KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI CÁC TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN

KHU VỰC DUYÊN HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ

LẦN THỨ X, NĂM 2017

ĐỀ THI MÔN: TIẾNG ANH 10

Thời gian: 180 phút (Không kể thời gian giao đề)
Ngày thi: 15/4/2017
ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC
(Thí sinh viết câu trả lời vào bảng cho sẵn trong đề)
(Đề thi gồm 15 trang)

Điểm
Giám khảo 1 Giám khảo 2 Số phách
Bằng số Bằng chữ

A. LISTENING (50 points):

HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU
 Bài nghe gồm 4 phần, mỗi phần được nghe 2 lần, thí sinh có 30-40 giây giữa mỗi phần nghe để
đọc bài.
 Mọi hướng dẫn cho thí sinh ( bằng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe.

Part 1. Listen and complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes. (10 points)
CYCLING HOLIDAY IN AUSTRIA
- Holiday begins on (1)_____________
- No more than (2)_____________ people in a cycling group
- Holiday costs (3) £_____________ per person without flights
- All food included except (4)_____________
- Essential to bring a (5)_____________
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. You will hear part of a tutorial between two students and their tutor. The
students are doing a research project on computer use. Listen to the conversation
carefully and choose the correct answer A, B or C for each question. Write your answers
in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)
1. Sami and Irene decided to do a survey about access to computer facilities because
___________

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A. no one had investigated this before.
B. their tutor suggested this topic.
C. this was a problem for many students.
2. Sami and Irene had problems with the reading for their project because ___________
A. the language was too technical.
B. not much had been written about the topic.
C. they could not locate the books in the library.
3. How did Sami and Irene get the main data in their survey?
A. From face-to-face interviews
B. From observation of students
C. From online questionnaires
4. The tutor suggests that one problem with the survey was limitations in ___________
A. the range of students questioned.
B. the number of students involved.
C. the places where the questions were asked.
5. What proportion of students surveyed thought that a booking system would be the
best solution?
A. 45% B. 65% C. 77%
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 3. You will hear a lecture about customers’ psychology. Decide whether the
statements are true (T) or false (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes. (10 points)
1. The colour purple encourages people to spend more money.
2. When people see orange, they leave faster, making room for the next group of diners.
3. Businesses should use blue as it makes people feel safe.
4. Colour can not only create mood and influence customers, but also attract specific
groups of customers.
5. Bright and soft colours appeal to younger customers.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 4: You will hear a woman called Yvonne on a TV programme giving about children
being punished at school. For questions 1-10, complete the sentences with NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes. (20 points)
The strap was a long piece of leather made especially for (1)_________________
children’s palms.
Today, children who misbehave at school seldom even get a (2)_________________..
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In the fifties, Yvonne was strapped for coming to school in (3)_________________.
Yvonne thought the way she was disciplined at school was (4) ______________ and
unfair.
The members of organization P.O.P.P.I. all had (5)__________________.
In 1979, because of P.O.P.P.I…, (6) ______________made the strap illegal.
Yvonne describes her children as (7) ______________ and irresponsible.
Yvonne does not think her children understand (8) ______________ they are.
She is now sorry that the government (9) ______________.
She believes that there would be less (10)________________ if the strap was still used.
Your answers:
1. 5. 9.
2. 6. 10.
3. 7.
4. 8.

