Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG Quốc gia lớp 12 THPT môn Tiếng Anh tỉnh Khánh Hòa năm học 2021-2022
Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG Quốc gia lớp 12 THPT môn Tiếng Anh tỉnh Khánh Hòa năm học 2021-2022 giúp các bạn tham khảo, học tập và ôn tập kiến thức, bài tập và đạt kết quả cao trong kỳ thi sắp tới. Mời bạn đọc đón xem!
Môn: Đề thi chọn học sinh giỏi Tiếng Anh lớp 12 THPT & đội tuyển dự thi học sinh giỏi Quốc gia THPT
Trường: Đề thi chọn HSG Tiếng Anh từ lớp 9 đến lớp 12 cấp trường, quận/ huyện, tỉnh/ thành phố
Thông tin:
Tác giả:
Thông tin :
Môn:
Đề thi chọn học sinh giỏi Tiếng Anh lớp 12 THPT & đội tuyển dự thi học sinh giỏi Quốc gia THPT
Trường:
Đề thi chọn HSG Tiếng Anh từ lớp 9 đến lớp 12 cấp trường, quận/ huyện, tỉnh/ thành phố
Tác giả:
Tài liệu liên quan:
Preview text:
Điểm bài thi đã quy đổi
Họ, tên và chữ ký giám khảo SỐ PHÁCH Bằng số Bằng chữ
GK1: …………………………………..…….…..…………
GK2: ……………………………..…..…....……………… I. LISTENING (50 points)
HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
• Bài nghe gồm 04 phần, mỗi phần cách nhau 10 giây. Mỗi phần được nghe 02 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 05 giây.
• Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có nhạc hiệu. Thí sinh có 02 phút để hoàn chỉnh bài trước nhạc hiệu kết thúc.
• Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh đã có trong bài nghe.
Part 1. For questions 1-5, listen to a policeman giving a safety talk to new students at the
University of Westley. In the space provided, write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer.
1. Who has organized the safety talk?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What crime is most common amongst students?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Where does PC Fair suggest that students can hide their belongings?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What should you take with you when you visit an insurance broker about your belongings?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What does PC Fair say that you can use to mark your property?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Part 2. For questions 6-10, listen to five short extracts in which people are talking about the music
industry and choose from the list A-H the opinion each speaker expresses. Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
A. Tastes in music change very quickly. 6. Speaker 1
B. Music is an important part of culture. 7. Speaker 2
C. Some people who become well-known don’t deserve their success. 8. Speaker 3
D. There are lots of dishonest people in the music business. 9. Speaker 4
E. Artists need to have a realistic view of the music business. 10. Speaker 5
F. People with real talent will always succeed.
G. Some artists will always be popular.
H. People should only get involved in music because they love it. Your answers: 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 3. For questions 11-15, listen to a discussion in which two marine biologists, Gina Kelso and
Thomas Ludman, talk about an award-winning television film they made about wildlife in
Antarctica. Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
11. Gina’s interest in marine biology dates from ______.
A. her earliest recollections of life in Africa
B. one memorable experience in childhood
C. the years she spent studying in England
D. a postgraduate research project she led
12. The first wildlife TV series they both worked on ______.
A. made use of a previously untried format
B. was not filmed in a natural environment
C. was not intended to be taken too seriously
D. required them to do background research
13. How did Thomas feel when he was asked to produce the programs about Antarctica?
A. disappointed not to be presenting the series
B. surprised that people thought he was suitable
C. uncertain how well he would get on with the team D. worried about having to spend the winter there
14. When they were in Antarctica, they would have appreciated ______.
A. a less demanding work schedule
B. more time to study certain animals
C. a close friend to share their feelings with
D. a chance to share their work with colleagues
15. What was most impressive about the whales they filmed?
A. The unusual sounds the whales made
B. The number of whales feeding in a small bay
C. How long the whales stayed feeding in one area
D. How well the whales co-operated with each other Trang 1 | 12 Your answers: 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 4. For questions 16-25, listen to the speech by an Oscar 2020 winner, Joaquin Phoenix.
Complete each gap in the summary with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS taken from the recording.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
• Despite being an Oscar winner, Joaquin Phoenix does not feel (16) ___________ above any other
nominee, as they all share the same love of movies.
• The greatest thing movies give them is the opportunity to speak (17)__________.
