Self-study Test No.

1, NEC 2018
SELF-
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
STUDY TEST No. 1
FOR NATIONAL ENGLISH COMPETITION 2018 Date:________, 2017 Time: 180
minutes
Name:__________________________ Class:__________________________ (The
test paper consists of 13 pages)
I. LISTENING
Part 1. You will hear part of a radio talk about the ways in which birth is
celebrated around the world. Answer the questions in short phrase (NO MORE
THAN 8 WORDS).
1. What do some women suffer from after a birth of a child? 2. In some cultures, what
do planted trees represent? 3. In birth ceremonies, what do rivers and spring
symbolise? 4. What do some Indians in Mexico do with the water from sacred rivers? 5.
According to some people, what do the Gods offer a baby? 6. Why do some women
paint their body or wear some special jewellery? 7. In many cultures, what marks an
important transition between childhood and adulthood?
Part 2. You will hear an interview with an author called Rachel White. Choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
8. What does Rachel particularly recall about her school days?
A. She was only really interested in the subject of literature B. She was aware that she
was brighter than her classmates C. She was given preferential treatment by a certain
teacher D. She disliked being considered hard working by her peers 9. Which of the
following added to Rachel's negative feelings about her essay?
A. It was not her own work B. Her classmates were critical of it C. Some of the content
was misleading D. There was an insufficient amount of material 10. According to
Rachel, what attitude do many people have towards Jane Austen's books?
A. They lose interest in them at an early age B. They read them because they feel they
should C. They believe they suit a certain type of personality D. They feel they should
be read in certain situations 11. Why did Rachel write the essay “Literature and the
Young Mind”?
A. in order to express a commonly-held view B. in order to encourage young people to
read literature C. because she wanted to express her gratitude to writers like Austen D.
because she wanted to recommend certain writers to young readers 12. When
discussing her own writing, Rachel highlights its
A. contemporary relevance B. emotional content C. standard development D. essential
complexity
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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 Part 3. You will hear two novelists, Sarah and James, discussing
various aspects of being a writer. Decide whether the opinions are expressed by only one of
the speakers, or whether the speakers agree.

Write S for Sarah, J for James, or B for

Both, where they agree.
13. Completing a piece of writing gives you a good feeling. 14.
Forcing yourself to write can be counter-productive. 15. It is
possible to think like a writer without actually being one. 16.
Novelists are by nature selfish people. 17. Novelists are
competitive people. 18. Whatever reviews are like, they have
little effect on me.

Part 4. Listen to a piece of news about Hezbollah, a terrorist group, and fill in the blank with
suitable words (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS).

Recently U.S. 19.______________________ gave reporters official information on the terrorist

group Hezbollah.

This group claims that it is a 20.______________________ party but its violent penchant remained
the same for 30 years.

In 2012 it carried out a bomb attack in Bulgaria, 21.______________________ of former Lebanese

Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, killed at least 84 Lebanese citizens, wounded almost 200 more
in Beirut in 2008, and their arms accumulation has violated the UN 22._____________________ .

In June, two individuals operating on behalf of this terrorist unit were arrested; one in New York and
one in Michigan. The Iranian regime is said to have built and 23.________________ Hezbollah to
cause instability in the region and across the world.

Ambassador Sales gave his word that the United States and 24.____________________________
will aim their attack at Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and financial resources and bring its
25.____________________ to justice.

II. LEXICO – GRAMMAR

Part 1. Choose the word or phrase that best completes each

sentence.

26. This museum has more visitors than _____ any other in the
world.
A. really B. practically C. actually D. utterly 27. A lot of people are
_____ to the damage that is being done to the environment. A. ignorant B.
uninitiated C. blind D. unacquainted 28. I couldn't stop myself from _____
with boredom during the lecture.
 A. sighing B. gasping C. panting D. blowing 29. We're not in
a _____ hurry so let's have another coffee.
A. dashing B. racing C. rushing D. tearing 30. It was three days
before the storm _____ and life began to return to normal. A. abated B.
dwindled C. slackened D. alleviated 31. Despite all the evidence, he
wouldn't admit that he was in the _____. A. fault B. error C. wrong D. slip
32. He is held in high _____ by everyone who works with him. A. reputation
B. respect C. regard D. renown

