PART I.

LISTENING (50 pts)

Question 1. ( 20 pts) 2.0 points for each correct answer.
1. dry 2. extremely hard 3. carbon-based substances

4. roots 5. moist/ damp/ wet 6. variety 7. cattle

8. gardens/ gardening 9. cultivating grasses 10. payment/ payments/ money

Question 2. (10 pts) 2.0 points for each correct answer.

1. Around 800,000 2. A better climate 3. Their prime motivation
4. France 5. Low-cost airlines
Question 3. (10 pts) 2.0 points for each correct answer.
1. F 2. NG 3. F 4. T 5. F
Question 4. (10 pts) 2.0 points for each correct answer.
1. A 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. C
PART II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 pts)
Question 5. (15 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer.
1. D 2. B 3. B 4. D 5. A
6. C 7. C 8. C 9. A 10. D
11. A 12. B 13. C 14. D 15. B
Question 6. (10 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer.
1. highlights/highlighted 6. withdrawn

2. apportioned 7. inconsiderable

3. lengths 8. majority

4. Additionally 9. (re)payments

5. existing 10. irresponsible

Question 7. (5.0 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer.

1. strict → strictly 2. receiving → received 3. masses → mass
4. little → few 5. depend → depending

Whirlwind, any rotating air mass, (0) include the tornado and the large cyclonic and
anti-cyclonic storm. In meteorology, the term whirlwind is more strict applied to
the smaller swirling atmospheric phenomenon commonly known as dust devil or
dust whirl, which occurs mostly over deserts and semiarid plains during hot, calm
days. The principal cause of whirlwinds is intense insulation, or incoming solar
radiation receiving by the earth, which produces an overheated air mass just above
the ground. This air masses rises, usually in the form of a cylindrical column,
sucking up loose surface material, such as dust, sand, and leaves. Whirlwinds vary
in height from 30 to 152 m, but exceptionally vigorous dust devils may exceed 1524
m in height. The vortices of whirlwinds range in size from a little meters to several
hundred meters and, depend on their force and size, dust devils may disappear in
seconds or last several hours. Brief whirlwinds are erratic in motion, but the longer-
lasting ones move slowly with the prevailing winds.

PART III. READING (60 pts)

Question 8: (10 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer

1. D 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. C
6. D 7. C 8. C 9. A 10. B

Question 9: (10 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer

1. never/rarely 6. out

2. to 7. take

3. once 8. at

4. go 9. Turning

5. themselves 10. showing

Question 10: (10 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. A

6. A 7. C 8. B 9. D 10. D

Question 11: (20 pts) 2.0 points for each correct answer
1. ii 2. vii 3. i 4. v 5. vi
6. False 7. True 8. NOT GIVEN
9. vertical integration 10. movie moguls

Question 12. (10 pts) 1.0 point for each correct answer

1. A 2. A 3. B 4. D 5. D

6. C 7. C 8. B 9. B 10. A

PART IV. WRITING (60 pts)

Question 13: Writing a summary: (10 pts)
1. Completion: 1 pts
- Neither too long nor too short
2. Content: 3 pts
- Cover the original as a whole.
- Be presented in a neutral fashion.
3. Organization: 2 pts
- The ideas are well-organized
4. Language: 2 pts
- Present the ideas in your own words
- Use a wide range of vocabulary
- Good grammar & structures
- Easy to understand
5. Punctuation and spelling: 2 pts
Question 14: (20 pts)

1. Completion: 4 pts

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 2. Content: 5 pts

- Cover the main information in the chart yet not go into too many details.

- Make general remarks and effective comparisons.

3. Organisation: 4 pts

- The ideas are well organized

- The description is sensibly divided into paragraphs

4. Language: 4pts

- Use a wide range of vocabulary and structure

- Good grammar

5. Punctuation and spelling: 3 pts

Question 15: (35 pts)

1. Content: (40%) - Providing all main ideas and details as required

- Communicating intentions sufficiently and
effectively

2. Language: (40%) - Demonstration of a variety of vocabulary and

structures appropriate to the level of English
language gifted upper-secondary school
students
- Good use and control of grammatical structures
- Good punctuation and no spelling mistakes
- Legible handwriting

3. Organization and - Ideas are well organized and presented with

Presentation: (20%) coherence, cohesion, and clarity
- The essay is well-structured

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 TAPESCRIPTS
Question 1

As we saw in the last lecture, a major cause of climate change is the rapid rise in the
level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the last century. If we could reduce
the amount of CO2, perhaps the rate of climate change could also be slowed down.
One potential method involves enhancing the role of the soil that plants grow in, with
regard to absorbing CO2. Rattan Lai, a soil scientist from Ohio State University, in the
USA, claims that the world’s agricultural soils could potentially absorb 13 per cent of
the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – the equivalent of the amount released in the
last 30 years. And research is going on into how this might be achieved.

