PRACTICE TEST 8

PART A. LISTENING (50 pts)

HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
· Bài nghe gồm 4 phần, mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 15 giây, mở đầu
và kết thúc mỗi phần nghe có tín hiệu.
· Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 3 phút để hoàn chỉnh bài
trước tín hiệu nhạc kết thúc bài nghe.
· Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh (bằng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe.
Section 1. You will hear part of a radio interview in which the comedian and writer Jane Clarkson is
talking about her. For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which fits best according to what
you hear. (10 pts)

1. What did Jane find difficult about writing a book ?

A She couldn’t travel around the country.
B She didn’t get any instant reaction to her work.
C She had to spend time looking after her daughter.
D She found the process itself very challenging.

2. According to Jane, why did some critics dislike her novel ?

A They didn’t think her book was funny.
B They were dismissive of her initial success.
C They though her male colleagues were better writers.
D They thought she should stick to being a comedian

3. Which aspect of Jane’s work as a comedian helped her to write ?

A her patience B her ability to learn
C her habit of watching people D her rational way of thinking

4. According to Jane, how do many people react to female comedians ?

A They’re convinced women can’t tell jokes.
B They’re afraid the women will break down.
C They find women’s humour too intense.
D They find women’s jokes embarrassing.

5. What was the disadvantage of the stage image which Jane developed?
A It frightened the audience.
B It made the audience angry.
C People thought it reflected her real personality.
D People did not take her seriously anymore.

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Section 2. Listen to the recording and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
(10 pts)

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6. The speaker has come from the Theosophical Society. F
7. One of the main points of the talk is to save money. T
8. She thinks students should do more housework. F
9. She argues that plastic containers won’t biodegrade quickly. T
10. She warns that asthma sufferers should be careful with her recipes. F

Your answers:

6. 7. 8 9. 10.
.

Section 3. Listen to the talk about women in the workplace and answer the following questions. (10 pts)

11. How is the situation for women in the workplace changing?

Not fast enough

12. In which management role that women constitute 17% of the staff?

C suite

13. How many percent of employees think that gender equality is a priority?

Less than 50%

14. What is the action companies should take to understand the problem of gender equality?

Tracking key metrics

15. What should companies do to make sure opportunities and advancement are equitable?

Create a level-playing field

Section 4: Listen and fill in the blanks with the missing information Write NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS for each answer. (20 pts)

Over the past few years as first lady, I have had the (16)_______extraordinary privilege_______ of
traveling all across this country and everywhere I’ve gone and the people I've met and the stories I’ve heard, I
have seen the very best of the (17)_______American spirit_______. See, our life before moving to Washington
was, was filled with simple joys. Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma’s house, and a date night for
Barack and me was either dinner or movie because as an exhausted mum I couldn’t stay awake for both. Even
back then when Barack was a senator and (18)_______presidential candidate_______ to me he was still the guy
who picked me up for our dates in a car that was so (19)______rusted out________ that I could actually see the
pavement going by in a hole in the passenger side door. He was the guy whose (20)_______proudest
possession_______ was a coffee table he'd found in a dumpster. Well today, after so many
(21)_______struggles and triumphs_______ and moments that’ve tested my husband in ways I never could
have imagined, I have seen first-hand that being president doesn’t change who you are. No it
(22)_______reveals_______who you are. When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen
to all those folks to told him to leave (23)_______health reform_______ for another day, another president. He
didn’t care whether it was the easy thing to do politically, no that's not how he was raised. He cared that it was
the right thing to do. When we were first married our combined monthly student loan bill was actually higher
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than our (24)_______mortgage_______. Yeah!! We were so young, so in love, and so in debt. If we wanna give
all of our children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise. If we wanna give
them that sense of (25)_______limited possibility_______, that belief that here in America there was always
something better out there if you're willing to work for it. Then we must work like never before, and we must
once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country
forward. My husband, our president, Barack Obama. Thank you, God bless you, God bless America.

