MIXED EXERCISES 2

I. Choose A, B, C or D that best fits each blank in the sentences

1. It’s _______ whether Sam will be well enough to play in the championship on Sunday.
A. hanging by a thread: B. touch and go C. from left field D. out of bounds
- Touch and go: uncertain.
- St hang by a thread: cái gì trong tình trạng nguy hiểm, khó vượt qua.
2. This is an _______ version of Shakespeare's works, as most of the plays have been shortened.
A. affiliated B. abridged C. accredited D. aspiring
- Affiliated(adj): closely connected to or controlled by a group or an organization.
- Abridged(adj): made shorter by having some details or less important information removed
3. I’m a _______ at this game -I only learned to play it a few weeks ago.
A. novelty B. novice C. learner D. newcomer
- Novice(n): a person who is not experienced in a job or situation.
4. All hotel guests must _______ by the rules if they want to vacation here.
A. abide B. adhere C. comply D. submit
5. As much as I’d like to help you, it’s completely _______. I’m much too busy.
A. out of the blue B. out of the question C. out of sight D. out of pocket
6. The opposition party won the election on a _______ of economic reform.
A. lectern B. podium C. platform D. dogma
7. Linda was _______ when she heard that her business proposal had been rejected.
A. at arm’s length B. arm in arm C. up in arms: be very angry D. an arm and a leg
8. The drifter leads a _______ existence, having no job and very little money.
A. from day to day B. hand-to-mouth C. hard to come by D. thin on the ground
- Hand-to-mouth(adj): sống chật vật.
- Be thin on the ground: to exist in small numbers or amounts.
9. The company expects to resume production of the vehicle again after a two-month _______.
A. obstruction B. inconvenience C. hiatus D. distraction
- Hiatus(n): a short pause in which nothing happens or is said. /haɪˈeɪ.təs/
10. The fans at the Super Bowl were getting rowdy before the explosive _______ between the rival football teams.
A. homerun B. showdown C. knockout D. fisticuffs
11. Joseph regretted offending his colleague and insisted that his actions were not _______.
A. contorted B. malicious C. heartfelt D. malformed
- Contorted(adj): complicated and hard to believe or understand.
- Malicious(adj): intended to harm or upset other people.
- Malformed(adj): (used especially of part of the body) wrongly formed.
- Heartfelt(adj): sincere.
12. There was considerable speculation concerning the _______ election which would divide the senate.
A. futuristic B. forthcoming C. foreboding D. fortuitous
- Foreboding(n,adj): a feeling that something very bad is going to happen soon.
- Fortuitous(adj): happening by chance, especially a lucky chance that brings a good result. /fɔːˈtjuːɪtəs/
13. Christina _______ herself to a career of office drudgery.
A. assigned B. commissioned C. resigned D. subdued
14. The blood pressure medication is known to leave a _______ metallic taste in the mouth.
A. lingering B. haunting C. remaining D. loitering
- To loiter: to stand or wait somewhere especially with no obvious reason.
15. The accountant _______ the company out of millions of dollars before he was caught.
A. swindled B. spun C. dwindled D. saddled
- To swindle: to cheat somebody in order to get something, especially money, from them.
16. Every year, thousands of dolphins and other marine animals die from getting _______ in fishing nets.
A. tangled B. tumbled C. jumbled D. stumbled
- Jumbled(adj): mixed together in a confused or untidy way.
- To get tangled in st: to be caught in a difficult situation.
17. The witness's testimony to this scandal will _______ the governor’s reputation and his image as a good politician.
A. burnish B. varnish C. garnish D. tarnish: damage
18. The police officer asked the victim to describe the appearance of his _______.
A. invader B. assailant C. aggressor D. assassin
- Aggressor(n): kẻ công kích, kẻ gây sự.
- Assailant(n): a person who attacks somebody, especially physically.
- Assassin(n): a person who murders somebody important or famous, for money or for political reasons.
19. _______ the existing IT equipment in the office would cost a substantial amount of money.
A. Elevating B. Refining C. Advancing D. Upgrading
20. I _______ her advice about the proposal because she’s very knowledgeable about these matters.
A. consented B. pleaded C. solicited D. awarded
21. Entire sections of the coastal city were _______ by the repeated bombings during the war.
A. dismantled B. obliterated C. obscured D. extinguished
22. The judge's sentence is _______ and cannot be changed.
A. incongruous B. invariable C. irrevocable D. irreconcilable
- Irrevocable(adj): final, cannot be changed.
23. It’s the chairperson's _______ to reject the proposal, as she is the one in charge.
A. advantage B. instigation C. prerogative D. exemption
- Prerogative(n): đặc quyền.
- Instigation(n): the act of causing something to begin or happen.
24. It was _______ that Henry would fail his final exams because he hadn't even opened up his books all semester.
A. indelible B. inevitable C. inconceivable D. incomprehensible
- Indelible(adj): impossible to forget or remove.
25. Although there were a few absentees at the conference, the speakers did their jobs _______ well.
A. concisely B. functionally C. fundamentally D. impeccably
- Impeccably(adv): perfectly.
26. Most people can recall at least one experience where they felt _______ anger and vowed to take revenge.
A. vigorous B. vindictive C. indicative D. impervious
- Vindictive(adj): having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.
27. The new body cream works immediately to help _______ cracking and smooth away dry skin.
A. abolish B. absolve C. agitate D. alleviate
28. Sandra must be very _______ to be able to ignore all of her colleague’s rude remarks.
A. single-minded B. two-faced C. short-sighted D. thick-skinned
29. The professor is so _______ with grading papers that despite working diligently the last few hours, she feels that
she’s not making much headway.
A. laid back B. taken back C. held out D. bogged down
- To bog down someone/something: to prevent someone or something from moving on or progressing.
30. The machine is producing a signal that is _______ with radio reception.
A. interfering B. interspersing C. insuring D. ensuring
31. They _______ to represent the wishes of the majority of parents at the school.
A. refute B. purport C. conflict D. convict
- To purport to be/do st: to pretend to be or to do something, especially in a way that is not easy to believe.
32. On the wall of the castle one can see the family _______ which consists of a coat of arms and a unique heraldic
design.
A. token B. insignia C. crest D. seal
- Crest(n): a design used as the symbol of a particular family, organization, etc., especially one that has a long
history.
33. Customers are tempted to break _______ with so many alluring products available online.
A. the ice B. the mold C. the cycle D. the bank
- To break the mold: to be new and different.
- To break the bank: chi tiêu quá nhiều.
34. The smell of freshly baked bread _______ fond memories of her childhood days.
A. evicted B. evoked C. evolved D. evaded
35. One of the defendants _______ and was on the run until his arrest.
A. jumped bail B. made bail C. stood bail D. posted bail
- To jump bail: vắng mặt tại phiên tòa.
36. The business started off small, but now has become a large media and entertainment _______.
A. metropolis B. conglomerate C. coalition D. alliance
- Conglomerate(n): tập đoàn.
37. The corporation is _______ for damages if there is an accident at the workplace.
A. bound B. obliged C. liable D. charged
38. Shakespeare’s _______ is still evident today; his plays are performed all over the world.
A. legacy B. inheritance C. thesis D. heritage
- Legacy(n): something that somebody has done successfully and that has positive effects even after they retire
or die.
39. The crowd of environmentalists_______ their slogans all day long at the protest march.
A. shrilled B. murmured C. chanted D. grumbled
- To chant: to sing or shout the same words or phrases many times.
40. _______ taxes is considered to be an illegal offense.
A. Defying B. Evading C. Expelling D. Renouncing
41. An increase in consumer demand has made selling computer software extremely _______.
A. booming B. blossoming C. financial D. lucrative
42. The builder _______ the walls of the house to keep the cold air out during the winter.
A. insulated B. isolated C. miscalculated D. suppressed
43. The military attempted to _______ the government and seize power on account of political corruption.
A. thwart B. topple C. tumble D. totte
- To thwart: to prevent somebody from doing what they want to do.
- To topple sb/st: to make somebody lose their position of power or authority.
44. Every athlete who qualifies for the Olympic games has _______ earned the privilege.
A. flawlessly B. faultlessly C. assuredly D. composedly
- Assuredly(adv): certainly, definitely.
- Composedly(adv): in a way that is calm and in control of your emotions.
45. The political candidate always tries to _______ any difficult questions when talking to the press.
A. butter up B. fend off C. fawn over D. drive back
- To fend off: to protect yourself from difficult questions, criticisms, etc., especially by avoiding them.
46. I'm tired of all these _______ meetings - let's discuss the issues openly.
A hair-raising B. heartrending C. cloak-and-dagger D. cliff-hanging
- Heart-rending(adj): causing very sad feelings.
- Cliffhanging(adj): đầy tình tiết lôi cuốn.
- Hair-raising(adj): extremely frightening but often exciting.
- Cloak-and-dagger(adj): secret and mysterious.
47. High blood pressure is a(n) _______ condition which has few symptoms.
A. insidious B. sinuous C. notorious D. tortuous
- Insidious(adj): (of something unpleasant or dangerous) gradually and secretly causing harm.
48. The path to peace seems at last to be clear, although it may be a long and ______ one.
A. insidious B. sinuous C. notorious D. tortuous
- Tortuous(adj): with many turns and changes of direction; not direct or simple.
49. Violation of the school’s code of conduct could result in a weeklong _______ for students.
A. expulsion B. discharge C. eviction D. suspension
- Expulsion(n): (the act of) forcing someone, or being forced, to leave a school, organization, or country.
50. A great diplomat and a firm political leader is able to speak _______ about government legislation.
A. over the hump B. out of breath C. out of line D. off the cuff
- Out of line: beyond what is considered acceptable behavior.
- To speak off the cuff: say something without having prepared or thought about your words first.
51. In times of crisis_______ unity should be maintained.
A. common B. civil C. monarchical D. national
52. There's no reason to rent a furnished apartment if it is vulgar and _______ decorated.
A. stately B. blandly C. tastelessly D. flavorlessly
53. Although some banking institutions allow their customers to _______ payment, it is not advised.
A. defer B. deter C. deflect D. diverge
- To defer: to delay something until a later time.
54. The student’s argument against private schools was so _______ that no one was convinced.
A. feeble B. frail C. fickle D. fallible
55. The interior decorator's idea to use Japanese designs for her patio was a _______ of genius.
A. knock B. stroke C. blow D. strike
- A stroke of genius(n): an outstandingly brilliant and original idea.
56. The private corporation wanted to turn the property into an exclusive golf course but the deal _______.
A. skipped by B. moved under C. shot below D. fell through
57. It was very _______ of Bob to snap at his colleague when she was only trying to help.
A. incoherent B. inconsiderate C. insoluble D. insensible
58. The senator has been _______ recently since the unveiling of his tax frauds.
A. on cloud nine B in the spotlight C. over the moon D. up in the air
59. A new government report delivers _______ warnings about climate change and its impacts on the planet.
A. ominous B. fateful C. acute D. dire
- Dire(adj): very serious.
60. Universal health coverage will remain _______ unless countries take urgent steps to keep medical costs affordable.
A. exclusive B. allusive C. elusive D. conducive
- Elusive(adj): difficult to find, define or achieve.
61. The accuser issued an official _______ of the allegations, stating that the accused was innocent of all charges.
A. prohibition B. retraction C. disregard D. contempt
- Retraction(n): a statement saying that something you previously said or wrote is not true.
62. Promotions and raises are left to the _______ of the employees’ current supervisor.
A. diplomacy B. discretion C. disposition D. inclination
63. Greg _______ our conversation to tell us the breaking news.
A. broke in B. broke down C. broke up D. broke in on
64. Worldwide concern about the environment has undoubtedly _______ in recent decades.
A. strengthened B. expanded C. extended D. escalated
65. The law _______ companies to provide health insurance to their employees or face fines.
A. tempts B. compels C. entices D. coaxes
66. I haven’t heard from Henry since he took that job in Minneapolis and I wonder how he’s _______.
A. taking on B. making cut C. coming about D. setting down

