Районная олимпиада 10 класс 2012/2013 Гомельская область

II этап республиканской олимпиады по английскому языку

2012/2013 учебный год

Form X  

Vocabulary and Grammar Test

Total: 81 points

I. Complete the sentences using the words in bold.

1. I’m rather busy at the moment — do you mind if I phone you later?
get I’m rather busy at the moment – can______later?

2. It makes no difference how rich he is, they still don’t like him.
how No ________ they still don’t like him.

3. It won’t be my fault if the project fail.
responsible I won’t ________ the failure of the project.

4. I’m sure Dick didn’t mean to offend you.
have Dick ___________to offend you.

5. Your hair needs cutting,
had It’s ______ cut.

6. “I’m awfully sorry, Carol, but I’ve broken your watch,” said Jim.
to Jim _________ her watch.

7. Please mind that you close the door when you leave.
open Please don’t _________           when you leave.

8. Business hasn’t been so bad for a long time.
has Rarely _________ so bad.

9. My advice is to inform the police.
better I think ___________inform the police.

II. Choose the right variant.

Modern technology has brought about enormous improvements in communications and yet many people are still very worried ______ (1) using the latest computer technology. I am often ______ (2) to meet colleagues who still don’t know what the ‘e’ in ‘e-mail stands for and they are too ______ (3) to ask. They assume you have to be skilled _____ (4) computers to send a message via e-mail but in fact it is _____  (5) thing in the world. It is also _____(6) to send e-mail message ______(7) to send an ordinary letter or a ‘snail’ message which also takes_______ (8).

1. A for	В about	С at	D with as
2. A surprising	В irritating	С surprised	D irritated
3. A embarrassing	В embarrassed	С tired	D tiring
4. A about	В into	С to	D in
5. A simplest	В the more simple	С simpler	D the simplest
6. A cheaper	В more cheaper	С cheapest	D the cheaper
7. A as	В than	С that	D from
8. A much	В more	С as	D lot

III. Read the text and put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

Last night a bomb (1. to explode)_____near   the metro entrance.
The police (2. to receive) __________ an anonymous phone call several minutes before the explosion. They (3. to drive) ____ to the metro when the bomb (4. to blow up) _____. When they reached the place of explosion there (5. to be) _____ few people there, and only one young  man (6. to sit) ______at the metro entrance. He had small injuries from pieces of broken glass. Late last night, police officers (7. still/to search) ______ the scene for evidence and they (8. to question) ______ the people working near that place.
The young man (9. to receive) ______ medical treatment in hospital. No one (10. yet to claim) _______ responsibility for the explosion.

IV. Think of the word which best fits each space. Write only one word in each space.

James was on his own for a few days now. His wife Anja, (1) ____ is Dutch, had had to go to Holland (2) ______ business. Although James was quite (3) ______ of cooking, it was Anja who usually cooked for them both and (4) ______ she had left, she had bought three meals for him (5) ______ he only had to heat up. This meant that there would be (6) _____ one day when James would have to make his own meal. He had decided on a tuna salad and toast — easy enough. James went to work at the advertising studio as usual and
tried to concentrate on his work rather (7) ______on the fact that he was missing Anja terribly. At home in the evening, (8) _______ James was making his toast and tuna salad, Anja rang. He was talking happily on the (9) _____when a strange smell floated under his nose. Shocked, he quickly (10) ______ goodbye to Anja. He had forgotten (11)______ about the toast, which now had to be foeced out of the toaster and the (12) ______  room had filled (13) ______ smoke before he realized it. “I’m (14) _____ glad you’re at home!” exclaimed James when Anja returned. “Me too!” she replied. “But, James, (15) ______are the walls black?”

V. All the articles (the, a, an) have been taken out of the text. Replace them where necessary.

In (1) ____ days before (2) ____ invention of (3) _____ radio or (4) _____ television (5)____ majority of people made their own entertainment at home. Many (6) _____evenings were spent reading (7)_____ novel, playing the piano or painting (8)____picture. In many ways, people were almost forced to find (9) ____ creative outlet in one form or another. Things have changed a lot since then, however. Now, (10) _____typical evening’s entertainment would be to spend (11) _____           few hours in front of (12) _____television.

VI. Complete each sentence (a — j) with one of the endings (1 — 10)

a) How do you feel about folk music?
b) Do you think I should order the tickets in advance?
c) Do you have any comment on the Prime Minister decision?
d) I feel really miserable today.
e) Is it all right if I invite some friends round?
f) Shall I do the washing up?
g) I like this vase. Is it an antique?
h) Don’t you think you should treat your mum better?
i) Is my homework all right?
j) Did you enjoy the concert?

