Practice Test 5-p1 [PDF]

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- PRACTICE TEST 5 (21/10/2021) I. LISTENING (40 points) HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU Bài nghe gồm 4 phần; mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 10 giây; mở đầu và kết thúc mỗi phần có tín hiệu. Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu. Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh đã có trong đề bài nghe.

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PART 1: Listen to the conversation. For questions 1-5, decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers on the answer sheet. (5 points) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

It's impossible for buyers to avoid purchasing the fakes. F Aution houses and galleries sell all pieces of artwork regardless of their origin. F The chemical composition of the paint may help determine if a painting is real or not. T Comparing fingerprints left in paint helps in detecting a forgery. T Some forgeries have become valuable themselves. T

PART 2: For questions 6-10, you will hear a talk by a woman called Jean who visited some traditional North American events, a cowboy rodeo and a Native American powwow. Answer the following questions with NO MORE THAN FIVE WORDS. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (5 points) 6. To whom did the organizers express their gratitude at the starting ceremony for the rodeo? …………the

sponsors ……………………………………………………………………………………………….……. 7. Which term was used to refer to the helper riders? ……………rodeo

clowns…………………………………………………………………………………………….……. 8. Which marked the end of the powwow? ……………… retreat

song………………………………………………………………………………………….…….

9. What made the sound Jean enjoyed on the Jingle dancer’s dresses? …………………hundreds

of small (tin) cones …………………………………………………………………………………….…….

10. What must have been added to one competitor’s costume? …………………………ribbons……………………………………………………………………………….…….

PART 3: For questions 11-15, listen to a radio interview with a chef about the process of eating 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. 11. What does Heston say about taste? _ A. Fat should be considered a taste. B. Taste and flavor are separate from each other. C. The sense of smell is involved in it. D. The number of taste buds gradually decreases. 12. The experiment involving salt and other food shows that __ A. it is possible to taste something that you can't smell. B. the sense of smell is not as powerful as other senses. C. food can taste better when you can't smell it. D. the flavor of food can change as you eat it. 13. The story about the trainee waiters illustrates that _ A. certain colors are more appealing than others. B. something can seem to taste good because of its appearance. Page 1 of 14

C. one sense can strongly influence another. D. some people can perceive taste better than others. 14. What does Heston say about bitterness?_ A. It can give a false impression that something is harmful. B. It can become the main reason why people like something. C. Reactions to it can change over time. D. Its function is widely misunderstood. 15. The problem with the dish Heston describes was caused by _ A. its appearance. B. the taste of it. C. its combination of flavors. D. the fact that people ate it repeatedly. PART 4: You will hear a talk about climate change adaptation. For questions 16-25, complete the passage with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (20 points) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is oftentimes misperceived as the world’s fiscal sponsor, the omniscient and practically immeasurable (16)pit of money for any suffering nations. Indeed, the drive behind this organization’s assistance is likened to a (17)sugar daddy ’s, which is nothing but pressurizing the hard- hit countries to fulfill its requirements. Such a paradox can be seen in the case of Malawi in 1990s- 2000s. Besides the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was diminishing overall life expectancy and ( 18)decimating the workforce , the South East Asian country was also harshly deteriorated by a food shortage due to extreme weather. Under the IMF’s policy conditions to the early 1990s (19) bailout loans , Malawi had to sell off its (20) garin reserves to private companies while abandoning its agricultural subsidy program. The IMF’s suspension of economic aid as a punishment against the Malawi government for violating such commitments was heavily criticized, with Action Aid’s (21) in-dept autopsy_ of the food crisis being the accusation. In fact, the emergency situations were completely overlooked by the organization’s rigid approach to (22) _economic salvation. It is by now crystal clear that IMF’s assistance was intrinsically a loan at an (23) extortionate rate , an exchange for natural resources and a vicious circle of corruption and inflation. Therefore, a handful of nations are (24) reeling from this financial trap. Free market principles can be a cure for everything if only (25) unshackled by the urgency to care for the best interests of citizens. II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (60 points)

