KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI CÁC TRƯỜNG THPT

CHUYÊN KHU VỰC DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ

LẦN THỨ XV, NĂM 2024
(Đề thi gồm ĐỀ THI MÔN: TIẾNG ANH - LỚP 10
21 trang) Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)

Điểm Giám khảo số Số phách

Giám khảo số 1
Bằng số Bằng 2 (Do chủ tịch HĐ
(Họ tên, chữ ký)
chữ (Họ tên, chữ ký) ghi)

(Thí sinh làm bài trực tiếp vào đề thi theo hướng dẫn)

SECTION A: LISTENING (50 points)

HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
 Bài nghe gồm 4 phần; mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, mỗi lần cách nhau 05 giây;
mở đầu và kết thúc mỗi phần nghe có tín hiệu. Thí sinh có 20 giây để đọc mỗi
phần câu hỏi.
 Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 03 phút để hoàn
chỉnh bài trước tín hiệu nhạc kết thúc bài nghe.
 Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh (bằng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe
Part 1. Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 points)
Working at Milo’s Restaurants
Benefits
 (1) _____________ provided for all staff
 (2) _____________ during weekdays at all Milo’s Restaurants
 (3)_____________ provided after midnight
Person specification
 must be prepared to work well in a team
 must care about maintaining a high standard of (4) _____________
  must have a qualification in (5) _____________
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. You will hear how different languages are accommodating non-binary
people. For questions 6-10, decide whether the following statements are true (T)
or false (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(10 points)
6. They and them are by far the most prevalent pronouns for genderqueer
individuals in the English-speaking world.
7. Languages having grammatical gender present a challenge for persons who do
not choose to be identified as either male or female, thus they are developing some
novel alternatives.
8. In German, the pronoun "elle" have been devised to be the equal of they or them
for non-binary people because it closely resembles both "él" for he and "ella" for
she.
9. Mandarin uses only one term for both he and she, which is "tā".
10. Many people believe that reliance on the Roman alphabet is natural and
decent.
Your answers:
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 3. For questions 11-15, you will hear part of an interview with two writers
and researchers, Anna Baldwin and Richard Simmons, on the topic of
handwriting. Choose the answer (А, В, C or D) which fits best according to what
you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(10pts)
11. Anna and Richard agree that writing things by hand is useful
A. in the teaching of some science subjects.
B. in helping people remember certain information.
C. because it is unexpectedly time-saving compared to typing.
D. because it serves to stimulate the imagination of authors.
12. Anna and Richard agree that the teaching of handwriting in primary school
A. ensures good literacy skills later on in life.
B. is suffering from a growing lack of public interest.
C. occupies a significant part of the current syllabus.
D. has little impact on a child’s overall development.
13. How does Richard view the potential disappearance of handwriting?
A. He accepts that it will be a sad day for humanity.
B. He sees it as a natural progression.
C. He is confident that it won’t happen soon.
D. He is concerned that it may impact on our sociability.
14. Anna refers to writing throughout history in order to illustrate
A. the flexibility of the medium.
B. the evolution of communication.
C. its influence on major events.
D. its contribution to learning.
15. Anna says there is evidence that the traditional focus on handwriting has
resulted in
A. an increased desire for equal opportunities.
B. a preference for using the typed word at work.
C. some people abandoning their education.
D. some people’s true abilities being overlooked.
Your answers:
11. 12 13. 14. 15.
.
Part 4. You will listen to a recording about a reporter’s joining hurricane
hunters from cockpit of flying weather station. For questions 16-25, complete
the summary by writing NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in each gap. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (20 points)
 Tropical Cyclone Lee, a massive storm, continues to hit the New England
coast with gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour, torrential rain, and storm
(16)________________________________.
 Although the Gulfstream 4 is normally used for business travel, this aircraft
has been (17)________________________________ with the aim of saving
lives.
 The hurricane hunters including scientists, engineers, and pilots are
employed by NOAA, the National (18)
________________________________ Administration.
 The NOAA Corps men and women will fly this
(19)________________________________ plane above, below, around,
and in front of Hurricane Lee over the next eight hours.
  After the plane leaves Lakeland Florida, the skies are clear.
(20)________________________________ in the ocean can be plainly
visible at this elevation.
 However, the sunshine vanishes quickly. The flight becomes bumpy as
Hurricane Lee (21)________________________________ us.
 According to Rebecca Keller, a NOAA engineer, the dropsonde is made up
of a sensor, a (22)________________________________, and a battery.
 Along with the sonde, the plane features
(23)________________________________ radar on its tail and two pilots
up front who fly with a strong sense of purpose.
 As the jet touches down, there would be perfect weather to keep us on our
way back to Florida. It's time for the hurricane hunters to
(24)________________________________ and prepare themselves
psychologically for the next eight-hour journeys.
 In addition to the Gulfstream 4, NOAA aircraft operate the P-3 Orion, a
larger jet at low altitudes. In any case, meteorologists find it much simpler to
provide accurate forecasts thanks to the crucial data that is collected from
both of these planes and missions and subsequently
(25)_______________________________ computer models.
Your answers:
16. 17.
18. 19.
20. 21.
22. 23.
24. 25.

