A 

Recent years have seen a barrage of dystopian Young Adult novels grow in popularity almost
overnight- from The Hunger Games to The Maze Runner, Divergent, and The Knife of Never Letting Go.
These novels, set in postapocalyptic, totalitarian or otherwise ruthless and dehumanising worlds, have
gained such momentum that the trend has seeped into the film and TV industry as well, with
multimillion dollar movie adaptations and popular TV series gracing the big and small screen. But what is
it about dystopian (unfair society) stories that makes them so appealing to readers and audiences alike?

B Dystopias are certainly nothing new. The word “dystopia” itself, meaning “bad place” (from the
Greek dysand topos), has been around since at least the 19th century, and Huxley’s Brave New World
(1932) and Orwell’s 1984 (1949), commonly regarded as the first dystopian novels that fit firmly into
the genre, were published more than 75 years ago. Even the first YA dystopian novel is older than 20 –
Lois Lawry’s The Giver, which came out in 1993. While these are individual examples from previous
decades, however, one would be hard-pressed to find a YA shelf in any bookstore nowadays that isn’t
stocked with dozens of dystopian titles.

C According to film critic Dana Stevens, it is the similarities that can be drawn between dystopian
settings and the daily lives of teenagers that make YA dystopian stories so captivating: the high school
experience involves the same social structure as the Hunger Games arena, for example, or the faction-
divided world of Divergent. Teenagers might not literally have to fight each other to the death or go
through horrendous trials to join a virtue-based faction for the rest of their lives, but there’s
something in each story that connects to their own backgrounds. The “cutthroat race for high school
popularity” might feel like an “annual televised fight”, and the pressure to choose a clique at school
bears a strong resemblance to Tris’s faction dilemma in Divergent.

D Justin Scholes’s and Jon Ostenson’s 2013 study reports similar findings, identifying themes such as
“inhumanity and isolation”, the struggle to establish an identity and the development of platonic and
romantic relationships as alluring agents. Deconstructing a score of popular YA dystopian novels
released between 2007-2011, Scholes and Ostenson argue that the topics explored by dystopian
literature are appealing to teenagers because they are “an appropriate fit with the intellectual (về tư
duy) changes that occur during adolescence”; as teenagers gradually grow into adults, they develop an
interest in social issues and current affairs. Dystopian novels, according to author and book critic Dave
Astor, feel honest in that regard as they do not patronise their readers, nor do they attempt to sugar-
coat reality.

E All of this still does not explain why this upsurge in YA dystopian literature is happening now, though.
Bestselling author Naomi Klein, offers a different explanation: the dystopian trend, she says, is a
“worrying sign” of times to come. What all these dystopian stories have in common is that they all
assume that “environmental catastrophe” is not only imminent, but also completely inevitable. Moral
principles burgeon through these works of fiction, particularly for young people, as they are the ones
who will bear the brunt of climate change. Young Adult author Todd Mitchell makes a similar point,
suggesting that the bleak futures portrayed in modern YA literature are a response to “social anxiety”
brought forth by pollution and over-consumption.

F The threat of natural disasters is not the only reason YA dystopian novels are so popular today,
however. As author Claudia Gray notes, what has also changed in recent years is humanity’s approach to
personal identity and young people’s roles in society. Adolescents, she says, are increasingly dragooned
(=conform) into rigid moulds through “increased standardised testing, increased homework levels, etc.”
YA dystopian novels come into play because they present protagonists who refuse to be defined by
someone else, role models who battle against the status quo.

G So, how long is this YA dystopian trend going to last? If The Guardian is to be believed, it’s already
been replaced by a new wave of “gritty” realism as seen in the likes of The Fault in Our Stars, by John
Green. Profits have certainly dwindled for dystopian film franchises such as Divergent. This hasn’t
stopped film companies from scheduling new releases, however, and TV series such as The 100 are still
on air. Perhaps the market for dystopian novels has stagnated – only time will tell. One thing is for
certain, however: the changes the trend has effected on YA literature are here to stay.

Questions 1-7
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, labelled  A-G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs  A-
Gfrom the list of headings below.

