MOCK TEST SP1 By SPS Nguyen Duc Anh

SPECIALIZED EVALUATION TEST FOR GIFTED STUDENTS

ANSWER KEY
_______________________________________________________________
A. MULTIPLE CHOICE (100 POINTS)
A.I.1. READING PASSAGE #1 (10 POINTS)
IMAGE AND THE CITY
In the city, we are barraged with images of the people we might become. Identity is presented as
plastic, a matter of possessions and appearance; and a very large proportion of the urban landscape is
taken up by slogans, advertisements, flatly photographed images of folk heroes – the man who turned
into a sophisticated dandy overnight by drinking a particular brand of drink, the girl who transformed
herself into a femme fatale with a squirt of cheap scent. The tone of the wording of these
advertisements is usually pert and facetious, comically drowning in its own hyperbole. But the
pictures are brutally exact: they reproduce every detail of a style of life, down to the brand of cigarette-
lighter, the stone in the ring, and the economic row of books on the shelf.
Even in the business of the mass-production of images of identity, this shift from the general to
the diverse and particular is quite recent. Consider another line of stills: the back-lit, soft-focus
portraits of the first and second generations of great movie stars. There is a degree of romantic
unparticularity in the face of each one, as if they were communal dream-projections of society at large.
Only in the specialized genres of westerns, farces and gangster movies were stars allowed to have odd,
knobby cadaverous faces. The hero as loner belonged to history or the underworld: he spoke from the
perimeter of society, reminding us of its dangerous edges.
The stars of the last decade have looked quite different. Soft-focus photography has gone, to be
replaced by a style which searches out warts and bumps, and emphasizes the uniqueness not the
generality of the face. Voices, too, are strenuously idiosyncratic; whines, stammers and low rumbles
are exploited as features of “star quality”. Instead of romantic heroes and heroines, we have a brutalist,
hard-edged style in which isolation and egotism are assumed as natural social conditions.
In the movies, as in the city, the sense of stable hierarchy has become increasingly exhausted;
we no longer live in a world where we can all share the same values, and the same heroes. (It is
doubtful whether this world, so beloved of nostalgia moralists, ever existed; but lip-service was paid to
it, the pretence, at last, was kept up.) The isolate and the eccentric push towards the centre of the stage;
their fashions and mannerisms are presented as having as good a claim to the limelight and the future
as those of anyone else. In the crowd on the underground platform, one may observe a honeycomb of
fully-worked-out worlds, each private, exclusive, bearing little comparison with its nearest neighbour.
What is prized in one is despised in another. There are no clear rules about how one is supposed to
manage one’s body, dress, talk, or think. Though there are elaborate protocols and etiquettes among
particular cults and groups within the city, they subscribe to no common standard.
For the new arrival, this disordered abundance is the city’s most evident and alarming quality.
He feels as if he has parachuted into a funfair of contradictory imperatives. There are so many people
he might become, and a suit of clothes, a make of car, and a brand of cigarettes, will go some way
towards turning him into a personage even before he has discovered who that personage is. Personal
identity has always been deeply rooted in property, but hitherto the relationship has been a simple one
– a question of buying what you could afford, and leaving your wealth to announce your status. In the

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modern city, there are so many things to buy, such a quantity of different kinds of status, that the
choice and its attendant anxieties have created a new pornography of state.
The leisure pages of the Sunday newspapers, fashion magazines, TV plays, popular novels,
cookbooks, window displays all nag at the nerve of our uncertainty and snobbery. Should we like
American cars, hard-rock hamburger joints, Bauhaus chairs…? Literature and art are promoted as
personal accessories, the paintings of Mondrian or the novels of Samuel Beckett “go” with certain
styles like matching handbags. There is in the city a creeping imperialism of taste, in which more and
more commodities are made over to being mere expressions of personal identity. The piece of
furniture, the pair of shoes, the book, the film, are important not so much in themselves but for what
they communicate about their owners; and ownership is stretched to include what one likes or believes
in as well as what one can buy.
1. What does the writer say about advertisements in the first paragraph?
A. They often depict people that most other people would not care to be like.
B. The pictures in them accurately reflect the way that some people really live.
C. Certain kinds are considered more effective in cities than others.
D. The way in which some of them are worded is cleverer than it might appear.
2. What does a “femme fatale” refer to?
A. a beautiful woman who spends her time enjoying herself
B. a gorgeous woman who realizes most men’s dream
C. a potential good wife
D. an attractive woman who may bring unhappiness to men
3. The word “facetious” is closest in meaning to _____.
A. flippant B. prevalent C. impudent D. complacent
4. The writer says that if you look at a line of advertisements on a tube train, it is clear that
___.
A.city dwellers have very diverse ideas about what image they would like to have
B. some images in advertisements have a general appeal that others lack
C. city dwellers are more influenced by images on advertisements than other people are
D. some images are intended to be representative of everyone’s aspirations
5. What does the writer imply about portraits of old movie stars?
A. They reflected an era in which people felt basically safe.
B. They made people feel that their own faces were rather unattractive.
C. They tried to disguise the less attractive features of their subjects.
D. Most people did not think they were accurate representations of the stars in them.
6. What does the writer suggest about the stars of the last decade?
A . Most people accept that they are not typical of society as a whole.
B. They make an effort to speak in a way that may not be pleasant on the ear.
C. Some of them may be uncomfortable about the way they come across.
D. They make people wonder whether they should become more selfish.
7. The writer uses the crowd on an underground platform to exemplify his belief that _____.
A. no one in a city has strict attitudes towards the behavior of others
B. no single attitude to life is more common than another in a city
C. people in cities would like to have more in common with each other
D. views of what society was like in the past are often accurate
8. The writer implies that new arrivals in a city may _____.
A. acquire a certain image without understanding what that involves
B. underestimate the importance of wealth
C. decide that status is of little importance
D. change the image they wish to have too frequently
9. The novels of Samuel Beckett is an example of _____.
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A. classic literature works that make their owners feel superior to other people
B. literature works of high artistic value
C. possessions that show owners’ identity
D. what is wanted by the majority in the society
10. What point does the writer make about city dwellers in the final paragraph?
A. They are unsure as to why certain things are popular with others.
B. They are keen to be the first to appreciate new styles.
C. They want to acquire more and more possessions.
D. They are aware that judgments are made about them according to what they buy.

