HỘI ĐỒNG THI THPT CHUYÊN AMBROSIA KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA THPT

NĂM HỌC 2020 – 2021

SỐ PHÁCH
ĐỀ THI THỬ
Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH
Thời gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)
Ngày thi: 17/12/2020
Đề thi có 17 trang
 Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển
 Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm
____________________________________________________________
I. LISTENING (50 points)
HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
 Bài nghe gồm 4 phần; mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 10 giây; mở đầu và kết thúc mỗi phần
nghe có tín hiệu.
 Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có nhạc hiệu. Thí sinh có 02 phút để hoàn chỉnh bài trước nhạc hiệu kết thúc bài
nghe.
 Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh đã có trong bài nghe.

Part 1. For questions 1-5, listen to part of a news report about a unique food delivery network and decide
whether the statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes
provided.
1. For over a century, thousands of Indians of all ages have received meals from the Dabbawalas.
2. Dabbawalas start their work day by picking up meals from designated neighborhoods.
3. The lunchboxes’ lids are specifically labeled to reveal its origin, destination and delivery man.
4. Unity and punctuality are the mottos of Mumbai Dabbawalas.
5. The Dabbawalas’ efficiency proved that businesses should always emphasize on keeping things simple.

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. For questions 6-10, listen to part of a presenter talking about Genghis Khan and answer the
questions. Write NO MORE THAN FIVE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer.

6. What created Genghis’ birthmark?

_________________________________________________________________
7. What was Genghis’ father invited to by an opponent group?
_________________________________________________________________

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8. After his father’s death, what happened to Genghis’s family?
_________________________________________________________________
9. What did Genghis and his comrades do in response to Borte’s abduction?
_________________________________________________________________
10. Name ONE factor that contributed to Genghis’ extraordinary commanding ability.
_________________________________________________________________

Part 3. For questions 11-15, listen to part of a radio programme in which two people, Max Verstapp and
Cara O’Dell, are discussing amateur photography and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D which fits
best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
11. Both Cara and Max agree that
A. buying a second-hand camera is best for beginners.
B. beginners should refrain from overspending on equipment.
C. photography is a very expensive pastime.
D. phone cameras are not suitable for everyday photography.

12. Max is not keen to recommend cheap DSLRs to new starters because __________
A. of their questionable image quality.
B. they require a lot of accessories.
C. of their expensive lenses.
D. they are too complicated to use.

13. Max and Cara agree that DSLRs __________

A. are more portable than bridge cameras.
B. should be more affordable.
C. are not as complicated to use as they seem.
D. and bridge cameras have identical functionality.

14. Max has reservations about the __________

A. general build quality of compact system cameras.
B. cheap alternatives to compact system cameras.
C. price of low-end compact system cameras.
D. results achieved using cheap compact system cameras.

15. What can we infer that Max thinks about point-and-shoot cameras?
A. he doesn’t think they are good value for money.
B. he thinks they are inferior to phone cameras.
C. he thinks they will help learners progress.
D. he thinks they serve no purpose at all.
Your answers:
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

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Part 4. For questions 16-25, listen to a presenter talking about Machu Picchu and complete the following
sentences. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording in each blank.
 Situated northwest of Cusco, Peru, Machu Picchu is one of the most (16) ____________________ on
Earth and is proof of how powerful and ingenious the Incas were.
 In its heyday, the Inca civilization spanned about 2500 miles, a distance comparable to that of the (17)
____________________ of America.
 Machu Picchu, built around the 15th century, epitomized Inca's (18) ____________________.
 The use of (19) ____________________ to adhere one stone to another was specifically omitted during
Machu Picchu’s construction.
 These engineering accomplishments mean that Machu Picchu is perfectly preserved for (20)
___________________.
 It is hypothesized that Machu Picchu may have served as a haven for nobility, (21)
____________________, or a ceremonial site,
 It is also noteworthy that the geographic conditions and Machu Picchu’s layout may be linked to (22)
___________________.
 Mysteriously abandoned, Machu Picchu was unknown to the outside world, even to (23)
____________________until the early 20th century when Melchor Arteaga, a local, introduced the site
to foreigners.
 (24) ____________________ notwithstanding, Machu Picchu is still regarded as one of the world's
most crucial archeological sites.
 In 1983, Machu Picchu was designated a UNESCO world site and today, visitors still come to (25)
____________________ to this historic landmark.