Your answers:

16. 21.
17. 22.
18. 23.
19. 24.
20. 25.

PART B. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (30pts)

Section 1. Choose the word or phrase that best fits the gap in each sentence (20 pts)
1. I was promised a good job from January this year, but it’s April now and I’m afraid that they are just
___________ me along
A. cheating B. swindling C. stringing D. bringing
2. Although we now believe this to be impossible, early scientists tried to produce __________ motion
machines, that is, machines which would never stop.
A. perpetual B. everlasting C. undying D. forever
Perpetual machine: động cơ vĩnh cửu
3. The company was so successful during the 1980s that it _________ 500 new employees in a period of six
months
A. put on B. took on C. caught on D. laid on
4. Mr. Discontent wanted to complain to the waiter but was afraid of making a(n)_______.
A. act B. drama C. play D. scene
5. I could see the tip of his cigarette _________ in the darkness.
A. glowing B. sparkling C. gleaming D. glinting
6. Is an inexperienced civil servant __________ to the task of running the company ?
A. capable B. skilled C. eligible D. suited
7. After the concert, everyone had to _________ home through the snow.
A. trace B. trend C. trudge D. trickle flow
8. The students paid _________ attention to the distinguished professor.
A. respectable B. respected C. respectful D. respective
9. ______________, the people who came to this club are in their twenties and thirties.
A. By and large B. Although C. To a degree D. Virtually
10. He is late for every conference without __________.
A. suspicion B. fail C. doubt D. delay
11. Revenge at last! I always said I would __________ my own back on Steve, and now I have.
A. turn B. get C. do D. make
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12. Look, will you stop _________ in and let me finish my sentence!
A. moving B. pushing C. butting D. plugging
13. It’s the __________ of stupidity to go walking in the mountains in this weather.
A. height B. depth C. source D. matter
14. The school was closed for a month because of a serious ________ of fever.
A. outcome B. outburst C. outset D. outbreak
15. Social work suits her ______ to the ground.
A. down suit perfectly B. for C. out D. round
16. The President accused his critics of being oversensitive and of __________.
A. playing it by ear B. cutting to the chase
C. making a mountain out of a molehill: chuyện bé xé ra to D. splitting hairs
17. My secretary left me in the ________ last month and I haven’t found a replacement yet.
A. rock B. lurch: bỏ ai đó lúc họ cần giúp đỡ C. face D. fire
18. With patience and diplomacy, she eventually _________ the son of the billion-dollar company into
marrying her.
A. deluded B. inveigled: lừa lọc ai đó làm gì C. cruised D. swindled
19. After our three-hour hike, I had a sandwich and it tasted like the best ________.
A. chef B. sauce C. seasoning D. flavor
20. You are being unnecessarily ________ by spending too much time on the details of your CV.
A. recalcitrant unruly B. mendacious : lying C. dogmatic: làm theo luật lệ trong mọi hoàn cảnh D.
pedantic chú ý quá đến chi tiết nhỏ
Your answers:

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

Section 2. Write the correct form of each bracketed word in each sentence. (10 pts)
1. His childhood spent in the harsh conditions of the civil war has completely _ desensitized _____ (SENSE)
the boy to the sight of blood and cruelty.
2. “What do you expect from your future wife, Mr. Robson?” - “I’d like one that is faithful and _ submissive
_____ (SUBMIT) so that she can fulfil all my requests.”

