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English B2 Exam Listening Tasks

The document appears to be an exam for the Bulgarian State Mature Exam in English at the advanced level (V2). It contains 5 listening comprehension tasks and instructions for completing them while listening to audio passages twice. The tasks include multiple choice questions about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, coming of age traditions, archaeological sites in the UK, the career of a museum curator, and the history of Gibraltar. It also contains instructions for a reading comprehension section with 5 tasks to follow. The exam is assessing listening and reading skills in the English language.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
177 views20 pages

English B2 Exam Listening Tasks

The document appears to be an exam for the Bulgarian State Mature Exam in English at the advanced level (V2). It contains 5 listening comprehension tasks and instructions for completing them while listening to audio passages twice. The tasks include multiple choice questions about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, coming of age traditions, archaeological sites in the UK, the career of a museum curator, and the history of Gibraltar. It also contains instructions for a reading comprehension section with 5 tasks to follow. The exam is assessing listening and reading skills in the English language.

Uploaded by

zadachiskaluduva
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20

МИНИСТЕРСТВО НА ОБРАЗОВАНИЕТО И НАУКАТА

ДЪРЖАВЕН ЗРЕЛОСТЕН ИЗПИТ ПО

АНГЛИЙСКИ ЕЗИК – 25 август 2023 г.

ПРОФИЛИРАНА ПОДГОТОВКА

НИВО В2

ВАРИАНТ 2

ЧАСТ 1 (Време за работа: 60 минути)

Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Task One
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 30 seconds to read the
tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are NOT allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 1 minute to mark your chosen answers on
your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark your chosen answers.
After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute to check or correct your
answers.

1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa started to lean during its construction in the 12th century.
A) True B) False

2. It took almost two centuries to complete the construction of the tower.


A) True B) False

3. The builders tried to counteract the lean by making the upper storeys shorter on all sides.
A) True B) False

4. If the construction works hadn’t been interrupted for such long periods, the tower would have
probably toppled over.
A) True B) False

5. In 1990 the heavy bells were removed from the tower.


A) True B) False

1
Task Two
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 30 seconds to read the
tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are NOT allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 1 minute to mark your chosen answers on
your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark your chosen answers.
After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute to check or correct your
answers.

6. ‘Coming of age’ traditions basically recognize an individual’s growing into maturity.


A) True B) False

7. In the Amish ‘coming of age’ tradition young people demonstrate their physical skills in front
of the community.
A) True B) False

8. Nowadays only Inuit boys are allowed to take part in the ‘coming of age’ traditional activities.
A) True B) False

9. The ‘coming of age’ tradition in Vanuatu comes close to a modern day sporting activity.
A) True B) False

10. The modern ‘coming of age’ festival in Japan includes some strictly religious practices, too.
A) True B) False

Task Three
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to read the
tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are NOT allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to mark your chosen answers on
your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark your chosen answers.
After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute to check or correct your
answers.

11. All three archaeological destinations share a common …


A) location in the northern UK territorial waters.
B) surrounding environment.
C) type of archaeological finds.
D) geological structure.

2
12. The Isles of Scilly offer opportunities …
A) for camping at four different campsites.
B) for volunteers to help with archaeological work.
C) for students’ summer jobs at visitor centres and museums.
D) for visitors to see a panorama of the whole of Scotland.

13. Finds older even than Stonehenge were unearthed on ...


A) the Isle of Wight.
B) the island of St Mary’s.
C) the island of St Martin’s.
D) Orkney Islands.

14. Which archaeological destination features finds NOT related to man’s activities?
A) The Isles of Scilly.
B) Orkney Islands.
C) The Isle of Wight.
D) All of the above.

15. Among the three archaeological destinations the Isle of Wight is unique for …
A) being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
B) its paleontological finds.
C) its English Civil War headlands.
D) its deserted Christian Chapels.