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PART 1: For questions 26-45, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D) to each of the following questions. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (10 points) 26. They are a real organisation; they are only interested in making a profit as soon as possible. A. devil-may-care B. fly-by-night C. open-and-shut D. down-to-earth 27. We should all when advertisers attempt to use unfair practices. A. make a stand B. make a comeback C. make amends D. make a deal 28. You can try reformatting your computer, but once you open that , you'll probably be working on it for days. A. apple of discord B. can of worms C. load of cobblers D. spot of bother 29. Our company has over 100 branches, in a major urban area. A. each locating B. the location of which C. and are located D. each located 30. Mr. Li is on Chinese food and customs. A. a distributor B. an authority C. a partisan D. a bursar 31. He says he's been investigating my complaint, but I feel he's just . A. going with the flow B. going through the motions C. going against the grain D. going along with them 32. We had cold winter this year, so our heating bills were very high. A. a reluctantly B. an excessively C. an aimlessly D. a cautiously 33. The delight in treasure finding doesn’t always acquiring tremendous amounts of valuables. A. dwell on B. poke around C. lay about D. hinge upon 34. , the strollers can take another road. A. If need be B. When it must C. We might as well D. Come what may 35. When are we going to get rid of all these empty cartons? They've been _ up the office for weeks now. A. buttering B. clutching C. cluttering D. botching 36. Owning and living in a freestanding house is still a goal of young adults, earlier generations. A. as did B. as it was of C. like that of D. so have 37. Archaeologists say the city was a of all American culture during the 1960s. A. microclimate B. microcopy C. microcosm D. microscope 38. Sam swore that he would after he figured out that I had started the rumor about him. A. fight shy of me B. get even with me C. lie heavy on me D. run afoul of me 39. Jessica is still ignorant of the fact that she is about to be made redundant. A. blissfully B. decorously C. jubilantly D. ecstatically 40. My arguments with the boss got worse and worse, and it all in my deciding to change jobs. A. elaborated B. superseded C. regenerated D. culminated 41. I don't like intellectual novels, serious music or films; my tastes are quite _ . A. flat-topped B. lowbrow C. shamefaced D. high-octane 42. Henry kept trying to his duties, so his manager told him if he didn’t take responsibility for his work, he would have to leave the company. A. beaver away B. clam up C. chicken out of D. weasel out of 43. Being a entrepreneur, you will have to make a special effort for people to take you seriously. A. fruiting B. budding C. blossoming D. flowering 44. It’s urgent of the problem immediately. A. the personnel manager be informed B. to be informed the personnel manager

C. the personnel manager is being informed D. informing the personnel manager 45. Global warming has progressed glaciers everywhere are shrinking. A. too much an extent that B. to such an extent that C. enough an extent that D. so great an extent that PART 2: For questions 46-55, read the following passage and choose the word that best fits each of the blanks. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (5 points) It only (46) the completion of the reconstruction of the human genetic map for a whole host of hereditary diseases to be eradicated. Originally, it was forecast that the venture would take until the beginning of the 21st century to be (47) . At present, it is clear that the task can be finished much earlier. Hundreds of scholars have gone to extremes to help (48) the mystery of the human genetic structure with an ardent hope for (49) mankind from disorders such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, or arthritis. The progress in this incredible undertaking is (50) by an accurate interpretation of the information involved in the chromosomes forming the trillions of the cells in the human body. Locating and characterizing every single gene may sound an implausible assignment, but very considerable (51) has already been made. What we know by now is that the hereditary code is assembled in DNA, some parts of which may be diseased and (52) to the uncontrollable transmission of the damaged code from parents to their children. Whereas work at the completion of the human genome may last for a few years more, notions like gene therapy or genetic engineering don’t (53) much surprise any longer. Their potential application has already been (54) in the effective struggle against many viruses or in the genetic treatment of blood disorders. The hopes are, then, that hundreds of maladies that humanity is (55) with at present might eventually cease to exist in the not too distant future. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

A. expects A. dismantled A. dissolve A. liberating A. dependent A. headline A. amiable A. evoke A. examined A. aggravated

B. anticipates B. discharged B. interrogate B. insulating B. reliant B. headway B. conceivable B. institute B. inquired B. plagued

C. requires C. accomplished C. respond C. surviving C. qualified C. heading C. conducive C. discharge C. corroborated C. persecuted

D. remains D. exterminated D. unravel D. averting D. conditioned D. headship D. evocative D. encourage D. accounted D. teased

PART 3: A. For questions 56-60, give the correct form of the words in brackets to complete each of the following sentences. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (5 points) 56. This brochure is generally considered to be the definitive guide to Australia. (DEFINE) 57. Liskeard and Callington are basically equidistant from here, so it’ll take about the same time to get to either of them. (DISTANT) 58. I really believe that it would be a major mistake to decriminalize any drugs that are

currently illegal. (CRIME)

59. In the old days, buyers and sellers had to look through hundreds of classifieds each week and go to car boot sales at the weekend. (CLASS) 60. William was ready to leave everything behind and start anew in California. (NEW) B. For questions 61-70, give the correct form of the words in brackets to complete the following passage. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (10 points) At one time, for the (61) (PONDER) preponderance: su can nhac, uu tien of people needing to make the journey, the only way to travel from Europe to America was by ship, but the days of a (62) (LEISURE) leisurely five-day (63) (transATLANTIC) crossing in a large liner have long gone. Today, everything is about speed, and long distance travel has become almost exclusively the business of the airlines. Although air travel is admittedly fast, passengers are still subject to the unexpected (64) (HOLD)ups which seem to be inherent in any form of travel, but people’s reactions to such delays seem to be far more (65) (SEE) foreseeable than in the days of the great liners. Then, passengers might have shrugged their shoulders (66) (RESIGN) resignedly and relaxed with a book in their cabins, knowing that little could be done about the situation, but today’s traveller is more likely to make his (67) (CONTENT) discontent/discontentment known forcibly to any official who is unfortunate enough to appear on the horizon. It is easy to see why this might be the case since airport lounges are (68) (STANDARD) substandard to cope with large numbers of passengers. Small wonder that people’s tempers begin to fray and their nerves are (69) (TAX) overtax when faced with the prospect of a (70) (SLEEP) sleepless overnight stay in what is, after all, no more than a vast public hall.

