ĐỀ ÔN HSG ANH 11

PART I. LISTENING

Section 1. Complete the notes below with ONE WORD for each numbered blank.

Noise in Cities

Past research focused on noise level (measured in decibels) and people’s responses.

Noise ‘maps’

• show that the highest noise levels are usually found on roads

• do not show other sources of noise, e.g. when windows are open or people’s neighbours are in their (1)
__________________

• ignore variations in people’s perceptions of noise

• have made people realize that the noise is a (2) ________________ issue that must be dealt with

Problems caused by noise

• sleep disturbance

• increase in amount of stress

• effect on the (3) __________________ of schoolchildren

Different types of noise

Some noises can be considered pleasant e.g. the sound of a (4) ______________ in a town

To investigate this, researchers may use methods from (5) _________________sciences e.g. questionnaires

What people want

Plenty of activity in urban environments which are (6) _________________, but also allow people to relax

But architects and town planners

• do not get much (7) _________________ in acoustics

• regard sound as the responsibility of engineers

Understanding sound as an art form

We need to know

• how sound relates to (8) ______________

• what can be learnt from psychology about the effects of sound

• whether physics can help us understand the (9) ________________ of sound

Virtual reality programs

• advantage: predict the effect of buildings

• current disadvantage: they are (10) _________________

Your answers

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 2. You will hear part of a lecture on stone tools and pottery making in Ireland in the Neolithic
period. Answer the following questions with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS. Write your answers in the
space provided. (10p)
1. By which TWO possible ways were ploughs pulled?
…………………………………………..…… ; ………………………………………
2. What purposes were water and sand used for in the final stages of axe-making?
…………………………………………..………………………………………………
3. Which part of the pots was often rubbed to make them watertight?
…………………………………………..………………………………………………
4. Where did the clay often come from?
…………………………………………..………………………………………………
5. Which thing did the look of decoration around the tops of the earliest pots bear resemblance to?
…………………………………………..………………………………………………

Section 3. You will hear an interview on a train with two friends, Jane and Chris, chefs who both won
prizes in the National Railway Chef of the Year competition. For questions 1-5, decide whether the
statement is TRUE (T) or FALSE (F). (10 pts)

1. Chris said that the conditions of the competition were similar to his normal routine.
2. Jane admitted that the greatest problem she faced during the competition was having to prepare a meal
so quickly.
3. Both Chris and Jane felt the opportunity to be creative is unique about their job.
4. Chris thought being a railway chef would suit him mainly because it would enable him to satisfy his love
of travelling.
5. Jane thought she would be unable to take part in the kind of activity Chris suggested for the future.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Section 4. You will hear part of an interview with the comedian Brain Conley, who does a considerable
amount of work in panto, a type of family-friendly show which is popular at Christmas. For questions 1
to 5, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D. (10p)

1. Brian likes Birmingham because...

A. it has provided him with a steady income.

B. it is where he grew up.
C. it was where he first became famous.
D. he’s got some great memories here.

2 . When they discuss children’s participation in panto, Brian says that…

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 A. he prefers children not to come up on stage.
B. he thinks children can come up stage with their parents.
C. it’s important to get the parents’ permission if a child wants to participate.
D. he thinks that children’s participation adds a certain quality to the show.

3. According to Brian, the advantage of panto is that…

A. all the actors can change their lines to reflect current events.
B. the qualities required in panto match his talents.
C. it gives him the chance to play a comedy character.
D. he can do singing, dancing and comedy at the same time.

4. Brian became involved in comedy because…

A. he had wanted to do it since he was a child.

B. he was no longer interested in singing.
C. his friends at school encouraged him to do it.
D. he found he could earn more by doing comedy.

5. What does Brian feel with regards to nerves?

A. He agrees with a comment someone made early in his career.

B. He no longer feels nervous because he is more experienced.
C. He only feels nervous before the performance.
D. The extent of his nerves has changed over the years.

