ОГЭ. Раздел "Грамматика и лексика"

Основной государственный экзамен

Раздел «Use of English», задание № 2 (Словообразование)

Russia is a large country with great diversity in flora and fauna. There are several large ________ (NATION) parks in Russia. A lot of different animals live there. Wolves are probably the best known, and are very well studied animals, so we have enough _________ (INFORM) about their diet and behaviour. The wolf is a good _________(HUNT). They usually hunt wild animals like deer and hares, but sometimes they can attack sheep, goats, and cows. The wolf tries to avoid people and only goes into villages when he is _________(REAL) hungry. In some __________(RUSSIA) tales, the wolf is often represented as a clever animal that helps the main character, Ivan. The wolf is usually direct and __________(CREATE) and helps Ivan to cope with many difficult problems.

Learning languages is important nowadays. It is interesting and _________(USE). Language skills help people to travel, study, and establish __________(PROFESSION) links with colleagues from other countries.  Some people say that learning languages is easy but others strongly ______(AGREE). They say that learning languages takes a lot of time and they are not happy with their progress anyway. Meanwhile, there are some strategies that can make you a successful language ________(LEARN) and save your time. The first idea is watching films in the original. If the films are __________(INTEREST), learning is just fun, not hard work. Online and live ________(COMMUNICATE) with people in the language you are learning also helps a lot.

I’m not a child but I still like cartoons and animated films. __________(RECENT), I enrolled in an animation course in our university. The ___________(TEACH) of the course explained to us how animated films are made. Basically, animation is just a series of pictures with a character. Each picture is a little ____________(DIFFER). When you show the pictures really fast, it looks like they are moving. Some people say animation is not a serious thing. I strongly ___________(AGREE). Animated films may be ___________(FUN) but clever and useful to learn new skills. I believe they can be used in many spheres, and most importantly of all in ___________(EDUCATE).

Not everyone likes street art. ___________(USUAL) nobody asks owners’ permission before drawing graffiti on their houses. Sometimes the drawings may be ________(INTEREST) and nice but sometimes messy and ugly. What is graffiti –  a form of art or vandalism? It depends on the drawing, I think. A friend of mine, John, is a street ________(ART). He says that street art is a form of __________(COMMUNICATE). A person can tell you nice or rude things, can’t he? As for John, he is a really nice and ________(CREATE) person. He enjoys drawing ________(VARY) characters from animated films. When my neighbours saw his drawings, they asked him to paint some pictures on the wall of their house. Just to make it look brighter and more positive.

What is the most eco-friendly transport? I believe it’s the bicycle. There are a lot of bicycles on the streets of our town and that is probably why it looks so green and _______(BEAUTY). There are cycle lanes all over the town so using your bike to get to school or to the office is safe and convenient. _______(FORTUNATELY), some people still prefer driving cars even for short distances. They make the environment less __________(HEALTH). As for me, I enjoy riding my bike very much and all my friends say that I’m a good ________(RIDE). Next month I’m going to take part in a regional cycling ____________(COMPETE) and I hope to win it. I don't think I will stop riding my bicycle till I’m __________(REAL) old.

Koalas are cute animals. _____________(FORTUNATELY), it causes them lots of problems. There are people who want to keep the cute exotic animal as a pet which may put the koala in a really ___________(DANGER) situation. The problem is that the koala’s diet is very specific. To stay ___________(HEALTH) they should only eat eucalyptus leaves. The leaves need to be young and fresh, which means a person who keeps a koala should also have a lot of eucalyptus trees. Andrew Page, a __________(SCIENCE) who has been studying koalas for years, says that it’s a bad idea to keep this animal as a pet. According to him, people who try to do it usually have very little __________(INFORM) about koala’s lifestyle. And their ignorance can often cost the __________(BEAUTY) animal its life.

In Moscow, there are approximately 35,000 dogs living on the streets. Some of these ________(HOME) animals were born there. Others are just ________(LUCKY) pets that have been abandoned by their owners. For many dogs the city may be a ___________(DANGER) place to live in. However, scientists were surprised to find out how ___________(EASY) some animals can adapt to urban life. Some dogs have even learnt to use the city’s metro system! We still don't know how the dogs find out when to get off the train. One __________(SUGGEST) is that they use their excellent sense of smell to recognise the scents of their favourite destinations. Another idea is that they are able to remember the design of ________(DIFFER) stations and find the station they need.