B. LEXICO - GRAMMAR (50 points)

Part 1. Choose one of the words marked A, B, C, or D which best completes each of the
following sentences. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (20
points)
1. The size of the pop-star’s personal fortune was the subject of much ____ in the press.
A. doubt B. guessing C. speculation D. wonderment
2. Jeremy’ friends were fond of him ____because of his generosity.
A at least B. still less C. even less D. not least
3. The thick fog ____ out any possibility of our plane taking off before morning.
A. ruled B. struck C. stamped D. crossed
4. Looking down at the coral reef, we saw ____ of tiny, multi-colored fish.
A. swarms B. flocks C. teams D. shoals
5. Ellen decided that election to the local council would provide a ___ to a career in
national politics.
A. springboard B. turning point C. milestone D. highway
6. Miriam left her husband after a ____ row.
A. blazing B. burning C. hot D. heavy
7. My father ____ when he found out that I’d damaged the car.
A. hit the roof B. saw pink elephants
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 C. made my blood boil D. brought the house down
8. When I got my case back, it had been damaged ____ repair.
A. further B. beyond C. above D. over
9. ____ of the financial crisis, all they could do was hold on and hope that things would
improve.
A. On the top B. In the end C. At the bottom D. At the height
10. There are a lot of computer programmers nowadays, but really good ones are few and
far ___.
A. amongst B. apart C. away D. between
11. It was Martin who ……… the initiative in introducing our guest to the princess.
A. adopted B. took C. led D. pursued
12. I was awfully tired. However, I made up my mind to ____ myself to the tedious task
once again.
A. involve B. absorb C. engross D. apply
13. Ann’s encouraging words gave me ____ to undertake the demanding task once gain.
A. a point B. an incentive C. a resolution D. a target
14. We are going to build a fence around the field with ____ to breeding sheep and cattle.
A. a goal B. an outlook C. a reason D. a view
15. You may feel sure the casting will be done perfectly, just ____ your trust in me and
you will see I’m right.
A. lay B. forward C. grant D. allow
16. Filing may be a____ procedure, but it is essential for the smooth running of the office.
A. strenuous B. tedious C. weary D. stuffy
17: _______ when they learned that the chairman would not be able to join the meeting.
A. When they realized why they were all there in that early time of the day
B. Hardly had the committee learned the reason of the meeting
C. However professional they tried to be seen
D. It wasn’t until they got a phone call about an urgent meeting the next day
18. The Egyptian coast guard received a(n) ______signal from the ship at 11.34 last night.
A. distress B. anxiety C. stress D. disquiet
19. Most armies around the world use satellite technology ____ orders.
A. emit B. impart C. release D. relay
20. It was imperative for the authorities to ____ the epidemic.
A. succeed B. localize C. spread D. define
Your answers:

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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Part 2. Read the following text which contains 10 mistakes. Identify the mistakes and
write the corrections in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)

Among all the abilities with which an individual may be endowed, musical talent appear
earliest in life. Very young children can exhibit musical precocity for different reasons.
Some develop exceptional skill as a result of a well-designed instructional regime, so as
the Suzuki method for the violin. Some have the good fortune to be born into a musical
family in a household filled of music. In the number of interesting cases, musical talent is
part of an otherwise disabling condition such as autism or mental retardation. A musical
gifted child has an inborn talent; however, the extent to what the talent is expressed
publicly will depend upon the environment in which the child lives.
Musically gifted children master at an early age the principal elements of music,
include pitch and rhythm. Pitch - or melody - is more central in certain culture, for
example, in Eastern societies that make use of tiny quarter-tone intervals. Rhythm, sounds
produced at certain auditory frequencies and groups according to a prescribed system, are
emphasized in sub-Saharan Africa, where the rhythmic ratios can be very complex.
Your answers:
Line Mistakes Corrections
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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Part 3. Complete each of the following sentences with a suitable preposition) or particle.
Write your answer in the boxes provided. (10 points)
1. I was always being ticked …………. for messy work.
2. They’re tearing …………. these old houses to build a new office block.
3. The novelist draws heavily …………. her personal experiences.
4. The hotel's restaurant facilities are second …………. none.
5. How did you come………… these tickets? I’ve been trying to get some for ages.
6. Jean didn’t expect to come up………… such difficulties.
7. He’s sometimes bad tempered but he’s a good fellow…………heart.
8. The boy froze in horror as the teacher advanced …………him, brandishing a large stick.
9. The teacher sat down and glared…………the class.
10. Hard work usually pays off………… the long run.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 4. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)
The advances made by humans have made us the (1. DOMINANCE) species on our
planet. However, several eminent scientists are concerned that we have become too
successful, that our way of life is putting an (2. PRECEDE) strain on the Earth's
ecosystems and threatening our future as a species. We are confronting environmental
problems that are more taxing than ever before, some of them seemingly insoluble. Many
of the Earth's crises are persistent and (3. INEXORABLE) linked. Pollution is an obvious
example of this affecting our air, water and soil.
The air is polluted by (4. EMIT) produced by cars and industry. Through acid rain and
greenhouse gases these same exhaust fumes can have a devastating impact on our climate.
Climate change is arguably the greatest (5. ENVIRONMENT) challenge facing our planet
with increased storms, floods, drought and species losses predicted. This will inevitably
have a negative impact on (6. DIVERSIFY) and thus our ecosystem.
The soil is contaminated by factories and power stations which can leave heavy metals in
the soil. Other human activities such as the (7. DEVELOP) of land and the clearing of
trees also take their toll on the quality of our soil; (8. FOREST) has been shown to cause

