Đề thi thử học sinh giỏi quốc gia THPT năm 2021 môn Tiếng Anh - Mock test 8

KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA THPT NĂM 2021 Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH Thời gian thi:
180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) Ngày thi:
Đề thi có 15 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 telephone conversation about a job vacancy and decide
whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
1. Steve phones the agency to find out about a permanent post at a call centre.
2. Ellen says the problem with some students is that they arrive late for work.
3. Steve would mainly take calls from customers who want information about their credit card accounts.
4. Men account for the majority of the total callers.
5. Ellen says that call centre operatives should be both experienced and intelligent. Your answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. For questions 6-12, listen to a report on a medical breakthrough and supply the
blanks with the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the
recording for each answer in the space provided.
- According to a research paper published in the 6.________________, for only the second time
in recorded medical history, a man’s HIV infection has gone into 7._________________.
- The London patient, who was positive for the virus that causes AIDS, received a stem cell
transplant as treatment for a type of intractable 8._________________.
- The blood stem cells came from a donor with a mutation that makes cells
9._________________ to an HIV infection.
- This was an attempt to replicate the outcomes achieved in the case of the
10._________________ twelve years ago.
- While this type of treatment is clearly not practical to treat all people around the world living
with HIV, it helps researchers find out 11._________________ which may bring about the
ultimate development of a cure for HIV.
- This breakthrough allows HIV patients to stop taking 12._________________ which is quite
burdensome from both economic and health perspective.
Part 3. For questions 13-17, listen to a radio interview in which a choreographer, Alice
Reynolds, discusses a dance programme and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D which
fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
13. How is the programme designed to help youngsters?
A. by getting them to talk about their feelings
B. by encouraging them to loosen up 1
C. by enabling them to convey their thoughts.
D. by giving them a way to entertain themselves
14. When talking about the nature of communication, Alice reveals
that A. teenagers are quick to react to a number of emotions.
B. people who learn to show how they feel can articulate better.
C. shy youngsters find the programme more useful than others.
D. young people have a lot of pent up negative emotions.
15. What aspect of the programme encourages teenagers to face their
troubles? A. the social side of dance
B. the freedom of the movement C. the obligation to interact D. the release of feelings
16. Alice contrasts professional and amateur dancers in order to
A. highlight the usefulness of the programme.
B. emphasise the use of emotions in dance.
C. illustrate the difference between teaching styles.
D. explain the ability to recognise feelings
17. What point does Alice make about the study into a person’s personality?
A. It found that certain types of people dance better than others.
B. Personality has a bearing on people’s willingness to participate.
C. Who people are can be recognised through their movements.
D. It revealed that most people try to hide their true nature. Your answers 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Part 4. For questions 18-25, listen to a talk about 5G technology 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.
- 5G is expected to revolutionise the network and communications industry by largely operating
on the cloud, thereby lessening the need for 18._________________.
- On 5G 19._________________ would be approximately 400 times faster than a blink of the eye.
- With fast and reliable data transmission, 5G would serve as the 20._________________ for
the Internet of Things; take autonomous vehicles as an example.
- An innovative aspect of the 5G architecture will be its reliance on 21. _________________
which allows multiple independent virtual networks to be created. This development helps 5G
provide a far more personalised web experience, and organisers of big events like
22._________________ can take advantage of this to improve visitors’ online experience.
- One of the biggest conundrums facing network operators is the inevitable growth of
infrastructure 23. _________________.
