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FCE READING Answer all the questions and check your answers at the end Social networks Business applications Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads Since businesses operat.
FCE -READING – ÔN THI CHUYÊN ANH I Answer all the questions and check your answers at the end Social networks Business applications Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world Medical applications Social networks are beginning to be adopted by healthcare professionals as a means to manage institutional knowledge, disseminate peer to peer knowledge and to highlight individual physicians and institutions The advantage of using a dedicated medical social networking site is that all the members are screened against the state licensing board list of practitioners The role of social networks is especially of interest to pharmaceutical companies who spend approximately "32 percent of their marketing dollars" attempting to influence the opinion leaders of social networks Languages, nationalities and academia Various social networking sites have sprung up catering to different languages and countries The popular site Facebook has been cloned for various countries and languages and some specializing in connecting students and faculty Social networks for social good Several websites are beginning to tap into the power of the social networking model for social good Such models may be highly successful for connecting otherwise fragmented industries and small organizations without the resources to reach a broader audience with interested and passionate users Users benefit by interacting with a like-minded community and finding a channel for their energy and giving Business model Few social networks currently charge money for membership In part, this may be because social networking is a relatively new service, and the value of using them has not been firmly established in customers' minds Companies such as MySpace and Facebook sell online advertising on their site Hence, they are seeking large memberships, and charging for membership would be counter productive Some believe that the deeper information that the sites have on each user will allow much better targeted advertising than any other site can currently provide Sites are also seeking other ways to make money, such as by creating an online marketplace or by selling professional information and social connections to businesses Privacy issues On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators Users of these services need to be aware of data theft or viruses However, large services, such as MySpace, often work with law enforcement to try to prevent such incidents In addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information in the hands of large corporations or governmental bodies, allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behavior on which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken Investigations Social network services are increasingly being used in legal and criminal investigations Information posted on sites such as MySpace and Facebook, has been used by police, probation, and university officials to prosecute users of said sites In some situations, content posted on MySpace has been used in court According to the text, social networks A advertise on business web sites B are being used by businesses for marketing C are about friendships D can damage business reputations Why advertisers like social nework sites? A They are cost-effective to advertise on B Most users have high disposable income C Detailed information on each user allows targeted ads D They can influence consumer behaviour What does the expression 'sprung up' in paragraph mean? A there has been rapid development of social networking sites B the development of social networking is unplanned C everybody is trying to copy Facebook D social networking works in all languages What does the word 'Few' at the beginning of paragraph mean? A Not any B Some C Only D Hardly any What should users not on social networks? A be too free with their personal information B download viruses C contact predators D upload copyrighted music What does the word 'deeper' in paragraph mean? A more spiritual B more detailed C more profound D more emphatic Personal information on social network sites A can be used in court B gives a good description of the user's personality C is sold to the government D is translated into many languages Social networking is great for A academic organisations B people who write too much information about themselves C the law enforcement agencies D groups of people separated over wide areas II You are going to read an article about the making of an unusual television commercial Seven sentences have been removed from the article Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap There is one extra sentence which you not need to use A Then the falling dominoes head out of the room into the streets, causing progressively larger objects to tumble B These were all chosen to suit the town and fit in with the people’s way of life C Getting there involved driving along 48 kilometres of dirt roads and crossing twelve rivers D Iruya is situated 3000 metres above sea level and the film crew was not used to working in such conditions E The prop department did construct a small version on site, but most of the work was done in a studio in London F Added to this was the total of one hundred and thirty 'actors' who were recruited