OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
Level 2 Reading Worksheet 2
Topic/s: Unit 2 Where in the world?
Pre reading Activity
Guess the answer to these where in the world questions.
Where in the world…
…was pizza first made?
…are the streets “paved” with water?
…is a shaky country?
…is the home of bullfights?
Scanning. Refer to the passages on the book to answer these activities and
questions. (Refer to page 11 of your book)
Location
Important
Economy
Attractions
languages
date
Singapore
Morocco
Strong
economy,
tourism
North
Africa
Wales
Read the sentences and identify which country they describe. Write 1- Singapore,
2 – Morocco and 3- Wales.
1. It has old castles.
_______
2. People visit the man-made beaches in this place.
_______
3. It uses French for businesses.
_______
4. It has two official languages.
_______
5. People who live here are mixed races.
_______
6. Many people have farms and work as farmers.
_______
7. It is not a kingdom.
_______
8. This place is near the desert.
_______
9. Tourist come to climb the mountains.
_______
10. It is located in Europe.
_______
Answer to Pre-reading
1. Naples, Italy, is the home of the pizza. Neapolitan women first created pizza pies about 200 years ago.
2. In Venice, Italy, the streets are canals, and the people move about on boats called gondolas.
3. New Zealanders call their country “shaky country” because about 400 earthquakes rock it yearly.
4. Seville, Spain, is known as the bullfighting capital of the world.
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OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
Read the passages again and answer the questions below.
True – if the statement is correct
False –if the statement is incorrect
Not Given – if the statement is not in the passages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Singapore is an island in the Middle East Asia.
Moroccans speak Arabic as their official language.
Singapore has only one official language.
Tourists visit Wales for their old castles.
Only English is spoken in Wales.
Morocco is a republic.
Farming is important for Moroccans.
People in Wales like to do fabulous shopping.
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
Passage 1 Read and answer the questions below.
The United Kingdom is a large island located in Europe. It also includes part of the island of
Ireland. It is made up of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Over
60 million people live in the United Kingdom. The vast majority of the population, however,
lives in England. The government of the United Kingdom is considered a constitutional
monarchy. A constitutional monarchy is a government in which the monarch (king or
queen) is head of state. Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch of the United Kingdom. In
reality, however, she exercises very little political power.
The history of the United Kingdom is full of wars, invasions, revolutions, and interesting
rulers. Numerous castles, fortifications, old cathedrals, and ruins are evidence of the
kingdom's past. The "UK," as it is often called, was once the world's most powerful nation.
Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan, and even the United States are among nations that used
to be controlled by the United Kingdom. It is also the birthplace of the English language.
There are many remarkable landmarks to see in the United Kingdom such as the Tower of
London, Big Ben, Oxford University and the mysterious Stonehenge. Oxford University,
founded sometime in the 12th century, is the oldest university in the English speaking
world. Many of the United Kingdom's former prime ministers attended Oxford. Stonehenge,
located near Salisbury, England, is a group of giant standing stones arranged in a circular
formation. Archaeologists believe the formations are over 4,500 years old. No one knows
exactly what Stonehenge is meant to represent.
http://mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/ukcomp/
1. Vocabulary Practice: Match the words to their correct meanings. Choose from
the passage.
1._____________________ - a building or place that was important in history
2. ___________________ -existing in the past
3. ___________________ -a country that is ruled by a king or a queen
4. ___________________ - an area of land surrounded by water
5.___________________ - very great in size, amount, or extent
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OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
2. Multiple Questions. Choose the correct answers or give the answers to the
questions.
1. What continent is the United Kingdom in?
a. Asia
b. England
c. Scotland
d. Europe
2. Which of the following is not a country that makes up the United Kingdom?
a. London
b. Scotland
c. Northern Ireland
d. Wales
3. In paragraph 1, what does she refer to? ___________________________________.
4. Which of the following is NOT an example of a Constitutional Monarchy?
a. A country with a queen
b. A country with a king
c. A country with a president
5. In which paragraph it mentioned the evidence of the kingdom’s past?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none of them
6. Which of the following nations was NOT once controlled by the United Kingdom
a. USA
b. Canada
c. Australia
d. Russia
7. Why is Stonehenge mysterious? __________________________________________.
8. Which of the countries in the United Kingdom has the highest population?
a. England
b. Wales
c. Scotland
d. Northern Ireland
9. What does the term UK mean? ___________________________________________.
10. Which of the following is NOT true?
a. The United Kingdom's queen is named Elizabeth II.
b. The queen really doesn't make political decisions.
c. The United Kingdom was the birthplace of the English language.
d. The United Kingdom is made up of Wales, England, Ireland, and Scotland.
11. Which of the following does not apply to Oxford University?
a. It is the oldest university in the world.
b. Many prime ministers of the United Kingdom attended Oxford University.
c. It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
d. It was founded in the 12th century.
12. What does It refer to in paragraph 2? ______________________________________.
13. The word ‘mysterious’ in paragraph 3 means _____________________.
a. easy to understand
b. very clear
c. difficult to understand
d. not strange
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OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
Passage 2 Read and answer the questions below.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival
A. The blooming of the cherry trees in Washington, D.C. is an annual tradition which has
come to symbolize the natural beauty of America's capital city. The famous trees herald
Washington's rite of spring with a vivid explosion of life and colour that blankets the city's
open spaces in a sea of fragrant white and pale pink blossoms.
B. The first cherry trees were presented as a gift of friendship from the Japanese people to
the people of the United States in the early twentieth century. 3,020 cherry trees of
different varieties were planted in March 1912, with just over half of the trees being Yoshino
Cherry trees.
C. In Japan, the cherry tree, or "Sakura," is a plant which is valued highly. It is a powerful
symbol which represents the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages.
D. Cherry blossom blooming peaks anywhere from mid-March to mid-April, depending on
weather conditions. The peak bloom date is defined as the day when seventy percent of the
Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open.
E. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world visit Washington D.C. every
spring, to enjoy seeing the Japanese flowering cherry trees in full bloom.
http://www.esolcourses.com/cherry-blossom-festival-intermediate-reading.html
1. Vocabulary Practice: Match the words to the meanings.
1. bloom
a. change completely
2. annual
b. bright, vibrant
3. vivid
c. to blossom, flower
4. symbolize
d. represent, stand for
5. transform
e. yearly
2. Scan the text to find the answers to these questions:
1. When does the Cherry Blossom Festival take place?
a) in winter,
b) in spring,
c) in summer
2. Which of these statements about the text is true?
a) the trees were planted in the 19th century,
b) the trees were a gift from the people of Japan,
c) the trees only flower every other year
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OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
3. Which of these statements about the text is false?
a) the festival is a local event,
b) Cherry blossoms are pink and white,
c) Washington D.C. is America's capital city
4. Which of these things does the text tell us?
a) What happens during the festival,
b) when the trees were planted,
c) how many different varieties of tree were planted
5. Which of these things isn't mentioned in the text?
a) how long the trees stay in bloom for,
b) when the trees were planted,
c) how many people visit the festival
3. Which paragraph contains the following information?
1. The festival takes place in the spring. _______________________
2. The trees were a gift from the people of Japan. _______________________
3. The festival is an international event; not a local one. _______________________
4. We know the trees were planted in 1912, because the text says so. _________________
5. The festival is a symbol of the history of a country. _______________________
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