English 8-9 Wednesday, July 26, 2023

SECTION A. LISTENING
Part 1: Questions 1-10 Complete the paragraph below. Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A
NUMBER for each answer.
I would also like to show you a few slides showing our educational (1) activities Here, you can see our (2)
vocational students assessing construction plans. We currently have about (3)120 students here at the CEC
and we hope to (4)increase that number to 150 over the next (5)2 years. We provide a wide range of (6
essential Training for the people who will hold key positions in the (7) construction industry of tomorrow. In
this slide, you can see students at work on designing an (8)enviormentally friendly home. Their designs are
later (9) reviewed by experienced professionals and have led to (10)_changes in the way that such homes are
designed.
Part 2: Questions 11 – 16. Listen and choose the correct answer A, B or C.
11. What do students joining the college need to do quickly?
A. make new friends B. find their way around C. get to know their teachers
12. How many students are starting at the college this year?
A. 430 B. 520 C. 970
13. What takes place in the Robinson Building every month?
A. an exhibition B. a film show C. a talk by an artist
14. What has the college introduced this year?
A. rules for using the computers B. student identity cards C. higher book fines
15. Students cannot use the Sport Center for part of next term because of __________
A. building work B. national competitions C. students taking exams there
16. What should students do after their tour?
A. talk to other students B. return to the college hall C. speak to their subject teachers
Questions 17-20 What special conditions apply to the following rides?
Choose FOUR answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-F next to the questions 17-20.
Special conditions for visitors
A. Must over a certain age
B. Must use special safety equipment
C. Must avoid it if they have problems
D. Must wear a particular type of clothing
E .Must be over a certain height
F. Must be accompanied by an adult if under 16
Rides
17. River Adventure F.
18. Jungle jim rollercoaster B
19. Swoop slide D
20. Zip Go-carts E
Part 3: Questions 21-24.
Questions 21-22. Choose TWO letters, A-E
Which TWO characteristics apply to the bamboo oven?
A. It’s suitable for windy weather.
B. The fire is lit below the bottom end of the bamboo.
C. The bamboo is cut into equal lengths.
D. The oven hangs from a stick.
 E. It cooks food by steaming it.
Questions 23-24. Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Which TWO pieces of advice does the speaker give about eating wild fungi?
A. Cooking doesn’t make poisonous fungi edible.
B. Edible wild fungi can be eaten without cooking.
C. Wild fungi are highly nutritious.
D. Some edible fungi look very similar to poisonous varieties.
E. Fungi which cannot be identified should only be eaten in small quantities.
Questions 25-30. Listen to the talk and indicate whether the following statements are YES or NO by
writing A for YES and B for NO in the boxes below.
25. Jack thinks that his driving teacher’s instructions are clear.
26. Sarah agrees that learning to break quickly is difficult.
27. Jack thinks he will be nervous on the day of the test.
28. Sarah feels sure that Jack will past his driving test.
29. Sarah allows other people to drive her car.
30. Jack intends to save his money to buy his own car.
SECTION B: VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR
I. Choose the correct answer from A, B, C or D to complete each of the following sentences.
1. In his anxiety to make himself________, he spoke too loudly and too slowly.
A. understand B. understanding C. understood D. to understand
2. Some animals are on the ________ of becoming extinct.
A. edge B. verge C. side D. tip
3. Our form teacher couldn’t come to the party, ___________ was a pity.
A. that B. which C. what D. this
4. It's a serious operation for a woman as old as my grandmother. She’s very frail. I hope she ______.
A. gets on B. comes round C. stands up D. pulls through
5. There are many ___________ books in our library.
A. old American interesting history B. interesting old American history
C. interesting old history American D. old interesting history American
6. This is _______________ the most difficult job that I have ever tackled.
A. by far B. by all means C. by right D. by the way
7. I think almost everyone has heard the news from her, ___________?
A. have they B. hasn't he C. haven't they D. don't I
8. I felt a bit _______________and seemed to have more aches and pains than usual.
A. out of sorts B. on the mend C. over the moon D. under the fevers
9. ________________ she spoke did I realize that she was English.
