PHÒNG GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO DIỄN CHÂU

ĐỀ THI VÒNG 1 CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN DỰ THI HSG CẤP TỈNH LỚP 9
NĂM HỌC 2021 - 2022
Môn: Tiếng Anh – PHẦN THI VIẾT (Thời gian làm bài 120 phút)

Điểm Họ, tên chữ ký giám khảo Số phách

Bằng số: Giám khảo 1:
……………………………..…. …………………………………………….
Bằng chữ: Giám khảo 2:
………………………………… ……………………………………………..
SECTION B: VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
Part 1: (15 points). Choose the correct answer from A, B, C or D to complete each of the following
sentences. Write it in ‘Your answers’ part.
1. Mr. Larry Page __________ to the last meeting, but he didn't because of sickness.
A. must go B. had to go C. should go D. should have gone
2. I don’t think he’s ever been there, __________?
A. do I B. hasn’t he C. have I D. has he
3. Jim as well as I ____________ always busy doing English homework.
A. are B. am C. is D. have been
4. ________to move to the countryside to work was something that surprised all of us.
A. Her deciding B. Having decided C. She decided D. After her decision
5. They take their ____________children to the park every day.
A. young lovely African small B. African small young lovely
C. small young lovely African D. lovely small young African
6. Jane was the last applicant _______.
A. to be interviewed B. to be interviewing C. to interview D. to have interviewed
7. The noise got __________ as the car disappeared into the distance.
A. smaller B. slighter C. fainter D. weaker
8. The new stadium, _____________ will be completed next year, will seat 30,000 spectators.
A. what B. where C. when D. which
9. I am ___________ tired to think about that problem at the moment.
A. too much B. far too C. too so D. very too
10. When you do something, you should _______.
A. weigh up the pros and cons B. turn over a new leaf
C. go down well with it D. get through to it
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is CLOSEST in
meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.
11. He drives me to the edge because he never stops talking.
A. steers me B. irritates me C. interrupts me D. frightens me
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to
the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
12. The ship went down although strenuous efforts were made to save it.
A. hard-working B. forceful C. energetic D. half-hearted
13. Although we argued with him for a long time, he stood his grounds.
A. wanted to continue B. felt sorry for us
C. changed his decision D. refused to change his decision
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to the
following exchange.
14. - “Must I do the washing-up tonight?” - “___________________________.
A. No, you mustn't if you don't want B. Washing-up really takes up time
C. Washing-up is really exhausting D. Leave it if you're exhausted
15. Jane: “This test is the hardest one we’ve ever taken this term.” - Nick: “___but I think it’s quite
easy.”
A. I understand what you think B. You’re wrong
C. I don’t see in that way D. As a matter of fact, you’re thinking exactly
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
II. (10 points) Identify 10 errors in the following passage and correct them. Write your answers in
‘Your answers’ part.
WEDDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES
1 Weddings in the United States were once based out of commodity, rather than desire or love.
2 The word "wedding" implied the security the groom family provided to the family of the bride
3 when the couple married. Brides were chosen based on their economical worth. This trend lasted
4 until the 19th century, when couples started to marry for love.
5 In the 19th century, weddings were typically small, intimate ceremonies at the home of either
6 the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom. The announcement of the new married
7 couple take place at their church on the Sunday following the wedding. In the 1820s and 1830s,
8 weddings became more elaborate, when upper class couples had wedding ceremonies similar
9 with modern custom. The bride usually wore the better dress she owned, so her dress was not
10 always white, as white dresses were impractical to own. Not only the middle of the 19th century
11 did brides start buying a dress made specifically for their wedding day. At the same time,
12 couples began to hire professionals preparing floral arrangements and wedding cakes, rather
13 than making them at home.
14 Today, couples in the United States are waiting later in life to get married. The average age for
males getting married in the United States is 27 years old, nonetheless, women's average age is
25.
Your answers:
Line Mistake Correction Line Mistake Correction
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