PART 4: Think of ONE word only which can be used appropriately in all three sentences. Write your answers on the answer sheet. 0 is an example. (10 points) 0.

The police have two men with robbery and they will appear in court tomorrow. When he realized how late it was, George out of the house and ran down the road to catch the bus. The hotel agreed that it was their mistake and said that I wouldn't be for the phone calls that appeared on my bill. Answer: charged

71. The Potters drove through the countryside looking for a nice for a picnic. When the accident happened, reporters were on the within minutes. You can’t wear that jumper, there’s a of paint on the front of it. 72. Liam was rather with me when we spoke on the phone. I must have done something to offend him. As we’re rather of time, I think we’d better get on to the main point of this meeting straight away. I was angry that they cancelled the arrangement at such notice. 73. They watched as the lion its teeth into its prey. When it finally in that she’d won the championship, she felt able to celebrate properly. My heart when I realized just how difficult the work I’d been given really was. 74. We believe that customers like the personal _ and so we aim to treat them all as individuals. I think there was just a of envy in Michael's comments about my new car. I've tried my hardest to persuade my father to pump his money into my struggling business, but unfortunately, he's no soft . 75. Vanessa's students all speak very of her and consider her the best teacher at the college.

Margaret Michelle, one of the most placed figures in local politics, has made great efforts to alleviate poverty and raise living standard in her hometown. He's such a sprung young boy that he easily gets upset by other people's judgement on his appearance. PART 5: For questions 76-85, identify 10 errors in the following passage and get them right. Write your answers on the answer sheet. 0 is an example. (10 points) 0. Line 1: do → does Line

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

Passage CARNIVOROUS PLANTS All plants rely on nutrients taken from the soil in order to survive. However, in areas where the soil do not contain enough vital nutrients, some plants have adapted to supplement their diets from another source: living organisms. Though they are little in number, carnivorous plants are nonetheless fascinating being that “eat” anything from single-celled organisms to insects in order to survive. They are commonly found in marshlands. Carnivorous plants feature one of several types of “traps” to ensnare prey, which they consume to bring up for nutrients that may be missing from the soil. While there are over 400 species of carnivorous plants in the world today, some are more prevalent than the other. The most well-known of these plants are snap traps, including the Venus flytrap. Snap traps are easily identified by their leaves, which are separated into two lobes that have the ability to fold together. Inside the lobes, the surface covers with tiny hairs that are sensitive to movement. When the plant’s prey brushes against the hairs, it triggers a closing mechanism that rapidly brings the two lobes together, trapping the prey securely inside. The response of the traps is phenomenon in regard to speed: the time between triggering the hairs and snapping shut is less than a second. As the prey struggles inside the trap, it only triggers more hairs, causing the leaves to tight their grip. The plant then secretes liquid chemicals from special glands into the trap to dissolve the prey and absorb all of their nutrients. Apart from the Venus flytrap, only one type of snap trap exists today, referred to as the waterwheel plant. The two share a common ancestor and distinguish only in a few ways. For instance, the waterwheel is an aquatic plant, while the flytrap is exclusively terrestrial. In addition, the flytrap feeds primarily with arthropods like spiders, while the waterwheel lives off simple invertebrates, like certain types of plankton.

PART 6: For questions 86-95, complete each sentence with one idiom created from a word or phrase in column A with that in column B. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (10 points) A from the bottom of as a bolt from cut went to pull out a good risking

B habit the dogs the ladder devil's advocate a fine figure the blue in the mouth

86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95.

a creature of mixer playing your neck look a gift horse all the stops This local firm of accountants after the new management had taken over. My sister goes to bed at exactly 7.30 every night; she's . Sophie's confident and interested in meeting different kinds of people. She's . You'll be if you swim down the river without any assistance. "Don't you think Ann at the anniversary ball?" – "That's right, she did look gorgeous in her white dress." I don't really like the stockings my parents gave me for Christmas. But, as they say, never . There isn't much we can do to lift ourselves . Our earnings are low and the taxes are heavy. The news of the plane crash came to all of us, especially because our relatives were on board. I don't think she disagreed with you. She was just because she enjoys arguing for the sake of it. We'll have to to get the show ready on time.

