Ôn thi HSG môn tiếng Anh 3

Đề ôn thi HSGQG, 304 môn tiếng Anh hay tài liệu ôn TOEFLE, đã có đáp án. Cung cấp kiến thức và kỹ năng cho học sinh chuẩn bị tham gia thi các kì HSG (bao gồm các phần lexico and gramma, multiple choice, reading, writing..) và có thể dùng phần Reading ôn tập TOEFL (format và nội dung tương tự). Đáp án đã được giáo viên sửa, đề thi lấy từ kho ôn thi của học sinh chuyên

PRACTICE TEST 1 (5.4.2022) LEXICO-GRAMMAR

1 The boy who was caught _ candy or little toys many times but was never punished by his mother grew up to be a thief

A snitching B burgling C ransacking D pilfering

2 Some students attempted to _ the teacher while the others prepared the surprise birthday party for her

3 Adam has no right to _ his position on how much our class should donate, that is our internal affair

A hammer out B screen out C stake out D take out

4 Getting into the third round of 2022 World Cup is a real _ for the Vietnam national team

5 The four-week circuit _ will come into force tomorrow with the closure of pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential shops

6 The old owners of the homestay are extremely hospitable and whenever I travel to Dalat, I know there will always be a _ welcome awaiting me

A princely B heart-rending C profound D abstruse

7 School ends at 5 so my only choice is to _ a chocolate bar on my way to my extra Math class, which starts only 10’ later

A rattle through B scarf down C romp through D scuff down

8 Having performed excellently in the Quidditch match, Ron _ his moment of glory, holding the trophy

up to the crowd

A blazed up B clocked up C plunged in D basked in

9 The image of peace and prosperity appearing on TV is rather _ and does not reflect the actual situation of the city

A factious B factitive C factive D factional

10 Of course we all love a better quality fridge, but for a low-income family like us, it’s better to cut your _ according to your cloth

11 There are many problems that laws don’t intervene and it totally rests with the moral _ of each individual to prevent wrongdoings

12 My boyfriend refused to climb up the treetop with me because he doesn’t have a _ for heights

13 I have received many warnings about my studies recently and was threatened to be grounded by my parents, another low grade this time will be _ to me

A the last straw B the final nail in the coffin

C the parting shot D the drop in the bucket

14 I thought willpower was enough to take me to the finish line, but when my muscles got sore and my body was exhausted, I knew I had _

15 He was brought up in an educated family but hanging out with the street children has turned him into a(n) _ young man with bad manners

WORD FORM

1 The police had been on STAKE-OUT in our neighborhood for a week to collect evidence before

they arrested the drug dealer (STAKE)

2 Meeting the first girl he loved after 8 years, old feelings _ in the heart of the married man (FACE)

3 I later put my shoes back on because shells and gravel made walking _BAREFOOT _ on the beach

uncomfortable for me (FOOT)

4 Although the technique seems simple compared to those of modern days, paper produced by Cai Lun was considered _ at that time (GROUND)

5 The German recycling system provides a _BENCHMARK against which schemes in other nations

can be measured (BENCH)

READING

Part 1 For questions 1-13, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.

Recent stock-market crashes

For as long as there have been financial markets, there have been financial crises Most economists agree, however, that from 1994 to 2013 crashes were deeper and the resultant troughs longer-lasting than in the 20-year period leading up to 1994 Two notable crashes, the Nifty Fifty in the mid-1970s and Black Monday in 1987, had an average loss of about 40% of the value of global stocks, and recovery took 240 days each, whereas the Dot-com and credit crises, post-1994, had an average loss of about 52%, and endured for 430 days What economists do not agree upon is why recent crises have been so severe or how to prevent their recurrence

John Coates, from the University of Cambridge in the UK and a former trader for Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, believes three separate but related phenomena explain the severity The first is dangerous but predictable risk-taking on the part of traders The second is a lack of any risk-taking when markets become too volatile (Coates does not advocate risk-aversion since risk-taking may jumpstart a depressed market.) The last is a new policy of transparency by the US Federal Reserve – known as the Fed – that may have encouraged stock-exchange complacency, compounding the dangerous risk-taking

