Đề chọn ĐTQG môn Tiếng Anh 2015

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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1
High School for Gifted Students, HNUE Page 1/11
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
Name: __________________________
Class: __________________________
(The test paper consists of 11 pages)
SELECTION TEST No.1
FOR NATIONAL ENGLISH COMPETITION
Date: October , 2015
Time: 180 minutes
I. LISTENING
Part 1. Listen to part of a radio interview with a woman who helped save the rhino from extinction
in the wild, complete the notes below.
Area visited:
1. _________________________________
Habitat of rhino:
2. _________________________________
Susan was there to:
3. _________________________________
She found a:
4. _________________________________
People she met:
5. _________________________________
People who gave her a lot of help:
6. _________________________________
Condition of rhino today:
7. _________________________________
Part 2: You will hear two anthropologists discussing possible reasons why the Neanderthals
disappeared. For questions 8-13, decide whether the opinions are expressed by only one of the
speakers, or whether the speakers agree.
Write Lfor Linda
R for Robert
or B for both
8. It is unclear whether there was direct rivalry between Neanderthals and our ancestors.
9. The fact that Neanderthals do not seem to have developed technology is significant.
10. Neanderthals were not as advanced as our direct ancestors, the Cro-Magnons
11. It is known that Neanderthals were cannibals.
12. The social practices of Neanderthals might provide the clue as to why they died out.
13. Our ancestors were probably connected in some way to the disappearance of Neanderthals.
Part 3: You will hear part of a radio interview in which David Evans, a chef in a British school, is
talking about his work. Choose the answer (A,B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
14. What was the students’ initial reaction to the food they were served?
A. They didn’t like being the subjects of an experiment.
B. They would rather have eaten traditional British food.
C. They were not sure whether it was good or bad.
D. They felt that it was an adventure for them.
15. According to David, why do some students have difficulty in accepting the “restaurant
system”?
A. They are uncomfortable eating meals with adults.
B. They are not used to having meals with others.
C. They don’t like talking about food.
D. It takes too long to be served their food.
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16. What main role do the staff play in the school restaurant?
A. They check that students are eating their meals.
B. They learn about the students’ home lives.
C. They deal with students’ complaints about the food.
D. They help students learn about a balanced diet.
17. According to David, where does most of the food served in the restaurant come from?
A. anywhere that can provide fresh ingredients
B. the school grounds
C. all over the world
D. suppliers close to the school
18. In David’s view, which of his previous jobs prepared him best for his work as a school chef?
A. teacher
B. manager
C. waiter
D. cook
19. Why does David think that his approach could be difficult to introduce in other schools?
A. Many students are resistant to change.
B. Not all students see healthy eating as important.
C. Other schools don’t see healthy eating as a priority.
D. Parents would be unwilling to accept it.
Part 4: Listen to a talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and supply the blanks with
missing details for questions 20 25. Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS in each spaced
provided.
20. The 12 countries involve are looking to __________________________________ by linking them
together.
21. If it __________________________________, it will build on and supersede a network of past
trade deals, like the North American Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States, and
Mexico.
22. Trade between nations will be boosted by __________________________________ and other
methods countries often used to protect domestic industries from outside competition.
23. Along with __________________________________, to create a fair playing field for competing
business, all countries involved will have to meet certain __________________________________
like:
24. Environmental protections that ban trading in endangered species and illegal logging or
__________________________________like the right to form a union, the
__________________________________ and banning workplace discrimination.
25. Obama has received pushback from Democrats in Congress. They want guarantees the US will
enforce rules preventing foreign companies from flooding the US market with goods and services.
Moreover, they also criticize that certain __________________________________ in the deal could
keep the cost of medicine around the world higher than it should be.
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR
Part 1.For questions 26-40, choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) to each of the following
questions.
26. One of the organization’s aims is to ______ information about the disease so that more people know
of is symptoms.
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A. disentangle B. deride C. dwindle D. disseminate
27. Have you seen the new boss? She is the ____ image of Marilyn Monroe.
A. live B. true C. spitting D. same
28. The interpreter gave only a _______ version of the old man’s long rambling account.
A. minimum B. miniature C. marginal D. condensed
29. The scientists broke down as they realized that all their efforts had gone to _______.
A. loss B. failure C. waste D. collapse
30. That is the girl whose parents are_______ about the expulsion.
A. up in arms B. keeping your hair
C. kicking herself D. giving her a taste
31. I’ve yet_______ a person as his father.
A. to have known such generous B. to know as generous
C. knowing as generous D. been knowing such generous
32. Don’t call Pam just now. Something has gone wrong with the computer; she’s ______ because she
can’t get the data she needs.
A. in a stew B. out of a rut C. in the swim D. under the sink
33. All the members of the board were _________themselves to please the Chairperson
A. falling over B. jumping over C. carrying off D. coming about
34. Not only were the little children _______ with this nasty cold. We had a few adult patients, too.
A. afflicted B. imposed C. injured D. aggravated
35. As the fat man sat down, the deck chair _______ under him, with a loud noise of _______canvas.
A. fell/splitting B. fell/tearing
C. collapsed/splitting D. collapsed/tearing
36. As his final examinations are _______ hand, he is burning the candle at both _______.
A. at/ends B. in/ends C. at/ways D. in/ways
37. Unless the country _________the brain drain that is going on, we shall soon be left with only
second-rate experts.
A. arrests B. captures C. hampers D. hinders
38. Dr Howard wanted to ensure that the teaching faculty was the _________of the crop.
A. top B. essence C. cream D. peak
39. He is eager for fame and power and always tries to be in the _________seat.
A. front B. driving C. leading D. foremost
40. Environmentalists’ warning about climate change seem to be _________on deaf ears.
A. coming B. landing C. going D. falling
Part 2: For questions 41-45, write the correct form of each bracketed word. There is an example at
the beginning (0).
Mankind’s intuition of freedom, and our (0. IDENTIFY) identification of freedom with knowledge,
sets us apart from animals. The animal’s grasp of freedom is (41. SIGNIFY) _______________ in
comparison, being only the freedom to respond to external stimuli. The nearest creature to us on the
evolutionary tree of life, the chimpanzee, can’t retain an image for a sufficient length of time to be able to
reflect on it. So animal life is largely a matter of conditioned reflexes, performed in an (42.
TERMINATE)_______________ present; in short, animals are little more than machines with
consciousness.
