Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG quốc gia lớp 12 THPT tỉnh Khánh Hòa năm học 2020-2021 môn thi Tiếng Anh
Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG quốc gia lớp 12 THPT tỉnh Khánh Hòa năm học 2020-2021 môn thi Tiếng Anh giúp các bạn học sinh sắp tham gia các kì thi Tiếng Anh 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 Bằng số Bằng chữ SỐ PHÁCH
GK1: …………………………………………………………
GK2: ………………………………………………………… I. LISTENING (50 points)
HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
Bài nghe gồm 04 phần; mỗi phần được nghe 02 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 10 giây; mở đầu và kết thúc mỗi phần nghe có tín hiệu.
Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có nhạc hiệu. Thí sinh có 02 phút để hoàn ch̉inh bài trước nhạc hiệu kết thúc bài nghe.
Mọi hướng dẫn cho thi ́ sinh đã có trong bài nghe.
Part 1. For questions 1-5, listen to a young man phoning a town’s Youth Council and answer the
questions. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER taken from the recording for each answer.
1. What is the young man’s full name?
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the postcode of his parents’ address?
________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What are his current jobs?
________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Which subjects is he studying?
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Who is he interested in working with at the Youth Council?
________________________________________________________________________________________
Part 2. Listen to five short extracts in which different people are talking about the means of escape
they use to cope with the demands of their working lives and do the tasks that follow. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
For questions 6-8, match the extracts with what each speaker finds demanding about their work, listed A-F.
A. emotional involvement 6. Speaker 1: ______
B. an excess of information 7. Speaker 2: ______
C. clashes of personality 8. Speaker 3: ______ D. everyday problems
E. arguments about procedures
F. being in the public eye
For questions 9-10, match the extracts with what attracts the speakers to their different means of escape, listed A-E. 9. Speaker 4: ______
A. the chance to overindulge yourself 10. Speaker 5: ______
B. the change of activities
C. the fulfilment of a childhood ambition
D. the spirit of co-operation
E. the warmth of the relationships Your answers 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 3. For questions 11-15, listen to part of an interview with two young entrepreneurs, Chloe
Price and Martin Moore, 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. T r a n g 1 | 12
11. Chloe attributes her success as an entrepreneur to her ______.
A. exposure to unconventional business concepts
B. willingness to take risks
C. ability to benefit from experience
D. natural flair for money management
12. Chloe thinks the greatest benefit new technology has brought her is in ______.
A. being able to promote her products through friends
B. encouraging interaction with consumers
C. reducing her ongoing business expenditure
D. enabling her to manage her time more effectively
13. What does Martin say about finding work in the food industry?
A. It was a long-held ambition.
C. It happened by chance.
B. It was something he soon regretted.
D. It followed naturally from his studies.
14. Martin’s advice to prospective entrepreneurs is to ______.
A. spend time attending motivational talks
C. conduct regular email surveys
B. research opportunities thoroughly online
D. establish contacts with those in the same field
15. Both Chloe and Martin have been surprised by the importance in their work of ______.
A. collaborative decision-making
C. securing sound financial backing
B. paying attention to detail
D. a total commitment to the enterprise Your answers 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 4. For questions 16-25, listen to part of a news report on the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics and
complete the following sentences. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording
in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
On 10 December 2018, a Canadian, Professor Donna Strickland at the University of Waterloo, was honoured
as only the (16) ______ to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.
At the age of five, Ms Strickland was (17) ______ to go into physics when being taken to the Science Center
and introduced to lasers as the way of the future by her father.
When looking for universities and where to go, Ms Strickland chose McMaster University for its program in
engineering physics and lasers in (18) ______.
In a three-page-long paper from 1985, Professor Strickland mentioned (19) ______ which is used nowadays
in (20) ______ as a kind of technology allowing a short laser pulse to be (21) ______.
Ms Strickland together with Professor Gérard Mourou, described as a (22) ______, was awarded for their
work from the 80s, when she was a (23) ______ at the University of Rochester, New York.
Beyond the Nobel Prize of (24) ______ split between three scientists, they all have the title of Nobel Physics
Prize (25) ______, a bigger honour than any others. Your answers 16. 21. 17. 22. 18. 23. 19. 24. 20. 25.
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. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
26. ______ that al mountain roads were closed.
