Ambrosia High School Practice Test

AMBROSIA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED OLYMPIC 30/4 PRACTICE TEST 01
School Year: 2017-2018
Subject: ENGLISH Grade: 10th & 11th
Time allotment: 180 minutes
Full name: .............................................................................................. Candidate Number: .........................................
A. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST (40 pts)

I. PHONOLOGY (5 pts)
Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the others.
1. A. wretchedly /id/ B. unreservedly /id/ C. unabashedly /id/ D. advisedly /əd/
wretchedly: in a way that shows you feel very ill/sick or unhappy
unreservedly: completely; without hesitating or having any doubts
unabashedly: without being ashamed, embarrassed or affected by people's disapproval
advisedly: if you say that you are using a word advisedly, you mean that you have thought carefully before
choosing it
2. A. nothingness /θ/ B. ghetto /Ø/ C. silhouette /Ø/ D. rhythmic /Ø/
nothingness: a situation where nothing exists; the state of not existing
ghetto: an area of a city where many people of the same race or background live, separately from the rest of
the population
silhouette: the dark outline or shape of a person or an object that you see against a light background
rhythmic: having a regular pattern of sounds, movements or events
3. A. penetrative /e/ B. acquiesce /e/ C. omen /ə/ D. coalesce /e/
penetrative: able to make a way into or through something
acquiesce: to accept something without arguing, even if you do not really agree with it
omen: a sign of what is going to happen in the future
coalesce: to come together to form one larger group, substance, etc.
4. A. assiduity /æ/ B. assuage /ə/ C. acrimony /æ/ D. ammunition /æ/
assiduity: the quality of working very hard and taking great care that everything is done as well as it can be
assuage: to make an unpleasant feeling less severe
acrimony: angry bitter feelings or words
ammunition: a supply of bullets, etc. to be fired from guns
5. A. extortionate /ks/ B. exquisite /ks/ C. exhibitionism /ks/ D. exuberance /ɡz/
extortionate: (of prices, etc.) much too high
exquisite : extremely beautiful or carefully made
exhibitionism: behaviour that is intended to make people notice or admire you
exuberance: the quality of being full of energy, excitement and happiness
Choose the word whose maisn stressed syllable is placed differently from that of the others.
6. A. analysis 2 B. synthesis 1 C. insipid 2 D. presentiment 2
insipid: having almost no taste or flavour
presentiment: a feeling that something is going to happen, especially something unpleasant
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7. A. preposterous 2 B. indomitable 2 C. vicinity 2 D. adamant 1

preposterous: completely unreasonable, especially in a way that is shocking or annoying
indomitable: not willing to accept defeat, even in a difficult situation; very brave and determined
vicinity: the area around a particular place
adamant: determined not to change your mind or to be persuaded about something
8. A. equanimity 1 B. exigency 1 C. equable 1 D. epitome 2
equanimity: a calm state of mind which means that you do not become angry or upset, especially in
difficult situations
exigency: an urgent need or demand that you must deal with
equable: calm and not easily upset or annoyed
epitome: a perfect example of something
9. A. debutante 1 B. acropolis 2 C. pneumonia 2 D. antithesis 2
debutante: a young, rich or upper-class woman who is going to fashionable social events for the first time
acropolis: a castle, or an area that is designed to resist attack, especially one on top of a hill
pneumonia: a serious illness affecting one or both lungs that makes breathing difficult
antithesis: the opposite of something
10. A. happenstance 1 B. miasma 2 C. bandwagon 1 D. demagogue 1
happenstance: chance, especially when it results in something good
miasma: a mass of air that is dirty and smells unpleasant
bandwagon: an activity that more and more people are becoming involved in
demagogue: a political leader who tries to win support by using arguments based on emotion rather than
reason
II. WORD CHOICE (5 pts)

Choose the best options to complete the following sentences.
11. He ran ________ over his employees his employees when he thought they weren’t working hard
enough.
A. aspersions B. roughshod C. criticism D. complaints
ride roughshod over somebody/something: to behave in a way that ignores other people’s feelings or
opinions
12. Polly’s stupid suggestion met with ________ of laughter from the rest of the crew.
A. hoots B. fits C. pangs D. roars
hoot of laughter/derision: a shout or laugh that shows you think something is funny or stupid
a fit of temper/ drunken depression: a time when you feel an emotion very strongly and cannot control
your behaviour
pang of jealousy/guilt/remorse/regret: a sudden feeling of pain, sadness
roar of laughter: a deep, loud noise made by an animal such as a lion, or by someone’s voice