- China has started conducting 24._________________ of 5G telecommunications equipment as
it aims to get a head start in the race to lead the next generation of cellular phone systems. Much
of the West, however, will adopt a more gradual approach with 25._________________ growth strategy. 2
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. Discussions on the issue of expansion of the company have been in _______ since the outbreak of the disease in the area. A. hitch B. limbo C. feud D. core
27. The greedy man wouldn’t hesitate to _______ away his valued assets if he thought it would bring him more money. A. wager B. bet C. gamble D. stake
28. Most people are _______ to believe that girls and boys like certain toys when they are young. A. hardened B. acclimated C. conditioned D. accustomed
29. James kept trying to ______ his duties, but his manager told him if he didn’t start taking
responsibility for his work he would have to leave the company. A. beaver away B. weasel out of C. chicken out of D. clam up
30. The police believe Morgan strangled his girlfriend in a ______ of jealousy. A. burst B. fit C. flash D. spell
31. Normally, when he was late, he gave a pathetic excuse, but not this time, what he said had a ______ of truth about it. A. figment B. glimmer C. ring D. shred
32. Naturally, her parents were thrilled to ______ when they found out she had passed the exam with flying colours. A. shreds B. heaven C. goodness D. bits
33. I know she is a bit miserable at the moment, but she’ll soon ______ up when she finds out that I
have booked us a two-week holiday in Barbados. A. perk B. look C. pump D. joy
34. There is no need to get so ______ about being turned down. There are other advertising agencies out there, you know. A. destitute B. descendant C. despondent D. despicable
35. He likes nothing better than to spend his Sunday mornings ______ in the gardens. A. pottering about B. hanging around C. whiling away D. winding down
36. Kitchell says the city was a _______ of all American culture during the '60s. A. microclimate B. microcopy C. microcosm D. microscope
37. I don't like intellectual novels, serious music or films; my tastes are quite ______ A. flat-topped B. lowbrow C. shamefaced D. slow-witted
38. The floral bouquets we entered into the competition were a _______ of colour, but unfortunately, we did not win first prize. A. wham B. riot C. drop D. buzz
39. Don’t forget to _______ your sources; you don’t want to get accused of stealing information. A. quote B. cite D. name D. refer 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. The Best Medicine
If you feel stressed or unhappy, nothing, say researchers, is as therapeutic as laughing. A good, (40.
HEART) __________ laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to
45 minutes afterwards. Not only that, laughing triggers the release of endorphins – the body’s ‘feel-
good’ chemicals – so it can provide temporary relief from pain. Laughter even increases infection-
fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. But the best thing about this (41. PRICE)
__________ medicine that has so much power to heal and renew is that it’s fun, free, and available in abundance. 3
One of the best ways to increase the amount of time you spend laughing each day is to hang out with
entertaining, (42. MISCHIEF) __________ people. These are people who laugh easily – both at
themselves and at life’s absurdities. Laughter is contagious, so just hearing others laugh primes your
brain and readies you to smile. What’s more, the ‘feel good’ emotion you get when you laugh will
remain with you long after your laughter (43. SIDE) _________.
The ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for (44. COME) __________
problems and improving both physical and emotional health.
So, go on! Bring your body and mind back into (45. EQUAL) __________ - laugh. Your answers 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45.
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.
We’ve all been there and come back with a T-shirt bearing a slogan about it – The Failed Holiday. The
kids are bored 46.______, you can’t find a decent restaurant for love nor 47.______, the cafes are all full
and you are fed up. Tempers 48.______ and you are left wondering why you went away in the first
place – hardly a good way to spend precious holiday time. But there is a way of escaping the stresses of
being away from home. Staying in an all-inclusive hotel 49.______ you don’t have to plan meals,
activities or night life, as everything is catered for, leaving you to 50.______ back, relax and enjoy your
holiday. Most importantly, all-inclusive holidays 51.______ at all-inclusive prices, so you pay for
everything before you go away. And don’t think you’ll be 52.______ to one or two resorts. These days,
holiday companies offer all-inclusive deals in every main resort around the Mediterranean, as well as
more exotic locations such as the Caribbean or the Maldives. If you think this is the sort of holiday you
are after, there are a few things to keep in 53.______. Firstly, remember that you’ll be spending most of
your time in the hotel, so make sure you choose one which has the facilities you require. If you’ re
travelling as a family 54.______, many hotels offer excellent children’s facilities such as kid’s clubs,
playgrounds and crèches. For older children, there are a number of hotels offering supervised activities
for teens while others offer 55.______ sport facilities including team games, water sports and gym facilities. 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. THE SWIFFER
For a fascinating tale about creativity, look at a cleaning product called the Swiffer and how it came
about, urges writer Jonah Lehrer. In the story of the Swiffer, he argues, we have the key elements in
producing breakthrough ideas: frustration, moments of insight and sheer hard work. The story starts
with a multinational company which had invented products for keeping homes spotless, and couldn't
come up with better ways to clean floors, so it hired designers to watch how people cleaned. Frustrated
after hundreds of hours of observation, they one day noticed a woman do with a paper towel what
people do all the time: wipe something up and throw it away. An idea popped into lead designer Harry
West's head: the solution to their problem was a floor mop with a disposable cleaning surface.
