Tài liệu Blog Chuyên Anh

BLOG CHUYÊN ANH ·
MY ENGLISH TRIBE
since 28/01/12
BLOG CHUYÊN ANH · MY ENGLISH TRIBE
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Page 2
CONTENTS
Part 1. Exercises, Tests & Tips ---------------------7
Part 2. Facebook Notes

National for the Gifted --------------- 87
Teaching skills ------------------------ 163
Part 3. Book releases & material previews -- 212
Page 3
th
28 January, 2012
A blog for students majoring in English.

Free English examination papers, practice
tests, e-books, etc.
No more money spent on preparation courses:
It's all right here!
Welcome you to my blog!
Page’s first avatar
Page 4
th
29 May, 2015
Page’s second avatar: 2015 – March 2019
Page 5
th
18 March, 2019
Page’s third avatar: March 2019 –
Page 6
|PART 1|
Page 7
30th April, 2012

Quiz 1
1. The pay cuts __________ causing the workers to strike.
A. were blamed on B. are blamed in
C. were blamed for D. have been blamed for
2. After a long delay, we finally got permission to __________ the improvements
to the heating system.
A. get away with B. send away for
C. go ahead with D. add up to
3. This company has a policy of always replying to complaints. Every single
complaint is dealt with carefully and a reply is sent __________.
A. at the crack of dawn B. in due course
C. for donkey’s years D. sooner or later
4. He took _________________________ drugs, which are used to reduce
swelling and pain. (INFLAMMATION)
5. This job will offer you the perfect opportunity to become more skilled at
working with a computer. (HONE)
→ ____________________________________________________________
Official Key: <unavailable>
Page 8
8th July, 2013

ĐỀ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI THPT LỚP 12 – TP. HỒ CHÍ MINH
NĂM HỌC 2011 – 2012
(Trích)
SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
1. Jane is away on holiday, so you probably saw her twin brother in town
yesterday. (GONE)
→ You may _________________________________________________________
2. What I find particularly offensive is his arrogant attitude. (ME)
→ It _______________________________________________________________
3. You should see an eye specialist, I think. (REFER)
→ I'd like ___________________________________________________________
4. Raising the standard of living of the poor is all he spends his time on.
(PEOPLE’S)
→ He commits ______________________________________________________
5. Were the children good while the babysitter was here? (THEMSELVES)
→ During __________________________________________________________
6. “If I were you, I would keep it as a secret”, said Daniel. (AWAY)
→ Daniel ___________________________________________________________
7. He gambled and had to borrow money from lots of his friends. (RAN)
→ Due _____________________________________________________________
8. It is evident that he hasn’t directly been involved in the fraud.
(COMPLICITY)
→ There ___________________________________________________________
9. The papers report that the police got a lot of criticism from the public after
the riots. (COME)
→ The police ________________________________________________________
10. Larry may not come, but we will have a good time anyhow. (ENJOY)
→ Whether Larry shows _______________________________________________

Full test: <unavailable>
[if you have them, send to thphngnguyn28@gmail.com]
Page 9
3rd January, 2014

WORD FORMATION
Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the space.
FENG SHUI
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of bringing balance to one’s immediate (1.
ROUND) __________. It aims to harness energy flow within the home to make it a
nice, healthy place in which to live. Although in the West it has only recently gained
(2. ACCEPT) __________ in China, it is deemed (3. DISPENSE) __________ to
have recourse to a Feng Shui (4. PRACTICE) __________ before moving house or
(5. AUGUR) __________ a business. On a mundane level, it is the art of furniture
placement, but it being (6. HAUL) __________ thoroughly, (7. MEAN) __________
philosophical and religious roots are found (8. PIN) __________ this (9.
VENERATE) __________ art form. The Taoist philosophy out of which it grew sees
the world as made up of potent but invisible energy called ‘chi’. Feng Shui aspires to
divert this hidden flow to create a (10. HARMONY) __________ environment.
Although this is a(n) (11. CUSTOM) __________ concept to the Western world, the
(12. SURGE/SWING/TURN) ______________________ of Feng Shui continues
(13. ABATE) __________. Feng Shui offers some (14. ESSENTIAL) __________
rules with which to augment the potential of one’s environment. (15. MOVE)
__________ of (16. ARRAY) __________ is said to promote feelings of (17.
LUCID) __________ and calmness. The utilisation of plants (18. ACT) __________
the detrimental effect of machinery, computers and so on. Finally, because chi energy
enters through the front door, it is (19. VISION/SIGHT) ____________________ to
keep one’s door in perfect condition to take away any (20. IMPEDE) __________ to
the passage of entering chi energy.
Official Key: 5th, January 2014

1. SURROUNDINGS 2. ACCEPTANCE 3. INDISPENSABLE
4. PRACTITIONER 5. INAUGURATING 6. OVERHAULED
7. MEANINGFUL 8. UNDERPINNING 9. VENERABLE
10. HARMONIOUS 11. UNACCUSTOMED
12. UPSURGE (or fairly acceptable: RESURGENCE) / UPSWING / UPTURN
13. UNABATED 14. QUINTESSENTIAL 15. REMOVAL
16. DISARRAY 17. LUCIDITY 18. COUNTERACTS
19. PROVIDENT (or fairly acceptable: ADVISABLE) / FAR-SIGHTED
20. IMPEDIMENT(S)
Page 10
8th January, 2014

OPEN CLOZE
Read the text below and think of the ONE word which best fits each gap.
SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER
Organised excursions are one of the ways that summer school programmes sow the (1)
__________ of a relaxed and fun atmosphere for their students, but to cut and (2)
__________ from the classroom for a day is not in justification (3) __________ jacking
(4) __________ learning.
As well as (5) __________ a great way to see Britain and to suss (6) __________ more
about British life and culture, excursions can be worth its weight in (7) __________ to
play such a role in language learning as they give learners a(n) (8) __________ of
opportunity to put (9) __________ practice what they have learnt in the classroom.
Excursions can (10) __________ from visits to famous towns and cities to the
thousands of sites of historical interest around the country. Museums, art galleries and
theme parks are other options. However, the responsibility of the school (11)
__________ is to (12) __________ to it that learners are properly prepared for their
trips (13) __________ still in the classroom. Teachers should (14) __________ up/on
the excursion as a discussion topic, provide background information on the place of
interest or instruct students to carry (15) __________ their own research. New
vocabulary and key words can be (16) __________ out and learners can draw (17)
__________ some questions to ask (18) __________ they get to their destination. Once
(19) __________ of the classroom, many learners find it more of a(n) (20) __________
to relax and, as a result, become more articulate. They are given a(n) (21) __________-
up by the (22) __________ that at most tourist attractions there are staff who are well
(23) __________ in talking to learners and will (24) __________ over backwards to
take their English on (25) __________. (26) __________ returning to the classroom,
teachers can set students a(n) (27) __________ bag of extension exercises, (28)
__________ giving a mini-presentation (29) __________ an aspect of the trip or
making a poster or an information leaflet to advertise the place (30) __________.
Official Key: 10th, January 2014

1. seeds 2. run 3. of 4. in 5. being 6. out 7. gold
8. window 9. into 10. vary/range (or fairly acceptable: be) 11. it 12. see
13. while (or fairly acceptable: when) 14. bring 15. out
16. spelled/fleshed 17. up 18. when/as 19. out 20. breeze/snap
21. leg 22. fact 23. versed 24. bend 25. board 26. On/Upon
27. mixed 28. namely 29. of/on 30. visited
Page 11
12th July, 2014

Oh well. It rings a bell, but it is also strange, isn’t it?
WORD FORMATION (extract)

B. Use the words given in brackets to form a word that fits in the space.
Students learning English as a second language are sometimes given a word by their
teacher and asked to give a(n) (21. LUCID) __________ as to what that word means; in
other words, to provide a(n) (22. INTERPRET) __________. The (23. LIE)
__________ assumption is that if you know a word, you can define it. (24. RATION)
__________, that might make sense, but in reality it is sometimes (25. PLAUSIBLE)
__________ to assume that. There are words are phrases that even native speakers use
in conversation without much (26. TEMPLATE) __________ which can lead to (27.
WILD) __________ when you ask a native speaker to define them. Take the (28.
CONCEIVE) __________ of ‘Zeitgeist’, for example, which has entered English from
German. It’s (29. DUBIOUS) __________ much easier to use than it is to define. With
a word like ‘Zeitgeist’, it may be more (30. SAGE) __________ to test the student’s
understanding in ways other than asking them to define it.
C. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each sentence to form a word that fits in
the space.
31. The project failed to make progress as it was initially __________. (CONCEIVE)
32. We were so grateful to receive your information; its value was __________
significant. (ESTIMATE)
33. She accused Mr John __________ as he unduly raised allegations against Mr Tom.
(CHIEF)
34. According to the government figures, the __________ of jobs in the next century
will be in service-related fields, such as health and business. (PONDER)
35. Rio is not only hysterically funny, but it is also __________, making a serious point
in current affairs. (THINK)
Page 12
14th July, 2014

comment reply: Đa số mọi người làm đúng hết rồi đó em!
ĐỀ THI TUYỂN SINH LỚP 10 CHUYÊN TRUNG HỌC THỰC HÀNH

(ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM TP HCM)
NĂM HỌC: 2014-2015
MÔN: TIẾNG ANH (KHÔNG CHUYÊN)
(Trích)
WORD FORMATION
1. A certain degree of stress seems to be ___________ in modern life. (AVOID)
2. Looking after young children can be extremely ___________. (STRESS)
3. Global warming, or the "___________ effect", is due to a build-up of gases in the
stratosphere. (GREEN)
4. Low ___________ of animal fats generally means a low risk of heart disease.
(CONSUME)
5. Faulty electrical ___________ are a relatively common cause of fires in offices,
factories and hotels. (APPLY)
6. A lot of people keep up their English by listening to radio ___________. (BROAD)
7. ___________ prevents people learning effectively. (ANXIOUS)
8. I'm terribly sorry. Did I ___________ your name? (PRONOUNCE)
9. A thorough ___________ of local customs and etiquette can be vital to a
businessman. (KNOW)
10. Apparently, we ___________ things through association. (MEMORY)
Official Key:
1. unavoidable 2. stressful 3. greenhouse 4. consumption
5. appliances 6. broadcasts 7. Anxiety 8. mispronounce
9. knowledge 10. memorize/-ise
Full test: https://www.scribd.com/document/373370572/%C4%90%E1%BB%80-THI-

VA-%C4%90AP-AN-CAC-MON-THI-VAO-L%E1%BB%9AP-10-CHUYEN-
TR%C6%AF%E1%BB%9CNG-%C4%90HSP-TP-HCM-THANG-5-N%C4%82M-
2016 (from page 179-184, with official answer key)
Page 13
25th July, 2014

Three generations of my students have studied quite a few words
from this task. How many answers can you get it right?
WORD FORMATION (extract)

4. Use the suitable form of the word chosen from the box to complete the passage.
AVAIL AWE CONSIDER CONSULT
CONVERSE DISPENSE GUIDE STOUT
CONSIDER GLAMOUR GLORY GO
GUIDE METTLE OFT RELEVANT
STOUT STRUCTURE
The medieval crusades, when Western European knights and adventurers attempted to
seize Jerusalem from the hands of the Seljuk Turks, are widely (1) __________ by
most people in the West, who think of them as (2) __________ and (3) __________.
True, displays of (4) __________ were occasionally (5) __________, but in fact the
crusaders were for the most part (6) __________ and (7) __________. For example,
they viewed the Byzantine Emperor, through whose lands they had to travel, as an
annoying (8) __________, denying him even so much as a (9) __________ role in the
(10) __________. In reality, his long experience of the Saracens had given him a not
(11) __________ knowledge of their fighting methods and politics. His advice, had the
crusaders chosen to follow it, would have been absolutely (12) __________. Instead,
they (13) __________ dismissed it as (14) __________ with the result that, despite
initial successful, the crusades eventually dwindled to (15) __________ failure.
Hint: Suggested order

1. structure – 2. glamour – 3. mettle – 4. stout – 5. awe – 6. converse – 7. guide – 8.
relevant – 9. consult – 10. go – 11. consider – 12. dispense – 13. oft – 14. avail – 15.
glory
Page 14
7th January, 2016

Phần này nhiều bạn bảo khó, riêng thầy thấy rất dễ; quan trọng là phải
bình tĩnh, đừng vì bài dài hay làm không tốt các phần khác mà hoảng
loạn; phần Matching Headings thường sẽ làm sau cùng, sau khi đã giải
quyết các câu hỏi có đáp án theo order mạch văn)
GỢI Ý ĐÁP ÁN MỘT SỐ PHẦN READING - ĐỀ THI HSG QUỐC GIA 2016
* Gợi ý phần Matching Headings
A - (v) Does it help or not? B - (viii) It's happening anyway
C - (ii) Conflicting evidence D - (x) An argument in favour
E - (vii) A counter-argument F - (i) Another argument in favour
G - (vi) Looking at the other side H - (iii) Negatives are positives
11th January, 2016

Nhiều bạn còn confused câu hỏi 78-84.
Đây là gợi ý và một vài comment của thầy.
* Gợi ý Reading Part 3
78. A (disapproval) 79. B (pessimistic) (Note: Hãy tìm thêm 1 synonym
của cụm từ trên và có thể sử dụng phù hợp trong câu văn.)
80. D (outdated) 81. D (expert) 82. C (disclaimed)
83. A (paying through the nose) 84. B (no longer a clear-cut discrepancy)
* Ngoài ra trong bài còn có một câu khá hay: "Unsurprisingly, then, because art counts
for nothing in the performance league tables, schools have largely washed their hands of
the subject and in the process a generation of schoolchildren have had their access, both
to practical artistic experience and to a wider appreciation of aesthetics, severely
compromised." Hãy giải thích hoặc tìm synonym của từ "compromised" trong câu trên.
* Dạng bài tập Gapped Text kiểm tra kiến thức và kĩ năng về coherence & cohesion
(cũng là 1 trong những trong tiêu chí chấm essay). Để làm được dạng bài này, cần phải
nắm rõ các aspects của cohesion và tìm được keywords. (Thông thường các em chỉ
được học về reference words, signposts, v.v... như vậy là chưa đủ hoặc nếu có học cũng
chưa được sâu sắc.)
* Bạn nào làm phần Gapped Text rồi có thể thử tìm keywords để hiểu vì sao đáp án là
như vậy. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/dec/08/artsforall.artanddesign6
Test: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Drekoi5twibEJGdmh5VnFPbEk/view
Audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Drekoi5twic2pmTFBxcER1TTg/view
Speaking: https://hoctoantap.com/2017/06/19/de-thi-hsg-ptth-quoc-gia-2015-2016-
tieng-anh-2.html
Page 15
8th February, 2016

Năm mới có thêm nhiều cái mới. Năm nay thầy mở thêm 1 số lớp
Reading, Listening, Writing và kênh Youtube để luyện nghe từ CNN,
BBC,... Khởi động với tiết mục nghe điền dễ ẹt này.
#CNNListening01
Watch the video and fill in each blank with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and/or
A NUMBER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYGp9W-N3c
1. "The Martian" is not purely fictitious; it is also _____________________ with
scientific facts.
2. Oxygen can be generated either as a(n) _____________________ of microbes or
through _____________________.
3. The uncovering of water on Mars is said to be a(n) _____________________ for
water production on the planet.
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/ChuyenTiengAnh
8th February, 2016

#CNNListening02
Watch the video and fill in each blank with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
and/or A NUMBER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_CsbEWm8_o
1. President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan complimented President Xi Jinping of China on
his being _____________________.
2. According to Zhang Zhijun, Director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, an alliance
between Taiwan political parties and the Chinese government can only be forged in
cognizance of _____________________ and the one-China policy.
3. Opponents of the policy are apprehensive of President Ma's
_____________________ as to the outcome of the meeting.
4. Dissidents also conjectured about President Ma's hidden agenda, which could turn out
to be a(n) ______________, with his party ______________ badly as to voting figures.
5. Whether the policy can make any difference in Taiwan's sovereignty is received with
much ____________________.
6. The meeting, if momentous, was significant purely in terms of politics without any
____________________ or new accords.
Page 16
12th February, 2016
#CNNListening03
Watch the video and fill in each blank with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
and/or A NUMBER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTtT27520yk
1. By learning to be photojournalists, some female survivors and escapees have been
able to rebuild their lives after the terrorist group ____________________ their
country.
2. Through the lens, memories of immense sorrow, ____________________ have been
relived, yet the optimism is supposed to be shared.
3. Moments captured in a refugee with many young survivors are
____________________ bereavement.
12th February, 2016

#CNNListening04
Watch the video.Answer the following questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK7so0ld-2I
1. What has helped Mary Inman feel comfortable about using Shuddle?
______________________________________________________________________
2. Who are the typical passengers of Shuddle?
______________________________________________________________________
3. According to Mary Inman, who are the drivers of Shuddle?
______________________________________________________________________
4. How can the rides be monitored?
______________________________________________________________________
Fill in each blank with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
5. The boys feel like __________ when using the service.
6. The procedure for drivers who want to work for Shuddle:
a/ ____________________ → b/ submit ____________________ → c/ Shuddle runs
____________________ → d/ ____________________
Page 17
22nd February, 2016

#CNNListening05
Watch the video. Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS and/or A NUMBER taken
from the recording for each answer in the space provided.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx_aVVSZqbM
1. The reporter has been working with the ____________________ to gain admission
to their exclusive and restricted manned space program.
2. The astronauts must undergo ____________________ and quite a few assessments to
be cut out for the missions, for docking the two spacecraft requires a significant number
of simulations.
3. The Soviet Union spacecraft, formerly known as the Soyuz Russian, has
____________________ as of its first blast-off.
4. The Chinese’s program has been denied access to the International Space Station,
what with serious reservations about their hidden agenda to steal classified information
and ____________________.
22nd February, 2016

#CNNListening06
Watch the video. Write NO MORE THREE WORDS and/or A NUMBER taken from the
recording for each answer in the space provided.
https://youtu.be/-hBUhpX2GFU
1. Contrary to an inauspicious bulletin on the staff’s burnout, Amazon maintains their
____________________.
2. Studies on the relationship between capitalism and hedonism in various industries, be
it a compromise or an intransigence, and their consequences have been incessantly
____________________.
3. Dustin Moskovitz believes that in development and creativity industries, the
perception of such a compromise can culminate in ____________________.
4. Dustin Moskovitz believes, to change seniors’ mindset, entrepreneurs should be
capable of ____________________ old conventions.
5. Seniors opting for ____________________ is a salient example for their staff to get
out of the rat race.
6. Entrepreneurs can break the cycle by clarifying from the beginning that their business
objective is performance and contribution instead of __________ and destroying
personal lives.
Page 18
3rd April, 2016: preview: Preliminary Tests (no key)
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
4th April, 2016

Chắc hẳn không ai xa lạ gì với ted.com, một trang có thể dùng để luyện
nghe rất thú vị với phụ đề chỉnh chu và có cả tiếng Việt, tuy rằng ngữ liệu
thiên về prepared speech hơn là các bản tin trên BBC, CNN. Cùng xem,
nghe và làm bài tập trắc nghiệm dưới đây.
Watch and choose the best answer (A, B or C).

https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence
1. The speaker refers to Dr Martin Luther King in order to _______.
A. condemn ignorance and silence
B. elucidate his pedagogies and principles of teaching poetry
C. vindicate the Civil Rights Movement by his internalisation
2. The speaker feels that he has spent his life _______.

A. compromising the truth to please others
B. doing whatever is needed to expose the truth
C. making no sacrifices to reveal the truth
3. The speaker looks back, with hindsight, on various instances of injustice with _______.
A. dignity of the right thing he did
B. remorse for his indifference
C. revulsion against the world he lives in
4. The speaker feels we should be focusing more on _______.

A. being all ears
B. silence and contemplation rather than nonsense talk
C. what is usually taken as read
5. At the end of his speech, the speaker undertakes to be more _______.

A. accommodating
B. outspoken
C. self-sacrificing in the interests of others
(Trích "Cornucopia - Preliminary Tests")
Page 23
8th May, 2016: preview: Preliminary Tests (no key)
Part 1: https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hBUhpX2GFU
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
22nd May, 2016 (preview: Preliminary Tests)

Choose the best answer (A, B or C).
(Câu hỏi cho 6 phút đầu thôi nhe mấy đứa.)
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
1) The speaker begins his presentation by _______.

A. citing human creativity as an extraordinary evidence of future-proofing
B. commenting on the flourishing of human creativity
C. jesting about the themes of human creativity
2) The dinner party anecdote alludes to one’s _______.

A. deep-seated belief toward the future of education
B. inquisitiveness of career paths in education
C. partisanship toward those working in education
3) The speaker seems to harbour reservations as to _______.

A. how vested interests use their expertise to ensure retirement security
B. what imponderables students will grapple with
C. whether students are poised for imponderables
4) The speaker adduces Serena’s story to make a case for _______.

A. innovation to assume its significance in education
B. the cornucopia of ingenuity among students
C. the necessity to fine tune her ingenuity
5) The speaker also retells a story of a little girl and his son to emphasise that _______.
A. adults are liable to fail than children
B. failure can disparage one’s achievements
C. one should not be belittled by failures
Page 28
18th June, 2016

Bài thi chính thức HSG QG 2016 đầu năm nay có thêm một số câu hỏi
kiểm tra khả năng hiểu sâu (in-depth analysis) của HS thông qua các
cụm từ, thành ngữ mà tác giả sử dụng trong bài đọc (câu 78-84). Những
câu này đòi hỏi HS phải tư duy và hiểu sâu quan điểm của tác giả thay vì
chỉ dùng những technique hay strategy thông thường. Đề thi cho ở hình
thức trắc nghiệm nên cũng có phần dễ hơn. Trên lớp bồi dưỡng thầy hay
cho ở dạng tự luận (như đề thi thử đợt 3 năm nay, nếu bạn nào đã tham
gia thi sẽ thấy trong Extended Part).
Dễ thấy đề thi ngày càng kiểm tra khả năng hiểu của HS hơn là chỉ
technique hay tips vốn đã rất tràn lan và dễ học tủ. Vậy nên, chỉ có cách
học hành thật nghiêm túc và hiểu cặn kẽ mới không bị thọt nghe hơm
mấy đứa, ko phải lúc nào cũng tips này tips kia.
Dưới đây là một ví dụ khác. Đọc và trả lời những câu hỏi sau in your own words.
PASSAGE 1
1. What does the writer mean by the use of the phrase "an indissoluble marriage"?
________________________________________________________________________
2. Explain why professional clubs have to "readjust their structures".
________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the writer mean by the use of the word "profile"?
________________________________________________________________________
4. What does the writer mean by the use of the word "visionary"?
________________________________________________________________________
5. What does the future hold for "modest teams"?
________________________________________________________________________
6. Explain the phrase "the benefits would accrue to those sports".
________________________________________________________________________
7. In a paragraph of about 100 words, summarise the facilities which will be available to
the television sports spectator in the 21st century.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Page 29
PASSAGE 1
Sport is heading for an indissoluble marriage with television and the passive
spectator will enjoy a private paradise. All of this will be in the future of sport. The
spectator (the television audience) will be the priority and professional clubs will have to
readjust their structures to adapt to the new reality: sport as a business.
The new technologies will mean that spectators will no longer have to wait for
broadcasts by the conventional channels. They will be the ones who decide what to see.
And they will have to pay for it. In the United States the system of the future has already
started: pay-as-you-view. Everything will be offered by television and the spectator will
only have to choose. The review Sports Illustrated recently published a full profile of the
life of the supporter at home in the middle of the next century. It explained that the
consumers would be able to select their view of the match on a gigantic, flat screen
occupying the whole of one wall, with images of a clarity which cannot be foreseen at
present; they could watch from the trainer’s stands just behind the batter in a game of
baseball or from the helmet of the star player in an American football game. And at their
disposal will be the sane options the producer of the recorded programmer has, to select
replays, to choose which camera to use and to decide on the sound – whether to hear the
public, the players, the trainer and so on.
Many sports executives, largely too old and too conservative to feel at home with
the new technologies, will believe that sport must control the expansion of television
coverage in order to survive and ensure that spectators attend matches. They do not even
accept the evidence which contradicts their view: while there is more basketball than ever
on television, for example, it is also certain that basketball is more popular than ever.
It is also the argument of these sports executives that television harming the
modest teams. This is true, but the future of those team is also modest. They have reached
their ceiling. It is the law of the market. The great events continually attract larger
audiences.
The world is being constructed on new technologies so that people can make the
utmost use of their time and, in their home, have access to the greatest possible range of
recreational activities. Sport will have to adapt itself to the new world.
The most visionary executives go further. That philosophy is: rather than see
television take over sport why not have sports taken over television?
Page 30
PASSAGE 2 (continued next page, with more text)

THE LAST LINGUA FRANCA BY NICHOLAS OSTLER – REVIEW
Deborah Cameron predicts an uncertain future for English
The Emperor Charles V is supposed to have remarked in the 16th century that he
spoke Latin with God, Italian with musicians, Spanish with his troops, German with
lackeys, French with ladies and English with his horse. In most books about English, the
joke would be turned on Charles, used to preface the observation that the language he
dismissed as uncultivated is now a colossus bestriding the world.
Nicholas Ostler, however, quotes it to make the point that no language's triumph is
permanent and unassailable. Like empires (and often with them), languages rise and fall,
and English, Ostler contends, will be no exception.
English is the first truly global lingua franca, if by "global" we mean "used on
every inhabited continent". But in the smaller and less densely interconnected world of
the past, many other languages had similar functions and enjoyed comparable prestige.
The ancient world had Arabic, Aramaic (the language that really was good enough for
Jesus), Greek, Latin, Pali, Persian (which served India, and much of Turkic Central Asia,
as a language of administration and high culture for almost 1,000 years), Sanskrit and
Sogdian. Modern lingua francas include French, German (the pre-eminent medium of
scientific discourse until the Third Reich), Latin (which continued to have wide currency
as a language of higher learning long after it ceased to have native speakers), Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish.
Yet these once-mighty languages are now largely confined to those territories
where their modern forms are spoken natively. Though at the height of their power some
acquired – and have kept – large numbers of native speakers outside their original
homelands (as with Spanish and Portuguese in South America), few retain their old status.
To understand why the mighty fall, Ostler suggests, we must look to the factors
that enabled them to rise: most commonly these are conquest, commerce and conversion.
Conquered or subordinated peoples learn (or are obliged to learn) the languages of their
overlords; traders acquire the languages that give them access to markets; converts adopt
the languages of their new religion. But these ways of recruiting speakers are not
conducive to permanent attachment. The learned language is not valued for its own sake,
but only for the benefits that are seen to flow from it, and only for as long as those
benefits outweigh the costs. When new conquerors arrive, their subjects switch to new
lingua francas (like Spanish, which replaced Nahuatl and Quechua, respectively the lingua
francas of the Aztec and Inca empires). Old empires break up and their lingua francas are
abandoned (like Russian in much of the former Soviet bloc).
The spread of a new religion may advance a language (as Islam advanced Arabic) or
Page 31
PASSAGE 2 (continued next page, with questions)

The spread of a new religion may advance a language (as Islam advanced Arabic)
or conversely weaken it (as the reformation helped to weaken Latin). And always there is
the resentment generated by dependence on a language which has to be learned, and
therefore favours elites over those without access to schooling. Prestigious lingua francas
are socially divisive, and therefore unstable.
English in the global age is often portrayed as an exceptional case. Writers who
take this view point out that English differs from previous lingua francas in two important
ways: first, it has no serious competition, and second, although it was originally spread by
conquest, commerce and missionaries, its influence no longer depends on coercion.
Because of this, the argument runs, it will not suffer the fate of its predecessors.
But Ostler thinks this argument underplays both the social costs of maintaining a
lingua franca (it is not true that English is universally loved) and the deep, enduring
loyalty people have to their native tongues. For millennia we have been willing to
compromise our linguistic loyalties in exchange for various rewards; but if the rewards
could be had without the compromise, we would gladly lay our burden down. Ostler
believes that we will soon be able to do that. English, he suggests, will be the last lingua
franca. As Anglo-American hegemony withers, the influence of English will decline; but
what succeeds it will not be any other single language. Rather we will see a
technologically-enabled return to a state of Babel. Thanks to advances in computer
translation, "everyone will speak and write in whatever language they choose, and the
world will understand".
Here it might be objected that Ostler's argument depends on an unrealistic techno-
optimism, and puts too much emphasis on the supposed primeval bond between speakers
and their mother tongues, which some would say is largely an invention of 19th-century
European nationalism. But even if he is wrong to predict the return of Babel, I do not
think he is wrong to argue that English's position as the premier medium of global
exchange will not be maintained for ever. In the future as in the past, linguistic landscapes
can be expected to change in line with political and economic realities.
The Last Lingua Franca is not the easiest of reads: Ostler does not have the
populariser's gift for uncluttered storytelling, and is apt to pile up details without much
regard for what the non-specialist either needs to know or is capable of retaining. What he
does offer, however, is a much-needed challenge to conventional wisdom: informative,
thought-provoking and refreshingly free from anglocentric clichés.
Page 32
PASSAGE 2 (cont’d)
Questions:
1. According to the review, identify the main point the writer is trying to make.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Find the phrase that implies that there is no concrete evidence to support a fact.
________________________________________________________________________
3. Find the verb that is used to convey a lack of respect for something.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Find the noun that could be followed by the phrase ‘to the rule’.
________________________________________________________________________
5. Identify a metaphorical reference about the impact of English today.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Find the phrase that implies that something was also highly regarded.
________________________________________________________________________
7. Locate where alliteration is used in the text and the purpose of the writer having used it.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Find two adjectives that emphasise the negative aspects of a high-profile lingua franca.
________________________________________________________________________
9. Find two words and phrase the writer uses as cohesive reference devices.
________________________________________________________________________
10. What does the word burden refer to?
________________________________________________________________________
11. By his reference to a state of Babel, what does the writer imply?
________________________________________________________________________
12. Find an example of understatement and explain what the writer really means by it.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Page 33
6th January, 2017
Page 34
10th August, 2017

Mr Trung has written three books on word formation. Do you think he has
covered all the bases? Let me know ^^
Page 35
15th August, 2017
Page 36
Official Key: 1A 2C 3B 4C 5A 6C 7D 8D 9C 10B
Page 37
16th August, 2017

Luyện thi nhẹ nhàng tối nay nha
Official Audio: http://bit.ly/SaltMarshesBCA

Page 38
17th August, 2017

cross the/a line: do sth that is outside the bounds of acceptable behaviour
Page 39
19th August, 2017
Page 40
20th August, 2017

Is Blog Chuyên Anh learner-friendly? Let me know in a comment!!!
Page 41
21st August, 2017

Skim reading (IELTS): Matching headings, T/F/NG
Page 42
Page 43
22nd August, 2017

Tuần này là 1 bài open cloze nhé
Page 44
23rd August, 2017
Official Audio
Q1-4: http://bit.ly/2LahCZa
Q5: http://bit.ly/2N54Z4b
Page 45
25th November, 2017

NOTES ON WORD FORMATION #HSGQG “SLAUGHT”
Bài Word Formation trong đề thi HSGQG2017 có một câu hỏi cho stem là SLAUGHT.
Trên thực tế, SLAUGHT không tồn tại tự do một mình mà kết hợp với các affix khác, ví
dụ như ONSLAUGHT trong cụm “on the onslaught of”.
 Derivatives: FIRE-SLAUGHT, MANSLAUGHTER(ER),
MANSLAUGHTERING, MANSLAUGHTEROUS, ONSLAUGHT,
SELF-SLAUGHTER, SLAUGHTERED, SLAUGHTERHOUSE,
SLAUGHTERMAN, SLAUGHTEROUS, WOMAN-SLAUGHTER,...
 Origin: Middle English (as a noun): from Old Norse slátr 'butcher's meat';
related to slay1. The verb dates from the mid 16th century.
 Related: SLAY (slēan 'strike, kill' Old English, of Germanic origin), SLED,
SLEIGH, SLIDE, SLITHER and their derivatives
27th November, 2017

WORD FORMATION #HSGQG "SEEM"
 Derivatives: BESEEM, FAIR-SEEMING, MIS-SEEMING, ILL-SEEMING,
SEEMING(LY), SUNDAY-SEEMING, (UN)SEEMLY, UNSEEMLINESS,
WELL-SEEMING,...
 Origin: Middle English (also in the sense 'suit, befit, be appropriate'): from Old
Norse “sœma” 'to honour', from “sœmr” 'fitting'.
Page 46
27th November, 2017

[WRITING TIPS]
Bài essay (IELTS) với câu hỏi "Do you agree/disagree...? / To what extent do you agree
or disagree...?" nên được viết như thế nào? Đây là những gợi ý của cô Pauline Cullen.
Có điểm giống và khác gì với những gì các em được học? What do you think about
this? ^^
Page 47
Page 48
25th November, 2017
Page 49
10th December, 2017

SAMPLE PICTURE DISCUSSION PRACTICE
(for the Cambridge English: First, Advanced & Proficiency)
You will engage in a conversation with your teacher on a topic based on the picture
below. You will have about 1 minute to answer each question on your own.
1. What do you think is happening in the picture?
2. What qualities would be helpful to have for a person to organise a large-scale event?
3. One cannot grow or learn without pressures and challenges. What is your opinion?
* Authentic response 1:
The picture shows some people standing in front of food trays, delivering and taking
ready-made dishes. The four young boys look like members of a club as they are in the
same outfits, two of whom are wearing the same hats. The girl on the right corner, who is
manning the food, looks like a student volunteer who is helping out with the sales. I think
that this cookout event could be part of a fund-raising event such as a school fun fair.
Attendees could purchase vouchers in order to buy the food that has been specially
prepared by the students. I think an event like this not only raises funds for the school or
for charitable causes, but it is also a wonderful opportunity for students to gain some
experience in hosting a big event as well as cooking skills. It also has the potential to
foster strong bonds between those who are involved in the event.
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12th December, 2017
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Page 65
12th January, 2018

#HSGQG2018 HIGHLIGHTS
LISTENING: các dạng bài quen thuộc, e.g. IELTS, CPE và nghe tin tức. một bài
nghe CPE đã được giới thiệu trên blog cũng khá lâu rồi - đợt thi thử năm 2014 - nếu
có ôn tập chắc là làm được nhé
SPEAKING: các chủ đề quen thuộc hơn, nếu đã đọc Consolidation Advanced
Speaking thì có thể gặp lại các chủ đề, e.g. handling money sensibly among
children, education...
LEXICO-GRAMMAR & READING: cũng như mọi năm các dạng bài quen
thuộc thôi, vẫn xoay quanh các nguồn sách chính, e.g. Vocabulary Files C2,
Objective Proficiency, Proficiency Expert, IELTS Practice Test Plus 3,... [thầy ko
share link sách public vì bị bản quyền 1 lần rồi, em chịu khó Google]
WRITING: điểm nhấn năm nay là chủ đề essay khá gần gũi và thú vị; viết report
cần đảm bảo đủ 'main features' + 'comparisons'
Qua kỳ thi này hẳn các tình iu đã nhận ra được điểm mạnh, điểm yếu của mình rồi
chứ. Điều mà các t/y còn thiếu chính là VOCABULARY đó. Năm nay mong là sẽ
được đọc nhiều bài viết tươi mới và 'sạch sẽ' của các tình yêu.
Thi xong rồi nhưng vẫn còn cơ hội học hỏi. Em có thể comment chia sẻ cấu trúc bài
essay mà em viết (task response), cũng như hoàn thành bảng paraphrase dưới đây.
Hi vọng điều này sẽ ko làm các t/y hoang mang trong khi chờ kết quả ^^
Page 66
19th January, 2018

GOOD FB PAGES FOR ADVANCED ENGLISH REVISION
Có học trò nhờ PR dùm nên tiện thể tổng hợp các trang FB hay, thích hợp ôn thi
chuyên Anh, Olympic, HSG... rất là nhiều tài liệu phong phú nhé, tha hồ mà ôn tập.
ai còn thấy thiếu thì bổ sung thêm, hình như còn nhiều group lắm mà thầy chưa biết.
1. https://www.facebook.com/LT10CA/
2. https://www.facebook.com/onthitienganhvao10/
3. https://www.facebook.com/onthivaolop10chuyenanh/
4. https://www.facebook.com/luyenthichuyen/
5. https://www.facebook.com/tailieuthichuyen/
6. https://www.facebook.com/chuyentienganhcvt/
7. https://www.facebook.com/iloveambrosia/
8. https://www.facebook.com/cunghoctienganhhhd/
Ngoài ra, không thể bỏ qua các page chính thức của Cambridge
9. https://www.facebook.com/CambridgeEnglish/
10. https://www.facebook.com/IELTSOfficial/
26th January, 2018
Today's quiz is about some collocations for the Cambridge English:

Advanced exam
Official Key: café culture – postcard views – vintage wine – culture shock – cultural icon
– thriving economy – iconic symbol – insider knowledge
Page 67
5th February, 2018

Try today's challenge about a formal collocation!
Although I value my roots at home in English I delight in __________ with

nature in the wilderness.
communicating communing conversing connecting
6th February, 2018

Another useful collocation for today
Contemporary thinking about medical ethics __________ much importance to

respecting the patient’s autonomy.
attaches integrates contributes links
7th February, 2018

Today's collocation!
He told us stories of how he battled against the __________ in his

mountaineering journey.
aspects elements features factors
8th February, 2018

Do you know this idiom?
Recently I’ve been thinking a good bit about relationships, and __________
notes with friends on the subject.
comparing contrasting jotting down going through
Page 68
9th April, 2018

ENGLISH THERAPY has returned!
Tạp chí LUYỆN NGHE TIẾNG ANH QUA TIN TỨC với nhiều nội dung free hơn,
nhiều bài tập hơn!!!
1. WARM-UP (free): Nghe dictation khởi động 2 bản tin ngắn CNN và 1 bản tin
National Geographic
2. IN THE HEADLINES (free): Nghe 12 bản tin vắn CNN + matching headlines +
multiple-choice comprehension + transcript completion
3. STORIES (premium): 5 phóng sự ngắn CNN + multiple-choice
comprehension + transcript completion
4. TEA BREAK (free): nhâm nhi tách trà, theo dõi tin tức thế giới qua Reuters,
nghe 3 bản tin vắn + True/False + transcript completion
5. EXCLUSIVES (premium): mỗi issue sẽ bao gồm
* các bài phỏng vấn celeb, debate trên CNN, documentary từ BBC/AFP +
True/False, multiple-choice comprehension, transcript completion
* TED Talk: worksheet với các dạng bài tập tích hợp kĩ năng
6. EXAMS (premium): bài tập subskills và practice test cho các kì thì IELTS, CAE
và CPE
7. ACADEMY (free): góc dành cho độc giả
* Gửi bài tập/ worksheet/ đề thi/ lesson plan... tự biên soạn/ edit về tạp chí để
được discount 10% số sau / đổi credits (dùng để mua sách, tài liệu tùy thích)
* Các em có câu hỏi nào cần giải đáp về kĩ năng tiếng Anh, về việc học tiếng Anh
nói chung... cũng có thể gửi về tạp chí thầy sẽ giải đáp
* Tham gia làm bài tập được đăng cũng sẽ được discount 10% số sau / đổi credits
(dùng để mua sách, tài liệu tùy thích)
Page 69
Page 70
12th April, 2018

ENGLISH THERAPY - INTERVIEW WITH BRUNO MARS
Watch the interview: youtu.be/atpbI_t1vIQ (link still working as of June 2019)
Task 1: Write four headlines that summarise the main ideas of the interview.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Task 2: Decide whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE.
1. According to Bruno Mars, he enjoys looking himself up on Google.
2. Mars says that he used to play poker to pay his rent.
3. Mars says that he used to live in Hawaii with his family.
4. According to Mars, he wasn't interested in music until later in life.
5. Mars says that his newest album is the soundtrack for an upcoming
Hollywood movie.
Task 3: Transcript Completion
Page 71
16th April, 2018

IELTS WRITING BAND 9: FIRST STEPS TO NATURAL ENGLISH (PART
1.1.1. EDITING PRACTICE)
Official Key:
Một vài ghi chú quan trọng:
Cẩn trọng khi sử dụng các từ được gắn nhãn formal trong từ điển. Rất nhiều từ
formal chỉ được sử dụng trong các context đặc thù như law, medicine, literature...
vì vậy không phù hợp trong bài IELTS writing. Trên thực tế, các từ formal còn
thường được sử dụng để hàm ý mỉa mai, châm biếm, hài hước... chứ không chỉ để
câu văn thêm sâu sắc hay lịch sự.
 Level C1/C2 được thể hiện qua việc sử dụng thành thạo từ vựng ở các level B2
và thấp hơn, rồi mới đến C1/C2, không phải qua việc chỉ sử dụng các từ C1/C2
trong bài viết.
Let’s correct the sentences together!
Before doing this exercise, I suggest that you read Chapter 3 - Vocabulary
for IELTS from the book 'The Key to IELTS Success' by Pauline Cullen.
(www.ieltsweekly.com) The sentences have common vocabulary problems
at bands 6 and 7, so if you aim to achieve band 8 or above, you must not
make these mistakes.
Page 72
(Sentence 1)
Discomfit is a formal verb that is mainly used in literary contexts, meaning
‘to make sb feel confused or embarrassed’, so it is not appropriate for the
IELTS writing test. I would write: Many students feel embarrassed when
they are expected to speak in public. To embarrass, when used at C2 level,
means ‘to cause sb to feel nervous, worried, or uncomfortable’.
(Sentence 2)
There are two vocabulary problems in this sentence:
Consummate is a formal adjective, meaning ‘perfect, or complete in every
way’, but it does not collocate with example. This is a common problem at
bands 6 and 7 when candidates try to find a synonym for perfect without
awareness of ‘collocation’. At C2 level, perfect is used to emphasise a
noun, such as in perfect sense, perfect accuracy and perfect opportunity.
International relationships is not a correct collocation. The correct phrase
would be international relations or international diplomacy (C2).
The sentence should read: The failure of governments to reach an
agreement on world trade is a perfect/classic example of international
relations/diplomacy.
(Sentence 3)
There are two main vocabulary problems in this sentence:
In the IELTS writing test, we aim at precision and accuracy, so we avoid
using abbreviations such as etc,. e.g. and i.e.
Prominent is a C1 word, but used inappropriately in this sentence. It means
‘well known’ or ‘easily seen’ and is mainly used to describe people.
I would write: Smart phones, tablets and other electronic devices are
becoming more popular these days.
Page 73
(Sentence 4)
There are two vocabulary problems in this sentence: antagonism is mainly
found in literary contexts, and thus inappropriate to use in the IELTS writing
test; unfairness is an uncountable noun, so I would replace it with
inequalities (C2). The correct sentence would be: It is often thought that
international conflict is the result of inequalities between the northern and
southern hemisphere. Note that conflict is labelled B2 in the CALD. This is
how advanced levels are created: through the mastery of B2 and lower
levels, not the use of C1 and C2 words only.
(Sentence 5)
Predominant is a C2 word but it does not collocate with reason. It means
‘more noticeable or important, or larger in number, than others’. You can
find more collocations of reason from the Oxford Collocations Dictionary.
Here are some examples:
- chief - most important or main (B2)
- main - larger, more important, or having more influence than others of the
same type (B1)
- major - more important, bigger, or more serious than others of the same
type (B2)
- primary - more important than anything else; main (B2)
- principal - first in order of importance (B1)
I would personally use main or primary.
To shift means ‘to change’ (C1) and is often used in connection with ideas
or opinions. I would use switch in this context.
My version: The main/primary reason for switching to Broadband is the
ability to download data faster.
Page 74
1st October, 2018

