YTU SFL DBE

2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL

MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I

GRAMMAR
A. Choose the correct option to complete the text.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

Do you know any actor who played some of the most

iconic monsters such as Dracula and the Mummy, and
appeared in many cult film series like Star Wars and The
Lord of the Rings as well? Then let me present you Sir
Christopher Lee. The English actor, Christopher Lee, was
born in 1922 in London. Lee’s father was a soldier in the
British army, and his mother was a model. In 1928, his
mother (1) ………. for a famous painter. She was a very
noticeable person for artists thanks to her facial features
and shapely physique. For many people, she was
(2) ………. female in the early 1900s. That’s why artists
were enthusiastic about working with her.

Christopher Lee studied in Switzerland, England and France. He studied the classics in Ancient Greek and
Latin. He was a successful athlete as well. During his high school years, he (3) ……….. , and he was very
good at it. However, later he stopped boxing because he argued with his personal trainer. When Lee was in
Paris, he suffered from financial problems. Unfortunately, he had to quit school in 1939. After the declaration
of the Second World War, (4) ……….. started in the same year, he went to Finland to fight against Soviet
Russia. There he spent two weeks and turned back to London. In a later interview, Lee said “It was one of
the most bitter experiences of my life. I saw pain and unhappy faces everywhere.” Then he decided
(5) ……….. the Royal Air Force as an intelligence agent. He attended secret operations in Africa, Egypt and
Italy.

Following the war, Lee’s acting career began in London. As a young actor, he could not find a chance to play
in popular movies. Until 1957, he did not take part in (6) ……….. movies as the lead actor either. However,
in 1957, he had a contract with Hammer Studios. After that, he worked on several projects. For instance,
Lee starred in the role of Dracula ten times. You may only know him with the role of Saruman, (7) ………..
Lee’s career was full of blockbuster films. He appeared in three Sherlock Holmes films, five Fu Manchu films
and five Tim Burton films. Lee died in 2015, shortly after celebrating his ninety-third birthday. Former Prime
Minister, David Cameron, praised Lee as the titan of the golden age of cinema.

1. a. poses b. will pose c. posed d. has posed

2. a. as pretty as b. the prettiest c. prettier d. pretty
3. a. has boxed b. should not box c. cannot box d. used to box
4. a. which b. who c. when d. where
5. a. join b. joining c. to join d. to joining
6. a. little b. many c. much d. few
7. a. but b. so c. or d. and

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 YTU SFL DBE
2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I
B. Choose the correct option to complete the text.

THE DAY OF THE DEAD

From Semana Santa to Cinco de Mayo, Mexico is home

to a great number of celebrations. Among all, The Day
of the Dead is an unusual Mexican festival celebrated at
the end of October every year. The festival is (8)
………. scary than its name suggests because on this
day, people remember the dead with joy and happiness.
The holiday is a mixture of Catholic Christian beliefs,
Spanish culture, and the local Aztec traditions of the
past. It has its roots in the European Middle Ages
tradition of “Danse Macabre”, also known as “dancing
skeletons”. Danse Macabre reminds people to enjoy life
when they can. Although its name is related to death, the Day of the Dead is not a sad event. It started
1,000 years ago, and (9) ………. then, it has been a period of happiness and a way of celebrating life and
death.

The symbol of The Day of the Dead is a skeleton head called “La Calavera Catrina”. It is a stylishly decorated
skull with an elegant design. Over the years, it has become so fashionable that nowadays women wear La
Calavera Catrina make-up or masks. They wear fancy dresses and march on the streets at night. On The Day
of the Dead, family members come together to remember their dead friends and relatives, and they tell each
other funny anecdotes and happy memories about their lost ones. They also share (10) ………. piece of
sweet bread named “pan de muerto”, and they drink hot chocolate with their family. However, the Day of
the Dead is more than wearing masks and eating together. On this holiday, Mexicans write cheerful poems
for their lost ones, too. So, if you are keen on literature, you (11) ………. this tradition for sure. Moreover,
there are even some small prizes for creative writers. Do not worry; you (12) ………. spend the whole
holiday sitting with your family at home. After the celebrations at home, people go to cemeteries to visit their
dead family members. Most families organize a party, sing songs, dance, and talk to the deceased as if they
were still alive.

