SỞ GD&ĐT CAO BẰNG KỲ THI CHỌN HSG TỈNH NĂM HỌC 2020-2021

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH

ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC
LỚP 11 THPT
SỐ BÁO DANH:…………… Thời gian: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)
Đề gồm có 12 trang.

A. LISTENING (50 pts)

Part 1. Listen to an interview with someone who consulted a 'life coach' to improve her life and choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10pts)
(Proficiency Test Builder 4th)
1. Brigid says that she consulted a life coach because
A she had read a great deal about them.
B both her work and home life were getting worse.
C other efforts to improve her life had failed.
D the changes she wanted to make were only small ones.
2. What did Brigid's coach tell her about money?
A It would be very easy for Brigid to get a lot of it.
B Brigid's attitude towards it was uncharacteristic of her.
C Brigid placed too much emphasis on it in her life.
D Few people have the right attitude towards it.
3. What does Brigid say about her reaction to her coach's advice on money?
A She felt silly repeating the words her coach gave her.
B She tried to hide the fact that she found it ridiculous.
C She felt a lot better as a result of following it.
D She found it difficult to understand at first.
4. What does Brigid say happened during the other sessions?
A She was told that most people's problems had the same cause.
B Her powers of concentration improved.
C Some things she was told to do proved harder than others.
D She began to wonder why her problems had arisen in the first place.
5. What has Brigid concluded ?
A The benefits of coaching do not compensate for the effort required.
B She was too unselfish before she had coaching.
C She came to expect too much of her coach.
D It is best to limit the number of coaching sessions you have.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. Listen to a talk about ethical concerns with artificial intelligence and decide whether these
statements are True (T), False (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(10 pts)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LyacmzB1Og
1. People tend to be oblivious to the moral issues associated with artificial intelligence in the research stage.
2. Video tracking can be deployed to speed up recovery from injuries.
3. A handful of giants have become the dominant overlords in the realm of artificial intelligence.
4. Artificial intelligence is intended to harm human society as it does not share human values.
5. Machines are vulnerable to biases from the data introduced by their human makers.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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Part 3. Listen to a talk about pandemic diseases and supply the blanks with the missing information.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the space
provided. (20 pts)
TOP 5 DEADLIEST PANDEMIC DISEASES

1. Smallpox
• first emerged around 400BC
• caused 1.______________________ all over the body
• the only disease declared to be 2.______________________
2. Bubonic Plague
• also known as the 3.______________________
• caused by a bacterium spread by 4.______________________
• 5.______________________, called buboes, occurred in the body
3. The Spanish Flu
• began and ended in a 6.______________________
• filled the lungs of patients with 7.______________________
4. Malaria
• categorized as a blood disease
• caused by 8.______________________
• Anopheles mosquitoes would 9.______________________ infected blood and pass it on to the next
person they bite
5. HIV/AIDS
• often sexually transmitted
• HIV 10.______________________ the immune system
Part 4. Listen to the introduction about Manham Port and answer the questions. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. (10pts)-
IELTS 10- Listening Test 4
1. What caused Manham’s sudden expansion during the Industrial Revolution?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Why did rocks have to be sent away from Manham to be processed?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What happened when the port declined in the twentieth century?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What did the Manham Trust hope to do?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What is the name of the beautiful old sailing ketch near the school?
……………………………………………………………………………….
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

B. LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (30 pts)

Part 1: Choose the best answer to each of the following questions. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes (20 pts) (WORD PERFECT + OLYMPIC 30-4)
1. The science teacher asked the class to _____ the results of their experiment on a graph.
A. draw B. illustrate C. plot D. sketch
2. She's such a ______ of strength that everyone relies on her in a crisis.
A. tower B. pillar C. post D. support
3. Tom was able to ______ a pretty picture of the situation and impressed his manager.
A. paint B. draw C. present D. make
4. It is far too easy to lay the blame ______ on the shoulders of the management.
A. flatly B. willingly C. squarely D. perfectly
5. David has a(n) ______ to fainting at the sight of blood.
A. inclination B. predilection C. predisposition D. penchant
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6. The school committee paid ______ to their famous former pupil by naming the new gym after her.
A. esteem B. homage C. honour D. respect
7. After his long illness, the old man appeared so thin and ______ that a gust of wind might have blown him
away.
A. flimsy B. faint C. withered D. frail
8. You could tell that she wasn't happy about the news by the way she ______ her face in disapproval.
A. came on B. brought round C. settled for D. screwed up
9. Going to the unemployment office and having to wait there for hours is a ______ experience.
A. soul-destroying B. heart-stopping C. power-sharing D. thought-provoking
10. ______ a language family is a group of languages with a common origin and similar vocabulary,
grammar, and sound systems.
A. Linguists call it B. It is called by linguists
C. What linguists call D. What do linguists call
11. ________, the balcony chairs will be ruined in this weather.
A. Leaving uncovered B. Having left uncovered
C. Left uncovered D. Been left uncovered
12. The contemporary dialogue for me struck a slightly _______ note.
A. disembodied B. discordant C. dismissive D. disconcerting
13. Both of the jobs I’ve been offered are fantastic opportunities – I’m in such _______!
A. a constituency B. a deviation C. an arrhythmia D. a quandary
14. Sharon is such a positive person – she _______ her problems, whatever they are.
A. goes light on B. throws light to C. makes light of D. sheds light upon
15. The brother and sister were ________ over who would get to inherit the beach house.
A. at large B. at odds C. at a standstill D. at a loose end
16. ________ that Kim was getting married, we were sorry she’d be leaving home.
A. Delighted though we were B. As we were delighted
C. However delighted were we D. As we were so delighted
17. Peter’s so ________! I think he’d think things through a little more carefully.
A. impulsive B. repulsive C. compulsive D. expulsive
18. I’ve yet ________ a person as Theo.
A. to meet as infuriating B. to have met such infuriating
C. been meeting as infuriating D. been meeting such infuriating
19. Sniffer dogs are able to locate survivors beneath the rubble with ________ .
A. precision B. correctness C. meticulousness D. exactitude
20. The locks to the doors of the building are controlled ________ .
A. mainly B. centrally C. solidly D. completely
Part 2: Supply the correct form of the word provided in blankets in each sentence.
(10 pts)
1-2. Complaining consists of (SOCIAL) _______ moaning and groaning which leads to (TRUST) _______ and
unnecessary arguments within relationships.
3. Thanks to plentiful fish, none of the islanders suffer from (NUTRIENT) _______.
4. I was at a difficult point of my life when I felt (ILLUSION) _________ by both work and home life
5. I talked to various friends, most of whom soon got tired of my (WHIMSY) _________ rambling and
indecisiveness.
6. It is estimated that between three to five million Britons suffer from such phobias, and the majority of these
people do not (GO) _________ form of treatment.
7. Men are less likely to suffer from such fears than women, but attempts by either men or women simply to
(REGARD) _______them can exacerbate the problem.
8. Behavioral therapy is decidedly a safe and lasting (ALTERNATE) ________to drug treatment.
9. What contributes to her business success is that she always (WIT) her opponent
10. Many streets in Hanoi were flooded and (PASS) after it had rained for 2 hours on end.
C. READING (60 pts)
Part 1: Read the text below and think of one word which best fits each space. Use only ONE WORD for
each space. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (15 pts) – Toward proficiency
SEASON AND BABY SIZE

