PRACTICE 260722

A. LISTENING (50 points):

Section 1. Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/ OR A NUMBER for
each answer. (10 points)
HOTEL ARMITAGE BOOKING FORM
Name: Kelvin Jones
Booking No.: (1) OOL2381420
Vehicle registration No.: (2) HUV 3331
Date of arrival: 21 May
Room No.: 501
Type of room: (3) deluxe
Extra requirements: (4) 2 pillows
Identification: Driver’s licence
Length of stay: (5) 3 nights
 
  
Section 2. You will hear a radio discussion about writing a novel. For questions 1-5, choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. (10 points)
1. What does Louise say about Ernest Hemingway's advice to writers?
A. It is useful to a certain extent.
B. It applies only to inexperienced novelists.
C. It wasn't intended to be taken seriously.
D. It might confuse some inexperienced novelists.
2. Louise says that you need to get feedback when you
A. have not been able to write anything for some time.
B. are having difficulty organizing your ideas.
C. are having contrasting feelings about what you have written.
D. have finished the book but not shown it to anyone.
3. What does Louise regard as useful feedback?
A. a combination of general observations and detailed comments.
B. both identification of problems and suggested solutions.
C. comments focusing more on style than on content.
D. as many points about strengths as weaknesses.
4. What does Louise say about the people she gets feedback from?
A. Some of them are more successful than her.
B. She doesn't only discuss writing with them.
C. She also gives them feedback on their work.
D. It isn't always easy for her to get together with them.
5. One reaction to feedback that Louise mentions is that
A. it is justified but would require too much effort to act on.
B. it focuses on unimportant details rather than key issues.
C. it has been influenced by reading other people's novels.
D. it is not suggesting that major changes to the novel are required.
 
Section 3. You will hear a radio report by the journalist Susie Stubbs, who has been to the tropical
island of Reunion to find out about the flavouring called vanilla. Decide whether the following
statements are true (T) or false (F). (10 points)
1. Susie says that nowadays vanilla is used in both sweet and savory dishes. T
2. Recently, the vanilla harvest has been affected by diseases and this impacts on the price. F
3. These days the vanilla plants are grown in the shelter of tree for protection. F
4. Sometimes there are black marks in the vanilla seed pods to show which farm they come from. F
5. The boxes used to store the pods are wrapped in blankets to keep the heat in. T
Section. You will hear a scientist called Jim Weller giving a talk about some robots he has created
and how they function like insects called termites. For questions 1-10, complete the sentences
with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/ OR A NUMBER. (20 points)
Robots Like Termites
Jim says termites differ from bees in that a (1) queen is not responsible for organizing their building work.
A single termite does not know how the overall state of the (2)? is.
Jim uses the word (3) colony to refer to the group of robots he’s created to function as independent units.
Jim observed termites depositing partially consumed (4) wood in shared habitats, which activated a
response from other termites.
Jim states that the robots receive (5) feedback to help them correct any errors they make.
Jim got a single robot to finish the construction of a (6) staircase when publicly demonstrating how simple
structure building is performed.
Jim says in the future robots like this will be able to build in (7) inaccessible or dangerous places, for
example, on Mars.
Jim predicts that his robots will soon be able to move (8) sand bags into position to help people cope with
the threat of floods.
Jim compares both termites and his robots to brain cells, in that they all create a superior form of (9)
intelligence.
A group of Turkish researchers has observed Jim’s work in the hope of coming up with a (10) model they
can learn from.
  
