I.

READING COMPREHENSION

Read the text below. For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits
best according to the text. (4p x 5 = 20p)
Meet multimillionaire businessman and entrepreneur Chris Gardner today
and you’d be forgiven for thinking he has led a charmed life. Rich and
successful, with a $10,000 watch on each wrist, a contacts list that reads like a
Who’s Who of America\s rich and powerful and a seemingly permanent smile
on his face that is as big as his bank balance, Gardner simply oozes happiness
and success. But the truth is far more interesting: \Chris Gardner used to be
homeless.
Christopher Paul Gardner was born in 1954, in Wisconsin, USA. As a child,
Gardner did not get an easy start in life. He experienced poverty, abuse and
foster care, but he had a deep desire to make something of his life. He had big
dreams and he was determined to pursue them.
Gardner’s unlikely journey from rags to riches started in a parking lot one
day in 1981. Getting into his car, he spotted a man in a red Ferrari. On an
impulse, Gardner stopped the man and asked him how he had become so
wealthy. The man told him he was a stockbroker. Then and there, he knew
exactly what he wanted to do in life.
It took almoast a year of trying, but eventually Gardner succeeded in getting
an unpaid internship at a brokerage firm. Unfortunately, he didn’t earn enough
money, so for the next year, Gardner led a double life. During the day, he
worked in Wall Street; at night, he and Chris Jr slept in the streets. They ashed
in public bathroom sinks and ate at soup kitchens. It was the most difficult
period in Gardner’s life, but he recalls that not for one day did he ever stop
believing his luck would change. Gardner’s work colleagues never discovered
his secret.
Eventually, Gardner became a successful stockbroker and got enough money
together to get himself and Chris Jr off the streets. By 1987, Gardner had
become so good at what he did, he founded his own brokerage firm. Fast
forward to the present day and Gardner is CEO of his second multimillion-dollar
firm and a philanthropist who gives a great deal of his time and money to
helping the homeless and unemployed.
Today, Gardner is one of the richest men in the world, but his wealth has
nothing to do with money. Gardner says “Passion is everything. Find what
makes you passionate and you will find success and fulfillment.”

1 The writer implies that Chris Gardner

A cannot believe his luck in life
B is not very modest.
C doesn’t like to be reminded of his past.
D is driven by money and power.

2 As a child, Gardner
A got into a lot of trouble.
B was not close to his mother.
C had a strong character.
D was badly affected by his experience.
3 Gardner’s reason for wanting to become a stockbroker that day in 1981 was he
A wanted to won a Ferrari.
B wante to be rich.
C was tired of working in a parking lot.
D knew he would be good at it.

4 Gardner’s work colleagues never discovered he was

A homeless
B not a stockbroker before
C a father
D working two jobs

5 Gardner was such a good stockbroker that, in 1987, he

A became a multi-millionaire.
B founded a homeless charity
C got himself and Chris Jr off the streets.
D started his own company.

II.. USE OF ENGLISH (40 p)

A. OPEN CLOZE. For questions 1-10, read the text below and fill in with ONE word
that best fits each gap. (1p x 10 = 10p)

Free Soloing in Yosemite

Free soloing is rock climbing without safety equipment, and 26-year-old Alex Honnold
is considered to be 1)…………………………..best free solo climber in the world/ Alex grew
2)………………..near Yosemite National Park, California, which features several granite rock
walls over 300 m high. Alex began climbing 3)……..he was 11, using ropes and safety
harnesses and as he progressed he began to feel confident enough to climb free solo. Alex trains
hard to keep super fit, because climbing requires 4)……………….strength and stamina, but
nowadays, he climb Yosemite’s sheer rock walls with 5)……………..safety equipment
whatsoever. Wearing rubber climbing shoes and carrying a bag of chalk, which he uses to keep
his hands free 6)……………….sweat, Alex scales 400 m high rock walls in 3 hours. Other
professional climbers using ropes and harnesses take 7)…………………….least a day to
complete the same climb. Having achieved free solo rock climbing feats 8)…………….many
other professionals consider impossible, there’s 9)…………………..doubt that Alex Honnold
10)…………….a remarkable natural gift for climbing, combined with nerves of steel.