A. So dangerous weather conditions became,
C. Weather conditions become so dangerous
B. So dangerous did weather conditions become,
D. So did weather conditions become dangerous
27. Anyway I think I’ve got the balance right now and I have no regrets of al about my career change – despite the
______ disparity between what I earn now and the salaries of my ex-col eagues. A. growing B. rising C. increasing D. extending
28. Emma and her brother wanted to ______ a surprise on their parents for their 30th wedding anniversary, so they
decided to ______ a party for them. A. spring/throw B. have/establish C. get/give D. take/set up
29. I’m amazed the office ever gets anything done. Our manager could talk the ______ leg off a donkey. A. back B. front C. fore D. hind T r a n g 2 | 12
30. In any debate, the first to speak should ______ the gauntlet, and thus set the tone to fol ow. A. take up B. run on C. throw down D. start up
31. In the next few years, thousands of speed cameras ______ on major roads. A. are appear B. wil be appearing
C. are to appear D. are appearing
32. The women’s competition was a two ______ race between last year’s winners Surrey and the previous champions Essex. A. drag B. boat C. road D. horse
33. We should use ______ time we have available to discuss John’s proposal.
A. the little of B. the little C. the few D. little
34. Mary has always had itchy ______ and last summer she had the amazing opportunity to travel to the ______ territory of the Gobi desert.
A. hands/unplanned B. nose/uncharted
C. fingers/unprepared D. feet/unexplored
35. Nobody, even the best doctors, expected Frank's ______ to be so quick and successful after so severe an accident. A. renewal B. resumption C. recuperation D. remuneration
36. One of the TV cameramen was hit in the leg when they were caught in a(n) ______ of bul ets outside the gang’s hideout. A. ice B. hail C. cloud D. storm
37. Police cars were constantly shedding past with their lights flashing and sirens ______ out so loudly I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. A. blaring B. blazing C. pouring D. roaring
38. The schoolboy's excuse wasn't ______ at al . Nobody in the classroom believed in the far-fetched story he told. A. credential B. credible C. creditable D. credulous
39. The stage sets were obviously ______ influenced by the work of the surrealist artist, Salvador Dali. A. thoroughly B. highly C. heavily D. spectacularly 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 corresponding
numbered boxes provided. (0) has been done as an example. SMILE POWER
The expression on your face can actually dramatically alter your feelings and perceptions, and it has been proved
that (0. DELIBERATE) ______ smiling or frowning can create corresponding emotional responses. The idea was
first put forward by a French physiologist, Israel Waynbaum, in 1906. He believed that different facial expressions
affected the flow of blood to the brain, and that this could create positive or negative feelings. A happy smile or
(40. RESPRESS) ______ laughter increased the blood flow and contributed to joyful feelings. But sad, angry
expressions decreased the flow of oxygen-carrying blood, and created a vicious circle of gloom and depression by
effectively starving the brain of essential fuel.
Psychologist Robert Zajonc (41. DISCOVER) ______ this early research, and suggests that the temperature of
the brain could affect the production and synthesis of neurotransmitters – which definitely influence our moods and
energy levels. He argues that an impaired blood flow could not only deprive the brain of oxygen, but create further
chemical (42. BALANCE) ______ by inhibiting these vital (43. HORMONE) ______ messages. Zajonc goes on to
propose that our brains remember that smiling is associated with being happy, and that by deliberately smiling
through your tears you can persuade your brain to release (44. LIFT) ______ neurotransmitters – replacing a
depressed condition with a happier one. People suffering from (45. PSYCHOSIS) ______ illness, depression and
anxiety states could benefit from simply exercising their zygomatic muscles – which pull the corners of the mouth
up and back to form a smile – several times an hour.
Your answers: 0. deliberately 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. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (0) has been done as an example. FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH
Police are hunting for a hit-and-run driver who knocked a teenage cyclist off her bike in East Street. Sarah Tucker,
17, had a lucky (0) ______ on Friday, 13th May, when she was sent reeling by a black Volvo on her way home from work. T r a n g 3 | 12
She bruised her thigh and shoulder and her bicycle was (46) ______. The driver stopped for a moment but then
drove off without learning a name or address and before Sarah could get his number. “I tried to (47) ______ out
of his way, but I couldn’t,” she said. “Everyone at work kept (48) ______ on about it being Friday 13th. I’m not a
bit (49) ______ and wouldn’t change any of my plans just because Friday 13th is supposed to be unlucky, I don’t
usually take any (50) ______ of that sort of thing but I will now. I think I’ll stay in bed.”