Mountains of prototypes and years of teamwork later, they unveiled the Swiffer, which quickly became a commercial success. 4
Lehrer, the author of Imagine, a new book that seeks to explain how creativity works, says this study of
the imagination started from a desire to understand what happens in the brain at the moment of sudden
insight. 'But the book definitely spiralled out of control,' Lehrer says. 'When you talk to creative people,
they'll tell you about the 'eureka' moment, but when you press them they also talk about the hard work
that comes afterwards, so I realised I needed to write about that, too. And then I realised I couldn't just
look at creativity from the perspective of the brain, because it's also about the culture and context, about
the group and the team and the way we collaborate.'
When it comes to the mysterious process by which inspiration comes into your head as if from nowhere,
Lehrer says modern neuroscience has produced a 'first draft' explanation of what is happening in the
brain. He writes of how burnt-out American singer Bob Dylan decided to walk away from his musical
career in 1965 and escape to a cabin in the woods, only to be overcome by a desire to write. Apparently
'Like a Rolling Stone' suddenly flowed from his pen. 'It's like a ghost is writing a song,' Dylan has
reportedly said. 'It gives you the song and it goes away.' But it's no ghost, according to Lehrer.
Instead, the right hemisphere of the brain is assembling connections between past influences and making
something entirely new. Neuroscientists have roughly charted this process by mapping the brains of
people doing word puzzles solved by making sense of remotely connecting information. For instance,
subjects are given three words - such as 'age', 'mile' and 'sand' - and asked to come up with a single word
that can precede or follow each of them to form a compound word. (It happens to be 'stone'.) Using
brain-imaging equipment, researchers discovered that when people get the answer in an apparent flash
of insight, a small fold of tissue called the anterior superior temporal gyrus suddenly lights up just
beforehand. This stays silent when the word puzzle is solved through careful analysis. Lehrer says that
this area of the brain lights up only after we've hit the wall on a problem. Then the brain starts hunting
through the 'filing cabinets of the right hemisphere' to make the connections that produce the right answer.
Studies have demonstrated it's possible to predict a moment of insight up to eight seconds before it
arrives. The predictive signal is a steady rhythm of alpha waves emanating from the brain's right
hemisphere, which are closely associated with relaxing activities. 'When our minds are at ease-when
those alpha waves are rippling through the brain - we're more likely to direct the spotlight of attention
towards that stream of remote associations emanating from the right hemisphere,' Lehrer writes. 'In
contrast, when we are diligently focused, our attention tends to be towards the details of the problems
we are trying to solve.' In other words, then we are less likely to make those vital associations. So,
heading out for a walk or lying down are important phases of the creative process, and smart companies
know this. Some now have a policy of encouraging staff to take time out during the day and spend time
on things that at first glance are unproductive (like playing a PC game), but day-dreaming has been
shown to be positively correlated with problem-solving. However, to be more imaginative, says Lehrer,
it's also crucial to collaborate with people from a wide range of backgrounds because if colleagues are
too socially intimate, creativity is stifled.
