SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO LÀO CAI KỲ THI CHỌN ĐỘI DỰ TUYỂN HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA

ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC NĂM 2019 (Vòng 1)

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH

Thời gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) Số phách
Ngày thi: 04/10/2018
Đề thi có 15 trang
 Thí sinh không được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển.
 Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm.

I. LISTENING (50 POINTS)

Part 1: For questions 1-5, listen to part of a radio programme in which two recruitment
experts, Jodie Bradwell and Gary Smart are talking about how candidates should behave at job
interviews and decide whether the statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

1. Jodie is very impressed by the research she mentions.

2. Gary fears that the research they are discussing could lead to inappropriate behaviour at job interviews.
3. Jodie reminds Gary that the research deals with attitudes that interviewers are unaware of.
4. For an interview, Gary’s advice is to wear the clothes that you feel most comfortable in.
5. According to Jodie, interviewers are looking for signs of positive character traits through candidates’ body language.
Your answers
14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Part 2: For questions 6-13, listen to part of a radio programme presented by author and
foodie, Pat Chapman and supply the blanks with missing information. Write NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the space provided.

Pat says that the British were a 6. ___________________________________ according to Napoleon.

Pat likens curry in Britain nowadays to a 7. ___________________________________ .
Britain suffered from 8. ___________________________________ in the period after the Second World
War.
Immigrants to Britain had to arrange for their prized 9. ___________________________________ to be
imported.
Eating curry became compulsive as the dish was10. ___________________________________ for most
people .
The majority of curry restaurants in the UK are not 11. ___________________________________.
Indian dishes prepared in their own containers need 12. ___________________________________ to be
authentic.
Nowadays, additional 13. ___________________________________ are added to pre-cooked ingredients.
Your answers:
6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13.

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Part 3: For questions 14-18, listen to an interview with a man called Jon Simmons and a
woman called Clare Harries, who both work as life coaches 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.
14 Jon feels that the job of a life coach is _____________
A similar to being a therapist.
B focused on future possibilities.
C based on individual experiences.
D more complex than people realise.
15 Clare says she became a life coach because _____________
A if involved something she enjoyed doing.
B it enabled her to re-evaluate her own issues.
C it was a logical extension of her other interests.
D it was necessary to replace the lack of family support.
16 What surprises Clare about the kind of people who seek her expertise?
A They are open to informal advice.
B They are only looking for better jobs.
C They are upset by rapid changes in society.
D They are often working within a large organisation.
17 Jon and Clare both think the most important message to get over to clients is _____________
A control negative thinking,
B take positive action at all times.
C decide what really makes you really happy.
D make good use of your particular skills.
18 What do Jon and Clare both feel is the most rewarding part of their job?
A understanding more about themselves
B improving the lives of large numbers of people
C developing a relationship with another person
D watching another person develop their confidence
Your answers
14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Part 4: For question 19-25, listen to a radio programme about Biomimicry, the science of
copying nature in order to create new technologies and complete the sentences with NO MORE
THAN 2 WORDS. Write your answers in the numbered spaces provided.
Biomimicry imitates nature’s structures, processes and 19. ________________ to create new ideas.
Velcro was developed after its inventor observed the sticking qualities of one particular plant’s
20. ________________
Wood has the beneficial feature of being able to 21. ___________________
The synthetic ‘wood’ created for the post office will not 22. ______________________according to
surrounding environmental conditions.
The Namibian Fog Basking beetle uses its ability to 23. __________________ in order to live in harsh
conditions.
The moist breeze blows in from the sea, and droplets of water 24. ______________ on the beetles shell
A 25. _______________ on the beetle’s shell repels water and aids the formation of large droplets.
Your answers
19. 20. 21. 22.
23. 24. 25.
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II. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (20 POINTS)
Part 1: For questions 26-35, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the following
questions. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. Fame made her lead a rather __________life, in her own private world.
A. faint B. secluded C. distant D. far-away
2. When the cost was __________ the advantages, the scheme looked good.
A. set against B. weighed up C. made up for D. settled up with
3. The little boy has rather __________ parents, who give him everything he asks for.
A. advantageous B. privileged C. gainful D. indulgent
4. When the company advertised the position, they were __________with applications.
A. dense B. filled C. inundated D. plentiful
5. I don’t believe there’s a ______ of evidence that could be held against him.
A. shred B. grain C. drop D. strain
6. She was so ill that it was ________ whether she would live or not.
A. win or lose B. come and go C. touch and go D. on and off
7. The renewed interest in Elizabethan times is evident in the _____ of new Hollywood films set during that
period.
A. spate B. hypocrisy C. transience D. demise
8. To his own great ________, professor Stephen has discovered a new method of diabetes treatment.
A. reputation B. name C. fame D. credit
9. The princess's nanny's autobiography really gives the _______ on life among the royals.
A. know-how B. low-down C. look-out D. show-down
10. Serena is still _______ ignorant of the fact that she is about to be made redundant.
A. delightedly B. blissfully C. jubilantly D. ecstatically

