19 anh 11 lê quý đôn đà nẵng đề

SỞ GD-ĐT THÀNH PHỐ ĐÀ NẴNG TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LÊ QUÝ ĐÔN ĐỀ THI ĐỀ NGHỊ (Đề thi gồm 23 trang) KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI CÁC TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN KHU VỰC DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ LẦN THỨ XIII, NĂM 2022 ĐỀ THI MÔN: TIẾNG ANH – KHỐI 11 Thời gian: 180 phút (Không kể thời gian giao đề) A LISTENING (50 POINTS) PART 1: Listen to a lecture about population growth and answer each of the following questions with NO MORE THAN TWO words and / or numbers Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (10 points) What is defined as the number of children born per 1000 people per year? _ Was the fertility rate in the UK higher or lower twenty years ago than it is now? _ What country in the UK has the highest fertility rate? _ What proportion of women in their mid-forties not have children nowadays? _ What French couples who have eight children receive? _ ANSWERS: PART 2: You will hear part of a talk about shopping centres Decide whether each of the following statements is TRUE or FALSE Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (10 points) Shoppers are more aware of the competitive nature of shopping centres Shoppers find natural materials like stones and wood more appealing than plastic and steel Shoppers of different interest or taste like to their shopping in the same shop Skillful Analysts is one of the customer types that David Peek mentioned David Peek dislikes tricking shoppers into spending more money ANSWERS: PART 3: You will hear a group of art history students going out an art gallery with their teacher For questions 1-5, choose the answer A, B, C or D which fits best according to what you hear Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (10 points) Burne-Jones believed that a painting A ought to be true to nature Trang / 21 B must have a moral point C should play an instructive role in a modern industrial society D need not have practical value It appears that the story of the King and the Beggar Maid was A a well-known Victorian tale B popularized by a poet C brought to the artist’s attention by his wife D taken up by novelists at later stage According to the students, how did the painter approach the work? A He wanted to portray the beggar realistically B He copied part of the painting from an Italian masterpiece C He had certain items in the painting made for him D He wanted to decorate the clothing with jewels The student thinks that in some way the painting depicts A an uncharacteristically personal message B the great sadness of the artist C the artist’s inability to return the girl’s love D the fulfillment of the artist’s hopes and dreams What was people’s reaction to the painting? A They recognized Frances Graham as the model for the Beggar Maid B They realized how personal the painting was for the artist C They interpreted the painting without difficulty D They did not approve of the subject matter of the painting ANSWERS: PART 4: Listen to a report on the hazardous effects of solid waste in China on BBC and fill in the missing information Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the recording for each answer Write the answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (20 points) (1) , including outdated cell phones and laptops, is among the most valuable (2) imported to one of the main ports in Eastern China where million tons of solid waste is (3) from all over the world and processed annually The recycling process of (4) has posed serious threats to nearby villages The situation is worsened by recyclers (5) in hidden yards due to the government’s (6) on illegal processing The environment is getting more and more polluted, which is detrimental to the health of those who live by the port It is calculated that China houses over two thirds of the world’s scrap (7) and the Trang / 21 figure keeps increasing owing to (8) or higher standards of living This means people buying a wide variety of electronics and (9) their old-fashioned ones The (10) for latest version technology gadgets of Chinese people is predicted to, on the one hand, keep around a hundred recycling plants operating at full strength, on the other hand, promise China a new growth business ANSWERS: 10 B LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 POINTS) PART 1: Choose the answer A, B, C, or D that best completes each of the following sentences Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (20 points) I'm afraid we got our _ crossed I thought my husband would be picking up the children and he thought I was doing it A minds B purposes C wires D fingers Parents often have to _ large amounts of money so that their children can take part in extracurricular sports activities A mark down B ring up C shell out D stock up Julie felt unfairly _ when she spoke out against a company proposal and the entire staff team turned against her A prosecuted B persecuted C oppressed D suppressed I couldn’t remember where I had left my car, when it suddenly me that I didn’t have a car any longer A dawned on B ran into C went through D tumbled to John was _ a week after the accident, but he has not been able to come to football