SECTION I: LISTENING (50 points)

Part 1: You will hear a conversation between Paul and his friends about Paul’s
presentation on art. For questions 1-5, decide whether these following statements are
True (T) or False (F).(10 pts)
1. Before giving his presentation, Paul is worried about organizing the projection
equipment.
2. Paul’s friends advise not him not to speak too quickly in the presentation.
3. Paul likes the idea of the timeline because it will save some time.
4. Paul’s going to show famous works of art to make people think about what counts as
art.
5. Paul wants his presentation to change personal opinions.
Part 2: Listen to a talk about the Tiger Shark, answer the questions. Your answer would
be short in the form of notes, using NO MORE THAN 5 WORDS. (10 pts)
1. What is the origin of the tiger shark's name?
_________________________________________________
2. What is the maximum size of a tiger shark?
_________________________________________________
3. Where is the tiger sharks' preferred habitat?
_________________________________________________
4. What is typical food produced by human that tiger sharks eat?
_________________________________________________
5. According to studies, when are tiger sharks mainly found in Raine Island area?
_________________________________________________
Part 3: Choose the best answer which fits best according to what you hear. (10 pts)
1. How does Tom feel now about being a writer?
A. It is no longer as exciting as it was. B. He used to get more pleasure from it.
C. He is still surprised when it goes well. D. It is less difficult to do these days.
2. How does Tom feel about the idea for a novel before he begins writing it?
A. He lacks confidence in himself. B. He is very secretive about it.
C. He likes to get reactions to it. D. He is uncertain how it will develop
3. Tom's behaviour when beginning a new novel can best be described as
A. determined. B. enthusiastic. C. impulsive. D. unpredictable.
4. What does Tom admit about his novels?
A. They are not completely imaginary. B. They are open to various interpretations.
C. They do not reflect his personal views. D. They do not make very good films.
5. What did Tom feel about the first film he was involved in making?
A. He enjoyed being part of a team. B. He found it much too stressful.
C. He earned too little money from it. D. He was reassured by how easy it was.
Part 4: For questions 1-10, listen to several news headlines from ABC and supply the
blanks with the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
AND/OR A NUMBER taken from the recording for each answer in the spaces
provided. (20 pts)
1-2. The US President Barrack Obama's arrived in ____ with his family for the _____.
3-4. The _______ of Sydney girl KieshaWeippeart has been______ to murder almost
three years after her daughter disappeared.
5-6. Federal Labor's still being halted by ______ with the MP's concern about the party's
standing in ______.
7-8. Queensland's ______ has ______ the parents to get their young children tested the
lead poisoning
9-10. The recent report ______ both government and industry are ______ about the cause
of lead poisoning.
SECTION II: LEXICO- GRAMMAR (30 points)
Part 1. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
answer to each of the following questions. (10 pts)
1. No one can function properly if he or she is______adequate sleep.
A. took away B. deprived of C. derived from D. run out
2. I always take my lucky______with me into an exam.
A. sign B. item C. charm D. spell
3. Did you plan to meet up Mary in London, or was it just a_______?
A. freak B. fate C. coincidence D. luck
4. The most powerful force in a teenager’s life is probably_______ pressure.
A. friend B. peer C. company D. youth
5. I had to get through a lot of______tape, but I finally got the documents I needed.
A. red B. blue C. link D. yellow
6. Olivia has always______to return to the country she was born in.
A. favoured B. yearned C. urged D. inclined
7. He had a ______ escape since the bullet came within inches of his head.
A. slender B. close C. near D. narrow
8. You can buy goods on the Internet with a credit card, but there is a danger of ______ if
someone else obtains the number.
A. corruption B. fraud C. embezzlement D. disruption
9. “Don’t look so worried! You should take the boss’s remarks with a ______ of salt.”
A. teaspoon B. pinch C. grain D. dose
10. ______ the invention of the steam engine, most forms of transport were horse-drawn.
A. Akin to B. Prior to C. In addition to D. With reference to
Part 2. The passage below contains 5 errors. Identify and correct them. (0) has been
done as an example. (5 pts)
The potential of computers for increasing the control in organizations or society over
their members and for invading the privacy of those members has caused considerable
concern.The privacy issue has been raised most insistently to respect to the creation
and maintenance of data files that assemble information about persons from a
multitude of sources. Files of this kind would be high valuable for many kinds of
economic and social search, but they are bought at too high a price if they endanger
human freedom and seriously enhance the opportunities of blackmailers. With such
dangers should not be ignored, it should be noted that the lack of comprehensive data
files has never before been the limiting barrier to the suppression of human freedom.

