IPS8.01.CQ.

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HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY TERM VIII TEST ON

INTEGRATED PRACTICAL SKILLS
FOR MAJOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH
Test Number: 01
Time allowance: 120 minutes
PART I: LISTENING SKILLS ( 30 minutes)
Section 1: You will hear short conversations between two people. After each conversation,
you will hear a question about the conversation. Listen carefully and choose the best answer.
You will hear the conversation once. (15 points)
1. (A) The coffee is much better this morning.
(B) He’s feeling bitter this morning.
(C) The coffee isn’t very good.
(D) He cannot taste the butter.
2. (A) The two classes meet in an hour and a half.
(B) The class meets three hours per week.
(C) Each half of the class is an hour long.
(D) Two times a week the class meets for an hour.
3. (A) A few minutes ago, the flight departed.
(B) The flight will start in a while.
(C) They are frightened about the departure.
(D) The plane is going to take off soon.
4. (A) He hasn’t yet begun his project.
(B) He’s supposed to do his science project next week.
(C) He needs to start working on changing the due date.
(D) He’s been working steadily on his science project.
5. (A) At the post office.
(B) In the florist shop.
(C) In a restaurant.
(D) In a hospital delivery room.
6. (A) The professor drowned the cells in a lab.
(B) The topic was presented in a boring way.
(C) The professor divided the lecture into parts.
(D) The biologist tried to sell the results of the experiment.
7. (A) She needs to get a driver’s license.
(B) It is impossible to cash a check without two pieces of identification.
(C) The man should check to see if he needs credit.
(D) A credit card can be used to get a driver’s license.
8. (A) Housing within his budget is hard to locate.
(B) It’s hard to find his house in New York.
(C) He can’t afford to move his house to New York.
(D) Housing in New York is unavailable.
9. (A) The boss was working on the reports.
(B) He would have to finish the reports before the end of the month.
(C) He was directed to stay late and finish some work.

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(D) He could finish the reports at home.

10. (A) The boisterous students made the teacher mad.
(B) The teacher angered the students with the exam results.
(C) The students were angry that the teacher was around.
(D) The angered students complained to the teacher.
11. (A) The prices are reasonable.
(B) The store is too far out of town.
(C) He would like the woman to repeat what he said.
(D) He agrees with the woman.
12. (A) It has rarely rained this much.
(B) It hardly rained this year.
(C) It is barely raining this year.
(D) It seldom rains so little.
13. (A) He needs to do a better job writing questions.
(B) His writing must certainly be improved.
(C) Without the questions, he cannot write the answers.
(D) He needs to understand the written questions better.
14. (A) The agent was standing in line with his passport.
(B) The line to get new passports is very long.
(C) The woman must wait her turn to get her passport checked.
(D) He can check her passport instead of the agent.
15. (A) He couldn’t finish closing the library book.
(B) He hadn’t finished the library assignment, but he was close.
(C) He was working on the assignment when the library closed.
(D) His homework was incomplete because the library wasn’t open.

Section 2 Complete the notes below.

Write No More Than Three Words or A Number for each answer. You will hear the
conversation once. (5 points)
EVENT DETAILS
Type of event: Example Dragon Boat Race
Race details
Day & Date: 16…………………………………….
Place: Brighton 17…………………………………
Registration time: 18……………………………….
Sponsorship
Aim to raise over 19………………………… as a team and a free T-shirt
Free Prize Draw for trip to 20……………………………
Team details
Must have crew of 20 and elect a 21……………………..
Under 18s need to have 22…………………………….to enter
Need to hire 23………………………………………
Advised to bring extra 24……………………………….
Must choose a 25…………………………………… for the team

Section 3 Complete the notes below.

Write No More Than Three Words or A Number for each answer. You will hear the

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conversation once. (10 points)

Procedure for Bookshops

Keep database of course/ college details.
In May, request 26……………………….. from lectures.
Categorize books as: - essential reading
- 27…………………………..
- Background reading
When ordering, refer to last year’s 28………………………………….
- Type of course
- Students’ 29……………………………………
- Own judgement
Procedure for Publishers
Send 30…………………………….. to course providers
Use websites
Compose personal 31…………………… to academic staff
Send 32……………………….. to bookstores
Students
Main objective is to find books that are good 33………………………
Also look for books that are 34……………………and 35……………….

