English 9

MOCK SU PHAM No. 1 - 2021

I. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the others. Write your
answers (A, B, C, or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
1. A. honey B. rhythm C. exhume D. behold
2. A. dormitory B. information C. organization D. forward

II. Choose the word whose primary stress is placed differently from that of the others. Write your answers
(A, B, C, or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
3. A. intermediate B. documentary C. reputation D. communicate
4. A. benefit B. environment C. wonderful D. category
5. A. century B. conclusion C. available D. ambition

III. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions. Write your answers (A, B, C, or D) in the
corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
6. Many people were killed instantly at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but thousands more died from________
radiation sickness.
A. succeeding B. following C. subsequent D. afterwards
7. Many students find it difficult to make____ meet on their small grants.
A. ends B. points C. circles D. edges
8. He’s not very sensible as far as money________are concerned.
A. points B. aspects C. objects D. matters
9. The firm went bankrupt and their shares became________
A. priceless B. unworthy C. invaluable D. worthless
10. She________$20 out of the bank every Monday.
A. pulls B. draws C. extracts D. takes
11. It’s often better to________safe in the exams than to give an original answer.
A. act B. perform C. play D. do
12. She was________for time in the exam and didn’t complete the questions.
A. hurried B. chased C. hunted D. rushed
13. The________thought of exams makes her feel ill.
A. sole B. only C. little D. mere
14. The new experimental system didn’t________expectations.
A. reach B. come up to C. rise to D. touch
15. A computer is an ________ machine that can store, organize and find information, do calculations and
control other machines
A. electric B. electrical C. electricity D. electronic
16. The villagers strongly recommend that a new school _____immediately.
A. must be built B. is going to be built C. be built D. will be built
17. _________ , he doesn’t study well.
A. As clever he is B. He is as clever C. Clever as he is D. As he is clever
18. You look exhausted. You __________ in the garden all day.
A. can’t have worked hard B. couldn’t have worked hard
C. should have worked hard D. must have worked hard
19. Let’s __________ the grammar one more time before the test.
A. go over B. go down with C. go off D. go back
20.The singer performance was so exciting that many of his fans were ____ enthusiasm.
A. carried away with B. moved to C. taken back with D. stirred up with

IV. Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap. Write your answers (A, B, C, or D) in
the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
Incentives play an important role in our decisions to learn. As we get older, the outcomes of (21.)_______ in
learning may not be the same as when we were younger. For example, we are less likely to be (22.) ______
as a result of training. The type of work-related training or learning we do also changes as we get older.

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 1

 English 9
Workers over 45 years old are more likely to participate in learning (23.)______that relate directly to their
function so they may choose to (24.)_____ those technical skills directly related to their work. By contrast,
young workers are more (25.)_____to participate in training that is an investment in their future careers.
Organizations also want to continually (26.)_____ their skills base. Recently, business has (27.)____ this
largely though a steady inflow of newly- (28.)_____ young people onto the labor (29.) _____. Traditionally,
we have had a mix of those young people who bring new formal skills to the workplace, and a small
proportion of older workers who (30.)_____ their experience. What we are seeing now is a decreasing
proportion of young people entering the workforce and an increase in the proportion of older people. So,
unless we change he nature of our education and learning across life, we will see a decline in formal skills in
the working population.
21. A. participation B. contribution C. attendance D. activity
22. A. raised B. promoted C. advanced D. upgraded
23. A. actions B. activities C. acts D. modules
24. A. relearn B. promote C. restore D. upgrade
25. A. probable B. likely C. possible D. liable
26. A. restart B. renovate C. restore D. renew
27. A. affected B. fulfilled C. achieved D. succeeded
28. A. educated B. taught C. qualified D. graduated
29. A. workforce B. employment C. staff D. market
30. A. donate B. supply C. contribute D. sell

V. Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) to the questions that follow.
Write your answers (A, B, C, or D) in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
ARE YOU A SLUMPER?
Ashley Seager was, but cured bad posture- and her chronic back pain- with the Alexander technique

