Đề thi chọn HSG môn Tiếng Anh Lớp 10, 11 THPT - Năm học 2016-2017 - Sở GD&ĐT Vĩnh Phúc (Có đáp án)

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SỞ GD&ĐT VĨNH PHÚC 
KỲ THI CHỌN HSG LỚP 10, 11 THPT NĂM HỌC 2016 – 2017 
ĐỀ THI MÔN: TIẾNG ANH 10 – CHUYÊN 
Thời gian: 180 phút, không kể thời gian giao đề 
(Đề thi gồm 08 trang) 
PART 1. LISTENING (Each recording will be played TWICE) 
Section 1. Questions 1 – 10. 
You will hear a police officer giving the information about a crime. 
Questions 1 – 5. Choose the correct letter A, B, or C. 
1. The burglary took place at _________. 
A. a museum B. the county hall C. a local shop 
2. The burglary took place _________. 
A. on Sunday night B. on Thursday evening C. at the weekend 
3. The clock is 
A. one of a pair B. very valuable C. the work of an unknown clockmaker 
4. In the painting of Sir John Foxton, he is_________. 
A. standing by a horse B. standing by a house C. riding a horse 
5. How did the burglar get in? 
A. Through the windows B. By the front door C. The police don’t know 
Questions 6 – 10. Answer the questions below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS 
AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. 
6. Where does the witness live? _________ 
7. What woke the witness up at 3.00 am? _________ 
8. What color is the suspect’s beard? _________ 
9. What color is the van? _________ 
10. What is the telephone number for the police hotline? _________ 
Section 2. Questions 11 – 20. 
You will hear Clare Martin talk about wildlife photography. 
Listen and fill in the summary below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer. 
Last year, Clare went to (11) _________ on one of her most interesting assignments. 
Clare has just returned from an assignment in (12) _________. 
Most of her correspondence comes from (13) _________. 
Earning a living as a wildlife photographer isn’t easy because of many (14) _________ operating in 
the field. 
The bird photographer Arthur Morris was originally a (15) _________ by profession. 
One university in Britain offers a degree in (16) _________ Imaging. 
Clare suggests working as a (17) _________ or (18) _________ to establish yourself. 
You need to bring in (19) _________ to cover your expenses. 
She recommends studying (20) _________ if you want to become a full-time photographer. 
PART 2. LEXICO-GRAMMAR 
Exercise 1: Choose the best answer to complete the following sentences. 
1. Carelessness in driving often results in disastrous accidents. The word ‘disastrous’ is closest in 
meaning to ______. 
A. providential B. celestial C. dialectic D. calamitous 
ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC 
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2. Have you ever been to ______ South Pole? 
A. a B. x C. the D. an 
3. I left a few pieces of ______ in my aunt's house after the holidays. 
A. cloth B. cloths C. clothes D. clothing 
4. The pilot informed all the passengers that the ______ would take an hour. 
A. flight B. cruise C. ride D. sailing 
5. He bought a bouquet of ______ for my mother. 
A. candy B. chocolates C. flowers D. fruits 
6. Salim was late for work because his car had a ______ . 
A. break away B. break out C. breakdown D. breakthrough 
7. Ron wants to be self-sufficient. He has planted ______ fruit trees and vegetables in his garden. 
A. a lot of B. few C. a large amount of D. much 
8. The rain has stopped so you ______ put on your raincoat. 
A. needn't B. can't C. couldn't D. should 
9. Civil war diminished that nation's strength. The word ‘diminished’ is closest in meaning to _____. 
A. aggravated B. decreased C. intensified D. augmented 
10. I'm getting more forgetful, ______? 
A. am I B. are I C. am not I D. aren't I 
11. I strongly believe that children should be given access to education ______ of their sex or race. 
A. despite B. because C. respectful D. regardless 
12. Hillary slept early ______ she would not be sleepy the next day. 
A unless B. so that C. however D. although 
13. The marsh was drained before it ______ for cultivation. 
A. is used B. was used C. has used D. has been used 
14. My father came ______ an old friend of his last evening. 
A. about B. up C. across D. along 
15. It is rather difficult for him to discard his prejudices. The word ‘discard’ is closest in meaning to 
______. 
A. prize B. get rid of C. embrace D. nurture 
16. I wish more people were ______ you, Mr. Walter. 
A. more generous B. most generous C. as generous as D. generous 
17. The fire was finally put ______ after three hours. 
A. up B. on C. across D. out 
18. ______ fresh bread every morning is his job. 
