KỲ THI OLYMPIC ĐỒNG BẰNG SÔNG CỬU LONG TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN nguyễn bỉnh khiêm ĐỀ THI ĐỀ NGHỊ MÔN TIẾNG ANH

Sở GD & ĐT Vĩnh Long Đề đề nghị Học sinh giỏi ĐBSCL 2008-2009 Trường THPT chuyên Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Môn: tiếng Anh I LISTENING Part A You will hear a couple talking to a reporter about their work looking after wild animals in Namibia As you listen, choose the best answer A, B or C Lise and Wayne had always been interested in A studying photography B raising cattle C observing animals in their own habitats They raise money for their centre by A taking in visitors as paying guests B asking international organizations for help C farming the surrounding countryside What eventually happens to the animals they look after? A They are sent to safari parks B They are released into the wild C They become part of the family The family try to train the animals to A avoid electric fences B be more independent C stay away from cattle What kinds of animals they have at the centre? A babies without mothers B all different types of creatures C mainly cheetahs What sort of success have they had trying to put the creatures back into the wild? A They have released about 160 big cats B They have released about 116 big cats C They have released about 52 cheetahs How does Lise feel about animals? A She’d die of boredom B She loves the bugs C She loves all the animals What Lise and Wayne think about their way of life? A Lise misses her town life B They are both very happy there C Wayne would like more free time Part B: You will hear an interview with Hans Zimmer, who writes soundtracks (that is the music) for films For questions 1-7, choose the best answer A, B or C The film directors he deals with appear to be mainly A confident B nervous C aggressive He was chosen to write the music for The Lion King because A he was recommended by a famous composer B he had experience of working with animation C he had written some music which the directors liked When Zimmer writes music of films, he tries to A make the story easier to follow B express things the director hasn’t shown C forget about parts of the story Zimmer says the best tunes come to him A when he is relaxed B when he is in the bath C when he gets up early He says that he produces most of his work A when he is under pressure B by working regularly C when he has plenty of time to think How long does it take Zimmer to write the soundtrack for a film? A several years B three to four weeks C it varies What does Zimmer say he is going to do? A take a two-month holiday B refuse most new projects C work for a further five years II GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY: A Choose the best answer: I came to Spain in 1982 Next year I (be)………… here 20 years A will have been B will be C was D am My doctor prescribed me some medicine for my cough I ………… some medicine for my cough A have prescribed B prescribed C had prescribed D was prescribed Where on earth is Tony? I'm tired of waiting for him Soon we (wait)………… here for an hour A will have been waiting B will wait C wait D waited He's usually pleasant, but when he's tired he (be) ………… pretty short-tempered That's the way he is A was B is C had been D will be Sorry I didn't call you and tell you I wasn't coming I would have called you if I (have) ………… your number with me A will have B had C have D had had He says that if he (not/be) ………… so busy he would go with you to the movie tomorrow As it is, he simply has too much work to A is B had been C wasn't D is not Someone burgled my house while I was away My house ………… while I was away A would burgle B burgled C had been burgled D was burgled While I was away on holiday, my sister (fall) ………… ill and I had to come home A will fall B falls C had fallen D fell I gave my friend directions to my house, but later realised that I (forgot) ………… to give her the exact address A forgetting B forget C had forgotten D forgot 10 I got to work this morning and was angry when I saw that no one (arrive) ………… yet A arrived B had arrived C has been arrived D will arrived 11 Sunshine - at last! Imagine if the English weather was like this all the time (it/not/be) ………… wonderful? A Will it not be B Wouldn't it be C Had it not been D Is it not 12 She’s pleased with her job, but when she's tired she (be) ………… very angry A is B was C had been D would be 13 We (miss) ………… the bus unless you hurry A miss B would miss C had missed D will miss 14 I went to the showroom but was informed that they had sold all the houses I went to the showroom but was