A.I.2. READING PASSAGE #2 (15 POINTS)

METEORITE IMPACT AND DINOSAUR EXTINCTION
There is increasing evidence that the dramatically of meteorites have had important effects on
Earth, particularly in the field of biological evolution. Such disastrous continue to pose a natural
hazard to life on Earth. Twice in the twentieth century, large meteorite objects are known to have
collided with Earth.
If an impact is large enough, it can disturb the environment of the entire Earth and cause an
ecological catastrophe. The best-documented such impact took place 65 million years ago at the end of
the Cretaceous period of reviewing history. This break in Earth’s history is marked by a mass
extinction, when as many as half the species on the planet became extinct. While there are a dozen or
more mass extinctions in the diverse record, the Cretaceous mass extinction has always intrigued
paleontologists because it marks the end of the age of the dinosaurs. For tens of millions of years,
those great creatures had flourished. Then, suddenly, they disappeared.
The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass
of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Scientists first identified this
impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the
planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium and other elements
that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the
terrestrial material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By
1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now
deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.
This impact released an enormous amount of energy, excavating a crater about twice as large as
the lunar crater Tycho. The explosion lifted about 100 trillion tons of dust into the atmosphere, as can
be determined by measuring the thickness of the sediment layer formed when this dust varied to the
surface. Such a quantity of material would have blocked the sunlight completely from reaching the
surface, plunging Earth into a period of cold and darkness that lasted at least several months. The
explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock that sprayed
out over much of Earth, starting vast fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and
grassland. Presumably, those environmental ages could have been responsible for the mass extinction,
including the death of the dinosaurs.
Several other mass extinctions in the repeated record have been tentatively identified with
large large, but none is so dramatic as the Cretaceous event. But even without such specific
documentation, it is clear that potentially of this size do occur and that their results can be catastrophic.
What is a catastrophe for one group of living things, however, may create opportunities for another

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group. Following each mass extinction, there is a sudden evolutionary burst as new species develop to
fill the ecological niches opened by the event.
Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and
seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet. [A] According to some estimates, the
majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such harmful. [B] Such a perspective
fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution. [C] The standard criterion for the survival of
a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments.
[D] Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological
catastrophes due to promising.
Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting gallery, subject to random violent events that were
unsuspected a few decades ago. In 1991 the United States Congress asked NASA to investigate the
hazard posed today by large potentially on Earth. The group Perform the study concluded from a
detailed analysis that potentially from meteorites can indeed be hazardous. Although there is always
some risk that a large impact could occur, careful study shows that this risk is quite small.
11. The word “pose” is closest in meaning to ________.
A. claim B. model C. assume D. present
12. In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that dinosaurs had flourished
for tens of millions of years and then suddenly disappeared?
A. To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is the best-documented of
the dozen or so mass extinctions in the geological record
B. To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time are believed to have become
extinct at the end of the Cretaceous
C. To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the
Cretaceous
D. To provide evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb the environment of the entire
planet and cause an ecological disaster
13. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the location of the
meteorite impact in Mexico?
A. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists from 1980 to 1990.
B. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán region.
C. Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where it had occurred.
D. The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable impact site because of its
climate.
14. According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had
impacted Earth?
A. They discovered a large crater in the Yucatán region of Mexico.
B. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.
C. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucatán region.
D. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.
15. The word “excavating” is closest in meaning to ________.
A. digging out B. extending C. destroying D. covering up
16. The word “consumed” is closest in meaning to ________.
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A. changed B. exposed C. destroyed D. covered
17. According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true of the impact at the end
of the Cretaceous period EXCEPT ________.
A. A large amount of dust blocked sunlight from Earth.
B. Earth became cold and dark for several months.
C. New elements were formed in Earth’s crust.
D. Large quantities of nitric acid were produced.
18. The phrase “tentatively identified” is closest in meaning to ________.
A. identified after careful study B. identified without certainty
C. occasionally identified D. easily identified
19. The word “perspective” is closest in meaning to ________.
A. sense of values B. point of view C. calculation D. complication
20. Paragraph 6 supports which of the following statements about the factors that are essential
for the survival of a species?
A. The most important factor for the survival of a species is its ability to compete and adapt to gradual
changes in its environment.
B. The ability of a species to compete and adapt to a gradually changing environment is not the only
ability that is essential for survival.
C. Since most extinctions of species are due to major meteorite impacts, the ability to survive such
impacts is the most important factor for the survival of a species.
D. The factors that are most important for the survival of a species vary significantly from one species
to another.
21. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following
sentence?
Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting gallery, subject to random violent events that were
unsuspected a few decades ago.
Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A. Until recently, nobody realized that Earth is exposed to unpredictable violent impacts from space.
B. In the last few decades, the risk of a random violent impact from space has increased.
C. Since most violent events on Earth occur randomly, nobody can predict when or where they will
happen.
D. A few decades ago, Earth became the target of random violent events originating in outer space.
22. According to the passage, who conducted investigations about the current dangers posed
by large meteorite impacts on Earth?
A. Paleontologists B. Geologists C. The United States Congress D. NASA
23. Look at the four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be
added to the passage.
This is the criterion emphasized by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
24/25. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below.
Complete the summary by selecting the TWO answer choices that express the most important ideas in

