ICFES PREPARATION

    

                                                                                  COLEGIO REYES CATÓLICOS

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

LIC. CLAUDIA LORENA MUÑOZ PATIÑO

FULL NAME : ________________________ DATE: ____________________

I. Read the texts and select the right answer

The story of Santa Claus began with a kind bishop named Saint Nicholas. He lived during the fourth century in what is now Turkey. He often gave presents to children and poor people in secret. One day he heard about three young sisters. They were poor, lived alone, and had nothing to eat. So he climbed up on their roof, and dropped three bags of gold down their chimney. The legend of this good saint and

his generosity grew. Now, children believe that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with his wife and his reindeer. This friendly old man wears a red coat and black boots, and has a long white beard. Over the centuries he has come to be considered magical and a symbol of Christmas time.

1. A proper title for this reading would be:

A Santa Claus and Christmas beliefs.

B. Christmas traditions and Santa Claus stories.

C. Traditional stories at Christmas time.

D. History of, and beliefs about Santa Claus.

2. An important idea that could be taken from the reading is:

A. For many years Santa Claus has helped people, and he became important around the world in this era.

B. For a few years Santa Claus has been considered a magician because he flies over the roofs.

C. For a few years Santa Claus has given presents to poor people, so that they will consider him a generous man.

D. For many years people have thought Santa Claus is a kind man for his generosity at Christmas.

3. According to the reading, this is

A. an account about stories of people at Christmas time.

B. a summary of events about Santa Claus. life.

C. a tale about anecdotes of people at Christmas time.

D. an abstract of Santa Claus and his friends. lives.

FOLK MUSIC

The drum music of Western Africa played an important role in communicating over long distances.

Drummers used tone and rhythm to send messages from village to village. Therefore, it was easy for people to get in contact with each other. In Japan, a special type of music called Koto music had a different use. Musicians played the Koto to accompany classical plays.

One kind of music that was typical in Arabian countries was the Huda. It had a special rhythm, which imitated the rhythm of a camel’s walk. Experts believe that Arabs thought this music would keep them safe from spirits in the desert.

4. The conclusion of this text could be:

A. Music had more purposes than just entertainment in the past.

B. Folk music was very important in Africa and India.

C. Folk music started with drums as its main instrument during the last decade.

D. Music has evolved differently in different cultures.

5. The underlined word Therefore can be

replaced by

A. In the same way.

B. On the other hand.

C. As a result.

D. That is.

6. The underlined expression, a different use,

establishes a relationship of contrast with

A. the use of rhythm in Arabian music.

B. Koto music to accompany plays.

C. folk music for telling stories and poetry.

D. the role of drum music for Africans.

METEOROLOGISTS

Meteorologists are scientists who study the weather and make weather predictions. In order to make

a successful reading, meteorologists must take a lot of things into consideration. In fact, the data

required are collected several times a day from different sources all over the world. To gather this

information, special types of instruments are used.

These data are of course valuable to everybody since the reports and warnings that meteorologists give

are usually reliable. Failing to take their advice could, in some cases, be a matter of life or death.

7. The underlined word valuable can be

replaced with

A. expensive.

B. useless.

C. necessary.

D. useful.

8. The underlined expression usually reliable

supports one of the following ideas:

A. Weather information is generally accurate.

B. Meteorologists read very successfully.

C. Meteorologists work really hard.

D. Weather information is rarely precise.

9. The underlined sentence, Failing to take their advice could, in some cases, be a matter of life or

death, communicates the idea that

A. meteorologists. observations are sometimes right.

B. it is necessary to ignore scientists. recommendations.

C. it is prudent  to pay attention to meteorologists. suggestions.

D. scientists. directions are usually inefficient.

III. Complete with the  correct option.

10._______ there any milk?