from a five neighbouring towns G Setting up the dominoes on the table took a team of experts three days, but took just 14 seconds to topple H Not so with the famous Irish drink company Guinness The Making of 'Tipping Point' Many of the most expensive commercials ever made are those in which an A-list celebrity flashes a beautiful smile at the cameras (1) Their recent television advertisement, the most expensive in British history, cost ten million pounds, and it features, not the rich and famous, but villagers from the mountains of Argentina The advertisement features a game of dominoes It begins in a darkened room where several thousand ordinary dominoes are set up on a specially-designed table (2) Dominoes knock over books, which in turn knock bigger household objects such as suitcases, tyres, pots of paint, oil drums and even cars The final piece in the chain reaction is a huge tower of books These flutter open to reveal a structure in the shape of a pint of Guinness The location chosen for the commercial was Iruya, a village high up in the mountains of north-west Argentina (3) The journey there could take up to ten hours Asked why this remote destination was chosen for the shoot, the director said that even though it was the most difficult location they could have picked, it was perfect For one month, the village, population thousand, increased in size by almost thirty percent One hundred and forty crew members descended on the village These included the world record holders in domino toppling, Weijers Domino productions from the Netherlands (4) Creating this film was no easy task Preparations for filming took well over a month Twenty six truckloads of objects were brought in (5) They included 10,000 books, 400 tyres, 75 mirrors, 50 fridges, 45 wardrobes and cars Setting the objects up took skill and patience They needed to be arranged so they would fall over easily, and this involved balancing them on stones Some of the sequences had to be reshot 15 times and 24 hours of footage was captured However, the sequence in which six cars fell over was successfully shot in just one take Filming in this location was not without its difficulties Firstly, being so isolated, it was hard to obtain resources at short notice The second problem was the high altitude (6) It was also hard working with the villagers who had no experience of film-making Finally, setting and resetting the props caused a good deal of frustration These days when CGI is all the rage, it was surprising that so little of the work was done using computer effects The only sequence that used computer graphics was the one in which the tower of books fluttered open to reveal a pint of Guinness (7) Even so, this was no simple matter They had to ensure that all the books in the tower had a different appearance Director Nicolai Fuglsig said about the project: ‘Despite all the challenges, the cast was fantastic and it was a really amazing experience.’ Whether or not the effort put into the advert pays off is another matter entirely IV You are going to read an article in which four people comment on a book they have read recently For questions 115, choose from the people A-D The people may be chosen more than once A Sundance by Teresa Wilson - Kerry: I really don't know why this book is so popular I mean, I suppose it is going to appeal to young girls who want danger and romance, but I found this book really tedious For a start, the characters were really unconvincing The author went out of her way to add lots of details about the characters, but I found these details really pointless I thought that some of the facts she presented about the main characters would become significant in some way later in the novel, but they didn't They were just worthless bits of information I also was disappointed that, although this book is meant to be about kids at high school, the writer seems to have no recollection at all about what it's like to be 17 The main character thought and acted like a 32-year old It just wasn't believable I'm not saying Teresa Wilson is a bad writer She can obviously string words together and come up with a story that is appealing to a large number of people, but she lacks anything original There is no flair It just uses the same sort of language as you can see in many other mediocre novels B Wild Ways by Margery Emerson - Liz: I have to say that I won't forget this book for a long time I was hooked from the very first chapter The devastating story affected me so much that I don't know if I'll ever feel the same again I was close to tears on several occasions I've got images in my brain now that I don't think will ever leave me It's incredibly well-researched and, although it is fiction, is based on shocking real-life events I learned an awful lot about things that went on that I never knew before Margaret Emerson has a brilliant way with words and I really felt real empathy towards the characters, although I was sometimes irritated by the choices they made However, the parallel story, the part that is set in the present, is not quite so good I found myself just flicking through that part so that I could get back to 1940s Paris C Orchid by Henry Rathbone - Imogen: This is a delightful novel full of wonderful imagery, a paints a remarkable picture of life in a distant time and a faraway place If you're looking to learn about Eastern culture in great detail, then this is probably not the book for you, as the writer skims over most of the more complicated