Task Four
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to read the
tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are NOT allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to mark your chosen answers on
your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark your chosen answers.
After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute to check or correct your
answers.

3
16. Amanda decided to pursue a career as a museum curator when …
A) she visited a museum for the first time.
B) she was working on an excavation site.
C) she was offered her first job in a museum.
D) she began studying archaeology at university.

17. Amanda left her job in the Museum of Cotswold because …


A) she felt it was time for a change.
B) she didn’t like the artefacts collection.
C) it didn’t offer many opportunities to her.
D) the museum was transformed into a scientific laboratory.

18. Amanda’s job at the Roman Baths museum in Bath involves ...
A) managing the museum on a daily basis.
B) only marketing to attract new visitors to the museum.
C) creating new holographic projections.
D) acting as a costumed professional guide at the museum.

19. Amanda advises visitors of the Roman Baths museum …


A) to avoid the steam rising off the water.
B) to spend some time bathing in the Great Bath.
C) to go to the museum on a crisp and clear morning.
D) to use audio guides to immerse themselves into the past.

20. According to Amanda, before starting a career in a museum one should …


A) be informed about interactive museum exhibitions.
B) visit as many virtual museums as possible.
C) get training in something that is suitable for their needs.
D) contribute to some museum events for attracting visitors.

Task Five
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to read the
tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are NOT allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to mark your chosen answers on
4
your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark your chosen answers.
After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute to check or correct your
answers.

21. Nowadays Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory …


A) as a result of an international agreement.
B) because of its geographical situation.
C) because Spain doesn’t want that territory.
D) as an aftermath of World War II.

22. According to some historical records, there have been Barbary macaques in Gibraltar ever
since …
A) the dawn of time.
B) the 17th century.
C) the Treaty of Utrecht.
D) the Second World War.

23. Churchill had Barbary macaques imported to Gibraltar because ...


A) he himself was very superstitious and believed the popular myth.
B) he knew the Germans hated monkeys and wanted to annoy them.
C) he thought that they would serve as an enemy distraction.
D) he didn’t want Britain to appear weak to its rivals.

24. The government of Gibraltar …


A) exports monkeys for use in laboratories.
B) resorts to brutal ways to keep the monkey population down.
C) monitors the breeding of monkeys every five years or so.
D) warns tourists to be beware of monkeys.

25. In Gibraltar, Barbary macaques …


A) have found their natural paradise on Earth.
B) are government protected by law.
C) help the local tourist industry.
D) live only on appropriate organic food.

5
МИНИСТЕРСТВО НА ОБРАЗОВАНИЕТО И НАУКАТА
ДЪРЖАВЕН ЗРЕЛОСТЕН ИЗПИТ ПО

АНГЛИЙСКИ ЕЗИК – 25 август2023 г.

ПРОФИЛИРАНА ПОДГОТОВКА

НИВО В2

ВАРИАНТ 2

ЧАСТ 2 (Време за работа: 180 минути)

Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

READING COMPREHENSION
Task One
Read the text below. Then read the questions that follow it and choose the best answer to each
question, marking your answers on your answer sheet.

I missed the early part of my parents’ rise to success. I arrived on the scene when my mother,
Debbie Reynolds, was still starring in good, big-budget films. But as I grew up I noticed that the films
were not what they had originally been. Her contract expired when she was in her late thirties and her
last film at forty was of the horror genre.
Soon after this, my mother began doing nightclub work in Las Vegas. I began singing in her show.
Then my mother took a modified version of this show to theatres and fairs across America. I was
then one of the backup singers behind her. She continued to do her nightclub act for the next forty
years – with now and then appearing in television shows and films.
At that time my father, Eddie Fisher, played in nightclubs until he was no longer asked to, and he
wasn’t asked because as a singer he was no longer relevant.
Then I applied to two drama schools in England. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art would have
none of me, but the Central School of Speech and Drama – whose notable alumni included Laurence
Olivier, Harold Pinter, and the Redgrave sisters – said yes.
This was what I’d been waiting for: the chance to stop living at home with my newly divorced
mother. At the school I got real acting experience, which I’d never had, partly because I still wasn’t so
sure that I wanted to be an actress. But maybe acting was something I could do without a high school
diploma or accredited skills of any kind – a job that would pay me enough to let me go out into the
world and start what I would call my own life.