PART II: LEXICO - GRAMMAR (50 points)
Section 1. Choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank in the following sentences.  (20
points)
1. _________ it were well paid, I would accept this proposal.
 A. Providing (on condition that)  B. If only        
C. But for (if it had not been for)  D. Unless
2. .Professor Baker was an ______________ on the greenhouse effects.
A. author          B. authority (an expert on a subject) C. authorized           D.
authorship (the identity of the person who wrote something, especially a book)
3. Little Deon : “This herb smells horrible!” Mommy:___________, it will do you a power of good.
A. Be that as it may (=despite that)                    
B. Come what may (=despite any problems or difficulties you may have)
C. How much horrible is it            D. Whatever it smells
4. _____________, we probably would have arrived at the airport in time.
         A. Had not we stopped for gas            B. If we had stopped for gas
         C. Had it not been for our stop for gas        D. If not for having been stopped
for gas
5. _____________ to the unaided (without any help from anyone else; independently) eye, ultraviolet light
can be detected in a number of ways.
         A. Although is invisible                 B. Even though it invisible
         C. Despite invisible                       D. Although invisible
6. Householders were told not to use hose-pipes (= a flexible tube conveying water, used chiefly for
watering plants) as a(n)____________ against a serious water shortage .
A.  preparation       
B. precaution (an action that is done to prevent something unpleasant or dangerous happening)           
C. attempt              
D. provision 
7. The inflation (lạm phát) rate in Greece is five times ___________ my country,” he said.
A. as much as          B. as high as that in C. more than           D.as many as that in
8. Peter regretted booking that trip. He did it ___________ and it wasn’t very good.
A. on the fly (If you do something on the fly, you do it quickly, often while you are doing something else,
without preparing and without thinking too much about how it should be done)           
B. on the move(physically active)        C. on the air(broadcasting)             
D. on the line(at risk of failing or being harmed)
9. Tom went for a check-up at the hospital and was given a clean __________ of health.
 A. fact                     B. bill                      C. account               D. sheet
a clean bill of health = a decision by a doctor that someone is healthy
10. David got blamed for his homework. He usually does it __________.
A. how some old     B. any how old        C. some old how     D. any old how (in a
careless and untidy way)
11. Scientists are predicting that the volcano might erupt so people have been _____ from the area.
A. escaped      
B. emigrated (to leave a country permanently and go to live in another one)          
C. exported D. evacuated
12. Jack discovered that his home had been___________ by burglars.
A. annihilated (destroy something completely so that nothing is left)        
B. ransacked (search a place or container in a violent and careless way)       
C. eliminated          
D. exterminated (to kill all the animals or people in a particular place or of a particular type)
13.  The automobile had its windows_________ in the collision yesterday.
         A. smash          B. to be smashed     C. smashed           D. smashing
14. There was no one downstairs; so he turned off the lights again and decided that she ____________
imagined things.
         A. must have            B. should have         C. can’t have           D. needn’t have
15. “But so,” I told him, “ You’re my own_________.”
         A. heart to heart      B. body and soul     C. flesh and blood (family, relations)   D. skin
and bone
16.  Some people enjoy training; for others it is only a _________ to an end.
         A. means                 B. method        C. way                     D. tool
a means to an end = something that you do because it will help you to achieve something else
17. Was it always an _____ of yours to play for France?
A. urge (a strong wish, especially one that is difficult or impossible to control)        
B. adoration         C. anticipation (expectation)           D.aspiration (st u hope to achieve)
18. It was felt that the new bonus for increased production would provide and ________ to work overtime.
A. incitement (the act of encouraging someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent)          
B. attraction     
C. initiative (a new plan or process to achieve something or solve a problem)         
D. incentive (something that encourages a person to do something)
19.  Remember not to cough or sneeze at the table.________, excuse yourself.  
         A. For necessary     B. As necessary       C. With all need      D. If need be
20. After congratulating his team, the coach left, allowing the players to let their _________ down and
enjoy themselves.
         A. hearts                  B. heads           C. hair               D. souls
 
Section 2: The passage below contains 10 mistakes. IDENTIFY and CORRECT them. Write your
answers in the space provided in the column on the right.  (10pts)  
1 Less than 40 years ago, tourism was encouraged as an unquestionable good.
2 With the arrival of pack holidays and charter flights, tourism could at last be
3 enjoyable by the masses. Yet one day, it seemed feasible that there will be no
4 more tourists. There will be ‘adventurers’, ‘fieldwork assistants’, ‘volunteers’
5 and, of course, ‘travelers’. But the term ‘tourist’ will extinct. There might be
6 those which quietly slip away to foreign lands for nothing other than pure
7 pleasure, but it will be a secretive and frowned at activity. No one will want to
8 own up to be one of those. In fact, there are already a few countries prohibiting tourists
9 against entering certain areas where the adversity effects of tourism
1 have already struck. Tourists have charged with bringing nothing with them
0 but their money and wreaking havoc with the local environment.
1
1
 