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 33. I was worried but their
reassurances put my mind at _____
A. rest B. comfort C. calm D. relief 34. As he
accepted the award, his voice _____ with emotion.
A. quivered B. flinched C. cringed D. winced 35. All the others
were experts and I was out of my _____ in the conversation.
A. level B. depth C. limit D. range 36. I’m sure there's a definite
_____ of envy in her nasty comments about you. A. factor B. ingredient C.
component D. element 37. The thieves took _____ when they heard a
police car approaching.
A. retreat B. flight C. escape D. getaway 38. I used to try to get
him to do some exercise but then decided he was _____.
A. a lost cause B. a basket case C. a false dawn D. a dark
horse 39. I've _____ how many times she's been late for work
this month.
A. lost my marbles of B. lost count of C. lost my
head of D. lost my mind of

Part 2. Read the text below. Use the word given in CAPITALS at the end of some of the lines to
form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

TUBE INSPIRED A BOOK

and imagine what kind of lives they led.’ Gypsy Masala charts
For many people, the London Underground is a grim (0)
adventures and (42) _____ thoughts of three members of an
__necessity___ that gets them from A to B. But for (40) _____ author
family living in London, as they search for happiness. 'It is a s
Preethi Nair, it is a source of inspiration. She has just published her first
following your dreams/ says Preethi, who gave up her high-pr
novel, Gypsy Masala - a tale she dreamt up whilst commuting on the
job as a management consultant in order to go in pursuit of h
Metropolitan Line. ‘Have you observed people on the tube?’ she asks
ambition of becoming a waiter. ‘It was a big risk but it was de
(41) _____. ‘Everyone is in their own little world. I just used to sit there
right decision in terms of peace of mind and (43) _____’ she explains. INNER
Preethi was born in a small village in the Indian state of Kerala and
moved to London with her parents at the age of three. She says the
striking contrast in cultures made a lasting impression and is reflected
in her story, which flits between the suburbs of London and (44) _____
India. Many of the scenes in the book are based on the place where
she was born and spent long summer holidays. ‘It is a tiny village that CONTENT
is lost in time. There is still no running water and it is quite difficult to
get to. It is completely (45) _____, and so beautiful’ she says.
NECESSARY
BUD
FAR

ENTHUSE
TOUCH

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 III. READING

Part 1. For question 46-50, read the following passage and decide which answer best fits each gap. Us
each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers on the separate answer she

ANCIENT TIME KEEPING

The Aztec and Mayan calendars were very (0) __similar___. The Aztecs, however, had a more primitive n
consequently a (46) _____ exact way of calculating dates. A complicated system of two concurrent calendars e
the days and the (47) _____ the years. The (48) _____ was arranged on a 260-day cycle divided into 2
subdivided again. It was used as a religious calendar and the priests could thereby decide on important activit
or building projects. The latter was based on the much more familiar 365-day solar count. It was also divided
into smaller periods than our own Julian calendar. Five days, which were not represented at all, were set
festivities. People (49) _____ dress up and sing and dance. Sacrifices were also carried out, of which the majo
some could be performed on animals and fruit. The Aztec system is further complicated by the fact that in diffe
started in different months. Consequently, much historical confusion has arisen due to the fact that the sam
twice in the same year, and (50) _____ 52 years the same name for the year recurs.

Part 2: Read the following text, then the missing paragraphs. Choose from paragraphs A-H the one wh
gap (51-57). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
 SPANISH TREASURE

Gold earrings hung with pearls sank with a Spanish galleon west of Havana, one of the many wrecked by
treacherous reefs. These and other artefacts offer a wealth of clues about the history of Cuba’s golden past. A
gold and silver has been recovered from the sea floor. Treasures including luxuries such as rare wood and e
shipped from the New World to Seville by way of Cuba.

51. _____________

In a typical year, the first of the two annual treasure fleets left Spain in spring and entered the Caribbean
Margarita, off Venezuela - a source of pearls and a frequent target of pirates. Here the flotilla usually split in tw
that touched much of the Spanish New World. One convoy stopped at ports along the Spanish Main, as th
northern coast of South America and the Caribbean islands. Colonists, forbidden to manufacture anything, ha
ordinary items as cutlery, tools and religious medals from the convoy.

52. _____________

In late summer, the merchant ships and war ships sailed to Havana’s well-fortified harbour to form the treasure
the captain general and his warships defended all the merchantmen against pirates. In reality, storms freq
flotilla making individual ships vulnerable. Pirates chose these loners to attack and loot. But Piet Heyn, to the
the Dutch a fabled admiral, was not satisfied with picking off the stragglers. He wanted the whole treasure.