Còn nhớ đề essay về design mà thầy cho HS làm trên lớp hồi trước? Đây là bài full,
authentic, được viết trên lớp trong thời gian quy định như bài thi CPE. Thật ra chủ đề
này cũng đã từng ra thi (thầy đã thi CPE vài lần chứ ko phải chỉ 1 lần duy nhất ^^).
Thầy viết lại câu hỏi cho giống với format đề IELTS.
Trong Part 1 của bài CPE Writing, người viết phải tóm tắt hai quan điểm trái chiều
của một vấn đề và đưa ý kiến chủ quan của mình. Điều này cũng tương tự như trong
IELTS essay, chúng ta cần phải discuss 2 mặt của một vấn đề và balance bài viết một
cách phù hợp, đồng thời thể hiện quan điểm rõ ràng xuyên suốt toàn bài.
Là người viết nhanh, trong điều kiện thi computer-based, thầy có thể type hơn 300 từ
trong 40', số lượng này ko vượt quá nhiều so với quy định (~ 280 từ). Khi thi IELTS
thì phải viết tay (paper-based), tốc độ và số lượng chữ sẽ ít hơn (~ 250 từ), nên ý tứ
chắc chắn tinh giản và chắt lọc hơn. Quan trọng là ko có ý irrelevant, ko repetition về
ý...
Cần lưu ý rằng đây ko phải khuôn mẫu để tìm ra pattern và học theo (mà thật ra cũng
ko có pattern ^^). Bài viết chỉ thể hiện một phần chất lượng thầy có thể produce
trong điều kiện thi computer-based CPE thực tế. Ko cố tình perfect hay cố gắng sử
dụng collocation, hay từ vựng high-level trong mỗi câu văn để ghi điểm.
Lưu ý quan trọng nữa là các bài viết của CPE, CAE sử dụng nhiều ngôn ngữ
idiomatic hơn mức cần thiết trong IELTS. Em sẽ thấy trong bài viết này có sử dụng
kha khá idiomatic language - điều này tùy thuộc vào nhiều yếu tố và hi vọng có thể
chia sẻ sâu hơn trong một note khác.
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9th March, 2019

IELTS WRITING TASK 1
#ieltstribe #calibration
Find below some tips on writing the overview/summary of a report (non-linear
form).
In my experience, the main problem is most answers don't give the full picture of
the charts and this can reduce your score in task achievement. Remember the key
words in the question are 'main features', 'comparisons' and 'relevant', so you need to
consider all of these when planning to write.
Your language should also be flexible enough to convey the messages effectively
and clearly, without being too technical and trying to showcase your vocabularies or
using fluff. I've seen many students using words like 'plummet' and 'correlation'
inappropriately. These are mainly used in financial reports where journalists want to
create a certain effect for their message. You don't need to do this in task 1.
To help you improve your overview/summary, I've highlighted what I think are
important sections from 'The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS'. Read these
writing chapters carefully, do all of the exercises and try to apply them in your
writing.
To illustrate, I'll use two authentic questions below.
For the line chart, one main feature would be that the US will continue to
use/consume all of these types of energy (because generally the lines show upward
trends). And then, I would also need to compare the categories. I can see that petrol
and oil and coal (these are all fossil fuels) will be used much more considerably than
the others (they are sustainable and nuclear energy), so I would summarise this in
my overview too, e.g. ', with fossil fuels being the main/major sources, rendering
sustainable and nuclear energy relatively insignificant'.('render' is a little strong
here, so make sure you know how to use it appropriately.)
For the pie charts, there are no years or trends, so try looking for the largest or
smallest segments and compare them. Generally, I can see that most homes use
energy for heating purposes, especially water heating, and if you should notice, the
energy distribution for other purposes is collectively almost equal to that for heating
water. Their emissions, on the other hand, are not always proportionate to the
energy use, with most releases coming from heating water and other appliances.
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11th August, 2018: in Blog Chuyen Anh’s former group

#IELTSTRIBE WRITING TASK 2
[Improving Your Task Response: Analyse Before Writing]
As tempting as it may be to write immediately about the topic you find familiar -
especially under time pressure - don't!
Read the question carefully and prepare the content for your answer. Underline
keywords in the question and unpack their meaning. For example:
"There is no need for students to memorise content in today's connected world." How
far do you agree with this view?
The phrase "today's connected world" can be unpacked to mean "the modern society
today where students can easily access information on the Internet", and "memorise
content" can be interpreted as a learning process.
If you only write about either or both of the issues without putting them together to
show a contrast or a relationship between them, you may not cover all parts of the
question.
Unpacking key terms in this way will ensure that you do not go off topic and help in
your brainstorming process when you are trying to come up with ideas and examples.
Beyond keywords, also pay attention to the qualifiers in the question. For example:
"Above all else, learning should be fun." How far do you agree with this view?
The phrase "above all else" denotes that learning should be "predominantly" fun, even
though it should also be about gaining knowledge and honing social-emotional skills,
for instance.
The course that I've developed, which focuses on thinking skills, can help you to
understand and analyse a question thoroughly before writing.
Page 85
30th March, 2019

Chào mọi người. Thầy sẽ tạm thời khóa page Blog Chuyên Anh sau ngày mai 31/3. Sắp
tới các hoạt động và chia sẻ của thầy sẽ hạn chế chỉ trong FB cá nhân và Tribe. Do tính
chất công việc, thầy đành nói lời tạm biệt và chân thành cảm ơn hơn 27k followers đã
ủng hộ thầy trong suốt 7 năm qua.
Được lập ban đầu với mong muốn chia sẻ và hỗ trợ HSG/Chuyên Anh tại TP.HCM,
page đã phát triển và là nguồn tài liệu tham khảo, tư vấn cho nhiều HSG/Chuyên Anh
và các thầy cô trên cả nước. Thầy nhờ vậy cũng đã học hỏi rất nhiều từ các thầy cô và
HS để có thể tự phát triển và đạt được những mục tiêu của bản thân. Đối với thầy, page
giống như một tổ ấm, một chỗ dựa tinh thần, là niềm vui và vinh dự được chia sẻ và
giúp đỡ mọi người.
Tuy tạm thời ko thể hiện diện public quá nhiều, nhưng thầy sẽ collect, revise những nội
dung hữu ích trên page, và cập nhật thêm những cái mới vào Tribe. Thầy là một người
nếu ko thể chia sẻ kiến thức thì ko chịu được, vì kiến thức nếu chỉ giữ cho riêng mình
thì sẽ chẳng có ý nghĩa gì. Nhưng thầy cũng hiểu rằng có một nghịch lí, chia sẻ lại là
một điều khá riêng tư, ko phải ai cũng cởi mở và tự tin để nói nhưng điều mình nghĩ và
tin tưởng.
Vậy nên việc thầy chỉ chia sẻ trong Tribe (ngoài lí do công việc ra) ko phải vì thầy
muốn giới hạn hay kén chọn. Thầy nghĩ group kín sẽ là một môi trường an toàn, yên
tĩnh và chất lượng hơn để mọi người chia sẻ. Ngoài các thầy cô thầy quen biết, thầy sẽ
không approve hay add mọi người hàng loạt - thầy muốn khi mọi người nhấn join, hãy
chắc chắn mình ko chỉ quan tâm mà còn phải cởi mở, có tinh thần chia sẻ, giống như
thầy đã làm trong suốt thời gian qua. Nếu ngại ngần và giữ lại, chúng ta sẽ có thể lỡ mất
những cơ hội học hỏi và thành công.
Cuối cùng, để join Tribe, các bạn cần làm đúng 2 bước sau đây:
1. Comment tại post / tạo group chat tin nhắn riêng + tag/add một/nhiều người khác
cùng join (để thầy ko phải check comment / inbox của từng người và thầy cũng muốn
các bạn khác ko bị miss thông báo này).
2. Người được refer phải like comment / like tin nhắn trong group chat (inbox) để
confirm.
Nếu các bạn đã làm đúng mà vẫn chưa vào Tribe, hãy tag thầy / inbox để thầy ko sót
bạn nào.
Mong một ngày nào đó thầy có thể mở lại page. Cảm ơn mọi người rất nhiều.
Page 86
|PART 2|
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Ôn tập & làm bài thi
HSG Quốc Gia Tiếng Anh (1)

Listening & Summary Writing
MY ENGLISH TRIBE • BLOG CHUYÊN ANH
THỨ BA, 21 THÁNG 6, 2016 
DOWNLOAD PRELIMINARY TEST + KEYhttp://bit.ly/2RCMsuX
Mấy năm gần đây cũng không ít bạn “thọt” ở vòng HSG Quốc Gia môn tiếng
Anh. Qua đợt thi thử vừa rồi để vào lớp online ôn tập free của thầy, thầy
cũng thấy có chút “quan ngại” về kĩ năng làm bài và ôn tập của các con. Thầy
chỉ nói về cách làm bài và cách ôn tập được thể hiện qua bài thi thôi nhé,
không nói về kiến thức và talent, vì thầy biết bạn nào cũng conscientious và
talented cả, chỉ là lúc thi lại bối rối và tạch... tạch... tạch...
Hai phần mà các con hay bỏ trắng nhiều nhất là Listening và Summary
Writing. Bài Listening hễ cho một bài nào từ ngữ liệu thực tế từ
BBC/VOA/CNN thì y như rằng các con hay có tâm lí sợ sệt. Vì sao? Vì các
con làm bài IELTS/CAE/CPE quen rồi, mà ngữ liệu trong các bài thi đó
thường là prepared speech. Nhưng các con để ý đi, đề thi chính thức bao giờ
cũng có một bài từ BBC hoặc một bản tin thời sự nóng hổi với ngôn ngữ
phóng khoáng tự nhiên, không quá trang trọng cứng nhắc như trong các kì
thi. Hơn nữa, người ra đề cũng chọn lựa những bản tin có accent Anh chuẩn
như BBC để các con nghe, còn accent ở những miệt nào đó bên ý thì các con
có thể vào radio podcasts của The Guardian nghe chơi ^^
Ví dụ trong bài Preliminary Test vừa rồi, tổng thời lượng của 3 bài nghe chỉ
~ 11’20’’ thôi, thầy còn cho nghe đi nghe lại tùy ý nữa, vậy mà cũng có bạn
bỏ/không làm kịp. Và những bài nghe đó hoàn toàn từ BBC, CNN chứ không
có trong sách nào hết. Thầy cũng chọn những chủ đề cập nhật (như vụ xả
súng ở Mỹ) và gần gũi (Google) cho các con nghe, chứ cũng không có gì quá
cao siêu. Túm lại:
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NOTES ON LISTENING
1. Hãy luyện nghe tin tức bên cạnh các sách tham khảo khác. Sách thì có
rất nhiều và tràn lan nên thầy sẽ chọn lựa để recommend cho các con vào
một ngày nào đó. Còn đây là những nguồn tin chính thống có thể luyện nghe
được, tuy không có transcript, nhưng không sao, các con còn có thầy ở đây
IELTS Listening 9.0 ^^:
a) BBC Podcasts - trang này thật ra cũng nhiêu khê lắm nên các con có thể
vào Categories và chọn những chủ đề mình thích nghe. Riêng về tin tức thì
có những link sau (nếu còn sót các con bổ sung):
 BBC News trên Youtube
 BBC World Service Radio (tìm một số kênh khác như BBC
News, Global News, News Summary, The Forum, Newshour,
Newshour Extra, Newsday, World Have Your Say, Hardtalk,
The World This Week, World Update: Daily Commute, etc.)
 BBC Radio 4 (và các kênh khác như Radio 1, Radio 5 live, etc.)
b) Others:
 TED (with transcript)
 The Guardian’s Podcasts (with transcript)
 CNN News (các bản tin như trong Preliminary Test, thường phải
subscribe kênh truyền hình của họ và thu lại, nên các con chỉ cần
subscribe Youtube của thầy) (no transcript)
 CNN Student News với tốc độ nói vừa phải, dễ nghe hơn CNN News,
thích hợp cho những ai còn đang yếu kĩ năng này (with transcript)
 VOA Programs (w/o transcript)
 NPR Podcasts (w/o transcript)
 PBS News (w/o transcript)
 Fox News (w/o transcript)
 AP News (w/o transcript)
 ABC News (w/o transcript)
 updating
2. Hãy nghe một cách chăm chú và tập trung mỗi ngày thay vì chỉ
nghe rồi cho qua, ghi chép rồi sau đó transcribe hoặc viết summary. Đừng
quá bận tâm đến các tips/techniques tràn lan trên mạng và tài liệu tham
khảo, vì khi gặp những bài nghe Cambridge CAE/CPE, theo kinh nghiệm
bản thân thầy, thì chỉ có thể hiểu và nghe rõ được từng từ mới mong đạt điểm
cao.
3. Đừng luyện nghe với tâm lí rằng mình sẽ trúng tủ.
Page 89
NOTES ON SUMMARY WRITING

Đoạn văn dùng để viết summary thường có độ dài khoảng 500 từ, chiếm
10/60 pts (2016) hoặc 10/50 pts (2015) phần Writing, nhưng có nhiều bạn lại
bỏ trắng vì cho rằng bài này khó và mất thời gian, nhất là sau khi đã đọc 3
đoạn Reading và làm các phần khác của đề thi thì tưởng như không còn đủ
sức và tỉnh táo để làm bài này nữa. Thật ra nếu đã nhuần nhuyễn các kĩ
năng Reading (để lấy ý chính) và paraphrasing của Writing thì dạng bài này
khá hữu ích cho việc học của các con sau này. Sau đây là tiêu chí chấm
Summar Writing.
The summary:
 must capture all the main points of the original
 must retain the style and message of the original
 must use your own words as far as possible
 must show a thorough understanding of the original
Tuy có 4 tiêu chí chấm, nhưng trên thực tế thầy hay có chút điểu chỉnh và trừ
điểm một số lỗi. Từ 4 tiêu chí trên, có thể hiểu một bài summary tốt phải cần
ứng được những yêu cầu:
 Ngắn gọn súc tích (concise) và có ý nghĩa (meaningful); nói cách khác,
cần phải có tính liên kết và mạch lạc (coherence and cohesion), nếu chỉ
ghi những ý gạch đầu dòng hoặc những cụm từ rời rạc, dù đúng ý, vẫn
không đạt điểm cao. Những ý chính đó phải được thể hiện trong một
đoạn văn, được liên kết về ý và ngôn từ.
 Không có quá nhiều những chi tiết nhỏ nhặt (detailed examples or
references) hay supporting points. Lập luận quan trọng có thể được ghi
chú thật ngắn gọn trong ngoặc đơn và phải thật chọn lọc.
 Tương đồng về style và register (informal/formal).
 Làm cho những ý tưởng phức tạp trong văn bản gốc trở nên dễ hiểu
hơn bằng các kĩ thuật paraphrase.
 Cho thấy sự hiểu biết của mình về thông điệp của đoạn văn, nhưng
không bày tỏ ý kiến chủ quan hay đánh giá cá nhân (do not add any
unwanted material such as opinion or evaluation)
Stay tuned for my next notes!

Share không cần hỏi. Vui lòng ghi nguồn khi copy sang nơi khác.
Please note that this note is subject to change at all times.
Page 90

Some self-study tips
THỨ TƯ, 29 THÁNG 6, 2016 
In this note, I’m going to give you some general experiences in preparing for
advanced exams, e.g. the Cambridge First/Advanced, the Cambridge IELTS
and the NEG (National Exam for the Gifted). Here we'll look at some self-
study tips and when you should start thinking about them as it is
important to start planning ahead. So you will see tips for a month before
the exam, a week before the exam, the day before as well as advice for the
day of the exam itself.
 During your study, try to get plenty of support and advice from your
teacher and classmates as well as practice materials and tips to help
you.
 There are also, however, a lot of things that you can do to improve your
English outside the classroom and an organised programme of self-
study can really improve your final mark.
 A good way to check you are organised a month before the exam is to
make a study plan. This will help ensure that you are practising all
the skills and types of question.
 Make sure you read and listen to as much English as you can. This
shouldn't only be exam materials. A documentary or magazine article,
for example, could contain lots of useful language, and reading or
watching the news is especially important.
 Regularly following the news will not just help expand your
vocabulary, but will also give you ideas about the kind of issues that
you may have to listen, read, talk or write about in the exam.
 Keep a well-organised vocabulary record. You can record your
vocabulary by topic, or where it would be useful in the exam for
example for the Speaking and Writing sections. Remember to recycle
your vocabulary. If you find a useful phrase while you're reading
something, try to use it in a conversation or a piece of writing.
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 A week before the exam, there are a number of other things to

consider. Make sure you have done all the past papers and at least one
simulation test under exam conditions. This means in a quiet place
with all the real timings.
 Don't do anything new in the last week before the exam. This is a time
for revising what you know and looking over your best work, not for
trying to cram in new information.
 And remember to look after yourself. If you sleep well and get some
exercise you will feel more relaxed, which is very important before an
exam. Checking that you are prepared on the day before the exam is
another way to make sure you stay relaxed.
 Make sure you have everything ready that you will need for the exam -
pens, pencils, an eraser and, most importantly, your identification
document. You won't be allowed to take the exam without ID. Also,
check you know all the practical details. Where is the exam going to
be? What time does it start? If you plan your journey so you know you
will arrive in good time, you are more likely to relax and get a good
night's sleep. Just don't forget to set your alarm!
 Now that the big day has arrived... Make sure you arrive in plenty of
time - you may not be allowed to take the exam if you are late. Think
about food and drink because it's going to be a long day. Water is
allowed in the exam room but food isn't, so you'll need to have
breakfast before the exam.
 And remember, try to speak or think in English on the day of the
exam. Listening to something in English on the way to the exam or
chatting to other candidates can be good ways to keep your mind off
the exam at the same time as practising your English. This is
especially important on the day of the Speaking test, when you can
arrive early and get some practice speaking to your partner.
These are just a few tips for preparing for such advanced exams. You will
find lots more tips about specific parts of the exam in the practice folders of
blogchuyenanh, and don't forget to ask your teachers and classmates for
their advice. Don't be afraid to try different techniques and go with what
works for you - different things work for different people.
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Multiple Choice Cloze/Sentence
THỨ NĂM, 30 THÁNG 6, 2016 
PRELIMINARY TASK
You will see a short text. Some words or phrases have been removed from the
text. You will have to choose from 4 options (A, B, C or D) to complete each of
the gaps.
Source: http://www.novalworld.com/book-review/
BOOK REVIEW
Galapagos: The islands that changed the world
I was lucky enough to (1)_______ an ambition and visit the Galapagos
islands two years ago. Only when you experience the place (2)_______
can you really appreciate why the early explorers called this
isolated (3)_______ 'The Enchanted Isles'.
(1) A. fulfil B. accomplish C. discharge D. satisfy
(2) A. hands down B. hands-on C. offhand D. first hand
(3) A. atoll B. insularity C. archipelago D. outlander
Page 93
 This task focuses on use of vocabulary and relationships between

words, so you will often see collocations, words with similar meanings
and fixed expressions. Verb patterns and prepositions are also often
seen in this type of question.
 Try to predict what kind of word can fit the space before you look at
the options. Can you guess what fits with the first and second gap?
 Now if we look at the options below the text… Which letter would you
choose? Was it similar to your prediction? If one of the options is
similar to your prediction, it is likely to be the right answer.
 Here, fulfil (option A) is the word that collocates with an ambition,
not satisfy (option D), although they are synonyms. Next, option D,
first hand, is correct as first hand is a fixed expression that fits in the
context grammatically and semantically. Notice that hands-on and
first-hand are also synonyms, but hands-on is usually used before a
noun, e.g. hands-on experience.
 If you can't decide which answer is correct, try to eliminate the
answers that you are sure are wrong. This will help you narrow down
your options, which is important as there is always only one possible
correct answer.
STUDY TIPS
It is always a good idea to record the key words and phrases that are often
confused (as well as meanings) in a separate notebook. You can also include
any relevant examples from exam practice tasks. For instance:
(1) My neighbour has threatened to _____ over our dispute about
property boundaries.
A. take legal aid B. take legal action
C. try me D. bring me to trial
(2) Mr Wright is being _____ for fraud at the Old Bailey courthouse,
this afternoon.
A. taken to court B. tried C. summoned D. charged
take legal aid = to take money given by the government or another
organisation to people who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer
take legal action = an expression used to indicate that a person or
company is willing to start, or has started, general legal proceedings
over a matter; often used as a form of threat
try = (usually passive) to examine in a court of law
bring to trial = to take a criminal case to a court of law to be
examined
take sb to court = used in a similar way to take legal action but as
a more specific and direct legal threat
charge with = to accuse of a criminal act, esp. by the police
summon = to order officially sb to appear in court (add
synonyms/antonyms if possible)
Page 94
PRELIMINARY SKILLS PRACTICE

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES WITH THE WORD THAT FITS BEST.
1. The increasingly powerful industrial working class sought the __________
of its social and economic conditions.
A. alleviation B. amelioration
C. amendment D. augmentation
2. His outspoken __________ of the agreement has won no friends.
A. advocacy B. consolation
C. subsistence D. underpinning
3. This is a film that pays __________ to Bond's history without taking itself
too seriously.
A. acknowledgement B. homage
C. panegyric D. reverence
(Clue: This expression also means to pay tribute to sb/sth.)
4. The great thing about human problems is that they bring out compassion
and __________.
A. demureness B. degradation
C. humiliation D. humility
5. She is one of the most thoughtful judges on the court and is not afraid to
__________ the apple cart by doing the right thing.
A. disconcert B. overturn
C. unnerve D. upset
(Clue: This idiom means to spoil a plan or disturb the status quo.)
6. The fact that he has denied all the offers to buy his collection of baubles
means that money is of no __________ to him.
A. account B. exposition
B. interpretation C. rendition
(Follow-up: Find more expressions that also mean the same as the completed
phrase.)
7. The __________ of water and the consequent thefts are beginning to
weaken the social fabric in the countryside.
A. destitution B. impoverishment
C. paucity D. pauperism
Page 95

Open Cloze
THỨ BA, 12 THÁNG 7, 2016 
PRELIMINARY TASK
You will see a text from which some words have been removed. There are no
options for you to choose from. You need to complete each gap with one word
only. Avoid using contractions such as don’t as these count as two words.
WHY ARE SUNGLASSES COOL?
When you go shopping for sunglasses, you soon realise that as
(1)________________ as being overpriced, they are heavily (2)
________________ with images of celebrity. Sunglasses are cool, and
it is a cool which seems (3) ________________ to endure. Have you
ever (4) ________________ how this should be?
Page 96
 Read the whole text quickly ignoring the gaps in order to get a
general idea of what the text is about. Then, you will need to look at
the part of the text before and after each gap more carefully in order
to try to think about what kind of word is missing.
 This task largely focuses on knowledge of grammar and sentence
structures, so the type of words that are often missing are things like
prepositions, relative pronouns, determiners, quantifiers, linking
words, articles, etc. More challenging questions may require you to fill
in part of a fixed expression (e.g. (1) well/much) and lexical items
(e.g. (2) associated, beware of the collocation heavily associated
with; (3) set, to be set to do sth means to be likely to do sth;
(4) wondered).
STUDY TIPS
It is always a good idea to record the key words and their combinations in a
separate notebook (w/o meanings and relevant examples from exam practice
tasks). You can organise the notebook
 in alphabetical order:
A abide by (v) (add antonyms if possible)
(be held) accountable for/to (adj)
allergic to (adj)
amble along (v) (add meanings if necessary)
aspire to (v) (add synonyms if possible)
B blend in (with) (v)
bombarded with (adj)
border on (v)
bound up with (adj) (add examples if necessary)
burn oneself out (v)
 and/or by specific lexical items (w/o alphabetical order):
ALL be all (fingers and) thumbs (idm) (add meanings if necessary)
for/to all intents and purposes (idm)
be all the rage (idm) (add synonyms if possible)
laugh all the way to the bank (idm)
be not all/everything/nearly/... sb's cracked up to be (idm)
FROM a blast from the past (idm) (add examples if necessary)
a bolt from the blue (idm)
a far cry from sth (idm) (add antonyms if possible)
aside from (prep)
conjure sth from/out of sth (v)
Page 97
PRELIMINARY SKILLS PRACTICE
1 Fill ONE word in each of the following sentences.

1. This week, the Department of Education has _____________________ for a
review of the current curriculum.
2. 0.11 seconds is _____________________ that separated the two runners in
the competition last night.
3. The population of this country is _____________________ to increase to 70
million by 2025.
4. I have three siblings and each is special to me in their
_____________________ own way.
5. No one wants to be a thorn in others’ _____________________.
(Clue: This idiom means a source of continual annoyance or trouble.)
6. The party has declared a(n) ____________ victory in last night’s election.
7. My family have no intention _____________________ of moving to the
countryside. We can buy a bigger house more cheaply here.
(Clue: This adverb is often used in a negative sentence for emphasis,
meaning (not) at all.)
8. Two and two is four, yet he’s _____________________ to put two and two
together and make five.
(Clue: This phrase is close in meaning to the phrase to be in the habit of.
To put two and two together means to draw an obvious conclusion from
what is known or evident; to put two and two together and make five
means to draw a plausible but incorrect conclusion from what is known
or evident.)
2 Fill ONE word in each gap.

Cambridge University has 31 colleges, which were founded (1)
___________ the 13th and 20th centuries. The (2) ______________
college is Peterhouse, founded in 1284, and the youngest is Robinson,
founded in 1977. In their college, the students also receive small
group teaching (3) ______________, which are known as supervisions.
Colleges are ‘little worlds’, as each college has its own (4)
_____________ of facilities, such as a library, a sports hall, a bar
or a theatre. Most colleges have their own clubs and societies,
offering a variety of (5) _____________-academic activities to their
students. These facilities ensure that each student has the support
they need to be fully (6) ______________ into university life. On
leaving their college, most students report that they miss the
(7)______________-knit community.
Page 98

Some notes on Reading
Trong note này, thầy chia sẻ một số kinh nghiệm ôn tập và làm bài thi
Reading trong kỳ thi HSG Quốc Gia. Dễ thấy phần thi này có sự pha trộn
giữa các dạng bài IELTS và CAE/CPE. Cũng như thầy, ở Việt Nam không
hiếm người đạt band 9 IELTS Reading. Các tips, tài liệu, website dạy
Reading,... trên Internet và thị trường có khá nhiều. Thầy cũng chỉ chọn lọc
lại, cộng với kinh nghiệm bản thân qua nhiều lần chinh chiến, hoàn toàn
không tự “sáng tác” ^^ Các con có thể ghi nhận và áp dụng thử, từ đó chọn ra
những gì các con cảm thấy phù hợp. (Kinh nghiệm dành cho từng dạng bài
Reading thầy sẽ viết trong các note khác.)
Thông thường, quá trình đọc có hai giai đoạn chính: “Preparation - Practice”
và “Practice -Assessment”.
PREPARATION & PRACTICE
Trong nhiều điều kiện thực tế (như áp lực thời gian, chỉ muốn tập trung cải
thiện một kĩ năng/dạng bài Reading nào đó,...), người học thường skip giai
đoạn vốn rất quan trọng này, hoặc nếu có thì sơ sài/chưa thật sự khoa học.
Dẫn đến việc người học chưa thật sự sẵn sàng cho các dạng bài thi/ngữ liệu
khó và lạ lẫm. Cần phải nhấn mạnh rằng, học Reading cần một quá trình, not
an overnight success.
1. Nên đọc nhiều ngữ liệu tiếng Anh song song với việc làm nhiều bài thi
thử/luyện tập theo dạng thức đề thi. Ngoài các ngữ liệu academic, sách/tạp
chí chuyên ngành như New Scientist, American Scientist, The Economist,
National Geographic, Financial Times... rất hữu ích cho bài thi
IELTS/TOEFL, nên đọc thêm các tác phẩm văn học (fiction) và non-fiction
như sách tiểu sử/biên khảo/brochure/cẩm nang du lịch/tạp chí giải trí,... đặc
biệt là các tờ The Guardian, The Observer, The Newyorker, The New York
Times, The Washington Post, The Telegraph, The Time,... đậm phong cách
ngôn ngữ báo chí, chú trọng nhiều đến ngôn ngữ, văn phong và viewpoint,
vốn rất thường gặp trong các bài thi CAE/CPE.
Page 99
2. Không nhất thiết lúc nào cũng phải luyện tập ở hình thức kiểm tra: tự lực
làm bài tập - kiểm tra đáp án - hiểu và giải thích đáp án - ghi chép lại thành
các keyword tables (đây là bước quan trọng thường bị bỏ qua, thầy sẽ nói chi
tiết ở phần sau). Có thể làm khác đi: điền đáp án - hiểu và giải thích đáp án -
và cuối cùng, quan trọng, ghi chép lại thành các keyword tables. Có thể chọn
các bài đọc mà người học ở level cao thường bỏ qua như IELTS General
Reading và FCE, hoặc các bài đọc IELTS Academic Reading/CAE/CPE mà
người học cảm thấy không hứng thú, để luyện tập theo cách thứ hai. Tóm lại,
không nên bỏ sót bất kì ngữ liệu nào dù cho mình có hứng thú với nó hay
không, cũng không cần phải sợ mất thời gian hay quá ôm đồm vì luôn có
phương án khắc phục, và học theo nhóm là một trong những cách như vậy.
3. Bài thi Reading thực chất là một bài kiểm tra từ vựng bên cạnh các kĩ
năng cơ bản. Kĩ thuật có thể giúp mình đạt được một số điểm tương đối thỏa
mãn (hoàn toàn khả thi với bài thi IELTS), còn để đạt được số điểm xuất sắc
hoàn hảo, exceptional (nhất là trong bài thi CAE/CPE) lại là một chuyện
khác. Ngoài việc ghi chú từ vựng thông thường, nên dành ra một quyển sổ
riêng chỉ để ghi chú keywords (thầy sẽ nói chi tiết ở phần sau), điều này còn
giúp phát triển các kĩ năng khác nữa. Tóm lại, chịu khó học, hiểu và sử dụng
từ vựng, từ đó phát triển thành cảm thụ ở mức độ văn bản, không nên quá lệ
thuộc vào tiểu xảo hay bí quyết vốn đã rất tràn lan.
4. Viết summary/review/article/essay/report/... hoặc/và thuyết trình về

những gì đã đọc. Reading về cơ bản là một receptive skill, và để phát triển
tốt, cần tích hợp với các productive skill khác đòi hỏi các kĩ năng writing như
paraphrase, hay sử dụng ngôn ngữ (Use of English), hay presentation,...
Đừng nên chỉ đọc rồi cho qua. Ghi chú từ vựng và keywords. Đối với những
bài đọc thuần túy không có câu hỏi đi kèm, hãy thử paraphrase nhiều nhất
có thể. Sử dụng từ vựng và keywords học được để hỗ trợ các kĩ năng khác như
writing, speaking và cả listening.
5. Không nhất thiết lúc nào cũng phải canh thời gian khi luyện Reading,
mặc dù theo lời khuyên chính thức, mỗi đoạn trong bài thi nên dành tối đa
20 phút. Trong quá trình luyện tập, càng không nên chia thời gian cho từng
câu hỏi. Một số bài đọc và câu hỏi khó hơn sẽ cần nhiều thời gian hơn, đây là
điều hết sức bình thường. Tóm lại, nên xen kẽ, linh hoạt và cân đối về thời
gian.
Page 100
6. Không nên quá cầu toàn khi luyện tập. Không phải lúc nào cũng phải
làm đúng 100%. Đúng 39/40 câu IELTS Reading vẫn đạt được band 9. Còn
trong bài CAE/CPE thì đạt 95% đã không dễ dàng gì, đừng vội mơ đến 99%.
Một số câu hỏi cần phải có sự thông hiểu, tinh tế trong việc cảm nhận ngôn
ngữ, rất khó ngay cả với người bản xứ chứ chưa nói đến giáo viên Việt Nam.
Tóm lại, don’t push yourself too hard.
PRACTICE & ASSESSMENT

Giai đoạn “luyện tập - đánh giá” có thể được thực hiện song song/nối tiếp với
giai đoạn “chuẩn bị - luyện tập” phía trên, và về bản chất, dễ thấy, hai giai
đoạn overlap nhau ở chỗ “luyện tập” - một quá trình xuyên suốt và là một
bước đệm giúp người học sẵn sàng cho các bài thi thực tế. Đây là lúc áp dụng
những kĩ thuật đã học được, là khoảng trời dành cho các tips, secrets,
strategies,... Xin được chia sẻ một số bước cơ bản khi làm một bài đọc hiểu.
1. PREVIEW (and PREDICT)

1. Một số lời khuyên cho rằng nên đọc câu hỏi trước rồi hãy đọc đoạn văn.
Tuy nhiên, điều này chỉ phù hợp khi chủ đề đoạn văn đã được thể rõ ràng từ
phần instruction, e.g.
hoặc khi đoạn văn không có các features (rất ít khi như vậy), thì việc preview
các câu hỏi trước có thể giúp ta nhận biết chủ đề. Trong bài thi IELTS, chủ đề
không thể hiện trong phần instruction, e.g.
"Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic", CUP, 2016, page 18.
khi đó, việc preview đoạn văn trước là cần thiết vì nó giúp chúng ta xác định
được chủ đề dễ dàng hơn là preview câu hỏi. Bài tập dưới đây minh họa các
features thường gặp của một bài đọc.
Page 101
"The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS" by Pauline Cullen et al., 2014, page 44.
 Preview chứ không Skim. Chúng ta chỉ cần biết chủ đề (topic) và ngữ
cảnh (context) của đoạn văn, chứ không phải lấy gist/main ideas.
 Khi preview đoạn văn, đánh số thứ tự các đoạn văn để tiện cho việc xác
định câu trả lời (nếu đoạn văn chưa được đánh số thứ tự). Nên dùng các
chữ cái A, B, C,... thay cho số đếm 1, 2, 3,... để tránh nhầm lẫn với số thứ
tự câu hỏi.
 Không nhất thiết phải predict nếu làm bài trong điều kiện kiểm tra, thi
cử. Trong quá trình luyện tập, người học thể predict về nội dung, từ vựng,
loại văn bản, cấu trúc mạch văn hành văn, văn phong,... bằng các hoạt
động dẫn dắt do giáo viên thiết kế.
2. Người học ở level cao có thể chỉ cần preview câu hỏi trước rồi mới đến
đoạn văn.
 Các đoạn văn và câu hỏi trong bài thi IELTS thường được sắp xếp từ dễ
đến khó. Nhưng các câu hỏi và đoạn văn trong bài thi CAE/CPE thường ở
mức độ khó tương đương nhau, từ trình độ advanced trở lên.
 Khi preview câu hỏi, cần nhận dạng được các dạng bài, từ đó định hướng
nên làm câu nào phần nào trước. Thông thường, nên làm các câu hỏi có
câu trả lời theo thứ tự đoạn văn / mạch văn trước. Sau đó làm các câu hỏi
có câu trả lời không theo thứ tự các đoạn và mạch văn. Dưới đây là một số
phân chia tương đối dựa trên các đề thi chính thức trong những năm gần
đây, cũng như định hướng nguồn ngữ liệu học tập cho các em:
Page 102
CAE/CPE IELTS
Multiple Choice Matching Headings
Sentence Completion (*) Matching Features
Short-Answer Questions (*) Matching Sentence Endings
Summary/Note Completion Table/Flow-Chart Completion
(*): usu. in order of the inf. Diagram Label Completion: not usu. in
T/F/NG – Y/N/NG (*) order of the inf.
Multiple Matching/Matching Information
Gapped Text, Cross-Text
(*) Ngữ liệu CAE/CPE với câu hỏi được thiết kế theo dạng thức IELTS. Lưu
ý rằng bất kì nguồn ngữ liệu nào cũng thể được người ra đề thiết kế lại theo ý
muốn, điều này giúp tránh việc học sinh học vẹt, học tủ.
 Cần xác định được các keywords khi preview câu hỏi.
2. JUST DO THE DARN TASKS
Scanning vốn đã được luyện tập rất nhiều để tìm câu trả lời. Phần này chỉ
note lại một số lưu ý nhỏ trong quá trình làm bài Reading.
SKIMMING
1. Mục đích của kĩ thuật skimming là giúp người đọc “hiểu” được đoạn văn
nói về vấn đề gì, mục đích của văn bản, loại văn bản, văn phong, cấu trúc
mạch văn, sự liên kết và chủ đề của mỗi đoạn (trong quá trình luyện tập, có
thể note lại chủ đề của mỗi đoạn văn khi skimming). Hãy chắc chắn rằng sau
khi skim, mình “hiểu” được những điều đó.
2. Không nên skim quá nhanh. Chỉ nên skim với tốc độ mà mình cảm thấy
thoải mái và không áp lực. Một số người đề xuất các eye movement khi skim
(và scan) như: left-toright, across-and-back, up-and-down, spiraling,
browsing, drifting, etc. Tuy nhiên, nếu đọc trong tâm thế thư giãn và bình
tĩnh thì không cần quá bận tâm đến eye movement. Hãy đọc theo cách mà
mình cảm thấy tự nhiên nhất.
3. Vị trí của topic sentence có thể nằm ở đầu đoạn (câu thứ nhất hoặc câu
thứ hai), hoặc là câu cuối đoạn theo kinh nghiệm của nhiều người. Hãy cẩn
thận. Câu đầu đoạn văn có thể giới thiệu thông tin sắp nói đến, cũng có thể
chỉ là tóm lược và dẫn dắt thông tin từ đoạn trước đó. Tương tự, câu cuối đoạn
có thể là topic sentence, có thể là concluding sentence, hoặc chỉ giới thiệu và
gợi ý thông tin cho những đoạn tiếp tho (segue sentence).
4. Một số lời khuyên cho rằng nên skim đoạn văn đầu tiên / thứ hai (và cuối
cùng) kĩ hơn một chút. Tuy nhiên, với mốt số dạng bài như Multiple
Matching hoặc Cross-Text, các đoạn văn thường độc lập với nhau. Vì vậy, các
đoạn văn thường nên được skim như nhau vì chúng quan trọng như nhau.
Page 103
SCANNING
1. Mục đích của kĩ thuật Scanning là “tìm được đáp án”, hay chính xác hơn
“tìm được keywords” có thể giúp mình “tìm ra đáp án”. Tùy theo từng loại
câu hỏi mà chúng ta có thể đặc biệt lưu ý đến các loại keywords khác nhau
như: organising and signpost words (direction, sequence, order, logic
words,...), proper nouns, conjunctions and conjunctive terms, dates, figures,
content words, words in brackets, italics, acronyms, words in ‘inverted’
commas, etc.
2. Tương tự như Skimming.

