TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LÊ KHIẾT KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI CÁC

TỈNH QUẢNG NGÃI TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN KHU VỰC

ĐỒNG BẰNG DUYÊN HẢI BẮC BỘ
ĐỀ THI ĐỀ XUẤT Năm học: 2021 – 2022
Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút (không kể thời
gian giao đề)
I. LISTENING (50 points)
Part 1: Questions 1-10 (10×0.1=1pt)
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Moving to Banford City

Example
Linda recommends living in suburb of: Dalton

Accommodation
• Average rent: 1 £ ........................................... a month

Transport
• Linda travels to work by 2 ..........................................
• Limited 3 ........................................... in city centre
• Trains to London every 4 ........................................... minutes
• Poor train service at 5 ...........................................

Advantages of living in Sanford

• New 6 ........................................... opened recently
• 7 ........................................... has excellent reputation
• Good 8 ........................................... on Bridge Street

Meet Linda
• Meet Linda on 9 ........................................... after 5.30 pm
• In the 10 ........................................... opposite the station.

Part 2.For questions 1-5 listen to the news report about Omicron coronavirus
variant and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F)
according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided. (10 points)
1. The Omicron variant was first reported in Botswana on November 19. T/F
2. Israel, Madagascar and Belgium have reported cases of Omicron. T/F
3. Scientists have found 50 different genetic changes in Omicron. T/F
4. Vaccines currently in use focus on the centre of the coronavirus crown. T/F
5. Scientists need over two months to know if vaccines can fight Omicron. T / F

1
Part 3. You will hear a programme in which two people, Janet Jennings and Hall
Brentford, are discussing corporate tax rates. For questions 1-5, choose the
answer (A,B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 points)
1. Hal suggests that
A. records show businesses pay more tax than the media suggests.
B. low tax rates attract skilled workers to the country.
C. businesses pay the government a lot of indirect taxes.
D. business brings benefits that warrant the low tax rates.
2. Janet implies attracting desirable foreign investment is
A. dependent more on workforce characteristics than corporate tax.
B. not critical to the long-term success of the economy.
C. more likely if taxes are slightly increased.
D. going to require workforce retraining and upskilling.
3. According to Hal, if business rates increased,
A. established companies like his might leave.
B. the country might not attract as much new foreign investment.
C. the skilled workforce might move elsewhere.
D. local business might struggle to compete.
4. Why does Jannet mention corruption levels, productivity and infrastructure.
A. to highlight areas for improvement
B. to highlight the negative effects of low corporate tax
C. to suggest other factors of competitiveness outweigh business business tax rates.
D. to suggest where increased tax revenues could be spent
5. Hal believes that raising the corporate tax rate could
A. have a devastating impact on the economy.
B. cause potential investors to lose confidence.
C. have an impact on levels of corruption in the country.
D. be more damaging in the short-than long-term.

2
Part 4. You will hear part of a radio programme about keeping exotic pets. For
questions 1-10, complete the sentences with a word or a short phrase. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (20 points)
The RSPCA would like to see (1) _________ tightening the rules for the
awarding of pet shop (2) _________. The SRPCA believe that animals which need (3)
_________ attention should not be imported. The people who purchase exotic animals
are often (4)_________ of the animals’needs. Some of the larger reptiles may end up
eating their (5) _________ other pets. Law already exist to protect (6) _________
species, but others can be freely imported. Sometimes, people returning from holiday
will attempt to (7) _________ animals into their country of residence. Despite being
(8) _________ some lizards are fed meet. The RSPCA would like to see increased (9)
_________ of pet shops. People who sell exotic animals need additional (10)
_________.
II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (40 points)
Part 1: Choose the correct answer (A,B,C or D) to complete each of the following
sentences. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(20 points)
1. It’s raining so come inside, but please leave those muddy boots in the _______
A. thatch B. loft C. foyer D. porch
2. That the boy’s idleness ________ ill for his future is obvious to everyone apart
from his parents.
A. bodes B. heralds C. causes D. bears
3.Tom’s very good at ______ people. Team members give him their best whatever the
project.
A. defying B. receiving C. motivating D. approaching
4. “Have you ever decided on the definite time for Jennifer’s leaving party?”
“Not yet, but I’ve _____ for o’clock on Friday”
A. taken it down B. put it off C. drawn it up D. penciled it in
5. Somebody who is foolish or stupid is ________ .
A. soft in the head B. riding high
C. over the moon D. pushing up daisies