• Though they may champion (18) __________, they’re all concerned about the fight against injustice,
when one nation or one species has the right to dominate and exploit another with (19) __________.
• What many of us, humans, are guilty of is an (20) __________ – the belief that we’re the center of the
universe. We (21) __________ the natural world of its resources. We feel (22) __________ to
artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of pain are (23) __________.
• With love and compassion, humans can create changes that are beneficial to (24) __________ and to the environment.
• The best of humanity is brought out not when we __________ (25) for past mistakes, but when we
help each other to grow and guide each other toward redemption. Your answers: 16. 21. 17. 22. 18. 23. 19. 24. 20. 25.
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (20 points)
Part 1. For questions 26-40, choose the correct word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) to complete each of
the following sentences. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
26. The little boy took an instant liking to his babysitter _____.
A. upon their first meeting
B. before he first met her
C. prior to their first meeting
D. as soon as he would meet her
27. There have been a few cases of Asian flu recently but there _____ no cause for alarm. A. feels to be B. was felt being
C. is felt to be
D. has been felt there is
28. The palace is so heavy and massive that no redecoration can make it look like a little gracious villa. Even if
we _____ it pink, which, of course, is out of the question. A. would paint B. had painted C. were to paint D. paint
29. That woman sees nothing _____ in letting her children run around as they wish. A. awry B. amiss C. afraid D. alike
30. You can buy goods on the Internet with a credit card, but there is a danger of _____ if someone else obtains the number. A. corruption B. fraud C. embezzlement D. disruption
31. There is still a _____ of hope that the rescuers will find survivors. A. spray B. ray C. light D. spot
32. Your rental agreement _____ states that no pets are allowed in the building. A. explicitly B. credibly C. mildly D. decently
33. A lot of people who have had a _____ deal in life will show surprising cheerfulness. A. bad B. rough C. raw D. clean
34. As we belong to different political parties, there is a great _____ between my views and yours. A. chink B. gorge C. gulf D. space
35. Should you fail, the sacrifices made by your family will be meaningless and reside _____.
A. on your conscience B. at your wits’ end C. off your own boat D. under your thumb
36. I don’t expect the entry test this year will be more demanding, but, _____, I don’t think it will be simpler either. A. over and above B. on the side C. by the same token D. for good measure
37. Despite all the interruptions, he _____ with his work. A. stuck at B. held on C. hung out D. pressed on
38. I was sitting in a train looking out of the window, when my mind suddenly _____ back to that amazing trip we made to India. A. put B. flashed C. stirred D. associated Trang 2 | 12
39. While some people seem to have an almost ______ flair for languages, others have to rely on strategies to
maximize their skills and learn a foreign language more effectively. A. habitual B. spiritual C. perceptive D. instinctive
40. Young people are ambitious by nature, so they tend to set their ______ high on whatever they do. A. sights B. views C. visions D. eyes Your answers: 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Part 2. For questions 41-45, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided. (0) has been done as an example.
The (0. EVIDENT) _____ that the Internet has a (41. DELETE) _____ effect on the brain is zero. In
fact, by looking at the way human beings gain knowledge in general, you would probably argue the opposite.
The opportunity to have multiple sources of information or opinion at your fingertips, and to dip into these
rather than trawl (42. LABOR) _____ through a whole book, is highly conducive to the (43. ACQUIRE)
_____ of knowledge. It is being argued by some that the information coming into the brain from the Internet is
the wrong kind of information. It’s too short, it doesn’t have enough depth, so there is a (44. QUALITY)
_____ loss. It’s an interesting point, but the only way you could argue it is to say that people are (45. USE)
_____ the Internet. It’s a bit like saying to someone who’s never seen a car before and has no idea what it is:
“Why don’t you take it for a drive and you’ll find out?” If you seek information on the Internet like that, there’s
a good chance you’ll have a crash. But that’s because your experience has yet to grasp what a car is. Your answers: 0. evidence 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. III. READING (50 points)
Part 1. For questions 46-55, read an extract from an article and fill each numbered blank with ONE
suitable word. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (0) has been done as an example.
WHY COVID-19 WILL END UP HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT
Even though the air has been cleaner as a result of the global lockdowns, a more polluted future has
been brewing while we weren’t looking.