III. READING (50 points) PART 1: Read the text below and think of ONE word which best fits each space from 96 to 105. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (10 points) LONDON’S BLACK CABS Black cabs, officially known as Hackney Carriages, are synonymous with London and are special for a number of reasons. For a start, they are the only taxis in the city that can be hailed from the kerb with a raised hand signal to get the driver’s attention. Currently, it is estimated that there are 20,000 black cabs (96) thereabouts on the capital’s streets. Their origin, in fact, can be (97) back to the name ‘Hackney Carriage’ said to derive from the French word haquenée referring to the type of horse used to pull the carriages in the days of horse-drawn carriages. The first horse-drawn Hackney coaches appeared on London’s streets in the 17th century during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. As transport developed and motor cars were (98) vogue, motor cabs replaced the horse-drawn carriages. th Since the end of the 19 century, various car manufacturers’ vehicles have been used as motor cabs (99) it was not until the mid-20th century that the cabs we have been (100) stranger to over the last decades first appeared. It is such a realisation of becoming a black cab driver in London and it is no mean feat. If you want to gain this honour, you will (101) to have passed the infamous test known as ‘the Knowledge’, which was first introduced in 1851 following hordes of complaints by passengers (102) cab drivers got lost. This incredibly difficult test can take around three or four years to prepare for and you can often catch a (103) _ of those drivers who are doing just this zipping around London on their mopeds, with a map fastened to a clipboard on their handlebars. These people are essentially trying not only to master the 25,000 or so streets within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, but also to work out the most direct routes from place to place. They must know thousands of "points of (104) " such as hotels, hospitals, places of worship, theatres, stations, sports and leisure facilities, to name but a few. Practically everywhere and anywhere that a potential passenger would wish to be taken to or from must be known, so a nodding acquaintance, for a black cab driver, is beyond (105) pale and perhaps this is the most difficult part, knowing the quickest way to get from one place to another. Little wonder so few people are successful.

PART 2: For questions 106-118, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (13 points) E-TRAINING A. E-learning is the unifying term to describe the fields of online learning, web-based training, and technology-delivered instruction, which can be a great benefit to corporate e-learning. IBM, for instance, claims that the institution of its e-training program, Basic Blue, whose purpose is to train new managers, saved the company in the range of $200 million in 1999. Cutting the travel expenses required to bring employees and instructors to a central classroom accounts for the lion’s share of the savings. With an online course, employees can learn from any Internet-connected PC, anywhere in the world. Ernest and Young reduced training costs by 35 percent while improving consistency and scalability. B. In addition to generally positive economic benefits, other advantages such as convenience, standardized delivery, self-paced learning, and a variety of available content, have made elearning a high priority for many corporations. E-learning is widely believed to offer flexible “any time, any place” learning. The claim for “any place” is valid in principle and is a great development. Many people can engage with rich learning materials that simply were not possible in a paper or broadcast distance learning era. For teaching specific information and skills, etraining holds great promise. It can be especially effective at helping employees prepare for IT certification programs. E-learning also seems to effectively address topics such as sexual harassment education, safety training and management training - all areas where a clear set of objectives can be identified. Ultimately, training experts recommend a “blended” approach that combines both online and in-person training as the instruction requires. E-learning is not an endall solution. But if it helps decrease costs and windowless classrooms filled with snoring students, it definitely has its advantages. C. Much of the discussion about implementing e-learning has focused on the technology, but as Driscoll and others have reminded us, e-learning is not just about the technology, but also many human factors. As any capable manager knows, teaching employees new skills is critical to a smoothly run business. Having said that, however, the traditional route of classroom instruction runs the risk of being expensive, slow and, oftentimes, ineffective. Perhaps the classroom’s greatest disadvantage is the fact that it takes employees out of their jobs. Every minute an employee is sitting in a classroom training session is a minute they’re not out on the floor working. It now looks as if there is a way to circumvent these traditional training drawbacks. Etraining promises more effective teaching techniques by integrating audio, video, animation, text and interactive materials with the intent of teaching each student at his or her own pace. In addition to higher performance results, there are other immediate benefits to students such as increased time on task, higher levels of motivation, and reduced test anxiety for many learners. A California State University Northridge study reported that e-learners performed 20 percent better than traditional learners. Nelson reported a significant difference between the mean grades of 406 university students earned in traditional and distance education classes, where the distance learners outperformed the traditional learners. D. On the other hand, nobody said e-training technology would be cheap. E-training service providers, on the average, charge from $10,000 to $60,000 to develop one hour of online instruction. This price varies depending on the complexity of the training topic and the media used. HTML pages are a little cheaper to develop while streaming-videos, presentations or flash animations cost more. Course content is just the starting place for cost. A complete e-learning solution also includes the technology platform (the computers, applications and network

connections that are used to deliver the courses). This technology platform, known as a learning management system (LMS), can either be installed onsite or outsourced. Add to that cost the necessary investments in network bandwidth

