Limba Engleza Pentru Bac

LIMBA ENGLEZAeval uarea com Petenfelorlingvistice de comunicare

3O de variante Pentru scris9O de variante Pentru oral

( 'olcc[ia ,,Bacalaureat de nota 10" este coordonatd de: Alexandru Muqina

() liditura .,AULA"Ii.C. AULA MAGNA S.R.L.O.P. ll. C,l'. 962. Bragov, 5006l0' I'c lcfon/l"ax : 0268 I 3 | .86.41 : 32.66.47 : 07 25 .9 | 5 .33 5

cd itu ra_a u la(a)ya h oo.comwww.aula.ro

Redactor: lonela CerbuTehnoredactare: Ionela CerbuCorecturd: autoareleCoperta: Radu Silvestru

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Na{ionale a Romf,niei|.imba englezi: bacalaureat scris gi oralTania Mugina (coord.)Bragov: Aula. 20 l0

tsBN 978-973 -7 54-090-4

I. Mu;ina,'lania (coord.)

nll.lil(07_5.-5)111.279.8:373.5

Tania MU$lNA(coordonator)

Cristina PIPOg

Luminita DELEANU

Gabriela OSANUr ii'

Diana TINCU

LIMBAENGLE,ZA

evaluarea com peten{elorlingvistice de comunicare

- 30 de variante pentru scris -- 90 de variante (subiecte) pentru oral

AU LA

I

iitlrl'I

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EXAMII{ARE SCRISA

WRITTEI\ EXAMII{ATION

30 de varian te rezalvate

- 30 de subiecte de tip I A(Re ading ! o mp re h e n s io n)

- 30 de subiecte de tip I B(Writing)

Pentru Examinarea scrisl (Writing Examination), care dltreazd90 de minute, existi doud tipuri de cerinle (subiecte), fiecare cudoud niveluri de dificultate (elevii pot alege unul din cele doudniveluri).

S-au oferit 30 de variante complete, gi anume:

30 de variante pentru Subiectul I A (Reading Comprehension)

- l5 variante cu 7 itemi (mai ugoare)- l5 variante cu l0 itemi (mai dificile)

30 de variante pentru Subiectul I B (Writing)

- l5 variante (mai ugoare) de tipul:

"Write dn enzail to your English speaking friend explaining thatttou would like to apply to do a course at one of the colleges in thet"itt,he liva.s. Tell him/her what type of studies you have been doing/ir tha ytast /ew years and qsk for assistance in contacting anultpn t111'i 41r' i ns t i t ut ion

lYrila vour ansvler in 80-100 words."

- 15 variante (maidificile) de tipul:

"You have seen this announcement in a high school magazine:"Describe you best experience as a student.".

Write your answer in 180-200 words."

Indiferent de ce veli alege la examen, rezolvarea tuturorvariantelor vi asiguri o pregdtire completa pentru Limbaenglez5. Examinare scrisi (Writing Examination).

30 DE STIBIBCTB DETIPIA

SUBIECTUL I

Read the text below. Are the sentences l-7 'Right' (A) or'Wrong' (B)? If there is not enough information to answer'Right' (A) or'Wrong' (B), choose 'Doesn't say' (C). Mark A,B, or C on your exam sheet.

I moved from Korea to the USA when I was 14 years old. Thefirst few weeks were great - everything was exciting and different.Going to the supermarkets was an adventure: the foods were allnew to me and everytlring was so big!

'Ihe biggest culture shock for me was going to high school. Firstof all, I looked different. All the otlrer girls looked so much olderthan me. They wore make-up and coloured their hair.

And I never went to a school with boy's before. So the first thingI did to try to fit in was have a perm. I also started wearing make-r"rp, but I wasn't very good at putting it on. My eye-liner alwaysseemed to smudge and my lipstick was always the wrong colour. Iloved nail polish though. I used to wear different colours on eachfinger. I also got my ears pierced.

I found Americans a lot more open than Koreans. When I ate mydinner in the cafeteria, I always tried to ignore the boys and girlskissing each other over the table. People don't do that in Korea. Ifound it hard to eat my dinner! The other thing I found hard washolding hands (or not holding hands). ln Korea girls hold handsrvith girls, but in America people think that's really weird. Insteadgirls hold hands with their boyfriends. I thought that was peallyweird! | wasn't cool either. In Korea it's good to be clever and dowell at school, but in America I was a nerd for liking study (and Iwore glasses, which made it worse). I found rnaking friends reallyhard. (u'ww.hveser.de)

l. The author moved to the USA when she was in kinderearten.

A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say

l-imba engle=d. Scris

2. The author liked her first weeks in the USA.

A Righr B Wrong C Doesn't say

3. High school girls wore uniforms in the USA.


C Doesn't say

C Doesn't say

4. The author had a perm.

A Right B Wrong

5. In Korea girls hold hands with eirls.

A Right B Wrong

6. It is good to do well at school in Korea.


7. lt was not difficult for the author to make fiiends.

round face is frarned b_v a mass of wavy white hair and her sparklingblLre eyes show her humour and friendliness. She prefers wearin!casual, comfortable clothes. I don't think I have ever seen her in iperfectly ironed suit.

As for her personality. Mavis's most striking clraracteristic is hergenerosity. My house, as well as most of our neighbours,, nearlyalways has a vase of flowers from her garden in ihe livins room.Mavis is very good-natured and always-has time for a chat] She isalso patient. She hardly ever gets annoyed about anything, excepther children pick her favourite roses and Iilies. Howev.r. ih" t"nd,to be quite stubborn - once slre has made a decision. nothins canchange her mind.

All in all, Mavis is the perfect next-door neighbour. Since the dayshe moved in. we have grown very close and I am very fond of her.even if I am woken up by the noise of her lawnmower early in thernorningl

l. Mavis is the author's neighbour for seven years. .


SUBIECTUL 2


2. Mavis asks for a spade as her things weren't unpackecl.


3. Mavis is sixty vears old.


4. Mavis has sense of humour and she is fiiendlv.


5. Mavis wears perfectly ironed suits.


6. Mavis has different types of flowers in her garden.

Read the text below. Are the sentences l_7 ,.Right,, (A) orff lrong" (B)? tf there is not enough information" to u;;;;;"Right" (A) or ,oWrong" (B), choose",.Doesn't say,, 1Cy. VlartA, B, C on your exam sheet.

MY SPECIAL NEX}DOOR NEICHBOUR

, Mavis has beeri my neighbour for six years. I first met her when

sne KnocKed on Iny door and asked for a spade because she hadn.tyet unpacked hers. She had arrived in our neighbou.nooJ t*o AuV,before.

. Physically, Mavis looks younger than most other women in theirlate sixties. She is of average hei"ght, neither iat nor thin. n".pru-f

I


Limba engle:d. Scris

7. The aLrthor likes Mavis very much.


SUBIECTUL 3

Read the text below. Are the sentences l-7 o.Right" (A) or"Wrong" (BX If there is not enough information to answer"Right" (A) or'oWrong" (B), choose .oDoesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

REMEMBRANCE DAY IN UK

- Remembrance Day takes place in Britain every year on the Sr_rnday

closest to November I lth. lt is held to remernber all the lreroes whtdied while fighting in World Wars I and Il.

Prior to the actual event, many schools and organizations rehearsefbr the parades which will be held on the day. paper poppies aresold to the public. and they wear them in theii lapeis f-or a week orso before the event. The poppy flower, due to its bright red colour.symbolizes the blood slred by the soldiers during the war.

. On the actual day, war veterans join the parades, proudly displayingtheir medals, and tlrey marclr or are pushed in wheelchairs down thEstreets to the cheers of the crowds. In the evening there is always aremembrance service, held at the Royal AIbert Hall in London,which is lelevised Iive. Hvmns are sLrng! speeches are rnade, and atthe end of the service, thousands of poppies are dropped frorn theceiling onto the audience below.

Remembrance Day is a very imporlant event. We should resDectand feel proud of those peopre who died fighting in rrre wars u, ir.,.yplayed a very signiticant role in securing our country's freedom.

I. Remembrance Day is a British event held in November.

A Right B Wrong

l0

C Doesn't say

Subiecte

2. On Remernbrance Day people rememberthe Heroes fiorn Vietnam.


3. Paper poppies are made by children.

A Righl B Wrong C Doesn't sa,v

4. The war veterans feel proud at the parades.


5. The service is held at the castle.


the ceiiing by little children.6. The poppies are dropped fiom


7. Remembrance Day is a very important event in Britain.


SUBIECTUL 4

Read the text below. Are the sentences l-7 "Right" (A) or"Wrong" (B)? lf there is not enough information to answer"Rîght" (A) or "Wrong'o (B), choose "Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

WITNESS STATEMENT

As I was just making my niglrtly rounds on Monday evening, I

rroticed a light coming from a third floor rvindow of Scope Ltd. Itrnust have been about ll.l5 p.m. because Ihad checked my watchitrst minutes earlier. As I was proceeding to the main entrance toc:heck for signs of a break-in I saw two men running out of the doortowards the sate.

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Lintba e ngle:it. Scri.s

Both men seemed fo be in their mid thi'ties and were rather tailwith short brown hair...Tirel rvere rvearing dirty ripped j.;,r;;;;black leather jackets. Tlre-v rnust rrave bee-n proressionats u".uui"they managed ro get in and out of the building without,"ttinjfffthe soplristicated arann system. I tried to golfte, ttrern but-rnaiunable to catch them because trrey got into airack Ford cortina anddrove off in the direction of Taclinton.

About two minutes later I heard a bomb explode and saw flamescoming out of tlre third floor windows. The nr. ,oon sp;J ;;other floors. and the wrrore bLrirding was in flames within minutes._ _l quickly calted rhe porice and ihe fi." brigade *to ur.iu"Jlir 1.30.

l.l'he witness saw a light corning frorr the third floor.

B- Wrong C Doesn't say

2. The rvitness is sure it was I I . I 5 when lre saw the lieht.

A Right


C Doesn't say

C Doesn't say

3. The witness saw two men.

A Right B Wrong

4. Both men were quite ugly.

A Right B Wrong

5. The alarm system was very expensive.


6. "fhe two men got into a black Ford Cortina.


7. Apart of the building was in flames in a few minutes.

I

A Righr B Wrong

t2

C Doesn't say A Right B Wrong

IJ

C Doesn't say

Subiecte

SUBIECTUL 5

Read the text below. Are the sentences l-7 "Right" (A) or"Wrong" (BX If there is not enough information to answer"Right" (A) or "Wrong" (B), choose "Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

THE AEROPLANE

Over the past few years, people have begun to travel to places

they would only have dreamt of visiting thirty years ago, thanks tothe possibilities offered by air travel. In my, opinion, travelling byaeroplane cannot be compared with any other means of transport.

To start with, there really is no faster way to travel. You can gofiom orre country to another in a few hours which gives you rnoretime to enjoy your trip. rather than waste time travelling anddragging your luggage around.

Furthermore. you always feel well looked after on an aeroplane.You are served drinks and meals and offered newspapers andblankets which all help to make the journey more comfortable and

cnjoyable.Of course, there are people who consider that travelling by plane

can be a nightmare, with airport delays, cramped seats and tr-rrbulenceto plrt Llp with. What is more, aeroplanes.and airports are oftenlargeted by terrorists, which makes some people think that travellingby plane in not safe. What they forget is that the number of deatlrscaused by cars is larger than that caused by planes.

I consider that air travel will always remain popular. lts speed,cornfofi and convenienie are very hard to beat.

l.'l'hifty years ago people only dreamt at the places they arelravelling to now.


2. 'lravelling by plane can't be compared to anything else.

Lintba englezd. Scris

3. The plane is not that fast.


4. You can go frorn U.S. to U.K. in a few hours.


5. In a plane you are well taken care of.


6. Airports and aeroplanes are talgeted by terrorists every day.


7. For the author travelling by plane will remain popular.


SUBIECTLTL 6

Read the text below. Are the sentences l_Z..Right', (A) orff lrong" (B)? If there is not enough informatiori to answer"Right" (A) or',Wrong" (B), choose ..Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

ECOLOGICAL ACCIDENT AT SEA

_ Helicopters rescued 28 sairors frorn the oir tanker the SeaEmpress last night. The tanker is spiiling tons of oir into the seafrom its broken tanks. It crashed into the iocks near Milford Havenin bad weather on Thursdav nisht.

The tanker is now losing oil frorn five of its twerve tanks andthere are already reports that hundred of sea birds are covered inoil. -Philip Rothwell, from Royal Society for the protection ofBirds, said that the news was extremely bad: ..This accident willaffect not only the birds but arso dolphins and many underwaterspecies." wildlife experts and volunteers are waiting near Milford

t4

I

Suhiecte

Haven to lrelp wash the birds. They say the effects of the oil disasterwill last fbr at least two of three years. Planes are now flying overthe sea, spraying the sea with detergents to stop the oil.

l'he accident happened when the "Sea Empress" was going to an

oil refinery at Milford Haven. C)rganizations, such as Greenpeaceand World Wide Fund for Nature, are calling the sitLtation a disasterand are asking the Government to check tlre standard of oil tankers.The Governrnent says that the Department of Transport willinvestigate the accident.

l. We don't know how tnany sailors were saved.


2. The tanker looses tons of oil into the sea.


3. On Thursday night it was a storm.

A Right B Wrong C , Doesn't say

4. The tanker is loosing oil from six tanks.


5. The birds, the dolphins and other species will be affected bythe accident.


6. Expensive detergents are dropped into the sea.


7. l'he Government will take drastic measures against the company.

A Right B Wrong

l5

C Doesn't say

l.imba englezd. Scris

SUBTECTUL 7

Read the text below. Are the sentences l_7 ..Righto, (A) orilY"gng" (B)? If there is not enough information- to ";;;;;'fRiShf' (A) or "Wrong" (B), choose"..Doesn't say" tCl MaiLA, B, C on your exam sheet.

A DIARY

Another day has passed and I am stiil here. I am alive but now ailmy friends and reratives are gone. Today t went to visit NicorasSmith, my only friend, and wiien t got to his lrouse, f i"* tfi" ,Jcross painted on the door. This crosi shows that the p"opr, in ir.,.house have the plague; nobody can enter into the house. It is oneway.to try-to stop the disease. Anotlrer way is to make big-fi;;;outside in-the streets, to crean the air. But th'ere is nottringlrr?t'canstop the plague.

This terrible iilness began last year and arready there are at reast60000 people dead. The same symptorns appear all the time: thevictims, feel pains all over their'body. especially ,"dt th; ;;;,and their bodies get hotter and hotter ind ttren they go mao. nnerlfe^w da1s, they dii. I rhink that there ii no lrr" fbr the plague. A lorof people get speciar medicine from rhe doctors, urt it.i""i""in"rpthe patients; they still die.

Where does the illness,come frorn? Many people think it comes

l:f 9:O; He is angry with us for the UaO ttrings itrut trupp"n in tf,.

:vn,cny. Jome people say that dogs and cats are responsible: thevrntnK that anrrnals carry.the disease. so they kill them. Now. thereare more rats than usual; I can see rats everywhere in the ,ir..tr.Wherr will this plague disappear? How long will I live?_("The Diary of Samuel Pepvs fr.on 16591A69':, in l;Thn Shor,r,Pepys", London, Belt & Hyman, l9g9)

l. Tlre author's relatives and friends are dead.


2. Nicholas Smith is the author's best friend.

A Right B Wrons

t6

C Doesn't say

3. 'l'he cross on the door symbolizes faith.

A Right B Wrong

4. People wash their clothes verv often.

A Right

C Doesn't say

C Doesn't sayB Wrong

5. One of the symptoms is the pain under the anns.


6. ln the city there is no rat that one can find.

A Righl B Wrong C

7. People think the illness comes frorn God

A Righl B Wrong C Doesn't say

SUBIECTUL 8

Read the text below. Are the sentences l_7 ..Right" (A) or"!rong" (BX If there is not enough information to answer"l{igh1r' (A) or "Wrong" (B), choose ,.Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

I,IFE IN A SMAI,L VILLAGE

I've lived in chalharn ail my rife. In generar r rike riving here, buttlrcre are problems. For example, my sihool is 30 kilomeires away.rrr Benton, and I need two.lrours to get there by bus. That is verylr.ring. Finding things to do during ihe weekend is arso difficuri.t icrerally there aren't enor-rgh things to do in the viilage. There's.rrl-v a spofts club, and there are no discos. The closJst town isN4ilto.n, but we can't go to the disco there, because the last bus to, 'rrr village is at 6 prn. There exist only three busses a day, so we are

;r lrit isolated around here.

t7

Limba englezd. Scris

The village changes very much in surrrmer. Norrrrally. arollnd 1000people live here, bLrt in Jul;r andAugLrst, there are about 3000 peoplehere. Some of tl-re visitors were born here, and they return io visittheir relatives; others are tourists. I'm not a big fan of summer, fortne the noise is a problern too. Riding your bike becornes dangerous.

That is one of the advantages of living in a village: you don'thave traffic problems, and there is no pollution. at least in winter.

l. The author wants to leave frorn lris village.


2. The author needs two hours to set to school.


3. The autlror has fun on his/her way to school.


4. In the village there aren't too lnany things to do.


5. You can go to a swimming club in your free time.


6. In summer the village is completely different.


7. Visitors bome in the village with expensive cars.

A Right B Wrong

I

l8

C Doesn't say

,\ lt ighl B Wrong C Doesn't say

Subiecte

SIJBIECTUL 9

Read the text below. Are the sentences l_7..Right', (A) orill.gng" (B)? lf there is not enough information- to answer"Right" (A) or "Wrong" (B), choose"..Doesn't say', (C). MarkA,.8, C on your exam sheet.

SPECIAL HOMES

, Ty9 y"gl ago Steve and Margaret Srnith took a very diflicult

decision. They decided to sell their house and buy a new home.Th.eir family thought they were mad and their friends .ouianltbelieve tlreir ears. why such a change? weil, what's unusuar aboutthe srniths is that they reft a house *ith th.ee bedrooms in Londonfbr sornething totally different.

Where they live now they don't have neighbours. there,s nolrafflc and^they only see countryside from trreiri.vinoow wn."irr"vget tired of one place, they simply rnove to a new place. Up to no,,i,they moved three times - they stay in one area for-about six'months.( )f course, this can be a problem because their friends neuer kno*rr lrere they can find them.

I'heir new home is very srnall. In fact Steve and Margaret sleep,t'ok' eat and relax in a singre room. The kitchen ur.ihu. a sintrrrd a cooker. and there is a separate bathroom. But they are notlrothered by the size -I"V say ii's very comfortable and tfr.y f,u""t'vcrvthing they need. They have a television set and a microwavel( x).

, l'or the^Smiths shopping is very difficult as the shops at a bigrlrstance from their home. Steve says that the next stop wiil bEor rlside a supennarket!

Now they are thinking of the sunrmer holiday. Hotels won,t be a;'roltlem for them!

l' Margaret and her husband decided to move in a bie house..

'\ Iiight B Wrong C Doesn't sav

2. l'heir family and friends were not very surprised.

t9

Limba engle:a. Scris

3. The Smiths left f,rom a house with a big kitchen.


4. Now the Smiths have a few new neichbours.


5 When they are bored of one place the Srniths can change theiraddress.


6. The new lrome is very comfofiable.


7. The only problern the Srnitlrs have is shopping.


SUBIECTULIO

Read the text below. Are the sentences l-7,,Right" (A) or"'Wrong" (B)? If there is not enough information to answer"Right" (A) or "Wrong,' (B), choose ..Doesnot say" (C). MarkA, Bo C on your exam sheet.

ANIMATION CREATOR

Nick Park is famous all over the world for his animations. Hisinterest began when he was 12. He saw a documentary about WaltDisney and the way he rnade his cartoons and decided to experimentwith his f'ather's old film camera. He created his first animatedcartoon at the age of I3. Twenty years later, Nick was awarded theOscar for a shofi film entitled "Creature Comfofts,,.

After this big success an electricity company decided to use theanimals to advertise their electrical products, for example they used

20

\ Right

21

C Doesn't say

Subiecte

penguins to adverlise fridges. arrd a cat to advertise heating. ln tlrecomrnerciais \ick's characlers rnove and speak. Aithor-rglr the acjverlswere only around one rnini.rtc'lclng, the process of making thern wasextremely slow as evel,v movelnent needed to be filmed and tlrerewere thousands of movernents in each advert.

Since tlre f'llrn "Creature Comfbrt", Nick has won more Oscarsfbr cartoons r"rsing plasticine characters. These films last 30 minLltes.ln the near future s\ick intends to lnake a full-length filrn. The onl.vproblem is tirne!

l. Nick Park is nor rhar fhlnous.


2. Nick started to,be interested in anirnation a1 the age of ten.

A Right B Wrong C Doesn't sav

3. Nick's first experintent was done with his father's camera

A Right B Wrong C Doesn't -sa),

J. Nick received an Emmy for lris animation.


5. A famous electricity company oflered Nick a contract.

A Right B ,Wrong C Doesn't say

(r. In the commercials Nick's characters moved but didn't soeak.


7. Nick's futr-rre plan is to make a full-lensth filrn.

B Wrong


SUBIECTUL II

Read the text below. Are the sentences l-7..Right" (A) or"Wrong'o (B)? If there is not enough information to answer"Right" (A) or "\ilrong'o (B), choose '.Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

CHII-DHOOD STORIES

It is arnazing lrow little we remember about ou, tif. befbre theage ofseven or eight. I can tell you different things that happenedto me frorn eight onwards, but just a few things before that. I wentfor a year to Elmtree House. but I can't remenrber how myclassrooln looked. Nor can I picture the faces of Mrs Corfield andMiss Tucker, the two sisters who ran the kindergarten. althoLrgh I'msure thev were very nice and kind. I vaguely renrernber sitting onthe stairs and trying over and over to tie my shoelaces. 'lhis is whatI can rernember at this distance of the school itself.

On the other side, I can remember very well the journeys I rnadeto and from the school as they were extremely excitin_e. This becauseevery day l rode nry tricycle on my way to school, together with rnysister and her tricycle. We used to race at enormous tricycle speedsdown tlre middle of the road and then, most glorious of all, whenwe came to a corner, we would lean to one side and take it on twowheels.

This is about all that I can remember from mv kindersartenperiod, sixty-two years ago. lt's not much but I treasure itl

(Excerpts fi"om "Boy,: Tales o/'Childhood" by Roald DahI(Jonatlrun(lapeiPenguin Books))

l. People don't remember too much about tlreir life before theage of seven or eight.


2. The author remembers very well how his/her classroom looked.

A Right B Wrong

22

C Doesn't say

ZJ

Subiecte

3. The author can remember the faces of tlre persons who ran thek i ndergarten.

B Wrong C Doesn't say

4' The ar'rthor is sure the persons who ran the kindergarten were nice.


5. The author remembers very well his experience with theshoelaces.


6. The author was a beautiful child in kindergarten.


7. The author liked riding the tricycle with his/her sister.

A Righr B Wrong C Doesn't say

A Righr

SUBIECTUL I2

Itcad the text below. Are the sentences l_7.,Right" (A) or"\Vrong" (Bx If there is not enough information to answer'^ltight" (A) or*Wrong" (B), choosJo,Doesnot say,'(C). Mark\. ll, C on your exam sheet.

I)INNER PARTIES

. I lru'c are only two types of dinner party: successes and failures.Ir ( \'t. rything goes well, you wiil have ihe satisfaction of bein!' ' 'rr"irl*ed a social success by ail yo"ur acquaintances; if it croesnl' , \()ul'way, you will encourage the silences that will explore thelrrll rrrcaning of the word,.awkward,'.

llrt'rr.st sensible course of action is never choose to be a host.l!.r \ou want to be in the lime_light, so here it is.


Although it rniglrt seem a contradiction. wherever possible, avoidlraving dinner parties in your own lrome. An alternative locationwith great sLlccess is a restaurant. You don't have to serve the guestsand you don't have to cook. The most satisfying aspect is th*e facttlrat you split the cost of the evening with your guesrs.

If you have no choice and throw a dinner party at home rnakesure you don't have too many guests, the ideal is to have three orfour couples and a single person who will be your rescuer. At thetabletry to involve vour guests in serving the food by telling themthat this an old Tibetan custom. This will be a conversation point.Try to avoid talking aboLrt politics as it is all the lime an arsr-rmentfor conlradictions.

("The Observer", "Protocol; a guide to modern living; hou, tohold a dinner partv". " High+ech disaster /hreatens prrlice-c,ontnutersystems" by Robin lttcKie and Richard Sharpe)

l. In the text are mentioned three types of dinner parties.


2. A successful dinner party means a social success


3. Ifyou cook very well you can be a good host.


4. We are recommended to avoid dinner parties at our home.


5. A good choice for a dinner party place is the restaurant.


6. At the restaurant you can have any type of food you wish.

A Right B Wrong

24

C Doer't say

\ li ighr

25

C Doesn't say

Subiecte

7. Politics should not be a discussion theme at the table.


B Wrong

SUBIECTUL I3

Read the text berow. Are the sentences l-7,.Right" (A) or"wrong'o (B)? If there is not enough information- to answer"Righ1" (A) or'oWrong" (B), choose ..Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

,fHE WORLD OF BUTTERFLIES

llutterflies have from earry time been associated with human',.rrl.s. In ancient Egypt, tlre soul at death was considered to leavetlrc body just like the butterfly reaves the chrysaris. rn Bunna the,, rLrl-butterfly is believed to fly abroad when its owner sleeps, meetingtlre soul-bufterflies of other persons and animars uni ."turnin!r'lrcrr the person wakes up. The children from Burma learn to nevei'rrrrrhen anycine too suddenry because it is believed that if the soul-lrrrlcrf'l] can't come back in time the person will die.l' (iaelic tradition, the persons who died recently were thought tol" ''.r'etimes visibre in the form of a-butterfly riovering ouJ, tn., ()rl)sc. In Ireland, this was a sign of everlasting happinJss for the'rrl. ir Scotland, a golden butterfly over a Oyi,ig person was

, .;1.,iqlslsd to be a very good omen for his or her future,welfare.,,\ lcgend tells how a.soul wandered through time and place, and

' "rrc back to the body in butterfly form. when it almost entered ther r r, r r r

's lnouth a neighbour killed it. It is said that the man died at once.r I l' Watt Ltd on behalf of Edith M Horsley and Christina Hole',,t litr,erflies" /iom "The Encyclopedia of Superstitirns,, by E and

t t I litulford, edited and revised by Christina Hote)

I lttrtterflies are just like the people.

Lintba engle:d. Scris

2. In Bunna the soul at deatlr is compared with a blltterfly.

A Right B Wrong C Doesl'l't say

3. In Br-rrma the people believe in the soul-butterflies.


4. In Burma the children are awaken sLrddenly.


5. In Scotland golden butterflies are considered good olrens.


6. The butterfly from the legend managed to enter into the man's

mouth.


7. Butterflies are protected species.


SUBIECTUL 14

Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-7 'oRight" (A) oro'Wrong" (BX lf there is not enough information to answer

"Right" (A) or "Wrong" (B), choose "Doesn't say" (C). MarkA, B, C on your exam sheet.

HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

Some towns on the English coast have only small populations in

winter, but in sumtner there come thousands and thousands of tourists.Most people in Britain have at least two weeks to spent theirholiday. July and August are the most popular months fnr holidaysand there is always a lot of traffic on the roads to the seaside.

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In the-south west of England, one can find srnall villages forlishirg purposes and arso fbr a peace a'd quiet period. rn tlie northeast o1- England you can walk along the coast of Nortlrunrberlandwithoul meeting anyone at all. On the south coast you can enioy thesun and the beautiful beaches of the Enslish Riviera.

lf you prefera holiday with a lot of piople and a lot of fun thenyou can go to a big holiday resorl like Blackpool on the west coastof England or Brighton on the south coasl. Or rnaybe you woulcllike to spend your holiday in a carn. you can tlnd tlrem all over thecountry. especially near the popular resorts. In a camp you havetlances, parties, special arrangements for chilclren and- a Iot oflr,llrxes and sport.

l. On the Englislr coats people come itr winter.


2. In Britain people have two weeks of holidav.

A Right B Wron_e C Doesn't say

l. .luly is the only popular month for going on a holiday.

A Itight B Wrong C Doesn'l say

l. On the roads to the seaside you can't find motorbikes.

\ Itight B Wrong C Doesn't say

5. You can fish in the south west of Ensland.

t lt ighr B Wrong C Doesn't say

tr. llc:aches can be found on the Enelish Riviera.

\ liiglrl B Wrong C Doesn't say

/. \'orr can also have fun at youth hostels.

\ li ight B Wrong

27

C Doesn't say


SUBIECTUL I5

Read the text belorv. Are the sentences l-7 "Right" (A) or"Wrong" (BX If there is not enough information to answer"Right" (A) or "Wrong" (B), choose "Doesn't say" (C). MarkAo B, C on your exam sheet.

EATING IN BRITAIN

The common meals in Britain are breakfast. lunch, tea. and supper.'fraditionally. breakfast is a bigger meal than.on tlre continenl. bt"tt

during the week, when everybody works. tirere is no time fbr a richbreakf-ast, just for a cup of coffee or tea. a piece of toast or a bowiof cereal. On Sundays breakfast consists of half a grapefruit ororange iuice, porridge. bacon and eggs and toast and mannalade, ifyoLr are very hungry.

On a weekday. lr"rnch is not a big meal. I'he people who work eatsandwiches, or a salad, and some fruit. or yoghurl. If you urant a hotrneai yolr can go to the canteens"

Sunday lunch is tlre main rneal of the week. Now yoll can eat roastbeef or chicken, accornpanied by potatoes and one or two vegetables.Deser-t can be anything: ice-cream, apple-pie or a hot pr-rdding.

The traditional practice of aftemoon tea, consisting oftea sandwiches,cake and biscuits, is not so frequent nowadays, as people don'thave time.

The everiing meal is the rneal for all the farnily. Dinner takesplace early in the evening. around six o'clock when all the membersof the family come home fiorn work or school. This is a hot meal.r,rsually with meat and vegetables.

SLrpper is usr.rally later. or olrt at a restallrant.

l. DLrring the week the British eat a lot in the morning.


2. In the morning the British drink coffee or tea.

A Right B Wrong

28

C Doesn't say

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3. On Mondays breakfast is very rich


4. The British usually have lunch at restauranrs.


5. On SLrndays lunch is the most important meal

A Right B Wrong C Doesn't sa1

6. In the evening guests are expected at dinner.

A Righl B Wrong C . Doesn't say

7. One can have supper either at lrome or at a restaurant.

A Right B Wrong C f)oesn't say

SUBIECTUL I6

Itcad the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answert \, li, C or D) which you think fits best according to the rext.

\I'ORTS VIOLENCE

lrr lncient societies, athletics and especially cornpetitive contact,,rIrr:s ?lw?Ys have been, but aggression in the past was temperedl,', ,rrr irrsistence that playing hard, playing to win, did not countenance1'l,rr irrg to cheat and to hurt. One of the^very first nations that' I'rt'ssed athletic ideals, were the Greeks. As enunciated by pinclar,rl,, ,rtlrletic.ideal incorporated courage and endurance with modesty.l,rrit-r'. arnd fair-mindedness, those elusive qualities tlre Greeks calred\r,1,r, ,\s sports becarne more specialized. the general populace

ir', r,;15i11oly withdrew into spectatorship. Sp0rts history revealstlr.rt .rlllrough Greek sports had increasingly marred by corruption,rr,l lrribcs, nonetheless they flourished in an era which witnessed

t I r, 1, 1 1 ri1l expansion of stadiums and arenas under the Roman Emoire.


7. Government oiTicials, fans and athletesA have the same attitude towards sports violence.B are ambivalent towards sports violence.C take personal responsibility for spofts violence.D try not to justify sports violence.

8. Risk makes the game more interesting according toA coaches.B f-ans.

C athletes.D government officials.

9. The tendency of the public opinion towards sports violence isA to show less interest.B to be more concentrated on it.C to show disapproval.D to accept it.

10. Critics regard sports violence asA an international realitv.B a local reality.C a regional reality.D a national reality.

SUBIECTUL I7

Read the text below. For questions l-l0o choose the answer(A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

CONFLICT MANACEMENT

An underlying principle of cr,rltural behaviour, which is closelyreflected in the language, is the need to avoid face-to-face conflict.Even though the British may appear unpleasantly blunt when comparedwith some Asian cultures, they are on the whole concerned to offera way out whenever a potential conflict between individuals occurs.

This may be compared with public confrontations in large committeesor the Parliament where much more confrontation soes on. Some

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cLrltures are. by way of contrast to the British. much less concernedto avoid conflict private or personal encounters.

Perhaps there is a principle in "aggression lnanagement" here:cvery culture has developed some ways of I'etting off steam, hassoffre areas in which people are allowed to express their true feelings.

'fhe imrnediate linguistic consequence of open conflict - avoidanceis that you need to know what to do and what to say. for example.rvhen someone takes a position in a queue in front of yor"r. accidentallystand son your toe in a bus or disagrees with you in a publiclllthering. ln the pLrblic gathering, depending on the nature of therrrceting. the British reaction rnay be to confront disagreementopcnly and respond vigorously. In tlre other more personal situations,tlrc same individual may work hard at taking a middle routelrt'lween doing nothing and engaging in open conflict. In doing so,lrr'ur she will expect a similar cooperative response from the otherl)('r's()n, such as an apology Iike, "Oh, sorry, Ididn't realise...". In.tlre r cultures, behaviour might well be the opposite - a great effortto rg6lsg. conflict in a public meeting and robust responses in the1rr ivzrte situations. Within our own oultures, we understand ther .rrvgn{isps and know when people are being normally polite orrr,rrrroll) outspoken. The difficulties come when we make errors in.' r r rrnlamiliar environment.

r"llritish Shibboleths, One language, different cultures", editedI't l'lldie Ronowicz and Colin Yallop, The Continuum Internalionall' r r ltl i.elling Group Ltd.)

l. Arr underlying principle of cultural behaviour reflected in thel,rrl't[tge iS:

,\ lvoiding face-to-face conflictIt rr:ing face-to-face conflict( crcating face-to-face conflictI ) rrrrderstanding face-to-face confl ict

.) l hc British\ rlon't want a way out from conflictsIt rrlc jr,rst like the Asians regarding conflicts( iu c preoccupied to find solutions for conflicts between individuals|) ilrrore face-to-face conflicts

,imba engle:d. Scris

3. Other culturesA are rnore concerned to avoid conf'lictsB don't talk about conflictsC consider conflicts insignificantD are less concerned by avoiding conflicts

4. Every cultureA the same way to calm downB has its own way to calm downC tries to have less conflictsD lets off steam with a lot of work

5. When you want to avoid a conflictA you must know what to doB you must be carefulC you must know what to do and what to sayD you must know what to say

6. In public confrontations the BritishA avoid open conflictB are vigorous in responseC are confronting openlyD are vigorous in response and confront openly

7. In personal sitr"rations the BritishA are less conflictiveB are more agressiveC are extremely diplomaticD are Iooking for the rniddle route

8. In other cultures, in public confrontations peopleA make a lot of eftbrts to reduce the conflictB make less efforts to reduce the conflictC ignore the people aroundD don't do anything

9. In other cultures, in private conflictual situations peopleA offer more vigorous responsesB show more resDect

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C show more respect and offer uore vigorous responses

D are extremely violent

10. A problematic situatiott is

A when we make a mistake in unknown environmentB lvhen we make errors in another countryC when we don't care about the otlrers

D there is no problematic situation

SUBIECTTJL I8

Read the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answer(A, Bo C or D) which you think fits trest according to the text.