practice yet A up and about B vim and vigour C life and death D fingers and thumbs The _ skyscrapers of modern metropolises dwarf previous feats of engineering both literally and figuratively A tottering B towering C sprawling D spanning The high level of air pollution is _ a result of local factory emissions A plainly B abruptly C distinctly D markedly It is mandatory that smoking in public _ A is banned B must be banned C banning D be banned Trang / 21 The floral bouquets we entered into the competition were a _ of colour, but unfortunately, we did not win first prize A wham B riot C drop D buzz 10 Most people are _ to believe that girls and boys like certain toys when they are young A hardened B acclimated C conditioned D accustomed 11 Charlotte _ the new girl immediately, within hours of meeting each other they were best of friends A took issue with B took heart from C took a shine to D took his hat off to 12 People don’t have a right to _ in judgement when they don’t know all the facts A sit B pass C make D bite 13 Would you be _ my letter when I am away? A too good as to forward B so good as to forward C as good as to forward D so good as forwarding 14 At the age of 11, Taylor Swift was already trying to _ a record deal in Nashville A land B create C steal D grab 15 I felt as if I _ a confidence A am betraying B have betrayed C would betray D had betrayed 16 As much as the candidate tried to convince people of his honesty, he could not shake off his _ past A serene B tranquil C shady D frigid 17 After years of working together, the partners found themselves _ linked A permanently B indelibly C perpetually D inextricably 18 Be realistic! You can’t go through life looking at the world through _ A rosed-coloured spectacles B bright sights C magnificent spectacles D green fingers 19 Regional parliaments allow _ for remote parts of the country or islands far from the capital A self-government B self-sufficiency C self-regulation D self-support 20 In geometry, an ellipse may be defined as the locus of all points _ distances from two fixed points is constant A the sum of whose B of which the sum C whose sum of D which the sum of AN SWERS: 10 Trang / 21 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 PART 2: Give the correct form of the words in brackets Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (10 points) Hostels are used as a _ until the families can find permanent accommodation (STOP) The draft law gives companies _ power to block merger and acquisition deals with foreign investors (DISCRETION) Hopeful actors from small towns are often in New York (DRIFT) Her book is as _ as a cool ocean breeze (VIGOR) It is inhumane to sell limbs of the animals such as rhinoceros or elephants in the market place (MEMBER) A(n) to the contract stated that the buyer would be responsible for all transportation costs (ADD) The problematic symptoms tend to disappear once the _ is corrected (ALIGN) A baby may be born with a stork bite, or the _ may appear in the first months of life (MARK) You may not have liked her, but no one could her determination (SAY) 10 The ship is an exact _ of the original Golden Hind (REPLY) ANSWERS: 10 C READING COMPREHENSION (60 POINTS) PART 1: You are going to read an extract from an article Seven paragraphs have been removed from the extract Choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7) There is one extra paragraph which you not need to use Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (7 points) A What are the criteria used by the director of a gallery and his or her advisers when selecting for exhibition? Is he or she like the editor of a science journal? No, for there is nothing in art like the peer review so fundamental to science; there are no art critics, just art writers As the editor of a scientific journal it is extremely rare that my personal view determines whether or not a paper gets published My role is Trang / 21 to choose a good editorial board and to know to whom the papers to be reviewed B should be sent Bringing visual artists and scientists together merely makes them feel elevated: it is not a scientific experience Although it must be said that science has had a strong influence on certain artists - in the efforts to imitate nature and thus to develop perspective or in the area of new technologies - art has contributed virtually nothing C to science Then of the hundreds of thousands of papers published each year, few have a lifetime of more than a few years Most disappear with little if any trace The original papers, with very rare exceptions, like those of Einstein, are never part of D scientific culture and they are not for sale Science, unlike art, is not entertainment What intrigued me at the opening was how the exhibits were chosen There is less of a problem with well-established artists such as Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon or E Matisse It is the very modern works that present the problem How different from this are all the arts No Shakespeare - no Hamlet; no Picasso no Guernica Moreover a work of art is capable of many interpretations and has moral content There is but one correct scientific explanation for any set of observations and reliable scientific understanding has no moral or ethical