HỘI CÁC TRƯỜNG CHUYÊN VÙNG ĐỀ THI HSG KHU VỰC DH & ĐBBB

DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ LẦN THỨ XV – NĂM 2023

MÔN: TIẾNG ANH - KHỐI 11
TRƯỜNG THPT CAO BẰNG
Thời gian: 180 phút
ĐỀ THI ĐỀ XUẤT Đề thi gồm: 20 trang

PART A. LISTENING (50 pts)

HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
 Bài nghe gồm 4 phần, mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 15 giây, mở
đầu và kết thúc mỗi phần nghe có tín hiệu.
 Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 3 phút để hoàn chỉnh
bài trước tín hiệu nhạc kết thúc bài nghe.
 Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh (bằng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe.
Section 1. You will hear part of a radio interview in which the comedian and writer Jane
Clarkson is talking about her. For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which fits
best according to what you hear. (10 pts)
1. What did Jane find difficult about writing a book ?
A She couldn’t travel around the country.
B She didn’t get any instant reaction to her work.
C She had to spend time looking after her daughter.
D She found the process itself very challenging.
2. According to Jane, why did some critics dislike her novel ?
A They didn’t think her book was funny.
B They were dismissive of her initial success.
C They though her male colleagues were better writers.
D They thought she should stick to being a comedian
3. Which aspect of Jane’s work as a comedian helped her to write ?
A her patience B her ability to learn
C her habit of watching people D her rational way of thinking
4. According to Jane, how do many people react to female comedians ?
A They’re convinced women can’t tell jokes.
B They’re afraid the women will break down.
C They find women’s humour too intense.
D They find women’s jokes embarrassing.
5. What was the disadvantage of the stage image which Jane developed?
A It frightened the audience.
B It made the audience angry.

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 C People thought it reflected her real personality.
D People did not take her seriously anymore.

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Section 2. Listen to the recording and decide whether the following statements are true (T)
or false (F). (10 pts)
6. The speaker has come from the Theosophical Society.
7. One of the main points of the talk is to save money.
8. She thinks students should do more housework.
9. She argues that plastic containers won’t biodegrade quickly.
10. She warns that asthma sufferers should be careful with her recipes.

Your answers:

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 3. Listen to the talk about women in the workplace and answer the following
questions. (10 pts)

11. How is the situation for women in the workplace changing?

…..............................................................................................................................

12. In which management role that women constitute 17% of the staff?

…..............................................................................................................................

13. How many percent of employees think that gender equality is a priority?

…..............................................................................................................................

14. What is the action companies should take to understand the problem of gender equality?

…..............................................................................................................................

15. What should companies do to make sure opportunities and advancement are equitable?

…..............................................................................................................................

Section 4: Listen and fill in the blanks with the missing information Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. (20 pts)

Over the past few years as first lady, I have had the (16)______________ of traveling all
across this country and everywhere I’ve gone and the people I've met and the stories I’ve heard, I
have seen the very best of the (17)______________. See, our life before moving to Washington
was, was filled with simple joys. Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma’s house, and a

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date night for Barack and me was either dinner or movie because as an exhausted mum I couldn’t
stay awake for both. Even back then when Barack was a senator and (18)______________ to me
he was still the guy who picked me up for our dates in a car that was so (19)______________ that
I could actually see the pavement going by in a hole in the passenger side door. He was the guy
whose (20)______________ was a coffee table he'd found in a dumpster. Well today, after so
many (21)______________ and moments that’ve tested my husband in ways I never could have
imagined, I have seen first-hand that being president doesn’t change who you are. No it
(22)______________who you are. When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to
listen to all those folks to told him to leave (23)______________ for another day, another
president. He didn’t care whether it was the easy thing to do politically, no that's not how he was
raised. He cared that it was the right thing to do. When we were first married our combined
monthly student loan bill was actually higher than our (24)______________. Yeah!! We were so
young, so in love, and so in debt. If we wanna give all of our children a foundation for their
dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise. If we wanna give them that sense of
(25)______________, that belief that here in America there was always something better out there
if you're willing to work for it. Then we must work like never before, and we must once again
come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country
forward. My husband, our president, Barack Obama. Thank you, God bless you, God bless
America.