informed that all the houses ………… A had sold B sold C are sold D had been sold 15 By the time we reached Frankfurt I (already/be) ………… very tired of driving A am already B will be C was already D would be already 16 He awoke thinking he was in a prison and that he'd been arrested for robbery He then realised that it (all/be) ………… just a bad dream A has all been B will have all been C had all been D is all 17 Do you think you (finish) ………… writing that report by the time I get back? A will finish B would finish C finish D will have finished 18 If you (not/be) ………… so stubborn you would find it a lot easier to keep your friends A were B weren't C would not be D had not been 19 John would have waited for you if I (tell) ………… him the truth A had told B told C have told D would tell 20 Mary agrees that if she (not/be) ………… so busy she would enjoy the party tomorrow As it is, she has much homework to finish A was B had not been C had been D wasn't B Circle A, B, C or D to identify the word or phrase that is incorrect in each line to complete the passage There are much more water than land on the surface of the earth The seas and A B C D oceans cover nearly four-fifth of the whole world, and only one-fifth of its land A B C D That distribution affects all nations that living in different parts of the planet earth A B C D If you are traveling over the earth in different directions, you would have to spend A B C D much more of your time moving on water rather than on roads or railways A B C D forget sometimes that in every mile of land there are four miles of water A B C D There is too much of water on the surface or our earth that we have to use two A B C D words to describe them We use the word seas to describe those parts of water A B C D surface which is only a few hundreds of miles wide, and the word OCEANS to A B C D 10 describe the huge areas of water are thousands of miles wide and very deep A B C D C Circle A, B, C or D to choose the most suitable form of the words to complete the following passage There are many ways of (1)………… without using speech Signals, signs, symbols and gestures may be found in every known culture The basic function of a signal is to impinge upon the environment in such a way that it attracts (2)…………., as for example, the dots and the dashes of a telegraph circuit Codes to refer to (3)…………., the potential for communication is very great While less (4)………… to the (5)………… of words, signs contain greater meaning in and of themselves A stop sign or a barber pole conveys meaning quickly and (6)………… Symbols are more difficult to describe than either signals or signs because of their intricate (7)………… with the receiver’s culture (8)………… In some cultures, applauding in a theatre provides (9)………… with an auditory symbol of (10)………… Gestures such as waving and handshaking also communicate certain cultural messages A communication A attentive A speak A adapt A code A conveniently A relative A perceive A perform 10 A approve B communicating B attending B speech B adapted B codify B convenience B relation B perception B performance B approval C communicator C attendance C speaking C adaptable C codes C convenient C relationship C perceiving C performers C approving D communicative D attention D spoken D adapting D codification D conveniencing D relations D perception D performing D approvals D Read the letter and choose the correct tense of each verb to fill in the blanks Dear Sir, I (1)……… to you three weeks ago, asking about conditions of entry into your college You (2) ……… , enclosing an enrolment form, which I (3)……… and returned without delay Since then, however, I have heard nothing and I begin to wonder if my application (4)……… astray Could you please check that you have received it? And if you haven’t, please send me another enrolment form If, on the other hand, you received my application but (5)……… whether to accept me as a student or not, I would be very grateful if you (6)……… me when I may expect to hear your decision Finally, if my application already (7)……… refused, I would like to be informed as soon as possible because if I not get into your college I (8)……… to apply to another and the sooner I (9)……… this, the better chance I (10) ……… of being accepted Yours faithfully, P Smith A write B had written C have written D wrote A replied B did reply C reply D will reply A am filling up B was filling up C have filled up D filled up A went B has gone C goes D will go A don’t decide B will not decide C have not decided D will be deciding A told B had told C have told D are telling A is already B would already