SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO KÌ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN HỌC SINH GIỎI

TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ
CẤU TRÚC ĐỀ THI NĂM HỌC : 2024-2025

Phần & Nội dung Số câu Điểm

I. LEXICO-GRAMMAR ( 10.0 points )
Part 1: Word form (B2) 25 3.75
Part 2: Error correction (B2) 15 2.25
Part 3: Multiple Choice Cloze (B2-C1) 20 4.0
I. READING ( 7.5 points )
Part 4: Gap filling (B2) 10 1.0
Part 5: T-F-NG - Complete in the summary (IELTS) 13 1.3
Part 6: Paragraph missing (C1) 7 0.7
Part 7: True-False questions (B1) 10 1.0
Part 8: Matching feature (B2) 10 1.0
Part 9: Matching feature (C1) 10 1.0
Part 10: Identifying information (IELTS) 5 1.5
II. WRITING ( 2.5 points )
Part 11: Write a report (IELTS) 1 1.25
Part 12: Write an essay (IELTS) 1 1.25
 SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO KÌ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN HỌC SINH GIỎI
TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ
ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC : 2024-2025

TIẾNG ANH ( VÒNG I ) SỐ PHÁCH

Môn thi:
Thời gian thi: 120 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)
Ngày thi 6/7/2025
Đề thi có 5 trang
I. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (7.5 points)
Part 1: Use the word in brackets to form a new word that fits into each blank.
1. We have to __________________ the pressure or otherwise the object will break. (LIGHT) Your answers:
2. CNN showed exclusive __________________ of the incident. (FOOT) 1. ____________________
3. There has been an argument about the _______ of the island for several decades. (OWN) 2. ____________________
4. The ________ of the air in the mountain regions is much better than at sea level. (PURE) 3. ____________________
5. She attended __________________ classes because it was her first baby. (MOTHER) 4. ____________________
6. Many people in the Third World cannot even buy the __________ of life. (NECESSARY) 5. ____________________
6. ____________________
7. They went on a __________________ tour of Asia. (PACK)
7. ____________________
8. Please come to my office at the end of the week, ________ on Friday afternoon (PREFER)
8. ____________________
9. The whole committee was impressed by the __________________ of the plan (ORIGIN).
9. ____________________
10.He fell behind with his ____________, so they took away almost everything he had. (PAY)
10. ___________________
11.The dictator showed his __________________ by locking up the dissidents. (PLEASE) 11. ___________________
12.The prosecutor did not make any __________ to what the defence had to say. (OBJECT) 12. ___________________
13.The suspect was __________________ without getting a fair trial. (PRISON) 13. ___________________
14.It was a __________________ attempt of the opposition party to gain power. (SHAME) 14. ___________________
15.The trade unions made _____ demands that were rejected in the negotiations. (REASON) 15. ___________________
16.The travellers received _____________ compensation for the delayed departure. (PART) 16. ___________________
17.She dyed her hair and wore new, fashionable clothes, so she was almost_.(RECOGNISE) 17. ___________________
18.The book cost $26 plus $5 for __________________. (POST) 18. ___________________
19.The average _________ in this part of the country is about 80 inches a year. (RAIN) 19. ___________________
20.It’s a good plan in theory but probably_________ in practice. (WORK) 20. ___________________
21. ___________________
21. It was _________ of you to laugh at him when he showed us his costume (KIND).
22. ___________________
22. The headmaster ___________of the way his teachers talk with parents (APPROVE).
23. ___________________
23. The departure of the plane was delayed again, which made us even more ____ (PATIENT).
24. ___________________
24. It is _______________ to smoke in public places. (LEGAL)
25. ___________________
25. He got very ________________ and made many mistakes (CARE).
Part 2: Some of the following lines are correct; others have a word that should not be there. Tick the correct
lines and write the words that should not be there in the provided boxes
HOUSE SITTING Your answers:
26. If you do live in certain parts of inner London, 26. ____________________
27. the chances are one in to four that your house 27. ____________________
28. will be burgled in the next twelve months. 28. ____________________