67. There's always a huge _______ of orders to process when employees return from their summer breaks.
A. backlog B. stockpile C. hoard D. cache
68. The judge _______ his driver’s license after he was charged with reckless driving.
A. overruled B. overrode C. aborted D. revoked
- To override st: to use your authority to reject somebody’s decision, order, etc.
- To revoke st: to officially cancel something so that it is no longer legally acceptable.
69. The people were happy to know that _______ was signed and the war was declared over.
A. a contract B. an armistice C. a declaration D. a constitution
- Armistice(n): đình chiến.
70. The driver _______ a car accident by slamming on the brakes in time.
A. diverted B. deflected C. redirected D. averted
- To avert st: to prevent something bad from happening.
71. Successful managers have the capacity to single out employees who _______ high for themselves.
A. set the pace B. set the tone C. set the stage D. set the bar
- To set the bar high/low: to set a high/low standard for something.
72. The student was disciplined for breaking school rules and being _______ to his teacher.
A. indignant B. insolent C. incompliant D. insurgent
- Insurgent(adj): fighting against the government or armed forces of their own country.
- Insolent(adj): extremely rude and showing a lack of respect.
73. Tom _______ went into work on his day off due to staff shortages.
A. grudgingly B. maliciously C. unanimously D. covertly
- Covertly(adv): secretly.
- Unanimously(adv): in a way that is agreed or supported by everyone in a group.
74. The couple went through a few _______ years but still managed to stay together.
A. restless B. lawless C. thunderous D turbulent
- Thunderous(adj): looking very angry/very loud.
- Turbulent(adj): involving a lot of sudden changes, arguments, or violence.
75. The employee was dismissed because she _______ her boss’ signature on certain documents.
A. forged B. purged C. counterfeited D. impersonated
II. Choose A, B, C or D that best fits each blank in the passage
AUSTRALIAN CINEMA
Thirty years ago, the New Australian cinema (1) ___ the attention of the world with heroic stories set in the late-
nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. They were tales of the formation of a national identity, of the recent European
settlers' transactions with their strange new world and its frighteningly mystical inhabitants. When this vein (nguồn cảm
hứng) was (2) ___ local film makers left home or turned to the problematic present of people living lives of noisy
desperation in the (3) ___ suburbs of the big coastal cities, home to most Australians. As television series, these cosy,
unheroic stories (4) ___ worldwide popularity, but relatively few films of this sort have found success elsewhere, except
for a small handful, among which are these (5) ___ accomplished and calculatedly theatrical films. They are loving
assemblages of conventions and cliches from musicals of the past, produced with an exuberance ( the quality of feeling
energetic) that (6) ___ the audience up in uncritical enjoyment.
1. A appropriated B captured C annexed thêm vào D mastered
2. A exhausted B drained C emptied D squandered
3. A lounging stand/sit/lie in a relaxed way B stooping C stretching D sprawling ngổn ngang
4. A reached B achieved C fulfilled D managed
5. A deeply B heavily C highly D widely
6. A sweeps B lifts C brushes D carries

