Reading + Writing-Ielts Book

READING
True/ False/ Not given

The life and work of Marie Curie
Sentence Completion
Sentence Completion
The story of silk
Sentence Completion
Crop-growing skyscrapers

The Falkirk Wheel
Diagram Completion
Raising the Mary Rose Matching
Diagram Completion
Matching
Air pollution Yes/ No/ Not given
Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice
The Pompidou Centre Matching Sentence Endings
Yes/ No/ Not given
Reducing the Effects of Climate Change Table Completion
1
Stepwells Short Answer
Table Completion
Matching Headings
Making Every Drop Count
Yes/ No/ Not given
Sentence Completion
Collecting as a hobby
Yes/No/Not given
When conversations flow
Completion
Matching Headings
Flying tortoises
Sentence Completion
Sentence Completion
The history of glass

Cork
Sentence Completion
Answer the questions
Whale strandings True/ False/ Not given
Completion
2
3
4
5
THE LIFE AND WORK OF MARIE CURIE
Marie Curie is probably the most famous woman scientist who has ever lived. Born Maria
Sklodowska in Poland in 1867, she is famous for (nổi tiếng về) her work on radioactivity (phóng
xạ), and was twice a winner of the Nobel Prize. With her husband, Pierre Curie, and Henri
Becquerel, she was awarded (trao giải) the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics, and was then sole (=only:
duy nhất) winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a Nobel
Prize.
From childhood (thời thơ ấu), Marie was remarkable for her prodigious memory, and at the age of
16 won a gold medal on completion of her secondary education. Because her father lost his savings
through bad investment (sự đầu tư), she then had to take work as a teacher. From her earnings (tiền
kiếm được) she was able to finance her sister Bronia's medical studies in Paris, on the
understanding that Bronia would, in turn, later help her to get an education.
In 1891 this promise (lời hứa) was fulfilled (hoàn thành/ thực hiện) and Marie went to Paris and
began to study at the Sorbonne (the University of Paris). She often worked far into the night and
lived on little more than bread and butter and tea. She came first in the examination in the physical
sciences in 1893, and in 1894 was placed (đặt=put) second in the examination in mathematical
sciences. It was not until the spring of that year that she was introduced (giới thiệu) to Pierre Curie.
Their marriage (cuộc hôn nhân) in 1895 marked (đánh dấu) the start of a partnership that was soon
to achieve (đạt) results of world significance. Following (theo sau) Henri Becquerel's discovery in
1896 of a new phenomenon (hiện tượng), which Marie later called 'radioactivity', Marie Curie
decided (quyết định) to find out if the radioactivity discovered in uranium was to be found in other
elements. She discovered that this was true for thorium.
Turning her attention (sự chú ý) to minerals, she found her interest (sở thích) drawn to pitchblende,
a mineral whose radioactivity, superior to (cao cấp hơn) that of pure uranium, could be explained
only by the presence (sự hiện diện) in the ore of small quantities of an unknown substance (chất)
of very high activity. Pierre Curie joined her in the work that she had undertaken (đảm nhiệm) to
resolve (=solve) this problem, and that led to the discovery of the new elements, polonium and
radium. While Pierre Curie devoted (cống hiến cho) himself chiefly to the physical study of the
new radiations, Marie Curie struggled to obtain pure (tinh khiết/ nguyên chất) radium in the
metallic state. This was achieved with the help of the chemist André- Louis Debierne, one of Pierre
Curie's pupils (học sinh). Based on (dựa trên) the results of this research, Marie Curie received her
Doctorate of Science, and in 1903 Marie and Pierre shared with Becquerel the Nobel Prize for
Physics for the discovery of radioactivity.
The births of Marie's two daughters, Irène and Eve, in 1897 and 1904 failed to (không) interrupt
(làm đứt quãng) her scientific work. She was appointed (cử làm) (lecturer (=teacher) in physics at
the École Normale Supérieure for girls in Sèvres, France (1900), and introduced a method of
teaching based on experimental demonstrations. In December 1904 she was appointed chief
assistant (trợ lý) in the laboratory directed by Pierre Curie.
The sudden death of her husband in 1906 was a bitter blow to Marie Curie, but was also a turning
point (bước ngoặt) in her career (sự nghiệp): henceforth she was to devote all her energy to
completing alone the scientific work that they had undertaken. On May 13, 1906, she was
appointed to the professorship that had been left vacant on her husband's death, becoming the first
woman to teach at the Sorbonne. In 1911 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the
isolation of a pure form of radium.
During World War I, Marie Curie, with the help of her daughter Irène, devoted herself to the
development of the use of X-radiography, including the mobile units which came to be known as
Little Curies', used for the treatment of wounded soldiers (binh lính). In 1918 the Radium Institute,
whose staff Irène had joined, began to operate (hoạt động) in earnest, and became a centre for
nuclear (hạt nhân) physics and chemistry. Marie Curie, now at the highest point of her fame (danh
tiếng) and, from 1922, a member of the Academy of Medicine, researched the chemistry of
radioactive substances and their medical applications.
In 1921, accompanied by her two daughters, Marie Curie made a triumphant journey (chuyến đi)
to the United States to raise funds for (gây quỹ cho) research on radium. Women there presented
her with a gram of radium for her campaign (chiến dịch). Marie also gave lectures in Belgium,
Brazil, Spain and Czechoslovakia and, in addition, had the satisfaction (sự thỏa mãn) of seeing the
development of the Curie Foundation in Paris, and the inauguration in 1932 in Warsaw of the
Radium Institute, where her sister Bronia became director.
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One of Marie Curie's outstanding (nổi bật) achievements was to have understood the need to
accumulate intense radioactive sources, not only to treat (điều trị) illness (=disease) but also to
maintain an abundant supply (nguồn cung) for research. The existence in Paris at the Radium
Institute of a stock of 1.5 grams of radium made a decisive contribution to the success of the
experiments (thí nghiệm) undertaken in the years around 1930. This work prepared the way for
the discovery of the neutron by Sir James Chadwick and, above all, for the discovery in 1934 by
Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie of artificial radioactivity. A few months after this discovery, Marie
Curie died as a result of leukaemia caused (gây ra) by exposure to radiation. She had often carried
test tubes containing (chứa) radioactive isotopes in her pocket, remarking on the pretty blue-green
light they gave off.
Her contribution to physics had been immense, not only in her own work, the importance of which
had been demonstrated by her two Nobel Prizes, but because of her influence (tầm ảnh hưởng) on
subsequent generations of nuclear physicists and chemists.
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 57?
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet. Write
TRUE it the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Marie Curie's husband was a joint (chung) winner of both Nobel Prizes.
2. Marie became interested in science when she was a child.
3. Marie was able to attend (tham dự) the Sorbonne because of her sister‘s financial (tài chính)
contribution (sự đóng góp).
4. Marie stopped doing research for several years when her children were born.
5. Marie took over (tiếp quản) the teaching position her husband had held.
6. Marie’s sister Bronia studied the medical uses of radioactivity.
8
Complete the notes below
Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet.
Marie Curie’s research on radioactivity
• When uranium was discovered to be radioactive, Marie Curie found that the element (nhân tố)
was called 7. _________ had the same property (đặc tính/tài sản).
• Marie and Pierre Curie’s research into the radioactivity of the mineral (khoáng chất) known as
(được biết tới như là) 8. __________ led to (dẫn tới) the discovery (sự phát hiện) of two new
elements.
• In 1911, Marie Curie received recognition (sự công nhận) for her work on the element 9.
___________
• Marie and Irene Curie developed (phát triển) X-radiography which was used as a medical (y học)
technique (kỹ thuật, kỹ xảo) for 10. _____________
• Marie Curie saw the importance of collecting (thu thập) radioactive material (nguyên vật liệu)
both for research (nghiên cứu) and for cases (trường hợp) of 11. _____________
• The radioactive material stocked (lưu trữ) in Paris contributed to (đóng góp cho) the discoveries
in the 1930s of the 12. __________ and of what was known as artificial (nhân tạo) radioactivity.
• During her research, Marie Curie was exposed to (bị phơi nhiễm với) radiation and as a result
she suffered from 13. _____________
9
THE STORY OF SILK
The history of the world’s most luxurious (xa xỉ) fabric, from ancient (cổ xưa) China to the
present day
Silk (lụa) is a fine, smooth (mềm) material produced (sản xuất) from the cocoons - soft protective
shells - that are made by mulberry silkworms (insect larvae). Legend (huyền thoại) has it that it
was Lei Tzu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, ruler of China in about 3000 BC, who discovered
silkworms. One account of the story goes that as she was taking a walk in her husband’s gardens,
she discovered that silkworms were responsible for (chịu trách nhiệm cho) the destruction (sự phá
hủy) of several mulberry trees. She collected a number of cocoons and sat down to have a rest
(nghỉ ngơi). It just so happened that while she was sipping some tea, one of the cocoons that she
had collected landed (hạ cánh) in the hot tea and started to unravel into a fine thread. Lei Tzu found
that she could wind this thread around her fingers. Subsequently, she persuaded (thuyết phục) her
husband to allow (cho phép) her to rear silkworms on a grove of mulberry trees. She also devised
a special reel to draw the fibres from the cocoon into a single thread so that they would be strong
enough to be woven into fabric. While it is unknown just how much of this is true, it is certainly
known that silk cultivation (sự trồng trọt) has existed (tồn tại) in China for several millennia.
Originally, silkworm farming was solely restricted (hạn chế) to women, and it was they who were
responsible for the growing, harvesting and weaving. Silk quickly grew into a symbol of status,
and originally, only royalty (hoàng gia) were entitled to have clothes made of silk. The rules were
gradually relaxed over the years until finally during the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911 AD), even
peasants, the lowest caste, were also entitled to wear silk. Sometime during the Han Dynasty (206
BC-220 AD), silk was so prized that it was also used as a unit of currency (đơn vị tiền tệ).
Government officials (viên chức nhà nước) were paid their salary (lương) in silk, and farmers paid
their taxes (thuế) in grain and silk. Silk was also used as diplomatic gifts by the emperor. Fishing
lines, bowstrings, musical instruments and paper were all made using silk. The earliest indication
of silk paper being used was discovered in the tomb of a noble who is estimated to have died
around 168 AD.
Demand (nhu cầu) for this exotic fabric (vải) eventually created the lucrative trade (thương mại)
route (tuyến đường) now known as the Silk Road, taking silk westward and bringing gold, silver
10
and wool to the East. It was named the Silk Road after its most precious (quý hóa) commodity,
which was considered to be worth (đáng giá) more than gold. The Silk Road stretched (kéo dài)
over 6,000 kilometres from Eastern China to the Mediterranean Sea, following the Great Wall of
China, climbing the Pamir mountain range, crossing modern-day Afghanistan and going on to the
Middle East, with a major trading market in Damascus. From there, the merchandise (=goods) was
shipped across the Mediterranean Sea. Few merchants (thươn gia) travelled the entire (toàn bộ =
whole) route; goods were handled (xử lý) mostly by a series of middlemen.
With the mulberry silkworm being native to China, the country was the world’s sole producer of
silk for many hundreds of years. The secret of silk-making eventually reached the rest of the world
via the Byzantine Empire, which ruled over the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, North
Africa and the Middle East during the period 330—1453 AD. According to (theo) another legend,
monks working for the Byzantine emperor Justinian smuggle silkworm eggs to Constantinople
(Istanbul in modern-day Turkey) in 550 AD, concealed (giấu) inside hollow bamboo walking
canes. The Byzantines were as secretive as the Chinese, however, and for many centuries the
weaving and trading of silk fabric was a strict imperial monopoly. Then in the seventh century, the
Arabs conquered Persia, capturing their magnificent silks in the process.
Silk production thus spread through Africa, Sicily and Spain as the Arabs swept, through these
lands. Andalusia in southern Spain was Europe’s main silk-producing centre in the tenth century.
By the thirteenth century, however, Italy had become Europe’s leader in silk production and export
(xuất khẩu) Venetian merchants traded extensively in silk and encouraged (khuyến khích) silk
growers to settle in Italy. Even now, silk processed (xử lý) in the province of Como in northern
Italy enjoys an esteemed reputation (=fame).
The nineteenth century and industrialisation saw the downfall of the European silk industry (ngành
công nghiệp). Cheaper Japanese silk, trade in which was greatly facilitated by the opening of the
Suez Canal, was one of the many factors (nhân tố) driving the trend. Then in the twentieth century,
new manmade fibres, such as nylon, started to be used in what had traditionally been silk products,
such as stockings and parachutes. The two world wars, which interrupted the supply of raw
material from Japan, also stifled the European silk industry. After the Second World War, Japan’s
silk production was restored, with improved production and quality of raw silk. Japan was to
remain the world’s biggest producer of raw silk, and practically the only major exporter of raw
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silk, until the 1970s. However, in more recent decades (thập kỷ), China has gradually recaptured
its position as the world’s biggest producer and exporter of raw silk and silk yarn. Today, around
125,000 metric tons of silk are produced in the world, and almost two thirds of that production
take place (=happen) in China.
Questions 1-9
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Early silk production in China
• Around 3000 BC, according to legend:
- silkworm cocoon fell into emperor’s wife’s 1. ___________
- emperor’s wife invented (phát minh) a 2. ___________ to pull out silk fibres
• Only 3. ___________ were allowed to produce silk
• Only 4. __________ were allowed to wear silk
• Silk used as a form of 5. ___________
- e.g. farmers’ taxes consisted (bao gồm) partly of silk
• Silk used for many purposes (mục đích)
- e.g. evidence (chứng cứ) found of 6. __________ made from silk around 168 AD Silk reaches
rest of world
• Merchants use Silk Road to take silk westward and bring back 7. ___________ and precious
metals (kim loại)
• 550 AD: 8. __________ hide (giấu) silkworm eggs in canes and take them to Constantinople
• Silk production spreads (lan truyền) across Middle East and Europe
12
• 20th century: 9. _________ and other manmade fibres cause decline in silk production
TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN
10. Gold was the most valuable (giá trị) material transported along the Silk Road.
11. Most tradesmen (thương gia) only went along (đi dọc) certain (nào đó) sections (phần) of the
Silk Road.
12. The Byzantines spread (lan truyền) the practice of silk production across the West.
13. Silk yarn makes up the majority (đa số) of silk currently exported (xuất khẩu) from China.
13
CROP-GROWING SKYSCRAPERS
By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the Earth’s population will live in urban centres. Applying the
most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by
about three billion people by then. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% larger than
Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming methods continue
as they are practised today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable
for raising crops is in use. Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management
practices. What can be done to ensure enough food for the world’s population to live on?
The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes and other
produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this
technology to accommodate another three billion people. Many believe an entirely new approach
to indoor farming is required, employing cutting-edge technologies. One such proposal is for the
“Vertical Farm”. The concept is of multi-storey buildings in which food crops are grown in
environmentally controlled conditions. Situated in the heart of urban centres, they would
drastically reduce the amount of transportation required to bring food to consumers. Vertical farms
would need to be efficient, cheap to construct and safe to operate. If successfully implemented,
proponents claim, vertical farms offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a
safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and the
eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.
It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted.
Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural ecozones
into semi-arid deserts. Within that same time frame, we evolved into an urban species in which
60% of the human population now lives vertically in cities. This means that, for the majority, we
humans have shelter from the elements, yet we subject our food-bearing plants to the rigours of
the great outdoors and can do no more than hope for a good weather year. However, more often
than not now, due to a rapidly changing climate, that is not what happens. Massive floods, long
droughts, hurricanes and severe monsoons take their toll each year, destroying millions of tons of
valuable crops.
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The supporters of vertical farming claim many potential advantages for the system. For instance,
crops would be produced all year round, as they would be kept in artificially controlled, optimum
growing conditions. There would be no weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods or
pests. All the food could be grown organically, eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides and
fertilisers. The system would greatly reduce the incidence of many infectious diseases that are
acquired at the agricultural interface. Although the system would consume energy, it would return
energy to the grid via methane generation from composting non¬edible parts of plants. It would
also dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, by cutting out the need for tractors, ploughs and shipping.
A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that the plants would require artificial light.
Without it, those plants nearest the windows would be exposed to more sunlight and grow more
quickly, reducing the efficiency of the system. Single-storey greenhouses have the benefit of
natural overhead light: even so, many still need artificial lighting. A multi-storey facility with no
natural overhead light would require far more. Generating enough light could be prohibitively
expensive, unless cheap, renewable energy is available, and this appears to be rather a future
aspiration than a likelihood for the near future.
One variation on vertical farming that has been developed is to grow plants in stacked trays that
move on rails. Moving the trays allows the plants to get enough sunlight. This system is already in
operation, and works well within a single-storey greenhouse with light reaching it from above: it
is not certain, however, that it can be made to work without that overhead natural light. Vertical
farming is an attempt to address the undoubted problems that we face in producing enough food
for a growing population. At the moment, though, more needs to be done to reduce the detrimental
impact it would have on the environment, particularly as regards the use of energy. While it is
possible that much of our food will be grown in skyscrapers in future, most experts currently
believe it is far more likely that we will simply use the space available on urban rooftops.
Take for granted: coi là hiển nhiên, ko biết quý trọng
Population: (n) dân số urgent: (a) khẩn cấp
Trend: (n) xu hướng accommodate: (v) thích hợp/ chứa
Estimate: (v) ước tính approach=method (n)
Feed: (v) cho ăn require=need (v)
15
Method: (n) phương pháp cutting-edge = modern (a)
Crop: (n) vụ mùa multi-storey: nhiều tầng (a)
Ensure: (v) đảm bảo situated in: nằm ở=located in
Concept: (n) khái niệm efficient: (a) hiệu quả
Construct =build (v) year-round: (a) quanh năm
Sacrifice: (v) hy sinh apply: (v) áp dụng
deserts: (n) sa mạc artificial: (a) nhân tạo
evolve into: (v) tiến hóa thành failure: (n) sự thất bại
species: (n) loài, giống organic: (a) hữu cơ
majority: (n) đa số=most eliminate: (v) loại bỏ
climate: (n) khí hậu fertiliser: (n) phân bón
flood: (n) lũ lụt hurricanes = storm
drought: (n) hạn hán fossil fuel: (n) nhiên liệu hóa thạch
infectious disease (n) bệnh truyền nhiễm destroy: (v) phá hủy
available (a) sẵn có impact (n) ảnh hưởng
likelihood: (n) khả năng skyscraper (n) nhà chọc trời
address the problems: giải quyết vấn đề expert (n) chuyên gia
detrimental: (a) có hại currently = now
Questions 1-7
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Indoor farming
16
1. Some food plants, including ……………………….. are already grown indoors.
2. Vertical farms would be located in ……………………….., meaning that there would be less
need to take them long distances (khoảng cách) to customers.
3. Vertical farms could use methane from plants and animals to produce…………
4. The consumption of ……………………….. would be cut because agricultural (nông nghiệp)

