ENGLEZA – BILETE

BILETUL NR. 11
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
After the recent elections, much to her adversaries’ surprise, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-
Sirleaf is set to become Africa’s first democratically elected female president. With 97 percent of the vote counted,
the former Liberian finance minister and Harvard-educated economist will soon be declared the winner. Having
gained 59.4 percent of the votes, she has a clear advantage over her rival George Weah, the former world soccer
player of the year. Liberia’s “Iron Lady” said: “Africa is ready for a female president. Women have the education,
the character, the competence, and the integrity to lead the nation.” She also stated that: “This is the time to get
Liberians out of the psychological, economic and political destructions of war.”
Supporters of Mr. Weah claim that the election was spoiled by fraud. Violence erupted in
front of polling stations and peacekeepers fired tear gas to disperse angry crowds. Two U.N. soldiers were injured in
the fight. Mr. Weah has implored protestors to refrain from violence. The threat of unrest and claims of election
fraud carry the potential of returning Liberia to the turmoil of civil war, which recently ravaged the country’s
economy and killed a quarter of a million people. Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf remains unperturbed about the protests and
the prospect of coups and civil war, saying she was eager to “start the process of renewal and rebuilding”. She said
she would make Africans proud of her performance. “I look forward to the challenge,” she said.
(Liberian First Lady- African
Women on the Internet) A. 1. What is Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf opinion about this historical moment in
Liberia? 2. What happened after the results were announced?
3. What dangers does the country face because of violent
reactions? B. Speak about an important politician that had
an important role in the history of our country. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 12
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
An 18-year-old student has won a local election to become mayor of his hometown in the
state of Michigan. Michael Sessions won by the slenderest of margins - just two votes put him ahead of his rival, the
51-year-old mayor. Mr. Sessions attributed his success to the votes cast by his parents. He will now have to combine
schedules between attending school and fulfilling his civic duties. He will attend his school classes between 8am to
3pm and carry out his new job as the elected mayor of Hillsdale before dinner at 6pm. He aims to deliver pledges of
increasing the contingent of full-time fire-fighters from three to four, revitalizing the local economy and enabling
townsfolk to express their views on town life.
Mr. Sessions was too young to enter the election when it was first announced – he turned 18 only
in September, which meant he had just four weeks of campaigning. Although he is the youngest elected official in
America, he cannot celebrate his success with champagne because he would be arrested for underage drinking. He
ran for mayor with a budget of $700, which he made from his summer job of selling toffee apples. As mayor he will
receive an annual stipend of $3,600 to cover basic expenses. He starts his four-year position on November 21. Mr.
Sessions has become an overnight celebrity since his victory and has already done the circuit of television chat show
interviews.
(News On-line-Young Mayor)
A. 1. What are Mr Sessions’ main aims?
2. How did he get the money for his campaign?
3. What will his schedule look like?
B. If one day you became the mayor of your
city/town /village, what changes would you make to turn it into an ideal place to live in? Give arguments and
examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 13
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
 Skiing is one of the most popular sports in the world. According to recent estimates,
about one hundred million people ski regularly or occasionally, and winter has become a favourite season for
holidays worldwide. Sliding across the snow on skis is also one of the most ancient methods of
transport known to man.It has been demonstrated that men were already travelling across the snow by means of
primitive skis before the invention of the wheel. In the Asiatic region of Altai and in Scandinavia, for example, the
remains of skis have been found which date back to 4,000 BC. Further evidence is supplied by ancient cave
paintings which depict primitive people skiing, and a Norwegian saga which tells the story of an invasion of its
territory 8,000 years ago by a tribe of skiers who came from the north.
Nowadays, skiing, apart from being a very popular sport, has
become a big industry and a notable feature of leisure culture. Ski resorts and all the activity that they generate are
the main source of wealth for communities in many mountain regions, which were previously remote and
inaccessible. And far from its once elitist image, skiing is now enjoyed by an increasingly broader spectrum of
society, from middle class families to famous stars and rich bankers. Skiing in expensive gear or in ordinary,
inexpensive costumes, everybody wants to keep in shape practising one of the most complex sports ever.