3
6. Factories are _____ to produce enough masks and protective clothing for health
workers during the pandemic.
A raising red flags B firing on all cylinders
C raking over the ashes D packing heat
7. The three-day ___________ was finally brought to an end when the terrorists
surrendered due to shortage of food and water.
A. precinct B. orbital C. cordon D. siege
8. Considering how often that car breaks down, I think I really bought _____ from the
dealership.
A. a pig B. a fish C. a lemon D. a mandarin
9. Well done! Getting straight As in all your exams is a ________ achievement.
A. self-made B. burgeoning C. resourceful D.phenomenal
10. Almonds and other nuts are rich in ______ such as vitamin E and calcium.
A. additives B. organisms C. extracts D. nutrients
11. Since switching to a vegetarian diet, Jenny’s the _____________ of good health
A. model B. picture C. image D. appearance
12. According to the forecast, it will be mostly cloudy with ______ of rain in the
north.
A. times B. bursts C. outbreaks D. elements
13. During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to online learning remains ______
uneven, especially with disadvantaged children.
A. dominantly B. woefully C. idly D. pathetically
14. This is __________ software, and you have no right to copy it without a license
from the owner.
A. propitious B. propriety C. propitiatory D. proprietary
15. The run-down areas in the city have _______ thanks to the new infrastructure.
A. come up in the world B. made a world of difference
C. done the world of good D. had the world of their feet.
16.”The office was in an uproar.”
“Yes, it was full of _______people”
A. complained B. complaint

4
C. complain D. complaining
17. _______ I would give a party.
A. Were she to come next month, B. She was to come next month,
C. She comes next month, D. She would come next month,
18. _______ and you will succeed.
A. Work hard B. Working hard
C. If you work hard D. If only you work hard
19. “What’s your proposal?”
“I propose that the meeting _______”
A. is postponing B. be postponed
C. to be postponed D. postpones
20. “Was it a good seminar?”
“Yes, _______ were exchanged among the participants.”
A. much more ideas B. many more ideas
C. much number of ideas D. many numbers of ideas
Part 2: For questions 1-10, write the correct form of each bracketed word in each
sentence. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
(10 points)
1. I find it impossible to guide such a wild and ___________ person like her.
(STRONG)
2. He threatened to ___________ his eldest son if he chooses to give up the family
business. (HEIR)
3. Because we had to arrive on time, our ship had no choice but to ___________ the
congested area. (NAVIGATE)
4. The differences were ___________ to all but the most trained eye. (PERCEIVE)
5. Mary has just given birth yesterday so she is currently on ___________ leave.
(MOTHER)
6. Many gun shops offer _____ services on the premises for customers to buy, custom
and fix right at the shop. (GUN)
7. The science fair is an annual event of this school and is regarded as a(n) _____ of
their scientific superiority. (SHOW)

5
8. With so many areas of ancient _____ being cut down, many rare species are put
under threat of habitat loss and extinction. (WOOD)
9. My children always take pride in their grandmother, who is a(n) _____ of the
Vietnam People’s Navy with lots of old stories to tell. (SERVICE)
10. My whole family has agreed on the living room design but wood _____ is still
something that requires consideration due to its cost. (FLOOR)
Part 3: Fill each blank with a suitable preposition or particle. (10points.)
1. Unfortunately we've run up _______ a bit of problem.
2. One of our salespeople seems to have been mixed up _______ some shady dealing.
3. They thought this would make up _______ their poor sales performance.
4. And that they would walk off _______ the 'Salesperson of the Year' award.
5. We are determined to face up _______ this situation resolutely.
6. Our salespeople must stay away_______ anything that looks remotely.
7. And they should know that we'll be checking up _______ them regularly.
8. And we'll be watching out _______ anything that looks suspicious.
9. So the message to our salespeople is clear - stay out _______ trouble.
10. We seem to have got _______ to something totally irrelevant.
II. READING (60 points)
Part 1: Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best
fits each gap. (15 points)
Very few of us would admit putting much trust in horoscopes and the fact that the
movements of astronomical bodies (1) ___________ to earthly occurrences affecting
peoples’ everyday lives.
We all know about the zodiac signs which reflect the position of the sun, the moon
and the planets at the moment of a man’s birth and about the peculiar characteristics
(2)___________ to them by astrologers. We say we will take these phenomena with a
(3)___________ of salt while we keep running our eyes over them in every tabloid we
(4)___________ our hands on. Most frequently, we expect horoscopes to predict the
future, to (5)___________ our optimistic mood with a piece of comforting
information or to (6)___________ our ego by confirming the superlative features that
we tend to attribute to our zodiacs.

