HỘI ĐỒNG THI UNILISH THE UNITEST SERIES

TEST 2

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH

Thời gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian ra đề)
Ngày thi: 21/08/2021
(Đề thi gồm 17 trang)
• Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển
• Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm

A. LISTENING: (50 points)

Part 1. Listen to a recorded material about “Super Shoes”. For questions 1-6, decide whether
each of the following statements is TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
1. Technologically supported, super shoes help reduce the risk of injuries in long-distance running.
2. Eliud Kipchoge is the first man to break the 2-hour barrier in an official competition.
3. Female marathon runners have their time improved by more then 2 seconds by super shoes.
4. The use of super shoes creates intense competition among sports manufacturers in the production
of performance-enhancing apparel.
5. The 40-millimeter carbon fiber plate of scoop design enables athletes to propel forward without
losing considerable momentum.
6. There is a special department of World Athletics responsible for the checking and evaluation of
athletes’ sportswear.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Part 2. For questions 7-12, listen to a news report about the surge in covid-19 cases and
answer the question. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for
each answer.
7. What, beside covid-19 infections, has increased since January 16th?
________________________________________________________________________
8. How many people were admitted to the hospital during January’s record high?
________________________________________________________________________
9. What have some American cities and counties reinstated after loosening pandemic restrictions?
________________________________________________________________________
10. What are all governmental workforce and military personnel required to do against the
pandemic, apart from periodic clinical trials?
________________________________________________________________________
11. What is currently to blame for most of the covid-19 cases in the U.S?
________________________________________________________________________
12. What did a majority of infected patients who were previously vaccinated have in common with
their infected but unvaccinated counterparts?
________________________________________________________________________

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Part 3. You will hear a part of a radio interview with a diver. For questions 13-17 complete the
sentence with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS.
John’s first experience of diving involved putting a (13) __________ around his body.

He says that years ago, diving could be compared with (14) __________.

The diving equipment he had in the Army has previously been used for (15) __________.

John's worst mistake happened when he was trying to recover a very old (16) __________.

When he got to the surface on that occasion, he had problems with his lungs and his (17) __________.

Part 4. Listen to a recorded material about a transgender athlete competing in the Olympics
Games 2020. For questions 18-25, complete the following sentences with NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS.
Laurel Hubbard is competing in the Olympics Games as (18) __________.
Having met (19) __________ standards, she is allowed to participate in the Games.
A relatively (20) __________ athlete, Hubbard finished second in the 2017 World Championships.
New Zealander officials are (21) __________ of the sensitive balance between the rights of athletes
and fairness in sports.
Hubbard claimed that she was (22) __________ and thankful to be an Olympian.
The participation of Hubbard sparks more (23) __________ in the sports circuit.
There have been (24) __________ from Hubbard’s rivals as to advantages of transgender athletes.
Despite controversies, New Zealanders are still (25) __________ their compatriots, including Hubbard.
B. LEXICO-GRAMMAR: (30 points)
Part 1. For questions 26-45, choose the letter A, B, C or D that indicates the correct answer to
each of the following questions. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes
provided.
26. The cutting or replacement of trees downtown _____ certain threat to the ozone layer of late.
A. have posed B. has posed C. poses D. pose
27. It is imperative that the company _____ technology into the recruitment process.
A. incorporated B. incorporates C. incorporate D. be incorporated
28. What _____ at 8 o’clock last night? I phoned you but couldn’t get through to you.
A. were you doing B. did you do C. had you done D. could you do
29. _____, the committee reached the final consensus.
A. Due to serving the scrumptious feast B. As they are served the delicious dinner
C. Having served the lavish meal D. Having been served the palatable repast
30. The man felt under the _____ to hear that he had been dismissed by his employer.
A. gun B. lash C. knife D. weather
31. The ruler displayed at the museum is believed to be as _____ as a ramrod.
A. fierce B. stiff C. strong D. rigid
32. The tear-streaked girl remains _____ in love to wait for her boyfriend returning from the army.
A. sordid B. incandescent C. steadfast D. tortuous
33. It is such a _____ day that even the big-headed dog is cheerful.
A. clement B. indignant C. indolent D. wayward
34. He inherited a colossal _____ of $135,000 when his father passed away.
A. ordeal B. trudge C. epic D. bequest
35. The moneyed, _____ woman started to belittle all the works of the volunteers because of their
hypocrisy she deemed.
A. hurly-burly B. higgledy-piggledy C. hoity-toity D. hunky-dory
36. Reductions in carbon footprint could help _____ global warming.
A. dwindle B. retard C. withhold D. waver