content; F that is to say that the scientist does not allow his own reactions to come into play The Oxford University art historian Martin Kemp takes a very different view from mine here He claims that during the 'Scientific Revolution' some artists were able to play an active role in the dialogue between seeing and knowing He gives the fiery emissions of Joseph Wright's volcanoes painted in the late eighteenth century as an example Wright's painting of Vesuvius erupting may be dramatic but it owes G nothing to geology Art is not constrained by reality It cannot be shown to be wrong And of all the arts, painting is the one least related to science as it does not deal with complex ideas or explanations, is the easiest to appreciate, and the response is often an emotional one Ideas in the visual arts come from art critics and historians, not the works H themselves Science is about understanding how the world works, there being only one right description of any observed phenomenon Unlike the arts it is a collective endeavour in which the individual is ultimately irrelevant - geniuses merely speed Trang / 21 up discovery MERGING ART & SCIENCE: A FALSE PREMISE The current vogue is for believing that art and science should be brought together This o bsession for showing that art - particularly the visual arts - is similar to science in content and the creative processes is bemusing I detect in it an element of social snobbery - artis ts are envious of scientists and scientists want to be thought of as artists _ If Watson and Crick had not got the structure of DNA, we know that Franklin and Klug would soon have had it Indeed simultaneous discovery is a common feature of science I f one could rerun the history of science and start again it would have a different history b ut the end results would be the same: water would be H 20 and genes would code for prot eins but the names would be different _ Whatever the feelings of the scientist, these are absent from the final understanding of a process, while art is a personal creation and contains the personal views of the artist And since science is a communal process, a scientist has to be very aware of what is known a bout the problem being investigated There are strict criteria about lack of contradiction a nd, of course, correspondence with reality Science makes progress, we build on the wor k of our current and earlier colleagues To talk about progress in art makes no sense, ther e is change but not progress _ Thus, I cannot understand what is being referred to when there is reference to critical thi nking in art In what sense can a painting be right or wrong? Anyone can have views abo ut a painting and engage in art discussions Non-scientists can thrill to scientific ideas but to make meaningful comments about them, and I exclude their application to technology, one actually has to have detailed knowledge; science needs a much greater, and quite diff erent, intellectual effort _ It is very rare for referees to recommend acceptance without changes This can be a com plex procedure but, in general, authors are grateful for the careful reading and criticism o f their paper Even so we reject about half of all papers we receive Paintings, however, a re neither revised nor can be shown to be wrong _ Trang / 21 The idea of creativity may make scientists want to be thought of as artists and vice versa and there may well be something similar in all human creativity, but that it is particularly similar in scientists and artists is without foundation The similarity between art and scie nce is even less than that between billiards and rugby, both of which at least use a ball _ It seems just poetic licence to suggest that this picture did much to convince European sc ientists that the great mystery of life might be explained in terms of electrochemical forc es (Although it may be that Jan Vermeer did indeed discover that more compelling illusi ons can be achieved through a kind of optical illusion that makes special use of the perce ptual system inside our brains, rather than through the details that reach our eyes) _ Art does not explain, but it broadens our experience in ways that are not clearly understo od I value it in its own terms, but it has nothing to with understanding how the world works To pretend that it does is to trivialise science and nothing for art We should st op pretending that the two disciplines are similar, and instead rejoice in the very different ways that they enrich our culture ANSWERS: PART 2: Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space Use only ONE word in each space Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (15 points) Concentration is good in exams, bad in orange juice Concentration happens when you manage to focus on one thing to the (1) of all others, and concentrating on one thing (2) you worrying about a lot of other nameless things Sometimes, of course, your mind concentrates when you don’t want it to Maybe you can’t get something out of your head, such as a problem you have to (3) up to, or an embarrassing situation you’ve been in That’s why collecting things as a hobby is popular; it (4) your mind off other things Indeed, some people seem to prefer looking after and cataloguing their collections to