to deliver multimedia courses, and you’re left holding one heck of a bill. For the LMS infrastructure and a dozen or so online courses, costs can top $500,000 in the first year. These kinds of costs mean that custom e-training is, for the time being, an option only for large organizations. For those companies that have a large enough staff, the e-training concept pays for itself. Aware of this fact, large companies are investing heavily in online training. Today, over half of the 400-plus courses that Rockwell Collins offers are delivered instantly to its clients in an elearning format, a change that has reduced its annual training costs by 40%. Many other success stories exist. E. E-learning isn’t expected to replace the classroom entirely. For one thing, bandwidth limitations are still an issue in presenting multimedia over the Internet. Furthermore, e-training isn’t suited to every mode of instruction or topic. For instance, it’s rather ineffective imparting cultural values or building teams. If your company has a unique corporate culture, it would be difficult to convey that to first- time employees through a computer monitor. Group training sessions are more ideal for these purposes. In addition, there is a perceived loss of research time because of the work involved in developing and teaching online classes. Professor Wallin estimated that it required between 500 and 1,000 person-hours, that is, Wallin-hours, to keep the course at the appropriate level of currency and usefulness. (Distance learning instructors often need technical skills, no matter how advanced the courseware system.) That amounts to between a quarter and half of a person-year. Finally, teaching materials require computer literacy and access to equipment. Any elearning system involves basic equipment and a minimum level of computer knowledge in order to perform the tasks required by the system. A student that does not possess these skills, or have access to these tools, cannot succeed in an e-learning program. F.

While few people debate the obvious advantages of e-learning, systematic research is needed to confirm that learners are actually acquiring and using the skills that are being taught online, and that e-learning is the best way to achieve the outcomes in a corporate environment. Nowadays, a go- between style of the Blended learning, which refers to a mixing of different learning environments, is gaining popularity. It combines traditional face-to-face classroom methods with more modern computer-mediated activities. According to its proponents, the strategy creates a more integrated approach for both instructors and learners. Formerly, technology-based materials played a supporting role to face-to-face instruction. Through a blended learning approach, technology will be more important.

Questions 106-111 The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list below. Write the correct number i-xi in boxes 106-111 on your answer sheet. i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x.

List of Headings Overview of the benefits for the application of e-training IBM’s successful choice of training Future direction and a new style of teaching Learners’ achievement and advanced teaching materials Limitations when e-training compares with traditional class Multimedia over the Internet can be a solution Technology can be a huge financial burden The distance learners outperformed the traditional university learners worldwide Other advantages besides economic consideration Training offered to help people learn using computers

106. Paragraph A

107. Paragraph B

108. 109. 110. 111.

Paragraph C Paragraph D Paragraph E Paragraph F

Questions 112-115 The reading passage has seven paragraphs A-F. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letters A-F, in boxes 112-115 on your answer sheet. 112. 113. 114. 115.

Projected Basic Blue in IBM achieved a great success. E-learning wins as a priority for many corporations as its flexibility. The combination of the traditional and e-training environments may prevail. Example of a fast electronic delivery for a company’s products to its customers.

Questions 116-118 Choose THREE correct letters (A-E) which show the correct information in the passage. Write the correct letters in box 116-118 (in any order) on your answer sheet. A. Technical facilities are hardly obtained. B. Presenting multimedia over the Internet is restricted due to the bandwidth limit. C. It is ineffective imparting a unique corporate value to fresh employees. D. Employees need block a long time leaving their position attending training. E. More preparation time is needed to keep the course at the suitable level. PART 3: You are going to read an article. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the article. For questions 119-125, 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 on the answer sheet. (7 points) HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THE UNIVERSE Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, launches this year's Young Science Writer competition. If you ask scientists what they’re doing, the answer won’t be ‘Finding the origin of the universe’, ‘Seeking the cure for cancer’ or suchlike. It will involve something very specialised, a small piece of the jigsaw that builds up the big picture. 119. So, unless they are cranks or geniuses, scientists don’t shoot directly for a grand goal - they focus on bite-sized problems that seem timely and tractable. But this strategy (though prudent) carries an occupational risk: they may forget they’re wearing blinkers and fail to see their own work in its proper perspective. 120. I would personally derive far less satisfaction from my research if it interested only a few other academics. But presenting one’s work to non-socialists isn’t easy. We scientists often do it badly, although the experience helps us to see our work in a broader context. Journalists can do it better, and their efforts can put a key discovery in perspective, converting an arcane paper published in an obscure journal into a tale that can inspire others. 121. On such occasions, people often raise general concerns about the way science is going and the impact it may have; they wonder whether taxpayers get value for money from the research they support. More intellectual audiences wonder about the basic nature of science: how objective can we be? And how

