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ĐÁP ÁN + PHÂN TÍCH THAM KHẢO

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM HÀ NỘI
TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN KÌ THI THỬ VÀO LỚP 10 THPT CHUYÊN NĂM 2023
LẦN 3
(Đề thi có 09 trang) Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH
(Dành cho thí sinh thi thử vào Chuyên Anh)
Thời gian làm bài: 120 phút (không kể thời gian phát đề)
Mã đề: 303
For questions 1-8, read the text below and write the answer (A, B, C or D) that best fits each gap on the
answer sheet.
MARY HEATH, FEMALE PILOT
Mary Heath was the original Queen of the Skies, one of the best-known women in the world during the (1)
________ age of aviation. She was the first woman in Britain to gain a commercial pilot's licence, the first to
(2) ___________ a parachute jump- and the first British women's javelin champion. She scandalized 1920s'
British society by marrying three times (at the (3) ______ of her fame she wed politician Sir James Heath -
her second husband, 45 years her senior).

In 1928, aged 31, she became the first pilot to fly an open-cockpit plane, solo, from South Africa to Egypt,
(4) ____________ 9,000 miles in three months. It was a triumph. Lady Heath was (5) ______ as the nation's
sweetheart and called 'Lady Icarus' by the press.

However, her life was (6) _____________ tragically short. Only a year later, she (7) __________ a horrific
accident at the National Air Show in Ohio in the USA, when her plane crashed through the roof of a
building. Her health was never the (8) __________ again, and she died in May 1939.

Question 1. A. sweet B. shiny C. golden D. bright

• golden age: thời đại vàng
Question 2. A. put B. hold C. make D take
• make a jump: có một cú nhảy, tạo một cú nhảy
• Question 3. A. fullness B. top C. height D. crest
be at the height of your success/fame/powers: ở đỉnh cao thành công/danh tiếng/quyền lực
Question 4. A. stretching B. crossing C. ranging D. covering
• stretch: trải ra, chạy dài ra (spread over a large area or distance)
• cross: qua, đi qua, vượt, đi ngang qua (go across from one side of something to the other)
• range: đi khắp; đi dọc theo (move or travel freely)
• cover: trải ra (travel a particular distance)
Question 5. A. hailed B. exclaimed C. quoted D. declared
• hail sbd/sth as sth: hoan hô, hoan nghênh
Question 6. A. cut B. stopped C. left D. brought
• cut short: cắt ngắn
Question 7. A. undertook B, underwent C. received D. suffered
• suffer from: đau; đau khổ; bị
Question 8. A. equal B. like C. better D. same

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• the same: giống như; như nhau

Write the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following
questions.
Question 9. ___________ he was determined to continue to climb up the mountain. Finally, he was there
at the top of the mountain at the end of the day.
A. Tired as he might feel B. He felt very tired though
C. Tired as it was D. As he might feel tired
• Adj/adv + as + S + V, S + V: dù....
Question 10. I am in a ___________ as how to use this CD Rom.
A. difficulty B. loss C. mind-game D. quandary
• be in difficulties/difficulty: gặp khó khăn, trong tình huống khó khăn
• be at a loss: không biết phải nói hay làm gì
• play mind games with: chơi trò đấu trí với
• be in a quandary about/over: ở trong một tình thế khó xử
Question 11. I will never forget the festival that I took part in last year. Up _______, and the people cheered.
A. did the balloon go B. does the balloon go
C. went the balloon D. goes the balloon
• Đảo ngữ: Kết cấu giới từ chỉ nơi chốn đưa lên đầu câu để nhấn mạnh
Question 12. If things are going well, our company will get huge profits. In fact, business is _________.
A. rolling B. blooming C. leaping D. soaring
• leap to sth: tăng, cải thiện, hoặc phát triển rất nhanh
• soar: tăng nhanh về số lượng, số lượng, giá trị hoặc cấp độ
Question 13. I was all set to take the job in Tokyo, but at the last minute I _______ and decided to stay in
Britain.
A. held my horses B. called it a day
C. pulled my finger out D. got cold feet
• hold your horses: bình tĩnh lại, dừng lại để xem xét lại một quyết định/ý kiến
• call it a day: kết thúc một hoạt động (vì không muốn làm nữa hoặc vì thấy đã làm đủ rồi)
• pull my finger out: bắt đầu làm việc chăm chỉ, đặc biệt là sau một thời gian ít hoạt động
• get cold feet: cảm thấy quá sợ hãi để làm điều gì đó mà bạn đã lên kế hoạch để làm
Question 14. Although the patient received intensive treatment, there was no _______ improvement in her
condition.
A. legible B. intelligible C. decipherable D. discernible
• discernible: có thể nhận thức rõ, có thể thấy rõ
• decipherable: có thể đọc ra được, có thể giải đoán ra được
• legible: dễ đọc, dễ xem
• intelligible: dễ hiểu
Question 15. The police couldn't persuade the man to _______ the source of his information.
A. discover B. concede C. divulge D. uncover
• concede sth to sbd: thừa nhận cái gì là đúng, có giá trị, thích đáng…
• divulge: để lộ ra, tiết lộ điều gì đó bí mật
Question 16. The bank where James worked for 3 months last year is reported in the local newspaper
_________ in broad daylight yesterday.
A. having been robbed B. to be robbed
C. to have been robbed D. robbed

