Đề thi chọn Đội tuyển Học sinh giỏi Quốc gia THPT môn Tiếng Anh - Năm học 2023-2024 - Sở GD&ĐT Sóc Trăng (Có đáp án)

Nội dung text: Đề thi chọn Đội tuyển Học sinh giỏi Quốc gia THPT môn Tiếng Anh - Năm học 2023-2024 - Sở GD&ĐT Sóc Trăng (Có đáp án)

1. SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO KỲ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN HỌC SINH GIỎI SÓC TRĂNG QUỐC GIA THPT NĂM HỌC 2024-2025 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC Môn: TIẾNG ANH (Thời gian làm bài 180 phút, không kể phát đề) Ngày thi: 17/8/2024 Đề thi này có 14 trang - Thí sinh làm bài trên giấy làm bài; không được phép sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả tự điển. - Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm. A. LISTENING (5.0 points) - The listening section is in FOUR parts. You will hear each part TWICE. At the beginning of each part, you will hear a sound. - There will be a piece of music at the beginning and at the end of the listening section. You will have TWO to check your answers at the end of the listening section. - All the other instructions are included in the recording. Part 1. For questions 1 to 5, you will hear a talk given by an art teacher who became interested in making mosaics from small pieces of glass and stone, and decide whether each of the statements is True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG) according to what you hear. 1. The Romans are credited with inventing the art of making mosaics. 2. Mosaic-making techniques have developed significantly over the past 5,000 years. 3. Modern mosaics were primarily limited to the walls of public libraries and swimming pools in the past. 4. Mosaic-making workshops typically include mosaic packs for beginners with detailed guidance on the process. 5. The resurgence of interest in mosaic art is exemplified by its extensive use in home furnishing replacements. Part 2. For questions 6 to 10, you will hear part of a radio programme about summer courses at colleges and universities in Britain and answer the following questions. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the recording. 6. What type of courses are available during summer in Britain? ________________________________________________________________ 7. Where can students access libraries for study during these courses? _______________________________________________________________ 8. What might deter some students from fully-residential courses? _______________________________________________________________ 9. Besides pleasure, what additional benefit do some 'Summer Academy' courses in Britain offer? _______________________________________________________________ 10. Which students can benefit from the variety in these summer courses? _______________________________________________________________ Trang 1
2. Part 3. For questions 11-15, you'll hear a scientist called Jim Weller giving a talk about some robots he has created and how they function like insects called termites. Write the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions according to what you hear. 11. What is a key similarity between the robots and termites in terms of sensing their environment? A. They have unrestricted sensing abilities. B. They can only sense what's immediately around them. C. They can sense things from a long distance. D. They rely on smell to sense their surroundings. 12. How do termites communicate with each other to build complex structures? A. Alterations to the environment B. Direct verbal communication C. Visual signals D. Electronic signals 13. How do both termites and robots handle errors during construction? A. They prevent errors from occurring. B. They ignore errors and continue building. C. They seek feedback to recognize and correct errors. D. They dismantle the structures and start over. 14. What potential future application is mentioned for the robot technology in the short term? A. Building underwater structures B. Constructing buildings on Mars C. Protecting against rising floodwater D. Creating artificial intelligence systems 15. What is one significant implication of the research collaboration with the Turkish group? A. Developing a new type of robot B. Investigating the behavior of bees C. Studying the behavior of flocks of birds D. Creating a mathematical robot model Part 4. For questions 16-25, you'll hear an interview about the history of the underground railway in London, and complete the following summary. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each blank. 16. The London Underground railway, also known as the Tube, recently celebrated its __________ anniversary. 17. Charles Pearson came up with the idea of an underground transport system to alleviate ______ problems in London. 18. The method used to build the first underground lines was called __________. 19. The construction of the initial underground lines caused ______ in central London for a few years. 20. The first set of underground lines was completed by __________. 21. The first underground line opened with only ______ lighting in the tunnels. Trang 2
