University of Bari, Faculty of Political Science. September 4, 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. We look forward …………..……. with all Member States to advance these and other goals.
A. to work B. to working C. of working D. work
2. Last year Spain ..................................... semi-official status for Catalan, Galician and Basque.
A. requested B. has requested C. request D. has been requesting
3. We must remember that Turkey has played, and is playing, …….. honourable and significant role in NATO.
A. a B. an C. the D. /
4. I would like to extend my warmest welcome to President Bush, who is a friend, a personal friend …………….. and also a great friend of Italy.
A. of me B. of my C. of myself D. of mine
5. Many of us .......................................... to answer these questions for a long time.
A. try B. have been trying C. to try D. are trying
6. Poland's President Lech Kaczynski has refused to ratify the treaty for the time …….., calling it "pointless".
A. now B. being C. moment D. present
7. Dmitry Medvedev became the new Russian President ..................... 7 May 2008.
A. in B. on C. at D. by
8. Thank you for ……………………. me to deliver my address in this magnificent hall.
A. inviting B. invite C. to have invited me D. invited
9. Indeed the more Europe extends its single market, ...................... it is for the prosperity of Europe and the world.
A. better B. the better C. best D. the best
10. In 1997, people ………… more than 18 months for their operation; now, those waiting lists are at record lows.
A. had waited B. wait C. used to wait D. used to waiting
11. Most states in the European Union ................................. try to avoid a referendum on the treaty.
A. are likely B. are likely to C. like to D. are like to
12. Europeans are ……………………………..concepts together with Americans in NATO.
A. used to developing B. used to develop C. developed D. develop
13. How many Member States have ratified the Lisbon Treaty………………………… ?
A. so yet B. so far C. until yet D. so now
14. I can’t wait ........................... with you and with all the new ministers of your government.
A. to work B. to working C. work D. working
15. Would you mind ......................................... your cells during the lesson? Thanks a lot.
A. turn off B. to turn off C. turning off D. turning off
16. Accession to the European Union is ...................................... guaranteed nor automatic.
A. both B. or C. either D. neither
17. No British Government – present or future – can afford to turn ………….. to their domestic or international concerns.
A. a deaf ear B. a blind eye C. a close eye D. a careless ear
18. Let me give you an idea that I think is worth………………………………………….
A. consider B. to consider C. considering D. of consider
19. We are making real progress in Iraq, ………….. the continuing terrorist attacks on American forces and British forces.
A. in spite B. despite C. even though D. nonetheless
20. “Gomorra” is being released internationally like an American movie, ................. it was filmed in Italian.
A. in spite B. despite C. nonetheless D. although
21. Rarely …………………….………………. to pray in my day.
A. do I forget B. I forget C. forget I D. I am forgetting
22. Many people are still ............................................................... in Iraq.
A. been killed B. being killing C. being kill D. being killed
23. These people have no conscience, they’ll cut off a head just like …………….. and don’t care.
A. this B. that C. so D. easy
24. We must be sceptical that they will willingly ............ their WMD, let alone that they already have.
A. pick up B. give up C. ring up D. put up
25. You have to ................................ a questionnaire, either online or hard copy.
A. give in B. put in C. break in D. fill in
26. I wake up every morning trying to ……………………….. how best to protect our country.
A. give out B. figure out C. put out D. break out
27. No flights will ............................. from the United Kingdom for which we cannot apply the highest standards of security for air crew and passengers.
A. put off B. break off C. take off D. leave off
28. It’s already more than five years since the Iraqi war .....................................
A. broke in B. broke out C. broke up D. broke down
29. “Yes, but ............................... a second, we are talking about two different things here”.
A. hold on B. hold up C. hold in D. hold on to
30. All the meetings were ......................................... yesterday because of the weather.
A. called off B. broken off C. taken off D. passed off
Voters have once again shot an arrow into the heart of a European Union Treaty. This time it was the Irish, who voted “No” to the Lisbon Treaty on June 12th by 53-47%. They follow the French and Dutch, who rejected Lisbon's predecessor, the EU Constitution, in 2005. In 2001 the Irish also turned down the Nice Treaty, but the Danes started this game when they voted against the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.
The Irish were the only people in the EU to be offered a referendum on Lisbon. The Irish Constitution requires a vote on any treaty that transfers any power at all to the European level. Even if one believes that referendums are not always desirable, it is both arrogant and anti-democratic to refuse to take “No” for an answer. Just what kind of democracy is being practised by the EU when the only outcome of a vote that is ever acceptable to Brussels is a “Yes”?
Some EU leaders have had the gall to argue that Lisbon must be brought into effect despite the Irish “No” because it will make the EU more democratic. This is Brussels's equivalent of a doctor saying that the operation was a success, but the patient died. In truth, it is the Lisbon Treaty that should be allowed to die.
But the road to the White House is still a hard one. Even though 80% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, Mr Obama is barely ahead of his septuagenarian Republican rival.
Many Americans, including a dangerously large number of Democrats, still have their doubts about Mr Obama. Some see him as too young and inexperienced for a dangerous world.
From the moment of his coronation in Denver, Mr Obama has 68 days to allay these doubts. There is not much he can do about his thin résumé or his lack of foreign-policy and security expertise, though he has mitigated the latter with the astute choice of his running mate: Joe Biden.