(Part 2) Kì thi chọn đội tuyển chính thức dự thi HSG quốc gia lớp 12 THPT tỉnh Long An năm học 2019-2020 môn thi Tiếng Anh

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐĂK LĂK
KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI CẤP TRƯỜNG VÒNG 1
TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN NGUYỄN DU
MÔN: TIẾNG ANH LỚP 12 (PHẦN VIẾT) NĂM HỌC: 2019-2020 THỜI GIAN: 150 phút
(không kể thời gian giao đề)
CHỮ KÝ CỦA 02 GIÁM KHẢO ĐIỂM THI PHÁCH BẰNG SỐ BẰNG CHỮ
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (20 POINTS)
Part 1. For questions 26-40, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following questions. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
26. Primary education has been _______ underfunded in this area of the country for many years now, and it is about
time something was done about it. A. seriously B. deeply C. highly D. remarkably
27. Everyone quickly _______ their places on the stage in readiness for the curtain to go up. A. made B. had C. saved D. took
28. The rain _______ down slowly under his coat collar, making him feel thoroughly damp and miserable. A. crept B. waded C. trickled D. teemed
29. She took up so many hobbies when she retired that she had hardly any time ________. A. on her hands B. in hand C. at her hand D. at hand
30. Travelers in business or first class may use our _______ channel. A. fast track B. rapid respond C. quick catnap D. fast lane
31. My English teacher always had a nice _______ of phrase when he commented on essays. A. turn B. set C. break D. lead
32. Tom is really _______ now he’s been promoted – he never lets you forget he’s boss. A. pompous B. morbid C. meticulous D. vivacious
33. I have a terrible habit of _______ the first thing that comes into my mind. A. whipping up B. blurting out C. fend off D. choke back
34. Karen gave me the cold _______ when we were introduced. A. elbow B. shoulder C. neck D. heart
35. Living in the countryside is a far cry from reading about it. It _______. You have to deal with _______ poverty and go through the bad patch.
A. is of crass stupidity/grueling B. is no mean feat/grinding
C. goes against the grain/abject
D. dwindles away to nothing/extreme
36. Necessity is the _______ of invention. A. father B. ancestor C. mother D. antecedents
37. At her trial in 1431, Joan was accused of being in _______ with the devil. A. cooperation B. association C. league D. conjunction
38. You'd better _______ the books if you want to pass your exam on Friday. A. hit B. beat C. stab D. bite
39. I ______ you how important this is. A. need hardly tell B. need hardly to tell C. need to hardly tell D. need to tell hardly
40. She is _______ about what to do for her daughter. A. iridescent B. sprightly C. tinged D. perplexed Your answers: 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Page 1 of 11 pages
Part 2. For questions 41-45, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided in the
column on the right. 0 has been done as an example. TROUBLED WATERS
There is a swift-moving, (0) _______ current in the Arctic Ocean which flows back and forth between Moskenesoya
and Masken, two of the Logoten Islands off the north-western coast of Norway. It is this phenomenon which causes the
Maelstrom, or Moskenstraumen in Norweigian, which has (41. DESTROY) _______ numerous small ships.
Strong local winds add to the hazard of a sea-crossing here, blowing against the current between high and low tide,
which is when (42. TREACHERY) _______ whirlpools are created. It was the French (43. NOVEL) _______ Jules
Verne, in conjunction with the American poet Edgar Allan Poe, who brought the term “maelstrom” into common
parlance, exaggerating it to the extent that it means a cataclysmic whirlpool (44. GULF) _______ everything in its path.
With the passage of time, it has come to have a meaning that is (45. FIGURE) _______ as well as literal, so that now
we can use the expression “maelstrom” to speak of conflicting feelings, or emotional turmoil. Your answers:
Example: (0) DANGEROUS 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. III. READING (50 points)
Part 1. For questions 46-55, fill in the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
THE SCIENCE OF VOLCANOLOGY
Watching an erupting volcano is an exciting experience. There are those who are so fascinated by volcanoes that
they have decided to (46) _______ a career in the field called volcanology.
