SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI TỈNH LỚP 9

NGHỆ AN NĂM HỌC 2023 – 2024

Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH - BẢNG A

Thời gian: 150 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)
(Đề gồm 12 trang)
ĐIỂM HỌ TÊN, CHỮ KÍ GIÁM KHẢO SỐ PHÁCH

Bằng số:………………………………….. Giám khảo

Bằng chữ:………………..………………. 1: ………………………………………
Giám khảo
2: ………………………………………
SECTION A. LISTENING (50 points)
Part 1. (30 pts) You will hear a talk. For questions 1-15, listen and complete the text below by writing NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in the spaces provided. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
MOTHER’S DAY
Mother’s Day - the day when we pay special tribute to mothers, motherhood and (1)______ in general as well as to the
positive contributions that they make to society through their personal sacrifice and love and of course, for putting up with
us during those (2)______. How did Mother’s Day come about? It had its beginning to the efforts of Julia Ward Howe, who
was a (3)______ and the author of a song you might have heard of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. After the Civil
War, how focused her activities are the (4)______ and women’s suffrage. In 1870, she wrote her Mother’s Day
Proclamation asking women from the world to join for world peace. In (5)______, she asked that Mother’s Day be
celebrated on 2nd June, however, her efforts were unsuccessful. Mother’s Day may have never (6)______ if it hadn’t been
for the work of Anne Jarvis and her daughter Anna.
In 1868, Anne Jarvis created a committee to establish a Mother’s Friendship Day to reunite families that had been divided
during the Civil War. Anne wanted to expand this into an (7)______ for mothers but she died in 1905 before the
celebration became popular, her daughter Anna would continue to work for her mother’s efforts. On (8)______, Anna held
a memorial to her mother and afterwards (9)______ a campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday. She finally
succeeded in making it nationally recognized in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring the
first National Mother’s Day.
By the 1920s, Anna Jarvis became embittered by the commercialization of the holiday, she railed against the practice of
purchasing (10)______ which she saw as a sign of being too lazy to write the more personal letter. She was even once
arrested in 1948 for disturbing the peace during her protest against the commercialization of the holiday. She and her sister
spent the family (11)______ campaigning against what the holiday had become. Sadly, both died in poverty as a result.
Anna Jarvis never credited Julia Howard Howe’s (12)______ to establish Mother’s Day as a national holiday, claiming that
the creation of the holiday was entirely hers. In most countries Mother’s Day is a recent observance (13)______ the holiday
as it has evolved in the United States as adopted by other countries and cultures. The holiday has different meanings is
associated with different (14)______ or legendary events and is celebrated on different dates but one thing remains the
same and that’s what the holiday is meant to honour the mothers whose love and sacrifice (15)______ the ideals of mother.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.
Part 2. (10 pts) You will hear two psychology students called Luke and Susie discussing their assignment on sleep
and dream. Listen and do the tasks that follow. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
Questions 16-19: Choose the correct answer A, B or C.
Assignment on sleep and dreams
16. Luke read that one reason why we often forget dreams is that______.
A. our memories cannot cope with too much information
B. we might otherwise be confused about what is real
C. we do not think they are important
17. What do Luke and Susie agree about dreams predicting the future?
A. It may just be due to chance.
B. It only happens with certain types of events.
C. It happens more often than some people think.
18. Susie says that a study on pre-school children having a short nap in the day______.
A. had controversial results
B. used faulty research methodology
C. failed to reach any clear conclusions
19. In their last assignment, both students had problems with______.
A. statistical analysis
B. making an action plan
C. self-assessment
Questions 20-25: Complete the flow chart below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Assignment plan
Decide on research question:
Is there a relationship between hours of sleep and number of dreams?
↓
Decide on sample:
Twelve students from the (20)______ department
↓
Decide on methodology:
Self-reporting
↓
Decide on procedure:
Answers on (21)______
↓
Check ethical guidelines for working with (22)______
Ensure that risk is assessed and (23)______ is kept to a minimum
↓
Analyse the results
Calculate the correlation and make a (24)______
↓

(25)______ the research

Your answers:
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
Part 3. (10 pts) For questions 26-30, listen and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
26. The class have already talked about at least three of the physical effects sport has on the human body.
27. There are no real benefits associated with doing individual sport.
28. Swimmers or tennis players are responsible for their own achievements.
29. Collaborating with other members is essential for a team to be successful.
30. It doesn’t matter which sport you choose, as long as you’re good at it.
Your answers:
26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
SECTION B. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (20 points)
Part 1. (12 pts) Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences. Write A, B, C or D in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. She has asked me to______ her sincere thanks to you for everything you have done to help her.