SECTION B: LEXICO- GRAMMAR (40 points)

Part 1. For questions 26-55, choose the best option A, B, C, or D to complete the
following sentences and write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided. (30 points)
26. To stop Mark getting bored, Mother sent him on a(n) ____________.
A. task B. mission C. errand D. service
27. I hope you realize that you will be ____________ responsible for your actions
should you get caught.
A brought B. taken C. carried D. held
28. Although he has been teaching for over twenty years, he is still ____________
to new ideas.
A. eager B. keen C. open D. enthusiastic
29. I’ve had __________ debate about equality and the emergence of feminism.
A. some of B. much a C. many a D. none
30. A new generation of performers, ____________ those who by now had
become household name, honed their skills before following the same path onto
television.
A. no less talented than B. together with talented with
C. along with talented with D. having been more talented with
31. A new government report delivers ______ warnings about climate change and
its impacts on the planet.
A. ominous B. dire C. fateful D. acute
32. She refuses to resign, intending to weather the ___________.
A. flood B. drought C. storm D. typhoon
33. They have not been able to ___________ the facts, so no one knows what
really happened.
A. settle B. abscond C. attain D. ascertain
34. The statement was intended to shock them and _________.
A. getting them thinking B. get them thinking
C. get thinking D. get them thought

35. Every Christmas of my childhood was the same. My father _____ late for
lunch, weighed down with presents for the family.
A. would arrive B. had arrived C. was arriving D. was used to
arriving
36. Jack: Did you know Jim's car broke down on the highway late at night?
Jane: Unfortunately, that's a situation anyone _____.
A. might have to confront with B. might be confronted with
C. might be confronted D. might have been confronted
37. Mathematics helps meteorologists to predict the weather more accurately to
calculate the speed of storms and _____.
A. for the wind to blow determines
B. causes the wind blowing to determine
C. to determine what causes the wind to blow
D. determine the wind’s blowing
38. Last weekend, _______ nothing to watch on TV, we played chest together.
A. there being B. there having C. having had D. being
39. I offered to do the job, but soon found that I was _______ as it was more
difficult than I had thought.
A. pushing up daisies B. knocking on wood
C. in over my head D. off their hands
40. In these times of high unemployment everyone thought my giving up my job
was________ madness.
A. sheer B. steep C. high D. deep
41. With your qualifications, there will be no__________ of firms willing to
employ you.
A. want B. inadequacy C. deficiency D. shortage
42. The project will be kept__________ until the new manager comes.
A. in order B. off and on C. on ice D. off the peck
43. It would set a bad_________ if we changed the rules just for one student.
A. precaution B. infringement C. precedent D. manifestation
44. Never mind, but I would rather _________ it when the prices were higher.
A. we sold B. had sold C. we have sold D. we had sold
45. Peace talks between the two countries__________, with neither side able to
agree on terms.
A. collapsed B. collaborated C. collared D. compromise
46. The problem with losing weight is that, if you succeed, all your clothes need to
be_________.
A. cut down B. taken in C. made down D. let down
47. Even though it had ___________ a great deal of support, the political party
suffered a resounding defeat.
A. flinched B. endowed C. downplayed D. rallied
48. Unconditional acceptance was the principle _________ his core philosophy.
A. snagging B. underpinning C. conspiring D. limping
49. As a _________, politicians and other public figures should avoid making
direct statements that could be used against them.
A. show of hands B. word of mouth C. rule of thumb D. change of heart
50. It was a real nuisance _________ it back and having to print off and fill in all
those forms.
A. to be sentB. send C. sending D. sent
51. Never mind, but I would rather _________ it when the prices were higher.
A. we sold B. had sold C. we have sold D. we had sold
52. This is another region where dairy ___________ highly concentrated on just a
few farms.
A. cattle is B. cattles are C. cattle are D. cattles is
53. I wrote down the names of all the places that I had ever been to in order to
_______ his memory, but to no avail.
A. raise B. force C. arouse D. jog
54. My teacher advises me to juice _____ my presentation with more colorful
illustrations.
A. down B. up C. over D. off
55. There have been so many cases in recent years ___________ the government
still knows very little about it.
A. on top of that B. namely C. in contrast D. and yet
Your answers:
26. 27 28. 29. 30.
.
31. 32 33. 34. 35.
.
36. 37 38. 39. 40.
.
41. 42 43. 44. 45.
.
46. 47 48. 49. 50.
.
51. 52 53. 54. 55.
.

