Đề thi và Đáp án Kỳ thi chọn Học sinh giỏi Quốc gia THPT môn Tiếng Anh qua các năm

 Đề thi và Đáp án Kỳ thi chọn Học sinh giỏi Quốc gia THPT môn Tiếng Anh qua các năm - 
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 ĐỀ SỐ 3
 KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG
 NĂM HỘC 2024 - 2025
 • Thí sinh KHÔNG được sử dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ điển.
 • Giám thi KHÔNG giải thích gì thêm.
I. LISTENING (5.0 points)
 • The listening section is in FOUR parts. You will hear each part TWICE. At the beginning of each part, 
 you will hear a sound.
 • There will be a piece of music at the beginning and at the end of the listening section. You will have 
 TWO minutes to check your answers at the end of the listening section.
 • All the other instructions are included in the recording.
Part 1. For questions 1-5, listen to part of an interview about brands of goods, and decide whether each of 
the following statements is True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG) according to what you hear. Write T, F, 
or NG in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
 1. The interviewer disagrees that the obsession with brands these days is greater than it used to be.
 2. According to Bill, consumers are so keen on brand names because they reflect societal levels.
 3. Bill suggests that brands give consumers a sense of identity which society can no longer provide.
 4. In Bill's opinion, the particular item people buy reveals something about their role models.
 5. Bill says that big global brands are required by consumers to affirm the identity of their country.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. For questions 6-10, listen to part of a talk about sushi and answer the following questions. Write NO 
MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the spaces provided.
 6. With which did farmers in China pack the fish under weights?
 _______________________________________________________________________
 7. What was used to make the rice sour without waiting for it to ferment?
 _______________________________________________________________________
 8. What did the invention of nori lead to?
 _______________________________________________________________________
 9. What ingredient in the Philly roll is said to be atypical of Japanese?
 _______________________________________________________________________
 10. What word does the speaker use to refer to Americans' feeling about seaweed?
 _______________________________________________________________________
Part 3. For questions 11-15, listen to two people, Marty and Lauren, discussing paparazzi's roles in society, 
and write the letter , ,푪, or 푫 in the numbered boxes provided to indicate the correct answer to each of 
the following questions according to what you hear.
11. How does Lauren feel about paparazzi?
 A. Their fundamental role in enriching our culture has been exaggerated.
 B. Despite their infamy, they are not entirely to blame for princess Diana's death.
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 C. Their misdeeds have led to immeasurable harm to up-and-coming actresses.
 D. For all their dark side, they have contributed to sales of many publications.
12. What point does Marty make about the public and paparazzi?
 A. The public bizarre taste is satiated by paparazzi's photos.
 B. The public accuse paparazzi of stealing moments from their idols.
 C. Paparazzi's works offer the public a new perspective to celebrities' lives.
 D. The public love the human look paparazzi add to the photos of celebrities.
13. What does Marty say about paparazzi's photos?
 A. Those that capture gorgeous moments are few and far between.
 B. The photos of celebrities in a messy, unintentional style are substandard.
 C. Those that he saw in tabloid magazines are more pleasant to look at.
 D. Most of the photos were taken with poor technical skills.
14. Which of the following is NOT stated by Lauren about paparazzi?
 A. Many photographers try to emulate paparazzi's photos, in essence.
 B. The results of paparazzi's and photographers' work are often very similar.
 C. Paparazzi's skills are admirable, though they are developed from dishonesty.
 D. Paparazzi have their own dark side, which devalues the benefits they offer.
15. What is Marty's attitude towards placing limitations on paparazzi?
 A. He is ambivalent about any physically imposed limitations.
 B. He is pleased now that paparazzi cannot act without restraint.
 C. He finds it unfair as he is heavily influenced by their works.
 D. He wishes there was a task force to deal with this issue.
Your answers:
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 4. For questions 16-25, listen to part of a talk about fibre optic cables, and complete the following 
summary. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the recording for each blank. Write your 
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Nearly all the transboundary (16) ________is largely facilitated by a few hundred fibre optic cables under the sea. 
It is similar to the way people in a country are connected to one another. Though each cable is only the size of a(n) 
(17) ________ together these cables are considered the essence of the Internet. Being shielded against ocean water 
with Vaseline - a common name for (18) ________ , the cables are vulnerable to earthquakes and sometimes, attacks 
from (19) ________ In some places, they go as deep underwater as Mount Everest is high.