Most graffiti street artists are anonymous. However there are some artists who have become globally ________(FAME). Like the twin brothers from Brazil who call themselves Os Gemeos. They paint everything from small images to huge, __________(COLOUR) pictures of people on buildings. Another celebrity among graffiti artists is Blek le Rat from Paris. He paints pictures of _______(HOME) people. In this way he hopes to encourage residents to think _________(SERIOUS) about the problems of these people. Another well-known artist is Faith 47 from Cape Town. She paints big bright pictures of people and animals. The works of this ______(PAINT) can be found on pavements, empty factory buildings, and abandoned cars. It is ________(POSSIBLE) to predict how street art will develop in the future but we can be sure that it is here to stay!

Kelly's family loved to watch football together. Sometimes they watched college games, but normally they watched __________(PROFESSION) teams play. This evening was special. Two teams were playing in the final match of the __________(CHAMPION). Kelly's favourite team had actually got to the final this year, which ________(RARE) happened. "They're going to win for sure! It will be _______(FAIR) if they lose!" Kelly thought. Watching the football game needed the presence of the whole family and lots of tasty food. So Kelly's mum had made barbecue meatballs. Uncle Jolyon had brought a _________(SPICE) cheese sauce and chips. Aunt Katie brought some cakes.  When the game started, everyone cheered. It seemed to Kelly that every _________(PLAY) of her team was doing their best to win-win-win! And they did!  

The Nobel Prize is a very prestigious award. Alfred Nobel, a successful businessman and the _____INVENT_____ of explosives, established prizes for achievements in science, literature and economics. Another award, the Oscar, is ____PROBABLE____ the most famous prize in the film industry. The ceremony is an ____IMPRESS____ event with lots of film stars. There are lots of musical awards – Grammies, Brits, and the MTV awards for music, the list is ____END_____. In Britain, a writer who wins the Booker prize can expect to see their novel at the top of the bestseller lists and compete with ‘The Da Vinci Code’ for _____POPULAR____. The Turner Prize is an award for British contemporary artists, and each year it causes heated discussions. Artists get lots of money for their ____USUAL____ and sometimes even strange works. 

Ecotourism is getting more and more popular. It offers two things at once: ____EDUCATE____ and entertainment. Most people agree that ecotourism is the most _____HARM_____ branch of tourism. It makes profit without destroying ______NATURE_____ resources. When tourists choose eco trips, they stay in local houses with local people, not in _____EXPENSE_____ hotels. They travel on foot, by boat, bicycle or elephant to avoid pollution.  However, such trips are not at all cheap. This is ____PROBABLE____ the only disadvantage. But you can apply the principles of ecotourism every time you go on a normal holiday. You should remember that you're only a ____VISIT_____ and be as careful as possible. 

Ireland is the country of myths and legends. Even the local people are not sure which of them were based on facts and which are the product of someone’s ____CREATE____ imagination. Leprechauns are ____PROBABLE____ the most famous characters from Irish mythology. They are depicted as old bearded men. Their ____RESPONSIBLE____ is to guard the treasure of the fairies. Unfortunately, rainbows always point to the _____LOCATE____ of the treasure and the Leprechaun must rehide it. And there are plenty of rainbows in Ireland! Leprechauns are always busy. They are always very ____CARE____ and try to be invisible to people. But if you manage to catch some ____LUCKY___ Leprechaun, he must either give you his treasure or grant you three wishes. 

It’s obvious that language skills are essential for everyone today. Foreign languages are very _____USE_______ not only for travelling, but also for studying and building a career. There are lots of ___DIFFER_____ ways to learn a new language.  However, everyone agrees that learning languages is ____POSSIBLE____ without dictionaries. The main job of any dictionary is to explain what words mean. This can be done via ____TRANSLATE_____ or the unknown word can be explained in other words. It’s also good if the dictionary contains some examples of how the word is used –  it helps to understand the ____MEAN_____ much better. If you are a busy _____LEARN_______, you probably prefer online dictionaries to paper ones. Online dictionaries are very convenient to use if you have Internet access.