creative? Is science genuinely a progressive enterprise? What are its limits and are we anywhere near them? It is hard to explain, in simple language, even a scientific concept that you understand well. My own (not always effective) attempts have deepened my respect for science reporters, who have to assimilate quickly, with a looming deadline, a topic they may be quite unfamiliar with. 122. It's unusual for science to earn newspaper headlines. Coverage that has to be restricted to crisp newsworthy breakthroughs in any case distorts the way science develops. Scientific advances are usually gradual and cumulative, and better suited to feature articles, or documentaries - or even books, for which the latent demand is surprisingly strong. For example, millions bought A Brief History of Time, which caught the public imagination. 123. Nevertheless, serious books do find a ready market. That's the good news for anyone who wants to enter this competition. But books on pyramidology, visitations by aliens, and suchlike do even better: a symptom of a fascination with the paranormal and ‘New Age’ concepts. It is depressing that these are often featured uncritically in the media, distracting attention from more genuine advances. 124. Most scientists are quite ordinary, and their lives unremarkable. But occasionally they exemplify the link between genius and madness; these ‘eccentrics’ are more enticing biographees. 125. There seems, gratifyingly, to be no single ‘formula’ for science writing - many themes are still underexploited. Turning out even 700 words seems a daunting task if you’re faced with a clean sheet of paper or a blank screen, but less so if you have done enough reading and interviewing on a subject to become inspired. For research students who enter the competition, science (and how you do it) is probably more interesting than personal autobiography. But if, in later life, you become both brilliant and crazy, you can hope that someone else writes a best-seller about you. A However, over-sensational claims are a hazard for them. Some researchers themselves ‘hype up’ new discoveries to attract press interest. Maybe it matters little what people believe about Darwinism or cosmology. But we should be more concerned that misleading or over-confident claims on any topic of practical import don’t gain wide currency. Hopes of miracle cures can be raised; risks can be either exaggerated, or else glossed over for commercial pressures. Science popularisers - perhaps even those who enter this competition - have to be as sceptical of some scientific claims as journalists routinely are of politicians. B Despite this, there’s a tendency in recent science writing to be chatty, laced with gossip and biographical detail. But are scientists as interesting as their science? The lives of Albert Einstein and Richard Feyman are of interest, but is that true of the routine practitioner? C Two mathematicians have been treated as such in recent books: Paul Erdos, the obsessive itinerant Hungarian (who described himself as ‘a machine for turning coffee into theorems’) and John Nash, a pioneer of game theory, who resurfaced in his sixties, after 30 years of insanity, to receive a Nobel Prize. D For example, the American physicist Robert Wilson spent months carrying out meticulous measurements with a microwave antenna which eventually revealed the ‘afterglow of creation’ the ‘echo’ of the Big Bang with which our universe began. Wilson was one of the rare scientists with the luck and talent to make a really great discovery, but afterwards he acknowledged that its importance didn’t sink in until he read a ‘popular’ description of it in the New York Times. E More surprising was the commercial success of Sir Roger Penrose’s The Emperor’s New Mind. This is a fascinating romp through Penrose’s eclectic enthusiasms - enjoyable and enlightening. But it was a surprising best seller, as much of it is heavy going. The sales pitch ‘great scientist says mind is more than a mere machine’ was plainly alluring. Many who bought it must have got a nasty surprise when they opened it.

F

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But if they have judged right, it won't be a trivial problem - indeed it will be the most difficult that they are likely to make progress on. The great zoologist Sir Peter Medawar famously described scientific work as ‘the art of the soluble’. ‘Scientists,’ he wrote, ‘get no credit for failing to solve a problem beyond their capacities. They earn at best the kindly contempt reserved for utopian politicians.’ This may be because, for non-specialists, it is tricky to demarcate well-based ideas from flaky speculation. But it’s crucially important not to blur this distinction when writing articles for a general readership. Otherwise credulous readers may take too much on trust, whereas hard- nosed sceptics may reject all scientific claims, without appreciating that some have firm empirical support. Such a possibility is one reason why this competition to encourage young people to take up science writing is so important and why I am helping to launch it today. Another is that popular science writing can address wider issues. When I give talks about astronomy and cosmology, the questions that interest people most are the truly ‘fundamental’ ones that I can’t answer: ‘Is there life in space?’, ‘Is the universe infinite?’ or ‘Why didn’t the Big Bang happen sooner?’

PART 4: For questions 126-135, read an extract from an article on the design of green buildings and choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) that fits best according to the text. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (10 points) THE SEARCH FOR EARTH-LIKE PLANETS Astronomers have discovered more than 400 exoplanets, or, planets outside our solar system. Some of these planets have Earth-like qualities. However, many of these exoplanets are as large as Jupiter, and it is unlikely that they are habitable. A planet in the “habitable zone” means the planet is located at a distance from its sun suitable enough to allow for the existence of water on its surface. This is called the “Goldilocks position”, meaning the planet is neither too hot nor too cold. In order to find planets that are light years from our own solar system, astronomers use two types of telescope, each with sensitive instruments that employ special techniques, to aid in the acquisition of data: ground-based and orbiting telescopes. In 2007, a team of Swiss scientists discovered the first Earth- like planet outside our solar system, Gliese 581, estimated to be approximately 50 percent bigger than Earth. Located about 20.5 light years from our world, Gliese 581 orbits a red dwarf star. To identify this new planet, the astronomy team used a spectroscopic instrument known as HARPS, which is linked to a 3.6-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory in La Silla, Chile. Spectroscopic instruments use a Doppler, or "wobble" technique, to identify radial velocity - how fast a star moves toward or away from the point of observation. By analyzing the wavelength of light emitted from a star, the instrument is therefore able to calibrate the mass of a planet in the star’s orbit. With the wobble technique, astronomers are only able to perceive a planet that is less than 160 light years from Earth. Employing this technique can be slow, because astronomers must wait for the planet to make one complete orbit of its sun in order to confirm their data. Though earth-bound telescopic systems like HARPS at La Silla play a prominent role in space exploration, orbiting telescopes, like the Hubble Space Telescope and the Kepler Orbiting Telescope, can provide astrophysicists with different data. Circling 380 miles above the Earth, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is about the size of a yellow school bus. Soon after its launch in 1990, astronomers were shocked to find that images sent back by the Hubble were slightly blurry due to a defective mirror. To remedy this problem, NASA created a special lens for the Hubble, similar to the way eyeglasses correct human eyesight, in a special mission, a team of astronauts serviced the Hubble by mounting this corrective lens. They also added several other specialized instruments, including an infrared camera and a spectrograph, which is used to analyze light. Among the Hubble’s discoveries are new planets, newly born stars, various nebulae, and even collisions of asteroids on the planet