3. 22. On the opening day, an impressive ______ people utilized the railway, resulting in full trains. 23. The Underground provided work for thousands during the construction and __________. 24. The extension of the Jubilee line opened in 1999 aimed to create a/an __________ sense of going underground. 25. Harry Beck's contribution to the London Underground was the creation of a __________ map that became iconic. B. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (2.0 points) Part 1. For questions 26-35, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following questions. 26. I found the information for the project in the encyclopedia but I couldn’t give ______ and verse on it. A. poem B. unit C. chapter D. extract 27. Floods have completely ______ the farmer’s crop. A. injured B. harmed C. damaged D. ruined 28. When my new motor kept breaking down, I knew I’d been taken for a ______ by the second-hand car salesman. A. drive B. ride C. walk D. stroll 29. Can’t always be elegant; I sometimes enjoy wearing ______ clothes. A. scintillating B. scruffy C. shallow D. sarcastic 30. That you will resign from the job next month ______. A. had better be informed C. had better to inform B. had better to be informed D. had better being informed 31. The dog ______ under the table when I shouted at him for eating my steak. A. slithered B. slunk C. scampered D. strutted 32. They had a terrible row, all because Mike had got hold of the wrong end of the ______when Sonia was explaining what had happened at the beach. A. line B. rope C. ruler D. stick 33. Jane didn't take ______ to your suggestion that she was mean with her money. A. pleasantly B. cheerfully C. kindly D. agreeably 34. I would give up my job ______ if only I could find a better one. A. on the spur of the moment C. at the drop of a hat B. on the dot D. at one swoop 35. Jack was disappointed not to be promoted as he was given to ______ that the job would be his. A. understand B. know C. realise D. Say Trang 3
4. Part 2. For questions 36-40, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Example: (0). UNDOUBTEDLY The myth of the dominant brain hemisphere The theory that the different halves of the human brain govern different skills and personality traits is (0)______ (DOUBT) a popular one. Some companies, for example, require job seekers to state in their applications whether they are ‘right-brained’ or ‘left- brained’. Numerous self-help and business success books claim they have techniques for (36) ______ (STRONG) the ‘weaker’ half of the brain. According to some psychologists that promote the ‘left-brained/ right- brained’ theory, people who use the left side more tend to be detail- oriented and very (37) ______ (ANALYSE). In contrast, people who tap into the right side most are typically spontaneous, good at languages, and demonstrate greater (38) ______ (CREATE). Too bad the theory isn’t true. Over the last decade, neuroscientists have scanned the brains of thousands of people and have uncovered no evidence to suggest that any of their study (39) ______ (PARTICIPATE) have a stronger left- or right-sided brain network. They point out that the brain would be working very (40) ______ (EFFICIENT) if one half was consistently more active than the other. Their findings may hopefully dissuade people from clinging to the right-brained / left- brained myth. Part 3. The passage below contains 05 grammatical mistakes. For questions 41-45, IDENTIFY the mistakes and WRITE YOUR CORRECTIONS in the answer sheet. Content Lines The United Nations predict that the world population will has reached 9.8 billion 1 by 2050, but our farmland will probably not be able to support the necessary food 2 production. A solution may be to grow crops and raise animals on top of skyscrapers 3 or, alternatively, develop indoor farming used artificial light. The crops will be 4 grow in vertical containers of water rather than soil, and then fertilized by the waste 5 products from animals. Computers will control the process automatic, making sure 6 the plants get the right balance of food and light. This means we’ll enjoy a variety 7 of food all year round without relying on the weather or damaging the land further. 8 In the same way, creating meat and seafood by growing cells from the muscle of an 9 animal in the laboratory is a fast-approaching reality. This lab-grown or ‘clean’ 10 meat could mean that we no longer need to raise animals on farms. Both advances 11 will help to reduce the impact farming have on the environment. 12 Example: (0). Line 1: has have 41. Line _______ 42. Line _______ 43. Line _______ 44. Line _______ 45. Line _______ Trang 4
5. C. READING (5.0 points) Part 1. For questions 46-55, read the passage and fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word. Tone can be described as the (46) _____ of a written text. If you were reading the text aloud, how would it sound? When someone is speaking, their facial (47) ______, actions and the quality of their voice (volume, speed of delivery) all (48) ______ to indicate the speaker’s attitude and help convey their message. In a film, the director will often advise the actor of the tone of voice to adopt, and may, for example, draw on music or lighting to convey mood or (49) ______ of emotion. In a written text, the language must portray the tone and give the piece its emotional ‘flavor’, although sometimes tone can be read from the response of other characters. When you create your own texts, try reading your work aloud in different tones and decide whether your reader will need some indication of how to (50) ______ the tone you intend. The way writers group their words and where they place (51) ______ determines the tone. Many words have positive or negative connotations which will affect the readers (52) ______ reaction to the writing, so word selection is very important when trying to convey (53)______ tone. The emotional tone of a text can range from neutral to (54) ______ emotive. A shorter text may have a single, consistent tone all the halfway through, but the creators of most texts employ a range of different (55) ______. Part 2. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 56-62, read the passage and choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra paragraph which you do not need to use. The enduring myth of music and maths As a mathematician with strong musical interest who grew up in a family of musicians, I have been asked about the connection between music and maths many times. And I have bad news: although there are some obvious similarities between mathematical and musical activity, there is (as yet) no compelling evidence for the kind of mysterious, almost magical connection that many people seem to believe in. I’m partly referring here to the ‘Mozart Effect’, the hypothesis that children who have heard music by Mozart are supposedly more intelligent, including at mathematics, than children from a control group. 56 Of course, this conclusion does not show that there is no interesting connection between mathematics and music. It was always a little implausible that lazily listening to a concerto would earn you extra marks on that maths test you are taking tomorrow, but what about learning to read music or spending hours practising the piano? That takes genuine effort. 57 Demonstrating a connection of this kind is not as easy as one might think. To begin with, there are plenty of innumerate musicians and tone-deaf mathematicians, so the best one could hope to demonstrate would be a significant positive correlation between the aptitudes at the two disciplines. And then one would face all the usual challenges of establishing a statistical connection. 58 And yet, the belief that the two are interestingly related won’t go away without a fight. I cannot help observing that among the mathematicians I know, there do seem to be a surprising number who are very good indeed at the piano. 59 Trang 5
6. Indeed, yes, we can. For a start, both mathematics and music deal with abstract structures, so if you become good at one, then it is plausible that you become good at something more general - handling abstract structures - that helps you with the other. If this is correct, then it would show a connection between mathematical and musical ability, but not the kind of obscure connection that people hope for. 60 Of course, abstract structures are not confined to mathematics and music. If you are learning a foreign language then you need to understand its grammar and syntax, which are prime examples of abstract structures. And yet we don’t hear people asking about a mysterious connection between mathematical ability and linguistic ability. 61 In an effort to dispel this air of contradiction, let me give one example of a general aptitude that is useful in both mathematics and music: the ability to solve problems of the “A is to B as C is to D” kind. These appears in intelligence tests (car is to garage as aircraft is to what?) but they are also absolutely central to both music and mathematics. 62 I take the view that the general question of whether mathematical ability and musical ability are related is much less interesting than some similar but more specific questions. Are musicians more drawn to certain composers (Bach, for instance)? Are musical mathematicians more drawn to certain areas of mathematics? One can imagine many interesting surveys and experiments that could be done, but for now this is uncharted territory and all we can do is speculate. Missing paragraphs: A. I feel that it would be more like the straightforward link between ability at football and ability at cricket. To become better at one of those then you need to improve your finest and co-ordination. That makes you better at sport in general. B. For example, identifying and controlling for other potentially influential factors is difficult, and as far as I know, there has been no truly convincing study of that type that has shown that musical ability enhances mathematical ability or vice versa. C. The second phrase is a clear answer to the first. But one can be more precise about what this means. If you try to imagine any other second phrase, nothing seems ‘right’ in the way that Mozart’s chosen phrase does. D. Could it be that the rewards for that time-consuming dedication spill over into other areas of intellectual life, and in particular into mathematics? Is there any evidence that people who have worked hard to become good at music are better at mathematics than people who are completely unmusical? And in the other direction, are mathematicians better than average at music? E. My guess is that that is because the link exists but not the uncertainty; grammar feels mathematical. Music, by contrast, is strongly tied up with one’s emotions and can be enjoyed even by people who know very little about it. As such, it seems very different from mathematics, so any connection between the two is appealingly paradoxical. Trang 6
