PAGE TÀI LIỆU TIẾNG ANH NÂNG CAO KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI VÒNG TỈNH THPT

ĐỀ THI THỬ HSG TỈNH SỐ 03 NĂM 2020

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH

Thời gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)
Ngày thi:
Đề thi có 16 trang

* Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển

* Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm.
I. LISTENING (50 POINTS)

Part 1. For questions 1-9, listen to an interview on the radio with a conservationist called Kay Giles
and decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. Kay is the editor of an environmental magazine.
2. The purpose of the seminars Kay mentions is to give support to teachers.
3. The projects are designed to let the students see for themselves the consequences of pollution.
4. According to the scheme, all family members can end up being involved in the conservation effort.
5. Reading articles and watching videos in no way help students learn about the environment.
6. People should have three separate containers for recycling.
7. Families can only rely on local councils for pick-up service.
8. Kay believes the government are not active enough.
9. Kay wants children to educate families about the environment.

Your answers
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T

C: Tonight on News Today I'm speaking to Kay Giles, who is in charge of the organisation Energy
Save, and she's just launched a campaign to educate schoolchildren on the importance of protecting the
environment. Can you tell us what you intend to do, Kay?
K: Well, Charles, we at Energy Save believe that the only way we can ensure the survival of the planet
is to make sure the next generation are active environmentalists.
C: And how are you going to do that?
K: Actually, we've already started, by organising a series of seminars to help teachers prepare their
pupils for the future. By making the environment an exciting subject, teachers can get their pupils'
attention.
C: How exactly do they do this?
K: Well, we've given them information packs with examples of projects they can organise, taking the
pupils out of the classroom and showing them what harm is being done to their areas by pollution
from factories and big businesses. We also suggest that the pupils conduct surveys with their families,
to find out how green they are. In that way, the whole family can become involved in conservation.
It'll be more successful if all the family support the campaign to save the planet.
C: So doing practical work is better than reading articles or looking at films and documentaries on the
environment?
K: A combination of the two. There are some excellent videos available about the environment, and
this can give children a taste of the subject, but in my opinion the problem only hits home when you
can see it in front of you.
C: Are there things the children can be encouraged to do in their own homes?

1
K: Recycling is a great way to start. All you need to do is to have separate containers and keep one
for glass, one for paper and one for plastic. If families get into the habit of putting their waste in them
separately, rather than into the dustbin, where everything is mixed up, then these things can be recycled.
C: But what do families do when the boxes are full?
K: Our charity has a regular pick-up of recyclable goods. And some local councils offer the same
service.
C: Ah - this brings me onto the government. What should they be doing about this problem?
K: Don't get me started about the government! To be fair, yes, they are starting to take
environmental problems more seriously, but they could do so much more. You often hear
politicians talking about green issues, but I always feel it's just to get votes - they know lots of
people believe that this is the most serious problem facing the world today.
C: So, is there anything you'd like to say to our listeners, especially any youngster who has tuned in to
us today?
K: Yes - come on, kids, don't wait for an environmental disaster to happen. Start working for a better
future today. Recycle, don't waste energy in your homes, and make sure your parents and
grandparents understand that they have to do their part in conserving our planet. One day you’ll
be a grandparent yourself, and I’m sure you’ll want to pass on a world which is green.
C: Thanks, Kay, and good luck.

Part 2. For questions 10-15, listen to a recording about rudeness and choose the correct answer A, B,
C or D which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
10. What is the main point of the anecdote Jeff tells?

A. That the young seem to lack social skills.

B. That it’s an all too familiar sight these days.

C. It’s the same thing as using your phone in the theatre.

D. They are no better than the Internet trolls.

11. What does Jeff say about the “death of deference”?

A. People no longer care what others think of them.

B. Teenagers didn’t want their behavior to be disapproved of.

C. For the most part, it had positive effects on society.

D. It made people disrespect those in authority.

12. What does Laura imply about teenage behavior?

A. There’s nothing that can be done about it.

B. That it’s not entirely their fault.

C. It’s worse nowadays than previously.

D. They are not taught how to behave.

13. How does Jeff respond to Laura’s opinion of teenagers?

A. He believes it is all their fault.

2
B. He thinks they are not properly brought up.

C. Those in charge of children should take responsibility.

D. He thinks she is just making excuses for bad behavior.

14. Both Jeff and Laura seem to agree that

A. A little bit of rudeness is a good thing.

B. Parents don’t teach their children how to converse.

C. The young don’t understand adult conversation.

D. The art of conversation has declined.

15. What does Laura say about modern technology and teenage behavior?

A. It has an effect on the development of social skills.

B. It is wholly responsible for today’s lack of social skills.

C. They become insulting and threatening.

D. They can hide from the world behind technology.

Your answers
10. A 11. C 12. B 13. C 14. D 15. A

Int: Today we’re going to discuss the topic of rudeness and if people today are ruder than they were,
say, thirty years ago. My guests are Laura Barnes and Jeff Swain, who edit the society pages of their
newspapers. So, Jeff, are we ruder these days?

M: Well, we’re all familiar with it, aren’t we? Loud conversation on mobile phones on buses and trains
and even theaters and cinemas; queue – barging, road rage – I could go on. And there are those dreadful
people, Internet trolls I think they are called, who send revolting messages, even death threats, to people
whose opinion they disagree with. Another thing, the other day I was in a café, and there were three or
four teenagers sitting at one of the table and they didn’t say a word to each other the whole time they
were there – just playing with their mobile phones. Do they not know how to engage socially?

Int: So, what are the reasons for this new rudeness, and is it mainly confined to young people?

M: Young people are certainly much ruder than I would have dared to be when I was a teenager. I say
“Dared” because there were rules, if you like, and you risked disapproval if you broke them. Perhaps
that’s the problem; people don’t know what inappropriate behavior is anymore – r they don’t care. Or
the rules have changed. As to how it all happened, well, there are lots of things to factor in. But I believe
it began about the 1980s and 60s with the death of deference. You know, automated respect for all
elders and betters. We began to question the wisdom of their decisions and their competence, and
wonder how such fools got to the top of the pile in the first place. All this was for the better, I
think, as it broke down barriers in society and was a move to greater equality. But I suppose once
the floodgates are opened…

3
F: You may be right about that, but I don’t entirely agree with you about teenagers. I am not saying they
can’t be taught manners and social skills, but they have always been rude, ruder than other age groups.
Social ineptitude, lack of confidence, shyness, self-absorption – these are the afflictions of the young.
They just don’t have enough experience, awareness of others and knowledge to cope. And
certainly, these traits are not helped by the wired-up society we live in.