vehicles would be unnecessary (ko cần thiết).
5. The fact that vertical farms would need ……………………….. light is a disadvantage.
6. One form of vertical farming involves (=include) planting in ……………………….. which are
not fixed (cố định).
7. The most probable (có khả năng) development is that food will be grown on
……………………….. in towns and cities.
TRUE/ FALSE/ NOT GIVEN
8. Methods for predicting (dự đoán) the Earth’s population have recently changed.
9. Human beings are responsible for some of the destruction (sự phá huỷ) to food-producing land.
10. The crops produced in vertical farms will depend on the season.
11. Some damage to food crops is caused by climate change (thay đổi khí hậu).
12. Fertilisers will be needed for certain crops in vertical farms.
13. Vertical farming will make plants less likely to (có khả năng) be affected by infectious diseases.
17
THE FALKIRK WHEEL
A unique engineering achievement
The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland is the world's first and only rotating boat lift. Opened in 2002, it is
central to the ambitious £84.5m Millennium Link project to restore navigability across Scotland
by reconnecting the historic waterways of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals. The major
challenge of the project lays in the fact that the Forth & Clyde Canal is situated 35 metres below
the level of the Union Canal. Historically, the two canals had been joined near the town of Falkirk
by a sequence of 11 locks - enclosed sections of canal in which the water level could be raised or
lowered - that stepped down across a distance of 1.5 km. This had been dismantled in 1933, thereby
breaking the link. When the project was launched in 1994, the British Waterways authority were
keen to create a dramatic twenty-first-century landmark which would not only be a fitting
commemoration of the Millennium, but also a lasting symbol of the economic regeneration of the
region.
Numerous ideas were submitted for the project, including concepts ranging from rolling eggs to
tilting tanks, from giant seesaws to overhead monorails. The eventual winner was a plan for the
huge rotating steel boat lift which was to become The Falkirk Wheel. The unique shape of the
structure is claimed to have been inspired by various sources, both manmade and natural, most
notably a Celtic double headed axe, but also the vast turning propeller of a ship, the rib cage of a
whale or the spine of a fish.
The various parts of The Falkirk Wheel were all constructed and assembled, like one giant toy
building set, at Butterley Engineering's Steelworks in Derbyshire, some 400 km from Falkirk. A
team there carefully assembled the 1,200 tonnes of steel, painstakingly fitting the pieces together
to an accuracy of just 10 mm to ensure a perfect final fit. In the summer of 2001, the structure was
then dismantled and transported on 35 lorries to Falkirk, before all being bolted back together
again on the ground, and finally lifted into position in five large sections by crane. The Wheel
would need to withstand immense and constantly changing stresses as it rotated, so to make the
structure more robust, the steel sections were bolted rather than welded together. Over 45,000 bolt
holes were matched with their bolts, and each bolt was hand-tightened.
challenge (n) thử thách eventual =final: (a)
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launch (v) khởi xướng unique (a) độc đáo
symbol (n) biểu tượng inspire (v) truyền cảm hứng
numerous (a) nhiều source (n) nguồn
submit (v) nộp
The Wheel consists of two sets of opposing axe-shaped arms, attached about 25 metres apart to a
fixed central spine. Two diametrically opposed water-filled 'gondolas', each with a capacity of
360,000 litres, are fitted between the ends of the arms. These gondolas always weigh the same,
whether or not they are carrying boats. This is because, according to Archimedes' principle of
displacement, floating objects displace their own weight in water. So when a boat enters a gondola,
the amount of water leaving the gondola weighs exactly the same as the boat. This keeps the Wheel
balanced and so, despite its enormous mass, it rotates through 180° in five and a half minutes while
using very little power. It takes just 1.5 kilowatt-hours (5.4 MJ) of energy to rotate the Wheel -
roughly the same as boiling eight small domestic kettles of water.
Boats needing to be lifted up enter the canal basin at the level of the Forth & Clyde Canal and then
enter the lower gondola of the Wheel. Two hydraulic steel gates are raised, so as to seal the gondola
off from the water in the canal basin. The water between the gates is then pumped out. A hydraulic
clamp, which prevents the arms of the Wheel moving while the gondola is docked, is removed,
allowing the Wheel to turn. In the central machine room, an array of ten hydraulic motors then
begins to rotate the central axle. The axle connects to the outer arms of the Wheel, which begin to
rotate at a speed of 1/8 of a revolution per minute. As the wheel rotates, the gondolas are kept in
the upright position by a simple gearing system. Two eight-metre-wide cogs orbit a fixed inner
cog of the same width, connected by two smaller cogs travelling in the opposite direction to the
outer cogs - so ensuring that the gondolas always remain level. When the gondola reaches the top,
the boat passes straight onto the aqueduct situated 24 metres above the canal basin.
The remaining 11 metres of lift needed to reach the Union Canal is achieved by means of a pair of
locks. The Wheel could not be constructed to elevate boats over the full 35-metre difference
between the two canals, owing to the presence of the historically important Antonine Wall, which
19
was built by the Romans in the second century AD. Boats travel under this wall via a tunnel, then
through the locks, and finally on to the Union Canal.
giant (a) khổng lồ consists of =include (v)
assemble (v) lắp ráp balance (v) cân bằng
structure (n) cấu trúc lift (v) = raise: nâng
so as to = in order to: để remove (v) lấy ra
Questions: True/False/Not Given
14. The Falkirk Wheel has linked (liên kết) the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal for
the first time in their history.
15. There was some opposition to the design of the Falkirk Wheel at first.
16. The Falkirk Wheel was initially put together at the location where its components were
manufactured.
17. The Falkirk Wheel is the only boat lift in the world which has steel sections bolted together
by hand.
18. The weight of the gondolas varies according to the size of boat being carried.
19. The construction of the Falkirk Wheel site took into account (=consider) the presence (sự
hiện diện) of a nearby ancient (cổ) monument (di tích).
20
Questions 20-26
Label the diagram below.
Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
21
RAISING THE MARY ROSE
How a sixteenth-century warship was recovered (hồi phục/khôi phục) from the seabed (đáy
biển)
On 19 July 1545, English and French fleets were engaged in (tham gia) a sea battle (trận chiến)
off the coast (bờ biển) of southern England in the area of water called the Solent, between
Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. Among the English vessels (=ship) was a warship by the name
of Mary Rose. Built in Portsmouth some 35 years earlier, she had had a long and successful
fighting career, and was a favourite of King Henry VIII. Accounts of what happened to the ship
vary (=change): while witnesses agree that she was not hit by the French, some maintain that she
was outdated (lỗi thời), overladen and sailing too low in the water, others that she was mishandled
by undisciplined crew (phi hành đoàn). What is undisputed, however, is that the Mary Rose sank
into the Solent that day, taking at least 500 men with her. After the battle, attempts (sự nỗ lực)
were made to recover the ship, but these failed.
The Mary Rose came to rest on the seabed, lying on her starboard (right) side at an angle of
approximately 60 degrees. The hull (the body of the ship) acted as a trap (bẫy) for the sand and
mud carried by Solent currents. As a result, the starboard side filled rapidly, leaving the exposed
port (left) side to be eroded (ăn mòn) by marine organisms and mechanical degradation. Because
of the way the ship sank (chìm), nearly all of the starboard half survived intact (còn nguyên vẹn).
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the entire (=whole) site became covered (bao
phủ) with a layer (lớp) of hard grey clay (đất sét), which minimised further erosion.
Then, on 16 June 1836, some fishermen in the Solent found that their equipment was caught on an
underwater obstruction, which turned out to (hoá ra) be the Mary Rose. Diver John Deane
happened to (tình cờ) be exploring another sunken ship nearby, and the fishermen approached him,
asking him to free their gear. Deane dived down, and found the equipment caught on a timber
protruding slightly from the seabed. Exploring further, he uncovered several other timbers and a
bronze gun. Deane continued diving (lặn) on the site (địa điểm) intermittently until 1840,
recovering several more guns, two bows, various timbers, part of a pump and various other small
finds.
22
The Mary Rose then faded into obscurity for another hundred years. But in 1965, military historian
and amateur (nghiệp dư) diver Alexander McKee, in conjunction with the British SubAqua Club,
initiated (khởi xướng) a project called Solent Ships. While on paper this was a plan to examine
(=check) a number of known wrecks (xác tàu) in the Solent, what McKee really hoped for was to
find the Mary Rose. Ordinary search techniques proved unsatisfactory (ko thoả mãn), so McKee
entered into collaboration with Harold E. Edgerton, professor of electrical engineering at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1967, Edgerton’s side-scan sonar systems revealed (phát
hiện/tiết lộ) a large, unusually shaped object, which McKee believed was the Mary Rose.
Further excavations revealed stray pieces of timber and an iron gun. But the climax (đỉnh điểm) to
the operation came when, on 5 May 1971, part of the ship’s frame was uncovered (khám phá).
McKee and his team now knew for certain (=for sure: chắc chắn) that they had found the wreck,
but were as yet unaware that it also housed a treasure (kho báu) trove of beautifully preserved
artefacts. Interest in the project grew, and in 1979, The Mary Rose Trust was formed, with Prince
Charles as its President and Dr Margaret Rule its Archaeological Director. The decision whether
or not to salvage (cứu tàu) the wreck was not an easy one, although an excavation in 1978 had
shown that it might be possible to raise the hull. While the original aim was to raise the hull if at
all feasible, the operation was not given the go-ahead until January 1982, when all the necessary
information was available.
An important factor in trying to salvage the Mary Rose was that the remaining hull was an open
shell. This led to an important decision being taken: namely to carry out the lifting operation in
three very distinct stages (giai đoạn). The hull was attached (dính với) to a lifting frame via a
network of bolts and lifting wires. The problem of the hull being sucked back downwards into the
mud was overcome by using 12 hydraulic jacks. These raised it a few centimetres over a period of
several days, as the lifting frame rose slowly up its four legs. It was only when the hull was hanging
freely from the lifting frame, clear of the seabed and the suction effect of the surrounding mud,
that the salvage operation progressed to the second stage. In this stage, the lifting frame was fixed
to a hook attached to a crane, and the hull was lifted completely clear of the seabed and transferred
underwater into the lifting cradle. This required precise positioning to locate the legs into the
stabbing guides of the lifting cradle. The lifting cradle was designed to fit the hull using
archaeological survey drawings, and was fitted with air bags to provide additional cushioning for
23
the hull’s delicate timber framework. The third and final stage was to lift the entire structure into
the air, by which time the hull was also supported from below. Finally, on 11 October 1982,
millions of people around the world held their breath as the timber skeleton of the Mary Rose was
lifted clear of the water, ready to be returned home to Portsmouth.
Questions 1-4
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
1. There is some doubt (nghi vấn) about what caused the Mary Rose to sink
2. The Mary Rose was the only ship to sink in the battle of 19 July 1545
3. Most of one side of the Mary Rose lay undamaged under the sea.
4. Alexander McKee Knew that the wreck would contain many valuable historical objects (vật).
Questions 5-8
Look at the following statement (Questions 5-8) and the list of dates below. Match each statement
with the correct date, A-G
5. A search for the Mary Rose was launched (khởi xướng).
6. One person’s exploration of the Mary Rose site stopped
7. It was agreed that the hull of the Mary Rose should be raised.
8. The site of the Mary Rose was found by chance (tình cờ).
24
List of Dates
A 1836
B 1840
C 1965
D 1967
E 1971
F 1979
G 1982
25
Questions 9-13
26
AIR POLLUTION
A Air pollution is increasingly becoming the focus of government and citizen concern around the
globe. From Mexico City and New York to Singapore and Tokyo, new solutions to this old
problem are being proposed (đề ra), mailed and implemented (thực thi) with ever increasing speed.
It is feared that unless pollution reduction measures are able to keep pace with (theo kịp) the
continued pressures (áp lực) of urban growth, air quality in many of the world’s major cities
will deteriorate (xấu đi) beyond reason.
B Action is being taken along several fronts: through new legislation, improved enforcement and
innovative technology. In Los Angeles, state regulations (=law) are forcing (bắt buộc)
manufacturers (=producers) to try to sell ever cleaner cars: their first of the cleanest, titled "Zero
Emission Vehicles, have to be available soon, since they are intended to make up 2 percent of sales
in 1997. Local authorities in London are campaigning to be allowed to enforce (thi hành) anti-
pollution laws (luật chống ô nhiễm) themselves; at present only the police have the power to do
so, but they tend to be busy elsewhere. In Singapore, renting out road space to users is the way of
the future.
C When Britain’s Royal Automobile Club monitored (=control) the exhausts of 60,000 vehicles,
it found that 12 percent of them produced more than half the total pollution. Older cars were the
worst offenders; though a sizeable number of quite new cars were also identified (nhận dạng) as
gross polluters, they were simply badly tuned. California has developed a scheme (=plan) to get
these gross polluters off the streets: they offer a flat $700 for any old, run-down vehicle driven in
by its owner. The aim is to remove the heaviest-polluting, most decrepit vehicles from the roads.
D As part of a European Union environmental programme, a London council (hội đồng) is resting
an infra-red spectrometer from the University of Denver in Colorado. It gauges the pollution from
a passing vehicle - more useful than the annual stationary rest that is the British standard today -
by bouncing a beam through the exhaust and measuring what gets blocked. The council’s next step
may be to link the system to a computerised video camera able to read number plates automatically.
27
E The effort (nỗ lực) to clean up cars may do little to cut pollution if nothing is done about the
tendency to drive them more. Los Angeles has some of the world’s cleanest cars - far better than
those of Europe - but the total number of miles those cars drive continues to grow. One solution is
car-pooling, an arrangement (sự sắp xếp) in which a number of people who share the same
destination share the use of one car. However, the average number of people in a car on the freeway
in Los Angeles, which is 1.0, has been falling steadily. Increasing it would be an effective way of
reducing emissions (sự thải) as well as easing (giảm bớt) congestion (sự ùn tắc). The trouble is,
Los Angelinos seem to like being alone in their cars.
F Singapore has for a while had a scheme that forces drivers to buy a badge if they wish to visit a
certain part of the city. The rates can vary according to road conditions, time of day and so on.
Singapore is advancing in this direction, with a city-wide network of transmitters to collect
information and charge (thu phí) drivers as they pass certain points. Such road-pricing, however,
can be controversial (gây tranh cãi). When the local government in Cambridge, England,
considered introducing Singaporean techniques, it faced opposition.
PART 2
The scope of the problem facing the world’s cities is immense. In 1992, the United Nations
Environmental Programme and the World Health Organisation (WHO) concluded that all of a
sample (mẫu) of twenty megacities - places likely to have more than ten million inhabitants in the
year 2000 - already exceeded the level the WHO deems healthy in at least one major pollutant
(chất ô nhiễm). Two-thirds of them exceeded the guidelines for two, seven for three or more.
Of the six pollutants monitored by the WHO - carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur
dioxide, lead and particulate matter - it is this last category that is attracting the most attention from
health researchers. PM10, a sub-category of particulate matter measuring ten-millionths of a meter
across, has been implicated in thousands of deaths a year in Britain alone. Research being
conducted in two counties of Southern California is reaching similarly disturbing conclusions
concerning this little-understood pollutant.
A worldwide rise in allergies, particularly asthma, over the past four decades is now said to be
linked with increased air pollution. The lungs and brains of children who grow up in polluted air
offer further evidence of its destructive power. The old and ill; however, are the most vulnerable
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to the acute effects of heavily polluted stagnant air. It can actually hasten death, so it did in
December 1991 when a cloud of exhaust fumes lingered over the city of London for over a week.
The United Nations has estimated that in the year 2000 there will be twenty-four mega-cities and
a further eighty-five cities of more than three million people. The pressure on public officials,
corporations and urban citizens to reverse established trends in air pollution is likely to grow in
proportion with the growth of cities themselves. Progress is being made. The question, though,
remains the same: “Will change happen quickly enough?”
Questions 1-5
Look at the following solutions (Questions 1-5) and locations. Match each solution with one
location. Write the appropriate locations in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any location more than once.
SOLUTIONS
1 Manufacturers must sell cleaner cars.
2 Authorities want to have the power to enforce anti-pollution laws.
3 Drivers will be charged according to the roads they use.
4 Moving vehicles will be monitored for their exhaust emissions.
5 Commuters (người đi làm) are encouraged to share their vehicles with others.
Locations
Singapore
Tokyo
London
New York
Mexico City
Cambridge
Los Angeles
Questions 6-10
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?
29
In boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet write
YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
6 According to British research, a mere twelve percent of vehicles tested produced over fifty
percent of total pollution produced by the sample group.
7 It is currently possible to measure (đo) the pollution coming from individual vehicles whilst
(=while) they are moving.
8 Residents of Los Angeles are now tending to reduce the yearly distances they travel by car.
9 Car-pooling has steadily become more popular in Los Angeles in recent years.
10 Charging drivers for entering certain parts of the city has been successfully done in
Cambridge, England.
Questions 11-13
Choose the appropriate letters A—D and write them in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
11 How many pollutants currently exceed WHO guidelines in all mega cities studied?
A one
B two
C three
D seven
12 Which pollutant is currently the subject of urgent research?
A nitrogen dioxide
B ozone
C lead
D particulate matter
30
13 Which of the following groups of people are the most severely (nghiêm trọng) affected
by intense (dữ dội) air pollution?
A allergy (dị ứng) sufferers

