SỞ GD&ĐT HƯNG YÊN KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI

TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN HƯNG YÊN KHU VỰC DUYÊN HẢI & ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ

LẦN THỨ XIV

ĐỀ ĐỀ
MÔN: TIẾNG ANH - LỚP 11
XUẤT
Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút, không kể thời gian giao đề

I. LISTENING (50 points)

Part 1. Listen to a talk about a chance to rethink the world and decide whether these
statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG). Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10pts)
1. Slightly more than half of English population survived the Black Death after the first wave of
the pandemic.
2. The collapse of the exploitative feudal system could be attributed to the shortage of
agricultural land as against increased labour force.
3. Troop commuting and consumer goods factories provided a nesting ground for the spread of
Spanish flu.
4. In 1948, calls for a unified medical service poured out which led to the establishment of the
Britain’s National Health Service.
5. Online learning will replace traditional schooling in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. Listen to a radio interview in which two academics called John Farrendale and Lois
Granger, taking part in a discussion on the subject of attitudes to work and choose the answer
(A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10pts)
1. Lois agrees with John's point that
A most people dread the prospect of unemployment.
B the psychological effects of unemployment can be overstated.
C some people are better equipped to deal with unemployment than others.
D problems arise when unemployment coincides with other traumatic events.
2. Lois agrees with the listener who suggested that
A work is only one aspect of a fulfilling life.
B voluntary work may be more rewarding than paid work.
C not everybody can expect a high level of job satisfaction.
D people should prepare for redundancy as they would for retirement.
3. What is John's attitude towards people who see work as a 'means to an end'?
A He doubts their level of commitment to the job.
B He accepts that they have made a valid choice.
C He fears it will lead to difficulties for them later.
D He feels they may be missing out on something important.
4. When asked about so-called 'slackers' at work, John points out that
A they accept the notion that work is a necessary evil.
B people often jump to unfair conclusions about them.
C their views are unacceptable in a free labour market.
D such an attitude has become increasingly unacceptable.
5. Lois quotes the psychologist Freud in order to
A show how intellectual ideas have shifted over time.
B provide a contrast to the ideas of Bertrand Russell.
C question the idea that a desire to work is a natural thing.
D lend weight to John's ideas about increased social mobility
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 3. Listen to an introduction of a new invention and answer the following questions. USE
NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your
answers in the spaces provided.(10 pts)
1. How much was the watch used by Fossett sold for?
……………………………………………………………………………
2. Where were the two men near when the accident happened?
……………………………………………………………………………
3. Who might benefit a lot from this watch?
……………………………………………………………………………
4. What is the maximum range of the watch at sea?
……………………………………………………………………………
5. When was the self-winding watch invented?
……………………………………………………………………………
Part 4. Listen to a piece of news from NPR about recruiting Black and Latino volunteers in
clinical trials for coronavirus vaccines in the USA and fill in the missing information. Write
NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the spaces
provided. (20 pts)
Recruting minority volunteers in clinical trials for their coronavirus vaccines means overcoming
deep-seated and 1.________________ of the medical system.
Black Americans have reason to be suspicious. Beyond the well-known Tuskegee experiments,
where syphilis patients were 2.________________ for decades, they've also faced an ongoing
3.________________ by medical providers.
While mostly white people enrol in COVID vaccine trials, Meharry is one of the few places in
the country where Black patients are being 4.________________ with a personal invitation to
take part.
The National Institutes of Health has suggested minorities should be 5.________________ in
testing the COVID vaccine.
Mack says there are no 6.________________ if medical research is to reflect the diversity of the
U.S. It takes time to build trust and meaningful relationships with people who've been excluded.

The primary effort 7.________________ existing trial networks that were designed for HIV
research and convincing patients of color to help with COVID.
And there's a danger that lunging forbig diversity goals could result in 8.________________.
Historically Black medical institutions in the country are uniquely positioned to do this work.
While they haven't been on the 9.________________ of the vaccine trial recruitment, they mean
to play an important role.
Convincing hundreds of thousands to sign up will be difficult. But even for those who don't
participate, researchers hope their 10.________________ efforts will at least result in more
minorities ultimately taking the vaccine when it's available.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

II. LEXICO - GRAMMAR (3 points)

Part 1. Choose the best option to complete each of the following sentences. (20 points)
1. She ___________ agreed to go with him to the football match although she had no interest in
the game at all.

