INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES
-----------------
SAMPLE MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Test paper
Date: _/_/2022 Time: _:_ Offline Closed book Exam
Duration: 60 minutes Semester 3, 2021 – 2022

SUBJECT: WRITING AE2 (ID: EN011IU)

Approval by the School of Languages Checked by Writing AE2 coordinator

Signature Signature

Full name: Assoc.Prof. Pham Huu Duc

Full name: Dr. Nguyen Huy Cuong
Checked by Head of the Testing board
Signature

Full name: Mr. Vu Tien Thinh (M.A.)

Proctor 1 Proctor 2
Signature Signature

Full name: Full name:

STUDENT INFORMATION

Student name:

Student ID:

INSTRUCTIONS (100-score scale, equivalent to 30% of the course)

1. Purposes:
‒ Test students’ skill in recognizing categories and classification (CLO 2)
‒ Test students’ competence in applying appropriate style in academic writing (CLO 1)
‒ Evaluate students’ knowledge and skills in writing a comparison/ contrast essay (CLO
3)
2. Requirements and Instructions:
‒ Write your FULL NAME and STUDENT ID below the Student Information.
Missing name and ID may end up with file loss and a zero in result.
1
‒ Read the instructions of each part/ section carefully and write the answer(s) on the
provided Answer sheet.
‒ Only textbooks are allowed.
‒ All electronic devices, reference materials, discussion and material transfer are strictly
prohibited. Plagiarism in any form is strictly punished.
‒ Students are required to submit both the Test paper and the Answer Sheet at the end of
the test.

2
EXAM QUESTIONS
Task 1: (30 points)
Read the following text and create a graphic display or an outline that categorizes the
points made in the text. (40 pts)
SOLVING SCHOOL CHEATING
In my years of teaching, no student has ever admitted to a plagiary, even when
questioned. The closest admission I get is that someone "read it over for me" or "I used my
dictionary." It is a hard truth: even when they are caught, cheaters continue to cheat.
However, there is no harder task for a teacher than to give a "0"! There are some common
factors of cheating which need to be actively challenged.
Students cheat primarily to make their lives easier. Young people, under heavy parental
pressure, find cheating a way to meet their parents' expectations. It is better to cheat than to
have parents scold them again and again. Recently in schools, the question which is often
heard is, "What did you get?" Peer pressure is another reason for student cheating. It is
undesirable to say "I got a 'C'", especially in today's competitive schools. It is possible that
the most important reason for cheating is what Katie Hafner referred to as "mental softness."
It is the Internet that bears responsibility in this case. On the Internet, ideas and words used
to express ideas can be accessed easily. Why do students have to think hard if the
information is substantially provided? An easy life is available to the student cheater: a life
without parental nagging, ridicule at school, or the need to work hard.
With such "softness" evident in our students, the solutions to cheating must be hard ones.
Parents need to accept their children's abilities and celebrate their accomplishments, no
matter how small they are. Heavy pressure, by itself, cannot make a child smarter. Students
must be encouraged to make comparisons on how much a peer has improved and on how
hard that person had to work in order to obtain a grade. For some students, a "C" is a major
achievement. The hardest challenge will be to reshape the Internet as a tool for creating
higher-order thinking, not one for avoiding difficult work. Teachers, instead of trying to keep
students away from Internet resources, must make themselves aware of the Internet's
potential for teaching. Research-based assignments (properly cited) that use the Internet
should be assigned in every classroom. In these ways, we can work on soft attitudes and
remake them into a passion for disciplined work.

3
 Cheating is a danger to student achievements, one that needs to be challenged vigorously.
Parents, who always want to see geniuses in their family and put frequent pressure on their
children, should learn to ease up to some extent. Students can learn to admire each other's
accomplishments without resorting to comparisons that offer little in judging a person's true
worth. Furthermore, teachers can learn from their mistakes and begin to bring the Internet
into their secluded classroom worlds. If we work on this together, our success will be
assured.

Task 2: (70 points)

Write a comparison/ contrast essay of about 350 words on ONE of the following topics:
1. Write an essay to compare and contrast life in Vietnam now and a decade ago. Pay
attention to the use of academic language and a clear text structure.
2. Write an essay to compare and contrast the methods of communication (e.g, letters,
telephones, etc.) used today with those which were used in the past. Pay attention to the
use of academic language and a clear text structure.

This is the end of the test.

