TESTS

Test Yourself

Town and Country

1. What kinds of _____ are best avoided in cold weather? a. clothes b. cloths c. close

2. The best _________ would be not to wear tight clothing that cuts circulation of blood to hands and feet. a. advise b. advice

3. During the winter, why ___ some Canadians leave their bath water in the tub after they are finished with it? a. are b. do c. make

4. The warm water will heat the house a bit. By _____ the water, all of the heat just goes into the sewer pipes. a. draining b. drained c. drains

5. In _____Canada, at what time is dinner served? a. west of b. western c. west

6. Around 1 o’clock in the afternoon _____ the usual time for dinner. a. is b. was c. has d. had

7. In _____ Canada lunch can be served at noon and at what other time? a. west of b. western c. west

8. Before bed at night, or around 11 o’clock at night _____ a wedding dance. a. in b. on c. at

9. What is the proper way to _____ in cold weather? a. breathe b. breath

10. _____ in through the nose and out through the mouth to heat the air before it hits the lungs. a. Breathe b. Breath

Key: 1. a; 2. b; 3. b; 4. a; 5. b; 6. a; 7. b; 8. b; 9. a; 10. a

Canada

1. Canada is the second ________ country in the world. a. larger b. large c. largest

2. The capital ______ Canada is Ottawa. a. for b. of c. in

3. Canada is made _______ten provinces. a. for b. of c. in

4. The flag of Canada _____a red maple leaf in the center. a. has b. is c. are

5. The two official languages of Canada______ French and English. a. has b. is c. are

6. The first Europeans came_____ Canada for the wealth of fur, fish and forests. a. in b. at c. to

7. The national sport _____Canada is lacrosse. a. of b. at c. in

8. Both basketball and hockey _____ first played in Canada. a. are b. were c. was

9. For five years in a row the United Nations has chosen Canada as the best place in the world ____ live. a. to b. for c. of

Key: 1. c; 2. b; 3. b; 4. a; 5. c; 6. c; 7. a; 8. b; 9. a

Missing Word Quiz

This type of examination exercise is common to upper level English examinations. The text extract was taken from the CIA’s World Factbook and gives some background information on Canada. Choose the correct word from the multiple choices for each gap. Write down the word which correctly fills the gaps in the text below.

A land of (1)________

a. small
b. vast
c. beautiful
d. vastly

distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing (2)________

a. dominion
b. domain
c. nationality
d. region

in 1867 while retaining (3)________

a. family
b. tied
c. ties
d. threads

to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed (4)________

a. of parallel
b. parallel
c. in parallel
d. on parallel

with the US, its (5)________

a. cousin
b. sister
c. neighbor
d. pupil

to the south across an unfortified (6)________.

a. frontier
b. bordering
c. border
d. line

Its paramount political problem continues to be the (7)________

a. relationship
b. paternity
c. relation
d. related

of the province of Quebec, with its French-speaking (8)________

a. inhabitant
b. residents
c. residings
d. peoples

and unique culture, to the remainder of the country.

Key: 1. b; 2. a; 3. c; 4. c; 5. c; 6. c; 7. a; 8. b

Canadian Trivia Questions

1. What is the origin of the name “Canada”?

2. Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?

3. What animal is on the Canadian quarter (25 ў coin)?

4. How many oceans touch Canada?

5. How many countries border Canada?

6. How many provinces are there in Canada?

7. What is the capital city of Canada (the national capital)?

8. True or False? Canada is the world’s second largest country, by land mass.

9. What is the Canadian $1 coin called?

10. How many territories are there in Canada?

11. What is the most recent territory in Canada called?

12. When was the most recent territory in Canada formed?

13. When was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms included in the Constitution Act?

14. True or False? Superman was created by a Canadian.

15. Who were the first people to live in Canada?

(a) Europeans, (b) Americans, (c) Aboriginals, or (d) Norsemen

16. What is the name of the elected lower house of Canadian parliament?

17. What is the leader of Canada called?

18. What leaf is on the Canadian flag?

19. What is the Canadian national anthem called?

20. What is the “big prize” for the National Hockey League (“NHL”) called? The ______________ cup.

21. What rodent is described by the Canadian Encyclopaedia as having “had a greater impact on the history and exploration of Canada than any other animal or plant species”?