The Day of the Dead achieved worldwide fame in 2015, after the James Bond film, “Spectre”. The film has
increased the familiarity and popularity of the holiday. For example, in the last year’s celebration, there was
not (13) ………. for the attendants in New Mexico. Recently, Texas and Arizona have celebrated the Day of
the Dead with thousands of people. Probably, some major U.S. cities such as Chicago and San Antonio (14)
………. it next year. However, they have not planned any activities or announced any events calendars yet.
In conclusion, we can say that the Day of the Dead is attracting more and more people every year.

8. a. the least b. a little c. as little as d. less

9. a. for b. yet c. since d. already
10. a. a b. an c. the d. -
11. a. have enjoyed b. will enjoy c. are enjoying d. enjoyed
12. a. mustn’t b. have to c. must d. don’t have to
13. a. enough space b. too many space c. spacious enough d. too spacious
14. a. are going to celebrate b. will celebrate c. celebrate d. are celebrating

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 YTU SFL DBE
2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I

CLOSEST MEANING

Choose the answer that has the closest meaning to the sentence given.

15. Although Jason helped us a lot, we could not find a reasonable place to live in.

a. Because Jason will offer us a lot of help, we will be able to find the ideal place to live in.
b. After we could not find a reasonable place to live in, we did not ask for any help from Jason.
c. If we cannot find an appropriate place to live in, we really should ask for some help from Jason.
d. Jason, in fact, provided us great help, but we could not find a suitable place to live in.

16. Sabina did not find a job in Paris, so she felt hopeless.

a. Sabina always tried to find a job in Paris, as she felt helpless there.
b. Sabina had a few job opportunities in Paris, but she never felt hopeless.
c. Because Sabina had no job opportunities in Paris, she felt helpless.
d. If Sabina feels a little hopeless in Paris, she should try to find a job there.

17. As soon as Gramsci graduated from the university, he started to work in a company where
he met his wife.

a. Before Gramsci graduated from the university, he began to work in a company where he met his wife.
b. Following his graduation from the university, Gramsci began working for a company where he met his
wife.
c. After Gramsci and his wife graduated from the university, they started to work in the same company.
d. When Gramsci met his wife who graduated from the same university, he started to work in a company.

18. I was listening to music when my mother called me to help her.

a. Before my mother asked me to help, I stopped listening to music.

b. I helped my mother to call someone after I listened to music.
c. I was listening to music when someone helped my mother to call me.
d. When my mother asked me for help, I was listening to music.

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 YTU SFL DBE
2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I

VOCABULARY
A. Choose the best option to complete the text.

DESERT PLANTS

A desert is an empty and dry area of land. The living

conditions in a desert are unwelcoming for plant and animal
life. Only specialized plants can survive the climate of a
desert because deserts are regions with relatively limited
rainfall. The entire yearly rainfall occurs during a few days
or weeks in spring. For the remaining ten or eleven months
of the year, a desert plant must stay alive without rain. No
rain simply means drought, which creates extreme living
conditions for many organisms. Just like humans, desert
plants can feel (19) ………. because of drought. In order
to overcome this pressure, organisms such as desert plants
have developed different methods to store the water in their stems longer.

There are two types of desert plants: annuals and perennials. Annual plants such as sunflowers live only a
single year, and it is easier to take care of them. In a similar way, perennial plants may seem to require
minimal care. However, people who are interested in gardening (20) ………. this idea. They are not wrong
because perennial plants can continue to live for many years only if they get the proper care. Desert annuals
such as grasses and flowers survive from one year to the next by existing through the long, hot and dry
season in the form of seeds. These seeds remain inactive if the right amount of rain does not fall. In case
there is not sufficient rain, they wait until the following year or even the next. Another factor that helps these
plants survive is the fact that their life cycles are short. This short cycle helps these perennial plants (21)
………. their chance of survival. When they get the right amount of rainfall, the seeds grow into plants. By
the time the water from the spring rain disappears - just a few weeks after it falls – the desert annuals do
not need any water.

Desert perennials also have some (22) ………. characteristics that enable them to survive for several years.
Nearly all perennials have a well-developed root system below ground. Thanks to this unique anatomy of the
root, the plant absorbs the maximum amount of water possible in a short time. Another characteristic of
many desert perennials is their habit of losing leaves. Desert perennials (23) ………. their stem and root
growth seasonally based on rainfall. After the rainy season, the plants drop their leaves to prepare for the
long and dry season. Similarly, trees in wetter climates lose theirs to prepare for the winter. This reduces
their water loss during the dry season to a minimum degree. Then in the next rainy season, they come fully
alive once more and grow new branches, leaves and flowers, as the desert annuals do.

