AL QUDS HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL: 1ST YEAR BAC

KENITRA ACADEMIC YEAR: 2018/2019.

SUBJECT: ENGLISH

Name : …………………………………… Mark :

Class : ……………………………………

READING COMPREHENSIONN (10 PTS)

BASE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE TEXT.
1 To overcome people’s mistrust of state education, the Moroccan
government announces new measures to improve the sector. At the
initiative of charity and union organizations, Morocco has created a
new action group to reform state schools and defend children’s rights
to education. The initiative comes at the right moment to support the
efforts being made in the sector and to guarantee the right to a good
quality education, Secretary of State for School Education Latifa Labida said at a March 17 press briefing.
2 The government project aims at improving the performance of state schools. It also plans to evaluate the
defects of the education system. The new body will be charged with developing proposals and drawing attention
to the issues concerning state schooling. Mounir Charki, a member of the Achoala association for education
and culture, said the action group expects a national debate on public education to improve Moroccans’
confidence in the sector.
3 Doubt in public schools, however, has been high among parents,
according to sociologist Samira Kassimi. Over the past decade, the kingdom
has witnessed a real enthusiasm for private schools. “Even those on very
limited incomes have made it a priority to invest in their children’s schooling
to guarantee a better education for them”, she said.
4 Hairdresser Hakima Merouani, a 32 –year- old mother of two, is one of
those who opted for private school, even though she has to work seven days a
week without any days off to afford it.
“It costs me 1,800 dirhams a month to send my two children to school, which
is half my average monthly take-home pay,” she said. “I provide their transport
myself to save a bit of money. I’d rather have sent them to a free state school
to avoid the fees, but that would have been like condemning them to failure.”
She commented “… in my view, state education hasn’t been constantly
producing positive results for a long time now “. “… Every day is a struggle to
keep going like this”, she admitted.
A/- ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. (3 pts.)
1. What is the role of the action group?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………
2. List two measures suggested by the Moroccan government to regain people’s confidence in state schools
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Why do more parents send their children to private schools?
………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………

B/- ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY. (3 pts.)

1. The initiative to reform state education is a bit late.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………
2. The Moroccan educational system is not perfect.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………
3. Hakima Merouani believes that private schools are inexpensive.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………

C/- WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO? (2 pts.)
1. The sector: (paragraph 2) …………………………..………………………………… 2. Those: (paragraph 3) …………………………………………………………
D/- FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS THAT MEAN THE SAME AS. (2 pts.)
1. Lack of confidence: (paragraph 1) ………………………………..……………… 3. Chose: (paragraph 4) ……………………………………………………