13. I’ve run the whole ________ of emotions from joy to sorrow during the course.
A. gamut B. spectrum C. line D. flicker
a whole gamut of new experiences/ emotions: the complete range of possibilities
spectrum of: a complete range of opinions, people, situations etc, going from one extreme to its opposite
a flicker of emotion/uncertainty/excitement etc a feeling or expression that continues for a very short
time
14. Peace process talks ________ after the two leaders picked a fight with each other.
A. collapsed B. allayed C. failed D. terminated
collapse: if a system, idea, or organization collapses, it suddenly fails or becomes too weak to continue:
allay (sb’s) fear/concern/suspicion etc to make someone feel less afraid, worried etc
terminate: end
15. I would move heaven and ________ to get the tickets for that concert.
A. hell B. earth C. ground D. sky
move heaven and earth to try very hard to achieve something
16. When Jones stood up and started singing in the restaurant, it made my ________ curl.
A. toes B. hair C. fingers D. lips
make sb’s toes curl to make someone feel very embarrassed or uncomfortable
17. The countries in that region made an absolute ________ out of oil.
A. bang B. pile C. go D. cash
make a/your pile to make a lot of money
18. Laura has been carrying a ________ for Adam but he didn’t notice that.
A. crush B. tree C. torch D. heart
carry a torch for somebody to love someone romantically who does not love you
19. Young people have a tendency to be enthralled by the seemingly ________ march of new technology.
A. indisputable B. inexorable C. inadmissible D. inadvertent
indisputable: an indisputable fact must be accepted because it is definitely true
inexorable: an inexorable process cannot be stopped
inadmissible: inadmissible information is not allowed to be used in a court of law
inadvertent: without realizing what you are doing
20. His hasty, ________ action resulted in his being failed the final test last year.
A. preposterous B. spasmodic C. precipitous D. despicable

preposterous completely unreasonable or silly
spasmodic happening for short irregular periods, not continuously
precipitous happening or done too quickly, and not thought about carefully
despicable extremely bad, immoral, or cruel
III. GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURES (5 pts)

21. _______________ we have finished the first chapter of the book, let’s move on to the second one.
A. Hitherto B. Now that C. By then D. For now
Hitherto: up to this time
Now that: because
For now: (=for a short time)
22. _______________ that she opened the mystical box sent from Zeus.
A. So curiosity was she C. Her curiosity was such
B. Such her curiosity was D. So curious she was
23. _______________ you pull your weight, you will pass the exam with flying colors.
A. As well as B. As far as C. As soon as D. As long as
pull your weight: to do your full share of work
with flying colours if you pass a test with flying colours, you are very successful in it
24. It is imperative that the Glee Vietnam _______________ immediately.

A. recasting B. recasts C. be recast D. recast
25. It was very sunny in Hanoi, but we had a good time _____________.
A. all the more B. all the same C. all the best D. all the space
all the same: in spite of something that you have just mentioned
26. Jack is ___________ his sister, Jill.

A. just thick as C. every bit as thick as
B. as thick like D. nowhere thick like
every bit as good/important etc used to emphasize that something is equally as good, important etc as
something else
27. _____________, we took a nap and had wonderful dreams.

A. Having the food eaten C. Eating the foot
B. Eaten the food D. The food eaten
28. You must not cough when we are eating like that ____________, excuse yourself.
A. As necessary B. If need be C. In due time D. Despite that
if need be (=if it is necessary)
29. Michael Bay should know ____________ than just include explosion scenes in his films.
A. more B. less C. worse D. better

30. Four quarts of oil ____________ required to get that car running.
A.is B. are C. being D. were
IV. PHRASAL VERB AND PREPOSITIONS (5 pts)

31. Many businesses ____________ during the recession.
A. tapered off B. went under C. rang up D. weighed up
taper off to decrease gradually
go under: if a business goes under, it has to stop operating because of financial problems
ring somebody ↔ up: to telephone someone
weigh somebody/something ↔ up: to consider something carefully so that you can make a decision
about it
32. Soon after arriving home, the young baby ____________ out on the bed.
A. snowed B. flaked C. iced D. hailed
flake out to fall asleep because you are extremely tired
33. I became enamoured ___________ “Skull Island”, especially when I heard it being filmed in Trang
An, Viet Nam.
A. to B. with C. of D. towards
be enamoured with/of: liking something very much
34. It is hard not to _____________ others’ interest in a world riddled with gimmicks.
A. knock against B. barge in C. eke out D. impinge on
riddled with something very full of something bad or unpleasant
gimmick: a trick or something unusual that you do to make people notice someone or something
barge in: enter somewhere rudely, or to rudely interrupt someone
eke out a living/existence to manage to live with very little money or food
impinge on/upon somebody/something to have a harmful effect on someone or something
35. Alicia came home early to ____________ herself ____________ for the party.
A. spruce up B. clean out C. throw into D. usher in
spruce up: make yourself or something look neater and tidier
clean something ↔ out to make the inside of a room, house etc clean or tidy
usher in: to cause something new to start, or to be at the start of something new
36. Customers are ____________ as meat’s price falls dramatically. They simply don’t know what will
happen next.
A. in limbo B. off their guard C. in the doldrums D. next to nothing
in limbo: a situation in which nothing happens or changes for a long period of time
catch/take somebody off-guard to surprise someone by happening when they are not expecting
something or prepared for it
in the doldrums if an industry, company, activity etc is in the doldrums, it is not doing well or developing/
if you are in the doldrums, you are feeling sad
next to nothing very little
37. Factories are ____________ that new toy to meet the increasing demand from the children.
A. botching up B. churning out C. passing round D. hanging on
botch up: to do something badly, because you have been careless or because you do not have the skill to do
it properly
churn something ↔ out: to produce large quantities of something, especially without caring about quality
pass something ↔ (a)round to offer or show something to each person in a group

