SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO KỲ THI TUYỂN SINH LỚP 10 THPT HỆ CHUYÊN

LONG AN NĂM HỌC 2011-2012

ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC MÔN THI: TIẾNG ANH
Ngày thi: 30-6-2011
Thời gian làm bài: 120 phút
LƯU Ý: THÍ SINH LÀM BÀI TRÊN TỜ PHIẾU TRẢ LỜI (ANSWER SHEET), KHÔNG
LÀM BÀI TRỰC TIẾP LÊN ĐỀ THI NÀY

I. You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A, B,
C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. (8 points)
On Saturday mornings I worked in the family shop. I started cycling down to the shop with
Dad on Saturdays as soon as I was big enough. I thought of it as giving him a hand and so I
didn’t mind what I did, although it was mostly just fetching and carrying at a run all
morning. I managed not to think of it as work and I looked forward to the bar of chocolate
my grandmother passed me unsmiling as I left. I tried not to look at her; I had reason to feel
guilty because I’d generally already eaten some dried fruits or a sliver of cheese when no
one was looking. As soon as I was fifteen, though, Dad said, ‘That’s it, our Janet. You’re of
working age now and you’re not coming to work unless your grandmother pays you
properly.’ He did his best to make his chin look determined. ‘I shall speak to her.’
The next Saturday, Gran called me into her little office behind the shop. I always hated
going in there. She had an electric heater on full blast, and the windows were always kept
tightly closed whatever the weather. There were piles of dusty catalogues and brochures on
the floor. ‘You’re wanting to get paid, I hear,’ Gran said. ‘Yes, please,’ I replied. It was
rather like visiting the headmistress at school, so I was very quiet and respectful. Gran
searched through the mess of papers on her crowded desk, sighing and clicking her tongue.
Eventually she produced an official-looking leaflet and ran her fingers along the columns of
figures. ‘How old are you?’ ‘Fifteen ... Gran,’ I added for extra politeness, but she looked at
me as if I had been cheeky. ‘Full-timers at your age get forty pounds for a thirty-five-hour
week,’ she announced in such a way as to leave no doubt that she wasn’t in favour of this.
‘No wonder there’s no profit in shop keeping! So, Janet, what’s that per hour?’ Questions
like that always flustered me. Instead of trying to work them out in my head, I would stand
there, unable to think straight. ‘I’ll get a pencil and paper,’ I offered. ‘Don’t bother,’ snapped
Gran angrily, ‘I’ll do it myself. I’ll give you a pound an hour, take it or leave it.’ ‘I’ll take it,
please.’ ‘And I expect real work for it, mind. No standing about, and if I catch you eating
any of the stock, there’ll be trouble. That’s theft, and it’s a crime.’
From then on, my main job at the shop was filling the shelves. This was dull, but I hardly
expected to be trusted with handling the money. Once or twice, however, when Dad was
extra busy, I’d tried to help him by serving behind the counter. I hated it. It was very
difficult to remember the prices of everything and I was particularly hopeless at using the
till. Certain customers made unkind remarks about this, increasing my confusion and the
chances of my making a fool of myself.
It was an old-established village shop, going back 150 years at least and it was really
behind the times even then. Dad longed to be able to make the shop more attractive to
customers, but Gran wouldn’t hear of it. I overheard them once arguing about whether to
buy a freezer cabinet. ‘Our customers want frozen food,’ Dad said. ‘They see things
advertised and if they can’t get them from us, they’ll go elsewhere.’ ‘Your father always
sold fresh food,’ Gran replied. ‘People come here for quality, they don’t want all that frozen
stuff.’
 -2-

Actually, she gave way in the end over the freeze. Mr Timson, her great rival, installed
one in his shop at the other end of the village and customers started making loud comments
about how handy it was, being able to get frozen food in the village, and how good Mr
Timson’s sausages were. That really upset her because she was proud of her sausages and
she ungraciously gave Dad the money to buy the freezer. Within a couple of weeks, she was
eating frozen food like the rest of us.
1. How did Janet feel when she first started her Saturday morning job?
A She enjoyed the work that she was given.
B She was pleased to be helping her father.
C She worried that she was not doing it well.
D She was only really interested in the reward.
2. What do we learn about her grandmother’s office in the second paragraph?
A It needed decorating.
B It was untidy.
C It had too much furniture in it.
D It was dark.
3. The word ‘this’ (line 19) refers to
A shopkeepers’ profits.
B a thirty-five-hour week.
C Janet’s request.
D the recommended wage.
4. The word ‘flustered’ (line 21) means
A bored.
B angered.
C confused.
D depressed.
5. Why did Janet’s grandmother react angrily to her offer to fetch a pencil and paper?
A Janet was unable to answer her question.
B Janet had been unwilling to help her.
C Janet had made an unhelpful suggestion.
D Janet had answered her rudely.
6. What did Janet’s father and grandmother disagree about?
A how to keep their customers loyal to the shop
B the type of advertising needed to attract customers
C the type of customers they needed to attract
D how to get new customers to come to the shop
7. What eventually persuaded Janet’s grandmother to buy a freezer?
A She found that she liked frozen food after all.
B A new shop opening in the village had one.
C It was suggested that her products weren’t fresh.
D She responded to pressure from her customers.
 -3-