(Skiing - Updated Articles and Resources) A. 1. How do we know that

primitive men travelled across the snow by skis? 2. How has this
sport benefited mountain regions? 3. What
social categories of people practise skiing nowadays?
B. Speak about your favorite mountain resort/ town. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 14
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Sports violence can be defined as behaviour which causes harm, occurs outside of the
rules of the sport, and is unrelated to the competitive objectives of the sport
An increase in both frequency and seriousness of acts of violence has been well
documented. Violence is most prevalent in team contact sports, such as ice hockey, football, and rugby. While most
occurrences of violence emanate from players, others, including coaches, parents, fans, and the media, also
contribute to what has been described as an epidemic of violence in sports today
Considerable research has been done on spectator violence. A central issue is
whether fans incite player violence or reflect it. The evidence is inconclusive. Spectators do take cues from players,
coaches, cheerleaders, and one another. Spectators often derive a sense of social identity and self-esteem from a
team. Emulation of favourite players is an element of this identification. Group solidarity with players and coaches
leads to a view of opposing teams as enemies and fosters hostility towards the "outgroup" and, by extension, its
supporters, geographical locale, ethnic group, and perceived social class.
Mass media also contribute to the acceptability of sports. The
media occupies a paradoxical position. On the one hand it affords ample exposure to sports-related violence via
television, magazines, newspapers, and radio, thus providing numerous examples to children who may imitate such
behaviour. It glamorizes players, often the most controversial and aggressive ones. Its commentary is laced with
descriptions suggestive of combat, linking excitement to violent action. On the other hand, the exposure given to
sports violence by the media has stimulated increased efforts to control and prevent such behaviour.

(www.ericdigests.org) A. 1. How can we define sports violence?

2. In which sports is
violence more frequent? 3. What is the role of
mass media? B.
Speak about the measures authorities can take to stop violence at sports events. Give arguments and examples to
support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 15
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
 Before the last war, officers in the navy had a lot more freedom when their ship was in
port than they have nowadays. Why did that happen? They were expected to lead a busy social life, and to take an
active part in sport ashore. It was therefore rather difficult for them to find time to do all their other duties.
Usually, all the officers in a ship used to have a regular meeting together once a
week to receive orders from their captain, make reports and discuss any business that had to be discussed, such as
who should represent the ship in the next football match or any other social activity that involved the crew.
One such meeting was being held on board a ship one day, and after the regular
business had been completed, the time came to discuss the date of the next meeting. Friday of the next week was
suggested, and so was Monday of the week after, but both of them interfered with somebody’s arrangements for the
weekend, and in the end it was generally agreed that the meeting should be held on Wednesday, as this would be the
least likely day to interfere with anybody’s convenience, since it was right in the middle of the week.
As the officers were leaving, however, one of them was heard to say,
“Wednesday is the worst day, because it interferes with two weekends!”
(A. T. Mahan,
Types of Naval Officers ) A. 1. What happened before the war when a ship was in a port?
2. Did the officers have to make reports? When?
3. Why was Wednesday the worst day for
that meeting, according to one officer? B. Speak about your favourite
profession. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 16
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
At first sight, the British food economy is not healthy today and we've only begun to feel
the first tremors of world food shortages. We import 52% of our food; the figure seems likely to rise since, as the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) figures state, 63% of our 300,000 farms are essentially
not economically viable. You might despair that the great arable lands of Scotland do not provide that country's
bread, but that's chiefly because 60% of Scottish wheat goes to the whisky industry.
In Britain, some belt-tightening could hardly hurt. Start with imports. A look at our
shopping list reveals a nation of gluttons and wastrels1; we make party-planners for Roman feasts look canny. If
Lucullus imported tigers, it was because he could not get them locally. We bring lamb and butter from the other side
of the world and most of our bacon from Europe, not because it tastes better but because it is marginally cheaper.