53. _____________

Officials in Havana, who feared this legendary figure more than any other foe, kept watch for him, especially w
fleet was about to sail for Spain. On August 4, 1628, Heyn and his ships lay off

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 Cuba, not sure whether the treasure fleet’s Mexican component (the Dutch called it
left for Havana to link up with the rest of the flotilla. Spanish scout vessels spotted the Dutch and sent swift co
Veracruz to warn Juan de Benavides, captain general of the treasure fleet. But, unknown to the Spanish, Hey
of the courier ships. Now aware that his prey would soon arrive off Cuba, Heyn waited to pounce.

54. _____________

Finally in August, he set sail again. As he neared Matanzas Bay, about 50 miles east of Havana, he saw m
warships bearing down on him. ‘I continued my course, resolved to die,’ Benavides bravely wrote in a letter to t
officer later testified that Benavides had foolishly led the fleet into the bay. In his panic, he grounded his o
followed.

55. _____________

‘I jumped into a boat,’ Benavides later recounted, claiming he had arranged in vain for his ship to be set afire in
seeing his ship boarded by the Dutchmen, ran below, changed into the clothes of an ordinary sailor, and s
crewmen who already had laid down their muskets.
56. _____________

That done, Heyn put his men aboard the six looted galleons, along with three others, and sent them off to th
wake of the nine he had captured earlier. Benavides’ flagship, so jammed with cargo that the cannon ports w
29 guns; Leoz’s had 22. Neither had fired a shot.

57. _____________

The story of Heyn’s triumph and Benavides’ death is preserved in the General Archives of the Indies in Sev
searchers begin here, sifting through the voluminous records that officials kept on every flotilla, on every sh
Even though the locations are sometimes imprecise, the searchers press on, going from document to hunch
Seville to the waters off Havana.

A Their pursuers rapidly closed in, anchored or grounded their ships, boarded boats manned with musketeers
hapless Spanish ships. The Dutch swarmed aboard Benavides’ ship and the ship of Admiral Don Juan
command of the flotilla.

B Spain’s long reign in the New World is chronicled in archives, tucked away in endless shelves in the vaulte
stately 17th century building. Included in these archival treasures are intriguing charts and maps from the 16
vividly portraying the harbour of Havana. Here historians and treasure hunters plough through documents w
Spain’s and Cuba’s turbulent marine history.

C The Netherlands hailed Heyn as a hero and cast a commemorative medal from the silver. Long afterward c
— ‘He has won the Silver Fleet, hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!’ Benavides and Leoz returned to Spain in disgrace. L
for life. Benavides was tried, not for loss of the treasure fleet but for cowardice, and later executed. Heyn d
hero. In 1629, while attacking pirates in the English Channel, he was killed by a cannonball.

D Other ships carrying similar cargoes sailed into Cartagena, Colombia, and then west to Portobelo, Panama
for the silver that flowed in from the mines of Peru. One day, a Dominican friar in Portobelo counted 200 mu
which was stacked in the marketplace ‘like heaps of stones in the street.’

E Flushed with a previous success — they had already captured nine ships of the silver fleet - Heyn and

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 his men seized half a dozen Spanish ships and put the Spaniards ashore. In the da
the Dutch sailors inventoried and transferred the ‘large amount of plunder present,’ which included 46 tons of

F Hundreds of ships sank in Cuban waters, victims of pirates, war, storms or bad navigation. These are the s
the hope of finding the richest prize in the Cuban seas: ships of the Spanish treasure fleets, the flotillas which
gold, silver and gems to the royal court of Spain. The flotillas, first sailed into history in the 16th century wh
Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) ordered merchant ships to travel in convoy, guarded by armed warsh

G As a young privateer in Spanish waters, he had been captured and sentenced to be a galley slave. Freed in a
he returned to sea and sought vengeance. In 1623 and 1626, as a Dutch admiral fighting against Spain for h
rampages against Spanish America, sacking the Cuban port of Matanzas and capturing many ships.

H Scion of a wealthy family of shipbuilders, Juan de Benavides was an admiral who had never fought a se
appointment through influence, not skill. Benavides, shepherding about 20 ships, had left Veracruz for Hava
forced back to port because of what he described as ‘an emergency’ that had dismasted his flagship.