A. Is         B. Are     C. Am

11. There _________any potatoes.

A. aren’t        B. isn’t

12. There is______ fruit in the fridge.

A. some               B.any

13. There isn’t ____orange juice on the table.

A. some               B.any

14. Aren’t there _______eggs for breakfast?

A.some             B. any

15. My name _______ Paul Jones.

A. is looking         C. is

B. look                 D. call

16. My friend _______ thrillers.

A. like                  C. don’t like

B. is liking           D. doesn’t

17. Where does your favorite team ________?

 A. apple                   C. tomato                                                                                          

 B. chocolate bars    D. orange

18. The person who _____

A. cook            C. cooks

B. cookes                     D. all of them

19. Maria _____ at the school.

A. teachs                     C. teach

B. teaches                    D. teches

20. You _____ a lot of houses.

A. build             C. builes

B. builds                       D. buildes.

21. Julian ______ care of the city.

A. take                         C. takess

B. takee                       D. takes

22. ______she read on Saturday?

A. Do                           C. Does

B. Done                        D. Reads

23. ______Mike play volleyball?

A. Done                        C. plays

B. Does                        D. Do.

24. What time ____she do the homework?

A. do                            C. deos

B.done             D.does

25. Where ___they meet their friends?

A. does            C.do

B.done             D.dos

26. There ______two pounds of cheese.

A. is                             C. where

B.was                          D.were.

 27.What ____your father’s name?

A. are     B. does     C. is

28. ____ is next to you in the picture?

A. when   B. which    C.who

29. How old ___ you?

A.is      B. are    C. do

30. How ___ are these pens?

A.many   B.much   C.is

31.How ____ is Palmira?

A.any    B.far   C. time

32. Which ____ is your car?

A.two     B.three   C.one

I

V. Choose the option that best complete the statement

46.A zoo guide is describing and comparing some animals for a tourist group. He is saying:

A. A hippo is heavier and bigger than a panda  bear.

B. A hippo is more heavy and big than a panda bear.

C. A hippo is he aviest and biggest than a panda bear.

D. A hippo is more heavier and big than a panda bear.

47. John has been reading about mountains in his encyclopaedia. He learned that

A. Mount Aconcagua is the most high mountain in America.

B. Mount Aconcagua is the highest mountain in America.

C. Mount Aconcagua is the higher mountain in America.

D. Mount Aconcagua is the more high mountain in America.

48. Steve is talking to a friend about the first thing he normally does as soon as he gets home.

A.I turn on frequently the TV right after I get home from work.

B.I turn on the TV right after I frequently get home from work.

C.I turn on the TV right after I get home from work frequently.

D.I frequently turn on the TV right after I get home from work.

49. When Charles and Vicky were asked about Jack,

A. they said they hadn´t seen Jack for a long time.

B. they say they hadn’t seen Jack for a long   time.

C. they told they hadn’t seen Jack for a long

time.

D. they tell they hadn’t seen Jack for a long

time.

50. Peggy and Michael are talking about restrictions on smoking in public places.

A. In recent years, more and more public places have been restricted smoking.

B. More and more public places have been restricted smoking in recent years.

C. More and more public places in recent years have been restricting smoking.

D. In recent years, more and more public places have been restricting smoking.

VI. Match these adjectives with their

opposites.

51.athletic                           a. outgoing

52.slim                                b. lazy                         

53.shy                                c. peaceful          

54.violent                            d.fat                          

 Organize the paragraphs

61.One of the little peculiarities of the way in which houses are bought and sold in England and Wales is the estate agent system,

1. whereby the selling of a house is handed over to a group of professionals

2. who do their best to exaggerate

3. its virtues and play down its defects

4. in a very special language of their own.

A. 2, 3, 1, 4

B. 3, 2, 1, 4

C. 2, 1, 3, 4

D. 1, 2, 3, 4

62 . The first real counting machine was invented by a Frenchman called Blaise Pascal in the XVII century.

1. One man who inspected the machine was Gottfried Leibniz, who was born in Saxony in 1646.

2. Leibniz used the binary system to simplify the number of wheels and cogs a calculator needed. It was a very important improvement,

3. but Leibniz was too busy with other questions to work out the idea.

4. It did additions and subtractions but very few people were convinced of its value.

A. 1, 2, 3, 4

B. 4, 1, 2, 3

C. 4, 2, 3, 1

D. 2, 3, 1, 4

2017 REINFORCEMENT ACTIVITY III PERIOD

Human Developing

When early humans hunted and gathered food, they were not in control of their environment. They could only interact with their surroundings as lower organisms did. When humans learned to make fire, however, they became capable of altering their environment. To provide themselves with fuel they stripped bark from trees, causing the trees to die. Clearings were burned in forests to increase the growth of grass and to provide a greater grazing area for the wild animals that humans fed upon. This development led to farming and the domestication of animals. Fire also provided the means for cooking plants which had previously been inedible. Only when the process of meeting the basic need for food reached a certain level of sophistication was it possible for humans to follow other pursuits such as the founding of cities.

