SECTION I.

THE ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE (30 points)

Read the text and do the tasks below the text.
The Amish
Now, America is as modern a place as you will find in all the world, I imagine, but when you
travel a few miles into Pennsylvania from Philadelphia and enter a place called Lancaster County,
you could believe you had travelled back in time to the last century and even beyond. For that is
where the Amish established themselves and held fast to their customs and beliefs. They are
farming people who are immediately recognisable by their unusual dress severe black suits for the
men, long skirts and bob caps for the women, since it seems the heads must be covered at all times,
even the children's. The men wear broad-brimmed black hats for best, and straw ones for working.
They will not use electricity or motor-propelled vehicles of any kind; they work the land with
horses and light their homes with kerosene lamps and candles. I have to confess that I lived
something of an Amish life for many years in Baldersdale, but not through choice.
Lancaster County is very rural. And down every narrow lane you could see half a dozen of those
strange, black, horse-drawn buggies, totally enclosed and usually driven by an old, white-bearded
man. The Amish are people whose ancestors came from Switzerland in the sixteenth century. The
community living in Lancaster County came from Germany, and still spoke a Rhine dialect. Indeed,
the children do not begin to learn English until they start their education, and even then they go to
one-room Amish schools. And from a very young age they are all given jobs to do in the home or on
the farm, which gives them even less time to mix with non-Amish children. After baptism, you
cannot marry outside the faith. Owning motorised transport is banned because cars would give
youngsters a chance to travel and experience other ways. You could not go far in a horse and buggy.
Sunday worship is held in one of their homes, and the location is known only to the Amish, week
by week. Apparently, the services start at 11am and last for three hours.
On my last day, I was invited by the Meyer family to go for a buggy ride and then join them for
dinner. I sat beside Mr. Jack Meyer, a large, bearded man, who was dressed in the traditional
manner. He told me the time when the standard Amish day starts is 4.30am and the milking goes on
until breakfast at seven. Half an hour later the children are sent off to school, which starts at eight,
and then the men start work until lunch is served by the women at eleven. Around three in the
afternoon the final milking of the day begins. That is followed by supper, and by seven-thirty most
farmers are in bed.
Dinner with the Meyers was a remarkable experience. They do take in paying guests, but you are
not to use alcohol prior to your arrival, and not to smoke on their property. Most importantly, you
are specifically requested not to bring a camera with you. But for my benefit, they allowed us to
film them at their table.
Lancaster Amish are famous for their food, and justifiably so. Jugs of water washed down the
feast, but midway we were offered tea made from herbs which grow wild.
There was clearly a lot of love and laughter in the Meyer household, and the children were
exceedingly well- behaved. They all returned obediently to the dining room when the final ritual of
the evening was to begin. They formed a group with their mother and father and sang a hymn in a
manner I had not heard before, all harmonising beautifully. All in all, a vivid and memorable
occasion.

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1. Answer the question.
1. Why is it easy to recognize the Amish?

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2. When do Amish children begin to learn English?

3. What aspects of the Amish life was the writer impressed by?

2.

Find in the text the synonyms for the words given below.
a) to let ____________________
b) extraordinary ____________________

3.

Find in the text the antonyms for the words given below.
a) to finish ____________________
b) badly behaved ____________________

4.

Identify and circle the correct variant (True/False). Justify your choice.
a) Amish people are not allowed to drive cars.
True False
because
b) Young Amish usually have a busy day.
because

True False

5.

Give another title to the text.

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6.

Identify the message of the text and comment on it in 5 lines.

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SECTION II. THE ASSESSMENT OF LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE (20 points)

Fill in the gaps with the suitable articles, pronouns and preposition Write the correct form of the
verbs in brackets. Choose the correct word from those given in brackets.
No

Item

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Early one morning more than a hundred years ago, an American inventor called
Elias Howe finally fell asleep. He (work) ___________________________all night on
the design of a sewing-machine but he had run into a very difficult problem: it seemed
impossible to get the thread to run smoothly around the needle. (Despite/However/
Although) his exhaustion, Howe slept badly. He tossed and turned. Then he had
___________ nightmare. It was his dream that finally enabled Howe to design and
build the first really practical sewing-machine.
Elias Howe was far from being unique in finding the answer _____________ his
problem in this way. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light bulb, said that
his best ideas (come) ____________________to him in dreams. So did the great
physicist, Albert Einstein. Charlotte Bronte also drew on her dreams in writing Jane
Eyre. The composer, Igor Stravinsky, once said the only way he could solve his
problems in musical composition was 'to sleep on _______________'. If these famous
people (not, have) _______________________________dreams, they wouldnt have
created anything.
To appreciate ______________value of dreams, you have to understand what
happens when you are asleep. Even then, a part of your mind is still working. This
unconscious, but still active, part digests your experiences and goes to work on the
problems you have had during the day. It stores all sorts of information and details
which you (may, forget) ___________________________or never have really
noticed. It is only when you fall asleep that this part of the brain can send messages to
the part you use when you are awake. However, the unconscious part expresses
________________________through its own logic and its own language. It uses
strange images which the conscious part may not understand at first. This is why
dreams are sometimes called 'secret messages to ourselves'.

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SECTION III. THE ASSESSMENT OF PRAGMATIC AND CULTURAL COMPETENCES

(20 points)
Write a coherent 10-line text describing the situation below.
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SECTION IV. THE ASSESSMENT OF PRAGMATIC AND CIVIC COMPETENCES

(30 points)

Write a coherent 20-line text expressing your attitude on the given topic.

Some people think that educated people are more valuable than people who have
learned skills through experience. What is your opinion? Bring two examples.
Use the following plan:
Make an introduction;
Bring two examples;
Draw a conclusion.
- Draw a conclusion.
- Express your personal opinion and reasons for it;
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