 (L2) pack -> package (L7) at -> upon

(L3) enjoyable -> enjoyed (L8) be -> being

(L3) seemed -> seems (L9) against -> from

(L5) extinct -> be extinct (L9) adversity -> adverse

(L6) which -> who (L10) charged -> been charged

 
 good: something that is an advantage or help to a person or situation
 charter flight: a flight that is booked, reserved and planned specifically for the person, business or
other party chartering it.
 feasible: possible, reasonable, or likely
 fieldwork: study that consists of practical activities that are done away from your school, college,
or place of work
 slip away: to leave secretly
 frown upon/on sth: to disapprove of sth
 own up: to admit that you have done sth wrong
 wreak: to cause something to happen in a violent and often uncontrolled way
 havoc: confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble

Section 3. Complete each of the following sentences with suitable preposition(s) or particle(s).
Write your answer in the boxes provided. (10 points)

1. Doctor Carter will stand in for doctor Smith in the maternity ward, who is on a study tour abroad.
stand in for: to do the job that another person was going to do or usually does, or to take that
person's place at an event, because they cannot be there
maternity ward: a room or set of rooms in a hospital where women are taken care of before or
after they give birth
2. These students are picked out from no less than 50 applicants for the scholarship.
pick out: to recognize, find, or make a choice among different people or things in a group
3. Ordering other people in the family around seems to run in his blood as he was a commander in
the army for ten years.
order sb around: to tell someone what they should do in an unpleasant or forceful way, especially
repeatedly
4. The heavy blow on the head left the Vietnamese fighter in a coma for two weeks. Happily, thanks
to the best medical care he pulled through.
pull through: to become well again after a serious illness, especially when you might have died
coma: bất tỉnh
5. Try rubbing some detergent into the cloth to take out the stain
take out: remove
detergent: chất tẩy rửa
stain: a dirty mark that is difficult to remove
6. Frank was not cut out for the job of a policeman because of his excitable character.
to be cut out for: have the qualities and abilities needed for something
excitable: easily and often becoming excited

7. Have the authorities finished looking for the cause of the explosion yet!

8. It's impossible to live on the low unemployment benefit I come by from the government.

come by: obtain

9. Everybody put Mr. Spark's success down to his extraordinary cleverness at persuading people to
entrust their money with him

put sth down to sth: to think that a problem or situation is caused by a particular thing

entrust: to give someone a thing or a duty for which they are responsible

10. Many a change has been brought about in the climate by global warming.

bring about: cause sth to happen

 Section 4. Fill each gap with the correct form of the words in brackets. (10 points)

1.An increasing number of private kindergartens have mushroomed to meet increasing demands for
preschool education.   (SCHOOL)

mushroom: increase quickly

2. Anna showed a lot of maturity in the way she handled the problem with Olivia. (MATURE)
3. I just use a few basic and self-explanatory symbols, for the most part just crossing out errors and
inserting the correct version. (EXPLAIN)
  self explanatory: easily understood from the information already given and not needing further
explanation
4. She stood there completelely expressionless, so I had no idea at all what she was thinking.
(EXPRESS)
5. That news conference was unspeakably boring. (SPEAK)
 Unspeakable = indescribably 
6. I’m not convinced that there’s a causal link betwwen pollution and global warming. (CAUSE)
 causal: relating to or acting as a cause.
7. I’d like to make a withdrawal from my bank account, please. (DRAW)
8. I know it’s a bit annoying but there’s no need to overreact to such an extent. (ACT)
9. One of the most famous paintings of Chen Yifei is “Upland Wind”, a lifelike drawing of a heavily clothed
Tibetan family. (LIFE)
 lifelike: very similar to the person or thing represented.
10.  I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I can spend all day agonising over which choice of two words to use.
(PERFECT)
 agonize: to spend a lot of time trying to make a decision
 