Many people imagine a trader to have a great head for maths and a stomach for the rollercoaster ride of the market, but Coates downplays arithmetic skills, and doubts traders are made of such stern stu ff Instead, he draws attention to the physiological nature of their decisions Admittedly, there are women in the industry, but traders are overwhelmingly male, and testosterone appears to a ect their choices.ff

Another common view is that traders are greedy as well as thrill-seeking Coates has not researched financial incentive, but blood samples taken from London traders who engaged in simulated risk-taking exercises for him in 2013 confirmed the prevalence of testosterone, cortisol, and dopamine – a neurotransmitter precursor to adrenalin associated with raised blood pressure and sudden pleasure

Certainly anyone faced with danger has a stress response involving the body’s preparation for impending movement – for what is sometimes called ‘Fight or flight’, but, as Coates notes, any physical act at all produces a stress response: even a reader’s eye movement along words in this line requires cortisol and adrenalin Neuroscientists now see the brain not as a computer that acts neutrally, involved in a process

of pure thought, but as a mechanism to plan and carry out a movement, since every single piece of information humans absorb has an attendant pattern of physical arousal

For muscles to work, fuel is needed, so cortisol and adrenalin employ glucose from other muscles and the liver To burn the fuel, oxygen is required, so slightly deeper or faster breathing occurs To deliver fuel and oxygen to the body, the heart pumps a little harder and blood pressure rises Thus, the stress response is a normal part of life, as well as a resource in fighting or fleeing Indeed, it is a highly pleasurable experience in watching an action movie, making love or pulling o a multi-million-dollarff stock-market deal

Cortisol production also increases during exposure to uncertainty For example, people who live next to a train line adjust to the noise of passing trains, but visitors to their home are disturbed The phenomenon

is equally well-known of anticipation being worse than an event itself: sitting in the waiting room thinking about a procedure may be more distressing than occupying the dentist’s chair and having one Interestingly, if a patient does not know approximately when he or she will be called for that procedure, cortisol levels are the most elevated of all This appeared to happen with the London traders participating

in some of Coates’ gambling scenarios

When there is too much volatility in the stock market, Coates suspects adrenaline levels decrease while cortisol levels increase, explaining why traders take fewer risks at that time In fact, typically traders freeze, becoming almost incapable of buying or selling anything but the safest bonds In Coates’ opinion, the market needs investment as it falls and at rock bottom – at such times, greed is good

The third matter – the behaviour of the Fed – Coates thinks could be controlled, albeit counterintuitively Since 1994, the US Federal Reserve has adopted a policy called Forward Guidance Under this, the public

is informed at regular intervals of the Fed’s plans for short-term interest rates Recently, rates have been raised by small but predictable increments By contrast, in the past, the machinations of the Fed were largely secret, and its interest rates fluctuated apparently randomly Coates hypothesises these meant traders were on guard and less likely to indulge in wild speculation In introducing Forward Guidance, the Fed hoped to lower stock and housing prices; instead, before the crash of 2008, the market surged from further risk-taking, like an unleashed pit bull terrier

There are many economists who disagree with Coates, but he has provided some physiological evidence for both traders’ recklessness and immobilization and made the radical proposal of greater opacity at the Fed Although, as others have noted, we could just let more women onto the floor

Questions 1-7

In boxes 1-7, write:

True if the statement agrees with the information

False if the statement contradicts the information

Not Given if there is no information on this

1 Economic experts generally agree that financial crashes around the 2000s were less severe than those between 1974 and 1993

2 According to John Coates, risk-taking can sometimes assist a weak market

3 Contrary to popular belief, traders tend to show strong determination to deal with market

volatility

4 The analysis of blood samples collected from London traders in 2013 revealed that many of them suffered from high blood pressure and instant gratification

5 Neuroscientists now view the brain as an organ to control movement

6 A person waiting to see a dentist may have extremely high cortisol levels if he or she does not have a specific appointment

7 An increase in female traders may be a potential solution to current market problems

Your answers.

