Welcome to the English

Language Contest! Ministerul Educaţiei Naţionale

Inspectoratul Scolar al Municipiului Bucureşti
Be sharp, be keen, be smart!
OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ - 2019-2020, clasa a VIII-a, V1
Good luck!

Subject I (50 points):

A. (2px10=20 points) Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct verb forms. Write your answers on the
Answer Sheet.
Kevin Adams (1) ____ (love) trains. He first (2) ____ (see) one when he was four years old and he (3) ____ (think) it was
great. He (4) ____ (go) to a different railway station every week and (5) ____ (write down) the engine number of every train
he sees. He (6) _____ (do) this since he was eight. By the time he was fifteen he (7) ____ (collect) over 10.000 different
engine numbers in various counties. Once, while he (8) ____ (stand) in a station in Cheshire he saw something very
unusual. He (9) ____ (wait) for over an hour for a train to go by when suddenly he (10) _____ (see) a very old steam train
coming down the track.

B. (2px10=20 points) Read the text and fill in the gaps with the appropriate word A, B, C or D. Write your answer on
the Answer Sheet.
Kate Humble was born in London but was (1) ____ up next door to a farm. Here she (2) ____ all kinds of animals, which is
how her passion for natural history began. After leaving school, Kate (3) ____ on an adventure that would take her around
Africa. On the trip, she observed many rare (4) ____ of animals as well as discovered the beauty of (5) ____ landscape. To
pay her way, she worked in various jobs connected to the tourist (6) ____, such as driving and cooking for safari companies.
After returning to England, she got herself a job (7) ____ tea and typing letters for people in television. She then became a
researcher and production assistant, and eventually (8) ____ producing games. But staying in a studio is not Kate’s style! In
one show, she made a series of (9) ____ broadcasts from the bottom of the sea, while surrounded by giant sharks! Now she
makes and presents programmes dealing with all aspects of natural history, including the effects of global (10) ___.

1. A. grown B. educated C. moved D. brought

2. A. ran over B. got by C. came across D. took up
3. A. set up B. set out C. set down D. set by
4. A. species B. packs C. crowds D. parties
5. A. a B. any C. one D. the
6. A. business B. market C. industry D. interest
7. A. doing B. setting C. drinking D. making
8. A. ended up B. closed up C. drew up D. reached up
9. A. life B. live C. living D. lifelong
10. A. heating B. burning C. warming D. grilling

C. (1px10=10 points) Read the text below and use the words given in capitals at the end of the row to form words
that fit in the gaps. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

It is very (1) ________ that fashion has been in (1) LIKE

(2) ________ since humans first started walking on two legs! Figurines (2) EXIST
from the Stone Age seem to suggest that young women were
(3) ________ dressed and wore bracelets around their arms, for instance. (3) BEAUTIFUL
Up until 800 BC, however, (4) ________ was mostly made from plain (4) CLOTH
fabrics, but then one (5) ________ revolutionised the ancient fashion (5) DISCOVER
world. The Phoenicians (located in the Middle East) discovered that a
black substance contained in sea snails could be turned into a rich purple
dye that could add permanent colour to clothes. In no time, ‘Tyrian Purple’
turned the Phoenician city-state Sarepta into a (6) ________ trading city. (6) POWER
Rulers and the (7) ________ from across the Mediterranean offered a(n) (7) WEALTH
(8) ________ price for these textiles which had become a symbol of (8) EXCEL
power and status.
Tyrian Purple had such an impact on fashion world that it outlived its
(9) _______! Although the dye eventually disappeared, it led to a desire (9) INVENT
for (10) ________, luxury textiles that continues to this day. So, maybe (10) COLOUR
that makes Sarepta the first fashion capital of the world!

Olimpiada de limba engleză 2019-2020, etapa pe şcoală,

Clasa a VIII-a, V1
1
 Ministerul Educaţiei Naţionale
Inspectoratul Scolar al Municipiului Bucureşti
OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ - 2019-2020, clasa a VIII-a, V1

Subject II (5px5=25 points) Read the text and choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) to the questions. Write your
answers on the Answer Sheet.

