Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG quốc gia lớp 12 THPT tỉnh Bắc Giang năm học 2020-2021 môn thi Tiếng Anh

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO BẮC GIANG
KỲ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN
ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC
HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA THPT NĂM 2021 Môn: TIẾNG ANH
Đề thi có: 15 trang
Thời gian: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) Ngày thi: 22/9/2020
SECTION I. LISTENING (50 points)
Part 1. You will hear part of an interview with Harold Mackenzie, who has written a book about early
adolescence. The recording will be played TWICE. (10 pts)
1. According to Harold, what is the main reason pre-teens are receiving more publicity?
A. Psychologists now understand the importance of the pre-teen ye bars.
B. A great deal of research is being done into the way children develop.
C. Pre-teens are now demanding more attention from the media.
D. People now realize pre-teens have economic power.
2. Harold suggests that pre-teens ______
A. cannot keep up with their peers.
B. start to choose their own clothes. C. develop unusual tastes.
D. become more aware of their image.
3. Harold claims friendships are important to pre-teens because ______
A. these relationships help them establish their identities.
B. the children are beginning to rebel against their families.
C. friends are starting to replace family members.
D. the children are now capable of reacting to other people.
4. He suggests that an alternative method of academic evaluation would ______
A. enable parents to be more supportive.
B. be more effective than examinations.
C. mean less stress for pre-teens.
D. delay the onset of tension in adolescence.
5. According to Harold, what is the greatest challenge facing parents of pre-teens?
A. Deciding what kinds of toys to buy for their children.
B. Developing the correct approach to material possessions.
C. Establishing a way of communicating effectively with their children.
D. Discovering what kind of help their children really need. Your answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. For questions 6-10, you will hear part of a radio discussion about iris recognition system. Decide
whether following statements are True (T) or False (F). The recording will be played TWICE. (10 pts)
6. ______ Jim says that the idea behind Iris Recognition Systems (IRS) was thought of many years ago.
7. ______ Jim believes that Iris recognition machines will be adopted on a large scale chiefly because they can be depended on.
8. ______ Iris recognition machines were used at a school to improve efficiency at a school canteen.
9. ______ Jim feels that people who object to Iris recognition machines regard them as a threat to personal freedom.
10. ______ According to Jim, reduced expenses will convince government to adopt Iris Recognition System. 1
Part 3. For questions 11-15, listen to a report on five key global issues. What the speaker say about each of
the issues? Choose five answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-J, in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided. The recording will be played TWICE. (10 pts)
A. Clashes between forces within a newly-formed country cause heavy death toll and looming starvation.
B. Under a new zero-tolerance policy, children were forced to work in cages.
C. A peace agreement was signed, ending years of civil war.
D. The authority is reported detaining populations of an ethnic group in a bid to re-educate them.
E. World powers help to resolve a civil conflict by backing Saudi Arabia's campaign.
F. An inhumane policy faced immense public opposition and political pressure.
G. Military forces commit atrocities against a minority group, resulting in mass migration.
H. The government attacks a religious minority group in an effort to crack down on freedom of speech.
I . Some countries place travel restrictions on civilians to prevent them from fleeing across borders.
J. A civil conflict broke out, followed by military intervention from neighbouring countries. Global issues 11. China's internment camps 12. Rohingya crisis 13. South Sudan's civil war 14. Conflict in Yemen 15. U.S. family separation Your answers: 11. 12. 13 14. 15.
Part 4. For questions 16-25, listen to the news and fill in the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN
FOUR WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the space provided. The recording will be played TWICE. (20 pts)
16. Afghanistan used to be perceived as more _______________________ countries as far as women’s rights are concerned
17. Things changed completely when _______________________, the Taliban, took over the country.
18. Paula Bronstein, a _________________, has documented life in Afghanistan with an emphasis on women
19. She describes the Islamic culture and its feelings and thoughts about women as ______________________
20. Stringent laws were imposed on women, for example, women must wear burqa to avoid showing any _______________________
21. Women are still suffering from the _____________________ even though the Taliban regime was ousted.
22. According to Paula, there are many women’s issues to document, ranging from poverty to
_______________________ with many of them being child bribes
23. A man’s income is the major source of most Afghan families as a result of low literacy levels and _______________________
24. Some cultural shifts in favour of women’s rights have been documented by Paula, for example, young
women rallying during the _______________________ in 2014.
