skkn HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

Lưu Minh Tâm

INTRODUCTION
I have been teaching English at a senior high school for twenty years now. My
students are between the ages of fifteen and eighteen; it means they are in tenth grade to
twelfth grade and they have been learning English for five to seven years or so. Each
class consists of forty five students with different levels of competence and English is
one of the compulsory subjects that they have to study at school.
• The textbooks I am using now were published by The Ministry of Education and
Training in 2006 and have officially been in use since then. These books are designed to
aim at developing the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). It means that
there is a big change in teaching and learning English in schools now. (Because the
textbooks previously used mainly focus on reading skills as well as analyzing
grammar.)
• In the process of learning a language, especially English, testing plays a powerful
role. I mean the importance of testing.
* To students learning English:
- Well-made tests of English can help create positive attitudes toward the class and
give students a sense of accomplishment as well as a feeling that the teacher’s
evaluation

of

them

matches

what

the

teacher

has

taught

them.

- Good English tests also help students master the language by requiring them to
study harder, emphasizing course objectives and showing them where they need to
improve.
- After the tests, students are able to learn from their weaknesses and adjust their
learning
* To teachers of English:
- Our tests can help answer the question “Have I been effective in my teaching?” We
can evaluate the effectiveness of the syllabus as well as the methods and materials we
are using.
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- Through our tests, we can adjust our teaching and asking ourselves the following
questions: “Which points need reviewing? What areas do we need more work on?
Should I spend more (or less) time on this material with next year’s students?” and
so on.

- Good tests will also help the teacher to locate the precise areas of difficulty
encountered by the class or by the individual student. In other words, it is necessary
for the teacher to diagnose the student’s weaknesses and difficulties.
• Testing in other schools as well as in my school, Tran Bien high school is set by
The Ministry of Education and Training. This means that
* The students have to take many different kinds of test at the end of the two
semesters such as fifteen-minute tests, forty-five-minute tests, the mid-term tests
and the end-of-term tests.
* Almost every teacher has to write their own tests. This brings an advantage that
students will soon become familiar with the type of test usually set and will feel
reassured because the test contents will be based on the course tests. But it is a big
challenge for the teacher to solve the problem: “How to write an effective test.”
• Since the academic year 2004-2005, Multiple Choice Questions have been applied
widely in the national examinations for General Certificate of Secondary Education
(GCSE), especially in the core subject of English. Up till now, in many schools in Bien
Hoa City most teachers have been using this type of test (See APPENDIX 1). They use
100 % multiple - choice questions to test their students. To my point, it is not perfect to
do that. Why so? Because the usefulness of this type is limited. Multiple-choice testing
like that just tests knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, etc. rather than the ability to use
language. Teachers rarely measure communication but they measure students’ ability to
recognize correct grammatical forms, etc. This misleads students about the process of
learning a language in general and English in particular. Moreover they gradually have
a lack of language skills. The other limit is that the length of time required to construct

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good multiple-choice items could often have been better spent by teachers on other
more useful tasks connected with teaching or testing. It is time-consuming and more
difficult. One advantage of this type of test I can find is that the teacher spends less time
scoring the papers of the students. What about students? Most of the students are happy
to take this type of test and they become lazy to practise their language skills. They
need not review the lessons before the tests, but they just choose the options A, B, C, or
D in a free way without thinking carefully. To choose the options accidentally may give
them a certain mark. This proves that testing means zero.
• From my point of view, I would like to present in this paper the way “HOW TO
WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST."
1.

What to test?

- Testing language subskills: It measures the separate components of English such as
vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
- Testing communication skills: It measures actual communication in the real world.
The tests show how well students can use the language in actually exchanging ideas and
information. That means testing listening, speaking, reading and writing.
2.

How to test
• VOCABULARY:

- Choose the letter of the word which is the nearest in meaning to the underlined word.
Ex: The President expressed his deep sorrow over the bombing deaths.
A. regret

B. anger

C. sadness

D. passion

- Choose the letter of the correct or best word to complete each sentence.
Ex: Sperm whales are……, which means they eat meat.
A. herbivores

B. carnivores

C. omnivores

D. mammals

- Select the correct option to which the definition refers.
Ex: A person who receives and pays out money in a bank is a(n)………….
A. broker

B. creditor

C. accountant

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- Complete the following sentences with the most suitable verb phrase from the list.
Ex:

come round

come down with

come along

come into

come up with

1. Les…………… a lot of money after his rich grandmother died.
2. Do you want to………… to my house and watch the match tonight?
3. I hate shopping alone so I’m really glad you’re ………….
4. Mr. Moorcroft ……… a great idea to make Maths more interesting.
5. I know I’m ……… the flu when I get a headache like this.
- Fill in the blank with the correct form of the words on the right.
Ex: 1. Be ……when you cross the road.

