KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI KHU VỰC THPT

LẦN THỨ X, NĂM 2017

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH- KHỐI 11

Thời gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) SỐ PHÁCH
Ngày thi:
Đề thi có 14 trang

 Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển.

 Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm.
_________________________________________________________
I. LISTENING (50 points)
HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
 Bài nghe gồm 4 phần; mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 05 giây; mở đầu và kết thúc mỗi phần
nghe có tín hiệu. Thí sinh có 20 giây để đọc mỗi phần câu hỏi.
 Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 03 phút để hoàn chỉnh bài trước tín hiệu nhạc kết thúc
bài nghe.
 Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh (bằng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe.

Part 1. Listen to two people, Carla Harris and Robert Clifton, who both work as mystery shoppers. They visit stores
and restaurants to check levels of service. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
1. When Carla started the job, she worried most about _______.
A. being easily recognised by other customers C. failing to conceal her identity from staff
B. encountering hostility at some point D. getting an inaccurate impression of a situation
2. When describing what she does, Carla is _______.
A. anxious to dispel any false assumptions about the work
B. determined to stress the occasional difficulties of the work
C. happy to explain why the work is sometimes necessary
D. keen to emphasise the positive outcomes of the work
3. Robert says that as a mystery diner, he _______.
A. considers himself to be an equal to restaurant critics
B. finds it difficult to go out and eat purely for pleasure any more
C. has become much more discerning about what constitutes good service
D. sometimes finds the criteria he is required to use are inadequate
4. The aspect of restaurant service that Robert comments on most frequently is _______.
A. the ease with which staff deal with special requirements
B. the intrusiveness of any background music
C. the length of time clients are expected to wait for their order
D. the number of advertised dishes that turn out to be unavailable
5. Robert and Carla both think that an effective mystery shopper _______.
A. has usually acquired in-depth knowledge of the business they are observing
B. needs to remain cool when dealing with members of staff
C. requires a good memory to recall details of their observations
D. will attract far more work if they prove how adaptable they are
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. Listen to a National Geographic documentary about Cory Roeseler as he does two sports in the Columbia
River Gorge in the United States. For questions 6-9, choose a letter from A–E. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered space provided.
Why does he like the Columbia River Gorge?
6 _______ A. He enjoys himself there.
7 _______ B. He went there a lot as a teenager.

Page 1 of 15 pages
 C. It’s close to his home in Washington State.
D. It’s the home of kiteboarding.
E. It’s where he experiments with new sports equipment.

How is Roeseler’s wakeboarding boat different from anyone else’s?

A. His invention is the only one that has worked.
B. It has been extensively tested on the water.
8 _______
C. Its tower gives it more height than other boats.
9 _______
D. Nobody else has used a tower.
E. The addition of a sail gives it more stability.

For question 10, give short answers to the questions. Write NO MORE THAN FIVE WORDS taken from the
recording for each answer in the space provided.
10. How does he describe the experience of kiteboarding?
___________________________________

Part 3. Listen to a conversation about food and obesity. For questions 11-15, decide which statements are TRUE
(T) or FALSE (F) according to what you hear. Choose NOT STATED (NS) if there is no information about the
statement. Put an X in the corresponding column.
T F NS
11. Forty percent of Americans are obese.
12. ‘Pharming’ is growing plants from which to make drugs.
13. Staples are being genetically modified to produce a chemical reaction.
14. Research is currently being carried out using tobacco plants to produce a human vaccine.
15. The final vaccine would be given as an injection.

Part 4: Listen six pieces of BBC News. For questions 16–25, use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS to complete each
gap. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered space.
 The oil cartel OPEC’s decision to (16)________________ has led to a period of abnormally low prices that has
(17) ____________________ of manufacturing countries.
 Stephen O’Brien, a UN envoy, made a plea to help residents in the (18) ____________________.
 The US president elect undertook to leave his business to avoid any (19) ____________________.
 The plane crash might have been caused by a(n) (20) ____________________, not electricity blackout as
reported, prior to the (21)_____________________.
 Ukrainian missile tests by Russian (22)________________ would be conducted as planned in the peninsula (23)
____________________ two years ago.
 Researchers believe the possibility that many families (24) ____________________ the birth of girls may distort
the commonly cited figures of (25)____________________ in China.