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

PART 2: LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)

Section 1. Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (15 p)
1. Hats like this may have been fashionable in the 60’s, but now they are __________ the times.
A. beneath B. under C. over D. behind
2. Don’t be angry with Sue. All that she did was in good __________.
A. hope B. belief C. idea D. faith
3. Not only were the little children __________ with this nasty cold. We had a few adult patients, too.
A. afflicted B. imposed C. injured D. aggravated
4. In the ___________ of security, personnel must wear their identity badges at all time.
A. requirement B. demands C. assistance D. interests
5. It was decided that the cost of the project would be ___________ so it was abandoned.
A. repressive B. prohibitive C. restrictive D. exclusive
6. Sending out e-mails that people haven’t asked for to ___________ addresses is often known as ‘spamming’.
A. sufficient B. multiple C. countless D. widespread
7. Two colleagues are talking with each other about their work at the office.
Jane: “How is our production department doing?”
Lynn: “___________”
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 A. It is running on a very tight schedule.
B. Yes, I would not like to hear people complain.
C. I would hate to deal with unhappy customers.
D. Yes, that is the one. Did we start production on it yet?
8. - Why did you ___________ and mention the party to Roger?
- It was supposed to be a surprise.
A. have kittens B. put the cat among the pigeons
C. let the cat out of the bag D. kill two birds with one stone
9. We cannot afford to carry members who are not ____________.
A. doing things by halves B. making a meal of it
C. knowing beans about it D. pulling their weight
10. In many places in Wales, we found that place-names in English had been ___________ with green paint -
the work of ardent Welsh Nationalists.
A. suppressed B. disguised C. obliterated D. destroyed
11. Evelyn tends to buy things on a ___________ without thinking first whether she’s going to need them or
not.
A. wick B. wit C. whim D. wham
12. He tries to ___________ himself with everyone by paying them compliments.
A. ingratiate B. please C. gratify D. commend
13. My sunburnt nose made me feel rather ___________ for the first few days of the holiday.
A. self-effacing B. self-centered C. self-conscious D. self-evident
14. My decision to leave university after a year is one I now ___________ regret.
A. harshly B. painfully C. keenly D. heavily
15. Peter: “I love your garden!” John: “Thanks. Yes, I suppose I’ve always ___________.”
A. seen the wood for the trees B. turned over a new leaf
C. had green fingers D. let nature take its course
Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Section 2. Fill each gap of the following sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 p)

The stairlift

It’s ironic that very things that are supposed to provide access to the 1. UP
(1) ____________ floors of buildings-stairs-often, in fact, make them (2) 2. ACCESS
____________. For many elderly people and others with limited (3) ____________, 3. MOBILE
getting upstairs can be a daily problem to be (4) ____________. However, 4. COME
stairlifts have been helping people solve that problem since they first
5. GO
appeared in the USA in the 1930s. Designs have (5) ________________ many
changes over the years and stairlifts have become
(6) _____________ safer and easier to use. Most consist of a seat which moves 6. PROGRESS
along rails that run along the wall.

The user controls how (7) ____________ the seat moves along the rails as it 7. RAPID
travels from the bottom of the stairs to the (8) ____________ at the top. In 8. LAND
today’s models, the (9) ____________ is controlled by computers to give a 9. MOVE
smooth ride and the components are designed to (10) ____________ constant 10. STAND
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use. Many people have been given a new lease of life by the stairlift.

Your answers

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.

Section 3: There are FIVE mistakes in the passage below. Find the mistakes and correct them. W rite
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (5 p)

Lin
e

1 Things started to go wrong as soon as we got to the hotel. We were all completely
2 exhausted after our long journey and looking forward to shower and a rest. However,
3 we found that our room was not ready, which was very annoying, although the
4 manager was extremely apologetic. While we were waiting, we asked about the
5 excursions to places of an interest which we had read about in brochure. Imagine how
6 we felt when we were told they had all been cancelled! Apparently, the person
7 responsible for organising them had left suddenly and had not been replaced. Then
8 Sally saw a notice pinning to the door of the restaurant, saying it has closed for
9 redecoration, and Peter discovered that the swimming pool was empty. When we
10 eventually got to our room we were horrified to find that it was at the back of the
11 hotel, and we had a view of a car park, which seemed to be used as a rubbish dump.
We seriously began to wonder whether or not to stay.

Your answers

Line Mistakes Corrections

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

PART 3: READING (60 points)

Section 1: For questions 1-10, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each
space. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (10 p)

CROCODILE FARMS

When Andy Johnson (1) ________ Britain’s first ever crocodile farm in 2006, he came under fierce criticism
from animal rights groups, opposed to the factory farming of wildlife. However, Johnson, who also farms
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cattle, pigs and lambs, (2) _______ that his motivation for starting a crocodile farm was for (3) _______
environmental reasons. He wants to protect wild crocodiles from being poached, and he is primarily
interested in their meat, not their skins.