8. What impression do we get of Janet’s feelings towards her grandmother?

A She respected her fairness.
B She doubted her judgement.
C She disliked her manner.
D She admired her determination.
II. You are going to read an article written by someone who lives in a house in a valley.
Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–H the
one which fits each gap (1–7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
There is an example at the beginning (0) (12 points)
A It was the river, the Ryburn, which normally flowed so gently, that threatened us
most.
B And yet the immense power of all this water above us prevents us from ever
believing ourselves to be completely safe in our home.
C They twisted and turned, rising eastwards and upwards, warning of what was to
come.
D It was far deeper than we’d ever seen it so near our home, lunging furiously at its
banks.
E We can thus enjoy, rather than fear, the huge clouds that hang over the valley, and can
be thrilled by the tremendous power which we know the river possesses.
F It almost completely blocked our lane and made the streamside path slippery and
dangerous.
G There in the heights it was like the Niagara Falls, as the water surged over the edge of
the dam and poured into the stream below.
H It was the year when the storms came early, before the calendar even hinted at winter,
even before November was out.

LIVING IN THE VALLEY

We had been living in our valley for sixteen months when we first realized the dangers that
could exist in the surrounding hills and threaten our very survival.
(0)...H..... Until that time, we had felt safe and sheltered in our valley below the protecting
hills.
Soon snow began to fall. Within a day it lay some 15 centimeters deep. (1)........ But on
the neighboring heights the snow was much deeper and stayed for longer. Up there the wind
blasted fiercely. Deep in our valley we felt only sudden gusts of wind; trees swayed but the
branches held firm.
And yet we knew that there was reason for us to worry. The snow and wind were
certainly inconvenient but they did not really trouble us greatly. (2)........ It reminded us of
what could have occurred if circumstances had been different, if the flow of water from the
hills had not, many years before, been controlled, held back by a series of dams.
 -4-

In a short time the snow started to melt. Day after day, we watched furious clouds pile up
high over the hills to the west. Sinister grey clouds extended over the valleys. (3)........ We
had seen enough of the sky; now we began to watch the river, which every day was
becoming fuller and wilder.
The snow was gradually washed away as more and more rain streamed from the clouds,
but high up in the hills the reservoir was filling and was fast approaching danger level. And
then it happened – for the first time in years the reservoir overflowed. (4)........
The river seemed maddened as the waters poured almost horizontally down to its lower
stretches. Just a couple of meters from our cottage, the stream seemed wild beneath the
bridge. (5)........ For three days we prayed that it would stay below its wall. Fortunately, our
prayers were answered as the dam held and the waters began to subside.
On many occasions through the centuries before the dam was built, the river had flooded
the nearby villages in just such a rage. Now, though, the dam restricts the flow of the river
and usually all is well; the great mass of water from the hills, the product of snow and
torrential rain, remains behind its barrier with just the occasional overflow. (6)........ Thanks
to this protection we can feel our home in the valley is still secure and safe.
III. Read the text below and decide which answer, A, B, C or D, best fits each space. (20
points)
FORESTS
In spite of all the warnings, we are still not looking after our planet. Look what is happening
to our forests. We are cutting them (1)...... at an alarming rate. If we keep (2)...... doing this,
many animals and plants will (3)...... extinct. Rare species, such as the mountain gorilla, are
already in (4)...... . More will follow.
Forests are important for another reason, too. They help to slow the rate of global
warming. Trees take in gases (5)...... carbon dioxide, which are given off by power stations
and factories. They (6)...... produce oxygen, and act as the lungs of the world.
It is clear (7)...... forests make a major contribution to the health of our planet. (8)...... it is
a sad fact that very few governments have passed laws to protect them. Scientists are
studying the problem. They say that the best way to (9)...... forests is by educating the local
people. These people often cut down forests because it is the only way they can (10)...... a
living. But they do not wish to destroy their forests unnecessarily. If they are offered a
different way to make money, hopefully they will leave the forests alone.
1 A up B in C off D down
2 A in B up C on D at
3 A go B make C become D result
4 A threat B danger C fact D troubles
5 A as B for C like D how
6 A too B also C nor D either
7 A that B as C like D then
8 A Although B So C In spite of D Also
9 A establish B arrange C save D aid
10 A do B earn C get D have
 -5-

