Key Competences Diagnostic Tests ESO1

Test 3: READING
Competences:
 Linguistic communication
 Cultural awareness and expression

1. Read the text.

The Romans
About two thousand years ago, the Romans arrived in Britain. It wasn’t a short visit. In fact, they stayed for
nearly four hundred years. When they finally left, Britain was a very different place. The Romans
changed many things related to everyday life in Britain. We can still see a large number of
these changes today. For example:
Towns: The Romans built many towns in Britain, and there are still towns in most of the
same places today. Roman towns were very organised, with a town centre and houses in
straight lines. Modern cities, like London and Canterbury, grew from these Roman
beginnings.
Roads: The Romans probably built about 16,000 kilometres of roads in Britain. It was
important for soldiers to move quickly from one part of the country to another, so the roads
were usually long straight lines. Many British roads today still follow the same straight lines.
Architecture: There aren’t many examples of complete Roman buildings in Britain today, but more modern
buildings often have Roman influences such as pillars and arches. For example, the Royal Exchange – a
shopping centre in the City of London – is from the 19th century but looks like a Roman temple.
Language: The Romans spoke Latin – the parent language of French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and other
languages. English doesn’t come from Latin, but many English words do. For example, actor, animal,
stadium, picture and also … language!

2. Tick the sentences true (T) or false (F). Then correct the false sentences. T F
1. The Romans were in Britain for two thousand years.
............................................................................................. ...... ......
2. Many things in Britain changed because of the Romans.
............................................................................................. ...... ......
3. People lived in the area of London in Roman times.
............................................................................................. ...... ......
4. Roman soldiers usually stayed in one place.
............................................................................................. ...... ......
5. The Romans built the Royal Exchange.
............................................................................................. ...... ......
6. Latin is the parent language of English.
............................................................................................. ...... ......

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3. Answer the questions.
1. What did Roman towns look like?
......................................................................
2. Why does the writer mention Canterbury?
......................................................................
3. How did Roman roads influence modern British roads?
......................................................................
4. What is special about the design of the Royal Exchange?
......................................................................
5. Why does the word stadium appear in the text?
......................................................................

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Test 3: WRITING
Competences:
 Linguistic communication
 Learning to learn

Look at the list of other Roman contributions to Western civilisation. Then write a paragraph
about the Romans.
• First to use cement in buildings
• Built strong bridges
• Built aqueducts (system for carrying water from rivers to towns)
• Famous for their public baths
• Introduced a system of law (basis of modern civil law)

............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................

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 Test 3: LISTENING
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2
Competences:
 Linguistic communication
 Learning to learn
 Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

1. Listen and choose the correct answers.

1. Elaine is calling Harry from ...... .
a. her house
b. Ancient Rome
c. Rome
2. 3D Rewind Rome is a tour of ...... .
a. Ancient Rome
b. 310 AD
c. the Colosseum
3. The tour starts ...... .
a. in the gladiators’ room
b. at an archaeological excavation
c. in a tunnel
4. The gladiators’ room is ...... the Colosseum.
a. under
b. next to
c. behind
5. Sapientus is ...... .
a. a gladiator
b. an avatar
c. an Italian tour guide
6. Harry ...... .
a. was never in Rome
b. was in Rome in the past
c. is going to Rome soon

2. Listen again and tick the sentences T (true) or F (false). T F

1. Elaine went on the virtual tour last week. ...... ......
2. At first, the gladiators’ room was an archaeological excavation. ...... ......
3. On the tour, Elaine saw homes and other buildings. ...... ......
4. Elaine’s favourite part of the tour was seeing all the people. ...... ......
5. Elaine saw gladiators on the virtual tour. ...... ......

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Test 3: SPEAKING
Competences:
 Linguistic communication
 Social and civic competence
 Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

Student A

1. Michael did six things on his trip to Rome last year. Look at Michael’s photographs of the trip
and answer your partner’s questions.

