Đề Thi Chính Thức Môn Tiếng Anh THPT Quốc Gia 2019 - Đề 404

Fairy tales are the stories that adults, especially parents, tell young children. In view of their name, it is surprising that hardly any of them are actually about fairies. Although most fairy tales have happy endings, the stories usually deal with very frightening situations - children abandoned in the forest, terrifying giants, cruel stepmothers. However, despite being scared when they are told the stories, children will often ask to hear them over and over again. Many psychologists believe that what fairy tales do, in addition to stimulating children's imagination, is to show that there are problems in the world and they can be overcome. Just like adults, children have fears and worries: theirs are of things such as abandonment, loss, injuries, witches. Fairy tales present real problems in a fantasy form that children are able to understand. This, it is claimed, allow them to confront their fears and to realise, if ever in their unconscious mind, that no matter how difficult the circumstances, there are always ways of coping.

Norwich is the capital of East Anglia, an area on the east coast of England which is famous for its natural beauty and impressive architecture. Norwich is a wonderful city to explore and is popular with tourists all year round. Norwich is not a city of luxurious hotels, but it has a good selection of reasonably priced places to stay in, both in the city centre and further out. The Beeches Hotel, for example, next to the cathedral, has a beautiful Victorian garden. Comfortable accommodations costs £65 for two nights' bed and breakfast per person. Norwich is famous for its magnificent cathedral. The cathedral has a summer programme of music and events which is open to the general public. One event, “Fire from heaven”, is a drama and musical performance with fireworks, a laser light show and a carnival with local people dressed in colourful costumes. Norwich is also home to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, a world-class collection of international art in a building at the University of East Anglia. This is well worth a visit and there is a lovely canteen with an excellent selection of hot and cold snacks. It also specializes in vegetarian food. In addition, the city has a new professional theatre, the Playhouse, on the River Wensum. The city' annual international arts festival is from 10 to 20 October. Finally, if you fancy a complete break from the stresses of everyday life, you could hire a boat and spend a few days cruising along the river of the famous Norfolk Broads National Park. In our environmentally friendly age, the emphasis has moved forwards the quiet enjoyment of nature and wildlife. You can buy hire a boat, big or small, for an hour or two or even up to a week or two. This makes a perfect day out or holiday for people of all ages.

The United Nations recently outlined the extent of the global water crisis, saying that 2.7 billion people would face severe water shortages by 2025 if consumption continues at current rates. Today, an estimated 1.2 billion people drink unclean water, and about 2.5 billion lack proper toilets or waste disposal systems. More than five million people die each year from diseases related to unclean water. Humans are pumping water out of the ground faster than it can be replenished. In this difficult situation, a water conservationist, Neil MacLeod in South Africa, has found innovative ways to improve his local water situation. Neil MacLeod took over as head of Durban Metro Water Services in 1992. The situation he found was a catastrophe. Durban had one million people living in the city and another 1.5 million people who lived in poverty just outside it. The entire city was rife with broken water pipes, leaky toilets, and faulty plumbing whereby 42 percent of the region's water was simply being wasted. MacLeod's crews began repairing and replacing water pipes. They put water meters on residences, replaced eight-litter toilets with four-litter models, and changed wasteful showers and water taps. To ensure that the poor would receive a basic supply of water, MacLeod installed tanks in homes and apartments to provide 190 liters of water a day free to each household. Water consumption in Durban is now less than it was in 1996, even as 800,000 more people have received service. Through sensible water use, Durban's conservation measures paid for themselves within a year. No new reservoirs will be needed in the coming decades, despite the expected addition of about 300,000 inhabitants. MacLeod has also turned to water recycling. At the water recycling plant, wastewater is turned into clean water in just 12 hours. Most people are unable to discern a difference between the usual city drinking water and the treated wastewater, although it is actually intended for industrial purposes. Some people still hope that new technology, such as the desalination of seawater, will solve the world's water problems. “But the fact is, water conservation is where the big gains are to be made,” says Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project. The dedication and resourcefulness of people like Neil MacLeod offer inspiration for implementing timely and lasting solutions to the world's water concern.