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the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not
presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage.
Scientists have linked the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous with a meteorite
impact on Earth.

Answer choices
(1) Scientists had believed for centuries that meteorite activity influenced evolution on Earth.
(2) The site of the large meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous period was identified in 1990.
(3) There have also been large meteorite impacts on the surface of the Moon, leaving craters like
Tycho.
(4) An iridium-enriched sediment layer and a large impact crater in the Yucatán provide evidence that
a large meteorite struck Earth about 65 million years ago.
(5) Large meteorite impacts, such as one at the end of the Cretaceous period, can seriously affect
climate, ecological niches, plants, and animals.
A.II. GUIDED CLOZE TEST 1 (15 POINTS)
CHINESE HACKERS
There are (26) _____ fears about Chinese cyber attacks on Western media outlets after two of
America’s largest newspapers said Chinese hackers had (27) _____ their computer systems. A
statement said: “Evidence shows that infiltration efforts target the monitoring of the Journal’s (28)
_____ of China. Earlier, the New York Times said it had faced repeated hacking attacks as it prepared
a story tracing the hidden (30) _____ of the family of Wen Jiabao, the country’s premier.
The (31) _____ came just weeks after Chinese authorities forced a NYT reporter to leave the
country. Two months after the paper’s Shanghai bureau chief David Barboza authored the account of
the billions (32) _____ by Mr Wen’s relatives, Beijing refused to (33) _____ a visa for his colleague
Chris Buckley. The paper said that as Mr Barboza was working on the piece, hackers had broken into
its systems and cracked passwords for every employee. They (34) _____ the email accounts of Mr
Barboza.
“Security experts (35) _____ by The New York Times to detect and block the computer attacks
gathered digital (36) _____ that Chinese hackers, using methods that some consultants have
associated with the Chinese military in the past, breached The Times’ network,” the paper said.
Last year, hackers who according to WikiLeaks were linked to the Chinese military, infiltrated
European Union computers, (37) _____ the emails of Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the
European Council. China’s Ministry of National Defence has (38) _____ any role in the hacking.
26. A. enlarging B. growing C. spreading D. inflating
27. A. broken B. injured C. hurt D. infiltrated
28. A. covering B. covers C. coverage D. covered
29. A. loot B. prizes C. abundance D. riches
30. A. revelations B. betrayal C. exhibition D. display
31. A. amassed B. gathered C. aggregated D. assembled
32. A. refresh B. renew C. resume D. transform
33. A. broke down B. broke away C. broke through D. broke into
34. A. rented B. leased C. hired D. borrowed
35. A. evidence B. signs C. witnesses D. tokens
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36. A. relating B. associating C. connecting D. accessing
37. A. refused B. prohibited C. denied D. vetoed
A.III. GUIDED CLOZE TEST 2 (10 POINTS)
For many people doing physical exercise may (38)_____ a painful torturing of the body.
Therefore, there’s usually something we come up with that is of bigger importance than putting
one’s muscles through their paces. Unless we are forced to go in for a physical training, we are
(39)_____ to treat it as something of a lower (40)_____ than staying in front of the TV set,
spending time in a pub (41)_____ alcoholic beverages or consuming excessive quantities of
fattening confectionery in a café. We need to be considerably motivated to take up a body
workout and build our physical fitness. What usually (42)_____ individuals from (43)_____
themselves to strenuous exercise in the fear of fatigue, discomfort or even the (44)_____ of being
outdone by true fitness zealots.
However, getting fit is fully a matter of common sense. Different forms of exercise may
be of great (45)_____ to the human body increasing its strength, flexibility and endurance. When
supported by a nutritious diet, much better performance of the heart and the lungs improves the
blood circulation making an individual more resistant to stressful situations as well as more
(46)_____ to infections and diseases.
In the first place, self-discipline that is requisite for proceeding with such physical effort
ought to be attained to ensure that the intention of becoming healthier and more vigorous isn’t
(47)_____ by any (48)_____ impediments.
38. A. incorporate B. entail C. administer D. correspond
39. A. tended B. implied C. affirmed D. inclined
40. A. superiority B. privilege C. advantage D. priority
41. A. smacking B. sipping C. seething D. sniffing
42. A. repels B. denies C. opposes D. rejects
43. A. commiting B. absorbing C. involving D. engrossing
44. A. hindrances B. impairments C. preventions D. inhibitions
45. A. liking B. benefit C. appreciation D. gain