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II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)
Part 1. For questions 1–10, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following questions and write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. We had to _______ in the back of the car for an hour to find the missing keys.
A. bed out B. ransack C. root around D. turn upside down
2. If the basket is removed with more citric acid added, it may be used to manufacture or _______ alcohol.
A. amend B. patch up C. rectify D. remedy
3. They spend so much time arguing that, when it comes to the _______, decisions are often deferred.
A. crunch B. outcry C. panic stations D. uproar
4. We were bitterly disappointed when our team were _______ to the second division from the first.
A. allocated B. designated C. relegated D. stipulated
5. Working night shifts at the weekend is _______ of any job in hospitality.
A. cut and thrust B. ebb and flow C. nuts and bolts D. part and parcel
6. The altitude _______ his breathing, making him a bit spaced out and disorientated.
A. played downed B. played havoc with C. played himself in D. played up to
7. Materialism traps us _______ in a world of possessions hag-ridden by irrational fears of likely loss and lurking
dangers.
A. impromptu B. off the cuff C. on a whim D. unawares
8. Although she had been told quite _______ to pull herself together, she simply couldn’t stop crying.
A. rigidly B. sternly C. unrelentingly D. unsympathetically
9. These men share a tendency toward balladeering that _______ me the wrong way.
A. bothers B. provokes C. riles D. rubs
10. He was highly knowledgeable on the areas. Many would say he was something of a _______.
A. novice B. probationer C. tenderfoot D. veteran

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2. For questions 11-15, fill in the blank with a suitable preposition and write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.

11.His suspicions were borne _______ by the ensuing events.

12.I think Jack is _______ a great story; he took a phone call and dashed out of the office looking tired.
13.My editor suggests I beef _______ the story with juicy details, otherwise the magazine won’t print it.
14.The salesman conned me _______ buying the car, which gave me nothing but trouble.
15.There are still some problems which the manufacturers need to iron _______ before sales.
Your answers
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Part 3. For questions 16-20, find the mistakes in the following sentences and correct them and write your answers
in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

16. You should know by now that I cannot stand it when my steak is not cooked properly as I always have
mine well-made. A B C

17. An important factor should be considered is Mr. Lopez's ability to keep the new restaurant going

A B

for several months with limited revenue.

C D

18. When one opens an account at Dominion Savings and Loan, you can get the first set of checks for
free. A B C D
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19. Mobility is one of the characteristics often demanded of executives, and they must

A B C

accustom themselves to move quite regularly.

20. Not until recent has interest in synthetic fuels been revived.

A B C D

Your answers
16. 17. 18.
19. 20

Part 4. For questions 21–30, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided
below. (0) has been done as an example.

HOW DO WE BEST HELP OTHERS?

According to some (0)___________ (PSYCHOLOGY), we should examine our deeper (21) _______ (MOVE) when
we attempt to help others who appear to be in need of our support. Helping others is clearly a good thing to do,
and it can have a(n) (22) _______ (STORE) power for both giver and recipient. If, however, we begin to focus on
what we might get out of helping someone, rather than how that person might be helped, we could be in danger
of adopting a somewhat calculating attitude. This would be to (23) _______ (PART) significance to the ideas of
those psychologists who believe that, ultimately, we only do things for our own aspirations that no actions are
truly (24) _______ (ALTER). And, of course, we can all think of examples of problems that have been exacerbated
by the (25) ______ (INTEND), but (26) _______ (CONSIDER) intervention of third parties. We should also bear in
mind that doing too much for people and protecting them from the consequences of their actions can reduce
their motivation and even rob them of the resources to sort things out for themselves.
Your answers

21. 22. 23.

24. 25. 26.