The popular notion that the COVID-19 pandemic has been “good for the environment” – that nature is
recovering while humanity stays at home – appeals (0) _____ many people grasping for some upside to the
global tragedy. Reality, (46) _____, may not cooperate with such hopes.
The benefits many found heartening early on – from cleaner air to birdsong newly audible as cars and
planes went quiet – were always likely to be (47)_____. And with lockdowns easing, they have already begun
to dissipate. Now, some experts fear that the world (48) _____ a future with more traffic, more pollution, and
climate change that worsens faster than ever. It’s too soon to know (49) _____ that gloomy scenario will play
out, but concerning signs seem to be growing all around the world.
In early April, with shutdowns widespread, daily global carbon (50) _____ were down by 17
percent compared to last year. But as of June 11, new data show that they are only about 5 percent lower than
at the same point in 2019, even though normal activity has not yet (51) _____ restarted.
Hints of a dirty recovery in China
As the first country to shut down when the virus hit, and one of the (52) _____ to start reopening,
China’s experience offers a preview of (53) _____ could be in store elsewhere. The dramatic air quality
improvements seen as manufacturing and transportation largely came to a halt in February and March have now vanished.
As factories pushed to make (54) _____ for lost time, pollution returned in early May to pre-
coronavirus levels, and in some places surpassed them for a short time, although it’s fallen back a bit since.
Meanwhile, provincial officials desperate for the economic boost that comes with any construction are giving
the go-ahead to a raft of new coal-fired power plants, says Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Helsinki-based
Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which reported the pollution data from China. That will lock in big
future health and climate problems (55) _____ the new plants go forward, since such infrastructure tends to
be used for many years, experts warn. Your answers: 0. to Trang 3 | 12 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
Part 2. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. ANIMAL CAMOUFLAGE
The theory of natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin almost 150 years ago, hypothesizes that
organisms with traits that give them a survival advantage tend to live longer and produce more offspring. Over
many thousands of years of evolution, those beneficial characteristics dominate the gene pool. Animals that use
camouflage to conceal themselves from their enemies, predator and prey alike, provide a classic example of
natural selection at work. Creatures with some type of protective coloring pass along the genes responsible,
with each generation fine-tuning them along the way, eventually providing the most effective coloring for their
environment and lifestyle. Scientists have described four types of camouflage that animals use: background
matching, disruptive coloration, countershading, and mimicry.
From dirt-colored chipmunks and gophers to leaf-green praying mantises and tree frogs to ocean-gray
mackerel and sharks, all sorts of wildlife use background matching, also known as crypsis, to blend in with their
surroundings. Some animals have the ability to alter their coloring as their environment changes seasonally or
as they change locations. The arctic fox and the snowshoe hare both have white winter fur that matches the
snow and ice around them, but a brown pelt in warmer weather blends in with their woodland environs. Some
reptiles and fish can alter their surface appearance instantly as they move from place to place. The green anole
lizard changes from green to brown as it travels among leaves and branches, whereas the flounder and other
types of flatfish are able to match not just the color but also the silty or mottled sandy texture of the ocean floor beneath them.
Most animals, though, cannot change their appearance so easily. Because background matching works
only for a specific setting and often requires animals to remain motionless for long periods, a somewhat more
effective strategy involves having a camouflage that works on many backgrounds, blending in with all, but not
perfectly matching any of them.
Disruptive coloration uses a pattern such as stripes or spots to disrupt the body’s outline. The pattern
breaks up the contour of the animal’s body, confusing observers and making it difficult to distinguish an
individual shape. Colors with more contrast, like a tiger’s stripes, tend to increase the disruptive effect. This
type of camouflage works well for animals that travel in herds. It helps zebras blend in not so much with their
background as with each other. Their major predator, the lion, sees a mass of moving stripes and has trouble
targeting a specific animal. A single zebra, on the other hand, may use background matching when hiding in tall
grass, where its black and white stripes merge with the green and yellow stalks. The different colors of the
grasses and zebra are no help to a lion, which is color-blind.
Animals with countershading typically have a dark backside and a light belly, which affect an onlooker’s
perception of their three-dimensional appearance and help decrease their visibility in sunlight. Countershading
also can create a more uniformly dark appearance, presenting an apparent lack of depth. Caterpillars make
good use of this effect, which gives them a flat look that blends in with tree bark.