The daring and even unthinkable process of making the Internet the global network involves embedding the cable 
in a(n) (20) ________ in the seabed and let it be buried by sand in a natural way thanks to the ocean currents, 
which is said to be shockingly easy yet (21) ________ sophisticated, and is considered (22) ________ . Underwater 
"submarine cables" were an obvious next step following the success of electric telegraphs across numerous cities 
attributed to the system of (23) ________.
Despite having one of the first cables knocked out of commission by a fishing boat, undersea cables came (24) 
________ , reaching around the Atlantic by 1858 and then across the world. Though now the Internet can be 
beamed from mobile phone towers or (25) ________ and balloons powered by Google, undersea cables are still the 
best choice of international corporates for speedy transcontinental information transmission.
Your answers:
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16. 17.
18. 19.
20. 21.
22. 23.
24. 25.
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (2.0 points)
Part 1. For questions 26-35, write the letter , ,푪, or 푫 in the numbered boxes provided to indicate the 
correct answer to each of the following questions.
26. As the aircraft approached the airfield, the pilot began to lower the altitude and to make a smooth landing on 
the runway.
A. throttle down
B. churn out
C. blast off
D. knuckle under
27. After Lucas' dreadful accident, his fellow workers were willing to help him for which he was really grateful.
A. all ways possible
B. in any way possible
C. in some ways possibly
D. any ways possibly
28. Those having the are more likely to escape unharmed from hazardous situations.
 A. period piece B. corn circle C. horse sense D. common touch
29. Recent research suggests that, contrary to popular opinion, muscular performance by lactate production 
during exercise.
A. is actually improved
B. should actually improve
C. will actually improve
D. be actually improved
30. Elizabeth's father is a duke, so she undoubtedly has blood flowing through her veins.
A. blue
B. red
C. green
D. brown
31. Under the pressure coming from the post-pandemic economic crisis, banks are increasing mortgage rates
 higher property rentals.
A. like signifying
B. likely signifying
C. which likely signifies
D. to likely signify
32. The news of the earthquake in their homeland hit the expatriates causing them to be in a complete daze.
A. begrudgingly
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B. forcibly
C. ravishingly
D. crushingly
33. The terrible weather in Sapa spoiled what a perfect family vacation during the festive season.
A. would other than that would be
B. would just as soon be
C. would otherwise have been
D. had better would have been
34. David, a young real estate agent, is making another sale this month! He's really !
A. throwing a fit
B. batting a thousand
C. waving the flag
D. circling the wagons
35. In the end, Josh admitted having made the mistake, in a somewhat arrogant manner.
A. albeit
B. whereupon
C. inasmuch as
D. insofar as
Your answers:
26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
Part 2. For questions 36-40, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided 
in the column on the right to complete the passage. The first one has been done as an example.
The word 'security' has both positive and (NEGATE) connotations. Most of us would say that we crave security 
for all its positive virtues, both physical and psychological - its (36. EVOKE) of the safety of home, of undying 
love, or of freedom from need. More negatively, the word nowadays conjures up images of that huge industry 
which has developed to protect individuals and property from invasion by 'outsiders', ostensibly malicious and 
intent on theft or (37. WILL) damage.
Increasingly, because they are situated in urban areas of escalating crime, those buildings which used to allow 
free access to employees and other users (buildings such as offices, schools, colleges, or hospitals) now do not. 
(38. ENTER) areas which in another age were called 'Reception' are now manned by security staff. Receptionists, 
whose task was to receive visitors and to make them welcome before passing them on to the person they had come 
to see, have been supplanted by those whose task is to bar access to the (39. AUTHORITY), the unwanted, or the 
plain unappealing. Inside, these buildings are divided into 'secure zones' which often have all the (40. TRAP) of 
combination locks and burglar alarms.
 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Part 3. The passage below contains 05 grammatical mistakes. For questions 41-45, UNDERLINE the 
mistakes and WRITE YOUR CORRECTIONS in the numbered space provided in the column on the right. 
The first one has been done as an example.
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Caffeine, as any other drug, can potentially have a disastrous effect on your developing brain and body. The parts 
of the brain that are in charge of higher functions including the prefrontal cortex and the temporal lobe and, at a 
young age, these areas are still being developed and refined. The reason that caffeine makes you feel alert and less 
sleepy is because it blocks the action of adenosine, the brain chemical which controls your sleep patterns, and 
increases adrenaline production, speeds your metabolism. So, get out of the habit of slamming down too many of 
those high caffeine energy drinks everyday; otherwise, you can wave goodbye to good quality sleep and have your 
brain potentially affected!