Part 2. For questions 56-65, fill each gap with the correct form of the words in
brackets. Write your answer in the boxes provided. (10 points)
56. He left us with the ______________ impression that we had been speaking to a
future leader. (ERADICATE)
57. With free-market globalization, investment funds can move ______________
from the rich countries to the developing countries. (IMPEDIMENT)
58. Globalisation has become the ______________ of governments and
policymakers across the world, being alternately blamed and celebrated, depending
on what particular action (or outcome) is being justified. (WORD)
59. High ______________ among suppliers, distributors and customers via
Internet is promoting development of e-commerce in Vietnam. (OPERATE)
60. When I was a student, I didn't have much money to spend on clothes and I
didn't mind wearing other people's ______________. (CAST)
61. As in all the chapters, David maintains the excitement visually with pictures
and page designs that make such a book a ______________. (PAGE)
62. She is expected to announce officially her ______________ for president early
next week. (CANDIDATE)
63. Any public ______________ of this information would be very damaging to
the company. (CLOSE)
64. The soldiers still suffered from a number of traumatic ______________ even
though the war had ended many years ago. (FLASH)
65. There are islands in Antartica and parts of northern Canada that are
uninhabitable due to the ______________ of the weather. (CLEMENT)
Your answers:
56. 57.
58. 59.
60. 61.
62. 63.
64. 65.

SECTION C: READING (60 points)

