INSPECTORATUL ŞCOLAR JUDEŢEAN

MUREŞ

www.edums.ro

OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

CLASA a VIII-a
FAZA JUDEȚEANĂ- 15 aprilie 2016
Varianta 2

WRITE ONLY THE ANSWERS ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET.

I. USE OF ENGLISH (50 points)

Subject 1.
A. Read the text below and put the paragraphs in the correct order. (5 points)

ADVERTISING AND CONSUMERISM

A. Advertising is a powerful and persuasive medium. You may feel this is an intrusion in your
daily life, and resent the pressure on you to spend money. Others, however, enjoy the variety
which this highly creative industry brings to everyday life.

B. What is more, advertising raises money for a huge number of sporting events and artistic
performances which would otherwise not be held. Without sponsorship from companies who
advertise their products, these events would disappear due to lack of funding. In other words,
although consumerism is promoted through advertising, it is beneficial to both the consumer
and society.

C. One of the main arguments for advertising is that it generates wealth for a country. That is to
say, taxes paid on goods sold, help governments to pay for essential services such as education
and health care. Moreover, the number of jobs created for producing, marketing and servicing
these goods helps to reduce the unemployment problem, which is also a great advantage for a
country’s economy.

D. On the other hand, advertising can cause people to be dissatisfied with what they already
have, and make them want more. Being exposed again and again to products which one cannot
afford produces frustration and dissatisfaction. Furthermore, not all parents are in a position to
afford the goods which their children see advertised and want to possess. This often leads to
feelings of inadequacy, especially among the less well-off.

E. To sum up, it is true to say that advertising does provide some benefits. However, do you not
agree that the drawbacks of a greedy, materialistic society far outweigh the advantages, and we
need to be careful that we do not lose sight of what is more important – a spirit of cooperation
rather than competition?

F. In addition to this, advertising creates materialism and causes people to place too much
importance on material goods. The fact that people are prepared to work long hours, or even
turn to crime in order to gain the goods on offer, shows that advertising persuades people to go
to great lengths to keep the same standard of living as those they see around them. It is a fact,
though that neither crime nor the stress caused by overwork can benefit society .

1 2 3 4 5 6
A
B. Which words in bold type in Subject 1-A, can be replaced by these? (6 points)

1. achieve 5. exceed 9. profitable

2. array 6. flaws 10. prosperous
3. compelling 7. merchandise 11. resentment
4. dislike 8. perish 12. scarcity

Subject 2. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits in each gap. (11 points)

One thing that people get from their 1.___________ is, of course, money. OCCUPY
However, the 2. ___________ of people want more than just a good salary. MAJOR
There are many other things which add up to job 3. __________, the feeling SATISFY
of 4. ___________ you get from doing a job that makes you happy. What ACHIEVE
people want from a job varies 5. ____________ from person to person. For GREAT
some, the chances of promotion make a big 6. __________. For others, DIFFER
working in a 7. ___________ environment makes them happy. When CREATE
planning your career, consider all the 8. ___________ involved in a job and ACTIVE
decide how each one suits your 9.___________. A job should be more than PERSON
just a way to pay your bills. 10.___________at work ultimately leads to HAPPY
anxiety and 11.___________. FAIL

Subject 3. Finish the sentences below in such a way that they keep a similar
meaning. Use the words in brackets in the new sentences. (8 points)

1 Peggy: “We still live here but next month we’ll probably move into a bigger house”.
Peggy said that …………………………………………………………………………..
2.Susan: ”Is it raining now?”
She asked …………………………………………………………………………..……
3. David: ”Can you tell me what time is it?”
David asked Susan ………………………………………………………………………
4. If you don’t work harder, you won’t succeed. (will)
Unless you…………………………………………………………………….………..…
5. My advice is to put on something warm to go to the deck. (you)
If I …………………………………………………………………………..……………
6. I have got no time. It’s not possible for me to take vacations this year.(free)
If I ……………………………………………………………………………..…………
7. Good health is much more important than a big bank account.(than)
A big bank account ………………………………………………………………………
8. John was a better student than Michael. (good)
Michael wasn’t ……………………………………………………………..…….………

Subject 4. Rephrase the sentences using the modal verb in brackets. (6 points)
1. She drives a Ferrari, so I’m sure she’s very rich. (must)
2. I’m sure this isn’t the street where Kate lives. (can)
 3. It’s a good idea for you to get more sleep. (should)
4. It isn’t necessary for you to do any more work today. (have to)
5. There is a possibility of better weather tomorrow.(might)
6. What about going for a pizza tonight? (shall)

Subject 5. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct active / passive form and tense.
(8 points)

An arrogant lady 1. ___________ (show) round a private art gallery in Paris. Standing
at the door of the gallery as she 2. ___________ (leave), the woman looked at a modern
painting of a woman that 3. ___________ (painted) by Picasso and said:
“I suppose you call this a work of art.”
The owner, who 4. ___________ (annoy) by the woman’s negative attitude to his
collection, said:
“No, I call that a mirror.”

