Competente Lingvistice LB Engleza

PROBA ORALA 1
1.Answer the following question: Do you enjoy jogging?Why (not)?

2.Describe someone in your family.
3.Give your opinion on the following statement: Governments should be responsable for making people’s lifestyles
healthy. Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 2
1.Answer the following question: Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why (not)?
2.Describe a friend of yours.
3.Give your opinion on the following statement: Apart from family and friends ,there are other types of relationship
which are important in people’s lives. Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 3
1.Answer the following question: What is your favourite means of transport?
2.Describe an experience that made you appreciate your health.
3.Give your opinion on the following statement: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;an optimist sees the
opportunity in every difficulty. Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 4
1.Answer the following question: How long have you known your best friend ?
2.Describe a natural park you have visitated.
3.Give your opinion on the following statement: Revenge is a dish best served cold. Use relevant arguments and
examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 5
1.Answer the following question: What do you enjoy doing on holidays?
2.Describe a happy memory from your childhood.
3.Give your opinion on the following statement: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Use relevant arguments
and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 6
1. Answer the following question: What do you enjoy doing at weekends?
2. Describe a happy memory from high school.
3. Give your opinion on the following statement: It is only the shallow people who no not judge by appearances.
(Oscar Wilde) Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 7
1. Answer the following question: What do you enjoy most about your family?
2. Describe a former classmate.
3. Do you think that any act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted? Use relevant arguments and examples
to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 8
1. Answer the following question: Do you like eating junk food? Why (not)?
2. Describe your ideal friend.
3. It is widely considered that city dwellers are suffering the most because of traffic. What might be the biggest
problems caused by traffic? What solutions would you propose in order to alleviate the problem? What would the beneficial
effects be? Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 9
1. Answer the following question: Do you generally prefer to read books or to watch films? Why?
2. Describe your favourite teacher.
3. Do you think that children these days have a better or worse childhood than your parents’ generation? Why
(not)? Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PROBA ORALA 10
1. Answer the following question: Do you generally prefer the book or the film of the same story? Why?
2. Describe a person about whom you could say: The world would be a better place if there were more people like
him/her.
3. Do you feel that, despite the advent of social media, people are becoming increasingly lonely nowadays? Why (not)?
Use relevant arguments and examples to support your ideas.
PRODUCEREA DE MESAJE SCRlSE 1

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SUBIECTUL I : Write a short letter to your pen friend telling him about a typical weekend in your life. Include information
about what you usually do in the morning/evening, about how you feel at the end of the day. Write your letter in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : Write an opinion essay in response to the following statement: Success in life comes from taking risks
or chances. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
PRODUCEREA DE MESAJE SCRISE 2
SUBIECTUL I : You have received the following letter from your English penfriend:’’I'm really pleased we're soon going on a
trip together in Moldova. Let me know what things I should take with me, since I don't know much about the climate and the area.
Also, where will we be staying? Much love, Vivian.’’ Write your letter of reply in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things we do not need. Write an opinion essay
to enlarge upon your position. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : You recently went on a holiday. A friend of yours has written to you expressing an interest in the place you
visited and asking you what it was like there. Write an email to your friend, telling him about the positive and negative aspects
of the place, suggesting him (not) to go there next year. Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have recently had a class discussion on the role that money plays in people's lives. Your teacher
has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinion on the following statement: Making money has become too important to
many people in our modern society. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : You have just won a competition and you would like to tell your friend about it. Write an email to your
friend, giving him details about the competition, telling him how you feel about winning it and informing him about your future
plans. Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have recently had a debate on success. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay giving your
opinion on the following statement: Before anything else, preparation is the key to success. (Al.G.Bell). Write your essay in 180
- 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : Your friend is currently studying in Italy and you cannot reach him by telephone. Write your friend an email
telling him the latest news from home and asking about him plans to come home. Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have a friend who has just broken up with his/her boy/girlfriend. Your final remark is Don't cry
because it's over, smile because it happened. Write an opinion essay (180 - 200 words)expanding on the quote.
SUBIECTUL I : You have recently got back from a holiday. Write an email to an English friend who wrote to you some time
ago. Apologise for the delay in replying and tell him about your holiday. Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have had a class discussion on the importance of learning foreign languages. Your teacher has given
you this quotation: One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way. (Frank Smith)
and has asked you to write an opinion essay expanding on the quote. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : You have recently invited a friend of yours who lives abroad to spend a week at your house. Write an email to
him/her letting him/her know how you feel about his/her visit, how he/she should get to your house and your plans for the week
spent together. Write your answer in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : Do you believe that written exams are a relevant form of assessment? What are their
advantages and disadvantages? Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : Write an e-mail to one of your friends, telling him/her about your personal experience in sports. Include the
information about which sports you have played, what your attitude to sport is and how you think sport can help people in their
lives. Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have been given this quote by your teacher: All our dreams can come true if we have the courage
to pursue them. (Walt Disney) Write an essay giving your opinion on this issue. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : You have recently gone to an international camp, having spent a week abroad. Write an email to a friend,
telling him/her about your experience. Include information about where you stayed, what you did and how you benefitted from the
experience.Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have recently participated in a class discussion on the topic of education in your country. The
discussion centred around solutions to be found in order to improve the current situation, such as increased funding and better
training for teachers. You have decided to write an essay on this topic for your teacher describing three solutions you would
forward and their beneficial effects. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
SUBIECTUL I : Your friend is going to study abroad and has just asked you to help him/ her improve his/ her English . Write
an email to your friend, suggesting ways in which he/she can learn English better. Include information about the benefits he/she
can enjoy if he/she takes your advice and any other necessary details. Write your email in 80 - 100 words.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea : You have recently participated in a class discussion on the topic of preserving the cultural heritage of
your country. The discussion centred on solutions to be found in order to improve the current situation, such as increased funding
and raising awareness. You have decided to write an essay on this topic for your teacher describing three solutions you would
forward and their beneficial effects. Write your essay in 180 - 200 words.
PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 1
SUBIECTUL 1 (40 puncte)
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You’ll hear an interview with a conservationist who has built a cable car in the rainforest. For questions 1 – 4, choose the
best answer (A, B, C or D).
1. How far does the cable car travel?
A. about a kilometre
B. about two kilometres
C. about 50 metres
D. about 8 kilometres
2. Where do many of the birds found in the rainforest live?
A. on the ground
B. in the treetops
C. underground
D. underwater
3. How many people does the project keep in work?
A. 15
B. 50
C. 30
D. 20
4. People will value rainforest if
A. they are not involved in projects.
B. they are not allowed to hunt.
C. they are forced to leave the forest.
D. they are made to appreciate it.
You will hear some information about a film competition. For questions 5-10, choose the best answers (A, B, C or D).
5. The maximum length of the film is
A. 20 minutes
B. 102 minutes
C. 12 minutes
D. 22 minutes
6. This year, the competition accepts only
A. drama.
B. comedies.
C. horror films.
D. thrillers.
7. The subject for this year’s film is
A. the family.
B. the weather.
C. nature.
D. the wild.
8. One of the judges is
A. a make-up artist.
B. a sound engineer.
C. a cameraman.
D. a director.
9. The first prize of the competition is
A. a visit to a film school.
B. a set of books.
C. a modern camera.
D. a visit to a film studio in London.
10. The best film will be shown
A. at the cinemas in town.
B. at a film festival.
C. at the Town Hall.
D. in the Market Square.
PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 1

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Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 ’Right’ (A) or ’Wrong’ (B)? If there is not enough information to answer
’Right’ (A) or ’Wrong’ (B), choose ’Doesn’t say’ (C)
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American musician, dancer, and entertainer. Referred
to as the King of Pop, he is the most commercially successful and one of the most influential entertainers of all times. His unique
contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular
culture for over four decades.
Alongside his brothers, he made his debut in 1964 as lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5, and later began
a successful solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with Off the Wall (1979), Bad
(1987), Dangerous (1991), and History (1995) also among the world's bestselling albums. Jackson popularized a number of
physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements feature
multiple Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 26 American
Music Awards — more than any artist—, 17 number one singles in the US (including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and
estimated sales between 350 million and 750 million records worldwide making him one of the bestselling artists in history.
While preparing for the This Is It concert tour in 2009, Jackson died at the age of 50. His memorial service was globally
broadcast, attracting a large audience.
1. Michael Jackson is referred to as the King of Rock’n Roll.
A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say
2. He made his debut in the year 1964.
3. The best-selling album of all times is his 1987 album entitled Bad.
4. Some of his famous dance techniques include the moonwalk and the robot.
5. One billion people watched his memorial service.
Read the text below. For question 1 – 10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Obesity and smoking may be the most conspicuous causes of illness in this country, but physical factors don't account for
everything. Your psychology — namely, your personality and outlook on life — can be just as important to your well-being as
exercising and eating right. And especially these days, with the world's economy tumbling toward a depression, it's a good time to
prevent yourself from slipping into one too.
An entire science has grown up around the perils of negative thinking (as well as the power of positive psychology), and
the latest findings confirm that a pessimistic outlook not only kindles anxiety, which can put people at risk for chronic mental
illnesses like depression, but may also cause early death and set people up for a number of physical ailments, ranging from the
common cold to heart disease and immune disorders.
Optimism, meanwhile, is associated with a happier and longer life. Over the course of a recent eight-year study,
University of Pittsburgh researchers found that optimistic women outlived dour ones. Which may be good news for the
motivational gurus out there, but what about the rest of us who aren't always so chipper? Are we destined for sickness and failure?
Or is it possible to master the principles of positivity the same way we might learn a new hobby or follow a recipe?
The answer from the experts seems to be yes. But it does take effort. Seeing the sunny side doesn't come easily. Most
people would define optimism as being eternally hopeful, endlessly happy, with a glass that's perpetually half full. But that's
exactly the kind of deluded cheerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn't recommend. "Healthy optimism means being in
touch with reality," says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor who taught the university's most popular course, Positive
Psychology, from 2002 to 2008. "It certainly doesn't mean being Pollyannaish and thinking everything is great and wonderful."
Ben-Shahar, who is the author of Happier (2007) and a new book, The Pursuit of Perfect (April 2009), describes realistic
optimists as "optimalists" — not those who believe everything happens for the best, but those who make the best of things that
happen.
In his own life, Ben-Shahar uses three optimalist exercises, which he calls PRP. When he feels down — say, after giving
a bad lecture — he grants himself permission (P) to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner;
some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction (R). He parses the weak lecture, learning lessons for the future about
what works and what doesn't. Finally, there's perspective (P), which involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one
lecture really doesn't matter.
Being optimistic doesn't mean shutting out sad or painful emotions. As a clinical psychologist, Martin Seligman,
who runs the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, says he used to feel proud whenever he helped
depressed patients rid themselves of sadness, anxiety or anger. "I thought I would get a happy person," he says. "But I never did.
What I got was an empty person." That's what prompted him to launch the field of positive psychology, with a groundbreaking
address to the American Psychological Association in 1998. Instead of focusing only on righting wrongs and lifting misery, he
argued, psychologists need to help patients foster good mental health through constructive skills. The idea is to teach patients to
strengthen their strengths rather than simply improve their weaknesses. "It's not enough to clear away the weeds and underbrush,"
Seligman says. "If you want roses, you have to plant a rose."
1. Besides physical factors, other factors that influence health are