A MODERN ITALIAN ARTIST

Amedeo Modigliani (1884- 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor whose (0. ORIGIN) _original_ paintings,
which were characterised by asymmetry of somposition, (27. LONG) ___________of figure, and simple but
monumental use of line, are among the most important of the 20 th century. They have also gained popularity for
the entirely peronal atmosphere with which they are invested: a kind of mute relationship between the artist and
sitter that implicates the spectator in a truly remarkable way sfter suffering from serious illnesses as a child, he
was forced to give up conventional education, and it was then that he began to study painting. After his studies
in Italy, Modigliani left for Paris. There, he was overwhelmed by the painting of Paul Cezanne, which exerted
a/(a)n (28.QUESTION) ___________influence on the earliest phase of his work. Furthermore, his extensive study
of African sculpture made a profound impression on his painting style .
Modigliani was not a professional (29. PORTRAIT) ___________ in the strict sense of the world. His painting are
almost always portraits of relatives, (30. PERSON) ___________ of the Parisian liberary. Scene of his times and
the contemporary artistic world, along with many portraits of unidentified persons.
Your answers

27. 28. 29. 30.

III. READING (60 points)

Page 4 of 15 pages
Part 1. For questions 31–45, read the following informal note about starting a college Film Society and use the
information to complete the numbered gaps in the formal announcement. Then write the new words in the
corresponding space provided. Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each gap. The words you need DO NOT
OCCUR in the informal note. (0) has been done as an example.
INFORMAL NOTE FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Do you think you could come up with some sort of It was decided at the (0) recent committee meeting that
notice about the Film Club we decided should be a college Film Society is to be (31) __________ and I have
started in the committee meeting the other day? Since been (32) __________ its organiser. The committee was
you were made the organiser of it, it’s best that you let
(33) __________ the desire for such a club that many of you
everyone know about it.
Obviously, the fact that so many people have said have expressed and it is in
they want a club like this is the main reason why we’ve (34) __________ this that the decision has been taken.
decided to set it up. So make it clear that we’re doing it As the committee have no (35) __________ regarding
because of that. Since we didn’t have any strong idea the exact (36) _________ the films we will be showing, I
ourselves about which particular films we should show, would (37) __________ any suggestions that you might
mention that you’d be glad of any suggestions. Don’t make. It is (38) __________ that the society will meet on
forget to mention that we’ve decided the club should
a(n) (39) _________ and that no charge will be made for
meet every week and that they won’t have to pay to
join. But make sure that you point out that they’ll have (40) __________. There will, however, be a small charge for
to pay a small amount for each screening – just enough each screening to
to pay for the films and equipment we have to hire. Oh, (41) __________ the costs of film and (42) _________.
and don’t forget to mention that they can get things like Screenings will take place in the Central Hall and
ice-cream and cold drinks while the film’s on. And get (43) __________ of (44) __________ will be available.
them to sign a list if they want to join. (45) __________ to join should sign below.

Your answers
31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

Part 2. For questions 46–60, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
LONDON’S BLACK CABS
Black cabs, officially known as Hackney Carriages, are (46) _______ London and are special for a number of
reasons. For a start, they are the only taxis in the city that can be (47) _______ from the kerb with a raised hand
signal to get the driver’s attention. Currently, it is estimated that there are 20,000 black cabs (48) _______ on the
capital’s streets. Their origin, in fact, can be (49) _______ the name ‘Hackney Carriage’ said to derive from the
French word haquenée referring to the type of horse used to pull the carriages in the days of horse-drawn carriages.
The first horse-drawn Hackney coaches appeared on London’s streets in the 17 th century during the (50) _______ of
Queen Elizabeth I. As transport developed and motor cars were (51) _______, motor cabs replaced the horse-drawn
carriages. Since the end of the 19 th century, various car manufacturers’ vehicles have been used as motor cabs but it
was not until the mid-20th century that the cabs we have been (52) _______ over the last decades first appeared.
It is such a(n) (53) _______ of becoming a black cab driver in London and it is (54) _______. If you want to gain
this honour you will need to have passed the (55) _______ test known as ‘the Knowledge’, which was first
introduced in 1851 following (56) _______ of complaints by passengers whose cab drivers got lost. This incredibly
difficult test can take around three or four years to prepare for and you can often catch a(n) (57) _______ of those
drivers who are doing just this zipping around London on their mopeds, with a map (58) _______ to a clipboard on
their handlebars. These people are essentially trying not only to master the 25,000 or so streets within a six-mile
radius of Charing Cross, but also to work out the most direct routes from place to place. They must know thousands
of ‘points of interest’ such as hotels, hospitals, places of worship, theatres, stations, sports and leisure facilities, to
name but a few. Practically everywhere and anywhere that a potential passenger would wish to be taken to or from
must be known, so a(n) (59) _______, for a black cab driver, is (60) _______, and perhaps this is the most difficult
part, knowing the quickest way to get from one place to another. Little wonder so few people are successful.
46. A. commensurate with B. equivalent to C. synonymous with D. tantamount to
47. A. acclaimed B. acknowledged C. hailed D. summoned
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48. A. hereabouts B. hither and thither C. or thereabouts D. there and then
49. A. ferreted out from B. hunted down from C. mapped out to D. traced back to
50. A. incumbency B. leadership C. reign D. sovereignty
51. A. all the rage B. of high standing C. of repute D. in vogue
52. A. clued in on B. genned up on C. in the know about D. no stranger to
53. A. handiwork B. procurement C. realisation D. undertaking
54. A. beyond you B. no brainer C. no mean feat D. over your head
55. A. abominable B. infamous C. loathsome D. unscrupulous
56. A. droves B. hordes C. packs D. swarms
57. A. gander B. geek C. glance D. glimpse
58. A. chained B. fastened C. linked D. sealed
59. A. nodding acquaintance B. insight into London C. profundity of London D. smattering knowledge
60. A. beyond measure B. beyond redemption C. beyond the pale D. beyond the veil
Your answers
46. 47. 48. 49. 50.
51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

