GRADE 8-9

Listening Comprehension

Cheese-Rolling Races

 In England, many towns have traditional competitions. In them, competitors usually try to win a game or contest. However, the annual cheese-rolling race in Brockworth is quite unique. At the start of the race, someone rolls a wheel of cheese down a very steep hill. Then, the competitors run after the cheese. The first person to reach the bottom of the hill is the winner.

Сheese-rolling has been a tradition in the town of Brockworth since the early 1800s. But what happens in this old and locally famous competition? It's quite simple, really. First, the competitors come together at the top of a hill named 'Cooper's Hill'. The slope of the hill is very steep - almost 45 degrees! And after that? They wait, but wait for what?

They wait for someone to push a very large wheel of cheese down the hill. The competitors then run very quickly after it. The cheese may reach up to 65 kilometers per hour. The competitors go quite fast too. The first one to the bottom of the hill wins. What's the prize for such an unusual event? It's the wheel of cheese – of course!

So, what drives these runners? What makes them do it? Are they crazy? One cheese runner thinks they may be. "It is dangerous," he says as he looks at the very steep slope of Cooper's Hill. "If I'm running down the hill, I must be crazy. Yeah, I must be crazy..." he decides with a smile.

The cheese racers of Brockworth may just be crazy. However, the crowds keep on cheering, and the competitors keep on running - year after year. It seems that a lot of people are very happy to try this dangerous run. Is it for the fame? Is it for the fun? We may never know, but you can almost be sure of one thing; it's not only for the prize. It's more than just cheese that makes people want to win Brockworth's annual cheese-rolling race!

GRADE 8-9

Listening comprehension test

Put down + if the statement is true, - if it is false (2 points each).

1. Many towns in Great Britain hold an annual cheese rolling race.
2. The race in Brocktown is held once a year.
3. The first person who rolls the wheel up the hill is the winner.
4. The race is run on flat land.
5. The cheese has the shape of a circle.
6. People can run as fast as the cheese goes.
7. The team that eats the cheese the fastest –wins.
8. People enjoy watching and running in the race.
9. The Cheese Rolling Race is quite safe.
10. The Cheese Rolling Race is not well-attended.

2. Choose the correct letter (a, b or c) – (2 points each)

1. In paragraph 2, what does the word “locally” mean?

1. traditional
2. in the area
3. totally

2. How long has this competition been happening?

1. forty-five years
2. over two hundred years
3. not in the text

3. The goal of the competition is to

1. finish first.
2. roll the cheese down the hill.
3. follow the competitors.

4. How fast does the cheese roll down the hill?

1. 35 kilometers per hour
2. 65 miles per hour
3. 65 kilometers per hour

5. What does the writer probably think about the competition?

1. The spectators cheer too much.
2. The prize is very good cheese.
3. The competitors like fame and fun.

6. People who watch a sporting event are

a. cheerers.

b. spectators.

c. visitors.

7. A hill which rises or falls sharply is

a. long.

b. edgy.

c. steep.

3. Write a short answer (2 points each).

1. An event in which people try to be the fastest or the best is a _____________________
2. ________________________is a group of people who are gathered to watch a sporting event or show.
3. The prize for the person who wins the annual race in Brockworth is ________________.

GRADE 8-9

Reading Comprehension, test 1

An Immigrant in the United States

I am a Cambodian immigrant refugee living in the United States. My family and I left Cambodia because of the war in my country where I was born. I can't believe that we are free in this country.  I was eight years old when I first saw different-colored people. How strange, scary, and frightening to see white and black colored people, red and brown and yellow hair, blue, green, and brown eyes. I thought they had costumes on. My eyes had only seen brown-skinned people with black hair. The only pictures in books I had ever seen in my country were of Cambodian people who are of the brown race. Everything was different. The climate was so cold, and when I saw something white on the ground I thought somebody went up in an airplane and dropped lots and lots of tiny pieces of paper down on the ground. It was the first time I saw snow.

When I went to school I couldn't speak English and the teacher didn't speak Khmer. I couldn't understand what to do. It was very difficult. Eating in the cafeteria at the beginning was so different. I had never seen or tasted milk and never eaten cheese or butter. I had never used a fork or knife. There were about five other Cambodian kids in my room who had been in America longer, so they showed me how to use a fork and a knife. At first I didn't like the foods – cheese, salad, pizza, and milk –so I threw them away. The foods I hated are some of my favorite foods now, like pizza, cheese, and milk.

American kids showed me how to play American sports and we became friends. Today I feel very happy to be in a free country in America.

The color of people doesn't scare me anymore. I think how silly it was to be afraid. Everyone is the same inside with the same feelings.

 Put down + if the statement is true, - if it is false (1 point each).

1. The writer was born in Cambodia.
2. In Cambodia, there are many people with yellow hair and green or blue eyes.
3. Most Cambodian people have brown skin and black hair.
4. The writer thought snow was confetti.
5. Khmer is the language of Cambodia.
6. In Cambodia, people eat with a knife and a fork.
7. The first time the writer had pizza, he loved it.
8.  The writer was the only Cambodian pupil in his school.
9. Now, the writer plays sports with his American friends.
10.  The writer thinks that people of different colours have different feelings.

