القطعة الأولى

The Muslim empire in Spain lasted for centuries, and this civilization had a huge cultural impact on the country, which can still be seen today: Andalos, and Granada with its capital Qutuba (in Arabic, Cordoba), are places that are well known for their Islamic heritage. Cordoba was the capital of the Omayyad Caliphs who came to Spain after they fled from Damascus in 750 A.D. Although they only ruled for a short time; they made a big contribution to the artistic and cultural life of Qutuba. They did the same throughout Spain, and Andalos in particular became well known for the fine buildings of the Caliphs.


The Omayyads built their new capital to be very similar to Damascus. One of the most impressive buildings in Spain is the Omayyads 8th Century Mosque of Qutuba, which was designed to remind people of the city the Omayyads had left. During the time of the Caliphs, Andalos also became very well known for the study of science, philosophy and mathematics. Although the Omayyads made Granada very beautiful too, they are best known for Qutuba which became a centre of Civilisations and a bridge between the East and West.


Although the Muslims later moved out of Spain, their influence can still be seen today; nearly a quarter of modern Spanish words are derived from Arabic, and of course, there are the buildings and writings too. However, of all the Islamic rulers of Spain, it was the Omayyad Caliphs who left the most impressive heritage behind them . Today there are many beautiful Muslim buildings across Spain that were built by the Omayyads; and it was they who contributed the most to subjects such as philosophy and mathematics. Today there are many Muslims living in Spain, and there are nearly two hundred mosques across the country as the religion flourishes there. As well as the historic older buildings of the caliphs, there are also much newer ones such as the Ibn Rushd Islamic University next to the Qutuba Mosque.

1. According to the ****, the Omayyads made a big contribution to three subjects. Mention two of them

2. Quote the sentence which shows the date of the Omayyads’ arrival to Spain.

3. The Qutuba Mosque was one of the most impressive buildings in Spain. Why did the Omayyads build it?


4. The writer says that today there are many Muslims living in Spain, and there are nearly two hundred mosques across the country. Do you agree, justify your answer.

5. The writer says that the Muslims’ influence on Spain can still be seen today. Explain this, justifying your answer.

6. What does the underlined pronoun (they) refer to?

7. Find out a word from the last paragraph which means (to have developed or come from something from something else).

8. Find out a word from the first paragraph which means (to have left somewhere very quickly, in order to escape from danger).

الإجابات

1. philosophy and mathematics

2. Cordoba was the capital of the Omayyad Caliphs who came to Spain after they fled from Damascus in 750 A.D

3. to remind people of the city the Omayyads had left

4. yes, I agree with the writer because the Islamic religion flourishes there as a result of the Islamic civilisation and culture. The Muslims ruled Spain for more than 8 centuries.

5. yes, I agree with the writer because nearly a quarter of modern Spanish words are derived from Arabic, and of course, there are the buildings and writings too.

6. the Omayyads.

7. derived

8. fled

القطعة الثانية

One of the biggest upsets in the history of chess occurred in the small Spanish city of Linares in early 2003.Linares is regarded as the "Wimbledon" of chess, and all the important chess grand masters were gathered there for the tournament . In the second round game, nobody gave the tournaments youngest player a chance, especially as it was against the great Gary Kasparov. They were completely wrong. After a brilliant attack by the young Azerbaijani, Kasparov, a piece down, was forced to make a humiliating resignation when facing checkmate At the age of fifteen, Teimour Radjabov had become the youngest player ever to defeat a world champion.


Teimour Radjabov was born in 1987 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the same city as Gary kasparov. Teimour's father is a petroleum engineer, his mother teaches English and his grandfather was an Olympic sportsman. His father started teaching Teimour chess at the age of three and a half and he improved quickly. He became a member of a chess club and started training. By the age of twelve, he had stopped attending school full-time and was training several hours a day.


When he was very young, Teimour started winning competitions and titles. At the age of ten he beat the Russian grand master Victor Korchnoi and at the age of twelve became the youngest ever winner of the European Young Championship. After winning one competition, the prize was presented to Teimour by Kasparov. Kasparov was very impressed by the young player: “I saw the fear in his eyes” Teimour later told friends. Then, just after his fourteen birthday, Teimour became the youngest grand master ever. The next year, 2002, he got to the final of the Moscow Grand Prix, where he was beaten by Kasparov. However he would soon get his revenge for that defeat.

1. More than one factor contributed to Teimour’s success. Write down two of them.

2. Quote a sentence from the first paragraph which indicates that Teimour was underestimated.

3. Quote the sentence wish shows the date of Teimour’s birth.

4. Quote the sentence which shows that Kasparov and Radjabov were born in the same city.

5. What does the underlined pronoun "his” in the second paragraph refer to?

6. Find a word in the first paragraph that means (embarrassing or shameful).

7. The writer considers the Linares event “One of the biggest upsets in the history of chess”. Do you agree with this? Justify your answer.

8. According to the ****, Teimour Radjabov won a lot of titles and competitions, write down two of them.

9. The writer thinks that Teimour Radjabov is a great chess grand master. Do you agree with him. Justify your answer.

الإجابات

1. - His father started teaching Teimour chess at the age of three and a half and


- He became a member of a chess club and started training.


- was training several hours a day.

2. They were completely wrong

3. Teimour Radjabov was born in 1987 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the same city as Gary kasparov

4. Teimour Radjabov was born in 1987 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the same city as Gary kasparov

5. Kasparov

6. humiliating

7. yes, I agree with the writer because one of the biggest upsets in the history of chess occurred in this city in early 2003, and all the important chess grand masters were gathered there for the tournament.

8. At the age of ten he beat the Russian grand master Victor Korchnoi and at the age of twelve became the youngest ever winner of the European Young Championship.

9. yes, I agree with the writer because Teimour Radjabov had become the youngest player ever to defeat a world champion.

- بقلم : Adel Maayah -