OLIMPIADA NAŢIONALĂ DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – ETAPA LOCALĂ

18 FEBRUARIE 2023
CLASA a XI-a SECŢIUNEA B

SUBIECTUL A – USE OF ENGLISH (40 points)

I. Read the paragraph below and do the tasks that follow. (20points)

On a clear day, Mount Kilimanjaro is visible from Nairobi. However, when the sun is
low and the clouds light, the enormous, snow-capped peak appears to be floating in space. At
such times, that kind of beauty appears almost supernatural.
Kilimanjaro is 5895m above sea level and is on the equator. As a result of this, they
will go through several different climates in the course of only five or six days. They will start
in tropical temperatures, go through milder weather to high alpine desert and then permanently
snow-capped summits.
Despite its tremendous altitude, it is possible to get to the top without any technical
climbing ability. With its accessible slopes, abundance of porters and relatively mild climate,
the trek to the summit is considered a moderately easy climb in mountaneering circles. Even
so, surprisingly few people make it all the way there.
Ever since Hans Meyer's first ascent in 1889, more and more people have tackled the
mountain. If you'd like to join them, it's essential to select a route that is most appropriate for
you. Be aware of the scenic view, remoteness and popularity of each option, but most
importantly, be aware of the degree of difficulty. The ascent is a gruelling but wonderful trek
with magnificent views, unmatched in Africa.

A. Answer the following questions, according to the text. (4x2p=8 points)

1. On what kind of weather does Mount Kilimanjaro seem to be floating and where?
2. What types of climates do climbers go through during the climb?
3. Do many people reach the summit?
4. What factors should potential trekkers bear in mind when choosing their route?

B. Choose the right synonym for the words given below, according to their meaning in
the text. (3x2p=6 points)

trek: a. party b. climb c. meeting d. visit

tremendous: a. small b. believable c. great d. tall
tackled: a. surrounded b. tried to climb c. admired d. descended

C. Rephrase the following sentences so as to preserve their meaning. (3x2p=6 points)

1. Kilimanjaro is on the equator, that is why climbers experience various types of climate during the ascent.

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Were Kilimanjaro............................................................... various types of climate during the
ascent.

2. Although the mountain is remarkably high, it can be climbed without great difficulty.
Despite ...................................................., people can climb it without great difficulty.

3. People think that Hans Meyer reached the summit in 1889.

Hans Meyer .......................................................... in 1889.

II. Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in each sentence (10x1p=10
points)
It is commonly believed that a break from everyday routine can only do you good.
Every summer, you can spot prospective (1)…………(HOLIDAY) at airports and waiting for
car ferries. They are (2)……..(MISTAKE) -you can tell them a mile away by their sun hats
and expressions.
For all their optimism, what actually happens can be a rude (3)…………. (WAKE)
from the blissful holiday dreams of the rest of the year. Sunburn and
(4)…………….(FORESEE) expenses can make you think twice about how
(5)……………(BENEFIT) getting away from it all really is. The fact is, the
(6)………..(LIKELY) of something going wrong is maximized when you are abroad, and
(7)……… (FORTUNE) your ability to deal with crisis and catastrophe is often minimized.
This could be because of language problems, (8)……………(FAMILIAR) with the cultures,
or simply a different climate, all of which make everything seem different and unreal. So, what
is the answer ? (9)……………….(DOUBT), an unusual escape from normal working life is a
very positive thing. However, the (10)………(WISE) of seeing an exotic location is
questionable when you think of all the things that can go wrong.

III. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits in each gap. Use only one
word in each gap. (10x1p=10 points)
A recent study (1) …….. appear to prove that yoga has a positive effect on brain
activity; (2) …….. so than vigorous exercise. During the study, a group of volunteers undertook
twenty minutes of yoga and twenty minutes of aerobic exercise. After (3) ......... session of
physical activity, they were asked to perform (4) …….. series of tasks designed to highlight
any improvement in their mental abilities. (5) …….. the surprise of the researchers, the
participants showed a significant improvement following yoga practice. The breathing and
meditative exercises in yoga (6) …….. long been known to calm the mind and body and keep
distracting thoughts (7) …….. . But now results showed that participants were better able to
focus on tasks, as well as process, hold and update information quickly and accurately. (8)
…….. the aerobic exercise, on the other hand, there seemed to be very (9) …….. positive effect.
The research suggests that the benefits of yoga go beyond the physical and its implications for
the world of work (10) …….. potentially enormous.

SUBIECTUL B – INTEGRATED SKILLS (60 points)

Read the text below and do the tasks that follow.

Within the national group, our prejudices tend to be very mixed and, because they
operate mainly on an unconscious level, are not easily recognisable. We can be natives of great

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cities and still find a town dialect less pleasant than a country one. And yet, hearing prettiness
and quaintness in a Dorset or Devon twang, we can also despise it, because we associate it with
rural stupidity or backwardness. The ugly tones of Manchester or Birmingham will, because of
their great civic associations, be at the same time somehow admirable. The whole business of
ugliness and beauty works strangely. A BBC announcer says 'pay day'; a Cockney says 'pie
die'. The former is thought to be beautiful, the latter ugly, and yet the announcer can use the
Cockney sounds in a statement like 'Eat that pie and you will die' without anybody's face
turning sour. In fact, terms like 'ugly' and 'beautiful' cannot really apply to languages at all.
Poets can make beautiful patterns out of words, but there are no standards we can use to
formulate aesthetic judgements on the words themselves. We all have our pet hates and loves
among words, but these always have to refer to associations. A person who dislikes beetroot as
a vegetable is not likely to love 'beetroot' as a word. A poet who, in childhood, had a panful of
hot stewed prunes spilled on him is, if he is a rather stupid poet, quite capable of writing 'And
death, terrible as prunes'. We have to watch associations carefully, remembering that language
is a public, not a private, medium, and that questions of word-hatred and word-love had best
be tackled very coldly and rationally. We are normally quick to observe regional variations in
the use of the national language, but we feel less strongly about these than we do about class
divisions in speech. If we speak with a Lancashire accent, we will often be good-humoured and
only slightly derisive when we hear the accent of Wolverhampton or Tyneside. Sometimes we
will even express a strong admiration of alien forms of English - the speech of the Scottish
Highlands, for instance, or Canadian as opposed to American. But we feel very differently
about English speech when it seems to be a badge or banner of class. The dialect known
variously as the Queen's English or BBC English or Standard English was, originally, a pure
regional form - so-called East Midland English, with no claim to any special intrinsic merit.
But it was spoken in an area that was, and still is, socially and economically pre-eminent - the
area which contains London, Oxford, and Cambridge. Thus it gained a special glamour as the
language of the Court and the language of learning. It has ever since - often falsely - been
associated with wealth, position, and education - the supra-regional dialect of the masters,
while the regional dialects remain the property of the men. In certain industrial areas it can still
excite resentment, despite the fact that it no longer necessarily goes along with power or
privilege.

I. For each question decide which answer (A, B, C or D) fits best according to the text.
(10 points)

1. According to the writer, a rural accent may sound attractive, but it may also be ...
A admired C funny
B looked down on D hard to understand

2. Our judgements on words we like or dislike are often based on a word's ...
A sound C associations
B origins D beauty or ugliness

3. British accents show which region the person comes from, but may also show their . ..
A education C gender
B age D social class

4. A person with a regional accent may have less power than someone who ...
A has been well-educated C uses Standard English
B has no accent D lives in London

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5. If someone speaks with a Standard English accent (R.P.) they ...

A will be admired by everyone C show that they are well-educated

B show that they have power D may be disliked in some regions

II Starting from the text above, write a for and against essay on prejudices about foreign
languages and regional accents. (250-280 words) (50 points )

Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii.

Nu se acordă puncte din oficiu.
Timp de lucru 180 minute.