A. Baking B. To baked C. Bake D. Bakes 
19. If you can't find your book, you can borrow ______. 
A. my B. me C. mine D. myself 
20. The couple ______ child died donated his toys to the orphanage. 
A. who B. whose C. whom D. which 
Exercise 2: Read the following passage to find out TEN mistakes and correct them as in the 
following example. 
Line 1 
Line 2 
Line 3 
Line 4 
Line 5 
Ultimately, the succeed of any presentation can only be measure from the 
audience’s perspective. Although this is simply common sense, many of us who get 
so involved in our own subject, or our own nervous, that we forget to be thought 
about the audience at all. A little years ago I was scheduled to speak at a telephone 
company conference. The speaker who preceded me on the programme was reputed 
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Line 6 
Line 7 
Line 8 
Line 9 
Line 10 
to be one of the world’s leading expert on the technology of communication. He 
gave what sounded like a tremendously authoritative speech, most of whom was too 
technical for me to understand. As it had turned out, most of those attending the 
conference didn’t understand it neither. Even an expert on the technology of 
communication is not necessary an expert at communicating. 
Example: 0. Line 1: succeed => success 
Exercise 3: Read the following passage and provide the correct form of the words provided in 
capitals. 
The business of ‘BLING’ 
 It was a New Orleans rapper named ‘BG” that first coined the term ‘bling bling’ to describe 
his taste in (1). FLASH jewellery. Since then, it has certainly not gone (2). NOTICE as a fashion 
statement. In fact, it has become the byword for a (3). GLAMOUR, extravagant lifestyle. The term is 
so widespread that it’s even entered English dictionaries. Bling means big money, so it’s hardly (4). 
SURPRISE that people are keen on experimenting with bling including even the most (5). 
TRADITION jewellery companies. When footballer David Beckham wanted a gift for his wife, he 
turned to a New York (6). DESIGN. Better known to his clients as ‘Jacob the Jeweller’, he sent a 
pink diamond ring to Spain so that Beckham could surprise his wife with the (7). EXPECT present. 
It meant Jacob could add another celebrity to his list of customers. 
 But he isn’t the only one catering for such high-profile people. Other New York jewellers 
have client lists that are (8). INCREASE made up of hip-hop and R&B stars. The value of hip-hop as 
a music and lifestyle industry is put at an (9). CREDIBLE $10 billion annually. As with the world of 
fashion, hip-hop stars are now joining in and feverishly creating jewellery lines of their own. And 
they face fierce competition from those in the rap world. 
 It seems jewellery is much more than a (10). BASE accessory. Perhaps the era of bling is 
only just beginning. 
PART 3. READING COMPREHENSION 
Exercise 1: Read the text and decide which answer A, B, C, or D best fits each gap. 
A FUTURE IN THE DARK 
 For many of us, we are working, travelling and shopping in hours that used to be (1)______ 
for relaxation and sleep. But, according to the results of tests being (2)______ by scientists, we are 
no longer getting enough darkness in our lives. In fact, (3)______ shows that a growing number of 
health and environmental problems are (4)______ a loss of darkness. 
 Life has evolved with a day/night cycle. People who go (5)______ this day/night rhythm will 
notice an adverse impact on their immune systems, and that’s not a good sign. We are (6)______ a 
conflict between what our mind wants, and what our internal body clock prepares us for. Some 
experts (7)______ that our biological clock is similar to the conductor of an orchestra, with the 
multiple rhythms of the body (8)______ the various orchestra sections. 
 The body clock is (9)______ on the light/dark cycle and it governs us for every type of 
activity and rest in our lives. It ensures that all our various internal systems are working together – 
this is its sole purpose. By moving to 24-hour living, and not taking into (10)______ the dark side, 
we will effectively be throwing away the advantages of evolution, whether we care to admit it or not. 
1. A. conserved B. reserved C. upheld D. defended 
2. A. carried out B. carried through C. worked up D. worked off 
3. A. demonstration B. display C. research D. confirmation 
4. A. prone to B. open to C. due to D. next to 
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5. A. down with B. without C. through D. behind 
6. A. creating B. contributing C. giving D. increasing 
7. A. explain B. discuss C. enquire D. debate 
8. A. describing B. corresponding C. expressing D. representing 
9. A. done B. based C. decided D. established 
10. A. interest B. importance C. detail D. account 
Exercise 2: Read the text and think of the word which best fits each gap. 
A SUMMER AT SEA 
 Spending a summer in the company of whales off the coast of Patagonia is a once in a 
lifetime opportunity. We spent at least twelve hours on the boat every day and learned a great 
(1)______ about the whale’s behavior. It seemed that our interest (2)______ reciprocated! 
