Страноведческий тест
олимпиадные задания по английскому языку (8 класс)

 ‘Around the UK and its Capital’

Олимпиада по страноведению Соединённого королевства Великобритании и Северной Ирландии

Категория «Старшая и средняя школа» иностранный язык

Task 1 (10 points)- 15 minutes

Read the questions 1-5 and the information from the travel guides on Britain and match them with  the answers A-F.

Which place

1. is connected with famous writers?
2. does the Queen stay in when she comes to Scotland?
3.  collects things of working class people?
4.  is the birthplace of one of the Scottish kings?
5. is a treasure house of toys?

A. The Palace of Holyrood House is one of the most ancient of the residences still occupied by the royal family. It is closely connected with the history of Scotland. It is open to the public throughout the year except during royal visits.

B. Edinburgh Castle was a royal palace and much fine building work went on here: the oldest building, St. Margaret’s Chapel dates from the 12th century; James IV built the Great Hall with its magnificent oak roof. Other highlights of the tour include the huge 15th century siege gun and the palace where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI.

C. Of all Scotland’s rich historic homes and castles, Thirlestane offers something quite special. Here there is so much to see and enjoy at leisure that many visitors return time and time again. Thirlestane’s historic toy collection makes it a favourite for families too.

D. Walk through a Victorian street full of shops, peep into family living rooms through the centuries. Discover a fascinating collection of clothes, furniture and household things, dating to the period from 1580 till 2000.

E. Located in a historic house built in 1622, the Writers’ Museum is unique to Scotland. Dedicated to the lives and work of Scotland’s greatest literary figures, in particular Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, the museum contains collections of rare things and manuscripts.

F. The People’s Story Museum is filled with the sounds, sights and smells of Edinburgh life in the past. The museums tells about people who worked in Edinburgh industries, trades and services, about their work and pastimes. It uses reconstructed scenes, objects and photographs to bring their story to life.

Read the text and choose True, False and Non stated for the sentences below:

   Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat.

6.The Tower of London is in the center of the capital.

1)True  2)False  3)Not stated

7. The complex is situated on the north bank of the Thames.

1)True  2)False  3)Not stated

8. It was built as a prison.

1)True  2)False  3)Not stated

9. The Tower has thick walls.

1)True  2)False  3)Not stated

10. It was a residence of the queens and kings.

1)True  2)False  3)Not stated

Task 2 (25 points) – 25 minutes

Country-studying

1.There are ___ countries in the UK.

a) three           b)four             c) five

2. Thistle is the symbol of ____ .

a) England     b) Wales          c) Scotland

3.The flag of the UK is called_____ .

a) a Union Jack  b)a Jack Star  c)a Union Star

4. The UK is a ___ .

a) monarchy     b)a federal republic  c) a presidential republic

5. The British capital was founded in the summer of  ____ .

a) 1043             b) AD43            c)BC43

6. The second name of the Clock Tower in London is ___.

a) Big Ben       b) Bell Tower    c) St. Stephen’s Bell

7. The place called ‘Poet’s Corner’  is ___ .

a)Wesminster Abbey   b) Hyde Park    c) Kensington Gardens

8. St.Paul’s Cathedral is a masterpiece of _____ .

a) John Nash    b) Sir Christopher Wren   c) the Romans

9. The official residence of the queen is ____ .

a)Westminster Abbey  b) Buckingham Palace  c) Windsor Castle

10. The sign of the Queen’s presence in her residence is ___.

a)the Royal Standard    b) an open door  c) a carriage in front of the palace

11. The Nelson Column is in the center of ____.

a) Fleet Street      b) Picadilly Circus   c) Trafalgar Square

12. Henry Tate, the founder of the famous gallery was___.

a)an artist            b) a sugar manufacturer  c) an architect

13. One of the biggest concert places in London is ___.

a) Albert Hall     b) Globus         c)Picadilly Circus

14. ‘Beefeaters’ are the guards of ___.

a)Buckingham Palace    b)the Tower of London   c) the Houses of Parliament

15. Whitehall is ____.

a) a street                b) a concert hall        c) a government building

16. You can find books printed by W.Caxton in the 15th century in ___.

a)Madame Tussauds’  b) British museum     c) National Gallery

17. A visit to the London museums ___.

a) costs 10 pounds          b) costs 1 pound       c) is free

18. London Eye is a ___.

a) a tower                       b) a wheel                c) a lake

19.  Cambridge stands on the river ___.

a) Avon               b) Thames              c)Cam

20. In Edinburgh in _____ you can see a ‘Floral Clock’.

a) Edinburgh Castle  b) the Palace of Holyroodhouse  c) Princes Street Gardens

21. The festival of national song and poetry  ‘Eistedfod”  is held in __.

a)Scotland           b)Ireland           c)Wales

22. The Highland Games take place in ____ .

a)Scotland           b)Ireland           c)Wales

23.Robert Burns was born in ___ .

a)Scotland           b)Ireland           c)Wales

24. Beal Fierste was the original name of the capital of ___.

a)Scotland           b)Northern Ireland           c)Wales

25. The UK includes only a small part of ___ .

a)Scotland           b)Ireland           c)Wales

Task 3 (10 points) – 10 minutes

Use of English

Change the words according to the text

Choose the appropriate word:

The History of the Education in the USA

    Prior to 1944 the British secondary education system was rather haphazard. Secondary schools were mainly for the upper and middle classes and 6_______ was not available to all. In 1944, secondary education was 7_______ as a right for all children, and universal, free education was introduced. From 1944 to 1976 state-funded secondary education 8_______ of three types of school: Grammar, Secondary Technical and Secondary Modern. That system assumed that students with different abilities should have a different 9_____ . But only children who 10______ TO Grammar Schools had a real chance of getting into a university.

6.1)access                       2)attendance                3)entrance             4)reception

7.1)recognized               2)recalled                     3)found                  4)realized

8.1) inserted                   2)included                    3)contained            4)consisted

9.1)agenda                     2)curriculum                 3)courses               4)plan

10.1)attended                   2)admitted                    3)went                    4)graduated

Task 4 (5 points) – 20 minutes

Write a short essay ‘Travelling Gives Much To People’

                                Критерии оценивания

Каждое правильное задание – 1 балл

Общее количество баллов - 50

Keys:

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3