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BLOGCHUYENANH@WORDPRESSSIMULATION EXAM

K Ỳ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA THPTNĂM 2015 

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH Thờ i gian thi: 180 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)Ngày thi: 21/12/2014

Đề thi có 10 trang

· Thí sinh không đượ c sử  dụng tài liệu, kể cả từ  điển.

· Giám th ị  không giải thích gì thêm. ___________________________________________________________________________

I. LISTENING (50 points)

HƯỚNG DẪN PHẦN THI NGHE HIỂU·  Bài nghe gồm 4 phần, mỗ i phần đượ c nghe 2 lần, mỗ i lần cách nhau 15 giây, mở  đầu và k ế t thúc mỗ i phần thi

nghe có tín hiệu. ·  M ở  đầu và k ế t thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc. Thí sinh có 3 phút để  hoàn chỉnh bài trướ c tín hiệu nhạc k ế t 

thúc bài nghe. 

·  M ọi hướ ng d ẫ n cho thí sinh (bằ ng tiếng Anh) đã có trong bài nghe.

Part 1: For questions 1–5, listen to a radio news bulletin about dogs and decide whether the following

statements are true (T) or false (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.

1. In French advertisements, dogs are being used in lieu of human models.2. Parisian dog-owners take their pets for beauty treatments.3. The popularity of a film is instrumental in the appetite for dogs as models.4. French people are well-known to be dog-lovers.5. The bulletin is aimed at amusing its audience.

Your answers

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2: For questions 6–15, listen to a piece of news from the BBC about technology development in NewYork and fill in the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording foreach answer in the spaces provided.

· The project New York Wi-fi Orchestra:o aims at connecting various people as well as turning New York into an unparalleled, outlandish

(6)____________________.o successful mainly due to free access to municipal wi-fi.o inspires New York government to plan a project to provide high speed wireless connection across the

(7)____________________.

· 2015: the introduction of a new product that is capable of o displaying advertisements.o

allowing people to (8)____________________________, find their best route, and even make free phone call.· The grand plan is also expected to play a role in (9)_____________________ the Big Apple producing the gigabitnetwork.

· The authority is also working with the (10)______________________ of specialist companies including New YorkControl Group that invents the (11)____________________ used in the project.

· Despite this good newso New Yorkers seem to be of concern regarding how good the speed and coverage will be in some areas.o people with less (12)____________________ might not be interested in the project.o those that are not living within New York wouldn’t be happy.

· The new system also contributes to address the (13)____________________.o  A lot of (14)____________________ will be able to make use of a bigger data plan.o It is hoped that the project will make New York become the most (15)___________________ city in the world.

Part 3: For questions 16–20, listen to a part of a lecture about farming practices and complete the notes withthe missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer inthe spaces prov ided.

Problems:

· (16)____________________

· pollution from various sources, including chemical fertilisers

SỐ PHÁCH

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Conventional farming methods Organic farming methods

· (17)___________________

· synthetic fertiliser & chemicals used for (18)___________________

· genetically-modified seeds

· pesticide & fungicide sprayed on crops after picking

· no need for documentation of production practices

· (19)___________________

· covering crops

· use of insects as natural (20)___________________

· addition of manure & green waste

Part 4: For questions 21–25, listen to two academics called John Farrendale and Lois Granger taking part in adiscussion on the subject of attitudes to work and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) according to whatyou hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.

21. Lois concurred with John’s viewpoint that _______. A. most people tremble at the prospect of unemploymentB. problems surface when unemployment coincides with other harrowing eventsC. some people are better equipped to tackle unemployment than othersD. the psychological effects of unemployment can be overplayed

22. Lois agrees with the listener who insinuated that _______. A. not everybody can expect a high level of job satisfactionB. people should make provisions for redundancy as they would for retirementC. voluntary work may be more gratifying than paid work

D. work is only one facet of a contented life23. What is John’s outlook on people who deem work as a ‘means to an end’? A. He defers to the fact that they have chosen a viable alternative.B. He feels they may be missing out on something important.C. He is inclined to think it will instigate predicaments for them later.D. He suspects their level of allegiance to the job.