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37. She _____ a grudge against her uncle because she witnessed he had killed her mother.
A. portrayed B. shattered C. scattered D. harboured
38. The car has been designed to _____ to Japanese safety requirements.
A. conform B. obey C. comply D. adhere
39. Over-exposure to the sun makes his weather-beaten complexion become _____.
A. tarnished B. pristine C. sullen D. swarthy
40. She found the book absolutely _____ and unputdownable.
A. nailing B. unfastening C. riveting D. pinning
41. It is relatively easy for newcomers to pick off the most _____ lucrative business and ignore the
rest.
A. exponentially B. utterly C. discernably D. potentially
42. You should bring a(n) _____ suitcase because the business trip will last about a fortnight.
A. salutary B. capacious C. cantankerous D. overt
43. There had been a(n) _____ silence before he sparked off a blazing row.
A. ominous B. lethargic C. discordant D. exposing
44. We view future developments with some _____.
A. depravity B. distortion C. vexation D. euphoria
45. The African struck a _____ against Apartheid policy and for freedom.
A. chord B. deal C. blow D. string

Your answers:
26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

Part 2. For questions 46-50, provide the correct form of the words given in brackets in each of
the following questions.

46. Around 250,000 (REFUSE) _____ have not paid the tax.
47. As the main actor was afflicted, the (STUDY) _____ had to replace him to finish the movie.
48. The marriage was annulled on grounds of (SANGUINE) _____.
49. To add (SIMILAR) _____, the stage is covered with sand for the desert scenes.
50. Any case of (PRESENT) _____ should be monitored during the delivery episode in case it causes
obstruction.
Your answers:
46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

Part 3. For questions 51-55, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered
space provided in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
What is the proper role of a designer? Some have suggested that designers differ from
engineers in that an engineer, although he or she might proceed intuitively, prefers to test and
test, whereas a designer is entirely happy with intuitive judgments. But, unlike an engineer, a
designer is not responsible for the structural failure of the product. This is not to imply that only
engineers have responsibility for malfunction. Designers have a share of responsibility, especially
in the design of the human/machine (51. FACE) _______ - can this machine be operated safely
at all times, are the switches, dials, levers or handles in the right place for a human to use
effortlessly? The disciplines of (52. ERG) _______ and product semantics are the disciplines of
the designer’s responsibility to the user.

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 The designer-to-manufacture-to-sales-to-user process is a (53. CONTINUE) _______.
Between ‘a designer’ and ‘a production line’ there are many interpreters. These individuals
together with other specialists such as marketing experts, exist to get an idea into reality and
also to filter out as many uncertainties as possible before a design goes into production. Many
modern designs, especially ones we consider domestic consumer goods, office equipment,
power tools automobiles and aircraft, are not the fruits of one individual’s mind, even if it can be
beneficial from a marketing point of view to play up a single designer’s name as a signature that
gives the product a (54. PROVINCE) _______ in the same way that a painter signs his or her
canvas. In relatively simple, fabricated, (55. MACHINE) _______ objects, such as printed textiles
or tableware, or furniture, a single designer can claim responsibility for the design of the whole
product.
Your answers:

51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

III. READING: (60 points)

Part 1. For questions 56-65, read the following passages and decide whether A, B, C or D best
fits the gap. Write the answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Tyranny in Ancient Greece
During the 7th B.C, Greece began to experience major social (56) _____. A large divide between the
aristocracy and general (57) _____ developed. Economic, political and social conflict became
(58) _____ More and more average citizens refused to place their trust in their wealthy leaders. The
noble class even began to fight among themselves. Therefore, the poor citizens began to look for an
alternative (59) _____ They desperately wanted a new kind of leader who would take care of their
needs and challenge the aristocracy. Before long, a new ruler known as the tyrant began to come to
(60) _____ in various city-states in ancient Greece, forming a new type of government called a tyranny.
Tyranny did not only fill a political void and (61) _____ the middle and lower classes in ancient Greece.
It also became a (62) _____stone for more developed forms of government. The (63) _____of laws
became another important consequence of tyranny. As more laws became recorded, a new sense of
equality between people became (64) _____. In Athens, this eventually developed into the democratic
spirit which influenced the form of government to follow tyranny. Around 510 B.C, Athens became
the first political (65) _____to ever be ruled by a democratic government.

