SỞ GD&ĐT PHÚ THỌ TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN HÙNG VƯƠNG (Đề thi đề xuất) ĐỀ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI VÙNG DUYÊN HẢI - ĐỒNG BẰNG BẮC BỘ NĂM HỌC 2023 – 2024 Môn: Tiếng Anh – Lớp 10 (Thời gian: 180 phút – không kể thời gian giao đề) A LISTENING (50 points): Section 1: Complete the table below Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes (10 points) Vacant positions A(n) (1) _ A warehouse assistant Location Responsibilities Requirements Experience North London  Data entry  Meetings attendance and note-taking  (2) _  Diary management  Stock management  Managing deliveries  Good computer skills (esp spreadsheets)  Interpersonal skills  Attention to details  Mathematically competent  (4) _  Well-organized and neat  Adept at written and verbal communication A minimum of one year experience of (3) South London Experience of  driving in London  warehouse work  (5) _ Your answers: Section You will hear part of a discussion in which two consultants, Abbie Dale and Ryan Richardson, are talking about two different small businesses that have achieved success For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear (10 points) What does the company Ryan has chosen encourage its customers to do? A assemble all the kits that it produces B create new designs and hand them in C personalize their online purchases D promote the quality of the products According to Abbie, the social clothing company's customers A take great relish in drawing attention to themselves B show their willingness to aid in publicity campaigns C display their creativity in the videos submitted D have developed a fierce loyalty to the brand Ryan believes that the main difference between the two companies is A the number of staff members they have recruited B the way in which they have thrived C the wide range of issues they have to tackle D the age range they cater for What does Abbie find most astonishing about the company she talks about? A its skill in collaborating with partners B the owner's ability to keep developments secret C the fact that it has grown so fast D the number of products it aims to launch According to Ryan, people who buy and assemble the electronic kits _ A should start their own businesses B are surprised by their simplicity C find the experience rewarding D aren't frightened of making mistakes Your answers: Section You will hear a talk about ethical concerns with artificial intelligence Decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F) Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes (10 points) People tend to be oblivious to the moral issues associated with artificial intelligence in the research stage Video tracking can be deployed to ensure recovery from injuries A handful of giants have become the dominant overlords in the realm of artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is intended to harm human society as it does not share human values Machines are immune to biases from the data introduced by their human makers Your answers: Section For questions 1-10, listen to an authentic recording about déjà vu and fill in the missing information using words taken from the recording Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes (20 points) The feeling of living through the present situation once before might be a weird experience Besides youngsters and movie fans, (1) _ are more likely to experience déjà vu than others For a long time, this occurrence had been attributed to (2) disturbances before Émile Boirac, a (3) , coined the French word déjà vu, literally meaning “already seen” The first possible explanation for this illusion is (4) where a person experiences the current sensory twice successively Another theory on the cause of déjà vu, dual processing, mentions a (5) when two cognitive processes are uncoupled One suggested method of studying déjà vu is examining those suffering from (6) _ In the 2014 study, most participants found their (7) to be identical with the experience of déjà vu The speculation that déjà vu results from errors around a brain component called (8) is refuted by further research which claims that déjà vu involves the (9) of the brain Another approach is looking at (10) as the origin of déjà vu could lie in the mysterious universe Your answers: 10 B LEXICO- GRAMMAR (50 points) Section Choose the best option A, B, C, or D to complete the following sentences and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes (20 points) _ the cold weather and his badly fractured leg, the old man hasn’t been out for weeks A What with B Concerning C In the face of D Much as The company executive takes great exception _ the claims from protesters that their business harms animals A to B against C from D with He gripped his brother’s arm _ he be trampled by the mob A thereby B lest C otherwise D whereby Nuclear waste disposal is a growing problem _ A considering that no state permits radioactive material transported on its roads or to bury it inside its borders B considering that no state permits radioactive material either transported on its roads or buried inside its borders C because no state permits radioactive material transported on its roads or buried inside its borders D because no state will permit radioactive material not only to be carried on its roads but in addition also buried inside its borders Mad Max was a low budget film It received a lot of rave reviews A though B thus C however D whatever I adore walking around the old city of Venice – just the atmosphere! A heading for B soaking up C getting in D pulling up Building a new children's home will cost a lot of money but, _, there is an urgent need for the facility A be that as it may B if need be C then so it be D whatever it may be Opponents of the war are considered _ as patriotic as supporters A rather B fairly much C somewhat D every bit I tried to pull