OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – ETAPA LOCALĂ

17 FEBRUARIE 2018
Clasa a XII-a – SECȚIUNEA A

SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH

I. Read the following text and put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense. (10x1p = 10p)

Kevin Adams loves trains. He was always fascinated by them, he 1) ................... (think) they were
great. Even these days he 2) ................. (go) to a different railway station every week and 3)
........……….... (write down) the engine number of every train he sees. He 4) ........……...... (do) this
since he was eight. By the time he was fifteen he 5) ....................... (collect) over 10.000 different
engine numbers in various counties. Once, while he 6).................. (stand) in a station in Cheshire he
saw something very unusual. He 7)........................... (wait) for over an hour for a train to go by when
suddenly he 8) .......................(see) a very old steam train coming down the track. It 9)
..........……….... (not/stop) at the station and, as it was passing, Kevin noticed that all the passengers
10) .................... (wear) huge hats and old-fashioned clothes.

II.Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in each sentence. (10 x 1p= 10p)

1. It is ................................. that you wish to change jobs, but the company will be very disappointed
to lose you. (UNDERSTAND)
2. He is a rude man and speaks ................................ to everyone. (PLEASANT)
3. My friends all ................................ with me when I lost my handbag on the train. (SYMPATHY)
4. Apparently a ................................ of all marriages in the UK end in divorce. (THREE)
5. That simple mistake meant she managed to ................................ all her good work. (DO)
6. There has been an overwhelming response to the two job ................................ that were advertised
last week. (VACANCY)
7. She really does play the piano ................................ , doesn't she? (BEAUTY)
8. My grandmother was one of the ................................ people you could ever have met. (KIND)
9. The ................................ went on stage and received a rapturous welcome from the
audience. (COMEDY)
10. Lots of little children go through a phase of having an ................................ friend, but they usually
grow out of it. (IMAGINE)

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

Bad posture normally starts in our teenage years when we slouch around with our 1) .....................
trying to look cool. But hands up those who now while away their days sitting in front of a computer
where it’s 2) ............... too easy to neglect something as essential as good posture?

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As we grow older these poor 3) .................. are exacerbated, but by taking action immediately we
cannot only look and feel better but protect our body for the future. Make sure you sleep on a firm
mattress at night. 4) .......... lying flat on your back; instead try sleeping in a curled position on your
side. The 5) .............. revival in platform shoes doesn’t help and wearing shoes with heels more than
several centimetres high is just asking for 6) ............... . Don’t load everything into a bag that you
wear on one shoulder or you’ll end up lopsided. 7) ............... the weight evenly by wearing a rucksack
or even a bag around your waist. When you get home from a day’s studying or work it’s all too 8)
.................. to slump on the sofa in front of the telly. Sitting in this way may feel comfortable but it
prevents you from breathing properly. Try to sit 9) ................ with the 10) ................ pulled firmly in.

1) A. mates B. acquitances C. colleagues D. counterparts

2) A. so B. really C. all D. rather
3) A. customs B. habits C. rituals D. practices
4) A. Evade B. Prevent C. Avoid D. Restrain
5) A. existing B. tropical C. contemporary D. current
6) A. concern B. problem C. trouble D. fuss
7) A.Share B. Circulate C. Disseminate D. Distribute
8) A. enticing B. attractive C. irresistible D. tempting
9) A. level B. erect C. vertical D. upright
10) A. stomach B. neck C. arm D. foot

IV. Translate the following text into Romanian. (10p)

"It's a really good bargain," said the man in the showroom; and as far as Tom could tell, he was telling
the truth.
"It's yours for just £5,000!" he continued. "You won't find a better buy anywhere else in the North;
and what's more, we'll give you a year's insurance with it. Free!"
Tom eyed the vehicle longingly; it was bright red, and just over a year old – and inside it had that
smell of polish that comes with a new car. There was just the matter of the price - it was more than he
had planned to spend on his first car, and more than he actually had available. "Five thousand?" he
asked, hoping rather hopelessly that he had somehow misheard. "Five grand! That's it. But you can
'ave it for three in cash now, and the rest in three months. You can get a loan from the bank!"
Ever since he'd taken his first job at the burger bar at the age of 17, he'd been saving up for a nice car;
of course, he could have made do with a cheap wreck years ago - but that was not what he wanted.
Tom wanted a good car, a nice car, one that would make him feel as if he had achieved something
better in life than serving in a restaurant.

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SUBIECTUL B – INTEGRATED SKILLS

Read the text below and do the tasks that follow.

Whereas the reality for a forensic scientist might be examining a corpse in a muddy ditch in the
pouring rain at 3 am, in fiction it is portrayed much more romantically. In order to make them more
attractive to audiences, recent TV dramas like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Bones give a
slanted view of forensic science, most notably by glamorising the profession and overstating the
capabilities, speed and accuracy of its techniques. However, they are included among the best TV
series to binge watch. Binge-watching, also called binge-viewing or marathon-viewing, is the practice
of watching television for a long time span, usually a single television show. In a survey conducted by
Netflix in February 2014, 73% of people define binge-watching as "watching 6 episodes or more of
the same TV show in one sitting."

