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Kì thi Học Sinh Giỏi Quốc Gia (HSGQG) tổ chức tháng 1 hàng năm luôn là một ngày hội lớn với các bạn

học sinh cấp 3 trên mọi miền tổ quốc. Đối với môn Tiếng Anh, một giải thưởng không chỉ là một tấm vé tuyển thẳng

Đại Học, một điểm cộng trong hồ sơ du học mà còn là một niềm tự hào to lớn. Tuy vậy, điều quan trọng không

nằm ở phần thưởng cuối cùng, mà là ở quá trình cố gắng học tập, ở những kiến thức ta thu được. Hiểu rõ được

điều này, Ambrosia xin giới thiệu đến các bạn học sinh và quý thầy cô quyển sách “Master The Art of The NEC”

với mục đích hỗ trợ cho quá trình ôn luyện và giảng dạy HSGQG môn Tiếng Anh.

Quyển sách được chia thành các phần nhỏ Listening, Lexico-Grammar, Reading, Writing và Speaking đúng

theo cấu trúc của kì thi Học Sinh Giỏi Quốc Gia. Mỗi phần sẽ bao gồm những ghi chú hướng dẫn và kinh nghiệm

của nhóm tác giả về cách làm bài, cách luyện tập cũng như các chuyên đề đặc biệt và bài tập luyện tập. Ngoài ra,

“Master The Art of The NEC” còn đem đến cho độc giả các bài kiểm tra kỹ năng và 2 đề luyện tập với cấu trúc

giống như đề thi HSGQG chính thức. Vì kiến thức của sách rất rộng nên độc giả còn có thể dùng sách với mục

đích ôn tập cho những kì thi chuẩn hóa như IELTS, TOEFL hay CAE.

“Master The Art of the NEC” là những tâm huyết và kiến thức đúc kết từ những trải nghiệm thực tế của

nhóm tác giả, những người đã gắn bó với Tiếng Anh Chuyên trong suốt nhiều năm qua. Quá trình soạn sách tuy

rất vất vả nhưng Ambrosia vẫn luôn cố gắng tối ưu hóa chất lượng nội dung cuốn sách với sự nhiệt huyết và đam

mê cao nhất. Chắc chắn những sai sót là không thể tránh khỏi nhưng Ambrosia hi vọng độc giả vẫn sẽ luôn luôn

ủng hộ đứa con tinh thần này để bọn mình có thể tiếp tục tiến bộ và cải thiện trong tương lai.

Mọi góp ý xin gửi về email: ambrosiaontop@gmail.com hoặc fanpage: www.facebook.com/iloveambrosia

Trân trọng cảm ơn

Nhóm tác giả Ambrosia

 GIỚI THIỆU VỀ AMBROSIA VÀ NHÓM TÁC GIẢ
Ambrosia High School for The Gifted được thành lập tháng 7 năm 2017 nhằm mục đích mang lại một môi

trường học tập và trao dồi kiến thức Tiếng Anh chuyên cho các bạn học sinh trên toàn quốc. Ambrosia luôn cố

gắng đem lại những kiến thức và trải nghiệm để giúp các học sinh tự tin trước những kì thi Chuyên, HSG. Ngoài

những bài đăng chia sẻ kiến thức, suốt một năm qua, Ambrosia đã nhiều lần tổ chức thi thử cho các cuộc thi

HSGQG, Olympic 30/4 hay thi vào 10 Chuyên và luôn đồng hành cùng các thí sinh trong các cuộc thi Tiếng Anh

Chuyên lớn. Tất cả những nỗ lực này của bọn mình đều nhằm phát triển phong trào Chuyên Tiếng Anh rộng rãi.

Nhóm Tác Giả là những sinh viên và học sinh Chuyên Anh đã đạt được những thành tích cao trong các kì thi học

sinh giỏi khu vực và quốc gia cũng như các kì thi chuẩn hóa quốc tế. Nhưng quan trọng hơn cả, bọn mình đều có

một niềm đam mê với Chuyên Tiếng Anh và một niềm mong muốn được chia sẻ kiến thức. Ambrosia hi vọng những

kiến thức và tâm huyết của bọn mình sẽ được vận dụng tối đa để giúp đỡ các bạn trong các cuộc thi sắp tới!

Nhóm tác giả đồng thực hiện cuốn sách này:

Co-founders Ban Marketing

Diệp Đỉnh Khang Trương Vũ Nguyên Uyên

Nguyễn Vũ Hoàng Tấn Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc

Trần Hải Anh Lý Nguyễn Khánh Linh

Ban Academic Content Ban Technical - Design

Chiêu Kim Quỳnh Nguyễn Bá Phong

Nguyễn Minh Long Trần Vũ Nam Khánh

Đặng Thị Hoài Linh Nguyễn Lê Gia Thịnh

Trần Nguyễn Duy Thông Hứa Phương Anh

Lê Gia Huy

Nguyễn Huy Hiệu

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notes
I. Tips and notes

Part 1 in the National English Competition is usually adapted from the IELTS Listening (any sections) with
complete or partial revisions. This part comprises 5 questions, which can be in any forms ranging from gap-filling,
true-false, multiple-choice,…These questions are generally easy, yet they require meticulous concentration as some
may be tricky. In order to get a prize, maximum score on this part is a prerequisite. Tips to conquer this part are as
follows:

