Sample past papersSỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TP HỒ CHÍ MINH --------------------ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC Đề thi gồm 6 trang KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI CẤP THÀNH PHỐ LỚP 9 – THCS KHÓA NGÀY: 27/3/2012 – NĂM HỌC: 2011-2012 Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH Thời gian làm bài: 150 phút, không kể thời gian phát đề ------------------------------------------------------- PART ONE. LISTENING Recording One: Listen to the recording carefully, then write down the missing word(s) in each blank in your Answer Sheet. The Hindenburg was the last in a series of (1) __________ which had been developed over 40 years in both Europe and the United States. They were designed to carry passengers and (2) __________ over long distances. The Hindenburg could carry 50 passengers (3) __________ in 25 luxury cabins with all the amenities of a first class hotel. All the cabins had hot and cold water and electric (4) __________. There was a dining-room, a bar and a (5) __________ with a dance floor and a baby grand piano. The Hindenburg had been built to compete with the great luxury trans-Atlantic liners. It was (6) __________ meters long with a diameter of 41 meters. It could (7) __________ at a speed of 125 km/h, and was able to cross the (8) __________ in less than half the time of a liner. By 1937 it had carried 1,000 passengers safely and had even (9) __________ circus animals and cars. Its sister ship, the Graf Zeppelin, had (10) __________ one and a half million kilometers and it had carried 13,100 passengers without incident. Recording Two: Listen to the recording carefully, then decide whether each of the statements is True or False. Write TRUE or FALSE in your Answer Sheet. 11. Deborah was twenty in 1947. 12. Joseph taught art at New York University. 13. They first met each other at supper one Saturday. 14. Deborah agreed to share the table because she had nearly finished eating. 15. Joseph seemed to have read the book. Recording Three: Listen to the recording carefully, then, on your Answer Sheet, write a short answer to each question about the passage. 16. Why does Jenny want some days off work? 17. What time did Mr. Watkins call? 18. When will Mr. Watkins call back? 19. On which day this week does Godfrey want to be off work? 20. Where does he have to go then? PART TWO. USE OF ENGLISH Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) that best completes the sentences. 1. The number of participants is _____ higher than that of the last conference. A. more B. further C. way D. a number 2. I’d rather you _____ more attention when you are in the classroom. A. are paying B. had paid C. paid D. have paid 3. They couldn’t help _____ pity for the welfare of those disadvantaged children. A. feel B. to feel C. feeling D. to have felt 4. They _____ had there been more support from the manager. A. may have succeeded B. had succeeded C. must have succeeded D. could have succeeded 5. They have put forth two suggested plans, _____ seem to be feasible. A. neither of which B. none of which C. nothing of them D. either of them 6. They suggested _____ in the contest. A. I would participate B. me to participate C. my participating D. that I must participate 7. We _____ this movie. There’s no time to move to another cinema. A. should have watched B. are likely to watch C. might as well watch D. are watching 8. _____ that we had to stay in all day long. A. Such rain was it B. Such a heavy rain C. So heavily it rained D. So hard did it rain English Training Course for the Gifted (Grade 9) 2013 | [email protected] | Page 1 A. This is _____ hot soup and it smells fantastic. with D. (CONSTRAIN) 3. put C. atlases. made B.9. – “_____” – “Veal is the specialty of the house!” A. A. went down with C. (RELUCTANCE) 6. We need greater __________ in how we deal with the problem of traffic congestion. The __________ of bird flu can bring about disastrous effects. (TREAT) 8. took over D. took B. given 15. sweltering B. (LIKE) 9. The lending section normally offers a good (4) _____ of fiction and non-fiction. The place mentioned is quite _____. This is a famous school for pupils with hearing __________. A. PASSAGE A (1) _____ every town in Britain has a public library. on the verge B. The players were _____ a big welcome when back from the most impressive win of the team’s history. (BREAK) 7. (WATCH) PART THREE.” – “_____” A. under B. There is every __________ that school will be innovated. while books in the reference section may normally be (5) _____ only in the library. B. CLOZE TESTS Reading the passage and choose the best option (A. The rhino is _____ of extinction. – “He failed the last test. A. C. he doesn’t seem wholehearted. (NEGLECT) 4. on file C. usually for a period of two or three weeks. (PAIR) 10. where local people may borrow books (2) _____ of charge. on the whole C. in 13. to B. A. block B. People are making great efforts to _____ drug abuse among the young. Your complaints will be answered _____ due course. (FLEX) 2. did 14. catch up on 11. The woman stated that she had not __________ those street children. or D) for each blank space. which is environmentally damaging. He finally _____ a confession that he had done it. scorching C. get away with B. in need D. I feel that he is __________ helping us this time. stamp out C. Libraries are usually open daily from Monday to Friday. cut down on D. After my leave I have to _____ a lot of work in my office. obliterate D. put C. came into B. funded by the local authority. What do you recommend? WORD FORMATION Use the correct form of the words given to fill in each blank. 