A. apologetically B. grudgingly C. shamefacedly D. discreetly

2. Police have not so far been able to ___________ a confession from the people accused of the
bombing.

A. excoriate B. exculpate C. extort D. expropriate

3. The campaign was launched by David with a long ___________ against the lack of action of
the people in authority.

A. diatribe B. oath C. affidavit D. avowal

4. Reducing plastic waste in school is a(n) ___________ aim, but enforcing them at gunpoint
will likely turn the plan into a failure.

A. exemplary B. glistening C. blazing D. laudable

5. Although Mike is quite good at singing, he is barely a(n) ___________ by comparison with
professional singers.

A. dilettante B. greenhorn C. apprentice D. probationer

6. Although he appeared to enjoy a jet-setting life, he ___________ publicity and avoided

nightclubs..

A. rejigged B. derided C. eschewed D. abated

7. Paradoxically, it is usually even harder for people to give up gambling after losing because
they want to ___________ their losses in the next game.

A. recoup B. rehab C. rectify D. repent

8. Living to 100 will not be a pleasure anymore if you have to ___________ around getting
increasingly frail.

A. lumber B. dodder C. waddle D. dawdle

9. The meditation course has really helped his ___________ to abate, making him calmer and
more considerate.

A. irascibility B. fanaticism C. fervor D. mendacity

10. The princess's nanny's autobiography really gives the ___________ on life among the royals.

A. show-down B. know-how C. low-down D. look-out

11. He did everything to ___________ favour with his superiors in the hope of getting promoted.

A. hoard B. curry C. drag D. butter

12. Children are more likely to be spoiled when their parents ___________ them.

A. dote on B. cosset at C. pamper round D. cosy up to

13. China was ___________ among the powers of the Eight-Nation Alliance by the end of the
19th century.

A. thrashed out B. parceled out C. dished out D. slipped out

14. Mary finally decided to ___________ and broke up with Jack after having been together for
4 years.

A. get off her base B. take the plunge C. play possum D. jump the gun
15. Their company is so debt-ridden that I think it’s safe to say they’re ___________ at this
stage.

A. down for the count B. down in the dumps

C. down at the heel D. down to the last penny

16. ______, playing music is an effective way for them to open their heart to the outside world.
A. Being visually impaired people B. Such were their visual impairments
C. Having been visually impaired D. For those with visual impairments
17. It's very important that we ____________ as soon as there’s any change in the patient’s
condition.
A. be notified B. being notified C. are notified · D. were notified
18. ____________ motivate learning is well documented.
A. That is computers B. Computers that
C. That computers D. It is those computers
19. Rose is still on holiday, so you ________ her working at her office.

A. wouldn’t have seen B. needn’t have seen

C. can’t have seen D. shouldn’t have seen

20. There________to have been thousands of new companies founded last year.

A. are reported B. have reported C. is reported D. has reported

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Part 2: Write the correct form of word in each blank. (10 points)
1. It is ironic that while “Safety first” is said to be the ___________ here, no workers are
equipped with any basic protective equipment. (WORD)

2. There were ten votes in favour, six against, and seven ___________ so the policy was
launched in the end. (ABSTAIN)

3. In the ancient society of China, the concept of gender equality would be considered
___________and totally unacceptable. (HERESY)

4. Steam is water in its ___________ form and may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling.
(GAS)

5. But for a brief period in the spring, the whole landscape explodes into a ___________ bloom.
(COLOUR)
6. While ___________ flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers, people
have traditionally lived by water bodies. (RIVER)

7. Some experiences in life have ___________ effects on an individual. (ERADICATE)

8. It is ludicrous of him to require absolute perfection from the products without considering the
natural ___________ of humankind. (FAIL)