- Read the instructions carefully since failure to follow the instructions can lead to your being penalised heavily.
- Stay focused all the time. Do not underestimate the difficulty of the questions and do not skip listening the second
time.
- Read and underline the questions and the sentences carefully. Sometimes the idea order in the listening extract
will not be the same as that of the questions, especially in case of listing.
- Be careful of words like “about”, “the most”, “always” since these words can be incorporated to mislead careless
listeners.
· For gap-filling questions:
 Read the instructions to know the maximum number of words allowed.
 Make sure your answer is grammatically correct.
 Check your spelling carefully as a misspelt answer is counted as a wrong answer.
 Look out for answers which are plural.
 Try to predict the part of speech (e.g, noun, verb, adjective, etc.) of the answer
 Pay attention to your handwriting. If the examiner cannot read what you have written, it will be marked as
incorrect.
· For T/F questions:
 Underline key words in the question. This will help you determine more clearly which piece of information you
should listen for.
 Move on to another question if you miss an answer. This will save you precious time as well as prevent you from
missing more answers.
 Try to anticipate what the speaker will say. This will help you to prepare for new information and minimize the
chance of missing answers.
 Look out for paraphrased information. Pieces of information and specific details in the recording are often stated
in a different way to trick careless examinees.

- Leave an answer blank.

- Rush through questions. There are frequently many traps in the recording, notably information changes.
- Lose focus or get distracted. You can miss out many answers if you fail to concentrate.
- Try to understand everything. Focus only on important pieces of information or details.
difficulty and do not skip listening the second tme.
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I. Tips and notes

In recent years, unlike other parts, part 3 listening of the NEC has remained unchanged. This part always
draws its source from the Part 3 Multiple-choice Listening in the CAE or CPE test, although the level of difficulty
varies each year. For example, part 3 in the NEC 2017 is pretty easy, yet that of the 2018 is not a simple task. This
part requires you to comprehend the long extract as a whole so it is not necessary to catch all the words. You will
often be asked about the opinions and points the speakers make. Sometimes, especially with tough questions,
inference is necessary to deduce the right answer. Here are some tips for this part.

1) Underline the key words in the questions prior to listening. While listening, look for synonyms and antonyms in the
extracts that match those in the questions since they can give you a strong hint.
2) Look for signposts while listening to these kinds of extract. The answers will not appear out of the blue. After
giving a lot of background information to confuse you, the speakers may drop some hints implying that they are
going to address the questions we need to answer before they actually do it. Make sure you are able to catch
this and prepare to listen carefully to the next part.
3) Some answers may seem obvious, but you should be careful and re-read the answers because misleading words
like “always”, “really” can be used to trick you.
4) If you are not sure about all 4 choices, infer yourself. Find a logical connection between the answer choices and
what you can hear.
5) Try to grasp the gist of the questions and answer choices before listening as the test designers sometimes
paraphrase the exercise by phasing in a lot of difficult words or idioms to blur the overall meaning.

Part 2 gap-filling in CAE/CPE also appears the test but the frequency is lower. However, we will still cover that
part in this course to leave nothing to chance. The part is not so hard but occasionally, even good listeners can
miss some words or choose the wrong words to fill in. The tips for this part are similar to those of IELTS gap-filling,
but with some additional advice.

1) Before listening, try to figure out what word form you are required to fill in (noun, verb, adjective,…). After you
have filled in, read the sentences again to see whether it has a proper meaning or not. Sometimes you may
accidentally leave out words and this may cost you points. For instance, if the answer key is “foregone conclusion”
and you only write “conclusion”, you will lose all the points.
2) You must maintain concentration all the time since the answers, unlike those of part 2, can come at any time.
3) Like IELTS listening, listen for the ending sounds and the tense of the sentence. Nouns in this part will usually
come in plural form.
ctic
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Holding a summit between the USA and North Korea in the Koreas is undesirable because one or the other would
look (10) _______________________.
3. (Source: Wall Street Journal) Listen to a piece of news about COP 21 and fill in the missing information with
NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS.
Why is Cop 21 considered to be so significant?
Negotiators hope their efforts over the next two weeks will steer the planet away from what many here believe could
be the (1) _________________________.
In some countries, the US, for example, many politicians question whether the costs of (2) ______________________
for climate change are worse than the disease.
What are negotiating teams’ assumptions?
The way to stay below the (3) ___________________________ is to keep humankind’s total tally of carbon dioxide
emitted into the atmosphere since the dawn of the industrial revolution below 1 trillion tons.
Do negotiators hope to divide what remains of the carbon budget here in Paris?
Leading up to the conference, more than 180 countries have (4) _______________________ for how much they would
limit their CO2 emissions over coming decades.
The (5) ___________________ between what the UN says is required, and what countries are putting on the table, is
often referred to as the gap.
So how will negotiators try to close the gap?
Closing is widely considered at least here in Paris unrealistic but many officials hope countries will agree to a five-
year review on target to later (6) ________________________ ambition on cutting emissions.
What are the (7) _______________________ in these negotiations?
Most of developed countries have already (8) ____________________ their CO2 emissions.
And these developing countries have (9) _________________________ of their own that the more wealthy developed
countries which already used up way more of their fair share of the planets carbon budget, should help pay the high
cost of shifting to (10) ____________________________.
4. (Source: BBC) Listen to a speech by Angelina Jolie on the refugee system and fill in the missing
information with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS.
Providing protection for refugees is the underlying working principle of the (1) _________________.
The groups of refugees that suffer the most can be (2) _______________________ as a ‘third country’ and then
migrate.
The escalation of conflicts and (3) ____________________________ are what mainly accounts for the current
breakdown in the refugee system.
This can be seen in the fact that in the past six years, 15 conflicts have (4) _____________________.
20 years (5) ________________________ has now become a common thing for displaced people.
That the UN appeals are (6) __________________________ makes millions of regugees have to live without adequate
food and proper shelter.
Angelina Jolie deems this refugee crisis as a large-scale trial of (7) _________________________.
According to Angelina, America is neither at the flux of the refugee crisis nor the ones (8)
________________________________.
European nations are currently (9) _____________________________ to resettle 10 percent of refugees from just one
conflict: Syria while other countries are (10) ___________________________ with millions of refugees from multiple
conflicts.
5. (Source: TED-ed) Listen to a piece of news about a new type of war possibly in the future and fill in the
missing information with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS.
That new type of war in the future is cyberwarfare along with the traditional wars but the problem is that it is not
present in the (1) _______________________________ and does not have any exact definition.
To decipher cyberwarfare, one way is to (2) _______________________ where new international laws may be needed.
In this way, a gunman who could (3) _________________________ without any firing is put forward as an example.
In this example, a wireless device can be harnessed to send a signal to (4) ______________________ by an individual
working for the government, which will eventually lead to fatal consequences.

