Wash school stage English
School stage of the All-Russian Olympiad in English for schoolchildren
2016-2017 academic year
9-11 grades
Section 1
Listening
Time: 30 minutes
Task 1
Listen to the text "The Lake District" and say which sentences are true (T), false (F) or not mentioned (N) in it.
The Lake District lies on the northwest side of the Pennine system marked off from it by the upper valleys of the Eden and the Lune rivers.
The Lake District is the official name of the region.
The high parts of the District are used for growing crops and sheeping.
The Lake Country is full of small streams and waterfalls, which make the region attractive and beautiful in nature.
Usually the rainfall is little; however, it is not true for the snowfall.
Some of the areas are industrial, specializing in engineering and farming.
The Lake District is associated with the English architects and painters.
7 scores
Task 2
Listen to the first part of the text about England and complete the statements in the right way.
1. England comprises the central and southern ___________of the island of Great Britain.
a) two-fourths
2. England is closer to Europe than any other part of Britain, divided from France only by a __________km sea gap.
3. Most of England is covered by hills, but the area is more mountainous in the north with a chain of the Pennines (the "backbone" of England), dividing _____________.
a) east and west
b) east and south
c) east and north
d) east and northwest
4. However, temperatures rarely fall below -5 ° C or rise above __________.
5. England is driest in the _____________ and warmest in the south.
6. England "s economy is the second largest economy in Europe and the ______________ largest economy in the world with a hundred largest European corporations based in London.
6 scores
Section 2
Time: 30 minutes
Task 1
Read Jane's story. For questions 1 -7 choose the correct answer A, B, C or D.
During the baking hot months of the summer holidays my mother and I used to escape to one of the scattered lakes north of Prince Albert. In its magic surroundings we used to spend the long summer days in the open air, swimming and canoeing or just lying dreaming in the sun. In the evening the lake was always a bright, luminous gray after the unbelievable sunset colors had faded.
The last summer before we returned to England was particularly enchanted. For one thing, I was in love for the first time. No one will ever convince me that one cannot be in love at fifteen. I loved then as never since, with all my heart and without doubts or reservations or pretence.
My boyfriend Don worked in Saskatoon, but the lake was "" his place "" - the strange and beautiful wilderness drew him with an obsessive urgency, so I suspected it was not to see me that he got on his motor-cycle as many Fridays as he possibly could, and drove three hundred-odd miles along the pitted prairie roads to spend the weekends at our place.
Sometimes he couldn "t come, and the joy would go out of everything until Monday, when I could start looking forward to Friday again. He could never let us know in advance, as we were too far from civilization to have a phone or even a telegraph service.Three hundred miles in those conditions is quite a journey.Besides, Don was hard up, and sometimes worked overtime at weekends.
One Friday night a storm broke out. I lay in bed and listened to the thunder and the rain beating on the roof. Once I got up and stood looking out over the treetops, shivering. I tried not to expect Don that night hoping he would have enough sense to wait until the storm ended. Yet in my frightened thoughts I couldn "t help imagining Don fighting the storm. His motorbike, which had always looked to me so heavy and solid, seemed in my thoughts frail enough to be blown onto its side by the first gust that struck it. I thought of Don pinned under it, his face pressed into the mud.
I crawled back into bed, trying to close my throat against the tears. But when my mother, prompted by the deep sympathy and understanding between us, came in to me, she kissed my cheek and found it wet.
"Don" t get upset, Jane, "" she said softly. "" He may still come. ""
When she had tucked me in and gone, I lay thinking about Don, about the danger of the roads. You couldn "t ride or walk along them safely after heavy rain; your feet would slip from under you. The roads in Northern Canada are not like the friendly well-populated English ones, where there are always farmhouses within walking distance and cars driving along them day and night.
It was hours later, that I suddenly realized the sound of the roaring engine were real. The storm was dying.
1.Every summer Jane used to spend
2. The last summer was particularly fascinating for Jane because she
spent it in the magic surroundings.
had a lot of fun in the open air.
enjoyed unbelievable sunsets by the lake.
fell in love for the first time.
a sincere deep feeling.
associated with doubts.
full of reservations.
connected with pretence.
4. Don traveled three hundred-odd miles every weekend because he was
A. desperate to see the author before she left.
B. fond of riding his motorcycle.
C. attracted by the beauty of the lake.
D. fond of spending weekends with his friends.
5. Sometimes Don didn "t come to see Jane and her mother on Friday because he
A. thought they were too far from civilization.
B. had given up hope of seeing the author.
C. worked to make some extra money.
D. hated traveling in exhausting conditions.
6. Mother came into Jane "s room during the storm because she
A. felt Jane was afraid of the thunder.
B. felt Jane was worried about Don.
C. heard Jane walking in the room.
D. heard Jane crying in her bed.
7.According to the author the roads in Northern Canada were
7 scores
Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap (8-14). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
I lived in Port Stewart, one of the small villages on the coast. I rented a small room at the top of an old damp two-storey Victorian terrace house. The house was the last one in the terrace and from its window I could look out on the gray, ever-restless ocean.8 __________ The weather in that part of the North of Ireland was never the kindest, though when the summer came the landscape around us, the easy access to Donegal and to the remoter parts of the North gave the area its own particular delight.
An old retired couple who owned the house lived in two rooms on the ground floor.9 _______His bent figure would brave even Port Stewart's weather as he walked along the sea front.
I never saw the old man at any other time apart from these walks.10 _________His wife, his second, would sit quietly in the kitchen beside the fire constantly knitting and offering us cups of tea as we came in from the pub or back from studying. She never bothered us much, was always friendly and enjoyed a cup of tea with those of us who would sit and chat with her.