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

Part 2. Write the correct FORM of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided in the
column on the right. There is an example at the beginning (0).
One woman in five is a shopaholic

'Retail therapy' - shopping to improve your mood – has become something of a 0. pursuit
fashionable leisure (0) PURSUE in Britain in recent years. It is the acceptable face
of 36. _____________
something much more sinister - the serious medical condition of shopping
addiction. The number of people suffering from this illness has 36. TAKE
__________ the 37. _____________
number of drug and drink addicts combined. Some experts believe that twenty per
cent of the female population may be shopaholics. The condition has led to family 38. _____________
break-ups, depression and 37. HOME __________.
39. _____________
Psychiatrists claim one reason for the epidemic is that shopping has never been so
38. ALLURE__________. Shopping centres are now beautiful, attractive places.
In some shops, store cards or loyalty cards are offered 39. DISCRIMINATION
__________ at the till, and credit is still relatively easy to obtain. Experts also claim 40. _____________
that shopping addiction often masks deeper problems. As one of them says,
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'Mostly there is underlying depression and anxiety sometimes caused by a
disturbed relationship with one's parents. Cold and 40. EMOTION __________
parents often lavish presents on their offspring who then come to associate that
with pleasure.

Part 3. The passage below contains 5 errors in spelling, grammar, word form. For questions 41-
45, underline the errors and write the corrections in the corresponding numbered boxes. There
is ONE example at the beginning. (0)
Alternative lifestyles: build your own island

Line 1 Do you crave an island paradise of your own but are strapped for cash? Well, you could
Line 2 always follow Richie Sowa's example.
Line 3 This innovative British carpenter went to Mexico in search of the simple life. Concerning
Line 4 about the environment, he began collecting plastic bottles from the beach and came up with
Line 5 the incredible idea of building his own island home. Using thousand of recycled plastic bottles
Line 6 packed into mesh bags and fishing nets to form the floating base, Richie laid a structure of
Line 7 plywood and bamboo on top. Then he transported sand from local beaches and planted
Line 8 mangrove trees to create shade and kept the island cool. Spiral Island was eventual destroyed
Line 9 by a hurricane. Yet undeterred, Richie built another one. He claims he finds
Line 10 his way of life invigorated, if sometimes hard work. He is largely self-sufficient, with a solar
Line 11 oven and self-composting toilet and his own fruit trees and vegetables.
Line 12 Spiral Island ll’s peace ambience welcomes all manner of visitors, human or otherwise; Richie
Line 13 shares his home with a dog, cats, ducks and chickens. Aesthetically, the island
Line 14 may not be as awe-inspiring as Dubai's artificial Palm island but it is definitely a home in
paradise.

Your answer:
Line Mistakes Correction Line Mistakes Correction
0 3 Concerning Concerned 43
41 44
42 45

III. READING (50 POINTS)

Part 1: Part 1: Read the article about 'Psychic Paul’, an octopus who predicted football
results. Decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
The octopus who predicted a World Cup final
Our interest in animals' intelligence and possible psychic powers spans the centuries. For some
people, Paul the Octopus proved conclusively, beyond all 46._________ , that animals have
intelligence. Spain’s victory over Germany in the 2010 World Cup came as no 47._________ to many
football fans, because the result had already been 48._________ by Paul. This was a creature that had
achieved celebrity status with its incredibly 49._________ predictions.
Known as the ‘psychic octopus’, Paul seemed to demonstrate above-average intelligence. It seemed
he could predict all of Germany’s World Cup results every time he was asked. Such was the popularity of his
selections that, just before the final, a German news channel broadcast Paul’s prediction live on TV.
Paul’s handlers, at an aquarium in the city of Oberhausen, turned him into an international superstar, A