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The present participles show that something is happening right now that affects the full sentence. For example, the
muffins are cooling, so soon they can be eaten; or, Sally prepares the tables, while the muffins are baking.
- Other Phrases as Absolute Phrases
Sometimes an absolute phrase doesn’t have a participle. When it doesn’t, it can instead be a noun phrase or
prepositional phrase that modifies a whole sentence.
Ex:
A wonderful baker, Sally made fresh muffins for her friends. Noun phrase
Last night, Sally made fresh muffins for her friends. Prepositional phrase
You can see that both of the absolute phrases modify the whole sentence. “A wonderful baker” makes the fact that
Sally baked muffins more important and meaningful—we know that they will be delicious. Likewise, “last night” tells
us when Sally baked the muffins.
2. INVERSION: happens when we reverse (invert) the normal word order of a structure, most commonly the
subject-verb word order. For example, a statement has the subject (s) before the verb (v), but to make question
word order, we invert the subject and the verb, with an auxiliary (aux) or modal verb (m) before the subject (s).
WHEN DO WE USE INVERSION?
❖ When we use a negative adverb or adverb phrase at the beginning of the sentence.
Usually, we put the expression at the beginning of the sentence to emphasize what we're saying. It makes
our sentence sound surprising or striking or unusual. It also sounds quite formal. If you don't want to give this
impression, you can put the negative expression later in the sentence in the normal way:
- Seldom have I seen such beautiful work.
('Seldom' is at the beginning, so we use inversion. This sentence emphasizes what beautiful work it is.)
- I have seldom seen such beautiful work.
('Seldom' is in the normal place, so we don't use inversion. This is a normal sentence with no special emphasis.)
Common adverbs and adverbial phrases used for inverted emphasis: Seldom, rarely, never, scarcely, on no
account, in no way, hardly, only then, no sooner, only later, nowhere, little, only etc.
Common adverbial phrases in which the inversion must go in the second clause: Only by, only after, not until,
only when, not since
Examples of ’emphasis with inversion’, with the emphasis being inserted in the second clause:
Only by knowing your enemy, can you learn about him/her.
Only after graduating from university with a master’s degree, did I manage to find a job.
Not until I left the building, could I see the rain clouds.
Only when you reach twenty-nine years, will I allow you to live here.
Not since Jamie found a job, has he been so happy.
❖ We can use inversion instead of 'if' in conditionals with 'had' 'were' and 'should'. This is quite formal:
- Normal conditional: If I had been there, this problem wouldn't have happened.
Conditional with inversion: Had I been there, this problem wouldn't have happened.
- Normal conditional: If we had arrived sooner, we could have prevented this tragedy!
Conditional with inversion: Had we arrived sooner, we could have prevented this tragedy!
❖ We can use inversion if we put an adverbial expression of place at the beginning on the sentence.
This is also quite formal or literary:
On the table was all the money we had lost. (Normal sentence: All the money we had lost was on the table.)
Round the corner came the knights. (Normal sentence: The knights came round the corner.)
HERE AND THERE:
Inversion can happen after here, and after there when it is as an adverb of place. After here and there, we
can use a main verb without an auxiliary verb or modal verb:
Here comes the bus!
Here’s your coffee.
I opened the door and there stood Michael, all covered in mud.
She looked out and there was Pamela, walking along arm in arm with Goldie
❖ Expressions beginning with not
We also invert the subject and verb after not + a prepositional phrase or a clause in initial position:
Not for a moment did I think I would be offered the job, so I was amazed when I got it.
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2. She likes debating because she enjoys the cut and ________ of people’s arguments.
A. glut B. hut C. crush D. thrust
3. When he found out that he had been rejected, he cut up ________.
A. rough B. raw C. loose D. harsh
4. With two options presented, I was caught between two ________.
A. horns B. stools C. doors D. ruts
5. I didn’t sleep well last night so I’m not really on the ________ today.
A. spur B. ball C. bounce D. jump
6. The house is expensive because it is situated in the most ________ part of the town.
A. salubrious B. ornate C. impecunious D. lucid
7. The trip will be long so you should bring a(n) ________ bag.
A. cantankerous B. capacious C. salutary D. ambulatory
8. He is a(n) ________ young man who shows no respect for god.
A. impious B. ludicrous C. precipitous D. capacious
9. Foreign aid is badly needed to ________ the effects of the drought.
A. ameliorate B. exert C. ossify D. preclude
10. The band sat down to enjoy the ________ ripe figs.
A. overt B. luscious C. sardonic D. unpalatable
2. Choose the correct answers A, B, C or D to each of the following questions.
1. Teachers should try to understand their students before they ________ the punishment.
A. bring out B. give out C. hand out D. splash out
2. When the police started asking questions, the suspect ________.
A. clammed up B. eased off C. wore out D. gave away
3. When you are buying a flight, make sure you ________ to find the best price first.
A. cast around B. swirl around C. shop around D. spin around
4. My big brother always ________ for me when my mother yelled at me.
A. stuck up B. stood up C. hooked up D. blocked up
5. Strictly ________ the record, his work is not up to scratch. Don’t tell him.
A.on B. by C. in D. off
6. The team was ________ devastated by the results.
A. deeply B. utterly C. thoroughly D. acutely
7. Some politicians fear that the concession will ________ a dangerous precedent.
A. establish B. set C. fix D. make
8. He ________ with laughter when he saw her ludicrous clothes.
A. shouted B. roared C. clapped D. hooted
9. A loud ________ of thunder woke him from a restless sleep.
A. bang B. peal C. ounce D. pound
10. Unfortunately, he doesn’t usually listen to ________ advice.
A. sought-after B. unlooked-for C. unwonted D. unsolicited
3. Choose the correct words to fill in the blanks.
alacrity lethargic levity idiosyncrasy ominous ruminate demur
lithe cacophony saccharine traverse trepidation exculpate
sagacious depravity execrable callow trinket loquacious deride