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 People born in certain months of the year tend to be taller than those born in others. This discovery was
(1) __________ in a recent study carried out at the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre in Copenhagen.
The researchers looked at the height and weight details (2) __________birth of over a million Danes
born in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and found that a child born in April is, on average, nearly two centimeters
taller than one born in December. As (3) __________ as being taller, the April baby is also likely to be heavier,
and the odds (4) __________ that he or she will remain bigger throughout life.
The study also shows that (5) __________ children born in December tend to be the smallest, the size of
those born in June and July is also well below (6) __________ of the April babies. In these two midsummer
months, however, the difference in height and weight is only half as much as in midwinter.
Similar results (7) __________ these emerged from a separate study in Australia. There they found that
by the time children reached 18, the gap between the April and the December ones had increased to about five
centimeters.
Another seasonal variation that (8) __________ to light concerned actual birth dates. Winter babies, it
was discovered, were born an average of one day earlier than spring, summer or autumn babies.
In (9) __________ of these studies were scientists able to explain these differences. In both cases they
called (10) __________ further research into the subject.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2. For questions 1-10, read an extract from an article and choose the answer A, B, C or D that fits
best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 pts)-
Toefl IBT Practice Test 2
Green Iceberg Icebergs are massive blocks of ice, irregular in shape; they float with only about 12 per cent of
their mass above the sea surface. They are formed by glaciers—large rivers of ice that begin inland in the snows
of Greenland, Antarctica, and Alaska—and move slowly toward the sea. The forward movement, the melting at
the base of the glacier where it meets the ocean, and waves and tidal action cause blocks of ice to break off and
float out to sea.
Icebergs are ordinarily blue to white, although they sometimes appear dark or opaque because they carry gravel
and bits of rock. They may change colour with changing light conditions and cloud cover, glowing pink or gold
in the morning or evening light, but this colour change is generally related to the low angle of the Sun above the
horizon. However, travellers to Antarctica have repeatedly reported seeing green icebergs in the Weddell Sea
and, more commonly, close to the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica.
One explanation for green icebergs attributes their colour to an optical illusion when blue ice is illuminated by a
near-horizon red Sun, but green icebergs stand out among white and blue icebergs under a great variety of light
conditions. Another suggestion is that the colour might be related to ice with high levels of metallic compounds,
including copper and iron. Recent expeditions have taken ice samples from green icebergs and ice cores—
vertical, cylindrical ice samples reaching down to great depths—from the glacial ice shelves along the Antarctic
continent. Analyses of these cores and samples provide a different solution to the problem.
The ice shelf cores, with a total length of 215 meters (705 feet), were long enough to penetrate through glacial
ice—which is formed from the compaction of snow and contains air bubbles—and to continue into the clear,
bubble-free ice formed from seawater that freezes onto the bottom of the glacial ice. The properties of this clear
sea ice were very similar to the ice from the green iceberg. The scientists concluded that green icebergs form
when a two-layer block of shelf ice breaks away and capsizes (turns upside down), exposing the bubble-free
shelf ice that was formed from seawater.
A green iceberg that stranded just west of the Amery Ice Shelf showed two distinct layers: bubbly bluewhite ice
and bubble-free green ice separated by a onemeter-long ice layer containing sediments. The green ice portion
was textured by seawater erosion. Where cracks were present, the colour was light green because of light
scattering; where no cracks were present, the colour was dark green. No air bubbles were present in the green
ice, suggesting that the ice was not formed from the compression of snow but instead from the freezing of
seawater. Large concentrations of single-celled organisms with green pigments (colouring substances) occur
along the edges of the ice shelves in this region, and the seawater is rich in their decomposing organic material.
The green iceberg did not contain large amounts of particles from these organisms, but the ice had accumulated
dissolved organic matter from the seawater. It appears that unlike salt, dissolved organic substances are not
excluded from the ice in the freezing process. Analysis shows that the dissolved organic material absorbs
enough blue wavelengths from solar light to make the ice appear green.
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Chemical evidence shows that platelets (minute flat portions) of ice form in the water and then accrete and stick
to the bottom of the ice shelf to form a slush (partially melted snow). The slush is compacted by an unknown
mechanism, and solid, bubble-free ice is formed from water high in soluble organic substances. When an
iceberg separates from the ice shelf and capsizes, the green ice is exposed.
The Amery Ice Shelf appears to be uniquely suited to the production of green icebergs. Once detached from the
ice shelf, these bergs drift in the currents and wind systems surrounding Antarctica and can be found scattered
among Antarctica’s less colourful icebergs.
1. According to paragraph 1, all of the following are true of icebergs EXCEPT:
A. They do not have a regular shape.
B. They are formed where glaciers meet the ocean.
C. Most of their mass is above the sea surface.
D. Waves and tides cause them to break off glaciers.
2. According to paragraph 2, what causes icebergs to sometimes appear dark or opaque?
A. A heavy cloud cover
B. The presence of gravel or bits of rock
C. The low angle of the Sun above the horizon
D. The presence of large cracks in their surface
3. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the the bolded sentence in
paragraph 3?
A. One explanation notes that green icebergs stand out among other icebergs under a great variety of light
conditions, but this is attributed to an optical illusion.
B. One explanation for the colour of green icebergs attributes their colour to an optical illusion that occurs when
the light from a near-horizon red Sun shines on a blue iceberg.
C. One explanation for green icebergs attributes their colour to a great variety of light conditions, but green
icebergs stand out best among other icebergs when illuminated by a near-horizon red Sun.
D. One explanation attributes the colour of green icebergs to an optical illusion under special light conditions,
but green icebergs appear distinct from other icebergs under a great variety of light conditions.
4. According to paragraph 4, how is glacial ice formed?
A. By the compaction of snow
B. By the freezing of seawater on the bottom of ice shelves
C. By breaking away from the ice shelf
D. By the capsizing of a two-layer block of shelf ice
5. Ice shelf cores helped scientists explain the formation of green icebergs by showing that
A. the ice at the bottom of green icebergs is bubble-free ice formed from frozen seawater
B. bubble-free ice is found at the top of the ice shelf
C. glacial ice is lighter and floats better than sea ice
D. the clear sea ice at the bottom of the ice shelf is similar to ice from a green iceberg
6. Why does the author mention that “The green ice portion was textured by seawater erosion”?
A. To explain why cracks in the iceberg appeared light green instead of dark green
B. To suggest that green ice is more easily eroded by seawater than white ice is
C. To support the idea that the green ice had been the bottom layer before capsizing
D. To explain how the air bubbles had been removed from the green ice
7. Which of the following is NOT explained in the passage?
A. Why blocks of ice break off where glaciers meet the ocean
B. Why blocks of shelf ice sometimes capsize after breaking off
C. Why green icebergs are commonly produced in some parts of Antarctica
D. Why green icebergs contain large amounts of dissolved organic pigments
8. The passage supports which of the following statements about the Amery Ice Shelf?
A. The Amery Ice Shelf produces only green icebergs.
B. The Amery Ice Shelf produces green icebergs because its ice contains high levels of metallic compounds
such as copper and iron.
C. The Amery Ice Shelf produces green icebergs because the seawater is rich in a particular kind of soluble
organic material.
D. No green icebergs are found far from the Amery Ice Shelf.
9. Scientists have differed as to whether icebergs appear green as a result of light conditions or because of
something in the ice itself. Where would the sentence best fit?
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A. Icebergs are ordinarily blue to white, although they sometimes appear dark or opaque because they carry
gravel and bits of rock. They may change colour with changing light conditions and cloud cover, glowing pink
or gold in the morning or evening light, but this colour change is generally related to the low angle of the Sun
above the horizon. Scientists have differed as to whether icebergs appear green as a result of light conditions or
because of something in the ice itself. However, travellers to Antarctica have repeatedly reported seeing green
icebergs in the Weddell Sea and, more commonly, close to the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica. One
explanation for green icebergs attributes their colour to an optical illusion when blue ice is illuminated by a
near-horizon red Sun, but green icebergs stand out among white and blue icebergs under a great variety of light
conditions. Another suggestion is that the colour might be related to ice with high levels of metallic compounds,
including copper and iron. Recent expeditions have taken ice samples from green icebergs and ice cores—
vertical, cylindrical ice samples reaching down to great depths—from the glacial ice shelves along the Antarctic
continent. Analyses of these cores and samples provide a different solution to the problem.
B. Icebergs are ordinarily blue to white, although they sometimes appear dark or opaque because they carry
gravel and bits of rock. They may change colour with changing light conditions and cloud cover, glowing pink
or gold in the morning or evening light, but this colour change is generally related to the low angle of the Sun
above the horizon. However, travellers to Antarctica have repeatedly reported seeing green icebergs in the
Weddell Sea and, more commonly, close to the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica. Scientists have differed as
to whether icebergs appear green as a result of light conditions or because of something in the ice itself. One
explanation for green icebergs attributes their colour to an optical illusion when blue ice is illuminated by a
near-horizon red Sun, but green icebergs stand out among white and blue icebergs under a great variety of light
conditions. Another suggestion is that the colour might be related to ice with high levels of metallic compounds,
including copper and iron. Recent expeditions have taken ice samples from green icebergs and ice cores—
vertical, cylindrical ice samples reaching down to great depths—from the glacial ice shelves along the Antarctic
continent. Analyses of these cores and samples provide a different solution to the problem.
C. Icebergs are ordinarily blue to white, although they sometimes appear dark or opaque because they carry
gravel and bits of rock. They may change colour with changing light conditions and cloud cover, glowing pink
or gold in the morning or evening light, but this colour change is generally related to the low angle of the Sun
above the horizon. However, travellers to Antarctica have repeatedly reported seeing green icebergs in the
Weddell Sea and, more commonly, close to the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica. One explanation for green
icebergs attributes their colour to an optical illusion when blue ice is illuminated by a near-horizon red Sun, but
green icebergs stand out among white and blue icebergs under a great variety of light conditions. Scientists have
differed as to whether icebergs appear green as a result of light conditions or because of something in the ice
itself. Another suggestion is that the colour might be related to ice with high levels of metallic compounds,
including copper and iron. Recent expeditions have taken ice samples from green icebergs and ice cores—
vertical, cylindrical ice samples reaching down to great depths—from the glacial ice shelves along the Antarctic
continent. Analyses of these cores and samples provide a different solution to the problem.
D. Icebergs are ordinarily blue to white, although they sometimes appear dark or opaque because they carry
gravel and bits of rock. They may change colour with changing light conditions and cloud cover, glowing pink
or gold in the morning or evening light, but this colour change is generally related to the low angle of the Sun
above the horizon. However, travellers to Antarctica have repeatedly reported seeing green icebergs in the
Weddell Sea and, more commonly, close to the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica. One explanation for green
icebergs attributes their colour to an optical illusion when blue ice is illuminated by a near-horizon red Sun, but
green icebergs stand out among white and blue icebergs under a great variety of light conditions. Another
suggestion is that the colour might be related to ice with high levels of metallic compounds, including copper
and iron. Scientists have differed as to whether icebergs appear green as a result of light conditions or because
of something in the ice itself. Recent expeditions have taken ice samples from green icebergs and ice cores—
vertical, cylindrical ice samples reaching down to great depths—from the glacial ice shelves along the Antarctic
continent. Analyses of these cores and samples provide a different solution to the problem.
10. Several logical suggestions have been offered to explain why some icebergs appear green EXCEPT
A. Ice cores were used to determine that green icebergs were formed from the compaction of metallic
compounds, including copper and iron.
B. Green icebergs form when a two-layer block of ice breaks away from a glacier and capsizes, exposing the
bottom sea ice to view.