Write your answer below.

Mistake Correction

Part 3. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with one preposition . (5 pts)
1. The prospective buyer had decided to look........the property before committing
himself.
2. The old lady’s savings were considerable as she had put....... a little money each
week.
3. I’m afraid I’m not very good ………………. animals.
4. My mother never gives anyone a tip ……………. principle.
5. All her hard work paid ………………..in the end and she’s now successful.
Part 4: Write the correct FORM of each capitalized word in the column on the
right. (10 pts)
SIR ARTHUR CONNAN DOYLE
Famous the world over as the creation of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan_
Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859 into an Irish family who were (1)
(INFLUENCE) in the art world. Unfortunately, Arthur's father was an alcoholic,
and his behaviour caused his family much (2) (HAPPY). Arthur probably
inherited the ability to tell stories from his mother, who was a source of (43)
(INSPIRE) to him. Thanks to the (4) (GENEROUS) of some relatives, Arthur
was able to study medicine at Edinburgh University. He was a bright student, but
(5) (REST), and his zest for adventure led him to accept a contract as ship's
surgeon aboard a whaler. Returning home, he completed his (6) (MEDICINE)
studies in 1881.He eventually settled in the south of England. Telling stories had
always been a part of his life, but the creation of a (7) (FICTION) detective called
Sherlock Holmes turned Conan Doyle into a popular writer. It is believed that he
based Holmes' character on one of his university tutors, Dr Joseph Bell, whom
he regarded with respect and (8) (ADMIRE) for his logic and powers of (9)
(DEDUCE). The first Sherlock Holmes story was so well received that Doyle
was encouraged to write more. In 1893 he killed off his hero in order to
concentrate on writing what he saw as more serious work, but this caused a
public (10) (CRY), and he was forced to bring Holmes back to life.
Write your answers here:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

SECTION III: READING (60 points)

Part 1. Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) (10 pts)
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to
indicate the best answer to each of the following questions.
In the past, not a very long time ago, most people travelled on foot, by train, or on
horseback. (1) _____ had made it possible to travel rapidly over long distances. Bicycles
were also becoming (2) _____, after the invention of the air- filled (3) _____, which made
cycling a lot more comfortable. Buses, trams and underground railways had already been
invented, and cities all over the world already had traffic (4) _____. There were very few
private cars, and city streets were still full of horses. What a difference a hundred years
have (5) _____! Nowadays we have got (6) _____to the problem of private cars, and some
cities are so noisy and (7) _____ that in many places (8) _____ have been banned from the
city centre. How will we be travelling in a hundred year’s time? Perhaps by then there will
be only personal helicopters. There may be no need to (9) _____ to work or school in the
future, (10) _____everyone will have a computer at home. There might even be more
people walking and horse – riding, for pleasure and exercise.
Question 1. A. Tracks B. Railways C. Ways D. Lines
Question 2. A. then B. invented C. popular D. handlebars
Question 3. A. boot B. brake C. engine D. tyre
Question 4. A. blocks B. sticks C. knots D. jams
Question 5. A. taken B. done C. made D. got
Question 6. A. more B. them C. motorists D. used
Question 7. A. even B. so C. polluted D. poisoned
Question 8. A. traffic B. vehicles C. transport D. trips
Question 9. A. have B. transport C. decide D. commute
Question 10. A. if B. since C. when D. unless
Part 2. Fill in the blank with one suitable word.
Nowadays, the global (1) ___________ is increasing and fossil fuel supplies are
running out, we must begin to put a greater priority on harnessing (2) ___________
energy sources. Fortunately, there are a number of readily available, renewable resources
that are both cost- effective and earth – friendly. Two such resources are solar power and
(3) ___________ power.
Solar energy, which reaches the earth through sunlight, is so abundant that it could (4)
___________ the needs of worldwide energy consumption 6,000 times over. And solar
energy is easily harnessed through the use of photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight to
electricity. In the US alone, more than 100, 000 homes are (5) ___________ with solar
electric systems in the form of solar (6) ___________ or solar roof tiles. And in other
parts of the world, including many developing countries, the use of solar system is
growing steadily.
Another alternative energy source, which is abundant in specific geographical areas, is
geothermal power, which creates (7) ___________ by tapping heat from below the surface
of the earth. Hot water and steam that are trapped in underground pools are pumped to the
surface and used to run a generator, which produces electricity. Geothermal energy is
50,000 times more abundant than the entire known supply of fossil fuel (8) ___________
and as with solar power, the technology needed to utilize geothermal energy is fairly
simple. A prime example of effective geothermal use in Iceland, a region of high
geothermal activity (9) ___________ there are over 80 percent of private homes, are
heated by geothermal power.
Solar and geothermal energy are just two of promising renewable alternatives to
conventional energy sources. The time is long overdue to invest in the (10) ___________
development and use of alternative energy on global scale.

