Exam I2 LV

Complete each sentence with the correct word from the box. 

• afford
• creative
• efficient
• equipment
• eventually
• powered
• prevention
• struggled

Match each underlined word/phrase to a vocabulary word that has a similar meaning. Write the answer like this: “a. benefit”

The Power of Creativity 

A William Kamkwamba lives in Malawi, Africa, where most people don’t have access to electricity or running water. They have to cook over open fires and collect water from wells or streams. Poverty is very high; only 2 percent of Malawians can afford electricity. In addition, most people have to grow their own food. Life is difficult there, and many people struggle to survive.

B In 2001, when William was 14 years old, life in Malawi became even more difficult. There was a severe drought, and most families – including William’s – couldn’t grow enough food. He explains, “Within five months all Malawians began to starve to death. My family ate one meal per day, at night.”

C Because of the drought, William’s family couldn’t afford to send him to school anymore. However, William wanted to continue his education, so he went to the library near his home one day. He found a science book there called Using Energy. It included instructions for building a windmill. Windmills can be very efficient sources of electricity, and they can bring water up from underground. William didn’t know much English, and he wasn’t able to understand most of the book, but it was full of pictures and diagrams. Looking at the pictures, William thought he could build a windmill for his family.

D When William went home and started building his windmill, a lot of people in his village laughed at him, including his mother. They didn’t think he could do it. However, William didn’t let that stop him – he was confident. He saw the photo of the windmill in the book. That meant someone else was able to build it, so he knew he could build it, too. William was also creative. He didn’t have the parts and equipment that he saw in the book’s diagrams, and he couldn’t buy them. So he looked for the parts that he needed in junkyards.

E While building the windmill, William changed and improved his design little by little. At first, the windmill powered only one lightbulb. Then it powered four lights. Eventually, there was enough electricity for four lights and a radio. No one laughed at William after that, and people in his village started to come to his house to get power for their cell phones. Later, William built a second windmill.

F Because of his success with the windmills, William was able to go back to school. He also helped to develop a malaria prevention program and clean water services in his community. He wrote a book about his life called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. In addition, he uses his website to educate people and to give them hope. His main message is this: “To the Africans, and the poor who are struggling with your dreams …, trust yourself and believe. Whatever happens, don’t give up.”

Review the passage before from Unit 2. Then read each question and choose the correct answer. 

16. What is the passage mostly about?

17. How did the drought cause problems for William’s village?

18. How did William continue his education when he couldn’t attend school?

19. Which of these is the best description of a diagram?

20. How did William get the parts and equipment he needed?

21. How did William help others in his village?

22. What does the title The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope suggest the book is about?

A Solar cookers provide solutions to many problems in developing countries. They are inexpensive to use, they help prevent deforestation and air pollution, and they make the lives of women and girls much easier. No wonder that development agencies have encouraged their use from Latin America to Africa to the Himalayas in Asia.

B The design of solar cookers is not complicated. Basically, shiny panels reflect sunlight onto a dark pot which contains the food to be cooked. The dark pot turns light waves from the sun into heat energy. The heat is stored inside the pot and cooks the food. The materials for this equipment are not expensive, so people can easily afford solar cookers. The sunlight is free, so there is no need to spend money on fuel.

C Traditionally, women and girls have gathered firewood to burn as cooking fuel. As wood supplies became scarce, the women had to walk further to find enough wood. They often took their daughters out of school to help them gather wood. Gathering wood took a lot of the women’s time. In addition, deforestation occurred because trees could not grow quickly enough to replace the cut wood. By contrast, solar cookers are a sustainable solution because they can be used without harming the environment. The sun provides the energy for cooking, so wood is no longer needed.

D Once the women carry the wood back to their homes, the cooking fires create new problems. Smoke from the fires causes eye and breathing problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over two million women and children die each year from the pollution of indoor cooking fires. By contrast, solar cookers are used outdoors and create no pollution.

E Clean water is another benefit of solar stoves. People can use the stoves to heat water to a high temperature where disease-causing bacteria are killed. A wax thermometer melts to indicate when the correct temperature has been reached. Then people know the water is safe to drink. This process prevents water-borne diseases in areas where people don’t have access to healthy drinking water.