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II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (20 points)

Part 1. For questions 26-40, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the following questions. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
26. Having received the reports on his son’s academic performance, John was ________ with fury.
A. gripping B. apoplectic C. tonic D. subversive
27. My parents still struggled to come to terms with my homosexual ______ relationship with James.
A. connubial B. affined C. hitched D. unaffiliated
28. When the time is ripe, I will ______ the question and if things go well, we will get married in Hawaii.
A. beg B. call into C. fire D. pop
29. My sister finally found her friend’s apartment, ____________.
A. since she got stuck in a rush hour
B. who was situated right in the center of the city
C. whose was big and modern
D. but not until after she got lost in the city
30. Nayeon: “You are sitting in the wrong seat!” Jihyo: “_________. I’m sorry.”
A. So I am B. So am I C. So do I D. So do you
31. If I don’t get admitted to that school, I still ___________, so I am not so worried about this.
A. take up the slacks B. get my word in edgewise
C. have an axe to grind D. have a several irons in the fire
32. If you have any other opinions on the problem we discussed yesterday, please don’t hesitate to _______
them in today’s meeting.
A. utter B. placard C. air D. couch
33. She asked for his autograph and he ______ obliged by signing her programme.
A. duly B. benignly C. soundly D. fitly
34. Your essay should be of ________ structure: introduction, body and conclusion.
A. tertiary B. trigonal C. threefold D. tripartite
35. We squandered out our weekends by ________ our flower garden, doing nothing at all.
A. puttering around B. muddling along C. scrubbing up D. dobbing in
36. She __________ for the manager position the whole time! It’s so unfair when we had to work so hard
for that position.
A. pulled his punches B. licked his boots
C. toed his line D. took his gander
37. Wanting the best of their children is the human _____ of every parent.
A. instinct B. aptitude C. premonition D. nature
38. It is just a(n) _______ thinking that Minh and I will be a couple. He’s way out of my league.
A. desirous B. wishful C. craving D. yearning
39. This disease tends to _______ in older people. I haven’t seen a case of it in younger people.
A. befall B. defile C. occur D. turn
40. We took some beautiful pictures of a ______ of quails.
A. bevy B. troupe C. muster D. horde

Your answers:
26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

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Part 2. For questions 41-45, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided in
the column on the right. An example has not been done for you at all.
Your answers:
41. I didn’t mean to insult the headteacher, I just said it (THINK). 41. __________
42. Playing games too much can be a (CONTRIBUTION) factor to academic 42. __________
underperformance.
43. Your visit is rather (TIME) as I am going out with my friends later. 43. __________
44. His irresponsibility proved to be his (DO) of the managerial position. 44. __________
45. What irritates me is that he always acts as if he were the smartest man in the 45. __________
room, when in reality he is just being (PRETEND)