24. On being asked about so-called ‘slackers’ at work, John points out that _______. A. people often jump to uncalled-for conclusions about themB. such a perspective has become progressively beyond the paleC. their stances are deplorable in a free labour marketD. they accept the notion that work is a necessary evil

25. Lois quotes the psychologist Freud in such a way as to _______. A. dispute that an aspiration to work is understandable

B. lend weight to John’s concepts about increased social mobilityC. provide a dissimilitude to the hypothesis of Bertrand RussellD. substantiate how erudite postulations have shifted over time

Your answers

21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)

Part 1: Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) to each of the following questions and write your answers (A,B, C or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes.

26. Little did I imagine The Amazing Race would entail long-winded journeys and ups and downs _______.

 A. aplenty B. inexhaustibly C. profusely D. superabundant27. It stands to reason that a touch of humour and optimism can work _______.

 A. on all cylinders B. spectacles C. wonders D. your fingers to the bone28. I admit that I am late for the conference, but by _______ of excuse let me explain: my plane was delayed for 6

hours in Hanoi. A. courtesy B. dint C. means D. way

29. A lot of criticism and scorn has been heaped _______ his options. A. above B. beyond C. on D. up

30. At first, she was _______ dumbfounded to hear that he wanted to break up, and then came the stirrings of auto-hypnotic perturbation. A. exceedingly B. out-and-out C. somewhat D. utterly

31. What stands out from The Voice Kids is that many young children are _______ with natural talent for music. A. bestowed B. conferred C. endowed D. vouchsafed

32. With the economic situation looming large, many families find it difficult to rear their _______. A. descendant B. lineage C. offspring D. successor

33. Researchers have made a(n) _______ plea for more sponsorship so that they can continue their project. A. compassionate B. dispassionate C. encompassed D. impassioned

34. That Mary is an _______ liar: you must take what she says with a small grain of salt. A. incorrigible B. incurable C. irredeemable D. irremediable

35. Unanswered, the demands for nuclear deterrents have _______ fears of civil war. A. flashed up B. prognosticated C. sidetracked D. stoked up

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Your answers

0. under with  50. 51. 52.

53. 54. 55.

III. READING (50 points)

Part 1: For questions 56–65, read the following passages and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fitseach gap. Write your answers (A, B, C or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes.

BEHIND THE SCENE

Television viewers imagine that a TV news station is a calm and well-organised place to work. Quite the contrary. Theplace is in perpetual (56)_______ as everyone runs around getting things sorted out before the programme isbroadcast. The main person is the editor who, like on a newspaper, has to decide which stories to cover in the halfhour or so that the programme is scheduled to run. Many a time (57)_______ a story which was to run on theprogramme dropped at the last minute as more important news arrives. Only by frantic down-(58)_______ some of thelonger stories can staff writers fit into the few minutes or even seconds that have been allocated for them. Theprogramme’s presenters are being made up in the dressing room, but even they can’t relax: before they go in front ofthe camera, they have to go over their scripts and make changes as new stories are sent in from all over the world.Meanwhile, outside the station, news reporters around the world are on (59)_______ waiting to see if their stories willbe on that evening’s programme, or if they’ll have their slot cancelled, with all of their hard work (60)_______.

56. A. mayhem B. pandemonium C. turmoil D. uproar57. A. are B. is C. that D. when58. A. amending B. editing C. emending D. modifying59. A. a razor edge B. a shoestring C. sufferance D. tenterhooks60. A. gone to waste B. laid to waste C. wasted away D. wasted their breath

HIGGS BOSON

July 4th is fairly (61)_______ the celebration of American independence. However, it is also now the day on which an

announcement of monumental significance was made by scientists at CERN, whose work at the Large HadronCollider has finally (62)_______ statistically significant proof of the existence of the Higgs Boson – the particle thatrepresents the missing piece in the puzzle that is how our universe (63)_______ into being. What was once anexclusive conversation piece of those heavily involved in particle physics, the Higgs Boson became hot (64)_______talk following the release of a series of Hollywood movies based loosely around the discovery of a so-called ‘God

Particle’, which, without wanting to be too crude about it, the Higgs Boson basically is. Mass media, therefore, gave itwidespread coverage and has (65)_______ the praises of it as possible the most significant scientific breakthrough ofour time. Arguably, it brings an end to the long-running debate about how the universe began.

61. A. analogous to B. commensurate with C. synonymous with D. tantamount to62. A. capitulated B. handed over C. paid off D. yielded63. A. emanated B. materialised C. proliferated D. sprang64. A. backdrop B. forum C. framework D. table65. A. chanted B. intoned C. sung D. warbled

Your answers

56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

61. 62. 63. 64. 65.