F Despite the many advantages, there are a few problems with solar cookers. First, they don’t work at night or when it’s raining. Secondly, it takes people time to adjust to using the solar cookers. For example, it takes longer for food to cook than the traditional method of cooking over a wood fire. It also takes longer for water to boil and to be hot enough to be safe to drink. However, the health and environmental advantages of solar cookers make these adjustments worth it.

G Solar cookers are an efficient and affordable way to cook without causing deforestation or pollution. Women have more time for other tasks and girls can continue their education. The ability to provide safe drinking water improves the health of the whole community. It’s an innovation that has significant benefits for everyone.

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

23. Which is the best title for the reading?

24. What is the purpose of Paragraph B?

25. Why did women take their daughters out of school?

26. What is one result of cooking with wood indoors?

27. Which of these inventions is sustainable?

28. According to the reading, how do people know that the heated water is healthy and safe?

29. Which of these places would be best for solar cooking?

Read each paragraph from the passage on solar cookers. Then read the problem and choose the correct answer. 

30. B      The design of solar cookers is not complicated. Basically, shiny panels reflect sunlight onto a dark pot which contains the food to be cooked. The dark pot turns light waves from the sun into heat energy. The heat is stored inside the pot and cooks the food. The materials for this equipment are not expensive, so people can easily afford solar cookers. The sunlight is free, so there is no need to spend money on fuel.

Problem: Using gas or electricity for cooking costs a lot of money in developing countries. 

Which detail shows how solar cookers are a solution?

31. C     Traditionally, women and girls have gathered firewood to burn as cooking fuel. As wood supplies became scarce, the women had to walk further to find enough wood. They often took their daughters out of school to help them gather wood. Gathering wood took a lot of the women’s time. In addition, deforestation occurred because trees could not grow quickly enough to replace the cut wood. By contrast, solar cookers are a sustainable solution because they can be used without harming the environment. The sun provides the energy for cooking, so wood is no longer needed.

Problem: Wood-burning is bad for the environment. 

Which detail shows how solar cookers are a solution?

32. D    Once the women carry the wood back to their homes, the cooking fires create new problems. Smoke from the fires causes eye and breathing problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over two million women and children die each year from the pollution of indoor cooking fires. By contrast, solar cookers are used outdoors and create no pollution.

Problem: Smoke from wood fires causes eye and lung diseases. 

Which sentence gives a detail to support this statement?

33. E   Clean water is another benefit of solar stoves. People can use the stoves to heat water to a high temperature where disease-causing bacteria are killed. A wax thermometer melts to indicate when the correct temperature has been reached. Then people know the water is safe to drink. This process prevents water-borne diseases in areas where people don’t have access to healthy drinking water.

Problem: Water contains bacteria that can make people very ill. 

Which detail shows how solar cookers are a solution?

34. F   Despite the many advantages, there are a few problems with solar cookers. First, they don’t work at night or when it’s raining. Secondly, it takes people time to adjust to using the solar cookers. For example, it takes longer for food to cook than the traditional method of cooking over a wood fire. It also takes longer for water to boil and to be hot enough to be safe to drink. However, the health and environmental advantages of solar cookers make these adjustments worth it.

Problem: While solar cookers have many advantages, there are some disadvantages. 

Which of these details is an example of a problem with solar cookers?

35. G    Solar cookers are an efficient and affordable way to cook without causing deforestation or pollution. Women have more time for other tasks and girls can continue their education. The ability to provide safe drinking water improves the health of the whole community. It’s an innovation that has significant benefits for everyone.

Problem: Drinking water often has disease-causing bacteria. 

Which of these sentences shows how solar cookers are a solution to this problem?

Complete the sentences by writing the simple past tense of the verb in parentheses. 

Read the Topic Sentence and Sentences A and B. Note that one sentence supports the topic sentence and the other one provides detail. Respond to each statement about Sentence A or Sentence B with TRUE or FALSE (writing in CAPITAL LETTERS). Example: “TRUE”

Read the sentence and find one error with the simple past tense. Write the correct word in the space. 

Think of an invention that changed your parents’ lives. What was the invention and how did it change their lives? 

50. Write a topic sentence and give supporting ideas for the topic sentence. Provide details for the supporting ideas. Check that all your simple past verbs are correct.