SECTION C: READING
Part 1. (15points) Choose the word or phrase that best fits the blank space in the following passage.
FUN AND GAMES
Do you think computer games is just for kids? Then you should think again. You might be (1)
________to learn that the game industry now (2) ________ more money than Hollywood. (3) ________
a family buys a new PC, all they really want to do is to play games.
It is hardly surprising that video gaming has (4) ________ one of the most popular (5) ________ of
entertainment today. A good game is like a good film; it will hold your (6) ________, capture your
imagination and play with your emotions.
The big (7)________, however, is that watching a movie is a passive (8) ________. You have no say in
how the plot (9) ________ or which characters dominate the story. With computer games, you direct the
(10) ________ and that is what makes them so exciting. Finding the (11) ________ game is likely to
signal the beginning of a lasting love (12) ________ with the interactive (13) ________ of make-believe.
It is (14) ________ to think of gaming as something simply for children and teenagers. In fact, the (15)
________ growth area of the market is the 25-35 age group.
1. A. surprised B. concerned C. admired D. startled
2. A. has B. makes C. does D. gains
3. A. As soon as B. As well as C. As far as D. As long as
4. A. begun B. grown C. sounded D. become
5. A. makes B. branches C. shapes D. forms
6. A. gaze B. attention C. breath D. control
7. A. gap B. variety C. difference D. direction
8. A. pastime B. task C. routine D. employment
9. A. becomes B. develops C. turns D. produces
10. A. movement B. change C. action D. performance
11. A. accurate B. right C. complete D. proper
12. A. match B. story C. secret D. affair
13. A. region B. area C. society D. world
14. A. immoral B. wrong C. false D. dishonest
15. A. longest B. widest C. biggest D. deepest
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 2. (12 points) Fill ONE suitable word into each numbered blank. Write your answers in ‘Your
answers’ part.
Stress and Athletic Success
Success, in any field, is often a matter of how well a person is (1) ________ to control the amount of
stress they experience. As stress increases, their performance often improves, but there is a certain point
beyond (2) __________ their performance begins to decline sharply. Sports psychologists now help
Olympic athletes, (3) _________ others, balance the good and bad effects of stress.
Before an athletic event, a high level of excitement can actually have a (4) __________ effect on the
athlete. This excitement becomes harmful, (5) __________, if negative thoughts take over. Thoughts such
as “What if I fail?" or "I know the others are better than me" should definitely be avoided. Psychologists
help athletes manage to replace negative thoughts with positive (6) _____________.
(7) __________ useful technique before competing is to recognize your level of excitement and adjust (8)
__________ if necessary. Music may be helpful in these (9) _________. If you're over-excited, listening
to soft music can help to calm you down. If you feel you're not excited (10) ___________, you may want
to listen to fast, powerful music to (11) ____________ your spirits.
The key to success, in other words, is a person’s knowledge of their ideal level excitement. An imbalance
either way (12) _________ mean the difference between success and failure.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Part 3. (8 points) Read the following passage and the correct answer to each of the questions.
A rather surprising geographical feature of Antarctica is that a huge freshwater lake, one of the
world’s largest and deepest, lies hidden there under four kilometers of ice. Now known as Lake Vostok,
this huge body of water is located under the ice block that comprises Antarctica. The lake is able to
 exist in its unfrozen state beneath this block of ice because its waters are warmed by geothermal heat
from the earth’s core. The thick glacier above Lake Vostok actually insulates it from the frigid
temperatures on the surface.
The lake was first discovered in the 1970s while a research team was conducting an aerial
survey of the area. Radio waves from the survey equipment penetrated the ice and revealed a body of
water of indeterminate size. It was not until much more recently that data collected by satellite made
scientists aware of the tremendous size of the lake; the satellite-borne radar detected an extremely flat
region where the ice remains level because it is floating on the water of the lake.
The discovery of such a huge freshwater lake trapped under Antarctica is of interest to the
scientific community because of the potential that the lake contains ancient microbes that have survived
for thousands upon thousands of years, unaffected by factors such as nuclear fallout and elevated
ultraviolet light that have affected organisms in more exposed areas. The downside of the discovery,
however, lies in the difficulty of conducting research on the lake in such a harsh climate and in the
problems associated with obtaining uncontaminated samples from the lake without actually exposing
the lake to contamination. Scientists are looking for possible ways to accomplish this.
1. What is true of Lake Vostok?
A. It is completely frozen. B. It is a saltwater lake.
C. It is beneath a thick slab of ice. D. It is heated by the sun.
2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to "frigid" in paragraph 1?
A. rarely recorded B. extremely cold C. never changing D. quite harsh
3. All of the following are true about the 1970 survey of Antarctica EXCEPT that it .
A. was conducted by air B. made use of radio waves
C. could not determine the lake’s exact size D. was controlled by a satellite
4. It can be inferred from the passage that the ice would not be flat if .
A. there were no lake underneath B. the lake were not so big
C. Antarctica were not so cold D. radio waves were not used
5. The word “microbes” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by which of the following?
A. Tiny bubbles B. Pieces of dust C. Tiny organisms D. Rays of light
6. Lake Vostok is potentially important to scientists because it ___________.
A. can be studied using radio waves B. may contain uncontaminated microbes
C. may have elevated levels of ultraviolet light D. has already been contaminated
7. The last paragraph suggests that scientists should be aware of
