STAGE II NATIONAL STUDENTS OLYMPIAD

IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

2022/2023 school year

Reading Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students

(dictionaries are not allowed)

Directions:
In this test you are going to read 4 short texts. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis
of what is stated or implied in the text. For each task you will choose the best possible answers, as
specified prior to each task. Choose the best answer and mark the letter or symbol of your choice.

Text 1
Choosing a Career in Britain
Most people spend a third of their lives at work and spend more time with their work
colleagues than with their families or friends. So, it is important that people enjoy their work as much
as possible: and enjoying work means choosing the right career in the first place.
People in Britain can start work at the age of sixteen, though many people stay at school after
this age. For all people, as they approach the end of their school lives the big question is – what are
they going to do?
Most young people have several choices open to them when they leave school. Here are some
of them. They can leave school at the age of sixteen and take a low-paid job, often a manual one such
as working in a shop or a factory.
They can leave school at sixteen, take a job but spend one day a week at a College of Further
Education learning more about the theory and practice of their work. Many people who are learning a
practical skill – for example, car mechanics, caterers, hairdressers or typists – do this. At the end of
their training, they get a qualification, which gives them a better chance of promotion and higher
wages. At the same time they have gained practical experience in their job, because they have been
working while training.
Many people stay at school to take A (advanced) level G.C.E. (general certificate of education)
examinations. This means working very hard and earning no money for two or three more years.
However, with A-levels, a student has more choices open to him. If he goes to a Technical College,
he can get a qualification in a practical skill such as engineering, art and design, secretarial work,
business studies and childcare. He can go to a College of Education and train to be a teacher. These
training courses take from two to seven years.
If a student has very good results in his A-levels, he can go to a university and get a degree in a
subject like Languages, Maths, Philosophy, Literature or Science. This normally takes three years.
However, after such an academic course, many students still have no practical skill for doing a job.

Questions 1 through 6 refer to Text 1. Circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D:

1. To take GCE exams you must…

a) have a well-paid job
b) stay at school for some more years
c) attend classes once a week
d) take A level

2. A university graduate gains…

a) a lot of practical experience
b) good “A” level results
c) good knowledge in a subject like Languages, Maths, Philosophy or Science
d) a degree
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3. Most 16 year-olds …
a) are offered a variety of opportunities
b) get qualification in some practical skill
c) take further education outside school
d) take a low-paid job

4. While attending a College of Further Education you …

a) get promotion and higher wages
b) just get a qualification
c) only study for an “A” level GCE exam
d) combine training and work

5. What does university degree lack for?

a) an academic course
b) a variety of opportunities
c) practical experience in a job
d) a qualification

6. Getting a university degree takes …

a) the third year
b) from two to seven years
c) a third of your life
d) three years

Text 2
The Basketball Game
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891. Naismith was a Canadian, but lived in the United
States. He was a teacher at Springfield Training School in the state of Massachusetts. He taught
sports and found there were no interesting games to play indoors in the winter months. So he thought
of a game.
Naismith's students played the first game of basketball in the Springfield gym in 1891. There
were nine men in each team. They used a soccer ball. They put peach baskets on the gym wall. The
goal or purpose of the game was to throw the ball in the basket. That is why he called the game
basketball. A man with a ladder went to the basket. He climbed the ladder and took the ball out of the
basket. Luckily, only one man got the ball into the basket in the first game.
Basketball is a very fast game. Players must run up and down the basketball court or gym floor
the whole game. At the same time they must control the ball. Today, most players are tall. Many of
them are over seven feet tall and weigh more than 200 pounds. But one of basketball great players
was Barney Sedran. He played from 1912 to 1926 in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was only 5 feet
4 inches tall and 118 pounds!
Today, basketball is an international sport. In America, the National Basketball Association
(NBA) has some of the best players in the world. Basketball is also an Olympic sport today. In the
Olympics, the best teams from many countries play to show they are the best.

