HỘI CÁC TRƯỜNG CHUYÊN HỘI THI HỌC SINH GIỎI KV DUYÊN

KHU VỰC DUYÊN HẢI BẮC BỘ HẢI VÀ ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ

TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN BẮC NINH LẦN THỨ IX

(Đề thi gồm có 17 trang)

ĐỀ THI ĐỀ XUẤT
MÔN: Tiếng Anh 10
Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút.
(không kể thời gian giao đề)

PART A. LISTENING (40 points)

I. Listen to a radio programme about two writers. Listen carefully and choose
the best answer to complete each of the questions. (10 p)

1. The novelist J. D. Salinger went to university but

A. was asked to leave

B. received poor grades in his first year.

C. left before finishing the first year.

D. did not regard getting a degree as ‘success’

2. Salinger’s famous novel about adolescence was

A. popular mainly because it was controversial.

B. only popular with younger readers.

C. extremely popular but condemned by some people.

D. not taught in many schools at first.

3. Because Salinger refused to be in the public eye,

A. people stopped asking him for interviews.

B. nobody was even sure what religion he was.

Page 1 of 17
 C. he was rarely talked about.

D. his fame actuality increased.

4. Harper Lee’s education was

A. not as successful as she had hoped.

B. more successful than Salinger’s.

C. not as successful as Salinger’s.

D. very similar to Salinger’s.

5. How did Harper Lee find time to write her first novel?

A. A friend paid for her to take a year off work.

B. A friend got her work as a songwriter in New York.
C. She couldn’t find a job in New York.
D. She wrote slowly for ten years in total.
Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

II. Listen to five descriptions of an event. For each description, decide if it is

TRUE or FALSE. (10 p)

1. A dog ran on during the match and one of the linesmen caught it.

2. A golfer sneezed at the same time as playing a shot and ended up playing a bad
one.

3. The winner of the race was angry with another competitor.

4. A young boy played a few points because the professional was angry with
himself.

5. When the fight started, the other players didn’t try to stop it.

Page 2 of 17
 Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

III. You will hear part of a talk about dolls. For questions 1 – 10, complete the
sentences. (20 p)

DOLLS

The first known dolls were found in (1) _____________________ in ancient Egypt

The earliest dolls in the museum date from the (2)_____________________

Early European dolls were dressed like (3)_____________________

On the 17th-century dolls, you can see details like the (4)_____________________

17th-century dolls may cost as much as (5) ___________________________ each.

Collectors look for examples in perfect condition, with their (6)

_____________________

19th-century dolls had (7) _____________________ and real hair.

If you can take off the doll's hair, you may see the (8)_______________________
underneath.

Before the 20th century, all dolls were (9)_____________________________, not

babies.

From the 1930s, dolls were made of (10)________________________________.

PART B. LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (60 POINTS)

I. Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) to complete each of the sentences. (20
p)
1. The ______ will be chaired by Mr. Sheldon, one of the most innovative directors
in the company.
A. category B. qualification C. committee D. productivity

Page 3 of 17
2. The customer returned his order saying its switch was defective, and the online
store agreed to ______ the full amount to his account.
A. magnify B. credit C. discontinue D. charge
3. His neighbors found his ______ manner bossy and irritating, and they stopped
inviting him to backyard barbeques.
A. insentient B. magisterial (hách dịch) C. preparatory D. restorative
4. Steven is always ______ about showing up for work because he feels that
tardiness is a sign of irresponsibility.
A. legible B. tolerable C. punctual (đúng h) D. literal
5. Candace would ______ her little sister into an argument by teasing her and
calling her names.
A. advocate B. provoke (kích thích) C. perforate D. expunge
6. The dress Arid wore _______ with small, glassy beads, creating a shimmering
effect.
A. titillated B. reiterated C. scintillated D. enthralled
7. Being able to afford this luxury car will ______ getting a better- paying job.
A. maximize B. recombinant C. reiterate D. necessitate
8. Levina unknowingly ______ the thief by holding open the elevator doors and
ensuring his escape.
A. coerced B. proclaimed C. abetted D. saxnctioned (tạo đk)
9. Shakespeare, a(n) ______writer, entertained audiences by writing many tragic
and comic plays.
A. numeric B. obstinate C. generic D. prolific
10. I had the ________ experience of sitting next to an over-talkative passenger on
my flight home from Brussels.
A. satisfactory B. commendable C. galling D. acceptable
11. Prince Phillip had to choose: marry the woman he loved and ______ his right
to the throne, or marry Lady Fiona and inherit the crown.
A. abdicate B. upbraid C. reprimand D. winnow