PART III. READING (50p)
Section 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap.
Write your answer in corresponding numbered boxes. (10 p)
         All in the Stars
First-time visitors to India are likely to be impressed by how profoundly astrology influences
almost every (1) ______ of life on the subcontinent (a large land mass that forms part of a continent,
especially the part of Asia that includes India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). In fact, the belief that the
motions (process of moving) of remote heavenly bodies can affect events on Earth is so (2) ______ that
several Indian universities (3) ______ courses in the subject. It is not, therefore, surprising that many
people will (4) ______ an astrologer before they take any important step. For example, Indian marriages
are arranged with the aid of an astrologer, who will cast the horoscopes (a prediction of what is going to
happen to somebody in the future, based on the position of the stars and the planets when the person
was born) of the bride and groom, and also work out the best date for the wedding to take place. A few
years ago in Delhi, thousands of couples rushed to get married on a particularly auspicious (=promising)
day, with the (5) ______ that priests, brass bands (a group of musicians playing brass instruments and
sometimes also percussion) and wedding photographers were in short supply.
 The role of astrology is not (6) ______ only to the social aspects of Indian life. Few people (7)
______ business without resorting to their astrologer. Major films are only released on suspicious (making
you feel that something is wrong, illegal or dishonest) dates. Even (8) ______ of state are not exempt
from its influence: when India (9) ______ her independence from Britain in 1947, the (10) ______ of
power was carefully timed to take place after a particularly inauspicious (showing signs that the future will
not be good or successful) period had passed.
1. A. division                  B. facet (side/aspect of sth)  C. angle                   D. sector
2. A. widespread          
B. overwhelming                 
C. intensive (using a lot of energy in a short period of time)
D. capacious (having a lot of space)
3. A. offer                         B. afford                             C. supply                 D. serve
4. A. interrogate: thẩm vấn               
B. confer (to discuss something with somebody, in order to exchange opinions or get advice) 
C. interview           
D. consult (to discuss something with someone before you make a decision)
5. A. effect                        
B. outcome (the result or effect of an action or event)                          
C. upshot (the final result of a series of event)                 
D. result (a thing that is caused or produced because of something else)
6. A. demarcated (to mark or establish the limits of something)              
B. bound (to form the edge or limit of an area)                             
C. confined (=restrict)         
D. restrained (stop somebody/something from doing something, especially by using physical force)
7. A. engage (become involved with and try to understand something/somebody)                     B.
perform                          
C. carry                   
D. conduct (=organize)
8. A. affairs (events that are of public interest or political importance)                       
B. cases                               C. issues                  D. topics
9. A. grabbed                  
B. procured (to obtain something, especially with difficulty)                         
C. gained              
D. captured
10. A. delivery                  
B. inheritance (money or objects that someone gives you when they die)
C. succession (=series)         
D. transfer (the act of moving somebody/something from one place, group or job to another)
Section 2. Read the passage and fill in each gap with ONE suitable word. (15 p)
The London Marathon race is a long-running story. It was first held in 1981, (1)since when more than
half a million marathon runners of various shapes, sizes and abilities (2)have completed the challenge of
running the full 42 km of the course.
The London Marathon was the brainchild (an idea or invention of one person or a small group of
people) of Chris Brasher. The former Olympic champion brought the idea home to London (3) after
completing the New York Marathon in 1979. 'Could London stage (4) such an event?' wondered Brasher,
answering his (5) own question by organizing the first London Marathon on March 29 1981, when 6,255
runners (6)completed the course.
The event has captured the public imagination and there are always too many people wanting to take
(7)part. Last year (8) an amazing 98,500 people applied to run in it, although only 46,500 (9)could be
accepted.
For most of (10) the thousands who do take part, the day is about fun, achievement and (11) raising
money for charity - with varying degrees of pain! It is the immense (=extremely large/great) community
spirit that (12) makes the race so special. Clubs, community groups and schools assist and entertain
along the route as the runners - many of (13) them in fancy dress - run through the streets raising money
for charitable causes. The streets of London are turned (14) into the longest street party in the world as
crowds line the course (15) to cheer the runners and enjoy the spectacle.
 
