[VIP] Trọn bộ 110 đề thi HSG Tiếng Anh 10 có đáp án và file nghe

What does Carlene think about people who don’t believe herA. She doesn’t understand why they think that.[r]

HỘI CÁC TRƯỜNG CHUYÊN

VÙNG DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ ĐỀ THI MÔN TIẾNG ANH KHỐI 10 TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN NGUYỄN TẤT

THÀNH TỈNH YÊN BÁI

NĂM 2016

ĐỀ THI ĐỀ XUẤT Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút I LISTENING

Part In this part, you will hear a radio interview with a ghost hunter called Carlene Belfort For questions 1-5, choose the best answer You should listen to the audio twice

1 How did Carlene become a ghost hunter?

A she wanted to contact her dead grandmother B she grew up in a haunted house

C her parents encouraged her

2 What, according to Carlene, ghost hunters need most? A a special gift

B equipment

C an adventurous mind

3 Who does Carlene mostly work for? A people who want reassurance

B people who want to contact loved ones C people who want to find a ghost

4 How does Carlene detect when ghosts are present? A She feels cold

B She gets evidence from her equipment C She feels them touching her hair

5 What does Carlene think about people who don’t believe her? A She doesn’t understand why they think that

B She thinks they don’t have enough evidence C She wants them to experience it for themselves

Part You will listen to a piece of news about cycling For questions 1-5, decide whether the statements are true or false

1 Mr Jones is travelling on his own True / False

2 Mr Jones only stays in hotels True / False

3 Edward Genochio completed a 41.000km trip to China and back True / False Cycling is becoming more popular in the UK True / False Boris Johnson cycles to show people that he cares about the environment

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

 The school's exchange programme is called  A return visit is then arranged later

 Children first get to know their exchange partners by taking part in a _ scheme

 The programme is not only intended for students who enjoy using _

 The two countries most often visited on the programme are _  Some students suffer from problems such as homesickness and  To help students who have problems, a qualified is always

available

 Local visits are described as being and also _

 Students enjoy visiting 10 parks most of all II VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR

Part Choose the best answer:

1 He looks very aggressive and threatening, and so his soft, gentle voice is rather

A disembodied B discordant C dismissive D disconcerting

2 When my teacher gave me my homework back, she said I was on the right A course B way C direction D track

3 I’m opting out of the race and going to live on a small farm in the countryside

A horse B dog C rat D cat and mouse

4 After months of bitter arguing the couple had to accept that they were A incongruous B incompatible C dissident D disaffected

5 Don’t thank me for helping in the garden It was pleasure to be working out of doors

A mere B simple C sheer D plain

6 The police have been ordered not to if the students attack them A combat B rebuff C retaliate D challenge Six novels a year, you say? He’s certainly a writer

A discarded B dismissedC refused D eliminated

9 Many road accidents occur because motorists cannot the speed of approaching vehicles

A assume B count C assess D value

10.It’s hard to believe that anyone would purposely harm a child, of all its own mother

A first B least C worst D best

11.Ever since we quarreled in the office, Janice and I have been enemies A assured B confirmed C defined D guaranteed

12.Police are the town for the missing vehicle

A seeking B looking C investigating D combing

13.The jury her compliments on her excellent knowledge of the subject A paid B gave C made D said

14.He was blinded by the of the approaching car’s headlights A gleam B glare C glow D flare 15.Don’t throw that away – it might

A come into use B come into handy C come in use D come in handy 16.– “It is raining outside.” – “………”

A So is it B So it is C So it does D Is it so? 17.At the moment the ruling party is on the of a dilemma

A hooves B points C top D horns 18.The magistrate his disapproval of the young man’s behavior

A voiced B said C told D spoke 19.The audience watched as the story before their eyes

A uncovered B unfolded C unwrapped D undid 20.In any transport system, the safety of passengers should be

A paramount B eminent C chief D prime Part ERROR IDENTIFICATION

The passage below contains 10 mistakes Underline the mistakes and write their correct forms in the space provided in the column on the right (0) has been done as an example. When a celebrity, a politics or other person in the media spotlight loses

their temper in public, they run the risk of hitting the headings in the most embarrassing way For such uncontrolling outbursts of anger are often triggered by what seem to be trivial matters and, if they are caught on camera, can make the person appear slightly ridiculousness But it's not only the rich and famous who is prone to fits of rage According to recent surveys, ordinary people are increasingly tending to lose their cool in public Although anger is a potentially destructive emotion that uses up a lot of energy and creates a high level of emotional and physical stress - and it stops us thinking rational Consequently angry people often end up saying, and doing, things they later have to regret So, how can anger be avoided? Firstly, diet and lifestyle may be to