1. As we entered the farmyard we were met with a(n) _______________ of animal sounds.
2. The monk was alarmed by society’s moral _______________ when he saw the news.
3. He had the _______________, athletic body of a ballet dancer.
4. One of the _______________ of this printer is that you can’t stop it once it has started.
5. She’s always had _______________ taste in men. She used to date criminals!
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1. restrictions or limitations 1. duty-bound, earthbound

-bound 2. direction 2. homebound, westbound

killing pesticide, suicide, genocide, herbicide

-cide

a job, task or status which two or more people co-author, co-driver, co-pilot
co-
can share
something that opposes or has the opposite contradict, contravene, contraception
contra-
effect of another

col- together, with collaborate, colleague

com- company, compound
con- contact, contemporary

actions or activities that oppose another action or counterattack, counteract, counterbalance,

counter- activity counterclaim

1. a state, quality or experience 1. pregnancy, accuracy, infancy

-cy 2. rank, position or occupation 2. presidency, captaincy, consultancy

1. an action which has the opposite effect of, or 1. deactivate, decentralized, dehydrate,
reverses, the process of another demobilize
de-
2. the removal of something
2. debug, defrost
1. an opposite action 1. disagree, disappear, disobey
2. disbelief, discomfort, discontent
dis-
2. opposite states, attitudes or qualities

1. a state or condition 1. freedom, wisdom

-dom 2. a realm or territory 2. kingdom, princedom

1. someone or something moving towards, or 1. downstream, downstairs, downward,

being situated in a lower place or position downwind
down- 2. becoming worse
2. downfall, downgrade

1. someone who is affected by an action 1. examinee, interviewee, nominee

-ee
2. someone who performs an action 2. escapee, absentee
em- the process of moving into or being placed into a empower, embark
en- different state, condition or position enable, enfold
-ence action, process or state adherence, existence, insistence, indulgence
a person or thing performing an action or respondent, transcendent
-ent
experiencing a process
equi- equal, equally equidistant, equivocal
1. actions 1. discovery, delivery
2. behavior 2. bravery, foolery
-ery
3. a place where something is done or kept 3. butchery, fishery, gunnery, winery
4. a group or objects of a particular kind 4. artillery, scenery, finery
extra- 1. very 1. extra-thin, extra-strong