11_________ We were not surprised, aware even then that age can be cruel. But what moved me most was his rapid worsening, the fact that I never again saw him walking bent double against the wind, and the sight of his walking stick always lying in the hall. It became a strange kind of symbol.
12 _________ The fact that we were only aware of this old man "s illness through his rasping cough and his wife" s nursing him gave the house an air of heavy sadness.
One evening, I came in from the cold and went I straight to the kitchen to heat myself at the fire. Mrs. Paul sat alone. There was a silence I couldn "t understand. I recall now that her knitting needles were for once not in evidence.13 ________ Her face was very still.
It took her some time to acknowledge me coming into the room.14 ________ She looked up slowly and I remember her old, lined but still quite beautiful face as she said calmly and without emotion: ‘My husband is dead’.
Mr. Paul became ill very suddenly.
'Would you like a cup of tea? ’I asked.
Mr. Paul was in his eighties and I remember him going for his nightly walk accompanied by his walking stick and a small dog.
Late into the night I could hear him coughing.
However, I could not believe what had happened.
I can still remember the view from the window and the constant changes in the sea.
I heard him occasionally in his own room.
Neither was there any steam coming out of the old kettle normally kept hot by the fire.
7 scores
Task 3
Read this article and decide whether statements 15-25 are true or false according to the text.
In 1608 an Englishman whose name was Thomas Coryate visited Italy. He liked the country and noted down every interesting thing he found. But there was one thing which he found more interesting than the others. In his diary Thomas wrote, 'When the Italians eat meat, they use small forks. They do not eat with hands because, as they say, people do not always have clean hands. '
Before leaving for England, Thomas Coryate bought a few forks.
At home Thomas gave a dinner party to show the invention to his friends. When the servant brought the steak, he took out a fork and began to eat like they did in Italy.
Everybody looked at him in surprise. When he told his friends what it was, they all wanted to take a good look at the strange thing. All his friends said that the Italians were very strange people because the fork was veryinconvenient.
Thomas Coryate tried toprove theopposite. He said it was not nice to eatmeat withone's fingers becausethey werenot always clean.
Everybody gotangryat that. Did Mr Coryate think that people in England always had dirty hands? Andweren’tthe ten fingers they had enough for them?
Thomas coryatewanted toshowthat itwas very easy to usethe fork. But the first pieceof meathetookwith the fork fell to thefloor. His friendsbegan to laugh and he hadto take the forkaway.
Only fiftyyears laterdidpeoplein England begin touse forks.
Thomas coryatebrought forks toEngland because he believed it was not nice to eat meat with fingers.
Thomas Coryate wanted to make his friends surprised so he brought forks.
Thomas coryatewanted to make business selling forks.
Eeverybody looked at Thomas when he began to eat like the Italians because nobody had seen a fork before.
Nobody ate meat with hands in England.
Coryate's friends didn’t pay any attention to the forks
The first piece of meat fell to the floor when Thomas took it with the fork because he had not used to eating with a fork.
The steak was too tough so it fell down.
People in England began to use forks in 1658
People in England don’t use forks nowadays.
10 scores
Section 3
Use of English
Time: 30 minutes
Task 1
For questions 1-10, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D)
fits each space best .
Gender gap in education
For many years now, British girls have0__D__much better in exams than boys. Most theories about the causes of this gap1_________ the sexes have blamed the education2 ______ ... However, new research suggests that boys' poor performance has nothing to do3______ internal practices at schools. Instead external factors, such as different learning styles and how children are4 _____ up, have to be considered. For this5 ________ , many educationalists are now studying how boys and girls learn to read. They believe that, since reading is6 ______ taught either by mothers or by female primary school teachers, many boys7_____ reading as a woman’s activity and this puts them8 _______ it.
Another factor could be that boys are generally more9 ________ than girls. When they can’t be the best, they would rather10_____ up education than be considered average. Girls seem much happier to be second best.
10 scores
Task 2.
Choose the right option from a), b), c), d)
1. I ... glasses since I was a child.
a) wear, b) wore, c) am wearing, d) have been wearing.
2. When the phone rang, I ... dinner.
a) cook, b) was cooking, c) had been cooking, d) have been cooking.
3. He usually had dinner at 4 p.m., ...?
a) had he, b) hadn "t he, c) did he, d) didn" t he.
4. He works ... and makes good progress.
a) hard, b) hardly, c) good, d) badly.
5. He reminds me ... someone I knew in the army.
a) of, b) to, c) from, d) about.
6. Mary is here. Where are ...?
a) other, b) others, c) the others, d) another.
7. What ... bad weather we are having today!
a) the, b) a, c) an, d) -.
8. Did you read ... English books at school?
a) some, b) many, c) much, d) none.
9. I want to know what ....
a) are you doing, b) were you doing, c) will you do, d) you are doing.
10. I "ve made ... mistakes now than I made last time.
a) few, b) a few, c) fewer, d) less.
10 scores
Task 3.
Read the extract from the text and complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister, 1____________ (decide) to buy Canterville Chase, everyone 2____________ (tell) him that it 3___________ (be) a foolish thing to do. There 4__________ (be) no doubt that a ghost 5___________ (live) in the house. Indeed, Lord Canterville himself 6__________ (mention) the feat to Mr. Otis when they 7____________ (discuss) the sale.
'We 8___________ (not live) in the place ourselves, 9_____________ (say) Lord Canterville, ‘since the day when my grand-aunt 10____________ (frighten) by the ghost. It 11_____________ (happen) many years ago. My grand-aunt 12_____________ (dress) for dinner when she suddenly 13____________ (feel) two skeleton hands being placed on her shoulders. The fright 14_____________ (make) her very ill and she never really recovered. '
‘I 15____________ (not believe) in ghosts,’ 16______________ (say) Mr. Otis.