Questions 7 through 12 refer to Text 2. Circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D:

7. The game was called «basketball» because …

a) the ball was to hit the net
b) it could be played indoors
c) players put peaches in baskets
d) the ball was taken out of the basket
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8. Basketball was invented …

a) in Canada
b) by an American
c) by an American teacher
d) by an American sportsman

9. The score in the first game was ...

a) 0:0
b) 1:0
c) 1:1
d) 1:2

10. Barney Sedran was one of ...

a) the first basketball players
b) the worst players
c) the shortest players
d) the best players

11. The number of the players on the court didn't exceed …

a) nine
b) eighteen
c) eighty
d) sixteen

12. What was used to take a ball out of the basket?

a) hands
b) a stick
c) a soccer ball
d) a ladder

Text 3
The Internet
Since the early times communication played a crucial role in human society. All the previous
ways of communication set the stage for the present unprecedented integration of communication
capabilities, which we call Internet. Internet revolutionized the communication world like nothing
before.
If you are a Netizen (Net citizen), you can consider any person on the Net your compatriot. It
does not matter where this person lives. In the virtual reality of the Net you live next door to
everyone. There are no borders for the Internet, you work in cyberspace.
Every person on the Net can make an intellectual contribution to the global society. It means
that access to the Net needs to be universal. It is a long way to go to achieve this goal, but a lot has
been done in this direction already.
In the United States, you can get unlimited number of hours on the Internet paying about
$20.00 a month and this cost is definitely going down. The universities provide free access to the Net
for their students, professors, staff, etc. Many businesses are also connected and allow their
employees to use the Net for business purposes. Most public libraries now offer free online service
through their computers.
There is another process going on with the Internet – its commercialization. Businesses
advertise and market on the Internet. Online catalogs and advertising provide many opportunities,
and online shopping is becoming more and more popular. There are lots of companies that are trying
to make profit through the Internet.
The Internet owes its design to the US Defense Department's project of 1969. The Internet was
designed in part to provide a communications network that would work even if some of the sites were
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destroyed by nuclear attack. Then people in universities all over the world started to use the network
to share ideas. They used it for work and for fun. In the 1980s, people started calling it the Internet.

Questions 13 through 18 refer to Text 3. Circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D:

13. A lot of companies use the Internet …

a) to reserve cyberspace
b) to sell their products
c) to download information
d) to make an intellectual contribution

14. The Internet was invented to supply communication...

a) for military reasons
b) for research purposes
c) for business
d) for commercialization

15. In the USA the cost of monthly connection to the Internet is …

a) not changing
b) growing fast
c) twelve dollars
d) decreasing

16. The word Netizen is used to describe ...

a) a person who has a computer
b) a person who consider anyone on the Net their compatriot
c) a person who uses the Internet and its resources
d) a computer programmer

17. American libraries provide Internet service for ...

a) their employees
b) a small charge
c) a sizeable amount of money
d) free

18. The Internet greatly transformed …

a) communication
b) advertising
c) intellectual contribution
d) profit

Text 4
How Sport Saved My Life
Read the text. For statements (19-30) choose T if the statement is true according to the text, F
if it is false.
This is how sport saved me. I had enjoyed doing something! I had got out of bed and moved.
I started doing it again the next day, and the next day and so on, every time staying a little longer
and coming back a little happier.
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The moments of playing basketball led me to tell my housemates about the problems I was
having. They crowded around me and did everything they could to get me back. It meant
everything.
Getting up and playing basketball gave me a routine. If I was having a bad day, I could
spend 5 hours in the gym. I was sorting my problems out in my head while mindlessly shooting and
dribbling the ball.
The exercise was as therapeutic as the clarity of thought it gave me, and the time spent
playing put me on a path to joining the university basketball team, pushing me further back into
society, and into more friends.
Eventually, and I have no idea when, I got clear of the depression. It tries to come back
every now and again, but I am getting better at spotting it early and I throw myself into my own
brand of sport therapy.
As I said before, depression is different for everybody. But as another option for you to try,
sport and exercise gave me my life back. It gave me control and time away from my toxic routine to
think clearly. Exercise releases the feel good hormones giving you a much needed kick of energy.
Exercise can also give you control over your body and a sense of achievement, which is the first
step of gaining control over other aspects of your life.
Also, if you are at university I highly recommend you inform them that you are struggling
with depression. They act quickly and supportively, I let my tutor know what was going on and the
response of the university was phenomenal. Depression is very common at university and they have
a lot of resources and understanding of your problems, making life so much easier. You can also get
in touch with your local Mind.

The author tells about his experience of depression.

19. T F
He describes the difference that sport made to his life.
20. T F
21. He never encouraged people to take up sports. T F
22. He had a tough time at university. T F
23. No one tried to help him when he was depressed. T F
24. If he had a bad day, he could spend all day in the gym. T F
25. The game gave the author the clarity of mind. T F
26. Joining the basketball team helped the author feel better. T F
27. Sport helped him to socialize more and make more friends. T F
28. The author thought that depression is the same for everybody. T F
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29. Sport gives the author a source of energy. T F

30. Exercises help him control life problems and be successful in life. T F

Listening Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students

STUDENT’S BOOKLET

Safety Concerns when Driving

Directions: in this part of the section you will listen to a text read aloud twice. Look through the
statements 1-10 and read them carefully before listening. While and after listening look at the
sentences 1-10 and decide, which of them are true (T) and which are false (F) according to the text
you have heard and mark the letter you have chosen by encircling it.