Section 3: Read the following passage and complete the statements that follow by choosing A, B,
C or D to indicate your answer which you think fits best. (10 pts)
The machine that is celebrity culture has given us the meteoric rise and fall of the child actor, with plenty
of cautionary tales to point to and ask if something should have been done to prevent them. Recently,
the Chinese government took the extreme and unprecedented measure of banning the children of
celebrities from appearing in any type of reality TV programming, in an effort to prevent the manufacturing
of child stars. It would appear that perhaps limiting the exposure a child has to fame serves to protect and
ensure a solid, stable upbringing.
The pressure of fame is undoubtedly onerous, even for adults, who, despite growing up out of the
spotlight, sometimes buckle under the stress of stardom they achieved later in life and exhibit all manner
of behavioral disorders after their stardom has waned. The same can be said of child actors, but the effect
is seemingly multiplied by the fact that, if achieving stardom as children, their view of reality is possibly
warped and they may never even have the chance to acquire the necessary coping skills. But given that
some child actors – in fact, most – can make a go of their careers into adulthood, are children really so
incapable of handling such pressure or is there actually no problem at all?
■ A) Banning children from acting has an element of common sense to it, but imagine, if you will,
television programmes, films and so forth absent of children. ■ B) While the Chinese government’s move
to limit the exposure of children may seem well intentioned, at least on the surface, it is not entirely
realistic to say that children are not allowed to appear on the small or big screen. ■ C)  Of course, they
are applying it to one particular media – that of reality TV; nonetheless, is such a ban sensible for any
type of media? ■ D)
Upon closer examination of the phenomenon of the child star, we see examples both of success and
failure. How many of each do we have? Is there a disproportionately high amount of failure in the lives of
child actors if we look at the statistics and compare their problems with those of ordinary people? We see
a child star fail and we immediately blame fame, but what about the success stories of other child actors
such as Jodie Foster, Daniel Radcliffe and Leonardo Dicaprio, all of whom got their start as very young
children? Are we to credit fame for their success in the same way we blame it for others’ failures?
In the case of the latter, there are the stars we know about, as they went on to achieve long-lasting fame,
even top acting awards. Child stars are not always destined to eternally seek the limelight, however, so
there are many cases of success stories that people often don’t know about. Peter Ostum, who played
Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, went on to pursue a doctorate in veterinary
medicine. Shirley Temple, leading box-office star in the 1930s from the age of seven, became a politician
and the first female US ambassador. Polish child stars and identical twin brothers Lech and Jaroslaw
Kaczynski gave up acting and were respectively elected as president and prime minister of Poland,
positions they held at the same time.
Invariably, though, it’s the catastrophic demise that we hear about, not just of child actors, of course, but
when it does happen to them, we feel a mixture of sorrow and disbelief. To data, there is little statistical
evidence to support the claim that fame and celebrity culture ruin the lives of child actors; the only proof
we have is what we perceive to be true. Protections are in place, to an extent, to help ensure that children
have as normal an upbringing as possible. California, for example, has enacted laws which mandate that
children must continue with their educational studies exactly as they would if they weren’t in films, even
going so far as to require teachers on set if need be. In this vein, ensuring support for child actors may
need to go further than the broad restrictions exercised by China.
1. Which best serves as the title for the passage?
A.    Too young to be famous
B.  The lucrative (producing a great deal of profit) career for children
C.     How to become successful from an early age
D.    Laws and regulations restricting child participation in the showbiz
2. The word " cautionary tales” in paragraph 1 mostly means
A.    stories that are memorable
B.     jokes and tricks to warn children
C.     stories that give warning to people
D.    hilarious conversations
3. What can be inferred about the solution taken by Chinese government regarding child stars?
A.    The author wholeheartedly subscribes to it.
 B.     It will hamper (prevent someone doing something easily) the boom of child stars.
C.     It will impose a ban on children participation in films.
D.    It is unprecedented in history.
4. In the second paragraph, the author implies that children
A.    are better prepared to deal with fame than adults.
B.     never learn coping skills when they are famous young.
C.     may or may not be perniciously (having harmful impact) influenced by fame.
D.    are destined to become abnormal adults if they are in the limelight from an early age.
5. What is the author’s opinion of the government ban in the third paragraph?
A.    He is not sure whether or not it originates from good will.
B.     He is in support of it being put into practice.
C.     He supposes it is futile (incapable of producing any useful result; pointless) in the context of
reality TV.
D.    He believes the drive behind is to manipulate the media.
6. In the fourth paragraph, the author suggests that
A.    fame is the culprit behind the phenomenon of child stars.
B.     early fame may not contribute to the flop of a star.
C.     the fame of some stars shows it has no detrimental impact.
D.    the failure of some stars means that fame is debilitating (making someone very weak and infirm).
7. The author uses the instances in the fifth paragraph to convey the idea that
A.    child actors can attain (succeed in getting sth) whatever they desire. 
B.  fame can repel (drive or force (an attack or attacker) back or away; cự tuyệt) some from a
sustainable acting career.
C.     a more thorough study is needed to give out evaluation.
D.    success can be a springboard (something that provides you either with the opportunity to follow a
particular plan of action, or the encouragement that is needed to make it successful) to other
positions in life.
8. The author concludes by saying that
A.    it is futile to protect children from the perils (expose to danger; threaten) of fame
B.     it is worth taking into account the steps to help children handle fame
C.     our conception of fame is greater than the reality
D.    children should receive insightful education about how to deal with fame
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
As this sort of media is supposed to reflect real life, it would seem surreal if there were no
children in these stories, as if children had ceased to exist altogether
Where would the sentence best fit?
A. First square        B. Second square    C. Third square       D. Fourth square
10. The word " mandate” in the final paragraph mostly means
A.    giving official permission for something to happen
B.     ordering something to happen
C.     putting something into action
D.    allowing for the existence of something

