9^th Form            Name______________ Surname _______________________

I Variant 

1.     Reading.  Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (1-6). There are two choices you don’t need to choose.

Oldest Living Thing on Earth

Ancient patches of a giant seagrass in the Mediterranean Sea are now considered the oldest living organism on Earth after scientists dated them as (1)___________ .

Australian scientists sequenced the DNA of samples of the giant Posidonia oceanic seagrass, from 40 underwater meadows (2) __________ than 2,000 miles from Spain to Cyprus.

The analysis found the seagrass was between 12,000 and 200,000 years old and was most likely to be at least 100,000 years old. This is far older than the current known oldest species, a Tasmanian plant (3) _________ 43,000 years old.

Professor Carlos Duarte, from the University of Western Australia, said the seagrass has been able to reach such old age because it (4) __________ .

“They are continually producing new branches”, he told The Daily Telegraph. “They spread very slowly and (5) __________”.

The separate patches of seagrass in the Mediterranean span almost 10 miles and weigh

(6) _________ .

A  has been cultivated

B  that is believed to be

C  more than 6,000 tons

D  which grows quickly

E  cover a very large area

    F  up to 200,000 years old

    G  in an area spanning more

    H  can generate clones of itself

2.     Fill in with the correct word.

anniversary  celebration engaged  wedding  married   honeymoon  going out  bride

Hey Toby!

How’s it going? Good news – Bethany and I have got ___________ ! Everyone’s totally shocked because we’ve been __________ for years and no one thought we’d actually ever do it. We’re planning to get ___________ next September – it’d be great if you and Cara could come. Bethany’s got into the “____________ zone” already and she’s looked at hundreds of dresses. I’m sure she’ll be a beautiful ________ whatever she wears. We’re thinking of going to the Caribbean for our ___________. I’ve always wanted to go there. I know you went last year with Cara to celebrate your ____________ - any advice on good places to go? Hope all’s well with you both.

      Nat

3.     Use Past Simple or Present Perfect of the verbs in brackets.

1.     I live in New York and I ________________ (study) here for years. I love studying here!

2.     When we were children, we _______________ (live) with my grandparents.

3.     I _____________ (speak) very good French when I was at school, but it’s not very good now.

4.     For a long time, many years ago, I _________(be) a really good swimmer.

5.     What a terrible week! I ________________ (work) for 50 hours and it isn’t a weekend yet!

4.     Which sentences are correct ( ), which are not (x)?

1.     Jackie is good at basketball because she is the tallest in her class.

2.     Nurses have to work hard and be kind to everyone.

3.     My best friend is really angry of me because I lost her most expensive ring.

4.     That is the less interesting film I have ever seen.

5.     My sister Margaret is very keen of sport.

     5.Your class is having a picnic next Sunday. Write an email (60-70 words) to your  classmate who was absent at the meeting. Inform him/her about:

        - the class plans for the weekend;

        - the meeting point and the time;

        - say what things to take;

        - give him/her your new mobile number to keep in touch with you.

Mark ________

9^th Form            Name______________ Surname _______________________

II Variant 

1.     Reading. 

Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (1-6). There are two choices you do not need to choose.

The Best of Success

The year was 1983. In Australia, the long-distance foot race from Sydney to Melbourne was about to begin, covering 875 kilometers – more than 500 miles! About 150 world-class athletes had entered a six-day event. So race officials were amazed when a 61-year-old man approached and (1) __________ . His name was Cliff Young, and his “racing kit” included overalls and galoshes over his work boots.

At first, they refused to let him enter. So he explained (2) __________ on a 2,000-acre farm, with thousands of sheep. His family had neither horses nor tractors so, when the storms came, his job was (3) __________ . He said that sometimes it would take two or three days of running.

Finally, they let Cliff enter, and the race began. The others quickly left him behind, shuffling along in his galoshes. But he didn’t know that the race plan included stopping each night to rest, (4) _________ .

By the fifth day, he had caught them all, won the race, and (5) ____________ . He continued to compete in long-distance races until he was 70.He was an inspiration to millions and a great encourager of younger runners.

In his honour and memory, the organizers of the race (6) ___________ changed its name to the Cliff Young Australian Six Day Race.

A  became a national hero                  B  asked them for help

C  that he had grown up                     D  so he kept going

E  to dig the ground                            F  handed them his entry form

G  where he first gained fame            H  to round  up the sheep

Circle the correct word.

