WORKSHEET 7

Find a word which is suitable for three sentences

1. Peter and Mary have been trying to save enough money to buy a new house.
The goalkeeper failed to save the penalty.
You can save pounds by booking in advance.
2. My father has put on so much weight that his trousers ripped the other day as he was bending over.
Always agree on the fare before you get in the taxi to avoid being ripped off.
He was so angry that he ripped up the letter and threw all the bits into the bin.
3. Personally, I never tip anybody unless the service is particularly exceptional.
Don’t sit on the table or it will tip up.
Tip all that rubbish into the dustbin.
4. Although she is ill, she’s …….. at the momrnt.
John won the race by a ………… margin.
We are not exactly rolling in it, but you could say we are ……………. these days.
5. He’s sunk all his money into the new business.
People keep telling me I have won – but to be honest, it hasn’t sunk in yet.
The ship has sunk to the bottom of the ocean, with the loss of the whole crew.

Fill in each blank with a suitable phrasal verb of “put”

1. We didn’t want John to come, so we put him off the restaurant was really expensive.
2. Don’t put yourself out. You stay at home and I will find my own way there.
3. Could you put me up for the night, so I don’t have to drive home?
4. He’s never nice to me. He is always putting me down.
5. The worst things about Christmas is having to put up with distant relatives for days on end.

Find and correct 8 mistakes in the following passage

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Answers:
Line Mistake  Correction Line Mistake  Correction
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.

Choose the best answer

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Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) to complete each sentence below. (20 pts)
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1. Why did you ________ and mention the party to George? It was supposed to be a surprise.
A. let the cat out of the bag B. put the cat among the pigeons
C. have kittens D. kill two birds with one stone.
2. It’s a shame to fall out so badly with your own ________.
A. heart to heart B. flesh and blood C. heart and soul D. skin and bone
3. They were able to ________ over their meal and enjoy it instead of having to rush back to work.
A. loiter B. stay C. linger D. dwell
4. I thought something terrible had happened but it was all a ________ in a teacup.
A. storm B. gale C. breeze D. wind
5. It is necessary that the problem ________ solved right away.
A. would be B. might be C. be D. is
6. In the northern and central parts of the states of Idaho ________ and churning rivers.
A. majestic mountains are found B. found majestic mountains
C. finding majestic mountains D. are found majestic mountains
7. According to the ________ of the contract, tenants must give six months’ notice if they intend to
leave.
A. laws B. rules C. terms D. details
8. I know it’s difficult but you’ll just have to ________ and bear it.
A. laugh B. smile C. grin D. chuckle
9. I didn’t want to make a decision ________, so I said I’d like to think about it.
A. in one go B. there and then C. at a stroke D. on and off
10. We are not in a ________ hurry so let’s have another coffee.
A. dashing B. racing C. rushing D. tearing

Question 6. Read the passage and give the correct form of the words given in brackets. (10 pts)
EXTRACT FROM A BOOK ABOUT MEETING
We are (1. SURE) assured by the experts that we are, as a species, designed for face-to-face
communication. But does that really mean having every meeting in person? Ask the bleary-eyed sales
team this question as they struggle (2. LABOUR) laboriously through their weekly teambuilding session
and that answer is unlikely to be in the (3. AFFIRM) affirmative. Unless you work for a very small
business or have an (4. EXCEPT) exceptionally high boredom threshold, you doubtless spend more
time sitting in meetings than you want to. Of course, you could always follow business Norman’s
example. He liked to express (5. SOLID) solidarity with customers queuing at the (6. CHECK)
checkout by holding management meetings standing up. Is email a realistic (7. ALTER) alternative? It’s
clearly a powerful tool for disseminating information, but as a meeting substitute it’s seriously flawed.
Words alone can cause trouble. We’re all full of (8. SECURE) insecurities that can be unintentionally
triggered by others and people are capable of reading anything they like into an email. There is also a (9.
TEND) tendency for email to be used by people who wish to avoid ‘real’ encounters because they don’t
want to be (10. FRONT) confronted with any awkwardness.

