1. Name Mark9 Unit Test
Optional Reading Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
Youth for Understanding
In 1998, Bob and Marion Simmons decided to open their Florida, USA home to Iara, a sixteen-year-old boy from
Brazil. Iara lived with them for an entire year, attending the local school with their own son, Seth. Bob and Marion were
amazed by the positive effects Iara had on their lives.
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Iara’s exchange was organised by Youth For Understanding (YFU), an organisation which offers opportunities for
young people around the world to spend a summer, term or year with a host family in another culture. It aims to
promote tolerance and global cooperation by enhancing people’s understanding of foreign cultures.
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YFU is a non-profit organisation which is run by volunteers. It assists exchange students with their travel arrangements,
their visa applications and their enrolment in schools and colleges. In addition, it offers continued support to both the
participants and their host families throughout the exchange. So, for example, if the exchange student and his host
family are having difficulty getting along, a YFU counsellor will try to guide them through the problem and to find a
solution.
There are many benefits for students who participate in these kinds of exchange programmes. YFU participants are
totally immersed in a foreign language and greatly improve their fluency in that language. In addition, they gain a deep
understanding of another country and its people. These skills often prove very useful when they later enter the job market.
15 What is more, participants often experience a great sense of personal growth and development. Participants return from
YFU programmes with greater confidence and maturity. The experience also forces them to become more adaptable and
to develop problem-solving skills.
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Yet while YFU exchange programmes are clearly valuable for the individuals and families who participate in them,
it is important not to lose sight of their larger goal. If successful, YFU exchange programmes will not just change
individual lives. Ultimately, they may change the world.
1 Answer the questions. (2 x 3 = 6 points)
1. What practical support does YFU give to exchange students?
..........................................................................................................................................................
2. How do exchange students benefit from their experience?
..........................................................................................................................................................
2 Decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to justify your answers.
(3 x 3 = 9 points)
…… 1. YFU doesn’t make money from the exchange programmes that it runs.
...............................................................................................................................................
…… 2. YFU is only involved in the initial stages of the exchange.
...............................................................................................................................................
…… 3. Host families do not benefit from hosting an exchange student.
...............................................................................................................................................
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2. 9 Unit Test
3 Complete the sentences. (2 x 3 = 6 points)
1. Participants in YFU programmes are more likely to succeed in the job market because ..................
........................................................................................................................................................ .
2. YFU’s ultimate goal is to .................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................ .
4 Choose the correct meaning. (4 x 1 = 4 points)
1. an entire year (line 2)
a. a short year c. a whole year
b. half a year d. a difficult year
2. enhancing (line 6)
a. increasing c. teaching
b. reducing d. using
3. adaptable (line 16)
a. stubborn c. uncompromising
b. rigid d. flexible
4. ultimately (line 20)
a. at first c. initially
b. eventually d. at the start
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