Part 3. You are going to read an article containing reviews of restaurants throughout the United State
from the reviews (A-F). The reviews may be chosen more than once.

In which review are the following stated?

58. The writer let someone else choose what he ate. _____ 59. The customers make an effort with their
appearance. _____ 60. There are contrasting dining areas. _____ 61. Creative variations on a popular
dish are offered. _____ 62. The writer would like to have eaten much more of one dish. _____ 63. The
location is unusual for an expensive restaurant. _____ 64. The server was more skilled than he initially
appeared. _____ 65. The restaurant resembles another place from the past. _____ 66. The food was
sophisticated and surprisingly inexpensive. _____ 67. It is possible to watch the staff preparing the food.
_____ 68. The food is not what you’d expect from the decor. _____ 69. Not all the tables can be booked
in advance. _____

GOOD FOOD GUIDE TO THE STATES

For tourists who love to visit interesting restaurants while on holiday, here is my pick of six

special places which I've enjoyed in the USA.

A Flour and Water

Reservations at Flour and Water In San Francisco are tough. Lines are long — half the tables are saved for
is too loud; techno the night I ate there. The servers look as though they're ready to toss aside their order p
design appears to be inspired by the Wild West. Nothing hints at the brilliance of the dishes you will be serv
Water offers simple Italian dining in a very special way. using remarkable ingredients and providing stunning
Francisco produces the most fascinating pizza toppings on earth, and these are among the most original
marrow, soft cheese, broccoli leaves, and fresh horseradish on one; tomato, spiced meat and olives on

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 another. Pizza gets no better than this.

B The Tasting Kitchen

I wasn't impressed by the menu at The Tasting Kitchen, not at first. “Very confusing I apologise,” the waiter adm
he didn't seem all that coherent, either. When I told him I had no idea what to order, he suggested I tru
apprehensively said okay. Nothing to lose. That's when the experience changed. The Tasting Kitchen then beg
class restaurant in Paris, despite the fact that its prices are actually remarkably reasonable. The food was cr
compelling. The only break from richness was two different salads, the lettuces piled high, accented w
vinaigrettes. The wines were exquisitely matched That waiter suddenly transformed into a mastermind, when
list. This meal at The Tasting Kitchen had turned out to be a masterpiece.

C Longman and Eagle

The way I heard it from my waiter, Longman and Eagle aspires to become a guesthouse. That will happen on
dozen rooms are completed and ready to be made available for overnight stays. Longman and Eagle has two
dissimilar. The back one looks like it was decorated by an 11-year-old with crayons. The front room, substan
has an unpainted plank ceiling, black tables, rusted industrial lamps, exposed pipes, a few plants, and no art e
the bodies of the customers. The food is first-class. A considerable number of dishes were triumphant, incl
wings with a blue-cheese dip, chicken-liver mousse and a sunny- side-up duck egg with truffle vinaigrette.

D Commis

Across the street from Commis is Anatoly's Men's Clothing, new suits for $99. (Not cheap enough? Tak
liquidation sale.) An unlikely locale for a restaurant with such style. Commis is a block buster, a neighborhoo
economic and cultural force. Whether or not it's embraced by locals, it has to be admired for venturing wher
paying serious prices for food. The kitchen staff works out front, behind a tiny counter, eerily silent — as is t
The food was perfect but so much quiet made me desperate to shatter the hush, yell out, ‘Hey, there's a
anybody want to join me?’

E Menton

Menton is one of Boston's fanciest restaurants. It is cool, minimalist, all blacks, whites, and grays, not a hint o
room. The servers are so discreet they seldom talk to the table, preferring to lean in and have a conversation
patrons are living up to the restaurant — I can't recall seeing such a nicely dressed dinner crowd in America's
The food tends toward upscale French, lush and rich. The meat preparations stand out, particularly the thick, ju
and the tender, barely gamy Scottish hare, presented rare. Menton is gracious, serious, luxurious, and very u

F The Walrus and the Carpenter

You walk down a long hallway to a half-hidden door where a cheerful young maître d' seats you in a room that
oh so cramped. It’s filled with diners enjoying oysters and other sea food. The Walrus and the Carpenter feels
an earlier era of Seattle dining. It reminds me of the once wonderful Pike Place, long before it got touristy an
bar are wire baskets filled with chopped ice and fresh oysters. There's so much else: including my favorite sav
trout with pickled red onions on a lentil salad studded with walnuts. The panna cotta dessert was so light I was
half-dozen portions, the way I ate a half-dozen oysters. In my opinion, this restaurant offers the

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 very best food in the area.

