QUANG NAM

SECTION A: LISTENING (50 points)

HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
● Bài nghe gồm 4 phần; mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 05 giây; mở đầu
và kết thúc mỗi phần nghe có tín hiệu. Thí sinh có 20 giây để đọc mỗi phần câu hỏi.
● Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 03 phút để hoàn chỉnh bài
trước tín hiệu nhạc kết thúc bài nghe.
● Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh (bằng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe

Part 1: For question 1-5, listen to a recording about Apple Pay and decide whether the
following statements are True (T) or False (F) or Not Given (NG). Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 pts)
1. The primary advantage of Apple Pay compared to other digital wallets lies in its own
ecosystem it operates on.
2. Banks have to allocate large portions of their own budget upon the rise of Apple Pay.
3. Traditionally, banks would receive profits via the use of bank cards from product sellers.
4. However, with the business model of Apple Pay, banks can only retain one fourth of the fees
charged to sellers.
5. Losing its own identity as a bank is the butterfly effect that banks are fearful of when letting
Apple Pay rise to its status.

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

Part 2: For questions 6-10, you will hear part of a news report on The Eras Tour by Taylor
Swift. Give short answers to the questions USING NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS. (Write
your answers in the spaces provided.) (10 pts)
6. What is the action by Taylor Swift fans to show their enthusiasm mentioned in the report
besides saving money, planning outfits and singing along?
__________________________________________________________
7. What is another title coined for Taylor Swift in the report?
__________________________________________________________
8. What were spiking uncontrollably in the event of the tour?
__________________________________________________________
9. What are offered by The Eras Tour mentioned in the report in addition to the extensive list of
songs and dancing performances?
__________________________________________________________
10. What aspect of the tour has the analyst Mara Klaunig been tracing?
__________________________________________________________
Your answers:
6. 7. 8. 9.

Part 3: From questions 11 to 15, you will hear an interview with the head of an
employment agency about job expectations, and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D)
according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
(10 pts)
11. How does Diane Webber view ‘jobs for life’?
A. She laments the departure from the previously established norm.
B. She expresses a sentiment that the contributions of some long-tenured employees were not
as impactful as desired.
C. She believes that employees should have exhibited greater scrutiny towards the rationale
presented by their employers.
D. She expresses a longing for a heightened level of security within the workplace environment
of the past.
12. According to Diane, younger workers in today’s workplace
A. acquire the requisite skills during their initial stages of employment.
B. engage in horizontal career transitions that offer strategic advantages.
C. anticipate the commencement of benefits upon assumption of their position.
D. engage in periodic job transitions to achieve a more elevated professional standing.
13. What is Diane's perspective on the issue of staff longevity within organizational structures?
A. Staff continuity proves advantageous at both the junior and senior leadership levels.
B. Contemporary competitive landscapes challenge long-term employee retention.
C. Collaborative work structures diminish the importance of long tenures.
D. Value staff continuity, but prioritize necessary transitions.
14. In Diane's view, what specific advantages accrue from a more dynamic staff turnover rate?
A. enhanced organisational productivity
B. augmented problem-solving capabilities
C. fostering a more innovative environment
D. optimising operational efficiency
15. Diane considers that nowadays, companies are at most risk from
A. risk-averse employees exhibiting low levels of initiative.
B. high-potential employees with demonstrably brief tenures.
C. staff exhibiting a propensity for unreliability and a lack of organizational commitment.
D. external consultants wielding excessive influence within the decision-making process.
Your answers:
11. 12. 13. 14. 15

Part 4: For questions 16-25, listen to a piece of news about social mobility and fill in the
missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for
each answer in the spaces provided. (20 pts)

16. There always exist certain ______________________ for those born into richer families in
social mobility.
17. It is suggested that the US does not deserve the title of being the
______________________.
18. ______________________ have been stemming from people’s inability to move upward in
their social classes.
19. People will feel a sense of dissatisfaction with life and ______________________ when
people see no point in trying further.
20. The interviewed person, Sophie Pender, as an example of people coming from
disadvantaged backgrounds, used to rely on ______________________ for housing.
21. Despite being born into not-so-admirable parental figures, Sophie has
______________________ with her current life circumstances.
22. ______________________, the amounts of wealth and income disparity all contribute to the
discrepancies in relative social mobility between countries.
23. ______________________ for the above problems is most likely to be the US.
24. According to one interviewee, the lack of social mobility can be envisaged as the far
distance between the _____________________ of the social ladder.
25. The feelings of inferiority from disadvantaged backgrounds can fuel
____________________.
Your answers:

16. 17.