56. A. ineptitude B. impenetrability C. unrest D. unreality

57. A. folklore B. populace C. members D. public
58. A. commonplace B. ever-present C. everlasting D. popular
59. A. figurehead B. dictator C. community D. despot
60. A. use B. grief C. life D. power
61. A. bolster B. burden C. bespeak D. besiege
62. A. corner B. stepping C. cliff D. main
63. A. acclimatization B. codification C. modification D. accolade
64. A. real B. realistic C. realized D. real-time
65. A. gentility B. entity C. utility D. modernity

Your answers:

56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

61. 62. 63. 64. 65.

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Part 2. For questions 66-75, read the passage and fill each of the following numbered blanks
with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

Tone can be described as the (66) _______ of a written text. If you were reading the text aloud,
how would it sound? When someone is speaking, their facial (67) _______, actions and the quality of
their voice (volume, speed of delivery) all (68) _______ 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 (69) _______ of emotion. In a
written text, the language must portray the tone and give the piece its emotional ‘flavour’, 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 (70) _______ the tone you intend. The way writers group their words and where
they place (71) _______ determines the tone. Many words have positive or negative connotations
which will affect the readers (72) _______ reaction to the writing, so word selection is very important
when trying to convey a (73) _______ tone. The emotional tone of a text can range from neutral to
(74) _______ emotive. A shorter text may have a single, consistent tone all the (75) _______ through,
but the creators of most texts employ a range of different tones.
Your answers:
66. 67. 68. 69. 70.

71. 72. 73. 74. 75.

Part 3. Read the passage below and do as directed.

Artificial artist
Can computers really create works of art?
The Painting Fool is one of a growing number of computer programs which, so their makers
claim, possess creative talents. Classical music by an artificial composer has had audiences
enraptured, and even tricked them into believing a human was behind the score. Artworks painted
by a robot have sold for thousands of dollars and been hung in prestigious galleries. And software
has been built which creates areas that could not have been imagined by the programmer.
Human beings are the only species to perform sophisticated creative acts regularly. If we can break
this process down into computer code, where does that leave human creativity? ‘This is a question
at the very core of humanity,’ says Geraint Wiggins, a computational creativity researcher at
Goldsmiths, University of London. ‘It scares a lot of people. They are worried that it is taking
something special away from what it means to be human.’
To some extent, we are all familiar with computerised art. The question is: where does the work of
the artist stop and the creativity of the computer begin? Consider one of the oldest machine artists,
Aaron, a robot that has had paintings exhibited in London’s Tate Modern and the San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art. Aaron can pick up a paintbrush and paint on canvas on its own. Impressive
perhaps, but it is still little more than a tool to realise the programmer’s own creative ideas.
Simon Colton, the designer of the Painting Fool, is keen to make sure his creation doesn’t attract
the same criticism. Unlike earlier ‘artists’ such as Aaron, the Painting Fool only needs minimal
direction and can come up with its own concepts by going online for material. The software runs its
own web searches and trawls through social media sites. It is now beginning to display a kind of
imagination too, creating pictures from scratch. One of its original works is a series of fuzzy
landscapes, depicting trees and sky. While some might say they have a mechanical look, Colton
argues that such reactions arise from people’s double standards towards software-produced and
human-produced art. After all, he says, consider that the Painting Fool painted the landscapes
without referring to a photo. ‘If a child painted a new scene from its head, you’d say it has a certain