Part 3. For questions 61-70, read the magazine article about noise. Six sentences have been removed from the
article. Choose the best sentence given below the text to fill each of the blanks. Write one letter A–G in
corresponding numbered boxes. ONE of the suggested answers does NOT fit at all.
THE EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH NOISE
Noise pollution is a modern problem that is getting worse. Millions of people are exposed to high levels
of noise, yet, despite studies outlining the mental and physical damage it can cause, its effects are still
largely ignored.
Long-term exposure to unwanted sound – the definition of noise – has been linked to increased risk of
high blood pressure and heart disease. (61) _______ For example, it has been shown to reduce
concentration levels in open-plan offices and affect long-term memory and attention span. In some extreme
cases, often involving disputes between neighbours, noise may even induce severe depression or trigger
violent physical assaults.
Various studies monitoring schoolchildren regularly exposed to noise suggest that it has a direct effect
on ‘higher level processing’ – things like reading ability and concentration levels. (62) _______ Of particular
concern is the duration of this anxiety. For example, according to one German study, when a noisy airport
near a school closed down, it took several years for the children’s behaviour and performance to return to
normal levels.
While physical response to noise may be relatively easy to measure, the psychological assessment of
stress caused by noise is less straightforward. There are various reasons for this. (63) _______ Noise
expert Professor Nick Arbury points to a Canadian study into noisy roads, which found that people felt most
strongly where noise was most annoying rather than the loudest. Another complication is that people’s
individual emotional reactions to noise differ. (64) _______ Arbury has an explanation for this difference:
‘people who are generally a bit nervous by nature seem to be a bit more sensitive to noise’.
(65) _______ Professor Arbury gives the example of people who claim that having their favourite radio
show on while working at home helps them to concentrate. He disagrees. ‘Some very boring, repetitive
tasks that don’t involve much thinking may well be helped by having something on in the background.
However, any even moderately difficult task will be disrupted.’
Arbury thinks that the key to understanding people’s response to noise is control. Some people are
even able to use, say, loud radio speech, to relax. They have chosen to have the sound on in the
background while they do their daily tasks, and so they are in control of their aural environment. And if you
have control, the sound doesn’t have so much effect on you. (66) _______ This emotion is a powerful one.
If it builds up over a period, it may reach the point where this person can’t take any more. It then leads to
anger and aggression.
So what is to be done? According to Professor Arbury, governments need to look at interventions to
reduce noise levels, but also on an individual level, we all need to recognise that noise is a very real
problem and to show more consideration to those around us.
A. A fundamental point is that our response to noise is, in part, emotional.
B. But for your neighbour, this sound is unwanted – it’s noise – and hearing it all the time may lead to frustration.
C. Exposing thousands of people to noise on a regular basis and monitoring their reactions is very hard to do.