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C. Ice cores and samples revealed that both ice shelves and green icebergs contain a layer of bubbly glacial ice
and a layer of bubble-free sea ice.
D. In a green iceberg, the sea ice contains large concentrations of organic matter from the seawater.
Part 3. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. (13 pts)
https://collegedunia.com/news/e-482-does-water-have-memory-ielts-reading-sample-with-explanation
Does water have memory?
The practice of homeopathy was first developed by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. During research
in the 1790s, Hahnemann began experimenting with quinine, an alkaloid derived from cinchona bark that was
well known at the time to have a positive effect on fever. Hahnemann started dosing himself with quinine while
in a state of good health, and reported in his journals that his extremities went cold, he experienced palpitations,
an “infinite anxiety”, a trembling and weakening of the limbs, reddening cheeks and thirst – “in short”, he
concluded, “all the symptoms of relapsing fever presented themselves successively...” Hahnemann’s main
observation was that things which create problems for healthy people cure those problems in sick people, and
this became his first principle of homeopathy: simila similibus (with help from the same). While diverging from
the principle of apothecary practice at the time – which was contraria contrariis (with help from the opposite) –
the efficacy of simila similibus was reaffirmed by subsequent developments in the field of vaccinations.
Hahnemann’s second principle was minimal dosing – treatments should be taken in the most diluted form at
which they remain effective. This negated any possible toxic effects of simila similibus.
In 1988 the French immunologist Jacques Benveniste took minimal dosing to new extremes when he published
a paper in the prestigious scientific journal Nature in which he suggested that very high dilutions of the anti-lgE
antibody could affect human basophil granulocytes, the least common of the granulocytes that make up about
0.01% to 0.3% of white blood cells. The point of controversy, however, was that the water in Benveniste’s test
had been so diluted that any molecular evidence of the antibodies no longer existed. Water molecules, the
researcher concluded, had a biologically active component that a journalist later termed “water memory”. A
number of efforts from scientists in Britain, France and the Netherlands to duplicate Benveniste’s research were
unsuccessful, however, and to this day no peer-reviewed study under broadly accepted conditions has been able
to confirm the validity of “water memory”.
The third principle of homeopathy is “the single remedy.” Exponents of this principle believe that it would be
too difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain the potential effects of multiple homeopathic remedies delivered
simultaneously. If it did work, they suggest, one could not know quite why it worked, turning homeopathy into
an ambiguous guessing game. If it did not work, neither patient nor practitioner would know whether the
ingredients were all ineffective, or whether they were only ineffective in combination with one another.
Combination remedies are gaining in popularity, but classical homeopaths who rely on the single remedy
approach warn these are not more potent, nor do they provide more treatment options. The availability of
combination remedies, these homeopaths suggest, has been led by consumers wanting more options, not from
homeopathic research indicating their efficacy.
Homeopathy is an extremely contentious form of medicine, with strong assertions coming from both critics and
supporters of the practice. “Homeopathy: There’s nothing in it” announces the tagline to 10:23, a major British
anti-homeopathy campaign. At 10.23 a.m. on 30 January 2010, over 400 supporters of the 10:23 stood outside
Boots pharmacies and swallowed an entire bottle each of homeopathic pills in an attempt to raise awareness
about the fact that these remedies are made of sugar and water, with no active components. This, defenders of
homeopathy say, is entirely the point. Homeopathic products do not rely on ingredients that become toxic at
high doses, because the water retains the “memory” that allows the original treatment to function.
Critics also point out the fact that homeopathic preparations have no systematic design to them, making it hard
to monitor whether or not a particular treatment has been efficacious. Homeopaths embrace this. While results
may be less certain, they argue, the non-toxic nature of homeopathy means that practitioner and patient can
experiment until they find something that works without concern for side effects. Traditional medicine, they
argue, assaults the body with a cocktail of drugs that only tackles the symptoms of disease, while homeopathy
has its sights aimed on the causes. Homeopaths suggest this approach leads to kinder, gentler, more effective
treatment.
Finally, critics allege that when homeopathy has produced good results, these are exceedingly dependent on the
placebo effect, and cannot justify the resources, time and expense that the homeopathic tradition absorbs. The
placebo effect is a term that describes beneficial outcomes from a treatment that can be attributed to the patient’s
expectations concerning the treatment rather than from the treatment itself. Basically, the patient “thinks”
himself into feeling better. Defenders suggest that homeopathy can go beyond this psychological level. They