Volcanologists study active, dormant and (47) _______ volcanoes in a scientific manner in order to find out how,
why, and when volcanoes erupt. They also study the effects of eruptions on the population and environment.
Volcanology is like (48) _______ work where evidence is gathered together and the facts worked out. It is a field
which overlaps many areas of science, (49) _______ earth sciences, chemistry and geography.
The eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883 was one of the most significant in the (50) _______ of volcanology
as it was the first to be studied in the modern era. The eruption create the largest explosion ever heard and produced
tsunamis, or giant waves which killed more than 30,000 people. Krakatoa continues to be (51) _______ to this day, and
Indonesia has the most active volcanoes in the world.
How do you become a volcanologist? Training begins with a Bachelor of Science degree. Further research may
(52) _______ to a Master of Science or a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Volcanology is a challenging and an exciting career that offers much action and suspense. (53) _______ of
employment also include teaching and doing research in universities. You can also work in volcano observatories, or in
government departments that create civil (54) _______ contingency plans. That means you have to work out plans for
(55) _______ evacuations in times of a dangerous volcano eruption. Yours answers: 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
Part 2. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follows.
TIME WARNER AND THE INTERNET AFTER THE DIVORCE
In the next few weeks an end may be announced to one of the great unhappy corporate unions. Time Warner, which
spans off its cable-operating business in March and has pruned its film-production outfit, is now trying to undo its eight-
year partnership with AOL, an internet portal. Just as Time Warner moves to end one internet relationship, though, it is
beginning another. Later this year the firm will test a scheme for putting programs online that it calls TV Everywhere.
Its cable channels such as HBO, which have so far kept their shows off the internet, will make them available online at
no extra cost to people who can prove they subscribe to a cable or satellite package that includes the channel. Rival
networks and cable providers have pledged to co-operate.
It is an attempt to preserve what is now plainly the core business of the slimmed-down Time Warner – and which
also happens to be one of the most dependable rackets in media. Subscribers to multichannel television, who may get it
from a cable, satellite or telecoms firm, pay for “bundles” of channels, whether they watch them all or not. They are Page 2 of 11 pages
also shown advertisements. Content providers like Time Warner receive carriage fees from the cable and satellite
companies, which account for about half of their revenues (and the great majority for premium channel like HBO).
These fees are a handy bulwark against shocks to the advertising market, and they tend to go up faster than inflation.
At present the internet poses a puny threat to this commercial redoubt. ComScore, which tracks internet use, reckons
the average American web user spends about ten minutes a day viewing online video, from water-skiing squirrels on
YouTube to the latest episode of “heroes” on Hulu. That compares with roughly 300 minutes spent watching live
television. But the audience for online video is young and growing, the barriers that prevent people from piping it into
their televisions are likely to fall and the broadcast networks are quickly moving online. On April 30th ABC, which is
owned by Disney, became the third large broadcaster to make many of its programs available free on Hulu. (Disney
will also take a stake in the fast-growing online-video site.)
Time Warner does not want to row against this current. But neither does it want to be swept away. If the overriding
fear a few years ago was that television might suffer the fate of the music industry, which failed to give consumers what
they wanted and was ravaged by pirates, the worry now is that will follow the newspaper industry, and give too much
away, “the idea that it should be free and have no strings attached at all sounds very progressive,” says Jeff Bewkes,
Time Warner’s boss. But once people are accustomed to having something free, it can be very difficult to persuade them to pay for it.
Ant hitches to the TV Everywhere plan are likely to be less technological than commercial. Time Warner is not the
only company with a scheme to put cable content online. Comcast, America’s biggest cable operator is building its own
system. It wants subscribers to be able to watch video on its website, Fancast. ESPN, a cable sports channel, already
allows internet-service providers to stream some games. An obvious threat, although not a present one, would come if
a big video-streaming website started selling subscriptions to television programs and other professionally produced content.
Such a move would transform the cable and satellite business. TV Everywhere, by contrast, aims to preserve its
essential architecture. Carriage fees and bundling would remain. Stronger channels would continue to support weaker
ones, and more popular programs would support less popular ones. It is a potential solution to one half of the cable
industry’s worries about the internet. Which leaves the other half: compared with television, online-advertising revenues are meager.