4
Working – Then and Now
When a reader wrote to the advice
columnist Ann Landers saying he
could not find a job in spite of a
college degree and work
experience, Ann suggested that
perhaps the man's attitude was to
blame. An
avalanche of mail told Ann that she
was behind the times. In the
decades since Ann Landers began
writing
her column, the job market has
undergone a mixed bag of changes.
Today's workplace is more diverse,
more demanding, and less secure
than the workplace of the 1960s.
5
The most positive change in the
workforce is that it has become
more diverse. In the 1960s,
executive
jobs went mostly to white males,
while women and minorities were
steered toward secretarial or
janitorial
jobs. Today, an ever-widening
crack in the door to the executive
suite is admitting all ethnic groups
and
both genders. Minorities have
moved from the mail room to the
board room, and females from the
typing

6
pool to the executive suite. There is
likewise a diversity in mindset.
Once, the "corporation man" was
esteemed because his values and his
ideas were likely to be in line with
those of upper management. Now,
however, employees are no longer
expected to be yes-men or yes-
women. Corporations now have
become
more creative and competitive, so
the employee with a different slant
on things is useful. Greater
diversity
has made today's workplace
stronger and more vital.

7
Today's workplace also makes more
demands on its workers' time than
the workplace of the sixties. In
those days, "nine to five" was the
rule rather than the exception, and if
a worker took an hour for lunch,
the true workday was only seven
hours long. The work week
spanned Monday through Friday,
and
weekends were for rest. Today,
split shifts, extended shifts,
and brown-bag lunches at the
desk are
common. The downsized workforce
of today means that the average
worker simply has more to do, even

8
if that work has to be done on
weekends or after hours.
The most profound change in
today's workplace is a change in the
level of job security. When a
college graduate from the class of
1965 went to work for a company
like IBM, he expected to retire
thirty-
five years later with a gold watch
and a fat pension. He could be
assured that if he did his job
reasonably
well, he would not be fired. Today,
however, the first job after college
is seldom a permanent one. It is an
item for the resume, a steppingstone
to other jobs. Pensions have
9
changed as well. Once totally
financed
by employers, pensions have
evolved into 401k's and IRAs
that are at least partially
financed by
employees themselves. The worst
aspect of today's workplace is that
good employees with many years of
service have no guarantee of
keeping their jobs. If the company
downsizes to cut costs, the worker's
job
may be eliminated regardless of
years of service
Working – Then and Now

10
When a reader wrote to the advice
columnist Ann Landers saying he
could not find a job in spite of a
college degree and work
experience, Ann suggested that
perhaps the man's attitude was to
blame. An
avalanche of mail told Ann that she
was behind the times. In the
decades since Ann Landers began
writing
her column, the job market has
undergone a mixed bag of changes.
Today's workplace is more diverse,
more demanding, and less secure
than the workplace of the 1960s.
The most positive change in the
workforce is that it has become
11
more diverse. In the 1960s,
executive
jobs went mostly to white males,
while women and minorities were
steered toward secretarial or
janitorial
jobs. Today, an ever-widening
crack in the door to the executive
suite is admitting all ethnic groups
and
both genders. Minorities have
moved from the mail room to the
board room, and females from the
typing
pool to the executive suite. There is
likewise a diversity in mindset.
Once, the "corporation man" was

12
esteemed because his values and his
ideas were likely to be in line with
those of upper management. Now,
however, employees are no longer
expected to be yes-men or yes-
women. Corporations now have
become
more creative and competitive, so
the employee with a different slant
on things is useful. Greater
diversity
has made today's workplace
stronger and more vital.
Today's workplace also makes more
demands on its workers' time than
the workplace of the sixties. In

13
those days, "nine to five" was the
rule rather than the exception, and if
a worker took an hour for lunch,
the true workday was only seven
hours long. The work week
spanned Monday through Friday,
and
weekends were for rest. Today,
split shifts, extended shifts,
and brown-bag lunches at the
desk are
common. The downsized workforce
of today means that the average
worker simply has more to do, even
if that work has to be done on
weekends or after hours.

14
The most profound change in
today's workplace is a change in the
level of job security. When a
college graduate from the class of
1965 went to work for a company
like IBM, he expected to retire
thirty-
five years later with a gold watch
and a fat pension. He could be
assured that if he did his job
reasonably
well, he would not be fired. Today,
however, the first job after college
is seldom a permanent one. It is an
item for the resume, a steppingstone
to other jobs. Pensions have
changed as well. Once totally
financed
15
by employers, pensions have
evolved into 401k's and IRAs
that are at least partially
financed by
employees themselves. The worst
aspect of today's workplace is that
good employees with many years of
service have no guarantee of
keeping their jobs. If the company
downsizes to cut costs, the worker's
job
may be eliminated regardless of
years of service
omen. Corporations now have
become
more creative and competitive, so
the employee with a different slant

