OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

ETAPA PE ȘCOALĂ
CLASA a X a

A/USE OF ENGLISH (75 POINTS)

I. Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
There is an example given at the beginning (0). (15 POINTS)
The Price of Fame
Charlotte Church looks like a (0) ...A..... teenager, but she is far from average. She has an
amazing voice. Her fans stand in(1) ........ for hours to get tickets for her concerts and she
is often on television. Charlotte’s singing (2) ........ began when she performed on a TV
show at the age of 11. The head of a
record company was so impressed by her voice that he(3) ........ her up on the spot. Her
first album rose to number one in the charts.Charlotte still attends school in her home
town when she can.(4) ........ , she is often away on tour for weeks at a time. She doesn’t
miss out on lessons, though, because she takes her own tutore with her! She (5) ........ three
hours every morning with him. Her exam results in all the (6) ........ she studies are
impressive. But how does she (7) ........ with this unusual way of life?
She (8) ........ that she has the same friends as before. That may be true, but she can no
longer go into town with them because everybody stops her in the street to ask for her (9)
........ .
It seems that, like most stars, she must learn to (10) ........ these restrictions and the lack of
privacy. It’s the price of fame!
0. A normal B usual C ordinary D natural
1. A rows B queues C ranks D files
2. A profession B job C labour D career
3. A signed B wrote C made D picked
4. A Although B While C For D However
5. A takes B utilises C spends D uses
6. A titles B materials C subjects D lessons
7. A cope B adjust C bear D tolerate
8. A denies B refuses C insists D complains
9. A signature B autograph C sign D writing
10. A look down on B make do with C put up with D run out of

II. For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each
gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write
your answers on the separate answer sheet. Example: 0 WHICH (20 POINTS)
On the other hand? We left-handed people tend to lack pride (0) ......................... means that we rarely
complain about having to live in a ‘right-handed’ world. I used to say whenever someone watched me
sign my name and remarked that they were also left-handed: ‘You and me and Leonardo da Vinci!’
That was a weak joke, yet it was symptomatic (9) ......................... my often unconscious desire to
belong to Left Pride, a social movement that (10) ......................... far doesn’t exist but I hope may one
day come. Now, years later, (11) ......................... the amount of research that has been carried out,
researchers in the field still find it hard to decide precisely what we mean (12) ......................... left-
handed. Apparently a third of those (13) ......................... write with their left hand throw a ball with
their right, whereas those using their right hand for writing rarely throw with their left. Without doubt,
the skill of writing is one that becomes crucial at a most impressionable age, and defines (14)
......................... you will call yourself. I have never used scissors, baseball bat, hockey stick or
computer mouse with anything but my right; (15) ......................... so, I still regard myself as left-
handed, as (16) ......................... everyone else.

III. Word Formation For questions 1 – 10 read the text below. Use the word given in
capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the same line. There is an
example at the beginning (0). (20 POINTS)

A MEMO FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

I have to bring a matter to your (0) attention . ATTEND Unfortunately we have received a lot of ( 1)
…………………… from customers about late 2) ………………….. of parcels. I have come to the
(3) ………………. that the new system we introduced last month is a complete (4) …………………..
. This seems to be due to a (5) …………………… of factors,but one of the most important ones is
that some (6) …………are not very responsible. The union (7) ……………… say it‟s not the
workers but the (8) …………………… who are at fault. What is clear is that we have to improve ( 9)
…………………. within the company. Nowadays there‟s a lot of ( 10) ……………. in the messenger
service industry and we can‟t afford to be less than the best.
1.COMPLAIN / 2.DELIVER/ 3.CONCLUDE / 4.FAIL / 5.COMBINE /6.EMPLOY/ 7.REPRESENT/
8.MANAGE / 9.COMMUNICATE/ 10.COMPETE

IV. You need to take the information in the first sentence and re-write it, using the word in bold
so that the second sentence has exactly the same meaning. You cannot change the word in bold
in ANY way. You can use only a maximum of FIVE words for each space. (20 POINTS)

1. Many people think Steve stole the money.

believed
Steve ______________________________ the money.

2. The strong winds blew down the two ancient trees during the storm.
blown
The two ancient trees ______________________________ the storm.
3. He doesn't have enough money to buy the computer.
too
The computer ______________________________ to buy.

4. "You should start a new hobby, Mr. Jenkins", the doctor said.
take
The Doctor advised ______________________________ a new hobby.

5. We have been waiting here since half past ten.

for
We have been waiting ______________________________ one hour.

6. The man suddenly realised that the neighbour was watching him.
watched
The man suddenly realised that he ______________________________ the neighbour.

7. I could never have passed that exam without your help.

you
I could never have passed that exam ______________________________ me.

8. We paid some people to landscape the garden for us last year.

had
We ______________________________ last year.

B/WRITING (25 POINTS)

“I met Henry Kissinger at the Kennedy Airport. Few things surprised me. How short he actually is.
How "ordinary people way" he travelled (no entourage or guards or anything). How friendly he was to
me as a random person "pestering" him as a celebrity”. (Henry Alfred Kissinger is an American
diplomat and political scientist. A recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, he served as National Security
Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon
and Gerald Ford. After his term, his opinion was still sought by some subsequent U.S. presidents and
other world leaders.)
Describe your first meeting with a famous person and explain in what ways you found him/her to be
different from your expectations. Use approximately 300 words.
 BAREM DE CORECTARE

I. The Price of Fame 1,5 P each

1B 6C
2D 7A
3A 8C
4D 9B
5 C 10 C
II. 9 of 10 so 11 despite 12 by 13 who 14 what 15 even 16 does
III. A MEMO FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR 2 points each
1 complaints
2 delivery
3 conclusion
4 failure
5 combination
6 employees
7 representatives
8 management / managers
9 communication
10 competition

IV. 1. Many people think Steve stole the money. 2,5 points each
believed
Steve __IS BELIEVED TO HAVE STOLEN__ the money.
2. The strong winds blew down the two ancient trees during the storm.
blown
The two ancient trees __WERE BLOWN DOWN DURING__ the storm.
3. He doesn't have enough money to buy the computer.too
The computer __IS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR HIM__ to buy.
4. "You should start a new hobby, Mr. Jenkins", the doctor said.
take
The Doctor advised __MR. JENKINS TO TAKE UP__ a new hobby.
5. We have been waiting here since half past ten.
for
We have been waiting __HERE FOR__ one hour.
6. The man suddenly realised that the neighbour was watching him.
watched
The man suddenly realised that he __WAS BEING WATCHED BY__ the neighbour.
7. I could never have passed that exam without your help.
you
I could never have passed that exam __IF YOU HADN'T HELPED__ me.
8. We paid some people to landscape the garden for us last year.
had
We __HAD THE GARDEN LANDSCAPED___ last year.