Your answers:

16. 21.
17. 22.
18. 23.
19. 24.
20. 25.

PART B. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (30pts)

Section 1. Choose the word or phrase that best fits the gap in each sentence (20 pts)
1. 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
2. Although we now believe this to be impossible, early scientists tried to produce __________
motion machines, that is, machines which would never stop.
A. perpetual B. everlasting C. undying D. forever
3. The company was so successful during the 1980s that it _________ 500 new employees in a
period of six months
A. put on B. took on C. caught on D. laid on
4. Mr. Discontent wanted to complain to the waiter but was afraid of making a(n)_______.
A. act B. drama C. play D. scene
5. I could see the tip of his cigarette _________ in the darkness.
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A. glowing B. sparkling C. gleaming D. glinting
6. Is an inexperienced civil servant __________ to the task of running the company ?
A. capable B. skilled C. eligible D. suited
7. After the concert, everyone had to _________ home through the snow.
A. trace B. trend C. trudge D. trickle
8. The students paid _________ attention to the distinguished professor.
A. respectable B. respected C. respectful D. respective
9. ______________, the people who came to this club are in their twenties and thirties.
A. By and large B. Although C. To a degree D. Virtually
10. He is late for every conference without __________.
A. suspicion B. fail C. doubt D. delay
11. Revenge at last! I always said I would __________ my own back on Steve, and now I have.
A. turn B. get C. do D. make
12. Look, will you stop _________ in and let me finish my sentence!
A. moving B. pushing C. butting D. plugging
13. It’s the __________ of stupidity to go walking in the mountains in this weather.
A. height B. depth C. source D. matter
14. The school was closed for a month because of a serious ________ of fever.
A. outcome B. outburst C. outset D. outbreak
15. Social work suits her ______ to the ground.
A. down B. for C. out D. round
16. The President accused his critics of being oversensitive and of __________.
A. playing it by ear B. cutting to the chase
C. making a mountain out of a molehill D. splitting hairs
17. My secretary left me in the ________ last month and I haven’t found a replacement yet.
A. rock B. lurch C. face D. fire
18. With patience and diplomacy, she eventually _________ the son of the billion-dollar company
into marrying her.
A. deluded B. inveigled C. cruised D. swindled
19. After our three-hour hike, I had a sandwich and it tasted like the best ________.
A. chef B. sauce C. seasoning D. flavor
20. You are being unnecessarily ________ by spending too much time on the details of your CV.
A. recalcitrant B. mendacious C. dogmatic D. pedantic
Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Section 2. Write the correct form of each bracketed word in each sentence. (10 pts)
1. His childhood spent in the harsh conditions of the civil war has completely ______ (SENSE)

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the boy to the sight of blood and cruelty.
2. “What do you expect from your future wife, Mr. Robson?” - “I’d like one that is faithful and
______ (SUBMIT) so that she can fulfil all my requests.”
3. Our local newspaper is often full of stories that are hardly ______ (NEWS), but they need to
fill the pages somehow.
4. Both of the fighting sides have agreed on a temporary ______ (ARM) just to let the civilians
safely leave the place.
5. The botanist studied the _____ (FLORAE) of the tropical rainforest, documenting numerous
plant species.
6. The orator delivered a _____ (PERSUADE) speech that swayed the opinions of the entire
audience.
7. The artist's paintings were filled with ______ (INTRICATE) details, requiring careful
observation to appreciate fully.
8. The philosopher's ideas were often ______ (ESOTERIC), understood only by a select few.
9. The archaeologist meticulously _______ (EXCAVATE) the ancient ruins, unearthing valuable
artifacts.
10. The professor _______ (PROFICIENT) explained complex mathematical concepts with
remarkable clarity.

Your answers:

1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

PART C. READING (60 pts)

Section 1. Choose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage (10 pts)

FOOTBALL AS AN ART FORM

When filmmakers Douglas Gordon and Phillipe Parreno set out to make an art house movie about
the legendary French footballer Zinedine Zidane, they chose to film just one match between Real
Madrid, the club for which he was playing at the (1) …..............., and their great rivals Villareal.
But instead of following the progress of the match, the ninety-minute film would show something
that had not been seen before; the (2) …............... detailed movements of one man during an entire
top-level football match. They hoped that the audience would disengage from the match itself, and
focus on this portrait of greatness. Every (3) …............... gesture would be captured and they
would see all of the player’s grace, athleticism and competitiveness in great detail.