18. 19.

20. 21.

22. 23.

24. 25.

SECTION B: LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)

Part 1. For question 26-45, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the
following questions. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(20 pts)
26. Topaz gave a deep _____ and found herself raised up by a royal hand.
A. bob B. genuflect C. curtsey D. bow
27. The representative of Greece has announced a completely innovative policy on solving the
debt crisis, and that was the last decision of the _____ government.
A. tottering B. staggering C. stumbling D. wavering
28. In some parts of Vietnam, the former generations still go along _____ with many long-
standing customs even when they are clearly specious.
A. gratuitously B. felicitously C. fortuitously D. acquiescently
29. It was not surprising that the sales assistant could patiently _____ criticism from his
customers.
A. take up B. suffocate C. digest D. swallow
30. But regardless, now Olivia feels _____ by the overly protective nature of her father's
attention.
A. ruptured B. crouched C. smothered D. scowled
31. After the economic crisis, many families were reduced _____ in temporary shelters,
struggling to rebuild their lives from scratch.
A. to live B. to living C. to be living D. to
be lived
32. It’s _____; he’s clearly the superior athlete in this competition, outperforming all his rivals
effortlessly.
A. no test B. no contest
C. no tournament D. no competition
33. Darren believes in _____ his mind in any situation, and this really annoys others.
A. speaking B. voicing C. presenting D. saying
34. The getaway driver was convicted as _____ in the robbery and was sentenced to five years'
imprisonment.
A. an accompanist B. a partner C. an accessory D. a
component
35. Ho Chi Minh city’s Metro system has been _____ in putting it into operation.
A. depraved B. dissipated C. recalcitrant D. dilatory
36. The _____ teenager gave his parents a defiant look when asked to wash the dishes, leading
to another argument among them.
A. sagacious B. truculent C. hedonistic
D. disparaging
37. Some internationally acclaimed actresses have _____ so much money _____ on prohibitive
make-up.
A. bogged – down B. botched – up C. spoiled – away D. frittered - away

38. The student campaign _____when it became clear there was no way they would win a seat
in the council.

A. hit a rough patch B. went through a dry spell

C. ran out of steam D. hit the nail on the head

39. “The house of no man” and “Dad, I’m sorry” are not Tran Thanh’s best movies by far and
those would be _____ any other sequels on air, but they are pretty incredible.
A. toss-ups B. kiss-offs C. whipping-ups D. summings-up
40. The investigative journalist was too excited to finally ______ the story on the town’s
corruption scandal that he had been working on for months.
A. leak B. break C. tell D. share
41. Unfortunately, ______ stamping out the wood trade, these programs are simply forcing
timber smugglers to move into more inaccessible regions.
A. besides B. in converse to C. as for D. rather than
42. His ______ work habits, invariably jumping between tasks without dedicated focus, made it
hard for him to get promoted.
A. desultory B. unstinting C. peremptory D. ambulatory
43. Andy is now ______ at the moment as his newly formed company is on the verge of
bankruptcy.
A. feeling out of the loop B. pulling the wool over
C. sweeping under the rug D. going through a sticky patch
44. The pandemic that once claimed millions of lives around the world has now been _____ by
a newly produced vaccine.
A. overthrown B. annulled C. procured D. eradicated
45. The director has decided to employ an advertising agency to _____ the whole company
image.
A. ante up in B. frolic with C. deck out D. spruce up
Your answers:

26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33

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

Part 2: For questions 46-55, write the correct form of each bracketed word in each
sentence in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 pts)
46. Vietnam's former method of teaching history had led to many students being _________,
which means they are almost clueless about history. (HISTORY)

