OLIMPIADA NAȚIONALĂ DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ
ETAPA LOCALĂ
17 FEBRUARIE 2024
CLASA A VIII-A
VARIANTA 2
SUBIECTUL I: USE OF ENGLISH (50 points)
I.1. Read the following sentences and fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs
(10x2p=20p):
1. He won his first gold medal in 2021. Since then he ...... every competition. (WIN)
2. When my friends finally arrived at the hotel it .......heavily. (SNOW)
3. My grandfather ......... a walk in the park every Sunday afternoon. (TAKE)
4. Oh, Mary! I ........you for ages! (NOT SEE)
5. I am so angry, I........for you for one hour! (WAIT)
6. Unless you......., can I have your cake, please? (EAT)
7. My favourite actor ........an interview next week. (GIVE)
8. What ........ when the boss entered the office yesterday afternoon? (YOU DO)
9. Although it is Sunday, we .........hard since 8 o'clock in the morning. (STUDY)
10. When I was a teenager, I often ........a lot every weekend (SWIM)
I.2. Each of the following sentences contains a mistake. Write the correct sentences on your
answer sheet. (10x1p=10p.)
1. They have been watching T.V. since 3 hours.
2. Can you help me with an information, please?
3. He had not a headache yesterday.
4. They won’t tell you the secret unless you don’t promise not to say anything.
5. The woman whose her car had been stolen was very sad.
6. If you will not stop eating sweets, you will be sick.
7. They told me that they had bought a nice furniture.
8. Last night were many people at the party in front of the townhall.
9. If they found time in their busy schedule today, they will definitely come to our party.
10. How could you drink so many coffee?
I.3. Choose the correct word A, B, or C to complete each gap in the text (10x2p=20p):
Hello, People of Thailand!
Whatever country we come (1)......., whatever colour our skin is, we all have one thing in common:
we are all people of the world. Thailand is a beautiful country with a rich culture, just south of
China. People call it the jewel of south-east Asia for a good (2)...... Its tropical climate, white sandy
beaches and ancient temples make it a perfect holiday (3)...... What makes it really special, though,
is (4)...... people. Thai people are good-looking. They are short with delicate features. They have got
black hair, dark eyes and light brown skin. The Thais are friendly people (5)..... are well known for
being generous and kind. „We are happy people who have strong wills and are especially (6)..... of
our history,“ says Kasem from Bangkok. Most people in Thailand live in villages. A typical Thai
village (7)..... of wooden houses, a school and a Buddhist temple. Most of the people in the villages
are farmers and fishermen. The men usually work in the fields or catch fish in the rivers, and the
women plant the crops. Family life is very important in Thailand, and families often eat together.
Thai food is very spicy and includes curries, fish, seafood, soups and noodles. „We eat rice with our
meals and use a lot of strong spices in our cooking,“ explains Kasem. Thai people love to enjoy
themselves. Popular (8)..... activities include Thai boxing and watching traditional dance shows.
Thais also celebrate many festivals throughout the year. „My favourite holiday is Surin, in
November, (9)..... we always have elephant football matches,“ says Kasem. Thailand is a wonderful
country. Its fascinating (10)....., rich cultural history and warm-hearted people make it unique.
1. A. by B. from C. in D. for
2. A. target B. goal C. answer D. reason
3. A. destination B. itinerary C. trip D. tour
4. A. its B. it’s C. their D. theirs
5. A. that B. who C. what D. why
6. A. happy B. full C. proud D. thankful
7. A. forms B. includes C. consists D. involves
8. A. rest B. freedom C. merry D. free-time
9. A. when B. while C. if D. that
10. A. wonderland B. sights C. views D. look
SUBIECTUL al II-lea: READING COMPREHENSION (25p.)
Read the text below and choose the correct letter (A or B). (10x2,5p=25p)
Three popular inventions from the 1920s
The 1920s was an exciting time for inventions. Some of the things invented around that time
changed the lives of millions of people, and some of those inventions are still widely used today.
The television
The invention with the biggest impact was probably the television. It was invented by a Scottish
man, John Logie Baird. The first televised pictures were sent over a short distance in 1924, and his
invention was formally demonstrated at the Royal Institute two years later. The pictures on the
screen were not clear, but the viewers could see that they were human faces, and they could see
their eyes opening and closing. In 1928, images were sent from Britain to America, and later, to a
ship 1,500 miles out to sea. In the same year, the first colour images were sent. The first ‘seeing-in
sets’ were sold that same year. For £25 (£1000 in today’s money), people in their homes could
watch moving images that were sent from a broadcasting station.
The fridge
Another invention that became popular in the 1920s was the home refrigerator. People used
different ways to keep food cool and fresh long before the 1900s, but home fridges weren’t invented
until 1913 in the USA. Home fridges became very popular in the USA in the 1920s. Sales of the
popular ‘Frigidaire’ model increased from 5,000 in 1921 to 750,000 in 1926. British people were
less interested in fridges than Americans. They thought that they were unnecessary because the
weather in Britain was cooler. But fridges were heavily advertised, and their advantages were
described in detail. Soon, more fridges were sold, and the price decreased.
The polygraph
Another interesting invention of the 1920s was the polygraph, or lie detector. It was invented in
1921 by a Californian policeman, John Larson. He used the ideas of other psychologists to make a
machine that measured people’s heart rate, breathing and blood pressure while they were asked
questions. The experts believed that sudden changes in these measurements showed that someone
was lying. Although this invention is well-known, it can’t really detect lies. Marston tried to use
measurements from his polygraph in a court case in 1923, but they weren’t accepted as evidence
and never have been since then. However, polygraphs are still used by some police forces and the
FBI because many people believe they work, so they tell the truth to avoid the machine.
1. When television images were first transmitted, viewers didn’t know exactly what the image
was.
a. True
b. False
2. The television was demonstrated at the Royal Institute in 1926.
a. True
b. False
3. 3Colour images were not possible until after the 1920s.
a. True
b. False
4. 4Television images were first sent across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928.
a. True
b. False
5. People could buy television sets in the 1920s.
a. True
b. False
6. Home refrigerators were invented in the 1920s.
a. True
b. False
7. Fridges became popular in the USA before they were popular in the UK.
a. True
b. False
8. Some psychologists helped John Larson to build his invention.
a. True
b. False
9. On some occasions, lie detectors have been used as evidence in court.
a. True
b. False
10. Today, lie detectors are never used by the police.
a. True
b. False
SUBIECTUL al III-lea: WRITING (25 points)
Write a story ending like this: “Indeed, it was the best time of my life!”
Write your story in 150-180 words and give it an appropriate title. Don’t count the given ending.
Pay attention to the following:
you don’t need to write long descriptions;
use dialogues only if they are relevant to your characters or events;
you should use this plan:
1. Introduction (paragraph 1 – set the scene)
2. Main Body (paragraphs (2) 2/3 – develop the story)
3. Conclusion (paragraph 4 – end the story)
Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii.
Nu se acordă puncte din oficiu.
Timpul efectiv de lucru este de 2 ore.
