TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI CÁC TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN

TỈNH TUYÊN QUANG KHU VỰC DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ
LẦN THỨ XIV, NĂM 2023
ĐỀ THI ĐỀ XUẤT ĐỀ THI MÔN: TIẾNG ANH 11
Thời gian: 180 phút (Không kể thời gian phát đề)
(Đề thi có 20 trang)
Ngày thi: 15/7/2023

A. LISTENING
Part 1. For questions 1-5, you will hear a talk about epidemiology. Listen and decide whether
the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes on the answer sheet. (10 points)
1. Epidemiology involves a interdisciplinary approach to the study of human health and disease.
2. Epidemiology is commonly identified with both infectious and non-infectious diseases.
3. The epidemiologic triangle is made up of three components: an external agent, a host
and an environment.
4. Large-scale social distancing recommended by a team of scientists from Imperial
College London aimed to break the link between the external agent and the host.
5. The team’s recommendations became public policy in many countries.
Your answer

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. For question 6-10, listen to a talk about the future of fashion and answer the
questions. WRITE NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS taken from the recording for each
answer in the recording numbered boxes provided.
6. What is capable of forcasting fashion trends with high precision?
7. As evidenced by H& M’s unsold clothes, what could have untold repercussions?
8. Besides superfluous production, what aspect of fashion could be diminished thanks to the
adoption of machine learning?
9. To create new clothes, what will Amazon’s AI designer be doing aside from duplicating well-
known styles?
10. What is ZOZO?

Your answer

6.______________________
7.______________________
8.______________________
9.______________________
10.______________________

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Part 3. You will hear an interview with Maria Stefanovich, co-founder of a creativity group
which organises workshop executives. For questions 11-15, choose the answer (A, B, C or
D) which fits best according to what you hear.
11. Corporations appreciate mask-making workhops because______
A. no one wants negative faces at the office.
B. unhappy employees won’t come to work.
C. they realise how their employees see them.
D. their employees change their approach.
12. Companies are turning to creative workshops because they have acknowledged that ______
A. unproductive employees are a financial burden.
B. the traditional work environment has its limitations.
C. there is an increase in absenteeism.
D. employees are working too hard without enjoying it.
13. The employees at the firm “Play” ______
A. change positions frequently to lessen boredom.
B. have business cards indicating their jobs.
C. do not have stereotyped ideas about their jobs.
D. dress up like comic book characters.
14. The companies that show most interest in creative workshops are surprising because ______
A. they usually have creative employees to begin with.
B. their employees are the one who have to present regularly.
C. there are many other exciting workshops they would prefer.
D. their employees should be used to being funny.
15. Maria mentions the traditional companies that have held workshops in order to ______.
A. boast about the clients her company has helped.
B. show that they have a narrow list of clients.
C. downplay the serious reputations of the films.
D. point out the diversity of those trying different approaches.
Your answer

11. 112. 13. 14. 15.

Part 4. For questions 16-25, you will listen to a presenter talking abour a phenomenon in the
nature. Complete the summary by writing NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in each gap.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet. (20 points – 2
points/a correct answer)
(16)_________ are the building blocks of plant life. Plants naturally absorb nutrients from
the soil through their root system. However, farmers turn to (17)_________ when facing poor
soil or massive erosion or leaching. Farmers tend to overuse fertilizer as a precautionary
measure because it is difficult to (18)_________ the amount of fertilizer needed. Excess

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fertilizer can runoff into bodies of water causing (19)_________, characterized by the rapid
accumulation in the population of algae in marine water systems. Dense layers of algae form an
(20)_________ on the surface of the water, blocking other plants in the water from getting the
sunlight they need to survive. Because water cannot support aquatic life, plants die off and sink
to the bottom of the water body, where (21)_________ feast ont the dead bodies. This
decomposition process consumes plenty of (22)_________ and animals that rely on oxygen to
breathe can, in fact, suffocate. A vicious cycle of degradation in aquatic life can be observed and
a (23)_________ is created. If this process occurs in lakes, native species can be
(24)_________ and give way to invasives. If this happens in the ocean, the incidence of coral
bleaching is inevitable. (25)_________ and farming activities can lead to nutrient-rich runoff,
also known as clear-cutting.
Your answer

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

B. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (30 points)

