Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG quốc gia lớp 12 THPT tỉnh Hải Dương năm học 2019-2020 môn thi Tiếng Anh vòng II

SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO
KÌ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN DỰ THI HẢI DƯƠNG
HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA THPT ------------ NĂM HỌC 2019 - 2020
ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC MÔN THI: TIẾNG ANH
Thời gian: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) Ngày thi: 20/09/2019
(Đề thi gồm: 12 trang) I.LISTENING (50 points)
HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
+ Bài nghe gồm 4 phần, mỗi phần nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 15 giây, mở đầu và kết thúc
mỗi phần nghe có tín hiệu.
+ Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 3 phút để hoàn chỉnh bài trước
tín hiệu nhạc kết thúc bài nghe.
+ Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh (bằng Tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe.
Part 1. You will hear a radio interview with two students, Annabelle Lester and Roberto
Marini, who are both studying at the same art school. Decide whether each statement is
True (T) or False (F). (10 points)
1 Annabelle enjoys studying at Capital Art School because she is able to do a full-time course in sculpture and painting.
2. Annabelle says she chose to study at Capital Art School because the students do not have to pay fees for the course.
3. Roberto says that his course includes learning how to compare everyday objects and works of art
4. Roberto uses a computer to complete a piece of artwork.
5. Annabelle says in her future, she would be willing to work in industry.
Part 2. You will hear a student called Caroline talking about her research project into
rivers that have been made to flow underground. Complete the sentences with a word
or short phrase. (10 points)
RESEARCH INTO RIVERS PUT INTO UNDERGROUND PIPES
In the 18th and 19th centuries, many rivers were covered over in order to deal with (1)
________________ that was being caused.
One advantage of covering rivers was that (2)_______________ carried by water were less
likely to spread. Putting rivers into pipes prevented the creation and survival of
(3)__________________ for plants and fish.
Fish were unable to move through a pipe if there was a change in (4)____________________.
A (5) ________________________or a break in a pipe can increase the risk of flood damage. 1
Part 3. Listen to a discussion with regard to hyperpolyglotism and choose the correct
answer A, B, C, or D which fits best according to what your hear.
1. Olivia and Ron both say that their motivation for learning so many languages is
A. the possibility of communicating with people around the world.
B. their fascination with language systems.
C. their ability to master languages extremely quickly.
D. the challenge of achieving native speaker fluency.
2. What did Ron learn about hyperpolyglots when he was researching his book?
A. They do not have any special genetic features.
B. They usually have a history of multi-lingualism in the family.
C. They are part of a relatively recent phenomenon.
D. They usually focus on the same group of languages.
3. When discussing reactions to their hyperpolyglotism, Ron agrees with Olivia that
A. people often make the wrong assumptions about their personalities.
B. it is surprising how much attention they attract.
C. people cannot see the point of learning so many languages.
D. it is touching how eager people are to help them.
4. How does Olivia feel about spending so much time on the Internet?
A. proud of the intensity with which she studies.
B. defensive about the choices she makes.
C. worried that she is becoming isolated from her friends.
D. embarrassed about her enjoyment of soap operas and chat shows.
5. What point does Ron make about one East Asian Language?
A. He finds it particularly appropriate in one situation.
B. He hopes to keep it alive for posterity.
C. It has not kept up with modern developments.
D. It has a special religious significance among its speakers.
Part 4. You will hear a piece of news from VOA. Fill in each gap with a word/ short
phrase from the recording (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS). (20 points)
Asia-Pacific plays a more significant role in the future of the United States than any
other region. It takes up one-third of the world's population, produces one-third of global
GDP, and has some of the most (1) ________________ in the world. However, some real
security and economic challenges have been found in the Asia-Pacific region. The (2)
________________ of North Korea, the rise of an authoritarian China, the increase of
terrorism and (3) ________________ and other problems are (4) ________________
prospects for stability and growth in some countries. These problems will only be resolved by
strong, determined leadership.
