Exam papers

Grade 12 English entrance exam, 2018 E.C. (2026), version 2

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in English, as students sat it in 2018 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation. The 2018 E.C. exam went out in several versions. This page holds version 2; the others are listed further down.

Start practicing free Question paper

Both streams
Who sits it
2018 E.C. (2026), version 2
Exam year
87 questions with answers
In this set

Try questions from this paper

Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

Most textbooks and courses in comparative politics have traditionally distinguished between industrial (and primarily Western) democracies — the First World; communist states as the Second World; and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that had recently gained independence as the Third World. This categorization was based, in part, on distinctive economic features that helped characterize different political systems. Economic organization and performance both affected and reflected the realities of politics in these different political systems: the capitalist (or market) economies and high standard of living in North America, Western Europe, Japan, and a few other countries; the socialist (or planned) economies of countries ruled by a Communist Party, such as the Soviet Union and China; and the low level of economic development and widespread poverty characteristic of the Third World. Democracy was another dividing line in this way of looking at the nations of the world. The capitalist industrialized countries were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic; communist systems were unquestionably dictatorial; and Third World nations had a despotic leader, one- party rule, a military regime, or — at best — democracy marred by high levels of social and political violence. One of the consequences of the many profound changes of recent decades is that these economic and political differences among types of countries are no longer so clear. For one thing, sharp differences in growth rates among developing countries in recent years make it difficult to generalize with confidence about the Third World. Furthermore, scores of developing countries have become democratic in the past two decades. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, countries that were formerly undemocratic have adopted democratic institutions. Linked to the swelling of the ranks of democratic countries in the Third World has been the near- disappearance of countries in the Second World. Beginning in 1989, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and East Central Europe set off a revolutionary change in world politics. Only a handful of countries — China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) — are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology. It follows that "Second World" is no longer a useful category by which to classify countries. These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate the way that comparativists categorize the world's countries. But we believe that "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept and that the countries included in this text continue to share many distinct characteristics that allow us to identify them as part of the Third World. The purpose of mentioning China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and North Korea is to show that...

A.No country today shows allegiance to communist ideology
B.The world has known only a handful of countries who were ruled by communist parties
C.These are the countries that are still under the rule of communist parties
D.The world is still deeply divided in ideology

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C These are the countries that are still under the rule of communist parties

Why

The five countries are named in the sentence "Only a handful of countries ... are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology". The list is there to show which states still have communist rule after 1989. Option A says no country shows allegiance to communist ideology, but that same sentence says these five do.

Question 2

Most textbooks and courses in comparative politics have traditionally distinguished between industrial (and primarily Western) democracies — the First World; communist states as the Second World; and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that had recently gained independence as the Third World. This categorization was based, in part, on distinctive economic features that helped characterize different political systems. Economic organization and performance both affected and reflected the realities of politics in these different political systems: the capitalist (or market) economies and high standard of living in North America, Western Europe, Japan, and a few other countries; the socialist (or planned) economies of countries ruled by a Communist Party, such as the Soviet Union and China; and the low level of economic development and widespread poverty characteristic of the Third World. Democracy was another dividing line in this way of looking at the nations of the world. The capitalist industrialized countries were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic; communist systems were unquestionably dictatorial; and Third World nations had a despotic leader, one- party rule, a military regime, or — at best — democracy marred by high levels of social and political violence. One of the consequences of the many profound changes of recent decades is that these economic and political differences among types of countries are no longer so clear. For one thing, sharp differences in growth rates among developing countries in recent years make it difficult to generalize with confidence about the Third World. Furthermore, scores of developing countries have become democratic in the past two decades. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, countries that were formerly undemocratic have adopted democratic institutions. Linked to the swelling of the ranks of democratic countries in the Third World has been the near- disappearance of countries in the Second World. Beginning in 1989, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and East Central Europe set off a revolutionary change in world politics. Only a handful of countries — China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) — are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology. It follows that "Second World" is no longer a useful category by which to classify countries. These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate the way that comparativists categorize the world's countries. But we believe that "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept and that the countries included in this text continue to share many distinct characteristics that allow us to identify them as part of the Third World. Which one of the following is true about the Third World?

A.It is no more a valid concept in the categorization of the countries of the world
B.It is still a valid concept in the categorization of the countries of the world
C.The countries in this category do not share anything in common any more
D.The countries in this category have all become democratic

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B It is still a valid concept in the categorization of the countries of the world

Why

The last paragraph states the writers' position: "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept, and the countries in it still share many distinct characteristics. That is option B. Option D is tempting because the passage says scores of developing countries have become democratic, but scores is not all of them.