CARE

2. Do you think this book is a form of……

INTEREST

• GRAMMAR:

- Choose the best one to fill in the blank.
Ex: Several years ago I ……English.
A. studies

B. study

C. will study

D. have studied

- Identify the underlined word or phrase that has to be changed for the sentence to be
correct.
Ex: One of the girls lost her wallet and doesn’t have some money for the game.
A

B

C

D

- Write the correct form of the words in brackets.
Ex: 1. He’s …………student in our class. (tall)
2. Where are the children? - They ………… TV in the living room? (watch)
- Combine the two sentences, using the word in brackets.
Ex: Sheila saved enough money. She went to Paris. (AFTER)
• PRONUNCIATION:
- Choose the word that has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
Ex: A. beef

B. beer

C. engineer

D. cheer

- Pick out the word that has the stressed pattern different from that of the other words.
Ex: A. integral

B. musical C. difficult

D. delightful
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- Teacher reads aloud a word and students choose the correct one.
Ex: (spoken) plays
(written) A. plays

B. prays

C. pays

D. brays

• LISTENING:

- Listen carefully to the following short talk and answer the questions below.
1. Why has the bus stopped?
2. How many accidents have there been this week?
3. When was the accident to occur?
4. Are there many accidents to occur at this corner?
5. Should one be careful at this corner?
- Listen carefully to the recording and write the missing word in each of the following blanks.
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:

Tom! You never talk to me (1)…………
What did you say?
…and you never (2)…………me, (3)……….
(4)…………?
You (5)……take me out, you used to buy me (6)……and you used to (7)……my
birthday.
But I (8)………remember your birthday, (9)……….
Do you? Well, it was yesterday! I’m (10)………home to mother!

- Listen carefully to the passage and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
True – False
1. David works in a hospital
…………
2. He leaves home at eight o’clock.
…………

3. He goes to work by car.
…………
4. Rosa starts work at one o’clock.
…………
5. She goes to work with David.
…………
6. David can cook.
…………
7. They eat in the kitchen at seven o’clock.
…………
8. Rosa often watches TV while she’s having dinner.
…………
- Listen carefully to the passage and choose the best answer (A), (B), (C) or (D).
1. What used to happen in the past?
A. Teachers sat still for hours.
B. Teachers could memorize all sorts of things.
C. Children sat still for hours.
D. Children learned things by themselves.
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2. How long did children go on repeating things?
A. until they sat still for hours.
B. until they knew them “by heart”.
C. until they were allowed to stop.
D. until they understood them.

3. What do many teachers wonder today?
A. If it is possible to make children learn at all.
B. If you can never help children learn.
C. If children can learn and discover things by themselves.
D. If children can learn things ‘by heart”.
4. What do these teachers say?
A. children’s education is changing very rapidly today.
B. they will continue making them memorize all sorts of things.
C. You must let children learn and discover things for themselves.
D. They will go on making children sit still for hours.
• READING:
- Complete the blanks in the following reading text by choosing A, B, C or D.
At last I (1) ________to study another foreign language. I soon mastered French
and I could read the books and newspapers (2)_________ in French with
(3)________. I then could undertake Italian. One of my friends that was also
learning Italian used (4)_________me to play chess with him. (5)________ that this
practice took up too much of the time I had to spend studying…
1. A. decided
2. A. write
3. A. ease
4. A. asking
5. A. Find

B. had decided
B. writing
B. easy
B. ask
B. To find

C. has decided

C. written
C. easily
C. to ask
C. Found

D. would have decided
D. to write
D. easier
D. having asked
D. Finding

- Read the passage and write one suitable word in each blank. The initial and bold letter
has been given for you.
THE RAINSTORM

Yesterday, when I was driving home from work, it (1) s……………to rain. Some
people were walking along the street. Only a few people were (2) c…………
umbrellas. It soon began to rain so hard that everyone ran into shops and cafes to get
out of the rain. A little while later, all the people who were walking on the (3) s
………… were either using umbrellas or (4) w………raincoats. Many people were still
standing under cover. No one was riding a bicycle or (5) m……………, but some
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people were driving cars. They were driving (6) s……………, though, because of the
rain.

- Read the passage and then decide whether the following statements are true(T) or false (F).

There are many sources of pollution in our modern world. At present, the most
serious sources are acid rain, car exhaust fumes and oil spills.
Factory chimneys give out smoke that contains sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
oxide. These gases combine with the atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acids.
When it rains, these acids dissolve in the rain and make it acidic. Acid rain is believed
to be the worst pollution problem of all. It has harmed aquatic life by turning many
lakes into lifeless bodies of water. In these areas, there is no limestone into the acidic
lakes. However, it is not possible to do this on a large enough scale to save all the
lakes.
Car exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide and lead which are highly
poisonous. In big cities, the exhaust fumes build up and pose a health hazard to
human beings.
Pollution of the sea by oil threatens marine life. Much of the oil comes from ships
that clean their fuel tanks while at sea. Offshore oil wells also discharge vast amounts
of oil into the sea. Pollution of the sea can also be caused by oil spills. An oil spill
may occur as a result of accidents involving oil tankers.
True – False
1. Acid rain is one of the most serious sources of pollution.
………
2. Acid rain is made when sulphuric and nitric acids dissolve in the rain. ………
3. Carbon monoxide from car exhaust fumes is not harmful.
………
4. Oil also causes sea pollution.
………
5. The oil only comes from ships that clean their fuel tanks while at sea. ………
6. Accidents involving oil tankers may cause oil spills.
………
- Read the passage and answer the following questions.