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simple 50._________ was followed each time. Mussels were placed into two glass boxes. One box carried
Germany’s flag while the other had the flag of the opposing team. Paul then made his ‘prediction’ by
swimming towards one of the boxes and eating the tasty mussel inside.
Aquarium staff never claimed that this was a carefully controlled scientific 51._________. There did
indeed seem to be a lack of concrete 52._________ that Paul was making intelligent choices.
The day before the World Cup final, Paul at first swam towards the Spanish flag, before moving and
hovering over the German box. After a few moments, the octopus eventually returned to his first choice.
Occurrences like this 53._________, some doubt over whether Paul really did have ‘psychic’ powers.
Not everyone appreciated Paul. When Argentina lost to Germany in the quarter-final, Argentine fans
threatened to put him in a paella. The newspaper El Dia even printed a recipe for anyone who captured
Paul: All you need are some potatoes, olive oil and a little salt.’
The octopus sometimes erred in his predictions, although not often. His most famous mistake was
when he wrongly picked Germany over Spain in the 2008 European Championship. Spain won 1-0. Proof,
perhaps, that he was capable of 54._________ from his mistakes. Paul lived a happy and celebrated life
and died naturally in 2010. The world awaits the next animal oracle.
46.A question B doubt C shadow D disbelief
47.A surprise B shock C miracle D amazement
48.A forecast B foretold C envisaged D projected
49.A correct B detailed C strict D accurate
50.A action B procedure C performance D program
51.A examination B check C experiment D analysis
52.A evidence B figures C grounds D information
53.A made B gave C had D cast
54.A studying B learning C knowing D discovering
Your answers

Part 2: For questions 55 to 64, read the following passage, then decide which word best fits
each gap. Write your answers in the numbered boxes provided.
College news

Professor Tim Scholes has been nominated 55._____________ a national award, the Taymon
Environmental Prize, in recognition of his research into the impact 56._____________ deforestation
57._____________ land in the Amazon basin. He is interested in both its potential benefits for agriculture
and the risk of desertification, a process by 58._____________ formerly fertile land becomes desert.
Scholes’s most recent study was undertaken 59._____________ part of an international project led by
Professor Clara Berminton.
According to Scholes, a lucrative prize 60._____________the Taymon would make a significant contribution
to funding for the next stage of his research. The awards ceremony will 61._____________ place in London
on 19 March. Scholes jokes that he 62._____________ well be the first person in the Taymon’s history to
be nominated six times without winning. 63._____________ this prove to be the case, though, Scholes
won’t be too upset. He believes the publicity generated by the event will raise awareness of the problem of
deforestation, if 64._____________else.

Your answers:
55. 56. 57. 58. 59.
60. 61. 62. 63. 64.
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Part 3: You are going to read a newspaper article. Seven paragraphs have been removed
from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (65-71). There
is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Write you answers in the numbered
space provided.