Part 3. Read the text and choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. (10 pts)

The attraction of valuable objects from ships sinking in the oceans is always great.
Until recently, hunting for treasure from shipwrecks was mostly fantasy; with recent
technological advances, however, the search for sunken treasure has become more
popular as a legitimate endeavor. This has caused a debate between those wanting to
salvage the wrecks and those wanting to preserve them.
Treasure hunters are spurred on by the thought of finding caches of gold coins or
other valuable objects on a sunken ship. One team of salvagers, for instance, searched the
wreck of the RMS Republic, which sank outside the Boston harbor in 1900. The search
party, using side-scan sonar, a device that projects sound waves across the ocean bottom
and produces a profile of the sea floor, located the wreck in just two and a half days.
Before the use of this new technology, such searches could take months or years. The
team of 45 divers searched the wreck for two months, finding silver tea services, crystal
dinnerware, and thousands of bottles of wine, but they did not find the five and a half tons
of American Gold Eagle coins they were searching for.
Preservationists focus on the historic value of a ship. They say that even if a
shipwreck’s treasure does not have a high monetary value, it can be an invaluable source
of historic artifacts that are preserved in nearly mint condition. But once a salvage team
has scoured a site, much of the archaeological value is lost. Maritime archaeologists who
are preservationists worry that the success of salvagers will attract more treasure-hunting
expeditions and thus threaten remaining undiscovered wrecks. Preservationists are
lobbying their state lawmakers to legally restrict underwater searches and unregulated
salvages. To counter their efforts, treasure hunters argue that without the lure of gold and
million-dollar treasures, the wrecks and their historical artifacts would never be recovered
at all.
Question 1: What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The popularity of treasure seeking has spurred a debate between preservationists and
salvagers.
B. Maritime archaeologists are concerned about the unregulated searching of wrecks.
C. The search of the RMS Republic failed to produce the hoped-for coins.
D. Searching for wrecks is much easier with new technologies like side-scan sonar.
Question 2: The word “sunken” is closest in meaning to which of the following words?
A. underwater B. broken C. ancient D. hollow
Question 3: Which of the following could best replace the phrase “a profile” in the
passage?
A. a projection B. an execution C. an outline D. a highlight
Question 4: Which of the following statements is best supported by the author?
A. The value of a shipwreck depends on the quantity of its artifacts.
B. Preservationists are fighting the use of technological advances such as side-scan sonar.
C. Side-scan sonar has helped to legitimize salvaging.
D. The use of sound waves is crucial to locating shipwrecks.
Question 5: The author uses the phrase “mint condition” to describe _____ .
A. something perfect B. something significant
C. something tolerant D. something magical
Question 6: All of the following were found on the RMS Republic EXCEPT _____ .
A. wine bottles B. silver tea services
C. American Gold Eagle coins D. crystal dinnerware
Question 7: From the passage, you can infer that a preservationist would be most likely to
______ .
A. shun treasure-seeking salvagers B. be a diver
C. put treasures in a museum D. do archaeological research
Question 8: The word “scoured” is most similar to which of the following?
A. scraped away B. scratched over C. scrambled around D. searched around
Question 9: What is the closet meaning to the word “lure” in the passage?
A. knowledge B. attraction C. luxury D. glare
Question 10: The second and third paragraphs are an example of _____ .
A. chronological order B. explanation
C. specific to general D. definition
Part 4: Read the passage and do the tasks that follow .(10 pts)
Earthquakes
1. Every year earthquakes are responsible for a large number of deaths and a vast amount
of destruction in various parts of the world. Most of these damaging earthquakes occur
either in a narrow belt which surrounds the Pacific Ocean or in a line which extends from
Burma to the Alps in Europe. Some of the destruction is directly caused by the quake
itself. An example of this is the collapse of buildings as a result of vibration. Other
damage results from landslides, tsunamis or major fires which are initiated by the quake.
2. There are about a million quakes a year. Fortunately, however, not all of them are
destructive. The intensity of an earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale, which goes