Lai first came to the idea that soil might be valuable in this way not through an
interest in climate change, but rather out of concern for the land itself and the people
dependent on it. Carbon-rich soil is dark, crumbly and fertile, and retains some water.
But erosion can occur if soil is dry, which is a likely effect if it contains inadequate
amounts of carbon. Erosion is of course bad for people trying to grow crops or breed
animals on that terrain. In the 1970s and ‘80s. Lai was studying soils in Africa so
devoid of organic matter that the ground had become extremely hard like cement.
There he met a pioneer in the study of global warming, who suggested that carbon
from the soil had moved into the atmosphere. This is now looking increasingly likely.

Let me explain. For millions of years, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have
been regulated, in part, by a natural partnership between plants and microbes – tiny
organisms in the soil. Plants absorb CO2 from the air and transform it into sugars and
other carbon-based substances. While a proportion of these carbon products remain in
the plant, some transfer from the roots to fungi and soil microbes, which store the
carbon in the soil.

The invention of agriculture some 10,000 years ago disrupted these ancient soil-
building processes and led to the loss of carbon from the soil. When humans started
draining the natural topsoil, and ploughing it up for planting, they exposed the buried
carbon to oxygen. This created carbon dioxide and released it into the air. And in
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some places, grazing by domesticated animals has removed all vegetation, releasing
carbon into the air. Tons of carbon have been stripped from the world’s soils – where
it’s needed – and pumped into the atmosphere.

So what can be done? Researchers are now coming up with evidence that even
modest changes to farming can significantly help to reduce the amount of carbon in
the atmosphere.

Some growers have already started using an approach known as regenerative

agriculture. This aims to boost the fertility of soil and keep it moist through
established practices. These include keeping fields planted all year round, and
increasing the variety of plants being grown. Strategies like these can significantly
increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil, so agricultural researchers are now
building a case for their use in combating climate change.

One American investigation into the potential for storing CO 2 on agricultural lands is
taking place in California. Soil scientist Whendee Silver of the University of
California, Berkeley, is conducting a first-of-its-kind study on a large cattle farm in
the state. She and her students are testing the effects on carbon storage of the compost
that is created from waste – both agricultural, including manure and cornstalks, and
waste produced in gardens, such as leaves, branches, and lawn trimmings.

In Australia, soil ecologist Christine Jones is testing another promising soil-

enrichment strategy. Jones and 12 farmers are working to build up soil carbon by
cultivating grasses that stay green all year round. Like composting, the approach has
already been proved experimentally: Jones now hopes to show that it can be applied
on working farms and the resulting carbon capture can be accurately measured.

It’s hoped in the future that projects such as these will demonstrate the role that
farmers and other land managers can play in reducing the harmful effects of
greenhouse gases. For example, in countries like the United States, where most
farming operations use large applications of fertilizer, changing such long-standing
habits will require a change of system. Rattan Lai argues that farmers should receive

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payment not just for the corn or beef they produce, but also for the carbon they can
store in their soil.

Another study being carried out …

Question 2

Speaker: Attracted by the prospect of their own place in the sun and an easy way of
making money, the number of British people owning a second home abroad is
booming as never before. Around 800,000 British households now own a second
home abroad, up by 15 percent since June 2004, according to research published this
week.

The boom has been fuelled by television programmes about people buying abroad
and assisted by the rise in property values in Britain, low interest rates and the
availability of cheap no-thrill flights. A better climate remains the main reason, with
more than half of the nearly 2,000 people questioned giving that as their principal
reason for buying overseas. However, an increasing number are seeking to invest in
new-builds, with 40 percent of respondents saying that making money was their
prime motivation, while 38 percent wanted a future retirement property and
somewhere to take their family. A senior financial analyst said that the property
boom has increased levels of housing equity while the low interest rate environment
has allowed other prospective property purchasers to take advantage of relatively
cheap borrowing.

Overall, Spain remains the most popular destination for living abroad, with 43
percent naming it as their preferred location; next is France, followed by Australia
and Italy. Despite the increased interest in eastern European countries, they still
remain a target for a minority, with only 7 percent choosing such destinations.

People like Bulgaria, because it is a short flight from London, enjoys a

Mediterranean-style climate in summer as well as skiing in the winter. It has safe
swimming in the Black Sea and boasts the cheapest property prices in Europe.

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Additionally, it is about to join the EU and low-cost airlines are expected to expand
their routes there.

However, many of the latest wave of buyers plunged in without considering the
consequences after watching television programmes. Generally, it tends to work
better if you want a holiday home rather than an investment, because a lot of people
don’t realise that tax and inheritance laws are different abroad. Plus, ownership rights
can also be problematic.

Question 3

Presenter: We have in the studio today Vernon Hall, an expert on theater history, to
tell us all about Helen Perry, one of the greatest actresses of all time.

Vernon: Helen Perry was born in 1847, right in the middle of the nineteenth century,
when the theatre was the main form of public entertainment. Her acting career didn’t
actually get off to a very promising start, which was not surprising given that acting
was considered an unsuitable career for a young woman. So she waited until she was
22 before going on stage, to avoid her parents’ disapproval.

Once on the stage, she found that she had other problems. Although her first part was
very small, she had great trouble learning the lines and, according to her, this was
something she found difficult throughout her acting career. However, this did not
prevent her from becoming an incredibly successful actress. people who saw her act
said that the thing that made her so special was her voice – apparently, it had an
almost hypnotic quality. However, it nearly brought her career to an abrupt end when
she was in her fifties. Her voice just got lower and huskier and she quite often lost it
when she had a cold. Finally she had a very risky throat operation – which paid off,
because she went on acting for another 25 years after that.