PART 2 READING SKILLS ( 45 minutes)

Section 1 Read the following passage and choose the best answer. ( 9 points)
Questions 1-9

These stories of killer bees in the news in recent years have attracted a lot of attention as
the bees have made their way from South America to North America. Killer bees are
reputed to be extremely aggressive in nature, although experts say that their aggression
may have been somewhat inflated.
The killer bee is a hybrid- or combination -of the very mild European strain of honeybee
and the considerably more aggressive African bee, which was created when the African
strain was imported into Brazil in 1955. The African bees were brought into Brazil
because their aggression was considered an advantage: they were far more productive
than their European counterparts in that they spent a higher percentage of their time
working and continued working longer in inclement weather than did the European bees.
These killer bees have been known to attack humans and animals, and some fatalities
have occurred. Experts point out, however, that the mixed breed known as the killer bee is
actually not at all as aggressive as the pure African bee. They also point out that the
attacks have a chemical cause. A killer bee stings only when it has been disturbed; it is
not aggressive by nature. However, after a disturbed bee stings and flies away, it leaves its
stinger embedded in the victim. In the vicera attached to the embedded stinger is the
chemical isoamyl acetate, which has an odor that attracts other bees.
As other bees approach the victim of the original sting, the victim tends to panic, thus
disturbing other bees and causing them to sting. The new stings create more of the
chemical isoamyl acetate, which attracts more bees and increases the panic level of the

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victim. Killer bees tend to travel in large clusters or swarms and thus respond in large
numbers to the production of isoamyl acetate.
1. The subject of the preceding paragraph was most likely
A. ways of producing honey
B. stories in the media about killer bees
C. the chemical nature of killer bee attacks
D. the creation of the killer bee
2. The main idea of this passage is that killer bees
A. have been in the news a lot recently
B. have been moving unexpectedly rapidly through the Americas
C. are not as aggressive as their reputation suggests
D. are a hybrid rather than a pure breed
3. The word "inflated" could best be replaced by
A. Exaggerated
B. Blown
C. Aired
D. Burst
4. It can be inferred from the passage that the killer bee
A. traveled from Brazil to Africa in 1955
B. was a predecessor of the African bee
C. was carried from Africa to Brazil in 1955
D. did not exist early in the twentieth century
5. Why were African bees considered beneficial?
A. They produced an unusual type of honey
B. They spent their time traveling.
C. They were very aggressive.
D. They hid from inclement weather.
6. A "hybrid" is
A. a mixture
B. a relative
C. a predecessor
D. an enemy
7. It is stated in the passage that killer bees
A. are more deadly than African bees
B. are less aggressive than African bees
C. never attack animals
D. always attack African bees
8. The pronoun "They' refers to
A. killer bees
B. humans and animals
C. fatalities
D. experts
9. What is NOT mentioned in the passage as a contributing factor in an attack by killer
bees?
A. Panic by the victim
B. An odorous chemical

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C. Disturbance of the bees

D. Inclement weather

Section 2 Read the following passage and choose the best answer. ( 10 points)