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soil (9. ERODE). Certain farming practices can also pollute the land though the use of
chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This contamination in turn affects our rivers and
waterways and damages life there. The chemicals enter our food chain, moving from fish
to mammals to us. Our crops are also grown on land that is far from (10. SPOIL).
Affected species include the polar bear, so not even the Arctic is immune.
Reducing waste and clearing up pollution costs money. Yet it is our quest for wealth that
generates so much of the refuse. There is an urgent need to find a way of life that is less
damaging to the Earth. This is not easy, but it is vital, because pollution is pervasive and
often life-threatening.
Your answers:
1. 5. 9.
2. 6. 10.
3. 7.
4. 8.

C. READING (60 points)

Part 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits
each gap. Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes. (15 pts)

That old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" sums up what may well be
the most important (1) _________ of climbing the business ladder. Diligence, competence
and experience are fine (2) _________, but they are not enough.
While this is no great secret, the fact (3) _________ that skilled workers are few and (4)
_________between - yet business success depends on informal networking and
sociologists have (5) _________ that the majority of top jobs in the US are obtained
through it. A vast (6) _________of jobs are never advertised and of those that are, many
have already been (7) _________to someone known to the company. These processes (8)
_________not just to industry but to the government and public sector as well.
Potentially, colleagues, superiors, business friends, customers, suppliers can provide a
networker with information, addresses and open doors that make the difference between
stagnation and a rapid rise. Nonetheless, as a communications trainer in Germany put it:
"Many people just do not know how to (9) _________, develop and foster promising
relationships." For some, networking (10) _________ just too time-consuming or stressful.

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Such individuals shut themselves in their office and minimize contact with the outside
world. They may do a great job of work, but they are unlikely to make great career strides.
1. A. measures B. resources C. means D. actions
2. A. marks B. qualities C. types D. distinctions
3. A. remains B. lasts C. continues D. keeps
4. A. long B. far C. wide D. broad
5. A. distinguished B. located C. viewed D. found
6. A. ratio B. division C. proportion D. section
7. A. promised B. assured C. declared D. warranted
8. A. carry B. engage C. suit D. apply
9. A. induct B. install C. invest D. initiate
10. A. shows B. proves C. turns D. results

