Test  of  Reading,  Listening,  and  Writing  Skills  for  
English  as  a  Foreign  Language  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name:  ____________________________________________
 Part  I:  Reading  Comprehension  
 
Accra  is  the  capital  city  of  Ghana,  a  country  in  Africa.  Read  about  the  author’s  
experience  in  the  city.  As  you  read,  look  at  the  questions  below  and  choose  the  best  
answer.  You  have  10  minutes  to  complete  this  portion  of  the  test.  
 

I  think  it’s  the  cacophony  of  sound  that  makes  this  city  seem  so  chaotic  sometimes.  
 
Goats  wander  the  streets  aimlessly  and  bleat  constantly.  Drivers  sit  on  their  horns.  Bike  
bells  are  chiming.  People  are  yelling  in  one  of  the  47  languages  that  I  can’t  understand.  
5   When  I  do  hear  English,  it’s  often  a  voice  trying  to  sell  me  a  USB  stick  through  a  loud  
speaker.  
 
To  my  left,  a  middle-­‐aged  woman  with  matted  black  hair  and  tattered  clothing  extends  a  
calloused  palm  towards  the  window  of  the  dented  bus  where  I’m  sitting  at  Nkrumah  Circle,  
10   one  of  Accra’s  busiest  transportation  hubs.  
 
“Please,  please,”  she  says,  wiggling  her  fingers  at  me.  That’s  all  she  needs  to  say.  I  hear  her  
message  loud  and  clear  because  I’ve  heard  it  before.  She  begs  for  money  with  desperation  
oozing  from  tired,  red  eyes.  
15    
The  young  girl  to  my  right  can’t  be  more  than  ten.  With  tremendous  poise,  she  balances  a  
large  silver  pan  on  her  head,  selling  water  in  small,  clear  sachets.  
 
“Pure,”  she  yells.  “Yes,  pure.”  
20    
That’s  the  lingo  for  purified  water  here  in  Ghana,  where  cool,  clean  water  on  a  day  as  hot  as  
today  is  a  hot  commodity.  It’s  28  degrees  but  it  feels  much  hotter  to  me  waiting  on  the  bus.  
I’ve  been  roasting  in  this  seat  for  several  minutes.  I’ll  most  likely  cook  for  several  more.  I  
know  my  driver  has  no  intention  of  leaving  until  every  seat  on  this  tro  tro,  a  minibus  that  
25   serves  as  the  city’s  primary  public  transportation,  is  occupied.  

Question:  
1. The  author  is:  
a. at  an  outdoor  market  
b. in  a  traffic  jam  
c. at  a  bus  station  
d. at  the  local  zoo  
 
2. To  say  something  or  someplace  is  chaotic  means  
that  it  is:  
a. peaceful  
b. disorganized  
c. very  dirty  
d. interesting  
 
3. The  woman  in  line  8  is  most  likely  a:  
a. water  seller  
b. friend  
c. bus  driver  
d. beggar  
 
  

4.  The  sentence  I  hear  her  message  loud  and  clear  because  I’ve  heard  it  before  (lines  
12-­‐13)  most  likely  means  that  the  author:  
  a.  knows  exactly  what  this  woman  wants  
  b.  can  hear  this  woman  because  she  speaks  loudly  
  c.  has  met  this  woman  before  and  knows  her  
  d.  wants  to  give  this  woman  what  she  really  wants  
 
5.  To  say  something  is  a  hot  commodity  means  that  it  is:  
  a.  expensive  
  b.  commonplace  
  c.  over-­‐heated  
  d.  in  demand  
 
6.  The  passage  I’ve  been  roasting  in  this  seat  for  several  minutes.  I’ll  most  likely  cook  
for  several  more  probably  means  that:  
  a.  the  author  is  eating  lunch    
  b.  the  author  feels  very  hot  
  c.  the  author  is  cooking  something  
  d.  the  author  is  checking  her  watch  
 
7.  This  passage  was  most  likely  part  of:  
a.        a  news  article  about  a  new  bus  station  in  Ghana  
b. a  guidebook  about  how  to  travel  in  Ghana.  
c. a  magazine  article  about  poor  people  in  Africa.  
d. a  magazine  article  about  a  trip  to  Ghana.  
 
