Faculty of Engineering

ENGLISH

Past written exam papers for practice

1. Send an e.mail to your English friend talking about your past holidays.
2. Sport and leisure are important values for everybody. Talk to your friends Annie and James
about this assumption referring also to your textbook and video.
3. Write a paragraph about a book, a film or a TV program that you know and like (150-
200words).
4. Talk on the phone to your British/American friend and compare the Italian and
British/American education systems.
5. Speak to one of your foreign friends about similarities and differences in your university
studies.
6. Write about the importance of technology in today’s society (150/200 words).
7. Write a letter/email to a friend about holidays. Tell him/her what an ideal holiday is like for
you and where you are going for your next holiday.
8. You are planning to study at an American/English university. Write an e.mail to the Student
Services at the university and ask for specific information about the following points: courses,
fees, books, cost of transport, food, entertainment, etc.
9. Write an email to a friend telling her/ him about the role of the computer in your university
studies and in your life.
10. Write an email to a friend explaining what you did last week. Mention some things you did,
places you went to and people you met. Don’t forget to give opinions about them.
11. You meet a foreign student at university who is attending lectures with you at the Faculty of
Engineering. Write a dialogue in which you explain to him what to do and not to do in your
country and at your university.
12. The twentieth century saw great changes. In your opinion, what is one change that should be
remembered about the last century? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
opinion (about 200 words).
13. Write an email to the editor of a newspaper about a film/TV program/book of your choice.
Mention both positive and negative aspects and say why you would recommend it to other
people.
14. Speak to one or more of your friends about the use of emails and mobile phones today.
Mention both positive and negative aspects.
15. When I think of High School I have a lot of good and bad memories. Here is a report for a
School Magazine (about 200 words).
16. The Olympic Games have been the "big" summer event. Refer to their relevance and meaning,
to the way they have been organized, to the varieties of sports involved and to those
competitions you have personally watched on TV with a greater interest, if any (about 200
words).
17. In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good
idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details (about 200 words).
18. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters,
emails or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay (about 200
words).
19. Describe, in a short essay (about 200 words), your ideal university. You can refer to: facilities,
location, services, opportunities, courses, etc. Use specific reasons and details to develop your
ideas.
20. Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to work for a small company.
Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay (about 200
words).
21. A person you know is planning to move to your town/city. What do you think this person
would like and dislike about living in your town/city? Use specific reasons and details to
develop your essay (about 200 words).
22. What do you want most in a friend: someone who is intelligent, someone who has a sense of
humour, or someone who is reliable? Which one of these characteristics is most important to
you? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your choice (about 200 words).
23. Write a review for an educational magazine of a factual television programme which you think
is outstanding. Explain what the programme is about, what people could learn from it and why
you recommend it so highly (about 200 words).
24. Some people believe that the Earth is being damaged by human activity. Others feel that
human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer (about 200 words).
25. What is the role of education in shaping people’s lives? How important is it to you? Discuss
this issue also referring to your personal experience.
26. What role can you play as an engineer in today’s society? Refer to the impact that the skills and
competences you are acquiring through your studies can have on social areas as building, IT,
telecommunications and environmental development.
27. Do you ever read newspapers, magazines, novels, etc.? What do you usually read? Explain, in a
short essay, your opinions about the importance of reading.