1
When I began attending Central School of Speech and Drama I was seventeen, and the youngest
student there. It was the first time I actually lived on my own.

26. The narrator witnessed the beginning of her parents’ way to professional success.
A) True B) False
27. By her late thirties the narrator’s mother had had her good share of acting in quality films.
A) True B) False

28. The narrator’s father was no longer offered work in nightclubs for the songs in his repertoire
were considered out-of-date.
A) True B) False

29. At the Central School of Speech and Drama the narrator realized she needed some
professional training if she wanted to get a job as an actress.
A) True B) False

30. The excerpt most likely comes from an autobiography book.


A) True B) False

Task Two
Read the text below. Then read the questions that follow it and choose the best answer to each
question, marking your answers on your answer sheet.
It is unpleasant to be half starved. It is unpleasant to be cooped up in a country-house in winter
with nothing to do. It is unpleasant to have to sit at meals and listen to the only girl you have ever
really loved being bullied by an old lady with six chins. And the last of these unpleasantnesses
outweighed the others.
Towards the middle of the second week of his visit, Eve came into the drawing-room before dinner
and found Peter in front of the fire. They had not been alone together for several days.
Eve was nervous. Mrs. Rastall-Retford had been in one of her more quarrelsome moods and Eve
dreaded the long hours to bedtime. The thought that there might be bridge tonight horrified her.
When playing bridge, Mrs. Rastall-Retford would keep a running quarrel with Fate, and when she
was not abusing Fate she would reproach her partner. Eve was always her partner; and tonight she
devoutly hoped that her employer would decide to rest.
"You' re pale tonight," Peter said.
"I have a headache."
She tried to keep her voice level, but he detected the break.
"Eve," he said, quickly, "won't you let me take you away from here? You've no business in this sort
of game. You've got to be loved and made a fuss of and …"
She rested an arm on the mantelpiece and stood looking into the blaze.
Before Peter could speak again Mrs. Rastall-Retford rustled into the room and called imperiously
for the cards.
2
When Peter saw his hand after the first deal he realized the evening was going to be a trying one.
On other occasions he had found it extremely difficult to bring it about that his hostess should win, for
he was an excellent player, and it was painful to him to play a deliberately bad game.
Mrs. Rastall-Retford’s son led a club. Eve played a card mechanically.
"Have you got no clubs, Miss Hendrie?"
Eve started, and looked at her hand.
"No," she said.
Mrs. Rastall-Retford grunted suspiciously.
Suddenly Eve’s face turned white as she discovered the ace of clubs peeping shyly out from behind
the seven spades. Eve looked across at her partner. Her imagination pictured the disaster there would
follow, unless…
Eve looked round the table. She was unobserved. She rose from her seat, moved to the side-table,
and, turning her back, slipped the fatal card skilfully into a cheese sandwich.
"What are you doing, Miss Hendrie?"
Eve was breathing quickly.
"I – I thought that Mr. Rayner might like a sandwich, Mrs. Rastall-Retford."
She was at Peter’s elbow with the plate. It trembled in her hand.
"A sandwich! … in the middle of a hand…" Mrs. Rastall-Retford’s voice died away in a resentful
mumble.
Peter looked from the sandwich to Eve and then at the sandwich again. He was puzzled. Could this
be a sort of olive-branch …? Could she be meaning …? Who could say? At any rate it was a sandwich,
and he seized it. With gratefully beaming eyes he raised the olive-branch, and bit into it with the
energy of a starving man.