The accident took place at the (51) ______ with Westwood Road at about 6.30 p.m. as Sarah was making her way home to the Harley Estate.
The Volvo pulled out of Westwood Road onto Henley Road in front of the teenager’s bicycle. “He could at (52)
______ have helped her up. I don’t see why he should get away with it,” said her father, Derek. “Sarah was lucky.
I don’t know why the driver didn’t see her. He can’t have been paying attention. It is (53) ______ that nobody took
down the number.” Though still too (54) ______ up to ride a bike, Sarah was able to go back to (55) ______ in Marlow on Monday.
Your answers: (0) escape 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
Part 2. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. THE SPICE OF LIFE!
A When thinking of the most popular restaurant dish in the UK, the answer ‘chicken tikka masala’ does not spring
readily to mind. But it is indeed the answer, often now referred to as a true ‘British national dish’. It may even have
been invented by Indian immigrants in Scotland, who roasted chicken chunks (tikka), mixed them with spices and
yoghurt, and served this in a bowl of masala sauce. The exact ingredients of the sauce vary from restaurant to
restaurant, but the dish usual y includes pureed tomatoes and cream, coloured orange by turmeric and paprika.
British cuisine? Yes, spices have come a long way.
B Spices are dried seeds, fruit, roots, bark, or vegetative parts of plants, added to food in smal amounts to enhance
flavour or colour. Herbs, in contrast, are only from the leaves, and only used for flavouring. Looking at the sources
of some common spices, mustard and black pepper are from seeds, cinnamon from bark, cloves from dried flower
buds, ginger and turmeric from roots, while mace and saffron are from seed covers and stigma tips, respectively. In
the face of such variety, it is becoming increasingly common for spices to be offered in pre-made combinations. Chili
powder is a blend of chili peppers with other spices, often cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Mixed spice,
which is often used in baking, is a British blend of sweet spices, with cinnamon being the dominant flavour. The
ever-popular masala, as noted, could be anything, depending on the chef.
C Although human communities were using spices tens of thousands of years ago, the trade of this commodity only
began about 2000 BC, around the Middle East. Early uses were less connected with cooking, and more with such
diverse functions as embalming, medicine, religion, and food preservation. Eventual y, extensive overland trade
routes, such as the Silk Road, were established, yet it was maritime advances into India and East Asia which led to
the most dramatic growth in commercial activities. From then on, spices were the driving force of the world
economy, commanding such high prices that it pitted nation against nation, and became the major impetus to
exploration and conquest. It would be hard to underestimate the role spices have played in human history.
D Original y, Muslim traders dominated these routes, seeing spice-laden ships from the Orient crossing the Indian
Ocean to Red Sea and Persian Gulf ports, from where camel caravans transported the goods overland. However,
although slow to develop, European nations, using aggressive exploration and colonisation strategies, eventual y
came to rule the Far East and, consequently, control of the spice trade. At first, Portugal was the dominant power,
but the British and Dutch eventual y gained the upper hand, so that by the 19th century, the British control ed India,
while the Dutch had the greater portion of the East Indies (Indonesia). Cloves, nutmeg, and pepper were some of
the most valuable spices of the time.
E But why were spices always in such demand? There are many answers. In the early days, they were thought to have
strong medicinal properties by balancing ‘humours’, or excesses of emotions in the blood. Other times they were
thought to prevent maladies such as the plague, which often saw prices of recommended spices soar. But most
obviously, spices flavoured the bland meat-based European cuisines. Pepper, historical y, has always been in highest
demand for this reason, and even today, peppercorns (dried black pepper kernels) remain, by monetary value, the
most widely traded spice in the world. However, saffron, by being produced within the smal saffron flower, has
always been among the world’s most costly spice by weight, valued mostly for its vivid colour.
F Predictably, the majority of the world’s spices are produced in India, although specific spices are often produced in
greater amounts in other countries. Vietnam is the largest producer and exporter of pepper, meeting nearly one
third of the world’s demand. Indonesia holds a clear lead in nutmeg production, Iran in saffron, and Sri Lanka in
cinnamon. However, exportation of such spices is not always simple. Most are dried as a whole product, or dried and
ground into powder, both forms al owing bulk purchase, easier storage and shipping, and a longer shelf life. For
example, the rhizomes (underground stems) of turmeric are boiled for several hours, then dried in ovens, after
which they are ground into the yel ow powder popular in South-Asian and Middle-Eastern cuisines. T r a n g 4 | 12
G However, there are disadvantages in grinding spices. It increases their surface area many fold, accelerating the rate
of evaporation and oxidation of their flavour-bearing and aromatic compounds. In contrast, whole dried spices retain
these for much longer. Thus, seed-based varieties (which can be packaged and stored wel ) are often purchased in
this form. This al ows grinding to be done at the moment of cooking or eating, maximising the flavour and effect, a
fact which often results in pepper ‘grinders’, instead of ‘shakers’, gracing the tables of the better restaurants around the world.
