KÌ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI KHU VỰC MỞ RỘNG

NĂM HỌC 2011- 2012

MÔN THI: TIẾNG ANH
Ngày thi: 21 tháng 4 năm 2012
Part I. GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY
Question 1. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D in each sentence to complete it.
1. His answer was so confused that I could hardly make any ______ of it at all.
A. interpretation B. meaning C. intelligibility D. sense
2. The thought of living in another country has never ______ my mind.
A. crossed B. entered C. occurred to D. come
3. I was passing their house, so I ______ Claire and Michael.
A. dropped in B. came up with C. got on with D. run into
4. I don’t really ______ winter sport very much.
A. deal with B. face up to C. go in for D. get round to
5. Her mother’s illness cast a cloud ______ her wedding day.
A. over B. for C. in D. on
6. She did six hours’ ______ studying a day for her exam.
A. solid B. heavy C. strong D. big
7. No one liked the new lecturer, so there was a gradual ______ in the attendance of his lectures.
A. fall-through B. fall-out C. fall-off D. fall-in
8. I was talking to my aunt when suddenly my cousin Gorge ______ in our conversation.
A. interrupted B. broke C. went D. intervened
9. He has been unable to find a job ______ with his ability as an accountant.
A. appropriate B. suitable C. commensurate D. requisite
10. Don't count on him. He's liable to ______ out if things get too difficult.
A. let B. be C. opt D. stop
11. In this assignment, we will ______ your work and then give you detailed feedback on how
to improve your writing.
A. assess B. judge C. measure D. test
12. In a seminar or tutorial, everyone should take part rather than allow one person to ______
the discussion.
A. overwhelm B. dominate C. oppress D. empower
13. Many people were killed instantly at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but thousands more died
from ______ radiation sickness.
A. succeeding B. following C. subsequent D. afterwards
14. I’ll move ______ to achieve my goal.
A. heaven and earth B. mountains and seas
C. paradise and hell D. milky way and horizon
15. The 5% wage increases they propose are ______.
A. all for one B. by and large C. top to borrow D. across the board
16. Sarah: “I want you to give me some money” - Paul: “______”
A. Oh you want, do you? B. Oh you’d like, would you?
C. Oh, you give, do you? D. Oh you do, do you?
17. She often appears not to care about her work, but appearances can be ______.
A. cunning B. deceitful (dishonest) C. deceptive (misleading) D. insincere
18. As they watched the football match the huge crowd ______ in unison.
A. chanted B. intoned C. crowed D. bellowed
19. Nothing you say will make a ______ of difference to my decision.
A. fragment B. scrap C. gram D. grain
20. ______, Carol s very punctual, but she was late tonight.
A. For a rule B. Like a rule C. For a rule of thumb D. As a rule (usually but not
always)
Question 2: Fill in each blank in the sentences with a correct preposition or particle.
1. Jack didn’t expect to come up agaisnt______ such difficulties.
2. Make yourself a drink while I go and slip into something more comfortable. (thay đồ dễ chịu hơn)
3. The problem stems from ______ the government’s lack of action.
4. We put aside ______ a sum of money each month for our summer holidays.
5. “She says she’s going to become a medicine student”
- “Oh, don’t believe her. She’s having you on ______.
6. Don’t worry, he only makes ______ that he is such a strict teacher.
7. We were convinced Patrick would take aback ______ the moment we met him.
8. "I understand Diane lost her job." - "Yes, but she's actually better off ______."
9. Cottage is beautifully furnished and in ______ close proximity to the beach.
10. You look very terrible! What have you been getting ______ to?
Question 3: Give the correct form the word provided to fill each gap.
1. The people possess inviolable __________ rights. VIOLATE
2. Various malpractice _________ by police officers were brought to light by the enquiry. PRACTICE
3. Jim is one of the most outspoken____________ members of the committee. SPEAK
4. This is an original, but it’s a good by-product_____________. PRODUCE
5. The successful candidate will have superb leading _________ skills. LEAD
6. Kapo, the gorilla was born and bred in captivity __________. CAPTIVE
7. She may look fierce but the lioness has motherly _________ instincts like any other female animal.
MOTHER
8. The fish in the river provide an abundant________ supply of fish for the young bears. ABOUND
9. Nowadays only a handful ___________of wild crocodiles remain here. HAND
10. Patricia's skill in playing the piano is quite incomparable ____________. No other child in this
group can
play the difficult pieces with similar mastery. COMPARE
Question 4: Choose the best word(s) to fill in each blank in the following passage.
Traffic lights
The first traffic signal was invented by a railway signaling engineer. It was installed outside the
House of Parliament in 1868. It (1)___ like any railway signal of the time, and was operated by gas.
(2)___, it explored and killed a policeman, and the accident (3)___ further development until cars
became common.
Modern traffic lights are an American invention. Red-green systems were installed in Cleveland in
1914. Three-colour signals, operated (4)___ hand from a tower in the (5)___ of the street, were
installed in New York in 1918. The (6)___ lights of this type to appear in Britain were in London, on
the junction between St. Jam’s Street and Piccadilly, in 1925. Automatic signals were installed
(7)___ year later.
In the past, traffic lights were special. In New York, some lights had a statue on top. In Los Angeles
the lights did not just (8)___ silently, but would ring bells to (9)___ the sleeping motorists of the
1930s. These are gone and have been (10)___ by standard models which are universally adopted.
1. A. resembled B. seemed C. showed D. looked
2. A. Although B. However C. Therefore D. Despite
3. A. forbade B. disappointed C. discouraged D. avoided
4. A. through B. with C. by D. in
5. A. halfway B. heart C. focus D. middle
6. A. original B. first C. primary D. early
7. A. the B. in the C. in a D. a
8. A. vary B. alter C. change D. move
9. A. rise B. wake C. raise D. get up
10. A. reproduced B. replaced C. removed D. remained