16 scores
Section 4
Time: 3 0 minutes
Express your opinion on the following problem:
It is no wonder that the Internet has become one of the most important things of our everyday life. It suggests a lot of social projects like “Odnoklassniki”, “In the Contact”, “Facebook”, etc.
“What are the advantages and drawbacks of such type of communication and the way of making friends? "
Write 150 -200 words .
Remember to :
Make an introduction,
Express your personal opinion on the problem and give reasons for your opinion,
Make a conclusion.
20 scores
Transfer your answers to the answer sheet!
ANSWER SHEETSECTION 1. LISTENING
SECTION 2 ... READING
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
SECTION 3 ... USE OF ENGLISH Task 2Task 3
SECTION 4 ... WRITING_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You can use the opposite side
20 scores
ANSWER KEYS
SECTION 1. LISTENING
Task 1
1-True, 2- Not stated, 3-False, 4-Not stated, 5- False, 6- True, 7-False
7 scores
Task 2
1-B, 2-C, 3-A, 4-D, 5-B, 6-A
6 scores
SECTION 2. READING
Task 1
1- C , 2- D, 3-A, 4-C, 5-C, 6-B, 7-C
7 scores
Task 2
the endshape
8 - F, 19 - C, 10 - G, 11 - A, 12 - D, 13 - H, 14 - B
7 scores
Task 3
15- T, 16- T, 17- F, 18- T, 19- F, 20- F, 21-T, 22-F, 23-T, 24- F
10 scores
SECTION 3. USE OF ENGLISH
Task 1
1 -B, 2 -D, 3- D, 4- A, 5- C, 6- B, 7- C, 8 -A, 9 -D, 10 -A
10 scores
Task 2
1- d, 2- b, 3- d, 4- a, 5- a, 6- c, 7- d, 8-b, 9- d, 10-c.
10 scores
Task 3
1.decided; 2. told; 3.was; 4. was; 5.lived; 6. mentioned / had mentioned; 7. were discussing; 8.haven’t lived; 9. said; 10. was frightened; 11. happened; 12.was dressing; 13. felt; 14. made; 15. don’t believe; 16. said.
16 scores
SECTION 4. WRITING
20 scores
Total - 93 scores
The narrator says that:
1) a square in Brancusi's sculpture is made of oak.
2) Brancusi likes to demonstrate contrasting objects.
3) it's difficult to guess the name of the sculpture.
4) Brancus's bird is crying.
5) the bird opens its mouth to sing.
6) many Mondrian's paintings are very confusing.
7) Mondrian's painting is like a closed window.
8) there is a wide variety of bright colors in this painting.
9) Mondrian signed the painting with his initials.
10) Mondrian also wrote some music.
Part 2 (30 minutes)
Maximum points - 10
| Read the passage below. |
The green house effect
(A)Saving the world begins at home. The energy we use to power our daily domestic lives and drive our cars produces almost half of our output of carbon dioxide, the gas which is the main contributor to the problem of global warming. The way in which we use energy is not only polluting but also incredibly wasteful. But there is nothing to stop us greatly reducing our energy consumption and creating a more comfortable world.
(B)Redesigning the home to bring our lifestyles more into balance with what the environment can cope with need not involve expensive or painful changes. Most of the technology to make the changes is already available. When the changes have been made, the home of the future will be a better place to live in. So what will it be like?
(C)We will have switched from ‘fossil fuels’ - coal, gas and oil - to sources of power which are non-polluting such as windmills or using the power of tides. Houses will be heavily insulated and heating systems made much more efficient. In addition, our future homes will use low-energy light bulbs.
(D)With water costs rising enormously, most houses will trap rainwater and store it in a large, well-insulated tank in the cellar. This tank also serves to save energy: heat is recycled from other parts of the house to maintain a high water temperature for washing and central heating.
(E)Recycling waste will be much more common than it is today. Tins, bottles, plastic, and paper will be put into vents in the wall from where they will fall into divided bins for collection. All vegetable matter will go straight on to a compost heap in the garden.
(F)The home will be a cleaner place. Air conditioning will do much more than keep you cool. It will improve air quality by filtering out contaminating dust mites and by controlling moisture and condensation.
(G)Outside the home as well, life will have become more pleasant. The car will no longer be the threat to our health that it is today: it will run on hydrogen or a mixture of battery and safer petrol. It won’t be allowed to clog up our cities: people will use the tram, a clean, fast, and quiet form of city transport which many cities are already reintroducing.
(H)This picture of the future is one which should appeal to all of us. It's one that our grandchildren could take for granted, not believing that people lived any other way, that people went around polluting, destroying, wasting resources, and apparently not caring. But if we want our grandchildren to have a world which is cleaner and safer, we have to start to change our ways. The picture of the future can become a reality but only if we do something about it. And we should do something about it soon.
Below you will find four headings. Each heading describes the contents of one of the paragraphs in the passage. However, since there are eight paragraphs and only four headings, four of the paragraphs will not fit any of the headings below.
You need to choose which heading best describes which paragraph. Write the letter of a paragraph next to the number of the heading 11 -14 on the separate answer sheet.
11. Homes of the future will be more hygienic.
12. We ought to change the way we live.
13. The way we live now damages the world.
14. Future energy needs will be lower and not cause pollution.
Choose option A, B, C or D which best answers the question. Circle the correct letter in boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet.
15. The author's intention in writing the above article was to show ...
A. the sort of future we can expect for our grandchildren.
B. why we should reduce pollution and use energy more efficiently.
C. why we have taken steps to reduce pollution and improve our use of energy.
D. how changes in house design will encourage people to use less polluting energy.
16. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree with?