→ sweep sb up: cause someone to feel captivated, charmed, or enthused about something
EUREKA!
Recent archeological studies of the isolated region have (1) ___ astounding evidence of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers,
Neolithic farmers and even an aristocratic dynasty which populated the area during the late Bronze (2) ___. The few
centuries before the time of Christ saw the area at its most remarkable. Artefacts, relics and the remains of dwellings,
bear (3) ___ to its importance. An extraordinary sequence of buildings (4) ___ in the erection of a gigantic wooden
structure, at least 40 metres in diameter, which was probably used for ceremonial (5) ___ before it was eventually burnt
to the (6) ___ and subsequently covered over with turf to create the huge mound which is still visible today.
1. A unburied (dead body) B uncovered C unfolded reveal D unmasked (feeling)
2. A Years B Period C Era D Age
3. A testimony B evidence C witness D proof
4. A terminated B culminated C finalised D ceased
5. A aims B intentions C purposes D targets
6. A surface B ground C earth D field

- Bronze Age: Thời đại đồ đồng

- bear witness (to st): prove
- culminate in/with: end with
- braze/burn sth to the ground: completely destroy sth by fire/bombs/etc.
AT LIMITED RISK
We believe that there are two types of people who will take the time and (1) ___ to read this advertisement, In the first
category are those unbelievers who, in all likelihood, will think to themselves, ‘sounds good, but I don’t think this is for
me. I could never manage to do that.' They then go back to doing the same (2) ___ job that they have (3) ___ been doing
for the past decade or so. Then, there is the second category. This group is made up of those people who believe in
taking (4) ___ but not at the expense of peace of mind. These individuals carefully (5) ___ the advantages against the
disadvantages. You know, those people who look before making the proverbial (6) ___.
1. A exertion B effort C struggle D stress
2. A substandard B unreliable C insufficient D unfulfilling
3. A distastefully B reluctantly C hesitantly D adversely
4. A risks B dangers C hazards D stakes
5. A measure B weigh C compare D count
6. A jump B vault C leap D spring

- unfulfilling: making someone dissatisfied or unhappy through not allowing their character or abilities to develop fully
- weigh sth against sth: to judge which of two things is more important before making a decision
- look before you leap: (theo diễn đàn mạng thì gốc là từ câu này=))) cần cân nhắc kỹ trước khi làm việc gì
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
After the war designers could experiment more (1) ___ with materials once regarded as substitutes - in particular
plastics, acrylics and nylon. In 1948. American architect Charles Eames (2) ___ knowledge gained during the war to
design the now ubiquitous Dar chair - a one-piece moulded plastic seat (3) ___ by wire legs.
However, in this era of optimism there were a few casualties. The BBC had extended its service with outside broadcasts
of major sporting events, plays, gardening and children s programmes. With such delights on (4) ___ in their homes,
people were increasingly (5) ___ to visit the cinema and as a result the film industry was struggling. By contrast, the
music industry was on the up. 'Micro-groove' seven-inch records, made of unbreakable vinylite, had begun to be
produced and for the first time, consumers could choose from a (6) ___ range of equipment on which to play them.
1. A copiously phong phú B freely C loosely D wildly
2. A exerted B allotted C applied D practised
3. A held B shouldered C supported D sustained
4. A offer B show C sale D approval
5. A disappointed B displeased C disconnected D disinclined unwilling
6. A wide B lavish C plentiful D excessive

- on offer: available; being sold for less for a short time!

- on approval: được hoàn trả nếu không vừa ý (hàng)
MAKING THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Akira Kurrosawa's 1954 classic Seven Samurai is about a bunch of down-on-their-luck warriors who agree to defend a
small village from a band of thieves in (1) ___ for three meals a day and much honour. Since Kurosawa’s (2) ___
influence was the epic Westerns of John Ford, it is ironic that in 1959 Hollywood thought Samurai would make a good
cowboy film - and The Magnificent Seven appeared on the screen. Originally, Yul Brynner was to direct the remake but
after much (3) ___ director John Sturges took the helm. Aside from Broadway actor Eli Wallach, Brynner was the only
famous name in the movie; Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughan and James Coburn got their career changing roles by (4)
___ of mouth. Now, in this digitally rejigged (sắp xếp lại) (5) ___ you can find out what happened on the action - filled set
via an exclusive new documentary and see how the film nearly did not become the (6) ___ classic (kinh điển) it is today.
1. A reciprocity B trade C exchange D substitute
2. A deep B major C large D most
3. A argument B combat C brawling D jostling
4. A talk B speech C word D claim
5. A edition B recital C variety D version
6. A idolised B revered respect n admire C sacred D worshipped

UNUSUAL INSPIRATION
When I was a teenager studying literature, I used to be annoyed by the way my father, a doctor, would (1) ___ the
inspiration for great literature to various illnesses. Leontes in Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale was a case study in
pathological jealousy. Monet and Turner achieved their great work because of (2) ___ eyesight, making things (3) ___
blurred, and so on. I realise now that such thinking is characteristic (typical) of the (4) ___ that doctors have for their
subject. Thomas Dormandy, a consultant pathologist is no exception to the (5) ___. He argues in his very (6) ___ book
that during the 19th and much of the 20th century, tuberculosis was a formative influence on art, music and literature.
1. A credit B ascribe C account D suggest
2. A contracting B failing C deficient D short
3. A hardly B slightly C barely D narrowly
4. A passion B vigour C fury D emotion
5. A law B principle C ethic D rule
6. A informative B knowledgeable C informed D instructed