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• Cấu trúc bị động với các động từ chỉ ý kiến, quan điểm (say, think, believe, report, …)
Chủ động: S1 + think/believe… + that + S2 + V2
Bị động: It + be + thought/believed …. + that + S2 + V2
S2 + be + thought/believed + to Vinfi / to have PII
Question 17. This disagreement is likely to _________relations between the two countries.
A. disaffect B. sour C. estrange D. alienate
• disaffect: làm mất thiện cảm; làm mất lòng trung thành, ly gián; chia rẽ; gây oán giận
• sour: trở nên khó chịu hoặc không thân thiện, làm cho chua chát
• estrange sbd from sbd: làm cho xa lạ, làm cho ghẻ lạnh
• alienate sbd from sbd/sth: làm cho trở nên không thân thiện hoặc thờ ơ; làm cho xa lánh ai
Question 18. Jake recommended that Susan ______ immediately. She shouldn't stay at home all the time
anymore.
A. hires B. be hired C. hired D. hire
• recommend that + S + (should) + Vinfi
Question 19. We _________ last night, but we went to the concert instead.
A. should have studied B. must have studied
C. would study D. might study
• might have + PII: một khả năng trong quá khứ
• should have + PII: diễn tả một bổn phận, trách nhiệm được cho là đã xảy ra ở quá khứ nhưng vì
một lí do nào đó mà đã không xảy ra
• need have + PII: một việc đáng lẽ ra không cần thiết phải làm nhưng thực tế đã được thực hiện
• must have + PII: một sự suy luận hợp lí trong quá khứ

Write the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs
from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
Question 20. A. massage /ɑːʒ/ B. carriage /ɪʤ/ C. voyage /ɪʤ/ D. dosage /ɪʤ/
Question 21. A. compassionate /ə/ B. overwhelming /əʊ/C. collection /ə/ D. opportunity /ə/

For questions 22-26, read the following passage and write the correct answer for each of the questions
about it on your answer sheet.
CATS ON THE COUCH
Nicholas Bagnall reviews Cat Confidential by Vicky Halls
Vicky Halls is a 'cat behaviour counsellor'. The idea of such a person would have been incomprehensible to
those brought up on Rudyard Kipling, who plainly didn't think much of cats and thought they could manage
perfectly well without humans. Cats in those days were generally thought effeminate anyway, not like gruff
and manly dogs. We know better now, yet it's still surprising how little we understand them.

Vicky Halls has often been called in to sort out some wretched animal that's making messes all over the
house or obnoxiously wetting the furniture (the commonest symptom of anxiety or distress), and has
discovered that either it is frightened of another cat in the household, or is missing a dead one, or is jealous
of other cats or of humans, or it can't stand the wood chips in its litter tray, while its doting owners have had
no idea what has been going on in its unhappy head.

Sometimes the problem is obvious enough, as in the case of a cat called Chester whose owner let him sleep
with her when her husband was away, and who then became so jealous that he actively and sometimes
painfully came between husband and wife when all three were in bed. Most of us would have got rid of the

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cat, but instead they summoned Ms Halls who eventually broke up this absurd triangle by arranging
alternative pleasures for Chester, such as a comfy bed of his own and more time outdoors.