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point to the successful results of homeopathy on patients who are unconscious at the time of treatment, as well
as on animals.
For questions 1-7, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. Samuel Hahnemannn developed his principles based on an existent set of rules at his time.
2. The existence of a biologically active part in water has yet to be conclusively proven.
3. The single remedy serves to preclude the unforeseeable outcomes of remedial combinations.
4. It has been suggested that the practice of applying several treatments at the same time becomes more common
due to endorsements by scientists.
5. The uncertainty of preparations for homeopathy is perceived by both supporters and opponents of it.
6. Patients’ feelings are affected by the outcomes of the treatments they receive.
7. Abortive attempts of homeopathic treatment are used to corroborate its opponents’ arguments.
For questions 8-13, complete the following paragraph with words taken from the passage (NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each blank).
There are three principles behind the practice of homeopathy. The first one, simila similibus, was
developed by Samuel Hahnemann after experimentation in which he observed that problem-inducing factors
could become treatments for suffering people. While marking a departure from that of (8) ________________,
this principle of homeopathy was substantiated by further advancements. The second principle, minimal dosing,
serves to avert (9) _______________ that can be caused by simila similibus. The attempt for its furtherance was
made by Jacques Benveniste, but controversy was sparked as there was a lack of (10) _______________ in the
used water. Moreover, a result from his experiment termed “water memory” had received (11)
_______________ to the moment of writing. The third principle named “the single remedy” works on the
ground that application of multiple treatments at the same time can make homeopathy become a(n) (12)
_______________ even when the results are desirable.
Homeopathy is a controversial remedy. While there are arguments in favour of it, critics have suggested
weaknesses in the treatment including its components, lack of systemic design and the reliance on (13)
_______________ of its feasible positive effects.