25. While it is almost impossible to tell when Afghan women can truly _______________________ with men,
Paula feels a spirit to turn this into reality 2 Your answers:
16. _______________________________
21. ________________________________
17. _______________________________
22. ________________________________
18. _______________________________
23. ________________________________
19. _______________________________
24. ________________________________
20. _______________________________
25. ________________________________
SECTION II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (40 points)
Part 1. Choose the best answer A, B, C, or D to complete the following sentences. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes. (20 pts)
1. Unsalted butter is best for this recipe, but ______, margarine will do. A. except that B. for all of which C. failing that D. given that
2. Those men were appointed by the directors and are ______ only to them. A. dependable B. privileged C. controlled D. accountable
3. Although the patient received intensive treatment, there was no ______ improvement in her condition. A. decipherable B. legible C. discernible D. intelligible
4. I’d give up my job ______ if only I could find a better one. A. at one swoop B. at the drop of a hat C. on the dot D. on the spur of the moment
5. The hotel, though obviously grand in its day, appeared rather neglected and ______ when we checked in. A. tumble-down B. downcast C. down-and-out D. run-down
6. As he was caught ______ an offensive weapon, he was immediately a suspect. A. in possession of B. on ownership of C. with handling with D. out of control with
7. We might just as well have stayed at home ______ the enjoyment we had. A. on account of B. as far as C. for all D. concerning
8. In 2004, it became illegal in the UK to advertise cigarettes in magazines and outdoors on ______. Since
then cigarettes have been advertised in other ways. A. billboards
B. wall boards C. signboards D. sideboards
9. The number of people traveling by air has been growing ______.
A. by leaps and bounds B. from time to time C. slow but true D. by hook and crook
10. As the sky darkened it soon became obvious that a violent thunderstorm was ______. A. imminent B. instantaneous C. immediate D. eminent
11. Certain details in the contract still remain to be ______ out. A. fluttered B. dealt C. ironed D. borne
12. They were ______ tempted to relieve the shopkeeper of his three juiciest-looking apples. A. badly B. sorely C powerfully D. utterly
13. The new round of negotiations is hoped to ______ the deadlock in the Middle East. A. break B. remove C. dispense D. untie
14. She awoke with an ______ sense of foreboding which she could find no reason for. A. intelligible B. intensive C. intangible D. indelible
15. I didn't want to make a decision ______ so I said I'd like to think about it. A. in one go B. there and then C. at a stroke D. on and off
16. The new teacher was taken advantage of by the students and often had to ______ her authority. A. assert B. confirm C. inflict D. strike
17. I couldn't stop myself from ______ with boredom during the lecture. A. sighing B. gasping C. panting D. blowing
18. If you want to be a rock star, talent helps, but what it really ______ down to is luck. A. boils B. revolves C. centres D. refines 3
19. My uncle Warren is a thoroughly despicable character. His one ______ feature is that he loves children A. saving B. recovering C. improved D. redeeming
20. The sales practices of this company will have to be totally ______ if we are to save it. A. overthrown B. overhauled C. overrun D. overwhelmed Your answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Part 2. Identify 10 errors in the following passage and correct them. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes. (10 pts) Line DISAPPEARING WORLD 0
The destruction of the rainforests is a pressed problem of our times but not one that is regarded 1
equally seriously by everyone. The more affluent nations regard the issue to be one way of 2
preservation; deforestation must stop. When it comes to the poorer countries, the issue is not so 3
