����������������������������������������� ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETITION
��������������������������������������������� (lower - intermediate level)
�READING -Based on the information from the text �Cities� choose the correct answer and circle the letter in front of it: �
Cities
Some
cities are located by chance. A wagon breaks down, the driver spends some time
in repairs, finds that he is in a congenial spot, and settles down. Later
another person builds a house near his, and later someone adds an inn. Someone
else starts selling farm produce there. Soon there is a little market, which
grows to a town, and later to a city.
Other
places were destined by nature to become cities. London, for example, is on
what is called the head of navigation - the point where it becomes too
difficult for ocean-going ships to continue upriver, and must transfer their
cargoes. As with London, the head of navigation is also the point where the
river can be conveniently bridged. In fact, the location of a bridge is often
the reason for the birth of a town - as Cambridge or Weybridge in England show.
Again, a good harbour will generally lead to a city growing up about it. New
York and San Francisco began life as ports, as did Cape Town in South Africa.
Some
places were created mainly for military purposes, such as Milan, and the host
of English cities finishing with -�cester,
which is derived from�castra�which means�camp�in Latin. Chester itself, created to
guard the Welsh border is a very good example. Other such military bases are
Manchester, Doncaster, and of course, Newcastle.
A
few cites are not created by accident, but by intention. This was the case with
Milton Keynes in England, but the most famous examples of such cities are
capitals. Brasilia, Canberra and Washington are capitals created in modern
times, but even their greatest admirers will admit that they lack a certain
character. It is no co-incidence that there are famous pop songs about New
York, ("New York, New York") Chicago ("My kind of Town")
San Francisco (Going to San Francisco") and many other US cities, but none
about the nation's capital. On the other hand any Londoner can give you at
least three songs about the place.
�
GRAMMAR
I Complete the dialogue by adding one word only:�
Dealer: So, what�s wrong with the car? The motor fine to me. 
Tom: You can�t be . Listen carefully. The motor is making strange .
Dealer: That�s not true. I this model very well, and it sounds perfectly normal to me.
Tom: I . It should run smoothly, and it doesn�t.
Dealer: Well, if that�s what is bothering you, I can the mechanic to look the motor, if you want.
Tom: That�s not only problem. If you look underneath the car, you can see that the motor is losing oil.
Dealer: I�m sorry. I can�t see oil on the ground.
Tom: (10) ! Over there! Oil is dripping onto the floor.
II Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Use between 3 and 7 words only!�
1. Because English people drive on the left, it�s difficult for them to drive abroad.
Because English people it�s difficult for them to drive abroad.
2. You can�t borrow my car!
I won�t my car.
3. I don�t know his phone number. I can�t tell him what happened.
If I his phone number, I what happened .
4. In the end I couldn�t find a garage to service my car.
In the end I couldn�t have .
5. The Prime Minister as well as the members of Parliament don�t feel favorably of the new law.
Neither the Prime Minister favour of the new law.
III Complete the text using ALL the words in the box in the appropriate form: 10 points
| understand � �� cause � � � make������ improve � � �� feel � � �� grow����� experience � � � keep � �� record � � � occur |
Earthquakes are one of the most frightening and destructive happenings of nature that man (1) . Earthquakes (2) the death of many human beings, much suffering and great damage to property. Today the study of earthquakes (3) �greatly as scientists all over the world investigate what causes them. Scientists hope their studies (4) �ways of predicting earthquakes and reduce their destructive effects.
The scientific study of earthquakes is new. Until the 18th century few factual descriptions of earthquakes (5) . In general, people (6) the cause of the phenomena. They believed it was a punishment from God.
In 1755 a serious earthquake (7) near Lisbon, Portugal. Shocks from the quake (8) in many parts of the world. After the quake, Portuguese priests were asked to observe the effects and to make written records. Since that time, detailed records (9) �of almost every major earthquake.
Currently scientists (10)� studies to enable them to predict earthquakes. Although they have made considerable progress, the ability to predict the time, place and size of earthquakes is very limited.
IV Use the words in capitals to form ONE word that fits best in the blank. There is one extra word:
CHILD / LUXURY / DIFFICULTY / FLIGHT / ENGINEER / BEAUTIFY / RELAXATION / CYCLE
We had just had a nice meal and I was looking out of the window, admiring the of the clouds. Everything was going smoothly and I said to myself. � is great!� We had just half an hour to go before landing and I felt pretty when the rather large woman who was sitting next to me suddenly started telling me the story of her life. She was wearing a fur coat because she said she was feeling cold. She was so large that she was taking up not only her own seat, but half of mine too. As she spoke, I pretended to read my newspaper. I could hear the woman�s voice above the noise of the .
�Those were hard times,� she said. �In those days, my parents lived with twelve under the same roof and we hardly had enough to eat.�
I thought she was doing her best to make up for it now. She had taken a bar of chocolate out of her handbag and tried to unwrap it, which was because it had melted and stuck to the paper.
