HCM CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND FINAL EXAM OF READING 4

EDUCATION TERM II – SCHOOL YEAR

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES Subject Code: READ220435
SECTION: LANGUAGE SKILLS Date:
Invigilator 1 Invigilator 2
This paper has 8 pages.
Time allotted: 60 minutes

Marker 1 Marker 2 No materials whatsoever are allowed.

Raw score: Raw score: No explanations are allowed.

Converted score & Converted score &

signature signature Full name:...................................................................
Student ID No:............................................................
Ordinal Number: ..................................................
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ANSWER SHEET

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PART I
You are going to read an excerpt from the novel Howards End, by E. M. Forster which takes place
during a concert. For questions 1–8, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

“Who is Margaret talking to?” said Mrs. Munt, at the conclusion of the first movement. She was
again in London on a visit to Wickham Place.
Helen looked down the long line of their party, and said that she did not know.
“Would it be some young man or other whom she takes an interest in?”
5 “I expect so,” Helen replied. Music enwrapped her, and she could not enter into the distinction
that divides young men whom one takes an interest in from young men whom one knows.
“You girls are so wonderful in always having - Oh dear! one mustn't talk.”
8 For the Andante had begun - very beautiful, but bearing a family likeness to all the other
beautiful Andantes that Beethoven had written, and, to Helen's mind, rather disconnecting the
heroes and shipwrecks of the first movement from the heroes and goblins of the third. She heard the
tune through once, and then her attention wandered, and she gazed at the audience, or the organ, or
the architecture. Here Beethoven started decorating his tune, so she heard him through once more,
and then she smiled at her cousin Frieda. But Frieda, listening to Classical Music, could not
respond. Herr Liesecke, too, looked as if wild horses could not make him inattentive; there were
lines across his forehead, his lips were parted, his glasses at right angles to his nose, and he had laid
a thick, white hand on either knee. And next to her was Aunt Juley, so British, and wanting to tap.
How interesting that row of people was! What diverse influences had gone to the making! Here
Beethoven, after humming and hawing with great sweetness, said “Heigho,” and the Andante came
to an end. Applause, and a round of “wunderschoning” and “prachtvolleying” from the German
audience members. Margaret started talking to her new young man; Helen said to her aunt: “Now
comes the wonderful movement: first of all the goblins, and then a trio of elephants dancing;” and
Tibby implored the company generally to look out for the transitional passage on the drum.
“On the what, dear?”
“On the drum. Aunt Juley.”
“No; look out for the part where you think you have done with the goblins and they come
back,” breathed Helen, as the music started with a goblin walking quietly over the universe, from
end to end. Others followed him. They were not aggressive creatures; it was that that made them so
terrible to Helen. They merely observed in passing that there was no such thing as splendour or
heroism in the world. After the interlude of elephants dancing, they returned and made the
observation for the second time. Helen could not contradict them, for, once at all events, she had felt
the same, and had seen the reliable walls of youth collapse. Panic and emptiness! Panic and
emptiness! The goblins were right.
Her brother raised his finger: it was the transitional passage on the drum.

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 For, as if things were going too far, Beethoven took hold of the goblins and made them do what
he wanted. He appeared in person. He gave them a little push, and they began to walk in major key
instead of in a minor, and then - he blew with his mouth and they were scattered! Gusts of
splendour, gods and demigods contending with vast swords, colour and fragrance broadcast on the
field of battle, magnificent victory, magnificent death! Oh, it all burst before the girl, and she even
stretched out her gloved hands as if it was tangible.
1. When the writer says that Helen “could not enter..." (line 5) he means that
A. her mind was elsewhere.
B. she disagreed.
C. she had no ticket.
D. she did not know the young man.
2. Why did Mrs. Munt stop speaking suddenly in line 8?
A. She changed her mind.
B. The performance had finished.
C. She saw that Helen was not interested.
D. The music had begun.
3. What is Helen's opinion of the Andante?
A. It was her favourite part of the music.
B. She thought it different from Beethoven's other works.
C. She found it rather boring.
D. She liked nothing about it.
4. As Helen watched the other people listening, she felt
A. bored.
B. fascinated by them.
C. scornful of them.
D. proud of them.
5. What best describes Helen's view of the Goblins?
A. horrible and violent
B. not violent, but still disturbing
C. observant and very entertaining
D. quiet and peaceful but foolish
6. From Helen's reaction to the music, in paragraph 9, what do we learn about her personality?
A. She is young and innocent.
B. She does not think much about life.
C. She believes life is heroic.
D. She is not an idealistic youth.
7. What is the meaning of the word “tangible" in the last line of the last paragraph?
A. something that can be touched
B. something emotional
C. something imaginary
D. something frightening
8. How does the piece of music end?
A. The goblins are victorious.
B. There is a horrible battle.
C. The goblins leave quietly.

