HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION

Date: 28/01/2024

Use of English and Reading

I. Use of English
Part 1: For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D)
best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example:
A settling В placing C putting D sitting

So Who Needs People?

People have always seen themselves as social animals, with living together as the
norm, but increasing numbers are (0) settling down as singles. Why is this happening?
It’s often presented as indicating the undesirable (1) ______ of society but,
actually, the reality is more interesting and less worrying. One reason more people (2)
______ for the single life is they can (3) ______ it but since we are able to do
many things that we decide not to do, this financial answer is just one part of the
explanation. Another is the communications and technological revolution, which
allows people to (4) ______ social events when they’re living alone. But a key (5)
______ seems to be that today, young people define living alone in a positive way,
as a (6) ______ of success. They see it as a way to (7) ______ time in developing
themselves personally and professionally. This means that the whole social
framework is being transformed, changing not only how we understand ourselves and
our relationships but also the way we build places to live and (8) ______ economic
growth.

1. A damage B breakage C splinter D fragmentation

2. A pick B opt C select D decide
3. A afford В pay C spend D provide
4. A get through with В put up with C take part in D keep out of
5. A contingency В factor C enquiry D question
6. A mark ` В brand C label D symptom
7. A contribute В make C invest D supply
8. A expose В outline C uncover D promote

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Part 2: For questions 9-16, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the
end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is
an example at the beginning (0).
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: (0) FASCINATING

Two million followers — really?

Some users of Twitter have thousands of followers. Clearly, they
are 0 fascinating people. But some of their followers are pretty
silent and (9) _______; in fact, they don’t seem remotely
9 RESPOND
interested in the (10) _______ of the person they are following.
And there’s a reason for this: they are (11) _______, added to the 10 CONTRIBUTE
person’s account by companies that sell fake social media followers
11 FABRICATE
to anyone hoping to boost their reputation. The number of
followers a user has is often seen as an indicator of their social 12 POPULAR
influence or (12) _______. Therefore, people such as artists or
aspiring musicians might not find the idea (13) _______. Having 13 APPEAL

thousands of followers could enhance their image as a (14) 14 DESIRE

_______ commodity and even lead to offers of work. Although
it’s not (15) _______ to sell followers, and it can be lucrative, 15 LEGAL
somehow it feels (16) _______ and unsatisfying. If your
16 ETHIC
followers are fake, they don’t care about you – and certainly don’t
read your comments. So what’s the point of tweeting at all

9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

II. Reading
Gapped text reading
Task description:
- Long text with paragraphs removed
- Choose paragraphs to fit the gaps (one extra!)
- There will be vocab you don’t know
- Test: Comprehension of text structure, cohesion, coherence and global
meaning
Tips and strategies:
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

Pre-test
- Read the title and text quickly
- Read all paragraph options
During test:
- Understand structure and content, development of ideas, opinions and
events - not just the word! (CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT)
- Focus on sentence before and after gap (+more) (80% of the time is
going to be in the first and last sentence)
- Identify and underline “clues” - Pronouns, Linkers, Verb tenses,
references, etc
Example:
…
Ethical concerns aside, the inherent efficacy of seed banking has been
challenged. Some studies have suggested that 36% of the world's plant species
at critical risk of extinction produce recalcitrant seeds. In lay terms, many
plant species simply cannot tolerate the scientific processes involved in seed
banking, namely the drying and freezing of seeds. The quality of these seeds
would degrade to such an extent that seed banking simply wouldn't be a viable
option.

41 A

Assuming that seed banks are even able to ascertain which seeds to store, and
that these species can survive the seed-banking process, there remains the
question of ex situ (bảo tồn ngoại vi) conservation. Many specimens end up in
collections in which the plants are not endemic or would not normally flourish.
Even if the captive plant species can adapt to new locations, doing so would be
at the genetic expense of their ability to survive in their native environment.
For this reason, conservationists argue that attempting to preserve species at
their source would be a preferable approach.
Paragraphs
A Another perceived shortcoming is the complexity involved in identifying
which seeds should be banked. It is not always easy to predict which seed
varieties will be of the greatest use to humankind in the future, or indeed how
long the seeds can be stored without any form of degradation
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

B Fortunately, however, recent cutting-edge innovations such as

cryopreservation offer promising, albeit costly, on-site ways to preserve an
even greater variety of species than seed banking alone can. When used in
conjunction with seed banking, there is hope for the future of the planet's
biodiversity.