- have a passion for sth

THE ROTHSCHILDS
When, in the 18th century, Mayer Anscher Rothschild (1) ___ his studies to join a banking firm in his native Frankfurt, he
took the first steps towards creating one of the most successful, and most influential banks. For nearly two centuries, the
fortunes of the British Government and those of the bank were fundamentally (2) ___. Thanks to the Rothschilds, the
Duke of Wellington was able to pay his army in 1814-15 (the bank received a two per cent commission on the deal). Ten
years later, the Rothschilds again came to the (3) ___ when 145 British banks failed, helping prevent the (4) ___ of the
whole UK banking system. The 19th century Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli (5) ___ one of his great coups as buying
enough shares in the Suez Canal to secure Britain a controlling interest - again thanks to a £4 million Rothschild loan.
Today, the company (6) ___ among the world's largest privately-owned banks, with 40 offices in 30 different countries.
1. A abdicated B abandoned C absconded bỏ trốn (phạm pháp) D discarded
2. A bound B fastened C bonded D linked
3. A deliverance B rescue C salvation D relief
4. A subsidence B descent C collapse D demolition
5. A observed B beheld C saw consider D watched
6. A ranks B classes C ranges D positions

AN ENGLISH VILLAGE
Down by the river lie the currant and gooseberry bushes - literally the fruit of the potter's field for the loam there is (1) ___
with Roman pottery. Just above, the bit of straight or the army path as the Saxon farmers called it - (2) ___ past towards
the coast. The heights are crowned with mill sites and within the village proper there exists an empty secondary horse
village, a deserted (3) ___ of packways, stables, harness rooms and tackle. Nothing has contributed more to the swift
destruction of the old pattern of life in Suffolk than the death of the horse. It (4) ___ with it a quite different conception of
time. The old farmsteads ride high on the hills. They must remain remote unless some huge (5) ___ project thrusts up to
meet them. And this is not likely. Akenfield itself has no development plans and even if Ipswicn's overspill ever
threatened it, it is doubtful if any preservationist society would launch an (6) ___ to save it. It is not that kind of village.
1. A splashed B spattered C littered D dispersed
2. A shoots past sth quickly B bolts C dashes D hurts
3. A scheme B collectivity C entirety D complex a group of buildings
4. A drew away B carried away mang theo? C made away D ran away
5. A housing B sheltering C accommodating D dwelling
6. A attack B effort C appeal thỉnh cầu D order

- be littered with sth: to contain a lot of something

- housing project: dự án nhà ở (xây dựng nhà cửa cho những gia đình có nguồn thu nhập thấp)

III. Fill in each blank with a suitable word to complete the passage
Open University
Britain’s Open University is thirty years old, and its early critics have been taken (1) ABACK by its success. The Labour
Government set it up in the mid-1960s to offer a second chance of (2) HIGHER education to those who had missed out,
but many early recruits turned out to be trained teachers upgrading their qualifications. Now, after more than a quarter of
a century as the established source of lifelong learning, it is surprising (3) ITSELF. The last students it expected were
British school leavers, (4) YET its numbers of 18- 24 year olds have tripled. Had the current trends in British education
been considered more closely, it would not have come as a surprise that this category of students in Britain, for (5)
EXAMPLE ? (not sure) the possibility of graduating without debt has been created by the existence of the OU, would
prefer such an option. It is not only student demand pulling the OU overseas that marks (6) SUCCESS for this institution,
but also the launching of a business school and the forging of links with other European colleges including universities in
three different continents. Even though the final (7) FEATHER in its cap must be its recognised authority in awarding
accreditation to overseas courses, it is still only a (8) MINOR player in terms of student numbers when compared to the
distance-learning heavyweights in China, India, Indonesia and Turkey.
Smart Toys
If your kids easily become bored while watching the television or listening to music, a smart toy may help to
maintain their interest. The toy, which is controlled by signals hidden in the sound, can (1) RESPOND to the TV or dance
around to the music. Ian Hosking, (2) WHOSE work at Scientific Generics on adopting spectrum technology has led to
the development of the technique of hiding control signals in sound, claims that the toy is (3) ACTUALLY quite simple. “It
needs little more than the (4) ABILITY/CAPABILITY to decode signals and to respond to them.”
The (5) IDEA of controlling devices with sound is nothing new. Some early television remote controls emitted
ultrasonic bleeps, but they were unreliable. Traffic (6) NOISE could turn off the television, and the ultrasound (7) USED/
TENDED to upset pets. In the new system, coded control signals are spread over a wide range of frequencies, so they
are too (8) FAINT to be audible on a normal domestic sound system, (9) THEREBY/THUS avoiding problems of
interference.
Not Just Making a Good Story
Media interest is (1) GREATER in those situations where a communal or personal traumatic event fits the
working criteria of newsworthiness, with the result that some events will attract wide media attention (2) WHILE others
are of little interest. Hence, those events which (3) INVOLVE elite or representative persons, unpredictable or unusual
tragedy, loss or sorrow, and that epitomise universal themes or failure of technology will be of greater interest and attract
greater media attention than recurring everyday traumas such as disease or car fatalities. Most print and electronic
journalists are under strong (4) PRESSURE to report what has happened in such a way that it tells a good story and
makes (5) SENSE to readers and viewers so that they not only know what has happened, but feel it as well. This is a
pressure that derives from forces beyond the (6) CONTROL of individual journalists imposed by the media system and
the demands of the consumers of media products. The extent to which these expectations can be met within the
practicalities of a trauma situation depends generally on a complex (7) MIX of the personal stature and judgement of the
journalist, the specific instructions of their managers and the practical situation in which they (8) FIND themselves.
Mummy Wrappings
The ancient Greeks believed that stone coffins were (1) RESPONSIBLE for the way bodies decomposed. They
called them sarcophagi or flesh eaters. The real culprits, of course, are enzymes. Cultures that desired to preserve the
dead had to stop enzyme activity. The Egyptians cracked the problem magnificently, with the unintended result of
bequeathing (2) THEMSELVES to an alien future as curiosities. Mummy unwrappings were all the (3) RAGE in Victorian
London, with the bandages being removed while a brass band played.
Spectacle (4) ASIDE, people found other uses for mummies. There was a plan in the United States to make
newsprint from Egypt’s abundant mummy wrappings, replacing them with rag paper, and there had earlier been a trade
in mummy remnants (5) AS medicine. Mummies were also used as an (6) INGREDIENT in paint. (7) WHILE the
Victorians could unwrap a mummy with a confident and uncomplicated appreciation of its strangeness and otherness, we
might more appropriately see it as an (8) IMAGE of our own cultural mortality, and the future relic status of our vanished
civilisation.
IV. You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the
extract. Choose from the paragraphs A - H the one which fits each gap (1 - 7).
Each week container ships leave British ports bound for China, India and the Far East. Their giant, 40-tonne metal boxes
are not full of new manufactured goods but with plastic waste from the great British food packaging industry. British food
containers, bags, bottles and trays are now big in Shanghai.
1. ____F_____
Jairy Crest loves its low-density polyethylene packaging, which is widely expected to take over from the ubiquitous rigid
plastic and cardboard containers in which milk usually comes. The industry claims the pouches use just over half as
much plastic as an equivalent rigid “jug”, about a third as much “material" as a carton, and 70 times less than a glass
bottle. They argue that they are greener, cheaper and easier for the consumer, the three essential bywords of the
packaging industry.
2. _____A____
Never mind the impact arising from the energy use, toxins and pollutants released at every stage in their production and
transport, they can be disposed of at expensive landfill sites, where they will take 300-odd years to biodegrade, or be
incinerated. Ultimately there may be little option but to export some waste items because their chemical composition
makes it economically unviable to recycle them in rich countries.
3. _____G____
But this is the wacky world of the global food packaging industry which, like world trade, has been on a roll for 50 years,
growing at the rate of 10-15% a year. Every extra deal brokered by the World Trade Organisation, every extra food
shipment, every new line of processed food means more packaging.
4. ____E____
The British have become obsessed with food packaging, to the amusement of many visitors, for whom the idea of an
inferior tea being sold inside a square of perforated paper packed inside an envelope that is itself protected by cardboard
and in turn covered in Cellophane, to be served in a polystyrene cup, is quite ludicrous.
5. ____H_____
However odd it may seem to outsiders, British shoppers are no longer astonished that a piece of fish can be brought half
way around the world to be sold on a tray inside two separate plastic bags which fit inside a Cellophane-wrapped
cardboard box. Never mind the bottle of mineral water that needs four or five separate pieces of plastic: only when single
oranges or bananas are found packed in thick, individual containers do some people think it has gone too far.
6. ____D_____
But that doesn't mean there has been an environmental gain. In fact, it has just multiplied the number and volume of
food-related packages putting more stress on collection systems and recycling programmes. And now the food Industry
is gearing up for 'hi-tech' packaging.
7. _____C____
The American Plastics Council emphasises the positive side of developments in packaging, glossing over the fact that
packaging represents 50% to 80% of all litter. ‘It makes perishable products more available in the hot, humid climate of
the developing world and dramatically improves the diet of the people who live there,' says a spokesman.

