Certificate Recognised by ICC ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS MAY 2011

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

EXAMINATIONS

MAY 2011

NAME ...............................................................................

LAAS LANGUAGE ATTAINMENT ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

Level A2

Certificate Recognised by ICC

INSTRUCTIONS

• Be sure you have written your name at the top of this

page.

• Do not open this booklet until the exam starts.

• The order of the exam papers is: PART A Listening, PART B Reading & Usage, PART C Writing.

• Time allowed for all three parts: 90 minutes

LISTENING EXERCISE 1: Numbers 1 to 7

STREET SAFETY Choose a phrase from the first box to complete each sentence, 1 to 3. Write its letter, A to D, in the space. You will use only three of the letters.

IN GENERAL, PATRICK SAYS:

1. Remember: many car drivers ____ .

RULES FOR WALKING

2. Don’t walk along in the street ____ .

3. To avoid being hit on a country road ____ .

Choose a phrase from the second box to complete each sentence, 4 to 7. Write its letter, A to E, in the space beside each number. You will use only four of the letters. RULES FOR CROSSING THE STREET

4. It’s safer to cross at a corner ____ .

5. If there’s a traffic light, ____ .

6. When crossing a street with no traffic light, ____ .

7. Never step out from between parked cars, as ____ .

PALSO 2006A A2 LISTENING

Α LISTENING (25 points) Time: approximately 20 minutes

• As you listen to the recording, mark your answers in this booklet.

• Answer all the questions. Give only one answer for each question.

• After the end of the recording, you will have 3 minutes to transfer your answers onto your Answer Sheet. Mark them in 2H or HB pencil.

LAAS MAY 2011 A2 LISTENING PAGE 1

A. unless there’s no pavement

B. if there’s a policeman nearby

C. walk on the left side facing traffic

D. often go too fast near schools

A. look left, then right, then left again before you walk

B. because drivers are more careful there

C. cross only when your light is green

D. try not to pay attention to it

E. car drivers can’t see you

LISTENING EXERCISE 2: Numbers 8 to 15

FEED THE WORLD: ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ Choose the correct phrase to complete each statement. Circle its letter, A, B or C. 8. In 1984, Dana Whitridge ____ in the music business. A. was a famous star B. owned a company C. had a low-paid job 9. Bob Geldof ____ about the people who were dying in Africa. A. wrote a report about B. wanted to do something C. did not care much 10. When Geldof asked other musicians to help make the record, they ____ . A. were not very interested B. hoped to be paid very well C. agreed to play for free 11. The people who sang and played in the Band Aid group ____ . A. were famous rock stars B. hoped to become famous C. had never performed before 12. When she told each singer it was time to perfom alone, Dana felt ____ . A. very happy B. very nervous C. left out of the group 13. After the big day in the studio, it took ____ to finish the record. A. one more day B. a few more days C. several weeks 14. The ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ record ____ . A. was less successful than they had hoped B. took some time to become popular C. quickly became a top-selling record 15. Dana says her Band Aid experience ____ . A. showed her musicians care about others B. was something she would not do again C. caused her to leave the music business

LAAS MAY 2011 A2 LISTENING PAGE 2

cover for the record by Peter Blake, 1984

Geldof & Ure

Geldof in Africa

recording the song

READING & USAGE EXERCISE 1: Numbers 16 to 25

Read this story from the Internet about cars and cities. Then do the exercises on page 4.

CCCiiitttiiieeesss WWWiiittthhhooouuuttt CCCaaarrrsss

A lot of people have cars now. But, more cars on the road mean more traffic and more traffic jams at busy times of the day. This is the most serious problem. Of course, the drivers also have to find a place to park their cars. A car trip begins and ends in a parking space, and the average driver uses between two and five different parking spaces every day. Naturally, people prefer cheap parking, so they drive round and round looking for a free parking space on the street. As a result, there’s more traffic, more petrol is burnt and the air in the city becomes dirtier. If they can’t find a free space, some drivers leave their cars on the pavement, and that makes it difficult for people to walk.

