INSPECTORATUL ŞCOLAR JUDEŢEAN GALAŢI

OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ- ETAPA LOCALĂ

CLASA a IX-a, SECŢIUNEA A
18 Februarie 2023
NOTĂ: Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii.
Timp de lucru - 3 ore

SUBIECTUL I – USE OF ENGLISH (40 points)

I. Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space. For each question, mark
the correct letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet. (10 points)
From Schoolboy to Clown
Gareth Ellis is the youngest of Alan and Kath’s sons. His two older brothers have already
……B…. (0) their parents’ home. ………… (1) he is only twelve, Gareth is sure that he will be a clown.
When Gareth was three, his parents ………… (2) him to see Zippo’s circus and he ………..(3) remembers
that visit today. All Gareth ………….(4) for as birthday presents was to go back to Zippo’s, his
father………… (5).
Then, in 1996, Alan ……………. (6) his job, so, together with Kath, they decided to try and find
full-time jobs in a circus ………….. (7) Gareth would have a chance to learn clown skills. …………(8) of
them got jobs with the Moscow State Circus. Alan ………….. (9) a light operator and Kath was in the box
office. After two years there, the director of Zippo’s offered them jobs and training for Gareth. One day
Gareth …………. (10) to be the best clown in the world.

0. A retired B. left C. gone D. moved

1. A. However B. Although C. Even D. So
2. A. went B. travelled C. carried D. took
3. A. since B. already C. still D. yet
4. A. demanded B. requested C. asked D. wanted
5. A. says B. speaks C. informs D. tells
6. A. missed B. lost C. gave D. threw
7. A. when B. where C. which D. who
8. A. Any B. Some C. Either D. Both
9. A. became B. turned C. worked D. applied
10. A. believes B. hopes C. thinks D. dreams
II. Fill in each gap in the following text with only ONE word which fits the meaning of the
text. (10 points)
I’m not superstitious, honestly!
How …many …… (0) people could truly say they are not superstitious? A recent survey shows
that almost 90% of people believe in one sort of superstition or another and say that it influences
………….. (1) lives.
One of the questions people were asked is whether they saw themselves as lucky or unlucky. Their
answers turned out to be ……….. (2) most interesting aspect of this survey. Nearly two-thirds of ………..
(3) who took part said they believed that people were naturally lucky or unlucky.
Professor Morgan Howard, who analysed the results of the survey, was fascinated by this finding,
so he went a step further and asked these people ……….. (4) kind of superstitions they believed in.
……….. (5) his surprise, he discovered that almost all the people who regarded themselves …….. (6)
lucky believed in positive superstitions. They did things ……. (7) promote their good luck, such as
crossing their fingers. ………… (8) would appear that people make their own luck by their attitude to life.
Even ………….. (9) surprisingly, he discovered that people with a degree in science tend to be just
……………. (10) superstitious as people with no knowledge of science.
III. Read the sentences and use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap.
(10 points)
1. The weather is very …………….. in these parts of the country. (CHANGE)
2. This job implies an enormous…………… towards your colleagues. (RESPONSIBLE)
3. There were a lot of ……………… parts that she did not understand. (MEANING)
4. After a few days, the family reported the ……………….. to the police. (APPEAR)
5. This needs more explanation so let’s……………….. it a bit. (SIMPLE)
6. It was…………………… for him to play for the rival football team. (THINK)
7. The…………………. agreed to go through with the experiment for us. (SCIENCE)
8. This needs more explanation so let’s……………….. it a bit. (SIMPLE)
9. Flight ………………… are not as helpful as the were some time ago. (ATTEND)
10. The new store offers a wide variety of sportswear at………………… prices. (AFFORD)

IV. Complete the second sentence with TWO to FIVE words using the word given, so that it
has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Do not change the word given. (10 points)

1. I’m concerned about whether I’ll be able to finish the project on time. CONCERNS
What………………………………. whether I’ll be able to finish the project on time.
2. It is one of the best meals I’ve had this year. AS
I’ve had very .............................................................this one this year.
3.”There has been a rise of over ten per cent in the price of the tickets”, said Sue. GONE
Sue said that the price of the tickets..................................than ten per cent this year.
4. Helen finally managed to think of a solution to her problem. COMING
Helen finally succeeded...........................................a solution to her problem.
5.”I’m sure that Tim borrowed your book”, said Jane. MUST
“It............................................................. borrowed your book”, said Jane.

SUBIECTUL II – INTEGRATED SKILLS (60 points)

I. Read the text below. For each question, choose the correct answer: A, B, C or D ( (5 x
2p = 10 points)
Digital Detox
Sophie Nelson describes a technology- free weekend
I’m Sophie and I want to tell you about an interesting weekend I spent with my friends,
Chloe and Ella. The three of us have been friends since we were at college. Chloe’s quiet
and likes reading, Ella’s cheerful and mad about sports, while I’m confident and love
music, but we’ re all really close. Although we often argue about things, we always have a
good time together. I can always rely on them to tell the truth and support me whatever
happens, and they can rely on me.
Not long ago, I was having a dull week at work. While I was browsing some websites on
my computer, I saw an article about the dangers of spending too much time on social
media. By the time I got to the end of the article, blogging, tweeting and commenting on
 each other’s status. So, I asked them if they fancied going on a break called Digital Detox-
three days without technology!
I explained this was a weekend in a countryside hotel where laptops, tablets and phones are
forbidden. I said that it might be challenging, but it would also be good for us. Chloe and
Ella weren’t convinced, but agreed straight away because they said it would be fun to do
something different. So, we put away phones and set off for our technology- free weekend.
It was a fantastic experience. Everybody at the hotel went for walks, swam in the pool and
played tennis. A few people couldn’t stand being out of contact and went home, but most
stayed and loved it. Chloe, Ella and I spent hours just talking and laughing, and we didn’t
miss our smartphones at all. The most amazing thing, though, was the lack of stress: we
couldn’t believe how calm and chilled out we were. By the end of the weekend, I
understood that technology can spoil your enjoyment of simple pleasures. It’s very useful
for keeping in touch with people, but you shouldn’t look at screens all the time. Sometimes
it’s good to just switch off!
1. What does Sophie say about her relationship with her two best friends?
A. The share a lot of interests.
B. They all have similar characters.
C. They always get on well together.
D. They know that they can trust each other.
2. Why did Sophie suggest going on the Digital Detox break?
A. She was tired of working at her computer all week.
B. She was worried by something she had read on the Internet.
C. She was bored with the usual things that she did with her friends.
D. She was very embarrassed by how much time she spent on social media.
3. How did Sophie’s friends feel before they went at the Digital Detox break?
A. Keen to try an unusual experience.
B. Confident that they would benefit from it.
C. Upset at having to leave their phones at home.
D. Unsure about whether they would enjoy it.
4. What was the biggest surprise for Sophie and her friends during the weekend?
A. How relaxed they felt.
B. How quickly the time passed.
C. How much fun they had together.
D. How easy it was to be without technology.
5. What might Sophie write in her diary at the end of the weekend?
A. I’m so glad Chloe and Ella persuaded me to go on Digital Detox break. It was great to spend a
weekend without electronic equipment.
B. The Digital Detox break has completely changed my attitude to my smartphone, so I’m going
to give up using social media.
C. After going on the Digital Detox Break with my friends, I’ve realized that there are both
advantages and disadvantages to technology.
D. We all had fun on the Digital Detox weekend. In fact, everyone who went on the break agreed
that it’s good to spend time away from technology.

II. Read the text again and write a narrative essay on how you could spend a technology-
free weekend. (180-200 words) (50 points).