For questions 8-13, complete the following paragraph with words taken from the passage (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each blank).

The global financial status has hit a dead-cat bounce Such severity of recent crashes can be unraveled and analyzed through some following explanations by John Coates, an experienced trader for Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank Firstly, traders are now more willing to take risks, especially when the market

is rising With a proven increase in their 8) _VOLATILITY _, they tend to challenge themselves

with the market Secondly, traders may become more averse to risks This occurs when the stock market

witnesses a plethora of 9) ADRENALIN LEVELS , which may result in a rise in traders’ 10) _CORTISOL LEVELS _ Consequently, we can see their immobilization The third reason may derive from US Federal Reserve policy, also known as 11) _FORWARD GUIDANCE _, which

was supposed to calm the market In the past, the uncertainty of interest rates might discourage traders

from making 12) WILD SPECULATION _ With Fed’s plans for short-term interest rates being informed more regularly, traders became less cautious and 13) _FURTHER RISK-TAKING _

was encouraged

Part 2 For questions 14-23, read an extract from an article and choose the answer A, B, C or D that fits best according to the text Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

The machine that is celebrity culture has given us the meteoric rise and fall of the child actor, with plenty

of cautionary tales to point to and ask if something should have been done to prevent them Recently,

the Chinese government took the extreme and unprecedented measure of banning the children of celebrities from appearing in any type of reality TV programming, in an effort to prevent the manufacturing of child stars It would appear that perhaps limiting the exposure a child has to fame serves to protect and ensure a solid, stable upbringing

The pressure of fame is undoubtedly onerous, even for adults, who, despite growing up out of the spotlight, sometimes buckle under the stress of stardom they achieved later in life and exhibit all manner

of behavioral disorders after their stardom has waned The same can be said of child actors, but the effect

is seemingly multiplied by the fact that, if achieving stardom as children, their view of reality is possibly warped and they may never even have the chance to acquire the necessary coping skills But given that some child actors – in fact, most – can make a go of their careers into adulthood, are children really so incapable of handling such pressure or is there actually no problem at all?

A) Banning children from acting has an element of common sense to it, but imagine, if you will, television programmes, films and so forth absent of children B) While the Chinese government’s move

to limit the exposure of children may seem well intentioned, at least on the surface, it is not entirely realistic to say that children are not allowed to appear on the small or big screen C) Of course, they are applying it to one particular media – that of reality TV; nonetheless, is such a ban sensible for any type of media? D)

Upon closer examination of the phenomenon of the child star, we see examples both of success and failure How many of each do we have? Is there a disproportionately high amount of failure in the lives of child actors if we look at the statistics and compare their problems with those of ordinary people? We see

a child star fail and we immediately blame fame, but what about the success stories of other child actors

such as Jodie Foster, Daniel Radcliffe and Leonardo Dicaprio, all of whom got their start as very young children? Are we to credit fame for their success in the same way we blame it for others’ failures?

In the case of the latter, there are the stars we know about, as they went on to achieve long-lasting fame, even top acting awards Child stars are not always destined to eternally seek the limelight, however, so there are many cases of success stories that people often don’t know about Peter Ostum, who played Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, went on to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine Shirley Temple, leading box-office star in the 1930s from the age of seven, became a politician and the first female US ambassador Polish child stars and identical twin brothers Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski gave up acting and were respectively elected as president and prime minister of Poland, positions they held at the same time

Invariably, though, it’s the catastrophic demise that we hear about, not just of child actors, of course, but when it does happen to them, we feel a mixture of sorrow and disbelief To data, there is little statistical evidence to support the claim that fame and celebrity culture ruin the lives of child actors; the only proof

we have is what we perceive to be true Protections are in place, to an extent, to help ensure that children

have as normal an upbringing as possible California, for example, has enacted laws which mandate that

children must continue with their educational studies exactly as they would if they weren’t in films, even going so far as to require teachers on set if need be In this vein, ensuring support for child actors may need to go further than the broad restrictions exercised by China