A. Well, up to a point. Food packaging today is really about marketing, and few people care much about what happens to
their food and drink containers after they have been binned.
B. The Department of Trade and Industry has been given little guidance as to what constitutes overpackaging and has
prosecuted only one person in the past three years - a Northamptonshire butcher, who was fined £35-for having a piece
of meat on an upside-down plastic tray inside another plastic tray.
C. The latest wheeze is ‘dynamic active' packaging that can modify the atmosphere in which food is sold. So, with your
plastic tray of meat may come a small capsule of carbon dioxide, which is released when the food is put on sale,
'enhancing' colour and flavour.
D. That, says the industry, totally misses the point. Food packaging today, it says, is indispensable, not just for keeping
produce 'fresh', or to give it a longer shelf life and protection, but to sell the product. The big trend in food packaging, say
US food technologists, is for it to be made thinner and lighter, which has led to a dramatic reduction in all countries food
packaging by weight.
E. To put it in perspective, British farmers grow or rear about £100bn worth of food at farm-gate prices a year, and the
food packaging industry is now thought to turn over about £11 bn. The gap is closing, and between 10% and 50% of the
price of food can now be in its packaging.
F. In a few years’ time, you can bet that these same ships will be exporting millions of old plastic 'pouches' - the flexi,
collapsible milk containers that have taken over from the glass bottle or cardboard container in America and are now
being tried out in England by Britain’s largest milk products company.
G. Because the 'pouches' cannot be re-used or refilled, they could end up travelling halfway round the globe to be hand-
sorted by some of the poorest people in the world and then sent back to undercut the West’s own recycling and building
industries.
H. 'Why does a potato need to be sold on a big piece of polystyrene wrapped in polythene?' asks a baffled friend from
Guyana. 'In my country, a cup of tea at the railway station comes in a clay cup which will hold liquid for just 10 minutes.
You throw it on to the lines, where it dissolves within weeks,' says an Indian.

You are going to read a newspaper article about language. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the
extract, choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7).
This language a daisy chain with words added on like flowers one after another? Or is it a wreath, with the overall
structure implicitly known beforehand? The chain versus wreath controversy has been chugging on for centuries,
swinging to and fro like the perpetual ding-dong battle between the brothers Tweedledum and Tweedledee in Lewis
Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.
1. F
Gradually Chomsky has honed his views, claiming that humans know not only underlying linguistic principles, such as
how far chunks of sentence can be moved, but, in addition, they are aware of crucial basic options that have to be
decided on: it is as if language learners had to discover whether to drive on the left of the road or the right, a choice
which has crucial consequences, such as which way to go round roundabouts.
2. A
Which view is right and does it matter? Well, yes, it matters for language learners. It's important to know how much pre-
ordained knowledge about language humans may possess, or whether they simply have to roll up their sleeves and
string together the daisies. Recent work is starting to solve the problem.
3. B
Increasingly those working on language origins are rolling the starting date back even further. Many now assume that a
pre-linguistic proto-language predated 'real' language by tens of thousands of years. And language, like the human race
itself, possibly originated in Africa.
4. D
At the very least, it is an ability to put oneself into another person's shoes, as it were. A so-called 'theory of mind',
converged with an ability to make distinct sounds, possibly enabled by waiting upright. This was backed up by an interest
in knowing who did what to whom. This plaiting together of different pieces allowed humans simultaneously to talk about
absent people and events, to place words in a consistent order, and to pronounce them clearly.
5. G
Increasingly, the brain is recognised as a gigantic beehive, with multiple bees buzzing simultaneously. Language areas
are now thought to be zones in which neurons relating to linguistic activity cluster to a greater extent than elsewhere, but
these areas are not totally isolated from the rest of the brain's activities.
6. C
Neurolinguistic research has confirmed that these behave in different ways. Blood surges in the brain when someone
uses language, just as extra blood is pumped into the legs when someone rides a bicycle: the brain. It appears, relies on
tactics similar to a cyclist's muscles, with an increase in oxygen in any area where neurons show extra activity. Regular
and irregular verbs show different blood-flow patterns and this can be captured on brain scans.
7. E
To return to Looking-Glass-Land, we are finding that as the White Queen asserted, much to Alice’s surprise, one’s
memory works in more than one way.

