HSG 12 - Bonanza 2
HSG 12 - Bonanza 2
HSG 12 - Bonanza 2
34. Le Loi school is the school to which I’ve been familiar since my childhood.
A. Le Loi school B. to which C. familiar D. my childhood
VIII. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
word that best fits each of the numbered blank.
Sharks have gained an unfair reputation for being fierce predators of large sea animals. Humanity's (35) _____
fear and hatred of these ancient creatures is leading to a worldwide slaughter that may result in the extinction of many
coastal shark species. The shark is the victim of a warped attitude of wildlife protection; we strive only to protect the
beautiful, non-threatening parts of our environment. And, in our efforts to (36) _____ only non-threatening parts of
our earth, we ignore other important parts.
A perfect illustration of this attitude is the contrasting attitude toward another large sea animal, the dolphin.
During the 1980s, environmentalists in the United States protested the use of driftnets for tuna fishing in the Pacific
Ocean since these nets also caught dolphins. The environmentalists generated enough political and economic pressure
to prevent tuna companies from buying tuna that had been caught in driftnets. (37) _____ this effort on behalf of the
dolphins, these same environmentalists have (38) _____ very little to help save the Pacific Ocean sharks whose
population has decreased nearly (39) _____. Sharks are among the oldest creatures on earth, (40) _____ in the seas
for more than 350 million years. They are extremely efficient animals, (41) _____ wounded or dying animals, thus
(42) _____ an important role in nature of weeding out the weaker animals in a species. Just the fact that species such
as the Great White Shark have managed to live in the oceans or so many millions of years is enough (43) _____ of
their efficiency and adaptability to changing environments. It is time for us humans, who may not survive another
1,000 years at the rate we are damaging the planet, to (44) _____ our fears and begin considering the protection of
sharks as an important part of a program for protection of our entire natural environment.
35. A. unclear B. unfounded C. incredible D. unbelievable
36. A. restore B. repair C. regenerate D. reactivate
37. A. In contrast to B. By contrast C. On the contrary D. Contrasting
38. A. acted B. made C. taken D. done
39. A. to the point of the extinction B. to the verge of extinction
C. to the brink of the extinction D. to the extent of extinction
40. A. surviving B. to survive C. having survived D. survived
41. A. eating on B. eating out C. feeding on D. feeding out
42. A. adopting B. performing C. casting D. swapping
43. A. justification B. proof C. evidence D. exhibit
44. A. cast away B. fade away C. wear out D. wear off
IX. . Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best
answer to each of the questions.
Carnegie Hall, the famous concert hall in New York City, has again undergone a restoration. While this is not
the first, it is certainly the most extensive in the building's history. As a result of this new restoration, Carnegie Hall
once again has the quality of sound that it had when it was first built.
Carnegie Hall owes its existence to Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy owner of a steel company in the late 1800s.
The hall was finished in 1891 and quickly gained a reputation as an excellent performing arts hall where accomplished
musicians gained fame. Despite its reputation, however, the concert hall suffered from several detrimental
renovations over the years. During the Great Depression, when fewer people could afford to attend performances, the
directors sold part of the building to commercial businesses. As a result, a coffee shop was opened in one corner of the
building, for which the builders replaced the brick and terra cotta walls with windowpanes. A renovation in 1946
seriously damaged the acoustical quality of the hall when the makers of the film Carnegie Hall cut a gaping hole in the
dome of the ceiling to allow for lights and air vents. The hole was later covered with short curtains and a fake ceiling,
but the hall never sounded the same afterwards.
In 1960, the violinist Isaac Stern became involved in restoring the hall after a group of real estate developers
unveiled plans to demolish Carnegie Hall and build a high-rise office building on the site. This threat spurred Stern to
rally public support for Carnegie Hall and encourage the City of New York to buy the property. The movement was
successful, and the concert hall is now owned by the city. In the current restoration, builders tested each new material
for its sound qualities, and they replaced the hole in the ceiling with a dome. The builders also restored the outer walls
to their original appearance and closed the coffee shop. Carnegie has never sounded better, and its prospects for the
future have never looked more promising.