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level of imagination,’ he points out. ‘The same should be true of a machine.’ Software bugs can
also lead to unexpected results. Some of the Painting Fool’s paintings of a chair came out in black
and white, thanks to a technical glitch. This gives the work an eerie, ghostlike quality. Human artists
like the renowned Ellsworth Kelly are lauded for limiting their colour palette – so why should
computers be any different?
Researchers like Colton don’t believe it is right to measure machine creativity directly to that of
humans who ‘have had millennia to develop our skills’. Others, though, are fascinated by the
prospect that a computer might create something as original and subtle as our best artists. So far,
only one has come close. Composer David Cope invented a program called Experiments in Musical
Intelligence, or EMI. Not only did EMI create compositions in Cope’s style, but also that of the most
revered classical composers, including Bach, Chopin and Mozart. Audiences were moved to tears,
and EMI even fooled classical music experts into thinking they were hearing genuine Bach. Not
everyone was impressed however. Some, such as Wiggins, have blasted Cope’s work as
pseudoscience, and condemned him for his deliberately vague explanation of how the software
worked. Meanwhile, Douglas Hofstadter of Indiana University said EMI created replicas which still
rely completely on the original artist’s creative impulses. When audiences found out the truth they
were often outraged with Cope, and one music lover even tried to punch him. Amid such
controversy, Cope destroyed EMI’s vital databases.
But why did so many people love the music, yet recoil when the discovered how it was
composed? A study by computer scientist David Moffat of Glasgow Caledonian University provides
a clue. He asked both expert musicians and non-experts to assess six compositions. The
participants weren’t told beforehand whether the tunes were composed by humans or computers,
but were asked to guess, and then rate how much they liked each one. People who thought the
composer was a computer tended to dislike the piece more than those who believed it was human.
This was true even among the experts, who might have been expected to be more objective in their
analyses.
Where does this prejudice come from? Paul Bloom of Yale University has a suggestion: he
reckons part of the pleasure we get from art stems from the creative process behind the work. This
can give it an ‘irresistible essence’, says Bloom. Meanwhile, experiments by Justin Kruger of New
York University have shown that people’s enjoyment of an artwork increases if they think more time
and effort was needed to create it. Similarly, Colton thinks that when people experience art, they
wonder what the artist might have been thinking or what the artist is trying to tell them. It seems
obvious, therefore, that with computers producing art, this speculation is cut short – there’s nothing
to explore. But as technology becomes increasingly complex, finding those greater depths in
computer art could become possible. This is precisely why Colton asks the Painting Fool to tap into
online social networks for its inspiration: hopefully this way it will choose themes that will already be
meaningful to us.
* For questions 76-80, choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
76. What is the writer suggesting about computer-produced works in the first paragraph?
A. They have had more success in some artistic genres than in others.
B. The advances are not as significant as the public believes them to be.
C. People’s acceptance of them can vary considerably.
D. A great deal of progress has already been attained in this field.
77. According to Geraint Wiggins, why are many people worried by computer art?
A. It will lead to a deterioration in human ability.
B. It undermines a fundamental human quality.
C. It may ultimately supersede human art.
D. It is aesthetically inferior to human art.
78. What is a key difference between Aaron and the Painting Fool?
A. public response to its work
B. the technical standard of its output
C. its programmer’s background
D. the source of its subject matter

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79. What point does Simon Colton make in the fourth paragraph?
A. The same concepts of creativity should not be applied to all forms of art.
B. Software-produced art is often dismissed as childish and simplistic.
C. People tend to judge computer art and human art according to different criteria.
D. It is unreasonable to expect a machine to be as imaginative as a human being.
80. The writer refers to the paintings of a chair as an example of computer art which
A. highlights the technical limitations of the software.
B. achieves a particularly striking effect.
C. exhibits a certain level of genuine artistic skill.
D. closely resembles that of a well-known artist.

Your answers:
76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

* For questions 81-85, complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-G below.

81. Simon Colton says it is important to consider the long-term view then
82. David Cope’s EMI software surprised people by
83. Geraint Wiggins criticized Cope for not
84. Douglas Hofstadter claimed that EMI was
85. Audiences who had listened to EMI’s music became angry after

List of Ideas
A. knowing whether it was the work of humans or software.
B. producing work entirely dependent on the imagination of its creator.
C. revealing the technical details of his program.
D. generating work that was virtually indistinguishable from that of humans.
E. comparing the artistic achievements of humans and computers.
F. discovering that it was the product of a computer program
G. persuading the public to appreciate computer art.

Your answers:
81. 82. 83. 84. 85.

* For questions 86-88, decide whether each statement is YES (Y), NO (N) or NOT GIVEN (NG).
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

86. Moffat’s research may help explain people’s reactions to EMI.

87. The non-experts in Moffat’s study all responded in a predictable way.
88. Justin Kruger’s findings cast doubt on Paul Bloom’s theory about people’s prejudice towards
computer art.

Your answers:
86. 87. 88.