For questions 56-62, choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-G from the list of headings below.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. List of Headings i. Uses of spice ii. Spices for cooking
56. Paragraph A: _____ iii. Changing leaders
57. Paragraph B: _____ iv. A strange choice
58. Paragraph C: _____ v. Preserving flavours vi. 59. Famous spice routes
Paragraph D: _____
vii. The power of spice
60. Paragraph E: _____ viii. Some spices
61. Paragraph F: _____ ix. Medicinal spices
62. Paragraph G: _____ x. Spice providers Your answers 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62.
For questions 63-66, decide whether the following statements agree with the information in the
passage. In the corresponding numbered boxes provided, write: TRUE (T)
if the statement agrees with the information FALSE (F)
if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN (NG)
if there is no information on this
63. The ingredients of masala are fairly standardised.
64. The demand for spices led to greater exploration.
65. Vietnam consumes a lot of pepper.
66. Seed-based spices can be easily stored. Your answers 63. 64. 65. 66.
Part 3. In the passage below, six paragraphs have been removed. For questions 67-72, read the
passage and choose from paragraphs A-G 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.
THE SCARIEST RIDE ON THE PLANET
Charles Starmer-Smith spent a weekend in Norway learning how to ride on a bob skeleton,
a one-person sledge which races down an ice track at 60 mph.
I glanced down at the red snow by my feet just a few yards from the finishing gate of the Lillehammer bob skeleton
track. The bob skeleton is also known as a toboggan and reminded me of a tray a waiter might use to bring plates
of food out in a restaurant. But this one was going to have me on it rather than a pile of food so seeing the blood
of an earlier rider was a little unnerving. Make no bones about it, this has to be one of the scariest rides on the planet. 67.
I feigned nonchalance at this information, but I was fooling no one. I have made a habit of scaring myself: I’ve
leapt down the face of Switzerland’s Verzasca Dam – the world’s biggest bungee jump, I have descended the
near-vertical Corbets Couloir at Jacksonhole – perhaps the most fearsome ski run in North America – and I have
learnt to ski-jump at Calgary. 68.
At least I was not alone as several other novices would be joining me. After a fitful sleep, we went out early to walk
to the top of the track. The snow, hanging heavy on the branches of Lillehammer’s forested slopes, made the track
look even more imposing. Snaking down the slope like a giant metallic python, the walls were steeper, the straights
were longer but the 16 turns were much sharper than I expected. 69. T r a n g 5 | 12
Halfway up, we arrived at the infamous Turn 13, a shuddering 180-degree U-turn where the centrifugal pressures
equal those experienced by fighter pilots. ‘This is where you’ll feel the full force,’ said Tony, our instructor, his eyes
sparkling. ‘So, is the track running quickly?’ I asked tentatively. He did not need to answer. 70.
All we caught was a flash of eyeballs and overalls as the rider sliced around the curved wall of ice at breathtaking
speed. We glanced at each other, panic etched across our faces and laughed the nervous laugh of the truly terrified
as we realised this would soon be us. 71.
I therefore took comfort in the knowledge that, with a professional in charge, someone would be keeping his head
while the rest of us were losing ours. I drew the short straw and was given position four, where you feel the full
brunt of the force with nothing but cool Norwegian air behind you. 72.
We barely had time to check that we were all in one piece before we were sent off to get kitted up for the skeleton.
On Tony’s instructions I lay face down on the sledge, arms clamped by my sides, nose inches from the ice and off
I went. After seventy seconds of terror, I could barely speak and my body felt as though it had been in a boxing
ring, but I had never felt so alive. What a ride!
A Before we had any more time to contemplate our fate, we found ourselves at the top, climbing aboard a
bobraft. Designed to give you a feel for the track before going down on your own, this giant, padded open-top
box looked about as aerodynamic as a bus, but it travelled a whole lot faster. It had a driver who did this all the time which was reassuring.