47. In an ideal memory study drivers would be ________ monitored during a range of everyday
driving situations and subsequently questioned about the events. (OBTRUDE)

48. It is advisable that Internet users should not purchase anything advertised through a(n)
________ email. (SOLICIT)
49. The war between Russia and Ukraine caused many ________ and Internet disconnections
in the surrounding regions. (BLACK)
50. Ho Chi Minh city residents all find it hard to make both ends meet because of their
________ expenditure. (DISCRIMINATION)
51. Children living in orphanages in Vietnam had to wear other well-off children’s ________ ,
which they received from the volunteer. (CAST)

52. Corporations such as Vietin Bank provide _________ literacy help for some of their
employees. (SERVICE)

53. Suppose we try out the following definition: a complex thing is something whose ________
parts are arranged in a way that is unlikely to have arisen by chance alone. (CONSTITUTE)

54. Among Asian-American ________ , Japanese have the highest rate of intermarriage and
Indians have the lowest. (WED)

55. Conservationists have recorded several new species of New World primate, including the
evocatively named fire-tailed zogue-zogue-more ________ known as Milton's titi monkey.
(PROSE)

Your answers:

46. 47.

48. 49.

50. 51.

52. 53.

54. 55.

SECTION C: READING (60 points)

Part 1: For questions 56-65, read the text and fill each of the following numbered blanks
with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes
provided. (15 pts)
Early warning systems provide information about an imminent disaster as a way of minimising
adverse consequences to those at (56) _____ during and after its occurrence. When a threat
(57) _____, colour and number coded warning messages that communicate the 'level' of risk
and the identity of the threat are typically (58) _____ in the mass media. A shift in early warning
governance (59) _____ a participatory model that focuses on how communities and different
audiences (60) ______ with such messages spotlights the interface between message
representation and audience interpretation as an area for empirical study. Analyses of media
reporting on various health threats indicate that specific language (61) _____ made by
journalists can lead to a recontextualization of scientific knowledge about their risks, (62) _____
to the apportioning of blame for the threat, or make a threat appear more risky than suggested
by scientific evidence. In risk (63) _____, journalists' decisions about the content they include
can frame a given threat by constructing a causal and contingent (64) _____ between a risk
object and an object at risk. For instance, tendencies to associate breastfeeding with disrupted
sleep, painful nipples, and weight gain and bottle feeding (65) _____ symbolic images of
babyhood frame breastfeeding as the riskier activity.

Your answers:
56. 57. 58. 59.

61. 62. 63. 64.