Part 2: For questions 66–77, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only ONEword in each gap. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. There is an example at thebeginning (0).

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?

 At some time or another, each and (0)_______ young person must provide themselves with the necessary skills –“What can I do with my life?” It seems easy to (66)_______ the big question down into a few smaller ones. Forexample, “Where do I want to live?” “How much time can I (67)_______ myself over to achieving my goals?” or “Whatkind of qualifications will I need to acquire?” But two of paramount (68)_______ are “What are my interests?” and“What are my strengths?”

When you start to make (69)_______ for interests and strengths, it makes sense to consider the (70)_______ first. After all, a successful career is best measured in how satisfying you find (71)_______, and it’s easier to developstrengths and skills than to actually have to force yourself (72)_______ loving what you’re supposed to do.

You’ve probably thought a lot about what you like and don’t like, and what kinds of jobs would (73)_______ yourinterest. But the more clearly you (74)_______ out those interests, the closer you’ll be to (75)_______ smart careerchoices. You may find, for instance, that you hadn’t been (76)_______ of the fact that a lot of your experiences andchoices up to now apply them to the job market.

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If you’re still in high school, your school’s guidance counsellors will also chat with you about getting to know yourinterests and strengths better, and will be able to indicate particular interests that could be (77)_______ to specificcareers.

Your answers

0. every 66. 67. 68. 69.

70. 71. 72. 73.

74. 75. 76. 77.

Part 3: For questions 78–83, choose the best phrase or sentence A–I given below the text to fill each of theblanks in the following text. Write one letter (A–I) in corresponding numbered boxes. THREE of the suggestedanswers do NOT fit at all.

CONCERT REVIEW

In a fickle world, one certainty remains. This is the time of year that Eric Clapton returns to the Albert Hall for a dozenlive shows sold out months beforehand. (78)_______. It could easily become a cosy ritual, an annual report from thatever-reliable trading, company, Clapton PLC. (79)_______. It began as expected, then developed into anextraordinary, emotional blend of the tragic and triumphant.

He and his band strolled on in immaculate grey suits and buttoned-up shirts, with only the dark granny glasses ofpercussionist Hay Cooper providing a clue that this wasn’t a meeting or smart city executives. (80)_______. Not greatsongs, any of them, but the playing was tight and the guitar solos as effortless and perfectly crafted as ever.

(81)_______. Clapton has had more publicity for his painful private life than his music since he last played here, as heacknowledged with three songs about the death of his four-year-old son.

‘My Father’s Eyes’ had speed, attack and melody that was almost welcome as defence against the anguished,thoughtful lyrics. (82)_______. His finger-picking was rolling and slick, now with a Spanish edge, but the lyrics of ‘TheCircus Left Town’ were at times almost unbearably painful. This wasn’t a blues but a lament with the personal heartfeltintensity of a great blues, and it quite literally reduced some of the audience to tears. (83)_______.

 A. But then he sat down and switched to acoustic guitarB. They kicked off with a trio of bluesy pieces from the ‘89 album, Journeyman C. ‘Tears In Heaven’ had much the same effect

D. Ticket touts line the entrances, and ‘Crossroads’ is the encoreE. What a change from those wild days of the sixtiesF. But the first night this year was brilliantly vividG. In fact, it’s one of my favourite songsH. Suddenly, the noisily soporific, case-going mood changedI. Finally, the much-anticipated gig could go down after several scandals about the firm

Your answers

78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83.

Part 4: Read the following passage and answer the questi ons 84–95.

THE BIRTH OF SUBURBIA

 A. There is no single pivotal moment that could be separated out from any other as the conception of the suburbanlifestyle; from the early 1800s, various types of suburban development have sprung up and evolved in their ownlocalised ways, from the streetcar suburbs of New York to the dormitory towns outside of London. It is WilliamLevitt, however, who is generally regarded as the father of modern suburbia. During World War II, Levitt served inthe United States Navy where he developed expertise in the mass construction of military housing, a process thathe streamlined using uniform and interchangeable parts. In 1947, the budding developer used this utilitarianknowledge to begin work with his father and architect brother constructing a planned community on Long Island,New York. With an emphasis on speed, efficiency, and cost-effective production, the Levitts were soon able toproduce over 30 units a day.