M: Just a minute. Previous generation had no problems with manners and appropriate social behavior. If
teenagers have been rude throughout the ages, why are they worse now than ever before? I was brought
up with the basic good manners of ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and thank-you notes for gifts received, all
that, so by the time I was a teenager, it was as natural as breathing. I think parents and schools play a
big part in all this.

F: Mm. I think a lot of parents would rather be their child’s friend rather than parent, which sends out
confusing messages and lessons in social behavior go by the wayside. Good manners have to be taught,
talked about and put into practice, and not a lot of that goes on these days.

Int: This being England, do you think there’s a class aspect to this?

F: You mean, are some classes ruder than others? I think it’s more of a pandemic, across all classes and
types. In fact, if you ask around in other countries, you’ll find that the whole world is getting ruder.

M: It reminds me of a saying I heard about how a gentleman is never rude by accident. We’re not
allowed to give offence anymore. The English, or certain classes of the English, used to be very good at
being rude, or hurtful, by being polite. It’s an art form that still lives here and there, but seems not
to be passed on the younger generations anymore. So often they miss the point – and irony is a no –
go area.

F: But that’s often for the best of reasons. They think irony is exclusive, and they don’t want to hurt
people’s feelings. Which, despite all we’ve said, is good manners, if a little unexciting. But then,
political correctness has done away with a lot of things, not least wit, nuance and irony in conversation,
or the understanding of them.

Int: You mentioned social media earlier – how big a part does this play in the new rudeness?

F: Quite big, I would say. Some people believe it’s entirely technology-driven. There are two main
strands to their argument: First, that it allows you to be anonymous, so you can insult or threaten
anybody at any time without anyone knowing who you are; secondly, that people are so addicted to their
electronic devices they are oblivious to the world around them. This, I think, makes them miss the
opportunity to learn how to interact with others of all types and ages.

Int: It’s all a bit worrying, isn’t it? But I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got time for today, so my thanks to
Laura and Jeff, and don’t forget to tune in on Friday.

Part 3. For questions 16-25, listen to a lecture about baby’s memory and supply the blanks with the
missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER taken from
the recording for each answer in the space provided.
Question: Can babies remember any 16_________________?

Experiment with babies

Apparatus:
baby in cot

4
colourful mobile

some 17____________________
Re-introduce mobile between one and 18__________________ later.

Table showing memory test results

Baby’s age Maximum memory

span

2 months 2 days

3 months 19______________

21 months several weeks

2 years 20______________

Research questions:

Is memory linked to 21_________________ development?

Can babies 22_________________ their memories?

Experiment with older children

Stages in incident:

a) lecture taking place

b) object falls over

c) 23___________________

Table showing memory test results

Age % remembered % remembered after 5

next day months

Adults 70% 24__________________

9—year-o1ds 70%, Less than 60%

5
 6—year-olds Just under 70% 25_________________

16. (particular) events

17. string

18. 14 days

19. (a) fortnight/ 2 weeks/ two weeks

20. six months

21. language

22. retrieve/ recall/ recover

23. (an) argument

24. 70%

25. 40%

Lecturer: We're going to look today at some experiments that have been done on memory in babies and
young children.

Our memories, it's true to say, work very differently depending upon whether we are very old, very
young or somewhere in the middle. But when exactly do we start to remember things and how much can
we recall?

One of the first questions that we might ask is — do babies have any kind of episodic memory ... can
they remember particular events? Obviously, we can't ask them, so how do we find out?

Well, one experiment that's been used has produced some interesting results. It's quite simple and
involves a baby, in its cot, a colourful mobile and a piece of string. It works like this. If you suspend the
mobile above the cot and connect the baby's foot to it with the string the mobile will move every time
the baby kicks. Now you can allow time for the baby to learn what happens and enjoy the activity. Then
you remove the mobile for a time and re-introduce it some time from one to fourteen days later.

If you look at this table of results ... at the top two rows ... you can see that what is observed shows that
two-month-old babies can remember the trick for up to two days and three-month-old babies for up to a
fortnight.

And although babies trained on one mobile will respond only if you use the familiar mobile, if you train
them on a variety of colors and designs, they will happily respond to each one in turn.

Now, looking at the third row on the table, you will see that when they learn to speak, babies as young
as 21 months demonstrate an ability to remember events which happened several weeks earlier. And by
the time they are two, some children's memories will stretch back over six months, though their recall
will be random, with little distinction between key events and trivial ones and very few of these
memories, if any, will survive into later life. So we can conclude from this that even very tiny babies are
capable of grasping and remembering a concept.

6
So how is it that young infants can suddenly remember for a considerably longer period of time? Well,
one theory accounting for all of this — and this relates to the next question we might ask — is that
memory develops with language. Very young children with limited vocabularies are not good at
organising their thoughts. Though they may be capable of storing memories, do they have the ability
to retrieve them? One expert has suggested an analogy with books on a library shelf. With infants, he
says, 'it is as if early books are hard to find because they were acquired before the cataloguing system
was developed'.

But even older children forget far more quickly than adults do. In another experiment, several six-year-
olds, nine-year-olds and adults were shown a staged incident. In other words, they all watched what they
thought was a natural sequence of events. The incident went like this ... a lecture which they were
listening to was suddenly interrupted by something accidentally overturning, in this case it was a slide
projector. To add a third stage and make the recall more demanding, this 'accident' was then followed by
an argument. In a memory test the following day, the adults and the nine-year-olds scored an average
70% and the six-year-olds did only slightly worse. In a retest five months later, the pattern was very
different. The adults' memory recall hadn't changed but the nine-year-olds' had slipped to less than
60% and the six-year-olds could manage little better than 40% recall.