Creativity, it seems, thrives on serendipity. American entrepreneur Steve Jobs believed so. Lehrer
describes how at Pixar Animation, Jobs designed the entire workplace to maximise the chance of
strangers bumping into each other, striking up conversations and learning from one another. He also
points to a study of 766 business graduates who had gone on to own their own companies. Those with
the greatest diversity of acquaintances enjoyed far more success. Lehrer says he has taken all this on
board, and despite his inherent shyness, when he's sitting next to strangers on a plane or at a conference,
forces himself to initiate conversations. As for predictions that the rise of the Internet would make the
need for shared working space obsolete, Lehrer says research shows the opposite has occurred; when
people meet face-to-face, the level of creativity increases. This is why the kind of place we live in is so
important to innovation. According to theoretical physicist Geoffrey West, when corporate institutions
get bigger, they often become less receptive to change. Cities, however, allow our ingenuity to grow by
pulling huge numbers of different people together, who then exchange ideas. Working from the comfort
of our homes may be convenient, therefore, but it seems we need the company of others to achieve our finest 'eureka' moments. 5 Questions 56-63
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage? For questions 56- 63, choose:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided. 56
It did not take long for the Swiffer to develop once the idea for it was conceived. 57
When Jonah Lehrer began writing his book, he had not intended to focus on creativity. 58
Lehrer was driven by his own experience of the ‘eureka’ moment. 59
Lehrer refers to the singer Bob Dylan in order to propose particular approaches to regaining lost creativity. 60
Neuroscientists discovered from the word puzzle experiment that one part of the brain only
becomes active when a connection is made suddenly. 61
Scientists know a moment of insight is coming because there is greater activity in the right side of the brain. 62
Some companies require their employees to stop working so they can increase the possibility of finding answers. 63
A team will function more successfully when people are not too familiar with one another. Your answers 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63.
For questions 64-68, complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for
each answer. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
HOW OTHER PEOPLE INFLUENCE OUR CREATIVITY
 Steve Jobs: made changes to the 64.__________ to encourage interaction at Pixar.
 Lehrer: company owners must have a wide range of 65.__________ to do
well. it’s important to start 66.__________ with new people
the 67.__________ has not replaced the need for physical contact.
 Geoffrey West: living in 68.__________ encourages creativity. Your answers 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.
YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS
Dr Patricia Fitzgerald witnesses the results of an amazing new scheme that brought prisoners and animals new hope.
August 9, 2014, was one of the most memorable days of my life. On that day I entered a maximum-
security prison in Lancaster, California, to witness an extraordinary event connecting the lives of some
of its inmates with a pack of rescued shelter dogs. Just a few months ago, five lucky dogs – Shelby,
Oreo, Rendell, Chuey and Eddie – beat the odds and were pulled from a shelter in Los Angeles and
entered this prison for a chance at a better life. 69. 6
The group has saved the lives of over 2,000 dogs since their inception in 2003, placing them in loving
‘forever’ homes. Education and outreach has always been part of their mission statement, so when
officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation approached Karma with this
unique opportunity, it seemed like a perfect match. 70.
For instance, Jack explained that, ‘It’s a pleasure to simply observe dogs and to be observed by them.
Caring for them is an opportunity and a privilege to openly display caring and compassion, and at times
let my inner child out when playing with the dogs; being mindful of the overall goal of training for
adoption. I know that the best of me that I give will be the ensured success of the dog. It feels good to
nurture and care! I have no inhibitions about availing myself to any aspect of caring for the dogs ... If
I’ve learned nothing else in my life, it’s tolerance, patience, and caring for myself and others.’ 71.
After these were reviewed, fourteen inmates were then selected to train five shelter dogs who stayed at
the prison this summer for a 12-week programme. From the very beginning, the programme struck a chord with everyone involved. 72.
During the programme, professional dog trainer Mark Tipton would drive out to the prison several times
a week to instruct the inmates on how to train their assigned dogs for ‘Canine Good Citizen’
certification, a designation that increases the chance that a dog will be successfully adopted. The
culmination of all this hard work was the graduation of the first class of Paws for Life, which I had the
pleasure to attend on August 9th. 73.
Four of the dogs in the programme had already been adopted into loving homes. And the inmates had
gained experience and skills that renewed their own lives as much as their training renewed the dogs’
lives during those 12 weeks. Although the programme was limited to 14 inmates, it was clear there has
been a ripple effect through the prison. ‘The calming effect of the staff, the interaction between the staff
and inmates is amazing. Before it was yes sir, no sir – now it’s more cordial ... it’s two human beings
having a conversation. The hearts are totally open,’ explained the warden of the prison, John Soto. 74.