 To encourage the whales to approach the boat we simply had to move a short distance from 
the coast, switch (3)______ the engines and wait. Younger whales who attempted to come closer 
were pushed away by their mothers, but older ones were allowed to play nearby. Some of these even 
came close enough for (4)______ to touch them. 
 On some occasions the sea seemed to be full of whales jumping (5)______ of the water but at 
other times we saw (6)______ any at all. Sometimes we could go for several days and not see a 
single whale. 
 Later, however, we adopted a pattern. (7)______ day we had come upon a whale and its baby 
and we decided to keep visiting the pair at the same time every day. At (8)______ the mother would 
not let the baby approach us but, as time (9)______ by, she allowed him to come closer and closer to 
the boat. It was a truly amazing experience to be rewarded (10)______ such trust at the end of our 
six weeks. 
Exercise 3: Read the text and do the tasks that follow. 
MAKING TIME FOR SCIENCE 
 Chronobiology might sound a little futuristic – like something from a science fiction novel, 
perhaps – but it’s actually a field of study that concerns one of the oldest processes life on this planet 
has ever known: short-term rhythms of time and their effect on flora and fauna. 
 This can take many forms. Marine life, for example, is influenced by tidal patterns. Animals 
tend to be active or inactive depending on the position of the sun or moon. Numerous creatures, 
humans included, are largely diurnal – that is, they like to come out during the hours of sunlight. 
Nocturnal animals, such as bats and possums, prefer to forage by night. A third group are known as 
crepuscular: they thrive in the lowlight of dawn and dusk and remain inactive at other hours. 
 When it comes to humans, chronobiologists are interested in what is known as the circadian 
rhythm. This is the complete cycle our bodies are naturally geared to undergo within the passage of a 
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twenty-four hour day. Aside from sleeping at night and waking during the day, each cycle involves 
many other factors such as changes in blood pressure and body temperature. Not everyone has an 
identical circadian rhythm. ‘Night people’, for example, often describe how they find it very hard to 
operate during the morning, but become alert and focused by evening. This is a benign variation 
within circadian rhythms known as a chronotype. 
 Scientists have limited abilities to create durable modifications of chronobiological demands. 
Recent therapeutic developments for humans such as artificial light machines and melatonin 
administration can reset our circadian rhythms, for example, but our bodies can tell the difference 
and health suffers when we breach these natural rhythms for extended periods of time. Plants appear 
no more malleable in this respect; studies demonstrate that vegetables grown in season and ripened 
on the tree are far higher in essential nutrients than those grown in greenhouses and ripened by laser. 
 Knowledge of chronobiological patterns can have many pragmatic implications for our day-
to-day lives. While contemporary living can sometimes appear to subjugate biology – after all, who 
needs circadian rhythms when we have caffeine pills, energy drinks, shift work and cities that never 
sleep? – keeping in synch with our body clock is important. 
 The average urban resident, for example, rouses at the eye-blearing time of 6.04 a.m., which 
researchers believe to be far too early. One study found that even rising at 7.00 a.m. has deleterious 
effects on health unless exercise is performed for 30 minutes afterward. The optimum moment has 
been whittled down to 7.22 a.m.; muscle aches, headaches and moodiness were reported to be lowest 
by participants in the study who awoke then. 
 Once you’re up and ready to go, what then? If you’re trying to shed some extra pounds, 
dieticians are adamant: never skip breakfast. This disorients your circadian rhythm and puts your 
body in starvation mode. The recommended course of action is to follow an intense workout with a 
carbohydrate-rich breakfast; the other way round and weight loss results are not as pronounced. 
Morning is also great for breaking out the vitamins. Supplement absorption by the body is not 
temporal-dependent, but naturopath Pam Stone notes that the extra boost at breakfast helps us get 
energized for the day ahead. For improved absorption, Stone suggests pairing supplements with a 
food in which they are soluble and steering clear of caffeinated beverages. Finally, Stone warns to 
take care with storage; high potency is best for absorption, and warmth and humidity are known to 
deplete the potency of a supplement. 
 After-dinner espressos are becoming more of a tradition – we have the Italians to thank for 
that – but to prepare for a good night’s sleep we are better off putting the brakes on caffeine 
consumption as early as 3 p.m. With a seven hour half-life, a cup of coffee containing 90 mg of 
caffeine taken at this hour could still leave 45 mg of caffeine in your nervous system at ten o’clock 
that evening. It is essential that, by the time you are ready to sleep, your body is rid of all traces. 
 Evenings are important for winding down before sleep; however, dietician Geraldine 
Georgeou warns that an after-five carbohydrate-fast is more cultural myth than chronobiological 
demand. This will deprive your body of vital energy needs. Overloading your gut could lead to 
indigestion, though. Our digestive tracts do not shut down for the night entirely, but their work slows 
to a crawl as our bodies prepare for sleep. Consuming a modest snack should be entirely sufficient. 