Part 4. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 1-10, read the passage
and choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra paragraph which
you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided. (7 pts)
Towards proficiency student’s book.
Page: 138-139

HIGH – TECH CRIME OF THE FUTURE

It begins with a beam of high-intensity radiation. Silent and invisible. It disables the electronics of the alarm and
telephone system of the bank manager's house, and then the gang bursts in. Wearing identical clothes and caps
to confuse the CCTV and communicating by untraceable mobile phones, the gang of four London criminals
incapacitate everyone in the house with stun guns.

1.

This, law enforcement experts believe, is the future of organised crime where villains will use a combination of
cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned brute force to defeat increasingly sophisticated security systems.
Rather than coshes and sawn-off shotguns, the criminals of tomorrow will be skilled in crimes that produce high
profits but with a fraction of the risk of armed robbery or smuggling. It is not far away.

2.

Kidnapping is thought to be a particular growth area. This is because new security technologies such as retina
scans and fingerprint recognition require a living subject. Long thought to be the stuff of science fiction, such
devices are becoming increasingly common. However, one negative result is that crimes in which staff are
abducted and forced to help criminals are also set to rise.
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3.

Commodities traded by the organised criminals of tomorrow will also change. Increasing profits will lead to a
search for effective money-laundering solutions. Small, high-value items such as computer chips, rare metals
and even meteorite fragments will be traded between gangs in an effort to avoid leaving electronic trails.

4.

Senior National Criminal Intelligence Service analysts are also warning of the threat of digital stimulants,
illegally transmitted across the internet. These could create new forms of addiction far worse than that
sometimes caused by interactive PC games.

5.