16
on things is useful. Greater
diversity
has made today's workplace
stronger and more vital.
Today's workplace also makes more
demands on its workers' time than
the workplace of the sixties. In
those days, "nine to five" was the
rule rather than the exception, and if
a worker took an hour for lunch,
the true workday was only seven
hours long. The work week
spanned Monday through Friday,
and
weekends were for rest. Today,
split shifts, extended shifts,
and brown-bag lunches at the
desk are
17
common. The downsized workforce
of today means that the average
worker simply has more to do, even
if that work has to be done on
weekends or after hours.
The most profound change in
today's workplace is a change in the
level of job security. When a
college graduate from the class of
1965 went to work for a company
like IBM, he expected to retire
thirty-
five years later with a gold watch
and a fat pension. He could be
assured that if he did his job
reasonably

18
well, he would not be fired. Today,
however, the first job after college
is seldom a permanent one. It is an
item for the resume, a steppingstone
to other jobs. Pensions have
changed as well. Once totally
financed
by employers, pensions have
evolved into 401k's and IRAs
that are at least partially
financed by
employees themselves. The worst
aspect of today's workplace is that
good employees with many years of
service have no guarantee of
keeping their jobs. If the company
downsizes to cut costs, the worker's
job
19
may be eliminated regardless of
years of service
2

3. When a reader wrote to the

advice columnist Ann Landers
saying he could not find a job in
spite of a
4. college degree and work
experience, Ann suggested that
perhaps the man's attitude was to
blame. An
5. avalanche of mail told Ann
that she was behind the times. In
the decades since Ann Landers
began writing
6. her column, the job market has
undergone a mixed bag of
20
 changes. Today's workplace is
more diverse,
7. more demanding, and less
secure than the workplace of the
1960s.
8. The most positive change in
the workforce is that it has
become more diverse. In the
1960s, executive
9. jobs went mostly to white
males, while women and
minorities were steered toward
secretarial or janitorial
10. jobs. Today, an ever-widening
crack in the door to the executive
suite is admitting all ethnic
groups and

21
11. both genders. Minorities have
moved from the mail room to the
board room, and females from
the typing
12. pool to the executive suite.
There is likewise a diversity in
mindset. Once, the "corporation
man" was
13. esteemed because his values
and his ideas were likely to be in
line with those of upper
management. Now,
14. however, employees are no
longer expected to be yes-men or
yes-women. Corporations now
have become
15. more creative and competitive,
so the employee with a different
22
 slant on things is useful. Greater
diversity
16. has made today's workplace
stronger and more vital.
17. Today's workplace also makes
more demands on its workers'
time than the workplace of the
sixties. In
18. those days, "nine to five" was
the rule rather than the exception,
and if a worker took an hour for
lunch,
19. the true workday was only
seven hours long. The work
week spanned Monday through
Friday, and
20. weekends were for rest.
Today, split shifts, extended
23
 shifts, and brown-bag lunches
at the desk are
21. common. The downsized
workforce of today means that
the average worker simply has
more to do, even
22. if that work has to be done on
weekends or after hours.
23. The most profound change in
today's workplace is a change in
the level of job security. When a
24. college graduate from the class
of 1965 went to work for a
company like IBM, he expected
to retire thirty-
25. five years later with a gold
watch and a fat pension. He

24
could be assured that if he did his
job reasonably
26. well, he would not be fired.
Today, however, the first job
after college is seldom a
permanent one. It is an
27. item for the resume, a
steppingstone to other jobs.
Pensions have changed as well.
Once totally financed
28. by employers, pensions
have evolved into 401k's
and IRAs that are at least
partially financed by
29. employees themselves. The
worst aspect of today's workplace
is that good employees with
many years of
25
 30. service have no guarantee of
keeping their jobs. If the
company downsizes to cut costs,
the worker's job
31. may be eliminated regardless
of years of service
1.
When a reader wrote to the advice columnist Ann Landers saying he could not find a job in
spite of acollege degree and work experience, Ann suggested that perhaps the man's attitude
was to blame. Anavalanche of mail told Ann that she was behind the times. In the decades
since Ann Landers began writingher column, the job market has undergone a mixed bag of
changes. Today's workplace is more diverse,more demanding, and less secure than the
workplace of the 1960s.