IV. For questions 1-10, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space.
Use only ONE word in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). (20 points)
Example: (0)... are...
HOW THE PHONE WAS INVENTED
Nowadays, mobile phones (0)........ used (1)........ people all over the world. They’re popular
because they can (2)........ taken anywhere. Billions of phones (3)........ been sold in the past
few years. But do you know how and when the phone (4)........ invented?
The first telephone was developed in Boston USA (5)........ Alexander Graham Bell.
Bell’s mother was deaf, so he was very interested in speech and sound. The idea for the
phone came to him quite suddenly while he (6)........ staying with his parents in 1874. He
told his father about (7)........ , and they discussed the possibilities together. Bell’s idea
(8)........ tested by using a wire set up between two rooms. The invention worked! But Bell
still wasn’t sure whether messages could be sent over long distances. In 1876, the very first
long-distance phone call was made.
Are mobile phones safe? Scientists are worried that people’s health may be damaged if
they use the phones too often. Tests are still (9)........ carried out. When the results have
(10)........ published, people can decide for themselves.
V. For questions 1-10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each
line to form a word that fits the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning
(0). (20 points)
Example: (0)... feeling...
There is one particular (0).................. which I find difficult to FEEL
express. When I am (1).................. about something, I say ANGER
nothing. Once, for example, after I had bought a very
(2)............................. jacket, I met a friend in a café who said EXPENSE
that the jacket didn’t fit me very (3).............................. . I was GOOD
very (4)......................... but I said nothing. I didn’t feel like ANNOY
continuing our (5).......................... . My friend noticed my CONVERSE
(6).............................. and asked me what was wrong. I couldn’t SILENT
tell him the (7).......................... . I began to feel rather TRUE
(8)..................................... and left without giving him an EMBARRASS
(9)................................. . Later I felt rather EXPLAIN
(10)............................. of my behavior. SHAME
 -6-

VI. For questions 1-10, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between
two and five words, including the word given. Here is an example (0). (20 points)
Example: (0) Two years ago, Maria started learning German.
for
Maria .....has been learning German for..... two years.
1. There is a conference here today.
taking
A conference ..................... today.
2. I spent an hour doing this exercise.
took
It ..................... to do this exercise.
3. When my mother was ill, I looked after her.
took
I ..................... when she was ill.
4. There were three participants in the discussion.
took
Three people ..................... the discussion.
5. Are you as interested in them as I am?
find
Do you ..................... interesting as I do?
6. I think we’ve discussed grammar enough now.
stop
Let’s ..................... now.
7. Why don’t you rest a little now?
break
Why don’t ..................... now?
8. Is smoking permitted in British cinemas?
allowed
Are ..................... in British cinemas?
9. It’s a pity the weather isn’t better today.
only
If ..................... better today.
10. ‘I hope you’ll forgive me for coming so late,’ the student said to the teacher.
apologized
The student ..................... so late.

---------------------------------------------------

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO KỲ THI TUYỂN SINH LỚP 10 THPT HỆ CHUYÊN
LONG AN NĂM HỌC 2011-2012
ĐỀ DỰ BỊ MÔN THI: TIẾNG ANH
Ngày thi: 30-6-2011
Thời gian làm bài: 120 phút
LƯU Ý: THÍ SINH LÀM BÀI TRÊN TỜ PHIẾU TRẢ LỜI (ANSWER SHEET), KHÔNG
LÀM BÀI TRỰC TIẾP LÊN ĐỀ THI NÀY