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS IN BRITAIN

Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain
traditions play a more important part in the life of the people than in other countries.
Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.
It has been the law for about 300 years that all theaters are closed on Sundays.
No letters are delivered, only a few Sunday papers are published.
To this day an English family prefers a house with a garden to a flat in a
modern house with central heating. English people like gardens. Sometimes the garden
in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted garden in imitation
of grass and a box of flowers.

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Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland,
Ireland, Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday, and in
Scotland it is not kept, except by clerks in banks, all shops and factories are working.

Questions & answers
1. How important are traditions in Britain?
2. What do Englishmen do to their traditions?
3. Which does an English family prefer, a house with a garden or a flat?
4. Find a sentence in the text which shows that the English people like gardens very much.
5. How is Christmas kept in Scotland?
- Read the passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D

Jack London was the famous American novelist and short story writer. He was
born in San Francisco in 1876. He quit school at fourteen to become a sailor. He
was a self-taught student, he finished his high school and college education during
six months. He led an adventurous but poor life. His viewpoint was in favor of the
poor and socialism. He read a lot of books of Karl Marx. He was influenced by
Marxist theory and the October Revolution. In 1895, he joined the Socialist Labor
Party but in the last years of his life, he moved away from the working class and in
1916 he left the Party. In 1916 he committed suicide because of despair dream. He
used an overdose of morphine and drowned himself in the sea. He was an
adventure novelist, a Socialist reformer and a prominent Socialist who often
signed under the line “Yours for the Revolution, Jack London.”
1. Jack London quit school in………….
A. 1876
B. 1890
C. 1895
D. 1916
2. He had a/an………………life.
A. rich and adventurous
B. poor and quiet
C. adventurous and poor
D. rich and quiet
3. He was in favor of…………….
A. self-teaching
B. capitalism
C. the rich
D. the poor and socialism
4. He committed suicide by…………….
A. using an overdose of morphine and drowned himself in the sea
B. using poison
C. shooting

D. swimming
5. Why did he commit suicide?
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A. Because he left the party.
B. Because he used to have a dream.
C. Because of the socialism.
D. Because of despair of life and disillusion with American dream.

- Read the following paragraph about Esperanto. Esperanto was a language someone
invented about a hundred years ago.
Zamenhof invented a new language called Esperanto to improve understanding
between people of different countries. He showed Esperanto to his friends to find out
what they thought about it. Later in the same year he went to study at a university in
Moscow. He wanted to improve Esperanto.
Zamenhof’s friends then worked hard to spread the new language. They tried to
persuade schools throughout the world to teach it. However, only a few people today
speak Esperanto because more and more people use English as a foreign language.
Now read each question and answer. Write ONE word in each blank.
1. Why did Zamenhof go to Moscow? To study at a university there.
2. Why did he invent …………? To help people to………… one another.
3. Why did he show his new language to his…………? So that they could ……… him
what they thought about it.
4. Who helped him to ………… Esperanto? His ………….
5. ………… did they want schools to do? …………Esperanto.

6. Why don’t ……………people speak Esperanto now? Because ………… has.
• SPEAKING:
- Oral interview:
* The teacher prepares about 5-10 topics appropriate for the students and the
teacher lets students talk in pairs about the topic they choose. (One asks and the
other answers)
Ex:

1. Talk about your daily routines.
2. Talk about your last trip.
3. Talk about your future plan.
4. Talk about your lower secondary school.
5. Talk about your learning English.
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6. ……….
- Written tests:
* The teacher gives everyday situations, and then students choose the best one of the
four options.
Ex:

Would you like a cup of coffee? - …………………
A. Not at all

B. Yes, let’s

C. Yes, I would like

D. Yes, I’d love one.

* The teacher puts a question and students give a response.
Ex:

What do you usually first do in the morning?
→……………………………………

* The teacher gives a dialogue in which the statements are in the wrong order and
students rearrange them.
Ex:

A. All right. Let’s go for a drink.
B. Same to you. I hope we both pass.
C. Good luck in your exam!
D. Did you study all last night?
E. I did the same. Meet you again, after the exam.
F. No, of course not. I watched TV and went to bed. What about you?

* The teacher has students complete the dialogue with the phrases in the box.
Ex:
a) I can’t stand them.
b) I prefer television quiz. And you?
c) Game shows. There was an interesting quiz last night.
d) What time is the game played?
e) Oh, the usual soap operas.
f) It’s a good programme, but I’ve seen it before. How about you?

g) What time is it on?
h) No, it’s a repeat. Have you ever watched it?’
i) It’s going to be repeated next Sunday.
A: What’s on TV tonight?
B. (1)…………………………………
A: Do you like soap operas?
B: (2)…………………………………
A: What’s your favourite programme?
B: (3).………………………………
A: Did you see the game live?
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B: (4)…………………………………
A: I’m sorry I missed it.
B: (5)…………………………………
A: Really? (6)………………………
B: From seven to eight.

