ĐỀ NGUỒN THI HỌC SINH GIỎI THỊ LỚP 9

PHÒNG GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO CỬA LÒ

SECTION A/ LISTENING
Section 1. (20 points) Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
TOTAL HEALTH CLINIC
PATIENT DETAILS
Personal information
Name : Julie Anne ……Garcia…..
Contact phone (1)…………………
Date of birth (2)…………………, 1992
Occupation works as a (3)………………….
Insurance company (4)…………………. Life Insurance
Details of the problem:
Type of problem pain in her left (5)…………………..
When it began (6)…………………. ago
Action already taken has taken painkillers and applied ice
Other information:
Sports played belongs to a (7)…………………. club
goes (8)…………………. regularly
Medical history injured her (9)………………… last year
no allergies
no regular medication apart from (10)………………..
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section 2. (10 points) There are five questions in this part.

2. What has the girl forgotten to bring?

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 3. Which TV programme is on at 9 o’clock tonight?

4. How will the man book tickets for the show?

5. What will the man do this winter?

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Section 3. (20 points) Listen to the conversation and choose best option A, B or C. You
will hear the conversation TWICE
1. The caller wants to do a writing course to help with________
A. his hobby. B. his job. C. his children's education.
2. What does the course pack include?
A. multimedia items B. a list of books to buy C. lesson and assignment dates
3. How much does the course cost?
A. £340 B. £375 C. £400
4. Alex's first assignment will be about his
A. family life. B. school experiences. C. expectations of the course.
5. What does the feedback include?
A. a tutorial B. an exercise C. a discussion group
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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 SECTION B: VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
I. ( 10 points) Choose the correct answer from A, B, C or D to complete each of the following
sentences.
1. He has been very interested in doing research on___________ since he was at high school.
A. biology B. biological C. biologist D. biologically
2. Thanks to the_____________ of paper, many books have been kept for a very long time.
A. information B. knowledge C. durability D. portability
3. Not only_________________ the exam but she also got a scholarship.
A. did she pass B. she passed C. she has passed D. has she passed
4. Mary was the last applicant___________.
A. to interview B. to be interviewed C. to have interviewed D. to be interviewing
5. The manager had his secretary___________ the report for him.
A. to have typed B. typed C. type D. to type
6. I have been trying to ring him up all day and I could not__________ through.
A. get B. take C. look D. hang
7. The more he tried to explain, __________ we got.
A. the much confused B. the many confusing
C. the more confusing D. the more confused
8. Professor Richards insisted that every student___________ their report by Friday.
A. finish B. finishes C. finished D. had finished
9. Hana and Jennifer are talking about the book they have read.
Hana: ‘The book is really interesting and educational.’ Jennifer: ‘_______.’
A. I'd love to B. Don't mention it
C. It's nice of you to say so. D. I can't agree with you more.
10. 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.
Despite the traffic hold-ups, we were able to arrive at the airport in the nick of time just before
the check-in counter closed.
A. in a terrible condition B. with all our luggage
C. at the very last moment D. with much time to spare
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
II. (10 points) There are 10 mistakes in the following passage. Identify the mistakes and write
the corrections in your answers in ‘Your answers’ part.
1 Pollution happens when chemicals that are harmful to living things gets into the
2 environment. Chemicals that cause pollution are not easy to get rid of. They stay in the