Part 1. For questions 26-45, choose the best option A, B, C or D to complete the following
sentences and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (20 points)
26. Google is the first major company to ______ refuse China’s demands for control.
A. blissfully B.sorely C. steadfastly D. woefully
27. Although it takes quite a bit of time at the begginning, once you have acquired the basic
knowledge, a quick learner like you will surely ______.
A. forge ahead B. plunge ahead C. plough ahead D. press ahead
28. Do you think it’s better to ______ your anger than to supress it?
A. assert B. repress C. arouse D. vent
29. Breaking his leg dealt a ______ to his chances of becoming a professional footballer.
A. thump B. strike C. blow D. hit
30. I don’t know ______ the new manager.
A. what to get B. what to make of C. how to get of D. how to make of
31. Jenny decided to draw a line ______ her recent breakup and move on.
A. at B. under C. over D. with

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32. It’s hard to believe that so many completely untrue stories are spread on social media. We are
living in an era where ______ information is more credible than fact.
A. full- scale B. low-key C. post-true D. short-lived
33. I only asked to move her car but she made such a(n) ______ about it.
A.song and dance B. short and sweet C.cut and dried D. open and shut
34. 25 people have replied to the invitation, but I’ve ______ and put out 30 chairs.
A. teetered on the brink B. erred on the side of caution
C. been on a zaror’s edge D. been in the teeth
35. She’s a bit down in the ________ at the moment – her husband has just lost his job.
A. world B. bottom C. heart D. dumps
36. The company cannot accept_________for injuries resulting from improper use of rental
equipment
A. validity B. liability C. compensation D. privilege
37. You’ll just have to _________ yourself to the fact that you can’t always have what you want.
A. acknowledge B. concede C. allow D. reconcile
38. A whole _______ of measures was tried in an attempt to get them to give up cigarettes.
A. battery B. wood C. generation D. stream
39. Only the most basic and essential facts are required, stop adding more information, you are
making _______ of the presentation, Emily!
A. a song B. a dish C. a meal D. a scale
40. _______ tests assume that individuals have instrinc talents and limitations as well as a
natural predisposition toward success or failure in various areas based on their innate qualities.
A. Achievement B. Perception C. Acumen D. Aptitude
41. If you dare to go against everyone’s expectations, you will be _______.
A. off for it B. for one C. for it D. off and on
42. Jason has _______ a fantastic job with one of our top newpapers.
A. earned B. launched C. won D. landed
43. Despite dismal failures in the past, James still _______ his ambitions of playing professional
soccer.
A. nurses B. cradles C. breeds D. rears
44. As a man with an eye for neatness around the place, Tom always ensured that things were
_______.
A. hale and hearty B. spick and span C. bright and breezy D. short and sweet
45. The books are a good cover to cover read for the recommended age group, with enough
detail to ________ the imagination of inquiring young minds.
A. incense B. foment C. kindle D. pique
Your answer
26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

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Part 2. For questions 46-55, give the correct form of each given word to complete the
following sentences and write your answers in the corresponding numbered provided. (10
points)
46. The loveliest scenes, he found, were comprised of the simplest, most natural
_______________ of native plants. (POSITION)
47. Living in cities and towns, kids these days are much more
than we ever were at their age. (STREET)
48. As in all the chapters, David maintain the excitement visually with pictures and page designs
that make such a book a _______________. (PAGE)
49. There are islands in Antartica and parts of northern Canada that are uninhabitable due to the
________________ of the weather. (CLEMENT)
50. A(n) ________________ political outlook can be misguided or even dangerous, because it
doesn’t take the lessons of the past into account. (HISTORY)
51. Mind-alerting drugs weren’t necessary, since this was an evening of pure ______________
spontaneous and harmless fun. (ADULT)
52. The ________________ headed by Mr.Smith would be looking to develop hotel facilities
adjoining the stadium. (CONSORT)
53. People living in very hot climates need to ensure that they get enough fluids into their bodies
to prevent ________________. (HYDRATE)
54. Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the
Riddle House was now damp, ______________, and unoccupied. (RELIC)
55. I believe he has committed a(n) _____________ sin, so his punishment is well-deserved.
(PARDON)
Your answer
46. 51.
47. 52.
48. 53.
49. 54.
50. 55.