I. You are going to read a newspaper article about a kind of club. For questions 1-8, choose
the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. (8 points)
JOIN THE LAUGHTER CLUB!
A lot of research had been done suggesting that laughter is good for us and there are
many benefits to the mind and body. In 1995, Dr Madan Kataria decided to follow up on the
research findings. He went to a public garden in the city of Mumbai, in India and spoke to
people there about starting a laughter club. At first, not everyone was enthusiastic but as he
explained the health benefits of laughter, a number of people showed interest and the first
laughter club was born. It had just four members, who would stand and tell jokes in a quiet
corner of the garden to get each other to laugh. Although everyone enjoyed the fun, they
soon ran out of good jokes. So Dr Kataria decided the club members would laugh without
jokes at their future meetings.
From then on, they started their meetings by laughing out loud without any real reason.
This false laughter soon turned into the real thing, and they realized they really could do
without the jokes. The doctor had them try different kinds of laughter, stopping every now
and then to practice deep breathing. Doctor Kataria also came up with some stretch
exercises for the neck and shoulder muscles they could do as well as deep breathing.
Today there are about 6,000 laughter clubs in 60 countries around the world. The
members of these clubs get together daily or weekly to laugh together for about 20 minutes.
They gather in parks and on beaches. Any outdoor public place will do as long as it is far
away from peoples’ houses. That way the sound of 20 or so people all laughing together
won’t disturb people in their homes. Meetings are usually held early in the morning when
there is less air pollution.
These clubs appeal to people for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are the health
benefits: club members say that it helps them with their asthma and it can help with
headaches too. According to Dr Kataria, laughter clubs also help young people. Our teenage
years can be difficult ones, he says, and laughing can help us get rid of feelings like anger or
jealousy. It can also help with the stress young people often experience at school or college.
In addition, people form friendships at laughter clubs, and will usually lend a hand to any
club member who is in trouble. For example, when the shop of one laughter club member
burnt down, the other members raised some of the money he needed to rebuild his shop.
People who have few friends or relatives find that loneliness is less of a problem after they
join a laughter club because they get to know the other people.
 So, if you feel that laughter has been missing from your life recently, why not find out if
there is a laughter club in your area? It might be just what the doctor ordered.
1. Why did Doctor Kataria want to start a laughter club?
A He heard people talking about laughter in a park.
B He wanted to check to see if laughter could affect a person’s health.
C He didn’t think people in India laughed enough.
D He thought that laughter helped a person think more effectively.

-2-

2. What happened when Dr Kataria told people that he wanted to start a laughter club?
A A lot of people were excited by the idea.
B People wanted to know more about the research.
C Only a small number of people joined.
D No one was enthusiastic about the club.
3. The words ran out (line 9) mean
A had no more.
B stopped telling.
C left.
D needed to get.
4. After a while, Dr Kataria realized that the meetings did not need to include
A jokes.
B laughter.
C breathing exercises.
D stretch exercises.
5. Laughter club meetings take place
A by the sea.
B outdoors where it does not disturb the public.
C when there is no air pollution.
D in people’s homes.
6. What does It (line 23) refer to?
A stress
B anger
C jealousy
D laughter
7. According to Dr Kataria, young people who belong to a laughter club
A will make friends more easily.
B never feel angry at other members.
C cope better with pressure at school.
D do not suffer from headaches.
8. The writer says that members of laughter clubs
A help each other with problems.
B go there at their doctor’s advice.
C lend each other money.
D feel that laughter is missing from their lives.
 -3-
II. Read the article and choose the most suitable heading (A–G) for each of the following
paragraphs (1–6). There is one extra heading that you do not need. (12 points)
A The end of the journey
B The history of the flame
C The beginning of the Olympics
D The symbolic meaning of the flame
E The end of the Olympics
F Carrying the torch
G Lighting the torch
OLYMPIC FLAME
(1)........
Every four years the world watches the Olympic Games, which start when somebody from
the host country carries a torch into the stadium and lights the flame in the opening
ceremony. The flame continues to burn throughout the games until it is extinguished in the
closing ceremony.
(2)........
This is a tradition that started in ancient Greece, when a fire burnt throughout the ancient
Olympics, but it wasn’t introduced to the modern games until 1928. The modern world
welcomed the idea of an Olympic flame with enthusiasm. In 1936, Carl Diem, a German
sports official, came up with the idea of an Olympic torch relay for the 1936 Summer
Olympics in Berlin. Since then the torch relay has been part of the Olympic Games.
(3)........
The Olympic torch is lit many months before the opening ceremony at Olympia, the site of
the ancient Olympics in Greece. Eleven women take part and one of them lights the torch
from the sun using a special mirror. After this there is a ceremony in the Athenian
Panathinaiko Stadium where the Athens city authorities deliver the torch to the officials of
the host city.
(4)........
This ceremony is then followed by the torch relay. Traditionally, runners, including athletes,
celebrities and ordinary people carry the torch on a journey from Athens to the host city. The
relay lasts for many months and goes through many countries. Sometimes the torch travels
by boat, or by plane.
(5)........
The relay ends when the torch arrives at the Olympic stadium where the Games will take
place. The final carrier of the torch is often kept secret until the last moment, and is usually
a famous sportsman or woman. They run around the track and towards a huge cauldron,
which is usually at the top of a staircase. They use the torch to light the Olympic flame.
(6)........
The torch relay represents the passing of Olympic traditions from one generation to the next.
Originally the flame represented the ‘endeavor for protection and struggle for victory’.
Since it was introduced again in 1928, it has come to represent ‘the light of spirit,
knowledge, and life’.
-4-