1. etc. put up with C. made D.com | Page 2 . No doubt! C. (REFRIGERATION) 5. for D. No sooner! B. on 12. She _____ a cold after walking in the rain for some time. The principal has placed a great number of __________ on picnicking activities. in summary 19. decline 16. No wonder! 20. What do you think? C. What was his reaction _____ the question you asked him? A. Most libraries divide their books (3) _____ two main sections. piping D. A. Delays at the International Airport are far from __________. A. English Training Course for the Gifted (Grade 9) 2013 | thanhtrungup@gmail. with C. dictionaries. brought up 10. under the weather D. while the reference section contains encyclopedia. lending and reference. Several __________ have been used. as well as on Saturday mornings. Where have you been? B. including some evenings. A. to the boil 18. had D. off the beaten track B. She is cooking the meal under the __________ eye of her mother. unbearably 17. A. Books from the lending section can be borrowed. about C. functioned B. collapsing buildings and leaving thousands of people homeless. "It's the (15) __________ tragedy since the start of the millennium. limit D. PASSAGE C Why do some artists (16) __________ it? Why do others fail? Is it possible that successful artists share certain character (17) __________? They probably do. "I was in bed – it was like it (9) __________ never end as I heard pieces of the building collapse around me. variation 5. though Italy's National Institute of Geophysics (11) __________ it at 5. take up B. You can call it what you will: passion. they have a lot in (19) __________. including five children. for example paintings by local artists or displays about local history. (14) _____ public libraries. A.Other (6) _____ besides books usually include: a selection of newspapers and magazines. Others D. put on 11. officials said. It may English Training Course for the Gifted (Grade 9) 2013 | thanhtrungup@gmail. run 10. A. consulted 6. (12) __________ time (0132 GMT). span C. the town of Castelnuovo appeared (14) __________ hit. By early morning. Italy – A powerful earthquake (1) __________ central Italy early Monday. there are several important private libraries in Britain. Beside 15. to D. to D. Despite B. Firefighters aided by dogs were trying to rescue people from crumbled homes. independent C. access (7) _____ current catalogues and many other (8) _____ of information by means of a computer terminal. the head of the Civil Protection Department." The U. a van that (13) _____ these areas regularly with a selection of books from the local library. killing at least 20 people. Utmost D. a coin-(9) _____ photocopier. Another B. A. get by C. tools B. Many libraries also contain a local tourist information desk. 1. roams 14. a children’s book section. paramilitary police said. Many of them are in London. A. period 13. Other C. Instead C. A. records. inferred D. some still in their slippers. PASSAGE B L’AQUILA. suppliers D. fees 12. duration B. in B. in the mountainous Abruzzo region. fares B. A. resources 9. for B. The (20) __________ rarely has it. drive. The others Fill in each of the blanks in the following passages with ONE suitable word. the (13) __________ of people who died stood at 20. operated C. persistence. wanders B. Officials said the death (2) __________ was likely to rise as rescue crews made their way through the (3) __________. A system of (11) _____ operates when books are not returned by the end of the borrowing (12) _____. The quake happened about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Rome at 3:32 a. The professional artist generally (21) __________. led D. concluded C. Mostly C. A. exempt 3. The Civil Protection Department said the epicenter was near L'Aquila. equipment 7.8. Outside the half-collapsed dorm. 22. audio-cassettes and videos that may be borrowed. officials and news reports said. free D. Borrowers are normally allowed to have up to ten or even more books at any one time. surrounds D. too. difference B. "We (7) __________ to come down with other students but we had to (8) __________ through a hole in the stairs as the whole floor came down. fines D. scale D.com | Page 3 . A. Geological Survey said the (10) __________ of the quake was 6. Most libraries also (10) _____ exhibitions of local interest. referred B. tearful students huddled together (6) __________ in blankets. except B. into 4. for 8. A. pieces C. A. tours C.3. music scores. A. desks for privates reading and study. (15) _____ belong to famous universities. range C. sources B. make for D." said Guido Bertolaso. as C.S. punishments C. such as the London Library. Apart from D. In addition to L'Aquila. (4) __________ a student dormitory in the city of L'Aquila (5) __________ half a dozen university students were believed trapped. A. facilities C. Most 2. Almost B. A." said student Luigi Alfonsi. A. Although they may have (18) __________ styles and interests. on C. with five of the dead there. A. People living in the rural areas can use a ‘mobile library’.m. with some 30 people unaccounted for. conditions D. and examined the old mill machinery to understand the (26) __________. very weak B. currents. Fasanella was (28) __________ 12 to 14 hours a day to his paintings. and their mental concentration was severely