B children
C the old and ill
D asthma sufferers
31
THE POMPIDOU CENTRE
More than three decades after it was built, the Pompidou Centre in Paris has survived (sống sót)
its moment at the edge of architectural fashion and proved itself to be one of the most remarkable
buildings of the 20th century.
It was the most outstanding now building constructed in Paris for two generations (thế hệ). It
looked like an explosion (sự bùng nổ) of brightly coloured service pipes (ống) in the calm of the
city centre. However, when in 1977 the architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano stood among
a large crowd of 5,000 at the opening of the Centre Culturel d'Art Georges Pompidou (known as
the Pompidou), no one was really aware of the significance (=importance) of this unusual building.
Rogers was only 38 when he and Piano won the competition to design a new cultural centre for
Paris in the old market site. Young, unknown architects, they had been chosen from a field (lĩnh
vực) of nearly 700 to design one of the most prestigious (uy tín) buildings of its day. After six
difficult years, with 25,000 drawings, seven lawsuits, battles over budgets, and a desperate last
minute scramble to finish the building, it had finally been done.
Yet the opening was a downbeat moment. The Pompidou Centre had been rubbished by the critics
while it was being built, there was no more work in prospect (tiềm năng) for the architects (kiến
trúc sư), and their partnership had effectively broken down. But this was just a passing crisis. The
Centre, which combined (phối hợp) the national museum of modern art, exhibition space, a public
library and a centre for modern music, proved an enormous (lớn) success. It attracted six million
visitors in its first year, and with its success, the critics swiftly changed their tune (giọng).
The architects had been driven by the desire (mong muốn) for ultimate flexibility, for a building
that would not limit the movement of its users. All the different parts were approached through the
same enormous entrance hall and served by the same escalator (thang cuốn), which was free to
anyone to ride, whether they wanted to visit an exhibition or just admire (ngưỡng mộ) the view.
With all the services at one end of the building, escalators and lifts at the other, and the floors hung
on giant steel beams providing uninterrupted space the size of two football pitches, their dream
had become a reality.
32
The image of the Pompidou pervaded popular culture in the 1970s, making appearances
everywhere - on record-album covers and a table lamp, and even acting as the set for a James Bond
1 film. This did much to overcome the secretive nature of the architectural culture of its time, as it
enabled wider audience (khán giả) to appreciate (trân trọng) the style and content (nội dung) of the
building and so moved away from the strictly professional view.
The following year, Rogers was commissioned to design a new headquarters (trụ sở) for Lloyd's
Bank in London and went on to create one of Britain's most dynamic architectural practices. Piano
is now among the world's most respected (kính trọng) architects. But what of their shared creation?
It was certainly like no previous (trước đó) museum, with its plans for a flexible interior (nội thất)
that not only had movable walls but floors that could also be adjusted (điều chỉnh) up or down.
This second feature (đặc điểm) did not in the end survive when the competition drawings were
turned into a real building. In other ways, however, the finished building demonstrated (minh
chứng) a remarkable degree of refinement - of craftsmanship even - in the way the original diagram
was transformed into a superbly detailed structure. It was this quality which, according to some
critics, suggested that the Pompidou should be seen as closer to the 19th-century engineering
tradition than the space age.
Nevertheless, as a model for urban planning, it has proved immensely influential. The Guggenheim
in Bilbao* and the many other major landmark projects that were built in the belief that
innovatively designed cultural buildings can bring about urban renewal are all following the lead
of the Pompidou Centre.
Other buildings may now challenge it for the title of Europe’s most outlandish work of architecture.
However, more than a quarter of a century later, this construction - it is hard to call it a building
when there is no façade, just a lattice of steel beams and pipes and a long external escalator snaking
up the outside - still seems extreme.
Today, the Pompidou Centre itself still looks much as it did when it opened. The shock value of
its colour-coded plumbing and its structure has not faded (phai mờ) with the years. But while
traditionalists regarded it as an ugly attack on Paris when it was built, they now see it for what it
is - an enormous achievement, technically and conceptually.
33
Questions 1-4
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1. What does the writer say in the first paragraph about the opening of the Pompidou Centre?
A The elderly did not like it.
B The architects were not present.
C The atmosphere was very noisy.
D The people did not realise its importance.
2. What does the writer say in the second paragraph about the construction of the Pompidou?
A There was a hurry to complete it.
B It cost less than expected.
C Other experts (chuyên gia) helped draw the plans.
D The market location was criticised.
3. What is the writer’s main purpose in the third paragraph?
A to explain the multi-functional role of the centre
B to praise (khen ngợi) the architects for their design ideas
C to say why some people’s opinions quickly altered
D to show how the media benefited from its success
4. What was the architects ‘dream’, referred to in the fourth paragraph?
A to become famous
B to provide entertainment
C to allow visitors to use it freely
34
D to build the biggest museum in the world
Questions 5-8
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.
5. The escalators and lifts inside the Pompidou
6. In the 1970s, pictures of the Pompidou
7. The original plans for the floors of the Pompidou
8. The detailed structure of the finished building
A reminded some people of past building styles.
B were used to decorate everyday objects.
C fitted in well with the external surroundings.
D were situated on one side of the building.
E showed people which area to visit.
F were changed during the construction process.
Questions 9-14
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the reading passage?
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
35
9. The Pompidou has influenced the way cities are designed.
10. The Guggenheim has been more popular than the Pompidou.
11. The word building fits the Pompidou better than the word construction.
12. The Pompidou’s appearance has changed considerably since it opened.
13. Nowadays, the design of the Pompidou fails to shock people.
14. The traditionalist view of the Pompidou has changed over the years.
36
REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
A. Such is our dependence on fossil fuels, and such is the volume of carbon dioxide already
released into the atmosphere, that many experts agree that significant global warming is now
inevitable. They believe that the best we can do is keep it at a reasonable level, and at present the
only serious option for doing this is cutting back on our carbon emissions. But while a few
countries are making major strides in this regard, the majority are having great difficulty even
stemming the rate of increase, let alone reversing it. Consequently, an increasing number of
scientists are beginning to explore the alternative of geoengineering — a term which generally
refers to the intentional large-scale manipulation of the environment. According to its proponents,
geo-engineering is the equivalent of a backup generator: if Plan A - reducing our dependency on
fossil fuels - fails, we require a Plan B, employing grand schemes to slow down or reverse the
process of global warming.
B. Geo-engineering has been shown to work, at least on a small localised scale. For decades,
MayDay parades in Moscow have taken place under clear blue skies, aircraft having deposited dry
ice, silver iodide and cement powder to disperse clouds. Many of the schemes now suggested look
to do the opposite, and reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the planet. The most eye-catching
idea of all is suggested by Professor Roger Angel of the University of Arizona. His scheme would
employ up to 16 trillion minute spacecraft, each weighing about one gram, to form a transparent,
sunlight-refracting sunshade in an orbit 1.5 million km above the Earth. This could, argues Angel,
reduce the amount of light reaching the Earth by two per cent.
C. The majority of geo-engineering projects so far carried out — which include planting forests in
deserts and depositing iron in the ocean to stimulate the growth of algae – have focused on
achieving a general cooling of the Earth. But some look specifically at reversing the melting at the
poles, particularly the Arctic. The reasoning is that if you replenish the ice sheets and frozen waters
of the high latitudes, more light will be reflected back into space, so reducing the warming of the
oceans and atmosphere.
D. The concept of releasing aerosol sprays into the stratosphere above the Arctic has been proposed
by several scientists. This would involve using sulphur or hydrogen sulphide aerosols so that
sulphur dioxide would form clouds, which would, in turn, lead to a global dimming. The idea is
37
modelled on historic volcanic explosions, such as that of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in
1991, which led to a short-term cooling of global temperatures by 0.5 °C. Scientists have also
scrutinised whether it's possible to preserve the ice sheets of Greenland with reinforced high-
tension cables, preventing icebergs from moving into the sea. Meanwhile in the Russian Arctic,
geo-engineering plans include the planting of millions of birch trees. Whereas the -regions native
evergreen pines shade the snow an absorb radiation, birches would shed their leaves in winter, thus
enabling radiation to be reflected by the snow. Re-routing Russian rivers to increase cold water
flow to ice forming areas could also be used to slow down warming, say some climate scientists.
E. But will such schemes ever be implemented? Generally speaking, those who are most cautious
about geo-engineering are the scientists involved in the research. Angel says that his plan is “no
substitute for developing renewable energy: the only permanent solution”. And Dr Phil Rasch of
the US-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is equally guarded about the role of geo
engineering: 'I think all of us agree that if we were to end geo-engineering on a given day, then the
planet would return to its pre-engineered condition very rapidly, and probably within ten to twenty
years. That’s certainly something to worry about.”
F. The US National Center for Atmospheric Research has already suggested that the proposal to
inject sulphur into the atmosphere might affect rainfall patterns across the tropics and the Southern
Ocean. “Geo-engineering plans to inject stratospheric aerosols or to seed clouds would act to cool
the planet, and act to increase the extent of sea ice”, says Rasch. “But all the models suggest some
impact on the distribution of precipitation.”
G. A further risk with geo-engineering projects is that you can ― overshoot Y says Dr Dan Hunt,
from the University of Bristol’s School of Geophysical Sciences, who has studied the likely
impacts of the sunshade and aerosol schemes on the climate. “You may bring global temperatures
back to pre-industrial levels, but the risk is that the poles will still be warmer than they should be
and the tropics will be cooler than before industrialisation.‘To avoid such a scenario,” Hunt says,
“Angel‘s project would have to operate at half strength; all of which reinforces his view that the
best option is to avoid the need for geo-engineering altogether.”
H. The main reason why geo-engineering is supported by many in the scientific community is that
most researchers have little faith in the ability of politicians to agree - and then bring in — the
38
necessary carbon cuts. Even leading conservation organisations see the value of investigating the
potential of geo-engineering. According to Dr Martin Sommerkorn, climate change advisor for the
World Wildlife Fund’s International Arctic Programme, “Human-induced climate change has
brought humanity to a position where we shouldn’t exclude thinking thoroughly about this topic
and its possibilities”.
Questions 1-3
Reading Passage has eight paragraphs A-H
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
27. mention of a geo-engineering project based on an earlier natural phenomenon
28. an example of a successful use of geo-engineering
29. a common definition of geo-engineering
Complete the table below.
Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 4-10 on
your answer sheet.
GEO-ENGINEERING PROJECTS
Procedure Aim
Put a large number of tiny spacecraft into orbit to create a 30. __________ that would
far above Earth reduce the amount of light reaching Earth
Place 31. _______ in the sea to encourage 32. _______ to form
release aerosol sprays into the stratosphere to create 33. ________ that would reduce
the amount of light reaching Earth
39
fix strong 34. _______ to Greenland ice sheets to prevent icebergs moving into the sea
plant trees in Russian Arctic that would lose to allow the 35. ______ to reflect radiation
their leaves in winter
change the direction of 36. ______ to bring more cold water into ice-forming
areas
Questions 11-14
Look at the following statements (Questions 11-14) and the list of scientists below.
Match each statement with the correct scientist, A-D.
Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
List of Scientists
A Roger Angel
B Phil Rasch
C Dan Lunt
D Martin Sommerkorn
37. The effects of geo-engineering may not be long-lasting.
38. Geo-engineering is a topic worth exploring.
39. It may be necessary to limit the effectiveness of geo-engineering projects.
40. Research into non-fossil-based fuels cannot be replaced by geo-engineering.
40
STEPWELLS
A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest parts of India. Although many
have been neglected, recent restoration has returned them to their former glory. Richard Cox
travelled to north-western India to document these spectacular monuments from a bygone era.
During the sixth and seventh centuries, the inhabitants of the modern-day states of Gujarat and
Rajasthan in North-western India developed a method of gaining access to clean, fresh
groundwater during the dry season for drinking, bathing, watering animals and irrigation.
However, the significance of this invention – the stepwell – goes beyond its utilitarian application.
Unique to the region, stepwells are often architecturally complex and vary widely in size and
shape. During their heyday, they were places of gathering, of leisure, of relaxation and of worship
for villagers of all but the lowest castes. Most stepwells are found dotted around the desert areas
of Gujarat (where they are called vav) and Rajasthan (where they are known as baori), while a few
also survive in Delhi. Some were located in or near villages as public spaces for the community;
others were positioned beside roads as resting places for travellers.
As their name suggests, stepwells comprise a series of stone steps descending from ground level
to the water source (normally an underground aquifer) as it recedes following the rains. When the
water level was high, the user needed only to descend a few steps to reach it; when it was low,
several levels would have to be negotiated.
Some wells are vast, open craters with hundreds of steps paving each sloping side, often in tiers.
Others are more elaborate, with long stepped passages leading to the water via several storeys built
from stone and supported by pillars, they also included pavilions that sheltered visitors from the
relentless heat. But perhaps the most impressive features are the intricate decorative sculptures that
embellish many stepwells, showing activities from fighting and dancing to everyday acts such as
women combing their hair and churning butter.
Down the centuries, thousands of wells were constructed throughout northwestern India, but the
majority have now fallen into disuse; many are derelict and dry, as groundwater has been diverted
for industrial use and the wells no longer reach the water table. Their condition hasn’t been helped
by recent dry spells: southern Rajasthan suffered an eight-year drought between 1996 and 2004.
41
However, some important sites in Gujarat have recently undergone major restoration, and the state
government announced in June last year that it plans to restore the stepwells throughout the state.
In Patan, the state’s ancient capital, the stepwell of Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell) is perhaps the
finest current example. It was built by Queen Udayamati during the late 11th century, but became
silted up following a flood during the 13th century. But the Archaeological Survey of India began
restoring it in the 1960s, and today it’s in pristine condition. At 65 metres long, 20 metres wide
and 27 metres deep, Rani Ki Vav features 500 distinct sculptures carved into niches throughout
the monument, depicting gods such as Vishnu and Parvati in various incarnations. Incredibly, in
January 2001, this ancient structure survived a devastating earthquake that measured 7.6 on the
Richter scale.
Another example is the Surya Kund in Modhera, northern Gujarat, next to the Sun Temple, built
by King Bhima I in 1026 to honour the sun god Surya. It‘s actually a tank (kund means reservoir
or pond) rather than a well, but displays the hallmarks of stepwell architecture, including four sides
of steps that descend to the bottom in a stunning geometrical formation. The terraces house 108
small, intricately carved shrines between the sets of steps.
Rajasthan also has a wealth of wells. The ancient city of Bundi, 200 kilometres south of Jaipur, is
reknowned for its architecture, including its stepwells. One of the larger examples is Raniji Ki
Baori, which was built by the queen of the region, Nathavatji, in 1699. At 46 metres deep, 20
metres wide and 40 metres long, the intricately carved monument is one of 21 baoris commissioned
in the Bundi area by Nathavatji.
In the old ruined town of Abhaneri, about 95 kilometres east of Jaipur, is Chand Baori, one of
India’s oldest and deepest wells; aesthetically, it’s perhaps one of the most dramatic. Built in
around 850AD next to the temple of Harshat Mata, the baori comprises hundreds of zigzagging
steps that run along three of its sides, steeply descending 11 storeys, resulting in a striking
geometric pattern when seen from afar. On the fourth side, covered verandas supported by ornate
pillars overlook the steps.
Still in public use is Neemrana Ki Baori, located just off the Jaipur–Dehli highway. Constructed
in around 1700, it’s nine storeys deep, with the last two levels underwater. At ground level, there
are 86 colonnaded openings from where the visitor descends 170 steps to the deepest water source.
42
Today, following years of neglect, many of these monuments to medieval engineering have been
saved by the Archaeological Survey of India, which has recognised the importance of preserving
them as part of the country’s rich history. Tourists flock to wells in far-flung corners of
northwestern India to gaze in wonder at these architectural marvels from 1,000 years ago, which
serve as a reminder of both the ingenuity and artistry of ancient civilisations and of the value of
water to human existence.
Questions 1–5
In boxes 1–5 on your answer sheet, write
1. Examples of ancient stepwells can be found all over the world.
2. Stepwells had a range of functions, in addition to those related to water collection.
3. The few existing stepwells in Delhi are more attractive than those found elsewhere.
4. It took workers many years to build the stone steps characteristic of stepwells.
5. The number of steps above the water level in a stepwell altered during the course of a year.
Questions 6–8
Answer the questions below.

