KÌ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI TRƯỜNG MÔN TIẾNG ANH KHỐI 10 (13)

A. MULTIPLE CHOICE
I. Phonology: (5 pts)
a. Select the word that has the underlined part pronounced differently from the rest.
1. A. maple B. staple C. apple D. April
2. A. Leonardo B. leopard C. leonine D. leotard
3. A. isotherm B. worthy C. southern D. hitherto
4. A. move B. womb C. tomb D. wolf
5. A. clamor B. grantor C. sailor D. parlor

b. Pick out the word stressed on the different syllable from the others.
1. A. Arabic B. aerobic C. lunatic D. politics
2. A. infamous B. inundate C. internal D. intellect
3. A. safari B. detritus C. cognomen D. partisan
4. A. pianist B. facetious C. retrospect D. redolence
5. A. sunbathe B. rattan C. coiffeur D. charade
ANSWER I: PHONOLOGY (5.0 pts)
a. Pronunciation (.5 x 5 = 2.5 pts)
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. A 5. B
b. Stress (.5 x 5 = 2.5 pts)
1. B 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. A
B. MULTIPLE CHOICE – READING COMPREHENSION
II. READING COMPREHENSION
a. Read the passage and then choose the best answer.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England on April 23,
1564. His mother, Mary Arden, had come from a fairly wealthy family. His father, John, was a
glove maker and a leather merchant by trade. He also held the prestigious position of town
bailiff in their community. In all, the Shakespeares had eight children, William being the third of
these children and the first son. Three of William's brothers and sisters died during childhood.
Reportedly, Shakespeare did not have an extensive education. He did attend Stratford Grammar
School, a school for the sons of prominent citizens, although it appears his family may not have

paid for his education due to his father's status as a high-ranking town official. While it is not
certain, it is believed that Shakespeare attended this school from age 7 to 14. The time he spent
at this grammar school is assumed to be the only education he received, yet the literary quality
of his works suggests a more advanced education. This matter has contributed to the debate
concerning the authorship of his works.
On November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter. ■ A) Anne
was twenty-six years old when they married and was pregnant at the time. William was only
eighteen. ■ B) Their marriage produced three children. ■ C) Shakespeare apparently abandoned
his family and disappeared from 1585 to 1592. ■ D) No records of Shakespeare exist from this
period of his life, and they are usually referred to as "the lost years." Some have speculated that
he either became a schoolteacher, a butcher's apprentice, or was running from the law.
Shakespeare reappeared in London where he arrived with the goal of becoming an actor and
playwright. Evidently, Shakespeare garnered envy for his talent early on. He even found a
sponsor to help pay for his services. Shakespeare's work in the theaters came to a halt, however,
when the theaters of London closed down due to the plague in January of 1593. This closing
inspired Shakespeare and his company to move to the Globe Theater in the Bankside district,
across the river from London's city limits.
Shakespeare's company, originally called "Lord Chamberlain's Men," changed their name to
"The King's Men" after King James took over the throne in 1603. Because Shakespeare worked
and performed for royalty, his company became the biggest and most famous acting company in
the area. Consequently, Shakespeare became quite well-to-do as a director, writer, actor, and
stockholder in The King's Men.
During his time, Shakespeare published and sold his plays in octavo editions. Also known as
"penny copies," these were sold to the more literate members of his audience. It is noted that a
playwright had never before enjoyed sufficient acclaim as to see his works published and sold as
popular literature in the midst of his career. His 37 plays span the genres of tragedy, comedy,
and history. While Shakespeare could not be considered wealthy by London standards, his
success did allow him to purchase New House and retire in comfort in Stratford in 1611. e made
a will on March 25, 1616, and died, as the legend has it, on his birthday, April 23, 516. He was
buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford on April 25th.

