2018 Regional 8th Grade Use of English
2018 Regional 8th Grade Use of English
2018 Regional 8th Grade Use of English
I Read the text and decide which answer A, B, C or D fits each space. Circle the
correct answer.
Free time trends
(1) ....... people all over the world are working longer hours. We also have more leisure
time than ever before. After sleeping and working, watching TV is by far the most (2)
....... leisure activity the world over. The British watch more TV than any other nation in
Europe, but they read more too. The (3) ........ majority, eighty-five per cent, read
newspapers, and 54% regularly read books. Two thirds of modern European women
work full-time, but they still do the main (4) ...... of the housework too. Husbands help in
the household more than they did in former (5) ....... No wonder that many working
women say they are stressed and (6) ...... According to the latest (7) ..... by
supermarkets, the average British family spends just 11 minutes preparing for the main
evening meal. Almost half of all UK families in the UK eat together only once a month or
(8) ....... More than half of young people in the UK have a fulltime job (9) ....... the age of
19, but the (10) ....... of young Spanish and Italian people do not start full-time work until
they are 24. The average American fourteen year-old (11) ...... only half an hour a day
doing homework, and less than a fifth of them participate in sports, music or have other
hobbies. (12) ......., 65 % say they spend their time chatting on their mobiles and (13)
....... out with friends in shopping malls. In the UK, pensioners are almost twice as active
as teenagers, according to (14) ........ research. People over 65 spend nearly two hours a
day (15) ......... physical activities such as walking, cycling or gardening. However,
surprisingly, people who use the Internet (16) ........ do more sport than people who
never use it.
1. A) In general B) Although C) However D) Despite
9. A) with B) up to C) by D) under
________/ 16 points
II Read the letter and complete each gap with the correct form of the verbs in
present tenses.
Dear Bob,
I (1)_________________________ (write) to tell you about something really wonderful
that (2)________________________ (happen) to me! You (3)_______________ (know)
how much I love writing? Well, the school newspaper (4) ___________________ (ask)
me to be their new editor. I can’t believe it. I have been waiting for a chance like this for
ages. I (5) ________________________________ (already/ write) down lots of notes
about what kind of stories I (6) ________________________ (want) to include. While I
have been counting the days before I (7) ________________________ (attend) the first
meeting of the newspaper staff, I must admit that I (8) ___________________ (become)
more and more nervous. I hope everything goes OK.
Well, that’s my news. (9) _____________________ (be/ not) you excited for me? I’ll let
you know what happens.
Bye for now,
Mark ________/ 9 points
III Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use past tenses.
Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change) (1)
____________ a great deal. The first computers (be)(2) _______________ simple machines
designed for basic tasks. They (have, not)(3)__________________ much memory and they (be,
not)(4) _____________ very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and
customers often (pay)(5)_______________ thousands of dollars for machines which actually
(do)(6) ________________ very little. Most computers (be)(7)______________ separate,
individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games.
______/ 15 points
V Complete with the comparative or superlative of these words. Add other words if
necessary. You can use each adjective only once.
VI Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one. Use no more
than three words.
1. The last time Helen took a train was in 2004.
______/ 10 points