The film (4) …............... is a fascinating work. Those who are not regular watchers of football
will be astonished at how (5) …............... Zidane becomes actively involved in the game. For
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much of the ninety minutes he moves around the field relatively slowly; saying nothing,
expressing even less, and only occasionally (6) …............... into a lethargic jog. And then the ball
arrives at his feet, and there is a flurry of bewildering activity. The cameras (and there are
seventeen of them (7) …............... on him) struggle to keep up. The defenders don’t (8)
…............... a chance. In a few touches, a couple of checks and feints, Zidane has (9) …...............
them all behind. He crosses from the tightest of (10) …............... and his teammate is left with
simplest of headers to score a goal.

(Adapted from CAE Practice Tests Plus/88)

1. A. point B. moment C. time D. occasion

2. A. clear B. steady C. precise D. slow

3. A. one B. single C. lone D. sole

4. A. following B. resulting C. concluding D. arising

5. A. partly B. scarcely C. rarely D. hardly

6. A. breaking B. changing C. opening D. starting

7. A. trained B. looking C. pointed D. staring

8. A. gain B. hold C. stand D. earn

9. A. missed B. left C. lost D. dropped

10. A. places B. positions C. areas D. angles

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 2. Read the text below and think of one word which best fits each space. Use only
ONE WORD for each space. Write your answer in the space provided (15 pts)

Moths count!

Renowned conservationist Sir David Attenborough is launching a campaign today called

‘Moths Count’, to halt the drastically declining number of Britain’s native moths and improve
their poor image. A report (1) …............... ‘The State of Britain’s Larger Moths’ revealed last year
that in some areas, the moth population has almost (2) …............... since 1968. This has led the
charity, ‘Butterfly Conservation’, of which Sir David is president, to develop a new strategy
which will provide opportunities for real (3) …............... to broaden their (4) …............... and also
generate appreciation among the wider public. Moths, he insists, play an essential role in the
environment. Their loss (5) …............... the species of birds, bats and small mammals that (6)

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…............... on them, and the plants they (7) …............... ‘Moths Count’ campaigner Richard Fox
says ‘Currently there’s an image problem, partly because there’s a (8) …............... that moths are
night creatures, although many are day-flying and only about half a dozen of Britain’s 2500
species damage clothes.’ Reasons for their decline include climate change and the loss of habitat.
Although the (9) …............... of moths has increased with the establishment of new species in
Britain, overall their numbers have dropped, and for some, extinction now seems sadly (10)
…...............