BEING FAMOUS

INTERVIEWER: Considering you belong to one of the glitziest

professions there is, along with showbiz, you seem to have yourlect pretty much on the ground.

l{ELENA CHRISTENSEN: I truly believe that who you are isl,ecrause of your farnily, you know, the way tlrat yor"r were brought

rr1r. the love that you get frorn your farnily, the discipline fromtlrcrn. lt all goes back to childhood no matter what happens later inlrLrr life. And also, probably, coming from Denmark has kept me

\ \'fy grounded because there's not too much about fame, the same

lrrry that othercountries are obsessed with it. In Denmark it's who

,,,,, are and you shouldn't think you are more than anybody else.

\ rrrl. all in all, I would really say that it has helped me corning from,r t ountry like Denmark.

lN'fERVIEWER:You have a really good reputation in the industryt,,r being very professional; you come in, you do the job, you go

l'ir11g. fi1s1s's no baggage. no tantrums and tempers.I ilILENA: Well, that's nice to hear, but. for me, that was the only

', r\ to deal with the job because it's such a strange job' If I didn't,1,, rt lhat way, if I created problems for myselfl not just coming in,

l,i )\ving up, doing the job and leaving, if I thought too much abouttr rlrr'nl don't know if I would've been able to do this job. I thinkrlr, only way to do it was just actually doing it that way.


INTERVIEWER: I know it's a difllcult question. but wlry do yoLrthink 1'or"r rose to the top'? Was it a rnixture of talent and luck, beingin the right place at the right tirne?

HELENA: lt was a mixture of all that. You know, yor"r can't reallydefine your look. or why your look was perfbct for the time. But I

was really llrcky. When I went to Paris fbr the first time I didn'treally have any intentions of working as a model. lcarle down toeat, basically because I was invited to a week-end of good food.and it was the show week that week, and I went to see sonte clientsand met some of the rnost amazing people in the industry. But itwas not really that important to me. lt wasn't what I wanted to doat that tirne.

INI'ERVIEWER: What did you want to do?HELENA: I wanted to travel the world and take ohotos. Most

people think I'm starting plrotography now. bur actually. Idid itbefore and did a bit of rnodelling in between.

INTERVIEWER: Did a bit of modellins in between! That's onervay of putting ii. Do you think that all those years that you spentin front of the camera make you a better photographer?

HELENA: Obviously, working with some of the most amazingphotographers in the world, you soak it all in and get a bit of tlreirexperience. And I'm very curious about everything I see in life.

INTERVIEWER: What kind of photographs do you take. is itglamour shots or do yor-r tend to go more for the real person as itwere, showing them as they really are, warts and all?

HELENA: I'm definitely more into taking por-traits of people asthey really are. getting something from thern deep inside out throughtheir faces. And it's an amazing thing taking photographs. portraits,as every time it's such an intimidating sensation when you takeportraits of someone, and Iknow it makes me feel a little shy andnervous and it also makes the person that you do portraits to feel aiittle strange about it because it's a very naked feeling to be thatclose to someone.

l. Helena considers that a person's way of being is due toA that person's familyB that person's friendsC that person's family and friendsD all kind of factors

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2. ln Denmark peopleA are nol preoccupied bir f-arne

B are obsessed by t-ame

C crave for fameD consider fame useless

3. Coming from DenmarkA was an insignificant aspectIl was the best thing in Helena's lifeC didn't rnatter too muchD helped Helena in her career

4. For the repofter being prol'essional meansA just do your jobB corne in tirne to workC go home after you've done your jobI) come in, do your job and go home

5. Being a modelA is the strangest job in the worldli is a strange job to have(l is a pleasant jobl) is a prosperous job &

(r. I lelena got to the topA because she was luckyll because she was in the right place at the right time('because she had talent, luck and she was in the right plpce at

tlrt' riglrt timel) because she had talent and she was lucky

7. 'fhe first time Helena went to Paris was\ lor a photo shootingli to eat good food during one weekend( lirr a shooting and for good foodl) to take photos

lJ. llelena started taking photos.\ rvlren she was a modelIt bcfbre she was a model


C befbre she was a model and during her model careerD after hel rnodel days

9. Helena takes more portraits becauseA people's lace is expressiveB this way things from the inside are taken outC the eyes show everythingD people are easy to work with

10. When one takes a ponraitA the photographed person feels a little bit nakedB the photograpJrer feels nakedC it's a great fbelingD the photographer and the photographed person irre too close

SUBIECTUL I9

Read the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answer(A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

I HAVE A DREAM

Five years ago, a great American signed the E,mancipationProclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon lightof hope to millions of negro siaves who had been seared in iheflarnes of withering injustice. lt came as a joyous daybreak to enclthe long night of their captivity.

But one hr:ndred years lateq the Negro still is not free. Onehundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled bythe manacles of segregation and the chains of discrirnination. Onehundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty inthe rnidst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hr_rndred yearslater, the Negro is still langr-rished in the corners of Ameiicansociety and finds hinrself an exiled in his own land. So we havecome here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check.When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words ofthe "Constitution" and the "Declaration of Independence", they.

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were signing a promissory note to which every Arnerican was tolirll lreir. This rrote was a promise tirat all rnen. black luelt as well asr,r'irite men. would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of lit-e,Iibefty. and the pursuit ofhappiness: .

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissoryrrote insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. lnstead of lronorinstlris sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a badtlreck, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds".IlLrl we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. Werclirse to believe that there are insufficient funds in tlre sreat vaultsol'opporlunity of this nation. So we have come to cash t*his check -rr check that will give us upon demand the riches of fi-eedorn andtlrc secr,irity of justice. We have also corne to this hallowed spot tole rnind America of the fierce urgency of nor.r,. This is no tiine to('neage in the luxLrry of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug

',1 !,radualism. Now is the time to lift our nation from the qlricksands,rl racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

( illartin Luther King, "l Have a dream", Speech delivered on 28Itr,qtr,st 1963, At the Lincctln Memorial )

l. The Emancipation Declaration was signed byA a wonderful Arnericanl| a great American( great Americansl) lr gleat presidenr

l. "The Proclamation" is a sign ofr\ hope for all the peopleIt hope for the white people( fieedoml) lrope for the black slaves

t. ( )ne hundred years later the Negro\ is in his own landll lras a big role in the American societyt l'cels isolated in lris own landl) has a better life

l. I lre architects of the country are,\ :rll the citizens!l rlrc white people


C the rich peopleD the leaders

5. The promissory note was forA black people and white peopleB the young peopleC the young people, for black people and white peopleD the rich

6. All men were'guaranteed the rightA to lifeB to happinessC to freedomD to life, happiness. freedom

7. The author considers AmericaA has respected the promise made to all menB hasn't respected the promise made to black peopleC has respected the promise made to the citizens of colourD has repected the promise nrade to white people

8. The African-AmericansA were given a bad checkB received no moneyC received a blank checkD got what they wanted

9. The Afro-Americans want to cash the check which gives themA everything they wished forB richesC freedomD freedom and.justice

10. The author wants all the people to beA solid like the rockB brothersC friendsD equals

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SUBIECTUL 20


ENVI RONM ENTAL PROBLEMS

'Ihe world's scientists have given their harsh warning yet thatlailure to cut greenhouse gas emissions will bring devastating climatechange within a few decades. As droughts affect more areas forrnore prolonged periods. it is estirnated that global food productionrvill fall by l0%. Conversely, we are experiencing more powerfullrrrrricanes which result in both human tragedy and costly dairageto infiastructure. There are dire predictions of 80 milliop peoplelrcirrg exposed to rnalaria and 2,5 billion to dengue fever.

'l'he 2007 report the Intergovernrnental Panel on Clirnate Change(ll'CC) concludes that average temperatures could increase by asrrrrrch as 6.4"C by the end of the century if emissions continue torisc at the present rate. However. they do concede that a rise of 4"Cr,i rnore likely. The forecast is still higher than previous estimatesl,('eAuse scientists have discovered that the Earth is less able to,rlrsorb carbon dioxide than previously believed.

What would a 4oC increase in temperature mean? According totlrt' IPCC. it would wipe out hundreds of species, bring extremel,rotl and water shortages in vulnerable countries and hr.rndreds ofrrillions of people would be displaced as a result of catastrophiclloocling. As warming is likely to be more severe towards the poles,rlr(' rnelting of the Greenland and west Antarctic ice sheets would, r( ('c lefate.

| )r'. Wainwright explained that the 2007 report painted a gloomierI'rt lrrre than the 200 I reporl because scientists have discoveredl,'erlbacks" in the global carbon cycle that seem to be adding to the

rrrrount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and producing a, rrrrrrrlative effect. She goes on to suggest that this could mean ati,',r'it another l'C should be added to present estimates. Moreover.t tr Wainwright concludes that there is little room for doubt thatlrrrrrriut activity is to blame for the global warming.

llowever, Mark Gibson of Environment Watch goes to greatl, rr1',ths to point out that such an outcome is not inevitable. If there


were a significant switch to clean and resoltrce efficient tecirnologies,

we shoul-d cr-rt expected temperature rises by half. l-le stresses that

what is needed is international political cornmitment to take action --

something which has been absent so far.(Extracl front "What's the Weather? " in l"lev' Scientist 16'09'2000'

u,ww. N ev,s c i e nt i s t. c om)

l. The greenhouse gas emissionsA will cause devastating changes in futureB are devastat'ingC will be devastating for natLtre

D are not dangerous Yet

2 Global food productionA won't be a problemB will be better by l0%C will be afl-ected by 109/o

D will be by l0% bigger

3. The porverful hurricanesA detennine human tragediesB cause material damagesC have no solutionD cause human tragedies and rnaterial"damages

4. IPCC saysA temoerature will be afTected in futureB temperature will decreaseC temperature will be dangerous for people

D nothing about temperature changes in future

5. Scientists discoveredA that the Earth can absorb more carbon dioxideB that the Earth can't absorb carbon dioxide as it did in the past

C the Earth has big ProblemsD nothlng new

6. If temperature increasesA floods will appearB animal species disaPPear

I

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C hunger may appearD h;;;;t und r,l-e'floods will appear and species rvill disappear

7. Dr. Wainwright saYs

A it's people'sTault for global uanning .

B we can doubt about pJopte's contribution to global warming

C global wanning is not dangerous,yet .

U it's not just thJpeople to Lrlame for global warming

8. Mark Gibson saYs

A there is no chance fbr us 1o stop temperature rlses

Ii we rnight be able to cllt temperature rlses

C we can't find solutions to our problem

N) nothing about temperalure ctlts

9. Mark Cibson considersA politics can't helP

li politics not important(l politics should get involvedl) oolitics a cause for our Problem

I (f . Politicians,\ have been preoccupied by global wanning

I| don't have an oPinion(' showed no interest in global warming

l) wanted to take action

SUBIECTUL 2I

Itcad the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answer

r \. l]. C or D) which you think fits best according to the text'

\ oIJ'RE FAT? IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S TFIE GENES

r I IOCOHOLICS no longer need to feel guilty abouttheir craving'

r r,, ul li* - :

ply the victiils of their genes, scientists !a1e found'-

I lrc so-called "'sweet tooth gene" has been identified by separate '

ri,rrrrS of researchers and helpi explain wlty some find it harder tc

', ,r':l cl.tocolate bars and cream cakes'

l.im'ba engl e:d. .Scri s

It also raises the possibility of designing a drug which could "switchotf' the gene and help people resist sugary foods. Children. inparticular. risk their health by eating too many sweets and chocolates.

To identify the gene. the research teams - based at HarvardMedical School in Boston and Mount Sinai School of Medicine inNew York - conducted almost identical experiments using rnice,which have differences in their ability to taste sweer foods. Theycompared the DNA of the two types of mice and noticed differencesin the gene called TlR3.Dr. Gopi Shanker, of the Mounr Sinaiteam, said: "lt contains information which produces a protein called<tlre sweet taste receptoD.

This recognises the sweet conttnt of food and initiates a cascadeof events wliich signal to the brain that a sweet food has been eaten.Dr. Shanker added: "Exactl,v tlre same gene exists in humans. so itmeans tl-rat, if your parents have a sweet tooth, tlren you probablywill as well."

Research by the Harvard team has come to the same conclLrsion.But Aubrey Sheiham, professor of dental public health at University

College. London. said the results did not provide chocoholics wiihan excuse to give up dieting.

He said: "We have always known that some people have a sweetertooth than others. But it has also been proved that if you gladuallyexpose people to less sugar. then the body becomes accustomedwith a lower level of sweetness.

Mr. Sheiharn rvarned against any form of gene therapy whichsought to deactivate the sweetooth gene.

We have produced this gene through evolution because sweetfbods in nature are not poisonous and also give us energy. We allneed to have some sugar in our diet.

The U.S. researchers are using their discovery to develop ar"tificialsweeleners witlrout an afterlaste.

("lf bingeing on chctcolate.,." by Paul Kendttll, "Dailv Mai!2 3.04.2000, " Daity Mail ")

l. Scientists have discovered that eating too much chocolateA is not healthyB is caused by the genesC is our faultD make as stronser

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2. 'fhe sweet tooth gene explainsA why we eat so mnch chocolateB why we eat creamy cakesC why we eat chocolate barsD why it's so difficult to resist to eat sweets

3. A possible drug wouldA make us eat less sugarB be a huge progressC help Lrs resist the temptationD not be good fbr the sweets companies

,1. In their experiments with mice the researchers noticedA diflerent things in a geneB the mice were identicalC the mice eat the same sweetsD nothing relevant

5. 'fhe sweet taste receptorA tells the brain what sweets have been eatenl| announces the brain that the person has eaten a sweetC announces the brain how the body feelsl) doesn't ofTer crucial infonnation

6. lfyour parents have a sweet toohA you will have a stronger sweet toothli you might not have a sweet tooth(' a sweet tooth for you is out of tlre questionI) you will have a sweet tooth too

7. l'he results of the experiments,\ were an excuse for chocoholics to give up dietingIt didn't represent a reason for chocoholics to give rrp their diet( were not concludentl) were the perfect excuse to continue eating

It. l1- people don't see/eat too many-sweets/more sugar'\ the body gets used to fewer sweets/less sugarIt tlre body craves for sweets


C it's dangerous for chocoholicsD it's not a problern

9. One can have a dietA without an), sugarB with a lot of sugarC with some sugarD with candies

10. The American researchersA want to create new kinds of sweetsB want to create artificial sweetenersC want to develop natural sweetenersD don't want artificial sweeteners

SUBIECTUL 22

Read the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answer(Ao B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

THE OPEN WINDOW

"My aunt will be down presently, Mr. Nuttel", said a very confidentyoung lady of fifteen; "in the meantime you must try and put upwith me."

Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say the correct something whichshould duly flatter the niece ofthe moment without unduly discountingthe aunt that was to come. Privately he doubted more than everwhether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers woulddo much towards helping the nerve cure which has supposed to beundergoing.

"l know how it will be", his sister had said when he was prepairingto migrate to his rural retreat; "you will bury yourself down thereand not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse thanever from moping. I shalljust give you letters of introduction to allthe people I know there. Some of them, as far as I can remembeqwere quite nice."

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Framton wonclered wltether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to whom he

was presenting one ot'the letters of introdLrction. calrle into 1he nice

d iv ision."Do you know many of the people round here?" asked niece,

when she judged that they had had sr"rfficient silent communion. '

"Hardly a soul". said Framton. "My sister was staying here. at the

rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave me letters ofintroduction to some of the people here."He made the last statement

in a tone of distinct regret."Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?" pursued the

sel f'-possessed young lady."Only her name and address", adrnitted the caller. He was wondering

whether Mrs. Sappleton was in the married or widowed state. AnLrndefinable something about the room seemed to suggest masculinehabitation.

"Her great tragedy lrappened just three years ago," said the child;"tlrat would be since your sister's time."

"Her tragedy?" asked Framton; somehow in this restfirl countryspot tragedies seemed out of place.

"You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an( )ctober afternoon," said the niece, indicating a large French windowllrat opened on to a lawn.

i'lt is quite warm for the time of the yeag" said Framton; "but has

tlrat window got anything to do with the tragedy?"'(Extract fi"om "The Open Wndov"', by Saki (H. H. Munrd from

t t' vtu,. c I a s s i c s s hort s. c ont)

l. Mr. NuttelA has to take care ofthe young ladyIt has to stay with the little lady while waiting for her auntC has to tolerate the young ladYl) is the girl's guest

2. Framton NuttelA was embarassed by the situationIt was distant with the niece(' ignored Mrs. Sappletonl) llattered the young Iady


3. Frartrton NttttelA considered the visits useful for the nerve cLtre

B wasn't sLrre the visits were useful for the nerve cltre

C wanted the visits to help the nerve cure

D was sure of the success of his visits

4. Framton NuttelA moved to a big rural mansion

B rnoved to a rural house

C moved to a rural retreatD moved in with his sistcr

5. Framton Nr-rttel receive letters of introduction to

A all the peoplc his sister knowsB all the familiesC a few peoPle

D the richest PeoPle in the area

6. Framton NuttelA knew Mrs Sappleton was from the nice category

B knew Mrs. Sappleton would receive him

C knew Mrs. Sappieton could help him

Ddidn'tknowwhetlrerMrs.Sappletonwasfromthenicecategory

7. Framton Nuttel knew,A sornething about Mrs. SaPPleton

B a lot about Mrs. SaPPleton

C only the wornan's name and address

D nothing about the woman

8. Framton NuttelA was sure a man lived in Mrs. Sappleton's house

B had a feeling that a man lived in Mrs' Sappleton's-house

CwantedtoknowaboutthemasculinepresenceinthehotrseD didn't see a tnan in the house

9. In the houseA the windows are opened on an October afternoon

B the windows are opened on a September afternoon

48

SuhiLtclt'

C.the French window is opened on an October afternoon

D tlre French window is not opened in October

10. Mr. NuttelA looks at the French windowB wonders if the window has a cotrnection with the tragedy

C wants to know if the window is French

D wants to know if the winodow has a tragic story

SUBIECTUL 23

Read the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answer

(A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text'

TRAVE,LLING BY PLANE - "I FEEL ABOUT AIRPL'ANES

IHE WAY I FEEL ABOUT DIETS."

"They are wonderful things for other people to go on"'Jean Kerr'

an American dramatist onie quipped' Flying has becorne safer'

f'aster and cheaper but it seems ever more stressful' One frequent

cause is the noiie that chilclren, especially bored ones' inflict on the

other travellers. A year ago one magazine proposed that all.planes

,hould have child-ir.. ,Jn"t, just like no-smoking zones; children

(and parents) should be confined to the back of the plane' As yet'

iuJfy. no airline seems to agree that children should be screened

and not heared.Undeterred. we would like to raise another case of what economists

call a negative externality. i.e. something which is nice for you but

i,npor.t".otts on otheri. This is excessive carry-on luggage' In

America six out of ten passengers now take a suitcase on to a flight

rather than check it in, three iimes as many as in 1990' The result

it J.fuy, because flights take longer to bo,ar!' Passengers trying to

,qu".t. 3-foot suitcises into 2-foot bins hold up, people.trying to

board behind them. Some travellers have tried to take refrigerators,

television sets and even a stuffed moose-head on board'-ihe problems of both children and luggage could be solved in

un. ,trbk" by putting the children in the hold, to make more space

lbr carry-on iuggage. But thai, we concede, might be unacceptable'

lnstead, to rediJe ielays, most airlines are rightly imposing stt icter

49


limits on the size or weight of bags that can be carried on to pranes.This has provoked outrage

_as passengers are forcibly .;i";;l;;from their belongings at check-in. U-nderstandably: if yfr", puill1geug" in the hold, you have to wait ages for it at the oilrli.ni -if it shows up at all.

- Once you have experienced the nightmare of waiting at theluggage carousel until.it stops, with no sign of the suitJar; 6;checked in, it is clear why people prefer to lig their cases on boaJ.You took a flight from London t; Tokyo; y6ur luggag. una yowsmart clothes decided to hop on to one to Los in"g.i.r. xot unexternal ity but certainly negative.

In America only 0,5%o 9igug. go missing, but if you are a frequenttraveller, that risk is too high. A survey or tso frequent fliers founJthat two thirds had experienced some soft of deray or loss t"irr"l,tugglsj in the previous l2 months. And, if luggage ,emains lost,your.likely compensation is paltry - a maximum of Sl,ZSO regaratessof whether your clothes were bought at Wal_Mart or AnnanT.

If airlines are to restrict carry-ons, therefore, they also need tooffer bette_r_compensation for d-erayed or lost tuggage. at flre reastthey should extend frequent-flier miles to luggage as weil as itsowner:if yôur luggage travels to Tokyo via Los Angeles, you shouldget triple frequent-flier miles.

In addition, passengers could be made to pay if they want to takeextra luggage on board. Better still, given fhe frequent co'elationbetween the size of the traveiler and the weight or rri, iv.r, irirjcarry-on, why not take a tip from papua New Guineaf When fiyingwithin the country, a passenger used to be weighed ufong *ii; hi!luggage before boarding the plane. Fight the fliUana y";"";;;;your bag on board. Aeroplanes and diets would then indeed bEclosely connected.

(Extract from "Oh, what a carry on!,',.The Economist NewspaperLimi'ted, London)

l. For Jean Kerr flying isA cheaper and fasterB safer, faster and more stressfulC safer, faster, cheaper and more stressfulD cheaper, faster and safer

505l

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2. A magazine suggestedA children should not be allowed on planesB that the planes should have special chairs for children

.c that the planes shourd have zones wrrere chirdren shourdn,t beallowed

D more non-smoking zones

3. AirlinesA take into consideration putting the chirdren and their parents at

the back ofthe planeB don't agree with the isolation of the children on planesC want to keep the children screened and not heardD ignore all the problems

4. Another problem regarding flying isA the luggageB the pilotsC the food and the blanketsD the the food, blankets and luggage

5. Unchecked luggage causesA much money to be paidB nervesC boarding delayD much money to be paid and nerves

6. TravellersA put too.many things for the number of suitcases they haveB take only what they needC take stupid things from the duty free shopsD take many suitcases

7. Airlines are imposingA weight limits for the bagsB size limits for thq bassC size and weight limiG for the baesD nothing


8. Passengers don't like when theY

A are separated from their belongings

B have to respect weight limitsC have to take one bag with them on the plane

D are separated from their belongings at the check-in

9. When you travel by plane there is a risk that

A you take other Person's luggage

B your luggage is stolen

C your lfiaEe doesn't appear at the carousel

D your luggage is confiscated

10. Planes and diets

A lrave nothing in commonB are both usefulC are for men and women alike

D have the weight as common element

SUBIECTUL 24

Read the text below. For questions 1-l0o choose the answer


EXAMS AND THE YOUNG CENERA]ION

They're a lesson in lifelGeorge Marsh, head of posh Dulwich College Preparatory School

in Lonion, probably thought he was doing kids and parents a

fau,ru, with his rousing speech at the annual prep school conference

*[.*rT]0" of the pressures facing young people' who need to be

nurtured during difficult pre-teen ind teenage years' Abwe all'.he

said. we had rJsearched a stage where the obsession with passing

exams was "killing the fun" of school'

we,ve all read this before. we've heard of the bulnout kids,

pushed by ambitious parents-until.they're at the end of their tethers'

lna gutp"a at the stories of the hothouse floer children who feel

52 53

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rveak and tired in the real world. We've seen the headlines.."Pressuresof work too much for our teenagers", they scream. Now we have

Mr. Marsh's contribution about too many horrid exams spoiling theschool's broth.

In our child-obsessed society, the worst sin of all is to stop a childhaving "fun". It is right up there with smacking in the new milleniumbook of bad parenting. Children must be endlessly indulged. treatedwith kid gloves, escorted to amusement parks, given computergames and showered with pocket money.

They must never have a minute when they're neither protectednor enjoying themselves. Heavens forbid that they should be told to:;tudy. strive and compete - words which seem to have taken on thequality of blasphemy.

But-whoever said school was meant to be fun? Yes, school is

rr place where a child develops and a rounded curriculum is vital.OLrr children shor,rld play sports, do drama, ioin choirs. hang out atplavtimes. The rest of the time, however, they are there to learn andto achieve some basic qualifications that will, whether they want torrccept it or not, cushion thern when life gets really hard. Yet, in thecurrent climate. saying that exams matter is tantamount to sayingll)at our children should spend their teenage years at an Army bootr'illTtp.

'fhis is the same mentality that dictates there should be no winnersrrt sports day in case other children get upset by corning second. It'stlre same misguided attitude that drives parents to spray their kidsrvith antiseptic to protect thent from all known germs when actuallytlrcy onl), end up sickly because their immune system never develops.( osseting children in cotton wool does tlrem few favours in the

l,'t1g 1'un.

Mr. Marsh is right when he says that we should shelter our,lrildren from the pressures of growing up too soon but there is a, I i l'f'erence between sheltering and smothering.

ll'he really wanted to do us all a favour in his speech, he shouldlr;rve told parents to get real. School can be tough and exams qlways,rrrr [gf then so is life - and it's best that children learn that

1,;rrticular lesson as early as possible.( | i xtract from " Don' t critici s e exams... ", " Daily Expres s, 2 8. 09. 2 000)


1. George Marsh talked about

A being a teenagerB the pressures faced by the youngsters

C teenager ProblemsD parents and teenagers

2. PeoPle are familiar withA the idea that the children are burnt out

B the idea that parents are very ambitious

C children being great

U .ftitOt.n bein! burnt out because of ambitious parents

3. The headlines scream that

A there is too much pressure on children

B children aren't left alone

C parents sPoil all the fun

D children are tlred

4. ln our society it is considered like a blasphemy

,q, to teil a child to rvork hard. study, cornpete and respecl

B to tell a child to work hard

C io t.ff a child to compete, to work hard and to study

D to tell a child to studY

5. At school the childrenA PlaY sPorts and do drama

B join the choirC stuay, play sports, do drama, join the choir' socialize

D make friends

6. Some people consider it's better

A to have no winners at sports

B to hut "

all the children on the second place at sports

C not to have competitions at sports

D comPetition is not imPortant

?. Some parents protect their children

A by sPriYing them with antisePtic

B by giving them antiseptic substances

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Subiecte

C with treatments against germs

D with vitamins

8. Mr. Marsh underlinesA the problems in raising a childB the importance of sheltering the children

C the importance of smothering the childrerD the difierence between smothering and sheltering

9. Mr. Marsh should have told the parents

A to be carefulB to be fbal ParentsC to get realD to pay attention

10. lt's best for the children to learn that school' exams and life

are toughA very earlYB later in lifeC as early as PossibleD when it's possible

SUBIECTUL 25

Read the text below. For questions l-10, choose the answer


WOMEN AND MARRIAGE

Whenthe2T-year-o|dSusanMaushartarrivedathermarita|Ir<lme with her new husband after their honeymoon, she found

t'"rsett suddenly acting very strangely' She proceeded directly to

rle bathroom und start6a cleani'g and didn't stop until it had been

scrubbed and polished from top to bottom'When that was done, she moved to the kitchen, pulled out a

rccipe book and started work on a casserole' Perfectly,normal

trchavoiur for some blushing brides maybe, but for Maushart' an

,,iaent feminist and hardeneJNew Yorker who'd previously existed

on fast food, this was decidedly out of character. "lt was like some

Limba eng.le:d. Scris

weird way of marking out female territory'" she says' "scrubbing

the bathroorn felt good. Wif-elir, sven'"

what Maushart had unwittingiy found herself doing was participating

in what she now tenns "wiferi'ork" - that is the extra' unpaid labour

that a wonran takes on when she ties the knot' "l thought I was the

i;;tt;; ii would happen to". slte says'. "But when I got married a

metamorphosis happened to me' it was bizarre'"-- in f.,"r'book, eniitled .,Wifework", Maushart sets out to explain

*f,u an intelligent PhD student like herself should suddenly regress

;;;;h.rypîiitiiot housev,'ifb mode' And by contemplating marriage

i;1;t oi-a simple calculation - a balance sheet' if vou like' of the

cost of getting fritcr,ei weGfteO up against the benefrts 9 Maushart

draws some disturbing conclusions'

"The tnoment a mari gets married", Maushart says' "his domestic

workload alrnost disapp-ears' He irnrnediateLy gets about 70,Rer c3n1

less cleaning. 50 per cent less cooking and 90 per cent less launory'

There are nowhere near these benefits for a woman when she gets

;"r;iJ. And these days you're at pains to deny that you're doing

i, U""uur. apart from'being exhausted by it' you're ashamed of

yourself."Maushart's mottvation comes perhaps from her own marital

"*p".i"n."r. Perhaps the alarrr bells should have started ringing

p.i[t t" tyi"g the knot on her happy day' "l remember being surprised

itt",en I't.'r.q"uested, rather nrmly, ifrat I refrain from smoking during

ouioutaoo, *edding receptioni;, she writes of her husband-to-be in

the book. "But why now?" I wanted to know' "My cigarettes -h1ye

n"u"-,uottl"'"dyoubefore.AndeverybodyelsewillbeSmoking.',..I'djust preter that you didn't", he replied evenly''-itting, quickiy went from bad to worse and within three years'

the m#riage had broken down and they went their separate ways'

Drawing-together research from the UK' America and Australia'..wifework" is littered with some highly revealing nuggets of

information.Thattwothirdstothree.quartersofdivorcesareinitiatedilV *"rn.", tft"a"*-*i',r., are much slower to re-marry than husbands'

and that wives reported levels of depression two or three times

higher than unmarried women'' (Extract from "A womun's work is never done" by Lena Corner

";W;;;i; i"dependent News and Media Limited/Lena Corner 2002'

iii pi,untn"d n "Th" Independent" on 14'01'02)

)t) 57

Subiecte

l. Susan Maushaft marriedA when she was very youngB at the age of twenty-sevenC very quicklyD in lrer husband's home

2. When Susan came from her honevmoon she firstA cookedB washed the clothesC cleaned the bathroomD ate

3. When she cooked SusanA used a recipe slre knew by heartB cooked her favourite dishC used a cookery bookD an old recipe book

4. Susan's behaviour at her return from the honevmoon wasA was normalB wasn't normal for a feminist like herC was ofgreat characterl) was great

5. SusanA lives in New Yorkli considers that it is hard to live in New York(' hates New Yorkl) wants to leave New York

6. For Susan "wifework" means\ a wife's workl! a woman's work in the house(' Lrnpaid work done by the wifel) unpaid work done by the wife after she has married

7. After a man and a woman get married.,\ the man works less around the houseIt the woman works less around the house( (he man works morel) the woman works more around the house

Limba engle:a. Scris

8. After getting marriedA the man has more benelltsB the wornan has rnore benefits. the rnas has f'ewer benefitsC the mas has f'ewer benefitsD the woman has fewer benetits, the man has r.nore benefits

9. At the wedding reception, Susan's husband asked lrerA to quit srnokingB not to smoke during the receptionC to smoke lessD lo smoke just a few cigarettes

10. Who have stronger depressions'?A wivesB single womenC lonely woffrenD lonely wives

SUBIECTUL 26


A MISSING PERSON

"So, who was the last person to see Grace before she disappeared?""We don't know". His voice rose again in agitation. "Well, thepolice aren't sure, which amounts to the same thing. After Charliegot back from school, Grace took him over to Mum's..."

"She drove?" "Yes. She stayed for a while, then drove backhome." "At what time?" "About four, I think." "So, after Maggie;no one else seems to have seen her?" "Well, no one so far. Butsomeone might well have seen her driving back or parking the caror going into the'house. Or..." I thought he was being ratheroptimistic. Marsh House stood alone at the end of the quay somedistance from the nearest house. lt was perfectly possible that shehad returned home - or travelled elsewhere * unseen.

58 59

Subiecte

"Well, it seems to me thaf here are at least three areas worthlooking into' r announced. tbriowinj close nehina wiri. as ireadvanced up the slop-e"in rorrg strides.iThe first is to check out theI-ondon end, which I'lr.arranle. rrr.l".o"a is to make sure that ncrlocal infonnation has been irisseJ _ ;;i" sure the police havernade sufficient house_to-house .nqriri".l'urked the neighbours ifll.t,.ru*,.unything odd, thar ,"n

"iifri"g. Sometimes neighboursdon't realize the value of w,rat tney,ve sJen. don,t thi"k;i;;il;ganyone about it until they,.re actually asked. The third... ..Will.listening hard, slowed down and I ;;;;;;r,"ped inro lrirn.....is r'ciecide if the police search *u, ua"qrut",iJ',.,uL. sure they haven,tgone to or" -' it had to be said - "been taken to. t wourd add a fburtrr.rea - forensic testing,.fingerprints unoro on _ but if it wasn,t done'lmost irnmediatelv ..,. .:ta wasn,t,,, tre rlporreA darkiy. .l";;;d.idn't notice anything wh*n you g,i, Ur.f.iir"r morning _ or since?'lyre marks, smears of dirt, footpfrnts, ihlil, like thar?,., "Nol" The agitation had come u".n i"i"" his face and I addedIrastily, '.lt was only a thought. tr,, u".y .ur. to find anything liketirat." Reaching the path. Witt paused.lil_oor... perhaps ir mighr betlre besr if you.did go a.nd tark to the p;;;. . rre said awkwardrv."you know which questions_ to ask." I iaiA, in'a rJ;':,Oi;#r..f"l aiways get so angry when t s"" tt emi I f-eel they,re being solrloody useless! And the way. they look-ui'rn., Alex! I know whatlhey're thinking - they made it sotlooOy obviousl,, He gave a slrort'itter

laugh before sirooting rne a quick grance to see if I courdirLress what was coming..'.T.h.y think I.m ,EsponsiUlel They think Irrrust have done awav with hei.,, .,They,.e blund to think that.,. Hervasn't quite sure trow to take this r",rrurt . it.tre great majority oftlisappearances are linked to family ,iiuuiionr,,, I explainecl. ,,To,ilress or money worries. Or violence within ,f-'" d_i5i"i ,r,l',latistics that gets drummed into the puii.., 1,n, afarid. They,re aptr() get tunnel vision." tJe gave a long ragged sigh which ;.;"i;;!;;r laugh. "So I shouldn.{_take it ;.rrii;lli?,, ..Absolutely

not...''ou're sure about that?.' But t.,. *urnlir*i'ly expecting an answer,rrrd, walking on, we fell.into step. Aware oit.,ir.y., on rne, I looked;r( ross at him. He said,.in a rough voice, ..Glad yor,r. h.;", ;d.:"Me too.,'And I reached for iis tranO'anO-squeezed it.(Extract,s from ',A na( neyot-i9yt,;, ti CUi" Francis copyrightI't rn Macmillan/Calire Francis I 997)

Limba englezd- Scris

1. The lnissing Person is

A GraceB CharlieC MaggieD not known

2. Charlie isAaboyB a girlC il doesn't saY

D we don't lnow

3. The last Person who saw Grace was

A CharlieB MaggieC the PolicemanD the author

4. There is the possibility that Grace

A returned homeB went to another PlaceC went to another place without being seen by anybody

D went to another place and being seen by somebody

5. The search has

A three oPtionsB two oPtionsC four oPtionsD no solutions

6. The PoliceA looked for fingerprints immediately

B found some fingeiPrintsC ignored the fingerPrints.D didn't look for fingerprints rmmectrately

7. Will considersA the Police are angryB the Police are ofno use

60 6l

. Subiecte

C the police are awkwardD the ptrlice at'e suspiciotts

8. The person who knows which questions to ask the police isA AlexB WiIIC Gracel) Maggie

9. WillA thinks the police consider him responsibleB is responsible fbr the disappearanceC is afraid to go to tlie policeD has no probletns

10. Disappearances are connected witlrA farrily situations, stressB rnonel worries and farnilyC money worries, stress or farnily situations, violence in the tarnilyD money worries and vilence

SUBIECTUL 27

Read the text below. For questions l-10, choose the ansner(A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according lo the text.