Your answers:
41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

III. READING (50 points)

Part 1. For questions 46-55, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided
Walt Disney has worked some real magic. In just a year, the entertainment giant has managed to build
a streaming empire with its trove of content from the (46) ________ of the Marvel and Star Wars franchises.
For Netflix, staying ahead may mean stumping up to buy a studio.
Covid-19 may have crushed Disney’s theme parks but there was a bright spot: millions of people stuck
at home signed up for its streaming services. On Thursday, Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek completed
a (47) ________ lap in a four-hour presentation to investors.
Since its launch in November 2019, Disney+ has (48) _______ some 87 million paying customers, well
ahead of the top end of the company’s target of 90 million by the fall of 2024. It is doing so well that Disney
increased its forecast to up to 260 million subscribers for Disney+ for the same time frame – with another
potentially 90 million from its other streaming services by then. Disney shares climbed more than 10% on
Friday, hitting a new high and taking the company’s market capitalization (49) ________ of $300 billion.
In a sense, the Magic Kingdom has been preparing for this moment for years. A steady string of smart
acquisitions from Marvel to Pixar and Lucasfilm to parts of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox has left Disney with an
(50) _______ library. It plans to release more than 100 titles a year on Disney+, ranging in a dizzying array of
entertainment including two spinoffs of “The Mandalorian.” It is jacking up its content expenses for that
service (51) ________ from around $4 billion to up to $9 billion in four years.
Netflix was the most successful streaming pioneer and now has nearly 200 million customers, a (52)
________ built over more than a decade. It’s not burdened with legacy assets – Disney still has to (53) _______
with the decline of traditional TV and cable customers, for instance. But the fight for digital subscribers
requires a steady stream of content, and Disney’s empire is now striking back on that (54) ________
To match its rival, bosses Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos might fancy a studio like Sony Pictures
Entertainment or Paramount Pictures. That, though, could mean the $220 billion Netflix breaking its modest
dealmaking (55) ________ .
46. A. images B. instances C. shadows D. likes
47. A. congratulatory B. winning C. victory D. ceremony
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 48. A. amassed B. appealed C. assembled D. accrued
49. A. above B. north C. upper D. front
50. A. unenviable B. enviable C. envied D. envious
51. A. single-handedly B. singly C. alone D. only
52. A. regime B. kingdom C. fort D. base
53. A. fight B. strangle C. wrestle D. handle
54. A. front B. match C. tie D. department
55. A. past B. habit C. inclination D. interest
Your answers:
46. 47. 48. 49. 50.
51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

Part 2. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow

BISMARCK: A MASTER OF POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC

JUGGLING?
A. Otto Von Bismarck’s rise up the political ladder was swift and relentless. Having entered parliament in
1847, he always harboured lofty ambitions, chief among them perhaps being the reunification of Germany
into one strong, centrally controlled state, though his own personal thirst for power was arguably even
stronger. On becoming Prussian Chancellor, he set about fulfilling his ambitions and in doing so proved
himself to be a diplomat of some considerable skill. Victory in the Austro-Prussian war effectively ended
Austria as a factor in German affairs. His political and military juggling was taken a step further when he
orchestrated a situation where France declared war on Germany in 1.870, making the French seem
responsible for a conflict he had always intended to create. And following another swift military triumph,
this time over the French, the German empire was proclaimed in January 1871.

B. In little more than nine years, Bismarck realised his lifelong ambition, steering Germany to reunification.
And by defeating Austria and France in quick succession, he also created a power vacuum on mainland
Europe which he was determined to fulfill himself. This was another opportunity for Bismarck to
demonstrate his political and diplomatic cunning. He set about creating a dictatorial Germany in which he,
as head of the Prussian parliament, would automatically become chancellor of the German empire. He
drafted a new German constitution to suit his own purposes and, despite maintaining a veneer of democracy,
the German parliament was effectively powerless to oppose him. Provinces that were slow to support him
were enticed with bribes and before long the German empire was his to command.

C. It is testament to his political skill that Bismarck achieved so much so quickly. At this point in his colourful
political career he did appear, for all intents and purposes, a master of political and diplomatic juggling. But
challenges lay ahead and Bismarck’s next target was the Catholic church, which he deemed too powerful
and a threat to his political dominance. He proceeded to enact a series of laws which seriously eroded the
power of the church. However, his plans backfired and Bismarck was forced to make a political U-turn.
Though here again, he somehow managed to save face. The damage to his reputation was limited and indeed
by the late 1870s he had even managed to win over the church whose support he now needed.

D. Bismarck viewed the growing popularity of the Socialist Democratic Party as a serious threat. He bided
his time and used the attempted assassination of the Kaiser as an excuse to attack the socialists in 1878,
blaming them for the attempt on the Kaiser’s life. He immediately arrested the leaders, banned party

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meetings and suppressed socialist newspapers. But despite his efforts to destroy the socialist movement, its
popularity had trebled by 1890. Just as his interventions with the church had not gone as planned, Bismarck
once again failed to achieve his objective; though, to his credit, he held on to power.

