Hoang Thao – Bien Hoa Gifted High School

ENGLISH PRACTICE 165

Part 1. You will hear a musician describing her experience of playing the viola. For questions 1-7,
complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
1. The musician says that when she was eleven she wanted to learn the ……………… violin
2. She says that when she first picked up a viola, it was the start of a …………………… love affair with the
instrument.
3. Although they expressed some …………………… surprise at her talent, her parents encouraged her to play
music.
4. She was lucky enough to have a good quality instrument during her ………………… early training
5. Her 1792 viola is her …………………… prized posession
6. She considers the lack of control over what she plays to be one of the …………………… drawbacks of her
profession.
risk
7. She Joined a new chamber orchestra despite the …………………that it might not be successful.
8. Although she is happy with her current situation, she does have ………………………..
long-term plans to create her
own musical ensemble.
9. The prospect of having children is made more complicated by the fact that, as a musician, she is
on the move
always ............................

Part 2. Read the text below and think of ONE word which best fits each space.
COFFEE IN THE DOCK
Coffee is probably the world’s most popular beverage, and, (1)…………………..on although many
occasions throughout history it has been criticized and (2)…………………….consumption even made
little
there
illegal, (3) …………………….can surely be no (4) …………………….drink
other that holds the distinction of
having been put on trial. The case (5) …………………….coffee
agianst was heard in Naples, Italy, before a mock
court presided over by university law professors. The prosecution claimed that the bean was (6)
…………………….
capable of over-stimulating the nervous system, causing sleeplessness, and disrupting work as
employees demanded (7) …………………….many
too coffee breaks.
forward out
The defence put (8) …………………….a strong case, pointing (9) …………………….that it was
well known that the caffeine naturally present in coffee had a stimulating effect and made people feel more
awake and alert. Expert witnesses maintained that coffee consumed (10) …………………….moderate in
a
quantities is actually beneficial to our health as it offers protection against (11) ……………………. number
of ailments, including forms of cancer, liver disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease.
Coffee drinkers the world (12) …………………….will be relieved to hear that (13)
thier
……………………. favourite tipple was cleared of all charges. The presiding judge, in his summing up,
stressed the point that, as it limited fatigue, coffee (14) …………………….increased
actually/usage productivity in the
workplace, (15) …………………….
thereby neutralizing the negative effect of numerous coffee breaks.

Part 3. You are going to read an extract from a book on human endeavours. For questions 1-7, choose
the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
A Thirst for Knowledge
Humans have always risen to any challenge, and unlike most species on this planet we have an
insatiable desire to see what is around the next corner... and the next ... and the next. Primitive man may well
have migrated at first for reasons of survival, as did other species, but at some point this must have developed
into a thirst for adventure and a hunger to discover more about his surroundings.
This itch of curiosity has led to great feats of exploration. Our achievements are enormous - think of
Everest, the North and South Pole, the Amazon, the Sahara and even the Moon. Next on the list could be
Mars, and that's a comer we’re already peeping round. How many other corners are waiting for us, how
many more places will humans manage to explore? Are the possibilities endless or will our physical
limitations prevent us one day from going any further?
Exploration of our own planet seeming to have been more or less exhausted, our focus over the last
decades has turned to space travel. However, a problem is posed here as any extended period of time in space
is physically debilitating. Astronauts who remain in weightless conditions for months on end suffer serious
loss of bone mass, a factor which limits the length of time an individual can remain in good shape in a non-
gravitational environment. Now to travel to any planets beyond our inner solar system would require years,
ergo this major obstacle - who could manage such a trip?
Why not, then, find a way of getting there faster? If prolonged space flight has adverse effects on
 Hoang Thao – Bien Hoa Gifted High School
human health, can the journey be shortened? Well, travelling at the speed of light would do it, but
unfortunately this is physically impossible for us at the moment. MIG pilots can tolerate accelerations of 9G
for around fifteen seconds, but beyond this is anatomically out of the question. Travelling at the speed of
light is only possible if you happen to be a photon or other such massless object.
The thirst, though, won’t be quenched, hence research Into other equally elusive fields. Once you
mention travelling at the speed of light, you inevitably venture Into another realm - for anything beyond the
speed of light means 'time travel’. Since the speed of light Is out of reach, some may say why bother with
time travel? Well, here is the attraction for the human - If something Is beyond our grasp today it becomes an
even greater challenge for tomorrow. Two hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea of flight, and now it's
available to all, so why not strive towards yet greater achievements. According to Einstein’s general theory
of relativity, there is nothing in the laws of physics to prevent time travel. It may be extremely hard to put
into practice, but it's not impossible, so there is no reason to stop persevering.
Consequently, there are modern day humans involved in any number of challenges, each on a quest to
reach a seemingly unattainable but so desirable goal. Whether they be scientists or psychologists or engineers
or any number of different professions, they all have the same appetite for knowledge. This surely is the key
to our efforts to meet any challenge; we simply want to know more about absolutely everything.
A baby steadily develops its abilities to perform increasingly more complicated tasks, and not once
does It seem uninterested In its surroundings. An eagerness to learn grows with the baby and as it gains
knowledge, it simply yearns for more. This continues into adulthood, which surely explains the achievements
of explorers like Columbus, mathematicians like Einstein or physicists like Marie Curie.
1. According to the writer, how do humans differ from other species?
A. They have never needed to move from place to place to survive.
B. Their movements have not been only for reasons of survival.
C. They are better at finding food and water.
D. They are forever on the move.
2. The writer wonders if human exploration might one day be hindered because
A. there will be no more places to discover.
B. there will be no more need for great achievements.
C. knowledge about the future is too limited.
D. it will be impossible to go beyond anatomical restraints.
3. The writer explains that travelling to a distant planet
A. will never be possible. B. could only be done by very fit astronauts.
C. would severely damage a person’s health. D. would take longer than a human lifespan.
4. According to the writer, what do travelling at the speed of light and time travel have in common?
A. Many people consider them to be dangerous ideas.
B. It will never be possible to do either of them.
C. They both present a challenge to researchers.
D. Einstein supported travel in both these ways.
5. What does the writer say about modern day humans?
A. We all share the same desire to discover new things.
B. We enjoy anything physically challenging.
C. No challenge is too difficult for us to meet.
D. Each of us has discovered many things.
6. What ‘explains the achievements’ mentioned in the last paragraph?
A. a baby’s ability to learn B. the human desire for more knowledge
C. the maturity of adulthood D. an increase in useful knowledge
7. The writer uses the examples of Columbus, Einstein and Marie Curie
A. to prove that both men and women are great achievers.
B. because they are from different periods in our history.
C. to demonstrate that only a few humans rise to a challenge.
D. to show that humans seek knowledge in different fields.

