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Practice Test A3
Practice Test A3
SECTION A: LISTENING
I. Listen to an interview with someone who reviews hotels and choose the best answer (A, B,
C or D) according to what you hear.
1. What does Paddy say about some readers of her column?
A. They suspect that she enjoys criticising hotels.
B. Her attitude to hotels has changed because of their response.
C. Her comments match their experiences of hotels.
tD. They prefer reading about hotels they would not want to visit.
2. What does Paddy say about some hotel-keepers?
A. They sometimes have to force themselves to have a sense of humour.
tB. They would be more suited to a different profession.
C. They expect to receive negative comment about their hotels.
D. They are surprised that they become friends of hers.
3. Paddy says that some hotel-keepers she has contacted about the book have
A. realized that she does not really have an assistant called Emily.
B. corrected inaccuracies that were in her review of their hotels.
tC. responded favorably despite criticisms she had made.
D. made her wonder whether her reviews of their hotels were unfair.
4. Paddy says that one hotel-keeper she spoke to told her that
A. other people are unlikely to be treated in the same way in hotels as she is.
B. he was unwilling to discuss some of the comments in her review.
tC. her reviews did not have as much influence as she believed.
D. he no longer wanted his hotel to appear in the book.
5. The same owner also told her that
A. he had passed information about her to other hotels.
B. he resented her description of him in her review.
C. he did not understand why she wanted to put his hotel in her book.
tD. there was nothing distinctive about her physical appearance.
II. Listen to a piece of news from BBC about the hazardous effects of junk from electronic
devices in China and fill in the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
taken from the recording for each answer in the spaces provided.
Every year, millions of tones of scrap metal are shipped in from all over the world to China, one of the
largest (1) ____solid waste________ports. Among those are the most valuable scrap (2) ___E-
waste_________from unused and outdated laptops and mobile phones. The activity of (3) ____recycling
toxic components________has caused a lot of dangers which can be seen everywhere, especially in nearby
villages in Eastern China. Recyclers are forced to (4) _____take refuge _______ in concealed yards due to
severe actions taken by the government to restrict the (5) _____unregulated processing_______.This has
a bad effect not only on the environment but also on (6) ____health_______of those who live near the
port. China is the destination of more than two thirds of the world’s scrap devices, most of which is (7)
____homegrown_______, a trend that is rising quickly to affluence. Also, in a factory on the outskirts of
Beijing, almost 2.5 million devices are being handled. It is not operating at its (8)____full
strength________, about two thirds capacity; however, this won’t be long because of China’s appetite for
new devices. Such industry is (9) ____set to expand________with the increase in the amount of waste
from existing electronic devices, a result of the rise in (10) ___living standards_________.
IV. The passage below contains 5 mistakes. Underline and correct them.
Lin
e
1 In the last twenty years, the country has made great technological progress, culminating in
2 our entering the space age earlier this year with the launch of our first telecommunications
3 satellite. From a healthy(health) perspective, there has been a major
4 modern(modernization) programme in public hospitals. This has involved the purchase of
5 the latest scanning and diagnosis(diagnostic) equipment, as well as the refurbishment of
6 major operating theatres with state-of-the-art surgical equipment. As far as the infrastructure
7 of the country is concerned, several major projects are on(in) progress, including the
8 construction of three major motorways, a hydroelectric power station and a new international
9 airport. All of these public works are being carried out using the latest technology. With the
10 increasing use of computer technology, the future of our country looks very bright indeed. It is
11 anticipated that, in the very near future, all government offices will be
computered(computerized) and networked to central mainframe computers in the capital.
