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HỘI CÁC TRƯỜNG THPT
CHUYÊN
KHU VỰC DH & ĐB BẮC BỘ

KÌ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI KHU VỰC MỞ RỘNG
NĂM HỌC 2011- 2012
MÔN THI: ………LỚP: ……
Ngày thi: 21 tháng 4 năm 2012
(Thời gian làm bài 180 phút không kể thời gian giao đề)
Đề thi gồm … trang

PART ONE. LISTENING (20p.)
Question 1 (10p.)
Listen and complete the notes below. WRITE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/
OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers in the space provided. Be careful as
you can listen only ONCE.
TOTAL INSURANCE INCIDENT REPORT
Example Answer
Name Michael Alexander
Address 24 Manly Street 1._____________________Sydney
Shipping agent 2. _____________________
Place of origin China
Date of arrival 28 November
Reference number 3. _____________________

Item Damage Cost to repair or replace
Television The

C. they don’t inform students about their progress
2. Stress may be caused by ______.
A. new teachers
B. time pressure
C. unfamiliar subject matter
3. International students may find stress difficult to handle because ______.
A. they lack support from family and friends
B. they don’t have time to make new friends
C. they find it difficult to socialize
4. A personal crisis may be caused by ______.
A. studying for too long overseas
B. business problems in the student’s own country
C. disruptions to personal relationships
5. Students may lose self-esteem if ______.
A. they have to change courses
B. they don’t complete a course
C. their family puts too much pressure on them
6. Students should consult Glenda Roberts if ______.
A. their general health is poor
B. their diet is too strict
C. they can’t eat the local food
7. Students in financial difficulties can receive ______.
A. assistance to buy books
B. a loan to pay their course fees
C. a no-interest loan to cover study expenses
8. Loans are also available to students who ______.
A. can’t pay their rent
B. need to buy furniture
C. can’t cover their living expenses
9. The number of students counselled by the service last year was ______.

8. The police are looking into new ways of ______ major crime.
A. contending B. wrestling C. combating D. striving
9. The technological and economic changes of the 19
th
century had a marked ______ on
workers.
A. cause B. effect C. impact D. consequence
10. The first sign of vitamin A disorder is night ______.
A. loss of sight B. lack of vision C. invisibility D. blindness
11. The ______ are against her winning a fourth consecutive gold medal.
A. chances B. bets C. prospects D. odds
12. References can have a considerable ______ on employment prospects.
A. cause B. decision C. weight D. bearing
13. The prospects of picking up any survivors are now ______.
A. thin B. narrow C. slim D. restricted
14. From time to time he ______ himself to a weekend in a five-star hotel.
A. craves B. indulges C. treats D. benefits
15. Men still expect their jobs to take ______.
A. superiority B. imposition C. priority D. seniority
16. The police have been ordered not to ______ if the students attack them.
A. combat B. rebuff C. retaliate D. challenge
17. Meg had a ______ escape when she was hang-gliding yesterday.
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A. slender B. close C. near D. narrow
18. I can’t tell you the exact amount, but I can give you a ______ estimate.
A. smooth B. tidy C. rough D. similar
19. Marge walked away from the discussion. Otherwise, she ______ something she would

occasionally.
Sliding across the snow on skis is also one of the most ancient
methods of transport known to the man. It has demonstrated that men were
already traveling across the snow by means of primitive skis before the
invention of the wheel. In the Asiatic region of Altai and in Scandinavia,
for example, the remains of skis have been found which dated back to
4,000 BC. Further evidence is supplied by ancient cave paintings which
depict people skiing, and a Norwegian saga which tells the story of an
invasion of its territory 8,000 years ago by a tribe of skiers who came from
the north.
Nowadays, skiing, apart from a sport, has become a big industry and a
notable feature of leisure culture. Ski resorts and all the activity that they
generate is the main source of wealth in many mountain regions, which
were previously remote and inaccessible. And far from its once elitist
image, skiing is now enjoyed by an increasingly broader spectra of society.
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Your answers
Line Mistake Correction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

