The First International English

Language Contest
Ulyanovsk, 2013

Forms: 7 - 8
the 1st Stage of the Contest
Part I. Reading
Task 1. Look at the text in each question. What does it say? Choose the correct answer. 

Example
Question 0. What does it say?

A. There will be delays on night trains tomorrow. 

B. There will be two night trains every hour
tomorrow. 
C. There will be more night trains from
platform 6
tomorrow. 

Question 1. What does the Notice say?

A. Friday’s Maths lesson will be shorter than usual.
B. Friday’s Maths lesson will finish later than usual.
C. Friday’s Maths lesson will start earlier than usual.

Question 2. Why is Lizzie writing the e-mail?

A. to invite Greg to go to the theatre with her

B. to offer Greg theatre tickets she has got
C. to apologize to Greg for not going to the theatre

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Question 3. What does the note say?
A. You must be careful not to break the bottle top when opening it.
B. You should only use this medicine if the bottle top is unbroken.
C. You have to use this medicine as soon as you break the bottle top.

Question 4. Why is George writing to Adriana?

A. George wants to have dinner with Adriana when he returns.

B. George will have dinner out before returning at 8.30.
C. George is asking Adriana to have her dinner before he
returns.

Question 5. What must Mario do today?

A. Return a book to the library.

B. Collect a book from the library.
C. Phone the library about a book.

Task 2. Read the text and questions below. For each question choose the correct answer. 

SUMMER JOBS FOR STUDENTS

Employers are more and more interested in taking on students during their holiday periods. Students can
do the easier tasks and free up time for their permanent employees to concentrate on the more
demanding ones. Although there is little financial reward for students, it is a great chance to explore their
interests and add to their CVs. However, few students know what jobs may be available.
Colleges sometimes advertise summer jobs on their notice-boards and in newspapers, and there are also
well-known international organizations which can help. Students can also search the web, find an
interesting company and email the manager to ask what temporary jobs exist. This may sound time-
consuming, but students then get to work in the company of their choice, so it is what I recommend.
As a science student, two years ago I spent ten weeks in a laboratory in California, helping a group of
researches with their work. To begin with, the job seemed uninteresting because my responsibilities were
not clear, but when I started working on a range of projects, such as writing research papers and creating
web pages, my attitude changed.
I was paid enough to cover all my daily needs, so I had no financial worries. One of my jobs was to prepare
educational material for schools. This was an entirely new challenge which I enjoyed so much that I
decided to train as a teacher rather than a researcher when I got back. My only regret was that I’d been

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too busy to learn more about the USA, but then a good summer job seldom leaves you much free time and
you should be prepared for that.
 
Question 1. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the text?

A. to warn students about low-paid summer jobs C. to encourage students to look for summer jobs
B. to describe the best summer jobs for students D. to offer students interesting summer jobs

Question 2. The writer says the best way to find a good summer job is

A. to ask their colleges for help. C. to join an organized student programme.

B. to read the job advertisements in the press. D. to contact possible employers directly.

Question 3. The writer found the California job disappointing at first because

A. he was not sure what he had to do. C. he did not like research work.
B. he had to work on too many projects. D. he lacked good computer skills.

Question 4. In what way did the California job benefit the writer?

A. It allowed him to save some money. C. It made him change his career plans.
B. It gave him contacts he could use later. D. It taught him what life was like in the USA.

Question 5. Which of these could be the writer speaking?

A. A summer job is a good way of getting to see the world

B. Students are often unaware of summer job opportunities.
C. Employers are unwilling to offer summer jobs to students.
D. Students should be better paid for doing summer jobs.

Task 3A. Read the text and choose the correct heading for each paragraph.

A. What’s so special about Esperanto?

B. A brief history
C. The world of Esperanto

Learn Esperanto and talk to the world!

1) ________________________________________________
A Polish man called Lazar Zahmenof created the ‘planned’ language of Esperanto over 100 years ago. He
thought that if everyone could speak the same language, there would not be so many problems between
different nations and cultures. He started work on his language when he was only 15. He found it easy to
learn languages and studied Russian, Latin, Greek, German, French and finally, English. He tested his ideas
for about ten years and then in 1887 he produced a small book under the name of Dr Esperanto. He
included 16 grammar rules and a vocabulary of about 900 words.
2)___________________________

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Over the past 100 years Esperanto has grown enormously and is now a real, living language. There are
millions of speakers all over the world. There are original works of literature in Esperanto as well as many
translated works including plays by Shakespeare. The library of the British Esperanto Association contains
over 30 000 items. There are even several international radio programmes.
3)________________________________________

 It’s easy to learn! The spelling is easy and the pronunciation is simple. The accent is always on the
second to last syllable.

 There are very few rules in grammar and there are no exceptions! So, no irregular verbs to learn!

 The vocabulary is easy to learn. International roots from other languages with prefixes and suffixes
are used.

Task 3B. Read the text again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

1) Lazar Zahmenof created Esperanto 100 years ago. _____

2) He was a teenager when he started work on the language. ____
3) English was his last foreign language. ____
4) He wrote a book under the name of Dr Esperanto. ____
5) People write in Esperanto today. ____
6) It’s easy to learn because there are no rules. ____
7) The vocabulary comes from different languages. ____

Part II. Use of English

Task 1. Read the text and choose the right word for each gap in the sentence.

