Năm học 2008 - 2009
KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI TỈNH LẦN VIII
Năm học : 2010-2011 I/. Listening:
LISTENING 1
1.Listen to a conversation between 2 students talking about markets in London and complete the
market list
MARKET LIST
Address Open hour Days Tube Station
East Street SE17 8am- 5pm Sat Tue. Castle
Leather Lane WC1 Lunch times 1.____________ Chancery Lane
2.______Lane E1 9am- 12 noon Sunday mornings 3.____________
Walthamstow E17 4.__________
Mon-Sat. except
Wed., Sun.
Central Line
Brixton SW9 9am-6pm
Mon Sun.
half day on Wed.
5.____________
Camden High St. 8am-5pm 6.____________
Chalk Farm,
Camden Town

2. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer
7. Who is Barbara going to shop with?_________________________
8. How is Barbara traveling to the shop tomorrow?_____________________
9. What time are they going to meet?_______________________
LISTENING 2

3. Chemical in the body ________ our food _______ into useful substances.
A. break down B. break up C. put out D. put … up
4. The little boy was _________ his mother to tell him the story, but she was too busy then.
A. longing for B. hoping for C. longing after D. wishing for
5. I got impatient waiting for my turn to _________.
A. go out B. set out C. come out D. work out
6. I didn’t __________ your arriving so soon.
A. feed on B. rely on C. depend on D. count on
7. We’re going to ________ Mark since he moved into a new house.
A. call on B. call at C. call into D. call for
8. Fireworks __________ the attraction of the festival night.
A. appeared to B. increased to C. added up to D. added to
9. Susan’s face ________ she heard the good news.
A. lit up B. lightened up C. is bright D. brightened
10. As neither of us would __________, the bargain came to nothing.
A. give upon B. give out C. give away D. give in

B. Fill in the blank with the word in the box, changing their form if necessary.
Safe driving
Some people come to the (1)_________ that frequent road accidents are just an (2)_______ part
of modern life. In fact, all drivers have the (3)_________ to alter this situation with a simple change in
attitude. Whereas the vast (4)_______ of drivers are relatively safe and are rarely involved in a serious
accident, a worrying (5)________ drive at such speed that the (6)__________ error can be fatal. This is
obviously (7)________. It’s also essential for all drivers to take into (8)________ different road
conditions- poor light, for instance. Finally, semester that human behaviour is (9)__________- another
driver may take an (10)_________ turn or slow down suddenly, so always try to think ahead.

C. Use article a/an/ the:
The wild dog and the farm
Once there was (1)________ wild dog who was very , very hungry. He had not had anything to

1. The better _______ you have of words, the better meaning you can express.
A. demand B. command C. market D. performance
2. The late Vietnamese leader Le Duan was recognized as the _________ Architect of Vietnam’s
reform, opening and modernization.
A. Main B. Principal C. Chief D. Primary
3. She ________ agreed to go with him to the football match although she had no interest in the
game at all.
A. apologetically B. grudgingly C. shamefacedly D. discreetly
4. The police couldn’t persuade the man to _________ the source of his information.
A. uncover B. discover C. divulge D. concede
5. On the way to Cambridge yesterday, the road was blocked by a fallen tree, so we had to make a
_____________.
A. deviation B. digression C. detour D. departure
6. The room is ___________ obvious.
A. blindlessly B. blindedly C. blindly D. blindingly
7. All his hard work ________ in success.
A. accounted B. merged C. culminated D. succumbed
8. The bedroom was _________ with battles.
A. infested B. inflated C. infected D. infused
9. If things are going well. In fact, business is __________.
A. soaring B. rolling C. blooming D. leaping
10. The smoke ___________ from the burning tyres could be seen for miles
A. sweeping B. billowing C. radiating D. bulging

E. Mistake correction:
Identify 10 mistakes in the following passage. Then correct it:
The sun was shining quite brightly as Mrs. Grant left her house, and she saw no necessity to take
an umbrella with her. She got on the bus to take herself into the town and before long it came on to rain.
It had not stopped when the bus reached at the market-place half an hour later. Mrs. Grant stood up and
absent-minded picked up the umbrella that was hanging on the seat in front of her.

been there for centuries, patches of green (begin) …………. to appear in the blackened soil.

