Bài thi thử kỳ thi tốt nghiệp Trung học Phổ thông môn Tiếng Anh - Năm học 2017-2018 - Đề số 04

SỞ GIÁO DỤC ĐÀO TẠO BÀI THI THỬ KỲ THI TỐT NGHIỆP TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG 
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC 2017- 2018
 (Đề gồm có 04 trang) MÔN TIẾNG ANH ~ MÃ ĐỀ 001
 4 Thời gian: 60 phút - không tính thời gian giao đề
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 1: Energy exists in different forms such as light, heat, and chemical, mechanic and electrical energy.
A. in	B. mechanic	C. electrical	D. forms
Question 2: She told me whether she could look after the kids from time to time.
A. could	B. told	C. the	D. to time
Question 3: He threatened his daughter not to speak to her again if she married that man.
A. if	B. not to speak	C. threatened	D. married
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 04 to 10.
As our meeting places fall silent, save for tapping on screens, it seems we
have mistaken connection for the real thing. Simon Jenkins
 I first noticed it in a restaurant. The place was oddly quiet, and at one table a group sat with their heads bowed, their eyes hooded and their hands in their laps. I then realised that every one, whatever their age group, was gazing at a handheld phone or tablet. People strolled in the street outside likewise, with arms at right angles, necks bent and heads in awkward postures. Mothers with babies were doing it. Students in groups were doing it. The scene resembled something from an old science fiction film. There was no conversation.
 Every visit to California convinces me that the digital revolution is over, by which I mean it is won. Everyone is connected. The New York Times last week declared the death of conversation. While mobile phones may at last be falling victim to considerate behaviour, this is largely because even talk is considered too intimate a contact. No such bar applies to emailing, texting, messaging, posting and tweeting. It is ubiquitous, the ultimate connectivity, the brain wired full-time to infinity.
 The MIT professor and psychologist Sherry Turkle claims that her students are close to mastering the art of maintaining eye contact with a person while texting someone else. It is like an organist playing different tunes with hands and feet. To Turkle, these people are ‘alone together  a tribe of one’. Anyone with 3,000 Facebook friends has none.
 The audience in many theatres now sit, row on row, with lit machines in their laps, looking to the stage occasionally but mostly scrolling and tapping away. The same happens at meetings and lectures, in coffee bars and on jogging tracks. Psychologists have identified this as ‘fear of conversation’, and have come up with the term ‘conversational avoidance devices’ for headphones.
 In consequence, there is now a booming demand for online ‘conversation’ with robots and artificial voices. Mobiles come loaded with customised ‘boyfriends’ or ‘girlfriends’. People sign up with computerised dating advisors, even claim to fall in love with their on-board GPS guides. A robot seal can be picked up in online stores to sit and listen to elderly individuals talk, tilting its head and blinking in sympathy.
 In his Conversation: A History of a Declining Art, Stephen Miller notes that public discourse is now dominated by ill-tempered disagreement, by ‘intersecting monologues’. Anger and lack of restraint are treated as assets in public debate, in place of a willingness to listen and adjust one’s point of view. Politics thus becomes a platform of rival angers. American politicians are ever more polarised, reduced to conveying a genuine hatred for each other.
 All that said, the death of conversation has been announced as often as that of the book. As far back as the 18th century, the literary figure Samuel Johnson worried that the decline of political conversation would lead to violent civil disorder. Writing 70 years ago, George Orwell concluded that ‘the trend of the age was away from creative communal amusements and towards solitary mechanical ones’. Somehow we have muddled through.
 The ‘post-digital’ phenomenon, the craving for live experience, is showing a remarkable vigour. The US is a place of ever greater congregation and migration, to parks, beaches and restaurants, to concerts, rock festivals, ball games. Common interest groups, springing up across the country, desperately seek escape from the digital dictatorship, using Facebook and Twitter not as destinations but as route maps to meet up with real people.
 Somewhere in this cultural mix I am convinced the desire for friendship will preserve the qualities essential for a civilised life, qualities of politeness, listening and courtesy. Those obsessed with fashionable connectivity and personal avoidance are not escaping reality. They may be unaware of it but deep down they, too, still want someone to talk to.
Question 4: The writer believes the main reason for the decreasing use of mobile phones is.....
A. an overall reduction in the use of electronic devices for communication.
B. the realisation that it is bad manners to use them in public places.
C. a general feeling that they are rapidly becoming obsolete technology.
D. the fact that people are increasingly reluctant to speak to one another.
Question 5: According to Sherry Turkle, certain people nowadays are.....