THE INTERNET IN THE CUP

The internet cafe is not such a new idea - something similar existed back in the seventeenth century.
Where do you go when you want to know the latest news, keep up with celebrity gossip, find out what
others think of a new book, or stay abreast of the latest scientific and technological developments? Today,
the answer is obvious, you log on to the internet. Three centuries ago, the answer was just as easy, you
went to your favourite coffee house.
65
What's more, rumours, news and gossip were often carried between them by their patrons and runners
would flit from one to another to report major events Each establishment was, therefore, an integral part of
quite a complex web of contacts. But of even greater importance was their role as centres of scientific
education, literary and philosophical speculation, commercial innovation and, sometimes, political
fermentation.
66
This reputation accompanied its spread into Europe during the seventeenth century, at first as a medicine,
and then as a social beverage in the eastern tradition It was reflected in the decor of the dedicated coffee
houses that began to appear in European cities, London in particular, where they were often adorned with
bookshelves, mirrors, gilt-framed pictures and good furniture
67
There was a new rationalism abroad in the spheres of both philosophy and commerce, and this ethos struck
exactly the right note, whilst coffee was the ideal accompaniment The popularity of the beverage owed
much to the growing middle class of information workers - clerks, merchants and businessmen-who did
mental work in offices rather than performing physical labour in the open, and found that it sharpened their
mental faculties
68
As with modern websites, the coffee houses an individual or group frequented reflected their interests, for
each coffee house attracted a particular clientele, usually by virtue of its location Though coffee houses
were also popular in Paris, Venice and Amsterdam, this characteristic was particularly notable in London,
where eighty-two coffee houses had been set up by 1663, and more than five hundred by 1700. For many,
coffee houses had become almost an extension of the home.
69
That said, most people frequented several houses for the purpose of furthering their commercial, social or
political interests A merchant, for example, would generally oscillate between a financial house and one
specialising in shipping or trade with a particular region. The wide-ranging interests of Robert Hooke, a
scientist and polymath, were reflected in his visits to around sixty houses during the 1670s Not to visit one
at all was to invite social exclusion.
70
This is exactly the kind of threat that worries some people today about the power of social-networking sites
Interestingly, a proclamation of 1675 that sought to outlaw the coffee houses of London was met by a
public outcry, for they had become central to commercial as well as political life When it became clear that
the proclamation would be ignored, it was toned down and then quietly dropped.
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71
But history also provides a cautionary tale for those operators who would charge for access Coffee houses
used to charge for coffee, but gave away access to reading materials. Many coffee shops are now following
the same model, which could undermine the prospects for fee-based hotspots. Information, both in the
seventeenth century and today, wants to be free - and coffee- drinking customers, it seems, expect it to be.
The missing paragraphs:

A According to local custom, social differences were left at the door when you entered such a scholarly
space, each of those details contributing to an ambience that fostered sober, respectful behaviour.
Indeed, anyone who started a quarrel had to atone for it by buying a coffee for all present. In short,
these were calm, well-ordered establishments that promoted polite conversation and discussion.

B But that was a risk some were willing to take, for coffee houses did have their detractors. Coffee
itself was held by some to be a harmful substance, although this was never taken particularly
seriously. The real opposition came from those who were alarmed at the houses' potential for
facilitating political discussion and activity.

C Coffee, the drink that fuelled this vibrant network, originated in the highlands of Ethiopia, where its
beans were originally chewed rather than infused for their invigorating effects. Coffee spread into
the Islamic world during the fifteenth century, where it came to be regarded as stimulating mental
activity and heightening perception.

D In the days before formal addresses or regular postal services were introduced, for example, it
became a common practice to use one as a mailing address. Regulars could pop in once or twice a
day, hear the latest news, and check to see if any post awaited them.

E Lavish entertainment at home was beyond the means of this social stratum but a few pence a day
on coffee could be afforded. What's more, coffee houses provided a forum for education, debate and
self-improvement, and were nicknamed 'penny universities’ in a contemporary English verse.

F Such kinship was soon underlined by the establishment of so-called 'hotspots’. What's more, from
the outset these often provided access in establishments where coffee was also on offer - this can't
have been a coincidence.

G The parallels are certainly striking. Originally the province of scientists, the Net also soon grew to
become a nexus of commercial, journalistic and political interchange. In discussion groups, gossip
passes freely - a little too freely, according to some regulators and governments, which have
generally failed in their attempts to rein them in.

H The quality of the coffee wasn't the only factor governing which one this would be, however, for
these lively and often unreliable sources of information typically specialised in a particular topic or
political viewpoint. They also doubled as outlets for a stream of newsletters and pamphlets that
reflected the interests of their particular clientele.

Your answers:
65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71.