A. further discoveries on the surface of Antarctica
B. problems with satellite-borne radar equipment
C. ways to study Lake Vostok without contaminating it
D. the harsh climate of Antarctica
8. The purpose of the passage is to .
A. explain how Lake Vostok was discovered B. provide satellite data concerning Antarctica
C. discuss future plans for Lake Vostok D. present an unexpected aspect of Antarctica’s geography
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Part 4. (15 points) You are going to read excerpts from interviews with five students at the university of
Luton. For questions 1- 15, choose from the list of people (A-E). The people may be chosen more than
once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order. There is an example
at the beginning (0).
Which of the interviewees:
had heard a good opinions of the course before starting it? 1. ______
were unemployed before starting the course? 2. ______3._______
enjoying mixing with people? 4. ______5. _______
likes this university because of its geographical location? 6. ______
gives their story as an example to others? 7. ______
enjoys sports? 8. ______
is studying a subject unusual for their sex? 9. ______
has already made career progress as a result of their studies? 10. ______
feels that the course has changed their whole life? 11. ______
feels they are learning during their leisure time as well? 12. ______
were supported by family members? 13. ______14. ______
was worried about succeeding at University 15. ______
A. Emiko Asada
I’d been working in a large department store in Japan for five years when I decided I wanted to improve
my English. And what better place to do this than in England I chose Luton for two reasons - firstly it is
an ideal base to see the rest of the country, with London only 40 minutes away. And the course is very
interesting: in addition to language, you study cultures as well. The most surprising thing is the amount
of free time you get. Ok, so you have to study, but it also allows you to go on day trips and to the movies,
which all helps to improve your English.
B. Ruth Woodward
After working as an Occupational Therapist for a number of years, I realised I needed to obtain further
skills to become a manager. I was advised that Luton was an ideal place to do this and did some research
into their reputation - which I found to be very high. The management courses are used by many top
companies and the facilities are excellent. It certainly lives up to its reputation. We are taught in small
groups and you are encouraged right from the start to be active. I make contacts easily and it didn’t take
long before people knew my name! I was voted ‘Students of the year’ in my department last year, which
was very rewarding. As a direct result of doing this course I now manage services for the elderly and
physically disabled for the country.
C. Nicholas Gaunt
I was out of work after serving a four-year apprenticeship as a steel engineer and saw higher education
as the way to improve my chances of employment. There are so many positive things about my course -
having some experience of the construction industry, I know that it’s relevant; and the student mix of
different ages and backgrounds provides interesting discussions. The social side of life shouldn’t be
overlooked either. I have made so many new friends and I also play volleyball and do weights in the
university gym.
D. Phil Negus
After a time of unemployment I joined a non-degree course at the university. I really enjoyed this and it
gave me the confidence to try and do a degree course at Luton. My brother really encouraged me too -
he’s a lecturer at Leicester University.
I have such a positive view of life now and am confident that I will fulfil my potential. Everybody should
think about education and the benefits it can bring. Look at me, I have gone from being unemployed to
working towards a degree and hopefully having the chance to move into my chosen career of HIV
counselling or youth work.
E. Rebecca Stafford-Jones
My father is a builder and he encouraged my interest in building surveying - not the usual subject choice
for a girl but after all this is 1990s! On our programme we share lectures with students on the
Construction Management course so we get a broader view of the building industry.
Out of 48 students on the course only three are girls! So in addition to studying I also have to deal with
male attitudes to women in my chosen career!
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 5. (7 points) You are going to read an article about new types of university courses. Seven
sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits
each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
A We have local apocalypses in our world today, in the form of earthquakes, hurricanes and terrorist
attacks.
B TV shows have long launched spin-off products in the form of merchandise and video games.
C If successful, the edutainment experiment could spawn a huge range of other TV show/university
hybrid courses.
D Until now, online learning experiences have been able to deliver great videos and quizzes, but student
interaction was minimal and the experience for learners has been impersonal.
E Experts from the Centre for Education and Employment have reservations about the value of such
online courses where there is no formal assessment or contact between the students and those delivering
the courses.
F The course will consist of eight modules including a physics module on ‘the science of decay’, a
public health module on the study of epidemics and a mathematics module on population dynamics.
G The University of California, which has a huge reputation to uphold, said that there had been no
dumbing down in the design of the course.
H Millions of students sign up for online education courses each year.
New types of university courses
The boundaries between education and entertainment are beginning to blur, and a new type of learning, in
which education merges with entertainment, is emerging – ‘edutainment’. (1) __________. But now US
television company AMC has teamed up with the University of California to produce an online course
based on the TV show, The Walking Dead, which features apost-apocalyptic world ridden with zombies.
With an audience of 10 million, student numbers for the course are expected to be in the hundreds of
thousands. (2) ____________.