While the animal is carried along (43. SUBMIT) _______________on the stream of time, mankind
had certain capacities that (44. POWER) _______________us to resist the current or look into the future.
Our resourceful invention of language was the first step towards this “conquest of time”. Language “fixes”
experiences, and places the experience of the past on an equal (45. FOOT) _______________ with that of
significant
interminable
empower
footing
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the present. Imagination was bound to follow, as a natural progression from “labelling” a past experience
to conjuring up its mental image.
III. READING
Part 1:For questions 46-55, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word.
THE CULT OF CELEBRITY
Once,children had ambitions to be doctors, explorers, sportsmen, artists or scientists. Now, taking
their lead from TV, they just “want to be famous”. Fame is no longer a reward for gallant service or great,
perhaps even selfless endeavour. It is an end in (46.)_______,and the sooner it can be achieved, the sooner
the lonely bedroom mirror can be replaced by the TV camera and flash gun, the (47.) _______. Celebrity is
the profession (48.) _______the moment, a vainglorious vocation which, (49.)_______ some 18
th
century
royal court, seems to exist largely so that the rest of us might watch and be amazed (50.) _______ its
members live out their lives in public, like self-regarding members of some glittering soap opera.
Today,almost (51.) _______ can be famous. Never has fame been more democratic, more
ordinary,more achievable. (52.) _______wonder it’s a modern ambition. It’s easy to see why people crave
celebrity, why generations reared on the instant fame offered by television want to step out of the
limousine (53.)_______the flashlights bouncing around them. Who doesn’t want to be the centre of
attention at some time in their lives?
Modern celebrity,peopled by (54.) _______largely vain and vacuous, fills a need in our lives. It
peoples talks show, sells goods and newspapers and rewards the famous for- well, (55.)_______famous.
Part 2: Read the following passage and answer questions 56-68
The Forensics
The police force has come a long way since the medieval days when suspected criminals were thrown into
rivers to determine whether they were guilty or not; if they floated, they were innocent; if they sank, they
were guilty. These days, high-rating TV programmes such as CSI show exactly how sophisticated the tools
police use have become, as well as showcase the rise of forensic scientists as part of the police force. A
forensic team assists in criminal investigation procedures by drawing on the knowledge of a number of
sciences.
One of the most acclaimed forensic experts is Dr Henry Lee, who has been awarded 5 honourary
doctorates and has worked on over 6,000 cases, including war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia, the
assassination of former US president John F. Kennedy and the suicide of former US President Clinton’s
White House attorney. The resources he draws on are wide and varied.
Forensic anthropologists are employed for their skill in recovering and examining skeletal remains. These
experts apply the methods and techniques developed in skeletal biology and osteology to determine the
type of injury sustained, the time of death and the sex, age, height, stature, ancestry and medical history of
the victim. For example, the cranium or mandible is often used to ascertain sex and ancestry, the hands and
finger can be used to establish stature and the sacrum confirms age, pregnancy and childbirth in females.
Unlike forensic anthropologists, forensic document examiners cannot determine the age or gender of a
writer. However, they can determine the source of a letter and when it was written or printed. These
professionals analyse handwriting, typewriting, printing, photocopying, ink and paper, and are most
commonly employed to closely examine wills, ransom notes, extortion notes, cheques and letters. They are
so skillful that they can decipher obliterated or erased writing, burned or charred documents, and even
detect alterations.
Entomology, the study of the life cycles of insects, is used in forensic science to determine the amount of
time that has elapsed after someone has died. This is a valid method as insects behave predictably. They
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lay eggs on the exposed surface of a body and the amount of infestation follows certain patterns and time
intervals. This method has been applied to child abuse and neglect cases as well as lack of care for wound
existing on the elderly under private or public care.
Fingerprints, like DNA, are used to identify a person. Identical twins do not have identical fingerprints
despite having the same DNA. DNA does not change whereas fingerprints may do so due to scarring, skin
disease or skin growth. Forensic fingerprinting involves making the prints visible, saving them for further
investigation and matching them to existing ones on a huge database of billions of prints from around the
world.
Unlike fingerprints, which can easily be washed away, teeth are very resilient and can stay in good shape
even after being submerged in water for long periods. As a result, forensic odontology is used to help
police identify victims. Ante mortem dental records are compared with those of the deceased. If no dental
records exist before death, then these dentists can also narrow down the search by providing authorities
with the victim’s age, ancestry, sex, socio-economic status and in some instances occupation, diet, habits
and diseases.
Forensic serologists examine blood and bodily fluids to determine the nature of stain found at a crime
scene, including determining which species the stain belongs to and matching the blood groups,
isoenzymes, and DNA patterns to a known sample. To be accurate, it employs techniques and methods
applied in immunology, biochemistry, serology, haematology and molecular biology. Blood can determine
the sex, age and race of a suspect and wet blood can also be tested for alcohol and drug content. By
analyzing the antibody profile in blood, we can distinguish between identical twins.
Blood spatter analysis provides vital clues to the police. The height and angle from which the blood fell
can be determined by analyzing how it splatters. The surface also plays a part in how blood splatters. For
instance, blood that hits a smooth, hard surface has very little distortion around the edge. Blood which land
on linoleum flooring distorts somewhat more, while blood that strikes wood or concrete distorts to a much
larger extent. The force and direction of a blow can also be ascertained by examining blood smeared on
walls or floors.
Forensic chemistry and toxicology analyses unknown chemicals and toxins and attempts to trace them to
known substances or identify specific origins. These practices help to identify the cause of death by
analyzing residues or powders to determine that a gun was fired or explosives were ignited.
Forensic artists put together a composite sketch to help identify a victim or to track down a suspect. This is
a complicated profession, as a forensic artist isn’t simply an artist. He or she also needs to know about
anthropology if reconstructing a face from skeletal remains. If the sketch includes teeth, they also need to
know about odontology and if they want to show the effects of ageing, they will need to know about
psychology. This science can produce remarkable results. A classic case was that of John Emil List who
was caught as a direct result of using a composite photo almost 20 years after killing his family.
Questions 56 - 61. Complete the table below using information from the reading passage.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Forensic Science
Related Science
Analysis
Criminal Implications
Anthropology
56.___________
and___________
Skeletal remains
Determine the victim’s
age, sex, race, height,
stature.
Document Examiners
n/a
Printed matter
Determine origin and time
of printed matter.