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 D. Good overcomes evil.
PART 1
1 A
2 D
3 B
4 B
5 B
6 D
7 A
8 D

PART II
You are going to read an article about a course for people whose jobs involve talking to customers
on the telephone. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences
A-H the one which fits each gap (9-15). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Taking tele-sales to a new level

A telephone skills course offers employees a professional qualification, writes Andrew Cave
The students wore gowns and mortar boards and received their qualifications at an official presentation.
But the 10 graduates who picked up their certificates in Cheltenham were no usual students.
9…………… . The members of this class were all call centre and branch employees who had studied
one day a month in formal, work-based training, reinforcing this with regular measurement and
assessment in their daily jobs. They became Britain’s first graduates in advanced telephone skills,
courtesy of a level-five diploma in sales.
The course is run by Simon Bell, who has 20 years of experience in sales and training, and says he has
created a course that focuses on ‘enjoyable, manageable and sustainable selling’. 10…………… . The
graduation ceremony marked the end of the first pilot scheme by Chelsea Building Society. Mark
Higgins, the building society’s head of people development, said the training had an ‘astounding’ and
‘outstanding’ effect on the company’s best salespeople.
The course combines 30 hours of tutorial with 350 hours of desk-based, practical learning.
11…………… . The remainder of the course takes place at work, monitored by a process that takes up
to 15 minutes at the end of each day and requires people on the course to record their day’s call
experiences.
Mr. Higgins did not disclose the actual increase in sales performances achieved by the course's
graduates but said they were encouraging enough for the company to want to roll out the scheme across
its 300-strong workforce, call centre of 120 staff and 33 branches. 12…………… . The rest did so and
felt that they learnt a lot.

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 These graduates from the pilot course said it had taught them a new approach. Chris Howell, a
telephone sales agent, said, ‘What the course has taught us is that what we’ve been doing is just one way
of doing things. It has shown us that we can do it a lot better, a lot more easily and gain a lot more
success from it.’ One thing in particular that he said he had learned is how to compliment people over
the phone. ‘People appreciate it,’ he said. ‘13……………. .’
Neil Gurney, a sales manager, added, ‘I thought I was very successful on the telephone in presenting
information and selling to our customers. 14…………… . I didn’t know about this failing on my part
until I took the course. I realized that what I hadn’t been doing was asking our customers what their
thoughts and feelings were in relation to the facts that I was presenting. Now I really engage with them,
getting their feedback so that I can best meet the needs of the customer.’
Gethin Evans, the company’s training manager, said, ‘This training deals with something that on the
surface is very straightforward - making telephone calls and engaging customers in conversation. What
could be simpler? 15……………. From my perspective, the depth of academic study that we’ve
covered is unbelievable. I had no idea there would be so much information that enriches a telephone
conversation. Our customers are responding and the impact that it’s having on them is probably as
profound as it is on the people taking the course.’

