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December 16

 

University of Bari, Faculty of Political Science. December 16, 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. The Treaty of Lisbon ……………… signed on 13 December 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.
A. was                         B. has been                    C. is                              D. will be                                                       
2. The rejection of the Lisbon Treaty …………. 12 June 2008 by the Irish electorate means that the treaty cannot currently come into force.
A. in                           B. by                             C. on                             D. over                                           
 
3. Ireland was the only Member State that ……………. a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon, in addition to a parliamentary vote.
A. holds                      B. held                                      C. helds                       D. holded                                                                                    
4. On 12 December 2008 Brian Cowen confirmed that a second referendum …………. be held in Ireland next year.
A. will                         B. was                            C. is                             D. has to                                                                              
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 down
 
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. “Solo un padre” 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                     


 
Part 2 – December 16, 2008
The use of the dictionary is not allowed.
 
 
 
A. Translate the following passage into Italian (15 points)
The election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the United States, in spite of his lack of executive experience, is testament to his large worldwide yearning. His victory has tremendous symbolism. By their very presence in the White House, he and his family will be a daily reminder of America’s thrilling possibilities. African Americans, for so long discriminated against, will look to them and believe that the so-called land of the free has finally begun to atone for the original sin of slavery; they will look to the Obamas and dare to dream of a new, more hopeful world in which they can play a part. More prosaically, Obama’s victory and the significant Democrat majority in the Senate confirm that the Bush years will be remembered as a time of shame and failure.
Obama and his advisers fought a brilliant campaign. They understood from the beginning how to use the internet to reach the young and the disenfranchised. To the very last, they were using Facebook to encourage people to register and vote and then, once they had registered, to vote early. They were continuously uploading campaign videos on YouTube.
 
 
B. Translate the following passage into English (5 points)
L'Ungheria è stato il primo paese a ratificare il Trattato di Lisbona il 17 dicembre 2007.
Il Trattato è stato ratificato da quasi tutti gli stati firmatari, prevalentemente per via parlamentare, nel corso del 2008. Vari gruppi euro-scettici (danesi e inglesi) hanno chiesto nei primi mesi del 2008 la ratifica attraverso referendum, ma non l'hanno ottenuta.
Solo l'Irlanda, nel rispetto della sua Costituzione, ha deciso di effettuare un referendum, mentre i Paesi Bassi, la Repubblica Ceca e la Danimarca hanno deciso di non tenerlo: l'obiettivo era quello di riuscire a far entrare in vigore il Trattato il 1° gennaio 2009, prima delle elezioni europee del giugno successivo.
 
 
 
C. Read the following passage and then answer the questions below (10 points)
On the night of Tuesday, November 4th, Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, scrambled the assumptions that have governed American politics for half a generation. An intriguing and inspiring politician, he will take office in January from the most unpopular president in modern time.
Mr Obama ran a calm and disciplined campaign, and most importantly he managed to assure voters that he would be a safer leader in a time of financial and economic anxieties.
America has not shifted greatly to the left. Mr Obama, especially with his big Democratic majority in Congress, will have to manage expectations carefully. Democrats will want big pushes to the left. But Mr Obama knows that Bill Clinton lost his congressional majority after two years because he overreached in that direction.
America is ready to welcome the first black president-elect of a country born with the ugly birthmark of slavery. It s a remarkable and historic, achievement.

 
1.      Explain the meaning of “Barack Obama scrambled the assumptions that have governed American politics for half a generation”. (2.5 points)
2.      Explain the meaning of “he will take office in January from the most unpopular president in modern time”. (2.5 points)
3.      Write a short comment on American politics today. (5 points)