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Entomology
n/a
Insects
Confirm time since death
& prove the mistreatment
of 57. ___________ and
___________
Fingerprinting
n/a
Fingerprints
Verify the identity with a
known sample.
Odontology
n/a
58. ___________
Verify identity or age,
sex, race.
Serology
Immunology, biochemistry,
haematology& molecular
biology
Blood and bodily
fluids
Determine source of
blood & if it contains
59.___________
Chemistry/
Toxicology
n/a
Chemicals and toxins
Determine types of
chemicals and
60.___________by
examining substances left
at crime scene
Artists
61. ___________,
___________&___________
Facial characteristics
A useful tool to help
apprehend suspects.
Questions 62-67.Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the
passage for each answer.
62. Which detective series reveals how advanced today’s police are?
63. Which president did not make it through a plot to assassinate him?
64. The study of which bone can identify an expectant mother?
65. Why is the study of insects in forensics considered accurate?
66. Which two forensic sciences can differentiate between identical twins?
67. Which two forensic sciences are needed to make a composite of a suspect who committed a crime
many years ago?
Question 68
Choose the appropriate diagram A-C.Which diagram shows the splatter pattern of blood that has fallen on
glass?
Part 3: Read the following passage and answer questions 69-86
Successful travel writing
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A. One of the biggest temptations for someone new to the travel game is to look at everything through
rose-tinted glasses, and this typically comes out in their writing. They paint everything to be magical
and perfect, and their stories are laid out in romantic, flowery language. But the reality is that over time
the road will lose its lustre, and any reader who knows that is going to see right through your prose.
Not to mention that the harsh realities of a place are often just as interesting as the poetry used to
describe it probably even more intersting . Look over what you’ve written, and if it seems as if
you’ve just written a brochure, you might want to have another look. It might be your limited
perspective that is causing the issue perhaps you are still caught up in the magic of the road. Or
perhaps you are too caught up in selling the romance of travel.
B. Although getting off the beaten track is always a good idea when travelling, travel writers nontheless
feel they need to capture the biggest sites that everyone comes to a specific country to see. So, even if
they are the more adventurous type, they end up going to the same places that everyone else goes to. It
may depend on what audience you’re writing for, but the best advice is always to head in the opposite
direction to everyone else and just see what happens.In another country, the seemingly mundane often
creates the most interesting, humorous and exciting moments. If you are stuck to the biggest attractions
by assignment, always look for another angle and point out things that others miss. Rolf Potts’ story
about trying (and failing) to crash the set of The Beach when it was being filmed in Thailand (featured
in his book Maco Polo Didn’t Go There) was far better than many other travel stories I’ve ever read.
C. An extremely valuable habit for a writer to form, especially in this genre, is the habit of taking notes.
Travel is exciting, and while you are caught up in the moment, it is easy to think to yourself that there
is no way it will slip from the forefront of your mind. But as the day winds down, you will find
yourself sitting in front of your laptop screen, trying your hardest to grasp the best details out of what
happened. Carry a small notebook on you at all times. And don’t only take it out when you think you
are going to do something worthy of a story, because you never know when good fodder for a story
will jump out of nowhere.
D. Writers always want to seem like an authority on their subject, but when you are a travel writer, always
experiencing new places and new things, you will never be the complete authority on anything. Don’t
be afraid to reveal your awkward moments, your embarassments and your mishaps. These are the
things that other readers who have travelled can relate to and it makes you seem more human.
E. Finally, if you want to produce good content on the road, you should be willing to take risks if your
idea of world travel is siting in world-class resorts with a bottle of sunblock in one hand and a cold ice
tea in the other, you will be waiting a long time for anything interesting to happen. Hop on the backs of
motorbike taxis where death on the road seems a certainty. Eat eyeballs, babecued rats, giant fried
beetles and anything else they throw on your plate. Sample that home-made whisky from the dusty
bottle some farmer hands you while touring through the middle of nowhere. Go hang-gliding in the
Swiss Alps. In short, get out there and live the road. Bad things will happen here and there, but the
same would be true if you never left your home. And all the other adventures you have in between,
well, those are the dreams that good travel writing ( and life) are made of.
Questions 69-73: Choose the most suitable headings for sections A-E from the list of headings below.
i. Always keep a record of your experiences
ii. Be adventurous
iii. Need a vacation
iv. Don’t pretend you know all the answers
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v. Consult expert advice for ideal destinations
vi. Go somewhere different
vii. Don’t create too glamorous a picture
69. Section A
70. Section B
71. Section C
72. Section D
73. Section E
For question 74-83, choose from the sections (A-E). The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section are following mentioned?
74. The desirability of conveying a more personal message
75. The danger of writing in too transparent a fashion
76. The downside of subjecting yourself to an uneventful travel experience
77. The idea of being restricted by work commitments
78. The need to adopt a more reckless approach
79. The advantages of being prepared for an idea to pop up
80. The dangers of writers getting carried away by their own enthusiasm
81. The technique of trying to see things from a different perspective
82. The need to earmark something significant
83. The realization that writers are not infallible
Questions 84 87: Answer the following questions. Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS.
84. Which phrase means “become less appealing”? (section A).
85. Which word does the writer use to describe something which is apparently not very interesting or
dynamic? (section B)
86. Which is used metaphorcically to refer to source material or ideas? (section C)
87. Which phrase does the writer use to refer to a remote place? (section E)
Part 4: Read the following passage and answer questions 88-95
Vitamins
To supplement or not?
Mineral, vitamin, and antioxidant health supplements make up a multi-billion-dollar industry in the United
States alone, but do they really work? Evidence suggests supplementation is clearly indicated in special
circumstances, but can actually be harmful in others. For the general population, however, supplements
have negligible or no impact on the prevention of common cancers, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive
decline, mortality, or any other major indicators of health. In pursuit of a longer, happier and healthier life,
there are certainly better investments for most people than a tube of vitamin supplements.
Particular sub-groups of the population can gain a proven benefit from supplementation. Folic acid has
long been indicated as a prenatal supplement due to its assistance in foetal cell division and corresponding
ability to prevent neural tube birth defects. Since Canada and the United States decided to require white
flour to be fortified with folic acid, spinal birth defects have plummeted by 75%, and rates of
neuroblastoma (a ravaging form of infant cancer) are now 50% lower. In countries without such
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fortification, or for women on low-carbohydrate diets, a prenatal multivitamin could make the crucial
difference. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that the elderly
may also benefit from extra vitamin D; calcium can help prevent bone fractures; and zinc and antioxidants
can maintain vision while deflecting macular degeneration in people who could otherwise be likely to
develop this affliction.