0 politics 

blame Tolerance and irritability certainly come to the surface when someone hasn't slept properly or has skipped a meal, and any intake of caffeine can make things worst Take regular exercise can help to ease and diffuse feelings of aggression , however, reducing the chances of an angry response But if something or someone does make you angry, it's advisable not to react immediately Once you've calmed down, things won't look half as badly as you first thought

8 ……… ……… 10 ………

Part Fill in each blank with a correct preposition.

1 He was very upset when the boss passed him and promoted a newcomer to the assistant’s job

2 The union and the management are dispute over working conditions They said that the blue cheese was very tasty, but the smell put me What the smoke and the noise, the party made me feel quite ill

5 Old Mr Brown’s condition looks very serious and it is doubtful if he will pull My meeting with him was previous my meeting with you

7 What her problems all seemed to boil to was lack of money

8 The firm will have to step production if it is to defeat its competitors He is always ordering other people as if he were their boss

10.A good dictionary is indispensable learning foreign languages

Part Write the correct FORM of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided in the column on the right (0) has been done as an example

Ancient man used sticks of charcoal to draw pictures on cave walls in order to communicate (with, probably, their deities and (0) ………… (TRAIN) huntsmen) Today, some of their direct (1) ………… (DESCEND) are still using ‘chalk and talk’ and other (2) ………… (MODE) equipment to make presentations to sophisticated business audiences

Now, there’s nothing wrong with whiteboards, flip charts and overhead projectors In their right context, they are still (3) ………… (EXCEED) useful presentation tools But in a business environment in which the presentation of clear, easily understandable information is a (4) ………… (NEED), and in which memorability is key, managers should be constantly (5) ………… (GRADE) their equipment to keep pace with developments Audiences are coming to expect high-quality presentations that are (6) ………… (VISION) stimulating and get the message across without wasting time Professionally-made presentations clearly (7) ………… (SIGNIFICANT) that the person giving them has thought through the issues and knows what they are talking about They can put a (8) ………… (PERSUADE) case that wins over an audience in a way that pieces of paper can’t And

they can put you, or your company, in the most (9) ………… (ADVANTAGE) light possible by delivering a well thought-out message (10) ………… (RELY) every time

III READING

Part 1: For questions – 15, read the advertisement and decide which word best fits each space

Save money on the book that aims to save animals

Do you want to take part in the battle to save the world’s wildlife? Animal Watch is a book which will (1) you in the fight for survival that (2) many of our

endangered animals and show how they struggle on the (3) of extinction As you enjoy the book’s 250 pages and over 150 colour photographs, you will have the (4) of knowing that part of your purchase money is being used to

(5) animals (6) From the comfort of your armchair, you will be able to observe the world’s animals close-up and explore their habitats You will also discover the terrible results of human (7) for land, flesh and skins

Animal Watch is packed with fascinating facts Did you know that polar bears cover their black noses (8) their (9) so they can hunt their prey in the snow without being seen, for example? Or that (10) each orang-utan which is captured, one has to die?

This superb (11) has so (12) Britain’s leading wildlife charity that it has been chosen as Book of the Year, a (13) awarded to books which are considered to have made a major contribution to wildlife conservation You will find Animal Watch at a special low (14) price at all good bookshops, but hurry while

(15) last

1 A combine B involve C bring D lead

2 A meets B opposes C forces D faces

3 A edge B start C limit D end

4 A satisfaction B enjoyment C virtue D value

5 A enable B help C allow D assist

6 A preserve B conserve C revive D survive

7 A greed B interest C care D concern

8 A with B by C for D from

9 A feet B claws C paws D toes

10 A with B by C for D from

11 A publicity B periodical C publication D reference 12 A imposed B impressed C persuaded D admired

13 A symbol B title C trademark D nickname

14 A beginning B preparatory C original D introductory

Part Read the texts below and think of the word which best bits each space Use only ONE WORD for each space.