B. WORD FORMATION.For questions 1-10, use the word given in capitals at the end of the lines to
form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. (1p x 10 = 10p)

Urban Cycling
Urban cycling has been gaining popularity in recent years. These days, it’s not always easy for
people to exercise 1) REGULAR…….That’s why bicycle advocacy groups, like the San
Francisco Bicycle Coalition promote the bicycle for everyday 2)
TRANSPORT………………….They also hold free urban cycling workshops, teaching cyclists
how to bike more 3) CONFIDENT……………….and share the road with the other motorists 4)
RESPECT………………Besides that, kids are taught how to ride a bicycle and the basic rules
of bike 5) SAFE………………The SFC also organize community events, such as Car Free
Sunday, to promote safer and more 6) ACCESS……urban cycling. Considering traffic jams and
the 7) DIFFICULT………of finding parking, cycling is often the 8) EASY………..and fastest
way to move around a city and makes 9) FIT………………….really easy. More cyclists also
means fewer cars on the roads and less pollution, which is 10) BENEFIT………….to the whole
community.

C . KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATION. For questions 1 -5, complete the second sentence, so that it has a
similar meaning to the first, using the word given. Do not change the word give. You must use between three
and six words, including the word given.(2p x 5 = 10p)

1. My involvement in Medicine started when I was at university.

INVOLVED
I have……………I was at university.

2. Tomas put up a fence so that people didn’t walk on his garden.

PREVENT
Tomas put up a fence ……………………………………………… on his garden.

3. I threw away all my books when I finished school.

RID
I ……………………….all my books when I finished school.

4. Amy spent ages looking for her book.

TO
It took………………………………her book.

5. Helen always gets angry when she makes a mistake.

TEMPER
Helen always………………………………she makes a mistake.
D. MULTIPLE CHOICE. For questions 1 -10, read the text below and decide which
answer (A,B,C or D) best fits in each gap (1p x 10 = 10p)

Balancing Study and Free Time

Getting the balance right between study and free time has long been an are of intense
disagreement between parent and their children. Children generally put off 1)…..their homework
as much as possible and prefer to do things they like doing. On the other hand, parents feel
concern that their children will 2)………behind with their work and that this will 30….an effect
on their performance.
Nowadays, school children’s schedules are busier than ever and they often feel they can’t
4)…..with the demanding work load given to them. Research, however, shows that children have
been 5)…all along. Scientists and teachers have 6)….to the conclusion that free time is of vital
importance to a child’s well-being. Research has 7)….that children who combine their studies
with a sufficient amount of free time are happier. In fact, not enough free time has been shown to
8)….a child’s progress down due tot their 9)…….. of concentration.
Of course, striking an appropriate balance between work and free time is a complex 10)….which
requires self-discipline.

A B C D

1. doing making reading seeing

2. stay be fall remain

3. lead keep bring have

4. manage cope do stand

5. right true valid exact

6. approached arri ved come reached

7. determined displayed pointed shown

8. decrease slow lower reduce

9. reduction luck lack flow

10. programme project task exercise

III. WRITING – 30p

Your teacher has asked you to write an esay giving your opinion on the following statement:
School uniforms should be compulsory. Write your essay, justifying your opinion. (200-250
words)
 BAREM - CONCURSUL DE LIMBA ENGLEZA “QUEST”

I READING COMPREHENSION (4p x 5 = 20p)

1-B; 2 B; 3-B; 4-A; 5-D

II A. OPEN CLOSE ( 1p x 10 = 10p ) 6. from

1. the 7. at
2. up 8. that
3. when 9. no
4. much 10. has
5. no
B. WORD FORMATION ( 1p x 10 = 10p )
1 regularly 6 accessible
2 transportation 7 difficulty
3 confidently 8 easiest
4 respectfully 9 fitness
5 safety 10 beneficial
C. KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATION (2p x 5 = 10p)
1………………….. been involved in Medicine since
2…………………… to prevent people (from) walking
3……………….. got rid of
4………….. Amy ages to find
5……………loses her temper when

D. MULTIPLE CHOICE ( 1p x 10 = 10p )

1A
2C
3D
4B
5A
6C
7D
8B
9C
10 C

III. WRITING (30p)

- organization and cohesion ……………………5p.
- language accuracy …………………………….6p.
- content …………………………………………8p.
- range of vocabulary …………………………...6p.
- register …………………………………………5p.
Se acordă 10p din oficiu.