CÙNG HỌC THI HSG MÔN TIẾNG ANH
KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA
THPT ĐỀ THI THỬ SỐ 03 NĂM 2019 Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH Thời gian thi:
180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) Ngày thi:
Đề thi có 16 trang
* Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển
* Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm. I. LISTENING (50 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 1-5, listen to a conversation between a university tutor and two students of
literature and decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. People who translate novels into their own language tend to produce a better product.
2. Misunderstanding is no longer the case if the translator is a native speaker.
3. Writers tend to produce a translation that reflects their own writing style.
4. There is a problem in the way spoken languages in Zola‟s books has been translated.
5. Literary translation makes the study of literature much broader. Your answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. For questions 6-10, listen to a report on education in several countries worldwide. What does
the speaker say about these countries in relation to their education? Choose five answers from the
box and write the correct letter, A-J, in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
A. A decline in student performance on tests has been recorded.
B. Approximately two-thirds of students aged nine and ten fail reading tests.
C. Teachers tend to quit their jobs as their proposal to focus on standardized testing is turned down.
D. Twenty percent of children complete school without a minimum level of education.
E. There is an alarming trend in turnover among teachers, partly due to their perceived lack of support.
F. Their GDP has risen nearly 40 times thanks to development goals in education.
G. Intense competition is the main cause of a less effective education system.
H. Universal basic skill targets have not yet been met.
I. The attitudes and beliefs make an important contribution to high levels of academic achievement.
J. A significant proportion of students in certain ages fail to meet their expected level in literacy.
K. Sex education is going to receive greater attention in the future. Countries
6. The U.S. and Western Countries 7. The U.S. only 8. Finland 9. East Asian countries 10. Ghana Your answers 6. 7. 8 9. 10. 1
Part 3. For questions 11-15, listen to a discussion with regard to hyperpolyglotism and choose the
correct answer A, B, C, or D which fits best according to what your hear. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
11. Olivia and Ron both say that their motivation for learning so many languages is
A. the possibility of communicating with people around the world.
B. their fascination with language systems.
C. their ability to master languages extremely quickly.
D. the challenge of achieving native speaker fluency.
12. What did Ron learn about hyperpolyglots when he was researching his book?
A. They do not have any special genetic features.
B. They usually have a history of multi-lingualism in the family.
C. They are part of a relatively recent phenomenon.
D. They usually focus on the same group of languages.
13. When discussing reactions to their hyperpolyglotism, Ron agrees with Olivia that
A. people often make the wrong assumptions about their personalities.
B. it is surprising how much attention they attract.
C. people cannot see the point of learning so many languages.
D. it is touching how eager people are to help them.
14. How does Olivia feel about spending so much time on the internet?
A. proud of the intensity with which she studies
B. defensive about the choices she makes
C. worried that she is becoming isolated from her friends
D. embarrassed about her enjoyment of soap operas and chat shows
15. What point does Ron make about one East Asian Language?
A. He finds it particularly appropriate in one situation.
B. He hopes to keep it alive for posterity.
C. It has not kept up with modern developments.
D. It has a special religious significance among its speakers. Your answers 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 4. For questions 16-25, listen to a report on the world’s cleanest cities and supply the blanks
with the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording
for each answer in the space provided.
- In December 2015, China issued a(n) (16) for their capital,
Beijing, due to its excessive particle levels. - Many (17)
occupied top spots in terms of cleanliness according
to the Green City Index report.
- While Denmark and Switzerland impose heavy restrictions on high polluting vehicles, there is also a(n) (18)
to use environmentally-friendly modes of transport.
- Curitiba in Brazil was the first city to introduce (19) in 1970s.
- Singapore keep the city clean through (20) and infrastructure investment. (21)
recycling and water treatment plants in
Singapore are designed around supplying the uniquely compact city. -
Recycling a significant amount of waste, San Francisco is described as a(n) (22)
city. A way to maintain low use of energy in San Fransico is to require (23)
to submit energy usage reports on a regular basis.
- Accra in Ghana get high scores for establishing a(n) (24) with the government. - In general, it is (25) cont to ri be but i es t nvol o ve t dhe t prot hat ecti fundaon m of t enta he lly environment.