actually (5) anything with them, because this is when the absorbing, single- minded concentration happens Trang / 21 The natural span for concentration is 45 minutes That’s why half an hour for a television programme seems too short whilst an hour seems too long But many people's lives are (6) of concentration Modern culture is served up in small, easily digestible chunks that require only a short (7) span although young people can concentrate on computer games for days at a (8) Sticking out the tongue can aid concentration This is because you can’t (9) yourself with talking at the same time and other people won’t interrupt your thoughts because you look (10) an idiot! ANSWERS: 10 PART 3: Read the text below and choose the answer A, B, C or D which you think best fits according to the text Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (10 points) Science plays a crucial role in identifying problems related to how natural systems function and deteriorate, particularly when they are affected by an external factor In turn, scientific findings shape the policies introduced to protect such systems where necessary Experts are frequently called upon by politicians to provide evidence which can be used to make scientifically sound, or at least scientifically justifiable policy decisions Issues arise as there are frequent disagreements between experts over the way data is gathered and interpreted An example of the former is the first scientific evidence of a hole in the ozone layer by the British Antarctic Survey (1) The findings were at first greeted by the scientific community with scepticism, as the British Antarctic Survey was not yet an established scientific community (2) Moreover, it was generally believed that satellites would have picked up such ozone losses if they were indeed occurring (3) It was not until the methodology of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was reviewed that it became apparent that data had been overlooked (4) With regards to the latter, controversy between scientists may arise where data analysis appears to support one policy over another In 1991, the World Resource Institute (WRI) published estimates of net emissions and sinks of greenhouse gases for a Trang / 21 number of countries, including India The report provoked criticisms among Indian scientists who argued that the figures had failed to take some significant factors into account, leading to overestimated emission values The WRI was accused of blaming less economically developed countries for global warming; a stance which, if accepted, could impede industrialisation and sustain, even widen, the wealth gap Problems regarding the scientific method are well documented and it is widely accepted by the scientific community that, however consistent scientists are in their procedures, the results born under different circumstances can vary markedly A number of factors influence research, among them the organisation of a laboratory, the influence of prevailing theories, financial constraints and the peer review process Consequently, scientists tend to believe they are not in a position to bear universal truths but to reveal tendencies However, this is countered by two factors Firstly, certain scientific institutions wish to maintain a degree of status as ‘bearers of truth’ Further, policy makers uphold this understanding by requesting scientific certainties in order to legitimise their policy decisions According to a number of authors who have documented this process, decision makers not necessarily try to obtain all the information which is or could be made available regarding an issue Rather, they select that information which is necessary to fulfil their goals, information termed as ‘half-knowledge’ Attempts to underplay transboundary issues such as water provision and pollution are cases in point Politicians clearly cannot pretend that certain data not exist if they are wellknown in scientific communities or national borders, but some discretion is evident, especially where there is controversy and uncertainty It is important to note that policies regarding scientific issues are influenced in no small part by societal factors These include the relative importance of certain environmental issues, the degree of trust in the institutions conducting the research, and not least the social standing of those affected by the issue In other words, environmental problems are in many ways socially constructed according to the prevailing cultural, economic and political conditions within a society It has been suggested, for example, that contemporary 'post-materialist' Western societies pay greater attention to 'quality' including environmental quality – than 'quantity' This theory does not necessarily assume that people of low-income countries have no interest in environmental Trang 10 / 21 protection, as the example of the Chipko movement in India clearly demonstrates, but demonstrates that the way a resource is valued varies widely among different communities Finally, it cannot be denied that the ‘issue of the day’ changes constantly One issue becomes more or less urgent than another, based on current events Concurrently, new issues enter the political agenda It has been noted that it often takes