Questions 10- 20
Mount Rushmore is a well-known monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota that
features the countenances of four United States presidents: Washington, Jefferson,
Roosevelt, and Lincoln. What is not so well known is that the process of creating this
national treasure was not exactly an uneventful one.
Mount Rushmore was the project of the visionary sculptor John Gutzen de la Mothe
Borglum, who was born in Idaho but studied sculpture in Paris in his youth and
befriended the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin. In 1927 Borglum was granted a
commission by the federal government to create the sculpture on Mount Rushmore.
Though he was nearly sixty years old when he started, he was undaunted by the enormity
of the project and the obstacles that it engendered. He optimistically asserted that the
project would be completed within five years, not caring to recognize the potential
problems that such a massive project would involve, the problems of dealing with
financing, with government bureaucracy, and with Mother Nature herself. An example of
what Mother Nature had to throw at the project was the fissure-or large crack-that
developed in the granite where Jefferson was being carved. Jefferson had to be moved to
the other side of Washington, next to Roosevelt because of the break in the stone. The
work that had been started on the first Jefferson had to be dynamited away.
Mount Rushmore was not completed within the five years predicted by Borglum and was
in fact not actually completed within Borglum's lifetime, although it was almost finished.
Borglum died on March 6, 1941, at the age of seventy-four, after fourteen years of work
on the presidents. His son, Lincoln Borglum, who had worked with his father throughout
the project, completed the monument within eight months of his father's death..
10. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. Mount Rushmore was a huge project filled with numerous obstacles.
B. Mount Rushmore is a famous American monument.
C. Mount Rushmore has sculptures of four United States presidents on it.
D. John Gutzen de la Mothe Borglum created Mount Rushmore.
11. Which of the following best describes the relationship between Borglum and Rodin in
Borglum's early years?
A. Borglum studied about Rodin in Paris.
B. Borglum was far more famous than Rodin as a sculptor.
C. Borglum and Rodin were born and raised in the same place.
D. Borglum and Rodin were friends
12. The word "nearly” could best be replaced by which of the following.
A. Over
B. Closely
C. Almost
D. Barely
13. Which of the following is NOT true about Borglum?
A. He began Mount Rushmore around the age of sixty.

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B. He predicted that Mount Rushmore would be finished around 1932.

C. Mount Rushmore was finished when Borglum predicted it would be.
D. Borglum worked on Mount Rushmore for more than a decade.
14. It can be inferred from the passage that Borglum was someone who
A. expected the best to happen
B. set realistic goals
C. never tried anything too challenging
D. was always afraid that bad things were going to happen
15. A "fissure" is a
A. discoloration
B. break
C. unevenness
D. softness
16. Why does the author mention the fact that the carving of Thomas Jefferson was
moved?
A. It shows what a perfectionist Borglum was.
B. It demonstrates Borglum's artistic style.
C. It gives insight into Jefferson's character.
D. It is an example of a problem caused by nature.
17. The pronoun "it" refers to which of the following?
A. The first Jefferson
B. Mount Rushmore
C. Borglum's lifetime
D. Fourteen years of work
18. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the expression "within eight
months of his father’s death"?
A. More than eight months before his father's death
B. Less than eight months before his father's death
C. Less than eight months after his father's death
D. More than eight months after his father's death
19. This passage would most likely be assigned reading in a course on
A. art history
B. geography
C. management
D. government

Section 3: Questions 20 - 32

SEADRAGON SEARCH

In appearance, they are unmistakably dragons, but in other ways, these delicate creatures of the
sea bear little resemblance to their fierce, mythical namesake. They are only 45 cm long, fragile,
harmless and vulnerable. Belonging to the same family as seahorses, seadragons come in two
different species: 'weedy' (resembling blades of brown seaweed) and the more showy and more
endangered 'leafy' (looking like aquatic 'leaves'). They are found only in coastal southern
Australian waters and because they resemble swaying seaweed, they can be difficult to find in
their natural habitat.

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Though well camouflaged, their brilliant colours are visible in sun-dappled waters. Both species
inhabit rocky reefs, seaweed beds and seagrass meadows colonised by seaweed. They are most
often seen in shallow coastal waters. Camouflage is their only protection. Otherwise seadragons
are poorly equipped for fleeing from pursuers. The outer skin is composed of solid bony plates,
which limit mobility. The only way they can propel themselves along is through rapidly
oscillating their ventral and dorsal fins. Like seahorses, they possess an internal air bladder, used
for vertical motion. With little effort, they can rise or settle to another depth simply by changing
the air volume within the bladder. Because they blend easily with the background, seadragons are
agile enough to hunt down tiny shrimps, their main quarry.

Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about seadragons is that it is actually the male of the
species which carries the young. During mating, the female lays 100 - 250 eggs onto the
underside of the male's tail, where they are attached and fertilised. After a period of about four to
six weeks from conception, the male 'gives birth' to miniature juvenile versions of itself. As soon
as a baby seadragon leaves the safety of its father's tail, it is independent and receives no further
help from its parents.