C. READING (60 points)

Part 1. For questions 56-65, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable
word and write your answers in the corresponding numbered provided. (15 points)
Concentration is good in exams, bad in orange juice. Concentration (56) ______ when
you manage to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others, and concentrating on that one
thing allows you to stop worrying about a lot of other things. Sometimes your mind concentrates
when you don’t want it to. Maybe you can’t get something (57) ______ of your head, such as a
problem you have to face up to, or an embarrassing situation you’ve been in. That’s why
collecting things as a hobby is popular; it (58) ______ your mind off other things. Indeed, some

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people seem to prefer looking after and cataloguing their collections to actually (59) ______
anything with them, because this is when the absorbing, single- minded concentration happens.
The natural (60) ______ for concentration is 45 minutes. That’s why half an hour for a television
programme seems too short (61) ______ an hour seems too long. But many people's lives are
devoid of concentration. Modern culture is served up in small, easily digestible chunks (62)
______ require only a short attention span although young people can concentrate on computer
games for days at a (63) ______ .
Sticking out the tongue can aid concentration. This is because you can’t (64) ______ yourself
with talking at the same time and other people won’t dare to (65) ______ your thoughts, because
you look like an idiot! It would probably be better to concentrate your own mind before having it
concentrated for you, but only people with a will of iron choose that route.
Your answer
56. 58. 60. 62. 64.
57. 59. 61. 63. 65.

Part 2. For questions 66-75, read the passage below and choose the answer A, B, C or D that
fits best according to the text. Write your answers in the corrresponding numbered boxes
provided. (10 points)
LEARNING TO RUN
An article published recently in the prestigious scientific journal Nature is shedding new
light on an important, but hitherto little appreciated, aspect of human evolution. In this article,
Professors Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman suggest that the ability to run was a crucial
factor in the development of our species. According to the two scientists, humans possess a
number of anatomical features that make them surprisingly good runners. ‘We are very confident
that strong selection for running (A) ____was instrumental in the origin of the modern human
body form,’ says Bramble, a biology professor at the University of Utah. Traditional thinking up
to now has been that the distinctive, upright body form of modern humans has come about as a
result of the ability to walk, and that running is simply a by-product of walking.
Furthermore, humans have usually been regarded as poor runners compared to such
animals as dogs, horses or antelopes. However, this is only true if we consider fast running, or
sprinting, over short distances. Even an Olympic athlete can hardly run as fast as a horse can
gallop, and can only keep up a top speed for fifteen seconds or so. Horses, antelopes and
greyhounds, on the other hand, can run at top speed for several minutes, clearly outperforming us
in this respect. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans do astonishingly well
(B)_____ They can maintain a steady pace for miles, and their overall speed compares
favourably with that of horses or dogs.
Bramble and Lieberman examined twenty-six anatomical features found in humans. One
of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament, a band of tissue that extends from a ridge
on the base of the skull to the spine. When we run, it is this ligament that prevents our head from
pitching back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads,
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held high. The nuchal ligament (C)_____is not found in any other surviving primates, although
the fossil record shows that Homo erectus, an early human species that walked upright, much as
we do, also had one. Then there are our Achilles tendons at the backs of our legs, which connect
our calf muscles to our heel bones - and which have nothing to do with walking. When we run,
these behave like springs, helping to propel us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide
shoulders, virtually disconnected from our skulls, an anatomical adaptation which allows us to
run more efficiently. Add to this our light forearms, which swing out of phase with the movement
of our legs to assist balance, and one begins to appreciate the point that Bramble and Lieberman
are trying to make.
But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? One
hypothesis is that this ability may have permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively.
‘What these features and fossil facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for
our direct ancestors to compete with other carnivores for access to the protein needed to grow the
big brains that we enjoy today,’ says Lieberman. Some scientists speculate that early humans
may have pursued animals for miles in order to exhaust them before killing them. Running
would also have conferred an advantage before weapons were invented: early humans might
have been scavengers, eating the meat and marrow left over from a kill by lions or other large
predators. They may have been alerted to the existence of a freshly-killed carcass by vultures
(D)____, and the faster they got to the scene of the kill, the better.
‘Research on the history of human locomotion has traditionally been contentious,’ says
Lieberman. ’At the very least, I hope this theory will make many people have second thoughts
about how humans learned to run and walk and why we are built the way we are.’
66. According to the text, the human ability to run ________
A. was only recently described in a scientific journal.
B. is now regarded as more important than the ability to climb trees.
C. played an important part in human evolution.
D. is surprising when we consider evolutionary trends.
67. According to the text, scientists used to believe ________
A. that the human body owes its form to the ability to walk.
B. the human ability to walk adversely affected the ability to run.
C. that only modern humans could walk upright.
D. that humans can run because they stand upright.
68. According to the text, humans________
A. are better runners than most other animals. B. are not good at running short distances.
C. cannot run at top speed for long distances. D. compare unfavourably with horses and
dogs.
69. It appears that the nuchal ligament________
A. is found only in modern primates. B. is associated with the ability to run.
C. prevents the head from moving D. is a unique anatomical feature.
70. The text implies that________
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 A. we do not need calf muscles in order to walk.
B. without shoulders we could not run very fast.
C. the movement of our forearms is out of phase.
D. our Achilles tendons are an adaptation for running.
71. The pronoun “these” in the third paragraph refers to________
A. legs B. tendons C. muscles D. bones
72. According to the text, early humans________
A. killed animals by exhausting them. B. may have evolved big brains for running.
C. competed with other animals for food. D. could probably run before they could
walk.
73. Professor Lieberman hopes to________
A. dispel any remaining doubts about the nature of the human body.
B. prove conclusively that humans did not always walk in an upright position.
C. make people reconsider previously-held ideas about human anatomy.
D. inform people of the real reason why humans are able to run and walk.
74. Which of the following spaces can the relative clause “- which came at the expense of the
historical ability to live in trees -” fit?
A. (A) B. (B) C. (C) D. (D)
75. The word “conferred” in the fourth paragraph can be best replaced by________.
A. give out B. bring about C. refer to D. make out