My friend, Mary, is an extraordinary girl. She has always tried new things –  new sports and new hobbies. She says life should be _____INTEREST_______ and it should change all the time. Now she has a new idea –  she wants to be a firefighter. You may say that it is not a job for girls, but Mary will ___AGREE_____ with this. In her opinion, putting out fires is a ____DANGER_____ job but women are able to do it too. She has enrolled in a special training school where they learn skills and study firefighting ____EQUIP_____. The teenagers in the camp also learn how to work as a team, which is a very ___USE_____ skill wherever you work. And Mary is sure her team will be effective in any ___SITUATE_____. 

There is a belief that some jobs suit men better than women and some other jobs are more appropriate for women than for men. Nowadays, women more and more often take jobs that ______TRADITIONAL________ were done by men. A lot of women do ___DANGER_____ and difficult jobs, becoming astronauts, pilots, and firefighters. No one is surprised when a girl wants to be a police officer or a train _____DRIVE____. In sports you can see a similar ____SITUATE____. Girls play football, ice hockey, go boxing and do other sports that seem to be ______USUAL_________ for women. But the girls say that it is ____EXCITE_____ and they cannot see any reason why they should not go into the sport they like.

Mark is an old friend of mine. I’m very proud of our friendship because Mark is a very ____INTEREST_____ person. He is very talented and ____CREATE_____.  He can play the piano and the violin and the guitar but he is not a professional ____MUSIC_____. He plays only for his family and friends. We have encouraged Mark to try singing too, but he refuses and says he has an ___PLEASANT_____ voice. That is certainly not true –  he has a nice voice, though he cannot sing very ______LOUD_________. Now we are arranging a school band and I want to ask Mark to join it. I think if he starts performing in public, he’ll become a more confident and more ____SUCCESS____ person.

'Surfers Against Sewage' (SAS) was founded in 1990 by water sports enthusiasts in the UK. They are an environmental ______ORGANIZE______ that tries to protect the UK’s oceans and beaches. They say that it may be really _____RISK______ to swim in the seas, and even sunbathe on the beaches because of the pollution. When SAS appeared, it informed people about the problem in quite an _____USUAL______ way. They went to public events with their surfboards and handed out leaflets. They _____QUICK____ attracted the attention of the media and people of Britain. They even managed to put pressure on the _____GOVERN_____ to forbid dumping waste in the sea, rivers and lakes. The campaign was indeed ______SUCCESS_____. Officials agreed to spend 8.5 billion pounds on cleaning up Britain’s seas and rivers. 

Shepherd’s pie started as an old English recipe. The pie gained _____POPULAR_____ in the middle ages. During the reign of Elizabeth I, mince meat pie became a must-have food, probably, because it was easy to cook, ____HEALTH______ and tasty. Until the 16th century potatoes were ____MAIN______ known as pig food. But later they were accepted as a ____BASE____ food in Europe. The Shepherd’s pie recipe changed to include potatoes as an ingredient. And the fame of the dish doubled. Now Shepherd’s pie is considered to be a ____TRADITION_____ British food but similar recipes can be found in other countries, although they may have different names. In Canada, for example, a ____WAIT____ in a restaurant would present it to tourists as Chinese pie.

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. St Patrick is _____FAME_____ for his heroic deeds. People gladly believe in ______AMAZE____ tales about St Patrick and don’t look for any historical evidence to prove them. And the facts often _____AGREE______ with the tales. For example, an old legend says that St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. This myth is actually untrue. At the time snakes appeared on the planet, Ireland was _____COMPLETE_____ covered by water. Now it is an island which means it is surrounded by water. The water makes it ____POSSIBLE____ for snakes to get to the island. The same _____SITUATE____ is true for New Zealand, Greenland, and many other islands. 

The festival of Halloween has its roots in Celtic traditions.
Over 2,000 years ago the Celts in Britain had a special holiday in late October to mark the _____BEGIN_____ of winter. Another autumn _____CELEBRATE____ was connected with the passing of the dead. These two events later became Halloween. On Halloween children often dress up as ghosts, witches and monsters and go around people's houses, asking for sweets. In most cases the ghosts and witches are not frightening at all, they are even _____FUN______! But remember that if the children don’t get the sweets, they may play some ____PLEASANT_____ joke, for example splash some water on you. Pumpkins also ______SYMBOL_____ Halloween. People ____USUAL____ make lanterns from them.