B As if on cue, snow crystals began to jump in unison on the metallic railings as, high above, a sledge began its
inexorable journey down. What started as a distant hum became a rattle, then a roar as the sledge reached top
speed. The tarpaulin covering the track stiffened in its wake and the girders groaned.
C On these previous occasions, I had had experience or the expertise of others to fall back on, but with this there
was nothing from which to draw strength. The bob skeleton confounds conventional logic.
D It started deceptively slowly, but within moments picked up speed. It soon became clear that the rider has little
control and survival instinct takes over.
E It is hard to describe the debilitating effect that such immense speeds and forces have on your body. It was like
nothing I have ever experienced. The last thing I remember going through my mind was straining just to keep my head upright.
F We listened to advice on how to get round them safely – use your eyes to steer and tilt your head away from
the corners to minimise the pressure. It sounded simple enough, but get it wrong at these speeds and your chin faces the cheese-grater.
G The man behind these adrenalin-packed weekends at Norway’s Olympic park, explained that those who
attempt the famous run often accidentally ‘kiss’ the ice with their nose or chin, leaving a layer or three of skin behind. Your answers 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72.
Part 4. For questions 73-79, read a newspaper article and choose the answer A, B, C or D which you
think fits best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. BRIDGES
The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul links Europe to Asia. If you are standing in the middle of it, then what continent
are you in? No, it’s not a brainteaser with a quick answer; it’s a question which hints at the fact that bridges are
more complicated things than mere ways of getting from A to B. Dr Iain Borden researches psychological aspects
of architecture at London University. ‘Unlike going through a doorway, crossing a bridge takes time. While you are
crossing the bridge, you are in neither one place nor the other but in a strange kind of limbo state,’ he explains.
It may sound a little far-fetched, but Dr Borden’s view is tapping into our fundamental responses to the physical
world around us. The Ancient Britons attached great spiritual significance to rivers and certainly appreciated this
concept of limbo. Recently a team from the Museum of London excavated the remains of the oldest bridge found
so far in Britain (about 3,500 years old), in central London. In those days the River Thames was merely a collection
of shallow channels and small islands. These islands had enormous spiritual resonance as places separated from
the shores and connected to the river. But it is still true today that bridges are more than utilitarian structures and have a great symbolic impact.
‘Bridges are associated with boundaries – social as well as physical,’ says Dr Borden. ‘When we cross a bridge we
pass over some hazard or obstacle, but also over a threshold into a city, a different region or even a different
country.’ This is deliberately reflected in the way a bridge is designed to look open and welcoming, or forbidding T r a n g 6 | 12
and imposing; it can be celebrating the joining of two communities, or it can be holding them at arm’s length. The
bridge therefore exists on two levels: one physical, one political, and the two are linked. When a bridge is built
where there was none before, it connects two places. Physically it makes trade and movement easier;
psychologically the increased contact makes ‘the other side’ seem less distant. The bridge stands as a concrete
representation of both the joining and the separation of two communities.
In a sense, the engineer designs the physical bridge and the architect designs the ‘political’ bridge. But, of course,
it’s not as simple as that. Sometimes, for example, the fact that a great engineering feat has been performed is
itself an important statement. Furthermore, we have an innate aesthetic sense, which makes us like
well-proportioned, stable structures. Engineers are not especially encouraged to consider visual impact, but good
engineering can look quite attractive because it is balanced. Similarly, an architect with a good eye will often design
a structure which is naturally stable. There is a great link between structure and form – overly whimsical or
eccentric architecture is no longer beautiful or pleasing to the eye.
A bridge is peculiarly defined by its location – a power station will perform the same function wherever it is located,
but a bridge joins two points – it cannot join them somewhere else. Various experts confirm the necessity of
recognising this view. Lorenzo Apicella, a leading architect, says, ‘You can’t start to imagine what a bridge should
look like until you know what it is joining together and what the surroundings are.’ Neil Thomas, an engineer who
has worked on many recent bridges, says, ‘Each bridge presents a novel engineering problem. A bridge over a road
or railway is very different from a bridge over a steep gorge where you can’t build supports underneath.’
If a bridge is a product of its place, defined by what it is joining together or crossing over, it is also a product of its
time. In the 19th century, the first European iron and steel bridges were built. Big, solid, metal structures marched
across the landscape, metaphors for the triumph of human engineering in the Industrial Revolution over the
agrarian past. The Romans, in a similar spirit, built aggressively solid roads and bridges wherever they went. They
constructed an unprecedented communications and supply network, both physically and symbolically subduing the lands they marched across.