In response to North Korea's nuclear and (5) ________________ capabilities, the
United States initiated a ‘maximum pressure campaign' against North Korea by restricting
North Korean diplomatic activities, (6) ________________ all trade ties and tightening (7)
________________ on North Korea. Although the US shows its desire for a productive
relationship and resolving differences, they will not tolerate any attempts to (8)
________________ its position in Asia.
Finally, the US continues to collaborate with APEC to promote high standards and fair
trade. President Trump's (9) ________________ is expanding and deepening (10)
________________ throughout the region to ensure that the United States is a Pacific
power and will remain committed to this region's success. 2
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (20 points)
Part 1. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions. (15 points)
1. Rachel has an amazing ________ of jokes that she uses to good effect at parties. A. body B. repertoire C. variation D. store
2. The old house was unable to withstand the ________of severe winter weather and suffered
considerable structural damage. A. extremity B. onslaught C. outrage D. fury
3. Activities in the department store were _______ by animal rights activists protesting
against the sale of fur coats. A. disorientated B. disrupted C. deranged D. disturbed
4. This savage war had ________ this beautiful country waste and left many of its inhabitants homeless. A. cast B. laid C. grown D. set
5. Anyone who lies under oath will be charged with _______ the course of justice. A. diverting B. perverting C. inverting D. converting
6. One might think you were ________ liberties with me. I don't like it when you make free
with my lawn mower. You should at least ask when you want to borrow it. A. placing B. making C. taking D. finding
7. Tears ______ up out of the baby's eyes. A. raised B. mounted C. welled D. filled
8. She went under ________as a waiter to write an article on tipping. A. mask B. act C. cover D. pose
9. That human rights are _____ is unacceptable in a civilized society. A. abrogated B. impeached C. infringed D. quashed
10. A lot of scorn has been ________ on the Canadian seal hunters for their merciless practices A. blamed B. launched C. poured D. fixed
11. Do you have any figures showing the _______ of left-handedness is in the general population? A. incidence B. occurrence C. accidence D. persistence
12. Take care that your love for him doesn't _______ your judgment. A. cloud B. shadow C. darken D. topple
13. I don’t want to burden my daughter with my problems; she’s got too much _____ A. on her plate B. in her mind C. in effect D. up her sleeve
14. The UN has called for an immediate _______ of hostilities. A. cessation B. deletion C. cancellation D. ceasefire
15. Maria and Jean had a _______ romance - they met and married within two months. A. whirlwind B. hurricane C. cyclone D. typhoon
Part 2. Write the correct form of each bracketed word in the following sentences. (5 points)
Youngsters in their teens or even earlier sometimes idolize film stars or other celebrities
with a kind of blind, devoted (1. HERO)______ . The objects of such adoration are regarded
as gods by their (2.SMITE) worshippers. How sad that such devotion is almost always
unrequited (though pop-stars have been known to marry their fans). Young people also
sometimes develop an irrational obsession for another, often older, person which is not an
adult, mature feeling but simply a youthful (3. INFATUATED)______. At parties a boy may
playfully try to attract a girl, or vice versa, without intending any serious, lasting relationship.
This is just a flirtation. A relationship which gives deep and lasting happiness to both partners 3
must not be (4. SIDE)______ (felt more strongly by one of the pair than by the other). It
should be based on a mutual love and respect, felt equally by each of the two. Of course it
can take many forms. It might be very deep but entail no physical desire, in which case it is
described as (5. PLATO)______ . Certainly, for any relationship to be stable, the two people
involved must be compatible (they must get on well together). This does not necessarily
mean that they must have attitudes and interests in common, for partnerships of opposites can
work very well. The different characters of the two people somehow complement each other. III. READING (50 points)
Part 1. Read the following passage. Fill each blank with ONE suitable word. (12 points)
Most people like to think they are (1)______ and simply wear whatever they like. Few
people will admit to being (2)_______ to fashion. (3 )_______ , we are not just talking of the
expensive haute couture of the Paris or Milan fashion houses, which not many people can
(4)_______ anyway. We are talking of fashions and (5)_______ in everyday clothes. We say
that we wear jeans and sweaters because they are cheap and practical, but it isn’t true that our
jeans and sweaters (6)_______ to be the same as everyone else wears? Doesn’t that mean
that we like to be (7)_______? Of course the big chain-stores, to some extent, (8)_______
what we wear, but they always offer a choice and people do, on the whole, like to wear the
latest (9)_______, which extends beyond clothes to make-up, personal (10)_______ (men
wear earrings too, nowadays) and hairstyles. It is easy to declare that we do not slavishly
(11)_______ the dictates of fashion, but aren’t we all (12 )_______ at heart?