Write your answers in boxes 6–8 on your answer sheet.
6. Which part of some stepwells provided shade for people?
7. What type of serious climatic event, which took place in southern Rajasthan, is mentioned in
the article?
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8. Who are frequent visitors to stepwells nowadays?
Questions 9-13
Complete the table below
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Stepwells Date Features Other notes

Restored in the 1990s
Late 11th As many as 500 sculptures
Rani Ki Vav Excellent condition, despite
century decorate the monument
the 9. __________ of 2001.
Steps on the 10. _________
looks more like
Surya Kund 1026 produce a geometric pattern
a 11. ________ then a well.
Carved shrines.
One of 21 baoris in the area
Raniji Ki Baori 1699 Intricately carved monument commissioned by Queen
Nathavatji
Old, deep and very dramatic
Steps take you down 11
Chand Baori 850AD Has 12. __________ which
storeys to the bottom
provide a view to the steps.
Neemrana Ki 1700 Has two levels 13. _________ Used by public today
Baori
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MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT
Question 14-20
Reading Passage 65 has seven paragraphs, A-H
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A and C-H from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Scientists' call for revision of policy
ii An explanation for reduced water use
iii How a global challenge was met
iv Irrigation systems fall into disuse
v Environmental effects
vi The financial cost of recent technological improvements
vii The relevance to health
viii Addressing the concern over increasing populations
ix A surprising downward trend in demand for water
x The need to raise standards
xi A description of ancient water supplies
14 Paragraph A
15 Paragraph C
16 Paragraph D
17 Paragraph E
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18 Paragraph F
19 Paragraph G
20 Paragraph H
A
The history of human civilization is entwined with the history of ways we have learned to
manipulate water resources. As towns gradually expanded, water was brought from increasingly
remote sources, leading to sophisticated engineering efforts such as dams and aqueducts. At the
height of the Roman Empire, nine major systems, with an innovative layout of pipes and well-built
sewers, supplied the occupants of Rome with as much water per person as is provided in many
parts of the industrial world today.
B
During the industrial revolution and population explosion of the 19th and 20th centuries, the
demand for water rose dramatically. Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of
monumental engineering projects designed to control floods, protect clean water supplies, and
provide water for irrigation and hydropower brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of
people. Food production has kept pace with soaring populations mainly because of the expansion
of artificial irrigation system that makes possible the growth of 40% of the world's food. Nearly
one-fifth of all the electricity generated worldwide is produced by turbines spun by the power of
falling water.
C
Yet there is a dark side to this picture: despite our progress, half of the world's population till
suffers, with water services inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans. As the
United Nations report on access to water reiterated in November 2001, more than one billion
people lack access to clean drinking water: some two and half billion do not have adequate
sanitation services. Preventable water-related diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children
every day, and the latest evidence suggests that we are falling behind in efforts to solve their
problems.
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D
The consequences of our water policies extend beyond jeopardizing human health. Tens of
millions of people have been forced to move from their homes - often with little warning or
compensation - to make way for the reservoirs behind dams. More than 20% of all freshwater fish
species are now threatened or endangered because dams and water withdrawals have destroyed the
free-flowing river ecosystems where they thrive. Certain irrigation practices degrade soil quality
and reduce agricultural productivity. Groundwater aquifers* are being pumped down faster than
they are naturally replenished in part of India, China, the USA and elsewhere. And disputes over
shared water resources have led to violence and continue to raise local, national and even
international tensions.
E
At the outset of the new millennium, however, the way resource planners think about water is
beginning to change. The focus is slowly shifting back to the provision of basic human and
environmental needs as a top priority - ensuring 'some for all,' instead of 'more for some'. Some
water experts are now demanding that existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways rather than
building new facilities, which is increasingly considered the option of last, not first, resort. This
shift in philosophy has not been universally accepted, and it comes with strong opposition from
some established water organizations. Nevertheless, it may be the only way to address successfully
the pressing problems of providing everyone with clean water to drink, adequate water to grow
food and a life free from preventable water-related illness.
F
Fortunately - and unexpectedly - the demand for water is not rising as rapidly as some predicted.
As a result, the pressure to build now water infrastructures has diminished over the past two
decades. Although population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar
in developed nations, the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers, rivers and lakes has
slowed. And in a few parts of the world, demand has actually fallen.
G
What explains this remarkable turn of events? Two factors: people have figured out how to use
water more efficiently, and communities are rethinking their priorities for water use. Throughout
the first three-quarters of the 20th century, the quantity of freshwater consumed per person doubled
47
on average; in the USA, water withdrawals increased tenfold while the population quadrupled. But
since 1980, the amount of water consumed per person has actually decreased, thanks to a range of
new technologies that help to conserve water in homes and industry. In 1965, for instance, Japan
used approximately 13 million gallons* of water to produce $1 million of commercial output; by
1989 this had dropped to 3.5 million gallons (even accounting for inflation) - almost a quadrupling
of water productivity. In the USA, water withdrawals have fallen by more than 20% from their
peak in 1980.
H
On the other hand, dams, aqueducts and other kinds of infrastructure will still have to be built,
particularly in developing countries where basic human needs have not been met. But such projects
must be built to higher specifications and with more accountability to local people and their
environment than in the past. And even in regions where new projects seem warranted, we must
find ways to meet demands with fewer resources, respecting ecological criteria and to smaller
budget.
Question 21-26
Do the following statement agree with the information given in Reading Passage:
In boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
21 Water use per person is higher in the industrial world than it was in Ancient Rome.
22 Feeding increasing populations is possible due primarily to improved irrigation systems
23 Modern water systems imitate those of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
24 Industrial growth is increasing the overall demand for water.
25 Modern technologies have led to reduction in the domestic water consumption.
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26 In the future, governments should maintain ownership of water infrastructures.
49
COLLECTING AS A HOBBY
Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it's one that many of us
psychologists find fascinating.
Many forms of collecting have been dignified with a technical name: an arctophile collects teddy
bears, a philatelist collects postage stamps, and a deltiologist collects postcards. Amassing
hundreds or even thousands of postcards, chocolate wrappers or whatever, takes time, energy and
money that could surely to much more productive use. And yet there are millions of collectors
around the world. Why do they do it?
There are the people who collect because they want to make money - this could be called an
instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end. They'll look for, say,
antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. But there may well be
a psychological element, too - buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of
triumph. And as selling online is so easy, more and more people are joining in.
Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and
exchanging information on items. This is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym, and similarly
brings them into contact with like-minded people. Another motive for collecting is the desire to
find something special, or a particular example of the collected item, such as a rare early recording
by a particular singer.
Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a
life that otherwise feels aimless. There is a danger, though, that if the individual is ever lucky
enough to find what they're looking for, rather than celebrating their success, they may feel empty,
now that the goal that drove them on has gone.
If you think about collecting postage stamps another potential reason for it - Or, perhaps, a result
of collecting is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries, and to
the plants, animals, or famous people shown on their stamps.
Similarly, in the 19th century, many collectors amassed fossils, animals and plants from around
the globe, and their collections provided a vast amount of information about the natural world.
Without those collections, our understanding would be greatly inferior to what it is.
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In the past - and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent - a popular form of collecting, particularly
among boys and men, was trainspotting. This might involve trying to see every locomotive of a
particular type, using published data that identifies each one, and ticking off each engine as it is
seen. Trainspotters exchange information, these days often by mobile phone, so they can work out
where to go to, to see a particular engine. As a by-product, many practitioners of the hobby become
very knowledgeable about railway operations, or the technical specifications of different engine
types.
Similarly, people who collect dolls may go beyond simply enlarging their collection, and develop
an interest in the way that dolls are made, or the materials that are used. These have changed over
the centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and
porcelain of later centuries, to the plastics of today's dolls. Or collectors might be inspired to study
how dolls reflect notions of what children like, or ought to like.
Not all collectors are interested in learning from their hobby, though, so what we might call a
psychological reason for collecting is the need for a sense of control, perhaps as a way of dealing
with insecurity. Stamp collectors, for instance, arrange their stamps in albums, usually very neatly,
organising their collection according to certain commonplace principles-perhaps by country in
alphabetical order, or grouping stamps by what they depict -people, birds, maps, and so on.
One reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the collector's
individualism. Someone who decides to collect something as unexpected as dog collars, for
instance, may be conveying their belief that they must be interesting themselves. And believe it or
not, there is at least one dog collar museum in existence, and it grew out of a personal collection.
Of course, all hobbies give pleasure, but the common factor in collecting is usually passion:
pleasure is putting it far too mildly. More than most other hobbies, collecting can be totally
engrossing, and can give a strong sense of personal fulfilment. To non-collectors it may appear an
eccentric, if harmless, way of spending time, but potentially, collecting has a lot going for it.
Questions 1-8
Complete the sentences below.
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1. The writer mentions collecting ____________ as an example of collecting in order to make

money.
2. Collectors may get a feeling of ___________ from buying and selling items.
3. Collectors’ clubs provide opportunities to share ___________
4. Collectors’ clubs offer ___________ with people who have similar interests.
5. Collecting sometimes involves a life-long __________ for a special item.
6. Searching for something particular may prevent people from feeling their life is completely
____________
7. Stamp collecting may be __________ because it provides facts about different countries.
8. _________ tends to be mostly a male hobby
Questions 9-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
9. The number of people buying dolls has grown over the centuries.
10. Sixteenth century European dolls were normally made of wax and porcelain.
11. Arranging a stamp collection by the size of the stamps is less common than other methods.
12. Someone who collects unusual objects may want others to think he or she is also unusual.
13 Collecting gives a feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire.
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WHEN CONVERSATIONS FLOW
We spend a large part of our daily life talking with other people and, consequently, we are very
accustomed to the art of conversing. But why do we feel comfortable in conversations that have
flow, but get nervous and distressed when a conversation is interrupted by unexpected silences?
To answer this question, we will first look at some of the effects of conversational flow. Then we
will explain how flow can serve different social needs.
The positive consequences of conversational flow show some similarities with the effects of
‘processing fluency’. Research has shown that processing fluency - the ease with which people
process information - influences people’s judgments across a broad range of social dimensions.
For instance, people feel that when something is easily processed, it is more true or accurate.
Moreover, they have more confidence in their judgments regarding information that came to them
fluently, and they like things that are easy to process more than things that are difficult to process.
Research indicates that a speaker is judged to be more knowledgeable when they answer questions
instantly; responding with disfluent speech markers such as ‘uh’ or ‘urn or simply remaining silent
for a moment too long can destroy that positive image.
One of the social needs addressed by conversational flow is the human need for ‘synchrony’ - to
be ‘in sync’ or in harmony with one another. Many studies have shown how people attempt to
synchronize with their partners, by coordinating their behavior. This interpersonal coordination
underlies a wide array of human activities, ranging from more complicated ones like ballroom
dancing to simply walking or talking with friends.
In conversations, interpersonal coordination is found when people adjust the duration of their
utterances and their speech rate to one another so that they can enable turn-taking to occur, without
talking over each other or experiencing awkward silences. Since people are very well-trained in
having conversations, they are often able to take turns within milliseconds, resulting in a
conversational flow of smoothly meshed behaviors. A lack of flow is characterized by
interruptions, simultaneous speech or mutual silences. Avoiding these features is important for
defining and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
The need to belong has been identified as one of the most basic of human motivations and plays a
role in many human behaviors. That conversational flow is related to belonging may be most easily
53
illustrated by the consequences of flow disruptions. What happens when the positive experience
of flow is disrupted by, for instance, a brief silence? We all know that silences can be pretty
awkward, and research shows that even short disruptions in conversational flow can lead to a sharp
rise in distress levels. In movies, silences are often used to signal non-compliance or confrontation
(Piazza, 2006). Some researchers even argue that ‘silencing someone’ is one of the most serious
forms of exclusion. Group membership is of elementary importance to our wellbeing and because
humans are very sensitive to signals of exclusion, a silence is generally taken as a sign of rejection.
In this way, a lack of flow in a conversation may signal that our relationship is not as solid as we
thought it was.
Another aspect of synchrony is that people often try to validate their opinions to those of others.
That is, people like to see others as having similar ideas or worldviews as they have themselves,
because this informs people that they are correct and their worldviews are justified. One way in
which people can justify their worldviews is by assuming that, as long as their conversations run
smoothly, their interaction partners probably agree with them. This idea was tested by researchers
using video observations. Participants imagined being one out of three people in a video clip who
had either a fluent conversation or a conversation in which flow was disrupted by a brief silence.
Except for the silence, the videos were identical.
After watching the video, participants were asked to what extent the people in the video agreed
with each other. Participants who watched the fluent conversation rated agreement to be higher
than participants watching the conversation that was disrupted by a silence, even though
participants were not consciously aware of the disruption. It appears that the subjective feeling of
being out of sync informs people of possible disagreements, regardless of the content of the
conversation.
Because people are generally so well- trained in having smooth conversations, any disruption of
this flow indicates that something is wrong, either interpersonally or within the group as a whole.
Consequently, people who do not talk very easily may be incorrectly understood as being less
agreeable than those who have no difficulty keeping up a conversation. On a societal level, one
could even imagine that a lack of conversational flow may hamper the integration of immigrants
who have not completely mastered the language of their new country yet. In a similar sense, the
ever- increasing number of online conversations may be disrupted by misinterpretations and
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anxiety that are produced by insuperable delays in the Internet connection. Keeping in mind the
effects of conversational flow for feelings of belonging and validation may help one to be prepared
to avoid such misunderstandings in future conversations.
Questions 27-32: Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the
text? (YES-NO-NOT GIVEN)
27. Conversation occupies much of our time.
28. People assess Information according to how readily they can understand it.
29. A quick response to a question is thought to show a lack of knowledge.
30. Video observations have often been used to assess conversational flow.
31. People who talk less often have clearer ideas than those who talk a lot.
32. Delays in online chat fail to have the same negative effect as disruptions that occur in natural
conversation.
Questions 33-40.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORD from the text for each answer.
SYNCHRONY
There is a human desire to co-ordinate 33. ____________ in an effort to be ‘in harmony’. This co-
ordination can be seen in conversations when speakers alter the speed and extent of their speech
in order to facilitate 34. __________This is often achieved within milliseconds: only tiny
pauses take place when a conversation flows; when it doesn’t, there are 35. _________ and
silences, or people talk at the same time. Our desire to 36. _________ is also an important element
of conversation flow. According to research, our 37. ________ increase even if silences are brief.
Humans have a basic need to be part of a group, and they experience a sense of 38. ________ if
silences exclude them. People also attempt to co-ordinate their opinions in conversation. In an
experiment, participants’ judgement of the overall 39. ________among speakers was tested using
55
videos of a fluent and a slightly disrupted conversation. The results showed that the 40. _________
of the speakers’ discussion was less important than the perceived synchrony of the speaker.
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FLYING TORTOISES
An airborne reintroduction programme has helped conservationists take significant steps to
protect the endangered Galapagos tortoise.
A
Forests of spiny cacti cover much of the uneven lava plains that separate the interior of the
Galapagos island of Isabela from the Pacific Ocean. With its five distinct volcanoes, the island
resembles a lunar landscape. Only the thick vegetation at the skirt of the often cloud-covered peak
of Sierra Negra offers respite from the barren terrain below. This inhospitable environment is home
to the giant Galapagos tortoise. Some time after the Galapagos’s birth, around five million years
ago, the islands were colonised by one or more tortoises from mainland South America. As these
ancestral tortoises settled on the individual islands, the different populations adapted to their
unique environments, giving rise to at least 14 different subspecies. Island life agreed with them.
In the absence of significant predators, they grew to become the largest and longest-living tortoises
on the planet, weighing more than 400 kilograms, occasionally exceeding 1,8 metres in length and
living for more than a century.
B
Before human arrival, the archipelago's tortoises numbered in the hundreds of thousands. From
the 17th century onwards, pirates took a few on board for food, but the arrival of whaling ships in
the 1790s saw this exploitation grow exponentially. Relatively immobile and capable of surviving
for months without food or water, the tortoises were taken on board these ships to act as food
supplies during long ocean passages. Sometimes, their bodies were processed into highgrade oil.
In total, an estimated 200,000 animals were taken from the archipelago before the 20th century.
This historical exploitation was then exacerbated when settlers came to the islands. They hunted
the tortoises and destroyed their habitat to clear land for agriculture. They also introduced alien
species - ranging from cattle, pigs, goats, rats and dogs to plants and ants - that either prey on the
eggs and young tortoises or damage or destroy their habitat.
C
Today, only 11 of the original subspecies survive and of these, several are highly endangered. In
1989, work began on a tortoise-breeding centre just outside the town of Puerto Villamil on Isabela,
dedicated to protecting the island’s tortoise populations. The centre’s captive-breeding programme
proved to be extremely successful, and it eventually had to deal with an overpopulation problem.
57
D
The problem was also a pressing one. Captive-bred tortoises can’t be reintroduced into the wild
until they‘re at least five years old and weigh at least 4,5 kilograms, at which point their size and
weight - and their hardened shells - are sufficient to protect them from predators. But if people
wait too long after that point, the tortoises eventually become too large to transport.
E
For years, repatriation efforts were carried out in small numbers, with the tortoises carried on the
backs of men over weeks of long, treacherous hikes along narrow trails. But in November 2010,
the environmentalist and Galapagos National Park liaison officer Godfrey Merlin, a visiting private
motor yacht captain and a helicopter pilot gathered around a table in a small cafe in Puerto Ayora
on the island of Santa Cruz to work out more ambitious reintroduction. The aim was to use a
helicopter to move 300 of the breeding centre’s tortoises to various locations close to Sierra Negra.
F
This unprecedented effort was made possible by the owners of the 67-metre yacht White Cloud,
who provided the Galapagos National Park with free use of their helicopter and its experienced
pilot, as well as the logistical support of the yacht, its captain and crew. Originally an air
ambulance, the yacht’s helicopter has a rear double door and a large internal space that‘s well
suited for cargo, so a custom crate was designed to hold up to 33 tortoises with a total weight of
about 150 kilograms. This weight, together with that of the fuel, pilot and four crew, approached
the helicopter’s maximum payload, and there were times when it was clearly right on the edge of
the helicopter’s capabilities. During a period of three days, a group of volunteers from the breeding
centre worked around the clock to prepare the young tortoises for transport. Meanwhile, park
wardens, dropped off ahead of time in remote locations, cleared landing sites within the thick
brush, cacti and lava rocks.
G
Upon their release, the juvenile tortoises quickly spread out over their ancestral territory,
investigating their new surroundings and feeding on the vegetation. Eventually, one tiny tortoise
came across a fully grown giant who had been lumbering around the island for around a hundred
years. The two stood side by side, a powerful symbol of the regeneration of an ancient species.
58
Questions 1-7
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
1 Paragraph A 5 Paragraph E
2 Paragraph B 6 Paragraph F
3 Paragraph C 7 Paragraph G
4 Paragraph D
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i The importance of getting the timing right
ii Young meets old
Developments to the disadvantage of tortoise