1.      My new job is great. Everyone is really interested/friendly/afraid.

2.     My sister has blue eyes and dressed/small/fair hair.

3.     I’m not kind/strong/tall enough to lift these boxes.

4.     My sister likes to help other people. She is very kind/afraid/thin.

5.     I broke my dad’s computer and he was really afraid/careful/angry.

6.     When Patrick was ill, he Didn’t eat much and he became rather blonde/careful/thin.

2.     Complete the sentences with correct pronoun.

one   who  you   yourself   myself   which   each

Hi Pete!

You asked me about clothes for your new job. I think you should buy _________

some new shirts. The shirts ________ you usually wear are really old! I know you and Hazel usually give _______ other books or DVDs as presents, but why not ask her to give ______ a shirt. And don’t wait for your birthday!

You also asked if I need help with painting my living room. It’s very kind of you, but I think I can do it _______, with some help from the man _______ lives next door. We’re going to start tomorrow.

Good luck with the new job!

          Scott

3.     Choose the correct word.

1.     Sam was busy reading an interesting/interested book.

2.     I saw an amazed/amazing film on TV last night.

3.     Lots of annoyed/annoying passengers complained about the train delays.

4.     The exciting/excited children were talking and laughing happily.

5.     You need to talk about/to Ellie and ask her to help you.

6.     That girl is smiling at/of me!

7.     If Paula invite/invites me, I will certainly go.

8.     I’ll/I’ll be late for work if I miss the next train.

4.     Writing.

You’ve found a letter on the Pen Friends international website and decided to write a reply (60-70 words) to it. Include the following information:

-         introduce yourself and write a few words about your hometown;

-         say something about local food;

-         youth activities in the area;

-         ask the person to send the same information to you.

Mark _____

9^th Form            Name______________ Surname _______________________

III Variant 

1  Choose the adjectives to complete the sentences. There are more adjectives than you need.

Skilful, boring, proud, overrated, wise, cruel, generous, sensitive, kind, ambition, calm.

1. Something interesting isn’t ……………… . 2. Don’t criticize him, he will start crying. Don’t you know he is very ………? 3. My aunt is a very ………………… person. She always gives money to charities and helps the poor. 4. When we saw a python everybody panicked except John. He stayed ……… 5. My little brother is very ……………… to animals. He always kicks and hits them. 6. I’m afraid their new record is …………… . It is not as good as everybody says. 7. My boyfriend is very ……………. He always helps me carry heavy bags. 8. The Impressionists were very …………. at drawing and painting landscapes.

2  Choose the correct item.

1.  By next summer I will ______ a yacht!  a) be buying      b)  buy      c)  have bought

2.  This time tomorrow I will _____ to Havana.  a) be flying  b) have flown c)  be flown

3.  She works _____ a teacher in a primary school. a)  as   b)  like   c)  about

4.  He swims _____ a fish!   a)  as   b)  like   c)  for

5.  Coffee _____ now.   a) is being served b) is serving c) has served

6.  He _____ us he’d be on time.  a) said  b) asked  c) told

7.  Many people are pessimistic about the future. _____, I don’t feel the same way.

a)  Furthermore  b) However  c) Because

3.  Cross out the unnecessary word.

1.  They got caught in traffic while be driving to work.

2.  I’ve been to given a beautiful silver ring.

3.  The weather is for to walking.

4  Read the article and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

         A fire destroyed a large part of a forest in the north of Italy on Saturday. Thousands of trees were burned in one of the worst forest fires in the country’s history.

         The fire started early on Saturday afternoon after a long period of drought. The fire very quickly burned vast areas of forest due to high winds. Firefighters battled on foot and from the air for several hours trying to bring the fire under control. By the time this was achieved however, a large part of the forest had been totally destroyed. The smoke from the fire formed such a large and dark cloud that it was said to have turned day into night.

         Several people were injured in the fire, but fortunately no one was killed. Rescue workers have picked up casualties by helicopter and have taken them to the nearest hospitals. It is also feared that many animals have lost their homes or were killed in the fire.

         A project will be set up by the government to clear the area so that the local authorities can begin planting trees as soon as possible. “It’s a terrible disaster”, a firefighter said. “It will take years for the forest to grow again”.