38. The minister hinted that questions about his personal affairs are __________ limits.
A. beyond B. above C. off D. over
be off limit if a subject is off limits, you are not allowed to talk about it
39. Fiona is ignorant of sports. She doesn’t even know a baseball __________ a basketball.
A. after B. by C. from D. out of
know something from something to understand the difference between one thing and another
40. Whoever has worked as a secretary can __________ on their former experience in this position.
A. capitalize B. clamp down C. play off D. plough
capitalize on something to use a situation or something good that you have, in order to get an advantage
for yourself
clamp down on to take firm action to stop a particular type of crime
plough on with to continue doing something that is difficult or boring
V. GUIDED CLOZE (10pts)
Read the texts below and decided which answer best fits each space.
Passage A
“SCRAMJET” – THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY

A new (41) ______ on high-speed flight has (42) _______ with a jet aircraft smashing all records
by reaching seven times the speed of sound – fast enough to get from London to Sydney in two hours. The
global race to create world’s first “scamjet” was won by the United States recently, with NASA comparing
the moment with the Wright brothers’ achievements of a century ago. The historic flight – in which the jet
reached 5,000 mph – lasted eleven seconds and (43) _____ with a spashdown of the X-43A into the Pacific
Ocean, never to be seen again.
“To put this into (44) ______, a little over 100 years ago a couple of guys from Ohio flew for 120ft
in the first controlled powered flight. Today we did something similar in the same amount of time.
“Lawrence Huebner, NASA’s lead propulsion engineer, said, “but our vehicle under air-breathing power
went over 15 miles. “The significance of the (45) ________ is underlined by the margin between the X-43A
and the world’s (46) _______ fastest jet, Lockheed’s Blackbird. That two man (47) ______ aircraft, painted
black to avoid radar detection served the United States for 25 years until the Cold War (48) _______ in
1990. Its fastest speed was 2,193 mph. The X-43A is unmanned but NASA predicted that (49) ______
flight would inspire business, industry and the military to invest in its “hypersonic” revolutionary propulsion
system.
A scramjet would boost an aircraft which had already reached supersonic speeds. The US military is
considering using the technology to create a warplane that could bomb targets anywhere on the globe in a
(50) ______ of hours.
41. A. make B. take C. do D. have

sb’s take (on something) someone’s opinion about a situation or idea
42. A. instigated B. dawned C. switched D. flown

instigate to make a process start, especially one relating to law or politics

dawn if a period of time or situation dawns, it begins
43. A. adjourn B. demise C. relinquished D. culminated
adjourn if a meeting, parliament, law court etc adjourns, or if the person in charge adjourns it, it stops for a
short time
demise end something that used to exist
relinquish something to somebody let someone else have your position, power, or rights, especially
unwillingly
culminate in/with something if a process culminates in or with a particular event, it ends with that event
44. A. perspective B. panorama C. appraisal D. stance
perspective on sth: a way of thinking about something
panorama of sth a description or series of pictures that shows all the features of a subject, historical period
etc
appraisal of sth a statement or opinion judging the worth, value, or condition of something
stance on sth an opinion that is stated publicly
45. A. breakthrough B. breakout C. breakdown D. breakneck
breakthrough an important new discovery in something you are studying, especially one made after trying
for a long time
breakout an escape from a prison, especially one involving a lot of prisoners
breakdown the failure of a relationship or system
at breakneck speed/pace extremely and often dangerously fast
46. A. premature B. belated C. untimely D. erstwhile
premature happening before the natural or proper time
belated happening or arriving late
untimely happening too soon or sooner than you expected
erstwhile former or in the past
47. A. insignia B. commissary C. reconnaissance D. echelon
insignia a badge or sign that shows what official or military rank someone has
commissary an officer in the army who is in charge of food supplies
reconnaissance he military activity of sending soldiers and aircraft to find out about the enemy’s forces
echelon a line of ships, soldiers, planes etc arranged in a pattern that looks like a series of steps
48. A. frosted B. froze C. thawed D. liquidised

thaw to become friendlier

49. A. debut B. premiere C. damsel D. inaugural
premiere the first public performance of a film, play, or piece of music
damsel a young woman who is not married
inaugural an inaugural event is the first in a planned series of similar events
50. A. problem B. matter C. amount D. number
in a matter of hours: in a short time
Passage B
US OPTS OUT OF G7 PLEDGE STATING PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD

IS 'IRREVERSIBLE'
The US has refused to sign up to a G7 pledge that calls the Paris climate accord the “irreversible”
global tool to address climate change. The G7 environment ministers issued a final repor tafter their two-
day meeting in Bologna, the first since the US announced it was withdrawing from the Paris climate
agreement. In a (51) ___________ to the G7 report, the US said on Monday it would not join with the
other six countries in reaffirming their Paris (52) ___________, but said it was taking action on its own to
reduce its carbon footprint.
As a result, the US said it would not join those sections of the report on climate and multilateral
development (53) _______________. The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt,
attended the first few hours of the (54) _________ on Sunday, but left to attend a(n) (55) ____________.
meeting in Washington.
Presenting the report, Italy’s environment minister, Gian Luca Galletti, called the Paris accord “irreversible,
non-negotiable and the only instrument possible to (56) __________ climate change”. He said the other
G7 countries hoped to continue constructive (57) _____________ with the US but insisted on the Paris
(58) _____________. “Everything else for us is excluded,” he said.
The 2015 Paris agreement aims to prevent the Earth from heating up by 2C since the start of the industrial
(59) ____________ As the world has already warmed about 1.1C since the industrial revolution, the
accord aims to ensure the (60) __________ is not breached with each nation curbing heat-trapping
emissions.
51. A. foothold B. footnote C. footprint D. footage
foothold a position from which you can start to make progress and achieve your aims
footnote to sth a piece of additional information that is not very important but is interesting or helps you
understand something
footprint mark made by a foot or shoe

footage cinema film showing a particular event
52. A. promises B. endorsements C. commitments D. allegations
endorsement a public statement or action showing that you support somebody/something
commitment a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way
allegation a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal, but that has not been proved
53. A. banks B. piles C. heaps D. lumps

54. A. peaks B. summit C. climax D. pinnacle
summit an important meeting or set of meetings between the leaders of several governments
55. A. cable B. cabinet C. cachet D. capsule
cabinet the politicians with important positions in a government who meet to make decisions or advise
the leader of the government
cachet if something has cachet, people think it is very good or special
56. A. resist B. clash C. grapple D. combat
grapple with to try hard to deal with or understand something difficult
combat=tackle to try to stop something bad from happening or getting worse
57. A. conversation B. discussion C. dialogue D. consultation

58. A. criteria B. bounds C. conditions D. parameters
bound: the limits of what is possible or acceptable
parameter set of fixed limits that control the way that something should be done
59. A. age B. era C. time D. epoch

60. A. boundary B. frontier C. threshold D. standard
boundary the limit of what is acceptable or thought to be possible
the frontiers of knowledge/physics etc the limits of what is known about something
threshold the level at which something starts to happen or have an effect
VI. READING COMPREHENSION (10 pts)

Read the texts below and choose the best answer to each question.
Passage A
By the time a child is six or seven she has all the essential avoidances well enough by heart to be
trusted with the care of a younger child. And she also develops a number of simple techniques. She learns to
weave firm square balls from palm leaves, to make pinwheels of palm leaves or frangipani blossoms, to climb
a coconut tree by walking up the trunk on flexible little feet, to break open a coconut with one firm well-
directed blow of a knife as long as she is tall, to play a number of group games and sing the songs which go
with them, to tidy the house by picking up the litter on the stony floor, to bring water from the
sea, to spread out the copra to dry and to help gather it in when rain threatens, to go to a neighboring house
and bring back a lighted faggot for the chief's pipe or the cook-house fire.
But in the case of the little girls all these tasks are merely supplementary to the main business of baby-
tending. Very small boys also have some care of the younger children, but at eight or nine years of age they
are usually relieved of it. Whatever rough edges have not been smoothed off by this responsibility for younger
children are worn off by their contact with older boys.
For little boys are admitted to interesting and important activities only so long as their behavior is
circumspect and helpful. Where small girls are brusquely pushed aside, small boys will be patiently tolerated
and they become adept at making themselves useful. The four or five little boys who all wish to assist at
the important, business of helping a grown youth lasso reef eels, organize themselves into a highly efficient
working team; one boy holds the bait, another holds an extra lasso, others poke eagerly about in holes in the
reef looking for prey, while still another tucks the captured eels into his lava.
The small girls,burdened with heavy babies or the care of little staggerers who are too small to
adventure on the reef, discouraged by the hostility of the small boys and the scorn of the older ones,
have little opportunity for learning the more adventurous forms of work and play. So while the little boys
first undergo the chastening effects of baby-tending and then have many opportunities to learn effective
cooperation under the supervision of older boys, the girls' education is less comprehensive. They have a high
standard of individual responsibility, but the community provides them with no lessons in cooperation
with one another. This is particularly apparent in the activities of youngpeople: the boys organize quickly;
the girls waste hours in bickering, innocent of any technique for quick and efficient cooperation.
(Adapted from: Coming of Age in Samoa, Margaret Mead (1928))
61. The primary purpose of the passage with reference to the society under discussion is to
A. explain some differences in the upbringing of girls and boys
B. criticize the deficiencies in the education of girls
C. give a comprehensive account of a day in the life of an average young girl
D. delineate the role of young girls
62. The word 'brusquely' (line 22) most nearly means
A. quickly B. gently C. nonchalantly D. abruptly
63. The list of techniques in paragraph one could best be described as
A. household duties C. important responsibilities