A drunkard trying to cross the street 5. ___________ ( knock) down by a bus.

A policeman helped him to his feet and said,
“There’s a zebra crossing a few yards away from here.”
“Well, I hope he is having better luck than I am,” replied the drunk.

Two little boys who 6. ___________(be) naughty all day long 7. ___________ (tell) by
the teacher that they must stay after school and write their names five hundred times.
One of them began to watch the other unhappily.
“Why 8. _______________ (you not write), Tommy?” asked the teacher.
Tommy burst into tears.
“It isn’t fair!” he sobbed, “his name is Lee and mine’s Shornsteinfeger!”

Subject 6. Add the correct question tag to these sentences. (6 points)

1. We told you not to drive in the outback on your own, _______?

2. I’m next in the queue, _______?
3. Let’s all go down to the beach, _______?
4. Nobody cares about that sort of things, _______?
5. He had a party last night, _______?
6. I am not your friend, _______?
7. There are always other possibilities, _______?
8. Answer all these questions, _______?
9. This isn’t fair, _______?
10. He never understood her, _______?
11. She hasn’t got much experience, _______?
12. That is the restaurant we went to for your birthday, _______?

II. WRITING (40 POINTS)

Write a composition between 150-250 words, illustrating the proverb:

The best things in life are free.

Toate subiectele sunt obligatorii.
Timp de lucru - 2 ore.
Se acordă 10 puncte din oficiu
 INSPECTORATUL ŞCOLAR JUDEŢEAN
MUREŞ

www.edums.ro
OLIMPIADA DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ
CLASA a VIII-a
FAZA JUDEȚEANĂ- 15 aprilie 2016
Varianta 2

BAREM DE CORECTARE
I. USE OF ENGLISH

Subject 1.

A. (1 x 5 = 5 points)
1 2 3 4 5 6
A C B D F E

Subject 1.

B. (12 x 0.5 = 6 points)

1. gain achieve 7. goods merchandise
2. variety array 8. disappear perish
3. persuasive compelling 9. beneficial profitable
4. resent dislike 10. well-off prosperous
5. outweigh exceed 11. dissatisfaction resentment
6. drawbacks flaws 12. lack scarcity

Subject 2. (1 x 11 = 11 points)

1 – occupation 7 – creative
2 – majority 8 – activities
3 – satisfaction 9 – personality
4 – achievement 10 – unhappiness
5 – greatly 11 - failure
6 – difference

Subject 3. (8 x 1 = 8 points)

1 Peggy said that they still lived there but the following / the next month they would
move into a bigger house.(0.2 x 5 = 1 point)
2. She asked if it was raining then / at that moment. (0.25 x 4 = 1 point)
3. David asked Susan if she could tell him what time it was. (0.2 x 5 = 1 point)
4. Unless you work harder, you won’t succeed. (0.5 x 2 = 1 point)
5. If I were you, I would put on something warm to go to the deck. (0.5 x 2 = 1 point)
6. If I had (some) free time / If I were free, I would take vacations / I’d go on holiday
this year. (0.5 x 2 = 1 point)
7. A big bank account is (a lot) less important than good health. (0.5 x 2 = 1 point)
8. Michael wasn’t as good a student as John. (0.25 x 4 = 1 point)
Subject 4. (6 x 1 = 6 points)
1. She must be very rich (if she drives a Ferrari).
2. Kate can’t live here / on this street / This can’t be the street where Kate lives.
3. You should get more sleep.
4. You don’t have to do any more work today.
5. The weather might be good / better tomorrow.
6. Shall we go for a pizza tonight?

Subject 5. (8 x 1 = 8 points)
1. was shown
2. was leaving / was about to leave
3. was painted / had been painted
4. was annoyed
5. was knocked
6. had been
7. were told
8. aren’t you writing

Subject 6. (12 x 0.5 = 6 points)

1. We told you not to drive in the outback on your own, didn’t we?
2. I’m next in the queue, aren’t I?
3. Let’s all go down to the beach, shall we?
4. Nobody cares about that sort of things, do they?
5. He had a party last night, didn’t he?
6. I am not your friend, am I?
7. There always are other possibilities, aren’t there?
8. Answer all these questions, will you?
9. This isn’t fair, is it?
10. He never understood her, did he?
11. She hasn’t got much experience, has she?
12. That is the restaurant we went to for your birthday, isn’t it?

SUBJECT II. Writing – 40 points

 30 p - coherence and organization of ideas / overall effect

 2 p - effect on target reader
 2 p - lay-out
 2 p - spelling
 2 p - vocabulary
 2 p - grammar