31. At the beginning of the excerpt what Peter found most distressing at that moment was ...
A) his acute hunger.
B) his too long stay in the country.
C) his feeling of infinite boredom.
D) seeing his beloved being mistreated.

32. When they would play bridge, Mrs. Rastall-Retford …


A) showed her usual quarrelsome temper.
B) would spy on the other people’s cards.
C) would prepare some drinks in advance.
D) got very enthused and well-disposed.

3
33. Eve was Mrs. Rastall-Retford’s …
A) distant relative.
B) employee.
C) business partner.
D) closest friend.

34. It was going to be a tough evening for Peter because …


A) Eve had a headache.
B) he had poor luck in the first deal of cards.
C) he was not that good at bridge.
D) he had to pretend he was a bad bridge player.

35. Peter readily took the sandwich which Eve offered him because …
A) he loved cheese.
B) he adored olives.
C) he was apparently hungry.
D) he wanted to annoy Mrs. Rastall-Retford.

36. What is the predominant style of the text?


A) Persuasive.
B) Narrative.
C) Argumentative.
D) Explanatory.

Task Three
Read the text below. Then read the questions that follow it and answer each question with a
sentence of your own. Write your answers on your answer sheet. Sentences copied word for word
from the text will get 0 points.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering, also called mountain climbing, is the sport of attaining, or attempting to attain,
high points in mountains for the pleasure of the climb. Although the term is often applied to walking
up low mountains that offer only moderate difficulties, it is rather restricted to climbing in localities
where the terrain and weather conditions present hazards, which makes it a must for mountaineers to
4
have previous experience. Mountaineering is a group activity, with each member both supporting and
supported by the group’s achievement at every stage, so teamwork skills are essential.
Early attempts to ascend mountain peaks were inspired by other motives different from sporting
ones: starting with the building of altars or checking if spirits actually haunted once-forbidden heights,
to more lately getting an overview of the countryside before a battle, or making meteorological or
geological observations. Before the modern era, history recorded few attempts to ascend mountain
peaks just for the mere sake of the accomplishment. During the 18th century a growing number of
natural scientists began making field trips into the great glaciers on the Mont Blanc chain to make
scientific observations.
Modern mountaineering was born when a young Genevese scientist, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure,
on a first visit to Chamonix in 1760, viewed Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, and determined
that he would climb to the top of it or be responsible for its being climbed. He offered prize money for
the first ascent of Mont Blanc, but it was not until 1786, more than 25 years later, that his money was
claimed – by a Chamonix doctor and his porter. A year later de Saussure himself climbed Mont Blanc.
By 1870 all of the principal Alpine summits had been ascended, and climbers began to seek routes
to new peaks: in the Andes Mountains of South America, the North American Rocky Mountains, the
Caucasus at the western edge of Asia, in Africa, and finally in the vastness of the Himalayas. The way
was opening for greater conquests, but it would be mid-20th century before the final bastion, Mount
Everest in the Himalayas, was ascended.

37. Strictly speaking, what does the term mountaineering NOT refer to?

38. What type of people are fit for mountaineering?

39. For what reasons would people in the earliest times take to climbing high peaks?

40. What was the reason for climbing the Mont Blanc chain in the 18th century?

41. Who received the money prize offered by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure for the first ascent of
Mont Blanc?

42. When did Horace-Bénédict de Saussure manage to ascend Mont Blanc?

43. What did climbers do after all principal Alpine summits had been ascended?

WRITING
You are required to do BOTH tasks.
Внимание: В случай на непристоен език, плагиатство или текст, идентичен с този
на друг ученик, на съответния текст се присъждат 0 (нула) точки.
5
44. Read the task and write a formal letter (120 – 130 words) including the suggested prompts.
The Ministry of Ecology has published a call for proposals related to wild life preservation.
Write a letter to the minister suggesting concrete ideas how to help preserve a particular species. In
your letter you should:
• explain why you have chosen this particular species;
• outline the aims and expected results of your project;
• propose some measures to be taken to achieve the desired results.