1.      This article is about a natural disaster which happened at the weekend. ____

2.     The weather hadn’t  been hot and dry for a very long time. _____

3.     The firefighters only used aeroplanes to put the fire out. ______

4.     The forest was completely destroyed by the fire. _____

5.     Quite a few people died in the fire. ______

6.     The injured are being treated in nearby hospitals. _____

7.     Firefighters tried to bring the fire under control for several hours. _____

8.     It was a small and light cloud of smoke from the fire. _____

9.     Casualties have been picked up by the rescue workers. _____

10.                       The government will set up the project to clear the area. _____

  6. Writing. You’ are planning a trip to England in spring. Write a letter (60-70 words) to your English-speaking friend in which you:

-         inform him/her about your visit (month, number of days, place of arrival);

-         say that you would like to meet your friend in London, if possible;

-         ask about the weather at this time of the year;

-         the clothes to take with you.

Mark _____

9^th Form                      Name _______________ Surname ___________________

IV Variant

1.Choose the correct item.

1.  I always use ……. transport to get around the city.

     a) common  b) public  c) direct

2.  Would you like me to send you a list of our ….. prices.

     a) current  b) modern  c) solid

3. You can contact me at any time on my ……. phone.

     a) moving  b) memorial  c) mobile

4.  This artist ……. the sculpture from wood.

     a) scratches  b) carves  c) mines

5.  The air pollution from those factories creates …… rain.

     a) salt  b) acid  c) steel

6.  There are many ……. plants in the Amazon rainforest.

     a) ideal  b) unmarked  c) rare

7.  The porter told us to leave our bags at the reception ……. .

     a) desk  b) office  c) table

8.  Many people …… in the sea when the Titanic sank.

     a) drowned   b)  burnt   c)  hurt

9.  Cars produce a lot of traffic ……. in this city.

     a) smells  b) gases  c) fumes

10. Food is one of our  …… needs.

     a) hidden  b) favourite  c) basic

2. Choose the correct item.

1.  – Do I ….. pay now?  - Yes, I’m afraid you do.

   a) must   b)  should   c)  have to

2.  Kevin …. Do the washing up after dinner.

   a) don’t have to  b) have to  c0 has to

3.  Robert, you ….. tidy your room now!

   a) could  b) must  c) had to

4.  If you ….. the window, it wouldn’t  be so cold here.

   a) closed  b) have closed  c) will close

5.  That’s the woman ….. stole my bag!

   a) who  b) which  c) what

3. Reading.  You are going to read about two people and their bad experiences. For questions 1-10 choose from the people A or B.

Who

-         had an accident while driving? ______

-         was alone at the time of the accident? ______

-         got wet? _____

-         realized she had driven into a pool of water? _____

-         climbed into the small fishing boat? ______

-         had an accident because of  the rainy weather? _____

-         was saved by the authorities? ______

-         nearly lost a relative? ______

-         didn’t listen to someone’s warning? _______

-         was terrified? _______

A.   Tina

Tina switched on the windscreen wipers on her car. It was getting dark and it was starting to rain. Tina was tired and she wanted to go home. It had been a long day at work.

As she was driving along the road, the rain suddenly got heavier. She could hardly see where she was going, so she slowed down. Suddenly, there was a huge splash and Tina realized she had driven into a large pool of water. The car engine stopped. She tried again and again to start it, but nothing happened. Tina didn’t know what to do.

Tina decided to wait in the car for the rain to stop and then go look for help. An hour later, it was still raining and Tina was getting desperate. Just then, she heard a noise. It sounded like a siren. She looked behind her and saw the flashing lights of a police car coming towards her.

The police helped push Tina’s car out of the water and took her home. She decided always to have her mobile phone with her in future – just in case!

B.   Liz

Liz Robinson felt excited when she and her brother, Clive, climbed into a small fishing boat. It was their first fishing trip alone, without their father. Clive was almost fifteen now, and although their parents had told them not to go into the sea alone, Clive considered himself responsible enough to look after his younger sister. The trip went well, but as they were heading back to the harbor, the wind started blowing and a huge wave overturned the little boat.

“I was terrified. I was in the water and couldn’t see Clive anywhere. Then I saw him next to the boat. He was holding on tightly. I swam towards him and he grabbed my hand”, said Liz.

Another boat saw the two children and stopped to help them. They were cold and wet, but relieved to have been found quickly. Luckily they both had been wearing life jackets.

4.     Writing. Imagine your are on holiday with your family. Write an email to your friend Robert telling him about it. Write 60-70 words.

Mark ________