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3 air, ground but water for a long time. The best way to fight against pollution is to stop
4 to produce it in the first place. Governments can pass laws that forbid or limitation the
5 use of chemicals that cause pollution. Laws can stop factories from dumping poison
6 chemicals in lakes, rivers, and the oceans. Factories and power plants can clean up the
7 smoke that they give off. Engineers can build cars that burn more gasoline. They can
8 find ways for cars to give off cleaner exhaust gazes.
9 Scientist are looking for fuels to replace coal and oil. They are looking for ways
1 to use the power in wind and in rays from a sun. They are looking for safe ways to get
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1 rid of nuclear waste. We can help cut down on the number of garbage we produce. We
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1 can recycle paper, plastic, glass bottles, and metal cans. Recycle helps cut down on
2 pollution.
Your answers:
Line Mistakes Corrections Line Mistakes Corrections
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
SECTION C: READING
I. (10 points) I. Read the following passage and circle the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the
correct answer to each of the blanks. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your
answers in ‘Your answers’ part.
THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (0) ____________ considered to be one of the Seven
Wonders of the (1) ____________World. They are believed to have been built by King
Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century BC as a present for his wife, Amytis.
The gardens were (2) ____________ in layers-one on top of the other, much like a
modern multi-storey car (3) ____________ , although a lot more (4) ____________ to look at.
Each layer was a large terrace filled with tropical flowers, plants and trees. The large ( 5)
____________of water which these plants required was (6) ____________ from the river
Euphrates nearby, it is said that Nebuchadnezzar and his wife would sit in the (7) ____________
of the garden and look down on the city of Babylon below.
The gardens’ fame quickly (8)____________ and travelers would come from far and
wide to admire them. Even thousands of years ago, people used to go (9) ____________! The
city of Babylon itself was also famous throughout the whole world for its beautiful buildings,
huge tiled walls and magnificent gates made of brass.
Sadly, nothing (10) ____________ today of the beautiful hanging gardens, and the city of
Babylon lies in ruins in what is modern-day Iraq.
(Adapted from: Toefl success)
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Question 0. A. have B. has ©. were D. was
Question 1. A. Ancient B. Antique C. Historical D. Traditional
Question 2. A. constructed B. assembled C. collected D. invented
Question 3. A. garage B. stop C. station D. park
Question 4. A. good-looking B. handsome C. attractive D. adorable
Question 5. A. total B. amount C. sum D. number
Question 6. A. dragged B. pulled C. push D. pumped
Question 7. A. shade B. shadow C. gloom D. glow
Question 8. A. distributed B. spread C. extended D. moved
Question 9. A. glimpsing B. staring C. glancing D. sightseeing
Question 10. A. waits B. stays C. remains D. continues
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
II. (10 points) You are going to read an article about four sportsmen. For questions 1 - 10,
choose from the sportsmen (A-D). The sportsmen may be chosen more than once.
MY OWN PERSONAL SPACE
A. Katrin
I always need to get away from other people at some point during the day. It’s not that I don't
get on with others. I’ve loads of friends. But I work in a really busy office in the centre of
town and from the moment I leave home each morning it’s non-stop. Crowds on the buses,
busy streets, office bustle, phones, e-mail, do this, do that... By the time the end of the day
comes, I’m desperate for some peace and quiet. Even if I’m going out later in the evening, I
always make sure I have at least an hour to myself without anyone being able to disturb me. I
arrive home, make myself a drink and lie on the sofa. I close my eyes and relax by
concentrating on each part of my body in turn, beginning with my neck. Even if I’m away
from home, I try to find the time just to be alone in order to unwind and recharge my batteries.
If I don’t make this space for myself, I feel really tense and irritable.
B. Lia
I share a student flat with three others, so there’s never a quiet moment. When I come back
from college in the evenings it's quite likely that there'll be other people there as well and
we’ll all have supper together. It’s great fun but towards the end of the evening I feel really
tired and so I like to disappear by myself for a while. It’s hopeless to try and find any privacy
in the flat, so I go out for a walk. Whatever the weather, I walk through the park which is quite
close. Late at night it's usually empty. There are just shadows and the rustle of animals and
birds. It's very peaceful and it gives me the opportunity to reflect on the day and to think about
what I have to do the next day. When I get back to the flat I like to go straight to bed. Usually
I fall asleep pretty quickly even if the others are still up and chatting or listening to music. If I
don’t get this time to myself. I’ll be like a bear with a sore head the next morning and not nice
to know!