A. No sooner B. No longer C. Not until D. Hardly
10. Rose and I _____ reserved the rooms in the same hotel. She was really surprised to see me there.
A. coincidentally B. practically C. intentionally D. deliberately
11. I wondered _______________ to tell my parents about that or not.
A. where B. whether C. if D. why
Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following
12. Linh is going to hold her birthday party at home this Sunday, so she wants to invite some of her friends
to attend the party.
Linh: "I would like to invite you to my party this Sunday evening." Huy: "______"
 A. Thank you for your offer, but I think it is unnecessary.
B. I am sorry. Can you come to my place?
C. How about going to the cinema?
D. I would love to come but I have prior commitments. I'm sorry.
13. The teacher is talking to Laura about her presentation in class today.
Teacher: “Your speech this morning was beyond my expectations.” Laura: “______”
A. Thanks. Without your help, I couldn’t have. B. Are you kidding me? It’s terrible.
C. It’s OK. It was the least I could do. D. That’s alright. I’m glad I could help.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning
14. A US man with a large online following in Vietnam has caused widespread anger, and faces possible
criminal charges, over a Facebook post thought to have insulted a military hero.
A. embarrassed B. offended C. confused D. depressed
15. Since they got married, they have been walking on air.
A. been so worried about the sky B. gone to any lengths
C. been on the go D. been in seventh heaven
Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning
16. The nominating committee always meet behind closed doors, lest its deliberations become known
prematurely.
A. privately B. safely C. publicly D. dangerously
II. There are 10 mistakes in the following passage. Identify the mistakes and correct. (10 points)
1 The sun was shining quite bright as Mrs. Grant left her house, and she saw not need to take an
2 umbrella with her. She got on the bus to the nearest town and suddenly it started to rain. It had
3 not stopped when the bus reached at the market half an hour later. Mrs. Grant stood up and
4 absent-mindedly picked up the umbrella that was hanging on the seat in front of her. A cold
5 voice said loudly: “That is my, Madam!”
6 Suddenly she remembered that she had left her house without her umbrella, Mrs. Grant felt
7 embarrassing. She apologized and tried at the same time to ignore the pleasant look that the
8 owner of the umbrella was giving her.
9 When she got off the bus, Mrs. Grant went to a shop which she could buy an umbrella. She
1 found a very pretty one and, because it was such pretty, she decided to buy other as a present for
0 her daughter. She made the rest of her shopping and had lunch in a café.
1 In the afternoon, she got on the homeward bus with the two umbrellas under her arm, and sat
1 down. Then she saw that, in a surprising way, she was sitting next to the woman who had made
1 her to feel so uncomfortable this morning. This woman now looked at her, then at the umbrellas,
2 and said: “You have had quite a good day, I see”.
1
3
1
4
1
5
SECTION C. READING
I. Read the passage below and decide which answer (from A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
When in Britain, you must never complain. Complaining is very un-British. If you are (1)_______
waiting half an hour in a shop, if a bus (2)_______ is rude to you, if a waiter brings your food ice-cold – you
keep your mouth shut. The (3)_______ upper lip is the British way. Other nationalities might make a
(4)_______ protest loudly or call for the manager, but not the British.
Remember also that British ears are (5)_______ not tuned to hear complaints. A friend of mine was a
regular (6) _______ at a famous and expensive London restaurant. Every day at 2p.m. and 9p.m. the (7)
_______ manager would come out (as he had been doing for the last 37 years), go from table to table and (8)
_______. “Did you enjoy your meal?” For 37 years, hundreds of thousands of properly (9) _______ up
English people had replied to him: “Very much indeed.” The man would smile, say “Thank you very much”,
and (10) _______ to the next table.
One day, however, the lunch was so (11)_______ that my friend (Dutch mother, Albanian father)
decided to tell him the naked truth. So, when the antiquated manager (12)_______ at his table as usual and
asked, “Did you enjoy your meal, sir?” my friend replied: (13)_______, not at all. It was appalling.” To
which the manager gave his (14) _______, obsequious smile, said: “Thank you very much, sir”, and moved
on, quite (15)_______.