9. Even if new regulations will not make a(n) ___________ difference to most people, any small
changes are still better than nothing. (APPRECIATE)

10. ___________ should summarize the main facts about their performance based on the staff
evaluation criteria of the company. (APPRAISE)

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

III. READING (60 points)

Part 1: Read the text below and think of one word which best fits each space. Use only
ONE WORD for each space. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
(15 pts)
GRANDPARENTS: THE NEW GENERATION
Always a sure source of affection, my grandparents were hugely important figures in my life.
They (1)…………shower my sisters and me with sweets, indulgences and stories, telling tales
about my parents as naughty children. When the last of (2) ………… died, we all wondered who
would hold the family together.
People have relied on grandparents in Britain since the Industrial Revolution, (3)…………
whole families moved into cities from the country to get work in the new factories, taking
grandmother along to look after the children. Despite the fact that more grandmothers are
working now, grandparents are still the backbone of childrencare in Britain. They provide 44%
of full-time care for pre-school children, which makes you wonder how the country would
manage (4)…………them.
The traditional image of a grandparent is a smiling old person surrounded by a cohort of
happy children, but (5)………… doesn’t match the facts. (6)………… we have now is the so-
called “beanpole family”, thinly stretched (7)…………several generations, with fewer family
members in each and with growing numbers of single-parent families. Grandparents are getting
younger-more than 50% of grand pa rents have already had their first grandchild by the age of
54.
For many of them, grandparenthood means juggling a job, involvement with grandchildren
and, sometimes, the care of (8) …………own parents. It’s up to us to balance the demands we
make on them if we don't want to wear them (9) …………. Grandparents are (10)…………a
valuable part of the family that we just cannot do without them.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2: Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) according to
the text. Write your answers (A, B, C or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes (10pts).
If you think that we are the only creatures on Earth with a moral sense, then you're in good
company. Most experts in behavior believe that morality is a uniquely human trait, without
which our complex social life would never have emerged - yet I'm convinced that many animals
can distinguish right from wrong. Decades spent watching wild and captive animals have
persuaded me that species living in groups often have a sense of fair play built on moral codes of
conduct that help cement their social relationships. The notion of Nature being naturally
ruthlessly and selfishly competitive doesn't hold true for those of us who have observed and
analyzed animal relationships.
That's not all. I suspect that herein lies the origin of our own virtue. Biologists have had real
problems trying to explain why people are frequently inexplicably nice to each other. It just
doesn't make sense in evolutionary terms, unless there are ulterior motives behind our seemingly
altruistic actions. Perhaps we expect a payback somewhere down the line, or maybe our good
deeds are directed only towards kin, with whom we share a biological heritage. Nobody has
really considered the possibility that being considerate to your neighbors might sometimes be the
best way to survive. But I'm starting to find evidence that a well-developed sense of fair play
helps non-human animals live longer, more successful lives.
I'm particularly interested in social play amongst youngsters because it has its own special
rules of engagement, allowing participants to reinterpret acts that might otherwise seem
aggressive. My studies of infant dogs, wolves and coyotes reveal that they use a special signal to
prevent misinterpretation of playful actions. They perform a 'bow' - which entails crouching on
the forelimbs while keeping the rear upright - when initiating play, or in association with
aggressive actions such as biting, to modify their meaning. And role reversal is common, so that
during play a dominant animal will often allow a subordinate to have the upper hand. Such
behaviors reduce inequalities in size, strength and dominance between playmates, fostering the
co-operation and reciprocity that are essential for play to occur. Indeed, on the rare occasions
when an animal says 'Let's play' and then beats up an unsuspecting animal, the culprit usually
finds itself ostracized by its former playmates.
My belief is that a sense of fairness is common to many animals, because there could be no
social play without it, and without social play individual animals and entire groups would be at a
