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Written test, January 26, 2009

 

University of Bari, Faculty of Political Science. January 26, 2009.   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. Barack Hussein Obama  .........................................oath of office on January 20,  2009.
A. takes                         B. has taken                  C. took                         D. taked                           
 
2. Hillary Clinton .................................. the United States First Lady from 1993 to 2001.
A. was                            B. has been                  C. is                            D. will be                          
 
3. Many people wonder whether George Bush ............................... as the worst US President.
A. was remembered         B. is remembering        C. will be remembered      D. remembers          
 
4. Americans ............................................ for change since November 2006.
A. are asking                     B. have been asking           C. ask                          D. asked                  
 
5. ..................... last summer, more than 1 million Americans have lost their homes.
A. Since                           B. For                               C. From                  D. By                                                      
 
6. We try to …..........…... people, especially reporters, that when you go into a war zone it is risky.
 A. record                        B. remember                  C. remind                   D. recall                           
 
7.  Dmitry Medvedev became the new Russian President ..................... 7 May 2008.
A. in                                 B. on                            C. at                         D. on                                   
 
8. Thank you for ……………………………. , Senator. I appreciate you being here today.
A. coming                        B. come                       C. to come                   D. to have come                                   
 
9. The more free countries there are in the world, ............................ likely it is we’ll have peace.
A. more                          B. most                         C. the most                  D. the more                       
 
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. Mr. Bush was the 43rd President, .............................................?
 A. isn’t it                       B. isn’t he                      C. wasn’t he                    D. hasn’t he              
 
12. Europeans are ……………………………..concepts together with Americans in NATO.
A. used to developing       B. used to develop          C. developed               D. develop                
 
13. They say that the movie “Seven Souls” with Will Smith should be rated ............................
A. R                                    B. ER                            C. E                        D. GP                             
 
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. They were very tired last night, and ..............................................................
A. so did I                      B. so am I                     C. so  do I                       D. so was I                   
 
18. Let me give you an idea that I think is worth………………………………………….
A. consider                 B. to consider                 C. considering              D. of consider               
 
19. India is an extraordinary example of a democratic country,................ all the problems of development.
 A. in spite                         B. despite                           C. nonetheless                D. although                   
 
20. “Come 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 – January 26, 2009
The use of the dictionary is not allowed.
 
 
A Translate the following passage into Italian (15 points)
 
How will Mr Bush be judged in the light of history? Many historians are now wondering whether Bush will be remembered as the very worst president in all American history. He surely leaves the White House as one of the least popular presidents in American history, at home and abroad.
George W. Bush has presided over the most catastrophic collapse in America’s reputation since the Second World War. The economy is in deep recession, and America is embroiled in two wars, one of which Mr Bush launched against the tide of world opinion.
Mr Bush’s role model throughout his presidency was not his father but the patron saint of the modern conservative movement, Ronald Reagan. He regarded Reagan as a man who had unleashed free-enterprise and defeated the Soviet Empire, and he tried to do the same with his huge tax cuts and his global war on terror. He mimicked Reagan’s Western style, even relaxing on a Texas ranch where Reagan had taken his holidays on a Californian one; and he echoed Reagan’s enthusiastic use of the word “evil”.
Yet, Mr Bush’s presidency is not without its merits. Among many other things, he maintained good relations with India, Japan and, particularly, Africa, where he launched a $15 billion anti-AIDS programme.
 
 
 
B Translate the following passage into English (5 points)
 
Hillary Rodham Clinton è nata a Chicago il 26 ottobre 1947. È stata first lady degli Stati Uniti dal 1993 al 2001. Il 20 gennaio 2007 annunciò la propria candidatura alle primarie del proprio partito per la presidenza degli Stati Uniti per le elezioni del 2008; nonostante i sondaggi della vigilia la vedessero largamente favorita, fu sconfitta da Barack Obama, senatore dell'Illinois, dopo un lungo ed estenuante testa a testa. Il 1° giugno, giorno stesso della fine della contesa tra la Clinton e Obama, l'ex first lady annunciò il proprio sostegno nei confronti del senatore afro-americano. Il 21 novembre 2008 la Clinton ha accettato l'incarico offertogli dal presidente eletto Barack Obama di divenire Segretario di Stato nella squadra di governo che si è formata il 20 gennaio 2009.
 
 
 
C Read the following passage and then answer the questions below (10 points)
Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20th was marked by global jubilation and stratospheric expectations. (It was also slightly marred by a bumbled oath-taking, which Mr Obama corrected—though he did not need to—in the White House the next day.) More people probably packed the Mall than at any previous event in Washington—nearly 2 million, by one estimate. Mr Obama has charmed people from Kenya to Karachi. Headline-writers struggled to find synonyms for “historic”.
The message of Mr Obama’s speech on January 20th was sombre. America is in crisis, he said. The nation is at war. The economy is badly weakened. Health care is too costly, American schools fail too many students.
No other majority-white country has elected a black leader. Roughly two-thirds of African-Americans now believe that Martin Luther King’s dream has been fulfilled—a proportion that has doubled in less than a year, a CNN poll says. In his speech, Mr Obama did not mention his colour. He did not need to. The whole world could see his face. He alluded to it only in passing: “A man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”
 
 
1.      Explain the meaning of “ Headline-writers struggled to find synonyms for ‘historic’. (2.5 points)
2.      Explain the meaning of  “Roughly two-thirds of African-Americans now believe that Martin Luther King’s dream has been fulfilled”. (2.5 points)
3.      Write your opinion on the new direction American politics is taking. (5 points)