There are lots of products that help us fight bad moods and depression. If you feel down and ____SLEEP____, just get a bar of dark chocolate from the fridge. Chocolate will improve your mood and you’ll feel ______CHEER_____ and happy again. This ____INFORM____ is often used in chocolate adverts. Unfortunately, we can’t use this method too often. The positive effect does not last long. Meanwhile chocolate is not _____HARM_____ food. It contains fat and sugar which can make you overweight. Some people may also be allergic to chocolate and it can affect their _____APPEAR______, causing skin problems. The alternative and _____ABSOLUTE___ safe method to fight depression is doing sport. It can be recommended to everyone! 

It's not at all surprising that weather is a favourite topic for many people around the world. It affects where we choose to live, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our _____NATION____ character. A _____SUN_____ day can blow away the deepest depression. And a gloomy rainy day can make you feel lonely and ____HAPPY____. ‘I’m feeling a bit under the weather’ is a common complaint in Britain, _____ESPECIAL_____ on Monday mornings.  The weather can really be ____RESPONSE___ for moods and scientists have proved this fact. There is a ____CONNECT____ between our mood and the weather we are having. But remember that good weather will have good effects on your mood only if you spend more than 30 minutes outdoors a day. 

Scientists have found that there is a direct _____CONNECT____ between sunshine and our good mood. They noticed that people are kinder and more ____HELP____ and easy-going when the sun is out. Sunlight ____DEFINITE____ improves negative moods and makes us feel less tired and more energetic. On the other hand, very hot weather may cause strong _____COMFORT____. As a result, we may feel depressed, irritated and even aggressive. On ______RAIN______ days people say they're less satisfied with their lives. But whatever the weather is, it’s important to spend enough time outdoors. Fresh air and sports can make any day feel _____FANTASY____! 

People in Britain often talk about climate and weather. They usually complain about their ____CHANGE____ weather. However, there are parts of the world where extreme weather causes real dangers to the _____POPULATE____. Sandstorms, tornadoes and floods ____REGULAR____ cause massive destruction. Lots of people become ____HOME____. To prevent this destruction, it’s important to forecast disasters in advance. Japan is the world ____LEAD______ in using new technology for this purpose. The Japanese have also worked out an _____EFFECT_____ system of informing people: phone companies automatically notify their customers about emergencies and disasters. These warnings are very efficient, and free of charge. 

In 2005 the rock group The Rolling Stones released an album called ‘A Bigger Bang’. Many critics chose it as their favourite. This isn’t very ____SURPRISE___, but just think, it's their 25th album, and the Rolling Stones have been on the stage for more than 40 years! The lead ____SING____, Mick Jagger, the guitarist Keith Richards and the other musicians are over 60! And they are not losing their ___POPULAR____, even nowadays. However, they are still much more ____FAME____ for the songs they made in the 1960s and 70s. But, you know what? Young people _____REGULAR____ listen to the Rolling Stones with their fathers and granddads. Isn't that_____IMPRESS____? In all aspects, theirs has been a remarkable career.

They say that pop music is created by and for young people. It often happens this way. A young ____SING_____ makes one or two good records at the start of their career. Every year, lots of new stars become ____FAME____ but for a short time. And just a year or two later they either ____APPEAR___ or make less interesting records. It is difficult to find musicians who could make great records for a long time. Lots of popular groups from the 1970s, for example, are still better known for the songs they made in their ____SUCCESS____ past than for their more recent recordings. Some performers leave the stage but don't lose their ____POPULAR____. They continue to appear ___REGULAR___ on TV as presenters, or in chat and reality shows. 

Last year I decided to take an English course in Britain. When I called the language school, the ___MANAGE_____ explained to me everything about the school and the courses. They had an _____IMPRESS_____ range of courses - for all levels and ages. As for the accommodation, there were two options: staying in a student hostel or living with a host family. Naturally enough, I wanted to choose the _____NATIONAL____  community of the hostel. However, because of my parents’ strong ______AGREEMENT______ with my choice, I had to stay with the host family. And I didn’t regret it! My host family was ____WONDER______.  They told me a lot about their country and were very curious about mine. We talked a lot and when I came back home, I could speak English ____FLUENT____!