A. report B. transfer C. confide D. convey
2. ______ I see Tom and Jerry, I always feel interested because the cartoon is so exciting.
A. Whatever frequency B. However many
C. No matter how many times D. No matter what times
3. You are not allowed to drive______ the influence______ alcohol.
A. under/of B. in/of C. under/by D. by/in
4. It was______ that he was kept in hospital for nearly a month.
A. so a serious accident B. so serious an accident
C. such serious an accident D. a such serious accident
5. When the delay was announced, we realized that we______ enough time to catch our connecting flight.
A. wouldn’t have B. won’t have C. hadn’t had D. weren’t having
6. As soon as it started to rain we turned round and______ home.
A. made out B. made for C. made off D. made over
7. Many countries face some serious problems of land use, ______ result from population growth and the demands of
modern technological living.
A. of most which B. which most C. most which D. most of which
8. Don’t worry! It’s______ natural to feel annoyed when people let you down.
A. utterly B. fully C. perfectly D. highly
9. Many people claim that insults or negative comments are______, but in reality, many of them are upset by such things.
A. like water off a duck's back B. great minds think alike
C. Jacks-of-all-trades D. beggar on horseback
10. Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to indicate the words CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined bold words
in the following question.
The psychology of girls at puberty will have many changes leading to different personalities, thoughts and habits.
A. in infancy B. in youth C. in the lees of life D. in adolescence
11. Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to indicate the words OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined bold words
in the following question.
Many of us fret about ways in which modern technology distances us from understanding and keeping our customs and
traditions.
A. no worry about B. feel like
C. are unconcerned about D. get involved in
12. Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to indicate the most suitable response to complete the
following exchange.
Lily and Joanna are discussing a new subject that they have at school.
- Lily: “The subject is so hard. There is a lot of information to remember.”
- Joanna: “______. The information is logically ordered and it is not that difficult to learn.”
A. I couldn’t agree with you more B. I beg to differ
C. I’m with you D. Let’s drop it
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
Part 2. (8 pts) Read the passage below, which contains 8 mistakes. Identify the mistakes and write the corrections in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided
Line Eating in the industrialized world has changed quite significantly in recent decades and it
1 continues to be deeply affected by two apparent contradictory trends. The first is the growing
2 tendency to consume that is known as fast food. In the modern era, when spare time is a rare
3 commodity and convenience is the more desirable quality in any product, fast food chains
4 flourish, frozen and ready-made foods in the supermarket are consumed in alarming quantities,
5 and people are growing fatter and falling victim of heart disease more than ever before.
6 Therefore, an opposing trend in the realm of food consumption is also discernible - the
7 increasing demand for healthier foods. Health experts and consumers are now realising the
8 benefits of livestock raised without the aid of hormones and crops growing without chemical
9 fertilisers.
10 Unfortunately, the cost of organic foods is high, and so it is mainly the educated rich who
11 consume it. This adds a demographic dimension to the problem of good health since, by and
12 large, the health benefits of organic production are not available to those who might need them
13 most, namely the young and the elderly.
14

Your answers:
Line Mistake Correction Line Mistake Correction
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
SECTION C. READING (70 points)
Part 1. (15 pts) Read the passage and choose the best answer. Write your answers A, B, C or D in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
SMILE POWER
The expression on your face can actually dramatically alter your feelings and perceptions, and it has been proved that
(1)______ smiling or frowning can create corresponding emotional responses. The idea was first (2)______ by a French
physiologist, Israel Waynbaum, in 1906. He believed that different facial (3)______ affected the flow of blood to the brain,
and that this could create positive or negative feelings. A happy smile or irrepressible (4)______ increased the blood flow
and contributed to joyful feelings. But sad, angry expressions decreased the flow of oxygen-carrying blood, and created a
vicious (5)______ of gloom and depression by effectively (6)______ the brain of essential fuel. Psychologist Robert Zajonc
rediscovered this early (7)______, and (8)______ that the temperature of the brain could affect the production and
synthesis of neurotransmitters - which definitely influence our moods and energy levels. He argues that an impaired blood
flow could not (9)______ deprive the brain of oxygen, but create further chemical imbalance (10)______ inhibiting these
vital hormonal messages. Zajonc goes on to propose that our brains remember that smiling is associated with being happy,
and that by deliberately smiling through your tears you can (11)______ your brain to release uplifting neurotransmitters-
replacing a depressed condition (12)______ a happier one. People suffering from psychosomatic (13)______ depression
and anxiety states could (14)______ from simply exercising their zygomatic (15)______ - which pull the corners of the
mouth up and back to form a smile-several times an hour.