a 'policy entrepreneur', someone who dedicates time, energy and financial resources to a certain issue, to raise its profile Furthermore, whether an issue is taken up by political, environmental or media groups, depends very much on the degree to which it suits their particular agenda, not to mention budget With reference to paragraph 1, which of the following pieces of research would be NOT be relevant to this article? A the effect of climate change on weather patterns in Africa B whether or not low level radiation increases the risk of cancer C how acid rain impacts species within a lake ecosystem D a comparison of the species present in two areas of woodland What is the purpose of the example of ozone data given in paragraph 2? A to show that NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center used unreliable methods of gathering scientific data B to show how data gathering methods and the status of scientists may affect the way data is regarded C to prove that it is wrong to dismiss evidence which comes from a nonestablished source D to show how NASA and the British Antarctic Survey disagreed over the correct way to gather ozone data Where in paragraph does this sentence best fit? This was because of the way their computers had been programmed to discard any readings which appeared anomalous A B C D 4 Paragraph gives an example of a dispute over A which country was most responsible for producing greenhouse gases B the pollution caused by multinational companies in India C how statistics were interpreted and presented D erroneous data which resulted from a poorly-funded experiment Trang 11 / 21 Which sentence best sums up the ideas in paragraph 4? A Scientists are aware that their work cannot present incontrovertible facts B If scientists were more consistent, they could create more reliable evidence C Variations in how research is conducted often affect its validity D Scientists spend more time documenting problems than conducting research In paragraph 5, ‘this’ refers to A the scientific method and its inherent problems B the belief that scientists cannot reveal universal truths C the variation in scientific results under different circumstances D the list of factors which influence scientific research What is meant by this sentence? ‘Further, policy makers uphold this understanding by requesting scientific certainties in order to legitimise their policy decisions.’ A Politicians when seeking evidence for policy-making, not understand the fact that scientists are unable to act as ‘bearers of truth’ B Politicians consider the scientific research that supports their policies as more legitimate than other research C Scientific institutions encourage politicians to use them for policy-making in order to improve their status D Politicians, when seeking evidence for policy-making, encourage the belief that scientists can produce incontestable facts Why are ‘transboundary issues such as water provision and pollution’ referred to in paragraph 5? A to illustrate situations in which politicians pretend that certain data does not exist B to illustrate situations in which incorrect information is given by scientific institutions keen to maintain their status C to illustrate situations in which politicians are selective with regards to what data they gather D to illustrate situations in which policy makers request scientists to present them with scientific certainties, even though none exist What can be inferred about the Chipko movement? A It was an example of how people in low-income countries have little interest in environmental protection B It was an example of how different people within a community valued a resource differently Trang 12 / 21 C It was an example of how people in a low-income community showed interest in protecting the environment D It was an example of how people in a low-income community valued quantity over quality 10 Which of the following arguments is NOT presented in paragraph 7? A An issue only get political or media attention if someone with a high profile is supporting it B Politicians are only interested in environmental issues if it benefits them C Issues don’t get public attention unless a particular person advocates it strongly D Issues may be overlooked if there are other significant events happening at the time ANSWERS: 10 PART 4: Read the passage and the following tasks Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided (13 points) PSYCHOLOGY AND PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT A Our daily lives are largely made up of contacts with other people, during which we are constantly making judgments of their personalities and accommodating our behaviour to them in accordance with these judgments A casual meeting of neighbours on the street, an employer giving instructions to an employee, a mother telling her children how to behave, a journey in a train where strangers eye one another without exchanging a word – all these involve mutual interpretations of personal qualities B Success in many vocations largely depends on skill in sizing up people It is important not only to such professionals as the clinical psychologist, the psychiatrist or the social worker, but also to the doctor or lawyer in dealing with their clients, the