45. This passage is mainly about
A. changes to Carnegie Hall B. the appearance of Carnegie Hall
C. Carnegie Hall's history during the Great Depression D. damage to the ceiling in Carnegie Hall
46. Who was Andrew Carnegie?
A. mayor of New York City B. a steel mill owner C. an architect D. a violinist
47. The word "extensive" in line 2 could be best replaced by _____.
A. fabulous B. thorough C. devoted D. continuous
48. In line 6, what is the meaning of the word "detrimental"?
A. dangerous B. significant C. extreme D. harmful
49. What major change happened to the hall in 1946?
A. Space in the building was sold to commercial businesses. B. The acoustic home was damaged.
C. The walls were damaged in an earthquake. D. The stage was renovated.
50. What was Isaac Stern's relationship to Carnegie Hall?
A. He made the movie "Carnegie Hall" in 1946.
B. He performed on opening night in 1891.
C. He tried to save the hall, beginning in 1960.
D. He opened a coffee shop in Carnegie Hall during the Depression.
51. The most important aspect of the recent renovation was probably _____.
A. restoring the outer wall B. restoring the plaster trim C. expanding the lobby D. repairing the
ceiling
52. The word “they” in line 16 refers to _____.
A. sound qualities B. each new material C. builders D. outer walls
53. According to the passage, which of the following is true about Carnegie Hall?
A. After being finished in 1891, Carnegie Hall was well-known as an impressive exhibiting arts hall.
B. Carnegie Hall managed to remain its original structure with hardly any damages.
C. Carnegie Hall was going to be pulled down, which pushed Stern to save it.
D. After the success of Stern’s movement, Carnegie Hall belonged to him.
54. How does the author seem to feel about the future of Carnegie Hall?
A. ambiguous B. guarded C. optimistic D. negative
X. Read the following passage and do the following task.
The meaning of volunteering
Volunteering, as some people consider mistakenly is a plethora of people from all walk of life as well as
activities, but data from the other side of the world suggest otherwise. For example, a survey on who participated in
volunteering by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom (UK) showed that people in higher
income households are more likely than others to volunteer. In England and Wales, 57% of adults with gross annual
household incomes of £75.000 or more, have volunteered formally in the 12 months prior to the survey date. They
were almost twice more likely to have done so than those living in households with as annual income under £10.000.
As well as having high household incomes, volunteers also tend to have higher academic qualifications, be in
higher socio-economic groups and be in employment. Among people with a degree or postgraduate qualification, 79
per cent had volunteered informally and 57 per cent had volunteered formally in the previous 12 months. For people
with no qualifications the corresponding proportions were 52 per cent and 23 per cent at all. However, voluntary work
is certainly not the exclusive preserve of the rich. Does the answer not lie perhaps in the fact that the rich tend to have
money to allow them the time to be become involved in voluntary work compared to less well-off people?
A breakdown in the year 2000 of the range of volunteering activities taken from The Australia Bureau of
Statistics gives an idea of the scale of activities in which people are typically involved. Eleven sectors are given
ranging from Community and Welfare, which accounted for just over a quarter of the total hours volunteered in
Australia, to Law/ justice/ politics with 1.2 percent at the other and of the scale. Other fields included sport/ recreation,
religious activities and education, following at 21.1 per cent, 16.9 and 14.3 per cent of the total hours. The data here
also seem to point to a cohort of volunteers with expertise and experience.
The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster
independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching people how
to work their way through different systems. It therefore brings people into touch with the real world; and, hence,
equips them for the future.
Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others
that say a teacher or agriculturalist or nurse would have, but they do have many skills that can help others. And in the
absence of any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit of their fellow human
beings, and ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are
involved is immeasurable.
Employers will generally look favorably on people who have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It
demonstrates a willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee. So
to satisfy employers’ demands for experience when applying for work, volunteering can act as a means of gaining
experience that might otherwise elude would-be workers and can ultimately lead to paid employment and the desired
field.
But what are the prerequisites for becoming a volunteer? One might immediately think of attributes like
kindness, selflessness, strength of character, ability to deal with others, determination, adaptability and flexibility and
a capacity to comprehend the ways of other people. While offering oneself selflessly, working as a volunteer makes
further demands on the individual. It requires strength of will, a sense of moral responsibility for one’s fellow human
beings, and an ability to fit into the ethos of an organization. But it also requires something which in no way detracts
from valuable work done by volunteers and which may seem at first glance both contradictory and surprising: self-
interest.
Organizations involved in any voluntary work have to be realistic about this. If someone, whatever the age is
going to volunteer and devote their time without money, they do need to receive something from it for themselves.
People who are unemployed can use volunteer work as a stepping-stone to employment or as a means of finding out
whether they really like the field the plan to enter or as a way to help them find themselves.
It is tempting to use some form of community work as an alternative to national service or as punishment for
petty criminals by making the latter for example clean up parks, wash away graffiti, and work with victims of their
own or other people. Thus may be acceptable, but it does not constitute volunteer work, two cardinal rules of which
are the willingness to volunteer without coercion and working unpaid.
Task 1: Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage above? Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
55. There has been an increasing number of volunteers in England and Wales.
56.In England and Wales, people with high annual incomes are more likely to get involved in voluntary works than
those with low salaries.
57. Voluntary works have nothing to do with one’s academic performance and social status.
58. Employers tend to think highly of those who can work independently.
59. Working as a volunteer requires both mental strength and physical strength.
60. Some kinds of community work, which are also considered as voluntary work, can take place of punishments for
minor criminals.
Task 2: Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
61. Those who work as a volunteer can benefit from its profound _____.
62. Volunteer work can help applicants meet their employers’ demand for _____.
63. Unemployed people can _____ with volunteering.
64. Some kinds of community work that can be used for minor criminals include tidying up park, washing away
graffiti and work with their own _____.
SECTION B: OPEN-CLOSE QUESTIONS (4 pts):
I. Rewrite the following sentences in order to keep their original meanings (1 pt):
1. No tuition fees are payable in any publicly-maintained school. (CHARGE)
Public-maintained schools
__________________________________________________________________________.
2. He was suspended for two matches for swearing at the referee. (EARNED)
Swearing
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
3. We have been trying to sell our house for over six months. (SALE)
Our house
______________________________________________________________________________________.
4. The idea no longer interests her. (OFF)
She
______________________________________________________________________________________________.
5. All that stood between John and a gold medal was his rival’s great speed. (WON)
But for ______________________________________________________________________________________.
II. Paragraph writing (3 pts):
In about 150 words, write a paragraph to answer the following question:
“Nowadays, many students risk cheating on exams regardless of potential consequences. What is the cause of this
negative phenomenon?”
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