The most positive change in the workforce is that it has become more diverse. In the 1960s,
executivejobs went mostly to white males, while women and minorities were steered toward
secretarial or janitorialjobs. Today, an ever-widening crack in the door to the executive suite
is admitting all ethnic groups andboth genders. Minorities have moved from the mail room to
the board room, and females from the typingpool to the executive suite. There is likewise a
diversity in mindset. Once, the "corporation man" wasesteemed because his values and his
ideas were likely to be in line with those of upper management. Now,however, employees
are no longer expected to be yes-men or yes-women. Corporations now have becomemore
creative and competitive, so the employee with a different slant on things is useful. Greater
diversityhas made today's workplace stronger and more vital.Today's workplace also makes
more demands on its workers' time than the workplace of the sixties. Inthose days, "nine to
five" was the rule rather than the exception, and if a worker took an hour for lunch,the true
workday was only seven hours long. The work week spanned Monday through Friday,
andweekends were for rest. Today, split shifts, extended shifts, and brown-bag
lunches at the desk arecommon. The downsized workforce of today means that the
average worker simply has more to do, evenif that work has to be done on weekends or after
hours.The most profound change in today's workplace is a change in the level of job security.
When acollege graduate from the class of 1965 went to work for a company like IBM, he
expected to retire thirty-five years later with a gold watch and a fat pension. He could be
assured that if he did his job reasonablywell, he would not be fired. Today, however, the first
job after college is seldom a permanent one. It is anitem for the resume, a steppingstone to
other jobs. Pensions have changed as well. Once totally financedby employers, pensions
have evolved into 401k's and IRAs that are at least partially financed
26
byemployees themselves. The worst aspect of today's workplace is that good employees with
many years ofservice have no guarantee of keeping their jobs. If the company downsizes to
cut costs, the worker's jobmay be eliminated regardless of years of service
impact on the lives of everyone in Vietnam, especially students. The similarities and differences in
student
life before and during online and face-to-face studying will be demonstrated in this essay.
To begin, the epidemic shares several characteristics with students' life in terms of online and on-
campus
learning, such as taking examinations, listening to lectures, and working long hours. One of the
most
essential considerations is the time spent preparing and taking the test; students will continue to
attend
classes from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Depending on the school and subject, each lesson will last 45 minutes
or
less. Besides, whether you are learning online or on campus, the time it takes to complete a test is
the
same; for example, a quiz will take 15 to 30 minutes, while a midterm exam may take an hour or
more.
Furthermore, kids studying online will still have a 45-minute class period, same as students in
school, so
this will not have a significant impact on their life. Because students who attend the institution's
school
also study at the same time.
On the other hand, due of variations in the internet, literature, and comprehension, online and on-
campus
learning have different consequences on student life. Because of the pandemic that kids have to
study
online, it is difficult to learn about online difficulties when students are studying in school. For
example, if
a student is studying but his or her network or wifi is poor or the house is without power, the student
will
be unable to attend class and may not completely comprehend the lecture that day. Moreover, due to
the
pandemic scenario, students are unable to purchase books and must instead study books online,
commonly
known as e-books; however, certain books are not available online due to copyright, which has a
negative
impact on their work. student education.
In brief, depending on the learning environment, online learning or on-campus learning both have
parallels and distinctions, however during a pandemic like this, online learning will safeguard
students'
health. as opposed to attending classes.

impact on the lives of everyone in Vietnam, especially students. The similarities and differences in
student
life before and during online and face-to-face studying will be demonstrated in this essay.
To begin, the epidemic shares several characteristics with students' life in terms of online and on-
campus
learning, such as taking examinations, listening to lectures, and working long hours. One of the
most
27
essential considerations is the time spent preparing and taking the test; students will continue to
attend
classes from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Depending on the school and subject, each lesson will last 45 minutes
or
less. Besides, whether you are learning online or on campus, the time it takes to complete a test is
the
same; for example, a quiz will take 15 to 30 minutes, while a midterm exam may take an hour or
more.
Furthermore, kids studying online will still have a 45-minute class period, same as students in
school, so
this will not have a significant impact on their life. Because students who attend the institution's
school
also study at the same time.
On the other hand, due of variations in the internet, literature, and comprehension, online and on-
campus
learning have different consequences on student life. Because of the pandemic that kids have to
study
online, it is difficult to learn about online difficulties when students are studying in school. For
example, if
a student is studying but his or her network or wifi is poor or the house is without power, the student
will
be unable to attend class and may not completely comprehend the lecture that day. Moreover, due to
the
pandemic scenario, students are unable to purchase books and must instead study books online,
commonly
known as e-books; however, certain books are not available online due to copyright, which has a
negative
impact on their work. student education.
In brief, depending on the learning environment, online learning or on-campus learning both have
parallels and distinctions, however during a pandemic like this, online learning will safeguard
students'
health. as opposed to attending classes.
2.
impact on the lives of everyone in Vietnam, especially students. The similarities and differences in
student
life before and during online and face-to-face studying will be demonstrated in this essay.
To begin, the epidemic shares several characteristics with students' life in terms of online and on-
campus
learning, such as taking examinations, listening to lectures, and working long hours. One of the
most
essential considerations is the time spent preparing and taking the test; students will continue to
attend
classes from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Depending on the school and subject, each lesson will last 45 minutes
or
less. Besides, whether you are learning online or on campus, the time it takes to complete a test is
the
same; for example, a quiz will take 15 to 30 minutes, while a midterm exam may take an hour or
more.
Furthermore, kids studying online will still have a 45-minute class period, same as students in
school, so
28
this will not have a significant impact on their life. Because students who attend the institution's
school
also study at the same time.
On the other hand, due of variations in the internet, literature, and comprehension, online and on-
campus
learning have different consequences on student life. Because of the pandemic that kids have to
study
online, it is difficult to learn about online difficulties when students are studying in school. For
example, if
a student is studying but his or her network or wifi is poor or the house is without power, the student
will
be unable to attend class and may not completely comprehend the lecture that day. Moreover, due to
the
pandemic scenario, students are unable to purchase books and must instead study books online,
commonly
known as e-books; however, certain books are not available online due to copyright, which has a
negative
impact on their work. student education.
In brief, depending on the learning environment, online learning or on-campus learning both have
parallels and distinctions, however during a pandemic like this, online learning will safeguard
students'
health. as opposed to attending classes.