3. Mấu chốt của kỹ thuật Scanning là phải nhận dạng được các kiểu
paraphrased keywords. Thông thường sẽ có những hình thức như sau:
 Sử dụng từ đồng nghĩa/gần nghĩa ((near) synonyms), e.g. tranquil -
pacified
 Thay đổi về mặt cú pháp (syntax) / ngữ pháp (grammar), biến đổi từ một
ngữ (phrase) thành một mệnh đề (clause) và ngược lại, e.g. bring together
separate research fields - encompassed disparate grounds, obstacles to
achievement – factors that might have an impact on ability
 Sử dụng các “concept” words và các ngữ mang tính giải thích / giải nghĩa,
e.g. military - armed forces / defence devices / warfare and armed
engagement, reasons for expansion of tourist - market booming and little
requirements of investment
 Sử dụng từ trái nghĩa (antonyms), e.g. prodigious - infinitesimal
 Sử dụng các “category” words và ví dụ, e.g. saloon - vehicle, daffodil -
flower - flora
4. Trong quá trình luyện tập, nên ghi chép các keywords trong một quyển
sổ riêng, e.g.
Test 100, Passage 100, Page 10000, Materials from Mr. Trung /
Cambridge Proficiency 7 (add as any necessary details for future
reference)
No Keywords in Q&A Keywords in the (My paraphrase)
Passage
1 tranquil pacified cool, calm and collected
2 colossal >< indiscernible hard to make out (informal)
5. Xem lại một vài gợi ý về cách sử dụng keywords cũng như tầm quan
trọng của việc học từ vựng ở mục 2-3-4 ở phần Preparation & Practice.
Page 104
HSG Quốc Gia Tiếng Anh (5.1)

Subskills Practice:
Text Features & Predicting
THỨ TƯ, 20 THÁNG 7, 2016 
Most texts have extra-textual parts which can help you to start thinking
about what you’re going to read. These include titles, sub-titles, diagrams,
pictures and captions. When you’re doing a reading activity or test, you also
have the instructions to the activity, which often give you additional
information. The skills you practise in this activity should become automatic
pre-reading strategies every time you read.
1 Look at these sets of instructions and titles for some different

reading activities. Complete the information using your own words.
(1) has been done as an example.
Page 105
1. Source: ENCYCLOPEDIA
Topic: SHIRTS
Register: ACADEMIC
2. Source:
Topic:
Register:
3. Source:
Topic:
Register:
4. Source:
Topic:
Register:
5. Source:
Topic:
Register:
Now think about the possible content and themes of these texts. Match
the themes (A-L) with the text number (1-5).
A. history E. memories of childhood I. books
B. children’s TV F. fashion J. authors
C. opinions G. Maya calendar K. symbols
D. styles H. manufacture L. favourite foods
Our ability to understand a text can be helped by thinking about what to
expect in the text. This prediction can help you to read more quickly and to
prepare for difficult ideas, especially when it's an unfamiliar or difficult
topic. This is a good habit to develop for all your reading.
2 Think about the extra-textual features below (heading, sub-

heading, diagram, photo and caption). They accompany a text you are
Collection: Prominent Posts

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going to read. What do you expect to find in the text? Choose the
correct answer.
(title)
(subtitle)
(diagram) (picture)
(caption)
1. The text will be about _____.
A. scientific equipment
B. how to use a petri dish
C. the effects of tropical diseases
D. preparing for scientific research studies
2. Where is the text probably from?
A. an encyclopaedia B. a newspaper
C. a scientific text book D. an online forum
3. How is the text likely to be written?
A. quite formally but without too much scientific jargon
B. informally, in a conversational style
C. academically, with a lot of scientific detail
3 Using what you have predicted about the content, text type and
register, skim read the article to answer the questions below, then
underline the keywords that helped you find the answers and make a
table of keywords.
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><
More is being done to tackle ‘NTDs’ as

research reveals their impact on countries’
growth
More is being done to tackle ‘NTDs’ as research reveals their impact on
countries’ growth, writes Andrew Jack.
Andrew Jack · OCTOBER 11, 2012
In remote parts of Congo, Victor Kande struggles to help thousands of people suffering
from one of the country’s most unpleasant but obscure scourges. He is trying to improve
conditions for those with sleeping sickness, one of the most unpleasant of a range of
“neglected” tropical diseases.
“Our government has many problems, and all attention is focused on dealing with
cholera, Ebola and malaria. Everyone sees and deals with those,” says Mr Kande, a
health official who struggles with lack of petrol for boats and bikes to reach affected
villages. “People with sleeping sickness die slowly in their houses out of sight. It’s a rural
and social illness that leaves people unable to work, stigmatised and regarded as mad.”
He has been working with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, a non-profit
research group in Geneva trying to improve decades-old medical techniques, which
require painful spinal taps for diagnosis and arsenic-based injected medicines that kill a
tenth of the patients treated. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) is one of a number of
so-called “neglected tropical diseases” (NTD), dubbed by Dr Peter Hotez, professor and
dean of National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, “the most
important diseases you have never heard of.” Their names are often unpronounceable,
their symptoms almost unimaginable, and their impact on individuals, communities and
regional development incalculable.
According to the best statistics available – and the data are extremely poor – more than 1
billion people in the world are chronically infected by one or more such NTD, and more
than half a million people a year die as a result. Yet they receive scant support for
research, prevention or treatment.
Prof David Molyneux at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine estimates 0.6 per cent
of international development assistance for health goes to NTDs compared with 42 per
cent for the “big 3” of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
One reason is that they affect the poorest and most disenfranchised, principally in Africa,
with little of the visibility in richer nations of diseases which occur in the west. Another is
that they often debilitate rather than kill, making their short-term impact less dramatic.
Yet growing research points to the broader consequences of neglect. Soil-transmitted
helminthiases (intestinal worms) and schistosomiasis (bilharzia), transmitted through
snails, may cause physical stunting, slow intellectual development and impede children’s
schooling and future ability to work productively.
Onchocerciasis and trachoma cause blindness, a further factor holding back economic
development and placing a burden on those who contract the diseases and their families.
Greater study of the interaction of animal and human infections has highlighted the
impact on agricultural productivity of NTDs.
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The good news today is that some are becoming less neglected. Referred to in ancient
documents, studied by scientists in the late 19th century, and already dubbed “great
neglected diseases” by Ken Warren at the Rockefeller Foundation in the 1980s, they have
risen to the priorities of donors and policymakers over the past decade.
There has been a surge in academic articles in the past few years, and even the creation
of new journals, such as PlosNTDs. Funding for research into new “tools” has jumped
from $268m in 2007 to $460m last year, according to Policy Cures, a think-tank. Donors
led by the US Agency for International Development, the UK’s Department for
International Development and the Gates Foundation have considerably stepped up
support.
The activity reached a new peak last January, when 13 pharmaceutical companies signed
up to the “London Declaration” on NTDs, offering expanded donations of supplies of drugs
with a theoretical commercial value of hundreds of millions of dollars a year that have the
potential to prevent and treat many NTDs.
Some stress their corporate responsibility, while others point to economic self-interest.
“This is a long-term investment in the future middle class,” says Haruo Naito, head of
Japanese drugmaker Eisai, which pledged to produce diethylcarbamazine for lymphatic
filariasis (elephantiasis), in the process expanding its brand name and experience of
manufacturing in India and the UK.
Bill Foege, a veteran public health expert, who praises Merck as it celebrates the 25th
year of donations of its drug ivermectin, says: “This is becoming the way corporations
operate. They do not simply do it for good publicity or some sort of tax break, but because
when you are competing for good workers, it makes a difference.”
He also points to the importance of high-level advocacy among politicians and chief
executives inspired by former US president Jimmy Carter, whose tireless efforts mean
that dracunculiasis (guinea worm) could by 2015 become only the second human disease
eradicated, after smallpox. “When a head of state is interested, you can bet the minister
of health is interested,” he says.
One broader factor mobilising recent efforts has been interest closer to home for donors.
Prof Hotez has long highlighted the burden of NTDs, such as helminths and
leishmaniasis, in the poor rural and indigenous communities of North America. Caroline
Anstey of the World Bank, another important funder, prefers to dub NTDs not neglected
diseases, but diseases of neglected people.
Climate change and the growth in commerce means that some diseases – led by mosquito-
transmitted dengue – are now moving from poorer to richer emerging countries and into
the US and western Europe. No surprise that much pharmaceutical industry investment
– and not purely philanthropic support – is going into the search for a vaccine. But many
difficulties remain. Sustaining funding – let alone meeting a $2bn gap by 2015 for current
international plans – is a particular concern during a period of slower economic growth.
Sabin trustee Baroness Hayman, who is keeping a nervous eye on a recent reshuffle in
the British government that could change priorities at Dfid, the official development
agency, cautions: “We are going to have to work very hard to keep up the momentum on
funding. It would be a terrible shame if it went backwards.”
Dr Lorenzo Savioli, who runs the NTD programme at the World Health Organisation,
says: “Outside the US and the UK, few governments are interested or understood how
relevant this is for poverty reduction. We need the eurozone and the yen zone involved.”
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Prof Alan Fenwick, director of the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative at Imperial College,
London, says few African governments yet have their own budget or staff for NTDs. He
also says donors should carefully examine the growing number of organisations now
competing for support, stressing his own group’s low overhead, use of local rather than
expatriate staff and careful partnerships to avoid corruption.
Others call for efficiencies in other ways, including greater linkage between well-
established but underfunded NTD programmes and better-supported HIV and malaria
projects.
Not all NTDs are receiving equal attention in every country, and nor can they be tackled
in the same way. Some are more “tool-ready” than others, though most would benefit
from fresh diagnostics and drugs.
“Mass drug administration” – using a number of donated drugs in combination
preventatively like a vaccine – is taking off, but remains hindered by poor co-ordination.
Some question whether the approach is wise, arguing it may risk triggering drug
resistance and placing heavy strains on local communities and health systems.
Simon Bush, head of NTDs at Sightsavers, says: “Mass treatments are going well, but if
we want to move to elimination we need to look at water, sanitation and hygiene. That’s
always been the weak link.”
Ambitious goals set for eradication of several NTDs in the coming years are unlikely if
these issues are not addressed. Medicines can help, but are unlikely to eliminate diseases
of poverty alone.
1. What is the text about? You can choose as many answers as you think
are correct.
A. what are neglected tropical diseases E. how children are affected
B. effects of tropical diseases F. the most serious diseases
C. what governments are doing G. recent research
D. international help
2. What are the THREE main themes of the text?
A. development C. education E. health G. science
B. economics D. globalisation F. politics
3. What kind of publication is this text taken from?
A. text book C. magazine E. scientific journal
B. encyclopedia D. newspaper
4. What kind of text is this?
A. article B. encyclopedia C. entry D. report E. text book entry
5. What is the style of the language used in this text?
A. informal B. neutral C. formal D. academic
4 EXTRA: Summarise the text using your own words as far as possible
(Submit full answers to all of the questions via tienganhchuyen@gmail.com
to receive feedback.)
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Subskills Practice: Skimming
THỨ TƯ, 20 THÁNG 7, 2016 
Skimming is a reading skill which means reading a text quickly to get the
general idea of what it’s about. It’s a good exam strategy to skim read each
text in the exam reading tasks before you begin answering any questions.
1 Skim read the text, and time yourself (you can use a watch or a
timer on a mobile phone). Decide which time is closest to yours. How
long did it take you to read the text?
2 minutes or less: Be careful. If you read a text this long so quickly, you may
not have a very clear idea of the general meaning.
3 minutes: You are a quick reader. Make sure you have a good general idea
of the whole text.
4 minutes: You should be able to give a general summary of the whole text.
5 minutes or more: Try to read more quickly, focusing on the main ideas but
not stopping to check detailed understanding.
Why I hate living in the countryside
After two years in Herefordshire, city girl Ioana Miller has decided that rustic living is not
for her.
Photo: NED JOILIFFE
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By Ioana Miller
5:31PM BST 03 Aug 2012
I recall clearly how the nightmare started. Martin, my husband, sat me in the car, and announced: “I
have a surprise.” He then proceeded to drive three hours from our flat in Notting Hill to Herefordshire.
Rolling hills, sheep, picturesque farmhouses: Herefordshire’s Golden Valley is a bucolic vision. Martin
stopped the car at the top of a drive: “This,” he announced, “is Great Brampton House.” At the end of
the drive stood a large Regency residence. The sun gilded its charming, if slightly run-down façade.
“It’s beautiful!” I trilled, enchanted. “I was hoping you’d say that,” Martin had a twinkle in his eye:
“I’ve just bought it.”
He really had. Martin is — among other things — an antique dealer, a hotelier and a distiller, and he
enthused about the great deal he’d struck, the vision he had (we’d renovate the house, turn it into a
hotel, and build a 7,000 sq ft contemporary gallery), and most of all about the prospect of our moving to
the countryside to enjoy a quieter, more meaningful and healthier life. I, the city girl, would find true
happiness in Arcadia.
Two years on, Martin has realised his dream. But I’ve realised that living in the country is like forcing
myself to take a nine year-old to Alton Towers: very nice in theory, but in practice – get me out of here!
At least at a theme park you can opt out of rides. The countryside, on the other hand, is a theme park
without opt-out clauses.
I am surrounded by sheep, cows and chickens, but for human contact I have to learn Polish to chat to
the workmen, drive half an hour to our nearest neighbour, or wait until the vet comes by to check the
hens. The cinema is seven miles away. When I sought a bit of culture, a neighbour suggested that I go
to the Hereford cattle market on Wednesdays. The notable exception is of course the Hay Festival,
although that comes but once a year.
The first year was bearable: the renovation of the house took up a great deal of time, and building the
“Downstairs Gallery” was immensely rewarding. We started taking guests in March 2011, and were
inundated with requests during the Festival in June.
The gallery opened its doors last spring, and although there hasn’t been a stampede of locals
clamouring to view our installations, everyone has been very friendly about our “alternative” enterprise.
Everyone, that is, except one elderly lady. When we were putting in the 2.2m-tall gorilla statues that
stand as gate posts, she stopped her little car, got out, and tapped Martin on the shoulder: “This is not
the sort of thing we do around here.” In fact, the unusual gateposts have become a talking point among
neighbours, and draw regular visitors – children, mostly, who insist on feeding the primates bananas.
“We’re in tune with Nature,” Martin boasts to our city friends. He waxes lyrical about the Forest of
Dean, the Wye Valley and the Brecon Beacons. I can’t deny that country folk are friendly, the views of
the hills are glorious, and I love the birdsong that wakes me each morning. Despite all this, I’m at the
end of my tether. I understand only too well why demographers claim that in the next 10 years, 75 per
cent of the world’s population will have fled the countryside for the city: they, too, have had enough of
mud, muck and loneliness.
Countryside fans bleat about the violence of mean streets and the noise of traffic. I’d like to remind
them that in the country, the animals make a racket and mate with exhibitionist abandon; the weather
can wreak more damage than an urban rioter; and time drags like a slug across my vegetable patch.
I spend whole afternoons staring at the kitchen clock, willing it to fast-forward to 6pm, and drinks. So
much for the health benefits of living in the country: I’ve never drunk so much or so many different
kinds of alcohol in my life. I’ve grown so fond of the local cider, I’m considering making my own; and
even the cheap Polish vodka that the workmen left as a Christmas present looks inviting.
Arcadia’s fans claim that everyone relaxes among its bucolic scenery and quiet backwaters. Perhaps
this is true of the weekend visitor, but the home owner in the country can never take her eyes off the
property: there’s always a leaky roof to mend, a wasp infestation to control, a boiler to replace. And
Page 112
that’s without taking into consideration the beasts of burden , who get ill more frequently than one of
those urban hypochondriacs allergic to wheat, nuts and dairy. Foot and mouth is mercifully not a
problem at the moment; instead we’re faced with infections, limps, and bites – all of which require
prompt attention by the (very expensive) vet.
I’d dreamt that living out here would give me lean legs and rosy apple cheeks, à la Felicity Kendal in
The Good Life. The truth is that I’ve never moved so little. In London I set off on foot every day for a
tour of the neighbouring houses, shops and Hyde Park; but here I find it daunting to trek through fields
that go on and on, sloshing in wellies towards an infinite horizon, meeting no one except four-legged
creatures along the way. I can’t help feeling that I’m walking nowhere, on my own: it’s too depressing.
In the city, I can keep fit with Pilates classes, yoga sessions and Tai Chi. In Herefordshire, I’ve seen
belly dancing classes advertised at a not too distant pub; otherwise, I’ll have to milk cows for my
triceps, and clear five-bar gates for my glutes.
In the early days of my exile, I was convinced that we’d enjoy a very ecological lifestyle. We do have a
(stinking) compost heap, and I’ve planted squash and runner beans that would be the envy of all my
manic organic friends back in London. But the truth is, I’m always in the car. The least little errand
requires wheels because in the countryside, there’s no such thing as “popping down to the shop”.
Even the simplest urban pleasures are denied the country dweller. If I fancy a cappuccino, my only
choice is to head for the garden centre. What is a quick treat in London here involves queuing for 35
minutes among the plastic pots and fertiliser sacks: the local girl serving us has inevitably recognised a
customer as her long-lost cousin, who must be filled in on all the gossip. The same happens at B & Q,
which is a favourite rendezvous for the locals. The third time Martin went to buy electrical gadgets, the
shop assistant was greeting him like an old friend; by his fourth visit, he was regaled with tales of
spanking and wife-swapping that made The Archers sound like an everyday tale of puritans.
The countryside has its merits, I know. But after two years, I realise why Britain is the cradle of
urbanisation: our ancestors knew that, east or west, the city is best.
2 Check to see how well you’ve understood the main ideas of the
text. Select the five topics dealt with in the text from the list
below. Identify the keywords that helped you find the answers and
make a table of keywords.
A. Ioana and Martin’s dreams for their house in the country
B. A description of Ioana’s life in the city
C. Positive aspects of living in the country
D. The difficulties of meeting people in the country
E. Ioana’s feelings of cultural isolation
F. A comparison between people’s activities in the city and in the country
G. Concerns facing people who live in the country
H. Martin’s feelings about leaving the country
3 Summarise the text using your own words as far as possible.

After you’ve skimmed a text, you should have a good idea of the topic of the
text, what kind of text it is (article, blog, etc.), what register it is written in
(formal, informal, academic, etc.) and the kinds of lexical fields (groups of
vocabulary) that it uses. This is essential for all the parts of the reading test,
but especially Gapped Text, when you need to have a clear idea of how the
text develops before you can begin selecting the missing paragraphs.
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4 Skim read the text and select the correct answers to complete the
sentences. You should aim to spend no more than four minutes skim
reading the text.
When tablet turns teacher
‘Aid groups might do better just to give out mobile phones and laptops with
self-teaching games’
Gillian Tett · OCTOBER 5, 2012
A couple of years ago, I took an iPad home for the first time. It was a humbling experience. Within
minutes, my two young daughters had seized on the device, and were handling it with far more
dexterity than me. So much so, in fact, that whenever I am flummoxed by a tablet or phone today, I
give it straight to my kids to sort out. And if we are ever trapped in a car, train, queue or anything else, I
am apt to hand over my phone, BlackBerry or iPad, and let them play games, take pictures or simply
explore. It is the fastest way to buy peace.
But does their dexterity arise because my children are “digital natives” – kids who have grown up in a
world surrounded by mobile phones and keypads? Or is the ability to decode an electronic gadget
innate to all young human brains, irrespective of where they live?
These are the fascinating questions which a group of Boston researchers are currently exploring in the
unlikely setting of Ethiopia. A few years ago, Nicholas Negroponte, a luminary of MIT, cofounded a
group known as One Laptop per Child, which (as I noted in an earlier column) has been distributing
ultra-cheap computers to the world’s poor as part of an educational campaign. This has boomed in
places such as Uruguay. But now Negroponte and Matt Keller, a fellow researcher who previously
worked with the World Food Programme, have launched an experiment so bold it might be science
fiction.
Six months ago, they dropped dozens of boxed tablets into two extremely remote villages in Ethiopia,
where the population was completely illiterate, dirt poor and had no prior exposure to electronics. They
did not leave any instructions, aside from telling the village elders that the tablets were designed for
kids aged four to 11. They also showed one adult how to charge the tablets with a solar-powered
device. Then the researchers vanished and monitored what happened next by making occasional visits
and tracking the behaviour of the children via Sim cards, USB sticks and cameras installed in the
tablets.
The results, which will be unveiled in Boston later this month, are thought-provoking, particularly for
anyone involved in the education business. Within minutes of the tablets landing among the mud huts,
the kids had unpacked the boxes and worked out how to turn them on.
Then, in both villages, activity coalesced around a couple of child leaders, who made the mental leap to
explore those tablets – and taught the others what to do. In one village, this leader turned out to be a
partly disabled child: although he had never been a dominant personality before, he was a natural
explorer, so became the teacher.
The discovery process then became intense. When the children used the tablets, they did not behave
like western adults might, namely sitting with a machine each on their laps in isolation. Instead they
huddled together, touching and watching each other’s machines, constantly swapping knowledge.
Within days, they were using the pre-installed apps, with games, movies and educational lessons. After
a couple of months, some were singing the American “alphabet song” and recognising letters (at the
request of the Ethiopian government, the machines were all in English). More startling still, one gang of
kids even worked out how to disable a block that the Boston-based researchers had installed into the
Page 114
machines, which was supposed to stop them taking pictures of themselves. And all of this apparently
happened without any adult supervision – and anyone in those mud huts having handled text before.
This experiment still has much further to run, and has not been independently audited. But the
researchers have already drawn three tentative conclusions. The first is that, “no matter how remote
children are, or how illiterate their community, they have the ability to figure out sophisticated
technology,” as Keller says. Second, and leading from that first point, technology can potentially be a
potent self-learning tool. And third – and more controversially – Keller concludes that “getting kids
access to technology may be much more important than giving them schools.” Instead of pouring
money into shiny buildings and teacher training, in other words, aid groups might do better just to
distribute mobile phones and laptops with those self-teaching games.
Many people would dispute that. After all, the technology world is full of hype; and some economists
and development experts such as C.K. Prahalad have questioned whether poor communities can truly
derive the benefits of modern technology without help. Singing an “alphabet song” is one thing;
reading calculus is quite another.
But at the very least, Negroponte and Keller’s experiments raise two further questions in my mind.
First, what is all this technology doing to our kids’ neural networks and the way future societies will
conceive of the world? Second, and more practically, could these lessons about self-learning be applied
to the west? Should someone who worries about the failures of the US education system to reach the
American poor, for example, be looking to tablets – and not just teachers’ unions – for a possible
solution?
The answers are not clear. But the next time my kids grab my own devices, I may not feel quite so
much parental guilt. Those devices may now be unleashing an evolutionary leap – with consequences
that my (tech-challenged) generation can barely decode.
1. (Topic) The main topic of this article is __________.
A. using computers in the classroom as a learning aid
B. what children are learning from modern-day technology
C. an experiment on children’s natural ability to use technology
D. the possible damage caused by technology on children’s brains
(Clue: The opening sentences of each paragraph may help you to find the
main topic. Look at the concluding paragraph as well.)
2. (Source) This text is from __________.
A. a newspaper or magazine B. a scientific journal C. a text book
(Clue: Use clues such as titles, and also whether you think the text is part of
a longer piece, or stand-alone.)
3. (Register) The language of this text is __________.
A. an academic style B. a colloquial style C. a neutral style
(Clue: Think about the grammatical structures and the type of vocabulary
that is used.)
5 Look at the text again. What is the main topic of each section (1–
7)? Write the number next to topic headings (A-G). Identify the
keywords that helped you find the answers and make a table of
keywords.
Page 115
1. “A couple of years ago [...] to buy peace.”

2. “But does their dexterity [...] science fiction.”
3. “Six months ago [...] the iPads.”
4. “The results, [...] handled text before.”
5. “This experiment [...] self-teaching games.”
6. “Many people [...] quite another.”
7. “But at the very least [...] barely decode.”
A. The findings of the research
B. Overview of the research questions and project
C. Personal response to the findings
D. What the researchers observed
E. How the research was carried out
F. Personal experience of technology and children
G. Response to the researchers’ conclusions
(Clues:
B. Look for possible theories, and information about the researchers and the
project.
C. What kind of words will show you a personal response? Think about
pronouns and possessive adjectives.
D. Look for a description of what the children did with the devices.
E. Find a section which narrates how the experiment was set up.
F. Look for descriptions of specific situations or experiences the writer has
had.
G. Find a section which either agrees or disagrees with the researchers’ own
conclusions.)
6 EXTRA: Summarise the text using your own words as far as

possible.

Page 116

Subskills Practice: Scanning
Scanning a text is useful when you want to find specific information, so that
you can read just that part of the text more carefully. It’s particularly useful
to help you find where the answer is in a multiple-choice or multiple-
matching activity, where you need to locate specific sections of a text or texts
quickly.
1 First read the questions and, for each question, select the key
piece of information you will need to find in the text. There may be
more than one possible answer. Do not read the text yet.
1. How has War Horse changed Michael Morpurgo’s life?
A. a reason B. an event C. an explanation
2. Why did Michael Morpurgo start writing stories?
A. a reason B. factual information C. a description
3. How does he plan his books?
A. a description B. a reason C. an event
4. According to the text, what works by Michael Morpurgo can you
currently enjoy?
A. a list B. a description C. a date/time
5. What did Michael Morpurgo learn when he set up his charity?
A. an event B. a list C. factual information
6. Why did Michael Morpurgo set up his charity?
A. an event B. a description C. a reason
7. When does he expect to stop working?
A. a date/time B. a list C. an event
2 Now you know what kind of information to look for to find the
answers to the questions. Using this information, read the more
carefully to select the correct answers to the questions. Identify
the keywords that helped you find the answers and make a table of
keywords.
Page 117
Raising a Million: Michael Morpurgo

Author diverts income and energy to his charity venture
Natalie Graham · OCTOBER 13, 2012
War Horse author Michael Morpurgo, 69, has published 120 books, including When the Whales Came,
and Private Peaceful. Just published is Where My Wellies Take Me, a collection of poetry chosen by
Morpurgo and his wife Clare.
January 2012 saw the release of Steven Spielberg’s film version of War Horse, and the stage play is
still showing at the New London Theatre. A film of Private Peaceful is now on nationwide release.
In 1975 Morpurgo and his wife set up a charity, Farms for City Children. They received MBEs in
recognition of their services to youth in 1999.
The author, who has three children and seven grandchildren aged 7 to 25, lives in Iddesleigh, Devon.
Did you think you would get to where you are?
I had no idea where my children’s stories would lead, and I certainly did not think our charity would
still be going 36 years on. I was a primary schoolteacher and I would tell stories – that I later wrote
down – to keep my class of 10 to 11-year- olds happy at the end of the school day. My first book, It
Never Rained, was published in 1974, and comprised five short stories. The advance was £75, an
amount that made a difference.
When does it become profitable to be an author?
For me, it took literally decades. None of the books sold well to start with, around 2,000 copies a year.
They were just about good enough to encourage me to carry on writing, but the income was never
enough to live on, not for 20 years. Incredibly, War Horse has now sold well over one million copies.
Do you have time for personal financial planning?
I know very little about investments, which is why I have a good accountant and stockbroker. I want to
be careful and safe. I think it’s important to have a spread of investments: property, stocks, and these
days some cash, because you never know.
What has been your basic career strategy?
No strategy at all. We are both very spontaneous, and that is the way it has worked. The same applies to
my books, they just happened. In our younger days we were fairly driven, always wanting to make
things happen.
Do you want to carry on till you drop?
Yes, absolutely, that is one of the wonderful things about being a writer. As long as your mind and
body hold together you can carry on, and I love doing it anyway.
Have you made any pension provision?
I would say War Horse is my pension. The great thing is that it has enabled us to support Farms for
City Children and other charities, much more than we did before financially.
When did you have the vision of Farms for City Children?
I suppose it was while I was teaching at a village primary school in Kent. Clare was also teaching. As
children, we had both had wonderful experiences of the sights, sounds and creatures of the countryside
and, as teachers, we felt that city children were missing out.
We wanted to enable them to become farmers for a week, working on the land, mucking out stables and
digging up potatoes. They would feel a sense of self-worth, which can turn young people’s lives
around.
I left teaching and we moved to Devon in 1975, where I spent a year learning about life on the farm,
and helping Clare to raise funds. We were living on some of Clare’s savings, and I was earning a little
bit from my books.
Our partners, professional farmers David and Graham Ward, are still with us today.
Did it require a large injection of capital to set up the charity?
Yes it did. The house itself and the 50 acres cost £90,000, which was a fortune then. It came from
Clare’s inheritance from her father, Sir Allen Lane. We quickly discovered that it costs a lot of money
to keep a farm running. Today, with three farms, we need to raise around £400,000 a year, because we
have to find £138 to subsidise each child.
What is the hardest part of running a charity?
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Sticking it out through the hard times, when the fundraising does not go well, or when a school cancels.
Running a charity is similar to running a business. It is about raising capital, having to sell an idea, and
making a good pitch with a very strong message.
Do you allow yourself the odd indulgence?
I’m very fond of good wine, in particular St Emilion and Chateauneuf Du Pape. I like to drive an Audi,
because I love the engineering of it. My wife and I enjoy driving holidays in Normandy, Brittany, and
south-west France. We are both French speakers.
What would you be doing today, if War Horse had not been rediscovered 21 years after
publication?
Probably much the same as we are doing now. By the time War Horse was a hit, enough of the other
books were selling quite well to provide us with a reasonable income to get us through our retirement.
War Horse the play opened in 2007 at the National, and over 1.2m people have come to see the play in
London alone.
Do you believe in leaving everything to children?
No I don’t. The best thing you can pass on to children is an education, and it’s terrific if you can help
them when they start out, and make a contribution to a flat. But I think too much money is as bad as too
little. We will leave a third of everything we have got to good causes.
What is the most you have ever paid for a bottle of fine wine or champagne?
I would never pay more than £50 or £60 on a vintage bottle of champagne for a celebration. I would
spend between £15 and £20 on claret to drink at home. However, best of all is when I pay nothing,
when my publishers sent us a nice bottle of champagne, on publication of a new book.
1. How has War Horse changed Michael Morpurgo’s life?

A. He has become famous because of it.
B. It has made him financially secure.
C. It has enabled him to give more money to charity.
2. Why did Michael Morpurgo start writing stories?
A. So he could tell them to his children
B. So he could use them in his work
C. So he could remember his childhood
3. How does he plan his books?
A. He spends a long time thinking about them.
B. He always starts with a clear purpose.
C. He doesn’t plan his books at all.
4. According to the text, which of Michael Morpurgo’s works can you
currently enjoy?
A. a film and a play B. a film C. a play and two films
5. What did Michael Morpurgo learn when he set up his charity?
A. that farming is very difficult
B. how to work on a farm
C. that fundraising is very time-consuming
6. Why did Michael Morpurgo set up his charity?
A. to give children different opportunities
B. to raise children's awareness of nature
C. to re-live his own childhood experiences
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7. When does he expect to stop working?

A. He will continue with his charity but stop writing.
B. He wants to stop now, as he has enough money.
C. He hopes to continue until he can no longer work.
3 EXTRA: Summarise the text using your own words as far as

possible.
4 Read the three texts and do the following tasks. Identify the
keywords.
TEXT 1
What lies beneath
Jan Dalley · MARCH 5, 2011
The bleak, vertiginous mountains rear up in serried ranks, miles and miles back to a harsh horizon.
There isn’t a tree or a house, an animal track, a trace of human existence. The cruellest land, and one in
which we can now only imagine a hidden Taliban rocket-launcher, a pod of silent, veiled men slipping
from a cave. There’s beauty in this remote landscape, in the far north-east of Afghanistan – but it’s a
kind of beauty that makes you shiver.
This is the picture that greets you, in wall-sized photographic reproduction, as you walk into the British
Museum’s new exhibition Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World, which has arrived at its UK
stop on a world tour of some nine western capitals, including Paris and Washington DC. The backdrop
is a brilliant coup de théâtre because, as the show is about to tell us, under this harsh land lie objects of
exquisite delicacy, proof of civilisations in utter contrast to the war zones familiar from our television
screens. There seems to be, on the surface of this earth, no clue to the manmade riches within.
Yet 2,000 years ago, a young woman of 20 or so, about 5ft 2ins in height, was buried hereabouts, with
several thousand pieces of worked gold: bracelets and headdress ornaments, golden buckles set with
turquoise, hair clips and anklets, hundreds of gold pieces stitched to her clothing like the sequins on the
bodice of a ballroom dancer.
Who was she – and to what other realm did she believe she would go, with all that bling around her?
We know frustratingly little about her, or the others equally lavishly entombed in the necropolis at
Tillya Tepe in the first century AD. That they were nomadic people makes it even more surprising,
perhaps, that their riches would be permanently consigned to the earth like this: it was here that was
found one of the show’s most extraordinary treasures, a complicatedly worked gold crown that actually
folds up for easy carriage.
The word “extraordinary” hardly covers other aspects of Afghanistan’s past on show here. Imagine
beneath this blasted land an entire Greek city, complete with amphitheatre and gymnasium, temples,
palaces and courtyards. Such was the Hellenic city now known as Ai Khanum, built around 300BC in
Bactria, at the very frontier of the Greek sphere of domination, a whole year’s march from Athens. Its
ground plan was excavated by French archaeologists in the 1960s and a neat CGI reconstruction helps
us to imagine the place, well fortified by its river and mountain boundaries and its mighty walls, while
display cases show fragments of the luxurious living to be enjoyed within: gold vases, luscious bronze
female figures of Indian dancing girls, the mosaics of a bathhouse.
Or Begram, the first-century summer capital of the Kushan kings, a dynasty whose power-base spread
up into what is now Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and down into the Indian subcontinent as far as
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Varanasi. Objects found there show the extent of the trade along these important routes – as far east as
China and as far west as Rome. An enamelled glass goblet, for instance, which is painted with a scene
of people harvesting dates, was made in Roman Egypt and exported by sea via the Red Sea and the
Indian Ocean to India, from where it would have travelled hundreds of miles overland to Begram. Who
still thinks the globalisation of culture is a recent phenomenon?
Trade here included frankincense and coral, lapis lazuli and turquoise, indigo and silverware. Pearls
from the Arabian sea; carnelian from north Africa. At Begram in 1937, French archaeologists made the
sort of find of which they must always have dreamed: a sealed room full of treasure imported from
China. And from Begram too came a set of superbly delicate carved ivories, probably Indian, and from
the first century AD, which take pride of place in this show because of their emotional history. Looted
from the National Museum in Kabul at some point in 1992-94, they were believed lost until an
anonymous London dealer, who had spotted them on the international market and identified them,
recently arranged for their return. Their restoration has been paid for by Bank of America Merrill
Lynch’s conservation programme.
They are slender and fragile objects that once decorated parts of furniture – it needs the helpful
reconstructions to appreciate what we are looking at. But vivid, playful details leap out: one ivory
bench bracket shows a half-naked woman mounted on a rearing leogryph (a “sardula” in Indian
mythology) – one of several mythological creatures here.
Such stories – of precious objects lost and found, looted or protected, hidden from the ravages of
modern wars – are everywhere in this show, and it is to some extent a celebration of the heroes of
Afghanistan’s cultural community, especially curators who hid objects in their homes to protect them
from the vandalism of the extremists. The very first exhibit sets the tone: it’s a small limestone figure of
a youth, made before 145BC, from Ai Khanum. It’s not in good shape – the head and feet are missing,
and the belly area is smashed. Next to it in the vitrine stands a photograph of the piece in rather better
(though far from perfect) condition, with the caption: “the statue before it was destroyed by Taliban
officials in 2001”.
So we know that we are in for a slightly didactic note – but we really can’t mind about that. A video
shows us the time of the Soviet occupation, when archaeological work “breaks down”, according to the
commentator, and Afghanistan becomes a “place of war” rather than a place of culture. Those who
know about the Afghan wars of the 19th century might think this is a rather short-term view of the
country’s history – it has been a ravaged and disputed land for a long time – but in archaeological terms
it is relevant, as the great majority of the finds here were made between the 1930s and the 1970s, even
though some British explorers were beginning to make discoveries as early as the 1820s.
In fact the Russians themselves were among the many nations involved in Afghan archaeology,
especially at an ancient site at Tepe Fullol (2200-1900BC), in the far north of the country, near mines
that yielded precious lapis lazuli, where a large hoard of gold and silver vessels was found in 1965: one
here shows a design of a bull similar to ancient Mesopotamian art, close to 4,000 years old. It was the
first news of this sophisticated and very ancient culture.
From China to the Mediterranean, the influences reflected in this show are almost limitless. It shows
how peoples always moved through this region, how cultures flourished and died, how the lands that
were once rich became as barren as that stark mountain range. It’s a place still at war, but this
exhibition stands as some sort of a beacon of hope. As I walked through the show, a line from TS
Eliot’s The Waste Land kept ringing round my mind: “These fragments/I have shored against my
ruins…”
TEXT 2
Mystery of Britain’s 'Franken-mummies’
Two 3,000-year-old human skeletons dug up in the Outer Hebrides have
been found to be a jigsaw of at least six different people who died hundreds
of years apart.
Richard Gray, Science Correspondent · 8:00AM BST 23 SEP 2012
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The skeletons were unearthed in 2001 while Professor Parker Pearson as