You can also stop kidding yourself that you're reaching for the caffeine just for the taste because it is tasteless at 
the levels found in beverages. What you taste is the massive amount of sugar that added to the drink. The caffeine 
is there to add the kick and to stimulate the production of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This is the pleasure 
and rewarding part of the brain which forms addictions. The upshot is that your brain associates the pleasure of 
sugar with the stimulation of the caffeine, making you want more.
Your answers:
 E.g. as → like
 41. 
 42. 
 43. 
 44. 
 45. 
III. READING (5.0 points)
Part 1. For questions 46-55, read the passage and fill in each of the following numbered blanks with ONE 
suitable word. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
In order to study how learners acquire a second language, a clear, operational definition of what is (46) _______by 
the term "acquisition" is needed. Unfortunately, researchers have been (47) _______to agree on such a definition.
"Acquisition" can mean several things. Some researchers distinguish between "acquisition" and "learning". The 
(48) _______ refers to the subconscious process of picking up a language through exposure and the latter to the (49) 
_______ process of studying it. According to this view, it is possible for learners to acquire or to learn rules 
independently and at separate times. Although such a distinction can have strong face validity (50) _______ for 
teachers, it is problematic, not (51) _______because of the difficulty of demonstrating whether the knowledge 
learners possess is (52) _______ the acquired or learnt kind. Researchers also disagree about what kind of 
performance they think provides the best evidence of acquisition. It has already been noted that some researchers 
work with production data, some study learners' intuitions about the second language, while others access learners' 
introspections. Also, some researchers consider a feature has been (53) _______ when it appears for the first 
time, while others require the learner to use it to some predetermined criterion level of (54) _______ , usually 90 per 
cent. Thus, a (55) _______ can be made between acquisition as emergence or onset and acquisition as accurate 
use.
Your answers:
46. 47. 48. 49. 50.
51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
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Part 2. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
 WOMEN: HOW EQUAL ARE THEY?
 The lives of women all over the world have changed dramatically in the course of the present century as 
many of the social, economic, and political constraints that have hitherto been curtailing their freedom have been 
eradicated. After succeeding in winning their right to vote, women have gained equality with men in many a field, 
and one of the main developments has been the increasing number of female population in paid employment. In 
other words, society nowadays has every prerequisite for progress and success. Nevertheless, although most 
people have been disabused of irrational beliefs regarding women's equality, and the latter enjoy a considerable 
amount of freedom, there is plenty of evidence attesting to the contrary. It is an indisputable fact that, ever since 
the turn of the nineteenth century, women as a whole have gained, to some extent, the rights and freedom that they 
were formerly deprived of, and are now regarded as an indispensable part of society. In the middle of the 
nineteenth century, women began to take steps to free themselves from the confines of the home, to which their 
entire lives were doomed, and tried to emancipate, or rather extricate, themselves from men's gross domination. 
Living in an era of complete subjugation, and deemed objects of desire, on which one could lavish love or vent 
animosity, they were forced to rebel against "men's society," and prove that they were capable of various things, 
thus refuting the accusations levelled against them.
 What we might regard as the cornerstone of their triumphant victory is the fact that in England, in 1918, 
they contrived to be enfranchised and have a say in the political, social, and economic affairs. Furthermore, the 
important point is that women's struggle was not terminated as soon as their right to vote was bestowed upon 
them; they strove far from, and beyond, the approbation of this fight: pertaining to education, women, who in 
earlier centuries were denied this inalienable "men's right," have nowadays potentially equal opportunities. They 
are able to attend universities and colleges, are awarded degrees, and can definitely pursue any sort of career. As a 
result, they are increasingly represented in Parliament. In 1990, of the total six hundred and fifty members of 
British Parliament, fortythree were women. Moreover, in British society, as in many other countries in the world, 
women occupy key posts and are designated roles that only a short time ago would have been entrusted to men. 
The obvious example is Margaret Thatcher as Britain's first woman Prime Minister.
