Practice ISE II Exam Task 1: Long reading Paragraph 1: What would make you move to Gaza? The small strip of land along the Mediterranean coast is run by Hamas, the Islamist group Israel and the U.S. consider a terrorist organization. It can be difficult to get into Gaza, and – if you are Palestinian – very difficult to get the necessary Israeli or Egyptian permission to leave. And three wars between Israel and Hamas since 2008 killed more than 3,000 Gazans. But the al-‐Aloul family was living elsewhere during all those wars. In November, 2008, Ihab al-‐Aloul and his wife Somaya left Gaza City and took their six children to Vancouver, British Columbia. Last fall, they moved back. The plan was a long summer visit, but by the time they finally could enter Gaza in September they decided to stay. Aloul says a big reason was family. "I miss my parents," he says. Paragraph 2: Money, too, played a role. Aloul is a software development manager and had his own company in Gaza before moving to Canada. But he says despite earning an MBA, it wasn't so easy to get on his feet there. Here, his father helps. "Here my dad is rich, he has his land, he has business, so he can support me," Aloul says. His dad bought land relatively cheaply decades ago. But with the population growing and the amount of available land for building shrinking, real estate became a source of wealth. Paragraph 3: Aloul's two youngest sons are happy in Gaza. Two other children, college students, feel they have more freedom in Gaza than they did in Canada. Their father, Ihab, didn't like the influences of Western culture on teenagers, concerned they'd drink or start romantic relationships. But in Gaza, 22-‐ year-‐old Ahmed can hang out with his cousins in cafés past midnight. Nour, 20, says she does what she wants, too. "My parents, they gave me all the freedom here. I go out, I do whatever I want," she says. "You walk in the streets, you know that no one will do something bad for you." She was also teased about her headscarf in Canadian high school, but now says that “I walk around, no one talks about my scarf." Paragraph 4: But after 10 months in Gaza, it is 14-‐year-‐old Kareem, who started first grade back in Canada, who seems to struggle with the blended identity most. He loves hockey, while his friends in Gaza care only about football. Just out of 8th grade now, he started the year far behind his classmates in Arabic literacy. But he mostly feels very different from his peers here because he has no experience with war. Paragraph 5: Somaya calls Gaza a box with no exit. The border with Egypt is mostly closed. Even though they are Canadian citizens, each family member needs a permit to leave Gaza through Israel because of Israel's security concerns. Ihab wasn't allowed to accompany his sick father recently for medical care in Jerusalem. Additionally, there is a presumption there could well be another war. If that happens while they are living in Gaza, they hope being Canadian would help them get out.
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Questions 1-‐5: The text on page 1 has five paragraphs (1–5). Choose the best title for each paragraph from A–F below and write the letter (A–F) on the lines below. There is one title you don’t need. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Paragraph 1 _____ Paragraph 2 _____ Paragraph 3 _____ Paragraph 4 _____ Paragraph 5 _____
A. Stuck in between two worlds B. A familiar culture makes them feel comfortable C. Little freedom of movement D. A pool can make all the difference E. Finances can influence the decision F. Family above all else
Questions 6-‐10: Choose the five statements from A–H below that are TRUE according to the information given in the text on page 2. Write the letters of the TRUE statements on the lines below (in any order). 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
A. One of the boys is glad to be in a place where kids love soccer as much as he does. B. Ihab al-‐Aloul is lucky to have land in his family. C. Israel has very tight security; it is hard to leave Gaza through Israel. D. In Canada students were not used to headscarves. E. The al-‐Aloul family knew in Canada that they wanted to move back permanently. F. They are Canadian citizens. G. With his diploma, it was easy for Ihab to find work in Canada. H. Israel and Hamas are involved in a war.
Questions 11–15 Complete sentences 11–15 with a word, phrase or number from the text (maximum three words). Write the word, phrase or number on the lines below. 11. It was difficult for Ihab to find a job in the _________________ field when he moved to Canada. 12. The amount of land suitable for construction has been _____________ in Gaza so property has become more valuable. 13. One of the children prefers _________, a popular Canadian winter sport, over football. 14. Kareem’s ___________ is low, meaning that he cannot read or write as well as he should be able to. 15. It is very hard to cross the ___________ between Gaza and other countries.