A. In the future, houses will be much healthier.
B. In the future, people will produce much less waste.
C. In the future, very few people will own their own car.
D. In the future, the problem of global warming will be better understood.
17. In the passage the author explains ...
A. why using less energy has become more popular.
B. why sources of energy are going to become more scarce.
C. how savings could be made in the way energy is used.
D. how, unless we use less energy, energy costs will rise.
18. In the passage the author DOES NOT explain ...
A. how our cities could be made cleaner.
B. why our use of energy needs to change.
C. why water costs will rise in the future.
D. how the way we live produces global warming.
19. According to the author, one of the differences between our way of life and that of people in the future might be that ...
A. cars will be much cheaper to maintain.
B. fewer people will travel in the cities.
C. cars will have far more safety features.
D. cars will be used less than they are today.
20. The passage describes the homes of the future. Such homes, according to the author, might NOT be built if we ...
A. could not afford the necessary technology.
B. could not find alternative sources of energy.
C. were unable to reduce the amount of waste we produce.
D. failed to agree to make necessary changes in our lives.
Part 3 (15 minutes)
Maximum points - 20
Use of English
Fill in the gaps in the text choosing an appropriate word from the column on the right. Choose one word once only. There are two extra words in the right column which you don’t have to choose. Write the letter which marks the word next to the number of the gap on the answer sheet.
| An 11-year-old piano prodigy from Indonesia will appear at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival after taking the American jazz (21) __________ by storm. Joey Alexander, who releases his debut album My Favorite Things this week, has attracted high (22) __________ from trumpeter and director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis, who has said: "There has never been anyone that you can think of who could play like that (23) __________ his age. I loved everything about his playing his rhythm, his confidence, his understanding of the music. " Marsalis said he found out about Bali-born Alexander after a friend suggested he watched a YouTube clip of the then 10-year-old (24) __________ tunes by John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Chick Corea. Now, to (25) __________ his debut album, Alexander is set to play at the Montreal and Newport jazz festivals. Newport producer George Wein says he "s always been reluctant to (26) __________ so-called child prodigies, but he made an exception after Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, tennis legend Arthur Ashe" s widow, Alexander over to his Manhattan apartment to ( 27) __________ for him. "The thing that differs him from most young players is the maturity of his harmonic approach," Wein told AP reporter Charles J Gans. "His playing is very contemporary but he also has a (28) __________ of the history of the music." Alexander "s parents were jazz fans and he himself admires the playing (29) __________ Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau. He also loves the Avengers and SpongeBob Squarepants." For me jazz is a calling. I love jazz because it "s about freedom to express yourself and being spontaneous, full of rhythm and full of improvisation," said the young pianist. "Technique is important, but for me first when I play it" s from the (30) __________ and feeling the groove. I want to develop by practicing and playing, and challenging myself to get better every day, "said Alexander. | A) at |
| B) book | |
| C) for | |
| D) heart | |
| E) of | |
| F) performing | |
| G) play | |
| H) praise | |
| I) promote | |
| J) pushing | |
| K) scene | |
| L) sense |
| For items 31-40, Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0). |
| When you have made the (0) ... to begin exercising, | DECIDE |
| you need more than just enthusiasm - you need to use (31) ... | EQUIP |
| which is high quality, safe and (32) .... The Classic Home | RELY |
| Cycle is a basic model with a (33) ... distance meter and timer. | MECHANIC |
| It has a strong construction and enclosed flywheel for (34) ... | SAFE |
| and both the seat and handlebars are (35) ... to different | ADJUST |
| (36) ... so the user can pedal in the most comfortable position. | HIGH |
| With a rowing machine you can (37) ... the arms and legs as | STRONG |
| well as exercise the back. Brisk rowing is just as (38) ... for | EFFECT |
| burning calories as running at 11 km an hour. The (39) ... | REASON |
| priced Classic Rower has a seat which moves smoothly (40) ... the whole rowing program, and is suitable for all home exercisers. | THROUGH |
Part 4 (30 minutes)
Maximum points - 10
Comment on the following problem: Modern libraries in the digital age should be different from the libraries of the past.
In your comment use the information from the Internet below.
Modern Libraries
Many people, when asked about libraries, imagine old buildings with heavy bookshelves and dimmed light. Libraries around the world are heading into the future, creating for their patrons a more dynamic, multi-level environment for learning and pleasure.
Enjoy most tremendous examples of how modern libraries are shaping the way we learn and enjoy reading in the digital age.
| LiYuan Library, China Built in 2011 in a small village of Huairou on the outskirts of Beijing, this beautiful nature-inspired library was designed by Li Xiaodong. The 175-square-meter building’s interior is spatially diverse by using steps and small level changes to create distinct places. The wooden sticks temper the bright light and spread it evenly throughout the space to give a perfect reading ambience. The library has no electricity supply and closes at dusk. | Ballyroan Library, Ireland Designed by Box Architecture, the new library in South Dublin opened in early 2013. The new library offers extensive seating and a large study area with many public access computers, as well as printing and photocopying facilities. Free internet is available throughout the building. |
Write 100-120 words. Remember to
Make an introduction;
Express your personal opinion on the problem and give reasons for your opinion;
Express your attitude towards the information from the Internet;
Make a conclusion.
Write in your own words.
Similar information.
Task 1
For items 1–10
listen to a passage from a lecture and decide whether the statements (1–10)
are TRUE (A), or FALSE (B) according to the text you hear. You will hear the text twice.
Audio recording
- Some time ago the speaker went to buy a new bicycle.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker left the shop without buying anything.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker promised the shopkeeper to come back later.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker didn’t want to offend the shopkeeper.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker thinks that his behavior in the shop was tactful.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker disagrees with the Collins Dictionary definition of tact.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker wants to find words that would make people feel better.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker doesn’t refer to the situations when one needs to compliment somebody.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker calls the behavior when one is trying to help people avoid feeling bad negative behavior.