List of Headings
I Teens are increasingly urged to conform (đi vào khuôn khổ) = dragoon
II The dystopian model scrutinised
III Dystopian novels now focus on climate change
IV The original dystopias
V Dystopian literature’s accomplishments will outlive it
VI A score of dystopian novels has taken over YA shelves
VII The roots of dystopia can be found in teenage experiences
VIII Dystopia is already dead
IX Dystopias promote ethical thinking

1 Paragraph A _VI_ (has become popular)

2 Paragraph B _IV_
3 Paragraph C _VII_
4 Paragraph D _II_ => identify model
5 Paragraph E _IX_
6 Paragraph F _I_
7 Paragraph G _V_

Questions 8-12
Answer the questions below with words taken from Reading Passage 1. Use  NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS  for each answer.
8 According to the writer, what was the first dystopian novel? Huxley’s Brave New World (1932)
9 According to the writer, which author initiated the YA dystopian genre? Lois Lawry
10 How does Dave Astor describe dystopian novels? Honest
11 According to Naomi Klein, which element is present in all dystopian novels? Environmental
catastrophe.
12 According to Claudia Gray, things like increased standardised testing and homework levels are a
threat to what? Personal identity.

Question 13
Choose the correct Letter,  A,  B,  C  or  D.
13 Which is the best title for Reading Passage 1?
A A history of YA dystopian literature
B The wane (Sự hết thời) of the dystopian phenomenon
C How dystopian fiction has shaped the world
D The draw (= the appeal, attraction) of YA dystopian fiction
Plant Wars

Mention the words “chemical warfare” or “deployed armies” in any conversation, and your interlocutor
might immediately assume you’re talking about wars between humans. In reality, however, there are
other kinds of wars out there where these techniques are employed far more frequently and in a far
more intricate manner: those waged in the plant kingdom.

We might not normally think of plants this way, but much like humans and animals, they too have to
fight for survival on a daily basis. Nutrients, light and water are the three things any plant needs in
order to grow; unfortunately, none of these is ample in supply, which means that the competition
between plants can grow fierce. Some plants and trees are at an architectural advantage: taller trees
have greater access to natural light, while plants with deeper roots have the ability to absorb more
water and nutrients. Others, though, manage to defend their territory through “allelopathy”, or
chemical warfare.

So how does this chemical warfare work exactly? As Dr Robin Andrews explains, plants convert the
nutrients they absorb from the ground to energy with the aid of a type of organic compound known as
metabolites. These metabolites can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary
metabolites are what allows a plant to live, playing a direct role in its growth and development, and
are thus present in every plant. Secondary metabolites, on the other hand, can vary from plant to plant
and often play the role of a defence mechanism against neighbouring competitors.

Out of these secondary metabolites, there are two that are incredibly interesting: DIBOA and DIMBOA.
These two cyclic hydroxamic acids were at the forefront of a study conducted by Sascha Venturelli and
colleagues in 2015, which found that once they are released into the soil by the plants that produce
them, they degenerate into toxic substances that have the power to inhibit growth in nearby plants
once they soak them up. As Dr Claude Becker notes, “the phenomenon itself has been known for
years”, but we now finally understand the “molecular mechanism” behind it – and its supreme intricacy
would put to shame any chemical bombs created by humans.

But plants do not just fight wars against other plants; chemical warfare also comes into play in their
defence against herbivores. As Brent Mortensen of Iowa State University describes, plants “actively
resist” attacks made by herbivores through qualitative and quantitative chemical defences. What’s the
difference? Qualitative defences can be lethal even in small doses, and are often employed to protect
“young” or “tender leaves or seeds”. They can also be recycled when no longer necessary. Quantitative
defences, in contrast, are only effective “in larger doses”, but unlike qualitative defences, can protect
the plant against all herbivores. Quantitative defences are also not as immediately lethal (extremely
dangerous), as they usually lead to indigestion, pain, irritation of the mouth and throat, and
inflammation or swelling in the skin.