46. A. irresistible B. preventative C. immune D. wary
47. A. persecuted B. tormented C. harassed D. suppressed
48. A. short B. minor C. trivial D. frivolous
A.IV. LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (25 POINTS)
A.IV.1. WORD CHOICE (10 POINTS)
49. Angela’s work was praised for its ______ attention to detail.
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A. meticulous B. significant C. subtle D. concentrated
50. Losing his entire business to the flood, Bill’s only ______ was to file bankruptcy.
A. dross B. enigma C. fervor D. recourse
51. The team was _____ devastated by the result.
A. deeply B. utterly C. thoroughly D. accutely
52. We ______ up a friendship the very first time we met.
A. struck B. launched C. cropped D. settled
53. The man’s choice to run away virtually _____ to an admission of guilt.
A. resulted B. came C. amounted D. added
54. After sitting in the contentious board meeting for two hours, Allen’s necktie began to feel like a
______ around his neck.
A. decorum B. garland C. noose D. renegade
55. The heat was absolutely ______, making everyone irritable, sweaty, and uncomfortable.
A. oppressive B. taciturn C. salient D. prosaic
56. Becoming a CEO was the ________ glory of her career.
A. heading B. crowning C. inducting D. tipping
57. It should be ________ clear that we are all under pressure.
A. conspicuously B. immensely C. fully D. abundantly
58. I can’t imagine what I’ve done to make him let loose such a _________ of abuse at me.
A. shower B. storm C. torrent D. flood
A.IV.2. GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURES (7 POINTS)
59. If ___ in the shopping malls, the restaurants with similar price ranges and menus can make profits.
A. each uncluttered next to the other B. each cluttering next to the other
C. each cluttered next to another D. each decluttered next to the other
60. _____, creative interests are put to one side as we struggle with our academic subjects.
A. As often happens with young people B. Often happening with young people
C. Often does it happen to young people D. Often happening to young people
61. Probably no man had more effect on the daily lives of most people in the US, _____.
A. as Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
B. rather than Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
C. than did Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
D. more than Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
62. _____, many people are very optimistic about economic growth in the next year.
A. Despite the fact that the economy is going down B. But for the economy is going down
C. On account of the fact that the economy is going down D. Before entering the water
63. The endless parade of _____ on television has made today’s young girls obsessed with their bodie.
A. celebrities enhancing surgically B. surgically enhanced celebrities
C. surgical celebrities enhanced D. enhanced surgically celebrities
64. Janice’s parents did when she was just a baby, so I _____ family she ever had.
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A. was all the B. was the whole C. have the whole D. have all the
65. We talked just as easily as we had in the past, when we would sit ____ and discuss our friends and
our hopes for the future.
A. in the field behind Joan’s house atop the rabbit hutch
B. in the field atop the rabbit hutch behind Joan’s house
C. atop the rabbit hutch in the field behind Joan’s house
D. behind Joan’s house in the field atop the rabbit hutch
A.IV.3. PHRASAL VERB AND IDIOMS (8 POINTS)
66. He managed to ____ his team with high spirits.
A. imbue B. inculcate C. ingrain D. instill
67. ____ by their new finds, the archeologists said they had made dramatic new finds of Viking
settlements.
A. Buoyed up B. Irked out C. Sounded off D. Perked up
68. Cheap electricity was soon ____ from nuclear reactors.
A. calling back B. popping out C. issuing forth D. phasing in
69. Robbing an old man is ____ contempt.
A. under B. sub C. below D. beneath
70. Be careful! The young horse hasn’t been ____.
A. got round B. broken in C. taken over D. set up
71. The woman in the hospital bed next to me talked a ____ streak all day. I don’t where she got the
energy from!
A. white B. golden C. blue D. red
72. I am ready to eat ____. My prediction about the game was completely wrong.
A. raven B. crow C. starling D. magpie
73. The film got a lot of hype, but I thought it was a bit of a(n) ___.
A. all mouth and no trousers B. Bob’s your uncle
C. Earworm D. damp squib
74. I forgot to water my flowers, and now they’re as dead as a ____.
A. doornail B. ditchwater C. churchmouse D. millpond
75. John has a memory like a _____—I had to leave him three separate reminders about the play
tomorrow night.
A. bunny B. goldfish C. sieve D. deuce
A.V. PHONETICS (10 POINTS)
A.V.1. DIFFERENT PRONUNCIATION (5 POINTS)
76. A. STRINGER B. HANGER C. STRONGER D. BANGER
77. A. ARCHITECTURE B. IMMATURE C. MANUFACTURE D. STRUCTURE
78. A. CONGREGATION B. CONDOMINIUM C. CONCLAVE D. CONCOURSE
79. A. LEARNED B. RUGGED C. DOGGED D. PRICKED