Countershading is useful to birds and marine animals that are typically seen against a light environment
from below and against dark surroundings from above. Predatory birds like hawks take advantage of it to
conceal themselves from the small birds and rodents they hunt. While in flight, a dark back absorbs the sunlight
above them and a light underside reflects the light below, diminishing telltale shadows that might give them
away. On the ground or in a tree, their mottled brown feathers blend in with branches and leaves. Penguins
also use countershading. Their white chests and black backs stand out on land but disappear in water where
penguins spend most of their time. They are almost invisible to an observer looking down into dark water, while
a creature in deeper water looking up sees a splash of white that looks like a beam of sunlight.
Mimicry, or masquerading, works not by hiding a creature but by making it appear to be something
else. Walking stick insects are virtually indistinguishable from twigs, and katydids look so much like green leaves
that leaf-eating insects have been observed trying to chew on them.
A type of mimicry known as aposematism involves masquerading as an animal that is undesirable or
even dangerous. Predators bypass the foul-tasting monarch butterfly, but they also avoid the tasty look-alike
viceroy butterfly. Coral snake impersonators, like the harmless scarlet snake, have the same red, black, and
yellow bands but in a different order: black, yellow, red, yellow on the coral snake and red, black, yellow, black
on the scarlet snake. Different types of moths use aposematism to scare off predators; some species have a big
spot on each wing to mimic the eyes of a large animal, while the hawk moth caterpillar has a pattern on its rear that looks like a snake head.
Some predators use what is known as aggressive mimicry to disguise themselves as something
harmless so they can catch prey off guard. Small animals are not afraid of turkey vultures, which are
scavengers, not predators. So when the similar zone-tailed hawk flies with a group of turkey vultures, it has an Trang 4 | 12
easy time locating and zeroing in on its living prey.
No single type of camouflage works best in all situations, and many animals use more than one
technique to enhance their ability to avoid detection by predator and prey alike.
Questions 56-64. Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the
passage for each answer. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Camouflage helps animals hide from both (56) _____. Animals pass on their (57) _____ through their
genes. There are four different types of camouflage. In background matching, an animal’s appearance helps it
(58) _____ with its environment. The arctic fox and snowshoe hare are examples of animals that (59) _____
with the seasons. However, not all animals can easily change their appearance. Many use a different strategy,
having camouflage that helps them disguise themselves (60) _____. Animals with disruptive coloration have
marking such as (61) _____ that make it difficult for a predator to discern the shape of the body. Therefore,
the predator has a hard time targeting one animal out of a group. Although zebras are black and white, they
can hide in tall grass because their major predator is (62) _____. (63) _____ is a type of camouflage that
helps hide animals that are seen from above or below. Penguins, for example, have (64) _____, which help
them blend in with the dark water from the point of view of an observer standing above. Your answers: 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64.
Questions 65-68. Do the following statements agree with the information in the passage? In the
numbered boxes provided, write TRUE
if the statement agrees with the information FALSE
if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
65. The walking stick insect looks like a small stick.
66. The viceroy butterfly is similar in appearance to the monarch butterfly.
67. The scarlet snake is extremely poisonous.
68. The hawk moth caterpillar is brightly colored. Your answers: 65. 66. 67. 68.
Part 3. For questions 69-75, read a newspaper article about happiness in which seven paragraphs
have been removed. 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 boxes provided.
HAPPY AS YOUR GENES ALLOW
The true key to happiness, says researcher David Lykken, lies in our genes. To many of us, this notion
might seem absurd. Humans seem to be on an emotional roller coaster, the ups and downs of which often
appear to be determined by fate. We feel good when we win an award or make a new friend, bad when we
have to face one of life’s inevitable setbacks. 69. _____
Likken’s interest in happiness was sparked by his earlier research into its possible determinants.