1. A. desperately B. determinedly C. deliberately D. decidedly
2. A. put off B. put down C. put by D. put forward
3. A. aspects B. looks C. expressions D. appearances
4. A. laughter B. sadness C. humour D. depression
5. A. cycle B. spiral C. circle D. vortex
6. A. cutting B. starving C. removing D. eliminating
7. A. result B. subject C. research D. experiment
8. A. advises B. wants C. demands D. suggests
9. A. even B. only C. ever D. always
10. A. by B. without C. when D. from
11. A. make B. persuade C. allow D. decide
12. A. through B. by C. after D. with
13. A. disease B. illness C. infection D. ailment
14. A. recover B. improve C. benefit D. progress
15. A. muscles B. nerves C. veins D. bones
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 2. (15 pts) Read the text below and fill in each gap with ONE suitable word. Write the answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
The transition (1)_______childhood to adulthood can be a very painful one. The physical and emotional changes young
people experience during puberty (2)______ confusing, and this confusion often (3)______ to unpredictable behaviour and
mood swings - one minute they are over the (4)______ and the next they are down in the dumps. Constant parental nagging
and pressure to do well at school simply compound the problem and can result in rebellious behaviour and create tension at
(5)______.
Parents of teens should not be surprised when their advice (6)______ on deaf ears, as in their struggle for independence,
adolescents are (7)______ inclined to turn to their friends for guidance. This is often (8)______ to the teen's perception that
adults play the role of 'oppressor' and deny them the liberty they crave while constantly finding fault with (9)______ they
do. Therefore, mum and dad are the (10)______ people adolescents will want to talk to about sensitive issues. This friction
also means that even if parental advice is sound, it is (11)______ to go in one ear and out the other. (12)______, such a
situation is not unusual, and parents should not be too hard on their children. They must learn to accept them as individuals
who are capable of making their (13)______decisions.
It is important for parents to realise that struggles occur in all families, and that (14)______ patience and understanding will
likely be rewarded by their children (15)______ healthy and responsible adults.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 3. (20 pts) Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions. Write your
answers A, B, C or D in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
A CHANGE OF SCENERY
Sally Thwaite left behind her routine life and headed for the Italian hills.
If you walk into any bookstore there is an entire shelf dedicated to books about people who decide to change their lives by
relocating to another country. This usually involves selling their house and car in the UK, buying a run-down old house
abroad and renovating it, experiencing amusing cultural misunderstandings and meeting charming locals along the way. I
used to sneer at those kinds of books and wonder why anyone would put themselves through the discomfort of going to
live in a foreign country - all in pursuit of a simple life!
One day, instead of walking straight past this section, I found myself stopping to browse, and ended up selecting a book to
read on the train. The cover showed a cluster of villages clinging to a steep cliff, surrounded by blue-green water. It was
about an accountant who realised one day how boring her life was, so she bought a ticket to Italy. After reading the book, I
started watching a reality TV show called A New Home in Tuscany, about a couple who leave London and move to the
Italian hills. I became so hooked that if friends called on Tuesday nights I would make some excuse not to go out. Soon the
idea of moving abroad had lodged itself in my mind and was turning into a magnificent possibility.
I resigned from the hospital where I worked, sold my apartment and moved to the region of Umbria in Italy. Once there, I
rented an apartment and hired a little motorbike. I loved sampling the local cuisine and I even signed up for a short cooking
course. A very charming local called Francesco ran the course. When he told me that I cooked like a local myself, I didn't
care whether this was a little white lie or genuine praise. By the end of each lesson, not only had we learnt how to prepare
an authentic Umbrian dish, we were also rolling around the floor in fits of laughter, since Francesco was a natural
storyteller and we enjoyed his talent for imitating people.
I also took a three-month Italian language course. It is fair to say that my attempts at cooking were more successful than my
attempts, at this later stage in my life, to acquire a new language. I persevered, however, and after a few weeks of lessons I
actually had a short conversation with a local - OK, I only asked for directions to the train station. In my mind, though, this
was a triumph of communication and I was satisfied with my modest progress.
It was at one of these language classes that I heard a fellow student, John, mention that his neighbour, Sandro, was moving
to Rome and selling his farmhouse for a song. John said he wished he had the money to purchase it himself, as the property
was sure to be snapped up soon. I couldn't believe that it cost less than half the amount that I had sold my tiny apartment
for. Would I dare to copy the writers of all those books, and the couple on the TV reality show?