cut and dried. For these people, the rainforests represent a source of economical prosperity, a 4
point that obviously takes precedence on ecological concerns. A solution must be found before 5
the damage caused by the deforestation that is destroying the rainforests become irrevocable. 6
Deforestation is carried out by those involved in the timber industry and also by migrant 7
farmers. The latter occupy an area of land, strip it, farm it until its natural mineral supply is used 8
up and then move on. The land is left uselessly and exposed and a process of erosion comes into 9
effect, washing soil into rivers thereby killing fish and blocking the water's natural course. The 10
land is not the only victim. Rainforests are a rich populated habitat. In the rainforests of 11
Madagascar, there are at most 150,000 individual species of plants and animals which are found 12
anywhere else in the world and more are being discovered all the time. Furthermore, 13
approximately 50% of all dangerous animal species live in the world's rainforests. The 14
destruction of the forests effectively represents a complete removal of all these plants and 15
animals. Depriving of their natural environments, they will disappear altogether. Again, this 16
process is reversible. Man, no matter how powerful he considers himself, does not have the 17
power to establish the species he is so willfully destroying. Your answers Line Mistakes
Corrections 4
Part 3. Give the correct form of each bracketed word in the following passage. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes. (10 pts)
In 1997 I went back to Beijing for the first time since the (0) disastrous (DISASTER) events of 1989.
The Chinese (1) ______ (AUTHORISE) had been reluctant to re-admit foreign journalists who had witnessed
the Tiananmen Square student protests. Even eight years later, it was still (2) ______ (PROBLEM) to get into
the Square with a television camera, but we managed it. I looked for the bullet holes on the steps of the central
monument, but they had all been expertly filled in; a faint discoloration perhaps, but almost (3) ______
(PERCEIVE). The most critical moment in Chinese history after Mao Zedong’s death seemed to have been entirely forgotten.
My time in China had given me an (4) ______ (ENDUREANCE) interest in Chinese art, so I decided to go to
Liu Liu Chang, where for centuries there has been an antiquities market. Unfortunately, many things for sale
there nowadays are modern (5) ______ (IMITATE). Empty-handed and somewhat (6) ______ (ILLUSION), I
went into a tea house and sat through the usual ceremony, but there were (7) ______ (IDENTIFY) differences
here too: it seemed quicker and the tea lacked that extraordinary lingering scent. Thoroughly (8) ______
(HEART), I returned to my hotel: one of the enormous, (9) ______ (FACE) places which have sprung up
everywhere. Yet here, in a dark shop tucked away off the lobby, my melancholy mood disappeared, for I met a
(10) ______ (SURVIVE) from 1989, who remembered me instantly. Not everything had been entirely forgotten. Your answer:
1. _______________________________
6. ________________________________
2. _______________________________
7. ________________________________
3. _______________________________
8. ________________________________
4. _______________________________
9. ________________________________
5. _______________________________
10. ________________________________
SECTION III. READING (60 points)
Part 1. For questions 1-10, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only
one word in each space. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 pts)
Interest in mythology has grown steadily throughout the last hundred years, assisted by the realization
that myths are not childish stories or mere pre-scientific explanations of the world, (1) ________ serious
insights into reality. They (2) ________ in all societies, in the present as well as the past. They are (3)
________of the fabric of human life, embodying beliefs, moulding behavior and justifying institutions,
customs and values. Myths are imaginative traditions about the nature, history and destiny of the world.