B. rudimentary physical skills D. useful social skills
64. It can be inferred that the 'high standard of individual responsibility' (line 38) is
A. developed mainly through child-care duties C. taught to the girl before she is entrusted with babies
B. only present in girls D. actually counterproductive
65. The expression 'innocent of' (line 42) is best taken to mean
A. not guilty of C. unsuited for
B. unskilled in D. uninvolved in
66. It can be inferred that in the community under discussion all of the following are important except
A. domestic handicrafts C. fishing skills
B. well-defined social structure D. formal education
67. Which of the following if true would weaken the author's contention about 'lessons in cooperation' (line
39) ?
I Group games played by younger girls involve cooperation
II Girls can learn from watching boys cooperating
III Individual girls cooperate with their mothers in looking after babies
A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and II only
68. Which of the following is the best description of the author's technique in handling her material?
A. Both description and interpretation of observations.
B. Presentation of facts without comment.
C. Description of evidence to support a theory.
D. Generalization from a particular viewpoint.
69. The word “bickering” most nearly means

A. raving B. squabbling C. chattering D. jabbering
70. What technique does the author use in the last sentence?
A. hyperbole B. generalization C. simile D. interpretation

Vocabulary
circumspect bicker hyperbole
chasten rave simile
brusque chatter away/on, about sth
nonchalant jabber
Passage B
It's Super Bowl live in 2020. Record-setting numbers of viewers are tuned in to watch the game by
using handheld devices that allow them to project the transmissions onto any flat surface. And in 2020, not
unlike today, viewers are interested in the game, but they're actually more absorbed by the advertising. The
commercials on screen are far better than they are now. Directors make sure they are moving, exciting,
entertaining and technicians make sure the effects are breathtaking. It's not the commercials on screen that
are the most interesting part, though: the really crucial advertising is hiding in plain sight on the field. Brand
names blaze from each player's shirt. The game is held at U-tech Stadium in U-tech town -formerly known
as Philadelphia. Corporations will pay big money for the right to digitize logos onto the T-shirts of the fans
in the stands. Logos of sponsors won't be painted on stadium signs or on the field any more. Thanks to
technology that is already emerging, logos of sponsors will be digitally embedded in the image on your screen.
The logos you see will be chosen depending on your personal interests and profile, and they'll be different
from the ones aimed at your next-door neighbors.
Advertising will change profoundly over the next couple of decades, although there's a good chance
you won't notice the difference, since the most meaningful changes won't be visible to the casual observer.
It's the changes they that are happening underground that will count, and they're the ones we should be
aware of. Advertising in the future will be stealthily and eerily targeted, disturbingly omnipresent and
inescapable. Technology, naturally, will be the engine. User-tracking software that records your TV and
Internet viewing habits in minute detail- and crosses it with your purchasing history - will allow the
advertiser to know that you have children, that you eat meat, that your native tongue is Spanish and that
your dishwasher is however many years old. That way you will be shown commercials for mini-vans,
cheeseburgers and replacement dishwashers, all in Spanish, and not for sports cars, tofu and replacement
refrigerators, in English. In fact, this technology already exists. Refined with data that track what kinds of
online ads you tend to click on - funny, sentimental, fact-laden -every commercial will hit home.
Say what you will, that's a nifty trick. In the future, people won't be bothered with advertising
messages irrelevant to them. They'll tend to like advertising better because it's so carefully tailored to their
tastes and will begin to feel less like an intrusion. This works for the advertiser too because fewer dollars will
be wasted. While it's a little dispiriting to think we can be so predictably manipulated, maybe that's a fair
price to pay to avoid the pollution of messages you don't care about.
Nevertheless, it seems clear that the advertising outlets that exist today -TV and radio commercials,
prints ads, billboards and taxi tops -will be inadequate for accommodating all the commercial messages that
are agitating to get out. Advertising will therefore inevitably slip beyond the boundaries of the 30-second
commercial and the full-page ad and migrate to the rest of the world, including entertainment, journalism
and art. You can glimpse the future now. Product placement in movies is an obvious instance of where