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 3. Read the following passage and answer the questions. (15 pts)
The history of aspirin is a product of a rollercoaster ride through time, of accidental
discoveries, intuitive reasoning and intense corporate rivalry.
A.
In the opening pages of Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder
Drug, Diarmuid Jeffreys describes this little white pill as ‘one of the most amazing
creations in medical history, a drug so astonishingly versatile that it can relieve headache,
ease your aching limbs, lower your temperature and treat some of the deadliest human
diseases’.
B.
Its properties have been known for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian physicians
used extracts from the willow tree as an analgesic, or pain killer. Centuries later the Greek
physician Hippocrates recommended the bark of the willow tree as a remedy for the pains
of childbirth and as a fever reducer. But it wasn't until the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries that salicylates the chemical found in the willow tree became the subject of
serious scientific investigation. The race was on to identify the active ingredient and to
replicate it synthetically. At the end of the nineteenth century a German company,
Friedrich Bayer & Co. succeeded in creating a relatively safe and very effective chemical
compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin.
C.
The late nineteenth century was a fertile period for experimentation, partly because
of the hunger among scientists to answer some of the great scientific questions, but also
because those questions were within their means to answer. One scientist in a laboratory
with some chemicals and a test tube could make significant breakthroughs whereas today,
in order to map the human genome for instance, one needs ‘an army of researchers, a bank
of computers and millions and millions of dollars’.
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D.
But an understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry is not enough
on its own to explain how society innovates. In the nineteenth century, scientific advance
was closely linked to the industrial revolution. This was a period when people frequently
had the means, motive and determination to take an idea and turn it into reality. In the case
of aspirin that happened piecemeal - a series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised
by the century’s broader economic, medical and scientific developments, that led to one
big final breakthrough.
E.
The link between big money and pharmaceutical innovation is also a significant
one. Aspirin’s continued shelf life was ensured because for the first 70 years of its life,
huge amounts of money were put into promoting it as an ordinary everyday analgesic. In
the 1970s other analgesics, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, were entering the market,
and the pharmaceutical companies then focused on publicising these new drugs. But just at
the same time, discoveries were made regarding the beneficial role of aspirin in preventing
heart attacks, strokes and other afflictions. Had it not been for these findings, this
pharmaceutical marvel may well have disappeared.
F.
So the relationship between big money and drugs is an odd one. Commercial
markets are necessary for developing new products and ensuring that they remain around
long enough for scientists to carry out research on them. But the commercial markets are
just as likely to kill off' certain products when something more attractive comes along. In
the case of aspirin, a potential ‘wonder drug’ was around for over 70 years without
anybody investigating the way in which it achieved its effects, because they were making
more than enough money out of it as it was. If ibuprofen or paracetamol had entered the
market just a decade earlier, aspirin might then not be here today. It would be just another
forgotten drug that people hadn't bothered to explore.
G.
None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big
pharmaceutical companies; they were made by scientists working in the public sector. 'The
reason for that is very simple and straightforward,' Jeffreys says in his book. 'Drug
companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no
profit in aspirin any more. It is incredibly inexpensive with tiny profit margins and it has
no patent any more, so anyone can produce it.' In fact, there's almost a disincentive for
drug companies to further boost the drug, he argues, as it could possibly put them out of
business by stopping them from selling their more expensive brands.
H.
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 So what is the solution to a lack of commercial interest in further exploring the
therapeutic benefits of aspirin? More public money going into clinical trials, says Jeffreys.
‘If I were the Department of Health. I would say “this is a very inexpensive drug. There
may be a lot of other things we could do with it." We should put a lot more money into
trying to find out.'
I.
Jeffreys' book which not only tells the tale of a 'wonder drug' but also explores the
nature of innovation and the role of big business, public money and regulation reminds us
why such research is so important.
Questions 1-5. The Reading Passage has 9 paragraphs A-I.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph (A-E) from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number (i-x) in boxes 1-5.
List of headings:
i. The most powerful analgesic 1. Paragraph A
ii. The profit potential of aspirin 2. Paragraph B
iii. Saved from oblivion by drug companies 3. Paragraph C
iv. Recognition of an important medicinal property 4. Paragraph D
v. A double-edged sword 5. Paragraph E
vi. An unstructured pattern of development
vii. Major pharmaceutical companies
viii. A wonder drug
ix. Roots of the scientific advancements in the 19th
century
x. The discovery of new medical applications

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Questions 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-10 write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

6. The 19th century saw significant changes in the way in which scientific experiments were
carried out.

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7. For nineteenth-century scientists, small-scale research was far from enough to make important
discoveries.
8. The creation of a market for aspirin as a painkiller was achieved through commercial
advertising campaigns.
9. In the 1970s sales of new analgesic drugs overtook sales of aspirin.
10. Jeffrey suggests that there should be state support for further research into the possible
applications of aspirin.
Your answers
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 4. Read the text and do the task as follow (13 pts)

The Farmers! Parade of history

A. History of Fanner trading company: In 1909 Robert Laidlaw establishes mail-order company
Laidlaw Leeds in Fort Street, Auckland. Then, Branch expansion: purchase of Green and
Colebrook chain store; further provincial stores in Auckland and Waikato to follow. Opening of
first furniture and boot factory. In 1920, Company now has 29 branches; Whangarei store
purchased. Doors open at Hobson Street for direct selling to public. The firm establishes London
and New York buying offices. With permission from the Harbour Board, the Large FARMERS
electric sign on the Wyndham Street frontage is erected.

B. In 1935, if the merchandise has changed, the language of the catalogues hasn't Robert Laidlaw,
the Scottish immigrant who established die century-old business, might have been scripting a
modern-day television commercial when he told his earliest customers: Satisfaction, or your
money back. "It was the first money back guarantee ever offered in New Zealand any firm," says
Ian Hunter, business historian. "And his mission statement was, potentially, only the second one
ever found in the world." Laidlaw's stated aims were simple to build the greatest business in New
Zealand, to simplify every transaction, to eliminate all delays, to only sell goods it would pay the
customer to buy.