Part 2: Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. (13 pts)
LEARNING ANCIENT GREEK
The singular criteria for evaluating a language course designed for learners of a defunct tongue
is that of its efficacy and expedience in enabling them to read the original language texts with
precision, comprehension, and pleasure. The initiation of the Greek Project by the Joint
Association of Classical Teachers was founded upon the conviction that it was feasible to
devise a course for Ancient Greek that would surpass all pre-existing courses in satisfying this
significantly.
The pursuit of a project aimed at rejuvenating the teaching of Greek in schools would have been
rendered futile if the present dwindling interest in the language were indicative of a broader,
burgeoning, and irreversible lack of appreciation for Greek culture in contemporary society.
However, such an inference is untenable given the sustained popularity of translated Greek
literature and courses on Greek art and history. It seemed to the Joint Association that there
was a gap waiting for a bridge. Bridges cost money, and when an appeal for £40,000 was
launched at the beginning of 1974 by Dr. Michael Ramsey and others it was legitimate to
wonder how the cause of Greek would fare in competition with louder claims. But the optimists
were justified: by November £263,000 had been contributed, a sum which more than
compensated for the effect of inflation after the original costing of the project, and in 1976 an
appeal for the money required for a fourth and final year of work brought in more than £15,000.
The seemingly facile option of constructing a purely descriptive grammar, punctuated by rote
exercises mirroring grammatical stages, offers a superficial solution. Similarly, presenting
learners with a translated Greek anthology, while potentially inspiring, ultimately undermines
their engagement with the language's intricacies. Such an approach fosters a reliance on pre-
digested meaning, neglecting the critical faculties necessary for true linguistic mastery.
The notion that one can get the gist of alien texts simply by reading a lot of them with the help of
translations but without careful linguistic guidance is equally illusory. We can indeed hope to
understand much of what is said to us in a modern language if we are put into a situation in
which we hear it all day; but our progress depends on our being an ingredient of the situation in
which the words are uttered and on the readiness of the native speaker to repeat, simplify, slow
down and supplement language by signs and gestures. Our relationship to Greek authors is
different; if we tackle Platonic argument or tragic dialogue with only a hazy idea of grammar the
chances of misunderstanding - not marginal, but total misunderstanding - are very high.
The Project course has been composed and scrutinised by people who care most about what
works best and do not use 'traditional' or 'modern' as complimentary or derogatory terms. In the
earlier sections the commonest words and constructions preponderate, and the sentences are
short; but the sentence structure has not been anglicised, and the test of frequency has not
been so rigorously applied to the admission of vocabulary and idiom as to bleach all colour out
of the language. At the start the Greek text is modern composition, though its subject-matter is
derived from Greek sources, but the voices of Plato and Aristophanes soon begin to be heard,
and thereafter modern composers are edged out as the ancient authors, progressively less
rewritten to suit the beginner's limitations, take over. The content of the text is determined as
seldom as possible by linguistic tidiness and as often as possible by the need to acquaint the
adult and near-adult learner directly with the characteristic features of Greek culture.
Not everyone thinks that it is right to make up Greek or to adapt original texts. There is nothing,
in any language course, that everyone thinks is right. The Project team has been compelled
repeatedly to take decisions, sometimes against the judgement of a minority, but never without
patient and friendly discussion, which will incur criticism. Critics are asked to reflect that the
combined classroom, lecture-room and tutorial experience is not only considerable but also very
varied; that successive drafts, having been tested and constantly revised in the light of what
emerged from the testing; and that in language-learning occasions may arise on which one
man's succulent meat is another man's cold cabbage. The Team has been from first to last
imaginative and resourceful, prompt and cheerful in response to criticism and unfailingly resilient
in the face of technical difficulties. They have produced a course which they have many good
reasons to believe will prove, for the majority of learners, a straighter and shorter path than any
other into Greek literature as the Greeks themselves knew it.
For questions 66-72: Do the following statements agree with the information given in
Reading Passage? In boxes 66-72 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information in the passage
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information in the passage
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage
66. The pivotal reason for teaching old languages lies in the potential for derivation of
satisfaction from linguistic immersion.
67. The recognition of ancient Greek is something that cannot be defended against these days.
68. In its fourth year, the project led by Dr. Michael Ramsey even succeeded in getting the
necessary funds.
69. The rote learning method of ancient Greek grammars might seem quite effortless on the
surface.
70. Simply translating ancient Greek literature collections would render the whole learning
process of the language to no avail.
71. Having an environment speaking that language is not as important as being actively
involved in that environment with specific linguistic support.
72. Learning ancient Greek has been compounded by the fact that no one today willingly offers
support and guidance in fixing our usage mistakes.
For questions 73-78: Complete the following summary with NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS taken from the passage for each blank.

The Project course by the Joint Association was designed by experts focused on efficacy rather
than on (73) _______ labels. Early sections feature common words and short sentences,
maintaining Greek sentence structure without making this Greek language become excessively
(74) ______. Initially, the Greek text is modern but quickly incorporates authentic voices like
Plato and Aristophanes. The content prioritises the familiarity with (75) ______ over (76)
______. While some oppose creating or adapting Greek texts, the team made decisions through
collaborative discussions to (77) ______ thereafter. The course, extensively tested and revised
after a series of (78) ______, is believed to offer a direct, effective route into Greek literature,
balancing authenticity and accessibility for adult learners.

Your answers:

66. 67. 68. 69.

 71. 72. 73. 74.

76. 77. 78.