At first, to solve the problem, some cities in Europe tried to make driving easier. They built bigger motorways and more car parks under buildings. The result, however, was that even more people decided to drive their cars into the city. The traffic jams and parking problems got worse. So, now, some cities are trying something different. They’re making it more expensive and more difficult for drivers. Parking in a car park costs a lot, but if the police find a car parked on the pavement, the driver will have to pay even more! Besides that, London and a few other cities make people pay a special tax when they drive their cars into the centre of the city.

Of course, these cities still want people to come into the city centre to work, shop, or eat out. So, they encourage other ways of travelling. For example, their bus and train tickets are free or very cheap and, when they arrive at the station, travellers can walk or hire a bicycle to finish their trip. Some cities have also made special cycling paths along the streets and and they’ve put trees and flowers along their pavements so walking is pleasant. Who pays for all of this? Cities – such as London – have a plan. They take in money from driving and parking and use it to improve bus and train travel and walking areas. These cities have made their centres more ‘friendly’ for people than for cars. Best of all, business in the city centre is good because people can get there easily to enjoy the shops, entertainment, parks and clean air. You can read the report, Europe's Parking U-Turn: From Accommodation to Regulation, at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy website. http://www.itdp.org/documents/European_Parking_U-Turn.pdf

B READING & USAGE (50 points)

• You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this part of the test.

• You may mark your answers on this booklet while you are working on them.

• Answer all the questions. Give only one answer for each question.

• When you have finished, mark your answers on your Answer Sheet using a 2H or HB pencil.

LAAS MAY 2011 A2 READING & USAGE PAGE 3

Choose the correct phrase to complete each sentence. Mark its letter, A, B or C, on your Answer Sheet.

16. The main traffic problem in many cities is the number of ____ . A. cars driving on city streets B. cars on the pavement C. free parking spaces

17. If there are too few parking spaces, people will ____ . A. provide their own parking space B. pay nothing at all to park C. drive more to find somewhere to park

18. European cities learned that bigger roads and better car parks ____ . A. made driving less dangerous B. caused fewer traffic jams C. increased the traffic problems

19. New rules in some cities make the most expensive place to park ____ . A. in a car park B. on the pavement C. in the street

20. People will walk more and use cars less if ____ . A. car driving becomes less expensive B. buses and trains are not expensive C. trees are removed from pavements

21. For a beautiful centre with successful businesses, a city needs ____ . A. a good plan B. more streets C. fewer people Match a statement from the box with each picture. Mark its letter, A to E, on your Answer Sheet. You will use only four of the statements.


A. In Antwerp, you can use your mobile phone to pay for a parking space.

B. Drop your coin in and hire a bicycle to get round Barcelona’s city centre.

C. Tickets for buses and trains in London are cheap.

D. People in Paris have few parking spaces but they have lots of trees and plants.

E. There are no cars, only people, in the Old Town area in Munich.

23

22

24

25

23

READING & USAGE EXERCISE 2: Numbers 26 to 35 Read this text about about a popular video game. Choose the correct word or phrase to fill each gap. Mark its letter, A, B or C, on your Answer Sheet.

LAAS DECEMBER 2008 A2 READING & USAGE LAAS MAY 2011 A2 READING & USAGE PAGE 5

26. A. such B. such as C. so as to

27. A. to become B. become C. became

28. A. whom B. where C. that

29. A. lot B. a lot C. a lot of

30. A. themselves B. them C. they

31. A. must not B. don’t have C. shouldn’t

32. A. have waited B. waiting C. waited

33. A. older B. oldest C. an older

34. A. about B. for C. to

35. A. can’t B. mustn’t C. wouldn’t

ANGRY BIRDS VIDEO GAME

Almost everyone has played video games on a computer or a games machine __(26)__ aPlaystation or Nintendo Wii. The newest game __(27)__ popular is called Angry Birds. Rovio, the little business __(28)__ created the game says people around the world play a total of 200 million minutes a day. That’s __(29)__ game time! Angry Birds is a bit silly. The idea is that some pigs have been stealing eggs from the birds. The birds become angry and throw __(30)__ at the pigs. Yes, it’s silly! So why do people like it so much? Well, you can play it on your mobile phone. That means you __(31)__ to carry a games machine with you. You can play while you are standing in the queue at the supermarket or __(32)__ for the bus. Teenagers and __(33)__ people love it. Children want Angry Birds fancy dress for Carnival. TV stars are talking __(34)__ it. One mother even made a birthday cake for her son with Angry Birds figures on it. Her son liked it so much, he __(35)__ let her cut the cake! Here’s a picture of the birthday cake!