In similar experiments with numbers, digit span is shown to...

II. PHONETICS (10 POINTS)

Part 1. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others.
26. A. rubbed B. tugged C. stopped D. filled
27. A. knives B. smiles C. classes D. chores
28. A. hesitate B. reserve C. physics D. basic
29. A. stone B. zone C. phone D. none
30. A. extradite B. extrapolate C. extramural D. extracurricular

Part 2. Choose the word which is stressed differently from the others.
31. A. offer B. persuade C. apply D. reduce
32. A. adventure B. advantage C. advertise D. adverbial
33. A. irrational B. characterise C. facility D. variety
34. A. therapeutic B. conscientious C. fanaticism D. orthographic
35. A. interpolate B. acclimatize C. cannibalize D. demystify

Your answers
26. C 27. C 28. D 29. D 30. B 31. A 32. C 33. B 34. C 35. C

III. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (40 POINTS)

Part 1. For questions 36-55, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following
questions and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
36. Paul has just sold his ________________ car and intends to buy a new one.
A. black old Japanese B. Japanese old black
C. old black Japanese D. old Japanese black
Trật tự các tính từ được quy định theo thứ tự sau: Opinion – Size – Age – Shape – Color – Origin –
Material – Purpose
37. Maria: “Our environment is getting more and more polluted. Do you think so?”
Alex: “________________. It’s really worrying.”
A. I’ll think about that B. I don’t agree
C. I don’t think so D. I can’t agree more
I can’t agree more = I totally agree
7
38. Many people suspect that the vice president of the company has ________________.
A. a hiding agenda B. a hidden agenda
C. an agenda to hide D. an agenda hiding
hidden agenda: a secret reason for doing something
39. I don’t know why nobody ever listens to Ted. He’s ________________ as intelligent as his brother.
A. rather B. fairly much C. somewhat D. every bit
every bit as = just as
40. The use of vitamin ________________ and herbs has become increasingly popular among
Americans.
A. components B. materials C. ingredients D. supplements
vitamin supplements: chất bổ sung vitamin
41. You ‘re so ________________; you’ll believe anything anybody tells you.
A. distant B. vulnerable C. platonic D. gullible
gullible: cả tin
42. I’m afraid your hardware is not only outdated, it is ________________. You’ll have to replace it.
A. outmoded B. redundant C. obsolete D. deceased
Ở đây cần tính từ mạnh hơn outdated → obsolete: no longer in use
43. What can we do to persuade drivers that alcohol can turn a car into a ________________ weapon?
A. lethal B. fatal C. mortal D. venal
lethal poison/weapon/infection
fatal injury/accident
mortal wound/danger
venal: prepared to do things that are not honest or moral in return for money
44. The table in the living room should be moved to ________________ the new TV set.
A. get rid of B. pave the way for C. make room for D. take hold of
make room for: dọn chỗ cho
45. Don’t ________________ your resignation until you’ve got another job in the pipeline.
A. give B. remove C. assign D. tender
tender one’s resignation: xin thôi việc
46. He kept telling us about his operation, in the most ________________ detail.
A. elaborate B. knotty C. graphic D. burning
graphic detail: in an extremely detailed way
47. Many diseases that used to be considered ________________ of mankind are now easily treatable
with antibiotics
A. scourges B. tortures C. blights D. thorns
scourge of sth/sb: a person or thing that causes trouble, difficulty or mental pain
48. Peter is disappointed at not getting the job, but he will ________________ it soon.
A. take on B. get over C. go through D. come over
get over sth: vượt qua bệnh tật, nỗi buồn
49. John and Ella drifted __________ when they left university and have gone their separate ways now.
A. apart B. out C. down D. back
drift apart: mỗi người một nơi
50. Catherine really needs a holiday; she’s so stressed ________________.
A. up B. out C. down D. in
be stressed out: being anxious, tired and irritable because of too much work or pressure
51. I was promised a good job from January this year, but it’s April now and I’m afraid that they are just
____________ me along.
A. cheating B. swindling C. stringing D. bringing
string sb along: deceive sb
52. You can’t expect the sofa to look brand new after two years. There is such a thing as ____________
and tear, you know.
A. tide B. wear C. fair D. bear
wear and tear: the damage that happens to an object in ordinary use during a period
53. They ____________ with neighbouring countries and managed to drive out the invaders.
A. closed ranks B. held fast C. sat tight D. joined forces
join forces: when two people or groups join forces, they act or work together.
8
54. The sales assistants were so rude to me. I decided to take my ____________ elsewhere.
A. income B. custom C. capital D. fortune
take one’s custom elsewhere: to stop dealing with; to switch to another business for one's dealings
55. The film still ____________ with younger audiences, even after all these years.
A. beats the drum B. rings a bell C. strikes a chord D. hits the right note
strike a chord: to cause you to remember that something is connected to

Your answers
36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42.
43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49.
50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

Part 2. For questions 56-60, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space
provided.
Most sci-fi films describe unpleasant, ________________(56-utopia) futures for humankind, but I’m
afraid we already live there. The human population is constantly increasing ________________(57-
check) and uncontrolled, drawing on our ever-diminishing resources. There’s a________________(58-
wide) gap between the wealthy minority and the overwhelmingly ________________(59-privilege)
majority on the planet, making the effort to bridge the rift an impossibility.
Extreme poverty brings along a resounding lack of human rights and ________________(60-just), as
it’s painfully obvious that the legal system everywhere on the planet are designed to benefit the affluent
rather than ensure a fair trial to all.
56. dystopian: relating to a very bad or unfair society in which there is a lot of suffering, especially an
imaginary society in the future, or to the description of such a society # utopian
57. unchecked
58. widening
59. underprivileged: without the money, possessions, education, opportunities, etc. that the average
person has
60. justice

Part 3. For questions 61-65, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space
provided.
61. Sue was ________________(joy) to learn that she had passed her exams.
62. Stella is talking with ________________(prospect) investors to help her expand her business.
63. His ________________(resolve) may stem from the fact that she has no clear goals for the future.
64. The man was ________________(stow) on a medal for bravely taking a child out of the burning
house.
65. The government's policy to soothe the anger among people was _______________ (chronology). It
should have happened earlier.
61. overjoyed: vui mừng
62. prospective: triển vọng
63. irresolution: the quality of not being able or willing to make decisions or take action
64. bestowed: to give something as an honour or present:
65. anachronistic: chậm chạp, muộn màng