“By supplying Europeans with home-produced crocodile, we can (4) _______ the market value of illegally
supplied crocodile meat,” he claims.

Johnson says the meat “has a mild flavour- it’s low fat, high protein, very healthy and humanely
produced”. His crocodiles are housed in tropical heated room that measures around 20 and 30 metres, so
they have plenty of room. However, Dr Clifford Warwick, a reptile biologist, (5) _______ concern: “Their
biology and behaviour do not (6) _______ themselves to a captive life. The animals may seem peaceful and
relaxed, but an animal behaviourist can see that they are stressed.”

In the last century, many species of crocodiles were hunted to the (7) _______ of extinction as trade in
their skins flourished. Some 300,000 Australian saltwater crocodiles were killed between 1945 and 1973.
The alligator suffered in a similar (8) _______, although both species are now protected and their (9) _______
are slowly rising. Worldwide, the legal trade in crocodilian skins (crocodiles, alligators and Caymans) has
roughly tripled since 1977, rising to a million or (10) _______ animals by 2003. The majority of these are
framed animals, but upwards of 90,000 are killed annually in the wild.
1. A. put out B. gave off C. set up D. brought about
2. A. ascertains B. insists C. insures D. convinces
3. A. purely B. utterly C. cleanly D. finely
4. A. downsize B. downplay C. undercut D. undergo
5. A. expresses B. gives C. speaks D. arises
6. A. let B. owe C. make D. lend
7. A. frontier B. edge C. side D. line
8. A. luck B. destination C. chance D. fate
9. A. groups B. numbers C. counts D. volumes
10. A. some B. many C. more D. such

Your answers

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 2: For questions 1-10, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 p)

Society does not encourage crying as a form of (1) __________ expression. The shedding of tears to
make people feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. The (2) __________ race is the only species that sheds
emotional tears. What (3) __________ does crying serve?

It has been suggested that emotional tears play a role in the (4) __________ of stress. Scientific studies
have revealed that emotional tears contain a chemical which is one of the body’s natural (5) __________
killers. The chemical is not found in tears (6) __________ as a response to slicing onions. Scientists think that
tears may (7) __________ to remove substances that accumulate in the body under stress. This would explain
why many people feel much better after crying. As a result of the view that it is not (8) __________ to cry, men
tend to hold back their tears. This may explain when men develop more stress - related diseases than
women. (9) __________ emotion, be if a feeling of sadness or happiness, is stressful. Tears are therefore shed
as a response to sorrow, anger or joy. It is natural to cry. Indeed, it may be (10) __________ to hold back tears.

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Your answers

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 3. Read an extract from an article and choose the sections A- D which you think fits best
according to the text. Write your answers on the space provided. (10 p)

The craft of perfumery has an ancient and global heritage. The art flourished in Ancient Rome,
where the emperors were said to bathe in scent. After the fall of Rome, much of the knowledge was lost, but
survived in Islamic civilizations in the Middle Ages. Arab and Persian pharmacists developed essential oils
from the aromatic plants of the Indian peninsula. They developed the processes of distillation and
suspension in alcohol, which allowed for smaller amounts of raw materials to be used than in the ancient
process, by which flower petals were soaked in warm oil. This knowledge was carried back to European
monasteries during the Crusades.

At first, the use of fragrances was primarily associated with healing. Aromatic alcoholic waters were
ingested as well as used externally. Fragrances were used to purify the air, both for spiritual and health
purposes. During the Black Death, the bubonic plague was thought to have resulted from a bad odour
which could be averted by inhaling pleasant fragrances such as cinnamon. The Black Death led to an
aversion to using water for washing, and so perfume was commonly used as a cleaning agent.

Later on, the craft of perfume re-entered Europe, and was centred in Venice, chiefly because it was
an important trade route and a centre for glass-making. Having such materials at hand was essential for the
distillation process. In the late seventeenth century, trade soared in France, when Louis XIV brought in
policies of protectionism and patronage which stimulated the purchase of luxury goods. Here, perfumery
was the preserve of glove-makers. The link arose since the tanning of leather required putrid substances.
Consequently, the gloves were scented before they were sold and worn. A glove and perfume makers’ guild
had existed here since 1190. Entering it required 7 years of formal training under a master perfumer.

