Ministerul Educaţiei, Cercetării şi Inovării

Centrul Naţional pentru Curriculum şi Evaluare în Învăţământul Preuniversitar

Examenul de bacalaureat 2009

Proba E/F
Proba scrisă la Limba Engleză
L1 - Intensiv 3 - 4 ore
SUBIECTUL I ( 30 de puncte) Varianta 063

Read the text below and complete the following tasks.

Mike Radcliff, President of Music Buyers Association, is furious at a recent announcement

by the recording industry concerning people downloading MP3 music files from the Internet.
If someone copies an audio music cassette for their own private use, they are breaking the
law. But recording companies have usually turned a blind eye to this practice because prosecuting
the few people involved would be difficult. At the other hand of the scale, (1) … This is far more
serious, and the industry actively pursues and prosecutes pirates. ”The industry is completely
overreacting; it’ll be a laughing stock,“ says Radcliff. “They are going to arrest some teenager
downloading files in his bedroom. (2) … .” Radcliff may have a point. There is a general consensus
that CD pirates should be subjected to the full wrath of the law. Downloading music files illegally is
not as innocuous as making private copies of audio cassettes. The scratchy, distorted cassette
copy is a poor version of the original recording, (3) ... . It is this that makes the practice a powerful
temptation for music fans, given the high cost of CDs.
Could music companies be forced out of business by people downloading music illegally?
”That’s nonsense. The companies are hoping that one of the new bands or singers will be a hit,
and although it can be expensive to promote new artists, (4) … “
A CD is far cheaper to produce than its price in the shops would indicate, but a teenager
buying a CD by the latest pop sensation may find that price rather steep. The recording industry
can’t be held responsible for the evanescent nature of fame, given the teenage appetite for
anything novel.

1. Four sentences have been removed from the text. Select the appropriate sentence for
each gap in the text. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
4 points
A. This isn’t going to frighten anyone into buying CDs.
B. whereas an MP3 file is of high quality and can be stored on a CD, for example.
C. there are criminals who make illegal copies of CDs and sell them for a profit.
D. the cost of manufacturing the CDs is actually very low.
E. Music companies are always whining about high costs.

2. Explain the underlined words. 6 points

3. Sum up the text in about 50 words. 10 points

4. For the following questions, choose the answer (A, B, C, D) which fits according to the
text. 6 points

1. Radcliff thinks the recording industry’s recent announcement ...

A. fails to take into account the difficulties of prosecuting offenders.
B. makes the industry appear ludicrous.
C. will deter consumers from buying CDs.
D. will encourage resentment of CD piracy.

2. Why does the writer feel that MP3s are unlike copies of audio cassettes?
A. Downloaded MP3 files are generally not for private use.
B. The financial losses to the music industry are greater.
C. The price of MP3s is greater than the price of audio cassettes.
D. There is a significant difference in quality.
 Ministerul Educaţiei, Cercetării şi Inovării
Centrul Naţional pentru Curriculum şi Evaluare în Învăţământul Preuniversitar

3. Radcliff implies that music companies ...

A. could cut costs by making cheaper CDs.
B. should not promote artists who are unknown.
C. are speculating when they promote new artists.
D. should use different manufacturing processes.

5. Comment on the following statement: The recording industry can’t be held responsible for the
evanescent nature of fame, given the teenage appetite for anything novel. (100 words) 4 points