Part 3. Read the passage and do the tasks below.

 KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS

The history of aspirin is a product of a rollercoaster ride through time, of accidental discoveries,

intuitive reasoning and intense corporate rivalry

In the opening pages of Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug. Diarmuid Jeffreys describes this li
of the most amazing creations in medical history, a drug so astonishingly versatile that it can relieve headach
limbs, lower your temperature and treat some of the deadliest human diseases’.

Its properties have been known for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian physicians used extracts from th
analgesic, or pain killer. Centuries later the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended the bark of the willow
the pains of childbirth and as a lever reducer. But it wasn't until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that sali
found in the willow tree became the subject of serious scientific investigation. The race was on to identify the a
to replicate it synthetically. At the end of the nineteenth century a German company, Friedrich Bayer & Co, su
a relatively safe and very effective chemical compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin.

The late nineteenth century was a fertile period for experimentation, partly because of the hunger among scien
of the great scientific questions, but also because those questions were within their means to answer. One sci
with some chemicals and a test tube could make significant breakthroughs whereas today, in order to map the
instance, one needs ‘an army of researchers. a bank of computers and millions and millions of dollars.

But an understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry is not enough on its own to explain how s
the nineteenth century, scientific advance was closely linked to the industrial revolution. This was a period whe
had the means, motive and determination to take an idea and turn it into reality. In the case of aspirin that ha
a series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised by the century’s broader economic, medical and scie
that led to one big final breakthrough.

The link between big money and pharmaceutical innovation is also a significant one. Aspirin’s continued sh
because for the first 70 years of its life, huge amounts of money were put into promoting it as an ordinary ev
the 1970s other analgesics, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, were entering the market, and the pharma
then focused on publicising these new drugs. But just at the same time, discoveries were made regarding t
aspirin in preventing heart attacks, strokes and other afflictions. Had it not been for these findings, this pharma
well have disappeared.

So the relationship between big money and drugs is an odd one. Commercial markets are necessary for deve
and ensuring that they remain around long enough for scientists to carry out research on them. But the com
just as likely to kill off certain products when something more attractive comes along. In the case of aspirin,
drug' was around for over 70 years without anybody investigating the way in which it achieved its effects,
making more than enough money out of it as it was. If ibuprofen or paracetamol had entered the market ju
aspirin might then not be here today. It would be just another forgotten drug that people hadn't bothered to

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 explore.

None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big pharmaceutical companies; they wer
working in the public sector. “The reason for that is very simple and straightforward,” Jeffreys says in his boo
will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more. It is in
with tiny profit margins and it has no patent any more, so anyone can produce it.” In fact, there's almost a d
companies to further boost the drug, he argues, as it could possibly put them out of business by stopping the
more expensive brands.

So what is the solution to a lack of commercial interest in further exploring the therapeutic benefits of aspirin?
going into clinical trials, says Jeffreys. ‘If I were the Department of Health, I would say "this is a very inexpens
be a lot of other things we could do with it." We should put a lot more money into trying to find out.’

Jeffreys’ book which not only tells the tale of a ‘wonder drug’ but also explores the nature of innovation and th
business, public money and regulation reminds us why such research is so important.

Questions 70-75. Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-H from the box below.

70 Ancient Egyptian and Greek doctors were aware of 71 Frederick Bayer & Co were able to
reproduce 72 The development of aspirin was partly due to the effects of 73 The creation of a
market for aspirin as a painkiller was achieved through 74 Aspirin might have become unavailable
without 75 The way in which aspirin actually worked was not investigated by

A. the discovery of new medical applications. B. the negative effects of

publicity. C. the large pharmaceutical companies. D. the industrial
revolution. E. the medical uses of a particular tree. F. the limited
availability of new drugs. G. the chemical found in the willow tree. H.
commercial advertising campaigns.

Questions 76-80. Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in 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

76 For nineteenth-century scientists, small-scale research was enough to make important discoveries.
nineteenth-century industrial revolution caused a change in the focus of scientific research. 78 The develop
the nineteenth century followed a structured pattern of development. 79 In the 1970s sales of new analgesic
sales of aspirin. 80 Commercial companies may have both good and bad effects on the availability of pharm
products.