14 Which best serves as the title for the passage?

A Too young to be famous

B The lucrative career for children

C How to become successful from an early age

D Laws and regulations restricting child participation in the showbiz

15 The word " cautionary tales” in paragraph 1 mostly means

A stories that are memorable

B jokes and tricks to warn children

C stories that give warning to people

D hilarious conversations

16 What can be inferred about the solution taken by Chinese government regarding child stars?

A The author wholeheartedly subscribes to it

B It will hamper the boom of child stars

C It will impose a ban on children participation in films

D It is unprecedented in history

17 In the second paragraph, the author implies that children

A are better prepared to deal with fame than adults

B never learn coping skills when they are famous young

C may or may not be perniciously influenced by fame

D are destined to become abnormal adults if they are in the limelight from an early age

18 What is the author’s opinion of the government ban in the third paragraph?

A He is not sure whether or not it originates from good will

B He is in support of it being put into practice

C He supposes it is futile in the context of reality TV

D He believes the drive behind is to manipulate the media

19 In the fourth paragraph, the author suggests that

A fame is the culprit behind the phenomenon of child stars.

B early fame may not contribute to the flop of a star

C the fame of some stars shows it has no detrimental impact

D the failure of some stars means that fame is debilitating

20 The author uses the instances in the fifth paragraph to convey the idea that

A child actors can attain whatever they desire

B fame can repel some from a sustainable acting career

C a more thorough study is needed to give out evaluation

D success can be a springboard to other positions in life

21 The author concludes by saying that

A it is futile to protect children from the perils of fame

B it is worth taking into account the steps to help children handle fame

C our conception of fame is greater than the reality

D children should receive insightful education about how to deal with fame

22 Look at the four squares [ ] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage

As this sort of media is supposed to reflect real life, it would seem surreal if there were no children in these stories, as if children had ceased to exist altogether

Where would the sentence best fit?

A First square B Second square C Third square D Fourth square

23 The word " mandate” in the final paragraph mostly means

A giving official permission for something to happen

B ordering something to happen

C putting something into action

D allowing for the existence of something

Your answers

Part 3 In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed For questions 24-30, read the passage and choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap There is ONE extra paragraph which you do not need to use Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.

Non-Verbal communication

Sociological research points to the theory that certain ways of positioning or moving the body have a direct correlation with how one is perceived People emit an aura of strength or power dependent on posture, gestures and eye movement Quick, enthusiastic, meaningful movements and gestures suggest a dynamic, alert person People who look at, and maintain eye contact with their audience while conversing with them exude confidence and fearlessness

24 E

Being conscious of one's posture and gestures when sitting is also conducive to creating the right impression on the beholder When one wishes to appear self-assured and knowledgeable in an important interpersonal situation where sitting is required, a high, straight-backed chair should be chosen when possible Placing and clasping the hands behind the head, with elbows stretched to the sides, adds to the impression of comfortable assertiveness It also keeps the hands under control and out of danger of unwanted fidgeting

The appropriate placing of the hands depends on the situation When one is in an upright position, standing face to face with another person, the palms of the hands should not be evident Hands open in a palm-revealing gesture can connote a begging or submissive attitude,

Research shows that people in business have adopted a standard routine Many professionals assume a hand-to-chin position when seated and when engaged in discussion, they will sit erectly in their chair with one leg crossed casually over the other, seemingly calm and cool The moment the discussion begins

to take on a more serious note, the professional will uncross the legs, place both feet squarely on the floor and lean forward to indicate assertiveness and strength It does not do, though, to be too defensive

Staring or glaring eyes flash "threat or warning" to both humans and animals, how often have we observed a dog with hackles raised, staring down an opponent? Just as beasts send signals of dominance

in this fashion, so do humans The eyes can communicate other emotions as well Eyes that blink rapidly and shift from side to side give the illusion of nervousness or untrustworthiness

