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OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

CLASA a VIII-a

USE OF ENGLISH (40 points)

I. Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. (10 x 1p = 10p)

Reading supermarkets

In the highly competitive world of shopping, supermarkets exist solely to efficiently separate us
from our hard- 1) …………. money. As 2) …………. we should be aware of the ‘tricks’ used to 3)
…………. our spending. It starts at the entrance. Can you smell fresh bread? This smell, pumped
around the store, makes us feel hungry and more likely to 4) …………. more food. The sweets and
magazines at the 5) …………...? These ‘impulse buys’ are placed near the exit to give stores one last
chance at our cash. Regularly bought items, 6) …………. the other hand, tend to be spread all over the
store, so we need to pass lots of things we didn’t originally want in order to find those we did. Finally,
the most profitable 7) …………. is at eye level on the 8) ………….; this is no accident. The old saying
‘look high and 9) …………. for something’ is worth remembering as this is where you’re most likely
to find a real 10) …………. .
1. A. gained B. earned C. made D. acquired
2. A. clients B. traders C. consumers D. users
3. A. influence B. impact C. importance D. effect
4. A. purchase B. invest C. achieve D. consume
5. A. kiosk B. booth C. stall D. counter
6. A. in B. on C. at D. by
7. A. stock B. store C. supply D. item
8. A. ledge B. sill C. stand D. shelf
9. A. deep B. low C. far D. close
10. A. deal B. snip C. bargain D. value

II. For questions 1–10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits
in the text. Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS on your answer sheet. (10 x 1p = 10p)
Is a good holiday what I need?

It is two hours before 1) ___________________ (DEPART) time and I still haven’t set off for
the airport, although the ticket 2) __________________ (INFORM) says I am supposed to be there at
least one and a half hours before the 3) __________________ (FLY) is due to take off. I have always
considered this policy totally 4) ____________________ (NECESSARY) and so tend to arrive at the
airport as late as I can. This habit of mine was almost 5) ___________________ (DISASTER) the last
time I set off for the airport by train. Everything was going 6) ____________________(SMOOTH)
and I was feeling quite relaxed, when suddenly the train stopped and an 7) ________________
(ANNOUNCE) was made that we had to change trains for what they referred to as 8)
“________________” (TECHNIQUE) reasons. Of course, this was another way of saying the train
had broken down and it meant a delay of about twenty minutes. As if that wasn’t enough, on 9)
_________________ (ARRIVE) at the airport there was a huge queue at the check-in counter. There

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had been a 10) __________________ (UNDERSTAND) and everyone had to go through a thorough
security check before finally boarding the plane.

III. Using the word in bold, complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first
sentence. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. (10 x 1p = 10p)
1. The village is the same as it was in the 1950s. CHANGED
The village _________________________ the 1950s.
2. I am sorry I forgot to phone grandma. APOLOGISE
I ______________________ phone grandma.
3. It’s forbidden to drive if you don’t have a car licence. UNLESS
You must ______________________________ a car licence.
4. Nick joined a famous tennis club three years ago. MEMBER
Nick’s _______________________ of a famous tennis club for three years.
5. I’m so annoyed that you check your phone when I’m talking! ALWAYS
You ____________________________ phone when I am talking!

IV. Translate into Romanian (10 points):

The room itself had tall grand ceilings, a large map on one wall, and behind Mr. Anderson's
desk, great windows through which the sun was beating and a breeze blowing. I should think there
were ceiling fans moving above me, though I do not actually remember this. What I do remember is
that I was sitting in that chair in the middle of the room, the centre of solemn concern and discussion.
All around me, adults were conferring, most of them on their feet; sometimes a few would drift over to
the windows, their voices lowering as they argued a point. I remember too being surprised by the way
Mr. Anderson himself, a tall greying man with a large moustache, behaved towards me as though we
were old friends-so much so that for a while I assumed we had known each other when I was younger
and that I had forgotten him.
(Kazuo Ishiguro – When We Were Orphans)

SUBIECTUL B – INTEGRATED SKILLS (60 points)

Read the text below and do the tasks that follow.

