OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ - ETAPA LOCALĂ

23 FEBRUARIE 2019
CLASA A XII-A SECŢIUNEA B Varianta 1

SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH (40 points)

I. Read the paragraph below and do the tasks that follow. (20 points)

It’s little wonder that parents are perplexed about what approach to take to child rearing. Today’s
world is one which makes parenting exceedingly difficult. In many industrialized countries, the
majority of mothers of preschool children are in the workforce, though not always through choice. This
group in particular tends to lament the lack of practical advice for parents in their child-rearing roles.
Today many parents simultaneously complain that they’re busier than ever and that due to the
growing demands of their jobs, they have little time for their children. Nations of pressured,
preoccupied parents have emerged in an era of grave public concern for the well-being of youth.
It would seem from looking at current media that the younger generation are achieving less well than
they should and that they often display a worrying lack of direction, manifested at its worst in a variety
of social problems. These problems seem to have infiltrated even the most economically privileged
sectors of the population, affecting young people who, on the face of things, have been granted the
best of life’s chances. Accounts of children being deprived of their childhood and growing up too fast,
or the dangers of promoting materialism to young people abound in the media.
In many countries there is a growing sense of ‘youth alienation’ and parents rightly fear for their own
children’s futures. But agreement on what parents can and should do to shield children from
underachievement and demoralization eludes those who seek it on the shelves of libraries or
bookstores. Parenting advice has always
been in a state of flux, at no time more so than the present. In my opinion, while the fundamental goal
of parenting – to instil character and moral development – has stood firm amid the various passing
fashions in child care over the years, the approach to accomplishing this has varied considerably.
Some authors, convinced that parents are in control of what their children become, advise a ‘get
tough’ approach. All parents are eager to train and instruct their children as early as possible, and this
has been justified by claims of maximizing brain growth or securing high achievement by starting
sooner. Other authors, however, attribute many of today’s social problems to the excessive pressure
put on children by parents. According to these ‘child-power’ advocates, children have their own built-in
timetables for maturing and learning.

A. Answer the following questions. 8

points

1. What do many parents simultaneously complain about today?

2. What views of children and young people abound in the media?
3. According to the writer, what is the difference between the fundamental goal of parenting and
the approach to accomplishing it?
4. What is the justification for the parent’s eagerness to train and instruct their children as early
as possible?

B. Choose the right synonym. 6

points

1. exceedingly: a. barely b. immensely c. nominally d. somewhat

2. to shield: a. to attack b. to expose c. to take on d. to protect
3. pressure: a. burden b. comfort c. consent d. reason
 C. Rephrase the following sentences so as to preserve the meaning. 6 points

1. Experts suggest that modern parents tend to be more protective with their children than
older parents. It is ………………………………………….. than older parents.
2. My mother reduced the amount of work because her doctor advised her to.
As a result of ………………………………… down on the amount of work.
3. After his children grew up, he realized how important family was.
Only after …………………………….. of family.

II. Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in each gap. 10 points

Many people simply can’t imagine life without plastic and the fact is that this (1) ________
(REMARK) material has really made its (2) ________ (PRESENT) felt since its invention. In a (3)
________ (RELATIVE) short period of time, plastic has gone from novelty to dominator. Part of what
makes the story of plastic so (4) _________ (COMPEL), is that it now surrounds us in all areas of our
lives. Some people, however, have had enough of plastic, and one (5) _________ (HISTORY) has
proposed that for one day every year we should all (6) _________ (TAKE) not to touch anything
made of plastic.
This means (7) ________ (VARY) countries would not be able to buy anything, except by
means of coins, because their banknotes are printed on plastic, and another (8) ________
(SEQUENCE) would be that no one would be able to use their credit cards. People would have to
write in pencil rather than pen, and nothing could be handled that was wrapped in plastic. It is hoped
that this (9) ________ (INITIATE) would be a major breakthrough in making people realize how much
of an (10) ________ (INTRUDE) plastic is on our lives.

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

More or (1) ______ three-quarters of the surface of the Earth is covered in water, which
means almost ninety percent of all the living (2) ______ on this planet is found in the oceans. These
immense reserves provided a (3) ______ haven for primitive life to begin, and millions of years later
(4) ______ remain the abode of an abundance (5) ______ remarkable creatures.
In (6) ______ to being the habitat of everything from shrimps to whales, the seas also offer
crucial benefits to (7) ______ world: they provide humans (8) ______ a cornucopia of food and they
clean our atmosphere. They soak up greenhouse gases, removing carbon dioxide from the
environment. They now absorb about a third of all human carbon emissions. (9) ______ this service
to the planet comes at a (10) ______. The oceans are gradually becoming more acidic, threatening
the lives of the incredible variety of creatures that reside within them.

SUBIECTUL B – INTEGRATED SKILLS (60 points)

Read the text below and do the tasks that follow.

Young People’s Love Affair with Mobile Phones

Roger Paire is a specialist researcher who looks at why young people seem addicted to mobile
phones.