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only
ONE word in each space. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (15
points)
Many celebrated artists have found it hard to makes (1)____________meet early on
in their careers. (2)____________a few well-known exceptions, however, (poor Van Gogh
being perhaps the most famous one) most went on to find recognition within their own
lifetime. Picasso’s life story is the kind of rags-to-riches tale which gives hope to many (3)
____________ unknown artist. In 1904, he was sharing a draughty and primitive studio
complex with thirty other artists. But by his death, he was a multi-millionaire and probably
the most celebrated modern artist (4)____________. Nevertheless for (5)____________
success story, there must be dozens of artists (perhaps some potential ‘greats’) who have
endured a lifetime of hardship in obscurity. Whether they were never recognized because
their work was out of sympathy with the prevailing fashion, (6) ____________ because
they lacked talent, is impossible to say. Most people see art (7) ____________ a vocation
(8) ____________ than a career. There may indeed be some truth in the idea that artists
need to (9) ____________ exceptionally dedicated to succeed, and even relatively
successful artists sometimes have (10) ____________ supplement their income by
working in other areas occasionally.
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 Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the passage and choose the best option A, B, C, or D to answer the
questions. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (15 points)
The human criterion for perfect vision is 20/20 for reading the standard lines on a
Snellen eye chart without a hitch. The score is determined by how well you read lines of
letters of different sizes from 20 feet away. But being able to read the bottom line on the
eye chart does not approximate perfection as far as other species are concerned. Most birds
would consider us very visually handicapped. The hawk, for instance, has such sharp eyes
that it can spot a dime on the sidewalk while perched on top of the Empire State Building.
It can make fine visual distinctions because it is blessed with one million cones per square
millimeter in its retina. And in water, humans are farsighted, while the kingfisher,
swooping down to spear fish, can see well in both the air and water because it is endowed
with two foveae – areas of the eye, consisting mostly of cones, that provide visual
distinctions. One foveae permits the bird, while in the air, to scan the water below with one
eye at a time. This is called monocular vision. Once it hits the water, the other fovea joins
in, allowing the kingfisher to focus both eyes, like binoculars, on its prey at the same time.
A frog’s vision is distinguished by its ability to perceive things as a constant motion
picture. Known as “bug detectors”, a highly developed set of cells in a frog’s eyes
responds mainly to moving objects. So, it is said that a frog sitting in a field of dead bugs
wouldn’t see them as food and would starve.
The bee has a “compound” eye, which is used for navigation. It has 15,000 facets
that divide what it sees into a pattern of dots, or mosaic. With this kind of vision, the bee
sees the sun only as a single dot, a constant point of reference. Thus, the eye is a superb
navigational instrument that constantly measures the angle of its line of flight in relation to
the sun. A bee’s eye also gauges flight speed. And if that is not enough to leave our 20/20
“perfect vision” paling into insignificance, the bee is capable of seeing something we
can’t – ultraviolet light. Thus, what humans consider to be “perfect vision” is in fact rather
limited when we look at other species. However, there is still much to be said for the
human eye. Of all the mammals, only humans and some primates can enjoy the pleasures
of color vision.
Question 1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
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A. limits of the human eye C. different eyes for different uses
B. perfect vision D. eye variation among different species
Question 2. The word “criterion” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. standard B. need C. expectation D. rule
Question 3. The phrase “without a hitch” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. unaided B. without glasses C. with little hesitation D. easily
Question 4. According to the passage, why might birds and animals consider humans very
visually handicapped?
A. humans can’t see very well in either air or water
B. human eyes are not as well suited to our needs
C. the main outstanding feature of human eyes is color vision
D. human eyes can’t do what their eyes can do
Question 5. The word “that” in paragraph 1 refers to
A. foveae B. areas of the eye C. ones D. visual distinctions
Question 6. The word “ blessed with” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. parted with B. supplied for C. endowed with D. ruled out
Question 7. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true
A. kingfishers have monocular vision
B. bees see patterns of dots
C. hawks eyes consist mostly of cones that can allow it to scan with one eye at a time
D. humans are farsighted in water
Question 8. Where in the passage does the author discuss that eyes are useful for avoiding
starvation?
A. lines 1-5 B. lines 7-10 C. lines 14-17 D. lines 21-24
Question 9. The phrase “paling into insignificance” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. fading away C. without colored light
B. of great importance D. being reduced to little importance
Question 10. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. eyes have developed differently in each species
B. humans should not envy what they don’t need
C. bees have the most complex eye
D. perfect vision is perfect
Your answers

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 4. Read the text and do the following tasks. (15 points)
For questions 1-6, choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list of
headings below. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
I. The universal ability to use language
II. Why language is the most important invention of all
III. Why the sounds used in different languages are not identical
IV. Apparently incompatible characteristics of language
V. Even silence can be meaningful
VI. The way in which a few sounds are organized to convey a huge range
of meaning
VII. Differences between languages highlight their impressiveness

1. Paragraph A ____________
2. Paragraph B ____________
3. Paragraph C ____________
4. Paragraph D ____________
5. Paragraph E ____________
6. Paragraph F ____________
THIS MARVELOUS INVENTION
A. Of all mankind’s manifold creations, language must take pride of place. Other
inventions-the wheel, agriculture, sliced bread-may have transformed our material
existence, but the advent of language is what made us human. Compared to language, all
other inventions pale in significance, since everything we have ever achieved depends on
language and originates from it. Without language, we could never have embarked on our
ascent to unparalleled power over all other animals, and even over nature itself.
B. But language is foremost not just because it came first. In its own right it is a tool
of extraordinary sophistication, yet based on an idea of ingenious simplicity: ‘this
marvelous invention of composing out of twenty-five or thirty sounds that infinite variety
of expressions which, whilst having in themselves no likeness to what is in our mind,
allow us to disclose to others its whole secret, and to make known to those who cannot