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80. A. NOTORIOUS B. POSTULATE C. POTASH D. OBLIGATION
A.V.2. STRESS PATTERN (5 POINTS)
81. A. PARALYSIS B. DIAGONAL C. EUPHEMISM D. RAMBUTAN
82. A. TRIATHLON B. PRESENTIMENT C. CALLIGRAPHY D. LUNATIC
83. A. PNEUMONIA B. DISINTER C. ANTENNA D. INTERPOLATE
84. A. INAMORATA B. ARACHNOPHOBIA C. ERGONOMICALLY D. EMANCIPATION
85. A. AMBIDEXTROUS B. ABNORMALITY C. ADVANTAGEOUS D. AGRICULTURE
(AMBROSIA)
A.VI. SYNONYM & ANTONYM (5 POINTS)
86. The pea-souper made it impossible to go mountaineering. (SYN.)
A. rain B. fog C. typhoon D. snow
87. They lived in a house adjacent to the railway. (SYN.)
A. far away B. isolated C. juxtapositional D. off the beaten track
88. I found a sequestered place and laid down with my book. (SYN.)
A. placid B. boisterous C. tumultuous D. rowdy
89. When he was drinking, Ken was hell on wheels. (ANT.)
A. cantankerous B. irascible C. dour D. cordial
90. Adam says he's an open book, but I've seen him sneaking out of his house late at night. (ANT.)
A. forthright B. disingenuous C. candid D. fair and square
A.VII. ERROR RECOGNITION (10 POINTS)
91. The fish called menhaden are silvery in color and (A) a distinct black shoulder spot behind (B)
their gill opening and a variable (C) number of smaller spots on (D) their sides. (A)
92. She was wandering (A) around (B) on (C) a daze (D) this morning. (C)
93. Probably the most disputed (A) piece of clothing (B) during this period was the corset. Both
physicians and early feminists (C) subscribed to (D) their use. (D)
94. I was rather (A) surprised by her elemental (B) and unique (C) talent in bending (D) fingers. (B)
95. Participating (A) in camp fire songs, fighting off hungry mosquitoes and bursting (B) many
blisters on his feet quickly squelched (C) Giorgio’s desire camping (D). (D)
96. Periods (A) of glaciation (B) have extended (C) the whole of human existence (D) for the past 2
million years. (C)
97. He thinks it is my duty to bring (A) up the kids and doesn’t see why he should bring (B) himself
out to take them (C) to school and help (D) them with their homework. (B)
98. At the moment, which species survive (A), which decline (B) to threatened or even status (C) and
which succumb for (D) extinction is something of a lottery. (D)

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99. When Bloomfield tried to dispute (A) the point, the doctor had no thoughts of losing (B) down. He
turned (C) away and refused (D) to listen. (B)
100. As the carriage (A) of expressions, the head (B) of puppets is the most important position (C) to
show personalities of characters (D). (A)

