READING COMPREHENSION TEST Code 1

READING PASSAGE 1 Halifax College

A Halifax College is a school situated just outside the Nova Scotia capital city of Halifax. Opened in 1935, it
was first privately run by the Halifax Church Council. In 1960 it was purchased by the provincial government
and since then it has been enormously extended and now operates as a day school as well as keeping its
original boarding element. Currently, enrolment stands at 550 but this is expected to rise to 750 by 2005.

B The school’s mission is the pursuit of excellence by its students both in academic and extracurricular fields.
Prospective students are expected to show high academic potential and proficiency in any sporting or musical
activity is also looked for. Entrance to the College is by an in-house examination. Six scholarships are offered
per year by the College in academic, sporting and musical areas (2 in each). Details of these scholarships and
the entry procedure can be obtained from the Admissions Office.

C Academic life at Halifax College is naturally geared towards students’ success in achieving their High
School Diploma. Halifax College offers all the usual core and elective subjects and also offers a few unusual
ones.

D The school is divided into three sub-schools:

Elementary Years 1 - 6
Part 1 Secondary Years 7 - 9
Part 2 Secondary Years 10 – 12
Each sub-school has its own administration and is headed by its own principal. The School Council is the
umbrella organization that administers the school as a whole.

E As mentioned earlier, sports and music are considered very important at Halifax College. At the College we
have our own facilities for football, baseball, hockey and lacrosse. In addition to these we have our own
gymnasium, sports hall, indoor swimming pool, athletics track and indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Students
also have the opportunity to row at our boathouse on the Iona River. Music is centred at our purpose-built
music school which has facilities for learning a variety of instruments and its own performance hall.

F The future of our students is of the greatest importance to us here at Halifax College. To cater for this the
College has a Careers Office staffed by a full-time careers officer. Students can see the officer at any time to
discuss their future careers and tertiary education options. The College has a library with an enormous
selection of information concerning further education institutes in Canada and abroad. Various career lectures
are organized throughout the school year and students can also book aptitude tests and mock university and
job interviews.

Questions 1-4 (0,25 mark/question)

1
READING COMPREHENSION TEST Code 1

Find out the synonyms of the following words from the Reading Passage.
Write your answers in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
1. located : ………….. 3. managed : …………..
2. granted : ………….. 4. huge : …………..
Questions 5-10 (0,4 mark/question)

From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B-F.
Write the appropriate number (i-xi) in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.

List of headings
i. Student Prospects
ii. Study Choices at Halifax College
iii. The Teaching and Study Staff
iv. College Buildings
v. School Structure
vi. The History of Halifax College
vii. Working at Halifax College
viii. Special Circumstances
ix. Extracurricular Activities
x. Competition at Halifax College
xi. Joining Halifax College
5. Paragraph A: ……. 7. Paragraph C: ....... 9. Paragraph E: .......
6. Paragraph B: ……. 8. Paragraph D: ....... 10. Paragraph F: .......
Questions 11-15 (0,3 mark/question)

Answer the following questions with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage 1.
Write your answers in boxes 11-15 on your answer sheet.
11. What is the current school population?
12. How does the average student enter Halifax College?
13. Where can the students practise their skills in boats?
14. Where can students ask for advice about their future careers and tertiary education options?
15. How many academic scholarships are given by the College annually?

2
READING COMPREHENSION TEST Code 1

READING PASSAGE 2 How to get a job in journalism

You can get a good qualification in journalism, but what employers actually want is practical, rather than
theoretical, knowledge. There’s no substitute for creating real stories that have to be handed in by strict
deadlines. So write for your school magazine, then maybe try your hand at editing. Once you’ve done that for
a while, start requesting internships in newspapers in the area. These are generally short-term and unpaid, but
they’re definitely worthwhile, since, instead of providing you with money, they’ll teach you the skills that
every twenty-first century journalist has to have, like laying out articles, creating web pages, taking good
digital pictures and so on.

Most reporters keep a copy of every story they’ve had published, from secondary school onwards. They’re
called cuttings, and you need them to get a job - indeed a few impressive ones can be the deciding factor in
whether you’re appointed or not. So start creating a portfolio now that will show off your developing talent.

It seems obvious – research is an important part of an effective job hunt. But it’s surprising how many would-
be journalists do little or none. If you’re thorough, it can help you decide whether the job you’re thinking
about applying for is right for you. And nothing impresses an editor more than an applicant who knows a lot
about the paper.

There are two more elements to an application – your covering letter and curriculum vitae. However, your CV
is the thing that will attract an editor’s attention first, so get it right. The key words are brevity, (no more than
one page) accuracy (absolutely no spelling or typing errors) and clarity (it should be easy to follow).

In journalism, good writing skills are essential, so it’s critical that the style of your letter is appropriate. And,
make sure it conveys your love of journalism and your eagerness to do the work.