Our own two cats are lucky enough to be able to come and go as they please, and I feel sorry for the ones
that can never leave the house or flat. No wonder some of them get a touch neurotic. Ms Halls prescribes a
range of devices to distract the indoor cat, perhaps a few cardboard boxes to hide in, or a high shelf to sit on
with a view through another window. And she's full of common sense tips. (Don't put the litter tray near the
food bowl.)

Her views on cat flaps are more contentious. She thinks of a cat flap as a swing door. How would you like to
have a front door like that, she asks, with no defence against thieves and invaders? No wonder your cat you
like starts spraying all over the place. (Spraying is also a cat's way of registering its presence and marking its
territory.) If you must have a flap, try locking it shut at night. This seems to me rather hard on the cat, a
semi- nocturnal beast.

Ms Halls is pleasantly free of mawkishness. She realises that for many people, particularly if they live alone,
a cat becomes the focus of their love, and she herself quite plainly adores them, describing the looks and
foibles of individual specimens with touching precision; but she manages to keep her emotional distance and
is an excellent story-teller. Only towards the end, when offering bereaved owners some grievance
counselling, does she become too sentimental, too anthropomorphic if you like, for my taste. But then cats
have always evoked strong emotions.

Question 22. What can we infer about cat behaviour counsellors?

A. They are a relatively new breed of professionals.
B. People felt that they were strange in the past.
C.They believe that cats shouldn't be domesticated.
D. They claim dogs are generally viewed in a more favourable way than cats.
=> The idea of such a person would have been incomprehensible to those brought up on Rudyard
Kipling (những người lớn lên ở thời của Rudyard Kipling - nhà văn, nhà thơ Anh đoạt giải Nobel Văn học
năm 1907)
Question 23. What does Vicky Halls say about the mess cats make?
A. It is normally the cat owner's fault.
B. It can be put down to stress.
C. It demonstrates that they should be put out at night.
D. It is natural if there is more than one cat at home.
=> Vicky Halls has often been called in to sort out some wretched animal that's making messes all over the
house or obnoxiously wetting the furniture (the commonest symptom of anxiety or distress)
Question 24. What is Vicky Hall's view of indoor cats?
A. She believes they enjoy being able to see outside.
B. She pities them.
C. They should be encouraged to go out.
D. They are more likely to suffer from extreme anxiety.
=> I feel sorry for the ones that can never leave the house or flat. No wonder some of them get a touch
neurotic.
Question 25. What do we learn about the writer of the text and Vicky Hall?
A. They both make use of cat flaps in their homes.
B. They have varying opinions on the use of cat flaps.

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C. They believe cat flaps act as an invitation to criminals.

D. They have doubts about how useful cat flaps are.
=> Her views on cat flaps are more contentious. She thinks …. If you must have a flap, try locking it shut
at night. This seems to me rather hard on the cat, a semi- nocturnal beast.
Question 26. The main aim of the writer of the text is to
A. promote behaviour counselling for cats.
B. point out the difficulties involved in keeping pets.
C. review Ms Hall's book.
D. praise people who work with animals.

Write the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in
the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 27. A. hospi’tality B. fa’cilitate C. flexi’bility D. inte’raction
Question 28. A. ap’prentice B. mal’function C. ‘demonstrate D. re’warding

There are 6 errors in the following passage. Identify the errors, write the line number and correct them.
The first error numbered (0) is done as an example. Write your answers in the numbered spaces
corresponding to questions 29-33 on your answer sheet.
Line PASSAGE