myself together after the police officer assured as soon as she had news about my stolen phone A to me that she would call B me that she would call C to call me D that she was about to call me 10 After having a narrow escape from the accident, the boy _ all night long and has had a bee in his bonnet about safety ever since A cried himself into sleeping B cried out sleeping C cried himself to sleep D cried till sleeping 11 It is generally assumed that the shutterbugs, also known as paparazzi, are paid really well for their into the lives of the celebrities A invasion B intrusion C infringement D interference 12 If you want to solve the problem once and for all, you must face a difficulty or danger boldly, that is, you must _ A pull the bull's horns B take the bull by the horns C blow your own horn D be on the horns of a dilemma 13 He attempted to discuss his political opponents respectfully, yet they refused to lend a receptive ear and even cast _ on his suggestion A scorn B censure C criticism D aspersions 14 Though deeply discontented with the promotion policy of the firm, my colleague still hesitated about _ his resignation given the volatile economic climate A tendering B imputing C consigning D tabling 15 Amidst the corporate downsizing, the blue-collar worker offered to take a pay cut to keep his temporary job, yet he was just at straws A clutching B clinging C clustering D clasping 16 After writing that bombshell exposé about corruption within the government, the apprentice journalist became nationwide A the man of the hour B an egg on the face C a word of honour D the top of the morning 17 They say he was a _ dictator, but the list of human rights abuses during his reign speaks volumes about the contradiction to this A callous B depraved C benevolent D vicious 18 The delegate spent days trying to convince his congressional colleagues to hold their _ and vote for the bill A nose B breath C own D tongue 19 With a wealth of state-of-the-art facilities and accomplished teaching staff, the Imperial College was the best school in the town A haphazardly B begrudgingly C indubitably D jovially 20 Had we been in control of monetary policy, we would have raised interest rates sharply after the election instead of doing it in _ A fingers and thumbs B bits and bobs C dribs and drabs D bibs and tuckers Your answers: 5 6 11 12 13 14 10 15 16 17 18 19 20 Section Complete each sentence with a suitable particle or preposition Write your answers in the box provided (10 points) Police were pinning their hopes on two survivors as they tried to piece the details of the tragic accident The company has such large cash reserves that it thinks it can always buy any competitors The party has watered its ideals in order to appeal to the centre ground The meeting was intended to patch relations between the two sides Despite neglecting her studies for most of the semester, Jannet still luckily managed to scrape the final examination The investment would be beneficial for the firm, yet the manager is so concerned about saving money that he can’t see the forest the trees Police are concerned that the victim’s family may try to take the law their own hands When her son broke the curfew for the third time, Ms Smith really hit the roof and decided to put her foot Kept waiting for nearly half a day at the airport, the passengers were getting browned with the delay 10 He’s run into debt again, but this time we are leaving him to stew his own juice Your answers: 10 Section Write the correct form of the words given in the brackets Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes (10 points) The police had absolutely no idea what the suspect was thinking as he remained _ throughout the interrogation (EXPRESS) It’s very common for new actors to worry about becoming _ as they don’t want to be locked into only one particular role (TYPE) Legislative action should be taken to ensure that the burden of _ debt does not suffocate the dreams and aspirations of young individuals (MOUNT) Any attempt to _ blame so many years after the incident appears to be pointless (PORTION) Zoos deserve some sort of protection from the _ crank, the ignorant but kindly, and – above all – from the nine-till-five conservationists (OFFICE) The party’s crushing defeat in the election thoroughly _ its die-hard supporters (MORAL) A temporary _ has been declared between the rival factions to evacuate civilians from the battlefield (ARM) Some detainees eagerly agreed to perform onerous physical tasks, so better to illuminate the abject _ in which they lived (SERVE) Though diplomats on both sides retained their _, they fully appreciated that they were amid the world’s last great colonial partition (COMPOSE) 10 The jury acquitted the defendant due to the lack of evidence to convict him of the vicious crime, which _ both the victim’s family and the public (FURY) Your answers: 10 C READING (50 points) Part Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes (15 points) Who says that each and every teenager spends all of his or her time inside in front of a screen? Contrary to popular belief, many teens have taken to the great (1) in search of a way to give (2) to their feelings and stay fit What are these teens up to? Well, it is a sport called parkour In fact, parkour is more than just a sport; it is a training discipline, one that has its (3) in common military obstacle course training The (4) of parkour is to get from Point A to Point B, usually (5) a complex urban environment, without the assistance of any special equipment in the quickest way imaginable And it does demand the use of the imagination because the philosophy behind parkour is seeing your environment in an innovative manner; envisioning the manner in which it can be navigated by diverse movements over anything that might be in the way This could mean running around (6) buildings in an inner city “ghetto”; jumping