Post-test:
- Always be prepared to change your answer
- Do the easiest first
- Make sure you get the first two right! (DOMINO EFFECT!)

II, Exercise
Exercise 1:
Timing a talk
When people groan that they have been to a dreadful talk, the most common
reason they give for their misery is 'he went on and on and on'. A poorly
presented subject can be suffered, for the sake of the topic itself, if it keeps to
time. But a talk which is both boring and drones on for endless minutes after
the clock shows that the finishing time is passed, is a torture. Even an
interesting, well presented talk which goes on for too long is remembered with
little pleasure. The timing of a talk is, then, extremely important.
14 ___________
Why does it matter so much? It is a question which I have thought about a great
deal. It is quite obvious that speakers don't think it matters greatly. It is equally
obvious, both from listening to others, and from observing one's own
reactions when trapped in the audience for a talk which goes on far too long,
that to the audience timing is vital.
15___________
The first is the different adrenalin levels in speakers and listeners. Put quite
simply, they perceive time differently. The excitement and fear produced by
speaking causes adrenaline to flush into the veins in large quantities. The
result is that speakers have a stamina, a resistance to tiring, an endurance,
which is superhuman. They can go on all day.
16___________
Speakers, then, are in an abnormal state. They are indifferent to time and
tiredness and while they are speaking they feel as if they could go on all day.
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

But the audience is in quite the opposite state. Sitting down and having
nothing to do but listen actually reduces adrenalin below its normal level
17___________
The second reason is that audience and speaker probably have different
emotional concerns about the subject. The speaker has been working on the
topic for some time, preparing the talk. It is quite common for the effort of
preparing a talk about a subject to produce a quite profound interest in the
topic.
18___________
The audience, as usual, feels quite differently. Their interest in the subject of
the talk is unlikely to be so great. They may have no more than a polite interest
in it. They may have no interest at all in it and may have come to listen in the
hope that the speaker will arouse an interest.
19___________
The third reason for the different attitudes between speaker and audience is
contractual. The timing of your talk is in effect a contract with the audience.
You were invited to talk for a specific time and you have agreed to talk for this
time. The power of this contract is extraordinary. If you have been invited to
give a ten-minute presentation, the audience will become disastrously restless
after thirty minutes. They will feel that the talk was disgraceful and that the
speaker is guilty of some great social crime.
20___________
Of these two mistakes there is no doubt that to over-run the agreed time is
more disastrous then to under-run it. The explanation seems to be that the
audience is quietly looking forward to the end of the talk. If that time comes
and passes and the speaker is still industriously talking away, the listeners
have lost their security.

Paragraphs
A It is physically inactive; even the mental activity of talking to others is
stopped. The audience, then, is at the other end of the scale from the speaker.
This goes a long way to explain why they have such different views on the
passage of time.

B On the other hand, if you end early, the audience will feel cheated. What you
say may be no different on both occasions, the organization and effectiveness
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

of what you say may not have changed, but that commitment that you made
has not been honoured.

C Why is there this difference? I have evolved three explanations for it which
can be briefly summarized. Let me outline them.

D However, this kind of behaviour occurs because the average person's span of
attention is limited. The simple fact is that about five to ten minutes is as long
as most people can listen without a short day-dream. After a brief holiday to
catch up with all the other thoughts floating round their head, people come
back to a talk.

E Worst of all, they may be there because they have to be, because they want to
be seen there or because someone else (such as a boss) demands they should
be. Even if they are keen, they are unlikely to feel as strongly as the speaker.
They may enjoy listening for a reasonable length of time, but then will want to
do something else, like have a break or simply stretch and relax. They will
certainly not have the overbearing enthusiasm speakers often feel.

F No other aspect of the presentation can do as much damage to the way the
audience thinks of the talk. No other aspect is so easy to control, since it is a
simple mechanical matter of looking at a clock face. And no other aspect is so
easy to get wrong. Many people seem to have a casual attitude to the timing of
a talk and this can be fatal.