22. What are Canada’s national languages?

23. What was the name of the system of safe passages and safehouses that allowed American slaves to escape to freedom in Canada?

24. Name the first Canadian to win a Nobel Peace Prize?

25. What is Laura Secord famous for?

26. How many time zones are there in Canada?

27. How many national parks are there in Canada?

(a) under 10, (b) between 10 and 50, (c) between 50 and 100, (d) over 100

28. What is the name of the highest mountain in Canada?

Answers:

1. Canada is a name derived from the Huron-Iroquois “kanata” meaning a village or settlement 

2. Sir John A. Macdonald

3. the CARIBOU

4. THREE – the Atlantic on the east, the Pacific on the west and the Arctic on the north

5. ONE – the United States of America

6. TEN – from west to east they are: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland

7. Ottawa

8. TRUE

9. the Loonie (the loon is a Canadian bird and is pictured on the coin, thus the name)

10. THREE – from west to east they are: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

11. Nunavut

12. April 1, 1999

13. 1982 (no, that isn’t a typo) Unlike the majority of democratic countries whose basic law derives from one document, Canada’s basic law derives not only from a set of documents known as Constitution Acts, but also a set of unwritten laws and conventions.

14. TRUE

15. (c) the aboriginals or first nations peoples were the first inhabitants of Canada

16. the House of Commons

17. the Prime Minister

18. the maple leaf – it is the national emblem of Canada

19. O Canada – oddly enough, although it has been sung since the late 1800’s, it wasn’t proclaimed Canada’s National Anthem until 1980

20. the STANLEY cup

21. the BEAVER

22. English and French

23. The Underground Railroad

24. Lester B. Pearson for his role in creating the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Suez Crisis of 1956. He was the only Canadian to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize 

25. Laura Secord warned the British of the impending attack on Canada by the Americans during the war of 1812 and because of this warning the British won the battle

26. SIX

27. (B) between 10 and 50

28. Mount Logan – Sir William Edmond Logan was one of Canada’s greatest surveyors and scientists.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think kids could run the country of Canada? If yes, why and what kinds of qualities would they have to have?

2. If you were a new Canadian, how would you like to be treated? Do you think it matters where Canadians came from?

3. Canada is considered a bilingual country. What does this mean? What are some of the issues Canada has had to face because of its bilingualism? What are future issues Canada may have to face as a result of the country being officially bilingual?

4. Who are some famous Canadians you know of? If you could be a famous Canadian, who would you be?

5. What are some of the issues facing aboriginal people in Canada? Why do they want “self-government”?

6. What is Canada’s relationship to the United States?

7. Do you think Canada should become a part of the United States?

8. Do you think Canada acts like a family? Why or why not? How would you feel if Canada broke up? How do you think this would affect Canada as a whole?

9. What is your biggest concern about Canada in the next century?

10. What do you feel is the best thing about Canada?

Word Search

Geography Quiz

1. What ocean forms Canada’s western border? ______________________________________________________________

2. What ocean forms Canada’s eastern border? _______________________________

3. What ocean lies north of Canada? ________________________________________

4. What is the name of the enormous Canadian bay that almost divides Canada in two? ________________________________________________________________

5. What is the name of the country that borders Canada to the south? _________________________________________________________________

6. What is the name of the Bay that separates part of Canada from Greenland? ________________________________________________________________

7. What is the name of the southeastern Canadian gulf that opens to the Atlantic Ocean? ___________________________________________________________________

8. What is the name of the large river that flows north into the Beaufort Sea? ___________________________________________________________________

9. What is the name of the long lake in south-central Canada? ___________________________________________________________________

10. What is the name of the tallest peak in Canada? It is located in western Canada, near Alaska. ___________________________________________________________________