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5. YES, NO, NOT GIVEN OR TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN QUESTIONS tasks either ask you to identify the
writer’s views or claims in the text or identify information in the text. You will be given a list of statements which are
either opinions or facts and you have to decide - If they are opinions, whether they are the opinions of the writer or
not or not given in the text. If they are facts, whether they are true, false or not given in the text. Here are some
strategies for practicing:
● Read the instructions carefully.
● Quickly read through all the statements to get an idea about the topic.
● Read the first statement more carefully. Underline the keywords so you understand the main point.
● Search for the section of the text which deals with the idea or fact.
● Once you have found the relevant section, read it carefully.
6. CLASSIFICATION QUESTIONS ask you to classify information given in the reading text. Classifications
are often according to the writer’s opinion or according to a period of time or place. You will be asked to identify a
letter which represents one of the classifications for each item in a list of statements. Here are some strategies for
practicing:
● Read the instructions carefully.
● Make sure you know how many classifications there are and what letters you have to use. (E.g. US, J, G & UK
in the exercise above.)
● Read the classifications carefully and make sure you don’t confuse the letters which represent each one.
● Read the statements/phrases or words beside the question numbers and underline keywords.
● Start with the first statement and work your way through them one by one and search the text to find where the
information is mentioned.
● The questions will not necessarily be in the same order as the text and the wording will probably be different in
the text so look out for synonyms and parallel expressions.
● When you’ve located the reference in the text, read it carefully and select your answer.
● Don’t leave any statements without a letter.
7. MATCHING QUESTIONS require you to match a list of opinions to sources mentioned in the text. These
questions are used with texts which present a number of different people’s opinions. The sources are usually
numbered and the opinions are given a letter each. In the answer booklet, you write the letter(s) beside the numbers.
There could be more opinions than sources. If so, you will need to write more than one letter beside the question in
the answer booklet. If there are more sources than opinions, then the opinions will be used more than once. Here
are some strategies for practicing:
● Read the instructions carefully.
● Take the names of the sources one by one and find them in the text and underline them.
● When you have located a name, read carefully to see what is said about his/her opinions.
● Look at the list of opinions and see if you can make a match.
● Remember that the text is not likely to use the same words as the questions, so look for synonyms and parallel
expressions.
● Also, be aware that the sources may be referred to in more than one place in the text.
8. CHOOSING HEADINGS QUESTIONS require you to sum up the meaning of a paragraph in order to match
it to a bank of possible headings. You may be asked to match every paragraph or section of the text or just a
selection of paragraphs or require you to sum up the whole text. Here are some strategies for practicing:
● Read the instructions carefully.
● Make sure you know which paragraphs or sections you have to sum up.
● Read the first paragraph or section and try to sum up, in your own words, what it is about.
● Then search through the bank of headings for the best answer.
● Make sure the heading you have chosen sums up the entire paragraph and not just one idea within it.
● If you have to sum up the entire text. Read the whole text before looking at the bank of headings. Try to think of
your own heading and then look at the options.

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A. GAPPED TEXT
I. Tips and notes

Gapped text is commonly referred to as the most challenging part in the CAE/CPE reading section, or even
in the whole test. It bothers many students who sits for the exam since getting no correct answer is not a rare thing.
The special thing about gapped text is that, only in recent years has it made its way into exams in Vietnam, especially
NEC. The first time this brain-teaser jolted NEC’s examinees was in 2016. Since then, the focus has been shifted to
CAE/CPE reading part and students are more committed to filling in left-out paragraphs than ever.
A stack of photocopied material, all about gapped text, is a testament to the hardship involved in practicing.
Normally there will be 6 or 7 gaps that wait for the smartest and most patient student to fill in. The number of gaps
varies according to difficulty. CAE has 6 blanks while CPE boasts a total of 7. In the National English Exam, the
number of gaps is mostly 7, which means the difficulty level is that of CPE.
Moreover, there is usually no modification to the paragraphs that are left out. People keep the original
content, which was adapted from newspapers such as the Guardian, the Economist,… Sometimes, they may add
some multiple-choice questions to diversify the way in which students are tested. These questions, more often than
not, requires knowledge of vocabulary and collocations extracted from the passage. The number of questions can
be up to 6, which adds up to a total of 1.3/20 points in this part. Yet in NEC 2017 and 2018, gapped text only covers
gap filling, excluding the multiple-choice add-ons.
Here are some tips to conquer this part:

- Glance through the option paragraphs first before reading the texts
- Fully and truly understand the general meaning of each paragraph.
- Pay attention to the following cues to get the right option:
1. Coherence – Cohesion: Remember these texts are originally from news or literary extracts, so their flows of
coherence are mostly impeccable. You need to grasp the overall meaning and message of each paragraph, put
them together and see whether the flow is clear and logical. For example, if the author has finished talking about
the advantages, the next paragraphs may be talking about the disadvantages.
2. Linking words: Words like However, Furthermore, For example,….are hints which will help you if you fail to catch
the general flow of meaning. These words mark the transition from paragraphs to paragraphs so when
considering an option, check whether these words fit.
3. Reference: Words like it, this, he, she,…are used to replace a noun. Identify what subjects are being mentioned
through these words and choose the relevant paragraph.
4. Tone and style: The writer will maintain a specific tone throughout the text so cross out paragraphs which seem
unfit.
5. Chronological order: Some texts follow a chronological order so pay attention the time (date, year,…) in order to
sequence a logical text.
6. Special Vocabulary and phrases: These can be hints for you since they are often used to emphasize the author’s
ideas.
- Re-read the paragraph to check its idea flow after you have completed.

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have information, whether the structure, tone, diction of the original passage are retained. If not, re-write until
you have been satisfied with your composition.
3. This website http://www.englishdaily626.com/summary.php?176 offers summary exercises with model
answers. Compare your own paragraphs to the model ones so as to have a deeper insight into your ability.
Identify your particular weakness: Do you leave out important information? Do you include too much
information? Does your writing style (use of language) correspond to that of the original source? After you
have recognized your shortcomings, bear them in mind whenever you do a summary exercise so as to avoid
repeating the same mistakes.
4. For extra practice exercises, check out the writing task 1 of the TOEFL iBT test. In this section, you have to
summarize information from both reading and listening extracts. Because you have to listen and read to take
note of the information, you will be provided with the chance to sharpen your skill of selecting key facts.
How to sharpen your paraphrasing skill?
1. When you learn vocabulary, don’t just study the word only. Instead, pay attention to its synonyms, antonyms
and other forms (verb, adjective, …) as well. This will expand your vocabulary range, which greatly facilitates
the paraphrasing process. Try to apply your lexical knowledge to your writing, but don’t misuse them. You
should check whether the tone of the word suits that of the passage as well.
2. Although the sentence transformation exercise has been excluded from most tests, don’t neglect it. This type
of exercise offers valuable chances to sharpen your paraphrasing skill. You can learn how to apply new
vocabulary knowledge and different grammar structures to your writing.
3. Writing essays is also an effective way to practice paraphrasing. While writing, you will have to find ways to
demonstrate your ideas in words through utilizing your wealth of lexical knowledge in a flexible and natural
way.