Question 81-83. Complete the summary below using the list of words A-I below.
Research into aspirin
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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 Jeffreys argues that the reason why 81. _____ did not find out about new uses of a
is no longer a 82. _____ drug. He therefore suggests that there should be 83. _____ support for further resea
possible applications of the drug.

A. useful B. cheap C. state D. international E. major

drug companies F. profitable G. commercial H. public
sector scientists I. health officials

You are going to read part of the preface from a book on modern lifestyles. For questions 84-90, choo
B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
This book is about the angst of normal people, of people like us. It offers an explanation of why we
likely to be miserable than our grandparents, why we are so discontented and self- attacking, why the mo
richness and freedom of our childhood are less frequent, why so many of us feel there is ‘something missing'
It establishes that, compared with 1950, the general rise in aspirations has spawned depression
compulsions like drug abuse, gambling and eating disorders. We compare ourselves obsessively and envio
quality of our inner lives. No sooner do we achieve a goal than we move the goalposts to create a new one
permanently depleted. There is an outbreak of living in the future and a pathological re-enactment of the past
People with most of these problems are more likely than those without to have low levels of t
‘serotonin’, the so-called ‘happiness brain chemical’. Given that there is a chemistry of despair, one might s
chemical, physical cause. Perhaps the problem is pollution. Is it something to do with the processing of the
methods of cultivation of the raw materials? Maybe the new technologies such as mobile phones and comp
with our brains? Though far from impossible that some of these things are contributing, the strongest contender
what has gone wrong is the way we organise society. I shall show that advanced capitalism, as currently org
serotonin societies. Far from being the product of other chemicals, serotonin levels in animal and human brains
is happening around them, socially and emotionally.
Put crudely, advanced capitalism makes money out of misery and dissatisfaction, as if it were enco
psychic void with material goods. It can also profit from fostering spurious individualism by encouraging us
through our purchases, with ever more precisely marketed products that create a fetishistic concern to have ‘th
even though there is often no significant practical or aesthetic difference. It can even make money from res
imbalance in our brains which results from these false ambitions and identities, by selling pills and therapeutic
I am not suggesting that there is a conspiracy by a secret society of top-hat-clad, black-coated
materialistic retailers to make us miserable. Writing of ‘advanced capitalism' as if it has volition is to make
entity which has no will of its own, just as describing genes as ‘selfish’ is nonsense. But it has to be acknow
advanced capitalism happens to have evolved, it does very nicely at both ends (creating and curing misery),
footing the bill.
Nor am I suggesting that a spiritual renaissance is what is required, and that we must eschew our
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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 materialism and return to the simple agrarian life of idealised noble savages; rather
suffering from a crucial delusion that we need to be richer as a nation in order to be happier.
Increased prosperity is the cornerstone of all major political parties’ manifestos and yet, if studies o
are to be believed, voters are mistaken in supposing that greater national wealth will be accompanied by grea
a society passes beyond a basic level of wealth, anything beyond that makes no difference to overall con
capitalism has made most of us physically better off by meeting biological needs with unprecedented efficienc
made us more prone to low-serotonin problems such as depression and aggression.
New disciplines of evolutionary psychology and psychiatry suggest that advanced capitalism does no
needs, evolved over millions of years, for status and emotional attachment. Our genes were developed to c
different psychological and technological circumstances than the ones facing us today. For example, most o
fight against the problem of being overweight. This a wholly new problem in the history of the world, caused in
technology creating diverse and abundant foods. Unfortunately, like all animals, humans were designed to ass
be scarce and not on the premise that there would be unlimited supplies of highly calorific food available at al

84. The writer argues that people feel there is something missing in life because they
A. exaggerate the freedom of their youth. B. no longer know what they want. C. are constantly
aiming for what they do not have. D. do not possess sufficient depth of emotion. 85. In the
writer’s view, the ‘chemical’ nature of the problem relates to
A. the side-effects of modern technologies. B. chemicals produced naturally by the body. C. the
interaction of bodily and external chemicals. D. drugs people introduce to their bodies. 86.
Advanced capitalism promotes feelings of despair through its culture of
A. work promotion. B. marketing. C. therapy. D. aesthetic
values. 87. The writer makes it clear that
A. advanced capitalism has no answers for the problems it creates. B. we need to reject
materialism. C. particular groups are not directly responsible for the problems. D. the system
governing society has a will of its own. 88. In the writer’s view, political parties aggravate the
problem by
A. setting out to achieve basic standards of wealth. B. thinking only of efficiency. C. depressing people further
enriching themselves. D. equating happiness with prosperity. 89. In the last paragraph, the writer suggests th
defining characteristic of our times is that
A. evolution is speeding up. B. we no longer get what we most need from society. C.
machinery has displaced humans in certain fields of activity. D. meeting primordial
human needs is no longer enough.
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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 90. In the writer’s general view, a possible way forward for society lies in