G I have seen this new-found concern develop in novice speakers who had
difficulty choosing what to talk about for a practice presentation but who
suddenly became passionate advocates for what they finally settled on and
started button-holing people at coffee breaks and meal times to talk more
about it. Speakers become deeply involved in what they are talking about.

H It is this effect, too, which produces the strange pattern of elation and
tiredness when you give a talk. Typically, you feel keyed-up and ready to go
before the talk and are totally unaware of growing tiredness during it. The
body's responses are artificially heightened. You draw on a physical overdraft
of energy. After the talk, this must be paid back and you suddenly feel worn
out.
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

Use of English and Reading - Key and Explanation

Part 1: For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D)
best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

So Who Needs People?

People have always seen themselves as social animals, with living together as the
norm, but increasing numbers are (0) settling down as singles. Why is this happening?
It’s often presented as indicating the undesirable (1) ______ of society but,
actually, the reality is more interesting and less worrying. One reason more people (2)
______ for the single life is they can (3) ______ it but since we are able to do
many things that we decide not to do, this financial answer is just one part of the
explanation. Another is the communications and technological revolution, which
allows people to (4) ______ social events when they’re living alone. But a key (5)
______ seems to be that today, young people define living alone in a positive way,
as a (6) ______ of success. They see it as a way to (7) ______ time in developing
themselves personally and professionally. This means that the whole social
framework is being transformed, changing not only how we understand ourselves and
our relationships but also the way we build places to live and (8) ______ economic
growth.

1 D — fragmentation. Fragmentation here means absence of link between members of

society. This is an unusually difficult question, more apt for a CPE exam. You might
want to read this wikipedia article on social fragmentation.
2 В — opt. Opt is the only verb here that collocated with ‘for’ preposition. To opt for
means to choose preference for something.
З А — afford. Again, the only verb that collocates well with the immediate context.
4 С — take part in. The idea of the sentence is that single people want to get involved
in various social activities.
5 В — factor. Factor is what influences their choice to be alone.
6 А — mark. A mark of success is an accepted collocation.
7 С — invest. The only verb here that can be used with ‘in’ preposition.
8 D — promote. The idea of the sentence is how individuals of any society help its
development. To promote an economic growth is to help the society prosper
financially.
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

Part 2: For questions 9-16, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the
end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is
an example at the beginning (0).
Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: (0) FASCINATING

Two million followers — really?

Some users of Twitter have thousands of followers. Clearly, they are 0 fascinating
people. But some of their followers are pretty silent and (9) _______; in fact, they
don’t seem remotely interested in the (10) _______ of the person they are
following. And there’s a reason for this: they are (11) _______, added to the
person’s account by companies that sell fake social media followers to anyone hoping
to boost their reputation. The number of followers a user has is often seen as an
indicator of their social influence or (12) _______. Therefore, people such as artists
or aspiring musicians might not find the idea (13) _______. Having thousands of
followers could enhance their image as a (14) _______ commodity and even lead to
offers of work. Although it’s not (15) _______ to sell followers, and it can be
lucrative, somehow it feels (16) _______ and unsatisfying. If your followers are
fake, they don’t care about you – and certainly don’t read your comments. So what’s
the point of tweeting at all

9 unresponsive. Used in conjunction with silent, it is supposed to have a similar

negative meaning. Pay attention to use the right negative suffix.
10 contributions. It is important to use plural form as no certain contribution is
implied.
11 fabrications. A fabrication is a fake, a made-up thing. This time we should use the
plural form as there is a plural auxiliary verb ‘are’ before the word.
12 popularity. This one is pretty straightforward.
13 unappealing. The negative prefix is used because the previous part of the text talks
of the phenomenon of fake followers as something bad. However, some people can
benefit from this practice because it can boost their popularity. So normally they
would find it ‘unappealing’, but for the sake of success they choose NOT to see it as
unappealing. A double negative construction is used.
14 desirable. Be attentive not to spell it wrong. Wrong spelling is counted as an
incorrect answer.
15 illegal. Make sure to use the right prefix.
16 unethical. Same as before, spelling is crucial.
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