Academics from the University of California say that the online course will be a ‘legitimate educational
experience’ and tackle serious issues from the fields of science, public health, nutrition, psychology and
sociology. (3) _________. However, students will gain no formal qualifications or credits on successful
completion of the course.
(4) _________. It insisted that all modules had been made as academically rigorous as those taught on the
university grounds. One lecturer in social science stated that the university already used contemporary
media examples to make theories more relevant to students, and this course was merely taking this
concept one step further. ‘The curriculum is very real,’ says Josh Coates, head of Infrastructure and
designer of the online platform. (5) __________. ‘The fact that the context is this fictional world of an
apocalypse is incidental. This course gives us the opportunity to educate people about the science of
disasters.’
The market for massive open online courses, or MOOCs, is rapidly expanding. (6) _________. However,
millions fail to complete the courses, suggesting that they pose a real challenge to online learners. Part of
this experiment is to find out whether the power of television can reduce the high drop-out rate
characteristic of MOOCS.
The university is taking this opportunity to hone the way it delivers online courses. (7) _________. With
the increasing demand for online courses, these are issues that universities looking to invest in online
learning are increasingly having to face.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Part 6. (8 points) Read the following passage and answer questions 1-8
ADAM'S WINE
A. Water is the giver and, at the same time, the taker of life. It covers most of the surface of the planet we
live on and features large in the development of the human race. On present predictions, it is an element
that is set to assume even greater significance.
B. Throughout history, water has had a huge impact on our lives. Humankind has always had a rather
ambiguous relationship with water, on the one hand receiving enormous benefit from it, not just as a
drinking source, but as a provider of food and a means whereby to travel and to trade. But forced to live
close to water in order to survive and to develop, the relationship has not always been peaceful or
beneficial. In fact, it has been quite the contrary. What has essentially been a necessity for survival has
turned out in many instances to have a very destructive and life-threatening side.
C. Through the ages, great floods alternated with long periods of drought have assaulted people and their
environment, hampering their fragile fight for survival. The dramatic changes to the environment that are
now a feature of our daily news are not exactly new: fields that were once lush and fertile are now barren;
lakes and rivers that were once teeming with life are now long gone; savannah has been turned to desert.
What perhaps is new is our naive wonder when faced with the forces of nature.
D. Today, we are more aware of climatic changes around the world. Floods in far-flung places are instant
hews for the whole world. Perhaps these events make us feel better as we face the destruction of our own
property by floods and other natural disasters.
E. In 2002, many parts of Europe suffered severe flood damage running into billions of euros. Properties
across the continent collapsed into the sea as waves pounded the coastline wreaking havoc with sea
defences. But it was not just the seas. Rivers swollen by heavy rains and by the effects of deforestation
carried large volumes of water that wrecked many communities.
F. Building stronger and more sophisticated river defences against flooding is the expensive short-term
answer. There are simpler ways. Planting trees in highland areas, not just in Europe but in places like the
Himalayas, to protect people living in low-lying regions like the Ganges Delta, is a cheaper and more
attractive solution. Progress is already being made in convincing countries that the emission of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases is causing considerable damage to the environment. But more effort
is needed in this direction.
G. And the future? If we are to believe the forecasts, it is predicted that two-thirds of the world
population will be without fresh water by 2025. But for a growing number of regions of the world the
future is already with us. While some areas are devastated by flooding, scarcity of water in many other
places is causing conflict. The state of Texas in the United States of America is suffering a shortage of
water with the Rio Grande failing to reach the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in 50 years in the spring
of 2002, pitting region against region as they vie for water sources. With many parts of the globe running
dry through drought and increased water consumption, there is now talk of water being the new oil.
H. Other doom-laden estimates suggest that, while tropical areas will become drier and uninhabitable,
coastal regions and some low-lying islands will in all probability be submerged by the sea as the polar ice
caps melt. Popular exotic destinations now visited by countless tourists will become no-go areas. Today's
holiday hotspots of southern Europe and elsewhere will literally become hotspots - too hot to live in or
visit. With the current erratic behaviour of the weather, it is difficult not to subscribe to such despair.
I. Some might say that this despondency is ill-founded, but we have had ample proof that there is
something not quite right with the climate. Many parts of the world have experienced devastating
flooding. As the seasons revolve, the focus of the destruction moves from one continent to another. The
impact on the environment is alarming and the cost to life depressing. It is a picture to which we will
need to become accustomed.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. There are two
extra headings which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided.
List of Headings
i Environmental change has always been with us
ii The scarcity of water
iii Rivers and seas cause damage
iv Should we be despondent? Or realistic?
v Disasters caused by the climate make us feel better
vi A pessimistic view of the future
vii How to solve flooding
viii Humans' relationship with water
ix The destructive force of water in former times
x What is water?