1. A. made B. kept C. stayed D. held
2. A. conductor B. attendant C. assistant D. steward
3. A. hard B. inflexible C. firm D. stiff
4. A. discussion B. argument C. quarrel D. fuss
5. A. simply B. easily C. utterly D. modestly
6. A. supporter B. purchaser C. customer D. guest
7. A. mature B. elderly C. outdated D. vintage
8. A. inquire B. query C. request D. probe
9. A. raised B. grown C. educated D. brought
10. A. motion B. progress C. stride D. shift
11. A. offensive B. painful C. abominable D. harrowing
12. A. appeared B. surfaced C. descended D. joined
13. A. Sincerely B. Largely C. Bluntly D. Frankly
14. A. customary B. average C. commonplace D. daily
15. A. convinced B. fulfilled C. satisfied D. complete
II. Fill ONE suitable word into each numbered blank. A model village
In 1861, George Cadbury took over control of his father’s chocolate factory in Birmingham,
England. At that time, it was hard (1) for ordinary working people to find comfortable houses in (2) which
they could afford to live, and Cadbury wanted to improve the situation. He started by moving his chocolate
factory into the countryside. He thought that (3) if each of his workers had his own house in a healthy
environment then this would result (4) in a happy family life.
The first 143 houses of his model village, called Bourneville, (5) was built on ground next to the
factory in 1895. A few workers were (6) able to buy theirs cheaply while the majority paid a fair rent. Each
house had a large garden. All these gardens were cultivated to supply the (7) villagers with fresh food and
vegetables. One tenth of the village area was given over to public spaces (8) so that there was somewhere for
residents to socialize and where community projects could (9) take place.
Bourneville is a continuing success story and today has more than 8,000 homes. Cadbury’s model
village gave rise (10) to the idea of the “garden city” and has had many imitators in Europe and the United
State.
III. You are going to read a magazine article about one-day travel destinations. For questions 1 - 15,
choose from the people (A-E). The people may be chosen more than once.
Which person or people Your answer
 1. admits that something is not her taste? 1. C.
2. enjoys watching people living their everyday lives? 2. E
3. mentions the fact that something is inexpensive? 3. B
4. mentions a long tradition associated with place she visits? 4. E
5. suggests she spends a lot of money at her favorite destination? 5D
6 + 7. like an area where there are not a lot of other people? 6. B 7E
8. visits a place which gives her ideas related to architecture? 8. C.
9. sometimes has company when she visits her favorite place? 9. C
10. she doesn’t visit as frequently as she would like? 10. E
11. discovered her favorite destination purely by chance? 11E
12+13. appreciate a lack of noise? 12. A13B
14+15. mention how long it takes them to get there? 14. A15. B
Great Escapes from London
For Londoners with a busy lifestyle, it’s hard to get away even for a day, but Amanda Hyslop spoke to five
different women who regularly do exactly that.
A. JULIA FINCH
Julia Finch is a busy lawyer who loves nature but doesn’t get nearly enough of it sitting in her London
office all day, so she often takes advantage of Wisley Garden, only an hour’s drive from Central London.
“My favorite thing is that there is always something new to see. The garden collection has been developing
for more than 100 years and far surpasses anything I’ve ever seen. It’s a lovely, peaceful place for a stroll,
and it’s so vast that it doesn’t get crowded. I get ideas for my own gardens from the great demonstration
garden full of practical ideas and techniques. I can even incorporate my other favorite hobby of photography
by bringing my camera and clicking away. It’s perfect for a great day out.”
