Template 4a: Final Written Exam

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT MIDTERM EXAM
Course: ENGLISH 3B
Class:.......................................................................
Date: .......................................................................
Exam Duration: 60 minutes
(Excluding time for distributing the exam papers)

Full name:..........................................................; Student ID: .........................................

A. LISTENING
Part 1
Instructions: You will hear three different extracts.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, or C) that fits best according to what you hear.
There are two questions for each extract.
Extract One
You hear part of a radio interview with a product designer called Charles Loughlan.
1. How does Charles feel about designers who put their names on products?
A. He understands their basic needs.
B. He is dismissive of their motives.
C. He admires their business skills.
2. What does Charles suggest about a good product?
A. Its appearance should reflect its function.
B. It should encourage a desire to possess it.
C. Its ecological impact should be considered.
Extract Two
You hear two friends discussing a TV interview with an actress called Celia Dent.

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3. They agree that the interviewer made the mistake of

A. dominating the discussion.
B. asking predictable questions.
C. failing to listen fully to answers.
4. The man says that certain film stars can be difficult to interview because
A. they generally show a lack of spontaneity.
B. they’re unwilling to reveal their true personality.
C. they’re too anxious to promote their latest work.
Extract Three
You hear two freelance journalists talking about their work.
5. When talking about how he tackles a creative writing task, the man
A. points out how easily he can assume the right frame of mind.
B. tries to justify his antisocial behavior when working.
C. admits that frequent breaks can be beneficial.
6. What does the woman say about her earlier writing?
A. She feels she no longer entirely relates to it.
B. She tends to draw on similar themes in her current work.
C. She highlights the improvements she's noticed in her work.
Part 2
You will hear a woman called Janine Rogers giving a talk about her work. For questions 7-
14, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
Working with Chocolate
Janine trained as a (7) ………………. before working for her current employer.
Janine found her background particularly helpful when working on a project to put
(8) ……………………………………………… into chocolate.
Janine uses the word (9) …………………………………to describe chocolate as a
substance to work with.
Janine mentions the method of (10) …………………………… the cocoa beans as
a variable affecting the taste of her chocolate.

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Janine says that ideas for new types of chocolate generally come from her company's
(11) ………………………………. department.
Janine says the staff responsible for (12) …………………play a surprisingly important role
in developing a new chocolate product.
Janine gives the example of (13) …………………….as a group that needs to be considered
when designing the label for a product.
Janine thinks that (14) ….……………….is the most essential quality needed for her job.
Part 3
You will hear part of an interview with two sports psychologists Sheila Forbes and Peter
Maxton. For questions 15-20, choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) that fits best according to
what you hear.
15. Sheila explains that her role involves
A. preventing players from becoming over-confident.
B. responding to whatever players feel they need to improve.
C. enabling players to train aggressively.
D persuades players that her techniques can benefit them.
16. Sheila says one strategy she uses to achieve her goals is to
A. encourage players to replicate good features of others' performance.
B. ask players to share with her the way they control their anxieties.
C. get players to examine their effectiveness as team members.
D. trace the causes of negative thinking in players.
17 Sheila and Peter both think that it's important for sports psychologists
A. to have wide experience in a range of different sports.
B. not to raise false hopes about what they can achieve.
C. not to become too immersed in the environment of sport.
D. to adapt the decisions they make to suit individual situations.
18. What was Peter's reaction to his deteriorating sporting performance as a student?
A. He felt disappointed at the lack of relevant help available.
B. He redoubled his efforts to succeed despite failing health.

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C. He became desperate to uncover the source of his problem.

D He switched to what he felt were easier sports to succeed in.
19 What does Peter dislike about his job?
A. needing always to be creative in his choice of techniques
B. having constantly to work in different environments
C. being criticized for ineffective working methods
D. feels he has to justify his achievements to others
20. When talking about their profession, Shelia and Peter agree that
A. it's slowly establishing its place in player development.
B. it isn't attracting the right kind of people.
C. its profile needs to be raised among the general public.
D. it has a poorly developed career structure.
Part 4
You will hear five short extracts in which students are talking about their universities.
TASK ONE TASK TWO
For questions 21-25, choose For questions 26-30,
from the list (A-H) the reason choose from the list (A-H)
each speaker gives for choosing what each speaker found
their university. hardest at the start of their
first year at university.
While you listen, you must Speaker 1 While you listen, you Speaker 1
complete both tasks. 21 must complete both tasks. 26

Speaker 2 Speaker 2
22 27

Speaker 3 Speaker 3
23 28

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Speaker 4 Speaker 4
24 29

Speaker 5 Speaker 5
25 30
A. a personal recommendation A. keeping up with the
workload
B. a modern facility B. getting on with fellow
students
C. family pressure C. understanding the
academic content
D. its convenient location D. finding something to do
at weekends
E. the support network provided E. locating lecture venues
F. its convenient location F. dealing with domestic
tasks
G. its distinctive architecture G. getting used to a new
schedule
H. the range of courses on offer H. finding a suitable place
to study

ANSWER SHEET:
21. 26.
22. 27.
23. 28.
24. 29.
25. 30.

