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SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO LÀO CAI ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC KỲ THI CHỌN ĐỘI DỰ TUYỂN HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA NĂM 2019 (Vòng 1) Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH Thời gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề) 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. Số phách 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. 1|Page 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. 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 14 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. 23. 24. 25. 22. 2|Page 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. 31. 27. 32. 28. 33. 29. 34. 30. 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 fashionable leisure (0) PURSUE in Britain in recent years. It is the acceptable face of something much more sinister - the serious medical condition of shopping addiction. The number of people suffering from this illness has 36. TAKE __________ the 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 break-ups, depression and 37. HOME __________. 0. pursuit 36. _____________ 37. _____________ 38. _____________ 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 that shopping addiction often masks deeper problems. As one of them says, 40. _____________ 3|Page '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 4145, 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 Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Do you crave an island paradise of your own but are strapped for cash? Well, you could always follow Richie Sowa's example. This innovative British carpenter went to Mexico in search of the simple life. Concerning about the environment, he began collecting plastic bottles from the beach and came up with the incredible idea of building his own island home. Using thousand of recycled plastic bottles packed into mesh bags and fishing nets to form the floating base, Richie laid a structure of plywood and bamboo on top. Then he transported sand from local beaches and planted mangrove trees to create shade and kept the island cool. Spiral Island was eventual destroyed by a hurricane. Yet undeterred, Richie built another one. He claims he finds his way of life invigorated, if sometimes hard work. He is largely self-sufficient, with a solar oven and self-composting toilet and his own fruit trees and vegetables. Spiral Island ll’s peace ambience welcomes all manner of visitors, human or otherwise; Richie shares his home with a dog, cats, ducks and chickens. Aesthetically, the island may not be as awe-inspiring as Dubai's artificial Palm island but it is definitely a home in paradise. Your answer: 0 Line Mistakes Correction 3 Concerning Concerned 41 42 Line Mistakes Correction 43 44 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 4|Page 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. 60. 56. 61. 57. 62. 58. 63. 59. 64. 5|Page 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. 6|Page 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. 7|Page 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. 8|Page 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 antidepressant 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 9|Page 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. 77. 82. 73. 78. 83. 74. 79. 84. 75. 80. 85. 76. 81. 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? an analogy used to emphasise how seriously an idea is taken? an anxiety she shares with other like-minded people? a development that questions our assumptions about what reading actually entails? the willingness of writers to experiment with new ideas? the idea that books have always been part of an ongoing interactive process? a seeming contradiction in her own attitudes? a belief that the fundamental nature of reading will change? finding pleasure in another readers' reactions to a book? a view that a prediction is somewhat exaggerated? 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 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 B 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. 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. 11 | P a g e 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. _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 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) 12 | P a g e 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 0.00% 63.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 | P a g e __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 | P a g e __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ THE END 15 | P a g e |