Anger can get us into hot water – and bottling things up only makes (1) But you can more than simply gnash your teeth

Anger is one of the most commonly felt emotions, yet relatively few of us know how to cope with it effectively Shouting, swearing, and hitting inanimate objects are common

responses (2) _ the age-old problem of expressing our often accumulated

frustrations Nevertheless, losing control is more (3) _ to lead to humiliation than vindication

So, we learn not to lose control In public, our tension is held in check by the urge to (4) _ on to our dignity, whilst the extent of our reaction to any event will depend on unresolved issues from the past People tend to carry learned responses, so if parents scream or fall (5) _ awkward silences when they were cross, their offspring will probably the same

Conversely, a child may be terrified of anger because one of its parents had no (6) over their temper As a result, the child may repress its own feelings, often expressing them inappropriately or channeling them internally (7) thus feeling depressed In fact, depression is often called “internal anger”

Self-expression is the key to dealing with anger Although there are no hard and fast rules for (8) best to achieve this, burying the debris is probably the least productive method Physical release through exercise can be effective – even working (9) _ at the gym may help

Strange as it sounds, I’ve seen tension in relationships evaporate through pillow or water fights In an emergency, shouting in a parked car, or hitting a pillow with a tied towel are also good (10) _ of relief, although these methods are considerably less demure than writing it all down in a diary

Part Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions that follow.

IMAGE AND THE CITY

In the city, we are barraged with images of the people we might become Identity is presented as plastic, a matter of possessions and appearance; and a very large proportion of the urban landscape is taken up by slogans, advertisements, flatly photographed images of folk heroes – the man who turned into a sophisticated dandy overnight by drinking a particular brand of drink, the girl who transformed herself into a femme fatale with a squirt of cheap scent The tone of the wording of these advertisements is usually pert and facetious, comically drowning in its own hyperbole But the pictures are brutally exact: they reproduce every detail of a style of life, down to the brand of cigarette-lighter, the stone in the ring, and the economic row of books on the shelf

romantic unparticularity in the face of each one, as if they were communal dream-projections of society at large Only in the specialized genres of westerns, farces and gangster movies were stars allowed to have odd, knobby cadaverous faces The hero as loner belonged to history or the underworld: he spoke from the perimeter of society, reminding us of its dangerous edges

The stars of the last decade have looked quite different Soft-focus photography has gone, to be replaced by a style which searches out warts and bumps, and emphasizes the uniqueness not the generality of the face Voices, too, are strenuously idiosyncratic; whines, stammers and low rumbles are exploited as features of “star quality” Instead of romantic heroes and heroines, we have a brutalist, hard-edged style in which isolation and egotism are assumed as natural social conditions

In the movies, as in the city, the sense of stable hierarchy has become increasingly exhausted; we no longer live in a world where we can all share the same values, and the same heroes (It is doubtful whether this world, so beloved of nostalgia moralists, ever existed; but lip-service was paid to it, the pretence, at last, was kept up.) The isolate and the eccentric push towards the centre of the stage; their fashions and mannerisms are presented as having as good a claim to the limelight and the future as those of anyone else In the crowd on the underground platform, one may observe a honeycomb of fully-worked-out worlds, each private, exclusive, bearing little comparison with its nearest neighbor What is prized in one is despised in another There are no clear rules about how one is supposed to manage one’s body, dress, talk, or think Though there are elaborate protocols and etiquettes among particular cults and groups within the city, they subscribe to no common standard

For the new arrival, this disordered abundance is the city’s most evident and alarming quality He feels as if he has parachuted into a funfair of contradictory imperatives There are so many people he might become, and a suit of clothes, a make of car, and a brand of cigarettes, will go some way towards turning him into a personage even before he has discovered who that personage is Personal identity has always been deeply rooted in property, but hitherto the relationship has been a simple one – a question of buying what you could afford, and leaving your wealth to announce your status In the modern city, there are so many things to buy, such a quantity of different kinds of status, that the choice and its attendant anxieties have created a new pornography of state

The leisure pages of the Sunday newspapers, fashion magazines, TV plays, popular novels, cookbooks, window displays all nag at the nerve of our uncertainty and snobbery Should we like American cars, hard-rock hamburger joints, Bauhaus chairs…? Literature and art are promoted as personal accessories, the paintings of Mondrian or the novels of Samuel Beckett “go” with certain styles like matching handbags There is in the city a creeping imperialism of taste, in which more and more commodities are made over to being mere expressions of personal identity The piece of furniture, the pair of shoes, the book, the film, are important not so much in themselves but for what they communicate about their owners; and ownership is stretched to include what one likes or believes in as well as what one can buy

A They often depict people that most other people would not care to be like. B The pictures in them accurately reflect the way that some people really live. C Certain kinds are considered more effective in cities than others.