Many people with have heard of the Alexander technique but have only a vague idea what it is
about. Until earlier this year, I didn’t have the faintest idea about it. But, hunched over a computer screen
one day, I noticed that the neck-and backache I regularly suffered were more painful than usual. I consulted
an osteopath, who said: “I can treat the symptoms by massaging your neck and upper back. But you actually
have bad posture. That is what you need to get sorted out. Go off and learn the Alexander technique.”
I had regularly been told by friends and family that I tend to slouch in chairs but had thought bad
posture was something one was born with and could do nothing about. That is not true. Dentists and car
mechanics, among others, tend to develop bad posture from leaning over patients or engine bays. Mothers
often stress and strain their necks and backs lifting and carrying children, and those of us who sit in front of
computers all day are almost certainly not doing our bodies any favors.
A few clicks on the web and I found an Alexander technique teacher, Taya Shoop, in my area of
south London and booked a first appointment. Three months later I am walking straighter and sitting better,
while my neck and back pain are things of the past. I feel taller, too, which I may be imagining, but the
technique can increase your height by up to five centimeters if you were badly slumped beforehand.
The teaching centres on the neck, head and back. It trains you to use your body less harshly and to
perform familiar movements and actions with less effort. There is very little effort in the lessons themselves,
which sets apart the Alexander technique from pilates or yoga, which are exercise-based.
A typical lesson involves standing in front of a chair and learning to sit and stand with minimal
effort. You spend some time lying on a bench with your knees bent to straighten the spine and relax your
body while the teacher moves your arms and legs to train you to move them correctly.
The key is learning to break the bad habits accumulated over years. Try, for example, folding your
arms the opposite way to normal. It feels odd, doesn’t it? This is an example of a habit the body has formed
which can be hard to break. Many of us carry our heads too far back and tilted skywards. The technique
teaches you to let go of the muscles holding the head back, allowing it to resume its natural place on the
summit of our spines. The head weighs four to six kilos, so any misalignment can cause problems for the
neck and body.
The Alexander technique teaches you to think of the space above your head. This may sound daft,
but it is an important element in the process of learning to hold yourself upright. You learn to observe how
you use your body and how others use theirs- usually badly. Look how a colleague slumps back in a chair

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 2

 English 9
with his or her legs crossed. That puts all sorts of stresses and strains on the body. Even swimming can harm
the neck. The Alexander technique can teach you to swim better, concentrating on technique rather than
clocking up lengths. “In too many of our activities we concentrate on how we get to a destination rather than
the means or way of getting there,” says Shoop.
So who was Alexander and how did he come up with the technique? Frederick Matthias Alexander,
an Australian theatrical orator born in 1869, found in his youth that his voice was failing during
performances. He analysed himself and realized his posture was bad. He worked on improving it, with
dramatic results. He brought his technique to London 100 years ago and quickly gathered a following that
included some very famous people. He died in 1955, having established a teacher-training school in London,
which is thriving today.
So if you are slouching along the road one day, feeling weighed down by your troubles, give a thought to the
Alexander technique. It could help you walk tall again.
31. The writer learnt about the Alexander technique ____________.
A. after telling someone about her problems B. when she suddenly developed a bad back
C. when massage failed to alleviate her back pain D. after a doctor told her she had bad posture
32. The writer had been ____________.
A. concerned that her neck and back problems were caused by bad posture
B. under the impression that poor posture was innate and could not be rectified
C. aware that she had problems similar to those experienced by car mechanics
D. uncertain about placing her trust in the Alexander technique
33. The Alexander technique teaches that familiar movements ____________.
A. have been learnt by incorrect methods B. need more energy and effort than we think
C. do not have to be performed so strenuously D. are the most common cause of backache
34. It appears that the body forms habits that ______________.
A. inevitably cause physical pain B. can be difficult to change
C. are a consequence of actions we perform D. develop in early childhood
35. The Alexander technique ____________.
A. makes you aware of other people’s faults B. has immediate and dramatic results
C. helps athletes perform better D. brings about a change in body posture
36. It is suggested that Frederick Alexander ____________.
A. believed in the benefits of exercise B. invented an alternative to yoga
C. developed a form of exercise for actors D. recovered his vocal powers
37. What is the writer’s main purpose in the article?
A. to recommend regular physical exercise B. to explain how debilitating backache can be
C. to suggest that back problems can be remedied D. to explain the widespread occurrence of back pain
38. The phrase “come up with” used in the passage is closest in meaning to _________.
A. dissuade B. think of C. withhold D. reapply