aspects of the country's etiquette The historical aspects are also not covered in much depth However, I wonder whether this was the writer's intention By doing this, he symbolise the superficiality of the girl's life She, like the book, is beautiful and eager to please, but remains too distant from us, the readers, to teach us much Although I loved the book and read it in one sitting, the ending was a bit of a disappointment A story which involves so much turmoil, in a place where the future is uncertain, should not have a happy-ever-after fairy-tale ending D High Hills by Mary Holland - Hannah: I read this book for a literature class I know it's a classic, and I did try to like it, but I just didn't get into it I kept persevering, hoping that I'd start to enjoy it, but no such luck The famous scene out on the moors was definitely the best bit of the book, but even that I found ridiculous when it is clearly supposed to be passionate As I approached the end of the book, I figured there must be some kind of moral to the story, something that I would learn from the experience of trudging through seven hundred long pages, but there was nothing worthwhile I don't know why the literary world sees this book as such a masterpiece The characters are portrayed as being intelligent, but they such stupid things! And as for it being a love story - marrying someone you don't love and then being abused by them - that doesn't spell love to me Which person read a book which was set in an Oriental country finished in an unrealistic way had characters that the reader could sympathise with is well-known and was written a long time ago contained two stories was not set in the past was historically accurate made the reader cry contained insignificant details 10 has a well-known scene 11 is written for teenagers 12 had unbelievable characters 13 is classed as romantic fiction 14 contains nothing new in the way of writing 15 has an attractive but shallow heroine SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION Re-write the sentence, using the word given so that the second sentence has exactly the same meaning You cannot change the word in bold in ANY way You must use a minimum of THREE and a maximum of EIGHT words for each space Electricity is getting very expensive these days (cost) → The higher and higher these days Unemployment has risen considerably over the last eighteen months and the government is under pressure to find a solution (increase) → The government is under pressure due to over the last eighteen months The minister's resignation from the government was caused by the discovery of his role in the financial scandal (led) → The discovery of the minister's role in the financial scandal the government Oh, there you are! I didn't even know you had gone out! (unaware) → I _fact that you had gone out Don't get involved in this John, it has nothing to with you (keep) → This has nothing to with you so I really can't understand why he can't finish the project on time (baffled) → I am really _ to finish the project on time Mr Edwards was sacked partly because of his arriving late to work (contributed) → Mr Edwards' constant lateness _ from the company You can't just suddenly decide to go on a safari You need to plan things very carefully (spur) → Going on safari isn't a decision you can make _moment You need to plan things very carefully She wants nothing less than to get that job It would be a dream come true (set) →She has getting that job 10 If they ever discover your role in the incident, you will go to prison (light) → If your role in the incident _, you'll go to prison 11 Harry plays tennis much better than I (nearly) → I am not _ tennis player as Harry is 12 Both candidates for the job are strong They are both equally good (hardly) → There is _ the two job candidates 13 That child is twice as tall as he was two years ago (doubled) → That child's in the last two years 14 As soon as I arrived at the pub, a fight started (sooner) → No _a fight broke out in the pub 15 There were very few people who understood what the professor said in the meeting (virtually) → There _ who understood what the professor said in the meeting 16 The bank robbers had disappeared completely by the time the police arrived (sign) → There _ robbers when the police arrived 17 Give me a call only if you have to buy gas for the car (run) → Unless gas, don't call me 18 Watch the new secretary carefully this week to make sure she doesn't make any big mistakes (eye) → Keep secretary this week to make sure she doesn't make any big mistakes 19 You shouldn't be surprised at Kevin winning that tournament (come) → It that Kevin won that tournament 20 There is no doubt at all that the government will win the election (conclusion) → It is _that the government will win the election 21 This is certainly not the last time you will be needed here on a Sunday means → It is _that you won't be needed again on a Sunday 22 Whatever happens, don't let anyone into the building without proper identity (circumstances) → should you let anyone into the building without proper identity 23 If it wasn't for your arrogance, you would have gotten your promotion a long time ago (but) → _ arrogance, you would have gotten your promotion a long time ago 24 I presume you are coming to the party Miriam (read) → Can I that you are coming to the party Miriam? 