Reading Comprehension (25 points)
Read the text and do the tasks below:
From cowries to contactless: a short history of money
On its own, money has little or no meaning. It only gains meaning when a group of people all accept
that it has a certain value when used for the exchange of goods or services. To understand this, we need
to look at what happened before money was invented.
In early societies, trade was carried out by bartering: the exchange of one thing or service for another.
If one person had a bag of salt and another was good at making shoes, they could agree to exchange
the salt for a pair of shoes. But this only worked on two conditions. Firstly, they each had to want what
the other person was offering, and secondly they had to agree that the two things were of equal value.
To solve this problem, people started to base their trade on items that nearly everyone wanted, like
salt, chocolate or cows. It didn’t have to be something that they needed, just something desirable.
Cowrie shells are a well-known example of this, and a step towards what we recognise as money,
because they are easier to carry around than cows or bags of salt.
The Lydians, who lived in what is now Turkey, are thought to be the first people to use coins, over
2,500 years ago, although pieces of metal had been used for centuries before. Other countries soon
followed, making their own coins with agreed values. The earliest paper money was probably in
common use in China around the year 960.
In this form, money itself doesn’t need to be made of something valuable; it is only important because
of what it represents, or stands for. This is why it is known as representative money Until quite recently,
for example, the British pound (£) was based on a promise that the bank would exchange it for one
pound in weight (lb) of silver.
Nowadays, methods of exchange are moving away from real coins and notes that need to be carried
around. First, there were cheques, which have now been more or less replaced by plastic credit or debit
cards. More recent developments have moved even further in this direction. One example is
‘contactless’ bracelets that you wear on your wrist and pass in front of a machine. Another is the
growing popularity of ‘bitcoins’, a digital currency that can only be used on the Internet.

Read the text and do the tasks below:
As the New Year approaches, many people reflect on the past year and set resolutions to improve
their lives. Popular resolutions often include goals such as losing weight, saving money, quitting
smoking, or spending more time with family. While the intention behind these resolutions is often real,
studies show that a significant number of resolutions fail by the end of January. Understanding the
reasons behind this can help individuals create more effective resolutions that can lead to meaningful
changes in their lives .
To make a successful New Year’s resolution, it’s essential to set specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time-limited (SMART) goals. For instance, instead of saying "I want to be healthier," a
SMART goal would be "I will exercise for 30 minutes at least three times a week." Additionally,
breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps can make them feel less confusing.
Another essential aspect of successfully achieving resolutions is maintaining motivation. This can
be done by finding a support system to provide encouragement and responsibility. Celebrating small
victories can also keep motivation high and strengthen positive behavior changes .
Finally, staying flexible and determined to resolutions increase and improve the chances of
success. The New Year offers a unique opportunity for change if individuals move toward their
resolutions with realistic expectations .

Literature: (15 points)
Choose ONE of the two stories and answer its questions. اختر واحدة من القصتين وأجب عن أسئلتها
Romeo & Juliet (15 points)

From this section, answer two parts only أجب عن فرعين منها فقط (A,B,C) يتكون هذا السؤال من ثالثة فروع

King Lear (15 points)

From this section, answer two parts only أجب عن فرعين منها فقط (A,B,C) يتكون هذا السؤال من ثالثة فروع

Writing: (10 points)