Page 6 of 15 pages
D. In the workplace, constant unwanted sound causes additional problems.
E. It is sometimes asserted that so-called ‘pleasurable noise’ has a beneficial effect on our ability to focus.
F. So while loud music late at night may be exciting for some, for others this may create feelings of
isolation and fear.
G. These research projects consistently demonstrate notable increases in the levels of stress-hormone
among those tested, making them feel worried for no obvious reason.
Your answers
61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66.
Part 3B. For questions 67-70, read the four reviews of a sports psychology book. Choose the correct review. The
reviews may be chosen more than once. Write ONE letter A–D in the corresponding numbered space provided.
Which reviewer … ? Your
answers
believes the same as reviewer A about the quality of the author’s research and the 67. _______
arguments she puts forward
has the same view as reviewer D about how useful the content might be for the book’s 68 _______
intended audience
holds a different view from the others regarding the author’s writing style 69. _______
shares reviewer C’s opinion about whether Sports Psychology is likely to appeal to its 70. _______
intended readers
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
Four reviewers comment on ‘Sports Psychology’, a book by Fiona Bright.
A. Although Sports Psychology is intended for a position C. Sports Psychology, by Fiona Bright, is a credit to her
in the academic bookcase, it wouldn’t be out of place on in terms of its engaging and lively style, though this work
the shelf of a special interest section in a public library. is without doubt a fine example of style over substance;
That isn’t to say Fiona Bright’s in-depth analysis of sports the latter of which is surely a prerequisite of works
psychology and what makes high-achieving athletes tick intended for serious educational purposes. That isn’t to
doesn’t deserve to sit on the lecturer’s desk – it has been say that the subject matter itself is frivolous – far from it
thoroughly researched and appropriately referenced – – and indeed many a seminal work has been proffered in
but that her fluid prose makes for such ease of reading this relatively new area of concern by less established
that I would defy anyone who picks it up to put it back writers, who have more successfully achieved a level of
down again without at least being drawn in for a few depth which Sports Psychology falls short of. Any
pages, whether they have more than a passing interest in enquiring student or professional in the field is likely to
sport or not. Bright’s weighty arguments are cleverly be left wanting in terms of having something to sink their
interwoven with fully illustrative examples which are teeth into. Mention of studies supporting Bright’s
both relevant to and within the grasp of anyone involved theories are few in number, leaving the reader with the
in the world of sports psychology, be that a student impression that much of the book’s arguments are
embarking on a degree course, or a professional already supposition rather than grounded in meaningful
employed in the field. evidence.
B. Fiona Bright’s latest offering, Sports Psychology, D. With Sports Psychology, Fiona Bright is sure to repeat
leaves a lot to be desired in terms of credibility in the the success of her previous books in the field of sports
world of academia. Although she addresses some psychology, as her work has – rightly or wrongly –
pertinent matters, and addresses them with an indisputable ‘shelf appeal’. This is not her finest hour,
impressive level of detail, supported by references to however, in terms of writing style – her normally punchy
several influential works in the field, and valid prose is noticeably absent, and the paragraphs swing
applications, she leaves a lot unsaid. I doubt I will be the between laboured and clipped, leaving the reader either
only one who would have liked her to go into more overwhelmed with unnecessary detail, or confused by
depth on the topics of coaching and self-motivation. That arguments which appear to be heading in an interesting
said, this is a perfectly readable work, and Bright direction, only to be left hanging abruptly in the air. All
certainly understands how to keep an audience gripped this despite the fact that the themes covered in the book
with her lively writing style. While said audience may certainly adhere to the trends of the moment – which is
well end up not being the author’s intended one, there is what will draw readers in – and on the surface of it, it
enough meat in the book to provide fresh insight and shows promise. Read a little deeper, however, and one
guidance for both those on the playing field and the will soon come to the realisation that one has heard it all
people who support them in achieving their potential. before.
Page 7 of 15 pages
Part 4. Read the following passage and answer questions 71–80.
Six paragraphs have been removed from the passage. For questions 71–76, choose from paragraphs A–G the one
which fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
IT’S A PITY READING PLEASURE CAN’T BE TESTED
We force children into reading far too early.
Today Einstein, who learnt to read at 10, would be in remedial class, argues Anne Karpf.
A good news story about education? It sounds like an 74. _______
oxymoron, but blazoned on Monday’s front pages was
Elsewhere there’s no shortage of horror stories, like the
the finding of a major new international survey that ‘UK
parents of four-year-olds, who formerly wouldn’t have
pupils move close to top of world class’, especially in
even been in school, paying for coaching to help them
reading. This will have been gratifying to a government
keep up with the fast readers. The mother of a four-and-a-
for whom ‘education, education, education’ increasingly
half-year-old was told that her son had to apply himself to
seems to be a euphemism for ‘reading, reading,
reading because the school didn’t want him to end up at
reading’. But such singlemindedness has had other,
the bottom of the pile. This from an excellent teacher,
unacknowledged, consequences.
herself under pressure to produce results: by their Sats
71. _______ shall we judge them. Einstein may have learned to read
only at 10, but today he’d be stigmatised and in remedial
Orthodox educationalists, however, maintain that
reading.
you’re never too young to learn to read: on the
contrary, the earlier the better. Reading, and especially 75. _______
early reading, is considered so self-evidently good that
Learning to read is rather like potty training. The parents of
children are coaxed, pressed and, if required, bribed
kids who do it young proclaim it abroad, yet most people
into submission.
get there in the end. How they do so is paramount for
72. _______ future pleasure, and the result of an unpredictable,
serendipitous combination of factors different for each of
My own position has changed radically between my first
us. But we’ve a government which has confused standards
and second children. The first taught herself to read at
with standardisation. You can, just about, drill children into
the age of four. Thereafter she secreted books around
learning to read, but you can’t compel them to enjoy it. In
her bed like contraband, and had to be physically prised
a culture increasingly in thrall to what is measurable, what
from them at the dinner table. When her younger sister
a pity reading pleasure can’t be tested.
started school last year, I expected a repeat
performance. 76. _______
73. _______ As for my own now almost-six-year-old, who I think would
have preferred this approach, something has recently
Should I be vacuuming away her words, and pumping in
clicked in the reading part of her brain, and she is on the
someone else’s? Should I have been coercing her to try
way to becoming a voracious reader. It’s probably sheer
to read when she was plainly unwilling? I can coerce for
coincidence that this transformation was over exactly the
England, but the thought of becoming her personal
same period that she started learning the violin.
politburo in the matter of when she learned to read
seemed so awful that I became a covert refusenik
instead. I decided to stop meddling altogether.
A. Being against it is like being against vitamins or bank B. For the best part of a year I schlepped her wretched
holidays – frankly perverse. Among the over half-million bookbag to and from school without opening it, and
web pages devoted to teaching children to read, none resolved as far as possible to follow her own reading
of those I browsed are on learning to read too soon. timetable. Her reception teacher adopted what today is a
rare, daring stance: there isn’t much you can do to make a
C. Early reading is all part of the extension of formal child read before they’re ready.
reading back into pre-school. Nurseries are now E. Like other reception class mothers, I peeked at her
bestrewn with targets, and the children know it. friends’ bookbags to see if the books they were reading
Imagine the blow that might have dealt to his creative were more advanced. Invariably they were. My growing
genius. Also, one problem with exerting such pressure anxiety was assuaged by a wise fellow mother remarking
on pre-school children is that it can make children that my exuberant child was busily engaged in things, like
resistant to reading. Once affecting extravagant pretend games and drawing, which delighted her more.