Questions 16-22 (0,3 mark/question)

Write T (True) or F (False) for the following statements.

Write your answers in boxes 16-22 on your answer sheet.

16. Internships in newspapers in the area are generally long-term and unpaid

17. Employers always want job applicants to have a good qualification.

18. Job applicants also need to submit a covering letter and a curriculum vitae in their application.

3
READING COMPREHENSION TEST Code 1

19. Research can help job applicants look for a job.

20. Editors do not care about how much a job applicant knows about their papers.

21. Writing skills do not play an important role in journalism.

22. The key words of a job applicant’s curriculum vitae must be written in two pages.

Questions 23-27 (0,3 mark/question)

Complete the flow chart below with ONLY ONE WORD from the Reading Passage 2.

Write your answers in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.

Getting a job in journalism

Gain relevant experience, e.g. writing articles to meet specific deadlines.

                   ⇩
Apply for temporary 23 …………… with local papers and acquire the extra 24 …………… you’ll need.
                   ⇩
Build up a set of 25 …………… in a portfolio, displaying how your writing ability has progressed over time.
                  ⇩
Take time to do detailed 26 …………… first, before applying for a post with a paper.
                    ⇩
Once you decide to apply, make sure your CV is short, makes sense and is without 27 …………. of any kind.

4
READING COMPREHENSION TEST Code 1

READING PASSAGE 3 Indian Marriages

Marriage is one of the oldest human institutions and this is as true in Indian culture as anywhere else. In India
marriage, called “Kanyadana or “donating a virgin”, is thought of as the greatest sacrifice that a father can
make and for the groom as an obligation to perpetuate his bloodline. Many people believe that a marriage is
still binding after death.

In early times girls were thought to be ready for marriage after puberty and later even children could be
married. Divorce and remarriage were not always possible. By Medieval times Marriage was compulsory for
girls, who very often married between the ages of eight and nine. Among those able to afford it, polygamy
was common and rulers would often have one wife from their own region and other minor wives from other
areas. Now, divorce and remarriage is possible and non-Muslim Indian men can only have one wife.

Although are many regional variations, some features of the Indian wedding ceremony are similar throughout
the country. In general weddings are very complicated events and involve long negotiations about dowry
payments prior to the event. After this has been decided a day is chosen by asking an astrologer to find a lucky
day. Preparations begin early because a marriage is not only one of the highlights a person’s life, but a large
and complex social gathering to organize.

The night before, the bride, her friends and female relatives gather together for a party called a “mehendi”,
where they paint each other’s hands and feet with Henna and dance and listen to music. Her guests often give
the bride advice about married life and tease her about her future husband. Weddings are traditionally held at
the bride’s home or in a temple, but parks, hotels and marriage halls are becoming increasingly popular. On
the day a wedding altar or “mandapa” is built and covered in flowers. All of the wedding ceremony will be
held in the altar.

The clothing a couple wear on their wedding day varies between regions and ethnic groups. Women most
commonly wear a sari. The bride wears a lot of jewelry as this symbolizes the prosperity she will bring to her
new family. In the South wearing flowers is common. The groom wears traditional costume or a suit. Turbans
are also popular headgear.

The ceremony begins with a mixture of turmeric, sandalwood paste and oils being applied to the couples’ face
and arms. In the past this was done to the whole body, but now it is only symbolic, with only a little being
rubbed on. Then they are showered in flowers. After this they perform the rituals that will make them man and
wife. First, they garland each other and then take seven symbolic steps together representing seven gifts and
seven promises.

Finally, they say the vows and then they are legally married. The bride’s father or guardian takes her hands
and puts them in her husband’s giving her to him. Now she is no longer a member of her father’s family, but a
member of her husband’s. They then touch the feet of their elders for luck.

5
READING COMPREHENSION TEST Code 1

After the wedding ceremony, the couple go to the groom’s house. The bride should be careful to enter the
house right foot first for luck. In the evening and late into the night the families and their guests celebrate with
dancing, music and food.

Questions 28-29 (0,3 mark/question)

Choose the best answer A, B, C or D for the following questions.

Write your answers in boxes 28-29 on your answer sheet.

28.   In India weddings are …

A.   a duty for the man to continue his family. B.  thought to end at death. 
C.   a duty for the father. D.  seen as a benefit for the father.

29.   Divorce and remarriage …

A.   are only possible for non-Muslims. B.   were sometimes not possible in the past.
C.   have always been possible. D.   have only become possible in modern times.

Questions 30-34 (0,3 mark/question)

Complete the statements below with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage 3.

Write your answers in boxes 30-34 on your answer sheet.

30. Before getting married, the wife-to-be is given recommendations about …………..

31. The wedding ceremony is conducted in a special …………..

32. The gold and jewels the bride wears represent …………..

33. These days the materials applied prior to the ceremony are only …………..

34. After the wedding, the bride leaves ………….. and belongs to her husband’s.