19. a. surprised b. stressed c. excited d. bored

20. a. take up b. cope with c. stay up d. disagree with
21. a. stand b. point c. increase d. fix
22. a. harmful b. rare c. filthy d. emotional
23. a. adjust b. leave c. record d. count

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 YTU SFL DBE
2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I
B. Choose the best option to complete the text.

ISTANBUL CINEMA MUSEUM

Istanbul Cinema Museum is located inside one of the most

important cultural buildings, the Atlas Cinema in Beyoglu.
Nowadays, the museum hosts the Stanley Kubrick exhibition
for a limited time. Are you are a Kubrick fan? Then the
exhibition offers you once in a lifetime opportunity to see the
costumes and various objects that Kubrick used in his films.
For instance, you can take a look at the model of the
spaceship in the 1968 science-fiction film “2001: A Space
Odyssey”. The film is about a machine that astronauts found
on the surface of our (24) ………., the moon. For some, it is
hard to endure the opening scene, but the movie gets more
enjoyable after the first twenty minutes.

In the exhibition, there are numerous objects from the 1980 horror film “The Shining” which sets in a big
and luxurious mountain-top summer (25) ………. called “the Overlook”. The father who decides to work
there as a manager is portrayed by Jack Nicholson. Although the movie starts like a family story, it turns out
to be different. At first, they seem to be a normal family settling down somewhere new but then the father
gets crazy and wants to kill his child. Until his wife realizes the truth, he (26) ………. to be a caring father.
When you go to Istanbul Cinema Museum, you will see a lot of photographs from the movie. You had better
prepare yourself before visiting it because the photos are very frightening.

Moreover, there are several photographs from the set of the 1987 film “Full Metal Jacket”. It is a war film,
and it shows the (27) ………. and poor conditions of the soldiers in the Vietnam War. Visitors also have
the chance to try on the actual mask Tom Cruise wore in the film “Eyes Wide Shut”. Finally, visitors can touch
the (28) ………. costume of the sadistic gang leader, Alex, in the movie “A Clockwork Orange”. The costume
is very unusual as it is only a simple white shirt and a pair of cricket trousers combined with a black melon
hat.

The Stanley Kubrick Exhibition will be open to visitors till March. A visit to the exhibition might encourage
people to watch classical Kubrick films. The museum is very busy, so you had better buy your tickets
beforehand.

24. a. planet b. space c. probe d. satellite

25. a. monument b. resort c. cave d. court
26. a. tidies b. decides c. pretends d. belongs
27. a. casual b. mysterious c. miserable d. contemporary
28. a. strange b. lovely c. adventurous d. rewarding

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 YTU SFL DBE
2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I

READING
Read the text below and answer the following questions.
AN ENORMOUS ISLAND: GREENLAND
I. Greenland is an island country in North America that is part of the Danish
Kingdom. Though geographically it is a part of the continent of North America,
Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for more
than a millennium. The effect of Denmark is really visible in the island. For
instance, most people use Danish in administration and higher education in
Greenland. Although it is the largest island in the world, it has a small population
of 56,000. Many of these ‘Greenlanders’ live close to the coastline because a
large part of the country is covered with ice and glaciers. More than a quarter of all the people live in the
capital, Nuuk, as that part is more convenient for people to grow some food and continue their daily lives
smoothly. As the geographical conditions are favourable, life in the capital is not as hard as life in the other
regions of the island. Unfortunately, since the 1960s, the country has been facing economic difficulties and
social problems due to the effects of climate change. For instance, although Greenland’s most traditional
industry is fishing, nowadays the country has even started to import fish from other countries.

II. Most scientists agree that the world’s climate is getting warmer, and one can already see the results of
this in Greenland. For example, small icebergs, which are about the size of a city bus, are floating near the
coast. They have broken off from much larger bodies of ice further out in the ocean because of the change
in temperature. Furthermore, the huge sheet of ice that covers Greenland is shrinking by about 75 cubic
kilometres each year. If all of Greenland’s ice melted, sea levels across the world would rise by 7,5 meters.
In the last few years, this threat has caused chaos in the island. Some locals have considered leaving the
island before a disaster occurs. That has caused a noticeable decrease in the population of Greenland. Of
course, the change in the population of the island has had some adverse effects on the economy. When
some workforce left the island, production stopped for some time, and it caused the government to lose
millions of dollars. There are plenty of job opportunities in the island but finding workers or employees does
not seem to be easy at the moment.