• WRITING:
-

Error-recognition items

Ex: What do you use to do when you felt afraid?
A

-

B

C

D

Re-arrangement

Ex: Susan ……………………………………………………………………
(the phone/when/already/rang/suddenly/finished/had/work)
-

Sentence completion

Ex: While I was watching TV, …………………………………
-

Blank-filling

Ex: It is interesting(1)…………note that(2) …………was an extremely close connection (3)
…………playing cards, paper money and gambling.
-

Transformation

Ex: I started learning English two years ago.
→I have…………………………………………………………….
-

Broken sentences

Ex: Thanks / lot / your letter / which / arrive / yesterday.
→…………………………………………………………………….
-

Form-filling

Ex: Read the passage carefully and fill in the profile.
Bui Thi My was born on 18 th September, 1963, in the town of Hoi An on the west coast of
Vietnam. She went to the Hoi An Secondary School, where she was a student until 1981.
When she left school, she went to the Hue College of Music, where she studied traditional
classical music. She learnt how to play the classical music of Ca Hue. She became expert
at playing many instruments.
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She graduated from college in 1984. She played with the Hue National Orchestra for two
years. She became a member of Vietnamese State Orchestra one year later. She performs
concerts both in Vietnam and in foreign countries with the National Orchestra.
In 1992, she married Tran Quoc Hoa, also a musician. They have one son and a daughter.

PROFILE
Personal details
Name:
….…………………………..
Sex:

Male / Female *
Place of birth: …………………………
Date of birth:
………………………..
Nationality:
………………………….
Marital status: ……………………….
Education
From
To
…….
………. ………………………………………………………………………….
…….
………. ………………………………………………………………………….
Work Experience
From
To
…….
………. .………………………………………………………………………….
…….
………. .………………………………………………………………………….
Present employment:
………………………………………………………………………………………….
(* Delete where not applicable)

-

Topic-writing

Ex: Write a short paragraph (about 80-100 words) about your daily routines.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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CONCLUSION
In short, testing is not all but it is necessary and fairly important in the process of
learning a foreign language in general and English in particular. Without testing,
teaching and learning activities would mean nothing. In other words, the process of
teaching and learning would have no purpose because the teacher could not evaluate the
students’ learning and knowledge; moreover, students could not have a motivation for
learning. But how to write an efficient test is what all teachers should learn.
After a long time of applying this way of testing, my students could have better
attitudes toward the learning activity. They all could know what to learn and adjust
themselves after a series of tests (See APPENDIX 2)

The results of the tests may show that the tests I used to check students’
understanding and knowledge are mostly successful. (See APPENDIX 3)
In my teaching experience, I would like to suggest some improvements in testing.
The suggested strategies are also limited in numbers but I hope that I can share my
experience with all of you, my colleagues in one way or another.
REFERENCES
• Arthur Hughes -2003 - TESTING FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS Cambridge University Press
• Harold S. Madsen -1983 - TECHNIQUES IN TESTING - Oxford University Press
• J. B. Heaton -1990 - CLASSROOM TESTING - Longman
• Tim McNamara -2000 - LANGUAGE TESTING - Oxford University Press
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APPENDIX 1

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BUI THI XUAN HIGH SCHOOL

Name: ………………….
Class: ………..

Lưu Minh Tâm

THE ENGLISH TEST GRADE 12
Date: October 06th, 2012
Time allowed: 60 minutes

CODE: 3
Choose the word that has the underlined letter pronounced differently from the others.
1. a. trusted
b sacrificed
c. recorded
d. acted
2. a. questioned
b. lived
c. demanded
d. supposed
3. a. married
b. talked
c. passed
d. stopped
Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.
Most Americans eat three meals (4)….... the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast
begins between 7:00 and 8:00a.m., lunch between 11:00 a.m., and noon, and dinner between 6:00 and
8:00 p.m. On Sundays “brunch” is a (5)…….. of breakfast and lunch, typically beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Students often enjoy a “study break” or evening snack around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. Breakfast and lunch
tend to be light meals, with only one (6)……… Dinner is the main meal. (7) ……..breakfast
Americans will eat cereal with milk which are often mixed (8)………. in a bowl, a glass of orange
juice, and toasted bread or muffin with jam, butter, or margarine.
4. a. during
b. for
c. on

d. in
5. a. addition
b. connection
c. attachment
d. combination
6. a. food
b. course
c. menu
d. goods
7. a. At
b. In
c. For
d. With
8. a. each other
b. one another
c. together
d. others
Choose the word whose syllable is stressed differently from the rest.
9. a. photograph
b. attention
c. appearance
d. essential
10. a. problem
b. minute
c. dinner
d. suppose
Choose a word or a phrase that best completes each unfinished sentence or substitutes the
underlined part
11. Someone told us ………on the stairs.
a. don’t sit

b. not sit
c. to not sit
d. not to sit
12. We can use either verbal or non - verbal forms of communication.
a. using verbs
b. using facial expressions
c. using gesture
d. using speech
13. Helen often reads a newspaper while she ………for the bus.
a. waits
b. was waiting
c. is waiting
d. has waited
14. It is thought that traditional marriage.…are important basis of limiting divorce rates.
a. values
b. records
c. responses
d. appearances
15. By the time we….. to the train station, Susan ….for us for more than two hours.
a. get / will wait
b. got / was waiting c. will get / has been waiting d. got/ had been waiting
16. The most common way of attracting someone’s attention from a distance is……
a. smiling
b. nodding
c. waving
d. handshaking
17. “Don’t forget to go to the supermarket after work.” He said
a. He reminded me to go to the supermarket after work.
b. He asked me not to forget to go to the supermarket after work.
c. He told me that I shouldn’t forget to go to the supermarket after work.