Sign your letter with John Smith / Jane Smith.


Писмен текст с обем под 65 думи или текст, изцяло несъответстващ на темата, се оценява
с 0 (нула) точки.

45. Read the task and write an essay (200 – 220 words), expressing your opinion on the set topic.
How is imagination important to us, humans? Do you think imagination makes people:
• better problem-solvers;
• more creative and inventive;
• more fun to be with?
Support your ideas with arguments and specific examples.

Писмен текст с обем под 110 думи или текст, изцяло несъответстващ на темата, се оценява
с 0 (нула) точки.

6
МИНИСТЕРСТВО НА ОБРАЗОВАНИЕТО И НАУКАТА
ДЪРЖАВЕН ЗРЕЛОСТЕН ИЗПИТ ПО

АНГЛИЙСКИ ЕЗИК – 25 август 2023 г.

ПРОФИЛИРАНА ПОДГОТОВКА

НИВО В2

ВАРИАНТ 2

Лист за учителя! Да се дава само при необходимост!!!

LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Task One
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 30 seconds to read
the tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are not allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 1 minute to mark your chosen
answers on your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark
your chosen answers. After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute
to check or correct your answers.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, famed for its tilt, attracts millions of visitors each year.
But was the Leaning Tower of Pisa ever straight?
Not really. Construction works started in 1173 and within five years, with just three storeys
complete, the lean was noticeable.
Construction was then interrupted by wars, financial problems and attempts to correct the lean,
including efforts to compensate it by making new storeys slightly shorter on one side. The delays
– especially the first delay, which lasted almost 100 years – probably saved the tower from
collapse, allowing its foundations to settle in the soft ground. It was finally completed in the
1370s, and bells were installed over the following four centuries.
By the early 20th century, though, the heavier bells were no longer used because of fears about
the tower’s stability. By the 1990s, the structure was sinking at more than 1mm per year, and a
massive remedial project was undertaken, straightening it slightly. Today it’s still leaning, but is
now expected to remain stable for many years to come.

1
Task Two
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 30 seconds to read
the tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are not allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 1 minute to mark your chosen
answers on your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark
your chosen answers. After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute
to check or correct your answers.

The transition from childhood to adulthood – one’s “coming of age” – is a significant stepping
stone in everyone’s life.
In Amish tradition, Rumspringa marks the time when youth turn 16 and are finally able to
enjoy unsupervised weekends away from family. During this time, they are encouraged to enjoy
whatever pleasures they like, be it modern clothing or alcohol. This period is an opportunity for
Amish youth to see and experience the world beyond their culture. Thus, returning to their
community and way of life is entirely their choice. Those who return must do so before turning
26.
Inuit boys have traditionally gone out to the wilderness with their fathers between the ages of
11 and 12 to test their hunting skills. As part of the tradition, a shaman would be called to open
the lines of communication between men and animals. Nowadays, however, this tradition has
extended to young girls as well and “outcamps” are established away from the community in
order for traditional skills to be passed down and practiced by the young.
In Vanuatu, a small island nation in the middle of the South Pacific, young boys come of age
by jumping off from a 98-foot-tall tower with a bungee-like vine tied to their ankles, just barely
preventing them from hitting the ground. Boys initially begin jumping at around 7 or 8, although
they are permitted to jump from a shorter tower. In their first dives their mother will hold an item
representing their childhood, and after the jump the item will be thrown away, symbolizing the
end of childhood. As boys grow older, they will jump from taller towers, demonstrating their
manliness.
In Japan, there is a similar “coming of age” festival. It is celebrated on the second Monday of
January – on this day 20-yearolds get to dress up in their finest traditional attire, attend a
ceremony in local city offices, receive gifts, and party to their hearts’ content with friends and
family.

