Model subiect olimpiada de Engleza, clasa a 9-a, faza judeteana

SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH  (40 points) 
 
I. Read the paragraph below and do the tasks that follow. (20 points)    
  
At the start of the 20th century, a new city was beginning to grow on some flat land near the sea 
in southern California. I ts name was  Los Angeles - the name of the old S panish mission that 
had been there for many years.  At the same time, a n ew industry was just being born,  the 
cinema. In America, they talked of "motion pictures", but this soon became shortened to 
"movies". America's movie industry started in New  York, but  by 1910  movie-makers were 
moving to Los Angeles. In New Yor k, everything was too expensive:  workers, land, taxes. 
Worse than that, it was difficult to make movies in winter, because it was too cold.  By contrast, 
the Los Angeles region was full of advantages. In California, they could make films all through 
the year and everything was cheaper. In particular, there was a lot of land for sale.  
 
A. response the following questions.      8 points 
 
1. Where were movies first created?  
2. Why did the movie-makers leave New York?  
3. What were the positive aspects of moving to Los Angeles ? 
4. Why was the city called Los Angeles? 
 
B. Choose the right synonym.       6 points 
 
1. mission: a. duty  b. religious organization c. commission d. vocation 
2. shorten: a. reduce b. abridge c. cut   d. lessen 
3. advantages: a. assistance b. help  c. benefits   d. blessings 
 
C. Rephrase the following sentences so as to preserve the meaning.  6 points 
 
1. America’s mo vie industry moved to Los Angel es because life in New York was too 
expensive.  
If life in New York  ............................ to Los Angeles. 
2. It was difficult to make movies in winter, because it was too cold. 
Movies......................................in winter, because it was too cold. 
3. Life in Los  Angeles was less expensive than life in New York. 
Life in New York  was not ...................................... life in Los Angeles. 
 
II. Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in each gap.        10 points 
In the centre of the room, clamped to an upright easel, stood the f ull-length portrait of a young 
man of (1)_____ (ORDINARY)  personal beauty, and in front of it, some little (2)_____ 
(DISTANT) away, was sitting the artist himself, Basil Hallward, whose sudden (3)_____ 
(APPEAR) some years ago caused, at the time, such publ ic (4)_____ (EXCITE), and gave rise 
to so many strange conjectures.    
 
Olimpiada de limba engleză clasa a IX-a, SECȚIUNEA B   Varianta 1 
 
As the (5)_____  (PAINT) looked at the gracious form he had so (6)_____ (SKILL) mirrored in 
his art, a smile of (7)_____ (PLEASE)  passed across his face, and seemed about to linger 
there. But he (8)_____ (SUDDEN) started up, and, closing his eyes, placed his fingers upon the 
lids, as though he sought to (9)_____ (PRISON)  within his brain some curious dream from 
which he feared he might (10)_____ (WAKE).  
 
III. Read the text below and think  of the word which best fits in each gap. Use only one 
word in each gap.                  10 points 
 
You’re going to have to learn to know (1) ______ you’re talking about before you open your 
mouth,” Pekach had replied. I think you would n’t have told the i nspector that Highway was 
different if you knew he was the youngest sergeant ever in Highway, (2) ______ you? 
“Jesus, was he?” 
“Yes, he was. He was also the youngest captain the Department has ever had, is the youngest 
staff inspector the Department has ev er had, and if he (3) ______ shoot himself in the foot with 
Special Operations, stands, I think, a pretty good chance to be the youngest full inspector.” 
“Should I go back in there and apologize?” 
“No. Let (4) ______  go. Peter Wohl doesn’t carry a grudge. But if you're looking (5) ______  
advice, don't start this evaluation business with Martinez and McFadden thinking it's a dumb 
idea it was your bad luck to get stuck with. Give it your best shot." 
 (adapted from W.E.B.Griffin, The Victim) 
 
SUBIECTUL B – INTEGRATED SKILLS (60 points) 
 
Read the text below and do the tasks that follow. 
 
This wa s an important journey for Mrs  Foster. She was going all alone to Paris to visit her 
daughter, her only child, who was married to a Frenchman. Mrs Foster didn't care muc h for the 
Frenchman, but she was fond of her daughter, and, more than that, she had developed a great 
yearning to set eyes on her three grandchildren. She knew them only from the many 
photographs that she had received and that she kept putting up all over the house. They were 
beautiful, these children. She doted on them, and each time a new picture arrived she would 
carry it away and sit with it for a long time, staring at it lovingly and searching the small faces for 
signs of that old satisfying blood likeness that meant so much.  
And now, lately, she had come more and more to feel that she did not really wish to live out her 
days in a place where she could not be near these children, and have them visit her, and take 
them out for walks, and buy them presen ts, and watch them grow. She knew, of course, that it 
was wrong and in a way disloyal to have thoughts like these while her husband was still alive. 
She knew also that although he was no longer active in his many enterprises, he would never 
consent to leave New York and live in Paris. It was a miracle that he had ever agreed to let her 
fly over there alone for six weeks to visit them. 
But, oh, how she wished she could live there always, and be close to them. … On this particular 
morning i n January, the hous e came alive….She began walking up and down the hall and 
whenever the butler came by, she asked him the time. This, she kept telling herself, was the 
one plane she must not miss. It had taken months to persuade her husband to allow her to go. If 
she missed it, he might easily decide that she should cancel the whole thing. And the trouble 
was that he insisted on coming to the airport to see her off (....) 
Mrs Foster was thinking of  nothing at all except that she was going to miss her plane if her 
husband didn’t come out…   
 
Olimpiada de limba engleză clasa a IX-a, SECȚIUNEA B   Varianta 1 
 
 
I. For each question decide which response (A, B, C or D) fits best according to the text.   10 points 
 
1. The theme of the text above is …. . 
A. Mrs Foster’s intention of buying a house in Paris 
B. Mr and Mrs Foster’s holiday abroad 
C. Mrs Foster having a stressful morning 
D. Mrs Foster having a peaceful morning tea 
 
2. Mrs Foster feels 
A. sorry her daughter has three children. 
B. frustrated because her daughter and the children live far from her. 
C. sad that her husband will not travel with her. 
D. happy that she will travel by plane. 
 
3. The journey was important 
A. as she had never met her grandchildren before. 
B. as she planned to never return as long as her husband was still alive. 
C. because her husband agreed to join her to visit their daughter for six weeks. 
D. because her dream of visiting Paris with her husband would come true. 
 
4. Mrs Foster is worried about 
A. leaving her husband alone at home. 
B. being late and missing the plane. 
C. forgetting the presents for her grandchildren at home. 
D. who will take care of her house while she is away. 
 
5. We understand from the text that 
A. Mrs Foster has an active social life. 
B. Mr Foster could be persuaded to agree to leave New York and move to Paris.  
C. Mrs Foster has no difficulty in persuading Mr Foster to travel. 
D. Mr Foster is the decision-maker in the family. 
 
 
II. Read the text again and write a narrative essay (180-200 words) continuing the story of 
how Mrs Foster arrived in Paris and met her three grandchildren.           50 points