6
However, there’s no scientific evidence to corroborate the assumption that human
existence is so closely (7)___________ with the parameters of the celestial bodies.
Our curiosity in horoscopes may, then, stem our sheer fascination with the horoscopes
offer, thus establishing the sense of our (8)___________ an extreme power over our
own lives. An additional explanation is that humans tend to have a soft
(9)___________ for any form of flattery, which is the fact to which astrologers and
the horoscope writers seem to (10)____________ the greatest deal of weight.
1. A. rely B. correspond C. match D. compare
2. A. identified B. associated C. incorporated D. ascribed
3. A. speck B. pinch C. grain D. scrap
4. A. settle B. draw C. grab D. lay
5. A. restore B. adjust C. upgrade D. reassure
6. A. boost B. escalate C. revitalize D. improve
7. A. fused B. adhered C. coalesced D. intertwined
8. A. disposing B. wielding C. effecting D. committing
9. A. pit B. dot C. spot D. nick
10. A. instill B. consign C. fasten D. attach
Part 2. For questions 1-10, read the text below and think of a word which best
fits each space. Use only ONE word in each space. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (15 points)
LEARNING DISABILITIES ARE UP
Are the learning disabilities really on the rise or are we just more aware of
them? Recent statistics indicate that up to 10% of school age children, that’s two or
three individuals in every classroom, are thought to have (1) ___________ kind of
learning disorder, the causes of which are both complex and multiple. More worrying
(2) ___________are recent findings by the Science journal which suggests that (3)
___________ up to 45% of children, more than one disorder is likely. An ADHD
child (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) may also (4) ___________ from
dyslexia (a reading and writing disability) or dyscalculia (a maths learning disability).
Many of the learning disabilities included in the research and the findings are
numbered amongst the autistic spectrum disorders, (5) ___________ would push

7
figures to appear higher than in the past when diagnosis was less easily (6)
___________. Demographic analysis indicates also that many of the children under
six who are diagnosed are from within the higher income bracket, suggesting that
parents are likely to be more aware of potential problems and better (7) ___________
to address them.
Unfortunately despite this worrying rise, the current school system is not
equipped to deal with the greatly differing teaching methods required to address the
variety of learning difficulties that the disorders entail. The devastating result of this is
leaving many children totally (8) ___________ in the basic skills required to survive
in the secondary school systems. The prevalence of learning disabilities (9)
___________ the lower economic bracket is undisputed, yet sadly these children are
more likely to have undiagnosed (10) ___________ which will never be addressed.
Part 3: Read the passage and choose the best option A, B, C, or D to answer the
questions. (15 points)
The Creators of Grammar
No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By
changing word sequences and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs and suffixes, we
are able to communicate tiny variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a
question, state whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform
many other word tricks to convey subtle differences in meaning. Nor is this
complexity inherent to the English language. All languages, even those of so-called
'primitive' tribes have clever grammatical components. The Cherokee pronoun
system, for example, can distinguish between 'you and I', 'several other people and I'
and 'you, another person and I'. In English, all these meanings are summed up in the
one, crude pronoun 'we'. Grammar is universal and plays a part in every
language, no matter how widespread it is. So the question which has baffled many
linguists is - who created grammar?
At first, it would appear that this question is impossible to answer. To find out how
grammar is created, someone needs to be present at the time of a language's creation,
documenting its emergence. Many historical linguists are able to trace modern
complex languages back to earlier languages, but in order to answer the question of