over (7) _ in busy urban streets or climbing up, and then down, any other physical features that block the route of the participant Parkour is something that requires (8) and a variety of other skills – some physical, some mental, but all incredibly challenging One person who has mastered these skills is Dimitris Kyrsanidis of Greece Virtually a(n) (9) success, Dimitris took up the sport and literally (10) the ground running! In a remarkable achievement, he went from playing football on a local pitch to becoming a noted parkour champion in the famous Red Bull Art of Motion competition by beating seventeen of the best parkour athletes in the world 10 A outdoors A way A origins A ambition A scraping against A bustling A bungalows A felonies A overnight A set B suburbs B vent B roots B dream B going up against B provincial B parking meters B surveillance B night-time B hit C outskirts C over C backgrounds C record C knuckling down C run-of-the-mill C barristers C perseverance C nightly C had D downtown D rise D bases D aim D taking up D run-down D junctions D mishaps D night-long D met Your answers: 10 Part Read the following text and fill in the blank with ONE suitable word Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes (15 points) The Titanic’s maiden voyage and calamitous end was one of the biggest news stories of 1912, and has continued to fascinate us ever since The disaster inspired songs and multiple films in the twentieth century, (1) James Cameron’s 1997 epic romance, which long reigned as the highest-grossing film of all time More recently, Titanic exhibitions that invite visitors to examine relics and explore the ship’s recreated rooms have (2) huge crowds in New York, Seville, and Hong Kong There are two reasons why we are so drawn to the Titanic, and why the super-rich are apparently willing to (3) with their money and even risk their lives to catch a glimpse of its broken hull The first is its opulence The White Start Line that built the Titanic advertised the ship as the most luxurious ever to (4) sail Wealthy passengers paid up to £870 for the privilege of occupying the Titanic’s most expensive and spacious first-class cabins To put this 110-yearold money (5) perspective, when the first world war broke out in 1914, infantry soldiers in the British army were paid a basic salary of around £20 per year Titanic movies and exhibitions are popular because audiences enjoy the voyeurism of gazing on the ship’s beautiful furnishings, the stunning clothes (6) by its rich and beautiful passengers, and their elaborate meals in fancy restaurants The fact that the Titanic was touted as unsinkable also adds (7) its allure The ship, whose name evoked its massive size, was engineered to cheat the ocean When it departed England, it symbolised man’s domination (8) nature At the bottom of the Atlantic, it serves as a visceral reminder of the indomitable sea’s awesome power The same two factors - the excess of the voyage, and its defeat (9) the sea – are now driving the current global interest in the Titan submersible disaster (10) world events garner so much attention, including statements from Downing Street and the White House, and live news blogs from The New York Times and the Guardian (Adapted from The Conversation, Disaster, opulence, and the merciless ocean: why the Titanic disaster continues to enthral) Your answers: 10 Part Read the following passage and circle the best answer to each of the following questions Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes (15 points) THE GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN In 1970 geologists Kenneth J Hsu and William B F Ryan were collecting research data while aboard the oceanographic research vessel Glomar Challenger An objective of this particular cruise was to investigate the floor of the Mediterranean and to resolve questions about its geologic history One question was related to evidence that the invertebrate fauna (animals without spines) of the Mediterranean had changed abruptly about million years ago Most of the older organisms were nearly wiped out, although a few hardy species survived A few managed to migrate into the Atlantic Somewhat later, the migrants returned, bringing new species with them Why did the near extinction and migrations occur? Another task for the Glomar Challenger’s scientists was to try to determine the origin of the domelike masses buried deep beneath the Mediterranean seafloor These structures had been detected years earlier by echo-sounding instruments, but they had never been penetrated in the course of drilling Were the salt domes as such are common along the United States Gulf Coast, and if so, why should there have been so much solid crystalline salt beneath the floor of the Mediterranean? With questions such as these clearly before them, the scientists aboard the Glomar Challenger proceeded to the Mediterranean to search for the answers On August 23, 1970, they recovered a sample The sample consisted of pebbles of hardened sediment that had once been soft, deep-sea mud, as well as granules of gypsum and fragments of volcanic rock Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came from the nearby continent In the days following, samples of solid gypsum were repeatedly brought on deck as drilling operations penetrated the seafloor Furthermore, the gypsum was found to possess peculiarities of composition and structure that suggested it had formed on desert flats Sediment above and below the gypsum layer contained tiny marine fossils, indicating open ocean conditions As they drilled into the central and deepest part of the Mediterranean basin, the scientists took solid, shiny, crystalline salt from the core barrel Interbedded with the salt were thin layers of what appeared to be windblown silt The time had come to formulate a hypothesis The investigators theorized that about 20 million years ago, the