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B. READING
PASSAGE 1
You are going to read a magazine article about light pollution.
Our Vanishing Night
If humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and stars, we would go in
darkness happily, the midnight world as visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal
species on this planet who feel at home in it. Instead, we are diurnal creatures, with eyes
adapted to living in the sun's light. This basic fact is engrained deep in our genetic makeup,
even though most of us don't think of ourselves as diurnal beings any more than we think of
ourselves as primates’ mammals or Earthlings. Yet it's the only way to explain what we've
done to the night.
We've somehow managed to engineer the night to receive us by filling it with light.
This kind of control is no different from the feat of damming a river. Its benefits come with
consequences called light pollution - whose effects scientists are only now beginning to
study. Light pollution is largely the result of bad lighting design, which allows artificial light
to shine outward and upward into the sky, where it's not wanted, instead of focusing
downward, where it is. Il-designed lighting washes out the darkness of night, altering light
levels and light rhythms to which many forms of life, including ourselves, have adapted.
Wherever man-made light spills into the natural world, some aspects of life migration,
reproduction, and feeding - are affected. For most of human history, the phrase "light
pollution' would have made no sense. Imagine walking towards London on a moonlit night
around 1800, when it was Earth's most populous city. Nearly a million people lived there,
making do, as they always had, with candles, torches, and lanterns. Only a few houses were
lit by gas, and there would be no public gaslights in the streets or squares for another seven
years. From a few miles away, you would have been more likely to smell London than to see
its dim collective glow.
We've lit up the night as if it were an unoccupied country when nothing could be
further from the truth. Among mammals alone, the number of nocturnal species is

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astonishing. Light is a powerful biological force, and on many species, it acts as a magnet
attracting them to it. The effect is so powerful that scientists speak of songbirds and seabirds
being 'captured' by searchlights on land or by the light from gas flares on marine oil
platforms, circling and circling in the thousands until they drop. Migrating at night, birds are
apt to collide with brightly lit tall buildings; immature birds on their first journey suffer
disproportionately. Some birds blackbirds and nightingales, among others- sing at unnatural
hours in the presence of artificial light.
It was once thought that light pollution only affected astronomers, who needed to see
the night sky in all its glorious clarity. Unlike astronomers, most of us may not need an
undiminished view of the night sky for line 29 of our work, but like most other creatures we
do need darkness. Denying darkness is futile. It is as essential to maintaining our biological
welfare as light itself; the price of modifying our internal clockwork means it doesn't operate
as it should, causing various physical ailments. The regular oscillation of waking and sleep in
our lives is nothing less than a biological expression of the regular oscillation of light on
Earth. So fundamental are these rhythms to our being that messing with them is akin to
altering our center of gravity.
In the end, humans are no less trapped by light pollution than the frogs in a pond near
a brightly lit highway. Living in a glare of our own making, we have cut ourselves off from
our evolutionary and cultural heritage- the light of the stars and the rhythms of day and night.
Light pollution causes us to lose sight of our true place in the universe, to forget the scale of
our being, which is best measured against the dimensions of a deep night with the Milky
Way- the edge of our galaxy-arching overhead.

Instruction: Read each question carefully, and then CIRCLE THE ANSWER that best
fits the question. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, Cor D) that you think fits
best according to the text.
1. In the first paragraph, what does the writer suggest about darkness?
A. It is linked to our survival instinct.
B. Early humans became accustomed to it.

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C. We are one of the few animals who fear it.

D. Our response to it is intrinsic to our species.
2. The writer refers to damming a river to underline the fact that
A. beneficial modifications can have negative effects.
B. water and light are equally crucial to human and animal life.
C. light pollution might have a variety of sources.
D. it's inadvisable to interfere with key environmental features.
3. What point is the writer making about London in 1800?
A. It was virtually invisible at night.
B. It was famed for its resourceful lighting.
C. Its inhabitants were subject to strict laws regarding lighting.
D. Its lack of illumination made it a dangerous place.
4. In the fourth paragraph, the writer suggests that light pollution has caused some animals to
A. develop physiological adaptations to brighter conditions.
B. alter behavioral patterns.
C. risk becoming an endangered species.
D. be more susceptible to predation.
5. In the fifth paragraph, the writer draws a comparison between 'denying darkness' (line 29)
and
A. maintaining our biological welfare.
B. modifying our internal clockwork.
C. causing various physical ailments.
D. altering our center of gravity.
6. The overall tone of the article is one of
A. concern about how escalating light pollution will affect species in the future.
B. regret at the loss of a fundamental aspect of our relationship with nature.
C. optimism about our increasing awareness of a key environmental issue.
D. doubt as to whether the effects of light pollution can ever be reversed.
7. According to the text, why have humans filled the night with artificial light?

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A. To compete with nocturnal animals.