III. Paraphrasing skills

Step of paraphrasing:
1. Read carefully.
2. Make sure you have the full comprehension of the original text.
3. Underline the important ideas and words that can be rephrased.
4. Find the synonyms of the words and phrases.
5. Change the structure of the sentences.
6. Proofread to check mistakes and see whether the new sentences convey the original intention of the author.
Example:
1. This principle applies to humans too – someone maybe born with innate intelligence but their environment
probably has the final say over whether they become creative or even a genius. (NEC 2015 Writing part 1)
 The rule functions similarly in humans’ case – notwithstanding one’s inborn capacity, their exceptionality is
decisively determined by their environment.
2. Although solar power is a vast and inexhaustible resource, it is also an intermittent energy source, which means
that it is not available all the time.
 Albeit infinite in its resource, solar energy is rather sporadic in its availability.

IV. Exercises

PARAPHRASE:
1. Zoos provide an excellent way for people to relax, escaping the pressures of work and the general rough and
tumble of urban life. (Oxford Proficiency Masterclass)
 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. The word ‘friendship’ is not used in any context to describe family relationships, but it does imply some type
of reciprocity and obligation between otherwise unrelated individuals. (Proficiency Gold)
 __________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In the past few decades, homeschooling has evolved into something that is often anywhere but at home and
students are rarely alone. (Upstream Proficiency)
 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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III. Description Vocabulary

1. Similarity and contrast

Similarity Contrast
similarly however, nevertheless
in the same way yet
likewise on the other hand
as well as unlike
equally while/whereas
also although/even though
as … as … as opposed to
too in contrast/by contrast
in a similar way/fashion instead of
not only … but also … apart from/except for

2. Trends

Trends Verb form Noun form

Increase rise/ increase / go up / uplift / a rise / an increase / an upward
rocket/ climb / upsurge / soar/ shot trend / a growth / a leap / a jump /
up/ improve/ jump/ leap/ move an improvement/ a climb.
upward/ skyrocket/ soar/ surge
Decrease fall / decrease / decline / plummet / a fall / a decrease / a reduction / a
plunge / drop / reduce / collapse / downward trend /a downward
deteriorate/ dip / dive / go down / tendency / a decline/ a drop / a
take a nosedive / slum / slide / go slide / a collapse / a downfall.
into free-fall
Standability/Flat level off / remain constant / remain no change/ a flat/ a plateau
unchanged / remain stable / prevail
consistency / plateau / reach a
plateau / stay uniform or immutable
/ level out/ stabilize/ remain the
same.
3. Changes

wave/ fluctuate/ oscillate/ vacillate waves/ fluctuations/ oscillations/

Rapid ups and downs
vacillations

Type of change Adverb form Adjective form

dramatically / rapidly / sharply / dramatic / rapid / sharp / quick /
quickly / hurriedly / speedily / swiftly hurried / speedy / swift /
Rapid change
/ significantly/ considerably / significant / considerable /
substantially / noticeably. substantial / noticeable.
Moderate change moderately moderate
steadily / gradually / progressively / steady / gradual / progressive /
Steady change
sequentially. sequential.
Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly. slight / slow / mild.

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Part 2: LIST OUT SUPPORTING IDEAS

There are some important tips as follows:
➢ Put yourself in the question: This means that in order to answer the essay question, students should look at
the matter from an involved person’s perspective to truly understand his or her feelings and reactions and come up
with proper argument direction for their essay.
Example: With the topic ‘Do you think that cars should be banned from city centres? ’, students can put themselves
in the shoes of the following groups of people: car drivers, road users of other vehicles, authorities, etc. Just pose
some questions to themselves like: ‘How would I feel if I, a car driver, cannot go into the city centre? ’,’Can a car
ban help road users of other vehicles move more easily? ’
➢ Divide into many levels: In order to acquire a logical and coherent thought process, students should divide the
essay question into many aspects. In this way, for each aspect, they can think of a supporting idea without one
intertwining with the others, which certainly raises Task Response and Coherence and Cohesion band score.
Example: With the topic: ‘The importance of education’, you can divide the question into the range of education’s
impact: on an individual scale, on a national scale, on a worldwide scale, etc.
➢ No over-stressing of stereotype ideas: Some students always try to produce an impressive essay by coming
up with unique supporting ideas. This is unnecessary as in many cases, stereotype ideas are still the strongest
arguments and what matters is the unique explanation methods for these stereotypes ideas. Therefore, although it
is a competitive edge that students can think of exceptional supporting idea, focus on exceptional elaboration
directions is also a good idea.
➢ Expand background knowledge: This is a no-brainer to all students learning writing skills. It is imperative that
students do meticulous research on the essay question so that they can present the best supporting ideas as
possible in their essay upon practice stages. Sometimes, students should also set time for the brainstorming part
in order to increase their quick wit. The research process should be both in English and Vietnamese for the sake of
sufficiency of information. Some credible sources of background knowledge are BBC, CNN, Fox News, The
Guardian or Dantri, Vietnamnet, VnExpress, etc.
➢ Write them down: It is a common mistake that some students do not bother writing their draft ideas in paper
and rush to write an essay. However, this can lead to a murky essay because during writing an essay, a person
needs to pay heed to not only thinking of ideas and writing them but also to idea expressions, which can easily
confuse and distract his or her mind. Therefore, the advice is to write draft ideas and argumentation direction in a
paper so that the mind is able to process information.
➢ Write them in a system of key words: Given the importance of writing draft ideas down, students must know
how to write them down efficiently, not in a disorganised way. The most recommended way is to to write draft ideas
in a system of key words with branches or arrows indicating the natural train of thoughts and arguments.
Example: With the topic ‘In your opinion, do the benefits of video games outweigh its drawbacks? ’, one can sketch
out ideas like this:

Drawbacks outweigh benefits

- On the one hand: Benefits entertainment: relax after hard work

education: learn about some life skills: problem

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisolving, quick thinking, concentration span, …
- On the other hand: Drawbacks high addictiveness: game’s new progression and
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitargets → children more compelled to play games
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii→ consequences on health, studies and social life

➢ Think of argumentation in a direction: This is not about producing main supporting ideas but more about
thinking of how these supporting ideas can be supported or explained. Usually, the following are common
techniques for argumentation direction:

● Answer the question ‘Why’

● Think of consequences / outcomes: what it will bring about, how it develops over time
● Rephrase: often associated with the phrase ‘in other words’ for important messages
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Relevant Vocabulary:
1. the bare essentials: the most basic and necessary things or activities.
2. sustain a population: to keep alive a population.
3. ozone depletion: the destruction of the upper atmospheric layer of ozone gas.
4. soil erosion: the displacement of the upper layer of soil.
5. perpetuate: to cause something to continue.
6. contingent on/upon something: depending on something in order to happen.
7. unsanitary: dirty and unhealthy.
8. in short supply: to be few or not enough in number.
9. non-biodegradable: not able to decay naturally.
10. carbon footprint: a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the daily activities of a
person or company
11. aquifers: underground, natural water stores
12. tainted: polluted or contaminated
13. logging: cutting down trees for timber and industrial use
14. food chain: the natural system of animals eating other animals and plants
15. irrigation: supplying water to land for agriculture
16. crop rotation: the process of using different fields each year to keep the soil healthy
17. animal husbandry: the skill of keeping animals

Examples:
Linfen, China, where residents say they literally choke on coal dust in the evenings, is one of the most polluted place
in the world and exemplifies many Chinese cities.
Six months after the 2010 BP oil spill, which affected 16,000 miles of U.S. coastline, over 8,000 animals were
reported dead.
Copenhagen prioritises bikes over cars and now has more cyclers than drivers.

3. SOCIETY
3.1. Globalization: Advantages and disadvantages (Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-
and-disadvantages-of-Globalization)
Pros
1. As globalization increases, more and more
companies are setting up businesses in other
countries. This in turn increases the employment
opportunities that people at one place have.
2. With the increase in globalization, it has become
easier for people to move across borders to
different parts of the world to acquire better
education.
3. An increase in free trade has opened doors for
investors in developed countries to invest their
money in developing countries.
4. Information flows from one part of the world to the
other immediately, resulting in the world being tied
together.
5. As people move from one country to another,
barriers between various cultures tend to decrease.
Cons
1. Developed countries can take advantage of
underdeveloped countries’ weak regulatory laws in
terms of environmental protection.
2. Small scale industries face extinction as they do not
have the resources or the power that the
multinational companies have.
3. Developing countries is facing a phenomenon
called “brain-drain”, where a huge chunk of youth is
preferring jobs/education in the developed countries
than their own.
4. Terrorism has soared in the globalised world.
5. Globalisation can weaken and threaten national
identities

Solution to protect traditional values :

- We should promote the retention of our traditional roots to preserve the diversity of our culture and develop a
sense of national identity

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Good word usage:
1. judicious: sensible
2. foster: promote
3. pivotal role: very important role
4. educational outcomes: academic results, marks and achievements in general
5. inimical to sth: harmful to sth
6. In view of: considering sth
7. proclivity for sth: tendency for sth, often sth bad
8. preclusion: prevention of sth
9. concession mindset: a tendency to allow sb to do sth to end an argument
10. ineluctable: unavoidable
11. hallmark: a typical feature of sth/sb
12. delegate responsibility to sb: shift workload to sb