A. electronically connected but isolated from genuine human interaction.
B. more skillful at communicating with others via music than in words.
C. incapable of forming true friendships except through social media.
D. determined to return to a more traditional form of social structure.
Question 6: The word ‘ubiquitous’ is closest in meaning to......
A. overwhelming	B. unique	C. found everywhere	D. encroaching
Question 7: The writer mentions ‘the book’ in line 27 as......
A. an example of something else that people wrongly predicted would disappear.
B. a way of introducing the works of famous writers from earlier centuries.
C. the basis of the theory that people would soon stop talking to each other.
D. the source of information about the current state of political debate in the USA.
Question 8: The writer uses the example of the ‘seal‘ in line 21 to show......
A. how robots can help those unable to find a romantic partner.
B. the negative impact of internet search engines on conversation.
C. how far the technology of artificial intelligence has progressed.
D. that electronic companions are regarded as non-threatening.
Question 9: What point does the writer make in the final paragraph?
A. Only those who remain polite and courteous will have friends.
B. Nobody can escape the negative effects of the digital revolution.
C. Some traditional human values are eventually bound to disappear.
D. Everybody needs human contact whether they realise it or not.
Question 10: What point is made in the sixth paragraph about the current nature of public discussion?
A. Speakers are expected to behave aggressively towards each other.
B. Political parties are becoming increasingly extreme in their views.
C. Fewer people dare to contradict the opinions of other speakers.
D. The behaviour of public figures reflects lower standards in society.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 11: As long as you stay calm, you have nothing to fear from the interview.
A. Provided you do not get nervous, the interview won‘t go badly for you.
B. Even if you are afraid of the interview, it is important not to let it show.
C. Interviews are only intimidating for people who are not extremely calm.
D. You have remained calm for a long time in spite of your fear of the interview.
Question 12: It's more than a couple of years since I last went there.
A. It was only after two years that I went there again.
B. I have never stayed there for longer than two years.
C. I had never been there until the year before last.
D. I haven‘t been there since my visit over two years ago.
Question 13: At last, an agreement has been reached by the committee members on the proposal to build a new dam.
A. The members of the committee for the new dam proposal have been selected at last.
B. The members of the committee have finally agreed about the new dam proposal.
C. Having reached an agreement about the dam at the last meeting, the committee members now have a new proposal.
D. In order that an agreement concerning the dam can be reached, it has been proposed that the committee should come together immediately.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 14: He crumpled up the letter and flung it into the fire. 
A. burned	B. lanced	C. put	D. threw
Question 15: Is the boss going soft in the head? 
A. crazy	B. annoyed	C. exhausted	D. vexed
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 16: The security guards caught a thief. He was attempting to steal a painting.
A. It was not until the thief attempted to steal a painting that the security guards caught him.
B. Whenever the thief attempted to steal a painting, the security guards caught him. 
C. The security guards caught a thief attempting to steal a painting.
D. The security guards caught a thief because he was attempting to steal a painting.
Question 17: I won't lend you anything more. Pay me back what you borrowed last week.
A. I will not lend you anything more if you pay me back what you borrowed last week.
B. Pay me back what you borrowed last week, so I won't lend you anything more.
C. If you pay me back what you borrowed last week, I'll will lend you anything.
D. I won't lend you anything more unless you pay me back what you borrowed last week.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best completes each of the following exchanges.
Question 18: ~ A: “.................” ~ B: “What about perfume? There's a depeartment store across the road.”
A. What can I buy my sister for her birthday?	B. Are you wearing perfume today, Ann?
C. Do you think perfume is a good birthday present?	D. My girl friend adores French perfume.
Question 19: ~ Andy: "What shall we do today?" ~ Jack: "...............''
A. We’re having a maths test at 10 a.m. B. I got a new computer game for my birthday. We could play that.
C. I’m too tired to do anything. D. Let’s give him a big hand.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 20 to 26.
SECRET TO SUCCESS
 Most of us have been on the receiving end of an inspirational speech. Usually it is delivered by a former Olympian at a company conference and is all about the big M: motivation. It is sometimes eloquently delivered and often fun to listen to but most people leave the room wondering how thirty minutes of biographical information about a rowing champion is going to help them back in the office. Nobody would dispute that motivation is a key driver of performance but this knowledge does not help many of us understand where it cornes from.
 Listening to a sportsperson speaking about their own personal journey may be uplifting but how is it going to leave a lasting and usable legacy in terms of how you approach your job? It is almost insulting to think it could. It is not anecdotes we need, so much as a science of performance, underlying principles that help unlock the question of why some people work hard and excel while others don't; why some are committed to what they are doing while others exist in a state of semi-detachment, it is a question with ramifications not just for business but for education. And, fortunately, the answers are beginning to emerge. To see how, we need to take a step back and ask a deeper question: where does excellence come from?
