OLIMPIADA NAȚIONALĂ DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – ETAPA LOCALĂ

27 IANUARIE 2018

CLASA a X-a SECȚIUNEA B

SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH

I. Read the paragraph below and do the tasks (10 x 2p= 20p).
For most Londoners, the London bus is a nightmare. It’s the alternative option you never want to
take. Slow and meandering, the London bus (particularly in its nocturnal form) is more of a
mobile rubbish bin full of crumpled cans of Carlsberg and greasy half-eaten boxes of fried
chicken than a viable mode of transport. Yet to the rest of the world, London’s double decker bus
is one of the capital’s most iconic features alongside the red telephone booth, the Queen, and
pubs bustling with pints at 10 in the morning. Where did these London vehicles come from?

The first double decker bus did not originate from London, but from Paris. In 1828, business
man Stanislas Baudry set up the route, picking up passengers in a horse-drawn double-decker
omnibus. Inspired by the success of the Parisian bus service, George Shillibeer started the first
London bus service in 1829, offering a route between Paddington and Bank. Shillibeer’s bus
could carry 22 people and cost 1 shilling per journey (the equivalent of 5 pence in today’s
money). While it seems cheap to us, the poor Victorians thought the shilling was far from a
bargain. The first engine-powered double-decker bus appeared in London in 1923 and by 1924
there were over 200 independent buses operating in the city, running along popular routes.
(from http://www.londnr.com/london-lifestyle/a-brief-history-of-double-decker-buses/)

A. Answer the questions:

1. Why is the London bus a nightmare?

2. Which are the symbols of London mentioned in the text?
3. Who is the initiator of the first Londoner double-decker bus?
4. Was the bus journey at that time cheap?

B. Choose the right synonym:

1. Bustle : a. dash, b. rest, c. startle, d. relax

2. Iconic: a. odd, b. dull, c. recognizable, d. entertaining

3. Bargain: a. barge, b. low cost, c. misunderstanding d. rip-off

C. Rephrase the following sentences so as to preserve the meaning:

1.The repairs at the double decker bus were easier than I expected.

The repairs at the double decker bus weren’t ……………….I expected.

2. She didn’t want to go by herself.

She wasn’t keen ………….by herself.

3. It costs a lot of money to travel around the world.

Travelling around the world……………… expensive.

II. Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in each sentence (10x1p=10p)

Eat, drink and be merry! Or so the 1_________ (SAY) goes. But until recently, doctors have
been telling us to do exactly the opposite, warning us that overeating is 2________ (HARM).
Now it seems, rich, fatty foods or sweet, 3___________ (SUGAR) ones, can be perfectly good
for us in 4__________ (MODERATE), but only under certain circumstances. Recently, at a
three-day 5__________ (MEET) in Venice, a group of doctors, psychologists and chemists met
to discuss the importance of pleasure on our health. They celebrated the 6_________ (OPEN) of
the conference by feasting on venison and truffles. The point that they were there to discuss is
that things that are pleasurable have a positive effect on our health, while guilt, stress and
7_________ (TIRED) lead to 8________ (ILL). Pleasure, 9________ (LAUGH) and love keep
our immune systems strong and therefore improve our health. However, it is important to realize
that we mustn’t eat too much 10______ (HEALTH) food, and when we do, we must really enjoy
it.

III. Translate the following text into Romanian: 10p

Louise outlived her husband. He caught his death of cold one day when they were sailing and
Louse needed all the rugs there were to keep her warm. He left her a comfortable fortune and a
daughter. Louse was inconsolable. It was wonderful that she managed to survive the shock. Her
friends expected her speedily to follow poor Tom Mait to the grave. Indeed, they already felt
dreadfully sorry for Iris, her daughter, who would be left an orphan. They redoubled their
attentions towards Louise. They wouldn’t let her stir a finger; they insisted on doing anything in
the world to save her trouble. They had to, because if she was called upon to do anything
tiresome or inconvenient her heart went back on her…..and there she was at the death’s door.
She was entirely lost without a man to take care of her. She said she did not know how, with her
delicate health, she was going to bring up her dear Iris. (Somerset Maugham - Louise)
SUBIECTUL B- INTEGRATED SKILLS

I. Read the text below and do choose the correct answer: 5x2=10p

When Christopher Columbus landed on America’s shores, he encountered copper-skinned

people whom he promptly called Indians. Mistaken in his geography, he believed he had reached
India. Correct estimates indicate that there were over a million Indians inhabiting North America
then. There are approximately 800,000 Indians today, of whom about 250,000 live on
reservations.

The early settlers has an amicable relationship with Indians, who shared their knowledge of
hunting, fishing and farming with their uninvited guests. The stereotyped stealthy, diabolical
Indian of modern Western movies was created by callous, treacherous white men; the Indian was
born friendly.

Antipathy developed between the Indians and the settlers, whose encroachment on Indian lands
provoked an era of turbulence. As early as 1745, Indian tribes coalesced to drive the French off
their land. The French and Indian war did not end until 1763. The Indians had succeeded in
destroying many of the western settlements. The British, superficially submissive to the Indians,
promissed that further migration west would not extend beyond a specified boundary. However,
there was no holding back for ardent adventurers like Daniel Boone, who ignored the British
covenant with the Indians and blazed a trail westward.

