Part One: Reading Comprehension (Score:12 /20)

Read the following text about a severe storm that hit the United States of America in 1993. When you are through with
reading, carry out the tasks that follow.
The 1993 Storm of the Century

1.The Storm of the Century was called by many names. Among them were “The ’93 Superstorm,” “The White
Hurricane,” and “The Blizzard of ’93.” All names were well earned. The storm was called a freak of nature. It began in
February of 1993 when the jet stream* blasted cold air into Montana and on down to the Gulf of Mexico. It took a U-
turn and banked back up the East Coast.
2. On Friday, March 13, 1993, a group of powerful thunderstorms formed over the Gulf of Mexico. These storms
merged with a cold front pushing east from the West Coast. These two storm systems collided with the jet stream over
the Gulf. This collision created a storm surge*. “It was like a big washing machine. There were huge waves and spray
and hail,” remarked one Coast Guard officer. The winds hit 50 mph and the water swells* were up to 30 feet. The
freighter Fantastico sunk. Seven crew members of the freighter died when the Coast Guard rescue helicopters ran low
on fuel and had to return to base.
3. Temperatures over the eastern U.S. began to fall to near or below freezing. The storm blew ashore. Eleven
different tornadoes formed over Florida killing seven people. Then, the snow began falling. Several inches of snow fell in
Florida. All told, forty-four Florida residents lost their lives, and the storm had just begun.
4. The storm continued its path through Alabama. It dropped 12-18 inches of snow there. In Birmingham, the
temperature dropped to 2 degrees F. As the snow fell, interstate highways were clogged with semi-trucks and fatal
accidents. Hundreds were rescued along the Appalachian Trail. There was an eighty-mile delay on the freeway from
Atlanta to Tennessee. A total of fifty-six inches of snow fell in Mount Le Conte, Tennessee. In Latrobe, Pennsylvania,
snow drifted ten feet high. The storm shut down every major airport along the East Coast.
5. By 7 P.M. that day, twelve inches of snow had fallen in New York City. The state received a total of thirty-six
inches in twenty-four hours. Twenty-three people died in traffic accidents related to the storm in New York.
6. On Sunday March 14, another freighter was caught in the whirling ocean south of Nova Scotia. The captain of
the Gold Bond Conveyor freighter reported 100-foot waves and 90 mph winds. The ship was beginning to sink. A turbo-
prop patrol plane was sent to keep watch. Suddenly, a huge swell swallowed up the Conveyor.
7. The Superstorm of 1993 caused up to $6 billion in damage to cars, homes, and property. It affected at least
twenty-six U.S. states and left over three million people without power. It killed a total of 270 people; forty-eight were
reported missing at sea.
Glossary:
jet stream: a strong current of fast winds high above the Earth's surface
storm surge: a rising of the sea as a result of wind and atmospheric pressure changes associated with a storm
swells: upward and downward movements of the water in the sea

A. Using your own words, answer the following questions in complete sentences. (4.5 pts.)
1. Reread paragraph 4 and list two effects of the storm. (1 pt.)
2. Identify a figure of speech in paragraph two and explain it. (1 pt.)
3. Paraphrase the underlined sentence in paragraph 7. (1 pt.)
4. Suggest another suitable title, other than the ones mentioned in the text. Justify your choice. (1pt.)
5. What do the following figures stand for? (1/2 pt.)
a. 50 (paragraph 2) b. 30 (para. 2)
B. Based on the selection, what does each of the following pronouns refer to? (1/2 pt.)
1. them (paragraph 1) 2. its (paragraph 4)

C. The following statements misinterpret information stated or implied in the text. Rewrite each
correctly. (1 pt.)
1. Every single state in America was impacted by the storm.
2. As a result of the countless tornadoes that hit Florida, the death toll reached forty-four by the time the storm
was over.

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D. Each of the following extracts (A and B) is the correct part that completes ONE paragraph in the selection. Read extracts A
and B carefully, and then choose from paragraphs (1-7) the one that correctly fits with each extract. (1 pt.)

Extract A: The entire crew of thirty-two people died in the freezing waters.
Extract B: As the storm hit, many of these towns lost power as well. The temperature ranged from -12 degrees
.in Burlington, Vermont to 31 degrees in Daytona Beach, Florida

E. The table below shows the yearly number of tornadoes per month in the USA and Canada. Read the
table carefully, and then answer the following question. (2 pts.)

Table: The Yearly Number of Tornadoes per Month in the USA and Canada

Month January February March

Country
USA 35 39 56
Canada 4 6 9
How are the USA and Canada similar and different in the occurrence of tornadoes? Indicate one similarity and
one difference with proper justification.

