Đề thi chọn học sinh giỏi lớp 12 cấp tỉnh môn Tiếng Anh - Năm học 2015-2016 - Sở GD&ĐT Ninh Bình (Có đáp án)

SỞ GD&ĐT NINH BÌNH
ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC
ĐỀ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI, HỌC VIÊN GIỎI LỚP 12 CẤP TỈNH NĂM HỌC 2015 – 2016
MÔN: TIẾNG ANH - THPT
Ngày thi 2/12/2015
(Thời gian 180 phút, không kể thời gian phát đề)
(Đề thi gồm 5 phần, 10 trang)
ĐIỂM BÀI THI
HỌ TÊN, CHỮ KÍ 
CỦA GIÁM KHẢO
SỐ PHÁCH
(Do CTHĐ chấm ghi)
Bằng số:..................../20 điểm
Bằng chữ:................................
Giám khảo 1:..........................................
Giám khảo 2:..........................................
(Thí sinh làm bài trực tiếp vào các tờ đề thi)
PART A: LISTENING (3.0 points)
HƯỚNG DẪN THI NGHE HIỂU
- Bài nghe gồm 3 phần, thí sinh được nghe mỗi phần 2 lần liên tiếp nhau.
- Mở đầu và kết thúc bài nghe có tín hiệu nhạc.
- Hướng dẫn làm bài chi tiết cho thí sinh bằng tiếng Anh đã có trong từng phần nghe.
I. Listen to a recording and choose the correct letter A, B, C or D to complete the following
sentences. Write your answer in the numbered box. (0.5 point)
1. What does Peter want to drink?
 A. Tea
B. Coffee
C. A cold drink
D. Hot water
2. What caused Peter problems at the bank?
 A. The exchange rate was down.
B. He was late.
 C. The computers weren’t working.
D. He forgot the time.
3. Who did Peter talk to at the bank?
 A. An old friend
B. An American man
C. A German man
D. A journalist
4. Henry gave Peter a map of ________.
 A. the city
B. the bus routes
C. the train system
D. the airport
5. What do Peter and Sally decide to order?
 A. Food and drinks
B. Just food
C. Just drink
D. A snack
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
II. Listen and decide if the statements are True (T) or False (F). Put a tick (P) in the right
box. (0.5 point) 
True
False
1. Not many Christians around the world celebrate Ash Wednesday.
£
£
2. The number of the days on which people traditionally start fasting is smaller
than 30.
£
£
3. The day on which Ash Wednesday falls is not always the same.
£
£
4. It is tradition to keep the cross on one’s forehead until the sun rises.
£
£
5. In Biblical times, people covered themselves in ash to express their sorrow
for their sins. 
£
£
III. Listen and fill in each blank with ONE word. Write your answer in the numbered box. 
(2.0 points)
The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is an annual presentation held by the U.S. movie
(1)________. The event is run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and (2)________ , which has
to maintain strict (3)_______ of who has won what until the winners are announced. It started in
1929 and has grown into a (4)________ extravaganza. Millions of people tune in each year to see
whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked up the top award. The gold statuette
prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It can turn an actor into a
(5)________ or a movie into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi paradise.
The stars turn out looking like a million dollars in their designed dresses and (6)________.
The voting for the Academy Awards is very strict and is conducted under the tightest (7)________.
A top international accounting firm has counted the votes for the past seven decades. Only the most
(8)_______ people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and vote.
(9)________ is by invitation only. This is to make sure the top professionals in the business decide
on the winners. There are up to 25 categories up for grabs, and up to five (10)________ can be
made in each. The newest award is for Best Animated Feature, which started in 2001. Movie fans in
over 100 countries watch on television as the famous envelopes are opened with the words, “And
the winner is”
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
PART B: PHONETICS (1.0/20 points) 
Identify the word whose stress pattern is different from that of the other words in the same
group. Write your answer in the numbered box. 
