8 Grade

Maximum score –80 points / Total time - 75 minutes

I. Reading
Maximum score for Reading section = 20 points / Time for Reading section = 25 minutes
Task 1. Answer the open questions. Write down no more than three words from the text. Eg. 0 –
telephoning
Making phone calls can be difficult enough in your mother tongue. Telephoning in a foreign language tends
to be an extremely stressful activity for a language learner. There are a number of reasons for this. You are
often telephoning strangers (if you were phoning family and friends you might use your own language).
When youare telephoning, you cannot see the person you are speaking to, or their expressions, gestures, or
surroundings, and so you miss a lot of the clues which usually help you to understand the meaning of what
they are saying. It seems to be more difficult to ask people to repeat things on the telephone than it would be
if you were speaking to them face-to-face. There is also the problem of unfamiliar 'telephone language', such
as just connecting you. Also, the formulas which staff in businesses are now taught to use when answering
the telephone, such as Hello,this is London Insurance, Mary speaking; how may I help you?, all said
extremely fast and it makes all the phrases difficult to catch from the first time. Digitized messages, such as
You are through to the Shah Cinema.If you require the times of films, press I. If you want to book a ticket,
press 2 are also common now and you maynot ask to repeat or to slow down. One more thing that people
really underestimate that telephone habits vary from culture to culture. Many cultures, for instance, put most
or all of the responsibility on the caller for identifying him/herself and pursuing what he or she wants, while
a few make the recipient equally responsible for doing so. Finally, a non-linguistic factor that has to be
mentioned, a poor connection can lead to misunderstandings and double possible language barriers of a
language learner.
1. What is extremely difficult to do in a foreign language than in your own language? – …
2. How many problems with telephoning in a foreign language have been mentioned? – …
3. Who do you usually call when you have to speak a foreign language? – …
4. What do we miss a lot when we do not see speaker’s expressions, gestures, or surroundings while
talking onphone? – …
5. What seems to be easier to ask when people speak face-to-face? – …
6. What is usually uncommon when talking on phone in a foreign language? – …
7. What type of telephone messages is it impossible to slow down? – …
8. What can be different in American and British cultures? – …
9. What do people do about cultural differences in telephoning? – …
10.Who is responsible for a conversation flow in many cultures? – …
11.Which problem is different but anyway may affect the telephoning? – …

Task 2. Read the article about a young surf life saver. Then answer the questions.
Maggie Smith is a 15-year-old student from Tampa Beach in Florida. Maggie spends most of her free time
on the beach because she is also a surf life saver. When she’s older, she hopes to work as a life saver in some
of the most famous surf beaches in the world, Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka or Pipeline in Hawaii. A surf life
saver’s job is to save the lives of everybody on the beach or in the water but they don’t get any money for
this.
Maggie joined surf life savers with her older brother and sister when she was just five years old. ‘We lived
near the beach but my parents were very busy in their shop. This club was a great way to meet other
children, stay fit and healthy and most importantly we could spend hours on the beach. We learnt to swim
and surf at an early age. At the age of 14 I became a surf life saver and soon after that I saved somebody in
the sea.’
Maggie loves looking after people on the beach. ‘Everybody can see us on the beach because we wear
horrible red and yellow hats, shirts and shorts. If you can’t see us that means we can’t see you so maybe you
aren’t safe’.
12. A surf life saver
 А. earns a lot of money
b. isn’t paid anything
c. doesn’t help anybody
12.Maggie is
A. younger than her brother.
B. B the oldest in her family.
C. C older than her brother.
13.Maggie’s mum and dad
A had a lot of free time.
B had a small business.
C lived far from the beach.
14.Maggie first helped a swimmer
A when she was very young.
B a year ago.
C this year.
15.Maggie enjoys
A wearing red and yellow clothes.
B looking at people.
C making sure people are safe.
16.What advice does Maggie give to beach users?
A Make sure you can see the life saver.
B Become a life saver!
C You must wear a hat.
17.Maggie Smith doesn’t
A go to school.
B like the beach.
C work in Sri Lanka.

