INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CLASS

ENTRANCE EXAM IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The question paper is divided into two parts. Part 1 consists of three texts and is intended for reading
comprehension; Part 2 is a language in use exercise designed as a sentence transformation task consisting of
30 sentences.

For the reading exercises students will be required to:

• understand and respond to information presented in a variety of forms
• select and organise material relevant to specific purposes
• recognise, understand and distinguish between facts, opinions, ideas
• infer information from texts

For the language in use exercise students will be required to:

understand and use basic and more complex grammatical structures ( articles, nouns, adjectives, adverbs,
numerals, verbs, passive forms, ing- forms, conditional clauses, modal verbs, indirect speech, pronouns,
conjunctions, phrasal verbs, etc.)

SAMPLE OF THE READING TASK

The following newspaper article is about an area in the north of India where people frequently travel in
search of adventure. Read it carefully and then answer the questions.

The Himalaya mountains are a favourite destination of more and more people. Improved transport, access to
previously forbidden areas, and the increasing number of specialised tour operators have all contributed to
a rapid rise in the number of tourists entering the area in the last three decades. This increase has caused
problems throughout the region and in Nandra Devi in particular. Now conservation work has started to try
and improve the situation.

NANDRA DEVI NATIONAL PARK

Nandra Devi lies 530 kilometres northeast of Delhi and is regarded by people living there as the most
beautiful of the Himalaya mountains. The surrounding area is called the ‘Valley of the Lost Horizon’ and is
rich in animal, plant and bird life.
The Himalaya (which are a series of mountain ranges with valleys between them) are the world’s highest
mountains, and run from southeast to northwest. They separate India from China, and evolved 80 million
years ago, when hard volcanic rocks were thrust against soft sedimentary crust, forcing it upward. This
process continues, and the mountains rise by up to 8mm each year.
Nandra Devi National park opened to tourists in 1974 but, because there were no restrictions and no rules,
the area had to be closed again in 1983 to give it time to recover from the destruction caused by the tourists.
At the time of writing this article, the park is still closed.
Before the area was closed in 1983 the mountaineers, trekkers, naturalists, ornithologists, botanists,
geologists and researchers who entered this area in their thousands had a devastating effect. There were three
main problems as a result. The first problem was overgrazing, caused by the large number of pack animals
needed to support expeditions. This meant that the natural vegetation was replaced by very much harder
kinds of grass and other plants which the animals would not eat. The trouble was that the native wild animals
wouldn’t eat it either. Second, the porters who accompanied the expeditions to Nandra Devi were often not
supplied with fuel for cooking or with tents for shelter. This meant that large numbers of trees were cut down
both for cooking fires and to build shelters. Thinning out the forests eroded the topsoil and plant life was
disturbed, causing unstable conditions. Third, the amount of rubbish increased and became a significant
problem made worse by huge amounts of unused equipment which was just dumped by departing
mountaineering expeditions. Medicines that had been left behind entered the water system. This caused river
pollution and was harmful to wildlife. According to Dr Ahamed Patel of the Tenzing Conservation Institute,
‘the dreadful consequences of this pollution will probably not be fully known for another two or more
generations – drastic action is needed to stop things getting even worse.’
The area of Nandra Devi has been chosen as one of twelve areas in India which are going to be preserved as
areas of special interest. It is certainly true that if it is going to be opened again to tourists there will have to
be rules to make sure that the damage does not occur again.

1. Give two reasons why the number of tourists visiting the Himalaya area increased.
2. Give two reasons why the Nandra Devi area is special.
3. Why did the park have to close in 1983?
4. What was the main problem with the new types of grass?
5. Explain why the trees being cut down caused problems.
6. Based on what you have read, make a list of four points of advice which you would give to an
expedition visiting Nandra Devi

©CIE 2004

SMAPLE OF THE LANGUAGE IN USE TASK

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
Do not change the word given. use between two and five words, including the word given.

1. Are you planning to do anything on Saturday? plans

Do …………………………………………………………….………..Saturday?
2. Although the weather changes, the picnic went ahead as planned. spite
The picnic went ahead as planned …………………………………………………... in the weather.
3. Jackie hasn’t been swimming for five years. swimming
The last ……………………………………………………………………...was five years ago.
4. ‘I wouldn’t trust Frank with your money if I were you, Carl,’ I said. advised
I ……............................................................................ Frank with his money
5. Joe’s father used to insist that he washed the car at the weekend. make
Joe’s father used to ………………………………………………… the car at the weekend.
6. Everyone thinks Alan will accept the job within the next few days. expected
Alan …………………………………………………………….. the job within the next few days.
7.‘Is there anything you want from the shops?’ Alison asked her mother. there
Alison asked her mother if ………………………………………………. from the shops.
8. How about going to see a film this evening? cinema
Why don’t …………………………………………………..………….. this evening?
9. I can’t wait to visit the new safari park. forward
I’m ………………………………………………………….... the new safari park.
10. I’m glad I went to Africa to see animals in their natural environment. worth
It ……………………………………………….. Africa to see animals in their natural environment.
11. I can hear laughter coming from the neighbour’s flat. people
I …………………………………………………………………….... in the neighbour’s flat.
12. Sue was excited because it was her first visit to India. never
Sue was excited because ………………………………………………………………... India before.
13. I had hardly opened the front door when the phone rang. soon
The phone rang …………………………………………………………... the front door.
14. I didn’t need any help to repair my bicycle. repaired
I ………………………………………………………….... own.
15. Are you badly hurt? hurt
Have …………………………………………………………………..… badly?
16. The lead dancer performed exceptionally well this evening. gave
The lead dancer …………………………………………………………..……. this evening.
17. Lucas has always been full of ambition. very
Lucas has always …………………………………………………………………….. person.
18. We need to solve this problem quickly. solution
We need to find ……………………………………………………….….. this problem.
©Vilniaus Licėjus, 2005 m. stojamieji egzaminai
 MATHEMATICS
Entrance Exam Syllabus and Samples