3. Our local newspaper is often full of stories that are hardly __ newsworthy ____ (NEWS), but they need to
fill the pages somehow.
4. Both of the fighting sides have agreed on a temporary __ armistice: một thỏa thuận chính thức giữa hai quốc
gia hoặc các nhóm có chiến tranh để ngừng chiến đấu trong một thời gian cụ thể, đặc biệt là để nói về hòa bình
có thể ____ (ARM) just to let the civilians safely leave the place.
5. The botanist studied the __ flora ___ (FLORAE) of the tropical rainforest, documenting numerous plant
species.
6. The orator delivered a _ persuasive ____ (PERSUADE) speech that swayed the opinions of the entire
audience.
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7. The artist's paintings were filled with _ intricate _____ (INTRICATE) details, requiring careful observation
to appreciate fully.
8. The philosopher's ideas were often __ esoteric: bất thường và chỉ được hiểu hay thích bởi một số người ____
(ESOTERIC), understood only by a select few.
9. The archaeologist meticulously _ excavate ______ (EXCAVATE) the ancient ruins, unearthing valuable
artifacts.
10. The professor __ proficiently _____ (PROFICIENT) explained complex mathematical concepts with
remarkable clarity.

Your answers:

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

PART C. READING (60 pts)

Section 1. Choose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage (10 pts)

FOOTBALL AS AN ART FORM

When filmmakers Douglas Gordon and Phillipe Parreno set out to make an art house movie about the legendary
French footballer Zinedine Zidane, they chose to film just one match between Real Madrid, the club for which
he was playing at the (1) …..............., and their great rivals Villareal. But instead of following the progress of
the match, the ninety-minute film would show something that had not been seen before; the (2) …...............
detailed movements of one man during an entire top-level football match. They hoped that the audience would
disengage from the match itself, and focus on this portrait of greatness. Every (3) …............... gesture would be
captured and they would see all of the player’s grace, athleticism and competitiveness in great detail.

The film (4) …............... is a fascinating work. Those who are not regular watchers of football will be
astonished at how (5) …............... Zidane becomes actively involved in the game. For much of the ninety
minutes he moves around the field relatively slowly; saying nothing, expressing even less, and only
occasionally (6) …............... into a lethargic jog. And then the ball arrives at his feet, and there is a flurry of
bewildering activity. The cameras (and there are seventeen of them (7) …............... on him) struggle to keep up.
The defenders don’t (8) …............... a chance. In a few touches, a couple of checks and feints, Zidane has (9)
…............... them all behind. He crosses from the tightest of (10) …............... and his teammate is left with
simplest of headers to score a goal.

(Adapted from CAE Practice Tests Plus/88)

1. A. point B. moment C. time D. occasion

2. A. clear B. steady C. precise D. slow

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3. A. one B. single C. lone D. sole

4. A. following B. resulting C. concluding D. arising

5. A. partly B. scarcely C. rarely D. hardly

6. A. breaking B. changing C. opening D. starting

7. A. trained B. looking C. pointed D. staring

8. A. gain B. hold C. stand D. earn

9. A. missed B. left C. lost D. dropped

10. A. places B. positions C. areas D. angles

Your answers:

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

Section 2. Read the text below and think of one word which best fits each space. Use only ONE WORD
for each space. Write your answer in the space provided (15 pts)

Moths count!

Renowned conservationist Sir David Attenborough is launching a campaign today called ‘Moths
Count’, to halt the drastically declining number of Britain’s native moths and improve their poor image. A
report (1) …..titled............. ‘The State of Britain’s Larger Moths’ revealed last year that in some areas, the moth
population has almost (2) ….....halved.......... since 1968. This has led the charity, ‘Butterfly Conservation’, of
which Sir David is president, to develop a new strategy which will provide opportunities for real (3) …
enthusiasts............... to broaden their (4) …horizon............... and also generate appreciation among the wider
public. Moths, he insists, play an essential role in the environment. Their loss (5) ….threatens.............. the
species of birds, bats and small mammals that (6) …..feed............. on them, and the plants they (7) …
pollinate............... ‘Moths Count’ campaigner Richard Fox says ‘Currently there’s an image problem, partly
because there’s a (8) ….. misconception............. that moths are night creatures, although many are day-flying
and only about half a dozen of Britain’s 2500 species damage clothes.’ Reasons for their decline include
climate change and the loss of habitat. Although the (9) …..diversity............. of moths has increased with the
establishment of new species in Britain, overall their numbers have dropped, and for some, extinction now
seems sadly (10) ….unavoidable..............