Questions 1–5. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? Write on 
your answer sheet: 
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information 
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information 
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this 
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1. Chronobiology is the study of how living things have evolved over time. 
2. The rise and fall of sea levels affects how sea creatures behave. 
3. Most animals are active during the daytime. 
4. Circadian rhythms identify how we do different things on different days. 
5. Naturally-produced vegetables have more nutritional value. 
Questions 6–10. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter on your answer 
sheet. 
6. What did researchers identify as the ideal time to wake up in the morning? 
A. 6.04 B. 7.00 C. 7.22 D. 7.30 
7. In order to lose weight, we should _________. 
A. avoid eating breakfast B. eat a low carbohydrate breakfast 
C. exercise before breakfast D. exercise after breakfast 
8. Which is NOT mentioned as a way to improve supplement absorption? 
A. avoiding drinks containing caffeine while taking supplements 
B. taking supplements at breakfast 
C. taking supplements with foods that can dissolve them 
D. storing supplements in a cool, dry environment 
9. The best time to stop drinking coffee is _________. 
A. mid-afternoon B. 10 p.m. 
C. only when feeling anxious D. after dinner 
10. Which of the following phrases best describes the main aim of the reading text? 
A. to suggest healthier ways of eating, sleeping and exercising 
B. to describe how modern life has made chronobiology largely irrelevant 
C. to introduce chronobiology and describe some practical applications 
D. to plan a daily schedule that can alter our natural chronobiological rhythms 
Exercise 4: Read the article about a woman who is a downhill mountain-bike racer and choose 
from the sentences A – F the one which fits each gap (1 – 5) to complete the article. There is one 
extra sentence which you do not need to use. 
A I’ve fallen off more times than I care to remember. 
B The courses were twice as long and the crowds were twice as big. 
C I’m not strong enough in my arms, so I’ve been doing a lot of upper-body training this year. 
D The attitude was: how much skill do you need to sit on a saddle and point a bike in the same 
direction for a few minutes? 
E I finished last, but it didn’t matter as I really enjoyed it. 
F Nothing could be further from the truth. 
Downhill racer 
 Anna Jones tells of her move from skiing to downhill mountain biking and her rapid rise up 
the ranks to her current position as one of the top five downhill racers in the country. 
 At the age of seven I had learnt to ski and by fourteen I was competing internationally. 
When I was eighteen a close friend was injured in a ski race, and as a result, I gave up 
competitive skiing. To fill the gap that skiing had left I decided to swap two planks of wood for two 
wheels with big tyres. 
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 My first race was a cross-country race in 1995. It wasn’t an amazing success. (1)______. 
After entering a few more cross-country races, a local bike shop gave me a downhill bike to try. I 
entered a downhill race, fell off, but did reasonably well in the end, so I switched to downhill racing. 
I think my skiing helped a lot as I was able to transfer several skills such as cornering and weight-
balance to mountain biking. This year I’m riding for a famous British team and there are races 
almost every weekend from March through to September. It’s not all stardom and glamour, though. 
In fact, there’s quite a lot of putting up tents in muddy fields. 
 Last season I was selected to represent Great Britain at both the European and World 
Championships. Both events were completely different from the UK race scene. (2)______. I was 
totally in awe, racing with the riders I had been following in magazines. The atmosphere was 
electric and I finished about mid-pack. 
 Mountain biking is a great sport to be in. People ask me if downhill racing is really scary. I 
say, ‘Yes it is, and I love it.’ Every time I race I scare myself silly and then say, ‘Yeah let’s do it 
again.’ When you’re riding well, you are right on the edge, as close as you can be to being out of 
control. (3)______. However, you quickly learn how to do it so as not to injure yourself. And it’s 
part of the learning process as you have to push yourself and try new skills to improve. 
 Initially, downhill racing wasn’t taken seriously as a mountain-biking discipline. (4)______. 
But things are changing and riders are now realising that they need to train just as hard for downhill 
racing as they would do for cross-country. 
 The races are run over ground which is generally closer to vertical than horizontal, with 
jumps, drop-offs, holes, corners and nasty rocks and trees to test your nerves as well as technical 
skill. At the end of a run, which is between two and three minutes in this country your legs hurt so 
much they burn. I usually have to stop during practice sessions. But in a race, you’re so excited 
that you switch off to the pain until you’ve finished. 