7. F. It is not hard to see why such a theory would be taken seriously; we would all like to become better at mathematics without putting in any effort. But the conclusions of the original experiment have been grossly exaggerated. If you want your brain to work better, then not surprisingly, you have to put in some hard graft; there is no such thing as an intellectual perpetual-motion machine. Mozart CDs for babies, and toys that combine maths and music might help, but not much, and the effects are temporary. G. I believe that there is a study waiting to be done on this: are mathematicians more drawn to this rather than to other instruments? Of the mathematicians I can think of who are superb instrumentalists, all but one are pianists. While we wait for scientific evidence to back up the anecdotal evidence, can we at least argue that it is plausible that there should be a connection? H. Music is full of little puzzles like this. If you are good at them, then when you listen to a piece, expectations will constantly be set up in your mind. Of course, some of the best moments in music come when one’s expectations are confounded, but if you don’t have the expectations in the first place then you will miss out on the pleasure. Part 3. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON BUTTERFLIES IN BRITAIN According to conservationists, populations of around two thirds of butterfly species have declined in Britain over the past 40 years. If this trend continues, it might have unpredictable knock-on effects for other species in the ecosystem. Butterfly eggs develop into caterpillars and these insects, which are the second stage in a new butterfly's lifecycle, consume vast quantities of plant material, and in turn act as prey for birds as well as bats and other small mammals. Only by arming themselves with an understanding of why butterfly numbers are down can conservationists hope to halt or reverse the decline. Butterflies prefer outdoor conditions to be 'just right', which means neither too hot nor too cold. Under the conditions of climate change, the temperature at any given time in summer is generally getting warmer, leaving butterflies with the challenge of how to deal with this. One of the main ways in which species are ensuring conditions suit them is by changing the time of year at which they are active and reproduce. Scientists refer to the timing of such lifecycle events as 'phenology', so when an animal or plant starts to do something earlier in the year than it usually does, it is said to be 'advancing its phenology'. These advances have been observed already in a wide range of butterflies – indeed, most species are advancing their phenology to some extent. In Britain, as the average spring temperature has increased by roughly 0.5 °C over the past 20 years, species have advanced by between three days and a week on average, to keep in line with cooler temperatures. Is this a sign that butterflies are well equipped to cope with climate change, and readily adjust to new temperatures? Or are these populations under stress, being dragged along unwillingly by unnaturally fast changes? The answer is still unknown, but a new study is seeking to answer these questions. First, the researchers pulled together data from millions of records that had been submitted by butterfly enthusiasts – people who spend their free time observing the activities of different species. This provided information on 130 species of butterflies in Great Britain every year for a 20-year period. They then estimated the abundance and distribution of each species across this time, along with how far north in the country they had moved. The data also, crucially, allowed researchers to estimate subtle changes in what time of the year each species was changing into an adult butterfly. Trang 7
8. Analysing the trends in each variable, the researchers discovered that species with more flexible lifecycles were more likely to be able to benefit from an earlier emergence driven by climate change. Some species are able to go from caterpillar to butterfly twice or more per year, so that the individual butterflies you see flying in the spring are the grandchildren or great-grandchildren of the individuals seen a year previously. Among these species, researchers observed that those which have been advancing their phenology the most over the 20-year study period also had the most positive trends in abundance, distribution and northwards extent. For these species, such as Britain's tiniest butterfly, the dainty Small Blue, whose colonies are up to a hundred strong, some develop into butterflies early in spring, allowing their summer generations to complete another reproductive cycle by autumn so that more population growth occurs. Other species, however, are less flexible and restricted to a single reproductive cycle per year. For these species, there was no evidence of any benefit to emerging earlier. Indeed, worryingly, it was found that the species in this group that specialise in very specific habitat types, often related to the caterpillar's preferred diet, actually tended to be most at harm from advancing phenology. The beautiful High Brown Fritillary, often described as Britain's most endangered butterfly, is in this group. It is found only in coppiced woodland and limestone pavement habitats. It is also a single-generation butterfly that has advanced its phenology. This suggests that climate change, while undoubtedly not the sole cause, might have played a part in the downfall of this species. All is not lost, however. Many of Britain's single-generation species show the capacity, in continental Europe, to add a second generation in years that are sufficiently warm. Therefore, as the climate continues to warm, species like the Silver-studded Blue might be able to switch to multiple generations in the UK as well, and so begin to extract benefits from the additional warmth, potentially leading to population increases. More immediately, conservationists can arm themselves with all this knowledge to spot the warning signs of species that may be at risk. The White Admiral of southern England, a much sought-after butterfly, experienced a significant increase in numbers from the 1920s but has shown a considerable decline in the past 20 years. This may be because the caterpillar exists solely on a diet of a plant called honeysuckle. But it is also likely to be due to climate change. For questions 63-68, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG). 63. Forty years ago, there were fewer butterflies in Britain than at present. 64. Caterpillars are eaten by a number of different predators. 65. 'Phenology' is a term used to describe a creature's ability to alter the location of a lifecycle event. 66. Some species of butterfly have a reduced lifespan due to spring temperature increases. 67. There is a clear reason for the adaptations that butterflies are making to climate change. 68. The data used in the study was taken from the work of amateur butterfly watchers. For questions 69- 75, complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Trang 8
