INSPECTORATUL SCOLAR AL MUNICIPIULUI BUCURESTI EXAMEN DE VERIFICARE A CUNOSTINTELOR DE LIMBA ENGLEZA PENTRU ADMITEREA IN CLASA A IXA - PROBA SCRISA

I. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given in brackets. Do not change the word given. Use between two and five words including the word given.(10points) 1. If we dont buy a sofa-bed, there wont be anywhere for Jane to sleep. (unless) => There wont be anywhere for Jane to sleep . a sofa-bed. 2. I live in London because its one of the most exciting cities in the world. (was) => I wouldnt live in London .. one of the most exciting cities in the world. 3. I was thrilled that they chose me to play the part. (to) => I was thrilled play the part. 4. They made me feel extremely welcome. (made) => I extremely welcome. 5. I wont be here next week, she explained. (there) => She explained that she the following week. 6. Who did you see at the party? he asked. (know) => He wanted to at the party. 7. I dont know who the winner of the competition is. (has) => I dont know who .. the competition. 8. The band is just going to start playing. (about)=> The band playing. 9. It was Mirandas first visit to Scotland. (never) => Miranda to Scotland before. 10. When I was a child, I walked to school. (used) => When I was a child, ..to school. II. Complete the gaps in the text below with one word that best fits each space. (10 points) Imagine the scene. You have _________(1) sitting indoors for weeks revising for exams, while everyone else has been having __________(2) great time. At this moment, you are dreaming _________(3) a different life. You imagine yourself on a beach ___________(4) some remote part of the world. Does this seem ________(5) a dream? Well, that dream could come true! Remember that travel can _______(6) educational. You learn a __________ (7) deal about life and yourself when you spend time abroad. Nowadays, many young people have __________(8) year off before they start university. During this year they learn new skills _________ (9) exploring their interests. But it is important to spend the time wisely. Remember that you will have __________(10) come back and start studying again. III. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. (9 points) Giving the ideal speech is a matter of __________(1) in yourself 1. CONFIDENT And in what you are going to say. This may be __________(2) said 2. EASY than done, but part of your answer lies in your careful ___________(3). 3. PREPARE Note down your key points, _________(4) on postcards or other small slips. 4. PREFER If you write your speech word for word, you may gain a sense of __________(5) 5. SECURE from doing this but it will sound _______________(6). 6. NATURE Keep it brief. To grab their ____________(7), begin your 7. ATTEND speech with a few arresting thoughts. As a _____________(8), youll show 8. BEGIN your _____________(9) in your face as you wonder whether your speech will succeed. 9. NERVE IV. Read the text and decide which word (A, B, C or D) best fits each space. (8 points) This article is the work of someone born and __________(1) up in Norfolk. It is not impartial. On the _________(2), Im near to being a fanatic about the county and all it has to _________(3). If you want to consider other holiday destinations, you are best advised to go __________(4) for your information. So why am I so incredibly keen on my native county? First, its clean. This stems from the fact that the population is very ___________(5) less than half the average for an English county. __________(6) there are fewer people, there are fewer chimneys, fewer towns and fewer cars. And whereas other rural counties have motorways __________(7) through them, Norfolk largely bounded by sea has very ____________(8) traffic whatsoever, and not an inch of motorway. 1. A. brought B. raised C. reared D. grown 2. A. opposite B. whole C. evidence D. contrary 1

