9^th grade

Part 1 Listening

  Task 1

Job applicant’s name              1_________________________________

Application for position of          2_________________________________

Graduated College in (year)         3_________________________________

Teaching experience (subject(s))     4_________________________________

Age range of students              5_________________________________

Earliest start date                  6_________________________________

  Task 2

YOUTH IN LOCAL LIFE SERIES

The local charity organization is named 7_____________________.

They help 8_____________________ young people.

The girl joined in 9_____________________ ago.

Her main duty is 10_______________________.

To get money they organize 11_____________________.

They are now developing 12_____________________ service.

The girl is planning to start 13_____________________.

Part 2 Reading

Task 1

Jason on Professional Sport

1. Sometimes I wonder whether there is any loyalty left in professional sports today. Anyway in today’s four major sports loyalty isn’t found very easily. It seems that today the modern athlete doesn't care too much about other than himself.

2. Sports today is all about money. Players don’t care about staying with the same organization unless they are paid big bucks and their team is winning. If either doesn’t happen, the player will probably request to be traded, and if he isn’t, you know when the contract is up, he's gone. Take Roger Clemens for example; while in Boston the management took care of him. His last contract made him the highest paid player in baseball, when it was signed. This year he left the team to go to Toronto after being with the Sox his whole career. Where is his loyalty?

3. Another thing today’s pro athlete does is put himself before the team. An example of that would be John Valentin. Valentin has been the Red Sox starting shortstop the past few years and is more than adequate. He is a good hitter but only a decent fielder. At the end of the year last season, Nomar Garciparra was brought up. Garciparra is a tremendous fielder and a pretty good hitter. He, like Valentin, plays shortstop. The management knows Nomar is the shortstop of the future. Knowing this, the organization asked Valentin to play either second or third base. Valentin was angered with the team and, because of his inability to cooperate and do what’s best for the team, he will probably end up traded or see his role as a player diminish.

4. Although almost everyone in sports is in it solely for money or personal glory, there are a few who still have loyalty. Ray Bourque, Ryne Sandburg, and Joe Dumars are players with loyalty to their organizations. All three players have had great careers and have stayed on the same team their whole career. These aren’t the only loyal players left even though they’re fewer players who care about their teams.

5. Players today are getting greedier and greedier. They are changing teams and even start fighting for better contracts despite their connections with home teams. Being the highest paid player is equal to being the best player as your success is always calculated.

    

A  Managers’ tricks

B  Looking for more profit

C  Pleasant exceptions

D  Loyalty and pro sport

E  Athletes’ egoism

F  Power of money

Task 2

The History of Mexico City

Although the central region of Mexico has been inhabited for at least 20000 years, Mexico City only dates back to the 14th century. The Aztecs had reached this area in the previous century, eventually settling on an island in Lake Texcoco. Here, in 1325, the city of Tenochtitlan began to take shape.

The lake was shallow, and during the nearly 200 years until 1519, the Aztecs expanded inhabited area by land refill and the creation of artificial islands. Canals were dug for the transportation of goods and people. There were many houses, palaces, temples, squares, markets and even a zoo. Perhaps the most striking construction of this period is the Templo Mayor, a double pyramid which still survives. As the capital of an empire, Tenochtitlan was a magnificent and important city. When the Spanish arrived, they called it the ‘Venice of the New World’.

The Spanish began their conquest of Mexico in 1519 and came close to Tenochtitlan the same year. In 1521, they took control of it, after fierce fighting that destroyed most of the city. A new capital, with a new name, was built on the ruins, using Spanish architectural styles. One part of the lake was filled in to join the island to the shore, and Mexico City became the capital of the wealthiest colony.

By the beginning of the 17th century, it was a busy, lively city, with some residents leading a splendid and luxurious way of life. Not everything went well, though heavy rain in 1629 caused a great deal of destruction, in which many people died, and thousands lost their homes. A large part of the city had to be rebuilt. The residents suffered from social and economic pressures, serious food shortages, which erupted in riots in 1692.

In the 18th century, many new buildings were constructed. It was a prosperous period, when the new aristocracy paid for splendid buildings, banquets and balls, not to mention the latest fashions from Europe.

An uprising took place in Mexico in 1810, with the aim of ending rule from Spain. This goal was finally achieved in 1821, when Mexico City briefly became the capital of the Mexican Empire. Since 1823, it has been the capital of the Republic of Mexico, apart from a short period, from 1863 to 1867, when the country was again an empire.

In the first few decades of the 20th century, plans were drawn up for the urbanization of Mexico City; housing development programmes were introduced, and factories spread through the city. During the 20th century, the population grew fast, and the city is now one of the largest in the world.

1. Mexico City and the central region of Mexico have been inhabited for the same length of time.

2. The Aztecs generally preferred to live on islands.

3. The area where people lived was artificially increased between 1325 and 1519.

4. The Spanish had heard of Tenochtitlan before they reached Mexico.

5. The Aztec inhabitants of Tenochtitlan struggled hard to protect the city from conquerors.

6. Flood destroyed the whole of Mexico City in 1629.

7. The 18^th century was the beginning of the decline of Mexico City.

8. Spanish rule of Mexico ended in 1810.

9. Since 1867, Mexico has become a republic for ever.

10. Industrialization of Mexico City took place in the early 20^th century.

Task 3

Healthy School Meals

Children at Southdown Infants School in Bath enjoy tasty homemade meals such as roast turkey with fresh vegetables, chicken, salad and fresh fruit for pudding. Vegetables are (16) _____. Instead of crisps, chocolate and sweets, the school canteen serves organic carrots, dried fruit and fresh seasonal fruit in bags for 10 p, (17) _____.

Southdown’s healthy eating initiative began four years ago with the start of a breakfast club. Now Ms. Culley, the head teacher of the school, says that the teachers very clearly see the link between diet and concentration. “Children’s concentration and behaviour (18)_____.” The teachers would also like to give the children the experience of eating together. It turned out that some children were not used to that.

Pupils are also encouraged to find out more about where their food comes from by (19) _____.

The efforts of staff, pupils and parents to create a healthy eating environment were recognized earlier this month (20) _____ the Best School Dinner prize.

A. when the school was awarded

B.   visiting a local farm

C.   local, fresh and organic when possible

D.   provide good quality food

E.   definitely improve after a good meal

F.    and about 100 bags are sold each day

Part 3 Use of English

Task 1

Airports

Task 2

The Story of Ice hotel

Ice hotel, in northern Sweden, (0) …is… the world’s first, largest and perhaps (11)…… hotel made completely of ice and snow. It has 60 rooms (12) .......... a hotel reception, an ice bar, a cinema with ice-screen, an ice-art exhibition, and even an ice church (13)..........  weddings can take place. And as (14) .......... as the building  itself, (15).......... inside it - the windows, doors, desks, beds, chairs, tables and lamps - is made of ice. The hotel has to be built again every year.

It (16)……. two months to build; work starts in October and the first guests arrive in December. (17)..........., in late April the ice begins to (18).......... and then the  last guests (19)..........out and the hotel turns to water. It is rebuilt the following winter, and (20) .......... snowflakes, one year's hotel is never exactly the same as another's!