Scientists have tried for years to identify a link between contentment and marital status, socioeconomic
position, professional success and other factors. Yet they invariably come up empty handed. ‘I was intrigued by
the way that things like beauty, wealth and status never seemed to make much difference,’ says Lykken, a
semi-retired professor at the university of Minnesota. 70. _____
As part of the comprehensive research on the siblings, Lykken had asked his subjects a range of
questions about how happy they felt. He decided to revisit those studies to see if he could establish a genetic
connection. The results, says Lykken, were surprising. He found a very high correlation between happiness and
genes as revealed by the similarities in the twins’ responses to questions, irrespective of whether they had been raised together or apart. 71. _____
Nine years on, therefore, he decided to ask the same subjects the same questions. The evidence
Lykken found suggested that their contentment was 90 per cent genetic. Both a twin’s previous responses and
those made almost a decade later enabled the answers of the other twin to be predicted with a high level of
accuracy. Lykken’s first reaction was to label the pursuit of happiness as a futile exercise. 72. _____ Trang 5 | 12
In his own life, Lykken concentrates on completing small tasks that give him a great deal of
satisfaction. ‘I’ve just spent the morning writing, which is something I like and that I’m pretty good at,’ he says.
‘This afternoon, I’ll bake some loaves of bread, because I need that for my morning toast. I just discovered that
the American Psychological Association wants to give me an award, and that makes me feel good, but maybe
not as good as that daily baking.’ 73. _____
The demeanour of those we live with is another vital factor. Teenagers with happy parents tend to be
happy themselves. It’s not until they leave home that they find their own set point. Likewise, a husband or
wife’s inner contentment has a large bearing on that of their spouse. Marrying an upbeat person is probably the best mood enhancer around. 74. _____
In the science fiction work Brave New World, for example, people who took ‘happy pills’ were incapable
of seeing life as it truly was. Fans of Woody Allen, the perpetually depressed actor and film maker, will
remember the scene in the film Annie Hall in which he asks a strolling couple why they are so happy. ‘Because
we are so shallow and mindless,’ they reply. 75. _____
Lykken is sceptical. ‘Even if you can speak their language, they might not have the same psychological
vocabulary for expressing how they feel at any given moment,’ he says. Lykken refuses to believe that there is
any correlation between the state of a society’s technical or intellectual development and personal happiness. In
fact, he argues that good humour is probably favoured by evolution. The gloomiest probably don’t do very well
in the romance stakes,’ he theorises. ‘So, as a human race, we’re probably getting slightly happier over time.’
A. ‘Then I began to ask myself whether those findings may have been influenced by how people were feeling
on a certain day – if they had just cut themselves, for example, or had trouble finding a parking space,’ he says.
В. Lykken also advocates control of anger as another regular way of boosting happiness quotients. ‘People
would rather feel anger than feel scared,’ he says. ‘When we are angry we feel strong, but in the long run,
I believe it’s more harmful to happiness than anything else.’
С. The surest way to do this, Lykken believes, is to lose sight of our purpose in life. He described the case of a
Californian firefighter – the patient of a friend – who recently retired from the service and quickly became
depressed. His mood picked up quickly when he discovered that many widows in the neighbourhood
needed to have things fixed round the house.
D. Some philosophers question whether humans should actually be seeking such happiness inducing
arrangements in the first place. Joy is sometimes associated with ignorance, they argue, causing happy
people to ‘see the world through rose-tinted glasses’.
E. According to Lykken, however, each person possesses a ‘happiness set point’ – the level of contentment to
which we return after the impact of such specific events is absorbed. While humans teeter wildly around
that point during their lives, experiencing moments of extreme elation or depression, in the long run they
gravitate back to their pre-set happiness level.
F. ‘I said at the time that trying to be happier might be the same as trying to be taller,’ he recalls, but he no
longer views his research in that light. While the individual’s sense of well-being might be 90 per cent
predetermined, people still have substantial leeway to control their emotions. Lykken believes humans can
– and should – aim to achieve happiness slightly above their pre-set level.
G. In the late 1990s, the psychologist realised that he might be able to shed some further light on the subject.
‘That was a happy moment,’ he jokes. Over a long period of time, Lykken had been following the progress
of 300 pairs of identical twins. Identical twins help scientists differentiate between the effects of the
environment and heredity. Because twins’ genetic make-up is the same, small differences between them
argue in favour of heredity. Large divergencies point to the environment as the greater determining factor.