E. His domestic position was relatively secure after 1871, Bismarck devoted a lot of his time to foreign policy.
Having used war to unite Germany and make her great, Bismarck now believed that his ambitions were best
served by peace. His plan to isolate a hostile France would require all his considerable diplomatic skills. The
Dreikaiserbund agreement of 1873 between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia was a first step towards
doing just that. The Balkan crisis, a conflict involving Russia and Austria-Hungary, severely tested his
diplomatic credentials, but his answer was to offer himself as an ‘honest broker’ to help resolve the dispute.
The subsequent Congress of Berlin which he hosted was an outstanding success and only served to reinforce
Bismarck’s reputation as a shrewd diplomat. Bismarck’s foreign policy would continue in this vein
throughout his reign as Chancellor. He built up strategic alliances with the big powers, Russia, Italy and
Austria-Hungary, in the hope that he could keep his main threats, France and Britain, isolated.

F. In truth, Bismarck’s reign as chancellor of the German empire does seem to confirm him as a shrewd and
wily diplomat and politician, one whose objectives were broadly achieved. Does this mean his so-called
juggling was a success? Perhaps, but Bismarck left a less than perfect legacy. He created a Germany in which
the Kaiser had the ultimate say in domestic affairs and enjoyed far too much power should he choose to
wield it. This meant that the future of the empire largely depended on the strength and character of just one
man, the Kaiser. A weak Kaiser would be disastrous for the country’s welfare, and so it would soon prove.
In the final analysis, Bismarck put Germany back on the map again as a great power during his reign, but we
should not forget that he created the political situation that would be the downfall of his country in the end.
His political and diplomatic juggling, therefore, simply cannot be considered a total success.

For questions 56-62, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

56. In little more than nine years as Prussian Chancellor Bismarck had succeeded in reuniting Germany and
defeating Austria and France.

57. Bismarck's law enactment was so overpowering that the church became his ally.

58. The Socialist party by 1890 became very powerful in the parliament.

59. Bismarck thought that Germany needed to befriend France to form a powerful alliance.

60. The Congress of Berlin was a great personal success for Bismarck.

61. Bismarck refused to build alliances with Russia or Austria.

62. Bismarck considered his reign as German chancellor a failure.

Your answers:
56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62.

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The passage has six paragraphs, A - F. For questions 62-68, choose the correct heading, i - ix, from the list
of headings below. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

i. A critical analysis
ii. Early career and rise to power
iii. Foreign policy
iv. Powerful friends
v. Separating church and state
vi. Socialist threat
vii. Political decline
viii. Creating a virtual dictatorship
ix. A change of mind
63. Paragraph A

64. Paragraph B

65. Paragraph C

66. Paragraph D

67. Paragraph E

68. Paragraph F

63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68.

Part 3. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 69-75, 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. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

Has Menswear Changed?

In the not-so-distant past, say forty or fifty years ago, menswear - or men's haberdashery as it was regularly,
quaintly referred to then - was more easily defined by what it was not: it was not colourful, it was not
attention-seeking, nor was it self-conscious.
69
Not surprisingly, the typical male attitude toward their wardrobes used to be one of, if not disinterest, then
studied nonchalance. Given the available choices, it wasn't hard for the average man to believe that his
wardrobe needn't be a large one, and that his clothing choices ought to be few but well-loved. On the other
hand, if a man appeared too interested in clothes, heads would start shaking, eyebrows would start rising,
and jokes would start to fly.
70
Since those times, of course, there have been many changes - little events like the women's movement, the
60s and the fights for civil and gay rights - all of which have conspired to shift the way men and women view
themselves, and by extension, what they extend across their bodies. While the changes that have transformed
women's fashion have been well documented, there has also been a revolution in menswear and in men.
We've lived through periods in which it was not unusual to see men with hair to their waists, or when a
man's political beliefs were most nakedly expressed by his decision to wear nothing at all.