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Part 4. For questions 89-95, read the following passage. Seven paragraphs have been removed
from the passage. Choose from paragraphs A-H the one that fits each gap. There is ONE extra
paragraph which you do not need to use.
Build it yourself at the UK's first bamboo bike workshop
A course at the Bamboo Bike Club, run by engineers James Marr and Ian McMillan, buys you a
computer-designed custom frame plus a fun weekend of bike-building.
It's Saturday morning in Hackney Wick, east London, and apart from a mechanic deep in the
bowels of a truck, the only sign of life among the small factories on a backstreet is a whine of
machinery from an upper window -work has begun at Bamboo Bike Club, Britain's only bamboo
bike-building course. I've gone along to watch the action.
89

There's a sense of energy and industry. And fun. Woodwork class was never like this. Bamboo is
one of the most interesting trends to emerge in bike construction. Names like Californian
manufacturer Calfee Design or Yorkshire's Bamboo Bikes have revived a construction method
pioneered as early as 1894. The problem for most cyclists is the price. A ready-made bamboo frame
from these companies’ retails for $2,995, or £1,868.

90

Only after they had refined their research into a marketable product - James now tosses out
phrases like 'close-noded thick-wall tubes' while talking about bamboo - did they realise they were
on the wrong track. “We realised we didn't want just to sell frames. We wanted to share the joy of
making something; the craft of creating something unique and sustainable,” James explains.

91

The question for me, a king of the botch job-my terrible handiwork failures litters my house -was
about quality. On day one, the boys explain how to select bamboo for strength and how to form
strong joints before tubes are glued lightly in place in the workshop: first the front triangle is
composed of 40 mm diameter bamboo; then the thinner, more fiddly seat and the chain assembly.
Alloy tubes are inserted for the handlebars, wheel forks and other parts which require the strength
and precise engineering impossible in bamboo.

92

James and Ian buzz cheerfully between workbenches, supervising every cut, triple-checking every
joint, and will take over if a task seems insurmountable. The self-build is half the attraction for most

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participants; it may be no coincidence that all those on this course were engineers. For the rest of
us, Ian reassures that everyone messes up once or twice.

93

Sunday is a more relaxed day, mainly spent building the lugs. Or rather, wraps: hemp bindings
wrapped around the joints and dropouts then glued with epoxy resin to form a strong bond that
disperses loads evenly throughout the frame. With a final polymer coating for waterproofing, the bike
is ready for wheels, brakes, gears, saddle and any other individual touches. And it is a bike built for
the long haul, just as strong, the pair claim, as its metal equivalents.

94

Technical issues aside, how good does a bamboo bike look? Somewhat scruffy alongside
professional frames, it turns out -the hemp weave can look a bit like parcel tape, for example. But
there's no denying their individuality and that, say James and Ian, is the point.
95

They also cycle well. I take James's bike for a spin and the ride is light, stiff and smooth thanks
to bamboo's ability to dampen vibration. Impressive, considering I target every pothole. 'Some people
love the build, but for me these workshops come together when the bike is on the road,' James says.
'They're so light, so effortless to ride. So much fun to ride too -take a Harley-style retro bike, add 10
and you're still not close.' And the price? Less than £500.

Missing paragraphs:

A. All this, together with the technical skill involved. in using jigs, power tools and design blueprints,
is a leap of faith for someone whose idea of DIY is flatpack furniture assembly. Accurate cutting for
a clean joint can be tricky, for example.

B. Personally though, I believe that any bicycle made from this kind of material should be a relaxed
affair, something for cruising sedately around on rather than racing. I therefore plump for a frame that
avoids the stiff angularity of my existing metal machine: a 'Classic English' giving a gentle, easy-
going ride.

C. Frames have been set up for the three custom bikes under construction. Bamboo has been
selected from a stockpile. Now crossbars and seatposts are being cut according to the lengths
specified on each design's blueprint.

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D. No problem - just get another piece and have another go. Such is the benefit of bamboo. Each
length has been pre-checked for quality, so you get to indulge in frame aesthetics: plain bamboo,
black or mottled.

E. If Calfee and their likes are safe, middle-of-the-road rock, then Bamboo Bike Club are the punks,
the rebels; less up against the big names than creating bikes that embody the DIY spirit and that will
engender more passion than the average factory line model.

F. It was this, plus the design challenge, that led James and Ian to spend years cooped up in a shed
in Brecon, Wales. Their idea was to establish a boutique bamboo bike business with products within
reach of the average cyclist.