Part 2. You are going to read an extract from an article. Seven paragraphs have been
removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-G the one which fits each
gap. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. (7 points) The Do-gooders
The people who changed the morals of English society.
In the last decades of the 18th century, the losers seriously outnumbered the winners. Those
who were fortunate enough to occupy the upper levels of society, celebrated their good
fortune by living a hedonistic life of gambling, parties and alcohol. It was their moral right,
they felt, to exploit the weak and the poor. Few of them thought their lives should change, even fewer believed it could. 1. _____________
But the decisive turning point for moral reform was the French revolution. John Bowlder, a
popular moralist of the time, blamed the destruction of French society on a moral crisis.
Edmund Burke, a Whig statesman agreed. 'When your fountain is choked up and polluted,' he
wrote, 'the stream will not run long or clear.' If the English society did not reform, ruin would surely follow. 2. _____________
Englishmen were deeply afraid that the immorality of France would invade England. Taking
advantage of this, Burke was able to gain considerable support by insisting that the French
did not have the moral qualifications to be a civilised nation. He pronounced 'Better this
island should be sunk to the bottom of the sea that than... it should not be a country of religion and morals.' 3. _____________
Sobering though these messages were, the aristocracy of the time was open to such reforms,
not least due to fear. France's attempt to destroy their nobility did much to encourage the
upper classes to examine and re-evaluate their own behaviour. Added to this was the arrival
of French noble émigrés to British shores. As these people were dependent on the charity of 4
the British aristocracy, it became paramount to amend morals and suppress all vices in order to uphold the state. 4. _____________
Whether the vices of the rich and titled stopped or were merely cloaked is open to question.
But it is clear that by the turn of the century, a more circumspect society had emerged. Styles
of dress became more moderate, and the former adornments of swords, buckles and
powdered hair were no longer seen. There was a profusion of moral didactic literature
available. Public hangings ceased and riots became much rarer. 5. _____________
One such person was Thomas Wackley who in 1823 founded a medical journal called 'the
Lancet'. At this time, Medicine was still a profession reserved for the rich, and access to
knowledge was impossible for the common man. The Lancet shone a bright light on the
questionable practices undertaken in medicine and particularly in surgery, and finally led to improved standards of care. 6. _____________
How though did changes at the top affect the people at the bottom of the societal hierarchy?
Not all reformers concerned themselves which changes at the authoritative and governmental
levels. Others concentrated on improving the lives and morals of the poor. In the midst of the
industrial revolution, the poorest in society were in dire straits. Many lived in slums and
sanitation was poor. No-one wanted the responsibility of improvement. 7. _____________
Could local authorities impose such measures today? Probably not. Even so, the legacy of the
moral reform of the late 1800s and 1900s lives on today. Because of it, the British have come
to expect a system which is competent, fair to all and free from corruption. Nowadays
everyone has a right to a home, access to education, and protection at work and in hospital.
This is all down to the men and women who did not just observe society's ills from a
distance, but who dared to take steps to change it. Paragraphs
A. But a moral makeover was on the horizon, and one of the first people to promote it was
William Wilberforce, better known for his efforts in abolishing the slave trade. Writing to a
friend, Lord Muncaster, he stated that 'the universal corruption and profligacy of the
times...taking its rise amongst the rich and luxurious has now ... spread its destructive poison
through the whole body of the people.'