F. Use contextual clues to figure out the meaning of each word in the box below. Then, fill in the blanks
with the correct words to complete the following sentences. Make the necessary changes. (1 pt.)

collided (para. 2) clogged (para. 4) drifted (para. 4)

swallowed (para. 6) reported (para. 7)

1. The student driver lost control of the car and _________ off the road.
2. Due to the foggy weather, many cars ________ with one another on the highway.
3. Infants do not have the ability to chew their food. That is why they ______ it.
4. The sink was ______;therefore, water wouldn’t go down the drain.

G. Locate and correct one grammatical error in each of the sentences below. (1 pt.)
1. Lots of snow fell in the city where I reside in.
2. If Lisa had taken the necessary precautions last winter, she would not have affected by the storm.
3. It is been a long time since I witnessed a natural disaster.
4. The storm that hit the U.S. was devastated.

H. Rewrite the following sentences starting each as indicated. (1 pt.)

1. The storm affected at least twenty-six U.S. states.
At least twenty………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Because two storm systems collided with the jet stream, a storm surge came about.
If ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Part Two: Writing
(Score: 8/20)

Choose ONE of the following prompts:

Prompt (A): Natural hazards caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, floods etc. can be disastrous because they
lead to losses in life and property. People must be made aware of procedures they should follow before, during,
and after a natural disaster emergency.

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 Provide an outline, and then write an essay in which you explain the above statement. As you develop
your essay, refer to how different parties (e.g. people, governments, schools, or media) can spread awareness
about the procedures that should be taken to protect people in case of a natural disaster.
In your essay, provide a thesis statement in the introduction, a topic sentence in each body paragraph
and support the main idea with relevant, specific and adequate details. Give examples drawn from your
experience, reading, or observation. Your essay should be between 150-200 words with an appropriate title.
Revise and proofread your essay.

Prompt (B): We should always remember that we have two hands: The first is to help ourselves, and the
second is to help others.
Based on the statement above, write a narrative essay about someone who once witnessed a natural
disaster (e.g. snowstorm, volcano, etc.) but could survive because of others’ help. As you develop your essay,
describe what happened, how people helped him/her, and the lesson learnt. Copy and fill in the chart below, and
then write the essay. Your essay should be between 150-200 words with an appropriate title. Revise and
proofread your essay.

1. Title
2. Setting
3. Characters
4. Events
5. Lesson
learned

Your essay will be evaluated based on ideas (Score: 2.5), language (Score: 2.5), outline/chart and title
(Score: 2), tidiness and handwriting (Score: 1)

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 The 1993 Storm of the Century
A.
1. The monstrous storm that hit the US in 1993 resulted in countless consequences. To begin with, the highways
became jammed with trucks. Besides, there was an 18-mile delay on the freeway that connects Atlanta to
Tennessee. (Temperature dropped, fatal accidents, major airports shut down, hundreds were rescued along the
Appalachian Trail.) (Only two are required)

2. "It was like a big washing machine.” is a simile in which the Coast Guard officer compares the storm to a
large washing machine to denote the way it was moving around.

3. In paragraph seven of the text "The 1993 Storm of the Century,” the author states that the storm that took
place in 1993 damaged houses, vehicles, and other things that people owned in which the cost of destruction is
estimated to be around $6 billion.

4. Answers vary. Here's a sample answer.

“The Monstrous Storm" is a suitable title for the text, for it matches its main idea regarding a severe storm that
hit the country and resulted in an obscene amount of damage to more than half of the states in the US. (Also
"The Superstorm: Its Causes and Effects")

5. a. The figure “50”in paragraph two stands for the speed of the wind.
b. The figure “30” in paragraph two stands for the height of the water swells.

B. 1. The pronoun “them” in paragraph one refers to the names of the storm of the century.
2. The pronoun “its” in paragraph four refers to the storm's. 

C. 1. At least 26 states in America were impacted by the storm.

2. As a result of the countless tornadoes that hit Florida, the death toll reached 44 when the storm had just
begun.

D. 1. Extract A is the correct part that completes paragraph six.

2. Extract B is the correct part that completes paragraph four.

E. The table shows the yearly number of tornadoes per month in the US and Canada. It is evident that in the US and Canada, the
number of tornadoes increases over the three months. To explain, in the USA, tornadoes increase from 35 in January to 56 in March
and in Canada from 4 in January to 9 in March. Also, both countries have the lowest number of tornadoes in January (US 35, Canada
4) and the highest number in March
(US 56, Canada 9). However, the total number of tornadoes that occur in the USA (130) is higher than that in Canada (19) in the three
months. (Only one similarity and one difference are required.)

F. 1. drifted 2. collided 3. swallow 4. clogged

G. Error correction
1. reside in/ where reside/ which
2. have affected have been affected
3. is has
4. devastated devastating

H. 1. At least twenty-six U.S. states were affected by the storm.

2. If two storm systems hadn’t collided with the jet stream, a storm surge would not have come about.