Shakespeare wrote his own epitaph to avoid the common tendency at the time of a person's gave
being dug up after several years to accommodate another body.
"Good Friends, for Jesus' sake forbear,
To dig the bones enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones."
To this day, no one has disturbed Shakespeare's grave.
In 1623, two working companions of Shakespeare from the Lord Chamberlain's Men, John
Heminges and Henry Condell, printed the First Folio edition of his Collected Works, half of
which were previously unpublished. The First Folio also contained Shakespeare's sonnets. Many
argue that William Shakespeare's legacy is a body of work that will never again be paralleled in
Western civilization. His words have endured for 400 years and still reach across the centuries
as powerfully as ever.
1. Which of the following could best replace the word "garnered" as used in paragraph 4?
A. discouraged B. found C. attracted D. prevented
2. What does "this matter" in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Shakespeare going to a school for prominent families
B. The surprisingly high quality of Shakespeare's works
C. The uncertainty of whether he attended the grammar school
D. His father's status as a high ranking town official
3. Why does the author mention that Shakespeare's father held the prestigious position of town
bailiff in their community?
A. To illustrate that his father was also quite talented and accomplished
B. To show Shakespeare was not worried about the getting in trouble with the law
C. To explain how his father could have married his mother, who was wealthy
D. To explain why, although not wealthy, Shakespeare did enjoy some privilege
4. According to the passage, why did Shakespeare stop performing in London?
A. The audience in London did not enjoy his poetic style.
B. King James forced him to leave the city in 1595.
C. He began selling his own plays to literate audience members.

D. All the theaters were closed due to the plague.
5. According to the passage, why were the years 1585 - 1592 called "the lost years"?
A. No records of Shakespeare's life exist from this time.
B. Shakespeare was unable to write during this time due to an illness.
C. Shakespeare's plays from this period were burned in the Great Fire.
D. Shakespeare refused to speak with his wife during these years.
6. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted
sentence in the passage?
Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential
information.
A. The sale of Shakespeare's plays made him the most popular playwright of all time.
B. London audiences were buying more plays then than ever before.
C. Shakespeare was the first playwright who was famous enough to sell his plays while
still producing them.
D. Shakespeare's plays played an important role in this rise of literacy in the west.
7. All of the following are true EXCEPT
A. Shakespeare spent time as a glove maker from 1585 to 1592.
B. Shakespeare had three children with his wife.
C. Shakespeare's company came to be called "The King's Men."
D. Shakespeare is said to have died on his birthday.
8. What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about Shakespeare's works?
A. Shakespeare must have gone to university at some point to write them.
B. Some scholars today doubt that Shakespeare actually wrote them.
C. They are viewed as the best example of what one person can accomplish.
D. They have never been considered as having been written by just one person.
9. Why did Shakespeare write his own epitaph?
A. He didn't want his grave to be dug up later.
B. He didn't want it to be written by an inferior writer.
C. It was the custom at the time to write one's own epitaph.
D. To dedicate it to two former actors in Lord Chamberlain's Men.

10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided
below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the
most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary
because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the
passage.
First sentence: William Shakespeare lived an interesting and accomplished life and is
today regarded as the greatest English writer the world has ever known.
A.Shakespeare was the first playwright to enjoy such wide acclaim as to see his works
published during his career.
B. Shakespeare's acting company was originally called Lord Chamberlain's Men but later
changed its name to The King's Men.
C. Shakespeare's works are timeless and have endured for over 400 years.
D. Shakespeare's father was a glove maker and the town bailiff of Stratford-Upon-Avon.
E. Although he produced works of high quality, Shakespeare is not believed to have had
an extensive education.
F. Shakespeare's works have been translated into more languages than any other volume
of literature, including the Christian Bible.
ANSWER:
B. READING COMPREHENSION
a. Reading comprehension (1.0 x 10 = 10 pts)
1. C 2. B 3. D 4. D 5. A 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. A, C, E
C. MULTIPLE CHOICE – READING COMPREHENSION
b. Read the passage. Decide whether the statements below are true or false (T/F) by
referring to the information in the text.
Types Of Memory
[1] As mentioned previously, one of the most important characteristics of a computer is its
capability of storing information in its memory long enough to process it. Not all computers
have the same type of memory. In this section, three types of memory will be discussed; core
memory, semiconductor memory (or chip), and bubble memory.
[2] The memory of the first computers was made up of a kind of grid of fine vertical and