advertising has slipped outside its traditional container into entertainment. The music channels which are
an entertainment medium designed expressly to sell records are another classic example. Every time an artist
mentions a brand in their lyrics, advertising slips into art. If you have a tattoo of your team's name, you're
already there. If you wear a T-shirt with a logo on it, you're also there but with less pain. Eventually, every
surface that can display a message will be appropriated for advertising. A backlash is inevitable. Perhaps
people will pay a premium to live in advertising-free zones.
People get very nervous when they see the line blurring between advertising and other forms of
content; think advertising is some kind of infection that pollutes the purity of art, ruins objectivity and
distracts from the pleasure of entertainment. Yet this is missing the point. Surely consumers are smart and
perfectly aware when they're being sold something; surely people who go to company websites are happy to
find worthwhile information there and are capable of distinguishing between a commercial message and an
editorial one? Art and journalism, until they became pretentious in the late 20th century, always relied on
direct subsidy from private sources. Don't think for a minute that commercial interests didn't enter into it.
The genuinely disturbing aspect of the ubiquity of advertising is that it has begun to supplant what
was formally civic. Even the parks are gradually being renamed after corporations. The venerable Boston
Garden was replaced not so long ago by the Fleet Centre: a city erased, its role played by a bank. A little town
in the Pacific Northwest just renamed itself after a dotcom company in return for a generous donation. I
won't mention the name here, since I figure advertising should be paid for. That's when advertising has gone
too far: when it's become something we are, rather than something we see.
(Adapted from How will advertisers reach us, Jay Chiat (2000))
71. According to the writer, the greatest differences about TV audiences in 2020 is that they will
A. buy products because they are impressed by special effects.
B. be exposed to different mediums of advertising than are common today.
C. appreciate certain programmes to a lesser extent than current audiences.
D. have the right to choose the kind of commercials they wish to receive.
72. Logos in the future are believed
A. to be more individualized.
B. to aim at certain targets.
C. to become less relevant in the commercialization process.
D. to extend beyond the boundaries of advertising.
73. The writer suggests that over the next couples of decades, viewers will probably
A. be unaware of the effect that advertising has on them.
B. fail to realize how advertisers are promoting products.
C. resent the lack of privacy they have in their own homes.
D. feel pressurized to consume more disposable products.
74. The word “stealthily” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. cunningly B. vicariously C. dogmatically D. furtively
75. In the third paragraph, what does the writer feel about the consumer being ‘predictably manipulated’?
A. He believes people will be indignant at the removal of choice.
B. He condemns it as a form of deception.
C. He states that consumers will appreciate the precision of this approach.
D. He suggests that this is a cost-effective approach for the consumer.
76. What is referred to as a drawback of current mediums of advertising?
A. their sluggish tempo C. their confusing messages

B. their dependence on other elements D. their restricted capacity

77. What does the writer state about the future of advertising in the fourth paragraph?
A. Current outlets will no longer be used for promotional purposes.
B. Advertisements will take on a globally similar style and approach.
C. Advertising will overtake the importance of artistic value in music.
D. People will feel resentful that they are surrounded by advertising.
78. What point is the writer making in the fifth paragraph?
A. It is not always clear what some commercials are advertising.
B. Artists have always depended on the financial support of people aiming to make a profit.
C. Some consumers are not able to discriminate between truth and subjectivity.
D. People should be more wary about the invasion of advertising into art.
79. What point is exemplified by the references to Boston Garden and the “little town”?
A. Companies are exploiting public places for advertising purposes.
B. The public are being denied access to certain places.
C. It is essential to choose the right location to advertise successfully.
D. Companies are striving to find ways for free marketing.
80. The word “ubiquity” CANNOT be replaced by
A. omnipresence B. universality C. potentiality D. prevalence
Vocabulary
embed manipulate cunning
profound agitatate vicarious
stealthily glimpse dogmatic
omnipresent backlash furtive
fact-laden subsidy sluggish
nifty supplant prevalence
B. WRITTEN TEST (70 pts)

I. CLOZE TEST (20 pts)
Read the texts below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE WORD for
each space.
Passage A
A land of (1) vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing (2)
dominion in 1867 while retaining (3) ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the
nation has developed (4) parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified (5) border.
Its paramount political problem continues to be the (6) relationship of the province of Quebec, with its
French-speaking (7) residents and unique culture, to the remainder of the country.
The United States became the world's first modern (8) democracy after its break with Great Britain
(1776) and the adoption of a constitution (1789). During the 19th century, many new states were added to
the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of

overseas possessions. The two most (9) traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War
(1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by (10) victories in World Wars I and II and the
end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation-state. The economy is
marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Passage B
Bomb blasts have rocked Marawi City in the southern Philippines as the national flag was raised to
(1) mark independence day, almost three weeks after hundreds of Islamist militants overran the town and
hunkered down with civilians as (2) human shields. Rescue workers, soldiers and firemen sang the national
(3) anthem and listened to speeches as three OV-10 attack aircraft (4) darted through the cloudy sky on
Monday, taking it in turns to bomb areas where fighters were still holed up. As of Saturday the number of
security forces killed in the battle for Marawi stood at 58. The death (5) toll for civilians was 20 and more
than 100 had been killed overall.
Duterte did not say (6) how he knew that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, whose
movement is commonly (7) referred to as ISIS, had given instructions for the attack on Marawi. Foreign
Affairs Minister Allan Peter Cayetano said in an independence day speech in Manila that the militants’ had
planned to take over at least two or three cities in Mindanao. Their plot was (8) foiled because troops made
a preemptive raid on Marawi to capture Isnilon Hapilon, leader of the Abu Sayyaf group and Islamic State’s
“emir” of south-east Asia.A US official, speaking on (9) condition of anonymity, said support (10) included
aerial surveillance and targeting, electronic eavesdropping, communications assistance and training. A US
P-3 Orion surveillance plane was seen over the town on Friday.
II. WORD FORMATION (20 pts)
Part 1: Complete each sentence, using the correct form of the word in parentheses.
1. Honda uses the track as a test lab to apply methodical engineering to create roadworthy consumer
automobiles. (ROAD)
2. The nation is obliged to fulfill its responsibility commensurate with its position in the international
community. (MEASURE)
3. Climbers are also advised to plan their routes carefully, to stick to well-trodden paths and to stay
together in groups. (TREAD)
4. The nervous boy was maladroit and stuttered over his words as he invited the girl to the
dance. (ADROIT)
5. Between the world wars major unions suffered the searing experience of high unemployment which owed
much to incompetent employers and benighted policy-makers. (NIGHT)
6. He is so pettyfogging - he always overemphasizes small details even if they are by no means
important. (PETTY)
7. Renaissance is a period in European history that witnessed a(n) efflourescence of many world-famous
works of art. (FLORA)
8. I have studied very hard for Olympic 30/4; as a corollary, my assiduity pays off with a prestigious gold
medal. (ROLL)
9. A clown’s entire act is based on tomfoolery and silliness, such as smashing pies in people’s faces and
laughing in an overly ridiculous manner. (FOOL)