iii
populations
iv Planning a bigger idea
v Tortoises populate the islands
vi Carrying out a carefully prepared operation
vii Looking for a home for the islands’ tortoises
viii The start of the conservation project
Questions 8-13
The decline of the Galapagos tortoise
• Originally from mainland South America
• Numbers on Galapagos islands increased, due to lack of predators
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• 17th century: small numbers taken onto ships used by 8. __________
• 1790s: very large numbers taken onto whaling ships, kept for 9. ___________ and also used to
produce 10. __________
• Hunted by 11. _________ on islands
• Habitat destruction: for the establishment of agriculture and by various 12. _________ not native
to the islands, which also fed on baby tortoises and tortoises’ 13. ___________
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THE HISTORY OF GLASS
From our earliest origins, man has been making use of glass. Historians have discovered that a
type of natural glass - obsidian - formed in places such as the mouth of a volcano as a result of the
intense heat of an eruption melting sand - was first used as tips for spears. Archaeologists have
even found evidence of man-made glass which dates back to 4000 BC; this took the form of glazes
used for coating stone beads. It was not until 1500 BC, however, that the first hollow glass
container was made by covering a sand core with a layer of molten glass.
Glass blowing became the most common way to make glass containers from the first century BC.
The glass made during this time was highly coloured due to the impurities of the raw material. In
the first century AD, methods of creating colourless glass were developed, which was then tinted
by the addition of colouring materials. The secret of glass making was taken across Europe by the
Romans during this century. However, they guarded the skills and technology required to make
glass very closely, and it was not until their empire collapsed in 476 AD that glass-making
knowledge became widespread throughout Europe and the Middle East. From the 10th century
onwards, the Venetians gained a reputation for technical skill and artistic ability in the making of
glass bottles, and many of the city’s craftsmen left Italy to set up glassworks throughout Europe.
A major milestone in the history of glass occurred with the invention of lead crystal glass by the
English glass manufacturer George Ravenscroft (1632 - 1683). He attempted to counter the effect
of clouding that sometimes occurred in blown glass by introducing lead to the raw materials used
in the process. The new glass he created was softer and easier to decorate, and had a higher
refractive index, adding to its brilliance and beauty, and it proved invaluable to the optical industry.
It is thanks to Ravenscroft’s invention that optical lenses, astronomical telescopes, microscopes
and the like became possible.
In Britain, the modem glass industry only really started to develop after the repeal of the Excise
Act in 1845. Before that time, heavy taxes had been placed on the amount of glass melted in a
glasshouse, and were levied continuously from 1745 to 1845. Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace at
London‘s Great Exhibition of 1851 marked the beginning of glass as a material used in the building
industry. This revolutionary new building encouraged the use of glass in public, domestic and
61
horticultural architecture. Glass manufacturing techniques also improved with the advancement of
science and the development of better technology.
From 1887 onwards, glass making developed from traditional mouth-blowing to a semiautomatic
process, after factory- owner HM Ashley introduced a machine capable of producing 200 bottles
per hour in Castleford, Yorkshire, England - more than three times quicker than any previous
production method. Then in 1907, the first fully automated machine was developed in the USA by
Michael Owens - founder of the Owens Bottle Machine Company (later the major manufacturers
Owens- Illinois) - and installed in its factory. Owens’ invention could produce an impressive 2,500
bottles per hour. Other developments followed rapidly, but it was not until the First World War
when Britain became cut off from essential glass suppliers, that glass became part of the scientific
sector. Previous to this, glass had been seen as a craft rather than a precise science.
Today, glass making is big business. It has become a modem, hi-tech industry operating in a
fiercely competitive global market where quality, design and service levels are critical to
maintaining market share. Modem glass plants are capable of making millions of glass containers
a day in many different colours, with green, brown and clear remaining the most popular. Few of
us can imagine modem life without glass. It features in almost every aspect of our lives - in our
homes, our cars and whenever we sit down to eat or drink. Glass packaging is used for many
products, many beverages are sold in glass, as are numerous foodstuffs, as well as medicines and
cosmetics.
Glass is an ideal material for recycling, and with growing consumer concern for green issues, glass
bottles and jars are becoming ever more popular. Glass recycling is good news for the environment.
It saves used glass containers being sent to landfill. As less energy is needed to melt recycled glass
than to melt down raw materials, this also saves fuel and production costs. Recycling also reduces
the need for raw materials to be quarried, thus saving precious resources.
Questions 1-8
Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet
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The History of Glass
• Early humans used a material called 1. __________ to make the sharp points of their 2.
__________
• 4000 BC: 3. _________ made of stone were covered in a coating of man-made glass.
• First century BC: glass was coloured because of the 4. _________ in the material.
• Until 476AD: Only the 5. __________ knew how to make glass.
• From 10th century: Venetians became famous for making bottles out of glass.
• 17th century: George Ravenscroft developed a process using 6. _________ to avoid the
occurrence of 7. __________ in blown glass.
• Mid-19th century: British glass production developed after changes to laws concerning 8.
____________
Questions 9-13
9. In 1887, HM Ashley had the fastest bottle-producing machine that existed at the time.
10. Michael Owens was hired by a large US company to design a fully automated bottle
manufacturing machine for them.
11. Nowadays, most glass is produced by large international manufacturers.
12. Concern for the environment is leading to an increased demand for glass containers.
13. It is more expensive to produce recycled glass than to manufacture new glass.
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CORK
Cork - the thick bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber) - is a remarkable material. It is tough,
elastic, buoyant, and fire-resistant, and suitable for a wide range of purposes. It has also been used
for millennia: the ancient Egyptians sealed then sarcophagi (stone coffins) with cork, while
the ancient Greeks and Romans used it for anything from beehives to sandals.
And the cork oak itself is an extraordinary tree. Its bark grows up to 20 cm in thickness, insulating
the tree like a coat wrapped around the trunk and branches and keeping the inside at a constant
20°C all year round. Developed most probably as a defence against forest fires, the bark of the
cork oak has a particular cellular structure - with about 40 million cells per cubic centimetre - that
technology has never succeeded in replicating. The cells are filled with air, which is why cork is
so buoyant. It also has an elasticity that means you can squash it and watch it spring back to its
original size and shape when you release the pressure.
Cork oaks grow in a number of Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece
and Morocco. They flourish in warm, sunny climates where there is a minimum of 400 millimetres
of rain per year, and no more than 800 millimetres. Like grape vines, the trees thrive in poor soil,
putting down deep root in search of moisture and nutrients. Southern Portugal’s Alentejo region
meets all of these requirements, which explains why, by the early 20th century, this region had
become the world’s largest producer of cork, and why today it accounts for roughly half of all cork
production around the world.
Most cork forests are family-owned. Many of these family businesses, and indeed many of the
trees themselves, are around 200 years old. Cork production is, above all, an exercise in patience.
From the planting of a cork sapling to the first harvest takes 25 years, and a gap of approximately
a decade must separate harvests from an individual tree. And for top-quality cork, it’s necessary
to wait a further 15 or 20 years. You even have to wait for the right kind of summer’s day to harvest
cork. If the bark is stripped on a day when it’s too cold - or when the air is damp – the tree will be
damaged.
Cork harvesting is a very specialised profession. No mechanical means of stripping cork bark has
been invented, so the job is done by teams of highly skilled workers. First, they make vertical cuts
down the bark using small sharp axes, then lever it away in pieces as large as they can manage.
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The most skillful cork- strippers prise away a semi-circular husk that runs the length of the trunk
from just above ground level to the first branches. It is then dried on the ground for about four
months, before being taken to factories, where it is boiled to kill any insects that might remain in
the cork. Over 60% of cork then goes on to be made into traditional bottle stoppers, with most of
the remainder being used in the construction trade, Corkboard and cork tiles are ideal for thermal
and acoustic insulation, while granules of cork are used in the manufacture of concrete.
Recent years have seen the end of the virtual monopoly of cork as the material for bottle stoppers,
due to concerns about the effect it may have on the contents of the bottle. This is caused by a
chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which forms through the interaction of
plant phenols, chlorine and mould. The tiniest concentrations - as little as three or four parts to a
trillion - can spoil the taste of the product contained in the bottle. The result has been a gradual yet
steady move first towards plastic stoppers and, more recently, to aluminium screw caps. These
substitutes are cheaper to manufacture and, in the case of screw caps, more convenient for the user.
The classic cork stopper does have several advantages, however. Firstly, its traditional image is
more in keeping with that of the type of high-quality goods with which it has long been associated.
Secondly - and very importantly - cork is a sustainable product that can be recycled without
difficulty. Moreover, cork forests are a resource which support local biodiversity, and prevent
desertification in the regions where they are planted. So, given the current concerns about
environmental issues, the future of this ancient material once again looks promising.
Questions 1-5
1 The cork oak has the thickest bark of any living tree.
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2 Scientists have developed a synthetic cork with the same cellular structure as natural cork.
3 Individual cork oak trees must be left for 25 years between the first and second harvest.
4 Cork bark should be stripped in dry atmospheric conditions.
5 The only way to remove the bark from cork oak trees is by hand
Questions 6-13
Comparison of aluminium screw caps and cork bottle stoppers
Advantages of aluminium screw caps
• do not affect the 6. __________ of the bottle contents
• are 7. __________ to produce
• are 8. _________ to use
Advantages of cork bottle stoppers
• suit the 9. __________ of quality products
• made from a 10. ___________ material
• easily 11. _________
• cork forests aid 12. ___________
• cork forests stop 13. ___________ happening.
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WHALE STRANDINGS
Why do whales leave the ocean and become stuck on beaches?
When the last stranded whale of a group eventually dies, the story does not end there. A team of
researchers begins to investigate, collecting skin samples for instance, recording anything that
could help them answer the crucial question: why? Theories abound, some more convincing than
others. In recent years, navy sonar has been accused of causing certain whales to strand. It is known
that noise pollution from offshore industry, shipping and sonar can impair underwater
communication, but can it really drive whales onto our beaches?
In 1998, researchers at the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, a Greek non-profit scientific
group, linked whale strandings with low- frequency sonar tests being carried out by the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). They recorded the stranding of 12 Cuvier’s beaked whales
over 38.2 kilometres of coastline. NATO later admitted it had been testing new sonar technology
in the same area at the time as the strandings had occurred. ‘Mass’ whale strandings involve four
or more animals. Typically, they all wash ashore together, but in mass atypical strandings (such as
the one in Greece), the whales don't strand as a group; they are scattered over a larger area.
For humans, hearing a sudden loud noise might prove frightening, but it does not induce mass
fatality. For whales, on the other hand, there is a theory on how sonar can kill. The noise can
surprise the animal, causing it to swim too quickly to the surface. The result is decompression
sickness, a hazard human divers know all too well. If a diver ascends too quickly from a high-
pressure underwater environment to a lower-pressure one, gases dissolved in blood and tissue
expand and form bubbles. The bubbles block the flow of blood to vital organs, and
can ultimately lead to death.
Plausible as this seems, it is still a theory and based on our more comprehensive knowledge of
land-based animals. For this reason, some scientists are wary. Whale expert Karen Evans is one
such scientist. Another is Rosemary Gales, a leading expert on whale strandings. She says sonar
technology cannot always be blamed for mass strandings. "It’s a case-by-case situation. Whales
have been stranding for a very long time - pre-sonar.” And when 80% of all Australian whale
strandings occur around Tasmania, Gales and her team must continue in the search for answers.
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When animals beach next to each other at the same time, the most common cause has nothing to
do with humans at all. "They're highly social creatures,” says Gales. "When they mass strand - it’s
complete panic and chaos. If one of the group strands and sounds the alarm, others will try to swim
to its aid, and become stuck themselves.”
Activities such as sonar testing can hint at when a stranding may occur, but if conservationists are
to reduce the number of strandings, or improve rescue operations, they need information on where
strandings are likely to occur as well. With this in mind, Ralph James, physicist at the University
of Western Australia in Perth, thinks he may have discovered why whales turn up only on some
beaches. In 1986 he went to Augusta, Western Australia, where more than 100 false killer whales
had beached. “I found out from chatting to the locals that whales had been stranding there for
decades. So I asked myself, what is it about this beach?” From this question that James pondered
over 20 years ago, grew the university's Whale Stranding Analysis Project.
Data has since revealed that all mass strandings around Australia occur on gently sloping sandy
beaches, some with inclines of less than 0.5%. For whale species that depend on an echolocation
system to navigate, this kind of beach spells disaster. Usually, as they swim, they make clicking
noises, and the resulting sound waves are reflected in an echo and travel back to them. However,
these just fade out on shallow beaches, so the whale doesn’t hear an echo and it crashes onto
the shore.
But that is not all. Physics, it appears, can help with the when as well as the where. The ocean is
full of bubbles. Larger ones rise quickly to the surface and disappear, whilst smaller ones -
called microbubbles - can last for days. It is these that absorb whale 'clicks! "Rough weather
generates more bubbles than usual,” James adds. So, during and after a storm, echolocating whales
are essentially swimming blind.
Last year was a bad one for strandings in Australia. Can we predict if this - or any other year - will
be any better? Some scientists believe we can. They have found trends which could be used to
forecast 'bad years’ for strandings in the future. In 2005, a survey by Klaus Vanselow and Klaus
Ricklefs of sperm whale strandings in the North Sea even found a correlation between these and
the sunspot cycle, and suggested that changes in the Earth’s magnetic field might be involved. But
others are sceptical. “Their study was interesting ... but the analyses they used were flawed on a
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number of levels,” says Evans. In the same year, she co-authored a study on Australian strandings
that uncovered a completely different trend. “We analysed data from 1920 to 2002 ... and observed
a clear periodicity in the number of whales stranded each year that coincides with a major climatic
cycle.” To put it more simply, she says, in the years when strong westerly and southerly winds
bring cool water rich in nutrients closer to the Australia coast, there is an increase in the number
of fish. The whales follow.
So what causes mass strandings? "It's probably many different components,” says James. And he
is probably right. But the point is we now know what many of those components are.
Questions 14 – 17
Write your answers in boxes 14 – 17 on your answer sheet.
14. What do researchers often take from the bodies of whales?
15. What do some industries and shipping create that is harmful to whales?
16. In which geographical region do most whale strandings in Australia happen?
17. Which kind of whale was the subject of a study in the North Sea?
Questions 18 – 21
Write your answers in boxes 18 – 21 on your answer sheet.
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Questions 22 – 26
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 22 – 26 on your answer sheet, write
FALSE if the statement contradicts with the information
22. The aim of the research by the Pelagos Institute in 1998 was to prove that navy sonar was
responsible for whale strandings.
23. The whales stranded in Greece were found at different points along the coast.
24. Rosemary Gales has questioned the research techniques used by the Greek scientists.
25. According to Gales, whales are likely to try to help another whale in trouble.
26. There is now agreement amongst scientists that changes in the Earth’s magnetic fields
contribute to whale strandings.
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WRITING TASK 1
Line graph 79
Bar chart 89
Pie chart 103
Table 109
Mixed charts 116
Maps 120
Diagram 127
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72
73
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Có 7 cách paraphrase:
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77
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LINE GRAPH
Opening:
The line graph illustrates …over the period of …. since…
Eg: The line graph illustrates the birth percentages of the US and China over the period of 80 years
since 1920. (qua khoảng thời gian 80 năm từ năm 1920)
Overall, it is clear that S V hoặc It is clear that while S V, S V
Eg: Overall, it is clear that both the birth percentages of the US and China decreased. Besides, the
rate of the US was generally (nhìn chung) higher than that of China.
Vocabs:
Rate=percentage=proportion (n) tỉ lệ (Eg: the proportion of people who eat pizza is 10%)
The number of + N (số nhiều đếm đc)= the quantity of + N: số lượng … (Eg: The number of
people)
The amount of +N (ko đếm được): Lượng… (Eg: the amount of oil)
The figure for = the data on + N: dữ liệu của … (Eg: the figure for China was low)
Cách diễn tả time:
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- From x to y
- Between x and y
- Over the next x years/months… since y: trong x năm/tháng tiếp theo kể từ y (Eg: over the next
10 years since 2000)
- Until x: cho tới x
- At the beginning of the period # at the end of the period: ở đầu/cuối giai đoạn
- In the next x years/months: trong x năm/tháng tiếp theo
- In the first/last x years: trong x năm đầu/cuối
Cách diễn tả trends:

Trends Verb Noun
Increased
An increase
Rose
A rise
Grew up
A growth
Climbed
An upward trend
Went up
Improvement*
Improve*
*Chỉ sử dụng improve and improvement khi miêu tả về
situation: economy, employment => sử dụng những từ khác
để miêu tả về con số cụ thể
Soared
Rocketed
Shot up
Leapt
Surged
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Decreased A decrease
Fell A fall
Declined A decline
Dropped A drop
Went down A downward trend
Plunge
Plummet
Dipped
Levelled off
Stabilized
Remained the same
Remained steady (Reach) a plateau
To be unchanged A period of stability
Did not change
Remained constant
Remained stable
Fluctuated
A fluctuation
(around/between)
Reached a peak (of)

Peaked (at)
Reached the highest point
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Hit / Reached the bottom (of)
Come to the lowest point (of)
A went below B at x in y: A đi xuống dưới B ở x vào năm y
A exceeds B at x in y: A vượt quá B ở x vào năm
Type of change Adj Adv

Dramatic: dữ dội
Rapid: nhanh chóng
Sharp Dramatically
Tăng/giảm nhiều/đáng kể Quick: nhanh Còn lại thêm đuôi -ly vào adj
Steep: dốc đứng Considerably
Considerable: đáng kể
Significant: đáng kể
Gradual: từ từ
Steadily
Steady: từ từ
Tăng/giảm ít/ko đáng kể Còn lại thêm đuôi –ly vào
Slight: nhẹ
adj
Slow: chậm
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Lưu ý:
- V tăng/giảm đi với TO nghĩa là tăng/giảm tới x
Eg: The rate rose to 10%
- V tăng/giảm đi với BY nghĩa là tăng/giảm 1 khoảng x
Eg: The rate fell by 10%: Tỷ lệ giảm khoảng 10%
- N tăng/giảm đi với OF nghĩa là tăng/giảm 1 khoảng x
Eg: The rate saw a fall of 10%: Tỷ lệ chứng kiến 1 sự giảm đi 10%
- N tăng/giảm đi với TO nghĩa là tăng/giảm tới x
Eg: The rate saw a fall to 10%: tỷ lệ chứng kiến 1 sự giảm xuống còn 10%.
Các cấu trúc câu:
1. S + V + adv
Eg: The rate rose slightly to 5% in 2000.
2. S witness/see/experience + cụm N/N <Cụm N = a/an + adj + N>
Eg: The rate witnessed a slight rise to 5% in 2000.
3. There was/were + cụm N/N (in)
Eg: there was a slight rise in the rate to 5% in 2000.
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Sample:
The line graph illustrates the birth percentages of the US and China over the period of 80 years
since 1920. Overall, it is clear that both the birth percentages of the US and China decreased.
Besides, the rate of the US was generally higher than that of China.
Concerning the USA, from 1920 to 1940, the rate fluctuated between 11 and 13%. In the next 5
years, it dropped steeply and hit the bottom of 5% before rising to 15% until 1950. The figure
for this country saw a steady decline for the rest of the period.
Regarding China, in the first 15 years of the period, the data fluctuated and grew to 15%, followed
by a fall to 5% in 1940. In the next 5 years, the number remained the same before going up
dramatically and reaching the peak of 20% in 1955. Until 2000, there was a sharp decline in the
proportion and it fell slowly to under 5%.
Lưu ý: Đa số các bài có thời gian trong quá khứ thì dùng simple past, không ghi time thì
dùng hiện tại đơn.
Với dạng bài có tương lai:
It is expected/forecast/estimated/predicted + that S will V: Người ta dự đoán rằng…
Eg: it is expected that gold prices will drop steeply.
S is/are expected/forecast/estimated/predicted to V
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Eg: Gold prices are forecast to drop steeply.
Exercises:
1. The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from 1971 to 2007.
Fill the gaps in the essay with the following words:
almost to figures per between
by over with without onwards
The graph shows changes in the number of cars ______ household in Great Britain ______ a period
of 36 years. Overall, car ownership in Britain increased ___________ 1971 and 2007. In particular,
the percentage of households with two cars rose, while the figure for households __________ a
car fell.
In 1971, ______ half of all British households did not have regular use of a car. Around 44% of
households had one car, but only about 7% had two cars. It was uncommon for families to own
three or more cars, ______ around 2% of households falling into this category.
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The one-car household was the most common type from the late 1970’s _________, although there
was little change in the ________ for this category. The biggest change was seen in the proportion
of households without a car, which fell steadily over the 36-year period ____ around 25% in 2007.
In contrast, the proportion of two-car families rose steadily, reaching about 26% in 2007, and the
proportion of households with more than two cars rose ____ around 5%.
2. The line graph below gives information about the number of visitors to three London
museums between June and September 2013.
dropped rose fluctuated see went increased was
received in visited remained shows between

stable
The graph ________ how many people _________ three London museums in the summer of 2013.
Most visitors _________ to the British museum __________ June and September. The
number __________ between 500 and 750. By contrast, the Science Museum and the Natural
History Museum __________ fewer visitors.
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The number of people who visited the Science Museum __________ gradually from 400 thousand
to 300 from June to August then ________ to 450 thousand _________ September.
We can ________ that the trend for the Natural History Museum ________ similar. There was a
sharp drop in visitors from June to July. The number _______ in August and then ________
steadily in September.
3. The line graph below shows changes in the amount and type of fast food consumed by
Australian teenagers from 1975 to 2000.
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BAR CHART
Opening:
The bar chart compares …. over the period of…since…
Overall, it is clear that S V
Đối với dạng bar có time thì câu overview xem bar như line, so sánh điểm đầu + cuối của từng đối
tượng. Ví dụ như bài trên thì Tunisia và Ecuador giảm còn Japan tăng.
⇨ The bar chart compares the GDP growth of 3 nations including Japan, Tunisia, and Ecuador
over the period of 3 years since 2007. Overall, it is clear that while the figure for Japan rose, the
remaining nations saw a reverse trend.
Ở body ta sẽ làm tương tự line, phân tích từng đối tượng tăng giảm giữ nguyên như thế nào. Tuy
nhiên thỉnh thoảng so sánh đối tượng này với các đối tượng khác trong cùng năm xem có gì
đặc biệt ko. Ví dụ ở 2007, Tunisia gấp 3 lần (triple) Japan và gấp đôi Ecuador. Ở 2010 thì
Japan double Tunisia. Ở năm đầu tiên mình sẽ phân tích số liệu nào cao nhất. Đồng thời, khi
chuyển ý từ nước này sang nước khác cần có các từ nối thích hợp. Ví dụ ta bắt đầu body với
Tunisia (vì nó cao nhất năm 2007). Sau đó chuyển sang nói Ecuador. Vì 2 nước này cùng trend
(đều đi xuống) nên ta sẽ dùng “Likewise/Similarly” (tương tự). Ngược lại, khi từ Ecuador sang
Japan ta sẽ dùng “By contrast” (trái lại) vì 2 nước này ngược nhau.
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⇨ Regarding Tunisia, at the beginning of the period, the data was the highest, at over 6%, which
tripled the figure for Japan and doubled the percentage of Ecuador. In the next 3 years, the number
saw a gradual decline to 3%, which was half of the GDP growth of Japan in this year. Likewise,
although there was a fluctuation in the percentage of Ecuador, the figure went down slightly by
1% over 3 years. By contrast, in 2007, although Japan had the lowest GDP growth, with 2%, after
3 years, this country witnessed a dramatic increase to over 6%, which was the highest compared
to (so với) the other 2 countries.
Vocabs:
- Cách diễn tả số liệu “nhất”: Đối với những số liệu “cao/thấp nhất”, thì sau khi dùng so sánh nhất
ta sẽ phẩy và dùng công thức “at/with=demonstrated by=indicated by” (ở/với/được minh chứng
bởi/được chỉ ra bởi)
Phân biệt at và with = demonstrated by = indicated by: khi S là N liên quan tới số như
“number/percentage/rate, …” thì ta dùng at, còn N ko phải số như “Japan, Bus, Car, …” thì
dùng 3 cái còn lại.
Eg: The data on A was the highest, at over 6% (S là data, dữ liệu nên dùng at)
Bus was used the most, indicated by/with 90%. (S là bus, ko fai số nên dùng with)
Cách dùng phân số: Số đếm + Số thứ tự (Tử lớn hơn 1 thì mẫu thêm s)
1/3: one third
1/5: one fifth
2/3: two thirds
2/5: two fifths
Vài case đặc biệt:
½= a half
¼ = a quarter
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Ta có phân số + of N
Eg: Two thirds of Vietnamese people like shopping.
(A)Half of Vietnamese people like shopping.
- Double (v) gấp đôi
- Triple (v) gấp 3
Eg: The data on A tripled the figure for B.
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Exercise:
1. The charts below give information about USA marriage and divorce rates between
1970 and 2000, and the marital status of adult Americans in two of the years.
fall rose majority
peaked changes proportion
dropped shows remained stable
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The first bar chart shows _________ in the number of marriages and divorces in the USA, and the
second chart _______ figures for the marital status of American adults in 1970 and 2000.
It is clear that there was a _____ in the number of marriages in the USA between 1970 and 2000.
The ________ of adult Americans were married in both years, but the __________ of single adults
was higher in 2000.
In 1970, there were 2.5 million marriages in the USA and 1 million divorces. The marriage rate
_______________ in 1980, but fell to 2 million by the year 2000. In contrast, the divorce rate
_______ in 1980, at nearly 1.5 million divorces, before falling back to 1 million at the end of the
period.
Around 70% of American adults were married in 1970, but this figure _________ to just under
60% by 2000. At the same time, the proportion of unmarried people and divorcees ______ by
about 10% in total. The proportion of widowed Americans was slightly lower in 2000.
2. The graph below gives information about the preferred leisure activities of Australian
children.
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shown preferable overall
illustrates the most popular the most
double preferred the least
The bar chart _________ the favorite entertainments of Australian kids from 5 to 14 years old in
different genders in percentage, including skating/rollerblading, biking, watching televisions,
playing computer games as well as artful activities. _______, all of the children prefer to watch
television in their free time.
It is clearly ________ from the graph that 100 percent of Australian boys and girls in the rank of
ages from 5 to 14 spent their time on watching media entertainments. Thus, TV and videos were
__________ common choice. The second most ___________ hobby of those children were
computer games with 80 percent of boys and around 60 percent of girls chose while skating and
blading were __________ common activities.
In the field of games and sports, the number of boys was around 1.5 time as much as the number
of girls. On the other hands, in the criteria of artful activities, the amount of girls was nearly
_______ as much as the boys. Meanwhile, TV and videos attracted both genders at absolute 100
percent equally.
In conclusion, watching media programs was _______________ choice of Australian kids in both
genders. Moreover, boys _____ to play sports and games while girls chose art and craft to do in
their free time.
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3. The following bar chart shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and
from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000.
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BAR CHART (cont)
1. The chart shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different types of
educational setting in the UK in 2010.

similar whereas majority
women proportion 95%
equally apparent twice
The bar chart compares the __________ of male and female teachers in a range of educational
institutions in the UK in 2010.
Overall, significant differences in employment patterns between men and women across the
education sector are _________. Women were more likely to be found in educational settings for
young children _________ male teachers predominated in the higher status of a university lecturer.
Women predominated in schools for children up to the age 11. This was especially true in teaching
institutions for very young children. About _____ of nursery school teachers, for instance, were
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female. There was a _______ situation in primary schools, where over 90% of teachers were
________. There was more of a gender balance in teaching institutions which catered for older
students and young adults. For example, college lecturers were _______ divided between men and
women.
Male lecturers were significantly in the _________ in universities, where 70% of teaching staff
were male; this was more than ______ the number of female lecturers.
2. The chart shows student expenditure over a three-year period in the United Kingdom.
from/in at to (x3)
by (x3) during/over in (x3)
of on
The chart shows the changes which took place ________ student spending in the United
Kingdom _________ the three-year period from 1996 to 1999.
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Overall, with the exception of expenditure ________ travel, the most significant general change
was a shift ________ spending on essential items _________ spending on non-essential items.
Students spent 3% less on accommodation, which fell ______ 23% _______ 20% of total
expenditure, and there was a 2% decrease _____ spending on food, bills and household goods,
which fell from 20% to 18%. At the same time course expenditure went down ______ 3% from
10% to 7%. Children, who constituted 1% _____ students' expenditure in 1996, are not
represented in 1999.
On the other hand, there was a 5% growth _____ spending on entertainment, which
stood ______ 26% of total expenditure in 1996 but rose ______ 31% in 1999. Spending on
other non-essential items and credit repayments grew ______ 4% to make _____16% of total
expenditure. Spending on essential travel went up _____ 3% while non-essential travel
underwent a 1% fall.
3. The chart shows British Emigration to selected destinations between 2004 and 2007.
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PIE CHART
Khá tương tự bar, opening vẫn như bar, tuy nhiên KHÔNG DÙNG over the period of mà thay
bằng in + time.
The pie chart compares …. in (time)
Overall, it is clear that…
Câu overview của pie nếu có time thì làm tương tự line, so sánh điểm đầu và cuối của đối tượng,
nếu ko có time thì xem đối tượng nào cao nhất/thấp nhất.
Eg: The two pie charts compare different leisure (=recreational) activities in the USA in
the year 1999 and 2009.
Overall, it is clear that walking was the most common leisure activity out of the 8 (trong số 8 hoạt
động). Besides, most of the activities saw an upward trend in the percentages over the years.
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(Ta để ý thấy trong 8 hoạt động thì 5 cái tăng, vì vậy đây sẽ là xu hướng chung. Ngoài ra “walking”
phổ biến nhất nên đây sẽ là câu thứ 2 trong overview)
Body làm tương tự bar. Với những bài quá nhiều đối tượng như bài này ko cần làm quá chi
tiết, chọn cái nào nổi bật nhất để nói.
As can be seen from the charts, the majority of (đa số) American people were interested in walking
in the whole period, indicated by a rise from 29% to 31% of total activities. The second most
enjoyable activity was playing soccer, with the figure rising by 1% over 10 years. In 1999, 9% of
American individuals (cá nhân) were interested in swimming and this figure doubled in the next
10 years.
By contrast, the rate of people who chose aerobics as their leisure activity went down considerably
from 13% to only 4%. While camping attracted more people in 2009, the data on bicycling and
jogging experienced declines. Interestingly (thú vị sao), yoga was no longer (ko còn là) American’s
leisure activity in 2009. Instead, they chose weightlifting which accounted for 10%.
Vocabs:
- As can be seen from the chart: có thể thấy từ chart (cụm này dùng ở đầu body khá ok)
- A/the majority of = most + N: đa số
Eg: A/the majority of students like her.
- Whole (adj) toàn bộ
Eg: in my whole life: trong toàn bộ cuộc đời tôi
- So sánh nhất “thứ 2,3…”: the second/third + so sánh nhất
Eg: It is the second highest data (nó là dữ liệu cao thứ 2)
The second most enjoyed activity: hoạt động được yêu thích nhất thứ 2
- Interestingly: thú vị sao (đứng đầu câu, khi mình phát hiện ra được chi tiết nào thú vị thì thêm
chữ này)
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- Account for = make up = consist of + x: chiếm x
Eg: Playing soccer made up 2%
- Những cách diễn tả số liệu:
1. Watching TV was the most common, with 29% in 1999 and 31% in 2009.
2. Watching TV was the most common, with 29% and 31% in 1999 and 2009, respectively.
3. Watching TV was the most common, with the figure rising by 2% after a decade.
4. Watching TV was the most common, with 29% in 1999. After a decade, the number rose slightly
by 2%.
- Nói về đối tượng đó trước, with the figure/data + Ving
Eg: Bus was the most enjoyed by people, with the data increasing from 20% to 100%.
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Exercises:
1. The pie charts show the proportion of money spent on various household expenses in
Malaysia and Japan in 2010.