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 71
Even in the 60s, a period characterized as being explosive and more conducive to change, such a mismatch
of clothing and venue would have been unacceptable. For participants as well as for those who remained on
the sidelines, the period brought on the storms those grey, cloudy skies had been promising so many years
before. It hardly mattered that the skies didn't open up evenly on everyone - the atmosphere had changed
irrevocably nonetheless.
72
Men couldn't change until the world that men created had changed. And despite those who would want to
turn the clock back to an earlier time, when men were above being questioned, when men felt - excuse the
expression - as though they were kings of the world, the truth is that men really have got better, albeit some
of them kicking and screaming along the way. So has the way they're dressing.
73
A man's clothing options were still more defined by the sort of activities he participated in - business, leisure,
athletics than by an ability to express who he was by his choice of sandals and swimming trunks. If ultimate
freedom of dress had for a moment seemed within men's grasp, as the 70s went on it remained elusively at
arm's length.
74
Newly rich, often creative types adopted a style of dress that would come to say as much about being part
of the establishment as it would about the power of style. It wasn't long before being stylish became part of
the recipe for being powerful.
75
While none of the issues that have affected men's fashion over the last ten or twenty years has gone away,
the last several years have nonetheless seen a flowering of the assorted ideas that have come out of the
various passages of our collective history. Smart designers (and there seem suddenly to be many) are
listening to both themselves and the people around them.
The missing paragraphs:
A. Of course, every generation has produced a few risk-takers willing to push the envelope of fashion and
social acceptability. But for the vast majority, less inclined to strike out in their own creative directions but
nonetheless yearning to feed their inner clotheshorse, there was little more to choose from than cotton shirts
and silk neckties, the fashion equivalent of hay.
B. This has taken longer than we could have logically expected. It would have been reasonable to suppose
that out of all the social changes of the 60s, a newer, freer way of dressing would have presented itself to men
by the 70s, and while the cut of a man's suit adopted an undeniable flair, while his ties may have grown
wider at the ends and his trousers closer to the thigh, it is also true that things didn't really change all that
much either.
C. But the question still remains, has menswear changed? And its answer: you bet. We are now in a time of
tremendous options and seemingly endless variety, with no hard and fast rules about shape and colour, and
with the onus placed snugly on the consumer to choose what's right and most comfortable for him.

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D. Back then, in other words, men's clothing presented all the scope of the horizon just before it rains. Maybe
a lapel would stretch a little to the right or left, maybe a trouser leg would widen or narrow, maybe a pleat
would be added to a waistband or a shirt tapered closer to the rib cage, but men's fashion, as defined by the
prevailing attitude of the day, was formulaic, and any changes were nearly imperceptible.
E. That fact was reflected in many ways far weightier than what men were putting on their backs. And in
perhaps one of the most admirable - if unintentional - examples of collective male chivalry ever, the 60s and
70s were a time when men finally stood back and the spotlight was allowed to linger on the changes that
affected the lives of such groups as women, minorities, and the underprivileged.
F. Of all the trends and cultural movements that have got men to where they are now, one can't ignore the
effect of the financial boom in the early 80s, which in turn led to the next chapter in the menswear revolution.
G. At other times a man in women's clothing garnered not just widespread recognition, but a kind of
appreciation, too (granted in the way one would feel about a cartoon character), and conversely, clothes an
earlier generation would never have considered wearing out of the gym or off the playing field have muscled
their way into daily life.
H. Still, whatever stasis may have existed on the sartorial surface of things, changes - in the form of body-
clinging cuts and fabrics and high-cut athletic shorts specifically, and a more open acceptance of the idea of
male narcissism generally - bubbled just beneath. Think about how many other designers in the 80s were
answering men's need for self-expression.
Your answers:
69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.

Part 4. For questions 76-85, read the article below and choose the answer A, B, C or D which you think fits
best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

Universal Grammar
During the first half of the 20th century, linguists who theorized about the human ability to speak
did so from the behaviorist perspective that prevailed at that time. They therefore held that language
learning, like any other kind of learning, could be explained by a succession of trials, errors, and rewards for
success. In other words, children learned their mother tongue by simply listening to and repeating what
adults said.
This view became radically questioned, however, by the American linguist Noam Chomsky. For
Chomsky, acquiring language cannot be reduced to simply developing an inventory of responses to stimuli,
because every sentence that anyone produces can be a totally new combination of words. When we speak,
we put together a finite number of elements—the words of our language—to create an infinite number of
larger structures—sentences.
Moreover, language is governed by a large number of rules and principles, particularly those of
syntax, which determine the order of words in sentences. The term “generative grammar” refers to the set of
rules that enables us to understand sentences but of which we are usually totally unaware. It is because of
generative grammar that everyone says “that’s how you say it” rather than “how that’s you it say”, or that
the words “Bob” and “him” cannot mean the same person in the sentence “Bob loves him.” but can do so in
“Bob knows that his father loves him.” Note in passing that generative grammar has nothing to do with
grammar textbooks, whose purpose is simply to stipulate what is grammatically correct and incorrect in a
given language.