Yoga is a very popular activity and lots of people practise it nowadays. There is an opinion, however, that to be ___SUCCESS________ in this activity you should start yoga in early childhood. This is not true! You can start yoga at any time in your life. What you really need is enthusiasm and a good ____TRAIN_______ –  yogis often call them a guru. Yoga is not a ______COMPETE_______. You can choose any pace that is ____COMFORT______  for you. The aim is not to win but to make your body flexible and strong. It’s definitely _____POSSIBLE_______ to improve your body in a few days. t may take lots of time but it’s worth the time and effort.   Yoga is an _____EFFECT______ way to relax your mind. So it’s useful not only for your body.

I arrived in Liverpool in the afternoon. It was a ______RAIN______ day but the weather couldn’t spoil my excellent mood - I was in Liverpool! Many people associate this city with the _____FAME_______ musical band, the Beatles. It’s true, the Beatles are everywhere, but today it’s also _____POSSIBLE________ to imagine Liverpool without its other great passion: football!
The city is home to two teams: Liverpool and Everton.  Everton is older and was more ____SUCCESS_______ in the past, but since the 1990s it has been Liverpool’s time to shine. 
I’ve been Liverpool’s _____SUPPORT______ since I was a small boy. The team is based at the Anfield Stadium. I have watched games there twice.  It was very ______EXCITE_______ and it was one of the most important memories of my childhood.

The 5th of November is Guy Fawkes Night. This holiday is also known as Bonfire Night as lighting bonfires is an essential part of the ____CELEBRATE___.   _____NATURAL____, it’s one of the favourite holidays for children –  they simply can’t miss the firework display. Most parents allow their children to stay outdoors till late at night. It would be ____FAIR______  to make them stay at home when the sky is lit up with colours. However, children should never be left on their own - bonfires and fireworks are potentially ____DANGER___. Emergency reports say the number of people needing medical care increases on this night. Some of them are ____CARE______ with fire. In spite of the excitement, the children may also catch a cold on this November night. Warm jumpers, coats and gloves are more ______USE____  than ever.

Choosing a career is one of the most difficult choices we have to make in our lives. There are lots of interesting and ____EXCITE_______ professions, but which of them is the right choice for you? Researchers who work in ____EDUCATE_______ and sociology asked people across the UK what their dream job would be. And the results were quite _____EXPECTED______. According to the survey, people find modest jobs like charity work or gardening the most ____EXPECTED_______.   Often at the top of their list are jobs such as a nurse or a ____TEACH_______. The study also shows that people in the UK are very _____PRACTICE________ and focus on the dream jobs they have a realistic chance of getting. 

I’ve worked in an office for many years. It’s a very ____STRESS_____ job and recently I’ve taken up a new hobby - gardening.  My grandmother was a very good ____GARDEN_____. She never did gardening as a job but for pleasure and ______ENTERTAIN_____.  She had the so-called green fingers - the flowers and fruit trees she planted grew very _____QUICK_______.  I wish I were as skillful as she was.  It’s a pity my family does not share my interest. My children ____LIKE____ working outdoors.  They prefer using the computer indoors. I don’t argue with them. Arguing and quarrelling makes me feel ___NERVE_____ and unhappy but cannot change the situation. I hope one day they will join me in the garden. 

Recently my neighbour Michael Wilkins got a job in sales.  However, soon he found out that being a sales _______MANAGE______ did not make him happy. He had to work long hours, and the job was ____STRESS______ and demanding. The atmosphere in the office was very ____FRIENDLY______ and the workers often quarreled with each other. So Michael decided to look for a more ______ATTRACT_______ job. In the local newspaper, he saw an ______ADVERTISE_______ from a pizzeria. It was close to his house and they needed a waiter. Michael decided to apply and didn’t regret it. “It’s good to feed people. I enjoy seeing them smile –  it’s important, isn’t it?” Michael says. Next week he’s going to take a cooking course. On completing it, he will be able to make ____TASTE________ pizzas himself!