Task Three

You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to read
the tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are not allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to mark your chosen
answers on your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark
your chosen answers. After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute
to check or correct your answers.

2
To all fans of ancient times we suggest three archaeological destinations: the Isles of Scilly –
an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England, the Isle of Wight – a popular
island off the south coast of England, and Orkney Islands – an archipelago in the Northern Isles
of Scotland.
The Isles of Scilly are home to 239 significant ancient monuments and archaeological
landmarks: the UK’s greatest density of historic sites. Here you can see maritime shipwrecks,
Bronze Age burial chambers dating back 3,000 years, deserted Christian chapels on uninhabited
islands, fortified castles and English Civil War headlands. St. Mary’s, the largest island, is home
to distinctive Bronze Age burial chambers. The site of two strikingly preserved Bronze Age
entrance graves on the island of St. Mary's has sweeping views across to neighbouring St.
Martin’s. Here, on St. Mary’s are also two of a string of ceremonial monuments lining the Scilly
Isles’ coastal hilltops. They’re spots for eternal rest, or a panoramic place to camp for a few
nights if you manage to make a booking at any of the islands’ four campsites.
A new species of dinosaur, related to the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, was recently discovered
on the Isle of Wight. Here is one of Europe’s richest palaeontology sites with around 20 species
of dinosaur finds dating back 110 million years. Palaeontologists at the University of
Southampton believe the latest big find — four bones unearthed at Shanklin — belong to a new
species of theropod dinosaur that lived 115 million years ago and is estimated to have been up to
13ft long. Perhaps it is related to T-rex and modern-day birds. These fascinating fossils are now
on display at Dinosaur Isle dinosaur museum.
At the heart of Scottish Orkney Islands are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, widely
regarded as the finest in Western Europe. Skara Brae is older than both the Egyptian pyramids
and Stonehenge and has been called the Scottish Pompeii for its pristine state. Dating back some
5,000 years, this Neolithic settlement was discovered in 1850 thanks to a landscape-stripping
storm that raised grass from a mound under which the ruins had been concealed for millennia.
With the white-sand beach of the near bay, Skara Brae is a stone-built prehistoric settlement that
reveals the finer points of day-to-day Neolithic life with ancient homes complete with stone bed
enclosures, dressers and seats.

Task Four
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to read
the tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are not allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to mark your chosen
answers on your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark
your chosen answers. After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute
to check or correct your answers.
Radio presenter / male voice/ - RP
Amanda - A

3
RP: Good morning and welcome to our show MY LIFE IN HISTORY. Today in the studio we
have Amanda Hart, curator and director at the Roman Baths Museum in the town of Bath.
Amanda, can you tell us how you first got interested in history, especially in archaeology?
A: I have always been fascinated with archaeology and there have been moments in my life that
have gradually shaped my desire to work in museums from visiting my first one, to finding items
during archaeological excavations. But it was studying archaeology at university with a focus of
archaeological curatorship that set me off on my career path. When I graduated, I was fortunate
enough to get my first job in an archaeological museum and have worked with archaeological
collections ever since.
RP: What led you to the Roman Baths Museum?
A: I previously worked in the Museum of Cotswold, which has a collection mainly consisting of
Romano-British artefacts, but also includes a wide array of objects spanning prehistoric to
Victorian times. There, I led a major project to create new prehistory galleries, along with a new
discovery centre, garden, shop and reception area. Following the transformation of the museum,
it felt like the right time to move on, and I began my new role at the Roman Baths in 2022. There
are several similarities between the two places, so it seemed like a natural progression.
RP: What does your role in the Roman Baths Museum entail, and is there anything new you
hope to bring?
A: Within my team, I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the site, as well as
management of the collections, learning and community engagement, and the visitor experience.
The Roman Baths uses a variety of methods to engage visitors, including a comprehensive audio
guide and several holographic projections that really bring its history to life. Being new to the
post, I am currently reviewing the interpretation across the site. I believe there are some new and
relevant narratives in the story of the Roman Baths that need to be told: around identity,
migration, multiculturalism, health and disability, to name a few.
RP: Is there a recommendation you would make to visitors?
A: The Roman Baths is an exceptional place, and unique in Roman Britain as a bathing and
temple complex. Of course, visitors cannot help but be impressed by the scale and beauty of the
centrepiece of the site, the Great Bath. They can feel the stones beneath their feet as they walk in
the shadows of the Romans who once bathed in the Great Bath, while professional guides and
costumed characters immerse them all into Roman life. I recommend an early visit in cold and
sunny weather to see the steam rising off the water, which makes for a real magical experience.
RP: What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar career route?
A: I would advise finding a course of study that suits their needs, as there are many routes into
museums these days. It is important to get experience of the different functions of a museum
(such as retail, marketing, community engagement, exhibitions, collections and events), and see
how these interact with each other to make a memorable visitor experience. I’d also recommend