1 Without a time machine, it's impossible to say for sure how things will turn up, but in my own -
2 somewhat pessimistic - view of the future, I see a world where much of the earth's flora and
3 fauna will have become extinct - a world with pollution skies and seas. Thanks to climate
4 change, icebergs will have melted and coastal waters will have raised. A soaring human
5 population will live in overcrowded cities further inland, the superrich will have everything
6 they need, while three quarters of the global population will face starvation.
7 And the population will continue to increase. In the western world, medical advances will
8 helped to eradicate most diseases and people will live much longer. However, societies will
9 struggle to support this ageing population, many of them will be forced to keep working until
10 they are well into their nineties. Medical intervention will have made it possible for most fertile
11 couples to have children, while the super-rich will be able to 'design' their babies, and select
12 the qualities they would like them to have.
Example: (0) line 1: up
→ out
(1) up -> out
turn out: hoá ra, thành ra
turn up: xảy ra, đến, xuất hiện
(2) pollution -> polluted
polluted (adj): ô nhiễm
(3) raised -> risen
raise + O; rise là nội động từ nên không có O đằng sau
(4) helped -> will have helped
Thì tương lai hoàn thành dùng để diễn tả một hành động, sự việc sẽ được hoàn thành trước một thời điểm
nhất định trong tương lai
(5) them -> whom
Mệnh đề quan hệ. Them ở đây là họ (số nhiều), nhưng câu trước lại trỏ vào this ageing population (số ít) nên

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không thể dùng many of them

(6) fertile -> infertile
infertile (adj): vô sinh

Write the correct form of the word in capitals that fits each blank in the text below in the corresponding
numbered box on your answer sheet.
Rice crops fail in drought conditions or where the soil is too (34) __salty_____. SALT
So work is underway to “climate-proof” rice so it can grow in even the most (35)
_unfavourable___ of conditions. Drought affects 23 million hectares of rice FAVOUR
annually, and salt is equally (36) __problematic_; it reduces yields by 40% and PROBLEM
consequently (37) __intensifies____ the pressures on food supplies. Further INTENSE
reductions in yields are likely due to climate (38)_ instability_. Scientists are STABLE
attempting to produce a super rice by mixing genes from drought-tolerant plants
with those from another that exploits nitrogen (39) _effectively_, thus enabling it to EFFECT
grow without fertiliser. Comparing the new rice's (40) _performance__ with that PERFORM
of ordinary rice, the super rice produced 17% more than the ordinary variety in
individual trials and 42% more when subjected to a (41) _combination_ of COMBINE
stresses. In addition, researchers are working on improving other crops. For
example, one team has developed a potato that is (42)_resistant__ to certain RESIST
diseases. It is hoped that developments such as this will (43) _lessen___ the impact LESS
of climate change in developing countries.
(34) salty (adj): có muối, mặn | be + adj, salty bổ nghĩa cho the soil
(35) unfavourable/unfavorable (adj): không có lợi, không có ích | the most + adj dài + N, unfavourable bổ
nghĩa cho conditions
(36) problematic (adj): khó giải quyết, khó hiểu | be + adj, problematic bổ nghĩa cho salt
(37) intensify (V): làm tăng cao lên, tăng cường | A and B, A và B phải ngang hàng. Ta có reduce là V, vì
vậy ở đây cũng cần điền một V
(38) instability (N): tính không ổn định, tính không kiên định, tính không vững | Cụm danh từ
(39) effectively (adv): một cách hiệu quả | V + adv, effectively bổ nghĩa cho exploits
(40) performance (N): hiệu suất | Sở hữu cách, cái gì sở hữu cái gì -> dùng N
(41) combination (N): sự kết hợp | a + N, a combination of: một tập hợp cái gì
(42) resistant (adj): chống chịu được | be resistant to
(43) lessen (V): giảm bớt | will + V

Write the suitable preposition(s) in each of the following blanks in the corresponding numbered box on
your answer sheet.
44. _____To_____ my utter astonishment, she remembered my name.
• To my astonishment: Trong sự ngạc nhiên của tôi
45. I like this photograph so much that I'm going to have it blown ___up____
• blow up: phóng (ảnh)
46. They are planning to wind _____down____ their operation in china and concentrate on ASEAN
countries.
• wind sth down: kết thúc dần dần, kết thúc theo từng đợt
47. The news about Sue's pregnancy leaked _____out____quickly despite her efforts to keep secret.
• leak out: lọt ra, lộ ra (điều bí mật)
48. My cousin talked ___at___ length about his recent holiday and bored everyone to death.