IIRI ENDSI.IIPS ARE HARD

l;or the first time in my life I have been durnped by a friencj. I,lrould have seen it coming: the phone,calls not returned, tlre

i'\CLls€S about "not feeling very sociable right now", the emails thatlrrrrguished unreplied in the ether. Yet the letter suggesting that thetrrrrc had come for us to move on stili catne as a shock.

It didn't seem to fit in with our modern ideal of friendshio. Aslrorving numbers of us Iive alone, friends are becornins inore

' r l)ortaltt. They are our families of choice. we're 1old, takin[ on ther.l95 sf parents, spouse. sibling - and best friend.

'lLrla and I had been firm friends for nearly ten years. We met at, .,irrging workslrop and took to each otlrer immediately. She was


warm and vivacious, and we shared an enthusiasm for grappling

with life's conundrulrls over glasses of wine or long walks in the

country. She helped me to move house and' when her long-term

oartnei walked out. t put the kettle on and supplied tissues'

But life changed for both of us: I got married and she responded to

hei newly singi-e stalus by developing a fresh. set of social networks'

Then she toof a long trofiAay, reviewed her life and decided what to

keep and what to thrlow out. in her letter she described our friendship

as a ..borderline" case and suggested it might be time we "let each

other go."I'm"allforlettinggoofbadhabitsandboxesofoldschool

exercise books. I've even deleted the names of acquaintances.not

seen for one yearto the next from my address book' But surely close

friends are not consumer goods to be discarded or replaced. at he

first hint of trouble. we are encouraged to believe that friends willbe around for ever. "You've got a friend", sang Carole King and-"I'll

be there for you" promissJd the theme tune of "Friends"' Such

sentiments have sunk deep into the collective unconsciousness' or

into mine, at least.So, what did I do with Tula's letter? I re-read it umpteen times'

agonized over where I'd gone wrong. And then I wrote back' "Yes'

yiu'r. right", I wrote, "things hav-e changed' But aren't we good

enough fiienas to hang in there?" Since then we have exchanged a

.orpi. of e-mails. A walk has been suggested' It would be easy not

iornat "

the effort and let this friendship go, but "Stay" is a charming

word in a friend's vocabularYl"(Extract from "End o/' the Friendship,'.' by Jane Muy1o^ lhe

Times/Jane Munro 2006, /irst published in The Times on 04.03.06)

l. The authorA knew her friend would dumP her

B didn't expect to be dumped by her friend

C didn't want to be dumped by her friend

D wanted to dumP her friend

2. The ending point of the friendship was represented by

A the not returned Phone.callsB the unrePlied emailsC different excusesD a letter

62

Subiecte

3. Tula's break up letterA was unexpectedB was expectedC was quite longD was rather short

4. Tula and the author had been friendsA for ten yearsB since the age of tenC for alrnost ten yearsD for life

5. The long-term-partner dumpedA'fulaB the authorC it doesn't sayD a young lady

6. When the author married, TulaA went on holiday to the seasideB was happyC was the same person she was beforeD met new people

7. The author considers close friendsA can be replacedB are like consumer goodsC can't be replacedD usefi-rl

tl" The idea of friends being around for ever can be foundA in movie soundtracksli songsC movie soundtracks and songsl) books

9. In her letter the authorA gives up her friendship with Tulal| doesn't give up her friendship with TulaC is distantl) doesn't want Tula back

63


10. The author;;t';ilii;t to make efforts to keep their friendship

B doesn't like the word "staY"

C wants to staY

D wants Tula to staY

SUBIECTUL 28

Reat| the text be|ow. For questions l-10, choose the answer

(A;ii C ;t D) which you think fits best according to the text'

THE PRODIGAL SON

There was a man who had two sons; and the vounser of them said

to his fatheq "Father, giu" tt the share of proptrty tlhat falls to me"'

And he divided f.rl, liuing Uutween them. Nol many days.later' the

;;;;'";g"in.1.o-;fr;t had and took his journev into a far

country, and there he squandered.his properfy in loose living'

And when he had ,pJnt "u"'ything'

a- great famine arose in that

country, and he U"guni;ft in want' So he went and joinedtlls.e]f

to one of the citizent ol if'tut country' who sent him into his fields

to feed swine.And he would gladly have fed on the-pods that the swine ate; and

no one gave him unyif ing' But when he came to himself he said'

";;;-;;;y or ty futr"iSt t'it"a servants have bread enough and

t;^#; b; I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my

father, and I will say to hirn' "Father' I have sinned against Heaven

unO U.for" you; I am no longer w9r1hy to be called your son; treat

me as one of Yout hired servants"'

A"A he arose and came to his father' But while he was yet at a

distance, his father.u* t i* and had compassion and ran' embraced

him and kissed trim.anO ttre son said to him: "Father' I have sinned

;;ilt, heav.n uno u.io" vo"; I am no longer worthy to be called

your son.",;;;h; father said ro his servants:..Bring quickly the best robe"

and put it on him; ."fi;; iing 9n his,hand' and shoes on his feet;

;;l ili"g the fatted caif and t<ilt it' and let us eat and make merry;

for this my son *ut OtuO, and is alive again; he was lost' and is

found". Rna tney began to make merry'

6465

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Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near

to the house. he heard rnusic and clancing' And he called one of the

servants and asked what this meant.

And he said to hirn: "Your brother has come, and your father ha-s

killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound'"

Sut h" was angry an<J refused to go in' His father came out and

entreated him, but he answered his father, "Look, these many years

I have served you. and I never disobeyed your command; yet you

n.u".guu. me a kid' that I might make merry with my friends' But

when ihis son of yorrs .utn., who has devoured your living witlt

harlots, you killed for hirn the f'atted calfl",qnd he said to him, "Son, you are always with me' and allthat is

rnine is yours. It was fitting to make merry.and be glad' foryourUiotft"t was dead, and nowls alive; he was lost, and is found'""

(;inu Parable of The Proc)igal Sctn", in The Gospel of Luke' The

Nev, Testament of The Bible, I 5: 1l -32)

1. The father gave the share of property to

A the elder sonB none ofhis sons

C the younger son

D both his sons

2. When the younger son spent all his money he

A gave food to the swineB bought swine to make ProfitC ate swineD killed swine

3. The younger son intends to

A make moneY again

B ask for his father's forgiveness

C ask for much moneY from his father

D steal from his father

4. The younger son is willing toA administrate his father's money

B be his brother's right hand

C work as a servantD what his brother tells him to do


5, The younger son receives from his father

A moneyB a robe and a ringC some shoes, a robe, a ring and money

D shoes. a robe and a ring

6. The elder son

A is happy for his brotherB is angryC wants io make merry with his famillyD goes to the PartY

7. The elder son

A disobeyed his father in the Past

B made rrerrY with his friendsC didn't disobey his father in the past

D wanted his share

8. The elder son comPlainsA he didn't get a kid from his father

B about his father's attitudeC about crucial thingsD about nothing

9. The parentA didn't care about the elder son

B didn't care about the Younger son

C loved his sons

D loved the Younger son more

10. The Parent is haPPY because

A the younger son came back

B of the PartyC the younger son came back and has changed

D the younger son has changed

Subiecte

SUBIBCTUL 29

Read the text below. For q.uestions l-10, choose the answer(A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text'

NATASHA

I had scribbled in my diary as if to make it irrevocable: "1 shall

take a child out of Saraievo when I leave. Check orphanage about

little girl Natashal A decision had been made and that was that! But

I had overlooked a rather crucial point; would thg orphanage allowNatasha to leave and did she want to go with a complete stranger?

That evening I persuaded our interpreteq Jacko, against his better

iudgement, to take me back up to the Ljubica lvezic orplranage, a

ciangerous journey at dusk through the hills, when the gunners

begin to adjust their sights on the city in readiness for their night's

OeiAty employnent. The streets were empty, the city's people already

back in their attics or their cellars to hide the night away in darkness

and much fear."Why Natasha?" Vera Zoric,the director, was not as surprised as

I had expected. I explained there were other children in her care I

could choose if she ihought Natasl-ra was not the right choice or ifshe felt another boy or girl had a greater priority. I would leave itto her to decide, assuming I had her agreement 3nd support'

"But why Natasha?" she asked again. I shrugged. Why do you

select one imong so many? Why is one face remembered above the

rest? "She shines", I said.Mrs. Zoric did not understand but Jacko

t'rplained and she laughed.i went on: "She doesn't seem to belong here." "None of them

irelong here." "She seems different to me."She came to me and held my hand in both of hers' "You want to

lake this child out of Bosnia and in normal times you could not' But

lhese are not normal times. My children 31g in ianger and every

rlay I am working to find a way to get them out.'. anywhere, to

iuryone who will look after them. I do not care where they go as

long as they are safe, where there are no shells and no bombing,lway from Sarajevo."

(ixtracts from "Welcome to Saraievo" by Michael Nicholsonliuber and Faber Publishers/Michael Nicholson 1994)

I66

67

Limba engl.e:d. Sct'is

l. The author . .. , . cÂ, it ""i

sure about taking a child oLrLof Sara;evo

g i, J"t.r*ined to take ichild out of Sarajevo

C has doubts aboltt taking a child out of Saraievo

D doesn't know what to do

2. The author wants to take Natasha from

A the orPhanage

B the streets

C a Poor familY .

D dangerous orpllanage

3. Jackon *""i.a to take the author back tolhe orphanage

; ;;;;;;;""t to takl the author back to'the orphanage

C had to take the author back to the-orphanage

- D got a lot of *""i)'io t"ie the authoi back to the orphanage

4. The jourey to the orphanage was made

A dtrring the daY

B when it was dark

C in the morningD in the afternoon

5. PeoPle. hid

A in cellarsB in atticsC in attics or cellars

D r{here theY could

6. The author wanted to take out of Sarajevo

A anY childB onlY Natasha'E ii"", Natasha then another child

DaboY

7. The author wants Natasha

,l, U..uut" she has a shining face

B because she is different

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C because she is nice

D without an)' reason'

8. ln normal times

I ir't" urtrl* couldn't take Natasha

e ih" uutnot could take Natasha

C ii *ouf O be easY to take Natasha

6 Natasha wouldn't want to leave

9. SafetY for the children rneans

A no bombsB no shellsc u"ing'y"t-l1T-i::?il1

awal frorn SaraievoD no bombs. no sllell

10. Vera ZoricA cares about the children

S do"tn', care about the children

C *-tt to get rid of the children

i J".t"'t riant to help the clrildren

SUBIECTUL 30

Read the text below' For questiols l-10' choose the answer

(A, B, C or D) *ttitt"youit'ilrt ntt best according to the text'

THE VAI,UE OF ARTS

Few people would contest the value of,the arts in a civilized

society. Great art t"'i"ittt o"iptt{ tiutt ttv oroviding pleasure'

stimulation and an ;;il; ?rom the p'""*t' of everyday life'

llowever, i't is also ;#ili;ut'v oi the arts' such as classical

rnttsic, the ballet, ""d.i#"it;;r utt-'L*t alwavs attracted a minority

iludience. The questioli'lt;"#;;;; u't'sttouto be publicly funded'

;;;;;;;h.t it is tne consulners wtro ;tt11lf,,oav'

It is my view tirat ifre-!out'n*tn''should subsidize the arts' lor

l number of t"u'on'''iiitt'"i uil' without subsidies' many afilsrs

69


would undoubtedly be unable to survive financially. Governmentgrants can enable thetn to work with artistic fieedottl and integrity.whereas if they worked independently or relied oll private sr-rbsidies

they might be sr,rbject to market pressures and the need to makeprofit. Secondly. the arts contribute 10 a natioll's cultural heritageand can create a sense of social cohesion and identity. They can

also play an important role in education, comtnunity regenerationand even crime prevention.

Howeveq the main argutnent for pLrblic fLrnding of the arls is notsocial usefllness. but.rather because they are imporlant fbr theirown sake.

Of course, there are those who argue that public money would be

better spent on meeting the needs of tlre poorer members of society,and on healthcare. education. and social lvelfare schemes, ratherthan catering forthe interests of an elite. However, I believe that ahealthy society is one in which art and creativity are valued alongsidetl-rese basic needs. lndeed, a civilized society ought to make the arts

accessible to everyone, regardless of their background cir income.In conclusion, the arts should be funded across a broad spectrum

of activities. for example: by supporling commr"mity or school theatreprojects, or bringing sculptures and art installations to public places.

This is not for purely social reasons. br-tt because enjoyment of artis part of what it means to be human.

l. The ar1 offersA pleasure and stimulationB an escape from everyday life pressures, pleasure and stimulation.

relaxationC pleasure, stirnulation and an escape from everyday life pressr"rres

D relaxation

2. The arts attractA a lot of people 'B not that many personsC the majority of peopleD the minority of people

3. The author considers the artsA should be helped financially by the GovernmentB should be helped with publicity by the Government

70

Subiecte

C should be helped by its consumersD need no help

,1. Money from the Governmenl ensuresA, the artist's objectivityB the anist's popLrlaritl,C the artist's richnessD tlre artist's integrity and objectivitl,

5. The arts meanA riclrnessts llovertlf-- unityf) richness and r"rnity

6. FLrnding the arls is good because they are usefulA tiom the social point of viewIl fiom the financial point of view(' lor old peopleD fbr rich people

7. In a healthy society we have to cherishA creativityli the ar1(' the art and creativitll) everything

8. The artsA should be accessible to the educated persons

li should be accessible to the richC should be accessible to all the peoplel) shouldn't be accessible to any kind of people

9. Bringing sculptures to the public places isA good for the artistic areali bad for the artistic area

11tl

Limba engle;d' Scris

C not important for the artistic area

D a waY to make lnoney

10.'Io be human in some Part means

A to organize artistic events

B to adore the art

C to enioY the art'D to helP the art

72

t)

REZOL]AREA SUBIECTELOR DE TIP I A

SUBIECTUL I

l. The author moved to the USA when she was in kinderganen'

B Wrong

2. The author liked her first weeks in the USA'

A Right

3. High school girls wore uniforms in the USA'

C Doesn'l saY

4. The author had a Perm'

A Right

5. ln Korea girls hold hands with girls'

A Right

6. lt is good to do well at school in Korea'

A Righr

7. lt was not diffrcult for the author to make friends'

B wrong suBtECTuL 2

l.Mavisistheauthor.sneighbourforsevenyears.B Wrong

2.Mavisasksforaspadeasherthingsweren,tunpacked.A Right

3. Mavis is sixtY Years old'

C Doesnl saY

4. Mavis has a sense of humour and she is friendly'

A Right


5. Mavis wears perfectly ironed suits.B Wrong

6. Mavis has different types of flowers in her garden.C DoesnT say

7. The author likes Mavis verv much.A Righr

. SUBIECTUL 3

l. Remembrance Day is a British event.A Righr

2. On Remembrance Day people rememberthe Heroes from Metnam.B Wrong

3. Paper poppies are made by children.C Doesnl say

4. The war veterans feel proud at the parades.A Right5. The service is held at the castle.B Wrong

6. The poppies are dropped from the ceiling by little children.C Doesn't sav

7. Remembrance Day is a very important eve.nt in Britain.A Righr

SUBIECTUL 4

l. The witness saw a light coming from the third floor.A Right

2. The witness is sure it was I L l5 when he saw the lisht.B Wrong

74 75

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3. The witness saw two men.A Righr

4. Both men were quite ugly.C Doesn't say

5. The alarm system was very expensive.C Doesn't sav

6. The two men got into a black Ford Cortina.A Right

7. Apart of the building was in flames in a few minutes.B Wt'r,tng

SUBIECTUL 5

l. Thirty years ago people only dreamt at the places they aretravelling to now.A Right

2. Travelling by plane can't be compared to anything else.A Right

J. The plane is not that fast.B Wrong

4. You can go from U.S. to U.K. in a few hours.C Doesn'l say

5. In a plane you are well taken care of.A Right

6. Airports and aeroplanes are targeted by terrorists every day.C Doesn'l say

7. For the author travelling by plane will remain popular.A Righr


- SUBIECTUL 6

l. We don't know how many sailors were saved.B Wrong

2. The tanker looses tons of oil into the sea.A Right

3. On Thursday night it was a storm.C Doesn't say

4. The tanker is loosing oil from six tanks.B Wrong

5. The birds, the dolphins and other species witl be affected bythe accident.

A Right

6. Expensive detergents are dropped into the sea.C Doesn't sciy

7. The Govemment will take drastic measures against the company.C Doesn't say

SUBIECTUL 7

1. The author's relatives and friends are dead.A Right

2. Nicholas Smith is the author's best friend.B Wrong

3. The cross on the door.symbolizes faith.B lilrong

4. People waslr their clothes very often.C Doesn'I say

5. One of the symptoms is the pain under the arms.A Righr

76 77

Subiecte

6. In the city there is no rat that one can find.B Wrong

7. People think the illness comes from God.A Right

SUBIECTUL 8

1. The author wants to leave fiom his village.C Doesn't sav- t

2. The author needs two hours to get to school.A Rishy

3. The author has fun on his/her way to school.B Wrong

4. In the village there aren't too many things to do.A Right

5. You can go to a swimming club in your free time.C Doesn't say

6. In summer the village is completely different.A Right

7. Visitors come in the village with expensive cars.C Doesn't say

SUBIECTUL 9

l. Margaret and her husband decided to move in a big house..

C Doesn't say

2. Their family and friends were not very surprised.B Wrong

J. The Smiths left from a house with a big kitchen.C Doesn't say


4. Now the Smiths have a few new neighbor-rrs.B Wlong

5. When they are bored of one place the Smiths can change theiraddress.

A Righr

6. The new home is very comfortable.A Righr

7. The only probldm the Srniths have is shopping.A Righr

SUBIECTUL IO

l. Nick Park is not thar famous.B Wrong

2. Nick started to be interested in anirnation at the age of ten.B lI/rong

3. Nick's first experiment was made with his father's camera.A Right

4. Nick received an Emmy for his animation.B Wrong

5. A famous electricity company offered Nick a contract.C Doesn't say

6. In the commgrcials Nick's characters moved but didn't speak.B Wrong

7. Nick's future plan is to make a full-length film.A Right

78

SUBIECTUL II

l. People don't remember too much about their 1;L before tlreage of seven or eight.

A Righr

2. The author remembers very well how his/her cla5sp6611 looked.B Wrong

3. The author can remember the f-aces of the persons who ran thekindergarten.

B Wrong

4. The author is sure the persons who ran the kin6.t-nurten werenice.

A Right

5. The author remembers very well his experience with the shoelaces.B Wrong

6. 'Ihe author was a beautiful child in kinderganel.C DoesnI say

7. The author liked riding the tricycle with fuis/her 5;r1...A Right

SUBIECTUL I2

t. In the text are mentioned three types of dinner parties.B Wrong

2. A successful dinner party means a social succe\s.A Right

3. Ifyou cook very well you can be a good host.C Doesn't say

:1. We are recommended to avoid dinner parties at our home.A Right

Limha englezd. Scris

5. A good choice for.a dinner party place is the restaurant.A Risht

6. At the restaurant you can have any type of food you wish.C Doesn't scty

7. Politics should not be a discussion theme at the table.A Right

SUBIECTTJL I3

l. Butterflies are just like the people.C Doesnl say

2. In Burma the soul at deaih is compared with a br-rtterfly.B Wong

3. In Burma the people believe in the soul-butterflies.A Right

4. In Burma the children are awaken suddenly.B Wrong

5. In Scotland golden butterflies are considered good omens.A Right6. The butterfly from the legend managed to enter into the man's

mouth.B Wrong

7. Butterflies are protected species.C Doesnl sav

SUBIECTUL I4

On the English coats people come in winter.Wrong

In Britain people haue t*o weeks of holiday.Right

l.B

7

A

80 81

,\tr hrtt'lr

3. July is the onl.v.' popular month for going on a holiday.B Wfutng

,f. On the roads to the seaside you can't find motorbikes.C Doesn| say'

5. You can fish in the south west of England.A Right

6. Beaches can be found on the English Riviera.A Righr

7. You can also have fun at youth hostels.C Doesn't sa,

SUBIECTUL I5

l. During the week the British eat a lot in the morning.B Wrong

2. In the morning the British drink coffee or tea.A Right

3. On Mondays breakfasl is very rich.B Wroryg

4. The British usually have lunch at restaurants.B lVrong

5. On Sundays lunch is the most important meal.A Right

6. In the evening guests are expected at,dinner.C Doesn'l sav

7. One can have supper either at home or at a restaurant.

A Right


SUBIECTUL I6

l. In ancient societies l

A alhletics and competitive contacl games u,ere rough.

2. During the Roman Ernpire, spectatorsC regarded violence in sports as a social nornt.

3. Sports violence has stafted to be regarded as a social probremA lutely.

4. Canada and EnglandB are trying to discover the cause ofviolence among hockey pln,ers.

5. Regarding sporls violence there seems to be a f-eeling ofB dissatisfaction.

6. In order to reduce violence

! spoyt rules, equipment design ancl sports arenqs have beenadiusted.

7. Covernment officials, fans and athletesB are ambivalent towards spot,ts violence.

8. Risk-rnakes the game more interesting according toA coaches.

2. Th,. tendency of the pubric opinion towards sports viorence isB to be more concentrated on it.

10. Critics regard sports violence asA an international reality.

SUBIECTUL I7

_ l. An underlying principle of curtural behaviour reflected in thelanguage is:

A avoiding face-to-face conflict

8283

Subiecte

2. The BritishC are preoccupied to /ind solutions fcn" conflicts betv,een individuals

3. Other culturesD are less concerned by avoiding conflicts

4. Every cultureB has its own way to calm down

5. When you want to avoid a conflictC you must know what to do and v,hut to say

6. In public confrontations the BritishD are vigorous in response and confront .openlv

7. In personal situations the BritishD are looking for the middle route

8. In other cultures, in public confrontations peopleA make a lot of efforts to reduce the conflict

9. In other cultures, in private conflictual situations peopleA offer more vigorou.t responses

10. A problematic situation isAwhen we make a ntistake in unknown environment

SUBIECTUL I8

l. Helena considers that a person's way of being is due toA that personb fumily

2. In Denmark peopleA are not preoccupied by fame

3. Coming frorn DenmarkD helped Helena in her career

4. For the reporter being professional meansD come in, do your iob and go home


5. Being a modelB is a strange lob to have

6. Helena got to the ropC because she had talent, luck and she was in the right place atthe right time

7. The first time Helena went to paris wasB to eqt good food during one *nrt"ni--8. Helena started taking photosC before she was o

ôah ancl during her model career

9. Helena takes more poftraits becauseB this way things from the inside oiiiotnn ou,

10. When one takes a portraitA the photographed person feels a liftle bit naked

SUBIECTUL 19

l. 1" Ernancipation Declaration was signedtt a great American

2. The Proclamation is a signD of hope for the black sla;,es

1. 9r: hundred years larer the Negroc leels isolated in his own land

4. The.architects of the country areD the leaders

5. The promissory note wasC for the young people. for black people qnd white people

1. Ol1.T"l were guaranteed the right

D to life, happiness, freedom

84 85

Subiecte

7. The author considersB Americu hasnl respected the prontise made to black people

8. The African-AmericansA were gtven a bad check

9. African-Americans want to cask the check which sives themD freedom and iustice

10. The author wants all the people to beB brothers

SUBIECTUL 20

l. The greenhouse gas emissionsA will cause devastating changes in the future

2 Global food productionC will be affected with 10%

3. The powerful hurricanesD cause human tragedies and material damages

4. IPCC saysA temperature will be affected in the future

5. Scientists discoveredB that the Earth can't absorb carbon dioxide es in the nast

6. [f temperature increasesD hunger and big floods will appear and species will disappear

7. Dr. Wainwright saysA itl people s fault for global warming

8. Mark Gibson'saysB we might be able to cut temperature rises


9. Mark Gibson considersC politics should get involved

10. PoliriciansC showed no interest in gtobat wqrming

SUBIECTUL 2I

l. Scientists have discovered the need to eat too much chocorateB is caused by the genes

2. The sweet tooth gene explainsD why itb so difficult to resist to eat sweets

3. A possible drug wouldC help us resist the tenxptation

4. Intheir experiments with rnice the researchers noticedA different things in a gene

5. The sweet taste receptorB announc.es the brain that the person has earcn a sweet

6. Ifyour parents has a sweet toohD youl will have a sweet tooth too

7. The reuslts of the experimentsB didn't represent a reason for chocohorics to give up their diet

8. If people don't eat too much sweet food/many sweetsA the body gets-used to less sweet food/fewer sweets

9. One can have a dietC with some suggar

10. The American researchersB want to creqte artificial sweeteners

86

Subiecte

SUBIECTUL 22

l. Mr. NuttelB has to stay with the tittle tody while waiting for her aunt

2. Framlon NuttelD flattered the young lady

3. Framton NuttelB wasn't sure the visits were ttseful /br the nerve cure

4. Framton NuftelC movetl lo a rural retreol

5. Framton Nuttel receives letters of introductionA to all the people his sister knows

6. Framton Nuttel knewD didnl know whether Mrs Sappleton wos from the nice categoty

7. Framton Nuttel knewC the woman's nante and ad&"ess

8. Framton NuttelB had a feeling that a man lived in Mrs. Sappleton,s house

9. In the houseC the window is opened on an October afternoon

10. Mr. NuttelB wonders if the window has a connection wi.th the tragedy

SUBIECTUL 23

l. For Jean Ken flying isC safer faster, cheaper and more stressful

87


2. A magazine suggestedC that the planes should have zones where children shouldnl he

allowed

3. AirlinesB dont agree with the isolation of the children in planes

4. Another problem regarding flying isA the luggage

5. Unchecked luggage causesC boarding delav

6. TravellersA put too many things for the number of suitcases they have

7. Airlines are imposingC size and weight limits for the bags

8. Passengers don't likeD when they are separated from their belongins at the check-in

9. When you travel by plane there is the riskC that your luggage doesn't appear at the carousel

10. Planes and dietsD have the weight as common element

SUBIECTUL 24

1. George Marsh talked aboutB the pressures facgd by the youngsters

2. People are familiar withD children being burnt out because of ambitious parents

3. The headlines scream thatA there is too much pressure on children

88 89

Subiecte

4. In our society it is considered like a blasphemyC to tell a chitd to compete, to work hard and to slucll'

5. At school the childrenC study, play sports, do drama, ioin the choir socialize

6. Some people consider it's betterA to have no winners at sports ,

7. Some parents protect their childrenA by spraying thent u,ith antiseptic

8. Mr. Marsh underlinesD the difference betvveen smothering and sheltering

9. Mr. Marsh should have told the parents

C to get real

10. It's best for children to learn that school, exams and life are

toughC as early as possible

SUBIECTUL 25

l. Susan Maushart marriedB at the age of rwenty-seven

2. When Susan came from her honeymoon she firstC cleaned the bathroom

3. When she cooked SusanC used a cookery book

4. Susan's behaviour at her ieturn from the honeymoonB wasnl normal for a feminist like her

5. SusanA lives in New York


6. For Susan'"wifework" means :

D tmpaid work done by the wife after she has married

7. After a man and a woman get marriedD the wontan worJcs more around the house

8. After getting marriedD tlrc wiman has fewer benefits, the man has more benefits

9. At the wedding reception. Susan's husband asked her

B nol to smoke during the recePtion

10. Who have stronger dePressions?

A wives

SUBIECTUL 26

l. The missing Person is

A Grace

2. Charlie isAaboy

3. The last person who saw Grace was

B Maggie

4. There is the possibility that Grace

C went to another place without beeing seen by anybody

5. The search has

C /bur options

6. The policeD didn't look for fingerprints immediately

7. Will considersB the police are ofno use

8. The person who knows what questions to ask the police

A Alex

90

Subiecte

9. WillA thinks the police consider him responsible

10. Disappearances are connected withC money worries, stress or family situations, violence in the family

SUBIECTUL 27

l. The authorB didnl expect to be dumped by her /iiend

2. The ending point of the friendship was represented by

D a letter

3. Tula's break up letterA was unexpected

4. Tula and the author had been friendsC for almost ten years

5. The long-term-Partner dumPedA Tula

6. When the author married, TulaD met new people

7. The author considers close friendsC canl be replaced

8. The idea of'friends being around for ever can be found

C movie soundtracks and songs

9. In her letter the aufhorB doesn't give up her friendship with Tula

10. The authorA is witling to mi'ake efforts to keep their friendship

el


SUBIECTUL 28

l. The father give the share of property toC the vounger son

,

2. When the younger son spent all his money heA gave food to the swine

3. The younger son intends toB ask /br his fatherb forgiveness

4. The younger son is willing toC work as q servant

5. The younger son receives from his fatherD shoes. a robe and a ring

6. The elder sonB is angry

7. The elder sonC didnl dtsobey his father in the past

8. The elder son complainsA he didn't get a kid from his father

9. The parentC loved his sons

10. The parent is happy becauseC the younger son came back and has changed

SUBIECTIJL29

l. The authorB is determined to take a child out of Saraievo

2. The author wants to take Natasha fromA the orphanage

92 93..

Subiecte

3. iackoB didn't u,ant lo tctke the uuthor hec'k te the orphLoluge

4. The journey to the orphanage was tnadeB u,hen it v,as dark

5. People hidC in attics or cellars

6. The author wanted to take out of SarajevoC if not Natasha then another child

7. The author wants NatashaB because she is different

8. ln normal timesA the author iouldn't take Natasha

9. Safety for the children meansD no bombs, no shells, being away from Sarctievo

10. Vera ZoricA cqres about the children

SUBIECTUL 30

1. The art offersC pleasure, stimulation and an escape front everyday life pressures

2. The arts atlraclD the minoriry of people

3. The author considers the artsA should be helped financially by the Government

4. Money from the Governrnent ensuresD the artist's integrity and obiectivity


5. The arts meanD rit'hnes:s and trnih.

6. Funding the arts is good because they are usefulA from the social point of view

7.ln a healthy society we have to cherishC the art and creativity

8. The artsC should be uccessihle to all the people

9. Bringing sculptures to the public places isA good for the artistic area

10. To be human in some part meansC to enioy the arl

94 95

30 DE SUBIBCTE DE TIP I B

SUBTECTUL I

Write an email to your English speaking ffiend explainingthat you would like to apply to do a course at one of the colleges

in the city he lives. Tell him/her what type of studies you have

been doing for the past few years and ask for assistance in

contacting an appropriate institution. Write your answer in 80-

100 words.

Dear Tom,How are you? How is your family? I hope everybody is well.I am writing to let you know that I am planning to apply for a

course at one ofthe colleges in your city. I am also asking for your

help in finding the best course that can help me in my future career

as an accountant.Let me tell you a few words about my studies' For the last 4 years

I've been studying maths and economy and I really enjoyed

working with numbers so I decided to try and go in that directionbecause I believe that being an accountant is a very interesting job.

I really hope that you can help me in choosing the appropriate

course at the right college.Your friend,Tom

SUBIECTUL 2

Write an informal letter inviting a friend to a party. Don't use

your real name.

Dear Ilinca,Thank you for your letter. I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner but I've

been on holiday in ltaly, I had a wonderful time and want to showyou all my photos very soon!

Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to come to a small dinnerparty at my house on Saturday 23rd at 8 pm' Alex aSrd Margaret

iiil

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will be there and two other friends that you don't know yet. Do letme know if you can come. I hope you can! Looking iorward toseeing you very soon!

Love,Steve

SUBIECTUL 3

write a formal letter requiring information about a summercourse. Ask for specific details. Don't use your real name.

December Blvd.Brasov City 52919

RomaniaSutton School of EnglishSutton ColdfieldBirminghamBA8 22f16 May 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,I have recently seen your advertisement for Summer rntensive

Courses and I would like some more information.

_ Firstly. can you tell.rne_the specific dates of the course during

June and July? Secondly, do you know how many students will bEin one class?

- Finally, can you tell me if you arrange accommodation with localfamilies or is that something I have to do myself2

Yours faithfully.George Balasescu

SUBIECTUL 4

Write a description of a place you visited and liked very much.

one of my favourite natrlrar places is a wood near where I rivecalled Leers wood. Many of the trees are very ord - some of themhave been there for hundreds ofyears.

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It is a lovely place to go in every season and the weather is not

impofiant. When it's very hot. you can keep cool under the trees. I

also like walking in the woods in the rain. My t-avourite time to go

is autumn when the leaves are fantastic colours - red, yellow,

orange and gold.Leers Wood is a very special place for me. lt is an escape from

llne noisy, crowded city I live in. The wood is beautiful and peaceful

and I always feel well when I go there.

SUBTECTUL 5

Write a story about a frightful and interesting experience you!ived.

It all happened last summer. I was staying at my cousin's house

in the mountains and I was bored. I really wanted something

exciting to happen so I decided to go for a walk alone.At first, it was sunny, the mountains were beautiful and I felt

happy. But time passed quickly and I realised that I was far from6ry cousin's house and I was completely lost!

Suddenly. I heard a bizare noise and l saw a huge bear. He was

6aking some sort of noise and he seemed to be asking me to go

with him. So. I decided to follow. After a while, he took me to my

cousin's house. He disappeared in the night and I never saw the

6uge bear again.

SUBIECTUL 6

Write a formal e-mail inviting Mr. Thomas to dinner. Don'tuse your real name.

Dear Mr. Thomas.

I would like to invite you to dinner after your visit to ourcompan] next week, if you have time. Our Managing Director,Alison McDermott, will also come.

I

97


I will book a table at a chinese restaurant in Nightingare Road,for 7,30 p.m. on Friday everring. The restaurantls neit ro you,hotel in Blueberry Road.

I hope you can join us. please. can you let me know this week?

Best wishes,John Smith

John Snrith - Head of pR

Thompson WeldingBox 79 , London 82

SUBIECTUL 7

write an informal e-mair to a coileague offering informationabout a new product your company seils.

Hello Sandra,

I made an interesting contact at the seminar last week. paul

Yoyry is in charge of rhe Acquisition Department ar HMC inDublin: He is very inierested in our new producf and wants you tocontact him.

At this time I think it is a very happy situation for us to receivesuch demands for our products. I am really happy I can help and besure that every time I will meet a possible ctieni I will put himlherin contact with you.

Here is his e-mail address: paulyoung(dhmc.com

Hope it's useful for you!CUTina

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SUBIECTUL 8

Write a letteroffering a position in your company to a personthat came to an interview. Don't use vour real name.

73 West StreetLondon BC2

Mr. Gary flrompson64 Thames RdAlton-on-ThamesSuney6T63FR

7 Febnrary 20l0

Dear Mr. Oary Thompson,We are pleased to infonn you that you have been successfirl in

your application fbr the position of PR assistant in our company.As agreed in the interview, we would like you to start on I March

in our Central office. Your starting salary will be f32.000 per annum.Please sign and return a copy ofthe contract enclosed to confirm

acceptance of this ofrer.We look fbrward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours.Patrick SmithHR Manager

SUBIECTUL 9

Is the time for beginning a child's education important? Shouldchildren begin their formal education at a very early age andshould spend most of their time on school studies or should theyspend most of their time playing?

In my opinion, children should learn playing and communicatingwith their friends and parents. I think that such basic qualities as

l.imba englezd. Scris

kindness. self-confidence and iust a good sense ofhumour cannotbe achieved fiorn studyirrg at ichoollchiloren .il";i;;;;;#;;.time with their famiry, praying and rearning. rmagine trr"t r.rriiJ,,nor playing with his friends 6ut he does fiis r-,"ilr.*o.r.-"nJ'dri,exlrausted and tired. Another.impofiant issue is thar chirdren ; *,yearly ages need more physicai exercise U."ur..'; ;;;';';.development of their body is an essential aspect. Children, first ofall. must be healthy.

