Đề thi HSG tiếng anh lớp 12 tỉnh tuyên quang (2008)

Sở GD&ĐT Tuyên Quang Kì thi chọn học sinh giỏi cấp tỉnh lớp 12
THPT
Năm học 2007-2008

Đề chính thức Môn thi: Tiếng Anh
Thời gian: 135 phút (Không kể thời gian giao đề)
Đề thi gồm 09 trang

I. Listening
Youll hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the
best answer by circling the corresponding letter A, B, or C.
1. You overhear this man in a shop.
He wants to change some paint because
A. he doesnt like the color.
B. he thinks there is something wrong with it.
C. he finds it makes him ill.
2. This woman is complaining at a railway station enquiry office.
She is angry because
A. her train is late
B. her train has been cancelled.
C. she thinks the train service is very poor.
3. These two people are having an argument.
Are they arguing about
A. the climate?
B. the weather outside?
C. the snowfall in recent years?
4. This is a conversation between a man and a woman.
Is the man
A. a policeman?
B. a garage mechanic?
C. a judge or other official in a court of law?

5. The speaker in this extract is a very keen gardener.
He is talking about his success in growing
A. a type of fruit.
B. a type of vegetable.
C. some flowers.
6. In this extract you are listening to someone speaking to quite a large group of people.
Is he giving
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A. a history lecture?
B. a talk at a gardening club?
C. advice to medical students?
7. This extract comes from a talk on the radio.
Is this speaker describing
A. a piece of music?
B. a magnificent building?
C. a formal garden?
8. In this extract you can hear someone speaking on the phone.
She wants to book some theatre tickets but she finds that
A. the performance is fully booked.
B. the performance has been cancelled.
C. she can no longer have a special discount.
II. Vocabulary and grammar
Part 1: Choose the best answer to complete sentences by circling the corresponding
letter A, B, C or D
9. It’s difficult to________luxuries when you are used to having them.
A. cut down on B. cut down at C. cut off on D. cut down into
10. I missed the seven o’clock news on the radio this morning. I ________up too late.
A. came B. turned C. grew D. woke
11. Government should _________international laws against terrorism.
A. bring up B. bring about C. bring in D. bring back

12. The advanced course in literature ________French.
A. turned off me B. turned me away C. turned me off D. turned me against
13. When we fly to Ho Chi Minh city, we’re going to _________over in Da Nang to visit
some friends.
A. stop B. come C. arrive D. go
14. He died ____heart failure______Thursday night. His wife is still suffering_____shock.
A. for/ at/ for B. of/ on/ from C. from/ on/ from D. at/ on/ from
15. They succeeded ________escaping________the burning house.
A. on/ off B. in/ from C. in during D. on/ from
16. It never occurred _______me to ask him_____proof________his identity.
A. for/ for/ of B. to/ for/ of C. to/ for/ for D. for/ for/ for
17. He is not independent_______any means. He depends______his father for everything.
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A. by/ on B. by/ upon C. at/ on D. A or B is correct
18. Scientists can’t agree on_______related to other orders of insects.
A. that fleas are B. how fleas are C. how are fleas D. fleas that are
19. Fish have nostrils__________are used for smelling, not for breathing.
A. they B. what C. whom D. that
20. It is believed________causes insomnia.
A. too much caffeine B. that too much caffeine
C. it is too much caffeine D. too much caffeine
21. The stimulation that infant animals receive affects their behaviour______they become
adults.
A. during B. since C. because D. when
22. _______sighting an approaching car, some drivers tend to speed up.
A. When slowing down instead of B. Instead when slowing down at
C. hen instead of slowing down D. Instead of slowing down when
23. Ballet dancers, ________actors, must spend many hours a day practicing before a
performance.
A. like B. the like C. the same D. same as

24. The man was in_________health that the family began to consider whether he could
continue to live in his home.
A. such bad B. too bad C. such worst D. so badly
25. ______other cells in the body, nerve cells are not healed or replaced when they are
damaged or destroyed.
A. Different B. Unlikely C. Unlike D. But
26. More ivory obtained from elephants in Africa_________those in Asia.
A. rather than B. more than C. than from D. as well as
27. He pretended________me as she passed me in the street.
A. not seeing B. not to be seen C. not see D. not to see
28. You________out yesterday without a coat. No wonder you caught cold.
A. shouldn’t have gone B. haven’t gone
C. hadn’t gone D. mustn’t have gone
29. If you________late, you would know what we are talking about now.
A. were not B. have not been C. had not been D. are not
30. Never before_________in an earnest attempt to resolve their differences.
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A. have the leaders of these two countries met
B. the leaders of these two countries have met
C. have the leaders of these two countries meet
D. met the leaders of these two countries
31. The number of chromosomes in a cell_________from species to species.
A. varies B. vary C. varying D. to vary
32. Many parts of our beautiful city ______to look like mini garbage dumps.
A. is starting B. do started C. are starting D. has started
33. The interviewer told her that he would earn $ 45000 a year,_________she to be offered
the job.
A. were B. should C. lest D. would
34. It sounds like you let people take advantage of you. _________, you need to learn to be
more assertive.