 For a long time, it was thought that the answer hinged, in large part, upon talent. Hard work may be important but if you don't have the ability you are never going to become top class. It is the notion that high-level performers have- excellence encoded in their DNA. It turns out that this point of view is mistaken. Dozens of studies have found that high flyers across all disciplines learn no faster than those who reach lower levels of attainment - hour after hour, they improve at almost identical rates. The difference is simply that high achievers practise for more hours. Further research has shown that when students seem to possess a particular gift, it is often because they have been given extra tuition at home. The question of talent versus practice/experience would not matter much if it was merely-theoretical. But it is much more than that. It influences the way we think and feel, and the way we engage with our world. And it determines, our motivation. To see how, consider an employee who believes success is all about talent - this is known as the 'fixed mindset'. Why would they bother to work hard? If they have the right genes, won't they J’ust cruise to the top? And if they lack talent, well, why bother at all? And who can blame someone for having this kind of attitude, given the underlying premise? If, on the other hand, they really believe that practice trumps talent - the 'growth mindset' - they will persevere. They will see failure as an opportunity tó adapt find grow. And if they are right, they will eventually excel. What we decide about the nature of talent, then, could scarcely be more important.
 So, how to create a growth mindset within an organisation? Interventions which have presented participants with the powerful evidence of how excellence derived from perseverance - which explains the possibility of personal transformation - have had a dramatic impact on motivation and performance. When this is allied with
clearly identifiable pathways from shop floor to top floor, so that employees can see the route ahead, these results.are strengthened further.
 Businesses that focus on recruiting external 'talent' with 'the right stuff on the .other hand, and who neglect the cultivation of existing personnel, foster the fixed mindset. A rank and-yank appraisal system is also damaging because it suggests that the abilities of thbse ranked the lowest cannot be developed. In short, an ethos constructed upon the potential for personal transformation is the underlying psychological principle driving high performance. It is an insight that is not merely deeply relevant tó business but to any organisation interested in unlocking human potential.
Question 20: According to the writer, employers need to......
A. encourage ambition in their employees.	B. record the development of each employee.
C. reward good performance of their employees.	D. ensure employees know their place in a company.
Question 21: The writer believes we should learn more about.....
A. the ways people's commitment to tasks can be developed.
B. the factors behind motivation.
C. the similarities between practices in businessand education.
D. the importance of workers'different principles.
Question 22: The writer is concerned that motivational speeches do not.....
A. respect the listeners.	B. interest the audience.
C. carry conviction.	D. give useful advice.
Question 23: Research suggests that successful people......
A. benefit from personal training.	B. can learn very quickly.
C. do not need to work hard.	D. have an innate talent,
Question 24: In paragraph 4, the writer poses several direct questions in order to......
A. consider different situations.	B. emphasise his point.
C. make readers consider their own experiences.	D. invite comment.
Question 25: The word ‘ramifications’ is closest in meaning to.....
A. imminent effects	B. oncoming interests	C. probable incidents	D. possible results
Question 26: The writer uses the phrase a rank-and-yank appraisal system to refer to......
A. promotion that is too rapid.	B. insufficient investment in personal development.
C. an acceptance of poor performers at high levels.	D. changing the recruiting strategy of a company.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
 Question 27:A. nautical	B. laurel	C. gauche	D. fault
 Question 28:A. nail	B. fail	C. chair	D. tail
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 29: The local council refused him planning permission to build an extra bedroom. 
A. accept	B. deny	C. agree	D. consent
Question 30: I was trying to keep the party a secret, but Melinda went and let the cat out of the bag. 
A. conceal	B. disclose	C. renounce	D. refrain
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
 Question 31:A. compromise B. supervise	C. televise	D. determine
 Question 32:A. enclose	 B. disclose	C. purpose	D. suppose
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 33: The.......I like most in people are friendliness and generosity.
A. conditions	B. qualities	C. aspects	D. qualifications
Question 34: I wasn’t really ill yesterday - I was just.......to be ill because I didn't want to go out.
A. pretending	B. copying	C. imitating	D. acting
Question 35: If I were rich, I.......those in need.
A. would have helped	B. will help	C. would help	D. can help
Question 36: We found a nice quiet.......on the beach to sunbathe.
A. line	B. point	C. spot	D. stage
Question 37: Mrs Willis is known for her innovative teaching......
A. habits	B. plans	C. methods	D. policies
Question 38: York is about........from here. 
A. a two hours’ drive	B. a drive for two hours	C. two hours drive 	D. a two-hour drive
Question 39: I’d rather........home tonight.