29. If you leave your house empty for any much time longer than two weeks, 29. ____________________
30. then there is also going a good chance 30. ____________________
31. that you will have the squatters. 31. ____________________
32. Squatters are homeless and penniless, and they take over "empty" houses. 32. ____________________
33. They make life difficult for people who are away on their business 33. ____________________
34. or who are selling their house and moving. 34. ____________________
35. It is no surprise that the profession of house-sitter has so become popular. 35. ___________________
36. This new job describes someone person who is paid to live in a house 36. ___________________
37. while the owners are off away, 37. ___________________
38. to make certain sure no one squats in it, 38. ___________________
39. and perhaps also feed the pets and to water the flowers. 39. ___________________
40. Of course, you need to be very careful indeed as to the character of whomever you employ 40. ___________________
as a house-sitter, otherwise.…
Part 3: Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap.
Virtual reality in the real world
Most of us are (41)_____________ with virtual reality, or VR, from sci-fi and may even have tried a cheap headset
at home or in school. But did you know VR is (42)_____________ transforming the real world? Here are some
examples: 1. Car manufacturers use VR to build virtual prototypes, which is far quicker and enables them to make
(43)_____________ changes to their designs before building anything.
2. Sportspeople, including golfers, skiers, cyclists and Formula One drivers, use VR to (44)_____________ courses
and learn their way around the track from the safety and comfort of their own training centre.
3. The heritage industry uses virtual ‘walkthroughs’ to allow people to experience fragile sites, (45)_____________
as Stonehenge, archaeological digs, and prehistoric cave (46)_____________. It is now possible to visit museums
and galleries using a headset.
4. In the world of (47) _____________, VR has been used to train medical staff, but even more radically, it allows
for ‘telesurgery’, in which a surgeon operates on a patient (48) _____________.
41. A. conscious B. aware C. known D. familiar
42. A. albeit B. already C. still D. yet
43. A. ready B. hurried C. express D. rapid
44. A. preview B. inquire C. probe D. search
45. A. how B. similar C. such D. like
46. A. dwellings B. livings C. housing D. apartments
47. A. healthcare B. healthy C. caring D. medical
48. A. accidently B. incidentally C. casually D. remotely
Since retail sales of our new product line have fallen (49) in the last few weeks, we are going to ask our
customers to complete feedback forms to see why this is happening. I’d particularly like to know if our marketing
(50)_________has been alienating our (51) ________customers. In all (52) ___________, it is the result of a
general economic dip but we need to make sure as several customers have (53) _______ objections about the
(54)________ campaign we’ve been running. (55)________ mind that the campaign has been successful in
attracting new customers, I do not want to lose long-term ones, some of whom I am p r e t t y certain are
already looking for alternative products.
49. A. relatively B. fairly C. slightly D. reasonably
50. A. placement B. technique C. launch D. strategy
51. A. loyal B. devoted C. dependable D. responsible
52. A. possibility B. likelihood C. prospects D. luck
53. A. put B. posed C. raised D. realized
54. A. advertising B. popularizing C. selling D. publicizing
55. A. Don’t B. Never C. Forever D. Doesn’t
After years studying North America’s black bears in the conventional way, wildlife biologist Luke Robertson felt no
closer to understanding the creatures. He realised that he had to (56)............ their trust. Abandoning scientific
detachment, he took the daring step of forming relationships with the animals, bringing them food to gain their
acceptance. The (57) …….. this has given him into their behaviour has allowed him to dispel certain myths about
bears. (58) …….. to popular belief, he contends that bears do not (59) …….. as much for fruit as previously
supposed. He also (60) …….. claims that they are ferocious.
56. A. catch B. win C. achieve D. receive
57. A. perception B. awareness C. insight D. vision
58. A. Opposite B. Opposed C. Contrary D. Contradictory
59. A. care B. bother C. desire D. hope
60. A. concludes B. disputes C. reasons D. argues