Definitions of myth (4) ________ ‘story’ fail because a good many myths are not stories at all. The mythology
of some (5) ________ includes the assignment of different functions to the (6) ________ gods and goddesses:
one deity presides over agriculture, (7) ________over war and so on. Beyond this, the term myth is also (8)
________ to the religious and secular traditions which exert a powerful influence on attitudes to life, but the
literal accuracy of which there are (9) ________to doubt. However, because myths are woven into the fabric
of a society where they are accepted as true, the impact of new discoveries, new attitudes and new ways of life
on myths is usually to undermine them. When old myths are lost, new ones are needed. No society seems ever
to have flourished without a set of myths containing its vision of its past, its (10) ________ and its purposes. Your answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 2. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. Write your
answer in the numbered box (10 pts)
A Great Composer 5
The classical composer Ernst Hoffsberger, who passed away earlier this week, truly (1) ______ the world
of contemporary classical music and was a great source of inspiration to a whole generation of (2) ______
young artists in various fields. In many ways his three symphonies completely (3) ______ the achievements of
all other composers of the late twentieth century and by (4) ______ the classical genre with jazz, rock and
latterly hip-hop, his work at times bore little (5) ______ to what is commonly considered to be a classical
sound. Born in California just after the Second World War, Hoffsberger had a strict religious ubringing during
which he was taught classical piano by his father. He first found work as a(n) (6) ______ journalist, playing
and composing music in his free time. During the late sixties, he worked together in (7) ______ with a number
of other amateur musicians before finally (8) ______ professional with the first public performance of his
inspirational Tenor Sax Concerto in 1971. From then on, throughout the seventies and eighties, each new work
seemed to (9) ______ the limits of the orchestral medium and also helped to bring classical music to a wider
audience. What many people consider Hoffsberger's defining quality that kept his music fresh and original was
that he never lost the human (10) ______ which gave him the ability to sit down and jam with musicians and
artists from all walks of life. 1. A. revolutionised B. restored C. renovated D. refurbished 2. A. branching B. budding C. blooming D. bursting 3. A. overcame B. overshadowed C. overturned D. overwhelmed 4. A. adjoining B. attaching C. co-joining D. fusing 5. A. similarity B. familiarity C. resemblance D. identification 6. A. non-contract B. off-the-books C. freelance D. odd-job 7. A. collaboration B. combination C. coordination D. contribution 8. A. taking B. getting C. making D. turning 9. A. overpass B. bypass C. surpass D. encompass 10. A. touch B. feeling C. contact D. aspect Your answers: 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Part 3. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each question. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes. (15pts)
Before 1815 manufacturing in the United States had been done in homes or shops by skilled artisans.
As master craft workers, they imparted the knowledge of their trades to apprentices and journeymen. In
addition, women often worked in their homes part-time, making finished articles from raw material supplied
by merchant capitalists. After 1815 this older form of manufacturing began to give way to factories with
machinery tended by unskilled or semiskilled laborers. Cheap transportation networks, the rise of cities, and
the availability of capital and credit all stimulated the shift to factory production.
The creation of a labor force that was accustomed to working in factories did not occur easily. Before
the rise of the factory, artisans had worked within the home. Apprentices were considered part of the family,
and masters were responsible not only for teaching their apprentices a trade but also for providing them
some education and for supervising their moral behavior. Journeymen knew that if they perfected their skill,
they could become respected master artisans with their own shops. Also, skilled artisans did not work by the
clock, at a steady pace, but rather in bursts of intense labor alternating with more leisurely time.
The factory changed that. Goods produced by factories were not as finished or elegant as those done
by hand, and pride in craftsmanship gave way to the pressure to increase rates of productivity. The new
methods of doing business involved a new and stricter sense of time. Factory life necessitated a more
regimented schedule, where work began at the sound of a bell and workers kept machines going at a constant
pace. At the same time, workers were required to discard old habits, for industrialism demanded a worker who
was alert, dependable, and self-disciplined. Absenteeism and lateness hurt productivity and, since work was
specialized, disrupted the regular factory routine. Industrialization not only produced a fundamental change
in the way work was organized; it transformed the very nature of work. 6
The first generation to experience these changes did not adopt the new attitudes easily. The factory
clock became the symbol of the new work rules. One mill worker who finally quit complained revealingly
about "obedience to the ding-dong of the bell—just as though we are so many living machines." With the loss
of personal freedom also came the loss of standing in the community. Unlike artisan workshops in which
apprentices worked closely with the masters supervising them, factories sharply separated workers from
management. Few workers rose through the ranks to supervisory positions, and even fewer could achieve the
artisan's dream of setting up one's own business. Even well-paid workers sensed their decline in status.