Helen Perry is now remembered as a great classical actress but she was actually very
skilful. She was, for example, a great comedy actress which was what really gave her
broad popular appeal. And she was immensely popular. At the height of her fame,
people could buy all sorts of mementos like postcards and paperweights with her

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picture on. She was one of the first stars to have a perfume named in her honour, and
that brand, simple called “Helen”, remained on sale until quite recently.

It’s always been known that several famous plays were written for her, but what isn’t
so well-known is that she had literary talent herself because we have the letters she
exchanged with on writer and they show she had great style and wit.

Some people feel that she should have retired earlier, when she was at her peak, but
personally, I disagree. We have no film of her acting, of course, but from the reviews
of her performances towards the end of her career we can see that although she had
difficulty walking, she is still described as magnetic.

She picked up quite a few honorary degrees from various universities, something
which had never happened to an actress before. She was pleased to get academic
recognition, of course, but what really pleased her was the way that the audiences
loved her, and that was all the recognition she really needed. She’ll certainly never be
forgotten.

Question 4

Greg: Serving more than 200,000 meals a year would be a challenge for any chef,
but step up constraints of time, space and a demand for culinary excellence and you
have the life of a railway chef. Chris and Jane, the idea of having to cook in cramped
surroundings, with limited ingredients and a very tight schedule, as you did in the
recent competition, must have been a terrifying prospect …

Chris: Well, hardly – I actually operate under those restrictions every day!

Jane: That’s true, of course, we both do – but there’s always the added danger that
things can go wrong, and the challenge of preparing a top-quality, three-course meal
for four – which costs no more than £50 – and in front of all those judges!

Greg: Well, Jane, you were a runner up and Chris came first. I gather you faced some
stiff competition from the other finalists.

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Jane: No doubt about that. All the chefs who entered the competition were brilliant in
their own way – but someone has to win! But the real problem is trying to be creative
as the train hurtles through the countryside at over 100 miles an hour – there’s little
room for mistakes – and you have to be able to keep your balance!

Chris: Actually, I’d only been a railway chef for three months. And I can tell you
that life on board is no easy ride. There’s no nipping out to get the extra bunch of
parsley, or a lemon.

Greg: But you’re used to working under pressure all the same, aren’t you? How do
you set about being organized?

Chris: You’ve just got to make sure you’re focused on the job. Being able to keep an
eye on a dozen things at once is also an advantage!

Greg: But do you actually enjoy what you’re doing?

Jane: There’s plenty of scope to express yourself as a chef in the job – and the open
kitchen means that customers will often compliment you personally on the food.
That’s one of the biggest highlights of the job.

Chris: I’d certainly go along with that. Very few restaurant chefs have the chance to
experience that.

Greg: And what about the menus, who decides what to cook?

Jane: They’re decided in advance for the whole railway network by two extremely
famous chefs, who are actually brothers. I suppose we both find it restricting.

Chris: Hmm. I do get a bit frustrated from time to time – think I could be a little
more adventurous – but it’s all a question of adaptability – which I suspect Jane is
better at than I am!

Jane: Not at all – I can be quite inflexible when the mood takes me!

Greg: So what would be a typical routine for you both?

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Chris: You have to start at around 5.30 in the morning – check that all the ingredients
have been delivered – then it’s a mad rush to get everything ready.

Jane: And precious little time to rest any other time during the day, as you often have
to set tables on other trains and help other staff. Timing’s particularly tight, you see.
In other restaurants orders come in and go out over two or three hours, but we have to
turn round before the passengers reach their stations. It’s all a bit nerve-racking.

Greg: So what motivated you to do this in the first place?

Chris: I’ve been on the move ever since I left college. So when I got engaged, I
decided it was time to settle down. So when I saw this job, this seemed a reasonable
compromise between personal commitments and my reluctance to stay in one place.

Jane: For me it was something that just caught my eye – not just ordinary run-of-the-
mill stuff. And, if you get the time, you get a good view out of the windows!

Greg: And how do you stop things from spilling over when the train moves?

Chris: It’s not a problem for me. I was a chef on a liner, so I’ve got plenty of
experience of cookery in motion!

Jane: Yes, but I think it helps if you only half fill saucepans with boiling water –
even so, they often spill over and you start saying nasty things to yourself about the
driver – and it’s not usually his fault!

Chris: Let’s just say that you quickly learn not to put things under the grill without
keeping an eye on them!

Greg: Has either of you had any major disasters?

Chris: [laughs] I’d only been in the job for three days and I had this huge roast in the
over. I opened the door, turned around for a moment, distracted, I suppose, and it just
flew out. Fortunately it landed in the sink, so it was okay.

Greg: And what qualities would you say it was necessary for a railway chef to have?

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Jane: From my point of view, dedication and determination – you won’t get
anywhere without these!

Chris: And, let’s admit it! – a sense of humor. There have been times when I would
have resigned long ago if I hadn’t had that!

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