Instead, users will hook up to machines which will directly stimulate the pleasure centres of the brain. Some
may go further and have silicon chips implanted in their bodies.

6.

A silicon chip implanted into the body will be able to pick up a signal transmitted across the Internet, or using
radio waves. It will give extremes of pleasure more addictive than the most intense virtual-reality experiences –
and be controlled by criminals.

7.

'Cyberspace offers criminals opportunities to create unprecedented and terrible new forms of addiction,' said
Professor Warwick. 'The question is not whether electronic stimulants can be created, but how soon they can be
put on the market.'
The missing paragraphs:
A. With the price of computer memory chips having risen 400 per cent recently, police believe a new spate or
robberies and factory break-ins is just around the corner.
B. 'The purpose of organised crime is to generate profits,' says one expert. 'To identity the key areas of
criminality in the future, you simply have to identify the areas that will be generating the most money.
Biotechnology and information technology are the two biggest revolutions of this century, and we have to look
at each of them and see where the potential for money is from the criminal point of view. Organised crime will
become more sophisticated and more networked, and it is the challenge of law enforcement to look where those
networks may expand in the future.'
C. Last year Kevin Warwick, Professor of Cybernetics at Reading University, had a chip implanted in his left
elbow which allowed computers to communicate directly with his body. He could switch machines on and off
simply by scratching his head.
D. Murders of this sort, unfortunately, are likely to become less common. Increased penalties for carrying
firearms, along with an greatly increased likelihood of being shot dead by armed police, will lead to more
criminals using non-lethal weapons to incapacitate victims, such as stun guns and CS gas sprays.
E. Although the technology to deliver this kind of cyber-stimulant does not yet exist, experts in the field admit
that it is only a matter of time. Experiments on chimps and other animals have already shown that when they are
wired externally, via an electrode implanted into the pleasure centres of the brain, they become so addicted to
the sensations it produces that they forget to eat and can die for lack of food.
F. A lap-top computer and portable palm reader is then produced and the hand of the unconscious bank manager
is placed on top. Within seconds, the gang have dialled into the bank's computer and gained top-level access to
thousands of accounts. After transferring money the gang leaves, sealing the doors of the home with a foam
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which turns rock solid in seconds, and makes its getaway in two identical vehicles equipped with anti-reflective
number plates to frustrate speed cameras.
G. At an FBI-sponsored gathering of international law enforcement agencies in Germany last month, one NCIS
officer claimed that criminals had begun to exploit areas such as virtual banking and on-line gambling, and were
now developing a new generation of stimulants, the effects of which could be experienced without actually
possessing them.
H. So,too are cases of blackmai and extortion. Although banks refuse to discuss the subject, it is believed that
there have been at least four instances of extortion in which criminals have threatened to disrupt the systems of
city institutions with high-intensity radiation devices.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Part 5. The passage below consists of four sections marked A, B, C and D. For questions 1 - 10, read the
passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers (A, B, C or D) in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided. (15 pts)
CHEER UP: LIFE ONLY GETS BETTER
Human’s capacity for solving problems has been improving out lot for 10,000 years, says Matt Ridley

A. The human race has expanded in 10,000 years from less than 10 million people to around 7 billion. Some
live in even worse conditions than those in the Stone Age. But the vast majority are much better fed and
sheltered, and much more likely to live to old age than their ancestors have ever been. It is likely that by 2110
humanity will be much better off than it is today and so will the ecology of our planet. This view, which I shall
call rational optimism, may not be fashionable but it is compelling. This belief holds that the world will pull out
of its economic and ecological crises because of the way that markets i goods, services and ideas allow human
beings to exchange and specialise for the betterment of all. But a constant drumbeat of pessimism usually
drowns out this sort of talk. Indeed, if you dare to say the world is going to go on being better, you are
considered embarassingly mad.

B. Let me make a square concession at the start: the pessimists are right when they say that if the world
continues as it is, it will end in disaster. If agriculture continues to depend on irrigation and water stocks are
depleted, then starvation will ensue. Notice the word “if”. The world will not continue as it is. It is my
proposition that the human race has become a collective problem – solving machine which solves problems by
changing its ways. It does so through invention driven often by the marker: scarcity drives up price and that in
turn encourages the development of alternatives and efficiencies. History confirms this. When whales grew
scarce, for example, petroleum was used instead as a source of oil. The pessimists’ mistake is extrapolating: in
other words, assuming that the future is just a bigger version of the past. In 1943 IBM’s founder Thomas
Watson said there was a world market for just five computers – his remarks were true enough at the time, when
computers weighed a ton and cost a fortune.

C. Many of today’s extreme environmentalists insist that the world has reached a ‘turning point’ – quite
unaware that their predecessors have been making the same claim for 200 years. They also maintain the only
sustainable solution is to retreat – to halt economic growth and enter progressive economic recession. This
means not just that increasing your company’s sales would be a crime, but that the failure to shrink them would
be too. But all this takes no account of the magical thing called the collective human brain. There was a time in
human history when big-brained people began to exchange things with each other, to become better off as a
resut. Making and using tools saved time – and the state of being ‘better off’ is, at the end of the day, simply
time saved. Forget dollars of gold. The true measure of something’s worth is indeed the hours it takes to acquire
it. The more humans diversified as consumers and specified as producers, and the more they exchanged goods
and services, the better off they became. And the good news is there is no inevitable end to this process.

