SỞ GD&ĐT HÒA BÌNH ĐỀ THI ĐỀ XUẤT THI HSG TRẠI HÈ HÙNG VƯƠNG

TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN HOÀNG NĂM 2014

VĂN THỤ MÔN: ANH
LỚP: 10
Thời gian: 180 phút
Đề thi gồm 12 trang. Thí sinh trả lời vào đề thi

PART I. LISTENING (40 ps)

1. You will hear a man talking to a group of people about a new sports centre. For each of the questions, fill
in the missing information in the numbered space. Use ONLY ONE WORD FOR EACH ANSWER. (30 ps)
NEW SPORTS CENTRE
Facilities:
* swimming pool
* (1) _________
* squash courts
* Unfortunately, there is small (2) _________ with the tennis courts (opening on (3) _________)
Prices:
* Monthly: £35
* ((4) £_________ a year)
(special (5) ________ for children)
* not included in price: + equipment, like (6) _________
+ and swimming (7) _________
How to become a member:
Fill in a membership form - remember to write your age and (8) _________, which helps us
know your level of (9) __________.
For more information phone Mrs. (10) _________ on 467 9900.
2. You will hear an interview with a woman who works in a museum. As you listen, choose the best answer to
each question. (10 ps)
1. When she was at school, Clara wanted to become
A. an actress B. a teacher C. a lawyer D. a tour guide
2. Why did Clara not apply for the museum job sooner?
A. Her mother advised her to wait.
B. It seemed a very difficult job.
C. She thought it might be boring.
D. She is not good at dealing with antiques
3. What surprised Clara on her first day at work?
A. She had to classify too many objects.
B. She was asked to give a speech.
C. She had to meet a lot of people.
D. She had to carry some items.
4. Clara was told to improve her knowledge of
A. computers B. languages C. mathematics D. geography
5. What part of her job does Clara enjoy the most?
A. planning large exhibitions
B. writing descriptions of objects
C. talking to visitors about the displays
D. collaborating with her colleagues
PART II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (50 ps)
1. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
1. He had to ________ a new syllabus as the old one was out-dated.
A. make up B. do up C. take up D. get up
2. After several hours on the road they became ____ to the fact that they would never reach the hotel by nightfall.
A. dejected B. resigned C. depressed D. disillusioned
3. She had to pass all her exams or ________ she would have no holiday.
A. instead B. else C. therefore D. though
4. The examiners often ________ extremely difficult questions for the literature exam.
A. set B. invent C. write D. create
5. All we see is the ________ of the iceberg; six - seventh of it are underwater.
A. top B. apex C. summit D. tip
6. They said they had the European rights for the product but it was a lie. They were acting under false ________.
A. pretences B. eel C. egg D. wool
7. He's a really annoying person. He's always getting ________ my nose.
A. in B. on C. through D. up
8. At the first ________ of twelve everybody stopped for lunch.
A. strike B. stroke C. moment D. minute
9. People believe there is a ________ between the two crimes.
A. join B. chain C. connector D. link
10. Too many undergraduates think it is easy to ______ a job once they leave university. Unfortunately, jobs for
graduates are getting scare.
A. obtain B. attain C. collect D. apply
11. It is expected that all members will ________ to the rules of the club.
A. comply B. concede C. conform D. compromise
12. Karen was terribly nervous before the interview but she managed to pull herself _____ and act confidently.
A. through B. over C. together D. off
13. We ________ up a friendship the very first time we met.
A. struck B. launched C. cropped D. settled
14. You can ________ me the details. I don’t want to know about your argument with your boss.
A. spare B. save C. deprive D. avoid
15. She is travelling to work by bus today because her car is being ________ .
A. stopped B. broken C. rented D. serviced
16. There have been protests from animal right groups about ________ on animals.
A. experience B. expiration C. experiments D. trials
17. All at once, the sky became dark and it started to rain.
A. suddenly B. at times C. occasionally D. immediately
18. The only way to clean this box is to ________ it in soap and warm water.
A. polish B. wash C. brush D. wipe
19. He has a very ________ temper and often says things he regrets later.
A. quick B. angry C. warm D. fast
20. I ______ my suit- everyone else was very casually dressed.
A. needn’t wear B. needn’t have worn C. mustn’t have worn D. mustn’t wear
2. Use the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered boxes.
Organizing a holiday can be a very (1. CHALLENGE) __________ task. Some people find the experience