Your answer
66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.

Part 3. For questions 76-88, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. (13
points)
A
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been honoring men and women from all corners of the globe for
outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace. The
foundations for the prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much
of his wealth to the establishment of the Nobel Prize.
B
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. His father Immanuel Nobel was an
engineer and inventor who built bridges and buildings in Stockholm. In connection with his
construction work, Immanuel Nobel also experimented with different techniques for blasting
rocks. Successful in his industrial and business ventures, Immanuel Nobel was able, in 1842, to
bring his family to St. Petersburg. There, his sons were given a first-class education by private
teachers. The training included natural sciences, languages and literature. By the age of 17,
Alfred Nobel was fluent in Swedish, Russian, French, English and German. His primary interests
were in English literature and poetry as well as in chemistry and physics. Alfred’s father, who
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wanted his sons to join his enterprise as engineers, disliked Alfred’s interest in poetry and found
his son rather introverted.
C
In order to widen Alfred’s horizons, his father sent him abroad for further training in chemical
engineering. During a two year period, Alfred Nobel visited Sweden, Germany, France and the
United States. In Paris, the city he came to like best, he worked in the private laboratory of
Professor T. J. Pclouze, a famous chemist. There he met the young Italian chemist Ascanio
Sobrero who, three years earlier, had invented nitroglycerine, a highly explosive liquid. But it
was considered too dangerous to be of any practical use. Although its explosive power greatly
exceeded that of gunpowder, the liquid would explode in a very unpredictable manner if
subjected to heat and pressure. Alfred Nobel became very interested in nitroglycerine and how it
could be put to practical use in construction work. He also realized that the safety problems had
to be solved and a method had to be developed for the controlled detonation of nitroglycerine.
D
After his return to Sweden in 1863, Alfred Nobel concentrated on developing nitroglycerine as
an explosive. Several explosions, including one (1864) in which his brother Emil and several
other persons were killed, convinced the authorities that nitroglycerine production was
exceedingly dangerous. They forbade further experimentation with nitroglycerine within the
Stockholm city limits and Alfred Nobel had to move his experimentation to a barge anchored on
Lake Malaren. Alfred was not discouraged and in 1864 he was able to start mass production of
nitroglycerine. To make the handling of nitroglycerine safer Alfred Nobel experimented with
different additives. He soon found that mixing nitroglycerine with kieselguhr would turn the
liquid into a paste which could be shaped into rods of a size and form suitable for insertion into
drilling holes. In 1867 he patented this material under the name of dynamite. To be able to
detonate the dynamite rods he also invented a detonator (blasting cap) which could be ignited by
lighting a fuse. These inventions were made at the same time as the pneumatic drill came into
general use. Together these inventions drastically reduced the cost of blasting rock, drilling
tunnels, building canals and many other forms of construction work.
E
The market for dynamite and detonating caps grew very rapidly and Alfred Nobel also proved
himself to be a very skillful entrepreneur and businessman. Over the years he founded factories
and laboratories in some 90 different places in more than 20 countries. Although he lived in Paris
much of his life he was constantly traveling. When he was not traveling or engaging in business
activities Nobel himself worked intensively in his various laboratories, first in Stockholm and
later in other places. He focused on the development of explosives technology as well as other