1. A. afloat
B. superior
C. passenger
D. contribute
2. A. chemistry
B. original
C. tribute
D. emphasis
3. A. sentimental
B. commonplace
C. mathematics
D. information
4. A. pronounce
B. American
C. soldier
D. prefer
5. A. muscular
B. instrument
C. argument
D. dramatic
Your answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PART C: LEXICO – GRAMMAR (5.0 points)
I. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) to complete each of the following sentences. Write
your answer in the numbered box. (1.0 point)
1. Something _______ or else they would be here by now.
 A. must happen
B. must have happened
C. must be happening
D. must be happened
2. Tom: Who did you invite to dinner? 
Mary: No one _______ than Frank and his family.
 A. rather
B. except
C. besides
D. other
3. Tom: Which is more important? Luck or effort? 
Mary: Luck is _______ effort.
 A. on the same importance
B. the same importance as
 C. of the same importance as
D. as the same importance as
4. Chinese ______is very popular in America.
 A. kitchen
B. meal
C. cuisine
D. dish
5. Although he was under no _______the shopkeeper replaced the defective battery free of charge.
 A. urgency
B. guarantee
C. obligation
D. insistence
6. All three TV channels provide extensive _______of sporting events.
 A. vision
B. coverage
C. broadcast
D. network
7. Liz: “Thanks for the nice gift you brought to us!” 
Jennifer: “_______.”
 A. All right. Do you know how much it costs?
B. Actually speaking, I myself don’t like it.
 C. Not at all. Don’t mention it.
D. Welcome! It’s very nice of you.
8. There is _______ in my bedroom.
 A. a square wooden old table
B. an old square wooden table
 C. a wooden old square table
D. an old wooden square table
9. The company has just got a big order and the workers are working round the ______.
 A. day
B. clock
C. hour	
D. night
10. Unless you return money immediately, you will risk being charged _______ theft and getting
into serious trouble.
 A. on
B. with
C. of
D. for
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
II. Choose the letter A, B, C or D to show the underlined part that needs correction. Write your
answer in the numbered box. (1.0 point)
For example: Aloha is a Hawaiian word meaning “love”, that can be used to say hello or goodbye.
 A	 B	 C D
 => Answer: C 
1. Those of us who smoke should have their lungs checked regularly.
A
B
 C
D
2. It was Shirley Temple Black which represented her country in the United Nations and later 
 A
 B
 C
 D
became an ambassador.
3. It is necessary that one met a lawyer before signing an important contract.
 A
 B
C
D
4. The value of the dollar declines as the rate of inflation raises. 
 A
 B
 C
 D
5. Two of the players from our school team has been chosen to participate in the game. 
A
 B
 C
D
6. The information officer at the bank told his customers that there was different kinds of accounts
A
 B
C
D
available. 
7. From space, astronauts are able to clearly see the outline of the whole earth.
 A
 B
C
 D
 8. Alike other forms of energy, natural gas may be used to heat homes, cook food, and even run
 A
B
C
D
automobiles. 
9. Psychology Today is interesting, informative, and it is easy to read. 
 A
B
 C
 D
10. The new model costs twice as many as last year's model. 
 A
 B
C D
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
III. Use the correct tense or form of the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences below.
Write your answer in the numbered box. (1.0 point)
1.	Does that road need (broaden) _______? 
2.	It’s obligatory that the voyage (cancel)_______ .
3.	Were I (know)_______ the truth, I would tell you about it.
4.	I’d rather you (keep)_______ your mouth shut.
5.	We must take an umbrella. It (rain) _______.
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
IV. Supply the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete each of the following
sentences. Write your answer in the numbered box. (2.0 points)
There are only more than 5,000 (inhabit) _______ on the island.	
People in the village no longer use water in that well because of its (pure) _______. 	
My mother always complains about my (tidy) _______. 	
(Environment) _______ are fighting against the hunting of whales. 	
My mother is very (know) _______ about Chinese history. 	 	
His (expect) _____ arrival surprised all of his friends and family. 	
The teacher warned the children that if they (behave) _____ again, they’d be punished	
(Theory) _____, there are black holes in space.	
(Legal) _____ parked cars usually get a ticket and are sometimes towed away. 
It was a long, slow film. I nearly died of (bore) _____. 