Question 4. Use the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space. Write
your answers in the space provided. (5 p.)
The spiral and the helix
They are everywhere, (1-GRACE), curving shapes whose incredible (2- REGULAR)
contrasts so sharply with the random world around them. We call them spirals and helices but
that hardly does (3-JUST) to their diversity or their significance. Over the centuries,
mathematicians have identified many different types, but the most intriguing are those that
(4-REPEAT) occur in the natural world.
The need to (5-RAVEL) the mysteries of the existence of spirals and helices has
exercised some of the best scientific brains in the world and opened the way to a number of
(6-BREAK) in fields as widely varied as genetics and meteorology.
The most (7-SPETACLE) spirals on earth are also the most unwelcome hurricanes.
Their (8-AWE) power comes from the sun’s heat, but they owe their shape to the force
caused by the rotation of the earth. After (9-NUMBER) years of study, however, Nature’s
spirals and helices have yet to (10-CLOSE) all their secrets. For example, why, astronomers
wonder, are so many galaxies spiral-shaped?
Your answers
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

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A. projects B. systems C. methods D. routines

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

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PART THREE: READING (30p.)
Question 1. Read the following passage and choose the best answer A, B, C or D for each
question. Write your answers in the space provided. (10p.)
We are descendents of the ice age. Periods of glaciation have spanned the whole of
human existence for the past 2 million years. The rapid melting of the continental glaciers at
the end of the last ice age spurred one of the most dramatic climate changes in the history of
the planet. During this interglacial time, people were caught up in a cataclysm of human
accomplishment, including the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Over the
past few thousand years, the Earth’s climate has been extraordinarily beneficial, and humans
have prospered exceedingly well under a benign atmosphere.
Ice ages have dramatically affected life on Earth almost from the very beginning. It is
even possible that life itself significantly changed the climate. All living organisms pull
carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and eventually store it in sedimentary rocks within the
Earth’s crust. If too much carbon dioxide is lost, too much heat escapes out into the
atmosphere. This can cause the Earth to cool enough for glacial ice to spread across the land.
In general the reduction of the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been
equalized by the input of carbon dioxide from such events as volcanic eruptions. Man,
however, is upsetting the equation by burning fossil fuels and destroying tropical rain forests,
both of which release stored carbon dioxide. This energizes the greenhouse effect and causes

4. According to the passage, what is the relationship between carbon dioxide and the Earth’s
climate?
A. Carbon dioxide, which is trapped in glacial ice, is released when warm temperatures
cause the ice melt.
B. The greenhouse effect, which leads to the warming of the climate, is result of too much
carbon stored in the Earth’s crust.
C. Rain causes carbon dioxide to be washed out of the atmosphere and into the ocean.
D. An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide results in the warming of the climate.
5. The word beneficial in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. calm B. inviting C. thoughtful D. favorable
6. The word massive can be replaced to
A. wide B. huge C. dense D. thick
7. It can be inferred from the passage that the development of agriculture
A. preceded the development of animal husbandry.
B. withstood vast changes in the Earth’s climate.
C. did not take place during an ice age.
D. was unaffected by the greenhouse effect.
8. The word “this” in the third paragraph refers to
A. man’s upsetting the equation B. the reduction of the level of carbon dioxide.
C. a volcanic eruption D. the melting of the polar ice caps
9. The word “inhospitable” is closest in meaning to
A. imperfect. B. uninhabitable. C. unlikable D. cruel.
10. What is the main topic of the passage?
A. The possibility that the popular ice caps will melt
B. The coming of another ice age
C. Man’s effect on the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere
D. The climate of the Earth over the years
Your answers:
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Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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Question 3. Match each of the following headings with its suitable paragraph. The first
one (0: H) as an example has been done for you. There are two extra headings which you
do not need to use. Write your answers in the space provided. (5p.)
A. Research holds the key to success B. New and improved techniques
C. A new kind of athlete D. New equipment has made a difference
E. Athletes are what they eat F. Personalized programs will help
G. The influence of drugs H. Is there a limit to record-breaking?
[0: ___H __]
A world record is every athlete’s dream, but the hard-won records of a few years ago are
mostly just today’s qualifying times. Roger Bannister’s famous four-minute mile of 1956 has
been beaten by nearly 15 seconds, while almost an hour and twenty minutes has been taken
off the women’s marathon since 1953. ‘Faster, higher, stronger’ is the Olympic motto, and
today’s competitors continue to push back the boundaries of what the body can achieve. But
one wonders if this can continue.
[1: ______ ]
The last forty years have seen many important technological advances. For example, since
the introduction of strong, flexible fiberglass poles, over a meter has been added to the pole
vault record. There have also been important developments in the design the running shoe.
And while a shoe won’t actually make someone run faster, modern shoes do mean many
more miles of comfortable, injury-free training.
[2: ______ ]
Pushing back the limits now depends more on science, technology and medicine than