Your answers:

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

Section 3. Read the following passage and answer the questions. (15 pts)

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The history of aspirin is a product of a rollercoaster ride through time, of accidental
discoveries, intuitive reasoning and intense corporate rivalry.
A.
In the opening pages of Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder
Drug, Diarmuid Jeffreys describes this little white pill as ‘one of the most amazing creations in medical
history, a drug so astonishingly versatile that it can relieve headache, ease your aching limbs, lower
your temperature and treat some of the deadliest human diseases’.
B.
Its properties have been known for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian physicians used extracts
from the willow tree as an analgesic, or pain killer. Centuries later the Greek physician Hippocrates
recommended the bark of the willow tree as a remedy for the pains of childbirth and as a fever reducer.
But it wasn't until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that salicylates the chemical found in the
willow tree became the subject of serious scientific investigation. The race was on to identify the active
ingredient and to replicate it synthetically. At the end of the nineteenth century a German company,
Friedrich Bayer & Co. succeeded in creating a relatively safe and very effective chemical
compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin.
C.
The late nineteenth century was a fertile period for experimentation, partly because of the
hunger among scientists to answer some of the great scientific questions, but also because those
questions were within their means to answer. One scientist in a laboratory with some chemicals and a
test tube could make significant breakthroughs whereas today, in order to map the human genome for
instance, one needs ‘an army of researchers, a bank of computers and millions and millions of dollars’.
D.
But an understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry is not enough on its own to
explain how society innovates. In the nineteenth century, scientific advance was closely linked to the
industrial revolution. This was a period when people frequently had the means, motive and
determination to take an idea and turn it into reality. In the case of aspirin that happened piecemeal - a
series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised by the century’s broader economic, medical and
scientific developments, that led to one big final breakthrough.
E.
The link between big money and pharmaceutical innovation is also a significant one. Aspirin’s
continued shelf life was ensured because for the first 70 years of its life, huge amounts of money were
put into promoting it as an ordinary everyday analgesic. In the 1970s other analgesics, such as
ibuprofen and paracetamol, were entering the market, and the pharmaceutical companies then focused
on publicising these new drugs. But just at the same time, discoveries were made regarding the
beneficial role of aspirin in preventing heart attacks, strokes and other afflictions. Had it not been for
these findings, this pharmaceutical marvel may well have disappeared.
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F.
So the relationship between big money and drugs is an odd one. Commercial markets are
necessary for developing new products and ensuring that they remain around long enough for scientists
to carry out research on them. But the commercial markets are just as likely to kill off' certain products
when something more attractive comes along. In the case of aspirin, a potential ‘wonder drug’ was
around for over 70 years without anybody investigating the way in which it achieved its effects,
because they were making more than enough money out of it as it was. If ibuprofen or paracetamol had
entered the market just a decade earlier, aspirin might then not be here today. It would be just another
forgotten drug that people hadn't bothered to explore.
G.
None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big pharmaceutical
companies; they were made by scientists working in the public sector. 'The reason for that is very
simple and straightforward,' Jeffreys says in his book. 'Drug companies will only pursue research that
is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more. It is incredibly inexpensive
with tiny profit margins and it has no patent any more, so anyone can produce it.' In fact, there's almost
a disincentive for drug companies to further boost the drug, he argues, as it could possibly put them out
of business by stopping them from selling their more expensive brands.
H.
So what is the solution to a lack of commercial interest in further exploring the therapeutic
benefits of aspirin? More public money going into clinical trials, says Jeffreys. ‘If I were the
Department of Health. I would say “this is a very inexpensive drug. There may be a lot of other things
we could do with it." We should put a lot more money into trying to find out.'
I.
Jeffreys' book which not only tells the tale of a 'wonder drug' but also explores the nature of
innovation and the role of big business, public money and regulation reminds us why such research is
so important.
Questions 1-5. The Reading Passage has 9 paragraphs A-I.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph (A-E) from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number (i-x) in boxes 1-5.
List of headings:
i. The most powerful analgesic 1. Paragraph A
ii. The profit potential of aspirin 2. Paragraph B
iii. Saved from oblivion by drug companies 3. Paragraph C
iv. Recognition of an important medicinal property 4. Paragraph D
v. A double-edged sword 5. Paragraph E
vi. An unstructured pattern of development
vii. Major pharmaceutical companies
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 viii. A wonder drug
ix. Roots of the scientific advancements in the 19th
century
x. The discovery of new medical applications