disadvantage. If I'm right, morality evolved because it is adaptive. It helps many animals,
including humans, to survive and flourish in their particular social environment. This may sound
like a radical idea, particularly if you view morality as uniquely human and a sort of mystical
quality that sets us apart from other animals. But if you accept my argument that play and
fairness are inextricably linked, you're halfway there.
 [A] As with any behavioral trait, the underlying genetics is bound to be complex, and
environmental influences may be large. [B] No matter. Provided there is variation in levels of
morality among individuals, and provided virtue is rewarded by a greater number of offspring,
then any genes associated with good behavior are bound to accumulate in subsequent
generations. [C] And the observation that play is rarely unfair or uncooperative is surely an
indication that natural selection acts to weed out those who don't play by the rules. [D]
What does this tell us about human morality? First, we didn't invent virtue - its origins are
much more ancient than our own. Secondly, we should stop seeing ourselves as morally superior
to other animals. True, our big brains endow us with a highly sophisticated sense of what's right
and wrong, but they also give us much greater scope for manipulating others - to deceive and try
to benefit from immoral behavior. In that sense, animal morality might be 'purer' than our own.
We should accept our moral responsibility towards other animals, and that means developing and
enforcing more restrictive regulations governing animal use. While animal minds may vary from
one species to another, they are not so different from our own, and only when we accept this can
we truly be moral in our relations with nature as a whole.
1. In the first paragraph, what does the writer state about morality?
A. Humans are the only creatures that demonstrate true emotional behavior.
B. A well-developed moral code does not lead to civilization.
C. Humans and animals share the same selfish instincts for survival.
D. There is a common misconception that animals are not moral.
2. What point does the writer make in the second paragraph?
A. People who are generous to others are not always sure why they behave that way.
B. People who do not possess good social skills achieve less in life.
C. People who behave considerately to others have selfish reasons for doing so.
D. People who treat acquaintances better than relatives are unusual.
3. Neighbors are mentioned as an example to ………….
A. illustrate the fact that another aspect of the driving force may have been overlooked
B. reiterate the notion that being nice to others is not hereditary
C. strengthen his belief that longevity does come into play concerning how kind we are
D. report that many folks are becoming increasingly disillusioned with their proclivity to
helping others
4. The word altruistic in paragraph two most likely means…………..
A. strange B. democratic C. selfless D. immaterial
5. What has the writer deduced about social play from his observation of animals?
A. It provides an opportunity for physically weaker animals to develop survival skills.
B. It allows animals to prove who is dominant in the group without using real aggression.
C. It requires animals to abide by the rules or they will be excluded from the group.
D. It demonstrates that certain animals possess a large range of emotions.
6. Which of the following best summarizes the writers argument in the fourth paragraph?
A. There are different degrees of morality between various cultures.
 B. Humans adopted moral behavior as a means of survival,
C. Groups benefit from social play more than individuals do.
D. Spirituality and morality are inseparable.
7. What does the writer state about the evolution of morality?
A. There may be a particular gene responsible for morality.
B. Moral development depends on physical hardships.
C. There is little point in seeking the origin of moral behavior.
D. Animals that behave fairly are more likely to breed.
8. In the final paragraph, according to the writer, people………….
A. must treat animals on equal terms with humans.
B. should be less arrogant in their view of themselves.
C. are more advanced as they use immorality to their advantage.
D. should discriminate between which animals display morality and those that do not.
9. The writer concludes that in our relations with nature as a whole, …………..
A. an open mind is of paramount importance
B. any exploitation should be dispensed with
C. bilateral responsibility is not always conducive to a long-standing relationship
D. virtue should be perceived with a new level of intricacy
10. “I am not putting the case forward for a specific gene for fair or moral behavior” .
The sentence is extracted from somewhere in paragraph five. Where should this sentence be
located?
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3: Read the following passage and answer the questions. (13pts)
The sense of flavour