Question 3

Most textbooks and courses in comparative politics have traditionally distinguished between industrial (and primarily Western) democracies — the First World; communist states as the Second World; and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that had recently gained independence as the Third World. This categorization was based, in part, on distinctive economic features that helped characterize different political systems. Economic organization and performance both affected and reflected the realities of politics in these different political systems: the capitalist (or market) economies and high standard of living in North America, Western Europe, Japan, and a few other countries; the socialist (or planned) economies of countries ruled by a Communist Party, such as the Soviet Union and China; and the low level of economic development and widespread poverty characteristic of the Third World. Democracy was another dividing line in this way of looking at the nations of the world. The capitalist industrialized countries were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic; communist systems were unquestionably dictatorial; and Third World nations had a despotic leader, one- party rule, a military regime, or — at best — democracy marred by high levels of social and political violence. One of the consequences of the many profound changes of recent decades is that these economic and political differences among types of countries are no longer so clear. For one thing, sharp differences in growth rates among developing countries in recent years make it difficult to generalize with confidence about the Third World. Furthermore, scores of developing countries have become democratic in the past two decades. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, countries that were formerly undemocratic have adopted democratic institutions. Linked to the swelling of the ranks of democratic countries in the Third World has been the near- disappearance of countries in the Second World. Beginning in 1989, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and East Central Europe set off a revolutionary change in world politics. Only a handful of countries — China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) — are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology. It follows that "Second World" is no longer a useful category by which to classify countries. These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate the way that comparativists categorize the world's countries. But we believe that "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept and that the countries included in this text continue to share many distinct characteristics that allow us to identify them as part of the Third World. "Them" in line 28 refers to

A.Third World countries
B.First World countries
C.Second World countries
D.Characteristics

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A Third World countries

Why

The pronoun sits in "allow us to identify them as part of the Third World". Only countries can be part of the Third World, and the sentence is about the countries included in the text, so "them" points back to Third World countries. Option D is tempting because "characteristics" is the nearest noun, but characteristics are what identify the countries, not what belongs to the Third World.

Question 4

Most textbooks and courses in comparative politics have traditionally distinguished between industrial (and primarily Western) democracies — the First World; communist states as the Second World; and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that had recently gained independence as the Third World. This categorization was based, in part, on distinctive economic features that helped characterize different political systems. Economic organization and performance both affected and reflected the realities of politics in these different political systems: the capitalist (or market) economies and high standard of living in North America, Western Europe, Japan, and a few other countries; the socialist (or planned) economies of countries ruled by a Communist Party, such as the Soviet Union and China; and the low level of economic development and widespread poverty characteristic of the Third World. Democracy was another dividing line in this way of looking at the nations of the world. The capitalist industrialized countries were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic; communist systems were unquestionably dictatorial; and Third World nations had a despotic leader, one- party rule, a military regime, or — at best — democracy marred by high levels of social and political violence. One of the consequences of the many profound changes of recent decades is that these economic and political differences among types of countries are no longer so clear. For one thing, sharp differences in growth rates among developing countries in recent years make it difficult to generalize with confidence about the Third World. Furthermore, scores of developing countries have become democratic in the past two decades. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, countries that were formerly undemocratic have adopted democratic institutions. Linked to the swelling of the ranks of democratic countries in the Third World has been the near- disappearance of countries in the Second World. Beginning in 1989, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and East Central Europe set off a revolutionary change in world politics. Only a handful of countries — China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) — are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology. It follows that "Second World" is no longer a useful category by which to classify countries. These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate the way that comparativists categorize the world's countries. But we believe that "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept and that the countries included in this text continue to share many distinct characteristics that allow us to identify them as part of the Third World. "..have traditionally distinguished between industrial.." distinguished (line 1) means

A.Discussed
B.Determined
C.Accepted the difference
D.Showed the similarity

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Accepted the difference

Why

To distinguish between two things is to see and accept that they are different from each other. The sentence is about textbooks that sorted countries into three separate groups, which is exactly that. Option D says the opposite, showing similarity.

