PHÒNG GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI CẤP TỈNH THCS

TẠO HUYỆN TRIỆU PHONG Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH -

Thời gian làm bài: 150 phút, không kể thời gian giao đề
ĐỀ THI KHẢO SÁT

SECTION A. LISTENING (5.0 points)

Part 1. For each question, choose the correct answer.
You will hear a radio interview with a young clothes designer called Sally.
1. What did Sally want to do when she was 19?
A. become a cartoonist
B.be a successful artist
C. work as a fashion designer
2. Why couldn’t Sally sell her paintings?
A. Only people close to her enjoyed them.
B. She didn’t have enough time to make any good ones.
C. Not enough people say them.
3. While working at the clothes shop Sally
A. realised she needed a change of career.
B. decided to change her style completely.
C. gained some useful knowledge.
4. How did Sally first start as a designer?
A. She began designing for fun.
B. She knew the right people to help her out.
C. Her boss asked her to make some designs.
5. How does Sally feel about designing clothes for men?
A. She has mixed feelings.
B. She is not very interested.
C. She is very worried.
6. What does Sally like most about being a designer?
A. getting lots of new clothes
B. seeing her designs in the shops
C. earning a high salary

Answers: (0.2/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

PART 2: For each question, write the correct answer in the gap. Write one or two words or a
number or a date or a time.
You will hear an announcement at a fitness centre.
Fitness week
Anyone who would like to become healthier and learn new things should (1) ………………… for
this course.
All new members must have with them trainers, a tracksuit, shorts and T-shirts as well as a(n) (2)
………………… .
After answering some questions, specific targets will be set according to the members’ (3)
………………… .
Every morning a(n) (4) ………………… will keep an eye on new members exercising.
At the end of the week, members will be told (5) ………………… so as not to gain back the weight
they’ve lost.
For the next 48 hours, there’s a sale on: you can pay £ (6) ………………… for 7 days.

Answers: (0.2/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Part 3. Choose the correct letter A, B or C.

1. Why is Matthew considering a student work placement?
A. He was informed about an interesting vacancy.
B. He needs some extra income.
C. He wants to try out a career option.
2. Which part of the application process did Linda find most interesting?
A. The psychometric test.
B. The group activity.
C. The individual task.
3. During her work placement, Linda helped find ways to
A. speed up car assembly.
B. process waste materials.
C. calculate the cost of design faults.
4. Why did Linda find her work placement tiring?
A. She wasn’t used to full-time work.
B. The working hours were very long.
C. She felt she had to prove her worth.
5. What did Linda’s employers give her formal feedback on?
A. engineering ability
B. organisational skills
C. team working
6. What was the main benefit of Linda’s work placement?
A. Improved academic skills.
B. An offer of work.
C. The opportunity to use new software.

Answer: (0.2/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

PART 4: Complete the notes below.Write ONE WORD ONLY for each question.
The Gherkin Building
Commissioned by: (1)____________ firm called Foster and Partners.
The features of its appearence:
 Its shape is like a (2)______________.
 It can reduce the carbon footprint of the city.
 It lets (3) _____________pass through the building, both reducing heating costsand
brightening up the workspace.
 One false story claimes that the exterior of the building is partly made of 4) _____________ .

Architectural concept:
  links (5)_________ with the workplace.
 relies less on (6)____________ for temperature control than other similar buildings.

The future of urban planning and architecture:

 It is likely that the entire (7)______________will be disigned with more similarly eco-
friendly buildings in future.
 A new building will be constructed aiming to produce zero waste and remove carbon dioxide
from us as much as possible.
Answers: (0.2/each)
1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7.

SECTION B. GRAMMAR AND LEXICO (3.0 points)