II. Reading
Exercise 1:
Timing a talk
When people groan that they have been to a dreadful talk, the most common
reason they give for their misery is 'he went on and on and on'. A poorly
presented subject can be suffered, for the sake of the topic itself, if it keeps to
time. But a talk which is both boring and drones on for endless minutes after
the clock shows that the finishing time is passed, is a torture. Even an
interesting, well presented talk which goes on for too long is remembered with
little pleasure. The timing of a talk is, then, extremely important.
14 ___________ F
No other aspect of the presentation can do as much damage to the way the
audience thinks of the talk. No other aspect is so easy to control, since it is a
simple mechanical matter of looking at a clock face. And no other aspect is so
easy to get wrong. Many people seem to have a casual attitude to the timing of
a talk and this can be fatal.

Why does it matter so much? It is a question which 1 have thought about a

great deal. It is quite obvious that speakers don't think it matters greatly. It is
equally obvious, both from listening to others, and from observing one's own
reactions when trapped in the audience for a talk which goes on far too long,
that to the audience timing is vital.
15___________ C
Why is there this difference? I have evolved three explanations for it which can
be briefly summarized. Let me outline them.

The first is the different adrenalin levels in speakers and listeners. Put quite
simply, they perceive time differently. The excitement and fear produced by
speaking causes adrenalin to flush into the veins in large quantities. The result
is that speakers have a stamina, a resistance to tiring, an endurance, which is
superhuman. They can go on all day.
16___________ H
It is this effect, too, which produces the strange pattern of elation and
tiredness when you give a talk. Typically, you feel keyed-up and ready to go
before the talk and are totally unaware of growing tiredness during it. The
body's responses are artificially heightened. You draw on a physical overdraft
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

of energy. After the talk, this must be paid back and you suddenly feel worn
out.

Speakers, then, are in an abnormal state. They are indifferent to time and
tiredness and while they are speaking they feel as if they could go on all day.
But the audience is in quite the opposite state. Sitting down and having
nothing to do but listen actually reduces adrenalin below its normal level
17___________ A
It is physically inactive; even the mental activity of talking to others is stopped.
The audience, then, is at the other end of the scale from the speaker. This goes
a long way to explain why they have such different views on the passage of
time.

The second reason is that audience and speaker probably have different
emotional concerns about the subject. The speaker has been working on the
topic for some time, preparing the talk. It is quite common for the effort of
preparing a talk about a subject to produce a quite profound interest in the
topic.
18___________ G
I have seen this new-found concern develop in novice speakers who had
difficulty choosing what to talk about for a practice presentation but who
suddenly became passionate advocates for what they finally settled on and
started button-holing people at coffee breaks and meal times to talk more
about it. Speakers become deeply involved in what they are talking about.

The audience, as usual, feels quite differently. Their interest in the subject of
the talk is unlikely to be so great. They may have no more than a polite interest
in it. They may have no interest at all in it and may have come to listen in the
hope that the speaker will arouse an interest.
19___________ E
Worst of all, they may be there because they have to be, because they want to
be seen there or because someone else (such as a boss) demands they should
be. Even if they are keen, they are unlikely to feel as strongly as the speaker.
They may enjoy listening for a reasonable length of time, but then will want to
do something else, like have a break or simply stretch and relax. They will
certainly not have the overbearing enthusiasm speakers often feel.
HSG TỈNH THPT SPRINGBOARD EDUCATION
Date: 28/01/2024

The third reason for the different attitudes between speaker and audience is
contractual. The timing of your talk is in effect a contract with the audience.
You were invited to talk for a specific time and you have agreed to talk for this
time. The power of this contract is extraordinary. If you have been invited to
give a ten-minute presentation, the audience will become disastrously restless
after thirty minutes. They will feel that the talk was disgraceful and that the
speaker is guilty of some great social crime.
20___________ B
On the other hand, if you end early, the audience will feel cheated. What you
say may be no different on both occasions, the organization and effectiveness
of what you say may not have changed, but that commitment that you made
has not been honoured.

Of these two mistakes there is no doubt that to over-run the agreed time is
more disastrous then to under-run it. The explanation seems to be that the
audience is quietly looking forward to the end of the talk. If that time comes
and passes and the speaker is still industriously talking away, the listeners
have lost their security.