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Part 4: For questions 72- 85, read the passage and do the tasks that follow.
EXAMINING THE PLACEBO EFFECT
By Steve Silberman
The fact that taking a fake drug can powerfully improve some people’s health – the so-called
placebo effect – was long considered an embarrassment to the serious practice of
pharmacology, but now things have changed.
Several years ago, Merck, a global pharmaceutical company, was falling behind its rivals in sales. To make
matters worse, patterns on five blockbuster drugs were about to expire, which would allow cheaper generic
products to flood the market. In interviews with the press, Edward Scolnick, Merck’s Research Director,
presented his plan to restore the firm to pre-eminence. Key to his strategy was expanding the company’s
search into the anti-depressant market, where Merck had trailed behind, while competitors like Pfizer and
GlaxoSmithKline had created some of the best-selling drugs in the world. “To remain dominant in the
future,” he told one media company, “we need to dominate the central nervous system.”
His plan hinged on the success of an experimental anti-depressant codenamed MK-869. Still in clinical trials,
it was a new kind of medication that exploited brain chemistry in innovative ways to promote feelings of
well-being. The drug tested extremely well early on, with minimal side effects. Behind the scenes, however,
MK-869 was starting to unravel. True, many test subjects treated with the medication felt their
hopelessness and anxiety lift. But so did nearly the same number who took a placebo, a look-alike pill made
of milk sugar or another inert substance given to groups of volunteers in subsequent clinical trials to gauge
the effectiveness of the real drug by comparison. Ultimately, Merck’s venture into the anti-depressant
market failed. In the jargon of the industry, the trials crossed the “futility boundary”.
MK-869 has not been the only much-awaited medical breakthrough to be undone in recent years by the
placebo effect. And it’s not only trials of new drugs that are crossing the futility boundary. Some products
that have been on the market for decades are faltering in more recent follow-up tests. It’s not that the old
medications are getting weaker, drug developers say. It’s as if the placebo effect is somehow getting
stronger. The fact that an increasing number of medications are unable to beat sugar pills has thrown the
industry into crisis. The stakes could hardly be higher. To win FDA* approval, a new medication must beat
placebo in at least two authenticated trials. In today’s economy, the fate of a well-established company can
hang on the outcome of a handful of tests.
Why are fake pills suddenly overwhelming promising new drugs and established medicines alike? The
reasons are only just beginning to be understood. A network of independent researchers is doggedly
uncovering the inner workings and potential applications of the placebo effect.
A psychiatrist, William Potter, who knew that some patients really do seem to get healthier for reasons that
have more to do with a doctor’s empathy than with the contents of a pill, was baffled by the fact that drugs
he had been prescribing for years seemed to be struggling to prove their effectiveness. Thinking that a
crucial factor may have been overlooked, Potter combed through his company’s database of published and
unpublished trials – including those that had been kept secret because of high placebo response. His team
aggregated the findings from decades of anti-depressant trials, looking for patterns and trying to see what
was changing over time. What they found challenged some of the industry’s basic assumptions about its
drug-vetting process.
Assumption number one was that if a trial were managed correctly, a medication would perform as well or
badly in a Phoenix hospital as in a Bangalore clinic. Potter discovered, however, that geographic location
alone could determine the outcome. By the late 1990s, for example, the anti-anxiety drug Diazepam was
still beating placebo in France and Belgium. But when the drug was tested in the U.S., it was likely to fail.
Conversely, a similar drug, Prozac, performed better in America than it did in Western Europe and South
Africa. It was an unsettling prospect: FDA approval could hinge on where the company chose to conduct a
trial.

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Mistaken assumption number two was that the standard tests used to gauge volunteers’ improvement in
trials yielded consistent results. Potter and his colleagues discovered that ratings by trial observers varied
significantly from one testing site to another. it was like finding out that the judges in a tight race each
had a different idea about the placement of the finish line.
After some coercion by Potter and others, the National Institute of Health (NIH) focus on the issue in 2000,
hosting a three-day conference in Washington, and this conference launched a new wave of placebo
research in academic laboratories in the U.S. and Italy that would make significant progress toward solving
the mystery of what was happening in clinical trials.
In one study last year, Harvard Medical School researcher Ted Kaptchuk devised a clever strategy for
testing his volunteers’ response to varying levels of therapeutic ritual. The study focused on a common but
painful medical condition that costs more than $40 billion a year worldwide to treat. First, the volunteers
were placed randomly in one of three groups. One group was simply put on a waiting list; researchers know
that some patients get better just because they sign up for a trial. Another group received placebo
treatment from a clinician who declined to engage in small talk. Volunteers in the third group got the same
fake treatment from a clinician who asked them questions about symptoms, outlined the causes of the
illnesses, and displayed optimism about their condition.
Not surprisingly, the health of those in the third group improved most. In fact, just by participating in the
trial, volunteers in this high-interaction group got as much relief as did people taking the two leading
prescription drugs for the condition. And the benefits of their “bogus” treatment persisted for weeks
afterward, contrary to the belief- widespread in the pharmaceutical industry – that the placebo response is
short-lived.
Studies like this open the door to hybrid treatment strategies that exploit the placebo effect to make real
drugs safer and more effective. As Potter says, “To really do the best for your patients, you want the best
placebo response pls the best drug response.”
(Adapted from Wired Magazine)
* The Food and Drug Administration (an egency in the United States responsible for protecting public health
by assuring the safety of human drugs)
Questions 72-76
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?
Write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts with the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
72. Merck’s experience with MK-869 was unique.
73. These days, a small number of unsuccessful test results can ruin a well-established drugs company.
74. Some medical conditions are more easily treated by a placebo than others.
75. It was to be expected that the third group in Kaptchuk’s trial would do better than the other two
groups.
76. Kaptchuk’s research highlights the fact that combined drug and placebo treatments should be avoided.