Question 5: Fill in the blank with one suitable word. Write your answers in the numbered
blanks provided below.
If all countries had the same monetary units, a difficult problem of international trade would be
solved. One country’s money is not usually good in (1)_______, however, and it is necessary
to have a system for (2)_____ the currency of the buyer into (3)__________ of the seller.
Bankers handle this by doing (4) what_________ is called buying or selling foreign exchange.
When an exporter sells his goods to a merchant in a foreign country, he makes
(5)____out______ a bill of exchange for the merchandise. The bill of exchange looks
(6)___like____ a common bank check. The exporter sends this bill to his bank and receives
his money. (7)_____consequently _____, the exporter receives payment in his own currency.
The exporter’s bank sends the bill of exchange to (8)__________ branch bank which notifies
the (9)________ who pays the bill in his currency. The branch bank keeps his money and
uses it to pay future (10)___________ of exchange presented by merchants in that country
who have goods to export.
Part II. READING: Read the passage and choose the correct answer for the following questions.
History books record that the first film with sound was The Jazz Singer in 1927. But sound
films, or “talkies”, did not suddenly appear after years of silent screenings. From the earliest
public performance in 1896, films were accompanies by music and sound effects. These were
produced by a single pianist, a small band, or a full-scale orchestra; large movie theatres could
buy sound-effects machines. Research into sound that was reproduced at exactly the same
time as the pictures - called “synchronized sound” - began soon after the very first film were
shown. With synchronized sound, characters on the movie screen could sing and speak. As
early as 1896, the newly invented gramophone, which played a large disc carrying music and
dialogue, was used as a sound system. The biggest disadvantage was that the sound and
pictures could become unsynchronized if, for example, the gramophone needle jumped or if
the speed of the projector changed. This system was only effective for a single song or
dialogue sequence.
In the “sound - on - film” system, sounds were recorded as a series of marks on celluloid which
could be read by an optical sensor. These signals would be placed on the film alongside the
 image, guaranteeing synchronization. Short feature films were produced in this way as early
as 1922. This system eventually brought us “talking pictures”.
1. The passage is mainly about the ______.
A. history of silent movies B. disadvantages of synchronized sound
C. development of sound with movies D. research into sound production
2. According to the passage, films using sound effects were screened ______.
A. before 1896 B. as early as 1922 C. as early as 1896 D. in 1927
3. The word “screenings” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. revelations B. projections C. demonstrations D. diversions
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as producer of sound to accompany movies?
A. a gramophone B. a single pianist
C. a small band D. a jazz singer
5. It can be inferred that ______.
A. gramophones were developed about the same time as moving pictures
B. sound-effects machines were not common because they were expensive
C. orchestras couldn’t synchronize sound with pictures
D. most movie theatres had a pianist
6. According to the passage, gramophone were ineffective because they ______.
A. got out of synchronization with the pictures
B. were too large for most movie theatres.
C. were newly invented and still had imperfection
D. changed speeds when the needle jumped
7. The word “sequence” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. interpretation B. progression C. distribution D. organization
8. The phrase “these signals” refers to ______.
A. sounds B. series C. marks D. sensors
9. According to the passage, sound-on-film guaranteed synchronization because the record
was ______.
A. made during the filming of the pictures B. read by an optical sensor
C. inserted beside the image on the film D. marked on the gramophone
10. Short feature films produced as early as 1922 ______.
A. were recorded by an optical sensor B. preceded talking pictures
C. were only effective for dialogue sequences D. put musicians out of work
Part III. WRITING
Question 1: Finish each of the sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the
sentence printed before it.
1. We cannot see animals in a vast area after the forest fire.
There is an absence of animals in a vast area after the forest fire
2. We cannot make any comparison with her sacrifice.
Nothing can be compared with her sacrifice
3. He will have to spend seven years in prison.
He has been sentenced to a 7–year imprisonment
4. I expected the film to be good, but it wasn’t at all.
The film didn’t live up to my expectations
5. It was Sir Walter Barron who introduced potatoes and tobacco into England.
The English owe potatoes and tobacco to Sir Walter Barron .
Question 2: For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in
meaning to the original sentence using the word given. This word must not be altered in any
way.