Page 4 of 17
12. If you will not do your work of your own ______ I have no choice but to
penalize you if it is not done on time.
A. predilection B. infusion C. excursion D. volition
13. After sitting in the sink for several days, the dirty food-encrusted dishes
became _____ .
A. malodorous (hôi thối) B. prevalent C. imposing D. perforated
14. Giulia soon discovered the source of the ______ smell in the room: a week-old
tuna sandwich that one of the children had hidden in the closet.
A. quaint B. fastidious C. clandestine D. fetid
15. After making ______remarks to the President, the reporter was not invited to
return to the White House pressroom.
A. hospitable B. irreverent C. enterprising D. chivalrous
16. When Tim was eating a cherry, he accidentally swallowed the _____.
A. nut B. stone C. seed D. core
17. A military junta has taken over power in the country after the democratic
administration _____ .
A. collapsed B. stumbled C. vanished D. abandoned
18. She was kept awake for most of the night by the _____ of a mosquito in her
car.
A. whine B. moan C. groan D. screech
19. He looks very aggressive and threatening, and so his soft, gentle voice is rather
_____.
A. disembodied B. discordant C. dismissive D. disconcerting
20. - A: Another cup of coffee? - B: No, but thanks _______
A. not at all B. for all C. all the same D. you for all

Your answers:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Page 5 of 17
II. There are ten mistakes in the following passage. Find and correct them.
Number 0 has been done as an example. (10 p)

Line
1 In the last twenty year, the country has done great technological
2 progress, culminating in our entering the space age earlier this year with the
3 launch of our first telecommunication satellite. From a health perspective,
4 there has been a major modern programme in public hospitals. This has
5 involved the purchase of the latest scanning and diagnosis equipment, as
6 well as the refurbishment of major operating theatres with state-of-the-art
7 surgical equipment. As far as the superstructure of the country is concerned,
8 several major projects are on progress, included the construction of three
9 major motorways, a hydroelectric power station and a new international
10 airport. All of these public works are being carried out using the latest
11 technology. With the increased use of computer technology, the future of
12 our country looks very bright indeed. It anticipates that, in the very near
13 future, all government offices will be computered and networked to central
14 mainframe computers in the capital.

Your answers:

Number Line Mistake Correction

0 1 year years
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Page 6 of 17
 8
9
10

III. Complete each sentence with a suitable preposition. (10 p)

1. When we had worked_________the cost of a holiday abroad, we decided to stay
at home.
2. I thought he was mad and backed ______ nervously.
3. "I understand Diane lost her job." "Yes, but she's actually better ______."
4. The members of a jury are chosen _____ random from a list of voters.
5. The hunter froze as the tiger started running ________ him. He had nowhere to
hide.
6. Don't give us any money for it. You can have it ______ nothing.
7. I'll do it tomorrow. No, ______ second thoughts, I'll do it today.
8. Why did you leave ______ the second question on your examination?
9. He got out as the train drew _______.
10. The boss was really hot _______ the collar when you told him you lost the
contract.

IV. Write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space
provided. There is an example at the beginning (0). (20 p)

Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki expedition

The Norwegian explorer and (0. ARCHAEOLOGY) -->
ARCHAEOLOGIST, Thor Heyerdahl, accomplished many things during his life
but his name has become (1. SEPARABLE) ....................... linked with the Kon-
Tiki voyage. In 1937, while doing research in the western Pacific, Heyerdahl
became (2. INCREASE) ............................. interested in how the Polynesian
islands had become populated. He made the observation that ocean currents flowed
across the Pacific from east to west. Since there were cultural (3.
SIMILAR) ........................ to be found on either side of this ocean, he was

Page 7 of 17
convinced that South Americans had sailed westwards to populate these islands
before the eleventh century.
The (4. CENTRE) .......................... argument against Heyerdahl’s theory
was lack of evidence that, at that time, boats existed with the (5.
CAPABLE) .............................. to cross such an (6. EXPAND) …………..... of
ocean. So a determined Heyerdahl built a primitive raft of balsa wood, named it
Kon-Tiki, and on April 28th, 1947, left Peru with a crew at five. Moved along by
the ocean currents, the fragile raft Kon-Tiki sailed a steady 70 kilometers a day.
Despite heavy storms, failure never crossed the crew’s minds. After 97 days,
they caught (7. SEE) …………….... of tone of the islands. However, due to
unusually high winds they could not land and, realising that a reef presented an (8.
AVOID) …………..... obstacle, they prepared for the inevitable (9.
COLLIDE) ..................... . Amazingly, they all survived the crash, and Heyerdahl
had his (10. PROVE) …………......