A mixed salad illustrates the absurdity. We must have fresh salad all
year, so we import 60% of it. Processors and retailers throw away on average 40% of what they eventually sell,
because of the problems in forecasting demand (if it's raining, shoppers buy less salad, but buyers have to place
orders two weeks ahead). Then, at home, we throw away 60% of all we buy because we never get round to eating it.
At a rough estimate, Britain imports twice as much salad as it actually eats.
(The Observer, 8 February
2009)

Wastrel1 - a lazy person who does not try to achieve anything in life
A. 1. How much food do Britons import?
2. Are food imports really necessary in the author’s opinion?
3. What point does the author want to stress by mentioning the salad import?
B. Should countries import or produce the food they consume? Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 17
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Most teenage girls want to be fitter and lose weight, but fewer than half do any exercise,
according to research.
A study also found that few young people eat fresh fruit daily despite Government
recommendations. It found that the very reason why girls want to exercise more inhibits them. They want to
exercise, but many do not because they do not like the way that they look while exercising.
Helen Haste, a professor of psychology at Bath University and author
of MyBody, My Self, said: “Work has been done before on young people’s behaviour in relation to health, but we
were interested in their attitudes to health, fitness and exercise. We can’t persuade young people to change their
behaviour, but need to appeal to what is important to them. “Talking about being healthy is not the right way to
appeal to them, but being fitter and more attractive is.”
Prof Haste said fewer than half her sample exercised once a
week, apart from walking. Asked why they did not exercise 49 per cent of girls said that they did not feel
comfortable exercising in front of other people, 35 per cent said they did not have time, 34 per cent said they did not
look good in exercise clothes, 33 per cent said they did not want to look muscular and 30 per cent said they were no
good at sport. Almost half the girls said they would rather dance or do yoga than take part in traditional sports.

(People Management Magazine Online) A. 1. Why do some girls not take any
exercise? 2. According to Helen Haste,
is the fact of having good health enough? 3. What other
options do girls have to replace traditional sports? B.
Speak about your favourite sportsperson and give reasons and examples to support your choice.

BILETUL NR. 18
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Tony Blair was rushed to hospital yesterday with an unexpected heart problem. He
complained of feeling a "little bit under the weather" at his country residence Chequers and was immediately taken
to London’s Stoke Mandeville Hospital. There he was advised to go to Hammersmith Hospital in West London. He
was admitted as an emergency and doctors spent five hours doing tests on the 50-year-old Prime Minister. He had a
cardio conversion electro shock therapy or an injection of chemicals to stabilise his heart.
His wife Cherie was with him throughout the treatment. Super fit Mr
Blair was eventually diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, he had never been aware of. He was back home at
Downing Street last night. A spokesman at No 10, said: "He has suffered no damage and he is fine. There is no
reason why this should reoccur.” "They have advised him to rest for 24 hours." He added: "This morning the Prime
Minister was feeling under the weather and went to Stoke Mandeville hospital where they advised him to go to the
Hammersmith. "There it was established he had an irregular heartbeat and a
cardio-version was administered to regulate it.” "This was completely successful. He was in hospital for four to five
hours and is now back at Number 10, Downing Street, feeling much better and ready to start work in a couple of
days. The hospital says this is a relatively common condition and is easily treated."

(The Biography Channel, Tony Blair Biography) A. 1. How was Blair diagnosed when the
doctors checked him at the hospital? 2. Where did he go when he was
discharged from hospital? 3. When was he ready to go back to
work? B. What do you think would be the
best ways to keep your heart healthy? Give reasons and examples to support your choice.

BILETUL NR. 19
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for the USA to “close the borders…all across
Mexico” to combat illegal immigration that the Governement has been confronted with for many years now. The
tough-talking California Governor was volunteering his views on making America safer in front of hundreds of
reporters at the Newspaper Association of America convention. This came as a gaffe from an official as him. His
press secretary was quick to jump to his rescue and clarify his comment. In her impromptu effort at damage
limitation, Arnie’s secretary, Margita Thompson explained that what Arnie really meant was that he wants the
borders better policed, not closed: “He wants to make sure that our borders are secured so that we don't have illegal
entry.” Schwarzenegger was answering questions at the NAA convention and
described border security as a “lax situation”. He stressed the need for tougher measures to be taken: “it is just unfair
to have all those people coming across and have the border open the way it is.” He also lamented the fact that
individual American states had little control in immigration matters.