V. Put one suitable word in each of the following blanks to form a perfect expression.
1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the ___bush_______. (Chớ nên thả mồi bắt bóng)
2. It’s like _____banging_____ your head against a brick wall. (Tốn công vô ích)
3. Between the ____devil_____ and the deep blue sea. (Tiến thoái lưỡng nan)
4. Have a card up your ___sleeve______. (Nắm bài tẩy)
5. An ____iron_____ hand in a velvet glove. (Bàn tay sắt bọc nhung)
6. Don’t count your chickens before they are ___hatched______. (Chưa đỗ ông nghè đã đe hàng tổng)
7. Out of the ____frying_____ pan and into the fire. (Tránh vỏ dưa gặp vỏ dừa)
8. Put the ____cart_____ before the horse. (Con trâu đi trước cái cày)
9. Don't cut off your nose to spite your ___face______. (Gậy ông đập lưng ông)
10. Into every ____life_____ a little rain must fall. (Lửa thử vàng, gian nan thử sức)
SECTION C: READING
I. Read the text below and select the best answer to fill in each blank.
THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC
Lustis typically experienced soon after puberty. This is when estrogen and testosterone — the underlying
chemical substrates for lust in women and men respectively — activate themselves in our bodies for the
first time. The primary purpose of lust is believed to be procreation, and the experience is one of feeling
physically drawn, or even ‘pulled’ towards another person. Pheromones, physical attractiveness, and our
socialised predispositions for what we seek in a mate are the factors that activate the sensation of lust.
Despite the strength it can have over our psyche, lust on its own is a very fleeting experience. It can firmly
steer people together for their initial encounters, but it has no power to keep them there.
If the relationship is to last, something called attraction must take place. Attraction is the intoxicating
sensation experienced in the initial period of knowing someone. The ‘symptoms’ include dizziness, flushed
skin, and a loss of appetite and sleep. These are a result of a chemical cocktail of dopamine and
norepinephrine that PEA — a transmitter chemical — unleashes into the bloodstream when attraction takes
place. Dopamine is responsible for the blissful feelings of self- confidence, joy, and motivation that new
love brings about; norepinephrine, similar to adrenaline, brings about palpitations and anxiety. Attraction
has more staying power than lust; while its intensity fades after a few weeks, the effect of the PEA
transmission can continue for some time between eighteen months and four years. After that, our bodies
build up a natural tolerance.
At this stage, a transition to a phase called attachment can occur. The ‘rush’ of attraction is replaced by
endorphins like oxytocin and vasopressin that feel like a gentle, warm sort of pleasantness — a safe feeling
that calms the mind, numbs pain, and soothes anxiety. This is a much more pleasant feeling in which to
spend an extended period of time — potentially, forty, fifty or more years, depending on when you meet
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your partner. It allows you to live your life with someone, without their being the central obsession of your
life. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that PEA transmission will evolve into the endorphin stage — in
many instances, it will be replaced by a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction. It is not a coincidence that
peak divorce rates occur at between four and seven years, as PEA transmission wears away and
attachment does not materialise in many people’s brains.
Even neurologists agree that chemistry isn’t everything. There are numerous other factors such as culture
and personality, for which science may never have an explanation. While dopamine is bliss, however,
ignorance is not- neurology has much to contribute to satisfaction in our personal lives. It may not be a
good idea to commit to marriage or spending the rest of your life with someone if you still feel the blissful
rush of PEA transmission, for example. Once your brain has succumbed to the warming opiates of oxytocin
and vasopressin, this will be a safer commitment. Attachment brings other needs to the foreground,
however; while people enjoy the security that attachment brings about, they do not lose their desires for
either lust or attraction. Losing the ability to give your partner the rush of PEA transmission, while knowing
that he may feel this for other people, can bring about jealousy and anxiety in people. Acknowledging and
discussing these insecurities can alleviate them as it is likely that, to some extent, both partners will be
feeling them.
Questions 1-7: Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/ OR A NUMBER from the passage
for each answer.
Designed to encourage Two chemicals are released through Chemicals in the brain work to
(1) ______procreation______ a third one called PEA. reduce physical & mental
suffering, and calm (5) _____the
mind_______
Has weak staying power Can last for up to (4) _____4 There is a relationship between
years_______ (7) _____divorce rate_______and
the failure of attachment to occur.
Questions 8- 13: Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the
reading passage?
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
III. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
CARCINOGENIC DYE IN HUNDREDS OF FOOD PRODUCTS
A More than 350 food products were swept off supermarket shelves yesterday in the biggest safety
scare since the BSE crisis.