I was the only person to get off the train at 4pm at Abisko in the Arctic Circle. The train disappeared into the night. I was
alone, in the dark, with the temperature at minus 20, as cold as I’d expected it. At that point I thought about giving up this trip
and wished I were on my way back home but the train had gone and I could see a hotel ahead.
The girl at the reception gave me the key to a ’cabin’ as the rest of the hotel was closed. I went back outside. I could see by
the light from the hotel and found the cabin easily. My hands were frozen as I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door
which refused to move. I pushed it harder. I was thinking of breaking a window to prevent myself from freezing to death when
I took my hand off the handle and the door opened gently towards me.
After recovering in the warmth of the cabin, which was actually very comfortable, I went outside again. I realised I wasn’t
completely alone as I saw car headlights on the road nearby. It was a clear evening full of red, green and blue light in the
frozen air. It was so beautiful that I wanted to write a poem about it but I had no paper. I could only spend ten minutes outside
at a time so I went in and out of the cabin to watch the amazing Northern Lights. I only spent three days there. I was sorry I’d
booked a ticket on the train to continue my journey so soon.

1. What is the writer trying to do?
A. Persuade other people to visit the Arctic Circle
B. Describe his own experiences in the Arctic Circle
C. Give advice on travelling to the Arctic Circle
D. Explain why he decided to go to the Arctic Circle
2. When he got off the train, the writer felt
A. confused about what to do next
B. surprised at how cold it was
C. worried about finding a hotel
D. sorry he was not still on it
3. What was the problem when the writer got to the
cabin?
A. He pushed the door instead of pulling it.
B. The key didn’t turn because of the frozen lock.
C. He couldn’t see what he was doing.
D. He had to break a window to get in.
4. How did the writer spend the evening?
A. He stayed inside the cabin and looked out at the stars.
B. He tried to write about what he could see.
C. He walked along the road towards a light.
D. He went outside for short periods of time.
5. What do you think the writer might have written down
in his diary that day?
A. I’m sorry I came here as there’s nothing to do in the dark.
B. If I had a car, I could drive around and see more of the
area.
C. The best thing about being here is seeing the night sky.
D. It’s a pity this is the only room the hotel could offer me.

Subject III (25 points) Write a narrative essay ending like this:

‘Peering into the sparkling light of New Year’s fireworks, Steve felt joy pulsing through his veins. Not only was he partaking in
the happiness of the crowd, but he also felt a sense of pride that he had accomplished his promise.’

Write your story in 150 - 180 words (15-18 lines) and give it an appropriate title. Pay attention to the following:
 you don't need long descriptions;
 use dialogues only if they are relevant for your characters or events;
 you should use this plan:   

1. Introduction (paragraph 1 - set the scene)

2. Main body (paragraph(s) 2/3 - develop the story)
3. Conclusion (paragraph 4 - end the story)

Don’t count the words given!

SCRIEŢI RĂSPUNSURILE PE FOAIA DE RĂSPUNS (ANSWER SHEET). BARAŢI TOATE SPAŢIILE NECOMPLETATE.
TIMP DE LUCRU: 120 MINUTE. NU SE ACORDĂ PUNCTE DIN OFICIU.

Olimpiada de limba engleză 2019-2020, etapa pe şcoală,

Clasa a VIII-a, V1
2
 Ministerul Educaţiei Naţionale
Inspectoratul Scolar al Municipiului Bucureşti
OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ - 2019-2020, clasa a VIII-a, V1

INSPECTORATUL ŞCOLAR AL MUNICIPIULUI BUCUREŞTI

OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ, 2019-2020
ETAPA PE ŞCOALA – CLASA A VIII-A

PUNCTAJ SI BAREM
VARIANTA 1

I. (50 points)

A. (2px10=20 points)

1. loves; 2. saw; 3. thought; 4. goes; 5. writes down; 6. has been doing; 7. had collected; 8. was standing;
9. had been waiting; 10. saw

B. (2px10=20 points)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
D C B A D C D A B C

C. (1px10=10 points)

1-likely; 2-existence; 3-beautifully; 4-clothing; 5-discovery; 6-powerful; 7-wealthy; 8-excellent; 9-

invention; 10-colourful

II. (5px5=25 points)

1 – B; 2 – D; 3 – A; 4 – D; 5 - C

III. (25 points) – Marking Scheme

NOTĂ: Pentru subiectul I.A se acceptă orice altă variantă corectă.

Olimpiada de limba engleză 2019-2020, etapa pe şcoală,

Clasa a VIII-a, V1
3