Part 3: For questions 79-88, read an article about education and choose the answer A, B,
C or D which fits best according to the text. (10 pts)
It's an unavoidable fact of life that there will always be certain people who know more about us
than we'd like them to: the therapist, the ex-boyfriend, and hotel housekeeping are among them.
We've told them our hang-ups, fallen in love with them once upon a time, or literally asked them
to sift through our dirty laundry. As a result, they know our secrets but that's usually because
we've willingly spilled them.
There is another breed of person that knows a bit more about us, though. They see us on our
drunken late nights and equally on our hungover late mornings. They know that we don't go
grocery shopping as often as we should and that, sometimes, a 40 oz. bottle of Red Stripe
paired with tortilla chips is a suitable dinner for a Thursday night. They are the corner-store
owners.
Every urban dwelling human has probably entered an unspoken relationship of this kind. Each
city has its own iteration dotting the streets - the bodega in NYC, an off-licence in London, or a
liquor store in LA but what takes place inside is largely the same. Each time you go to buy your
brand of tobacco on your way to the bar, stumble down the road to pick up milk and eggs on a
Saturday morning without bothering to put on a bra first, or purchase Cool Ranch Doritos and
chocolate bars when you're drunk, depressed (or both), they learn just a little bit more about
you.
Taken individually, these habits may not reveal that much, but, over the course of a year or two,
much more if one were paying attention. My corner-store owners know that I drink Diet Coke in
a can when I'm on a deadline, Perrier when I'm hungover; I read the Guardian on Saturdays or
the Observer on Sundays; and I regard a bottle of dry rose as a panacea for most of my ills, so
long as it's not an abstemious Monday.
Having grown up in suburbia, where big box chains and SUVs render the landscape impersonal,
I hadn't really experienced the intimacy of the corner-store relationship until I moved to cities.
There was the flat in Camden where the corner-store guys directly across the street could see
into the second-story window that I shared with another Australian girl; the corner store in
Dalston where the Turkish proprietor once suggested I buy the right-wing Daily Mail when he'd
sold out of the weekend Guardian; and the Moroccan teenager in the 18th arrondissement of
Paris who, despite my inability to speak his language, was incredibly gracious the time I
knocked over an entire display of roasted nuts and could only emphatically say 'Je suis desole!'
before scurrying out in utter humiliation.
After the nut incident, I was inclined to walk the extra few blocks to the slightly larger, more
anonymous - or safer - supermarche next time I wanted a late night snack. Along similar lines,
the humorist David Sedaris talked about his fraught relationship with a French corner-store
owner who dismissively asked him if he was a tourist on vacation despite the fact that he had
bought his newspaper from that woman seven days a week for a year and a half. Like me,
Sedaris felt the weight of their silent judgement; the more they know about us, the more self-
conscious we become in our dealings.
Alas, if I can get past this possibly imagined neurosis of what the off-licence owner thinks of my
idiosyncrasies, perhaps there's something to be valued in this inescapable intimacy of urban
life. We move through cityscapes with the protection of headphones, buy our cinema and train
tickets from machines, and benefit from same-day delivery of items ordered online via
unmanned aerial vehicles. Perhaps the humble corner store is the last stand of enforced human
interaction. They are, after all, one of the few places where a hello and goodbye are required to
complete a transaction instead of a confirm-purchase button. If nothing else, it's a hell of a lot
easier to buy a pint of milk by walking down the road in your PJs than it is to wait for a drone to
deliver it.

79. What point is the writer making in the first paragraph?

A. There is a difference between information we have happily shared and that which we have
not.
B. We should avoid sharing information with people.
C. It is impossible to avoid sharing intimate details about our lives.
D. Social media has made things worse.
80. What is the writer trying to say in paragraph 3?
A. Alcohol vendors gain access to most personal information.
B. Using corner shops can be depressing.
C. This sharing of personal information is very widespread.
D. You should dress appropriately when you leave your house.
81. What part does time play, according to the writer in paragraph 4, in this situation?
A. People forget your personal information over time.
B. People can build a very complete picture about you over time.
C. You will feel less worried about this situation after some time.
D. Most information is given at specific times of the day.
82. The word "ills" in paragraph 4 can be replaced by ______.
A. diseases B. headaches C. problems D. pains
83. The writer ______.
A. has spent more time in the city than in the countryside
B. enjoys shopping in corner-store in the suburbs
C. have been treated quite well by corner-store owners
D. tends to opt for accommodation near corner-stores
84. What do we learn about the writer's feelings in paragraph 6?
A. The writer doesn't like living in France.
B. The writer enjoys interacting in French.
C. The writer doesn't feel safe shopping in little shops.
D. The writer feels things are cheaper in little shops.