Outraged Democrats were quick to attack him on his ”unforgivable
gaffe”. Fabian Nunez warned Arnie should “slow down this rhetoric and retreat from this narrow-minded approach
to immigration.” Nunez said that the Governor’s ideas resembled those of “political extremists, not rational policy-
makers. This is not acceptable from a politician who pretends to have modern views on equality and democracy.”
(Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office
– on-line Breaking News, Webcasts, Photos) A. 1. What does Arnie want to do with the border?
2. How does he describe border security?
3. Has his opinion been accepted? Why/ why
not? B. In your opinion, is immigration a
problem or a solution? Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 20
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Years ago, a cigarette commercial asked if you were smoking more, but enjoying it less.
That describes the way many of us live today. We are doing more, but enjoying it less. The truth is so simple that it
is hard to believe. Satisfaction lies with less, not with more. Yet, we pursue the myth that that activity will provide
the satisfaction we so desperately seek.
Arthur Lindman, in “The Harried Leisure Class,” described the futility of pursuing more.
His research focused on what people did with their free time. He found that as income rose, people bought more
things to occupy their leisure time. But, the more things they bought, the less they valued any one of them. Carried
to an extreme, he predicted massive boredom in the midst of tremendous variety. That was more than twenty years
ago, and his prediction seems more accurate every year.
Lindman is not the first to discover this. The writer of Ecclesiastes expressed the same
thought thousands of years ago. It is better to have less, but enjoy it more. How could you simplify your life? What
could you drop? What could you do without? What could you stop pursuing? What few things could you
concentrate on? The more I learn, the more I realize that happiness does not depend on things. The more I
give up, the more I seem to gain. But words will never convince you. You must try it for yourself.
(Dr. Merrill Douglass, Time Management
Corporation) A. 1. How can we describe the way people live today?
2. Why do people buy more and more according to the text?
3. Who came to the same conclusion many
years ago? B. Do you lead a simple life or do you
need many hobbies to be happy? Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 21
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
A newly published report indicates that jogging could have adverse health effects,
especially for those who do it alone. A team of researchers from Harvard University has suggested that going for a
run on your own is not as healthy as previously believed and is nowhere near as beneficial as jogging as part of a
group. They suggested it could actually be bad for one’s health. Recent experiments conducted on rats indicated that
running alone raises stress levels and prevents brain cell regeneration. Professor Elizabeth Gould, who led the
research, said: “These results suggest that, in the absence of social interaction, a normally beneficial experience can
have a potentially destructive influence on the brain.” The researchers monitored two groups of rats on
exercise wheels to find out the effects of this type of exercise on them. One group exercised alone, the other as part
of a rodent jogging team. After two weeks, the scientists conducted tests to find out the rate of brain cell growth in
all of the test animals. The results revealed that the team joggers had double the amount of
new brain cells as the solo runners. Professor Gould concluded that: “When experienced in a group setting, running
stimulates neurogenesis (brain cell growth). However, when running occurs in social isolation, these positive effects
are suppressed.” Joggers around the world should perhaps take the research with a pinch of salt and remember that
jogging is healthier than the rat race.
(Fitness and Strength,
Running And Jogging for Fitness) A. 1. According to the text, is jogging alone beneficial
for our health? Why/ why not? 2. How has this research been tested on rats?
3. What happens when running occurs in a
group setting? B. Speak about the qualities that
team sports develop in a person. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 22
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Just five years ago, astronomers viewed Mars as an essentially dead world, with
no trace of life on it. Recent discoveries made by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft and results of research on
particles of Martian meteorites have changed that opinion. What was it that they discovered?