 meteoric: becoming very successful very quickly

 unprecedented: never done or known before
 onerous: involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome
 buckle under sth: to be defeated by a difficult situation
 behavioural disorder: rối loạn nhân cách 
 wane: decrease in vigor, power, or extent; become weaker
 warped: strange and unpleasant
 coping skills: The methods a person uses to deal with stressful situations
 so forth: and so on; and other such things
 disproportionately: in a way that is too large or too small in relation to something else
 eternally: in a way that lasts forever/for a long time
 the limelight: public attention and interest
  doctorate: Học vị tiến sĩ
 veterinary(adj): thú 
 invariably: in every case or on every occasion; always
 demise: the end or failure of an enterprise or institution
 mandate: an official order or commission to do something
 vein: a particular quality or characteristic
 Section 4. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. (15p)
 
Overdosing on nothing
A
An international protest this week aims to demonstrate the truth about homeopathy-that there’s literally
nothing in it, says Martin Robbins AT 10.23 am on 30 January, more than 300 activists in the UK,
Canada, Australia and the US will take part in a mass homeopathic “overdose”. Skeptics will publicly
swallow an entire bottle of homeopathic pills to demonstrate to the public that homeopathic remedies, the
product of a scientifically unfounded 18th-century ritual, are simply sugar pills. Many of the skeptics will
swallow 84 pills of arsenicum album, a homeopathic remedy based on arsenic which is used to treat a
range of symptoms, including food poisoning and insomnia. The aim of the “10:23” campaign, led by the
Merseyside Skeptics Society, based in Liverpool, UK, is to raise public awareness of just exactly what
homeopathy is, and to put pressure on the UK’s leading pharmacist, Boots, to remove theremedies from
sale. The campaign is called 10:23 in honor of the Avogadro constant (approximately 6 x 1023, the
number of atoms or molecules in onemole of a substance), of which more later.
B
That such a protest is even necessary in 2010 is remarkable, but somehow the homeopathic industry has
not only survived into the 21st century, but prospered. In the UK alone more than £40 million is spent
annually on homeopathic treatments, with £4 million of this being sucked from the National Health Service
budget. Yet the basis for homeopathy defies the laws of physics, and high-quality clinical trials have never
been able to demonstrate that it works beyond the placebo effect.
C
The discipline is based on three “laws”; the law of similars, the law of infinite simals and the law of
succession. The law of similars states that something which causes your symptoms will cure your
symptoms, so that, for example, as caffeine keeps you awake, it can also be a cure for insomnia. Of
course, that makes little sense, since drinking caffeine, well, keeps you awake. Next is the law of
infinitesimals, which claims that diluting a substance makes it more potent. Homeopaths start by diluting
one volume of their remedy arsenic oxide, in the case of arsenicumalbum-in 99 volumes of distilled water
oralcohol to create a “centesimal”. They then dilute one volume of the centesimal in 99volumes of water
or alcohol, and so on, up to 30 times. Application of Avogadro’s constant tells you that a dose of such
a“30C” recipe is vanishingly unlikely to contain even a single molecule of the active ingredient. The third
pillar of homeopathy is the law of succession. This states-and I’m not making this up-that by tapping the
liquid in a special way during the dilution process, a memory of the active ingredient is somehow
imprinted on it. This explains how water is able to carry a memory of arsenic oxide, but apparently not of
the contents of your local sewer network.
D
The final preparation is generally dropped onto a sugar pill which the patient swallows. Homeopaths claim
that the application of these three laws results in a remedy that, even though it contains not a single
molecule of the original T-T-J.— ingredient, somehow carries an “energy signature” of it that nobody can
measure or detect. Unsurprisingly, when tested under rigorous scientific conditions, in randomized,