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
PART D: READING COMPREHENSION (6.0 points)
I. Read the text and answer the questions by choosing the correct option. Write your answer
in the numbered box. (2.0 points)
Birds that feed in flocks commonly retire together into roosts. The reasons for roosting communally
are not always obvious, but there are some likely benefits. In winter especially, it is important for
birds to keep warm at night and conserve precious food reserves. One way to do this is to find a
sheltered roost. Solitary roosters shelter in dense vegetation or enter a cavity - horned larks dig
holes in the ground and ptarmigans burrow into snow banks - but the effect of sheltering is
magnified by several birds huddling together in the roosts, as wrens, swifts, brown creepers,
bluebirds, and anis do. Body contact reduces the surface area exposed to the cold air, so the birds
keep each other warm. Two kinglets huddling together were found to reduce their heat losses by a
quarter and three together saved a third of their heat.
 The second possible benefit of communal roosts is that they act as “information centers.” During
the day, parties of birds will have spread out to forage over a very large area. When they return in
the evening some will have fed well, but others may have found little to eat. Some investigators
have observed that when the birds set out again next morning, those birds that did not feed well on
the previous day appear to follow those that did. The behavior of common and lesser kestrels may
illustrate different feeding behaviors of similar birds with different roosting habits. The common
kestrel hunts vertebrate animals in a small, familiar hunting ground, whereas the very similar lesser
kestrel feeds on insects over a large area. The common kestrel roosts and hunts alone, but the lesser
kestrel roosts and hunts in flocks, possibly so one bird can learn from others where to find insect
swarms. 
Finally, there is safety in numbers at communal roosts since there will always be a few birds awake at any given moment to give the alarm. But this increased protection is partially counteracted by the fact that mass roosts attract predators and are especially vulnerable if they are on the ground. Even those in trees can be attacked by birds of prey. The birds on the edge are at greatest risk since predators find it easier to catch small birds perching at the margins of the roost.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
 A. How birds find and store food.	
 B. How birds maintain body heat in the winter.
 C. Why birds need to establish territory.
 D. Why some species of birds nest together.
2. The word “conserve” in line 3 is closest in meaning to_____.
 A. retain
B. watch
C. locate
D. share
3. Ptarmigans keep warm in the winter by_____.
 A. huddling together on the ground with other birds.
 B. building nests in trees.
 C. burrowing into dense patches of vegetation.
 D. digging tunnels into the snow.
4. The word “magnified” in line 6 is closest in meaning to_____.
 A. caused
B. modified
C. intensified
D. combined
5. The author mentions kinglets in line 8 as an example of birds that_____.
 A. protect themselves by nesting in holes.
 B. nest with other species of birds.
 C. nest together for warmth.
 D. usually feed and nest in pairs.
6. The word “forage” in line 11 is closest in meaning to_____.
 A. fly
B. assemble
C. feed
D. rest
7. Which of the following statements about lesser and common kestrels is TRUE?
 A. The lesser kestrel and the common kestrel have similar diets.
 B. The lesser kestrel feeds sociably but the common kestrel does not.
 C. The common kestrel nests in larger flocks than does the lesser kestrel.
 D. The common kestrel nests in trees; the lesser kestrel nests on the ground.
8. The word “counteracted” in line 21 is closest in meaning to _____.
 A. suggested
B. negated
C. measured
D. shielded
9. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as an advantage derived by birds that
huddle together while sleeping?
 A. Some members of the flock warn others of impending dangers.
 B. Staying together provides a greater amount of heat for the whole flock.
 C. Some birds in the flock function as information centers for others who are looking for food.
 D. Several members of the flock care for the young.
10. Which of the following is a disadvantage of communal roosts that is mentioned in the passage?
 A. Diseases easily spread among the birds.
 B. Groups are more attractive to predators than individual birds.
 C. Food supplies are quickly depleted.
 D. Some birds in the group will attack the others.
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
II. Read the passage and fill in each blank with ONE suitable word. Write your answer in the
numbered box. (2.0 points)
TIMES ARE CHANGING
The twentieth century is believed to have been a century of technological advances, when many
changes were made, which have dramatically affected people’s lives. Take, for instance, life
expectancy. Until the nineteenth century, people lived till the age of thirty-five (1) _____average.
Growing up in unhealthy living conditions, lack of good quality food and hard work, all contributed
(2) _____ low life expectancy. Another big change concerns people’s homes and way of (3) _____.