So what of today's bridges? Two of the longest suspension bridges in the world, both comparatively new, are the
Great Belt Bridge in Denmark and the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge in Japan. Both link offshore islands (the latter to the
mainland) and are part of larger road projects. Within Europe, the European Union is spending billions funding an
integrated transport network. The dramatic increases in long-haul travel have fuelled an obsession with instant
global accessibility. It seems as if we no longer want to savour the remoteness those Ancient Britons so treasured
on their islands in the Thames.
73. What point is the writer making in the first paragraph?
A. Bridges have a significance beyond their basic physical function.
B. The impact of a bridge varies from country to country.
C. The popular view of what bridges represent has changed.
D. People have different reactions when crossing a bridge.
74. What does the writer say in the second paragraph about Dr Borden’s interpretation of bridges?
A. It is contradicted by basic physical laws.
B. Our ancestors would have disagreed with it.
C. Some people might think it is rather improbable.
D. It does not really explain why the first bridges were built.
75. In the third paragraph the writer says that the design of a bridge ______.
A. can be a cause of conflict between the two communities it is connecting
B. must be clear in its delineation of the boundary between the two sides
C. should always have safety as its overriding concern
D. may be influenced by the need for a symbolic message
76. What does the writer say in the fourth paragraph about the visual impact of a bridge?
A. It is increasingly a matter which an engineer must consider.
B. It is fundamentally unattractive if the design is unbalanced.
C. It is affected by the bridges we are accustomed to.
D. It is influenced surprisingly little by the shape of the bridge.
77. In the fifth paragraph, the writer says that people involved in bridge design need to ______.
A. examine reliable, standardised designs before they proceed
B. make an initial assessment of the site
C. consider whether a bridge is the best solution
D. be able to visualise the completed bridge’s appearance from the outset
78. The writer mentions the bridges of the Industrial Revolution and the Romans to show that ______.
A. bridges represent the spirit of the age in which they were built
B. bridges have been a mark of all sophisticated civilisations
C. bridges are not always beneficial in their effect on humanity
D. bridges that are technologically advanced are not confined to the modern era T r a n g 7 | 12
79. According to the writer, the Danish and Japanese bridges exemplify ______.
A. international co-ordination in bridge building
B. the current desire for easy worldwide travel
C. the modern preference for road transport over other forms of travel
D. the willingness of modern governments to invest heavily in profitable projects Your answers 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79.
Part 5. The passage below consists of five sections marked A, B, C, D and E. For questions 80-95,
read the passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered spaces provided. SOUND THE ALARM Stuart Harris reports
Many of us listen to the radio when we get up in the morning and most of us also require some external means to
persuade us to get out of bed. Thus we have the clock radio. But how do you pick a good one? Our panel, which
consisted of myself plus the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges, tested five currently available.
A The ‘dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as I first supposed, to be woken
by the buzzer, snooze a while and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use
this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent?
Since this model costs more or less the same as the second model tested, the inclusion of a cassette player is
quite a bargain – you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. We all
thought the quality of the radio excellent, too – if only the whole thing was smaller. It’s as big as a rugby ball.
Paul Bridges said, ‘Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet,
glasses and telephone. Anyway, I’m completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn’t go off.’
B This model was voted best in the beauty stakes and overall winner. Paul Bridges declared himself ‘in love with
it’, although the clock on the one he tested ‘kept getting stuck at 16.00’. I was fascinated by the digital display,
with its classy grey numbers on a gentle green background. The wide snooze bar means you can tap it on the
edge with your eyes shut. Unfortunately, the smooth undulations and tactile buttons, like pebbles on the beach,
encouraged me to run my fingers over them as if they were keys on a piano, which proved my undoing when
I finally looked at the 80-page instruction booklet.
The clock has a self-power back-up so you don’t have to reset it if someone unceremoniously pulls the plug out
in order to use a hairdryer or the vacuum cleaner; this met with unanimous approval. However, we all found it
a technical feat to set up – though completing the learning curve made us feel ‘cool’ and sophisticated.
C Tom Granger described this model with its extra built-in lamp as ‘unbelievably tacky’ in the way it’s made. ‘You
have to wrench the funny light out of its socket to get it to work, which makes me wonder about the quality of
the rest of it.’ He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work;
the clock kept leaping from 12.00 to 02.00 so he had to go round again.