businessman trying to outwit his rivals, the salesman with potential customers, the teacher with his pupils, not to speak of the pupils judging their teacher Social life, indeed, would be impossible if we did not, to some extent, understand, and react to the motives and qualities of those we meet; and clearly we are sufficiently accurate for most practical purposes, although we also recognize that misinterpretations easily arise – particularly on the pare of others who judge us! Trang 13 / 21 C Errors can often be corrected as we go along But whenever we are pinned down to a definite decision about a person, which cannot easily be revised through his ‘feed-back’, the inadequacies of our judgments become apparent The hostess who wrongly thinks that the Smiths and the Joneses will get on well together can little to retrieve the success of her party A school or a business may be saddled for years with an undesirable member of staff because the selection committee which interviewed him for a quarter of an hour misjudged his personality D Just because the process is so familiar and taken for granted, it has aroused little scientific curiosity until recently Dramatists, writers and artists throughout the centuries have excelled in the portrayal of character, but have seldom stopped to ask how they, or we, get to know people, or how accurate is our knowledge However, the popularity of such unscientific systems as Lavater’s physiognomy in the eighteenth century, Gall’s phrenology in the nineteenth, and of handwriting interpretations by graphologists, or palm-readings by Gypsies, shows that people are aware of weaknesses in their judgments and desirous of better methods of diagnosis It is natural that they should turn to psychology for help, in the belief that psychologists are specialists in ‘human nature’ E This belief is hardly justified: for the primary aim of psychology had been to establish the general laws and principles underlying behaviour and thinking, rather than to apply these to concrete problems of the individual person A great many professional psychologists still regard it as their main function to study the nature of learning, perception and motivation in the abstracted or average human being, or in lower organisms, and consider it premature to put so young a science to practical uses They would disclaim the possession of any superior skill in judging their fellow-men Indeed, being more aware of the difficulties than is the non-psychologist, they may be more reluctant to commit themselves to definite predictions or decisions about other people Nevertheless, to an increasing extent psychologists are moving into educational, occupational, clinical and other applied fields, where they are called upon to use their expertise for such purposes as fitting the education or job to the child or adult, and the person to the job Thus, a considerable proportion of their activities consists of personality assessment F The success of psychologists in personality assessment has been limited, in comparison with what they have achieved in the fields of abilities and training, with the Trang 14 / 21 result that most people continue to rely on unscientific methods of assessment In recent times there has been a tremendous amount of work on personality tests, and on carefully controlled experimental studies of personality Investigations of personality by Freudian and other ‘depth’ psychologists have an even longer history And yet psychology seems to be no nearer to providing society with practicable techniques which are sufficiently reliable and accurate to win general acceptance The soundness of the methods of psychologists in the field of personality assessment and the value of their work are under constant fire from other psychologists, and it is far from easy to prove their worth G The growth of psychology has probably helped responsible members of society to become more aware of the difficulties of assessment But it is not much use telling employers, educationists and judges how inaccurately they diagnose the personalities with which they have to deal unless psychologists are sure that they can provide something better Even when university psychologists themselves appoint a new member of staff, they almost always resort to the traditional techniques of assessing the candidates through interviews, past records, and testimonials, and probably make at least as many bad appointments as other employers However, a large amount of experimental development of better methods has been carried out since 1940 by groups of psychologists in the Armed Services and in the Civil Service, and by such organizations as the (British) National Institute of Industrial Psychology and the American Institute of Research Questions 1-7: There are seven paragraphs marked A-G in the passage Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list below i ii iii iv v vi vii List of Headings The advantage of an intuitive approach to personality assessment Overall theories of personality assessment rather than valuable guidance The consequences of poor personality assessment Differing views on the importance of personality assessment Success and failure in establishing an approach to personality assessment Everyone makes personality