I had to go and have a look, of course. The farmhouse was located on the top of a lush hill, and although it was very run-
down, it possessed charm. There were extensive orchards with well-kept trees, so I would have nature's bounty literally on
my doorstep. I bought it straight away.
The project wasn't without its difficulties, though. The farmhouse was constructed entirely of stone and wood in 1857, and
was collapsing in several places. My first priority, therefore, was to hire some local craftsmen to add supports to the
building. I also strengthened the foundations, installed a new kitchen and renovated the rest of the property. In the end, all
the cost and effort were worthwhile, because I felt I belonged here as much as I did anywhere in the world, and I was
determined to make it my home. I must say I sometimes look at my collection of books on Italy and think I'd like to have a
go at writing one myself! I'd like to share my experience and let other dreamers out there know that the difficulty is worth
it. I didn't quite find the simple life, but I did find what the Italians call the sweet life - la dolce vita.
1. What did the writer originally think of books about going to live in a foreign country?
A. They took up too much space in bookstores. B. They contained many entertaining stories.
C. They didn't interest her in any way. D. They included a lot of useful information.
2. The word “sneer” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to______.
A. mock B. laugh C. underrate D. joke
3. The author didn't want to go out on Tuesday nights because______.
A. she was busy making plans to move abroad B. she was really interested in her book about Italy
C. she wanted to watch a television programme D. she preferred not to see friends during the week
4. The impression that the writer gives of Francesco is that______.
A. he could only cook local food B. he wasn't honest with his students
C. his cookery course was too short D. his students found him amusing
5. What did the writer realise about learning the Italian language?
A. That she could learn Italian easily in spite of her age
B. That a three-month course of lessons would be enough
C. That it was harder than learning to cook local dishes
D. That it would help her to get on better with the locals
6. The writer uses the phrase “for a song” in paragraph 5 to suggest the farmhouse was being sold____.
A. as quickly as possible B. for personal reasons
C. for reasons of pleasure D. at a very low price
7. When she first went to see the farmhouse, the writer______.
A. believed it could be made into a charming home
B. mistakenly thought it would be easy to repair it
C. was surprised by how run-down the property was
D. thought the orchards were too close to the farmhouse
8. What did the writer conclude about her decision to move to Italy?
A. She felt that the unexpected difficulties had spoilt her dreams.
B. She was disappointed that she couldn't find the simple life she wanted.
C. She knew anywhere else in the world would feel just as much like home.
D. She felt that, despite the problems, her decision had been a good one.
9. The word “run-down” in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to______.
A. old B. steep C. neglected D. broken
10. How did the writer's attitude change, during the time she writes about, towards books about moving to Italy?
A. She began to understand why their authors write them.
B. She now realised they made it seem easier than it really was.
C. She began to rely on them for information on moving to Italy.
D. She started to enjoy collecting them as a hobby.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 4. (20 pts) Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
THE HISTORY OF ARGICULTURE AND IRON
A. There is evidence of agriculture in Africa prior to 3000 B.C. It may have developed independently, but many scholars
believe that the spread of agriculture and iron throughout Africa linked it to the major centers of the Near East and
Mediterranean world. The drying up of what is now the Sahara desert had pushed many peoples to the south into sub-
Saharan Africa. These settled at first in scattered hunting-gathering bands, although in some places near lakes and rivers,
people who fished, with a more secure food supply, lived in larger population concentrations. Agriculture seems to have
reached these people from the Near East, since the first domesticated crops were millets and sorghums whose origins are
not African but West Asian. Once the idea of planting diffused, Africans began to develop their own crops, such as certain
varieties of rice, and they demonstrated a continued receptiveness to new imports. The proposed areas of
the domestication of African crops lie in a band that extends from Ethiopia across southern Sudan to West Africa.
Subsequently, other crops, such as bananas, were introduced from Southeast Asia.
B. Livestock also came from outside Africa. Cattle were introduced from Asia, as probably were domestic sheep and goats.
Horses were apparently introduced by the Hyksos invaders of Egypt (1780-1560 B.C.) and then spread across the Sudan to
West Africa. Rock paintings in the Sahara indicate that horses and chariots were used to traverse the desert and that by
300–200 B.C, there were trade routes across the Sahara. Horses were adopted by peoples of the West African savannah,
and later their powerful cavalry forces allowed them to carve out large empires. Finally, the camel was introduced around
the first century A.D. This was an important innovation, because the camel’s ability to thrive in harsh desert conditions and
to carry large loads cheaply made it an effective and efficient means of transportation. The camel transformed the desert
from a barrier into a still difficult, but more accessible, route of trade and communication.