9. Butterflies in the UK The Small Blue lives in large (69)______. first appears at the start of (70)______. completes more than one reproductive cycle per year The High Brown Fritillary has one reproductive cycle is considered to be more (71)______ than other species its caterpillars occupy a limited range of (72)______. The Silver-studded Blue is already able to reproduce twice a year in warm areas of (73)______. The White Admiral is found in (74)______ areas of England both climate change and the (75)______ of the caterpillar are possible reasons for decline Part 4. For questions 76 – 85, read the following passage and choose the answer A, B, C or D which fits best according to the text. It stands to reason that galaxies, large star systems that contain millions or even billions of stars, should collide with one another fairly often, given that the average separation between galaxies is only approximately 20 times the diameter of the average galaxy. In contrast, stars almost never collide because the average distance between stars is astronomical, perhaps 10,000,000 times their diameter. Using a telescope, it is possible to find hundreds of galaxies that appear to be colliding. However, when two galaxies appear to come into contact, there is in reality no direct contact between the stars of one galaxy and the stars of the other. Instead, the two galaxies pass through each other, and the gravitational forces in the two galaxies alter the shapes of the galaxies, often producing tails and bridges. One well-known pair of colliding galaxies, for example, is called the Mice because each of the two interacting galaxies resembles a mouse with a long tail, and the Whirlpool galaxy appears to be connected to a smaller galaxy by means of a bridge extending from one of its long spirals. It is impossible for astronomers to monitor the changing shapes of colliding galaxies because the interactions between galaxies last hundreds of millions of years, but it is possible to study galaxies in various stages of collision and draw conclusions about what happens when galaxies collide. In certain situations, when two galaxies collide, they do not always pass through each other and emerge as two separate galaxies. In one situation, if two galaxies are moving slowly enough, they may collide and then may not have enough velocity to escape each other's gravitational pull after the collision. In this case, the two galaxies will collide, and then move past each other, and then be pulled back to collide again, and continue this way until they eventually merge into a single galaxy. In another situation, if a much larger galaxy comes into contact with a smaller galaxy, the larger galaxy may absorb the smaller one in a process called galactic cannibalism. In this process, a larger galaxy first pulls away the outer stars of the smaller galaxy and then begins to pull at the denser core. While the process of galactic Trang 9
10. cannibalism is taking place and the two galaxies are merging into one, the cores of both the larger galaxy and the smaller galaxy can be clearly visible. Some giant elliptical galaxies, with what appear to be multiple nuclei, have been found in the skies, and astronomers once thought that these giant galaxies were giant galactic cannibals that had consumed many smaller galaxies recently enough that the cores of the cannibalized galaxies were still intact. One such galaxy, with what appeared to be eight separate nuclei, was found and was used to put forth the hypothesis that galaxies could be voracious monsters capable of swallowing up uncountable other galaxies simultaneously. However, further studies have shown that the numerous nuclei that seemed to be part of a single large galaxy were in reality the nuclei of smaller galaxies that were in front of or behind the larger galaxy. Thus, astronomers are now confident that galactic cannibalism exists among a limited number of interacting galaxies; however, astronomers are not convinced of the existence of cannibalistic galactic monsters that swallow up large numbers of smaller galaxies simultaneously. Signs of galactic cannibalism exist even in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, Astronomers have found younger stars south of the galaxy's disk, where only older stars should be found, suggesting that the younger stars formed when our galaxy cannibalized a smaller galaxy. Furthermore, it can be clearly seen now that our galaxy is beginning to digest the Magellanic Clouds, which are small irregular galaxies that are companions to the Milky Way and are visible in the southern skies over Earth. 