Questions 77-81
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.
As a result of concerns about increasing 77. _________________________ in the drugs industry, the
pharmaceutical company Merck decided to increase its 78. _________________________in the anti-
depressant market. The development of the drug MK-869 was seen as the way forward.
Initially, MK-869 had some 79. _________________________, but later trials revealed a different picture.
Although key 80. _________________________ could be treated with the drug, a sugar pill was proving

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equally effective. In the end, the 81. _________________________indicated that it was pointless
continuing with the development of the drug.
A activity D patients G symptoms
B prices E tests H competition
C success F diseases I criticism
Questions 82-85
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
82. Which of the following is true of William Potter’s research?
A. It was based on recently developed drugs that he had recommended.
B. It included trial results from a range of drugs companies.
C. Some of the trial results he investigated had not been made public.
D. Some of his findings were not accepted by the drugs industry.
83. What did William Potter’s research reveal about the location of drugs trials?
A. The placebo effect was weakest in the U.S.
B. The results were not consistent around the world.
C. Results varied depending on the type of hospital.
D. The FDA preferred drugs to be tested in different countries.
84. What does the “tight race” refer to in the passage?
A. the standard tests
B. consistent results
C. ratings by trial observers
D. testing sites
85. What significant discovery was made by Ted Kaptchuk?
A. The effects of a placebo can last longer than previously thought.
B. Patients’ health cam improve while waiting to undergo a trial.
C. Patients respond better to a placebo if they are treated by the same clinician throughout the trial.
D. Those conducting a placebo trial need to know the subjects’ disorder well.

Your answers:
72. 73. 74. 75. 76.
77. 78. 79. 80. 81.
82. 83. 84. 85.

Part 5: You are going to read an article about electronic books and reading. For questions 8 6 -
9 5 , choose from the sections {A - D). The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section does the writer mention
Your answers
an example of superseded technology that still has a certain appeal? 86
an analogy used to emphasise how seriously an idea is taken? 87
an anxiety she shares with other like-minded people? 88
a development that questions our assumptions about what reading actually entails? 89
the willingness of writers to experiment with new ideas? 90
the idea that books have always been part of an ongoing interactive process? 91
a seeming contradiction in her own attitudes? 92
a belief that the fundamental nature of reading will change? 93
finding pleasure in another readers' reactions to a book? 94
a view that a prediction is somewhat exaggerated? 95

10 | P a g e
 THE BOOK IS DEAD – LONG LIVE THE BOOK
Electronic books are blurring the line between print and digital
A A lot of ink has been spilled on the supposed demise of the printed word. Ebooks are outselling
paper books. Newspapers are dying. To quote one expert: The days of the codex as the primary
carrier of information are almost over.' This has inspired a lot of hand- wringing from publishers,
librarians, archivists - and me, a writer and lifelong bibliophile who grew up surrounded by paper
books. I've been blogging since high school, I'm addicted to my smartphone and, in theory, I should
be on board with the digital revolution - but when people mourn the loss of paper books, I
sympathise. Are printed books really going the way of the dodo? And what would we lose if they
did? Some commentators think the rumours of the printed word's imminent demise have been rather
overstated. Printed books will live on as art objects and collector's items, they argue, rather in the
way of argue, rather in the way of vinyl records. People may start buying all their beach novels and
periodicals in ebook formats and curating their physical bookshelves more carefully. It is not about
the medium, they say, it is about people. As long as there are those who care about books and don't
know why, there will be books. It's that simple.
B Meanwhile artists are blending print with technology. Between Page and Screen by Amaranth Borsuk
and Brad Bouse is a paper book that can be read only on a computer. Instead of words, every page
has a geometric pattern. If you hold a printed page up to a webcam, while visiting the book's related
website, your screen displays the text of the story streaming, spinning and leaping off the page.
Printed books may need to become more multi-faceted, incorporating video, music and interactivity.
A group at the MIT Media Lab already builds electronic pop-up books with glowing LEDs that
brighten and dim as you pull paper tabs, and authors have been pushing the boundaries with
'augmented reality' books for years. The lines between print and digital books are blurring, and
interesting things are happening at the interface.