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

PART C: READING (60 POINTS)

I. Read the text below and then decide which word (A, B, C, D) best fits each
space. (15 p)
People’s personalities _____ (1) considerably from one another as there are
no two alike. Our ingrained characteristics which _____ (2) the patterns of our
behaviour, our reactions and temperaments are unparalleled on _____ (3) of the
diversified processes that _____ (4) our personality in the earliest _____ (5) of
human development.
Some _____ (6) of character may to some _____ (7) be hereditary
simulating the attributes that _____ (8) our parents. Others may _____ (9) from the
conditions experienced during pregnancy and infancy in this way reflecting the

Page 8 of 17
parents’ approach towards _____ (10) their offspring. Consequently, the
environmental factor _____ (11) a crucial role in strengthening or eliminating
certain behavioural systems making an individual more prone to _____ (12) to the
patterns that _____ (13) a prize.
Undoubtedly, human personality _____ (14) the most profound and
irreverible formation during the first period of its development, yet, certain
characteristics may still be _____ (15) to considerable changes conditioned by
different circumstances and situations.
1. A. distinguish B. converge C. vary D. differentiate
2. A. denote B. resolve C. inflict D. determine
3. A. account B. means C. token D. event
4. A. mould B. design C. conceive D. fabricate
5. A. states B. instants C. stages D. terms
6. A. factors B. traits C. items D. breeds
7. A. scope B. area C. extent D. length
8. A. pertain B. recognize C. associate D. identify
9. A. stem B. relate C. rise D. formulate
10. A. breeding B. rearing C. growing D. yielding
11. A. makes B. does C. finds D. plays
12. A. comfort B. pledge C. aquiesce D. obey
13. A. yearn B. deserve C. wish D. necessitate
14. A. underacts B. undertakes C. undergoes D. underlies
15. A. practicable B. feasible C. subject D. potential

II. Fill each gap in the passage below with ONE appropriate word. (15 pts)
People around the world dance for different reasons and in different ways.
Some dances can express (1. _emotions__) like sadness, anger, or joy. Other
dances can tell a story.

Page 9 of 17
 In some cultures a shaman, or healer, might dance to (2. _cure__) an illness.
Some societies use dance to reach a state of trance so the (3. _dancers_) can
perform acts of strength or courage, such as dancing on hot coals.
Dance probably has been (4. _around_) about as long as people have. Cave
paintings thousands of years old show what look (5. _like_) dancing figures.
Dancers appear in the art of (6. _ancient_) Egypt and Greece. Through dance,
societies (7. _asked__) their gods for good crops or bravery in battle.
Hundreds of years ago the Christian church frowned on dancing. But
farmers and villagers still danced for fun. Many of these dances developed into
folk dances. Ballet grew out of dances at the (8. _royal_) courts of France and Italy
in the 1500s and 1600s.
Drama, acrobatics, and music are (9. _combined_) with dance in many
cultures. People added make-up, costumes, and masks to turn dance into theater.
These performances tell a story using (10. _movements_) rather than words.

III. Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct
answer to each of the questions from 1 to 10. (15 p)

Line
If food is allowed to stand for some time, it putrefies. When the
putrefied material is examined microscopically, it is found to be teeming
with bacteria. Where do these bacteria come from, since they are not seen in
fresh food? Even until the mid-nineteenth century, many people believed
5 that such microorganisms originated by spontaneous generation, a
hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonliving
matter.
The most powerful opponent of the theory of spontaneous generation
was the French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895).
10 Pasteur showed that structures present in air closely resemble the
microorganisms seen in putrefying materials. He did this by passing air
through guncotton filters, the fibers of which stop solid particles. After the