be C has already been D will already been A had B will have C would have D am having A did B have done C had done D 10 A had B will have C will have had D had had E Read the passage then choose the best answer to fill in the blanks: Last week I went to visit my friend Fred Fred is a great guy but at times he can really go (1)………… about things We were speaking about some of our friends and he came (2)………… this incredible story about Jane It seems she had butted (3)………… while he was harping (4)………… his favorite complaint: Service in restaurants Apparently, he had been running (5)………… for quite a while putting (6)………… almost every restaurant he had been to by rattling (7)………… a list of his visits to different restaurants in town I guess Jane felt that he was talking at her and was fed up with it She went off about what a rude person he was which shut him (8)………… pretty quickly! I thought about blurting (9)………… that maybe she was right, but decided to clam (10)………… in order to not upset him A at A out with A in A around A to A down A of A out of A around 10 A at B in B down B of B up B on B about B off B on B up B on C on C about C off C into C out with C after C on C into C out C up D up D under D out D on D in D up D outside D up D at D in F Read the following passage, then choose the best articles to fill in the blanks (1)……… most alarming thing about (2)……… food scene at the moment is the doubt in the minds of many about the safety of some of our most widely used products Take aspartame, the sugar substitute In the United States, as much as $100 million has been spent in some years advertising it Aspartame, under its brand name Nutra Sweet, is found in practically every low-calorie soft drink But how safe is it? For quite (3)……… while, there has been doubt surrounding the research that was conducted to prove the safety of Nutra Sweet The task force set up by the US Food and Drug Administration to approve Nutra Sweet ran into difficulties when it felt it couldn’t rely on (4)……… integrity of basic idea the firm had submitted Last (5)……… July, Dr Erik Millstone of the University of Sussex submitted (6)……… dossier to the Department of Health alleging criminal fraud in the approval of aspartame in (7)……… United States and he finds it strange that three of the 14 members of the Committee on Toxicity in this country have (8)……… financial links with the artificial sweetener industry I’ve been reading (9)……… book by (10)……… American doctor who claims that aspartame can cause headaches, convulsions, memory loss and diarrhea He has collected a mass of anecdotal evidence that has convinced him that aspartame is not as safe as the makers claim As it is now used in some 1.200 products, the opportunities for ingesting aspartame are virtually unlimited A an A the A a A no articles A the A a A a A an A a 10 A no articles B a B no articles B the B an B a B the B no articles B the B an B an C the C a C an C the C an C no articles C the C a C the C a d no articles d an d no articles d a d no articles d an d an d no articles d no articles d the III READING A Read the following passage then choose the best answer to complete each blank: Can you imagine what Edison’s life was like in the years after he had invented the electric lamp? Many things had to be invented and built before electric lamps could really (1)……… by all; machines to (2) ……… the electricity each home or office used; things (3)……… it certain that the electricity in the wires did not (4)……… fires; things to send electricity (5)……… the right places Everything that was (6)……… had to be thought of and (7)……… by Edison and the men who worked (8) ……… him There was no place where they could buy the things they (9)……… Edison made 360 inventions (10)……… in order to send electric power to (11)……… it was wanted Edison directed all the work himself; (12)……… new machines, putting wires underground, fixing lights, and so on He (13)……….to be everywhere at the same time He wanted his men to as much as he (14)……… But he (15)……… asked them to things he (16)……… would not or could not He had never thought much about regular hours for sleep; nor he often (17)……… completely about sleeping He (18)……… for a few minutes at a time, in the middle of the night, in an underground room at his power station, (19)……… a metal box for his bed (20)……… these days, he almost never saw his wife and their children A use A measure A make A like A to A obtained A building B used B test B to make B put B by B accepted B built C be used C obtain C making C start C at C tried C was building D be using D take D to be make D begin