85. What feelings does the writer share with David Sedaris in paragraph 6?
A. They both dislike the feeling of being judged by strangers.
B. They both feel uncomfortable with other people knowing things about them.
C. They both enjoy a similar kind of humour.
D. They both prefer to shop in supermarkets.
86. The word "idiosyncrasies" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. preferences B. purchases C. habits D. drinks
87. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Getting groceries delivered by drones is much more efficient than buying them in person.
B. Cutting-edge vending machines are taking place of shop assistants.
C. City-dwellers hate making interaction with people around.
D. Urban dwellers find comfort in going unrecognised.
88. What is the writer suggesting in the last paragraph?
A. The advantages of the corner shop outweigh the disadvantages.
B. The corner shop has a bleak future.
C. Buying on-line is more comfortable than dealing with people.
D. Headphones can be a very effective form of protection.
Your answers:
79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88.
Part 4: From questions 89-95, you are going to read an extract from an article. Seven
paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-G the
one which fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. (7
pts)
The relationship between science fiction and the scientific principles upon which it is based has
demonstrably been a dynamic one, characterized by both mutual reinforcement and occasional
discord. A prevailing sentiment of disappointment emerged around the turn of the millennium,
encapsulated by the public lament regarding the absence of ubiquitous flying cars. This
sentiment reflected a widespread perception that scientific and technological advancements had
fallen short of the extravagant predictions envisioned by early 20th-century science fiction.

89.

Science fiction’s predictive score is not particularly high, and depends more on its sheer
multiplicity of ideas than on carefully extrapolated technological marvels.

90.

But it is not the task of science fiction to predict the future. Rather, SF gives us a way of thinking
about humanity as a work in progress and contemplating what we might become. Science
fiction proposes and examines possible futures, it extrapolates from contemporary problems
and trends, but what it illuminates is the present.

91.

This might be more generally true with extremely negative outcomes, as we seem to produce
more dystopias than utopias. We don’t have much of a cultural expectation of dashing utopian
yarns.
Ted Chiang says that science fiction is especially well suited to asking philosophical questions,
such as questions about the nature of reality, what it means to be human, how do we know the
things that we think we know. When philosophers propose thought experiments as a way of
analyzing certain questions, their thought experiments often sound a lot like science fiction.

92.

Corporations now regularly hire SF writers to create fictional prototypes, thought experiments,
and what-if stories about potentially marketable products. Le Guin, however, holds that fiction,
as a creative endeavor, necessarily sets limits in how it depicts reality.

93.
Science fiction sometimes seems more surreal than extrapolative. Philip K. Dick’s work, in
which daily life becomes very strange, is probably the best-known example; Rudy Rucker calls
his related mode of altered reality transrealism.

94.

One of the joys of reading science fiction is that we are tossed into an incomprehensible world
that eventually resolves into meaning. It’s a microcosm of the human experience, except that
you can figure it out and resolve your adventure within a few hundred pages.

95.

Science fiction, whether it relates to Utopia or the opposite, can prepare its readers for change
and for the shock of the new. Change is a human condition.

The Paragraphs
A. In this kind of science fiction, strangeness infuses the normal, and transforms it. When you
finish the story, you take a bit of its strangeness with you, and the normal is never quite normal
again.

B. Sometimes the most startlingly contrarian ideas are the ones that come true: it is difficult now
to understand how wild and paranoid Philip K. Dick’s visions of the future seemed 50 or 60
years ago, before reality bent and assumed their shape.

C. Science Fiction writer William Gibson, who coined the term “cyberspace” — and will never be
allowed to forget it — explains why people want to judge science fiction on its predictive
capability. “I take it for granted, both as a reader and a writer of SF, that one aspect of the
potential pleasure of the text may be pretending to believe the future as presented is a likely
outcome.

