MINISTERUL EDUCAȚIEI NAȚIONALE

OLIMPIADA NAȚIONALĂ DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – ETAPA LOCALĂ

2017-2018
CLASA A VIII-A

SUBJECT I. Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following passage. Use only one
word in each space. (2x10=20 points)

According (1)______ Google back in 2010, around 130,000,000 books (2)______ been
published. This was eight years (3)______, so of course the number will (4)______ even
higher now. Publishing is by now a fairly old trade (5)______ goes back centuries. (6)______,
it’s only until the last few decades that publishing has become a lot (7)______ affordable for
businesses. And (8)______ we know, pretty much anyone can get a book published in 2018.
You just need a bit (9)______ talent and the right connections. Or, (10)______ you’ve got
enough money, you can self-publish. From Dickens to J.K Rowling, there have certainly been
some very interesting books published!

SUBJECT II. Correct the mistakes in the following sentences: (2 points x 10=20 points)
1. Sally told that she’d lost her keys.
2. This photograph has been taken by my grandfather when I was five.
3. Can you tell me where does your cousin live?
4. Mark’s voice is very much louder than Alan’s.
5. Doris never made such a serious mistake, didn’t she?
6. If Susan studies harder, she would be better at school.
7. Would you mind close the door, please?
8. When I was on holiday last summer I was going to the beach every day.
9. How long are you writing this letter? For an hour!
10. Andy asked a passer-by where is the train station.

SUBJECT III. Read the text below. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer A, B, C
or D: (5 x 2 points=10 points)
O'Connell Street is the main thoroughfare and is one of the busiest shopping streets in Dublin.
Even though it is not a very long street, the locals will proudly tell the visitor that it is the
widest street in all of Europe. This claim often meets with protests, especially from French
people, claiming the Champs Elysees of Paris as Europe's widest street. But the witty
Irishman won't easily relinquish bragging rights and will trump the French visitor with a fine
distinction: The Champs Elysees is an avenue; O'Connell is a street.

Divided by a few important monuments running the length of its centre, the street is named
after Daniel O'Connell, an Irish patriot. His monument stands at the lower end of the road,
facing O'Connell Bridge. O'Connell stands high above the business people, unhurried crowds
of shoppers and students on a big column, surrounded by four angels representing
Patriotism, Courage, Eloquence and Fidelity. Further up the street on the other side is the
famous General Post Office or the GPO as Dubliners call it. During the Easter Rising of 1916,
the GPO was taken over by the Irish Volunteers on Easter Monday and occupied by the

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revolutionary forces, sparking weeks of armed combat in the heart of Dublin. To this day,
three of the angels bear bullet holes - two with a wound in the chest and one in its left arm.

1) What is the writer's main purpose in writing the text?

A) to explain what it's like to be Irish
B) to describe historic sights on Dublin's O'Connell Street
C) to introduce readers to the biography of Daniel O'Connell
D) to show how difficult being a Dubliner can be

2) Dubliners claim that O'Connell Street ...

A) is the widest street in the world
B) is the widest street in Europe
C) is the longest street in all of Europe
D) wider than it is long

3) What does the author say about the Irish people?

A) They are talkative and playful
B) They are rebellious and do not like foreigners
C) They never agree with French people
D) They are clever and funny

4) The Daniel O'Connell statue stands ...

A) opposite O'Connell Bridge
B) behind the General Post Office
C) at the upper end of the street
D) far away from the city centre

5) Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A) The Irish Take Pride in Their Capital City
B) The Widest Street in Europe
C) Sights and History on Dublin's O'Connell Street
D) Dublin's Famous Landmark

SUBJECT IV. Write a story of about 150-180 words beginning with the following
sentence:

“It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in
front of Mrs Shaw’s house.” (50 points)

TOTAL 100 PUNCTE

NOTĂ: Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii. Timp de lucru – 90 minute. Nu se acordă puncte din
oficiu.

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