English Language Teachers’ Association of N.

Macedonia
Е Л Т А М MK
Асоцијација на наставници по англиски јазик и книжевност на Република
С. Македонија

EFL State Competition for Primary Schools

th
6 Grade

Student’s Code

Please use only pens to write in the answer sheet (DO NOT use pencils or
erasable pens)
Do not correct your answers in any way in the answer sheet
Пренеси го само одговорот (буква, збор, дел од реченица, целосна реченица)
Transfero vetëm përgjigjen (shkrojnë, fjalë, pjesë të fjalisë, komplet fjalinë)
Sadece cevabı geçir(harf, kelime, cümlenin bir kısmı, tam cümle)

Reading Comprehension: ___________ / 30

Use of English: ___________ / 70
 EFL State Competition for 6th.Grade Primary School Students
READING COMPREHENSION
Student’s CODE: ________ Time: 30 min
Total points: ________ / 30

I. You will read five short texts in which people are talking about a public protest.
Choose from the list (A-H) which statement applies to each person 1 - 5. Use the
letters only once. Write the letter on the line next to the number of the person. There
are three extra letters which you do not need to use. 10pts.

A This person did not expect what happened. Person 1 _______

B This person was proved right. Person 2 _______
C This person could not do their shopping. Person 3 _______
D This person noticed someone getting hurt. Person 4 _______
E This person was very embarrassed. Person 5 _______
F This person will do things differently in the future.
G This person was curious to see what would happen.
H This person needed some assistance.

Person 1
Well, I had nothing to do with it, really. I only happened to be in the square because I was
doing the weekly shopping. Anyway, all of a sudden, lots of policemen arrived and started
closing off the streets and redirecting the traffic. And then a huge mass of people filled the
street, chanting slogans and waving banners. Of course, last week there was the same kind
of thing on the telly, but seeing it close up was a new experience for me. I must admit I
wanted to see how it all would turn out. Because I finished the shopping I decided to hang
around for a while.

Person 2
I'm pretty new on the job and I was expecting some action. Not a bit of it! The
demonstrators didn’t give us any trouble at all. It was the motorists who were the problem -
sitting there arguing with us when they can see a great wall of people in front of them!
What could we do? Force them to move and risk trouble? You'd think the motorists would
have more sense. But as far as the crowd goes, was amazed by their self-control. Not a
single arrest - no trouble at all. Everything happened peacefully!

Person 3
Just my luck - a huge demonstration closing the streets, and a policeman telling me to turn
left and go around another way. And I was running late as well. I moved to London a couple
of months ago, so I don't know my way around yet. But would the policeman help out? Ha!
I mean, it's already bad enough because all your plans changed, but when someone won't
take the time to show you the right way, you have every right to get annoyed. It's not
surprising when people complain about paying taxes especially when public servants do
anything but give the service we deserve.

Person 4
On the whole I think it went very well. Everything was according to plan. I explained
everyone while we were organising it that things would go without a hitch. No arrests, no
 reported injuries, just a nice day out for all concerned, really. Whether or not anybody
listens to us and does something about the situation remains to be seen. But I'm optimistic.

Person 5
It was all they talked about in the pub for weeks. There were comments about strikes and
demonstrations and about people getting arrested and injured and all that. I was expecting
to come back looking like a war casualty and I almost did. I did get hurt - a large bruise and
a few small cuts - but not in the way people think, not in the demonstration itself! Who
believes you when you say that you walked into a lamp-post while someone else was
talking to you? I'll never be able to show my face in the pub again. I feel such an idiot.

II You will read an interview with a young man called Tim. He is talking about the
gap year he took after secondary school. For questions 6 – 12, choose the best answer
(A, B or C). 14pts.