C Beyond the page, ebooks may someday transform how we read. We are used to being alone with
our thoughts inside a book but what if we could invite friends or favourite authors to join in? A web
tool called SocialBook offers a way to make the experience of reading more collaborative. Readers
highlight and comment on text, and can see and respond to comments that others have left in the
same book. 'When you put text into a dynamic network, a book becomes a place where readers and
sometimes authors can congregate in the margin,' said Bob Stein, founder of the Institute for the
Future of the Book, a think tank in New York. Stein showed how a high-school class is using Social
Book to read and discuss Don Quixote, how an author could use it to connect with readers, and how
he and his collaborators have started using it instead of email. Readers can open their books to
anyone they want, from close friends to intellectual heroes. 'For us, social is not a pizza topping. It's
not an add-on,' Stein says. 'It's the foundational cornerstone of reading and writing going forth into
the future.'

D The tools might be new, but the goal of SocialBook is hardly radical. Books have found ways to be
nodes of human connection ever since their inception. That's why reading a dog-eared volume,
painstakingly annotated with thoughts and impressions is unfailingly delightful - akin to making a
new like-minded acquaintance. The MIT Rare Books collection has kept a copy of John Stuart Mill's
1848 book Principles of Political Economy, not for its content but for the lines and lines of tiny
comments a passionate but unknown user scrawled in the margins. Maybe ebooks are taking us
where print was trying to go all along.

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IV. WRITING (60 POINTS)
Part 1: Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary
should be between 100 and 120 words long. (15 points)
Cultivation theory, first developed by sociologist George Gebner in the 1960s, attempts to explain the effects that mass
media has on the attitudes of the public. In its simplest form, cultivation theory says that mass media, such as television
and radio, helps to form our view of the world. Our understanding of how the world works and our feelings about the
world are heavily influenced by mass media. This assumption of cultivation theory has often been extended to the
actions of people as well, but this is a misinterpretation. Cultivation theory says that mass media helps to influence our
beliefs, not our actions. For example, a person who watches a large number of violent television shows is likely to believe
that the world is a dangerous and unsafe place. But there is no evidence that watching such programs will cause the
viewer to act in a violent manner themselves.
According to cultivation theory, the more a person is exposed to mass media, the more that person relies on mass media
for an understanding of reality. This is important because what is shown as reality in the mass media is often quite
different from what actually happens in the real world. For example, if a person watched a great number of police
dramas on TV, that person might believe that police are frequently involved in gun battles with criminals. But in real life,
most police go through their entire careers without ever firing their weapons. This is just one example of how mass
media can give the public an accurate view of reality. In another example, television typically shows characters that are
attractive and wealthy, leading to the unrealistic expectation that most people in real life should be attractive and wealthy
also.
Mass media has an especially powerful effect on the attitudes of younger people because they typically have less real-life
experience, and therefore must rely more on mass media to gain an understanding of reality. The result is that younger
individuals often have a highly unrealistic view of the world. This unrealistic viewpoint will naturally come into conflicts
with real life as they grow older. For example, as younger people grow up, many of them will begin to realize that they
are unable to live the upper-class lifestyle they have constantly seen on television. This can lead to strong feelings of
frustration and depression.

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Part 2: The charts below give information about endangered plants around the world.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant. (15 pts)

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 Endangered plant species
4.62%
3.92%
6.92% Critically endangered

20.44% Endangered

Vulnerable
64.10%
Safe

Insufficient data

Plant species at risk in different habitats

Desert 0.50%

Tropical wet grassland 1.60%

Wetlands 4.30%

Tropical dry grassland 4.50%

Dry savanna 7.70%

Tropical dry forest 12.10%

Tropical wet forest 63.00%

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00%

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Part 3: Essay writing (30 points)

At present, science is developing quickly, but some people still have a high opinion of artists.
What can the arts tell us of life that science cannot?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 350 words.
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THE END

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