Завдання для шкільної олімпіади, 10 клас

Listening

TEXT: NATURAL CLASSIC

I'm a very keen reader, but selecting the book with a natural history theme, which has influenced me most was some challenge, until I thought back to my childhood. Then it was easy.

Where the book came from is a mystery, and I have never met anyone who has heard of it. It is Rita Richie's The Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan. I read it when I was about 10 years old and I re­member to this day the effect it had on me.

Set in 1218, it is a story of a rich boy whose parents are dead. He is growing up in the splendid city of Samarkand and has a fascination for hawks, those magnificent hunting birds. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding his past, but he is led to believe that a band of Mongols killed his father to steal a rare type of bird the golden hawk. Determined to get these birds back, he runs away from Samarkand and joins a group of people travelling to the country of Mongolia. What follows is a grand adventure centred on the city of Karakorum, where the great Mongol chief Genghis Khan was then based.

The book combines adventure, mystery, honour, friendship, danger, suffering all seen through the eyes of the young hero, Jalair. I still find this fantasy a thrilling read. Jalair's great love for the birds was enviable and inspiring. But most of all it was the sense of place that stayed with me. The book gives the reader an idea of the vast open spaces of central Asia and its huge skies, without the use of the long descriptive passages that would bore a child. There are no boundaries. The emptiness of the Gobi Desert, the Tian Shan mountains and the excitement of riding through forests and over rolling hills fascinated me.

The book gave me more than hawks, horses and a desire for wild places. It also gave me a set of values. The Mongols in The Golden Hawks were totally uninterested in possessions, a characteristic that is absolutely essential for people who spent their lives travelling from place to place. They were never mean. Generosity, good will and optimism were highly valued, hard work was enjoyed and the rest was pure fun. They simply loved life.

Two years ago, I fulfilled a lifelong ambition and went riding in Mongolia's mountains. I was not disappointed.

Task 1. Mark sentences as true or false.

1.The author hasn't read a good history book for a long time.

2.The book the author is telling about was borrowed from a library.

3.The main character of the. book is Genghis Khan.

4.The action takes place in the 13th century.

5.Jalair is an orphan.

6.Mongols take the boy as prisoner..

7.The Mongols' chief is dead at the beginning of the story.

8.Jalair's father's nickname was Golden Hawk.

9.'The boy is eager to find those who killed his father.

10.The book was interesting to read because it had a lot of pictures in it

Task 2. Choose the correct variant.

11. One can make a conclusion that the writer:

A is an educated person;В can hardly read;

С has always been fond of nothing but history;D is an experienced traveller.

12.The city where the boy lived was probably:

A like slums;В a wonderful place to live;

С the capital city of Mongols;D the place for training hunting birds.

13.One can make a conclusion that the boy's father was:

A a successful businessman;В a good hunter;

С a Mongol;D a beggar.

14.Jalair seems to:

A be a promising traveller;В become a merchant in future;

С follow in his father's footsteps;D be a relative of Genghis Khan.

15.The geographical name NOT mentioned in the text is:

A Karakorum;В Gobi;

С Tian Shan;D Everest.

16.Jalair is trying to get to:

A the heart of Mongolia;В Asia;

С Mongolia's mountains;-D Samarkand.

17.The book most probably was written:

A with a lot of facts and details;В in a pretty simple language;

С in Mongolia;D by an eyewitness.

18.Jalair's travel must have been:

A hard and dangerous;В extremely boring;

С thrilling and exciting;D quite simple.

19.The Mongols in the book:

A are strong and merciless warriors;В differ from the traditional image;

С are keen on collecting valuables;D have no positive features at all.

20.Which of the following is NOT true about the writer?

A She has not regretted going to Mongolia;В she is an unemotional person;

С she was able to realize her old dream;D she knows how to handle a horse.

