Name:        ______________                                                        Date:  ______________

Reading

Read the text. Then do Exercise 1.

Perhaps the most important reason we have schools is to prepare students to participate in society. Most of our schooling involves the use of our eyes to read and write. What happens though, when a child cannot see? Children who are blind face extra difficulties in understanding things the same way other children do, learning languages and moving around freely. Does this mean that blind children should stay at home and not get an education? Certainly not! Blind children attend schools and follow programmes which use different ways of teaching them how to read, write and do things people who can see do.

The first people we know who showed an interest in the blind are the Ancient Egyptians. They did not only try to understand why people became blind, they also took care of their needs. The first country to have compulsory education for the blind is the United States in the 1880’s, and then Britain followed in 1893. Studies have shown that blind children learn best when they are in an open environment that doesn’t stop them from learning new things.

Unfortunately, today 85% of all children with special educational needs in poorer countries do not get an education. And for children who are blind, 90% do not get an education. They simply do not have enough schools built especially for their needs.  The best solution to this problem is to have blind children and children who can see go to the same state schools. Of course, the state schools would have to be able to meet the needs of the special needs students too.  

The blind children in these schools should be given the opportunity to share the same experiences as their classmates who can see. The children and parents in these schools should be encouraged to become friends. There would have to be teachers who are specialised in education for the blind that would give advice to the teachers in the state schools. This relationship between the students and their parents should help show that we are not that different from each other.

Having state schools accept blind children does not mean that we just put them in the same classrooms as children who can see. Blind students have more needs and there are some things that schools must do to be ready to teach them.

Firstly, the schools must work together with people who are specialised in teaching the blind. They would give advice to teachers and prepare lessons and homework. Also, blind students often have to learn to do things differently than other students. For example, in primary school they learn to read using the Braille system. This means that because they can’t see, they learn to read special books by using their fingers, not their eyes. In addition, they also learn to move around without the help of other people and become more independent.

All children with disabilities should go to school, get an education and have the same opportunities as children without them. If we all work together, there is nothing that we can not do.

1 Write true (T), false (F) or not stated (NS) if the answer isn’t in the text.

[10 points]

1 Egypt was the first country to have compulsory education for the blind. ____ 

2 85% of blind children in poorer countries do not get an education. ____ 

3 100% of children without disabilities go to school in rich countries. ____ 

4 Blind children should spend time together with children who can see. ____ 

5 Blind children in state schools learn extra skills. ____ 

Vocabulary

1.  Complete the sentences with the correct form of these words. [5 points]

hang out, break up, make up, get divorced, get married

1 I like to ______________ with my friends after school.

2 We were all very happy when Sally and Tom ______________ after their fight.

3 We don’t think they are going to be together for long. I think they will ______________ in a month.

4 My mother and father ______________ last year, but they are still friends.

5 My sister and her boyfriend get on very well. I think they are going to ______________.

         2.    Choose the correct answer. [6 points]

1 I usually like hearing / listening to music when I study.

2 There are so many amazing things to watch / see in the Cycladic museum.

3 See / Look at those clouds! It’s going to rain.

4 Can you call me a bit later? I am watching / seeing a movie now.

5 He hasn’t got any hair – he’s ideal / bald.

6 Can you hear / listen to that noise? I think it is coming from the bedroom.

2. Complete the sentences with the correct form of have or take. [6 points]

1 We always ____ a good time when Fred comes over.

2 She is late because she ____ her time coming here.

3 I ____ a Geography lesson at three.

4 Sometimes you have to ____ a chance.

5 John ____ on too much work and he won’t finish in time. 

6 The students are ____ trouble with algebra in their maths class

Grammar

3. Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first using the words in brackets. [5 points]

1 I think he will be able to do it. (could)

I think he ___________________________________________________________.

2 There is a chance he will pass the exam. (might)

He ________________________________________________________ the exam.

3 There is no way he doesn’t know the answer. (must)

He _______________________________________________________ the answer.

4 I think it’s a good idea for us to start studying now. (should)

I think ___________________________________________________ studying now.

5 There is a possibility that it will rain today. (may)

It ____________________________________________________________ today.

4. Complete the sentences with the correct -ing or infinitive form of the verbs in brackets. [5 points]

1 Doctors say that ______________ is very bad for you. (smoke)

2 I forgot ______________ my geography book to school today. (bring)

3 Everyone needs ______________ some food for the party tonight. (cook)

4 Our mum knows when we are pretending ______________. (study)

5 We are ______________ forward to volleyball practice this afternoon. (look)

5. Complete the paragraph using one indeterminate pronoun in each gap.  

[6 points]

Last month I was very nervous about a maths test. I was surprised that 1) ____ in my class was really worried like me. I remember that I could not think of 2) ____ else but that exam. I tried to find 3) ____ to study with but, 4) ____ was available. I spent all week studying by myself. When I went to class ready to take the exam I remembered 5) ____ the teacher said. He said that exam was on the 16th of December, not the 6th! 6) ____ started laughing. Even me!