Evicted from their lands or, worse still, ingeniously ceding their property to the whites for a few
baubles, Indians were ruthlessly pushed west. Tempestuous wars broke out, but lacking their
former stamina and large numbers, the Indians were doomed to capitulation. The battle in 1876
at Little Big Horn River in Montana, in which Sitting Bull and the Sioux tribes massacred
General Custer’s cavalry, caused the whites to intensify their campaign against the red men. The
battle at wounded Knee, south Dakota, in 1890 rescinded the last vestige of hope for amity
between Indians and whites. Henceforth Indians were relegated to their own reservations, lands
allotted to them by the federal government.

Although the Bureau of Indian Affairs has operated since 1824, presumably for the purpose of
guarding Indians’ interests, Indians on reservations lead notoriously deprived lives. Poverty,
unemployment, high infant mortality and deficient medical care have maimed a once proud race.
In recent times irate Indians have taken a militant stand and have appealed to the courts and the
American people to ameliorate their substandard living conditions.

1. You can infer that the author of this passage:

a) Works for the bureau of Indian Affairs
b) Thinks that the Indians were ferocious savages
c) Admires the settlers for their endurance
 d) Sympathizes with the Indians

2. The early settlers in America:

a) Had to fight Indians
b) Found the Indian very helpful
c) Went hunting and fishing
d) Thought the Indians were sly and mean

3. The French and Indian War:

a) Was quickly terminated
b) Caused great destruction among the French forces
c) Lasted eighteen years
d) Led to westward migration

4. The British made an agreement with the Indians to:

a) Fool the Indians
b) Get the Indians’ land
c) Stop westward migration
d) Send Daniel Boone across the continent

5. The Indians sold their land:

a) For huge profits
b) For a few trinkets
c) Because they didn’t understand the language
d) Thinking it was infertile

II. Write a for – and - against essay, starting from the following statement:
School uniforms should be compulsory.
Write between 220-250 words. 50p

Nota

Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii. Timp de lucru 180 minute.

 OLIMPIADA NAȚIONALĂ DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – ETAPA LOCALĂ
27 IANUARIE 2018
CLASA a X-a SECȚIUNEA B

BAREM

SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH

I. Read the paragraph below and do the tasks (10 x 2p= 20p).

A. Answer the questions:

1. It is very slow and very dirty. 2. The double decker bus, the red telephone booth, the
Queen, and the pubs.

3. George Shillibeer 4. Although it was1 shilling per journey (the equivalent of 5 pence in
today’s money) it was expensive for that period of time.

B. Choose the right synonym: 1. a 2. c 3.b

C. Rephrase the following sentences so as to preserve the meaning:

1. …as difficult as …..

2. …. on going …. 3…..is very….

II. 10 x 1p = 10 p

1. SAYING
2. HARMFUL
3. SUGARY
4. MODERATION
5. MEETING
6. OPENING
7. TIREDNESS
8. ILLNESS
9. LAUGHTER
10. UNHEALTHY
III
Louise îi supraviețui soțului ei.Moartea i se trase de la o răceală cu care se alesese într-o zi pe
când navigau/ erau cu barca în larg și Louisei i-au trebuit toate păturile pe care le-a găsit ca să se
încălzească. (La moartea lui) I-a lăsat o avere frumușică și o fiică. Louise era neconsolată. A fost
un lucru minunat că a reușit să supraviețuiască șocului. Prietenii ei se așteptau ca ea să-l urmeze
în curând în lumea drepților /pe lumea cealaltă peTom Mait. Iar pentru Iris le părea deja
îngrozitor de rău, căci atunci fiica ei avea să fie orfană de ambii părinți.
Așa că-i dădeau acum de două ori mai multă atenție Louisei. Nu o lăsau să ridice nici un pai/ să
miște un deget; insistau să facă ei tot ce era posibil ca s-o scutească pe ea de efort.Nu puteau să
nu facă asta, fiindcă, dacă Louisei i se cerea să facă un lucru obositor sau care nu-i era pe plac, o
supăra inima.....și ei și-o și imaginau cu un picior în groapă. Era complet pierdută fără un bărbat
care să aibă grijă de ea. Zicea că nu știe cum, dată fiind stares ei precară/șubredă, avea să o
crească pe scumpa ei Iris.

Obs.
Se vor lua in considerare orice alte variante corecte si care indeplinesc criteriul expresivitatii.

SUBIECTUL B- INTEGRATED SKILLS

I. 1.d, 2.b, 3.c, 4.c, 5.b

II. The essay should include lexis related to the topic, vocabulary to express the required
functions and approach the topic.

The 50 points for this subject will be given for the following areas (0-10 points per area):

CONTENT- relevance to the topic and task

ORGANIZATION AND COHESION- paragraphing, linking devices, mechanics, length

requirements.

VOCABULARY –range of vocabulary, meaning conveyed, spelling, register

STRUCTURES- grammatical structures, punctuation

EFFECT ON TARGET READER

Please, see the marking scheme.