76. Which of the followings is NOT true according to paragraph 1? A. Galaxies may contain billions of stars. B. On the average, the distance between galaxies is around 20 times the diameter of a galaxy. C. It is unusual for stars to collide. D. The average distance between stars is 70 times their diameter. 77. The author mentions tails and bridges in paragraph 2 in order to ______. A. provide a visual Image of the parts of galaxies that have been affected by gravitational forces B. provide examples of the types of galaxies that tend to collide C. describe the recognizable characteristics of the colliding galaxies called the Mice D. create visual roadmap of the routes that galaxies take through the skies 78. The word “last” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ______. A. end in B. endure for C. finish with D. lose out to 79. The word “merge” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______. A. divide B. swallow C. join D. appear 80. What occurs during galactic cannibalism, according to paragraph 3? A. A larger galaxy is absorbed by a smaller one. B. The first step involves pulling at the core of the smaller galaxy. C. The outer stars of the smaller galaxy are absorbed by its core. D. The core of the smaller galaxy generally manages to remain visible. Trang 10
11. 81. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the italic sentence in paragraph 4? A. Astronomers have recently found some giant galaxies that have cannibalized a number of galaxies. B. Astronomers used to think that certain giant galaxies that appeared to have a number of nuclei were galactic cannibals. C. When astronomers find galaxies with multiple nuclei, they know that they have found galactic cannibals. D. Even though a galaxy has multiple nuclei, it is not certain whether or not the galaxy is a galactic cannibal. 82. The phrase “put forth” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______. A. encounter B. understand C. deny D. promote 83. Why does the author mention voracious monsters in paragraph 4? A. To emphasize how violently the galaxies strike each other B. To emphasize how much energy the giant galaxies consume C. To emphasize how many smaller galaxies the giant galaxies seem to consume D. To emphasize how really big the giant galaxies are 84. It is stated in paragraph 4 that scientists today are quite certain that ______. A. galactic cannibalism does not really exist B. there is a limited amount of galactic cannibalism C. galactic cannibalism is commonplace D. galactic cannibals are capable of taking over numerous small galaxies at the same time 85. Based on the information in paragraph 5, what will most likely happen to the Magellanic Clouds in the distant future? A. They will become galactic cannibals. B. They will develop separate nuclei. C. They will become regular galaxies. D. They will become part of the Milky Way. Part 5. Read an article about whether the internet is changing our lives and the way we think. For questions 86-95, choose the selections from A to D in which the given statements are mentioned. Is the internet changing our lives? A. Sarah The internet often tells us what we think we know, spreading misinformation and nonsense while it's at it. It can substitute surface for depth, imitation for authenticity, and its passion for recycling would surpass the most committed environmentalist. In 10 years, I've seen thinking habits change dramatically if information is not immediately available via a Google search, people are often completely at a loss. And of course a Google search merely provides the most popular answer, not necessarily the most accurate. Nevertheless, there is no question, to my mind, that the access to raw information provided by the internet is Trang 11
12. unparalleled. We've all read that the internet sounds the death knell of reading, but people read online constantly – we just call it surfing now. What's being read is changing, often for the worse; but it is also true that the internet increasingly provides a treasure trove of rare documents and images, and as long as we have free access to it, then the internet can certainly be a force for education and wisdom. B. Geoff Sometimes I think my ability to concentrate is being nibbled away by the internet. In those quaint days before the internet, once you made it to your desk there wasn't much to do. Now you sit down and there's a universe of possibilities – many of them obscurely relevant to the work you should be getting on with – to tempt you. To think that I can be sitting here, trying to write something about the Swedish film director lngmar Bergman and, a moment later, on the merest whim, while I'm in Swedish mode, can be watching a clip from a Swedish documentary about the jazz musician Don Cherry – that is a miracle (albeit one with a very potent side-effect, namely that it's unlikely I'll ever have the patience to sit through an entire Bergman film again). Then there's another thing. From the age of 16, I got into the habit of compiling detailed indexes in the backs of books of poetry and drama. So if there was a quote I needed for an assignment, I would spend hours going through my books, seeking it out. Now I just google keywords. C. Colin It's curious that some of the most vociferous critics of the internet – those who predict that it will produce generations of couch potatoes – are the very sorts of people who are benefiting most from this wonderful, liberating, organic extension of the human mind. They are academics, scientists, scholars and writers, who fear that the extraordinary technology they use every day is a danger to the unsophisticated. They underestimate the capacity of the human mind to capture and capitalise on new ways of