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (20 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 26-39, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following
questions and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
26. He went to great lengths to the details of the intricate plan to his co-workers. A. tell out B. speak out C. spoon out D. spell out
27. Having lost her mother at an early age, Mary felt she had become a mere , having to do
absolutely everything for her five brothers and sisters. A. taskmaster B. workmate C. slavedriver D. workhorse
28. He felt his heart as his bride-to-be began her walk down the aisle. A. fasten B. quicken C. expedite D. heighten
29. The day their first child was born, the new parents were with joy. A. overpowered B. overtaken C. overthrown D. overcome
30. Keeping a journal is an excellent way to give to your feelings. A. voice B. rise C. way D. pause
31. You „ll need a(n) dictionary if you want to find the meaning of such a technical word. A. unabridged B. lengthy C. elongated D. expanded
32. Despite its majority of 122 out of 182 seats in the legislature, the party found governing
more difficult than getting elected. A. overwhelming B. unanimous C. domineering D. superior
33. I‟m not surprised their marriage is on . They‟re the most incompatible couple I know. A. a razor edge B. the rocks C. broken wings D. a roll
34. I have to . I wasn‟t sure he could do it, but he‟s really done a great job. A. lend him a hand B. hand it to him C. wash my hands of him D. put my life in his hands
35. Things got off to a when the team leader resigned from the project almost immediately. A. false dawn B. false alarm C. false start D. false move
36. The extensive winds that have been Florida will move away as the weekend draws to a close. A. battering B. punching C. cracking D. thumping
37. I am sorry to have bothered you. I was under the that you wanted me to call you. A. mistake B. miscalculation C. misconception D. misapprehension
38. Rescuers cast a to the drowning man and hauled him out of the sea. A. lifeguard B. lifeboat C. lifeline D. lifesaver
39. You can no more swim than I can fly. The sentence means: .
A. Both of us can‟t swim or fly
B. You can never swim, which I am sure of C. Either you or I can fly D. You can swim as I can fly Your answers 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39.
Part 2. For questions 40-45, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided.
40. I listened with great interest to the way in which he made his points. (CANDLE)
41. They were an average family living a boring life in a(n) little house in the suburbs. (DESCRIBE)
42. Harry Potter‟s personality is successfully by J.K.Rowling throughout her series. (LINE)
43. Cindy showed support at Josh‟s project. She always believes him. (FALTER)
44. Towards the end of the period, the child is becoming more perspicacious. (INFANT)
45. Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened, heed only one side and you will be (NIGHT). III. READING (50 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 46-55, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Today many people find that the pressure they have at work makes their jobs untenable as they have to
put their families totally in the (46)
. So working from home, being more at the (47)
of your family rather than your current boss, has great appeal to many as they (48) up their
own businesses from bedrooms or garages. But don‟t just think about it. Now is the time to start, so (49)
while the iron‟s hot. Providing you are disciplined in what you do, and embrace the (50)
of working mostly alone and without the team spirit (51) by working alongside
others, then what‟s stopping you? You gain far more (52) as you can choose the working
hours that suit you. You will still have to meet deadlines, but they are ones that you or customers have
(53) . And if you are at a (54) end during quiet times, you can go out and do things
you couldn‟t do before. But don‟t get (55) away with the idea of making millions. You‟ll need
to be determined and work hard to succeed, but it‟ll pay off in the end. Your answers 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
Part 2. For questions 56-68, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. WHAT IS PERSONALITY? A.
We are all familiar with the idea that different people have different personalities, but what does
this actually mean? It implies that different people behave in different ways, but it must be more than
that. After all, different people find themselves in different circumstances, and much of their behaviour
follows from this fact. However, our common experience reveals that different people respond in quite
remarkably different ways even when faced with roughly the same circumstances. Alan might be happy
to live alone in a quiet and orderly cottage, go out once a week, and stay in the same job for thirty years,
whilst Beth likes nothing better than exotic travel and being surrounded by vivacious friends and loud music.
B. In cases like these, we feel that it cannot be just the situation which is producing the differences in
behaviour. Something about the way the person is „wired up‟ seems to be at work, determining how
they react to situations, and, more than that, the kind of situations they get themselves into in the first
place. This is why personality seems to become stronger as we get older; when we are young, our
situation reflects external factors such as the social and family environment we were born into. As we
grow older, we are more and more affected by the consequences of our own choices (doing jobs that we
were drawn to, surrounded by people like us whom we have sought out). Thus, personality differences
that might have been very slight at birth become dramatic in later adulthood.
