22 September, 2008
University of Bari, Faculty of Political Science. September 22, 2008. Part 1.
The use of the dictionary is not permitted. Time allowed: 20 minutes
SURNAME: NAME: NUMBER:
Write the right answer (A-B-C-D) in the square box. Do not rewrite the answer or circle it:
1. First, may I thank you for ……………… me the opportunity to return to Bruges - and in very different circumstances from my last visit.
A. give B. to give C. giving D. to giving
2. Just three Tory members of Parliament …………. with the government on the Lisbon Treaty last March, and all were over 60.
A. voted B. have voted C. have been voting D. are voting
3. . The French and Dutch snub to the constitution in 2005 came as a huge shock: it was the first time that two countries ……………… no simultaneously.
A. were saying B. sa C. had said D. said
4. Some have had the gall to argue, with a straight face, that Lisbon must be brought into effect ………… the Irish “no”.
A. nonetheless B. although C. despite D. in spite
5. Size is important. The smaller ………………… when it comes to constitutions.
A. best B. better C. the best D. the better
6. The European Union ………………………. develop language technologies for many years.
A. has been helping B. helps C. is helping D. has been helped
7. It is worth ………………. that it was Jack Straw who surprised his colleagues by making the initial pledge while Tony Blair was on holiday.
A. remember B. to remembering C. remembering D. of remember
8. So .............., the European Union has been a win-win situation for most of the members of the European Union.
A. far B. yet C. now D. still
9. Hungary ratified the Lisbon Treaty on 17 December 2007,……………. ?
A. isn’t it B. doesn’t it C. true D. didn’t she
10. We don't see …………..on all things. But the values we have in common are more important than the differences between us.
A. eye to eye B. ear to ear C. arm in arm D. side by side
11. Like any EU treaty, the Lisbon Treaty must be ratified by all members before it can come…………………… .
A. in effect B. into force C. in force D. effective
12. The pre-referendum plan is in disarray now. Originally, the treaty ………….. come into force in January 2009.
A. had B. must C. was supposed to D. have to
13. Dmitry Medvedev became the new Russian President ..................... May 2008.
A. in B. on C. at D. over
14. The message she is sending as part of the freedom movement is that you can't be free …………. women have a free role in society.
A. if not B. unless C. whether D. if
15. I’m looking forward ................................................ the close partnership between our two nations.
a. to continue b. to continuing c. continuing d. continue
16. President Harry S. Truman ……………..: “Whenever a fellow tells me he’s bipartisan, I know he’s going to vote against me.”
A. says B. was saying C. used to say D. has been saying
17. The Prime Minister is very worried about his government, and so ………………...
A. I was B. was I C. I am D. am I
18. You don’t speak English, ……………………………………………………?
A. is it B. do you C. isn’t it D. don’t you
19. Would you mind ............................................ your cigarette please?
A. to put out B. putting out C. of putting out D. Put out
20. Let me be very clear about this. Steroids ……………….to be banned from baseball.
A. ought B. should C. must D. shall
21. Smoking is not ………………………….…in this area of the restaurant.
A. permit B. permitting C. allow D. allowed
22. I do not believe Europe is ........................ grow into a replica of the United States of America.
a. like to b. likely to c. likely d. like
23. Although we know Saddam ………. WMD, we haven’t found the physical evidence of them.
A. didn’t have B. was having C. had D. hadn’t
24. If I ………………….…… you, I would study much more for this exam.
A. am B. be C. were D. had been
25. When bears ……….. after their winter hibernation, they are grouchy (musoni) and bad-tempered.
A. get up B. wake up C. take up D. go up
26. This system will allow you to earn some money and if you pass ………….. early, it’s an asset you can pass on to help your widow or your children.
A. by B. up C. off D. away
27. Many politicians like to hold ………. to power and are very reluctant to let it go.
A. on B. up C. off D. away
28. These days we are working together to ………………………… how to solve problems.
A. work out B. fill out C. put out D. hang out
29. To receive assistance, you need to …………………………… a simple application.
A. work out B. fill out C. put out D. hang out
.
30. Libya has now agreed, voluntarily and rightly, to give ……………… its nuclear and chemical weapons programmes.
A. on B. up C. off D. away
Part 2 – September 22, 2008
The use of the dictionary is not allowed. 2 hours.
A. Translate the following passage into Italian (15 points)
The Lisbon treaty is not an easy text to read and understand. Besides being incomprehensible, it was — as so many EU treaties are — a messy compromise.
After the Irish no, the treaty should be buried so that the EU can focus on more urgent matters, such as energy, climate change, immigration, dealing with Russia and the EU’s own expansion. It is disingenuous to claim, as some do, that without Lisbon no further enlargement is possible.
Needless to say, many of Europe’s leaders will instead look for ingenious ways to ignore or reverse the Irish decision. But to ask the Irish to vote again would not just be contemptuous of democracy: the turnout and margin of defeat also suggest that it might fail. Nor can Ireland, legally or morally, be excluded from the EU.
Ireland is a small country, to be sure. But the EU is an inter-governmental organisation that needs a consensus to proceed. Referendums would have been lost in many other countries if their people had been given a say. Voters have thrice said no to this mess of pottage. It is time their verdict was respected.
B. Translate the following passage into English (5 points)
Nel
1950 salirono a bordo le prime
hostess; in quello stesso anno ci furono i primi pasti caldi a bordo. Il successo della compagnia viene confermato negli
anni ‘60 quando Alitalia diviene vettore ufficiale delle
Olimpiadi di Roma del
1960. Negli anni ’70 ci furono i primi collegamenti verso il
Nord America ed il
Giappone.
C. Read the following passage and then answer the questions below (10 points)
As recently as a few months ago, it seemed possible to hope that this year’s presidential election would be a civilised affair. Barack Obama and John McCain both represent much that is best about their respective parties. It doesn’t seem so now. In the past two weeks the contending Democrats and Republicans have squabbled and lied rather than debated. Mr McCain’s team has been nastier, accusing Mr Obama of sexism for calling the Republican vice-presidential candidate a pig, when he clearly did no such thing. Much nastier has been the assertion that Mr Obama once backed a bill that would give kindergarten children comprehensive sex education. Again, this was a distortion: the bill Mr Obama backed provided for age-appropriate sex education, and was intended to protect children from sex offenders.
1. Explain the meaning of “the contending Democrats and Republicans have squabbled and lied rather than debated” (2.5 points)
2. Explain in your own words what happened in the last two weeks. (2.5 points)
3. Write a short comment on American politics today. (5 points)