Every inmate that I spoke with expressed how deeply this programme had touched their hearts, and
shared sincere gratitude for the support of Warden Soto and Captain Wood, often referring to them as
‘awesome’ and ‘amazing’. Although there were certainly bittersweet moments as the inmates prepared
to say goodbye to the dogs they had loved and cared for, they were overjoyed that they could positively
contribute to society and even meet the people whose lives were now going to be enriched by their new canine companion. 7 75.
Witnessing this event had an enormous impact on me, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity. A
couple of weeks have passed and my mind still lingers on the occasion. I am thrilled programmes like
this exist to allow people – and dogs – to have a second chance at life.
A In another essay Christopher tells us that, ‘I know some people in society may think that we as
prisoners don’t have anything good left in ourselves or have redeeming qualities, or should be allowed
any goodness in our lives; however contrary to that thinking I know in my heart this to be the opposite.’
B This remarkable situation came about as a result of Paws for Life, a programme, started by the charity
Karma Rescue, that matches rescued dogs with inmates who train them to boost their odds of adoption.
What’s even more unusual about it is that it’s the first programme in California to take place at a high-
security prison with inmates serving life sentences.
C Captain Crystal Wood also noticed a huge change in the inmates in a relatively short time after the
dogs entered the prison. ‘A lot of times in this setting it’s so depressing and you don’t show emotion...
and when you have a creature that gives you unconditional love and licks you and doesn’t care – you see
men who’ve been in prison for 20 and 30 years break down and cry just for the compassion and the
humanity. It’s just generally made the yard a calmer place.’
D What made this ceremony so powerful was the pervasive sense that it changed all the participants so
profoundly. Everybody involved – the volunteers, the prison warden and staff, the inmates, the dogs,
and everyone in their vicinity – was transformed by it.
E Through the scheme inmates eligible for Paws for Life applied for the limited slots by participating in
interviews and writing essays, often laden with extraordinary reflections on their lives. Some of the
excerpts are remarkable, as is the frankness of the writers.
F Indeed, at the end of the ceremony, the inmates spent quite a bit of time with the families, giving them
pointers. Observing the inmates bond with the families and beam with pride over the dogs was an incredibly moving experience.
G Karma Rescue’s founder Rande Levine was amazed at the impact, ‘Men who had not seen an animal
in decades were openly emotional at the sight of the beautiful creatures before them. Just petting our
dogs brought many to happy tears. It was a moment I will never, ever forget.’
H Families stated how grateful they would be to receive a dog via Paws for Life. Everyone agreed that
adopting an animal that has gone through such excellent training really made their decision to take a dog into their home easier. Your answers 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 8
Part 4. For questions 76-85, read an extract from an article on an invention and choose the answer
A, B, C or D that fits best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
In orbit high above Earth, a multi-billion-dollar formation of communications satellites stands ready to
instantly connect pilots, seamen and navigators of all kinds to every available aid when they find
themselves in an emergency. But what if the communication computers on board these ships and aircraft
started acting up or even broke down? The world could go silent, and leave travellers groping around for
directions. Not to worry. There is a backup plan, using technology that was invented in 1835. It's Morse
code, the language of dots and dashes that has survived the assault of higher technology for a century and a half.
Named after its inventor, Samuel F B Morse, the code is a series of combinations of short and long
tones (dots and dashes) representing letters of the alphabet that can be transmitted manually by a key
operator. A telegrapher combines the dots and dashes to form letters and words. It is a seemingly
tedious procedure, but skilled operators can transmit and receive faster than most secretaries can type.
The fastest Morse transmission ever recorded is an amazing 84 words per minute, sent by an operator named T L McElroy in 1951.
Morse telegraphy may seem like a quaint anachronism, with its brass sounder and key operated by the
world's most basic tool, the human finger. However, it is sometimes vital to worldwide communications.
When the Mexico City earthquake occurred in 1985 and all the power went off, calls for help were
transmitted in Morse by an amateur radio operator. "We see the Morse code as a dying art, but we refuse
to let it die completely," says Major General Leo M Childs, the US Army's Chief Signal Officer.