. SUBIECTUL IO

Which movies do you prefer? Those that make you think orthose that make you lairfnf

Different people like different types of movies and this is a verygood reason for having so many iinds of rnovies nowadays. Sorn,epeople like to watch a movie that rnakes them think. Thev nrefermovies with a murderînvestigation or ror. iinJ "i."*i,ri.""io,l1^91:i oeople prefer 'tlouLs

tnut ,nut . them taugli. "'r"vE']vv

rersonally, I Iike comedies more than anything, birt sometimesmy friends insist on watching a fantastic o, u ,.ury movie and I gowith it.Comedies make us laugh. people can just sit and relax at home,drink a bottle of soda and-have.so,r. pop"o.n *frif e en;oyring i-'"s"moments. It is a means of eliminating sf.e.s and tension.

SUBIECTUL II

If you decide ,9 eint, few hours..to.improve the communityyou live in what is one thing you will do?

I know a couoie of families with little children, who cannotafford to spend much, moneJ on paying for a baby_sifter. I,m:l':l'n,t^ lo* 9.f

a singte morher *iir, I tiirte girr. Jutia, this iq hername, ts a waitress in a restaurant. She is a great person and wehave become close friends lately. So, someti;;s t offAr heimil.i;with her child when she has io work in itre evenings. Another

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fhmily has two funny little twins. Once, their parents asked me tobabysit their children because they had to attend an unexpectedpresentation.

SUBIECTUL 12

"Parents are the.best teachers." Comment on this statement.

Parents influence greatly their children fbr a lifetime. I thinkpeople are modelled by two factors, family and the society they areliving in. From birlh. human beings are influenced by the environmentthey grow up in. Parents have a big role in bringing up theirchildren. which affects their lives for ever.

In their early years, babies are looking to their mums and dads toIearn basic manners so that they can be accepted in the society.Some of these manners include not running around in restaurants orhitting other kids. As they grow up, they learn more from theirparents about social etiquette, which makes thern more properlytrained for living in the society.

SUBIECTUL 13

It is known that nowadays people live longer lives. Usespecific r€asons and details to develop your essay.

Statistics show that people live longer nowadays. There are severalreasons for this. First of all, hundreds of years ago, mankindsuffered from many different kinds of diseases which have found a

cure only now. The success of contemporary medicine allowspeople to live with artificial arms, hands, legs and even hearts.

Secondly, the life conditions have greatly improved. A person

does not have to sleep on the wet and cold ground, defend himselffiom predators in the wild forests and fight for his life on cruel warswith the sword in his hands.

All of these things mentioned above allow people to maintain a

healthier life, to spend more time with the family and friends andmake their lives longer and happier.

I


SUBIECTUL I4

Write a formal letter answering an offer to live in a differentcity for a while. Don't use your real name.

Dear Mrs. Johnson.

Thank you very much for the letter. I am very pleased that I'vewon the prize. I would like to go to Washington because I have neverbeen to the USA before.

Still, there are several questions I would like to ask.First of all, I would like to know whetlrer the retum flight is a

direct flight or not. I would like to book a direct flight because it isso much easier for me.

Secondly, I would like to know for how many hours we are goingto study every day and of course if there are classes in the morningor in the afternoon.

Finally, I would like to ask you if it is possible for me to stay atsclrool for an extra week. tf that's possible, please let me know theprice I have to pay.

I want to thank you in advance for your assistance and I'rn lookingforward to lrearing fiom you.

Faithfully yours.Michaela lonescu

SUBIECTUL I5

Would you prefer to be self-employed, work for someone else,or own a business?

Basically, people work,for money and personal success. However,some people prefer to be self-employed and others prefer to workfbr an employer. As for myself, I haven't made my choice yet. Ithink that each ofthem has, its own advantages and disadvantages.

Working as an employee brings many benefits. First of all, onecan spend more time with his family helping his child with thehomework. spending time with the whole family etc.

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Being self'-employed has rnany benet'its too. one knows that the

mor.e 5i works tire inore he earns. I think that being self-employed

is not as eas) as it nray seem. A person mtrst be self--confident.

,trong and patient. l{e rnust know exactly what he wants and to be

ready to sacritlce all his tirne to it'To sum up. we all take decisions that are right for us. There are

no good or bad decisions in our lives iust decisiorrs'

SUBIECTUL I6

you have seen this announcem€nt in a high school magazine.

Describe you best experience as a student. Write your article in

180-200 words.

llovehighschool..Inmyopinionitisthebestperiodinone'slif-e. I enjoy every minute of my high school experience' I can't

reallv "sav ihat I love learning and being the best student in my

ctasi Uui I really love the weekends I spend with my class mates.

the trips we're planning, ihe concerts we're going to' I renrember

about'one trip we've planned so attentively. we were so excited

about going to a rock concert to Sighisoara. we were in the lltltgrade.it wis spring time and we were very happy to leave for two

ciavs and see that concert. We considered every single detail. but the

r.*"litu *u, totally different. We wanted to go by coach but we

.,nded up travelling by train because one ofus had forgotten to set

rhe alarin clock the night before and woke up only when we rang

Itim. On the train it was grQat, we sang, we laughed' we even

clanced and got on very well so that we were surprised when. we

saw that we"arrived in sighisoara. The town was wonderful. A

I'estival was also organized at that time so we enjoyed listening to

country music, painting our faces and drinking and eating all sotts

,,f traditional tlrings. The concert was fantastic and I happily

remember this as the best experience I have had so far as a student'

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SUBIECTUL 17

Do you think advertising encourages us to buy things wereally do not need or by watching advertisements, we findinformation about new products that may improve our lives?Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

I think that everyone can divide all advertising products andservices into useless and useful ones. lt is like scanning a brochureand paying attention to those messages that interest you. Take mefor example.

I do not like jewellery. It does not mean I do not have any. I havesome inexpensive rings as gifts from my parents and friends. I justthink people pa), too much attention to it. I believe this is the resultof mass advertising. Every day when we are warching TV, listeningto the radio or reading tlre newspaper we notice way too many adsabout getting an expensive ring, a chain, a necklace or some ear-rings. From my point of view these types of conrmercials areoverwhelming us. We are definitely encouraged to buy things wedo not really need. They make us believe we need such products inorder to succeed or be happy.

From the other side. I think that advertisements of the newdetergents with up-to-date formulas to help us maintain our clothesin perfect condition, the new cars with some exlra features thatrnake our trips more comfortable and sports goods that make ushealthier can help us in improving our lives.

Recently I saw an ad on the lnternet for a very interesting andinexpensive vacation to Japan for a week. ls it not awesome? I liketravelling. So now I am planning to find out more about it and,probably, make reservations. I believe that without advertising wewould be unaware of the multitude of opportunities that can makeour lives happier. easier and less stressful.

In my opinion, every'person has his own scale of values. We canwatch advertisements but we should not forget that we don't needso many things to keep us happy.

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SUBIECTUL I8

Objects around make us what we a1e-, help us develop-a-nd

imprbve the world we live in. lf you could make a gift to a child'wtrat girt would you give him to be sure that this is about to help

him in his development?

People learn and develop throughout their entire lives. I think that

in oui modern world it i5 very important to be familiar with the

computer technology..so. if l had a chance to give a child a gift.it*o,.,id be a compuGr. I think that computers play an essential role

in our lives and ihey bring many benefits to our society. Moreover,

chitdren can leam a lor 6f interesting and useful things by using

computers. In the following paragraphs I will give my reasons to

support my answer.First of all, by the use of computers children can play many

games which heip to improve their abilities like: thinking logically,

fiefter coordinating their moves. irnprove_their imagination, etc.

Furthermore, playing games develop many important qualities suclt

as attention, patiince, persever€nce and many others'

Secondly, lomputeri help children to learn more about things

they are interested in by ihe use ofthe Internet' They can find new

fiiends even t'rom other sountries' Children will, as well, improve

their communication skills, gain more knowledge and experience'

l:'urthermore. children have the great opportunity to learn more

about other countries, their history, traditions and customs'

Finally, computer skills can help a child to find his or her first

iou. R c'tritd can find an ad on the Intemet about a job offer and he

or she can make a resums and send it in order to apply for that job'

lrersonally, I think it is a great experience and a big step forward

towards a future career.tn addition to those praotical benefits, computer technology helps

t:hildren to do their homeraork faster. They can type their data into

lhe computer. easily check the grammar, corect mistakes and then

lrr.int it out. Moieover, there are plenty different kinds of.,ducational programs thal can help children learn how to read.

'vrite. draw andiven how to behave and speak a foreign language''lb sum up, I believe that children should learn how to use a

(.ornputer because this krrowledge will help them in the future in

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104 105


being more self-confident and innovative. Also, computers cangreatly improve and sirnplify their lives if children tnow nowiouse them-

SUBIECTUL 19

-What subject would you like to study if this opportunity weregiven_ to you? Explain your choice, uiing speciRc reasons anddetails.

. lf I had.the opportunity to study a subject I wourd be interestedin. I would choose to study the ouier rpa"". yo, might wonder whv.well, because I have been interest"d' in th. .*prJrution oi'rpuJ.since I was a young boy.

In rny opinion, it is a very interesting and challenging job, that ofworking on a space ship and gathering different kinos-of]nfo*ution,probes and specirnens. Many peof,te think that these kinds oi'experiments are.a waste of time and money.

Nevertheless, I believe that humankind is making steps forwardin understanding the outer space. We need to know"whaii. b;y;;our solar system. We need to know what is beyond ou, ,,niuiri..That is not only for our.own safety, but also fbiour f"irr". Li"l"gin a better world with alr the resour"e, thal we need is a dreani wehave for our followers.

Another important aspect of studying the space is that scientistsare always about to make new diicoveries.'r think it is a lreatfeeling to givê people new knowledge, opponunities and *p.riJnr..Scientists often find and study new constellations. Th.i i;;;;;satellites and monitor them from land.

When I was a child I used to-collect stamps and cards about spaceand I dreamed that someday I would Ue abte to fly into the;;;;;;qa19.

Hoyever, my plans ciranged but my dream has nor vanished.r oelreve that rn a not such afar away future people will be able tovisit the space just like they go to a museum now.

To. s-up Lrp. I think that by having the chance to study the space Iwould .improve my knowledge. and hopefully sometime, utt ,y

research will help in creating a better world for those to come.

ru-

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SUBIECTUL 20

Compare and contrast the knowledge gainecl from experiencewith the knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, whichsource is more important? Why? Give arguments.

People are learning ancl practicirrg throughout their entire life. Ibelieve that lif'e experience and practice are the basic reasons of thehumankirrd's evolution. However. in my opinion. knowledgegained f'rom books plays a very imporlant iole in one's life.

The rnost impoftanr advantage of books is that they hold allknowledge gained bv previous generations. people write booksabout their discoveries and inventions. which are acquired bvpractice and experience. 'fhis knowledge is fastened into books thatare passed orr lionr generation to generation. So. basically. peopleget all the knowledge about the previttus achievernents fiorn boo-ks.analyze it and then. according to their experience and new data,write new ones.

.Personally. t think that books are very irnportant because theygive us the basic and firndarnental knowledge. Books store th-ehistory, the irnportant events and the discoveries. WithoLrt thern. itis difficult and sometirnes irnpossible to move forward. rnake newdiscoveries and inventions.

To summarize, I think a person should take basic knowledgefiom books because all this will help hirn/her ro make his or.ininventions, conclusions and discoveries. Only using both books andone's experience we can move forward,

SUBIECTUL 2I

In your opinion, should businesses do everything to keepafloat and be profitable? Give arguments and examples tosustain your point of view.

I definitely disagree with the assertion that businesses should doanything they can to be profitable.

ln my opinion, every company should have its moral values. Itrneans that a company ought to treat its clients properly and respect


their rights. Of course, a company may lose a part of its profits butthe clients'protection must come first. Otherwise, clients will switchto another company never to return. For instance, a few years agoa company produced a new type of painkillers. Unfortunately, thisproduct was not properly tested. As a result of this slip, manypeople got sick. The president of the company' made a crucialdecision in withdrawing all the painkillers from all distributors andpaying to all ill+reated crstomers for their healing. It cost a lot ofmoney for the company but it saved its image and clients. It was avery difficult decision, but the president of the company understoodthat it wonld cost him even more in the future because he would notbe able to return his clients' respect. For a company, loosing itsclients means loosing its profit.

Of course, in order to sr.rcceed in the modern world companieshave to compete against each other. Many companies record profitloss due to decreasing prices on their products. They do not aspirefor extra profit but for their clients'satisfaction. Companies do itbecause they want their products sold and their customers satisfied.They offer discounts, free delivery, fiee service. free lnternet access,good refunding service, etc. All these are done to make theirpresent customers happy and to attracl new clients.

To sum up, I think a company that has as its sole goal the profitwill certainly not succeed nowadays. Otherwise, companies thatrespect their clients and want to see them satisfied will be in abetter position of making a fortune.

SUBIECTUL 22

Who brings more to society, artists or scientists? Whosecontribution do you think is valued more by the society? Givespecific reasons to support your answen

From my everyday experience and observation I think that artistsas well as scientists bring many benefits to our society. ThiScontroversial question whether the artists' coritributions to thesociety is more or less important then that belonging to the scientists'has been discussed so many times before and it will be in the future.For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that bothare valuable, priceless and irreplaceable.

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The contributions of artists to the society are crucial. Art is one

of the important fundamentals that form people's spiritual sense'

their viewi and personaliries. People leam about history the traditions

of their country because of art. We also watch movies that entertain

and at the same time extend our range of interests. Another important

aspect is that art is an ancient mians of communication. In old

times people depicted the herds of mammoths on the walls of their

caves. They performed all sorts of rituals around the fire asking

their gods ioi health and good harvest. Our language is a result ofpeople's need to communicate.'

Fiom the other side. the scientists' contribution shouldn't be

exaggerated. All humankind is indebted to the scientists because oftheir work and achievements. Scientists make our lives easier' We

have cars and airplanes to move fast from one place to another' We

have rnicrowaves and processed food to make cooking much easier'

We have different devices that simplify everything we do' Finally'

scientists are making great achievements in medicine that make our

lives longer and hapfiie1 Nowadays people have the great opportunityof doing many things faster by the use of computers.

To sum up,-l believe that artists nufture our souls when scientists

and technology feed our minds. So, in the end, we cannot eliminateor underestimate neither.

SUBIECTU.L 23

Nn your opinion, what are some important characteristics ofa co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons-to

explain why these characteristics are important.

A large number of people spend most of their time at work. Our

everydiy lives are divided into three equal parts: 8 hours -sleep,8houis - work, 8 hours - family time. So. in most of the cases, one's

co-worker plays an impofiant role in one's life. In my opinion, the

essential characteristics of a co-worker are the following.First of all. a person who works closely to me must like his or her

iob. I think it is very important for a person to feel the satisfaction

of daily achievements on his or her job.Second of all, my co-worker must be persistent and never give

up. I like it when people who come across a problem try to solve it,

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find a good decision înstead

of rooking for another person to passthe responsibility to.,Anotrrer irnpofiant-aspect is that a good ;o;[;,should always ask hirnself .'What can I do rnore?.. unO!rgg"rin.*solutions.

In addition, he musr be a good tearn player. In the modem worldgood communication and feam work ar-e among the most importantdemanded skitts when apptying fbr a job. peionally. I rhi;[ iii;grgal to help each other. share new ideai, deverop new sotutions. etc.It helps to create a team spirit and improve our work.. Finally. my co-worker rnust be plrnctual. He or she should finish

the job on rime. r think trrat it is Lrnacceptabre ro rnake ttre rest oia team.wait while a person finislres his or her job. AIso, ,.,ry ,.iJ"oi:co-worker" should arways be ready to offer his or her lr.lp aJ u.supportive.

To summarize, I trrink trrat whetrre'a co-worker possesses ail ofthese qualities mentioned above lre can make work witrr him reariyenjoyable and also lre can generate a positive atmosphere.

SUBIECTUL 24

Write a letier in which you praise a restaurant tbr the qualifyof their food and the improved menu.

Dear Manager,I am a reporter fiorn the News weekend. Because of the demand

of rly work, I often corne to Lorrdon to take interviews. your noteiis one of rny f'avourites, because of the comtbrtable living conditiorrs,and the good t'acilities and, of colrrse, especiaily ior yo"..,, .*J.ii.nirooct.

.- The restaurants in your hoter rravc many dishcs such as chinese

I,9?.d: Jupu.l..se fbod. and French food. Clroosing fiom all theseoercro,s drshes. I rnust say I rike the Beijing Roasted DLrck best.not only because of its Chinese characteristics but arso because ofits special taste. Consequently, every time I come here I alwayschoose this course.

Furthermore. wlrat impressed me most is the lrigh quality service.]l always makes me f-eel ar home. Waiters and-*aitresst, urr rokind and warm-hearted that they always earnestly recommend

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every new or special food of the restaurant. I will recornmend yourhotel and festaurant to rn1' fliends withoirt any hesitation.

I hope your hotel and festaurant will be even rnor€ prosperous inthe f'utr"rre.

Sincerely yours.Tom Jones0 r .03.20 r0

SUBIECTUL 25

Write a letter of request asking for information about facilitiesoffered for a party.

Dear Sirs.We are planning a tull day party to celebrate the cornpletion oi'

our Business Language fraining Course on July 27.2010.One of our professors has suggested your hotel fbr our celebratory

party informing us about the many recreation facilities oflered byyour hotel. Therefbre. we would like to make your hotel the venuefbr our pafty. We would like to reserve the iollowing rooms: a bigrneeting room, the entertainment room and also 20 standard rooms.We would also wanl a buft-et lunch includins soft drinks. sweets

"T.:nfflt##l you more infbrmation uoou, i,.,. parry. rt starrs arl0:00. The president of our institlrte is delivering an opening speecir.After lunch it comes the singing and dancing shorv. followed bysweets and champagne celebration at l7:00. Karaoke and discobegin at | 8:30 and end at about | 2:30. There are 40 ro 50 attendeestbr the event and half of thern will stay overnight at the hotel.

Please let us [now the tenn of payment and otlrer usefulinformation. Should you have further questions, please f'eel fiee tocontact me. Tel: (8610)68882150i68882151 Fax: (8610)68882250I'hank you for your kind assistance we are looking forward to yourreply.

Yours faithfully,'fina JonesCelebration Parfy Preparation Committee


SUBIECTUL 26

Do you prefer to work for a big or for a small company? Usespecific reasons and examples to support your choice.

The issue whether working fbr a large company is better thanworking for a small company is a coitrov"riial-one. From mveveryday experience and obseivation I think that ev;ry

"d;; ;;ils.advantages and disadvantages. I support rny opinion on thelbllowing statements.

From one side. working'for a large company brings rnany benefits.First of all, one has better working conditions and a higher salary.Often. employees of a large .orpun1, have fewer ,.rpInr;Uiiitiei.M.oreover, they feel more securd because their company t.lu. ,or.clients and this means a better crrance to survive on'the'nowalays,so instable, market. However, if you work for a large

"o*puny /o,may not have the chance of being promoted becauie your'rnunJgois not promored, as quickry us youinight. Arso, frorn ri our.*ut-io'^,managers of larger companies do not pay rruch attention to on.is<llutions and suggestions. becaûse of ttre Uig number of

"nrployees.Frorn the other side, working for a sma, "oirpuny

tras its aouan"tagestoo. Firstly. one has a better chance to be notiied. Secondly,

";;;talk to the owner of the company about any improvements that canbe done in order to get more profit that -is

because of the s,naiinum.ber of employees. Anotlrer important aspect of worting for asmall company is the oppoftunity of finding out more about how acompany works. As a resuh, one can gain niore experience anO geibetter recomrnendations. We can also iefer to tn" AiruOuantat , o?.may.,have.by working in a small finn. For instance. one can get asmaller salary, worse working conditions, etc.

To sum up, I think that every person chooses for himself what wewant or suits us. rf one wants to crirnb the career radder faster andacquire more responsibilities then it is irnporfant to think it throughvery carefully when choosing his or her iob.

n2 l13

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SUBIECTUL 27

In so many parts of the world we are losing important naturalresources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose oneresource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to besaved. Give arguments and examples to support your ideas.

As human's population is dramatically rising every year, people'srequirements are increasing too. We need more food, more freshwater, more space to live. As a result, many parts of the world arelosing essential and sometimes irreplaceable resources, such as

forest, animals, or fresh water. In this essay I will focus on the threatof the extinction of many wild animals.

The reason why I think that'anirnals should be preserved is thatall living creatures on this planet are connected to each other. As itis, the disappearance ofonly one species can cause dramatic changesin the planet and even the death of many other living creatures. Forexample, the disappearance of bats will cause the huge increase ofinsect population and this will reflect on all the animals and theplants. Furthermore, if the bat population increases, the insectpopulation will decrease significantly, and this will cause thedisappearance of many plants. So, I think that it is very importantto preserve all species on our planet and live in harmony with ourenvironment.

It is also very important to leave the entire wilderness as heritageto our children, nephews and nieces so that those to come canenjoy, as much as we do, all that nature has to offer us. I do notwant my children to learn about different animals from books andnot to be able to see them alive.

In conclusion, I believe that together we can make the difference.From my point of view, the first problem we should find a solutionfor is human's overpopulation. As I mentioned above people's demandsare growing and this means we consume more and more naturalresources. Another important issue on my list is the pollution, oneof the most important dangers we are confronting with nowadaysand which is affecting our beautiful blue planet in so many ways. I

believe we should never forget that being here is a privilege, andwe need to try and keep everything in the best condition we can.


SUBIECTUL 28

Which are the changes the latebt years have brought in ourlivqs as far as eating is concernedf use specific reisons anddetails to develop your essay.

. The latest years have brought along many advances. With thoseimprovements human lives have chinged'dramatically. I; ;;;"ways life is worse, but mostry it is better. -hanges in rooa p.eparaiionmethods, for example have irnproved our lives greatly. '

The corrvenience oF preparing food today is aiazing. Even stoveshave golren too slow for us. Microwave cooking is micrr easier. wecan press a few buttons and a meal is completJly cooked in just notime. People used to spend hours preparing oven_cooked meals, butnow they can use tliat time for other, bettei things. Moreover, t'hereare all kinds of portable, pre-packaged foods

"we can bLry at the

supermarket. Heat them in the office microwave, and lunclr at workis quick and easy.

Food preparation today alrows for more variety. with refrigeratorsand freezers we can preserve a lot of different foods in our'l,or.s.Since technology makes cooking so much faster, people are willingto make several dishes for even a smail mear. parents are morElikely to let children be picky, now that they can easily heat themup.some pre-packaged macaroni and cheese. Needless to say, adultsliving in the same house may have different eating fraUits as wett.lf they don't want to cook a rot of different dishEs, it's commonnow to eat out at restaurants several times a week.

. Healthful eating is also easier than ever now. When people cook,they can use new fat substitutes, and cooking sprays to cut out fbtand calories. This reduces the risk ofhearl diseaie ano nign.r,ot.ri"J.Additionally' we can buy fruit and vegetables ail throufhout ttre year.They are easy to prepare, so many ofus eat nrore of thlose nutriiiousitems daily. A hundred years ago, we couldn't irnagine ttl" pro...,of taking some frozen fruit and ice from the freezEq aaOing som.low_ fat yogurt frorn a plastic cup and some juice from a

"an" in ttr.

refrigerator, and putting it alr.togetrrer in a blender una rnut ing-udelicious dessert. our lifestyle is fast, but people still love a aeticiiLrsmeal.Today, we can prepare food that is moie convenient, healthierand of greater variety than ever before. But, we also shouid be verycareful because processed food can eventuairy be bad ro. ou, t',"urtti.

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SUBIECTUL 29

Write a cover letter applying for a teaching job' Don't use

your real name.

June 4. 20102049 Palmers CourtWashington, WL 16293

Mr. James StuartAmax Independent School District

, 4109 Blueberry Drive Amax, lZ 28366

Dear Mr. Stuart.

The Education Service Center has recommended Amax as a school

district participating in their 2010-201 I Alternative certifyingProgram (ACP). Al a participant in ACP' I am seeking for a

teaching position in English as Second Language (ESL)'My c-ommitment to working with students extends beyond my

involvement in ACp. Over the past five years, I have been a teaching

assistant, advisor, mentor, and tutor working with international

students of all language backgrounds. I spent last summer tutoring

adult immigrants ln English and helping them to prepare for the

Citizenship Exam. While a student at State University' I taught

English pitt-tim. to ten limited-English proficient children at the

locil elementary school. I enjoyed working with these students and

watching their progress in English. I woLrld bring the same joy and

patience to your school district as an ESL teacher this fall'By sharing my enthusiasm and knowledge, I can make a worthwhile

contribution to your school. If you have any questions about ACP

or my training, please contact Martin Lukas ACP Coordinator'

Pleasl contact me if you have any questions about my background'

I will call you next week to talk about setting up an interview'

Sincerely,

J. Francis Llunt

I

I

Limba englezd. Scris.

SUBIECTUL 30

Write a letter of complaint to a virtual bookshop.

Customer servicesChina Express312. Bluebird LaneLondon, JC228

45, Book AvenueBirmingham, BSB IMH

l4th February 2010

Dear Sir/Madam.

I arn writing to complain about the books I bought recently fromyourcompany on the Internet and about the way f was treated by amember of your staffwhen I phoned to complain.

I ordered them on 8thof January and I wai promised they wouldarrive in three days but they *er"n,t sent to mi fo, over two *""t ..Then, when they arrived and I opened the box, I was shocked to seethat one of them was badly damaged.

When I phoned. to complain, i *as very disappointed by theway in which I was treated. The member oi trre siarr *no r rpo[eto was extremely rude and did not offer me any form of refund orreplacement. I would be grateful if you could send me areplacement book as soon as possible, or if this is not,possible, Iwould like a ref,und. Thank you for your help with this matter.

Yours faithfully.

AIma James

l16 t\7

EXAMINARE ORALA

SPEAKING

30 de bilete completel90 de variante

- 30 de subiecte de tip II a

(univers personal)

- 30 de subiecte de tip II b(relatare/descriere)

- 30 de subiecte de tip II c

Qtdr ere personold arg umentutd)

La proba de-Exprimare orall (Speaking), care dureazi l0-15minute, se oferd 30 de bilete; fieiare bilet va conline caie 3subiecte de dificultate progresivd, in totar 90 de subiect"'1uu"iuniey,gi anume:

- 30 de subiecte referitoare la universul personal, tip II a:

"Whctt kind of work *oula you tike io do in the future?,,

' - 30 de subiecte care impricd o scuftd reratare/descriere, tip II b:

"Describe you favourite rnovie..,

- 30 de subiecte care contin o plrere personald, cu argumentare,pe o tema de interes, tip II c:

"Does modern technoilogy ntake rife more convenient or was rifebetter when technology was simpler?

Give reasons foy your ensv,ers."

Rezolvarea tuturor varianteror vd asigurd o pregitire compretapentru Limba Englez5. Exprimare orail (Speaking)

I l8

30 DB SUBIECTE DE TIP II A

SUBIECTUL 1 I

What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

Thinking about future and taking decisions about our career is

not easy especially when we are still young. Some of us discover apath to follow in life from a yery early age, some of us don't' Rut

for all of us taking the best decision is not easy.

Nowadays, after high school graduation teenagers start working

because eiiher they find it difficult to be financially supported by

their parents or they want to be on their own. tc be abie to dc

whatever tlrey want with their futr.rre. Having no experier':e is no1

helping thern in achieving the job of their dreams but on the ivalthey giin a lot of experience and understanC what worktng involve:'

Iiegardless of having a job or not. all the new grads realis' thal

going to university is important in climbing their own career ladder'

ind becoming successful people. So, they enrol for different courses

at different universities according to their own skills, interests ot'

even taking in consideration the money they want to invest in their

education or the distance they want to take from tlreir birthplac':.In the end, it is very important to do what you like, to studl' anC

rvork in a domain that makes you happy, money will eventually rome'

As for me, it would be very important to find a job wlrer: i can

rvork with numbers. Being an accountant is the job I want to do forrrow. I also believe that regardless the economic changes this is a

iob that I can also do in the future. Everybody needs someone to

help them with their bookkeeping, everybody needs prople to lake

c,are of their financial situation and of course. they har e to hire a

professional to do that. Nonetheless, there are so many programmes

ihat specialists can use in order to make their job easier, bookkeeping

is not as difficult to do as it was in the past. If you have a computer

that is connected to the internet at home you can do this job from

the comfort of your own abode.

This is also a great advantage. ln the future more and more

lrcople will be woiking from home because of the development oftlre technology and my job is a one for the future.

il9

Limba englezd. Oral

It hasn't been easy for me to choose my job, and I really hope Imade tlre right choice, so please come and ask me in a ferv years'time if I still have the same opinion.

SUBIECTUL 2

Speak about the importance of friendship in one's life. youmay give yourself as an example.

Having friends is very irnportant in everyone's life becausefriends are always there for us, whenever we need them. We needfriends to share our problems, worries, all the moments of joy andhappiness. Those friends are not easy to find, but when we findthem we know they will be like family to us. Whenever we needthem they will be there for us, no matter the late hours we call toask them for advice or support. We need friends to go out with, togo skiing, clubbing, and have barbeques, go hiking, share rnusic,talk about boys and girls, and many other things.

It's great to have many friends because each person is different,and, in this way, we can learn from different people different things,or we can share common things and ideas with people who have thesame interests. At school, we can share, for example informationabout papers, testso homework with our colleagues. If we likecomputer games and one of our friends likes that as well, it is sonice to share with him our passion because he can understand usbcrter than others.

Sometimes friendships last for a lifetime, and this is the mostextraordinary thing, to share memories with our lifetime friendswho were there for us in the most important moments of our lives.

When young. we find it either easy or difficult to make friends.'iorne of us are introverts and have a hard time in making friends,others are extroverts ind this is the reason they have a lot olfriends.Teenagers can, sometimes, be cruel in their appreciations towardssomeone's appearance, and this can lead to hurting other people'sfeelings. We must try and respect each other more, and try io knowthe others much better and so we could make new and good friends.

I have many friends, and I truly believe that friends and friendshiprre things we cannot live without.

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SUBIECTUL 3

What is your favourite means of transport?

Mv favourite means of transport is the. train' ln my opinion

truu6fUttg by train can be very funny.and.relaxing'"l Jon't"t.uuel by trainlhat oiten, only when l'm going on holidays

*it;;i iu*iiy'ot rrienJi' In summlr I go to the Black Sea and

ir"t.iriig by tiain to the seaside has always been interesting'

When I voyage Uy ttuin is really nice because I can relax and

"n;of ifttU.uutilut vlew in front of me' especially if I travel through

;;;'pi;;; Looking at the marvellous landscapes l can see from

the window can be a very enjoyable activity' The change of.scenery

can be very fast or very slow, anO ttre. anxiety and- the curiosity at

the thoughi that something unexpected is going to be seen are very

nice experiences' ')us to arrive closer toWhen I go to the seaside l am always anxtt

the sea and wait impatiently for that very moment when tl-re sea'is

;;il;;" t;""at in fioni-oiire' n'lso the iising of the sun out of the

sea watched with small and sleepy eyes ls one of my favourite

times dut'ing the journeY.

When I travel by train, I can have a nice.time reading a book' I

am not worried about the traffic jams on the highway' This it -" T9:

alvantage... to know that I can be on time and have no worrles

;;;t ii: t"s, sometimes trains are late' but this happens more

rarely than when I am driving because.roads are so busy nowadays'

Another reason wny i prJfer travelling by train is that' when I

truu"t fol. a long time, t can always buy a ticket at the sleeping car

and I can have someone to wake me up on my arrival' I" ll]: y{i'nuin *ot" time for visiting around and- | don't have to waste tlme

tlE.pi"g because I had to drive the whole nieht'

Travelling Uy truin i, ty fauourite.*tunl of transport b-ut this

does not mean I oon'f tite to travel by car' by plane' or by bus

a"p."Oi"J"" where I'm going' It's nice today to be.able to thoose.

from so many means of tr"ansf,ort and.to use them whenevel I want

to get in time and safe to my destination'

Limba englezd. Oral

SUBIbCTUL 4

What does Christmas mean to you?

My favourite holiday is the winter holriday. I know it is neitherthe longest, nor the hottest horiday we have, 6Lrt it's ttre greatesi.'inmy opinion. There are so many things to do then: it,s Cilristmai, atime of magic and fairy-tares, the Neiv year's Eve, with new wishesand hopes for tlre folrowing year. Like everyone else, I,m waitingfor Santa, too, with the same enthusiasm I'had in

"rrlrar.,""a. i ,3

nruch love it when the entire famiry gathers in front of the fir-treebeautitirlly decorated by my mother, we sing christmas carors andwe have a cup of hot chocolate.

Now we have the chance to forget all the unpleasant momentsand,start it al.l over again. Or, at leait, this is the way I see iL W;;ilvirish for the better and hope to make our dreams come true.

For me, this is the perfect moment to visit my relatives, spenOmore.time with my family and stay around witL my frienOsl Wehave long chats over a cup of tea and make it up forihe *;;k, ;;haven't seen each other so often because ofthe iu.y ,"lr"Ori.i ufisorts of tests and exams, school preparations etc.

As you can see, there are so many things to think about and doover christmas. Definitery, there is'no tiire to get bored. on thecontrary, I may not have enough time to relax an-d sleep too much.What is sure is that I really enjoy ,ny Christmas holidav.

SUBIECTUL 5

What do you do to have a healthy life?

. Bging a healthy person is afortunate thing Fate treated you with,but keeping yourserf in good hearth is someihing yo, shoutJ ao aiiyour best to achieve. That is what I am tryinglo do ail the time:preserve my innate health, and, to this outcome I, for one, havetaken several steps.

First of all, I practice sports. It has been proven that physicalexercise keeps the body. in good shape. I knowthat ,uny oir" onfyconsider sports during the summer time, as a way of eniertainrneni

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or when trying to lose weight. But let's notforget the Latin.saying"Mens sana in corpore sano"! What other better way ls tnere tokeep healthy, and in a good mood than keeping ourselves on tltemove?

Besides, not only doctors recommend it. Wherever I look' I see

or hear slogans favouring it. lf I turn the TV 6p, there are all sorts

of commercials which promote healthy bodies' The same tftinghappens when I turn the radio on, or when I go downtown: huge

banners with smiley healthy faces seem to invite me to the gym, tothe swimming-pool, or on the tennis ground.

Secondly, i try to eat as healthily as possible. I've learned to lovebalanced meals, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and avoid fats.chips, burgers, or any other junk food which is really dangerous forour bodies. Foods like cereals, white meat, greens, beans. fruits,

vegetables, eggs and low-fat dairy products are always a better choice

than fast food.Thirdly, I do not drink alcohol and I do not smoke' This is also

another important aspect of keeping fit. Everybody knows a1ld

agrees that ihey are real health-killers. Alcohol 2nd cigarettes are infict poisonous drugs, and they destroy our bodies' One starts withsmali doses and before he knows it, his doses increase up to addiction.

I do not wish that for myself. Then, I try not to exaggerate withanything. At my age, it is easy to do that. And normal, responsible

teenageis will agrie with me. Partying too iluch-, overdrin(ing,

srnoking and eating junk food are surely not good for anyone-

SUBIECTUL 6

How does fashion influence your personalitY?

I really think that fashion is very important f6l everybody' The wayone dresses up is crucial. I know that there is a Saying in Romanian

which states ihat the human personality is mor@ important than theitems of clothing. Well, I tend to partly disagree with that'

First of all, people seem to be judged zggslding-!o the way theydress. For example, ifyou often wear a suit at the office, people tendto refer to you as a serious and reliable person- If, on the contrary

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Limba englezd. Oral

you often wear jeans and a T:shirt people will consider you sloppyand disrespectful.