Question 7. The passage below contains 10 mistakes. Underline the mistakes and write their correct
forms in the space provided in the column on the right. (0) has been done as an example.
When a celebrity, a politicspolitician or other person in the media spotlight loses their temper in
public, they run the risk of hitting the headings headlines in a most embarrassing way. For such
uncontrolling uncontrolled outbursts of anger are often triggered by what seem to be trivial matters and,
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if they are caught on camera, can make the person appear slightly ridiculousnessridiculous. But it’s not
only the rich and famous who is are prone to fits of rage. According to recent surveys, ordinary people
are increasingly tending to lose their cool in public. Although Yet anger is a potentially destructive
emotion that uses up a lot of energy and creates a high level of emotional and physical stress - and it
stops us thinking rationalrationally. Consequently, angry people often end up saying, and doing things
they later have cause to regret. So, how can anger be avoided? Firstly, diet and lifestyle may be to
blame. Tolerance and irritability certainly come to the surface when someone hasn’t slept properly or
has skipped a meal, and any intake of caffeine can make things worstworse. Take Doing regular exercise
can help to ease and diffuse feelings of aggression, howevertherefore, reducing the chances of an angry
response. But if something or someone does make you angry, it’s advisable not to react immediately.
Once you’ve calmed down, things won’t look half as badly bad as you first thought.

Question 8. Fill in each blank with a suitable particle or preposition. (10 pts)
1. Don’t forget the date. I'm banking on your help.
2. It was decided to break off diplomatic relations with that country.
3. The police arrived immediately after the call and caught the burglar on the spot.
4. Over 3,000 workers were laid off when the company moved the factory abroad.
5. They worked very hard in their new business venture and their efforts eventually paid off.
6. As the day wore on, I began to feel more and more uncomfortable in their company.
7. There was strong evidence to suggest that the judge presiding the case had been bought off.
8. It’s like a bolt from the blue.
9. I didn’t do much work, but I’m relieved that I scraped through my exam.
10. The unemployment data must be seen against the background of world recession.

PART III. READING

Question 9. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to
indicate the correct word(s) to each of the questions. (10 pts)
SECRETARIES
What’s in a name? In the case of the secretary, or Personal Assistant (PA), it can be something
rather surprising. The dictionary calls a secretary “anyone who handles correspondence, keeps records
and does clerical work for others”. But while this particular job (1) _______ looks a bit outdated, the
word’s original meaning is a hundred times more exotic and perhaps more appropriate. The word itself
has been with us since the 14th century and comes from the medieval Latin word secretarius meaning
“something hidden”. Secretaries started out as those members of staff with knowledge hidden from
others, the silent ones mysteriously (2) _______ the secret machinery of organizations.
Some years ago “something hidden” probably meant (3) _________ out of sight, tucked away
with all the other secretaries and typists. A good secretary was an unremarkable one, efficiently (4)
_______ orders, and then returning mouse-like to his or her station behind the typewriter, but, with the
(5)_________ of new office technology, the job (6) __________ upgraded itself and the role has
changed to one closer to the original meaning. The skills required are more demanding and more
technical. Companies are (7) __________ that secretarial staff should already be (8) _________ trained
in, and accustomed to working with, a (9) _________ of word processing packages. In addition to this,
they need the management skills to take on some administration, some personnel work and some
research. The professionals in the (10)_____ business point out that nowadays secretarial staff may even
need some management skills to take on administration, personnel work and research.
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1. A. explanation B. detail C. definition D. characteristic
2. A. operating B. pushing C. vibrating D. effecting
3. A. kept B. covered C. packed D. held
4. A. satisfying B. obeying C. completing D. minding
5. A. advent B. approach C. entrance D. opening
6. A. truly B. validly C. correctly D. effectively
7. A. insisting B. ordering C. claiming D. pressing
8. A. considerably B. highly C. vastly D. supremely
9. A. group B. collection C. cluster D. range
10. A. appointment B. hiring C. recruitment D. engagement