as (2. STRESS)__________ as the daily demands of work and family (3. COMMIT) __________. If you are in
this situation, you may find that taking an escorted holiday is the ideal solution.
Escorted holidays offer a great balance between sightseeing, entertainment and leisure time, with the added
advantage that you have the services of a professional tour manager, who (4. COMPANY) __________ you
through the trip, acting as your personal guide. From the first day to the last, tour managers make your holiday
experience even more (5. MEMORY) __________ because of the (6. VALUE)__________ information and
helpful suggestions they provide. Your tour manager will give you many (7. SIGHT) __________ into the place
you are visiting, including useful information on the (8. DISTINCT) __________ characteristics of the place, such
as regional food and local entertainment.
If you book one of the escorted holiday (9. PACK) __________that we offer, you can be sure that you will
have a (10. TRUE) __________authentic travel experience.
3. There are 10 mistakes in the following passage. Underline the mistakes and correct them.
There may be a vacancy on the school board next May. The position must be filling before the next school
session, which begin on September 7th. Anyone who is resident of Smithtown, at last 21 years old, and interested in
fulfilling his or her civic duty may fill out an application for considered by the city council. Application may be
obtained at the City Hall or Center Avenue or at the Smithtown Public Library downtown. Those residents who are
current enrolled in adult learning classes with the intent of earning a secondary school certificate are excluding from
applying. Please note that applications will be reviewed in alphabet order. Submit your application until January 1st
in order to be considered for this position. Use a blue or black pen when filling out the forms. It is not unnecessary
to attach other documents such as résumé or cover letters. Candidates who invited in for an interview will be asked
to bring references at that time. For those interested in becoming involved with city council in other ways, visit
office 2B in the second floor at City Hall.
4. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions or adverbs.
1. Once he has signed the agreement, he won't be able to back ___ ___ the scheme.
2. Watch ___ ___ the signpost. I don't want to miss the turning.
3. That chair is not very strong. Do you think it is ___ ___ your weight?
4. She went ________ a bad cold just before Christmas.
5. The Italian course started in September and it's now March. I'm afraid you won't be able to catch ___ ___ the
class now.
6. Whenever he runs ___ ___ a difficulty he always comes to me for help.
7. A mother will usually stand ___ ___ her children, no matter what they have done.
8. There's no point in doing ___ ___ the old regulations if you are going to introduce equally stupid new ones.
9. I'm afraid there's no milk left; we'll have to fall ___ ___ dried milk for our tea.
10. It's your turn to make some suggestions; I've run ___ ___ ideas.
PART III. READING
1. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to fill in each blank. (10 ps)
Oxford is a city with such a mind-bowling reputation that many who come here find themselves intimidated
by the place and can’t wait to leave, while others, taking to it like a ________(1) to water, find themselves returning
again and again. The college lawns provide a gorgeous ________(2) to serious study, and in the right light, on a
sunny winter’s morning say, one feels as if one is ________(3) on air, such is the sense of unreality. Oxford may
like to ________(4) that it is at the intellectual ________(5) of things, but in many ways it is no more than a sleepy
________(6) where, to mix metaphors, transitory students, the ________(7) of their generation, wait in the
________(8), allowing their talents to ________(9) before moving off into the industrial or political ________(10).
1. A. fish B. boat C. duck D. swimmer
2. A. curtain B. backdrop C. scene D. screen
3. A. flying B. floating C. swimming D. gliding
4. A. act B. pretend C. dissemble D. produce
5. A. wheel B. engine C. spoke D. hub
6. A. stream B. tributary C. backwater D. watershed
7. A. froth B. cream C. fat D. caviar
8. A. pavilion B. dressing room C. wings D. foyer
9. A. flourish B. open C. spread D. float
10. A. peak B. abattoir C. dead-end D. fast-lane
2. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer.
Before the mid- nineteenth century, people in the United States ate most foods only in season. Drying,
smoking, salting could preserve meat for a short time, but the availability of fresh meat like that of fresh milk, was