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 Even before the age of 5, children can, without having had any formal instruction, consistently
produce and interpret sentences that they have never encountered before. It is this extraordinary ability to
use language despite having had only very partial exposure to the allowable syntactic variants that led
Chomsky to formulate his “poverty of the stimulus” argument, which was the foundation for the new
approach that he proposed in the early 1960s. In Chomsky’s view, the reason that children so easily master
the complex operations of language is that they have innate knowledge of certain principles that guide them
in developing the grammar of their language. In other words, Chomsky’s theory is that language learning is
facilitated by a predisposition that our brains have for certain structures of language.
But what language? For Chomsky’s theory to hold true, all of the languages in the world must share
certain structural properties. And indeed, Chomsky and other generative linguists like him have shown that
the 5000 to 6000 languages in the world, despite their very different grammars, do share a set of syntactic
rules and principles. These linguists believe that this “universal grammar” is innate and is embedded
somewhere in the neuronal circuitry of the human brain.
Universal grammar, then, consists of a set of subconscious constraints that let us decide whether a
sentence is correctly formed. This mental grammar is not necessarily homogeneous for all languages. But
according to Chomskyian theorists, the process by which, in any given language, certain sentences are
perceived as correct while others are not, is universal and independent of meaning. Thus, we immediately
perceive that the sentence “Robert book reads the” is not correct English, even though we have a pretty good
idea of what it means. Conversely, we recognize that a sentence such as “Colorless green ideas sleep
furiously” is grammatically correct English, even though it is nonsense.
A pair of dice offers a useful metaphor to explain what Chomsky means when he refers to universal
grammar as a “set of constraints”. Before we throw the pair of dice, we know that the result will be a number
from 2 to 12, but nobody would take a bet on its being 3.143. Similarly, a newborn baby has the potential to
speak any of a number of languages, depending on what country they are born in, but they will not just
speak them any way they like. Rather, they will adopt certain preferred, innate structures. One way to
describe these structures would be that they are not things that babies and children learn, but rather things
that happen to them. Just as babies naturally develop arms and not wings while they are still in the womb,
once they are born they naturally learn to speak, and not to chirp or neigh.

76. During the first half of the 20th century, linguists __________.

A. began developing hypotheses about the human ability to speak

B. all adhered to the ubiquitous behaviorist perspective

C. explained many types of learning from the same scientific viewpoint

D. considered language learning a process based on mimicry

77. According to Noam Chomsky, __________.

A. the development of responses is too simple a cognitive process to result in language acquisition

B. human beings not only replicate linguistic input but also produce new linguistic output

C. when humans generate sentences, they unconsciously arrange words in novel ways

D. language learning involves infinite structures paradoxically created from a set number of elements

78. Generative grammar __________.

A. is the tangible manifestation of our subconscious syntactic awareness

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 B. seeks to clarify what types of sentences are accurate and what types are not

C. gives people the ability to produce correct sentences in any given language

D. runs contrary to the traditional grammar taught in academic settings

80. The word stipulate (Para. 3, Line 7) in the passage is closest in meaning to __________.

A. administer B. prescribe C. enforce D. warrant

80. Children’s innate ability to understand and make sentences they have never seen nor heard before
__________.

A. should be acknowledged and further developed with early formal education

B. is often ignored, which leads to children having less exposure to language variants

C. implies that children do not acquire language solely by means of syntactic exposure

D. was the direct basis for Noam Chomsky’s perspective on language acquisition

81. Which of the following square brackets [A], [B], [C] or [D] best indicates where in the paragraph
below the sentence “And that would be why children can select, from all the sentences that come to their
minds, only those that conform to a “deep structure” encoded in the brain’s circuits.” can be inserted?