A: Today on 'Career Paths' we’re going to hear from Tim who decided to take a different route
to his chosen career. So Tim, tell us your story.
B: Well, I decided to take a gap year when I was in my last year of secondary school. My
parents wanted me to go straight to university - they were keen for me to get qualified and start
on a career. But I didn't want that. I was only eighteen and I was aware that once I started my
profession I'd be stuck there until I retired, when I'm 65 or even 70 - who knows what the law
will be by then?
A: Was that the only reason?
B: No, I also needed some experience of life, away from everything, you know, school and
family. But, more importantly I wanted to learn to stand on my own two feet, to cope with
university better and get more out of my time there. There are rumours that some students are
so shocked by the changes in their lifestyle when they leave home that they give up university
after only a month or two. I didn't want to risk that happen.
A: How did you approach the idea once you decided to do it?
B: I borrowed lots of travel books from the library and started to think about what I wanted to
do in my special year. Whenever I was stressed with my school work I simply looked at my
plan and schedule of all the countries I was going to see. It really encouraged me to work hard
– it's good to have goals and aims in life, I think it gives you a purpose. Of course all this was
going to cost me money. Staying in the most basic hotels and travelling by bus or train, not by
plane cost money, so I started to look for jobs I could do on my way round the world. That's
how I finalised my tour – by going to the countries which offered some job opportunities.
A: So where did you go first?
B: I started off in September, after I received my exam results. I travelled to France to pick
fruit. Not very far and not very unusual, you may think, but it was a fabulous time. I met loads
of other gap year students and in just a month I brushed up my French. It proved to be useful
when I arrived in Vietnam later in the year. Then I moved on to Greece, where I worked in a
bar on an island. Then I was in South Africa, on a farm. That was amazing - I learned so much
about working the land.
A: Was that the end of your journey?
B: No, after that I travelled in the Far East as a tourist. When I reached Australia, I was broke.
As the language was no problem I easily started two jobs, working as a waiter at night and dog-
walking by day. I spent the next three months in the United States and Brazil before coming
home.
A: How do you think your experiences changed you?
B: My friends were amazed at how I changed. I am more confident now and I changed
physically, much thinner. That is because I worked hard. Sometimes I was too poor to buy
much food! But it was the most amazing year of my life - and life-changing. During the year I
fell in love with animals. That is why I’m not going to university. I am going to become a
farmer. My parents were so upset at first, but now they can see I'm happier than ever.
A: Would you recommend a gap year to others?
B: I don't know if it would be good for everyone. It is a great experience but it is very tough,
too. But if you love adventure and you're not afraid of hard work or getting your hands dirty,
then you could find it a life changing experience just as I did.

6. Tim’s parents
A. supported the idea of a gap year.
B. preferred him to continue his education.
C. wanted him to work until he retired.

7. Why did Tim want a gap year?

A. to become independent
B. to get away from his family
C. to forget about his schooldays

8. What did Tim do in his last year of school?

A. He prepared for a change of lifestyle.
B. He daydreamed instead of studying.
C. He planned his gap year trip.

9. What did Tim enjoy about working in France?

A. He learned to pick fruit.
B. He improved his language skills.
C. He became interested in Vietnam.

10. When Tim arrived in Australia, he

A. started a job in a zoo.
B. was without money.
C. bought a pet.

11. How did his gap year affect Tim?

A. He was encouraged to diet.
B. He decided to follow a different career.
C. He wanted to go to university when he was older.

12. What kind of people does Tim think maybe will like a gap year?
A. Anyone who wants to change their career.
B. Anyone who is prepared for difficult experiences.
C. Anyone who does hard jobs.
 III. Look at the words and phrases in bold in the interview in exercise II. Match the words
and phrases (13-18) to their meanings (A-I) in the text. Be careful – there are 2 extra
definitions. Write ONLY the correct letter. Do not write the whole word.
For example: 0. A 6pts.

0 route A way or direction

13 aware B greatly surprised, stunned
14 stand on my own two feet C arrived at
15 encouraged D stand in a vertical position
16 brushed up E stimulated or supported
17 reached F touched something gently
18 amazed G become independent
/ H having knowledge of a situation
/ I improved your knowledge in a certain area

13. _____
14. _____
15. _____
16. _____
17. _____
18. _____