{A} Scientists now believe that human beings acquired the sense of taste as a way to avoid being
poisoned. Edible plants generally taste sweet; deadly ones, bitter. Taste is supposed to help us
differentiate food that’s good for us from food that’s not. The taste buds on our tongues can
detect the presence of half a dozen or so basic tastes, including sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and
umami (a taste discovered by Japanese researchers, a rich and full sense of deliciousness
triggered by amino acids in foods such as shellfish, mushrooms, potatoes, and seaweed).
Tastebuds offers a limited means of detection, however, compared with the human olfactory
system, which can perceive thousands of different chemical aromas. Indeed, ‘flavor’ is primarily
the smell of gases being released by the chemicals you’ve just put in your mouth. The aroma of
food can be responsible for as much as 90% of its flavor.

{B} The act of drinking, sucking or chewing a substance releases its volatile gases. They flow
out of the mouth and up the nostrils, or up the passageway at the back of the mouth, to a thin
layer of nerve cells called the olfactory epithelium, located at the base of the nose, right between
the eyes. The brain combines the complex smell signals from the epithelium with the simple taste
signals from the tongue, assigns a flavor to what’s in your mouth, and decides if it’s something
you want to eat.

{C} Babies like sweet tastes and reject bitter ones; we know this because scientists have rubbed
various flavors inside the mouths of infants and then recorded their facial reactions. A person’s
food preferences, like his or her personality, are formed during the first few years of life, through
a process of socialization. Toddlers can learn to enjoy hot and spicy food, bland health food, or
fast food, depending upon what the people around them eat. The human sense of smell is still not
fully understood. It is greatly affected by psychological factors and expectations. The mind
filters out the overwhelming majority of chemical aromas that surround us, focusing intently on
some, ignoring others. People can grow accustomed to bad smells or good smells; they stop
noticing what once seemed overpowering.

{D} Aroma and memory are somehow inextricably linked. A smell can suddenly evoke a long-
forgotten moment. The flavours of childhood foods seem to leave an indelible mark, and adults
often return to them, without always knowing why. These ‘comfort foods’ become a source of
pleasure and reassurance a fact that fast-food chains work hard to promote Childhood memories
of Happy Meals can translate into frequent adult visits to McDonald’s’, like those of the chain’s
‘heavy users’, the customers who eat there four or five times a week.

{E} The human craving for flavour has been a large unacknowledged and unexamined force in
history. Royal empires have been built, unexplored lands have been traversed, great religions and
philosophies have been forever changed by the spice trade. In 1492, Christopher Columbus set
sail in order to try to find new seasonings and thus to make his fortune with this most desired
commodity of that time. Today, the influence of flavour in the world marketplace is no less
decisive. The rise and fall of corporate empires – soft-drink companies, snack-food companies,
and fast-food chains – is frequently determined by how their products taste.

{F} The flavor industry emerged in the mid-1800s, as processed foods began to be manufactured
on a large scale. Recognizing the need for flavor additives, the early food processors turned to
perfume companies that had years of experience working with essential oils and volatile aromas.
The great perfume houses of England, France, and the Netherlands produced many of the first
flavor compounds. In the early part of the 20th century, Germany’s powerful chemical industry
assumed the lead in flavour production. Legend has it that a German scientist discovered methyl
anthranilate, one of the first artificial flavours, by accident while mixing chemicals in his
laboratory. Suddenly, the lab was filled with the sweet smell of grapes. Methyl anthranilate later
became the chief flavoring compound of manufactured grape juice.

{G} The quality that people seek most of all in a food, its flavour, is usually present in a quantity
too infinitesimal to be measured by any traditional culinary terms such as ounces or teaspoons.
Today’s sophisticated spectrometers, gas chromatograph, and headspace vapor analyzers provide
a detailed map of a food’s flavour components, detecting chemical aromas in amounts as low as
one part per billion. The human nose, however, is still more sensitive than any machine yet
invented. A nose can detect aromas present in quantities of a few parts per trillion. Complex
aromas, such as those of coffee or roasted meat, may be composed of gases from nearly a
thousand different chemicals. The chemical that provides the dominant flavour of bell pepper can
be tasted in amounts as low as 0.02 parts per billion; one drop is sufficient to add flavour to the
amount of water needed to fill five average-sized swimming pools

Questions 1-5: Do the following statements agree with the information given in the
passage?