Mediterranean was a broad seaway linked to the Atlantic by two narrow straits Crustal movements closed the straits, and the landlocked Mediterranean began to evaporate Increasing salinity caused by the evaporation resulted in the extermination of scores of invertebrate species Only a few organisms especially tolerant of very salty conditions remained As evaporation continued, the remaining brine salt water became so dense that the calcium sulfate of the hard layer was precipitated In the central deeper part of the basin, the last of the brine evaporated to precipitate more soluble sodium chloride salt Later, under the weight of overlying sediments, this salt flowed plastically upward to form salt domes Before this happened, however, the Mediterranean was a vast desert 3,000 meters deep Then, about 5.5 million years ago came the deluge As a result of crustal adjustments and faulting, the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean now connects to the Atlantic, opened, and water cascaded spectacularly back into the Mediterranean Turbulent waters tore into the hardened salt flats, broke them up, and ground them into the pebbles observed in the first sample taken by 10 the Challenger As the basin was refilled, normal marine organisms returned Soon layers of oceanic ooze began to accumulate above the old hard layer The salt and gypsum, the faunal changes, and the unusual gravel provided abundant evidence that the Mediterranean was once a desert * gypsum: a mineral made of calcium sulfate and water Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph as a change that occurred in the fauna of the Mediterranean? A Most invertebrate species disappeared during a wave of extinctions B A few hardy species wiped out many of the Mediterranean’s invertebrates C Some invertebrates migrated to the Atlantic Ocean D New species of fauna populated the Mediterranean when the old migrants returned What does the author imply by saying “Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came from the nearby continent”? A The most obvious explanation for the origin of the pebbles was not supported by the evidence B The geologists did not find as many pebbles as they expected C The geologists were looking for a particular kind of pebble D The different pebbles could not have come from only one source Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph about the solid gypsum layer? A It did not contain any marine fossils B It had formed in open-ocean conditions C It had once been soft, deep-sea mud D It contained sediment from nearby deserts Select the answer choice that identifies the material(s) discovered in the deepest part of the Mediterranean basin A Volcanic rock fragments B Thin silt layers C Hardened sediment D Tiny marine fossils What is the main purpose of paragraph 3? A To describe the physical evidence collected by Hsu and Ryan 11 B To explain why some of the questions posed earlier in the passage could not be answered by the findings of the Glomar Challenger С To evaluate techniques used by Hsu and Ryan to explore the sea floor D To describe the most difficult problems faced by the Glomar Challenger expedition Which of the following was responsible for the evaporation of the Mediterranean’s waters? A The movements of Earth’s crust B The accumulation of sediment layers C Changes in the water level of the Atlantic Ocean D Changes in Earth’s temperature What caused most invertebrate species in the Mediterranean to become extinct? A The evaporation of chemicals necessary for their survival B Crustal movements that connected the Mediterranean to the saltier Atlantic C The migration of new species through the narrow straits D Their inability to tolerate the increasing salt content of the Mediterranean Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence in paragraph 4? A The Strait of Gibraltar reopened when the Mediterranean and the Atlantic became connected and the cascades of water from one sea to the other caused crustal adjustments and faulting B The Mediterranean was dramatically refilled by water from the Atlantic when crustal adjustments and faulting opened the Strait of Gibraltar, the place where the two seas are joined C The cascades of water from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean were not as spectacular as the crustal adjustments and faulting that occurred when the Strait of Gibraltar was connected to those seas D As a result of crustal adjustments and faulting and the creation of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Atlantic and Mediterranean were connected and became a single sea with spectacular cascades of water between them Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph about the salt domes in the Mediterranean? A They began as layers of oceanic ooze B They contain large quantities of calcium sulfate C They were destroyed when the basin was refilled with water D They formed after the Mediterranean basin was refilled with water 12 10 Which of the following square brackets [A], [B], [C], or [D] best indicates where in the paragraph the sentence “Thus, scientists had information about the shape of the domes but not about their chemical composition and origin.” can be inserted? [A] Another task for the Glomar Challenger’s scientists was to try to determine the origin of the domelike masses buried deep beneath the Mediterranean seafloor [B] These structures had been detected years earlier by echo-sounding instruments, but they had never been penetrated in the course of drilling [C] Were the salt domes as such are common along the United States Gulf Coast, and if so, why should there have been so much solid crystalline salt beneath the floor of the Mediterranean? [D] A [A] B [B] C [C] D [D] Your answers: 10 Part 4: Read the passage and the tasks that follow (15 points) WHAT IS PERSONALITY? A We are all familiar with the idea that different people have different