There is a popular opinion that all children are talented. It’s true - children are curious and have a good _____IMAGINE_____.  It helps them make ____AMAZE____ things from very routine objects like stones, leaves, or strips of fabric. Coloured paper, watercolours and pencils stimulate their ______CREATE____ minds a lot too! However, sometimes parents may ____APPROVE___ of their children’s artistic activities like drawing on the walls and indoor experiments with fireworks.  But _____PUNISH______ is not a good solution! Any art activity develops children’s brains and stimulates their ability in science. Be _____CARE_____ with your children’s natural talents. Never stop them doing an activity but instead create an appropriate and safe environment for it.

Early in her reign, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, had a plan to hold a great world-wide exhibition of modern art and design. Sir Joseph Paxton, a botanist and landscape ___DESIGN_____, won the competition to create the central exhibition hall. The _____BUILD____ he produced is still admired by architects today. Although at that time many thought it was ________POSSIBLE_____ to realize such a project. In 1851, Paxton constructed his Crystal Palace –  an ____AMAZE_____ glass and iron pavilion, over a third of a mile long, with 800,000 square feet of floor space. The construction was an ultramodern iron frame with glass panels. The exhibition was very _______SUCCESS____ – it drew over six million visitors.  _____UNFORTUNATE_____, it was taken apart in 1854. 

Ray Kurzweil is a very popular figure in the field of science. He is a leading computer _____SCIENCE_____ who has made lots of predictions about the future of humanity. So far he has written six books about artificial intelligence, and four of them have become ___NATION____ best sellers in the USA. Ray strongly believes that soon computer intelligence will be a billion times more ___POWER_____ than the human brain. However, lots of experts don’t believe it and say that it is absolutely ___POSSIBLE_____. Kurzweil disagrees with them and says that we are already a human-machine civilization. We already use high level technology to diagnose diseases, provide ____EDUCATE____, and develop new technologies. Kurzweil thinks that by 2030, computers will do more ___IMPRESS____ tasks. They will be able to understand ordinary spoken language and show emotions. 

Jenny doesn’t have many friends, but she has lots of books. Jenny likes fantasy stories best. She has a rich ____IMAGINE_____ which takes her to magical lands. Jenny often feels like she is a part of the story. She enjoys being in someone else's shoes, living in an _____ABSOLUTE____ different world. When reading, Jenny may turn into a princess or become a mountain ____EXPLORE______. She can see _____FANTASY_____ creatures and amazing places with her own eyes. Books are ideal friends for Jenny. They are entertaining and helpful. They can give her some _____PRACTICE_____ advice when she needs it and keep quiet when she doesn’t want to communicate. Books never _____AGREE____ with her and they never argue.
 

Sam went to the giant aquarium near his house at least three times a week. He liked the fish and crabs, but the most ____WONDER____ creatures there were sharks. Sam could watch them for hours. He took photos through the glass and collected ____INFORM_____ about them. It surprised him how fast a massive shark could be. Before the aquarium opened, Sam thought it was ___POSSIBLE____ for sharks to be so quick and graceful. He knew that sharks were _____DANGER____ but they seldom attacked people. Many people, however, had hunted them and sharks had become endangered. ____FORTUNATE___, now there were laws protecting sharks. In the future, Sam wanted to be a ____SCIENCE_____  and study sharks in the wild.

It all started in 1865. A group of Frenchmen were having dinner in one of the most _____FASHION____ restaurants near Paris. They talked about the democratic changes in the USA and wanted to support the American people. After a short ___DISCUSS___ they agreed on an original idea. The idea was suggested by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor and _____DESIGN____.  He said they could make a statue of a woman holding the torch of freedom. It was an ambitious project and it was ___POSSIBLE____ to complete it quickly. It actually took 21 years for this idea to become a reality. The French people raised money to build the statue, and, ______FINAL____, in 1886 it was ready. On July 4, 1886 the United States received their ____AMAZE_____ gift - the Statue of Liberty!