examining the remains of buildings at a site called Cladh Hallan in a sand
quarry in South Uist
It is one of Britain’s most intriguing archeological mysteries.
When two almost perfectly preserved 3,000-year-old human skeletons were dug up on a remote
Scottish island, they were the first evidence that ancient Britons preserved their dead using
mummification.
The scientists who uncovered the bodies also found clues that one of them – a man buried in a
crouching position – was not a single individual, but had in fact been assembled from the body parts of
several different people.
The discovery began a 10-year investigation into what had led the bronze-age islanders to this strange
fate.
Now, a new study using the latest in DNA technology has found that the two skeletons together
comprise the remains of at least six different individuals, who died several hundred years apart.
The researchers now believe that large extended families, living under one roof, may have shared their
homes with the mummified remains of their dead ancestors, before deliberately putting the bodies
together to look like single corpses – possibly in an attempt to demonstrate the uniting of different
families.
Professor Mike Parker Pearson, an archaeologist at University College London who led the research,
said: “It looks like these individuals had been cut up and put back together to look like one person.”
He said the mixing of the body parts could have been due to “misfortune or carelessness”, but added:
“The merging of their identities may have been a deliberate act, perhaps designed to amalgamate
different ancestries into a single lineage.”
The skeletons were unearthed in 2001 while Professor Parker Pearson, who was then working at
Sheffield University, was examining the remains of buildings at a site called Cladh Hallan in a sand
quarry in South Uist.
The site had been a bronze-age settlement which was inhabited for well over 1,000 years.
While digging out the foundations of one of the houses, the archaeologists found the skeletons of an
adult man and a woman they believed to be aged around 40.
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Dating of the two skeletons showed they appeared to be over 3,000 years old and predated the house
they were buried under by several hundred years.
Both had been buried in a crouched position on their sides and from the way the bones remained
connected, it appeared they had been carefully preserved.
Analysis of the bones indicated that the bodies had started to rot after death but the decay was abruptly
halted.
The mineral content of the bones suggests they were placed in an acidic peat bog, which helped to
preserve them in a primitive form of mummification before they were removed and kept above ground,
the researchers claim.
Before the discovery, mummification at that time in history was thought to have been restricted to
Egypt and South America.
Carbon dating of the bones in the male skeleton revealed while the jaw came from someone who had
died around 1440BC-1260BC, the rest of the skull came from a man who died some 100 years earlier,
and the remainder of the body from someone who died 500 years before that.
In a new study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the researchers used DNA testing
to examine the female skeleton, which carbon dating suggested had belonged to a woman who died
between 1300 BC and 1130 BC.
By examining genetic material known as mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down only by females,
the researchers found the jaw bone, a leg bone and an arm bone all came from different individuals.
Other body parts could have come from other individuals too, but it was impossible to obtain suitable
DNA to analyse. The testing did suggest, however, that skull could have belonged to a relative or the
same individual as the arm.
Physical analysis of the 'female’ skeleton has also suggested the jaw and skull in fact belonged to a
male.
From its position, the researchers believe the body had been wrapped up tightly and kept above ground
for several hundred years before it was finally buried. Shortly after death, two of its teeth were removed
with one placed in each hand.
Exactly what happened to these people after their death and why they were finally buried in this way
remains a mystery, but the scientists are continuing to unpick what happened.
Professor Pearson said it appeared the crude mummification process had allowed the bodies to survive
the wet and wild Scottish climate for several hundred years before the soft tissue gradually began to
degrade after they were buried.
In around 1000 BC, seven houses were built in a terrace, with the two mummies, which were then
hundreds of years old, buried beneath one of the homes.
Less well preserved human remains were also found under some of the other houses and many had
offerings of bronze artefacts found with them.
The inhabitants of the buildings appear to have been largely self-sufficient, using clay moulds to cast
bronze swords, spears and ornaments. The remains of cattle bones suggests they kept livestock and may
have grown barley for food.
Analysis of the bones suggest they ate very little seafood despite living on an island, instead growing
their food on the low lying grassy plain next to the houses.
The building where the two mummified skeletons were found may have even become a “house of the
dead” with priest-like people living there, professor Pearson believes.
He added: “Having six preserved body parts to hand indicates there was sufficient space in which to
store them for some time prior to their reassembly.
“This raises the possibility that these dead either shared accommodation with the living or were kept in
separate, as yet unidentified, 'mummy houses’ which were warm and dry enough to inhibit soft tissue
decay.”
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TEXT 3
A layer-cake of time: Crossrail’s archaeology
London’s Crossrail project, one of Europe’s biggest engineering projects, is
also the source of a spectacular array of archaeological finds
Excavation work at the Limmo Peninsula site in east London, where a ship fragment was found © FT
Alice Fishburn · JUNE 30, 2012
Digging up part of an ancient shipwreck is usually less of a concern for London construction workers
than bursting a water main. But, then again, most London construction workers aren’t employed on one
of the biggest engineering projects in Europe: Crossrail. For the hundreds of men sweating in orange
high-visibility clothing on the Limmo Peninsula site in east London, dealing with archaeological finds
is part of the day job. In March this year, during deep excavation in the main shaft on site, they
uncovered what looked like a fragment of a boat, probably dating from the 12th to 15th century. The
on-site archaeologist immediately stepped in.
When you are dealing with a city as old as London, the past is sometimes only a spadeful of soil away.
But for most city dwellers, the concrete means that you’re never going to get down that deep. Vast
construction projects such as Crossrail, which will put 21km of new tunnels through the capital, offer a
rare and valuable window into the past. Among the most extensive archaeological explorations in
recent years, it is already producing finds that carve through British history: prehistoric animal bones at
Royal Oak, skeletons from Liverpool Street, remains of a Tudor mansion under your feet at Stepney
Green. What is more, the excavations must fit into a carefully choreographed programme that waits for
no piece of pottery.
Jay Carver, project archaeologist for Crossrail since 2009, has been involved in this complex operation
since 2006. A thoughtful man, who proclaims his passion for “roads and railways”, he has form on
large-scale projects; he also worked on the Channel Tunnel. As he leads us on to the Limmo site,
through a side door in Canning Town Tube station, the noise of enormous machinery preparing the way
for the even more enormous tunnel-boring machines is deafening. “People’s perception [of
archaeology] is green fields and digging a Roman villa in the countryside,” says Carver. “But in the city
you’ve got this huge layer-cake of time.”
Before the construction workers even get on to these sites, archaeological assessment has formed a
pretty good idea of what lies beneath. London has a wealth of helpful archival records, from birth to
burial, and while there are always surprises such as the shipwreck, there is also extensive knowledge.
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Everyone knew that excavations at Limmo would uncover the old Thames Ironworks. Two
archaeologists are busy wheeling barrows of soil away from the site of the huge Victorian shipbuilding
company that founded the football club which became West Ham.
“There aren’t many occasions when you get to dig so much of London,” says Robert Hartle from the
Museum of London Archaeology (Mola). “[It] is going to expand our understanding of everything from
prehistory to a couple of hundred years ago. It’s a great opportunity.”
From Limmo, you can see the Olympic park, the O2 arena and modern London. But under the ground,
the walls of an older structure are emerging. Charles Warner, a descendant of the last works manager
before the company closed in 1912, heard about the excavation and gave Carver a beautiful coloured
map which outlines where each building stood. The archaeologists are busy matching it up with the
foundations – the erecting shop here, the machine shop there. “This pit looks very, very interesting,”
says Carver, pointing to a dip in the ground with some rusty stains. “I find industrial archaeology very
exciting because it very dramatically brings the site back to life.”
Clambering around with them, grooves in the floor become drainage systems, blocks become
machinery mounts and the remains of big bolts point to long-gone objects. The old Victorian factory
rises again.
This glimpse into a hidden world is going on all over the city at 22 Crossrail sites. While Londoners
regard most construction projects as a nightmar of Tube delays and traffic, archaeologists eagerly
anticipate them. “The whole of London is this big old jigsaw puzzle, and we’re just waiting to fill in the
gaps,” says Sarah Matthews, senior osteology processor at Mola, a contractor on the project. “You
knock a building down and it’s an opportunity to fill in that square of land with the history and
information we get.”
The cheery “chief bone-washer”, as she describes herself, has seen
the guts of the city come through her door. “Basically, pick a street in
London and we’ve dug it,” she says. Finds that arrive at the Mola
warehouse typically pass through washing and drying rooms. Vases,
stone balls from the tops of pillars and marmalade jars from the
excavation of the Crosse & Blackwell factory are scattered around.
Some Christmas decorations perch incongruously near a box labelled
“human bone”. In a corner of the office, a man methodically files
clay pipes. The building is full of “skellies”, as Matthews
affectionately terms them – some 6,000 or so.
About 300 of them come from one of the most high-profile Crossrail
finds: the skeletons uncovered beneath what will be a ticket hall at
Liverpool Street. The excavation is still in its trial stage, but has
already caused great excitement because the graveyard was situated
on land belonging to the Bedlam hospital. Some of the skeletons may
Jay Carver: Project belong to former inhabitants, although nothing is yet confirmed.
archaeologist for Crossrail, “Insanity doesn’t leave a physical trace on the body,” says Nick
Elsden, assistant contracts manager. “At present, we can’t sort out
at the Limmo Peninsula
anybody who might have come out of Bedlam from those who might
site in east London have been from the parishes in the city.”
Matthews lays out a set of bones that is about 85 per cent complete. “The Crossrail bones were
beautiful,” she says. “This skeleton is in really good condition.” As she waves vertebrae and femurs in
the air, she sketches a picture of a young male, probably buried between 1568 when the graveyard
opened, and around 1720, when it closed. Another box produces a “lovely” example of a “very nasty”
fracture. The human in question lost two inches off his leg and died about a year later. “For us, it’s
learning about who Londoners used to be. We can learn so much from the skeletal system; it feeds back
into our medical knowledge and our nutritional knowledge and things such as the conditions people
used to live in,” she says.
Records suggest that two celebrities might yet emerge from this graveyard: Nicholas Culpeper, a
famous herbalist, and John Lilburne, a prominent political Leveller. But so far the coffin plates that
might identify the residents have been too corroded to read. The only written text comes from a grave
slab engraved with what looks like the name “John Bail”, a baby who died aged 25 weeks in April
1664.
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However, the graves are only the beginning. It is believed that long
ago flytippers also used the cemetery as a rubbish tip and, centuries
later, their waste is “an important find”, revealing all sorts of
worked bone. “Possible pegs for musical instruments, we’re getting
turned needlecases … bits of elephant ivory and elephant teeth and
tortoiseshell,” says Elsden. A pair of medieval ice-skates, made by
strapping animal bones to your feet, has also emerged.
Liverpool Street is a particularly tough area to excavate because of
the limited space, number of facilities and crowds of people. But, as
a result, a wealth of untouched items may lie beneath. “You
wouldn’t have got at Liverpool Street for any other purpose but a
major infrastructure thing, because no one’s going to build on the
road… and underneath there’s really good preservation, because
you haven’t got foundations of things dug through it,” says Elsden.
There are hopes that the next excavation down will reveal bits of a
Roman road that led out to the suburbs.
Sarah Matthews: Senior When the Crossrail dig at Liverpool Street starts again the public
may well remain completely unaware. “It’s surprising what
osteology processor–'chief Londoners don’t actually see,” says Matthews, as she recalls a
bone-washer'–at the Museum previous excavation of a 2,500-skeleton graveyard. “We would be
of London Archaeology sat in a very densely touristed street and people would walk past,
completely oblivious.”
Part of this is due to the way in which archaeology is now
seamlessly woven into the larger construction project. London has
always thrown up gems. The Victorians who dug the first sections
of the Underground filled much of the Natural History Museum.
But assessing, recording and, in the most valuable cases, preserving
what was discovered was not formalised until much later.
Along with the layers of history, archaeologists are now adept at
layers of bureaucracy. Planning for the Crossrail project started in
2003, six years before the main programme of investigation began.
The process involves two contractors – Mola and Oxford
About 300 skeletons were
Archaeology – and numerous specialist scientists to work on the
found at Liverpool Street – uncovered finds. “It’s a massive cut through London,” says Richard
this one is 85% complete Brown, senior project manager from Oxford Archaeology, whose
career has seen archaeology becoming a formal part of the planning process. “A lot less is being lost. A
lot more is being recovered.”
“We’ve become part of the same system,” says Jay Carver. “It’s all sorted out – who needs to do what
and where.” When the boat fragment was uncovered in Limmo, it was recorded and lifted out in a
single day, and will now go through dendrochronology [tree-ring dating] to try to establish a precise
date. Archaeologists may work over the weekend or holidays to finish before the machines move in, but
no one would now think of ploughing on without consulting the experts. “We have a voice now, due to
generations of engineers and archaeologists working together,” he says.
Simon Parfitt’s involvement with the project began when his phone rang at the Natural History
Museum in May last year. Some Pleistocene-era animal bones had been discovered at Royal Oak
Portal. The researcher in vertebrate palaeontology popped round to take a look. “We were blown over
by the excavation … just the logistics of actually digging the site is quite exciting.” If you look out of
your train window coming into Paddington, you can almost see the space where several hundred bits of
these ice age bones were dug up. “The really surprising thing is that London is the most intensively
investigated area for archaeology, but it’s continuously throwing up surprises,” says Parfitt. “Royal Oak
Portal was one of those surprises – a hugely important site, which they weren’t expecting, and they had
to deal with that … because the machines were booked to start drilling.”
For Parfitt, London is a map of landscapes past. Talking to him, you can still see the hippos and
elephants romping on the terraces of Trafalgar Square. “Finchley Road is as far south as the ice sheet
got,” he tells me, as he talks about using finds from the Thames to reconstruct periods about which very
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little is still known. “The great thing about this site … is that you’ve got detailed information on the
context, the position of pieces in the ground, the geological context and dating evidence.”
The Natural History Museum arranges its stored materials by
location, but the Crossrail collection doesn’t currently fit in the
London cabinet. Instead, Parfitt fishes them out of an “odds and
sods” cupboard. Reconstructing the past is never easy, but when the
bones in question are crushed into hundreds of fragments from
thousands of years at the bottom of a river, it can be quite a task. A
volunteer painstakingly pieced them all together, glueing on new bits
as she went. After comparing them with other reference collections at
the museum, Parfitt determined that they were dominated by small
bison and reindeer remains. This enabled him to date them to a
relatively short period 80,000 years ago when this combination
existed. “The really exciting thing is that it’s recording a major
change in the climate,” he says.
Compared to the scale of the tunnel-boring machines that will gouge
through London, a small bump on the hind-foot bone of a long-dead
Simon Parfitt: Researcher bison might not seem much. But, as Parfitt explains, it contains a
in vertebrate palaeontology, whole history, pointing to the stress inflicted on animals by
at the Natural History migration. “The only reasonable explanation is that the bison are
moving in huge herds above the landscape,” he says. The initial
Museum, London theory that the bones might have shown human interference is wrong,
although there are gnaw marks possibly left by wolves.
Parfitt believes further analysis may reveal still more. “I thought there had to be other material from
that part of London, but there’s nothing… so the collection will hopefully stay here,” he says. And,
with two more years of excavations to go, there could be many finds to come. Some will be housed in
museums or archives. The bodies will be reburied or kept for analysis. Many Crossrail sites will simply
be recorded for posterity before the diggers come in, erasing one layer of history to lay down another –
and putting down tracks for future archaeologists to dig up in their turn.
For questions 1-6, select the correct text or texts.
1. Which text gives an account of a single archaeological discovery?
2. Which text outlines the wide range of different technologies used by
scientists?
3. Which texts describe the benefit of co-operation between two different
fields?
4. Which text or texts describe scientists' attempts to solve a puzzle?
5. Which text mentions a wide range of different discoveries in one area?
6. Which text or texts explain how quickly archaeologists have to work?
For questions 7-10, choose the correct answer or answer(s) from the
following options:
A. Maurizio Seracini B. Mike Parker Pearson
C. Jay Carver D. Richard Brown
Which one(s) ...
7. gives more than one explanation to an unanswered question?
8. adapts technology to help him achieve his aims?
9. says his work was made possible by the work of past scientists?
10. feels he is not really accepted by other academics?
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5 EXTRA: Summarise each of the text using your own words as far as
possible.
6 Read this text about buildings made out of earth and select the
answer you think is correct. Identify the keywords that helped you
find the answers and make a table of keywords.
Mud world
The world’s most primitive building material – earth – is being used to
create some of our most advanced homes
A view from under the stairwell of Martin Rauch’s rammed earth house in
Schlins, Austria © Beat Bühler
Avantika Chilkoti · OCTOBER 20, 2012
The fabled cities of Jericho, Ur and Babylon were built entirely of earth. So were sections of the Great
Wall of China. Today, around half the world’s population live in dwellings made of the material and,
from Lutyens to Gaudí, many of the world’s best-known architects have experimented with it. Yet only
recently has earth crept on to the curricula of architecture and engineering schools, and few laymen
think of it as a building material.
“With industrialisation and the railway, it became easier to transport energy and building materials, so
it wasn’t necessary to build with earth any more,” says Martin Rauch, a ceramic artist turned architect
championing the use of earth for sustainable construction. It became a poor man’s material and the
image is hard to shake. But in the past 15 years, rammed earth has returned to the limelight as human
and environmental health have become key concerns.
Rauch has used rammed earth to build cinemas, churches and chapels – and his own family home in
Austria. The materials used in the 18 months of its construction were local, so minimal energy was used
in production and transportation. With 47 per cent of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions
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attributable to the construction industry in the UK, for instance, such alternative methods are
significant.
The ability of earth to moderate humidity
and temperature is another advantage,
which eliminates the need for expensive
central heating and air conditioning. “It’s
a wonderful climate – in the winters it is
warm and in summer cool,” claims
Rauch.
A central concern of sceptics is
durability. However, the compressive
strength of rammed earth (its ability to
withstand squashing) is two-thirds that of
concrete at a similar thickness. And in the
city of Shibam in Yemen, rammed earth
buildings of five or six storeys were built
The exterior of the Rauch house in high density urban spaces and have
survived around 1,700 years.
The fear is that exposure to rain and moisture will cause walls to slump but, with a good hat and shoes,
little else matters: strong foundations and an overhanging roof protect earth walls from overexposure to
the rain. Rauch designs for “calculated erosion” – changing aesthetics are part of the appeal. Every few
layers, he inserts stone blocks into the surface of earth walls. These protrude as the earth erodes around
them, acting as a buffer against rain running down the surface of the building.
Research conducted by the Scottish government in 2001 highlights the key issue – people used to
accept that they would have to maintain their homes. “The longevity of earth buildings is due, in part,
to the regular maintenance regimes that were integral to traditional practice. A change of attitude is
necessary if modern earth buildings are to survive equally well as current construction practice
promotes ‘maintenance-free’ products such as cement renders and masonry paints.”
Building regulations for rammed earth vary around the world. “If I built my house in Germany, I would
have needed a licence costing between €20,000 and €30,000,” says Rauch. “In Austria and Switzerland
it is easy. In Italy rammed earth is not allowed for structural work.”
In the UK it can actually be easier to
secure planning permission if you’re
building with rammed earth, as local
authorities often object to plans that
require material to be taken off site. There
are groups trying to develop global
practice guidelines and the Southern
African Development Community is
ahead of the game, with 15 countries
sharing a harmonised code written by
British consultant Rowland Keable. In
terms of European guidelines, Earth
Building UK recently won a European bid
to develop shared training standards for
rammed earth construction.
The construction process is not dissimilar
Martin Rauch (left) and colleagues work on a to building a sandcastle. Earth is collected,
rammed earth design its consistency checked, and organic
matter that will decompose is removed.
Next, formwork is brought in; this is the frame into which the earth is, quite literally, rammed layer by
layer, either manually or by pneumatic rammers. The earth begins to cure straight away and continues
to do so for months or years, depending on the local climate. Without baking, the wall is complete and
the process can be repeated.
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This process requires significant amounts of labour and leaves little room for the mechanisation and
profits that are seen as driving economies. However, Anna Heringer, a Royal Institute of British
Architects award-winner who has extensive experience with rammed earth in the developing world,
views the labour intensity of construction as a bonus.
“There are going to be 7bn people on this earth. The cheapest technology is now cheaper than even the
cheapest labour on earth. We need some good employment opportunities, and not just for specialists.”
Heringer sees rammed earth from a social justice perspective. “We often think of sustainability in terms
of high-tech solutions and it isn’t possible for everyone in the world to have high-tech solutions. That’s
exclusive, which isn’t sustainable. Building with earth, you can have a lot of people involved – it’s
about communities too.” This ideology echoes that of the French architect François Cointeraux (1740-
1830). The father of pisé de terre technique, driven by the revolutionary spirit of “honourable labour”,
wrote books instructing the French public on how to build their own earth homes.
A team of 150 students, Loeb fellows and
members of the public worked under Rauch and
Heringer to build the Mud Hall project at
Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in April
2012. “The space we chose was very prominent at
the front of the school but it was hostile, windy
land that wasn’t used and the idea was not just to
say there’s something wrong but to take our
creativity, our hands and the earth and transform
it into a living space for people,” says Heringer.
The aim was to change conventional thinking
about sustainable development by building with
rammed earth, and although the plan was to use
the project as a demonstration and then demolish
the walls by May, they have been kept. “Now the
homeless are sleeping there at night, which is
really quite a compliment,” she says.
Human connection with the aesthetic of earth is
another factor. “We’d get people walking past and
they would stop to touch the wall, even though the
colour is quite like concrete,” Heringer continues.
“There is a presence with this material I can’t
Mud Hall, Harvard University
explain. Now we barely touch earth – just the dirt
at the bottom of our shoes and in flower pots – and there’s a longing for it.”
Depending on the earth selected, the colour of a building can be varied, the ramming process can be
designed to produce layering effects and the formwork can be moulded so patterns are embossed in the
walls. The visitor centre at the Eden Project in Cornwall, southern England, includes a wall made of
locally sourced rammed earth in order to make the most of the site – a China clay quarry with a seam of
pink clay running through it.
Rauch is aware of the limits, however. Certain structures such as foundations for buildings, ceilings and
bridges are not possible in earth. So he suggests using appropriate, context-specific materials together.
“I represent the connection of earth construction with modern material but in a sustainable way.”
In the western world, most earth constructions are actually stabilised rammed earth, where cement is
added to the mud. “This is the wrong way to do things,” says Rauch. “If there is cement in the mix it is
not real earth – it’s rammed concrete.” In stabilised rammed earth, around 8 per cent of the material is
cement. Rauch strongly believes it isn’t necessary; we have built for 10,000 years with pure earth and
he feels that the climatic and environmental qualities of the material are lost with such contamination.
Heringer adds that when cement is mixed with earth, “you can’t totally recycle it”. “We are not
building for eternity, that’s an idealistic thought. Some day it will all return to the ground and then
there’s the question of environmental impact.”
Having used earth in construction around the world, in the monsoons of Bangladesh and dry summers
of Morocco, Heringer has proved that cement is not required with innovative, context-specific design.
Page 130
The newest innovation in the field is the introduction of prefabricated elements, as pioneered by Rauch
himself. Local excavation and ramming aren’t possible in dense, urban environments. The solution is to
make a long wall, some 40 metres, of rammed earth in a factory. This is sawn into five-tonne segments
and transported to the site. The wall is reassembled with mud to weld the segments together so the
joints aren’t visible, a bit like pottery.
Building time is saved, as two months of work in the factory translates to two weeks of building on site,
and the space required to assemble a wall is a fraction of that required to gather earth and ram it.
Yet rammed earth remains, to the architecture world, what haute couture is to fashion: those in the
industry revere it but the rest of us have barely heard of it.
How on earth...?
Earth is a cheap, renewable and widely
available alternative to environmentally
costly conventional building materials.
During the Great Depression, US policy
makers considered it for housing; seven
experimental rammed earth homes were
built on the Gardendale Homestead in
Alabama but a full-scale federal initiative
never followed.
Unlike other sustainable building
materials, such as straw bale and timber,
earth is reusable and non-flammable.
When tested by Australian Standards, a
rammed earth wall 300mm thick
Kirribilli House, New South Wales withstood direct flames for four hours.
The amount of energy used in producing
rammed earth is relatively low. The Scottish government’s Central Research Unit estimates: “To
prepare, transport and construct earth materials commonly requires about 1 per cent of the energy
required by the commonly used cement-based alternatives.”
Walls made from rammed earth keep humidity levels between 40-60 per cent, the ideal range for
asthma sufferers. This benefit is lost when the earth is
stabilised with cement.
Rammed earth has a high thermal mass, which means it is
able to store and release heat. Internal temperature
fluctuations are limited as the walls absorb heat in the
daytime to release it internally as temperatures fall.
Countering the high thermal mass is low thermal resistance.
As rammed earth walls allow heat to flow through them
easily, insulation may be required in cold climates.
The cost of rammed earth construction worldwide
The cost of building with rammed earth varies, not only
with complexity of design but also with local context. Is the
local soil appropriate or will it be necessary to transport
earth to the site? What is the cost of labour in the area?
Building with rammed earth is relatively labour intensive.
This means it is a cheaper alternative to modern materials in
developing nations where wages are low, but comparatively
expensive in the industrialised world where mechanisation
is preferred.
In Australia, rammed earth constructions tend to be
Kirribilli House, New South Wales, relatively expensive. Luigi Rosselli, an Australian architect
known for his work with rammed earth, says the cost of a
Australia, designed by architect load-bearing wall built to a high standard with the necessary
Luigi Rosselli finishes would be about US$421 per square metre in double
Page 131
brick, $737 in rammed earth, $789 in concrete and $947 in stone.

In the UK: Scotland’s Central Research Unit undertook a study in 2001, which estimated that there
were 500,000 inhabited earth buildings in the UK; earth was the principal material used in Scottish
construction until the 18th century. Rowland Keable has extensive experience working with rammed
earth in the UK and found that the cost can vary hugely. It begins at zero cost for a self-build
community project. In general, he estimates a cost of $250 per sq m for a wall in rammed earth, nearer
$790 for double-brick.
In Bangladesh Simple Action for the Environment constructed a rural home from rammed earth in
2011. Each sq foot of wall cost $0.34 to build. It would have cost $0.62 with brickwork.
Stabilised and insulated rammed earth, as offered by construction firm Sirewall, costs 12 per cent more
than the stick-frame alternative, according to the company’s own figures. A 3,500 sq ft property would
cost $1,565,754 to build with Sirewall but $1,375,758 using stick frame, it says.
1. According to the text, architects have _____.
A. always encouraged people to build more with earth
B. used earth to create buildings throughout history
C. never been formally trained to build using earth
2. Building with rammed earth has environmental benefits because _____.
A. it’s cheap and freely available
B. it consumes very little energy
C. it supports natural habitats
3. In order for rammed earth constructions to be long-lasting _____.
A. they must be mixed with one third concrete
B. they should be surrounded by other buildings
C. they must be protected from wet weather and damp
4. What is the challenge facing modern-day rammed earth buildings?
A. People aren’t used to spending time looking after their houses.
B. People have lost the traditional skills needed to build with rammed
earth.
C. The construction industry isn’t interested in building with rammed
earth.
5. The process of building with rammed earth _____.
A. is less complicated than conventional construction
B. should never involve any mechanisation
C. does not seem to contribute to economic growth
6. According to Anna Heringer, building with rammed earth _____.
A. is accessible to everyone, no matter how developed or wealthy
B. offers a higher quality alternative to using cheap technology
C. can provide a sustainable solution to the crisis in global resources
7 EXTRA: Summarise the text using your own words as far as possible.
Page 132

Subskills Practice:
Dealing with Unfamiliar Words
When you’re reading, you’ll often come across words you don’t know. You
don’t need to understand every word in a text, but these strategies can help
you to deal with unknown words. In the example below, what might a
saloon be?
The saloon, also known as the sedan, typically has an
engine in the front and a boot in the rear, and can have
two or hour doors. Unlike station wagons, saloons do not
typically have a roof that extends rearward.
Even if you do not know the synonym sedan, you know that a saloon has an
engine, a boot, two or four doors and a roof, and is different from a station
wagon. Could you guess that a saloon is a kind of car?
UNFAMILIAR WORDS: CHECKLIST

1. Identify the word class. If it’s an adjective or adverb, what is it
describing?
2. Look for affixes (e.g. prefixes, suffixes, infixes, etc.) and other
combination forms (e.g. compounds, phrasal adjectives/nouns, etc.) and
think about their meaning.
3. Look for parts that you know within the word (e.g. infixes, internal
changes, etc.).
4. Look for groups of words about the same topic (e.g. categories).
5. Identify any synonyms, paraphrases, antonyms or other clues that may
help to explain or define the word. (See this note for ways of paraphrasing.)
6. Think about other meanings for the same word, e.g. figurative or literal
meanings.
7. Use the context.
Page 133
1 In each of the sentences below, there is one word you probably

aren’t familiar with. Read each sentence and use the questions in the
checklist to select the correct meaning of these words.
1. Even for people with a good grasp of economics, this is a complicated
theory. What does grasp mean in this context?
A. ability to understand B. proof of qualification
C. experience in working
2. Unusual is perhaps not the most appropriate way to describe him;
alarming would be more apt. What does apt mean in this context?
A. descriptive B. unfair C. appropriate
3. The Health Minister made a few bland comments about his admiration
for nurses, without answering any of the difficult questions that are facing
him right now. What does bland mean in this context?
A. important, meaningful B. fascinating, exciting C. boring, unexciting
4. While I wholeheartedly support people’s right to defend themselves,
they cannot be allowed to use this argument to justify violent behaviour.
What does wholeheartedly mean in this context?
A. completely B. partly C. uncertainly
5. A lot of older people, when asked if they play video games, will deny it.
But probe a little deeper and you’ll find that they’re probably lying. What
does probe mean in this context?
A. think about, consider B. ask questions, investigate
C. try, experiment
6. The terrible sound of the wolves’ howls sent a chill through the cinema
audience. What does chill mean in this context?
A. feeling of excitement B. feeling of fear C. feeling of cold
7. Professor Hunter pondered for some time over the problem before she
came back to us with her solution. What does ponder mean in this context?
A. think about, consider B. ask questions, investigate
C. try, experiment
8. Console games can take years and many millions of pounds to develop, so
there are no openings for the newcomer with a great idea. What does
newcomer mean in this context?
A. someone who is beginning B. someone who is young
C. someone who is poor
9. Access to these ancient documents is restricted and they must be
handled with great care. What does handle mean in this context?
A. control, manage B. open, pull C. touch, pick up
10. Travellers are drawn to this wild and sparsely populated part of the
state, seeking out the few guesthouses or staying in campsites. What does
sparsely mean in this context?
A. heavily populated B. lightly populated C. unusually populated
Page 134
2 Extras
1. Find more synonyms and/or antonyms of the new words in exercise 1.
2. Make a table of derivatives of the new words in exercises 1.
3. Look up some collocations/idioms ... of the new words in exercise 1.
4. Paraphrase the example sentences in exercises 1.
5. Write your own sentences using the new words/their derivatives/their
synonyms/antonyms/paraphrases/collocations/ ... in exercises 1.
3 Look at these short extracts from texts. All of them contain a

number of words or phrases that are possibly unfamiliar to you.
A
Disastrous spills at sea haunt oil companies for years, writes
Denise Roland. The impact on the local economy and environment
does not recede swiftly – and the clean-up costs take their toll on
the balance sheet.
But these devastating effects may soon become a thing of the
past. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have developed
a “super-absorbent” material that can soak up 45 times its weight
in oil, creating a gel that can easily be removed from water.
“Had this material been applied to the top of the leaking well
head in the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 spill, it could have
effectively transformed the gushing brown oil into a floating gel
for easy collection and minimised the pollution consequences,”
said authors Xuepei Yuan and Mike Chung, describing their
findings in the journal Energy & Fuels.
The technology has existed for some time but has never been
applied to oil slicks. “We have been working with these kinds of
polymers for 20 years, but after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill we
wondered whether our material could provide a solution,” says
Yuan.
Although mopping up oil is nothing new, the existing methods can
lead to further environmental problems. Various substances have
been used to soak up slicks, ranging from straw and silkworm
cocoons to synthetic fibre pads. But these materials take up oil
slowly, do not retain it well and can render it unrecoverable by
absorbing water at the same time.
Page 135
><
B
An unusual collaboration between chemists and fashion experts
has produced pollution-busting clothes, which clean up urban air
as people walk around.
Tony Ryan, chemistry professor at Sheffield University, and
Helen Storey of the London College of Fashion, lead the Catalytic
Clothing partnership. They’ve produced prototype jeans in which
the denim is laden with nanoparticles of titanium dioxide or
titania, which catalyse the destruction of nitrogen oxides, the
main cause of low-level urban pollution.
C
Gerald, 10 years Ted’s senior, took him under his wing early: the
pair trooped off together on a camping trip when Ted was just
five; Gerald took him hunting for rats and rabbits, fishing the
local canal, kite-flying and walking in the Calder Valley. Their
life-long closeness was forged here in their shared love of the
natural world, as was Hughes’s poet’s eye for the landscape and
wildlife – the hawks, pike and foxes – that would populate his
great poems.
D
Europeans began their exploration of the great Amazon river as
early as 1500, and soon penetrated its entire length from the
Andes to its mouth at the Atlantic. For hundreds of years,
however, they only nibbled at the great jungle which straddled
the huge river in every direction, setting up religious and colonial
settlements on the banks of the main rivers but never venturing
far inland.
E
Children as young as the age of three are usually excellent users
of grammar. They are more likely to obey grammatical rules than
to flout them; they tend to formulate sentences accurately more
often than not, and when they err, it is not dissimilar to the types
of mistakes made by adults. All this seems highly improbable
when we consider how incompetent children at this age are in
most other areas. Their drawings are barely recognisable;
concepts such as time overwhelm them; they can be flummoxed
by even simple activities such as sorting objects in order of size.
How many words in the extracts are unfamiliar to you?
5 or fewer: Try to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words from the
general context.
Between 6 and 8: Think about what kind of word it is (i.e., noun, verb, etc)
and the other words it’s being used with. Look for lexical sets which the
Page 136
unknown vocabulary may belong to, and then find possible synonyms or
antonyms.
9 or more: Use techniques to help you work out the meaning of unknown
words, such as looking for prefixes or suffixes, finding the root word or
another word in its family, or breaking words down into parts.
Now do the same tasks as those in PRACTICE 1.
4 In about 2 sentences, summarise the main idea of each extract,

using your own words as far as possible.
5 EXTRA: Read these full texts and summarise each text, using your
own words as far as possible.
A
Biology takes a quantum leap
Evidence is beginning to emerge that quantum effects play a role in
biological processes such as photosynthesis
Quantum physics may give an insight into biological processes such as photosynthesis and mutation
Clive Cookson · OCTOBER 19, 2012
The weird world of quantum physics may seem a long way from biology. How can counterintuitive
concepts, such as the “entanglement” of subatomic particles and their “tunnelling” through insuperable
energy barriers, apply to everyday life?
Until recently most biologists and physicists would have said that they can’t – and many still say so.
Quantum physicists, such as last week’s Nobel laureates Serge Haroche and David Wineland, require
rigorous experimental conditions to shield their particles from outside disturbances that kill quantum
Page 137
effects. So the wet, warm and messy world of living cells would seem an inhospitable place for
quantum phenomena.
Evidence is beginning to emerge, however, that quantum effects do play a role in biological processes,
including photosynthesis, bird navigation, the mammalian sense of smell and genetic mutation. There
are also some untested claims that quantum mechanics could even solve the mystery of consciousness.
Much research will be required to give us an idea of how important quantum effects are in the living
world. And already scientists have founded a new interdisciplinary field, quantum biology, as a focus
for the work. Last month, about 50 adherents attended a conference at the University of Surrey.
The basic idea is far from new. In 1944, Erwin Schrödinger,
In the blood co-founder of quantum mechanics, proposed, in his book What
A genetic study has identified is Life?, that quantum effects were important in genetics; but
21 gene variants associated he provided no way of testing the theory. “By and large, it was
with blood fat levels, including ignored by 20th-century biologists,” says Johnjoe McFadden,
levels of “good” HDL and “bad” professor of molecular genetics at Surrey. “But in the second
LDL cholesterol – risk factors decade of the 21st century, ignoring Schrödinger’s bold
for heart disease. proposal is no longer an option.”
Quantum biologists do generally ignore unverifiable speculation that human consciousness is a
quantum phenomenon, McFadden says, and focus on effects that might be susceptible to experimental
investigation and explanation.
The ways birds navigate, using Earth’s magnetic field, is a leading contender. What happens is that a
photon hits a specialised photoreceptor in the avian eye, creating two electrons that are entangled in a
quantum sense. The behaviour of the spinning electrons as they move apart depends on the orientation
of the magnetic field, giving the birds a quantum compass.
Equally complex mechanisms are suggested for other proposed quantum processes. These include
genetic mutation, the way nasal receptors recognise smell, and the speed of photosynthesis and other
biochemical reactions. Experimentation should soon resolve the issue of whether quantum biology is
real and, if so, how widespread its effects are.
An absorbing way of cleaning up oil spills
Disastrous spills at sea haunt oil companies for years, writes Denise Roland. The impact on the local
economy and environment does not recede swiftly – and the clean-up costs take their toll on the balance
sheet.
But these devastating effects may soon become a thing of the past. Scientists at Pennsylvania State
University have developed a “super-absorbent” material that can soak up 45 times its weight in oil,
creating a gel that can easily be removed from water.
“Had this material been applied to the top of the leaking well head in the Gulf of Mexico during the
2010 spill, it could have effectively transformed the gushing brown oil into a floating gel for easy
collection and minimised the pollution consequences,” said authors Xuepei Yuan and Mike Chung,
describing their findings in the journal Energy & Fuels.
The technology has existed for some time but has never been applied to oil slicks. “We have been
working with these kinds of polymers for 20 years, but after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill we wondered
whether our material could provide a solution,” says Yuan.
Although mopping up oil is nothing new, the existing methods can lead to further environmental
problems. Various substances have been used to soak up slicks, ranging from straw and silkworm
cocoons to synthetic fibre pads. But these materials take up oil slowly, do not retain it well and can
render it unrecoverable by absorbing water at the same time.
Page 138
The new polymer, which is cheap and easy to make, forms much stronger bonds with oil than existing
materials. And since the resulting gel is similar enough to crude oil to be refined and sold, it avoids
issues of waste and disposal.
The researchers believe they may have discovered a complete solution for tackling oil spills. “This
cost-effective new technology should dramatically reduce the environmental impacts from oil spills and
help recover one of our most precious natural resources,” they say.
Birds show character through their colour
Red-heads are aggressive and dominant, while black-heads are
quieter and submissive but at the same time inquisitive and willing to
take risks. The heads in question belong to Gouldian finches, a
sociable Australian species whose feathers grow in a variety of
colours.
Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found that a finch’s
Gouldian finches’ behaviour could be predicted from its head plumage, which is usually
black or red (and very rarely yellow). The study, published in the
behaviour can be predicted
journal Animal Behaviour, measured three aspects of avian
by their plumage
personality: aggression, boldness and risk-taking.
The scientists investigated boldness from the birds’ willingness to investigate unfamiliar objects such as
strings dangling from a perch. Black-headed birds were more likely to approach and touch them than
the red-heads.
To test for risk-taking behaviour, they presented scary images of a predatory hawk close to the birds’
feeders. Again, birds with black heads returned to feed sooner than the red-heads. For aggression, the
researchers put a feeder out for two hungry birds, with room for just one bird to eat. They found that
red-heads were quicker than black-heads to display threatening behaviour and fight off another bird.
Leah Williams of Liverpool John Moores commented: “We think that head colour is used as a signal of
personality to other birds in the flock, so they know who to associate with.”
A way to ensure that Africa’s bread rises
African lifestyles are changing fast and so too are gastronomic habits, as people leave
rural settlements for the cities, writes Denise Roland. High demand for wheat, the basis
of many convenience foods, is causing a crisis in the region, which only grows 44 per
cent of what it consumes and faces rising costs of importing the crop.
But wheat farming in sub-Saharan Africa could be at least four times more productive,
with potential for 10-fold increases in some areas, according to research by scientists at
the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre in Mexico. This would greatly
reduce or even eliminate dependence on expensive foreign imports.
Researchers used climate and soil data to simulate crop growth using
A good harvest: farming
computer modelling. They found that eight sub-Saharan nations could
in sub-Saharan Africa
significantly improve their wheat output without needing irrigation, by
could become more
exploiting genetically modified grain varieties and using advanced
productive management methods.
Turning the theory into reality will require strong support from governments and NGOs, says lead
researcher Bekele Shiferaw: “Our work suggests that fulfilling the promise of this study will require a
shift in how the crop is viewed in sub-Saharan Africa and will only occur with significant support from
governments and development agencies.”
But the huge economic benefits from applying these techniques may be difficult for governments to
ignore as the continent’s urban population looks set to quadruple by 2050 and, with it, Africa’s appetite
for wheat.
Page 139
B
Clean jeans: wash away pollution
A chemist and a fashion expert have collaborated to produce a laundry
additive that could help destroy nitrogen oxides and improve urban air
quality
Clive Cookson · OCTOBER 13, 2012
An unusual collaboration between chemists and fashion experts has
produced pollution-busting clothes, which clean up urban air as
people walk around.
Tony Ryan, chemistry professor at Sheffield University, and Helen
Storey of the London College of Fashion, lead the Catalytic Clothing
partnership. They’ve produced prototype jeans in which the denim is
laden with nanoparticles of titanium dioxide or titania, which
catalyse the destruction of nitrogen oxides, the main cause of low-
level urban pollution.
Catalytic Clothing has already been exhibited at science and fashion
shows, with the particles sprayed on to the denim. The next step, in
collaboration with Ecover, the green detergent manufacturer, will be
to develop a laundry additive called CatClo that adds the titania in a
domestic washing machine. This would bring the idea to a mass
market where it could make a real difference to urban air quality.
Ingenious: a laundry One person wearing clothes treated with CatClo could remove about
additive could help to 5g of nitrogen oxides a day. That’s about the same as the daily
destroy nitrogen oxides emissions of an average family car.
“If thousands of people used the additive, the result would be a
significant improvement in air quality,” says Ryan. “In Sheffield, for instance, if everyone washed their
clothes in the additive, there would be no pollution problem caused by nitrogen oxides at all.”
Clothes need only be washed once with CatClo, because the nanoparticles grip tightly on to
fabric fibres without affecting the clothing’s look or feel. Although best suited to denim
and other cottons, they also work with other materials.
When CatClo encounters nitrogen oxides, they end up as harmless nitrates, which are
washed away when the material is next laundered. The reaction requires light; sunshine is
best but ordinary daylight or artificial light is fine.
Titania nanoparticles are already used extensively in sunscreens where they protect the skin
from ultraviolet solar radiation. Their pollution-busting photocatalysis has been
incorporated in solid materials such as glass, paints, cements and paving stones. But the
CatClo researchers believe it will have more impact in clothing.
“The technology is not new, but the application is,” says Storey, whose
'Red Planet' dress short film about CatClo has gone viral. “The feedback revealed a massive
created by Professor market for this product from potential consumers who understand the
Helen Storey MBE concept behind it.”
and Professor Tony The additive could be on sale within two years, costing as little as 10 pence
Ryan OBE for a full washing load.
Page 140
Now you see them: vanishing electronics

Biodegradable is a term normally reserved for compost, paper and eco-friendly plastic bags, writes
Denise Roland. But now scientists have found a way to make electronics that simply disappear when
they’re no longer needed.
Not only does this mean greener gadgets with decomposing parts, but as the materials are also
“biocompatible” – meaning they do no harm to the body – it opens the possibility of implanting
electronics in patients without worrying about their removal.
An international team of researchers has developed electronics so thin that they dissolve completely on
contact with just a few drops of water or bodily fluids. Yet the silicon nano-membranes supporting the
components are substantial enough for sophisticated devices like minuscule digital cameras. And by
running the electronics using induction coils – a wireless power supply – they can operate without
being connected to an electricity source.
“From the earliest days of the electronics industry, a key goal has been to build devices that last
forever,” says John Rogers of the University of Illinois who led the research. “But if you think about
the opposite possibility – devices engineered to disappear in a controlled manner – then other,
completely different kinds of application opportunities turn up.”
Uses for so-called “transient electronics” are many and varied, ranging from medical devices that
function for only a few days to longer-lasting components of mobile phones.
Determining exactly when the device will dissolve is done by controlling the solubility of its silk
casing. The thickness and structure of the coating can be programmed to fine-tune the lifespan of the
device, from days to years.
“It’s a new concept, so there are lots of opportunities, many of which we probably have not even
identified yet,” explains Professor Rogers. The research is published online in the journal Science.
When one quake leads to another
This year’s largest earthquake, a magnitude 8.6 event under the East
Indian Ocean off Sumatra on April 11, caused little immediate
damage, but it triggered other quakes around the world for the
following week.
Analysis by US seismologists, published in Nature, shows the quake
was extremely unusual. Most great earthquakes occur on the
boundaries between tectonic plates, when one plate slips over
A map of seismic activity another. This one was different, taking place within the Indo-
after an earthquake in the Australian plate with a predominantly horizontal rather than a vertical
Indian Ocean movement.
The lateral movement was good news because it avoided the devastating tsunami often generated by
great sub-sea quakes. But it also meant that the tremor generated more powerful waves through the
Earth’s crust, triggering significant seismic activity for at least a week.
“Until now we seismologists have always said: ‘Don’t worry about distant earthquakes triggering local
quakes,’” says Roland Burgmann, earth science and planetary professor at the University of California,
Berkeley. “This study now says that, while it may only happen every few decades, it is a real possibility
if the right kind of earthquake happens.
“We found a lot of big events around the world, including in Baja California, Indonesia and Japan that
created significant local shaking,” he adds. “If those quakes had been in an urban area, it could
potentially have been disastrous.”
Why coffee can be bittersweet
When you wake up and smell the coffee, actually tasting it can be a bitter disappointment, writes Ling
Ge. Recent findings from neuroscience and psychology reveal why – and how complex tasting really is.
Page 141
Sun worship People often imagine that taste comes from the tongue. In fact,
According to Harvard Medical the tongue and associated receptors in the mouth detect only
School researchers, people can salty, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and metallic sensations. Yet we
be addicted to tanning – in the also experience mint, vanilla, coffee, strawberry and myriad
sun or in salons. And the other flavours.
addiction is like being hooked “Eighty per cent of what we think of as taste actually reaches
on alcohol or drugs. us through smell,” says Barry Smith, co-director of the Centre
for the Study of the Senses at the University of London.
There are two ways of smelling – “orthonasal” (the odour comes in through nostrils) and “retronasal”
(it travels up the oral cavity inside the mouth to the olfactory bulb).
“The smell of freshly brewed coffee is absolutely wonderful. Aren’t you a little disappointed when you
taste it? If you hold your nose, coffee is hot water with a bitter taste,” Smith says. This is because saliva
strips off about 300 of the 631 airborne chemicals that combine to form coffee’s complex aroma, so
you receive only half of it retronasally.
Taste is also influenced by the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for sensation in the face,
including the pain in the bridge of your nose if you have too much wasabi or mustard. The trigeminal
nerve also makes chillies taste hot and peppermint cool, even though there is no difference in the
temperature in the mouth.
C
Childhood in Yorkshire
A life-long closeness between brothers is forged in their shared love of the
natural world
Review by Carl Wilkinson · OCTOBER 13, 2012
Ted & I: A Brother’s Memoir, by Gerald Hughes, The Robson Press, RRP£16.99, 228 pages
“Poetry is a way of contacting your family when they are gone,” the late poet laureate Ted Hughes once
said. His poems drew deeply on his relationships with his family and the natural world around him, and
in this genial and touching memoir Hughes’s older brother Gerald – now 92 – shares his own memories
of their childhood in Yorkshire, roaming the woods and fields around their home in Mytholmroyd near
Hebden Bridge and later in the larger mining town of Mexborough.
Gerald, 10 years Ted’s senior, took him under his wing early: the pair trooped off together on a
camping trip when Ted was just five; Gerald took him hunting for rats and rabbits, fishing the local
canal, kite-flying and walking in the Calder Valley. Their life-long closeness was forged here in their
shared love of the natural world, as was Hughes’s poet’s eye for the landscape and wildlife – the
hawks, pike and foxes – that would populate his great poems.”

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Subskills Practice:
Identifying the Writer’s Attitude
& Inferring Meaning
THỨ BẢY, 23 THÁNG 7, 2016 
[A] Identifying the writer’s attitude
To identify attitude, opinion or feeling, read the whole text first to get the gist
meaning. Then read sections again, thinking carefully about how verbs
(especially verbs of opinion), adjectives or adverbs are used, as well as
linkers and negatives.
1 Each of these sentences expresses an opinion, feeling or attitude.

Select the word or phrase which expresses the opinion, feeling or
attitude given. There may be more than one word or phrase in each
sentence. Make a table of keywords.
1. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's strength of opinion?
I couldn’t care less what everyone says I just don’t think it’s worth it.
2. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's admiration?
Her performance was all the more impressive when you consider
her physical and mental state just 12 months ago.
3. Which part of the sentence shows surprise?
Her performance was all the more impressive when you consider
her physical and mental state just 12 months ago.
4. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's doubt?
Am I supposed to believe that people really like these shows and
travel long distances to attend?
5. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's uncertainty?
I’m having trouble understanding what this award is about. If the
aim is to open the debate, I wish you luck with that.
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6. Which part of the sentence shows the writer feels her opinion has been
confirmed?
It’s reassuring to read the words of a young person who already
understands that body acceptance is something that one cannot
take for granted.
7. Which part of the sentence shows the writer is concerned?
But it also highlights a worryingly unhealthy trend among our youth.
8. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's disbelief?
It’s an admirable notion, but it’s hard to see this working in reality.
9. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's strong disagreement?
The idea that technology alone can replace teaching is
laughable.
10. Which part of the sentence shows the writer's approval?
This is good news for the charities, who do such magnificent work
raising funds for the research and support systems they offer.
2 Read these students’ ideas from their essays on social networking.