A. Once a linguistic decision has been made, then a number of consequences follow: if a language has verbs preceding
its objects, as in English, it will have auxiliaries in front of the main verb. A language such as Turkish does the reverse. Is
this pre-programmed language, as Chomsky argues, or do humans. Just prefer consistent solutions to puzzles?
B. Both sides are right it turns out. An outline wreath needs to be there, before the daisychainers can add the daisies.
Language, surprisingly, is a highly complex phenomenon. It is a patchwork quilt of different abilities, which emerged
around 100,000 years ago.
C. Yet all this simultaneous buzzing and whirring should not be such a surprise: for centuries, humans realised that
language is like an overactive octopus, with numerous different types of activity co-existing. Verbs have at least two
different modes of behaviour, for example. So-called regular verbs have predictable endings. These contrast with
irregular unpredictable ones such as 'sat' or 'stood'.
D. Our linguistic leap forward was a stitch and patch job. Language was cobbled together out of multiple existing bits and
pieces to form a coherent interlocking system, a true case of the whole being more than a sum of the parts. Evolutionists
sometimes use the term 'convergence' for this coming together of skills.
E. The variety of different activities pullulating in the mind at any one time show that no single solution applies to
something as complex as language. The mind works by means of massive parallel processing, and interweaves different
types of ability. Slowly, we are beginning to unravel the tangled web of language - but much remains to be done.
F. The debate heated up in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1950's, behaviourist psychologists took the daisy
chain view, claiming that language was a cumulative set of habits. In the 1960s Noam Chomsky disagreed. He argued
that we are all preprogrammed with an outline knowledge of language.
G. Language, then, is a complex tapestry that has been embroidered over the years, with its principles gradually
integrated into our minds. Recent brain scans show that multiple parts of the brain are active in any linguistic interaction:
verbs may be stored in the frontal lobe and nouns and adjectives in the temporal lobe.
H. Neurophysical tools, including brain scans, have revealed our skills with language to be far more complex than
linguists first imagined. In those individuals predisposed to right-handedness, it was originally believed that the totality of
their language processing was stored in the left side of the brain, the reverse being true for left-handers, but such is not
the case.

HOW CLIMATE CHANGE MAY AFFECT OUR LIVES

The dangers of global warming caused by our profligate use of fossil fuels are now becoming apparent as the climate is
changing; this is particularly noticeable in the northern hemisphere. Some scientists, however, refute these claims, by
pointing out that there have been climate changes throughout the world's evolutionary history, with Ice Ages and warmer
periods, some resulting in desertification. Still others blame climatic change on the phenomenon of El Nino, and cite this
as a cause of the natural disasters which occurred all over the world at the end of the 20th century.
1.
Apart from the destruction caused by such natural disasters, and the human suffering that ensued in their aftermath, the
worsening weather conditions affect everyone, as well as the economy of a country. For example, people like ice cream
manufacturers and vendors, who depend on seasonal trade, will not be able to maintain their business if the increased
summer rainfall persists.
2.
There are other businesses, conversely, which benefit from depressing conditions; for example, manufacturers of fake
tanning products and tanning salons. There may be several reasons for this, one being that people get a psychological
boost when tanned, and another, that people are now-aware of the health risks associated with over-exposure to
sunlight.
3.
Eco-tourism might benefit from this trend, as more people might opt for a trip to Antarctica to view the wildlife, and at
least they will go prepared for the weather. Of course, this in turn may cause problems as, with the best will in the world,
hordes of tourists inevitably damage the environment, and an increase in the volume of shipping heightens the risk of oil
spillage, thus polluting the sea and endangering the lives of many marine creatures and birds.
4.
How many of us would not jump at the chance to orbit Earth and admire our planet from a different perspective? The first
space tourist was a millionaire who suffered certain physical hardships on his journey, but living conditions in space
capsules will undoubtedly improve as research and development continue. Space travel will become a viable alternative
holiday.
5.
Other threats to health may be caused by disease, for example, hepatitis in areas which have been affected by severe
flooding, especially if drinking water becomes infected by sewage. Mosquitoes may start transmitting malaria in some
European countries where summer conditions; are becoming more tropical. Even more worrying, perhaps, is the growing
incidence of the potentially fatal West Nile disease in the USA, and its related death toll.

6.
Many low-lying countries have responded to a worst-case scenario by erecting flood barriers and defences, whilst others,
in an ostrich-like fashion, ignore the possible dangers, adopting a wait-and-see stance. Countries which rely on beach
tourism need to maintain their beaches by replenishing them with sand, which may need to be imported, thus preventing
or at least delaying land erosion.
7.
The human species has shown its versatility and adaptability throughout its long history. Unfortunately, those most
vulnerable to changes in climate would be those living in abject poverty where there are inadequate social and physical
infrastructures. A certain level of the political will needed to attempt to eradicate poverty has been demonstrated at the
international Earth Summits, and this could be spurred by global threats to the environment, thus helping to prevent the
deaths of millions from natural disasters.