"Newer is not always better. Even though it is old and slow, Morse is still the most reliable in difficult conditions. "
Every merchant vessel bearing the US flag must carry a radio officer who can both transmit and receive
Morse code. Under US law, the officer must spend eight hours at sea every day monitoring the radio for
Morse distress signals. Should you ever find yourself adrift at sea in a lifeboat launch from a sink
passenger cruise ship, it will be equipped with a single communications device: a Morse transmitter that
automatically signals a distress call, but is also equipped with a keyboard in case you happen to know
Morse code. Perhaps the best-known bit of Morse code is the call for help - SOS. In the code, these
letters form a distinctive pattern (dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot) easily recognised in an emergency.
The enduring use of Morse telegraphy is the legacy of a burst of industrialisation in 19th-Century
America, when the railway and telegraph developed side by side. Most of those railway telegraph lines
were used well into the mid-20th century, well after radio, television and computers became
commonplace. Until 1985, the Milwaukee Road had a Morse telegraph line between Milwaukee and La
Crosse that was routinely used to relay orders to train crews. This Milwaukee operation was shut down
quietly in the late Eighties. In many other countries, however, Morse railway is still used.
The military services continue to be the most serious users of Morse telegraphy. While billion-dollar
satellites and sophisticated ground networks are good in theory, such communication systems can break
down on the battlefield. As a matter of prudence, the Army keeps a functional Morse capability. Morse
code signals require much less power to transmit broadcasting than voice messages. In addition, even an
unclear Morse signal can be interpreted, whereas a distorted voice transmission is virtually useless. The
Army annually trains about 2,800 men and women in Morse code for a variety of signal jobs in infantry,
artillery, intelligence and even Special Forces. A Morse transmission will get through when all else
fails, and especially in military conflicts, "he who communicates first, no matter how primitively, will
come out on top," says Major General Childs.
In that case, retired railway telegraph operators will Probably take over the world. Each evening, the
amateur radio waves come alive with the Morse transmissions of the retired operators known among
themselves as 'old heads'. "I get on the air and use the code every night to chat to other old heads," says
Craig Becker, the retired Milwaukee telegraph operator who received the railway's final telegraph
message in 1985. "There are a lot of telegraphers around. Every night you hear them pecking.
"Experienced Operators say the Morse code is not so much a clatter of sounds as a language, because
operators do not hear dots and dashes. "You can sit back and hear a conversation," says Becker.
When Morse inaugurated the telegraph service in 1844, he wired from Baltimore to Washington the
now-famed message: "What hath God wrought!" Ever since, the death of Morse code has been regularly
predicted. However, although the surface has receded from public view, experts say that they cannot 9
envision an end to its use any time soon. "I can carry a very small Morse key in my pocket and transmit
around the world," says Burke Stinson, a public relations man for American Telephone & Telegraph Co.
"I do not think you will ever see Morse code die. It is going to be difficult to find another method that is as flexible and reliable. "
76. The reason the writer mentions the possibility of satellite–based communication systems failing is
to A. underline the importance of a reliable alternative.
B. suggest that satellite communications are unreliable. C.
emphasise the drawbacks of satellite communications. D.
compare Morse to communication satellites.
77. The process of communicating using Morse code
A. involves more than transmitting tones.
B. is tedious even for experienced users.
C. is not as laborious as people think.
D. is simple enough for anyone who can type.
78. In the third paragraph, the writer implies that the use of Morse code
is A. old-fashioned, but attracts many enthusiasts.
B. only useful to the armed forces and some hobbyists.
C. being revived by amateur radio operators.
D. often the only way to communicate during a crisis.
79. In the fifth paragraph, the writer
A. implies that Morse telegraphy developed faster than the railway.
B. implies that Morse has survived for so long because of the railway.
C. suggests that the railway developed because of Morse telegraphy.
D. explains why Morse telegraphy eventually became redundant. 80. The American military
A. needs simple communication methods
B. has recently neglected its Morse capability.
C. allows its forces some Morse equipment.
D. offers training for recognising distorted Morse.
81. The first message to be transmitted in Morse code
A. symbolised the code’s flexibility.
B. was used for commercial purposes.
C. took a long time to reach its destination.
D. was sent by Samuel Morse himself.
82. What does the writer mean by saying that Morse code “has survived the assault of higher
technology for a century and a half” in the first paragraph?