H. Some people would rule out even this possibility, insisting that happiness is inconsistent with modern times.
Contemporary lives are so stressful, they say, that joy becomes elusive. Primitive tribes are better off. We
should all feel nostalgic for ‘simpler’ times when we felt content with so much less. Your answers: 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
Part 4. For questions 76-81, read an introduction to a book about historical objects held in
museums and choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the passage.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 100 OBJECTS
In this book we travel back in time and across the globe, to see how we have shaped our world and
been shaped by it over the last two million years. The book tries to tell a history of the world in a way that has Trang 6 | 12
not been attempted before, by deciphering the messages which objects communicate across time – messages
about peoples and places, environments and interactions, about different moments in history and about our
own time as we reflect upon it. These signals from the past – some reliable, sonic conjectural, many still to be
retrieved – are unlike other evidence we are likely to encounter. They speak of whole societies and complex
processes rather than individual events, and tell of the world for which they were made.
The history that emerges from these objects will seem unfamiliar to many. There are few well-known
dates, famous battles or celebrated incidents. Canonical events – the making of the Roman Empire, the Mongol
destruction of Baghdad, the European Renaissance – are not centre stage. They are, however, present,
refracted through individual objects. Thus, in my chapter on the ancient inscribed tablet known as the Rosetta
Stone, for example, I show that it has played a starring role in three fascinating stories: as a legal document in
ancient Egyptian times; as a trophy during the rivalry between the French and the British; and finally as a key
to the decipherment of the ancient Egyptian writing system at the end of the 19th century.
If you want to tell the history of the whole world, a history that does not unduly privilege one part of
humanity, you cannot do it through texts alone, because only some of the world has ever had written records,
while most of the world, for most of the time, has not. The clearest example of this asymmetry between literate
and non-literate history is perhaps the first encounter between Europeans and Australian aboriginals. From the
European side we have eye-witness accounts and scientific reports. From the Australian side, we have only a
wooden shield dropped by a man in flight after his first experience of gunshot. If we want to reconstruct what
was actually going on that day, the shield must be interrogated and interpreted as deeply and as rigorously as the written reports.
All so much easier said than done. Writing history from the study of texts is a familiar process, and we
have centuries of critical apparatus to assist our assessment of written records. We have learnt how to judge
their frankness, their distortions, their ploys. With objects, we do of course have structures of expertise –
archaeological, scientific, anthropological – which allow us to ask critical questions. But we have to add to that a
considerable leap of imagination, returning the artifact to its former life, engaging with it as generously, as
poetically, as we can in the hope of winning the insights it may deliver.
One of the characteristics of things is that they change – or are changed – long after they have been
created, taking on new meanings that could never have been imagined at the outset. A startlingly large number
of our objects bear on them the marks of later events. Sometimes this is merely the damage that comes with
time, or from clumsy excavation or forceful removal. But frequently, later interventions were designed
deliberately to change meaning or to reflect the pride or pleasures of new ownership. The object becomes a
document not just of the world for which it was made, but of the later periods which altered it.
History looks different depending on who you are and where you are looking from. So although all
these objects in the book are now in museums, it deliberately includes many different voices and perspectives.
It draws on the museums’ own experts, but it also presents research and analysis by leading scholars from all
over the world, as well as comments by people who deal professionally with objects similar to those discussed.
This book also includes voices from the communities or countries where the objects were made, as only they
can explain what meanings these things still carry in their homeland. Countries and communities around the
world are increasingly defining themselves through new readings of their history, and that history is frequently
anchored in such things. So a museum is not just a collection of objects: it is an arena where such issues can
be debated and contested on a global scale.
76. What claim does the author make about his book in the first paragraph?
A. It benefits from new evidence that has not been available to previous historians.
B. It looks at history from the point of view of society rather than individuals.
C. It approaches the interpretation of the past from a novel perspective.
D. It re-evaluates the significance of certain events.
77. The Rosetta Stone serves as an example of an object _____.
A. whose meaning has been re-interpreted many times
B. whose significance has changed over time
C. which has been fought over for many reasons
D. which explains key events over various historical periods
78. The author believes that basing a history of the world on texts alone _____.
A. leads to too many interpretations
B. distorts oral versions of history
C. fails to take account of cultural difference
D. results in a biased view of history
79. The author says that compared to the interpretation of texts, the interpretation of objects calls for _____.
A. a greater level of intuition
B. more specialized historical background
C. a more analytical approach
D. greater attention to detail
80. What is the author’s attitude to the fact that objects often change over time?
A. He welcomes this as a further layer of significance.
B. He regrets that so many objects have been accidentally damaged.
C. He believes that this makes it easier to judge the importance of the object.
D. He deplores the fact that people have deliberately altered ancient artifacts. Trang 7 | 12
81. Why does the author include comments from people who live in the area where the object was made?
A. They can throw light on its original function.
B. They have the skills needed to re-create it.
C. They help us see it in its wider cultural context.
D. They feel ideas related to it have been neglected. Your answers: 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. Trang 8 | 12
Part 5. Read an article about arts awards ceremonies and do the task that follows. AND THE WINNER IS …
In various branches of the arts and entertainment, the annual awards ceremony is now a key event.