A. the psychical factors.
B. obesity and smoking.
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C. too much exercising.
D. an uninteresting life.
2. We should
A. avoid slipping into a disaster.
B. avoid slipping into depression.
C. avoid having a good time.
D. see economic depression.
3. Bolded perils in paragraph 2 means
A. dangers.
B. depressions.
C. disasters.
D. damages.
4. An optimistic person
A. always refers to a woman.
B. is destined for sickness.
C. will live longer and happier.
D. is not always happy.
5. Experts say that positivity
A. is a new hobby which should be taught.
B. is similar to a new hobby, in terms of learning.
C. is the only way to avoid sickness and failure.
D. means we should all have a positive outlook.
6. A positive outlook
A. is not that easy to achieve.
B. can be achieved effortlessly.
C. helps you to see the sun.
D. means an easy life.
7. According to Ben-Shahar, “optimalists”:
A. always see the glass half full.
B. take advantage of things as they come.
C. expect only good things to happen in life.
D. ignore everything that may occur.
8. Ben-Shahar’s optimalist exercises include
A. ignoring the failure.
B. denying bad results.
C. coping with side effects.
D. analysing the failure.
9. Martin Seligman used to be content when he could
A. get rid of depressed anxious patients.
B. make patients become even sadder.
C. be prouder of his accomplishments.
D. help patients overcome negative feelings
10. The most important thing is to
A. teach patients how to improve weaknesses.
B. teach patients how to improve their strengths.
C. clear away mainly weeds and underbrush.
D. teach patients that they should plant roses.

You will hear first aid instructions. For questions 1 – 4 choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
1. What is the first thing you should do when you spill boiling water on your arm?
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A. Take off your rings and bracelets.
B. Lie down and call a doctor.
C. Put cream or oil on it.
D. Put the burn under cold running water.
2. What mustn’t you do?
A. Keep your arm up.
B. Touch the burn with a needle.
C. Cover the burn with a cloth.
D. Lie down.
3. Which of these is advisable?
A. Put butter on the burn.
B. Put plaster or cotton wool on the burn.
C. Cover the burn with a soft, clean cloth.
D. Touch the burn with a needle.
4. What is the last instruction?
A. Cover the burn with a cloth.
B. Cover the burn with a plaster.
C. Cover the burn with cotton wool.
D. Call a doctor.
You will listen to an education report. For questions 5 – 10, choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
5. This education report on
A. answers a question from China.
B. is about foreign students who study at American colleges.
C. is about a Chinese student at West Point.
D. is about American military colleges.
6. The Military Academy at West Point
A. is a three-year school.
B. is in the state of New York.
C. accepts only men.
D. does not accept students from other countries.
7. Cadets at West Point
A. pay for their education.
B. don’t have to agree to serve in the army.
C. are only from the US.
D. must be nominated by a lawmaker.
8. Those who are nominated to the academy
A. must satisfy the physical and psychological requirements.
B. must be in excellent physical condition and have high marks.
C. must pay 50,000 dollars a year.
D. must take the TOEFL test.
9. Which of these are international students NOT expected to do?
A. pass the TOEFL test
B. be in good physical condition
C. take their families with them
D. seek information about admission
10. The West Point Website
A. has an interview with captain Robert Romans.
B. presents the head of the international cadet program.
C. does not give much information about the international cadet program.
D. gives all the information you need about the international cadet program.

Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 ’Right’ (A) or ’Wrong’ (B)? If there is not enough information to answer
’Right’ (A) or ’Wrong’ (B), choose ’Doesn’t say’ (C)
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Seventeen-year-old Herui Alemayhu came to the United States from Ethiopia two years ago. The teen was excited for a
chance to live in a different country, but afraid of how he’d adapt to an American high school. “Making friends was the hardest
part for me, I don’t like to be lonely or anything, so I was so scared about making friends,” Alemayhu said.
Teenage life in America is hard regardless of where a kid lives, but for immigrants the transition to high school can
be the most challenging. Besides learning a new language, immigrant teenagers have to make friends, and adjust to the different
technology that is used in American schools. “There’s a lot of hi-tech stuff here,” Alemayhu said.“
The biggest problem for teens I think is on one side they are still attached to the culture of their parents,” said Bob
Ponichtera, executive director and founder of Liberty’s Promise. “We have a lot of sympathy for the parents too because they left
everything they had to come here.”
Ponichtera’s grandparents were immigrants that came here from Italy at the turn of the last century. They worked in
factories to provide a better life for his parents. His father, in turn, started his own business and was able to send Ponichtera to
Yale University.
Most of the students agreed that their moms and dads made those sacrifices to provide a better life for them. “America is
good and it’s full of opportunity that we didn’t have in Africa. I really like being here and it feels good,” Charles said.
(news.medill.northwestern.edu)
1. Herui Alemayhu has been in the USA for three years.
2. Herui lives in New York.
3. Transition to high school can be difficult.
4. Bob Ponichtera comes from a family of Spanish immigrants.
5. The problem for immigrants is that they don’t know much about their new country.
Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Importance of Friends
Your relationships with friends become especially important during the teen years. Friendships are relationships
between people who like each other and who have similar interests and values. Good friendships generally begin when people
realize that they have common experiences, goals, and values.
Each person must also show a willingness to reach out, to listen, and to care about the needs of the other person.
Forming strong friendships is an important part of social health. To make new friends, get involved in activities at school or in the
community. For example, join a school club or volunteer at a local youth group. When you participate in activities that you enjoy,
you’re likely to meet others who share your interests.
A friend is much more than an acquaintance, someone you see occasionally or know casually. Your relationship
with a friend is deeper and means more to you. Although there is no accepted test for friendship, most people whom you call
friends will have the following qualities:
• Trustworthiness. Good friends are there for you when you need support. They are honest with you, they keep their promises,
and they don’t reveal your secrets. Good friends live up to your realistic expectations. If necessary, these friends would be willing
to make sacrifices for you.
• Caring. Good friends listen carefully when you want to talk. They try to understand how you feel. In fact, they empathize
with you when you have strong feelings such as joy, sadness, or disappointment. Friends don’t just recognize your strengths and
talents—they tell you about them and help you develop them. Caring friends might try to help you overcome your weaknesses, but
they accept you as you are. They don’t hold grudges and can forgive you if you make a mistake.
• Respect. Good friends will not ask you to do anything that is wrong or dangerous or pressure you if you refuse. They respect
your beliefs because they respect you. They also understand that your opinions may be different from theirs, and they realize that
this is healthy. Because you and your good friends usually share similar values, they will not expect you to betray those values. If
friends disagree, they are willing to compromise, which means to give up something in order to reach a solution that
satisfies everyone.
Most of your friends are probably your peers—people close to your ages that are similar to you in many ways. You may
be concerned about what your peers think of you, how they react to you, and whether they accept you. Their opinions can affect
your ideas of how you should think and act. This is called peer pressure—the influence that people your age have on you to think
and act like them.
People of all ages want to be well liked by their peers. You, too, probably would like to be popular. Remember, however,
that just being popular isn’t enough. You also want your peers to respect you— to hold you in high regard because of your
responsible behavior.
(Adapted from Teen Health, 2005)
1. The age when one starts to find friends important is

A. at about 15.
B. at about 8.
C. at about 20.
D. at about 50.
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2. In order to become good friends, two people should
A. have common acquaintances.
B. have common relatives.
C. have common aims.
D. have nothing in common.
3. In order to have friends a person should
A. listen to music as much as possible.
B. care about poor people.
C. care about the environment.
D. listen to others and care about them.
4. One way of making friends is
A. going to school on a regular basis.
B. taking part in group activities.
C. setting up your own club.
D. doing things even if you don’t enjoy them.
5. An untrustworthy friend is one who
A. is hardly reliable.
B. likes keeping secrets.
C. does not break a promise.
D. expects too little from you.
6. Good friends who listen to you and share your feelings are
A. caring.
B. careful.
C. careless.
D. hopeful.
7. Empathic friends also
A. consider you too weak.
B. always praise your talents.
C. try to develop your strong points.
D. try to develop your weak points.
8. Grudges in paragraph 5 means:
A. dislikes.
B. fights.
C. favours.
D. faults.
9. Persons who respect you as a friend
A. will expect you to be always healthy.
B. will try to convince you that their opinion is the right one.
C. will accept that you may see things differently.
D. will expect you to often change your set of values.
10. According to the article, peer pressure makes you
A. steal from your friends.
B. avoid going out with.
C. listen to your friends.
D. imitate your friends.

You will hear first aid instructions. For questions 1 – 4 choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
1. What pet does Ben have?
A. a Siamese cat
B. a horse
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C. a tarantula
D. a rat
2. Mandy’s pet likes to eat
A. live insects.
B. chicken and fish.
C. seeds and cereal.
D. oats and grass.
3. Julian’s pet is called
A. Ben.
B. Chocko.
C. Starlight.
D. Rupert.
4. Sylvia’s pet has
A. a white star on her head.
B. poisonous hairs on his legs.
C. pink eyes and a pink tail.
D. blue eyes.
You will listen to an education report broadcast by the Voice of America. For questions 5 – 10, choose the best
answer (A, B, C or D).
5. This is an education report on
A. American higher education.
B. admission to college in the U.S.
C. graduation ceremonies in the U.S.
D. students from Ethiopia.
6. In May and June most American colleges and universities
A. start school.
B. celebrate the end of the school year.
C. organize family reunions.
D. organize parties for students.
7. Which of these do students not do during the traditional ceremony?
A. wear caps and gowns.
B. go to the front when their names are called.
C. receive a document.
D. kiss school officials.
8. Who delivers speeches on such occasions?
A. famous former students.
B. former students’ guests.
C. President Bush.
D. Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton.
9. Other famous guests to deliver speeches include
A. Harvard graduates.
B. entertainers.
C. TV presenters.
D. graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
10. Which of these does John Stuart advise graduates to do?
A. not to worry about school results or success.
B. to complete college.
C. to experience college life.
D. to pursue success at all costs.

Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B)? If there is not enough information to answer
‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B), choose ‘Doesn’t say’ (C).
Although soft toys are among the first playthings used by the youngest children, they are of fairly recent origin. Apart
from rag dolls (which date back to Roman times), soft toys in the guise of humanized animals seem to have been a late-19th
century invention. The earliest toys of this type consisted of nondescript ducks and amorphous sheep, but a major
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breakthrough came in the1890s with the birth of the golliwog, based on the principal character in Florence Upton's Golliwog
stories, first published in 1895.
This impish character with its black face, mop of spiky hair and smart clothes was an overnight success. In the
stories, he was always getting into mischief and in real life he served as a kind of scapegoat for many a child who could readily
blame his or her own misdeeds on 'Golly'. Racist overtones in more recent years considerably diminished the popularity of the
golliwog, though it continues to rank high with collectors.
In the 1930s toy koalas began to appear in Australia and spread to America and Europe after World War II.
These soft toys had the merit of being clothed in real fur (albeit kangaroo!), with very realistic muzzles of black leather. The
popularity of Skippy, a children's television series, also triggered off a craze for toy kangaroos in the 1950s and 1960s, which
later extended to Willy Wombat and other marsupials.
As the golliwog slipped in the popularity ratings, its place was taken by the troll, a grotesque creature of Scandinavian origin,
and the gonk, a rotund individual with his eyes in his chest. Soft toys in the form of more recognizably human guise include
an enormous range of clowns and other costumed figures. (www.collectorcafe.com)
th
1. Soft toys date back to the 17 century.
2. The soft toy based on the main character in Florence Upton’s stories was an immediate success.
3.Toy koalas entered the Asian market in the 1980s.
4.Toy koalas were clothed in real fur.
5.The troll is an Australian creature.
Violence in movies
There has been a great deal of debate about the possible connection between violent behavior in young people and their
exposure to violent films, video games, TV programming and music.
Though a direct link between the two has not been conclusively proven, there's a growing consensus that exposure to
violent entertainment is one of the variables to be considered, along with others, including family stability, learning disabilities
and personality—when examining the behavior of children and teens.
Kids are drawn to movies with scary themes, and watching horror films is a rite of passage for teens and even younger
kids. But being steadily exposed to violent images from an early age can have a lasting effect on young children. Studies have
shown that 26 per cent of adults still have "residual anxiety" many years after viewing horror movies in childhood.
Because most homes today have VCRs, young people have easy access to movies with graphic and gratuitous violence.
Most parents don't properly understand the ratings systems for films; and even when they do, kids can easily sneak into restricted
films at the cinemas. (The design of most multiplexes makes it easy for kids to see the film of their choice once they've paid at the
box office and many theatres don't bother to enforce ratings restrictions.)
The study also showed that Hollywood routinely recruits teenagers and children (some as young as nine) to evaluate its
story concepts, commercials, theatrical trailers and rough cuts-even for R-rated movies. TV promos for films are run during hours
when young viewers are most likely to be watching; and R-rated films are advertised in youth magazines such as YM, Teen, and
the Marvel comics. The study revealed that movie studios often target children as young as four with toy tie-ins for movies rated
PG-13, and even R.
There's a reason why the movie industry produces so much violent fare: action films export well. Unlike dramas and
comedies, which need expensive translation of their dialogue, action- packed movies make the transition to foreign languages and
markets easily and cheaply. Even at home, their simplistic content means that violent films appeal to a broad range of ages. In
North America and abroad, violence is profitable.
To limit children's exposure to violent and frightening movies, parents should:
• explain clearly what your objections are to violent movies;
• establish family rules about what kind of movies are appropriate for what age.
1. There is a possible connection between violent behavior and

A exposure to violent sports.
B fashion.
C exposure to violent films and video games.
D classical music.
2. Other variables to be taken into consideration are

A family stability and personality.
B environment and learning disabilities.
C school and teachers.
D family and friends.
3. According to the text, kids are attracted to
A video games.
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B nature.
C outdoor sports.
D movies with scary themes
4. One rite of passage for teenagers is
A drinking.
B watching horror films.
C driving.
D going to parties.
5. Years after watching horror films, ... of adults can have “residual anxiety”.
A 26%
B 36%
C 86%
D 16%
6. It is easy for children to sneak into restricted films
A at video stores.
B at the theatre.
C at games arcades.
D at casinos.
7. In order to evaluate concepts, Hollywood often recruits
A only children.
B teenagers and children.
C adults and children.
D only teens.
8. The reason why violent films are produced is that
A they sell well abroad.
B are expensive.
C are easy to understand.
D are suitable for all ages.
9. Dramas and comedies need
A popular actors.
B expensive locations.
C expensive scenery.
D expensive translations.
10. Everywhere in the world, violence is
A interesting.
B popular.
C profitable.
D cheap.

You will hear a woman asking a man questions for a survey. For questions 1 – 4 choose the best answer (A, B, C / D).
1. Allen’s surname is
A. Seelvor.
B. Sylver.
C. Silver.
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D. Sallvor.
2. His phone number is
A. 06171061.
B. 16177161.
3. Allen’s C. 06177063. nationality is
D. 26166064. A. British.
B. American.
C. French.
D. Canadian.
4. Allen works at
A. a university.
B. a secondary school.
C. a high school.
D. a primary school.
You will listen to a report on an archaeological discovery. For questions 5–10, choose the best answer (A, B, C / D)
5. The human remains the archaeologists found
A. could be those of King Richard III of England.
B. could not be those of King Richard III of England.
C. are certainly those of King Richard III of England.
D. are not those of King Richard III of England.
6. Richard became king
A. in 1452.
B. in 1542.
C. in 1483.
D. in 1458.
7. Richard’s reign was preceded by that of
A. Eduard
B. Henry Tudor.
C. Eduard IV.
D. King Henry VI.
8. King Richard III of England was
A. the first English king to die in a battle.
B. the only English king to die in a battle.
C. the oldest English king to die in a battle.
D. the last English king to die in a battle.
9. Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor,
A. who ruled England for the next 20 years.
B. who became King Henry Tudor.
C. whose children and grandchildren also ruled England.
D. who chose Leicester as the site of battle.
10. Greyfriars Church, where Richard III was buried,
A. still stands.
B. has always been remembered by people.
C. was replaced in the end by a car park.
D. was rebuilt.

Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 ’Right’ (A) or ’Wrong’ (B)? If there is not enough information to
answer ’Right’ (A) or ’Wrong’ (B), choose ’Doesn’t say’ (C).
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and,
dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation. The castle’s floor area
is approximately 484,000 square feet (44,965 square metres).
Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal
official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for
both state and private entertaining. Her other two residences, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle, are the Royal
Family’s private homes.
12
Most of the Kings and Queens of England, later Kings and Queens of Great Britain, and later still kings and
queens of the Commonwealth realms, have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has
been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison.
The castle’s history and that of the British monarchy are inextricably linked. Chronologically the
history of the castle can be traced through the reigns of the monarchs who have occupied it. When the country has been at
peace, the castle has been expanded by the additions of large and grand apartments; when the country has been at war, the
castle has been more heavily fortified. This pattern has continued to the present day.
(www.anglotopia.net) 1. Windsor Castle dates back to
William the Conqueror’s times.
2. British monarchs have never lived in Windsor Castle.
3. Windsor Castle has remained unchanged since its construction.
4. Some kings and queens have been imprisoned at Windsor Castle.
5. Windsor Castle has been heavily fortified by Queen Elisabeth II.
Read the text below. For question 1 – 10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the
text.
“Walkabout”
It is possible to consider "Walkabout" entirely as the story it seems to be: The story of a fourteen-year-old girl and her little
brother, who are abandoned in the Australian outback and then saved through the natural skills of a young aborigine boy. It is
simpler and easier to consider it on that level, too, because "Walkabout" is a superb work of storytelling and its material is
effortlessly fascinating. There's also a tendency to read "Walkabout" as a catch-all of symbols and metaphors, in which the Noble
Savage and his natural life are tested and found superior to civilization and cities…
The movie does, indeed, make this comparison several times. Hundreds of miles from help, the girl turns on her portable
radio to hear a philosopher observe: "It is now possible to state that 'that is' is." Well, this isn't exactly helpful, and so we laugh.
And more adolescent viewers may have to stifle a sigh and a tear when the girl is seen, at the movie's end, married to a cloddish
office clerk and nostalgically remembering her idyllic days in the desert.
The contrast between civilization and man's more natural states is well-drawn in the movie, and will interest serious-minded
younger people (just as, at the level of pure story, "Walkabout" will probably fascinate kids). But I don't think it's fruitful to draw
all the parallels and then piously conclude that we would all be better off far from the city, sipping water from the ground, and
spearing kangaroos for lunch. That sort of comparison doesn't really get you anywhere and leaves you with a movie that doesn't
tell you more than you already knew. I think there's more than that to "Walkabout." And I'm going to have a hard time expressing
that additional dimension for you, because it doesn't quite exist in the universe of words. Even in these days of film experiments,
most movies have their centers in the worlds of plots and characters. But "Walkabout"…Well, to begin with, the film was directed
and photographed by Nicolas Roeg, the cinematographer of "Petulia" and many other British films. Roeg's first stab at direction
was as co-director of "Performance." This was his first work as an individual. I persisted in seeing "Performance" on the level of
its perfectly silly plot, and on that level it was a wretched movie indeed. People told me I should forget the plot and simply enjoy
the movie itself, but I have a built-in resistance to that notion, usually.
Perhaps I should have listened. Because Roeg's "Walkabout" is a very rare example of that kind of movie, in which the
"civilized" characters and the aborigine exist in a wilderness that isn't really a wilderness but more of an indefinite place for the
story to be told. Roeg's desert in "Walkabout" is like Beckett's stage for Waiting for Godot. That is, it's nowhere in particular, and
everywhere.
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Roeg's photography reinforces this notion. He is careful to keep us at a distance from the physical sufferings of his characters.
To be sure, they have blisters and parched lips, but he pulls up well short of the usual clichés of suffering in the desert. And his
cinematography (and John Barry's otherworldly music) make the desert seem a mystical place, a place for visions. So that the whole
film becomes mystical, a dream, and the suicides which frame it set the boundaries of reality. Within them, what happens between the
boy and the girl, and the boy and the little brother, is not merely "communication" or "survival" or "cooperation," but the same kind of
life-enhancement that you imagine people feel when they go into the woods and eat berries and bring the full focus of their
intelligence to bear on the problem of coexisting with nature.
(www.rogererbert.suntimes.com)
1. What happens with the main characters at the end of the movie?
A. They are saved by an aborigene.
B. They are abandoned in the desert.
C. They go to Australia.
D. They get married.
2. How does the author characterise the way in which the movie tells the story?
A. It is ridiculous.
B. It is excellent.
C. It is funny.
D. It is too simple.
3. What is compared in the movie?
A. Noble Savage and life
B. civilization and natural life
C. villages and cities
D. city dwellers and bedouins
4. How does the girl feel at the end of the movie?
A. longing
B. miserable
C. worried
D. betrayed
5. How does the author find explaining the other meaning of the film?
A. difficult
B. easy
C. acceptable
D. appropriate
6. Who is likely to be fascinated by the story itself, according to the author?
A. Young parents
B. Serious people
C. Children
D. Aborigenes
7. What does the author say about most movies?
A. They are centred on plot and character.
B. They tell you nothing new.
C. They show wildlife.
D. They draw parallels.
8. What was the first movie that Nicholas Roeg directed?
A. “Petulia”
B. ”Performance”
C. ”Walkabout”
D. ”Waiting for Godot”
9. What is special about Roeg’s photography in ”Walkabout”, in the author’s opinion?
A. It uses the stage from Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”.
B. It mainly uses the usual clichés of suffering in the desert.
C. It keeps a distance between viewers and the characters’ sufferings.
D. It supports the idea of an indefinite place.
10. How does the author characterize John Barry’s music?
A. dreamlike
B. mundane
C. supernatural
D. common