In this newly emerging economic order, workers sometimes organized to protect their rights and
traditional ways of life. Craftworkers such as carpenters, printers, and tailors formed unions, and in 1834
individual unions came together in the National Trades' Union. The labor movement gathered some
momentum in the decade before the Panic of 1837, but in the depression that followed, labor's strength
collapsed. During hard times, few workers were willing to strike or engage in collective action. And skilled
craftworkers, who spearheaded the union movement, did not feel a particularly strong bond with semiskilled
factory workers and unskilled laborers. More than a decade of agitation did finally bring a workday shortened
to 10 hours to most industries by the 1850's, and the courts also recognized workers' right to strike, but these
gains had little immediate impact.
Workers were united in resenting the industrial system and their loss of status, but they were divided
by ethnic and racial antagonisms, gender, conflicting religious perspectives, occupational differences, political
party loyalties, and disagreements over tactics. For them, the factory and industrialism were not agents of
opportunity but reminders of their loss of independence and a measure of control over their lives. As United
States society became more specialized and differentiated, greater extremes of wealth began to appear. And as
the new markets created fortunes for the few, the factory system lowered the wages of workers by dividing
labor into smaller, less skilled tasks.
1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage 1 about articles manufactured before 1815?
A. They were primarily produced by women.
B. They were generally produced in shops rather than in homes.
C. They were produced with more concern for quality than for speed of production.
D. They were produced mostly in large cities with extensive transportation networks.
2. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the
passage 2? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A. Masters demanded moral behavior from apprentices but often treated them irresponsibly.
B. The responsibilities of the master to the apprentice went beyond the teaching of a trade.
C. Masters preferred to maintain the trade within the family by supervising and educating the younger family members.
D. Masters who trained members of their own family as apprentices demanded excellence from them.
3. The word "disrupted" in the passage 3 is closest in meaning to ______. A. prolonged B. established C. followed D. upset
4. In paragraph 4, the author includes the quotation from a mill worker in order to ______.
A. support the idea that it was difficult for workers to adjust to working in factories
B. to show that workers sometimes quit because of the loud noise made by factory machinery
C. argue that clocks did not have a useful function in factories
D. emphasize that factories were most successful when workers revealed their complaints
5. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 4 as consequences of the new system for workers
EXCEPT a loss of ______. A. freedom B. status in the community
С. opportunities for advancement
D. contact among workers who were not managers
6. The phrase "gathered some momentum" in the passage 5 is closest in meaning to ______. A. made progress B. became active C. caused changes D. combined forces
7. The word "spearheaded" in the passage 5 is closest in meaning to ______. A. led B. accepted C. changed D. resisted
8. Which of the following statements about the labor movement of the 1800's is supported by paragraph 5? 7
A. It was most successful during times of economic crisis.
B. Its primary purpose was to benefit unskilled laborers.
C. It was slow to improve conditions for workers.
D. It helped workers of all skill levels form a strong bond with each year
9. The author identifies political party loyalties and disagreements over tactics as two of several factors that
A. encouraged workers to demand higher wages
B. created divisions among workers
C. caused work to become more specialized
D. increased workers' resentment of the industrial system
10. The word "them" in the passage 6 refers to ______. A. workers B. political party loyalties C. disagreements over tactics D. agents of opportunity Your answers: 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Part 4. Read the passage and do the tasks that follow. (15pts) The True Cost of Food
A. At an organic farming conference in Winnipeg, Canada, a woman in the audience stood up and said:
“Organic foods are not going to become popular with mainstream consumers until they became quick,
convenient, and cheap.". The comment causes much thinking about the nature of our food system and about
what we have done to try to make foods quick, convenient, and cheap for consumers.