 On a financial note, women are able to work in every field that is of interest to them, and are paid on the 
same bases with men, since the former disparity between men's and women's pay - which was, undoubtedly, 
iniquitous has recently been combated. For instance, the Equal Pay Act of 1970 made it unlawful for employers to 
pay a woman less than a man for the same or similar work, while the Sex Discrimination Acts of 1975 and 1986 
outlawed discrimination in matters of employment or training. As a result, there is a degree of flexibility in several 
jobs, and some employers provide help with child care for working mothers, although there is much to be desired 
as regards "career breaks" for pregnant women. It is evident that women are no longer thought of as commodities 
that pass on to their putative husbands, inasmuch as the institution of dowry has been abrogated.
It may have been hard for one to envisage some decades ago that women would someday occupy positions in the 
church; yet, it is true that in the Church of England and Ireland women were admitted for ordination as deacons in 
1986, and the following year the General Synod voted to proceed with legislation to allow them to be ordained as 
priests. However, despite the fact that "men's society" seems to have espoused women's rights and, to some extent, 
has taken steps to ensure that these rights are not violated, there are many instances that render a moot point the 
supposition that women have the same opportunities with men. It is immensely reprehensible that many a woman 
should be hindered from pursuing a career on account of men's indecorous behaviour. Rather than being 
acknowledged as respectable members of a working community, females fall prey to male misconduct and, 
consequently, are precluded from attaining their goals in life. A great number of women are reported to have been 
repeatedly harassed and molested, which is to be deprecated and condemned. But real discrimination against 
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women occurs in other quarters, as well; for example, women sentenced for criminal offences are more likely than 
men to face incarceration, especially if they deviate from the popular image of "woman as wife and mother."
With regard to women's emoluments, there is still a noticeable difference between the sexes. In Britain, as early as 
a decade ago, women's average hourly earnings were about three-quarters those of men, and there is not a scintilla 
of evidence to show that the gap is not widening. Furthermore, there is a traditional division between "boys' and 
girls' professions," since in the leading occupations women are represented by a proportion of less than one to five. 
At present, the vocations where women are most frequently found are those of pharmacists, opticians, veterinary 
surgeons, dentists, doctors, and solicitors, while only one qualified engineer in two hundred is a woman. As is 
flagrantly obvious, amid this "rat-race," women have been overburdened with such onerous responsibilities as 
bringing up children and attending to the husband and home. So, since it is incumbent on them to deal with so 
many things, a great number of them are led to abandon their careers, in order to become diligent housewives. In 
this light, it is impossible for a woman to "come into her own." And what really precipitates this decision is the 
way they are still reared; the values inculcated into them by former generations practically enjoin upon them love 
and sympathy towards men, along with a feeling of contrition and self-abnegation. In addition, women demean 
themselves by taking part in television commercials, unable to prove that they have intellect as well, and inveigled 
into believing that this is the best way to earn money.
For questions 56-61, decide whether each of the following statements is True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG). 
Write T, F, or NG in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
56. Most of the changes in women's lives worldwide were brought about by the removal of social restrictions on 
them:
57. One testament to women's victory in the right to vote was their increasing presence in paid employment.
58. The second half of the 19th century witnessed women's effortless escape from the clutches of men's power.
59. Women's initial success in enfranchisement bred their further success in other fields.
60. Despite having support with child care, working mothers are not entitled to paid leave schemes.
61. Women have supposedly overcome the stereotype of being their husbands' possessions.
Your answers:
56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61.
For questions 62-68, read the summary and fill in each blank with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS 
taken from the passage. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
 Ever since women no longer stayed submissive to be (62) _______ under men's complete domination and 
were pushed to rebel against "men's society," much progress has been made in women's quest for gender equality. 
However, despite supports from the society, the assumption of equal opportunities for men and women still 
remains a(n) (63) _______ Indeed, many women fall victim to men's (64) _______ and are demoralised to achieve 
their career goals. Discrimination against women has also extended beyond the workplace where many women are 
reportedly (65) _______ and under 20% of the leading posts are occupied by women. Even worse, women criminals 
are more likely to be imprisoned if they (66) _______ from their traditional roles. Given the hustle and bustle of 
the modern city life, many women have had to compromise their careers in embracing their (67) _______ , a 
decision which is fuelled by the values instilled in them by (68_______) .
Your answers:
62. 63.
64. 65.
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66. 67.
68.
Part 3. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 69-75, read the passage 
and choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There is ONE extra paragraph which you do 
not need to use. Write the letters A-H in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
 LESS IS MORE
 How do people cut down on their possessions in a digital age?