There is increasing concern about the future of these vulnerable and fragile creatures. Both
seadragons and their close relatives, seahorses, are threatened globally by habitat destruction. The
inshore areas of seagrass they inhabit are threatened by pollution and excessive fertilizer run off.
Each year, an estimated 20 million seahorses (but not seadragons) are taken for traditional Asian
medicines. The international trade in seahorses involves more than 30 countries and is growing.
Fortunately, seadragons currently are not used for the medicine trade; however, they have been
targeted by the aquarium fish trade. Unscrupulous 'collectors' have denuded the more accessible
seagrass areas of this amazing creature .
Keeping live seadragons is extremely difficult and collectors often target males with eggs,
hatching out and selling the young. Removing breeding animals from the wild populations may
have an impact on local populations of seadragons. To date, no successful, closed cycle, captive
breeding program has occurred. There has not yet been a generation of captive seadragons which
has bred. Economically and environmentally it makes sense to limit collection and export of this
species until more is known about them. Because seadragons require live food and an exact water
temperature, most die quickly in captivity. It is illegal to take or export them without a permit.
Concerned by the rapidly decreasing numbers of the leafy seadragons, the Department of
Fisheries declared it a totally protected species in 1991.
It is for these reasons that Dragon Search has been initiated. This community-based monitoring
program involves nearly 20 organizations around Australia. The project encourages members of
the community to provide information on seadragon sightings. Recreational divers and
snorkellers are invited to record sightings of seadragons in their dive logs and transfer relevant
information to Dragon Search sighting sheets. Likewise, anyone who visit the beach and spots
either live seadragons in the water or their remains washed up on shore may also participate. The
information submitted is entered into a confidential database and is used to encourage the
protection of these wonderful creatures and to promote the establishment of marine reserves. It is
hoped that increased awareness and involvement of local communities will help prevent

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poaching of seadragons and encourage protection of both species and their habitat.
Questions 20-25
Look at the following statements. Write:
TRUE if the statement is true according to the passage
FALSE if the statement is false according to the passage
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this in the passage
20. Seadragons are found all around the Australian coast. False
21. Weedy seadragons are more common than leafy seadragons. True
22. Body armour gives seadragons effective protection from predators. False
23. The air bladder enables seadragons to move with great speed. False
24. Eggs are laid by the male seadragon. False
25. The male and female stay together to look after the eggs. Not given
Questions 26-30

Choose the Correct letter A-D.

26. Which of the following is NOT a threat to the survival of seadragons?
A. habitat destruction
B. difficulty of breeding in captivity
C. use in Chinese medicine
D. the aquarium trade
27. Seadragons do NOT do well in captivity because...
A. they require warm water.
B. they are difficult to catch without injury.
C. they die quickly when stressed.
D. they only eat live food.
28. Breeding of captive seadragons has been...
A. against the law.
B. unsuccessful.
C. limited.
D. a growing industry.
29. It is illegal to …
A. capture leafy seadragons.
B. trade in seadragons.
C. keep seadragons in aquarium.
D. export seadragon.
30. One purpose of Dragon Search is…
A. to capture live seadragons.
B. to help divers locate seadragons.
C. to move seadragons to safer areas.
D. to increase public awareness of seadragons.
Questions 31-32
Answer the following using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

31. What can public involvement in Dragon Search help to stop?

Poaching seadragons
....................................................................................................................
32. What do the organizers of Dragon Search hope to set up?
Protect seadragons habitat
.....................................................................................................................

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PART 3 WRITING SKILLS ( 45 minutes)

Section 1 ( 10 points)
Write a letter to a friend who has invited you to stay with them in their country. In your
letter, you should:
- thank your friend for their invitation,
- say when you are likely to visit, and
- say what you would like to do during your visit.

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin the letter as follows:
Dear….

Section 2 Write an essay about the topic: ( 25 points)

Some people argue that it is more important to have an enjoyable job than to earn a
lot of money. Others disagree and think that a good salary leads to a better life.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience. Write at least 250 words.

The end