Part 1. For questions 66-75, read the following passage and decide which option
(A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. Write your answers in corresponding
numbered boxes. (15 points)
Shopping addiction
If you shop and spend compulsively, you are not (66) _________. An
estimated 8-16% of British adults struggle to control their obsession with
shopping. The (67)_________ which research seems to back up, is that more
women than men are affected. However, when gadgets, sports equipment,
computer accessories or software are taken into account, (68) _________ buying is
just as prevalent among men and just as (69)_________.
 Those who find it easy to control their spending habits tend to view
shopping addiction in a humorous light. Sadly, the reality is (70) _________ from
comical. Shopping addicts can't say “no” to the desire for immediate gratification
and, as a consequence, they let the rest of their lives fall apart. Many shopaholics
get themselves into (71) _________ debt as a result of their addiction, and
jeopardize key relationships in their lives because they are unable to (72)
_________ their purchasing urges. What, then, drives buying under such
circumstances? For many shopaholics, shopping is a means of (73) _________
negative emotions, such as worry, anxiety, sadness and loneliness. It provides an
escape from those feelings if only for a short time. For shopaholics, it's usually not
even about the (74) _________ of the item itself. It's purely about the (75)
_________ - the elevated mood and sense of excitement they get when buying it.
By the time they get home, most shopaholics aren't even interested in the item they
bought anymore.
66. A. divided B. segregated C. alone D. isolated
67. A. convention B. cliché C. stereotype D. boilerplate
68. A. compulsive B. compelling C. irresistible D. overwhelming
69. A. ambiguous B. precarious C. unsettled D. problematic
70. A. out B. far C. away D. long
71. A. detrimental B. crippling C. corroding D. scarring
72. A. control B. command C. charge D. constrain
73. A. alleviating B. subtracting C. slowing D. stagnating
74. A. retrieval B. attainment C. acquisition D. accomplishment
75. A. rush B. dash C. surge D. blitz
Your answers:
66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
Part 2. For questions 76-85, fill each of the following numbered blanks with
ONE suitable word and write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes. (15 points)
Humour across cultures
Humour is a uniquely human quality that (76) _________ people to connect,
break boundaries and share common ideas. However, (77) __________ many
know through bitter experience, it does not always translate well across cultures.
This is because much of (78) __________ we find amusing is culturally
determined.
 The norms of humour that are familiar to the people of one nation can seem
impenetrable to (79) __________. However, research shows that universal
elements do exist. These can cross cultural boundaries and tap into a mutual
understanding of the world, irrespective (80) __________ where we grew up.
While many people think being funny requires a (81) __________
sophistication or intellectual ability, apparently anyone can make others laugh.
This is due to the fact that human beings are naturally predisposed to humour.
Researchers have discovered that (82) __________ commonly considered to be
funny is composed of two elements. Firstly, it must subvert the listener's
expectations - in other words, be surprising - and, also, it must not be threatening.
As this appears to (83) __________ true across cultures, the topics are where the
differences lie. For example, in some countries people enjoy telling jokes about
(84) __________ competitive relationships with neighbouring nations while, in
other parts of the world people like comedy that is directed at themselves, or like
using wordplay, storytelling or satire.
Whatever the topic, though, it turns out that understanding the things that
make any of us crack (85) ___________ isn't actually that difficult.
Part 3. For questions 86-95, read the following passage and circle the best
answer to each of the following questions. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (15 points)
The idea is that no matter where people live, they can share knowledge and
move products at virtually no cost. According to this view, the good jobs, now
concentrated in high-cost locations such as Silicon Valley and Boston, will quickly
disperse to low-cost locations, both in the United States and abroad. An
experienced software engineer in India makes $35,000. The same person in Silicon
Valley makes $140,000. Why would U.S. firms keep hiring in Silicon Valley when
they could save so much by outsourcing? By the same token, if labor costs are
three times higher in Silicon Valley than in Mobile, Alabama, companies will
eventually relocate to Alabama. This process of dispersion, the argument goes, will
be faster than the dispersion of manufacturing jobs, because moving software
codes across DSL lines is easier than moving bulky goods across borders. In this
vision of the future, the great innovation hubs of American will disappear from the
map and innovation jobs will disperse evenly across the country. The key
prediction of this view is the convergence of American communities. Low-cost
areas will attract more and more of the new, highpaying jobs. Cities that have been
lagging behind - the Clevelands, the Topekas, and the Mobiles - will grow much
faster. Bogged down by their high costs, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and
similar cities will decline.
But the data don’t support this view. In fact, the opposite has been
happening. In innovation, a company’s success depends on more than just the
quality of its workers - it also depends on the entire ecosystem that surrounds it.
This is important, because it makes it harder to delocalize innovation than
traditional manufacturing. A textile factory is a standalone entity that can be put
pretty much anywhere in the world where labor is abundant. By contrast, a biotech
lab is harder to export, because you would have to move not just one company but
an entire ecosystem.
A growing body of research suggests that cities are not just a collection of
individuals but complex, interrelated environments that foster the generation of
new ideas and new ways of doing business. For example, social interactions among
workers tend to generate learning opportunities that enhance innovation and
productivity. By clustering near each other, innovators foster each other’s creative
spirit and become more successful. Thus, once a city attracts some innovative
workers and innovative companies, its economy changes in ways that make it even
more attractive to other innovators. In the end, this is what is causing the Great
Divergence among American communities, as some cities experience an increased
concentration of good jobs, talent, and investment and others are in free fall. It is a
trend that is reshaping not just our economy but our entire society in profound
ways. It implies that a growing part of inequality in America reflects not just a
class divide, but a geographical divide.
This does not mean there is no merit to the view that low-cost areas are
destined to catch up. At a global level, the most important economic development
of the past decade is the incredible improvement in the standard of living in
developing nations such as Brazil, China, Poland, Turkey, India, and even some
African countries. Their strong economic performance has greatly reduced the gap
between these countries and rich nations, thus contributing to a marked
convergence in income levels. This is welcome news. Although seldom
recognized, inequality has plummeted when measured at a global level. The catch-
up experienced by the American South over the past fifty years is another example
of convergence. Many southern states were significantly poorer than the rest of the
country in the 1960s but grew more rapidly in the following decades.
 Yet in both cases the process of catching up was geographically uneven.
Some southern cities - Austin, Atlanta, Durham, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and
Houston, for example - grew much faster than others, thus increasing the disparity
among communities in the South. Developing countries exhibit similar regional
differences. In China, Shanghai has reached a per capita income close to that of a
rich nation. Its students outperform American and European students in
standardized tests by a wide margin. Its public infrastructure is better than that of
most American cities. But agricultural communities in western China have made
much less progress. The regional differences in China have clearly grown, even if
the difference between China and richer countries has shrunk.
(Excerpted from Enrico Moretti, The New Geography of Jobs. ©2012 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.)
86. The word “outsourcing” in the 1 paragraph is closet in meaning to
st

