MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI NAŢIONALE ŞI CERCETĂRII ŞTIINŢIFICE

INSPECTORATUL ŞCOLAR JUDEŢEAN IAŞI

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CONCURSUL DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ PENTRU LICEE

CU PROFIL TEHNOLOGIC ŞI VOCAŢIONAL

ETAPA JUDEŢEANĂ, 20 martie 2016

CLASA a X-a, Proba scrisă

SUBJECT I 20 points
Read the following text and choose the best answer (a – d) to complete each sentence (1 –
10)
The Happiness Industry
Usually a country measures its success by economic growth, but these days many
governments, including those of the UK, France and Canada, are interested in measuring a
nation’s well-being by having a “happiness index”. The index is designed to measure aspects such
as quality of life.
Richard Layard, a professor at the London School of Economics and author of Happiness:
Lessons from a New Science, believes “the best society is one where the people are happiest”. But
what makes us happy? According to Professor Layard, surveys have shown that in the past 50
years “average happiness has not increased at all in Britain or the United States – despite massive
increases in living standards”. Similar surveys around the world indicate that some of poorest
countries have the highest levels of happiness. This might suggest that being happy isn’t about the
things we own, but about how we live our lives and the quality of the relationships we have with
other people and the nature.
The Himalayan Kingdom of Buthan has measured its people’s “gross national happiness” since
1972 and the results have influenced the government’s policies ever since. For example, television
was banned until 1999 and there are still strict government controls on the amount of advertising
for children. These measures aim to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, which some
people believe contribute to the nation’s happiness.
The relatively new science of happiness has become a popular academic subject around the
world. More than 200 institutions either have research institutes or offer courses in positive
psychology, which seek to maximize happiness for individuals and society. Some schools in the
UK are even giving lessons on well-being based on positive thinking, dealing with problems in the
home, relaxation techniques and meditation.
Many people believe happiness to be personal and the responsibility of the individual, not the
state. However, nothing is going to stop the growth of the happiness industry as governments try to
improve “general well-being” alongside the national economy.

1. Most governments want to measure …

a. people’s health.
b. only economic aspects.
c. different aspects of people’s lives
d. people’s attitude towards them

2. The data shows that …

a. wealthy people are the happiest.
b. people in Britain have got happier.
c. there are more happy people now than 50 years ago.
d. although some people have got richer, they have not become happier.
 3. According to the article, our happiness is probably linked to …
a. the people in our social circle.
b. our pets.
c. our possessions.
d. our standard of living.
4. Buthan is …
a. a communist country.
b. a mountainous country.
c. one of the richest countries in the world.
d. a part of China.
5. In Buthan, the government …
a. controls parts of the media.
b. plans to start measuring happiness.
c. encourages globalization.
d. encourages companies to advertise their products on TV.
6. In Buthan, television …
a. is forbidden for children.
b. has been banned since 1972.
c. has been banned since 1999.
d. used to be banned.
7. Some educational institutions are trying to improve people’s happiness by …
a. working with governments.
b. working with families.
c. helping poor people.
d. teaching well-being to children.
8. According to the article, …
a. the state should take responsibility for happiness.
b. the governments’ plans will definitely improve people’s happiness.
c. the happiness industry is likely to expand in the future.
d. the industry grows in a happy country.

SUBJECT II 30 points
You have just returned from a ten-day package holiday with which you were extremely dissatisfied.
Write a formal letter of 120 - 150 words to the travel agency expressing your justified complaints,
suggesting possible solutions to the problems you encountered, and asking for compensation. Sign
it as “John/Jane Smith”.

SUBJECT III 20 points

Read the text below and use the word given in capital on the right to form words that fit in
the gaps. The words in capitals are given in the order you need to use them.

A (1)…………. who spent more than €1,000 on an old glass bottle was
1. COLLECT
(2)……………. upset when a glass expert examined the item and said,
“I’m afraid it’s an empty olive oil bottle, Tesco, circa 2008. It’s worth 2. UNDERSTAND
nothing at all.” The man had turned up for popular TV programme, 3. HOPE
Antiques Roadshow, in which experts examine objects people bring to
the show and estimate their value. People are (3)………… that the old 4. VALUE
china bowl they bought in a second-hand street market might be worth a 5. EMBARRASS
lot of money. Inevitably, the show has made some (4)…………..
discoveries – and revealed some (5)……………. mistakes.
SUBJECT IV 20 points
Choose the correct answer to fill in the gaps of the texts below.

Greg: “I was never interested in social (1)…… sites until I tried Twitter. It’s both useful and a lot of
fun. I (2)…… about 100 people. Some are connected with work – Twitter is great for sharing
(3)…… to interesting articles. Others are celebrities or sports stars. I don’t (4) …… that often but I
sometimes reply to a few people. I’ve had some interesting conversations – some with complete
strangers, some with TV stars, musicians and even politicians. I’ve (5) …… an app for my phone
so I can use it when I’m on the train.”
Mel: “I used to use these kinds of sites a lot. I spent ages looking for old friends. I sent them
messages, read all their news and sent them mine. I carefully completed my (6) …… with all my
old schools, the places I’ve worked and so on. I scanned and (7) …… a load of old photos from
school. I would (8) …… my status at least once a day and I would regularly post a (9) …… on
friends’ pages. However, after about a year, my work got really busy and I (10) …… use it for a
while. When I went back, I just couldn’t get interested again.”

1.a. network b. networked c. networking d. media

2.a. watch b. follow c. look for d. look after
3.a. email b. software c. videos d. links
4.a. Tweet b. Twitter c. shout d. follow
5.a. downloaded b. stolen c. shared d. uploaded
6.a. story b. information c. profile d. summary
7.a. copied b. uploaded c. loaded d. downloaded
8.a. post b. update c. upload d. write
9.a. letter b. emoticon c. comment d. forum
10.a. haven’t b. isn’t c .don’t d. didn’t

SUBJECT V 10 points
Complete the conversations (1-5) on the left with the questions (a-g) on the right. There are
two extra questions which you do not need to use.

1. A: …………………………………. a. What else is worth seeing?

B: Sorry, no. But I wouldn’t recommend
b. What about the places near the sea?
anywhere near the station.
2. A: …………………………………. c. Do you know any good places to stay?
B: I’d recommend one of the companies at
d. Are you a religious person?
the airport.
3. A: ………………………………….. e. Have you got any other tips?
B: You should definitely visit the cathedral.
f. Did you fly there or did you go by train?
4. A: …………………………………..
B: It isn’t really worth going there. The g. What’s the best place to hire a car?
beaches are quite dirty.
5. A: …………………………………
B: Yes. You should learn a bit of the
language. It really helps.

TOTAL: 100 puncte

NOTĂ: Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii. Timp de lucru: 3 ore. Nu se acordă puncte din
oficiu