A. Otherwise B. If only C. What if D. If so
35. They are ugly and expensive. _________people buy them.
A. Already B. Yet C. Thus D. Hence
Part 2: Supply the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Of the 530 students (36-apply)___ (37-admit)___ to the Mathematics Faculty of Oxford
University ten-year-old Ruth Lawrence, from Hudderfield, (38- win)____the highest
marks. Ruth’s parents, computer experts, (39- realize) their child had an usual gift for
mathematics (40- coach) _____her at home. Ruth also (41- like)_____history, geography
and (42- play)________the piano. The enrolment of ten-year-old mathematical genius in
Oxford University creates problems both for Ruth and her lecturers. A special program
(43- draw)_______up her in which study (44- combine)_______with elements of play.
Ruth Lawrence is not without ambition: she (45- dream)_______ of becoming a doctor of
sciences and professor of mathematics.
Answers: 36_____________________ 41_____________________
37_____________________ 42_____________________
38_____________________ 43_____________________
39_____________________ 44_____________________
40_____________________ 45_____________________
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Part 3: Read the text and decide which is the best word A, B, C, or D to complete the gap
46-53. An example is given (0).
I have learned, often the hard (0) way, that there are a few simple rules about how to
make life easier both before and after the journey. First of all, you must always check and
double-check departure times. This is absolutely essential. It is amazing how few people do
this really carefully. Once I arrived at the airport few minutes before ten. My secretary had
got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10.50. I walked calmly
to the departure gate, thinking I (46) _________had a little time to spare. I hadn’t bothered
to take a good look at the ticket. The clerk at the desk told me politely but firmly that the
departure time was 10.15 and that, (47)_________to international regulations, the flight
was ‘now closed’.

Secondly, you should remember that even in this (48)_______of credits cards, it is
still important to have at least a little of the local currency with you when you arrive in a
country. This can be absolutely essential if you are flying to a place few tourists normally
visit. A few years ago, I was sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I flew there from London via Dallas
with very little time to (49)_________planes in between. I arrived there at midnight and
the bank at the airport was closed. The only (50)________to get to the hotel was by taxi
and, since I had no American dollars, I offered to pay in British pounds instead.
‘Listen, buddy. I only take real money!’ the driver said angrily. Luckily, I was able
to (51)_______a few dollars from a clerk at the hotel, but it was very embarrassing.
The third and the last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at
your (52)______before you leave. It may be very different from the weather at home. I feel
sorry for some of my colleagues who travel in heavy suits and raincoats in March or April,
when it is still fairly cool in places like London, Berlin or New York, to places like Athens,
Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day. Few
people understand just how important it is to have a right sort of clothes with you in these
days of rapid air (53)________
0. A. path B. road C. way D. street
46. A. still B. yet C. then D. already
47. A. regarding B. relating C. according D. referring
48. A. period B. time C. term D. age
49. A. exchange B. change C. transfer D. alter
50. A. way B. manner C. path D. route
51. A. borrow B. lend C. gain D. beg
52. A. goal B. aim C. objective D. destination
53. A. travel B. trips C. journeys D. voyages
III. Reading
Part 1: You are going to read a teacher’s memories of a class she taught. For questions
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54-60, choose the answer (a, B, C, or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Halliday’s writing leaned very much back to the left. He was the only pupil in the

class who wrote in this way. He was a nuisance in poetry lessons as he would giggle and
make faces and could never be persuaded to read aloud. His silly behaviour made me
believe that he didn’t like poetry. However, when I gave class a test in which they had to
write down some poetry they had learned by heart, Halliday seemed to know the most.
Halliday had a special dislike for art and I allowed him to read during this period. He never
volunteered for drama and refused to make a speech. Football was the one thing at which
he excelled, but the sports teacher decided that he did not assert himself enough and he
made another boy captain. This boy - his name was John Jones - could hardly read or write.
All attempts to make him work failed, but he captained the team with amazing skill.
I remember an occasion when he led our school eleven out of the changing rooms for a cup
match against our fiercest rivals, the team from nearby Winterton School. The Winterton
girls’ hockey team had already beaten our own girls’ team and this - plus their excellent
start to the season – had raised their morale to a fearsome level. Even so, John played like a
true professional. Our only scorer, he made good use of Halliday’s passes and scored a
goal for every two that the Winterton players could manage between them. Though
Kingston lost, the match was a triumph for Captain Jones!
In spite of all this, the pupil who impressed me most in the end was David Halliday.
He gained my admiration on a day when I had his class for art. They came into the hut
shouting and pushing and I sent them out again and told them they would not have a lesson
until they walked in properly. They thought it was fun to waste as much time as possible,
and they jeered and cheered outside the hut. I let them go on for a minute. Suddenly the
noise stopped and in marched Halliday.
‘They are all right now’, he said. ‘I’ve got them lined up.’ I looked outside and sure
enough the pupils of class 2D were arranged like well drilled soldiers; they were in order
of size and in perfect line – so still I could see them shivering in the chilly air. ‘Walk in
quietly’, Halliday commanded. They obeyed their superior officer and the lesson began.
Halliday himself, as usual, refused to work. ‘Can I just sit and have a nap?’ he asked. After
the help he had given me I could hardly refuse.
54. Halliday stood out from the other pupils because of his
A. beautiful handwriting B. bad behaviour