C. This year, the company that began as a mail-order business and employs 3500 staff across 58
stores turns 100. Its centenary will be celebrated withe release of a book and major community
fundraising project, to be announced next week. Hunter, who is writing the centenary history, says
in every 10 people had an account with die company. It was the place where teenage girl shopped
for their first bra, where newlyweds purchased their first dinner sets, where first pay cheques were
used to pay off hire purchase furniture, where Santa paraded every Christmas.

D. Gary Blumenthal's mother shopped there, and so does he. The fondest memory for the Rotorua
resident? "We were on holiday in Auckland... I decided that upon the lookout tower on top of the
Farmers building would be a unique place to fit the ring on my new fiancee’s finger." The
lovebirds, who had to wait for "an annoying youth" to leave the tower before they could enjoy
their engagement kiss, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June.
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E. Farmers, say Hunter, has always had a heart. This, from a 1993 North & South interview with a
former board chairman, Rawdon Busfield: " One day I was in the Hobson Street shop, and I saw a
woman with two small children. They were clean and tidily dressed, but poor, you could tell. That
week we had a special on a big bar of chocolate for one shilling. I heard the woman say to her
boy, 'no, your penny won't buy that'. He wasn't wearing shoes. So I went up to the body said,' Son,
have you got your penny?' He handed it to me. It was hot he'd had it in his hand for hours. I took
the penny and gave him the chocolate.

F. Farmers was once the home of genteel tearooms, children's playground and an annual sale of
celebration for birthday of Hector the Parrot (the store mascot died, aged 131, in the 1970s his
stuffed remains still occupy pride of place at the company's head office). You could buy houses
from Farmers. Its saddle factory supplied the armed forces, and its upright grand overstrung
pianos offered "the acme of value" according to those early catalogues hand-drawn by Robert
Laidlaw himself. Walk through a Farmers store today and get hit by bright lights and big brands.
Its Albany branch houses 16 international cosmetics companies. It buys from approximately 500
suppliers, and about 30% of those are locally owned.

G. "Eight, 10 years ago," says current chief executive Rod McDermott, "lots of brands wouldn't
partner with us. The stores were quite distressed. We were first price point focused, we weren't
fashion focused. "Removed the rose-tinted nostalgia, and Farmers is, quite simply, a business,
doing business in hard times. Dancing with the Stars presenter Candy Lane launches a clothing
line? "We put a trial on, and we thought it was really lovely, but the uptake wasn't what we
thought it would be. It's got to be what the customer wants" says McDermott.

H. He acknowledges retailers suffer in a recession: "We're celebrating 100 years because we can
and because we should" Farmers almost didn't pull though one economic crisis. By the mid 1980s,
it had stores across the country. It had acquired the South Island's Calder Mackay chain of stores
and bought out Haywrights. Then, with sale topping $375 million, it was taken over by Chase
Corporation. Lincoln Laidlaw, now aged 88, and the son of the company's founder, remembers the
dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of Chase. "I think, once, Farmers was
like a big family and all of the people who worked for it felt they were building something which
would ultimately be to their benefit and to the benefit of New Zealand... then the business was
being divided up and so that kind of family situation was dispelled and it hasn't been recovered."
For a turbulent few years, the stores were controlled, first by a consortium of Australian banks and
later Deka, the Maori Development Corporation and Foodland Associated Ltd. In 2003, it went
back to "family" ownership. with the purchase by the James Pascoe Group, owned by David and
Anne Norman the latter being the great-granddaughter of James Pascoe, whose first business
interest was jewellery.

I. "Sheer power of the brand", says McDermott," pulled Farmers through and now we're becoming
the brand it used to be again." Farmers was the company that, during World War n, topped up the
wages of any staff member disadvantaged by overseas service. Robert Laidlaw a committed
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Christian who came to his faith at a 1902 evangelistic service in Dunedin concluded his original
mission statement with the words, "all at it, always it, win success". Next week, 58 Farmers stores
across the country will announce the local charities they will raise funds for in their centenary
celebration everything from guide dog services to hospices to volunteer fire brigades will benefit
Every dollar raised by the community will be matched by the company. "It's like a rebirth of an
icon," says McDermott.