A. stayed	B. stay	C. to stay	D. staying
Question 40: I.......myself to Professor Tam Vy at the party.
A. introduced	B. greeted	C. presented	D. identified
Question 41: We don 't know when they.......back. 	
A. are	B. will be	C. have been	D. are being
Question 42: There is........nothing we can do to change their decision, unfortunately.
A. totally	B. extremely	C. absolutely	D. considerably
Question 43: Do you object.......now?	
A. to my leaving	B. to leave	C. that I leave	D. leave	
Question 44: .......give me a hand with the bags?
A. Should you	B. Must you 	C. May you	D. Will you
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 45 to 50.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST PRINTED NOVEL?
 There is some debate over what ...(45)... as history’s first novel. Some say it is La Fayette’s La Princesse de Clèves, others cite Cervantes’ Don Quixote, while English critics often ...(46)... to Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders. The debate is in part due to the difficulty of defining the exact parameters of the novel, as here we have a form that is not as simple to delineate as poetry or drama. In any case, it was after the ...(47)... of the printing press in the 15th century that it became possible to circulate extended pieces of prose for wider readership, and this in part is what led to the development of this genre. Some would argue that the Golden Age of the novel was the 19th century, where the art form was brought to a high point of elaborate ...(48)... expression by such masters as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Goethe, Balzac, Stendhal, Eliot, Austen, Dickens, Hardy and Melville. The 20th century brought a new type of style with it - more concentrated and immediate, with groundbreaking examples being Kafka’s The Trial, Camus’ The Outsider, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Golding’s Lord of the Flies. In essence, the study of literature is a ...(49)... into the minds of great men and women, an exploration of the inner eye of the psyche and possibly the most complex and nuanced of all art forms. To read a fine ...(50)... of literature is to be moved and taken to a different place and time.
[Source: English A - Literature 2011 - Pearson]
 Question 45:A. stands	B. knows	C. sets	D. puts
 Question 46:A. refers	B. relates	C. point	D. shows
 Question 47:A. invention	B. arriva	C. coming	D. appearance
 Question 48:A. language	B. critical	C. verbal	D. literary
 Question 49:A. voyage	B. journey	C. trip	D. travel
 Question 50:A. book	B. print	C. work	D. art
The EndSỞ GIÁO DỤC ĐÀO TẠO BÀI THI THỬ KỲ THI TỐT NGHIỆP TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC 2017- 2018
 (Đề gồm có 04 trang) MÔN TIẾNG ANH ~ MÃ ĐỀ 002
 Thời gian: 60 phút - không tính thời gian giao đề
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
 Question 1:A. suppose	B. enclose	C. purpose	D. disclose
 Question 2:A. televise	B. compromise	C. determine	D. supervise
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
 Question 3:A. fail	B. nail	C. tail	D. chair
 Question 4:A. laurel	B. nautical	C. fault	D. gauche
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 05 to 10.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST PRINTED NOVEL?
 There is some debate over what ...(5)... as history’s first novel. Some say it is La Fayette’s La Princesse de Clèves, others cite Cervantes’ Don Quixote, while English critics often ...(6)... to Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders. The debate is in part due to the difficulty of defining the exact parameters of the novel, as here we have a form that is not as simple to delineate as poetry or drama. In any case, it was after the ...(7)... of the printing press in the 15th century that it became possible to circulate extended pieces of prose for wider readership, and this in part is what led to the development of this genre. Some would argue that the Golden Age of the novel was the 19th century, where the art form was brought to a high point of elaborate ...(8)... expression by such masters as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Goethe, Balzac, Stendhal, Eliot, Austen, Dickens, Hardy and Melville. The 20th century brought a new type of style with it - more concentrated and immediate, with groundbreaking examples being Kafka’s The Trial, Camus’ The Outsider, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Golding’s Lord of the Flies. In essence, the study of literature is a ...(9)... into the minds of great men and women, an exploration of the inner eye of the psyche and possibly the most complex and nuanced of all art forms. To read a fine ...(10)... of literature is to be moved and taken to a different place and time.
[Source: English A - Literature 2011 - Pearson]
 Question 5:A. puts	B. stands	C. sets	D. knows
 Question 6:A. shows	B. point	C. refers	D. relates
 Question 7:A. invention	B. appearance	C. coming	D. arriva
 Question 8:A. literary	B. language	C. verbal	D. critical
 Question 9:A. trip	B. voyage	C. journey	D. travel
 Question 10:A. book	B. art	C. work	D. print
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 11: He crumpled up the letter and flung it into the fire. 