Page 8 of 15 pages
interest in my daughter’s new book-title, I was She also loves books, but often pleads for the right to be
rewarded with: “You’re just trying to get me to read it able to make up her own stories to the pictures (frequently
and I won’t.” more exciting than those confected by the author).
D. Those who consider such misgivings a middle-class F. The obsession with reading has led to a major decline
luxury should look at Europe. We’re alone in bullying in the time and energy given over to music, art and drama.
children to read so young. The Norwegians don’t start And the heresy that dare not speak its name is that
until they’re seven, when it’s usually painless. This also children are being pressurised to learn to read too early.
allows dyslexics to be diagnosed before and not after
G. When I asked her to tell me what she thought of her
they’ve been labelled poor readers. Sylvia Hopland,
classes, she was unabashedly sincere: ‘I like books with
headteacher of the Norwegian School in London, says:
pictures, but books with too many words are boring.’ My
“We know that we could teach children to read at four
immediate urge was to force her, threaten her or coax her
if we wanted to but we want them to spend those years
nose into her books. Until it suddenly dawned on me: at
playing. Here you teach them to give the right answers.
what age did I start reading?
We want to teach them to solve problems, cooperate
with others and cope with life.” Steiner schools in
Britain also concentrate on stimulating children’s
creative faculties until “a new kind of knowing” emerges
at seven.
For questions 77–80, choose the best answer A, B, C or D. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided.
77. The phrase “the thought of becoming her personal politburo” implies the writer’s notion of _______.
A. becoming an orthodox traditionalist C. helping the child see education in a positive light
B. forcing the child to read against her will D. resisting change and favouring established ideas
78. In the context, “at the bottom of the pile” mostly means being _______ of the class.
A. the black sheep B. the fair-haired C. the least academic D. the weakest
79. According to the text, “something has recently clicked” implies a change has taken place in _______.
A. coaching the child on extensive reading C. the child’s attitude towards reading
B. bribing the child to read D. the child’s joy of reading books
80. According to the text, the phrase “And the heresy that dare not speak its names” indicates _______.
A. a belief that people feel uncomfortable about expressing
B. a situation where contradictory incidents co-occur
C. a subtle support and encouragement
D. an unacceptably unconventional and unreasonable pedagogy
Your answers