There is mounting evidence, however, for many people to steer clear of multivitamins. The National
Institutes of Health has noted a “disturbing evidence of risk” in tobacco users: beta-carotene, a common
ingredient in multivitamins, was found over a six-year study to significantly contribute to higher lung
cancer and mortality rates in smokers. Meanwhile, excessive vitamin A (a supplement often taken to boost
the immune system) has been proven to increase women’s risk of a hip fracture, and vitamin E, thought to
improve cardiovascular health, was contraindicated in a study that demonstrated higher rates of congestive
heart failure among such vitamin users. Antioxidant supplementation has no purpose nor does it achieve
anything, according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and the
Medical Letter Group has gone further in suggesting they may interfere with treatment and promote some
cancers. Antioxidants are generally regarded as counteracting the destructive effect of free radicals in the
body, but according to the Medical Letter’s theory, free radicals may also serve the purpose of sending a
powerful signal to the body’s immune system to fix the damage. By taking supplements, we risk
undermining that message and upsetting the balance of antioxidants and free radicals in the body. The
supplements counteract the free radicals, the immune system is not placed on alert, and the disease could
sneak through the gates.
One problem with supplementation by tablet is the poor record on digestibility. These tablets are often
stocked with metal-based minerals that are essentially miniature rocks, and our bodies are unable to digest
them. Even the vitamin elements of these pills that are theoretically digestible are often unable to be
effectively extracted by our bodies when they arrive in such a condensed form. In Salt Lake City, for
example, over 150 gallons of vitamin and mineral pills are retrieved from the sewer filters each month.
According to the physician’s desk reference, only about 10% - 20% of multivitamins are absorbed by the
body. The National Advisory Board is even more damning, suggesting that every 100mg of tablet
corresponds to about 8.3mg of blood concentration, although noting that this can still potentially perform a
helpful role in some cases. In effect, for every $100 you spend on vitamin supplements, over $90 of that is
quite literally flushed down the toilet.
A final argument against multivitamins is the notion that they can lead people- consciously or not to the
conclusion that supplementation fills in the gaps of an unhealthy diet and mops up afterwards, leaving their
bodies none the wiser that instead of preparing a breakfast of fresh fruit and muesli, they popped a tiny
capsule with coffee and a chocolate bar. In a seven-year study, however, the Heart Protection study did not
find any positive outcome whatsoever from multivitamins and concluded that while vitamins in the diet are
important, multivitamin tablets are safe but completely useless. There is evidently no shortcut around the
task of buying, preparing, and consuming fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Boosting, supplementing,
and fortifying products alter people’s very perception of what healthy food is; instead of heading for the
fresh produce aisle in the supermarket, they are likely to seek out sugary, processed foods with a handful of
extra B vitamins as a healthy choice. We cannot supplement our way out of a bad diet.
Questions 88 90. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
88. The writer does not recommend multivitamin supplementation for_________.
A. pregnant women
B. young children.
C. anyone prone to eye problems
D. old people
89. According to the writer, vitamin E has been shown to _________.
A. lead to heart problems
B. be good for heart health
C. support the immune system
D. have no effect
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90. The medical Letter Group believes antioxidant supplementation _________.
A. is ineffective in attacking free radicals.
B. alerts the immune system to the presence of free radicals
C. attacks both free radicals and the immune system
D. prevents the immune system from responding to free radicals.
Questions 91 95. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading
passage?
Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.
91. Some multivitamin tablets have indigestible ingredients.
92. Some individual vitamins are better absorbed than others in a tablet form
93. Our bodies cannot distinguish food-based from supplement-based vitamins.
94. Multivitamins can lead to poorer overall eating habits in a person’s life
95. People typically know that fortified processed foods are not good for them.
IV. WRITING
Part 1: Read the following text and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be
about 80 -100 words long. You MUST NOT copy the original.
Why do Weight-Loss Diets Fail?
The popularity of diet crazes over the last 30 years shows that many of us think we are overweight. It also
suggests that we want to do something about it. Diet books with the latest scientific advice become best
sellers, and yet we continue to gain weight. Who’s responsible? It’s easy to blame scientific experts, but in
my view, the problem is often with us, the dieters. We can’t lose weight because of the way we think about
food.
If we cannot follow a plan everyday, no diet book can help. Many dieters change from one type of diet to
another, so they never allow their bodies to get into a healthy rhythm. Others start out strongly on a
program and lose a few pounds. Then, when their weight stays the same for a few weeks, they become
discouraged and lose their self-control. If the weight doesn’t go away quickly, they give up.
But the number on the scale is not our challenge. Modern life is so fast and stressful that many diets are
ruined by “comfort eating”. When we feel down, we want a slice of cheesecake or a chocolate brownie
with ice cream to make us feel better. We use food as an escape. On the other hand, some of us use food as
a reward. If we’ve done something well, we think we “deserve it”.
We also need to pay attention to the food we eat. We should read food labels carefully and remember that
we are often misled by them. Although a food package may say “low fat”, manufacturers sometimes
replace the fat with carbonhydrates, sugar, and other fattening substances. In addition, they many not take
out much of the fat. Low-fat ice cream can have 70% of the fat or regular ice cream, so a scoop and a half
of low-fat ice cream is more fattening than one scoop of regular.
There are just a few of the reasons why our diets fail, but they all arise from our state of mind and our
ability to pay attention. The next time you reach for the cookie jar, remember: control your mind and you
can control your body! The most important factor in losing weight is in our heads.