Match each text (1-5) to the opinion (A-F) it expresses. Identify the
keywords.
A. Our old ways of dealing with social issues don’t work anymore.
B. We haven’t yet fully explored the impact of social media on our society.
C. Safety and security is more important than personal freedom.
D. We shouldn’t take what people say on social media too seriously.
E. We need a way of making people take responsibility for their actions on
the web.
F. You should behave in the same way on the web as you would anywhere
else.
1. The whole point about social media is that it is not permanent like
writing a book or an article; it is more disposable. Our reactions are more
instantaneous – we might get annoyed by trivial matters and throw out a
comment in the heat of the moment, probably for joy or specific reactions.
Even if it could be fairly offensive, it is a natural part of communication.
2. It would be unrealistic to treat each instance of an offensive remark on
social media as a possibly criminal act. There would potentially be millions
of conversations for police to investigate. On the other hand, the cry
freedom of speech cannot be used to justify some netizens’ behaviour on the
web. We need an informed debate about the limits of free speech in this age
of social media.
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3. When ones are in the public eye, some are inclined to believe that they
have the right to judge others. We must have suffered some really hurtful
comments once in a lifetime, and we might have realised that we are not as
thick-skinned as we thought we were. Although we may not want a full
criminal prosecution in these circumstances, it does not necessarily mean
we believe no action should be taken. We cannot let them get away with
claiming whatever they feel like.
4. No-one can deny the almost immeasurable transformation our lives have
undergone with the advent of the web and social networking, from business
to personal relationships. We are undoubtedly still learning how to
negotiate this new world, not least in the area of so-called Twitter abuse.
What once may have been judged grossly offensive if printed or broadcast
may now need to be reconsidered in an age where communications can go
round the world in an instant and be seen by millions more than they were
intended for.
5. We tend to see social media as an extension of our face-to-face social
lives, without realising the added consequences of what communicating
over the internet truly means. We feel as if we are conversing with our
friends, but with the added anonymity of superficial presence. Yet in the
same way that we would not make deliberately unfavourable comments on
a friend, nor should we over the internet. Using an eyecatching sobriquet
does not make us any less offensive.
6. We will probably not argue with the belief that freedom of speech is a
fundamental human right, and we almost certainly do not want to have our
every single word controlled or watched over. Having considered that, there
is little doubt that the web can be utilised for a multitude of activities, not
all of them law-abiding or innocuous. The police have the right to patrol
social media, especially to monitor for suspicious activity.
[B] Inferring meaning
Writers don’t always state their opinions or feelings directly in a text; or
even the topic about which they’re writing. In fact, it’s very common for a
writer to do this by selecting certain grammatical structures or vocabulary
which refer to the topic or imply their opinion.
3 For each text, A–E, choose the most appropriate topic. You may
need to use some topics more than once, or not at all. Identify the
keywords.
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A. Personally, I left the profession because the textbook was taught without
any further discussion, without encouraging young people to develop their
own informed opinions.
B. Admitting to a love of fantasy halves your IQ instantaneously in many
high-minded circles. You might as well declare a family of little people live
in a shoebox under your bed.
C. This was developed by a young man in black-rimmed glasses who spent
five years ignoring his girlfriend in order to make a game that is supposed
to make us nostalgic for the early computer games we played (or not) as
kids.
D. Making changes to our environment may be more effective than trying to
exercise selfcontrol. Ellis found that the simple old trick of eating off
smaller plates worked.
E. It was an extraordinary triumph of old technology over new, of basic
science over spaceage wizardry and it led to a planet-saving pact, one of the
most successful treaties ever agreed.
1. Career choices 6. Humour
2. Climate change 7. Frustration
3. The education system 8. Agreement
4. Dieting 9. Incomprehension
5. Other people’s opinions 10. Neutraulity
To understand what a writer is implying in a text, you must consider

carefully their choice of words and grammatical structure. Sometimes the
real message is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words. It’s
important to read the whole text or extract to identify the overall tone of the
text, before considering the meaning of specific phrases or sentences.
4 Read the text and answer the questions using your own words.
Identify the keywords that helped you find the answers and make a
table of keywords.
On the face of it there is no reason why J.K. Rowling shouldn’t make the
transition to writing adult fiction. Lots of novelists have managed to write
successfully for children and adults. It would however be surprising if she
had a comparable success with adult fiction. It is more likely that her adult
novels will be good, but not remarkably good, that Harry Potter will stand
in the same relation to anything else she may do as Sherlock Homes does to
the rest of Conan Doyle’s work.
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In one sense of course it doesn’t matter what reviewers say. The novel is
sure to be a great commercial success. Legions of Potter fans will buy it –
even though the limited information released in advance of publication
suggests that it bears no resemblance to the sequence which delighted
them. Indeed it sounds as if the only thing it may have in common with the
Potter books is Rowling’s ability to tell you a story that keeps you reading.
This of course is no mean quality and it is one which many highly regarded
literary novelists lack. I suspect that the new novel will turn out to be an
intelligent page-turner, and none the worse for being that, some will say.
1. How successful does the writer expect J.K. Rowling’s adult novels to be?
2. The writer does not believe J.K. Rowling’s adult novel will be considered
a great work of fiction. Select the key words and phrases from the text
which show this. Make a table of keywords.
3. EXTRA: Summarise the text using your own words as far as possible.
table of keywords.
This house would open all areas of
knowledge to scientific investigation
Debating societies - yes or no? Discuss. Anyhow, last night I was the
proposer of the above motion at the UCL debating society. Below is my
prepared opening statement, and I thought you might enjoy shooting it
down in the comments...
JON BUTTERWORTH· Tue 23 Oct 2012 22.33
The debating chamber in Geneva where WWII was not stopped.

First of all, the motion says "would". I take this to mean "would, if we could". Science
requires experiment, and there are some questions we do not have the means to address
scientifically, at least at the moment.
But I support the aspiration and I hope you will too.
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"Scientific Investigation" is a technique for achieving knowledge which is as unbiased and

objective as possible.
It is not infallible, it is not always particularly efficient, but it is quite simply the best
way we have of not fooling ourselves.
Are there any areas of knowledge that we want to fool ourselves about?
I don't think so. Knowledge may be uncomfortable, but ignorance can be catastrophic.
Given the background and profile of the other speakers, I suspect much of this debate will
focus on research around human life. When it comes to life, I'm an amateur. But I think a
couple of examples from physics might help.
The most stunning one, I think, is the development of quantum mechanics. From the
point of view of physicists at the time, this was a complete car crash.
The model - of seeking underlying mechanisms for physical processes - which had served
incredibly well from at least the time of Copernicus through Newton, Kelvin and even
Einstein (who participated in its overthrow but never accepted its consequences) came
about through repeated application of the scientific method. In the face of the most
massive cultural biases, the fact was established.
Nature stubbornly behaved in a way which could only be understood by rethinking pretty
much every assumption ever made by the most influential physicists - the heroes. In the
end quantum mechanics rules. It works. It lies behind the whole digital technology of our
civilisation, and more besides. And it went counter to every established scientific
prejudice of the days, except for the prejudice that the method works.
The physicists of old might be horrified by the outcome, and by the cultural miasma that
allows, for example, homeopaths to claim quantum mechanics gives water memory. But
they would I hope be proud of the success of the scientific method. (Which of course also
tells us that water is water, sugar is sugar, and placebos are placebos.)
There are moral debates to be had about the uses to which knowledge is put. There are
moral debates to be had about the development of specific technologies from knowledge.
But the debate around the morality of nuclear weapons would not be well-served by
declaring the study of fundamental physics off limits. Nor would the debates about
cloning, or genetic engineering, be well served by declaring the study of life off limits.
The scientific pursuit of an understanding of the universe in which we live, the basic
constituents, life itself, and the farthest galaxies, is an interconnected and unpredictable
activity. Incremental advances in one area can cause sudden revolutions in another. To
declare some areas out of bounds would not only be unpredictably damaging in its impact,
but would probably be doomed to failure.
A rear-guard action against some uncomfortable areas of knowledge may succeed in
delaying the inevitable; but surely it is better to seek the knowledge, and face the moral
issues which follow with open eyes and minds.
None of that is intended to imply that the very pursuit of knowledge is such a high
imperative that it negates all other considerations. In particular, we are back to the
"means" here, and the "would" in the title of the motion.
An example close to my heart: The Large Hadron Collider and the discovery of a Higgs
boson - in fact the whole of particle physics together - costs the UK taxpayer about £2 a
year. There are no significant environmental or existential risks, and many benefits.
If the cost were an order of magnitude higher, one might start to ask whether the money
could be better spent. It may be that the returns would also rise, and we would all benefit.
Page 148
Certainly the endeavour much more than pays for itself at present. But a net financial
outlay would raise moral and practical questions about priorities for public expenditure.
And if there had been any credible risk of creating, for example, black holes which might
consume the world (or even a suburb of Geneva), that would clearly have been a problem.
None of that would have been reason to label the Higgs boson itself off limits in principle.
But they may have been reasons to halt that line of research until better (safer, more
affordable) methods were available.
Similarly, considerations about damage or risk to humans, to animals or to the
environment, might impact upon efforts to understand biology, psychology or related
areas. Knowledge, the ends, do not justify all means. But regulating means and methods
is a very different matter from declaring certain areas closed in principle to scientific
inquiry.
So I would have all areas of knowledge open in principle. If no acceptable means exist to
address, scientifically, some important area, I would have us develop better means. But to
declare any area closed in principle to scientific inquiry is to declare that we wish to be
fooled.
And nature, the universe, does not treat fools kindly.
I urge you to support the motion.
1. What does the writer mean by the title of the article?
2. Why does the writer describe the discovery of quantum mechanics as a
complete car crash?
table of keywords.
We got into the car and pulled away in silence. I turned away to look out of the window,
my knees drawn up, reliving the argument in my mind, justifying my own position. We
drove on, mile after mile, without exchanging a word. As dusk fell, I could see his
reflection in the glass, occasionally turning to look at me, to try to catch my eye. It was
raining when we came into the nearest town. I broke the silence.
“I’ll get the train. Leave me at the station please.” My voice sounded harsh and
unnatural.
“I’ll take you to the airport, it’s not a problem.” He spoke gently, trying to appease me.
“No, I’d prefer to take the train.” He didn’t agree.
The station was busy and bright after the dark of the roads. He pulled up, turning to me
in his seat.
“Let me take you, it’s not far.” His voice was almost pleading as he searched my face for a
sign of softening.
I wouldn’t look at him. I grabbed my bag, muttered something and walked away. I heard
him call after me, then other drivers beeping and shouting. Suddenly I couldn’t face the
cold empty train carriage, the anonymity of the airport terminal; I wanted the company of
someone familiar. I turned back towards the car, but he had already gone.
1. How did the writer feel at the time of writing? And how does the writer
feel now, looking back at the event?
to receive my feedback.)
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Subskills Practice:
Coherence: Theme
THỨ BA, 26 THÁNG 7, 2016 
Writers use different ways to develop ideas in a text. They can give an
example of what they mean, expand the information they’ve given or explain
their idea. They might also give a concrete example of an abstract concept, or
make a contrasting statement.
1 Look at the text about a Gardening Project in Battersea. Complete

each paragraph by choosing the best sentence, A–G. Identify the
keywords.
A. However, a wave of budget cuts threatens to weaken these services on
both sides of the Atlantic.
B. Each year, the group’s Battersea project offers horticultural therapy to
around 300 people in the belief that it will improve their lives.
C. Lilies and jasmine grow alongside plums and cabbages. Groups of
gardeners tend a colourful wash of flowers and plant life.
D. For centuries Japanese gardens have inspired peace and meditation
while nearly every culture has used herbs to treat illnesses.
E. In Norway, for example, people suffering from depression have the
opportunity to work on farms, while mental health patients in Singapore
are prescribed gardening on hospital grounds to recover from stress.
F. After observing two groups of hospital patients, he found that patients
with rooms that overlooked trees recovered faster than those who faced
buildings. They also took less pain medication.
G. It exists in colours, sounds and fragrances.
Page 150
1. The transformation has been driven by a charity that helps people with
disabilities and mental illness through gardening. _____
2. In the past decade a growing number of hospitals, prisons and mental
health institutions around the world have adopted horticultural therapy as
a supplementary treatment for a range of illnesses. _____
3. The belief in the restorative power of plants is nothing new. _____
4. The positive health impacts can be lasting, too. In 1984 Roger Ulrich,
then a professor at Texas A&M University, discovered that looking at
plants inspires a positive response in our bodies. _____
5. Gardens also have a sensory power that is less quantifiable. _____
6. Today the demand for mental health services is growing throughout
Europe and the US. _____
Check your answers: 1B 2E 3D 4F 5G 6A
2 EXTRA: Summarise the full text using your own words as far as
possible.
A root to recovery
Hospitals, prisons and mental health institutions are increasingly using
horticulture as therapy
Tamzin Baker · SEPTEMBER 22, 2012
Tucked away at the north end of London’s Battersea Park, a long-abandoned English rose garden is
being given a new lease of life. Honeysuckle and jasmine grow alongside pomegranates and rhubarb.
Groups of gardeners tend a colourful wash of flowers and plant life. After years of dilapidation, the red-
bricked walls once again have something worth protecting.
The transformation has been driven by Thrive, a charity that helps people with disabilities and mental
illness through gardening. Each year, the group’s Battersea project offers horticultural therapy to
around 300 people in the belief that it will improve their lives. For those involved, the garden has
become a classroom and refuge.
Mary (not her real name), who regularly tends the garden, has multiple personality disorder and swings
between having the identity of a highly articulate woman and various young girls. In her backpack she
carries a teddy bear, and a book by Stephen Fry. On the day of my visit she is taken up with studying
weeds such as rosebay willowherb.
“I don’t need a hospital but I am not ready for the real world. This is a good balance and when people
ask about my life I can say that I am a gardener,” says Mary, who also cares for a private garden in
west London. “Gardening is grounding and you quickly feel like you’re accomplishing something.”
In the past decade a growing number of hospitals, prisons and mental health institutions around the
world have adopted horticultural therapy as a supplementary treatment for a range of illnesses. In
Norway, for example, people suffering from depression have the opportunity to work on farms, while
mental health patients in Singapore are prescribed gardening on hospital grounds to alleviate stress.
The belief in the restorative power of plants is nothing new. For centuries Japanese gardens have
inspired peace and meditation while nearly every culture has used herbs to treat illnesses. In 500BC
Page 151
Persians began creating fragrant gardens to please the senses and in ancient Egypt, court physicians
prescribed walks in the palace gardens for the mentally ill.
“Anti-depressants are flattening and they take away one’s emotion,” says Sir Richard Thompson,
president of the Royal College of Physicians in London. “Pills are very effective when they are needed
[to treat depression] but gardening, surely, is a much better alternative when it works.”
Sir Richard adds that gardening, like any physical activity, helps us feel better. One hour of vigorous
weeding, for example, can burn up to 200 calories and also improves co-ordination and flexibility.
The positive health impacts can be lasting, too. In 1984 Roger Ulrich, then a professor at Texas A&M
University, discovered that looking at plants inspires a positive response in our bodies. After observing
two groups of hospital patients, he found that patients with rooms that overlooked trees recovered faster
than those who faced buildings. They also took less pain medication.
In 2007 Christopher Lowry of Bristol University also discovered that mycobacterium vaccae, a
harmless bacterium in soil, may trigger the release of serotonin in the brain. And at the Norwegian
University of Life Sciences, researchers observed 46 people with clinical depression and found that
participants on average had significantly reduced anxiety levels after 12 weeks of gardening.
Gardens also have a sensory power that is less quantifiable: it exists in colours, sounds and fragrances.
For some the real pleasure may be in working the soil, while for others it may have more to do with the
idea of creating living beauty.
At the South Florida Reception Center, a state prison in Miami, James Jiler encourages incarcerated
men to garden. By digging through coral rock and burying kitchen waste for compost they have
managed to cultivate papaya and tamarind trees. The fruit is sold in low-income neighbourhoods as a
way for inmates, many of whom are serving life sentences, to keep in touch with their communities.
Of the 2.3m people in the US prison system, around 80 per cent are sentenced for non-violent, drug-
related crimes, says Jiler. Many are battling serious addiction and traumas related to mental illness.
“I often find that those who suffer from mental illness have never been given credit for anything
positive,” says Jiler, who also co-directs Here’s Help, a garden project for young adults at a drug
rehabilitation facility in Opa-Locka, Miami. “When they begin working with plants they’re suddenly
getting good responses and soon correction officers are asking them for advice about their own
gardens.”
In 1985 Jiler gave up a Wall Street career so that he could help people connect to nature. Before settling
in Florida he directed the GreenHouse Project, a programme run by the Horticultural Society of New
York for inmates on Rikers Island, one of the largest prison complexes in the US, which houses some
14,000 convicts.
Jiler acknowledges that gardening is not to everyone’s liking and getting people interested often calls
for a creative approach.
“At first they’re inevitably thinking: ‘why is this guy talking to me about flowers?’” he says. “So I say
that I’m going to teach them how to grow good pot. Some are taking notes, asking questions. I have
them hooked.
“Then when a project is finished and they reflect on what the place looked like before, they suddenly
realise the power of what they just did,” adds Jiler. “There is a sense of pride that goes with turning a
seed into a plant and transforming barren ground into something beautiful.”
The sensory absorption that gardens provide can make them ideal backdrops for different types of
therapy. This has been the case for the men and women at Freedom from Torture’s treatment centre in
Finsbury Park, north London. Once a week clients, all of whom have struggled with depression and
post-traumatic stress disorder since fleeing torture in their native countries, plant flowers and
vegetables in the company of a psychotherapist.
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“Working in the garden has transformed my life,” says a client, who prefers to remain anonymous. “For
a long time I could only see pictures of brutality, but doing tasks like weeding takes your mind away
and nature brings hope to you when you plant.”
After several years he is still waiting to be granted asylum to remain in the UK. If allowed to stay, he
plans to take a university course in environmental science.
According to Caroline Roemmele, a psychotherapist, people communicate better after a short time
working in the garden. “It puts them in a better state of mind to process their trauma,” she says. “When
clients are calm and in a safe space they can begin to think about their experiences and slowly they can
become integrated into their memory.”
Roemmele also points to the social aspect of horticultural therapy, which she says is especially
important for those who have become isolated in their illness. “Often they work on a flower bed
together and discover they have common experiences,” she says. “They help support each other both
here and beyond the project.”
In spite of the proven benefits, horticultural therapy has its sceptics. In the UK, for example, the
National Health Service has no official guidance on the subject. Many clinical specialists say the
therapy is not effective on its own and should be supported by medication or psychotherapy and in
some cases both.
“General practitioners are not that switched on about the value of gardening and we’ve got to try and
convince them that it can be a cheap, worthwhile therapy for mild mental health problems,” says Sir
Richard, who has worked with Thrive for 12 years.
Today the demand for mental health services is soaring throughout Europe and the US. However, an
onslaught of budget cuts threatens to cripple these services on both sides of the Atlantic. In England,
where one in four people currently suffer from depression, mental health spending has dropped by
£150m for the first time in 10 years. The situation is equally troubling in the US: according to the
National Alliance on Mental Illness, states cumulatively cut spending by $1.6bn between 2009 and
2011. Psychiatric clinics continue to close across the country.
This would seem an opportune moment to take such a cheap and demonstrably effective treatment more
seriously. However, Sir Richard points out, holistic therapies such as these are the most likely
casualties of budget cuts.
“A recent Thrive study showed that the majority of people, if given the chance, would [choose to] have
access to a garden,” he says. “It is something that is in the English psyche and I think we should build
on that.”
The challenges: Gardens can be stressful
Gardening may provide benefits but that does not mean it is without challenges. Learning what will
take to your garden is often a tortuous case of trial and error. Some soil is deficient and while all plants
need sun, there is such a thing as too much of it.
“Thinking about all I have to do in the garden can actually make my stress levels rise,” says Alison
Grieve, a ceramist and gardener who lives near Bordeaux in south-west France. Grieve and her husband
Claude live in a remote 18th-century farmhouse, where for the past 22 years they have turned an open
field into a flower garden.
However, temperatures range from -15C to 45C, and tending to 18 flower beds is time-consuming and
often exhausting. Protecting the beds before the first hard frost is a race against time and keeping plants
alive in summer is constant work.
As a gardener you have to accept disappointments such as losing favourite plants and finding bulbs that
have been eaten by rodents. “Gardening helps you to accept that nature is imperfect. Although not
everything goes to plan, you equally get wonderful surprises.”
Horticultural therapy programmes: From Chicago to China
US
Page 153
The Bridge programme, which runs in collaboration with the Horticultural Society of New York, offers
gardening opportunities to people with mental illness in the Bronx and the Upper East Side of
Manhattan. www.thebridgeny.org
Urban GreenWorks, founded by James Jiler, is a non-profit organisation that oversees several garden
projects for incarcerated men and women, and at-risk youth in Miami, Florida.
www.urbangreenworks.org
Chicago Botanic Garden offers gardening sessions to people with mental and physical disabilities.
www.chicagobotanic.org
UK
Thrive has garden projects in Berkshire, in south-east England, and at Battersea Park in London.
Horticulture training is offered at the Old English Garden, which is sponsored by fragrance brand Jo
Malone. The group also has a database of 900 projects throughout the UK and can connect people to
projects in their area. www.thrive.org.uk
Mind is a mental health charity that runs garden projects across England and Wales. There are around
30 projects in London. www.mind.org.uk
Camden Garden Centre in London works with ex-offenders, the homeless and those recovering from
substance abuse issues.www.camdengardencentre.co.uk
Asia
The Hong Kong Horticultural Therapy Centre in China helps young and elderly people with a range of
disabilities and illnesses. www.hkhtcentre.com
The Institute of Mental Health in Singapore offers gardening as part of its rehabilitative programme.
www.imh.com.sg
To develop ideas in a text, writers often follow a pattern. They begin by

stating or introducing an idea or topic, and then may give an example or
examples to help explain what they mean. They may need to explain difficult
ideas, or describe a situation or experience. They will often end with a
summary, a conclusion or by describing the outcome of what has happened.
2 Look at these texts. Decide what the function of each section of

the text is. Identify the keywords that helped you find the answers
and make a table of keywords.
A
You might think your memory is a little fuzzy but not that it's
completely inaccurate. People believe that memory is like a video
or files stored in some sort of computer. But it's not like that at
all. Memories are actually constructed anew each time that you
remember something.
Each time you take an old activation sequence in your brain and
re-construct it; like building a toy airplane out of Lego and then
smashing the Lego, putting it back into the box, and building it
again. Each time you build it it's going to be a little bit different
based on the context and experience you have had since the last
time you created it.
Page 154
Oddly enough, the least remembered memory is the most

accurate. Each time you bring it into your life you edit it a little
more. In 1974 Elizabeth Loftus had people watch a film of two
cars having a collision and divided them into groups. Asking each
group the same question, she used a slightly different description:
how fast were the cars going when they contacted, hit, bumped,
collided or smashed? The more violent the wording, the higher
they estimated the speed. The way in which questions were
worded altered the memories subjects reported.
They weren't looking back to the memory of the film they
watched, they were building a new experience based on current
information. Memory is actually very malleable and it's
dangerous to think that memory is a perfect recording of a past
event.
B
Why coffee can be bittersweet
When you wake up and smell the coffee, actually tasting it can be
a bitter disappointment, writes Ling Ge. Recent findings from
neuroscience and psychology reveal why – and how complex
tasting really is.
Sun worship People often imagine that taste
According to Harvard comes from the tongue. In fact,
Medical School the tongue and associated
researchers, people can be receptors in the mouth detect only
addicted to tanning – in salty, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy
the sun or in salons. And and metallic sensations. Yet we
the addiction is like being also experience mint, vanilla,
hooked on alcohol or drugs. coffee, strawberry and myriad
other flavours.
“Eighty per cent of what we think of as taste actually reaches us
through smell,” says Barry Smith, co-director of the Centre for
the Study of the Senses at the University of London.
There are two ways of smelling – “orthonasal” (the odour comes in
through nostrils) and “retronasal” (it travels up the oral cavity
inside the mouth to the olfactory bulb).
“The smell of freshly brewed coffee is absolutely wonderful. Aren’t
you a little disappointed when you taste it? If you hold your nose,
coffee is hot water with a bitter taste,” Smith says. This is
because saliva strips off about 300 of the 631 airborne chemicals
Page 155
that combine to form coffee’s complex aroma, so you receive only

half of it retronasally.
Taste is also influenced by the trigeminal nerve, which is
responsible for sensation in the face, including the pain in the
bridge of your nose if you have too much wasabi or mustard. The
trigeminal nerve also makes chillies taste hot and peppermint
cool, even though there is no difference in the temperature in the
mouth.
C On the Map: Why the World Looks the

Way it Does by Simon Garfield: review
David Clack admires an enlightening book about cartography, On
the Map by Simon Garfield.
David Clack · 7:00AM GMT 30 Oct 2012
Joan Blaeu's world map from the Atlas maior Gerard Mercator and
Jodocus Hondius, in Mercator’s posthumous Atlas (1613).
If anyone has taken anything positive from the recent Apple
Maps disaster, it’s Simon Garfield. After all, what better way to
thrust cartography (to which his new book is a love letter) into the
forefront of public consciousness than by taking the world's most
omnipresent, most relied-on map and replacing it with a piece of
software so perforated with holes that ask it to find you a record
shop and it’ll suggest you drive off a bridge en route to your local
HMV. Not that the appeal of On the Map is a fluke of context –
far from it.
Page 156
Starting in Ancient Greece, the book delivers a chronologically

organised history of maps, atlases, charts and globes, telling the
often fascinating stories of key discoveries and specimens. There
are medieval mappa mundi scored into calf skin and adorned with
ornate cartouches, the Norse “Vinland” map that (if genuine)
predates Columbus’s discovery of the New World and, later on,
trigonometry and the dawn of Ordnance Survey.
There’s also an embittered chapter on the Global Positioning
System (“a loss for geography, history, navigation, maps, human
communication, and the sense of being connected to the world all
around us”), Sir Patrick Moore’s thoughts on the mapping of Mars
and a celebration of Google Maps. In other words, it’s a pub
quizzer’s dream.
That said, the constant flow of facts rarely becomes exhausting.
Having written books about subjects as niche as synthetic dyes,
stamps and fonts (last year’s cult hit Just My Type), Garfield’s
understanding of the average reader’s attention span is mercifully
realistic, and there’s rarely a train of thought that’s not rounded
off with a pithy anecdote or neat piece of cartographic trivia. One
of the most memorable concerns the London A-Z, the first edition
of which has Trafalgar Square missing from its index.
The reason? When working on the map in 1936, the designer
Phyllis Pearsall knocked a shoebox full of catalogue cards marked
“T” out of her office window onto High Holborn, some of which
were never recovered.
Rather than over-romanticise the experience of map-reading,
Garfield allows his varied, expertly researched stories to speak for
themselves, and in so doing helps us see that there are fewer
things in life more useful, rewarding and beautiful than a map
that does what it’s supposed to. Perhaps if Apple had read the
book a few months ago, today’s iPhone owners would have a much
better idea of where they’re going.
2EXTRA: Summarise each text using your own words as far as possible.
Page 157

Subskills Practice:
Logical & Cohesive Development
THỨ BA, 26 THÁNG 7, 2016 
One of the ways in which writers make their texts cohesive is through the
language that they use. For example, they will use words from a lexical set
based around a topic or theme of the text, or they will use certain
grammatical structures to link their ideas.
1 Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

You might think your memory is a little fuzzy but not that it's completely
inaccurate. People believe that memory is like a video or files stored in
some sort of computer. But it's not like that at all. Memories are actually
constructed anew each time that you remember something.
Each time you take an old activation sequence in your brain and re-
construct it; like building a toy airplane out of Lego and then smashing the
Lego, putting it back into the box, and building it again. Each time you
build it it's going to be a little bit different based on the context and
experience you have had since the last time you created it.
Oddly enough, the least remembered memory is the most accurate. Each
time you bring it into your life you edit it a little more. In 1974 Elizabeth
Loftus had people watch a film of two cars having a collision and divided
them into groups. Asking each group the same question, she used a slightly
different description: how fast were the cars going when they contacted, hit,
bumped, collided or smashed? The more violent the wording, the higher
they estimated the speed. The way in which questions were worded altered
the memories subjects reported.
They weren't looking back to the memory of the film they watched, they
were building a new experience based on current information. Memory is
actually very malleable and it's dangerous to think that memory is a perfect
recording of a past event.
Page 158
1. In one sentence, summarise the main idea of the text.

2. Select all the grammar reference words, e.g. pronouns, which refer to
memory in the first paragraph.
3. Select all the grammar reference words which refer to a toy airplane in
the second paragraph.

If anyone has taken anything positive from the recent Apple Maps disaster,
it’s Simon Garfield. After all, what better way to thrust cartography (to
which his new book is a love letter) into the forefront of public
consciousness than by taking the world's most omnipresent, most relied-on
map and replacing it with a piece of software so perforated with holes that
ask it to find you a record shop and it’ll suggest you drive off a bridge en
route to your local HMV. Not that the appeal of On the Map is a fluke of
context – far from it.
Starting in Ancient Greece, the book delivers a chronologically organised
history of maps, atlases, charts and globes, telling the often fascinating
stories of key discoveries and specimens. There are medieval mappa mundi
scored into calf skin and adorned with ornate cartouches, the Norse
“Vinland” map that (if genuine) predates Columbus’s discovery of the New
World and, later on, trigonometry and the dawn of Ordnance Survey.
There’s also an embittered chapter on the Global Positioning System (“a
loss for geography, history, navigation, maps, human communication, and
the sense of being connected to the world all around us”), Sir Patrick
Moore’s thoughts on the mapping of Mars and a celebration of Google Maps.
In other words, it’s a pub quizzer’s dream.
That said, the constant flow of facts rarely becomes exhausting. Having
written books about subjects as niche as synthetic dyes, stamps and fonts
(last year’s cult hit Just My Type), Garfield’s understanding of the average
reader’s attention span is mercifully realistic, and there’s rarely a train of
thought that’s not rounded off with a pithy anecdote or neat piece of
cartographic trivia. One of the most memorable concerns the London A-Z,
the first edition of which has Trafalgar Square missing from its index.
The reason? When working on the map in 1936, the designer Phyllis
Pearsall knocked a shoebox full of catalogue cards marked “T” out of her
office window onto High Holborn, some of which were never recovered.
Rather than over-romanticise the experience of map-reading, Garfield
allows his varied, expertly researched stories to speak for themselves, and
Page 159
in so doing helps us see that there are fewer things in life more useful,
rewarding and beautiful than a map that does what it’s supposed to.
Perhaps if Apple had read the book a few months ago, today’s iPhone
owners would have a much better idea of where they’re going.
1. In one sentence, summarise the reviewer’s opinion of the book.
2. Select all the words or phrases that reflect the reviewer’s positive opinion
of the book.
Writers often link or join their ideas using cohesive devices. These can show
time connections, cause and effect, comparison or contrast.

Ever since the profession was invented in the first half of the 19th century,
designers have been caught between two wildly incongruous ambitions. On
one side of a great cultural divide are those who see their job primarily as
seducing us into buying more of what they have to offer. The most extreme
example might be applying a citrus fruit-coloured makeover to some
underperforming gizmo to revive flagging sales.
Sometimes it is just the designer’s signature added to a humble domestic
appliance, in the way Philippe Starck pioneered with the lemon squeezer
and the toothbrush.
At the other end of the spectrum are those who believe design is a moral
issue, something that can make our lives better. William Morris, who was
an English wallpaper designer and champion of socialism, fought a crusade
against machines. He believed mechanisation was undermining traditional
craft skills, swamping the world in a tide of ugliness made possible by mass
production. Unfortunately, his distaste for machinery meant his furniture
was too expensive for the workers he wanted to rescue from capitalism.
This tension between what might be regarded as the cultural and the
commercial wings of design has rumbled on ever since. Where Morris’s
business failed, his contemporary, Christopher Dresser, was brilliantly
successful as the first design consultant to work with Midlands metal
manufacturers to equip the English middle classes with stylish teapots and
decanters.
It is too predictable to see Morris’s present day successors as the Greens. In
the 1960s, Dieter Rams, who is responsible for the look of Braun consumer
electronics, attempted to put the functionalist principles of the Bauhaus
into practice. He held the view that if an object was designed to do its job as
well as possible, then it would also look beautiful. Nowadays the
Page 160
sustainability camp takes a similar position. If an object is sustainable,

then it will automatically look good. In some cases this has been
undermined by the practice of “greenwashing”: just because something
looks sustainable and comes in recycled paper packaging, that doesn’t
actually mean it is sustainable.
1. Identify the cohesive devices used in the text and put them into groups.
2. EXTRA: Summarise the full text using your own words as far as possible.
https://www.ft.com/content/27ffe688-095e-11e2-a5e3-00144feabdc0
When you put sections of a text into order (Gapped Text), you need to think
about the content and how the ideas are developed as well as the linguistic,
grammatical and cohesive devices which link sentences together.
4 Look at this extract from a novel. Some of the sentences have

been removed and mixed up. Complete the text by filling the letter of
the missing sentences, A–J, into the gaps. There are two extra
sentences that you do not need to use.
A. and the flight took a day, with stops in Singapore, Delhi, Bahrain and
Rome.
B. Also this time I flew.
C. I threw my suitcase on my bed and noticed that the view was of the
harbour.
D. I felt that I could afford to.
E. that seemed a somehow embarrassing fact,
F. The proprietor of the shop, the only one open, was a Sikh, and the sight
of his turban bending over the display case as he fished out the watches
gave me a twinge of nostalgia for Hong Kong.
G. Pilots and crew changed regularly but the passengers did not.
H. whether because of my fear or inexperience, I couldn’t tell,
I. Last time I had described it to myself as going home.
J. At this rate, I would pay off my debts in two to three years and begin
making a profit within four.
After The Deep Water Bay Hotel had been up and running for some time, I
went back to England for the first time in fifteen years. (1) _____. The hotel
was going better than I had expected, and the restaurant much better. (2)
_____. There were differences about this trip to England. (3) _____. This
time I was going back. (4) _____. It was my first time in an aeroplane; (5)
_____ and I made a point of not telling anyone. The plane was a BOAC
Boeing 707, much bigger than I had imagined, (6) _____. At Delhi, in the
middle of the night, I bought two Indian-made watches as presents for
David’s boys. (7) _____. I stretched my legs at each of the airports, which
were less undifferentiated than they have since become. (8) _____. That
made the trip seem even more exhausting than it was.
Page 161
5 Fill in each gap with ONE word to complete the text.

Where did you last go shopping? For many, it was in front of a screen.
Change isn’t just coming, it has come and moved on. Internet shopping has
moved from PCs to tablets and is now (1) __________ to mobile phones. The
internet has made shops go out of the (2) __________ in some towns. The (3)
__________ quo is moving at a frightening pace.
It’s against that (4) __________ that retailers, landlords, banks, investors
and local authorities have (5) __________ up to launch the Distressed Retail
Property Taskforce. The group’s aim is to (6) __________ new life into
Britain’s ailing high streets, principally by assessing to what (7) __________
‘property indebtedness’ is acting as a(n) (8) __________ block to growth.
Experts argue that the level of debts many landlords and banks are (9)
__________ on retail properties has made them (10) __________ away either
from investing in sites or selling or demolishing them. The task force
intends to gather evidence that it hopes will persuade banks and landlords
to make ‘tough choices’ and (11) __________ the stalemate.
Getting to the (12) __________ causes behind the collapse of Britain’s high
streets is a worthwhile task, but the state of the high street is much more
than (13) __________ off debts. It is up to local authorities, developers and
retailers – as well as banks and landlords – to (14) __________ up with
solutions to turn things around. Banks or landlords need to (15) __________
up to the new (16) __________ of retail, but equally they need a compelling
story to invest in. That means all parties need to realise that the days of
retail chains pushing for a nationwide spread of hundreds of shops are a
thing of the (17) __________. They need to realise that the future of (18)
__________ and mortar retail is far from (19) __________, with other types of
development the only feasible option for the future. And they need to realise
that town centres will be as (20) __________ ‘showrooms’, where online
shoppers can go to touch products, as they will be about physical sales.
Key: 1. heading 2. business 3. status 4. backdrop 5. teamed 6. breathe 7.
extent 8. road 9. carrying 10. shy 11. break 12. root 13. paying 14. come 15.
wake 16. realities 17. past 18. bricks 19. assured 20. much
EXTRA: Summarise the text using your own words as far as possible.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/9641878/
The-internet-has-made-shops-obsolete-in-some-towns.html
Page 162
Một số ghi chú về dạy-học
Từ Vựng và luyện tập — kiểm tra theo
chương trình SGK thí điểm THCS-THPT

