3rd years final reading exam practice

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Hello final years!

Today we are going to do practice with an exam text. 

Please quote a sentence by writing down the first two and last two words in between apostrophes. 

For instance: "Living in......brands themselves."

Before we start

This is part of an old exam.

The text is about graffiti. The other is one about Louis C.K. and his Emmy Nomination

Write down the first two words and the last two words of a sentence to quote. For instance:  "Living in...cannot find."

Please read the questions and instructions before you start writing. 

Let's start!

GRAFFITI is everywhere: on trains, walls, telegraph poles, billboards, fences and desktops. The most important part of being a graffitist is the tag. Millions upon millions are spent on removing the "vandalism" of graffiti but no one has asked why the tag is so significant. Living in an age where brands are everything – where names such as Apple, Bulgari, Nike and Gucci have an almost mystical power (as though, if we were to invoke the names often enough, we might suddenly find ourselves levitating above the mere mortals that surround us), surely we cannot find it surprising that young people feel the urgency to brand themselves.
1. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

The sentence that should be highlighted is: Living in an age where brands are everything – where names such as Apple, Bulgari, Nike and Gucci have an almost mystical power (as though, if we were to invoke the names often enough, we might suddenly find ourselves levitating above the mere mortals that surround us), surely we cannot find it surprising that young people feel the urgency to brand themselves.

When I was growing up, there was only one brand that mattered: Levi's jeans. Before you could judge whether someone was "in" or not, you had to check out their backside. The way you checked someone's status was to ensure that their back pocket was bearing the tiny red tag with the word: Levi's. My best friend and I quickly realised that the most rebellious act possible was to tear off a teenager's Levi's tag. Kids pounced on us when they realised their tag was gone. Ripping the tag off meant removing all the value, not only of the jeans, but of the person. So although I am now approaching my mid50s, the teenage desire for tags is something I still understand.
2. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

The important sentence is:

So although I am now approaching my mid50s, the teenage desire for tags is something I still understand.

The really frightening part of the story is the growth of that tag, from a tiny red flag on a denim pocket, to an all-encompassing concept that requires all of us not only to wear brands, but to create and be our own brand. What was once just a sign of teenage insecurity has now become institutionalised to the point that there are "experts" who are invited into schools to talk to students about how to manage their brand on Facebook.
3. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

The really frightening part of the story is the growth of that tag, from a tiny red flag on a denim pocket, to an all-encompassing concept that requires all of us not only to wear brands, but to create and be our own brand

Some may argue that we need to make graffitists take responsibility for their actions (and reduce the cost to the taxpayer) by getting them to clean off their graffiti. But this would risk confirming their idea of themselves as outsiders and if they have to erase their identity – or what stands as their identity – they may be even more rabid about going out to restate it. Any cleaning up needs to be within a wider community service so we encourage the idea of a citizen within a society rather than confirming a sense of the heroic loner against the system.
4. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

But this would risk confirming their idea of themselves as outsiders and if they have to erase their identity – or what stands as their identity – they may be even more rabid about going out to restate it. 

Question 1: What is the main point made in paragraph 1?

1. Graffitists are good at commercially exploiting their work.
2. It is a mystery why graffitists are eager to copy famous logos.
3. It is clear what motivates youngsters to become graffitists.
4. Society should behave more tolerantly towards graffitists.

Question 2. What is the main function of paragraph 2?

1. to analyse the writer’s fascination with tags
2. to establish the writer’s ignorance about tags
3. to explain the writer’s dislike of tags
4. to illustrate the writer’s insight into tags

3. What is the author’s point that paragraph 3 leads up to?

1. They are employed as educational tools.
2. They are exploited by big companies.
3. They have become far too important.
4. They have a negative impact on children.

5. Which of the following statement(s) is/are in line with paragraph 5?
1 Forcing graffitists to remove their own work could solve the problem.
2 Making graffitists feel excluded may increase their urge to produce
graffiti.

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. NEither 1 and 2

Like the character in his comedy show Louie, Louis C.K. was ready for bad news when the Emmy Award nominations were announced Thursday morning.

“I was expecting to be disappointed,” said C.K., who was nominated for lead actor in a comedy series. Louie has become a cult hit for cable TV network FX. A dark show starring C.K. as a somewhat depressed comedian struggling to make sense of the world around him, Louis is not the type of comedy that the sometimes conservative Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy voters typically embrace. Besides being peppered with language that is raw even for cable, Louie is unafraid to address taboo topics in the raunchiest of ways. His character often finds himself in awkward situations with results that swing seamlessly between the comic and the tragic.
2. Underline the most important sentence.

2. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

A dark show starring C.K. as a somewhat depressed comedian struggling to make sense of the world around him, Louis is not the type of comedy that the sometimes conservative Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy voters typically embrace

C.K. attributes his success among critics and viewers to the network’s creative freedom – an atmosphere that encourages him to explore his inner demons and put it all on the screen. “It takes a huge amount of courage on their part, that’s why I’m glad to pay them back with this,” C.K. said of the network
3. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

C.K. attributes his success among critics and viewers to the network’s creative freedom – an atmosphere that encourages him to explore his inner demons and put it all on the screen.

In typical C.K. mode, the comedian doesn’t give himself much of a chance of winning on Emmy night, which is slated for Sept. 18. “I’m pretty outclassed there,” he said of his fellow acting nominees, which include Steve Carell of The Office and Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock. But even if he doesn’t get a statue, C.K. figures he and network FX have already won. “We don’t expect to get serious consideration. Still, that doesn’t matter. We’ve proven that if you spend a hundredth of the money the big networks do, you can land at the same place.”
4. Underline the most important sentence of the paragraph.

We’ve proven that if you spend a hundredth of the money the big networks do, you can land at the same place

“‘I was expecting to be disappointed’” (paragraph 2)
I. Why did Louis C.K. say this?

1. A. He feared the character in his show had turned out to be an embarrassing person.
2. B. He knew his show had been given bad reviews in many of the mainstream papers.
3. C. He realised that the show he had created caused a lot of public indignation.
4. D. He thought his show would be considered too outspoken to be nominated for an award.

II. What is the main point made in paragraph 3?

1. A. Despite his problems, Louis C.K. has created a commercial success.
2. B. Network FX gave Louis C.K. the artistic independence needed to succeed.
3. C. The average viewer dislikes being told by critics which shows to like.
4. D. Unlike many of its rivals, network FX is a financially sound company.

That's the end!

Please always try and highlight the most important sentence in a paragraph so it is easier while answering questions. You don't have to re-read the text when highlighted.