Question 1-5
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-I
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct A-I, in boxes provided.

1. Generosity offered in an occasion.

2. Innovation of offer made by the head of company.

3. Fashion was not its strong point.

4. A romantic event on the roof of farmers.

5. Farmers were sold to a private owned company.

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Question 6-10
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage
Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.

6. Farmers was first founded as a 36 ______ in Auckland by Mr Laidlaw.

7. Farmers developed fast and bought one 37______ then.

8. During oversea expansion, Farmers set up 38______ in cities such as London.

9. Farmers held a 39 ______once a year for the well-known parrot.

10. In the opinion of Lincoln Laidlaw, Farmers is like a 40______ for employees, not just for
themselves but for the whole country.

Your answers:

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Question 11-13
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds
below.

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Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes provided.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

A Lincoln Laidlaw

B Rod McDermott

C Ian Hunter

11. Product became worse as wrong aspect focused.

12. An unprecedented statement made by Farmers in New Zealand.

13. Character of the company was changed.

Your answer:

11. 12. 13.

Section 5. You are going to read an article. Seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose
from the paragraphs A-H the one that fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph
which you do not need to use. (7.0 pts)

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

A recent study claims to have found a new explanation for the puzzle that is one of our most
essential biological functions: sleep. Apparently, while we have our forty winks, a 'waste
management' system pumps cerebral fluid around the brain and flushes out molecular detritus, a
natural by-product of neural activity that collects during waking hours. If allowed to pile up, these
waste toxins are responsible for a number of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's

1.

As a biological state, sleep is not restricted to humans. It is essential for every living creature and
tailored to suit their individual lifestyles as a species - from up to 20 hours a day to brown bats
hanging upside down to a 30-minute daily shut-eye for giraffes standing up. Sleep does not,
however, appear to make sense from a survival point of view, as, unable to operate our guards and
with significantly reduced response to external stimuli, we are vulnerable to predators. Yet, it is
hardly a choice for any of us.

2.

This is a pattern that nature doesn't let us break. Empirically, we have learnt more about the
effects that are triggered by lack of sleep than the benefits we derive from it. Understand it or not,
sleep is so vitally important that any deviation from what is within the perceived norms can impair
both our mental and physical health.

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3.

Experiments on rats have shown that total sleep deprivation for about two weeks or more
inevitably led to death. In known cases where humans were prevented from sleeping, either due to
the existence of the syndrome or other imposed reasons, the body gradually degenerated to the
point of multiple organ failure.

4.

The energy conservation theory: Sleep lowers our energy needs by as much as 10 per cent as
compared to when we are restful and awake because our body reduced both its temperature and its
caloric consumption. This might have been crucial for the survival of our ancestors when food
was not easily available as it gave them the advantage of being more efficient hunters.

5.

REM (rapid eye movement), for example, is a deep state of sleep which involves intense brain
activity. It allows us to dream and it accounts for about one fifth of our total sleep time. REM
sleep plays an important role in restoring mental functions NREM (non-rapid eye movement)
sleep account for the remaining four fifths and is conducive to restoring physiological functions.

6.

Mental activity during sleep has also been linked to brain plasticity, which is defined as the brain's
ability to modify its own structure and function to reflect changes in our body or the external
environment. There is evidence that sleep plays a critical role in brain development in infants and
young children.

7.

Although we have been unable to provide concrete proof for the above theories, it is essential that
we recognise the advances that have been made towards comprehending why we sleep and the
way in which research has helped us further our understanding of the mechanics of it. The bottom
line is that it might be too simplistic to assume there is a single answer to such a complex process

A. The study is just another attempt to gain some insight into what makes us humans tick.
Although we have a relatively satisfactory understanding of other life-sustaining activities, such as
eating (to fuel our body with essential nutrients so thit can grow and repair itself) and drinking
water (to keep our 70% topped up), we are still searching for a definitive answer to why we need
to sleep

B. Up to now many theories have been put forward, including this recent one, but science has yet
to come up with the definitive explanation of why we sleep. Though research and experimentation
we have gained valuable insight into the mechanisms that go to work in our body while we sleep.
We now know that sleep is related to our psychology, physiology, metabolism and digestion. Let's
have a look at a few of these theories
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C. Finally, there's the theory that maintains that dreams, which only occur when we sleep, are out
way of coping with our emotions. Although dream research offers many theories of why we
dream, we know that dreams help us to do some problem solving, and deal with traumatic
experiences.