Example: Paragraph I ___iv___

Your answers:
1. Paragraph A ______ 2. Paragraph B ______ 3. Paragraph C ______ 4. Paragraph D ______
5. Paragraph E ______ 6. Paragraph F ______ 7. Paragraph G ______ 8. Paragraph H ______
SECTION D: WRITING
Part 1. (5 points) Complete the second sentence in such a way that it is as similar in meaning as possible
to the one printed before it.
1. The number of road accidents has increased in recent months.
→ There has …………………………………………………………….
2. John missed the workshop because his car broke down.
→ If John’s car hadn’t …………………………………………………………………………
3. I don't intend to apologize to either of them.
→ I have no ……………………………………………………………………..
4. He furiously threw the book across the room.
→ Such was ….………………………………………………………………………………
5. I’ve forgotten that doctor’s name but he’s very well-known.
→ That doctor, ……………………………………………………………………………….
Part 2. (5 points) Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one,
using the word given. DO NOT CHANGE THE WORD GIVEN. You must use between two and five
words, including the words given.
Part 3. (20 points) Your English-speaking friend Aaron visited you for a short holiday a few weeks ago.
Read the part of Aaron's letter shown below, and the notes you have made. Then write a letter to Aaron,
using all your notes. Write your letter in 120-150 words in an appropriate style.. Do not write any postal
addresses. Your name should be Nguyen.

Anyway, thanks again to you and your family for making me feel welcome
 during my stay. I had a great time, and I hope I wasn't a difficult guest!

I posted my photos of the holiday as soon as they were developed. Have you Accept thanks
received them yet? What do you think of them?

What have you been doing since I left? I want to know all about it!

I hope that on my next visit we will have time to travel around your country. Yes - thank him
Where do you think we should go, and what is the best time of year for me to and give opinion
come?

I also hope you will be able to come here soon and stay with me.
Give details
Write back soon!

Aaron Make suggestions

and explain why

Part 4. (30 points) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story (120-180 words) for your
school story writing competition. Your story must begin or end with the following words. No matter
what people said about Kim, I knew he was a true friend.
_THE END_