8th grade

Part One
Dictation

Hundreds of people / were watching Giffen. // They thought he was a bit

mad. // But they couldn't stop looking. // He was very interesting. // Giffen went
over to his truck / and got out a tube of glue. // On the tube it said / “Giffen’s
great glue. // It will stick anything.” // He held the glue over his head / and
announced that it was / the best glue in the world. // It could mend anything /
that was broken. // He asked whether anyone had something that was broken?//
A small boy came out the front. // He held up a bow and arrow. // “My
toy is broken / and no one can fix it,” he said. // Giffen took the weapon / out of
the boy's hand. // He put a bit of glue / on the broken ends / and joined them
together. // Then he put the arrow in the bow / and shot it into the air. // The
people were surprised. // They all clapped and cheered. // “That's nothing,”/
Giffen told them. // They hadn't seen anything yet. // He went over / to the back
of histruck/wherehehadabigcrane.//Ithadarope/ontheendofit.//Hegrabbedtherope.
// He put some glue / on the end of it. // Then he stuck it / to the roof of
the car. // He told the crowd / the glue could hold up a car. // He stepped into his
truck / and started up the crane. // The car was lifted / up into the air. // The only
thing that held the rope / on to the car / was the glue. // The crowd thought this
was great. // No one had ever seen glue / like this before. // 'Now,' said Giffen, /
'who wants to buy / some of Giffen's great glue?' // The crowd rushed
forward. // Everyone wanted some glue. // They couldn't get it quick enough. //
They thought it was terrific. // Giffen shouted for them / to buy it while it lasted.
// It cost only / ten dollars a tube. // Giffen sold two hundred / tubes of glue. //
He made two thousand dollars / in oneday.
// The customers took their glue / and went home to try it out. //
Giffen told himself / that they were fools. // They would soon find out /
that the glue stopped working / after four hours. //

9th grade

Talking About Past Experiences

An odd thing happened to me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day that I decided to go for
a leisurely drive in the country.

On the way back home, the engine stopped. I had run out of petrol on a lonely road miles
from anywhere. I decided to walk until I found someone who could sell me a gallon or two.
I had walked almost a mile before I finally came to a big house near the road. I was glad to
see it because it was starting to get dark.

I knocked on the door and it was answered by a little old lady with long white hair. ‘I’ve been
waiting for you for a long time,’ she said. ‘Come in. Tea is almost ready.’

‘But I only came for some petrol,’ I answered. I couldn’t imagine what she was talking about.

‘Oh, Alfred! Petrol? You used to prefer tea.’

I quickly explained that my car was out of petrol but she didn’t seem to hear me. She just
kept calling me Alfred and talking about how long it had been since she had seen me. She
was behaving very strangely and I was anxious to leave. As soon as she went to get the tea I
ran out of the house as fast as I could.

Fortunately there was another house down the road, and I was able to buy some petrol there.
When I told the man about my experience, he said, ‘Oh, that’s Miss Emily Brown. She lives
all alone in that big house. She is peculiar but she wouldn’t hurt anyone. She’s still waiting
for the man she was supposed to marry fifty years ago. The day before their wedding he went
away and never came back.’

10th grade

My earliest memories of school life / are connected with a large old house /
that was built in the sixteenth century.// It was in a lovely old village.// There were
many old / and twisted trees there, / and all the other houses / were very ancient
too.// It was a gorgeous, / dreamy place.// The streets were shaded by trees, / and
always cool in summer. // I shall always remember / the beauty and the scent / that
came from different flowers and bushes,/ as well as / the deep note of the church bell
/ as it rang every hour / in that sleepy village.//
The house, / as I have said, / was old / and the gardens were enormous.//
Around them ran a very high / and solid brick wall.// There was broken glass / all
along the top.// This prison-like wall / marked the furthest edge / of our normal day.//
We only went beyond it / three times a week.// Once, every Saturday afternoon,/ we
were allowed to take brief walks, / in a group, / and with two teachers, / through
some of the neighbouring fields.// Twice on Sunday, / we went to the morning and
evening services / in the village church.// The
headmaster of our school / was an official there.// He used to give a sermon every
Sunday.// I was always amazed / by how different he seemed.// He looked so
peaceful and good.// His church robes flowed around him.// He looked holy.// Could
this be the same man / I had only recently seen at school?// There his face was stern
/ and bad-tempered.// His clothes were stiff and unfriendly.// He gave his orders to us
/ with a wicked-looking stick in one hand.// He was so different in church / that he
must be another man!//
There was a huge gate in the wall / that seemed to frown down at us.// It was
covered with large iron nails.// On top of it / there was a row of sharp iron bars /
pointing upwards.// It made us quite afraid, / just looking at it!// It was opened on the
three occasions / we were allowed out of the school.