Kỳ thi học sinh giỏi vòng tỉnh THPT đề thi thử HSG tỉnh số 01 năm 2020

PAGE TÀI LIỆU TIẾNG ANH NÂNG CAO
KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI VÒNG TỈNH THPT
ĐỀ THI THỬ HSG TỈNH SỐ 01 NĂM 2020 Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH
Thời gian thi:
180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) Ngày thi:
Đề thi có 16 trang
* Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển
* Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm.
I. LISTENING (50 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 1-9, listen to a conversation in a tourist information office in Guernsey and
decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
1. There is a concert at the old castle on Saturday night.
2. St James concert hall is an ideal place to learn about the history of the island.
3. The woman says that Hauteville House was the home of a famous writer.
4. The guided walk in St Peter Port starts at 5.00 and lasts 1.5 hours.
5. To join the guided walk, visitors must buy a ticket from the information office.
6. The man plans to take part in the Autumn Walking Festival.
7. The name Tennerfest is related to the price offered.
8. Tennerfest will start in six weeks’ time.
9. The man is not interested in visiting the island of Jersey. Your answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Part 2. For questions 10-15, listen to a radio interview with the comedian Brain Conley, who does a
considerable amount of work in panto, a type of family-friendly show which is popular at Christmas
and choose the correct answer A, B or C which fits best according to what you hear. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
10. Brian likes Birmingham because
A. it has provided him with a steady income. B. it is where he grew up.
C. it was where he first became famous
11. When they discuss children’s participation in panto, Brian says that
A. he prefers children not to come up on stage.
B. it’s important to get the parents’ permission if a child wants to participate.
C. he thinks that children’s participation adds a certain quality to the show.
12. According to Brian, the advantage of panto is that
A. all the actors can change their lines to reflect current events.
B. the qualities required in panto match his talents.
C. it gives him the chance to play a comedy character.
13. Brian became involved in comedy because
A. he had wanted to do it since he was a child.
B. his friends at school encouraged him to do it.
C. he found he could earn more by doing comedy.
14. What does Brian say about providing comedy for corporate events? 1
A. It is easy because the audience has had a lot to drink.
B. He has learnt how to respond to comments from the audience.
C. It’s the only way for many comedians to find work.
15. What does Brian feel with regards to nerves?
A. He agrees with a comment someone made early in his career
B. He no longer feels nervous because he is more experienced
C. The extent of his nerves has changed over the years. Your answers 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 3. For questions 16-25, listen to a talk about the history of the electric guitar and supply the
blanks with the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the
recording for each answer in the space provided. DATE MAKER NAME OF GUITAR FEATURES 1890s Orville Gibson no name similar in shape to a 16.________________ 1925 Jogn Dopyera The National Guitar
made of metal, good for playing 17.________________ 1930s C.F. Martin Company The Dreadnought strings made of 18.________________ 1931 George Beauchamp The 19.________________ used two 20.________________shaped like horseshoes to increase sound 1935 Adolph Rickenbacker
The Rickenbacker Electro made from 21.________________ Spanish 1941 Les Paul The Log the first to be completely 22.________________ 1950 Leo Fender The Fender Broadcaster
its simplicity made it ideal for 23.________________ 1951 Leo Fender The 24.________________ easy to carry around 1952 Ted McCarty The Gibson Les Paul 25.________________in colour 1954 Leo Fender The Fender Stratocaster double cutaway design 2
II. PHONETICS (10 POINTS)
Part 1. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others. 26. A. failed B. reached C. absorbed D. solved 27. A. loses B. houses C. rises D. shoes 28. A. says B. pays C. stays D. bays 29. A. scheme B. parachute C. architect D. psychology 30. A. mahout B. foul C. poultry D. drought
Part 2. Choose the word which is stressed differently from the others. 31. A. remote B. receive C. prevent D. recent 32. A. preferential B. congratulate C. development D. preservative 33. A. abnormal B. initial C. innocent D. impatient 34. A. interchange B. infamous C. overeat D. undercurrent 35. A. aphorism B. extremism C. barbarism D. feminism Your answers 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
III. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (40 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 36-55, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following
questions and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
36. Standing on the tip of the cape, ________________.
A. people have seen a lighthouse far away
B. lies a lighthouse in the middle of the sea
C. a lighthouse can be seen from the distance
D. we can see the lighthouse in the distance
37. John: “Do you think we should use public transport to protect our environment?” Laura: “________________” A. Of course not. You bet!