A. Even though in the last 150 years newer and more sophisticated ways of doing things have been invented, Morse is still used.
B. As modern communication systems have progressed rapidly, it is surprising that Morse telegraphy could survive for 150 years.
C. Thanks to the backup plan, Morse telegraphy has survived for 150 years in the face of technology. D.
Morse code could not have survived for 150 years without the support of modern technology.
83. What does the word “It” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. a series of combinations B. sending a message in Morse code C. representing
letters of the alphabet D. the transmission sent by McElroy 84. The phrase
“quaint anachronism” in paragraph 3 refers to _______. A. unimportant thing
B. monotonous cycle C. old-fashioned tool D. irrelevant invention
85. Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Morse Code – a Revolutionary
Invention B. Dots and Dashes Still Alive
C. The Comeback of a Forgotten Name D.
The Applications of Morse Telegraphy Your answers 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 10
Part 5. The passage below consists of five sections marked A-E. For questions 86-95, read the
passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. Napoleon Bonaparte
What characteristics marked out one of history’s greatest military geniuses?
A Napoleon Bonaparte stirs the emotions. Some find him heroic and regard his opponents as
reactionary and unimaginative. Others think him mad with ambition and responsible for many of the
sins of his era. Between these extremes there are those who find some aspects of the man admirable and
others regrettable. Of course, Bonaparte was anything but pure, anything but modest, anything but
democratic, and anything but a peacemaker. But in the end, who else that sat on a throne in Europe
could claim to be? Should he be assailed for sins that were so sadly common? What is it about Napoleon
Bonaparte that makes him the object of such unique criticism? Is it because he holds a special place in
our imaginations, a place that we hope would be an example of our better selves? Was his genius, good
fortune, and opportunity enough to condemn him - not so much for what he did, but what he failed to
do? In the end is our greatest disappointment in Bonaparte simply that he was merely human?
B Napoleon was a military genius in the strategic and tactical handling of armies and although he
provided no large scale reforms of armies (or, indeed, their equipment and techniques), he excelled at
the refinement of an art that already existed. One of the most important factors of Napoleon's
personality and its effect on his abilities as a military commander was his genius to inspire others. He
believed in the maxim that ‘spirit and drive is to the physical as three is to one’. It was through his
system of awards (an appealing to soldiers’ ‘soul in order to electrify the man’) that Napoleon was so
successful in obtaining unquestionable obedience, loyalty and devotion from his rank and file.
C The name Napoleon Bonaparte is surrounded by so vast an array of myth and legend that it is quite
difficult to separate fact from fiction. It is said that Napoleon displayed outstanding leadership qualities
while still at school. But this is undoubtedly the product of the school of Napoleonic mythology that was
systematically promoted for political reasons in 19th century France, since it hardly squares with the
general picture of the taciturn child with an inferiority complex that has come down to us. Napoleon
was, in truth, a reserved child, resentful of his peers. On the other hand, he excelled at maths – a
qualification that determined his specialisation as an artillery officer. This was a stroke of luck (one of
many that Napoleon benefited from) inasmuch as the artillery was the most prestigious branch of the
army under the old regime. But the biggest stroke of fortune Napoleon had was to be born when he was
– in the age of the French Revolution. The Revolution turned the whole world upside down and
presented an ambitious young man (Napoleon was always ambitious – a consequence of his resentment
at his inferior status) with new and vast opportunities.
D No man previously ever concentrated authority to such a point, nor showed mental abilities at all
comparable to Napoleon’s: an extraordinary power of work; prodigious memory for detail and fine
judgment in their selection; a luminous decision-making capacity and a simple and rapid conception - all
placed at the disposal of a sovereign will. And no head of state gave expression more imperiously than
this Corsican to the popular passions of the French of that day: abhorrence for the emigrant nobility, fear
of the ancient régime, dislike of foreigners, hatred of England, an appetite for conquest evoked by
revolutionary propaganda, and the love of glory.