C. Personality, then, seems to be the set of enduring and stable dispositions that characterise a person.
These dispositions come partly from the expression of inherent features of the nervous system, and
partly from learning. Researchers sometimes distinguish between temperament, which refers exclusively
to characteristics that are inborn or directly caused by biological factors, and personality, which also
includes social and cultural learning. Nervousness,for example, might be a factor of temperament, but
religious piety is an aspect of personality. D.
The discovery that temperamental differences are real is one of the major findings of contemporary
psychology. It could easily have been the case that there were no intrinsic differences between people in
temperament, so that given the same learning history, the same dilemmas, they would all respond in
much the same way. Yet we now know that this is not the case.
E. Personality measures turn out to be good predictors of your health, how happy you typically are –
even your taste in paintings. Personality is a much better predictor of these things than social class or
age. The origin of these differences is in part innate. That is to say, when people are adopted at birth and
brought up by new families, their personalities are more similar to those of their blood relatives than to the ones they grew up with. F.
Personality differences tend to manifest themselves through the quick, gut-feeling, intuitive and
emotional systems of the human mind. The slower, rational, deliberate systems show less variation in
output from person to person. Deliberate rational strategies can be used to over-ride intuitive patterns of
response, and this is how people wishing to change their personalities or feelings have to go about it. As
human beings, we have the unique ability to look in at our personality from the outside and decide what we want to do with it.
G. So what are the major ways personalities can differ? The dominant approach is to think of the space
of possible personalities as being defined by a number of dimensions. Each person can be given a
location in the space by their scores on all the different dimensions. Virtually all theories agree on two
of the main dimensions, neuroticism (or negative emotionality) and extroversion (or positive
emotionality). However, they differ on how many additional ones they recognise. Among the most
influential proposals are openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness. In the next section I shall examine these five dimensions.
Questions 56-62: There are seven paragraphs marked A-G in the passage. Choose the correct
heading for each paragraph from the list below. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided. List of Headings i A degree of control ii
Where research has been carried out into the effects of family on personality iii
Categorising personality features according to their origin iv
A variety of reactions in similar situations v
A link between personality and aspects of our lives that aren‟t chosen vi
A possible theory that cannot be true vii Measuring personality
viii Potentially harmful effects of emotions ix
How our lives can reinforce our personalities x
Differences between men‟s and women‟s personalities 56. Paragraph A 57. Paragraph B 58. Paragraph C 59. Paragraph D 60. Paragraph E 61. Paragraph F 62. Paragraph G Your answers 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62.
Questions 63-68: Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer? Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered box provided. Write YES
if the statement reflects the claims of the writer NO
if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
63. Alan and Berth illustrate contrasting behaviour in similar situations.
64. As we grow older, we become more able to analyse our personalities.
65. Nervousness is an example of a learned characteristic.
66. The discovery of differences in temperament has changed the course of psychological research.
67. Adopted children provide evidence that we inherit more of our personality than we acquire.
68. The rational behaviour of different people shows greater similarity than their emotional behaviour. Your answers 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68.
Part 3. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 69-75, read the
passage and choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra
paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
VALUES FOR A GODLESS AGE
When the Berlin Wall came tumbling down in 1989 so did the plaster cast which had kept the idea of
human rights in limbo. It was now free to evolve in response to the changing conditions of the late twentieth century. 69.
Of course, in one sense, the quest for universal human rights standards after the Second World War was
an early attempt to communicate across national boundaries, albeit a rather faltering endeavour, with its
claims to universality challenged both in terms of authorship and content. More recently, a loosening of
the reins of the human rights dialogue has ushered in wider debate.. 70.
Perhaps the best known of these is Amnesty International, established in 1961. Before Amnesty, there
were very few organizations like it, yet now there are thousands operating all over the world. Whether
campaigning for the protection of the environment or third-world debt relief, any such organization is
engaged in the debate about fundamental human rights. And it is no longer just a soft sideshow. 71.
The fact that strangers from different countries can communicate with each other through the worldwide
web is having a similar effect in dealing a blow to misinformation. During one recent major human
rights trial over sixty websites sprang up to cover the proceedings, while sales of the government-
controlled newspaper in that country plummeted. 72.
The effect of increased responsibility at this highest level has been to continually extend the
consideration of who is legally liable, directly or indirectly, under international human rights law. In
part, this is an acknowledgement that even individuals need to be held responsible for flagrant breaches
of others' rights, whether these are preventing protesters from peacefully demonstrating or abusing the rights of children. 73.