Of course, there are cases when a certain outfit is more appropriatethan another. This is imposed by the degree of formality of theevent or situation. You must identify these situations, act and dressaccordingly.

On the other hand, you must keep up with the fashion, or at least

try to adopt some elements. As I said before, people tend to judgeyou by the way you look. If you are in fashion, you feel good and

accepted everywhere. On the contrary, if people say you are not infashion, you may feel rejected.

Another important aspect qf this discussion is the statementpsychologists make: human personalities are strongly influencedby fashion, because this brings them acceptance, or rejection in the

society. And not only that, but fashion also settles hierarchies amongthe members of a certain community:

In conclusion, I also consider fashion an extremely importantfactor for us and I try to keep up with it as much as I can.

SUBIECTULT

What do you think about hobbies?

One of the things that sometimes help us forget how tough and

dull life can be and that give us the joy of living is the pleasure ofdoing something in particular * the hobby. Be it reading, dancing,writing poems or dreaming, our hobby always makes us feel great,helps us find our balance after days of doing what we have to do(or what we are supposed to, whether we like it or not).

Many people have decided to make a permanent job out of theirhobbies. There are so many lawyers that have chosen this career

because they like to illead and talk; or successful designers thatreached the top doing something that they've always loved to do:drawing... and so on. They are the most fortunate people, I think.

I don't know about the future of my hobby as a career (as a matterof fact I doubt this will happen), but I know this: what I like mostto do is to dance and to enjoy every minute of being with myfriends.

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I've always dreamt to be a great dancer but' above this' I've

discovered tirat clancing is my wiy of living' Not just being' existing

but living with passi&. When I hear music, my body becomes

porr"rr.Jby the Leauty of tunes and rhytms and I let myself seduced

ty sounds. i ft.. *yullf of thoughts and wories and bad feelings'

und tt"t. only thing that I keep bn my mind is the music' lt's a

hundred per cent effective therapy!

SUBIECTUL 8

What is your favoirite season?

My favourite season is summer. I simply love it from its beginning'

when the joy of thi: spring tLrrns, little 'by

little, into a symphony ofenergy and iolours and w-armth until its end, when the time gets the

grav!'sounds of holidays, of adventure,.of hot love"' No matter

i"h"r" you decide to sp-end it. it can be the time of your life' You

,.,.ruy go to the mountains where the silence of the woods makes you

foti"T uUout the civilised world where everything is so fast and

stre"ssful. Just listening to the wind, the rustle of the leaves' the song

of the birds, the ripple of the running streams, your thoughts can

help you find a new meaning to your life, balance for your inner

rvorld.The decision to spend the summer at the seaside can prove to b,e

, good choice, too. iust think about the crowded beaches'full of Iif'e

,.i,-olng the day when the hot sun and the temptingwaves of the salty

rvateri give you so much pleasure...The friends you can make' the

rlleat pirties organised heie, the dance and wild experiences"' the'ticedoml

Watciing the magnificent show of the sunrise that makes

r'ou feel on top of ihe world, or the splendour of a sunset is the most

iornantic part of a day... Long walks with the one you love along

tlrq beach when everything is golden-red"'

lf I were to define ,urnil.t in f.* words, I think these would be:

Ircedort, light, passion, day-dreaming"' wild love, friendship'

nnl

ffi

il

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SUBIECTUL 9

What is your favourite sport?

My favourite sport is basketball. lt has become a very popularsport in Romania recently. For the less knowledgeable ones, i willmake a shoft presentation of this game: it is an indoor game playedbetween two teams of usually five players each, in which eacir tjamtries to throw a large ball through the other team's basket.

Any sport helps,vou develop your entire body harmoniously. andso does basketball.'fhey say it even helps you grow taller, bui I amnot sure this is true.

. 4puf from keeping me in good health and shape, playingbasketball has helped me a lot to develop my innate skills-anaspeed at throwing and catching the ball, my attention and even myimagination.

Being a team game, it also teaches you very special things, suchas team spirit, fair-play, thoughtfulness, devotion. All this help younot only in sports, but also later on in life.

I always feelgreat when I play basketball and I hope I will playit in future, too, for as long as I can. And when I am old and grey,I will probably spend time watching others playing my favouriiegame.

SUBIECTUL tO

What do you think about having a pet?

It is true that having a pet involves a lot of responsibilities. Thisis like a commitment taken towards the animal in cause, be it a cat,a dog, a bird, a hamster etc. Some take things fufther and state thathaving a pet is like having a baby: permanently watching out for it,taking care of it and loving it.

I know how many responsibilities one has to cope with whenhaving a pet, as I myself own a dog. I can say that he has been inmy family for many years now and he has tumed into .one of us'.We got so much aftached to little Sunny that we cannot have.acomplete picture of ourselves without him.

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We walk him first thing in the morning. and tlren all the familyhas breakfast. After that, each of us leaves for school or for rvorkand S'lnny stays at home watching the property for us. When I get

back fiorn school, I walk him again and then we have fun playingtogether, or he assists me when I'm doing my usual chores. In theevening he is to be walked again, and then we go to sleep.

But this is not everything I have to do for my dog. There is a lotmore to be done, such as going regularly to the vet's practise,washing him, cleaning hirn every time we get back after a longwalk, carefully watch the fbod he eats etc. Apaft from tlrat, when I

am to leave the house for a long time, I have to take hirn rvith me,

as I can't leave him in the house all by hirnself.But all these efforts are really worth it, because Sunny knows and

feels he is well taken care of and he pays it back twice by his

unconditional love he always proves.

SUBIECTUL II

Do you believe in eating habits, as far as you are concerned?

I can say that I do believe in eating habits.The first things that cotne into my mind right now are Christmas

irnd Easter. The two holidays are both opportunities to give and

receive presents and also occasions to prepare and eat specificrlishes: at Clrristmas there is pork cooked in all possible ways and

tlre various Christrnas cookies, at Easter there is lamb and Easter

cakes. People who celebrate Christmas and Easter all over the

u'orld will consider such eating habits part of their celebratiohs.ln America and Canada, people also celebrate Thanksgiving Day,

rvhen they eat turkey.The peoples around tlre world have probably all gained an

'"inheritance" of specific foods: the French fiies, the English tea

rvith milk, or the Romanian traditional foods, such as stuffed cabbagerolls.

Apart from eating habits related to holidays or traditions, certainlrrrnilies and individuals make their own eating habits according totlrcir tastes or for a purpose-keeping a slimming diet or a health-, ondition diet. I've known people concentrating on eating vitamin-r ich food, vegetarian food, or foods that are not rich in fats or sugar.

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Limba engle:d. Oral

Besides, in different walks of life. eating habits are quite different,most often deterrnined by the financial aspect.

This argumentation could probably go on for hours on end. So, Idon't think that anybody can pretend not to believe, more or less,in eating habits.

SUBIECTUL T2

What is your favourite free-time activity?

What is great about adolescence years is the possibility to havemuch free time. Youth is the tirne when'we, the teenagers, knowbest how to enjoy every break, how to be happy without having anyspecial reason for that, how to feel good when being with ourfriends, how to laugh at poor jokes just because we like the waythey are told, how to be romantic... Music, dance, "smafi lines",this is our world.

Give me free time and don't worry about how I would spend it,because I have lots of things to do. When I feel full of energy, I canturn to a simple going out downtown or to one of the best disco-clubs.In my quiet moments, when I feel like asking someone somequestions about this weird life, I meet my friends to have a chat onthe topic, or I grab a book to look for answers. Books also help merelax and forget about my anxiety. And so do movies. Whenever I

don't have the patience to read some pages, or I simply can't findthe mood for that, I watch a movie. accordins to mv state of mindin thit mornent: a comedy. if I arn happy, u ,o,ian"" if t feet in love,an action movie, if I feel calm etc.

These are my favourite free time activities, but I cannot forgetabout the responsibilities I have within my family, and those I havefor school: I have do my homework, I have to study, I have to helpmy parents with some chores - and here, my biggest responsibilityis to keep my room clean. That's a lot of work to do, isn't it?

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SUBIECTUL 13

What do you like about your home-town?

Braov is a beautiful town lying at the foot of Tampa Hill, in avalley surrounded by majestic mountains.

ln old times it used to be a fofiress amid thick walls and bastions.

whose ruins can still be seen today. The white Tower and the Black

Tower still stand as landmarks of the past. Ecaterina's Gate is still

intact and the Weaversl Bastion hosts classical music concefts quite

often.In the Council's Square visitors can admire the Old City Hall and,

not far from it, The famous Black church. It is the old district of tlie

Town" with old houses, narrow streets and alleys paved with cobble

stone. where, history is hiding behind modem stores and restaurants.

An authentic mediaeval town like many others in Europe.

The highlight of a sightseeing tour would be Poiana Brasov, a

rnountain ski resort, l2km far from the town.There are museums, theatres, concert halls, swimming-pools,

discotheques, restaurants; one can never get bored here. lfyou love

the view from the top of the mountain, there are cable cars and a

gondola that can take you there in just few minutes.

In spring the dales are carpeted with flowers and the town come

hack to life; in summer the hikers enjoy the paths and the mountains

in all their glory; autumn sees the trees resplendent in shades ofnrsset, gold and green; winters are long and cold with plenty oftrrow, but the landscapes are fairytale pictures... Who would want

to live elsewhere?

SUBIECTUL I4

What is the present you would like to get for your birthday?

Celebrating binhdays is something special and unique' It is about

lraving a good time together with your friends and family' And

wlren-it cd*e. to presents, everybody is in a sort of trouble: what

rvould be the best present? What exactly does the celebrated person

rvish for, or really needs? And so, the hunting for the right present

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begins. So as to be sure, some even pop the big question: "What doyou wish for your birthday?"

Well, such a question was raised to me. too and, to be honest, thiscame as a total surprise both for me and for the person who hadasked. And this happened because I did not know what to answer.It may seem strange to you, but this is how it really was.

I know that everybody else would have taken advantage ofsucha situation and begin listing what they wished to get for theirbirthday: perfumes, cosmetics, various objects, items of clothinguelectronics etc. But surely, this is not like me at all.

l've never wished for anything special for my birthday. I justwanted it to be a happy day celebrated with my family and friends.Nothing more. What I really want to get is what I enjoy every year,namely special moments shared with my loved ones, the goodthoughts they convey and the feeling they truly are happy to bethere, by my side.

If I am to think more, this is what really matters to me and if ithappens for me to get some presents, it's even better: I appreciatethem ail, equally, and I let rny friends see this, because I know everysingle one of them comes from the very bottom of their hearts.

I consider that those feelings are what really matters in the end,and not the gift proper.

SUBIECTUL I5

What are your feelings about turning 18?

There comes a time when children become adults and demand tobe treated as such. That happens r-rsually when we turn l8', or 'oofage".

But, being a fr-rll-time adult implies being responsible for ouractions, as well. Now, we can no longer hide behind Mum or Dadevery time we make a mistake. Of course, everybody makes mistakes,but the secret is not to be afraid to admit it, stand up for our deedsand bear the consequences.

Adulthood has no secret recipe; we have to find our own way intothis and try to be responsible adults. For instance, if we do somethingremarkable by ourselves, the success will be totally ours. We can be

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proud of having been capable of something like that. Nevertheless.if our actions have proved to be wrong, we should not blameanyone else and tace the problem. Apart from that, we have to thinktwice before doing something, because there can be more than one

person affected by our decisions. Besides, impulsiveness neverturned out to be the best choice. Then, the voice of experiencemakes it all! We would not be that stubborn and not listen to the

advice given by our parents or wiser friends. Growing up is adifficult process and we must use all the help we can get.

When we are children or teenagers, we can hardly wait to turn 18,

because we think that this is the age of all possibilities, withoutbeing aware of the fact that it is more difficult nowadays to be lBor over l8 than ever was.

Being responsible for every step we make into this world is not

an easy task at all.

SUBIECTUL I6

What do you like to do over the weekends?

When it comes to weekends, the only thing I regret is that theyrure too short. There are so many things for me to do! My activitiestlepend on the weather. lf it is fine, I meet my friends and we have

long walks or go swimming, fishing... lf the weather does not pennit,we usually meet at my place and see what we can do indoors: we

borrow a DVD and we watch it tqgether over a bowl of popcom, weplay computer games, we play cards, or we simply have long chats.

lf I am all by myself, I watch my favourite programmes on TV.When I have had enough 'intellectual junk-food' I listen to the

radio, write in my diary read silly stories from tabloids, or I simplyrrreditate upon no matter what hot-issue which happens to be

lrothering me that very day.I enjoy especially the last activity: meditation. Lying on my coach

rvith my body relaxed, my mind wandering... Imagining places I've:rlways dreamt to be in, trying to find answers to.merely rhetoricalrlrrestions... Or just trying to know myself better.

As I am not tired at the end of the day, I go dancing, or have my()wn party at home. Music is so relaxing and. moreoveq it speaks

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for us whenever we are too shy to say nice words to our partners...Still, there are days when I feel the need to be alone. ln such cases,a good book is. my true companion together with my dog, Max,who follows me everywhere. It does not matter how many friendsI have, he holds a special place in my heart.

SUBIECTUL I7

What do you think about the way in which your parents havebrought you up?

I consider myself fortunate to have been bom in a family like mine.My parents love me dearly and they have tried to give me what is bestin life all the time; they have tried to give me best quality education,constant care and genuine love, financial and spiritual support.

When I say 'education'o I mean both the one I've got in myfamily, and that in the schools I have attended so far. My parentshave always been kind but firm, understanding, tolerant, but alsovery strict when circumstances demanded it. Like every child, I wasoften very unhappy about their decisions. I often considered my parentstoo unyielding, but now I'm grateful for their being demanding.

As regards my studies, my parents have always considered thatschool is extremely important and studies should never be neglected.They have sent me to the best schools, they encouraged and supportedme, checked on my progress, made sure there was progress, gaveme strength when I was weak, trusted me all the way, rejoiced atmy success.

I have been taught that honesty matters, that honesty should beexpressed in all circumstances, with other individuals, with institutions,with society, with myself. It is the inner strength and confidencethat is brought about by exacting truthfulness, trustworthiness andintegrity.

My parents have taught me to be brave. We need courage tosustain life's grieves and failures without being torn by them. Weneed to be daring to attempt difficult tasks that are good, acquirestrength not to follow the crowd, to say 'no'and mean it. Couragemeans being true to one's convictions and following good impulses,even when they are unpopular or inconvenient

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Other guiding principles inspired by my parents are self reliance,

taking reiponsibility for my own actions, overcoming the tendency

to blame others for diffrculties. trusting my own potential'

Modesty is another attitude I have learned from my parents'

Modesty has made me see that there is greatness all mound us'

These are just some of the values my parents educated me to

believe in.

SUBIECTUL I8

How do you think smoking may affect you?

Srnoking has tumed into one of the most serious "hot issues" that

our society has to face todaY.

I will begin by saying that I also consider smoking as a threat to

our health ind even to our life. It is true that smoking is considered

to be a legal drug, but, like any other drug, it seriously affects

health and finally kills. Maybe it would give us a thought if we

considered all the breathing disorderso tumors and/or types ofcancer

it certainly causes: every minute, one of three persons die because

of this!Smoking affects people of all ages alike: children, adolescents,

old men ind women. Here we are not only talking about active

smoking. We should also take into consideration the phenomenon

of passive smoking, which affects people sitting around an active^

smoker. Why should we be forced to assist ollr own process ofdestruction and not refuse it? This would be safer and healthier.

Cenerally, people take up smoking for fun, out of curiosity, to

gain importance in a group etc. That is how they have become

iOai.ted to smoking before they know it and cannot quit it, unless_

they have an extraoidinary will to do it' And, unfortunately, most ofthem actually lack it.

What smokers must understand is that taking up smoking is not

an act ofcourage, or mature thinking. It's not even an act ofbravery,

or importance.-lt's merely an act of cowardice and selfishness, oflack of conscience and a sure way to embrace a sloW painful death.

I will end my point here, but not before saying again that smoking

does not bring us anything good, it does not help you relax and it

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certainly does not help anyone lose weight, as it is generallybelieved, especially by girls. It only "helps" you destroy yourself.I. for one, am more than aware of all this and certainly refuse totake up smoking.

SUBIECTUL 19

What do you think about school uniforms being compulsory?

Well, the problem of school uniform has always been a problemof controversy. And, according to various periods of time, schooluniforms have either been in or out.

Generally, past times could be traced by the model of the uniform,and every school was to be recognized in its form and colour. Iremember the time of my school years. lt was a real pride to belongto a certain school and wear its unifonn. And when seeing otherstudents on the street, I could say immediately what school theybelonged to. And this is what my parents and grand-parents tell me.They have worn them throughout their school years.

Our current education system does not keep this rule now.Nevertheless, most of nowadays students feel it as a relief and a

way to express their personalities. The way they see it, items ofclothing and colour help them show who they are and how theythink. They wish to state and defend their unique way of being byarguing that a school uniform tends to annihilate this aspect. In thisway, they would all be equal, and this is exactly what they wish toavoid.

I, for one, sustain their point of view, but also agree with schoolauthorities. They rightly voice that, as long as students are not forcedto wear a uniform, they should, at least, wear something decent.Students are to come to school and study, after all. And schools arepublic institutions which are to be respected.

We all agree that a pair of jeans, or a skirt and a jacket would do,but we should be attentive to how short that skirt is, or how womout the jeans are. Equally, the colours we may choose for our clothesfor school are to be neutral, and not striking at all. But, after all, thisis a matter of taste and decency.

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SUBIECTUL 20

What is your opinion about mobile phones being used f,yeelyin schools?

I can say the mobile phone is a piece of technology one cannotlive without; everyone owns a mobile phone which helps the ownerstay in touch with the rest of the world anytime, anywhere.

To be honest, I for one got so much used to it that I can't conceivelife without it. lt's impossible not to have forgotten your mobilephone at home and left to work or to school without it. And wemust admit how bad and how useless we have surely felt when nothaving it! One might even call it a kind of dependency, a phone-addiction.

However, there are some situations when we should not use themat all, such as in meetings, at church, during classes etc. L.lsing thecell plione in such cases may turn into a real nuisance and showsmere lack of respect on our part.

Some argue that in schools, children do not really need to use amobile phone extensively, as they do not have so many urgentproblems to solve; they are not as busy as adults are, and have nobusiness to run or errands to make.

Besides, using mobile phones duiing classes disturbs both studentsand teachers, or there may even appear cases when mobiles phonesare lost during school time. Situations like tlrose cause rumours,tears and hard moments at school.

That is why school regulations forbid taking mobile phones or anyother modern technology device to classes: to avoid d.isturbance orstealing. Students must be aware of the risk they are exposed to ifthey fetch their fancy, expensive mobile phones to school.

I myself wouldn't go that far as to agree with total prohibition ofmobile phones in schools, but I agree that they can be, at least, keptin a safe place and turned off, or on the silent mode when in class.This will show respect and good breeding. And I'm sure that, in thisway, nobody will ever feel offended or disturbed by the respectivedevice.

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SUBIECTUL 2I

What do you hate most in life?

It's difficult for me to answer such a question, especially becausethere are so many things to be hated around us. And there are alsomany things I could hate in this life, but, if I give it a thought, I

think that what I most hate is hatred itself.I cannot stand seeing and feeling so much hatred among us and it

seems, sometimes, we were born to hate each other. Nowadays,everywhere I turn, there is harshness, indifference,opressionand alot of sadness. When I walk on the streets, I can see people'sfaces - they are all so preoccupied, gloomy, upset. Their eyes arehalf-closed, as if thinking about the injustice and sufTering in theworld, their looks down the road and hunied steps betray theirconcern... and all that make me sad.

But, in spite of that, I never give up my hope that, one day,everything will have a good turn. I keep hoping that people will gosmiling down the road and merry laughter will fill the air, just likein the days of my infancy. Those were happy moments, wheneverything was perfect and I felt great. I will always treasure theseand keep them hidden in my soul, expecting to live them oncemore. in adolescence. or adulthood.

I know that it's hard for us to change everything for the better, allof a sudden. But it's not impossible, either. Each and every one ofus can help a little. It doesn't cost much, but it makes the difference.What if we smiled more often? What if we used a more polite tonein our requests? And what if we forgot a little about our fights andthink twice before we make an unpleasant or mean remark?

SUBIECTUL 22

Do you think a retative may be considered your best friend?

I am not sure whether I can speak for somebody else, but I cancertainly say that my best friend is my brother.

However, things are not as simple as some people, who have nobrothers or sisters, may believe. Brothers and sisters always thinkthey know best, especially when they are older than you.

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My brother, for example, is my elder by four years. And-rhisdifference accounts for my life's being, so many times, a "hell on

Earth". Or, more exactly, it used to be. I have to tell you that not

even my father was so bossy as my dear brother was: "Do this","Go over there", "Don't touch that", "Be careful with that" etc'

But as we grew up, I understood he was trying to protect me and

my rage against him changed into admiration' Whenever I was

fabing a problem, I knew from the beginning I could totally rely on

my biother: he was there to comfort me in my hard times, and was

still the one who really listened to my problems, striving to find a

solution for me. And I repaid this with my gratitude and the littlehelp I could offer him.

Now I can say that he was the one who taught me the hardships

of life. but also the value of brotherhood and family. Of course, my

parents also gave me good pieces of advice and all the help and

iupport in the world, but somehow, I found it easier to share all my

thoughts, frustrations and happy moments with my brother'It wasn't easy for us to get to sUch a nice solid relationship, we

built it in years, with a lot of patience and understanding, especially

from his ilde. gut I surely can say that it was all worth it'

SUBIECTUL 23

What do you think about travelling by plane?

No earthly creature can do it all - walking, swimming, flying' For

exemple, humans cannot flY.

Should this be a more or less conscious wish of each of us: to be

able to float freely in the air and watch everything from above?

Travelling by plane has nowadays become very commoq especially

in the U.S., where the distances to cover are huge.

I have never flown. but I would never miss the opportunity to do

so. I don't think it's more dangerous than travelling by car or even

by train. Accidents have happened with all means of transport, even

if the latest technology has made travelling both fast and safe. lt ismaybe everybody's fate to reach the destination safe and sound'

Eiesides, flying is believed to be the safest way of travelling in the

world! And letb not forget that so many people travel by plane

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everyday! For exemple, on Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europeevery 45 seconds a plane takes off or'tanOs.*'

*llTj:i:1?l^,:::lllle fr nrun",urJ."i",, time And rhat is ani n':X* ::r il' ::f ":l "r' i d' ffi ; ;;' ; ;il, ;;: il[H:i'":lIong distances in short timl.

In my opinion, flvinq..is not about additional risk, but it is aboutfast. comforlable rriveiling unO *orJr" irr,"".

SUBIECTUL 24

What did you like about the school you attended?

Considering that school attendance is compulsory in Romania upto rOth grade and that.with.no "ar"ution

you cannot rnake it in thereal world, I rhink it,is rarher Afr" * p,i,ind that we attend anyschoot because *" Jjf" ,or.iii;; ,u[* it. eJ"* ".r;il #irestless', usual ly ch i I dren ana t"e-nae;;r"' ; l.;J*."i"::f-.u1."education unJ J"#'.L qrir" il'il.r';H,rff;Ti |,fi:r;;#/q*T' JiIf; i;ii,::m."; :r", HH, nT #l*"tr[f; Iof.s.pare time lhey have.

. I nave to admit school is fun. after all. Of cro' ,nyr"rrGlurr"'i oon,r know ;h"; #:Tt;.'..?il"1il .ffi:i

schools. Even thoush it is a very ,.rio,]. ,airoof when it comes toprepari ng for certai"n e1.1m ; latjojrr,;;" rh.;;.rm papers, or schoo I

ll1!:ry", exams, pupils studying here lnow ttrey can have as

f;:"J.:i:j":me and relaxation duilng tl,..rr*mer horiday ;;;";;

Today I can pin-poinl the aspects that made me love my schoolover at these vears: first and r"."r"rt,'ii must have been theteachers - ro s.iious and fond "fifr"-.rUil.r-,rurr"., taught as onccould imagine; iecondry,. it musi

"rr""" u"""'rtre colleagues I havchad since I came to this high_s"h;"i:;;;;'i"ir ,o, that all my besr

I:l9..are.my former "jr"ugu"r."&;;;* that, some of rnyIormer teachers are among my role models in tif".

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SUBIECTUL 25

What person/personality do you admire?

when it comes to'famous persons, it's so difficurt to talk aboutll]:m and especially. choose one of them as your fbvourite. All ofthem are special and original in their own way.

However, I decided to speak about a famous singer who hasim.gre;s1d me: Kylie Minogue. at a nrst fuance, one can see anagile little Austrarian girl, extremery beauti'fur and dericate. wh;;hearing her voice and listening to hercongr. on. can sense hertalent, her sensitivity as well uih", po*"r.It is impossibre not ro admire hei determination when buildingher career. Though, at the beginning, it was so hard for ne.to !e?herself k1o1n and appreciatJa, .nJ'p"rsisted in singing *itf, ifr.same enthusiasm and.passion. And ioon, her effort-s ,i.r" to U"roticed,, her.voice praised and her songs became famous all overille wofld..Now everybody knOws them and can even quote somevc'rses by heart. who can forget hits like ..1 should be'so luckvjl"Where the white roses grow", ,.Red UlooO.J *ornun.;, ..G#;

vou up" or "Can't get yoLl outta my head,,?But this is not all. as fgiJe.as,h" *ry seem, Kylie has provedItr be a winner. In May 2005 it was officially announced that shelrird breast cancer, but she was not to give up li". fight for life. Aft;;

'rng exhausting chemo sessions and eien ronger moments of despair,rrrtl depression, she has finally won it. NoJshe lr rtrong"r,nio[l,ciurtiful and more ready to c6ntinue her.,showgirl;,proj"ect.

As this was not enough, soon after announcing"st "

t,aJ'r,,rpurr"alr('r'cancer, she broke up with her boyfriend, the one *flo r"u,lir()rrght to be the love of her rife. This was another turning point inlrt'r lit'e, another difficult moment, but, as a real ..showgiri,:;;t ;;lrrllrl it all, Kylie is stillstanding up and continues srniling.linirn my point of view, thisls i lesson of life she giies, but ai' ';s.rr learnt the hard way. She is now a living moder for a, thoserr.ong persons who fight their destinies and are determined to win.N()w. I can say that not only do I admire her, but she also ,.ru"., , rr r.ole-tnodel for me.

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SUBIECTUL 26

What is your opinion about the way in which televisioninfluences your life?

Of all the media, television seems to have the greatest impact onpeople's life. I think it influences people, especially teenagers, in anegative way. I, for one, dedicate less time to rny friends, I don't goout so often, and I have given up going to tlre theatre, cinema brsporting events. Not. to mention reading books or listening tomusic. All my free time seems to be controlled by television.

- For the sake of a programme I neglect my meals or I replace themby a sandwich. The family no longer sit at table and exchange thenews of the day. Thus, cotnmunication among the rnembers of thefamily is broken. Sometimes I even neglect my lromework and thechores and. most of all, I go to bed very late.

I tlrink that this leads ro the alienation of the individual.The most dangerous thing is that, sometimes, I am tempted to

watch diplays of sadism and violence which. to a certain extent,may distort my perception of what is normal. Not to mention thefact that television encourages passive enjoyment and it cuts peopleoff from the real world. I prefer to stay at home and watch 'iVrather than go out with my friends for a walk or iust to take somefresh air.

It is also true that television is the best source of news, fast andaccurate information from any corner of the world. Nevei beforehas communication been better

Television provides infonnation, knowledge from all fields,enterlainment, political debates, music of all kinds, for all tastes.Used wisely, with discernment and parental guidance, televisioncan really change young people's life for the better.

SUBIECTUL 27

What would you change about your hometown?

I love my hometown, Brasov. I believe it is a very interesting town,with both old historic places and modern buildings.

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Our town has gone thror-rglr a lot of changes lately, but the mostvisible one lras been the wr>rk tlrat has been done to its roads. Allthe roads, wide or narrow. have been altered in a certain way lately,to adjust to the huge wave ofcars that has appeared in the recentyears.

Our city is old, with many narrow streets and alleys, especially inthe old city centre. There are not enough parking lots, the roads arealways crowded and it is difficult for drivers and pedestrians,equally, to find their way. 'fhe sidewalks became narrower so thalthe roads can get a second lane. In this way, sornetimes, it's verydifficult to walk because the sidewalks became so very crowded.

If I were to change something in this city I would definitelychange the way people try to make more space for the cars withouttaking into consideration the pedestrians, especially in the old partof the town where people go to enjoy the view. to shop, to sitaround the fountain in tlre Council Square, to listen to tlre concertsorganized there.

What would I do? I would restrict the car access to the city centre,:rnd. as in other European cities, I would add a road-tax for thetlrivers who cross to the city centre. ln this way, I think there wouldbe fewer traffic jams, and we won't end up without sidewalks.

I would also add some bike lanes, so that children shoLrld enjoyliding their bikes particularly because the bike lane they alreadyhave in the Central Park is very narrow and difficult to use.

I totally agree that cars should play their part in our lives, but we:.lrould fight against pollution that affects the old buildings and therroise that people living downtown have to put up with.

When we do something we have to think about all of us. we haveto consider all the options, not to see just one side of the coin.

SUBIECTUL 28

What was the life experience that has taught you a positivelcsson ?

[.ast year, me and Dan, one of my classmates, one of thoserrlrogant kind ofboys, had a very "dangerous" idea, in orderto solve,orne misunderstandings between us. I must admit that it wasn't

I

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the best way: a car race in the streets of our village. We arrangedeverything as if it were the dare of a ball. The placi where frornl ata certain hour we would have started the race. the route. and finallvthe "chicken test" - he who would stop first on the road that wentout of town and ended up in a precipice would have been declared"yellow", "coward" a.s.o. Dan and I chose as our race car Dan's"Peugeot" - whose brakes were known to be rather weak but,otherwise, everything seemed to be allright.

.The former half of the race was fine, but the latter lacked inHollywoodian glamour and turned out to be a "lesson,,. As expected,the police patrols ev'entually spotted the two racing cars and, whenthe brakes of Dan's car gave way, the inevitable occurred: our bothcars crashed into the police patrol car exactly when it was trying toovertake the two cars while they were colliding.

Fortunately, nobody was really hurt, but we both had to paydamages for the police car and our driving licences *ere suspended.

Eventually we realised that this was not at all a good idea. Welearned that it really didn't matter who the first in class was, or whothe best at doing something was, as long as we are friends.

Our 'chiken test'could have ended up in a really tragic way. Thatwas the moment I realised that one s life is more impoftant than anvof his ambitions. and that the only thing we rnanaged to prove toourselves and to the others equally was how stupid one can getwhen one refuses to think twice before acting.

SUBIECTUL 29

What are your goals for the future?

I cannot say that I'm a mere dreamer or, on the contrary, agrounded person. But what I can say about myself is that l,vealways thought about future. I cannot state that I have drawn aperfect line for my future and not all my dreams have come true.

But still, plans, goals and dreams are what I generally do. It istrue, sometirnes they do happen, sometimes they don't, but I keepsetting goals for myself all the time.

Someone told me once to set up high goals so that I can reachhigher and higher. That person was right ind this is what I do.

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I have studied hard in highschool for my better future. I amceftain that all I've learned will help me at sorne ooint in lrrv career.

After my graduation I want to enroll to classes at univeisity andto study even harder. I will probably work as well, during universityyears, because gaining experience for my career is another aim ofmlne.

These two are the most important goals for the near future, as faras my career is concerned: to study and to gain experience.

SUBIBCTUL 30

Speak about what makes us live longer. Give reasons for youranswer.

I have recently read an article that stated that we, people, cancl.roose how long we want to live. There are moments when we say"lt's enough!" and that's it.

Hmmm...Could it be that easy ?In my opinion, eating healthy is very important if one wants to live

l()nger. A recent study has shown that the life-span has increases inthe past 100 years. Now people live longer, up to their 70s or even()0s, and it seems there is not actually a pattern to be followed inorder to live longer.

There are people who smoke, or eat fats, do no physical exerciservhatsoever and live a long and healthy life. 'l.hen again, there arelrcople who lead a healthy life, and still don't live that long. In thet'rrd there are no rules.

Another study I've read concluded that it is all in our genes. If we1r;rve good genes, we can live longer, if we don't we just don't. Thisr'' not a matter of personal choice, is not something we can do better,,r fail at.

It is said that happier people live longer and sad people shorterI rves. It is easy to smile. Well, not all the time but still, we can try to',r'e the best in everything and keep our optimism regardless of the,lilllcLrlties we encounter in our lives.

I think that we should keep a balance in all we do, and keep ourl rrsers crossed for a happy, healthy and, hopefully, long life.

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30 DB SUBIECTB DE TIP II bSUBIECTUL I

Describe you favourite movie.

I love watching movies. This is one of my hobbies. I love goingto the cinema. I love the smell of the popcorn while watching a

good movie. If I were to choose of all the movies I've seen just oneto describe that would be "The Sound of Music". You might wonderwhy? The answer is simple, because it's the story of the love youfeel for your family, of going together as one through all thedifficulties of life with a smile one your face and with a songcoming out of your mouth and of staying together even though youmake mistakes.

The storyline is very simple. In 1930's Austria, a young womannamed Maria is failing in her aftempts to become a nun. When theNavy captain Georg Von Trapp writes to the convent asking for a

governess to handle his seven ill-behaved children. Maria gets job.The Captain's wife is dead, and he is often away, but when he is athome he runs the household very strictly as if his children werearmy soldiers. The kids are unhappy and not very pleased with thegovernesses their father keeps bringing at home, and they try andwork together on making their lives miserable. But, when Mariaarrives, even though she is not liked by the children with kindness,understanding. and sense offun she soon succeeds in drawing themto her and bringing some much-needed joy into all their lives,including their father's, who eventually falls in love with Maria.

I know you might say that "The Sound of Music" is an old movie.It might be, but till today it is a true story, a real story of joy,happiness and finding your way in life, even though at a certainmomenl you thought there was impossible. I really enjoy this movie,the music, which is always so optimistic, the landscapes and thechildren. I believe that Julie Andrews and Christophef Plummerwere great in this movie, and I hope that in real life people can tryto end up that happy as in the movies.

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SUBIECTUL 2

Relate an adventure you were involved in'

I have to admit that we all need some sort of adventure in our

lives - without a slight touch of adventure everything would be so

dull. the routine *ould .hange us into walking mummies, indifferent

to what is happening around us.

I also thinkiirat life itself can be seen as an adventure - considering

the ups and downs that we are going through, the problems, and

their io1-rtions. which may sometimes appear illogical. On the other

hand, there are so many those who have this strange idea that

adventure means risking everything.The idea that two yo.rng men I know were obsessed with that of

confronting danger io close to death as a man can face' For them'

everything that broke the rules or endangered their lives was either

"hoti' or %ool". Mihai and Gabriel seemed to have the energy oftwenty of their age, when it came to driving someone mad, or

r"tponding stupid challenges.One of ihese challengeJ was that cast by one of the boys from

another neighborhood: a car race in the streets of our village. . . The

idea was foi the contestants to rove their "courage", skill at driving

a car and nerve in challenging the local police forces was something

like "The Outer Limit" for them. Not for a minute had they given a

thought to what theY were risking.So-they arranged everything as if it were the d-ate of a ball'

.

This "-adventure" gave me chills. On the surface it might have

seemed something "heroic", but when giving it a second tho-ught, I

realized how dan[erous it could be and I tried to stop them but the

two boys wouldnit listen to me...They laughed at me and called rne

"chicken". I was invited to stay home that night, which I did'

L,ater on I found out that the police tried to trace them and, after

a real car race in the village - this time the police chasing the boys,

the vehicles crashed and the adventure ended up hospital. Fortunateiy,

nobody was seriously hurt, but all the cars were badly damaged'

Now t'he boys have to pay damages, and their driving licenses are

suspended. So much for an adventure!