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d. He requested me not forget to go to the supermarket after work.
18. Glenda……. extremely hard when she was a student.
a. has worked
b. worked
c. was working
d. had been worked
19. John asked me……… that film the night before.
a. if I had seen
b. had I seen
c. if had I seen
d. if I saw
20. After I ………lunch, I looked for my bag.
a. had
b. have had
c. had had
d. have has
21. My mother is the only one that I can absolutely confide………
a. for
b. in
c. with
d. up
22. As soon as Mary saw the fire, she……. the fire department.
a. was telephoned b. had telephoned
c. telephoned
d. has telephoned

23. They said that they had come back………
a. the following day b. the next day c. the day after tomorrow d. the previous day
24. While mum was watching TV, I………. my homework.
a. am doing
b. had done
c. was doing
d. has done
25. Children who are isolated and lonely seem to have poor language and……..
a. communicate
b. communicative
c. communication d. communicator
26. John ……….a book when I saw him.
a. is reading
b. read
c. reading
d. was reading
27. Professor Pike was very interested in the diversity of cultures all over the world.
a. changes
b. variety
c. conservation
d. number
28. They said “We have lived here for a long time.”
a. They said they had been lived here for a long time.
b. They said they had lived there for a long time.
c. They said they lived here for a long time.
d. They said that they have lived here for a long time.
29. Almost everyone ………..for home by the time we arrived.
a. had left
b. left
c. leaves

d. leave
30. Non- verbal ….....such as waving, nodding or shaking of the head also have cultural meanings.
a. signs
b. hints
c. signals
d. marks
31. It’s rude to point ......... someone.
a. on
b. out
c. to
d. at
32. When he…….. at the station, his train ……..already.
a. arrived / left
b had arrived / left
c. arrives / leaves d. arrived / had left
33. John asked me .............. in English.
a. what that word meant
b. what that word means
c. what did this word mean
d. what does this word mean
34. Stay here............
a. since I came back
b. when I will come back
c. until I come back
d. as soon as I was coming back
35. Many young people have objected to.…marriage, which is decided by the parents of the bride and groom.
a. agreed
b. shared
c. sacrificed
d. contractual

36. He said to us, “Write your lesson carefully.”
a. He said us to write our lesson carefully.
b. He told us to write our lesson carefully.
c. He asked us write our lesson carefully.
d. He said to us to write our lesson carefully.
37. Tom said that he…………
a. was busy then
b. was busy now
c. were busy now d. is busy now
38. He ...............in this school before he ......... England.
a. taught / had left
b. taught / has left c. has taught / left d. had taught / left
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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST
39. The wedding day was ………by the parents of the groom.
a. carefully
b. careful
c. carelessly
d. careless
40. “Are you the new manager, Daisy? Congratulations!” said Billy.
a. Billy looked toward to being the new manager.
b. Billy congratulated Daisy on being the new manager.
c. Billy presented Daisy from being the new manager.
d. Billy dream of being the new manager.

Lưu Minh Tâm

Identify the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct.

41. While I did my homework, I had a good idea.
a
b
c d
42. The aim of this exercises is to practice using will for a future fact or prediction.
a
b
c
d
43. Eaten too many sweets may cause a stomachache.
a
b
c
d
44. By the time you arrive, I will finish writing an essay.
a
b
c
d
45. She told me she couldn’t remember where did she put her purse.
a
b
c
d
Read the text carefully and then choose the best answer.
Communication in general is process of sending and receiving messages that enables humans to
share knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Although we usually identify communication with speech,
communication is composed of two dimensions - verbal and nonverbal.
Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication without words. It includes apparent
behaviors such as facial expressions, eyes, touching, tone of voice, as well as less obvious messages such

as dress, posture and spatial distance between two or more people.
Activity or inactivity, words or silence all have message value: they influence others and these
others, in turn, respond to these communications and thus they are communicating.
Commonly, nonverbal communication is learned shortly after birth and practiced and refined
throughout a person’s lifetime. Children first learn nonverbal expressions by watching and imitating,
much as they learn verbal skills.
Young children know far more than they can verbalize and are generally more adept at reading
nonverbal cues than adults are because of their limited verbal skills and their recent reliance on the
nonverbal to communicate. As children develop verbal skills, nonverbal channels of communication do
not cease to exist although become entwined in the total communication process.
46. According to the writer, …………….
a. People communicate with both verbal and nonverbal language.
b. One cannot communicate in both verbal and nonverbal language.
c. Those who can listen and talk should not use nonverbal language.
d. Nonverbal language is only used by the deaf and the mute.
47. Which is NOT included in nonverbal communication?
a. spatial distance
b. words
c. facial expressions
d. tone of voice
48. We can learn from the text that……….
a. nonverbal can never get any responses
b. most people do not like nonverbal communication
c. touching is not accepted in communicating
d. even silence has message value
49. Human beings………..
a. have learnt how to communicate in nonverbal language through books
b. can communicate in nonverbal language only when they are mature
c. communicate in nonverbal language much less than they do in verbal language
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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST
d. have learnt how to communicate in nonverbal language since a child
50. The word “reading” has a close meaning to……..
a. looking at the words that are written
b. saying something aloud
c. understanding
d. expressing