II. READING (7.5 points)

Part 4: Read the text and think of a word which best fits each gap. Use ONE word for each gap
Camels
In these humps camels store fat (61).......... is used as energy when they don’t have access to food. They can put
(62) ..........with very difficult conditions, drinking only a little (63) .......... no water for up to seven days. When
they reach a place where they can drink, they soak up water (64)……… a sponge – they can drink 135 litres in
13 minutes! And their mouths are (65)………tough that they can eat most types of plant. Camels (66) ......………..
thought by many to have poor hearing. But although their (67)………… are small, their hearing (68)…………..
actually very sharp. can be almost any shade of brown, from pale cream to almost black and they have long necks
to allow them to reach high branches. Despite the (69)………. that camels can be trained as useful working animals,
they don't always do (70)…… is expected
Your answers:
61. 62. 63. 64. 65.
66. 67. 68. 69. 70.
 Part 5: Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
HOW TENNIS RACKETS HAVE CHANGED
In 2016, the British professional tennis player Andy Murray was ranked as the world’s number one. It was an
incredible achievement by any standard – made even more remarkable by the fact that he did this during a period
considered to be one of the strongest in the sport’s history, competing against the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger
Federer and Novak Djokovic, to name just a few. Yet five years previously, he had been regarded as a talented
outsider who entered but never won the major tournaments.
Of the changes that account for this transformation, one was visible and widely publicised: in 2011, Murray
invited former number one player Ivan Lendl onto his coaching team – a valuable addition that had a visible impact
on the player’s playing style. Another change was so subtle as to pass more or less unnoticed. Like many players,
Murray has long preferred a racket that consists of two types of string: one for the mains (verticals) and another for
the crosses (horizontals). While he continued to use natural string in the crosses, in 2012 he switched to a synthetic
string for the mains. A small change, perhaps, but its importance should not be underestimated.
The modification that Murray made is just one of a number of options available to players looking to tweak their
rackets in order to improve their games. ‘Touring professionals have their rackets customised to their specific
needs,’ says Colin Triplow, a UK-based professional racket stringer. ‘It’s a highly important part of performance
maximisation.’ Consequently, the specific rackets used by the world’s elite are not actually readily available to the
public; rather, each racket is individually made to suit the player who uses it. Take the US professional tennis
players Mike and Bob Bryan, for example: ‘We’re very particular with our racket specifications,’ they say. ‘All our
rackets are sent from our manufacturer to Tampa, Florida, where our frames go through a … thorough
customisation process.’ They explain how they have adjusted not only racket length, but even experimented with
different kinds of paint. The rackets they use now weigh more than the average model and also have a denser
string pattern (i.e. more crosses and mains).
The primary reason for these modifications is simple: as the line between winning and losing becomes thinner
and thinner, even these slight changes become more and more important. As a result, players and their teams are
becoming increasingly creative with the modifications to their rackets as they look to maximise their competitive
advantage.
Racket modifications mainly date back to the 1970s, when the amateur German tennis player Werner Fischer
started playing with the so-called spaghetti-strung racket. It created a string bed that generated so much topspin
that it was quickly banned by the International Tennis Federation. However, within a decade or two, racket
modification became a regularity. Today it is, in many ways, an aspect of the game that is equal in significance to
nutrition or training.
Modifications can be divided into two categories: those to the string bed and those to the racket frame. The
former is far more common than the latter: the choice of the strings and the tension with which they are installed is
something that nearly all professional players experiment with. They will continually change it depending on various
factors including the court surface, climatic conditions, and game styles. Some will even change it depending on
how they feel at the time.
At one time, all tennis rackets were strung with natural gut made from the outer layer of sheep or cow intestines.
This all changed in the early 1990s with the development of synthetic strings that were cheaper and more durable.
They are made from three materials: nylon (relatively durable and affordable), Kevlar (too stiff to be used alone) or
co-polyester (polyester combined with additives that enhance its performance). Even so, many professional players
continue to use a ‘hybrid set-up’, where a combination of both synthetic and natural strings are used.
Of the synthetics, co-polyester is by far the most widely used. It’s a perfect fit for the style of tennis now played,
where players tend to battle it out from the back of the court rather than coming to the net. Studies indicate that the
average spin from a co-polyester string is 25% greater than that from natural string or other synthetics. In a sense,
the development of co-polyester strings has revolutionised the game.
However, many players go beyond these basic adjustments to the strings and make changes to the racket
frame itself. For example, much of the serving power of US professional player Pete Sampras was attributed to the
addition of four to five lead weights onto his rackets, and today many professionals have the weight adjusted during
the manufacturing process.
Other changes to the frame involve the handle. Players have individual preferences for the shape of the handle
and some will have the handle of one racket moulded onto the frame of a different racket. Other players make
different changes. The professional Portuguese player Gonçalo Oliveira replaced the original grips of his rackets
with something thinner because they had previously felt uncomfortable to hold.
Racket customisation and modification have pushed the standards of the game to greater levels that few could
have anticipated in the days of natural strings and heavy, wooden frames, and it’s exciting to see what further
developments there will be in the future.
For questions 7 1 - 7 7 , decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).
71. People had expected Andy Murray to become the world’s top tennis player for at least five Your answers:
years before 2016. 71. ____________
72. The change that Andy Murray made to his rackets attracted a lot of attention. 72. ____________
73. Most of the world’s top players take a professional racket stringer on tour with them. 73. ____________
74. Mike and Bob Bryan use rackets that are light in comparison to the majority of rackets. 74. ____________
75. Werner Fischer played with a spaghetti-strung racket that he designed himself. 75. ____________
76. The weather can affect how professional players adjust the strings on their rackets. 76. ____________
77. It was believed that the change Pete Sampras made to his rackets contributed to his strong 77. ____________
serve.
For questions 78-83, complete the following note using no more than ONE word taken from the passage
for each blank.
78. Mike and Bob Bryan made changes to the types of _________ used on their racket frames.
79. Players were not allowed to use the spaghetti-strung racket because of the amount of ________ it created.
80. Changes to rackets can be regarded as being as important as players’ diets or the _________ they do.
81. All rackets used to have natural strings made from the _________ of animals.
82. Pete Sampras had metal _________ put into the frames of his rackets.
83. Gongalo Oliveira changed the _________ on his racket handles.
Your answers:
78. 79. 80.
81. 82. 83.