B. At the ‘farm level, our never-ending quest for cheap food is the root cause of the transformation of
agriculture from a system of small, diversified, independently operated, family farms into a system of large-
scale, industrialized, corporately controlled agribusinesses. The production technologies that supported
specialization, mechanization, and ultimately, large-scale, contract production, were all developed to make
agriculture more efficient to make food cheaper for consumers. Millions of farmers have been forced off the
land, those remaining are sacrificing their independence, and thousands of small farming communities have
withered and died all for the sake of cheap food. These were the consequences of progress, so we were told.
The agricultural establishment has boasted loudly that ever fewer farmers have been able to feed a growing
nation with an ever-decreasing share of consumer income spent for food.
C. Changes in the food system have brought considerable cost to the environment and human health. Such
problems have been widely documented over recent decades, but it is only recently that efforts to put a
monetary cost on them have begun to emerge. These costs are telling us something fundamentally important
about the real costs of modern food and farming. A group of scientists at the University of Essex recently
completed the first national study of the environmental and health impacts of modern farming. They looked at
what are called “externalities”^the costs imposed by an activity that are borne by others. These costs are not
part of the prices paid by producers or consumers. And when such externalities are not included in prices, they
distort the market. They encourage activities that are costly to society even if the private benefits to farmers are substantial.
D. A heavy lorry that damages a bridge, or pollutes the atmosphere, externalizes some of its costs and others
pay for them. Similarly, a pesticide used to control a pest imposes costs on others if it leaks away from fields
to contaminate drinking water. The types of externality encountered in the agricultural sector have four
distinct features; 1) their costs are often neglected; 2) they often occur with a time lag; 3) they often damage
groups whose interests are not represented; and 4) the identity of the producer of the externality is not always known. 8
E. The study sought to put a cost on these externalities in the UK. It concentrated on the negative side-effects
of conventional agriculture in particular the environmental and health costs. Two types of damage cost were
estimated; 1) the treatment or prevention costs incurred to clean up the environment and restore human health
to comply with legislation or to return these to an undamaged state and 2) the administration costs incurred by
public agencies for monitoring environmental, food and health implications. It is conservatively estimated that
the total costs are £2.34billion for 1996 alone in the UK. Significant costs arise from contamination of
drinking water with pesticides (£120 million per year), nitrate (£ 16m),Cryptosporidium (£ 23m) and
phosphate and soil (£ 55m), from damage to wildlife, habitats, hedgerows and dry stone walls ( £ 124m), from
emissions of gases (£ 1,113m), from soil erosion and organic carbon losses (£ 96m), and from food poisoning ( £ 169m) .
F. Water is an interesting case. Twenty-five million kilograms of pesticides are used each year in farming and
some of these get into water. It costs water companies £ 120 million each year to remove pesticides not
completely, but to a level stipulated in law as acceptable. Water companies do not pay this cost they pass it on
to those who pay water bills. This represents a hidden subsidy to those who pollute. Some of the costs are
straightforward to measure, others more difficult. How do we know about the effects of the greenhouse gases
methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide produced by farming? Economists have been able to put a£ /tonne
cost on these gases based on agreed estimates about the effects of future climate change. The study has been
very conservative, using lower estimates of costs. But still the costs are great.
G. Each of these costs should provoke questions about how they could be reduced or even removed. Where
does this leave us in policy terms? Is it conceivable that we could evolve sustainable agriculture systems that
maximize their production of positive externalities goods that the public enjoys and is willing to pay for as
well as minimizing the environmental and health costs? The answer is clearly yes. We know enough about
sustainable methods of farming to be confident. Sustainable farming has substantially lower negative
externalities than conventional farming. We roughly estimate these to be no more than a third perhaps £ 60 -
£70 per hectare. Sustainable farming also has higher positive externalities the other side of the equation.