D. I am aware that an enormous bubble of debt has burst around the world, with all that entails. But is this the
end of growth? Hardly. So long as somebody allocates sufficient capital to innovation, then the credit crunch
will not prevent the relentless upward march of human living standards. Even the Great Depression of the
1930s, although an appalling hardship for many, was just a dip in the slope of economic progress. All sorts of
new products and industries were born during the depression: by 1937, 40% of Dupont’s sales came from
products that had barely existed before 1929, such as enamels and cellulose film. Growth will resume – unless it
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is stifled by the wrong policies. Somebody, somewhere, is still tweaking a piece of software, testing a new
material, of transferring a gene that will enable new varieties of rice to be grown in African soils. The latter
means some Africans will soon be growing and and selling more food, so they will have more money to spend.
Some of them may then buy mobile phones from a western company. As a consequence of higher sales, an
employee of that western company may get a pay rise, which she may spend on a pair of jeans made from cotton
woven in an African factory. And so on. Forget wars, famines and poems, This is history’s greatest theme: the
metastasis of exchange and specialisation.

In which section does the writer Your answers:

exemplify how short-term gloom tends to lift? 1.
mention a doom-laden prophecy that is obvious? 2.
express his hope that progress is not hindered by abominable decisions? 3.
acknowledge trying to find common ground with his potential adversaries? 4.
identify unequivocally how money needs to be invested? 5.
suggest that his views are considered controversial? 6.
indicate an absurd scenario resulting from an opposing view to his own? 7.
mention the deplorable consequences of taking a positive stance? 8.
define prosperity in life in an original approach? 9.
give an example of well-intentioned ongoing research? 10.

D. WRITING (60 pts)

Part 2. Chart description.(15 pts)
https://www.ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2017/09/ielts-writing-task-1-two-charts-
answer.html
The charts below show reasons for travel and the main issues for the travelling public in the US in 2009.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant. Write at least 150 words.
• Your Answer:
Part 3: Write an essay of at least 350 words to express your opinion on the following topic: (30 pts)
Many countries face dilemma between pursuing economic growth and protecting the environment. In
your opinion should governments in theses countries give priority to economic growth or environmental
protection?

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ĐÁP ÁN CAO BẰNG
A. LISTENING (50 pts)
Part 1. Listen to an interview with someone who consulted a 'life coach' to improve her life and choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(5x2= 10pts) - Proficiency Test Builder 4th
1. D 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. B
Part 2. Listen to a talk about ethical concerns with artificial intelligence and decide whether these
statements are True (T), False (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(5x2= 10pts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LyacmzB1Og
1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T
Part 3. Listen to a talk about pandemic diseases and supply the blanks with the missing information.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the space
provided. (10x2=20pts) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nULJpyBbqpw
1. spotty bumps 6. terrifying flash
2. completely eradicated 7. fluid
3. Black Death 8. protozoan parasites
4. fleas 9. suck up
5. egg-sized swellings 10. decimates
Part 4. Listen to the introduction about Manham Port and answer the questions. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. (5x2= 10pts)
IELTS 10- Listening Test 4
1. Increased metal demands/ tremendous metal needs
2. shortage of coal / not enough coal
3. workers went away/ workers’ emigration
4. rebuild/ reconstruct port complex
5. the George
B. LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (30 pts)
Part 1: Choose the best answer to each of the following questions. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes (20x 1.0= 20 pts) (WORD PERFECT + OLYMPIC 30-4)
1. C 2. A 3. A 4. C 5. C 6. B 7. D 8. D 9. A 10.C
11. C 12.B 13. D 14.C 15. B 16. A 17. A 18. A 19. A 20.B
Part 2: Supply the correct form of the word provided in blankets in each sentence. (10x 1.0= 10 pts)
1. Antisocial 2. mistrust 3. Malnutrintion 4. disillusioned 5. whimsical
6. undergo 7. disregard 8 alternative 9. outwit 10. impassible
C. READING (60 pts)
Part 1: Read the text below and think of one word which best fits each space. Use only ONE WORD for
each space. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10x 1.5=15 pts) – Toward
proficiency

