اختبار الفصل الأول في اللغة الإنجليزية — السنة الثالثة ثانوي (النموذج 3)
Durée: ساعتان
Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians on the coast of present-day Tunisia, according to tradition in the 9th century BC. Thanks to its powerful navy and its skilled merchants, it soon became the richest city of the western Mediterranean. Carthaginian traders sold purple cloth, glass and pottery, and they had built trading posts along the North African coast long before Rome became a great power.
However, the rivalry with Rome led to three long wars, known as the Punic Wars. Although the Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps with his army and won several famous battles in Italy, Carthage was finally defeated. In 146 BC, after the Romans had besieged the city for three years, they destroyed it completely.
Historians explain the fall of Carthage by several factors: military defeats, internal political divisions and the loss of its allies, such as some Numidian kings who supported Rome.
Part One: Reading (15 pts)
A. Comprehension (8 pts)
- The text is: a) a newspaper article ; b) a historical text ; c) a biography. Choose.
- Are the statements true or false? a) Carthage was founded by the Romans. b) Hannibal crossed the Alps. c) Carthage was destroyed in 146 BC.
- Answer: a) What made Carthage rich? b) Give two causes of its fall.
- What do the underlined words refer to? "it soon became" ; "they destroyed it".
B. Text exploration (7 pts)
- Find in the text words closest in meaning to: a) established ; b) competition.
- Combine using the past perfect: "The Romans besieged the city for three years. Then they destroyed it." (Begin: After …)
- Rewrite using "although": "Hannibal won several battles. Carthage was defeated."
- Add the suffix -al, -ous or -ic to form adjectives: a) history ; b) fame ; c) artist.
Part Two: Written expression (5 pts)
Write a short essay (100–120 words) about the main reasons why great ancient civilizations declined. Use examples from Carthage, Numidia or Egypt.