Your answers
1. viii 2. iv 3. ix 4. vi 5. x

Questions 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-10 write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

6. The 19th century saw significant changes in the way in which scientific experiments were carried out.
7. For nineteenth-century scientists, small-scale research was far from enough to make important discoveries.
8. The creation of a market for aspirin as a painkiller was achieved through commercial advertising campaigns.
9. In the 1970s sales of new analgesic drugs overtook sales of aspirin.
10. Jeffrey suggests that there should be state support for further research into the possible applications of
aspirin.
Your answers
6. NG 7. YES 8. NO 9. NG 10. YES

Section 4. Read the text and do the task as follow (13 pts)

The Farmers! Parade of history

A. History of Fanner trading company: In 1909 Robert Laidlaw establishes mail-order company Laidlaw Leeds
in Fort Street, Auckland. Then, Branch expansion: purchase of Green and Colebrook chain store; further
provincial stores in Auckland and Waikato to follow. Opening of first furniture and boot factory. In 1920,
Company now has 29 branches; Whangarei store purchased. Doors open at Hobson Street for direct selling to
public. The firm establishes London and New York buying offices. With permission from the Harbour Board,
the Large FARMERS electric sign on the Wyndham Street frontage is erected.

B. In 1935, if the merchandise has changed, the language of the catalogues hasn't Robert Laidlaw, the Scottish
immigrant who established die century-old business, might have been scripting a modern-day television
commercial when he told his earliest customers: Satisfaction, or your money back. "It was the first money back
guarantee ever offered in New Zealand any firm," says Ian Hunter, business historian. "And his mission
statement was, potentially, only the second one ever found in the world." Laidlaw's stated aims were simple to

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build the greatest business in New Zealand, to simplify every transaction, to eliminate all delays, to only sell
goods it would pay the customer to buy.

C. This year, the company that began as a mail-order business and employs 3500 staff across 58 stores turns
100. Its centenary will be celebrated withe release of a book and major community fundraising project, to be
announced next week. Hunter, who is writing the centenary history, says in every 10 people had an account
with die company. It was the place where teenage girl shopped for their first bra, where newlyweds purchased
their first dinner sets, where first pay cheques were used to pay off hire purchase furniture, where Santa paraded
every Christmas.

D. Gary Blumenthal's mother shopped there, and so does he. The fondest memory for the Rotorua resident?
"We were on holiday in Auckland... I decided that upon the lookout tower on top of the Farmers building would
be a unique place to fit the ring on my new fiancee’s finger." The lovebirds, who had to wait for "an annoying
youth" to leave the tower before they could enjoy their engagement kiss, celebrate their 50th wedding
anniversary in June.

E. Farmers, say Hunter, has always had a heart. This, from a 1993 North & South interview with a former board
chairman, Rawdon Busfield: " One day I was in the Hobson Street shop, and I saw a woman with two small
children. They were clean and tidily dressed, but poor, you could tell. That week we had a special on a big bar
of chocolate for one shilling. I heard the woman say to her boy, 'no, your penny won't buy that'. He wasn't
wearing shoes. So I went up to the body said,' Son, have you got your penny?' He handed it to me. It was hot
he'd had it in his hand for hours. I took the penny and gave him the chocolate.