1. Jack found it difficult to control his skis on the steep slope. (UNDER)
Jack found it difficult to keep his skis on the steep slope under control
2. Nobody expected her to lose, but she did. (AGAINST)
Against everyone’s expectations, she lost
3. Many people nowadays find it increasingly difficult to exist on the money they earn.
(MAKE)
Many people nowadays find it hard to make ends meet
4. You can borrow my bike if you're in a hurry. (MIND)
I don’t mind lending you my bike if you are in a hurry
5. I firmly believe him to be the rudest person I know. (WITHOUT)
He is wihout a doubt the rudest person I know

EXTRA EXERCISE
I.
1. Employees who have a ………………… are encouraged to discuss it with the management.
A. hindrance B. grievance C. disadvantage D. disturbance
2. The police are ………………… certain who the culprit is.
A. in some ways B. more or less C. here and there D. by and by
3. Women’s participation ………….. in the workforce was lower in the countries which had less-
developed economies.
A. scale B. speed C. velocity D. rate
4. Although the patient received intensive treatment, there was no ………………… improvement in her
condition.
A. decipherable B. legible C. discernible D. intelligible
5. I’ve been doing my best to reduce the backlog but I must admit that I’ve hardly put …………………
in the problem so far.
A. a dent B. a foot C. a brave face D. damper
6. From time to time he …………………himself to a weekend in a five-star hotel.
A. craves B. indulges C. treats D. benefits
7. Men still expect their jobs to take _________.
A. superiority B. imposition C. priority D. seniority
8. According to a recent survey, most people are on good ………………… with their neighbours.
A. terms B. relations C. relationships D. acquaintance
9. The police have been ordered not to ………………… if the students attack them.
A. combat B. rebuff C. retaliate D. challenge
10. The police finally arrested the ……………… criminal
A. famous B. renowned C. respectable D. notorious

II.
Art as a career
Many celebrated artists have found (1) it ________ hard to (2) make ________ ends meet early on in
their careers. (3) _____With___ a few well-known exceptions, however, (poor Van Gogh being
perhaps the most famous one) (4) most went on to find recognition within their own lifetime.
Picasso’s life story is the kind of rags-to-riches tale (5) which_________ gives hope to many (6)
an_________ unknown artist. In 1904, he was sharing a draughty and primitive studio complex
(7)with _________ thirty other artists. But (8) before ________ his death, he was a multi-
millionaire and probably the most celebrated modern artist ever . Nevertheless, (9) for________
every success story, there must be dozens of artists (perhaps some potential ‘greats’) who have
endured a lifetime (10) of _________ hardship in obscurity. (11)Whether _________ they were never
recognised because their work was (12)out _________ of sympathy with the prevailing fashion, or
(13) because ________ they lacked talent, is impossible to say. Most people see art (14) as ________
a vocation rather (15) than ________ a career. There (16) may_________ indeed be some truth in the
idea (17) that ________ artists need to (18)be ________ exceptionally dedicated to succeed, and
even relatively successful artists sometimes have (19) to________ supplement their income by
working (20) in________ other areas occasionally.

III. Finish the second sentence in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence
printed before it. (10 points)
1. Someone has suggested the resignation of the minister.
It has been suggested that the minister
resign ....................................................................................... .
2. I have frequently made stupid mistakes like that.
Many's the time I have frequently made stupid mistakes like that
3. You think that fat people are always jolly, but you are wrong.
Contrary to what you think/ your opinion, fat people are not always jolly
4.You should have called the doctor at once .
It was wrong of you not to call the doctor at
once....................................................................................... .
5. Gary is proud of the fact that he is never late.
Gary prides himself on never being late....................................................................................... .

IV. Write a new sentence similar in meaning to the one given, using the word given in brackets. Do
not alter the word in any way. (10 points)
1. Many customs restrictions within the EC have been abolished. AWAY
 Many customs restrictions within the EC have been done away
................................................................................................................
2. At the moment I can’t afford to buy a new car. QUESTION
At the moment there is no question of me buying a new
car ................................................................................................................
3. I assume you’re hungry. GRANTED
I take it for granted that you’re
hungry ................................................................................................................
4. I know I can convince Dave that I'm right about this matter. BRING
I know I can bring Dave round that im right about this matter
................................................................................................................
5. Students at the school are not allowed to go into the Rainbow Disco. BOUNDS
The rainbow disco is out of bounds for students at the school
................................................................................................................