III. Greenland is suffering because of climate change in many ways. However, some actually benefit from
climate change in the island. For example, one industry that is benefiting from the melting ice is the oil
industry. Nowadays, the sea around the west coast of Greenland has no ice for six months of the year. This
means oil companies prefer this area for their underground explorations. They plan to drill for oil in the next
few years. Greenlanders have mixed feelings about this recent development. The the country’s prime
minister, Kuupik Kleist, explains the dilemma: “The arctic people are the ones most exposed to climate
change, but we need a strong economy, and we have to take advantage of the opportunities that oil could
bring us… we do not have any other natural resources for the time being that hold as much potential as oil.”

IV. Another effect of climate change can be seen in farming. The growing season is longer because springs
arrive earlier. At first glance, the change seems to be positive. On the one hand, if the country produced
more of its own food, it would not need to import so much. On the other hand, local farmers are worried
about the long summers because there are not many temporary workers who are willing to work in the
infertile fields of Greenland. They think the drier summers might create new problems. For example, last
year, it was so dry that farmers produced half the normal amount of food. In order to see the situation there,
last year I visited Greenland and stayed in the town of Quartoq with farming families at their annual
celebration before the summer began. After dinner, everyone started singing their traditional song. The song
is about the importance of summer in a place where, in the past, the winters were long, and the summers
were short. As nature in Greenland has changed a lot, I wondered if they would still sing this song in a
hundred years’ time. It is inevitable that day-to-day routines and rituals of people will surely be affected.

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2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I

29. According to paragraph I, ………. .

a. Nuuk with its tough life conditions is not suitable for settling down
b. Greenland has shared similar values with Europe for a long time
c. Greenland’s fishing industry was not affected by the climate change
d. Denmark has been the centre of education for people in the island

30. In paragraph I, the word “smoothly” is closest in meaning to ………. .

a. easily and without interruption
b. suddenly and obviously
c. certainly and without a doubt
d. unwisely and stupidly

31. We can understand from paragraph II that …....... .

a. the island’s economy has benefited from migration in recent years
b. the Greenland government forces its people to work for longer hours
c. the buses in Greenland travel on huge sheets of ice on the island
d. the consequences of climate change affected the lives of Greenlanders

32. According to paragraph III, it is true that …........ .

a. the weather conditions will influence the presidential elections
b. climate change caused many companies to avoid the area
c. melting ice in Greenland supported the search for some reserves
d. Kuupik Kleist aims to find the best solution to stop climate change

33. The word “they” in paragraph IV refers to …....... .

a. local farmers
b. temporary workers
c. long summers
d. infertile fields

34. According to paragraph IV, it is clear that …....... .

a. long summers can be a solution to the problems of local people

b. the farmers do not have any difficulties finding people to work with
c. the author does not suggest that people visit the island in spring
d. some customs of the people in the island will face some changes

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 YTU SFL DBE
2024-2025 FALL TERM A2 LEVEL
MIDTERM II PRACTICE MATERIAL I

LISTENING

You will hear an interview with Jennifer, a salesperson in a

perfume store. Answer the questions while you are listening. You
will listen TWICE.

*scent: the pleasant natural sm ell

35. In 2008, Jennifer ………. .

a. found a job with the support of her teachers

b. attended a workshop on perfume making
c. completed her high school education successfully
d. got a promotion to work in Gucci’s store in Paris

36. How old was Jennifer when she bought her first perfume?
a. 9
b. 10
c. 11
d. 15

37. When Jennifer goes to a party, she likes to wear ………. scents.
a. oceanic
b. fruity
c. spicy
d. floral

38. The angry customer got more frustrated when ……….. .

a. she heard the store’s policy
b. she was offered some help
c. she broke a perfume bottle
d. she was asked to apologize

39. When a colleague causes a problem at work, now Jennifer first ………. .

a. feels so sad and hopeless

b. contacts her boss
c. talks to her colleagues
d. argues with her coworkers

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