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Part 2:
The table below gives information on internet use in six categories by age group.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Activity
Age group
Teens
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
70+
Get news
76%
73%
76%
75%
71%
74%
70%
Online games
81%
54%
37%
29%
25%
25%
32%
Downloads
52%
46%
27%
15%
13%
8%
6%
Product research
0%
79%
80%
83%
79%
74%
70%
Buying a product
43%
68%
69%
68%
67%
65%
41%
Searching for people
5%
31%
23%
23%
24%
29%
27%
Internet Activities By Age Group
Part 3: Write about the following topic:
A number of college and university courses require students to undertake a period of unpaid work at an
institution or organization as part of their programme.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of course requirement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
THE END
| 1/11

Preview text:

Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION SELECTION TEST No.1
HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
FOR NATIONAL ENGLISH COMPETITION
Date: October , 2015
Name: __________________________
Time: 180 minutes
Class: __________________________
(The test paper consists of 11 pages) I. LISTENING
Part 1. Listen to part of a radio interview with a woman who helped save the rhino from extinction
in the wild, complete the notes below. Area visited:
1. _________________________________ Habitat of rhino:
2. _________________________________ Susan was there to:
3. _________________________________ She found a:
4. _________________________________ People she met:
5. _________________________________
People who gave her a lot of help:
6. _________________________________ Condition of rhino today:
7. _________________________________
Part 2: You will hear two anthropologists discussing possible reasons why the Neanderthals
disappeared. For questions 8-13, decide whether the opinions are expressed by only one of the
speakers, or whether the speakers agree. Write Lfor Linda R for Robert or B for both
8. It is unclear whether there was direct rivalry between Neanderthals and our ancestors.
9. The fact that Neanderthals do not seem to have developed technology is significant.
10. Neanderthals were not as advanced as our direct ancestors, the Cro-Magnons
11. It is known that Neanderthals were cannibals.
12. The social practices of Neanderthals might provide the clue as to why they died out.
13. Our ancestors were probably connected in some way to the disappearance of Neanderthals.
Part 3: You will hear part of a radio interview in which David Evans, a chef in a British school, is
talking about his work. Choose the answer (A,B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
14. What was the students’ initial reaction to the food they were served?
A. They didn’t like being the subjects of an experiment.
B. They would rather have eaten traditional British food.
C. They were not sure whether it was good or bad.
D. They felt that it was an adventure for them.
15. According to David, why do some students have difficulty in accepting the “restaurant system”?
A. They are uncomfortable eating meals with adults.
B. They are not used to having meals with others.
C. They don’t like talking about food.
D. It takes too long to be served their food.
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1
16. What main role do the staff play in the school restaurant?
A. They check that students are eating their meals.
B. They learn about the students’ home lives.
C. They deal with students’ complaints about the food.
D. They help students learn about a balanced diet.
17. According to David, where does most of the food served in the restaurant come from?
A. anywhere that can provide fresh ingredients B. the school grounds C. all over the world
D. suppliers close to the school
18. In David’s view, which of his previous jobs prepared him best for his work as a school chef? A. teacher C. waiter B. manager D. cook
19. Why does David think that his approach could be difficult to introduce in other schools?
A. Many students are resistant to change.
B. Not all students see healthy eating as important.
C. Other schools don’t see healthy eating as a priority.
D. Parents would be unwilling to accept it.
Part 4: Listen to a talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and supply the blanks with
missing details for questions 20 – 25. Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS in each spaced provided.
20. The 12 countries involve are looking to __________________________________ by linking them together.
21. If it __________________________________, it will build on and supersede a network of past
trade deals, like the North American Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
22. Trade between nations will be boosted by __________________________________ and other
methods countries often used to protect domestic industries from outside competition.
23. Along with __________________________________, to create a fair playing field for competing
business, all countries involved will have to meet certain __________________________________ like:
24. Environmental protections that ban trading in endangered species and illegal logging or
__________________________________like the right to form a union, the
__________________________________ and banning workplace discrimination.
25. Obama has received pushback from Democrats in Congress. They want guarantees the US will
enforce rules preventing foreign companies from flooding the US market with goods and services.
Moreover, they also criticize that certain __________________________________ in the deal could
keep the cost of medicine around the world higher than it should be. II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR
Part 1.For questions 26-40, choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) to each of the following questions.
26. One of the organization’s aims is to ______ information about the disease so that more people know of is symptoms.
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1 A. disentangle B. deride C. dwindle D. disseminate
27. Have you seen the new boss? She is the ____ image of Marilyn Monroe. A. live B. true C. spitting D. same
28. The interpreter gave only a _______ version of the old man’s long rambling account. A. minimum B. miniature C. marginal D. condensed
29. The scientists broke down as they realized that all their efforts had gone to _______. A. loss B. failure C. waste D. collapse
30. That is the girl whose parents are_______ about the expulsion. A. up in arms B. keeping your hair C. kicking herself D. giving her a taste
31. I’ve yet_______ a person as his father.
A. to have known such generous B. to know as generous C. knowing as generous
D. been knowing such generous
32. Don’t call Pam just now. Something has gone wrong with the computer; she’s ______ because she
can’t get the data she needs. A. in a stew B. out of a rut C. in the swim D. under the sink
33. All the members of the board were _________themselves to please the Chairperson A. falling over B. jumping over C. carrying off D. coming about
34. Not only were the little children _______ with this nasty cold. We had a few adult patients, too. A. afflicted B. imposed C. injured D. aggravated
35. As the fat man sat down, the deck chair _______ under him, with a loud noise of _______canvas. A. fell/splitting B. fell/tearing C. collapsed/splitting D. collapsed/tearing
36. As his final examinations are _______ hand, he is burning the candle at both _______. A. at/ends B. in/ends C. at/ways D. in/ways
37. Unless the country _________the brain drain that is going on, we shall soon be left with only second-rate experts. A. arrests B. captures C. hampers D. hinders
38. Dr Howard wanted to ensure that the teaching faculty was the _________of the crop. A. top B. essence C. cream D. peak
39. He is eager for fame and power and always tries to be in the _________seat. A. front B. driving C. leading D. foremost
40. Environmentalists’ warning about climate change seem to be _________on deaf ears. A. coming B. landing C. going D. falling
Part 2: For questions 41-45, write the correct form of each bracketed word. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Mankind’s intuition of freedom, and our (0. IDENTIFY) identification of freedom with knowledge,
sets us apart from animals. The animal’s grasp of freedom is (41. SIGNIFY) _______________ significant in
comparison, being only the freedom to respond to external stimuli. The nearest creature to us on the
evolutionary tree of life, the chimpanzee, can’t retain an image for a sufficient length of time to be able to
reflect on it. So animal life is largely a matter of conditioned reflexes, performed in an (42. TERMINATE)_______________ interminable
present; in short, animals are little more than machines with consciousness.
While the animal is carried along (43. SUBMIT) _______________on submissively the stream of time, mankind
had certain capacities that (44. POWER) _______________us empower
to resist the current or look into the future.
