Gymnasium OLYMPIAD WORK 2018
English Contest
10 form
Variant I
I. Read the text with gaps marked A1-A7. These numbers correspond to the tasks A1-A7, representing various types of possible answers. Choose out the most suitable variant.
Thanksgiving Day
We A1 ______ Thanksgiving for granted as a day to watch football, spend time with our families, or eat, but 150 years ago, it wasn’t even a national holiday. For the settlers, that meal was at first thought of as a one-time thing. They had no idea this event would become the A2 _____ of the Thanksgiving customs we now share throughout the United States and Canada.
However, that first celebration didn’t A3_____ our modern traditions much. The meat served was likely goose or duck. And there was probably a bit of fish there, too. There were no potatoes, no pie, no stuffing, and no cranberries. Nowadays Thanksgiving dinner is a meal custom-made for overeating. So it helps to A4 _____ attention and to have some thoughtful strategies to avoid that uncomfortable feeling of being stuffed.
Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays where most of my family get together to celebrate. In the first week of November the family decides whose house we will have Thanksgiving dinner at. It usually ends A5 _____ being my sister’s house because it is the biggest, and most convenient.
We A6 _____ up a table for the children and the adults can choose to eat at different table or in the living room with the game on. During the day, while turkey is being cooked, the adults watch a football game, or just hang out and chat. The children are free to go outside if the weather is good, or play inside with their toys.
We usually arrange the food in a buffet style. The children are served first and when they are all set at their table, the adults dig in. While we are eating, there is a lot of talking, and catching up. Then we start to clean up and make up some plates to each take home, and look A7 ____ to Christmas.
| A1 | a) take | b) know | c) make | d) judge |
| A2 | a) tombstone | b) headstone | c) cornerstone | d) flagstone |
| A3 | a) recall | b) resemble | c) remind | d) remember |
| A4 | a) give | b) hold | c) pay | d) turn |
| A5 | a) at | b) off | c) out | d) up |
| A6 | a) arrange | b) do | c) lay | d) set |
| A7 | a) at | b) for | c) forward | d) up |
II. Complete the sentences using the words on the right in the appropriate forms.
| Invention of Potato Chips The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum who was a chef at a restaurant in New York. Fried potatoes were popular at the restaurant because they were rather (1) ______, but one day a visitor complained that the slices were too thick. Crum made thinner slices, but the (2) ______ customer was still dissatisfied. Crum finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork, hoping to annoy the (3) _____ difficult customer. But the customer was happy – and that was the (4) _____ of potato chips! (5) _____ manufacturing of potato chips began in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1985. The chips gained even more (6) ______ in 1926 when a wax paper potato chip bag was invented that helped to keep them fresh and crisp. |
expensive
nerve
extreme invent
industry
popular
|
III. Grammar test.
1. I like walking … .
a) fast b) fastly c) unfastly
2. He says that she … in the evening.
a) comes b) will come c) would come
3. My sister decided that she … to the cinema next Sunday.
a) will go b) would go c) will be going
4. Are you interested … football?
a) in playing b) at playing c) on playing
5. I am looking forward … to the party.
a) to going b) on going c) at going
6. I haven`t read the letter … .
a) already b) yet c) usually
7. Printing … in China.
a) has been invented b) invented c) was invented
8. Do you know … ?
a) when Boxing Day is b) when is Boxing Day c) Boxing Day is when
9. I didn`t see this play yesterday. … I.
a) Neither did b) So did c) Either did
10. I have never listened to … stories.
a) so b) such a c) such
11. If I … you I would help him.
a) was b) were c) had been
12. If the weather … warmer they would have gone to the country.
a) had been b) was c) has been
13. I asked him if he … anything.
a) wanted b) wants c) will want
14. I have very … time, I am very tired.
a) little b) much c) few
15. Somebody told you about him, didn`t … ?
a) he b) you c) they
IV. Read the text and complete it with the phrases (a – g).
William Blake (1757-1827) is today regarded as one of the most original English writers and artists, 1___________________________________________.
Born in London, he spent most of his years in the centre of the capital, but 2___________________; the streets of the metropolis became for him windows to infinite time and space.
Blake`s visions began early, and throughout his life he experienced what was, for him, direct contact with spirits of the long-dead, with angels, God and the devil. While modern psychiatry would consider Blake to have been under the spell of hallucinations, 3___________________________.
He was also not shy in describing the sources of his inspiration to his friends and colleagues. The eccentric reputation he thus gained did little to help him to commercial success; for most of his life his work was neglected, 4____________________________________.
But while his work was often out of step with his time, few of the best artists of his day doubted his technical ability. Trained as an engraver, he pushed forward the boundaries of that art by his own innovations, and combined it with his poetry to such an extent
5 _____________________________. Among the best known (and easiest to understand) of his hand-illustrated books are Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, 6________________________________________________.
a) and he often lived near to poverty
b) yet during his lifetime he was largely ignored and often called mad
c) that one cannot be properly understood without the other
d) for him the vision were real and directly inspired and guided his art
e) his visionary powers transformed everything around him
f) which contain some of the simplest and most beautiful lyrics in the English language
g) he never quite left home
V. Answer the questions.
1. The "Dynasty" is an American ... .
2. In Britain people's weight is measured in ... .
3. Santa Barbara is in ... .
4. Robert Burns is a ... poet.
5. The capital of Australia is ... .
6. The safest topic for conversation in England is ... .
7. Aberdeen is in ... .
VI. You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Martin who writes:
|
My friends and I are doing a project about professions which are in great demand. Could you tell me about occupations which are the most important to your mind? Is it difficult to work in a project group? Do you like it?
As for my news, my Grandpa came to visit us…
|
Write a letter to Martin.
In your letter
- answer his questions
- ask 3 questions about his Grandpa.
Write 100-140 words.
Remember the rules of letter writing.
VII. Comment the following statement.
Some people think that children should be taught many practical skills at school. For example, managing finances, cookery or giving first aid. Others believe that the main purpose of school is to provide schoolchildren with knowledge in different fields of science.
What is your opinion? Do you agree with this statement?
Write 200-250 words.
Use the following plan:
make an introduction (state the problem)
express your personal opinion and give 2-3 reasons for your opinion
express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opposing opinion
explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion
make a conclusion restarting your position
KEYS:
I.
| A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 | A5 | A6 | A7 |
| a | c | b | c | d | d | c |
II.
1) inexpensive; 2) nervous; 3) extremely; 4) invention; 5) industrial; 6) popularity
III.
1-a, 2-b, 3-b, 4-a, 5-a, 6-b, 7-c, 8-a, 9-a, 10-c, 11-b, 12-a, 13-a, 14-a, 15-c.
IV.
V.
1. soap opera; 2. stones and pounds; 3. California; 4. Scottish; 5. Canberra; 6. weather;
7. Scotland.
VI. Letter
VII. Essay
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