TRUE if the statement is True

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN If the information is not given in the passage

1 The brain determines which aromas we are aware of.

2 The sense of taste is as efficient as the sense of smell.

3 Personal tastes in food are developed in infancy.

4 Christopher Columbus found many different spices on his travels.

5 In the mid-1880s, man-made flavors were originally invented on purpose.

Questions 6-11: Complete the sentence below. Choose ONE word from the passage for each
answer.

It is thought that the sense of taste was 6 ………….. in order to 7 …………. the foods which
are harmless to us from those that are not 8 …………. .The sense of smell, which gives us the
flavour we detect in our food, helps us to take pleasure in our food. Indeed this 9 …………..
for flavour was, in the past, the reason why so many explorers ventured to distant lands to bring
back new 10 …………… which were greatly sought after in Europe. Here they were used in
cooking to enhance the usual 11 …………. and unappetizing dishes eaten by rich and poor
alike.

Question 12-13: Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the reading passage for
each answer.

12. We associate certain smells with the past as they are 12 ……………….

13. Modern technology is able to help determine the minute quantities of 13 ………….. found in
food.

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13.

Part 4. You are going to read an article in which seven paragraphs have been removed. For
questions 1- 7, read the passage and choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap.
There is ONE extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (7pts)

Pneumatics is making a comeback

Sometimes an email won't suffice, so it's time to breathe new life into an antique messaging
technology.
In a windowless room in a London basement, there's a device on the wall that makes things
disappear. Technicians file in, grasping large containers shaped like capsules and stuff bags into
them. One places his container into the device, taps a code on a panel, and whoosh, it's gone. A
few minutes later, the capsule reappears a kilometre away.

1.

Pneumatic networks were once heralded as the future of communication and delivery. Indeed,
some think their history echoes the way current information technology developed. Yet while
today's pneumatic market may be modest by comparison, it is now proving essential for a few
types of organisation such as this one in London. In a digital age, why has this antique
technology been embraced once more?

2.

By the turn of the 20th century, entrepreneurs - and even the American postmaster general - were
predicting a 'pneumatic age', promising delivery of everything from household goods to hot food.
Some people even dreamed of pneumatic public transport, 'We had this utopian discourse about
the pneumatic subway; the crazy notion that you'd be able to travel under the Atlantic,' says
Holly Kruse of Rogers State University in Oklahoma, who has studied the social impact of
pneumatic tubes.

3.

Tubes never formed a pneumatic interact, of course. One by one, citywide networks fell into
disuse. Surprisingly, perhaps, a few were still running in the late 20th century, but the last postal
example, in Prague, was eventually shut down in 2002 after a flood had damaged it beyond
repair.
 4.

In 2008, a UK-based organization called Foodtubes looked into the idea of distributing food to
supermarkets via networks of one-metre-wide underground tubes. Pneumatic transport was one
of the methods explored. The project attracted interest from at least one supermarket, but the up-
front cost meant it never got off the ground. Therefore, it appears that if a large-scale
demonstration could be put in place to show that this form of transport is cost-effective, it might
just snowball.

5.

Yet the real booming market for modern pneumatics is in hospitals. 'They are used extensively in
the healthcare sector,' says Robert Beardsley of the international pneumatic tube firm Aerocom.
The company has installed over 1000 hospital systems in around 80 countries for transporting
samples and medicines.

6.

These installations are not merely pipes connecting point A to point B. They are highly complex
networks with a multitude of junctions and computer-controlled switches that serve to deliver the
dispatched material to the appropriate destination. Some are vast: Stanford Hospital in
California, for example, has 124 stations.

7.

Pneumatic delivery has not revolutionized the world in the way its early advocates hoped it
would. However, it has found a niche because not everything can be reduced to is and Os. It has
also evolved from steampunk brass systems to. computerized ones and will continue to adapt as
new technologies are developed.