Why I’ve Taken a Break from Holidays

When Jimmy Wellbeck sold his car in favour of commuting by train and cycling two years ago,
all his friends promised to support him – not financially, but by taking similar environmentally friendly
actions. He also cut down on eating meat, as a personal contribution to reducing the carbon footprint
produced by intensive farming, as well as saving energy by doing things like washing clothes at lower
temperatures, taking shorter showers and growing more of his own vegetables. In that first year, he
calculates, he and his friends have saved over 700 kg of carbon dioxide, not to mention several
thousand pounds in a fun and relatively painless way.
The first few months of being car-free were the hardest, Jimmy explains, especially as they
were during the arrival of an extremely cold winter. Waiting for trains in the snow was when he most
missed his warm car, but slowly his new habits became routine as he adjusted to his new existence. He
also greatly appreciated not having to pay for car insurance and petrol. Jimmy and his friends have now

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taken their ideas a step further and set up a not-for-profit company, ECOfriends. com, which uses
social media to help people to help each other in making their lives greener through sharing ideas and
suggestions. There are now 2,500 ecofriends who have, between them, cut more than 300 tonnes of
CO2 through their activities.
Of course, there are many people who would say that this kind of activity doesn’t make enough
of a difference to be worthwhile, but such attitudes never make the world a better place either, claims
Jimmy. Some years ago, he went on a trip to Germany where, he says, ideas about green living are
already gaining in popularity. On the visit, he learned that the kind of sustainable life he was interested
in was perfectly possible, without having to give up all the comforts of life that many people are used
to, and that it does make a difference.
A number of organisations with similar objectives to Jimmy’s are all involved in the Make a
Start scheme. The aim of Make a Start is to demonstrate just how simple and enjoyable green living,
energy saving and self-sufficiency can be. They intend, in the longer term, to put people living in the
same streets, apartment blocks and local areas in touch with each other so that they can give each other
a helping hand, organise or get involved in community events, as well as get to know their neighbours.
One member, Claire, who lives on a houseboat, is typical of members, saying that the
organisation has really helped people like her who, in normal circumstances, would never meet, to get
together, creating a strong community feeling. ‘People who live on boats are always keen on finding
environmentally friendly solutions to problems, so if one of the members discovers a greener cleaning
product, for example, they can just email it to the Make a Start bulletin board,’ she says.
Make a Start showed Claire how to put together a solar-powered electricity system for her boat. It
provides enough energy to run her fridge and so saves her money. ‘I had no idea that it was so simple,’
she says. Even her children were able to help out – and so the next generation has already started to get
involved.

I. For each question choose the correct letter A, B, C or D. (5 x 2p= 10p)

1. What do we understand about Jimmy in the first paragraph?

A He wanted to save some money.
B He was interested in changing lifestyles.
C He had decided on a change of career.
D He tried to set an example to his friends.

2. Jimmy founded ECOfriends.com to

A create a support network for like-minded people.
B allow him to spread his environmental message.
C educate people in living eco-friendly lifestyles.
D help him meet other people with similar interests.

3. Jimmy believes that attitudes to green living are

A likely to change in future.
B different from country to country.
C often based on incorrect information.
D determined by people’s self-interest.

4. What is the aim of the Make a Start scheme?

A to create local green projects
B to make green living more fun
C to build political support for green ideas
D to make it easier for people to become green together

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5. In what way is Claire a typical member of Make a Start?

A She lives a typical lifestyle of members.
B She is a frequent participant in online activities.
C She has been able to meet new friends through it.
D She is active in the environmental movement.

II. Read the text again and write a narrative-descriptive essay about an experience in a natural
and eco-friendly place. Your writing should refer to what the experience was, the reactions,
feelings and emotions of those involved and the general atmosphere. (220-250 words)
(50 points)