Part 6: In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For question 84-90, 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.]
SCOTTISH WILDCAT
On my living-room wall I have a painting of a wildcat by John Holmes of which I am extremely fond. It depicts a
snarling, spitting animal, teeth bared and back arched: a taut coiled spring ready to unleash some unknown fury.
84
However, the physical differences are tangible. The wildcat is a much larger animal, weighing in some cases
up to seven kilos, the same as a typical male fox. The coat pattern is superficially similar to a domestic tabby cat
but it is all stripes and no spots. The tail is thicker and blunter, with three to five black rings. The animal has an
altogether heavier look.
The Scottish wildcat was originally distinguished as a separate subspecies in 1912, but it is now generally
recognised that there is little difference between the Scottish and other European populations. According to an
excellent report on the wildcat printed in 1991, the animals originally occurred in a variety of habitats throughout
Europe.

85
It was during the nineteenth century, with the establishment of many estates used by landowners for hunting,
that the wildcat became a nuisance and its rapid decline really began; 198 wildcats were killed in three years in the
area of Glengarry, for example. However, things were later to improve for the species.
86
The future is by no means secure, though, and recent evidence suggests that the wildcat is particularly
vulnerable to local eradication, especially in the remoter parts of northern and western Scotland. This is a cause for
real concern, given that the animals in these areas have less contact with domestic cats and are therefore purer.

87
Part of the problem stems from the fact that the accepted physical description of the species originates from the
selective nature of the examination process by the British Natural History Museum at the start of the century, and
this has been used as the type-definition for the animal ever since. Animals that did not conform to that large blunt-
tailed ‘tabby’ description were discarded as not being wildcats. In other words, an artificial collection of specimens
was built up, exhibiting the features considered typical of the wildcat.
The current research aims to resolve this potential problem. It is attempting to find out whether there are any
physical features which characterise the so-called wild-living cats.

88
But what of his lifestyle? Wildcat kittens are usually born in May/June in a secluded den, secreted in a gap
amongst boulders. Another favourite location is in the roots of a tree.
89
Rabbits are a favourite prey, and some of the best areas to see wildcats are at rabbit warrens close to the
forest and moorland edge. Mice, small birds and even insects also form a large part of the diet, and the animal may
occasionally take young deer.

90
Missing paragraphs:
A. The recruitment of men to the armed forces during the conflict in Europe from 1914 to 1918
meant there was very little persecution, since gamekeepers went off to fight. As the number of
gamekeepers decreased, the wildcat began to increase its range, recolonising many of its former haunts.
Extinction was narrowly averted.
B. The wildcat waits for a while in rapt concentration, ears twitching and eyes watching, seeing everything and
hearing everything, trying to detect the tell-tale movement of a vole or a mouse. But there is nothing, and
in another leap he disappears into the gloom.
C. The results, which are expected shortly, will be fascinating. But anyone who has seen a wildcat will be in
little doubt that there is indeed a unique and distinctive animal living in the Scottish Highlands, whatever
his background.They probably used deciduous and coniferous woodland for shelter, particularly in winter,
and hunted over more open areas such as forest edge, open woodland, thickets and scrub, grassy areas
and marsh. The wildcat was probably driven into more mountainous areas by a combination of
deforestation and persecution.
D. They probably used deciduous and coniferous woodland for shelter, particularly in winter, and hunted over
more open areas such as forest edge, open woodland, thickets and scrub, grassy areas and marsh. The
wildcat was probably driven into more mountainous areas by a combination of deforestation and
persecution.
E. As the animals emerge, their curiosity is aroused by every movement and rustle in the vegetation. Later
they will accompany their mother on hunting trips, learning quickly, and soon become adept hunters
themselves.
F. This is what makes many people think that the wildcat is a species in its own right. Research currently
being undertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage is investigating whether the wildcat really is distinct from
its home- living cousin, or whether it is nothing more than a wild-living form of the domestic cat.
G. It is a typical image most folk have of the beast, but it is very much a false one, for the wildcat is little
more than a bigger version of the domestic cat, and probably shows his anger as often.
H. The wildcat is one of the Scottish Highlands’ most exciting animals. Catch a glimpse of one and the
memory will linger forever

