COLONEL LOTFI SECONDARY SCHOOL 2014-2015

First EXAM ( LFL 3hrs)

Part I: Reading
Read the text carefully then do the activities.

The Incas were a civilization in South America formed by ethnic Quechua people also known as Amerindians. In
1400 AD, they were a small highland tribe, one hundred years later in early16th century the Incas rose to conquer and
control the largest empire ever seen in the Americas forming the great Inca Empire. Its capital was located in Cusco in
Peru and extended from what today is Ecuador in the north, Chile in the South, Bolivia in the east and limited by the
Pacific Ocean in the west. In less than a century, the Incas conquered a vast territory through war and watchful
diplomacy.

The Inca Civilization was an agricultural civilization and at its height in 1500 AD reached more than 10 million
people. It had a complex stratified vertical society governed by the Inca and his relatives. They shared a common
polytheistic religion based on the worship of the Sun and the Sapa Inca "the only Inca" as his son. The collection of
tribute, a severe law system, food security and its fair distribution along with free health care and education were the
basis of its economic and social success and in that sense securing the loyalty of its subjects. The government was highly
organized even without the benefits of a writing system. The organization of the empire rivalled that of the Romans.

The invasion of the Spanish brought warfare and disease; they also brought a new culture that wiped out the local
one imposing their own system of beliefs and government. Even before the Spanish arrived in Inca, territory disease had
spread from Central America to South America. In ten years between 50% and 90% of the population was attacked by
diseases like smallpox, flu, typhus, diphtheria, chicken pox and measles to which the Inca population had no immunity.
The Spanish easily advanced south conquering and dominating the rest of the Inca territory and wiping its culture and
its civilization, spreading their religion and governance along the way.

http://www.discover-peru.org

A) Comprehension:

1) The text is: a) argumentative b) narrative c) expository

2) Are these statements true or false?

a- The Inca had no writing system.
b- They vanished due the Spanish conquest.
c- The capital of the Inca Empire was in Ecuador.
d- They dominated lands with diplomacy only.

3) Answer the following questions according to the text:

a- What was the Inca religion founded on?
b- Did the Inca use to farm?

4) Who or what do these words in the text refer to?

a) they §1
b) It §2
c) that §3
d) their §3

5) In which paragraph is it mentioned that most of the inhabitants died because of epidemics?

6) Give a title to the text.

1
 B) Text exploration:

1) Find in the text words or phrases closest in meaning to:

a) situated = §1 b) meaning = §2

2) Find in the text words opposite in meaning to:

a) fell ≠ §1 b) peace ≠ §3

3) Complete the following table:

Verb Noun Adjective

…………….. ………….. stratified
To free …………. …………

4) Join pairs of sentences using the connectives in brackets:

1-a- The Incas had suffered from diseases.
b- The Spanish conquered the Incas. (Before)

2-a- The Incas had no system of writing.

b- The Incas flourished. (Though)

5) Ask questions that the underlined words answer:

a- In 1400 AD, they were a small highland tribe.
b- They shared a common polytheistic religion.

6) Classify the following verbs according to the pronunciation of the final ‘ed’:
Formed – located – wiped – extended

/t/ /d/ /id/

Part II: Writing:

Write a composition about one of the following topics

Topic One: Talk about the Phoenician civilization using the following notes.
- Nomads ,desert, Jordan
- North Palestine, sailors, traders
- Egypt, Mediterranean, Gibraltar, England, Alphabet

Topic Two: Do you think that studying about ancient civilizations is a waste of time?