B. Well. that’s very surprising.
C. There’s no doubt about it. D. Yes, it’s an absurd idea.
38. ________________ visit the British Museum while you are in London, you mustn't forget to look at the famous Rosetta Stone. A. In case you B. If you should C. For fear that you D. When you might
39. Paul: “ I was late because I got caught in traffic.”
Kevin: “________________, lateness will not be tolerated in this office.” A. Be that as it may B. If need be C. Then so be it D. Whatever it may be
40. The hostage was released unharmed by the kidnappers, but they were never caught and charged with ________________. A. fraud B. forgery C. abduction D. trafficking
41. On his first day in the Milanese office, the German executive experienced ________________ on
the part of the employees in the office, who saw him as a threat. A. inadequacy B. hostility C. equality D. degradation
42. The only room available was, to say the least________________. There was no carpet, no curtains,
and the only furniture was a bed and a small bedside table. A. snug B. dreary C. stark D. cushy
43. Regional parliaments allow ________________ for remote parts of the country or islands far from the capital. A. self-government B. self-sufficiency C. self-regulation D. self-support
44. Zoe’s plan to study at university ________________ when she didn’t get the required grades in her school leaving exams. A. fell through B. wrote off C. got back D. put in 3
45. It’s not advisable to buy goods from street vendors – there’s a good chance you’ll be ____________. A. ripped off B. forked out C. paid off D. scraped by
46. We all agreed to cover some of the cost – so come on, ________________! A. dip in B. put aside C. bail out D. cough up
47. I ate some tinned sardines that had expired and ended up feeling so sick that I ________________ all the food I had eaten. A. brought up B. passed out C. packed up D. went off
48. He was too sure of himself to pay ________________ to the warnings against the danger. A. notice B. attention C. respect D. recognition
49. All nations should ________________ hands to work out a plan to solve the problem of global warming. A. join B. hold C. shake D. lend
50. At the age of 11, Taylor Swift was already trying to ________________ a record deal in Nashville. A. land B. create C. steal D. grab
51. Please ________________ these figures to memory, so that you will be able to answer the investors’
questions easily and confidently. A. memorise B. recall C. retain D. commit
52. He’s sometimes bad-tempered but he’s a good fellow ________________. A. at heart B. with heart C. by heart D. in heart
53. When it comes to the ________________, Alice always support her friends. A. point B. crunch C. mark D. crisis
54. Although he came to work the day before his retirement, everyone knew he was just ________________. A. going with the flow B. going through the motions C. going against the grain D. going along with them
55. I had a ________________this morning when a tractor trailer unexpectedly swerved into my lane. A. deep end B. dead beat C. close shave D. tight corner Your answers 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
Part 2. For questions 56-60, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided.
Whilst 56.________________(urban) was characteristic of an earlier era, many young people are
choosing to do exactly the opposite of their forebears. As a result of financial
57.________________(stable) in the city and worries about inadequate public services, numerous
educated, young individuals, either alone or with their families are willingly moving back to smaller
towns and villages in search of a better and more 58.________________(afford) way of life.
When families are 59.________________(root) from their homes, there are a lot of negative
repercussions; educated graduates may face competition from skilled workers, who, while having no
formal qualifications, have been working the land for years, and city children may find themselves
60.________________(margin) at school.
Part 3. For questions 61-65, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided.
61. The discussions reached a new level of ________________(intense) and by lunchtime the
exchanges were becoming very heated.
62. Alvin met the genial master poet Langston Hughes, who became a lifelong friend and ________________ (confide).
63. There is an ________________ (speak) recognition of a certain disposition or habitus among the social classes.
64. It has to be said it was rather ________________ (genus) of him to ask a complete stranger to look after his luggage. 4
65. Sometimes a sympathetic friend can be a constant source of discouragement, all ________________ (know).
Part 4. For questions 66-75, find and correct 10 mistakes in the passage. Write them in the numbered boxes provided.