horizontal wires. At each intersection where the wires crossed, there was a small ferrite ring
called a core (hence the name "core memory") which was capable of being either magnetized
or demagnetized. Every intersection had its unique address; consequently, when an electrical
current was passed through the wires, the magnetized as well as the unmagnetized cores were
identified by their respective addresses. Each core represented a binary digit of either 0 or 1,
depending on its state. Early computers had a capacity of around 80,000 bits; whereas now, it
is not surprising to hear about computers with a memory capacity of millions of bits. This has
been made possible by the advent of transistors and by the advances in the manufacture of
miniaturized circuitry. As the result, mainframes have been reduced in both size and cost.
Throughout the 19508, 1960s and up to the mid-19708, core memory dominated the market.
[3] In the 1970s, there was a further development which revolutionized the computer field. This
was the ability to etch thousands of integrated circuits onto a tiny piece (chip) of silicon,
which is a non-metallic element with semiconductor characteristics. Chips have thousands of
identical circuits, each one capable of storing one bit. Because of the very small size of the
chip, and consequently of the circuits etched on it, electrical signals do not have to travel
far; hence, they are transmitted faster. Moreover, the size of the components containing the
circuitry can be considerably reduced, a step which has led to the introduction of both
minis and micros. As a result, computers have become smaller, faster, and cheaper. There
is one problem with semiconductor memory, however, when power is removed, information in
the memory is lost unlike core memory, which is capable of retaining information during a
power failure.
[4] Another development in the field of computer memories is bubble memory. The concept
consists of creating a thin film of metallic alloys over the memory board. When this film is
magnetized, it produces magnetic bubbles, the presence, or absence of which represents one
bit of information. These bubbles are extremely tiny, about 0.1 micrometer in diameter.
Therefore, a magnetic bubble memory can store information at a greater density than existing
memories, which makes it suitable for micros. Bubble memories are not expensive, consume
little power, are small in size, and are highly reliable. There is probably a lot more to learn
about them, and research in this field continues.
1. The most important function of a computer is to hold information in its memory in order

to process it.
2. Minicomputers, microcomputers, and mainframes all have the same kind of memory.
3. Semiconductor memory was developed before core memory and after bubble memory.
4. Core memory uses small metal rings which can be magnetized or unmagnified.
5. The state of the core can be represented by either 0 or 1.
6. Early computer memories had less storage capacity than newer ones.
7. A transistor and a chip are the same kind of device.
8. The development of chips made it possible (or minicomputers and microcomputers) to be
invented.
9. Bubble memory is smaller than a chip.
10.Bubble memory doesn't have very many advantages.
B. READING COMPREHENSION
b. Reading comprehension (1.0 x 10 = 10 pts)
1. T 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. F
A. MULTIPLE CHOICE – READING COMPREHENSION
III. Guided cloze test: Read the text and then choose the correct answer to fill in the gap.
Sir,
Recent letters in your columns about insurance companies prompt me to cite this example.
Some months ago a car (1) …………to my daughter was (2) …………from outside her house in
Birmingham.
As a doctor in daily need of her car, she was surprised when her insurers said she would have
to wait six weeks for (3) ………… .
To her annoyance they managed, by all kinds of procrastination, to drag this out to three
months; and then only after a (4) …………of lengthy, rather unpleasant phone calls would they
pay a penny.
My daughter was then (5) …………to find that there would be no refund, or no extension of
the period of insurance, to cover the three months lost. A full premium (no (6) …………
sum for (7) …………cover in Birmingham), had to be paid for a quarter of a year, when no
cover was (8) …………at all.
Surely this is another example of the way insurance companies (9) …………money, perhaps