THỨ TƯ, 24 THÁNG 8, 2016 
Xin chia sẻ một số kinh nghiệm trong việc dạy-học Từ Vựng
(Vocabulary/Lexical Items) trong tiếng Anh nói chung, cụ thể dành cho HS
THCS-THPT, đối tượng rất cần một nền tảng và phương pháp phù hợp cho
việc phát triển ngôn ngữ sau này. SGV tiếng Anh thí điểm chỉ đưa ra một vài
gợi ý cơ bản như bên dưới, sau đó là chỉ dẫn khai thác các trò chơi:
“Encourage students to guess their [lexical items] meaning from the context.
For challenging words, provide Vietnamese equivalents to save time.
Students should be given opportunities to revise previously learnt vocabulary
such as individual words, phrases and collocations (words that go together)
through a variety of interesting activities and games such as Dictation,
Charades, Bingo, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Odd-One-Out.”
Rõ ràng việc áp dụng và hiệu quả của phương pháp trên (Direct Instruction)
tùy thuộc vào nhiều điều kiện khách quan và chủ quan. Ghi chép này trình
bày 4 phương pháp chính mà bản thân tôi nhận thấy phù hợp và có thể điều
chỉnh linh hoạt theo định hướng kiểm tra đánh giá (cơ bản và nâng cao) ở bậc
THCS-THPT. Đây không phải là những ý tưởng gì mới mẻ mà vốn đã được
sử dụng ở các nước có nền giáo dục phát triển, chỉ là một vài chỉ dẫn vốn
không được chú trọng khai thác tốt hoặc hầu như chưa được khai thác ở Việt
Nam.
1. CSSR/CSSD 2. PAVE 3. Analogies 4. Reading
1. CSSR/CSSD (Context - Structure - Sound - Reference/Dictionary)
 Hiểu như SGV là “guess their [lexical items] meaning from the
context”, nhấn mạnh việc hiểu nghĩa của từ trong ngữ cảnh, từ đó phát
triển và cải thiện vốn từ. Sau đây là một số loại context clues chính:
(i) Restatement Clues: The veterinarian treated every animal owner in an
affable manner; in other words, she was gentle and friendly with them.
(ii) Example Clues: Many types of fauna, for example the javelina, the
coyote, and the peregrine falcon, live in Big Bend National Park.
Page 163
(iii) Contrast Clues: Maria was enthralled by the new movie, but her friend
found it dull and uninteresting.
(iv) Cause & Effect Clues: Because he wanted to marry a divorcée, Edward
VIII chose to abdicate the British throne in 1936.
(v) Definition/Explanation Clues: The title of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel
Tender Is the Night contains an allusion, or reference, to a poem by John
Keats.
 HS có thể hệ thống từ vựng như ví dụ sau:
MANUSCRIPT - I found a tattered manuscript in an old trunk and began
reading it.
(a) Context: (v) [reading is a keyword that suggests the meaning of
manuscript, perhaps words on paper]
(Mở rộng bước này, GV/HS có thể chọn các ví dụ có collocation điển hình.)
(b) Structure: manu (hand) + script (to write)
(Để làm được bước này, HS cần được trang bị kiến thức về word parts, roots,
affixes,... vốn là trọng tâm phương pháp thứ hai, sẽ được trình bày ở phần
sau. GV cũng có thể tổng hợp các bảng word parts & meanings hoặc chỉ dẫn
HS đến các mục tham khảo có trong từ điển (e.g. OALD)/Internet để HS tra
cứu.)
(c) Sound: [manuscript sound like the word manual, which is a reference
book that provides instructions]
(HS tự đọc và ghép những word parts mình đã biết hoặc đọc theo GV.) (Tùy
chọn: ở bước này, HS có thể cần được bị những kiến thức cơ bản về
phonetics/phonology (vốn nên được dạy từ lớp 6) để nhận dạng/suy đoán cách
phát âm của từ.)
(d) Reference/Dictionary:
 “hand/typewritten document/paper
(ghi chú nghĩa theo từ điển hoặc nếu có, synonym, antonym, các cách diễn
đạt tương tự (paraphrase) và hoàn tất thông tin đúng ở các mục (b), (c))
 unsolicited/illuminated/surviving manuscript, in manuscript
(ghi chú một số collocation hoặc nếu có idioms, phrasal verbs,... điển
hình/thú vị)
 Gợi ý luyện tập - kiểm tra:
- CSSD (cơ bản): cho từ + ví dụ điển hình để HS hệ thống như ví dụ trên. HS
tự làm flash cards theo cá nhân hoặc theo nhóm/cặp.
- Matching (cơ bản): nối từ được cho trong ví dụ điển hình và nghĩa của
chúng. (Thông thường bài tập dạng này trong các sách tham khảo chỉ cho từ
Page 164
và nghĩa để nối với nhau mà thiếu phần ví dụ điển hình để giúp HS hiểu và
vận dụng các context clues.)
- (w/o) multiple-choice (nâng cao): sentence completion, synonyms/antonyms
(also matching), cloze,...
- Sentence transformation (nâng cao): viết / trắc nghiệm
2. PAVE (Predict - Associate - Verify - Evaluate)
Phương pháp này chú trọng đến việc sử dụng các word parts, context cũng
như những hiểu biết, liên hệ với thế giới quan để unlock nghĩa của từ, đồng
thời ứng dụng vào các kĩ năng khác như Writing và Reading.
 Predict: sử dụng context và những kiến thức về word parts để đoán
nghĩa của từ
 Associate: HS tự viết câu có sử dụng từ mới
 Verify: sử dụng từ điển để kiểm tra nghĩa của từ
 Evaluate: kiểm tra và sửa chữa câu văn vừa viết
Đối với GV, những kĩ năng trên có thể đã trở thành second nature, và hầu
như chúng ta cũng không nhận thức được bản thân mình đang sử dụng
chúng. Tuy nhiên, HS sẽ không dễ dàng nhận ra và áp dụng vì đây gần như
là một quá trình âm thầm và tự sáng tỏ. Do đó, GV cần:
 thể hiện, làm mẫu để HS được thấy những kĩ năng trên “in action”; sau
đó đưa ra những chỉ dẫn rõ ràng, trực tiếp để giúp HS hiểu và áp dụng;
GV cần thể hiện mình như một language mentor, luôn chủ động tìm tòi
và biết cách tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, đồng thời truyền cảm hứng cho HS;
 tạo một môi trường học tập năng động bằng cách tận dụng các bức
tường trong lớp học sao cho hiệu quả. Ví dụ: GV cùng với HS tạo ra
“Word Wall” cho riêng lớp mình, trên đó GV sẽ tự chọn ra Word of the
Day/Week/Month hữu ích/thú vị, những từ quan trọng mà GV muốn
HS ghi nhớ; còn lại do HS đóng góp; HS có thể tự chọn những từ mình
thích/bắt gặp trong các bản tin, giải trí, văn hóa phẩm đại chúng, ngữ
liệu học thuật,… và áp dụng phương pháp trên để định nghĩa, đóng
góp câu ví dụ tự viết, minh họa tùy ý sáng tạo, fun facts về từ/origin
của từ,…
Sau đây là một gợi ý về syllabus và những nội dung kiến thức tối thiểu cần
đạt. Phần Objectives sẽ focus vào 3 ý chính: context, thematic lexis và word
parts. GV lựa chọn, phân phối sao cho phù hợp với mỗi bài học SGK, trình
độ HS và điều kiện thực tế, tích hợp và xen kẽ 5 module bên dưới. Lưu ý rằng
có nhiều cách phân loại và sắp xếp word parts (theo ý nghĩa, chức năng ngữ
pháp,…)
Page 165
Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
OBJECTIVES
Page 166
Context (based on revised textbooks)
Thematic Lexis (based on revised textbooks)
-Roots: frac, rupt, vis, audi, - Roots: graph, scribe, - Roots: pel, gen, mort Roots: bell, cis, vinc, doc, Roots: greg, junct, jud, jur, Roots: spec, plic, frac, ced, - Roots: roga, sag, sens,
mit, man, pen, port, ject script, cede, cess, mit, mis, - Prefixes: hyper, hypo, dox, gno, cor, cur, man, demo, sim, spire, flect, flu, cip, a, an, anthro, theo, sent, gno, sci, fac, gen,
-Prefixes: re, ex, extra, un, vert, verse ante, anti, sub, super, ex, ab, ped, pod, ben, mal, path, ec, eu, loqu, dict, voc, clam, anim, corp, ten, tin, sed, sid, gress, tac, cred, fid, vers,
be, mal - Prefixes: para, peri, de, im, in, ad phobia, scrib, script, tract, mort, mord, morb, carn, vid, duc, reg, log, luc, sta, strin, vert, nomen, nomin, onym,
-Suffixes: logy in, dis, com, con, col - Adjective & Noun ject, tang, port, mit, mis, pel, vit, polis, polit, urb, gen ped, phil, val pend, pens, mut, plic,
-<Big> & <Small> Affixes - Adjective & Noun Suffixes pos, pon, chron, tempor morph, hyper, hypo
Suffixes - Number Prefixes & Word - Prefixes: dia, epi
- Number Prefixes & Roots Parts
-Organising Vocab. - Organising Vocab. - Organising Vocab. - Organising Vocab. - Organising Vocab. - Organising Vocab. - Organising Vocab.
Notebook Notebook Notebook Notebook Notebook Notebook Notebook
1 -Chunks of Meaning - Vocab. Skills - Groups of Word Parts - Vocab. Skills - Vocab. Skills - Vocab. Skills in Reading - Vocab. Skills
- Word Families - PAVE - Word Parts & Meanings - PAVE - PAVE - PAVE - PAVE
-Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots - Word Parts & Meanings - Context Clues - Using Dictionaries & - Anglo-Saxon Word
Thesauruses Origins, Old English
- Vocab. Skills - Context Clues - Critical Thinking Terms - Reference Materials for - Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots - Word Parts - Middle English
- Using Reference Materials - Denotation & Connotation - Test-Taking Language Lexical Items - Words w. Multiple - Archaic Language - Words of French, Latin &
- Using a Dictionary: - Using Dictoinairies & - Words w. Multiple Meanings - Compound Words Greek Origin
2 Choosing a Definition Thesauruses Meanings - Connotation & Denotation - Manipulating Language - Greek & Latin Roots
- Using a Thesaurus: - Synonyms & Antonyms - Synonyms & Antonyms - Context Clues - Technology-Related - BrE vs. AmE
Synonyms & Antonyms - Connotation & Denotation Words - Word Parts
- Inferential Context Clues
- Context Clues in Writing
- Syntax
- PAVE - Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes - Word Origins - Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots - Word Origins & Place - Denotation & Connotation - Current Events Words
- Context Clues - Prefixes & Similar Word - Evolution of Language - Word Origins Names - Literal vs. Figurative - Compound Words
- Denotation & Connotation Parts - Eponyms - Root Families - Word Families from Language - Allusions & Eponyms
- Sniglets & Invented - Roots & Bases - Bases - Greek & Latin Roots Greek & Latin Roots - Homophones - Common Acronyms
Language - Greek & Latin Roots - Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots - Using Word Parts to - English Words from - Words w. Multiple - Clichés
3 - Greek, Latin & Anglo- Unlock Meaning French, Spanish, Asian Meanings - Contractions
Saxon Roots - Evolution of Language Languages & around the - Context Clues in Writing
- Word Parts for Size World
- Suffixes & Parts of - Informal & Archaic
Speech Language
- Academic Language
- Homophones & - Homographs, - Vocab. Skills - Borrowed Words - Semantic Mapping - Borrowed Words - Homophones
Homographs Homophones & - PAVE - Register, Slang & - Syntax - Eponyms & Toponyms - Synonyms & Antonyms
- Confused Words Homonyms - Context Clues Colloquialisms - Commonly Confused - Register - Connotation & Denotation
- Words w. Multiple - Using Dictionaries & - Connotation & - Idioms Words - Colloquial & Academic - Literal vs. Figurative
Meanings Thesauruses Denotation - Mnemonic Devices Language Language
4 - Choosing the Right - Homonyms & - Word Meanings in - Idioms, Colloquialisms, &
Definition Homophones Synonyms, Antonyms, Hyperbolic Expressions
- Synonms & Antonyms - Figurative Language: Homophones &
- Connotation Similes, Metaphors, Homographs
Analogies & Idioms - Words w. Multiple
-Word w Multiple Meaning Meanings
- Word Origins - Figurative Language - Word Choices in Writing - Word Arrack Skills & - Literal & Figurative - Synonyms & Antonyms - Classifying Words
- Idioms & Clichés - Slang & Colloquialisms - Euphemisms, Practice Tests Meanings - Semantic Families - Civics Connection –
- Words Related to Time - Words for Vocab. Doublespeak & Clichés - Writing & Word Choice - Idioms, Metaphors, - Celestial Words Economic, Political,
- English around the World Notebook - Becoming a Word - Literal & Figurative Similes & Analogies - Varying Word Choice Historical & Legal Terms
5 - Becoming a Word - Reading Comprehension Detective Meanings - Allusions - Euphemisms, - Math, Science &
Detective - Figurative Language - Language in the Media Doublespeak & Clichés Technology Terms
- Expanding Word - Expanding & Applying - Expanding Word - Using Context Clues to
Knowledge Word Knowledge Knowledge Unlock Weird Words
- Practice Tests - Expanding Word
Knowledge
Một số trò chơi Từ Vựng tiếng Anh cho
HSG/chuyên (Some Vocabulary Games

For Advanced Learners)
THỨ SÁU, 26 THÁNG 8, 2016 
Ghi chú này giới thiệu một số trò chơi về Từ Vựng tiếng Anh mà tôi cảm thấy
khá thú vị và hữu ích trong quá trình bồi dưỡng HSG/HS ở trình độ
advanced. Hi vọng có thể giảm bớt chút khô khan và căng thẳng trong quá
trình dạy-học nhưng vẫn phù hợp với HS ở level này. Một số game (như 6, 7,
8) đặc biệt thích hợp với visual learners.
1. ANAGRAMS 4. THE MINISTER’S CAT 7. HANGMAN
2. PANGRAMS 5. PALINDROMES 8. REBUS
3. ALPHAGRAM 6. DOUBLETS
ANAGRAMS
Anagram là một (cụm) từ mà các chữ cái trong đó có thể sắp xếp lại để tạo
thành một (cụm) từ mới. Ví dụ: range là một anagram của anger. Giải các
anagram rất hữu ích trong việc học từ vựng và giải những trò chơi khó hơn
như cryptic crossword. Sau đây là một số ví dụ anagram được tạo thành từ
tên của những nhân vật và địa điểm nổi tiếng. Một số anagram khá là make
sense hoặc có sự trùng hợp thú vị về ý nghĩa ^^
Elvis Aaron Presley → Seen alive? Sorry, pal!
Madonna Louise Ciccone → one cool dance musician
Albert Einstein → ten elite brains
William Butler Yeats → a really sublime twit
Diego Maradona → an adored amigo
Elle MacPherson → her men collapse
Arnold Schwarzenegger → he’s grown large’n’crazed
Clint Eastwood → Old West Action
President Boris Yeltsin → tipsiness done terribly
Florence Nightingale → angel of the reclining
The Houses of Parliament → loonies far up the Thames
Page 167
To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to
suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. → In one of the Bard’s
best-thought-of strategies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, questions on two
fronts about how life turns rotten.
Anagram Game (1)

 Nhóm từ 2-6 HS.
 GV chuẩn bị khoảng 100 mẩu giấy bìa cứng (cards). Mỗi mẩu giấy có
ghi một chữ cái, trong đó: chọn 4 chữ cái sẽ có số lượng > 50% tổng số
cards (vd: C, M,...), chỉ 1 chữ cái đối với các chữ cái ít gặp (như X, Z), số
còn lại chọn 7-8 chữ cái phổ biến (như A, E,...) với số lượng nhiều hơn.
 Card sẽ được lật úp xuống và mỗi HS/nhóm sẽ mở 1 tấm trong mỗi lượt
đi. (GV có thể sáng tạo thêm mini-game để HS/nhóm giành quyền được
mở card / mất quyền ưu tiên, v.v...)
 HS/nhóm nào nhận ra một từ từ những card đã mở sẽ ghi điểm. Ưu
tiên cho HS/nhóm nào đến lượt mình, nếu không trả lời được sẽ mất
lượt cho HS/nhóm khác.
 GV có thể quy định số lượng chữ cái tối thiểu của một từ. Thường sẽ là
4.
 Thay vì quy định theo lượt, GV có thể đổi luật: HS/nhóm nào có câu trả
lời nhanh nhất và không trùng lặp sẽ được điểm. Ví dụ: nếu các chữ cái
A, E, P, L được mở, HS/nhóm nào phát hiện nhanh nhất sẽ hô to / ghi
nhanh lên bảng “Leap” hoặc “Peal” hoặc “Pale” để giành điểm.
 Tùy chọn: HS có thể được thêm một chữ cái vào những chữ cái đã mở
để tạo thành từ mới, hoặc cũng có thể chỉ cần sắp xếp lại những chữ cái
đã có.
Anagram Game (2)
HS/nhóm sẽ giải anagram đưa ra bởi HS/nhóm khác rồi đưa ra một từ mới để
HS/nhóm tiếp theo tìm anagram. Nhóm nào đưa ra từ thì phải tìm được
anagram của từ mình đưa ra.Ví dụ:
 HS/Nhóm 1: OK. Start with team.
 HS/Nhóm 2: Meat. Next, trap. (theo lượt hoặc giành quyền ưu tiên)
 HS/Nhóm 3: Part. Next, face.
 HS/Nhóm 4: Cafe. OK, this one is more challenging. Nectar.
 HS/Nhóm 5: Umm, train?
 HS/Nhóm 4: Wrong. It’s trance. Next, auction.
(HS/nhóm 5 bị mất lượt / bị trừ điểm / bị loại.)
 HS/Nhóm n: caution.
Page 168
Anagram Game (3): Anagram Pairs

HS/nhóm nhận các cặp từ là anagram của nhau sau đó tìm cách gợi ý (bằng
verbal/nonverbal language) để HS/nhóm khác đoán ra cụm từ đó. Hoặc ngược
lại, GV cho clue để HS/nhóm tìm ra cặp anagram, cách này gần giống với
việc giải cryptic crossword. Ví dụ:
present serpent [e.g. clue: current snake]
Nepal plane [e.g. clue: aircraft to Asian kingdom]
spare pears [e.g. clue: leftover autumn fruit]
perfect prefect [e.g. clue: impeccable school monitor]
latent talent [e.g. clue: hidden gift]
German manger [e.g. clue: Teutonic horse trough]
Eastern earnest [e.g. clue: Oriental seriousness]
arrogant tarragon [e.g. clue: conceited herb]
Lưu ý:
 Khi tham gia trò chơi, để tránh cheating, HS không được sử dụng từ
điển hoặc truy cập các công cụ Internet có khả năng “unscramble” và
giải các anagram ^^ Google để biết thêm các công cụ tạo, tìm kiếm và
giải anagram. Ngoài ra hiện nay trên di động cũng có khá nhiều trò
chơi dạng này.
 GV có thể dựa theo Glossary hoặc một list từ trong chương trình giảng
dạy để chọn ra các từ phù hợp cho trò chơi này, đồng thời giúp HS cải
thiện vốn từ.
Page 169
Improve your Vocabulary & Writing

Style by Paraphrasing (1)
THỨ BẢY, 19 THÁNG 11, 2016 
Thầy hay khuyên các bạn HS khi học từ vựng, ngoài việc ghi chú những
thông tin cần thiết như pronunciation, word family, collocation, example,...
nên cố gắng extend và paraphrase câu ví dụ đó bằng ý tưởng của mình hoặc
từ những ví dụ có sẵn thay vì chỉ ghi một câu. Điều này sẽ giúp tăng vốn từ
vựng và làm cho câu văn mình viết ra stylish hơn.
Lấy ví dụ từ redistribute (v) được gắn nhãn C2 trong CALD. Định nghĩa
của CALD và OALD lần lượt như sau: to share something out differently
from before, especially in a fairer way; to share something out among people
in a different way. Khi học từ, ngoài việc ghi một câu ví dụ như OALD
Wealth needs to be redistributed from the rich to the poor. các em có thể vận
dụng các aspects của cohesion để extend và paraphrase câu ví dụ trên. Dưới
đây là 2 cách thông dụng:
1. Wealth needs to be redistributed from the rich to the poor. This

method of establishing greater social equality has been adopted
by many Western countries to encourage sustainable economic growth,
thereby improving the living standards.
[sử dụng substitution với This và paraphrase a method of establishing

greater social equality theo sau bởi participle clauses với thereby làm cho hai
câu liên kết một cách tự nhiên hơn việc sử dụng các linking words thông
thường, đồng thời truyền tải được nhiều thông tin hơn; cách sử dụng passive,
giới từ, collocation, cụm danh từ chính xác cũng cho thấy khả năng control và
trình độ của người viết]
2. Wealth needs to be redistributed from the rich to the poor. Such is a

tactic of achieving social equality (that) it has been employed by
many Asian governments, particularly Vietnam, to promote the
sustainability of the economic recovery, hence the amelioration of living
standards.
Page 170
[sử dụng emphatic pointer such trong cấu trúc đảo ngữ nhấn mạnh
(inversion, fronting) và paraphrase a tactic of achieving social equality làm
cho hai câu thêm stylish và liên kết với nhau less explicitly và tự nhiên hơn
so với việc dùng các linking words thông thường; ngoài ra câu còn dùng
reference pronoun it để tránh lặp từ; cách sử dụng passive, giới từ,
collocation, cụm danh từ chính xác cũng cho thấy khả năng control và trình
độ của người viết]
Câu hỏi 1: Cấu trúc với such như trên có thể đứng cuối câu thay vì đầu câu.
Ví dụ: Wealth needs to be redistributed from the rich to the poor. It has been
devised by many Asian regions, especially Vietnam, to boost and sustain the
economy, such is a strategy for promoting social equality.
Viết như vậy chưa hay/chính xác ở những chỗ nào? Nên chỉnh sửa hai
câu trên như thế nào để mệnh đề với such vẫn nằm ở cuối câu?
Câu hỏi 2: Hoàn chỉnh, cải thiện và viết tiếp câu sau (mở đầu một đoạn
văn):
Many Asian nations, including Vietnam, have been opting for
__________________________________________ to boost and sustain their
economy, such is a tactic of ensuring social equality ____________________
______________________.
Từ giờ mỗi khi ghi chú từ vựng, các em có thể vận dụng 2 cách viết trên để cải
thiện kĩ năng viết, ghi nhớ và sử dụng từ tốt hơn.
Happy Teacher’s Day!
Page 171
Teaching Notes: Cambridge English:
Advanced Listening: Preliminary Notes

THỨ BA, 7 THÁNG 11, 2017 
LEARNER’S PROBLEMS
Let’s start by looking at some of the things that cause learners’ problems
with listening. Look at these comments made by learners and decide what
the cause of the problem is in each case.
Match the learners’ comments (1-8) with the causes of their problems.
(A) recognising attitude (E) identifying key words
(B) features of spoken language (F) different accents
(C) background noises (G) speed of delivery
(D) a lack of visual cues (H) unfamiliar topics
1. What I find difficult is trying to listen to something in noisy places – for
example in a crowded café.
2. I think the hardest thing about listening is that, when people are talking,
they often don’t talk in whole sentences – they keep starting and stopping.
3. The thing that I find most difficult is talking on the phone – I like to be
able to see the person’s face and their gestures to understand what they are
saying.
4. There’s no problem when my teacher speaks to me because she always
speaks slowly and clearly, but when I’m watching a film, it’s impossible –
they all speak so fast!
5. I can never tell what the person is feeling when I’m listening to them –
whether they are happy or angry.
6. I had got used to the way my teacher spoke and could understand her
easily but, when I went travelling last year, it was hard to understand
everyone’s accents.
7. It’s all right if I know what people are talking about, but I find it so
difficult to understand if I don’t know anything about the topic.
8. My teacher keeps telling me that I’ll understand if I listen for the
important words – but I don’t know what they are!
Official Key: 1-C 2-B 3-D 4-G 5-A 6-F 7-H 8-E
Page 172
WHAT MAKES A GOOD LISTENER?

Learners encounter a range of problems when it comes to listening. In order
to help them, we need to consider what skills are needed to be a successful
listener. We will look at some of these and then refer back to them as we
focus on the different parts of the Cambridge English: Advanced Listening
paper.
Let’s look at some of the skills that a successful listener needs to have. The
first skill is predicting. Predicting involves using the context and your
knowledge of the topic to guess what people are speaking about. For
example, if you are going to watch a cookery programme, you can guess that
the purpose of the programme will be to show you how to make food, and
that there will be vocabulary related to food and ingredients. Predicting is
an important listening skill because we can make more sense of what we
hear if we use what we know already about the topic.
Because of the speed of delivery, it is often difficult for learners to

understand every word when someone is speaking. A very important skill is
the ability to understand the main idea and to identify the key words – the
most important words, which carry the message. As we will see later,
recognising sentence stress and intonation will help to identify these. A
further skill is listening for specific information. For example, if we are
listening to announcements in a train station to find out which platform our
train is leaving from, we’ll be listening out for the name of our destination.
Listening for main ideas and listening for specific information are both
skills that depend on the ability to deal with distraction – that is, to ignore
information or words that are not important. In the case of the train station
announcements, that would be the names of all the destinations you’re not
going to. A good listener also needs to be able to listen intensively for detail.
Intensive listening means listening very carefully when all the content is
important. For example, if you were buying a new mobile phone and the
shop assistant was explaining how it worked, you would need to listen to
the instructions very carefully.
Identifying opinions and attitudes helps the listener to understand what

the speaker is thinking or feeling, even when he or she doesn’t express his
or her thoughts directly. For example, if someone asked you ‘Do you really
think so?’, they might be expressing doubt about what you’ve said, or maybe
Page 173
disagreeing politely. Recognising differences in intonation is very important

for this. Understanding attitude and opinion is an important listening skill
because people will often not state directly what they are thinking or
feeling. Finally, a successful listener can understand informal language and
different accents. This means they have the ability to understand a speaker
when they are using informal or colloquial language or have an unfamiliar
accent. Learners will often be used to the language spoken by their teacher,
but they need to be able to understand English spoken in a wide range of
contexts worldwide.
Which skills would you need in these different situations? Choose the correct
listening skill in each situation.
(A) predicting (C) identifying key words
(B) listening intensively (D) identifying attitudes
(E) listening for specific information
1. You are listening to someone who is speaking very fast and trying to pick
out the important information.
2. You are listening to a colleague giving you instructions on how to use a
new photocopier.
3. A friend is giving you feedback about an assignment that you did for
school. You are trying to work out whether your friend thinks your
assignment is good.
4. You are listening to a weather forecast to see if it’s going to rain
tomorrow.
5. You are going to watch a cookery programme about making a chocolate
cake. Think about the ingredients that might be used.
Official Key: 1-C 2-B 3-D 4-E 5-A
TOP-DOWN & BOTTOM-UP PROCESSING

It is clear that our purpose for listening affects the way we listen. The
listening skills that we use in a particular situation will depend on what we
are listening to and why.
Listening skills can be divided into two main categories according to the
way we process information: those that involve top-down processing and
those that involve bottom-up processing. Your learners will need to use both
ways of processing to be successful listeners, and you need to ensure that
you give them practice in both. Let’s look at what these terms mean.
Page 174
When we listen to someone talking, we are using visual clues, the context
and our knowledge of the world to make sense of what we are hearing. We
are continually making predictions based on this. For example, if a shop
assistant asks us something, we use the context (the fact that we are in a
shop and it is a shop assistant speaking to us) and our knowledge and
experience of the world (that is, the type of things that shop assistants say
to customers) to predict what the shop assistant is saying. We would expect
to hear something like Can I help you?. This is what we refer to as top-
down processing – that is, using what we know to make sense of what we
hear. So predicting is a top-down processing skill.
We then use what we actually hear to confirm or alter our predictions.

When we listen to the actual words that are being said, we are using
bottom-up processing. So listening intensively is a bottom-up processing
skill.
A successful listener will use both top-down and bottom-up processing, and
a range of listening skills.
As we look at the four parts of the Listening paper, we will consider how
learners need to use these different listening skills to deal with the
questions effectively.
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Advanced Listening Part 1

THỨ BA, 28 THÁNG 11, 2017 
TEACHING NOTES
Let’s see how learners will need to use these listening skills in relation to
Part 1 of the Listening paper.
In Part 1, candidates listen to three extracts featuring dialogues between
people. The dialogues are not linked in any way and each extract lasts
about one minute. There are two multiple-choice questions based on each
conversation. This part of the paper focuses particularly on:
 understanding a speaker’s purpose and communicative function (e.g.
explaining, complaining, apologising)
 identifying speakers’ feelings, opinions and attitudes
 understanding whether speakers agree with one another
 understanding the listener’s course of action
 understanding both gist and detail of what people say
PREDICTING
Candidates are given a short time to look at the introduction and questions
before they hear the recording. It is very important that you encourage
them to use the time to do so. They should try to think about who the
speakers are and what they are talking about, and to draw on what they
know about the topic – that is, to use their predicting skills (top-down
processing). In real life, they might have visual clues and a clear context to
help them understand what is being said, but in the Listening paper, all
they have is this brief introduction and the questions.
Look at these introductions from two listening extracts from Part 1 of a
Listening paper. Use your predicting skills to think about what you are
going to hear, and then do the task.
Extract 1 You hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.
Extract 2 You hear two friends talking about ways of keeping fit.
In which conversation would you expect to hear the following words?
Put the words under the correct conversation.
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(a) 60-minute workout (e) gym members (i) to laze around

(b) commercial sector (f) health centres (j) to sponsor
(c) companies (g) products
(d) consumers (h) to exercise
1. Conversation 1: marketing 2. Conversation 2: keeping fit
Official Key 1-b, c, d, g, j 2-a, e, f, h, i
To do this task, you drew on your knowledge of the topics (marketing and
keeping fit). Encouraging learners to use the introduction to make
predictions about the context and the sort of language they might hear will
help them when they listen.
ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS
As mentioned in the Reading sections, it’s always a good idea to do the
questions yourself first before giving them to your class. This helps you to
understand what skills your learners will need to use and what problems
they might have, and will help you in planning your lesson.
You are going to hear a recording of the ‘keeping fit’ conversation.
Before listening, look carefully at the questions and the options.
Then listen and choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best
according to what you hear.
Extract Two
You hear two friends talking about ways of keeping fit.
3 What is the woman’s criticism of exercising in gyms?
A Members get limited access to the facilities
B The membership cost is too high for the services offered.
C It encourages exercise habits that lead to unhealthy lifestyles.
4 How does the man respond to his friend’s criticism?
A He objects to her making sweeping generalisations about gyms
B He questions the value of excessive gym attendance.
C He suspects she’d enjoy a different type of gym.
Download the handbook with answer keys, audio files and transcripts from
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/advanced/preparation/
EXPLAINING ANSWERS
Now let’s take a close look at what was involved in choosing the right
answers and why the other options are incorrect. It is important to do this
Collection: Prominent Posts

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as it will enable you to help learners develop the listening skills they need
and to make sure they understand why a particular answer is correct.
So let’s think first about what the questions are asking for and which
skills are being assessed.
The first question is asking you to identify the woman’s criticism of

exercising in a gym. The required skills are identifying the opinion and
attitude of the speaker and listening for specific information. The
correct answer, option C, is found in the sentence people tend to think that a
60-minute workout entitles them to laze around for the rest of the day or eat
a lot and then undo all the good they might’ve done, but people who exercise
little but often don’t fall into the same trap. The references to lazing around
and eating a lot are paraphrased in the question with the words unhealthy
lifestyles. Here the learner needs to listen for specific information. We
can tell that this is a statement of opinion as it begins with the expression
people tend to think….
The fact that this statement is then followed by but indicates that option A
is not correct. She mentions gym members dropping out, but there is no
mention of limited access. Option B is not correct because although she
talks about the centres being expensive, she does not say that the cost is too
high for the services offered.
The second question is a little different. It is asking you to listen in order

to identify the function of the speaker’s words as well as his opinion.
In order to answer this question, the listener has to understand that the
speaker is not implying that people spend too much time in gyms (so he
doesn’t question the value of excessive gym attendance) or suggesting the
woman tries another type of gym (so he doesn’t suspect she’d enjoy a
different type of gym). His words That’s all very well, Mary, but... indicate
that he is objecting to, and disagreeing with, what she has said, and the
words Each to his own imply that he feels that everyone is different and we
can’t generalise.
Now do the same with the extract about marketing. Look at the questions
and the options first. Then listen and try to answer the questions.
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You are going to hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.
Choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according to what you
hear.
Extract One
You hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.
1 Which aspect of college publicity material do the friends disagree about?
A how useful the environmental rating system is
B how well the different courses are described
C how visually attractive the brochures are
2 In the woman’s opinion, companies link themselves with charities in order to
A boost their profits.
B improve their image in society.
C distract attention away from other issues.
Download the handbook with answer keys, audio files and transcripts from
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/advanced/preparation/
We can see that in question 1, learners need to listen to nearly the whole
extract to be able to identify the aspect of college publicity that the friends
disagree about. They are being asked to listen for the main idea – and this
is a skill that is often assessed in Part 1.
ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF EXPRESSING THE SAME IDEAS

In Part 1 questions, the answer options report or summarise ideas from the
conversation, but they use different words and expressions to do so. For
example, in question 1 above, option C includes the words visually
attractive, but in the conversation, the brochures are described as glossy.
It’s very important that learners are aware of this, and that they prepare by
building as wide a vocabulary as possible. When looking at the options, they
can think about different ways of expressing them.
Look at some of the other words used in these two questions and see if you
can match them to the words and phrases used to express these ideas in the
dialogue.
Match the words and phrases used in the questions to those used in
the listening extract.
1. visually attractive 3. society
2. issues 4. improve their image
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(a) the public eye (c) appear softer

(b) causes (d) glossy
Official Key: 1-d 2-b 3-a 4-c
As we have seen, the questions are often assessing learners’ ability to
identify attitude and opinion. Identifying whether or not speakers agree
requires understanding of the way they interact. In the conversation about
keeping fit, the woman is critical of people who go to the gym, and the man
responds with the words That’s all very well, Mary, but... Because he begins
with these words, we know he is about to disagree. In the conversation
about marketing, the woman says that a brochure would not persuade her
to do a course and the man answers Well, yes, but... Again we know that
these words mean that he is going to disagree.
Your learners will need to know and recognise the language used for
agreeing and disagreeing and we will look at this in more detail when we
come to Part 3.
LESSON PLAN
AIMS
 to give learners techniques for dealing with Part 1 of the Listening
paper
 to develop the following skills:
 predicting
 listening for main ideas / gist and for specific information / detail
 identifying speaker purpose, opinion, attitude and feeling
 listening for paraphrase and synonym
PREPARATION
 a copy of Handout 1 for each learner
PROCEDURE
1. Put these three introductions from Part 1 on the board:
- You hear two friends talking about ways of keeping fit.
- You hear a woman telling a friend about living in her capital city as a
student.
- You hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.
In pairs, learners discuss what they know about keeping fit, marketing, and
living in a city and being a student.
2. Give out Handout 1 to each learner. In pairs, learners do question 1.
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(Key: a. consumers, commercial sector, companies, products, sales b. health

centres, daily routine, gym membership, laze around, exercise c. horticulture,
urban, rooftops, residents, fellow students)
Play the recording. Learners listen to the recording once and identify the
order of the conversations.
(Key: marketing, keeping fit, capital city)
3. Give a copy of Handout 2 to each learner.
4. With the whole class, focus on the questions for Audio 1. Elicit what
the question is asking for: (1) something the man and woman disagree
about, (2) what the woman thinks about something.
5. Explain that the words they hear on the recording are likely to
include synonyms or paraphrases of the words in the questions. As an
example, brainstorm words and phrases related to boost profits (e.g.
increase sales, sell more products, promoteproducts). Write up the
following words from the questions and the audio script on the board
and get students to look up unknown words and then match them.
Words/phrases in questions: boost their profits, visually attractive, issues,
society, improve their image
Words in listening: appear softer, increases sales, glossy, causes, the public
eye
(Key: boost their profits – increases sales | visually attractive – glossy | issues
– causes | society – the public eye | improve their image – appear softer)
6. Play Audio 1. Learners listen to the conversation and answer
questions 1 and 2.
7. Whole class: go through the correct answers and elicit explanations
for reasons why the other options are incorrect. To help explain, play
Audio 1 again, pausing in the appropriate places. Do not hand out the
audio scripts at this point.
(KEY:
Question 1
A CORRECT Reason: the woman says that the rating system wouldn’t have
much impact on her choice / the man disagrees and thinks it is useful,
saying that if he wasn’t sure about which course to do – the ratings could
decide it for him.
B INCORRECT Reason: the fact that there are different courses is
mentioned, but no comparison is made about the way specific ones are
described.
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C INCORRECT Reason: the man talks about the glossy brochures and the
woman agrees they are attractive by giving a reason – they’re trying to
attract as much interest as possible.
Question 2
A INCORRECT Reason: the woman says I don’t know if it increases sales.
B CORRECT Reason: the woman gives this opinion when she says the cynic
in me reckons many companies just want to appear softer in the public eye.
C INCORRECT Reason: the woman says that the companies may be
suggesting to the consumer that they can ignore other causes, but she says
nothing about distracting their attention.)
8. Play Audio 2 and Audio 3. Learners listen to the conversations and
try to answer questions 3, 4, 5 and 6. Point out / elicit that the
questions in Part 1 could be focusing on specific information (e.g.
question 3) or function (e.g. question 5), as well as opinions. See
Screen 7.4 for guidance on explaining answers in Audio 2 (keeping
fit).
9. Give each learner a copy of Handout 3. In pairs, learners check their
answers by looking through the text and discuss their reasons.
(Key: 3C, 4A , 5C, 6A)
10. For homework, learners read the audio script carefully to find, record
and learn any new vocabulary.
STUDENT’S HANDOUT 1
1. Look at the introductions to three conversations.
(a) You hear two friends talking about ways of keeping fit.
(b) You hear a woman telling a friend about living in her capital city as a
student.
(c) You hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.
In pairs, choose which conversation, a, b or c, you think will contain the
following words or phrases: health centres, products, daily routine,
residents, consumers, exercise, sales, laze around, horticulture, urban,
gym membership, rooftops, commercial sector, companies, fellow students
2. Now listen to the conversations and number the conversations in the

order you hear them.
_____ two friends talking about ways of keeping fit
_____ a woman telling a friend about living in her capital city as a
student
_____ two friends discussing the topic of marketing
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THỨ TƯ, 29 THÁNG 11, 2017 
TEACHING NOTES
Now we’ll look at Part 2 of the Listening paper and the skills that your
learners will need for this. In Part 2, there will be one speaker giving a talk
lasting approximately three minutes. The task is to complete a series of
eight sentences with the missing information, using a single word or short
phrase from the recording.
Note that the words candidates write should be exactly the same as those
they hear in the recording. If candidates come up with a grammatically
correct expression that reports the same meaning, it will be accepted.
However, candidates are advised to write down exactly what they hear, to
avoid losing the mark for introducing mistakes or different meanings.
Let’s now look at how to approach this part of the Listening paper.
As mentioned in Part 1, it’s very important for learners to take the time to
read the introduction and the questions to get an idea of the topic, and to
think about what they know about it so that they can use their predicting
skills. The example we are going to look at is a talk given by a student
called Josh about a group visit to South Africa as part of his university
course in botany.
The eight questions in Part 2 will always follow the order of the listening
text. By reading through all the gapped sentences, learners will get a clear
idea of how the text is going to develop.
Read these gapped sentences from Josh’s talk on his visit to South Africa.
They are in the order presented in the Part 2 task. Use them to help you do
the task that follows.
Page 185
 As well as his research project, Josh planned to write a __________ for

a website while he was in Africa.
 Josh’s group planned to check out a particular region after a
__________ that had occurred there.
 Josh was surprised to see __________ being grown in the first area
they visited.
 Josh describes the vehicle the travelled in as a __________ when they
went in search of specimens.
 Josh uses the word __________ to give us an idea of the shape of the
leaves he found.
 Josh was particularly impressed by one type of flower which was
__________ in colour.
 Josh uses the word __________ to convey his feelings about an area of
vegetation he studied.
 Josh really appreciated the view he got from the __________ of his
accommodation.
Following the order of the gapped sentences, put the topics in the
order that you think they will appear in the recording.
1. Visiting an area where something specific had happened
2. Looking at different types of wild plants
3. The crops they saw in the fields
4. Admiring the landscape from the place where they were staying
5. The mode of transport they used
6. Josh’s reaction to one place they visited
Official Key: 1-3-5-2-6-4
You can see how much information your learners can glean about the
listening text and how it will develop just by looking at the questions.
PREDICTING THE ANSWERS

As well as helping with the order of information in the recording, going
through the questions first can help them in other ways. If you look through
all the gapped sentences, you can see that five of the answers are definitely
going to be nouns. This is typical of Part 2, where the missing information
is often a noun.
Learners can use their predicting skills to get an idea of what the missing
words are. By looking at the gaps, they will be able to think about the
Page 186
specific information they are listening for. They won’t be able to predict
the actual answers, but they will be able to predict the type of information
that is missing.
For example, the context given by the first sentence suggests they should be
listening for something you can write and put on a website. Before you
listen to the talk on South Africa, try to predict what type of information
the answers will contain. Then listen and check.
Before you listen to the talk, complete the sentences with your
prediction of the kind of word the answer is likely to be. There are no
right or wrong answers.
Part 2
You will hear a student called Josh Brady talking about visiting South Africa as part of
his university course in botany. For questions 7 – 14, complete the sentences with a
word or short phrase.
TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA
As well as his research project, Josh planned to write a (7) ………………………………
for a website while he was in Africa.
Josh’s group planned to check out a particular region after a (8) ………………………
.……...…......... that had occurred there.
Josh was surprised to see (9) ………………………………… being grown in the first
area they visited.
Josh describes the vehicle they travelled in as a (10) …………………………………
when they went in search of specimens.
Josh uses the word (11) ………………………………… to give us an idea of the shape
of the leaves he found.
Josh was particularly impressed by one type of flower which was (12) …………………
………………………… in colour.
Josh uses the word (13) ………………………………… to convey his feelings about an
area of vegetation he studied.
Josh really appreciated the view he got from the (14) ………………………………… of
his accommodation.
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SUGGESTED ANSWERS
Here is a list of the types of words you might expect to hear for each gap.
The actual answers from the listening text are given in brackets:
(7) type of written text (report)
(8) An event / a disaster (fire)
(9) A cultivated plant (tea / red tea)
(10) A type of vehicle (safari truck)
(11) A visually descriptive adjective or noun (needle / needles)
(12) An adjective of colour (orange / deep orange)
(13) An strongly descriptive adjective or noun (paradise)
(14) A part of a building or of its grounds (roof)
Remember that candidates are advised to write down the exact words used
in the text. They should not change them in any way, as they may
inadvertently change the meaning or make the sentence grammatically
incorrect.
As you listened, you were comparing what you predicted with what you
actually heard. This is what we do in much of real-life listening. We make a
prediction (top-down processing) and then use what we hear (bottom-up
processing) to confirm or revise our predictions.
DISTRACTORS
With these tasks, there will always be some distraction. This means there
will be words or phrases that could fit into gaps grammatically, and the
sentences would make sense, but the information would not be correct
because it doesn’t reflect what is said on the recording. Look at the first
question as an example. Josh says:
I didn’t post my diary or blog on the university website, because I’d promised
to submit a report on my return, which would appear there ...
A weak candidate might write diary or blog instead of report, as these

words fit grammatically and make sense; but these would be incorrect,
because this is not what Josh wrote for the website. The words diary and
blog are being used as distractors here.
By thinking about which words are being used to distract candidates, you
can anticipate the wrong answers your learners may come up with in your
lessons, and be prepared to elicit or explain why they are wrong. So Josh
knew that drought was a problem in Africa, but in fact the area they visited
Page 188
had been affected by fire; he expected to see flowers in the fields, but there
was red tea; he thought they might be taken around in a minibus, but they
were driven round in a safari truck; and it was not the balcony which
offered the best views, but the roof.
It is important for your learners to be aware of the use of distraction.