1) You can do whatever you like, as far as I’m concerned.
2) In my opinion, the most important matter has been forgotten.
3) I didn’t think much of it, actually.
4) No, it’s not worth it.
5) Mind out, you might drop it!
6) I’m sorry, but it just won’t do.
7) I’m not very keen on that kind of thing, to be honest.
8) No, don’t bother, I’ll do it.
9) Why don’t you mind your own business!
10) Never mind, cheer up!

VII. Complete each sentence with a word formed from the word in capitals.

1. It is ………….to buy a car if a person doesn’t need to drive to work every day. (PRACTICAL)
2. It is really hard for……… people to start a good professional career. (EXPERIENCE)
3. Lives of great men teach us many…….. lessons. (VALUE)
4. He gave me the wrong directions. I was ……. .(INFORM)
5. We had a very            ………. meeting. We failed to sort out all the problems. (PRODUCT)
6. Our expedition could not continue its work due to ………. weather conditions. (FAVOUR)
7. There were lots of kids in my …….. when I was growing up. (NEIGHBOR)
8. Most characters of Jack London’s stories are brave and ……… people. (COURAGE)
9. His …….. sometimes created problems for all members of the family. (STUPID)
10. Her results at the exam seem to be really………. (DISASTER)

VIII.   Choose the most suitable response

a) What do you think of my new car?
1. It’s all right, I suppose.
2. I think a lot.

b) Do you promise to pay me back at the end of the month?
1. I’ll pay.
2. I promise.

c) Do you want beer or wine?
1. I’d prefer beer, please.
2. I’d rather beer, please.

d) Janet, make us some tea, will you?
1. No, I won’t, I’m afraid.
2. I can’t, I’m afraid.

e) How kind of you, you really shouldn’t have bothered.
1. It was nothing, really.
2. Don’t worry, I didn’t bother.

f) I can’t stop worrying about my exam tomorrow.
1. That’s all right, never mind.
2. I’m sure you’ll do well.

Keys to Vocabulary and Grammar Test

Form X
Total: 81 points

I.
1. I get back to you
2. matter how rich he is
3. not be responsible for
4. can’t have meant to
5. time you had your hair
6. apologized to Carol for breaking
7.  leave the door open
8. has business
9. you’d better

II. 1B, 2C, 3B, 4D, 5D, 6A, 7B, 8A
III.
1. exploded
2. had received
3. were driving
4. blew up
5. were
6.  was sitting
7. were still searching
8. were questioning
9. is receiving
10. has not yet claimed

IV.
1. who
2. on
3. capable/fond
4. before
5. which
6. just/only
7. than
8. while/as/when
9.  phone/telephone
10. said
11. all/completely
12. whole/entire
13. with
14. so/really
15. why

V.
l. the 2. the 3.the 4.- 5. the 6.- 7.a 8. a 9. a 10. a/the 11. a 12. a/the

VI. a)7 b)4 c)2 d)10 e)l f)8 g)5 h)9 i)6 j)3
VII.
1. impractical
2. inexperienced
3. valuable
4. misinformed
5. unproductive
6.unfavourable
7. neighborhood
8. courageous
9.  stupidity
10.disastrous

VIII. a-l, b-2, c-l, d -2,e-l,f-2

Keys to Listening Comprehension Test

Mrs. Becker’s Secret
Total 20 points

I.
I. False
2. False
3. False
4. False
5. False
6. True
II.
1. was carrying rocks
2. forward to Christmas
3. was covered with
4. wondered
III. 2,1,4,3,6,5
IV.
1. No, she hadn’t. They hardly knew her.
2. Cat came to Mrs. Becker’s house to bring her some cookies.
3. No, she didn’t have any.
4. Yes, she did. She admired her.

Listening Comprehension Test Form X
Total: 20 points

Mrs. Becker’s Secret

I. Mark the sentences as “True” or “False”.

1. The girl was twelve.
2. On a Thanksgiving Day she saw her neighbor carrying rocks.
3. On the twelfth of December there was no school.
4. Mrs. Becker has prepared her garden for a poor family.
5. Cat didn’t like the garden.
6. Mrs. Becker thought Christmas was a magic holiday.