71. 72. 73. 74. 75.

76. 77. 78. 79. 80.
Part 5. Read the text below and answer questions 81–90.
WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPH?
One hundred years ago, some thought it a mere novelty.
Yet it has proved itself to be not only the most democratic art form, but a weapon against injustice.
It has filled the world with multiple images of itself.
As the new century begins, we’re familiar with it. But can we trust it?
A. Photography ended the last century as it began it – in the shadow of fine art. “Photography has been, and still is,
tormented by the ghost of painting,” wrote Roland Barthes in the 1970s, when painting was supposedly dead, and
photography was making its most determined assault yet on the museums and galleries of fine art. Since then,
artists have taken to the camera in increasing numbers, (and the acceptance of art made by photographic means is
more or less complete). But the ghost of painting still haunts photography, and will continue to do so as long as the
definition of a work of art relies on the existence of an original.
The most radical invention to affect the fortunes of photography was that of the half-tone printing process
(around 1880), which meant that photographs could be transferred quickly, cheaply and in large numbers on to the
pages of books, newspapers and magazines. After the First World War, newspapers in Germany and France
popularised the use of the picture essay to tell a news story, creating a new generation of freelance photographic
reporters. Robert Capa (under his real name, Andrei Friedmann), published his first set of pictures (of Trotsky
addressing a rally in Copenhagen) in Der Welt Spiegel in 1932. The diaspora of editors and photographers from these
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papers, who fled to Britain and America after 1933, would contribute the core ideals of the two great English-
speaking picture magazines, Picture Post and Life.
B. Between the 20s and 60s, when television began to usurp its role, photojournalism was a primary source of news
from around the world. But the adage that “the camera never lies” was challenged as soon as it was uttered, when, in
the 20s, political satirists used photo-montage to criticise the German military and bourgeoisie. Our faith in the truth-
telling capacity of photographs has been eroded as much by the tricks of advertising as by political propaganda, but
when it mattered – when George Rodger entered Belsen in 1945, say, or Margaret Bourke-White entered
Buchenwald, or when someone with a camcorder recorded evidence of ethnic cleansing in Africa – here was evidence
that revisionists found difficult to refute.
At the beginning of the last century, much was made of the divide between photographs concerned with
recording everyday life, and those intended as “works of art". Alfred Steiglitz believed its days to be numbered.
“Photography is a fad well-nigh on its last legs,” he said, “thanks principally to the bicycle craze.” He misunderstood
its value to ordinary people. Photography was the most democratic picture-making process since pen and paper, and,
in most cases, the results were far more satisfactory. The family snapshot is photography’s greatest success this
century. We measure our lives in pictures, we have recorded our own great, historical moments. The emotional
power of memory – to hold your own past in the palm of your hand – has survived a century when the power of
documentary and reportage photographs threatens to become exhausted.
C. By 1910, painting was moving towards abstraction. Pictorialism petered out, leaving its survivors, notably three
Americans – Edward Steichen, Paul Strand and Steiglitz – to find out what kind of art photography might be capable
of in its own right. But while artist-photographers had been gazing inwards, photographic reporters had begun to
look outwards, and used their cameras to document social inequality. Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine, from the first decade
of the century, established a tradition of socially-committed photography that shaped the ethos of the Magnum
photo agency, founded in 1947 by Cartier-Bresson, Capa, Rodger and Seymour.
By the late 50s, in Britain and in the US, photography was becoming the subject of art. As television slowly began
to take over the reporting of hard news, magazines began to concentrate on make-believe. Andy Warhol used
familiar photographic images (his famous can of Heinz beans being one of them) to point out how all-pervasive and
manipulative mass-market images had become. He understood the power of the iconic photograph, which gained
power with repetition. The cult of the celebrity photograph had begun decades before, when Steichen accepted a
contract to provide portraits of the rich and glamorous for Vanity Fair, triggering the insatiable public appetite that
has led to the breed of quasi-celebrities who inhabit the pages of OK! and Hello! magazines.
D. As the twenty-first century begins, it is photographers dedicated to the systematic recording of fact who are
regarded as having produced some of the greatest works of photographic art – Atget’s documenting of architectural
details and neighbourhoods of old Paris, or August Sander’s massive study of different classes of the German people,
Citizens of the 20th Century. As the century turns, it’s hard to know what photography means. What used to be called
a photograph is more often a cocktail of mixed, digital images that a computer operator can paint in and out,
highlighting and enhancing electronically with the dexterity of a painter with brush. A computer can remove evidence
from the scene of a crime, or put a smile on the face of a glum royal prince.
With the profligacy of the Internet, visual manipulation has become a moral as well as aesthetic issue.
Photography has allowed us to create imaginary worlds and play them back to ourselves as fact. The problem in the
current century will be to remember that it matters to know the difference.
For questions 81–90, identify which section A–F each of the following is mentioned. Write ONE letter A–F in the
corresponding numbered space provided. Each letter may be used more than once.
According to the text, which section(s) mention the following? Your
answers
Advances in printing were instrumental in shaping the evolution of photography. 81. _______
Art photography is the photographing of historical fact. 82. _______
Early in the twentieth century photography was already dealing with social issues. 83. _______
European newspapers were the first to use photography as a news vehicle. 84. _______
It’s hard to define photography. 85. _______
Modern technology has made photographs easy to manipulate. 86. _______
Photographers escaping from mainland Europe before the World War II popularised 87. _______
news photography.
Photographs of famous people have always been popular. 88. _______
th
Photography became more popular with artists in the last quarter of the 20 century. 89. _______