B. WRITTEN TEST (100 POINTS)

B.I. WORD FORMATION (20 POINTS)
B.I.1. WORD FORMATION 1 (10 POINTS)
1. The emergency aids have been sent to ___famine-stricken__ places in the world. (FAMINE)
2. We all find him really _good-natured__ and amicable. He’s a good person to talk with. (NATURE)
3. The government have been taking enormous effort to __de-escalate_ the conflict. (ESCALATION)
4. However, it is astonishing that no mention is made of the ___epoch-making____ phenomenon of
globalisation and of the consequences that arise with respect to the study of international monetary
questions. (MAKE)
5. Yet he proves to be far from the _urbane___ wealthy gentleman they were expecting. (URBAN)
6. Fitzwater struck a _conciliatory__ tone, saying he didn’t think anybody was to blame. (CONCILE)
7. You have to stop your ___petulant__ attitude. Your complaints won’t do you any good. (PET)
8. Your running away is a(n) _quintessence_ of your guilt. (ESSENTIAL)
9. She finds herself to not be so _streetwise_. Though having been robbed and pickpocketed for many
times, she still doesn’t know what to do or gain any more experience while she’s in the city.
(WISDOM)
10. (TIME)
[10.1] In particular, manufacturers of _time-realese__ fentanyl patches have come under
scrutiny for defective products.
[10.2] Our _time-poor_ project was severely cricticized as no one had enough time to fully
dedicated to it.
[10.3] The developers dealt with the problem in the _time-honoured_ fashion, burying the
industrial waste in landfill sites.
[10.4] Although it would be _time-consuming_ to undertake, an analysis of such cases might
throw light upon the circumstances in which he preferred the reiterated note.
B.I.2. WORD FORMATION 2 (10 POINTS)
SHIP FREEZER
INTREPIDITY FEAR CONCEPTION BAN MORPH
BREEZE FAST PLUM TOMB EVENT
Every autumn the Arctic undergoes a radical (11)_metamorphosis___. As the sun dips below the
horizon one last time—not to rise again until spring—the icy seascape darkens, the temperatures
(12)_plummet_, and the sea ice swells into a brutal fortress, so thick that no icebreaker can penetrate
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it. Research vessels flee south, desperate to avoid getting trapped during the (13)_fearsome_ season.
But this year scientists—and a few lucky journalists, including me—will dare to do just the opposite.
In late September we will set sail from Tromsø, Norway, heading east along Siberia, then north toward
the North Pole. Our captain will steer us into a massive ice floe and kill the ship’s engines—dooming it
to freeze in place as the ice quickly thickens. The ship will remain (14)_entombed__ for a full year as
we float in the clutches of the Arctic Ocean.
The goal of the mission, called MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of
Arctic Climate), is to better understand why the top of the world is warming at such an alarming rate—
twice as fast as lower latitudes. “The Arctic is the epicenter of global warming,” says Markus Rex, a
climate scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and MOSAiC coordinator. Yet
researchers do not completely understand why. This $150-million mission—the first to study the
central Arctic over an entire year—intends to change that situation.
A few (15)_intrepid_ adventurers have attempted such a fate, only to falter. In 1893 Norwegian
explorer Fridtjof Nansen (16)_fastened_ his ship, the Fram, into the ice in the hope that it would carry
him toward the North Pole. But when it became clear he would never reach the pole, he
(17)_abandoned_ the mission and skied hundreds of miles to land. Still, the Fram made it across the
Arctic ice cap intact, (18)_eventually__ reaching the open North Atlantic Ocean. “We’re following in
the footsteps of giants, if you will,” says Matthew Shupe, an atmospheric and oceanic scientist at the
University of Colorado Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who
(19)__conceived__ the MOSAiC mission more than 10 years ago.
This excursion will be, by far, the largest in history. At any one time, around 60 scientific personnel
will be working onboard the research icebreaker Polarstern; they will be shuttled back and forth by sea,
when possible, or air. In all, some 300 people from across the world will have conducted studies on the
ice. They will observe every aspect of the Arctic system: the wandering ice, the drifting snow, the
swirling ocean, the (20)_breezy_ atmosphere, the life that calls it home and the ways these attributes
interact.
B.II. OPEN CLOZE (20 POINTS)
B.II.1. OPEN CLOZE 1
CAN SKYSCRAPERS PREVENT TORNADOES?
The reason Tornado Alley, the area (21) stretching from Texas to South Dakota and from the Rocky
Mountains to Kansas, is the most active tornado spot in the U.S.—it sees hundreds a year—is not
because it's flat farmland. It's because tornadoes form when two opposite weather systems collide (22)
under certain conditions, and this occurs with great (23) regularity in Tornado Alley. During
springtime in that region, a constant stream of cool, dry air blowing southeast from Canada runs into a
similarly steady stream of warm, moist air moving northwest (24) from the Gulf of Mexico. As these
weather fronts interact, they build high-intensity thunderstorms that, if they're strong enough, can
create a powerful updraft of air. Low pressure at the ground and in the middle or upper atmosphere
interacts with the rising air to create a (25) swirling vortex that can eventually extend a tornado funnel
to the ground.
It just so (26) happens that most cities with a lot of skyscrapers are situated in places where tornado-
feeding conditions evolve less frequently. But tornadoes do in (27) fact sometimes hit cities, says
Gary Conte, a warning coordination meteorologist at the Upton, New York, outpost of the National
Weather Service, citing recent touchdowns in Dallas, Memphis, Miami and four of New York City's
five boroughs (Manhattan has been spared, so far). Skyscrapers and topography don't (28) matter.