You will hear a woman talking to an Australian about Hamilton. For questions 1 - 4 choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
1. How many inhabitants are there in Hamilton?
A. 10000
B. 1000
C. 1000000
D. 100
2. Where is Hamilton situated?
A. in the south of Australia
B. in a small country town
C. in the south of Victoria State
D. three hours west of Melbourne in Victoria State
3. According to the man, the Australians have
A. only the language in common with the British
B. language, culture and television in common with the British
C. nothing in common with the British
D. everything in common with the British
4. What kind of food do Australians eat?
A. traditional
B. modern
C. traditional and modern
D. French and Asian
You will hear two people talking about camping. For questions 5 - 10, choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
5. The first time Richard and Jackie went camping together was:
A. in Sicily, in an olive grove last summer
B. in Sicily last summer
C. in Sicily, in an olive grove a number of years ago
D. in Sicily, in an orange grove a number of years ago
6. When he was a child, Richard
A. went camping with his friends
B. used to go camping with his friends in the back garden
C. used to go camping with his family
D. used to go camping with Jackie
7. The tent Richard and Jackie used when they first went camping
A. is a modern tent
B. is not made of cotton
C. has flexible poles
D. is an old, rigid, cotton, A frame one
8. How did Jackie manage to make breakfast when they went camping recently:
A. by making a campfire at the front of the tent
B. by singing around a campfire
C. by using a gas stove at the front of the tent
D. by being trendy
9. When they go camping and have to eat, they normally have:
A. a gas lamp
B. a folding table and chairs, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans
C. a gas stove
D. a gas lamp and a gas stove
10. Why did they buy a new tent?
A. there was room only for the mattress in the old tent
B. there was room only for their sleeping bags in the old tent
C. there was not room for the gas stove in the old tent
D. there was not room to sleep on hard ground in the old tent

SUBIECTUL I (40 de puncte)
Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B)? If there is not enough information to answer 'Right'
(A) or 'Wrong' (B), choose 'Doesn't say' (C).
After the success of Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan comes back to direct The Dark Knight. But Christopher Nolan's The
Dark Knight is not just a comic book movie. It is THE comic book movie and is one of the best movies ever made.
So in The Dark Knight, Batman (Christian Bale) continues his reign as bringing back Gotham from its own damnation and
destroying organized crime in Gotham for good. With help from Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney
Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), their plans are working out. But the three find themselves fighting against a criminal mastermind
known as The Joker who forces Batman closer to crossing the line between a symbolic hero and a vigilante.
One of the best things about this movie is Heath Ledger's masterpiece performance as The Joker. The Joker is a villain who
really tests Batman so that the latter is tempted to break his One Rule (Never to kill). Heath Ledger as The Joker had such an amazing
performance that we actually believed that he was THE Joker. Heath Ledger didn't just deliver an Oscar Winning Performance, but a
role that no one will ever forget.
The Dark Knight is one of the best movies in contemporary film history. Christopher Nolan did something that many thought
would never be possible. He created something different and unique, inspiring directors like Sam Mendes, Ridley Scott, J.J.
Abrams, and Shane Black to make their own movies more realistic.
Dark, Complex, and Unforgettable, Christopher Nolan has done something that no comic book movie has ever done before
which is to transcend its genre, becoming more than a comic book movie. (adapted from Teen ink)
1. Christopher Nolan is the director of The Dark Knight and Batman Begins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say
2. Commissioner Jim Gordon is one of the characters who help Batman.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't Say
3. The Joker is a physically strong character.
4. Christopher Nolan's movie is very similar to other comic book movies.
5. There are several well developed female characters in the movie.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea (60 de puncte)
Like many women these days, Aran Hissam, 35, of Melbourne, posted the news that she was pregnant on Facebook. On the
morning of an ultrasound last year, she debated on the site whether to learn the baby's sex, musing "to peek or not to peek?" When she
failed to post an update later that day, friends started to contact her. Ms. Hissam decided to return to Facebook to share the news that
her unborn baby, a girl, had been found to have fetal hydrops and given no chance of survival. "I wanted to communicate the news to
get people off my back," Ms. Hissam said in a telephone interview recently. Although her husband was at first surprised that she
would share such emotional news publicly, she said, Facebook seemed like one of the least difficult ways to get the word out.
Facebook, that repository of the mundane (mealtime updates, party reminders and job changes) that people have long used to
show the positive sides of their lives, is increasingly also a place they go to break difficult news. It was where the racecar driver
Danica Patrick, 30, announced that she and her husband of seven years, Paul Hospenthal, 47, were "amicably" divorcing. And it is
where a portrait photographer and mother of two named Alicia, 35 (who did not want her last name published because of continuing
custody issues), posted a few succinct sentences about the breakup of her own marriage recently. People in her social circle were
starting to hear rumors about her personal life, she said, and she wanted to address that. "I didn't want to start a pity party, but I did
want to be honest about what was going on," Alicia said, adding that "One of the beautiful things about Facebook is that it's passive
communication, and it gives people freedom to respond — or not — in whichever way they are most comfortable."
Posting bad news on a social media site eases the pain for the bearer of bad news and the recipient, because knowing what to
say to someone who has just told you bad news can be one of the most socially fraught situations. "If you put the news on Facebook,
you're also maximizing the recipient's comfort, so they can process the information on their own time," said Dr. Janet Sternberg,
assistant professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University. "It's really hard to break bad news without crying or
falling apart. But we can share painful news in less painful ways." Dr. Louis Manza, a professor and chairman of the psychology
department at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania, said: "From a cognitive perspective, it's easier to deal with it this way. You
post it, come back in eight hours and read all the comments that you get, and don't have to worry about having a difficult
conversation."
But some experts think that putting bad news on Facebook almost inevitably trivializes it, to the sufferer's further detriment.
"If you post about someone's death or your divorce, it's not that different from typing, 'I'm going to Starbucks,' " said Dr. Carole
Lieberman, a psychiatrist in Beverly Hills, Calif. Dr. Lieberman said that it is far preferable to tell people in person, as "it is very
human, very real and you have to deal with your feelings." In pre-Facebook days, she pointed out, we all had to make 50 difficult
phone calls or ask friends and family to help — and we all managed to do it. ( adapted from New York
Times )
1. When writing "to peek or not to peek" on Facebook, Aran Hissam was
A. thinking about peeking into someone's secrets on Facebook.
B. considering whether to find out the sex of her baby.
C. writing about her baby's problems on Facebook.
D. musing about her friends' posts on Facebook.
2. Ms Hissam's Facebook friends contacted her later the same day because
A. she failed her exam and they wanted to ask her about that.
B. they were bored and wanted some more gossip.
C. she did not write a follow up concerning the gender of her baby.
D. she had not told them the truth and they found out.
3. Ms. Aran Hissam chose to share her news on Facebook because
A. she thought it was an easy way of sharing news.
B. she wanted to surprise her husband.
C. she thought it was a difficult way of sharing news.
D. she wanted to give an interview about her problems.
4. According to the second paragraph, Facebook is becoming a place where people
A. share only good news.
B. share only bad news.
C. read and share gossip.
D. share both good and bad news.
5. Alicia, 35, appreciates sharing personal news on Facebook because
A. people are free to answer or not in their own time.
B. it is a modern means of communication.
C. people can get comfortable when they use it.
D. she doesn't want to use her full name.
6. According to the third paragraph, posting bad news on social sites
A. is considerably easier for the person who shares such news.
B. is easier for both the person who shares and the ones who receive it.
C. is much easier for the persons who have to read such news.
D. should not be an option; only positive news should be shared.
7. According to some experts, sharing bad news on social sites
A. makes it seem very important.
B. makes the sufferer trivial.
C. should be done from Starbucks.
D. makes it seem less important.
8. According to Dr. Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist in Beverly Hills, bad news
A. should not be shared under any circumstances.
B. should be told in person to those concerned.
C. should be shared only on Facebook.
D. should be shared only over the telephone.
9. The writer of this article
A. wants to convince the reader that sharing negative news on Facebook is trendy.
B. talks about people who share their divorce stories on social sites such as Facebook.
C. presents examples and opinions related to sharing negative news on social sites.
D. wants to convince the reader not to share their negative news on social sites.
10. The tone of this article is
A. subjective.
B. ironic.
C. objective.
D. sarcastic.

You will hear a conversation about shopping between Todd and Rebecca. For questions 1- 4 choose the best answer.
1. How often does Rebecca go shopping?
A. once a month
B. three times a month
C. once every three months
D. three times a week
2. What is most important to her?
A. the latest fashion
B. comfortable clothes
C. bargains
D. spending lots of money
3. What does she say about her jacket?
A. It was on sale.
B. She just bought it.
C. She regrets buying it.
D. It was expensive.
4. What does she say about online shopping?
A. She prefers going to stores.
B. She does it often.
C. She buys tops, shoes and skirts.
D. She has had many problems with it.
SUBlECTUL al ll-lea (60 de puncte)
You will listen to a conversation on work rules between Erina and Mike. For questions 5 - 10, choose the best answer.
5. What does he explain about the apron?
A. How to wear them.
B. Where they are and why they wear them.
C. What colour they are.
D. How to wash them.
6. One thing he is going to tell her is ……………....
A. how to make pizzas
B. how to do the housework
C. the dos and don'ts
D. not to make calls
7. What does he say about breaks?
A. She can have only one 15-minute break a day.
B. There are 15-minute breaks every two hours.
C. There are no breaks.
D. There is a 15-minute break every hour.
8. What is she supposed to ask the customer about?
A. the type of order, their phone number and address, the order
B. the crust size
C. coupons
D. their car number
9. What does she clarify about calls?
A. What to write down.
B. What to answer.
C. When she is paid.
D. What to say and what to ask.
10. How does Todd describe the atmosphere at "Campus Pizza"?
A. too flexible
B. too rigid
C. flexible enough
D. pretty and flexible

Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B)? If there is not enough information to answer 'Right' (A)
or 'Wrong' (B), choose 'Doesn't say' (C).
THE ETON WALL GAME
Eton College is one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious public schools. The school has some very old traditions. One
example is the Wall Game: a sport the school plays to celebrate 8t. Andrew's Day, on 30th November. Eton is located about 30
kilometres west of London. The school is in the village of Eton on the River Thames, opposite Windsor.
The Wall Game is only played at Eton. It is one of the oldest versions of football. Two teams play the game on a field beside
a wall, erected in 1717.The field is 100 metres long and 5 metres wide. The players score points by pushing their team and the ball to
one end of the field. Players cannot touch the ball with their hands. The players push and push and push. The ball is invisible under
their bodies. It isn't a very spectacular sport. In fact, games regularly finish 0-0. But it is character-forming. The Duke of Wellington, a
famous Old Etonian, apparently said that the Battle of Waterloo was "won on the playing fields of Eton''.
The Wall Game teams are called the Collegers and the Oppidans. Why? We need a short history lesson. King Henry VI
founded the school as a charity in 1440. The first students were 70 poor children. They were the King's 8cholars. They were also
called Collegers because they lived in Eton College. Eton still awards 70 scholarships. However, Eton College is now one of 25 Eton
houses. The Oppidans are students from the other 24 houses. They pay school fees. Today Eton is an expensive private school with
more than a thousand students.
Eton remains a powerful force in British culture. It has provided many prime ministers, including David Cameron. Both
Prince William and Prince Harry attended the school. In fact, Prince Harry played the Wall Game in 2001. Other famous Old Etonians
included George Orwell, the fictional James Bond and his creator Ian Fleming, and Hugh Laurie.
(adapted from Speak up)
1. Eton College was founded on November 30th, St. Andrew's Day.
2. 8tudents in many schools in England play the Wall Game regularly.
3. The Wall Game is not extremely captivating, but it builds moral strength.
4. Most students at Eton have to pay large fees to study there.
5. James Bond attended Eton at the same time as Jan Fleming.
Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, c or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The word mural means ‘related to a wall’, and calls up the vision of a single oversized painting. This is misleading in the case
of America Today by Thomas Hart Benton, which is a whole painted room, four walls, ten panels, and floor to ceiling. Like all great
art, the mural does not reproduce well; illustrated it is dim and simplified, its colours untrue, much detail lost. All
masterpieces must be seen at firsthand. This was the reason for the Grand Tour. It is the reason that people still visit the great
museums of the world and they discover, as I did with America Today, that being in that room, enclosed by those glorious walls, is the
way Benton conceived his project: not as a set of pictures but as an enlivened space.
I move counterclockwise around the room, beginning with ‘Deep South’, which is largely devoted to cotton, but with
contrasting figures, the standing black cotton picker looming over the seated white man on his harrow, the steamboat Tennessee Belle
in the center, loading cotton, and the obscure detail, a chain gang being watched by a mean-faced guard cradling a rifle. As in all of
the panels the workers are heroic and powerful.
Next to it ‘Midwest’ shows an altered Eden, lumberjacks clear-cutting a forest for timber and for land to grow corn, the
grain elevator in the background mirroring the skyscraper depicted across the room in ‘City Building'. An illustration might not
catch the swollen menace of the rattlesnake in the lower left, nor would it show well the boxy Model-T Ford that Benton used in his
travels. ‘Changing West’, the next panel, is an unromantic study of the oil boom in Texas, dominated by thick smoke and a
derrick; yet portions of it show the vanishing professions of herdsmen and cowboys, the confrontation of a Native American
facing a painted floozy.
No humans appear in the central and largest panel, ‘Instruments of Power’, which is more proof that Benton did not
abandon abstraction and that his deftness in rendering movement by controlling color must have impressed his student Jackson
Pollock, whose early paintings show Benton's influence. I don't think any illustration would do justice to the blur of the whirring
propeller, nor is it possible in leafing through a book of pictures to see how the red of the plane is repeated in a man's red shirt on one
panel, a red blouse in another, the red dress of a dancer, or the crimson of the leotard in the trapeze artist flinging herself across the top
of the opposite panel. The whole mural, among many other things, is a study in attention-seeking roseate colors.
The red shirt of the work-weary miner in ’Coal’ seizes the eye, as do the smoke stacks, the fires and the power plant. But you
need to stand on tiptoe to see on the upper right the rough shacks of the mining town, a reminder of the humble home where that
muscular miner lives. The furnace flames and fire-lit bodies in ‘Steel’ seem to heat the whole painting and illuminate the strong bodies
and gripping hands, but the tiniest grace notes are those of sparks flying.
‘City Building’ directly across from ‘Deep South’ shows a similar dynamic pattern of workers, black men and white men
working together - in both panels the black workers loom larger. An almost imperceptible detail is the sight of two dark-suited figures
- gangsters - one handing over money, at the center of the picture.
Sitting at the center of the room, before the two New York panels, ‘City Activities with Dance Hall’, and ‘City Activities
with Subway’, I watch people entering America Today. None of them stride to the facing wall to see ‘Instruments of Power’, planes,
trains and power plants. All the viewers turn to the city panels, where spirit and flesh vied for dominance. They lean to the right to see
the burlesque show (‘50 Girls’) and the preachers (‘God is Love’), or left to see the frenzy of the dance hall, the drinkers, the circus
performers. These city panels are the most satisfying of all, the most crowded, the most vital and paradoxical.
(adapted from The Smithsonian)
1. What is different about "America Today" when compared to a regular mural?
A. lt is about an entire continent.
B. lt occupies more space than one single wall.
C. lt can be easily reproduced in a magazine.
D. lt doesn't succeed in rendering every little detail accurately.
2. When painting "America Today", Benton tried to
A. put together pictures of America from when he was a child.
B. create a work of art which was completely original.
C. address the public of every museum in the world.
D. create an entirely alternative, vivid space.
3. "Deep South" has as its main theme
A. agriculture.
B. gangsters.
C. steamboats.
D. city workers.
4. While looking at "Deep South" you are most likely to miss
A. the steamboat.
B. the guardsman.
C. the white worker.
D. the black cotton picker.
5. An element of "Midwest" is reflected in another element from
A. "Deep South".
B. every other panel.
C. "Changing West".
D. "City Building".
6. The element missing from "Instruments of Power" is
A. industrial images.
B. human figures.
C. vehicles in motion.
D. electrical measurement devices.
7. The author of the article believes that an element of cohesion for the entire mural is
A. the colour red.
B. the fact that human figures appear larger than life.
C. the illusion of movement given by certain figures.
D. the influence it had on one of Benton's disciples.
8. "Coal" and "Steel" mostly depict industrialization through
A. fire and heat.
B. smoke and clouds.
C. poor housing conditions.
D. human bodies set on fire.
9. In both "City Building" and "Deep South" the human figures that stand taller are those of
A. the white workers.
B. the Native Americans.
C. the black workers.
D. the gangsters.
10. In the author's opinion, the two New York panels
A. are the best, full of characters and vitality.
B. are not to be seen in haste.
C. are admired only by part of the visitors.
D. are too religious in theme.

You will hear a man talking about Thierry Boyle, a stamp collector. For questions 1 - 4 choose the best answer.
1. What did Thierry think about himself?
A. He was quite interesting.
B. He was boring.
C. He was frightening.
D. He was sensible.
2. What was Thierry's job?
A. He was an accountant.
B. He was a shop assistant.
C. He was an actor.
D. He was a translator.
3. What did people find to be more boring than his stamp collection?
A. His speeches.
B. His job.
C. His talks about stamps.
D. His unhappiness.
4. To whom did Thierry write a letter?
A. To the Queen of England.
B. To the man with the biggest stamp collection in the world.
C. To a TV reporter.
D. To a local newspaper.
You will listen to a man talking about the notion of Britishness. For questions 5 - 10, choose the best answer.
5. From the speaker's point of view, a British man is considered to be a 19th century combination between
A. a gentleman and a scientist.
B. a gentleman and a hooligan.
C. a hooligan and a scientist.
D. a football player and a gentleman.
6. The British are said to be extremely well-behaved except for the situation when they are
A. insulted.
B. annoyed.
C. playing another country.
D. trying to invade another country.
7. The British are known to wait for a long time outside the hospital in order to welcome the birth of
A. any baby.
B. a red-blooded baby.
C. twins.
D. a blue-blooded baby.
8. UK is linked to Europe by
A. politics.
B. an efficient system of transport.
C. treaties and a tunnel.
D. its culture and language.
9. Northern Ireland is
A. part of Ireland.
B. in the UK.
C. not mentioned.
D. hard to reach.
10. What is the attitude of the speaker when talking about the top competitors at standing in line?
A. He is being ironic.
B. He is appalled that the British are not the best.
C. He is neutral.
D. He is confused.