The huge mountain of Kilimanjaro is one of the most distinct entities within the severe land of the
African wilderness. Rivers carry life to the forests and jungles below flow from beneath the eminence,
whereas in the endless plains of this continent an astonishing diversity of animal species have evolved to
take advantage of the immense African habitat. They have adapted and survived in their different shapes
and sizes. Some of them are big, some small, some eat plans and some live by meat. There are those
which wander alone, unlike the others which gather in herd. The multiplying millions of herbivores are
balanced by the frightened meat eaters - carnivores whose body build has been shaped for speed and for
the strength indispensable to outmanoeuvre their prey. These superior predators which have conducted
their daily struggle for survival in the harsh African environment all live in unfavourable surroundings
where the punishment for weakness is often dead. The reality of Africa best pictures the exciting cruelty
of nature towards the weakness of individual animals as only the existence of the whole species is
essential. However, big predators like lions or tigers don't usually tolerate with company and might,
then, be exposed to mortal danger, were it not for their perfect attributes and an uncomparable skill at
killing. They should never be judged by human standards. It is obvious they don't kill out of hatred, but
for the simple reason of remaining lively during their lone struggle in this hostile habitat. Your answers 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
III. READING (50 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 76-85, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
A number of scientists around the world are investigating a phenomenon called synaesthesia that may
affect as 76.__________ as one in 2,000 people. The name 77.__________ from the Greek words for
together and perception and means that some people’s senses work in combination. For example, some
people see colour when they hear particular 78.__________. Similarly, a smell or taste may be
perceived as a 79.__________ to information received from the eyes. However, the most common form
of synaesthesia occurs 80.__________ people who associate certain letter of words with colours.
Scientists at Cambridge University conducted experiments to determine whether this is actually a
product of mental activity or if some individuals are just highly 81.__________. They discovered that
synaesthetes, people 82.__________ experience synaesthesia, consistently associate the same letters or
words with the same colours. Brain scans revealed unusual activity in the brain when subjects were
listening to words, suggesting that it is a 83.__________ condition. The 84.__________ plausible
explanation is that synaesthetes have slightly different connections between the areas of the brain which
control their senses. Synaesthesia is not a medical problem, however, and synaesthetes often
85.__________ from an unusually good memory, probably because they have extra information to help
them recall things like names and numbers. Your answers 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 5
Part 2. For questions 86-95, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each
gap. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
When LL Zamenhof constructed the auxiliary language of Esperanto in the late 1880s, he did so with
certain key goals in mind: to 86.__________ the study of language easier and more learner-friendly; and
to develop a universal language as a means of international communication and as a 87._________ for
promoting concord and understanding in a 88.__________ world. His goals were influenced very much
by his own experiences of growing up in Bialystok, which is part of modern-day Poland. A multitude of
different ethnic groups lived there at the time and were constantly 89.__________ with each one
another. It was this at which Zamenhof despaired, and he reasoned that the 90.__________ cause of
dispute was the barriers to communication present on account of the lack of a common language.
Therefore, he set out to create one: Esperanto.
His goals were incredibly ambitious, but was the new language a success? Well, in so far as it is the
most widely spoken artificial one in existence today, with an estimated two-plus-million people
worldwide fluent to some 91.__________, you would have to say yes. However, the fact remains that
Esperanto has not 92.__________ English as the lingua franca of international communication, nor has
it been nearly so widely 93.__________ as Zamenhof himself would have hoped.
Therefore, judged against Zamenhof’s own 94.__________ ambitions for the language, the conclusion
could not be in the affirmative. That said, his intentions in building an entirely new language were
incredibly noteworthy and that the language has 95.__________ even to the extent that it has done, with
millions of active speakers, is, in and of itself quite remarkable. 86. A. render B. prove C. adjust D. portray 87. A. mechanism B. utensil C. device D. scheme 88. A. discordant B. analogous C. congruent D. comparable 89. A. quarrelling B. disputing C. debating D. conflicting 90. A. outlying B. underlying C. outstanding D. underlining 91. A. scope B. breadth C. matter D. degree 92. A. promoted B. usurped C. overturned D. reversed 93. A. endured B. embraced C. embodied D. enhanced 94. A. reckless B. modest C. lofty D. pushy 95. A. enriched B. cultivated C. stretched D. prospered Your answers 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95.
Part 3. For questions 96-108, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. The Mystery of Sleep
Sleep takes up precious time and leaves us vulnerable, so why do we do it?
