Part I: Reading (14pts): A/ Comprehension (7pts): Read the text carefully then do the activities. Berbers are a people of northwest Africa and the Sahara. There are about 15 million Berbers, and they speak a variety of Berber dialects. Many share Arabic customs and traditions. Almost all Berbers are Muslims. Most Berbers depend on herding and farming for a living. They live in compact villages, often in mountain areas. The Kabyle of Algeria and the Berber tribes of the Atlas and Rif mountains in Morocco follow these life styles. Some Berber-speaking groups, such as the Tuareg of the Sahara, roam the desert with herds of camels, cows, goats, and sheep. Berbers were the earliest known inhabitants of the western Mediterranean coast of Africa. They probably lived in this region about 3000 B.C. Since about 600 B.C., the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, Spaniards, French, and Italians have ruled portions of the Berber homeland at various times. Of these invaders, the Arabs had the greatest influence on the Berber culture. During the periods of Carthaginian and Roman rule--from about 600 B.C. to the A.D. 400s--Berber traders linked the Mediterranean coast to the gold, ivory, and slave markets of West Africa. Some coastal Berbers became Roman citizens. But Berbers in the mountains and desert continued to live in independent groups. Arabs’ arrival to North Africa began in the 600s. Under Arab influence, many Berbers became Muslims. During the 700s, Muslim Berbers joined with Arabs in conquering Spain. After 1050, empires ruled by Berbers controlled much of North Africa for nearly 200 years. Desert Berbers organized the Almoravid empire, which began about 1050. At its height, this empire ruled the regions that are now Morocco, western Algeria, and southern Spain. About 1150, mountain Berbers overthrew the Almoravids and established the Almohad empire. The Almohads controlled all of what are now Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, and part of Spain. This large empire split apart during the first half of the 1200s. But Berbers kept control of some lands from the former empires until the 1500s. Meanwhile, Arabs continued to move into North Africa. In time, they occupied most of the coastal region, and the Berbers there became absorbed into Arab society. Berber languages, traditions, and customs mingled with those of the Arab Muslims to give birth to present-day Berber, Arab and Muslim Maghrib. (Adapted from World Book , 2004) 1/ What type of text is the above passage? a) a poem? b) a prose passage? 2/ Choose the letter that best completes each statement. i. Berbers speak …………….dialect(s). a) one b) several ii. Berbers are the first …………….. of North Africa. a) invaders b) inhabitants iii. In the Sahara, Berbers’ tribal life relies on ……………. a) farming b) trading 3/ Answer these questions. A. When did Berbers come into contact with Arabs? B. List the countries or powers that have conquered North Africa? C. Did Berbers preserve their culture despite all conquests? Justify by quoting from the text. D. In which paragraph is it mentioned that Berber Civilization flourished and had a great empire? 4/ Give the general idea of the text. 5/ Reorder these sentences according to their occurrence in the text. a) There is a great harmony in today’s North Africa’s diverse culture. b) With the coming of Arabs, Berbers embraced Islam. c) Berbers were good traders. d) Berbers occupy many parts of North Africa. 6/ What type of discourse does the text belong to? a) descriptive b) prescriptive c) argumentative B/ Text Exploration(7pts): 1/ Find in the text the words whose definitions follow. …. (§1)….: a variety of a language spoken by a group of persons. …. (§2)….: closely united. 2/ Find in the text words close in meaning to: governed = invade = different = 3/ Divide the words below into roots and affixes. Word Prefix Root Suffix inhabitants influence independent …………… …………… …………… …………… …………… …………… ………….. ………….. …………… 4/ Combine the sentences below using the connectors in brackets. a) Kabyle region speaks Berber language. Atlas region speaks Berber, too. (Both) b) Berbers lived in tribes. They were strong and united. (Although) c) Berbers lived in compact villages. As a result, they could preserve their unity. (If) 5/ Reorder the sentences below to have a coherent passage. 1. Despite those differences, Algerians and Berbers follow the same religion- Islam. 2. Each group has its own language 3. however the people form two distinct cultural groups – Arabs and Berber. 4. though similar vocabs appear in both languages. 5. Most Algerians are of mixed Arab and Berber descent; 6/ Classify these words according to which syllable is stressed. traditions – desert – lived – regions – controlled – conquering 1st syllable is stressed 2nd syllable is stressed 3rd syllable is stressed ……………………… ……………………… ……………………… Part II: Writing (6pts): Choose one topic only. Topic (1): You are a pen friend / key friend corresponding with a foreigner. Tell him or her about your identity being an Algerian Arab-Berber Muslim. Make use of these notes in your letter/e-mail. family background - ancestors - language - religion - traditions - cultural heritage - diversity in customs - celebrations... Topic (2): You are a journalist interviewing Algerians about the diverse culture they share as Algerian citizens. Write your interview with one of them.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 18:20:34 +0000
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