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SUBIECTUL 3

Describe the house you live in.

The house I live in is simple and comfortable. It has two bedrooms,a livingroom, a bathroom, a balcony and a terrace. lt is nothingunusual. Not too small, but definitely not very large, it is the placeI feel safe in; it is my own private space, my domestic world.Private doesn't mean isolated - I don't have anything againstneighbours, in fact most of them are my friends. What I meant tosay is that here I feel fiee from the tensions of the outer world; I canhave a rest and relax.

People say I am lucky to live in a house, and not in a block offlats, because I have a backyard. This is true. but I must tell you thatI've also lived in such an apartment. In my opinion, what reallylnatters is the atmosphere, and not the number of roorns, how bigtlrey are and what kind of furniture you have in it. Of course,everyone wishes to arrange it according to his personality, but let'snot exaggerate!

I like the minimalist style, because it surely is functional andsimple, as I said before. I have everything I need here and I don'tfeel suffocated by useless things. My favourite colours are brownand beige, so that is how my house is painted: it represents mypreference for warm, eafthen shades which bring peace andharmony.

SUBIECTUL 4

Speak about a day in your life when something happened andchanged your life.

It is difficult to speak about a special day in my life, a day whichreally made a difference. There have been many good days, or badones for me, like in anyone else's life. Looking back, we sometimesrealize what made it special for us and see certain days eitherhappiness and melancholy.

In my case, such a day that made me change my behaviour andmy attitude towards life itself, was the day I got my little dog, Leah.

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My parents had never allowed me to have a pet. because they saidI could no take responsibility for rnyself. not to mention a pet. ln away, they were right: I was reckless, disobedient, stubborn andl'azy.But I wanted so much to have a pet, especially a dog...

They say that dogs are the best friends a hutnan being can have.They are extremely loyal, they love you no matter what. They tryto make you feel better even when you are not in the mood, you canplay with them all the time etc.

On the other hand, for giving you so much, they have to getsomething back, namely your attention and care. They need to befed. washed, walked, taken to the vet's etc. and this is somethingyou have to do daily.

So, I wanted a dog badly, and, one day, a miracle happened. ltwas a cold rainy aftemoon and I was walking back form school. I

was all wet and frozen and I was hurrying to get home. Suddenly, I

heard a noise, like a baby crying at the corner of a little street. I gotcurious and I approached. There was a little puppy all wet, likemyself, trembling and whimpering. You can magine my happiness!I took it home immediately, bathed it and fed it.

When my parents got home, I was proud to show them I could be

a responsible person, too. They were amazed and finally ceded myappeals, allowing me to keep it. I named it Leah, after my favouriteheroine in Star Wars.

From that day on, Leah and I are inseparable. We share all myfiee time all my hopes and dreams, and all my solrows, equally.

That was the day when I became a truly responsible person and I

hope I will stay that way.

SUBIECTUL 5

Describe your pet.

Strangely enough, my best friend is not a person, but an animal,a little spotted dog, Cooky. He (because my dog is a he) is awonderful terrier found in the street. I remember that it was cold,rrnd he was lying there, almost frozen. I took him to the vet and heprescribed some pills and vitamins, as the dog was weak. Of courseI look the dog to my place and took care of him day and night.

Limba engle:d. 0ral

Step by step.the entire farnily fell in love with the little wonder.and we decided to keep hinr. I felt like a rescuer, and he felt it, too.Every day he seems to thank rne by doing all softs of tricks. WhenI get up in the rnorning, he cheers me up while bringing my slippersand newspaper. Then, jumping in my lap, he likes to nest there andlay his funny head on my arm. Then, it is the time for his walk inthe park. He knows it, so he brings his leash as if he were saying:"It's a beautiful shiny day, let's go out at once!" When I get backhome. after a day's hard work and I'm exhausted, he is the first towelcorne me and try to make me feel better. Still, the thing I

appreciate most is lris behaviour when I'm ill or sad. He rvould doanything to make me smile. If I do, he is the happiest dog alive.How could I not consider hirn my best friend if whatever he does isjust to help rne and make my day?

SUBIECTUL 6

Speak about your best friend.

When speaking about best friends, there are not'many choicesthat come to my rnind. Of course, I have rnany friends, and all ofthem have something that I appreciate a lot, but I cannot say that I

have many best friends.I know that this may sound like a cliche to you, but my best

friend is my rnother. She's been there for me since the day I wasborn; she is the one who knows all about me: rny joys, my fears, thestrongest and tlre weakest points of my character. She can understandall this and supports me unconditionally.

Whenever I feel sad or I have a problem and I don't know howto solve it. mom is there to comfort me. Or when I arn happy, sheis the first person I can share that witlr. My entire world is centredaround this wonderful woman.

Physically, I look very much like her: a tall and thin brunette withblue eyes. But her hair is short and straight, and she wears it with a

French fringe, while mine is long and curly. She wears glasses,which give her a bossy appearance. Her style is classic, nothingunusual or strange. She wears casual items of clothing which arewell cut and fit her very well.

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People who know her would say that she has a pleasant personality.and they can flnd a good piece of advice with her, whenever theyneed it. I can definitely say that, too. I know she is there for me andfor all the members of our family, as well.

From my point of view, she is the best example of someone whocan combine farnily and career extremely well. I've never seenanyone doing this so well before. One can say that this is hergreatest hobby, apart from travelling and going to the gym with herfriends. Unfortunately, this does not happen too often. Her workand her family take most of her time, and she tends to forget aboutherself She says that our happiness and smiles make her joy andsal isfaction.

If I am to continue speaking about her, I will probably never end,so I think I should stop here for the time being and close mypresentation hoping that one day, J can be like lrer.

SUBIECTUL 7

Speak about the last time you went to a disco or a party.

Both discos and parties are about having fun and sharing pleasantmoments with friends. Generally, these are moments to be treasuredand remembered for a long time.

If you decide, on the spot, to have fun together with your friends,you go to a disco. There you can find good music and the possibilityto dance a lot and spend your time in an entertaining atmosphere.

On the other hand, most of the parties are planned and organizedin advance and you know what the occasion is some time before,so you can get prepared for this.

I like going to discos, but I'm not a disco-girl. so I can't say forsure that I remember tlre last time I visited such a place. Yet, I cancertainly talk about the last party I had.

It was my birthday and ail my friends wanted to make me a

surprise, so they joined together at my place. It was somethingunexpected, I hadn't planned it in advance, but I guess this was thecharm and made it unforgettable.

As it was my birthday, there was plenty of food, cakes and drinkswaiting forthem. We turned the music on and, out of the blue...

I.imba englezd. Oral

there was a real party, and I was the star! lmagine how importantand happy I f'elt that day!

It wasn't a big party, there was no special place, fancy tables and

chairs, no formal dress, nor fireworks as this may have happened inan organized party. tt was only a small apartment, with just one bigtable and lots or regular chairs. my friends were dressed casually,

but the air was filled with joy and this was what mattered to us.

I had the time of my life together with my loved ones. We danceda lot and lcan say that,the small talk and jokes made everythingspecial. It was definitely my best party ever!

SUBIECTUL 8

Speak about the happiest day in your life.

Ever since I started to learn English I've heard so many thingsabout England, and especially about London, I've seen so manypostcards and slides, even documentary movies and I've read so

much about London and the royal farnily that it has become a

dream to see London with my own eyes.

This summer l've had the chance to fly to London due to apen-friend of mine who invited me to spend two weeks there.

The day I arrived in London was the happiest day in my life. Itwas like a dream come true.

Everything began at Heathrow airport where my friend was

expecting me. lt is one of the largest airports in the world and the

busiest in Europe. They say that every 45 seconds a plane takes offor lands here. Can you imagine that...!?

My friend and I met in the Arrivals Hall and we went by car to

her place. I could hardly believe I was in London.I saw Buckingham Palace and the change ofthe Royal Guards at

I l:30arn. Then we passed through Trafalgar Square and we went

and visited the National Art Gallery. This took us a lot of timebecause it houses an impressive collection of paintings - one of the

richest in the world.The next day we went to the British Museum where we could see.

among others, displays of vestigies from Egypt, Westem Asia, Greece

and Rome.

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I also visited St. Paul's Cathedral that irnpressed rne by itshngeness - it is the second largest cathedral in the world.

What was both impressive and arnusing was Madanre Tussaud'sWax Models Museumo where you can recognize a lot of famouscharacters in all possible fields politics. cinerna. literatrrre, music.sports etc. - and even take photos of and with them.

Of course, I saw the Tower Bridge, l0 Downing Street * theresidence of the British Prime Minister, Westminster Abbey andmany other place.

l-ondon is really worth seeing. My memories are so vivid that I

feel as if I were still there.I am very happy that I saw UK and, ofcourse, London. A piece

of my heart is still there...

SUBIECTUL 9

Choose a building you like and decribe it.

I will speak about a monument that I find impressive in the oldcentre of our town: the Black Church, which was brrilt around theyear 1380 and probably known. at that time, under the name of StMary's Church.

One of the oldest monuments in Brasov, this old Gothic churchstands as its symbol and testimony of the past. Dominating all theother buildings, it got its name the name the Black Church, afterthe great fire in 1689. It was then that the old walls got their tintby smoke and fire, which, otherwise, could not destroy its strongarchitecture.

Every year, the Black Church attracts many foreign touristscharmed by its majesty and history. What they find fascinating isits organ made up of 4000 pipes, which is amongst the greatest insouth-eastem Europe and renown for its wonderful sound. And onecannot talk about the organ ofthe black Church without mentioningits choir and its organ-playeg Mr Eckart Schlandt, famous all overthe world.

Apart from that, the pictures in the interior of the church arecxtraordinary especially those representing the Holy Virgin, Saint

Limba englezd. Oral

Katherine (with a wheel and a sword) and Saint Barbara (with atower). The Holy Virgin is placed between the two.

The most precious treasures of art in the Black Church are the

Anatolian carpets of the l Tth and l8th century. They form the richest

collection of this kind in all Europe. These carpets were given to the

church by native merchants and citizens. The diversity of motives

and the rich colours give a particular charm to the interior.The exterior shows all sorts of impressive columns, sculptures

and statues representing religious figures, such as Virgin IVIary'

little angels etc.All in all the Black Church is also known for its dimensions,

beiirg 89 meters long and 38 meters wide' This is the most importantgothic building we have in our country.

Taking all this into consideration, you can now understand why Ihave chosen to speak about such an important building. It is notalways impressive through its architecture, but it also represents.hundreds of years of history and art.

SUBIECTUL IO

Speak about your lhvourite actor/actress.

I have chosen to speak about Keanu Reeves, who is so differentfrom other actors, that people say it would not be an exaggeration

to say that he lives on another planet from the rest of us.

Born in Beirut in 1964,to a British mother and a Chinese-Hawaiian

father, Keanu (his name means "cool breeze ovei the mountains")

spent his childhood years in Australia and New York before his

mother eventually settled in Toronto after splitting up with her

husband. He had a difficult childhood, drinking heavily and partying

wildly while studying at the High School of Performing Arts in

Toronto. But he eveniually dropped out and began making TVCommercials for Coke and other products' At the age of 19, Keanu

decided enough was enough, packed up his car and drove to Los

Angeles, where he has lived ever since. His first serious movie was

"River Edge". Later that year he made his name as Ted in "Bill and

Ted's excellent adventure". Since then his most notable roles have

been as an FBI agent Shakespearean rogue in 'Much ado about

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nothing" and as a male prostitute in Gus Van Sant's "My own

private"tdaho", perhaps hii strongest performance to date' Recently'

i'r" *u, also hig'hly acclaimed for the part in "Matrix"'- Despite his ieputation of "sex symbol", he has only been linked

with few women.Wtrat t particularly like about this intelligent an! mysterious

actor is that he doesn,t believe in the material world where men and

*o*"n are trapped in the "reality" perpetuated by TV shows and

advertising. He remains aloof from it.tne que"stion of faith is important for Reeves' He is a searcher

and this quality prompted Bertolucci to cast him in "Little Buddha"'

Every diiectoi it"eu"s has worked with has sought to exploit the

etheieal quality of his physique, the innocence they see in him'

Keanu R."u", has an inner drive which impresses the directors

and appeals to the Public.

SUBIECTUL II

Describe an object in your house which represents you'

It is so difficult to choose one particular object in my house

which represents me. I consider that the entire house is centred on

ttre o*nei,s personality and all the objects in it reflect it in a certain

way.Fo-r example, the style and colour of the fumiture can speak about

the vision ind tastes of the people who live in it' Equally' the

fuintingr hung on the walls show another aspect of their perspnalities-'

tn m! "ur.,

I do not own a house entirely by myself' so what I

"u-r, ,uy for now is that my room reveals all about me' The style I

adopted is extremely simple and functional: a bed with blue covers'

because blue is myiavourite colour, a wardrobe, a looking glass' a

O"rt, u TV set ani of course, a computer' Judging -Uy th" pieces I

chose for my room, one can easily understand that this is my style'

Everything is simple and ordinary, like me'

If i am lo think-well, definitely my computer represents me' My

choice may seern strange to you, but you can imagine the personality

L have: I love technology and I try to keep up with it'

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My conrputer is the piece I use extensively when i stay in myroom. It is rny best friend, rny diary, my connection to the world,and my possibility to do my homework. I am a rather quiet person,and in this way, | find it easier to stay in front of my computer andopen up my heart.

If I want to finish a project for school, all I have to do is turn iton and write it immediately. lf I need to talk to my friends, a simpleclick will do. If I need a piece of information, the same simple clickdisplays it immediately in front of rny eyes.

As I am quiet and shy, the computer helps me communicate andmakes it easier for r-ne to socialize in my own style and rhythm. Itrepresents an entire universe which offers a multitude of choicesand possibilities to build a character. The music, movies aridinformation one can choose with the help of the computer says a lotabout one's personality and way of thinking.

In my case, the soul music, the psychological movies and goodcqmedies reveal a peaceful and quiet person. That is why thecomputer is the thing that best represents me.

SUBIECTUL I2

Speak about the way in which you celebrate your birthday.

My birthday is an occasion for me to meditate upon the passingof the years and to become more aware of the fact that every minuteof my life should be fully Iived and enjoyed.

Most of the time, my birthday is the perfect excuse for me tothrow a party. I love music, dancing and being surrounded by myfriends and family. I love entertainment and good time, having funand... opening presents. I must admit I love presents, too. And notonly getting them, but also giving. I adore making presents to mybeloved ones and most of all, I like surprising them... seeing thereaction on their faces.

And knowing this, my friends do the same with me: they like tosee how I look when I myself open presents!

Every year, for my birthday, I invite my friends over, and we havea party... if there's not room enough for all of us, we move

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downtown... But lthink this year. I will give this "tradition'up:I want something much smaller, no big pafties for now: definitely.I got older!

Party or no party, the most important thing is that my friends bewith me. No matter how and where we spend this day, where or ifwe dance, whether we enjoy ourselves or find ourselves lost in deepphilosophical discussions, my satisfaction is always the same: I amsatisfied with having banished once more time fear and lonelinesswhich tend to overwhelm me on mv birthdav.

SUBIECTUL 13

Describe your room.

I can say that my room is an ordinary teenager's room, reflectingmy personality and preoccupations. If you are to take a quick look,you could definitely say it really represents me.

I will begin by saying it is placed in a peaceful corner of myhouse, away from my parents' eyes! I'm only joking, but this locationconfers me peace and privacy, which I so much appreciate.

The furniture there is all white and blue, my favourite colours. I

wanted to combine the two, because one represents purity andsincerity, while the other one stands for serenity and tranquility.

An entire wall of my room is occupied by a huge wardrobe witha big mirrored door, meant to shelter all rny pieces of clothing. AndI have so many of them, as you have rightly guessed.

Another important piece of furniture is my bed with two smallside bed-tables on which you will always find some books, freshflowers, my sunglasses and the phone.

Next, you can imagine that a TV set could not miss from myroom. It is fixed up on the wall on a special device and when sittingcomfortably in my bed, I can watch my favourite movies until I fallasleep.

Of course, I cannot forget my desk on which my computerpresides, the piece I cannot live without. My computer is so dear tome that I may safely say that it has turned into one of my best friends.I spend hours on end working on it, listening to my favourite music,watching movies and revealing all my secrets to its electronic diary.

Limba englezd. Oral

To preserve the tone of the entire room' the window-sills are

white. while the curtains covering theur are very simple and bluish'

with darker hangings.Excepting some enlarged pictures of myself and the shelves full

"iu""{t """0 CDs, I haie no othcr ornaments in my room' I like to

keep it clean and simPle'

As you can grasp ,,o* *y description' my room is an ordinary

on", d*,'r" ti it it special, because I live in there'

. SUBIECTUL I4

Describe a habitual Saturday afternoon ofyours'

Saturday - the most expected day of the week' A day to rest and

,";k;;ilt ior the othei five days, wh.en you have to work' For me'

it is a day when I can afford to spend my. weekend the way I like'

a day when t puy ,no,"-utt*tion to my hobbies' without having the

feeling that I waste ;luabit hours that should be dedicated to

learning.First of all, on saturday I never wake up.early' If-it rains'. I even

*;k;il ";t tut", urorni noon' without thinkins of what I have to

do on that auy, r ,p"ira-;;Gr half an hourlust lying. in bed.

Eventually, I get out oiU"O and open allthe windows and have my

;;;;;G;ti.#"r. ortouttt, i oon't do that in winter! After cleaning

my room and having;;k;;t;; brunch' t o? II ytt{!t11.::i:l;;ili;;i" d;v when I do"' nothing' Nothing'constructrve'

fbr my future, anyway" ''"rrtitlng onirt. Tviet, I watch my favourite Drosrams'

Eventually, t contJc"i'm;;ti;t;; and we makE plans for the

*eekend, oi we just hang on logether' Sometimes we meet at my

pr".i. "t't"*e rriena;t uno we hive fun' We watch a movie' or we

play a game on "o*iuttt' Weathêr permittino' we so for a walk in

the park, or we gq downtown' Rarely 9o w"e 'pttid

out Saturday

ilt.,I;;;ltf". ?-rtlt only happeni on Saturdav night' because we

caii sleep more the next daY'

Indeed, weekend i;; il" thingl To rest after a week of hard

*;;kan; tension is somJthing everyone deserves!

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SUBIECTUL I5

Talk about a funny neighbour that you have.

I live in a very interesting neighbourhood with very sociable and

fascinating people. I love watching them. talking to them, attending

their parties and asking for their help or offering mine'I've been living here with rny parents since I was vas born, so I

can say that my friends are my neighbours and I hope that I willnever change them for otherS because in my opinion they are the

best neighbolrrs anyone can have.

All of them have sometlring special and all of them have theirhobbies, interests and funny personalities. But there is one that is

really interesting and funny. Actually, he is my next-door neighbour.

Our house is next to Mr. Petrescu, only one very small fence

divides our yard from his.

Every day when I go out he is in his small flower garden rnending

his flowers and he waves to me and asks me about a new filtn I'veseen because, I have io tell you that, we both enjoy very rnuch

watching movies. We can talk for hours and laugh remembering allthe funny scenes from different movies we've seen and discuss allthe interesting and unusual scenes.

ln winter, when it's really cold and so much stiow Mr. Petrescu is

enjoying spending time shovelling the snow and sometimes he isrnaking a snowman for his grandchildren who come to visit him forthe winter holidays. I love going out and helping him with the

snowman o'look" and we try to make a more interesting and hilarious

snowman every year. For example, last year we made a snowlnan

inspired from the main character of "Cloudy witlr a Chance ofMeatballs".

ln conclusion, I think all my neighbours are funny but Mr' Petrescu

i\ nly favourite.

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SUBIBCTUL 16

Describe the most interesting, funny and useful internet sites.

I must say I love the intemet. I think it is so very useful to goonline and spend time watching movies, listening to music, browsingfbr useful information or just relax playing a new and interestinggame.

I spend about two or three hours a day on the internet and I neverget bored searching for interesting things.

First of all, I must say that I use Google for searching all sorts oflascinating and useful information. I use Goagle because I find itvery clear and it also offering me the possibility of finding sites inRomanian and this is helpful especially if you need to find infomationin your native tong.

Another site I'm using is Yahoo. I love Yahoo because I can finda lot of information from different fields in here. For example, if I

want to find a new movie to watch I go on Yahoo Movies, if I wantto know more about music or listen to a new and interesting song I

go on Yahoo Music. There are also Facebook for socializing withmy fiiend, Messenger for chatting and so on.

One more site that I enjoy reading iswikiitedia.org.In here I canfind useful information about anything really from music to art,books and even science. What I really love about this site is that theinformation is well structured and I can go very quickly through it.Also, there is information in so many languages and that is verygood because for example if you need to know more about a person

and of course you speak more that one language, you can get

information from different sources on just one single site withoutthe hassle ofsearching in other places"

These are only few examples I can give regarding useful, fururyand interesting sites.

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SUBIECTUL I7

Talk about the ideal Romania. A country you would like tohappily live in.

I love my country. I think we are very lucky to live in here and

very unlucky at the same tirne. We have a beautiful country. Eventhough this may look like a clichd I know that this is very true. We

have mountains, we have meadows, we have wild goats, we have

bears, we have fields, and we have seaside, the Danube Delta and

so rnuch more. I could go on and on forever enumerating all thegreat things we have in this country. But still, we appreciate all ofthem so little. Why?

I don't know. Maybe because we got bored of them, because since

birth we've been having all of these and we got used to them. It's likehaving the same pair of shoes for a very long tirne and you just feel

like don't wearing them any more. This can be an explanation, butstill, there can be plenty rnore.

I would be very happy if people rediscovered all the beauties ourcountry has and try to show them to the world. We should be veryproud with everything we have and should be very happy andgraleful we have them.

If I were to change something in this country to make it a betterplace to live in I would firstly try to change the way Romanians see

their country, then I would change the way we behave towards ourcountry, since we hardly give a penny on it. All these being said Ithink it's a very lrard work to do these two tasks just to think furtherrnore. Let's start with these and then, we'll move forward.

SUBIECTUL 18

Talk about one ofyour favourite shows on TV.

I love watching TV. I spend enough time watching TV everyweek and | find it useful, relaxing or just a waste of time. Watchingnews on TV is useful because in my opinion we have to know ofwhat's going on in the word. Also, I believe that watching moviesor entertainment shows is funny and relaxing. We need to relax at

times also.

Limba englezd. Oral

One of the lnost interesting and funny shows on TV, for me, stillreurains "How lt's Made". I love this show because it's quite unusualjust to watch how things are done and, at the same time, we canlearn a lot about the world we live in.

Did you know that the show is actually a documentary programshowing how common, everyday items (including foodstuff likebubblegum, industrial products such as motors, musical instrumentssuch as guitars, and sporting goods such as snowboards) aremanufactured? There is always an offscreen narrator who explainseach and every process. Each show usually has three or four mainsegrnents. with each product getting a demonstration of about fiveminutes, with exceptions for more complex products. It's veryinteresting because you can see closely the process of fabricationfor interesting products, and you can be really amazed by the waytoo many stages items can go through to end up the objects weneed.

To sum up, I would say that there are a lot of TV shows worthwatching but we should be careful with using our time in a usefulmanner so that we try to leam every day something new and interesting.

SUBIECTUL I9

Talk about a country you would like to live in, besides yourown.

I love travelling. I love seeing new countries and understandingand learning about new cultures. This is why I would like to live fora few years in another country so that I can learn more about myselfand others- This is a good experience for us as social beings, forourgeneral culture and for our career.

The country I am planning to live in for a few years is America.Yes, America, the brave new world that can help anyone in seeingthe world with different eyes.

I've heard a lot about American culture, the way differentnationalities live in there and I believe I could fit in very well. I amstill to see ifl am right.

The city I am thinking about living in is New York. This is a verybig city with numerous possibilities and chances to find a new job

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very quickly. Even though it is not a very cheap city, I believe thatwith the money I earn I can set myself living comfortably enoughin there. I have no high hopes regarding accommodation. A roomwould be sufficient for me at the beginning.

This is my dream and this is the country I would love to live in.So, please, keep your fingers crossed for me!

SUBIECTUL 20

Talk about your highschool experience. Did you enjoyhighschool? Why or why not?

I am so close to graduation now that I can almost say l.graduatedfrom highschool. For me, studying at highschool was a great anduseful experience. Even though it was not easy I must say that therewere good times and bad times, difficult and funny moments.

During the school year we had to learn a lot, to study for bigmarks and that was not easy at times, it would be exhausting anddifficult. But we managed to move forward, learn, and pass theexams with good, not so good and very good marks.

Still, besides learning I had a great time with my friends. I havenow a lot of friends, close and good ones that I've made in highschool.I am so grateful for them. Because of them my tife was easier, moreinteresting and funnier, and because of our friendship we managedto go through difficult exams. That's because we've been supportingeach other at all times.

At iveekends, in the sllmmer holiday we went on trips, we wentcamping or by train, to the seaside. We used to sing, have fun, eatiunk food, drinkfizzy drinks and go late to bed.

All in all, my highschool experience made me what I am now.I've become a more responsible person (l don't take decisions onthe spot, but I think carefully and not only about myself but thepeople around me as well), a more interesting person (l rememberlhe time my two best friends and decided to get ourselves a tattooon the left hand), a more reliable person (whenever my friends needrne I am there for them helping with whatever they need).

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SUBIECTUL 21

Talk about something interesting you sa\ry in the street.

I love walking, especially in summer, when the weather is nice,when it's warrn and the wind blows just enough to give you a littlebit of chill.

In summer people are more relaxed, happier, and joyful. They areusually on holiday and don't take things too seriously.

Last summer I was also on holiday and I was walking by a riverin a big and beautiful city and on the promenade there were a lot ofstreet performers that were entertaining the walkers by. They werecolourfulles dressed and everybody was looking at them in awe.

I remember seeing at that particular time all sorts of characters,from the tin-man to some weird animal. They were dressed as their,probably, favourite characters in books and movies. Tliey had allsorts of crazy hats, magic wands, and weird pets to complete theirlooks. It was an image to remember. Some ofthem sat still for minutesin a row not even blinking with their faces painted in beautiful colors,sorne of them were having a whole show put together while otherswere resting.

All the people gathered in front of them laughing, singing withthem, watching them carefully and of course taking pictures... a lotof pictures.

That day was a very interesting one for me because as that wasnot a theatre not even an organized activity, people gathered aroundand participated in this show.

This was one of the most interesting things I have ever seenhappening in the street.

SUBIECTUL 22

Speak about the holiday you will always remember.

I have always loved summer, because it is the time of travels forme. It's a time for discoveries and fun and a wonderful occasion forbuilding long lasting memories. Such an occasion was the summer

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holiday I've spent two years ago. when, for the first time in my life,I hadJhe chance to_go o.n carnI with my school_mates. I was ,i" ,",own for the very first time, without any of my relatives to tell mewhatlo do and especially. not to do! It was quite an experience. Nobed time restrictions, nobody to tell rne to ilean ,"y ;;,;, ;;;;homework, cut the lawn, wilk the dog... but this freedom *urnit*..".:? gi":r thing about the .urp.-Not at ail. The ,"fution.frijDetween lne and my classmates got better. We were doing everythingtogether. EvgVdaV we were downtown or on the U.i.f-r, fiu"i"!s,un-baths,.playing volleyball or other funny games, swimming iithe sea...-in the evening we were still full ot-"n"rgy, so the Jiico_clubs were the places where we were dancing all-night. When wefelt like staying in, we were talking about ourselves, our work.dreams, or we were organizing small parties inside the carnp. It wasour opportunity to make new friends and also to get to knowourselves. And, of course, to taste the freedom of wha-i we were tobecome...

SUBIECTUL 23

Whal is your favourite computer game? Give reasons foryour choice

I,like playing computer games. They help me relax after a longand difficult day. The computer gatn-es I iove are hidden objeclgames. Further, I will tell you about my two favourite games. '---."Mystery P'1. - The Lottery Ticket" is my favouritJtraditional

hidden object game. This onehas great pictures to search through.

'vith tons of hidden items. It has a medium rever of difficurty. Irfras. few side games, which are all pretty straightforward. While solvins

the mystery you get to unlock the -.,unliriited

,."k,, uJ th;{;;rnode" wlere you get to find all of the objects in each of thepictures..l've played through this one many times. I also had a lotti1'fun with thesecond game in the series, "'ihe vegas Heist'," I haverrot yet played the newest ..Mystery p.l. game, The New yorkliortune". I hope it lives up to its predecessois!

My second favourite hidden object game, ..yard Sale Hiddenlreasures: sunnyville", was fun, but, un-fortunately was too strort.

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Limba engle:a. Oral

The basis of Hidden Treasures is that you are trying to decorate a

house with items found in yard sales. Many of the iterns need to be

refurbished, which is done in several simple mini games' I finishedit in a few days.

These are the computer games I like. I am really anxious to go to

the next quest ofhidden objects.

SUBIECTUL 24

What do you think about YouTube? Do you have a favouritevideo that you watch?

In love surfing the internet. I love finding new and interesting

things on the internet that I can watch and send to my friends'There are so many interesting sites that show funny movies and I

love watchitrg them and finding out what people do to entertain the

others.One complex internet site that presents all sorts of movies is /oar

Tube.You Tube is very easy to use. lf you have a Google or a Yahoo

account you can sign in with that email account and you can watch

all sorts of funny, useful and weird movies. You Tube videos are

divided into categories so yotl can watch whatever you are interested

in. The categories are,: Autos & Vehicles, Comedy' Education,

Entertainment, Film & Animation, Gaming, How to & Stzle, Nusic,

News & Politics, Nonprofits & Activism, People & Blogs, Pets &Animals. Science & Teclrnology, Sports, Travel & Events, Shows,

Movie, Contest and Events. I like this division because in this way

I can find easier what I am searching for.

As for my favourite video, I love watching movie trailers and

every time I find out about a new movie I check the trailer on You

Tube to see if I like it.

I cannot say that I have a favourite You Tube video' | fifrd new

and interesting ones every daY.

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SUBIECTUL 25

Did you like your teachers? \irhat teacher did you tike best?

Looking back at allmy school years I can say that I.ve spent a Iolof time at school with rny teachers, maybe sometinres more timetlran I spert with my parents at home. I irad a lot of teaclrers: nice,funfy, old or young. I can definitely say that t I.u-"J i.o- .u"r],teacher that I had throughout tirne.

..ln my opinion, the bJstquality a reacher should have is to likehis or1rer job. If you are happ;- with your work it is easier to makethe others like it as well. When you h.u, a teacher passionatelyspeaking of a subject he is teaching, it catclres your attention andrnakes you also interested in that su-biect.

I remember my history teacher from the gth grade. Our teacherrvanted us to like history and not just learn datJs and events. Sheknew how to make us understand ihat behind any lristorical .uenithere were people who put most of the times their Iiu", in Ounj"r iomake important things happen. We used to watch and listen io hertelling us the stories of our wonderfur heroes with our eyes wideopen and we learned so many extraordinary things frorn fr"r.

"tr totally believe tlrat she was the best teacher I have ever had and

I know that we all have a teacher like Mrs. Tanase.

SUBIECTUL 26

Speak about your family. Do you have any trrothers or sisters?

I.am really happy with my family. We are a big and loud familyrrnd we get along very well.

I have one brother uld _g!. sister and my parents love us equally

rrnd we love them back. We spend a lot bf time together una *.rrcver get bored. We travel a lot. At the weekend, in iu**"r *" !oto the countryside to enjoy the.fresh air and play all ,o.t. of gu*J..Irr winter we go skating or skiing and we have lots of fun.

My brother is the oldest so he is always teaching me how to skate,rr ski or.how to play badminton. He definitely thinks that I can dolrctter. I knoq but, at times, I am really lazy and I don,t feel like

Limba englezd. Oral

playing so seriously. He is a severe person even though he is justtwo years older than me.

My sister is the youngest and she is only ten, so I sometimes amthe boss of her as my brother is the boss of me. She has to listen tome otherwise her life is not easy most of the time.

I\4y parents try to keep us happy and teach us to be good to eachother. We do our best and we enjoy all the time we still have to betogether because soon we'll be on our own feet and lead our ownlives.

SUBIECTUL 27

Flave you got a hobby? ls having a hobby useful?

I might say that learning English has started as a hobby for meand I am really happy that, l've developed this hobby.

For rne, watching movies, listening to music or reading all sortsof interesting articles on the internet were just hobbies. Later, Irealized that my English has improved and I can understand easierwhat actors say in movies without using Romanian subtitles, or thelyrics of the songs I like. All this have led me to the conclusion thathobbies can be useful.

I must say that hobbies are important and we should all havehobbies. As Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's "The lmporlance ofBeing Emest" said, we "should always have an occupation of somekind".

I know that I have to do more'to speak good English. I have totransform my hobby into a serious activity. I am planning for nowto learn more grammar. Knowing all the grammar theory is noteasy, but in order to be a good English speakeq I have to work onmy grammar. lt is not an easy job but not that difficult either. I amalso planning to start reading small books that can help me with myvocabulary.

Speaking is also very important and this is why I am planning totravel to an English speaking country to combine another hobby ofmine, travelling, with improving my English.

In conclusion, hobbies are useful because you can alwaystransformyour hobby into an activity that can help you in life.

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SUBIECTUL 28

Speak about a colleague ofyours that is very funny.

I enjoy spending time with my colleagues at school and outsideschool. I am so happy that I have great friends at school and greatcolleagues. We've been together for almost four years now and Iam so sad that we won't be together after the graduation.

We've spend so many merry time, together and I will alwaysremember laughing all the crazy things we did.

We all have our different and fascinating personalities. We arehappy, smaft, funny, interesting people. But one of us, the one thatkeeps us together and the one that has the most interestins andfascinating personality is our very funny colleague Robert.

He always has a smile on his face, he is always jolly. Wheneverthere is some tension in our group he comes with a prank or with ajoke and we all relax and laugh.

Nobody can be sad or serious around him. He always has somethingamuing to say to make you smile.

Robert is not only funny, he also has a good heart, he is verygenerous with everyone and he always help us.

These are the reasons why I am voting for Robert as the funniestand the most extraordinary colleague.

SUBIECTUL 29

Describe your best friend's family.

. . M.y 9.?, friend is Andrei. He is tall, with big brown eyes and short

black.hair. We spend every day together, studying and having funat each other's home. I have been to his place so many times ihat I

\1o_w hi9 family very well now. Andrei comes from a large family.He has three brothers and one sister.

As he is the youngest in the family, his grandparents and parentslove him very much.Andrei's parents are both economists. They arevery hardworking people that have always tried to do their bestl'or the wellbeing of their children. The children have alwaysunderstood their parents'sacrifice and respect them so much moretbr that.

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I really like and respect Andrei's family, all of them being rolemodels for me because they stay together and respect each other atall times and this, for me is the image of a real family.

I love Andrei's grandparents. They are very kind and generousold people. Whenever I visit them, they make some dessert for me.I think Andrei is very lucky to have such a loving family.

SUBTECTI.JL 30

Speak about your favourite advertisement/s.

Some people like advertisements, others don't. I, for one, amsomewhere in between. I can't say I don't like advertisements but Irarely watch them on TV.

Some ads are only made for people to see the products and theirqualities, not for the fun of watching them. As it is, it can be boringsometimes iust to watch the differcnt presentations of some products,that you've actually seen for a million times before.

The commercials that I like are those that have a story that youcan remember and laugh at on the bus or tell the story to yourfriends.' I always laugh remembering the Coca Cola commercials. I lovethose with the body parts that are quarrelling over the Coca ColaZero taste. All those creatures are really funny.