Part 7: Read about the climate in Madagascar on a travel website. For question 91-100,choose True or False.
Madagascar has two seasons, a warm, wet season from November to April, and a cooler dry season between May
and October. However, different parts of the country have very different weather.
The east coast is hotter and wetter, with up to 4000mm of rainfall per year. In the rainy season, there are strong winds,
and these can cause a lot of damage. Avoid visiting eastern Madagascar between January and March because the
weather can make road travel very difficult. The dry season is cooler and more pleasant.
The high, central part of the country is much drier and cooler. About 1,400 mm of rain falls in the rainy season, with
some thunderstorms, but the summer is usually sunny and dry, but it can be cold, especially in the mornings, with
freezing showers, and it may snow in mountain areas above 2,400m, and even stay there for several days.
The west coast is the driest part of the island. Here, the winter months are pleasant with little rain, cooler temperatures
and blue skies. The summers can be extremely hot, especially in the southwest. This part of the country is semi-desert,
and only gets around 300mm of rain per year.
Your answers:
91. Madagascar has four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. 91. ____________
92. There is more rain in January than in June. 92. ____________
93. The wet season is colder than the dry season. 93. ____________
94. It hardly ever rains in central Madagascar. 94. ____________
95. The wettest part of the island is the east. 95. ____________
96. January-March is a good time to visit eastern Madagascar. 96. ____________
97. The centre of Madagascar is the coldest part. 97. ____________
98. Snow sometimes falls in Madagascar. 98. ____________
99. The west coast has the best weather in December. 99. ____________
100. The north-east is hotter than the south-east. 100. ____________
Part 8: The passage below consists of five sections marked A-H. For questions 101-110, read the
passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
This Month's Letters
See this month's problems and questions submitted to us by learners of English:
A. I study English for 6 hours per week in secondary school. For 1 hour each week we have conversation classes
with a native speaker of English where we talk about topics such as drugs, politics and culture. I know it's a
really good opportunity to practise my spoken English, but I never make a contribution to the discussion. It's not
that I don't have an opinion, or that I'm shy, but more that I don't have the vocabulary to express my views. I
feel really frustrated at the end of the lesson. Nobody else in the group seems to have the same problem
B. I'm a 24-year-old business student from Malaysia and I've been attending English classes at night school for
the past 5 years. Up to now I've considered myself to be a good student. Last month I went to Britain to visit my
relatives over there and it was awful. People found my pronunciation difficult to follow and I couldn't understand
 them either. What went wrong? My English teacher is very good and I always score the highest in grammar
tests.
C. I'm writing to ask your opinion on a matter which is really annoying me. My English teacher never corrects my
mistakes when I am speaking. Isn't that her job? How am I going to improve otherwise? Also she's always
telling me that now I'm an advanced student, I should forget all the rules of grammar that I learnt when I was
younger.
D. Can you help me? I really want to speak English the right way, with the correct accent. Do you have any good
ideas? I have a particular problem with sounds like 's'. I plan to work in the UK in the future and nobody will
take me seriously if my English pronunciation is anything short of excellent.
E. I am working as an au pair in London looking after 2 small children. I love my job but the way that English
people speak is a little puzzling. For example, I often hear them say things like 'more friendlier', whereas I
thought it should be 'more friendly'. It also seems to be common for them to say 'we was' instead of 'we were'.
Can you explain this? Would it be impolite of me to correct them?
F. I am an intermediate student of English (I have been studying it for 3 years). I'm quite good at reading and
writing but listening is very difficult for me. My teacher suggested that I listen to the BBC World Service every
day in order to improve my listening. The problem is that it's hard for me to understand every word. Do you
have any ideas about how to make listening to the radio less difficult? I like listening to the news and knowing
what's going on in the world.
G. I have studied English for 5 years at school but for the past 6 months I have been doing self-study using the
Internet and books to improve. There are lots of materials to choose but I'm not sure what is best for me and
how I should use them. I really would like to take the FCE examination but don't know how to study on my own.
Should I take a course in my local school - which is a little expensive for me now - or is it possible to prepare
for the exam doing self-study?
H. Could you please give me some advice on a problem I have at the moment with my English studies. I decided
to go to the UK to improve my English but the college I am studying in at present is full of people from my own
country. Although the teachers tell us we should only try to speak in English with each other, it is very difficult to
do this, especially in our free time when we go out together. I am worried that my speaking will not improve.