1. This passage is mainly concerned with ----.

A) the evolution of farming techniques

B) the role of hunting as a source of food 

C) how the discovery of fire changed the development of mankind

D) basic food-gathering techniques of early humans

E) how people supplied themselves with food prior to the discovery of how  to make fire

2. One can infer from the passage that the discovery of how to make fire .

A) improved the hunting skills of early humans
B) caused early humans to interact with their surroundings as lower organisms did
C) taught early humans how to live with lower organisms
D) increased alimentary options for early humans
E) made easier for early humans to gather food

3. Write 10 questions and answer them.

4. Prepare a conversation about traffic accidents and tell it to the teacher.

5. Talk about movies with ¨SOME ACCIDENTS¨

3. As we understand from the passage, early humans ----.

A) didn't eat plants before they learned how to control fire
B) used fire as a tool to alter their surroundings
C) gained better control of their environment when they learned to live  with lower organisms
D) started to maintain their food supply by hunting and gathering food when they started cooking with fire
E) were the prey of many predators

ROLEPLAY 2

---

GOSSIP By D. M. Larson from Freedrama.net for 5 actors
(2 m 3 f) (teen version)

Copyright © 2005, 2013

SCENE 1

(Play takes place in a makeshift school newspaper office. BULA sits at her desk facing the audience and SKEETER is sleeping under a table covered by newspapers)

BULA: Skeeeeeter! Where are you, boy?

SKEETER: [Crawls out from under a table] Yeah.

BULA: What you doin' down there?

SKEETER: Sleepin'.

BULA: Didn't you go home last night?

SKEETER: We had a deadline for the school paper. Pulled an all nighter.

BULA: So you got the paper done? Where is it?

SKEETER: [Looks] Shoot. I knew I forgot something.

BULA: Now, Skeeter....

SKEETER: Oowa, baby. The "Now Skeeter" talk.

BULA: We have an obligation to the people of this school to bring them news on a weekly basis. [SKEETER mouths the speech as he sits and listens] We are this town's ear to the world. They count on us to give them the news like no one else can... You listenin' to me, Skeeter? [He even mouths the last part]

SKEETER: Yes, ma'am.

BULA: How much of the paper we got done?

SKEETER: The front part's all done.

BULA: Then get it out there. The students are waiting.

SKEETER: [Mumbles to self] They all just love the school paper. They love to wipe their...[Exits before we hear what he is going to say]

BULA: Poor, Skeeter. This big time newspaper business is hard on the boy. [Looks through paperwork on desk] Now let's see. What do we have for next week's top story? Looks like we're down to two: Where is the school nurse sneaking off to during the day? Or who are the imaginary people the principal is always talking to?  Wow. Where do we ever get such good news? I'll bet no other school paper can boast about these kind of headlines.

Monte the hall monitor rushes in with a fake gun.

MONTE: [runs in, gun out] Hold it! Police!

BULA: Ah!

MONTE: [laughs] Hey, Bula.

BULA: You scared me half to death.

MONTE: I know. [snickers]

BULA: What you want, Monte?

MONTE: You still paying a buck each for my hall monitor reports?

BULA: A buck a story. Offer's still good.

MONTE: [proud] I've got five this week.

BULA: Five! That's a regular crime wave.

MONTE: You wouldn't believe what happens in these halls.  If this keeps up, I may have to ask for an assistant.

BULA: Wouldn't that be something? [makes a note] That's a story in itself.

MONTE: That's six bucks, then.

BULA: Fine. [Goes to purse] Six dollars. Don't you go spend that all in one place.

