Ministerul Educaţiei, Cercetării şi Inovării

Centrul Naţional pentru Curriculum şi Evaluare în Învăţământul Preuniversitar

Examenul de bacalaureat 2009

Proba E/F
Proba scrisă la Limba engleză
L1 - Bilingv

• Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii. Se acordă 10 puncte din oficiu.

• Timpul efectiv de lucru este de 3 ore.

SUBIECTUL I (30 de puncte) Varianta 031

Read the text below and complete the following tasks.

They were all there; actors, musicians, writers, politicians, supermodels - anyone who was
anyone, in fact, came to worship at the new altar of British cool; at the Tate Modern’s opening party.
(1) … What they’ve achieved is a gallery that rivals the Pompidou in Paris and the MOMA in New
York.
After decades of scandal, contemporary art has shaken off its marginalised status and
become part and parcel of Britain’s new self-consciously international image. (2) …
The gallery is housed in the former Bankside Power Station. The building itself answers the
imperatives of modern art; it’s big, bold and a little bit scary. The architects Herzog and de Meuton
have emphasised the building’s new function whilst respecting the existing architecture. The choice
of building is a fitting tribute to the original architect Scott, the man who also gave us the red
telephone box. Scott’s building was an emblem of old British industrialism and Britain’s position in
the world market. (3) … Britain has turned from manufacturing to service industries, from heavy to
light. The building reflects this. Instead of being discarded, it has been transformed into the new
flagship for Britain.
You can’t help but be struck by the irony of this as the original massive girders provide a
backdrop to the delicate constructions of plastic on display.
Such complexities are not confined to the four walls of the Tate Modern. It lies in the
poverty-stricken borough of Southwark, yet is just the river from the wealthiest square mile in
Europe.
(4) … The area, which has historically been closed off to the buzz and energy of the capital,
is definitely on the way up, with a sprinkling of cultural sites such as the Globe Theatre luring
visitors over the Thames. Don’t be deceived, though. A few minutes away are the bleak streets of
Southwark, with its office blocks and run-down housing estates.

1. Four statements have been removed from the text. Select the appropriate sentence for
each gap in the text. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. 4 points

A. Now the old economy has given way to the new.

B. One suspects that the Tate Modern will soon feature on every tourist’s list of things to see in
London.
C. Its location on the southside of the River Thames will alter the mental geography of London.
D. Instead of presenting a chronological display, the curators have opted for four themed areas.
E. The Tate’s new Bankside Gallery came into being after five frantic years of planning and mini
crises which the organisers handled remarkably well.

2. Explain the following words. 6 points

1. to worship
2. emblem
3. confined
 Ministerul Educaţiei, Cercetării şi Inovării
Centrul Naţional pentru Curriculum şi Evaluare în Învăţământul Preuniversitar

3. Sum up the text in about 50 words. 10 points

4. For the following questions, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. 6 points

1. The Tate Modern’s opening party was well-attended because …

A. it had been well-planned.
B. it had been highly publicised.
C. it was a fashionable place to be seen in.
D. the guests supported British art.

2. Contemporary art has become …

A. internationally recognised.
B. more marginalised.
C. more accessible for tourists.
D. a symbol of British economic strength.

3. The former Bankside Power Station building …

A. provides a contrast to the art inside.
B. has been completely refurnished.
C. is located in a pocket of wealth.
D. will open up a new area to tourism.

5. Comment on the following in about 100 words: The area, which has historically been closed
off to the buzz and energy of the capital, is definitely on the way up, with a sprinkling of cultural
sites such as the Globe Theatre luring visitors over the Thames. Don’t be deceived, though. A few
minutes away are the bleak streets of Southwark, with its office blocks and run-down housing
estates. 4 points