assessment Acknowledgement of the need for improvement in personality viii assessment Little progress towards a widely applicable approach to personality ix assessment The need for personality assessment to be well judged Trang 15 / 21 x The need for a different kind of research into personality assessment Paragraph A Paragraph B Paragraph C Paragraph D Paragraph E Paragraph F Paragraph G Questions 8-10: Which THREE of the following are stated about psychologists involved in personality assessment? A ‘Depth’ psychologists are better at it than some other kinds of psychologists B Many of them accept that their conclusions are unreliable C They receive criticism from psychologists not involved in the field D They have made people realize how hard the subject is E They have told people what not to do, rather than what they should F They keep changing their minds about what the best approaches are Questions 11-13: Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer? Write YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer NO if the statement reflects the claims of the writer NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this 11 Unscientific systems of personality assessment have been of some use 12 It is likely that some psychologists are no better than anyone else at assessing personality 13 Research since 1940 has been based on acceptance of previous theories ANSWERS: 10 11 12 13 PART 5: You are going to read an article about work-life balance For questions 110, choose from the sections (A-D) The sections may be chosen more than once Write your answers in the corresponding numbered spaces provided (15 points) Which section mentions the following? ANSWERS involvement in decision-making leading to increased worker satisfaction a term that was once used to refer to an inadequate work-life balance a reduction in one business’s expenditure caused by improved staff Trang 16 / 21 retention a recognition among some employees of the necessity for longer working hours changes in the world of work leading to competition between established and emerging companies the statutory regulation of work-life balance ideas certain staff benefits no longer being seen as adequate by potential employees a change in how work-life balance developments are generated a way of defining what work-life balance involves a theory as to what people require out of life 10 _ ISSUES ARISING OUT OF THE CONTINUING WORK-LIFE BALANCE DEBATE IN THE UK A Here in the UK, the continuous pressure of work and the relentless pace of change is impacting on people Hard And some people have reached the point where they want their lives back or at least are questioning how they can balance their work obligations with their domestic responsibilities This includes new recruits employers also recognise that in the battle to attract talented people the tried and tested incentives of high salary, a medical plan and use of a company car will not pull in the high fliers any more But what exactly does work-life balance cover? In the recent past, 'stress' was the word that best seemed to represent this general concern about too much work, too little life Everyone understood it, since they experienced it at a personal level, but work-life balance has larger parameters According to the Work Foundation, it is only achieved when an individual's right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is respected as the norm So, for example, work-life balance also takes into account the contribution that people want to make to the world in which they live It includes the recognition that people have to manage family life and it considers the impact that an excessive workload has on B people's health We can point to the psychologist, Abraham Masiow, as the inspiration behind the work-life balance phenomenon Maslow's 'hierarchy of needs' model posits five Trang 17 / 21 ascending levels of need, each stage of which has to be satisfied in turn before the individual can move onwards and upwards So, at the base of the triangular model, individuals first have to satisfy their physical survival needs, while at the apex of the triangle, is the 'self-actualised' individual whose priorities are personal growth and fulfilment Maslow's work fused with a trend that also affected the concerns about work-life balance Having a job for life, which had been part of the bedrock values of traditional companies, simply could not be sustained by the dynamic marketplace of the 1990s and beyond The old certainties evaporated, and employers realised that the new imperative was to ensure their employees became as innovative as the young entrepreneurs who were creating exciting new businesses of their own C The idea of a work-life balance has evolved over time In the UK, there has been a long tradition of government-based initiatives that were its forerunners However, with work-life balance as it exists today, the influence of some corporate role models has had the most impact Consider Ben & Jerry's, the US ice-cream company Since the 1980s, this firm has recognised that people wanted a different sort of work experience It made a virtue out of donating 7.5 per cent of its pre-tax profits to philanthropy - an employee-led initiative Engaging employees in such a