English Olympiad Tasks: 10 th form Аудіювання, 10 клас. Текст

When an old friend invited me to his house for a dinner party, I did not think for a moment that this would lead the way to doubling my salary in less than two years. But that is exactly what happened. By the end of the evening the conversation was beginning to dry up, and somebody suggested we all do a "party-piece". Some people sang, some played the piano and others told stories.

Then it was the turn of Peter Brown, a salesman from Cardiff. He said he was going to perform a memory trick. He told us to put a blind­fold over his eyes, and then asked the guests to call out 25 numbers, all of three figures each, such as 161, 249, and so on. He asked me to make a note of all the numbers as they were called out. Peter then astonished everyone at the party by repeating' the entire list of numbers, first in the correct order, then backwards. He could even say in what order the numbers were written on the list without making a single mistake. The numbers were then mixed up and called out again. Peter performed the same trick and truly amazed all of us. You expect to see this type of trick performed on stage or on television but not by an ordinary man, in a situation where cheating is impossible.

Later on I asked Peter how he had done the trick. He said that by remembering a few simple rules anyone could do it. Most people, he continued, leave the development of their memories to chance, but by following these rules we could all develop good memories, and he told me how to do it.

Over the next few days I learned to do exactly what Peter had done. At first it was just for fun but soon I was receiving invitations to lots of parties, and people were amazed by the tricks I could perform with my memory. They often asked me how they could become as popular and successful and I told them what Peter Brown had told me.

However, the greatest thing about improving my memory came out at the office. My thinking had become much clearer and quicker. I was learning to do things that until recently I had only been able to admire in other people. In time I also began to notice a big improve­ment in my writing and conversational skills. Before I learned how to improve my memory, I used to speak and write in a very slow, confused way. I could never think of anything to say. But now, I never have to search for the right word or expression, and I find myself impressing people with my bright conversation.

In an 8-month study of Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet Company, researches found that 61 % of dancers sustained at least one injury that kept them from performing. This injury rate is similar to those in sports such as football and wrestling, the researches report.

Ronald E. Smith of the University of Washington in Seattle led the study. The results are published in the October issue of the journal Anxiety, Stress and Coping. Smith's team also questioned the dancers about life stresses and performance anxiety. The investigators found that the pressure-filled world of ballet seems to create both physical anxiety – such as muscle tension and hyperventilation - and mental stress, all of which was related to injury risk.

Compared with the average college athlete, the dancers experienced slightly less physical stress but more mental anxiety, the report indicates.

Smith and his colleagues conclude that some injuries could be prevented by teaching dancers to manage their stress.

Statements (on your Answer Sheet put down “True” or “False”)

1. 
   Ballet dancers get as many injuries as people who do contact sports.
   
2. 
   Ballet is mentally stressful but not physically stressful.
   
3. 
   Wrestlers get far more injuries than ballet dancers.
   
4. 
   Mental stress can increase a person's chances of being injured when they do a physical activity.
   
5. 
   Ballet dancers have more mental stress than college sportspeople.
   

It is being claimed that the millionth word in the English language is about to be created. A US company which follows the use of language on the Internet has made the prediction. However, traditional dictionary makers aren't so sure. The idea of the millionth word entering the English language is a brilliant bit of public relations for Texas-based Global Language Monitor (GLM). GLM runs a powerful search service which monitors web traffic. They make their money telling organizations how often their name is mentioned in new media, such as the Internet.

What they can also do is search for newly coined words. Once a word has been used 25,000 times on social networking sites and such like, GLM declares it to be a new word.

By their calculations a new word is created in English every 98 minutes, hence they estimate that the millionth word is about to be created.

If you talk to lexicographers, however, dictionary professionals, they tell a slightly different story. Dictionaries have tighter criteria about what constitutes a new word, for example, it has to be used over a certain period of time.

Lexicographers will tell you that the exact size of English vocabulary is impossible to quantify, but if you accept every technical term or obscure specialist word then we're already way beyond a million.

And if you restrict inclusion of specialist slang, then there are possibly three quarters of a million words in English. All of which is way beyond the 20-40,000 words that a fluent speaker would use, or the few thousand you could get by with in English. Basically, with 1.5 billion people speaking some version of the language, it's small wonder - English is the fastest growing tongue in the world.