Father's Day in the UK is on the third Sunday in June. We enjoy this day very much and always arrange a _____CELEBRATE_______ at home. Our dad deserves it –  he is the most _____AMAZE________ person I’ve ever met. He works as a train ___DRIVE______ and he loves his job, though it takes time and energy. He cannot spend lots of time with us, but when he is at home, we have a ____FANTASY_______ time all together. Dad is a very ____CREATE______ person and often invents new games for us. There are three children in our family and we always prepare a present for our dad together. Last time it was a large, ______COLOUR_______ book about the history of trains. The book starts with the invention of the first train and tells the whole story of the railway up to the present day.

Olivia got a camera for her birthday. Her family was going on a trip to Washington D.C. and Olivia wanted to take pictures of the _____WONDER_______ places she would see. The first place where they stopped was a sandy beach. Olivia took pictures of the ocean and the _____NOISE______ seagulls. The birds seemed to enjoy being photographed, but it was ______POSSIBLE________ to go too close to them. Olivia had to take pictures from a distance. Next, the family moved on to the centre of Washington D.C. Olivia's heart was beating with ______EXCITE______. She got great shots of the White House, the Capitol and some other ______FAME______ buildings. ___FINAL_____, it was time to head home. Olivia thought about how her friends would be surprised to see her pictures. 

The Grand National is a horse race which is held every year in Liverpool.  This _____COMPETE___ involves a four-mile race, during which the horses have to go over 30 fences. The most ______FAME______ horse in the Grand National was called 'Red Rum'. He was the ___WIN____ of the race three times during the 1970s.  The race is not only a sporting event but a _____FASHION____ social event too. Men and women wear beautiful clothes, and the tickets to the race are very _____EXPENSE_____. The Grand National is broadcast all over the world and around 500 to 600 million people watch it.  However, though there are lots of horse racing fans, many people think it’s ______FAIR______ and cruel to make the animals race and jump for people’s entertainment.

Last year, I became a volunteer in a charity shop. It was an ___USUAL___ job for me - I had never been involved with charities.
Our shop raised money to provide medical care for anyone suffering from any ____ILL____. The job was not easy but I enjoyed it very much. All my colleagues were very helpful. Their ____FRIEND_____ and support meant a lot to me. Andrew, my boss and ____MANAGE____, was a smart and well-organized person. He kept saying that we had no right to be indifferent or ____CARE____ because people’s lives depended on us. Working in the charity shop, I have met some very interesting people and have learnt a lot of practical skills. Volunteering has equipped me with experience which I’m sure will be ____USE____ for my future.

Lots of companies do business online. They sell goods and services, or provide ____INFORM____ to the general public. Doing business online is less ____EXPENSE___ and more convenient than running a traditional business, with offices and lots of employees. Surprisingly enough, there are lots of very young people among online businessmen. In spite of their age, they are quite _____SUCCESS____ and professional. For example, Ben Collins started his own online company when he was ____REAL_____ young. He was only 17. He says, “My business is _____NATIONAL____ - we work with people from different countries. In a real office, some people would ______AGREE____ that someone of my age could be a boss, but when I work online, nobody cares how old I am.”

Last year I learnt Spanish in Barcelona. Spain is an ____AMAZE____ country and I enjoyed my time there very much. My flatmates were two girls from Germany. They were nice but ___COMMUNICATE____ was a real problem for us because I didn’t speak German and they didn’t speak English, my first language. Sometimes we felt absolutely _____HELP_____ because we were not able to understand each other. However, it gave us additional motivation to learn Spanish! Very soon my teacher told me that I was speaking it ____FLUENT____. He was happy with my progress. My flatmates’ grades were ______IMPRESS_____ too! It proved that practice is very important and if you want to speak a foreign language like a native ___SPEAK____, you should practise it a lot.

At school, writing essays was a real problem for me, and my grades were always low.  _____NATURAL_____ enough, I didn’t like writing and tried to avoid writing lessons at all costs. I thought I didn’t have enough ____IMAGINE______ for any kind of writing.
I only understood what my problem was after school. In a ______SCIENCE_____ journal I saw an article about children’s writing problems. The author claimed that anyone could become a good _____WRITE______ if they learned some rules.  I read and reread the article several times. Then I tried to use the information in practice. I have never become a professional journalist but from time to time I publish some pieces of my _____CREATE______ writing on my blog. My friends find these essays and stories very _____ENJOY____.