TV audiences love moments of revelation and few match the one when it all goes quiet, save for the
rustle of an envelope and the words: ‘And the winner is …’ Awards shows work every time because they invite
drama, controversy and stellar performances, even if it’s only a famous person tripping on the stairs or
unwittingly snubbing a rival in an acceptance speech. Meanwhile the shows are selling both a product and TV
itself. But when the organizer’s priority is maximizing the celebrity factor, the result may be deals struck behind
the scenes, possibly at the expense of the recognition of new or genuine talent.
The one awards event that has maintained its reputation as above such manipulation is also the most
prestigious: Hollywood’s Academy Awards or Oscars as they are more commonly known. The voting system
used is complex, with most technical categories being decided by one branch (i.e. the cinematographers’ branch
votes for nominees for best cinematography, etc.) and then the general membership (between 5,000 and
7,000) voting on the final nominations list to determine the bigger categories. The process is overseen by a firm
of accountants and nobody knows they’ve won until the envelope is opened. Genuinely. And it is precisely
because the Oscars remain inviolate that film companies instead concentrate their promotional tactics on rival
events like the Golden Globes which are strategically staged during the Academy’s voting period and in recent
years have played a key role in alerting Academy voters to which films they should try to see. The event’s
ability to predict, even pre-empt, the outcome of the larger prize has increased its own standing.
A jury system, is used to pick the winner of awards like the Booker Prize in literature and
the Mercury Music Prize, the latter having a floating panel of ‘the great and the good’ under a permanent
chairperson. This approach has been adopted by other prestige awards shows with varying degrees of
conviction. The Mercury Prize has built the standing it enjoys today on a reputation for the utmost integrity.
It’s routinely described as the most honorable of music awards shows, the industry’s equivalent in status to
the Oscars – and on first look, the voting methods would seem to bear that view out. The Mercurys work on
the basis that only two types of music exist: good and bad. In this way its judges, who sift through upwards of
400 CDs each year, seek to compare modern classical, jazz, folk, pop, rock, hip hop, soul and all the sub-
divisions of heavy metal. The nominations work like this: an independent panel of judges selects the 12 albums
of the year and then meets again on the night of the show in September, to choose the overall winner of the
prize. ‘The music is the only thing the judges discuss’ – or so the story goes. But while it trades on eclecticism,
the Mercury is, at its heart, tokenist. The classical and folk and jazz albums are included every year, but never seem to win.
Experienced committee chairpersons rarely ask for a vote without first ensuring the outcome. The
chairman of the Turner Prize jury, instituted in 1984 to promote contemporary art, officially has no more
power in terms of awarding the prize than anyone else on the panel, though nobody believes this. The
manipulation with the Turner, according to Tracey Emin who was shortlisted in 1999 for her work entitled My
Bed, is there in the in-crowd nature of art. In Emin’s take on the process, the four judges nominate four
individuals they want to win. Then one judge says: ‘I’m not having person X on the shortlist – over my dead
body.’ The second one replies: ‘In that case, you can’t have so-and-so,’ and so on until you end up with a
watered-down list of artists, that at least none of them objects to – but they may not be the artists any of the
judges originally wanted. And of course, as with any prize awarded by a panel of judges, the organizers are free
to select the judges who’ll give them the kind of winner they want.
Former judge Erica Wagner says the way in which the Booker Prize winner is chosen is ‘part
literature, part horse-trading, part personal chemistry’. The prize was set up in 1969 to encourage an interest in
contemporary quality fiction, and aims to reward the best novel of the year. Judges are selected from critics,
writers and academics and the winner receives £50,000 and a guaranteed worldwide audience. A panel of five
or six experts shortlist around 120 titles – often complaining bitterly about having to read all of them within
tight deadlines. But the Booker is probably the most important marketing tool for literary fiction in English, and
publishers are only allowed to submit two books each, plus any by a previous winner. Fine, you might think. But
some well-known authors are asking for a ‘must submit’ clause in their book contracts which means the
publisher’s choice is further reduced. Less obvious authors can only hope to get on the list via hint and hype.