3. A. praise B. provide C. offer D. give 4. A. elsewhere B. away C. off D. there 5. A. slight B. thin C. low D. little 6. A. Whereas B. Because C. Although D. While 7. A. driving B. running C. leading D. dividing 8. A. few B.little C. slight D. scarce V. Some of the lines in this text are correct and some contain a word which should not be there. If the line is correct put a tick (). If the line has a word which should not be there, write the word at the end of the line. (9 points) H. G. Wells was born in the middle of the 19th century but he predicted modern society 1. _____ So accurately that he has been called by the man who invented tomorrow. I find it 2. _____ fascinating that he described super-highways and both television news broadcasts 3. _____ So long before they ever existed. I think he had quite an interesting life, too. 4. _____ His family they were not well-off, and his mother worked as a housekeeper 5. _____ At a large house. During when Wells was a child, he broke his leg and while 6. _____ he was recovering back he was allowed to read books in the library. 7. _____ When he was left school, he became a shop assistant, and later a teacher, but 8. _____ he did always loved reading. He then began to write books himself. 9. _____ VI. You are going to read an article about being punctual. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A H for each part (1 7) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. (14 points) A. A very vague word; B. Traffic fumes!; C. Always some excuse.; D. Waiting, waiting!; E. An unfair complaint.; F. Its up to you!; G. Putting friends to the test.; H. Getting a lift. Turn up on time 1There is nothing worse than someone who is always late. Lateness can be a charming eccentricity for a little while. The trouble is that Mr. or Mrs. Unpunctual soon starts causing inconvenience to other people. Thats when the cheerful acceptance gives way to scorn and resentment and is often the cause of conflicts among people even if they are best friends. 2Its surprising how far the unpunctual person will go to inconvenience others. For example, after accepting the offer of a lift to work the following morning, he or she will fail to turn up at the pick-up spot at the agreed time. Theres sure to be a convincing reason: lost door keys, a child with whooping cough, a cat stuck up the apple tree. 3The giver of the lift makes sure hes not late. Hes made the offer and now h e feels responsible for it; come what may he must keep his word. On the other hand, the person whos receiving the favour feels free to turn up 10, 15 or 30 minutes after the time which had been agreed. 4Whats the result of this easy-going attitude? Well, maybe the person who offers the lift gives up the seemingly endless wait and disappears, in which case the latecomer struggles to complete his days schedule later than ever. Wherever he goes, he blames the lift for letting him down. 5Theres another equally likely result. In this version of the story, the giver of the lift waits in loyal frustration at the side 2

of the road for as long as his thoughtless passenger takes to reach the spot. Not only are both of them late for work, but the passenger tells his colleagues about the drivers impatience in traffic queues! 6So whats the answer? Perhaps there should be a subtle change in how we view time. At the moment we t hink of it as a very elastic commodity; we make vague arrangements to meet at about a certain time, and no one has a clear idea as to just how far that time will stretch. Will about ten oclock stretch to quarter past ten or will it stretch to half past ten? There are no fixed rules. 7Why not arrange to meet by a certain time and stick to it? Not giving even a minutes grace seems a little harsh, but look at it this way: a train wont wait for a late passenger. By ten oclock should mean sorry, but thats when I set off without you. You are the one to decide if and how long you are going to wait. SCRIETI RASPUNSURILE PE FOAIA DE RASPUNS (ANSWER SHEET). BARATI TOATE SPATIILE NECOMPLETATE. TIMP DE LUCRU: 60 DE MINUTE. SE ACORDA 10 PUNCTE DIN OFICIU.

INSPECTORATUL SCOLAR AL MUNICIPIULUI BUCURESTI EXAMEN DE VERIFICARE A CUNOSTINTELOR DE LIMBA ENGLEZA PENTRU ADMITEREA IN CLASA A IXA - PROBA SCRISA I. Read the following article. Five sentences have been removed. Choose from the sentences the one which fits each gap 1 5. There are two extra sentences you do not need to use. (5 points) A. This is why he thought they would make good servants and slaves. B. When the Spaniards were ready, they picked the best specimens to load onto the ships. C. Why not sail west, thought Columbus, and reach the Indies that way? D. When Columbus and his sailors came ashore, the Arawaks ran to greet them bringing them food and gifts. 3