B. William Levitt correctly predicted the demand for affordable, private, quiet, and comfortable homes from returningGls after World War II and with the baby boom starting to kick in. All the original lots sold out in a matter of days,and by 1951, nearly 18,000 homes in the area had been constructed by the Levitt & Sons Company. Levittownquickly became the prototype of mass-produced housing, spurring the construction of similar projects inPennsylvania, New Jersey, and even Puerto Rico, followed by a new industry, and soon a new way of life and anew ideal for the American family.

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C. One of the major criticisms of suburbia is that it can lead to isolation and social dislocation. With properties spreadout over great swathes of land, sealed off from one another by bushes, fences and trees, the emphasis ofsuburban life is placed squarely on privacy rather than community. In the densely populated urban settlementsthat predated suburbs (and that are still the foremost way of life for some people), activities such as childcare andhousehold chores as well as sources of emotional and moral support were widely socialised. This insured that anyone family would be able to draw on a pool of social resources from their neighbours, building cohabitants andfamily on nearby streets. Suburbia breaks these networks down into individual and nuclear family units resulting inan increase in anti-social behaviour even amongst the wealthy. Teens from wealthy suburban families, forexample, are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and use drugs than their poorer urban peers, and are also more

likely to experience depression and anxiety.

D. Another major problem with the suburban lifestyle is its damaging ecological impact. The comparison of leafy,quiet, and low-density suburbs with life in the concrete towers of sooty, congested urban conurbations is actuallyquite misleading; as it turns out, if you want to be kind to the natural environment, the key is to stay away from it.Suburbia fails the environmental friendliness test on a number of counts. Firstly, due to their low populationdensity, suburbs consume natural land at a much higher rate than high-density row housing or apartmentbuildings. Secondly, they encourage the use of personal motor vehicles, often at a rate of one per family member,at the expense of public transport. It is also much less efficient to provide electricity and water to individualsuburban houses instead of individual units in an apartment building. In his comparison of urban and suburbanpollution, Edward L. Glaeser concluded that we need to “build more sky towers – especially in California”. Virtuallyeverywhere, he found cities to be cleaner than suburbs. And the difference in carbon dioxide emissions betweenhigh-density cities and their suburbs (for example, in New York) was the highest. Urban residents of New York can

claim on average to produce nearly 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide less than their suburban peers.

E.  Another negative aspect of suburban life is its stifling conformity and monotony of social experience. It was not just the nuts and bolts and the concrete foundations of suburban houses that got replicated street upon street,block upon block, and suburb upon suburb; it was everything from the shops and cultural life to people’s hopes,dreams, and aspirations. Suburbia gave birth to the “strip mall”, a retail establishment that is typically composed ofa collection of national or global chain stores, all stocked with a centrally dictated, homogenous array of products.The isolation and lack of interaction in suburbs has also encouraged the popularity of television, a passivelyreceptive medium for the viewer that, in the early days at least, offered an extremely limited scope of culturalexposure compared with the wealth of experiences available in the inner city. Meanwhile, much of the inner-city“public sphere” has been lost with suburban flight. The public sphere is the area of social life in which peoplecome together to freely discuss and identify social problems. In the city, this has traditionally occurred aroundnewsstands, in coffee houses, salons, theatres, meeting halls, and so on. Suburbia has not found a way to

replace this special type of social experience, however. Social meeting points in the suburbs tend to be basedexclusively around specific interests such as sports or cultural clubs, with no broad forms of daily socialinteraction.

F. These points do not suggest the idea of suburbia itself is flawed, but that it has not been executed in a way thattakes into account the full spectrum of human needs and desires. This likely reflects the hasty, thrown-togethernature of early suburban development. With the baby boom rippling across Western countries and demand forfamily-friendly housing skyrocketing, developers and city planners were unable to develop sophisticated models.Now, however, we should take time to consider what has gone wrong and how we can reconfigure the suburb.How can we imbue suburban life with the lost sphere of public discussion and debate? How can people maintaintheir sought-after privacy without sacrificing a sense of community? How can we use new technologies to makesuburbs environmentally friendly? These are questions for which the developers of tomorrow will have to findanswers in case the dream of suburbia becomes the nightmare of disturbia.

For questions 84–88, locate the paragraph in which the following information is mentioned. Write the letter ofeach paragraph in the corresponding boxes.

84. A motive in constructing taller buildings85. Where people might discuss issues of societal concern in urban locations86. The founder of what is broadly understood as contemporary ‘suburbs’87. Examples of problems suffered by the youth that suburban lifestyle can make worse88. A model for suburban development in the latter half of the 20

th century

Your answers

84. 85. 86. 87. 88.