Families once had to settle for the bare essentials. Large extended families lived together in small
houses. Nowadays, our houses are bigger and better; extended families have been (4) _____by
nuclear families; and both parents work long hours.
Transport has come a long way, too. The car has replaced earlier means of transport, and public
transport has also been improved. As a (5) _____, travel time has decreased drastically and people
have been brought (6) _____ together.
However, all this progress has come at a cost. We live in a modern world and our life has been
made easier, (7) _____ stress and anxiety are major health concerns. Family ties are not as strong as
they (8) _____ to be, as parents work hard to afford all the luxuries, which nowadays are considered
to be necessities. Last but not least, cars and other means of transport cause congestion and (9)___ . 
It is clear that a balance has to be found before the situation gets out of (10) _____.
Your answers: 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
III. Read the passage and choose the best option to fill in each blank. Write your answer in
the numbered box. (2.0 points)
School exams are, general speaking, the first kind of tests we take. They find out how much 
knowledge we have (1)______ . But do they really show how intelligent we are? After all, isn’t it a
(2) _____ that some people who are very successful academically don’t have any (3) _____ sense?
Intelligence is the speed (4) ____ which we can understand and (5) ____ to new situations and it is
usually tested by logic puzzles. Although scientists are now preparing (6)_____ computer
technology that will be able to “read” our brains. At present, tests are still the (7)_____ popular
ways of measuring intelligence. A person’s IQ is their intelligence as it is measured by a (8)_____
test. The most common IQ tests are (9)____ by Mensa, an organization that was founded in England
in 1946. By 1976 it (10)____ 1,300 members in Britain. Today there are 44,000 in Britain and
100,000 worldwide, largely in the US. 
 1. A. fetched
B. gained
C. attached	
D. caught
 2. A. case
B. fact	
C. circumstance
D. truth
 3. a. natural
B. bright
C. sharp
D. common
 4. A. on
B. to	
C. in
D. at
 5. A. accord
B. react
C. answer
D. alter
 6. A. advanced
B. forward
C. ahead
D. upper
 7. A. more
B. most
C. mostly
D. almost
 8. A. specialize
B. special
C. specially
D. specialty
 9. A. appointed
B. commanded
C. run
D. steered
 10. A. held
B. had
C. kept
D. belonged
Your answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
PART E: WRITING (5.0 points)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that it has the same meaning as the
sentence printed before it. (2.0 points)
1.	You can take any of the routes; it will still take you about three hours to get there.
=> Whichever _____________________________________________________________
2.	His passport was nowhere to be found.
=> No one __________________________________________________________________
3.	You will catch a cold if you don’t keep your feet dry.
=> Unless __________________________________________________________________
4.	He didn’t bother to knock before he walked into the boss’s office.
=> He walked into the boss’s office ______________________________________________
5.	We hope to hear another lecture by Professor Brown in the near future.
=> We look_________________________________________________________________
6.	She wants to go to Las Vegas more than anywhere in the world.
=> She’d ___________________________________________________________________
7.	It was only when I locked the room that I realized I hadn’t turned off the cooker.
=> Not until _________________________________________________________________
8.	Their attitude caused us great disappointment.
=> We were _________________________________________________________________
9.	But for your unsuspected talents as a mechanic, we would have been stranded there for hours.
=> If it _____________________________________________________________________
10.	I really think you ought to acquire a few manners.
=> It’s high time _____________________________________________________________
II. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in
meaning to the original sentence using the word given at the end of each sentence. Do NOT
change the form of the given word. (1.0 point)
1. Speeding in the city is against the law. (FORBIDDEN)
=> _________________________________________________________________________
2. Marry didn’t feel like going to the party.	 (MOOD)
=> _________________________________________________________________________
3. He speaks German extremely well.	(COMMAND)	
=> _________________________________________________________________________
4. He failed to deliver the parcel on time. (SUCCEED)
=> _________________________________________________________________________
5. As far as I know he is still working in Ho Chi Minh city. 	(KNOWLEDGE) 
=> _________________________________________________________________________
III. Paragraph writing (2.0 points)
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
“Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so.”
In about 150 words, write a paragraph to support your point of view.
..............................................................
........
THE END OF THE TEST