C. love of poetry D. skill as a footballer
55. Halliday failed to be chosen as captain of the football team because
A. he was thought to be lazy.
B. he was thought to be a poor leader.
C. Jones was bad at other things and needed encouragement.
D. Jones was better at scoring goals when under pressure.
56. Who felt really confident at the start of the match?
A. the Winterton girls’ hockey team
B. the Winterton football team
C. the Kinston team, led by John Jones
D. John Jones and David Halliday
57. The match was a triumph for John Jones because
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A. his team won.
B. he scored all Kingston’s goals.
C. he made good use of Halliday’s passes.
D. he was chosen as Kingston’s captain in stead of Halliday.
58. After being turned out of the hut, class 2D started behaving themselves because
A. the teacher refused to let them in until they did.
B. they had to obey their superior officer.
C. David Halliday sorted them out.
D. they wanted to get in out of the cold.
59. David Halliday’s teacher
A. admired his memory for poetry.
B. admired his strong personality.
C. realized that he deserved to be captain of the football team.
D. realized that he deserved to read or rest during art lessons.
60. Halliday wanted a nap because
A. he hated art. B. he thought he deserved it.
C. he was lazy. D. he had worked so hard organizing the

pupils.
Part 2: For questions 61-70, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the
end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an
example at the beginning (0)
There is nothing to match the (0) warmth and cosiness of a WARM
genuine log-fire. The luxury and sheer (61)____________of sitting RELAX
back and watching the progress of fire and flame is almost (62)_________. BELIEVE
A log-fire appeals to all the senses. Yes, you can (63)____________taste ACTUAL
and smell the (64)_____________of newly cut timber – and then enjoy FRESH
the sight and sound of the minor (65)________________as it burns. EXPLODE
Logs hiss for a while before they (66)__________burst in the heat, FINAL
so the moment of (67)______________comes as a climax after lots of DESTROY
suspense!
All of this is very (68)____________, and the thing that makes it more DRAMA
enjoyable than ever is that one’s feet are up and one’s whole body is
being bathed in tropical heat. It’s a (69)_____________experience! MARVEL
Answers:
61.____________ 62.______________ 63.______________ 64.______________
65.____________ 66.______________ 67.______________ 68.______________
69.____________
IV. Writing
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Part 1: For questions 71 – 80, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar
meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You
must use between two and five words, including the word given.
70. He had to have his door mended. (someone)
He had to___________________________his door.
71. The box was too heavy for John to carry the box on his back. (weight)
Because of_________________________________________carry the box on his
back.

72. He’d forgotten Jill’s phone number. (couldn’t)
He___________________________________Jill’s phone number was.
73. I slept until the thunder woke me at seven o’clock. (woken)
I______________________________________________at seven o’clock.
74. Bloggs have committed a serious crime. (guilty)
Bloggs_________________________________a serious crime.
75. He was holding some flowers when he locked at Margaret’s door. (hand)
He had___________________________ when he locked at Margaret’s door.
76. The knife was too blunt to cut the bread. (sharp)
The knife_______________________to cut the bread.
77. It was raining so much that I stayed at home. (heavy)
The rain_____________________________ I stayed at home.
78. I can’t find my shoes. (knew)
I wish_____________________________were
79. Tom was definitely first in the queue. (doubt)
There’s________________________________first in the queue.
Part 2: Identify the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed in order for the
sentence to be true by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D.
80. The tiny nucleus of an atom is held together by forces powerful capable of unleashing
A B C D
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great energy.
81. Because of their beautiful coloration, palomino horses do often chosen as show horses
A B C D
for parades.
82. The discovering of quarks, minute particles of matter, has led to a new age in particle
A B C
physics.
D
83. Thanksgiving Day, a uniquely North American holiday, is celebrated in the United

States
A B
on the four Thursday in November.
C D
84. A square is a geometric shape which is as long as is tall and which has four right
angles.
A B C D
85. The incidence of which is now referred to as cryovolcanism, or ice volcanoes, is quite
A B C
high on the surface of Triton, one of the moons of Neptune.
D
86. Neither oil drilling or gas exploration can be prevented from steadily changing the face
A B C D
of Arctic.
87. Water and petroleum are the only two liquids what occur in large quantities in nature.
A B C D
88. Solar astronomers have recently observed bursts of coherent radio waves coming from
a
A B C
specific locations on the sun’s surface.
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D
89. Substances such as DDT become more concentrated in each successively level in an
A B C D
ecological pyramid.
Part 3: You are required to write a papagraph of at least 150 words to talk about “The
benefits of forests to human life”

HÕt
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