The 17th century French artist Poussin is well-known for his paintings, usually set in serene and idyllic pastoral 
landscapes, which convey serious lessons for mankind. These messages are sometimes a bit obscure, and some 
continue to puzzle art historians, but in the picture Landscape with Diogenes, things seem relatively 
straightforward. The ancient philosopher Diogenes is depicted casting away his last possession, a drinking bowl.
 69.__________________________________________________________________________
There are hundreds of websites extolling the virtues of uncluttered living. "I can carry everything I own," says 
Kevin. "I have a few changes of clothing, laptop, two pots, bowl, spoon, fork, futon and flask. I like sitting on the 
floor eating fruits, nuts, vegetables and rice."
 70 .__________________________________________________________________________
Everyone is trying to cut down on things these days. People are trying to reduce their carbon footprints, their 
waistlines, their monthly outgoings. What's more, there's a general fear that people are becoming asphyxiated by 
their possessions, and this is fuelled by the knowledge that, according to innumerable sociological surveys, the 
leading pastime these days seems to be shopping.
 71. __________________________________________________________________________
However, today's new minimalists don't urge us to burn our books and crush our CDs, but just make sure we have 
them as digital files. So, for example, I have digitised versions of some of my old vinyl LP records and haven't, as 
yet, stirred myself to take the LPs to the nearest charity shop - and I admit I shall probably go on keeping them.
 72.__________________________________________________________________________
We are not exactly suffering withdrawal symptoms as we try to break our addiction to objects. We are just 
acquiring new stuff that means we can bin or recycle our old stuff.
 73.__________________________________________________________________________
A few years ago I wrote a piece predicting the demise of incredibly expensive watches, believing that they would 
inevitably be eclipsed by the amazingly more versatile mobile phone, no matter how beautifully crafted and 
elegant they might be, but they still seem to be covetable objects of conspicuous consumption. Clearly the 
ostensible function of a £20k watch is negligible enticement to owning it.
 74.__________________________________________________________________________
I'm happy to have found another website which seems to solve a whole lot of problems at once - a thriving online 
advice surgery offering storage solutions. The interior designer responsible for this does not counsel getting rid of 
stuff, but rather recommends buying more stuff (elegant flexible rugs, colourful lidded containers) to hide the first 
lot of stuff from view.
 75.__________________________________________________________________________
Missing Paragraphs:
A. I love this philosophy - get that decluttered minimalist look, convince yourself you've got your desire for 
possessions under control, without having to lose a thing. There's no reason to think such bad faith will change 
soon: we aren't ruthless enough to emulate Diogenes and cast away all our possessions.
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B. Diogenes, who was quite the cynic philosopher, would have seen through this imposture in seconds. Those who 
can afford to, buy the kit to make the minimalist dream a reality, but they are still investing in commodities, just 
different ones from those they collected a decade earlier.
C. Minimalism, however, will soon be a buzzword because most of us tend to develop a strong sense of 
attachment to our possessions that makes it really painful for us to part with them. Sooner or later we will end up 
filling our houses with fully-stuffed cabinets.
D. It's true, sales of e-readers and e-books outstrip those of paperbacks, and we know that only losers and 
reactionaries buy camera film today. As a result, the need for bookshelves and photo albums is cut out.
E. Here then is another manifestation of the lure of possessions - we are not only sentimental in our attachment to 
them, but also status driven.
F. At this point I really hated Kevin, but I should have known better because he continued, "The nice thing about a 
bare room is that you begin to notice other things like the changing sunlight during the day. Many possessions
tend to tie one down mentally and physically - seeing too much permanence in inanimate objects rather than being 
aware of the vitality of the outside world of nature."
G. He realises he doesn't need it after seeing a youth cupping a hand to drink from a river. The significance for us 
is that Diogenes' spiritual descendants known as 'new minimalists' are now everywhere, if not as radically 
possession-free as he was.
H. Technology has, perhaps, gone beyond our dreams and there is always the lurking suspicion that our hard 
drives will crash and all will be lost. Far more important, however, is the fact that our memories are so 
inextricably tied to our possessions that we can't get rid of stuff. No matter how much glossy magazines insist that 
we should.