1. Natural numbers. Properties of divisible by 2, 5, 10, 3 and 9. Prime numbers and factors, including
greatest common factors and least common multiples.
2. Basic manipulation of simple algebraic expressions involving factorization and expansion.
Formulae: a 2 − b 2 ; (a ± b) 2 . Rearrangement, evaluation and combination of simple formulae.
3. Definition of absolute value (modulus). Distance between two points on the straight line and in the
Cartesian plane. Coordinates of mid-point of a line segment.
4. Integers exponents and operations with them. Square and cubic roots. Simplification of expressions
involving roots, surds or radicals. Expression of numbers in standard form (scientific notation).
5. The linear function and its graph, gradient, parallel and perpendicular lines. Solution of simultaneous
linear equations in two variables.
Quadratic function, its graph, properties. Factorization of quadratic expression. Solutions of quadratic
equations and inequalities. Solution of simultaneous equations in two variables with one non-linear equation.
Solution of equations and inequalities of algebraic fractions. Interval method. Solution of system of non-
linear inequalities.
k
6. Functions of f ( x) = , f ( x) = ax 3 , f ( x) = x , f ( x) = 3 x and their graphs. Graph of y = f (x) .
x
Transformations of graphs.
7. Applications of ratio, percentage and proportion. Compound interest.
8. Triangle. Properties of equilateral and isosceles triangles. Property of medians. Pythagoras’ theorem and
its converse. Properties of equal and similar triangles. Properties of halfway line of triangle and trapezium.
9. Similar plane figures. Ratio of their perimeters and areas.
10. Quadrilaterals. Parallelograms, rhombuses, rectangles, square and trapeziums; compound shapes. Their
properties, perimeters and areas.
11. The circle, its centre and radius, area and circumference. Equation of circle. Length of arc, area of sector.
Chord, tangent and segment, their properties. Property of inscribed angle. Described and inscribed circles,
their properties.
12. Trigonometry in right triangle. Sine and cosine rules. Solution of triangles.
13. Parallel and perpendicular straight lines. Angles between straight lines and planes, between planes.
14. Cube, parallelepiped. Their surface area and volume.
15. Regular pyramid. Its surface area and volume.
16. Volumes and surface area of revolutions: cone and cylinder.
17. Counting principles, additional and multiplication rules. Probability of event. Complementary events.
18. Descriptive statistics: collection of raw data, display of data in pictorial and diagrammatic forms.
Calculation of simple statistics from discrete data, including mean, median and mode.

SAMPLE

MATHEMATICS
INSTRUCTIONS:
• You may use drawing tools and calculator.
• 0 marks awarded for a correct answer with no working. Answer must be supported by working and/or
explanations.

1. In shop A 1kg of sugar costs 3Lt. In shop B 1kg of sugar costs 2.7Lt, but a trip to shop B costs additional 2Lt. What
is the least amount of sugar for which the total cost of shopping in shop B would be less than in shop A? (In both
shops sugar is packed in 1kg bags.) (2 pointss)
2. The time taken by each student to watch television during the weekend was recorded as follows:
 Time taken to watch
television in hours 6 5 4 3 2 1

Number of students 10 8 12 5 x 5

Find the value of x if mean of time taken by each student to watch television is 4 hours.
(2 points)

3. Prove that the number 92005 – 92003 is divisible by 80. (2 points)

4. Given that the product’s price decreases twice by the same percentage r, its price falls from 25Lt to 16Lt. Find the
value of r. (2 points)

5. Given that x and y are measures of angles noted in the rectangle,

and the triangle inscribed in the rectangle is equilateral.
Calculate the value of y – x.

(2 points)

2x − 1
6. State the domain of the function f ( x ) = −3 . (2 points)
x−2

7. The coordinates of the vertex of the parabola y = ax2 + bx +1 are (-2; 5). State the values of a and b.
(3 points)

x 2 − 3x − 4
8. Simplify: . (3 points)
3 − 3x 2

9. The square is inscribed in the right triangle. The legs (the sides of the right angle) of the triangle are a cm and b cm.
Express the measure of the side of the square in terms of a and b. (2 points)
 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CLASS
ENTRANCE EXAM IN FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH

The exam is based on IGCSE First Language English syllabus and is designed following the format of Paper
1: Reading Passage (Core tier) OR Paper 2: Reading Passages (Extended tier). The students will have to
choose and to answer one question paper.

Students will be required to demonstrate their ability to:

• read, with insight and engagement, making appropriate references to texts and developing and
sustaining interpretations of them;
• distinguish between fact and opinion and evaluate how information is presented;
• follow an argument, identifying implications and recognising inconsistencies;
• select material appropriate to their purpose, collate material from different sources, and make cross-
references;
• understand and evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational devices to achieve
their effects, and comment on ways language varies and changes.
(from GCSE English)