A. Of course, if this change in climate continues, with bad weather affecting countries which previously basked in
sunshine, at least during the summer months, this will have a negative effect on those countries’ economies. Fewer
tourists will be attracted to once-popular haunts, and travel companies will have to be more ingenious, advertising
different types of holiday which are not focused on sun, sea and sand.
B. There are, however, more serious consequences of climate change - its impact on our physical well-being, for
example. Apart from the risks of skin cancer, research has shown that when the temperature rises above the population's
physiological threshold, accompanied by a high level of humidity, susceptible people (eg - the elderly) wall die. The death
rate increases two to three weeks after a heat wave, affecting city-dwellers most. This can probably be attributed to the
increase in smog caused by high temperatures and humidity levels.
C. Greenpeace has long been campaigning for commercial enterprises to be more aware of the risks they take with the
environment, and commonly cites disasters to particular eco-systems when the main concern is profit. Everyone bears
some responsibility for the environment and should act accordingly, but people still persist in putting their own interests
first.
D. Flooding on a wide scale caused havoc in Europe, Asia and the American continent. Prior to the torrential rain in the
USA, there had been droughts which threatened some farmers with a loss of livelihood. All over Europe, rivers burst their
banks, inundating some of the most historic cities. Billions of euros were needed to rebuild, renovate and restore them to
their former glory.
E. The future may not be all doom and gloom, however. Scientists believe that certain crops and other vegetation will
benefit from higher levels of humidity, as plants will respond positively and become more water-efficient, in this way
becoming resilient to the extremes of heat and drought that may occur more frequently, especially in Mediterranean
countries.
F. Another tourist area which might stand to benefit is that of space tourism, with more people choosing to leave the trials
and tribulations of our planet behind them, if only for a short time. Eventually the cost of such journeys will become less
prohibitive, as has been the case with commodities such as DVDs, camcorders, and so on.
G. This may seem contradictory, however, if we examine the facts, because although it is getting wetter, it is also getting
warmer. But people in northern Europe think that if it is raining and the sky is grey, winter is upon them, and rush out to
stock up on comfort food abandoning salads for foods high in carbohydrates. They feel less willing to eat in restaurants
or, indeed, to go anywhere that is not absolutely necessary in such atrocious weather conditions. As a result, there is a
drop in revenue for food and entertainment industries.
H. Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the size of ice floes breaking away from the Arctic and
Antarctic, one of which was reported to be the size of a small country. It was carefully monitored, and alarm spread as it
began to melt at a much faster rate than had originally been calculated, causing more speculation about rising sea levels.
V. For questions 1-10, choose the paragraphs (A - D). The paragraphs may be chosen more than once.
Which person gives each of these opinions about the internet?
1. Reservations (doubts) about the benefits of universal access to it are unfounded. C
2. It excels in its ability to disseminate (spread) facts. A
3. Its power to sidetrack (distract) us can be both positive and negative. B
4. It assists teaming by exposing people to a wider range of ideas than was previously possible. D
5. Much of the material on it is not original. A
6. It enables us to follow up on ideas that suddenly occur to us. B
7. It is only with time and practice that we can make best use of the internet. D
8. The quality of material on it is questionable. A
9. It still requires people to process the written word. A
10. It has reduced the need to memorise information. C
Is the internet changing our lives?
A. Sarah
The internet often tells us what we think we know, 8.spreading misinformation and nonsense while it's at it. It can
substitute surface for depth, 5.imitation for authenticity, and its passion for recycling would surpass the most
committed environmentalist. In 10 years, I’ve seen thinking habits change dramatically: if information is not immediately
available via a Google search, people are often completely at a loss. And of course a Google search merely provides the
most popular answer, not necessarily the most accurate. Nevertheless, there is no question, to my mind, that 2.the
access to raw information provided by the internet is unparalleled. We've all read that the internet sounds the death
knell of reading, but 9.people read online constantly - we just call it surfing now. What's being read is changing, often
for the worse; but it is also true that the internet increasingly provides a treasure trove of rare documents and images,
and as long as we have free access to it. then the internet can certainly be a force for education and wisdom.
B. Geoff
Sometimes I think my ability to concentrate is being nibbled away (disappear) by the internet. In those quaint (cổ, là lạ)
days before the internet, once you made it to your desk there wasn’t much to do. 3.Now you sit down and there's a
universe of possibilities - many of them obscurely relevant to the work you should be getting on with - to tempt
you. To think that I can be sitting here, trying to write something about the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman and, a
moment later, 6.on the merest whim, while I’m in Swedish mode, can be watching a clip from a Swedish
documentary about the jazz musician Don Cherry - that is a miracle (albeit one with a very potent side-effect,
namely that it's unlikely I’ll ever have the patience to sit through an entire Bergman film again). Then there's another
thing. From the age of 16, I got into the habit of compiling detailed indexes in the backs of books of poetry and drama. So
if there was a quote I needed for an assignment, I would spend hours going through my books, seeking it out. Now I just
google key words.
C. Colin
It’s curious that some of the most vociferous (om sòm) critics of the internet - those who predict that it will produce
generations of couch potatoes - are the very sorts of people who are benefiting most from this wonderful, liberating,
organic extension of the human mind. 1.They are academics, scientists, scholars and writers, who fear that the
extraordinary technology they use every day is a danger to the unsophisticated. They underestimate the
capacity of the human mind to capture and capitalise on new ways of storing and transmitting information.
10.When I was at school I learned by heart great swathes of science textbooks. What a waste of my neurons, all
clogged up with knowledge and rules that I can now obtain with the click of a mouse . At its best, the internet is no
threat to our minds. It is another liberating extension of them, as significant as books, the abacus (bàn toán) or the
pocket calculator.
D. Ian
The evidence that the internet has a deleterious effect on the brain is zero. In fact, by looking at the way human beings
gain knowledge in general, you would probably argue the opposite. 4.The opportunity to have multiple sources of
information or opinion at your fingertips, and to dip into these rather than trawl laboriously through a whole
book, is highly conducive to the acquisition of knowledge. It is being argued by some that the information coming
into the brain from the internet is the wrong kind of information. 7.1(time).It’s too short, it doesn’t have enough depth,
so there is a qualitative loss. It’s an interesting point, but the only way you could argue it is to say that people are
misusing the internet. It's a bit like saying to someone who’s never seen a car before and has no idea what it is: “Why
don’t you take it for a drive (go for a brief, leisurely outing in a vehicle) and you’ll find out?” 7.2(practice).If you seek
information on the internet like that, there’s a good chance you’ll have a crash. But that’s because your
experience has yet to grasp what a car is.