It has been noted that paradoxically, in such circumstances, it may be in the interests of human rights
organizations to seek to reinforce the legitimacy and authority of the state, within a regulated global framework. 74.
Part of the new trend in human rights thinking is therefore to include powerful private bodies within its
remit. The International commission of Jurists has recently explored ways in which international human
rights standards could be directly applied to transnational corporations. 75.
Whatever the way ahead, the lessons of the past must be learnt. Any world view or set of values which
is presented as self-evident is ultimately doomed to failure. The case for human rights always needs to
be made and remade. In a world where globalization too often seems like a modernized version of old-
fashioned cultural imperialism, it is important to query the claim that human rights are universally accepted. The missing paragraphs:
A. This is, after all, a uniquely propitious time, as the values and language of human rights are
becoming familiar to more and more people, who judge the merits or otherwise of political and
economic decisions increasingly in human rights terms. Arguments seem fresh and appealing in many
quarters where once they sounded weak and stale.
B. On a global scale, it is not strong states that are the problem here but weak ones, as they fail to
protect their citizens from private power -whether it is paramilitaries committing murder and torture or
transnational corporations spreading contamination and pollution.
C. The problem is that the growth of globalization makes the protection of nation states a pointless
goal in certain circumstances. Transnational corporations with multiple subsidiaries operating in a
number of countries simultaneously wield significant economic and political power and it is often
extremely difficult for the state - both home and host governments - to exercise effective legal control over them.
D. If the proliferation of pressure groups has raised the profile of the human rights debate, satellite
television has reinforced much of the content of their campaigns. The fact that from our armchairs we
can all see live what is happening to others around the world has had an enormous impact on the way
the struggle for human rights is viewed. It would not be remotely believable to plead ignorance
nowadays, for 24-hour news coverage from the world's hotspots reaches us all.
E. The results of its investigations were published in 1999 in a unique pamphlet on Globalization,
Human Rights and the Rule of Law. The issue to be faced is whether to treat these and other
corporations as 'large para-state entities to be held accountable under the same sort of regime as states',
or whether to look for different approaches to accountability 'that are promulgated by consumer groups
and the corporations themselves'.
F. No longer the preserve of representatives of nation states meeting under the auspices of the United
Nations, a developing conversation is taking place on a global scale and involving a growing cast of
people - for an increasing range of pressure groups now frame their aspirations in human rights terms.
G. One of the most significant of these is what has come to be called 'globalization', the collapsing of
national boundaries in economic, political and cultural life. From the expanding role of the world's
financial markets and the spread of transnational corporations to the revolution in communications and
information technology, more and more areas of people's lives are affected by regional, international or
transnational developments, whether they are aware of this or not.
H. Not only must states not infringe rights, and enforce those rights which fall within their direct
sphere (like providing a criminal justice system or holding fair elections), but they also have 'positive
obligations' to uphold rights enshrined in human rights treaties, even when it is private parties which have violated them. Your answers 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
Part 4. For questions 76-85, read an extract from an article on Charles Darwin's Theory of
Evolution and choose the answer A, B, C or D that fits best according to the text. Write your answers
in the corrresponding numbered boxes provided.
[1] Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution is known as one of the most important and controversial
scientific theories ever published. Darwin was an English scientist in the 19th century best known for
his book “On the Origin of Species.” In his book, Darwin postulated different species shared
characteristics of common ancestors, that they branched off from common ancestors as they evolved,
and that new traits and characteristics were a result of natural selection. The theory is based on the
assumptions that life developed from non-life and progressed and evolved in an indirect manner.
Therefore, the Theory of Evolution, while controversial, has shaped and influenced the modern
scientific world's thinking on the development of life itself. Darwin was born February 12, 1809 in
England. Although initially entering into medicine, Darwin chose to pursue his interest in natural
science and embarked on a five-year journey aboard the H.M.S. Beagle, a British sloop belonging to the
Royal Navy. Because of his experience aboard the Beagle, he laid the foundation for his Theory of
Evolution while also establishing himself within the scientific community. Specifically, Darwin's keen
observation of the fossils and wildlife he saw during his time on the Beagle served as the basis for the
cornerstone of his theory: natural selection.