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 Photography was discredited as a reliable news source when picture editing and 90. _______
montage was first used.

IV. WRITING (60 points)

Part 1. For question 1-5, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using
the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word
given. There is an example at the beginning (0).

0. ‘Why don’t we have a picnic this weekend?’ said Andy having

Andy suggested  ………having a picnic that……….. weekend.

1. It is recommended that you take water with you as well as few and far between in this area. (lest)
Travellers to this area are advised to carry water ___________________________________ ground.
2. Nobody expected it of him but Sam was laid off. (ranks)
Against_________________________________________________________unemployed.
3. Getting to work should be much easier once the new underground line is ready. (commuting)
The new underground line____________________________________________________sailing.
4. Although the signs are optimistic, there are imminent dark clouds. (teeth)
On the___________________________________________________________optimistic signs.
5. We only ingratiated ourselves with our teacher because Katie insisted. (curried)
It was______________________________________________________________ our teacher.
Part 2. The charts below show the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting foreign countries and the percentage of
those visiting Thailand. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Vietnamese Tourists Visiting Foreign Countries

18
16
14
12
10
millions

8
6
4
2
0
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Years (20...)

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 Vietnamese Tourists Visiting Thailand
9
8
7
6
5
%

4
3
2
1
0
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Years (20...)

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Part 3. International sports events play an important role in reducing the growing tension between countries . Do
you agree or disagree? Write an essay of about 350 words to express your opinion. Give reasons for your answers
and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
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– THE END –
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