And what about the “deployed armies” I mentioned before? Well, chemical ỏks are not the only way
plants elect to defend themselves against herbivores. Some plants, such as the African acacia, also
recruit armies to assist them in their war. As Angela White of the University of Sheffield explains, the
acacia tree has “hollowed-out structures” which invite ant colonies to build a home in them by
providing not just shelter, but also food in the form of a special nectar. In return, ants protect them
against herbivores – and this includes not just the small ones like bugs, but also the ones as big as
giraffes.
At this point, of course, you might be wondering what all this has to do with you. The territorial nature
of plants might be fascinating in its own right, but what is its application in real life? Well, Dr Venturelli
of the 2015 study mentioned before has an answer for you: apparently, certain allelochemicals – the
aforementioned chemical compounds that are responsible for stunting (=inhibit) growth in plants –
have been found to have an effect on human cancer cells, too. According to Michael Bitzer and Ulrich
Lauer of the same study, “clinical trials at the University Clinics Tubingen currently assess the efficacy
of these plant toxins in cancer patients”. This means that comprehending the way plants defend
themselves against the enemies in their environment might not just be of interest to plant biologists
alone, but to medical researchers as well.

Questions 14-20
Complete the sentences below.
Choose  NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS  from Reading Passage 2 for each answer.

14 Plants are very similar to ___humans and animals_____ as they also struggle to stay alive every day.
15 The height of a tree or plant can affect how much ___natural lights_____ it receives.
16 Chemical warfare in plants also goes by the name of __allelopathy______.
17 Water and nutrients are both taken from the soil, and the latter is later turned into __energy______.
18 Secondary metabolites are an _ organic compound _____ that functions as a defence mechanism for
plants.
19 DIBOA and DIMBOA are two types of secondary metabolites that can ___inhibit (ngăn chặn)
growth_____ once absorbed by a plant.
20 The 2015 study by Sascha Venturelli and colleagues examined the __ molecular mechanism ______
of chemical warfare in plants.

Plant Defences Against Herbivores

Qualitative
– can kill a herbivore in 21 __small doses_____
– can be recycled when no longer necessary

Secondary
– only works in larger doses
– effective against 22 ___all herbivores /ˈhɝː.bə.vɔːr/___
– causes a variety of symptoms, none 23 __immediately lethal_____

Indirect
– uses the help of ant colonies that reside in its 24 _ “hollowed-out structures” (cấu trúc lõm)______
– ants can protect it against herbivores of all sizes, even 25 ___giraffes____

Questions 26-27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
Write
TRUE  if the statement is true according to the passage
FALSE  if the statement is false according to the passage
NOT GIVEN  if the information is not given in the passage
26 Allelochemicals are secondary metabolites. TRUE => stunting growth= inhibit growth.
27 Plant biologists and medical researchers are currently cooperating (not given in the text) to assess
the efficacy of plant toxins in preventing the growth of cancer cells. NOT GIVEN

Deafhood

A At this point you might be wondering: what does ‘deafhood’ mean? Is it a synonym for ‘deafness’? Is it
a slightly more politically correct term to express the very same concept you’ve grown accustomed to –
a person who lacks the power of hearing, or a person whose hearing is impaired? What’s wrong with
terms like ‘hard of hearing’ or ‘deafness’? Have they not represented the deaf community just fine for
the past few centuries? Who came up with the term ‘Deafhood’ anyway, and why?

B The term ‘Deafhood’ was first coined in 1993 by Dr Paddy Ladd, a deaf scholar in the Deaf Studies
Department at the University of Bristol in England. First explored through his doctoral dissertation in
1998, and later elaborated on in his 2003 book, ‘Understanding Deaf Culture – In Search of Deafhood’,
the idea behind Deafhood is twofold: first, it seeks to collect everything that is already known about
the life, culture, politics, etc. of Sign Language Peoples (SLPs); secondly, it attempts to remove the
limitations imposed on SLPs through their colonisation from hearing people.

C In order to understand what Deafhood represents, it’s first important to understand what is meant by
colonisation. To do that, we need to examine two terms: Oralism and Audism. Oralism is a philosophy
that first emerged in the late 19th century, and which suggests that a reduced use of sign language
would be more beneficial to SLPs, as it would allow them to integrate better to the hearing world. In
that respect, sign language is dismissively (tùy tiện) regarded (đánh giá) as a mere obstacle to listening
skills and acquisition of speech – treated, (Q35) in effect, in the same manner as the languages of
other peoples who were oppressed (bị áp bức) and colonised, e.g. the Maori in New Zealand, or the
Aborigines in Australia. Audism, however, is an even more sinister ideology: first coined in 1975 by Dr
Tom Humphries of the University of California in San Diego, it describes the belief that deaf people are
somehow inferior to hearing people, and that deafhood – or, in this case, we should say ‘deafness’ – is
a flaw, a terrible disability that needs to be eliminated. (Q37) It is the effect of these two ideologies
that Deafhood seeks to counter, by presenting SLPs in a positive light, not as patients who require
treatment.