B. JESSICA GREEN
Jessica Green is a hardworking student who needs a break from the books once in a while, and makes
Brighton her favorite one-day destination. “I love being by the sea, and it’s so close to London that
whenever I feel like it, I just jump on a train and in 55 minutes I’m there. Brighton evolved from a small
fishing village into England’s most famous seaside resort, and offers all the traditional attractions, including
restaurants, nightlife, miles of sandy beaches and two piers. I always eat at this great self-service restaurant,
which is also modestly priced. My favorite spot, though, is a small strip of sand under one of the piers,
where I can just sit all alone and hear nothing but the sea.”
C. MARTHA ROBERTS
Martha Roberts is an architect who enjoys her job so much that her work is also her hobby. “My favorite
piece of architecture to study in my free time is The Royal Pavilion in Brighton. I try to get some of my co-
workers to go with me, since it isn’t all that far from London, but they’re usually too busy. The Pavilion was
built for King George IV and if ever a building represented the concept of “over the top”, this is it. The
pseudo Indian palace, with Chinese-influenced interiors, is a riot of color, expensive fabrics, crystal and gilt.
It’s not the sort of style I would ever like in my own house, but I do find inspiration for my work in
everything I look at.”
D. FLORA EVANS
Flora Evans, a market analyst, feels she deserves an expensive treat after a busy week, which is why she
often takes time to get away. “I go to Bath to visit my favorite luxury spa and enjoy the pools, which are fed
by Britain’s only natural hot springs. Sitting in the pool, with only the soft, gentle sound of moving water, is
the ideal way to relax. And of course, a day of pampering is never complete without some shopping. Bath is
one of the best shopping destinations outside London with many specialist shops and a number of antique
 shops tucked away in the narrow streets. A good souvenir to buy is hand-blown glass, which takes its blue
color from the city’s hot springs.”
E. ELIZABETH DOSSET
Elizabeth Dosset, a sales assistant at a popular department store, happened upon her favorite destination by
accident. “I was on a trip to Stonehenge, but the site was closed and I ended up in the small market town of
Salisbury, just a short distance away. There are not many residents and not many visitors, either, which is
perfect since I need a break from all the people I deal with every day. I couldn’t believe that a market still
takes place regularly in the town market place, just as it has done since the 13th century. My favorite thing to
do is observe the shopkeepers going about their business and people running errands or just having some tea.
The town is charming and quaint that I try to go at least once a month. I wish I could go more often,
though.”
IV. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each question. (10 points)
Paul Bunyan is perhaps America’s best-known folk hero. A fictional logger of incredible
strength, he was most likely based on an actual nineteenth-century logger from the northern United
States or Canada. As a folk hero, he struck a chord with Americans on some level, perhaps because
Line he was incredibly strong but also because he was hard-working and capable, ingenious in solving
(5) problems, and fun-loving.
Though there is evidence that Paul Bunyan tales were part of oral tradition in the nineteen
century, Paul Bunyan stories did not appear in written form until the early twentieth century.
Journalist James McGillivray included descriptions of Bunyan in a series of essay entitled “The
Round River Drive” which appeared in a number of Midwestern newspapers between 1906 and
(10) 1910. However, it was through an extensive advertising campaign that Paul Bunyan moved solidly
into print.
Recognizing the appeal of Paul Bunyan as a figure for his company’s advertising, William
Laughead, an advertising executive for the Red River Lumber Company, initiated a campaign that
consisted of a series of publications featuring Paul Bunyan. For several decades, the company
(15) distributed these publications free of charge and made no attempt to obtain a copyright on them. In
fact, the company vigorously encouraged other writers to make use of Paul Bunyan because it felt
that the use of this character enhanced the name recognition of the Red River Lumber Company
inasmuch as the name of the folk hero and the name of the company had become interwoven.
The Bunyan stories published by Red River and further circulated by others were tall tales of
(20) gigantic proportions. In these tales, Banyan is depicted as a man of superhuman proportions, who is
strong, hard-working, entrepreneurial, and innovative. In one story, for example, Paul is credited with
digging the Great Lakes in order to create a watering hole for his giant ox, Babe. In another of these
tales, Paul caused an entire winter of blue snow to fall by swearing a blue streak after he injured
himself by smashing his thumb with a large hammer. A third story in the series describes Paul’s role
(25) in establishing the Mississippi River.