- A) True
- B) False
- The speaker thinks that only positive behavior is important.
- A) True
- B) False
Task 2
For items 11–15 A, Bor C) to answer questions 11–15 ... You will hear the text only once.
- How does Patrick describe the Isle of Collett?
- A) As a place with bad weather conditions.
- B) As a very distant place.
- C) As a stony island.
- What helped Patrick pass the time?
- A) Work on his university thesis.
- B) Weather research.
- C) Birdwatching.
- When Patrick says ‘It took me less than 20 minutes’ he means that…
- A) he couldn’t leave his work for longer.
- B) the island is very small.
- C) he doesn’t like long walks.
- What does Patrick say about his PhD thesis?
- A) He still has a year to work on it.
- B) It was rejected by the university.
- C) He has finished it.
- Where does Patrick plan to spend his short holiday?
- A) In London.
- B) In the Mediterranean.
- C) Back on the Isle of Collett.
READING
Time: 45 minutes (40 scores)
Task 1
For items 1–10 , read the passage below and choose option A, B, Cor D which best fits according to the text.
Duncan phyfe
Duncan Phyfe made some of the most beautiful furniture found in America. His family name was originally Fife, and he was born in Scotland in 1768. In 1784, the Fife family immigrated to Albany, New York where Duncan’s father opened a cabinet making shop. Duncan followed in his father’s footsteps and was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker. After completing his training, Duncan moved to New York City. Duncan Fife was first mentioned in the 1792 NYC Directory as a furniture “joiner” in business at 2 Broad Street. Two years later, he moved, expanded his business, and changed his name to Phyfe. He was a quiet-living, God-fearing young man who felt his new name would probably appeal to potential customers who were definitely anti-British in this post-Revolutionary War period. Duncan Phyfe's name distinguished him from his contemporaries. Although the new spelling helped him better compete with French émigré craftsmen, his new name had more to do with hanging it on a sign over his door stoop.
The artisans and merchants who came to America discovered a unique kind of freedom. They were no longer restricted by class and guild traditions of Europe. For the first time in history, a man learned that by working hard, he could build his business based on his own name and reputation and quality of work. Phyfe's workshop apparently took off immediately. At the peak of his success, Phyfe employed 100 craftsmen. Some economic historians point to Phyfe as having employed division of labor and an assembly line. What his workshop produced shows Phyfe's absolute dedication to quality in workmanship. Each piece of furniture was made of the best available materials. He was reported to have paid $ 1,000 for a single Santo Domingo mahogany log.
Phyfe did not create new designs. Rather, he borrowed from a broad range of the period’s classical styles, Empire, Sheraton, Regency, and French Classical among them. Nevertheless, Phyfe’s high quality craftsmanship established him as America’s patriotic interpreter of European design in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Although the number of pieces produced by Duncan Phyfe's workshop is enormous, comparatively few marked or labeled pieces have been found extant. In antiques shops and auctions, collectors have paid $ 11,000 for a card table, $ 24,200 for a tea table, and $ 93,500 for a sewing table.
- Based on the information in the passage, what can be inferred about Duncan Phyfe?
- A) He regretted that Great Britain no longer governed New York City.
- B) He was an excellent businessman with a good sense of craftsmanship and design.
- C) He built all his furniture by himself in a workshop in Santo Domingo.
- D) He joined the cabinetmakers ’guild after he moved to Scotland in 1792.
- According to the passage, which of the following does the author imply?
- A) Duncan Fife and his father had the same first name.
- B) Duncan Fife worked for his father in Scotland.
- C) Duncan Phyfe made over 100 different kinds of tables.
- D) Duncan Fife and his father were in the same business.
- Which sentence in paragraph 2 explains Duncan’s name change?
- A) The third sentence.
- B) The second sentence.
- C) The first sentence.
- D) None of the above.
- Which choice does the word 'it' refer to in the second paragraph?
- A) His spelling.
- B) His chair.
- C) His name.
- D) His French.
- Which of the following does the word ‘freedom’ refer to?
- A) Restricted.
- B) No longer restricted.
- C) By working hard.
- D) Took off.
- Which choice is closest in meaning to the word ‘guild’ in the third paragraph?
- A) Organization of craftsmen.
- B) Verdict of a jury.
- C) Political party of émigrés.
- D) Immigrants' club.
- Where in the passage could the following sentence be added to the passage? Every joint was tight, and the carved elements were beautifully executed.
- A) After the word “workmanship” in paragraph 3.
- B) After the word “cabinetmaker” in paragraph 1.
- C) After the word “stoop” in paragraph 2.
- D) After the words “sewing table” in the last paragraph.
- In his business, Duncan Phyfe used all of the following EXCEPT:
- A) division of labor.
- B) an assembly line.
- C) continental designs.
- D) inexpensive materials.
- Based on information in the passage, what can be inferred about Duncan Phyfe's death?
- A) He died in the eighteenth century.
- B) He died in England.
- C) He died in the nineteenth century.
- D) He died in Scotland.
- The author implies that furniture from Duncan Phyfe's work-shop
- A) no longer exists.
- B) costs a lot of money today.
- C) was ignored by New Yorkers.
- D) was made by his father.
Task 2
For items 11–20, read the passage below and choose which of the sentences A – K fit into the numbered gaps in the text. There is one extra sentence which does not fit in any of the gaps. Write the correct letter in boxes 11–20 on your answer sheet.