8.  From  this  article,  which  of  the  following  can  you  assume  is  true  about  Ghana?  
  a.  English  is  one  of  only  a  few  languages  spoken  in  Ghana  
  b.  Ghana  is  an  interesting  place  to  visit  
  c.  Temperatures  in  Ghana  can  reach  28  degrees.  
  d.  Purified  water  in  Ghana  is  very  expensive  
 
 
Stop!  
Do  not  turn  to  the  next  page.  Wait  for  the  teacher  to  
play  the  audio  recording.  Listen  closely.  When  it  is  
finished,  turn  to  the  next  page.
  

Part  II:  Listening  Comprehension  

 
Section  A:  Interview  with  David  
 
You  have  two  minutes  to  complete  the  summary  of  David’s  interview.  Fill  in  the  blank  
(_____________)  spaces  with  the  correct  information.  After  two  minutes,  you  will  hear  the  
interview  one  more  time,  and  you  will  have  one  minute  to  check  your  answers.  
 
John  is  interviewing  his  _________________  David,  who  has  been  living  in  the  western  
part  of  the  United  States  for  about  _________________  years.  David  is  surprised  at  the  
differences  between  the  _____________  and  the  ______________  parts  of  the  United  States.  
In  the  ________________,  there  is  a  lot  more  _______________  and  people  have  a  much  more  
_____________________lifestyle.  In  the  _________________,  there  are  a  lot  more  
___________________  and  people  live  in  a  much  ____________________  space.  Dave  also  says  
that  it’s  easier  to  ___________    a    ____________  or  _____________  on  the  side  of  the  road  in  the  
_______________  because  of  the  meter  of  space  between  the  side  of  the  road  and  a  white  
______________  called  a  ________________.    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stop!  
Do  not  turn  to  the  next  page.  Wait  for  the  teacher  to  
play  the  audio  recording.  Listen  closely.  When  it  is  
finished,  turn  to  the  next  page.
  

 
Part  II:  Listening  Comprehension  
 
Section  B:  Young  Musicians  
 
After  you  have  listened  to  the  story  about  James  and  Elaine  Hunter,  circle  the  best  
answer  out  of  the  four  choices.  After  two  minutes,  you  will  listen  to  the  news  story  one  
more  time,  and  you  will  have  one  minute  to  check  your  answers.  
 
What  is  the  name  of  James  and  Elaine  Hunter’s  band?  
a. One-­‐eyed  Rhino  
b. The  James  and  Elaine  Trio  
c. The  Creek  Week  Band  
d. One-­‐eyed  Rhyno  
 
James  and  Elaine  want  to  use  their  music  to  
a. preserve  the  environment  
b. become  rich  and  famous  
c. save  rhinos  and  other  animals  
d. clean  up  creeks  in  Sacramento  
 
What  is  the  song  “The  Bird”  about?  
a. the  Gulf  of  Mexico  oil  spill  
b. a  picture  of  a  dead  bird  
c. the  suffering  of  animals  
d. cleaning  up  creeks  
 
What  inspired  James  and  Elaine  to  start  a  band?  
a. the  Student  Conservation  Association  
b. Jack  Black’s  comedy  “School  of  Rock”  
c. a  school  talent  show  
d. a  festival  in  Sacramento  
 
 
 
 
 
Stop!  
Do  not  turn  to  the  next  page.  Wait  for  the  teacher  to  
give  you  instructions.
  

 
Part  III:  Written  Essay  
You  will  have  20  minutes  to  write  about  one  of  the  two  topics  listed  below.  If  you  do  
not  understand  the  topics,  ask  the  examiner  to  translate  or  explain  them.  
 
Use  the  space  on  the  next  page  to  write  ½  to  one  page.  You  do  not  need  to  use  all  the  
space,  but  your  composition  will  be  marked  down  if  it  is  extremely  short.  You  are  
allowed  to  use  a  dictionary.  
 
Your  essay  will  be  judged  on:  
-­‐ clarity  (how  easy  it  is  to  understand)  
-­‐ topic  development  (using  relevant  information  to  support  your  ideas)  
-­‐ organization  
-­‐ range,  accuracy,  and  appropriateness  of  vocabulary  and  grammar  
 
Please  choose  one  topic  to  write  about:  
 
Describe  how  human  communication  has  changed  in  the  last  twenty  years.  
 
Explain  why  a  particular  adjective  describes  you  perfectly.  
 
 
 
  

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