10. Napoleon, as if he were already the Emperor of France, waited not for the plenipotentiaries from Paris,
but signed the treaty in his own name. (POTENTATE)
Part 2: Complete the passage with appropriate forms from the words given in the box.
RECREATE PRUDENCE INCENTIVE REGULATE LENGTH

PRECEDE EARN INCORPORATE PRIVATE OBLIGE
Deflated values also mean that natural gas extractors see no reason to capture helium. Much is lost
in the process of extraction. As Sobotka notes: "The government had the good vision to store helium, and
the question now is: Will the (1) corporations have the vision to capture it when extracting natural gas, and
consumers the wisdom to recycle? This takes (2) long-term vision because present market forces are not
sufficient to compel (3) prudent practice”. For Nobel-prize laureate Robert Richardson, the U.S.
government must be prevailed upon to repeal its (4) privatization policy as the country supplies over 80
per cent of global helium, mostly from the National Helium Reserve. For Richardson, a twenty- to fifty-fold
increase in prices would (5) incentivize people to recycle.
A number of steps need to be taken in order to avert a costly predicament in the coming decades.
Firstly, all existing supplies of helium ought to be conserved and released only by permit, with medical uses
receiving (6) precedence over other commercial or (7) recreational demands. Secondly, conservation
should be (8) obligatory and enforced by a (9) regulatory agency. At the moment some users, such as
hospitals, tend to recycle diligently while others, such as NASA, squander massive amounts of helium.
Lastly, research into alternatives to helium must begin in (10) earnest.
III. ERROR CORRECTION (10 pts)

The following passage contains 10 errors. Identify and correct them.
THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE

This week we celebrated Valentine’s Day or rather incurable romances and those of us who are a bit soft
in the head did! The fourteenth of February always gives everyone who’s anyone a chance to cast a few pearls
of wisdom before their fellow sufferers about the nature of ‘the universal migraine’ – love. Francis
Farnsworth is the case in point. I’m sure the poor old fellow has a heart of silver but he really does talk a load
of rubbish sometimes! His appearance last night on BBC 1’s ‘Let’s Talk It Over’ was not exception. He
started out by having what I will politely call a difference of opinion with Tania Di Monte, author of ‘Tell
me the Truth about love’. Ms. Di Monte always expresses the most extraordinary views without any apparent
fear of contrast. Last night she was boldly set out her rules for a perfect relationship when poor old
Farnsworth accidentally called her Tina. Tina is of course the name of her ex-husband Darren’s second wife
and we all know that any mention him – or her – is like a blue rag to a bull to Tania. Farnsworth kept
apologizing and saying that it had been a skip of the tongue brought about by a momentary lapse of

concentration, but it took all presenter Greg Lazarre’s skills to calm our Tania down again. Francis then
started calling her ‘darling’, which only succeeded in making her even more furious. ‘Term of endearment’,
he stammered as she glared at him. She had been vehemently denying that there was even a speck of truth
in rumors about her forthcoming engagement with football star Nick Pérez. Nevertheless, I’m sure it is
only a question of time before we see Tania and Nick on the cover of ‘Hi There!’ celebrating ‘the wedding
of the century’. If marrying someone like Tania is what happens to you if you’re incredibly successful, like
Pérez undoubtedly is, I shudder thinking what the price of failure might be!
1. the a 6. blue red

2. silver gold 7. skip slip
3. not no 8. speck grain
4. out off 9. with to
5. contrastcontradiction 10. thinking to think
soft in the head very stupid or crazy
have a heart of gold to be a very kind person
a load of crap/bull etc/a load of rubbish used to say that something is bad, untrue, or stupid
difference of opinion a slight disagreement
like a red rag to a bull very likely to make someone angry or upset
slip of the tongue a small mistake in something you say
a speck of dust | a grain of truth
it’s (only/just) a matter/question of time used to say that something will definitely happen at some time
in the future, but you do not know when
IV. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (20pts)