Ever since the 1910s, when film-makers first set up shops in Hollywood, mapmakers have been making quite unusual and even unique things: maps showing the locations of the fabulous homes of the stars. Collectively, they form an unofficial version of the Oscars, showing who’s in and who’s out in the film world. 'Each one looks different,' says Linda Welton, whose grandfather and mother pioneered these maps. eleven ________. Former film stars vanish from them, new ones appear on them, and some of the truly greats are permanent fixtures on them.
In 1933, noticing the steady stream of tourists going westward to follow the stars from Hollywood to Beverly Hills (the nearby district where most of the stars went to live), Linda's grandfather, Wesley Lake, got a copyright for his Guide to Starland: Estates and Mansions. 12 ________. For 40 years Linda’s mother, Vivienne, sold maps just down the road from Cary Cooper’s place at 200, Baroda *. The asterisk indicates that it was the actor's final home, as opposed to a plus sign (denoting an ex-home) or a zero (for no view from the street).
‘My grandfather asked Mom to talk to the gardeners to find out where the stars lived,’ Linda recalls. ‘She would come up to them and say:“ 13 ________ ”Who would suspect a little girl?’ Linda Welton and her team now sell about 10,000 maps a year from a folding chair parked curbside six days a week. fourteen ________.
The evolution of the maps mirrors both the Hollywood publicity machine and real estate and tourism development. fifteen ________. The first celebrity home belonged to the artist Paul de Longpre. sixteen ________.
Although it is not known for certain who published the first map, by the mid-1920s all sorts of people were producing them. 17 ________.
One of the most famous of the early maps was produced to show the location of Pickfair, the home of the newly married stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and the homes of some of their star friends. During World War I, they opened their home to serve refreshments to soldiers. As Vivienne Welton once explained in an interview, to a map and cartography magazine, ‘She asked a few friends to do the same. eighteen ________.'
For over 40 years, people have marched toward the corner of Sunset and Baroda with hand-painted yellow signs saying: ‘Star Maps, 2 blocks’, ‘Star Maps, 1 block’, ‘Star Maps here’. The maps reflect the shifting geography of stardom as celebrities, looking for escape from over-enthusiastic fans, some with quite unhealthy intentions, have moved out to various districts in Malibu. 19 ________. Legendary stars - Garbo, Monroe, Chaplin - remain on them. 20 ________.
- A. As they do so, they give advice to the tourists on star safaris through the lime green landscape of Beverly Hills.
- B. Studios like Paramount published the names and addresses of its stars on theirs, and businesses distributed them as a promotional gimmick.
- C. Others, however, say that the star maps are still an essential part of Hollywood and the film world.
- D. More profoundly, perhaps, the maps suggest the temporary nature of fame.
- E. Early film stars like Lillian Gish lived in modest, somewhat grubby rooming houses, taking street cars to and from the studio.
- F. Updated regularly, they are still for sale at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Baroda Drive.
- G. And so a map was needed.
- H. It is the oldest continuously published star map and one of a half-dozen or so maps of varying degrees of accuracy and spelling correctness sold today.
- I. Oh, this is a beautiful garden, but who lives here?
- J. Others, however, hang on for about a decade and then vanish.
- K. He had a luxuriously-landscaped house at Cahuenga Avenue and Hollywood and real estate agents would take prospective clients past it on tours.
USE OF ENGLISH
Time: 60 minutes, (50 scores)
Task 1. Questions 1-15
For Questions 1-15, read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick. If a line has a word which should not be there, write the word on your answer sheet. There are two examples at the beginning ( 0 and 00).
Example:
| 0 | V |
| 00 | far |
The Plaza hotel
| 0 | The Plaza is situated close to the center of town and only |
| 00 | 20 minutes' drive far from the airport. There are 605 guest |
| 1 | rooms providing a luxurious accommodation for tourists |
| 2 | and business people alike. Each room it is equipped with |
| 3 | a color television, a mini bar and an individually-controlled |
| 4 | air conditioning. Guests have the choice of five superb |
| 5 | restaurants. Why not to sample local specialties in the Bistro |
| 6 | on the ground floor or enjoy yourself the finest international |
| 7 | cuisine in the fabulous Starlight Room with its panoramic |
| 8 | view of the city? There is a wide range of facilities for |
| 9 | relaxation and enjoyment including of a swimming pool, |
| 10 | health club, beauty salon and karaoke bar. In addition, |
| 11 | our modern conference center which has been |
| 12 | designed to meet all your business needs. Why should you not stay |
| 13 | elsewhere when you can be sure of a warm welcome |
| 14 | and excellent service at the Plaza? For reservations |
| 15 | and information please to call 010 534 766 (24 hours). |
Task 2. Questions 16–25
Example: 0
... The pool isn’t deep enough to swim in.
too
The pool ……………………. swim in.
| 0 | is too shallow to |
- Laura had to pay a fine of 50 dollars because she didn’t have a ticket.
dollar
Laura had to pay …………………… because she didn’t have a ticket.
- The concert wasn’t as good as we had expected.
live
The concert didn’t ……… .. our expectations.
- I’ve been too busy to answer my emails, but I’ll do it soon.
round
I haven’t ………… my emails yet, but I’ll do it soon.
- It’s nearly lunchtime, so would you like to eat something?
feel
It’s nearly lunchtime, so do ……………………………… something to eat?
- Complaints about the food! That’s all I ever hear from you!
always
You …………………………… the food!
- They took advantage of the day-off at work and went to the seaside!
most
They ………………… of the day-off at work and went to the seaside!
- Two detectives investigating the robbery questioned us for over an hour.
inquiries
Two detectives ……………… .. the robbery questioned us for over an hour.
- Jake was the person who started my interest in collecting pottery.
got
It was Jake ………… in collecting pottery.
- He really wanted to impress the interviewers.
desperate
He ………………………. the interviewers a good impression.