A. threw	B. lanced	C. burned	D. put
Question 12: Is the boss going soft in the head? 
A. annoyed	B. exhausted	C. crazy	D. vexed
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 13: If I were rich, I.......those in need.
A. would have helped	B. can help	C. would help	D. will help
Question 14: Do you object.......now?	
A. to leave	B. to my leaving	C. that I leave	D. leave	
Question 15: York is about........from here. 
A. a two hours’ drive	B. two hours drive 	C. a two-hour drive	D. a drive for two hours
Question 16: We found a nice quiet.......on the beach to sunbathe.
A. spot	B. line	C. point	D. stage
Question 17: We don 't know when they.......back. 	
A. are being	B. have been	C. will be	D. are
Question 18: .......give me a hand with the bags?
A. May you	B. Will you	C. Must you 	D. Should you
Question 19: I wasn’t really ill yesterday - I was just.......to be ill because I didn't want to go out.
A. acting	B. imitating	C. copying	D. pretending
Question 20: I.......myself to Professor Tam Vy at the party.
A. presented	B. greeted	C. introduced	D. identified
Question 21: The.......I like most in people are friendliness and generosity.
A. conditions	B. aspects	C. qualifications	D. qualities
Question 22: Mrs Willis is known for her innovative teaching......
A. methods	B. habits	C. plans	D. policies
Question 23: I’d rather........home tonight.
A. stayed	B. staying	C. to stay	D. stay
Question 24: There is........nothing we can do to change their decision, unfortunately.
A. absolutely	B. extremely	C. totally	D. considerably
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 25: I was trying to keep the party a secret, but Melinda went and let the cat out of the bag. 
A. disclose	B. refrain	C. renounce	D. conceal
Question 26: The local council refused him planning permission to build an extra bedroom. 
A. accept	B. consent	C. deny	D. agree
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best completes each of the following exchanges.
Question 27: ~ Andy: "What shall we do today?" ~ Jack: "...............''
A. Let’s give him a big hand.	
B. I’m too tired to do anything.
C. I got a new computer game for my birthday. We could play that.	
D. We’re having a maths test at 10 a.m.
Question 28: ~ A: “.................” ~ B: “What about perfume? There's a depeartment store across the road.”
A. My girl friend adores French perfume.	B. What can I buy my sister for her birthday?
C. Are you wearing perfume today, Ann?	D. Do you think perfume is a good birthday present?
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 29: I won't lend you anything more. Pay me back what you borrowed last week.
A. Pay me back what you borrowed last week, so I won't lend you anything more.
B. I won't lend you anything more unless you pay me back what you borrowed last week.
C. I will not lend you anything more if you pay me back what you borrowed last week.
D. If you pay me back what you borrowed last week, I'll will lend you anything.
Question 30: The security guards caught a thief. He was attempting to steal a painting.
A. Whenever the thief attempted to steal a painting, the security guards caught him. 
B. The security guards caught a thief because he was attempting to steal a painting.
C. It was not until the thief attempted to steal a painting that the security guards caught him.
D. The security guards caught a thief attempting to steal a painting.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 30 to 37.
SECRET TO SUCCESS
 Most of us have been on the receiving end of an inspirational speech. Usually it is delivered by a former Olympian at a company conference and is all about the big M: motivation. It is sometimes eloquently delivered and often fun to listen to but most people leave the room wondering how thirty minutes of biographical information about a rowing champion is going to help them back in the office. Nobody would dispute that motivation is a key driver of performance but this knowledge does not help many of us understand where it cornes from.
 Listening to a sportsperson speaking about their own personal journey may be uplifting but how is it going to leave a lasting and usable legacy in terms of how you approach your job? It is almost insulting to think it could. It is not anecdotes we need, so much as a science of performance, underlying principles that help unlock the question of why some people work hard and excel while others don't; why some are committed to what they are doing while others exist in a state of semi-detachment, it is a question with ramifications not just for business but for education. And, fortunately, the answers are beginning to emerge. To see how, we need to take a step back and ask a deeper question: where does excellence come from?
 For a long time, it was thought that the answer hinged, in large part, upon talent. Hard work may be important but if you don't have the ability you are never going to become top class. It is the notion that high-level performers have- excellence encoded in their DNA. It turns out that this point of view is mistaken. Dozens of studies have found that high flyers across all disciplines learn no faster than those who reach lower levels of attainment - hour after hour, they improve at almost identical rates. The difference is simply that high achievers practise for more hours. Further research has shown that when students seem to possess a particular gift, it is often because they have been given extra tuition at home. The question of talent versus practice/experience would not matter much if it was merely-theoretical. But it is much more than that. It infl