[Monte exits]

BULA: [sarcastic] Boy, do I feel safe knowin' he's around. [Types] Crime wave hits the halls of our school. Hide your valuables. Monte the Hall Monitor says we had a record number of incidents this week. He caught one group of kids playing with firecrackers and trying to blow up the chemistry lab.  He wrote over ten tickets for excessive farting in the gym. And rescued some guy from a locker that his girlfriend had stuffed in him.  He must have done something pretty bad.  Girl power gone wild.  This school is out of control. 

KILABREW: [enters] Bula? How's you feeling today?

BULA: Fine, fine. Here to bring me the school health report?

KILABREW: Certainly. Oh, my.

BULA: What?

KILABREW: [examines BULA] You been getting enough vitamin C?

BULA: I... I don't know...

KILABREW: YOU DON'T KNOW. Don't toy with your health, Bula. A healthy body is a temple for the gods.

BULA: I thought there was only one God?

KILABREW: You're so closed minded, Bula.

BULA: What you got for me, Kilabrew?

KILABREW: First, we have "This week's weight watch" by Nurse Nancy Kilabrew. 

BULA: You're not a nurse.  You're just a student assistant.

KILABREW: Whatever.  See, I weigh all the athletes and I thought that would be something everyone would enjoy reading about. Emma Rogers - gained 12 pounds. Patty May - lost 2 pounds. And a big congrats to Jane Graham - Lost 25 pounds. And our football team's star lineman of the year, Billy Joe Bugle - happily gained another 27 pounds on his way to a school record 324 pound.

BULA: Anything else?

KILABREW: Got some great baby names for you. I asked the art teacher, Mrs. Hicky, what she'd name her upcoming child. She has settled on naming the kid after her favorite snack: Goober if it's a boy.

BULA: And if it's a girl?

KILABEW: Raisinette.

BULA: Lovely.

KILABREW: That's six bucks.

BULA: Six? That's only two stories.

KILABREW: Four weight watchers and two baby names.

BULA: Five bucks then. The two names are for the same kid.

KILABREW: Fine. [BULA hands over $5] Oh, is that a bird I hear. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

BULA: You can go away now.

KILABREW: Cheap, cheap, cheap. [Exits]

FANNY: [appears at door] Can I come in, Bula?

BULA: Why if it ain't Fanny Mae Alcott? How is my favorite reporter today?

FANNY: [Excited] Favorite reporter? Oooh. That sounds good.

BULA: Well, you've been quite the news hounds lately.

FANNY: News hound. I like the sound of that too. The boys at school have always said I've been a dog.

BULA: [Raises an eyebrow] Well...uh, what you have for me today?

FANNY: Well, I was walkin' around looking for a story. I went out behind the boys locker room. I always go there hoping to... uh... talk with one of the boys. You know, interview 'em after the big game. And if they ever win a game, I'm gonna get the best darn interview. Losing don't make good news.

BULA: You got a point here, Fanny? I'm a busy lady.

FANNY: I do. See, I heard some of them boys talking in the locker room. They leave the window open cause it gets real hot in there. 

BULA: To the point, Fanny. A good reporter gets to the point.

FANNY: [Hands over a report] Anyway, I got this. Don't know if it's worth printin.'

BULA: This is good.

FANNY: You think so?

BULA: Top notch investigating.

FANNY: Gosh.

BULA: There's your dollar, darling. Enjoy.

FANNY: Wow. I feel just like Barbara Walters.

BULA: Keep it up and someday you just might be her.

FANNY: You really think so? I sure look up to her. Her and Jerry Springer.

BULA: They're the biggies.

FANNY: I'll see you tomorrow.

BULA: Keep 'em coming, Fanny Mae.

FANNY: I will. I'm headed over to the boys swimming hole. They got all kinds of interesting things going on over there.

BULA: This will do fine on the society page. [Sits at computer] Romance is a budding at the school. This week Jimmy Joe Johnson's heart is a palpitating for none other than Betty Sue Mall. Unfortunately he's feeling a bit shy and can't figure out a way to tell Betty he's got those special feelings for her. Don't you worry, though, Jimmy. She'll know all about it soon enough. Best wishes to both of you in this new found romance. Fanny Mae Alcott reporting.

END OF SCENE

ROLEPLAY 2014-2015

THE BOY WHO CRIED GENIE FROM FREEDRAMA.COM

---

CAST OF CHARACTERS:1 male: Derrek5 females: Genie, Girl, Zombie, Woman [vampire], Jesi

INT. COMPUTER LAB. DAY.

