The exam’s Comprehension Text
[1] Ruth accepted with pride her certificate for nursing care from her teacher at a vocational school. That certificate meant a lot to her. When asked why she took up nursing, she explained, “I come from a broken home. My parents divorced when I was in my early teens and I had to drop out of school to help care for my brothers and sisters. Then my father got cancer when I was 16 and I cared for him until he died at our home. Not long afterwards, my sister also became ill with cancer and after a few years she passed away. I got married and began having children, while doing different jobs to support my family. I kept dreaming of receiving an education and being able to support myself, but I was never able to go back to school. “
[2] “I think education is very important for my children’s future. So I worked hard and saved up enough to pay part of private school tuition for my eldest son, Tom. He earned the rest in scholarships because he had good grades. It was very difficult, but it was the only way he had a chance of attending university and having a real career. “
[3] “I’m now 45 years old, my husband is suffering from a mortal illness and we have three children still in high school. My dream is to be able to send them all to university, but as things were, it wouldn’t have been possible. I’ve worked in caring for the elderly my whole life. But a better salary always requires certification to prove that you are educated in health care. Therefore, I could never negotiate my working conditions or salary since my employers considered me unskilled. “
[4] “When I heard of this nursing course, I was very worried as I hadn’t studied anything for a long time. I was sure I couldn’t keep up, but our teacher had a lot of patience. At the beginning, she explained everything in simple words so I could understand and with time my vocabulary and understanding developed. The nursing skills I’ve learned here at this school have enabled me to demand a better salary and improve the quality of life for myself and my family.”
http://www.familycare.org/real-life-stories
National exam | Scientific Streams | Ordinary Session 2012 with Answers