II. Fill in the missing part of the sentence.

1. The girl thought Mrs. Becker was weird because she_____into her house in December.
2. The elderly woman was looking _____because it was her favourite holiday.
3. When the girl looked into Mrs. Becker’s living-room, she saw that the floor________ grass.
4. Mrs. Becker knew that Cat ______          about what she was doing in her garden in December.

III. Put the sentences in the logical order.

1. This time she was shoveling earth from her garden into tree baskets.
2. “Who in the world want a lot of dirty rocks in their house?”
3. Candles and straw birds decorated the tree.
4. A second later the door flew open, and there was Mrs. Becker in a red sweater.
5. “I can,” Cat said. “And I will.”
6. They found all kinds of nuts and berries to eat while the birds sang, “It’s Christmas!”

IV. Answer the questions.

1. Had Mrs. Becker lived in the neighborhood for a long time?
2. Why did Cat come to Mrs. Becker’s house?
3. Did Mrs. Becker have a big aquarium in her house?
4. Did Cat change her opinion about Mrs. Becker?

Mrs Becker’s Secret

Caitlin was eleven years old. One evening soon after Thanksgiving when she was sitting at table she said, ’»Mrs. Becker, our neighbor, is strange.”

“Caitlin, please don’t talk that way about our new neighbor. We hardly know her,” Cat’s mother replied.

“But she is weird,” Cat insisted. “Her front door was wide open when I got off the bus today, and she was carrying rocks into her house. They were covered with mud. Who in the world would want a lot of dirty rocks in their house?”

Cat’s father suggested the idea that Mrs. Becker had an aquarium. But Cat shook her head saying they were too big for that.

“I’ll make cookies for her sometime soon,” Cat’s mother decided.

The next afternoon when Cat got off the school bus, there was Mrs. Becker in a blue parka in front of her house. This time she was shoveling earth from her garden into three baskets.

“Hi,” she said, pausing to wave at the girl. “Did you have a good day?”

“OK,” answered Cat. She really had had a good day, but she wasn’t sure how friendly to be with this strange lady who dug in her garden in December.

“Looking forward to Christmas?” The girl nodded. “Me, too. It’s my favourite time of the year.” And she went on with her work. The girl kept wondering what the neighbor was doing.

On the morning of the twentieth of December Mother woke the girl with the good news “No school!” The snow was coming down so thick and fast Cat could barely see their garage. Father left early to catch the train, but Mother stayed home. After breakfast the girl took a walk. When she came back, sugary smells greeted her.

“Don’t take your snow pants off yet,” her mother said. “I want you to take these cookies to Mrs. Becker. It’ll only take j few minutes.”

Cat took the bag with the cookies and went outside. She made it to Mrs. Becker’s front door and rang the bell. A second later the door flew open, and there was Mrs. Becker in a red sweater.

“Here-are-cookies-from-my-mother,” Cat said in one breath.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Becker said, taking the bag. “I’m baking, too. Let’s have a swap.”

Before Cat knew what had happened, she was inside the house, and the door was shut. Mrs. Becker hurried into the kitchen. Cat looked around. There was a cuckoo clock on the wall in front of her. She looked into the living-room, and he mouth fell open.

“Wow!”

The entire floor in that room was covered with grass — real grass! There wasn’t a chair or a table or a TV in sight Instead there were potted plants of all sizes and shapes half-buried in the grass. Rocks (the big rocks Cat had seen Mrs. Becker carrying into her house) lined a path leading to a Christmas tree in the centre of the room. Candles and straw birds decorate the tree. A gold star shone from its top.

“Come,” Mrs. Becker said.

Cat jumped. She hadn’t heard her return. “Is it… is it always like this in here?” she asked.

Mrs. Becker laughed. ‘No, this is my Christmas garden.”

Cat looked puzzled.

“The rest of the year I have furniture, but the four weeks before Christmas I change everything. We did it as children. My father would tell my sister and me a fairy-tale as we made the garden. It’s about a poor family that lived deep in a forest. On Christmas Eve when they had nothing to eat, the ice and snow suddenly melted away. The light grew warmer, and the flowers opened. They found all kinds of nuts and berries to eat while the birds sang, “It’s Christmas!”

Cat didn’t say anything. She felt she’d come into another world. She stood there smelling the earth and pass.

“I know you wondered what I was doing the day you came home and I was carrying the rocks into the house,” Mr Becker said. “I decided I wouldn’t tell you then. I’d invite you over for a surprise on Christmas Eve.”