25 You are not a bad lawyer Martin, but I don't think it is a very suitable job for you (cut) → I just don't think you _ a lawyer 26 I don't have the foggiest idea whether he will be coming or not (whatsoever) → I have _ whether he will be coming or not 27 He failed the exam as he didn't work as fast as the rest of the class (pace) → His failure was blamed on his inability _rest of the class 28 Everyone is criticising the government for its poor unemployment record (come) → The government over its unemployment record 29 He was always going to leave that house after the divorce was finalised (bound) → He _the house after the divorce 30 I don't find it at all surprising that nobody came to the party (wonder) → It's _ nobody came to the party 31 Please don't tell anyone else what I told you about Elizabeth (keep) → _ yourself what I told you about Elizabeth 32 Our boss is absolutely determined not to give us that pay rise (intent) → Our boss the pay rise KEY FCE -READING – ÔN THI CHUYÊN ANH I Answer all the questions and check your answers at the end Social networks Business applications Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world Medical applications Social networks are beginning to be adopted by healthcare professionals as a means to manage institutional knowledge, disseminate peer to peer knowledge and to highlight individual physicians and institutions The advantage of using a dedicated medical social networking site is that all the members are screened against the state licensing board list of practitioners The role of social networks is especially of interest to pharmaceutical companies who spend approximately "32 percent of their marketing dollars" attempting to influence the opinion leaders of social networks Languages, nationalities and academia Various social networking sites have sprung up catering to different languages and countries The popular site Facebook has been cloned for various countries and languages and some specializing in connecting students and faculty Social networks for social good Several websites are beginning to tap into the power of the social networking model for social good Such models may be highly successful for connecting otherwise fragmented industries and small organizations without the resources to reach a broader audience with interested and passionate users Users benefit by interacting with a like-minded community and finding a channel for their energy and giving Business model Few social networks currently charge money for membership In part, this may be because social networking is a relatively new service, and the value of using them has not been firmly established in customers' minds Companies such as MySpace and Facebook sell online advertising on their site Hence, they are seeking large memberships, and charging for membership would be counter productive Some believe that the deeper information that the sites have on each user will allow much better targeted advertising than any other site can currently provide Sites are also seeking other ways to make money, such as by creating an online marketplace or by selling professional information and social connections to businesses Privacy issues On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators Users of these services need to be aware of data theft or viruses However, large services, such as MySpace, often work with law enforcement to try to prevent such incidents In addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information in the hands of large corporations or governmental bodies, allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behavior on which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken Investigations Social network services are increasingly being used in legal and criminal investigations Information posted on sites such as MySpace and Facebook, has been used by police, probation, and university officials to prosecute users of said sites In some situations, content posted on MySpace has been used in court According to the text, social networks A advertise on business web sites B are being used by businesses for marketing C are about friendships D can damage business reputations → Par this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world Why advertisers like social network sites? A They are cost-effective to advertise on B Most users have high disposable income C Detailed information on each user allows targeted ads D They can influence consumer behaviour → cost-effective /ˌkɔːst ɪˈfektɪv/ = cost-efficient: giving the best possible profit or benefits in comparison with the money that is spent E.g a cost-effective way to fight crime → Par The advantage of using a dedicated medical social networking site is that all the members are screened against the state licensing board list of practitioners → dedicated (adj): designed to only one particular type of work → screen somebody: (of a company, an organization, etc.) to find out information about people who work or who want to work for you in order to make sure that they can be trusted E.g Government employees may be screened by the security services / All foster parents are carefully screened What does the expression 'sprung up' in paragraph mean? A there has been rapid development of social networking sites B the development of social networking is unplanned C everybody is trying to copy Facebook D social networking works in all languages → Par Various social networking sites have sprung up catering to different languages and countries The popular site Facebook has been cloned for various countries and languages and some specializing in connecting students and