Российская академия образования
Центр дистанционного образования "Эйдос"
XXIV-я Всероссийская
дистанционная эвристическая олимпиада
по английскому языку (исследования)
25 ноября 2009 года
Возрастная группа: 8-9 классы:
Зайцева Ирина, 9“А” класс, школа №50 г. Пермь
1. MY ENGLISH FORECAST. There was time when mastering the French language was considered to be natural for every person. But time has changed as well as the habits and traditions: the English language has replaced the French one and now everybody wants to master it. How do you think what fate awaits the English language? Will it be always the most popular language or….? Suggest your own version of the development of the English language’s history till the year 2100 and write it in the form of the forecast. You can use the following plan:
- what important life periods it will have in the future;
- what will be the result of these changes (facts, phenomena, events, etc.);
- how it will influence the world society;
- etc. your variants.
Today nearly everybody is learning English language. Why so? In the past it was fashionable to speak French but time is going by and Britain now can be gorgeous of its multinational language. Of course we can’t say exactly if this language won’t replace on the second or third position when it is 2100. But I can imagine. In fact, I have two variants of the future of English language.
Firstly, what is only “90 years”? Yes, we have only 90 years till the year 2100. And in our world in normal speed of life and changes it won’t have a big influence. But this way would be, if we didn’t develop at all. And in my opinion people can’t stop growing. Development goes and it’s plain for all to see. It’s possible to imagine perfect future for the language. Not only will our generation speak English, but everybody. Everyone will know how to communicate to another. Because today English is not so common – for example my mum doesn’t know it. So, I’m talking about the period, when our world will be “smaller”, not only with the help of the internet but because of the language. I think that the main role of each language is to make people closer. In fact, we can make English this kind till 2050 – 2070. Sure, there will be some changes in the language – old words will be in another aspect, that’s normal.
But my dream is the same as my second variant of the history of English till 2100. In the world is not so many languages, as today. Or even one – English. May be it’s a language, which has its roots from Britain’s. It is long time ago… since we all speak one language. Since it has changed in common and we don’t need any other. It was necessity to live this way, because we have to build “bridges”- economic, cultural and others. And then I think it will be easier to live.
2. A HOUSE WITH A GHOST. Where else if not in England a house for sale costs more expensive if a real ghost lives in it! Analyze all the information you have about the English evil spirit and make a jokey collective image of the modern English ghost specifying the following things:
- where it lives;
- its way of living;
- its likes and dislikes;
- its character;
- its “job”
- etc. everything that in your opinion is required for making this collective image.
Make a suggestion if the life of a ghost easy in England or not.
Have you ever seen a ghost? Yes?! So have I…
It is a beautiful story. In fact no one before has listened to it but now I think it is time. It all happened nearly two years ago, when I and my friends were in England. I won’t say the name of this strange town, if I did, you’d go there, I’m sure. So, we were staying in a beautiful but not very big place. Outside the town, on the hill, it was an old house, we’ve never been there, but people were talking, that there are the way, it was in winter. Imagine – snow everywhere, looks absolutely fantastic. Snowdrifts are so soft… but it doesn’t really matter. So, one day we decided to go not in the house, but near it – just to walk and spend some time. And we spent it great, we have some photos and every time we watch them we laugh a lot. May be I’ll send them to you later. We were very tired so in the afternoon we went to the place where we were living. You see, I am very lucky. When we went home, there was no bread. Of course it was my turn to go and buy some. There was a corner shop in front of our house, but I decided to walk a little bit more and went to the supermarket. To appear there you have to go through the short alley in front of. And of course after a minute I found myself in a snowdrift, I’ve said I’m lucky. Then imagine:
- Oh you, be careful!
Above my head I hear a voice! And it is so sad.
- Don’t be so scared! I was so bored, so I followed your company. When you’re coming like a guest, it’s not polite to ignore an owner. Nice to meet you at last. I am Ginny.
And I am shaking my hand with an air! So strange, but I am not crazy, I hope… So I stand up and try to be gallant.
- I am very happy I am talking to you but… Irina. Nice to meet you too. You are from that old castle?
- Yes, I am. I lived there some time, but now I live in the central park – there are some beautiful accidents every day. I love joking with people – play in a snowballs or something else… You know, I am keen on people’s surprised faces when they don’t know what to think. Sometimes I go to the castle to see, if there is everything OK.
- People might be scared?
- No, they don’t. I am very polite with them. But I hate when somebody… not very clever begins to scream or cry. Am I so horrible? No! And I don’t like when it is cold…
On my head falls next portion of snow. Now it is everywhere, again…
- Oh!!! I want you to meet my friends, Irina!
I am shocked.
- You are not the one?
- Of course I am not! We all so kind, I bet you’ll love them. We are gentle, helpful, hilarious, honest… we are ideal, to cut the long story short.
- Am…, - I am shaking an empty packet for bread. – I am sorry.
- Ok then… I have to do my work – I am a deliver man of pizza.
Voice is really proud.
- Bye-bye then.