1. made 2. at 3. well 4. are 5. although/ while

6. that 7. to 8. came 9. neither 10. for

Part 2. For questions 1-10, read an extract from an article and choose the answer A, B, C or D that fits
best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10x1.0=
10 pts) Toefl IBT Practice Test 2
1. C 2. B 3. D 4. A 5. D 6.C 7.B 8.C 9.B 10.A
Part 3. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
(13x1.0=13 pts)
https://collegedunia.com/news/e-482-does-water-have-memory-ielts-reading-sample-with-explanation
1. NG 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. NG 7. NG
8. apothecary practice
9. (possible) toxic effects
10. molecular evidence.
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11. no peer-reviewed study
12. ambiguous guessing game
13. the placebo effect
Part 4. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 1-10, read the passage
and choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra paragraph which
you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided. (7x1.0= 7 pts)
Towards proficiency student’s book.
Page: 138-139
1. F 2. B 3. H 4.A 5. G 6. C 7. E
Part 5. The passage below consists of four sections marked A, B, C and D. For questions 1 - 10, read the
passage and do the task that follows. Write your answers (A, B, C or D) in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided. (10x1.5 = 15 pts)
Source: Objective Proficiency Workbook.
Page: 68-69
1. D 2. C 3.D 4. B 5.D 6.A 7. C 8.A 9.C 10.D
D. WRITING (60 pts)
Suggested answer:
In his article titled “Promising results from cancer study”, Dakin F.P reports positive findings from a
research project on cancer. A group of US researchers has carried out trials of a new vaccine which is effective
against lung cancer. Although the study was limited to fewer than fifty people, the results were very promising.
Some of the patients at an advanced stage of the disease were cured. Each patient in the trial had their own
vaccine which activated their bodies’ immune system and enabled it to fight the cancer. It is hoped that other
forms of cancer can be cured in a similar way.
Part 2. Chart description.(15 pts)
* Suggested Answer:
The bar chart and pie chart give information about why US residents travelled and what travel problems they
experienced in the year 2009.
It is clear that the principal reason why Americans travelled in 2009 was to commute to and from work. In the
same year, the primary concern of Americans, with regard to the trips they made, was the cost of travelling.
Looking more closely at the bar chart, we can see that 49% of the trips made by Americans in 2009 were for the
purpose of commuting. By contrast, only 6% of trips were visits to friends or relatives, and one in ten trips were
for social or recreation reasons. Shopping was cited as the reason for 16% of all travel, while unspecific
‘personal reasons’ accounted for the remaining 19%.
According to the pie chart, price was the key consideration for 36% of American travellers. Almost one in five
people cited safety as their foremost travel concern, while aggressive driving and highway congestion were the
main issues for 17% and 14% of the travelling public. Finally, a total of 14% of those surveyed thought that
access to public transport or space for pedestrians were the most important travel issues.
Part 3: Essay writing (30 pts)

* Suggested Answer:
Industrial and agricultural revolutions have pulled many parts of the world out of financial crisis but they also
poses awkard ecological issues. The relationship between economic growth and environment quality has not yet
drawn definite conclusion as many countries cannot decide which is worth sacrificing. In my opinion, the policy
depends on the state of each nation.
As regards the developing world, the government should prioritize pursuing economic growth for two main
reasons. For starters, economic development improves the livelihoods of the underprivileged. In fact, poverty
rate is measured by the number of people with income below a certain level. Only when the Third World can
raise the standard of human living, income and wealth would they be able to achieve economic growth. Through
increasing industrial, agricultural and service activities, developing countries may attract huge influx of foreign
invesment, encourage the emergence of multinationals and create new jobs, thereby people, especially the poor,
are able to earn much more money and life themselves out of poverty. In addition, pursuing economic growth is
the key to narrowing the gap with superpowers. The ever-changing society is the term often used to describe the
state of our present civilization as new technology, new brands of product are innovated, GDP of rich nations is
rapidly increased and competition is more intense than ever before. If poor countries do not set agenda for
economic development, the global influence of rich ones may turn them to a worse situation then. China used to
serve as a typical example of pursuing economic growth at the expense of the environment. The Chinese

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economy experienced astonishing growth in the last 35 years that catapulted the country to become the world's
second largest economy.
In terms of developed countries where education and life quality matter little, the future target should lie on
environmental protection. Firstly, protecting the environment helps combat climate change. Nowadays,
pollution in most urban areas is soaring as greenhouse gases from industrial and agricultural activities are
emitted without proper treatment. These contaminants not only wreak havoc on human human health but also
cause Greenhouse Effect. Air pollution is killing about 4,000 people in China a day, accounting for one in six
premature deaths in the world’s most populous country, which makes China one of the world’s biggest climate
change contributors. To combat, a cleanup strategy that has recently been adopted imposes tax on heavy
polluters. Moreover, corrupt offcials and rule-dodging bosses will be sent to prison if found guilty. Moreover,
environemental policies also allow rich countries to prevent looming natural disasters and guarantee lives and
asset of people because in these days, climate change has lead to melting of ice sheets, more severe droughts,
floods and heavy snowfall. Secondly, environmental preservation saves natural resources and ensures survival
for future generations. Today, due to large number of activities in industry and agriculture, huge amount of
energy is exxcessively exploited and consumed to operate modern machines and meet burgeoning demands of
citizen. Coal, gas and oil are burned to generate electricity and are major energy of most vehicles. Besides,
deforestation, especially slash-and-burn agriculture in many parts of the world, is threatening life support of our
offspring. Consuming alternative energy like solar, wind and tidal power is extremely urgent.
Sustainable development is a perfect model that every country want to achieve. The World Commission on
Environment and Development defines the term “sustainable development” as development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ablity of future generation to meet theirs. Its implementation requires
progress in three aspects, also known as the three pillars of sustainable development, which are environment,
economy and society. These three pillars are interconnected and it is essential to strive for a balance between the
pillars. For many years, one of the predominant conventional wisdoms in policy making was that cutting
greenhouse gas emissions neccessitates a sacrifice in economic growth. However, through the experience of
most developed and developing countries, economic growth can complement the environmental conservation
and transitioning to a low-carbon economy can go hand in hand which increased access to economic
opportunities. For example, Singapore, in recent years, has embraced green growth policy that places emphasis
on the value of natural resources and the environment while at the same time ensuring equitable and sustainable
economic growth. Through wise policy making, countries can tackle both the challenges of climate change and
economic growth, which would pave a way for realizing sustained economic growth.
In conclusion, economic development and protecting the environment are not always incompatible. The
emphasis for developing countries is on improving living standards, income and wealth so economic growth
will take precedence over the environment. However, when it comes to developed nations, they tend to
prioritize ecological protection over other matters. The implemenation of sustainable development is one way to
fulfil both targets at the same time.

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