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Task 2: Multi-‐text reading In this section there are four short texts for you to read and some questions for you to answer. Questions 16–20: Read questions 16–20 first and then read texts A, B, C and D below the questions. As you read each text, decide which text each question refers to. Choose one letter — A, B, C or D — and write it on the lines below. You can use any letter more than once. Which text… 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Advises how to create a more successful online profile? ______ Suggests people of specific interests should investigate what special dating sites exist? ______ Compares opinions of online dating from the past to opinions of more recent times? ______ Advises people to meet in public places for the first date? ______ Includes an explanation of what “online dating” is? ______
Text A: (Conversation between Amy and Tim over Facebook) Amy: My best friend just created an account on OkCupid, the dating site. I’m not happy. She should meet someone in real life! I don’t want her get involved in a relationship that’s not real, that is only through the internet. Tim: I think you’re a little confused. The key thing is that OkCupid is not simply online dating—it’s online meeting people followed by in-‐person dating. I think the term “online dating” is part of the problem and makes people who don’t know much about it think it refers to people forming entire relationships online and only meeting in person much later. Amy: That makes more sense. My best friend doesn’t seem interested in an online-‐only relationship. But why can’t she meet someone in real life? The old-‐fashioned way? Tim: Meeting someone through friends can work, but it’s limiting yourself to single people your closest friends and family happen to know. There are lots of “fish in the sea” but that can seem false when you only meet your friends’ friends and do not have luck. Amy: Good point. Now she has access to more single people who are interested in finding love!
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Text B:
Text C: (A recent excerpt from a New York Times article called the Science of Online Dating ) As it turns out, success begins with picking a user name. While men are drawn to names linked to physical traits (e.g., Cutie), the researchers found, women prefer ones that indicate intelligence (e.g., Cultured). Both sexes respond well to playful names (e.g. Fun2bwith) and shy away from ones with negative connotations (e.g., Bugg). The most successful online profiles featured content divided 70:30 between personal information and a description of the ideal desired partner, the scientists found. Honest, likable and succinct profiles written with a touch of humor — particularly those that did not self-‐aggrandize or use rhetorical flourishes — elicit the best results. Photographs showing the user smiling and standing in the center of the frame surrounded by others work best. Text D: (Transcript from the show “Dr. Ellen” on American television…) Dr. Ellen: With so many online dating services out there, picking one can be difficult. I advise people to do their homework. Shop around until you find one that best suits your particular needs. Narrow your search by looking at services that specialize in matching people with similar interests. For example, you might consider a dating service for people who share the same religious faith, like BigChurch.com, ChristianCafe.com or JDate.com; if you're a sports enthusiast, you might check out fitness-‐singles.com. The list goes on... While e-‐dating is a dream come true for some, I also want to warn you that an e-‐courtship has more dating hazards than ever — and they're not what you think! You need to be good at communicating over text, first, and then make sure that you meet in a public place to be extra safe. Page 4
Questions 21–25 Choose the five statements from A–H below that are TRUE according to the information given in the texts above. Write the letters of the TRUE statements on the lines below (in any order). 21. _______ 22. _______ 23. ______ 24. _______ 25. _______ A. Females feel more harassed on online dating sites than men. B. Men are attracted to user names about physical characteristics while women prefer hints at intelligence. C. Being capable of text communication (email, texting, messaging) is more important now than it used to be. D. Amy’s friend does not want to meet someone online. E. There are different dating sites for people with similar interests. F. In 2013, half of the population knew someone who had used online dating. G. One in six people have experienced break-‐ups that were not face-‐to-‐face (instead, it was experienced through texting, messaging, etc.).
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Questions 26–30: The summary notes below contain information from the texts on pages 4 and 5. Find a word or phrase from texts A–D to complete the missing information in gaps 26–30. Write your answers on the lines below. Summary notes: Online Dating’s Function: •
•
When people want to say that there are tons of people to fall in love with, they use the expression “there are many 26. _______________.” However, it can be difficult to meet people so many use online dating. Thanks to the invention of the 27. _______, people from all over the world can instantly communicate. Online dating has been a result of this new technological service.
Romance is changing: • •
Online dating has become more common and accepted. Not everyone has a good experience. Over 40% of women feel 28. ___________ by the ways that they have been contacted.
People have researched how to have more online dating success: • •
It is best to be humble and funny. Men like 29. ______________ that reference physical characteristics.
There are many sites to choose from •
People can tailor their search for romance. o Religious people can choose an online dating service that connects those of the same _______/ beliefs.
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Task 3: Reading into writing Use the information from the four texts you read in Task 2 (pages 3-‐4) to write an essay (150–180 words) for your teacher, presenting the advantages and disadvantages of online dating. You should plan your essay before you start writing. Think about what you want to say and make some notes to help you in this box:
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Task 4: Extended writing Write an opinion article (an “op-‐ed”) for your high school’s magazine with the title: “Why It’s Important to Read”. Write 150–180 words about why people should read, and how reading has personally affected you. You should plan your article before you start writing. Think about what you want to say and make some notes to help you in this box: (again, simply use a piece of paper because this is not an official exam)
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