Part 1. Circle the letter A, B, C or D before the word or phrase that best completes each
sentence or answers each question. (2.0 points)
1. Did you remember to pack your___________? Your grandmother won’t let you wear shoes
inside her house.
A. socks B. sandals C. boots D. slippers
2. Joe lives in the suburbs and spends a lot of time as a____________ on buses.
A. passenger B. volunteer C. participant D. benefactor
3. My grandfather has a(n) cottage with a magnificent view of the mountain. a. spacious b.
inhospitable c. absolute d. pale
4. Does he tell you how he is getting ______ his new friends?
A. on with B. on of C. away with D. out of
5. ______ parrots are native to tropical regions is untrue.
A. All B. Since all C. That all D. Why all
6. A bilingual dictionary is indispensable ______ foreign language advanced learners.
A. by B. in C. to D. with
7. I am very sorry; our shop is now out of ______.
A. date B. order C. question D. stock
8. The color is wonderful and the jacket fits like a ______ but it’s the price that puts me off buying
it.
A. glove B. shirt C. sock D. suit
9. Tom has decided to put down a deposit on ______.
A. a luxurious red electric car B. a red luxurious electric car
C. an electric luxurious red car D. an electric red luxurious car
10. Anne: Make yourself at home. - John: _____
A. Yes, can I help you B. Not at all. Don’t mention it
C. Thanks! Same to you D. That’s very kind. Thank you
Answers: (0.1/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10
Part 2. Find the mistake in each sentence below and correct it.
1. Your brother-in-law hardly goes to work by bus, doesn’t he?
2. They have carried out exhausting research into the effects of smart phones on schoolchildren’s
behaviour and their academic performance.
3. They’re going to get their house decorate for the May Day.
4. Michael, accompanied by his uncle, have gone fishing for 4 hours.
5. It is essential that the plan informs to everyone in the company in advance.
6. Publishing in the U.K, the book has won a number of awards in the recent regional book fairs.
7. It took them at least two months learning how to pronounce these words.
8. A five-thousand-dollars reward was offered for the capture of the escaped criminals.
9. He works much more hard for his exams than he does for his normal school work.
10. If you don't know what to operate the machine, you should read the instruction manual.

Answers: (0.1/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10

Part 3. Use the word in capitals at the end of each of the following sentences to form a word
that fits suitably in the blank.
1. He was found not guilty by reason of _______________ and so was sent SANE
to a mental institution rather than prison.
2. You’re acting completely _______________. Just calm down and pull RATIONAL
yourself together.
3. It’s absolutely _______________ why the council decided to close down EXPLAIN
the youth club.
4. The gold, silver and bronze _______________ took their places on the MEDAL
podium for the presentation ceremony.
5. I'm always on the ___________ for interesting new recipes. LOOK
6. Bad farming practices ___________ the soil. POOR
7. This is a story of a ___________ turned into a blessing. FORTUNATE
8. For some users, the situation has become so ______ that they regularly BEAR
delete all the emails they receive without even bothering to read them
9. I love the huge windows in your house. They make it so light and____ AIR
10. Mrs Naylor is retiring today after 25 years of ________service to the EXCEPTION
company
Answers: (0.1/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10

SECTION C. READING (5.0 points)

Part I. Read the following passage and circle the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct
word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
A new partnership
In 1884, a small engineering firm was (1) _________ in a part of Manchester. Its owner
had managed to complete only two years in formal education yet was still
successfully (2)_________ a business. In 1903, he bought his first car but it did not meet his
high (3)_________ and, being an engineer, he could not resist having a go at improving it. By the
following year he had designed a new car himself, and then started manufacturing this model. One
of his cars came to the (4)_________ of a wealthy car salesman from an aristocratic background. He
was greatly impressed by the car and a meeting was (5)_________ between the two of them at the
Midland Hotel in Manchester. The meeting was a success and the two men decided to go into
business together. The name of the manufacturer was Henry Royce and that of the wealthy
aristocrat, Charles Rolls – and so the world-famous brand, the luxurious Rolls-Royce,
was (6)_________ .
1. A settled B established C installed D found
2. A arranging B running C working D dealing
3. A standards B rates C levels D ranks
4. A attention B view C interest D attraction
5. A put out B turned up C taken out D set up
6. A brought B originated C discovered D born
Answer: (0.1/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

PART 2: Fill the gap with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the numbered spaces
provided.

EATING IN THE MODERN AGE

Eating in the industrialized world (1) ___________ changed quite significantly in recent decades
and it continues to be deeply affected by two apparently contradictory trends. The first is the
growing tendency to consume what is known (2) ___________ fast food. In the modern era, when
spare time is a rare commodity and convenience is the (3) ___________ desirable quality in any
product, fast food chains flourish, frozen and ready-made foods in the supermarket are consumed (4)
___________ alarming quantities, and people are growing fatter and falling victim to heart disease
more than ever before.
However, an opposing trend in the realm of food consumption is also discernible - the increasing
demand for healthier foods. Health experts and consumers are now realising the benefits of livestock
raised (5) ___________ the aid of hormones and crops grown without chemical fertilisers.
Unfortunately, the cost of organic foods is high, and so it is mainly the educated rich who consume
(6) ____________. This adds a demographic dimension to the problem of good health since, (7)
___________ and large, the health benefits of organic products are not available to those who might
need them most, namely the young and the elderly.