Our resourceful invention of language was the first step towards this “conquest of time”. Language “fixes”
experiences, and places the experience of the past on an equal (45. FOOT) _______________ footing with that of
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1
the present. Imagination was bound to follow, as a natural progression from “labelling” a past experience
to conjuring up its mental image. III. READING
Part 1:For questions 46-55, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word. THE CULT OF CELEBRITY
Once,children had ambitions to be doctors, explorers, sportsmen, artists or scientists. Now, taking
their lead from TV, they just “want to be famous”. Fame is no longer a reward for gallant service or great,
perhaps even selfless endeavour. It is an end in (46.)_______,and the sooner it can be achieved, the sooner
the lonely bedroom mirror can be replaced by the TV camera and flash gun, the (47.) _______. Celebrity is
the profession (48.) _______the moment, a vainglorious vocation which, (49.)_______ some 18th – century
royal court, seems to exist largely so that the rest of us might watch and be amazed (50.) _______ its
members live out their lives in public, like self-regarding members of some glittering soap opera.
Today,almost (51.) _______ can be famous. Never has fame been more democratic, more
ordinary,more achievable. (52.) _______wonder it’s a modern ambition. It’s easy to see why people crave
celebrity, why generations reared on the instant fame offered by television want to step out of the
limousine (53.)_______the flashlights bouncing around them. Who doesn’t want to be the centre of
attention at some time in their lives?
Modern celebrity,peopled by (54.) _______largely vain and vacuous, fills a need in our lives. It
peoples talks show, sells goods and newspapers and rewards the famous for- well, (55.)_______famous.
Part 2: Read the following passage and answer questions 56-68 The Forensics
The police force has come a long way since the medieval days when suspected criminals were thrown into
rivers to determine whether they were guilty or not; if they floated, they were innocent; if they sank, they
were guilty. These days, high-rating TV programmes such as CSI show exactly how sophisticated the tools
police use have become, as well as showcase the rise of forensic scientists as part of the police force. A
forensic team assists in criminal investigation procedures by drawing on the knowledge of a number of sciences.
One of the most acclaimed forensic experts is Dr Henry Lee, who has been awarded 5 honourary
doctorates and has worked on over 6,000 cases, including war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia, the
assassination of former US president John F. Kennedy and the suicide of former US President Clinton’s
White House attorney. The resources he draws on are wide and varied.
Forensic anthropologists are employed for their skill in recovering and examining skeletal remains. These
experts apply the methods and techniques developed in skeletal biology and osteology to determine the
type of injury sustained, the time of death and the sex, age, height, stature, ancestry and medical history of
the victim. For example, the cranium or mandible is often used to ascertain sex and ancestry, the hands and
finger can be used to establish stature and the sacrum confirms age, pregnancy and childbirth in females.
Unlike forensic anthropologists, forensic document examiners cannot determine the age or gender of a
writer. However, they can determine the source of a letter and when it was written or printed. These
professionals analyse handwriting, typewriting, printing, photocopying, ink and paper, and are most
commonly employed to closely examine wills, ransom notes, extortion notes, cheques and letters. They are
so skillful that they can decipher obliterated or erased writing, burned or charred documents, and even detect alterations.
Entomology, the study of the life cycles of insects, is used in forensic science to determine the amount of
time that has elapsed after someone has died. This is a valid method as insects behave predictably. They
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1
lay eggs on the exposed surface of a body and the amount of infestation follows certain patterns and time
intervals. This method has been applied to child abuse and neglect cases as well as lack of care for wound
existing on the elderly under private or public care.
Fingerprints, like DNA, are used to identify a person. Identical twins do not have identical fingerprints
despite having the same DNA. DNA does not change whereas fingerprints may do so due to scarring, skin
disease or skin growth. Forensic fingerprinting involves making the prints visible, saving them for further
investigation and matching them to existing ones on a huge database of billions of prints from around the world.
Unlike fingerprints, which can easily be washed away, teeth are very resilient and can stay in good shape
even after being submerged in water for long periods. As a result, forensic odontology is used to help
police identify victims. Ante mortem dental records are compared with those of the deceased. If no dental
records exist before death, then these dentists can also narrow down the search by providing authorities
with the victim’s age, ancestry, sex, socio-economic status and in some instances occupation, diet, habits and diseases.
Forensic serologists examine blood and bodily fluids to determine the nature of stain found at a crime
scene, including determining which species the stain belongs to and matching the blood groups,
isoenzymes, and DNA patterns to a known sample. To be accurate, it employs techniques and methods
applied in immunology, biochemistry, serology, haematology and molecular biology. Blood can determine
the sex, age and race of a suspect and wet blood can also be tested for alcohol and drug content. By
analyzing the antibody profile in blood, we can distinguish between identical twins.
Blood spatter analysis provides vital clues to the police. The height and angle from which the blood fell
can be determined by analyzing how it splatters. The surface also plays a part in how blood splatters. For
instance, blood that hits a smooth, hard surface has very little distortion around the edge. Blood which land
on linoleum flooring distorts somewhat more, while blood that strikes wood or concrete distorts to a much
larger extent. The force and direction of a blow can also be ascertained by examining blood smeared on walls or floors.
Forensic chemistry and toxicology analyses unknown chemicals and toxins and attempts to trace them to
known substances or identify specific origins. These practices help to identify the cause of death by
analyzing residues or powders to determine that a gun was fired or explosives were ignited.
Forensic artists put together a composite sketch to help identify a victim or to track down a suspect. This is
a complicated profession, as a forensic artist isn’t simply an artist. He or she also needs to know about
anthropology if reconstructing a face from skeletal remains. If the sketch includes teeth, they also need to
know about odontology and if they want to show the effects of ageing, they will need to know about
psychology. This science can produce remarkable results. A classic case was that of John Emil List who
was caught as a direct result of using a composite photo almost 20 years after killing his family.
Questions 56 - 61. Complete the table below using information from the reading passage.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Forensic Science Related Science Analysis Criminal Implications Anthropology 56.___________ Skeletal remains Determine the victim’s age, sex, race, height, and___________ stature. Document Examiners n/a Printed matter Determine origin and time of printed matter.