from 0 upward. The highest magnitude recorded to date is 8.9. Major damage generally
occurs from quakes ranging upward from 6.0. Exceptions to this are those whose
epicenters are located far from inhabited areas.
3. The actual cause of the quake itself is the rupturing or breaking of rocks at or below the
earth's surface. This is produced by pressure which scientists believe may be due to a
number of reasons, two of which are the expansion and contraction of the earth's crust and
continental drift.
4. In order to minimize the damage and to alleviate some of the suffering resulting from
earthquakes, scientists are working on ways to enable accurate prediction. Two of the
instruments presently in use to achieve this goal are seismographs and tilt meters. The
former records any shaking of the earth ; by means of calculations seismographs can
accurately indicate the exact time, location and size of an earthquake. The later, as the
name suggests, is used to record any changes in the tilt of the land.
Question 1-4
Choose from the list in the following box the main title of each paragraph.
1. Paragraph 1. ______
2. Paragraph 2. ______
3. Paragraph 3. ______
4. Paragraph 4. ______
A. Earthquake Zones G. The Cause of Earthquake
B. Earthquake statistics H. Earthquake Epicenter
C. Continental Drift I. Earthquake Destruction
D. Earthquakes J. The Richter Scale
E. Earthquake Instrument K. Predicting Earthquake
F. The Cause of Pressure
Question 5-10
Please indicate whether the following statements are true, false or not given according
to the information contained in the reading passage by putting a T , an For NG in the
spaces provided.
____ 5. Pressure occurs as a result of expansion and contraction of the earth ‘s crust and
continental drift.
____ 6. Pressure results from volcanic eruption.
____ 7. Earthquakes result from rocks below the earth surface rupturing.
____ 8. Expansion and contraction of the earth's crust and continental drift are believed to
be the indirect causes of earthquakes
____ 9. The collapse of buildings, landslides, tsunamis and fires can be all caused by the
earthquakes.
____ 10. Earthquakes produce rupturing of rocks below the earth’s surface.
Part 5: Ten sentences have been removed from the following article. Choose from the
sentences A- J the one which fits each gap. (15pts)
 Onto a winner
Dave and Norm Lagasse, two bushy-bearded brothers in their forties, are sitting in
their modest home in Santa Fe in New Mexico. USA, and reliving their childhood. In
front of them lies a wooden board covered in round plastic pieces. 1_____.
Their grandfather, Lucien Rajotte, a grocer originally from Quebec, Canada,
brought the game into the USA and introduced it to his family. It wasn’t long before, on
just about every weekend and holiday. the family were playing the game and, as Dave
says, ‘having the best time ever’. Eventually, the family moved to New Mexico. 2 ____. If
visitors dropped by they were often fascinated, for the game was completely unknown in
southern USA.
One day, three years ago, Dave set up the ancient pichenotte board and, realizing
how cracked and battered it had become, decided to make a new one. This turned out to be
a beauty. A relative noticed and wanted one. Then a friend wanted another. 3 ____
‘People there started to watch, ’ says Dave, ‘and say, “No way I’m playing that silly
game. " Then they'd sit down, and pretty soon you couldn’t get them up from the table! ’
4 ____ The roots, he discovered, were probably in India, where a similar game
called ‘caroms’ exists. 5 ____. Pichenotte is the name of the French-Canadian version of
the game that developed in Quebec.
6 ____ . Each competitor gets 12 pieces or ‘pucks’. These are ‘flicked’ across a
wheel-like board using the middle or index finger of one hand. 7 ____. Three concentric
rings around the hole are worth 15, 10 and 5, respectively. Eight tiny posts present
obstacles. The game usually lasts just two minutes.
When they saw how popular the game was at the Santa Fe bar, the Lagasses made a
couple more boards and took them to markets and craft fairs. Crowds gathered, money
changed hands and the game’s popularity grew. 8 ____. With word spreading more
widely, the boards began to sell as fast as the brothers could make them. Eventually, they
decided to go into the Pichenotte business full-time.
They set up a workshop in the garage of their house and started turning out boards.
More than 450 have been produced to date. 9 ____. As Norm explains, ‘They’re very
durable, as they have to stand up to lots of wear. ’ They are available, at $595 each, from
the brothers’ website.
As yet, there are no professional Pichenotte players or TV coverage to produce
Pichenotte celebrities. 10 ____ . Until then, they're happy to spend their off-duty hours
playing the game they hope will make their fortune.