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• at length: đầy đủ chi tiết

For questions 49-55, read the text below and write the word which best fits each gap on the answer sheet.
Use only ONE word in each gap.
BEYOND THE PAIN BARRIER
Alongside extreme sports, endurance sports are gaining in popularity. (49) _Since___ its debut at the
Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, the triathlon has become one of the world's fastest developing 'multi-sport'
endurance challenges, with thousands of races (50) ___being______ held every year.

Usually, races consist (51) _____of______ a swimming section, followed by a cycling stretch, then
culminating (52) ___in/with____ a run. The individual legs of each course may vary in distance, and events
are held on different levels. For instance, the Olympic event involves a 1.5 km swim, a bike ride of 40km,
with a 10km run to finish. This is (63) ___known___ as the 'standard course.' For those masochists who
really want to push (54) ____themselves/far____ beyond the pain barrier, there are the Ironman long-
distance triathlons, requiring competitors to swim 3.8km, cycle a gruelling 180km and then run 42 km.

However, few athletes have the stamina to endure such distances. Most (55) ___find____ the Olympic
course more accessible.

(49) Since: từ
(50) Rút gọn mệnh đề quan hệ: which are = being
(51) consist of: bao gồm
(52) culminate in/with sth: lên đến cực điểm, lên đến tột độ, lên đến tột bậc
(53) be known as: được biết đến như là
(54) For those masochists who really want to push themselves beyond the pain barrier: Dành cho những kẻ
điên thực sự muốn đẩy bản thân vượt qua rào cản của đau đớn
(55) find sth + adj: thấy cái gì như thế nào

For questions 56-61, you are going to read an article about dealing with addiction. Six sentences have
been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap. There is one
extra sentence which you do not need to use. Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes.
A. Half an hour of intense aerobic exercise can produce five times the amount you'd have if you were
sitting down.
B. Low concentrations of these are closely linked to depression.
C. It may be, though, that the thrill can never quite compare with that achieved by taking drugs.
D. People become addicted to something because there's an underlying unhappiness.
E. Steve, a personal trainer, used his work to mask his secondary addiction.
F. The thrill from the exercise is the thing, the drug-like feelings brought about by the activity are what
addicts want.
G. With a negative addiction, on the other hand, exercise overrides everything.
KICKING THE HABIT
The term 'exercise addiction' was coined in 1976 by Dr William Glasser when he was studying long-distance
runners. He noticed that many of them experienced low moods when they couldn't train, and he came to
differentiate between positive and negative addictions: a positive addiction involves a love of the activity,
and the exercise is scheduled around other everyday activities. You run your running schedule, for example,
rather than it running you, and an enforced day off isn't the end of the world. The results are increased

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feelings of physical and psychological wellbeing. (56) ____G - With a negative addiction,
on the other hand, exercise overrides everything____. Relationships and work suffer, a
day away from the gym causes distress, and health can decline as overtraining leads to
injury and illness.
Two types of negative exercise addiction have since been defined. Secondary addiction is
probably the most common, where the compulsion to exercise is driven by a need to
control and change one's body shape, and is often accompanied by an eating disorder.
(57)_E - Steve, a personal trainer, used his work to mask his secondary addiction___
'Whatever workout my client was doing, I'd do it, too, alongside them, supposedly to
motivate them, but in fact it was to keep my weight down. In total, I was doing several
hours of cardio every day, and I didn't actually enjoy the exercise. I hated the feeling of not
having the perfect body even more, though."
With Primary addiction, body image isn't so central. (58) ____F - The thrill from the exercise is the
thing, the drug-like feelings brought about by the activity are what addicts want _____ It works like this:
when we exercise strenuously, we activate our sympathetic nervous system, causing a rise in the
concentration of serotonin and other chemicals in the brain which make us feel happy.
At the same time, the body produces endorphins which shut down pain signals reaching the brain. (59)
___A - Half an hour of intense aerobic exercise can produce five times the amount you'd have if you were
sitting down ___ Add all these together, and you have a recipe for mild euphoria. Unfortunately, just as the
body's tolerance of drugs increases, so it is with endorphins: more are required to produce the same thrill, so
the exercise intensity has to be increased. (60) _____C - It may be, though, that the thrill can never quite
compare with that achieved by taking drugs____. Tony, who took drugs daily for almost a decade,
then took to running half-marathons. He admits that getting the kick got harder. He said he'd lie awake at
night thinking about the next day's session. It still wasn't as good as the drugs he was on before. Sports and
exercise psychologist Paul Russell has encountered many people like Tony. 'Exercise addiction tends to be a
more temporary addiction, marking time before the person returns to the basic ones, like drugs. (61) __D -
People become addicted to something because there's an underlying unhappiness___ If they haven't
sorted out the reasons for this state, via counselling for example, they'll have to direct that need to
something else."