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"Tornadoes form thousands of feet above building tops," Conte says. "Skyscrapers won't prevent the
funnel from coming down, but they might (29) influence/affect its shape so that it doesn't look as nice
and neat as it does on a flat surface like the plains. That doesn't make it any (30) less of a tornado,
though."-
(Source: Popsci)
B.II.2. OPEN CLOZE 2
When I was a child, it was fairly unusual to go on a foreign holiday. The prices of international
flights were exorbitant (31) _compared_ to those offered by today’s budget airlines. Package holiday
to tropical resorts were pretty much unheard-of. Instead my parents would (32) _pack_ our aged car
with the necessary belongings, and our family holiday would begin with a twelve-hour drive through
the night. Our (33) _destination_ was always the same: exotic Scotland.
Each year, my parents booked a different (34) _self-catering/self-supplying_ cottage, usually
next to an isolated beach and invariably with no mod cons (35) _whatsoever_. The beds were always
lumpy and damp. There wouldn’t be even a washing machine, never mind a TV.
No doubt we were surrounded by spectacular scenery, but this meant (36) _little_ to me or my
sister. Plastic buckets and spades were the (37) _basis_ of all our holiday entertainments. Armed with
these and a towel, we would tear (38) __down_ to the beach every morning. We built extravagant
sandcastles, we burried my father alive, we saved the lives of stranded jellyfish, we collected jewels,
and we dug to Australia. Summer holidays lasted at least a year back then.
I pity the kids today with their two-week breaks in the sun. Who wants (39) _all-inclusive_
resorts boasting restaurants serving authentic (40) _local_ cuisine? Who needs artificial lagoons
featuring wave machines and plastic waterfalls? Show me an eight-year-old girl on a Scottish beach
with a bucket and spade. I will show you what real holiday fun is all about.
B.III. ERROR RECOGNITION (10 POINTS)
There are 10 mistakes in the passage. Find and correct them.
INDUSTRY 4.0
Digitally connected manufacturing, often referred as (referred to as) “Industry 4.0”,
encompasses a wide variety of technologies, ranging from 3D printing to robotics, new materials and
production systems.
A move towards Industry 4.0 would benefit the private section (sector). Large, integrated
manufacturers would find in it a way to optimise and shorten its (their) supply chain, for example via
flexible factories. A more digitalised manufacturing would also open new market opportunities for
SMEs providing so (such) specialised technologies as sensors, robotics, 3D printing or machine-to-
machine communications.
For developed nations, Industry 4.0 – a term initially coining (coined) in Germany – could be a
way to regain manufacturing competition (competitiveness). This is particularly relevant in the case of
Western Europe, which, unlike the US, does not currently enjoy reduced energy costs.
As for emerging markets, Industry 4.0 could provide the much-needed route to moving up the
chain, something that has become increasingly important to achieve in the teeth of rising labour costs.
For example, China’s new ten-years (ten-year) plan, issued last May and aptly named “Made in China
2025”, targets key sectors such as robotics, information technology and energy in the hope to turn
(turning) the country from a “manufacturing giant” into a “world manufacturing power”.

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As promising as it is, much more work remains to be done to make Industry 4.0 a large scale
reality. On the regulatory side, for instance, policy makers will have to assure (ensure) that data – the
part and parcel of Industry 4.0 - can move freely and securely through (throughout) the supply chain,
including across borders. This is an effort that is likely to take some time.
(T.E.H.F.S)
B.IV. GAP FILLING (20 POINTS)
B.IV.1. GAP FILLING 1 (10 POINTS)
Choose the correct phrase in the box to complete the sentences. Only 10 words will be used.
51. Nobody likes Peter very much because he's so annoying. He's a right __pain in the neck__!
52. Andy is so boring. Did you know that his idea of a perfect day is going to the station to collect train
registration numbers? What a / an __anorak__!
53. I know that you don't like your job very much, but I wish you would stop complaining about it all
the time. Don't be such a / an ___moaning Minnie___!
54. Imelda loves working here: she's a real __happy camper__.
55. Alan is an excellent and intelligent manager who runs the department well and deals effectively
with any problems that come up. Everyone agrees that he's a / an __smart cookie__.
56. You've been sitting in front of the television for almost four hours. Why don't you turn it off and go
for a walk? You're turning into a / an __couch potato___.
57. We were having a wonderful evening until Anne joined us. Why does she have to be so negative
about everything all the time? She's such a / an ___wet blanket___!
58. Don't be such a /an __chatter box__! If you concentrated instead of speaking all the time, you
would get more work done.
59. If you want some help, ask Imelda. She's always happy and willing to help out: she's a real _eager
beaver__!
60. I hope Rick comes out with us tonight. He's such good fun, always the _life and soul of the party_.
(Extracted from “Check for your Idioms and Phrasal Verbs” by Rawdon Wyatt)
B. IV. 2. PREPOSITION (10 POINTS)
Fill in the blank with no more than ONE preposition/particle.
61. The accusation that we have wasted public money on this project is entirely ________ foundation.
[without]
62. The new version of the software is laden _________ useful features. [with]
63. He's well _____ with the boss, these days. [in]
64. Even after all these years, I still hanker ____ a motorbike. [for/after]
65. Nobody has yet come ____ with any information relating to the girl's death. [forward]
66. Britain is having to contend with an ageing population, the implications of which could impinge
______ almost all of us in one way or another. [to]