H. Although it only represented around 3%of the total EU utilized agricultural area (UAA) in 2000, organic
farming has in fact developed into one of the most dynamic agricultural sectors in the European Union. The
organic farm sector grew by about 25% a year between 1993and 1998 and, since 1998, is estimated to have
grown by around 30% a year. Organic farming has to be understood as part of a sustainable farming system
and a viable alternative to the more traditional approaches to agriculture. Since the EU rules on organic
farming came into force in 1992, tens of thousands of farms have been converted to this system, as a result of
increased consumer awareness of, and demand for, organically grown products.
I. The sustainability of both agriculture and the environment is a key policy objective of today’s common
agricultural policy (the “CAP”):
“Sustainable development must encompass food production alongside conservation of finite resources and
protection of the natural environment so that the needs of people living today can be met without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
This objective requires farmers to consider the effect that their activities will have on the future of agriculture
and how the systems they employ shape the environment. As a consequence, farmers, consumers and policy
makers have shown a renewed interest in environmentally friendly farming. UK Farm Minister Margaret
Beckett has announced a series of new measures , backed by 500 million pounds sterling of funding over the
next three years, to specifically help British farmers reduce their dependence on subsidies, as well as to protect
the environment and promote healthy, local food. The long-awaited Strategy for Sustainable Farming and
Food contains “green" targets for farms, promotion of local foods and other measures to bring farmers closer to consumers. 9
From the list of headings below, choose the five most suitable headings for paragraphs
NB: There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all. Example Answer List of Headings Paragraph B: iv
i. Fewer farmers and decreasing cost of food Paragraph I: ii
ii. A renewed interest in environmental- friendly agriculture 1. Paragraph C: ____
iii. Features of externalities in agricultural production 2. Paragraph D: ____
iv. Transformation of farming to industrialized agribusiness 3. Paragraph E: ____
v. Aim and focuses of the study 4. Paragraph G: ____
vi. Difficulties of calculating external costs 5. Paragraph H: ____ vii. The concept of externalities viii. The case of water pollution
ix. Sustainable farming and its merits
x. Issues raised by external costs of food
xi. The conversion to organic farming
Questions 6-10. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage to complete the summary below.
The first national study of the environmental impacts of modern farming has defined externalities as
the additional expenses caused by other activities and those not paid by (6) ______. Externalities misrepresent
the market by encouraging farmers to pursue (7) ______ at the cost of the society. As externality in
agricultural production is usually shown with a time lag, its costs often tend to (8) ______. While the victim’s
interests are not represented, exactly who has produced the externalities often remains a mystery. The study
measures two types of externalities; the costs of (9) ______ for the environment and human health to recover
to the original state, and the money spent by (10) ______ on monitoring environmental and food safety. Your answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 5. You are going to read a newspaper article in which people talk about starting up their own business
late in life. For questions 1 - 10, match the information with a suitable paragraph (A-E). When more than
one answer is required, these may be given in any order. (10 pts) STARTING OVER
More and more people over fifty are starting up in business for themselves.
What are their reasons - and why are so many of them successful?
A. When I was fifty-three, I was made redundant almost literally overnight when the company I worked
for was taken over by a multinational. The managing director called me into his office the following
Monday and told me I was no longer on the payroll. It was a shock and I felt really depressed. I was also
anxious about the future because we still had a mortgage to pay off on our house, and my husband’s
income couldn’t cover our hefty monthly expenses. At the same time, I didn’t feel I was ready for
retirement, and to be honest, I was infuriated by the arrogance of the company, which appeared to believe
I was too old to be useful any longer. So I gave some serious thought to starting up a business of my own.
I’m an accountant, and for years I’d been advising friends about finances and helping them sort out their
books, so I knew there were plenty of small businesses out there who would welcome the sort 10
of services I could offer. The initial outlay for office equipment was pretty low, all things considered. So I
set up as a consultant to people who want to branch out on their own, like me, and I find it extremely rewarding.