E/. Articles:
III/. Reading:
A/. Fill in each blank with ONE suitable word:

B. Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap:
The full name of the UK is the United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great
Britain, strictly speaking, is the island comprising England, Wales and Scotland. Ireland, which part of
(1) _________, and the (2) __________ of Ireland (known in Irish as Eire). Great Britain and Ireland
belong to the whole group of islands known as the (3) _______ Isles, which includes all the Scottish
islands such as the Hebrides, the Orkneys and the Sherlands, plus others such as Anglesey and the Scilly
Isles. Most these smaller islands are part of the UK and are (4) ________ from the mainland, although
the Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea) and the Tynwald, was established more than 1000 years ago, and
thought to the oldest legislature in continuous existence in world.
Until 1999, all parts of the UK were governed from London. However, following “yes” votes in
the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish (7) ______, the British government set up a new Scottish
Parliament and Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies, (8) ________ many of its powers to these bodies.
For economic purposes, England is divided into 9 large (9) _________ development agencies
exist to improve their economic performance and to tailor national (10) ________ to regional needs.
However, most individuals feel a much stronger attachment to their (11) ________, which in most cases
represents a historical link with the past. There are over 40 of these in England, of varying (12) ______,
from tiny Berkshire to enormous North Yorks here.
The citizens of the UK have British (13) _______. In addition, they are citizens the European
(14) ______, because the UK is a (15) ________.
1. A. the UK B. England C. Great Britain D. Scotland
2. A. Kingdom B. State C. Homeland D. Republic
3. A. English B. Scottish C. British D. United
4. A. legislated B. administered C. accounted D. enforced
5. A. self-governing B. democratic C. self-elected D. tolerant

8/.Any correspondence from the Canberra office must be dealt with before other matters.(PRIORITY).
……………………………………………………………….
9/. I advise you not to believe what you read in the papers about me. (RELIANCE).
……………………………………………………………….
10/.” I don’t mind where the money goes as long as the people are the real beneficiaries”.(MATTER)
……………………………………………………………….

B. The paragraphs of the magazine article are in the wrong order. Number the paragraphs (A, B,
C or D) in the correct order.
MODERN MANNERS
A. "Well, Dr St George is right, isn't he? I mean, look at those two young people over there. They can
hardly keep their hands off each other. They shouldn't kiss and cuddle like that in public. It's
embarrassing for other people." "Noise. That's what I don't like about things today. Everyone seems to
think they can make as much noise as they like without a thought for other people. When you get on a
train, some idiot's probably shouting into a mobile phone or you find yourself sitting next to someone
with a personal stereo that's turned up too loud. And have you tried having a quiet day in the garden
lately? Quiet? You can hardly hear yourself think with all the lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, and what
have you."
B. "I don't think it's true. Things are different nowadays, but I wouldn't say they're worse. Life has
become much faster and people don't have time for the more formal manners that the Victorians had. I
know people eat in the street, but I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with that. It's just easier and
faster like that."
C. "Life is certainly more informal these days, I'll give you that, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing.
When I first started work I had to wear a suit and a tie, but these days we all wear casual clothes. And
everybody was called Mr. This and Mrs. That, but today it's all first names. In our office everyone even
calls the Managing Director "Bob". That was unthinkable when I was younger, but I think it's better
now. It's friendlier – more relaxed."
D. "I think people today have good manners. Things aren't as bad as some people like to make out. Most
people still queue up for things properly and drivers usually stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings,
because I think most people realize that life's nicer that way. I must admit that people are generally more