The covid 19 pandemic has been present in Vietnam for about two years, but in the last four
months, the pandemic has gotten increasingly dangerous and shows no signs of abating. This
pandemic has had an impact on the lives of everyone in Vietnam, especially students. The
similarities and differences in student-life before and during online and face-to-face studying
will be demonstrated in this essay.

To begin, the epidemic shares several characteristics with students' life in terms of online and
on-campus learning, such as taking examinations, listening to lectures, and working long
hours. One of the most essential considerations is the time spent preparing and taking the
test; students will continue to attend classes from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Depending on the school
and subject, each lesson will last 45 minutes or less. Besides, whether you are learning
online or on campus, the time it takes to complete a test is the same; for example, a quiz will
take 15 to 30 minutes, while a midterm exam may take an hour or more. Furthermore, kids
studying online will still have a 45-minute class period, same as students in school, so this
will not have a significant impact on their life. Because students who attend the institution's
school also study at the same time.

On the other hand, due of variations in the internet, literature, and comprehension, online and
on-campus learning have different consequences on student life. Because of the pandemic
that kids have to study online, it is difficult to learn about online difficulties when students
are studying in school. For example, if a student is studying but his or her network or wifi is
poor or the house is without power, the student will be unable to attend class and may not
completely comprehend the lecture that day. Moreover, due to the pandemic scenario,
students are unable to purchase books and must instead study books online,

29
commonlyknown as e-books; however, certain books are not available online due to
copyright, which has a negative impact on their work. student education.

In brief, depending on the learning environment, online learning or on-campus learning both
have parallels and distinctions, however during a pandemic like this, online learning will
safeguard students' health. as opposed to attending classes.
impact on the lives of everyone in Vietnam, especially students. The similarities and differences in
student
life before and during online and face-to-face studying will be demonstrated in this essay.
To begin, the epidemic shares several characteristics with students' life in terms of online and on-
campus
learning, such as taking examinations, listening to lectures, and working long hours. One of the
most
essential considerations is the time spent preparing and taking the test; students will continue to
attend
classes from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Depending on the school and subject, each lesson will last 45 minutes
or
less. Besides, whether you are learning online or on campus, the time it takes to complete a test is
the
same; for example, a quiz will take 15 to 30 minutes, while a midterm exam may take an hour or
more.
Furthermore, kids studying online will still have a 45-minute class period, same as students in
school, so
this will not have a significant impact on their life. Because students who attend the institution's
school
also study at the same time.
On the other hand, due of variations in the internet, literature, and comprehension, online and on-
campus
learning have different consequences on student life. Because of the pandemic that kids have to
study
online, it is difficult to learn about online difficulties when students are studying in school. For
example, if
a student is studying but his or her network or wifi is poor or the house is without power, the student
will
be unable to attend class and may not completely comprehend the lecture that day. Moreover, due to
the
pandemic scenario, students are unable to purchase books and must instead study books online,
commonly
known as e-books; however, certain books are not available online due to copyright, which has a
negative
impact on their work. student education.
In brief, depending on the learning environment, online learning or on-campus learning both have
parallels and distinctions, however during a pandemic like this, online learning will safeguard
students'
health. as opposed to attending classes.

30