FLOWER SHOPS STAY OPEN ON 3-DAY WEEKENDS! Match one of Di’s replies from the box with each thing Dad says on the left. Mark its letter, A to F, on your Answer Sheet. You will use only five of the letters.

Dad: You look sad. What’s the matter? Di: __(36)__

Dad: You won’t be bored. You’re helping in the shop. Di: __(37)__

Dad: But you know we have to keep the shop open. Di: __(38)__

Dad: True, but people want to buy plants as presents. Di: __(39)__

Dad: Look on the bright side. We close for a whole month in the summer.

Di: __(40)__ Dad: Di, it’s a little late for me to change jobs!


ROBBERY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Put the parts of the story in the correct order. Mark the letter of each part, A to G, on your Answer Sheet. You will use only five of the letters. The first one is done for you.

EX. Part 1 ___ The answer is A. As she was locking the door, three young men pushed her back into the shop.

Last year, Eva’s little shop was robbed. It happened at about 10 p.m. when she was closing for night.

EX. Part 1 A

41. Part 2 ___

42. Part 3 ___

43. Part 4 ___

44. Part 5 ___

45. Part 6 ___

A. As she was locking the door, three young men pushed her back into the shop.

B. This time, she would have nothing for the bank, because the men took her purse, too, with the bank money as well as her own.

C. Eva was so angry that she took the money back and told the young men to leave the shop immediately.

D. She had put the rest of the money – everything she had made that day – in her purse to take to the bank as she always did.

E. They didn’t have guns or knives, but Eva was afraid. They told her to open the money drawer and give them all the money.

F. They also took her keys. This meant she couldn’t drive her car home.

G. There wasn’t much in the drawer – just the change she'd kept for the next day.

Before she went home, the police came and took a report. But by then, the men had run away. Unfortunately, they have never been caught.


A. Can’t you guess? All my friends are going away this weekend!

B. That’s one good thing! But, I’d have more fun if you were a lawyer!

C. I wish they’d take cakes or something. Not flowers! Not plants!

D. I know, but it’s not fair. We never have the weekend off work.

E. They usually don’t come home until Monday or Tuesday!

F. Right. Great holiday! I don’t have to go to school but I have to work!


Choose a title from the box for each paragraph in the article below. Mark its letter, A to F, on your Answer Sheet. You will use only five of the letters.


46.

It’s important to do healthy things all year round. It’s even more important during the flu season. Eat good food, especially green and yellow vegetables and fresh fruit. Oranges and lemons help us fight many illnesses, including the flu.

47.

Try to stay away from crowds if you can. This is difficult to do if you have to go on a bus or train. It also means that you may meet someone who is starting to become ill in places like schools, offices and shops.

48. The flu enters your body through your mouth, nose and eyes. It may come from touching things soon after someone who is ill has touched them. They cough on their hands and then open a door. If you touch the door next you may catch it. So, wash your hands often and well, especially when you’re out in public places.

49.

Another good idea is to drink plenty of hot drinks such as tea. This can clean the flu germs out of your throat and send them to your stomach. The flu germs can’t live long in your stomach, so they may not make you ill.

50.

Of course, if you feel ill, you should stay at home. That way, you will be less likely to pass it on to others. But if you have to go out, and you have to cough, use a tissue or your sleeve to avoid giving your germs to other people.

NEXT YEAR, PREPARE TO STAY WELL!NEXT YEAR, PREPARE TO STAY WELL!NEXT YEAR, PREPARE TO STAY WELL!NEXT YEAR, PREPARE TO STAY WELL!

Every winter, a kind of influenza – usually just called flu – makes people ill. More people become ill during cold weather, so in the northern parts of the world, from November until March, we have to be careful. You may have been ill this winter. If you want to avoid it next year, remember these simple things you can do to protect yourself and others.

A. Avoid Being Around Ill People B. Avoid Giving Your Illness To Others C. Keep Your Hands Clean D. Get Plenty Of Exercise E. Eat Well To Stay Well F. Wash Away Germs With Hot Drinks

A cold germ as it appears under the microscope!

