Exam I10

Match each example to a vocabulary word it illustrates. Not all words will be used.

Write a word from the box to complete each sentence. Not all words will be used. 

• defining
• demanding
• empower
• exchange
• initiative
• reality
• reputation
• worth

Turning Ideas into Reality 

A    The Internet has a huge influence on the lives of those who use it. It empowers people by enabling the global exchange of knowledge and information. However, many rural communities around the world still live in areas with little to no Internet access. As a result, they are largely cut off. An entrepreneur named Ken Banks found a solution to this problem by using his expertise in mobile technology.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A BIG PROBLEM 

B    While working in South Africa in 2003 and 2004, Banks saw that there were many organizations that were trying to help local communities. Since many villages didn’t have Internet access, communication was a big challenge. Banks noticed, however, that many villagers had cell phones.

C    Banks had an idea. He created some computer software called FrontlineSMS, which allows users to send information from computers without using the Internet. Users install the software on a computer. Then they connect the computer to a cell phone. To send information, users select the people they want to send it to. The cell phone sends the information to groups of people as a text message. Individuals can then reply on their own cell phones, creating a two-way messaging system between phone users and the computer.

D    FrontlineSMS is free and can work almost anywhere in the world. In Malawi, a rural healthcare program uses it to contact patients. As a result, health workers no longer have to visit patients’ homes to update medical records or pass along important information. The software has also been used to monitor elections in Nigeria and to help disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Today, it is used in more than 70 nations.

CREATING A SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT 

E    FrontlineSMS is a good example of taking an idea and making it a reality. So what should you do if you have an idea for making the world a better place? Banks offers the following advice:

F.   Don’t immediately try to get money – most donors want to see that you have a good idea first. “Donors don’t tend to respond so well to people who just reach for money without actually showing they can do something,” Banks explains. So start by researching your idea or product thoroughly. Do people really need it? To find out if you have a good idea, go into the community and talk to people.

G    Once you have a workable idea, promote it. Use all the social media tools that you can: Start a Facebook group, use Twitter, or create a website. Start a blog and write about what you’re doing. Connect online with other people who are working in the same field as you. The more you post, the easier it will be for search engines to find you.

H    If you have a good idea, and you’ve gotten your message out, people will notice you. Now is the time to try to get funding. Your social networks are a good place to start raising money. Waiting until you have gotten this far shows potential donors that you have initiative, Banks says. It also shows that you are committed.

I    We’re currently living in the best time to create a product that can reach millions of people. More and more entrepreneurs are developing and promoting products that have the potential to solve the world’s greatest challenges. All you need is an idea. As Banks puts it, “Innovation … is about someone standing in a rural village somewhere and suddenly realizing, ‘If I did this … that could happen.’”

Review the passage before from Unit 10. Then read the statements and write (in CAPITAL LETTERS) if the statement is TRUE or FALSE. 

A    It seems every day that Elon Musk makes headline news. The inventor, engineer, and entrepreneur is involved with several innovative projects: Tesla electric cars, OpenAI artificial intelligence, Hyperloop high-speed transportation systems, supersonic jet aircraft, and SolarCity. But Musk’s most noteworthy project is SpaceX which is dedicated to advancing rocket and spacecraft technology with the aim of establishing a self-sustaining settlement on Mars.

B    Space Exploration Technologies – better known by its nickname SpaceX – was started in 2002 with the long term goal of establishing “a spacefaring civilization.” Musk is making a comparison with the seafaring that characterized the Age of Exploration from the late 1400s to the 1700s. During that period, Europeans explored parts of the world that had previously been unknown. The exploration led to settlements, trade, and exchanges between all parts of the world. Recently, Musk said, “The future of humanity is fundamentally going to bifurcate along one of two directions: Either we’re going to become a multiplanet species and a spacefaring civilization, or we’re going to be stuck on one planet until some eventual extinction event.”1

C    Musk is not exactly sure what might wipe out humans on planet Earth, but some ideas are an asteroid, a super volcano eruption, a virus or even catastrophic global warming. But aside from the threats, he is eager to move into space, not only to explore it but also to establish a human colony on Mars.

D    Around 2002, Musk saw flaws in the existing space program which was based on the space shuttle and expensive rockets that could only be used once. He was determined to design and create reusable rockets that make space exploration much less expensive. By 2015, SpaceX had developed and tested the first rocket booster that was able to land and be used again. NASA, the US national space agency, gave SpaceX contracts to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) after they retired the space shuttle.

E    In September 2016, Musk announced his plans to send the first people to Mars by 2025. After that, large numbers of people would become settlers, but they would need to be supplied with everything necessary for life. Musk says, “What really matters is being able to send a large number of people, like tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people, and ultimately millions of tons of cargo.”2 That’s why he thinks reusable rockets are so important.