Which person Your answers:

- would appear not to have an English teacher? 111.
- doesn't like studying with people from their own country? 112.
- has a job in the UK? 113.
114.
- enjoys keeping up with current affairs?
115.
- feels that the teacher isn't doing their job properly?
115.
- uses English speaking radio stations to practise English? 116.
- had a shock when they visited Britain? 117.
- wants to avoid speaking their own language? 118.
- wants to speak English like a native speaker? 119.
- feels they are the only person with their difficulty? 120.

Part 9: You are going to read a magazine article in which five career consultants give advice about
starting a career. For questions 121 – 130, choose from the consultants (A – E). The consultants may be
chosen more than once.

STARTING OUT YOUR CAREER

Are you a graduate trying to plan out the best career path for yourself? We’ve asked five careers consultants
to give some tips on how to go about it.
Consultant A
A university degree is no guarantee of a job, and job hunting in itself requires a whole set of skills. If you find you
are not getting past the first interview, ask yourself what is happening. Is it a failure to communicate or are there
some skills you lack? Once you see patterns emerging it will help you decide whether the gaps you have identified
can be filled relatively easily. If you cannot work out what the mismatch is, get back to the selection panel with
more probing questions, and find out what you need to do to bring yourself up to the level of qualification that
would make you more attractive to them: but be careful to make this sound like a genuine request rather than a
challenge or complaint.
Consultant B
Do not be too dispirited if you are turned down for a job, but think about the reasons the employers give. They often
say it is because others are ‘better qualified’, but they use the term loosely. Those who made the second interview
might have been studying the same subject as you and be of similar ability level, but they had something which
made them a closer match to the selector’s ideal. That could be experience gained through projects or vacation
work, or it might be that they were better at communicating what they could offer. Do not take the comments at face
value: think back to the interviews that generated them and make a list of where you think the shortfall in your
performance lies. With this sort of analytical approach you will eventually get your foot in the door.
Consultant C
Deciding how long you should stay in your first job is a tough call. Stay too long and future employers may
question your drive and ambition. Of course, it depends where you are aiming. There can be advantages in moving
sideways rather than up, if you want to gain real depth of knowledge. If you are a graduate, spending five or six
years in the same job is not too long provided that you take full advantage of the experience. However, do not use
this as an excuse for apathy. Graduates sometimes fail to take ownership of their careers and take the initiative. It
is up to you to make the most of what’s available within a company, and to monitor your progress in case you need
to move on. This applies particularly if you are still not sure where your career path lies.
Consultant D
It is helpful to think through what kind of experience you need to get your dream job and it is not a problem to
move around to a certain extent. But in the early stages of your career you need a definite strategy for reaching
your goal, so think about that carefully before deciding to move on from your first job. You must cultivate
patience to master any role. There is no guarantee that you will get adequate training, and research has shown
that if you do not receive proper help in a new role, it can take 18 months to master it.
Consultant E
A prospective employer does not want to see that you have changed jobs every six months with no thread
running between them. You need to be able to demonstrate the quality of your experience to a future employer,
and too many moves too quickly can be a bad thing. In any company it takes three to six months for a new
employee to get up to speed with the structure and the culture of the company. From the company’s perspective,
they will not receive any return on the investment in your salary until you have been there for 18 months. This is
when they begin to get most value from you – you are still fired up and enthusiastic. If you leave after six months
it has not been a good investment – and may make other employers wary.