Encourage them to use the second time they listen to the recording to check
their answers carefully.
RECOGNISING THE USE OF SENTENCE STRESS

A problem that many learners have with listening is the speed of delivery
and being able to recognise the important words.
As we can see, the words that are missing in the Part 2 sentences are often
nouns, and are words that are carrying information. Recognising the use of
sentence stress can help them to identify these.
Unlike some other languages, English is a stress-timed language. This

means that speakers highlight the important words by making them
slightly louder, longer and higher in pitch than the other words in the
sentence, i.e. by using sentence stress. The words that are stressed in this
way are usually content words, e.g. nouns, verbs and adjectives, as they are
the words which carry the message.
For example, listen to this extract from the talk. Notice how the speaker’s
voice changes as he says the words in bold:
When we first saw the landscape however, we felt rather confused. Much
of the area seemed to be cultivated fields, principally of red tea, rather
than the colourful flowers we’d been led to expect.
The other words in the sentence (function words like articles, prepositions
and auxiliaries) can be more difficult to hear because they are said more
quickly. Often, however, these words are not important, and are certainly
not going to be the missing words in Part 2.
One way of helping learners to identify the key words that will often carry
the specific information they need is to do some intensive listening and to
raise their awareness of sentence stress and intonation.
Page 189
In the lesson plan below, you will look at some activities you can do with
your learners to help raise their awareness of how these important words
are highlighted.
LESSON PLAN
AIMS
paper
 predicting
 listening for specific information
 identifying opinions
PREPARATION
PROCEDURE
1. Put the following adjectives on the board:
fantastic, exotic, unbelievable, brilliant, wonderful, awesome
2. In small groups, learners discuss a place they have visited using the
adjectives where appropriate. Ask them to decide which place sounds
the best to visit.
3. Give each learner a copy of Handout 1.
4. Remind the class that in the exam they will have 45 seconds to look at
the questions before listening to the recording. Using that time to think
about what words might be missing will help them to identify the correct
answer.
5. In pairs, learners read the introduction and predict what the missing
words are.
6. Whole class feedback on learners’ ideas.
7. Give each learner a copy of Handout 2. Explain/elicit how sentence
stress is used to highlight key information.
8. Play Audio 1. Individually, learners underline the words and phrases
that are stressed.
(Key: When we first saw the landscape however, we felt rather confused.
Much of the area seemed to be cultivated fields, principally of red tea,
rather than the colourful flowers we’d been led to expect.)
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9. Play Audio 2. Individually, learners complete the questions on Handout

1.
10. Give each learner a copy of the audio script (Handout 3). In pairs,
learners read through the audio script to identify the correct answers.
11. With the whole class, go through the correct answers. When discussing
the reasons behind learners’ incorrect answers, draw attention to the
use of distraction (see the teaching notes above).
(Key: 1 report, 2 fire, 3 (red) tea, 4 safari truck, 5 needle(s), 6 (deep) orange, 7
paradise, 8 roof)
12. For homework, learners read the audio script carefully to find, record
and learn any new vocabulary.
Part 2
You will hear a student called Josh Brady talking about visiting South Africa as part of
his university course in botany. For questions 7 – 14, complete the sentences with a
word or short phrase.
TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA
As well as his research project, Josh planned to write a (7) ………………………………
for a website while he was in Africa.
Josh’s group planned to check out a particular region after a (8) ………………………
.……...…......... that had occurred there.
Josh was surprised to see (9) ………………………………… being grown in the first
area they visited.
Josh describes the vehicle they travelled in as a (10) …………………………………
when they went in search of specimens.
Josh uses the word (11) ………………………………… to give us an idea of the shape
of the leaves he found.
Josh was particularly impressed by one type of flower which was (12) …………………
………………………… in colour.
Josh uses the word (13) ………………………………… to convey his feelings about an
area of vegetation he studied.
Josh really appreciated the view he got from the (14) ………………………………… of
his accommodation.
Listen to the recording and underline the words the speaker stresses.
When we first saw the landscape however, we felt rather confused. Much of
the area seemed to be cultivated fields, principally of red tea, rather than
the colourful flowers we’d been led to expect.
Page 191
Now look at Part 2.
You’ll hear a student called Josh Brady talking about visiting South Africa as part of his
university course in botany. For Questions 7–14, complete the sentences with a word or
short phrase.
You now have 45 seconds to look at Part 2.
M: Hi everyone. My name’s Josh Brady, and recently I was lucky enough to go on a botany
trip to South Africa with my tutor and other students from my university, to gather data
for the research project we’d been involved in all year. I didn’t post my diary or blog on
the university website, because I’d promised to submit a report on my return, which
would appear there, and I was working on that from Day One.
We were going to explore a beautiful region of coastal countryside that had previously
been affected, not by drought as is common on some parts of the African continent I’ve
studied, but by fire. We wanted to see how the flora and other life forms there had
recovered – in fact, some plants growing there are dependent on this kind of event to
trigger their germination.
When we first saw the landscape however, we felt rather confused. Much of the area
seemed to be cultivated fields, principally of red tea rather than the colourful flowers
we’d been led to expect. Sensing our confusion, our tutor reassured us that we’d soon be
off to a wilder area where we’d see a more striking range of specimens. We’d imagined
this would involve being taken around in a kind of minibus, or even a van and trailer, but
in fact what we boarded was what I can only describe as a safari truck and we headed out
into the natural vegetation.
When we arrived and started walking through the vegetation, I found the shape of the
leaves rather a surprise – coastal plants can often be tough, with leaves coming to a point
like sharp knives, but these resembled needles more than anything else. That meant I was
inadequately dressed for walking through them, in thin trousers. I was also totally
unprepared for the amazing scent that the plants gave off. By the end of that trip, I’d lost
count of how many species we’d come across – small delicate pink specimens, bright
yellow heathers, one with deep orange blooms, the mental image of which will stay with
me forever, and bright crimson wild specimens.
The local farmers are totally committed to protecting the flowers and plants that have
colonised the area. Conservationists call it shrubland, in other words a vast area of
vegetation that now has a rich array of plant species, but that sounds a bit negative for a
place that to me seemed like a paradise. One drawback was that, although the bedrooms
in our hostel each had a balcony, the view was of the back yard, with a small garden
beyond – which was hardly impressive. But by way of compensation the roof offered a
spectacular vantage point over the surrounding scenery. We spent every evening
watching the sun go down from there – a magical end to each fantastic day.
Anyway, the trip was the most amazing I’ve ever done … [fade]
Now you’ll hear Part 2 again.
Repeat Part 2.
That’s the end of Part 2.
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THỨ NĂM, 30 THÁNG 11, 2017 
TEACHING NOTES
In Part 3, candidates hear a discussion or an interview between two or more
speakers lasting for approximately four minutes, and they have to answer
six multiple-choice questions.
Before they listen, candidates have one minute to look at the questions. It is
really important to encourage learners to use this time to read through the
questions and the options and to underline the main words. This will help
them to recognise the cues so that they know when to start listening
intensively.
Let’s look at some questions from a sample Part 3 Listening paper. The
listening text is an interview, in which two journalists, Jenny Langdon and
Peter Sharples, are talking about their work.
Read the first question, and then listen to the recording and choose your
answer. Remember that you can listen to the recording twice. After you
have done this, we will go on to look at which skills you were using, and the
reasons why the options are correct or incorrect.
Page 193
Let’s think about which skills you were using to get the right answer and
why the alternatives were incorrect.
Option A is incorrect because Jenny says It was a turning point alright –
but I can hardly claim it as a shrewd career move, showing that this was not
something she had been seeking.
Option B is incorrect because she says that the story was attributed to her
and she benefited from this – so her colleagues did not say it was their story
and Jenny was pleased with the outcome.
Option D is incorrect because she says she was headhunted, meaning that
the national daily came to her and offered her the prestigious job – she
didn’t ask for it.
Option C is the correct choice. Jenny says the editorial team had actually
cobbled the front-page story together from my notes – so she was not the
person who wrote the finished article.
To get this answer correct, you need to listen intensively to understand

exactly what Jenny is saying and to understand what she is implying – e.g.
that I can hardly claim it as a shrewd career move means that it wasn’t
something planned. You also have to understand informal language such as
cobbled together. So several different listening skills are required.
IDENTIFYING OPINION AND ATTITUDE

The questions in Part 3 will often focus on the opinions and attitudes of the
speakers. They may also ask you to identify what the speakers agree on.
Have a look at the next question. Note that this is asking you what Jenny
and Peter agree on when discussing journalism courses.
Candidates are often asked to identify what speakers think and agree on in
Part 3. You will find that most, if not all, the opinions given in the options
are stated by one of the speakers, but only one is given by both.
Let’s look more closely at why option A is correct.
Look at the extract from the listening text below. Then think again about
the options that have been given and decide in each case whether it is
Jenny, Peter, both of them or neither of them who think these things.
Page 194
Jenny: Well, I wanted to write and a journalism course seemed a

reasonable enough starting point. Journalism is at least paid up front –
unlike some forms of writing, and there’s no denying that was an incentive.
So, yes, I did one. And, you know, if I hadn’t, who knows if I’d have been
able to handle the stuff thrown at me when I first arrived at the newspaper
– it does give you that grounding. But I wouldn’t say it taught me
everything I needed. Fortunately a stint on the student newspaper filled in
the gaps.
Peter: ... as is so often the case. They’re often criticised for taking too
strong a line on issues, but they’re invaluable because they give you that
free rein, and you’re generally writing from the heart rather than for the
money. I’d say by all means do a course, theorise all you like in the
classroom, but just bear in mind that it’s no substitute for getting out there
– for developing your own style.
Look at what Peter and Jenny say about careers in journalism and choose
the correct answers.
(1) Jenny (2) Peter (3) Both of them (4) Neither of them
Who thinks that courses in journalism ... ?
(A) need to be supplemented by first-hand experience
(B) are attractive because they lead to paid employment
(C) are of little value compared with working on a student newspaper
(D) provide an opportunity for writers to address contentious issues
Official Key: 1-B 2-D 3-A 4-C
So in this case, the only point that they agree on is A – the importance of
getting experience. Jenny says her course gave her a good grounding, but
goes on to say But I wouldn’t say it taught me everything I needed and then
talks about the important experience she got on the student newspaper,
which filled in the gaps. Peter says that it is a good idea to do a course but
it’s no substitute for getting out there.
So they both say that courses are useful and then follow this with a but to
show that courses aren’t enough on their own – experience is necessary.
This makes it clear why answer A is correct. It is good to encourage your
learners to listen out for words like but or however when listening for the
speakers’ opinions, to prevent them from misunderstanding what is being
said.
Page 195
Notice also how learners could be tempted to go for the wrong option in the
question you have just looked at. For example, here it is true that both
Jenny and Peter say that their experience on student newspapers was
important but they don’t say that the courses weren’t of value. So option C
is acting as a distractor.
DEALING WITH DISTRACTION

We have seen that multiple-choice questions test candidates’ ability to
listen intensively and choose the correct answer.
To do this, they will have to be able to deal with distraction; the incorrect
answer options may seem possible at first, so candidates need to listen
closely to be sure that they are wrong.
There are two ways of approaching a multiple-choice question:

1. Decide on an answer that you are sure is correct.
2. Eliminate answers that you are sure are wrong.
The best candidates will use both these strategies at the same time. For
example, they will decide on which answer they think is best and then
confirm this by thinking about why the other answers are wrong. Often,
they make their initial decision during the first listening and then check it
during the second listening.
The incorrect answers may include some of the words used in the text. They
may include information or ideas that the candidate may think are true, but
that are not mentioned. However, the correct answer will only contain
information or ideas that have been expressed
in the text.
Let’s now look at another question from this Part 3 sample Listening paper,
where Jenny is talking about her first job working at a national daily
newspaper, and then see how you can help learners to deal with distraction.
Listen to the next part of the recording twice, and decide which answer is
correct. Then complete the comments to explain the reasons for your
choices.
Page 196
Now think about the reasons for your choice. Complete the teacher’s
explanations of the answers with the words Jenny uses.
Option A is incorrect. The possibility of contradicting her boss is

mentioned, but Jenny says she (1) _______, which suggests she did not
stand up to him.
Option B is the correct answer. Jenny says she was (2) _______ – so it is
clear she was blamed for things she didn’t do.
Option C is incorrect. The interviewer asks Jenny about the reputation
her boss had for being bad-tempered – and when Jenny says (3) _______,
this means that she agrees and that the reputation is deserved.
Option D is incorrect. It is clear that he was critical of Jenny, and she
says she (4) _______, but she does not say his criticism was a good thing.
(A) was thick-skinned enough not to take it personally
(B) there’s no denying ...
(C) knew better than to argue
(D) first in the firing line if anything went wrong – even stuff that I’d had
no hand in
Official Key: 1-C 2-D 3-B 4-D
USE OF PARAPHRASE
Have another look at the correct option – option B. Notice the difference
between what Jenny says in the listening and the way her words are
reported in the question. Jenny says I was first in the firing line if anything
went wrong – even stuff I’d had no hand in! In option B different words are
used to summarise what Jenny says (He tended to blame her for things
unfairly) but the meaning is the same. Your learners should be aware that
the words in the question do not quote from the listening directly, but
report or summarise the ideas in the listening. So they need to be prepared
to listen for different expressions of the ideas mentioned in the question.
One useful way to raise learners’ awareness of this is to look at the

questions together and think about other ways of expressing the ideas they
Page 197
contain. You can ask them to try paraphrasing (saying something in a

different way) and finding synonyms (words with the same or similar
meaning) for words and phrases from the questions.
To sum up, when dealing with multiple-choice questions you need to train
learners to:
 read questions carefully and underline key words
 be aware of the different expressions for the same ideas
 listen intensively to what the speakers say
 eliminate incorrect options
 use the second listening to confirm options that they think are correct
AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT

As mentioned previously, Part 3 of the Listening paper often focuses on
identifying opinions and attitudes. It is important for learners to know and
recognise expressions of agreement and disagreement, as these can help
them identify speakers’ opinions and attitudes. Learners will also
sometimes be asked specifically to listen for whether speakers agree with
each other.
For example, in question 16, when asked about her former boss, Jenny
replies Well, there’s no denying he deserved that reputation! In this case,
Jenny uses a negative phrase, There’s no denying, to indicate that she
agrees with what the interviewer has just said.
Look at the expressions below. Do they show agreement or disagreement?

 That’s a good point.
 You must be joking!
 I don’t see it that way.
 That can’t be right!
 Absolutely!
 I couldn’t agree with you more.
 I’m with you on that.
 I’m not sure about that.
 I’ve got no doubt you’re right.
 I really don’t think that’s the case.
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LESSON PLAN
AIMS
paper
- listening for main ideas
- identifying opinions and agreement
- listening for paraphrase and synonym
- intensive listening
PREPARATION
 copy of Handout 1 for each learner
PROCEDURE
1. Explain that learners are going to listen to an interview with two
journalists. In small groups, learners discuss the following questions:
- What do you think the advantages and disadvantages are of being a
journalist?
- Would you like to be one? What qualities / skills does a good journalist
need?
2. Give each learner a copy of Handout 1. Focus learners on Exercise A.
3. Play the recording Audio 1 while learners number the topics in the order
they hear them.
(Key:
(3) The variety of articles that Jenny has written
(4) Peter’s work for a student newspaper
(1) An article that changed Jenny’s life
(6) A different type of writing
(2) Jenny’s relationship with her boss
(5) The advantages and disadvantages of journalism courses)
4. Give out Handout 2 to each learner. Tell learners to focus on questions 15
and 16.
5. Individually, learners read the instructions for questions 15 and 16 and
underline the important words.
6. Whole class. Explain that the exact words in the questions will probably
not appear in the listening. Learners are likely to hear the ideas in the
questions stated in different ways.
Page 199
7. Focus learners on Handout 1 Exercise B. In pairs, learners brainstorm

possible paraphrases. With the whole class, quickly review some of the
suggestions.
8. Individually, learners listen to Audio 2 (up to flourished in that
environment) twice and answer questions 15 and 16.
9. In pairs, learners compare answers and discuss the reasons for their
decisions.
10. Whole class. Go through the correct answers and explain the incorrect
answers.
Question 15
Option A is incorrect because Jenny says it was a turning point
alright – but I can hardly claim it as a shrewd career move, showing
that this was not something she had been seeking.
Option B is incorrect because she says that the story was attributed
to her and she benefited from this – so her colleagues did not say it
was their story and Jenny was pleased with the outcome.
Option D is incorrect because she says she was headhunted,
meaning that the national daily came to her and offered her the
prestigious job – she didn’t ask for it.
Option C is the correct choice. Jenny says the editorial team had
actually cobbled the frontpage story together from my notes – so she
was not the person who wrote the finished article.
Question 16
Option A is incorrect. The possibility of contradicting her boss is
mentioned, but Jenny says she knew better than to argue which
suggests she did not stand up to him.
Option B is correct. Jenny says she was first in the firing line if
anything went wrong – even stuff that I’d had no hand in! – so it is
clear she was blamed for things she didn’t do.
Option C is incorrect. The interviewer asks Jenny about the
reputation her boss had for being bad-tempered – and although Jenny
replies with a negative phrase there’s no denying…, this means that
she agrees and that the reputation is deserved.
Option D is incorrect. It is clear that he was critical of Jenny, and
she says she was thick-skinned enough not to take it personally, but she
does not say his criticism was a good thing.
11. Individually, learners listen to Audio 3 twice and answer questions 17–
20 (Handout 2).
Page 200
12. Give each learner a copy of the audio script (Handout 3). In pairs,
learners compare answers and discuss the reasons for their decisions.
(Official Key: 17 C, 18 B, 19 A, 20 D 13)
13. Homework: learners read the audio script carefully to find, record and
learn any new vocabulary.
(A) You are going to hear an interview with two journalists. Number
the topics in the order that you hear them discussed.
….. The variety of articles that Jenny has written
….. Peter’s work for a student newspaper
….. An article that changed Jenny’s life
….. A different type of writing
….. Jenny’s relationship with her boss
.…. The advantages and disadvantages of journalism courses
(B) With a partner, look at the following words and phrases from the
questions. What do they mean? How can you express these ideas in
different ways? Try to think of as many synonyms and paraphrases as
you can.
 on the lookout for
 resented
 wasn’t responsible for
 prestigious
 respected
 blame her for
 unfairly
 unreasonable
Page 201
Page 202
Now turn to Part 3.
You’ll hear an interview in which two journalists called Jenny Langdon and
Peter Sharples are talking about their work. For Questions 15–20, choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
You now have 70 seconds to look at Part 3.
Int: Today we’re looking at careers in journalism. My guests are Jenny
Langdon and Peter Sharples, both regular columnists on major
publications. Jenny, you made your name really young, didn’t you?
F: Relatively, yes. I was a raw recruit on the local paper when a scandal
broke concerning a celebrity living nearby. Out of the blue I found myself
with a scoop on my hands. Basically, I found the guy, interviewed him, then
hid him someplace where reporters on rival papers wouldn’t find him. When
the story broke next day, the editorial team had actually cobbled the front-
page story together from my notes, but it was attributed to me by name.
Before I knew what was happening, I’d been headhunted by a national
daily. It was a turning point alright – but I can hardly claim it as a shrewd
career move or anything!
Int: And the editor at that national daily was a notoriously bad-tempered
individual…
F: Well, there’s no denying he deserved that reputation! I mean, having
landed a dream job, I was really thrown in at the deep end! My desk was
right outside his office, so I was first in the firing line if anything went
wrong – even stuff I’d had no hand in! But I knew better than to argue, and
was thick-skinned enough not to take it personally. Anyway that’s what the
paper was like, always on the edge, and I really flourished in that
environment.
Int: Eventually getting your own daily column …
F: … and that’s where I really came into my own. I mean, I’d done stints on
the sports desk, been celebrity correspondent – the works. Actually, I only
got offered the column as a stop-gap when my predecessor left under a
cloud. But I was desperate to hold on to it. And it came at just the right
time – if it’d been earlier, I’d never have had the nerve or the experience to
make it my own.
Int: Let’s bring Peter in here. You started off on the celebrity magazine
called Carp, didn’t you?
M: I did. Ostensibly thanks to a speculative letter to the editor when I was
still a student. Actually, I’d been doing stuff for a student newspaper all
through university. Skills I learnt there stood me in good stead. When Carp
Magazine called me for interview, my approach to college news convinced
Page 203
them I was in touch with reality – you know, budgets, deadlines, all that –
that’s what swung it in my favour – it wasn’t just having my finger on the
pulse as far as youth culture was concerned – important as that was at
Carp.
Int: Can I ask you both whether you’d say courses in journalism are worth
doing? Jenny?
F: Well, I wanted to write and a journalism course seemed a reasonable
enough starting point. Journalism is at least paid up front – unlike some
forms of writing, and there’s no denying that was an incentive. So, yes, I did
one. And, you know, if I hadn’t, who knows if I’d have been able to handle
the stuff thrown at me when I first arrived at the newspaper – it does give
you that grounding. But I wouldn’t say it taught me everything I needed.
Fortunately a stint on the student newspaper filled in the gaps.
M: … as is so often the case. They’re often criticised for taking too strong a
line on issues, but they’re invaluable because they give you that free rein,
and you’re generally writing from the heart rather than for the money. I’d
say by all means do a course, theorise all you like in the classroom, but just
bear in mind that it’s no substitute for getting out there – for developing
your own style.
Int: Now you’ve both recently published novels – is this a change of
direction?
F: People keep asking that. I like to think that, much as I rate myself as a
journalist and feel I have nothing left to prove, I’m still up for the next
thing that comes along. I’ll never be a prize-winning novelist, but having a
go at it keeps me on my toes. It would be easy enough to get stale doing a
column like mine, but that does remain my grand passion – I don’t know
about you Peter, but I’m hardly thinking of moving on.
M: Well, I expect there’s people who’d say we should stand aside to give up-
and-coming writers a chance. But, no, I’m not. I’d go along with the idea of
diversification keeping you nimble though, and I’m not making great claims
for my novel either. But I would take issue with the idea that journalism
itself holds no further challenge. I wish I had your confidence Jenny – I’m
always telling myself that I’m only as good as my last piece and there’s no
room for complacency.
Int: And there we must leave it. Thank you both … Coming up now …
[fade]
Now you’ll hear Part 3 again.
Repeat Part 3.
That’s the end of Part 3.
Page 204

Nominalisation
THỨ TƯ, 13 THÁNG 12, 2017
In everyday conversation, our focus is often on people and their actions, e.g.
I saw Trung yesterday., When are you going on holiday?, so we often use
pronouns and active verb forms. In academic writing, however, we tend to
focus more on ideas, processes, actions and situations. This means we use a
lot more abstract nouns and noun phrases, as well as passive verb forms in
academic English. Compare the examples below:
 The government centralised criminal records. This improved access.
The centralisation of criminal records improved access. (focus on a
process)
 The UN withdrew peace-keeping troops. This led to an increase in
fighting.
The withdrawal of UN peace-keeping troops led to an increase in fighting.
(focus on an action)
A noun phrase, also known as a noun string, is made up of a number of

nouns and adjectives which together describe a thing or idea. Longer, more
complex noun phrases are commonly used in academic writing as a way of
referring to complex ideas in a concise way.
Look at the following examples, the second one contains a long noun phrase:
 Many drug users suffer problems with their mental health over a long
period of time.
Many drug users suffer long-term mental health problems.
Many of these groups of nouns are followed by the preposition of, e.g. the
provision of services, an outbreak of a disease, etc. Some of these nouns can
also be followed by other prepositions. These patterns usually mirror the
patterns of the associated verbs, e.g. provision for, contribution to,
expenditure on, etc.
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It is common to use the clearer noun+of+noun form the first time a noun
phrase is used in a piece of writing and then a more concise noun+noun
pattern when the noun phrase is repeated (and its meaning is already clear
to the reader):
A strand of DNA can be represented as a string of ordered bases. The
order of bases in the DNA strand is important as it is used as a template
in the creation of proteins.
Many of these nouns are uncountable when they refer to a general process
or type of action. However, they can often be used in a countable sense to
refer to a particular instance, example or result of a process/action.
 The addition of fluoride to water was once a controversial
innovation, but is now routine. (U; the process of adding)
 There are several additions to the program that we hope to make in
the future. (C; things to be added)
You can find more information about this in the next note.
Be careful not to put too many nouns and adjectives together into a very
long noun phrase. It can become unclear which words belong together and
the meaning can become ambiguous. In each case below, although the
second example is slightly longer, it is clearer and easier to decode:
 (x) The diagram shows the natural groundwater flow pattern.
The diagram shows the natural pattern of groundwater flow.
 (x) Section two investigates international banks’ Chinese branches
development.
Section two investigates the development of Chinese branches of
international banks.
When you add new vocabulary to your word list, note down noun and verb
forms together as well as commonly used fixed noun phrases within your
subject area. When you are writing, you can refer to your notes to help you
find different ways of phrasing your ideas or paraphrasing ideas from other
sources. Remember, though, that a noun phrase which is used in one piece
of writing (and may be explained) may not be clear in a different context.
Stay tuned for more notes on nominalisation!
Page 206

Nominalisation: More Aspects
CHỦ NHẬT, 31 THÁNG 12, 2017
1 Let’s review what we have learnt from the previous lesson . Choose
the best noun phrase to complete the sentences.
1. The statistics are based on observation of a year’s cycle of
sedimentation / a year of sedimentation cycle in the lake.
2. In the first chapter, scientific collaboration networks’ structure / the
structure of scientific collaboration networks is investigated.
3. State laws make employers liable for all of injured worker medical
expenses / an injured worker’s medical expenses.
4. Following the outbreak of civil war in 1993 / 1993’s civil war
outbreak, many people fled to refugee camps.
5. The centre of the chimpanzees’ territory / The chimpanzees’
territory’s centre is a clearing in the forest.
6. This is further evidence of the Portuguese’s influence / the influence
of the Portuguese, who were the colonial rulers of East Timor until 1975.
7. The report provoked an angry response from the prime minister’s aide
/ the aide of the prime minister and legal advisor, Robert Andrews.
8. Data sources include interviews with former ministers and official
government documents / official documents of government.
9. This technique is used for abnormal conditions of weather early
detection / the early detection of abnormal weather conditions.
10. According to Newton’s principle of determinacy / the determinacy
principle of Newton all motions of a system are uniquely determined by
their initial positions.
Official Key: 1 a year’s cycle of sedimentation 2 the structure of scientific
collaboration networks 3 an injured worker’s medical expenses 4 the
outbreak of civil war in 1993 5 The centre of the chimpanzees’ territory 6
the influence of the Portuguese 7 the prime minister’s aide 8 official
government documents 9 the early detection of abnormal weather
conditions 10 Newton’s principle of determinacy
Page 207
Nouns in English are divided into two main types, countable and
uncountable nouns, which behave in different ways. Understanding
whether a noun is countable or uncountable affects your choice of article
(a/an, the) or quantifier (some, much, few, etc) and also your choice of
singular or plural verb form. Although errors connected with countable and
uncountable nouns do not normally affect meaning, especially in academic
writing, they do create an impression of ‘inaccurate’ writing, perhaps
leading to the perception that the writer may not have an accurate grasp of
the subject.
Many nouns can be used in a countable or an uncountable sense in different
contexts. In general, the uncountable sense usually refers to a general
concept, group or category considered as a whole, whereas the
countable sense refers to a specific example or instance of something.
 They attempted to investigate college students’ experience of
teaming (= [U] all the things which happened to them considered as a
whole).
 A fundamental question about human memory is why some
experiences (= [C] individual events) are remembered whereas
others are forgotten.
 Little agreement (= [U]) exists on the best terms to describe strata.
 Most international environmental agreements (= [C] official written
sets of rules) are self-enforcing.
Other common C/U nouns include:
 development/improvement
[U] = a general process [C] = a specific event
 fear
[U] = a general feeling [C] = concern about a specific problem
 medicine
[U] = the area of study/work [C] = a particular drug
 life/death
[U] = a general concept [C] = of a specific person
 paper
[U] = the material [C] = a piece of academic writing
 technology
[U] = machines, computers, etc in general
[C] = a specific machine/method
Some nouns which are normally uncountable can be used in a specialised
countable sense in very specific academic and professional fields.
Page 208
 The study examined the link between alcohol use and anti-social
behaviour (= [U]) in adolescents.
 These two types of noun have distinct grammatical behaviours (= [C]
specific patterns).
 Four women did not give permission ([U]) for their medical records
to be accessed.
 This limits permissions (= [C] technical ability of individuals to
access) on the file to read only for all users except root.
 The subjects had average or above average intelligence (=[U]).
 Educators need to take into account the special talents and multiple
intelligences (= [C] different types of intelligence) of students.
 Much of the work (= [U]) in this field is related to the original ideas
developed by Asher.
 In his later works (= [C] pieces of writing, art, etc) Freud
differentiated the basic view mentioned here.
 An equal amount of money ([U]) was invested during each time
period.
 Activation commissions are monies ([plural] sums of money) paid to
retail outlets to signup subscribers.
2 Let’s review what we have learnt from the previous lesson .

Choose the best noun phrase to complete the sentences.
WORKERS FLOURISH IN LABOUR MARKET
Towards the end of the twentieth century, there (1) was widespread fear /
were widespread fears that new (2) development / developments in the field
of information technology would lead to a number of low-skilled workers
finding themselves (3) out of work / out-of-work. Recent (4) research,
however, suggests / researches, however, suggest that, with retraining,
many of these people have successfully acquired the skills and knowledge
necessary to adapt to the new labour market and have indeed flourished. (5)
Case study /Case studies documenting the (6) experience / experiences of
several groups of blue-collar workers who retrained to work in service (7)
industry / industries provided (8) evidence / evidences of significant (9)
improvement / improvements in pay and (10) condition / conditions.
Official Key: 1 were widespread fears 2 developments 3 out of work 4

research, however, suggests 5 Case studies 6 experiences 7 industries 8
evidence 9 improvements 10 conditions
Page 209
Vài suy nghĩ về các
bài mẫu IELTS trên Internet

(Và các từ được gắn nhãn formal trong từ điển)
THỨ BẢY, 14 THÁNG 7, 2018
Thật sự là có rất nhiều người gửi thầy các bài mẫu IELTS chia sẻ trên mạng và hỏi
thầy bài đó band bao nhiêu. Đầu tiên chúng ta cần phải hiểu rằng, IELTS 8.0 hay
9.0, hay CPE, không phải là chứng chỉ dùng để đánh giá và cho điểm một bài
viết. Việc cho điểm chỉ mang tính tham khảo, rất chủ quan và nếu không cẩn thận sẽ
đi quá xa.
Một bài viết claim là band 8.5 của một bạn share cho thầy còn nhấn mạnh cách làm
tăng điểm bằng việc thay từ đồng nghĩa sao cho pro/advanced, profound hơn chút,
sao cho formal hơn, ví dụ trong câu sau:
“Many local people still have to live in houses made of mud and stone.”
Bài mẫu cho rằng sử dụng “houses” ở đây chưa pro, và cần thay bằng “residences”
hoặc “dwellings”, còn nói thêm rằng để điểm cao hơn cần dùng từ advanced hơn
như “domiciles” hoặc “abode”.
Trong những post trước, thầy có chia sẻ rằng việc paraphrase bằng cách thay
synonyms trực tiếp có thể làm thay đổi tone, trong nhiều trường hợp ý nghĩa từ
positive lại trở thành negative, tác dụng ngược lại với những gì mình muốn diễn đạt.
Chỉ khi thật sự hiểu được các nét nghĩa giữa các synonyms thầy mới dám dùng để
thay thế, và còn phải theo context, collocation nữa.
Tất cả các từ trên đều là formal và có nghĩa cơ bản như house, nhưng cách dùng có
chút khác nhau. “Domicile” và “abode” thường gặp nhiều trong các context về luật.
“Dwelling” dùng trong các context khá academic, vdụ “the inhabitants still have to
live in dwellings...” “Residence” cũng vậy, khá academic, thầy hay gặp trong các
văn bản, giấy tờ của chính phủ.
Bản thân văn phong formal nó là một spectrum, chứ không phải là một điểm cụ thể
nào đó, và tùy vào cách diễn đạt, thể loại viết, target reader... mà mức độ formal sẽ
Page 210
khác nhau. Bài essay IELTS chỉ cần văn phong từ neutral đến mức formal vừa phải,
không cần quá formal hoặc academic như các bài tiểu luận, research paper... trong
trường Đại học. Có thể hiểu IELTS giống như là pre-university course vậy. Em
không cần phải thay hết các từ thành formal, hay phải né tránh các từ gắn nhãn
informal.
Trên thực tế, nhiều từ gắn nhãn formal trong từ điển thường dùng để tạo hiệu ứng
châm biếm, hài hước, kịch tính... chứ không chỉ để làm câu văn scholarly, profound
hơn. Cũng có những từ gắn nhãn informal nhưng thầy vẫn thấy dùng trong các bài
viết IELTS được. Câu gốc ở trên thầy thấy không nhất thiết phải làm cho nó kịch
tính hay profound hơn. Quan trọng là những gì em viết trước và sau đó như thế nào
nữa.
Nói chung, các bài mẫu được chia sẻ có nhiều dụng ý tốt, có thể giúp các bạn học
hỏi thêm language, nhưng có những bài các bạn gửi thầy xem được claim là band
cao... thầy thấy mục đích showcase từ vựng nhiều hơn là giúp người viết nhận ra
cách tổ chức, diễn đạt và liên kết ý tưởng. Nếu có thể, ngoài việc chỉ ghi chú vocab,
khi đọc các bài viết này, em hãy note thêm cách triển khai, liên kết ý tưởng trong bài
xem có gì hay, đặc biệt không... đừng chỉ chăm chăm ghi nhớ collocation để force
vào bài và nghĩ rằng làm vậy sẽ natural hơn. [more later]
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|PART 3|
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10th July, 2014

I like these moments when the word formation booklet is underway
for its revision. This new edition is supposed to generate a lot of fun
besides being informative and challenging. These are some sample
pages. What do you think about the format and content?
Page 213
19th February, 2015

Chúc các bạn HS, SV, các bạn đồng nghiệp một năm mới làm việc và học
tập hiệu quả, đạt được nhiều thành tích như mong đợi.
Khai bút đầu năm, chuẩn bị cho dự án mới của blog ^^ Lovely new year!
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23rd June, 2015
Đố mọi người
đây là sách
gì? (P/S:
based on The
Oxford 3000
and Oxford
Academic
Word List)
Page 218
21st February, 2016

Bìa sách hiện giờ nè mấy đứa, ko biết nên chỉnh sửa gì thêm ko.
Tối/mai thầy đăng thông tin pre-order nha :)
Thầy cũng nóng lòng lắm nhưng mà muốn edit cho perfect.
P/S: CORNUCOPIA (n.) an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind
Page 219
25th February, 2016

CORNUCOPIA WORD FORMATION COLLECTION 1
Preview: page 35, 36, 37/77 pages
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4th March, 2016

Đây là list headwords có derivatives trong Cornucopia 1 nè nha.
Page 223
18th March, 2016

Chắc là đành lỗi hẹn với đợt thi Olympic này rồi. Nhưng thôi dù sao cũng sắp
xuất xưởng. Up lên cho nó hot.
Page 224
24th March, 2016

CORNUCOPIA 1 WORD FORMATION TEACHER'S BOOK (preview: page 2, 3)
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10th August, 2016

Đây có thể sẽ là format sách mới nha. Mọi người nghĩ thế nào? ^^
Page 227
Ⓐ adverb Ⓗcopular verb Ⓞ non-finite verb Ⓥ reflexive pronoun

Ⓑ amplifier / intensifier Ⓘ correlative conjunction Ⓟ phrasal verb Ⓦ relative pronoun
Ⓒ apposition Ⓙ demonstrative determiner Ⓠ possessive adjective Ⓧ subjunctive verb
Ⓓ auxiliary verb Ⓚ demonstrative pronoun Ⓡ possessive pronoun Ⓨ subordinating conjunction
Ⓔ compound adjective Ⓛ downtoner / detensifier Ⓢ preposition Ⓩ unmodified pronoun
Ⓕ compound noun Ⓜ indefinite pronoun Ⓣ quantifier
Ⓖ coordinating conjunction Ⓝ lexeme Ⓤ reciprocal pronoun
Page 228
3rd September, 2016

[FREE DOWNLOAD - CORNUCOPIA ALPHA 1 - RESOURCE]
Phần Resource của sách với hơn 130 headwords và derivatives từ OALD, bám
sát SGK thí điểm và đề thi HSG/chuyên.
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1st October, 2016

Tháng 11. Hứa nhất định tháng 11 sẽ ra. Mà hông ra nữa thì thôi chứ sao giờ
^^ Nói chứ cần góp ý cho cái bìa nhiều chi tiết này. Có logo BBC nữa nha mà
ko biết nên nhét chỗ nào cho vừa.
Page 241
4th October, 2016

Có bao nhiêu biện pháp tu từ và kĩ thuật viết trong văn học Anh-Mỹ dưới đây
mà em đã biết? Trong Preliminary Training 1A, thầy giới thiệu một vài điểm
cơ bản dành cho những ai đã ngán essay và muốn làm phần Set Texts
(Prescribed Reading) trong bài thi Writing của Cambridge CPE ^^ cũng là gợi
ý cho những bạn nào thích đọc sách văn học Anh-Mỹ có thể tự khám phá, tìm
tòi hah ^^ Bản thân thầy khi viết đến đây cũng tự thấy vô cùng mới mẻ thú vị
và nhiều cái có thể áp dụng trong academic essays các con à ^^
Page 242
16th October, 2016

Wordlist C1/C2 từ các giáo trình của Cambridge.
https://mega.nz/?fbclid=IwAR3zrkFSxom5TyWWQov5M78RpYL3S5krCqD
g_aApoPNos0QTgLUBivRZn4E#!Q1x3CTJK!eEZpbL7W1RlnXBvCheuqXmg8T
URLb8EYKoXxH0BN8D4 (link still working as of June 2019)
Share tuỳ ý.
4th November, 2016

CAMBRIDGE C2 WORDLIST (A COMMUNITY PROJECT)
* updated: more than 400 idioms you need to know at CEFR C2
* Hiện thầy đã update đầy đủ 400 idioms được gắn nhãn C2 trong CALD. Tuy
nhiên, mới chỉ có danh sách từ thôi, những phần còn lại các bạn tự tra từ điển hoặc
đóng góp để mọi người cùng sử dụng nhé (edit trực tiếp bằng link bên dưới), một
mình thầy ko thể làm hết tất cả.
* Cẩn thận khi sử dụng những (cụm) từ được gắn nhãn formal, informal,
disapproving, saying, old-fashioned,... Sử dụng sao cho phù hợp với mục đích giao
tiếp nhé.
* Thầy sẽ update các list phrasal verbs, fixed phrases và headwords sau nên các
bạn hãy chăm chỉ vào update mỗi ngày.
* Mọi hướng dẫn khác vui lòng đọc kĩ ghi chú trong file.
* Share và like tùy ý ^^
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QTT24AaUuKYyL4EwaD6yUonjGGM
AFpVgKSF0D7lsvVc/edit?fbclid=IwAR2ld-
tnAlG1y2oFp2E7lu8FZynjWWW2gRbME8afKMcmokagqEBB-
LnaEws#gid=1060598883
Page 243
23rd November, 2016

ORDER TÀI LIỆU PRELIMINARY TRAINING 1A
- Preview bài số 1 trong Preliminary Training (*) (2 tests)
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16th December, 2016

[Bảng Word Formation của đề thi HSGQG 2015]
Các con lưu vào tham khảo và ôn tập nhé. Có thể dùng ôn OLP.
Page 247
17th December, 2016

[SIMPLIFIED GAPPED TEXT with Teachers' Notes]
Thật ra là dạng bài CAE cũ, thường hay ra trong các đề thi HSGQG vài năm
trước. Tuy ko khó nhưng vẫn nên ôn tập để rèn luyện kĩ năng. Thầy share một
bài nhỏ có kèm notes để các con tham khảo.
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18th December, 2016

Tiếp tục tiết mục ôn WORD FORMATION
Từ đề thi HSGQG tiếng Anh 2014 thầy sẽ up dần dần
5th January, 2017

1 bài nghe hình như là bài này phải không mấy đứa? Thầy chỉ nghe dc loáng
thoáng nên chỉ nhớ được vài ý. Không có đề ở đây nhưng bạn nào đánh vào những
ý sau là đúng nhé:
- business proposition
- huge influence (of the Internet)
- use symbols without realisation
- misleading (hockey team's name)
- linking character with colour
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7eL2LNGyvVZbzc0cEtyUGJVc2M/
Page 257
9th January, 2017

Nhá hàng magazine mà team đang làm, ai muốn tham gia Inbox nha nha, cần
lắm nhân tài có tâm huyết
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7th February, 2017

Are you ready for «English Therapy»? A tiny dose a day won't hurt!
» Tạp chí English Therapy dành cho tất cả những ai muốn nâng cao năng lực
tiếng Anh nói chung, và HS chuyên Anh nói riêng.
» Tạp chí được broadcast mỗi ngày, liên tục trong ba tuần, dự kiến sẽ phát
hành mỗi (hai) tháng.
» Editor: Trịnh Thành Trung fb.me/myenglishtribe
» Xin chân thành cảm ơn sự đóng góp của các bạn Contributors đã giúp thực
hiện tạp chí này:
Huỳnh Tân Thành fb.com/100003109881805
Nguyễn Bá Phong fb.me/TiiukUliliKa
Đức Xứng fb.me/killv.maim.13
Hoang Anh Tran Dinh fb.me/h.a.270499
Nguyễn Trúc Quỳnh fb.me/ngntrucquynh.18
Diệp Đỉnh Khang fb.me/diepdinhkhang1999
Khánh Linh
Nguyễn Minh Long fb.me/minhlong.nguyen.946179
Lê Xuân Bách fb.me/subalee2000
Nguyễn Thái Sang fb.me/ngthasang
Trần Hải Anh fb.me/haianh.tran.92123
Trần Lâm Minh Huy fb.me/mhuytran0710
Chi Nguyen
Võ Hồng Yến Phượng fb.me/phuong.vohongyen
[Trong số DEBUT]
» Nhân vật: Justin Trudeau
» Year of the Rooster
» Pokémon Go: A Worldwide Phenomenon
» nhiều bài luyện nghe, luyện đọc thực tế từ bản tin, phim tài liệu, diễn thuyết,
báo chí... đa dạng các chủ đề: thời sự, giải trí, giáo dục...
» luyện tập tất cả các kĩ năng và dạng bài trong các kì thi tiếng Anh nâng cao
» ô chữ, đố vui, thử thách từ độc giả...
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8th February, 2017

» Did you enjoy the Monday and Tuesday «English Therapy»?
» Today's doses are brought to you by our friends
Lê Xuân Bách
Nguyễn Minh Long
Nguyễn Trúc Quỳnh
Diệp Đỉnh Khang
(see next page)
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Page 264
19th February, 2017
POKÉMON GO – A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON [Guided Cloze]

(extracted from English Therapy)
For good or for bad, the Pokémon Go app has taken the world by (1) _______.
It’s easy to (2) _______ the popularity of Pokémon Go these days. On street corners,
in parks, and almost everywhere else, people have their faces (3) _______ to their
screens while participating in this amazingly successful (4) _______-reality game. In
fact, Pokémon Go has quickly become one of most used apps in the world, with (5)
_______ of over 100 million and counting. The game has been (6) _______ “a social
media phenomenon,” and the media has (7) _______ to its massive popularity as
“Pokémon Go mania” or “Pokemania” for short. Released in many countries in July
2016 (early August in Vietnam), the game builds on the (8) _______ of the famous
Pokémon characters and requires players to (9) _______ the (10) _______ creatures in
real-world locations. Players create avatars, choosing among various hair, eye, and
skin colours as well as types of clothing. They can visit sites known as PokéStops and
Pokémon gyms. Participants can pick up eggs, balls, and potions at PokéStops, which
are also the easiest places to (11) _______ and capture wild Pokémon.
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Pokémon Go was developed by Niantic, a part of Google that was later (12)
_______ into its own company headed by John Hanke. Initially, it was met with (13)
_______ reviews because of some technical problems, but those (14) _______ didn’t
stop the game from becoming a(n) (15) _______ of the app world. The game has been
praised for getting families outdoors together and even (16) _______ crime, with
some players noticing and reporting suspicious activity while (17) _______. On the
other hand, Pokémon Go has also received a(n) (18) _______ of criticism because it
has led to numerous accidents due to players’ (19) _______ while walking, cycling,
and even driving. With that (20) _______, stay safe, be aware of your surroundings,
and happy Pokémon Go playing!
(1) (A) cyclone (B) hurricane (C) storm (D) tornado