Cat turned to her. “Can I still come?”

“Of course! But try to keep it a secret till then. Can you keep a secret?”

“I can,” Cat said. “And I will.”

Communicative Skill Assessment

Form X

1. My life without English will be dull.

1. Is it possible to have a good job without mastering English?
2. What is the best way of learning English to your mind?
3. How may English as “a lingua franca” develop in the future?
4. In what areas of international communication does English play the dominant role?

2. Science has already beautified our life.

1. Do you like science?
2. What area of science are you interested in?
3. What do you think about cloning?
4. Are impressed by nanotechnology?

3. A good marriage must be created.

1. Real love is far from being a bed of roses. Do you agree?
2. What are the main things in a good family?
3. Is it a real art to be a good husband or a good wife?
4. A successful marriage depends on the qualities of both — the wife and the husband. Is it so?

4. Is it easy to be young?

1. What problems do you meet in your life now as a teenager?
2. What youth organizations do you know which help young people to find their place in the society?
3. How can we solve the problem of generation gap?
4. Does your future depend on the future of your country?

5. One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.

1. What does friendship give to you?
2. What weaknesses can you forgive in your friend?
3. Is it difficult to find a true friend nowadays?
4. Only your true friend can tell you that your face is dirty. Do you agree?

6. Your bright future will be impossible without your choice today.

1. What is more important for a good career: experience or good academic qualifications?
2. Is there anybody who can help you to make your choice?
3. Do you think you’ve got the abilities to achieve your goals?
4. What job would you choose — for money or for your interest?

7. If I had all the time in the world I would travel.

1. What way of travelling do you prefer?
2. What is the safest way of travelling to your mind?
3. What should you know before you start your trip?
4. What place in the world would you like to visit and why?

8. Is shopping a joy or a burden?

1. Are you a shopoholic?
2. Where do you prefer to buy things?
3. What shops are the most popular among the teenagers?
4. Is shopping for you a relaxing time?

9. Money spent on the brain is never spent in vain.

1. Do you enjoy going to school?
2. Do you consider our system of education progressive?
3. Does school help pupils to develop their personality?
4. If you had the chance what would you change in education?

10. The most vital problem of our age is the problem of environment.

1. What role should TV and newspapers play in environmental ….
2. What can you say about the ecology of our region?
3. What does it mean to be “a green visitor”?
4. Who’ must be responsible for the security of our planet?

11. So many people, so many pastimes!

1. What do hobbies and pastimes give us?
2. Can volunteer work be a hobby?
3. Can hobby become a passion?
4. What is your favourite pastime when you are on holiday?

12. Healthy way of life.

1. What are the health hazards of modem life?
2. Do you have your own attitude to health care?
3. What are the rules of being healthy and keeping fit?
4. What is the best way of reducing stress?

13. Be thankful together whatever the weather.

1. What is your favourite season of the year and why?
2. Why is it important to be weatherwise?
3. Are you often under the weather?
4. How do you think what season is the healthiest?

14. Art is more than just beauty.

1. Is all art good?
2. Does art have to say something?
3. Do you always understand art?
4. Do we need art today?

15. Ноmе is more than just a roof to protect you from rain.

1. Does your house show the person you are?
2. What houses do you prefer — modern or period? Why?
3. Would you like to live in a smart house?
4. What makes your house special?
5. What is your home for you?

16. You are what you wear.

1. It isn’t necessary to be attractive — just be fashionable! Do you agree with it?
2. Do you always follow the fashion?
3. Good clothes open all doors? Don’t they?
4. Does the fashion change quickly?

17. The city is a human “Zoo”.

1. Where would you like to build your house: in the city or in the country? Explain your choice.
2. What is the city for you?
3. City makes you a slave. Do you agree?
4. What would you like to change in your city?

18. Why do I love my country?

1. To what place in Belarus would you invite your guests and why?
2. Are you fond of speaking Belarusian?
3. What outstanding Belarusians are you proud of?
4. Belarus is famous for its picturesque landscapes, blue lakes and rivers. Suggest a touristic route to show the beauty of our country.

19. We are Belarusians.

1. There’s no such a thing as national character. All people are different. Do you agree?
2. What makes the Belarusians different from the Americans?
3. Do you think that national stereotypes give a true picture of national character?
4. What prominent figures can Belarus be proud of?

20. What makes people happy?

1. How do you understand happiness?
2. Can love make people happy?
3. Does money bring happiness?
4. What does it mean — to be happy?