[A] But what language? For Chomsky’s theory to hold true, all of the languages in the world must share
certain structural properties. [B] And indeed, Chomsky and other generative linguists like him have shown
that the 5000 to 6000 languages in the world, despite their very different grammars, do share a set of syntactic
rules and principles. [C] These linguists believe that this “universal grammar” is innate and is embedded
somewhere in the neuronal circuitry of the human brain. [D]
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]

82. The word homogeneous (Para. 7, Line 2) in the passage mostly means __________.

A. analogous B. undifferentiated C. commensurate D. undeviating

83. The nature of universal grammar can be compared to throwing a pair of dice in that __________.

A. we can never predict what languages a newborn baby will speak

B. we are reasonably sure about the effects of influencing factors

C. we know for a fact that newborns will not speak in certain ways

D. we can determine exactly when children develop innate structures

84. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. the behaviorist point of view is in fact unscientific

B. Chomsky’s view will also be radically questioned

C. parents should teach language to children as early as possible

D. there may exist a common framework for language acquisition

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85. Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A. Human beings do not simply acquire a language through exposure and imitation.

B. The human ability to create infinite sentences disproved the behaviorist perspective.

C. Generative grammar can explain why children can naturally acquire languages.

D. Language learning may be dictated by a set of subconscious and innate mechanisms.

76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

81. 82. 83. 84. 85.

Part 5. The passage below consists of five paragraphs marked A, B, C, D and E. For questions 86-95, read the
passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

Prairie Fever
A new book chronicles the efforts of 19th century British
aristocrats to create a corner of England in the American west.
A
How the British aristocracy was drawn to the frontier lands of 19th-century America is perhaps the most
bizarre episode in the country's epic immigration story, and is revealed in a remarkable new book, Prairie
Fever, by veteran BBC documentary maker Peter Pagnamenta. Lured by romantic tales of the American
outdoors by writers such as James Fennimore Cooper, and the real-life gun-slinging escapades of Wild Bill
Hickock, these eccentric newcomers wanted the U.S. on their own terms. In settlements with reassuringly
British names, such as Runnymede and Victoria, the British aristocracy set about ensuring that there was one
corner of America that was forever England.
B
The pioneers started arriving in the 1830s. Some were sportsmen drawn by the promise of unlimited buffalo
to hunt, others true adventurers. They were led by Scotsman Sir William Stewart, a Waterloo veteran who
spent seven years trekking through the Rockies, rubbing shoulders with mountain men, and fending off
marauding bears and Indians. His companion, Charles Murray, son of the Earl of Dunmore, lived for a spell
with the Pawnee Indians. The Old Etonian had to swallow his pride when his hosts ate his dog, but he
impressed with rock-throwing contests in which he used skills honed in the Highland Games. Sadly, few of
the lords that followed were nearly so adaptable. They often treated the locals and their customs with utter
contempt. Sir George Gore — a classic example of the breed -- went on a $100,000, three-year hunting
expedition beginning in 1854 in Missouri. American officials later accused him of slaughtering 6,000 buffalo,
single-handedly endangering the Plains Indians Food supply. Later, the English settlers wound up the
Americans even more because of their air of superiority.
C
By the 1870s, however, their American hosts had more to complain about than aristocratic rudeness - the
British wanted to settle permanently. The British ruling classes had realised that the American West wasn't
just a good place to hunt and carouse, but also the perfect dumping ground for younger sons with few