E. They thought the best way to do this was by sailing south round Africa and eastwards. F. For others, he is responsible for the introduction of slavery and the destruction of Native American culture. G. We know very little about Columbus childhood and education. Columbus: Hero or Villain? Most people are taught at school that Columbus is one of the greatest heroes of Western civilization. For a lot of people, he not only discovered America but introduced the arts, law and religion to the primitive tribes of the New World. (1 ) Which view is more reliable? We should consider the facts. In the 15th century, the Portuguese were one of the most powerful nations on earth. By the end of the century, they were sailing further and further into the Atlantic, in search of a new route to India. (2 ) It seemed the most sensible thing to do, but the journey was much further than they thought. Columbus came up with an original solution to the problem: he decided to turn Portugals strategy for an eastern sea route on its head. (3 ) No European before had deliberately sailed ships away from land, with no certainty of getting back home safely. In the end, it was the Spanish King and Queen who gave Columbus ships and men and in return he promised to bring as much gold as they need.and as many slaves as they ask. When the gold Columbus had found was not enough, he made the natives into slaves. The slave trade started when Columbus men captured 500 Arawak men, women and children and kept them imprisoned, guarded by Spaniards and dogs. (4 ) Of those, only 300 survived the trip. When they arrived in Spain they were sold. Columbus thought the Indians were gentler and more intelligent than he had expected. (5 ) During his later voyages to the Caribbean he imposed terrible punishments on the Indians. Yet Columbus was always warning his officers to treat the Indians well and he often seemed genuinely moved by the beauty of the natives culture. II. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given in brackets. Do not change the word given. Use between two and five words, including the word given. (10points) 1. Tony finds history easier than geography. ( not) Geography _____________ history for Tony. 2. You have to wear safety helmets at all times. (worn) Safety helmets _______________at all times. 3. We arrived at the cinema too late for the start of the film. (already) The film_____________ the time we arrived at the cinema. 4. We didnt find a place to park outside the shop (to) We ________________ park outside the shop. 5. Ill never forget the way we met, he said. (would)He _____________________ the way they had met. 6. The snake will bite if you threaten it. (unless) The snake ___________________ threaten it. 7. Lisa's grandfather is teaching her Chinese. (being)Lisa _______________________ her grandfather. 8. I find driving on the left in England very strange. ( used to)I _______________________ on the left in England. 9. He wont go swimming hes afraid of water. (were) If he________________, he would go swimming. 10. They started learning computing two months ago. ( been)They _______________ two months. III. Complete the gaps in the text below with one word that best fits each space. There is one example. (10 points) THE JOY OF ICE0SKATING A lot of people have a go 0 at iceGskating in their teenage years and many will remember slipping over to the great amusement 4

of friends and family. For 1___ majority of people, therefore, iceGskating is remembered as a bit of a laugh, or possibly as a skill they couldnt master, and very 2___ ever go back and attempt to take 3___ the sport seriously. This is 4___ shame, because once they 5___ overcome their nerves, and built 6__ a bit of confidence, people discover 7___ iceGskating is great exercise as 8___ as being enjoyable and fun. Most major cities in the UK now have iceGskating rinks, and so a 9___ more people could rediscover the sport. Most rinks have an introductory package for new iceGskaters which includes either group 10___ individual lessons. IV. For questions 1 15, read the text below and decide which word A, B, C or D best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). (15 points) Last summer, air pollution in Paris reached dangerous 0 A on six separate occasions. As a result, the government have recently decided that public transport in French cities will be 1____on days when pollution becomes a 2 ___to peoples health, in a(n) 3___ to encourage people to leave their cars at home. The Mayor of Paris said that he had several other ideas to reduce the pollution problem, such as free parking on the 4___ of the city on hot, still days when exhaust fumes tend to accumulate. He has also 5___ a 6 million plan for 56 km of bicycle tracks, new pedestrianised 6__ and a new tram 7___ for southern Paris. His most popular measure 8___ becoming mayor last May has been to 9___ traffic from several streets on Sundays. Every summer, air quality is at its 10___ in Paris during holiday weekends, especially one weekend in July when the 11___ of the population leave by car for their summer holidays. 12___ then improve for the summer, but deteriorate again when most residents return at the end of August. The free transport 13___ is part of the response to a new environmental regulation which says that local authorities must guarantee 14___ air. If it is 15___ seriously, locals can look forward to a cleaner Paris in the future. 0 A. levels B. positions C. degrees D. standards 1 A. open B. loose C. off D. free 2 A. risk B. terror C. threat D. damage 3 A. try B. pursuit C. trial D. effort 4 A. outskirts B. areas C. suburbs D. provinces 5 A. exclaimed B. announced C. stated D. put in 6 A. rails B. zones C. crossings D. tracks 7 A. line B. lane C. series D. path 8 A. as B. from C. since D. while 9 A. discharge B. expel C. restrict D. ban 10 A. top B. limits C. full D. worst 11 A. lots B. majority C. most D. plenty 12 A. Occasion B. Opportunities C. Conditions D. Situations 13 A. measure B. action C. answer D. move 14 A. saved B. secure C. new D. safe 15 A. taken B. thought C. held D. formed 5

V. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some lines are correct and some contain a word which should not be there. If the line is correct put a tick (). If the line contains a word which should not be there, write the word beside it. There are two examples (0, 00) (10 points) We reached to the Tower at ten oclock in the morning. 0 to The first thing we saw was the large queue already stretching 00 a good way along the path. But the Tower it looked so big 1 that we were sure there must to be room for us all inside. 2 We joined with the queue and waited. British people are better at 3 this queuing business than us, as I have learned from living here. 4 Finally the doors opened, we paid our money, and went in and 5 began finding out our way around the Tower. I was surprised 6 to see so very much armour the metal worn by fighting men. 7 And I was very frightened when I saw that where so many 8 people had had their heads cut off by the man with 9 the axe. Altogether I did found the Tower rather frightening. 10 VI. Read the text and use the words given in capitals to form words that fit in the numbered gaps. The words are given in the order in which you need to use them. There is an example at the beginning. (10 points) 0 BEAUTY; 1 TOURIST; 2 SUCCEED; 3 TRADITION; 4 ATTRACT; 5 LEGEND; 6 VISIT; 7 LARGE; 8 FAME; 9 COAST; 10 0 COMBINE The 0 beautiful Cornish peninsula, on Britains southGwestern tip, is one of the countrys most popular areas as far as 1___ is concerned. Thousands of years ago, Cornwall was a centre of Celtic culture. The Romans tried without 2____ to conquer the region, and it managed to keep its 3____ way of life and its own language. One of the areas main tourist 4____ is the now ruined castle of Tintagel, where the 5___ King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are said to have lived. 6___ can still see the remains of the hall, which is 7___ intact. Cornwall is also 8___ for its beaches on the English Channel, to the southGeast, and its spectacular 9___ scenery on the Atlantic. The 10___ of a rich history and outstanding natural beauty make this area well worth visiting. SCRIETI RASPUNSURILE PE FOAIA DE RASPUNS (ANSWER SHEET). BARATI TOATE SPATIILE NECOMPLETATE. TIMP DE LUCRU: 60 DE MINUTE. SE ACORDA 10 PUNCTE DIN OFICIU.

Model Pentru ORAL Read the text below and answer the questions that follow: Modelul 1 It was already late when we set out for the next town, which according to the map was about fifteen miles away on the other side of the hills. There we felt sure that we would find a bed for the night. Darkness fell soon after we left the village, but luckily we met no one as we drove swiftly along the narrow winding road that led to the hills. As we climbed higher, it became colder and the rain began to fall, making it difficult at times to see the road. I asked John, my companion, to drive more slowly. After we had traveled for about twenty miles, there was still no sign of the town which was marked on the map. We were beginning to get worried. Then, without warning, the car stopped. A quick examination showed that we had run out of petrol. Although we had little food with us, only a few biscuits and some chocolate, we decided to spend the night in the car. 1. What is the text about? 2. What did the travelers expect to find in the next town? 3. Why did John ask his companion to drive more slowly? 4. Do you think that the car is the ideal means of transport? (give arguments to support your opinion) Modelul 2 Dr. Chen, a doctor living in Beijing, decided one morning to give her cat away. Dr. Chen thought that it was much better for the animal to live in the country. So she put Wei Wei in the car and drove 100 kilometres out of the city to her brothers house and left the cat with him. A month later she was shocked to hear that Wei Wei was no longer there! Then one night Dr. Chen heard a noise at her bedroom window. Unable to sleep she got out of bed and was surprised to see a thin cat looking in. She chased the cat away and went back to bed. Then, just as she was about to fall asleep, something landed on her bed. It gave me a real fright and then I realized it was the cat and the cat was Wei Wei! Now Dr. Chen says she will never give Wei Wei away again. 1. What is the text about? 2. Why did Dr. Chen take the cat to the countryside? 3. Why was Dr. Chen unable to recognize the cat in the first place? 4. Do you think that keeping pets is the ideal hobby? (give arguments to support your opinion). Modelul 3 Mr. Ndobe left his house one morning and there, as usual , was his cat Zulu, sitting on his car. Mr. Ndobe, a South African businessman, chased the cat away and then got in his car and drove to work. Heavy traffic in the morning meant that Mr. Ndobe was unable to drive very fast so he was surprised to see a police car behind him flashing its lights. As Mr. Ndobe slowed down to pull over, he was surprised to see something large and grey slide down the windscreen. It gave me a real fright and then I realized it was Zulu and was terrified. The policeman got out of his car and told the owner that he saw the cat and thought it was a toy being carried on the roof as a joke. Now Mr. Ndobe always checks Zulu is not near the car when he drives to work. 1. What is the text about? 2. What happened when Mr. Ndobe stopped the car? 3. Why did the policeman stop him? 4. Do you think cats make perfect pets? (give arguments to support your opinion) 7