The wait is over. The movie event of the year is here. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, number seven in the series for those
who wouldn't know a Jedi from a Jar Jar, emerges bloody with unrealistic expectations but gloriously unbowed. It's everything the kid
in us goes to the movies for - marvelous adventure that leaves us surprised, scared and euphoric. So let out a Wookiee roar for director
J.J. Abrams who sweeps us out of the black hole of George's Lucas' trilogy of paralyzingly dull Star Wars prequels and into a brave
new world.
Okay, not quite. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is basically an updated remake of Star Wars: A New Hope, the 1977 Lucas
original that changed the face of movie space epics and made us all one with the Force. Now it's three decades later. Our heroes have a
little age on them, they being Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). It's
great that Chewbacca, C3Po and R2D2 look exactly the same. The newbies are repped by Rey (Daisy Ridley), a desert scavenger
abandoned by her family on Jukku; Finn (John Boyega), an AWOL stormtrooper with little taste for killing; and Poe Dameron
(Oscar Isaac), a pilot working for Leia, a princess turned general who now leads the Resistance.
(www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews)
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a movie that will not be enjoyed by adults.
2. The author of the article considers the Star Wars prequels to be extremely boring.
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a modern version of a 1977 movie.
4. Finn, one of the characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, doesn't mind killing.
A. Right B. Wrong c. Doesn't say
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens became the most successful movie in 2015.
The winner of the 2016 Oscar in practically every category is G white men facing adversity. Just two years after the much-
touted breakthrough of "12 Years a Slave", the best picture nominees announced Thursday, with a few notable exceptions, follow a
dishearteningly repetitive story line of white men triumphing over enormous odds: The Hollywood blacklist ("Trumbo"), the
vagaries of Wall Street ("The Big Short"), Cold War politics ("Bridge of Spies"), life alone on Mars ("The Martian"), a grizzly bear
attack, murderous companions and the hostilities of a cruel winter landscape ("The Revenant"). Even "Spotlight," with its supporting
actress nomination for Rachel McAdams, showcases a group of mostly male journalists struggling to expose the brutal crimes
committed by the Catholic Church. And though there is feminine power aplenty in "Mad Max: Fury Road," the film's titular character
is, of course, Max, and its lead actress didn't even get a nomination.
To be clear, these are all good stories, powerful, well told and beautifully acted. But in world filled with billions of people
who are not white men, they are certainly not the only good stories, not by a long shot. Though our demographics and attitudes
continue to change, Hollywood's definition of great drama has remained stubbornly attached to standards and expectations set back
when men were men (if they were white) and everyone else needed to just shut up and listen. Obviously, plenty of films have
challenged this sensibility, telling a wide variety of stories from many points of view. But when it comes to Oscar bait, the default
remains too often set at literal reading of the four essential categories of conflict: Man versus man, man versus nature, man versus
society and man versus himself. As many have already pointed out, the characters in the lead actor category were a writer,
scientist/astronaut, tracker, inventor and artist. The characters in lead actress? Homemaker, mother, inventor, wife, clerk.
Certainly "Straight Outta Compton," "Creed," "Concussion" and "Beasts of No Nation" fit the "classic" definition of literary
conflict. They just didn't fit, apparently, academy voters' ideas of a classic best picture. Film is not the only narrative art
struggling with a limited notion of excellence. The publishing industry is in the midst of a long-standing battle over why certain
writers (mostly white men) are considered "significant" while others (often women, white and otherwise) are dubbed "popular."
With its increasing number of platforms, television has done a better job in recent years of expanding its repertoire of
characters and stories, but the "prestige dramas" of premium and basic cable remain almost as fascinated with the perils and problems
of white men as film. Of recent Emmy winners in drama, only "Game of Thrones" gives equal emphasis to its female characters.
Ironically, television has benefited, and will continue to benefit, from film's increasingly narrow focus. There are many reasons
for TV's recent renaissance, but it certainly began when female film stars, unable to find good roles, left the big screen for the small.
Film writers, unable to sell stories outside the prescribed margins, soon followed.
Although there are still too few women and people of color writing and directing television, there are far more than in
film. The nominees for virtually every category that was not lead or supporting actress included only a scattering of women.
And director Todd Haynes, who in "Carol" told a lovely and lyrical story about two women, was shut out of his category and the best
picture group.
Before chalking all this up to a discussion of political correctness, Hollywood should take note that there is money at stake.
The movie and TV industries won't solve their main problem - how to capture the eyes of young audiences - by hewing to hallmarks
of excellence set by previous generations. Millennials and post-millennials aren't just big franchise fans, they are also the most
racially diverse and socially tolerant generations in history. As the crossover audiences for "Straight Outta Compton" and "The
Hunger Games" series proved, they don't "need" their heroes to be white and don't expect them to be male or straight or anything but
interesting.
(www./atimes.comlentertainment)
1. What does the article say about the Oscar best picture nominees?
A. They are focusing mostly on white men.
B. They present only stories about white men winning against the odds.
C. They appeal to the minorities.
D. They should all be given the award.
2. Why is "Mad Max: Fury Road" mentioned in the article?
A. Because its lead actress got an underserved nomination.
B. Because its lead actress did not acknowledge the nomination.
C. Because it focuses too much on feminine power.
D. Because the feminine power was not acknowledged by a nomination.
3. What is the attitude of the writer of the article towards the movies nominated for the Oscars?
A. He is thoroughly disappointed with them.
B. He admits they are good movies.
C. He wishes he had never watched any of them.
D. He guarantees better choices next year.
4. According to the article, what problem(s) does the publishing industry face?
A. Lack of money and investors.
B. Television and its expanding influence.
C. The eternal conflict between movies and books.
D. A narrow definition of eminence.
5. Why does the author of the article praise television?
A. Because it has not focused only on white men.
B. Because it has developed in the recent years.
C. Because of its prestige.
D. Because it offers better jobs.
6. According to the article, "Game of Thrones" is the only Emmy winner
A. that is centered exclusively on women.
B. that focuses equally both on men and women.
C. that does not pay much attention to men.
D. that deserved to be praised.
7. The revival of television is attributed to
A. the awards received.
B. the presence of female stars.
C. the movies broadcast that star women.
D. the female film stars and the film writers.
8. What kind of generations do millennials and post-millennials belong to?
A. Racist and intolerant.
B. Generations that embrace diversity.
C. Generations that are diverse and embrace diversity.
D. Generations that are trying to fit in and hide their racial background.
9. The purpose of this article is to inform the readers about
A. the dominance of mainstream male actors in movies.
B. the double standards of Hollywood.
C. the predominance of white male actors among the Oscars nominees.
D. the need for the Oscars to adapt to contemporary attitudes.
10. The tone of this article is
A. subjective.
B. ironic.
C. mawkish .
D. matter-of-fact.

You will hear a man talking about Madison Square Garden, a New York City landmark.
1. Which of the following wouldn't probably be hosted by Madison Square Garden?
A. a rock concert
B. a medical congress
C. an American basketball match
D. a hockey game
2. How quickly did Taylor Swift's concert tickets sell out?
A. 60 days
B. One minute
C. One week
D. 60 hours
3. President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday party at Madison Square Garden
A. caused a scandal.
B. was the first occasion for Rocky Marciano to fight there.
C. featured a choir of actresses singing "Happy Birthday".
D. was attended by Hulk Hogan.
4. What is peculiar about Madison Square Garden's location?
A. It is situated on a yellow road.
B. You can only get there by taxi.
C. It is very far from Times Square.
D. It is situated on top of a train station.
You will hear an interview with actress Meryl Streep talking about the film The Iron Lady.
5. What was one of the problems the film producers faced?
A. It was difficult for them to find famous actors to play the parts in the film.
B. It was difficult for them to find people to finance the film.
C. Meryl Streep didn't agree to appear in the movie at first.
D. The director they wanted was directing another movie at the time.
6. Meryl Streep was immediately interested in the movie because
A. the director Phyllida Lloyd was a long-time friend.
B. she had always dreamed of playing Margaret Thatcher.
C. the film addressed an issue that does not usually interest many producers.
D. at the time there weren't many parts offered to her.
7. Meryl Streep feels that public figures are wrongly perceived by the public because
A. people tend to see only the good or the bad in them.
B. people believe they don't care about others.
C. people believe public figures always wear masks.
D. people tend to consider them as inferior citizens.
8. Meryl Streep admits that when she began filming
A. she was very familiar with Margaret Thatcher's political activity.
B. she had heard about Margaret Thatcher and her policies in the USA.
C. she had her own political views, clearly opposed to Margaret Thatcher's.
D. she knew that Margaret Thatcher had many political views in common with an American President.
9. Why was the first day of rehearsal important for Meryl Streep?
A. She realised how many wonderful British actors were acting in the film.
B. She felt welcome because she was the only woman present.
C. She could understand better how Margaret Thatcher felt when entering the Conservative Party.
D. She had to travel to Oxbridge and so she visited places Margaret Thatcher had lived in.
10. While speaking about the biographical aspect of the movie Meryl Streep states that
A. it's not important to see a life as a whole, but rather like separate scenes.
B. it's amazing how full of extremely important events a life can be.
C. Margaret Thatcher's life taught her a lot about what a worthwhile life should be like.
D. there are a lot of similarities between Margaret Thatcher's life and her own.

Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-5 'Right' (A) or 'Wrong' (B)? If there is not enough information to answer 'Right' (A)
or 'Wrong' (B), choose 'Doesn't say' (C).
Music is something that every person has his or her own specific opinion about. Different people have different taste, and
various types of music have many ways of leaving an impact on someone. It can be relaxing, angering, soothing, energizing, and many
more.
There are so many types of music out there today. Rap, pop, rock, country, indie, alternative, hardcore are some of
the abundant types in the world. Music sends out either good or bad messages that have a big impact on how people act. People
usually become friends with others who have the same taste in music as the rest of the people they hang out with. People may not want
to associate with people who have different tastes in music because they'll argue about it.
Rap and Rock music are two very important types of music in the world. They both send out different messages and help
kids. The lyrics sung or rapped by the artists can be things going on in their own personal lives. People with the same types of
problems can listen to them so they know there's hope and there are similar people out there in the world.
Music can also serve as a catalyst for new ideas. When people listen to the new things out there, they learn different things
going on in the world and they become more open-minded.
People can use music to express themselves, in ways it can't be expressed through behaviour, or art. You can usually
tell how someone's feeling by the type of music he or she is listening to at the time. It's a tool used by many. Groups of people around
the world can come together and gather at concerts, shows, and venues to show what their interests and likes are.
I can personally relate to the effects that music has on its listeners and users because it's a big part of my life. Every day I
listen to the words and sounds of different singers/bands with contrasting ideas and opinions. The music I listen to makes me who I
am.
1. Music can be calming.
2. People become friends with people with similar tastes in music.
3. Music can make you narrow-minded.
4. Musicians usually gather in public places.
5. Music has hardly any effect on the author of the article.
A brief history of the UK Parliament
Parliament started life as an English affair. It was not much of a Parliament - more of a talking shop for the king and rich
men. The king asked their advice, but did what he wanted. These meetings morphed into a formal arrangement which eventually
became the House of Lords. In those days - and for several centuries later - England was busy fighting with Scotland and raiding
Wales.
By the 13th Century, a parliament was when kings met up with English barons to raise cash for fighting wars - mostly
against Scotland. Thanks to Magna Carta of 1215, kings were now obliged to ask before taking anyone's money. That did not stop
the rows though. Some barons got fed up with Henry III - not least because of his failed, expensive battles in Wales. The ambitious
Simon de Montfort sidelined Henry and made himself ruler. De Montfort was a big fan of Parliament. The one in 1265 was
the first to involve "ordinary" folk - knights, not just the super-rich. And it was the first time elections were held - the first stirrings of
the House of Commons we know today. The venue was usually Westminster, where one enterprising monarch had built a massive hall
on a swamp, which grew into the Palace of Westminster. Westminster Hall is still in use today.
Scotland had its own parliament from the 13th century, which was occasionally held in open air. In those days, though, the
king had the real power. So one of the early campaigns for independence was sparked by an English king declaring himself
king of Scotland. William Wallace led the rebellion. In those days campaign weapons were bows and arrows. Wallace was eventually
found guilty of treason. He was dragged through the streets of London naked before being hanged, drawn and quartered.
In the early days there were no rules on who could vote. But a feeling developed that too many "persons of low estate" were
doing so. So from 1430 you could only vote if you owned property worth 40 shillings. The rule stayed in place for 400 years.
Ireland also had its own parliament from the 13th Century. In 1542, Irish MPs decided that whoever was king of England should
also be king of Ireland. They kept their parliament going though.
The seeds of a UK Parliament were sown in 1542 when Wales came on board. At the time, Wales was a patchwork of
independent areas. But along came Henry VIII, a man fond of dramatic gestures. Having given the Catholic Church its marching
orders, he was worried that the Catholics would not go quietly. To stop the Welsh coming under their influence, he decided Wales
would be ruled by England. By now Parliament was a full-blooded institution and Wales was allowed to send representatives. Henry
called it an Act of Union but it was more of a forced marriage.
By 1603, England and Scotland had the same king but different parliaments. King James tried to persuade the English
Parliament to bring the Scottish Parliament into the fold. But English MPs refused to let any Scots into the Westminster club.
The Commons got into its stride in the 1620s. Fights in the chamber... the king trying to arrest MPs. Eventually, Charles I
dissolved Parliament for 11 years. He brought it back because he was short of money for a war with... Scotland. The rows got worse,
leading to a war between Parliament and the king. The king was put on trial and then executed. Hard to imagine nowadays but the
Commons voted to abolish the monarchy altogether.
After the civil war, England became a republic under Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell had big ideas. He annexed Scotland and
Ireland into a full union with a single parliament at Westminster. The 1654 parliament was the first one in which the whole of Britain
was represented. But Cromwell dissolved it pretty quickly when MPs refused to do his bidding.
At the end of the 18th Century, there was a powerful campaign for Irish independence from England. The English response?
To crush the rebellion brutally and bring Ireland firmly into the UK with another Act of Union. That was the end of the Irish
Parliament. A hundred Irish MPs turned up at Westminster. By now, the Commons chamber was getting pretty crowded.
There was a succession of rebellions in Ireland, throughout the 19th Century, against Britain. Moderate rebels settled
on "Home Rule" as the way forward - which included bringing back an Irish Parliament. Just as the Westminster Parliament looked set
to agree, World War One broke out. Finally in 1920 - after a rebellion which became a civil war - a law was passed dividing Ireland
into north and south. Northern Ireland was given its own parliament, which was suspended in 1972 because of the Troubles. The south
became a new independent Irish state. And, of course, this arrangement was fiercely controversial for most of the 20th Century.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics
1. Why was the Parliament set up in the beginning?
A. Out of necessity.
B. The king imposed it.
C. To advise on state affairs.
D. To discuss war strategies.
2. How did Simon de Montfort become a ruler?
A. By sending Henry III to prison.
B. By helding elections for the House of Commons.
C. By forming an alliance with the barons.
D. By putting the king out of action.
3. Why did the first independence battle start in Scotland?
A. Because they wanted to start their own Parliament.
B. A Scottish king declared himself king of Scotland.
C. A Scottish king declared himself king of England.
D. England attempted to take over Scotland.
4. What was the condition you had to fulfil in order to be able to vote?
A. Owning a property of a certain value.
B. Having some money.
C. Being an English person.
D. Being the king.
5. How did Wales become a member of the UK Parliament?
A. willingly C. Happily
B. Easily D. unwillingly
6. Why did Charles I bring back the Parliament?
A. To get rich. C. To have somebody to rule.
B. To start a war. D. To avoid a war.
7. What is the meaning of bidding at the end of the 8th paragraph?
A. bet C. Request
B. Connection D. purpose
8. How did England react when Ireland claimed its independence?
A. They stifled the rebellion.
B. They encouraged them to continue.
C. They issued more regulations.
D. They ended the Parliament.
9. What prevented Westminster from accepting the setting up of a new Irish Parliament?
A. The beginning of a military conflict.
B. The initiation of the "Home Rule".
C. The numerous acts of rebellion.
D. Their desire to be independent.
10. What is the main purpose of the text?
A. To persuade readers that a Parliament is necessary.
B. To outline the history of the UK Parliament.
C. To start a controversy.
D. To inspire readers.

You will hear a woman talking about how lawyers help people. For questions 1 - 4 choose the best answer.
1. Normally, what do lawyers try to do?
A. settle disputes in court
B. settle disputes before court
C. settle disputes after court
D. settle disputes at parties
2. What does 'pro bono' mean?
A. The lawyer is very good.
B. The lawyer is professional.
C. The lawyer works for free.
D. The lawyer is very expensive.
3. What do lawyers explain?
A. leases
B. law school
C. their case history
D. foreign affairs
4. What kind of law will the woman practice?
A. children's law
B. labour law
C. aviation law
D. economy law
You will hear an interview with the Prime Minister of the U.K., Theresa May, about Brexit. For questions 5 - 10, choose the
best answer (A, B, C or D).
5. Why is Brexit a historic moment for the U.K.?
A. It is a formal process of negotiations that involves all E.U. members.
B. The referendum on 23 June was the only one in the U.K.
C. Theresa May suggests that.
D. The British politicians implement what was decided in the referendum.
6. According to Theresa May, the British voted to leave the E.U. because
A. they considered they were not respected by the other E.U. members.
B. of the unfair treatment of the E.U. members.
C. they wanted to have a society based on honesty.
D. they wanted to preserve their customs and traditions.
7. By voting to leave the E.U., the British prove that
A. they were dissatisfied with the E.U. government.
B. they wanted to have control over their foreign affairs.
C. they didn't like to be ruled.
D. they are very determined.
8. When referring to immigration, Theresa May states that
A. many more people will move to the U.K. in the future.
B. many E.U. members will have to leave the U.K.
C. after Brexit, it will be an uncontrolled phenomenon.
D. it was the reason why most British people wanted to leave the E.U.
9. While in the E.U., the British were not able to
A. control the number of immigrants.
B. control their borders.
C. set rules for immigrants.
D. all of the above.
10. Does Theresa May reveal what rules will be for the E.U. citizens who move to the U.K?
A. No, as the British politicians are still looking for solutions.
B. No, and, according to her, they are useless.
C. Yes, but they have long-term effects.
D. Yes, but they haven't been voted by the MPs.

Math has never been my thing. I have always had a hard time understanding it. After spending freshman and sophomore year
with the same teacher, I felt doomed for junior year. After my first day, I felt like this was the year I was going to understand it, and I
felt this because of my teacher; Mr. Schmid. His style of teaching was basic, and simple. He always taught at a good pace and made
sure that everyone was right with him before moving on. We took notes, did examples, worked in groups, discussed homework and
played math games every once in a while. It was the first time I actually looked forward to coming to math class. Half way through the
year, I felt I had a good grasp on the subject. For the first time in High School, I got an 'A' on a math test. I was feeling confident, but
still wanted that extra push. Mr. Schmid offered to help me with my homework during my 10th hour study hall. Every other day
during my 10th hour, I went back to the math room to discuss my homework. There were usually about two or three other students
there getting help also. We worked our way through all of the problems on the assignment, and if I was still a little shaky, he made up
more examples till I did understand. Somehow, he managed to completely help me and three other students in just 40 minutes. After
we all finished, there was usually around five to seven minutes left before the bell rang. That's when we would discuss our favorite
teams. We talked about the Brewers, Packers, and Badgers. Having Mr. Schmid as my teacher changed my views on math. I know
now that it's okay and always a good idea to go in for extra help. I had to go on to my senior math class without Mr. Schmid as my
teacher this year. I will always remember him as "the teacher who somehow managed to make math make sense."
1. Mr. Schmid was in his junior year.
2. Mr. Schmid's teaching style was not appreciated by authorities.
3. Mr. Schmid helped students with their homework.
4. Mr. Schmid disliked talking about sports teams with his students.
5. Mr. Schmid managed to change the author's opinion on maths.
How to be a successful monarch
Longevity is a great personal achievement for a monarch, although it is not a marker of success on its own. Queen Victoria's
63 years and 216 days defined an age in British history; but in terms of relative accomplishment and reputation-building, Henry V's
nine years and 163 days - during which he won at Agincourt and conquered France - were pretty potent too.
That being said, a long reign can be a good way to earn a lasting reputation. Elizabeth I (44 years) and Edward III (50 years)
were both remarkably tenacious rulers, and although both eventually went rather stale, they were living legends by their old age.
George III (59 years) followed much the same path. His reign ended, like Edward III's, in the misery of personal decay and mental
collapse, but before that came victories in the Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars, and survival during the sorely testing
American War of Independence.
Behind - or beside - almost every successful monarch is a trusted consort. Elizabeth II has Prince Philip. Victoria had Albert.
William III (and II) and Mary II had one another. Henry VIII began his reign with one fine queen, Catherine of Aragon, and ended it
with another, Katherine Parr - although he had to go through four other, rather less satisfactory, versions in between.
One of the most intriguing partnerships in the history of the British monarchy was the marriage between Henry II and
Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152. This ultimately brought Eleanor's huge southern French duchy into union with the English crown and
the links between England and Gascony would endure for 300 years. And since Eleanor had previously been married to Louis VII of
France, her remarriage to Henry signalled a huge shift in continental power away from the Capetian dynasty toward the new
Plantagenet crown. Henry and Eleanor fell out dramatically in 1173-74 when the queen encouraged her sons in a massive rebellion
and was imprisoned for more than a decade. However, she endured and emerged in old age to hold together the reigns of Richard the
Lionheart and, until her death in 1204, her youngest son, King John.
Mary, Queen of Scots never had the greatest judgment, and her decision to marry her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, in
1565 was among her worst. Darnley turned out to be a drunken, diseased murderer, who was eventually strangled before his house
was blown up with gunpowder in 1567.
The most basic fact of British monarchy is that it is hereditary. Its future depends on maintaining a large royal family who
can ensure that the bloodline survives, no matter what. Notable successes in this field include Henry II - whose children numbered
three kings of England, and queens of Castile and Sicily. Edward III's many children restocked the Plantagenet dynasty during
a lean time at the end of the 14th century.
Even Henry VIII, whose troubles with producing an heir had such a profound effect on English history, managed to father
three more Tudor monarchs, carrying the dynasty to the end of the 16th century. Perhaps the greatest success of all, however,
was George III, who produced 15 children with his queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Two of his sons (George IV
and William IV) ruled after him, and although neither produced a direct heir, Queen Victoria (George III's granddaughter through his
fourth son, Edward, Duke of Kent) still inherited the crown in 1837.
It's all very well spreading the royal seed, but it needs to remain in the family. Henry I fathered more than 20 children, but
only two were legitimate: William the Atheling, who died in a shipwreck, and the Empress Matilda. When Henry died in 1135 his
decision to name Matilda as his heir led to the 19-year civil war known as the Anarchy.
Monarchy is stamped into the landscape as much as it is written in the history books, and even otherwise useless rulers have
obtained some redemption through their building works. To the otherwise inadequate Plantagenet rulers Henry III and Henry VI, for
example, we owe Westminster Abbey, Eton and King's College, Cambridge.
In the Middle Ages, kings built castles, and in that sense, all were following the lead of their ancestor William the Conqueror,
whose campaigns in England in the 11th century were secured by building and garrisoning fortresses. During the Stuart restoration,
the classical- baroque style flourished, under masters like Christopher Wren (whose masterpiece was the new St Paul's Cathedral) and
Nicholas Hawksmoor (who developed Wren's work in Greenwich). The last great phase of royal building came under Queen
Victoria - or, rather, Prince Albert. Balmoral was created as a royal holiday residence in Scotland, while in London the museums
and cultural spaces around South Kensington were begun under Albert's influence (and, later, in his memory).
Royal building is an exercise in controlling your own legacy. Elizabeth I refused to follow royal custom by designing her
own tomb. Thus she rests in Westminster Abbey beneath a squat, ugly effigy ordered by James VI and I, which compares noticeably
badly to the tomb of James's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, whom Elizabeth had executed.
1. Why is Henry V's reign more important than Queen Victoria's?
A. There were no conflicts.
B. He was a powerful king.
C. Due to his achievements and people's admiration.
D. He was more powerful than Queen Victoria.
2. What did Elizabeth I and Edward III have in common?
A. Towards the end of their reign, they lost interest in what they were doing.
B. They were not interested in getting married.
C. They were better than George III.
D. They didn't have mental problems like George III.
3. The examples of marriages given in the third paragraph prove that
A. there were more kings than queens along the history.
B. a queen's reign lasts longer than a king's reign.
C. a successful monarch is supported by his/her consort.
D. some kings had several marriages.
4. Why did Eleanor quarrel with her husband, Henry II?
A. Because she supported family members in a rebellion.
B. Because of her previous marriage.
C. Because of her rebellious sons.
D. Because they could not get on with each other.
5. The continuity of the British Monarchy depends on
A. well defined political circumstances.
B. the period when the king/queen reigns.
C. how powerful the king/queen is.
D. the number of heirs a king/queen has.
6. How did Victoria become Queen?
A. She inherited the throne from William IV.
B. Her father was previously the King of England.
C. Her uncles didn't have children.
D. She inherited the crown when her grandfather died in 1837.
7. Why couldn't Henry I be followed to the throne by one of his sons?
A. The only legitimate one died.
B. He preferred his daughter to his son.
C. He did not have any legitimate children.
D. Matilda forced him to proclaim her his heir.
8. Even if some rulers were inefficient, during their reign
A. new architectural styles were created.
B. people did not rebel.
C. the construction of famous buildings began.
D. the country prospered.
9. Who was the first to impose a trend in building?
A. the Stuarts. C. Prince Albert.
B. William the Conqueror. D. Queen Victoria.
10. What is the meaning of "effigy" in the last paragraph?
A. tomb of a person. C. grave of a person.
B. sculpture of a person. D. coffin of a person.
PROBA DE ÎNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 10
You will hear a man and a woman talking about her job in the aviation industry. For questions 1 – 4 choose the best answer
(A, B, C or D).
1. What did the woman write for her company?
A. letters
B. memos
C. reports
D. contracts
2. What is leasing a plane similar to?
A. building a house
B. renting a car
C. taking a trip
D. sailing a boat
3. When do companies lease planes?
A. When their planes are being repaired.
B. When their planes are new.
C. When they want to save money.
D. When they want to increase profit.
4. What can you get with a wet lease?
A. two planes
B. a spare engine
C. a full crew
D. two pilots
SUBIECTUL II (60 de puncte)
You will hear an interview with Hillary Clinton, about her book, after losing the 2016 presidential election. For questions 5 –
10, choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
5. At the very beginning of the interview, we learn that
A. the Clintons bought a house in Washington.
B. Hillary Clinton had many supporters.
C. the Clintons had many friends.
D. Hillary Clinton was very optimistic about her chances of winning.
6. After losing the elections, Hillary Clinton
A. regrets the time spent at home doing chores.
B. appreciates her family more.
C. admits it’s not what she wanted.
D. is preparing to take revenge.
7. In her book, “What Happened”, Hillary Clinton
A. does not put the blame on anybody for losing the elections.
B. admits she is responsible for not connecting with voters.
C. analyses mainly her political career.
D. reveals the identity of those who betrayed her.
8. Despite the fact that Hillary Clinton understood people’s feelings, in her political message,
A. she did not mention them.
B. she blamed them.
C. she advised them.
D. she did not react more emotionally.
9. When referring to the fact that the majority of the Americans did not trust her, Hillary states that
A. she was not aware of that.
B. she did try to win their trust.
C. she was advised to ignore them.
D. her campaign advisers could not find solutions.
10. What reason does she give when she explains why a great number of women did not vote her?
A. Women like only male presidents.
B. Successful women are not so popular.
C. Women are very stubborn.
D. Men are better presidents.