The trade in perfume flourished during the reign of Louis XV, as the master glove-and-perfume
makers, particularly those trading in Paris, received patronage from the royal court, where it is said that a
different perfume was used each week. The perfumers diversified into other cosmetics including soaps,
powders, white face paints and hair dyes. They were not the sole sellers of beauty products. Mercers,
spices, vinegar-makers and wig-makers were all cashing in on the popularity of perfumed products. Even
simple shopkeepers were coming up with their own concoctions to sell.

During the eighteenth century, more modern, capitalist perfume industry began to emerge,
particularly in Britain where there was a flourishing consumer society. In France, the revolution initially
disrupted the perfume trade due to its association with aristocracy, however, it regained momentum later
as a wider range of markets were sought both in the domestic and overseas markets. The guild system was
abolished in 1791, allowing new high-end perfumery shops to open in Paris.

Perfume became less associated with health in 1810 with a Napoleonic ordinance which required
perfumers to declare the ingredients of all products for internal consumption. Unwilling to divulge their
secrets, traders concentrated on products for external use. Napoleon affected the industry in other ways
too. With French ports blockaded by the British during the Napoleonic wars, the London perfumers were
able to dominate the markets for some time.

One of the significant changes in the nineteenth century was the idea of branding. Until then,
trademarks had had little significance in the perfumery where goods were consumed locally, although they
had a long history in other industries. One of the pioneers in this field was Rimmel who was nationalized as
a British citizen in 1857. He took advantage of the spread of railroads to reach customers in wider markets.
To do this, he built a brand which conveyed prestige and quality, and were worth paying a premium for. He
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recognized the role of design in enhancing the value of his products, hiring a French lithographer to create
the labels for his perfume bottles.

Luxury fragrances were strongly associated with the affluent and prestigious cities of London and
Paris. Perfumers elsewhere tended to supply cheaper products and knock-offs of the London and Paris
brands. The United States perfume industry, which developed around the docks in New York where French
oils were being imported, began in this way. Many American firms were founded by immigrants, such as
William Colgate, who arrived in 1806. At this time, Colgate was chiefly known as a perfumery. Its Cashmere
Bouquet brand had 625 perfume varieties in the early 20th century.

1. The purpose of the text is to…

A. compare the perfumes from different countries.

B. describe the history of perfume making.
C. describe the problems faced by perfumers.
D. explain the different uses of perfume over time.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about perfume making in Islamic countries?

A. They created perfume by soaking flower petals in oil.

B. They dominated perfume making after the fall of the Roman Empire.
C. They took raw materials for their perfumes from India.
D. They created a technique which required fewer plant materials.

3. Why does the writer include this sentence in paragraph 2?

During the Black Death, the bubonic plague was thought to have resulted from a bad odour which could be
averted by inhaling pleasant fragrances such as cinnamon.

A. To explain why washing was not popular during the Black Death.
B. To show how improper use of perfume caused widespread disease.
C. To illustrate how perfumes used to be ingested to treat disease.
D. To give an example of how fragrances were used for health purposes.

4. Why did the perfume industry develop in Paris?

A. Because it was an important trade route.

B. Because of the rise in the glove-making industry.
C. Because of the introduction of new trade laws.
D. Because of a new fashion in scented gloves.

5. What does “putrid” in paragraph 3 mean?

A. bad-smelling B. rare C. prestigious D. numerous

6. Which of the following people most influenced the decline of perfumes as medicine?

A. Louis XIV B. Louis XV C. Rimmel D. Napoléon

7. In paragraph 4, it is implied that …

A. master glove and perfume makers created a new perfume each week.
B. the Royal Court only bought perfume from masters.
C. mercers, spicers and other traders began to call themselves masters.
D. cosmetics were still only popular within the Royal Courts.

8. How did the French Revolution affect the Parisian perfume industry?

A. The industry declined then rose again.

B. The industry collapsed and took a long time to recover.
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 C. The industry was greatly boosted.
D. The industry lost most of its overseas customers.

