Salam's Experience in Town
Salam is a young rural boy. He failed his Primary Studies Certificate Exam two years ago. Last year he decided to try his luck in the nearest town.
He first informed his parents, then asked their blessings and packed his meagre belongings in an old box tied with a rope. At dawn the following day he hung his box over his shoulders and set off for half a day's journey. With many positive thoughts, he easily walked the first ten kilometres and then toddled for the next other ten. He finally landed up in town short before dusk. He contented himself with the back side of a kiosk where he spent his night after having a sandwich for supper.
Early the next morning, he started his adventure of a job searcher. He chose to knock at the doors of big and rich houses with the hope of getting big wages. But he was always welcomed with the same refrains: "We want experienced domestic servants" or "No job here". After having heard the same old story for about twenty times, he decided to knock at the doors of small arid poor houses, thinking he might then be satisfied.
At the end of the day he was still on his search, tired, hungry and disheartened. He sat near a cailcedrat tree and started to count in his mind the number of houses, the doors at which he knocked: "One, two, three forty, forty-one... Oh it's too many, I can't carry on any more". He fell on his box and slept.
QUESTIONS
I - COMPREHENSION
A) MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS: write the letter that is in front of the right answer.
1) Salam is a rural because:
a) he wants to go to town
b) he was born in town
c) his native place is the village
d) he lives in the village
2) Salam decided to go to town because:
a) he passed his exam
b) he did not want the village school
c) he did not succeed
d) he was intelligent
3) Salam wanted to go to town
a) for adventure
b) to sleep at the back side of kiosks
c) to look at rich and big houses
d) to look for a job
4) Salam arrived in town
a) at sunset
b)at night
c) at noon
d)at dawn
5) Rich people
a) want inexperienced servants
b) skilled domestics
c) give big wages
d) are big
6) Salam knocked at
a) any door first
b) the door of well-off people first
c) the door of poor people first
d) the door of rich people after
7) Salam was tired
a) to walk round the city
b) to sing the same refrains
c) to count the number of people he met
d) to count the number of doors he knocked at
8) By the end of the day, Salam
a) had found a job
b) was still jobless
c) was angry
d) was sleepy
B) GUIDED ESSAY
1) Say in two to three lines when and why Salam decided to go to town (2 pts).
2) What shows in the text that Salam still respected his parents? (2pts)
3) Salam's experience shows that finding a job is difficult. Tell about one of your friends or relatives experience to get a job in town (in 8 lines or more). (6 pts)
II GRAMMAR
A) Complete the sentence with the letter which Is In front of the correct answer
1) The child obeys…
a) to his parents
b) his parents
c) at his parents
d) with his parents
2) He thinks…… a good job
a) to getting
b) of get
c) of getting
d) of got
3) The girl's parents were happy……
a) of her
b) to her
c) at her
d) with her
4) Inform me when you……
a) will come
b) came
c) have come
d) come
5) We shall play as soon as our friends……
a) will get back
b) got back
c) get back
d) have got back
6) Teachers do not want…… in class
a) their pupils to play
b) that their pupils play
c) that their pupils playing
d) the pupils played
B) Turn the following sentences into the passive voice
1) Bouba has always got good marks.
2) The boy was singing an old song.
III - TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH (2 pts)
1) Il est très difficile de trouver du travail en ville.
2) Il se peut que Salam revienne à la maison.
3) Cet élève na pas réussi a son examen.
4) Salam n'a pas la chance.