In theory, a video could go viral just because one person posts a video, two people share it, four or their friends share it and
so on. This perhaps might have happened occasionally with funny cat videos, but in reality, making a video viral is much more
difficult than you think. Richard Fisher of New Scientist tried to deliberately create a viral video in 2009, describing his experiments
in Atomic dogs: The making of an Internet sensation.
After experimenting different methods, he discovered that even if a video is good the only way to make it go viral is to get
some help from a person who has real influence. One share by a "sneezer" like this can give a video the push it needs to start trending,
triggering a self-sustaining chain reaction. In the New York Times article, they reveal that what made Kony2012 reach 40 million
views in just a few days were the tweets by people like Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber, who have millions of loyal followers.
There is another way to make a video go viral. Many people remember the legendary "Tipp-Ex A Hunter Shoots A Bear"
video on YouTube, viewed at least 20 million times. This was actually a very expensive ad, relying on a custom YouTube page, some
clever application design work and quite a lot of work with a film crew, talent and a guy in a bear suit.
(http://andrewhennigan.blogspot.ro)
1. It is certain that a video will go viral when people share it.
2. The author of the article tried to make a video go viral and failed.
3. A “sneezer” is a person who can help make a video go viral.
4. The tweets of famous people definitely helped Kony2012 have 40 million views.
5. The help of famous people is the only way to make a video go viral.
SUBIECTUL al II-lea (60 de puncte)
It all seemed so simple in 2008. All we had was financial collapse, a cripplingly high oil price and global crop failures due to
extreme weather events. In addition, my climate scientist colleague Dr Viki Johnson and I worked out that we had about 100 months
before it would no longer be “likely” that global average surface temperatures could be held below a 2C rise, compared with pre-
industrial times.
What’s so special about 2C? The simple answer is that it is a target that could be politically agreed on the international stage.
It was first suggested in 1975 by the environmental economist William Nordhaus as an upper threshold beyond which we would arrive
at a climate unrecognisable to humans. In 1990, the Stockholm Environment Institute recommended 2C as the maximum that should
be tolerated, but noted: “Temperature increases beyond 1C may elicit rapid, unpredictable and non-linear responses that could lead to
extensive ecosystem damage.”
To date, temperatures have risen by almost 1C since 1880. The effects of this warming are already being observed inmelting
ice, ocean levels rising, worse heat waves and other extreme weather events. There are negative impacts on farming, the disruption of
plant and animal species on land and in the sea, extinctions, the disturbance of water supplies and food production and increased
vulnerability, especially among people in poverty in low-income countries. But effects are global. So 2C was never seen as necessarily
safe, just a guardrail between dangerous and very dangerous change.
To get a sense of what a 2C shift can do, just look in Earth’s rear-view mirror. When the planet was 2C colder than during the
industrial revolution, we were in the grip of an ice age and a mile-thick North American ice sheet reached as far south as New York.
The same warming again will intensify and accelerate human-driven changes already under way and has been described by James
Hansen, one of the first scientists to call global attention to climate change, as a “prescription for long-term disaster”, including an
ice-free Arctic.
Nevertheless, in 1996, a European Council of environment ministers, that included a young Angela Merkel, adopted 2C as a
target for the EU. International negotiators agreed the same in 2010 in Cancun. It was a commitment repeated in the Paris Climate
Accord of 2015 where, pushed by a new group of countries called the Climate Vulnerable Forum, ambitions went one step further,
agreeing to hold temperature rises to “well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase
even further to 1.5C”.
Is it still likely that we will stay below even 2C? In the 100 months since August 2008, I have been writing a climate-change
diary for the Guardian to raise questions and monitor progress, or the lack of it, on climate action. To see how well we have fared, I
asked a number of leading climate scientists and analysts for their views. The responses were as bracing as a bath in a pool of glacial
melt water.
(www.theguardian.com)
1. How does the article present the situation in 2008 in the first two sentences?
A. overwhelmingly positive
B. neutral
C. challenging
D. terrifying
2. What is 2C?
A. the minimum temperature required for life on Earth
B. a political device
C. the maximum temperature that could be reached at the Poles
D. the bearable maximum rise in temperature
3. Temperature increases beyond 1C
A. are certain to damage the ecosystem.
B. are likely to damage the ecosystem.
C. are bound to damage the ecosystem.
D. are to damage the ecosystem.
4. The effects of the rise in temperature have already been noticed in
A. climate change.
B. climate change and species extinction.
C. climate change, species extinction and level of poverty.
D. climate change, species extinction, level of poverty and mood of the people.
5. In order to properly understand what the effects of 2C are, one needs to
A. analyse the evolution of the climate in the past years.
B. take into account the current situation.
C. be aware of all the climate changes starting millions of years ago.
D. compare recent climate changes.
6. Another warming of the climate by 2C after the industrial revolution will lead to
A. a worsening of the current problems.
B. new and problematic changes.
C. a definite improvement in the global temperature.
D. unknown consequences.
7. The Paris Climate Accord of 2015 was characterised by
A. a more negative attitude towards the climate changes.
B. confidence that temperatures can reach the pre-industrial levels.
C. lack of constructive feedback.
D. a positive and constructive attitude.
8. The author of the article has been in charge with
A. analysing climate action.
B. finding solutions to climate change.
C. an ongoing monitoring of current issues.
D. environmental articles.
9. The purpose of this article is to inform the readers about
A. the lack of action when it comes to climate change.
B. worrying uncertainty of the future when it comes to climate change.
C. the predominantly negative attitude of people towards climate change.
D. the need for people to join the fight against climate change.
10. The final sentence of this article is
A. ironic and worrying.
B. positively reassuring.
C. overgeneralising the topic.
D. matter-of-fact.

Competente Lingvistice LB Engleza

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1.Answer the following question: Do you enjoy jogging?Why (not)?

PRODUCEREA DE MESAJE SCRlSE 1

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1. Besides physical factors, other factors that influence health are

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 2

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 2

1. The age when one starts to find friends important is

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 3

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 3

1. There is a possible connection between violent behavior and

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PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 4

SUBIECTUL 1 (40 puncte)

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 4

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 5

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 5

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 6

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 6

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 7

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 7

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 8

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 8

PROBĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT AUDIAT 9

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 9

PROBĂ SCRISĂ DE ȊNŢELEGERE A UNUI TEXT CITIT 10

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