storing and transmitting information. When I was at school, I learned by heart great swathes of science textbooks. What a waste of my neurons, all clogged up with knowledge and rules that I can now obtain with the click of a mouse. At its best, the internet is no threat to our minds. It is another liberating extension of them, as significant as books, the abacus or the pocket calculator. D. Ian The evidence that the internet has a deleterious effect on the brain is zero. In fact, by looking at the way human beings gain knowledge in general, you would probably argue the opposite. The opportunity to have multiple sources of information or opinion at your fingertips, and to dip into these rather than trawl laboriously through a whole book, is highly conducive to the acquisition of knowledge. It is being argued by some that the information coming into the brain from the internet is the wrong kind of information. It's too short, it doesn't have enough depth, so there is a qualitative loss. It's an interesting point, but the only way you could argue it is to say that people are misusing the internet It's a bit like saying to someone who's never seen a car before and has no idea what it is: "Why don't you take it for a drive and you'll find out?" If you seek information on the internet like that, there's a good chance you'll have a crash. But that's because your experience has yet to grasp what a car is. Which person gives each of these opinions about the Internet? - Reservations about the benefits of universal access to it are unfounded. 86. ______ -It excels in its ability to disseminate facts. 87. ______ - Its power to sidetrack can be both positive and negative. 88. ______ Trang 12
13. - It assists learning by exposing people to a wider range of ideas than was previously possible. 89. ______ - Much of the material on it is not original. 90. ______ - It enables us to follow up on ideas that suddenly occur to us. 91. ______ - It is only with time and practice that we can make the best use of the Internet. 92. ______ - The quality of material is questionable. 93. ______ - It still requires people to process the written word. 94. ______ - It has reduced the need to memorise information. . 95. ______ D. WRITING (6.0 points) Part 1. Read the following passage and use your own words to summarise it. Your summary should be between 100 and 120 words. In the 1960s, doctors studying the survivors of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic began to notice a trend: patients who were infants or young adults at the time of the pandemic appeared to had been two or three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than others. Neurologists attempting to understand why this happens believe that this virus may be able to enter and, in some cases, damage the brain, starting a process of degeneration which can lead to Parkinson’s. Now, they are trying to monitor whether the current COVID pandemic will also trigger a higher rate of Parkinson’s cases in the coming years. “We don’t know but we need to consider that this could become the case,” says Patrik Brundin, a Parkinson’s researcher. “There are several studies highlighting that people who have recovered from COVID often have long-term central nervous system impairments, including loss of sense of smell and taste, brain fog, depression, and anxiety.” Over the past year, scientists like Brundin have been concerned by a small number of case studies describing patients who have developed abnormal symptoms similar to Parkinson’s such as tremors, muscle stiffness, and impaired speech after COVID-19 infection. More recent research has found that some COVID patients have disruptions in one of the human body’s most critical systems, known as the kynurenine pathway, which is used to produce a number of crucial amino acids required for brain health. When it malfunctions, there can be an accumulation of toxins which are thought to play a role in causing Parkinson’s disease. Many feel that there is a need for continued monitoring of any Parkinson’s-like symptoms which emerge in people previously infected with COVID, in case the near future reveals a gradual spike in cases. However, Parkinson’s is not the only concern. Experts around the world are trying to figure out if COVID-19 will induce a hidden wave of other illnesses related to the effects of the Sars-CoV-2 virus on our immune system. In the future, these research efforts can help us find new ways of detecting these diseases at an early stage, and even pave the way to new and more effective treatments and vaccines. Trang 13
14. Part 2. The graph below shows the production levels of the main kinds of fuel in the UK between 1981 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write about 150 words. Production levels of the main kinds of fuel in the UK 1981-2000 (1 energy unit: energy from one million tons of oil) 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1981 1986 1991 2000 coal Natural gas Petroleum Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic. Some people believe that children should study all subjects at school as set in the previous stages. However, others think they should only choose to study subjects they are good at or find interesting following the curriculum set by the government in the current stage. Discuss both views and give your opinion. --- THE END --- Họ tên thí sinh: ....................................................................... Số báo danh: ............................ Chữ ký của Giám thị 1: ........................ Chữ ký của Giám thị 2: .................. Trang 14