A. sacking employees
B. lacking workers
C. sharing knowledge
D. paying to have part of a company's work done by another company
87. What does the word “it” in the 2 paragraph refer to
nd

A. innovation
B. company
C. company’ success
D. quality of workers
88. According to the passage, which type of industry would be the most difficult to
relocate?
A. A biotech lab
B. A textile factory
C. A shipping company
D. A tobacco farm
89. Which choice best summarizes the third paragraph of the passage?
A. Workers must engage with each other socially for a company to be successful.
B. The social environment surrounding creative companies influences cities’
economic growth.
C. A city can only grow if it attracts smart people and innovative businesses.
D. Increased access to cell phones and the Internet allows Americans to relocate to
less expensive cities.
90. The following sentence can be added to paragraph 3:
“Being around smart people makes us smarter and more innovative”
Look at the four options that indicate where sentence could be added. Where
would the sentence best fit?
A growing body of research suggests that cities are not just a collection of
individuals but complex, interrelated environments that foster the generation of
new ideas and new ways of doing business. (A) For example, social interactions
among workers tend to generate learning opportunities that enhance innovation and
productivity. (B) By clustering near each other, innovators foster each other’s
creative spirit and become more successful. (C) Thus, once a city attracts some
innovative workers and innovative companies, its economy changes in ways that
make it even more attractive to other innovators. (D) In the end, this is what is
causing the Great Divergence among American communities, as some cities
experience an increased concentration of good jobs, talent, and investment and
others are in free fall.
91. As used in the 3 paragraph, the word “foster” most nearly means
rd

A. adopt
B. encourage
C. shelter
D. entertain
92. According to the passage, which choice best describes the economic
development of some developing countries?
A. Similar improvements as those in the American south due to comparable
demographics
B. Increased income inequality due to the uneven dispersal of technology
C. Reduced disparity between the developing countries and rich nations related to
an improved standard of living
D. Slowed growth due to geographic conditions
93. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to question 92?
A. paragraph 4: “At a global level … and even some African countries”
B. paragraph 4: “Although seldom recognized … measured at a global level”
C. paragraph 4: “The catch-up experienced by … example of convergence”
D. paragraph 4: “Many southern states … in the following decades”
94. As used in the last paragraph, the word “uneven” most nearly means
A. rugged
B. intermittent
C. unequal
D. bumpy
95. The passage implies that Shanghai, China
A. has the smartest students in the country.
B. is an accurate representation of China as a whole.
C. has a large income disparity between its richest and poorest people.
D. is making greater advances than other regions of China
Your answers:
86. 87. 88. 89. 90.
91. 92. 93. 94. 95.