A. The question of why we sleep has been on people’s minds at least since the time of Aristotle, who
believed that the warming and cooling of the body as a result of digestion caused sleep. Though we
know this is incorrect today, other early theories have held up better. The possibility of a ‘sleep toxin’ –
a substance that built up during the day, causing drowsiness, and was subsequently relieved by sleep –
was put forward by Henri Pieron in the early 1900s, and this concept is not unlike some contemporary
ideas about sleep that researchers are pursuing today. It was not until 1953 that Nathaniel Kleitman and
his colleagues identified two different kinds of sleep; REM and non-REM sleep. Many say that this
breakthrough paved the way for modern sleep research. But since then, despite the great deal of effort
that has been made to better understand sleep, it is still largely a mysterious phenomenon. 6
B. Among living things, sleep is practically universal. Even jellyfish, which have no brains, experience
something called sleep pressure – the need to rest longer after being kept awake. Tiny worms, with only
a few neurons, spend time in a sleep-like state and die more quickly when exposed to stress if this state
is prevented. Sharks and dolphins, which must keep moving at all times in order to breathe, have the
ability to sleep with one hemisphere of the brain at a time. Yet, when an animal sleeps, it cannot protect
itself from danger, it cannot eat or reproduce. Sleep is high-risk and costly, so why is it such a universal
phenomenon? Clearly, it must be important.
C. One theory about the reason for sleep is that it arose simply as a way to save energy. If there were
times when it was difficult or hazardous for an animal to move around, then it might make sense for
them to simply enter a sleep state when all of their physical systems slow down. That way, they would
require less food, and could hide away from danger. The observation that animals with few natural
predators, lions, for example, sleep up to 15 hours a day, while small prey animals seldom sleep more
than 5 hours a day, seems to contradict this, however. In addition, the objection has been raised that
sleep only lowers the metabolism by 10-15 per cent, so not much energy is, in fact, saved. According to
Serge Daan, a researcher who studied arctic ground squirrels, something else must be taking place. He
found that the ground squirrels would periodically come out of their suspended-animation-like state of
hibernation in order to sleep. For these animals, sleep was actually energetically expensive, so it must
serve some other essential purpose.
D. It is well established that the act of sleeping is important for essential brain functions such as
memory and learning. A rapidly increasing body of cognitive research suggests that sleep allows us to
consolidate and process information that has been acquired during the day. Sleep scientist Matthew
Walker used MRI scans to visualise activity in the brains of people who were learning a series of finger
movements. One group was allowed to sleep and the other was not. He found differences in the areas of
the brain that were activated when they recalled the movements; the group that had slept showed less
activity in the brain, and better recollection of the task. In other words, the way the memory was stored
had become more efficient. Walker believes that this could explain why toddlers, who are constantly
learning new motor skills, require so much more sleep than adults. Furthermore, Ted Abel, while
assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, found that mice deprived of sleep for the first five
hours after learning did not remember their physical surroundings, while their memory of facts and
events was not affected. This result allowed him to specify that sleep regulates memory in a specific part
of the brain, the hippocampus, which is responsible for memories related to spatial and contextual
information. But despite numerous studies, there are still more questions than answers on the role of sleep in memory and learning.
E. Another theory about the role of sleep is that it is essential for cleanup and repair in the brain and
body. Support for this theory is provided by research that shows periods of REM sleep increase
following periods of sleep deprivation and strenuous physical activity. During sleep, the body also
increases its rate of cell division and protein synthesis, further suggesting that repair and restoration
occurs during sleeping periods. Recently, new evidence supporting the repair and restoration theory has
been uncovered. Research has shown that the cellular structure of the brain is altered during sleep, and
more space forms between cells. This allows fluid to move between the cells and flush out toxic waste
products. It is believed that these toxins increase in the central nervous system during waking times, and
the restorative function of sleep is a consequence of their removal.