A. That was adapted into a game called ‘squails’ which was played in pubs in Britain and,
a century ago, British people emigrating to Canada brought the game with them.
B. Made of birchwood and mahogany, each weighs 12kg and is lcm thick.
C. Pichenotte, which can be played by two to four people, is clearly a game of skill.
D. But Grandpa’s Pichenotte board, which he’d made out of old wooden food crates, was
not forgotten and they continued to play regularly.
E. When people started asking about the origins of the game, Dave decided to do some
research.
F. So much so that championships began to take place and a trophy called the ‘Lord
Pichenotte Cup’ was created.
G. Nonetheless, the day is not far off when the brothers’ garage will be home to a luxury
Mercedes rather than a saw and piles of wood.
H. Curious as to how great the interest might be, one night the brothers took one of Dave’s
new game boards to a sports bar in Santa Fe.
I. They are playing the ancient game of Pichenotte. one which, they insist, is unlike any
other.
J. Flicking a puck into a small hole is worth 20 points.

SECTION II: WRITING (60 points)

Part 1: Summarize the following passage into a paragraph of about 140 words
Tourism is now among the world’s most important industries, generating jobs and profits
worth billions of pounds. At the same time, however, mass tourism can have dire effects
on the people and places it embraces- both tourists and the societies and human
environments they visit. We are increasingly familiar with some of the worst effects of
unthinking, unmanaged, unsustainable tourism: previously underdeveloped coastal
villages that have become sprawling, charmless towns, their seas poisoned by sewage,
denuded of wildlife, their beaches stained with litter and empty tubes of sun cream.
Historic towns, their streets now choked with traffic, their temples, churches and
cathedrals seemingly reduced to a backdrop for holiday snaps that proclaim, “Been there,
Done that”. Some of the world’s richest environments brushed by the tourists onslaught,
their most distinctive wildlife driven to near extinction, with wider environmental impacts
caused by the fuel-hungry transport systems used to take holidaying travelers around the
world and back again.

Less appreciated, perhaps, is the social dislocation unsustainable tourism can cause: once-
cohesive communities disrupted as the holiday industry replaces old crafts, turning
fishermen into tour boat operators, farmers into fast-food store waiters or hotel cleaners.
Even the tourists are affected , the most placid and tolerant of us becoming short-tempered
and exploitative. All to often, clutching our soon-to-be-discarded souvenirs and cursing
late flights and anybody who doesn’t speak our language, we arrive home muttering.
“After that, I need a holiday!”
Part 2: The chart below shows the main causes of land damage in four different areas
in the world.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
 Main Causes of Land Damage in Four Regions
600 Tree-cutting

500 Breeding
450
Milli Farming
400 370
on
hect
ares
300

200
100 100
100

0
Africa Asia Australia Europe
Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 – 400 words on the following topic:
What, in your opinion, would be the most important elements of an ideal world to live
in?

Người ra đề:
1. Trần Thị Minh (0971526078)
2. Vũ Thị Huệ (01656436272)
SỞ GD & ĐT BẮC GIANG ĐỀ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI KHU VỰC
TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ
Đáp án đề xuất Năm học 2017 – 2018
MÔN TIẾNG ANH- LỚP 11
Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút
SECTION I: LISTENING (50 points)
Part 1:
1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. F
Part 2:
1. its dark 2. 6.5 metres 3. along the 4. garbage 5. in the
bands coast summer

Part 3:
1. D 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. A
Source: CAE 6- SECTION 3- TEST 2
Part 4:
1-2: Northern Ireland; G8 summit
3-4. mother; pleaded guilty
5-6. leadership tensions; opinion polls
7-8. chief health officer ; urged
9-10. accuses; misleading the public

SECTION II: LEXICO- GRAMMAR (40 points)