Fascination with Paul Bunyan has continued to grow, and today he is a standard of American
folklores. The prevalence of Bunyan as a figure of folklore today is evidenced by references to him in
countless stories, cartoons, poems, and songs as well as the numerous community festivals and
logging competitions featuring Paul Bunyan that can be found throughout the sections of the country
(30) where logging has strong tradition.
1. The purpose of this passage is to ______.
A. present the actual feats of a real-life logger B. provide an overview of American folktales
C. describe logging in North America D. discuss a “larger than life” folk hero
2. It is NOT stated in the passage that Paul Bunyan is known for his ______.
A. unusual strength B. dedication to work
C. ingenuity in difficult situations D. serious nature
3. The passage states that Paul Bunyan tales first appeared ______.
A. in oral stories B. in advertising C. in newspapers D. in a series of essays
4. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred about the Red River Lumber Company’s advertising
campaign featuring Paul Bunyan?
A. It endured for quite a time.
B. The company did not protect its ownership of the stories.
C. The campaign did little to enhance the company’s profitability.
D. The company wanted the name Paul Bunyan to be known as widely as possible.
5. The pronoun “them” in paragraph 3 refers to ______.
A. publications B. series C. decades D. writers
6. The word “interwoven” in line 19 could be best replaced by ______.
A. unfashionable B. mixed together C. not compatible D. too separate
7. Where in the passage does the author discuss a weather phenomenon that Paul Bunyan supposedly
caused?
A. Lines 3-5 B. Lines 14-17 C. lines 20-23 D. Lines 25-29
8. The word “countless” in line 29 could be best replaced by the expression ______.
A. an overestimated number of B. an insubstantial number of
C. a large number of D. a specified number of
9. Which paragraph describes the plots of some of the tales of Paul Bunyan?
A. The second paragraph B. The third paragraph
C. The fourth paragraph D. The fifth paragraph
10. The author’s tone in this passage is ______.
A. humorous B. neutral C. sarcastic D. pessimistic
V. Read the following text and do the tasks that follow. High-tech crime-fighting tools
Example: Paragraph A: ix . A natural progression
Crime-fighting technology is getting more sophisticated and rightly so. The police need to be equipped for
the 21st century. In Britain we’ve already got the world’s biggest DNA database. By next year the state will
have access to the genetic data of 4.25m people: one British-based person in 14. Hundreds of thousands of
those on the database will never have been charged with a crime.
1) Paragraph B
Britain is also reported to have more than 4 million CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras. There is a
continuing debate about the effectiveness of CCTV. Some evidence suggests that it is helpful in reducing
shoplifting and car crime. It has also been used to successfully identify terrorists and
murderers. However, many claim that better lighting is just as effective to prevent crime and that cameras
could displace crime. An internal police report said that only one crime was solved for every 1,000 cameras
in London in 2007. In short, there is conflicting evidence about the effectiveness of cameras, so it is likely
that the debate will continue.
2) Paragraph C
Professor Mike Press, who has spent the past decade studying how design can contribute to crime reduction,
said that, in order for CCTV to have any effect, it must be used in a targeted way. Most schemes that
simply record city centres continually — often not being watched – do not produce results. CCTV can also
have the opposite effect of that intended, by giving citizens a false sense of security and encouraging them to
be careless with property and personal safety. Professor Press said: ‘All the evidence suggests that CCTV
alone makes no positive impact on crime reduction and prevention at all. The weight of evidence would
suggest the investment is more or less a waste of money unless you have lots of other things in place.’
3) Paragraph D
But in reality, this is not what is happening. Instead, police are considering using more technology. Police
forces have recently begun experimenting with cameras in their helmets. The footage will be stored on
police computers, along with the footage from thousands of CCTV cameras and millions of pictures
from number-plate recognition cameras used increasingly to check up on motorists.