D. Even what’s now called “dystopian” fiction, such as Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, in
which the world is measurably less pleasant than middle-class American life, generally narrates
a story in which the protagonist struggles within its grim world but eventually triumphs.

E. All art consists of limitation and exclusion as well as invention and creation. To a writer, ‘the
future’ is not only a laboratory but a blank canvas on which to paint possibilities, non-existent
but possible or plausible realities, contained within the limits of the canvas.
F. Stories set in the future are often taken for being about the future, and, if they are sufficiently
dire or wondrous, are considered warnings or predictions. SF novels that examine our present
ethical concerns about human progress and regress — ubiquitous computing, genetic
manipulation, climate control — will be judged, as time passes, merely on whether they “came
true” or not.

G. Stories help us make sense out of the world - they give it order, and a sense of causality,
because one thing leads to another. Certainly one of the things that science fiction does best is
tackle big problems and suggest big solutions, while telling a briskly paced story.

H. There is no denying, however, a connection between technology and science fiction. We’re
still waiting for our laser-powered space elevator and our light-driven intergalactic spaceship,
but these are projects that technologists take very seriously. Jordin Kare, an astrophysicist at
the Seattle-based company LaserMotive, who has done important practical and theoretical work
on lasers, space elevators, and light-sail propulsion, cheerfully acknowledges the effect science
fiction has had on his life and career.
Part 5: For questions 96 – 105, read the text and choose from the passage marked A, B,
C and D. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (15pts)
A. In Paris, they care about the people who use public transport. Travelling with the 4.4m
people who daily use the world's best underground urban railway system is generally a
pleasure. True, your average Parisian looks as alienated and brittle as any tube traveller. And
then there is the smell. For a long time I have been struck by this posited odour and have spent
a lot of time sniffing. More than anything, the Metro is efficient. There are drawbacks. Many
Metro stations have too many stairs, and changing lines at big interchanges can be tiresome.
Then there is the in-carriage entertainment. Begging on the Metro merges with performance art,
which is by turns strange and depressing.
B. It is amazing the wonders that cruelty and despotism can sometimes produce. The Moscow
Metro is an example of a form of triumph over adversity. Inaugurated at the height of Stalin's
dictatorship in the 30s, it is probably the world's most bizarrely beautiful, most efficient, busiest
and cheapest underground system. And the trains take you through a parade of marbled,
stuccoed, spacious, spotless stations which contrast totally with the grubby streets, potholed
roads, and crumbling buildings above ground. For tourists, it's a major sightseeing draw. From
Stalinist high kitsch, to Russian art deco, from neoclassical to pedestrian modern, the metro
stations are not to be missed.
C. In terms of punctuality, safety and price, the Tokyo subway system is arguably the world's
model urban railway. But for overcrowding and groping, it must rank as one of the worst. As is
the case throughout Japan above or below ground, Tokyo's trains run with precision. Train
driving is a prestigious job for life for which applicants must pass a rigorous screening of health
checks, interviews and written exams before they can don the - usually meticulously turned out -
uniform, cap and white gloves. But overcrowding means this is far from a commuter paradise.
The main reason for such cramped conditions is that the Tokyo subway system has only 15
miles of track for every 1m people, compared to 36 on the London Underground.
D. Deficiencies readily emerge within New York's generally efficient subway system. Notably
absent is air conditioning in stations, and escalator access remains limited. However, a recently
implemented lighting system and stricter fare enforcement yielded a 50% crime reduction. A
series of five-year capital investment programs, totaling $34 billion, is slated for completion by
2004, with one-third funded through municipal bonds tied to fare revenue increases. This
approach finances subway renovations without privatization, and ridership has demonstrably
grown by 30% over the past five years.
E. Inaugurated in the late 1960s by French engineers, Mexico City's subterranean rapid transit
system exemplifies a confluence of efficiency and local character. Its speed, relative safety, and
affordability render it a compelling alternative to congested surface transportation. While the
rubber-tired carriages and expansive connecting walkways evoke the Parisian Metro, the
ubiquitous presence of itinerant vendors hawking diverse merchandise serves as a constant
reminder of the distinct cultural milieu. Notably, the metro attracts a significant middle-class
ridership seeking to circumvent the inefficiencies of surface traffic and potential security
concerns associated with other transportation options.
F. This analysis examines the Prague metro system, constructed in 1974, through the lens of
cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency. While acknowledging the presence of heated
stations and seats, the primary focus is on the system's functionality and its impact on ridership.
The Prague metro boasts impressive frequency, with wait times rarely exceeding three minutes
during daytime hours and ten minutes at night. This efficiency contributes significantly to the
system's overall appeal. Furthermore, a recent anecdotal event, where a local resident utilized
metro advertising to plead with a former partner, highlights the metro's cultural significance. This
incident underscores the romantic connotations associated with the metro, which have
permeated a notable portion of contemporary Czech literature.
Which metro system
functions as a perpetrator deterrence mechanism, empowering users to mitigate their risk profile within the con
landscape?