legally but to my mind immorally, which gives them such a bad image. If any of your readers
know of a way (10) ………… this difficulty, I would welcome their advice.
Yours faithfully,
R.R.E. Potter
1. A. owning B. pertaining C. trusted D. belonging
2. A. stolen B. robbed C. nicked D. broken
3. A. retribution B. premium C. compensation D. payment
4. A. number B. range C. lots D. heap
5. A. appalled B. intimidated C. shocking D. impressed
6. A. little B. bad C. lesser D. mean
7. A. complete B. integral C. comprehensible D.
comprehensive
8. A. done B. made C. provided D. affected
9. A. obtain B. extort C. earn D. win
10.A. with B. round C. about D. avoiding
ANSWER
III. (1.0 X 10 = 10 pts)
1. D 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. A 6. D 7. D 8. C 9. A 10. B
B. WRITTEN TEST
I. Put the verbs in parentheses in the correct tenses. Add a suitable modal verb or an
equivalent where necessary.
I (1. become) ………… Managing Director five years ago when I (2. work) ………… as an
assistant to the predecessor. I (3. ever, be) ………… Personnel Manager for three years and (4.
join) ………… the firm in 1970, so I (5. be) ………… here for fifteen years.
I (6. work) ………… in an office on the top floor where I (7. just, meet) ………… an
important customer. I (8. retire) ………… in five years. I think I (9. go) ………… and live in
the country. I (10. be) ………… with the firm for twenty years by then.
I (11. be) ………… still working at eight o' clock yesterday evening. I (12. work) …………
since early morning. We (13. work) ………… very hard at the office lately as we (14. negotiate)
………… an important contract.

Tomorrow I (15. fly) ………… to Milan. It (16. still, rain) ………… like this when I (17. get)
………… back, I (18. wonder) …………? I hope not, because I (19. take) ………… a few days
off as soon as I can. I (20. work) ………… non-stop for over three weeks.
ANSWER
I. Tenses & forms (.5 x 20 = 10 pts)
1. became 2. was working 3. had ever been 4. joined/had joined
5. have been 6. work 7. have just met 8. retire
9. will/shall go 10. will/shall have been 11. was 12. had been working
13. have been working 14. are negotiating 15. am flying 16. will still be raining
17. get 18. wonder 19. am going to take 20. will have been working
B. WRITTEN TEST
II. Fill in the blank with a suitable preposition or an adverbial particle.
Sir James succeeded (1) …………the hereditary title in 1969. His father died (2) …………
injuries received in a road accident. Although Sir James takes pride (3) …………his ancestry,
he's no snob.
Sheila's very strict (4) …………the children in her class. She's particularly strict (5)
…………punctuality. However, her relationship (6) …………the children is a happy one.
Hello, John. Good to see you. Come in for a few minutes and sit down. I suppose you want to
see Jane. She’s upstairs but she will soon be (7) ………… in a few minutes. In fact you are lucky
to find her (8) ………… as she’s just dressing herself (9) …………to go out with her friend.
Anyway, I am glad you called (10) ………… because I’d like to talk to you.
11. My French isn’t very good but it’s enough to get ………… .
12.Business has fallen …………a lot lately: turnover is down 15% last year.
13.The old man told me to give …………from his daughter, but I just had to see her again.
14.Why is that man hanging …………outside our house? Do you think he’s a burglar?
15.It was not going to be easy to explain …………the lipstick which his wife had found on
his collar.
16.He is now …………the head of his class.
17.Don’t lean …………the stove.
18.You will have to wait here Thursday.