The popularity of such TV dramas has given rise to a widespread misconception of forensic science.
This so-called ՙCSI՚ effect has had two important consequences. On the one hand, it has raised public
awareness of forensic science, and led to more students studying the subject at university. At the same
time, however, there is some evidence that criminals are becoming more and more aware of what
kinds of things might provide evidence which might lead to their capture and conviction. Thus, it is
not merely a matter of wearing gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints, but of using bleach to destroy
DNA evidence or burning potential sources of evidence.

One response to the CSI effect has been to improve the education of upcoming forensic scientists. For
example, the University of Glamorgan in Wales has constructed a ՙforensic science simulator՚ to give
students hands-on experience of forensic scenarios. Although it resembles a normal house, it has been
designed to enable lecturers to reconstruct a diverse range of suspicious deaths. Dressed in crime-
scene barrier outfits, students have to get on their hands and knees in order to conduct the
investigation, whether it is measuring blood spatter, extracting DNA deposits or collecting hairs and
clothing fibres. The idea is that if the efficacy of real-crime scene investigation can be improved, then
maybe the evidence produced might be able to rival the fictional portrayals.

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

1. According to the passage, the depiction of forensic science on TV is

A. realistic
B. simplistic
C. negative
D. exaggerated

2. What is the ՙCSI՚ effect?

A. The increased popularity of TV dramas involving forensic science.
B. The distorted view of forensic science derived from watching TV.
C. The reproduction of crimes depicted on TV.
D. The raising of public awareness about crime.

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3. According to the text, what is true in reference to criminals?
A. They are taking more care to remove potential evidence.
B. They are studying forensic science to avoid providing evidence.
C. More of them are being caught and convicted.
D. They are becoming more aware of the CSI effect.

4. How has the CSI effect influenced forensic science studies at universities?
A. Normal houses have been converted into ՙforensic science simulators՚.
B. Qualified forensic scientists are being trained in new methods.
C. Better teaching methods have been introduced for forensic science.
D. Lecturers are gaining hands-on experience in forensic scenarios.

5. What happens at the ՙforensic science simulator՚?

A. Students work on reconstructing a diverse range of crime scenes.
B. Students visit past crime scenes to be shown what happened there.
C. Students work on improving their skills by investigating real crime scenes.
D. Students investigate a variety of reconstructed crime scenes for themselves.

II. Starting from the text above, write an opinion essay on binge-watching. (300-350 words)
(50p)

NOTĂ
 Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii.
 Nu se acordă puncte din oficiu.
 Timp de lucru: 3 ore.

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 OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – ETAPA LOCALĂ
17 FEBRUARIE 2018
Clasa a XII-a – SECȚIUNEA A

KEY AND MARKUNG SCHEME

SUBIECTUL A

I. ( 10 x1p=10p) 1. thought; 2. goes; 3. writes down; 4. has been doing; 5. had collected;
6. was standing; 7. had been waiting; 8 . saw; 9. didn’t stop; 10. were wearing

II. (10x1p=10p) 1.understandable; 2. unpleasantly; 3. sympathise; 4. third; 5. undo

6. vacancies; 7. beautifully; 8. kindest; 9. comedian; 10. imaginary

III.(10x1p=10 p) 1.A; 2. C ; 3. B; 4. C; 5. D ; 6. C; 7. D; 8. D; 9. D; 10. A

IV. ( 10p) "Este o afacere foarte bună", spuse bărbatul și Tom își dădu seama că acesta
spunea adevărul. "Este al tău pentru doar 5.000 de lire!" El continuă. "Nu veți găsi
ceva mai bun niciunde în Nord și, în plus, vă oferim asigurare pentru o perioadă
de un an. Tom se uită cu jind la mașina de un roșu strălucitor, puțin mai veche de
un an - în interior persista un miros de vopsea/ lac pentru vopsele caracteristic
oricărei mașini noi. Mai era de discutat (rămânea) doar prețul - era mai mult decât
plănuise pentru prima sa mașină și mai mult decât avea de fapt la dispoziție.
"Cinci mii?" întrebă el, sperând cumva că nu auzise bine. Cinci mii, asta e, dar poți
să o iei, dacă plătești trei mii în bani lichizi , iar restul în trei luni. Poți chiar obține
un împrumut de la bancă! Încă de când își găsise primul loc de muncă, vânzând
într-un bar, de la vârsta de 17 ani, Tom începuse să-și strângă bani pentru o
mașină frumoasă; desigur, ar fi putut să se descurce și cu o epavă/una ieftină cu
ani în urmă - dar nu asta își dorea. Tom voia o mașină bună, o mașină frumoasă,
care să-l facă să se simtă ca și cum ar fi realizat ceva mai bun în viață decât să
servească în restaurant.
SUBIECTUL B
I.(5x2p=10 p) 1.D; 2. B; 3. A; 4.C; 5.D
II. (50p)