Lưu Minh Tâm

THE END
SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO ĐỒNG NAI
TRƯỜNG THPT NAM HÀ

ĐỀ KIỂM TRA MỘT TIẾT (LẦN 2) 2012 - 2013
KHỐI 10 - MÔN: ANH VĂN
Mã đề: 152

I. Chọn từ (ứng với A hoặc B, C, D) có phần gạch chân được phát âm khác với những từ còn lại trong mỗi câu
sau.
Câu 1. A. rea son
B. feature
C. teacher
D. realize
Câu 2. A. camera
B. banana
C. classmate
D. pagoda

Câu 3. A. four
B. more
C. talk
D. boss
II. Chọn phương án đúng (A hoặc B, C, D) để hoàn thành mỗi câu sau.
Câu 4. Dennis _______ 40 cigarettes a day.
A. use to smoke
B. uses to smoke
C. used to smoked
D. used to smoke
Câu 5. I usually drive to work but today I _______ by bus.
A. am going
B. will go
C. have gone
D. go
Câu 6. The computer can allow us to _______ very large amounts of information.
A. store
B. design
C. hold
D. transmit
Câu 7. After the first term, they can go _____ a day excursion.
A. on
B. with
C. at
D. in
Câu 8. A: " I'm flying to Ha Noi this afternoon."
B: " Oh, really? ______ you to the airport."
A. I'm going to take
B. I'll take
C. I'm taking

D. I've taken
Câu 9. I _______ my brother USD 10,0000 so far.
A. has lent
B. has been lent
C. have lent
D. have been lent
Câu 10. I don't think the rich ________ bad.
A. were
B. are
C. is
D. was
Câu 11. Many Vietnamese people________ from disability due to dioxin.
A. suffer
B. determine
C. realise
D. demonstrate
Câu 12. There are a lot of black clouds in the sky. It _______ soon.
A. will have rained
B. is going to rain
C. will rain
D. is raining
Câu 13. Some of the more time-consuming jobs can now be done by machines.
A. not affected by time
B. odd
C. taking much time
D. taking. little time
Câu 14. Her class is different _______ other classes.
A. in
B. about
C. from

D. with
Câu 15. A new bridge ______ across the river.
A. has been built
B. has built
C. have been built
D. have built
Câu 16. The Smiths, ________ house had been destroyed in the explosion, were given rooms in a hostel.
A. who
B. whose
C. that
D. which
Câu 17. The chemistry book _______ was a little expensive.
A. I bought that
B. that I bought
C. what I bought
D. that I bought it
Câu 18. The earth _________ threatened and the future looks bad.
A. will be
B. are being
C. was being
D. is being
Câu 19. Here is the owner and the dog ________ got the first prize in the competition.
A. whom
B. that
C. which
D. who
Câu 20. The rich _________ to help the poor.
A. is expecting
B. expects
C. is expected

D. are expected
Câu 21. _______ is very important to everyone.
A. Educational
B. Educate
C. Education
D. Educating

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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

Lưu Minh Tâm

Câu 22. The ________ are those who don't have a job.
A. retarded
B. disabled

C. unemployed

D. injured

III. Điền vào chổ trống những từ thích hợp:
I'm kind of worried about my (23)_______ . She uses the Internet and (24)_______ computer games every
day. I know she uses the Internet for homework, but I'm worried about what else she's doing on the computer. She
has the computer in her bedroom and she (25)_______ the door, so I can't see (26)_______ she is doing.
Câu 23.
Câu 24.
Câu 25.
Câu 26.

A. 14-year-old daughters
A. to play
A. opens
A. why

B. 14-years-old daughter
B. play
B. has
B. what

C. 14-year-old daughter
C. plays
C. closes
C. which

D. 14-year-olds daughters
D. played
D. worries
D. how

IV. Chọn phương án (A hoặc B, C, D) ứng với từ/ cụm từ có gạch chân cần phải sửa trong các câu sau
Câu 27. He decides to using his computer more carefully after attending some basic courses.
A
B
C
D
Câu 28. The television which we bought it five days ago gives very good pictures.
A
B

C
D
Câu 29. The taxi driver is driving so careless that he is sure to have an accident.
A
B
C
D
Câu 30. Most students are used to get up early in the morning.
A
B
C
D
V. Chọn phương án (A hoặc B, C, D) ứng với từ có trọng âm chính nhấn vào âm tiết có vị trí khác với ba từ
còn lại.
Câu 31. A. entertainment
B. determination
C. photogenic
D. technological
Câu 32. A. appear
B. hardware
C. manage
D. office
VI. Đọc kỹ đoạn văn sau và chọn phương án đúng (A hoặc B, C, D) cho mỗi khoảng trống từ 33 đến 36.
Some parents in the United States prefer teaching their children at home because they believe that they can
provide a better educational experience for their children. David Guterson and his wife teach their three children at
home. Guterson says that his children learn very differently from children in school. Learning starts with the
children's interest and questions. For example, when there is heavy snowfall on a winter, it may start a discussion
or reading about climate, Alaska, polar bears, and winter tourism.
Home schooling is often more interesting than regular school, but critics say that home- students are
outsiders who might be uncomfortable mixing with other people in adult life. Critics also say that most parents are