8
how complex languages are actually formed, the researcher needs to observe how
languages are started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible.
Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that
time, slaves from a number of different ethnicities were forced to work together under
colonizer's rule. Since they had no opportunity to learn each other's languages, they
developed a make-shift language called a pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied
from the language of the landowner. They have little in the way of grammar, and in
many cases it is difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened, and who
did what to whom. [A] Speakers need to use circumlocution in order to make their
meaning understood. [B] Interestingly, however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a
complex language is for a group of children to be exposed to it at the time when they
learn their mother tongue. [C] Slave children did not simply copy the strings of words
uttered by their elders, they adapted their words to create a new, expressive language.
[D] Complex grammar systems which emerge from pidgins are termed creoles, and
they are invented by children.
Further evidence of this can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign
languages are not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical
machinery that is found in spoken languages. Moreover, there are many different
languages used worldwide. The creation of one such language was documented quite
recently in Nicaragua. Previously, all deaf people were isolated from each other, but in
1979 a new government introduced schools for the deaf. Although children were
taught speech and lip reading in the classroom, in the playgrounds they began to
invent their own sign system, using the gestures that they used at home. It was
basically a pidgin. Each child used the signs differently, and there was no consistent
grammar. However, children who joined the school later, when this inventive sign
system was already around, developed a quite different sign language. Although it
was based on the signs of the older children, the younger children's language was
more fluid and compact, and it utilised a large range of grammatical devices to clarify
meaning. What is more, all the children used the signs in the same way. A new
creole was born.

9
Some linguists believe that many of the world's most established languages were
creoles at first. The English past tense –ed ending may have evolved from the verb
'do'. 'It ended' may once have been 'It end-did'. Therefore it would appear that even
the most widespread languages were partly created by children. Children appear to
have innate grammatical machinery in their brains, which springs to life when they are
first trying to make sense of the world around them. Their minds can serve to create
logical, complex structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.
1. In paragraph 1, why does the writer include information about the Cherokee

language?
A. To show how simple, traditional cultures can have complicated grammar
structures.
B. To show how English grammar differs from Cherokee grammar.
C. To prove that complex grammar structures were invented by the Cherokees.
D. To demonstrate how difficult it is to learn the Cherokee language.

2. What can be inferred about the slaves' pidgin language?

A. It contained complex grammar.
B. It was based on many different languages.
C. It was difficult to understand, even among slaves.
D. It was created by the land-owners.
3. All the following sentences about Nicaraguan sign language are true EXCEPT:
A. The language has been created since 1979.
B. The language is based on speech and lip reading.
C. The language incorporates signs which children used at home.
D. The language was perfected by younger children.
4. In paragraph 3, where can the following sentence be placed?
“It included standardised word orders and grammatical markers that existed in
neither the pidgin language, nor the language of the colonizers” .
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]

5. 'From scratch' in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:

A. from the very beginning

10
B. in simple cultures
C. by copying something else
D. by using written information

6. 'Make-shift' in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

A. complicated and expressive
B. simple and temporary
C. extensive and diverse
D. private and personal
7. Which sentence is closest in meaning to the highlighted sentence?
Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how
widespread it is.
A. All languages, whether they are spoken by a few people or a lot of people, contain
grammar.
B. Some languages include a lot of grammar, whereas other languages contain a
little.
C. Languages which contain a lot of grammar are more common that languages that
contain a little.
D. The grammar of all languages is the same, no matter where the languages evolved.
8. All of the following are features of the new Nicaraguan sign language EXCEPT:
A. All children used the same gestures to show meaning.
B. The meaning was clearer than the previous sign language.
C. The hand movements were smoother and smaller.
D. New gestures were created for everyday objects and activities.

9. Which idea is presented in the final paragraph?

A. English was probably once a creole.
B. The English past tense system is inaccurate.
C. Linguists have proven that English was created by children.
D. Children say English past tenses differently from adults.
10. Look at the word 'consistent' in paragraph 4. This word could best be replaced by

which of the following?