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67. She galloped ______ her speech as if she wanted to finish as soon as possible. [through]
68. The conflict ate ____ ______ their relationship and led to divorce. [away/at]
69. He was elbowed ______ before he had been intent to resign. [aside/out]
70. She usually dreams her life ____ but actually doesn’t lift a finger to achieve it. [away]
B.V. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (10 POINTS)
71. Many children in the world lack of attention and care and under the threat of many serious
diseases. (VICTIM)
→ Many children slip through the cracks and fall VICTIM to many serious disease.
72. With a view to taking over the position, Jack cleverly talked the boss into resigning.
(JOCKEYED)
→ So as to take over the position, Jack JOCKEYED the boss into resigning.
73. I was allowed to give her a hand on her project. (SERVICE)
→ I was given the green light to be at her service on her project.
74. After making fun of me, he was in my bad books. (PEEVE)
→ After making a monkey out of me, he was my PEEVE pet.
75. There are so many stellar applicants for the job that we can't choose between them. (RICHES/AS)
→ It’s truly an embarassment of RICHES AS there are so many stellar applicants for the job.
76. My mom always praise the next door kids’ well-behaviour which is really infuriating. (VIRTUES)
→ That my mom forever/always extol the next door kids’ VIRTUES is a thorn my side.
77. It came as a surprise that the government haven’t lifted any finger to do away with burglary.
(CRACKDOWN)
→ It took me by surprise that there has been no (governmental) CRACKDOWN on burglary (by
the government). (Must use one of the word/phrase though)
78. The party won’t be less enjoyable by a nasty guy like you. (DAMPER)
→ A nasty piece of work won’t put a DAMPER on the party.
79. The movie star’s unacceptable behaviour at the red carpet was a hot issue. (CONDUCT/PALE)
→ It was the movie star’s CONDUCT that/which is beyond the PALE was a hot potato.
80. Her thought of her higher class than us makes us really infrustrating. (CUT)
→ What extremely infrustrates me is that she thinks she is a CUT above us.

B.VI. ESSAY WRITING (20 POINTS)

“Can people who are not famous be better role models than people who are famous?”
What extent do you agree or disagree?
Use specific reasons and examples in your essay.

PART C. LISTENING (50 POINTS)

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I. Listen to a piece of news about India’s development and fill in the missing information with NO
MORE THAN THREE WORDS. (20 POINTS)
The reporter uses the phrase “(1) emerging superpower” to depict the status of India today.
Some domains that show India’s increasing power:
• Economy: multiple (2) neoliberal economic policies were implemented.
→ considerable GDP rise
→ having the third strongest (3) purchasing power
• (4) Military might is another factos.
+ Threefold increase in (5) defense expeditures
+ Intentions to augment (6) arms production
+ Bring among a few (7) nuclear-ready countries
→ the fourth most powerful military
→ Strong geopolitical alliances, exemplified by India’s intervention in the (8) (ongoing)
counter-terrorism efforts
• Greater role in the United Nations.
• Large population
• The largest single democratic nation
Some issue that India needs to adress:
• Corruption and bribery
• (9) sweeping nepotism
• Acute (10) income inequality
• Social class division.
(extracted from Master The Art Of NEC by Ambrosia)
II. For questions 11-15, listen to a discussion on the subject of attitudes to work and choose the
correct answer A, B, C, or D which fits best according to what you hear. (From HSGQG 2018). (10
POINTS)
11. Lois agrees with John's point that _______.
A. the psychological effects of unemployment can be overstated
B. some people are better equipped to deal with unemployment than others
C. problems arise when unemployment coincides with other traumatic events
D. most people dread the prospect of unemployment
12. Lois agrees with the listener who suggested that _______. .
A. people should prepare for redundancy as they would for retirement
B. voluntary work may be more rewarding than paid work
C. not everybody can expect a high level of job satisfaction
D. work is only one aspect of a fulfilling life
13. What Is John’s attitude towards people who see work as a "means to an end"?
A. He accepts that they have made a valid choice.
B. He feels they may be missing out on something important
C. He doubts their level of commitment to the job.
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D. He fears it will lead to difficulties for them later.
14. When asked about so-called "slackers" at work, John points out that _______.
A. their views are unacceptable in a free labour market
B. such an attitude has become increasingly unacceptable
C. people often jump to unfair conclusions about them
D. they accept the notion that work is a necessary evil
15. Lois quotes the psychologist Freud in order to _______.
A. provide a contrast to the ideas of Bertrand Russell
B. question the idea that a desire to work is a natural thing
C. show how intellectual ideas have shifted over time
D. lend weight to John's ideas about increased social mobility
III. For questions 16-20, listen to a news report predicting the winner of the 2018’s World Cup and
match each number (16-20) in A with one corresponding letter (A-I) in B. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 POINTS)
16. Brazil F A. may gain an advantage due to its high investment capabilities.
17. Pakistan G B. has the most abundant pool of grassroots players.
18. Switzerland A C. is expected to excel at this year’s game after a period of downfall.
19. Russia E D. has the highest funding towards top-notch training and facilities.
20. England C E. increases its chance of winning by playing host this year.
F. is forecasted to win this year’s game with a success rate of nearly 30
percent.
G. shows the least interest in the competition according to a source.
H. stands the highest chance of victory due to home advantage.
I. possibly makes it to the final thanks to an outstanding player.

IV. Listen to the recording and label the diagram of the bike below. Choose five answer from the
box and write the correct answer A-H next to each one. (10 POINTS)

A. soft material gives extra comfort E. made from old kitchen equipment

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B. uses a standard design
C. special shape reduces weight
D. relatively narrow
[21. D 22.G 23.H
F. allow riders to change position
G. exceptionally light
H. recycled from old bikes
24.B 25. E]

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