1. Vietnamese firms need to prepare plans to adapt to Industrial Revolution 4.0. (HIGH)
 It is high time Vietnamese firms prepared plans to adapt to Industrial Revolution 4.0.
2. I wished I had studied Math more properly for the 10th grade entrance examination. (ONLY)
 If only I had studied Math more properly for the 10th grade entrance examination.
3. In 1788, Quang Trung’s troops marched so fast that the Qing army was taken by surprise. (SUCH)
 Such was the speed/pace at which Quang Trung’s troops marched that the Qing army was taken by
surprise in 1788.
4. An apple a day may benefit your health. (WONDERS)
 An apple a day may do wonders for your health.

do wonders for (=have a very good effect on)
5. The university entrance examination system has long been a fiercely debatable subject in our country.
(BONE)
 The university entrance examination system has long been a bone of contention in our country.
bone of contention something that causes arguments between people
6. There exists a grave mistake where people think Westernisation is development and strongly criticise
all who try to uphold and espouse our local traditions. (HEAP)
 There exists a grave mistake where people think Westernisation is development and heap scorn on
all who try to uphold and espouse our local traditions.
pour scorn on somebody/something (also heap scorn on somebody/something American English) to

strongly criticize someone or something because you think they do not deserve respect
7. The prices were very roughly calculated - it looked as though he'd done them in a rush. (ENVELOPE)
 But for him/his having done the prices on the back of an envelope, the prices wouldn’t have been
so roughly calculated.
on the back of an envelope (=used to describe a calculation or plan that is written down quickly on any
available small piece of paper)
8. Living in the past and recalling his mistakes made a victim of him. (HARKING)
 He fell prey to living in the past and harking back to his mistakes.
hark back to something: to be similar to something in the past
fall prey to: if someone falls prey to someone or something bad, they are harmed or affected by them
9. Our vacation cut both ways; the first few days were sunny, but the rest of the week was ruined by the
heavy rain and flooding. (EGG)
 Our vacation was a curate’s egg; the rest of the week was ruined by the heavy rain and flooding,
sunny as/though the first few days were .
curate’s egg: something that has good and bad parts
10. Health chiefs was criticised after deciding to axe some staff at a Bishopstoke hospital without any
explicable reasons. (WALKING)
Having decided to give some staff at a Bishopstoke hospital walking papers without any explicable
reasons, health chiefs have been given a rap over the knuckles./have received a rap over the knuckles.
give somebody their walking papers: to tell someone that they must leave a place or a job
give sb a rap on/over the knuckles to punish or criticize someone for something, but not very severely
- END OF TEST. BEST OF LUCK -


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AMBROSIA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED OLYMPIC 30/4 PRACTICE TEST 01

School Year: 2017-2018

Subject: ENGLISH Grade: 10th & 11th

Time allotment: 180 minutes

Full name: .............................................................................................. Candidate Number: .........................................

A. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST (40 pts)

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7. A. preposterous 2 B. indomitable 2 C. vicinity 2 D. adamant 1

II. WORD CHOICE (5 pts)

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preposterous completely unreasonable or silly

spasmodic happening for short irregular periods, not continuously

despicable extremely bad, immoral, or cruel

III. GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURES (5 pts)

Hitherto: up to this time

Now that: because

For now: (=for a short time)

pull your weight: to do your full share of work

24. It is imperative that the Glee Vietnam _______________ immediately.

26. Jack is ___________ his sister, Jill.

27. _____________, we took a nap and had wonderful dreams.

if need be (=if it is necessary)

A. more B. less C. worse D. better

A.is B. are C. being D. were

IV. PHRASAL VERB AND PREPOSITIONS (5 pts)

pass something ↔ (a)round to offer or show something to each person in a group

“SCRAMJET” – THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY

41. A. make B. take C. do D. have

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instigate to make a process start, especially one relating to law or politics

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thaw to become friendlier

US OPTS OUT OF G7 PLEDGE STATING PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD

51. A. foothold B. footnote C. footprint D. footage

footprint mark made by a foot or shoe

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footage cinema film showing a particular event

52. A. promises B. endorsements C. commitments D. allegations

endorsement a public statement or action showing that you support somebody/something

commitment a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way

53. A. banks B. piles C. heaps D. lumps

55. A. cable B. cabinet C. cachet D. capsule

cachet if something has cachet, people think it is very good or special

56. A. resist B. clash C. grapple D. combat

grapple with to try hard to deal with or understand something difficult

combat=tackle to try to stop something bad from happening or getting worse

57. A. conversation B. discussion C. dialogue D. consultation

bound: the limits of what is possible or acceptable

59. A. age B. era C. time D. epoch

boundary the limit of what is acceptable or thought to be possible

threshold the level at which something starts to happen or have an effect

VI. READING COMPREHENSION (10 pts)

A. explain some differences in the upbringing of girls and boys

B. criticize the deficiencies in the education of girls

C. give a comprehensive account of a day in the life of an average young girl

D. delineate the role of young girls

62. The word 'brusquely' (line 22) most nearly means

A. quickly B. gently C. nonchalantly D. abruptly

63. The list of techniques in paragraph one could best be described as

A. household duties C. important responsibilities

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B. rudimentary physical skills D. useful social skills