D in D needed D builds A about A need 10 A less 11 A whoever 12 A to test 13 A seemed 14 A was done 15 A neither 16 A oneself 17 A forgot 18 A sleeps 19 A in 20 A For B near B are needing B least B wherever B test B worked B is doing B never B themselves B remembered B was sleeping B at B At C with C were needing C much C whatever C testing C thought C does C nor C itself C thought C slept C with C During D together D needed D more D whenever D tested D looked D did D ever D himself D wanted D can sleep D within D Between B Read the passage then choose the best sentences A-K to fill in each gap There is one extra sentence which you not need to use: BITTER WATER HITS THE BIG TIME Chocolate, which has its origins in South America, is now part of a multi-million pound worldwide business At Easter, British people spend over $230 million on chocolate A massive eight per cent of all chocolate is bought at this time (1) Although the large scale industrial production of chocolate began in the last century, the cacao plant was first cultivated by the Aztec, Toltec and Mayan civilizations of Central America over three thousand years ago The cacao tree is an evergreen, tropical plant which is found in Africa, South and Central America, the West Indies and South East Asia The fruit of this tree is melon-sized and contains 20-40 seeds (2) In English – speaking countries, they are called cocoa beans This is a misspelling from the 17th century when they were also called cacoa and cocao beans The Aztecs used cocoa beans as money (3) This is from the world in the Aztec language, Nahuatl, meaning “bitter water” (4) The Spanish found the drink more palatable mixed with cinnamon and sugar, but the recipe did not spread to the rest of Europe for another century In the late 17 th century, chocolate houses were set up in Europe’s capital cities, where people gathered to drink chocolate (5) But in 1826, CJ van Houten of the Netherlands invented chocolate powder (6) The age of the chocolate bar as we know it began in 1847 when a Bristol company, Fry and Sons, combined cocoa butter with pure chocolate liquor and sugar to produce a solid block that you could eat (7) At the turn of the century, the British chocolate market was dominated by French companies In 1879 the English company Cadbury even named their Birmingham factory Bournville (ville is the French word for town) in the hope that a little glamour would rub off But then came Cadbury’s famous Dairy Milk bar which began life as a Dairymaid in 1905 (8) It seems that, for the time being at least, chocolate intake in Britain has established at about four bars each week (9) The latest market trick is the so-called “extended line” This is when the humble chocolate bar becomes an ice cream, a soft drink or a dessert, to tempt chocoholics who have grown tired of conventional snacks At the other end of the production process, cacao farmers are still feeling the effects of a crash in cocoa bean prices at the end of 1980s (10) Perhaps you could spare a thought for them as you munch your next chocolate bars A This was made by extracting most of the cocoa butter from the crushed beans B A Swiss company then introduced milk solids to the process which gave us milk chocolate C They also used them to make a drink called xocoatl D Until the last century, the chocolate drink was made from solid blocks of chocolate which had to be melted down in hot water E When dried they become cacao beans, which can be used to make chocolate F Clever advertising which associated it with the healthy qualities of milk from the English countryside quickly established the bar as a rival to the more decadent French brands G British manufacturers include up to per cent vegetable fat in their chocolate, something forbidden elsewhere H As most cacao farmers operate on a very small scale, many were forced out of business I This has forced manufacturers to look for new ways to attract customers J In Aztec times the chocolate drink was flavored with spices and used on ceremonial occasions and for welcoming visitors K Only at Christmas people eat more of the cocoa-based foodstuffs C Read the following passage then choose the best answer to complete the task My lawyer, Mr Turner, is the only man I know who has seen a ghost He is a quiet even-tempered man whose life is spent in dealing with facts He is the last person in the world to give way to fantasy He has a wife and two children of whom he is proud, takes a modest holiday abroad every year and spends his Sundays gardening He is knowledgeable about art and architecture, though he doesn't