Answer the questions 82-95. Write your answers (A, B, C, D or E) in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. A. the Booker Prize B. the Golden Globes C. the Mercury Prize D. the Oscars E. the Turner Prize
Which of the five awards above
82. is said to put its judges under a degree of time pressure?
83. is decided following a compromise amongst its judges? Trang 9 | 12
84. is seen as influencing the outcome of a more highly-regarded event?
85. is judged according to a complicated procedure?
86. is becoming less accessible to new talent?
87. is judged by a group of leading authorities in the industry?
88. is favorably compared to an award in another industry?
89. is strongly influenced by one individual amongst the judges?
90. is monitored by a body which is not directly involved in the industry?
91. is affecting the agreements that potential winners have with companies?
92. is able to keep its results completely confidential until the ceremony itself?
93. is able to rely on specialist knowledge when drawing up certain shortlists?
94. is said to benefit from a careful choice of timing?
95. is organized so that final decisions are not made in advance of the event? Your answers: 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. IV. WRITING (60 points)
Part 1. Use your own words to summarize in NOT MORE THAN 160 WORDS the argument that peer
influence is more important than parental influence in a child’s development. Write your answer in the space provided.
Most psychologists have said that children’s behavior is largely influenced by genes and parent’s
upbringing. Freud the psychologist placed parents at the centre of the child’s universe.
Genes are responsible for 50% of our behavior. This conclusion was the result of years of study by
behavioral scientists. People are nervous, friendly, unsociable and so on because of their genes. Therefore the
other half of a person’s character must be due to the home environment shaped by the parents. `That was how
I was raised!’ is a common response.
Yet researchers have not been able to find conclusive evidence of this parental influence. Nervous
parents do not always have nervous children, and confident parents do not necessarily have confident children.
In other words, it is not always true that children turn out according to the way they are raised.
There is a new theory that gives a different view of how a child’s personality is shaped. It is shaped
more by the child’s peers than his parents. Growing children try to distance themselves from the adults in their
home environment. They are more interested in keeping up with other children than copying their parents.
They want to be like others in their age group. They are influenced by their peers where food, clothes,
language and other aspects are concerned. A child who refuses to eat his spinach would often do so if he sees
another child accepting the spinach. Mothers who try to set an example by eating spinach heartily often fail to
persuade their children to eat the hated vegetable.
Sometimes growing children are not accepted by their peers. They become miserable when this
happens. A survey showed that 9% of the adolescents questioned blamed their parents for their unhappiness.
More than 33% blamed their peers. If this observation is true, then parental influence is less important than what it was thought to be.
Children learn a lot about growing up from their peers. What children pick up from other children is as
important if not more important than what they pick up at home. What is the evidence for this?
There are several examples of children being different from expectations. Surveys of children of
immigrants show that the majority of them do not speak with their parents’ accents. Other surveys show that
children of deaf mute parents learn how to speak as well as children whose parents speak to them from the day
they were born. Adopted children develop few traits similar to their adoptive parents and in different directions
from their natural born siblings in spite of being raised in the same way.
Other observations stress on how children behave differently when they are at home from when they
are in school. Negative behavior at home does not mean negative behavior at school. Children who refuse to do
the smallest chores at home could bring home school reports praising them for being helpful in school. The
ones who are timid at home are quite capable of being in control or even aggressive among friends.
Children are not as delicate as many believe them to be. They are not easily damaged by their parents’
mistakes. Furthermore, children can be cruel to one another. The world out there is tough for children. But they
find ways to adapt themselves to it.
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Part 2. The pie chart shows the percentage of women in poverty and the bar chart shows poverty
rates by sex and age. They are from the United States in 2010.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
Women in poverty: family composition of household 26%
Single women with no dependent children
Married women with no dependent children
Married women with dependent children 54%
Single women with dependent children 12% 8%
Poverty rates by sex and age 25% 20% 15% Men 10% Women 5% 0% Under 5 5-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65-74 75-up
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Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.
Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
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