Page 10 of 17
 guncotton was dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and ether, the particles that
it had trapped fell to the bottom of the liquid and were examined on a
15 microscope slide. Pasteur found that in ordinary air these exists a variety of
solid structures ranging in size from 0.01 mm to more than 1.0 mm. Many
of these bodies resembled the reproductive structures of common molds,
single-celled animals, and various other microbial cells.
As many as 20 to 30 of them were found in fifteen liters of ordinary air,
20 and they could not be distinguished from the organisms found in much
larger numbers in putrefying materials. Pasteur concluded that the organisms
found in putrefying materials originated from the organized bodies present
in the air. He postulated that these bodies are constantly being deposited on
all objects.
25 Pasteur showed that if a nutrient solution was sealed in a glass flask and
heated to boiling to destroy all the living organisms contaminating it, it
never putrefied. The proponents of spontaneous generation declared that
fresh air was necessary for spontaneous generation and that the air inside the
sealed flask was affected in some way by heating so that it would no longer
30 support spontaneous generation. Pasteur constructed a swan-necked flask in
which putrefying materials could he heated to boiling, but air could reenter.
The bends in the neck prevented microorganisms from getting in the flask.
Material sterilized in such a flask did not putrefy.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Pasteur’s influence on the development of the microscope.

B. The origin of the theory of spontaneous generation .

C. The effects of pasteurization on food.

D. Pasteur’s argument against the theory of spontaneous generation .

2. The phrase “teeming with ”in line 2 is closest in meaning to

A. full of B. developing into C. resistant to D. hurt by

Page 11 of 17
3. Which of the following questions did the theory of spontaneous generation
attempt to answer?

A. What is the origin of the living organisms are seen on some food?

B. How many types of organisms can be found on food?

C. What is the most effective way to prepare living organisms for

microscopic examination?

D. How long can food stand before it putrefies?

4. The purpose of the “guncotton” mentioned in paragraph 2 was to

A. trap particles for analysis

B. slow the process of putrefaction

C. increase the airflow to the microscopic slide

D. aid the mixing of alcohol and ether

5. The author mention “1.0 mm” in line 16 in describing the

A. thickness of a layer of organisms that was deposited on an object

B. diameter of the fibers that were in the guncotton filters

C. thickness of the microscope slides that were used

D. size of the particles that that were collected

6. The word “postulated” in line 23 is closest in meaning to

A. analyzed B. doubted C. persuaded D. suggested

7. The objects that Pasteur removed from the air in his experiment were
remarkable because they were

A. primarily single-celled organisms

B. no different from objects found in putrefying materials

C. fairly rare

D. able to live in a mixture of alcohol and ether

8. The word “it” in line 22 refers to

A. a nutrient solution B. a glass flask

Page 12 of 17
 C. boiling D. spontaneous generation

9. According to paragraph 3,proponents of spontaneous generation believed that

which of the following was important for the process to succeed ?

A. A sealed container B. Fresh air

C. Heat D. The presence of nutrients

10. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that Pasteur employed a swam-necked flask
to

A. store sterilized liquids for use in future experiments

B. prevent heat from building up in a solution

C. disprove a criticism of his conclusions

D. estimate the number of organisms in a liter of air

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

IV. Read the passage and answer the questions below (15 p)

1 The earliest stage of writing is called pre-writing or proto-literacy, and

depends on direct representation of objects, rather than representing them with
letters or other symbols. Evidence for this stage, in the form of rock and cave
paintings, dates back to about 15,000 years ago, although the exact dates are
debatable. This kind of proto-literate cave painting  has been found in Europe, with
the best know examples in South- Western France, but also in Africa and on parts
of the American continent. These petrographs (pictures on rock) show typical
scenes of the period, and include representations of people, animals and activities.
Most are astonishingly beautiful, with a vibrancy and immediacy that we still
recognise today. They are painted with pigments made from natural materials
including crushed stones and minerals, animal products such as blood, ashes, plant
materials of all kinds, and they produce a wide range of colours and hues.

2 Why did ancient people put such effort into making them? Various theories
have been put forward, but the most compelling include the idea that the pictures
were records of heroic deeds or important events, that they were part of magical

Page 13 of 17
ceremonies, or that they were a form of primitive calendar, recording the changes
in the seasons as to why man started to write.

3 A related theory suggests that the need for writing arose thereafter from the
transactions and bartering that went on. In parts of what is now Iraq and Iran, small
pieces of fired earth-pottery- have been found which appear to have been used as
tokens to a casino, or money, today. Eventually, when the tokens themselves
became too numerous to handle easily, representations of the tokens were inscribed
on clay tablets.