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Question 4. Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following passage with one suitable
word. Write your answers in the space provided. (10p.)
For over two hundred years, scholars have shown an interest in the way children learn to
speak and understand their language. Several small-scale studies were carried out, especially
towards the end of the nineteenth century, (1)_______ data recorded in parental diaries. But
detailed, systematic investigation did not begin until the middle decades of the twentieth
century, when the tape recorder (2) _______ into routine use. This made it possible to keep a
permanent record of samples of child speech, so that analysts could listen repeatedly to
obscure (3) _______, and thus produce a detailed and accurate description. The problems that
have (4) _______ when investigating child speech are quite different from (5) _______
encountered when working with adults. It is not possible to carry out certain kinds of
experiments, because aspects of children’s cognitive development, such as their ability to (6)
_______ attention or to remember instructions, may not be sufficiently advanced. (7)
_______ is it easy to get children to (8) _______ systematic judgments about language – a
task that is virtually impossible below the age of three. Moreover, anyone who has tried to
make a tape recording of a representative sample of a child’s speech knows how frustrating
this can be. Some children, it seems, are innately programmed to (9) _______ off as soon as
they notice a tape recorder (10) _______ switched on.
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Your answers
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.

1. She is determined to become a doctor.
(HEART)
_________________________________________________________________
2. She just pretended to welcome him, then quickly left the waiting room.
(MOTIONS)
_________________________________________________________________
3. The success of the venture cannot be guaranteed.
(SUCCEED)
_________________________________________________________________
4. We simply must pay them the whole amount before the end of the month.
(ALTERNATIVE)
_________________________________________________________________
5. Ours is the only company allowed to import these chemicals.
(MONOPOLY)
_________________________________________________________________
Question 3. Essay writing (10p.)
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication
such as letters, e-mail, or telephone calls.
Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
You should write about 250 words.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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-THE END-
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BIỂU ĐIỂM VÀ ĐÁP ÁN CHẤM
PART ONE. LISTENING (20p.)
Questions 1 (10p.) 1p for each correct answer
1. Milperra
2. First class movers
3. 601 ACK
4. Screen
5. Door
6. Dining room table
7. Leg
8. broken
9. 200
10. 60
Questions 11 – 20 (10p.) 1p for each correct answer
11.
C
12.
B
13.
A
14.

3.
5 the man man
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4.
5 has demonstrated has been demonstrated
5.
6 dated date
6.
10 Norway Norwegian
7.
13 from a sport from being a sport
8. 15 is are
9.
16 accessible inaccessible
10
17 spectra spectrum
Question 3. Complete each of the following sentences with the correct form of one verb
from the box and a suitable particle. (5p.) 0.5p for each correct answer.
1. turned up 6. work it out
2. lag behind 7. lie on
3. jump at 8. ticked off
4. am jotting down 9. brought on
5. get by 10. fallen out

Question 4. Use the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space. Write
your answers in the space provided. (5 p.) 0.5p for each correct answer.
1. graceful 6. breakthroughs

3. extracts/ sounds/ utterances 8. make
4. faced/ tackled/ considered/ solved 9. switch
5. those 10. being

PART IV: WRITING (20p.)
Question 1: Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as
possible in meaning to the sentence printed before it. (5p.) 1p for each correct answer.
1. It was only when the journalists arrived at the venue that they heard about the changes to
the wedding plans.
2. It was at your insistence that we came to this restaurant.
3. It won’t do you any good to argue with her.
4. The thief almost certainly came in through the window.
5. The sheer expense/ cost was what put me off the idea.
Question 2. For each of the sentence below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in
meaning to the original sentence but using the word given. This word must not be altered
in any way. (5p.) 1p for each correct answer.
1. She has set her heart on becoming a doctor.
2. She just went through the motions of welcoming him, then quickly left the waiting room.
3. It cannot be guaranteed that the venture will succeed.
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4. We have no alternative but to pay them the whole amount before the end of the month.
5. Our company has got monopoly of importation.
Question 3. Essay writing
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication
such as letters, e-mail, or telephone calls.
Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.