The new picture of a `youthful Mars' not only confirms that geological activity
occurred abundantly in the first two thirds of Mars's history, but also that it has continued until comparatively
recently, and probably persists up to the present day. These findings will have a dramatic effect on the human
exploration of Mars, and the quest to learn whether life ever existed there. This idea has always been an attractive
subject for SF movies and we all grew up thinking of “aliens” coming from planet Mars.
In the next few decades, the subsurface layers of Mars will be
examined in a search for Martian microbes, either past or present. The test of whether life evolved on Mars is a
major scientific problem because an answer either way would have profound consequences on the concept of life on
Earth, too. If life did evolve on Mars, what was it like and what was its basis at the molecular level? If life never
appeared on Mars, why didn’t it, and does this mean that humanity is alone in the universe? Scientists are still
considering the theory of multiple civilizations in the vast universe, having developed as parallel worlds.

(online Red Planet Renaissance 2000) A. 1. What was the most

recent and surprising finding about Mars? 2. What would
scientists have to answer if it were proved that life had never appeared on Mars? 3. If
any kind of life were discovered on Mars, what would the consequences be?
B. Do you agree with the following statement: We are alone in the universe? Give arguments and examples to
support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 23
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
The roots of Canadian English can be found in the events which followed the American
Revolution of 1776. Those who had supported Britain found themselves unable to stay in the United States, and
most went into exile in the Ontario region of Canada. They were soon followed by many thousands who were
attracted by the cheapness of land. Within fifty years, the population of Upper Canada (above Montreal) had reached
100,000 -mainly people from the United States.
In the east, the Atlantic Provinces had been settled with English speakers much earlier (the first
contacts were as early as 1497, when the British explorer John Cabot claimed Newfoundland), but even today these
areas contain less than 10 per cent of the population, so that they have only a marginal role in the development of the
Canadian 'norm'. In Quebec, the use of French language and culture remains from the first period of exploration,
with the majority of people using French as a mother-tongue: here, English and French coexist uneasily.
Because of its origins, Canadian English has a great deal in common with the rest of the English
spoken in North America - and is often difficult to distinguish for people who live outside the region. To British
people, Canadians may sound American, to Americans, they may sound British. Canadians themselves insist on not
being identified with either, and certainly there is a great deal of evidence in support of this view.
(Canadian Geographic-Canadian Geographic
Magazine) A. 1. Why did some English people have to escape to Canada after the American
Revolution? 2. Why is French spoken in Quebec?
3. What kind of English does the Canadian English resemble?
B. Speak about the benefits of speaking a foreign
language. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 24
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organisation which defines its missionas "to conduct research
and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of humanrights and to demand justice for those whose rights
have been violated." Founded in London,England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses. It works to
mobilise publicopinion which exerts pressure on individuals who perpetrate abuses. The organisation wasawarded
the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its "campaign against torture" and the UnitedNations Prize in the Field of Human
Rights in 1978.Amnesty International is funded entirely by subscriptions and donations. Theorganization works for
the release of `Prisoners of Conscience'- men, women and childrenimprisoned anywhere for their beliefs, ethnic
origin, language or religion. It also seeks fairand immediate trial for all political prisoners detained without charge,
and opposes tortureand the degrading treatment of prisoners. It is also against the death penalty for all types ofcrime.
Amnesty works by collecting information. When it has proof that a person is a‘Prisoner of Conscience', that person's
case is handed over to a local group. They sendletters to governments, embassies, newspapers and the prisoner's
family and friends. Theycollect signatures and raise money to send medicine, food and clothing to the prisoners
andtheir families. These volunteers use their freedom of speech to win the same freedom fortheir adopted prisoner.
Paradoxically, Amnesty International is an organization that will onlybe satisfied when it has become redundant.
(Amnesty International- from Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia) A. 1. What is Amnesty International?