way has helped both to improve motivation and drive innovation and productivity, making Ben & Jerry's into an extremely lucrative brand A recent survey identified more than 100 varieties of similar work-life initiatives However, it is clear that the most important variable in work-life balance is the nature of the job itself People want jobs with autonomy, flexibility, meaning, managerial support as well as a chance for advancement D So, work-life balance policies work? In the UK there has been little doubt that they have had a positive impact British Telecom, for instance, used work-life balance initiatives both to draw more women into the workforce and to address the significant problem of losing staff As a result, a staggering 98 per cent of women returned after maternity leave, saving the organisation a tidy sum in recruitment and training Work-life balance is already a catch-all term for many different new policy developments and the list is still growing Many employees know from direct Trang 18 / 21 experience that the world of work is changing In a 24/7 society, they recognise that their customers expect service round-the-clock And they also know that they have to juggle their home responsibilities while stretching their schedules to meet customer expectations Employers know this too Indeed, there is a raft of legal provisions governing work-life balance being driven by the European Union And what the individual employee wants and the employer is set to deliver need not be in opposition D WRITING (60 POINTS) PART 1: Read the following extract and use your own words to summarise it Your summary should be between 100 and 120 words long (15 points) For many years, stress was considered an imaginary complaint that lazy employees would use as an excuse for skipping work Now, stress has finally made its way into medical books and into company accounts too More and more firms are realizing the effect that stress-related illnesses are having on their bottom line The causes of stress are manifold Just getting to work on time may be a major cause At the workplace, stress can be caused by not having enough to do, not facing sufficient challenges or simply being in a job that does not suit the person At the other end of the scale is overwork and job insecurity There may also be ergonomic reasons for stress such as cramped working conditions, a faulty chair, a desk at the wrong height, a smoky office or defective air-conditioning Stress manifests itself in many ways The most common symptoms are headaches, backaches, shortness of breath, skin disorders, heart palpitations, gastric problems and sleeping disorders There is also poor concentration, poor memory and loss of selfconfidence Other major health problems such as depression, repetitive strain injury and heart problems may follow these symptoms All these symptoms give rise to inefficient work practices, increased medical leave and consequently loss of productivity Companies are finally beginning to take notice and are starting to invest in their employees' health as a natural cost of doing business Trang 19 / 21 Companies are taking the necessary measures to overcome stress-related problems with the hope that there will be heightened efficiency at the workplace and lower absenteeism But at the end of the day it is up to the individual The art of stress management is not something that can be picked up overnight It is something that an individual has to perfect and improve on throughout his lifetime The key is 'healthy body, healthy mind' Diet should be kept in check with smoking and drinking under control Consider investing in a home gym, which can be set up at a reasonable cost consisting of basic equipment such as an exercise bench, a pair of dumb-bells and an exercise bike Massage is another tried and tested form of physical relaxation, guaranteed to reduce both mental and physical stress levels A massage does not take long and it is not expensive The different types of massages and aromatherapy techniques have different effects with some for relaxation and some for stimulation; all guaranteed to make you feel invigorated or enlivened after a hard day Another way of reducing stress is the century-old and hugely popular practice of yoga A beginner taking up yoga may find the posture and breathing exercises beneficial But yoga goes way beyond that as it deals with the inner organism (the mind, the respiratory and digestive organs) - inner harmony first - and when the inner organism is working properly, then physical fitness can be achieved In stress management, the most important thing is to recognize the symptoms of stress early and to act before they become something serious PART 2: The line graph below shows the average monthly temperatures in three major cities Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant You should write about 150 words Trang 20 / 21 Dubai Sydney Sydney Dubai Paris Paris PART 3: Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic (30 points) “Success should be measured by the knowledge a person has, not by the material possessions he or she has acquired.” Do you agree with this idea? Give reasons and examples to support your opinion(s) GIÁO VIÊN RA ĐỀ Trịnh Ngọc Xuân Thảo SĐT: 0702.455.557 Trang 21 / 21