For questions 62-75, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF 'ARTIFICIAL LIFE'
They come into a world where they must struggle to survive. Over many generations, they evolve. But are
they alive? Of course, you might say. But we're not talking about amoebae, ants or alligators. We're talking
about computer programs.
'Artificial life' exists only within PCs and more powerful computers, but existence in its electronic universe
parallels many elements of life in the biological world. Some programs flock like birds. Others organise like
bees. Some mutate swiftly from chaotic hordes to complex, stable populations in a process eerily akin to
Darwinian evolution.
As a group, artificial life programs represent the most exciting work on the edge of computer research. Study
of artificial life holds promise for new ways of solving complex problems and fresh opportunities to model
biology and society. Perhaps, far in the future, such research will yield the ability to blueprint living
organisms.
The basics behind artificial life are surprisingly simple. The programs follow a few simple rules, applying
them with a speed and persistence that's possible only inside a computer. When many such programs are run
simultaneously, amazingly complex patterns can emerge. In many cases, these patterns are spooky

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replications of natural behaviours. Programs 'band together' against common enemies and devise new ways
of surviving when their environment changes. These results aren't surprising when you consider that
biological life itself consists of nothing more than variations on four simple rules: the four compounds that
constitute DNA, the building block of all genes and therefore all life. In artificial life, computer instructions
take the place DNA code.
The father of modern artificial life research, Christopher Langton of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in
the U.S., sees his work this way: 'For us, artificial life is the study of man-made systems that exhibit
behaviour characteristics of natural living systems. We're attempting to abstract logical forms of life, not
matter. We can obtain some of the same dynamics as life, albeit with different materials."
In the early 1980s, Langton took up the study of self-replicating programs begun more than 30 years earlier
by John von Neumann, a Hungarian mathematician whose theories contributed to the development of the
programmable digital computer. An example of how programs mimic biology can be found in cellular
automata-literally, 'cell-like machines': structures that arise from tiny programs that each display a seemingly
independent existence based on a few simple rules. Analogies between programs like this and actual life
forms are inevitable. When simulated organisms cluster together, leaving rectilinear tracks on the screen,
researchers call them 'ants'. When they do this in a three-dimensional model, they're called 'bees". And
perhaps the most disturbing analogy with biological life can be found in computer ‘viruses', self- replicating
programs that display purposeful behaviour and tolerate perturbations in their environment. Although some
scientists regard viruses as the first programs capable of existing without the wilful cooperation of humans,
the fact is that without humans to design them, they wouldn't exist at all.
Still, some of the work demonstrated at a recent gathering of the artificial life research clan causes the
biological heart to flutter.
'During five intense days', said Langton, 'we saw a wide variety of models of living systems, including
mathematical models for the origins of life, self reproducing automata, computer programs using the
mechanisms of Darwinian evolution to produce co-adapted ecosystems, simulations of flocking birds and
schooling fish, the growth and development of artificial plants, and much, much more.’
Craig Reynolds of Symbolics demonstrated his 'boids', computer-animated, bird-shaped creatures that flock
like real birds. Reynolds programmed the 'boids' to follow three simple rules: they maintain a minimum
distance from the nearest object; they match velocity with the nearby flock; and they fly toward the greatest
concentration of the flock.
The resulting flocking behaviour is shockingly real.'Ants', the creation of David Jefferson and Robert
Collins, also appeared. Colonies of these randomly generated creatures have developed the ability to
navigate electronic mazes and search for symbols that represent food.
Independent programmer John Nagle argued that the next generation of supercomputers should challenge
researchers to create 'squirrels’, computer models with the intelligence level of a biological rodent with one
gram of brain mass.
Langton's contribution, 'Computation at the edge of chaos', was one of the most unusual presentations.
Biologists maintain that life began in a spontaneous outburst of activity that occurred when Earth's
environment reached critical thresholds of heat, atmosphere and chemical composition. A few variations on
any of these variables would have altered the course of the planet into either chaos or barrenness.
Langton's presentation was based on a computer model demonstrating similar principles. Changing a
parameter in the model acts like changing the temperature of a computer-generated petri dish of single-cell
creatures. When this variable passes a critical threshold, the colonies of Langton's artificial life programs
neither freeze nor evaporate but settle into recurring patterns conducive to the orderly transmission of
information. 'At one end, activity freezes; at the other end, it's too volatile,' notes Langton. As a result, he
wonders whether 'computation may emerge spontaneously and come to dominate the dynamics of physical
systems' much as life has. In fact, Langton speculates that life itself may have started as a chance