11
A. natural B. predictable C. imaginable D. uniform

Part 4: Read the text below carefully and then do the following exercises. (15
points)
Testing 1, 2, 3, …
A. These are testing times. In both education and the field of work, the prevailing
wisdom appears to be: if it moves, test it and if doesn’t, well, test it anyway. I say
wisdom, but it has become rather an absession. In addition to the current obstacles,
like GCSEs, A-levels, GNVQs, ONDs, and HNDs, not to mention the interviews and
financial hurdles that school-leavers have to overcome in order to access higher
education, students are facing the threat of “new tests”, Scholastic Aptitude Tests
(SATs)

B. SATs are being imported from the United States, where they have been in use for
nearly a hundred years. As a supplement to A-levels, the tests purport to give students
from poor backgrounds a better chance of entering university. SATs are intended to
remove the huge social class bias that exists in British universities. But, in fact, they
are, no more than an additional barrier for students. The tests, which masquerade as
IQ tests, are probably less diagnostic of student potential than existing examinations,
and, more seriously, are far from free of the bias that the supporters pretend.

C. First of all, as for any other tests, students will be able to take classes to cram for
SATs, which again will advantage the better-off. At a recent conference of the
Professional Association of Teachers, it was declared that school exams and tests are
biased toward middle-class children. Further, the content of the tests in question is not
based on sound scientific theory, merely on a pool of Multiple Choice Questions
(MCQs), set up by a group of item writers.

D. The questions in SATs are tested on a representative sample of children. Those

which correlate with the school grades of the children are kept, and the rest discarded.
This is highly unsatisfactory. There is also evidence that in MCQs tests women are at

12
a disadvantage, because of the way they think, i.e. they can see a wider picture. And it
is worth noting that MCQs are only as good as the people who write them; so, unless
the writers are highly trained, those who are being tested are being judged against the
narrow limitations of the item writers.

E. Globalisation has introduced greater flexibility into the workplace, but the
educational system has not been so quick off the mark. But there are signs that times
are a changing. Previously, students took exams at the end of academic terms, or at
fixed dates periodically throughout the year. Now, language examinations like the
TOEFL, IELTs and the Pitman ESOL exams can be taken much more frequently. The
IELTs examination, for example, is run a test centre throughout the world subject to
demand. Where the demand is high, the test is held more frequently. At present, in
London, it is possible for students to sit the exam about four times a week.

F. Flexible assessment like the IELTs has been mooted in other areas. It has been
suggested that the students may in future be able to walk into a public library or other
public building and take assessment test for a range of skills on a computer. The
computer will dispense an instant assessment and a certificate. The beauty of this
system is the convenience.
Question 1-5: This reading passage has 6 paragraphs (A-F). Choose the most
suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. One of the
headings has been done for you.

Note: there are more headings than paragraphs. You can use any heading MORE
THAN ONCE
Paragraph A: IX
List of headings
I. Assessment in the future
II. The theory behind MCQs
III. Problem with SATs
IV. Misuse of testing in school
V. The need for computer assessment

13
VI. The benefit of SATs
VII. Testing in the workplace
VIII. The shortcoming of MCQs
IX. Too much testing
X. Flexibility in language testing
Your answers:
1.Paragraph B 2. Paragraph C 3. Paragraph D 4.Paragraph E 5. Paragraph F

Question 6- 10: Read the passage again and then decide whether the following
statements agree with the information in the reading or not. Write:

Yes if the statement agrees with the information in the passage.

No if the statement contradicts the information in the passage

No Information if there is no information about the statement in the passage.

Example:

SATs is the abbreviation of Scholastic Aptitude Tests . Answer: Yes

6. In the fields of education and work the prevailing wisdom seems to be to test
everything.

7. Research in genetics refutes the theory that people are predestined to follow certain
careers.

8. Psychometric testing is favoured by headmaster and mistresses in many high

schools.

9. The writer of this article is in favour of testing in general.

10. According to the writer, students get benefits from SATs.

IV. WRITING (50 points)

Part 1: Graph Description (20 points)
The graphs show winter travel trends in the United States from 1999 to 2003.
(Figures are shown in millions of person-trips.)

14
 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and by
making comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Part 2 (30 points)

Essay writing:

“Competitiveness is considered a positive quality among people.”

Do you agree with this statement? Write an essay of 200-250 words to state your viewpoint.

_______ THE END_______

15