B. But one woman, Octavia Hill, was willing to step up to the mark. Hill, despite serious
opposition by the men who still dominated English society, succeeded in opening a number
of housing facilities for the poor. But, recognising the weaknesses of a charity-dependent
culture, Hill enforced high moral standards, strict measures in hygiene and cleanliness upon
her tenants, and, in order to promote a culture of industry, made them work for any financial handouts.
C. At first, moralists did not look for some tangible end to moral behaviour. They concerned
themselves with the spiritual salvation of the rich and titled members of society, believing
that the moral tone set by the higher ranks would influence the lower orders. For example,
Samuel Parr, preaching at London's St Paul's Cathedral, said 'If the rich man...abandons
himself to sloth and all the vices which sloth generates, he corrupts by his example. He
permits...his immediate attendants to be, like him, idle and profligate.'
D. In time, the fervour for improved morals strayed beyond personal behaviour and towards a
new governance. People called for a tightening of existing laws which had formerly been
enforced only laxly. Gambling, duelling, swearing, prostitution, pornography and adultery
laws were more strictly upheld to the extent that several fashionable ladies were fined fifty
pounds each for gambling in a private residence. 5
E. So far, however, circumspection in the upper classes had done little to improve the lives of
those in the lower classes. But that was to change. Against a backdrop of the moral high
ground, faults in the system started to stand out. One by one, people started to question the
morality of those in authority.
F. The attitudes of the upper classes became increasingly critical during the latter part of the
eighteenth century. In 1768, the Lord of the Treasury was perfectly at ease to introduce his
mistress to the Queen, but a generation later, such behaviour would have been unacceptable.
Such attitudes are also seen in the diaries of Samuel Pepys, who, in 1793 rambles without
criticism about his peer's many mistresses. A few years later, his tone had become infinitely more critical.
G. Similar developments occurred in the Civil Service. Civil servants were generally
employed as a result of nepotism or acquaintance, and more often than not took advantage of
their power to provide for themselves at the expense of the public. Charles Trevelyan, an
official at the London Treasury, realised the weaknesses in the system and proposed that all
civil servants were employed as a result of entrance examinations, thus creating a system
which was politically independent and consisted of people who were genuinely able to do the job.
H. These prophecies roused a little agitation when first published in 1790,but it was the
events in 1792-93, which shocked England into action. Over in France, insurrection had led
to war and massacre. The King and Queen had been tried and executed. France was now
regarded as completely immoral and uncivilized, a country where vice and irreligion reigned.
Part 3. Read an extract from an article on anthropology and choose the answer A, B, C
or D that fits best according to the text. (8 points)
Anthropology distinguishes itself from the other social sciences by its greater
emphasis on fieldwork as the source of new knowledge. The aim of such studies is to develop
as intimate an understanding as possible of the phenomena investigated. Although the length
of field studies varies from a few weeks to years, it is generally agreed that anthropologists
should stay in the field long enough for their presence to be considered ‘natural’ by the permanent residents.
Realistically, however, anthropologists may never reach this status. Their foreign
mannerisms make them appear clownish, and so they are treated with curiosity and
amusement. If they speak the local language at all, they do so with a strange accent and
flawed grammar. They ask tactless questions and inadvertently break rules regarding how
things are usually done. Arguably this could be an interesting starting point for research,
though it is rarely exploited. Otherwise, anthropologists take on the role of the ‘superior
expert’, in which case they are treated with deference and respect, only coming into contact
with the most high-ranking members of the society. Anthropologists with this role may never
witness the gamut of practices which take place in all levels of the society.