C. Iron came from West Asia, although its routes of diffusion were somewhat different than those of agriculture. Most of
Africa presents a curious case in which societies moved directly from a technology of stone to iron without passing through
the intermediate stage of copper or bronze metallurgy, although some early copperworking sites have been found in West
Africa. Knowledge of iron making penetrated into the forests and savannahs of West Africa at roughly the same time that
iron making was reaching Europe. Evidence of iron making has been found in Nigeria, Ghana, and Mali.
D. This technological shift caused profound changes in the complexity of African societies. Iron represented power. In
West Africa the blacksmith who made tools and weapons had an important place in society, often with special religious
powers and functions. Iron hoes, which made the land more productive, and iron weapons, which made the warrior more
powerful, had symbolic meaning in a number of West African societies. Those who knew the secrets of making iron
gained ritual and sometimes political power.
E. Unlike in the Americas, where metallurgy was a very late and limited development, Africans had iron from a relatively
early date, developing ingenious furnaces to produce the high heat needed for production and to control the amount of air
that reached the carbon and iron ore necessary for making iron. Much of Africa moved right into the Iron Age, taking the
basic technology and adapting it to local conditions and resources.
F. The diffusion of agriculture and later of iron was accompanied by a great movement of people who may have carried
these innovations. These people probably originated in eastern Nigeria. Their migration may have been set in motion by
an increase in population caused by a movement of peoples fleeing the desiccation, or drying up, of the Sahara. They spoke
a language, proto-Bantu (“bantu” means “the people”), which is the parent tongue of a large number of Bantu languages
still spoken throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Why and how these people spread out into central and southern Africa remains
a mystery, but archaeologists believe that their iron weapons allowed them to conquer their hunting-gathering opponents,
who still used stone implements. Still, the process is uncertain, and peaceful migration - or simply rapid demographic
growth - may have also caused the Bantu explosion.
Questions 1 - 6
The reading passage has six sections, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for sections A-F from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-x in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. The profound impact of the use of tools on society
ii. Trade in metal ore between continents begins
iii. The use of domestic animals for farming and travel
iv. How alloys like copper were created
v. One of the first continents to use metal
vi. The story of the development of metal tools
vii. How the first crops were introduced to Africa
viii. A nation using metal weapons to subdue their neighbours
ix. The drying of north Africa leading to the movement of people and the further spread of
metal technology across the continent
x. Metal working replacing the use of stone tools
1. Section A ______
2. Section B ______
3. Section C ______
4. Section D ______
5. Section E ______
6. Section F ______
Questions 7 - 10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
7. Larger communities, who lived near water, were more assured of a constant food source.
8. As the Sahara expanded, the camel gained in importance, eventually coming to have religious
significance.
9. There was a slow gradual progress from the use of stone tools to metal tools.
10. Today's Bantu-speaking peoples are descended from people possessing iron-making technologies
spreading throughout Africa.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
SECTION D. WRITING (60 points)
Part 1. (10 pts)
Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to complete 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.
1. She rented the house because she wanted to open a restaurant. (VIEW)
🡪 With____________________________________________________________she rented the house.
2. His theory was the opposite to the beliefs of his time. (RAN)
🡪 His theory ______________________________________________________the beliefs of his time.
3. What has this experience taught you? (DRAWN)
🡪 What _______________________________________________________________this experience?
4. When they started their trek, they had no idea how bad the weather would become. (OUTSET)
🡪 Nobody realized _____________________________________ how bad the weather would become.
5. He has completely forgotten what happened. (RECOLLECTION)
🡪 He has______________________________________________________________ what happened.
Part 2. (20 pts) You and your friend have booked tickets to go to the theatre. You are now unable to go but have found
another friend to accompany him/her instead.
Write a letter (80-100 words) to your friend. DO NOT write your real name and any addresses. In your letter,
 explain why you cannot go to the theatre with your friend
 say who can go instead of you
 tell them why you think this person would be good to go with
Part 3. (30 pts) Choose ONE of the following options:
Option 1: Your English teacher has asked you to write a story (200-250 words) for your school story writing
competition. Your story MUST begin with the following sentence:
After all the unexpected things, Hana still believed that it had been one of the most memorable days in her life.
Option 2: Online shopping is now replacing shopping in the store. Do you think it is a positive or negative development?
In about 250 words, write an essay to express your opinion on the issue. Use reasons and examples to support your
position.
______ THE END______