not well - qualified to teach their children at home, so schools will continue to be where most children get their
formal education.
Câu 33. Some parents in the United States believe that __________.
A. it is a waste of money to spend their children to regular schools.
B. regular schools are not good enough for their children.
C. they can give their children a better education experiences.
D. they can teach their children better than regular schools.
Câu 34. Regular schools will continue their activities because _______.
A. children will have friends at schools.
B. schools are the best place for children to study.
C. most children prefer going to school.
D. most parents don't have the time or the desire to teach their children at home.
Câu 35. Home schooling is more interesting than regular schools because _______
A. parents can save time and money.
B. learning can start at the time the children like.
C. learning can start at any time the parents like.
D. learning starts with the children's interests and questions.
Câu 36. According to some critics, home schoolers might ________.

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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

Lưu Minh Tâm

A. be less creative than other children.
B. be shy in the crowd.
C. be more intelligent than other children.
D. have difficulties in mixing with other people in adult life.

VII. Chọn phương án đúng (A hoặc B, C, D) ứng với câu có nghĩa gần nhất với mỗi câu cho sẵn sau đây
Câu 37. They didn't have proper schooling because they were poor.
A. Poverty didn't discouraged them from having proper schooling
B. They had proper schooling because they were poor.
C. Poverty prevented them from having proper schooling.
D. They were poor but they still had proper schooling.
Câu 38. "He doesn't live here now." means
A. He used to live here.
B. He didn't use to live here.
C. He has lived here.
D. He is living here.
Câu 39. The teacher made us do a lot of homework for the next exam.
A. A lot of homework was made to do.
B. We were made to do a lot of homework for the next exam.
C. A lot of homework was made by the teacher.
D. We were made to do a lot of homework by our teacher.
Câu 40. Jim passed the exam. This made his parents pleased.
A. Jim passed the exam, that made his parents pleased.
B. Jim passed the exam which made his parents pleased.
C. Jim passed the exam that made his parents pleased.
D. Jim passed the exam, which made his parents pleased.

- The end –

20


HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

SỞ GD & ĐT ĐỒNG NAI
Trường THPT Ngô Quyền

Lưu Minh Tâm

ĐỀ THI HỌC KỲ I ( Năm học 2009 – 2010 )
Môn: TIẾNG ANH 10 – 40 câu trắc nghiệm
( Thời gian làm bài: 45 phút – không tính thời gian phát đề )
Mã đề thi 101

Read the passage and choose the correct word to fill in each blank.
Computers are very useful, but they can also ___ 1___problems. One of the problems is with the
computer’s memory. It is not perfect, so ___2___ computers lose important information ___3___
problem is with the machinery. Computers are machines, and machines can break down. When
computers break down, they ___4___ erase information, like chalk on a blackboard. Or they may stop
___5___anything at all. And there is another different kind of problem with computers. Some doctors
say computers may be bad for your health. They say you should not work with computers all day.
1:
A. cause
B. do
C. solve
D. take
2:
A. hardly
B. nearly
C. never
D. sometimes
3:
A. Some
B. Other

C. Many
D. Another
4:
A. must
B. would
C. may
D. should
5:
A. to do
B. doing
C. do
D. done
Choose the underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct.
6: In spite of the house was in bad condition, it was sold at a high price.
A
B
C
D
7: We are studying at a high school where is very famous in the country.
A
B
C
D
8: In spite of the traffic jam, we managed getting to school on time.
A
B
C
D
9: One of the most interesting thing for me to do is listening to music.
A

B
C
D
10: How long is it when we last saw Linda , our close friend ?
A
B
C
D
Read the following passage and choose the best answer.
Newspapers, magazines, and books are the print media. Newspapers are one of the main sources for
spreading news and events throughout the world.
Radio and television deliver information and entertainment to the public. Motion pictures are one of
the most popular forms of entertainment. Movies can also teach people many other subjects.
The multimedia computer helps students learn about a particular topic in a variety of ways. When
we use the Internet, we can give and get a lot of information very quickly.
11: According to the text, ___________ are examples of the print media.
A. television, magazines and movies
B. radio, magazines and newspapers
C. books, newspapers and magazines
D. newspaper, computers and magazines
12: The phrase throughout the world in line 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST
Lưu Minh Tâm
A. all over the world B. in every part
C. nationally
D. regionally
13: Radio and television are useful because they _________.