- Because he was injured he couldn’t play in the next game.
prevented
His ……….…. in the next game.
Task 3. Questions 26–30
| Informal English | Neutral Equivalents |
| 26. Oh well, don’t let it get you down | A) to borrow sth for a short time |
| 27. I wish you’d stop going on about it for hours on end. | B) to change one’s mind |
| 28. It really bugs me when people don’t return my pen after they’ve borrowed it. | C) to fool sb |
| 29. My bicycle's been nicked | D) to annoy sb |
| 30. He flipped his lid | E) to upset sb |
| F) to steal sth | |
| G) to argue | |
| H) to lose one’s temper | |
| I) to speak steadily | |
| J)to surprise sb |
Task 4. Questions 31–40
| 31 ... The Trail of Tears | A) the artist who made his masterpieces by putting the painting on the floor and then walking around it, letting the paint drip from sticks |
| 32 ... John bull | B) a figure who stands for the USA sometimes represented by the figure of a man with a white beard and tall hat |
| 33 ... The great gatsby | C) This book deals with a poor Cockney girl who is taught how to speak and behave like an upper class lady as a scientific experiment. |
| 34 ... Prohibition | D) the period from 1919 to 1933 in the US when the production and sale of alcoholic drinks was illegal |
| 35 ... Louisiana Purchase | E) an English filmmaker of the 20-th century who specialized in thrillers |
| 36 ... Pygmalion | F) the massive area of \u200b\u200bland bought from France in 1803 which doubled the US size |
| 37 ... The great depression | G) a figure who stands for England in literary and political satire |
| 38 ... Jackson pollock | H) a group of eight old and respected universities in the Northeastern US |
| 39 ... The ivy league | I) the path that the Cherokees, forced to move away from their homes, traveled in the autumn and winter of 1838 to 1839 |
| 40 ... Alfred hitchcock | J) the severe economic problems that followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and resulted in the failure of many banks and businesses |
| K) This novel describes the rise and fall of the main character, who extravagantly lives from bootlegging. He loves a beautiful woman who is the cause of his downfall. | |
| L) an English animator of the 20-th century who is famous for inventing some of the best-known cartoons | |
| M) Oxford and Cambridge together |
WRITING
Time: 60 minutes, (30 scores)
Comment on the following quotation.
"All that glisters is not gold."
Write 200-250 words.
Use the following plan:
- explain how you understand the author's point of view;
- express your personal opinion and give 2–3 reasons in its support;
- give examples to illustrate your reasons, using your personal experience, literature or background knowledge;
- make a conclusion.
Attention!
If the volume is exceeded by more than 10% of the given (276 words or more), the first 250 words are checked... If the volume is exceeded by less than 10% of the specified, the points for content are not reduced.
Audioscript
Listening comprehension
For items 1–10 listen to a passage from a lecture and decide whether the statements (1–10) are TRUE (a), or FALSE (b) according to the text you hear. You will hear the text twice.
You have 20 seconds to study the statements.
(pause 20 seconds)
Now we begin.
Some time ago, I was in a bicycle shop looking for a new lock for my bicycle. The shopkeeper showed me several, patiently explaining their advantages and disadvantages. None of them was quite what I wanted and eventually I said to the shopkeeper, “I’ll think about it. Thanks very much ”, and left the shop. Why did I say, “I’ll think about it”? Not something more straightforward like, “None of these is right”, “They’re too big”, “They are too small”, “They’re too expensive”, “I’ll go elsewhere”? I think, there are two reasons why I chose to say “I’ll think about it”. The first is that I didn’t want the shopkeeper to feel that his products were not valued or that his time had been wasted and second is that I didn’t want to be the object of his possible annoyance or irritation. In other words, I didn’t want him to feel bad. And I didn’t want me to feel bad. We have words for this general behavior pattern of not wanting ourselves or other people to feel bad as a result of the interactions that we have… have with other people. We talk about tact, which is defined in the Collins Concise Dictionary as ‘the sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others so as to avoid giving offence’, or we might equally call this, as many people do, politeness behavior. Now notice that the definition of tact talks about avoiding giving offence. It is not talking about something positive that we do in order to make people feel better than they otherwise would. So, here we are not talking about the kind of behavior we get into when, for example, we console a friend whose cat has just been run over or compliment our partner on a very well-cooked meal. We are not trying here to positively make people feel better, but trying to avoid them feeling bad. So, this is a negative kind of behavior that I'm talking about. But the fact that it’s negative doesn’t mean that it’s not terribly important. It is extremely important. It is essential to our self-preservation and to social cohesion. And for this reason avoidance behavior is of great interest to many different kinds of scholars.
(pause 20 seconds)
Now listen to the text again.
(text repeated)
You have 20 seconds to check your answers.
(pause 20 seconds)
For items 11–15
listen to the dialogue. Choose the correct answer ( A, Bor C) to answer questions 11–15
... You will hear the text only once.
You now have 25 seconds to study the questions.
(pause 25 seconds)
Now we begin.
A lonely job
Jane: Wherever have you been, Patrick? I haven’t seen you for months. Someone said you’d emigrated.
Patrick: Whoever told you that? I've been working on a weather research station on the Isle of Collett.
Jane: Where on earth is that?
Patrick: It’s a lump of rock about 100 miles north-west of Ireland.
Jane: Whatever did you do to pass the time?
Patrick: Fortunately I had my university thesis to work on. If I hadn’t had a pile of work to do, I’d have gone off my head.
Jane: Was there anything else to do?
Patrick: Well, if you were a bird watcher, it would be a paradise; but whenever I got tired of studying, I could only walk round the island - and that took me less than twenty minutes.
Jane: However did you stand it? If I’d been in your shoes I’d have taken the first boat back to civilization.