chemical inventions including such materials as synthetic rubber and leather, artificial silk, etc.
By the time of his death in 18%, he had 355 patents.
F
Intensive work and travel did not leave much time for private life. At the age of 43, he was
feeling like an old man. At this time he advertised in a newspaper “Wealthy, highly-educated
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elderly gentleman seeks the lady of mature age, versed in languages, as secretary and supervisor
of household.” The most qualified applicant turned out to be an Austrian woman, Countess
Bertha Kinsky. After working a very short time for Nobel she decided to return to Austria to
marry Count Arthur von Suttner. In spite of this Alfred Nobel and Bertha von Suttner remained
friends and kept writing letters to each other for decades. Over the years Bertha von Suttner
became increasingly critical of the arms race. She wrote a famous book, Lay Down Your Arms
and became a prominent figure in the peace movement. No doubt this influenced Alfred Nobel
when he wrote his final will which was to include a Prize for persons or organizations who
promoted peace. Several years after the death of Alfred Nobel, the Norwegian
Storting (Parliament) decided to award the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize to Bertha von Suttner.
G
Alfred Nobel died in San Remo, Italy, on December 10, 1896. When his will was opened it came
as a surprise that his fortune was to be used for Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or
Medicine, Literature and Peace. The executors of his will were two young engineers, Ragnar
Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist. They set about forming the Nobel Foundation as an
organization to take care of the financial assets left by Nobel for this purpose and to coordinate
the work of the Prize-Awarding Institutions. This was not without its difficulties since the will
was contested by relatives and questioned by authorities in various countries.
H
Alfred Nobel’s greatness lay in his ability to combine the penetrating mind of the scientist and
inventor with the forward-looking dynamism of the industrialist. Nobel was very interested in
social and peace-related issues and held what were considered radical views in his era. He had a
great interest in literature and wrote his own poetry and dramatic works. The Nobel Prizes
became an extension and a fulfillment of his lifetime interests.
For questions 76-82, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not
Given (NG). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 76-81 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
76. The first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1895.
77. Nobel’s father wanted his son to have a better education than what he had had.
78. Nobel was an unsuccessful businessman.
79. Bertha von Suttner was selected by Nobel himself for the first peace prize.
80. The Nobel Foundation was established after the death of Nobel
81. Nobel’s social involvement was uncommon in the 1800s.
For questions 82-88, complete the notes below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
the passage. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided
Education:
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Having accumulated a great fortune in his business, Nobel’s father determined to give his son the
best education and sent him abroad to be trained in 82______ during Nobel’s study in Paris, he
worked in a private laboratory, where he came in contact with a young engineer 83______ and
his invention nitroglycerine, a more powerful explosiven than 84______
Benefits in construction works:
Nobel became really interested in this new explosive and experimented on it. But nitroglycerine
was too dangerous and was banned for experiments within the city of 85______. So Nobel had to
move his experiments to a lake. To make nitroglycerine easily usable, Nobel invented dynamite
along with 86______ while in the meantime 87______ became popular, all of which
dramatically lowered the 88______ of construction works.

Your answer:
76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81.
82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88.