Hulu, the most impressive of the video websites, claims to charge advertisers somewhat more to reach a viewer
than they would pay on a broadcast network during prime time. But Hulu runs just two minutes’ worth of advertising
in a 22-minute program, about one-quarter of the load that TV viewers are expected to tolerate. For broadcasts, which
derive nearly all their revenues from advertising, deciding to put new programs on a site like Hulu involves a leap of faith. Hulu’s branding problem
Mr. Bewkes points to another problem. Several cable channels, including CNN, Time Warner’s news outfit, have
painstakingly built brands that enable them to sell advertising at higher rates than they otherwise would. CNN also
benefits by selling advertising across its TV channels and its popular websites. Video-streaming websites are no
respecters of brand. Hulu does not sell advertising on specific shows of networks; rather, it targets demographic groups.
Lumping CNN’s programs in with other news on a video-streaming website may well devalue them.
For these reasons cable’s early forays into the internet are likely to be messy. Content providers and cable operators
may try to steer viewers to their own websites, like hucksters in bazaar. This is unsatisfactory for customers, most of
whom would probably prefer not to think too hard about the television programs they watch, or where to find them. But at least it is start.
For question 56-61, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG). Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
56. It is a trend for rival networks and cable providers to co-operate.
57. Content providers can get more than half their revenues from carriage fees.
58. Com-Score reckons that the customers who spend ten minutes watching videos every day are mainly students.
59. A significant proportion of customers who are accustomed to free contents will pay for them.
60. Both Comcast and ESPN put cable contents online.
61. Online advertising revenues are much higher than that of television. Your answers: 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. Page 3 of 11 pages
For questions 62-66, choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers
in the corresponding numbered boxed provided.
Hulu announces to collect fees from advertisers. Its advertisements are (62) __________ to a certain proportion of TV
viewers. According to Mr. Bewkes, with (63) __________, the cable channels are able to sell (64) __________ more
successfully. However, Hulu uses a quite different strategy which aims at (65) __________. With content providers,
(66) __________ try to change the places where viewers watch programs. Your answers: 62. 63. 64. 65. 66.
Part 3. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 67–73, read the passage and
choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra paragraph which you do not need to
use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. THE POWER OF VACCINES
For the world’s population, access to injection-programme and general good health shouldn’t be matter of the luck of
the draw. Scientific advances have concentrated on diseases more prevalent in richer countries and appear to have
neglected the plight of the poor – especially in the third world countries – suffering from diseases that are routinely
classified as easily preventable. 67
The good news is that we can save these lives. Measles, polio, whooping cough, yellow fever – diseases that debilitate,
disfigure and kill millions of children can be prevented with existing vaccines. Parents in developing countries often
walk miles, or pay high prices to get the precious shots. They know that their children need some vaccines that parents
in developed countries take for granted. 68
When we first turned our attention to philanthropy, it seemed natural to extend technology to classrooms and libraries.
Technology clearly can transform and empower its users. But our thinking crystallized as we learned of even greater
need – impoverished children stricken with preventable diseases. One man has already made a great difference in the world. 69
The power of vaccines – the most cost-effective medical intervention ever invented – lies in their ability to prevent
rather than treat disease. It’s often the case that it is not until we become parents that we fully appreciate the virtues of
having a form of medical intervention that protects before limbs go limp or hearts stop beating. Today vaccines save
the lives of some 3 million children each year – children who are fortunate enough to have been born in countries with
effective health systems, adequate vaccination supplies and trained health personnel. 70
Access to safe, effective vaccines to such disease should not be dictated by circumstance. That is why a commitment
was made by the Global Fund for Children’s Vaccines a year ago. The goal of the Global Fund, and the partners of the
Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, is to ensure that every child has access to lifesaving vaccines. An
estimated 6 billion pounds over the next five years will cover the cost of fully immunizing children in developing countries. 71
In the 1970s only 5% of the world’s children could expect to be fully immunized. Today, thanks to these “rich” nations,
alongside the work of countless dedicated health professionals worldwide, we can envision a time when 70, 80, and
finally 100 percent of children are protected. And at a cost of 10 and 15 pounds per child, vaccines are a small investment for a very big return. 72
The dedication of resources to speed the discovery of new vaccines must also be a priority. Scientists and organizations
like the International AIDs Vaccination Initiative are currently working to develop vaccines for the top three killer
diseases – AIDs, Malaria, and tuberculosis. If they find them, perhaps the more daunting challenge will be to distribute
them to those who need them most. 73
Gandhi once said that for him the golden Rule meant that he could not enjoy things denied to other people. We should
strive to ensure that health and freedom from these terrible diseases is something that no parent is denied. Page 4 of 11 pages
The missing paragraphs:
A. But even the greatest of parental effort can’t help if the vaccines aren’t available. In the past it has taken up to
15 years for newly developed vaccines – including the relatively recent hepatitis B vaccine – to become
available in poor countries. Those delays are measured in childhood fatalities. Our challenge is to provide every
child, regardless of where they live or their family’s economic status with access to lifesaving vaccines.