Part 4. Read the passage and choose A, B, C or D which best fits each gap.
To my mind, copper is the most valuable of all metals, if not in monetary terms then at least when
considering its wide variety of applications, where it far (1) ……….other pure metals. Although its principal
use today remains electrical - due to its excellent conductive properties - its many functions don’t stop there,
and we have long been (2) ………. with it, even as far back as prehistoric times. In (3) ………… likelihood,
 Hoang Thao – Bien Hoa Gifted High School
it was the first metal to be employed for useful articles; cooking utensils and coins made of copper are often
(4) ………. on archaeological sites, and continue to be produced to this day. Copper ornaments and
jewellery are extremely popular and often quite exquisite. Many also (5)…… a strong belief that copper
bracelets are beneficial to the health, especially during pregnancy or as a way of stalling the aging process.
However, a dietary deficiency of copper is not very common in humans, and large (6)……….can be toxic.
1. A. wins B. outstrips C. overcomes D. beats
2. A. acknowledged B. notified C. informed D. acquainted
3. A. no B. all C. absolute D. very
4. A. exhumed B. enlightened C. unearthed D. dug
5. A. consider B. bear C. hold D. keep
6. A. amounts B. portions C. numbers D. rations

Although his name may not (7)………. a bell today, Ranulf Flambard was most influential in his time and
has left his mark for all to see. He was in fact chief minister and favourite of William II, albeit less popular
with others as his financial spoils from this tyrannous reign were large, to (8) ………. the least. He was the
son of a Norman priest and, after moving to England, was (9) ……….to earn a reputation as an astute
financier. Disliked by the barons, who recognised in him a talent for wheeling and (10) ………., he was
successful all the same and by 1099 had managed to acquire for himself the position of Bishop of Durham.
His luck (11) ……….however, with the arrival of a new king, whereupon he was imprisoned in the Tower
of London. Despite stories of his scandalous life, he (12) ………. himself as a builder by initiating the
building of Christchurch Priory and by all but finishing Durham Cathedral, both of which still stand today
as impressive tributes to medieval architecture.
7. A. call B. peal C. sound D. ring
8. A. say B. tell C. speak D. mention
9. A. good B. quick C. rapid D. clever
10. A. cheating B. dealing C. winning D. stealing
11. A. changed B. altered C. shifted D. transformed
12. A. enjoyed B. embarrassed C. separated D. distinguished

We had been having a period of unusually dry weather, but it hadn’t occurred to me that this was officially a
drought until I heard the news bulletin that evening. Apparently several years had gone by with rainfall well
below normal, which meant that the past six weeks of high temperatures had (13)…….. the problem to a
head. The newsreader informed viewers of the ensuing hosepipe ban, no longer allowing us to wash our cars
or water the grass with reckless abandon. Two more weeks (14) …….. and while the situation in the suburbs
remained much the same, it was quite a different (15) ……..of fish in agricultural areas. Lack of rain had
shrivelled crops and, with livestock also beginning to suffer, the drought was threatening to bring farmers to
their (16) ……..The last (17) ……..came on the third of the month when the first fire reared its ugly head.
Within a matter of hours, thirty acres of forest had succumbed to the flames and any hope of putting out the
blaze was growing increasingly (18) ……..
13. A. taken B. led C. carried D. brought
14. A. expired B. went C. passed D. later
15. A. kettle B. pot C. pan D. bowl
16. A. hands B. tears C. end D. knees
17. A. straw B. hay C. grass D. weed
18. A. dark B. dim C. dull D. gloomy