No matter which role one takes on, anthropologists generally find fieldwork
extremely demanding. Anthropological texts may read like an exciting journey of
exploration, but rarely is this so. Long periods of time spent in the field are generally
characterised by boredom, illness and frustration. Anthropologists in the field encounter
unfamiliar climates, strange food and low standards of hygiene. It is often particularly trying
for researchers with middle-class, European backgrounds to adapt to societies where being
alone is considered pitiful. It takes a dedicated individual to conduct research which is not in
some way influenced by these personal discomforts.
Nonetheless, fieldwork requires the researcher to spend as much time as
possible in local life. A range of research methodologies can be utilised to extract
information. These can be classified as emic or etic. A native’s point of view of his own 6
lifestyle is emic, while the analytical perspective of the outsider is etic. While emic
descriptions are considered more desirable nowadays, they are difficult to attain, even if the
researcher does his utmost to reproduce the facts from the natives’ point of view. More often
than not, aspects of the researcher’s own culture, perspective and literary style seep into the
narrative. Moreover, research generally involves translations from one language to another
and from speech into writing. In doing this, the meaning of utterances is changed. The
only truly emic descriptions can be those given by the natives themselves in their own vernacular.
The least invasive type of research methodology is observation. Here, the researcher
studies the group and records findings without intruding too much on their privacy. This is
not to say, however, that the presence of the researcher will have minimal impact on the
findings. An example was Richard Borshay Lee, who, in studying local groups in the
Kalahari refused to provide the people with food so as not to taint his research, leading to an
inevitable hostility towards the researcher which would not otherwise have been present.
A variant on the observation technique, participant observation requires that the
anthropologist not only observes the culture, but participates in it too. It allows for
deeper immersion into the culture studied, hence a deeper understanding of it. By
developing a deeper rapport with the people of the culture, it is hoped they will open up
and divulge more about their culture and way of life than can simply be observed.
Participant observation is still an imperfect methodology, however, since populations
may adjust their behavior around the researcher, knowing that they are the subject of research.
The participatory approach was conceived in an attempt to produce as emic a
perspective as possible. The process involves not just the gathering of information from local
people, but involves them in the interpretation of the findings. That is, rather than the
researcher getting actively involved in the processes within the local community, the
process is turned on its head. The local community is actively involved in the research process.
1. The main reason for anthropological researchers remaining in a community for an
extended period of time is that:
A. they can gather as much information as possible.
B. they can try out a range of different research methodologies.
C. they want local people to behave naturally around them.
D. they need time to become accustomed to the conditions
2. What does the passage say about researchers who are considered a ‘clown’ by locals?
A. They do culturally unacceptable things without realising it.
B. They do not gain respect among high-ranking members of the community.
C. They cannot conduct any research of value.
D. They do not study the language and culture of the region before their arrival.
3. What does ‘gamut’ mean? A. idea or impression B. prohibition or taboo C. range or extent D. secret or mystery
4. The writer believes that the most difficult aspect of fieldwork for educated westerners is
A. the lack of companionship. B. poor sanitary conditions.
C. failure to meet expectations. D. never being left alone.
5. In paragraph 3, it is implied that:
A. the fieldworker’s emotions and mood prejudice the research.
B. the longer a researcher spends in the field, the more depressed he gets.
C. middle-class Europeans find field research more difficult than researchers from other backgrounds. 7
D. anthropological texts tend to exaggerate the difficult conditions that researchers experience.
6. Why is the example of Richard Borshay Lee given in paragraph 5?
A. to demonstrate that observation is an ineffective method of gathering data.
B. to highlight why it is important that researchers minimize their impact on a community.
C. to show the dangers of researchers trying to lessen their impact on a community.
D. to show how a researcher’s choice of methodology can influence the validity of his findings.
7. How does participant observation differ vary from straightforward observation?
A. It requires the researcher to become actively involved in the daily lives of those being studied.
B. It allows the subjects of the research a greater degree of privacy.
C. It eradicates the problem of research subjects altering their behaviour towards researchers.
D. It takes longer to perform this type of research effectively.
8. Which of the following is NOT true of the participatory approach?
A. It attempts to reduce etic accounts of a culture to a minimum.
B. It does not require a researcher to be present.
C. It aims to involve the subjects in both information gathering and analysis.
D. It is the reverse of the participant observation technique.
Part 4. Reading the passage and answer the questions that follow. (13 points)
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A—G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs
B—G from the list of headings below. List of Headings i. The biological clock ii. Why dying is beneficial
iii. The ageing process of men and women iv. Prolonging your life v. Limitations of life span
vi. Modes of development of different species
vii. A stable lifespan despite improvements viii. Energy consumption
ix. Fundamental differences in ageing of objects and organisms x. Repair of genetic material Example Answer Paragraph A v 1. Paragraph B 2. Paragraph C 3. Paragraph D 4. Paragraph E 5. Paragraph F 6. Paragraph G
HOW DOES THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICK?
A. Our life span is restricted. Everyone accepts this as 'biologically' obvious. 'Nothing lives
forever!' However, in this statement, we think of artificially produced, technical objects,
products which are subjected to natural wear and tear during use. This leads to the result that
at some time or other the object stops working and is unusable ('death' in the biological
sense). But are the wear and tear and loss of function of technical objects and the death of
living organisms really similar or comparable. 8
B. Our 'dead' products are 'static', closed systems. It is always the basic material which
constitutes the object and which, in the natural course of things, is worn down and becomes
'older'. Age, in this case, must occur according to the laws of physical chemistry and of
thermodynamics. Although the same law holds for a living organism, the result of this law is
not inexorable in the same way. At least as long as a biological system has the ability to
renew itself it could actually become older without ageing; an organism is an open, dynamic
system through which new material continuously flows. Destruction of old material and
formation of new material are thus in permanent dynamic equilibrium. The material of which
the organism is formed changes continuously. Thus our bodies continuously exchange old
substance for new, just like a spring which more or less maintains its form and movement,
but in which the water molecules are always different.
C. Thus ageing and death should not be seen as inevitable, particularly as the organism
possesses many mechanisms for repair. It is not, in principle, necessary for a biological
system to age and die. Nevertheless, a restricted life span, ageing, and then death are basic
characteristics of life. The reason for this is easy to recognise: in nature, the existent
organisms either adapt or are regularly replaced by new types. Because of changes in the
genetic material (mutations), these have new characteristics and in the course of their
individual lives, they are tested for optimal or better adaptation to the environmental
conditions. Immortality would disturb this system — it needs room for new and better life.
This is the basic problem of evolution.
D. Every organism has a life span which is highly characteristic. There are striking
differences in life span between different species, but within one species the parameter is
relatively constant. For example, the average duration of human life has hardly changed in
thousands of years. Although more and more people attain an advanced age as a result of
developments in medical care and better nutrition, the characteristic upper limit for most
remains 80 years. A further argument against the simple wear and tear theory is the
observation that the time within which organisms age lies between a few days (even a few
hours for unicellular organisms) and several thousand years, as with mammoth trees.
E. If a life span is a genetically determined biological characteristic, it is logically necessary
to propose the existence of an internal clock, which in some way measures and controls the
ageing process and which finally determines death as the last step in a fixed programme. Like
the life span, the metabolic rate has for different organisms a fixed mathematical relationship
to the body mass. In comparison to the life span this relationship is 'inverted': the larger the
organism the lower its metabolic rate. Again this relationship is valid not only for birds, but
also, similarly on average within the systematic unit, for all other organisms (plants, animals, unicellular organisms).
F. Animals which behave 'frugally' with energy become particularly old, for example,
crocodiles and tortoises. Parrots and birds of prey are often held chained up. Thus they are
not able to 'experience life' and so they attain a high life pan in captivity. Animals which save
energy by hibernation or lethargy (e.g. bats or hedgehogs) live much longer than those which
are always active. The metabolic rate of mice can be reduced by a very low consumption of
food (hunger diet). They then may live twice as long as their well-fed comrades. Women
become distinctly (about 10 per cent) older than men. If you examine the metabolic rates of
the two sexes you establish that the higher male metabolic rate roughly accounts for the lower
male life span. That means that they live life 'energetically' — more intensively, but not for as long.