Reading Comprehension Test for 10 Form

ROBINSON CRUSOE

He was a fine, handsome fellow, perfectly formed, with straight, strong limbs, not too (11)..., tall and well shaped. I reckoned he was about twenty-six years old.

In no time at all, I began to speak to him and (12) ... him to speak to me. First of all I taught him to know that his name was to be Friday, this being the day that I had (13) ... his life. I called him by that name (14) ... more. I also taught him to say Master, and then (15) ... him know that it was to be my name.

I soon taught him to say "Yes" and "No", and to know what they both (16) ... I gave him some milk in an (17) ... pot, let him see me drink it before he did and (18) ... my bread in it. I gave him a wedge of bread so that he could (19) ... me, which he managed very quickly. He then indicated that all was really well with him.

I led him up to the (20) ... of the hill to see whether or not his enemies gone. We saw plainly the place where they had.been, but no sign either of them or of their canoes. It was clear that they had gone and had left their two comrades behind without even attempting to find them.

Task 3. Some words are missing from the text. Choose the most appropriate answer from the options (A, B, or C) for each gap (11-20) in the text.

Writing Comprehension

1. A lot of things that get into the mass media are not really news. What kind of thing do you think is important to read about in the newspapers, magazines and World Net? What kind of thing would you like to disappear from them? Are all papers and sites objective? Talk about the differ­ent ones and say what their standpoint is. Will all newspapers be replaced with their electronic version pretty soon?

2. Every country has problems with pollution: smoke in the air, dead fish in the water, and trash on the ground. Everybody knows it is not good, but why do you think we continue to pollute? Facto­ries that pollute rivers or oil tankers that pollute the sea — which is worst? What are some ways to prevent pollution? Choose something in particular and explain how you would find a solution in order to correct or at least better the situation from its current status.

3.Imagine that you have just written a best-seller on how to keep fit. Now you are answering your readers questions: "Don't you think that our society is too obsessed with problems of weight and fitness?", "Do you know of any special diets that guarantee success?", "Do people follow diets for reasons other that fitness and health?", "Does the way the western world eats have any effect on world food problems?" etc. You are anxious to dispel some popular misconceptions your readers may be victims of and state your point of view.

SpeakingComprehension

1 You share a room with a foreign student. Tell him about your family and traditions.

2 You have some problems at school and do not know how to solve them. Ask your friends for advice.

3 A new pupil came to your form. He is from another city. Tell him how he can get to school, where he can go shopping, how he can spend his spare time, etc.

4 During your stay in the USA you have to discuss the current political situation in the world.

5 You participate in an international conference on ecological problems. Tell about ecological situ­ation in your country.

6 You are a sports fan. Tell about your favourite sports team.

7 You are going out with a girl/boy. Where would you like to go?

8 You are crazy about computers. Tell your friend about your favourite computer game.

9 You have just visited a concert of a popular group. Share your impressions about it.

10 Your friend has some problems with his parents. They do not understand each other. Give your advice.

11 You have got some bad habits that you want to get rid off. Ask your best friend to help you.

12 You are going to visit the USA. Find out as much information about the country as you can.

13 Are you an ambitious person? Share your ambitions with a friend.

14 You have won a lottery. What would you do with the money? Where would you go?

15 Your friend is keen on marshal arts. Ask him to give you several lessons for self-defence.

16 Your parents are going to rent a room to a foreigner. Give her detailed information about it.

17 You have to make a report about a famous writer from an English speaking country.

18 You are at an international summer camp. Tell your friends an interesting episode from the his­tory of your country.

19 Your friends are going to hold a sports tournament. What sports or games should be included?

20 You are at an interview with the manager of a large firm. There is a vacancy at the marketing department.

21 You have to tell a foreigner about the values of our Ukrainian society.

22 You want to have a pet, and your parents do not want any pets at home. Try to persuade them.

23 You have many friends, but only one of them is the best. Why?

24 You are at an international conference on drug abuse. Take part in the discussion.