Part 4: In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. Read the passage and
choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra pragraph
which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes
provided on the answer sheet. (7 points)
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” a class of fresh-faced 12-year-olds were asked
upon commencing secondary school. Their new English teacher- Mrs Marcus- asked this
question every year and it seemed to fire the imagination of every child. Usually there was a
smattering of professions, vocations and trades, along with some interesting surprises. This lot
did not disappoint
89.
It turns out they were a highly varied lot: doctor, nurse, lawyer, judge, electrician,
archeologist, businesswoman, vet, police officer, hairdresser, actor, shop assistant. There was
trouble containing their enthusiasm, with some throwing out more than one idea. A few had non-
specific ambitions, ‘I don’t know. I want to travel,’ and ‘I just want to go to university.’ All of
them had opinions, some stronger than others, but opinions nonetheless.
90.
I’m particularly interested in the differences between that generation and the current one.
‘Hopes and dreams,’ she replies immediately. ‘Whether your classmates achieved those things or
not is irrelevant. The important thing is you had ideas about your future; you had aspirations.
When I have asked that question in recent years, instead if setting their sights on becoming a
scientist, a lawyer or an artist, the best some children could think of was going on the dole, being
famous, or being the boss of a gang,’ she says.
91.
It is a vicious circle that becomes increasingly difficult to break. It was crucial for my peers
and I that we knew people who worked and we could make decisions about our ambitions based
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on some knowledge. We had the benefit of seeing our parents, relatives and neighbours going to
work, returning from work, talking about their jobs, or their time at university. These experiences
informed our ideas, ambitions and, let’s face it, our expectations, too. We wouldn’t have dreamt
of the alternative. After all, work and study were our means to get ahead and make our way in
life.
92.
This lies at the very core of a gang’s appeal. The aimlessness of some youths’ experience is
replaced by the rigid system of rules, rituals, and codes of behavior that members follow, and
which gives them a purpose and adds much-needed structure to their lives. In many cases, the
gang becomes a surrogate family, providing security, camaraderie and a sense of belonging.
These powerful inducements exert a strange power over vulnerable teenagers.
93.
I ask Margaret what it is that can drive such a change. ‘I’ve known many young boys who
have turned over a new leaf,’ she says. ‘The key is intervention at the grassroots level.
Community programmes that keep kids off the streets and involve them in pro-social activities
are great deterrents. Strong after-school programmes that meet children’s needs for supervision
are also successful in reducing attractionto gang-related activities. These cost money, though,
and authorities are often not willing to spend,’ she explains, ‘and sadly, some kids fall through
the cracks.’
94.
What chance for rehabilitation do they have, I wonder, when they cling to their gangs even in
these circumstances? Admittedly, the need for survival plays a role since those in prison rely on
their fellow gang members for protection. After all, prison is no picnic and is possibly more
dangerous an environment than the outside world. But even in here, there is hope.
95.
‘You can’t make anyone succeed, but you can help them to see that success in life is possible
outside of the narrow confines of the gang,’ says Margaret. ‘If we give young people
opportunities to bring about a change in their circumstances, they can build a happy future.’ Let’s
hope that the next time Margaret asks ‘the question,’ there will be some scientists, entrepreneurs
and plumbers in the group.

Paragraphs
A. Success, however, can be measured in a myriad of ways, and for those without traditional role
models, gang culture becomes increasingly alluring as a way to make something of themselves.
‘They’re not inherently bad kids,’ says Marcus, ‘they just have no direction and no one to look
up to. Were they to attach value to work and education, their whole outlook on life would change
and they wouldn’t need what gang membership provides.’
B. Though there is no conclusive evidence, many critics of popular media believe exposure to
violent films and song lyrics, particularly rap music, has a negative influence; glamorising gang

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life and encouraging at-risk youths to join gangs or to participate in gang-related crime as a
means of gaining a sense of belonging and empowerment.
C. Those who do join in a gang inevitably end up in a downward spiral, losing any moral
foundation they had and hurtling headlong into a life of violence and crime. And yet, even when
they are placed in juveline detention centres, or worse- in adult prisons- some maintain their
allegiance to the gang and look upon their membership as a badge of honour; a mark of success,
not failure.
D. Thick and fast came the replies. ‘Teacher,’ sai a bespectacled girl in the front row. Mrs Marcus
smiled to herself. The prospective teachers always sat as close as possible to the board, eager and
serious. ‘Football player!’ shouted a tall lad from the back, raising his arms in victory as though
he’d just scored a winning goal against Argentina at the World Cup. Mrs Marcus knew he’d be a
live wire in class. ‘Prime minister,’ said another, garnering a round of applause as well as
ridiculous from his classmates.
E. How has it come to this? A recent report has found that children in some areas of the country
have so little contact with working people that the concept of employment is almost foreign.
They live in the so-called ‘welfare ghettos’ where more than half of the working -age population
depends on out-of-work benefits. In many families, unemployment is intergenerational with
grandparents and parents living on the dole.
F. Thankfully, in many cases the lure if temporary. It becomes nothing more than a phase that
plays to their fantasies or rebellion and desire for high drama, in part fueled by pop culture
through music and films that glamorise thug life. In time, these wannabe gangsters find other
interests and reject the values of the gang.
G. Fast forward twenty years and Mrs Margaret Marcus is now teaching at an inner-city school
in a large metropolis. Hoping to get some insight from this forty-year veteran of the education
system, I’m interviewing her about the challenges faced by young people today. ‘So you became
a journalist instead of a teacher’, she says with a twinkle in the eye. Yes, I was that child in the
specs long ago. Before getting down to business, we reminisce for a few moments about my
classmates.
H. There are many organisations that are working positively with young people in gangs, both
inside and outside of detention, and helping them through some very difficult times in their lives.
With this help they can stop their slide into crime and violence, and make the tough transition of
evolving into productive, responsible and law abiding of society.