Part 1.
1. B 2.C 3. C 4. B 5.A 6.B 7. D 8. B 9.C 10.B

Part 2.
1. control in --- > control of 2. to respect --- >with respect
3. high ---- > highly 4. social search---- >social research
5. With --- >While
Part 3:
1. over 2. by 3. with 4. in 5. off
Part 4:
1. influential 2. unhappiness 3. inspiration 4. generosity
5. restless 6. medical 7. fictional 8. admiration
9. deduction 10. outcry
SECTION III: READING (60 points)
Part 1:
1. B 2. C 3. D 4. D 5. C 6. D 7. C 8.B 9. D 10. B
Part 2:
(1) warmth (2) alternative (3) geothermal (4) meet (5) equipped
(6) panels (7) energy (8) resources (9) where (10) development
Part 3
1. A 2. A 3. C 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. A 8. D 9. B
Part 4
1. I 2. B 3. G 4. K 5. T 6. NG 7. T 8. T 9. T 10. F
Part 5
1. I 2. D 3. H 4. E 5. A 6. C 7. J 8. F 9. B 10. G

SECTION IV: WRITING (60 points)

TAPESCRIPT OF LISTENING
Part 1: T-F
Paul: Hi, Joe. Hi, Isabel.
Joe: Hi, Paul.
Isabel: Oh, hi, Paul. I have heard you’ve been stressing out about your presentation on art.
Paul: I am.
Joe: Are you still going to talk about the different types of art?
Paul: Yes. Well, I was planning to, but there is so much stuff on the subject that I am
finding it difficult to put it all into one short presentation.
Isabel: Ha. I usually have the opposite problem. There was nothing worse than going
blank, forgetting your words, in front of a group of people.
Paul: Well, the problem is that I don’t know how to organize what I want to say in the
presentation.
Joe: Well, you know everything there is to know about the subject. It is just a question of
selecting what you want to talk about.
Paul: Well, there is a lot to discuss about the different periods in art.
Isabel: That is a good way to start. Then you can bring in how specific types of art were
popular in each period.
Paul: Yes, like how sculpture was popular in the classical period and paintings were
popular in the Renaissance period.
Isabel: And how now, a wide variety of media are used to create modern art.
Joe: As long as you keep it concise, because it is a large area. There are so many periods
and movements in art and you don’t want to just list them one by one.
Isabel: I agree. An explanation of the movements and periods in art wouldn’t be too long.
Paul: You are right. I need to just pick out some key points; just mention the periods
quickly, so that I can move on to the real topic of the presentation.
Joe: Yes, the variety of art, like sculpture, paintings, installations……
Isabel: I have an idea. Why don’t you prepare a timeline to show to the class? That would
be a nice visual and it focus your ideas so you don’t get too sidetracked.
Paul: Great idea. It would certainly cut down on time.
Isabel: Right then. Where are we? You’ll begin with a very short introduction to the
historical period of art. Then you’ll talk about popular types of art within these periods.
That is sorted. Maybe, you could also mention some key words of art in each period, like
the Venus de Milo statue or The Scream by Edvard Munch and give some facts on them?
Paul: That is not a bad idea because it does give people a frame of reference when I talk
about specific kinds of ar. After giving a historical context, I should really talk about
different forms of art, shouldn’t I?
Joe: Yes, you should.
Isabel: After that, you can conclude with a question on what is considered to be art. Now,
that would be really interesting.
Paul: Yes, comparing the traditional views of art with modern views.
Isabel: Exactly.
Paul: I think I will have a collection of pictures, including famous pieces of art from
classic to modern, projected on the wall, like the Mona Lisa and some pop art, and ask
people whether they think it is art or not.
Joe: Showing some famous works and asking what art is would certainly lead to
discussion in the room. People’s appreciation of art is so subjective and it comes down to
taste.
Paul: That’s what I am hoping for - some disagreement to liven up the presentation.