E Psychological studies of ‘great men and women’ frequently serve as a fig leaf to disguise the
absence of an understanding of broad socio-historical processes. The study of history is replaced by
trivial personal observations. Instead of science, we have gossip. A careful study of the character and
background of Napoleon Bonaparte can furnish us with many useful insights into his behaviour. But we
are left with a small amount of useful information that can help us to attain a deeper understanding of
Bonaparte. Men and women make their own history, but they do not make it freely, in the sense that the
scope and results of their actions are strictly limited by the given socio-economic context that is
prepared independently of their will.
In which section are the followings mentioned? Your answers:
the idea that an individual’s actions cannot be separated from their historical context 86.
the view that the writing of history is sometimes agenda-driven 87. 11
the characteristics that made Napoleon an exceptional leader 88.
the fact that Napoleon was eminently aware of the impact of morale on modern warfare 89.
the fact that Napoleon is as divisive a character as he is famous 90.
the uncertainty as to whether detractors of Napoleon simply lament the fact he had the 91.
vices and virtues of the common man
the view that Napoleon was no great revolutionary of warfare itself 92.
the notion that we are all a product of the time we live in 93.
the fact that Napoleon’s views reflected those of his countrymen 94.
the event that made Napoleon’s ascent possible 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.
It was one of the oddest experiments in the history of dentistry. In the early 1950s a researcher called
Benjamin Kamrin was looking into the causes of tooth decay. To do so, he turned to that scientific
stalwart, the lab rat. Specifically, he cut small patches of skin from pairs of rats and then sutured the
animals together at the site of the wound. After about a week of being joined in this way, the animals’
blood vessels began to merge. The result was two rats whose hearts pumped blood around a shared
circulatory system. This state of affairs is called parabiosis.
Parabiosis works best on animals that are closely related genetically. By getting his rats to share blood,
as well as genes, and then feeding the animals a variety of diets, Kamrin hoped to prove (which he did)
that it was sugar in food, and not some inherent deficiency in individuals, that was responsible for rotting their teeth.
Other people, though, have used the technique to find more striking results. For example, mammalian
bone density usually drops with age. Three years after Kamrin’s work, however, a gerontologist called
Clive McCay showed that linking an old rat to a young one boosted the density of the oldster’s bones. In
1972 another paper reported, even more spectacularly, that elderly rats which shared blood with young
ones lived four to five months longer than similarly old rats which did not.
The rats themselves, unsurprisingly, were not always keen on the procedure. Early papers describe the
dangers of “parabiotic disease”, in which one animal’s immune system rebels against the foreign blood,
and also explain how rats must be socialised carefully before being joined, to stop them biting each other to death.
“The technique itself is kind of gross and crude,” admits Michael Conboy, a biologist and parabiosis
researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Perhaps for that reason, research had more or less
died out by the late 1970s. These days, though, it is back in the news—for a string of recent discoveries
have suggested that previous generations of researchers were on to something. The blood of young
animals, it seems, may indeed be able to ameliorate at least some of the effects of ageing. And the
technique is promising enough to have spawned human clinical trials.
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Part 2. The chart below shows figures for attendances at hospital emergency care departments in
Northern Ireland by age group in December 2016 and December 2017.
Attendances at emergency care departments per 1000-population
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Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic:
People tend to enjoy longer life span. Some people argue that radical life extension is at odds with
the natural and cultural process of life and death. However, other people maintain that longer life
span increases an individual’s ability to contribute wealth to society. Which viewpoint do you
approve of? Should we accept a natural end or should we find a cure to ageing?
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....................................................................................................................................................................... V. SPEAKING (20 POINTS)
Food hygiene has been of great concern to countries worldwide. What is the current situation in
your country? What measures do you suggest?
You have 5 minutes to sketch out what you are going to say. Your talking time should not exceed 5 minutes. 15