OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – GIMNAZIU
Faza pe scoala – martie 2015
CLASA a VIII-a
Subiectul I -Reading comprehension (10 points)
Read the text and questions below. For each question, circle the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Oymyakon
The settlement of Oymyakon is situated in Eastern Siberia, Russia. It is the coldest permanently inhabited
place on Earth. Temperatures are said to have reached as low as -96.16 degrees Fahrenheit (71.2 Celsius).
This is hardly surprising as Oymyakon lies only a few hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle.
Oymyakon has not always been a permanent place of residence. Before the 1920s, Oymyakon was only
visited by reindeer herders. Later, the Soviet government took steps to settle these nomadic people and now
the area boasts a population of about 800.
The people of Oymyakon have had to adapt in order to survive in this harsh environment. Owning livestock
(reindeer and horses) is essential for food and for trade. Growing fruits or vegetables is only possible in the
short summer season. For the remainder of the time, the ground is frozen. Transportation is not easy as diesel
freezes at -58 degrees Fahrenheit. In Oymyakon wearing fur is not a luxury but a necessity. Luckily, the local
power station burns wood to provide homes with hot water and this makes indoor life bearable.
Believe it or not, the local people sometimes choose to bathe in these sub-zero temperatures. Swimming in
icy water is said to prevent colds and pneumonia. The brave people who do this call themselves members of
the “Walrus Club”. When you think about it, it is truly amazing what people can endure when they have to.
1. The writer’s main purpose in writing this 4. What does the writer say about bathing in
text is to frozen waters?
A. explain why people live in sub-zero A. The people who do it are risking their
temperatures. lives.
B. encourage people to visit Oymyakon. B. It is only advisable for animals to do it.
C. inform us about the Soviet Union. C. It has health benefits.
D. describe what it is like to live under D. People do it because they enjoy it.
harsh conditions.
5. How might the writer best describe the
2. What does the writer tell us about reindeer settlement of Oymyakon?
herders? A. It is the coldest place on Earth where
A. They used to be nomadic people. people actually live.
B. They were discouraged from living in B. It is a well-known science research
Oymyakon. station visited by many.
C. They view fur as a luxury. C. It’s a large Siberian town located close
D. They grow vegetables all year round. to the Arctic Circle.
D. It’s a bustling tourist centre with much
3. When talking about reindeer and horses the to see and do.
writer says people
A. keep these animals as pets.
B. Have livestock in order to survive.
C. raise a wide variety of animals.
D. have them solely for their fur.
Subiectul II – Use of English
A. For questions 1- 10, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
(10 points)
Becoming a Costume Designer
It is difficult to find a job in costume design as it is very popular. But (1)…you work hard and you are good
(2)…it, you will do well. Costume designers research, design and prepare costumes, ( 3)…for theaters but
also for film and TV productions. To be a costume designer, you have to be ( 4)… in the theater, film and
drama and have a knowledge of fashion and art. You will (5)…meetings with directors and managers to (6)
… the costumes and how much will be (7)… on them. You (8)… to be able to draw and work hard because
costumes are often produced in a very short time.
There are (9)… ways of learning how to be a costume designer. Some people (10)… a job with a company
and learn while they are working. Others do a course at an art school.
1. A although B if C while D unless
2. A to B by C from D at
3. A greatly B mainly C hugely D fully
4. A excited B keen C interested D pleased
5. A go B stay C attend D come
6. A discuss B talk C argue D chat
7. A paid B charged C bought D spent
8. A need B should C must D can
9. A lots B plenty C much D several
10. A search B get C become D look
B. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:(15 points)
I 1. .......................... (be) a fan of soap operas for years. I 2. .............................. (always watch) my favourite
show three times a week. In fact, until about a week ago, I 3. .......................... (never / miss) a single episode.
Last Saturday, while I 4. ........................ (sit) in front of the TV, the electricity suddenly 5........................... (go
off). After waiting for about an hour, I finally 6……………….(phone) the telephone company. “What
7. .......................... (happen)?” I asked them. “When 8. ............................ (we / have) electricity again?” The
man I spoke to said it would take a while to fix the problem. So I 9. .......................... (not watch) my favourite
soap opera that day. Strangely enough, I 10. .......................... (not watch) it since. Suddenly, there are so many
other things to do!
C.Complete each sentence with two to five words, including the word in bold. (10 points)
1.This is Miss Robinson. Her parents live next door to me.
whose This is Miss Robinson ________________________ next door to me.
2.If you don’t apologise to him, he won’t forgive you.
unless He won’t forgive you ________________________ to him.
3.I regret spending so much money on clothes last month.
wish I ________________________ so much money on clothes last month.
4.”Who ate the cake?” she asked.
had She wanted ________________________ the cake.
5.There was no one in the room when the police arrived.
left Everyone ________________________ the time the police arrived.
D.Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a new word that fits in the space with
the same number. (10 points)
Two months ago I received an (1) __________________ INVITE
to a wedding in Paris. I wrote a letter of acceptance and sent it to the couple.
Last weekend, the big event took place. My friend Camille, who is
a (2) ____________ writer, married Tom, FAME
a (3) ____________ from New York. Camille looked so beautiful! MUSIC
She was very (4) ____________ as she walked down the aisle wearing ELEGANCE
an (5) ____________ silk gown and Tom looked really handsome. The EXPENSE
ceremony was extremely (6) ____________ and the reception afterwards ROMANCE
was (7) ____________ . After the bride and groom had cut the cake, AMAZE
everyone raised their glasses and wished the couple (8) ____________ HAPPY
in their life together. (9) ____________, the couple left for their EVENTUAL
honeymoon and the guests danced the night away.
It was a truly (10) ____________ occasion! JOY
E.Fill in the blanks with one word: (5 points)
My friend Tom is one of the ……….(1) amazing people I have ever met. Although he has never been
really fond………….(2) school, he has never failed an exam. He just never seems to panic or suffer………..
(3) any kind of stress, even when he comes across unexpected problems. If you go up to him and tell him that
you feel stressed …………(4) something, he ..……(5) definitely answer: “ Oh, calm down! Life is too short
after all.”
Subiectul III – Writing (40 points)
Write a composition between 150-180 words starting with the following words and give it a title:
“I had a real surprise when I turned on the TV”.