The main aim of this passage is explaining how Americans learn to drive.
1. T F

According to this passage, when the weather is foggy all drivers should be
2. T F
more attentive.
3. Drivers are MOST likely to encounter heavy traffic during the summer. T F
4. Defensive driving techniques are always enough to keep drivers safe on the T F
roads.
5. When the weather is bad, authorities recommend you drive quickly so you T F
can get home faster.
6. Some Americans learn to drive by attending defensive driving courses. T F
7. The author of this passage believes that pedestrians are a common hazard T F
for drivers.
8. In poor conditions, driving safely can mean not driving at all. T F
9. Slippery roads are dangerous to drive on. T F
10. In summer petrol becomes more expensive because less people are using it. T F

Directions: in this part of the section you will listen to the text tor the second time. Look through the
sentences 11-20 and read them carefully before listening. While and after listening look at the questions
11-20, decide, which of the given answers (A, B, C or D) best corresponds to what was stated or implied in
the text you have heard and mark your answer by encircling the letter of your choice.

11. The main point is illustrated by which of the following quotes?

a. Professionals suggest that drivers use defensive driving techniques to ensure their
safety.
b. Some dangerous conditions can appear quickly.
c. Winter, snow, ice, and hail make travelling perilous for travellers.
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d. Americans learn to drive by taking driver’s education classes or attending defensive

driver training.

12. The passage mentions each of the following EXCEPT:

a. Dangerous driving conditions
b. Defensive driving
c. Fog in Indiana
d. Warm summer weather

13. When the text says that “fog makes it difficult to see ahead while driving and also makes the
roads more slippery” we can infer that_____
a. The roads are unsafe to drive on
b. The roads are safe to drive on
c. A lot of drivers will be driving on the roads
d. No drivers will be driving on the roads

14. It can be inferred from the passage that “defensive driving” can BEST be described
as______
a. Expensive
b. Fun
c. Time-consuming
d. Important

15. The author’s tone tells the reader what?

a. Drivers are dangerous
b. Drivers in Northeastern Indiana are the least skilled
c. Winter driving is the most perilous
d. Cautious driving is important in all weather

16. In the context of the passage, the word “perilous” MOST closely corresponds to which
synonym?
a. Frivolous
b. Weather
c. Dangerous
d. Secure

17. The author of the passage would MOST likely agree with which of the following
statements?
a. Northeast Indiana drivers are likely to be safer than drivers from California
b. Northeast Indiana roads are scenic and beautiful to drive on
c. When riding on a boat, it is important to be prepared by wearing a life jacket.
d. When eating French fries, it is important to share with your friends

18. Which of the following would BEST support Roy Garrison’s professional driving
experience?
a. Garrison has only been driving for one year
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b. Garrison drives 50 hours a week in a lorry

c. Garrison is from Ukraine
d. Garrison enjoys driving in winter weather

19. Which type of publication would this article be MOST likely to appear in?
a. Scientific journal
b. Fashion magazine
c. Catalogue
d. Local newspaper
20. The quotes from Roy Garrison were MOST likely included in order to:
a. Provide perspective on how foggy weather conditions affect drivers
b. Make the reader laugh
c. Illustrate the dangers of driving at night
d. Warn the reader about the dangers of snow and ice
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Writing Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students

Directions: In this test, you’re given the task to write a letter to the editor. Choose one of the
three suggested topics and develop it in a written form. You will begin writing your semi-formal
letter on the pages provided. Make sure that you do not only make general comments, but also
provide personal facts, ideas, and feelings. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience.

1. Happiness is a feeling of well-being and contentment. An important part of our mental

health is to take part in activities which may make us feel happy.
• Do you think that happiness lies within you? Or does it depend on other people and
external things?
• What are the three most important things for you to be happy?
• Can money buy happiness? Why or why not?

2. Some students are good at some subjects, but worse at others

○ What are your best and worst school subjects? Why?
○ What study methods do you use to improve your knowledge?
○ If you could add a class to your school schedule, what would it be? If you could
subtract a class from your school schedule, what would it be?

3. Television and Internet video can have both a positive and negative influence on
someone's life.
In which ways has TV and Internet affected your life?
Do you think there should be a limit to how much TV and Internet a person can watch?
Do you think television has a negative influence in your community? Explain.