D But even if we understand the oppression that SLPs have suffered at the hands of hearing people since
the late 1800s, and even if we acknowledge that ‘deafness’ is a medical term with negative
connotations that needs to be replaced, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to explain what the term
Deafhood represents exactly. This is because Deafhood is, as Dr Donald Grushkin puts it, a ‘physical,
emotional, mental, spiritual, cultural and linguistic’ journey that every deaf person is invited – but not
obligated – to embark on.

E Deafhood is essentially a search for understanding: what does being ‘Deaf’ mean? How did deaf
people in the past define themselves, and what did they believe to be their reasons for existing before
Audism was conceived? Why are some people born deaf? Are they biologically defective, or are there
more positive reasons for their existence? What do terms like ‘Deaf Art’ or ‘Deaf Culture’ actually
mean? What is ‘the Deaf Way’ of doing things? True Deafhood is achieved when a deaf person feels
comfortable with who they are and connected to the rest of the deaf community through use of their
natural language, (Q38) but the journey there might differ.
F Aside from all those questions, however, Deafhood also seeks to counter the effect of what is known
as ‘neo-eugenics’. Neo-eugenics, as described by Patrick Boudreault at the 2005 California Association
of the Deaf Conference, is a modern manifestation of what has traditionally been defined as
‘eugenics’ (thuyết ưu sinh=> cải thiện vốn gen), i.e. an attempt to eradicate any human characteristics
which are perceived as negative. Deaf people have previously been a target of eugenicists through the
aforementioned ideologies of Audism and Oralism (Q39), but recent developments in science and
society – such as cochlear implants or genetic engineering – mean that Deafhood is once again under
threat, and needs to be protected. The only way to do this is by celebrating the community’s history,
language, and countless contributions to the world, and confronting those who want to see it gone.

G So, how do we go forward? We should start by decolonising SLPs – by embracing Deafhood for what it
is, removing all the negative connotations that surround it and accepting that deaf people are neither
broken nor incomplete. This is a task not just for hearing people, but for deaf people as well, who have
for decades internalised society’s unfavourable views of them. We should also seek recognition of the
deaf community’s accomplishments, as well as official recognition of sign languages around the world
by their respective governments. Effectively, what we should do is ask ourselves: how would the Deaf
community be like, had it never been colonised by the mainstream world? And whatever it is it would be
like, we should all together – hearing and Deaf alike – strive to achieve it.

Questions 28-34
The reading passage has seven paragraphs,  A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
28 Examples of other groups treated the same way as deaf people _A_
29 Why the word ‘deafness’ is no longer appropriate _D_
30 The definition of the word ‘deaf’ _A_
31 Why deaf people might sometimes think negatively of themselves _G_
32 How one can attain deafhood _E_
33 Where the word ‘deafhood’ came from _B_
34 Why deafhood is currently imperilled (=endangered, under threat) _F_

Questions 35-37
Choose the correct letter,  A,  B,  C  or  D.
35 According to Dr Paddy Ladd, Deafhood
A is a more appropriate term than ‘hard of hearing’.
B doesn’t colonise SLPs as much as ‘deafness’ does.
C strives to get rid of the effects of colonisation.
D contributes positively to the life and culture of deaf people.

36 Oralism suggests that

A SLPs have no use for sign language.
B SLPs don’t belong in the hearing world.
C hearing people are superior to SLPs.
D SLPs are unable to acquire speech.

37 Aborigines in Australia are similar to deaf people because

A eugenicists also tried to eradicate them.
B they were also considered inferior by their oppressors.
C their languages were also disrespected. (=inferior)
D their languages were also colonised.

Questions 38-40
Answer the questions below with words taken from Reading Passage 3.
Use  NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS  for each answer.
38 What should deaf people use to communicate with each other, according to deafhood? Natural
language.
39 Who has used oralism and audism to attack the deaf community? Eugenicists.
40 What does the deaf community strive to achieve for sign language worldwide? Official regconition.