controlled and double blind trials, homeopathic remedies have shown to be no better than a placebo. Of
course, the placebo effect is quite powerful, but it’s a bit like justifying building a car without any wheels
on the basis that you can still enjoy the comfy leather seats and play with the gear shift.
E
Even some retailers who sell the treatments have admitted there is no evidence that they work. In
November, Paul Bennett, the superintendent pharmacist at Boots, appeared before the UK parliament’s
Commons Science and Technology Committee’s “evidence check” on homeopathy. He was questioned
by Member of Parliament Phil Willis, who asked: “Do they work beyond the placebo effect?” I have no
evidence before me to suggest that they are efficacious,” Bennett replied. He defended Boots’s decision
to sell homeopathic remedies on the grounds of consumer choice. “A large number of our consumers
actually do believe they are efficacious, but they are licensed medicinal products and, therefore, we
believe it is right to make the mavailable,” he said.
F
You might agree. You might also argue that homeopathy is harmless: if people want to part with their
money for sugar pills and nobody is breaking the law, why not let them? To some extent that’s true-
there’s only so much damage you can do with sugar pills short of feeding them to a diabetic or dropping a
large crate of them on someone’s head. However, we believe there is a risk in perpetuating the notion
that homeopathy is equivalent to modern medicine. People may delay seeking appropriate treatment for
themselves or their children.
G
We accept that we are unlikely to convince the true believers. Homeopathy has many ways to sidestep
awkward questions, such as rejecting the validity of randomized controlled trials, or claiming that
homeopathic remedies only work if you have symptoms of the malady they purport to cure. Our aim is to
reach out to the general public with our simple message: “There is nothing in it”. Boots and other retailers
are perfectly entitled to continue selling homeopathic remedies if they so wish and consumers are
perfectly entitled to keep on buying them. But hopefully the 10:23 campaign will ram home our message
to the public. In the 21st century, with decades of progress behind us, it is surreal that governments are
prepared to spend millions of tax pounds on homeopathy. There really is nothing in it.
 
 Homeopathy (n)= vi lượng đồng căn
 Skeptics: những người nghi ngờ
 Arsenicum album (n)= chất kích thích thần kinh
 Defy (v) = to refuse to obey or to do something in the usual or expected way
 Infinitesimal (a)= extremely small
 Placebo: giả dược
 Dilute (v)= to make a liquid weaker by mixing in something else
 Potent (a)= very powerful, forceful, or effective
 Centestimal (a)= marked by or relating to division into hundredths
 Vanishingly: emphasize how small sth is
 Imprint (v)= to mark a surface by pressing something hard into it
 Sewer (n) = a large pipe, usually underground, that is used for carrying waste water and human
waste away from buildings to a place where they can be safely got rid of
 Rigorous (a)= careful to look at or consider every part of something to make certain it is correct or
safe
 Superintendent (n)= a person who is in charge of work done in a particular department, office,
etc., or who is responsible for keeping a building or place in good condition
 Efficacious (a)= able to produce the intended result

Questions 1-7
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A-G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-G
from the list below. Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
                             List of Headings
i The definition of three laws
ii Quoting three laws to against the homeopathy
iii There are many methods of avoiding answering ambiguous questions.
iv The purpose of illustrating the effectiveness of homeopathy
v The constant booming of homeopathy
vi Some differences between homeopathy and placebo
vii Placebo is better than homeopathy
viii An example of further demonstrating the negative effect of homeopathy
ix The purpose of staging an demonstration to against homeopathy
 
1 Paragraph A ix
2 Paragraph B v
3 Paragraph C i
4 Paragraph D vii
5 Paragraph E iv
6 Paragraph F viii
7 Paragraph G iii
Questions 8-14
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?In boxes 8-
15 on your answer sheet write
 