B. Because we are fundamentally diurnal creatures whose eyes are adapted to
daylight.
C. Because gas lighting became available in cities like London.
D. Primarily to prevent crime in urban areas.
8. The passage states that light pollution is primarily caused by:
A. The sheer number of lights used in cities.
B. Lighting fixtures that are designed inefficiently, shining light upwards and
outwards.
C. The need for astronomers to have clear skies.
D. Lights that are focused only downwards onto the ground.
9. How does the text describe the effect of artificial light on migrating birds?
A. It helps them navigate more easily during the night.
B. It causes them to sing at unnatural hours but doesn't affect migration.
C. It can lead to collisions with buildings and disorientation, sometimes trapping them
in beams of light.
D. It has little effect on birds compared to mammals.
10. The author argues that darkness is essential for humans primarily because:
A. It allows astronomers to conduct their work effectively.
B. Humans are secretly nocturnal creatures.
C. It is vital for our biological welfare and the proper functioning of our internal
clocks.
D. It helps us appreciate the advancements in artificial lighting technology.

PASSAGE 2
You are going to read four extracts from articles in which scientists give their views on zoos.
The Role of Zoos
A. I'm very well aware of the downsides of maintaining wild animals in captivity, but the
fact that they're far from ideal for the particular specimens that are unfortunate enough

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to be held captive doesn't mean that zoos can't help wildlife in general. Those who
would like them all to close should remember that many people can't afford to go and
see animals in their natural habitat. I condemn completely the practice of having
animals such as dolphins and monkeys put on shows for visitors, but having one of the
zoo keepers give a short talk on an animal while children look at it is an excellent way
of teaching them about wildlife. Furthermore, zoos, particularly the bigger, more
famous ones, have become leaders in projects such as the reintroduction of captive-
born animals to the wild, which are boosting efforts to save those threatened with
extinction.
B. Having worked in many different zoos over the years, I have developed something of
an ambivalent attitude towards them. Zoos have always been in the entertainment
business, and as long as the animals are not suffering, and the tricks they are asked to
carry out are activities they would do naturally, that's fine. This doesn't mean,
however, that I like seeing animals in cages. Animals in zoos are plagued with
mental and behavioral problems which lead to a drastically shortened life
expectancy. Far more could be done to improve their quality of life, but unfortunately,
many boards and directors see their zoos as a community resource similar to the local
pool or library and fail to consider the needs of the animals when it comes to
allocating budgets.
C The work that zoos do on a global level to coordinate population management of
endangered species has made a real difference. One notable success in this area is the
case of the Californian condor, for instance. Having said that, I still question whether
we should be keeping animals in zoos at all. In recent decades, huge sums have been
spent on improving the habitats of animals at many zoos, but ultimately, we have to
accept that an enclosure, however stimulating, isn't the right place for a wild creature.
If we have to keep animals in captivity, then surely safari parks, in which the humans
are enclosed in vehicles, while the animals roam free, are a better alternative.
Additionally, by setting wildlife in a more natural environment, they provide real

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opportunities for visitors to develop their understanding of the animals, which is a

claim I have never believed when it's made by zoos.
D. I imagine that many of the strongest critics of zoos rarely set foot in one, but I would
urge them to take another look. Entry charges are high, but when you look at the first-class
facilities for both visitors and animals, you can see that the money is being used wisely. Zoo
animals across the globe now live in conditions that closely resemble their natural habitat and
allow them to behave in as natural a way as possible. It's unfortunate that, despite making
these changes, some zoos have chosen to continue the practice of having animals perform for
the crowds. These distasteful displays have no place in modern society. The emphasis now
needs to be firmly on the well-being of animals - not just those in zoos, but also those whose
continued existence in the wild is in question. This is an area where zoos could do much
more to make use of their considerable expertise.

For questions 1-10, choose from the scientists A-D. The scientists may be chosen more
than once.
1. Which scientist has a different opinion from A. on whether traditional zoos serve
an educational purpose? C
2. Which scientist has the same opinion as A. on using zoo animals as a form of
entertainment? D
3. Which scientist shares an opinion with A. on the contribution that zoos make to
conservation? C
4. Which scientist has a different opinion from D on the financial choices that zoo
managers make? B
5. Which paragraph argues that zoos are important because many people cannot
afford to see animals in their natural environments? A
6. According to paragraph B, what specific negative consequences can captivity in
zoos have on animals?  Animals in zoos “are plagued with mental and
behavioral problems which lead to a drastically shortened life expectancy”.

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7. Which paragraph explicitly advocates for safari parks as a better alternative to

zoos, and for what reasons? C
8. How does paragraph D explain the reason for high entry fees at modern zoos?
 The high fees are because of the “first-class facilities for both visitors and
animals”.
9. Which paragraph mentions the reintroduction of captive-born animals into the wild
as a significant conservation effort led by zoos? A
10. Under what two conditions does paragraph B find animal entertainment or "tricks"
acceptable in zoos?  as long as the animals are not suffering, and the tricks they are
asked to carry out are activities they would do naturally.
------------------------- End of Exam Paper ------------------------------
Notice: - The exam writer and the head of the department sign and approve on the
back of the exam paper.
- The exam (allows/does not allow) the use of materials.
- The exam invigilator will not provide any further explanation.

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