Đề Thi KSCL Lần 2 Tiếng Anh 12 THPT Trần Phú Sở GD&ĐT Vĩnh Phúc 2021-2022 (Mã Đề 971)

History books recorded that the first film with sound was The Jazz Singer in 1927. But sound films, or talkies, did not suddenly appear after years of silent screenings. From the earliest public performances in 1896, films were accompanied by music and sound effects. These were produced by a single pianist, a small band, or a full-scale orchestra; large movie theatres could buy sound-effect machines. Research into sound that was reproduced at exactly at the same time as the pictures - called "synchronized sound" – began soon after the very first films were shown. With synchronized sound, characters on the movie screen could sing and speak. As early as 1896, the newly invented gramophone, which played a large disc carrying music and dialogue, was used as a sound system. The biggest disadvantage was that the sound and pictures could become unsynchronized if, for example, the gramophone needle jumped or if the speed of the projector changed. This system was only effective for a single song or dialogue sequence.
In the "sound-on-film" system, sound was recorded as a series of marks on celluloid which could be read by an optical sensor. These signals would be placed on the film alongside the image, guaranteeing synchronization. Short feature films were produced in this way as early as 1922. This system eventually brought us "talking pictures".

A common phenomenon in arid regions of the world is the whirling vortex called the “dust devil.” Although they resemble tornadoes, dust devils are generally much smaller and less intense than their more destructive cousins. Most dust devils are only a few meters in diameter and reach heights no greater than about 100 meters. Further, these whirlwinds are usually short-lived microscale phenomena: most form and die out within minutes. Unlike tornadoes, which are associated with clouds, dust devils form on days when clear skies prevail. Further, these whirlwinds form from the ground upward, exactly the opposite of tornadoes. Because surface heating is critical to their formation, dust devils occur most frequently in the afternoon, when surface temperatures are highest.

Dust devils form when the hot surface of the earth warms the air above it. When the air near the surface is considerably warmer than the air a few tens of meters overhead, the layer of air near Earth’s surface becomes unstable. In this situation, warm surface air begins to rise, causing air near the ground to be drawn into the developing whirlwind. A light wind will start this rising air to rotate, and once the rotation has begun, it becomes faster due to the same physical principle that causes ice-skaters to spin faster as they pull their arms closer to their body. As the inwardly spiraling air rises, it carries sand, dust, and other loose debris tens of meters into the air. It is this material that makes a dust devil visible. Occasionally, dust devils form above ground covered with vegetation. Under these conditions, the vortices may go undetected unless they interact with objects at the surface.

Most dust devils are small and short-lived; consequently, they are not generally destructive. Occasionally, however, these whirlwinds grow to be 100 meters or more in diameter and over a kilometer high. Larger and more vigorous dust devils have a longer lifetime than smaller ones. One large dust devil, with a height of about 750 meters, lasted for seven hours as it traveled 64 kilometers in western Utah. With winds that whirl at speeds that may reach 100 kilometers per hour, such large dust devils can do considerable damage.

In the U.S., (46)________ the dialogue of inclusion is relatively advanced, even the mention of the word "diversity" can lead to anxiety and conflict. Supreme Court justices disagree on the virtues of diversity and the means for achieving it. Corporations spend billions of dollars to attract and manage diversity both internally and externally, (47)________they still face discrimination lawsuits, and the leadership ranks of the business world remain predominantly white and male.

It is reasonable to ask what (48)________diversity does us. Diversity of expertise confers benefits that are obvious you would not think of building a new car without engineers, designers, and quality-control experts but what about social diversity? What good comes from diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation? Research has shown that social diversity in a group can cause discomfort, rougher interactions, a lack of trust, greater perceived interpersonal conflict, lower communication, less cohesion, more concern about disrespect, and (49)________ problems. So, what is the upside?

The fact is that if you want to build teams or organizations capable of innovating, you need diversity. Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, (50) ________to better decision making and problem solving. Diversity can improve the bottom line of companies and lead to unfettered discoveries and breakthrough innovations. Even simply being exposed to diversity can change the way you think.