Appendix One: Sample University of Oxford Aptitude Test

Name

College of first choice

Proposed course of study

THE COLLEGES OF OXFORD IJNTVERSITY CLASSICS TUESDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2000 LANGUAGE APTITUDE TEST Time a !"e# $ % &!'( For candidates applying for Literae Humaniores Course II, Classics and English with preliminary Course II year, and Classics and Modern Languages (after Classics Honour Mods Course II). _______________________________________________________________________

P ea)e "(i*e +!'( ,ame a,# -! e.e !/ /i()* -&!i-e a* *&e *!0 !/ *&i) 0a.e1 1. Try to answer all the questions in all three sections; but do not spend too much time on any question with which you may ha e difficulties. !. "rite your answers in the spaces pro ided on the paper. #$ou may% if you wish% also write your rough wor& on the paper.' (. Please ta&e care to write ery clearly.

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%1 -d.ecti es in /nglish ma&e their comparati e forms in one of two ways% either by adding 2e( #e.g. 3i., 3i..e($ "i#e, "i#e(' or by using m!(e #e.g. #i//i-' *, m!(e #i//i-' *4 )e,)i3 e, m!(e )e,)i3 e'. Thin& what you would naturally say if as&ed for the comparati e form of the following ad.ecti es% and then see if you can find any pattern of regularity0 what determines whether an ad.ecti e adds 2e( or uses m!(e1 *- larger selection would show that the rules are actually a bit more complicated #and less definite' than it might seem from this e idence% but see what can be deduced from the forms gi en., -a'*i!'), )ma , &a00+, 3ea'*i/' , )a# i5e +, /i(m, )a,-*im!,i!'), /ai(, ,ee#+, 0(!)ai-, a.i*a*e#, "ea6, )0i*e/' , /',,+, 3a-6"a(#, 3(i ia,*, .(!)), )ee#+, 5a 'a3 e

21 2n Classical -rmenian% one of the ways of forming the geniti e singular of a noun is to add 2i #e.g. a7. 3nation4% geniti e a7.i 3of a nation4'. This may be accompanied by some other change of form; consider these e5amples0 m8. 3mist4% mi.i; # ea6 3fortress4% #e6i ma+( 3cedar4% ma+(i &am3!+( 3&iss% &am3'(i &a(6 3tribute% &a(6i 6a(. 3order4% 6a(.i ea(# 3li er4% e(#i 0:! 3throat4% 0:! i 89 3page4% 8i9i; &e( 3hair4% &e(i 3a, 3word4% 3a,i ma*ea, 3house4 ma*e,i

The geniti e singulars of the following nouns are formed in the same way0 what forms would you e5pect to find1 am 3year4 58m 3stone .! 3heat4 )e,ea6 3room4 6!+) 3 irgin4 ;8, 3 illage4

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<1 2n Tur&ish% it is possible to form words to denote people in ol ed in arious professions% acti ities% etc. by using a suffi5 2-i% e.g. .emi-i 3sailor4 beside .emi 3ship4. This suffi5% howe er% can appear in different forms as 2-i, 2-i, 2-i, 2-i, 2-', 2=', 2-> or 2=>. Consider the folowing e5amples0 6a&5e 3coffee4 #i? 3tooth4 +! 3road4 e6me6 3bread4 6>(6 3fur4 !(ma, 3forest4 6i3(i* 3match4 )a5a? 3fight4 6'+'m 3gold4 6Am>( 3charcoal4 6! *'6 3flattery4 )a*@ 3sale4 6a +!, 3galleon4 6a&5e-i 3&eeper of a coffee6shop4 #i=i 3dentist4 +! -' 3tra eller4 e6me6=i 3ba&er4 6>(6=> 3furrier4 !(ma,-@ 3forester4 6i3(i*=i 3matchseller4 )a5a?=@ 3combatant4 6'+'m-' 3goldsmith4 6Am>(-> 3charcoal6burner4 6! *'6=' 3flatterer4 )a*@-@ 3salesman4 6a +!,-' 3sailor4

"hat would you e5pect to find as the equi alent formations from the following1 )a3', 3soap4 #e5e 3camel4 i0e6 3sil&4 )>* 3mil&4 0!)*a 3post4 )0!( 3sport4 3a?ma6 3shoe4 e)i( 3sla e4 *>*>, 3tobacco4 3soap6ma&er4 3camel 6dri er4 3sil&6merchant4 3mil&man4 3postman4 3sportsman4 3shoema&er4 3sla e6dealer4 3tobacconist4

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B1 The questions in this section are all based on an in ented language% called -la&risti. 8ead each group of e5amples carefully% paying particular attention to different forms of words% and wor&ing out what information they con ey #.ust as in /nglish there are differences between e.g. cat and cats% or ec!on and ec!ons and ec!oned'. "ord order in -la&risti is different from that of /nglish and is not entirely fi5ed; it is not a reliable guide to the meaning of sentences. Note also that -la&risti has nothing corresponding to /nglish the and a(n)% so that e.g. .a*e may be translated as 3the gun4 or 3a gun4. $ou are ad ised to wor& through the questions in this section in the order in which they are gi en% as the later ones presuppose some information or ocabulary supplied in earlier e5amples. #a' &! e)*! #'6a( 3'3' i, marilin parsar garetu &omeni& du&ar parsan tesheni& neftar busesto sosin #'6a( "a*)a, &e e)*! Ce(e 6!me)*! 3'3' i( :i e the meaning of0 *e)&e)*! "a*)a( 3'3' i, ,e/*a, )!)i( &! e,i6 Translate into -la&risti0 3the actress will &iss the colonel4 #b' )6(ime )a e*&i ,e i 3a letter is in the hall4 )6(ime #'6a( 6i0e*&i 0e(e,i6 3the colonel will read the letter in the garden4 3'3' i( 3'6('me#! 0a*e)*! 3the maid has come into the library4 3'3' i( / a6!,e 3'6('me*' 0!0i,e#! 6!me i 3the maid is ta&ing the decanter from the library into the &itchen4 ,e/*a( ma(i i, 5e(a,e*&i 3')e i 3the nephew is &issing the actress in the conser atory4 6i0e#! )!)i( 0a*e i 3the fianc9e is coming into the garden4 0a*e)*! e/*e 3the newspaper has come4 :i e the meaning of0 )!)i( 6i0e*' 5e(a,e#! 0a*e,i6 ,e i / a6!,e 0!0i,e*&i 7 3the colonel has called the maid4 3the rector will bring the actress from the station4 3the colonel will than& the rector4 3the nephew has &issed #his' fianc9e4 3the colonel has greeted the doctor4 3the maid has brought sherry4