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1 Entomology n/a Insects Confirm time since death & prove the mistreatment of 57. ___________ and ___________ Fingerprinting n/a Fingerprints Verify the identity with a known sample. Odontology n/a 58. ___________ Verify identity or age, sex, race. Serology Immunology, biochemistry, Blood and bodily Determine source of haematology& molecular fluids blood & if it contains biology 59.___________ Chemistry/ n/a Chemicals and toxins Determine types of Toxicology chemicals and 60.___________by examining substances left at crime scene Artists 61. ___________, Facial characteristics A useful tool to help ___________&___________ apprehend suspects.
Questions 62-67.Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
62. Which detective series reveals how advanced today’s police are?
63. Which president did not make it through a plot to assassinate him?
64. The study of which bone can identify an expectant mother?
65. Why is the study of insects in forensics considered accurate?
66. Which two forensic sciences can differentiate between identical twins?
67. Which two forensic sciences are needed to make a composite of a suspect who committed a crime many years ago? Question 68
Choose the appropriate diagram A-C.Which diagram shows the splatter pattern of blood that has fallen on glass?
Part 3: Read the following passage and answer questions 69-86 Successful travel writing
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1
A. One of the biggest temptations for someone new to the travel game is to look at everything through
rose-tinted glasses, and this typically comes out in their writing. They paint everything to be magical
and perfect, and their stories are laid out in romantic, flowery language. But the reality is that over time
the road will lose its lustre, and any reader who knows that is going to see right through your prose.
Not to mention that the harsh realities of a place are often just as interesting as the poetry used to
describe it – probably even more intersting . Look over what you’ve written, and if it seems as if
you’ve just written a brochure, you might want to have another look. It might be your limited
perspective that is causing the issue – perhaps you are still caught up in the magic of the road. Or
perhaps you are too caught up in selling the romance of travel.
B. Although getting off the beaten track is always a good idea when travelling, travel writers nontheless
feel they need to capture the biggest sites that everyone comes to a specific country to see. So, even if
they are the more adventurous type, they end up going to the same places that everyone else goes to. It
may depend on what audience you’re writing for, but the best advice is always to head in the opposite
direction to everyone else and just see what happens.In another country, the seemingly mundane often
creates the most interesting, humorous and exciting moments. If you are stuck to the biggest attractions
by assignment, always look for another angle and point out things that others miss. Rolf Potts’ story
about trying (and failing) to crash the set of The Beach when it was being filmed in Thailand (featured
in his book Maco Polo Didn’t Go There) was far better than many other travel stories I’ve ever read.
C. An extremely valuable habit for a writer to form, especially in this genre, is the habit of taking notes.
Travel is exciting, and while you are caught up in the moment, it is easy to think to yourself that there
is no way it will slip from the forefront of your mind. But as the day winds down, you will find
yourself sitting in front of your laptop screen, trying your hardest to grasp the best details out of what
happened. Carry a small notebook on you at all times. And don’t only take it out when you think you
are going to do something worthy of a story, because you never know when good fodder for a story will jump out of nowhere.
D. Writers always want to seem like an authority on their subject, but when you are a travel writer, always
experiencing new places and new things, you will never be the complete authority on anything. Don’t
be afraid to reveal your awkward moments, your embarassments and your mishaps. These are the
things that other readers who have travelled can relate to and it makes you seem more human.
E. Finally, if you want to produce good content on the road, you should be willing to take risks – if your
idea of world travel is siting in world-class resorts with a bottle of sunblock in one hand and a cold ice
tea in the other, you will be waiting a long time for anything interesting to happen. Hop on the backs of
motorbike taxis where death on the road seems a certainty. Eat eyeballs, babecued rats, giant fried
beetles and anything else they throw on your plate. Sample that home-made whisky from the dusty
bottle some farmer hands you while touring through the middle of nowhere. Go hang-gliding in the
Swiss Alps. In short, get out there and live the road. Bad things will happen here and there, but the
same would be true if you never left your home. And all the other adventures you have in between,
well, those are the dreams that good travel writing ( and life) are made of.
Questions 69-73: Choose the most suitable headings for sections A-E from the list of headings below. i.
Always keep a record of your experiences ii. Be adventurous iii. Need a vacation iv.
Don’t pretend you know all the answers
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1 v.
Consult expert advice for ideal destinations vi. Go somewhere different vii.
Don’t create too glamorous a picture 69. Section A 71. Section C 73. Section E 70. Section B 72. Section D
For question 74-83, choose from the sections (A-E). The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section are following mentioned?
74. The desirability of conveying a more personal message
75. The danger of writing in too transparent a fashion
76. The downside of subjecting yourself to an uneventful travel experience
77. The idea of being restricted by work commitments
78. The need to adopt a more reckless approach
79. The advantages of being prepared for an idea to pop up
80. The dangers of writers getting carried away by their own enthusiasm
81. The technique of trying to see things from a different perspective
82. The need to earmark something significant
83. The realization that writers are not infallible
Questions 84 – 87: Answer the following questions. Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS.
84. Which phrase means “become less appealing”? (section A).
85. Which word does the writer use to describe something which is apparently not very interesting or dynamic? (section B)
86. Which is used metaphorcically to refer to source material or ideas? (section C)
87. Which phrase does the writer use to refer to a remote place? (section E)
Part 4: Read the following passage and answer questions 88-95 Vitamins To supplement or not?
Mineral, vitamin, and antioxidant health supplements make up a multi-billion-dollar industry in the United
States alone, but do they really work? Evidence suggests supplementation is clearly indicated in special
circumstances, but can actually be harmful in others. For the general population, however, supplements
have negligible or no impact on the prevention of common cancers, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive
decline, mortality, or any other major indicators of health. In pursuit of a longer, happier and healthier life,
there are certainly better investments for most people than a tube of vitamin supplements.
Particular sub-groups of the population can gain a proven benefit from supplementation. Folic acid has
long been indicated as a prenatal supplement due to its assistance in foetal cell division and corresponding
ability to prevent neural tube birth defects. Since Canada and the United States decided to require white
flour to be fortified with folic acid, spinal birth defects have plummeted by 75%, and rates of
neuroblastoma (a ravaging form of infant cancer) are now 50% lower. In countries without such
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fortification, or for women on low-carbohydrate diets, a prenatal multivitamin could make the crucial
difference. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that the elderly
may also benefit from extra vitamin D; calcium can help prevent bone fractures; and zinc and antioxidants
can maintain vision while deflecting macular degeneration in people who could otherwise be likely to develop this affliction.