9. Which of the following is NOT true of Rimmel?

A. He was one of the first people to utilise trademarks.

B. He created attractive packaging for his products.
C. His products were more expensive than other brands.
D. He transported his goods to potential customers by train.

10. What is implied about the New York perfume industry?

A. It was the fastest-growing perfume industry in the world at that time.

B. It was primarily developed by immigrants arriving from France.
C. It copied luxury fragrances and sold them cheaply.
D. There was a wider range of fragrances available here than elsewhere.

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 4. Read the passage and answer the questions 1-10. Write your answers in the corresponding
space provided. (20 p)

Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful?

The country's achievements in education have other nations doing their homework.

A_____ At Kirkkojarvi Comprehensive School in Espoo, a suburb west of Helsinki, Kari Louhivuori, the
school's principal, decided to try something extreme by Finnish standards. One of his sixth-grade students,
a recent immigrant, was falling behind, resisting his teacher's best efforts. So he decided to hold the boy
back a year. Standards in the country have vastly improved in reading, math and science literacy over the
past decade, in large part because its teachers are trusted to do whatever it takes to turn young lives
around. 'I took Besart on that year my private student,’ explains Louhivuori. When he was not studying
science, geography and math Besart was seated next to Louhivuori's desk, taking books from a tall stack,
slowly reading one, then another, then devouring them by the dozens. By the end of the year, he had
conquered his adopted country's vowel-rich language and arrived at the realization that he could, in fact,
learn.

B_____ This tale of a single rescued child hints at some of the reasons for Finland's amazing record of
education success. The transformation of its education system began some 40 years ago but teachers had
little idea it had been so successful until 2000, In this year, the first results from the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA), a standardized test given to 15-year-olds in more than 40 global
venues, revealed Finnish youth to be the best at reading in the world. Three years later, they led in math. By
2006, Finland was first out of the 57 nations that participate in science. In the latest PISA scores, the nation
came second in science, third in reading and sixth in math among nearly half a million students worldwide.

C_____ In the United States, government officials have attempted to improve standards by introducing
marketplace competition into public schools. In recent years, a group of Wall Street financiers and
philanthropists such as Bill Gates have put money behind private-sector ideas, such as charter schools,
which have doubled in number in the past decade. President Obama, too, apparently thought competition
was the answer. One policy invited states to compete for federal dollars using tests and other methods to
measure teachers, a philosophy that would not be welcome in Finland. 'I think, in fact, teachers would tear
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off their shirts," said Timo Heikkinen, a Helsinki principal with 24 years of teaching experience, 'If you only
measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect.'

D_____ There are no compulsory standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students'
senior year in high school. There is no competition between students, schools or regions. Finland’s schools
are publicly funded. The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local
authorities, are educators rather than business people or politicians. Ever school has the same national
goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators. The result is that a Finnish child has a
good chance of getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a
university town.

E_____ It's almost unheard of for a child to show up hungry to school. Finland provides three years of
maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents, and preschool tor all five-year-olds, where the
emphasis is on socializing. In addition, the state subsidizes parents, paying them around 150 euros per
month for every child until he or she turns 17. Schools provide food, counseling and taxi service if needed.
Health care is even free for students taking degree courses.

F _____ Finland's schools were not always a wonder. For the first half of the twentieth century, only the
privileged got a quality education. But In 1963, the Finnish Parliament made the bold decision to choose
public education as the best means of driving the economy forward and out of recession. Public schools
were organized into one system of comprehensive schools for ages 7 through 16. Teachers from all over the
nation contributed to a national curriculum that provided guidelines, not prescriptions, for them to refer to.
Besides Finnish and Swedish (the country's second official language), children started learning a third
language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age nine. The equal distribution of equipment was
next, meaning that all teachers had their fair share of teaching resources to aid learning. As the
comprehensive schools improved, so did the upper secondary schools (grades 10 through 12). The second
critical decision came in 1979, when it was required that every teacher gain a fifth-year Master's degree in
theory and practice, paid for by the state. From then on, teachers were effectively granted equal status with
doctors and lawyers. Applicants began flooding teaching programs, not because the salaries were so high
but because autonomous decision making and respect made the job desirable. And as Louhivuori explains,
'We have our own motivation to succeed because we love the work.'