B. About seven years ago, after being more or less forced to take early retirement, I looked around for an
occupation to fill up my days and eventually decided I’d set up a company specialising in all- inclusive
trips for retired people to domestic UK resorts. There seemed to be a dearth of companies catering for the
over sixties, which is ironic because they’re the ones who often have the leisure and the income to take
advantage of opportunities for travel. I'd say someone like me has certain advantages when it comes to
setting up in business. I spent years running a travel agency and I know a lot of people in the industry.
They have been great, offering advice as well as concrete help. At first, there was a lot of work involved
and I had to travel around the country a great deal making new contacts, but now I don’t have to be away
from home very often at all. I enjoy what I do, especially because I’ve always worked with people, and
without the daily contact I’d go mad!
C. Three years ago I decided I’d had enough of being a teacher, so I retired and started a pottery business.
Now we’ve got a fair-sized factory, and we’re about to expand into glassware as well. Most of the people
who work for me are more or less my generation. I find they tend to be more loyal; they don’t rush off if
they think they can see a better prospect elsewhere. It’s also good for the economy when some of these
older workers return to employment. It seems to me that people who start up businesses at my age are
realistic: they don’t aim to be millionaires, and they are less inclined to take unnecessary risks. So I’d
guess that fewer businesses started by older people go bust in the first few years. As for me, I must admit
I miss teaching at times, but we now have a few apprentices, and working with them is rather like being a
teacher in some ways. Of course, running a business is a responsibility, especially since I know the people
who work for me rely on the income from their jobs, but it’s also a very stimulating, challenging experience.
D. When I left the company I’d been with for twenty- five years, they gave me a rather good retirement
package, which meant I had a reasonable amount of cash to invest in my own company. It was something
I’d longed to do for years. I’ve always been a keen gardener, you see, so I started a landscape gardening
company. All the physical work involved means I'm fitter than I have been for years! One thing that did
surprise me at the start was how much official paperwork I have to deal with. It’s exhausting filling in all
those forms, but apart from that, I find the work itself rewarding. As for the future, who knows?
Obviously, I wouldn’t want to be travelling around the country and working outdoors as much when I’m
over seventy, although on the other hand, I firmly believe that working has kept me active and alert, so
why should I give it up until I really have to?
E. My career was in accounting, and I knew that there was shortly going to be a change in the way self-
employed people fill in tax returns. So when I was made redundant, I thought it would be a good idea to
produce software showing people exactly how to go about it, and that was the first item my company put
on the market. With my experience it was relatively easy to come up with the material - I wrote it all
myself - and then I got together with a software producer to make the CD-ROMs. My wife’s first reaction
was that I should try something completely different from what I’d been doing all my working life, but I
figured I’d be better off sticking to what I know. Things are going well, although I’ve deliberately not
tried to expand the business - it can be stressful for a boss when a company expands fast, and I prefer to
take things easy and enjoy what I do. Of course, there have been some tricky moments, but I can honestly
say I’ve never regretted starting my own firm. I’m sure I wouldn’t have had the nerve to do it when I was
younger, but I’m very glad I did. 11
For questions 1 - 10, match the information with a suitable paragraph (A-E). When more than one
answer is required, these may be given in any order.
the unexpected demands of the business. 1.
an established network of business contacts 2.
a prejudicial assessment of a person's value 3. 4.
the cost of setting up a business 5.
the confidence that comes with maturity 6. plans to branch out 7.
a product that aims to help people fill in official forms 8.
the fact that few companies cater for a certain group of people 9.
the advantage of employing older people 10. 12
SECTION IV. WRITING (50 points)
Part 1: Chart description (20 points)
The graph below shows the rate of smoking per 1000 people in Someland from 1960 to 2000.
Write a report describing the information in the graph.
You should write at least 150 words.
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Part 2: Essay writing (30 pts)
Write an essay of around 350 words on the following topic.
Some people think that young people should choose their professions themselves. Others believe that
their parents should choose for them.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
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That’s the end of the test! 15