Missing paragraphs:
A. The researcher argues that historical pneumatic efforts and the surrounding discussion echo
facets of society today, particularly our use of information technology. They foreshadowed the
physical structure of computer networks inside buildings. And as well as inspiring the same kind
of hyperbole as the Internet does, tubes also prompted similar moral issues. In E.M. Forster's
1909 sci-fi story The Machine Stops, for instance, the `pneumatic post' helps create a dark future
in which nobody converses face to face.
B. This particular contraption employs a technology that was supposed to have faded away
decades ago - pneumatic tubes. Hidden in the walls is a vast computer-controlled network of
pipes propelling capsules via air pressure and vacuum. Installed in the early 2000s, it is present
in one of many buildings worldwide that boasts a high-tech pneumatic network. Some of them
have hundreds of stations fed by several kilometres of tubes and junctions.
C. However, while the electronic age delivered many of the benefits foreseen by early tube
enthusiasts, there are some that have not been realised. Wires cannot transport physical goods,
for example. You can order practically anything online and have it delivered to your door, but
until the 3D-printing revolution actually happens, it must still be transported by road. Could
tubes prove more efficient?
D. The London basement houses one of those contemporary networks. There, tubes deliver blood
and tissue
for testing to the pathology lab from about 50 stations on various wards. Sending capsules at 20
to 30 kilometres per hour through an air-chute system is handy in a large hospital with dozens of
patients waiting for urgent treatment or diagnosis at any one time.
E. If the demand for pneumatic delivery systems increases, there is a chance that they will
become as indispensible as digital technology. They may even be used to distribute food and
medicine to those who cannot venture out on their own. Although this would require huge
investment, it would create a more caring society.
F. In fiction, pneumatic technology is often associated with a creaking bureaucratic dystopia,
such as in George Orwell's 1984, or in the satirical film Brazil. From the late 1900s, pneumatic
tubes carried mail across the cities of the US and Europe. They also carried cash, stock market
messages and other objects inside buildings. Tubes were the social network of their era. In 1890,
pneumatic pipes beneath Milan, Italy, allowed composer Giuseppe Verdi and his collaborator,
Arrigo Boito, to shuttle messages concerning the opera they were working on.
G. The basic mechanics, though, are simple: fans blow air to push capsules one way, and suck to
pull them in the opposite direction. Air built up at the end of each tube provides a cushioning
brake. The modern twist comes with computer-controlled routing and motorized junctions that
allow multiple capsules to be transported at once. And each capsule has a radio tracking tag.
H. Pneumatic delivery of more limited proportions, though, has been embraced by many modern
organisations. In fact, in some places, it has never gone away. Banks and supermarkets use tubes
to move money from cashiers to the back office as cash collected by roving clerks has the
potential to be lost or stolen.
Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Part 5. For questions 1-10, read the passage and do the task that follows. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (15pts)

LIFTING HIGHER EDUCATION TO LOFTIER HEIGHTS?