personalities, but what does this actually mean? It implies that different people behave in different ways, but it must be more than that After all, different people find themselves in different circumstances, and much of their behaviour follows from this fact However, our common experience reveals that different people respond in quite remarkably different ways even when faced with roughly the same circumstances Alan might be happy to live alone in a quiet and orderly cottage, go out once a week, and stay in the same job for thirty years, whilst Beth likes nothing better than exotic travel and being surrounded by vivacious friends and loud music B In cases like these, we feel that it cannot be just the situation which is producing the differences in behaviour Something about the way the person is ‘wired up’ seems to be at work, determining how they react to situations, and, more than that, the kind of situations they get themselves into in the first place This is why personality seems to become stronger as we get older; when we are young, our situation reflects external factors such as the social and family environment we were born into As we grow older, we are more and more affected by the consequences of our own choices (doing jobs that we were drawn to, 13 C D E F G surrounded by people like us whom we have sought out) Thus, personality differences that might have been very slight at birth become dramatic in later adulthood Personality, then, seems to be the set of enduring and stable dispositions that characterise a person These dispositions come partly from the expression of inherent features of the nervous system, and partly from learning Researchers sometimes distinguish between temperament, which refers exclusively to characteristics that are inborn or directly caused by biological factors, and personality, which also includes social and cultural learning Nervousness, for example, might be a factor of temperament, but religious piety is an aspect of personality The discovery that temperamental differences are real is one of the major findings of contemporary psychology It could easily have been the case that there were no intrinsic differences between people in temperament, so that given the same learning history, the same dilemmas, they would all respond in much the same way Yet we now know that this is not the case Personality measures turn out to be good predictors of your health, how happy you typically are – even your taste in paintings Personality is a much better predictor of these things than social class or age The origin of these differences is in part innate That is to say, when people are adopted at birth and brought up by new families, their personalities are more similar to those of their blood relatives than to the ones they grew up with Personality differences tend to manifest themselves through the quick, gut-feeling, intuitive and emotional systems of the human mind The slower, rational, deliberate systems show less variation in output from person to person Deliberate rational strategies can be used to override intuitive patterns of response, and this is how people wishing to change their personalities or feelings have to go about it As human beings, we have the unique ability to look in at our personality from the outside and decide what we want to with it So what are the major ways personalities can differ? The dominant approach is to think of the space of possible personalities as being defined by a number of dimensions Each person can be given a location in the space by their scores on all the different dimensions Virtually all theories agree on two of the main dimensions, neuroticism (or negative emotionality) and extroversion (or positive emotionality) However, they differ on how many additional ones they recognise Among the most influential proposals are openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness In the next section I shall examine these five dimensions Questions 1-6: There are seven paragraphs marked A-G in the passage Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list below Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided 14 i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x List of Headings A degree of control Where research has been carried out into the effects of family on personality Categorising personality features according to their origin A variety of reactions in similar situations A link between personality and aspects of our lives that aren’t chosen A possible theory that cannot be true Measuring personality Potentially harmful effects of emotions How our lives can reinforce our personalities Differences between men’s and women’s personalities Example: Paragraph A Paragraph B Paragraph C iv Paragraph D Paragraph E Paragraph F Paragraph G For questions 7-10, the following statements agree with the information given? TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this Nervousness is an example of a learned characteristic The discovery of differences in temperament has changed the course of psychological research Adopted children provide evidence that we inherit more of our personality than we acquire 10 The rational behaviour of different people shows greater similarity than their emotional behaviour Your answers: 10 D WRITING (50 points) Section Graph description (20 points) 15 The table below shows the type of accommodation chosen by foreign students studying English in the city of Hamilton and other related information Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant You should write at least 150 words Section Essay writing (30 points) Write an essay of 200 - 250 words on the following topic 16 Some people think that space exploration is a waste of resources while others think that it is essential for mankind to continue to explore the universe in which we live Discuss both views and give your opinion 17 THE END 18