For questions 1-10, choose from the sections A-E. The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section are the following mentioned?
1. the view that the global influence of a language is nothing new B
2. a return to the global use of not one but many languages D
3. explanations as to what motivates people to learn another language C
4. the view that a language is often spoken in places other than its country of origin D
5. an appreciation of a unique and controversial take on the role of the English language E
6. a query about the extent to which people are attached to their own first language E
7. an optimistic view about the long-term future of the English language D
8. the hostility felt by those forced to learn another language C
9. a derogatory comment about the English language D
10. a shared view about the ultimate demise of English in the future E
The Last Lingua Franca by Nicholas Ostler
Deborah Cameron predicts an uncertain future for English
A. The Emperor Charles V is supposed to have remarked in the 16th century that he spoke Latin with God, Italian with
musicians, Spanish with his troops, German with lackeys, French with ladies and English with his horse. In most books
about English, the joke would be turned on Charles, used to preface the observation that the language he dismissed as
uncultivated is now a colossus bestriding the world. Nicholas Ostler, however, quotes it to make the point that no
language's triumph is permanent and unassailable. Like empires (and often with them), languages rise and fall, and
English, Ostler contends, will be no exception.
B. English is the first truly global lingua franca, if by 'global' we mean 'used on every inhabited continent'. But in the
smaller and less densely interconnected world of the past, 1.many other languages had similar functions and
enjoyed comparable prestige. Modern lingua francas include French, German, Latin, Portuguese, Russian and
Spanish. Yet these once-mighty languages are now largely confined to those territories where their modern forms are
spoken natively. Though at the height of their power some acquired - and have kept - 4.large numbers of native
speakers outside their original homelands (as with Spanish and Portuguese in South America), few retain their
old status.
C. To understand why the mighty fall, Ostler suggests we must look to the factors that enabled them to rise: most
commonly these are conquest, commerce and conversion. 3.Conquered or subordinated peoples learn (or are
obliged to learn) the languages of their overlords; traders acquire the languages that give them access to
markets; converts adopt the languages of their new religion. But these ways of recruiting speakers are not
conducive to permanent attachment. The learned language is not valued for its own sake, but only for the benefits that
are seen to flow from it, and only for as long as those benefits outweigh the costs. When new conquerors arrive, their
subjects switch to new lingua francas. Old empires break up and their lingua francas are abandoned, while the spread of
a new religion may advance a language or conversely weaken it. And 8.always there is the resentment generated by
dependence on a language which has to be learned, and therefore favours elites over those without access to
schooling. Prestigious lingua francas are socially divisive, and therefore unstable.
D. 7.English in the global age is often portrayed as an exceptional case. Writers who take this view point out that
English differs from previous lingua francas in two important ways: first, it has no serious competition, and
second, although it was originally spread by conquest, commerce and missionaries, its influence no longer
depends on coercion. Because of this, the argument runs, it will not suffer the fate of its predecessors . But
Ostler thinks this argument underplays both the social costs of maintaining a lingua franca ( 9.it is not true that English
is universally loved) and the deep, enduring loyalty people have to their native tongues. For millennia we have been
willing to compromise our linguistic loyalties in exchange for various rewards; but if the rewards could be had without the
compromise, we would gladly lay our burden down. Ostler believes that we will soon be able to do that. English, he
suggests, will be the last lingua franca. As Anglo-American hegemony withers, the influence of English will decline; but
what succeeds it will not be any other single language. Rather 2.we will see a technologically-enabled return to a
state of Babel. Thanks to advances in computer translation, 'everyone will speak and write in whatever language they
choose, and the world will understand'
E. Here 6.it might be objected that Ostler's argument depends on an unrealistic techno-optimism, and puts too
much emphasis on the supposed primeval bond between speakers and their mother tongues, which some would
say is largely an invention of 19th-century European nationalism. But even if he is wrong to predict the return of Babel,
10.I do not think he is wrong to argue that English's position as the premier medium of global exchange will not
be maintained for ever. In the future, as in the past, linguistic landscapes can be expected to change in line with
political and economic realities. The Last Lingua Franca is not the easiest of reads: Ostler does not have the
popularizer’s gift for uncluttered storytelling, and is apt to pile up details without much regard for what the non-specialist
either needs to know or is capable of retaining. What he does offer, however, is 5.a much-85 needed challenge to
conventional wisdom: informative, thought-provoking and refreshingly free from anglocentric cliches.

In which section are the following mentioned?

1. a noticeable gap in existing research C
2. extrinsic motivation D
3. the unimportance of social status E
4. the unwelcome results of a certain dietary regime D
5. a tendency to splash out on things other than food D
6. a potential means of financing further research B
7. a reluctance to take heed of advice given D
8. a sector of the student population with increased awareness of healthy eating E
9. an anecdote about former student days C
10. a discovery which has revealed an unforeseen tendency A
A. We didn't need an in-depth research project into students' eating habits to tell us that a fair percentage of the student
population eat too few vegetables. Fortunately, the UK's first study of the dietary changes brought about by going to
university delves into more wide-ranging issues. And 10.it has already unearthed a less predictable trend. Male
students are particularly prone to what Dr Ricardo Costa from Coventry University calls ‘disordered eating patterns’. Not
to be confused with eating disorders. 'We're not talking about bulimia, anorexia and other psychological conditions,' he
stresses. 'That’s not my field.'
B. Dr Farzad Amirabdollahian, whose field is dietetics and human nutrition, and one of his colleagues have so far carried
out around 130 in-depth interviews with undergraduates of both sexes. Between now and next April they hope to talk to
another 270. 'That 400 will give us a really strong idea of the trends in one university,' says Costa. 6.‘From there, we
hope to apply for a grant and expand the study to two more.'
C. One university likely to be chosen for the study is Hertfordshire, where Amirabdollahian used to work; the other is in
North Wales, where Costa did research while also working as a dietician elsewhere. ‘The more I looked into the obesity
epidemic, the more it became clear that 1.there was a lot of evidence about the dietary habits of children and
adults, but very little in between,' he explains. 9.'I knew that my diet changed when I first went to university and
colleagues had told me that it was the same for them. I thought it was time we looked at what living the student life is
doing to your body.'
D. As many as 50% of male students who have taken part in the survey seem to share with contemporaries from all
walks of life 2.a susceptibility to the blandishments (lời nịnh hót) of men's magazines. ‘They’re very focused on their
body image and not just to meet sporting needs,' says Costa. Does he mean that they want to get rid of the burgeoning
paunch and put on muscle to look good for women? 'Yes, that's what the trend suggests. But instead of trying to achieve
it through a balanced diet as well as exercise, they’re going for disordered eating - outside the norm, in other words.
5.They're spending their money on dietary supplements such as protein powders and amino acids.' Any food to
go with that? 'They tend to go for a lot of high-protein, low-fat meat, such as chicken or turkey breast from the economy
or frozen ranges. Fish and chips are also one of the fast-food options for students who aren't in the habit of cooking
healthy food. Oh yes, and egg whites, without the yolks.' Fruit and veg? 'Very little.' This may, of course, be a phase that
many of these young men will grow out of. But if it continues, the consequences for their health could be serious. 'The
liver and kidneys eventually struggle to break down an excess of protein,’ Costa warns, 4‘so liver and kidney failure is a
distinct possibility in the long term. We've already seen that phenomenon among body builders. They’re also going to
have a deficiency in good-quality fats. That can ultimately lead to cardiac problems. And don't forget the mental
issues that will arise for those who fail to meet this idealized body image .’ He would dearly love to involve psychologists
as the project expands and spreads. Not only to work with young men worried about their lack of muscle, but also to find
new ways of spreading the healthy-eating message across campuses. 7.'Posters don't seem to work,' he says.
E. The research, still in its early stages, already indicates a disinclination to buy what Costa calls ‘proper food’. With the
exception of mature students, cooking skills are low and consumption of ready meals and takeaways high. Very few
respondents are eating anywhere near the 'five-a-day' fruit and vegetable intake recommended, he says. ’Females were
better than males in that regard and 8.students in the health professions were well above average. But even among
them, the average was only four portions a day.’ Admittedly we are talking about flats, bedsits and halls of residence in
Coventry rather than a Cambridge college. But the trend seems to be common to students of all social backgrounds.
‘Another finding from the early stages of our work is chat 3.parents' income and education have no apparent
influence on students' dietary choices,’ says Costa. ‘No matter if you're rich or poor, university is a level playing field.’
Well, when it comes to nutritional standards, anyway.