Part 4. For questions 66-75, find and correct 10 mistakes in the passage. Write them in the numbered
boxes provided.
Stressful situations that emerge almost every day in life seem to be unavoidable. However, we can do a
little sometimes to avoid a misfortune or an unpleasant occurrence which may befall us expectedly as
only it can. At such a moment, one may hit the roof, give up to the helplessness of the situation or,
ideally, put a brave face on it trying to bear with the burden.
Can you envision in your mind an hour spent in a traffic jam, say, this morning? Do you light one
cigarette before another? Do you sound the horn every few seconds like the other neurotics? Or do you
take a different stance and make good use of the time draw up a schedule for the days to come?
9
To withstand the stressful moment you can also do a crossword puzzle, listen to your favourite music or
even compose a menu for your Saturday dinner. In fact, whatever way you respond to the annoyed
situation, you can exert no impact on it as the traffic jam will only reduce in the due course.
Nevertheless, your reaction might considerably influence your mood for the rest of the day. The
inability to confront a stressful occurrence like that with a deal of composure and sensibility adds much
more strain to your life and in this way puts your well-being in jeopardy. Surprisingly, it's the seemingly
negligible hardships we stumble on daily that runs double the risk of developing serious health
disorders rather than our isolated tragedies whatever painful they may be.
Given that so many of those wretched stress-inducing troubles affect us in a day, we should, at most, try
to avoid them or possibly make radical alterations in the way we lead our daily lifestyles.

Your answers
66. a little → little
67. give up to → give in to
68. bear with → bear
69. before → after
70. draw → drawing
71. annoyed → annoying
72. in the due course → in due course
73. runs → run
74. whatever → however
75. at most → at best
give in to sth: to no longer try to stop yourself from doing something you want to do
in due course: at the appropriate time.
at best: trong trường hợp khả quan nhất
at most: tối đa là (số lượng)

III. READING (50 POINTS)

Part 1. For questions 76-85, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Scientists have always tried to make things better, stronger and faster. In the previous two centuries the
emphasis was 76.____________ machines; from household appliances to reusable spacecraft. However,
the progress in this century cannot be viewed 77.____________ a microscope as genetic engineering
changes the world from within. From disease-resistant crops to pigs with low-fat meat, researchers have
78.____________ numerous breakthroughs by modifying the genetic make-up of animals and plants.
But who could have 79.____________ that goats would be able to produce spider silk? Spider silk is an
amazing substance - it is five times stronger than steel, yet light 80.____________ to make protective
clothing. Unfortunately, spiders cannot be farmed because they have a 81.____________ to eat each
other! However, genetic engineers have finally 82.____________ out how to produce the protein
artificially on a large scale by creating transgenic goats. The gene for producing the silk protein was
inserted into goat embryos and when these 83.____________ adulthood, they make the protein in their
milk. Once extracted from the milk, the protein is made into a fibre almost 84.____________ to the silk
of a spider's web.
Innovations like this are incredible and seem likely to become increasingly common, but they
85.____________ serious issues about the right of human beings to tamper with the DNA of animals in
this way.

Your answers
76. on 77. without 78. made 79. imagined 80. enough

10
81. tendency 82. figured 83. reach 84. identical 85. raise

Part 2. For questions 86-95, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each
gap. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Who says that each and every teenager spends all of his or her time inside in front of a screen? Contrary
to popular belief, many teens have taken to the great 86.____________ in search of a way to give
87.____________ to their feelings and stay fit. What are these teens up to? Well, it is a sport called
parkour. In fact, parkour is more than just a sport; it is a training discipline, one that has its
88.____________ in common military obstacle course training.
The 89.____________ of parkour is to get from Point A to Point B, usually 90.____________ a
complex urban environment, without the assistance of any special equipment in the quickest way
imaginable. And it does demand the use of the imagination because the philosophy behind parkour is
seeing your environment in an innovative manner; envisioning the manner in which it can be navigated
by diverse movements over anything that might be in the way. This could mean running around
91.____________ buildings in an inner city “ghetto”; jumping over 92.___________ in busy urban
streets or climbing up, and then down, any other physical features that block the route of the participant.
Parkour is something that requires 93.____________ and a variety of other skills – some physical, some
mental, but all incredibly challenging. One person who has mastered these skills is Dimitris Kyrsanidis
of Greece. Virtually a(n) 94.____________ success, Dimitris took up the sport and literally
95.____________ the ground running! In a remarkable achievement, he went from playing football on a
local pitch to becoming a noted parkour champion in the famous Red Bull Art of Motion competition by
beating seventeen of the best parkour athletes in the world.

86. A. outdoors B. suburbs C. outskirts D. downtown

the great outdoors: collectively, all outdoor space, especially wild places used for recreational activities
such as hiking or camping; nature
It's great to get away from the city every now and then and spend a bit of time in the great outdoors!
87. A. way B. vent C. over D. rise
give vent to: to passionately express one's negative emotion, such as anger, frustration, etc.
Once we left the office, Sally gave vent to her anger about how promotions are unfairly awarded in our
department
88. A. origins B. roots C. backgrounds D. bases
root: the cause or origin of something bad
The high crime rate has its roots in unemployment and poverty.
89. A. ambition B. dream C. record D. aim
aim: mục tiêu
90. A. taking up B. going up against C. knuckling down D. scraping through
go up against sb or sth: to face a particular competitor, trial, or test
I can't believe I have to go up against the valedictorian for this award—obviously, she's going to win!
91. A. bustling B. provincial C. run-of-the-mill D. run-down
run-down buildings or areas are in very bad condition
92. A. bungalows B. parking meters C. barristers D. junctions
parking meter: a device at the side of the road that you put money into so that you can leave your
vehicle there for a particular amount of time
93. A. felonies B. surveillance C. perseverance D. mishaps
perseverance: sự kiên nhẫn
94. A. overnight B. night-time C. nightly D. night-long
overnight success: thành công nhất thời
95. A. set B. hit C. had D. met
hit the ground running: to immediately work hard and successfully at a new activity

Your answers
86. 87. 88. 89. 90.