limited. they did not pronounce clearly B. scientists can predict the patterns and possible effects of the ocean on the environment. Some of humankind's most serious problems. may be solved with the help of observations made possible by this new technology. Technological advances in oceanography 2. Before long. articles English Training Course for the Gifted (Grade 9) 2013 | thanhtrungup@gmail. and analyze data from submarines and satellites. In addition. many oceanographers have been relying more on satellites and computers than on research ships or even submarine vehicles because they can supply a greater range of information more quickly and more effectively.emerge as a fierce ambition or infinite patience. Ultimately. Because undersea pressure affects their speech organs. stay in communication D. By creating a model of the ocean's movement and characteristics. He simply had to paint. the limitations of diving equipment 4. (29) __________ depicted the strike and the lives of the millworkers. the vehicles they used have not been perfected 5. most oceanographers avoid the use of vulnerable human divers. the water destroyed their speech organs C. The word "sluggish" is closest in meaning to “_____”.com | Page 4 . Maps created from satellite pictures can represent the temperature and the color of the ocean's surface. he began to draw quick (27) __________. slow moving 3. The word “information” is closest in meaning to “_____”. Undersea vehicles _____. and weather. communication among divers has always been difficult or impossible. Direct observations of the ocean floor can be made not only by divers but also by deep-diving submarines in the water and even by the technology of sophisticated aerial photography from vantage points above the surface of more than seven miles and cruise at depths of fifteen thousand feet. the pressure affected their speech organs D. from samples taken from the water. photographs C. he decided he had to go there (24) __________ to see the town. spent evenings in a local library. divers often became sluggish. Fasanella had never studied art. Recently. The word "cruise" could best be replaced by “_____”. Direct observation of the ocean floor C. or D) that best completes the unfinished statements about the passage. visited the museums. Without a vehicle. Furthermore. travel at a constant speed B. Communication among drivers B. and cloud formations over the ocean. Particularly important for ocean study are data about water temperature. function without problems C. PASSAGE A Recent technological advances in manned and unmanned vehicles. This passage suggests that the successful exploration of the ocean depends upon _____. when the artist Ralph Fasanella read about a millworker’s (23) __________ that happened in Lawrence Massachusetts in 1912. vehicles as well as divers B. But today. he spent three years in the community. oil slicks. data D. especially those concerning energy and food. enabling researchers to study the ocean currents from laboratories on dry land. radios that divers use to communicate D. computers help oceanographers to collect. PART FOUR. but his work (30) __________ out for its energy and detail. no matter what. samples B. A. Time barely (22) __________. After arriving. A. are too small for a man to fit inside C. preferring to reduce the risk to human life and make direct observations by means of instruments that are lowered into the ocean. along with breakthroughs in satellite technology and computer equipment. B. With what topic is the passage primarily concerned? A. drawing. Undersea vehicles D. confused D. organize. have overcome some of the limitations of divers and diving equipment for scientists doing research on the great oceans of the world. only the creative result is important. are very slow to respond 7. he (25) __________ into a cheap hotel. Satellite photographs can show the distribution of sea ice. make direct observations of the ocean floor D. and doing a series of paintings. C. Eventually. A. Drives have had problems in communicating underwater because _____. nervous C. A. For example. A. READING COMPREHENSION Choose the item (A. remain still 6. radio-equipped buoys can be operated by remote control in order to transmit information back to land-based laboratories via satellite. The true artist shows a willingness to work hard. or from photographs made by orbiting satellites. controlling currents and the weather C. talking to people. have the same limitations that divers have B. 1. A. 11. the total three-dimensional living space of the ocean is perhaps 100 times greater than that of land and contains more than 90 percent of all life on Earth even though the ocean has fewer distinct species. Much has been written about the diversity of terrestrial organisms. to the health of the Earth and human well-being. concern B. The fact that half of the known species are thought to inhabit the world's rain forests does not seem surprising. The temperature of the ocean's surface D. D.com | Page 5 . prejudice 15. Seen from far away. considering the huge numbers of insects that comprise the bulk of the species. A. The word “appreciation” is closest in meaning to “_____”. C.8. There are thousands of insect species. on the order of 100 to 100. the rain forests C. ignorance B. One scientist found many different species of ants in just one tree from a rain forest. broad categories such as phyla and classes are given more emphasis than differentiating between species. B. While