Your answer
89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95.

Part 5: For questions 96-105, you are going to read an extract about food ans cooking.
Answer the questions by choosing from the sections of the extract (A - D). The sections may
be chosen more than once. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes
provided on the answer sheet. (15 points)
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A. Monosodium Gluctamate
Good food is one of the life’s pleasures and even 1,200 years ago, oriental cooks knew
that food tasted better when prepared with a soup stock made from a type of seaweed. But it was
only in 1908 that Japanese scientists identified the ingredient responsible for enhancing flavour.
That ingredient is known today by its scientific name, monosodium glutamate. It is often
reffered to as MSG and it is an amino acid found in virtually all foods. The bound form is linked
to other amino acids in proteins and is manufactured in the human body. The free form of
glutamate in foods enhances food flavours. Tomaoes, cheese and mushrooms are just some free
glutamate rich foods. Free glutamate content increases during ripening, bringing out a fuller taste
in many foods and is made as a flavour enhancer by a fermentation process similar to that used
for making soy and vinegar.
People have long known about the four basic tastes-sweet, sour, salty and bitter. But now
a fifth basic taste called umani has been recognised. This is imparted to foods by glutamate and
is responsible for the savoury taste of many foods, such as tomatoes and cheese.
B. Organic Food & Bunisess!
Organic farmers pride themselves on fostering sustainable agriculture, but it remains to
be seen if the industry’s rapid growth is in fact sustainable.
One challenge facing the industry is to bring the price of organic products more in line
with those of conventional products. The price of organic ingredients is improving but demand
still outpaces suppply. However, supply issues are overshadowed by the fact that the organic
foods sector continues to grow faster than the food industry as a whole, fundamentally due to the
natural alliance between organic foods and processed foods. Firstly, organic foods earmarked for
processing do not have to be as comestically perfect as their fresh counterparts. In addition,
freezing or tinning reduces many of the shelf-life problems associated with fresh produce. It was
only a question of time before mainstream food companies woke up to these synergies.
The pioneers of the organic food industry view the growing presence of major food
companies in their markets as a mixed blessing. Many smaller companies fear that the ideals of
organic agrilculture will be compromised. Other think major food companies will help persuade
consumers to buy organic products through the power of their branding.
C. Chilli
Capsicums, commonly known as chillis, come in all dimensions and colours from the
tiny, pointed, extremely hot, bird’s eye chilli, to the large, mild, fleshy peppers like the Anaheim.
Indigenous to Central and South America and the West Indies, they were cultivated long before
the Spanish conquest, which was the eventual cause of their introduction to Europe. Chillis along
with tomatoes, avocados, vanilla and chocolate changed the flavours of the known world. Today,
there are around 400 different varieties of chillis grown. They are easy to cultivate and are one of
the world’s most widely distributed crops, available for sale at most food outlets.
In 1902, a method was developed for measuring the strength of a given variety of
capsicum, ranking it on predetermined scale. This originally meant tasting the peppers, but
nowadays it can be done more accurately with the help of computers to rate the peppers in units
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to indicate parts per million of capsaicin. This potent chemical not only causes the fiery
sensation, but also triggers the brain to produce endorphins, natural painkillers that promote a
sense of well-being.
D. Writing about cooking
Two cookery writers are often credited with the present revival of interest in food and
cooking. Elizabeth David discovered her taste for good food when she lived with a French
family for two years. After returning to England she learnt to cook so that she could reproduce
some of the food that she had come to appreciate in France. Her first book appeared when
rationing was still in force after the war and most of the ingredients she had so lovingly
described were not available. At the time her books was read rather than used, and it created a
yearning for good ingredients and for a way of life that saw more in food than mere sustenance.
Her late books confirmed her position as the most inspirational and influential cookery writer in
the English language. She shared with Jane Grigson an absorbing interest in the literature of
cookery.
Jane Grigson was brought up in the north-east of England, where there is a strong
tradition of good eating, but it was not until she began to spend time in France that she became
really interested in food. She was renowned for her fine writing on food and cookery, often
catching the imagination with a deftly chosen fragment of history or poetry, but never failing to
explain the “why” as well as the “how” of cookery.
In which section are the following mentioned?
96. a group of foods that changed the way an area of the world cooked
97. a period of time access to food was restricted
98. a comparison of the process of producing a substance with that used for some other foods,
too
99. the global popularity of a particular food
100. an interest in discovering more about unfamiliar types of food
101. the discrepancy between the amount of a type of food produced and the demand for it
102. a substance that reinforces the savoury aspect of food
103. a way of determining the strength of a foodstuff
104. using literay forms to talk about food dishes
105. worries about the ethical future of a food industry
Your answer
96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105.