At the Colosseum On a bus tour Listening to street musicians

Eating Italian ice cream Riding a bike At a cooking session

2. Tania did six things on her trip to London last year. Ask your partner questions to find out what she did and
complete the chart.
Visited (famous place):
Type of tour:
Watched:
Ate:
Rode:
Learned:

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Test 3: SPEAKING
Competences:
 Linguistic communication
 Social and civic competence
 Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

Student B

1. Michael did six things on his trip to Rome last year. Ask your partner questions to find out what he did and
complete the chart.
Visited (famous place):
Type of tour:
Watched:
Ate:
Rode:
Learned:

2. Tania did six things on her trip to London last year. Look at Tania’s photographs of the trip
and answer your partner’s questions.

At the Tower of London On a boat tour Watching a street show

Eating fish and chips Riding a horse At a painting lesson

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 Test 3: LISTENING
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2 Harry: Hello?
Elaine: Hi, Harry. It’s Elaine.
Harry: Elaine? Wow, it’s great to hear from you! How’s Rome?
Elaine: It’s fantastic! Guess where I was this morning?
Harry: Erm …
Elaine: Ancient Rome!
Harry: Ancient Rome? I don’t think you were in Ancient Rome, Elaine. Ancient Rome doesn’t exist now.
That’s what ancient means.
Elaine: I know that. OK, it wasn’t exactly Ancient Rome, but it felt like it. It was a virtual tour of Ancient
Rome.
Harry: A virtual tour?
Elaine: Yes, it’s amazing. It’s called 3D Rewind Rome, and it takes you back to the year 310 AD.
Harry: Tell me about it.
Elaine: Well, first we were in a tunnel and we learned about the important archaeological sites in Rome
today. Then, we arrived at an archaeological excavation, but it changed and became the gladiators’
room under the Colosseum.
Harry: It changed into the gladiators’ room? Cool!
Elaine: Very cool! After that, we went into another room and there was a virtual tour of Ancient Rome with a
virtual tour guide.
Harry: A virtual tour guide?
Elaine: Yes, an avatar of a man called Sapientus. He lived in Ancient Rome and he showed us what life was
like there. We saw people, buildings and homes … but the best part was the Colosseum.
Harry: The Colosseum is incredible! We visited it three years ago.
Elaine: I know you did, and you’re right, it is incredible. But on the virtual tour, you can see what it looked
like in 310 AD. There were gladiators and everything! It was so real!
Harry: Wow! Why didn’t we go on that virtual tour? I want to see gladiators at the Colosseum.
Elaine: Maybe you can come to Italy again, Harry.
Harry: Hmm … I don’t think so, Elaine.

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 ANSWER KEY
ESO 1 TEST 3
Reading
Speaking
2 1. F The Romans were in Britain for nearly four
hundred years.
Student A
2. T
1. the Colosseum
3. T
4. F It was important for soldiers to move a bus tour
quickly from one part of the country to street musicians
another.
Italian ice cream
5. F The Royal Exchange is from the 19th
century. a bike

6. F English doesn’t come from Latin, but many to cook / make pasta
English words do. / Latin is the parent
language of French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian 2. Which famous place did you visit?
and other languages, but English doesn’t What type of tour did you do / go on?
come from Latin.
What did you see / watch?
3 1. They were very organised with a town centre What did you eat?
and houses in straight lines.
What did you ride?
2. It grew from Roman beginnings.
What did you learn?
3. They had long straight lines and many
British roads still follow the same straight Student B
lines today.
4. It looks like a Roman temple. 1. Which famous place did you visit?

5. Stadium appears as an example of an What type of tour did you do / go on?

English word which comes from Latin. What did you see / watch?
What did you eat?
Writing
What did you ride?
Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers. What did you learn?

Listening 2. the Tower of London

a boat tour
1 1. c 3. c 5. b
a street show
2. a 4. a 6. b
fish and chips
2 1. F 3. T 5. T a horse
2. T 4. F to paint

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IH-009-462