11
91. 92. 93. 94. 95.

Part 3. For questions 96-108, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
Wheel of Fortune
Emma Duncan discusses the potential effects on the entertainment industry of the digital revolution

A Since moving pictures were invented a century ago, a new way of distributing entertainment to
consumers has emerged about once every generation. Each such innovation has changed the industry
irreversibly; each has been accompanied by a period of fear mixed with exhilaration. The arrival of
digital technology, which translates music, pictures and text into the zeros and ones of computer
language, marks one of those periods.

B This may sound familiar, because the digital revolution, and the explosion of choice that would go
with it, has been heralded for some time. In 1992, John Malone, chief executive of TO, an American
cable giant, welcomed the '500-channel universe'. Digital television was about to deliver everything
except pizzas to people's living rooms. When the entertainment companies tried out the technology, it
worked fine — but not at a price that people were prepared to pay.

C Those 500 channels eventually arrived but via the Internet and the PC rather than through television.
The digital revolution was starting to affect the entertainment business in unexpected ways. Eventually
it will change every aspect of it, from the way cartoons are made to the way films are screened to the
way people buy music. That much is clear. What nobody is sure of is how it will affect the economics of
the business.

D New technologies always contain within them both threats and opportunities. They have the potential
both to make the companies in the business a great deal richer, and to sweep them away. Old companies
always fear new technology. Hollywood was hostile to television, television terrified by the VCR. Go
back far enough, points out Hal Varian, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley, and
you find publishers complaining that 'circulating libraries' would cannibalise their sales. Yet whenever a
new technology has come in, it has made more money for existing entertainment companies. The
proliferation of the means of distribution results, gratifyingly, in the proliferation of dollars, pounds,
pesetas and the rest to pay for it.

E All the same, there is something in the old companies' fears. New technologies may not threaten their
lives, but they usually change their role. Once television became widespread, film and radio stopped
being the staple form of entertainment. Cable television has undermined the power of the broadcasters.
And as power has shifted the movie studios, the radio companies and the television broadcasters have
been swallowed up. These days, the grand old names of entertainment have more resonance than power.
Paramount is part of Viacom, a cable company; Universal, part of Seagram, a drinks-and-entertainment
company; MGM, once the roaring lion of Hollywood, has been reduced to a whisper because it is not
part of one of the giants. And RCA, once the most important broadcasting company in the world, is now
a recording label belonging to Bertelsmann, a large German entertainment company.

F Part of the reason why incumbents got pushed aside was that they did not see what was coming. But
they also faced a tighter regulatory environment than the present one. In America, laws preventing
television broadcasters from owning programme companies were repealed earlier this decade, allowing
the creation of vertically integrated businesses. Greater freedom, combined with a sense of history,
prompted the smarter companies in the entertainment business to re-invent themselves. They saw what
happened to those of their predecessors who were stuck with one form of distribution. So, these days,
the powers in the entertainment business are no longer movie studios, or television broadcasters, or

12
publishers; all those businesses have become part of bigger businesses still, companies that can both
create content and distribute it in a range of different ways.

G Out of all this, seven huge entertainment companies have emerged —Time Warner, Walt Disney,
Bertelsmann, Viacom, News Corp, Seagram and Sony. They cover pretty well every bit of the
entertainment business except pornography. Three are American, one is Australian, one Canadian, one
German and one Japanese. 'What you are seeing', says Christopher Dixon, managing director of media
research at PaineWebber, a stockbroker, 'is the creation of a global oligopoly. It happened to the oil and
automotive businesses earlier this century; now it is happening to the entertainment business.' It remains
to be seen whether the latest technology will weaken those great companies, or make them stronger than
ever.

Questions 96-103: Which paragraph mentions the following? Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered box provided.
96. the contrasting effects that new technology can have on existing business

97. the fact that a total transformation is going to take place in the future in the delivery of all forms of
entertainment

98. the confused feelings that people are known to have experienced in response to technological
innovation

99. the fact that some companies have learnt from the mistakes of others

100. the high cost to the consumer of new ways of distributing entertainment

101. uncertainty regarding the financial impact of wider media access

102. the fact that some companies were the victims of strict government policy

103. the fact that the digital revolution could undermine the giant entertainment companies

Your answers
96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103.

96. D

They have the potential both to make the companies in the business a great deal richer, and to sweep
them away.

97. C

Eventually it will change every aspect of it, from the way cartoons are made to the way films are
screened to the way people buy music.

98. A

Each such innovation has changed the industry irreversibly; each has been accompanied by a period of
fear mixed with exhilaration.

99. F

13
Greater freedom, combined with a sense of history, prompted the smarter companies in the
entertainment business to re-invent themselves. They saw what happened to those of their predecessors
who were stuck with one form of distribution.

100. B

When the entertainment companies tried out the technology, it worked fine — but not at a price that
people were prepared to pay.

101. C

What nobody is sure of is how it will affect the economics of the business.

102. F

Part of the reason why incumbents got pushed aside was that they did not see what was coming.

103. G

It remains to be seen whether the latest technology will weaken those great companies, or make them
stronger than ever.

Questions 104-107:

The writer refers to various individuals and companies in the reading passage. Match the people or
companies (A-E) with the points made in Questions 104-107 about the introduction of new
technology. Write your answer in the corresponding box.

A. John Malone

B. Hal Valarian

C. MGM

D. Walt Disney

E. Christopher Dixon

104. Historically, new forms of distributing entertainment have alarmed those well-established in the
business.

105. The merger of entertainment companies follows a pattern evident in other industries.

106. Major entertainment bodies that have remained independent have lost their influence.

107. News of the most recent technological development was published some years ago.

Your answers
104. 105. 106. 107. 108.

104. B

Old companies always fear new technology. Hollywood was hostile to television, television terrified by
the VCR. Go back far enough, points out Hal Varian

105. E
14
It happened to the oil and automotive businesses earlier this century; now it is happening to the
entertainment business

106. C

MGM, once the roaring lion of Hollywood, has been reduced to a whisper because it is not part of one
of the giants.