Patrick: Well, I needed some information for my research there, and they paid me, so I saved some money. Now I can have a short holiday before I start looking for a job.
Jane: Have you finished your PhD already? I thought you had another year to do.
Patrick: No, time flies, you know. As long as they don’t reject my thesis, I’ll be leaving for London next week.
Jane: If I were you, I’d go off to the Mediterranean or somewhere before starting work.
Patrick: No thanks, I’ll stay in London. I’ve had enough of the sea for a while. This is the end of the listening comprehension part. You have 1 minute to complete your answer.
Keys
Use of English |
|
| Item | Answer |
| 1 | a |
| 2 | it |
| 3 | an |
| 4 | V |
| 5 | to |
| 6 | yourself |
| 7 | V |
| 8 | V |
| 9 | of |
| 10 | V |
| 11 | which |
| 12 | not |
| 13 | V |
| 14 | V |
| 15 | to |
| 16 | a 50-dollar fine |
| 17 | live up to |
| 18 | got round to answering |
| 19 | you feel like having |
| 20 | are always complaining about |
| 21 | made the most |
| 22 | making inquiries into / about |
| 23 | who / that got me interested |
| 24 | was desperate to give |
| 25 | injury prevented him from playing |
| 26 | E |
| 27 | I |
| 28 | D |
| 29 | F |
| 30 | H |
| 31 | I |
| 32 | G |
| 33 | K |
| 34 | D |
| 35 | F |
| 36 | C |
| 37 | J |
| 38 | A |
| 39 | H |
| 40 | E |
Scoring for all competitions
Listening - the maximum number of points is 30. The task is checked by keys. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. For an incorrect answer or no answer, 0 points are given. Then the resulting number of points is multiplied by two.
Reading - the maximum number of points is 40. The task is checked by keys. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. For an incorrect answer or no answer, 0 points are given. Then the resulting number of points is multiplied by two.
Use of English - the maximum number of points is 50. The task is checked by keys. In tasks 1, 3, 4, each correct answer is estimated at 1 point. For an incorrect answer or no answer, 0 points are given. In task 1, spelling is not taken into account. In task 2, each correct answer is estimated at 2 points. For an incorrect answer or no answer, 0 points are given. Spelling is taken into account. If a grammatically correct answer is given, but spelling mistakes were made in the answer, the answer is estimated at 1 point.
Writing - the maximum number of points is 30. The task is evaluated according to the Evaluation Criteria. Then the resulting number of points is multiplied by two. When summarizing the results, the points for all competitions are summed up. The maximum number of points for all competitions is 30 + 40+ 50 +30 \u003d 150.
Center for Talent Development "Mega-Talent" offers to take part in the All-Russian Olympiad in English. The mission of the MDG "Mega-Talent" is to reveal the ability to cognize and learn. Our educational activities help pupils and students in their learning and personal development.
MDG "Mega-Talent" is:
- More than 400 successful Olympiads in 47 school subjects.
- 20,000 students from 12 countries among the participants in the English language Olympiads.
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- A community of educators united by a common goal.
Moving towards the teacher
We strive to reduce difficulties and destroy obstacles! That is why in organizing and conducting the Olympiad, we have simplified everything to 5 simple steps.
- The teacher gets access to assignments for all classes and conducts an Olympiad.
- Students receive well-deserved diplomas, and teachers receive certificates and gratitude.
- Compensation for organizational expenses is paid.
- The most active teachers receive prizes every month.
- At all stages of the Olympiad, the teacher can contact the support service for help.
Remote All-Russian and International Olympiads from the RTC "Mega-Talent" in English
The remote format has many benefits. The teacher can hold the Olympiad on the basis of his educational institution, thereby ensuring maximum comfort for the participants. Such a "home" environment allows pupils and students to fully concentrate on the tasks of the Olympiad.
All tasks are based on the school curriculum, and the Olympiad itself adheres to the high standards of the Federal State Educational Standard. Such an event is a great opportunity to prove yourself for both the teacher and the student.
Each class has its own set of 15 questions. Among them:
- Test tasks
- Questions involving analysis of the proposed data
- Working with illustrative materials
- Questions on the deletion and matching of data series
The cost of participation in the English language Olympiad
The registration fee is set separately for each Olympiad. Up to 30% of the registration fee is returned to the teacher in the form of compensation for organizational costs: printing assignments, diplomas, certificates, etc. More details on how the amount of compensation is calculated can be found at the time of application.
How often are English Olympiads held?
In total, there are three seasons of the All-Russian Olympiads (autumn, winter and spring), three international seasons, which are held in the intervals between the All-Russian, as well as the final Olympiad at the end of the year. The teacher can choose a suitable period for him and hold the Olympiad at a convenient time. Read more about what events are taking place right now.on the schedule page of MDG "Mega-Talent".
How are results determined?
After the Olympiad, the teacher enters the answers of the participants in his personal account. The system processes this data and determines the winners. Along with this, all award materials become available: diplomas of winners, certificates of participants, as well as the corresponding certificate for the teacher.
How to organize an Olympiad for your pupils or students?
- A registered user of the Mega-Tallant RTC submits an application for participation and confirms it by paying the registration fee.
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- The answers of the participants are entered in the user's personal account in the system database.
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How to pay the registration fee?
We have made sure that you have the opportunity to use a convenient payment method.
- bank card
- russian Post receipt
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All this can be used to pay the registration fee.
Participation in the Olympiad for residents of the CIS and neighboring countries
Anyone who is fluent in Russian can take part in the international correspondence Olympiads of the RTC "Mega-Talent". Still have questions? Surely the answer is ... If it is not there, please contact our responsive and responsive support team. Not a single appeal will be left without attention.