There is mounting evidence, however, for many people to steer clear of multivitamins. The National
Institutes of Health has noted a “disturbing evidence of risk” in tobacco users: beta-carotene, a common
ingredient in multivitamins, was found over a six-year study to significantly contribute to higher lung
cancer and mortality rates in smokers. Meanwhile, excessive vitamin A (a supplement often taken to boost
the immune system) has been proven to increase women’s risk of a hip fracture, and vitamin E, thought to
improve cardiovascular health, was contraindicated in a study that demonstrated higher rates of congestive
heart failure among such vitamin users. Antioxidant supplementation has no purpose nor does it achieve
anything, according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and the
Medical Letter Group has gone further in suggesting they may interfere with treatment and promote some
cancers. Antioxidants are generally regarded as counteracting the destructive effect of free radicals in the
body, but according to the Medical Letter’s theory, free radicals may also serve the purpose of sending a
powerful signal to the body’s immune system to fix the damage. By taking supplements, we risk
undermining that message and upsetting the balance of antioxidants and free radicals in the body. The
supplements counteract the free radicals, the immune system is not placed on alert, and the disease could sneak through the gates.
One problem with supplementation by tablet is the poor record on digestibility. These tablets are often
stocked with metal-based minerals that are essentially miniature rocks, and our bodies are unable to digest
them. Even the vitamin elements of these pills that are theoretically digestible are often unable to be
effectively extracted by our bodies when they arrive in such a condensed form. In Salt Lake City, for
example, over 150 gallons of vitamin and mineral pills are retrieved from the sewer filters each month.
According to the physician’s desk reference, only about 10% - 20% of multivitamins are absorbed by the
body. The National Advisory Board is even more damning, suggesting that every 100mg of tablet
corresponds to about 8.3mg of blood concentration, although noting that this can still potentially perform a
helpful role in some cases. In effect, for every $100 you spend on vitamin supplements, over $90 of that is
quite literally flushed down the toilet.
A final argument against multivitamins is the notion that they can lead people- consciously or not – to the
conclusion that supplementation fills in the gaps of an unhealthy diet and mops up afterwards, leaving their
bodies none the wiser that instead of preparing a breakfast of fresh fruit and muesli, they popped a tiny
capsule with coffee and a chocolate bar. In a seven-year study, however, the Heart Protection study did not
find any positive outcome whatsoever from multivitamins and concluded that while vitamins in the diet are
important, multivitamin tablets are safe but completely useless. There is evidently no shortcut around the
task of buying, preparing, and consuming fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Boosting, supplementing,
and fortifying products alter people’s very perception of what healthy food is; instead of heading for the
fresh produce aisle in the supermarket, they are likely to seek out sugary, processed foods with a handful of
extra B vitamins as a healthy choice. We cannot supplement our way out of a bad diet.
Questions 88– 90. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
88. The writer does not recommend multivitamin supplementation for_________. A. pregnant women
C. anyone prone to eye problems B. young children. D. old people
89. According to the writer, vitamin E has been shown to _________. A. lead to heart problems C. support the immune system B. be good for heart health D. have no effect
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90. The medical Letter Group believes antioxidant supplementation _________.
A. is ineffective in attacking free radicals.
B. alerts the immune system to the presence of free radicals
C. attacks both free radicals and the immune system
D. prevents the immune system from responding to free radicals.
Questions 91 – 95. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write: YES
if the statement agrees with the views of the writer NO
if the statement contradicts the views of the writer NOT GIVEN
if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.
91. Some multivitamin tablets have indigestible ingredients.
92. Some individual vitamins are better absorbed than others in a tablet form
93. Our bodies cannot distinguish food-based from supplement-based vitamins.
94. Multivitamins can lead to poorer overall eating habits in a person’s life
95. People typically know that fortified processed foods are not good for them. IV. WRITING
Part 1: Read the following text and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be
about 80 -100 words long. You MUST NOT copy the original.

Why do Weight-Loss Diets Fail?
The popularity of diet crazes over the last 30 years shows that many of us think we are overweight. It also
suggests that we want to do something about it. Diet books with the latest scientific advice become best
sellers, and yet we continue to gain weight. Who’s responsible? It’s easy to blame scientific experts, but in
my view, the problem is often with us, the dieters. We can’t lose weight because of the way we think about food.
If we cannot follow a plan everyday, no diet book can help. Many dieters change from one type of diet to
another, so they never allow their bodies to get into a healthy rhythm. Others start out strongly on a
program and lose a few pounds. Then, when their weight stays the same for a few weeks, they become
discouraged and lose their self-control. If the weight doesn’t go away quickly, they give up.
But the number on the scale is not our challenge. Modern life is so fast and stressful that many diets are
ruined by “comfort eating”. When we feel down, we want a slice of cheesecake or a chocolate brownie
with ice cream to make us feel better. We use food as an escape. On the other hand, some of us use food as
a reward. If we’ve done something well, we think we “deserve it”.
We also need to pay attention to the food we eat. We should read food labels carefully and remember that
we are often misled by them. Although a food package may say “low fat”, manufacturers sometimes
replace the fat with carbonhydrates, sugar, and other fattening substances. In addition, they many not take
out much of the fat. Low-fat ice cream can have 70% of the fat or regular ice cream, so a scoop and a half
of low-fat ice cream is more fattening than one scoop of regular.
There are just a few of the reasons why our diets fail, but they all arise from our state of mind and our
ability to pay attention. The next time you reach for the cookie jar, remember: control your mind and you
can control your body! The most important factor in losing weight is in our heads.
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Selection Test for National English Competition 2015 No. 1 Part 2:
The table below gives information on internet use in six categories by age group.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. Age group Activity Teens 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70+ Get news 76% 73% 76% 75% 71% 74% 70% Online games 81% 54% 37% 29% 25% 25% 32% Downloads 52% 46% 27% 15% 13% 8% 6%
Product research 0% 79% 80% 83% 79% 74% 70%
Buying a product 43% 68% 69% 68% 67% 65% 41%
Searching for people 5% 31% 23% 23% 24% 29% 27%
Internet Activities By Age Group
Part 3: Write about the following topic:
A number of college and university courses require students to undertake a period of unpaid work at an
institution or organization as part of their programme.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of course requirement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. THE END
High School for Gifted Students, HNUE Page 11/11