 A lot of people think that you need to spend thousands of pounds to give downhill mountain 
biking a go. (5)______. A reasonable beginner’s downhill bike will cost you around £400 and the 
basic equipment, of a cycle helmet, cycle shorts and gloves, around £150. Later on you may want to 
upgrade your bike and get a full-face crash helmet, since riders are now achieving speeds of up to 80 
kilometres per hour. 
PART 4. WRITING 
Exercise 1: Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using 
the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, 
including the word given. There is an example at the beginning (0). 
Example: 0. She started taking lessons ten years ago. 
been She ____________________ ten years. 
The answer: 0. She has been taking lessons for ten years. 
1. I’ve never seen such a pretty girl. 
ever She’s the ____________________ seen. 
2. The lift isn’t working; use the stairs instead. 
out The lift ____________________; use the stairs instead. 
3. You shouldn’t have been rude to your boss. 
foolish It was ____________________ rude to your boss. 
4. She could hardly absorb all the new information. 
difficulty She ____________________ all the new information. 
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5. The teacher explained the task to us fully. 
gave The teacher ____________________ of the task. 
6. She could hardly do the exercises. 
difficult She ____________________ the exercises. 
7. He was about to leave when the phone rang. 
point He was ____________________when the phone rang. 
8. Perhaps he had left before you called. 
have He ____________________ before you called. 
9. People believe Sarah was responsible for the accident. 
believed Sarah ____________________ responsible for the accident. 
10. He decided to stop attending the college and get a job. 
drop He decided ____________________ the college and get a job. 
Exercise 2: Write an essay of around 300 words on the following topic. 
In many countries today, people in big cities either live alone or in small family units rather than in 
large, extended family groups. Is this a positive or a negative trend? 
Give reasons for your answers. 
------------------- Hết------------------- 
Giám thị không giải thích gì thêm. 
Họ và tên thí sinh: Số báo danh: .... 
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SỞ GD&ĐT VĨNH PHÚC 
KỲ THI CHỌN HSG LỚP 10, 11 THPT NĂM HỌC 2016 – 2017 
HƯỚNG DẪN CHẤM MÔN: TIẾNG ANH 10 – CHUYÊN 
(Đáp án gồm 02 trang) 
PART 1. LISTENING (Total: 2.0 points: 0.1 point/ each correct answer) 
Section 1. Question 1 – 10. 
1. A 
2. C 
3. B 
4. C 
5. C 
6. opposite the musem 
7. (loud) music 
8. white 
9. blue or green 
10. 0800666000 
Section 2. Questions 11 – 20. 
11. South Africa 
12. Amazon 
13. school leavers 
14. amateurs 
15. teacher 
16. Biology 
17. conservationist/ travel guide 
18. travel guide/ conservationist 
19. enough money 
20. Business 
PART 2. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (Total: 2.5 points) 
Exercise 1: 1.0 point: 0.05 point/ each correct answer
1. D 
2. C 
3. D 
4. A 
5. C 
6. C 
7. A 
8. A 
9. B 
10. D 
11. D 
12. B 
13. B 
14. C 
15. B 
16. C 
17. D 
18. A 
19. C 
20. B 
Exercise 2: 1.0 point: 0.05 point/ each correct identification + 0.05 point/ each correction 
Line 1: measure => measured 
Line 2: who => x 
Line 3: nervous => nervousness 
Line 3: be thought => think 
Line 4: little => few 
Line 6: expert => experts 
Line 7: whom => which 
Line 8: had => x 
Line 9: neither => either 
Line 10: necessary => necessarily 
Exercise 3: 0.5 point: 0.05 point/ each correct answer 
1. flashy 
2. unnoticed 
3. glamorous 
4. surprising 
5. traditional 
6. designer 
7. unexpected 
8. increasingly 
9. incredible 
10. basic 
PART 3. READING COMPREHENSION (Total: 3.0 points) 
Exercise 1: 0.5 point: 0.05 point/ each correct answer 
1. B 
2. A 
3. C 
4. C 
5. B 
6. A 
7. A 
8. D 
9. B 
10. D 
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Exercise 2: 1.0 point: 0.1 point/ each correct answer 
1. deal 
2. was 
3. off 
4. us 
5. out 
6. hardly 
7. One 
8. first 
9. went 
10. with 
Exercise 3: 1.0 point: 0.1 point/ each correct answer
1. FALSE 
2. TRUE 
3. NOT GIVEN 
4. FALSE 
5. TRUE 
6. C 
7. C 
8. B 
9. A 
10. C 
Exercise 4: 1.0 point: 0.1 point/ each correct answer 
1. E 
2. B 
3. A 
4. D 
5. F 
PART 4. WRITING (Total: 2.5 points) 
Exercise 1: 1.0