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Translate into -la&risti0 3the rector is reading the newspaper in the library #c' #'6a))e a**e)*e 0e*(e*&i +!,e i 3the colonel4s will is not in the safe4 #'6a))a( ,e/*a( 3'(e*' 0a*e i 3the colonel4s nephew is coming from the study4 ,e/*a( #'6a))e .a*e "a*)a))e#! -&a,*e#! #e)*! 3the nephew has put the colonel4s gun into the doctor4s bag4 / a6!,e#! "a*)a( "a)e #e i 3the doctor is putting poison into the decanter4 3'6('me#! 0a*e i 0a()a))i( 3e,i( 3the rector4s wife is coming into the library4 0a()a( ,e/*a))i, )!)i, +!3')e)*! 3the rector has not &issed the nephew4s fianc9e4 3'3' i( )!)i))e#! 6'3i e#! 0a*e,i6 ama a**e)*e +!5i#e,i6 3the maid will come into the fianc9e4s bedroom but will not find the will4 :i e the meaning of0 "a*)a( #'6a))e#! 3'(e#! +!0a*e)*! 0a()a))i, 3e,i, #'6a( +!&e e,i6 Translate into -la&risti0 3the fianc9e is finding the actress4s bag in the nephew4s bedroom4 #d' #'6a))e 6e*)e 3'6('me))e*&i 3!#e*&i me3i+!,e i 3is not the colonel4s body on the floor of the library14 me3i )!)i( "a*)a))e*' -&a,*e*' .a*e ,ime,i6 3will the fianc9e ta&e the gun from the doctor4s bag14 3'(e*' "a*)a( me3i+!0a*e i 3is not the doctor coming from the study14 0a()a( 3e,i, me3i+!*i(e)*! 3has not the rector shot his wife14 me3i 3'3' i( e(-! a, &! e,i6 3will the maid call the detecti e14 :i e the meaning of0 mebi marilin sosir tireni& neftar du&asse atteste petretu mebiyonimesto Translate into -la&risti0 3has the detecti e not found the maid4s body in the study14

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51 $oung children% learning to spea&% often ha e difficulties with past tense forms in /nglish. Can you suggest an e5planation for how% when aiming at the past tense of ring% they might come up with the forms ringed and rung instead of correct rought1

D1 - distinction may be made between count nouns% words li&e picture% stamp% cat% etc.% and non6 count nouns% words li&e music% utter% rain% etc. These nouns beha e differently in se eral respects0 compare the following sentences% and note that with apple #a count noun' it is possible to use the indefinite article #an apple'% to use accompanying numbers #four apples'% to use a plural #apples'% but that with mil! #a non6count noun' these things are not normally possible. "here is an apple on e#ery plate$ "here are four apples in that owl$ I shall uy some apples$ I am #ery fond of apples$ %pples are good for you. "here is mil! in e#ery mug$ "here is plenty of mil! in that &ug$ I shall uy some mil!$ I am not #ery fond of mil!$ Mil! is good for you. #a' Consider the following nouns and mar& them as count nouns or non6count nouns as you thin& appropriate0 oo! courage saucepan letter mud #b' Cheese and wine normally beha e as non6count nouns #cf. I am #ery fond of cheese$ wine can ma!e you thirsty'% but sentences li&e the following are perfectly possible0 There are se en wines for us to taste this e ening. This is a rather strong cheese 24m afraid. 2 thin& you4ll find this a rather amusingly pretentious little wine. The shop offers a selection of 2talian cheeses. Can you see what special meaning cheese and wine ha e in these sentences1

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#c' =oes ca!e beha e as a count noun or as a non6count noun1 :i e two or three sample sentences to support your conclusions.

E1 The word since in /nglish can introduce clauses with two different meanings. Consider the following sentences0 'ince he hated mo ile telephones, the professor preferred not to tra#el y train. 'ince I first came to this country, I ha#e made some progress in learning the language. 'ince the go#ernment too! office, they ha#e lost much of their initial confidence. ('ince re#ity is the soul of wit)., I will e rief* #a' "hat are the two basic meanings for since6clauses1 :i e a further e5ample of each type.

#b' The following sentence is ambiguous0 what two meanings could it ha e1 'ince I went to the dentist last wee!, I ha#e had nightmares a out electric drills.

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F1 "he angry motorist addressed the young man on a icycle+ (%re you lind, -o you normally ride through a red light, .hat do you thin! you are doing, Ha#e you no ra!es,* 8ewrite each of the questions in this passage in the form it would ta&e in reported speech #rather than the actual words% as gi en abo e'% introduced by ("he motorist as!ed the cyclist) *

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