FCE READING TÀI LIỆU ÔN THI FCE

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.
1 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.

2 Why do 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.
3 What does the expression 'sprung up' in paragraph 3 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
4 What does the word 'Few' at the beginning of paragraph 5 mean?
A. Not any

B. Some

C. Only

D. Hardly any

5 What should users not do on social networks?
A. be too free with their personal information

B. download viruses

C. contact predators

D. upload copyrighted music

6 What does the word 'deeper' in paragraph 5 mean?
A. more spiritual

B. more detailed

C. more profound

D. more emphatic

7 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

8 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 do 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 6
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 do 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...
1. was set in an Oriental country
2. finished in an unrealistic way
3. had characters that the reader could sympathise with
4. is well-known and was written a long time ago
5. contained two stories
6. was not set in the past
7. was historically accurate
8. made the reader cry


9. 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.
1. Electricity is getting very expensive these days. (cost)
→ The ________________________________________higher and higher these days.

2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Oh, there you are! I didn't even know you had gone out! (unaware)
→ I ___________________________________________fact that you had gone out.
5. Don't get involved in this John, it has nothing to do with you. (keep)
→ This has nothing to do with you so ________________.
6. I really can't understand why he can't finish the project on time. (baffled)
→ I am really ___________________________________ to finish the project on time.
7. Mr. Edwards was sacked partly because of his arriving late to work. (contributed)
→ Mr. Edwards' constant lateness ___________________ from the company.
8. 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.
9. 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 do. (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.
1 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 1. 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.
2 Why do 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 2. 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 do 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.
3 What does the expression 'sprung up' in paragraph 3 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 3. 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
do 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
4 What does the word 'Few' at the beginning of paragraph 5 mean?
A. Not any

B. Some

C. Only

D. Hardly any


→ Par 5. 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.
5 What should users not do on social networks?
A. be too free with their personal information

B. download viruses

C. contact predators

D. upload copyrighted music

→ Par 6. 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.
6 What does the word 'deeper' in paragraph 5 mean?
A. more spiritual

B. more detailed

C. more profound

D. more emphatic

→ Par 5. 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.
7 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 7. 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.
8 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 4. 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 do not need to use.
/>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 do 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 6 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.
/>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 do 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...
1. was set in an Oriental country C

2. 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
3. had characters that the reader could sympathise with B

4. is well-known and was written a long time ago D

5. contained two stories B

6. was not set in the past A

7. was historically accurate B

8. made the reader cry B

9. 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.
1. Electricity is getting very expensive these days. (cost)


→ The _________________________________________ higher and higher these days.
cost of electricity is getting
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. Don't get involved in this John, it has nothing to do with you. (keep)
→ This has nothing to do with you so ________________.
keep out of it
6. 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.
7. 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
8. 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.
9. 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 do. (nearly)
→ I am not _____________________________________ tennis player as Harry is.
nearly as good a
Dạng đặc biệt trong 1 số mệnh đề
- So sánh bằng: as + adj + a/an + noun + as …
- nguyên nhân và kết quả (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 do something, especially something that will harm other
people
E.g. They were intent on murder. / Are you intent upon destroying my reputation?