G. Ian has ridden his for over a year on a 16-mile commute, while James has failed to destroy one
bike off-road over three months of testing. 'To be honest, our bikes are over-engineered - we use
larger diameter tubes and over-thick bindings - but I prefer it like that,' James says.

H. The outcome was something more community than company, and as such, the Bamboo Bike Club
is still an occupation sandwiched between full-time jobs - James makes wind turbines and Ian is a
civil engineer. But they seem to be on the right track, with monthly courses whose competitive price
buys you a computer-designed custom bike frame plus a fun weekend of bike-building.
Part 5. For questions 96-105, choose the answer A, B, C or D which best fits according to the
passage. Write the answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
That large animals require a luxuriant vegetation has been a general assumption which has
passed from one work to another; but I do not hesitate to say that it is completely false, and that it
has vitiated the reasoning of geologists on some points of great interest in the ancient history of the
world. The prejudice has probably been derived from India, and the Indian islands, where troops of
elephants, noble forests, and impenetrable jungles, are associated in every one's mind. If, however,
we refer to any work of travels through the southern parts of Africa, we shall find allusions in almost
every page either to the desert character of the country, or to the numbers of large animals inhabiting
it. The same thing is rendered evident by the many engravings which have been published of various
parts of the interior. When the Beagle was at Cape Town, I made an excursion of some days' length
into the country, which at least was sufficient to render that which I had read more fully intelligible.

Dr. Andrew Smith, who, at the head of his adventurous party, has lately succeeded in passing
the Tropic of Capricorn, informs me that, taking into consideration the whole of the southern part of
Africa, there can be no doubt of its being a sterile country. On the southern and south-eastern coasts
there are some fine forests, but with these exceptions, the traveler may pass for days together
through open plains, covered by a poor and scanty vegetation. It is difficult to convey any accurate
idea of degrees of comparative fertility; but it may be safely said that the amount of vegetation
supported at any one time by Great Britain, exceeds, perhaps even tenfold, the quantity on an equal
area, in the interior parts of Southern Africa. The fact that bullock-wagons can travel in any direction,

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excepting near the coast, without more than occasionally half an hour's delay in cutting down bushes,
gives, perhaps, a more definite notion of the scantiness of the vegetation. Now, if we look to the
animals inhabiting these wide plains, we shall find their numbers extraordinarily great, and their bulk
immense. We must enumerate the elephant, three species of rhinoceros, and probably, according to
Dr. Smith, two others, the hippopotamus, the giraffe, the bos caffer- as large as a full-grown bull, and
the élan- but little less, two zebras, and the quaccha, two gnus, and several antelopes even larger
than these latter animals. It may be supposed that although the species are numerous, the individuals
of each kind are few. By the kindness of Dr. Smith, I am enabled to show that the case is very different.
He informs me, that in one day's march with the bullock-wagons, he saw, without wandering to any
great distance on either side, between one hundred and one hundred and fifty rhinoceroses, which
belonged to three species: the same day he saw several herds of giraffes, amounting together to
nearly a hundred; and that although no elephant was observed, yet they are found in this district. At
the distance of a little more than one hour's march from their place of encampment on the previous
night, his party actually killed at one spot eight hippopotamuses, and saw many more. In this same
river there were likewise crocodiles. Of course, it was a case quite extraordinary, to see so many
great animals crowded together, but it evidently proves that they must exist in great numbers. Dr.
Smith describes the country passed through that day, as being thinly covered with grass, and bushes
about four feet high, and still more thinly with mimosa trees. The wagons were not prevented travelling
in a nearly straight line.