D The way in which some of them are worded is cleverer than it might appear. 2 What does a “femme fatale” refer to?

A a beautiful woman who spends her time enjoying herself B a gorgeous woman who realizes most men’s dream C a potential good wife

D an attractive woman who may bring unhappiness to men 3 The word “facetious” is closest in meaning to _.

A flippant B prevalent C impudent D complacent

4 The writer says that if you look at a line of advertisements on a tube train, it is clear that _

A city dwellers have very diverse ideas about what image they would like to have B some images in advertisements have a general appeal that others lack

C city dwellers are more influenced by images on advertisements than other people are D some images are intended to be representative of everyone’s aspirations

5 What does the writer imply about portraits of old movie stars? A They reflected an era in which people felt basically safe.

B They made people feel that their own faces were rather unattractive. C They tried to disguise the less attractive features of their subjects.

D Most people did not think they were accurate representations of the stars in them. 6 What does the writer suggest about the stars of the last decade?

A Most people accept that they are not typical of society as a whole.

B They make an effort to speak in a way that may not be pleasant on the ear. C Some of them may be uncomfortable about the way they come across. D They make people wonder whether they should become more selfish.

7 The writer uses the crowd on an underground platform to exemplify his belief that _. A no one in a city has strict attitudes towards the behavior of others

B no single attitude to life is more common than another in a city C people in cities would like to have more in common with each other D views of what society was like in the past are often accurate

8 The writer implies that new arrivals in a city may _.

A acquire a certain image without understanding what that involves B underestimate the importance of wealth

C decide that status is of little importance

D change the image they wish to have too frequently 9 The novels of Samuel Beckett is an example of _.

A classic literature works that make their owners feel superior to other people B literature works of high artistic value

C possessions that show owners’ identity D what is wanted by the majority in the society

A They are unsure as to why certain things are popular with others. B They are keen to be the first to appreciate new styles.

C They want to acquire more and more possessions.

D They are aware that judgments are made about them according to what they buy. Part Reading 2

Questions 1-5

The following reading passage has five sections A-E Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings on the next page There are more headings than sections, so you will not use them all

1 Section A 2 Section B 3 Section C 4 Section D 5 Section E

i Colorblindness' in different countries

ii Diagnosing colorblindness

iii What is colorblindness?

iv Curing colorblindness

v Unsolved myths

vi Animals and colorblindness

vii Developing the ability to see color

viii Colorblindness and the sexes

Colorblindness

A Myths related to the causes and symptoms of "colorblindness" abound throughout the world The term itself is misleading, since it is extremely rare for anyone to have a complete lack of color perception By looking into the myths related to color blindness, one can learn many facts about the structure and genetics of the human eye It is a myth that colorblind people see the world as if it were a black and white movie There are very few cases of complete colorblindness Those who have a complete lack of color perception are referred to as monochromatics, and usually have a serious problem with their overall vision as well as an inability to see colors The fact is that in most cases of colorblindness, there are only certain shades that a person cannot distinguish between These people are said to be dichromatic They may not be able to tell the difference between red and green, or orange and yellow A person with normal color vision has what is called trichromatic vision The difference between the three levels of color perception have to with the cones in the human eye A normal human eye has three cones located inside the retina: the red cone, the green cone, and the yellow cone Each cone contains a specific pigment whose function is to absorb the light of these colors and the combinations of them People with trichromatic vision have all three cones in working order When one of the three cones does not function properly, dichromatic vision occurs

colorblindness, while only 0.5% of women While there may be some truth to the idea that more men have trouble matching their clothing than women, the reason that color vision deficiency is predominant in males has nothing to with fashion The fact is that the gene for color blindness is located on the X chromosome, which men only have one of Females have two X chromosomes, and if one carries the defective gene, the other one naturally compensates Therefore, the only way for a female to inherit colorblindness is for both of her X chromosomes to carry the defective gene This is why the incidence of color deficiency is sometimes more prevalent in extremely small societies that have a limited gene pool