faculty → cater to somebody/something: to provide the things that a particular type of person wants, especially things that you not approve of E.g They only publish novels which cater to the mass market → clone something /kləʊn/ (v): to illegally make an electronic copy of stored information from a person’s credit card or mobile phone so that you can make payments or phone calls but the owner of the card or phone receives the bill What does the word 'Few' at the beginning of paragraph mean? A Not any B Some C Only D Hardly any → Par Few social networks currently charge money for membership In part, this may be because social networking is a relatively new service, and the value of using them has not been firmly established in customers' minds What should users not on social networks? A be too free with their personal information B download viruses C contact predators D upload copyrighted music → Par In addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information in the hands of large corporations or governmental bodies, allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behavior on which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken → detrimental (to somebody/something) (adj): harmful = damaging E.g the sun’s detrimental effect on skin / This move could be seriously detrimental to the economy What does the word 'deeper' in paragraph mean? A more spiritual B more detailed C more profound D more emphatic → Par Some believe that the deeper information that the sites have on each user will allow much better targeted advertising than any other site can currently provide Sites are also seeking other ways to make money, such as by creating an online marketplace or by selling professional information and social connections to businesses Personal information on social network sites A can be used in court C is sold to the government B gives a good description of the user's personality D is translated into many languages → Par Information posted on sites such as MySpace and Facebook, has been used by police, probation, and university officials to prosecute users of said sites In some situations, content posted on MySpace has been used in court → probation (n): a system that allows a person who has committed a crime not to go to prison if they behave well and if they see an official (called a probation officer) regularly for a fixed period of time E.g He was given two years' probation - on probation: The prisoner was put on probation Social networking is great for A academic organisations B people who write too much information about themselves C the law enforcement agencies D groups of people separated over wide areas → Par Several websites are beginning to tap into the power of the social networking model for social good Such models may be highly successful for connecting otherwise fragmented industries and small organizations without the resources to reach a broader audience with interested and passionate users Users benefit by interacting with a likeminded community and finding a channel for their energy and giving → tap into = tap something in: to put information, numbers, letters, etc into a machine by pressing buttons E.g Tap in your PIN number → fragmented /ˈfræɡmentɪd/ (adj): broken into small pieces or parts, in a way that may have a negative effect E.g a fragmented society - fragmented across something: The company's efforts were fragmented across multiple product lines and businesses II You are going to read an article about the making of an unusual television commercial Seven sentences have been removed from the article Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap There is one extra sentence which you not need to use https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading2.htm A Then the falling dominoes head out of the room into the streets, causing progressively larger objects to tumble → domino /ˈdɑːmɪnəʊ/ (n): a small flat block, often made of wood, with two groups of dots (= small round marks) representing numbers on one side, used for playing games → tumble (down): to fall suddenly and in a dramatic way E.g The scaffolding (/ˈskæfəldɪŋ/ (n): poles and boards that are joined together to make a structure for workers to stand on when they are working high up on the outside wall of a building) came tumbling down B These were all chosen to suit the town and fit in with the people’s way of life C Getting there involved driving along 48 kilometres of dirt roads and crossing twelve rivers D Iruya is situated 3000 metres above sea level and the film crew was not used to working in such conditions E The prop department did construct a small version on site, but most of the work was done in a studio in London → prop (n): a piece of wood, metal, etc used to support something or keep it in position F Added to this was the total of one hundred and thirty 'actors' who were recruited from a five neighbouring towns G Setting up the dominoes on the table took a team of experts three days, but took just 14 seconds to topple → topple + adv./prep /ˈtɑːpl/ [intransitive, transitive]: to become unsteady and fall down; to make something this E.g The pile of books toppled over / He toppled backwards into the river H Not so with the famous Irish drink company Guinness The Making of 'Tipping Point' Many of the most expensive commercials ever made are those in which an A-list celebrity flashes a beautiful smile at the cameras (1) H Not so with the famous Irish drink company Guinness Their recent television