107. A

In 1992, John Malone, chief executive of TO, an American cable giant, welcomed the '500-channel
universe'

Questions 108: Choose the appropriate letters A—D and write them in the corresponding numbered
box provided.

108. Which of the following best summarises the writer's views in the passage?

A. The public should cease resisting the introduction of new technology.

B. Digital technology will increase profits in the entertainment business.

C. Entertainment companies should adapt to technological innovation.

D. Technological change only benefits big entertainment companies.

108. C

The message throughout the text is that technological innovation should be embraced and that resistance
does not lead to a positive outcome. Paragraph F in particular asserts this view.

Part 4. For questions 109-118, read the following passage and choose the answer A, B, C or D that
fits best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
The garden city was largely the invention of the British social visionary Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928).
After emigrating to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to
Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those pre-
skyscraper days, it was nicknamed 'the Garden City', almost certainly the source of Howard's name for
his proposed towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his concept in the 1880s and 1890s,
drawing on notions that were circulating at the time, but creating a unique combination of proposals.
The nineteenth-century slum city was in many ways an horrific place; but it offered economic and social
opportunities, lights and crowds. At the same time, the British countryside - now too often seen in a
sentimental glow - was in fact equally unprepossessing: though it promised fresh air and nature, it
suffered from agricultural depression and it offered neither sufficient work and wages, nor adequate
social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the
garden city.
Howard's idea was that a group of people should establish a company, borrowing money to establish a
garden city in the countryside, far enough from existing cities to ensure that the land was bought at rock-
bottom, depressed-agricultural, land values. They should get agreement from leading industrialists to
move their factories there from the congested cities; their workers would move too, and would build
their own houses.
Garden cities would follow the same basic blueprint, with a high proportion of green spaces, together
with a central public open space, radial avenues, and peripheral industries. They would be surrounded
by a much larger area of permanent green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely
farms, but institutions like reformatories and convalescent homes, that could benefit from a rural
location.
As more and more people moved out, the garden city would reach its planned limit - Howard suggested
32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would
15
develop a vast planned agglomeration, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city
would offer a wide range of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid
transit system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a giant city.

109. Which best serves as the title for the passage?

A. The Invention of the Garden City B. Garden Cities – Why Not?
C. The Garden City Land Structure D. Garden City Movement
110. Howard's concept of garden cities was influenced by __________
A. the style in which Chicago was rebuilt. B. other people's ideas.
C. his observations of rural life. D. the life he had led.
Returning to London, Howard developed his concept in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on notions that
were circulating at the time, but creating a unique combination of proposals
111. The word “unprepossessing” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. unattractive B. disappointing C. demanding D. promising
112. What does the writer claim about nineteenth century life?
A. Agriculture offered more work than cities did.
B. Or balance, urban life was easier than rural life.
C. Our view of rural life is more positive than the reality.
D. Too many people moved from the countryside to cities.
At the same time, the British countryside - now too often seen in a sentimental glow - was in fact
equally unprepossessing...
113. Howard proposed that garden cities should be located __________
A. where employment opportunities already existed.
B. in areas where people wished to live.
C. as far as possible from existing cities.
D. where cheap land was available.
Howard's idea was that a group of people should establish a company, borrowing money to establish a
garden city in the countryside, far enough from existing cities to ensure that the land was bought
at rock-bottom, depressed-agricultural, land values.
114. Garden cities were planned __________
A. to integrate institutions within the city area.
B. to keep industrial activity to a minimum.
C. to be similar to each other in layout.
D. to provide buildings for public gatherings.
Garden cities would follow the same basic blueprint, with a high proportion of green spaces, together
with a central public open space, radial avenues, and peripheral industries
115. The word “They” in paragraph 4 refers to __________
A. garden cities B. green spaces C. avenues D. industries
116. What is said about garden cities in the last paragraph?
A. Each one would contain a certain type of business.
B. The number would continue to rise.
C. Residents would live and work in the same place.
D. Each one would continue to expand.
Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned agglomeration, extending almost without limit...
117. The word “agglomeration” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to __________.
A. unit B. centre C. cluster D. castle
118. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. The movement initiated by Howard influenced the development of several model suburbs in other
countries.
B. Howard aimed to reduce the alienation of humans and society from nature.
C. Howard arrived to Chicago just before the great fire of 1871, which heavily destroyed the city.
D. Howard decided to emigrate to the USA after farming efforts in his homeland failed.

Your answers
109. 110. 111. 112. 113.

16
114. 115. 116. 117. 118.

Part 5. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 119-125, read the
passage and choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra
paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box
provided.
WELCOME TO ECO-CITY
The world has quietly undergone a major shift in balance. According to UN estimates, 2008 marked the first year
in history when more than half of the world's population lived in cities. There are now around 3.4bn human
beings stuffed into every available corner of urban space, and more are set to follow. At a time when humanity
has woken up to its responsibility to the environment, the continuing urban swell presents an immense
challenge. In response, cities all over the world are setting themselves high targets to reduce carbon emissions
and produce clean energy. But if they don't succeed, there is another option: building new eco-cities entirely
from scratch.

119.

`Rather than just design a city in the same way we'd done it before, we can focus on how to minimise the use of
resources to show that there is a different way of doing it', says Roger Wood, associate director at Arup. Wood
is one of hundreds of people at Arup, the engineering and architecture giant, hired by Shanghai Industrial
Investment Corporation to set out a master plan for the Dongtan eco-city.

120.

When the first demonstrator phase is complete, Dongtan will be a modest community of 5000. By 2020, that
will balloon to 80,000 and in 2050, the 30km2 site will be home to 500,000. Arup says that every one of those
people will be no more than seven minutes' walk from public transport. Only electric vehicles will be allowed in
the city and residents will be discouraged from using even those because each village is planned so that the
need for motorised transport is minimal.

121.

That's a big cornerstone of Arup's design for Dongtan. The aim is that the city will require 66 percent less energy
than a conventional development, with wind turbines and solar panels complementing some 40 percent that
comes from biological sources. These include human sewage and municipal waste, both of which will be
controlled for energy recovery and composting. Meanwhile, a combined heat and power plant will burn waste
rice husks.