DEREK, a cool, confident guy, enters the lab.  JESI, a shy, nerdy gal, looks like she wants to talk to him but can only manage a whisper. 

JESI

Hi.

Derek doesn't hear her and goes to a computer to start work.  Jesi rushes out all embarrassed.  Derek finds a cd stuck in the computer.  It comes out and it is glowing [Light shines on it].  He looks at it and rubs it.  A puff of smoke [fog machine] flows in and a Genie steps in with it.

GENIE

What do you want?

DEREK

What?  Who are you?

Derek lowers the cd and sees the Genie.  

GENIE

I'm a genie.

She waves her hands and more smoke appears.

DEREK

A genie?  So... does that mean I get three wishes?

GENIE

Yeah, yeah.   You know the drill.

DEREK

Cool.  Oh, I know what I want.  I want the perfect girl.

GENIE

As you wish...

Genie disappears into the smoke [exits] and GIRL appears, acting very young, licking a lollipop and jumping up and down excited.

GIRL

Hi, let's play.  

Derek turns looking for the Genie.

DEREK

No, no, no.  

Genie appears and makes GIRL disappear [exits]. 

GENIE

You did ask for a girl.

DEREK

I want someone much older than that.

GENIE

As you wish...  

Genie disappears [exits] and ZOMBIE appears. 

DEREK

Not that old!

Genie makes Zombie disappear [exits].  

GENIE

You're down to one wish... make it good.

DEREK

What?  Oh, man.  Okay.  I want the perfect woman is my age, beautiful and sharp.

GENIE

You got it.  

Genie disappears and a beautiful WOMAN appears.  She comes up to him and he smiles.  She crosses behind him.  She pushes back her hair and we see her pointed ears and she bares her fangs.

WOMAN

Want to neck?

Derek smiles big and turns and sees her fangs come at him.  He screams.

DEREK

Genie!

WOMAN disappears and Genie appears and sighs. 

DEREK (CONT.)

You ruined all my wishes!

GENIE

Wishes are not the key to your happiness.  

Genie disappears and Derek falls into a chair.  Jesi returns.  She nervously approaches Derek and touches him on the shoulder and he jumps.  

JESI

I'm sorry.  Have you seen my keys.

DEREK

Keys?

JESI

Here they are.

DEREK

Hey, what's your name?

JESI

Jesi.  And you're Derek.

DEREK

You work in the lab in the mornings huh?

JESI

Uh-huh.  You want my email?  In case you need to ask me something... about the lab. 

DEREK

No one ever comes in the lab during my shift.  You want to stay and hang out?  

JESI

Sure, I'd like that.

Genie appears on the computer screen and winks [this can be a video on a large computer screen or a projected image onto a screen - if neither of these are possible you can end on the above line].

JESI (CONT.)

What was that?

DEREK

Some computer virus.

JESI

I know this great anti-virus software... let me show you.  It works like magic.

END OF SCRIPT

THE GIRL AND THE MUSHROOMS

Two girls were returning from the woods with their baskets full of mushrooms.

They had to cross the railroad tracks.

They thought the train was far away, climbed the embankment and began stepping over the rails.

Suddently, they they heard the sound of the locomotive. The elder girl darted back, but the younger one ran on across the rails.

The elder girl shouted to her siser, "Don't turn back!"

But the train was so close and was making so much noise that the younger girl did not hear her. She thought her sister wanted her to run back. She ran back across the rails, tripped, dropped ger basket and began gathering up the mushrooms.

The train was now very close. The engineer pulled the whistle as hard as he could.

The elder girl shouted, "Leave the mushrooms!" But the little girl thought she was telling her to gather up the mushrooms and so kept bending over for them.

The engineer could not stop the train in time. The train whistle shrieked, and the train rolled on over the girl.

The elder girl screamed and sobbed. All the passengers looked out of the car windowsk, while the conductor ran to the far end of the train to see what had happened to the girl.

When the train had passed the spot, everyone saw the little girl lying face-down between the rails. She was lying very still.

Then she raised her head, got up on her knees, gathered up her mushrooms and ran back to her sister.