You have ONE writing task to do. Choose either Topic A or Topic B. Write your task in about 120 words on your Answer Sheet. TOPIC A: You told your parents you would tidy the house before they got home.

But, someone else who needs you has called. It’s an emergency and you can’t finish the work. Write a note to your mother and father. Be sure to: • tell them why you have to leave • say what you’ve done so far • suggest when you can finish the work

TOPIC B: Imagine you did something to make someone angry.

Who did you make angry? Was it your parent, a friend or ... your teacher? Write a story about what you did. The story can be funny or serious. Be sure to say: what you did why the other person was angry how it all ended

LAAS MAY 2011 A2 WRITING PAGE 8

C WRITING (25 points)

• You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this part of the test.

• You may use a blank sheet of paper as a draft.

• Write your task in the space provided on the back of your Answer Sheet in blue or black pen.

Choose ONE of these two topics. Do the task in about 120 words.

OR

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[A2 LISTENING TEST – 11A]

Scripts

1 – STREET SAFETY

2 – FEED THE WORLD

ANNC LAAS Listening Test, May 2011. Copyright, Panhellenic Federation of Foreign Language Centre Owners, Athens, Greece.

[intro music]

ANNC Hello, students. This is your A2 Listening test. Before we start, please make sure that your name and code number are on the front of your Test Booklet.

[5 sec]

2

[A2 - 1 – STREET SAFETY]

ANNC Now, open your Test Booklet. As you listen, write your answers in this Test Booklet. At the end of the test, you will have time to mark your answers on the computerised Answer Sheet.

Now, let's go on. Look at Listening Exercise ONE. In this exercise, you will hear a policeman talking to a group of school children.

First, take a short time to look at Listening Exercise ONE in your Test Booklet.

[20 sec]

ANNC Good. You will hear Patrick, the police officer, talking to students at a school. He’s telling them how to stay safe when they are walking. As you listen to the conversation, choose the correct phrase from the first box to complete each sentence, 1 to 3. Write its letter, A to D, in your Test Booklet. You will use only 3 of the letters. Then, go on and choose the correct phrase from the second box to complete each sentence, 4 to 7. Write its letter, A to E, in your Test Booklet. You will use only 4 of the letters.

Now, here is the talk. Are you ready?

PATTY Hello, everyone! Today, let’s talk about walking safely, like when you’re on your way to and from school.

You know, cars often go too fast, even near schools, where the speed limit is 30 kilometres per hour. That’s about as fast as someone can drive, really, and still have time to stop if a child runs out in front of the car. Unfortunately, I’ve seen cars go much faster in school zones.

Of course, there are people near schools who help younger children cross the street. And if drivers see a policeman nearby, they’ll usually go slower. They don’t want to get caught and have to pay money.

But, the best thing you can do is to learn a few safety rules and use them. That’s not easy. When we’re with our friends, laughing and talking, we sometimes forget about safety. But we must try!

So, Rule Number One. Walk on the pavement not in the street! Sometimes they’re working on the pavement and you can’t walk on it. Then you have to walk in the street. In this case, or if there’s no pavement, such as along a country road, walk on the same side as the cars coming towards you. Here in Greece, that’s the left side of the road. That way, you’re less likely to be hit by a car you don’t see coming up behind you.

Rule Two. Cross the street at a corner, never in the middle of the block! Drivers are naturally more careful near a corner, because they know another car may enter from the side street.

Rule Three. If there’s a traffic light at the corner, use it! And do wait for the green ‘walk’ signal to cross. Never cross when your light is red, even if you don’t see any cars coming.

Rule Four. If you must cross the street where there’s no traffic light, use the simple left-right-left method. Look to your left, for cars coming on your side of the street. Then look to the right for cars coming from the opposite direction on the far side of

3

the street. Then, quickly, check back to the left -- to make sure it’s still safe -- and walk quickly across the street.

Rule Five. Whether there’s a traffic light or not, never walk out from between parked cars without looking around them first. You can’t see a car coming, and the driver can’t see you!

Well, I think that’s enough for today. Next week, [fade] I’ll be back to talk about bicycle safety.

ANNC Now take a short time to look at your answers. Then you will hear the talk again.