Answer: (0.1/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

PART 3: Read the passages and the questions. Then choose A, B, C, or D

that you think fits best according to the text. Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes.
Answer: (0.2/each)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

PART 4:

List of Headings
i An application of short codes on the TV screen
ii An overview of a fast-growing business
iii The trend that profitable games are gaining more concerns
iv A new perspective towards sharing the business opportunities
v Factors relevant to the rapid increase in interactive TV
vi The revenue gains and bonus share
vii The possibility of the complex technology replaced by the simpler ones
Example Answer
Section A ii

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3
below.
Texting the Television
A: ii
Once upon a time, if a television show with any self-respect wanted to target a young audience, it
needed to have an e-mail address. However, in Europe’s TV shows, such addresses are gradually
substituted by telephone numbers so that audiences can text the show from their mobile phones.
Therefore, it comes as no shock that according to Gartner’s research, texting has recently surpassed
Internet usage across Europe. Besides, among the many uses of text messaging, one of the fastest-
growing uses is to interact with television. The statistics provided by Gartner can display that 20%
of French teenagers, 11% in Britain and 9% in Germany have responded to TV programmes by
sending a text message.
B
This phenomenon can be largely attributed to the rapid growth of reality TV shows such as ‘Big
Brother’, where viewers get to decide the result through voting. The majority of reality shows are
now open to text-message voting, and in some shows like the latest series of Norway’s ‘Big
Brother’, most votes are collected in this manner. But TV-texting isn’t just about voting. News
shows encourage viewers to, comment by texting messages; game shows enable the audience to be
part of the competition; music shows answer requests by taking text messages; and broadcasters set
up on-screen chatrooms. TV audiences tend to sit on the sofa with their mobile phones right by their
sides, and ‘it’s a supernatural way to interact.’ says Adam Daum of Gartner.
C
Mobile service providers charge appreciable rates for messages to certain numbers, which is why
TV-texting can bring in a lot of cash. Take the latest British series of ‘Big Brother’ as an example. It
brought about 5.4m text-message votes and £1.35m ($2,1m) of profit. In Germany, MTV’s
‘Videoclash’ encourages the audience to vote for one of two rival videos, and induces up to 40,000
texts per hour, and each one of those texts costs €0.30 ($0.29), according to a consultancy based in
Amsterdam. The Belgian quiz show ‘1 Against 100’ had an eight-round texting match on the side,
which brought in 110,000 participants in one month, and each of them paid €0.50 for each question.
In Spain, a cryptic-crossword clue invites the audience to send their answers through text at the
expense of €1, so that they can be enrolled in the poll to win a €300 prize. Normally, 6,000 viewers
would participate within one day.
At the moment, TV-related text messaging takes up a considerable proportion of mobile service
providers’ data revenues. In July, Mm02 (a British operator) reported an unexpectedly satisfactory
result, which could be attributed to the massive text waves created by ‘Big Brother’. Providers
usually own 40%-50% of the profits from each text, and the rest is divided among the broadcaster,
the programme producer and the company which supplies the message-processing technology. So
far, revenues generated from text messages have been an indispensable part of the business model
for various shows. Obviously, there has been grumbling that the providers take too much of the
share. Endemol, the Netherlands-based production firm that is responsible for many reality TV,
shows including ‘Big Brother’, has begun constructing its own database for mobile-phone users. It
plans to set up a direct billing system with the users and bypass the providers.
D
How come the joining forces of television and text message turn out to be this successful? One
crucial aspect is the emergence of one-of-a-kind four-, five- or six-digit numbers known as ‘short
codes’. Every provider has control over its own short codes, but not until recently have they come to
realise that it would make much more sense to work together to offer short codes compatible with all
networks. The emergence of this universal short codes was a game-changer, because short codes are
much easier to remember on the screen, according to Lars Becker of Flytxt, a mobile-marketing
company.
E
Operators’ co-operation on enlarging the market is by a larger trend, observes Katrina Bond of
Analysis, a consultancy. When challenged by the dilemma between holding on tight to their margins
and permitting the emergence of a new medium, no provider has ever chosen the latter WAP, a
technology for mobile-phone users to read cut-down web pages on their screens, failed because of
service providers’ reluctance towards revenue sharing with content providers. Now that they’ve
learnt their lesson, they are altering the way of operating. Orange, a French operator, has come such
a long way as to launch a rate card for sharing revenue of text messages, a new level of transparency
that used to be unimaginable.
F
The triumph of TV-related texting reminds everyone in the business of how easily a fancy
technology can all of a sudden be replaced by a less complicated, lower-tech method. That being
said, the old-fashioned approach to interactive TV is not necessarily over; at least it proves that
strong demands for interactive services still exist. It appears that the viewers would sincerely like to
do more than simply staring at the TV screen. After all, couch potatoes would love some thumb
exercises.

