined words in the text refer to? (1.5)

9. " it" in " plenty of it"
10. "others" in " others use water that collects"
11. "we" in " we must mangage it carefully"

D. Vocabulary in context: Choose the correct answer among a, b, c, d proposals. ( 2pts)
12. "aquatic plants" are plants which grow:
a. without any water b. near or in water c. very far from water d. with a lot of water.
13. "fresh water" means water which:
a. is very cold b. is undrinkable c. is not salty d. has no suggar.
14. " harmful materials" are materials that:
a. we use as arms. b. people don't need c. people need a lot d. have a dangerous impact
15. "meat-processing plants" are:
a. factories that transform meat b. trees that produce meat c. meat used for growing plants d. factoties where meat is not eaten.
II. Linguistic competence ( 7pts)
E. Reformulations: rewrite the sentences without changing the initial meaning. (2pts)
16. People are pumping recycled water for irrigation.
- Recycled water..........................
17. Let's look after our water or it will be polluted.
- If we...........................................
18. " Don't waste my water I will need it tonight.", my mother said to us.
-My mother told us.....................
19. We must manage water carefully.
- It is necessary...........................
F. Verb tenses/ Forms: Put the verbs in brackets into the right tense or form. (2pts)

20. If we heat water at 100°C, it ..................................... bubbling. ( to start)
21. It's high time people.......................................about managing water. (to think)
22. It's no use................................ to drink; that water is undrinkable. ( to try)
23. If I had known about the lack of water, I.............................................. some with me. ( to bring)
G. Multiple Choices: Complete with the most appropriate answer. (2 pts)
24. No is liquid is ................................................ water.
a. as precious than b. so precious c. as precious as d. more precious as
25. The student: "Sir, ......................................... have people been using water?"
The teacher: " Since the creation of the world."
a. how long b. when c. how old d. what time
26. Mrs Ngom and Mrs Sarr always wash their.......................... clothes on Sundays.
a. husbands b. husband's c. husbands' d. husbands's
27. This is the man..................................... sells water in our district.
a. who's son b. whose son c. whom son d. which son
H. Word formation: Use the correct form of the words between brackets. (1pts)
28. Oceans have the highest...............................of water in the world. ( percent)
29. Recycled water is too..................................... for people to drink. ( risk)

III. Writing: ( 6 pts)
Choose one topic only and write about 150 words.

Topic 1: One day, in your district or town or village, there was a problem of water. How did people react? What did you do to help find somutions?

Topic 2: One of your friends thinks that it is not impotant to manage water. You disagree with him or her write the conversation.

Topic 3: You are facing a water problem in your area. You write a letter to the ministry in charge of water resources to ask for his help.