Academic John Brennan asks whether universities should leave on-the-job training to
employers.
A There is a lot of emphasis nowadays placed on the need for universities and business groups to
get graduates “work ready” through vocational workplace training. This is to be welcomed but it
is also to be questioned – about what it should mean in practice and how it should be applied.
The concept is nothing new. I remember some years back being at a meeting about higher
education and employment, attended by a number of employer representatives. I recall one
employer remarking that of the many thousands of graduates that he had hired what he really
wanted and expected was for each of them to have changed the nature of the job by the time they
had left the role.
B Rather than being concerned with how recruits would fit into existing organisational
arrangements and master existing ways of doing things, here was an employer who expected
graduates to change existing arrangements and ways of working. Who, rather than focusing on
whether graduates had the right kinds of skills and competencies, acknowledged that he didn’t
know what skills and competencies his workers would need in a few years’ time. The very point
of hiring graduates was that he hoped to get people who would themselves be able to work out
what was required and be capable of delivering it and a bold new future.
C Of course, starting any job requires some work-specific knowledge and capability and when
recruiting staff, graduate or non-graduate, employers have a responsibility to provide suitable
induction and training. The responsibilities of higher education are different. They are about
preparing for work in the long term, in different jobs and, quite possibly, in different sectors.
This is preparation for work in a different world, for work that is going to require learning over a
lifetime, not just the first few weeks of that first job after graduation. Current initiatives set out a
perfectly reasonable set of objectives for the ways in which higher education can help prepare
students for their working lives. But much will depend on the interpretation and on recognising
who – higher education or employer – is best equipped to contribute what.
D In the rush to focus on “vocational training to improve graduate employability” academics
need to remember that all higher education is vocational in the sense that it can help shape a
graduate’s capacity to succeed in the workplace. In this way higher education is about life skills,
not just job skills. Many years ago, Harold Silver and I wrote a book entitled A Liberal
Vocationalism. It was based on a project we had just completed on the aims of degree courses in
vocational areas such as accountancy, business and engineering. The book’s title intentionally
conveyed the message that even vocational degree courses were about more than training for a
job. There were assumptions about criticality, transferability of skills, creating and adapting to
change and, above all, an academic credibility.
E Degree courses in subjects such as history and sociology are preparations for employment as
much as vocational degrees such as business and engineering. But the job details will not be
known at the time of study. Indeed, they may not be known until several years later. Thus, the
relevance of higher education to later working life for many graduates will lie in the realm of
generic and transferable skills rather than specific competencies needed for a first job after
graduation. The latter competences are not unimportant but the graduate’s employer is generally
much better equipped than a university to ensure that the graduate acquires them. Work
experience alongside or as part of study can also help a lot. Higher education is for the long term.
Universities, employers and students should realise that.
In which paragraph is it stated that
1 new proposals require an appropriate level of scrutiny?
2 academic subjects have benefits beyond their syllabuses?
3 business is investing in an unknown quantity in the pursuit of an uncertain goal?
4 responsibility for service provision needs to be correctly allocated?
5 educators need to make sure that they don’t lose sight of an important point?
6 the issues discussed are a recurring theme that is yet to be agreed upon?
7 beliefs about the key topics of a study were alluded to in the heading of a publication?
8 industry is better suited to cover some issues than educational institutions?
9 original thinking is key in finding solutions to future challenges?
10 while obligations vary, they are still present for both parties?
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

IV. WRITING (60 points)

Part 1: Read the following extract and use your own words to summarise it. Your
summary
should be 110 words long. (15 points)
Heritage is traditional beliefs, customs, and culture. We use the word “heritage” in many
different ways. People talk about their family’s heritage, their city’s heritage, and their country’s
heritage.
Here are some examples of heritage. During Chinese New Year, people in China give red
envelopes. That is part of Chinese heritage. Every year in the American city New Orleans, there
is a huge party called Mardi Gras. That is a part of New Orleans’ heritage. Heritage can also be
more private and personal. If your family has a big dinner every Sunday night, that’s part of your
family’s heritage.
Today, heritage is changing. The Internet connects people around the world. In many
ways, this is a good thing, because we can learn about the heritage of other countries, and we can
show our own heritage to the world. However, some people worry that traditional heritage is
disappearing. Think about it. In many ways, countries are becoming more and more alike. In just
about every country around the world, you can find McDonald’s, Nike shoes, Starbucks coffee,
and American films. Some people think this is a good change, but others don’t like it. You can
decide whether or not you think it is a good thing. However, almost everyone wants to protect
their traditional heritage, and sometimes this is hard. For example, when a new McDonald’s
opens in your town, a traditional restaurant might have to close.
This is why heritage protection is so important. Heritage protection is a simple idea. It
means keeping your country’s or your city’s heritage alive. People do this in many ways. The
biggest part of heritage protection is probably preserving old buildings. A few other examples of
heritage protection are making sure your children speak your traditional language, and teaching
your heritage to children.
The world is changing very fast. This change brings a lot of good things. But as the world
is changing, it is important to remember the heritage of our parents and our grandparents.

Part 2: The chart below shows the expenditure on three categories among different age groups
of residents in the UK in 2004. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. (15 points)

Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 words to express your opinion on the following issue.
Some people think technology development decreases crime, while others believe it actually
encourages crimes. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Người ra đề thi:

Nguyễn Kim Đức (0947713276)

Nguyễn Lan Hương (0342534386)