TRUE                     if the statement is true
FALSE                   if the statement is false 
NOT GIVEN         if the information is not given in the passage
 
8.Skeptics planning to hold a demonstration in "10.23" campaign is to against UK's leading pharmacist,
Boots. T
9.National Health Service budget gained a small portion of homeopathic industry. F
10.The example of Caffeine is to present that homeopathy resists the laws of similars. T
11.Instilling the idea to people that homeopathy is equal to modern medicine poses danger. T
12.Paul Bennett claimed effectiveness of taking the homeopathic medicine is proved. F
13.The adoption of homeopathy mainly contributes to the delay of seeking appropriate treatment for
themselves or their children. F
14. The campaign has exerted heavy pressure on Boots and other retailers. NG
15. The fact that the governments are prepared to spend millions of tax pounds on homeopathy is not
real. F
 
PART IV: WRITING (50 points)
Section  1. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same as the
one printed before it. Write your answers in the space provided. (10 points)
1. They believe that Oliver failed his exam because he was nervous.
-->  Oliver’s failure in his exam was put down to the fact that he was nervous.
 put sth down to sth: to think that a problem or situation is caused by a particular thing
2. The inhabitants were far worse-off twenty years ago than they are now.
-->  The inhabitants are nowhere near as badly off as they were twenty years ago
 badly off: having little money and few of the things you need to live
3. If you don't know the art market, there's a risk you will spend a lot of money on rubbish.
--> If you don't know the art market, you are at risk of spending a lot of money on rubbish
4. Whatever the methods used to obtain the result; drugs were definitely not involved.
-> There was no question of drugs being involved, whatever the methods were used  to obtain the result
5. Those terrapins which survive their first year may live to be twenty.
->  Should those terrapins survive their first year, they may live to be twenty
 terrapins: rùa đầm
 
Section 2. Rewrite the sentences below in such a way that their meanings stay the same. You
must use the words in capital without changing their forms. Write your answers in the space
provided (10 points)
1. I remained neutral during their disagreement because I like both of them. (SIDES)
I didn’t take sides during their disagreement because I like both of them. 
 take sides: support 1 person/opinion over another
2. A great many people will congratulate her if she wins. (SHOWERED)
She will be showered with great many congratulations if she wins. 
 a good/great many= a lot of
3. He is a generous person. (NAME)
Generosity is his middle name
4. Several runners have withdrawn from the race because of health problems. (BACKED)
Several runners have backed out of the race because of health problems
  back out of sth: to decide not to do something that you had said you would do
5. Returning from the battle, they had no money left. (RUB)
Returning from the battle, they didn't have two pennies to rub together
 two pennies to rub together: a minimal amount of money to live on; any money at all.
 
Section 3: Paragraph writing (30 p)
People these days give too much importance to following fashions, for example wearing fashionable
clothes and having the latest model of phone. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Partially disagree
1. Reason to agree: More job opportunities
 W: Importance given to fashion trends => large amount of money spent on buying fashion
items=> demand for constructing cloth factory and opening clothing stores in local regions
 H: Garment industry production has doubled in the last 15 years in Guangzhou China for the
purpose of exporting to either surrounding countries or all over the world
 S: Create more job opportunities for the locals
 CA:
Turn against: That growing demand for buying clothes results in the fact that many factories are housed in
repurposed buildings, which might be unsafe due to faulty
Turn back: That is not a big problem as laws could be strictly applied; solutions to unemployment status
should be given more attention

2. Reasons to disagree: The financial and environmental burden due to fashion trends
 W: Fashion items are not only expensive but also easy to be out of trend after a certain period of
time
 H: Clothing retailers like Zara and H&M make cheap and fashionable clothing to satisfy the needs
of young consumers. Yet, fast fashion has a significant environmental impact. According to a
2020 research, the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 8-
10% of global carbon emissions
 S: A great amount of money wasted on no longer wearable fashion items => financial
repercussions of young people paying too much attention to following fashion trends while such
spendings could be used to invent in studying courses.
Unwearable garments dry up water sources and pollute rivers and streams. The environmental
impact of fast fashion comprises the depletion of non-renewable sources, emission of
greenhouse gasses and the use of massive amounts of water and energy.