2. What are the aims of Amnesty International?
3. How do Amnesty's local groups operate?
B. Do you think human rights are respected
in our country? Give argumentsand examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 25
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Yosemite National Park became America's first state park in 1864. Yosemite Valley isquite small, about
seven miles long and a mile wide. Small enough anyway for John Muir, theconservationist and founder of Sierra
Club, to explore the entire area on foot. But within itsnarrow confines are some of the most impressive cliffs,
valleys, meadows, waterfalls, andflora and fauna. The park ranges from 2,000 feet above sea level to more than
13,000 feet.Among its most famous peaks are El Capitan, the largest piece of exposed granite in theworld, and Half
Dome. Some of the most spectacular waterfalls are only a short hike from theYosemite Valley floor. The view of the
Valley floor from the top of 3,200 foot Glacier Point isconsidered to be the most impressive of all. When you are not
feeling "stoned" by the sheercliffs that circle the valley, be aware of the black bears that no longer fear humans and
areknown to walk into campsites for food. Coyotes are more cunning and less visible. There are196 miles of paved
roads within the park and 840 miles of trails. To prevent congestion andovercrowding, there have been proposals to
ban automobiles in Yosemite, especially duringthe very busy and crowded holiday weekends such as Memorial
Day, Fourth of July, andLabour Day But don't let anything stop you from visiting one of the most fabulous natural
wonders of the world!
(National Geographic, Inspiring People to Care about the
Planet) A. 1. How big is Yosemite Park?
2. What animals may threaten the visitors?
3. Why do some people want to ban cars from the Park?
B. Describe a park in your area.
What do you like /dislike most about it?

BILETUL NR. 26
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Whilst most of us are aware of the need to protect our computers, it seems we'remore lax when it
comes to looking out for ourselves, at least according to a recent webawareness survey. Web safety specialists say
better personal awareness is needed and thisis due in part to the rise of 'Social Networking' sites like 'Bebo',
'MySpace' and 'Facebook',which allow us to connect with people around the world with similar interests
andprofessional backgrounds. Chris Simpson, a computer programmer, learnt the hard way. "Ijoined a free online
networking group in the hope of making some professional contacts tohelp me find a new job. After a month, one of
my online contacts invited me to take out asubscription to a club that promised access to a network of job recruiters.
It turned out to bea waste of money.”
This brings us to other potential pitfalls. Are the people you meet online who theyreally claim to
be? Can you be sure the person you're chatting with is in fact a 22-year-oldMaths undergraduate from London and
not someone merely masquerading as a student towin your trust? Khaled, a post grad from Manchester University,
quickly realised that it wasunwise of him to post his phone number and email address in the public forum of an
onlineacademic discussion group. He was soon bombarded with unwanted emails and nuisancephone calls. It is
astonishing how many highly educated people do this without consideringthe consequences that anyone in the world
could use the information to make (unwanted)contact.
(Amanda Knox, Be Web Wise)
A. 1. What is the role of Social Networking sites?
2. Why did Chris first join the networking group?
3. Regarding Khaled's experience, why is the writer
surprised? B. Speak about the dangers of the
Internet. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 27
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter. It can benothing more
than a penny. Whatever the coin is, no one ignores the sound of it. It got methinking about sounds again. We are
besieged by so many sounds that attract the mostattention. People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire
engine, a police car or anambulance comes screaming along the street. When I'm in New York, I'm a New Yorker.
Idon't turn either. Like the natives, I hardly hear a siren there.At home in my little town in Connecticut, it's different.
The distant wail of a police car, anemergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I'm seated and brings me
to thewindow if I'm in bed. It's the quietest sounds that have most effect on us, not the loudest. Inthe middle of the
night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away through three closeddoors. I've been hearing little creaking
noises and sounds which my imagination turns intofootsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our
house. How come I never hearthose sounds in the daytime?
I'm quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are. I'veturned
against whistling, for instance. I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker butlately I've been associating the
whistler with a nervous person making compulsive noises.The tapping, tapping, tapping of my typewriter as the keys
hit the paper is a lovely sound tome. I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it.