advertisement, the most expensive in British history, cost ten million pounds, and it features, not the rich and famous, but villagers from the mountains of Argentina The advertisement features a game of dominoes It begins in a darkened room where several thousand ordinary dominoes are set up on a specially-designed table (2) _A Then the falling dominoes head out of the room into the streets, causing progressively larger objects to tumble _ Dominoes knock over books, which in turn knock bigger household objects such as suitcases, tyres, pots of paint, oil drums and even cars The final piece in the chain reaction is a huge tower of books These flutter open to reveal a structure in the shape of a pint of Guinness The location chosen for the commercial was Iruya, a village high up in the mountains of north-west Argentina (3) _C Getting there involved driving along 48 kilometres of dirt roads and crossing twelve rivers _ The journey there could take up to ten hours Asked why this remote destination was chosen for the shoot, the director said that even though it was the most difficult location they could have picked, it was perfect For one month, the village, population thousand, increased in size by almost thirty percent One hundred and forty crew members descended on the village These included the world record holders in domino toppling, Weijers Domino productions from the Netherlands (4) _F Added to this was the total of one hundred and thirty 'actors' who were recruited from a five neighbouring towns _ Creating this film was no easy task Preparations for filming took well over a month Twenty six truckloads of objects were brought in (5) B These were all chosen to suit the town and fit in with the people’s way of life They included 10,000 books, 400 tyres, 75 mirrors, 50 fridges, 45 wardrobes and cars Setting the objects up took skill and patience They needed to be arranged so they would fall over easily, and this involved balancing them on stones Some of the sequences had to be reshot 15 times and 24 hours of footage was captured However, the sequence in which six cars fell over was successfully shot in just one take Filming in this location was not without its difficulties Firstly, being so isolated, it was hard to obtain resources at short notice The second problem was the high altitude (6) _D Iruya is situated 3000 metres above sea level and the film crew was not used to working in such conditions _ It was also hard working with the villagers who had no experience of film-making Finally, setting and resetting the props caused a good deal of frustration These days when CGI is all the rage, it was surprising that so little of the work was done using computer effects The only sequence that used computer graphics was the one in which the tower of books fluttered (make something move lightly and quickly) open to reveal a pint (/paɪnt/ (n): unit for measuring sth) of Guinness (/ˈɡɪnɪs/) (7) _E The prop (a piece of wood, metal, etc used to support something or keep it in position) department did construct a small version on site, but most of the work was done in a studio in London _ Even so, this was no simple matter They had to ensure that all the books in the tower had a different appearance Director Nicolai Fuglsig said about the project: ‘Despite all the challenges, the cast was fantastic and it was a really amazing experience.’ Whether or not the effort put into the advert pays off is another matter entirely IV You are going to read an article in which four people comment on a book they have read recently For questions 115, choose from the people A-D The people may be chosen more than once https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading3.htm A Sundance by Teresa Wilson - Kerry: I really don't know why this book is so popular I mean, I suppose it is going to appeal to young girls who want danger and romance, but I found this book really tedious (/ˈtiːdiəs/: boring) For a start, the characters were really unconvincing The author went out of her way to add lots of details about the characters, but I found these details really pointless I thought that some of the facts she presented about the main characters would become significant in some way later in the novel, but they didn't They were just worthless bits of information I also was disappointed that, although this book is meant to be about kids at high school, the writer seems to have no recollection at all about what it's like to be 17 The main character thought and acted like a 32-year old It just wasn't believable I'm not saying Teresa Wilson is a bad writer She can obviously string (join things together with string) words together and come up with a story that is appealing to a large number of people, but she lacks anything original There is no flair (talent) It just uses the same sort of language as you can see in many other mediocre (/ˌmiːdiˈəʊkə(r)/ (adj): not very good) novels B Wild Ways by Margery Emerson - Liz: I have to say that I won't forget this book for a long time I was hooked (enjoying something very much) from the very first chapter The devastating story affected me so much that I don't know if I'll ever feel the same again I was close to tears on several occasions I've got images in my brain now that I don't think will ever leave me It's incredibly wellresearched and, although it is fiction, is based on shocking real-life events I learned an awful lot about things that went on that I never knew before Margaret Emerson has a brilliant