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Final Exam Answers: Paragraph Precis

Part I: Writing

Paragraphs were graded on the following criteria:
-grammar
-structure of a paragraph
-use of transitional devices
-cohesion of ideas
-ability to respond to the prompt

Part II: Complete Sentences

1. English is one of the hardest languages to learn there are too many vocabulary words. incorrect

2. Susan went to the beach and surfed with her friends.

correct

3. Cooking couscous at home with my Mom.
incorrect

4. Because we want to do well on the exam, we studied a lot.

correct

5. We traveled to Paris to attend a concert but we got lost on the way so we asked for directions but we arrived late.

incorrect

6. Ifrane is my favorite place in Morocco, I travel there often.

incorrect

7. My English teacher is from New Jersey, a state in eastern America.

correct

8. I prefer to drink tea with sugar; is a Moroccan tradition.

incorrect

Final Exam Answers: Comprehension & Spoken English

Part I: Listening

1. In this article, the word “season” specifically refers to…

(a) Winter

(b) The time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas

(c) The day after Thanksgiving

(d) The snowy season

2. When is “Black Friday”?

(a) The time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas

(b) The fourth Thursday in November

(c) The day after Thanksgiving

(d) The day before Thanksgiving

3. What do Americans do on “Black Friday”?

(a) They all go shopping.

(b) They wear black clothes.

(c) They eat Thanksgiving food.

(d) They do a variety of activities.

4. Why is “Black Friday” important to consumer markets?

(a) People start shopping for Christmas gifts.

(b) Products are much more expensive.

(c) Americans go to the movies.

(d) Americans buy lots of souvenirs in Washington.

5. The main idea of this article is…

(a) Thanksgiving is an important American holiday.

(b) Each American family has its own “Black Friday” traditions.

(c) All Americans go shopping on “Black Friday” because stores have big sales.

(d) Shopping is an essential activity after Thanksgiving.

Part II: Reading

**There may be more than one correct answer. Definitions MUST reflect the use of the word in the context of the text.**

lifeline: an essential life-saving tool

leapfrogged: moved, traveled, lived in multiple location

peers: people who are equal to one another in ability, age, background etc.

tenant: a person who rents, lives in or holds land for a temporary period of time

**There may be more than one correct answer. Answers are NOT correct if they simply copied the text without proving that you understand what it means.**

7. Why did Hui Lin feel “nervous” on her first day of eighth grade?

Hui Lin felt nervous on her first day of eighth grade because she was "the only Asian in her class." She thought her classmates may not be accepting of a student from another culture/country.

8. Now that Hui Lin’s family is in America, what is their financial situation?

Even though Hui Lin's family is in America, "money is still tight." In other words, her family is still poor. We know this because they share both an apartment and a bed.

9. Write the main idea in one complete sentence.

Hui Lin's parents sacrificed a lot for the sake of their daughter's education. OR English has acted as a "lifeline" for Hui Lin by giving her access to American society. OR Despite financial difficulties, Hui Lin has still managed to succeed in her English studies.

Part III: Vocabulary

1. First, I usually skim the article in order to find the main idea.

2. The boisterous students in elementary school constantly disrupt class.

3. I continued to spend money during the recession, whereas my brother decided to economize.

4. We hope that the administration repairs the crumbling buildings before they fall down!

5. Engineers probably earn a larger salary than teachers.

6. Studying the same grammatical concept for many hours is extremely tedious.

7. Some of the most gifted students in the United States cannot stay after graduation because they cannot get a green card.

8. I think I got the gist of the article, but I didn’t understand some specific sentences.

9. Climate change affects the Moroccan economy because agriculture is a major industry here.

10. Chris likes to travel spontaneously. In other words, he is unpredictable and doesn’t plan his vacations.

Final Exam- Websites for Review

Run-on sentences, complete sentences, sentence fragments:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/fragments-and-run-ons
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_quiz.htm

Reading Comprehension:
http://www.5minuteenglish.com/reading.htm
http://www.englishmaven.org/Pages/Reading%20Comprehension.htm

Listening Comprehension:
http://www.esl-lab.com/

Sample Paragraph Prompts:
-Which course in the English Department will be most useful to you after graduation? Why?
-If you won a million dirhams, what would you spend it on? Why?

Questions? Post a comment.

GOOD LUCK!!
Final Exam: Thursday, January 12th from 8:30-12:30 in Amphi B