G. It follows from the above that sparing use of energy reserves should tend to extend life.
Extreme high-performance sports may lead to optimal cardiovascular performance, but they
quite certainly do not prolong life. Relaxation lowers metabolic rate, as does adequate sleep
and in general an equable and balanced personality. Each of us can develop his or her own 9
'energy saving programme' with a little self-observation, critical self-control and, above all,
logical consistency. Experience will show that to live in this way not only increases the
lifespan but is also very healthy. This final aspect should not be forgotten.
Questions 7-10. Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
from the passage for each answer.
• Objects age in accordance with principles of (7) ________________ and of (8)_________________
• Through mutations, organisms can (9) ______________________ better to the environment
• (10) ______________________ would pose a serious problem for the theory of evolution
Questions 11-13: Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the reading passage?
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
11. The wear and tear theory applies to both artificial objects and biological systems.
12. In principle, it is possible for a biological system to become older without ageing.
13. Within seven years, about 90 per cent of a human body is replaced as new.
Part 5. Read the text and do the task that follows. (10 points)
AN ARTICLE ON TWO BOOKS
Section A: Both Purple Hibiscus and Once Were Warriors are post-colonial novels, in the
sense that they were written, and deal with subjects of the position of independence as
opposed to the colonial state of being in both a universalising sense and a personal one.
Purple Hibiscus was published in 2004 and is set in Nigeria, the author Cinamanada Ngozi
Adichie’s homeland. Once Were Warriors was written by a Maori New Zealander, Alan
Duff, in 1990 and has since met with international acclaim through the silver screen. But,
what has contributed to making this is another lengthy tale. Both books sit happily on the
shelf labelled “postcolonial literature,” but such careless sweeps of the categorising tongue
are exactly what such authors are attempting to avoid. Their works don’t reinforce the
boundaries, leaving readers feeling warm and cosy. Colonialism, precolonialism and a whole
set of other blunt “isms” can be argued as being explored by these authors.
Section B That remnants of colonialism and pre-colonialism are present in each text indicates
the boundaries between pre-colonial and colonial states of being are not as established, in a
postcolonial existence, as the frame of the words denote. What are the implications of
depicting, potential pre-colonial situations within the colonial tongue? Both Once Were
Warriors and Purple Hibiscus, potentially present colonial and pre-colonial notions of history
or histories, but from different post-colonial positions. With Nigeria having been a colony of
occupation, as opposed to the settler colony of New Zealand, relations between the coloniser
and the colonised differ greatly between the two cultural entities. With the coloniser,
potentially, obscuring and abstracting the area between pre-colonial and postcolonial
existences, any pre-colonial notions must always be partly located within a colonial
perspective. Nonetheless, the precolonial uttered in the colonial tongue renders that colonial 10
tongue as being somewhat altered in the process. The colonial tongue both makes and
unmakes itself by using the same tools for different ends. The dragging of heels back and
forth over the hot coals of second-hand languages renders the happy branding of
“postcolonial” of those who dare to make the colonial tongue their own seem like an
unrefined broad-brushes attempt to depict the hairline cracks in a china doll.
Section C Both texts deal with the uncertainties of the formation and reformation of
identities. Working with, yet at the same time questioning and unsettling, the bildungsroman
format, Once Were Warriors and Purple Hibiscus present identities snaking through notions
of pre-colonial identities alongside colonial and postcolonial ones. The certainty of the very
survival of Kambili and Beth in Once Were Warriors seems, to an extent, to be staked on pre-
colonial notions of identity formation. The chief at Beth’s funeral articulates this in sorrow
for the young girls death; ‘we are what we are only because of our past […] we should never
forget our past or our future is lost’. The death of Grace directly influences Beth to address
her situation and that of the individuals in Pine Block. Although Grace’s death is linked to the
rape, Beth, who is unaware of this, questions her involvement in the death of her daughter.