F. It may seem that all of this new evidence is not making the question of why we sleep any clearer;
indeed, the evidence seems to point to different explanations. In this context, it seems important to
remember that there may not be one correct answer, but instead it could be a combination. While the 7
idea that sleep is a method of energy conservation seems to be falling out of favour, it seems more and
more likely that benefits for memory and learning, the cleanup of the brain and the repair of the body
can all be attributed to a good night’s sleep
Questions 96-101: There are six paragraphs marked A-F in the passage. In which paragraph is the
following mentioned? Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
96. how researchers can see what is happening inside the brain
97. how many reasons for sleep there might realistically be
98. an example of lack of sleep being deadly
99. a particular discovery that was essential for how we view sleep today
100. how sleep might have arisen from threatening conditions
101. how the brain physically changes during sleep Your answers 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101.
Questions 102-104: Look at the following statement and the list of researchers below. Match each
statement with the correct researcher, A-E. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided. A Henri Pieron B Nathaniel Kleitman C Serge Daan D Matthew Walker E Ted Abel
102. Sleep is essential for the recollection only of certain types of memory.
103. The fact that sleep requirements vary with age alludes to its role.
104. A chemical that promotes sleep accumulates throughout the day. Your answers 102. 103. 104.
Questions 105-106: Choose TWO letters, A-E. Which TWO theories does the writer question the
validity of? Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
A Sleep pressure is proof of the necessity of sleep.
B Animals’ sleeping habits are related to their place on the food chain.
C Sleep is related to changes in body temperature.
D Sleep prevents the unnecessary burning of calories.
E There are different types of sleep with different functions.
Questions 107-108: Choose TWO letters, A-E. Which TWO points does the writer mention in support
of the importance of sleep for memory? Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
A During sleep, unimportant memories are removed.
B Sleep makes recollection more effortless.
C Sleep results in more activity throughout the brain.
D The function of a specific brain region is affected by sleep.
E Sleep duration modifies learning Your answers 105. 106. 107. 108. 8
Part 4. For questions 109-118, read the following passage and choose the answer A, B, C or D that
fits best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Forget global terrorism - for most of the world's population, ticking time bombs like earthquakes,
supervolcanoes and hurricanes pose a far greater threat. Natural disaster expert Bill McGuire reveals a
few of the top catastrophes waiting to happen.
With NASA's eminent climate scientist, Jim Hansen, concerned that collapsing polar ice sheets could
result in sea levels rising 1-2m this century and several more in the next, prospects for the Earth's coastal
zones are bleak. A 1m rise would threaten one-third of the world's agricultural land, while a 4m rise
would maroon Miami 60km offshore. Rising sea levels is not the only threat to coastal regions. The
Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma is slowly creeping seawards. During a future
eruption, this gigantic landslide will plunge into the ocean, pushing up a bulge of water close to a
kilometre high, spawning a mega-tsunami capable of devastating all the coastal areas surrounding the North Atlantic.
Coastal regions also face the menace of desertification. By 2030, over half a billion people living
around the shores of the Mediterranean will be viewing the encroaching desert with increasing panic.
An area bigger than the UK, and home to 16 million people, is threatened - by the end of the century -
with transformation from a green and pleasant land to a baking wilderness of sand and rock.
However, these disasters seem pale in comparison to the mega-catastrophes waiting to happen like
supervolcanoes, for instance. Every 50 millennia or so, a colossal volcanic blast expels sufficient ash
and gas to cover a continent and block the Sun's rays for years on end, heralding a bitter volcanic winter.
At Yellowstone in Wyoming, US, two such super-eruptions have shattered the crust in the last 2.1
million years and the volcano there remains restless. An asteroid attack is another threat which would
have devastating consequences. A total of 713 asteroids with diameters of 1km or more, and the
potential to clobber the Earth at some future date, have been identified. A 2km asteroid would load the
atmosphere with dust and trigger a sustained global freeze. Harvests would fail and billions would die.
Fortunately, such collisions only happen every couple of million years.