For questions 1-5, choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the lists of headings below.
Write the correct numbers (i-ix) in the space provided.
List of Headings Your answers

i A business-model approach to education 0. Paragraph A:__ vi____

ii The reforms that improved education in Finland 1. Paragraph B: ________
iii Educational challenges of the future
iv Ways in which equality is maintained in the Finnish 2. Paragraph C: ________
education system
v The benefits of the introduction of testing 3. Paragraph D: ________
vi An approach that helped a young learner
4. Paragraph E: ________
vii Statistical proof of education success
viii Support for families working and living in Finland 5. Paragraph F: ________
ix The impact of the education system on Finland’s economy

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For questions 6-10, complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in the space provided

The school system in Finland

PISA tests

*In the most recent tests, Finland’s top subject was (6) ______________________
History
1963:
*A new school system was needed to improve Finland's economy.
*Schools followed (7) _________________________ that were created partly by teachers.
*Young pupils had to study an additional (8) ____________________
*All teachers were given the same equipment to use.
1979:
*Teachers had to get a (9) _______________________ but they did not have to pay for this.

*Applicants were attracted to the (10) ___________________ that teaching received.

Your answers

6. 7. 8.
9. 10

Section 5. You are going to read a selection of letters from a motoring magazine. For questions 1-10,
choose from the people (A-F). The people may be chosen more than once. (10 p)

Book Corner

A round-up of the latest fiction and non-fiction from Beth Young.

A
Reading a new novelist is a bit like asking a stranger out on a date. You never quite know if this is the start
of a beautiful relationship. You check the blurbs, the publicity photograph, and flick through the book to
look for the two essentials: entertainment and substance. Beginner's Greek by James Collins is certainly big
on the latter, weighing in at 400-plus pages. And the quotes on the back cover have the effect of a bunch of
friends saying to you, 'Go on, you'll get on brilliantly'. Early indications are that this blind date could lead to
a deeper Relationship. Beginner's Greek is described by The New York Times as a "great big sunny lemon
chiffon pie of a novel" about romantic love amongst the American middle classes. It is indeed delicious.

B
In Manil Suri's second outing The Age of Shiva we have a broad-sweeping, epic novel with an unforgettable
heroine so wilful yet flawed that it calls to mind that other famous leading lady, Scarlett O'Hara in Gone
With the Wind. The story begins at a firework party in Delhi where Meera falls disastrously in love. We
follow her journey to Bombay, marriage and obsessive motherhood, with occasional flashbacks to a
childhood that was marred by political turmoil. Mathematics professor, Suri, captures the fluidity of the
role of women with a beautiful kind of precision.

C
Devotees of playwright David Mamet, whose screen work includes Wag The Dog and the award-winning
Glengarry Glen Ross may be less than enamoured of Ira Nadel's new biography, David Mamet: A Life in the
Theatre. It may seem churlish to question the minutia of incidents that abound in this comprehensive tome,

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but whilst Nadel is clearly striving for accuracy one feels there ought to have been more sifting, more
mining for the gold amongst the biographical trivia. In addition, Nadel's tone is somewhat dry and
academic and seems at odds with the brilliance of David Mamet's own writing. That said, the book offers a
sound introduction to the life and career of the man hailed as one of America's most outstanding writers.

D
Can any Mother help me? is the true story of a desperately lonely mother who, in 1935, appealed to other
women through the letters page of a women's magazine. Writing under a pseudonym, the woman known as
Ubique (meaning 'everywhere') little realised that she would be the trigger for the launch of a new and
private magazine that would last for the next fifty years. The Cooperative Correspondence Club was formed
to offer comfort and support to wives, often well-educated women, who craved stimulation beyond the
drudgery of family life. Jenna Bailey has done a superb job of organising and editing this compendium,
adding her own insightful commentary.

E
Subtitled, The Life and Times of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, Jessie Child's debut historical biography,
Henry VIII's Last Victim, was the worthy winner of last year's Elizabeth Longford Prize. Henry Howard's
victim status is owing to the fact that he was the final person to be executed by King Henry VIII, a mere nine
days before the king himself expired. Although killed ostensibly for treason, the Earl of Surrey's only real
crime it seems was leading an unsuccessful army campaign in France. Only 29, he was also a distinguished
poet with a fine literary voice, a persona which refutes his reputation as the spoilt son of the Duke of
Norfolk.