C It is true that all babies are born colorblind A baby's cones not begin to differentiate between many different colors until he is approximately four months old This is why many of the modern toys for very young babies consist of black and white patterns or primary colors, rather than traditional soft pastels However, some current research points to the importance of developing an infant's color visual system In 2004, Japanese researcher Yoichi Sugita of the Neuroscience Research Institute performed an experiment that would suggest that color vision deficiency isn't entirely genetic In his experiment, he subjected a group of baby monkeys to monochromatic lighting for one year He later compared their vision to normal monkey who had experienced the colorful world outdoors It was found that the test monkeys were unable to perform the color-matching tasks that the normal monkeys could Nevertheless, most cases of colorblindness are attributed to genetic factors that are present at birth

D Part of the reason there are so many inconsistencies related to colorblindness, or "color vision deficiency" as it is called in the medical world, is that it is difficult to know exactly which colors each human can see Children are taught from a very young age that an apple is red Naming colors allows children to associate a certain shade with a certain name, regardless of a color vision deficiency Someone who never takes a color test can go through life thinking that what they see as red is called green Children are generally tested for colorblindness at about four years of age The Ishihara Test is the most common, though it is highly criticized' because it requires that children have the ability to recognize numerals In the Ishihara Test, a number made up of colored dots is hidden inside a series of dots of a different shade Those with normal vision can distinguish the number from the background, while those with color vision deficiency will only see the dots

E While many of the myths related to colorblindness have been busted by modern science, there are still a few remaining beliefs that require more research in order to be labeled as folklore For example, there is a long-standing belief that colorblindness can aid military soldiers because it gives them the ability to see through camouflage Another belief is that everyone becomes colorblind in an emergency situation The basis of this idea is that a catastrophic event can overwhelm the brain, causing it to utilize only those receptors needed to perform vital tasks In general, identifying color is not considered an essential task in a life or death situation

Write your answers in boxes 6-10 on your Answer Sheet There are more answers than spaces, so you will not use them all

It is a common that only men suffer from On average than ten percent of men have this problem Women have two 9 For this reason it is 10 for a woman to suffer from colorblindness

myth a little less colorblindness X chromosomes defective genes fact slightly more exactly less likely more probable IV WRITING

Part Finish the second sentence in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence printed before it

1 She acted brilliantly in the school play

She gave You must concentrate on your work more

You must apply He imitated George Bush and other politicians in a humorous way He took Peter doesn’t care if Jean leaves or stay

Whatever “I think the whole idea’s ridiculous”, he said

He dismissed

Part Write a new sentence similar in meaning to the one given, using the word given in capital Do not alter the word in any way

1 Many customs restrictions within the EC have been abolished AWAY

2 I’m annoyed with you for not phoning me to say you’d be late EARTH

3 People’s race, creed or color is not taken into account when they apply for a job with

us IRRESPECTIVE

4 I tried to talk to Jack about the problem but he was too busy WORD

5 I have searched everywhere for my purse HIGH

Do you agree with the following statement? Young people today not give enough time to help their community? Use specific reasons and examples to support your ideas

HỘI CÁC TRƯỜNG CHUYÊN

VÙNG DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ ĐỀ THI MÔN TIẾNG ANH KHỐI 10 TRƯỜNG THPT NGUYỄN TẤT THÀNH– YÊN BÁI NĂM 2016

HƯỚNG DẪN CHẤM

I LISTENING

Part B B A B C

Part True False False True True Part

1 open homes six months

3 pen-friend/ pen-pal

4 foreign/ other/ their languages France and Germany

6 Loneliness/ feeling lonely Professional/ group leader Fun/ entertaining/ entertaining educationally valuable

10.Wildlife

II VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR Part Choose the best answer:

1 B D C B C C D B C 10 B 11 B 12 D 13 A 14 B 15 D 16 B 17 D 18 A 19 B 20 A

Part Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should not be there If a line has a word which should not be there, underline it and write in the box

When a celebrity, a politics or other person in the media spotlight loses their temper in public, they run the risk of hitting the headings in the most embarrassing way For such uncontrolling outbursts of anger are often triggered by what seem to be trivial matters and, if they are caught on camera, can make the person appear slightly ridiculousness But it's not only the rich and famous who is prone to fits of rage According to recent surveys, ordinary people are increasingly tending to lose their