VI. You must choose which of the paragraph A-H fit into the gaps into the following extract from a book.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
NB: There is ONE extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
TIMING A TALK
When people groan that they have been to a dreadful talk, the most common reason they give for their
misery is “he went on and on and on”. A poorly presented subject can be suffered, for the sake of the topic
itself, if it keeps to time. But a talk which is both boring and drones on for endless minutes after the clock
shows that the fishing time is passed, is a torture. Even an interesting, well presented talk which goes on for
too long is remembered with little pleasure. The timing of a talk is, then, extremely important.
39. __________
Why does it matter so much? It is a question which I have thought about a great deal. It is quite obvious that
speakers don’t think it matters greatly. It is equally obvious, both from listening to others, and from
observing one’s own reactions when trapped in the audience for a talk which goes on far too long, that to the
audience timing is vital.
40. __________
The first is the different adrenalin levels in speakers and listeners. Put quite simply, they perceive time
differently. The excitement and fear produced by speaking causes adrenalin to flush into the veins in large

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 3

 English 9
quantities. The result is that speakers have a stamina, a resistance to tiring, an endurance, which is
superhuman. They can go on all day.
41. _____________
Speakers, then, are in an abnormal state. They are indifferent to time and tiredness and while they are
speaking they feel as if they could go on all day. But the audience is in quite the opposite state. Sitting down
and having nothing to do but listen actually reduces adrenalin below its normal level.
42. _____________
The second reason is that audience and speaker probably have different emotional concerns about the
subject. The speaker has been working on the topic for some time, preparing the talk. It is quite common for
the effort of preparing a talk about a subject to produce a quite profound interest in the topic.
43. __________
The audience, as usual, feels quite differently. Their interest in the subject of the talk is unlikely to be so
great. They may have no more than a polite interest in it. They may have no interest at all in it and may have
come to listen in the hope that the speaker will arouse an interest
44. ______________
The third reason for the different attitudes between speaker and audience is contractual. The timing of your
talk is in effect a contract with the audience. You were invited to talk for a specific time and you have
agreed to talk for this time. The power of this contract is extraordinary. If you have been invited to give a
ten-minute presentation, the audience will become disastrously restless after thirty minutes. They will feel
that the talk was disgraceful and that the speaker is guilty of some great social crime.
45. ___________
Of those two mistakes there is no doubt that to over-run the agreed time is more disastrous then to under-run
it. The explanation seems to be that the audience is quietly looking forward to the end of the talk. If that time
comes and passes and the speaker is still industriously talking away, the listeners have lost their security.

A. It is physically inactive, even the mental activity of talking to others is stopped. The audience, then,
is at the other end of the scale from the speakers. This goes a long way to explain why they have
such different views on the passage of time.
B. On the other hand, if you end early, the audience will feel cheated. What you say may be no different
on both occasions, the organization and effectiveness of what you say may not have changed, but
that commitment that you made has not been honored.
C. Why is there this difference? I have evolved three explanations for it which can be briefly
summarized. Let me outline them.
D. However, this kind of behavior occurs because the average person’s span of attention is limited. The
simple fact is that about five to ten minutes is as long as most people can listen without a short day-
dream. After a brief holiday to catch up with all the other thoughts floating round their head, people
come back to a talk.
E. Worst of all, they may be there because they have to be, because they want to be seen there or
because someone else (such as a boss) demands they should be. Even if they are keen, they are
unlikely to feel as strongly as the speaker. They may enjoy listening for a reasonable length of time,
but then will want to do something else, like have a break or simply stretch and relax. They will
certainly not have the overbearing enthusiasm speakers often feel.
F. No other aspect of the presentation can do as much damage to the way the audience thinks of the
talk. No other aspect is so easy to control, since it is a simple mechanical matter of looking at a clock
face. And no other aspect is so easy to get wrong. Many people seem to have a casual attitude to the
timing of a talk and this can be fatal.
G. I have seen this new-found concern develop in novice speakers who had difficulty choosing what to
talk about for a practice presentation but who suddenly became passionate advocates for what they
finally settled on and started button-holing people at coffee breaks and meal times to talk more about
it. Speakers become deeply involved in what they are talking about.
H. It is this effect, too, which produces the strange pattern of elation and tiredness when you give a talk.
Typically, you feel keyed-up and ready to go before the talk and are totally unaware of growing
tiredness during it. The body’s responses are artificially heightened. You draw on a physical
overdraft of energy. After the talk, this must be paid back and you suddenly feel worn out.