Jupiter. In joint observation with several ground-based telescopes, the Hubble found several exoplanets that exist in a habitable zone

from their stars. It is also credited with the discovery of a molecule of methane gas in the atmosphere of a Jupiter-sized exoplanet, supporting the theory of life forms in space. In 2009, NASA launched the Kepler Orbiting Telescope. Its primary task is to focus on, or "stare at", the stars. Instead of orbiting the Earth like the Hubble, it "trails" the Earth, meaning it travels behind the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The Kepler’s mission is to observe about 150,000 stars and determine if these stars contain planetary systems, most particularly, habitable planets. Unlike the La Silla and Hubble telescopes, the Kepler Orbiting Telescope uses a photometric instrument to measure light emanating from a star. When a planet passes in front of a star (similar to an observation of Mercury or Venus crossing in front of the Sun), the Kepler telescope analyzes a change in the intensity of light emitted by that star. This process allows astronomers to evaluate and examine the data further to determine if one or more planets may orbit the star. The Kepler Orbiting Telescope accomplished its primary objective in 2010: to find Earth-like planets. It discovered seven planets - some almost as large as Jupiter - beyond our solar system. While many astrophysicists and astrobiologists have argued the unlikelihood of life forms on other planets, the data from the Kepler Orbiting Telescope suggests the contrary. 126. According to paragraph 1, what is true about "exoplanets"? A. Most of them are considerably smaller than the planet Jupiter. B. Those that are as large as Jupiter probably cannot sustain life. C. They are found within our solar system. D. They are larger than the Earth. 127. In paragraph 1, why does the author use the phrase the Goldilocks position? A. To support the concept of Earth-like exoplanets B. To demonstrate the unlikelihood of a planet being Earth-like C. To illustrate the differences between a habitable and uninhabitable planet D. To explain the conditions needed for a planet to be considered habitable 128. In paragraph 2, all of the following are true about Gliese 581 EXCEPT . A. it is half the size larger than Earth B. it is probably in a habitable zone C. it is in our solar system D. it has its own sun 129. In paragraph 2, which of the following best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning or leave out essential information. A. Wobble techniques are used to demonstrate the use of a spectroscope. B. Using the wobble technique, spectroscopic instruments can determine a star’s speed. C. A star can move very fast away from the Earth, therefore it is necessary to use a wobble technique. D. In radial velocity, a star can move so quickly that it wobbles, which can be seen by using a telescope. 130. The word blurry in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to . A. clear B. cloudy C. stormy D. indistinct 131. According to paragraph 3, what problem did the Hubble Space Telescope have? A. Its mirror was flawed. B. NASA damaged its mirror. C. A lens on its camera was broken. D. It did not have an infrared camera. 132. The word it in paragraph 3 refers to . A. observation B. the Hubble Space Telescope C. a molecule D. a habitable zone 133. Why does the author mention the molecule of methane in paragraph 3? A. To support his statement about habitable planets

B. To give evidence of one of the Hubble Space Telescope's uses C. To give the Hubble credit for the discovery of a new gas D. To illustrate the possibility for the existence of other life forms in the universe 134. According to paragraph 4, what can be inferred about the Kepler’s main purpose? A. To search for new planets B. To focus on threatening asteroids C. To trail closely behind the Earth’s orbit D. To determine if star systems contain potentially habitable planets 135. The author of the passage suggests that . A. the Kepler Orbiting Telescope did not meet its goals B. the Kepler’s data proves that life beyond our solar system is unlikely C. most scientists doubt the usefulness of the Kepler Orbiting telescope D. the discovery of Earth-like planets does not mean they are habitable PART 5: You are going to read some extracts taken from an article. Choose from the sections (A-D) the correct answer to each of the questions from 136 to 145. The sections may be chosen more than once. Write your answers on the answer sheet. (10 points) A. Monosodium Glutamate Good food is one of life’s pleasures and even 1,200 years ago, oriental cooks knew that food tasted better when prepared with a soup stock made from a type of seaweed. But it was only in 1908 that Japanese scientists identified the ingredient responsible for enhancing flavour. That ingredient is known today by its scientific name, monosodium glutamate. It is often referred to as MSG and it is an amino acid found in virtually all foods. The bound form is linked to other amino acids in proteins and is manufactured in the human body. The free form of glutamate in foods enhances food flavours. Tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms are just some free glutamate rich foods. Free glutamate content increases during ripening, bringing out a fuller taste in many foods and is made as a flavour enhancer by a fermentation process similar to that used for making soy sauce and vinegar. People have long known about the four basic tastes - sweet, sour, salty and bitter. But now a fifth basic taste called umami has been recognised. This is imparted to foods by glutamate and is responsible for the savoury taste of many foods, such as tomatoes and cheese. B. Organic Food & Business Organic farmers pride themselves on fostering sustainable agriculture, but it remains to be seen if the industry’s rapid growth is in fact sustainable. One challenge facing the industry is to bring the price of organic products more in line with those of conventional products. The price of organic ingredients is improving but demand still outpaces supply. However, supply issues are overshadowed by the fact that the organic foods sector continues to grow faster than the food industry as a whole, fundamentally due to the natural alliance between organic crops and processed foods. Firstly, organic foods earmarked for processing do not have to be as cosmetically perfect as their fresh counterparts. In addition, freezing or tinning reduces many of the shelf-life problems associated with fresh produce. It was only a question of time before mainstream food companies woke up to these synergies. The pioneers of the organic food industry view the growing presence of major food companies in their markets as a mixed blessing. Many smaller companies fear that the ideals of organic agriculture will be compromised. Others think major food companies will help persuade consumers to buy organic products through the power of their branding. C. Chilli