[15 sec]

ANNC Now, here is the talk again. Are you ready?

[repeat from ‘Hello, everyone! Today, let’s ... to ... Now, are there any questions?']

ANNC That's the end of the first exercise. Take a short time to finish your answers.

[15 sec]

4

[A2 - 2 – FEED THE WORLD]

ANNC In this exercise you will hear a radio programme about a famous record that some musicians in the UK made, over 25 years ago. Before you listen, take a short time to look at the questions for Listening Exercise TWO in your Test Booklet.

[20 sec]

ANNC Good. You will hear the host, Guy Sanders, talking to record company owner Dana Whitridge about the day they made the record ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ As you listen to the conversation, choose the correct phrase to complete each statement, 8 to 15. Circle its letter, A, B or C, in your Test Booklet.

Now, here is the conversation. Are you ready?

GUY Dana Whitridge started in the music business on an amazing day in 1984. Dana, tell us about the day they recorded ‘Feed the World.’ You were a secretary at the studio.

DANA That’s right. It was my first day on the job, and, there I was, with 50 of England’s most famous rock stars!

GUY Explain, for our younger listeners, why all those stars were together there.

DANA Well, you know, there was a terrible situation in Africa then, in Ethiopia. People were dying because they had no food. A musician named Bob Geldof saw a TV report and wanted to help. So, he called his friend Midge Ure, and together they quickly wrote a song, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

GUY And then, they called other musicians and asked them to make the record, and to do it without pay.

DANA Well, yes, Geldof put together a group he called Band Aid. But before that, he had an interview on BBC Radio One. Only, instead of talking about his own records, he talked about Africa and how they could buy food with money from the Christmas song.

GUY So, when he called other stars, there was already a lot of interest.

DANA Exactly! Everyone wanted to help.

GUY Who were some of the most famous ones?

DANA Well, Paul McCartney ...

GUY Of the Beatles.

DANA Yes, and David Bowie and Bono. And other groups such as Culture Club, Big Country, Duran Duran and so on.

GUY So, how did they organize it?

DANA Well, first, they had everyone sing the chorus [sings this] “Feed the world, let them know it’s Christmas time” ... sorry, I’m not a singer.

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GUY [chuckle agreement] Okay. And they made the video of the whole group?

DANA Right. Singing together got everyone in a good mood. And then, they recorded each singer separately. I had to tell them when it was their turn, and I was so nervous! I mean, Paul McCartney! Wow!

GUY Afterwards, they put it all together into one single record and music video?

DANA Yes, with everyone singing the choruses and each person singing a short solo. So, after that day in the studio, the 25th of November, it took a few more days to make the records and get them into the shops.

GUY And it did well.

DANA More than well! It went on sale on the 29th of November, and went straight to Number 1. It sold 3 and a half million copies in the UK alone, and all of that money bought food for Africa!

GUY How did you feel about the whole experience?

DANA Well, an effort like Band Aid shows the good that music can do. Musicians care about the world and about those who aren’t as lucky as they are. I felt, and still feel, very good to be a part of this business.

GUY Dana, thanks for coming in today [fade] and sharing that with us ...

ANNC Now take a short time to look at your answers. Then you will hear the conversation again.

[15 sec]

ANNC Now, here is the conversation again. Are you ready?

[repeat ‘Dana Whitridge started ... to ... and sharing that with us ....']

ANNC That's the end of the second exercise. Take a short time to finish your answers.

[15 sec]

ANNC That's the end of the listening test. You now have a short time to mark your answers on the computerized Answer Sheet. Mark them in pencil. Thank you.

[exit music]

1 D 41 E2 A 42 G3 C 43 D4 B 44 B5 C 45 F6 A 46 E7 E 47 A8 C 48 C9 B 49 F

10 C 50 B11 A12 B13 B14 C15 A16 A17 C18 C19 B20 B21 A22 E23 B24 A25 D26 B27 A28 C29 C30 A31 B32 B33 A34 A35 C36 A37 F38 D39 C40 B

Parts A & BA2-BASIC

ΕΞΕΤΑΣΕΙΣ LAAS - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2011ΛΥΣΕΙΣ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΩΝ

Certificate Recognised by ICC ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS MAY 2011

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