[2] Natural selection contributes to the basis of Darwin's Theory of Evolution. One of the core tenets of
Darwin's theory is that more offspring are always produced for a species than can possibly survive. Yet,
no two offspring are perfectly alike. As a result, through random mutation and genetic drift, over time
offspring develop new traits and characteristics. Over time beneficial traits and characteristics that
promote survival will be kept in the gene pool while those that harm survival will be selected against.
Therefore, this natural selection ensures that a species gradually improves itself over an extended
duration of time. On the other hand, as a species continues to 'improve' itself, it branches out to create
entirely new species that are no longer capable of reproducing together.
[3] Through natural selection, organisms could branch off of each other and evolve to the point where
they no longer belong to the same species. Consequently, simple organisms evolve into more complex
and different organisms as species break away from one another. Natural selection parallels selective
breeding employed by humans on domesticated animals for centuries. Namely, horse breeders will
ensure that horses with particular characteristics, such as speed and endurance, are allowed to produce
offspring while horses that do not share those above-average traits will not. Therefore, over several
generations, the new offspring will already be pre-disposed towards being excellent racing horses.
[4] Darwin's theory is that 'selective breeding' occurs in nature as 'natural selection' is the engine behind
evolution. Thus, the theory provides an excellent basis for understanding how organisms change over
time. Nevertheless, it is just a theory and elusively difficult to prove. One of the major holes in Darwin's
theory revolves around “irreducibly complex systems.” An irreducibly complex system is known as a
system where many different parts must all operate together. As a result, in the absence of one, the
system as a whole collapses. Consequently, as modern technology improves, science can identify these
“irreducibly complex systems” even at microscopic levels. These complex systems, if so inter-reliant,
would be resistant to Darwin's supposition of how evolution occurs. As Darwin himself admitted, “To
suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivance for adjusting the focus for different distances,
for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration,
could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I free confess, absurd in the highest degree".
[5] In conclusion, “On the Origin of Species” is known as one of the most consequential books ever
published. Darwin's Theory of Evolution remains, to this day, a lightning rod for controversy. The
theory can be observed repeatedly, but never proven, and there are a plethora of instances that cast doubt
on the processes of natural selection and evolution. Darwin's conclusions were a result of keen
observation and training as a naturalist. Despite the controversy that swirls around his theory, Darwin
remains one of the most influential scientists and naturalists ever born due to his Theory of Evolution.
76. The word 'postulated' in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to: A. disagreed B. proved C. opposed D. hypothesized
77. Which sentence is most similar to the following sentence from paragraph 1?
The theory is based on the assumptions that life developed from non-life and progressed and evolved in an indirect manner.
A. The Theory of Evolution is founded on evidence that non-organic compounds are the basis of life, developed in an unguided way.
B. Based on certain assumptions, we can prove that evolution occurs in all living and non-living entities.
C. According to Darwin, if we assume that life at its origin was created from nonorganic compounds
and developed in an unguided manner, his theory holds true.
D. Due to the controversy, it is hard to make assumptions about the Theory of Evolution.
78. According to paragraph 2, what are the causes for species developing new traits and characteristics? A. medicine and longevity B. survival and selection C. mutation and genetic drift D. tenets and theory
79. According to paragraph 3, what is natural selection most comparable to as a process? A. branching trees B. selective breeding C. irreducibly complex systems D. the human eye
80. What is the purpose of paragraph 3 in the passage?
A. To show the simple-to-complex nature of natural selection in context
B. To create doubt as to the validity of the theory
C. To contrast with the ideas presented in paragraph 2
D. To segue into the main point presented in paragraph 4
81. The word 'contrivance' in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to: A. organization B. retention C. absurdity D. systems
82. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 4 as a viewpoint to state that natural selection is difficult to prove EXCEPT
A. The belief that the complexity of the human eye could have been formed by natural selection seems highly unlikely
B. The presence of irreducibly complex system contradicts how evolution occurs
C. Modern technology has been used to prove that irreducibly complex systems exists
D. Selective breeding is the major hole in the theory of natural selection.
83. Examine the four █ in the selection below and indicate at which block the following sentence could be inserted into the passage:
The five-year voyage proved to be a major turning point in his life.