B. There has also been a concerted effort by governments and other organizations to raise sufficient funds to save
children’s lives through immunization. Some governments should be applauded for their active support and
substantial donations to the cause.
C. The new philanthropy blends 1960s social consciousness with the present financial model. So far, donations
have topped eight and a half million pounds to help inoculate children in India against the three major killer childhood diseases.
D. Dr. Jonas Salk changed the world when he announced the discovery of the polio vaccine. His work started a
vaccine revolution, and, as a result, millions of children have escaped the disease’s crippling and often fatal
effects. The last reported case of wild polio in the Western Hemisphere was in 1991. Who would have dreamt
back in 1953 that within a generation – our generation – we would see polio almost eradicated from the face of the earth?
E. Vaccines cannot work their magic without a global effort. Parents, world leaders, and foundations can and
should work together because we all want the same thing for our children, and this is something that great
humanitarian leaders have been aware of for a very long time.
F. Whether they live in Bangladesh, Botswana or Seattle, all parents want the best for their children. Providing a
healthy start in life and through childhood is a priority for every family. Yet for all the amazing advances we
have made so far in medicine, there are still far too many children who don’t have access to even the most basic
healthcare. More than 2 million die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases. This is a staggering statistic
– a tragic reality we have ignored for too long. It is global news when an airline crashes, but rarely newsworthy
that 228 children die from preventable illnesses every hour of every day. It’s time to move this issue of
immunization to the top of our global agenda.
G. But there is more to do. First we need to redouble our efforts to introduce newer vaccines more quickly. It is
heart-wrenching and unacceptable that children in the developing world may have to wait a decade or more to
receive vaccines that are already saving lives in richer countries.
H. Yet tens of millions of people do not share in these benefits because of what they can effort or where they live.
World-wide, more than 1 billion people live on less than 50 p a day. Lack of safe water, poor sanitation and
meagre food supplies are a part of the grim reality of their daily lives. Their children weakened by malnutrition,
and parasitic infections, are susceptible to childhood killers – whopping cough, measles and meningitis. Your answers: 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73.
Part 4. For questions 74-83, read an article on Monaco and choose the answer A, B, C or D which you think fits best
according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
THE SILK OF SPIDERS’ WEBS
A Spiders possess the extraordinary ability to produce silk, which they use in a variety of ways – to create eggs
sacs, to catch and hold insects, and to construct homes. B An assortment of specialized glands, each responsible for
forming a distinct kind of silk, is located within the spider’s abdomen and enables the spider to produce the different
types of silk that it uses for those diverse purposes. C Among the known species of spiders, scientists have identified
at least ten distinct kinds of glands that manufacture silks of varying strength, elasticity, and viscosity. D in the process
of silk production, silk begins as a liquid in special silk glands in the spider’s abdomen. The liquid silk is excreted from
the silk glands in liquid form, but, as it passes through the round spigots on a special organ – the spinneret – at the rear
of the abdomen, it becomes solid. The spinneret determines the diameter of the final silk fiber. Depending on the species,
spiders may have between one and four pairs of silk-releasing spinnerets. Page 5 of 11 pages
Different types of silk are produced to perform different functions. When a spider begins constructing its web, the
first threads it uses must be particularly durable, capable of supporting the weight of the spider while serving as a
foundation for the web. These foundation threads, known as draglines, are composed of major ampullate silk, a sturdy,
non-sticky, elastic material. In fact, major ampullate silk is strongest silk a spider produces; its tensile strength - the
maximum force a material can resist without tearing – is similar to that of Kevlar. Draglines serve not only as the
skeletal structure to which all other silks are anchored, but also as safetylines with which a spider can make a speedy
exit from an unexpected predator. Similar to major ampullate silk, minor ampullate silk is also used in web construction,
but as supporting threads rather than main draglines. Like major ampullate silk, this silk is strong and non-sticky, but it
does not have the same elastic characteristics. When minor ampullate silk is stretched, it remains permanently misshapen.