Part 4. For questions 96-105, read the passage and do the following tasks. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (15 points)
Willpower
A Although willpower does not shape our decisions, it determines whether and
how long we can follow through on them. It almost single-handedly determines life
outcomes. Interestingly, research suggests the general population is indeed aware
of how essential willpower is to their wellbeing; survey participants routinely
identify a ‘lack of willpower’ as the major impediment to making beneficial life
changes. There are, however, misunderstandings surrounding the nature of
willpower and how we can acquire more of it. There is a widespread
misperception, for example, that increased leisure time would lead to subsequent
increases in willpower.
B Although the concept of willpower is often explained through single-word
terms, such as ‘resolve’ or ‘drive’, it refers in fact to a variety of behaviours and
situations. There is a common perception that willpower entails resisting some
kind of a ‘treat’, such as a sugary drink or a lazy morning in bed, in favour of
decisions that we know are better for us, such as drinking water or going to the
gym. Of course this is a familiar phenomenon for all. Yet willpower also involves
elements such as overriding negative thought processes, biting your tongue in
social situations, or persevering through a difficult activity. At the heart of any
exercise of willpower, however, is the notion of ‘delayed gratification’, which
involves resisting immediate satisfaction for a course that will yield greater or
more permanent satisfaction in the long run.
C Scientists are making general investigations into why some individuals are
better
able than others to delay gratification and thus employ their willpower, but the
genetic or environmental origins of this ability remain a mystery for now. Some
groups who are particularly vulnerable to reduced willpower capacity, such as
those with addictive
personalities, may claim a biological origin for their problems. What is clear is that
levels of willpower typically remain consistent over time (studies tracking
individuals from early childhood to their adult years demonstrate a remarkable
consistency in willpower abilities). In the short term, however, our ability to draw
on willpower can fluctuate dramatically due to factors such as fatigue, diet and
stress. Indeed, research by Matthew Gailliot suggests that willpower, even in the
absence of physical activity, both requires and drains blood glucose levels,
suggesting that willpower operates more or less like a ‘muscle’, and, like a muscle,
requires fuel for optimum functioning.
D These observations lead to an important question: if the strength of our
willpower at the age of thirty-five is somehow pegged to our ability at the age of
four, are all efforts to improve our willpower certain to prove futile? According to
newer research, this is not necessarily the case. Gregory M. Walton, for example,
found that a single verbal cue – telling research participants how strenuous mental
tasks could ‘energise’ them for further challenging activities – made a profound
difference in terms of how much willpower participants could draw upon to
complete the activity. Just as our willpower is easily drained by negative
influences, it appears that willpower can also be boosted by other prompts, such as
encouragement or optimistic self-talk.
E Strengthening willpower thus relies on a two-pronged approach: reducing
negative influences and improving positive ones. One of the most popular and
effective methods simply involves avoiding willpower depletion triggers, and is
based on the old adage, ‘out of sight, out of mind’. In one study, workers who kept
a bowl of enticing candy on their desks were far more likely to indulge than those
who placed it in a desk drawer. It also appears that finding sources of motivation
from within us may be important. In another study, Mark Muraven found that those
who felt compelled by an external authority to exert self-control experienced far
greater rates of willpower depletion than those who identified their own reasons for
taking a particular course of action. This idea that our mental convictions can
influence willpower was borne out by Veronika Job. Her research indicates that
those who think that willpower is a finite resource exhaust their supplies of this
commodity long before those who do not hold this opinion.
F Willpower is clearly fundamental to our ability to follow through on our
decisions but, as psychologist Roy Baumeister has discovered, a lack of willpower
may not be the sole impediment every time our good intentions fail to manifest
themselves. A critical precursor, he suggests, is motivation – if we are only mildly
invested in the change we are trying to make, our efforts are bound to fall short.
This may be why so many of us abandon our New Year’s Resolutions – if these
were actions we really wanted to take, rather than things we felt we ought to be
doing, we would probably be doing them already. In addition, Muraven
emphasises the value of monitoring progress towards a desired result, such as by
using a fitness journal, or keeping a record of savings toward a new purchase. The
importance of motivation and monitoring cannot be overstated. Indeed, it appears
that, even when our willpower reserves are entirely depleted, motivation alone may
be sufficient to keep us on the course we originally chose.
Questions 96-100
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the above Reading
Passage?
In boxes 96-100, 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
96. Willpower is the most significant factor in determining success in life.
97. People with more free time typically have better willpower.
98. The strongest indicator of willpower is the ability to choose long-term rather
than short-term rewards.
99. Levels of willpower usually stay the same throughout our lives.
100. Regular physical exercise improves our willpower ability.
Questions 101-105
Look at the following statements (Questions 100-105) and the list of researchers
below.
Match each statement with the correct person, A–D.
Write the correct letter, A–D, in boxes 100-105.
This researcher …
101. identified a key factor that is necessary for willpower to function.
102. suggested that willpower is affected by our beliefs.
103. examined how our body responds to the use of willpower.
104. found that taking actions to please others decreases our willpower.
105. found that willpower can increase through simple positive thoughts.
List of People
A Matthew Gailliot
B Gregory M. Walton
C Mark Muraven
D Veronika Job
E Roy Baumeister

D. WRITING (50 points)

Part 1. (20 points)
The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in
four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2023
and 2040.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Part 2: (30 points)

Nowadays celebrities are more famous for their glamour and wealth than for their
achievements, which has a great influence in shaping young people’s attitudes
towards their life goals.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?