Answer: (0.2/each)
0. A-ii 1. B - 2. C - 3. D - 4. E - 5. F -

PART 5: You are going to read an article about cycling. For questions 43-52, choose from the
cyclists (A-D). The cyclists may be chosen more than once.
When talking about their bike, which cyclist
1. accepts the need to wear uncomfortable safety equipment
2. advises people to make sure a new bike is comfortable to ride
3. believes that false information was given by the seller
4. disagrees with other people’s opinion of one of the bike’s features
5. hopes not to get caught in bad weather on the bike
6. feels that cycling is less frustrating than driving
7. finds some cycle journeys easier than others
8. feels that the bike matches the owner’s character
9. was once the victim of bike crime
10 was a professional cyclist for a short time

I love my bike
Four young Dubliners talk about the joys of cycling in the city
A. Erin
This old second-hand bike gets me from A to В all right because you don’t need flashy sets of gears
or anything like that in a city this size and it makes it less of a target for thieves. But having said
that, mine’s a very bright colour – it cheers me up, especially when I have to cycle home in the
pouring rain. I’ve always thought that the bike was a good reflection of the real me actually, and I
usually wear jeans when I’m cycling. I might need to rethink that though because I’ve just started
my own company, and my outlook on life has changed a little. There may be times when I need to
turn up looking a bit more elegant! I’d say to anyone thinking of getting a bike, make sure the
saddle’s right before you part with your money. If you’re going to use it a lot, you don’t want to get
sore.
В. Luke
I bought my bike from an Internet auction site and had to have it shipped from Germany in pieces. I
then paid to have it assembled here in Dublin – but it was worth it. I use it every day and tend to
wear everyday clothes and try and dodge the showers. I cycle all over the city because it’s much
quicker than walking and you don’t get snarled up in the traffic, which can be a pain in a motor
vehicle. At least on a bike you can keep moving. The only tip I’d give to novice cyclists round here
is keep a lookout for drivers turning left, it’s easy for them to miss you because you can see what
they’re doing but they can’t necessarily see you. I worked briefly as a cycle courier — delivering
letters and stuff. It was fun, but I wouldn’t recommend making a career out of it!
C. Claire
My parents picked this bike up for me in New York. It’s a red and black cruiser with a burger-
shaped bell — some of my friends think that’s a bit uncool, but I don’t really go along with that
idea. I’ve got two helmets, a summer and a winter version but I still get too hot on really sunny days.
Still, you can’t really do without one, can you? I cycle down to college in no time at all, but the
uphill trek home takes me around thirty-five minutes. I only take the bus if it’s wet. It’s quicker, but
on the bike I can make my own mind up about when I travel. I cycle in high heels, which you might
think would be tricky, but is actually easier than walking any distance in them. But I wouldn’t really
recommend them to other cyclists.
D. Kieran
My bike’s an early 1980s racer and I bought it off an old man who sells junk out of his garage. He
reckoned it had once belonged to a professional cycling champion, but I think he was making it up. I
was looking for old cameras, but when I saw it I couldn’t resist it. It did get stolen on one occasion,
but then later that week I saw someone riding it up my street. I grabbed him and gave him his taxi
fare home so that I could take it back. My advice to cyclists would be to wear fluorescent armbands,
especially at night or in poor weather conditions. They’re less uncomfortable than the waistcoats or
jackets in the same material. I’ve just invested in special raingear actually, but I don’t find it very
comfortable, to be honest, because as soon as the sun comes out, you feel overdressed.

SECTION D. WRITING (5 points)

Part I. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use no more than FIVE words.

5. I forgot his birthday last week and do not know how to make it up to him. (amends)
 I don’t know how _________________________________________ his birthday last week.

6. They have discovered some interesting pieces of information. (light)

 Some interesting pieces of information __________________________________________.

7. When they broke the news, Sally stayed perfectly calm and controlled. (hair)
 When they broke the news, ___________________________________________________.
Part II. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as
the sentence printed before it.

3. We regret to inform you that your application has not been successful.
 Much ___________________________________________________________________
4. The film didn't come up to my expectations.
The film fell ______________________________________________________________
5. We were surprised to learn that Brian had become a monk.
 It came __________________________________________________________________
6. They moved to this suburb in 1990.
 They have________________________________________________________________
8. I am sure he didn’t know that his mother was seriously ill.
 He couldn’t possibly _______________________________________________________

Part 3. (2.0 points) The internet has transformed the way

information is shared and consumed, but it has also created
problems that did not exist before. What are the most serious
problems associated with the internet and what solutions can you
suggest?
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