F. Farmers was once the home of genteel tearooms, children's playground and an annual sale of celebration for
birthday of Hector the Parrot (the store mascot died, aged 131, in the 1970s his stuffed remains still occupy
pride of place at the company's head office). You could buy houses from Farmers. Its saddle factory supplied
the armed forces, and its upright grand overstrung pianos offered "the acme of value" according to those early
catalogues hand-drawn by Robert Laidlaw himself. Walk through a Farmers store today and get hit by bright
lights and big brands. Its Albany branch houses 16 international cosmetics companies. It buys from
approximately 500 suppliers, and about 30% of those are locally owned.

G. "Eight, 10 years ago," says current chief executive Rod McDermott, "lots of brands wouldn't partner with us.
The stores were quite distressed. We were first price point focused, we weren't fashion focused. "Removed the
rose-tinted nostalgia, and Farmers is, quite simply, a business, doing business in hard times. Dancing with the
Stars presenter Candy Lane launches a clothing line? "We put a trial on, and we thought it was really lovely,
but the uptake wasn't what we thought it would be. It's got to be what the customer wants" says McDermott.

H. He acknowledges retailers suffer in a recession: "We're celebrating 100 years because we can and because
we should" Farmers almost didn't pull though one economic crisis. By the mid 1980s, it had stores across the
country. It had acquired the South Island's Calder Mackay chain of stores and bought out Haywrights. Then,
with sale topping $375 million, it was taken over by Chase Corporation. Lincoln Laidlaw, now aged 88, and the
son of the company's founder, remembers the dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of
Chase. "I think, once, Farmers was like a big family and all of the people who worked for it felt they were
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building something which would ultimately be to their benefit and to the benefit of New Zealand... then the
business was being divided up and so that kind of family situation was dispelled and it hasn't been recovered."
For a turbulent few years, the stores were controlled, first by a consortium of Australian banks and later Deka,
the Maori Development Corporation and Foodland Associated Ltd. In 2003, it went back to "family"
ownership. with the purchase by the James Pascoe Group, owned by David and Anne Norman the latter being
the great-granddaughter of James Pascoe, whose first business interest was jewellery.

I. "Sheer power of the brand", says McDermott," pulled Farmers through and now we're becoming the brand it
used to be again." Farmers was the company that, during World War n, topped up the wages of any staff
member disadvantaged by overseas service. Robert Laidlaw a committed Christian who came to his faith at a
1902 evangelistic service in Dunedin concluded his original mission statement with the words, "all at it, always
it, win success". Next week, 58 Farmers stores across the country will announce the local charities they will
raise funds for in their centenary celebration everything from guide dog services to hospices to volunteer fire
brigades will benefit Every dollar raised by the community will be matched by the company. "It's like a rebirth
of an icon," says McDermott.

Question 1-5
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-I
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct A-I, in boxes provided.

1. Generosity offered in an occasion.

2. Innovation of offer made by the head of company.

3. Fashion was not its strong point.

4. A romantic event on the roof of farmers.

5. Farmers were sold to a private owned company.

Your answers:

1. E 2. B 3. G 4. D 5. H

Question 6-10
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage
Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.

6. Farmers was first founded as a 36 __mail-order company ____ in Auckland by Mr Laidlaw.

7. Farmers developed fast and bought one 37___chain store___ then.

8. During oversea expansion, Farmers set up 38__buying offices____ in cities such as London.

9. Farmers held a 39 __ celebration__ once a year for the well-known parrot.

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10. In the opinion of Lincoln Laidlaw, Farmers is like a 40__ big family____ for employees, not just for
themselves but for the whole country.

Your answers:

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Question 11-13
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes provided.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

A Lincoln Laidlaw

B Rod McDermott

C Ian Hunter

11. Product became worse as wrong aspect focused.

12. An unprecedented statement made by Farmers in New Zealand.

13. Character of the company was changed.

Your answer:

11. B 12. C 13. A

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