pretend to be an expert by any means It is, therefore, all the more surprising that he should so insistent about the ghost It happened, so he says, like this: He was travelling2 from London to the North of England by train It was a misty November evening and the train was half empty In fact for the first part of the journey Mr Turner had the carriage to himself and sat dozing over a newspaper However at the first stop a passenger jumped in, slamming the door behind him He seemed out of breath as if he had been running He was a striking looking young man with dark, bushy hair and bright intelligent eyes He was dressed rather oddly in a long waisted coat with silver buttons, tight trousers and an embroidered waistcoat Mr Turner did not pay much attention to this because people wear all sorts of extravagant clothes these days and he had long grown accustomed to them Presently, the two men got into conversation, as people on long journeys Mr Turner was interested to cover that the young man was very knowledgeable about Art - in particular portraits His name, he said, was Joseph Hart, and he was on his way to visit an exhibition It seemed that he worked in a famous London Art Gallery - a picture restorer, perhaps, thought Mr Turner, for he seemed to know a great deal about varnishes and paints, and even more about the subjects of certain portraits When Mr Turner asked his opinion of the portrait of a famous judge by an artist he admired, his companion laughed and said, “He’s only a reproduction - a good one I agree but you can't talk to a reproduction.” He spoke as though the person in the portrait were still living After a while the carriage got hot and steamy and Mr Turner dropped off He woke up just as the train was drawing up at a junction with a grinding of brakes His companion had disappeared A few days later, having returned to London, Mr Turner found himself near the Art Gallery Moved by some impulse, he went in and enquired for Joseph Hart The attendant directed him to a room devoted to early nineteenth century portraits of well-known men There was no-one in the room and Mr Turner looked about him Without knowing quite how he had got there, he found himself standing in front of a full-length portrait of a dark young man in tight trousers and an embroidered waistcoat The eyes smiled at him with a hint of amusement The name-plate at the foot of the picture read: Joseph Hart, Gentleman, 1800-1835 What kind of person was Mr Turner? A imaginative B fantastic C sensible D insensitive Although he was a lawyer, Mr Turner A pretended to know a lot about Art B knew something about Art C pretended to take an interest in Art D intended to learn more about Art When the passenger entered Mr Turner’s compartment A he was painting B he was running C the train was just leaving D the carriage was half-empty The passenger’s clothes didn’t seem strange to Mr Turner because A he was used to wearing strange clothes B he liked people who wore strange clothes C everyone he knew wore strange clothes D he had seen a lot of people in strange clothes Mr Turner thought the young man might A be an Art Dealer B be an Art Expert C renew old pictures D paint reproductions of old pictures Why wouldn’t the passenger give an opinion on the portrait of the judge? A the judge wasn’t alive B the judge was still alive C the picture was a copy D he hadn’t seen it When did Mr Turner first realize that the passenger had gone? A When the train started B After the train had stopped C Just before the train stopped D When the train was leaving the station Why did Mr Turner go into the Art Gallery? A He was walking past there B He had never been there before C He had planned to so D He suddenly decided to In the past of the gallery that Mr Turner was directed to A there were a lot of pictures by unknown people B there were a lot of nineteenth century people C no-one else was looking at the pictures D he only saw one portrait 10 When Mr Turner looked at the portrait of Joseph Hart A he smiled at it B he thought it smiled at him C he didn’t recognize it D he was amused IV WRITING A Use the words provided in the parentheses to rewrite the following sentences without changing their meanings I don’t mind whether we go or not (mind)  ……………………………………………………………………………… You’re lying (truth)  ……………………………………………………………………………… My honest opinion is that you’re wasting your time (frank)  ……………………………………………………………………………… He’s never afraid to say what he thinks (mind)  ……………………………………………………………………………… The witness can be relied on completely (reliable)  ……………………………………………………………………………… They cheated me (ripped)  ……………………………………………………………………………… You didn’t believed his story, did you? (taken)  ……………………………………………………………………………… She’ll be furious when she finds out what’s happened (go)  ……………………………………………………………………………… She is angry and bad-tempered today (mood)  ……………………………………………………………………………… 10 His arrogance irritates me (nose)  ……………………………………………………………………………… B Write a short paragraph about 130 words to 150 words in order to describe the following graph: C Write a composition around 250 words about the following topic: “In your country, is there more need for land to be left in its natural condition or is there more need for land to be developed for housing and industry? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.” KEY I LISTENING: (0.2 point/answer) Part A: 1.C; 2.A; 3.B; 4.C; 5.C; 6.A; 7.C; 8.B Part B: 1.B; 2.C; 3.B; 4.A; 5.A; 6.C; 7.B II GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY: (0.1 point/answer) A 1.A; 2.D; 3.A; 4.B; 5.D; 6.C; 7.D; 8.D; 9.C; 10.B 11 B; 12.A; 13.D; 14.D; 15.C; 16.C; 17.D; 18.B; 19.A; 20.D B 1.A; 2.B; 3.C; 4.A; 5.C; 6.A; 7.B; 8.B; 9.C; 10.B C 1.A; 2.D; 3.B; 4.C; 5.D; 6.A; 7.C; 8.B; 9.C; 10.B D D; 2.A; 3.D; 4.B; 5.C; 6.A; 7.C; 8.B; 9.D; 10.B E 1.C; 2.A; 3.A; 4.D; 5.B; 6.A; 7.B; 8.D; 9.C; 10.C F 1.C; A; 3.A; 4.B; 5.D; 6.A; 7.C; 8.D; 9.A; 10.B III READING: (0.1 point/answer) A 1.C; 2.A; 3.B; 4.C; 5.A; 6.D; 7.B; 8.C; 9.D; 10.D; 11.B; 12.C; 13.A; 14.D; 15.B; 16.D; 17.A; 18.C; 19.C; 20.C B 1.K; 2.E; 3.C; 4.J; 5.D; 6.A; 7.B; 8.F; 9.I; 10H C 1.C; 2.B; 3.A; 4.D; 5.C; 6.C; 7.C; 8.D; 9.C; 10.B IV WRITING A (0.1 point/answer) I’m not fussy whether we go or not You’re not telling the truth To be frank, you’re wasting your time He’s never afraid to speak his mind The witness is completely reliable They ripped me off You weren’t taken in by his story, were you? She’ll go mad when she finds out what’s happened She’s in a bad mood today 10 His arrogance gets up my nose B (2 points) Sample: Underground Station Passenger Numbers The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at a London underground station over the course of a day The busiest time of the day is in the morning There is a sharp increase between 06:00 and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at o'clock After this the numbers drop quickly to less than 200 at 10 o'clock Between 11 am and pm the number rises, with a plateau of just under 300 people using the station In the afternoon, numbers decline, with less than 100 using the station at pm There is then a rapid rise to a peak of 380 at 6pm After pm, numbers fall significantly, with only a slight increase again at 8pm, tailing off after pm Overall, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and early evening periods C (3 points) Sample: Even though our population is increasing and land is needed for housing and development I would hope that our country could save the land in its natural state for future generations to enjoy This land would be good for promoting tourism, for preserving the environment, and for remembering our history Although tourism has many negative side effects, it is an industry that can create enormous revenues Tourism of course needs something to see They would not come to our country to see rows of apartment 10 buildings or new industrial parks What is interesting for tourists is the pristine countryside that our country is known for Preserving the land as it is, would be good for the environment More factories and other industries would further pollute our rivers and air We need frees and wide open spaces to make us feel like humans, not machines Untouched land reminds us of our history When we walk through the countryside, we can imagine our ancestors on the same path If we cover the earth with asphalt and concrete, we will loose touch with our past We will forget our roots Preserving the land is good not only for the economy and environment, it is good for us as citizens of our soil We must preserve what little we have left Can we afford not to? 11 ... his work A when he is under pressure B by working regularly C when he has plenty of time to think How long does it take Zimmer to write the soundtrack for a film? A several years B three to four... work this morning and was angry when I saw that no one (arrive) ………… yet A arrived B had arrived C has been arrived D will arrived 11 Sunshine - at last! Imagine if the English weather was like this... Fred is a great guy but at times he can really go (1)………… about things We were speaking about some of our friends and he came (2)………… this incredible story about Jane It seems she had butted (3)…………