- See you!
I don’t remember clearly how but I bought some bread and went home. Sure my friends wouldn’t believe me, so I was quite. And on the other day I was ill and I sneezed every five minutes. But I was happy.
3. FROM THE RUSSIAN «Я» TO THE ENGLISH “Z”. Imagine that you are a scientist. Your task for today is to compare two letters – the Russian letter «Я» and the English letter “Z”. Make your research according to the following plan:
1. Unique features/peculiarities of each of the letters.
2. General features of these two letters.
3. Your suppositions about the presence/absence of the correlation and facts, which prove/disprove them.
4. Your proposals on practical use of your research results.
She is sitting on the table and mends glasses on her nose. Let me introduce you to her – scientist Irina Zaytseva. If you are happy, you can hear… Yes, today you are happy.
“Have you ever thought about letters «Я» and “Z”? They are not so similar, but both are gorgeous.
First:
«Я». When you are saying it,… In the end it goes in the sound AAAAA. Beautiful, let’s try together – «ЙААА». The sound of this letter is made of two sounds. To finish the letter sound, you also have to open your *****ssian «я» is the same with English "ya".
Then:
“Z”. You can make a sound long or short, but anyway, don’t try to make your mouth wide. “Z” can be used in math as the name of the thing you have to find.
Both of this letters are in the end of the alphabets – Russian and English. And they are so nice to see… I mean, they look very dynamic. They are a bit similar, because they can also stay on the each position of the word – first (Zone, Ящерица), third or fourth (Любящие, Fizzy) and others. There are phrases, which mean the same – “from A to Z” and «от А до Я».
But it is more time to write «Я» then “Z”. Think about it.
You should know this all, because you are learning languages – English and Russian. Only when you know everything about similar and different things about language and can compare everything (it doesn’t really matter how), you can say, that you know about languages. If I ask you now, will you answer? Hope you will. And it was interesting, wasn’t it?... Thank you then.”
4. MYSTERIS OF TWO LANGUAGES. It’s astonishing that some of the Russian words are like the English ones: баю-бай – bye-bye (до свидания); толк, толковать, толмач – talk (разговор), лада (древне - русское ласкательное обращение к возлюбленной) –lady (дама, дама сердца). Please mind that their roots are not Latin. Why do such different languages have common roots? Suggest your own version of this linguistic fact in the form of the hypothesis.
- the name of the hypothesis;
- the proof of its veracity (theoretical and experimental data which can prove your hypothesis).
It is really hard to decide – why we have Russian words like English ones. There are so many facts in history, when we could take words from one language to another.
Friends.
For example, First World War. We were allies, so why don’t we speak a little? I know that we were on the different fronts, but it doesn’t mean that people couldn’t meet. There were a lot of wars and events before First World War, when words had chances to “get brothers or sisters” in another language.
Partners.
We know that there are in all times a lot of merchants and sailors – people, who can find a way everywhere. From Russia people could go to England – to trade or to work (the same as from England to Russia).
Relatives.
Or we have common forefathers? May be people, who went to our lands many years ago, were speaking one language. And then for the each country it was changing in its own way.
In our languages words could appear from Germanys or French. Anyway, all the hypothesizes say, that England and Russia had strong ties in the past.
Рефлексия.
Участие в олимпиаде можно сравнить с прогулкой. Вот идешь ты радостный в кафе, есть охота, и предчувствуешь что-то светлое, хорошее. Но автобуса нет, такси брать не хочется, надо идти в свой любимый ресторанчик пешком. Правда идти далеко, и после прогулки в два квартала приходит мысль: «А может уже домой повернуть? И там поесть можно». Дальше уже идешь из чистого упрямства – четыре квартала пройдено, что, еще двадцать не пройти?! Грустно смотришься в витрины, пока между домами не замечаешь щель. Вот он, забытый поворот на более короткий путь! И радостно сворачиваешь.
А там лужи, грязно, но это уже не пугает – когда-то ты тут ходил, и переулок этот знакомый. И вот финиш… Двери кафе.
К чему это я? А чувства в олимпиаде такие же – начав, заканчиваешь пусть даже из упрямства. Интересно знать, какой будет результат, и хочется себя потом похвалить за успешно пройденные задания. В один прекрасный момент понимаешь, что времени достаточно, знаний тоже, и вообще любишь ты поговорить с привидениями. Вот тут то и начинается самое интересное. Из маленьких кусочков собираются целые ответы, что-то ты знаешь с уроков, что-то обсуждал недавно с друзьями по телефону.
В результате же ты доволен – сам не думал, что таким молодцом окажешься. Может и не на высшем уровне, но ответы написаны. И куча идей, пришедших в голову – все это предстоит сделать, и все возникло при выполнении заданий. Посоветуй друзьям участвовать потом – не откажутся. И будут правы. Каждая такая олимпиада дает нечто новое, заставляет над чем-то задуматься.
Участвуй, не пожалеешь. Хоть и пешком идти, так даже лучше, воздухом свежим подышишь и разомнешься.