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they join a museum sector network to keep informed of the latest news and events – there’s so
much information available virtually, from podcasts and e-newsletters to online conferences. The
most fun advice I’d give, however, is to go and see lots of exhibitions and museums in person.
It’s great inspiration!

Task Five
You will hear a text twice. Before you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to read
the tasks to the text. While listening for the first time you are not allowed to mark your chosen
answers. After you listen to it for the first time, you have 4 minutes to mark your chosen
answers on your answer sheet. While listening to the text for a second time, you can mark
your chosen answers. After you listen to the text for the second time, you have 1 more minute
to check or correct your answers.

Gibraltar has no particular business belonging to Great Britain. The small peninsula jutting into
the Mediterranean is obviously part of Spain, geographically. But it was ceded to Britain in the
1713 Treaty of Utrecht, at the end of the War of Spanish Succession, and despite consistent
attempts, Spain never managed to get it back.
The peninsula is just 2.6 square miles, and consists mostly of sand, rock, and scrub. The plant
and animal life is limited, with a few foxes and rabbits and a decent selection of frogs and lizards.
And yet there are also roughly 200 Barbary macaques, which are tailless monkeys native to
Morocco and Algeria.
The history of the Gibraltar macaques is mysterious and veiled by weird myths and military
secrecy.
In the early 17th century, a Spanish historian from Gibraltar named Alonso Hernandez de
Portillo wrote that there were monkeys there, and that they had been there “from time
immemorial”. However, their population was virtually extinct during World War II.
Here we get to British eccentricity. Legend has it that as long as there are macaques in
Gibraltar, the peninsula will remain under British control. It was common knowledge during the
political career of Winston Churchill. During World War II, Churchill was informed that the
macaque population had dramatically declined in Gibraltar and, not wanting to give the appearance
of British territorial weakness, he decided to import Barbary macaques from North Africa. It was
done under great secrecy, because the British didn’t want to let on to the Germans that the colony
was dying out.
After World War II the population of Gibraltar macaques has stayed relatively stable. The
macaques are seasonal breeders, and their population can double every five years or so. The
government typically either shoots excess monkeys or exports them to zoos. When the population
gets above around 200, they start heading into town, stealing cameras and food, which the tourists
don’t like much.

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Actually, Gibraltar is an awful place for a macaque to live. There is simply not enough food
there to support a population of monkeys in any sustainable way. Instead, they are fed by tourists
and the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society. The Society provides fruits,
vegetables, nuts, seeds, and water each morning, and tourists offer quite unhealthy snacks.
The monkeys allegedly bring in about two million pounds a year in revenue as hundreds of
thousands of tourists visit each year to see them.

6
МИНИСТЕРСТВО НА ОБРАЗОВАНИЕТО И НАУКАТА
_______________________________________________________________

ДЪРЖАВЕН ЗРЕЛОСТЕН ИЗПИТ ПО

АНГЛИЙСКИ ЕЗИК – 25 август 2023 г.