Besides these large animals, everyone the least acquainted with the natural history of the
Cape, has read of the herds of antelopes, which can be compared only with the flocks of migratory
birds. The numbers indeed of the lion, panther, and hyena, and the multitude of birds of prey, plainly
speak of the abundance of the smaller quadrupeds: one evening seven lions were counted at the
same time prowling round Dr. Smiths encampment. As this able naturalist remarked to me, the
carnage each day in Southern Africa must indeed be terrific! I confess, it is astounding how such a
number of animals can find support in a country producing so little food. The larger quadrupeds no
doubt roam over wide tracts in search of it; and their food chiefly consists of Underwood, which
probably contains much nutriment in a small bulk. Dr. Smith also informs me that the vegetation has
a rapid growth; no sooner is a part consumed than its place is supplied by a fresh stock. There can
be no doubt, however, that our ideas respecting the apparent amount of food necessary for the
support of large quadrupeds are much exaggerated: it should have been remembered that the camel,
an animal of no mean bulk, has always been considered as the emblem of the desert. The belief that
where large quadrupeds exist, the vegetation must necessarily be luxuriant, is the more remarkable,
because the converse is far from true. Mr. Burchell observed to me that when entering Brazil, nothing
struck him more forcibly than the splendor of the South American vegetation contrasted with that of
South Africa together with the absence of all large quadrupeds. On his Travels, he has suggested
that the comparison of the respective weights (if there were sufficient data) of an equal number of the
largest herbivorous quadrupeds of each country would be extremely curious. If we take on the one
side, the elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, bos caffer, élan, certainly three, and probably five species
of rhinoceros; and on the American side, two tapirs, the guanaco, three deer, the vicuña, peccari,
capybara (after which we must choose from the monkeys to complete the number), and then place
these two groups alongside each other, it is not easy to conceive ranks more disproportionate in size.
After the above facts, we are compelled to conclude, against anterior probability, that among the
mammalian there exists no close relation between the hulk of the species, and the quantity of the
vegetation, in the countries which they inhabit.

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96. What is the primary concern of the author?
A. Discussing the relationship between the size of mammals and the nature of vegetation in their
habitats
B. Contrasting ecological condition in Indian and Africa
C. Proving the large animals do not require much food
D. Describing the size of animals in various parts of the world
97. According to the extract, the “prejudice” has led to ________.
A. errors in the reasoning of biologists
B. false ideas about animals in Africa
C. doubt in the mind of the author
D. incorrect assumptions on parts of geologists
98. The author referred Dr. Smith to _______.
A. supply information on quality and quantity of plant life in South Africa
B. indicate the presence of large numbers of animals
C. give evidence of numbers of carnivorous animals
D. All are correct
99. “The flocks of migratory birds” are mentioned to _______.
A. describe an aspect of the fauna of South Africa
B. indicate the abundance of wildlife
C. contrast the habits of the antelope
D. suggest the size of antelope herds
100. What does “carnage” refer to?
A. Number of animals killed by hunters
B. Number of prey animals killed by predators
C. Number of people killed by lions
D. Amount of food eaten by all species
101. To account for the surprising number of animals in a “country producing so little food”, Darwin
suggests all of the following as partial explanation, EXCEPT:
A. Food requirements have been overestimated
B. Rapid regrowth of plant materials
C. Large area for animals to forage in
D. Mainly carnivorous animals
102. The author makes his point by referencing to all the following, EXCEPT:
A. historical documents
B. published illustrations
C. private communication
D. recorded observations
103. Darwin quotes Burchell’s observations in order to _______.
A. describe a region of great splendor
B. counter a popular misconception
C. account for a curious situation
D. illustrate a well-known phenomenon
104. Darwin apparently regards Dr. smith as_______.
A. reliable and imaginative
B. observant and excitable
C. intrepid and competent
D. foolhardy and tiresome

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105. What does “anterior probability” refer to?
A. What might have been expected
B. Ideas of earlier explorers
C. Likelihood based on data from India
D. Hypotheses of other scientist

Your answers:
96. 97. 98. 99. 100.

101. 102. 103. 104. 105.