Task 3. Look at sentences 18-20 and decide if the explanation which follows each one is true orfalse.
Use the words and expressions in bold to help you decide. Eg. 0 -True
0. Parents can be made liable for their children's debts. - Parents may be legally responsible for the money
theirchildren owe.
18. During the exam, a pencil and eraser are required. - The people organising the exam will provide you
witha pencil and an eraser.
19. The doctors forced him to stop smoking. - The doctors asked him to stop smoking.
20. Classes on Wednesday afternoons are optional. - It is not necessary to attend classes on
Wednesday afternoons
1 point for each correct answer
Total maximum score for this section – 20
II. Use of English
Maximum score – 20 points / Time – 25 minutes
Task 1. Country quiz. Choose a correct answer.
1. Which of the following is the royal residence?
A) Westminster Palace
B) Buckingham Palace
C) The Tower
D) Whitehall
2. On the Welsh flag, we can see …
A) three crosses.
B) a lion.
C) a dragon.
D) a daffodil.
3. What monument is in the centre of Trafalgar Square?
A) The Statue of Eros
B) Nelson’s Column g
C) The Monument to Queen Victoria
D) Peter Pan Statue
4. Who were King Arthur’s companions?
A) Merry men
B) Common warriors
C) Legendary heroes
D) The Knights of the Round Table
5. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in …
A) November.
B) August.
C) February.
D) December.

Task 2. Read the passage and choose the correct answers to fit in the gaps. Eg. 0 - A
Symbat is 14 years old student from Taraz and she (0) … making her own clothes. She has always enjoyed
(6)
… pictures of people wearing different clothes and she’s very interested (7) … fashion.
Last week she (8) … a fashion contest and she won! ‘(9) … was really wonderful to win,’ says Symbat. ‘I
made a beautiful evening dress for my birthday party (10) … next month. My granny (11) … with it – and
the judges loved it! Now (12) … my school friends (13) … clothes for them. (14) … I’m older I’d like to
have a job making clothes for famous people. That would be the (15) … job in the world!’
0. A. loves B. loving C. loved
6. A. draw B. drawing C. to draw
7.A. in B. with C. by
8. A. entered B. come up C. start up
9. A. There B. It C. I
10.A. the B. in C. –
11.A. helps me B. helped me C. help me
12.A. all B. every C. each
13.A. want to make B. want me make C. want me to
make
 14.A. If B. When C. Until
15.A. good B. better C. best

Task 3. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense and form. If you have even one mistake in one
passage, the whole passage is considered incorrect. Eg. 0 - gets
0. He said that he will rent a bigger house when he … (get) a new job.
16. While Saule … (do) her homework yesterday evening, I was in the kitchen. I was cooking her favourite
dishbecause I … (want) to surprise her.
17. Usually ‘Use of English section’ … (design) to measure your ability to recognize language that is
appropriate for standard written or spoken English.
18. I was feeling really nervous about having some medical tests … (do), but my mother assured methat I
… (have) nothing to worry about. She promised to accompany me.
19. I work as a journalist for international media company so I … (ask) to travel around the world and I …
(meet) different people.
Now I am not ready to present my project but by the end of next week, I …(finish) it,

1 point for each correct answer

Total maximum score for this section – 20

II. Writing
Maximum score – 40 points / Time - 25 minutes
Write an answer to ONE of questions a-h. Write between 130-150 words in an appropriate style.

a) Write an email to your friend. Describe an unusual hobby you would like to start. Write why it is
unusual, why you are interested in it, what equipment you need, etc.
b) Write an article to a website about your name. Who and why gave the name to you, what it means, its
origins,why \ why not you want to change it.
c) Write an essay to an international website about countries and cultures. Write about gift-giving tradition
in Kazakhstan. Write when and what people usually gift and what would be a good present to a
teenager.
d) Your class is expecting exchange students from the UK. The school committee asked you to suggest
ideas about a day-trip to a nearby area. Give your opinion about two possible places to visit and related
activities. Describe advantages and disadvantages, decide what is the best option.
e) You read an article about environment protection in the USA. Write a letter to the editor expressing
your views on the issue in Kazakhstan. Describe how the environment is protected, what is still
necessary to do, whatteenagers and school can do to be more eco-friendly.
f) Write an advice letter to an online magazine for teenagers. Write how to do public speaking, describe
preparation routine, on-stage behavior, post-speaking reflection, etc.
g) Write a blog about three professions that will not be necessary in 10-20 years. Explain your choice, give
arguments and examples.

h) Write a letter to your school website. Write what website page you would like to start in your school
website. List topics you would like to include and why, describe structure, feedback options and overall
policy of your potential page.

Total maximum score for this section – 40 points