rulers of the past, he mostly meant the great Roman emperors, whom he admired for their cunning and
often ruthless application of power. Second a ruler must be able to justify his rule to the public.
Machiavelli claimed that no ruler could achieve power and maintain stability unless the public saw that
they were better off with him than without him. A ruler also had to be a devoted student of the art of
war. Machiavelli saw warfare as an essential element of statecraft, and believed that the ruler who had
no skill in war was doomed. Machiavelli also claimed that a ruler must be willing to cast away thoughts
of morality and do whatever necessary to hold on to power, including resorting to murder, corruption,
and torture. Finally, Machiavelli claimed that a ruler must never be hated. This may seem hard to
square with his advice regarding murder and torture, but what Machiavelli meant was that even though
a ruler must sometimes engage in ruthless behavior, he must also maintain an outward facade of virtue.
Machiavelli's views have always been controversial. The Church immediately repudiated him
and placed The Prince on its list of banned books. Despite this, knowledge of his works spread
throughout Europe and sparked a heated debate that spawned the study we now know as political
science. [A] Jean Bodin a French political theorist around 50 years after Machiavelli, supported his
views. [B] Bodin’s ideas heavily influenced by Machiavelli led to the theory of the divine right of
kings and is subsequent use to justify the rule of absolute monarchs in the 17
th
century, and were
taken up by later political thinkers as well. [C] In various forms, this theory has been used to justify
various forms of authoritarianism, from the dictatorship of Napoleon to the fascist governments of Italy
and Germany during World War II. [D]
Giovanni Botero, however, strongly opposed Machiavelli's ideas. He argued that the system of
government Machiavelli proposed simply did not work. In its place he suggested that a ruler should
behave more as if he had a contract with his subjects. According to Botero, the power of a ruler rested
on the consent of the people and he should therefore rule justly. Botero's refutation of Machiavelli's
ideas greatly influenced later liberal political theorists such as John Locke and Adam Smith. Their ideas
in turn gave rise to the idea of the "power of the people," which has inspired any number of revolutions,
from the American Revolution to the communist revolutions of the 20'" century. Thus, Machiavelli's
ideas helped to spark a debate that has colored nearly every political theory since his time, the debate
over whether power truly rests with the ruler or the people.

C. they exemplified his idea of amoral rule
D they had been willing to Imitate great leaders before them.
6. The word square in the passage is closest in meaning to
A shape B. reconcile c formulate D. believe
7. The word repudiated in the passage is closest in meaning to
A denounced B. convicted C. acknowledged D. punished
8. Why does the author discuss Jean Bodin and Giovanni Botero in paragraphs 4 and 5?
A. To illustrate that Machiavelli's ideas were discussed despite the Church's ban on his book
B. To exemplify the divisions that Machiavelli's ideas created in Italian society
C To introduce the effects that Machiavelli's ideas had on later political thought
D. To explain both the positive and negative effects of Machiavelli's ideas
9. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted
sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out
essential information.
A. Bodin's ideas, borrowed from Machiavelli, were responsible for the claim that absolute
monarchs were divinities, an idea taken up by later political thinkers.
B. Bodin's ideas, stemming from those of Machiavelli, led to the theories used to justify
tyrannical kings, and influenced later political thinkers.
C. Bodin's ideas were the same as those of Machiavelli concerning the divine right of kings,
and he influenced later political thinkers.
D. Machiavelli's influence on Bodin and later political thinkers is seen in the Justification of
the absolute monarchs of the 17'" century.
10. Based on the information In paragraphs 4 and 5, what can be inferred about Machiavellian
political theory?
A. It is not widely ascribed to in Catholic nations.
Năm học 2008 - 2009
B. It most often gains favor in autocratic governments.
C. It was last used in fascist politics.
D. Its study is banned in both democratic and communist nations.
11. According to paragraph 5, what did Botero base his refutation of Machiavelli's ideas on?

important concepts in political science.
F. Machiavelli's ideas were most famously used in the American and communist revolutions,
which stressed the power of the people. Năm học 2008 - 2009
IV. Writing:
A. The chart below shows estimated world literacy rates by region and by gender for the year 2000.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.
You should write at least 150 words. B. Write an essay that ends with this remark “The mass media have become more important these
days” Your essay should be about 250 words long. C. The graphs show enrolment in different colleges in the Higher Colleges of Technology in 1999.
Write a total of 150 - 200 words about the information in the three graphs.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information given.
You should write at least 150 words.

Năm học 2008 - 2009