Which consultant makes the following statements? Your answers:

- Keep your final objective in mind when you are planning to change jobs. 121.
- It takes time to become familiar with the characteristics of a company you have joined. 122.
- You should demonstrate determination to improve your job prospects. 123.
- Make sure your approach for information is positive in tone. 124.
- It is not certain that you will be given very much support in your job initially. 125.
- Stay optimistic in spite of setbacks. 125.
126.
- Promotion isn’t the only way to increase your expertise.
127.
- Ask for information about your shortcomings. 128.
- Some information you are given may not give a complete picture. 129.
- It will be some time before you start giving your employers their money’s worth. 130.

Part 10: The passage below has eight paragraphs labelled A-H. For question 131-135, read the passage and
do the test below
THE MOTOR CAR
A. There are now over 700 million motor vehicles in the world - and the number is rising by more than 40 million
each year. The average distance driven by car users is growing too - from 8km a day per person in western Europe
in 1965 to 25 km a day in 1995. This dependence on motor vehicles has given rise to major problems, including
environmental pollution, depletion of oil resources, traffic congestion and safety.
B. While emissions from new cars are far less harmful than they used to be, city streets and motorways are
becoming
more crowded than ever, often with older trucks, buses and taxis which emit excessive levels of smoke and fumes.
This concentration of vehicles makes air quality in urban areas unpleasant and sometimes dangerous to breathe.
Even Moscow has joined the list of capitals afflicted by congestion and traffic fumes. In Mexico City, vehiclepollution
is a major health hazard.
C. Until a hundred years ago, most journeys were in the 20km range, the distance conveniently accessible by
horse. Heavy freight could only be carried by water or rail. Invention of the motor vehicle brought personal mobility
to the masses and made rapid freight delivery possible over a much wider area. In the United Kingdom, about 90
per cent of inland freight is carried by road. The world cannot revert to the horse-drawn wagon. Can it avoid being
locked into congested and polluting ways of transporting people and goods?
D. In Europe most cities are still designed for the old modes of transport. Adaptation to the motor car has involved
adding ring roads, one-way systems and parking lots. In the United States, more land is assigned to car use than to
housing. Urban sprawl means that life without a car is next to impossible. Mass use of motor vehicles has also killed
or injured millions of people. Other social effects have been blamed on the car such as alienation and aggressive
human behaviour.
E. A 1993 study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment found that car transport is seven times
as costly as rail travel in terms of the external social costs it entails - congestion, accidents, pollution, loss of
cropland and natural habitats, depletion of oil resources, and so on. Yet cars easily surpass trains or buses as a
flexible and convenient mode of personal transport. It is unrealistic to expect people to give up private cars in favour
of mass transit.
F. Technical solutions can reduce the pollution problem and increase the fuelled efficiency of engines. But fuel
consumption and exhaust emissions depend on which cars are preferred by customers and how they are driven.
Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily purposes or waste fuel by driving aggressively. Besides,
global car use is increasing at a faster rate than the improvement in emissions and fuel efficiency which technology
is now making possible.
G. Some argue that the only long-term solution is to design cities and neighbourhoods so that car journeys are not
necessary - all essential services being located within walking distance or easily accessible by public transport. Not
only would this save energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions, it would also enhance the quality of community life,
putting the emphasis on people instead of cars. Good local government is already bringing this about in some
places. But few democratic communities are blessed with the vision – and the capital – to make such profound
changes in modern lifestyles.
H. A more likely scenario seems to be a combination of mass transit systems for travel into and around cities, with
small ‘low emission’ cars for urban use and larger hybrid or lean burn cars for use elsewhere. Electronically tolled
highways might be used to ensure that drivers pay charges geared to actual road use. Better integration of
transport systems is also highly desirable - and made more feasible by modern computers. But these are
solutions for countries which can afford them. In most developing countries, old cars and old technologies
continue to predominate
Which paragraphs contains the following information? Your answers:
- a comparison of past and present transportation methods 131.
- how driving habits contribute to road problems 132.
- the relative merits of cars and public transport 133.
- the writer’s prediction on future solutions 134.
- the increasing use of motor vehicles 135.

III. WRITING (2,5 points)

Part 11. The chart below shows the number of men and women in further education in Britain in three
periods and whether they were studying fulltime or part-time. Summarise the information by selecting and
reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

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Part 12: Write an essay of 250 words on the following topic.

The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on
British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car
ownership and use.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
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