A. have a lot of programs
B. deliver information and entertainment to people
C. teach people in many ways
D. give and get a lot of information from people
14: According to the text, movies can also _______________.
A. make us relaxed and sleepy
B. help us to earn more money.
C. help us to improve our listening skill
D. help us to learn many subjects
15: The Internet can help people __________.
A. get and send personal information
C. send and receive some information

B. learn and entertain themselves
D. give and get information very fast

Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others.
16:
A. wrong
B. lose
C. long
D. song
17:
A. thousand
B. found
C. enough
D. account
18:
A. heavy
B. peasant

C. reading
D. weather
19:
A. aware
B. paper
C. today
D. replace
Choose the best completion , replacement or answer.
20: Television can make things _____ because it presents information in an effective way.
A. memorizing
B. memorable
C. memory
D. memorably
21: Mary earned a degree in physic with flying colors.
A. with a very high grade B. with confidence C. with fame
D. with success
22: Student A: Could you tell me what a cell phone is used for?
Student B: _______________________________
A. Well, I spent a lot of time talking to my friends when I was free
B. Oh, It costs me a lot of money to use a cell phone
C. Oh, it takes me a lot of time to be used to using a cell phone.
D. Well, it is used to talk to people when you are away from home
23: Their grandmother died after she _________ ill for a long time.
A. have been
B. has been
C. had been
D. was
24: ______ all my warnings, he tried to fix the computer himself.
A. Instead of
B. In spite of

C. Because
D. Although
25: He doesn’t feel thirsty because he _________ a big glass of water.
A. has just drunk
B. had just drunk
C. drank
D. have just drunk
26: John is always late for class, __________ annoys the teacher.
A. which
B. this
C. that
D. what
27: A computer can add, subtract, multiply ,and divide with lightning speed .
A. very fast
B. perfectly properly C. gradually
D. very effectively
28: The house is very dirty .We haven’t cleaned it _______ ages .
A. at
B. since
C. for
D. with
29: We all felt sad and disappointed _________the bad news.
A. since
B. because
C. as
D. because of
30: It usually ______ me 15 minutes to get to school by bicycle.
A. loses
B. costs
C. takes

D. spends
31: A new bridge _______ across the river recently.
A. has been built
B. had been built
C. was built
D. will be built
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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST
Lưu Minh Tâm
Choose the sentence that is almost the same in meaning as the sentence given .
32: Because of his serious illness he had to cancel the appointment.
A. Because his illness is serious, he had to cancel the appointment.
B. Because he had an illness, he had to cancel the appointment.
C. Because he was seriously ill, he had to cancel the appointment.
D. Because his illness is seriously, he had to cancel the appointment.

33: The police have arrested the men who broke into the museum last night.
A. The men have been arrested by the police who broke into the museum last night.
B. The men have been arrested who broke into the museum last night by the police.
C. The men has been arrested by the police who broke into the museum last night.
D. The men who broke into the museum last night have been arrested by the police.
34: It took him four hours to repair his car.
A. He repaired his car in four hours.
B. He spent four hours to repair his car
C. He spent four hours repairing his car.
D. He took four hours to repair his car.
35: She started learning English three years ago.
A. She learned English for three years so far.

B. She has been learning English in three years
C. She has learned English since three years.
D. She has learned English for three years.
36: Jane couldn't come to my birthday party. This made me feel sad.
A. Which made me feel sad that Jane couldn't come to my birthday party.
B. Jane couldn't come to my birthday party, that made me feel sad.
C. Jane couldn't come to my birthday party who made me sad.
D. Jane couldn't come to my birthday party, which made me feel sad.
Choose the word which is stressed differently from the others.
37:
A. mountain
B. display
C. beauty
D. channel
38:
A. profession
B. computer
C. condition
D. newspaper
39:
A. letter
B. cartoon
C. program
D. cooker
40:
A. mentally
B. retarded
C. permission
D.
disabled------------------------------------The end---

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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

Lưu Minh Tâm

APPENDIX 2

GRADE 10

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HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST

Name: …………………………
Class: 10……

Lưu Minh Tâm

TEST (Units 1-2)
Time: 15 minutes

I. Complete the passage with the appropriate words. (5pts)
takes
light
get
for

finish
while
usually
late
begins
then
My day usually (1)________ at six thirty. I get up and do some exercises for about
fifteen minutes. (2)________ I take a bath. After that I (3)________ dressed and have
breakfast with my family. I usually have a (4)________ breakfast, consisting of toast and
coffee. At seven thirty I leave (5)________ school. I catch the bus near my house and then
walk from the bus-stop to school. It (6)________ about fifteen minutes to get to school. My
first class is at eight thirty and I usually (7)________ school at three. Sometimes I stay
(8)_______ to have a game of volleyball or to work in the library. I usually reach home at
around four o’clock. When I get home I like to watch TV for a (9)________. Then I start my
homework. I have dinner at seven o’clock. After dinner I often have a chat with my brother.
Sometimes I go out with my friends. I (10)_______ go to bed at around ten o’clock.

II. Answer the questions about you. Write full answers. (2.5pts)
1.

What time do you usually get up?

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………
2.

What is the first thing you do in the morning?

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………
3.

What days a week do you go to school?

→ ……………………………………………………….……………………………………
4.

What subjects do you study at school?

→ ……………………………………………………….……………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
5.

Do you like to learn English? Why?

→ ……………………………………………………………….……………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

III. Complete the sentences with the right form of the words in brackets. (2.5pts)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mrs. Lan is interested in ………………….young children. (TEACH)
Huong ………………………..dinner at 6 p.m. (USUALLY- NOT HAVE)
Her sister enjoys …………………..to the radio. (LISTEN)
My teacher always expects us …………………..well in exams. (DO)
I ……………on the corner and waited for Thao for two hours. (STAND)
25