F    Establishing a colony on Mars has many challenges. First is the need to fuel the spacecraft from the sun’s energy outside Earth’s atmosphere. There are problems transporting all the supplies needed to sustain life including air, food, and water. Landing a spacecraft on Mars gently would be tricky. Then there are the human problems. Research on astronauts at the ISS has shown that living for a long time in a weightless situation causes bone loss, vision problems, and perhaps psychological changes. Lastly, there’s no quick trip back to Earth in emergencies.

G    Experts in space technology have had mixed reactions to Musk’s plan. Some see the program as too ambitious or are concerned about the schedule. Others acknowledge the need for space exploration and settlement and admire Musk’s vision. Kenny Todd, an operations manager for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, put it this way: “You gotta start somewhere. You gotta start with dreaming,” Todd said, “And sometime in there, things become actual.”

Read the passage before. Then read each question and choose the correct answer. 

 23. What is the best title for the entire reading?

24. Why are Musk’s many ideas mentioned in Paragraph A?

25. What is the purpose of the quote in Paragraph B?

26. In the quote in Paragraph B, Musk uses the word bifurcate. What does it mean?

27. According to the passage, what is the main advantage of reusable rockets?

28. Which idea can you infer from Paragraph F?

29. Based on Todd’s quote in Paragraph G, which statement would he agree with?

Read each main idea and then quickly skim the reading passage to find the paragraph it describes. Write the letter of the paragraph in the space 

A    It seems every day that Elon Musk makes headline news. The inventor, engineer, and entrepreneur is involved with several innovative projects: Tesla electric cars, OpenAI artificial intelligence, Hyperloop high-speed transportation systems, supersonic jet aircraft, and SolarCity. But Musk’s most noteworthy project is SpaceX which is dedicated to advancing rocket and spacecraft technology with the aim of establishing a self-sustaining settlement on Mars.

B    Space Exploration Technologies – better known by its nickname SpaceX – was started in 2002 with the long term goal of establishing “a spacefaring civilization.” Musk is making a comparison with the seafaring that characterized the Age of Exploration from the late 1400s to the 1700s. During that period, Europeans explored parts of the world that had previously been unknown. The exploration led to settlements, trade, and exchanges between all parts of the world. Recently, Musk said, “The future of humanity is fundamentally going to bifurcate along one of two directions: Either we’re going to become a multiplanet species and a spacefaring civilization, or we’re going to be stuck on one planet until some eventual extinction event.”1

C    Musk is not exactly sure what might wipe out humans on planet Earth, but some ideas are an asteroid, a super volcano eruption, a virus or even catastrophic global warming. But aside from the threats, he is eager to move into space, not only to explore it but also to establish a human colony on Mars.

D    Around 2002, Musk saw flaws in the existing space program which was based on the space shuttle and expensive rockets that could only be used once. He was determined to design and create reusable rockets that make space exploration much less expensive. By 2015, SpaceX had developed and tested the first rocket booster that was able to land and be used again. NASA, the US national space agency, gave SpaceX contracts to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) after they retired the space shuttle.

E    In September 2016, Musk announced his plans to send the first people to Mars by 2025. After that, large numbers of people would become settlers, but they would need to be supplied with everything necessary for life. Musk says, “What really matters is being able to send a large number of people, like tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people, and ultimately millions of tons of cargo.”2 That’s why he thinks reusable rockets are so important.

F    Establishing a colony on Mars has many challenges. First is the need to fuel the spacecraft from the sun’s energy outside Earth’s atmosphere. There are problems transporting all the supplies needed to sustain life including air, food, and water. Landing a spacecraft on Mars gently would be tricky. Then there are the human problems. Research on astronauts at the ISS has shown that living for a long time in a weightless situation causes bone loss, vision problems, and perhaps psychological changes. Lastly, there’s no quick trip back to Earth in emergencies.

G    Experts in space technology have had mixed reactions to Musk’s plan. Some see the program as too ambitious or are concerned about the schedule. Others acknowledge the need for space exploration and settlement and admire Musk’s vision. Kenny Todd, an operations manager for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, put it this way: “You gotta start somewhere. You gotta start with dreaming,” Todd said, “And sometime in there, things become actual.”

Match the numbered if clauses with the result clauses below. Write a letter (a – e) in each blank.

Read the pairs of sentences. The first sentence is a piece of advice. Decide if the second sentence is about why the advice is important or how to follow the advice. Write why or how . 

In each pair of sentences, one sentence has an error. Choose the sentence that is correct by writing in CAPITAL LETTERS, A or B. 

Your friend wants to move to a new apartment. Give some advice using if clauses. Some of the things you may want to write about are: the neighborhood, transportation, sharing vs. living alone, and the process of renting. 

50. Write a paragraph with three tips or ideas. Include a topic sentence that says what your advice is about. For each tip, give a why or how detail. End with a concluding sentence.