Question 10. Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word to complete the passage. (10 pts)
MY NEW FRIEND’S A ROBOT
In fiction robots have a personality, (1) but/though reality is disappointingly different. Although
sophisticated (2) enough to assemble cars and assist during complex surgery, modern robots are dumb
automatons, (3) incapable of striking up relationships with their human operators.
However, change is (4) on the horizon. Engineers argue that, as robots begin to make (5) up a
bigger part of society, they will need a way to interact with humans. To this end they will need artificial
personalities. The big question is this: what does a synthetic companion need to have so that you want to
engage (6) with it over a long period of time? Phones and computers have already shown the (7)
extent/degree to which people can develop relationships with inanimate electronic objects.
Looking further (8) ahead/forward, engineers envisage robots helping around the house,
integrating with the web to place supermarket orders using email. Programming the robot with a human-
like persona and (9) giving it the ability to learn its users’ preferences, will help the person feel (10) at
ease with it. Interaction with such a digital entity in this context is more natural than sitting with a mouse
and keyboard.

Question 11. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to
indicate the correct answer to each of the questions. (10 pts)
Birds that feed in flocks commonly retire together into roosts. The reasons for roosting
communally are not always obvious, but there are some likely benefits. In winter especially it is
important for birds to keep warm at night and conserve precious food reserves. One way to do this is to
find a sheltered roost. Solitary roosters shelter in dense vegetation or enter a cavity - horned larks dig
holes in the ground and ptarmigan burrow into snow banks - but the effect of sheltering is magnified by
several birds huddling together in the roosts, as wrens, swifts, brown creepers, bluebirds and anis do.
Body contact reduces the surface area exposed to the cold air, so the birds keep each other warm. Two
kinglets huddling together were found to reduce their heat losses by a quarter, and three together saved a
third of their heat.
The second possible benefit of communal roosts is that they act as “information centers”. During
the day, parties of birds will have spread out to forage over a very large area. When they return in the
evening some will have fed well, but others may have found little to eat. Some investigators have
observed that when the birds set out again next morning, those birds that did not feed well on the
previous day appear to follow those that did. The behavior of common and lesser kestrels may illustrate
different feeding behaviors of similar birds with different roosting habits. The common kestrel hunts
vertebrate animals in a small, familiar hunting ground, whereas the very similar lesser kestrel feeds on
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insects over a large area. The common kestrel roosts and hunts alone, but the lesser kestrel roosts and
hunts in flocks, possibly so one bird can learn from others where to find insect swarms.
Finally, there is safety in numbers at communal roosts since there will always be a few birds
awake at any given moment to give the alarm. But this increased protection is partially counteracted by
the fact that mass roosts attract predators and are especially vulnerable if they are on the ground. Even
those in trees can be attacked by birds of prey. The birds on the edge are at greatest risk since predators
find it easier to catch small birds perching at the margins of the roost.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. How birds find and store food.
B. How birds maintain body heat in the winter.
C. Why birds need to establish territory.
D. Why some species of birds nest together.
2. The word “conserve” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
A. retain B. watch C. locate D. share
3. Ptarmigan keep warm in the winter by ________.
A. building nests in trees
B. huddling together on the ground with other birds
C. digging tunnels into the snow
D. burrowing into dense patches of vegetation
4. The word “magnified” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
A. combined B. caused C. modified D. intensified
5. The author mentions kinglets in the passage as an example of birds that ________.
A. protect themselves by nesting in holes B. usually feed and nest in pairs
C. nest together for warmth D. nest with other species of birds
6. Which of the following statements about lesser and common kestrels is TRUE?
A. The lesser kestrel feeds sociably but the common kestrel does not.
B. The lesser kestrel and the common kestrel have similar diets.
C. The common kestrel nests in larger flocks than does the lesser kestrel.