█ [A] Darwin was born February 12, 1809 in England. █ [B] Although initially entering into medicine,
Darwin chose to pursue his interest in natural science and embarked on a five-year journey aboard the
H.M.S. Beagle, a British sloop belonging to the Royal Navy █ [C] Because of his experience aboard the
Beagle, he laid the foundation for his Theory of Evolution while also establishing himself within the scientific community. █ [D] A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
84. In paragraph 4, what was the author's purpose of including a quote that the belief that the complexity
of the human eye could have been formed by natural selection seems highly unlikely?
A. To provide evidence that irreducibly complex systems exists
B. To prove that the natural selection contradicts the basis of Darwin's Theory of Evolution
C. To support that the natural selection contributes to the basis of Darwin's Theory of Evolution
D. To support the claim that natural selection is just a theory and difficult to prove
85. These sentences express the most important ideas in the passage EXCEPT
A. Natural selection explains how species change gradually over time.
B. The Theory of Evolution describes how species 'branch out' from a common ancestor.
C. Creationists strongly object to the premise of the Theory of Evolution
D. Both Darwin and “On the Origin of Species” are among the most influential things to happen to naturalist science. Your answers 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85.
Part 5. The passage below consists of six paragraphs marked A, B, C, D, E and F. For questions 86-
95, read the passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers in the corrresponding
numbered boxes provided.
Critics give their personal opinions of films they have seen recently A Blues Brothers 2000
Eighteen years after the original Blues Brothers movie, director John Landis and his co-writer Dan
Ackroyd have decided to revive the franchise. Unfortunately, the thrill has gone, although the music is
as brash and energetic as ever and Elwood‟s stunt driving continues to astound.
Sequences such as the huge, ghostly skeletons of cowboys galloping across the night during the Blues
Brothers‟ spirited rendition of „Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)‟ look stunning in themselves, but have no bearing on the story.
Blues fans will doubtless relish the wealth of musical talent on display (it‟s a far richer array than the
first film‟s). Over time Blues Brothers 2000 will probably attain the same massive cult status as its
predecessor, but only the most indulgent of audiences is likely to be happy with this sequel.
B Journey to the Beginning of the World
This is not Manoel de Oliveira‟s final film – the tireless 90-year-old director has since made a follow-
up. However, it was the last appearance of Marcello Mastroianni, playing a film director called Manoel,
to all appearances a representation of Oliveira himself.
Oliveira is arguably the most marginal of Europe‟s major directors, especially for British audiences –
his only previous release here (and then only just) was 1993‟s Abraham Valley.
However, on the festival circuit Oliveira is revered, as much for his longevity as for his varied and
highly eccentric output. The film‟s opening section offers us something dauntingly simple, shot with
audacious economy – a series of close-ups of people talking in the back of a car. It promises a sort of
film symposium in the guise of a road movie: after all, on most road trips, there‟s little to do but talk and
watch the scenery. At times, Oliveira simply has his camera gaze out of the car‟s rear window as the road recedes. C City of Angels
Although it is not without flaws, City of Angels stands out from the dreary succession of recent
Hollywood remakes of European movies. This is partly due to Dana Stevens‟ screenplay and Brad
Silberling‟s direction, which grab hold of the theme of director Wim Wenders‟ 1987 film Wings of
Desire and head off very much in their own direction with it. Most of all, however, City of Angels
pleases because it is quite simply so surprising for a mainstream Hollywood movie. Designer Shay
Cunliffe hits the tone precisely, with the angels in baggy suits and long black duster coats, which are
especially effective when they gather in some of their preferred meeting places – the beach at dawn and
dusk, in the city library during the day – invisible to all but each other (and us).
There is nothing in Silberling‟s previous career – which comprises directing episodes of LA Law and
NYPD Blue for television, followed by the kids‟ film Casper – to prepare one for the confidence with
which he handles a film in which tone is all. City of Angels is the sort of one-off we should surely welcome. D Dad Savage
Strikingly shot in the bleak flatlands of Norfolk, Dad Savage is a British thriller that manages to conjure
up a whole new cinematic landscape, and populates it without falling back on the stereotypes of bent
policeman and East End gangsters. Making her feature debut, television director Betsan Morris Evans
shows that she can put the wide Super 35 frame to impressive use as well. In the claustrophobic scenes
in the cellar (to which the film keeps returning in between flashbacks), she charts the characters‟
changing allegiances through the way she arranges them across the screen. Above ground, meanwhile,
the wide screen captures the yawning emptiness of the East Anglian marshes, and hints at the
corresponding emptiness of the backwater life Vic, Bob and H are trying to escape from by turning to crime.