main but than higher
smallest In contrast compared with lower
higher overall indicates while
We can see that in Malaysia the greatest proportion of expenditure (34%) was on
housing, ________ in Japan housing accounted for just 21% of the total. _______, in Japan the
greatest single expense was other goods and services at 29%, _______ 26% in Malaysia.
Food came in second place in Japan, at 24%, while in Malaysia the actual proportion
was __________ (27%). In Japan another major expense was transport, at 20%, but this was
much ________ in Malaysia (10%). In both countries the ___________ percentage of expenditure
was on health care.
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________, the data _______ that in both cases food, housing and other goods and services were
the ________ expenses, _________ that in Japan, transport and other goods and services took up
a _________ proportion of total expenditure ________ in Malaysia.
2. The pie charts below give information on the proportion of carbohydrates, protein and
fats in three different diets.

constitutes amount higher one
drops fifth make relative
figure up compare highest
The pie charts _________ the proportion of carbohydrates, protein and fat in three different diets,
namely an average diet, a healthy diet, and a healthy diet for sport.
It is noticeable that sportspeople require a diet comprising a significantly higher proportion of

carbohydrates than an average diet or a healthy diet. The average diet contains the lowest
percentage of carbohydrates but the ________ proportion of protein.
Carbohydrates ______ ______ 60% of the healthy diet for sport. This is 10% ______ than the
proportion of carbohydrates in a normal healthy diet, and 20% more than the proportion in an
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average diet. On the other hand, people who eat an average diet consume a greater ______ ______
of protein (40%) than those who eat a healthy diet (30%) and sportspeople (25%).
The third compound shown in the charts is fat. Fat ______ exactly ______ ______ of both
the average diet and the healthy diet, but the ______ ______ to only 15% for the healthy sports
diet.
3. The following two pie charts show the results of a survey into the popularity of various
leisure activities among European adults in 1985 and 1995.
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TABLE
Opening:
The table illustrates how S V HOẶC illustrates the data on…
Overall, it is clear that….
Câu overview dạng table sẽ tuỳ vào bài khác nhau, nhưng quy luật chung là cứ lấy số liệu
cao/thấp nhất để nói.
Eg:
1. The table below gives information on consumer spending on different items in five
different countries in 2002
The table illustrates how citizens in 5 countries spent money on various categories (the data on
consumer spending) in the year 2002. In general, it is evident that food, drinks and tobacco was
spent on the most while individuals spent on leisure activities and education the least.
As can be seen from the table, concerning food, drinks and tobacco, Turkish people (people in
Turkey) spent the largest amount of money on it, with 32.14% (illustrated by 32.14%) of total
spending. Second was Ireland with 28.91%, while nearly half of that was the figure for Sweden.
Regarding clothing and footwear, 9% was the data on Italy, which was also the highest proportion.
Interestingly, people from Ireland, Spain and Turkey spent money on this category (hạng mục)
almost equally/the same, with approximately 6.5%.
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The highest percentage in recreational (=leisure) activities and education category was in Turkey,
at 4.35% while only 1.98% of Spanish individuals spent on these items. Consumer expenditure in
Italy and Sweden were nearly the same, with around 3.2%.
2. The chart below shows average hours and minutes spent by UK males and females on
different daily activities.
The table illustrates how men and women in UK spend time on various daily activities. Overall, it
is clear that citizens in the UK spend time sleeping more than other activities and males spend
more time on recreational activities than females.
As can be seen from the table, women sleep for 8 hours and 18 minutes per day, which is slightly
higher than the figure for men. Likewise, the amount of time spent on resting and personal care by
women is larger than that (thay cho amount) of men while eating and drinking experience a reverse
trend (trải nghiệm xu hướng ngược lại). 5.25 hours and 4.53 hours are spent on leisure activities
by men and women, respectively.
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To be more specific, watching TV/DVD and listening to radio/music account for the largest
amount of time, with approximately 2.25 hours for both women and men. These two sexes prefer
social life and entertainment/culture slightly more than the remaining recreational activities.
Besides, concerning working, studying and travelling, men seem to enjoy doing these activities
more than women while housework, childcare, voluntary work and meetings are more enjoyable
by females.
- Respectively: lần lượt (để cuối câu sau dấu phẩy)
Eg: The figures for A and B are x and y, respectively. (ý là số liệu A là x, còn B là y)
- Concerning = regarding = in terms of: về
3. The table below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities.
The table illustrates the data on the underground systems in 6 cities. Overall, it is clear that 3 oldest
systems including London, Paris and Tokyo have the longest routes and attract a greater number
of passengers each year compared to the newer ones.
Regarding the old subway systems, the oldest one, London, owns (=has) the longest route with
775 million users annually (=each year) while the length of Paris’ route is nearly half of that and
this city attracts the second highest quantity of passengers, with 1191 million people per year.
Although the underground system in Tokyo was opened later than the other ones, this place attracts
the highest number of people with only 155 kilometers of route.
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As can be seen from the remaining (còn lại) systems, first in terms of length of route and user
number (đứng đầu về độ dài và số người use) is Washington DC. Although Kyoto’s system was
opened sooner than Los Angeles’, it is shorter than Los Angeles’ and the quantity of passengers
(hành khách) is lower than the data on LA as well (=too).
4. The table below gives information on internet use in six categories by age group.
The table illustrates how people from different age groups use the internet. Overall, it is clear that
doing product research is the most popular activity while downloads and searching for people are
the least enjoyed.
As can be seen from the table, individuals from 20 to over 70 years old like to do product research
the most, with the data ranging from 70% to 83%, whereas this activity is not teens’ favorite,
illustrated by 0%. The second most common activity is getting news. Approximately 70% of
people from each age group enjoy doing this. Concerning buying goods, the data on people aged
from 20 to 60 are almost equal, at around 65%, while 41% of people over 70 and 43% of teens do
such an activity.
With regard to online games, teens play them the most on the internet, whereas this activity is not
so popular among adults. The figures for searching for people aged from 20 to over 70 range from
23 to 31%. The data on downloads are relatively high among people under 20s but low among the
remaining groups.
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Exercises:
1. The table below shows the reasons why people prefer to shop at ASDA supermarket.
Reasons for shopping at
no. of men no. of women
ASDA supermarket
close to home 25 20
good reputation 17 22
24-hour shopping 4 0
parking facilities 21 20
friendly staff 6 6
competitive prices 14 17

it has a good reputation/
25 it has/ of its/ of the
of its reputation
to shop/ location/ felt/ said/ thought/
shopping closeness to home considered
as women
The table shows the main reasons why ASDA is a popular supermarket for shoppers. The top three
reasons are its .................., its reputation and its parking facilities. Of these, the most important
reason why men shop at ASDA is that the shop is close to their home – .......... men rated this as an
important factor.
.............., however, prefer ASDA to other supermarkets mainly because ..................... They rated
the location of the supermarket second. A significant number of both men and women also choose
to shop at ASDA because ............... good parking facilities.
The women ................... this was as important as the location of the supermarket. On the other
hand, the attitude of the staff does not seem to be an important factor .......... only six women and
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six men rated this highly. Surprisingly, almost no one said they prefer ................. at ASDA because
it is open 24 hours a day.
2. The table below shows the monthly expenditure of an average Australian family in
1991 and 2001.

rising increase accounted for higher
slightly changes decrease
dropped biggest respectively
The table shows ________ in the spending patterns of an average Australian household
between 1991 and 2001. In general, Australian household spending was _____ _ in 2001 than
in 1991 but the difference was not significant (AUD $715 per month and AUD $675 per month
respectively).
The amount of monthly spending on electricity and water saw a dramatic ________ over the
10-year period from $75 to $120. Yet in terms of the expenditure on non-essential goods and
services, the ______ trend was less obvious with a minor increase of $20. At the same time,
the amount of money spent on food and housing rose only _______ from $155 to $160 and
$95 to $100 __________. However, there was a ________ in expenditure on the other two
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items. Australians spent one third less on clothing, which fell from $30 to $20. Similarly,
expenditure on transport ________ from $70 in 1991 to $45 in 2001.
It seems that food and “other goods and services” were the two _______ items of expenditure.
Altogether, they ____________ more than half of the total household spending. By
comparison, Australians spent little on dressing up.
3. The tables given information about the average hours worked by part-time and full-
time men and women in three countries in Europe in 2002 and compare them with the
European countries.
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MIXED CHARTS
1. The charts below show reasons for travel and the main issues for the travelling public
in the US in 2009.

concern experienced foremost cited
commute accounted for important principal
made consideration information issues
The bar chart and pie chart give _________ about why US residents travelled and what travel
problems they __________ in the year 2009. It is clear that the _________ reason why Americans
travelled in 2009 was to __________to and from work. In the same year, the primary _________
of Americans, with regard to the trips they made, was the cost of travelling.
Looking more closely at the bar chart, we can see that 49% of the trips ________ by Americans in
2009 were for the purpose of commuting. By contrast, only 6% of trips were visits to friends or
relatives, and one in ten trips were for social or recreational reasons. Shopping was _______ as the
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reason for 16% of all travel, while unspecific ‘personal reasons’ _______________ the remaining
19%.
According to the pie chart, price was the key _________ for 36% of American travelers. Almost
one in five people cited safety as their _________ travel concern, while aggressive driving and
highway congestion were the main _________ for 17% and 14% of the travelling public. Finally,
a total of 14% of those surveyed thought that access to public transport or space for pedestrians
were the most _________ travel issues.
2. The chart below gives information about levels of education in Glasgow, a city in
Scotland, in 2010.

similar proportions percentage different
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low information majority compared
constant one third up to reversed
The bar chart and pie charts illustrate the __________ of people in Glasgow having three levels of
education (university, school and those with no qualifications) in 2010. _________ is divided into
five age groups in the bar chart and by gender in the pie charts. Overall, the __________ of people
with university education were in younger age groups, while in the oldest age group most people
did not have any qualifications. The _____________ of men and women were _________ and
showed little _________ between the levels of education.
The percentage of people with university education was ________ 76% in the younger three age
groups _________ to only 50% in those ages 50 to 75 and just 25% in those over 75. This trend
was __________ in those with no qualifications (9% in younger people rising to 72% in the oldest
age group). The figure for those with school education was relatively _________ at around 20%
but was as _______as 3% in the over 75’s.
The proportion of men and women in each level of education was around ____________ with only
a slight difference of 3% in university graduates as well as those who did not have educational
qualifications.
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3. The pie charts and table give information about the total value and sources of fish
imported to the US between 1988 and 2000.
119
MAPS
Opening:
The map(s) illustrate(s) the changes of…. over the period of…since…
Overall, it is clear that….
- Đối với dạng bài những nơi lớn như khu dân cư, village, town, …thì câu overview xem thử
maps thay đổi theo hướng nào.
It is clear that the….. experienced many spectacular developments towards urbanization/

industrialization/ tourism (and witnessed less natural features).
(Rõ ràng, …trải nghiệm nhiều sự phát triển vượt bậc theo hướng đô thị hoá/công nghiệp hoá/du
lịch và chứng kiến ít đi những đặc điểm về tự nhiên)
Nếu hình có nhiều nhà cửa siêu thị nhà hàng,… thì dùng urbanization; nếu có nhiều nhà máy xí
nghiệp thì industrialization, nếu có nhà hàng khách sạn cảng biển sân bay thì tourism. Nếu có
nhiều cây bị chặt đi thì thêm khúc “witness…features”.
Eg: It is clear that the village experienced many spectacular developments towards
urbanization.
- Đối với dạng bài nơi nhỏ như trong phòng, nhà, trường học,…thì tuỳ bài mà chọn điểm nổi bật
dễ thấy nhất trong toàn map là gì. Nhưng có thể cân nhắc các yếu tố sau:
+ số lượng phòng/công trình tăng hay giảm?
+ Tổng diện tích tăng hay giảm?
+ Có thay đổi nhiều ko?
+Có tái cấu trúc nhiều ko?
Eg: It is clear that the school has been expanded and restructured with a wide range of new
facilities. (Trường đã được mở rộng và tái cấu trúc với nhiều cơ sở vật chất hơn)
120
Body chỉ việc mô tả sự thay đổi của các đối tượng trong maps đó. Lưu ý dùng bị động ở dạng
maps vì mình ko biết rõ ai thực hiện những sự thay đổi.
Vocabs:
In the east/west/north/south of…: ở phía đông/ In the center/middle of…:ở trung

