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