Other commercials that I love are those for Schweppes drink. Thestories are interesting, always with a twist. The characters are so

funny and memorable. You can see that the cornpany has investedmoney not only in the presentation of the product, but in creativityas well.

Commercials are more that a simple presentation of a product butcompanies really needs to invest a lot of money in order to make a

commercial that sells the product and not just a commercial.l'll keep watching commercials and I hope to see more and more

interesting presentations and stories.

L--

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30 DE SUBIECTE DE TIP II cSUBIECTUL I

Does modern technology make life more convenient or waslife better when technology was simpler? Give reasons for youranswers.

In my opinion modern technology is very useful. It helps us sovery much in our everyday activities. Using mobile phones we canphone our friends and family to talk to them, see how they are

{gring the day, and ask for their help in any situation. I,m onlythinking how life was before the rnobile phone has become s-opopular. lt was difficult to talk to someone, to go to a pay phonewhich was sometimes not so easv to find.

Another means of communicaiion is the internet. Today it is soeasy-to talk to people who are far away from you, in another city,in a different country. You just download skype or yahoo Messensirand there you are... face to face with someone you haven't seen'ina long time. But the internet is so much more than communication.Th.e internet is keeping up to date to the world's issues (joys, wars,holidays... major events), is finding information about ali sorts ofthings. Working on a project for school is not as difficult as wasonc.e. Now, you just Google the information and there you are,finding a lot of different sources for your project. Of course, theinternet is very useful, but there are drawbacks. Sometimes, peoplefbrget there is a world outside their computer screen. There are r-ealpeople they can communicate with, face to face. The internet canalso be very dangerous for children who begin using it at a veryyoung age forgetting how to play outside the house.

I remember someone saying. "We had no electricity for about two.hours a few days ago and I went to make toast not realizing Iactually... couldn't because I had no power." We depend so much-ontechnology to breathe fresh air, to eat, to drink, to keep warm orcold, to travel, etc. lf there were no electricity for a week, whatwould happen to us? We hardly ever cook... we eat precookedrneals that we put in the microwave, we drink juice that ii squeezed

Limba englezd Oral

in a juice squeezer, we drink coffee made in an espresso machine'

unA *. eat iandwiches made in a sandwich maker'

we are now at the point where we depend on technology very

much and this is helping us and is miking our lives :o ,*r1:h,itpt", and easier especiilly when we know how to use it' In the

puti p""pf" used to ,p"nd *uy much time trying to fo 1na1i".rr",ir"gv does for us ioday. Wbre they happier' .ult.

*" napnifrl

It's a difficult answer to ait but what we should know is that

,"nuiOt"., the technology we are still human beings and we should

trf and be ourselves as much as we can'

SUBIECTUL 2

We tend to become addicted to computers' Is this addiction a

g";J;;i;g or should we be more suspicious of its benefits?

People love the new technology that evolves so quickly nowadays'

Everywhere we go we "un

,"" idu"rtisements to the latest personal

computer, laptop or mobile phones that have almost all the

characteristics of a PC.- Gr, *" are becoming overwlteltningly.addicted to colnputers

because they make outliu"t so much easier' Having a computer

helos us with our homework, for instance' lf I am a student' for

;;p1", i "rn

i" ".to

of writing an essav' a report :l:f TIl19 ,1

presentation for a particular subject matter' so that I can presenl lI

to the teacher in a proper lnanner' but, at the same time' I may use

the computer to pliy games or chat with friends' a's'o'

It's true, ,o*"tir*r-*e have to spend a lot of time in front of a

;il;;;;;;ur. *" have to find infonnation fortasks or assignments

*" t uu" at school and this can take time because' on the internet'

*".un find a lot of things and it surely is difficult to choose from

between one thing and another'--But sometimeslbetween the moment we search for infon-nation

anO itre *riting itself, one of our friends can tell us via'the messenger"

in"t fr. has jist discovered a new game and he is sending it to- us so

*" rn"y iw'i, as well. Aiift"t morient we leave the p1pe1 aside and

;; iln; gu*., of "ourse,

and we find out it is quite.interesting'

36.'untir *"iue t ittea att the monsters ir is almosr midnight and the

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fcrllowing day we have to wake up at six to go to school. The next

day the same thing rnay happen. And the situation may keep

repeating again and again... In this respect, addiction is harmfulnot only in itself, but as distraction and time-eater, as well.

To draw a line between necessity and addiction may be very

difficult. especially if we talk about something that is not at allharmful from the beginning as alcohol, cigarettes or drugs are.

We can properly enjoy technology as long as we think that

computers are useful to accomplish one particular task, find some

more advanced information than we have in our school-books, but

we should also remember that there should also be a time for goingout, for spending time with friends, riding bicycles or read a good

book someone has recommended to us.

SUBIECTUL 3

Do you agree with the idea that children should be raised bytheir grandparents?

Parents are - or should be - the most important persons in theirchildren's lives. They become role-models for their off-springs and

they shape their children's personalities in the long run-

Liut, sometimes, being a parent proves to be very difficLrlt. In the

past years in our country was hard to find a well-paid job and thisis the reason why parents either found work in another toron orabroad. This is the reason why they had to find someone to look

after their children who needed a stable environment to grow up in.

Under these circumstances, parents rightfully consider that the most

reliable persons to bring up their kids are grand parents. In this way,

children move in with grandparents who try, for a long or shortperiod of time to replace the parents.

Whether it is right or wrong that children are raised by grandparents

is diffrcult to say. That depends on the circumstances and the

outcome of each and every situation. Though, it is much better that

parents raise their son or daughter. Why is that?Because, sometimes, grandparents tend to spoil too much the

child, either being over-permissive with them, or by overwhelmingthem with too much affection trying to replace the emptiness lefl'bythe parents' departure.

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. Another problem raised by the substitute_parents is that the gapbetween generations is twicl wiaer thisli;;,';;;ir';;;';J;.irreconcillble problems. Forêxample. tte ZOOO,s h"; ;;";;;"totally different view on life than that of tfr"i, pu.*E;; ;;;,nothing about that of their grandparenrs,who surery il rt iim*r,to adjust to these new tirnes *eiur" living, to the new t."'noiogy,lifestyle, and needs of rhe young.t"rr..aii irri.

""" i;;;Hii;,giving too much freedom toiheirlrana_Oaugl.rter ",

gr;;l;, ";;"isolating him/her too much. In- the end this I"""or l" it."""arguments between tlrem, arguments that may degenerate i;;;;:

1y1els and end up !n children's losing tlrei, U.urlils. Wfrl"f,r *"V,con-sequently, lead to drug consuming,iunning a*uy-fro, horne, orfi ndi ng untrustworthv friinds.Parents, on the othir hand" because they see their chirdren not aso.ft"l ul they would Iike, don,t understanl their real tili;;;il,similarly, tend to offer too much affection uni "o,"#;-#;;;il*Igh, in their opinion, can.replace parentar presence.of course. srandoarents are great peopre una th"y can definitervraise a child-properly but, i"-rv"Jpi"i"" li i. #".ili"#';;

children live witlitherr parenrs

SUBIECTUL 4

Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence ofworldwide improvements in the standard of living. Dii;";;. "-

The environment suffers because of the growth of the population.There are so many oeople living in urba, Ir"u, f ut.ty, Ui!Jii;;;;;l_,F:.:11.9

brggei "u"t

aay. ee"opie-i""riA., _ sometimes starringIl:l yl9"g assumptions - thamhey need more things to ,uf.. ifr"l?rves.easler, more comfortable or more pleasant.

For example, we watch, ol.f[ "u"ry

huy .ommercials that try topersuade us to buy new appliances foi oui hor., new gadgets forour_computers, new and more comfortable cars. But wha't Oo'*a Oowith all the ord stuffthat we.don't n""o uny-r.ngerz werr, we migirithrow them away not realizingthat thus ,i.'"urr" huge damage tothe environment.w"

|?-u".lg go shopping at the new, big and welcoming supermarkets ,or malls. We buy so many products a-t once. We putit e'm iil;;

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shopping bags we get for free at the checkout. But what we don,trealize is thar all rl1r1 n1u1,5^t ug, J.rirof rhe environmenr becauseit takes between 20,and.I,000 lears foitt,"lrr to break down andthey may float and bJow long dil";;;;,uting the environment.By their presence in the air, ;",h.;;illr in rhe soil, may chokesufrbcate, and cause. intesiinal bl";G; i;';;;;[";7#:i".;:?:llj.T5

birds, fish, whales, irni"!-u"a many other iiuingBecause we want to. improve our living standards we use theearth's resources too quickly, too fasi a,rJ rolr"tir". on ,nn"."r.urythings. Cars consume too rnuch gur; horn. uppliances consulne toomuch electricitv.We cut down the forests that need thousands of years to growback, and the worst part is that we Oon;t try to f.ind _ quickly :

lliigl_ ways ro. replace every source oi"n"rgy we consume. Weoon'r even care about at the tiees we cur and;;"". thi;kJ" pr"",new ones, destroving our source ofclean air and oxygen. '- r'--'

Pollution is one oithe main factors r# j"*.oy our environment.This is all.due to grobar industriariiati"". eig industriarists don,teven consider closing down or, at least, chinge ,h";;;";;"technologies they use. rhey.do.not inu"riiu,t, of their benefits forresearches to cut down pollution. ffre stJps _ rarely taken _ are,unfortunately, not fast enough ror trr. urr"uiy over-poruted cities orregions of the earth.

We should be more aware of the way in which our actions affectthe environment. We should, atso, tryiottlinf ,f.,u, there are futuregenerations to come after us, anA iney also need to enjoy their livesas much as we do.

SUBIECTUL 5

which place wourd you prefer to rive in: a smail town or a bigcity?

Living in a small rg*l if quite pleasanr, everybody knowsev:rybody, you breathe. fresh air, and y; h;;n a safer environment.But I would never chang",y torrrio. a smaff place. Why do IIove my town, Brasov, so mucli?

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Limba englezd. Oral

Because whenever I want to have a good time I have severalplaces to choose from. I never get bored because every time I rnayselect a different place and make new friends from among people Ihaven't met before. And this is great. I even meet tourists that cometo my city because they love the history and the landscapes of theregion.

ln winter, my friends and I use to go skating and skiing and havea lot of fun; in summer, spring or autumn we ride our bikes, go tothe movies or - very frequently, enjoy trips in the mountains orwalks in the nark.

Another reason why I love my town is that I have many placeswhere I can go shopping. Lately, several malls have been built inthe city with movie theatres where I can go with my friends andhave a great time watching the latest movies sitting in comfortablechairs.

My city is also a beautiful old fortress that once was surroundedby defense-walls and towers that protected it against the enemies.In smaller places * be they towns or villages - you cannot find somany beautiful buildings, monuments and that much history as youcan find in a city like mine. There are so many history lessons I canlearn just from my everyday living in this interesting city that hasgrown so much lately.

ln our city we have an Opera House, theatres, skating-rinks,tennis, basketball and football courts and some swimming pools,the new Aqua Park for those who enjoy practicing different sports,both outdoors indoors, all around the year.

Brasov also hosts a well known international music contest calledthe "Golden Stag", that is organized every summer, and the mosti mportant nati onal Contemporary Theatrical Performance Festival.lmportant jazz concerls are held here, as well al the Ethnics Festival'Etnovember'.

Another thing that I like about my city is that, in summer, thereare organized many rock concerts in the Council Square, which isa beautiful square located in the old city centre. There are manyfamous singers and bands that come and play here and this is greatbecause I don't have to travel to other cities to see my favouriterock bands or find entertainment.

These are just some of the reasons I like living in a city, the cityI grew up in.

L-- --

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SUBIECTUL 6

What is your opinion about the way in which movies andtelevision influence people's behaviour?

Since 1895 when the Frenchman Luis Lumiere invented the firstmotion picture calnera, more than 100 years have passed. Themovie industry has evolved, becoming one of the most popularmeans of entertainment. Throughout the time, different topics werethe viewer's favourites. frorn great books, to war stories, sciencefiction,movies, and many others. The movies changed with theviewers'tastes and the industry developed very much. Most of themovies people watch nowadays are made by the biggest "industryof dreams" called Hollywood. Nowadays there are rnovies madefor children, for teenagers, for gown ups, for the whole farnily andfor every age.

In my opinion, children are the first affected by what they see onTV in cinemas or on DVD. They are too young to understand thedifference between reality and fiction, and, sometimes, mix thesetwo up. In children's movies there is a lot of violence. The heroesfight for rights, territories, in the name of a greater good. Childrenidentify themselves easily with all sorts of characters and end upcopying their behaviour, fighting with the colleagues at school.hitting them or behaving badly at home with parents.

But this does not only happen with children; teenagers and grownups are equally exposed to the danger of copying their models fromthe small or big screen. Teenagers start smoking easier if one oftheir idols is srnoking; similarly, they may start drinking alcohol iftheir hero gets drunk. Many teenagers, especially girls, this time,want to copy the stars'appearance and try to lose weight ending upwith serious diseases like bulimia.

Whether we watch TV or movies is one and the same thing. Wecan watch on TV or on DVD, the same movies we watch at thecinema. And furthermore, on TV there are a lot of channels dedicatedto children entertainment and many shows or cartoons; some ofthem are quite harmful in themselves, others become harmful bymeans of the unhealthy habits they bring about. For example, thereare children who spend too much time in front of the TV and so

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rheyrose:":,1.:^::lnJ:il,iJi:::'Ji*",:,ffi T::;'$:,'::'ficonfidence. and soclal

the long run.ln my opinion parents should be very cautious and look after their

children, encourage tt"*'i" "t"fte friends' and restrict drastically

their time in front or*,1'iv"r"','lrr"y ,r,ouro be those who drag the

voung ones from 'r't"

**ia oi'un"'utitti" dreams to firm ground'

Lif" l, not always u iv 't"'o*

and we must not remain passive

viewers. We have to *unt'it't most of our qualities and the time

given, we have a Outy'tJou"tlves to live our own lives and not the

olhers'!

SUBIECTUL 7

What is better: to enioy your môneY when you earn it or to

save it for some time in the futurer

But again, when we are young *'t n:"d a lot of things that we

consider of utmost ffi;"t:: it ttte beginning' for later on to

,"utli"they are nothine but trifles'

Therefore, "u"n

ttl'*3 ffi'"tintu,tl]3* we end up thinking it

is not enough and we snohi make additional work to have more

money so we can buy everything we need' Probably people are

t'#'l]/hil; *i'r' tr'"ii salary because nowadavs we have to buy so

much. There u'" 'o 'iunf'tii'ng'

*t l'tuve neveithought about in the

past and now we have got to have tnem'

Moreover, tt''t'" 'ui'ttJo ";;;y

places to visit' holidays at the

seaside or to exotic lo"'iitt to make' new clubs and restaurants to

go to. For all these ;;:;;;;ney' so' how can one possibly save

money? or, better th;;;oney is.there to be saved when our

salary is hardlv htl;l;;;^;; t*p itpwith our pressing wishes and

d'f#:;dlv, people think - especiallv -wyl"t"^T:;J*xt"l1'

save money? Th"y;iiil;"e enough time to save money when tney

are older. because tffi iltv ;;;;t"need so many th]n^g-s:'?Y:':ltt't

a wrong assumpti;;;Lt*i'9t our needs--sometimes grow with the

age. We g., **i"i, t'uu" children' our expenses grow and sometimes

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it is more difficult to put money aside.wlren we are older' And'

again, we need to ,uu"!"onty for ttre children' for their education'

for their needs.^-i;;t lpinion we have to think about saving mgne/. even srnce

we start working. We can make a life insurance or a health insurance'

save money into u p,iuui" pension account or just put a.sum of

;";t into a bank u'"*unt' in this way' whenever we need money

*" ttio* that there is a place we can go and eet it'

There are moments intur lives when we nt*td *on"y and even ifwe are old oryoung *" ftuut to think aboutthose"moments and' I

believe, it is very ur"rut to have an account for "the rainy days"'

SUBIECTUL 8

Do you agree or disagree yitl :h: following statement?

Grades (maitrs) encourage students to learn'

In my opinion grades are important for theschool system because

in this way a studeniknows how rouch information acquires in a

certain amount of time" fr4arks ar" those that tell parents if their

child leams enough. *n"n *" graduate from high-school and want

to aoplv for a iob or consider u'niversity admittance' our marks can

prou. to be extremelY imPortant't'S"*" *i"ersities giu" *u"ft consideration to high school record

when it comes to in t6e admission process. All these aspects should

;;i-be;i;tarded bv high-school students or sraduates'

Marks or grades u'! u""ty important lqYuduyt not only in school'

but also for our rutuie' siJ"ii" should be vlry pro.ud when they

eet a high mark, andlalso stroutd try and work harder when their

iiarks aie not as high as they should be''^riigtt

gt"oes givE more ielf-esteem and make you feel more

confident in your iO.ut, unO tftoughts' It's easier to talk if you know

;h"t;;;;;; ;ppt..iu[a' io-"tifitt students who get poor marks

don't believe that much in themselves and are afraid to express

il.it "O"i""s

for fear that what they say may be wrong or inaccurate'

Poor grades can be i'"ttf"i "ta' iomltimes' students-even e1d yn

hating one particular t"Uj"tt-*itter just because ofthe grades he

has sot.

Limba engle:a. Oral

Of course, sometimes, students say that teachers are sr-rbjectiveand they get rower rnarks then they deserve and decrare that rnarksdo not reflect their k'owledge. tndled marks can be suulective ontywhen we think that we are all hrmuns, we have gooO and bad days.This is the reason why probably once at one particular test we cando well because we feel well and, sbmetimes, we don,t. There aretopics that we enjoy learning and topics we don,t, and this ."R."1,into our marks or grades.

In my opinion, high grades should not be the main motivation fora student in the learning process. We should not learn i"G;;;;;,we should learn for ourselves. for our future. Only if *e lJarn ;nschool we will have enouglr knowledge to herp us in rire *g;l;;;of what domain we are going to *ork.-in.

SUBIECTUL 9

If you could go back to some time and place in the past, whenand where would you go?

If I were to traver in the past I wourd be very curious to visit theRoman Ernpire. The Roman Empire was one of the rnost p";;rfr;empires in history. The Romans iucceeded in not only .onqr"rinl,butalso civilizing an important part of their-known world.

The Rornans built the first roads to help their big army to move.The Romans had a big army which was very well organized inlegions and auxiriaries. The ui,y *u, serisumcient rru"riJ oo"tlr.,aids, cooks, everything needed ln order to function prop""rty on-itown during military expeditions.The city of Rome stiri witnesses disprays of buirding, architecturar

and artistic skills embodied in structrr", lik" Colurina fruiuni o,the Colosseum.

^ The latter huge architecturar masterpiece was built to feed theRomans' thirst fot blood. Gladiators fought one another for theirIives and, sometimes, they had to fight ufuinrt animals too. In theColosseum, you could waich boxing-"rut"i"r, archery_tournaments

and chariot races. There were arso sea batties in which case thewhole Colosseum was flooded.

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The Roman housesrvere.g,:i,lli$i*"tty from one anorher, accordingto their respective o-wner's social ani financial statr-rs. The richlived in the so called. .Oo,rur;, *niih"*"r" spacious houses withb"eautiful gardens' whirst the"p";;";;J'in flats, in buirdines of:i;:."r

more storeys, which *"." ""rj"r,nall, made of wooi.and

Another interesting aspect of the Roman way_of living is playedby the earing habits-orin, R;;;;.:."Th"y cooked meat, fish andeggs. They atso are a lot of r..rr, rruitûni,r.J"i"Ul". '[";;ilr,pears, apricots, tumips, carrots, coriander ano asparagus, which leadsus to the conclusion they used t" fr"r" . Jornpt"t. and healthy diet.Romans spoke Latin,

""0 """ryrfr.# the Romans went andwhatever place thev.conquered rhey imposect their.language and.subsequentry' rheir curture and civirizatiJn. r rrat is rhe reason whyso many of today's \omance tunguug"r-a"veloped from it: Spanish,French, portugulse, Romanian. E1.;,;;,,uges of Germanic orisi;as English is, for example,

"oltuin *""V'i"ii" words: colloquiu;_a,addendum-a, sanatortum_a etc.

The Latin literature is as exrraordinary as the empire itself, andremained as a proof of what "" ".ir#iiiury p"opt" the Romanswere. Ler us just to remembe, th. f;;;;; works of Aeneas, or,"Metamorphoses". Julius C;;;";b ;il""i*f," Gallico,, or publiusOvidius Nassob,.Odes,,.

For me, the Roman Ia n d r wo u r d d;; iilT,?l:",f iffn",ffi TiJ""",j;H:::

c i v il izati on

SUBIECTUL IO

,- I"l Y:: t,t" opportunity to visit a foreign country for rwoweeks. Which country wouio you like to visit?

The country I would like to visit is Australia. The country Down,Y""L:: i: a beautifut qrace to yfiJ, r U"ll",r.,'r:.rt of all because ofrts warm and nice climate. which ,ute. it so different from ourcounrry. Australia has beautiful beaches wtrere't .an;;;;;;,;;*and.surfing but not only that.

what is really extraoidinary aboutAustralia is its wildlife. Thereare over 500 national parks on tf.,. .ontinent. The scenery is

. Limba englezd. Oral

extraord_inary. I love swimming and I would really love tb go andsee the Great Barrier Reef that was exprored by the capt4in pJtr.r.,and,which holds a great variety of swimming creatures like: greenturtles, whales and dolohins.

Anotherthing I reaily want to see is the koala bears. They are themost popular animals on the continent and they are so nicg cuddlyand lovely.-Together with the koara I want t-o see the kangaroosbecause, I think, they are so interesting and strong anirnals.

on our continent it is difficult to seJail the animars and fish andbirds that live in Austraria, and I believe it's a great opportunity togo and. enrich my knowledge of wilcllife on one of the rnostinteresting continents on Earth.

. A clty I would like to visit in Austraria is Sydney where there arebeautiful beaches, but I arso can enjoy a lovely time if r decide totake the ferry.from Sydney l.{arboui and unwind on a touety

"iuir"vessel and sail around the harbour.

. The. city of Sydney is very cosrnopolite and very modem inits architecture. The skyscrapeis in the business district, ttre amazinlSydney. Opera House, the impressive Bridge wnicn is il ;?Australia's symbols and the Sydney Olympic park. .

All in all I would love to go and visitAustralia some one day, andmany other countries, to see the beauties our planet t",u. to o#.i

SUBIECTUL II

, State your opinion about the negative aspects of using theInternet.

The Internet can be very usefur for finding information for work,school or fun. There are many positive ispects of the interneibecause the internet has helped us a lot in improving our Iives- grithe internet may also have maior disadvantases.

For example, if I want to, write an essay 6r school, I go onlineand,Ggogle for the information I need. Bui I have to be veiy carefulwith the information I'm choosing because on the intern"t ,Ju.ryon"can post whatever information-they want, be it frue ", i"i;;,accurate or inaccurate in good faith or in ill_faith.A positive aspect of the internet that can become negative is that

of being able to communicate with other people who arE r"ir.tu*"v

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froT ygy. We may n:: comm:licate throLEh e.mails. the Mes,senser,send videos and photos etc. This lneans Jf comrnLrnication is veryuseful in business, where business parrners ,;; ;l;;;;, irri"..,problems even if they are far away fiom each other.This internet communication is ue,y-popular among us, theteenagers. We love to talk to our pur"ntr'*i.,o sometir.,rEs; il,.away from us, or with our clear friends, sending tfrem af f-sorts offunny pictures, music and moviei. guturitiris.un re"ao to

"rtruG;;"..lack of real communication, isolation if *. ur* it in excess.on the other hand, when chirdren use thelnternet witrrout an adultperson's supervision, they expose themselves, someti m es, t" ."i, piJ.strangers wlro may rnisread them as regards tn"i, i,t.ntiw'uiiJhidden inreresrs. Inmv opinion this is ","Fi.ir"i'rrr;Jr,r u*'",rij';major concem for their parents, since thJir cr,iroren coJ;;;;ir;

become victims of some vicior-rs minds.Sorne people believe that the intemet is greatly helping in thespreading.of grobarization anci this can be veiy oarnagirig rE.,*uiicultures, due to their absorption by the bigger and more powerful

ones.People use the same language on the internet, share the sarnevalues, find usefur information,-and communi cate attn" i"*. r"".iYoung people are not concerned that much anymore with their ownancestors' values, but lith the. new values, t'ne ones Ueift;G';;the world's community, that of the .global ulifug",*. ur. uff ,?"u?,n!with more or less awareness.

^.ln TI opinion, using the internet to find information, to talk tofriends is ok, as long as We don't f"rgJ;ilthere is "

*n"f" *ii"world outside the fou-r wails we ri"" inirrui'Juits for us to discoveredand thus enrich our living and to herp us not rose - in this erectroniccommunication era - the natural human touch.

SUBIECTUL 12

. State your opinion about the importance of being well_manneredin one's life.

-'"!ng well-rnannered has arways been a matter of controversv:whether it is fashionabre or not,-whettreipeffi"r"l "g.,

r"]i"'",and respect the same conduct rules.

Limba englezd. Oral

I think I should begin by stating how important it is to definegood manners for each and every ofthe ages under discussion. Forexample, for our grandparents, good manners meant not to contradictan elderly person, to date a girl only in a public place, to hold thechair when a lady wants to sit at the table. to help her put herovercoat on etc.

For our parents, things changed a little. They were not as rigorousas their parents, and good manners have got slightly diiferentmeanings. I can't say for sure ifthese are only good changes, or badones, but what I can see is tliat adolescents and children nowadaysseern to be totally "reckless" as the their parents and grand-parentstend to complain.

And everything starts with the same argument: ..well, in my time,everything was different. We certainly knew how to behave. you,the young generation, do not know this..." and so the story soeion and on all the time. Sometimes it is difficult to start ,uin udiscussion, because children tend to get impulsive whereas adultsget angry.

It does not matter what 'good manners, means for any of the ages,everybody agrees that it is really important to behave nicely indprove to be a well mannered person. Well-mannered persons arealways more appreciated and might be easily promoted in oursociety. We all tend to behave more elegantly in the presence ofsuch a person and we certainly feel good doing that.

On the other hand, rude people (who are the opposite of well_mannered people) are not easy to tolerate. We tend to becomeangrier and more agitated when we are in the company of suchpersons. It's impossible not to change your mood or not react in anyway to this. To sum it up, good or bad manners have a stronlimpact on our attitude to people behaving in one particular way]and, at times that may even change one,s personality, even if wemay not realize that.

Good-manners are not difficult to follow. They generally refer tomorals, ethics, common sense and education. My opinion is thatthis is a vital factor for someone who wants to be iuccessful in anvaspect ofpersonal, social or professional life.

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SUBIECTUL 13

What are the advantages of being a famous person?

Starting from an early age up to the end ofour lives, every one ofus dreams to become a famous person. It,s true that there is a lot ofhard work, luck and many responsibilities involved, but still itlsimpossible not to consid.er ail rhe advantages tttut

".i.uiiiy;"j"tr.. Just imagine yourself in.such a position.l. everybody knlws'you,f oves you and even worships youi yo, are in the eyei and n"irt iithe media all the time, everybody is watching yoLr, and even lookup to you. Think about all those fan clubs full-of people dying toknow everything about you, eager to predict or comment on yourmoves. Every single statement you make is seen as a new law. anvstyle you may adopt projects you in the filed of fashion ,.tir".J.Steg by step, you have become a role model for them. Childrenwish tobe like you when they grow up, teenagers tend to imitateyou and adults admire your attitude. Isn't that sreat?

Apart from that, you traver ail over the world"and yoll are abre tosee even the rernotest corners of this planet and p.opt. may have acontact with them through your eyes. i, for one, *ould b" ntnorr.Jto know this and accomplish the wishes of So many who cannototherwise make the dream come true. They wourd tiavel with methis.way, through the canreras following me and have a gtimpseoithe beauty abroad.

It is said that celebrities own a lot of money and enjoys luxury.And it is true. They are able to fulfil ail their dreams ana otnerpeople's wishes, eqLrally. Most of them are known to be charitablehelping the pooq the sick and the unfortunate. I thiirk that this iswhal really makes you feel great and important... showing yourfeeling.s.and compassion to those who really need it. Moieover,they will surely appreciate it a lot and turn you into a kind of hero...theirlero. And now, not only that you feeigreat by doing this, butq"."pl" will love you even more. Ail this be-ing ruia, t .u"nnot riopthinking about all the advantages I have mentioned above anbdreaming to be such a person, even for one day or, at least, half ofir!

183

Limba englezd. Oral

SUBIECTUL I4

Speak about the disadvantages of being a famous person.Give arguments and examples to sustain your opinion.

When it comes to speaking about famous persons, i.e. celebrities,everybody wishes, more or less secretly, to really become one. AndI say that because most of us only see the advantages of beingfamous: money, luxury, travels, fan clubs, the possibility to make allthe dreams come true etc. How many of us have really given a

thought to the drawbacks of being famous? What is the price paid

by celebrities? And, more, important, is it really worth it?First of all, celebrities are may not have a personal life, as ordinary

people do, they are not allowed to go out with their lovers, to take theirkids to the park, to shop or go to movie, Paparazzi are everywhere,watching every step they take, rephrasing everything they say,

tuming simple events into flashing news and their lives upside down.Once you have become a star, your privacy is something betweenyou and the rest of the world! I'm sure that sometimes, this comesas a real burden.

As a consequence to this, celebrities are not allowed to have bad

days, or feel down. Everybody else is, but role models have to be a

sort of super-men or super-women, always smiling, tooking young,and ,being happy. You must agree that this is something reallydifficult to cope with.

Because of that, many celebrities become depressed and do notknow how to handle the tremendous pressure they are permanentlyexposed to. Therefore, they appeal to therapists and spend a lot ofboth their money and valuable time trying all sorts of remediesmeant to ease their burdens, pains and anxieties. Nevertheless,everyone agrees that the therapy they really need is their ownprivacy, which they cannot have.

But pressure afld stress also appear as a result ofhard continuouswork and efforts are being made from their part to always maintainthemselves at those high standards people impose on them. Again,this is not easy al all.

All this being taken into consideration, how many of us do nowseriously consider undertaking this hard task of becoming a celebrity?

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SUBIECTUL I5

State your opinion about the benefits ofdoing sports.

Talking about sports is a common subject for everyone nowadays.It is like saying "Hello", "Good day" or "How are you?" Not everyonefeels the same about sports. but people always find something todiscuss about it, be it football, basketball, baseball, polo etc.

And when doing this, there are different opinions: some say thatsports are healtlry and bring people together, some others arguethat, on the contrary, this is not true.

People who say that sports bring us together refer to the possibilityto socialize. Every sport needs a team. And its members need tocooperate. This offers us the chance to work together, get along andplay side by side. In a way. this could be interpreted as a biggerfamily. All its members have a common goal and work for it. Thereare many hours of training and a lot of time spent together. As aresult, tight friendships can be created and they are likely to lastforever.

On the other hand, those who argue against this point of viewrefer to the spirit of competition, which is taken too far. For instance,there are the examples of various national and internationalcompetitions, when the competitors take it too personal. As aconsequence, winning the cup becomes their final goal and nothingelse matters. In this way, the competition becomes forceful and allthe beaqty of it is lost.

My opinion is that sport brings out the best in us. It is about thatspirit of working together that helps us succeed. Moreover,doctors,. too, recommend exercise sports, to improve the bodycondition, to lose weight, to entertain etc.

ln conclusion, I think sport is the best recipe for a healthy bodyand a healthy mind.

Limba englezd. Oral

SUBIECTUL I6

^*Y_h:, i:..yol. opinion about the statement: One has moreopportu nities for self_development a6roaO f

. When speaking of opportunities and where to find them, it.srmpossible nor ro hear.differenr opinions. On rh. ";;l;;;,,;h;*are those who sav that- one can find more opportunities here, in*l'f?il"3r,Tf,";l*iljt;;;""d, il;"';;: those who do not agree

In Romania, moreand more, peopre are convinced that there arebetter opportunities for'them abroad unJ u.i accordingry. They findwork in other countries,and, i",iInq rn"r, ot.tnem end up livingthere and even moving tlreir entire ia-mt* ,0. there. They feer theirwork is more ap'reciated. and th"ir lif.-;t;;es rmprove sign i fi cantry.t' for one' do nor feer thrt *"v iir" *;;1:""" rt. good opporrrniriesand chances to make. a nice career can also be found in Romania.And you do not need.to stay away fo. ru.fr a long time ancl missyour family and friends._l!w,r{i|*;yr;;"r" fbryou. ro supporrand comfort you when you need tliem, and are also there to benu,ppy. for you when you succeed.I rnrnk that one can find. recognition and appreciation in thiscolrntry, too. There

"..",,_q:".d jobslvaiting io. tf.,J;,fiG;pi; ;;there is also the oossibirity to advance un? Lu" a nice career.In my opinion. thi, ir,uiro po..tl; #;'i'n Romania. If you aregood in what you do and yo, *irt io ,nul" u'gooo career, you maycarn the money fou w111. In rlris.*ry.'y, iray feet accornplishedlrom lhis point of view. and Ao noi n".o ,o look for betteropportunities abroad.

, I"::-"Ô tood specialists in every field. If you want to f.ind work.;?,?;,Jl,i,H Jil,il lf#

act ry wlat yo u ui" i

""ki "s i";' ;;' ;;;

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in the eyes and heartsof at the famiry members. It.s impossibre notto love thern, prav *itr-, tn"- uil'iJt"'""." of rhem. rn trris way,llii',}:""

become to u" .""n il ;;;; as true members or trre

,,My family owns a pet, too. We have rMemo. r r"l* ir,lr"rre may sound ,,.""i"','l',1in:\^tJ:u|,",11*"Memo", because this comei f#:;.r"ry,,. He is the one wlroreminds us we needthis task.

to smile, and everything hL does i. r" ""*rnpi;rr,r

Sometimes it is difficult, because we are. tired, exhausted, angry.or nervous. But, no matter our srates of mind, Ir;;;;ir"'r"h*",rii*Ir T:rO barking, w.aving rri, ,"ii, pl#ng ail sorts of rricks meantto make us leel excellent.- - r'"J "'b

Because of his presence in the house, the whole atmosplrere ismore relaxed, and our house ;, nli.Jlitf, rnerry laughter all theIt is generally saidthat people who own a pet tend to have moreopen personalities' ch.irdren raised in the'presence of a pet beeinspeaking and expressing theii r""r;",r"r5* ,"piolv. U;;:;

liii;iljl."?1, rhey seem io develop tigTt rrilnarr,ips ana ,,l"-"ul."ij

This is a general td.i:ir"l1i:O by many psychotogists nowadays.Moreover. accordins-1_o this theoiy, p"ir'.un cure c'ildren frorni3'l,",lll-".:es. ooriiins are.the U.rt

"*urnil". Everybody knows,or at teast. has heard of.the benefit, tfl. frir"nce ol.dolphins canbring to small children..They r""ln'io .o,rinun,"ure weil with them.j|;l ]ir*lltogether, un9 tf.,"1, ,o*"rir.r"r*i, una play together. Intnrs way, rhey are raughr noi to b" ui.u;l;l;rge amounts of water.forger about their feais and disabirities, improving their conditionin this way.Another good thinu pets can do is to fill up the loneliness sensed

l]r:"'T1il.t""X?le' ri'; '"'" 'li*iv o*o,Jto-,drv warking their

All this being said- no_matter what reason brings a pet into afamity. I can say rhat ihis is a real i;;. '--""'

. SUBIECTIJL I7

State your opinion about the benefits of keeping pets.