In some situations, staring, as opposed to maintaining eye contact, can have a negative effect In addition

to being regarded as rude, staring at someone can indeed make them back down or surrender Adversely,

it could antagonize them into accepting the suggested challenge

This phenomenon proves to be even more evident when a person takes on the role of listener In almost all social scenarios, people demonstrate a heightened sense of attentiveness when a perceived person of power speaks Whether one is discussing a teacher in a classroom or a company president in the boardroom, all eyes seem to be riveted on the sage, advice-giving, more dominant speaker

It is said that we form impressions of people within the first thirty seconds of meeting them Within this time period, the beholder is strongly influenced by a person's stance, gestures and physical actions When someone is aware of this, they are far more prepared to consciously use the tools of impression management to control the overall impression they make on those around them

The missing paragraphs

A In the instances where a speaker wishes to present and reinforce an impression of honesty and powerfulness on his audience, body language may speak more loudly and more effectively than the actual spoken words

B Just as staring can be offensive at times, looking at someone too frequently or for too long a duration can also suggest something negative; namely submissiveness With regard to the higher primates and humans, both occupy themselves for longer periods of time observing their superiors as opposed to their inferiors

C Just as posture plays a role in impression management, so too do the eyes The eyes can communicate a million words without the owner consciously knowing they are doing so The eyes are the 'mirror of the soul" and by moving them, or using them in certain ways, diverse messages can be relayed to an observer

D There are times when one's hands seem to have a 'mind of their own' Unconsciously, one might tap their fingers on the arms of a chair, fidget with jewellery, or even crack one's knuckles All of these actions are very clear signs of boredom, nervousness or inattentiveness

E A flatterer is a person who controls his impression management in such a way that the message being sent is one of a likeable, friendly person The flatterer's aim is to be seen only in a positive light and will tell an audience exactly what they want to hear to create this aura

F Somebody who is relaxed enough to stand before his audience without any visual signs of stress exudes self-assuredness and honesty Even though these people are comfortable in their stance, they hold themselves erect and avoid looking round-shouldered or hunched over Being lazy with one's posture could be indicative of defeat, while standing tall and proud paints a picture of one who is in charge

G It is said that many politicians are very aware of this impression that the eyes can make on an audience Many insist that there be no movement in a television studio where they are being taped, for fear that their eyes may automatically flit to the sudden movement Obviously, no politician wants to appear to be lying or feeling uncomfortable about what he is saying during a live taping of a political debate or speech

H When sitting, many people make the mistake of folding their arms across their chests This gives the impression of being closed off or inaccessible to the audience By rights, the hands should be clasped loosely, with fingers interlaced, and placed in the lap This gesture indicates an open, friendly attitude to the audience

Your answers

Part 4 The passage below consists of four sections marked A, B, C and D For questions 31-40, read the passage and do the task that follows Write your answers (A, B, C or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

A Oak

Oak wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm3, great strength and hardness, and is very resistant to insect and fungal attack because of its high tannin content It also has very appealing grain markings, particularly when quartersawn Oak planking was common on high status Viking longships in the 9th and 10th centuries The wood was hewn from green logs, by axe and wedge, to produce radial planks, similar

to quarter-sawn timber Wide, quarter-sawn boards of oak have been prized since the Middle Ages for use in interior paneling of prestigious buildings such as the debating chamber of the House of Commons

in London, and in the construction of fine furniture Oak wood, from Quercus robur and Quercus petraea, was used in Europe for the construction of ships, especially naval men of war, until the 19th century, and was the principal timber used in the construction of European timber-framed buildings

Today oak wood is still commonly used for furniture making and flooring, timber frame buildings, and for veneer production Barrels in which wines, sherry, and spirits such as brandy, Scotch whisky and Bourbon whiskey are aged are made from European and American oak The use of oak in wine can add many different dimensions to wine based on the type and style of the oak Oak barrels, which may be charred before use, contribute to the colour, taste, and aroma of the contents, imparting a desirable oaky vanillin flavour to these drinks The great dilemma for wine producers is to choose between French and American oakwoods French oaks give the wine greater refinement and are chosen for the best wines since they increase the price compared to those aged in American oak wood American oak contributes greater texture and resistance to ageing, but produces more violent wine bouquets Oak wood chips are used for smoking fish, meat, cheeses and other foods