very limited; there was no way to prevent spoilage. But in 1810, a French inventor named Nicolas Appert
developed the cooking- and-sealing process of canning. And in the 1850s an American named Gail Borden
developed a means of condensing and preserving milk. Canned goods and condensed milk became more common
during the 1860s, but supplies remained low because cans had to be made by hand. By 1880, however, inventors
had fashioned stamping and soldering machines that mass-produced cans from tinplate. Suddenly all kinds of food
could be preserved and bought at all times of the year.
Other trends and inventions had also helped made it possible for Americans to vary their daily diets.
Growing urban populations created demand that encouraged fruit and vegetable farmers to raise more produce.
Railroad refrigerator cars enabled growers and meat packers to ship perishables great distances and to preserve them
for longer periods. Thus, by the 1890s, northern city dwellers could enjoy southern and western strawberries,
grapes, and tomatoes, previously available for a month at most, for up to six months of the year. In addition,
increased use of iceboxes enabled families to store perishables. An easy means of producing ice commercially had
been invented in the 1870s, and by 1900 the nation had more than 2,000 commercial ice plants, most of which made
home deliveries. The icebox became the fixture in most homes and remained so until the mechanized refrigerator
replaced it in the 1920s and 1930s.
Almost everyone now had a more diversified diet. Some people continued to eat mainly foods that were
heavy in starches and carbohydrates, and not everyone could afford meat. Nevertheless, many families could take
advantage of previously unavailable fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to achieve more varied fare.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Causes of food spoilage B. Commercial production of ice
C. Inventions that led to changes in the American diet D. Population movements in the nineteenth century
2. The phrase ‘in season’ in paragraph 1 refers to ________.
A. a kind of weather B. a particular time of the year
C. an official schedule D. a method of flavoring food
3. The word ‘prevent’ in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. estimate B. avoid C. correct D. confine
4. During the 1860s, canned food products were ________.
A. unavailable in rural areas B. shipped in refrigerator cars
C. available in limited quantities D. a staple part of the American diet
5. It can be inferred that railroad refrigerator cars came into use
A. before 1860 B. before 1890 C. after 1900 D. after 1920
6. The word ‘fixture’ in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. luxury item B. substance C. commonplace object D. mechanical device
7. The author implies that in the 1920s and 1930s home delivery of ice
A. decreased in number B. were on an irregular schedule C. increased in cost D. occurred only in summer
8. The word ‘Nevertheless’ in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. therefore B. because C. occasionally D. however
9. Which of the following types of food preservation was NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Drying B. Canning C. Cold storage D. Chemical additives
10. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?
A. Tin cans and ice boxes helped to make many foods more widely available
B. Commercial ice factories were developed by railroad owners.
C. Most farmers in the US raised only fruits and vegetables.
D. People who live in cities demanded home delivery of foods.
3. Fill in each blank with a suitable word
HEALTH AND CIGARETTES
In many Western countries, girls are more (1) ___ to smoke than boys. It's the girls who want to look "tough and
grown-up." The result is that (2) ___ lung cancer in American men has fallen for the first time in 50 years, the
disease is (3) ___ in women. The decrease in the disease among men is attributed to a decrease in smoking among
men since the government's first warning of a (4) ___ between cigarettes and disease in 1964. On the other hand,
lung cancer is now expected to overtake breast cancer (5) ___ the principal fatal cancer among women. (6) ___ your
son or daughter is a non-smoker, there is another good reason for rejecting a smoker as a life-long mate. Smokers
don't just ruin their own health by (7) ___ up. They are a menace to (8) ___ . Second-hand smoke is lethal. As the
18th report on smoking by the United States Surgeon General: "Involuntary smoking is a cause of disease, including
lung cancer, in healthy non-smokers." (9) ___ to the report, at home, the children of parents who smoke (10) ___ the
effects in their respiratory systems. Smokers make their own kids sick.