0 politics 

politician ………

cool in public Although anger is a potentially destructive emotion that uses up a lot of energy and creates a high level of emotional and physical stress - and it stops us thinking rational Consequently angry people often end up saying, and doing, things they later cause to regret So, how can anger be avoided? Firstly, diet and lifestyle may be to blame Tolerance and irritability certainly come to the surface when someone hasn't slept properly or has skipped a meal, and any intake of caffeine can make things worst Take regular exercise can help to ease and diffuse feelings of aggression , however, reducing the chances of an angry response But if something or someone does make you angry, it's advisable not to react immediately Once you've calmed down, things won't look half as badly as you first thought

4 ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… 10 ………

1 headings  headlines

2 uncontrolling  uncontrolled ridiculousness ridiculous is are

5 Although  Yet rational  rationally Tolerance Intolerance worst worse

9 Take  Taking 10.badly  bad

Part Fill in each blank with a correct preposition.

1 over in off with through to down up about 10.for Part Write the correct FORM of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided in the column on the right (0) has been done as an example

1.descendants 2.outmoded 3.exceedingly 4.necessity 5.upgrading 6.visually 7.signify 8.persuasive 9.advantageous 10.reliably III READING

Part 1: For questions – 15, read the advertisement and decide which word best fits each space

1.B 2.D 3.A 4.A 5.B 6.D 7.A 8.A 9.C 10.C 11.C 12.B 13.B 14.D 15 B Part Read the texts below and think of the word which best bits each space Use only ONE WORD for each space.

Part Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. 1.D 2.B 3.B 4.A 5.D 6.B 7.A 8.C 9.D 10.B

Part

Heading matching

1 iii What is Colorblindness?

2 viii Colorblindness and the Sexes vii Developing the Ability to See Color ii Diagnosing Colorblindness

5 v Unsolved Myths Summary

6 myth

7 colorblindness a little less X chromosomes 10 less likely IV WRITING Part 1.

1 She gave a brilliant performance in the school play You must apply yourself to work more

3 He took off George Bush and other politicians Whatever Jean does is all right with Peter

5 He dismissed the whole idea as being ridiculous Part

1 Many customs restrictions within EC have been done away with Why on earth didn’t you phone me to say you’d be late

3 Anyone can apply for a job with us irrespective of race, creed or color I tried to have a word with Jack about the problem but he was too busy I have searched high and low for my purse

Part 3.

Do you agree or disagree? Give specific reasons for your choice (at least 150 words) 1 Content (points covered)

- the youth’s involvement in or neglect of community activities - some reasons for the engagement or neglect

2 Organisation and cohesion

- paragraph format (topic sentence, supporting ideas, examples and conclusion) - reasonable space given to each supporting idea

3 Use of English

- vocabulary of the youth’s lives, their concern and community service 4 Grammar and spelling

- correct use of grammar and spelling

Listening Transcript Part

Interviewer: Well, we’re privileged to have in the studio with us today Carlene Belfort who is a professional ghost hunter! Carlene, that’s an unusual hobby, how did you get into it? Carlene: Well, when I was about years old, my grandmother died and my family moved into her house And I kept hearing all sorts of strange noises in the night I told my parents, and they told me I was imagining things, but I knew it was ghosts So you could say I started ghost-hunting whenever I walked around the house alone at night!

Interviewer: So, what you need in order to be a ghost hunter? Do you have some special psychic powers?

Carlene: Well, some people, mediums that is, have the gift to communicate with people who have passed away, or at least they claim to that But, no, I don’t claim to have any special powers Ghost hunters aren’t the same as mediums We use audio recorders, cameras and electromagnetic devices to detect the presence of ghosts But I think it helps if you have an open mind and a spirit of adventure

Interviewer: So what sorts of people ask you for your services?

Carlene: Well, as I said, I don’t claim to communicate with ghosts I get phone calls from bereaved people who want to communicate with their lost ones, but I have to turn them away That’s not what I No, my clients are those people who hear or see things in their homes and are worried they might be going crazy They call me in, and I can put their minds at rest Of course I also get the odd few who are desperate to have a ghost in their homes and interpret every creak in their house as a possible visitor

Interviewer: So how you detect the presence of ghosts?

Carlene: Well, sometimes it is just a feeling Something that makes you hair stand on end, or there may be a sudden drop in temperature But the most conclusive way to it is to get some sort of proof, so we take photographs, voice recordings and meter readings

Interviewer: And what has been your scariest moment?