4 An early form of writing is the use of pictograms, which are pictures used to
communicate.Pictograms have been found from almost every part of the world and
every era of development, and are still in use in primitive communities nowadays.
They represent objects, ideas or concepts more or less directly. They tend to be
simple in the sense that they are not a complex or full picture, although they are
impressively difficult to interpret to an outsider unfamiliar with their iconography,
which tends to be localised and to differ widely form society to society. They were
never intended to be a detailed testimony which could be interpreted by outsiders,
but to serve instead as aide- memoires to the author, rather as we might keep a
diary in a personal shorthand. However, some modern pictograms are more or less
universally recognised, such as the signs which indicate men’s and women’s
toilets, or road signs, which tend to be very similar throughout the world.  

5 The first pictograms that we know of are Sumerian in origin, and date to about
8000 BC. They show how images used to represent concrete objects could be
expanded to include abstractions by adding symbols together, or using associated
symbols. One Sumerian pictogram, for example, indicates ‘death’ by combining
the symbols for ‘man’ and ‘winter’; another shows ‘power’ with the symbol for a
man with the hands enlarged.

6 By about 5,000 years ago, Sumerian pictograms had spread to other areas,
and the Sumerians had made a major advance towards modern writing with the
development of the rebus principle, which meant that symbols could be used to
indicate sounds. This was done by using a particular symbol not only for the thing
it originally represented, but also for any thing which was pronounced in a similar
way. So the pictogram for na (meaning ‘animal’) could also be used to mean ‘old’
(which was also pronounced na). The specific meaning of the pictogram (whether
na meant ‘old’ or ‘animal’) could only be decided through its context.

Question 1-6: This Reading Passage has seven paragraphs (1-6). Choose the
most suitable headings for paragraphs 1-6 from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate letters A-G in the corresponding numbered boxes.

Page 14 of 17
N.B. There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.
List of headings

A      Magic and Heroes B      Doing Business

C      Early Developments D     Sounds and Symbols
E     Images on Stone F     Stories and Seasons
G    A Personal Record                                            

1  Paragraph  1: _____ 2  Paragraph  2: _____ 3  Paragraph  3: _____

4  Paragraph  4: _____ 5   Paragraph 5: _____ 6  Paragraph  6: _____

 
Question 7-10: Complete the following notes using ONE or TWO WORDS
from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes.

Notes on the Development of Writing

First stage of writing - pre-writing or proto-literacy - very old- 15,000 years.

Evidence: cave and rock paintings. Famous example- …………………….(7).
Reasons for development of writing: primitive ceremonies, recording events,
…………………….(8), used on pottery to represent bartered objects. Next stage:
simple pictograms- pictures used to represent articles and…………………….(9).
Very simple drawings (but very difficult to understand). Then - 8000 BC –
combined………………(10) to create new concepts (eg. Man + winter = death).
After this - started using same pictogram for different words with sames sound,
very important step.
Your answers:

7. 8. 9. 10.

PART D. WRITING (40 p)

I. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same
as the sentence printed before it. (7.5p)

1. I won’t go all that way to visit him again on any account!

Page 15 of 17
On no account ___________________________________________________
2. I wasn’t surprised when they refused to pay me.
As I had expected, they ________
3. We have credited the money to your current account at this bank.
We have placed __the money to the credit of your ____
4. Your silly questions distracted me.
You drove _me to distraction
5. Edward eventually organised himself and started work.
Edward eventually got his __act together__

II. Use the word given in bold and make any necessary additions to write a
new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the
original sentence. Do not change the form of the given word. (7.5p)

1. I don’t think this record will ever be popular. (CATCH)

.............................................................................................

2. Mike is never reluctant to make tough decisions as a manager. (SHRINKS)

...Mike never shrinks from making ....

3. You can’t possibly expect me to have supper ready by eight o’clock. (QUESTION)

..It’s out of the question for me to....

4. It is my opinion that there is no advantage in further discussion. (SEE)

..I see no point in further discussion...

5. Please excuse Jane’s poor typing: she’s only been learning for a month.

( ALLOWANCES)

.............................................................................................

III. Paragraph writing (25 p)

Page 16 of 17
 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “iPads provide
plenty of ways for teachers and students to enrich their lessons and ultimately
to increase the quality of education.”
Write a paragraph of about 150 words to support your position (and do not
include your personal information).
.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

-THE END -

Page 17 of 17