ПРОФИЛИРАНА ПОДГОТОВКА

НИВО В2

ВАРИАНТ 2

Ключ с верните отговори

Въпрос Верен Въпрос Верен Брой


Брой точки
№ отговор № отговор точки
1. A 1 19. C 1
2. A 1 20. C 1
3. B 1 21. A 1
4. A 1 22. A 1
5. B 1 23. D 1
6. A 1 24. B 1
7. B 1 25. C 1
8. B 1 26. B 1
9. A 1 27. A 1
10. B 1 28. A 1
11. B 1 29. B 1
12. A 1 30. A 1
13. D 1 31. D 1
14. С 1 32. A 1
15. B 1 33. B 1
16. D 1 34. D 1
17. A 1 35. C 1
18. A 1 36. B 1

Въпросите от № 37 до № 43 са отворени. Задачите с кратък свободен отговор се


оценяват с 0 точки, 1 точка или 2 точки в зависимост от верността и пълнотата на
отговора. При проверка на задачите с кратък свободен отговор не се вземат предвид
правописни и граматически грешки. В отговора се оценява съответствието между
информацията в него с тази в текста.
Отговорите на отворените въпроси са примерни. Приема се за верен всеки отговор,
формулиран по различен начин, но съответстващ на въпроса и на информацията.

1
37. Strictly speaking, what does the term mountaineering NOT refer to?
The term mountaineering does not refer to/include walking in low mountainous regions (1
т.) of just moderate /ordinary / average difficulties. // that present no hazards / do not
present any hazards (1 т.)

38. What type of people are fit for mountaineering?


Mountaineering is only for people experienced at walking in the mountains//experienced
people (1 т.) with good team-work skills. (1 т.)

39. For what reasons would people in the earliest times take to climbing high peaks?
In the earliest times, people would climb high mountain peaks for religious reasons (2 т.)
/ to build altars (1 т.) and/or check if there were spirits on mountain tops (1 т.).

40. What was the reason for climbing the Mont Blanc chain in the 18th century?
18th century scientists climbed the Mont Blanc chain with the aim of making scientific
observations on the great glaciers there. (2т.)

41. Who received the money prize offered by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure for the first
ascent of Mont Blanc?
The money prize for the first climb of Mont Blanc was received by a Chamonix doctor (1
т.) and his porter (1т.)

42. When did Horace-Bénédict de Saussure manage to ascend Mont Blanc?


Horace-Bénédict de Saussure managed to climb / ascend Mont Blanc in 1787 (1 т.),
... 27 years after he visited Chamonix and saw in Mont Blanc for the first time (1 т.).
OR ... a year after the Chamonix doctor and his porter climbed it (1 т.).

43. What did climbers do after all principal Alpine summits had been ascended?
Climbers started / began seeking / looking for [routes/ways to] other peaks / for other
peaks to climb (all over the world). (2 т.)

Критерии за оценяване на текст:

44. Първазадача - официално писмо

0-5 точки: Съдържателно съответствие с темата, смислова свързаност и логическа


последователност (вкл. и спазване на регистъра);
0-3 точки: Структура на текста (вкл. и спазване на зададения обем и формат);
0-5 точки: Правилна и адекватна употреба на лексиката, лексикално богатство;
0-5 точки: Граматическа правилност (морфологична и синтактична правилност);
0-2точки: Правопис.

2
45. Втора задача – аргументативно есе за изразяване на мнение по даден въпрос

0-8 точки: Съдържателно съответствие с темата, смислова свързаност и логическа


последователност (умение за представяне на факти, за формулиране на позиция);
0-2 точки: Структура на текста (вкл. и спазване на зададения обем и формат);
0-9 точки: Правилна и адекватна употреба на лексиката, лексикално богатство;
0-9точки: Граматическа правилност (морфологична и синтактична правилност);
0-2точки: Правопис.

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