‘Could I have prevented it?’ echoes out from every movement Beth makes after this. Why
does the young girl have to die? Is it to highlight injustices in the Maori community, to make
the community, to an extent, stand up and demand to be heard?
Section D Indeed, it is death that stalks the corridors of these two novels. It is the death of
Eugene, the ‘colonial product’ in Purple Hibiscus alongside the death of Papa-Nnukwu the
‘pre-colonial product’ that lead to questions of where to turn in terms of identity formation.
The colonial figure is dead; he doesn’t present ways of being to his children that seem
acceptable to them; he is too violent, too dominating for their generation. But, as well,
PapaNnukwu, who is adored by his grandchildren, seems like an inadequate role model to
wholly guide the younger generation into futures that are still in the making.
Section E By introducing Purple Hibiscus with the sentence ‘Things fall apart’, Adichie is
immediately paying homage to Chinua Achebe’s same-named novel published in the mid-
twentieth century, which depicted a hamlet in Africa on the eve of nineteenth-century
colonialism. Everyday lives and everyday disputes fill page after page. The reader is with the
hamlet when its inhabitants are devastated. We are invited to sit in another seat. To see how it
might have felt to be utterly subjugated by foreigners. The beauty of comparing the two
Nigerian novels is in their dealings with Christianity. Indeed, in Things Fall Apart, church
missionaries come to the hamlet to ‘save them from hell and damnation’ and Okonkwo, the
head of the hamlet, is immediately distrustful. He is closed to change as is the Catholic
‘colonial product’ of Eugene in Purple Hibiscus. The stubbornness each character shows, but
towards different ends, demonstrates the meaninglessness of assertions of power for the sake of assertions of power.
In which section are the following mentioned? 1.
The feeling of being responsible for a death 2.
The problem of putting literature into categories 3.
Another novel refered to in the novel 4.
Using language in different ways 5.
Characters who don’t easily accept change 6.
The refusal to embrace the way of life of either of two elders 7. Different types of colonies 8.
One of the novels being made into a film 9.
Death playing a role to help a community 11
10. The difficulty in defining the subgenre of certain publications D. WRITING (60 points)
Part 1. Write a short summary of 80-90 words of the following paragraph. (15 points)
Traffic congestion in Britain could be eased if it weren't for the nation's addiction to the
absurd cult of the lone driver. But let's face it, sharing cars is something the British just don't
do. Next Monday morning the streets will be overflowing with cars once again, most with
spare seats front and back, and there will be few lifts on offer for those friends or colleagues
who have no choice but to trudge through fumes or jostle in bus queues.
Many drivers, it seems, echo the view of one former transport minister who observed, albeit
light-heartedly, that with cars “you have your own company, your own temperature control
and your own choice of music —and you don't have to put up with dreadful human beings
sitting alongside you.” Many a true word, it seems, is said in jest. Indeed, sharing would
threaten the very independence that makes the car such an attractive option in the first place.
Offer a colleague a regular lift and you're locked into a routine as oppressive as any other,
with all individual flexibility lost. So, what's in it for the driver?
But even in a motor-obsessed city such as Los Angeles, drivers have been won over by the
idea of car-sharing. It is attractive because cars with more than one occupant are allowed
access to fast-moving priority lanes. So desirable are these amid the six lanes of jam-packed
traffic that, in the early days, Californian students charged motorists several dollars a time to pick them up.
Part 2. The chart below shows UK and USA energy consumption in 2006. Summarize
the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. (15 points)
Part 3. Write about the following topic: (30 points) 12
School children are becoming far too dependent on computers. This is having an alarming
effect on reading and writing skills. Teachers need to avoid using computers in the
classroom at all costs and go back to teaching basic study skills.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write about 300-350 words. 13