Fresh and canned foods, ready meals and cooking sauces were removed from sale on the orders of
government food watchdogs after the chance discovery in Italy 11 days ago of an illegal, potentially
cancer-causing dye ingredient in a bottle of Crosse & Blackwell Worcester sauce.
B All the foods affected came from one supplier, Premier Foods, which said it had been advised by
the Food Standards Agency that the levels of the dye Sudan 1 that had been detected “present no
immediate risk to health”.
The alert relates to 357 products with Worcester sauce flavouring, and the figure may rise. It
follows 18 months of more low-level warnings involving 200 products - including pickles, cooking oils and
sauces - to consumers, retailers, manufacturers and importers over the inclusion of the dye, which is
banned in Europe. But it is used in some very long-life foods and in many cases is thought to involve
batches imported before a toughening of checks in July 2004.
C The scale of the recall is likely to send shockwaves through the food industry. Consumers are
demanding ever greater information about the food they eat and the uncomfortable truth is that the dye
seems to have been present often at undetectable levels.
D The food agency's chief executive, Jon Bell, last night sought to reassure the public. “Sudan 1 could
contribute to an increased risk of cancer. However, at the levels present, the risk is likely to be very small
but it is sensible to avoid eating any more. There is no risk to immediate health.”
Dr Bell said: "The agency is working with the industry to ensure that any remaining affected
products are speedily removed. Because of the widespread use of this Worcestershire sauce to flavour
other foods, we may find further affected products."
E Toxicology professor John Henry, of St Mary's hospital, London, said Sudan 1 “is very easy, cheap
to manufacture. It has been present in shoes, used to colour petrol, chemicals, shoe polishes, things like
that. It is perfectly safe in these situations but to eat it is not an ideal thing.”
“There is no evidence it has caused disease in humans ever. This is a precautionary measure.
Because it causes cancer in some studies of animals, it is something you don't want in your food. It is not
an essential food product.”
F Professor Tony Dayan, a former professor at St Bartholomew's hospital, London, said: “The
evidence all points to the fact it ought not to be in humans generally. I am not suggesting people should
be extremely worried because they may have eaten what may or may not have been a contaminated
product. The dose would have been extremely small but from a public health point of view or community
view at large, you don't want that potentially very dangerous material in an ordinary item of the diet.”
G Shares in Premier on the London stock exchange fell 7.75p yesterday to 280p. There is a wide
range of products involved. Richard Matthews, product liability expert at law firm Eversheds, said: “It is
truly an industry problem, affecting all the major supermarkets.”
“Premier and its ingredient suppliers will be concerned about their reputation... not to mention the
very large claims that may flow up the supply chain... There will also be queries as to why the quality
control procedures did not detect the presence of Sudan 1.”
SECTION D: WRITING
I. For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to
the original sentence, but using the word given. This word must not be altered in any way.
1. He is becoming very successful. (PLACES)
→He is going places.
2. There was no further delay in awarding the prizes. (ADO)
→ The prizes were awarded with no further ado.
3. I was in the middle of my speech when Pipa interrupted me. (CUT)
→ Pipa cut me short through my speech.
4. “I haven’t made any firm decisions yet,” said Laurence. (OPEN)
→ Laurence said he had kept his options open at that time.
5. It would be in your interest to take an earlier train on Sunday. (OFF)
→ You would be better off taking an earlier train on Sunday.
6. Although Rudy really didn’t want to play cricket on Sunday, he agreed in the end. (DEAD)
→ Despite being dead set against playing cricket on Sunday, Rudy agreed in the end.
7. It’s possible that the burglars got into the building by forcing open a fire exit. (GAINED)
→ The burglars may have gained access to the building by forcing open a fire exit.
8. Nobody can predict the real consequences of global warming. (SAYING)
→ There is no saying what the real consequences of global warming are.
9. He answered the judge’s question as accurately as he could. (ACCURATE)
→ He gave as accurate an answer to the judge’s question as he could.
10. It was wrong of me to get angry in front of the children. (LOST)
→I should not have lost my temper in front of the children.