way with words and I really felt real empathy towards the characters, although I was sometimes irritated by the choices they made However, the parallel story, the part that is set in the present, is not quite so good I found myself just flicking through (look quickly through a book, magazine, website, etc without reading everything) that part so that I could get back to 1940s Paris C Orchid by Henry Rathbone - Imogen: This is a delightful novel full of wonderful imagery, a paint a remarkable picture of life in a distant time and a faraway place If you're looking to learn about Eastern culture in great detail, then this is probably not the book for you, as the writer skims over most of the more complicated aspects of the country's etiquette The historical aspects are also not covered in much depth However, I wonder whether this was the writer's intention By doing this, he symbolise the superficiality of the girl's life She, like the book, is beautiful and eager to please, but remains too distant from us , the readers, to teach us much Although I loved the book and read it in one sitting, the ending was a bit of a disappointment A story which involves so much turmoil (/ˈtɜːrmɔɪl/: a state of great worry in which everything is confused and nothing is certain), in a place where the future is uncertain, should not have a happy-ever-after fairy-tale ending D High Hills by Mary Holland - Hannah: I read this book for a literature class I know it's a classic, and I did try to like it, but I just didn't get into it I kept persevering (being determined to achieve a particular aim despite difficulties), hoping that I'd start to enjoy it, but no such luck The famous scene out on the moors (/mɔː(r)/ (n): a high open area of land that is not used for farming, especially an area covered with rough grass and heather) was definitely the best bit of the book, but even that I found ridiculous when it is clearly supposed to be passionate As I approached the end of the book, I figured there must be some kind of moral to the story, something that I would learn from the experience of trudging through seven hundred long pages, but there was nothing worthwhile I don't know why the literary world sees this book as such a masterpiece The characters are portrayed as being intelligent, but they such stupid things! And as for it being a love story marrying someone you don't love and then being abused by them - that doesn't spell love to me Which person read a book which was set in an Oriental country C finished in an unrealistic way C → Oriental /ˌɔːriˈentl/ (adj): connected with or typical of the eastern part of the world, especially China and Japan, and the people who live there had characters that the reader could sympathise with B is well-known and was written a long time ago D contained two stories B was not set in the past A was historically accurate B made the reader cry B contained insignificant details A 10 has a well-known scene D 11 is written for teenagers A 12 had unbelievable characters A 13 is classed as romantic fiction D 14 contains nothing new in the way of writing A 15 has an attractive but shallow heroine C → shallow /ˈʃæləʊ/ (adj) not showing serious thought, feelings, etc about something → heroine /ˈherəʊɪn/ (n): a girl or woman who is admired by many for doing something brave or good E.g the heroines of the revolution / She remains one of the unsung heroines of the Second World War SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION Re-write the sentence, using the word given so that the second sentence has exactly the same meaning You cannot change the word in bold in ANY way You must use a minimum of THREE and a maximum of EIGHT words for each space Electricity is getting very expensive these days (cost) → The _ higher and higher these days cost of electricity is getting Unemployment has risen considerably over the last eighteen months and the government is under pressure to find a solution (increase) → The government is under pressure due to over the last eighteen months an increase in unemployment The minister's resignation from the government was caused by the discovery of his role in the financial scandal (led) → The discovery of the minister's role in the financial scandal the government led to his resignation from Oh, there you are! I didn't even know you had gone out! (unaware) → I _fact that you had gone out was unaware of the Don't get involved in this John, it has nothing to with you (keep) → This has nothing to with you so keep out of it I really can't understand why he can't finish the project on time (baffled) → I am really _ to finish the project on time baffled why he is unable / baffled that he is unable → baffle somebody/ be baffled (as to) why, how, where, etc…: to confuse somebody completely; to be too difficult or strange for somebody to understand or explain E.g His behaviour baffles me / I'm baffled as to why she hasn't called Mr Edwards was sacked partly because of his arriving late to work (contributed) → Mr Edwards' constant lateness _ from the company contributed to his being sacked his sacking/ his dismissal You can't just suddenly decide to go on a safari You need to plan things very carefully (spur) → Going on safari isn't a decision you can make _moment You need to plan things very carefully on the spur of the → on the spur of the moment: suddenly, without planning in advance E.g I phoned him up on the spur of the moment She wants nothing less than to get that job It would be a dream come true (set) →She has getting that job set her heart on / set her mind on 10 If they ever discover your role in the incident, you will go to prison (light) → If your role in the incident _ , you'll go to prison ever comes to light → come to light: to become known to people E.g New evidence has recently come to light → bring something to light: to make new information known to people E.g These facts have only just been brought to light → cast/shed/throw light on something: to make a problem, etc easier to understand E.g Recent research has thrown new light on the causes of the disease 11 Harry plays tennis much better than I (nearly) → I am not _ tennis player as Harry is nearly as good a Dạng đặc biệt số mệnh đề - So sánh bằng: as + adj + a/an + noun + as … - nguyên nhân kết (so… that): … so + Adj + a/an + noun + that … (too … to…) … too + Adj + + a/an + noun + to… 12 Both candidates for the job are strong They are both equally good (hardly) → There is _ the two job candidates hardly any difference between/hardly anything separating → hardly (adv): almost no; almost not; almost none E.g There's hardly any tea left / Hardly anyone has bothered to reply E.g She hardly ever calls me (= almost never) E.g Hardly a day goes by without my thinking of her (= I think of her almost every day) 13 That child is twice as tall as he was two years ago (doubled) → That child's in the last two years height has doubled 14 As soon as I arrived at the pub, a fight started (sooner) → No _a fight broke out in the pub sooner had I arrived than 15 There were very few people who understood what the professor said in the meeting (virtually) → There _ who understood what the professor said in the meeting was virtually nobody/was virtually no-one 16 The bank robbers had disappeared completely by the time the police arrived (sign) → There _ robbers when the police arrived was no sign of the 17 Give me a call only if you have to buy gas for the car (run) → Unless gas, don't call me you run out of 18 Watch the new secretary carefully this week to make sure she doesn't make any big mistakes (eye) → Keep secretary this week to make sure she doesn't make any big mistakes an eye on the 19 You shouldn't be surprised at Kevin winning that tournament (come) → It that Kevin won that tournament should come as no surprise 20 There is no doubt at all that the government will win the election (conclusion) → It is _that the government will win the election a foregone conclusion → a foregone conclusion: if you say that something is a foregone conclusion, you mean that it is a result that is certain to happen E.g The outcome of the vote is a foregone conclusion / The result of the game was a foregone conclusion 21 This is certainly not the last time you will be needed here on a Sunday means → It is _that you won't be needed again on a Sunday by no means certain/ not by any means → by no means | not by any (manner of) means: not at all E.g She is by no means an inexperienced teacher E.g We haven't won yet, not by any means 22 Whatever happens, don't let anyone into the building without proper identity (circumstances) → should you let anyone into the building without proper identity Under no circumstances 23 If it wasn't for your arrogance, you would have gotten your promotion a long time ago (but) → _ arrogance, you would have gotten your promotion a long time ago But for your 24 I presume you are coming to the party Miriam (read) → Can I that you are coming to the party Miriam? take it as read → take it/something as read: to accept something without discussing it E.g Can we take it as read that you want the job? 25 You are not a bad lawyer Martin, but I don't think it is a very suitable job for you (cut) → I just don't think you _ a lawyer are cut out to be 26 I don't have the foggiest idea whether he will be coming or not (whatsoever) → I have _ whether he will be coming or not no idea whatsoever 27 He failed the exam as he didn't work as fast as the rest of the class (pace) → His failure was blamed on his inability _rest of the class to keep pace with the 28 Everyone is criticising the government for its poor unemployment record (come) → The government over its unemployment record has come in for criticism 29 He was always going to leave that house after the divorce was finalised (bound) → He _the house after the divorce was bound to leave 30 I don't find it at all surprising that nobody came to the party (wonder) → It's _ nobody came to the party no wonder that 31 Please don't tell anyone else what I told you about Elizabeth (keep) → _ yourself what I told you about Elizabeth Please keep it to 32 Our boss is absolutely determined not to give us that pay rise (intent) → Our boss the pay rise is intent on not giving → intent on/upon (doing) something: (formal) determined to something, especially something that will harm other people E.g They were intent on murder / Are you intent upon destroying my reputation? ... rise KEY FCE -READING – ÔN THI CHUYÊN ANH I Answer all the questions and check your answers at the end Social networks Business applications Social networks connect people at low cost; this can... _fact that you had gone out Don't get involved in this John, it has nothing to with you (keep) → This has nothing to with you so I really can't understand why he can't... somebody/something: to provide the things that a particular type of person wants, especially things that you not approve of E.g They only publish novels which cater to the mass market → clone something