D. The common kestrel nests in trees; the lesser kestrel nests on the ground.
7. The word “forage” in the passage  is closest in meaning to __________.
A. fly B. assemble C. feed D. rest
8. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as an advantage derived by birds that
huddle together while sleeping?
A. Some members of the flock warn others of impending dangers.
B. Staying together provides a greater amount of heat for the whole flock
C. Some birds in the flock function as information centers for others who are looking for food.
D. Several members of the flock care for the young.
9. Which of the following is a disadvantage of communal roosts that is mentioned in the passage?
A. Diseases easily spread among the birds.
B. Food supplies are quickly depleted.
C. Some birds in the group will attack the others
D. Groups are more attractive to predators than individual birds are.
10. The word “they” in the third paragraph refers to ________.
A. a few birds B. mass roosts C. predators D. trees
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 Question 12. Read the passage including seven paragraphs and do the following tasks. (10 pts)
THE LOST CITY
An explorer’s encounter with the ruined city of Machu Picchu, the most famous icon of the Inca
civilisation
A When the US explorer and academic Hiram Bingham arrived in South America in 1911, he was ready
for what was to be the greatest achievement of his life: the exploration of the remote hinterland to the
west of Cusco, the old capital of the Inca empire in the Andes mountains of Peru. His goal was to locate
the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation. Cusco lies on a high plateau at
an elevation of more than 3,000 metres, and Bingham’s plan was to descend from this plateau along the
valley of the Urubamba river, which takes a circuitous route down to the Amazon and passes through an
area of dramatic canyons and mountain ranges.
B When Bingham and his team set off down the Urubamba in late July, they had an advantage over
travellers who had preceded them: a track had recently been blasted down the valley canyon to enable
rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle. Almost all previous travellers had left the river at
Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across mountains to rejoin the river lower down, thereby cutting a
substantial corner, but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu.
C On 24 July they were a few days into their descent of the valley. The day began slowly, with Bingham
trying to arrange sufficient mules for the next stage of the trek. His companions showed no interest in
accompanying him up the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told
them about the night before. The morning was dull and damp, and Bingham also seems to have been less
than keen on the prospect of climbing the hill. In his book Lost City of the Incas, he relates that he made
the ascent without having the least expectation that he would find anything at the top.
D Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style in his book. First, as he climbs up the hill, he describes
the ever-present possibility of deadly snakes, “capable of making considerable springs when in pursuit
of their prey”; not that he sees any. Then there’s a sense of mounting discovery as he comes across great
sweeps of terraces, then a mausoleum, followed by monumental staircases and, finally, the grand
ceremonial buildings of Machu Picchu. “It seemed like an unbelievable dream … the sight held me
spellbound …” he wrote.
E We should remember, however, that Lost City of the Incas is a work of hindsight, not written until 1948,
many years after his journey. His journal entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of
his achievement. He spent the afternoon at the ruins noting down the dimensions of some of the
buildings, then descended and rejoined his companions, to whom he seems to have said little about his
discovery. At this stage, Bingham didn’t realise the extent or the importance of the site, nor did he
realise what use he could make of the discovery.
F However, soon after returning it occurred to him that he could make a name for himself from this
discovery. When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the
world in April 1913, he knew he had to produce a big idea. He wondered whether it could have been the
birthplace of the very first Inca, Manco the Great, and whether it could also have been what chroniclers
described as “the last city of the Incas”. This term refers to Cilcabamba, the settlement where the Incas
had fled from Spanish invaders in the 1530s. Bingham made desperate attempts to prove this belief for
nearly 40 years. Sadly, his vision of the site as both the beginning and end of the Inca civilisation, while
a magnificent one, is inaccurate. We now know that Vilcabamba actually lies 65 kilometres away in the
depths of the jungle.