F
This is the 25th outing for T. Keneally but he's lost none of his writing powers. The Widow and Her Hero
takes real life events during the Second World War as its inspiration and builds a tale of love and intrigue.
Grace looks back on her life to recall her courtship with the hero of the title, the handsome Captain Leo
Waterhouse. Leo is tragically killed whilst on a secret mission but it is many years before Grace discovers
the facts about his death. Keneally made fans galore when Schindler's Ark was published and later made
into the award-winning Steven Spielberg film, Schindler's List. The Widow and Her Hero will bring him
even more fans.

In which review are the following mentioned?

1) A story in which someone is unaware of the impact of their action.

2) A description of the opening scene.

3) An author who exemplifies source material with their own analysis.

4) A humorous comparison with a real-life situation.

5) A character who finds out the truth about a situation.

6) A hint that the author's future writing career will be positive.

7) A book that would be appreciated by people without much previous knowledge of the subject.

8) A book which has already won critical acclaim.

9) A book which includes too much factual detail.

10) A mention of the profession of the author.

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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PART IV: WRITING (60 points)
Section 1. Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should
be about 100 words long. You MUST NOT copy the original. (10 points) .

The immune system is equal in complexity to the combined intricacies of the brain and nervous system.
The success of the immune system in defending the body relies on a dynamic regulatory communications
network consisting of millions and millions of cells. Organized into sets and subsets, these cells pass
information back and forth like clouds of bees swarming around a hive. The result is a sensitive system of
checks and balances that produces an immune response that is prompt, appropriate, effective, and self-
limiting.

At the heart of the immune system is the ability to distinguish between self and non-self. When immune
defenders encounter cells or organisms carrying foreign or non-self molecules, the immune troops move
quickly to eliminate the intruders. Virtually every body cell carries distinctive molecules that identify it as
self. The body’s immune defenses do not normally attack issues that carry self-markers. Rather, immune
cells and other body cells coexist peaceably in a state known as self-tolerance. When a normally functioning
immune system attacks a non-self molecule, the system has the ability to remember the specifics of the
foreign body. Upon subsequent encounters with the same species of molecules, the immune system reacts
accordingly. With the possible exception of antibodies passed during lactation, this so-called immune
system memory is not inherited. Despite the occurrence of a virus in your family, your immune system
must learn from experience with the many millions of distinctive non-self molecules in the sea of microbes
in which we live. Learning entails producing the appropriate molecules and cells to match up with and
counteract each non-self invader.

Any substance capable of triggering an immune response is called an antigen. Antigens are not to be
confused with allergens, which are most often harmless substances (such as ragweed pollen or cat hair)
that provoke the immune system to set off the inappropriate and harmful response known as allergy. An
antigen can be a virus, a bacterium, a fungus, a parasite, or even a portion or product of one of these
organisms. Tissues or cells from another individual (except an identical twin, whose cells carry identical
self markers) also act as antigens; because the immune system recognizes transplanted tissues as foreign, it
rejects them. The body will even reject nourishing proteins unless they are first broken down by the
digestive system into their primary, non-antigenic building blocks. An antigen announces its foreignness by
means of intricate and characteristic shapes called epitopes, which protrude from its surface. Most
antigens, even the simplest microbes, carry different kinds of epitopes on their surface; some may even
carry several hundred. Some epitopes will be more effective than others at stimulating an immune
response. Only in abnormal situations does the immune system wrongly identify self as non-self and
execute a misdirected immune attack. The result can be so-called autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid
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arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosis. The painful side effects of these diseases are caused by a person’s
immune system actually attacking itself.

Section 2. Graph description (20p)

The chart below shows the amount of money spent on the three types of books per person in the
country of Aspirana.

Write a report (of about 150 words) on how money has been spent on books over the period of twenty years.

Expenditure on Books

10000
US dollar

1000

100

10
1995 2000 2010 2014
Year

Politics Health Fiction

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Section 3. Essay writing (30 p)

Some people think that a school teacher’s role is to motive and inspire students. However, others
believe that a teacher’s primary role is to pass on knowledge.

What is your opinion?

Write an essay of 300 - 350 words to highlight your opinion on this matter. Give reasons and specific
examples to support your opinion.

THE END

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