More and more famili.es now own a pet. Be it a parrot, a doe. acat, or another more exotic animal, they';;ely h";;;;;;;i;?;

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186

Limba englezd. Oral

-fhe. society we rive in right now is unthinkabre withor-rtadvertisement. Everywhere you Iook there are advertising bannershung on huge walls, stickers displayeit tn the nrrunr'Of.fuUii.transportation, thousands of commercials on TV or on tlre ruO;o et..It's impossible to watch a movie, or a show without O"i"g i"t.;"piidseverai times by thern. which is really annoying

But what is there behind these advlrtisements? Some rnay thinkthat there is information.. that in this way we can be up_to_dateto the new products on the market and definitely, this l; ;;;thing.

On the other hand. some others consider that adveftising is, infact, meant to manipulate. to induce sorne hiclden ideas to trlelrL,mansubconscior-rs- F'rom this point of view. they anaryze adve.tisementsminutely and try to find the actual ideas be'Lind apparentry inno""niwords and beautiful imases.

Personally, I do not t"-nO to be that intricate about this subject.when referring to this subject, I tend to look at the surface andunderstand the words literally. I do not look for hidd.;;;;"g;,or subtle ideas meant to invade our subconscrous.

I just want to know what is new in the world of some productsand which of them can be used in various sitr"rations. eor inrtuii.",I once needed to remove some stubborn spots. and alr t'* ,t.t.rj"ni,I had used before did not work. Watching a commercial on TV Iheard about a new ,.wonder product'.. I useC it and it worked"

" '

ln this case, the information I got turned to be very useful. Andthis is how I take alr the advertisements: purery informationar andfunctional. From my point.of yiew, they are thlre to pro,rot. **products on the market and inform p"opt" aboLrt theii upp.u.un".,features and capacities.

unfortunately, advertisernents onry emphasize and/or raise thegood aspects of such products, while theii limitations o, n"!utiu.aspects tend to be hidden or not mentioned at all. In thiJwau-people may be misled and disappoinred by tlreir emlien";.""

"*,'

SUBIECTUL I8

State - your, opinion about advertising: information ormanipulation?

In concl us ion, I sti I l cons ider trrat adverti semer u, *" * *rlu rr'irto offer infonnation and let people know abour various new productswhich appear on the market.

SUBIECTUL I9

Do you think a disabirity of some kina makes a person moredetermined to succeed?

There are two types of disabilities: mental and physical. Accordingto the type of the disability we ur. rp"uking about, we can try tofind an answer.Personally, I have never met anyone with any kind of disabilityup to now, but I trrink rhat peopre with mentar.diriuiiiii..

".. ffi;ittoknow exactly what is happening u.ounJrn",r.On the orher hand, p.opi; witliphysical disabilities have more

1:-t:: I be accepted and integrate in ir,. ,o"i.tv. Th"ti. ;;; i ;;lldrrect my discourse oxly towards such persons. .lt is generallvknown that they often,feelr";""t"Juy ttt i""i"ry, U..;;r:;il;:iinot look or act .nonxally,. Asa "on."qu.n.", they become introvertand find it hard to comrnunicate.

Having a physical .disability means that someone cannot use apart or parts of their body,, and that is why other senses ,h"r;;are increased. For example. wheeled_chiired people cannot usetheir.feet, but they use rhelr hands extensiveiy. BIina people cannoruse their eyes to see, but they hear extrernely well.As I said befbre, these people wisn tobe ac."ir.O by the societyand treated as normal persons. This may be a possible explanationfor their fight to accomprish'ris. r neariullut.u"t ."... ;f dpr;with disabilities who have worked for it, a; nave succeeded to doso.

For example, I can quote the hanclball championships for tlrewheeled-chaired persoris, .whgre tf.,"y

"un frove their strength ofcharacter and their determination-.Another good example from mypoint of view is the presence.of blind p.oftJurnong us. They try towalk and act like us, rnanaging by th;il;;;. And such examplescan go on like this hours on end.

*#

rF

188r89

Limba englezd. Oral

I do think that these persons are definitely more motivated tosucceed' And they do t'his ""i "r *# need to integrate in thesociety of 'normai' peopr". .',*"r""i'it

" n""o to be accepted andtreated like anv other.rnemb..'oiii-r"'"ommunity. r cannot saywhether they are more deterrni".Jir,""irr- rest of us to make it, butI surely admire rhem for rfr"i, ,lr""e ;ijl,

SUBIECTUL 20

State your opinion about being your own boss.

, Being your own boss supposes havinsrhis may -b,ine

you b"rh ,;;;""#, i",l'i,]r"J,lrl[l"l:''""ss. andOn the one hand. it is. such u nli" f."iin!'to know rhat yor,r are themost imporrant p.rr::,

11 lf ,, .", p""y.'it"o,,.,run, rh ings depend onyou and on your decisions. These can"m;il; you feel imporlant andpowerfut and in rhis way change y;;;;t of thinking and actins

;T":"" have a nice bie'office',%;;;rl;,, have always cr"urtii

"J:ff;'"?:.:"#r."''" vou have to report to atl the rime and

And again Vou can-afford. to make your own working scheduleand if it happens fo.t yog. to get lati to the otfice, there is noproblem. you will not stold y"r"r.Llf.'- ""on the other hand' rrr","" it'u uig"responsibirity and stress to havea teading position and knowing jn"i!"..y,rrng

depends on vou.Your decisions m€J y:..t:.f iil-;J;;'ih" worsr for everybodvln the company. you have to work extensively, maybe more thananyone else and prove-l: ue u "opabt" il;; to keep good relarions-'+l

iT:i',Tff:i;,i !o^':::"'laits a no trv to' ur'" tr, J uil ;;;,.

,o.ivrngaiJt;.;';,#;lii11il,*:r,_"J?,lnH:i.:l;ff,*];to take the best decisions'so tnat"iire;;;ii;;r vou crose shourd besuccessfut and your el1llweyi g;il#';;:"rres on rime. rn thiscase, you can rruly feel a good ,ninue"i'ubl"'to realanJ je;;i#;company. The employees see you as-a ieliabtbe congiatulated. ' -/ --v rvv rvu 4) d rsllaole person and -vou can

B^ûf It rime you may not take the best deci .

suffers because "ith;i in.ruJing"vou-'or

uvurSlons, and everybody

r90r9l

Subiecte

It is true that, whenteing your own boss, you can happen to getal the of ice later, but this miy nr"rn io irork ar rare hours. ThiJ isBCT:l*,:::,,XJTf"'"tani o.isaou'oniug" i,..,n" rack or timel,rr. ti't. oi.r;;;#'h1l: rush'.lriends unJrutilv ur" t;;rifi";';;mav alo ilil;;;;#;:,:ffi:: You mav earn more monev' butyou

SUBIECTUL 2I

., Statg your opinion about the follorthere is a will there i. u *ay.

-"- '-"wrvlrg statement: Where

,"11';;:il Tj[:#::i,'iiils r think the generar idea is that when

;tT:ii gil{:ilff ['l1 i: ;,,?:lT:il J;i*:, x"n,:lli,:In this light, I can.êr,ve1he example of my best friend, who had acar accident last vear. Oo.to., tlli"fr", ,fru, it was extremely

,{ ffJJ#i !;i j;J|u "s".i;, ;;,,r,""a",p"**ry wished to be a br ey "isr,i-t"s#; f,il n'jl,i;i':.:?::!:f" *o*"4 r,u.o o"uy

rec9yery was- evidenr. s rorury, uut ; ili; ;:.":HrT"ililp;"llilfl.lii"r, and, in rhe end,,i;;;;j;'i;:gTj- g ..r oi oi ti,. an d stron g iv r r r ;;;ir [t t *-"t J;"?i mIoemonstrated her courage and d#rmi";t,.* to do that.Now, she is rnv besteiarpl" u. ar.. j"ti.rinution

is concerned.She demonsrrar;d rhatrihel t;;;Jly;t somerlring, you willsurely find.a way to accomplish that.wnen drscussine this. aspect in school, I heard a beautifulmetaphor reflectini ir M,r teach"r'r"ri'rl"irrar when you wish forsomething, yo, ,iy not [no*-iir";il;;9r,,.,vor. t""," *il..'., you have ro gel. ano tr,Y ,T:T_llr:

beginning.is like drivins a car raie at night. vz, r,""* iil'iHi.LJ,Tl, il.x",l;lido not know the enlire road Fo,, ttr. U.g""irg. your lights are on,# ;i:,1:::,1;;,, j;i

*. r r,e c r ea,",'yo;:'J,lil. road. u nt i r yo u reach

- l don't know if t nuy:.the same strength of character anddeterminarion to accomplirh ;t;;;r, "r,il, friend, but I will

Limba englezd. Oral

['iil:"11,:"r!oufl",:o:,:,'leciallv. when my best friend is there onot to forget it.

I tne trme' Simply her extstence is enough for me

SUBTECTUL 22

State your opinion about the importance of having a career.Having a career

childhood to adole rs a crucial aspect of our lives. From early

prepare you fbr "

;i.illft^ *erybody and ev.erything it' ,n"uni to

acquaintance, ",".

tutu'" career: parents, family' *u.i"l,'r.i"nor,The little child always plays wirh his/ttry in,s ro perfonn

"ur"# rt,l'; j:j :;^:i Yler mates various garn es

Ti,"y"".";;;;;';fi ffi o',i,'J;ill;;?:"lnt":.,;'r,*y";;,;;r"';'";"the iesponsi biiiii". or tr,.l,. ..r

""i"j il,;:i::.q:.of rhe soc i ery an d

the eternar question pos"a to u, *r,";;;,Lll':#;ff l:,"yf,?H"ffit::f;l Jr"'grow up"? t think-ttris..is the firsi srep or

, take in societv. vare of the future responsibititi". lr"i.rr" ,ir-,1,

Latcr on, schools use nrrmcrn'r," r p, r,, J.nt,-a#;.. ",Tr1il:::H

3,?fJlil,' an d proj ects m ean t ro

even one of us has ,.-rrr"""" jl"'l:-'111li" careers. I can say thatabilirrc-s, skil,. ,"0 orJi.*?r|""€

career chosen according to on";,A iiilfilled

"ur."i Udngr-r"if"steern, respect, adrniration andsuccr'\s. In a way. ,nt:,:':.:. T:"T, q"_; rh. po,., ro decide overyour o\vn rife' your own..future. I think it ,s the greatest gift one canhave lbr himself. We al n."J'i,'""i'ii.,, ilanswer is seriousness and study. 'ery easy to get it: the

SUBIECTUL 23

State your opinion about the advantages of travelling.Nowayadays, people travel a. lot and they travel everywhere. lt iseasrer, especially because.*" tuu" ,o ,irnj po.riUilities to do it.r'rrsr of at' rhe desire to traveiha-sr"".i#o a rot, ratery. n"opi"

t92

F'I

{

t

Subiecte

ll-y:l tor.* many reirons: for businervtsll certain placeto h e I p us cover, jj^t';, !."" o

" & ffi ; A fr ffiiL n: 3'r",." ;"';

trains.etc. _-._. ,ong drstances: planes, boats, y;chts, p".ronli,"u.r,

""il:Y"T;TJ,iT'::"-*e remotesr praces orthe worrd, we can

l;**g*i j[Ti{iii'j;:trHilL:}"T:;r_ffi".i"H1?does nor seem so

j,lry*iuilir, ro sociatize..rrrrr,'llr! *n"i""*"no'o;'po1.i or; ;"#fi :ff ,H*il:*'

and these p ru."' Io"n',iior.Travelting uri"i1,.11i n,iiri;',..,,; . open up; ir offers rhe key to

;lil'J: ffJ';il1'll:lg uno.oii,ig'iiif,",,,", rn mosr cases. ir arsom

""i i n,h" ; iil; )::t' ;qfiil ii:l T#r .yi th, ",,;;;;il; il,Ijl_l|*uvr have rhe possibitiry to ,nur. ,l1al.llen

getting bick,rrlends" speak about in" r"it-1 .."^.:"'': trre expertence with yoursouvenirs erc. ,, il,"-r,"oiii ;;,ff ffi;-ffi,:H#lrdil:_

All this rogerher TIJ^"_.""1as benefirs ro.our own devefopmentas numan beings. maybe a solution ,,

"r. mlscommunication.

SUBIECTUL 24

D_o V-ou agree with the theories that ssuffer rrom obesity, nowadays? tate that more people

,Jff:. are more and more people rhar suffbr from obesity in the

,.ffi",?;l"tfljV;Jni.l"lcause seems ro have been rhe indusrriat

i n* r*i t'',i l-:'F' :-'jf.:L trItfd;:l:4d Holfierences is to be frurban areas a., roollnlln

th,e way people lbed rhemselves. In.wc;arrram;;;ffi :"1F1",r""""""#""r1ffi #rr.l',-ff J"Ji#mr:d*i fi ,li ;::: |3l{;#,:t"r''-r' i'' r'l'-"ilio^bese people. But the siruation n"!

"i""-Sjdtnere were almost no

lbw vears and now more than +iz" "i'tffi"l"T'f

i::]lv in the'past)ents are overweight.

ffi,

:I

fv

,}

ll

193

Limba englezd. Oral

We all are what we eat, and that isn't because people notice theactual food we are eating, but because this can be seen in thechange of our figure, the colour of our skin, our weight, our health.Even though eating at a fast food might look eisier or moreinteresting i1 affects us, and it is the .eason why we should turnback to basics, to what peopre in rural areas ,sed to eat, becausethat food (the food we nowadays call "organic food") is feeding usproperly and is offering the health we need so much.

Secondly, obesity became a diseasr that somehow we are causingto ourselves, by eating junk food in exces, sometirnes oblivious oithe.problem we are going to deal with in the future. The good newsis that governments have woken up and are banning the"unhealthyproducts that cause so much harm.

SUBIECTUL 25

Do you agree that music has a huge influence upon teenagers?

Today's teenagers spend more time listening to music orwatching TV than sociarizing. Music is part anJ parcel of theteenagers' personalities. It's shaping their language, behaviour theway they dress, defining them as part of a spicial clique, creatingthe environment for their gatherings and probabry one'of the mosfimporrant things is that they have moders in ihe image of thesingers who become their idols.

At the same time, there is some sort of segregation betweenteenagers according to the type of music they risien to and thisleads to strong language at times.

Music does not only express feelings and personarities but it's away -of shutting off the world around you. Teens generally haveproblems with parents, and listening to music, usinfan Ipoi is aneasy way out from a parent,s iritating chatter.

.Even though TV plays an importani role in influencing teenagers,views, music has a greater influence upon adolesrenti. Thut is ifthey listen to music that sends a positive feeling they become tuppyor if they listen to music that has lyrics refening to suicide o. adatl,this can lead to acts of violence.

Subiecte

In my opinion music is-definitery a part of us and recommends usas. social beings, but nothing sloLrta influln"" us so much in life.We have to make the differJnc" U.t*""n *hat is right and what iswrong, between what is good and what isn,t good ior ur, *" fruu"to shape our own perro,rilities Oy ott o ."ans, too: reading goodbooks, watching theatrical p"rfor*un"", aitenOing social meetingsa.s.o.

SUBIECTUL 26

. What a-re, il youropinion, the particular qualities that help ateenager be admired in high_school?

The high school years coincide with the tremendous physical andsocial changes of adolescence. eotn Uoay und ,ind il;;:i nd ucing powerfu I feeJ i ngs of ser f-consci o rrn.* and se r f-awaren ess.It is a period-in life when we are ."rtuin oi*erything and we doubtabout everything. It is a time of anxiety, when it is better to havefriends than be alone.. That is why ji#"r"n, groups, with fewexceptions, attract adolescents.

If you are an athlete oryou have a macho attitude, you will feelat home being one of the jocks. A liking ro,,o.L rnusic will probablvmake you one of rhe meial_heads. A;ur;i";;;iil;;;;ffi

",iilnot caring for much in life makes you an emo. There are manytypes of sub-curtures that you .un uih"r" to whire in high ."nooiWhat they have in common is their own behaviouq their ownspeech patterns, their own tastes in clothes and musil.'n.i"* ;1;;;or "out" can be both a cause and a cure for teenage insecurities.The particular quarities thar herp ,.9n-rs".. uJua,n'ri"J i"-rrigr,'sc,hool are different, oepenchng on the point of view. Teachersadmire a student who works hird, is inteitigent, asks questions,wants to learn and to know and gets invJved i" ull

,kinil';iactivities. Studenls nowadays ,".*"to aOmire quite the

"pp..ir.,plus breaking the rules, being as ais.especiiul iu porriUf.,.Oingexactly the other way aroundîhan what you u." asked to, not doinsyour homework, smoking, for that is ;hat they ;;;;i;;; #il;"cool" means. And if you are cool you,ve got everyone in yourback pocket, in the palm of your tiano, you areihe Alpha rna[7d;_.

194 r95

Limba englezd. Oral

SUBTECTUL 27

. l,rur". your opinion_about the following statement: lt,s muchbetter to watch the film than ratheiread the book.

I think that everybody agrees on how important it is to take upreading. This not ":,J^1",10-yo, ,p.nJfour time in a pteasant way,but it also helps you erlarge yori kno*l"dge and, why not, buildyour own personarity..rt is true that books oif., u *ia"''"i"*oiirr"lnnermost human feerings and on the difference between right andwrong, beautiful and ug1y, real and fui.", ti"On.;iil,;#;r,etc' Sometimes' one.can really find hirnserf in the characters of abook, or in the situatiohs present iL....

'"Howeveq television pl"y,

"" i,"p"nant role when it comes totransferring a book into aition. ar'un',utt",. of fact" video_books,

,X'Jffiliil;',.X.i" we are talkin! uuo'li t"na to ue p,er".rJiyWhy? First of all, because of our lack of time. Reading a book

fi H * ;'-::Xl #i,i;?:ffi '"u"J weeks' *r'ir' *i"''r"e "Secondly, films help you u"tuutty .,see,,

the book from a differentperspective. When reading, you can only imagine sceneries. characters,actions etc', but terwisiin in,roiu"." t",i ," those sceneries andactions. It shows thert h e re fo re,, r ;; ;;; t,j:.fi i# I n,l;i,?::::;: 3,, "li'$r ;;

jsometimes you get

1o .1r,.f.r ,"uugtt-Uy th-e.action, that you evenhave the impression that it happe"i r" ylrlinaracters have becomeyour friends. or. on the contrary. y"ri"**i"s, their feelings havebecome your feelines' you can really touch tnem and feel them, not

;:yO.trutt"e them] as you would have done when reading rhe

Apart from that, films ha,ve th9 possibility ro combine pictureswith movements and sound, *-l].d gi;;'u ,ri_dir.nrional view.

llil^tr why peopte Te_ lnore likelyio enjoy and remember thewhole action. Besides,- more emotion, ,"., to be involved thisway.

Another important aspect which is worth being taken intoconsideration is the way how teenager. i"u.iiufr"n choosing between

196

197

. Subiecrcthe.two. Thel,actually

1.n9lg consider watching a film mr.rch beter_;:J,td

-"*"aining and vivid-tha;;;;i;;s a book _ which is felt as

.l-herefore. in the light of these arcua d o r e s c e n r m y s e I r, r a.i

" i r

" i y' ug;. ;",, nT : :#Ji .,X:#

"Xr.,

u,

SUBIECTUL 23

Argue in favour of the importance ofyoung generation. vr 'rr' rrrrportance of school in educating the

"3*T?'ffo,j,T::lll: essential pieces oranv. socier1,. And when

lll"tfi*,*;i;fi T.".,?:ffi,!",1"T:i:,,i#*:'#_.,'dat'out kinder gardens' gyms' high-schoJrs. universities- students,:.,X*:T#.;,ll?,,:,, reier to fi" ;;;;;ysrem or educa,ion we

Starting from an early age up to adolesm arurity, peop re ger to -

schioor ;" ;;";;;#ii;jl,i?i'il,i.,"rllooes nor onl) refer,^ro.acquirin! jri!.dr,*, ot.informalion invanous subjects. Education is sorierhiig,iu"n ,or" than that.It is true rhar teachers uo rira"ni';i;u*.';" mainry rhere to studv

[F;'ff,' #llffi:l: :::1q"; ;"" r#' li ",1,.

*u^ o r th i n k i ng. b u rtogether. th.r. p.ooltlal

aspecl of educalion' sy timply f.;;;";;;p"ironur iti.,

";id:"";:]:arn how lo react' inter-relate. shape trreirmanage things in *. i;lrJ:.

more important' rhey l"urn rro*'loApart from that. schools. gr9 the ones to settle the models andspe,cilg of every counrry. This is d;.;;;;;;

a n d fo I I ow tr," i i u*n ry rtem of ed uca;;;.,:? :i[Hi"tff liiff;a cerrain paftern and aflenhtl;;;;'h".,according ro whar they.have r*.nt i" r.ioor, ilrt"il;:irK L,J,JiJn"lil",fi:"j"il ?i;i.f ' "er

work p.;rb;;;;;.., !,* ram i r ies etc.n.gura;j f-;;ili;'rr""t"me reliable members

"f th. .;;;;";;;.tradition. peo, education gets to ue synonj"j,jijr"*,i;

It is commonly said that an,educated person canbe easily lracedano appreciared' because ne ror rows rirr,io"n,]' o, ed ucation acq ui red

Limba englezd. Oral

in school. As contrasted to such a person, the uneducatecl does notknow these rules and conseque'tly, will not foilorv them. The resr-rltis disastrous: he will not be regarded favourably by the society andwill therefore become an ourcast.'fo conclude with, if one is to look forthe key to education, theyare sure to find it in school, because this is the institution whereeverything starts and where all ultirnately ends.

SUBIECTUL 29

Should mobile phones be allowed in schools? Give argumentsand examples to support your opinion.

.. I .u1 say that mobile phones are a piece of technology one cannotlive.without;_everyone o\,vns a mobile phone which-helps stay intouch with the rest of the world anytime anywhere. anO to behonest, I got so much used to it that I can't conieive life without it.It's impossible not to have forgotten your rnobile home at home andlefi to work or to school without it. And we must adrnit how badand how useless we have surely felt by not having it! One mighteven call it a kind ofdependency, a phone_addiction.

However, there are some situations and praces where we cannotuse them all the time, such as in a meeting. a church, classes etc.Over-using them in such cases may turn into a real nuisance andshows a lack of respect from ollr part.

Some argue that in schools, children do not really need to use amobile phone extensively, as they do not have so many urgentproblems to solve; they are not that busy as adults are, und huul noDuslness to run or errands to make.

Elesides, using mobile phones during classes disturbs both studentsand teachers, or there may even appear cases when mobiles phoneshave been lost during school time. Situations like that cause **orqtears and hard 4roments.

That is why school regulations forbid taking mobile phones orany other modern technology device to classes: to avoid disturbanceor stealing. students must be aware of the risk they are exposed ifthey fetch their mobile phones to school and take a good care ofthem, especially that there are some very expensive moiels amongstthem.

Subiecte

I myserf wourdn't that far as to agree with a total prohibition ofmobile phones in schools, but I agre"e tnur, ut least, they can be keptin a safe place and turned off, or"on tlr" sit"nt mode when in crass.This will show respect,.obedience, ,"f.ry and a good education.And I'm sure that, rn thrs way, nobody will ever i".l ,#""a"01.disturbed by them.

SUBIECTUL 30

Comment on the following statement: Cars should be bannedfrom fhe city centre.

The city centre is sr-rpposed to be the rnost bearrtifur prace in trreentire -city. It represents the essence f the town, with the mostbeautiful and imposing buildings, the most impoftant shops, a largepark etc.

That is whv manv oeople consider it should also represent a placeof relaxalion. wtrere everybody can feel at ease anO walk peacefullyTl,lrqr, friendly. pigeons and running ctriloren. And this is theirmarn argument when sustaining the idea that cars shourd be banneifrom the city centre,,not ro dilturb th. p;;." and rranquility and,most important, not to keep polluting the air.

Maybe that is why auirrorities iend ro respect internationarecological days when, once in awhire, cars are reaty forbidden inthe city centre and people are supposed iop *af r. unjf".i ,f* prrr"of the city. These aie some days meant to slow people down and letlll:'l *., the beauty of.tne city, hear rhe ;o;;ng of.the srreer, noticethe,people walking on it and varue trre smail thi*ngs *hi.h;";';;;k;us happy' If you want, rhis can arso mean ulittrJint.nt to go"ili.r.toiature, sirnplicity and a possibility to socialize.

un rne other hand, drivers lrave their own point, arguing thatnowadays, we live in such a hurry that one needs to drive a rot ancrcars represent a wav to get in different places in a shorter time.Therefore, rhey can sotve'more ;r;;i;;r;once. And this meansthey have no time to waste by walking. They are too occupied andin a continuo-us rush, so trrar ihey a"riit.i/io do everyrhing fasterand faster. After all, we are living in tne aie'of speed, aren,t we?.

r98 t99

Limba englezd. Oral

I can say that our authorities seem to have given a serious thoughtto both parties and tried ro sorve the probreir nicery for th";.-3;;we now have an important street in the medieval centre of the towny-here cars are banned, but this does not mean the entire city

""ntr".There are some other streets where cars are ailowed. I" t'rrir-*uv,everybody is happy, I guess.- people in a rush have the porriUitityiopas-s through the city centre by cars, and the ones wishing fo. p"a""and serenity have an entire street available. lsn't thii the bestsolution?

200

30 de subiecte de tip I B. Writingl. Write an e-mail to your English speaking friend explainingthat yor,r would like to apply to do a course at oneof the colleges in the city he lives. ........... ............. 952. An informal letter inviting a friend to a party......,............... 953. A formal letter requiring inforrnation. ................................. 964. A description of a place you visited. .................965. A story about a frightful and interesting experience. .............976. A formal e-mail inviting to dinner. ...................917. An infbrmal e-mail about a nerv product ............ 988. A letter offering a position, following an interview. .............. 999. ls the time for beginning a child's education imporlant? ....... 9910. What movies do yor"r prefer? ......100I l. One thing you will do to improve your commlrnity .......... 100

12. "Parents are the best teachers." Comment. ....................... l0 I

13. It is known that nowadays people live longer lives. .......... l0l14. A letter answering an offer to live in another city. ............ 102

15. Would you work fbr someone else,or would you rather own a business? .............. .... 10216. Describe you best experience as a student. ....................... 103

17. Do you think advertising encourages usto buy things we really do not need? .......... ......... 104

18. If you could make a gift to a child, what gift would yougive him to be sure that this is about to help him? .................. 105

19. What sr"rbject wor-rld you like to studyif tlris opportunity were given to you? ........... ..... 106

20. Compare the knowledge gained fiorrr experiencewith the knowledge gained from books. ............ 107

21. Should businesses do everythingto keep afloat and be profitable? ................. ........ 101

22. Who brings more to society, aftists or scientists? .............. 10823. Sorne important characteristics of a co-worker. ................ 10924. Write a letter in rvhich you praise a restaurant. ................. ll025. Write a letter of request asking for informationabout facilities offerdd for a party. .............,........ I I l26. Do you prefer to work for a big or for a small company? .. 11227. Clroose one natural resource that is disappearingand explain why it needs to be saved. ................. l l328. Which are the changes the latest years have broughtin our lives as far as eatins is concerned? ........... I l4

29. Write a cover letter applying for a teaching job. ............... I l530.Write a lefter of cornplaint to a virtual bookslrop. .............. I l6

BXAMINARE ORALA/SPEAKING

30 de subiecte de tip II a - univers personali . What kind of work would you like to do in the futr-rre? ....... I l92. Speak about the importance of friendship in your life ........ 1203. What is your favourite means of transport? ....................... l2l4. What does Christmas mean to you? ................ 1225. What do you do to have a healthy life? ............ .................. 1226. Flow does fashion influence yolrr personality? ............ ""..... 1237. What do you think about hobbies? ................. 1248. What is your favourite season? ...................... 1259. What is your favourite sport? .......... ..............". 12610. What do yor"r think about having a pet'/ .......... ................. 126I 1. Do you believe in eating habits? ................... l2l12. What is your favourite free-time activity? .... 12813. What do you iike about your home-town? .......... ...."........ 12914. What is the present you would like for your binhday?....." 12915. What are your feelings about turning l8? ........................ 13016. What do yor-r like to do over the weekends? .................... i3l17. What do you think about the way in whichyour parents have brought you up? ..................... 13218. How do you think smoking may affect you? ..................... 13319. What do you think about school uniformsbeing cornpulsory? ......... ................ 13420. What is your opinion about mobile phonesbeing used freely in schools? ....".........:............... 1352l . What do you hate most in life? ............;............................ 13622. Do you think a relative may be considered best friend? .... 13623. What do you think about travelling by plane? ................. 13"7

24.What did you like about the schoolyou attended?.......... 13825. What person/personality do you admire? ..... 13925. What is your opinion about the wayin which television influences your life? ............ 14027 . What would you change about your hometown? .............. 14028. What was the life experience that has taughtyou a positive lesson? ..................... l4l

29. What are your goals for the future? ............... 14230. Speak about what makes r-rs live longer. ........ 143

30 de subiecte de tip II b - relatare/descrierel. Describe you favourite film. ....... 1442. Relate an adventure yoll were involved in. ......................... 1453. Describe the house you live in. ............... ........ 146!. Speak about a day that has changecl your life. ..................... 1465. Describe your pet. ...................... l4j6. Speak about your best friend. ...... l4g7. Speak about the last time you went to a <Jisco. .................... l498. Speak about the happiest day in your life. ........................... I509. Choose a building you like and decribe it. .......................... l5l10. Speak about your favourite actor/actress ....... 152I l. Describe an object in your house which represents you. ... 15312. The way in wlrich you celebrate your birthday. .....'........... l5413. Describe your room. .............,... l5514. Describe a habitual Saturday afternoon of yours. ............ 156

!5 Talk about a funny neighbour that you have. .................. t5j16. T'lre most interesting, funny and useful internet sites. ....... l5gI 7. lblk about the ideal Romania. ................ ....... 159I8. Talk about one of your favourite sl.rows on TV. ............... 15919. A foreign country you would like to live in. ...................... 16020. Talk about your highschool experience. ....... l6 I21. Talk about something interesting you saw in the street. .... 16222. Speak about the holiday you wiLl always remember ......... 16223. What is your favourite computer game? ....... 16324. \Nhat do you think about youTube?Do you have a favourite video that yor-r watch? ...................... 16425. What teacher did you like best? .................... 16526. Speak about your family. .......... t65l7 . Have you got a hobby? Is having a hobby useful? ............ 16628. Speak about a colleague of yours that is very funny. ........ 16729. Describe your best friend's family. ............... l6l30. Speak about your favourite advertisemenVs. ................... l6g

30 de subiecte de tip Il c - plrere argumentatil. Does modern technology make life more convenient...? ....2. We tend to become addicted to computers.Is this addiction a good thing...?....................

3. Do you agree that children should be raised by grandparents? l7l4. Darnage of the environlrent is a consequerrce of worldwideimprovements in the standard of living. Discuss. ................... lj25. Which place would you prefer to Iive in;a smaf l town or a big citv? .............. 1736. What is your opinion about the way in whichmovies and television irrfluence people's behaviour? ............ 1757. What is better; to enfoy your lnoney when you earn itor to save it for some tirre in the futr,rre? ............. lj68. G^rades encollrage str_rderrts to learn. Do yor,r agree? ............ l7j9..1f you could go back to sorne tirne and placJin the past,when and where would yor-r go? .................... ...... l7g10. Which country woLrld you like to visit,? ........ l7gI l. Negative aspects of using rhe Internet. .......... lB0I2. The importance of being well-mannered. ............................ I g l13. What are the advantages of being a famous person? ........ I g3

l!. fne disadvantages of being a famous person. ................... lg4] 5, lt?te your opinion about the benefirs of doing sporrs. .... lg5

16. What is your opinion about the statement:One has more opportunities for self-development abroad? .... lg617. State your opinion about the benefits ofkeeping pets. ...... lg6I 8. Advertising: infonnation or manipulation? ...... _............... I SSl9- Does a disability make a person more determined to succeed? lg920. State your opinion abor-rl being your own boss. :............... 19021. 'Where there is a will there is a way.'Comment.............. l9l22.The impoftance of having a career. ...... ......... lg223. State your opinion about the advantages of travelling . ..... lg224. Do you agree that more people suff-eifrom obesity, nowadays?25. Does music influence teenagers? ...................................... 194z,! rne qualities that help a teenager be adrnired in high-schoor. I9527 . ls it better to watch tlre film rather than read thelook? .... 19628. Argue in favour of the impor-tance of school education . ... lgj29. Should mobile phones be allowed in schools? "................. l9g30. Comment on the statement:Cars should be banned from the city centre. ....... 199169

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During the Roman E,mpire. violence in sports becarne the generallyaccepted principle and spectatol's not only endorsed it. but alsoembraced it as a social nonn.

In recerrt years sports violence has become to be perceived as a

social problem. Cornmissions have been appointed in Canada andE,ngland to investigate violence among hockey players and soccerfans. Numerous exarnples of violence in professional sports existtoday, as countries like the United States, Canada, Greece, Italy andGermany, report court cases have been heard which concern thevictims of violence perpetrators. Newspapers, magazines and televisionprograms poftray bloodied athletes and riotous fans at hockey,boxing, football. soccer. baseball, and basketball games with whatappears to be increasing regularity. But are sports violence incidentsactually increasing, and if so. r,vhat is the reason of such a negativeincrease? Or does the heightened pLrblic attention and nredia fbcuson sports violence reflect not an increasc in the incidence or severitvof aggression, but greater public concern with moral issues andpolitical discourse?

Contrary to popular beliel, there appears to be growing dissatistirctionwith sports violence.

Changes in sports rules, developments in the design of equipment.and even the physical characteristics ofmodern sports arenas evolvedin an effort to reduce violence or its consequences. But still, amongathletic management teams, government otllcials, fans and athletesthemselves, there is an ambivalence attitude towards sports violence.The arnbivalence takes the fbrm of justifying the existence ofviolence in sports, but not taking personal responsibility for it.Coaches and managers tend to blame fans, saying that violence is

what attracts people into stadiunts, as the risk entailed makes thegame more "interesting".

Athletes frequently admit that they are opposed to violgnce, butit is expected of them by coaches. Fans justify it by attributingaggressiveness to athletes and to situational aspects of the game.

Spectators view violence as an inherent pan of some sports as onecannot play games like hockey or football, without accepting thenecessity ol- violent action.

Nevertheless, public opinion tends to focus ntore and more onsports violence as major advances in the technologies used haveincreased media coverage making information available to a vast

Sttbiecte

global audience. 'l'hus. contelnporary critics tend to consider sports

'iolence as a rvorlclwide phenttnrenon r.vith highlS, distLrrbing fittLrre

c()urse and social outcomes.(, I on a t hon H a rd c a s t I e, wv'v'. e n zi n e arti c I e s. c om)

l. ln ancient societiesA athletics and competitive contact galnes were rough.B football and contact games were rough.C only competitive contact games were rough.D no game was rouglr.

2. During the Rornan E,rnpire. spectatorsA tried to tolerate violence in soorts.[t dctested any type of violence in sports.(.i regarded violence in sports as a social norm.l) did not sLlpport violence in spofts.

3. Sports violence has startcd ro be regardecl as a social problernA lately.li since the 70's.( i these days.l) since the beginning ofthe 20th century.

.{. Canada and FnglandA are able to explain violence alnong hockey players.li are trying to discover the cause of violence alxong hockey players.('show no concern about sporls violence.l) ale in lavour of sports violence.

5. I{egarding sports violence there seems to be a feeline ofA appreciation.ll tlissalisfaction.( indifference.l) support.

(r. ln order to reduce violenceA only sports rules have been changed.ll rnass media coverage has been ba4ned( sports rules and equipment design have been rnodified.| ) sport rules, equipment design and sports arenas have been adiusted.

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