INSPECTORATUL ȘCOLAR JUDEȚEAN TIMIȘ

OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ ETAPA LOCALĂ

CLASA a IX-a, SECŢIUNEA A (1-3 ore)
1 februarie 2020
VARIANTA 3
SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH – 40p

1.Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. (10x1p = 10p)
Andy and Mary are going to a concert tomorrow night. They (1)……………….(look forward to) it the whole
week.
My car broke down when I was driving home from work. I (2) …………. (fix) it if I (3)……………….. (know)
what was wrong. But I didn’t so I had to take it to the garage.
When Bill Gates founded Microsoft, he was only 20 years old. He (4) ……….(already write) his first computer
programme six years earlier.
An accident (5) ………..(happen) near my house last night. A car hit a young man. He (6)…….(ride) his bike when
someone in front of him suddenly (7)…….(open) a car door. Many people saw the accident and called the police.
Mrs Smith says that in 2025 she will retire from teaching. By then she (8) ……..(teach) for fourty years.
Linda phoned and explained that she (9).......... (not be able) to come to the party the next day because she was still
sick.
I (10).................. (never /think) of a career in medicine before I spoke to my biology teacher

2.Word formation. Fill in with the correct form of the word in capitals. (10x1p = 10p)

1.The ……………… of the president was delayed because of bad weather.  ARRIVE

2.I had to write a …………….. of the house I wanted to buy.  DESCRIBE
3.We didn't recognise him at first. His ………….. has changed a lot.  APPEAR
4.The submarine levelled out at a ………. of 2,000 feet. DEEP
5.The editor gave me …………… to interview one of the journalists.  PERMIT
6.There are still many people in developing countries who live in extreme ………. POOR
7.Not being chosen for the team was a great ………………. to him APPOINT
8.It is very expensive to have a car. Most people forget about the ........ they pay.   INSURE
9.There have been many great…… in the past hundred years. One of them is the computer. INVENT  
10.My father always tells me that crying is a sign of …….. WEAK

3.Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
DO NOT CHANGE THE WORD GIVEN. (10x1p=10p)

1.Do you think you could stay here until I come back?
Would ..........................................................................until I come back? (MIND)
2.This will be my first visit to Brazil.
I…………………………………………………..to Brazil before. (NEVER)
3.Gmail accounts are generally better than other email services.
Other email services are………………………………………..Gmail accounts. (GOOD)
4.We love vegetable soup and our children love it, too.
We love………………………………our children. (DO)
5.Despite being wealthy, James never lends a helping hand to those in need.
Wealthy ………………………, James never lends a helping hand to those in need. (MAY)
6.I haven´t got a clue about all of the facts. (AWARE)
I ………………………………and every one of the facts.
7.I found a $50 note on the floor last night coincidently. (ACROSS)
I …………………………………… on the ground last night.
8.We were impeded from passing the exam by his awful teaching technique. (PREVENTED)
His awful teaching technique …………………………………….........exam.
9.“Those animals are not well fed”, the vet said.
The vet said…………………………………..well fed. (THAT)
10.You shouldn’t have left the windows open last night.
It………………………………….. leave the windows open last night. (CARELESS)
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4.Multiple choice. Read the sentences and choose the correct variant A, B, C, or D . (10x1p = 10p)

Although doctors have been warning about the dangers of cigarettes (1) ....... over fifty years, the number of people
who smoke is still very high. These people are not (2).......... ; they do worry (3).......... their health; they know the
risks they are (4)......... with their lives. They also realise how much money they are (5).......... on cigarettes, yet they
still find it almost impossible to give them (6)............ . Smoking is also much more socially unacceptable now. A
lot of people are (7).......... smoking in public places – I personally can’t (8)..........sitting next to a smoker in a
restaurant, and I just don’t go into (9) ..........bars any more because I know what the air will be like. But we have to
remember that most smokers do want to stop. Instead of criticising them, perhaps we should give them a
(10)........... .

1) a) from b) for c) since d) during

2) a) funny b) silly c) sensitive d) ambitious
3) a) about b) over c) with d) around
4) a) doing b) making c) having d) taking
5) a) earning b) making c) wasting d) saving
6) a) in b) up c) out d) to
7) a) again b) a gain c) against d) above
8) a) mind b) stand c) say d) like
9) a) crowded b) blocked c) filled d) packed
10) a) help b) ham c) hold d) hand

SUBIECTUL B – INTEGRATED SKILLS – 60 p

5.Read the text bellow and choose the correct variant : A, B, C or D. (5x2p=10p)

We live on the island of Hale. It’s about four kilometres long andtwo kilometers wide at its broadest point, as it’s
joined to the mainland by a causeway called the Stand-a narrow road built across the mouth of the river which
separates us from the rest of the country. Most of the time you wouldn’t know we’re on an island because the river
mouth between us and the mainland is just a vast stretch of tall grasses and brown mud. But when there’s a high
tide and the water rises a half a metre or so above the road and nothing can pass until the tide goes out again a few
hours later, then you know it’s an island.