4. Choose the most appropriate heading from the list A- G for each part (1-5) of the article. There is one
extra heading which you do not need to use. The first has been done as example. (10 points)
Lists of Heading
A. Stay calm B. Be organized
C. Vary the way you revise D. Remembering the difficult bits
E. Write down the main points F. Reward yourself
G. Set yourself targets
HOT TIPS FOR STAYING COOL AT EXAM TIME
0 _______G_____
It’s always good to know what you’re aiming for, so that you know if and when you get there. By having an aim for
each week, or even each day, it will help you check your progress and show you if you need to change your plans.
1. ___________
Rather than have to work through masses of notes very time you revise something, try nothing down things you
want to remember on a piece of paper. It doesn’t seem as much to learn that way, but it makes sure you don’t miss
out anything important. Once you’ve learnt the main points, rewrite them on another piece of paper without looking
at your notes.
2. _____________
There is nothing worse than being disorganized. If you have a plan and stick to it, you won’t end up cramming all
your revision into the last few hours!. Make a list of your exams and what you need to learn beforehand, and then
drew up a timetable covering all the topics. You can then work out what you need to do on a weekly basis and when
you are going to do it.
3. ______________
By now you’ll probably have discovered the method of revision which suits you best. But every now and then it
might be helpful to try a different method. You could try working with a group of friends, or using a different book
which covers things from a new angle. Whatever it is, just try something different occasionally.
4. ______________
Some things are almost impossible to remember, so you may need to do something unusual to help you remember.
Try writing them down in large letters and bright colors and sticking them on the fridge, on a mirror or on the
bathroom door. Try recording them onto a cassette and keep playing it back to yourself- on a personal stereo if you
have got one!.
5 . ______________
Not too many people like exams and most of us get nervous. But if you’ve followed your plan and put the effort
into revising, then there is not need to worry or panic. Hopefully these tips will have helped you. Give it your best
shot- that’s all that anyone can expect of you.
Your answers:
1. …………….. 2. …………….. 3. …………….. 4. …………….. 5. ……………..
5. Read the following text and then choose the best phrase or sentence, given below, to fill each of the gaps.
Write one letter (A-P) in each of the numbered gaps. Each phrase is only used once. Some of the suggested
answers do not fit at all. (10 ps)
Archaeologists in Iraq have discovered the world’s oldest “statue” – a stone, standing four feet high,
covered with plaster (1) __________ of a human being.
This “stone man” dating from 11,000 years ago, (2) __________ who were emerging from the pre-
agricultural Stone Age into the Neolithic world of early farming.
The statue, probably of religious significance, was located inside a prehistoric house – one of the earliest
sophisticated buildings (3) __________. Investigations have shown that the house had (4) __________ with clay-
coated, lime-plastered walls and floor.
So far excavations have unearthed three buildings containing seven standing stones, (5) __________ retain
traces of lime plaster which once covered them.
However, (6) __________ shows evidence of having been shaped into the likeness of a human being. It is
30 centuries older (7) __________ previously known oldest statue. (8) __________that each building appears to
have had at least one standing stone inside it, and that one house actually had three.
The plaster-covered human shaped obelisk (9) __________ shoulders and the stumps of arms and part of a
neck. The “head”, however, (10) __________.

