THE MOROCCAN BACCALAUREATE ENGLISH EXAM

THE MOROCCAN BACCALAUREATE ENGLISH EXAM

Morocco’s street children live a difficult life, often filled with harmful drugs and crime. Efforts to reintegrate them into families and schools are somewhat successful but experts say the problem is large and its root lies in poverty and difficult social circumstances.

Othmane left his home and school at the age of fourteen to live on the street. He no longer wanted to see his mother fight the daily battle to get bread for his five little siblings and pay for his school expenses. "The street is not a better place to live in," Othmane says, "but at least she will not have to think about my daily living. In the meantime, I may be able to help her." Othmane carries bags of vegetables and other purchases for customers at a nearby market. In this way, he earns a few dirhams a day, enough to bring a little money back home.

Othmane is one of the growing numbers of street children in Morocco. These are the homeless and marginalized youths without identity or family. The sidewalks, public gardens, and the buildings doorsteps are their beds.

In Casablanca, these children’s main residences are alleys in the old city, the port, the train station, and the fruits and vegetables wholesale market. The port provides them with an opportunity to emigrate illegally. The wholesale market gives them the chance to work as porters. At the train station, they can earn little money from helping passengers or by begging from tourists.

According to the most recent statistics, 7,000 street children live in Casablanca Wilaya alone. 8,800 more live in other major cities such as Marrakech, Fes, and Meknes. The government and many non-governmental organisations have adopted a strategy of building centres to shelter some of these street children and reintegrate them into schools and families, but the challenge is enormous. The number of children usually the centres’ capacities; there are not enough beds for all of them, and urgent is the need to act once to save those children!

I- COMPREHENSION:

BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT

A/ ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Othmane become one of the street children?

………………………………………………………………………….

2. What does he do to earn money?

…………………………....………………………………………………..

3. What was done to solve the problem of street children?

……………………………………………………………………………..

B/ PICK OUT FROM TJE TEXT EXPRESSIONS OR PHRASES WHICH SHOW THAT:

1. Othmane doesn't like living in the street. (paragraph 2) ………………………..

2. There is a need to build more centres for street children. (paragraph 5) ………

C/ FILL IN THE CHART WITH THE RIGHT INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT:

Place of residence for street children The opportunity it offers

1. The port ……………………………………….

2. The wholesale market ………………………………………..

3. The train station ………………………………………..

D/ FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS WGICH MEAN THE SAME AS:

1. Origin (paragraph1): ……………………..

2. Clients (paragraph 2): …………………….

3. Without a place to live in: (paragraph 3) ………………

4. A plan: (paragraph 5) ……………………..

E/ WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO? ( WORDS IN BOLD TYPE AND ITALICS )

1. Its (paragraph 1) : …………………

2. She (paragraph 2) : …………………

3. Them (paragraph 4): …………………

II – LANGUAGE

A/ FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE LIST:

Non-formal / cooperation / labour / non- profit / conference

UNESCO is a __________ organisation which contributes to peace and security by

Promoting international __________ Through education, science and culture.

B/ FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE PHRASAL VERBS:

Put on / set up / turn down / write down / make up

1. How could you ……………….such an interesting job offer?

2. ………………..your coat; it’s cold in here.

C/ MATCH THE WORDS THAT GO TOGETHER TO MAKE APPROPRIATE COLLOCATIONS:


COLUMN A

1. Equal

2. Problem

COLUMN B

a. opportunities

b. diversity

c. mistake

d. solving

1 : …………………………………….. 2 : ………………………………….

D/ REWRITE THESE SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN:

1. The government should take measures to reintegrate street children into society.

……………………………………………………………………………

2. "I will take her suggestions into consideration," Jack said.

Jack promised …………………………………………………………….

3. Younes said: "I regret having accepted my firt cigarette."

"If only I ………………………………………………." Younes said.


E/ PUT THE VERBS BETWEEN BRACKETS IN THE CORRECT TENSE.

"Our son (run away)………………………from home last week. We (still/look for)

……………………….him. His best friend says that he (not see)…………….…. him for two weeks," the father said.

F/ MATCH EACH SENTENCE WITH ITS APPROPRIATE FUNCTION:

SENTENCES

1. Mrs Simpson took her medication. Yet, she didn’t feel better.

2. My friend Tarik is saving money so as to buy a computer.

3. Because of poverty, children’s schooling is still a problem in many African countries.

FUNCTIONS

a. Cause and effect

b. Concession

c. Defining

d. Purpose


1: ……………………. 2: ………………………. 3: ………………………..

III- WRITING:

Taking drugs is dangerous. Write a short article to your school magazine about the consequences of drug-taking on youths’ health and education. (Approximately 150 words)

These questions may help you :

• Why do you think young people take drugs?

• Wat effects do these drugs have on their health and education?

• What solutions do you suggest for them?