Carlene: Oh, there have been so many! I mean, there was one time when I was with my team, and my team-mate’s camera stopped working My camera was still functioning, so I took a picture of my colleague so that we could find out whether it was spirits causing the malfunction When we looked at the pictures later, we could see three streams of energy attacking the camera around my colleague’s neck! That was certainly very spooky, but of course we didn’t know that was going on when we took the picture, and when we looked at the photograph we were far away There are some hair-raising moments when you see things flying across the room on their own accord But to tell the truth, there’s nothing more

frightening than being in the presence of true evil Interviewer: So there are evil ghosts out there? Carlene: Oh yes, most definitely.

Interviewer: Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, there are a large number of sceptics out there, and I’m sure there’ll be people among our listeners, who believe that ghost hunting is a lot of nonsense and that you have no scientific basis for your work What you have to say to them?

Carlene: Well, I can see why people with more scientific minds are unconvinced, as there have been a lot of hoaxes in the past But now, with better technology we’re able to take a lot more data and evidence to back up our sightings, although I realise that some scientists are still not convinced by that But, well, if they’re not satisfied with the data, well I’d like to invite them on a ghost hunt and see how they explain furniture flying across a room!

Interviewer: So it’s not just a big con? You’re not just filling up people’s mind with a lot of nonsense in return for their money?

Carlene: Well, I realise that some people see it like that, and that’s a shame But as I see it, I’m no different from a plumber or an electrician If someone has a problem in their house, they call me, and I come over with the right equipment and some skills, and I can solve their problem and put their minds at rest

Carlene: They can contact me via my website and arrange for a consultation And I’m also happy to take people out on hunts if they want a spooky experience!

Interviewer: Well, Carlene, it has been most interesting talking to you Thank you very much for coming in

Part 2

What's the furthest you have ever cycled? Perhaps you cycle to school or to work, or maybe at most a short cycling trip with friends? How would you feel about spending months on the road travelling solo from the UK to China, by bike?

For British cyclist Pete Jones, camping rough and cycling long distances

through inhospitable terrain are second nature Mr Jones is currently undertaking a mammoth trip across the Eurasian continent from Britain to China

Pete Jones is no stranger to China But he says many people there are puzzled by his passion for cycling, asking why he would choose to cycle when he can afford a car Indeed, while there are an estimated 400 million bicycles in China, where it has long been the preferred form of transport, rapid economic growth has fueled an explosive expansion in car ownership Edward Genochio, another British cyclist who completed a 41,000km trip to China and back, said one of his aims was to "promote cycling as a safe, sustainable and environmentally benign means of getting about".

In the UK, the last few years have seen a rise in the number of people choosing two wheels over four, with some estimates saying the number of people cycling to work has almost doubled in the last five years

Politicians also see cycling as a way to boost their eco-credentials, with people such as London mayor Boris Johnson often riding to work under his own steam But we may have to wait some time before we see him emulating Pete Jones in attempting to cycle all the way to China!

Part 3

Good evening, I'd like to welcome all those parents whose children have just started at the school The purpose of this meeting is to give you information about the international

homes and become the hosts

In general, children aged thirteen to fifteen-years-old, but no younger, seem to get something out of this trip Now, I realise that your own children will only be eleven or at most twelve this year, but we feel that it's important to begin by making the links that will make a future

exchange more successful So we want children to make a penfriend of their prospective overseas partners a year or so before the visit By taking part in this scheme, they will already know someone in, and a lot about, their destination before they leave

We've established links with schools in various countries In the past, European exchanges have been the most popular, especially amongst children keen to practise their languages But this is not the only aim of the programme, so those more interested in other subjects should not be put off

One year, we organised a trip to Holland which was very successful, although none of the children were studying Dutch Our most regular destination, however, is France, with

Germany coming a close second, although we are in touch with a school in Poland which is very keen to take part, as is a school in Canada

Although most children love the experience, we must be prepared for some difficulties This may be the child's first trip abroad, leading to feelings of homesickness as well as loneliness A week can seem a long time when you feel lonely or you're missing home So each group of pupils is accompanied by a professional group leader, which means there's always someone with

training on the spot to solve any difficulties, which is a relief for both parents and host families as you can imagine

There is variety built in the week and this definitely helps For example, children attend lessons together in the morning and then visit a local place of interest in the afternoon These trips can be fun as well as educationally valuable and parents are invited to come along too In the past we've