19.His face is familiar …………me.
20.This soup tastes …………iodine.
ANSWER
II. Preposition & adverbial particle(1.0 x 10 = 10 pts)
1. to 2. from 3. in 4. with 5. about 6. with 7. down 8. in 9. up 10. in
11. by 12. off 13. in 14. about 15. away 16. at 17. against 18. till/until 19. to 20. of
B. WRITTEN TEST
I. WORD FORM: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word at the end of the
sentence.
1. Eddie just can't stop working and relax any more, he's turning into a real ……………….
WORK
2. ………………. people are often critical and sarcastic. CONTENT
3. Tests have shown that people's blood pressure goes up when they are in red colored
……………….SURROUND
4. Insecure people often do things just to avoid other people's ……………….APPROVE
5. Most of us think we have a rational and well-balanced ………………. on life. LOOK
6. There has been a ………………. increase in recovery from leukemia in the last 30 years.
MIRACLE
7. Faulty electrical ………………. are a relatively common cause of fires in offices,
factories and hotels. APPLY
8. Without color dyes people would find a lot of processed food rather ……………….
APPETITE
9. Because he said so little in meetings, his colleagues thought he was ………………. to his
work, but actually he was just timid. COMMIT
10. Some hardwood is produced on ………………. so that natural forests are not destroyed.
PLANT
ANSWER
I. Word form (1.0 x 10 = 10.0 pts)
1. workaholic 2. discontented 3. surroundings 4. disapproval
5. Outlook 6. miraculous 7. appliances 8. unappetizing

9. uncommitted 10. plantations
B. WRITTEN TEST
II. Read the text and then fill in the blank with the correct form of the word chosen from
the box.
able accuracy believe confide express
ignore know loaf three understand
Seven-year-olds fail test
A study by the National Foundation for Educational Research of 3400 seven-year-old pupils
shows an (1) ………….of basic math and English which is simply (2) …………. . The results,
which were published recently, show that one in seven children lack basic (3) ………….of math
and cannot even do simple multiplication, such as 5 x 5. The results also show that a (4)
………….of the children in this age group cannot count up to 100 and do not know what (5)
………….such as half and a quarter, refer to. Moreover, only half of the children had any (6)
………….of the decimal system for money and only one in thirty could (7) ………….read the
temperature on a thermometer. Finally, only one in seven could say what the cost of three 50p (8)
………….is.
As regards English, more than a quarter have not learnt to read with any (9) ………….and have
problems with the alphabet; meanwhile another 25% are (10) ………….to spell easy words, like
can, man and hot.
ANSWER
II. Word form (1.0 x 10 = 10.0 pts)
1. ignorance 2. unbelievable 3. knowledge 4. third 5. expressions
6. understanding 7. accurately 8. loaves 9. confidence 10. unable
B. WRITTEN TEST
IV. There are 10 errors in the paragraph. Find and correct them. Some lines have more
than one mistake.
BODY LANGUAGE
Body language imparts meaning with the use of words. It is the type of non-verbal
communication. There are certain recognized distinctions like types of body language:
voluntary/involuntary and universal/cultural. The first distinction is often fuzzy in instance, a

smile can be voluntary or involuntary. However, with the second distinction, smiles aren’t
universal. They are interpreting the same across all cultures. Nodding and head shaking,
however, are cultural. In Turkey, the former is replaced by raising the eyebrows. It was thought
that body language has its roots in animal communication. However, great apes raised in
captivity are quite proficient for reading human body language.
ANSWER
IV. Error correction (1.0 x 10 = 10 pts)
L1: 1. with (the) → without
2. the (type) → a
L2: 3. like (types) → between
L3: 4. in (stance) → for
L4: 5. with (the) → by
6. aren’t (universal) → are
L5: 7. interpreting (the) → interpreted
L6: 8. was (thought) → is
L7: 9. However → Indeed
10. for (reading) → at
B. WRITTEN TEST
V. Fill in the blank with ONE suitable word.
A.
Communication
Throughout our lives, right from the moment when (1) ………….infants we cry to express
hunger, we are engaging in social interaction of one form or another. Each and every time we
encounter (2) ………….human beings, some kind of social interaction will take place, (3)
………….it's getting on a bus and paying the fare for the journey, or socializing with friends. It
goes without saying, therefore, that we need the ability to communicate. Without some method
of transmitting intentions, we would be (4) ………….a complete loss when it came to interacting
socially.
Communication involves the exchange of (5) …………., which can be anything from a
gesture to a friend (6) ………….boredom to the presentation of a university thesis which may (7)