For questions 89–95, decide whether each of the following statements is:

T if the statement agrees with the information orF if the statement contradicts the information orNG if there is no information on this

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89. A good principle for ecological preservation is to avoid human interference.90. In some countries, suburbs are more environmentally friendly than in the USA.91. Suburban development fosters the use of both public and private forms of transport.92. People cannot relate to each other in suburbs because their lives are too different.93. There is not much variety amongst the goods at a strip mall.94. Television bas not tended to offer the same diversity as urban cultural outlets.95. There are no ways for people to get together and interact in suburbs.

Your answers

89. 90. 91. 92.

93. 94. 95.

Part 5: Read the following artic le and answer the questions 96–105.

For questions 96–101, choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) according to the text. Write your answers (A, B,C or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes.

96. In the first paragraph, the writer is in dispute with scientists who _______. A. are of the opinion that it’s nugatory to take issue with assertions made by alternative medicineB. continue to write alternative medicine off as insignificantC. have themselves espoused the notion of alternative medicineD. use pejorative language when alluding to alternative medicine

97. What point does the writer make about scientific discourses on blogs? A. It has emboldened people to become too heartfelt about scientific bones of contention.B. It has had a propensity to give too much credence to unscientific hypotheses.C. It has insinuated more laypeople are partaking in scientific debates.D. It has undermined the position of those who would endorse science.

98. The quote from Fahad Manjoo elucidates the point that the Internet _______. A. beguiles people with very fixed convictionsB. can reinforce people’s existing ideologies and prejudicesC. enables people to check out the facts behind established theoriesD. prompts people to take the beliefs of others more seriously

99. The writer insinuates that proponents of discredited ideas in alternative medicines _______. A. are not always consistent in the arguments they bring forwardB. are of the view that they are treated inequitably by the scientific circleC. incline to disregard the antithetical corroboration provided by scientistsD. remain keen to secure the approval of the scientific community

100. The writer refers to the work of Cole Campbell to substantiate his view that _______. A. certain groups of people will never be convinced by scientific theoriesB. cogent arguments have the power to change people’s opinionsC. scientists themselves can learn from sophisticated wrangles with laypeopleD. there are very few absolute truths in the world of science

101. In the final paragraph, the writer accentuates the need for pro-scientists to _______. A. associate any deliberations on the internet with pertinent research particularsB. elude getting into heated tempestuous discussions with non-scientists on the internetC. follow up vigorous discussions on the internet with authorised proceedings

D. maintain the integrity and exposure of scientific stances on the internetYour answers

96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101.

For quest ions 102–105, complete the following sentences. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from thepassage for each answer. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered spaces.

102. The profession of complementary medicine that erstwhile disseminated ________________________________is currently given credence to as conformist.

103. The scientific illumination undertaking can be countervailing in the case of exposing ______________________to those who have dedicated themselves to a specific stance or have unwonted perceptions.

104. Penetrable as the cut-off point between conventional and non-standard conceptions may have become, society

has not been primed for ______________________________.105. ______________________________, an adaptable and unconventional environment which pro-scientists are

encouraged to scrutinise, makes the project more propitious.

Your answers

102. 103. 104. 105.

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IV. WRITING (50 points )

Part 1: Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such away that it is similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the wordgiven. You must use between THREE and EIGHT words, including the word given. There is an example at thebeginning (0).

0. The company’s profits appear to be improving significantly this year. (evidence)The company’s profits show evidence of signifi cant improvement this year.

1. Although the signs are optimistic, there are imminent dark clouds. (teeth)On the  _______________________________________________________________________ optimistic signs.

2. It is recommended that you take water with you as wells are few and far between in this area. (lest)Travellers to this area are advised to carry water ____________________________________________ ground.

3. Getting to work should be much easier once the new underground line is ready. (commuting)The new underground line ______________________________________________________________ sailing.

4. We only ingratiated ourselves with our teacher because Kate insisted. (curried)It was ___________________________________________________________________________ our teacher.

5. Nobody expected it of him but Sam was laid off. (ranks) Against ________________________________________________________________________ unemployed.

Part 2: The table and charts below provide information about the destinations and employment of UK first

degree holders.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons whererelevant. Write at least 150 words. 

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Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 words to express your opinion on the following statement:

“Working conditions will be much better in the future since everything will be controlled bycomputers. A lot more people will be working from home, communicating with their office and othercolleagues via their computers.”

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