Olimpiada de limba engleză

Clasa a IX-a
Faza locala – februarie 2023

I. Fill in with the appropriate tense of the verbs given in brackets: (20 points)
Right now it (1. be)………..3:00 A.M., and I (2. sit) ……..at my desk. I (3. sit)……….here
for five hours doing my studying. My friend’s plane (4. leave) ……….in a few hours, so I
( 5. decide)…..not to go to bed. That’s why I (6. write) ……….to you at such an early hour in
the day. I am a little sleepy, but I would rather stay up. I (7. take) ………….a nap after I (8.
get) ………back from taking her to the airport.
How (9. your classes, go)…….? O, by the way, I……… (10. receive) your invitation to the
conference, two weeks ago, thank you very much!

II. Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following passage Use only one word in each
space. (10 points)
When I (1) ……….. met Ruby at school, I couldn’t imagine what good friends we (2)………
become. I believe that we (3)………….developed this special friendship because we are very
much alike.
Ruby is a tall, thin, young woman in (4)………..early 20’s. She is the (5)…………..image of
her mother with almond shaped eyes and long, fair hair. She is fond (6)……….wearing trendy
clothes and following the fashion, just as I am.
I admit she (7) ……….all the qualities of a good friend. She’s (8)……….sociable and
helpful, willing to offer her advice. What’s more, no one (9) ……… deny her excellent sense
of humour and her loyalty. I can always remember her standing (10) ………me and boosting
my confidence whenever I felt peer pressured.

III. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in capitals: (10 points)
1.You are 25 years old and you are acting like a spoilt schoolboy.Stop being so ….. .
CHILD
2.I’m afraid I’m not very good at taking…. ……
DECIDE
3.He looked terrible. Too much work and too many ………nights.
SLEEP
4.Thank you for the flowers. That was very ……….of you.
THOUGHT
5. They obviously…….…. when the teacher set the homework, that’s why nobody has written
it. UNDERSTAND
6. You need to have a great deal of …….. to do this job.
PATIENT
7.I admit, there was some………. about who should enherit the fortune.
AGREE
8.The beautiful painting was purchaised by a wealthy private …….……
COLLECT
9. The Mayas developed an intricate astronomy to chart the ……….of the heavens.
MOVE
10.She now lives in a nice new …..…. on the outskirts of the town.
NEIGHBOUR

IV. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using
the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five
words, including the word given. (10 points)

1. Mary hasn’t seen her mother for years. SAW

It’s ……………………….her mother.
2. Mike, I’d like to know the name of the hotel you stayed at.WHICH
Mike, ………………………….at?
3. “Do you know him or not?” Tom asked Diana. WHETHER
Tom asked …………………………... him or not.
4. You can borrow my car, but you must be careful with it. LONG
You can borrow my car ……… ……… ……… careful with it.
5. The house will need painting before we move in. HAVE
We'll need ………………………. before we move in.

V. Read about the domestication of cats, then answer the questions about the text,
choosing either A, B, C or D as the best answer.
Write a descriptive narratise essay entitled: The unforgettable experience of receiving
my first pet. (60 points)

For centuries, the common view of how domestication had occurred was that prehistoric
people, realizing how useful it would be to have captive herds of food animals, began captur-
ing wild animals and breeding them. Over time, by allowing only animals with "tame" charac-
teristics to mate and produce offspring, human beings created animals that were less wild and
more dependent upon people. Eventually this process led to the domestic farm animals and
pets that we know today, many of which would fare quite badly in the wild, having lost their
ancient survival skills and instincts.

Recent research suggests that this view of domestication is incomplete. Prehistoric human be-
ings did capture and breed useful wild animals, and those species became tamer over time
(they generally changed physically, too, developing larger bodies and smaller brains than their
wild cousins). But specialists in animal behavior now think that domestication was not simply
something people did to animals - the animals played an active part in the process. Wolves
and wild horses, for example, may have taken the first steps in their own domestication by
hanging around human settlements, feeding on people's garbage and crops and getting used to
human presence and activity. Individual animals that were not too nervous or fearful to live
near people produced offspring that also tolerated humans, making it easier for people to cap-
ture and tame them.

In this version, people succeeded in domesticating only animals that had already adapted eas-
ily to life around humans. Domestication required an animal that was willing to become do-
mestic. The process was more like a dance with two partners than a triumph of humans over
animals.

At first glance, the taming of cats seems to fit nicely into this new story of domestication. A
traditional theory says that after prehistoric people in the Near East and Egypt invented agri-
culture and started farming, rats and mice gathered to feast on their stored grain. Wildcats, in
turn, gathered at the same places to prey on the rats and mice. Over time, cats got used to
people and people got used to cats, until at some point cats were tame. New studies of wild-
cats, however, seem to call this theory into question. Wildcats don't share hunting and feeding
territories, and they don't live close to people or seek out human settlements as food sources.
Experts do not know whether wildcats were partners in their own domestication. They do
know that long after people had acquired domestic dogs, sheep, goats. cattle, and horses, they
somehow acquired tame cats. By mating the least aggressive cats with one another, they pro-
duced animals with increasingly tame qualities.

1. According to traditional theories of domestication, how were wild animals tamed?

selective breeding

capturing only smaller animals

aggression and control

2. What is suggested in the new theory?

that animals were less afraid than thought

that wolves and horses were the first to be domesticated

that animals had an active role in their domestication

3. Why is the word "dance" used in the 3rd paragraph?

that animals and humans were close

 there were two active partners

that it was complex and not simple to understand

4. What probably attracted cats to human settlements?

warmth

other cats

food

5. What characteristic of the cat causes a problem for the theory that cats were domesticated
like wolves were?

independence

greed

friendliness
 Barem
I. (10 points, 0,5x10)
1. is 6. am writing
2. am sitting 7. will take
3. have been sitting 8. get
4. will leave 9. are your classes going
5. have decided 10. received

II. (20 points, 1x10)

1. First 6. Of
2. Could 7. Has
3. Have 8. Both
4. Her 9. Can
5. Spitting 10. By

III. (10 points, 1x10)

1. childish 2.decisions 3.sleepless 4. thoughtful 5. misunderstood 6. patience 7.
disagreement 8. collector 9. movements 10. neighbourhood

IV. (10 points, 2x 5)

1. ………been years since Mary saw …
2. … which hotel did you stay …..
3. . ….. Diana whether she knew….
4. …..as long as you are…..
5. …... to have the house painted….

V. Reading Comprehension
1-selective breeding
2-that animals had an active role in their domestication
3-there were two active partners
4-food
5-independence