A. further prosperity creating time for reflection. B. our capacity to find

remedies for compulsions. C. restoring the way of life of pre-industrial
times. D. a reassessment of the value of material wealth.
For questions 91-95, read the text below and then decide which word on best fits each space. Put the
for each question in the correct box on your answer sheet.

The knowledge and eloquence that people gain through travelling is usually perceived as the best _____
inquisitive human nature that impels people to seek _____ (92) experiences and to set out on an exploration tr
frequently and to diverse places benefit from establishing new relationships and acquiring a better knowledge
and lifestyles.

However, there is a grain of truth in the assumption that people are prone to _____ (93) cliches and unfound
other nations and their characteristics. Sometimes, it is only the first-hand encounter that can help change th
the so-called 'inferior communities'. This direct contact with a different civilization enables travellers to _____
assumptions and get acquainted with the real concept of life in all four corners of the globe.

Beyond question, travelling facilitates friendship and makes it easier for many individuals to acknowledge the tr
traditions and customs. Yet, it does not always mean enjoyment. It may also involve coming close with t
existence as well as becoming aware of the challenges and hardships that other people have to struggle with. H
is the one with a good deal of experience to _____ (95) about, very often combined with exposure to abhorrent s
ordeals. The learning to be complete, thus, requires an ability to observe and analyse the surroundings, bot
brutality.

91. A. completion B. fulfilment C. conclusion D. resolution 92. A. thriving B. throbbing C.

thwarting D. thrilling 93. A. persevering B. cherishing C. indulging D. persisting 94. A. drop B.
cease C. fail D. quit 95. A. commemorate B. reminisce C. resemble D. remind

IV. WRITING

Part 1. Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be

Man is forever changing the face of nature. He has been doing so since he first appeared on the earth. Yet, a
is not always to the ultimate advantage of the earth or himself. Man has, in fact, destroyed more than necessa

In his struggle to live and extract the most out of life, man has destroyed many species of wildlife; directl
destruction, and indirectly by the destruction or alteration of habitats. Some species may be able to withstand
habitat while others may not be able to cope.

Take the simple act of farming. When a farmer tills a rough ground, he makes it unsuitable for the survival of ce
change in land use brings about a change in the types of plant and animals found on that land.

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Self-study Test No. 1, NEC 2018 When man builds a new town, this means the total destruction of vast areas of farm
Here, you have the complete destruction of entire habitats and it is inevitable.

It follows therefore, that every form of human activity unavoidably upsets or changes the wildlife complex o
destroyed many forms of wildlife for no reasonable purpose. They have also made many great blunders
destruction and the extermination of many forms of wildlife.

Man's attitude towards animals depends on the degree to which his own survival is affected. He sets aside pr
that he hunts for sport and wages a war on any other creature that may pose a danger or inconvenience to him
problems and man has made irreversible, serious errors in his destruction of predators. He has destroyed anim
are useful to farmers as pest controllers. The tragedy that emerges is that all the killing of predators did not
the number of game birds.

Broadly speaking, man wages war against the creatures which he considers harmful, even when his warfar
difference to the numbers of those he encourages. There is a delicate predator and prey equilibrium involving
of any area, which man can upset by thoughtless intervention.

Therefore, there is a need for the implementation of checks and balances. The continued existence of these a
entirely on man and his attitude towards his own future.

Part 2. The chart and graph below give information about sales and share prices for Coca-Cola. Su
information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
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Part 3. University lectures are now able to put their lectures on the Internet for students to read and so
importance of attending face to face lectures has been reduced. Do you believe the use of the Interne
education is a good idea? What future effects will the Internet have on academic study?

Write an essay of about 350 words to express your opinion. Give reasons and specific examples to su
answer.

THE END