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computation on the cusp of liquid and gaseous states.

And which of these simple programs, we might wonder, will someday hoist itself out of the electronic soup
(as creatures once dragged themselves out of ancient seas), look around at the new surroundings and wonder
who made it all happen? To Langton, that's not an odd image. In the scale of geologic time,' he observes,
'this may be the end of an era in our little part of the universe. We're not the end point of evolution. Some
artificial life form we create may be the next step on the evolutionary ladder.'
"We haven't really needed a definition of "life" before," he says. "We were it. But the computational
structures that we're looking at do exhibit a lot of the criteria that biologists use for describing life: they're
complex, purpose-driven structures. They reproduce. They use the energy resources of their host for their
own ends. Are real viruses alive? We're not so sure now. There's a grey area in here where our definitions
just don't work.'
Apart from spawning sci-fi speculations, artificial life has begun to show commercial promise. Danny Hillis,
the founder of the Thinking Machines Corporation in the U.S., for instance, has unveiled a program that
follows a process similar to Darwinian evolution to optimise the problem-solving efficiency of software - a
method that could lead to continuously self-improving programs.

QUESTIONS 62-67
Complete the following summary of part of the passage by choosing the correct word or phrase from the
box below and writing its letter in the numbered space on the answer sheet. There are more word and
phrases than you will need.
A Darwinian theories of evolution F computer-generated "life"
B DNA codes G the end point of evolution
C theories of artificial life H society
D computer instructions I biological life forms
E Christopher Langton J groups lacking organisation
The reading passage discusses possible similarities between 'real' or biological life and (0) ____F______ . In
biological life, (62) ___B__ are the basis of life and behaviour. Recently, computer researchers have begun
to study so-called 'artificial life', computer-generated graphics in which the on-screen images seem to imitate
the behaviour of (63) ___I______. In these programs (64) ___D_____ take the place of DNA codes.
These computer-generated 'life forms' include some which behave like insects and birds and others which
mutate from (65) ___J____ into highly organised, complex populations. The researchers inevitably draw
parallels with (66) ___F___ and compare them to actual life forms, even to the extent of giving them names
like ants and bees.
Eventually, the study of ‘artificial life' may allow researchers to re-evaluate models of (67) ___H___ and
biology.
(62) biological life itself consists of nothing more than variations on four simple rules: the four compounds
that constitute DNA, the building block of all genes and therefore all life.
(63) \An example of how programs mimic biology can be found in cellular automata-literally, 'cell-like
machines'
(64) In artificial life, computer instructions take the place DNA code.
(65) Some mutate swiftly from chaotic hordes to complex, stable populations in a process eerily akin to
Darwinian evolution.
(66) In the early 1980s, Langton took up the study of self-replicating programs …. An example of how
programs mimic biology can be found in cellular automata-literally, 'cell-like machines'... Analogies
between programs like this and actual life forms are inevitable. When simulated organisms cluster
together, leaving rectilinear tracks on the screen, researchers call them 'ants'. When they do this in a three-

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dimensional model, they're called 'bees".

(67) Study of artificial life holds promise for new ways of solving complex problems and fresh opportunities
to model biology and society.