B Elm

Elm wood was valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins The elm's wood bends well and distorts easily making

it quite pliant The often long, straight, trunks were favoured as a source of timber for keels in ship construction Elm is also prized by bowyers; of the ancient bows found in Europe, a large portion of them are elm During the Middle Ages elm was also used to make longbows if yew was unavailable

The first written references to elm occur in the Linear B lists of military equipment at Knossos in the Mycenaean Period Several of the chariots are of elm, and the lists twice mention wheels of elmwood Hesiod says that ploughs in Ancient Greece were also made partly of elm

The density of elm wood varies between species, but averages around 560 kg per cubic metre

Elm wood is also resistant to decay when permanently wet, and hollowed trunks were widely used as water pipes during the medieval period in Europe Elm was also used as piers in the construction of the original London Bridge However this resistance to decay in water does not extend to ground contact The Romans, and more recently the Italians, used to plant elms in vineyards as supports for vines Lopped at three metres, the elms' quick growth, twiggy lateral branches, light shade and root-suckering

made them ideal trees for this purpose The lopped branches were used for fodder and firewood Ovid in his Amores characterizes the elm as "loving the vine", and the ancients spoke of the "marriage" between elm and vine

C Mahogany

Mahogany has a straight, fine and even grain, and is relatively free of voids and pockets Its reddish-brown color darkens over time, and displays a reddish sheen when polished It has excellent workability, and is very durable Historically, the tree's girth allowed for wide boards from traditional mahogany species These properties make it a favorable wood for crafting cabinets and furniture

Much of the first-quality furniture made in the American colonies from the mid-18th century was made of mahogany, when the wood first became available to American craftsmen Mahogany is still widely used for fine furniture; however, the rarity of Cuban mahogany and over harvesting of Honduras and Brazilian mahogany has diminished their use Mahogany also resists wood rot, making it attractive in boat construction It is also often used for musical instruments, particularly the backs, sides and necks of acoustic guitars and drum shells because of its ability to produce a very deep, warm tone compared to other commonly used woods such as maple or birch Guitars often feature mahogany in their construction Mahogany is now being used for the bodies of high-end stereo phonographic record cartridges and for stereo headphones, where it is noted for “warm” or “musical” sound

D Beech

Beech wood is an excellent firewood, easily split and burning for many hours with bright but calm flames Chips of beech wood are used in the brewing of Budweiser beer as a fining agent Beech logs are burned

to dry the malts used in some German smoked beers, giving the beers their typical flavour Beech is also used to smoke Westphalian ham, various sausages, and some cheeses

The European species Fagus sylvatica yields a utility timber that is tough but dimensionally unstable It weighs about 720 kg per cubic metre and is widely used for furniture framing and carcass construction, flooring and engineering purposes, in plywood and in household items like plates, but rarely as a decorative wood The timber can be used to build chalets, houses and log cabins

Beech wood is used for the stocks of military rifles when traditionally preferred woods such as walnut are scarce or unavailable or as a lower-cost alternative

The fruit of the beech tree is known as beechnuts or mast and is found in small burrs that drop from the tree in autumn It is small, roughly triangular and edible, with a bitter, astringent taste They have a high enough fat content that they can be pressed for edible oil Fresh from the tree, beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture The young leaves can be steeped in gin for several weeks, the liquor strained off and sweetened to give a light green/yellow liqueur called beech leaf noyau

Choose from the list of woods (A-D) for each question Some of the choices may be required more than once.

31 Which wood contains something that prevents it being attacked?

32 Which wood doesn't have the reputation of being aesthetically pleasing?

33 Which wood can be buried in water indefinitely with little ill effect?

34 Which wood can enhance the value a food or drink?

35 Which wood is most likely to be found on stage at a rock concert?

36 Which wood became associated with luxurious buildings?

37 Which wood is the most flexible and is therefore used where this is required?

38 Which wood is most inflammable?

39 Which wood was used as an agricultural aid?

40 Which wood can alter its colour?