122.

Work on Dongtan had been scheduled to begin in late 2008 with the first demonstration phase completed by
2010. Unfortunately, problems resulting from the complicated planning procedures in China have led to
setbacks. Dongtan's rival project in Abu Dhabi has suffered no such hold-ups. Engineers broke ground on the

17
Masdar eco-city in March 2008. Although it will take a different approach in terms of design, like Dongtan, the
city is planned to be a zero-carbon, uber-efficient showcase for sustainable living.

123.

In the blistering desert of the Gulf state, where it's almost too hot to venture outdoors for three or four months
of the year, the big question for Masdar is how to keep cool without turning on the air-conditioning. In this
equation, insulation and ventilation suddenly become more important than the performance of solar panels. To
maximise shade, I the city's streets are packed closely together, with limits of four or five storeys set on the
height of most buildings.

124.

The other major design feature for Masdar is that the whole city is raised on a deck. The pedestrian level will be
free of vehicles and much of the noisy maintenance that you see in modern cities. Cars are banned from Masdar
entirely, while an underground network of `podcars' ferries people around the city.

125.

Given that this concern is legitimate, developers of both cities would do well to incorporate both a range
of housing and jobs to make them inclusive to everyone. This will be difficult, obviously, but then just
about everything is difficult when you're completely reinventing the way we build and live in a
metropolis. And supposing these sustainable and super-efficient cities are successful, could they even
usher in a new world order?

A. The city will be built on a corner of Chongming Island in the mouth of the Yangtze River. It will be
made up of three interlinked, mixed-use villages, built one after the other. Each will combine homes,
businesses and recreation, and a bridge and tunnel link will connect the population with Shanghai on the
mainland.

B. The skin of each building will be crucial. Thick concrete would only soak up heat and release it
slowly, so instead engineers will use thin walls that react quickly to the sun. A thin metal layer on the
outside will help to reflect heat and stop it from penetrating the building. Density is also critical for
Masdar. The city is arranged in a definite square with a walled border. Beyond this perimeter, fields of
solar panels, a wind farm and a desalination plant will provide clean energy and water, and act as a
barrier to prevent further sprawl.

C. 'If you plan your development so people can live, work and shop very locally, you can quite
significantly reduce the amount of energy that's being used', Wood says. `Then, not only have you made
the situation easier because you've reduced the energy demand, but it also means that producing it from
renewable sources becomes easier because you don't have to produce quite as much'.

D. Arup's integrated, holistic approach to city planning goes further still. Leftover heat from the power
plant will be channelled to homes and businesses. Buildings can be made of thinner materials because
the electric cars on the road will be quiet, so there's less noise to drown out. Dongtan will initially see an
18
83 per cent reduction in waste sent to landfill compared to other cities, with the aim to reduce that to
nothing over time. And more than 60 per cent of the whole site will be parks and farmland, where food
is grown to feed the population.

E. Developers at Masdar and Dongtan are adamant that each city will be somewhere that people want
to live. Critics do not question this but they do, nevertheless, wonder if these cities will be realistic
places for people on a low income. They say that it would be easy for places like these to become a St
Tropez or a Hamptons, where only rich people live.

F. Funded by a 12bn (euro) investment from the government in Abu Dhabi, it has not passed the
attention of many observers that Masdar is being built by one of the world's largest and most profitable
producers of oil. Even so, under the guidance of architects as Foster and Partners, the city is just as
ambitious as its Chinese counterpart and also hinges on being able to run on low power.

G. Since cars and other petrol-based vehicles are banned from the city, occupants will share a network
of ‘podcars' to get around. The 'personal rapid transit system' will comprise 2500 driverless, electric
vehicles that make 150,000 trips a day by following sensors along a track beneath the pedestrian deck.
Up to six passengers will ride in each pod: they just hop in at one of 83 stations around the city and tap
in their destination.

H. Incredibly, this is already happening. Two rival developments, one in China and one in the United
Arab Emirates, are progressing in tandem. Work on Masdar, 17km from Abu Dhabi, began in 2008,
while Dongtan, near Shanghai, will eventually be home to half a million people. The aim for both is to
build sustainable, zero-carbon communities that showcase green technology and demonstrate what
smart urban planning can achieve in the 21st century.

Your answers
119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125.

119. H

“But if they don't succeed, there is another option: building new eco-cities entirely from scratch.”
connects with “Incredibly, this is already happening.”

“The aim for both is to build sustainable, zero-carbon communities that showcase green technology
and demonstrate what smart urban planning can achieve in the 21st century.” connects with
“Rather than just design a city in the same way we'd done it before, we can focus on how to minimise
the use of resources to show that there is a different way of doing it”

“Work on Masdar, 17km from Abu Dhabi, began in 2008, while Dongtan, near Shanghai, will
eventually be home to half a million people.” connects with “Wood is one of hundreds of people at
Arup, the engineering and architecture giant, hired by Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation to set
out a master plan for the Dongtan eco-city.”

120. A

“Wood is one of hundreds of people at Arup, the engineering and architecture giant, hired by Shanghai
Industrial Investment Corporation to set out a master plan for the Dongtan eco-city.” connects with
“The city will be built on a corner of Chongming Island in the mouth of the Yangtze River”

19
“It will be made up of three interlinked, mixed-use villages, built one after the other.” connects with
“Only electric vehicles will be allowed in the city and residents will be discouraged from using even
those because each village is planned so that the need for motorised transport is minimal.”

121. C

“Then, not only have you made the situation easier because you've reduced the energy demand, but it
also means that producing it from renewable sources becomes easier because you don't have to
produce quite as much” connects with “That's a big cornerstone of Arup's design for Dongtan. The
aim is that the city will require 66 percent less energy than a conventional development, with wind
turbines and solar panels complementing some 40 percent that comes from biological sources.”