Part 6. You are going to read an article about learning a new language. For questions 106-115,
choose from the sections of the article (A-D). The sections may be chosen more than once.
HOW I LEARNED A LANGUAGE IN 22 HOURS
He’s never been good with languages; so can Joshua Foer really hope to learn Lingala in a day?
A. Since my goal was to spend the summer living in the forest of the Mbendjele pygmies, I decided
that I needed to learn Lingala - the trade language that emerged in the 19th century as the lingua
franca of the Congo Basin. And yet when I went online in search of Lingala resources, the only ones
I could was a textbook from 1963 and a scanned copy of a 1,109-word Lingala-English dictionary.
Which is how I ended up at Memrise, an online learning company which aims to help anyone learn
anything.
The company encourages you to create a mnemonic, or mem, for every word you want to learn. A
mem could be a rhyme, an image, video or just a note about the word’s etymology, or something
striking about its pronunciation. It was up to me to come up with my own mems for each word in the
dictionary.
B. For example, “engine” is “motele” in Lingala. When I learned that word, I took a second to visualize
a rusty engine revving in a motel room. It's a cheap motel room I stayed in one time on a road trip. I
made an effort to see, hear and even smell that experience of an oily machine revving and rattling on
the stained carpet floor.
This all sounds a little silly, it is. But that's also the point. Studies have confirmed what Cicero and
the other ancient writers on memory knew well: the stranger the imagery, the more markedly
memorable.
The app refers to the words you're trying to learn as "seeds". Each time you revise a given word, you
"water" it in your "greenhouse" until it has fully sprouted and been consolidated in your long-term
memory "garden".
C. My own pattern of using the app worked like this: each morning there would be a message waiting
in my inbox, prodding me to water a few of my memories that were in danger of wilting, and so I
would dutifully log in and spend a few minutes revising words I had learned days or sometimes weeks
earlier. Sometime mid-morning, I'd log back in and get a new bundle of seeds to start watering.
After two and a half months of this routine, I'd not only planted my way through the entire Lingala
dictionary, but also watered all of my mems to the point where they were secure in my long-term
memory garden. Yet I had only clocked 22 hours and 15 minutes learning vocabulary on Memrise,
spread out over 10 weeks. In other words, it took a little less than one full day, over two and a half
months, to memorise the entire dictionary. But did it work?

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D. It took me almost a week by plane, truck and ferry to get to the Mbendjele village of Makao. For
several days, I was stuck in a village called Bomassa, while I waited for a truck. It was frustrating and
I couldn't believe it, but it gave me an opportunity to begin to test my Lingala with the locals.
On my third day in town, a pygmy named Makoti came to visit me early in the morning. "Yo na ngal,
totambola na zamba" - "You and me, let's walk in the forest," he said. This was my first conversation
in Lingala without a translator at my side. Even though I had to keep telling him, "Malembe, malembe"
- "Slow down, slow down" - I realized I was understanding quite a bit of what he was telling me and
that my drilling with Memrise had given me a far better grounding than I had thought possible. Then
a thought occurred to Makoti, which I was surprised had taken him so long to express. "Wapi
oyekolaka Lingala?" - "Where did you learn Lingala?" I did my best to tell him about the Internet,
about my computer, about Memrise, but once again my language skills weren't quite up to the scratch
so instead, I held out my hand to shake his and told him he should let his wife know that he'd be
traveling with me to Makao. As for explaining Memrise, that conversation would have to wait for a
little more fluency.
In which section does the writer Your answers:
feel skeptical with the validity of a technique? 106. _____
suggest that he is taken aback by the lack of material on a subject? 107. _____
describe his first experiences communicating with Lingala? 108. _____
explain the logic behind an unusual learning technique? 109. _____
describe a novel approach to memorizing vocabulary? 110. _____
express surprise at the amount of time that an activity had taken? 111. _____
reflect on how the responsibility is placed on the learner from the beginning? 112. _____
discuss an unusual method that a piece of software uses for teaching? 113. _____
make an effort in explaining how he had acquired his linguistic abilities? 114. _____
exemplify how Memrise fits into a daily routine with personal experiences? 115. _____
IV. WRITING: (60 points)
Part 1. For questions 106-110, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning
to the first sentence, using the word given.
106. It's sad, but the house price is unlikely to go down this year. (LIKELIHOOD)
Sad as _____________________________________________________________________________.
107. Jonny Depp does not care if Angelina Jolie leaves or stays. (RIGHT)
Whatever __________________________________________________________________________.
108. Mary could be punished for not returning the books to the library on time. (GIVE)
Failure _____________________________________________________________________________.
109. Despite some major financial problems, the school has had a successful year.
(NOTWITHSTANDING)
The school has gone ________________________________________________________________.
110. “Please don’t walk so fast!” Suzy begged her father. (SLOWLY)
Suzy pleaded _______________________________________________________________________.

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Part 2. The chart below shows the demographic rates of cybernauts in three countries from
1999 to 2009. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant. You should write about 120 words.

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Part 3. Write an essay of around 350 words on the following topic.
Children should be taught to feel disappointed with failures; to suggest the contrary might be
harmful to their future development.
Discuss this statement and give your opinion.

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-THE END-
Break a leg!

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