(2) (A) behold (B) observe (C) watch (D) witness
(3) (A) adhered (B) conformed (C) fixed (D) glued
(4) (A) aggravated (B) ameliorated (C) amplified (D) augmented
(5) (A) downloads (B) orders (C) purchases (D) reservations
(6) (A) dubbed (B) entitled (C) labelled (D) nominated
(7) (A) alluded (B) assigned (C) referred (D) related
(8) (A) eminence (B) prestige (C) prominence (D) reputation
(9) (A) chase down (B) crack down (C) hunt down (D) shoot down
(10) (A) fabled (B) make-believe (C) surreal (D) virtual
(11) (A) confront (B) connect (C) encounter (D) experience
(12) (A) branched out (B) changed back (C) spun off (D) whirled around
(13) (A) confused (B) jumbled (C) mixed (D) varied
(14) (A) glitches (B) hitches (C) pitches (D) stitches
(15) (A) bandwagon (B) juggernaut (C) mania (D) steamroller
(16) (A) deterring (B) hindering (C) impeding (D) obstructing
(17) (A) down and out (B) far and wide (C) out and about (D) up and running
(18) (A) flood (B) outburst (C) outpouring (D) wave
(19) (A) disregard (B) inattentiveness (C) negligence (D) preoccupation
(20) (A) at will (B) in mind
(C) on second thoughts (D) under the impression
[compiled by Trinh Thanh Trung]
Official Key:
1 C 2 D 3 D 4 D 5 A 6 A 7 C 8 D 9 C 10 D
11 C 12 C 13 C 14 A 15 B 16 A 17 C 18 A 19 B 20 B
Page 266
21st February, 2017

» Tạp chí Newsademic chuyên tổng hợp các vấn đề thời sự, nổi bật trên thế
giới, bằng văn phong rất giản dị và dễ hiểu, thích hợp cho việc luyện đọc B2-
C1; tạp chí có kèm theo các hoạt động và bài tập, chủ yếu là câu hỏi mở nên ko
có đáp án nhưng thầy vẫn giới thiệu để các bạn làm thử; thầy cũng chuẩn bị
đáp án của thầy để cùng nhau trao đổi, so sánh. Dưới đây là 1 bài đọc tương
đối dễ trong số mới nhất; em có thể đọc thử, sau đó làm bài tập bên dưới.
» Read the article. Choose either TRUE or FALSE for the following
T F
statements.
1. Scientists divide the river into different layers.
2. So even though their prey might be declining, squid are increasing.
3. Some squid, including the strawberry squid, live in very shallow water.
4. As it gets older, the right eye grows into a long tube.
5. The scientists noticed that the left eye always looks upward and the smaller
right eye downward.
6. This layer is too deep for most sunlight to reach, or penetrate.
7. Their name comes from their raspberry-like colour and seed-shaped
markings.
8. Squid swim in the sea and feed on fish and crustaceans.
9. Strawberry squid live in the mesopelagic layer.
10. Its mismatched eyes save the squid energy and resources.
STRAWBERRY SQUID
There are more than 300 squid species. Some are unusual. They include the giant squid, the colossal
squid (it has the world’s biggest eyes), and flying and vampire squid. Another is the strawberry squid.
It is what’s known as a cock-eyed squid. This is because one of its eyes is far larger than the other.
Some squid, including the strawberry squid, live in very deep water. Here, they are hard to study.
This means that not much is known about them. Recently, American researchers have carefully
studied 150 films, or videos, of these marine creatures. They were recorded over the last 30 years.
The researchers now believe that they know the reason for squid’s mismatched eyes.
Like octopuses, squid are cephalopods. Both have eight long arms. Squid have two extra long
tentacles. Unlike octopuses, squid have two fins on the sides of their heads. An octopus is soft. It has
no bones or outer shell. Squid have a stiff structure like a backbone. It’s called a pen. Squid swim in
the sea and feed on fish and crustaceans. Octopuses live on the seafloor. They kill their prey by
piecing it and then injecting poison, or venom.
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Strawberry squid are one of several species described as cock-eyed. All have one eye bigger than the
other. Strawberry squid are found in the North and South Pacific Ocean. Their name comes from their
strawberry-like colour and seed-shaped markings. Scientists are not sure how big strawberry squid
grow. It’s probably about 60 centimetres (24 inches). Giant squid can be 13 metres (43 feet) in length.
The strawberry squid was first recorded about 100 years ago.
Scientists divide the ocean into different layers. Strawberry squid live in the mesopelagic layer. It’s
also called the twilight zone. This layer is too deep for most sunlight to reach, or penetrate. Yet it is
not totally black, or dark, like the layers below. The twilight zone is between 200 and 1,000 metres
(600 and 3,300 feet) beneath the surface. The deeper and darker the ocean is, the harder it is for sea
creatures to survive. Most life forms that live at these depths have evolved in unusualy wyas. The
strawberry squid is one of them.
The strawberry squid’s left eye is the bigger of the two. The scientists noticed tht the left eye always
looks upward and the smaller right eye downward. Many deep-sea creatures produce light from their
own bodies. It’s called bioluminesence. The smaller eye can only see this type of light. The bigger
eye can pick out silhouettes in the light above. Therefore, the squid’s mismatched eyes detect possible
prey both above and below.
The researchers say that it takes a lot of energy to grow and maintain two eyes. The strawberry squid
is born with two similar size eyes. As it gets older, the left eye grows into a long tube. Eventually, it
becomes double the size of the right eye. Its mismatched eyes save the squid energy and resources.
Other deep-sea marine creatures have evolved in similar ways.
In recent years, the numbers of many marine species have been dropping. Over-fishing is one reason.
Climate change may be another. Yet for the last 60 years squid numbers seem to have been going up.
Even though their prey might be declining, squid are increasing. Scientists are uncertain why this is
happening.
Page 268
22nd February, 2017

DOCTOR STRANGE
Can one change reality by changing his mind?
Doctor Stephen Strange is among the most (1. WF) __________ brain surgeons
in the world, who is (2. WF) __________ talented yet (3. WF) __________ and proud
to a fault. After a(n) (4. WF) __________ car accident which almost takes his life, his
hands are destroyed, his career (5. WF) __________ and his world turned (6. WF)
__________ down. Strange then (7. WF) __________ a journey to find a way to heal
his body.
While on his travels, Strange (8. WF) __________ the Ancient One, an
extremely powerful sorcerer. (9. GCloze) __________ he does not believe in magic
forces in the first place, but then the Ancient One opens his eyes (10. GCloze)
__________ magical powers that are beyond (11. GCloze) __________. The doctor
(12.GCloze) __________ his pride to learn magic from the sorcerer and master these
magical skills to (13. GCloze) __________ the world against the forces evil and
destruction.
Benedict Cumberbatch (14. WF) __________ with Oscar winner, Tilda
Swinton, in the latest Hollywood blockbuster in the Marvel (15. GCloze)
__________. Be (16. GCloze) __________ to head to the nearest theatre to catch all
of the magic and mystery in Doctor Strange.
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Questions
1. prestige ___________________________
2. order ___________________________
3. manner ___________________________
4. dread ___________________________
5. rail ___________________________
6. side ___________________________
7. take ___________________________
8. counter ___________________________
9. (A) A man of science (B) As if a scientist
(C) As scientific a man (D) Scientifically
10. (A) for (B) in (C) to (D) with
11. (A) all recognition (B) his ken
(C) his wildest imagination (D) the realms of possibility
12. (A) puts about (B) puts across (C) puts aside (D) puts away
13. (A) defend (B) endorse (C) justify (D) secure
14. star ___________________________
15. (A) constellation (B) cosmos (C) galaxy (D) universe
16. (A) bound (B) due (C) likely (D) set
(compiled by Trinh Thanh Trung)
Page 270
23rd February, 2017

CNN Interview with JUSTIN TRUDEAU
Watch here bit.ly/2ld2fzn [Google Drive link asking for permission – contact Mr. Trịnh Thành Trung]
» Task 1. Write short answers for questions (1)-(4).

(1) According to Trudeau, who or what created Canada?
_____________________________________________________________________
(2) According to Trudeau, what do Canadians understand about immigration?
_____________________________________________________________________
(3) What work did Trudeau do before entering politics?
_____________________________________________________________________
(4) What did Trudeau do "because it's 2015"?
_____________________________________________________________________
» Task 2. Summarise the main ideas of the interview.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Page 271
24th February, 2017

» Read the article 'Building a capital city'. Tick either TRUE or FALSE for the
following statements.
Statements T F
1. The city will include a large presidential palace, parliament and
government buildings, supreme court, five star hotel, and a new university
and cathedral.
2. Teodoro Obiang, president of Equatorial Guinea, ordered members of his
government to leave Oyala.
3. At 74 years of age, Mr Obiang is the world’s longest-serving president.
4. The new, not yet completed, city is called Djibloho (also known as Oyala),
it is on the mainland.
5. Mr Obiang has admitted that improved housing is one reason for building
the new city.
6. Equatorial Guinea is the only African country where the official language
is Portuguese.
7. In the 1990s large undersea gas fields were discovered.
8. Equatorial Guinea is one of Africa’s smaller nations, it is a former colony
of Portugal.
9. Equatorial Guinea is now one of Africa’s biggest oil producers.
10. Several years ago the president decided to build a new capital city, a
Spanish company was chosen to design it.
Page 272
Page 273
13th March, 2017

Cornucopia Word Formation 2 (Reference Book)
» Hơn 100 headwords, cùng derivatives, từ đề thi Olympic chính thức năm 2016
» Basic Prescription cung cấp các derivatives từ OALD
» Advanced Prescription nâng cao bằng derivatives từ OD
» Extra Prescription cung cấp thêm headwords và derivatives
» Word Origins & Affixes nâng cao kiến thức về word formation
Page 274
15th March, 2017

» Danh sách các headwords trong Cornucopia WF 2.
Page 275
17th March, 2017

Trên tay Cornucopia WF 2 - đã bổ sung thêm một số bài tập mở rộng và thêm
headwords - mua 1 lần dùng trọn đời ko sợ lỗi thời <3
Page 276
11th April, 2017

[GOOD NEWS] Sách Cornucopia Word Formation 1 đã được NXB Đồng Nai cấp giấy
phép xuất bản rồi nha, từ giờ ko phải lo lắng gì về pháp lí nữa. Được phép sử dụng tên
tiếng Anh, website blogchuyenanh và cái bìa xinh đẹp như hình, có thêm logo của NXB
nữa thôi. Nội dung thì vẫn là bình mới rượu cũ, có edit đôi chút nhưng ko đáng kể, sang
năm thầy sẽ revise lại sau. Tóm lại là sách từ giờ Cornucopia có thể được public rộng rãi
mà ko phải lo lắng gì. Thầy sẽ cố gắng đăng kí XB cho các tựa sách khác để phát hành
đến mọi người nha. Cám ơn mọi người và NXB đã ủng hộ thầy trong thời gian qua.
Page 277
16th April, 2017

Cornucopia Alpha - Word Formation Collection 1
- Tuy là viết cho hs lớp 9 ôn thi vào lớp 10 chuyên, nhưng có thể dùng đc cho cả OLP và HSGQG
luôn nhé; với những ai cảm thấy ko kham nổi bộ đao to búa lớn kia, thì bộ Alpha sẽ đơn giản
hơn, nhưng vẫn dùng cho advanced
- Gồm hơn 100 headwords trích từ các đề thi vào lớp 10 chuyên và hsg của TP.HCM, có bài tập
mở rộng. derivatives được tổng hợp từ Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary 9th
- Phụ lục gồm list các -able và -ible adjectives có trong OALD và 1 số ghi chú, phụ lục khác nếu
còn tjan thầy sẽ bổ sung
Page 278
22nd April, 2017

Hiện đã có thể order sách Cornucopia WF 1, bao gồm online resources và key
trong cùng 1 quyển. thank you.
Page 279
27th April, 2017

Sách tuần này đã in xong sớm hơn dự kiến, năm nay in lại dày hơn nhiều trang
hơn nè <3
Page 280
28th April, 2017

TÀI LIỆU ÔN THI VÀO LỚP 10 CHUYÊN - WORD FORMATION (CORNUCOPIA
ALPHA VOL.1)
* Gồm hơn 300 headwords trích từ các đề thi vào lớp 10 chuyên và HSG của
TP.HCM. Derivatives được tổng hợp từ Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary
9th.
* Có entry tests, practice tests, bài tập ứng dụng và key.
* Study notes và quizzes: affixes, compound nouns & adjectives, phrasal

nouns & adjectives, blended words, compounds with well- & ill, list of -able
and -ible adjectives
* Colour prescriptions: các headwords chỉ màu sắc và derivatives, e.g. red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, brown, purple, pink, black, white, grey, colour.
* Nhiều resources khác nếu còn kịp thời gian sẽ update
* Sách có thể sử dụng do HS lớp 9 ôn thi vào lớp 10 chuyên (cả TP.HCM, Hà Nội và
các nơi khác); OLP và HSGQG (đầy đủ dạng bài)
Page 281
Page 282
Page 283
4th May, 2017

[giải đáp về Cornucopia Word Formation] - ai có thắc mắc gì thêm hỏi trong post này
luôn nhé. hiện tại có những phiên bản được publish song song với nhau và sự khác biệt
giữa chúng.
1. Cornucopia WF 1, là tập hợp derivatives được chọn lọc khá đầy đủ từ
oxforddictionaries.com (OD) - đây là cuốn từ điển sống hiện đại đồ sộ nhất, đầy đủ nhất,
cập nhật nhất hiện nay của Oxford. tất cả những từ mới/phát sinh đều được đưa vào từ
điển này trước khi được chọn lọc để đưa vào từ điển khác như OALD
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com - vốn dùng cho HS-SV-GV và người học tiếng Anh nói
chung. chính vì vậy mà có cái tên Cornucopia [,kɔːrnjə’koʊpiə] an abundance of good
things. WF1 có derivatives và nhiều bài tập ứng dụng. nhưng chính vì sự đồ sộ nhập
nhằng của OD nên có nhiều bạn cảm thấy overwhelmed vì lượng từ (vì thầy có đưa cả
những từ đã obsolete), vậy nên trong…
2. Cornucopia WF2, thầy lọc ra 2 list, 1 list là từ trong OALD vốn ko quá nhiều để
absorb (basic/OALD prescription), và còn lại là của OD để nâng cao thêm vốn từ
(advanced prescription). vì OD quá đồ sộ nên thầy chỉ kịp tra và lọc từ mà chưa xong bài
tập (nhưng kịp thêm note về origin để bạn hiểu sâu hơn về nguồn gốc từ cũng như tại
sao lại có những derivatives như vậy, và quiz hệ thống kĩ năng làm bài, 1 số bài tập nhỏ
về word formation), và chắc sẽ ko có bài tập luôn vì thầy khá bận. bạn nào có thể hợp tác
viết bài tập giúp thầy cũng dc, thầy sẽ promo cho. thầy cũng đang cân nhắc sẽ
discontinue bộ này để viết Alpha cho thực tế và nhẹ nhàng hơn.
3. Cornucopia Alpha 1, là derivatives từ OALD thôi, nhưng một số bài tập sẽ có mở
rộng từ chọn lọc từ OD, quyển này nhẹ nhàng hơn 2 cuốn kia. thực tế mà nói, trong nhà
trường, với một người học tiếng Anh nói chung, thì kham được OALD là cũng đủ lắm rồi.
chỉ khi nào cần thêm từ ngữ để diễn đạt trong những ngữ cảnh chuyên biệt, sâu sắc hơn,
nặng tính học thuật hơn thì mò tới OD.
* từ và bài tập trong 3 cuốn 99% là ko trùng nhau. nếu có trùng là vì có chung origins
nên được revise lại cho đầy đủ hơn thôi. ai cảm thấy đầu óc minh mẫn, mạnh mẽ, ko sợ bị
overloaded thì đọc WF1,2,3 còn ai “yếu bóng vía” thì đọc WF Alpha hoặc WF2 là được.
* bài tập thì có độ khó ngang nhau nên cả 3 cuốn dùng được cho mọi đối tượng, mọi kì
thi hsg-olp-chuyên. ai thấy mình yếu mềm thì đọc Alpha và WF2, còn ai mạnh mẽ thì
kham luôn cả 3. thực tế thầy dạy, các bạn nhỏ lớp 8-9 đã có thể học WF1-2 được rồi,
quan trọng là do cách dạy của thầy cô và cách học của các em nữa
cuối cùng là hiểu chưa?
Page 284
9th May, 2017

sách hay giá hời - mua 1 lần dùng trọn đời - ko sợ lỗi thời
Page 285
10th May, 2017

Đề thi phần wf thường hay có 1 vài câu hỏi về phrasal nouns & adjectives
(compounds từ phrasal verbs). từ điển Oxford Phrasal Verbs Dictionary có thống
kê các tiểu từ (particle) thông dụng - chỉ cần nắm các compound của các tiểu từ
này là có thể slay các câu hỏi đó - nói thì dễ chứ muốn nắm hết ko dễ chút nào.
cách nhanh nhất là mua cuốn từ điển này và lọc ra các phrasal nouns &
adjectives; thầy cũng sẽ viết 1 cuốn riêng chuyên về loại compound này; trước
mắt các em có thể làm qua bài tập trong Cornucopia Alpha.
Page 286
11th May, 2017

Update mục lục sách Cornucopia Alpha cho những ai muốn biết có gì trong đó.
Page 287
13th May, 2017

[Pronunciaton Tips] Lâu lâu làm 1 note về bài tập ngữ âm. Một trong những câu
hỏi khó là phát âm adverb tận cùng -edly, thông thường những adverb này sẽ
được phát âm tận cùng là [ɪdli]. Lưu ý cluster "ed" thường sẽ được phát âm là
[ɪd] dù dạng PP của từ gốc được phát âm tận cùng là gì đi nữa.
Ví dụ 1: supposed [sə’pəʊzd] but [sə’pəʊzɪdli] supposedly
Ví dụ 2: unabashed [‘ʌnə’bæʃt] but [‘ʌnə’bæʃɪdli] unabashedly
Có thấy được sự thay đổi về phát âm của "ed" không?
Dĩ nhiên là luôn có ngoại lệ, những trường hợp đó sẽ được phát âm là [ədli] hoặc
[dli] hoặc thậm chí [idli], chiếm rất ít.
Rất may là số lượng -edly trong tiếng Anh không quá nhiều nên chỉ cần nắm được
list đó là sẽ không sai sót ở câu hỏi này. Trong Cornucopia Alpha thầy có thêm 1
list -edly trong OALD để em tự tra cứu và tìm ra những ngoại lệ ấy.
Page 288
17th May, 2017

50% loading (w Huỳnh Tân Thành)
Page 289
19th May, 2017

Demo bài diagnostic speaking test 1. Người xem thử và feedback để thầy hoàn
thiện thêm nhé. có đủ các dạng bài, từ cue cards của IELTS, picture discussion
của CAE-CPE và dạng độc thoại 5' như của HSGQG, ngoài ra còn có 1 số task thực
tế hơn, như soạn tin nhắn thoại, soạn thông điệp video, trình bày proposal, đóng
vai hướng dẫn viên du lịch v.v... để luyện speaking cho thú vị và ứng dụng được
trong cuộc sống - chứ ko phải lúc nào cũng đọc-và-trả-lời-câu-hỏi hàn lâm như thi
cử.
1 test chia làm 3 section độ khó tăng dần và dùng để sàng lọc rất hiệu quả. tất cả
các câu hỏi thầy đều có gợi ý nói và sample để tụi con học hỏi. cheers.
https://bit.ly/31I2sjT [Google Drive link asking for permission – contact Mr. Trịnh Thành Trung]
Page 290
20th May, 2017

Cute hem mí đứa
Page 291
Page 292
18th June, 2017

<redacted message about previous sales>
Page 293
11th July, 2017

Tips on WORD FORMATION (1)
Derivative của một từ có thể có nguồn gốc sâu xa và "kì lạ", nhiều khi không có sự
tương đồng nào về chính tả với từ gốc hay "bà con" của nó.
Ví dụ "history" và "view" không có sự tương đồng nào về cách viết chính tả,
nhưng lại có cùng nguồn gốc Latin "videre" ('to view').
Ví dụ khác là từ "eat", "comestible", "edacious", "edible" và "obese" đều có cùng
gốc Latin "edere" ('to eat'), nhưng rất khó để nhận biết điều này từ cách viết
chính tả.
Một cách để học WF là khi gặp một từ nào đó, dù thông dụng hay từ mới, hãy chịu
khó tra cứu Word Origins được cung cấp trong từ điển và ghi chú lại để tiện tra
cứu sau này.
Em cũng có thể đọc Cornucopia WF, trong đó thầy có tổng hợp nhiều trường hợp
như vậy để em dễ dàng mở rộng vốn từ của mình. ^^
Page 294
8th August, 2017

* Tạp chí English Therapy (online) - ban đầu dự kiến all skills nhưng do nhân
lực và thời gian có hạn nên thầy đã thu gọn lại chỉ còn Listening mà thôi - chủ yếu
xoay quanh tin tức từ CNN, Reuters, phim tư liệu của BBC,... - đa dạng chủ đề từ
phim ảnh cho đến debate kinh tế, xã hội "khốc liệt". Đã kiểm nghiệm "lâm sàng"
trên các em học sinh yêu quý của thầy trong 7 tháng qua. Bắt đầu từ số tháng 8
trở đi sẽ public và cho mọi người order với một mức phí hạt dẻ nha. Sang tuần có
thông báo.
* Do có quá nhiều plan trong thời gian qua, nào sách, nào tạp chí, thi thử, mà sức
người có hạn, nên sắp tới page sẽ đẩy mạnh theo hướng skills nhiều hơn là lexico-
grammar vốn là trọng tâm các kì thi Olympic v.v... - và cũng rất mong nhận được
sự hợp tác của nhiều bạn trẻ tài năng để page được toàn diện hơn. Một người khó
có thể làm xuế hết tất cả các công việc, nhưng nếu hợp tác chúng ta có thể tạo nên
một cộng đồng lớn mạnh hơn nha.
Page 295
9th August, 2017

ENGLISH THERAPY Magazine
(Authentic Listening for Advanced Learners)
* Có rất nhiều cách để các em có thể cải thiện kĩ năng Listening, và mỗi em sẽ cảm
thấy phù hợp với một phương pháp riêng. Phương pháp mà English Therapy
hướng đến là nghe-chép keywords (dictation).
* Khác với cách chép chính tả thường được hiểu là viết lại 100% những gì nghe
được, khi luyện nghe bằng ET, em chỉ cần ghi đúng keywords hoặc đảm bảo được
ý chính của bài (bằng cách paraphrase hoặc summarize nội dung nghe được).
* Sau đây các section chính trong ET - cũng là các bước gợi ý để việc nghe
dictation đạt hiệu quả hơn.
1. WARM-UP DOSE
* Khởi động bằng việc nghe chính tả từ 15-20 đoạn tin vắn từ CNN (not CNN
Student News), Reuters, BBC,... mỗi đoạn từ 30s-1'.
* Việc nghe và chép các đoạn tin quá dài, hoặc chép toàn bộ 100% từ sẽ rất mất
thời gian và nhiều khi không hiệu quả. Nhớ là chỉ ghi keywords thôi nhé, hoặc
những từ nào em muốn take notes/paraphrase/summarize.
* Đa số các đoạn tin đều có thêm câu hỏi và bài tập Comprehension để em vận
dụng các kĩ năng Nghe khác.
* Đa số các đoạn tin đều có Extension - link đến các bài nghe đầy đủ hoặc các bài
báo có liên quan. Giáo viên có thể tích hợp phần này vào các kĩ năng khác như
speaking/oral summary, summary writing, reading, hoặc thiết kế các bài tập
vocabulary, v.v...
2. BOOSTER DOSE
* Nghe và chép keywords 4-5 đoạn dài và khó hơn, từ 2-5', sau đó trả lời các câu
hỏi Comprehension và Extension. Ngữ liệu chủ yếu vẫn là CNN.
3. ADVANCED DOSE
* Nghe và chép keywords 4-5 đoạn dài và khó hơn nữa. Ngữ liệu nhiều nguồn:
CNN, phim tư liệu BBC, các hãng tin khác, và tùy theo số sẽ có các bài diễn văn
của những người nổi tiếng, v.v... sau đó trả lời các câu hỏi Comprehension và
Extension.
Page 296
4. XTRA DOSE
* Phần này sẽ update gần như mỗi ngày 1 bài, mỗi tháng sẽ từ 20-31 bài, vẫn là
nghe và chép keywords các bản tin CNN. Đây sẽ là phần luyện nghe thêm mỗi
ngày.
* Tùy theo nhu cầu của em khi order tạp chí, thầy có thể bổ sung các bài nghe
theo exam format, hoặc các bài tập củng cố vocabulary, v.v...
Tóm lại, trình tự các bước nghe chính tả sẽ là: nghe-chép keywords, trả lời câu hỏi
(nếu có), extension (tùy chọn).
Tất cả các bài nghe đều có transcript và key - em sẽ thấy ở phần comments bên
dưới, tuy nhiên, em phải để lại comment thì mới có thể xem được (khuyến khích
là bài làm của các em, đừng nên chỉ trả lời Thanks/Thank you). Đừng quên trao
đổi, thảo luận cùng các bạn khác nhé. Thông tin order tạp chí sang tuần sẽ có.
Page 297
11th August, 2017

LUYỆN NGHE TIẾNG ANH CHỈ 150K/THÁNG VỚI ENGLISH THERAPY
Magazine (Authentic Listening for English Learners)
MỤC LỤC SỐ THÁNG 8, 2017
* WARM-UP DOSE
Nghe khởi động các bản tin CNN, Reuters:
1. Five Siberian Tigers
2. Worldwide Ransomware Attack
3. Two-Hour Marathon Remains Elusive
4. Female Surgeons' Campaign
5. Emmanuel Macron Sworn in as French President
6. US Drops Most Powerful Non-Nuclear Bomb
7. Cassini Probe Dives Through Saturn's Rings
8. Rhino Joins Tinder to Find a Mate
9. One Belt, One Road
10. Dinosaur Named After 'Ghostbusters' Villain
11. Electronics Ban for Flights to US
12. Trump Delivers Commencement Address
13. Teen's Campaign for Free Nuggets Goes Viral
14. US, Mexico, Canada Join to Launch 2026 World Cup Bid
15. Europeans Now Have to Fight for Their Own Future
16. Turkey's Erdogan Declares Referendum Victory
17. EU to Lay Out Brexit Response, Set Negotiating Priorities
18. Friends, Family Bid Farewell to Rock Legend Chuck Berry
19. SpaceX Launches Secretive Spy Satellite
* BOOSTER DOSE
Nghe nâng cấp các bản tin, phóng sự CNN:
20. Volunteer US Medics Saving Lives in Iraq
21. Gibraltar Accuses Spain of Ship Incursion
22. Gay North Korean Defector Speaks Out
23. Chinese Firm Brings Jobs to the U.S.
24. Ransomware 'WannaCry' Attack Explained
Page 298
* ADVANCED DOSE
Nghe nâng cao các bản tin, phóng sự, tài liệu CNN, BBC, AP:
25. Robin Li Explains the Importance of AI
26. Prescription Addiction: Made in the USA
27. David Bowie Speaks to Jeremy Paxman on BBC Newsnight
28. Emmanuel Macron Interview on AP
29. The 100-Year Life - Interviewing the Author, Lynda Gratton
30. BBC Documentary - Horizon - Most of Our Universe Is Missing
* XTRA DOSE (update bài nghe mỗi ngày trong tháng 8)
Page 299
3rd November, 2017

Đã có ai nhận được sách Advanced và Proficiency chưa nè? bắt đầu từ đợt này sách
sẽ được đóng gáy lò xo như hình dưới nhìn khá là sang nha ^^
Page 300
11th February, 2018

SÁCH CORNUCOPIA WORD FORMATION 1-2-3/ALPHA 1-2 và các tài liệu
khác ôn thi OLP30/4
Chào các tình yêu. Sách bao gồm các tựa sách quen thuộc và thêm 2 tân binh là
Cornucopia WF3 và WF Alpha 2. Hai tài liệu mới này sẽ có những thay đổi như
sau:
* Truy cập online hoàn toàn trên blogchuyenanh.org theo dạng subscription -
nghĩa là sau 1 năm nếu em còn muốn sử dụng và duy trì tài khoản thì vẫn phải
thanh toán để renew. Việc đưa tài liệu lên website sẽ đem lại nhiều lợi ích hơn so
với sách paperback, cũng tiện lợi, tiết kiệm thời gian, công sức, nguồn lực cho
thầy hơn rất nhiều khi update tài liệu, không bị giới hạn như sách giấy paperback.
* Mỗi ngày sẽ chỉ update một số nội dung nhất định cho đến ngày thi OLP30/4.
Điều này thầy đã cân nhắc kĩ sau khi nhận được góp ý từ việc dạy và học
Cornucopia, nhiều bạn vì một lúc phải học quá nhiều từ vựng nên bị quá tải. Học
mỗi ngày một ít sẽ tốt hơn là nhồi nhét cùng lúc quá nhiều thứ vào đầu. Hơn nữa
mỗi ngày thầy đều sẽ có thể update thêm những ý tưởng và bài tập mới cần thiết
và theo nhu cầu của các em.
* Derivatives và bài tập chọn lọc hơn thay vì quăng một "nùi" khiến ai nhìn thấy
cũng hoảng sợ. Và cũng đừng ai hỏi sự khác nhau giữa mấy cuốn WF nữa nha vì
nếu giống nhau hết thì publish làm gì?! Nói lại lần nữa là keywords trong các
cuốn Word Formation 99% là khác nhau - thầy sẽ chọn lựa keywords khác nhau
cho từng cuốn và nếu có trùng thì là revise và bổ sung, chứ ko cắt ghép lại chi cho
trùng.
Cơ bản là vậy, em hãy cập nhật thông tin vì mỗi series sẽ có các chương trình
promo, lưu ý khác nhau thầy sẽ update dần dần nhé đừng có hối thúc hay pm hỏi
khi chưa đọc kĩ, một mình thầy ko làm xuể.
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Page 302
16th February, 2018

Sách mới: Vocabulary & Paraphrasing for Proficiency 1, tổng hợp từ vựng C1-C2
theo chủ điểm được lựa chọn từ báo The Guardian. Điểm khác biệt của tài liệu này
so với các tài liệu vocab khác là tích hợp tối đa kĩ năng paraphrasing và sử dụng từ
ngữ, cùng với việc mở rộng các kiến thức thường gặp trong Advanced-Proficiency
như word formation, phrasal verbs, idioms, collocations... Đây thực sự là tâm huyết
và kinh nghiệm của thầy bấy lâu nay.
Page 303
19th & 21st April, 2018

ENGLISH THERAPY - TED TALK
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6GimGZz6a8
1. DISCUSSION: Are any insects part of the diet in your country?
2. LISTENING: Watch Marcel Dicke’s talk on insects without subtitles. Put the
ideas below in the order that Dicke mentions them.
1. A food crisis
2. Certain similarities between what we eat and insects
3. Getting protein from livestock and its risks
4. Insects are already used for food in the West.
5. Insects are sometimes eaten by accident.
6. Insects' worth to the economy
7. The benefits of insects as food
8. The benefits of insects to agriculture
9. The changes that we need to make
10. The efficiency of farming insects compared to farming livestock
11. The number of people who eat insects
12. What are insects?
Official Key: 11-12-6-8-5-4-1-3-10-7-2-9
3. LANGUAGE: Watch/Listen to the talk again and complete the facts about
the future of meat consumption, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
and/or A NUMBER from the talk for each blank.
* The (1) ______________________________ is growing very rapidly. While
there are somewhere (2) ______________________________ six and seven
billion people at the moment, that number will grow to about nine billion in (3)
______________________________.
* We have a lot more (4) ______________________________, but we need a(n)
(5) ______________________________ of 70 per cent. This is because we are
also getting (6) ______________________________, so more people are able to
purchase meat.
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* Meat consumption in the (7) ______________________________ is 80

kilograms per person per year on (8) ______________________________. In
the (9) ______________________________ world it's much lower. But it's
increasing (10) ______________________________. In China in the last 20
years, meat consumption has increased from 20 to 50 kilos per person, and
it's still rising. That’s a(n) (11) ______________________________ meat
producers and land resources.
4. WRITING: In a few sentences, write your answers to the following

questions:
1. Marcel Dicke’s message is that we should eat more insects and less meat.
How seriously do you think he expects people to act on his message?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. What reasons for eating insects do you remember from the talk? Which
was the most powerful reason for eating insects, in your opinion?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Are you persuaded by his argument? Do you think you are more likely to
eat insects now?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Write three sentences describing trends in food production or
consumption that you know about. If possible, use structures from Ex.3. Then
compare your sentences with a partner. Do you agree with each other’s
opinions?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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5. SUMMARY WRITING: In about 100 words, summarise the main ideas of

the talk.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. SPEAKING(/WRITING): The Ministry for Agriculture in your country would

like to explore insect farming as a possibility. They have asked you to do a
presentation called "The (insect) farm of the future". Work in groups and plan
your presentation. Use these questions to guide you:
* What are the advantages to the country in having more insect farms?
* What disadvantages may there be?
* What changes will have to be made to existing farms to keep insects?
* What questions might the farmers have?
* What questions might the public have?
Page 306
7th June, 2018

JURASSIC WORLD (Listening Worksheet)
Jurassic World phần 2 đã có rồi, hôm nay có ai đi xem ko? Như khảo sát hôm qua
thì nhiều bạn vote bài Listening hơn, nên hôm nay thầy share free 1 bài
worksheet để làm nhanh rồi đi coi phim nè, nội dung có liên quan đến Jurassic
World phần 1 hah.
Link nghe (video): https://youtu.be/FE9-pCDQsCo (still working as of June 2019)
Nhân tiện, thầy định sẽ đổi tên tạp chí thành ♥ English để thân thiện và đỡ
serious hơn tên cũ English Therapy. Layout sẽ giống như đọc báo vậy, với nội
dung sẽ là transcript các bản tin CNN, Reuters, TED Talk...
Page 307
Page 308
29th June, 2018
Không biết có ai đã sưu tập đủ bộ sách của thầy Trung rồi? ^^ từ giờ đến cuối năm, thầy sẽ cố gắng:
- Cập nhật Advanced Reading và Proficiency Reading - mỗi cuốn sẽ update thêm test mới và những bạn đã mua
rồi thì sẽ dc update miễn phí, ko phải mua lại
- Extensive Reading Collection 2 - vẫn trên tinh thầy cũ, là các bài đọc mở rộng từ The Guardian, The
Economist, New Scientist...
- Advanced Speaking Collection 2 - dùng ôn HSGQG, có thêm bài tập Picture Discussion dùng luyện thi FCE,
CAE, CPE
Còn cái Vocab & Paraphrasing for Proficiency và Heart English thì vẫn flop dần đều... nên sẽ cân nhắc thêm :(((
Page 309
Page 310
21st & 26th July; 8th & 9th August, 2018

♥ ENGLISH: VOICES OF THE STARS Volume 1
(Authentic Listening Workshops for Advanced Learners)
Nếu luyện thi CAE, CPE cảm thấy choáng vì tốc độ đọc... thì luyện nghe
bằng các ngữ liệu thực tế sẽ giúp em quen dần hơn với tốc độ đọc và
accent tự nhiên của người bản xứ.
Tạp chí này gồm 10 bài phỏng vấn live diễn viên, ca sĩ nổi tiếng... chia sẻ
ko chỉ về phim, nhạc, mà còn về cuộc sống hiện đại. Fully transcribed!
Và được lựa chọn phù hợp với trình độ advanced.
Page 311
Page 312
11th August, 2018

Quên mất là cuốn Extensive Reading đã được NXB Đồng Nai xuất bản hồi đầu
năm... như vậy tính đến hiện tại thầy đã xuất bản được 4 quyển official, còn các tài
liệu khác chủ yếu lưu hành nội bộ/online. chân thành cảm ơn thầy @Nguyễn Nam
Hải, cô @Hong Tuoi Nguyen, em @Nguyễn Nam Vân đã hỗ trợ thầy trong quá
trình xuất bản ♥
Page 313
29thq September, 2018

Nếu em đang học chương trình phổ thông quốc tế Cambridge International AS/A Level (tương
đương lớp 11-12) thì quyển Critical Reading sẽ rất là hữu ích để em luyện tập. Chứng chỉ này có giá
trị quốc tế và cũng được dùng để xét tuyển vào các trường ĐH trong và ngoài nước. Chương trình đã
khá phổ biến ở các nước như Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand...
Không giống như các kì thi quốc tế như IELTS và Cambridge English: FCE-CAE-CPE, đề thi
English Language AS/A Level hoàn toàn là tự luận. Quyển Critical Reading gồm các bài Diagnostic
Test bám sát theo format tự luận, kiểm tra Reading kết hợp Writing ở trình độ Advanced. Ngoài ra
còn có thêm 4 bài test chuẩn hóa theo format IELTS, TOEFL, CAE và CPE.
Sách được NXB Đồng Nai xuất bản 2 năm trước, do thầy và một bạn sinh viên cũng từng là học trò
của thầy đang du học ở Mỹ cùng viết.
Page 314
30th September, 2018

Team đã hoàn tất vol.2 của tạp chí Heart English: Global Voices. Trong
số này:
* Towards a Cashless Society
* Shared Values Make for Stronger Societies
* Nuclear Testing: Dangerous Conundrum
* The Merger of AT&T and Time Warner
* US's Economic Policies: Distribution Problems
* The New Silk Road?
* Interview with Netflix's CEO
* Diversionary Tactics for Fake News
* WannaCry Ransomware: A Malicious Invasion
* Artificial Intelligence
* America's Addiction in Medicine
và 1 bài Listening test theo format CPE
Page 315
22nd April, 2019 (in a Blog Chuyen Anh’s group)

The table below compares key features of all Cornucopia Word Formation books.
Read it to see the similarities and differences between the versions. Let me know
if you have any questions.
Having been teaching English for more than 7 years, I'd recommend students
and teachers use both learner's dictionaries (OALD, CALD) and the OD, though
the former should be more suitable for ESL/EFL speakers than native speakers.
Because new words should be added to the OD before they are considered for
inclusion in learner's dictionaries, it's necessary for ESL/EFL teachers to keep up
with emerging and changing patterns of language use.
In a recent post, I wrote about how the series should be used in learning and
teaching.
A few years ago, I got the inspiration to write the Cornucopia Word Formation
series from my friends, who are native language teachers. We had an idea about
a book of word lists, like a thesaurus dictionary, but with derivatives and
compounds. The intention is to help learners and teachers to be aware of the
'endless' possibility of forming new words, and to create a reference resource for
local advanced tests.
Native speakers naturally have a language bank stored in their brain; they only
need a tool to help them access it, to remind them of the precise words they
already know but can't bring to mind. They can also easily choose from a
'cornucopia' of words and convey the precise meaning in a very subtle way.
That's why they simply need as large a pool of word families as possible.
The Cornucopia Word Formation Collection 1, for example, gives more than 40
derivatives and compounds for 'conceive' and that's all: no definitions, examples
and usage notes. When my friends read the entry, they were surprised because
some words like 'preconception' or 'ill-conceived' aren't easy to recall, and a
book like that can help them keep a record, not only for testing purpose but also
for their self-development.
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Language learners who study English as a second and foreign language,

however, need more insight than just variety. Instead of trying to memorise all
word families so that you can deal with English tests, you should make an effort
to understand and use them in suitable contexts. You'll need a lot of help from
your teachers, who should be showing you how to recognise and form new
words using context clues, without relying too much on memorisation, and to
explore other aspects of word formation in English.
In an English test some students recently sent to me, they're tested on forming
the word 'inconceivable' from the stem 'conceive'. It should be easy for students
to understand its meaning in a context, but not at all when they want use it
appropriately in speaking or writing. The tone may not be suitable for an exam
essay, and in my opinion, less productive Latin affixes like in- and -able tend to
slip out of use these days. New words and phrases are often created with other
aspects of word formation like compounding, using more productive combining
forms, rather than with Latin and Greek affixation.
What I mean after all is that the books should allow learners and teachers access
to adequate vocabularies so that you can recognise and understand them in a
wider range of context. But you need not only range but also depth. What's
important is how you use them to make them a natural part of your language,
rather than how much you know. For example, native speakers would be less
likely to say "The new idea is inconceivable" than "The new idea needs more
proof of concept (to show that it will work)." Therefore, it's necessary to know and
understand the word 'inconceivable' in a context, but more important whether
you can use the phrase 'proof of concept' precisely and accurately, even though
they're both derivatives of 'conceive' and need to be learnt.
Page 317
Page 318

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This collection was made amid the depreciation of the

This collection was made with the sole purpose of

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Part 2. Facebook Notes

Part 3. Book releases & material previews -- 212

A blog for students majoring in English.

Page’s first avatar

Page’s second avatar: 2015 – March 2019

Page’s third avatar: March 2019 –

30th April, 2012

Official Key: <unavailable>

8th July, 2013

Official Key: <unavailable>

3rd January, 2014

Official Key: 5th, January 2014

8th January, 2014

Official Key: 10th, January 2014

12th July, 2014

WORD FORMATION (extract)

Official Key: <unavailable>

14th July, 2014

ĐỀ THI TUYỂN SINH LỚP 10 CHUYÊN TRUNG HỌC THỰC HÀNH

Full test: https://www.scribd.com/document/373370572/%C4%90%E1%BB%80-THI-

25th July, 2014

WORD FORMATION (extract)

Hint: Suggested order

Official Key: <unavailable>

7th January, 2016

11th January, 2016

8th February, 2016

8th February, 2016

12th February, 2016

12th February, 2016

22nd February, 2016

22nd February, 2016

3rd April, 2016: preview: Preliminary Tests (no key)

Official Key: <unavailable>

4th April, 2016

Watch and choose the best answer (A, B or C).

2. The speaker feels that he has spent his life _______.

4. The speaker feels we should be focusing more on _______.

5. At the end of his speech, the speaker undertakes to be more _______.

(Trích "Cornucopia - Preliminary Tests")

Official Key: <unavailable>

8th May, 2016: preview: Preliminary Tests (no key)

22nd May, 2016 (preview: Preliminary Tests)

1) The speaker begins his presentation by _______.

2) The dinner party anecdote alludes to one’s _______.

3) The speaker seems to harbour reservations as to _______.

4) The speaker adduces Serena’s story to make a case for _______.

Official Key: <unavailable>

18th June, 2016

PASSAGE 2 (continued next page, with more text)

PASSAGE 2 (continued next page, with questions)

6th January, 2017

10th August, 2017

15th August, 2017

Official Key: 1A 2C 3B 4C 5A 6C 7D 8D 9C 10B

16th August, 2017