tây/bắc/nam của… tâm/ giữa của…
In the middle of…

On the left/right-hand side of the…: ở bên trái/
At the top of…:ở đầu…
phải của…
At the bottom of…:ở cuối
- Close to=near (adj) gần
- Opposite (adj) đối diện
- Next to: bên cạnh
- Behind=at the back of:phía sau
- In front of: phía trước
- Remain/stay unchanged: ko đổi
- Restructure (v): tái cấu trúc
- Expand = extend (v)mở rộng
- Be replaced by: được thay thế bởi
Eg: A was replaced by B.
- Be knocked down/demolished to make room/way for/give way to: bị phá huỷ để nhường chỗ
cho
Eg: Trees were demolished to make room for the buildings.
- The emergence/appearance of: sự xuất hiện của
121
Eg: In the center of the house was the emergence of some chairs.
- The mushrooming of: sự mọc lên như nấm của…
Eg: In the center of the village was the mushrooming of shops.
- Build=construct (v): xây dự
Sample: The maps below show the development of the village of Kelsbey between 1780 and
2000.
The maps illustrate the changes of Kelsbey village over the period of 220 years since 1780. Overall,
it is clear that the village experienced many developments towards urbanization (and witnessed
less natural features).
As can be seen from the first two maps, between 1780 and 1860, a bridge was built across the river
so that citizens could easily move to the other side of the river. The farms and the woods were cut
down a lot, leaving empty areas. The number of homes doubled and a road was built to connect
the residential areas (khu dân cư) and the bridge.
122
In the next 140 years, the village saw the increasing number of shops next to the river and the
appearance of a wetland for birds at the end of the river. There was a rise in the quantity of
houses to 500 homes so as to (để) accommodate (=contain) all the citizens of Kelsbey. Besides,
the farms and woods were destroyed to make room for (dành chỗ cho) the schools and sport fields.
Finally, a new road was added to link the houses and the school.
Exercises:
1. Summarize the changes in the layout of the Woodlands University in not less than 150
words.
Filling the words in the blanks:
replaced connected extended transformation
altered demolition portrays north east
built remnants
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The Woodwards University's map ________ the changes from 1985 until now. The most
significant change is the _________ of many buildings over 20 years. It can be seen that the
_____________ of some buildings are taken place with open-space.
First of all, the Woodwards University ________ the largest car park with a shuttle bus terminal
and there was no car park anymore. The small car park was ________ to be the lecture theatre
between the science libraries and admin building. In addition to this, the road was changed into a
shuttle bus line which __________ to all buildings except the farthest, science laboratories and
passes by the admin building.
The three science blocks such as physics, chemistry and biology in the ___________ became
science laboratories behind the lecture theatre. A library which had been opposite the biggest car
park in the past was __________ and joined with the IT center which now was in front of the
shuttle bus terminal. Finally, the admin building which had a large building in 1980 has also altered
to be a long building in the east. Moreover, the __________ of space was _______ open-space,
such as footpaths.
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2. The maps below show the village of Stokeford in 1930 and in 2010. Summarize the
information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
middle extended increased
indicate enlarged disappeared
converted formed vanished
replaced
The maps ________ several significant changes in Stokeford village during a period of 80 years.
Overall, it is noticeable that the number of houses _________ dramatically, while the lands for
agricultural purposes _________.
In 1930, there were a few houses on both sides of the only road which ran through the ________
of the village of Stokeford. By 2010, the local shops had ___________, and only the Post Office
remained. The two areas of farmland to the north-east and south-west were _________ into
residential areas. Over the same period, more streets were built, leading off the main road to give
access to addition housing. Housing was also _________ along the main road.
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In addition, the local primary school opposite the Post Office was ________ with two new blocks.
The gardens _________ the centre of the village in 1930, but by 2010, it was _________ by the
housing and the retirement home.
3. The two maps below show an island before and after the construction of some tourist
facilities.
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DIAGRAM
Opening:
The diagram illustrates how S + V HOẶC illustrates the data on…
Overall, it is clear that the process/procedure (quy trình) includes x (bao nhiêu bước) steps
ranging from bước đầu to bước cuối.
Vocabs:
After that=next = then=Subsequently= Later: sau đó
- Finally=eventually=lastly: cuối cùng
- At the beginning of the…: ở đầu…# at the end of the…. : ở cuối…
- At the next/following stage: ở giai đoạn tiếp theo
Dùng “before, and” để nối 2 giai đoạn trong cùng 1 câu. Lưu ý diagram dùng bị động vì mình ko
biết ai thực hiện hành động.
Samples:
1. The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for building
industry.
127
The process illustrates how bricks are produced. Overall, it is clear that the whole process includes
7 steps ranging from digging the clay to the delivery of finished products.
At the beginning of the process, clay is dug with a digger. After that, clay is placed (= put) onto a
metal grid and passed onto a roller before it is mixed together with sand and water. This
combination (= mixture) is then put in a mould or cut with a wire cutter (in order to create perfectly
shaped bricks).
Next, those bricks are placed into a drying oven from 1 to 2 days and heated at moderate
temperature (from 200 to 980 Celcius degrees) in a kiln. The temperature is then raised up to 1300
degrees before the bricks are transferred to a cooling chamber for 2 to 3 days. Finally, the products
are carefully packaged and shipped to the public.
128
2. The diagrams below show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon.
The diagram illustrates the life stages experienced by a salmon. Overall, it is clear that the life
cycle includes three phases (=steps) ranging from the emergence of fries to the appearance of adult
salmon.
The beginning of the life cycle is the emergence of the fries, which are 3 to 8 cm in length. These
small fries then emigrate to lower rivers where water flows extremely fast and spend approximately
4 years in these areas. After that, fries gradually grow bigger and turn into (biến thành) a bigger
fish called “smolt” which has the length of up to 15cm.
129
At the following stage, these smolts move to the open sea and live here for nearly 5 years before
transforming (biến thành) into adult salmon. At this stage, the size of a mature (trưởng thành) one
varies from 70 to 78cm. Eventually, adult salmon choose upper rivers as their new accommodation
where water moves slowly in order to lay salmon eggs beneath small stone and reeds. 5 to 6 months
is the perfect period of time for these eggs to become newborn fries, which completes the life cycle
of a salmon.
Exercises:
1. The diagram below shows how the Australian Bureau of Meteorology collects up-to-the-
minute information on the weather in order to produce reliable forecasts.
received collection stages drifting buoys
broadcast process passed synoptic chart
130
recorded analysed radar presented
The figure illustrates the ________ used by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to forecast
the weather. There are four _______ in the process, beginning with the _________ of
information about the weather. This information is then _________, prepared for presentation,
and finally _________ to the public.
Looking at the first and second stages of the process, there are three ways of collecting weather
data and three ways of analysing it. Firstly, incoming information can be ________ by satellite
and ________ for analysis as a satellite photo. The same data can also be _______ to a radar
station and presented on a radar screen or synoptic chart.
Secondly, incoming information may be collected directly by _______ and analysed on a radar
screen or ____________. Finally, _____________ also receive data which can be shown on a
synoptic chart.
At the third stage of the process, the weather broadcast is prepared on computers. Finally, it is
delivered to the public on television, on the radio, or as a ________ telephone announcement.
2. The diagram below shows the production and processing of milk and dairy products for
commercial sale.
131
released illustrates stored
processed delivered
put through observed
The picture _________ the process and production of milk, cheese, cream and butter for public
consumption. Overall, it can be ________ that there are eight stages in this process, beginning
with the cows grazing on grass in the field and ending with milk and dairy products being sold in
the market.
First, cows are ________ in the field to graze on the grass, and then they are subjected to a milking
machine twice a day for milk collection. Next, the milk is being ________ in refrigeration storage
on a daily basis. Following this, the milk is then collected and put into a tanker which then will
be _________ to the dairy daily.
In the subsequent stage, the milk is being _________ in the dairy into different milk products such
as cheese, cream and butter, then the milk is then __________ pasteurization and packaging.
Finally, the milk and the dairy products are being delivered to supermarkets and shops for
consumption.
132
3. The diagram below shows the recycling process of plastics.
133
WRITING TASK 2
Advantages/ Disadvantages 139
Positive or Negative 143
Discuss both views 147

Problems & Solutions
or 148
Causes & Effects
2-Question essay (or Mixed questions) 150
Opinion (Agree or Disagree) 151
134
ESSAY TYPES:
135
WRITING TASK 2
How to paraphrase:
Có 3 cách để paraphrase:
- Dùng synonyms:
Eg: Driving cars brings advantages and disadvantages to people
⇨ Driving cars brings merits and demerits to society.
- Dùng word form khác:
⇨ Driving cars is advantageous and disadvantageous to people HOẶC it is advantageous and

disadvantageous to drive cars.
- Đổi Subject:
Eg: People choose cars to travel the most.
⇨ Cars are chosen to travel the most.
⇨ The vehicle that people choose to travel the most is cars.
⇨ The vehicle that is chosen to travel the most is cars.
⇨ Travelling by car is preferred/enjoyed the most.
Opening:
Cách mở bài chung của tất cả các bài task 2 đều theo dạng sau:
C1: Some people believe/think that…
C2: Thesis statement
136
137
138
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
1. People in the community can buy cheaper products nowadays. Do the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages?
Opening:
Câu 1: của phần lý thuyết giữ nguyên.
⇨ It is believed that people nowadays can purchase items with more reasonable prices than before.
Câu 2: While I accept that this trend has some benefits, I believe that the disadvantages are more
significant.
HOẶC While I accept that this trend has some disadvantages, I believe that the benefits are more
significant.
⇨ Full opening: It is believed that people nowadays can purchase items with more reasonable
prices than before. While I accept that this trend has some benefits, I believe that the
disadvantages are more significant.
Vocabs:
- Advantage=benefit=perk=merit
- Disadvantage=drawback=setback=demerit=shortcoming
- Many=a lot of=a wide range of = a variety of = various +Noun (đếm được số nhiều) (lưu ý N
ko đếm đc thì dùng a lot of/much)
- Cách diễn đạt “tôi tin rằng”: I believe/am of the opinion/am convinced/hold the belief + that +
S+V
- Cách diễn đạt “người ta nói rằng”: Some (people) think/believe/argue + that + S V= it is
argued/believed/said+that+ S+V
- Because=due to/owing to + the fact that + S+V: bởi vì
139
Body structure:
Body 1:
On the one hand, there are some benefits of …., one of which is that S + V
Body 2:
On the other hand, I am convinced that the drawbacks of …. are more significant. First,
S+V
Conclusion (kết bài): paraphrase lại câu thesis
In conclusion, I hold the belief that although … has/have some benefits, the drawbacks
eclipse the merits.
Eg: In conclusion, I hold the belief that although cheap products have some benefits, the drawbacks
eclipse the merits.
Cách phân tích ideas: Main idea => Supporting ideas => Example (nếu có)
- In other words, / to be more specific, S + V hoặc This is because/An explanation of this is

that S+V
- Therefore/As a result/Consequently, S + V hoặc This can lead to the fact that S + V/ This
may result in the fact that S+V
- For instance, /for example/ A clear example of this is that S+V => For instance, many
Vietnamese women now have skin related diseases (bệnh liên quan tới da) because they
use cheap cosmetics on the market without knowing their origins (nguồn gốc).
⇨ Full 1 idea trong body:
Cheap products usually have low quality. In other words, producers usually use low-quality
materials to create cheap items and attract more customers. As a result, people can suffer
from (chịu) many dangerous diseases including cancer. For instance, many Vietnamese
women now have skin-related diseases because they use cheap cosmetics on the market
without knowing their origins.
Chuyển ý giữa các ideas: Besides/ Furthermore/ In addition, S + V
140
It is believed that people nowadays can purchase items with more reasonable prices than before.
While I accept that this trend has some benefits, I believe that the disadvantages are more
significant.
On the one hand, there are some benefits of buying cheap items (= products), one of which is that
it helps buyers save money. To be more specific, when the price of products is low, people do not
have to spend much money buying things. Therefore, they can use money for other important
demands such as studying or travelling. In addition, cheaper goods (= products) can meet the basic
needs of people from all walks of life, especially the poor. This is because many people can buy
things they are interested in from food to clothes without having to worry about the price.
Therefore, their lives are happier. For example, a wide range of Vietnamese people can have a
meal full of delicious dishes because the food in this country is inexpensive.
On the other hand, I am convinced that the drawbacks of buying cheap goods are more significant.
First, cheap products usually have low quality. In other words, producers usually use low-quality
materials to create cheap items and attract more customers. As a result, people can suffer from
many dangerous diseases including cancer. For instance, many Vietnamese women now have skin-
related diseases because they use cheap cosmetics without knowing their origins. Besides, using
many cheap products can have a negative influence on the environment due to the fact that people
often buy many cheap items that they do not need to use. Consequently, in the long term, they can
throw away these items and pollute the environment.
In conclusion, I hold the belief that although cheap items have some benefits, the drawbacks
eclipse the merits.
2. Advertisements are becoming more and more common in every day life. What are the
advantages and disadvantages?
Opening: It is believed that the popularity of advertisements is increasing in people’s life today.
This essay aims to mention the merits and demerits of this trend.
Body 1: On the one hand, there are a wide range of benefits of advertisements, one of which is
that S V
Body 2: On the other hand, the shortcomings of advertisements are many. First, S V
141
Conclusion: In conclusion, I am convinced that advertisements bring both perks and demerits to
the community.
Exercise:
One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life
expectancy is increasing. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the
disadvantages?
142
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
Advertisements are becoming more and more common in every day life. Is it a negative or
positive development?
Opening: It is believed that the popularity of advertisements is increasing in people’s life today. I
believe that this trend is both advantageous and disadvantageous.
Body 1: On the one hand, there are a wide range of benefits of advertisements, one of which is
that S V
Body 2: On the other hand, the shortcomings of advertisements are many. First, S V
Conclusion: In conclusion, I am convinced that advertisements bring both perks and demerits to
the community
143
144
145
Exercise:
Some universities now offer their courses on the Internet so that people can study online. Is
this a positive or negative development?
146
DISCUSS BOTH VIEWS & GIVE YOUR OPINION
Eg: Some say that living in big cities is becoming more and more difficult. Others think it is
not. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Opening:
It is believed that…
Eg: It is believed that the increasing popularity of living in big cities makes people more difficult
to get used to, while some others think that it is becoming easier. In my opinion, I am of the opinion
that people find it more effortless when living in developed areas.
On the one hand, there are a wide range of reasons why it is often believed that S V, one
of which is that S V
Eg: On the one hand, there are a wide range of reasons why it is often believed that living in mega
cities (=big cities) is harder, one of which is that….
On the other hand, I am convinced that S V. First, (main idea 1)
Eg: On the other hand, I am convinced that life in big cities is easier. First,…
In conclusion, while some argue that S V, I hold the belief that S V
Eg: In conclusion, while some argue that living in mega cities is hard, I hold the belief that it is
easy.
Exercise:
Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful
career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school. Discuss both
views and give your opinion.
147
PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
More and more people do not ride bicycles as a mode of transportation even though it has a
lot of benefits. What are the causes and solutions?
CAUSES AND EFFECTS
Today more people are overweight than ever before. What in your opinion are the primary
causes of this? What are the main effects of this epidemic?
Opening:
People nowadays….
This essay aims to mention the reasons and measures of the aforementioned issue.
People nowadays do not prefer using bicycles anymore, which is considered as a healthy type of
transportation for both riders and the environment. This essay aims to mention the reasons and
measures of the aforementioned issue.
Body 1:
There are a wide range of reasons why S V (paraphrase lại đề), one of which is that S V
Body 2:
However, the solutions to this issue are many. First, S V
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the reasons why S V are because. However, strong measures such as +Ving and
Ving could be applied to tackle the situation.
Vocabs:
Solution=measure=method(n): giải pháp
Solve=tackle=address (v) giải quyết
148
Exercise:
An increasing number of professionals, such as doctors, teachers, are leaving their own
poorer countries to work in developed countries. What problem does this cause? What can
be done to deal with this situation?
149
2-QUESTION ESSAY or MIXED QUESTIONS
Eg: More and more young people from wealthy (=rich) countries are spending a short time
in communities in poorer countries doing unpaid work such as teaching or building houses.
Why? Who benefits from this, the community or these young people?
Opening:
This essay aims to V1 and V2
Eg: It is believed that the young from richer nations (=countries) come to poorer ones to do
voluntary work. This essay aims to mention the reasons for this trend and state (=say) who can
benefit from this.
Body 1:
There are a wide range of reasons why younger people from wealthy nations like to volunteer in
poor ones, one of which is that S V
Body 2:
I am convinced that both the community and the young can gain benefits from this trend. First, S
V
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the reasons why S V are because… and…. I believe that both the society and young
people can benefit from this trend.
Exercise:
Art is considered an important part of a society as well as an expression of its culture. Do
you think it is important for children to be taught art? Do you think children should be
encouraged to focus on art rather than other subjects?
150
OPINION (AGREE/ DISAGREE)
Eg: People think that news media has influenced people’s lives nowadays and it is a negative
development. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Opening: dạng này mở bài có 3 câu, khác vs những dạng trước chỉ có 2 câu.
In my opinion, I completely/partly agree/disagree with this statement/opinion/view…
Eg: It is believed that the increasing popularity of news media has some disadvantageous influence
on people’s life in recent years. In my opinion, I partly disagree with this view because of some
reasons mentioned below.
Body 1: On the one hand, S+V
Body 2: On the other hand, S+V
Conclusion: In conclusion, although …has/have some setbacks, I hold the belief that the
benefits eclipse the demerits.
Eg: In conclusion, I argue that S+V
Exercise:
1. Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge
negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
2. Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional or religious festivals;
during festival periods, people nowadays only want to enjoy themselves. To what
extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
3. Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with this statement?
151

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READING

True/ False/ Not given

True/ False/ Not given

True/ False/ Not given

Raising the Mary Rose Matching

Air pollution Yes/ No/ Not given

The Pompidou Centre Matching Sentence Endings

Yes/ No/ Not given

Reducing the Effects of Climate Change Table Completion

Stepwells Short Answer

True/ False/ Not given

Answer the questions

Whale strandings True/ False/ Not given

In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet. Write

TRUE it the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

2. Marie became interested in science when she was a child.

Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet.

Marie Curie’s research on radioactivity

Complete the notes below.

Write your answers in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.

• Around 3000 BC, according to legend:

- silkworm cocoon fell into emperor’s wife’s 1. ___________

• Only 3. ___________ were allowed to produce silk

• Only 4. __________ were allowed to wear silk

• Silk used as a form of 5. ___________

- e.g. farmers’ taxes consisted (bao gồm) partly of silk

• Silk used for many purposes (mục đích)

Take for granted: coi là hiển nhiên, ko biết quý trọng

Population: (n) dân số urgent: (a) khẩn cấp

Trend: (n) xu hướng accommodate: (v) thích hợp/ chứa

Estimate: (v) ước tính approach=method (n)

Feed: (v) cho ăn require=need (v)

Crop: (n) vụ mùa multi-storey: nhiều tầng (a)

Ensure: (v) đảm bảo situated in: nằm ở=located in

Concept: (n) khái niệm efficient: (a) hiệu quả

Construct =build (v) year-round: (a) quanh năm

Sacrifice: (v) hy sinh apply: (v) áp dụng

deserts: (n) sa mạc artificial: (a) nhân tạo

species: (n) loài, giống organic: (a) hữu cơ

majority: (n) đa số=most eliminate: (v) loại bỏ

climate: (n) khí hậu fertiliser: (n) phân bón

flood: (n) lũ lụt hurricanes = storm

available (a) sẵn có impact (n) ảnh hưởng

likelihood: (n) khả năng skyscraper (n) nhà chọc trời

detrimental: (a) có hại currently = now

Complete the sentences below.

Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

4. The consumption of ……………………….. would be cut because agricultural (nông nghiệp)

TRUE/ FALSE/ NOT GIVEN

12. Fertilisers will be needed for certain crops in vertical farms.

challenge (n) thử thách eventual =final: (a)

symbol (n) biểu tượng inspire (v) truyền cảm hứng

numerous (a) nhiều source (n) nguồn

submit (v) nộp

giant (a) khổng lồ consists of =include (v)

assemble (v) lắp ráp balance (v) cân bằng

structure (n) cấu trúc lift (v) = raise: nâng

so as to = in order to: để remove (v) lấy ra

Questions: True/False/Not Given

Label the diagram below.

Place 31. _ in the sea to encourage 32. _ to form