Ex 3:
In the technology-driven era, modern machinery has seemingly
infiltrated almost all aspects of human’s lives. Nevertheless, some
people deprecate this phenomenon and claim that this will exert
deleterious effects on mankind, which I wholeheartedly subscribe to. → state opinion right in the intro
The first and foremost rationale for my standpoint is the deprivation of → clear and straightforward topic
logical human thinking. Since modern people’s dependence on sentence in the form of a noun phrase
technology increases overtime, they will have a tendency to resort to
machines to tackle a multitude of life issues as it takes much less time
and effort. In the long run, should this practice persist for a certain → advanced grammar structure:
period of time, individuals’ capability for analytical and critical thinking invasion
will be eroded to a certain extent due to underuse . As a result, when
bereft of cutting-edge technology, people may struggle considerably to
solve their own problems by themselves. This can be witnessed in the
fact that a number of today students in manifold countries express → clarification of example: students’
strong preferences for Google and other online websites in order to over-reliance on technology
search for answers to their school assignments, which has induced
huge idleness among them. This has caused them to meet with colossal
difficulties when they are made to perform academic tasks without the
help of the Internet for example, during formal school examinations.
Thereby, humans’ lack of logical thinking is conceivable in the event of
→ reaffirment of topic sentence
overuse of modern machines.
→ linking word to introduce point
Increasing unemployment is another potential peril of humans’ over-
reliance on machines. In the current context, numerous corporations
make use of artificial intelligence and automation in lieu of human
labours owing to their superior working productivity and financial
savings from salaries to human employees. Consequently, both blue-
collar and white-collar workers from a variety of occupations, especially
manual jobs, will be made redundant in this robotic takeover, which
will place those people in a great dilemma to eke out a living. China
and India are cases in point. Upon the widespread invasion of
→ clarification of example:
automation, these two most populous countries in the world have been
unemployment in China and India due
forced to reduce the number of manual and blue-collar workers by
to technology
millions and are anticipated to cut back more on this section workforce
in the long term. This situation has robbed many Chinese and Indian
people of future job opportunities and incomes. This also potentially
destroys these nations’ long-standing strive for poverty reduction,
considering the constantly growing population of China and India . This
→ reaffirment of topic sentence

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alarming example does suffice to illustrate the gloomy scenario of

unemployment when people become too dependent on technology.
In conclusion, the ever-increasing use of state-of-the-art technology in → linking phrase to conclude
daily lives can have serious repercussions for humans. Hence, I opine
that each individual should harness machines appropriately and
cautiously with a view to making the most of them and averting their
potential drawbacks as much as possible.

Good word usage:

1. technology-driven: dominated by technology
2. deprecate sth: oppose to sth
3. wholeheartedly subscribe to sth (collocation): totally agree with sth
4. rationale for sth: reason for sth
5. bereft of sth: completely lacking sth
6. manifold: many
7. peril: danger
8. in lieu of: instead of
9. robotic takeover: a situation in which robot takes over
10. eke out a living: manage to live with little money
11. poverty reduction (collocation): the act of reducing poverty
12. suffice to do sth: enough to do sth
13. state-of-the-art: the most modern, updated
14. repercussion: consequences
15. opine: have the opinion
16. avert: avoid
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. WRITING CONSOLIDATION

Sample Answers

Ex 1:

The reading extract sheds light on the battle against climate change that the Inuit is fighting. Unprecedented
events such as premature thaws, snow dripping and lake draining have resulted in many repercussions. For
instance, igloos’ insulating characteristics are subsiding and no longer are seals within reach of the hunters. These
severe implications have raised the alarm about climate change for the word and thus, piqued the curiosity of
scientists. Climate change poses a serious threat to the survival of the Inuit, whose living conditions are
excruciatingly tough. The indigenous people have no intention of being manipulated since they are both
knowledgeable and possessive about their territory. To resolve climate change, they rely on the integration of
traditional and modern wisdom, which is another issue to address.

Ex 2:

The given table gives an insight into the expenditure patterns of consumers on three categories of products
and services in 2002. Overall, all five countries featured in the survey share a common trend: the budget on
food/drinks/tobacco is the largest and the reverse is applicable to leisure/education.

A closer look reveals that Turkey and Ireland stood out as nations which possessed the highest percentage
spending on food/drinks/tobacco, at 32.14% and 28.91% respectively. With regard to leisure/education, Turkey
also topped the table as its consumers devoted about 4% of their budget to this segment. On the other hand,
Ireland and Spain attached little of their resources to leisure/education: the former spent only 2.21% whilst the
latter’s figure languished at 1.98% only. It is noteworthy that in respect to clothing/footwear, Italians were the ones

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE: LISTENING .............................................................................................................................................. 3

IELTS LISTENING.................................................................................................................................................... 3
CAE, CPE LISTENING ............................................................................................................................................. 9
NEWS LISTENING ................................................................................................................................................. 17
LISTENING CONSOLIDATION ............................................................................................................................. 28

PART TWO: LEXICO - GRAMMAR .......................................................................................................................... 30

GRAMMAR ............................................................................................................................................................ 30
VOCABULARY ....................................................................................................................................................... 44
WORD FORMATION ............................................................................................................................................. 49
LEXICO CONSOLIDATION ................................................................................................................................... 59

PART THREE: READING .......................................................................................................................................... 61

CLOZE TESTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 61

IELTS READING .................................................................................................................................................... 77
CAE CPE READING .............................................................................................................................................. 95

A. GAPPED TEXT ........................................................................................................................................... 95

B. MULTIPLE MATCHING ........................................................................................................................... 107

TOEFL READING ................................................................................................................................................. 115

READING CONSOLIDATION .............................................................................................................................. 128

PART FOUR: WRITING ........................................................................................................................................... 134

SUMMARY WRITING .......................................................................................................................................... 134

REPORT WRITING .............................................................................................................................................. 140
ESSAY WRITING ................................................................................................................................................. 148
WRITING CONSOLIDATION ............................................................................................................................... 163

PART FIVE: SPEAKING ........................................................................................................................................... 164

PERSONAL QUESTIONS .................................................................................................................................... 164

PROVERB AND QUOTE QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................... 168
TOPIC QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 177
SPEAKING CONSOLIDATION ............................................................................................................................ 197

PART SIX: PRACTICE TESTS ................................................................................................................................ 198

PRACTICE TEST 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 198

PRACTICE TEST 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 212

PART SEVEN: KEY .................................................................................................................................................. 225

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