The threads that form the spiral core of a spider’s web are made of flagelliform silk, the sticky netting that ensnares
a spider’s insect prey. When a spider senses the vibrations of an insect trapped in its web, it releases another kind of
silk, swathing silk, that completely binds a victims by encapsulating it in cocoon. Female spiders produces an additional
kind of silk that is used for spinning protective egg sacs that shield their eggs from harsh weather and from predators.
Historically, spiders’ silk has been useful in a variety of applications, from medicine to warfare. Ancient Greeks
applied spider webs to wounds in order to decrease bleeding. Pre-WWII telescopes, microscopes, and guidance systems
used strands of spiders’ silk as crosshair sights. Because it is extremely lightweight and very resilient, and because it
offers significant potential for diverse applications in fields like medicine and defense, spiders’ silk has, not surprisingly,
been the subject of intense curiosity among members of the scientific community. However, in spite of researchers’
best efforts, humans have not been able to exactly duplicate the beneficial properties of spiders’ versatile silk. Efforts
continue, though, as it is hoped that in the future spiders’ silk will contribute to advancements in medical technology,
perhaps improving sutures in microsurgery, refining plaster for broken bones, and developing artificial ligaments and
tendons to be used as surgical implants. Scientists anticipate that synthetic spiders’ silk would revolutionize military
technology by providing lightweight, long-lasting protective body coverings. In this respect, spiders’ silk would have
broad applications for law enforcement and the armed forces. Commercially, spiders’ silk could be used to manufacture
more durable ropes, fishing nets, seatbelts, and car bumpers. Having the ability to synthesize spiders’ silk would provide
scientists with numerous possibilities for technological developments.
74. According to the paragraph 1, what is the function of the spinneret?
A. It stores liquid silk produced by the spider.
B. It prevents the spider from sticking to its web.
C. It turns liquid silk into strands of solid silk.
D. It protects eggs from being eaten by predators.
75. Why does the author mention the elasticity of minor ampullate silk in paragraph 2?
A. To indicate that all kinds of spiders’ silk are similar
B. To explain how spiders are able to trap their prey
C. To contrast the properties of two types of spiders’ silk
D. To give an example of a drawback of natural spiders’ silk
76. What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about female spiders?
A. They are not responsible for caring for offspring.
B. They do not share parenting responsibilities with male spiders.
C. They produce a kind of silk that male spiders do not make.
D. They are more vulnerable in harsh climates than male spiders.
77. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence in the passage?
A. The lightness and flexibility of spiders’ silk are properties that scientists want to use in future technology.
B. The scientific community is interested in research that will improve defense and medical technology.
C. The scientific community is curious about silk that is lightweight and very flexible.
D. Scientists are curious about how spiders’ silk has been used by doctors and by the military.
78. What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about people’s interest in the properties of spiders’ silk?
A. It began with doctors in the military.
B. It is based on a cultural love of spiders.
C. It has been around for centuries.
D. It is motivated purely by money.
79. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as characteristics of spiders’ silk EXCEPT _________