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C. Beatriz
I'm a night owl and I absolutely hate getting up in the mornings. If people try and talk to me
before midday, I really snap at them. Being an actress means that I work late so it’s important
that I create space for myself at the beginning of each day. And because I use my voice so
much, in fact totally depend on it, I like to rest my voice and just listen to music when I wake
up. I don't even want to hear other people's voices. Some people find this very hard to
understand and get quite cross when I tell them not to contact me before noon. I tell them It's
nothing personal but they still sound offended. I'm sure it must be the same for singers and,
who knows, maybe teachers and lecturers get fed up with hearing the sound of their own
voice and simply long to be by themselves somewhere. In complete silence
D. Natalie
I work in a call centre, which means I'm constantly on the phone. Apart from lunch and two
short breaks during the day I'm speaking to people all day long. And of course, you never get
to see who you're speaking to! By the end of my shift I’m exhausted, not because I’m rushing
around or I'm on my feet all day but simply because I’ve spent the day talking and listening.
The breaks are so short that there's no time to do anything other than get a drink and
something to eat. I'd love to be able to go for a walk but there's nowhere to escape to within
easy walking distance. The building where I work is in the middle of an industrial estate, you
can’t even see a single tree. So my flat is full of house plants and when I get home it’s
wonderful to be able to relax, surrounded by all the greenery. I lie on the floor, stretch out,
look up at the plants and try to imagine I’m in a tropical rainforest miles away!
Which of the women
1. spends her day in conversation with others?
2. would like to take exercise during the day?
3. worries she might upset other people?
4. escapes outside to find peace and quiet?
5. likes to prepare mentally for what is to come?
6. thinks other people may feel equally stressed?
7. relies entirely on her home environment for space?
8. feels pressurized by too many demands at work?
9. relies on personal space early in the day?
10.creates space for herself even if she is not at home?
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
III. (10 points) Read the passage carefully and choose the best option for each sentence.
Most of us lead unhealthy lives: we spend far too much time sitting down. If, in addition,
we are careless about our diets, our bodies soon become flabby and our systems sluggish. Then
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the guilt feelings start : “I must go on a diet”, “ I must try to lose weight” “ I must get more fresh
air and exercise”, “I must stop smoking”, “I must try to keep fit” . There are some aspects of our
unhealthy lives that we cannot avoid. I’m thinking of such features of modern urban life as
pollution, noise, rushed meals and stress. But keeping fit is a way to minimize the effects of
these evils.
The usual suggestion to a person who is looking for a way to keep fit is to take some sports.
While it is true that every weekend you will find people playing football and hockey in the local
park, they are outnumbered a hundred to one by the people who are simply watching them. It is
an illusion to think that you will get fit by going to watch the football match every Saturday,
unless you count the effort required to fight your way through the crowds to get to the best seats.
For those who do not particularly enjoy competitive sports – and it is especially difficult to
do so if you are not good at them – there are such solitary activities as cycling, walking and
swimming. What often happens, though, is that you do them in such a leisurely way, so slowly,
that is doubtful if you are doing yourself much good, apart from the fact that you have at least
managed to get up out of your armchair. Of course you can be very thorough about exercise,
even fanatical. Many sports shops now sell frightening pieces of apparatus, chest-expanders and
other mysterious gadgets of shiny spring steel, which, according to the advertisements, will
bring you up to an Olympic standard of fitness, provided that you follow a rigorous and regular
programme of exercises. Such programmes generally involve long periods of time bending these
curious bits of metal into improbable shapes.
It all strikes me as utterly boring and also time-consuming. Somebody suggested recently
that all such effort was pointless anyway because if you spend half an hour every day jogging
round the local park, you will add to your life exactly the number of hours that you wasted
doing the ‘jogging’ in the first place. The argument is false even if the facts are correct, but there
is no doubt that exercise in itself can be boring.
Even after you have found a routine for keeping in shape, through sport or gymnastics or
isometrics, you are still only half way to good health, because, according to the experts, you
must also master the art of complete metal and physical relaxation. Now, this does not mean
snoozing in the armchair or going dancing ( which is a good form of exercise in itself ) . It has
to do with deep breathing , emptying your mind of all thoughts, meditation, and so on.
Yoga, as practiced in the West, is the most widely known and popular of the systems for
achieving the necessary state of relaxation. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to learn a
lot of strange words or become a Buddhist in order to benefit from Yoga. It seems ironical,
though, that as our lives have improved in a material sense, we have found it increasingly
necessary to go back to forms of activity – physical effort on the one hand, and relaxation on the
other – which were the natural way of life of our forefathers.
1. Unfitness is the result of ___________.
A. lack of fresh air and exercise
B. overeating, smoking and living in town
C. not eating properly and not getting enough exercise
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 D. not taking part in sports
2. Pollution, noise and stress are examples of ___________.
A. causes of unfitness B. bad features of living in towns
C. the things we must avoid if we are to stay healthy D. industrial life and work
3. Our reaction to being out of condition is to ___________.
A. give up smoking and go on a diet B. start a programme of keep-fit exercises
C. make resolutions to lead a healthier life D.take up a sport
4. A lot of people who go to the park at the weekend are ___________.
A. football players B. football spectators
C. keep-fit enthusiasts D. unfit or unhealthy
5. You cannot really enjoy competitive sports unless you are ___________.
A. young enough to play them B. very good at them
C. fit enough to play them D. a solitary kind of person
6. The reason we don’t get much out of solitary sports such as walking is that we do not
_________.
A. do them often enough B. have the encouragement of others
C. take them seriously enough D. do them vigorously enough
7. The writer does not like keep-fit programmes because he thinks ___________.
A. they take up too much time B. there are much easier ways of getting fit
C. they are a waste of time D. the apparatus is very silly
8. To be healthy we must ___________.
A. keep fit and active B. keep fit and learn to relax
C. be active and practise Yoga D. be very careful about what we eat and drink
9. Many people believe that in order to practise Yoga ___________.
A. you must learn a special vocabulary B. it is better to become a Buddhist
C. you must learn to relax completely D. you must wear special clothing
10. Our forefathers were healthy because ___________.
A. their way of life involved both exercise and relaxation
B. they were careful to get plenty of fresh air and keep fit
C. they lived in the country and spent time out of doors
D. they had simple work to do and very little to worry about
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
IV. (10 points) Read the text and think of the word which best fits each gap.
ADVICE BEFORE STARTING WORK
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 In these days of high unemployment, it is often difficult (1) __________ young people to
find a job. If they are lucky (2) ________ to be asked to go for an interview, they may find (3)
__________there are at least 20 other applicants for the (4) __________. If a company is
thinking of offering (5) __________ a job, they will ask you for at least one reference from
either your previous employer (6) __________ someone who knows you well. (7)
__________taking up your job, you may have to sign a contract. You will probably have to do
some training, (8) __________helps you to do the job more successfully. Once you have
decided that this is your chosen career, you will then have to work (9) __________ to try and
get promotion, which usually brings more responsibility and more money! If you are unlucky,
you may be made redundant, and not be able to find (10) __________ job. It is also a good idea
to pay some money into a pension scheme, which will help you to look after yourself and your
family when you are retired. Finally, good luck!
Your answer:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
V. (10 points) Read the passage and choose the correct heading for each paragraph.
Traffic jams — no end in sight
There are no easy answers to the problems of traffic congestion.
A. Traffic congestion affects people throughout the world. Traffic jams cause smog in
dozens of cities across both the developed and developing world. In the U.S., commuters spend
an average of a full work week each year sitting in traffic, according to the Texas Transportation
Institute. While alternative ways of getting around are available, most people still choose their
cars because they are looking for convenience, comfort and privacy.
B. The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing,
whereby cities charge a toll to enter certain parts of town at certain times of day. In theory, if the
toll is high enough, some drivers will cancel their trips or go by bus or train. And in practice it
seems to work: Singapore, London and Stockholm have reduced traffic and pollution in city
centers thanks to congestion pricing.
C. Another way to reduce rush hour traffic is for employers to implement flexitime,
which lets employees travel to and from work at off-peak traffic times to avoid the rush hour.
Those who have to travel during busy times can do their part by sharing cars. Employers can
also allow more staff to telecommute (work from home) so as to keep more cars off the road
altogether.
D. Some urban planners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to
build more roads, especially roads that can take drivers around or over crowded city streets. But
such techniques do not really keep cars off the road; they only accommodate more of them.
E. Other, more forward-thinking, planners know that more and more drivers and cars are
taking to the roads every day, and they are unwilling to encourage more private automobiles
when public transport is so much better both for people and the environment. For this reason,