………….ever be read by a handful of others, or it could be something in (8) ………….the two.
Our highly developed languages set us apart from animals. (9) ………….for these languages, we
could not communicate sophisticated or abstract ideas. Nor could we talk or write about people
or objects not immediately present. (10) ………….we restricted to discussing objects already
present, we would be unable to make abstract generalizations about the world.
ANSWER
V. (0.5 x 20 = 10.0 pts)
A.
1. as 2. fellow 3. whether 4. at 5. information
6. signaling 7. only 8. between 9. but 10. Were
B. WRITTEN TEST
V. Fill in the blank with ONE suitable word.
B
Scientists are still curious about the effects of the oceanographic phenomenon called El Nino,
which (1) …………. in the south-west Pacific Ocean. There is no doubt, however, about the
reason for its occurrence. Every few years, a rise in surface temperatures (2) …………. to a
temporary decrease in trade winds makes sea levels rise, and waves head north-east up the coast
of South America. El Nino is noted (3) ………….its effect on local climates, but recent research
has shown that it is also (4) ………….for wider atmospheric changes, resulting, for example, (5)
………….temporary drought in the Sahel or failure of the maize harvest in Zimbabwe.
Now scientists involved in oceanographic research are working on a new theory, that El Nino
can produce changes (6) ………….ocean patterns that may last for decades. Computers at the
Naval Research Laboratory in Mississippi, fed with the latest satellite (7) ………….on sea
temperatures and wave heights, show that the giant waves that roll across the Pacific may be the
result of a previous El Nino, which will (8) …………. to affect the circulation of the North
Pacific for years to come.
The 1982 El Nino, the strongest of the 20th century, is (9) ………….of causing the flooding of
the Mississippi basin in 1993, with the loss of life and serious (10) ………….to crops and
property that resulted.
ANSWER

B. (0.5 x 20 = 10.0 pts)
1. occurs 2. due 3. for 4. responsible 5. in
6. in 7. information 8. continue 9. suspected 10. damage
B. WRITTEN TEST
VI. Finish the second sentence without changing the meaning by using the words given at
the beginning or one word at the end of the sentence.
1. Just after solving one problem, I was faced with another.
Hardly ………………………………………………………
2. Getting specialized qualification will benefit you.
It will be in …………………………………………………
3. We have to repay the loan, now that we have promised to.
We are.………………………………………………………
4. ‘Oh, just a minute, was it Leonardo or Michelangelo who painted the Mona Lisa?’
He couldn’t remember ………………………………………
5. The company will well make a profit next year.
I wouldn’t be surprised …………………………………………
6. Don’t forget to contact me if you come here.
Don’t forget to get …………………………………………….
7. The defense contributed enormously to the team's success. MADE
………… …………………………………………………………
8. I don’t agree with prohibiting smoking in bars. FAVOR
…………………………………………………………………
9. Chess is much more skilful game than backgammon. DEAL
…………………………………………………………………
10. I was just about to leave the house when I heard the phone ring. VERGE
…………………………………………………………………………
ANSWER
VI. Sentence transformation (2.0 x 10 = 20.0 pts)
1. Hardly had I solved one problem than I was faced with another.
2. It is/will be in your interests to get/that you get a specialized qualification.

3. We are obliged to repay the loan. / We are committed to repaying the loan.
4. He couldn’t remember if it was Leonardo or Michelangelo who (had) painted the Mona
Lisa?
5. I wouldn’t be surprised if the company made a profit next year.
6. Don’t forget to get in touch with me if you come here.
7. The defense made an enormous contribution to the team's success.
8. I’m not in favor of prohibiting smoking in bars.
9. Playing chess requires a good/great deal more skill than playing chess.
10. I was on the verge of leaving/going out of the house when I heard the phone ring.