109. Which best serves as the title for the passage? A. Disasters in Waiting
B. Threats to the Earth’s Coastal Zones
C. The Mega-catastrophes That Could End the World
D. Surprising Facts about Supervolcanoes
110. According to the passage, what poses an imminent threat to us?
A. the increase of global terrorism
B. the rise in the world's population
C. the consequences of climate change and natural disasters
D. time bombs waiting to go off
111. The word “bleak” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________ A. auspicious B. promising C. commanding D. gloomy
112. Which aspect of the Cumbre Vieja eruption will have the worst effects? A. the eruption itself B. the subsequent mega-tsunami C. the plunge into the ocean D. the resulting landslide
113. The word “maroon” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________ A. push B. leave C. surge D. pull
114. The process of desertification threatening the shores of the Mediterranean will occur __________ A. gradually B. at the end of this century
C. to an area not quite as big as the UK D. all of a sudden
115. The word “menace” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________ A. acceleration B. spread C. threat D. process
116. How often does a supervolcano take place? A. once every century
B. once every 50 thousand years
C. once every couple of million years D. once every 50 million years
117. The word “there” in paragraph 4 refers to __________ A. the continent B. Yellowstone C. The US D. the crust
118. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. Terrorism is the most challenging issue facing the world.
B. Rising sea levels wreak greater havoc on coastal regions than volcanoes do.
C. The UK is one of the countries most heavily affected by desertification. 9
D. Both supervolcanoes and asteroid attacks lead to extremely cold weather conditions. Your answers 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118.
Part 5. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 119-125, read the
passage and choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra
paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided. Living in a Dream World
Daydreaming can help solve problems, trigger creativity, and inspire great works of art and science.
By Josie Glazier.
Most people spend between 30 and 47 per cent of their waking hours spacing out, drifting off, lost in
thought, wool-gathering or building castles in the air. Yale University emeritus psychology professor
Jerome L. Singer defines daydreaming as shifting attention “away from some primary physical or
mental task toward an unfolding sequence of private responses” or, more simply, “watching your own
mental videos.” He also divides daydreaming styles into two main categories: “positive-constructive,”
which includes upbeat and imaginative thoughts, and “dysphoric,” which encompasses visions of failure or punishment. 119.
Such humdrum concerns figured prominently in one study that rigorously measured how much time we
spend mind wandering in daily life. In a 2009 study, Kane and his colleague Jennifer McVay asked 72
students to carry Palm Pilots that beeped at random intervals eight times a day for a week. The subjects
then recorded their thoughts at that moment on a questionnaire. The study found that about 30 per cent
of the beeps coincided with thoughts unrelated to the task at hand and that mind wandering increased
with stress, boredom or sleepiness or in chaotic environments and decreased with enjoyable tasks. That
may be because enjoyable activities tend to grab our attention. 120.
We may not even be aware that we are daydreaming. We have all had the experience of “reading” a
book yet absorbing nothing—moving our eyes over the words on a page as our attention wanders and
the text turns into gibberish. “When this happens, people lack what I call ‘meta-awareness,’
consciousness of what is currently going on in their mind,” he says. But aimless rambling can be
productive as they can allow us to stumble on ideas and associations that we may never find if we intentionally seek them. 121.
So, why should daydreaming aid creativity? It may be in part because when the brain is floating in
unfocused mental space it serves a specific purpose. It allows us to engage in one task and at the same
time trigger reminders of other, concurrent goals so that we do not lose sight of them. There is also the 10
belief that we can boost the creative process by increasing the amount of daydreaming we do or
replaying variants of the millions of events we store in our brains. 122.
The mind's freedom to wander during a deliberate tuning out could also explain the flash of insight that
may coincide with taking a break from an unsolved problem. A study conducted at the University of
Lancaster in England into this possibility found that if we allow our minds to ramble during a
moderately challenging task, we can access ideas that are not easily available to our conscious minds.
Our ability to do so is now known to depend on the normal functioning of a dedicated daydreaming network deep in our brain. 123.
It was not until 2007, however, that cognitive psychologist Malia Fox Mason, discovered that the
default network — which lights up when people switch from an attention-demanding activity to drifting
reveries with no specific goals, becomes more active when mind wandering is more likely. She also
discovered that people who daydream more in everyday life show greater activity in the default network
while performing monotonous tasks. 124.
The conclusion reached in this ground-breaking study was that the more complex the mind wandering
episode is, the more of the mind it is going to consume. This inevitably leads to the problem of
determining the point at which creative daydreaming crosses the boundary into the realms of
compulsive fantasising. Although there is often a fine dividing line between the two, one question that
can help resolve the dilemma relates to whether the benefits gained from daydreaming outweigh the cost
to the daydreamer’s reputation and performance. 125.
On the other hand, there are psychologists who feel that the boundary is not so easily defined. They
argue that mind wandering is not inherently good or bad as it depends to a great extent on context.