Reading Comprehension, test 2

The Causes оf Volcanoes – Those Plates Again!

The outside of the Earth is like a loaf of bread. They both have a hard, thin outer layer called the crust. When the Earth's crust shifts restlessly or a volcano erupts somewhere, the explanation usually lies in the movement of the Earth's plates.

Most volcanoes on land are formed when two plates move together or collide. The collision usually drives one of the plates under the other. Upon reaching the hotter temperatures of the Earth's interior, the underlying plate begins to melt. This melted rock, which is known as magma, is lighter than the rock around it. Thus, it slowly rises, triggering earthquakes and creating volcanoes. The magma that emerges on the surface is called lava. The severity of the eruption is determined by the gases in the magma.  If the gases can escape gradually, as they do in shield volcanoes, there is usually no explosion.

Some volcanoes are formed when two plates move apart. This usually occurs beneath the surface of the ocean. When the plates separate, magma moves up from below to fill the gap. The lava that pours out builds up the ocean floor, sometimes creating underwater mountain ranges. What land formation have you studied that could have been formed this way?

Still other volcanoes, called hot-spot volcanoes, do not occur at plate boundaries. Instead, they are found at points in the Earth's crust where large amounts of magma are being formed. The magma rises and pushes through the plate, forming a volcano. The volcanoes on the Hawaiian Islands are hot spot volcanoes.

• 1) Choose the correct letter (a, b or c) – (1 point each)

1. Most volcanoes on land are made when

1. the Earth moves.
2. two plates move together.
3. two plates move away from each other.

2. What happens when two plates collide?

1. One plate moves on top of the other.
2. The two plates break apart.
3. The two plates melt together to make magma.

3. Inside the Earth, what causes magma to form?

1. Earthquakes
2. Collisions
3. Very hot temperatures

4. Volcanoes can explode when

1. gases escape suddenly.
2. gases escape slowly.
3. lava is severe.

5. Lava and magma are different because

1. lava  is found deep inside the Earth.
2. magma flows on the surface of the Earth.
3. lava  escapes from inside the Earth to the outside.

6. According to the text, what happens when two plates move away from each other?

1. Underwater mountains are formed.
2. Water fills the space between the plates.
3. The ocean floor becomes dirty.

7. Hot spot volcanoes

1. are created along edge of plates.
2. can be found very deep inside the Earth’s center.
3. are made when melted rock pushes through the Earth’s crust.

2) Write a short answer (1 point each).

8. Rock which is melted by very high temperatures inside the Earth is called__________________.
9. Volcanoes which are formed when gases escape slowly are known as ____________________.
10. The outermost layer of the Earth is the _____________________________.

Reading Comprehension, test 2

Read the texts below and choose the correct word (A, B, C or D) for each gap. - (1 point each)

Traditions and Holidays in the USA

Christmas is celebrated a month after Thanksgiving, _____(1) December 25th. Christmas is a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the son of God. For about a month before, people send each other Christmas and “______(2) New Year." ______(3) people prefer cards that say "Happy Holidays." Nearly everybody ________(4) with a Christmas tree and presents that they put under the tree. Some people go to church on the night _______(5) Christmas, called Christmas Eve, and when they return home, they open their presents. Others open their presents on Christmas Day. The Christmas meal is usually a big bird, like turkey or goose, but some people ______(6) roast beef because they ate turkey a month earlier for Thanksgiving. Pies, cakes, and cookies are central to Christmas celebrations. Many homes and businesses are ______(7), inside and outside, with colored lights and other Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees. Towns and cities have _______(8) for the house with the best decorations.

On the night of December 31st, New Year's Eve, Americans celebrate the end of the past year and the start of the New Year. Every year ______(9) 1907, a 315-kilogram ball is dropped from a flagpole at 1 Times Square in New York City. Nearly one million _______(10) go there to watch it, while millions more watch it on TV. When the ball drops at midnight, the New Year begins!

GRADE 8

Writing Comprehension

(In this test you will select from two writing tasks.  Choose the one that you feel you are most capable to write about.)

8th 

1.  Family and community celebrations, for example: a wedding or a birthday, are important in every culture. Describe a celebration you have been to. What event were you celebrating? How did people prepare for this special day? What were two important activities that happened during the celebration?

2. Many people have a pet at home and spend a lot of time with it.  What kind of pet do you have or would you like to have? What do you do with your pet? What are some benefits of having a pet? What are some difficulties of having a pet?

GRADE 9

Writing Comprehension

(In this test you will select from two writing tasks.  Choose the one that you feel you are most capable to write about.)

9th 

1. Many industries now use robots in factories and development laboratories. There are even robotic household appliances to help with cleaning. Imagine that you have invented a robot, what can it do? How does it work? Where can you use it? What does it look like?

2.  People of all ages use SMS to communicate. How often do you send SMS? Do you send them to everyone or just some people? What kind of language do you use when you write SMS? What are the advantages of using SMS? What are the disadvantages?