(The New Yorker)
A. 1. Why is it that people in New York barely hear a siren?
2. How long has the writer been living in Connecticut?
3. How does the author relate to sounds at night?
B. Speak about your dearest memory. Give arguments
and examples tosupport your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 28
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Long before the arrival of Europeans on the Canadian prairie, the First Nations people lived in a
harmonious relationship with their natural surroundings. Every item of their culture, from sewing needles to homes
was obtained from nature. These people were nomadic, which means that they travelled from place to place
following the animals they hunted or the growth of the berries and fruits on the bushes and trees. Boys and girls
were both expert riders. They did not use saddles or reins or stirrups; they rode "bareback". Their clothes were made
from deer skins and buffalo skins and decorated with the parts of other animals - tails from squirrels and gophers,
quills from porcupines and the delicate bones of birds. These children of nature did not ever have to go to school.
They did not have to study to get into a prestigious college, nor did they have to worry about finding a job after
graduation.
This does not mean their life was easy. The winters were very long and very cold and there were sometimes
wars between tribes. There were also the very great dangers involved in the buffalo hunt. Warriors rode at top speed
beside the huge buffalo shooting arrows to bring them down. The chances of a buffalo turning suddenly or of falling
off the horse were very great. We must remember that there were also no hospitals in those days. Even so, the young
people of the tribes must have enjoyed a very pleasant lifestyle:fishing and gathering berries in summer, hunting in
the forests in the early morning, dancing around the fire at night and listening to the old people tell stories and
legends from long ago.
 (Cameron Crowe, The Wild Life)
A. 1. Why were the First Nations people nomadic?
2. Did they use any ornaments for their clothes?
3. What were some of the joys of their natural lifestyle?
B. Speak about the impact of technology on society.
Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 29
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Psychologists tell us that there are four basic stages that human beings pass through when they enter and
live in a new culture. This process of cultural adjustment, which helps us to deal with culture shock, is the way our
brain and our personality reacts to the strange new things we encounter when we move from one culture to another.
The "honeymoon stage" is the period of time when we first arrive in which everything about the new culture is
strange and exciting. We feel we are involved in some kind of great adventure - we are thrilled to be in the new
environment, seeing new sights, hearing new sounds and language, eating new kinds of food.
The second stage of culture shock can be more difficult. After settling down into our new life, we may
begin to miss our homeland and our family, friends and pets and all the little everyday problems seem to be much
bigger. This is the "rejection stage," when you can reject the new culture and sometimes develop unhealthy habits.
As a result, you can get sick or develop skin infections, which then make you feel even more scared and helpless.
The third stage of culture shock is called the "adjustment stage". You begin to realize that things are not so
bad in the host culture and you realize that you are becoming stronger by learning to take care of yourself in the new
place. Things are still difficult, but you are now a survivor!
The fourth stage can be called "at ease at last". Now you feel quite comfortable in your new surroundings.
You can cope with most problems that occur.
(L. Oberg, Culture Shock)
A. 1. How do psychologists justify the adjustment process?
2. What are the four basic stages of culture shock?
3. Which is the most difficult stage? Explain.
B. Speak about the shock that a foreign student might
have on coming into contact with the Romanian culture. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 30
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
What is an artist? Is the artist a maker, a thinker, a craftsperson, a technician, a manipulator of
emotions, a teacher? Is he or she a worldly, extroverted, confident, sophisticated personality, or lonely, introverted,
filled with self-doubt and scorn? These questions were asked by writers and artists in the Renaissance, and it is to
them that we owe concepts of the artist and architect, as well as the inclusion of these arts in the "fine" or "liberal" as
opposed to the mechanical arts. Not only theory but also the works of the artists themselves produced these ideas. In
the contrasts between two of the greatest figures of Italian Renaissance art, we find two very different images of the
artist. Both Leonardo and Michelangelo were Florentines, near contemporaries, and undeniable geniuses. Leonardo
was splendidly handsome; Michelangelo was at times obsessed with his ugliness. When Leonardo offered his
services to the duke of Milan, he gave primacy to his qualifications as a military and hydraulic engineer, architect,
and sculptor, mentioning painting last. When Pope Julius II commanded Michelangelo to paint the frescoes on the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (in the Vatican Palace), he replied that he was not a painter but a sculptor. Nevertheless,
he fulfilled the commission and later became noted for his genius not only in painting and sculpture, but also in
architecture. Both individuals seem to have possessed enormous ego and incredible versatility. In both we find
characteristics that have contributed to our idea of the "Renaissance man" – a person of broad learning and skill.