QUESTIONS 68-70
From the passage, name the computer phenomenon described in each of the definitions below. Write
your answers in the numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
68. Onscreen objects that group together, moving in straight lines. -> ants
When simulated organisms cluster together, leaving rectilinear tracks on the screen, researchers call
them 'ants'
69. Three-dimensional model of images onscreen moving in straight lines. -> bees
When they do this in a three-dimensional model, they're called 'bees".
70. Programs that reproduce themselves and seem to have a purpose. -> viruses
And perhaps the most disturbing analogy with biological life can be found in computer ‘viruses', self-
replicating programs that display purposeful behaviour and tolerate perturbations in their environment.

QUESTIONS 71-75
Read the statements below. In boxes 71-75 on the 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
71. Computer viruses may be the 'artificial life' programs that most closely resemble biological life, but they
ultimately depend on humans. T
=> Although some scientists regard viruses as the first programs capable of existing without the wilful
cooperation of humans, the fact is that without humans to design them, they wouldn't exist at all.
Still, some of the work demonstrated at a recent gathering of the artificial life research clan causes the
biological heart to flutter.
72. The following generation of 'artificial life' programs may be 'squirrels' which would be self-replicating.
NG
=> Independent programmer John Nagle argued that the next generation of supercomputers should challenge
researchers to create 'squirrels’, computer models with the intelligence level of a biological rodent with
one gram of brain mass.
73. Langton speculates that life started as a chance computation and goes on to say that one day
computations in computers may generate life. T
=> Langton speculates that life itself may have started as a chance computation on the cusp of liquid and
gaseous states…. Some artificial life form we create may be the next step on the evolutionary ladder.'
74. His work in 'artificial life' systems has led Langton to offer a new definition of 'life' itself. F
=> "We haven't really needed a definition of "life" before," he says. …… We're not so sure now. There's a
grey area in here where our definitions just don't work.'
75. Research into 'artificial life' programs, resembling as it does science fiction rather than fact, will
generally speaking, not be useful until far into the future. F
=> Apart from spawning sci-fi speculations, artificial life has begun to show commercial promise.

Complete each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence
printed before it. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
76. The soldiers entered the castle while it was dark.
Under __cover of darkness, the soldiers entered the castle____

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under (the) cover of darkness/night: dưới bóng tối

77. In a nutshell, Joe's not up to the job.
The long and ___the short of it that Joseph's not up to the job_______
the long and the short of it: ngắn gọn lại là (said when you want to explain the general situation without
giving details)
78. What alienated the workforce was that management never consulted them.
It was ___the fact that management never consulted them that alienated the workforce____
It was + N + that + S + V: đó là cái … mà …
79. There aren't many other books which explain this problem so well.
In few other books ___would one see this problem so well explained_______
Đảo ngữ: Kết cấu giới từ (In few other books) đưa lên đầu câu để nhấn mạnh
80. If the government urged you to join the army, would you accept it?
Were ___you to be urged to join the army by the government, would you accept it?_____
Đảo ngữ câu điều kiện loại 2: Were + S + to V, S + would + Vinfi

Complete the second sentence in each pair so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. You must
write between three and six words, including the word given, in the corresponding numbered boxes on the
answer sheet. Do NOT change this word.
81. This recipe is really a lot more imaginative than the others in this book. MOST
This recipe is by ____far the most imaginative in this book_______
by far: từ trước tới nay
82. The day after I lost my job, I did not feel like getting out of bed. INCLINATION
I _had no inclination toward getting___ out of bed the day after losing my job
have inclination toward/for sth: cảm giác muốn làm gì, sở thích, ý thiên về
83. It was Jane who came up with the idea for the sales promotion. BRAINS
Jane __was the brains behind_____ the sales promotion.
be the brains behind: đầu não của, người giỏi nhất trong một nhóm
84. It won't be easy for anyone to take over John's job when he retires.
When John retires, it will be difficult for anyone ___to fill his shoes__
fill someone's shoes: thay thế, lấp đầy vị trí/công việc của ai đó
85. It's true that I like to work on tasks by myself. BEING
I _____admit to being___ a person who prefers to work alone.
admit to sth: nhận, thừa nhận; thú nhận

Write an opinion paragraph on the answer sheet to answer the following question:
Is it OK to lie online?

-------Hết-------
Ghi chú: Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, cán bộ coi thi không giải thích gì thêm.
Họ tên thí sinh: _______________________________Số báo danh: ____________

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