exhibited a robust and sustained growth trajectory in terms of active user base?

documented issues that may disproportionately affect vulnerable demographics, especially attractive females?

provides users with a platform to immerse themselves in a variety of artistic schools and techniques?

utilises a heating mechanism to guarantee passengers thermal comfort in low-temperature conditions?

induce a state of sensory disorientation in some passengers?

offers a vivid portrayal of the dramatic differences between the terrestrial and subterranean realms?

want to ensure continued compliance with air quality regulations, and an upgrade to the ventilation systems ma

stands as a testament to the architectural achievements of another nation during the 20th century?

achieves a level of national recognition and finds representation in the works of the country's literarians?

SECTION D: WRITING (60 points)

Part 1: Read the following passage and use your own words to summarise it. Your
summary should be about 120 words long. (15 pts)
Last year marked the conclusion of a massive six-year study that has been the most
comprehensive and rigorous to date to investigate whether cloud seeding actually increases
precipitation. Called the Wyoming Weather Modification Pilot Project (WWMPP), the study was
run by a team of researchers from government, academia, and private industry. In the end,
WWMPP wasn't able to provide a definitive answer. “But the results do provide a body of
evidence that cloud seeding is working under certain conditions," says Roelof Bruintjes, an
atmospheric scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), who was not part
of the project although his colleagues at NCAR were deeply involved.
Earlier studies would inject silver iodide into clouds, then compare precipitation gauges in areas
inside and outside the seeding zone. But the studies weren't repeatable, and they didn't include
enough trials to guarantee that observed increases in precipitation weren't due to chance. The
challenge with measuring the effect of weather modification is that natural rain and snowfall
variability is 10 to 100 times as large as the amount of precipitation augmented by seeding,
Bruintjes says.
Still, the WWMPP researchers thought they could address the drawbacks of past studies. The
researchers designed their $14 million project to run for six winter seasons in the mountains of
Wyoming. They conducted more than 150 tests, randomly selecting clouds to seed and clouds to
be their unseeded controls. Measurements from the high-resolution snow gauges on the ground
indicated that seeding elevated snowfall by 5-15%. But this result was achieved only after the
researchers threw out some of the tests where silver iodide drifted into control clouds or where
not enough seeding material was released, so the final results weren't statistically significant.
“Nevertheless, all the results provided evidence for a positive trend,” Bruintjes says.
The scientists also took advantage of new developments in remote-sensing and atmospheric
modelling to examine dynamics inside a small subset of seeded clouds.
Remote-sensing observations are valuable because radar can describe growth of snow in a cloud
in a much more immediate way than snow gauges can, says Bart Geerts, an atmospheric
scientist at the University of Wyoming who was part of WWMPP. “Detailed remote-sensing
measurements of cloud dynamics are cheaper and more doable than randomised statistical
experiments that measure increases in snow on the ground,” Geerts says.

Part 2: The graph below gives information about international migration to Australia
from 2018 to 2023, and the expected figure from 2024 to 2027. Summarise the
information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant. You should write about 150 words. (15 pts)
Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 words on the following topic: (30 pts)
A considerable number of Vietnamese children have performed their talents on mass media
from an early age. Some people welcome their promising competence and confidence, while
others think it will certainly spoil the children themselves.
Which idea do you support?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and
experience.