A. The idea is that this results from developing a good relationship with customers.

B. But in fact there's an awful lot more to it than meets the eye.

C. It's easy and you get great results from it.

D. Only one of the original 11 people on the course failed to complete it.

E. Instead of carrying out a three-year degree course, they had toiled for just five months.

F. For this reason, there is a need for professional qualifications.

G. Each module includes a day of formal training.

H. However, there was something missing.

I. 9 E
J. 10 A
K. 11 G
L. 12 D
M. 13 C
N. 14 H
O. 15 B

PART III
You are going to read an article about five members of a mountain rescue team. For questions 16-30,
choose from the people (A-E). The people may be chosen more than one.
Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

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Which person or people
made a change in his career plans? 16.
has parents involved in a similar field? 17.
had an unexpected experience early in his career? 18.
believes that a strong character is as important as ability? 19.
has a plan for the future? 20.
mentions the tough training programme volunteers undertake? 21.
says that he is sometimes afraid? 22.
says that there is competition for his type of job? 23.
mentions criticism sometimes made about the rescue team? 24.
25.
received encouragement from someone?
26.
mentions the positive emotion which the job can give? 27.
points out how tiring the work can be? 28.
29.
suggest volunteers are expected to do more than one task?
30.
Central Bowlanshire Mountain Rescue Team

A. Paul Barron – Deputy Team Leader

Our rescue team is made up of volunteers who give their time to help people in trouble on the mountains.
We’re looking for people who can not only perform their jobs well, but who also have the mental
toughness to deal with the high pressure, life-and-death situations we sometimes encounter. The job isn’t
all excitement, though; even if you’re a first aid expert, say, you still have to take turn doing things like
keeping the headquarters clean. Sadly, some people put us down as amateurs because our team is
comprised of volunteers, but the truth is that all of our staff are extremely well-trained and very
dedicated.

B. Allan Carter – Ambulance Paramedic

I come from a family of doctors, but I came here to be a paramedic because I wanted a more hands-on
experience at the scene of an emergency. As an ambulance paramedic, I deal with all kinds of
emergencies almost every day. There are a lot of people trying to get into this field and it’s tough, so I
consider myself pretty lucky to be here doing something I love. On my very first day, I remember being
called out on a really serious emergency. I couldn’t believe it when I was left to handle it on my own, but
everything went well and I managed to get everyone taken care of. It gave me confidence and I know
that I can handle anything now.

C. Nick Holmes – New Recruit

I’m at the local university in town. I wanted to help with something worthwhile and spoke to a university
counsellor who convinced me to join the local rescue team. He said that, since the town is surrounded by
mountains where students go hiking and camping. I could make a real difference by volunteering for
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 mountain rescues. It can get pretty dangerous when we’re out in the mountains during a snowstorm, or
on difficult terrain trying to save someone, but I always try to control my fear. I could be saving one of
my very own classmates, and that’s important to me.

D. Paul Barrington – Dog Trainer

I left veterinary school to come here and train dogs used for search and rescue. In fact, it was my wife’s
idea because she knew I wasn’t very happy about what I was doing then. We’re both pleased about how
it’s turned out, and she often says I should have done this sooner. I hope one day to open a dog training
school, so that all the mountain rescue teams in the country will be able to train and take care of rescue
dogs properly. The dogs are an important part of the team, and we wouldn’t be as successful as we are in
search and rescue without their help.

E. John Dowie – Trainer / Park Ranger

The most important ability for any team member is that they have to be a competent mountaineer.
Additionally, each member must be able to do certain jobs outside their area of expertise, such as radio
operations, helicopter procedures, mountain environments and first aid. Callouts and training can take
place on any terrain, in any weather, day or night, and can mean long periods outdoors, exposed to the
elements. This is to make sure our members are ready for anything. Our team members soon realize the
amount of commitment which is required to be a member of our team. I remember when I was a new
recruit, I worked so hard and was so exhausted that I could practically fall asleep standing up. But at the
end of the day, we all know that there’s nothing better than the wonderful feeling we have after a
successful rescue. It’s just amazing.

---------------- This is the end of the test. ----------------

Ghi chú: Cán bộ coi thi không được giải thích đề thi.

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