D. Sleep is controlled and dictated by our internal clock, which, in turn, is regulated by the
process called Circadian rhythm, inherent in all living beings. It's a daily cycle of biological
activity which tells us when it is time to eat, rest or be active. It is set to respond to external
stimuli such as the presence of light, which wakes us up in the morning of the absence of it, which
prompts us to go to bed at night

E. The restorative theory: Sleep give us the opportunity to do some essential repair work and
'housekeeping'. It is the time when many of the major restorative function like tissue repair,
muscle growth, protein synthesis and the release of growth hormones take place in our body. The
same goes for our brain. It is important to note that there are two different states sleep during
which we switch from physical to mental maintenance.

F. The scientist cautions that the simple brain of a mouse and the more complex brain of the
human are two different things, and that what is true for one is not necessarily true for the other. It
is important at this stage not to be either too optimistic or too dismissive of new indications but to
continue research until we have enough evidence to from and assumption about its relevance to
the human brain.

G. The information consolidation theory: During sleep, and particularly during the first hours
when deep sleep occurs, our brain has the chance to process and consolidate the information it
received the previous day, as well as prepare for the next day. Recently acquired information is
either discarded as useless or committed to our long-term memory. The theory is supported by
research that indicates that sleep deprivation affects our ability to recall and retain information.

H. Chronic sleep deprivation, or, in other words, not enough sleep, which is the most common
complaint, has an adverse effect on our cognitive process, compromise our memory and can even
make us depressed, it increases the risk of serious illnesses like cardiovascular disease, diabetes
and some forms of cancer or even disease-related mortality.

PART D. WRITING (60pts)

Section 1. Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. Your
summary should be between 100 and 120 words. (15 pts)

Buying things today is so simple. Just enter a shop, say a book store, choose the desired
book and pay for it. Long ago, before the invention of money, how did people trade? The most
primitive way of exchange should be the barter trade. In this form of transaction, people used
goods to exchange for the things that they had in mind. For instance, if person A wanted a book
and he had a spare goat, he must look for someone who had the exact opposite, that is, that
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someone, say person B, must have a spare book of person A's choice and is also in need of a goat.
Having found such a person, the problem does not end here. A big goat may worth not only one
book, hence person B may have to offer person A something else, say five chickens.

However, he runs the risk of person A rejecting the offer as he may not need the chickens.
The above example clearly illustrates the inefficiency of barter trading. Many years later, the
cumbersome barter trade finally gave way to the monetary form of exchange when the idea of
money was invented. In the early days, almost anything could qualify as money: beads, shells and
even fishing hooks. Then in a region near Turkey, gold coins were used as money. In the
beginning, each coin had a different denomination. It was only later, in about 700 BC, that Gyges,
the king of Lydia, standardized the value of each coin and even printed his name on the coins.
Monetary means of transaction at first beat the traditional barter trade. However, as time
went by, the thought of carrying a ponderous pouch of coins for shopping appeared not only
troublesome but thieves attracting. Hence, the Greek and Roman traders who bought goods from
people faraway cities, invented checks to solve the problem. Not only are paper checks easy to
carry around, they discouraged robbery as these checks can only be used by the person whose
name is printed on the notes. Following this idea, banks later issued notes in exchange for gold
deposited with them. These bank notes can then be used as cash. Finally, governments of today
adopted the idea and began to print paper money, backed by gold for the country's use.
Today, besides enjoying the convenience of using paper notes as the mode of exchange,
technology has led man to invent other means of transaction too like the credit and cash cards.

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Section 2. The chart shows the proportion of renewable energy in total energy supply in 4
countries from 1997 to 2010. Summarize the information and Write at least 150 words.
(15pts)
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Section 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic. (30 pts)
Some people think that the best way to become successful in life is to get a university
education, while others disagree and say this is no longer true nowadays.
Discuss these both views and give your own opinion.

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