If anything, the structure is a bit too intricate: the transitions in and out of flashback are jolting, and it‟s
not always clear whose point of view we‟re flashing back from. E Mojo
Adapted from Jez Butterworth‟s acclaimed stage play, Mojo occupies the same strange netherworld as
last year‟s little-seen The SlabBoys, directed by John Byrne. Both were directed by their original
writers; and both were brought to the big screen through television funding, which underlines their
ultimate smallscreen destiny. Where Mojo has the edge on Slab Boys, however, is in the sheer quality of
its performances, which consistently hold the audience‟s attention even as the narrative shambles distractingly.
The fact that Mojo‟s chances of making much impact among cinema-goers are remote shouldn‟t
dampen Butterworth‟s obvious enthusiasm. On this evidence, he has enough talent to suggest triumphs
ahead, although one wonders whether the screen or the theatre will prove more enticing for his trade. F The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer is the third collaboration between the comedian Adam Sandler and writer Tim
Herlihy, and as you might expect from the men behind Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, it‟s not a
particularly clever comedy. The 1985 setting, of no importance to the plot, is the pretext for some cheap
retro humour. But somehow, for all its simple-mindedness, this turns out to be a very winning romantic
comedy. A pleasant surprise is Sandler‟s singing. Playing opposite him is Drew Barrymore, who has
managed to become a celebrity without ever having a lead role in a decent movie. As Julia in this film,
however, she does wonders with an unremarkable part.
For which of the films does the reviewer state the following? Your answers:
One of the actors gets the most out of an uninspiring role. 86.
It is a follow-up to an earlier film. 87.
It is not likely to be a commercial success. 88.
The public has already had a chance to see it in a different medium. 89.
There are some impressive scenes which are of no significance to the narrative. 90.
It is more successful than other films of its kind. 91.
One of the characters in the film is likened to the director. 92.
There is no justification for setting the film in the past. 93.
The lives of the characters are mirrored in the scenery. 94.
It has an unusual setting for a film of this kind. 95. IV. WRITING (60 points)
Part 1. Read the following extract and use your own words to summarise it. Your summary should be
between 100 and 120 words long.
Scientists have identified two ways in which species disappear. The first is through ordinary or
background extinctions, where species that fail to adapt are slowly replaced by more adaptable life
forms. The second is when large number of species go to the wall in relatively short periods of
biological time. There have been five such extinctions, each provoked by cataclysmic evolutionary
events caused by some geological eruption, climate shift, or space junk slamming into the earth.
Scientists now believe that another mass extinction of species is currently under way – and this time
human fingerprints are on the trigger.
How are doing it? Simply by demanding more and more space for ourselves. In our assault on the
ecosystems around us we have used a number of tools, from spear and gun to bulldozer and chainsaw.
Certain especially rich ecosystems have proved the most vulnerable. In Hawaii more than half of the
native birds are now gone • some 50 species. Such carnage took place all across the island communities
of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. While many were hunted to extinction, others simply succumbed to
the 'introduced predators' that humans brought with them: the cat, the dog, the pig and the rat.
Today the tempo of extinction is picking up speed. Hunting is no longer the major culprit, although rare
birds and animals continue to be butchered for their skin, feathers, tusks and internal organs, or taken as
cage pets. Today the main threat comes from the destruction of the habitat that wild plants, animals and
insects need to survive. The draining and damming of wetland and river courses threatens the aquatic
food chain and our own seafood industry. Overfishing and the destruction of fragile coral reefs destroy
ocean biodiversity. Deforestation is taking a staggering toll particularly in the tropics where the most
global biodiversity is at stake. The shrinking rainforest cover of the Congo and Amazon river-basins and
such places as Borneo and Madagascar, has a wealth of species per hectare existing nowhere else. As
those precious hectares are drowned or turned into arid pasture and cropland, such species disappear forever.
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Part 2. The chart below shows how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between
2003 and 2013. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. You should write about 150 words.
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Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic:
"The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds."
Present your perspective on this issue, using relevant reasons and examples to support your views.
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....................................................................................................................................................................... V. SPEAKING (20 POINTS)
It is proposed that all students in secondary school should be required to study music and art. Do
you agree or disagree with this proposal?
You have 5 minutes to sketch out what you are going to say. Your talking time should not exceed 5 minutes.
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