One thing Roger Paire cannot stand to listen to is the old excuse that young people were
brought up with mobile phones and know no different. “This is simply not true. They weren’t born with
a mobile phone in their hand.” He is steadfast in his belief that young people are no more instinctively
adroit at using a mobile phone than any other age group. “All they’re basically doing is socialising.
Add to this peer pressure to have the latest phone and the know-how to use all the apps on it and you
have the main reasons they appear to be more proficient - they use them more often.”
It’s understandable that Paire gets annoyed about this. He was the first to study the effect of
mobile phones on people, especially the young. He’s been known to speak out vociferously against
certain fictions that have grown up around the use of them. He’s concentrated particularly on clarifying
the many reasons why the young rely on mobile phones so heavily, having taken a much closer look
at the situation than any other researcher. His most recent research has been about why youngsters
send so many text messages, especially in the evening, to people they have been with all day. “It’s
not just a case of communicating information,” explains Roger. “It’s subtler than that. For example, six
out of ten girls text their female friends, just to say “Hello”, whereas less than half of boys do the
same. Some kids send up to fifty text messages a day because they see them as functional and
efficient. It’s the whole convenience of them - they sort of fit into those small gaps you have in your
day when you have a few minutes with nothing to do.”
Paire also investigated how teenagers manage to send so many text messages a day when
they are in school for so many hours. “That’s easy to explain. Teenagers always try to get round the
rules and defy teachers, despite the ban on mobile phones in the classroom; a ban I might add, that’s
imposed by adults. It confirmed for me how important texting is to teens, and really it’s still passing
notes in class, but via digital means.”
Roger’s research also confirmed that teenagers make and receive far fewer phone calls than
text messages. Older people are more likely to do the opposite, with an actual call being seen as
more personal than a text message. Youngsters mainly make or receive calls from their parents, but
texts rule when it comes to contacting their peers.
Most young people are constantly connected to the Internet and Facebook through their
mobile phone. The constant updating of their friends’ status seems to be irritating and unnecessary to
many, but for teens it’s vital, especially as regards their close friends. “They also see their mobile
phone as a constant companion,” says Roger. “It’s become an extension of their body. Meet a
teenager and you’ll meet their mobile phone! It’s sort of glued to them. Most teenagers I spoke to
sleep with it on their pillow or right next to the bed, they eat with it on their lap or by the plate, it goes
to the bathroom with them and it must be visible when they have a shower. You’ll find that older
people aren’t this enamoured of their phone, and will, for example, leave it downstairs when they go
for a shower: Next time you’re in a café or restaurant where there are young people, have a good look
at them to see how they’re interacting. Every one of them will be playing with their mobile phone,
either reading or sending a text message, playing a game on it, checking their online status or just
playing with and touching the phone. “They seem to be totally oblivious to the fact that they’re doing
it”, Paire observes, “and they do it while they’re communicating with the people they’re sitting with.
Nobody seems to get upset by the fact that the others are paying more attention to their mobile
phones instead of living in the present.”
Paire adds, “I did start to wonder if they ever turn their mobile phones off, and thus socialize in
real time, so to speak. There doesn’t appear to be any sort of code amongst them as to when the
mobile phone is intrusive or when it is rude or inappropriate to use it. In fact, teenagers refer to their
mobile phone as 'a device'; a device not only for communication, but also a clock, a music player, a
camera, a link to the Internet and social media, and a vital and indispensable part of their life.”

I. For each question decide which answer (A, B, C or D) fits best according to the text. (10
points)
1. What point does Roger Paire make in the first paragraph about mobile phones?
A. They are the new form of social communication for all age groups.
B. They form a fundamental part of young people’s social interaction.
C. They are not thought of as something to be used by older people.
D. They have become a way of teaching young people how to be social.

2. In the second paragraph, what is said about Paire’s research into the use of mobile phones?
A. He has investigated several myths about them.
B. It has focused on people’s attitudes towards mobile phones.
C. It has been a collaborative process with other researchers.
D. It has revealed the reasons why there are so many users.

3. The sentence “It’s subtler than that...” refers to Paire's view that …
A. today’s teenagers like to annoy teachers just like previous generations.
B. texting is an undemanding way to stay constantly in touch with friends.
C. teenagers’ attitudes to text messaging are similar to those of adults.
D. teachers tend not to respect teenagers’ need to pass notes to each other.

4. The phrase “glued to them” means that Paire …

A. understands why teenagers cannot bear to be parted from their phone.
B. feels that for young people mobile phones are indispensable.
C. regards himself as someone who must always carry a mobile phone.
D. believes more research on mobile phone companionship is needed.

5. What point is Paire making about young people in social situations?

A. How important it is for them to check their text messages.
B. How they do not realize their behaviour is discourteous.
C. How unaware they are of not socializing with their friends enough.
D. How easy it is for others to misinterpret their behaviour.

II. Starting from the text above, write an opinion essay on the statement: My mobile phone is
my lifeline to the outside world. (250-280 words) 50 points

TOTAL : TOATE SUBIECTELE SUNT OBLIGATORII. TIMP DE LUCRU 3 ORE. NU SE ACORDĂ

PUNCTE DIN OFICIU.