The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it – it only shines on the clock, which
is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was ‘very tickled’ by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was
hard to tune. The buzzer is reminiscent of ‘action stations’ on a submarine and made me feel like hurling the
whole thing across the bedroom. Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market.
D Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing and matching bootlace strap, this one appealed
to the child in Tom Granger and me. ‘I would choose this one because it doesn’t disappear into the background
like the others,’ he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one we managed to set
up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a hilarious 20-minute margin for error;
the manual notes, ‘the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time’. Paul Bridges
scoffed at such a notion, adding that this model was ‘terribly fiddly’ and, indeed, ‘completely useless’.
E The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it ‘seemed
very standard and took up little space’, but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. ‘It’s more intuitive to
set up. With modern push-button tuning you’re never really sure if you’ve pressed all the buttons in the right
order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work.' He accepted, however, that manufacturers
had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent of button-tuning. I thought the tuning
rather crude, as did Paul Bridges, but we agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model
certainly works; it succeeded in getting me out of bed in just two beeps! T r a n g 8 | 12
In which section are the following mentioned?
a tester admitting that he did not trust any type of alarm clock 80. ______
a tester later regretting having touched the controls 81. ______
a tester approving of a model because of its conspicuous appearance 82. ______
the testers being able to operate the model without reference to the manual 83. ______
a tester’s praise for a model despite the existence of a technical fault 84. ______
doubts about the reliability of a model because of the design of an additional feature 85. ______
the testers feeling positive about their success in getting the model to work 86. ______
doubts about whether anyone would wish to follow certain instructions from the manual 87. ______
an explanation of why companies had started to make better radios 88. ______
the intended market for the model being apparent from its design 89. ______
a tester realising that he had drawn the wrong conclusion about a particular feature 90. ______
the testers agreeing on the usefulness of a particular feature 91. ______
an additional feature which made the price seem competitive 92. ______
uncertainty over whether the radio controls had been set in the correct sequence 93. ______
a tester’s reaction to the imprecision of the alarm 94. ______
surprise at the commercial success of a particular model 95. ______
IV. WRITING (60 points)
Part 1. Summarise in your own words as far as possible the possible consequences described in
both texts of new developments in the creation and use of artificial smells. Your summary should
be between 100 and 120 words long.
A Some years ago, a book was published called The Romantic Story of Scent. On the jacket, it said that since it
was almost impossible to describe a fragrance in words, the readers had been given the scents themselves.
Eighteen labels on the jacket flaps corresponded to the eighteen scents described – just scratch and sniff.
Personally, I think the resultant conflict of odours was likely to be unbearable.
It is all very well saying that this sort of thing will be limited to cookery books, encyclopaedias of wild flowers
and the like, but sooner or later some clown will commission a history of those hot dog stands that infest
London, the stench from which is detectable a hundred metres away.
I believe that some theatrical and film producers, in a misguided attempt to add realism to the work on offer,
have tried pumping the appropriate artificial smells into the auditorium, as called for by the story, only to find
their plan going badly awry. In one case, they had failed to devise any means of removing each smell from the
place before the next one was due, so that as the heroine was unwrapping an exquisite flower, the audience
was still being regaled with the fish that had been consumed in the previous scene.
B Smell has the ability to bring alive memories and images more intensely than other senses, but nowadays most
scents owe more to science and computers than to the mystique of the finest perfume houses. One new
company sees itself as translating ideas and concepts into smells. Many thousands of people have been
interviewed to help the company get as close as possible to what its customers want.
The problem is that it’s difficult to talk about smells in a way that will mean anything to the man or woman in
the street because most people are unable to communicate their feelings about smells beyond whether they like
them or not. In an attempt to get round this inadequacy, the company has developed a computer program
which makes visual the scent patterns of individual fragrances.
As a result, the company can measure and recreate any smell in the world. No smells are ruled out. Some smells
like vanilla, chocolate and toffee were once considered bizarre perfumes, but have now become mainstream.
For most people, though, the latest perfumes emerging from the most fashionable designers may prove a
challenge too far: they include ‘mud’ and ‘charcoal’.
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Part 2. The graphs below provide information about the sales in England of three different kinds of
music. The graphs together cover five decades and the sales are measured in pounds sterling.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant. You should write about 150 words. T r a n g 10 | 12
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Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.
Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way
to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.
To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
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