Your answers:
69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
Part 4. For questions 76-85, read a passage on the far North and write A, B, C or D in the corresponding 
numbered boxes provided to indicate the correct answer which fits best according to what is stated or 
implied in the text.
 1. The far North seems to have a special fascination for all peoples whose nations encompass northern 
 lands. For Americans, Alaska represents the last frontier and the most forbidding wilderness. Canadians 
 have comparable perceptions about the vast Canadian north, characterised by a similar contradiction - the 
 North is at once a homeland and a distant foreign land. Northern Scandinavia fulfils the same role for 
 Europeans, while for Swedes, the northern part of their country is a place of hopes and dreams.
 2. One of the most interesting things about the far North is that academics do not seem to be able to agree 
 on precisely where it is, something you may have thought was a fairly straightforward issue. But those 
 people studying the North at the various institutes of Northern or Polar or Arctic Regions Studies (who, 
 incidentally, are more numerous than you might imagine) are having quite a tough time of it. The trouble is 
 not, primarily, that they are unable to reach a consensus on its geographical boundaries, although this may 
 be partly true. The real problem is that the North is not simply a place, but also an idea.
 3. Perhaps the most concrete and mercenary idea of the North is as a sort of colony of southern-based 
 national governments. In this view, the northern hinterland is portrayed as a place overflowing with natural 
 resources ripe for exploitation; it is not a place which has any real existence independent of the mother 
 country. This is the concept of the industrialist, whose goals are the promotion of industry, the extraction 
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 of raw materials, and the making of money. For decades, these ideas have underpinned the exploitative and 
 destructive activities of governments whose territory includes Arctic regions.
 4. This concept of the North, though slightly outdated now, has always existed in spite of the romantic 
 view of the North as the last bastion of wilderness. In this latter view, the North is a place of extremes: 
 stark, barren land; blinding, never-ending days in summer and endless dark nights in winter; biting winds 
 and sub-zero temperatures; extraordinary solitude. But even all this is seen as having a breath-taking 
 beauty - the barren land is awe-inspiring; the creatures majestic and resilient; the cold crisp and 
 invigorating; the solitude liberating. The North spells escape, wonder, freedom, and offers us the dream of 
 a chance to assert our very humanity because, in our imagination, it is there that we can be pitted against 
 the elements in an exhilarating us-against-nature struggle. The North challenges our very existence as 
 human beings and, there, surviving is our greatest achievement.
 5. Comprehensive studies of various national literatures reveal that the image of the North as described 
 above is widespread. A prime example of this is the role that Siberia plays in the Russian psyche. As with 
 the other regions mentioned previously, there is a duality in the fictional portrayal of Siberia - for Russians, 
 it is the land of both plenty and of darkness.
 6. And, what of the reality? Outside of fiction, what do those who have had real-life experience of the 
 North say about it? Library shelves and lifestyle magazines are full of factual accounts of life in the North, 
 ranging from nineteenth-century explorers' accounts to interviews with nurses who, enticed by 
 supplementary pay, have gone there to work. Their tales all echo the sentiments expressed in literature: the 
 contrast between the terrible frozen wasteland and the final innocent frontier, the myth of the great escape 
 into the unknown and the venue for the glorious triumph of the human spirit.
 7. Academics are not much different, in the sense that they are equally likely to create subjective 
 definitions of the North. Every researcher is governed by his or her own individual interests and 
 inclinations, and every discipline has its own criteria for defining the far North. When it comes to the 
 North, it seems even scholarly writing is replete with flowery prose and metaphors.
 8. The prevalence of the myth of the North testifies to its necessity. Even as humankind slowly and 
 systematically brings nature under its control in a short-sighted brutish display of strength, people continue 
 to fabricate a dream of untouched wilderness - another final frontier. Those who actually live the dream, 
 the Inuit, have a theory. They believe that all physical beings have a spirit, called inua, and that this spirit 
 characterises its host, but is essentially
 independent of it. People, animals and even the weather have spirits which live a life apart from the 
 material one. In the light of this conviction, it seems fitting that our image of the far North has a life of its 
 own, which exists independently of the actual place.
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 76. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?
 A. The concept of "the North" varies among different northern countries.
 B. Northern countries are distinctive in their own way.
 C. It's challenging to explain the existence of the north-south divide in many countries.
 D. The North has great widespread attraction.
 77. The word forbidding in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .
 A. unfamiliar
 B. unexplored
 C. inadmissible
 D. inhospitable
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