Question 5

Most textbooks and courses in comparative politics have traditionally distinguished between industrial (and primarily Western) democracies — the First World; communist states as the Second World; and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that had recently gained independence as the Third World. This categorization was based, in part, on distinctive economic features that helped characterize different political systems. Economic organization and performance both affected and reflected the realities of politics in these different political systems: the capitalist (or market) economies and high standard of living in North America, Western Europe, Japan, and a few other countries; the socialist (or planned) economies of countries ruled by a Communist Party, such as the Soviet Union and China; and the low level of economic development and widespread poverty characteristic of the Third World. Democracy was another dividing line in this way of looking at the nations of the world. The capitalist industrialized countries were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic; communist systems were unquestionably dictatorial; and Third World nations had a despotic leader, one- party rule, a military regime, or — at best — democracy marred by high levels of social and political violence. One of the consequences of the many profound changes of recent decades is that these economic and political differences among types of countries are no longer so clear. For one thing, sharp differences in growth rates among developing countries in recent years make it difficult to generalize with confidence about the Third World. Furthermore, scores of developing countries have become democratic in the past two decades. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, countries that were formerly undemocratic have adopted democratic institutions. Linked to the swelling of the ranks of democratic countries in the Third World has been the near- disappearance of countries in the Second World. Beginning in 1989, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and East Central Europe set off a revolutionary change in world politics. Only a handful of countries — China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) — are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology. It follows that "Second World" is no longer a useful category by which to classify countries. These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate the way that comparativists categorize the world's countries. But we believe that "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept and that the countries included in this text continue to share many distinct characteristics that allow us to identify them as part of the Third World. "..were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic" stable (line 11) means...

A.Poor
B.Not changing
C.Serious
D.Helping others

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B Not changing

Why

Here "stable" describes a country that stays steady and does not swing between crises or governments, so "not changing" is the meaning. Option C, serious, describes a person's manner, not whether a political system changes.

Question 6

Most textbooks and courses in comparative politics have traditionally distinguished between industrial (and primarily Western) democracies — the First World; communist states as the Second World; and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that had recently gained independence as the Third World. This categorization was based, in part, on distinctive economic features that helped characterize different political systems. Economic organization and performance both affected and reflected the realities of politics in these different political systems: the capitalist (or market) economies and high standard of living in North America, Western Europe, Japan, and a few other countries; the socialist (or planned) economies of countries ruled by a Communist Party, such as the Soviet Union and China; and the low level of economic development and widespread poverty characteristic of the Third World. Democracy was another dividing line in this way of looking at the nations of the world. The capitalist industrialized countries were not only wealthy but also stable and democratic; communist systems were unquestionably dictatorial; and Third World nations had a despotic leader, one- party rule, a military regime, or — at best — democracy marred by high levels of social and political violence. One of the consequences of the many profound changes of recent decades is that these economic and political differences among types of countries are no longer so clear. For one thing, sharp differences in growth rates among developing countries in recent years make it difficult to generalize with confidence about the Third World. Furthermore, scores of developing countries have become democratic in the past two decades. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, countries that were formerly undemocratic have adopted democratic institutions. Linked to the swelling of the ranks of democratic countries in the Third World has been the near- disappearance of countries in the Second World. Beginning in 1989, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and East Central Europe set off a revolutionary change in world politics. Only a handful of countries — China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) — are now ruled by communist parties and declare an allegiance to communist ideology. It follows that "Second World" is no longer a useful category by which to classify countries. These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate the way that comparativists categorize the world's countries. But we believe that "Third World" remains a valid and useful concept and that the countries included in this text continue to share many distinct characteristics that allow us to identify them as part of the Third World. "These recent economic and political trends challenge and complicate.." trends (line 27) means

A.Development
B.Promotion
C.Acceptable move
D.General direction

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D General direction

Why

A trend is the general direction in which things are moving. The paragraph has been listing shifts over recent decades, and "these recent economic and political trends" gathers those directions together. Option A, development, names growth in one direction only, while a trend can move either way.

Download the whole paper as a PDF

All 87 questions in this set as a printed paper, and the answer key with 87 worked explanations as a second file. Print them or read them with no data.

Free, and it needs no account.

Question paper Answer key and explanations

Sit the full paper, timed and scored

A free Temari account gives you the whole English paper, and every other year, as timed mock exams with instant scoring. It works on any phone, even over a weak connection.

Start practicing free

Temari.et is also an Android app, free on Google Play.

About the Temari app

The other English papers of 2018 E.C.

2018 E.C. (2026)2018 E.C. (2026), round 1 2018 E.C. (2026), social stream 2018 E.C. (2026), version 1

More papers like this one

All Grade 12 English papers All papers of 2018 E.C.Every subject and year

Revise English before you sit this paper

The Grade 12 English short notes hold 13 cards. Each one gives the rule, what its symbols stand for and the mistake that costs marks, chapter by chapter from the national textbook.

Open the English notes

Are these the real 2018 E.C. English entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in English that students sat in 2018 E.C. (2026). Our set holds 87 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

How do I practice the full paper?

Create a free account with a phone number. The full paper runs as a timed mock exam with instant scoring, and the AI tutor upgrade at 199 ETB per month can walk you through anything you miss.

Can I download the English 2018 E.C. paper as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can attempt the paper first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

Grade 12 English entrance exam, 2018 E.C. (2026), version 2

Try questions from this paper

Download the whole paper as a PDF

Sit the full paper, timed and scored

The other English papers of 2018 E.C.

English papers from other years

More papers like this one

Revise English before you sit this paper