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the American government has decided to spend some $7 billion on helping to increase capacity
on public transport systems and upgrade them with more efficient technologies. But
environmentalists complain that such funding is tiny compared with the $50 billion being spent
on roads and bridges.
List of Headings
i A solution which is no solution
ii Changing working practices
iii Closing city centres to traffic
iv Making cars more environmentally friendly
v Not doing enough
vi Paying to get in
vii A global problem
Your answer:
1. Paragraph A __________
2. Paragraph B __________
3. Paragraph C __________
4. Paragraph D __________
5. Paragraph E __________

SECTION D: WRITING
I. (10 points) Use the word in brackets; complete the second sentence so that it has a similar
meaning to the first one. DO NOT change the word given.
1. I don’t think it’s a good idea to invest all your money in the property market. (SHOES)
Were __________________________________________________in the property market.
2. This motor in this machine needs cleaning once a week. (HAS)
This motor in this machine___________________________________once a week.
3. I am sure that his success made his parents feel wonderful. (MUST)
His success_______________________________________feel wonderful.
4. That man was too busy to do the housework. (SUCH)
He was ___________________________________________do the housework.
5. His disabilities did not prevent him from sailing around the world. (MANAGED)
Despite the fact__________________________________________around the world.
II. (10 points) Finish the second sentence so that it has similar meaning to the first one.
1. Nga is pleased to meet her aunt again soon .
-> Nga is looking ________________________________________________________
2. Bob is the best tennis- player in the club.
-> No one __________________________________________________________
3. We could not drive because of the fog.
-> The fog prevented ________________________________________________
4. I arrived too late to see off my friends.
-> I wasn't ___________________________________________________________________
5. “You'd better not spend any more time in the sun, Kate," said Ann
-> Ann advised _______________________________________________________________
III. (20 points) A friend of yours has written to you, asking for some advice. He doesn’t want to
disappoint his parents; he must get the highest score in this exam. He must be the best student in the
class. He spends most his time on studying and he has been a bit tense lately. Write a letter to him and
tell what you should do if you were in his shoes.

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Write your letter (about 80-100 words).
Dear Tom,
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Best wishes,
Hung

IV. ( 20 points) Your school is running a story competition. The rules state that the story must
begin or end with the following words: What an awful night !
Write your story about 200-250 words.
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_THE END_

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