III. Read this letter from someone who is doing a language course in France. Choose the
best word, A, B, C or D, to fill spaces 1-10. (20 points)
Dear Mum and Dad,
This is just a quick letter to let you know that I’m fine. We’re all working quite hard
because the exams are only a few weeks away, but our teacher (1)...... he thinks we’ll do
well. (My landlady’s not so sure – she keeps (2)...... me I should stop (3)...... so much TV
and do a bit more reading!)
Anyway, we had a wonderful time at half-term. I went off to Paris for (4)...... days with
some of the others from the school, and we went on a guided (5)...... of the city. We saw
most of the famous (6)...... like the Louvre, where they have an amazing (7)...... of painting,
and the Eiffel Tower. Then we went down to the South of France (8)...... train. It was so fast
– the whole (9)...... was only about four hours. On our last day we went to a small island.
The only thing I felt (10)...... was that we didn’t have enough time to spend to go swimming – maybe
next time.
1 A says B tells C speaks D talks
2 A saying B telling C speaking D talking
3 A watch B watched C to watch D watching
4 A a little B little C a few D few
5 A trip B visit C tour D excursion
6 A shows B sights C views D looks
7 A set B group C gallery D collection
8 A in B by C with D on
9 A voyage B travel C drive D journey
10 A sorry B apologetic C displeased D regretful

IV. For questions 1-10, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space.
Use only ONE word in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). (20 points)
Example: (0)... every...
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
The original Olympic Games were held once (0)........ four years in Olympia, Greece. The
earliest games ever recorded took (1)........ nearly three thousand years (2)........ . In the late
nineteenth century (3)........ Frenchman called Baron de Courbertin managed to persuade
some sportsmen to start the games again, and the first modern Olympics were held (4)........
1896 in Athens. They have taken place every four years (5)........ then, except for the periods
during the two world wars. Since 1924, Winter Olympic Games have (6)........ held in a
different venue from the main summer event. As (7)........ result, the numbering of the
Summer and Winter Olympics (8)........ different: the Sydney Olympics in 2000 was number
27, and the winter event in Salt Lake City was number 18. The number of countries which
send athletes (9)........ increased from thirteen at the first modern Olympics (10)........ nearly
200 in the twenty-first century.

-5-

V. For questions 1-10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each
line to form a word that fits the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning
(0). (20 points)
Example: (0)...patience...
LEARNING A LANGUAGE
If you want to learn English well, you need quite a lot of
(0)............. . Trying to pronounce unfamiliar words causes PATIENT
some people a lot of (1)............. . One of my friends is EMBARRASS
(2).............. able to speak a word without turning bright red! HARD
But if you think you’re (3)......... and will never learn HOPE
anything, don’t worry. Keep practicing, and you’ll (4)........ SUDDEN
find that everything is getting easier.
If you want to improve your (5)........ , why not go FLUENT
somewhere where they speak English? Travel is easier these
days and you’ll (6)...................... find a cheap PROBABLE
(7)...................... . After a few days, you’ll have a lot more FLY
(8)...................... in the language. In fact, you’ll be CONFIDENT
(9)..................................... how much AMAZE
(10)................................. you have made in a very short time. IMPROVE

VI. For questions 1-10, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between
two and five words, including the word given. Here is an example (0). (20 points)
Example: (0) Two years ago, Maria started learning German.
for
Maria .....has been learning German for..... two years.
1. Some examples even amuse students.
find
Students ..................... amusing.
2. Don’t ask so many questions.
stop
Please ..................... questions.
3. The weather was good but we stayed indoors.
despite
We stayed indoors ..................... weather.
4. Looking at a screen all day is not good for your health.
bad
It’s ..................... at a screen all day.
5. The music was very loud so he couldn’t hear the actors.
impossible
The music was very loud so it was ..................... the actors.

-6-

6. One or two people said they couldn’t come to the party.

few
There ..................... who said they couldn’t come to the party.
7. My father says he won’t lend me the money I need.
to
My father ..................... me the money I need.
8. I asked him: ‘Did you enjoy yourself in Spain?’
had
I asked him ..................... a good time in Spain.
9. We had lots of friends when we lived in the country.
have
We ..................... lots of friends when we lived in the country.
10. John said he was sorry that he had arrived late.
apologized
John ..................... late.

---------------------------------------------------