Сhoose the correct answer A, B, C or D:

6. The text focuses on

A. the languages which have more than a million words.

B. the meaning and usage of the millionth word in the English language.

C. the process of calculation and registration of words in a language.

D. the monitoring web traffic.

7. What can we find out from the text?

A. The millionth word in the English language was registered by GLM service.

B. The millionth word in the English language is about to be created.

C. There are less than a million words in the English language.

D. There are different points of view on the number of words in the English language.

8. Global Language Monitor does not

A. run a powerful search service which monitors web traffic.

B. make up dictionaries.

C. tell organisations how often their name is mentioned in new media.

D. search for newly coined words.

9. GLM declares a word to be a new one after it

A. has been used over a certain period of time.

B. has been used by 25,000 people.

C. has been used 25,000 times on social networking sites.

D. has appeared in dictionaries.

10. Lexicographers claim that

A. it's just amazing that English is the fastest growing tongue in the world.

B. the exact size of English vocabulary is impossible to quantify.

C. there are obviously more than three quarters of a million words in English.

D. a fluent speaker would use 20-40,000 words.

Читання, 10 клас

Reading Comprehension Test.

Questions 11 through 15 refer to Text 3
Text 3 From "Native Americans" on Nativeamericans.com, 2006

Native Americans are peoples who occupied North America before the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th century. They have long been known as Indians because of the belief prevalent at the time of Colum­bus that the Americas were the outer reaches of the Indies (hence the name 'East Indies'). Most scholars agree that Native Americans came into the Western Hemisphere from Asia via the Bering Strait in a se­ries of migrations. From Alaska they spread east and south.

The several waves of migration are said to account for the many native linguistic families while the common origin is used to explain the physical characteristics that Native Americans have in common (though with considerable variation): Mongoloid features, coarse, straight black hair, dark eyes, sparse body hair, and a skin color ranging from yellow-brown to reddish brown. Many scholars accept evidence of Native American existence in the Americas back more than 25,000 years. In pre-Columbian times (prior to 1492) the Native American population of the area north of Mexico is estimated to have been between one and two million.

There is no part of the world with as many distinctly different na­tive languages as the Western Hemisphere. Although most of the Na­tive American languages that were spoken at the time of the European arrival in the New World in the late 15th century have become extinct, many of them are still in use today.

A. looked;

B. moved;

C. encouraged;

D. hunted.

12. All of the following statements about Native Americans are true
EXCEPT that...

A. their languages are extremely diverse.

B. they have a common appearance.

C. they arrived in the Americas prior to the year 1500.

D. most of the Native American languages are still spoken today.

13. Why were the Americas called the 'East Indies' by Columbus?

A. It was thought that the Americas were actually part of the Indies.

B. According to Columbus, the Native Americans looked like Indians from India.

C. The East Indies are located in the Pacific Ocean.

D. The land and resources of the New World were very similar to that of the Indies.

14. Which of the following is NOT a feature of a Native American?

A. Dark eyes.

B. Curly hair.

C. Coarse hair.

D. Asian-looking features.

15. Why do Native Americans look so similar, yet speak so many different distinct languages?

A. They were trying to establish new societies in the New World.

B. Each tribe invented a new language before arriving in Alaska.

C. Migrants crossed the Bering Strait at the same time and then spread over the continent.

D. They all migrated from Asia, but at different times.

Творча письмова робота, 10 клас. ROUND III. Writing Comprehension Test.

Directions:

In this Test you will select from the three tasks written on the board one which you feel you are most capable to write about. You will then begin writing your essay on the pages provided. When you are finished close your papers, lay down your pen and wait for us to collect your test materials.

1. Modern computer technologies affect the world greatly. How does it affect you and your family?
2. “The only people who never fail are those who never try”.

Unknown author.

2. 
   What school subjects will be the most helpful in your future career? Why?
   
3. 
   What sport is of the greatest interest for you? Why? Describe the sport, its advantages and disadvantages? Is it possible to do it at school? If not, why?
   

Why do people today prefer to have mobile phones? Do you have one? What do you personally use it for? Why?