4) Paragraph E
And now another type of technology is being introduced. It’s called the Microdrone and it’s a toy-sized
remote-control craft that hovers above streets or crowds to film what’s going on beneath. The Microdrone
has already been used to monitor rock festivals. The drones are small enough to be unnoticed by people on
the ground when they are flying at 350ft. They contain high-resolution video surveillance equipment and an
infrared night vision capability, so even in darkness they give their operators a bird’s-eye view of locations
while remaining virtually undetectable.
5) Paragraph F
The worrying thing is, who will get access to this technology? Merseyside police are already employing two
of the devices as part of a pilot scheme to watch football crowds and city parks looking for antisocial
behaviour. It is not just about crime detection: West Midlands fire brigade is about to lease a drone, for
example, to get a better view of fire and flood scenes and aid rescue attempts; the Environment Agency is
considering their use for monitoring of illegal fly tipping and oil spills. The company that makes the drone
says it has no plans to license the equipment to individuals or private companies, which hopefully will
prevent private security firms from getting their hands on them. But what about local authorities? In theory,
this technology could be used against motorists. And where will the surveillance society end? Already there
are plans to introduce ‘smart water’ containing a unique DNA code identifier that when sprayed on a suspect
will cling to their clothes and skin and allow officers to identify them later. As long as high-tech tools are
being used in the fight against crime and terrorism, fine. But if it’s another weapon to be used to invade our
privacy then we don’t want it.
Glossary:
Drone: a remote – control pilotless aircraft
350ft: about 107 meters
Bird’s eye view: a view from above
Fly-tipping: illegally dumping waste (British English)
The reading passage above has eight paragraphs A-H. From the list of headings below, choose the most
suitable heading for each paragraph. Write the appropriate numbers (i-ix) in boxes 1-6. Paragraph A has
been done for you.
i The Spy in the sky
ii The spread of technology
iii The limitations of cameras
iv The cost of cameras
v Robots solving serious crimes
vi Lack of conclusive evidence
vii Cars and cameras
viii Advantages and disadvantages
ix A natural progression (Example given – Para A)
 x A feeling of safety
Example Paragraph A ____ix____
1. Paragraph B vi 2. Paragraph C iii 3. Paragraph D ii
4. Paragraph E i 5. Paragraph F iii
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
6) Give examples of 2 events where technology is used to watch crowds.
rock festivals, football
7) According to the passage, who do we not want to use the Microdrone?
private security firms
Read the passage again and write: TRUE / FALSE /NOT GIVEN
8) The British authorities use too much technology to monitor their citizens. NG
9) Microdrone is currently not used to check drivers.Y
10) Technology should not be used to check on people’s private affairs.Y
SECTION D. WRITING
I. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one.
1. It was such a hard cake that I couldn’t eat it.
 The cake was so hard that I couldn't eat it.
2. I'm quite happy to look after the baby for you.
=> I don’t mind ..LOOKING AFTER THE BABY FOR YOU...
3. He is excited about meeting the old friends after 25 years.
=> He is looking FORWARD TO MEETING THE OLD FRIENDS AFTER 25 YEARS
4. “I’m sorry for handing in my report so late.” Tom said to his boss.
=> Tom apologized to .......HIS BOSS FOR HANDING IN HIS REPORT SO LATE
5. In spite of having a good salary, Jim was unhappy in his job.
=> Although Jim HAD A GOOD SALARY, ………..
II. Use the word in brackets; complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
one. DO NOT change the word given. You must use BETWEEN TWO AND FIVE WORDS.
1. Although the dog appeared harmless, it was, in fact, quite dangerous. (APPEARANCE)
=> Contrary _TO THE HARMLESS APPEARANCE________ , the dog was, in fact, quite dangerous.
2. I write to him almost every day. (FORGET)
=> Hardly do I forget to write to him
3. The river Volta overflowed last year. (BURST)
The river Volta bursted its banks last year
4. She was so beautiful that I couldn’t stop looking at her. (EYES)
=> She was so beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
5. I enjoy being the boss of a small company (FISH)
=> I enjoy being a big fish in a small pond