A. the capability to resist tears
B. the ability to repair itself Page 6 of 11 pages
C. different degrees of elasticity D. strength and lightness
80. Why does the author mention crosshair sights in paragraph 4?
A. To suggest that some technology based on spiders’ silk may be negative
B. To contrast the medical uses of spiders’ silk with the military uses of the material
C. To suggest that synthetic spiders’ silk will be better than natural silk
D. To give an example of how spiders’ silk has been used in the past
81. Which of the following square brackets [A], [B], [C], or [D] best indicates where in the paragraph the sentence
“This creature, which may be smaller than a millimeter, is capable of producing a strong, flexible material that
humans have not been able to replicate.” can be inserted? A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
82. Both Minor Ampullate Silk and Major Ampullate Silk are kinds of silk which _________
A. are used in web construction.
B. perform a reinforcing rather than foundation function.
C. are stronger than all the other silks produced by a spider
D. form safetylines that help spiders escape from predators
83. Major Ampullate Silk retains its shape when _________
A. it is a non-sticky form of silk. B. it is stretched out. C. it is expanded.
D. it does not spring back into its original form. Your answers: 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83.
Part 5. The passage below consists of five paragraphs marked A, B, C, D and E. For questions 84-95, read the
passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. NEITHER THIS NOR THAT A.
Most of us sit happily within our binary categorized genders. We push the boundaries a little bit. We like to
think we’re being a bit alternative with our decisions in clothing, or even in attitude. It isn’t difficult to find perfectly
straight househusbands taking an interest in the decor of the family home and to find misogynistic women in boardrooms
and on factory floors alike across the globe today. We might be able to do more within our assigned gender, but we’re
still very much pinned down by the borders of our gender – we’re still only reacting against our strict Victorian
predecessors – we’ve yet to step into the future of our possible selves. B.
A difficult pill for us to swallow though is that we can’t imagine ourselves without gender. Who are we without
our box labels of “man” and “woman”. As we ask ourselves this question, a beautiful songbird flies past our eyes and
it dawns on us that we don’t exist without these categories. Or, rather we cannot imagine – we are unintelligible to
ourselves without these demarcations. This is one of the basic ideas of Judith Butler, a theorist on many aspects of
identity, but who made her name in the public domain with her research upon gender. She works from within a number
of perspectives and any cursory attempt at an introduction to her and her ideas would be to do unto her a great injustice,
but for those who are unfamiliar with her work, she argues that gender is performative. This term has, indeed, caused
some of the many problems and confusions with Butler’s theory, but as a base from which to start, one who would like
to understand should soon dispose of the theatrical notion hanging around in your connotational mind and turn towards
the field of linguistics. More specifically towards a particular linguist and his work; J. L Austin’s How To Do Things With Words. C.
J. L Austin’s work couldn’t be further away from gender studies if it tried, but Judith Butler made use of his
famous theory upon the performativity of certain types of speech or utterances. He argued that some utterances had no
reference outside of the sentence, so these utterances are performative. Austin refers to the utterances in naming
ceremonies and marriage ceremonies as instances of the performativity of language. It takes a while to get one’s head
around this, but essentially Austin argues that in some cases utterances do not describe nor state the “doing” of an action,
but rather the utterance itself is the action; the utterance performs the action. “I name this shop…” would be an example
of a performative utterance. Judith Butler arrives at Austin’s work through a critique of it by the French philosopher
Jacque Derrida. Derrida takes issue with Austin’s narrow usage of his theory. Page 7 of 11 pages D.
This is where Judith Butler picks up the thread. She argues that from the moment we are born, we are encased
by language. We don’t speak back for a year or so, but the people around us are already dressing us up in the finery of
the language we will one day use to decorate ourselves – to create our identities with. But, further than this and more
explicitly as Butler develops in her later work Bodies That Matter, the moment we are born the sentence is uttered, “it’s
a girl” or “it’s a boy” – this is the basis of her argument of gender being performative. I suppose a good way to imagine
it is through Spiderman’s web that he shoots from his wrist. The web is language and language that is inescapable. The
Implications of this though, are very serious for Butler. She often writes about children who are born with two sets of
genitals or whose genitals are ambiguous. For these people, Butler argues, the “gendering” is most cruel. These human
beings aren’t left as the beautiful products that they are, but quite the opposite – they are mutilated as babies and find it
very difficult to live sexually fulfilling lives as adults. E.