Part 2: Source : OFFICE IELTS PRACTICE MATERIAL 2

Good morning everyone. Today, I’m going to talk about the research project I’ve been
involved in on the tiger shark.
First of all, some background information. The tiger shark, also known as the leopard
hark, is often thought to have got its name from its aggressive nature, but in actual fact,
it’s called that because it has dark bands similar to those on a tiger’s body.
It is a huge creature growing up to lengths of six and a half meters. It can be found just
about everywhere throughout the world’s temperate and tropical seas, but it is more often
found along of the coast, rather than the open sea.
In terms of feeding, tiger sharks tend to be most active at night and are solitary hunters.
Their preferred prey includes other sharks, turtles, seabirds and dolphins, to name but a
few. However, it’s not uncommon to find garbage in its stomach. This is because it tends
to feed in areas such as harbors and river inlets, where there is a lot human activity.
We are particularly interested in some studies that had been done in the Raine Island area.
Observations here have shown that there is a large population of tiger sharks present in the
summer, during the turtle nesting season. However during the winter months the sharks
disappear- so we decided to do some of our own research there.
Part 3: Source: CAE 6- SECTION 3- TEST 2
Interviewer: My guest today is Tom Davies. He has written a series of highly-acclaimed
novels, as well as a play and two successful film scripts. He has said, 'I love the solitude,
the sheer pleasure of writing, the secret excitement.' Tom, writing is a solitary business,
but does it go on being exciting?
Tom Davies: Well, writing is an exciting process, although there are good days and
bad days, obviously. I remember when I started, I used to sweat for so long over one
sentence that it really wasn't much of a pleasure. But I got past that stage and yes, I do find
that when things go well, when things are working out, it ill very absorbing.
Interviewer: But surely less secret these days, now that you've won major prizes?
Tom Davies: Possibly. I recently read out a whole chunk of my work-in-progress at
a literary festival because it's one way of trying these things out, whereas in the past I'd
been too frightened that if I talked about what I was writing, I would somehow lose
control of it. But I think generally I don't talk about what I am intending to write, because
I'm still not entirely sure myself which way it's going to go. But once something is down
in a first or second draft, then you can try it out and see how it sounds.
Interviewer: And you've said that at anyone time there are as many as ten or fifteen ideas
for novels floating around in your head. How do you choose which one to follow up?
Tom Davies: You've got to find the idea that's got the right kind of urgency and it's
not a rational decision. It's patience and luck and turning up at your desk every morning
even when nothing seems to be coming. If you're not there, then nothing is precisely what
will happen. But once I get started, then a good day would be two or three hundred words.
Interviewer: And then do you hone it, do you go back over it?
Tom Davies: I go back all the time until I get to the stage when I won't look at it
again because you need the distance of time to look back and see it from a different
perspective.
Interviewer: And is there anyone who you can then give this manuscript to and say, 'Look,
before I go any further, tell me what you think of this.'?
Tom Davies: I give the finished draft to certain old friends who're permitted to be as
brutal as they like. That's very useful because I think there's a danger for writers as they
get older, as their reputations get established, that publishers won't tell them if they've any
serious doubts about a piece. So sceptical friends are very important to give you the
benefit of a truthful opinion.
Interviewer: And you trust these friends?
Tom Davies: Absolutely. The first time I tried this, years ago, a friend of mine said,
'Look, I think this novel's absolutely terrible, put it in a drawer and forget about it.' And I
didn't speak to him for eighteen months. But after that I learnt that if you give someone
your novel to read, you've got to allow them to say that kind of thing. These days I
wouldn't take it so personally.
Interviewer: And although you've denied any suggestion that you write about yourself,
there are actually all sorts of bits and pieces of you dotted allover your work, aren't there?
Tom Davies: Someone said that you can't write two hundred words in a novel
without giving something of yourself away and I suppose that's true. Perhaps that's why
I've always been a bit defensive about my work.
Interviewer: Now, despite those two successful filmscripts, you haven't, strangely, had a
lot of luck translating your stories onto the big screen, have you? Why's that?
Tom Davies: Oh well, my first experience was of a low-budget English film. And
because we had so little money to work with, it was wonderfully uncomplicated and I
thought, 'Oh what a brilliant life. I could write novels and then in between each one, I
could do a film.'
Interviewer: Because it's so much easier?
Tom Davies: Well, it was such fun being away on location surrounded by fabulously
competent people, all taking fierce pride in their ability to do something so well and very
quickly. The panic of the ticking clock, the things going wrong and then somehow being
solved at the last minute, all that was marvelous for someone who usually spends his time
locked up in an empty room.
Interviewer: So it's actually harder to write a good screenplay?
Tom Davies: No, I wouldn't say that. Indeed, I don't think a screenplay is a literary
form in itself. It's more a set of instructions, a bit like a recipe. And you can fool yourself
into thinking that you can see what's going to be on the screen, but actually too many
people intervene in the finished product, you're just a part of the process, so it's quite
unlike a novel where you're in sole charge, as it were.
Interviewer: Tom, there, unfortunately, we have to leave it. Thank you ...