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 4

 English 9
VII. Supply the correct form of the words given in brackets. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes on the answer sheet. There is an example at the beginning (0).
EXAMPLE: 0. characteristic
When people enjoy whatever they are doing, they report some (0. CHARACTER)_____________ feelings
that distinguish the (46.PLEASURE)_____________ moment from the rest of life. The same types of
feelings are reported in the context of playing chess, climbing mountains, playing with babies, reading a
book or writing a poem. They are the same for young and old, male and female, American or Japanese, rich
or poor. In other words, the nature of enjoyment seems to be (47. UNIVERSE) _____________. We call
this state of (48. COUNSCIOUS) ______________a flow experience, because many people report that
when what they are doing is (49. SPECIAL) _____________ enjoyable, it feels like being carried away by
a current, like being in a flow. At present, (50. LAMENT) _____________few students would recognize
the idea that learning can be like that. But if educators invested a fraction of the energy on (51.
STIMULUS) _____________the students’ enjoyment of learning that they now spend in trying to transmit
information, we could achieve much better results. Once students’ (52. MOTIVATE) _____________is
engaged, once they can be (53. POWER)_______________ to take control of their own learning and
provided with clear (54. FEED) __________on their efforts, then they are on their way to a lifetime of self-
propelled (55. ACQUIRE) __________ of knowledge.

VIII. Read the text below and think of ONE word which best fits each gap. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example: (0.) these
FLYING IN STYLE
(0. )--- These--- days commercial airliners are becoming larger, (56.)__________makes flying cheaper
but in many ways more impersonal. Perhaps (57.) __________a response to this, a more old-fashioned way
of taking to the air is gaining popularity in Britain. A number of companies today offer charter flights in
small aircraft. You hire the plane and pilot, just as you might hire a chauffeur-driven car, and (58.)
__________are yours for the day.
If you are flying on a short trip from Britain to the continent, a light plane can get you there almost as
quickly as a jet airliner. In fact, the whole journey takes far (59.) __________time, since you don’t need to
be at the airport hours in advance. And if you share the cost with friends, it can be cheaper than a scheduled
flight.
The atmosphere on board is relaxed and friendly, with formalities (60.) __________passport control and
customs, if not entirely eliminated, at least kept (61.) __________a minimum. Instead of walking for (62.)
__________seems like miles through a vast airport terminal, (63.) __________it’s time to take off, you
simply stroll over and ease (64.) __________into the plane. Even the flight itself is more fun, as (65.)
__________as the weather is fine. And if you want to descend and take a closer look at something on the
ground, just ask the pilot; you’re the boss!

IX. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some are
incorrect. If a line is correct, put a tick (√) by the number of the question on the answer sheet. If a line is
incorrect, write the error and provide correction by the number of the question on the answer sheet.
0. places → place
00. when →where
000. √
Line
One of the most amazing marathon races in the world is marathon of the Sands. It takes places 0.
every April in the Sahara Desert in the south of Morocco, a part of the world when temperatures 00.
can reach fifty degree centigrade. The standard length of the marathon is 42.5 kilometers but 000.
this one is 240 kilometers long and spends seven days to complete. It began in 1986 and now 66.
attracts about two hundred runners, the majority of their ages range from seventeen to forty- 67.
seven. About half of them come from France and the rest to all over the world. From Britain it 68.
costs £2,500 to enter, this includes return air fares. The race is rapidly getting more and more
High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 5
 English 9
popular despite, and perhaps because off the harsh condition that runners must endure. They 69.
have to carry food and something else they need for seven days in rucksack weighing no more 70.
than twelve kilograms. In addition to this, they are given a litre and a half of water every ten 71.
kilometer, Incredibly, near all the runners finish the course. One man, Lbrahim EL Joual, took 72.
part in every race from 1984 to 2004. Runners do suffer terrible physical hardships. Sometimes 73.
they lose toenails and skin peels on their foot. However, doctors are always on hand to deal with 74.
minor injuries and to make sure that runners do not push themselves too far. 75.

X. Complete the second sentence, using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the sentence
printed before it.
Write your answer in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
76. He never thought of telling her.
→ It never_________________________________________________
77. The students’ riotous behaviour should have been severely punished.
→ The students deserved______________________________________
78. He suddenly thought that he might have misunderstood her.
→ It crossed_________________________________________________
79. If we wait long enough, we’ll get what we want.
→ It’s just___________________________________________________
80. I was not surprised to hear that Harry had failed his driving test.
→ It came___________________________________________________

XI. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence
printed before it using the word given. Do not change the word given.
81.Having to get up so early is so irritating. (NECK)
____________________________________________________
82. It’s likely they were delayed in a traffic jam. (UP)
__________________________________________________
83. My dad is not happy with me at all because he heard me swearing. (BOOKS)
____________________________________________________
84. We can’t possibly imagine how we are going to afford a new car. (REMOTEST)
____________________________________________________
85. If you work without a break, you are more likely to make an error. (PRONE)
-> Working without a break ______________________________________________ error.

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 6