(L.G. Huber, An Account)
A. 1. What do the words these ideas refer to?
2. In what way were Leonardo and Michelangelo similar?
3. What is the definition of “the Renaissance man”?
B. Speak about the way in which a teacher can
also be an artist. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 31
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
Barbie turns 50 next month, and to celebrate there are two new books, each with a vastly different
story about who deserves the credit for her evolution from German gag gift to American icon. The characters are as
provocative and polarizing as Barbie herself. According to "Barbie and Ruth," author Robin Gerber's new account;
the doll's birthright belongs to Ruth Handler, the entrepreneur who was pushed out of Mattel in 1975. An alternate
history of Barbie, told in Jerry Oppenheimer's "Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel," stars a man named
Jack Ryan, the designer who blueprinted the Barbie doll joint by joint and held all the patents.
In her half century of existence, Barbie has become something of a test for views about modern feminine
identity. Either she's a sunny, self-confident, good-time girl or, more commonly, she's the original relic of postwar
paternalism that teaches its young owners to worship at the altar of blond hair and peach skin. Barbie has evolved
ever so slightly over the years. Originally cast as a glamorous teen fashion model, she's now available in all the
colours of the Benetton rainbow and dabbles in a variety of professions. Gerber says that Handler was passionate
about using Barbie's looks to inspire young girls. For Handler, a beautiful doll was important for little girls' self-
esteem, because it gave them an opportunity to fantasize about the kind of adult women they wanted to become.
(Newsweek)
A. 1. What is the country of origin of the famous doll?
2. Who was Jack Ryan?
3. Which are the two most common ways of perceiving Barbie?
B. Speak about the importance of toys in shaping a child’s
personality. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

BILETUL NR. 32
Read the text below and complete the following tasks.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The heart operation taking place in the pale-green tiled operating room at the Ohio
State University Medical Center was almost eerie1. The patient, a 62-year-old man, was anesthetized, swathed2 with
blue drapes and lying face up on a narrow table. But no one was touching him. Instead, the operation was being
performed by a robot, whose three metal arms protruded through pencil-sized holes in the man's chest. At the ends
of the robot's arms were tiny metal fingers, with rotating wrists that held a miniscule instrument, a light and a
camera.
The robot's arms and fingers were controlled by Dr. Randall K. Wolf, sitting at a computer console in a
corner of the operating room about 20 feet away. This sort of operation, heart surgeons say, is the start of what may
be the biggest change in their profession since heart bypass surgery began nearly 30 years ago. "The reason we make
incisions is that we have big hands," said Dr. Wolf, the director of minimally invasive surgery at Ohio State. The
robot's dainty fingers, no longer than a nail on a pinkie3, at the end of the long sticks, could eliminate that constraint.
Eventually, surgeons believe, most heart surgery will be done by robots whose arms are inserted
through pencil-sized holes punched in patients' chests. Instead of directly peering into a patient's body, surgeons will
view magnified images of the operation on computer screens. In theory, the doctor would not have to be in the same
room, or even the same country, as the patient.
(The American Journal of
Medicine) 1 eerie –strange and mysterious, and sometimes frightening
2 swathed –completely covered with sth
3 pinkie –the smallest finger on your hand
A. 1. Why do most operations require large
incisions? 2. How large were the holes in the
patient’s chest? 3. What is surgeons’ hope
for the future, concerning heart surgery? B. Speak about the
benefits of the advances in science and technology on human health. Give arguments and examples to support your
ideas.