We were on our way back from the mainland. My older brother, Dominc, had just finished his first year at
university in a town 150 km away. Dominic’s train was due in at five and he’d asked for a lift back from the
station. Now, Dad normally hates being disturbed when he’s writing (which is just about all the time), and he also
hates having to go anywhere, but despite the typical sighs and moans-why can’t he get a taxi? What’s wrong with
the bus?-I could tell by the sparkle in his eyes that he was really looking forward to seeing Dominic.

So, anyway Dad an I had driven to the mainland and picked up Dominic from the station. He had been talking non
stop from the moment he’d slung his rucksack in the boot and got in the car. University this, university that,
writers, books, parties, people, money, gigs...And when I say talking, I don’t mean talking as in having a
conversation, I mean talking as in jabbering like a mad thing. I didn’i like it... the way he spoke and waved his
hands around as if he was some kind of intellectual or something. It was embarrassing. It made me feel
uncomfortable-that kind of discomfort you feel when someone you like, someone close to you, suddenly starts
acting foolishly. And I didn’i like the way he was ignoring me, either. For all the attention I was getting I might as
well not have been there. I felt a stranger in my own car.

As we approached the island on that Friday afternoon, the tide was low and the Stand welcomed us home, stretched
out before us, clear and dry.

We were half way across when I saw the boy. My first thought was how odd it was to see someone walking on the
Stand. You don’t often see people walking around here. Between Hale and Moulton ( the nearest town about thirty
kilometres away on the mainland), there’s nothing but small cottages, farmland, heathland and a couple of hills. So,
islanders don’t walk because of that. If they’re going to Moulton they tend to take the bus. So the only pedestrians
 INSPECTORATUL ȘCOLAR JUDEȚEAN TIMIȘ
you’re likely to see around here are walkers or bird-watchers. But even form a distance I could tell that the figure
ahead didn’t fit into either of these categories. I wasn’t sure how I knew, I just did.

As he drew closer, he became clearer. He was actually a young man rather than a boy. Although he was on the
small side, he wasn’t as slight as I’d first thought. He wasn’t exactly muscular, but he wasn’i weedy-looking either.
It’s hard to explain. There was a sense of strenght about him, a graceful strenght that showed in his balance, the
way the held himself, the way he walked.

In the first paragraph, what is Caitlin’s main point about the island?
A.It can be dangerous to try to cross from the mainland.
B.It is much smaller than it looks from the mainland.
C. It is only completely cut off at certain times.
D. It can be a difficult place to live in.

What does Caitlin suggest about her father?

A.His writing prevents him from doing things he wants towith his family.
B.His initial reaction to his son’ request is different than usual
C. His true feelings are easily hidden from his daughter.
D. His son’s arrival is one event he will take time off for.

3.Caitlin emphasises her feelings of discomfort because she

A.is embarrassed that she doesn’t understand what hes brother is talking about.
B. feels confused about why she can’t relate to her brother anymore.
C. is upset about the unexpected change in her brothre’s behaviour.
D. feels foolish that her brother’s attention is so important to her.

4.”...islanders don’t walk because of that” refers to the fact that

A. locals feel it’s odd to walk anywhere.
B. it is easier for people to take the bus than walk.
C. people have anything they need on the island.
D. there is nowhere in particular to walk to from the island.

5.What do we learn about Caitlin’s reactions to the boy?

A. She felt his air of confidence contrasted with his physical appearance.
B. She was able to come up with a reason for him being there.
C. She realised her first impression of him was inaccurate.
D. She thought she had seen him somewhere before.

NARRATIVE ESSAY 50 p

6.Read the text again and write a narrative essay telling the story of how the young man got there.
(220-250 words)

Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii.

Timpul de lucru este 3 h.
Nu se acordă puncte din oficiu.
 INSPECTORATUL ȘCOLAR JUDEȚEAN TIMIȘ

OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂETAPA LOCALĂ-

Clasa a IX-a
Secțiunea A
1 Februarie 2020

BAREM DE CORECTARE
VARIANTA 3

SUBIECTUL A: USE OF ENGLISH (40 Points)

1.Correct verb tense: (10x1p = 10p)
1-have been looking forward to
2- would have fixed
3- had known
4- had already written
5- happened
6- was riding
7- opened
8- will have been teaching
9- would not be able
10-had never thought

2.Word formation: (10x1p = 10p)

1-arrival, 2-description, 3-appearance, 4-depth, 5-permission, 6-poverty, 7-disappointment, 8-insurance, 9-

inventions, 10-weakness.
3.Key word transformations. (10x1p=10p)

1. mind staying here

2. have never been
3. are (generally) not as good as
4. vegetable soup and so do
5. Wealthy as he may be
6. am not aware of each
7. I came across a $50 note
8. prevented us from passing the
9. that those animals were not
10. was careless of you to

4.Multiple choise (10x1p = 10p)

1-b, 2-b, 3-a, 4-d, 5-c, 6-b, 7-c, 8-b, 9-a, 10-d
Subiectul B Integrated skills 60 points

5.Reading comprehension (5x2p=10p)

1. C, 2. D, 3. C, 4. D, 5. C

6.Narrative essay writing (50p)

See the marking scheme