122. D

“These include human sewage and municipal waste, both of which will be controlled for energy
recovery and composting. Meanwhile, a combined heat and power plant will burn waste rice
husks” connects with “Arup's integrated, holistic approach to city planning goes further still”

123. F

“Although it will take a different approach in terms of design, like Dongtan, the city is planned to be a
zero-carbon, uber-efficient showcase for sustainable living.” connects with “Even so, under the
guidance of architects as Foster and Partners, the city is just as ambitious as its Chinese counterpart
and also hinges on being able to run on low power”

124. B

“In the blistering desert of the Gulf state, where it's almost too hot to venture outdoors for three or four
months of the year, the big question for Masdar is how to keep cool without turning on the air-
conditioning” connects with “The skin of each building will be crucial. Thick concrete would only soak
up heat and release it slowly, so instead engineers will use thin walls that react quickly to the sun”

125. E

“They say that it would be easy for places like these to become a St Tropez or a Hamptons, where
only rich people live” connects with “Given that this concern is legitimate, developers of both cities
would do well to incorporate both a range of housing and jobs to make them inclusive to everyone”

IV. WRITING (50 points)

Part 1. Rewrite the following sentences using the words given.

126. Roger is now responsible for the whole sales department.

- Roger is now in charge of the whole sales department.

- Be in charge of: be responsible for

127. Time is precious, so can we please hurry?

- We are running short of time, so can we please hurry?

- Run short of something: something is being used up

128. In all likelihood, the board of directors will choose Derek rather than Neil.

20
- The chances are that the board of directors will choose Derek rather than Neil.

129. You must make sure this never happens again or there will be trouble.

- Please see to it that this never happens again or there will be trouble.

- See to something: to do something that has to be done

130. Ray’s good work record enabled him to get promotion.

- Ray got promotion on the strength of his good work record.

-On the strength of something: because somebody has been influenced or persuaded by something

Part 2. Part 2. The graph below shows the amounts of waste produced by three companies over a
period of 15 years. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Sample:
The line graph compares three companies in terms of their waste output between the years 2000 and
2015.
It is clear that there were significant changes in the amounts of waste produced by all three companies
shown on the graph. While companies A and B saw waste output fall over the 15-year period, the
amount of waste produced by company C increased considerably.
In 2000, company A produced 12 tonnes of waste, while companies B and C produced around 8 tonnes
and 4 tonnes of waste material respectively. Over the following 5 years, the waste output of companies
B and C rose by around 2 tonnes, but the figure for company A fell by approximately 1 tonne.
From 2005 to 2015, company A cut waste production by roughly 3 tonnes, and company B reduced its
waste by around 7 tonnes. By contrast, company C saw an increase in waste production of
approximately 4 tonnes over the same 10-year period. By 2015, company C’s waste output had risen to
10 tonnes, while the respective amounts of waste from companies A and B had dropped to 8 tonnes and
only 3 tonnes.

Part 3. Write an essay of 300 words on the following topic:

21
These days people in some countries are living in a “throw-away” society which means people use
things in a short time the throw them away. What are the causes and negative effects of this trend?
The world today is characterized by overconsumption and the excessive production of short-lived or
disposable items over durable goods that can be repaired. In other words, we are moving towards the so-
called “throw-away” society in which people are strongly influenced by consumerism. There are various
factors leading to this phenomenon and it is hardly surprising that these issues are causing us a lot of
problems.
To begin with, the causes of such catastrophe are varied. In the era of globalization, people all over the
world have more opportunities to find a job, start their own business or at least make a living. As a
result, life expectancy and standard of living are rising, resulting in burgeoning demands for newer and
better products. As companies keep creating new lines of products, consumers keep purchasing the
latest models and disposing the current items. This vicious cycle is not only causing the problem but
also exacerbating the situation. What is more, the globalization process has forced people to adopt
foreign cultures which drive them to buy products that become trend for only a limited period of time.
This is especially the case with the fashion victims who always purchase things that have seasonal
appeal and prefer to denote themselves through wearing designer clothes. Avid purchasers cannot resist
the temptation to possess that beautiful expensive Dior dress or the colorful pair of sneakers from Nike.
They tend to make parts and accessories incompatible between brands and so always pursue “the most
popular” one. In addition, advertisement is also another major contributor to this global disaster. The
advertising has been responsible for changing the thinking of people by encouraging them to consume
products they do not really need. For instance, television channels continuously flash colorful and fancy
images of products attempting to lure people into buying them and magazines are cramped with
“expertly curated” lists of ’10 must haves in your wardrobe this winter’, a deliberately tactful use of
language that made readers believe they “need” to buy new clothes every four months. In fact, the
growing concern over the proliferated shopping epidemic has led to a vast number of researches
examining the influences of advertising on buyers. The results are that those who have positive attitudes
towards advertising are more likely to engage themselves in compulsive buying.
Obviously, the consequences of such issue are extremely serious. For starters, companies now have a
tendency to make goods disposable rather than durable so that consumers must continue to repurchase
the goods. This planned obsolescence makes buyers waste lots of money and cause our society to
become such a remarkable waste producing machine. These days, things are no longer built to last and
some products will just cease functioning soon after being bought. Such activity may help to boost
economic growth, but the complications left behind are disastrous. Enormous amount of rubbish will
contribute greatly to pollution which is causing dangerous diseases like lung cancer and tuberculosis.
This is not to mention the fact that the garbage produced is often shipped from richer to poorer nations,
causing environmental and social problems for developing countries. This not only hampers the long-
term development of these nations but also exerts negative influences on an international scale and
ultimately, we are at the receiving end of our own material obsession. Besides, the problem can also
lead to shortage of materials and resources in the foreseeable future. As more goods are produced to
meet the increasing demand, resources will be exploited faster than ever before, which means that the
depletion of major resources is imminent. Indeed, the BP Statistical Review of World Energy in June
measured total global oil at 188.8 million tonnes in 2010. This is only enough to oil until 2056, should
global production remain at the contemporary rate. Yet, in another report, it is estimated that there is an
average annual increase in oil exploitation of 2.7% per year and there is a significant risk of a peak of
conventional oil production before 2020.
In conclusion, much of the world today seems to be in the grip of materialism which is undoubtedly a
nagging headache stemming from the rise of globalization and the advertising industry. Its repercussions
are absolutely widespread and massive when considering environmental and social aspects which are
apparently threatening the sustainability of no single country but the whole planet.

22