A. ever discovered by archaeologists

B. molded into the shape
C. to have been built
D. strangely carved
E. was fashioned by people
F. excavations have revealed
G. only one of these
H. neither of them
I. beautifully finished
J. than the remaining
K. has what appear to be
L. seems to have broken off
M. four of which
N. has been missing
O. it has been decided
P. than the world’s
PART IV. WRITING (60ps)
1. Rewrite the following sentences, keeping their meaning unchanged, beginning with the words given. (5ps)
1. You must never mention this to him
Under …………………………………………………………………………….
2. His condition improved so rapidly that he went home four days after the operation.
There ……………………………………………………………………………...
3. Children learn a lot about how to behave in a situation like this.
Only .............................................................................................................................……………..
4. It wasn’t my fault that she lost the money.
Through ..........................................................…………………………………………….
5. The chances are that the whole thing will have been forgotten by next term.
In all ……………………………………………………………………………...
2. Use the word(s) given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way
that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given
word(s). (5ps)
1. I never thought that we would have legal problems. (CROSSED)
…………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Bill changed his way when he came out of prison. (LEAF)
……………………………………………………………………………………..
3. The staff in that office all have great respect for their boss. (LOOK)
……………………………………………………………………………………...
4. She began to suffer from irrational fears. (PREY)
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The final version of the plan was quite different from the initial draft. (RESEMBLANCE)
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Describing graphs (20 ps)

You should write about 150 words.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………....
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………....
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Write an essay of about 200 words to express your opinion on this view (30 ps)
‘Homework should be an optional part of the teaching and learning process.’ Do you agree or disagree? Why?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………...........
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………....
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
THE END

TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN HOÀNG VĂN THỤ- HÒA BÌNH

ĐÁP ÁN ĐỀ XUẤT THI HSG TRẠI HÈ HÙNG VƯƠNG NĂM 2014

MÔN: ANH
LỚP: 10
PART I: LISTENING (40 ps)
1. Gap fill (30ps)
1. gym 2. delay 3. Saturday 4 . 215 5. discounts
6. rackets 7. lessons 9. weight 9. fitness 10. Reysall
2. Multiple choice (10 ps)
1. B 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. B

PART II. GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY (50ps)

1. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each
of the following questions. (20 ps)
1. A 11. C
2. B 12. C
3. B 13. A
4. A 14. A
5. D 15. D
6. A 16. C
7. D 17. A
8. B 18. B
9. D 19. A
10. A 20. B
2. Use the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered boxes. (10 pts)
1. challenging 2. stressful 3. commitments 4. accompanies 5. memorable
6. invaluable 7. insights 8. distinctive 9. packages 10.truly
3. There are 10 mistakes in the following passage. Underline the mistakes and write the correct answers in the space provided.
(10ps)
Line Mistake Correction Line Mistake Correction
1. 2 begin begins 6. 8 alphabet alphabetical
2. 3 (at) last (at) least 7. 8 until by
3. 4 considered consideration 8. 10 unnecessary necessary
4. 6 current currently 9. 11 invited are invited
5. 7 excluding excluded 10.12 in on
4. Put one or two suitable prepositions in the blank of each sentence. (10ps)
1. out of 2. out for 3. up to
4. down with 5. up with 6. up against
7. up for 8. away with 9. back on
10. out of

PART IV. READING (50ps)

1. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to fill in each blank. (10 ps)
1. C 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. D 6. C 7. B 8. C 9. A 10. D
2. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the
questions (10 ps)
1.C 2.B. 3.B 4.C 5.B 6.C 7.A 8.D 9.D 10.A
3. Fill in each blank with a suitable word (10 ps)
1. likely 6. If
2. while/ although 7. lighting
3. rising/ increasing 8. others
4. link/ connection 9. According
5. as 10. show
4. Choose the most appropriate heading from the list A- G for each part ( 1-5) of the article. There is one
extra heading which you do not need to use. (10 points)
1. E 2. B 3. C 4. D 5. A
5. Read the following text and then choose the best phrase or sentence, given below, to fill each
of the gaps. Write one letter (A-P) in each of the numbered gaps. (10 ps)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
B E A I M G P F K L

PART V. WRITING (60ps)