every species is different from every other species. A. Nearly every major type of plant and animal has some representation there.000 species of insects. there are too many insects to make meaningful distinctions C. problems C. a tree D. What is the main point of the passage? A. Humans are destroying thousands of species. By operators outside the vehicle on a ship 9. If basic. The word “bias” is closest in meaning to “_____”. it helps to think small. including larvae of organisms ranging from sponges and corals to starfish and clams and much more. The word “there” refers to “_____”. D. 12. C. A. An alien exploring Earth would probably give priority to the planet's dominants. tolerance D. The passage suggests that most rain forest species are _____. Given that two-thirds of the Earth's surface is water and that marine life lives at all levels of the ocean. By operators outside the vehicle on a diving platform B. the sea B. They are approximately the same size. A. Relatively little has been said. To appreciate fully the diversity and abundance of life in the sea. They share many similar species. ships D. the Earth's surface 17. Humans have a bias toward land that sometimes gets in the way of truly examining global issues. the number of species in a particular ecosystem. particularly the exceptionally rich life associated with tropical rain-forest habitats. computers PASSAGE B Coincident with concerns about the accelerating loss of species and habitats has been a growing appreciation of the importance of biological diversity. How is a radio-equipped buoy operated? A. then the greatest diversity of life is unquestionably the sea. Which of the following are NOT shown in satellite photographs? A.000 bacterial cells plus assorted microscopic plants and animals. about diversity of life in the sea even though coral reef systems are comparable to rain forests in terms of richness of life. mammals D. The location of sea ice B. most-distinctive featurethe ocean. Most of their inhabitants require water. many insect species are too small to divide into categories D. Both have many different forms of life. The sea is even richer in life than the rain forests. A. more phyla and classes of life are represented in the sea B. The words “those” refers to “_____”. The author argues that there is more diversity of life in the sea than in the rain forests because _____. Coral reefs are similar to rain forests. vehicles B. Why does the author compare rain forests and coral reefs? A. forgiveness 13. B. marine life-forms reproduce at a faster rate English Training Course for the Gifted (Grade 9) 2013 | thanhtrungup@gmail. disadvantage C. however. insects B. attitude D. Cloud formations over the ocean C. By operators inside the vehicle in the part underwater D. recognition C. A. it is easy to realize that landmasses occupy only one-third of the Earth's surface. birds 16. By operators outside the vehicle in a laboratory on shore C. 14. their genetic makeup constrains them to be insects and to share similar characteristics with 750. A model of the ocean's movements 10. bacteria C. Every spoonful of ocean water contains life. “You have done an excellent job. The sea is highly resistant to the damage done by pollutants. Coral C. Ocean life is primarily composed of plants. PERFORM Nobody ___________________________________________________________________________ 8. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION Rewrite each sentence in such a way that it means almost the same as the one printed before it. You can get the best discounts at our shop. seemingly D. More attention needs to be paid to preserving ocean species and habitats. BETTER You should _________________________________________________________________________ 3. EFFORT Little ______________________________________________________________________________ 9. PRIDES Being _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Shrimp 19. Please come as early as possible.18. Staying on late at work is becoming less of a problem for me. ambiguously PART FIVE.com | Page 6 . D. People who haven’t seen his performances are in no position to be critical. Which of the following conclusions is supported by the passage? A. doubtlessly C. C. Ann is proud of her ability to speak five languages fluently. Ocean life is highly adaptive. 1. They say that the computer is playing important part in modern life. A. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an example of microscopic sea life? A. She didn’t try very hard to get to know other people in the course. STUDENT By the _____________________________________________________________________________ 6. These two brands of ketchup are almost the same. Lucie. ROLE The computer _______________________________________________________________________ 5. Starfish D. 20. Shortly before my eighteenth birthday. Sponges B. HARDLY There’s ____________________________________________________________________________ THE END OF THE TEST English Training Course for the Gifted (Grade 9) 2013 | thanhtrungup@gmail. CONGRATULATED The teacher ________________________________________________________________________ 4. OFFERED It is _______________________________________________________________________________ 7. B. inexplicably B. USED I _________________________________________________________________________________ 10.” said the teacher. The word “unquestionably” is closet in meaning to “_____”. Use the word given. I will go to university.