D. WRITING (60 points)

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Part 1. Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary
should be about 140 words. You MUST NOT copy the original. (15 pts)
Achieving Peak Performance
There are seven steps to achieve peak performance. The first step is to lead at well-rounded life.
High achievers, according to experts, are obsessed people who take work home and then labor
over it until bedtime. Furthermore, research has also shown that such people tend to peak early
and then go into a decline or level off. They then become addicted to work itself, with less
concern for results.
High performers, in contrast, are willing to work hard but within strict limits. For them, work is
not everything and they know how to relax. They are able to leave work at the office. They value
close friendships and family life, and spend a healthy amount of time with their families.
The second step is to select a carcer you care about. Studies show that high performers choose
work they truly prefer, and spend over two-thirds of their working hours doing it and only one-
third on disliked tasks. They want internal satisfaction and not just external results such as pay
rises and promotions. In the end, of course, they often have both. Since they enjoy what they do,
they produce better work and the rewards are higher.
Rehearsing each challenge or task mentally is the third step to achieving peak performance.
Before any difficult or important situation - a public presentation, a board meeting, a key tennis
match, for example - most peak performers run their desired actions through in their minds over
and over again. Nearly all of us day-dream. about important coming events, but idle day-
dreaming is not the same as a deliberate mental workout that sharpens the skills to be used in the
activity.
In order to achieve peak performance, you also have to seek results, not perfection. Many
ambitious and hardworking people are so obsessed with perfection that they produce very little
work. It has been found that those with perfectionist tendencies earned considerably less a year
than those who did not have such tendencies. In contrast, high performers are almost always free
of the compulsion to be perfect. They do not think of their mistakes as failures, but they learn
from mistakes so that they can do better the next time
The next step is to be willing to take risks. Most people are willing to settle for jobs which they
think are secure, even if that also means mediocrity and boredom, rather than take changes. High
performers, on the other hand, are able to take risks because they would carefully consider how
they would adjust and how they would salvage the situation if, in reality they did fail.
Constructing a 'worst-case' scenario allows them to make a rational choice.
The penultimate step to achieving peak performance is not to underestimate your own, potential.
Most of us think we know our own limits, but much of what we "know' is not knowledge at all. It
could be a belief which is erroneous and self-limiting. These types of beliefs are the biggest
barriers to achieving high-level performance. Too many of us set our individual limits far below
what we can actually achieve. High performers, on the contrary, are able to ignore artificial
barriers. They concentrate instead on their own feelings, on their functioning, on the momentum
of their effort and are therefore free to achieve peak levels.
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Finally, compete with yourself, not with others. High performers focus more on improving on
their own previous efforts than on competing with others.
Such are the skills of high performers. If you want to make the most of your talents and to live
up to your fullest potential, learn to use these skills.
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Part 2. The bar chart below illustrates five different industries’ percentage share of Brazil’s
economy in 2009 and 2019 with a forecast for 2029.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. (15 points)

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 Industries as a percentage of Brazil's economy
4500%
4000%
3500%
3000%
2500%
2000%
1500%
1000%
500%
0%
s
ce g
in
g
ism ga
na
n sin ur ur nd
Fi es t
oc fa
c To al
a
pr nu o
o d a l ,c
Fo M Oi

2009 2019 2029

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Part 3. Essay writing (30 points)
Some people enjoy change and look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to
remain the same and do not like any changes. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons and relevant examples to support your answer. You should write at least 350 words.
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- THE END -

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