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G One question that has perplexed visitors, historians and archaeologists alike ever since Bingham, is why
the site seems to have been abandoned before the Spanish Conquest. There are no references to it by any
of the Spanish chroniclers – and if they had known of its existence so close to Cusco they would
certainly have come in search of gold. An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few
years is that Machu Picchu was a moya, a country estate built by an Inca emperor to escape the cold
winters of Cusco, where the elite could enjoy monumental architectrue and spectacular views.
Furthermore, the particular architecture of Machu Picchu suggests that it was constructed at the time of
the greatest of all the Incas, the emperor Pachacuti (c.1438-71). By custom, Pachacuti’s descendants
built other similar estates for their own use, and so Machu Picchu would have been abandoned after his
death, some 50 years before the Spanish Conquest.

Task 1. The text has seven paragraphs, A-G

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 1-5 below.
List of Headings
i Different accounts of the same journey
ii Bingham gains support
iii A common belief
iv The aim of the trip
v A dramatic description
vi A new route
vii Bingham publishes his theory
viii Bingham’s lack of enthusiasm
Paragraphs Your answers:
Paragraph A iv
1. Paragraph B vi
2. Paragraph C viii
3. Paragraph D v
4. Paragraph E i
5. Paragraph F vii
Paragraph G iii

Task 2. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6. Bingham went to South America in search of an Inca city.  TRUE

7. Bingham chose a particular route down the Urubamba valley because it was the most common route
used by travellers.  FALSE
8. Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in order to find evidence to support his theory.  NOT GIVEN

Task 3. Complete the sentences below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

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9. The track that took Bingham down the Urubamba valley had been created for the transportation of
rubber.
10. Bingham found out about the ruins of Machu Picchu from a farmer in the Urubamba valley.

PART IV. WRITING

Question 13. Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. You MUST NOT
copy or re-write the original. Your summary should be about 100 words long. (10 pts)
One of the greatest men ever to have lived in the world was Dr Alexander Flemming. He was a
dedicated English doctor who was very keen to do his best to cure his patients. However, there were no
bacteria-fighting drugs at that time and many of his patients died of blood-poisoning. Therefore, Dr
Flemming tried to discover a bacteria-fighting drug through experiments in his laboratory.
He cultivated harmful germs on dishes of jelly. Surprisingly, he discovered that the harmful
germs were killed by the mould in the jelly. The organisms in the mould produced chemical substances
which killed the harmful germs. This was a fantastic discovery in 1928 - a mould that could kill harmful
germs! As a result, Dr Flemming wanted to find the chemical substance made by the mould.
Finally, he found the substance which was three times more effective than carbolic acid, the
disinfectant for killing germs then. The new drug became known as penicillin, after the name of the
mould. Dr Flemming’s next challenge was to produce a large amount of this antibody for use on his
patients.
He continued with his experiments. With the outbreak of the Second World War, his drug was
very much in demand. Subsequently, his wonder drug was produced in great amounts. The people
responsible were Professor Sir Howard Florey who introduced its use for healing patients, and Dr E.
Chain who studied it in detail.
With the discovery of penicillin by Dr Flemming, fewer people died from bacteria infection. His
drug had alleviated the sufferings of mankind and indeed saved the lives of millions. Hailed as one of
the world’s greatest contributors to medical science, he had made it possible not only to treat diseases
but to prevent them too. His drug can be applied to animals as well. Therefore, if you had been treated
for diseases such as pneumonia, influenza and gum infection by antibiotics, you have Dr Flemming to
thank for.
In recognition of his brilliant discovery, Dr Flemming was knighted, a reward richly befitting his
contribution to mankind.

Question 14. The chart below shows male and female fitness membership between 1970 and 2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words. (20 pts)

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 Fitness Membership

4500
4000
3500
3000
Members

2500 Women
2000 Men
1500
1000
500
0
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 2000
Years

Question 15. In today’s job market it is far more important to have practical skills than theoretical
knowledge. In the future, job applicants may not need any formal qualifications.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? (30 pts)
Nguyễn Thị Diệu Thúy
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