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prospects at home, America, desperate for new settlers to farm prairie states like Kansas and Iowa, welcomed
them with open arms. Back in Britain, the Press followed the settlers closely. ‘It was hot but everyone looked
happy ... how much more sensible and useful lives they live there than they would live here at home!’ the
Times reported. Yet more astute observers noted that the British settlers never grasped the American work
ethic. For them, running their farms came a poor second to hunting and enjoying themselves.
D
The prairie states were already dotted with ‘colonies’, each made up exclusively of workers from one part of
America or one group of immigrants such as Danes or Russians. In 1873, an enterprising Scottish gentleman
farmer named George Grant had a brainwave - a colony in western Kansas populated entirely by the British
upper classes, by stipulating that they had to have at least £2,000 in funds and would each get no less than a
square mile of land, he kept out the rabble. Victoria, as Grant patriotically called his settlement, was talked
back home as a ‘Second Eden’, but the new arrivals —many of whom had never farmed in their lives- soon
discovered it was a hard place to play the country gentleman. No rain would fall for months and the
temperature could soar to 105F in the shade. Worst of all, nobody had mentioned the dense clouds of
grasshoppers that would suddenly arrive and eat everything. Despite their neighbours’ derision at these
remittance men’ (so named because they relied on allowances from their parents), the two hundred or so
colonists gamely battled on.
E
I n general, the colonists’ dreams came to nothing, and many headed home. But there was one event that
definitively ended the British aristocracy’s love affair with the West. Encouraged by the vast sums to be made
from cattle ranching, some wealthy British investors bought huge tracts of land. One investor alone amassed
1.75 million acres and 100,000 cattle. Enough was enough. Tolerant when the British were buffoonish
adventurers, Americans felt threatened once they became too rich. U.S. politicians stoked anti-foreigner
resentment, aided by widows out of their homes and rumours that some were so snobby they referred to
their cowboys as ‘cow-servants’. Congress passed the Alien Land Act limiting foreign companies to buying
no more than 5,000 acres in future.

In which paragraph is each of the following mentioned? Your answers:

the opinion that the settlers never got their priorities right 86. __________
the fact the settlers wanted nothing less than a home away from home 87. __________
the wish to maintain exclusivity in the British colonies 88. __________
the inability of the settlers to become truly independent of Britain 89. __________
the view that the English were naive in their expectations of the USA 90. __________
a difference in the locals’ and settlers’ cultural taboos 91. __________
the view that the British settlers were victims of their own success 92. __________
the fact that America offered a solution to a problem 93. __________
a newspaper showing lack of perception
94. __________
the disregard of the settlers for the locals’ way of life
95. __________

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IV. WRITING (60 points)

Part 1. (15pts) Read the following extract and use your own words to summarise it. Your summary should
be between 100 and 120 words long.
The Greek philosophers had much to say about meteorology, and many who subsequently engaged in
weather forecasting no doubt made use of their ideas. Unfortunately, they probably made many bad
forecasts, because Aristotle, who was the most influential, did not believe that wind is air in motion. He did
believe, however, that west winds are cold because they blow from the sunset.
The scientific study of meteorology did not develop until measuring instruments became available. Its
beginning is commonly associated with the invention of the mercury barometer by Evangelista Torricelli, an
Italian physicist-mathematician, in the mid-17th century and the nearly concurrent development of a reliable
thermometer (Galileo had constructed an elementary form of gas thermometer in 1607, but it was defective;
the efforts of many others finally resulted in a reasonably accurate liquid-in-glass device).
A succession of notable achievements by chemists and physicists of the 17th and 18th centuries
contributed significantly to meteorological research. The formulation of the laws of gas pressure,
temperature, and density by Robert Boyle and Jacques-Alexandre-César Charles, the development of
calculus by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the development of the law of partial pressures of
mixed gases by John Dalton, and the formulation of the doctrine of latent heat (i.e., heat release by
condensation or freezing) by Joseph Black are just a few of the major scientific breakthroughs of the period
that made it possible to measure and better understand theretofore unknown aspects of the atmosphere and
its behavior. During the 19th century, all of these brilliant ideas began to produce results in terms of useful
weather forecasts.
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Part 2. (15pts) The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive,
while the table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

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Part 3. (30pts) Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic
Recently, YouTube has been accused of the source of social evils among children because many YouTube videos offer
meaningless content or even deliver lethal messages. Some people say that YouTube must adopt stricter testing for all
videos on its website while others argue that it is parents who should take the responsibility for controlling how their
children use YouTube.
What is your position on this issue? Give specific example(s) to support your answer.
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(You may shoot for the moon or land among the stars if you need more space)

- THE END -

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