1. Rewrite the following sentences, keeping their meaning unchanged, beginning with the words given. (5ps)
1. Under no circumstances must you mention this to him.
2. There was such a rapid improvement in his condition that he went home four days after the operation.
3. Only in a situation like this do children learn a lot about how to behave.
4. Through no fault of mine that she lost the money.
5. In all probabilities, the whole thing will have been forgotten by next term
2. Use the word(s) given in brackets and make any necessary additions to
write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning
to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given word(s). (5ps)
1. It never crossed my mind that we would have legal problems.
2. Bill has turned over a new leaf since he came out of prison.
3. The staff in that office all look up to their boss.
4. She fell prey to irrational fears.
5. The final version of the plan bore/ had no/ little resemblance to the initial draft.
(There was no/ little resemblance between the final version of the plan and the initial draft.)
3. Describing graphs (20 ps)
4. Write an essay of about 200 words to express your opinion on this view (30 ps)
‘Homework should be an optional part of the teaching and learning process.’ Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Tape script for the listening sections

Question 1.
Hello, my name is Max and I’m the manager. Thank you for coming along today to visit our New Sports Center. In
a few minutes, I’ll take you around to see it, but first, some information about the facilities we’ve got and when you
can start using them. The swimming pool will be opened on Monday, and the gym and the squash courts will be
ready for use on Wednesday. But we’ve had a small delay with the indoor tennis court, so I’m afraid you have to
wait for that till Saturday. Now, something about prices. The system we have is very flexible, so you can pay daily
if you want to. However, you may want to think of paying a monthly fee, which is £35, or you can have access to
the sport center for the whole year for £215. We also give a special £50 discount for children under ten years of age.
Our prices include the use of all the facilities in the sport center, but of course you would have to pay extra for sport
equipment, rackets for example, and also for swimming lessons. Registering to become a club member is very easy.
At reception, you’ll find a membership form. Fill it in and don’t forget to include your age and also your weight.
This is very important to see your level of fitness. We will prepare membership card for you, so please bring a
photograph. I could answer any question now but I’m sure you only get together and have a look at our facilities. If
you think of any other question later though, call our secretary- Mrs Reysall on 4679900. She’ll be very pleased to
help you. Let’s go there.

Question 2.
My guest today is Clara Thomas, who has an interest in job in the museum of history.
- Clara, did you always want to work in the museum?
- Hello, Oh, no. At school most of my mates wanted to be lawyers and I was dreaming of being a teacher. When my
best friend got a small part in a film, not my favorite job, I thought she was so lucky. At fifteen she had the job she
wanted. I wanted to go to college to study history, then I saw this museum job advertised.
- So you decided to apply.
- Well, they wanted someone to organize the museum collections, for example old coins or ancient vases, very
valuable pieces. It was a big responsibility. But that’s what I wanted. I didn’t apply immediately though. I was
afraid it wasn’t interesting work on my own with no one to talk to. It took me two weeks to apply. My mother was
really upset.
- And you got the job.
- Yes, I won’t never forget my first day. I was introduced to all my colleagues. They were very friendly. One of
them read a little speech. She wrote it to welcome me. Then somebody said there were some big boxes. They were
the museum objects for me downstairs. Could I go and get them? I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t say anything. I just
did it. They were very heavy.
- Was anything else easier?
- Not really. I had to work with computers and it was very useful. I’m not good with numbers though. As part of my
job, I had to look at the objects the museum wanted to buy, usually from the private collectors. For that you need to
understand basic mathematics. My boss said I definitely should do something about it. And I did. I had to give up
my French study to make time for that.
- So what part of your job did you enjoy most?
- I spent a lot of time writing short history of museum objects, what they looked like, where they were found. I find
this research work much more exciting than preparing an important exhibition. I was also afraid people might not
like the exhibition. I don’t get much the chance to talk to visitors. But I like reading the comments they write on the
visitors’ book.
- Well, you’re doing a great job. Any plans for the future?
- Yes, I must make some progress in my history study. But it would take me years to get my degree because I’m
studying in part time now. Next year will be exciting. We’ll have a special exhibition on African history of
museum. Our master keeps me very busy. We have a lot of visitors from all over the world.
- Clara, thank you for talking to us.