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penetrate it all that we imagine, and all the various stirrings of our soul’. This was how, in
1660, the renowned French grammarians of the Port-Royal abbey near Versailles distilled
the essence of language, and no one since has celebrated more eloquently the magnitude of
its achievement. Even so, there is just one flaw in all these hymns of praise, for the
homage to language’s unique accomplishment conceals a simple yet critical incongruity.
Language is mankind’s greatest invention-except, of course, that it was never invented.
This apparent paradox is at the core of our fascination with language, and it holds many of
its secrets.
C. Language often seems so skillfully drafted that one can hardly imagine it as
anything other than the perfect handiwork of a master craftsman. How else could this
instrument make so much out of barely three dozen measly morsels of sound? In
themselves, these configurations of mouth-p,f,b,v,t,d,k,g,h,sh,a,e and so on-amount to
nothing more than a few haphazard spits and splutters, random noises with no meaning,
no ability to express, no power to explain. But run them through the cogs and wheels of the
language machine let it arrange them in some very special orders, and there is nothing that
these meaningless streams of air cannot do: from sighing the interminable boredom of
existence to unravelling the fundamental order of the universe.
D. The most extraordinary thing about language, however, is that one doesn’t have
to be a genius to set its wheels in motion. The language machine allows just about
everybody-from pre-modern foragers in the subtropical savannah, to post-modern
philosophers in the suburban sprawl- to tie these meaningless sounds together into an
infinite variety of subtle sense, and all apparently without the slightest exertion. Yet it is
precisely this deceptive ease which makes language a victim of its own success, since in
everyday life its triumphs are usually taken for granted. The wheels of language run so
smoothly that one rarely bothers to stop and think about all the resourcefulness and
expertise that must have gone into making it tick. Language conceals art.
E. Often, it is only the estrangement of foreign tongues, with their many exotic and
outlandish features, that brings home the wonder of language’s design. One of the showiest
stunts that some languages can pull off is an ability to build up words of breath-taking
length, and thus express in one word what English takes a whole sentence to say. The
Turkish word sehirlilistiremediklerimizdensiniz, to take one example, means nothing less
than ‘you are one of those whom we can’t turn into a town-dweller’. (In case you were

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wondering, this monstrosity really is one word, not merely many different words squashed
together-most of its components cannot even stand up on their own.)
F. And if that sounds like some one-off freak, then consider Sumerian, the language
spoken on the banks of the Euphrates some 5,000 years ago by the people who invented
writing and thus enabled the documentation of history. A Sumerian word like
munintuma’a (‘when he had made it suitable for her’) might seem rather trim compared to
the Turkish colossus above. What is so impressive about it, however, is not its lengthiness
but rather the reverse-the thrifty compactness of its construction. The word is made up of
different slots, each corresponding to a particular portion of meaning. This sleek design
allows single sounds to convey useful information, and in fact even the absence of a sound
has been enlisted to express something specific. If you were to ask which bit in the
Sumerian word corresponds to the pronoun ‘it’ in the English translation ‘when he had
made it suitable for her’, then the answer would have to be nothing. Mind you, a very
particular kind of nothing: the nothing that stands in the empty slot in the middle. The
technology is so fine-tuned then that even a non-sound, when carefully placed in a
particular position, has been invested with a specific function. Who could possibly have
come up with such a nifty contraption?
Questions 7-10: Complete the summary using the list of words, A-G, below.
A. difficult B. complex C. original D. admired
E. fundamental F. easy G. material

THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE

The wheel is one invention that has had impact on 7.___________aspects of life, but no
impact has been as 8.__________as that of language. Language is very 9.___________,
yet composed of just a small number of sounds. Language appears to be 10._______to use.
However, its sophistication is often overlooked.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

D. WRITING (40 points)

Part 1. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same as
the one printed before it. Write your answers in the space provided. (10 points)
1. It was an impressive building but it wasn’t to my taste.
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 Impressive ……………………………………………………………………………
2. They only reimbursed us because we took legal advice.
We wouldn’t …………………………………………………………………………
3. My parents think that I should go to university rather than start a job immediately.
My parents would prefer …………………………………………………………….
4. Regarding payment, most major credit cards are acceptable.
As far as ……………………………………………………………………………..
5. It’s a waste of time to try and explain anything to Tony.
It is not worth…………………………………………………………………………

Part II. Rewrite the sentences below in such a way that their meanings stay the same.
You must use the words in capital without changing their forms. Write your answers
in the space provided (10 points)
1. They arrived at their destination alive and kicking. SOUND

………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Our children are crazy about Korean singers. HEAD

………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Were you at all worried about telling the truth. MISGIVINGS

………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. I only called the police when I had tried everything else. RESORT

I only………………………………………………………………………………………

5. I promised him that the situation would not be repeated in the future. WORD
I ……………………………………………….. no repetition of the situation in the future.

Part 3. Paragraph writing. (20 points)

“Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to
do so.” Do you agree with this statement? Write a paragraph of 150-200 words to state
your viewpoint.
………………………………………………………………………………………………

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