When, for example, daydreaming occurs during an activity that requires little concentration, it is
unlikely to be costly. If, however, it causes someone to suffer severe injury or worse by say, walking
into traffic, then the line has been crossed.
A Although these two findings were significant, mind wandering itself was not measured during the
scans. As a result, it could not be determined exactly when the participants in her study were “on task”
and when they were daydreaming. In 2009 Smallwood, Schooler and Kalina Christoff of the University
of British Columbia published the first study to directly link mind wandering with increased activity in
the default network. Scans on the participants in their study revealed activity in the default network was
strongest when subjects were unaware they had lost focus.
B However, intense focus on our problems may not always lead to immediate solutions. Instead
allowing the mind to float freely can enable us to access unconscious ideas hovering underneath the 11
surface — a process that can lead to creative insight, according to psychologist Jonathan W. Schooler of
the University of California, Santa Barbara
C Yet to enhance creativity, it is important to pay attention to daydreams. Schooler calls this “tuning
out” or deliberate “off-task thinking.”, terms that refer to the ability of an individual to have more than
just the mind-wandering process. Those who are most creative also need to have meta-awareness to
realise when a creative idea has popped into their mind.
D On the other hand, those who ruminate obsessively—rehashing past events, repetitively analyzing
their causes and consequences, or worrying about all the ways things could go wrong in the future - are
well aware that their thoughts are their own, but they have intense difficulty turning them off. The late
Yale psychologist Susan Nolen-Hoeksema does not believe that rumination is a form of daydreaming,
but she has found that in obsessive ruminators, the same default network as the one that is activated
during daydreaming switches on.
E Other scientists distinguish between mundane musings and extravagant fantasies. Michael Kane, a
cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, considers “mind wandering”
to be “any thoughts that are unrelated to one's task at hand.” In his view, mind wandering is a broad
category that may include everything from pondering ingredients for a dinner recipe to saving the planet
from alien invasion. Most of the time when people fall into mind wandering, they are thinking about
everyday concerns, such as recent encounters and items on their to-do list.
F According to Schooler, there are two steps you need to take to make the distinction. First, notice
whether you are deriving any useful insights from your fantasies. Second, it is important to take stock of
the content of your daydreams. To distinguish between beneficial and pathological imaginings, he adds,
“Ask yourself if this is something useful, helpful, valuable, pleasant, or am I just rehashing the same old
perseverative thoughts over and over again?” And if daydreaming feels out of control, then even if it is
pleasant it is probably not useful or valuable.
G Artists and scientists are well acquainted with such playful fantasizing. Filmmaker Tim Burton
daydreamed his way to Hollywood success, spending his childhood holed up in his bedroom, creating
posters for an imaginary horror film series. Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist who won the Nobel Prize
in Literature in 2006, imagined “another world,” to which he retreated as a child, Albert Einstein
pictured himself running along a light wave—a reverie that led to his theory of special relativity.
H Like Facebook for the brain, the default network is a bustling web of memories and streaming
movies, starring ourselves. “When we daydream, we're at the center of the universe,” says neurologist
Marcus Raichle of Washington University in St. Louis, who first described the network in 2001. It
consists of three main regions that help us imagine ourselves and the thoughts and feelings of others,
draw personal memories from the brain and access episodic memories. Your answers 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. IV. WRITING (50 points)
Part 1. Rewrite the following sentences using the words given.
126. The reason they did not give him the job was because he could not use a computer. (inability)
Had it not ............................................................................................................................
127. If there is a fire, people should not use the lift. (event)
In .........................................................................................................................................
128. Harry knows about the new regulations so let’s ask him. (brains)
Let’s ......................................................................................................................................
129. I managed to persuade John not to resign. (talk)
I managed .............................................................................................................................. 12
130. Why did you have to cause so much trouble over something so unimportant? (dance)
Why did you have to ..............................................................................................................?
Part 2. The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age
groups who did regular physical activity in 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and
reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
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Part 3. Write an essay of 300 words on the following topic:
Nowadays there is a growing shift towards the use of cashless transactions. While some people argue
in support of a cashless society, claiming that it is beneficial to citizens, others raise concerns about
security. Which side of this argument do you, personally, agree with, and why?
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