Although never explicitly stated in Judith Butler’s work, what her work might lead on to is a lessening of the
gendering process. She would be incredibly sceptical about such an idea. She would suggest that this is impossible; that
we cannot think outside of the gendered categories. She believes that the only way to make life more bearable in the
gendering process is through subversion. One way she suggests is to overdo gender. She argues that the hyperbolically
feminine and the hyperbolically masculine draw attention to the edges of the categories whilst at the same time
undermining the categories by the very fact of their borders. Some would suggest you see, that man and woman, male
and female (Butler has a very interesting perspective when it comes to the pop-science differentiation between “gender”
and “sex” with the latter often being read as “biological’ and the former as “cultural”) are related to the notion of
“nature”. The househusband who takes an interest in the décor of the family home would probably complacently suggest
that, in nature, women would usually do this and men would do that, but because we live in a society that allows for the
reverse, we can do otherwise. Butler would have problems with this for a number of reasons including the unquestioning
usage of the term “nature”.
In which paragraph is each of the following mentioned? Your answers:
the details of a linguist’s theory 84. __________
Judith Butler’s ideas around the distinction often made between gender and sex 85. __________
the disagreeing of a philosopher with a linguist’s theory 86. __________
the possibility of using Judith Butler’s work to improve a situation 87. __________
sexism towards women by members of the same sex 88. __________
the misinterpretation of a term in Judith Butler’s work 89. __________
the worst problems of gender-assignment 90. __________
the difficulty in trying to summarize Judith Butler’s ideas 91. __________
the surrounding of human beings in language 92. __________
that people today aren’t that different from people of different era 93. __________
the implication is that we tend to automatically misrepresent the term in our minds 94. __________
the impossibility of briefly introducing of her ideas properly 95. __________ IV. WRITING (60 points)
Part 1. Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be between 100 and 120 words long.
Culture is a word in common use with complex meanings, and is derived, like the term broadcasting, from the
treatment and care of the soil and of what grows on it. It is directly related to cultivation and the adjectives cultural and
cultured are part of the same verbal complex. A person of culture has identifiable attributes, among them a knowledge
of and interest in the arts, literature, and music. Yet the word culture does not refer solely to such knowledge and interest
nor, indeed, to education. At least from the 19th century onwards, under the influence of anthropologists and
sociologists, the word culture has come to be used generally both in the singular and the plural (cultures) to refer to a
whole way of life of people, including their customs, laws, conventions, and values.
Distinctions have consequently been drawn between primitive and advanced culture and cultures, between elite
and popular culture, between popular and mass culture, and most recently between national and global cultures.
Distinctions have been drawn too between culture and civilization; the latter is a word derived not, like culture or
agriculture, from the soil, but from the city. The two words are sometimes treated as synonymous. Yet this is misleading.
While civilization and barbarism are pitted against each other in what seems to be a perpetual behavioral pattern, the
use of the word culture has been strongly influenced by conceptions of evolution in the 19th century and of development
in the 20th century. Cultures evolve or develop. They are not static. They have twists and turns. Styles change. So do
fashions. There are cultural processes. What, for example, the word cultured means has changed substantially since the Page 8 of 11 pages
study of classical (that is, Greek and Roman) literature, philosophy, and history ceased in the 20th century to be central
to school and university education. No single alternative focus emerged, although with computers has come electronic
culture, affecting kinds of study, and most recently digital culture. As cultures express themselves in new forms not
everything gets better or more civilized.
The multiplicity of meanings attached to the word made and will make it difficult to define. There is no single,
unproblematic definition, although many attempts have been made to establish one. The only non-problematic
definitions go back to agricultural meaning (for example, cereal culture or strawberry culture) and medical meaning (for
example, bacterial culture or penicillin culture). Since in anthropology and sociology we also acknowledge culture
clashes, culture shock, and counter-culture, the range of reference is extremely wide.
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Part 2: The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accomodation in England and
Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
You should write about 150 words. Page 9 of 11 pages
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Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.
Some people believe that children learn better when they are placed in the classes with children of similar academic
abilities. Others believe that children learn better when they are in classes with children representing a diverse range of academic abilities.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion. Page 10 of 11 pages
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(You may write overleaf if you need more space.) - THE END - Page 11 of 11 pages Page 12 of 11 pages