Capsicums, commonly known as chillis, come in all dimensions and colours from the tiny, pointed, extremely hot, bird’s eye chilli, to the large, mild, fleshy peppers like the Anaheim. Indigenous to Central and South America and the West Indies, they were cultivated long before the Spanish conquest, which was the eventual cause of their introduction to Europe. Chillis along with tomatoes, avocados, vanilla and chocolate changed the flavours of the known world. Today, there are around 400 different varieties of chillis grown. They are easy to cultivate and are one of the world’s most widely distributed crops, available for sale at most food outlets. In 1902, a method was developed for measuring the strength of a given variety of capsicum, ranking it on a predetermined scale. This originally meant tasting the peppers, but nowadays it can be done more accurately with the help of computers to rate the peppers in units to indicate parts per million of capsaicin. This potent chemical not only causes the fiery sensation, but also triggers the brain to produce endorphins, natural painkillers that promote a sense of well-being. D. Writing about Cooking Two cookery writers are often credited with the present revival of interest in food and cooking. Elizabeth David discovered her taste for good food when she lived with a French family for two years. After returning to England, she learnt to cook so that she could reproduce some of the food that she had come to appreciate in France. Her first book appeared when rationing was still in force after the war and most of the ingredients she had so lovingly described were not available. At the time, her book was read rather than used, and it created a yearning for good ingredients and for a way of life that saw more in food than mere sustenance. Her later books confirmed her position as the most inspirational and influential cookery writer in the English language. She shared with Jane Grigson an absorbing interest in the literature of cookery. Jane Grigson was brought up in the north-east of England, where there is a strong tradition of good eating, but it was not until she began to spend time in France that she became really interested in food. She was renowned for her fine writing on food and cookery, often catching the imagination with a deftly chosen fragment of history or poetry, but never failing to explain the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ of cookery. In which section are the following mentioned?

Your answers:

A group of foods that changed the way an area of the world cooked

136.

A period of time when access to food was restricted

137.

A comparison of the process of producing a substance with that also used for some other foods

138.

The global popularity of a particular food

139.

An interest in discovering more about unfamiliar types of food

140.

The discrepancy between the amount of a type of food produced and the demand for it

141.

A substance that reinforces the savoury aspect of food

142.

A way of determining the strength of a foodstuff

143.

Using literary forms to talk about food dishes

144.

Worries about the ethical future of a food industry

145.

IV. WRITING (50 points) PART 1: For questions 146-155, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word given in bold. DO NOT change the word given. You must use between THREE and EIGHT words, including the word given. (10 points) Note: A contraction is counted as ONE word. 146.Mr. Clinton reluctantly signed the contract of employment. signature → It was with.............................................................on the contract of employment. 147.Coming second didn't make her feel any better because she only wanted to win. consolation → Coming second..........................................................was all that mattered to her. 148.We're doubtful that this plan is very realistic. reservations → We.........................................................................................realistic this plan is. 149.Eventually, Mark admitted that he was responsible for the error. owned → Eventually, it...........................................................been responsible for the error. 150.There came a time when I completely ran out of patience. stage → I...........................................................................................no more patience left. 151.Nobody knows why Frank made such an extraordinary decision. prompted → Nobody knows....................................................................................a decision. 152.The spokesman said that the story was pure speculation. dismissed → The story.........................................................than speculation by the spokesman. 153.Presumably you're still interested in travelling this summer. lost → I take.................................................................................travelling this summer. 154.The manager praised one particular player. singled → One particular player.........................................................praise by the manager. 155.My brother did not suffer from his experience. none → My brother...............................................................................for his experience.

PART 2: (15 points) The diagram below shows how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

PART 3: (25 points) Write an essay of about 300 words on the following topic. Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to cooperate rather than compete become more useful adults. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. ----------- THE END -----------

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