The Namibia Challenge in Africa

The Namibia Challenge is a seven-day race organized by Raleigh International, a company
established in 1985. It is a competition for people (1)_________ want to learn teamwork
and communication skills. It (2)_________ place in the Namib desert in Africa, where teams
spend a week pushing themselves to their limit and (3)_________ useful skills. As a final
challenge, participants (4)_________ to climb Mount Brandberg, Namibia’s highest
mountain.
Paul Webster, a university student, is willing to (5)_________ his experiences with other
students. ‘The Namibia Challenge is especially useful if, (6)_________ me, you haven’t
had (7)_________ experience of working in a team,’ he says. (8)_________ the end of it, we
were all trying to help each other in the team. It is also a great opportunity to(9)_________
people of many different nationalities in a very special environment. I’m (10)_________ of
going back to Namibia if I can.’

1) A. what B. which C. who D. whose

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 2) A. takes B. gets C. holds D. has
3) A. following B. developing C. growing D. becoming
4) A. may B. got C. have D. must
5) A. inform B. let C. talk D. share
6) A. against B. except C. for D. like
7) A. much B. lot C. many D. few
8) A. In B. By C. Since D. From
9) A. introduce B. meet C. know D. greet
10)A. thinking B. planning C. deciding D. considering

Task 2. Complete the gaps using the correct form of the words in brackets.

Charlie Chaplin
During the First World War, at a time when there was lots of hatred in the world, one man
did more than anyone else to spread (1)__________________ (HAPPY).  That man was the
(2)______________________(COMEDY), Charlie Chaplin. Audiences around the world
watched his films and each new one caused a lot of (3)_____________________.(EXCITE).

Chaplin created the character of the little tramp and people

(4)_______________________(SYMPATHY) with this poor man. Up until then, film
comedies had been (5)__________________________(NOISE) and very fast. Although they
were fun and (6)_______________________(ENERGY), the audiences became
(7)________________________(BORE) with seeing the same situations. Chaplin produced a
different kind of comedy. It was slower and more (8)__________________(EMOTION). His
films both made people laugh and touched their (9)___________________(FEEL). Even
today, his films are enjoyed by many people of all ages.

Task 3. Read the diary and write the missing words. Write one word on each line.

Tuesday September 4

This morning, when I was (0) __eating__ my breakfast, the postman came with
a present for me. But my birthday’s (1)__________________ November! Well, I
opened it and there (2) ______________________ a beautiful new camera in it,
and a letter which said, “You have (3)____________________our competition!”
I couldn’t understand it.

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I showed it to Mum and she said, “Last summer you (4) _______________ an
excellent photo of a circus. I sent it to a competition in one of my magazines”.
Now I want (5)______ ______be a photographer when I’m older!

Part III. Vocabulary

Task 1. Choose the best words to complete the sentences. Circle the correct answers a, b or c.

1) My brother is very _____________________. He studies for hours every night.

a) lazy b) nervous c) hard-working

2) This book is so _____________! I can’t keep awake.

a) Interesting b) boring c) exciting

3) We ________________ the shopping at the market every Saturday.

a) do b) buy c) make

4) My brother spends hours ________________ computer games.

a) Play with b) playing c) playing on

5) I like _______________ by the sea.

a) sunning b) sunbathing c) sunbaths

6) I can’t see anything. It’s too _____________ to drive.

a) cloudy b) foggy c) windy

Task 2. Complete the text with these words.

One, suddenly, after, first, as, then (*2), meanwhile, in the end, later

1)      ____________ afternoon I was walking home after a football match when 2)

_____________ I heard a scream from the next street. 3) _______________ I got to the
corner I saw the accident; a man was lying under a police horse. One of the men who was
watching said ‘His leg is broken’. ‘It’s not broken’, I said. ‘It’s an injury called a sprain. He’s
sprained his ankle. I know what to do. 4) ___________, please phone for an ambulance’. A
police officer phoned for an ambulance and I thought quickly. We learn about accidents and
injuries at school. Yesterday’s lesson was about sprains and I remembered it. This is what

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you do: 5) ___________put something under the leg. 6) ___________ keep the leg cold
with some ice. ‘Please get me some ice’, I shouted. ‘Try that café there’. 7) ___________
that put something round the leg and 8) ___________ put the leg up but with something
under it. I did all that and a few minutes 9) ____________ the ambulance came. 10)
_____________ the man was OK and the emergency service thanked me. 

Part IV. Functional Language

Task 1. Complete the dialogues with an appropriate expression from the box. There is one exception that
you do not need to use.

A. How embarrassing F. pocket money

B. Anything else G. What about you
C. nonsense H. save up
D. don’t believe it I. check out
E. This is the best bit J. So what
K. You can’t be serious

1.
A: Let’s go shopping this afternoon. I want to buy a new CD.
B: I think I’ll stay at home if you don’t mind. I’m trying to (1)__________ for my mother’s
birthday present.

2.
A: I don’t believe that Jane’s parents are going to buy her a car.
B: I agree. It’s (2)__________________! She can’t even drive.

3.
A: I’d like a kilo of oranges and a kilo of bananas please.
B: (3)_________________________________________________________________?

4.
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A: I just love this film. It’s fantastic, isn’t it?
B: Sssh!
(4)__________________________________________________________________.

5.
A: I’m going to have steak and chips.
(5)_____________________________________________?
B: I think I’ll have fish and chips.

6.
A: Our teacher went to sleep in class today.
B: (6)______________________________________________________! Poor man.

7.
A: I got 100% for my Latin test this week.
B: I (7)___________________________________________________! In last week’s test,
you only got 50%.

8.
A: How much (8)___________________________________ do you get every week?
B: I’m very lucky. I get 10$.

9.
A: I’m feeling really sad and tired.
B: (9)_________________________________________? What do you want me to do? It’s
your problem!

10.
A: When I leave school I want to be a pop star.
B: (10)_______________________________________________________! Most pop stars
are so stupid.

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