Đề thi thử vào THPT chuyên môn thi: Tiếng anh lớp 10

of comparing the economy of one nation with those of another. 
 A B C D 
55. Bacteria and germs are so tiny that they are invisible with the naked eye. 
 A B C D 
Answer: 
51...52....53....
54...55. 
An English test for gifted students – year 10, 2014-2015 
4 
PART THREE: READING COMPREHENSION (30 pts) 
I. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word for each 
of the blanks ( 10pts). 
 Stressful situations that (56) ............ almost every day in life seem to be unavoidable. However, 
we can do little sometimes to avoid a misfortune or an unpleasant occurrence which may (57) ............ 
us expectedly as only it can. At such a moment, one may hit the (58) ............, give in to the 
helplessness of the situation or, ideally, put a brave face on it trying to (59) ............ the burden. 
 Can you (60) ............ in your mind an hour spent in a traffic jam, say, this morning? Do you light 
one cigarette after another? Do you sound the horn every few seconds like the other neurotics? Or do 
you take a different (61) ............ and withstand the stressful moment you can also do a crossword 
puzzle, listen to your favorite music or even compose a menu for your Sunday dinner. 
 In fact, whatever way you (62) ............ to the annoying situation, you can exert no impact on it 
as the traffic jam will only reduce in due (63) ............. Nevertheless, your reaction might considerably 
influence your mood for the rest of the day. The inability to confront a stressful occurrence like that 
with a deal of composure and sensibility adds much more strain to your life and in this way puts your 
well-being in (64) ............. Surprisingly, it’s the seemingly negligible hardships we stumble on daily 
that run double the risk of developing serious health disorders rather than our isolated tragedies 
however painful they may be. 
 (65) ............ that so many of those wretched stress inducing troubles affect us in a day, we 
should, at best, try to avoid them or possibly make radical alterations in the way we lead our daily 
lifestyles. 
56. A. devise B. create C. originate D. emerge 
57. A. arise B. happen C. befall D. occur 
58. A. post B. roof C. bottom D. wall 
59. A. subsist B. remain C. cow D. bear 
60. A. envision B. observe C. picture D. image 
61. A. manner B. stance C. practice D. mode 
62. A. strike B. deal C. respond D. challenge 
63. A. course B. term C. timing D. period 
64. A. risk B. weakness C. insecurity D. jeopardy 
65. A. Providing B. Given C. Hence D. As much 
Answer: 
56..57..58...59. 
60..61..62...63. 
64..65.... 
II. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate 
the correct answer to each of the questions(10 pts). 
 Before the 1500`s, the western plains of North America were dominated by farmers. One group, the 
Mandans, lived in the upper Missouri River country, primarily in present-day North Dakota. They had 
large villages of houses built close together. The tight arrangement enabled the Mandans to protect 
themselves more easily from the attacks of others who might seek to obtain some of the food these 
highly capable farmers stored from one year to the next. 
 The women had primary responsibility for the fields. They had to exercise considerable skill to 
produce the desired results, for their northern location meant fleeting growing seasons. Winter often 
lingered; autumn could be ushered in by severe frost. For good measure, during the spring and 
summer, drought, heat, hail, grasshoppers, and other frustrations might await the wary grower. 
 Under such conditions, Mandan women had to grow maize capable of weathering adversity. They 
began as early as it appeared feasible to do so in the spring, clearing the land, using fire to clear 
stubble from the fields and then planting. From this point until the first green corn could be harvested, 
the crop required labor and vigilance. Harvesting proceeded in two stages. In August the Mandans 
picked a smaller amount of the crop before it had matured fully. This green corn was boiled, dried, 
An English test for gifted students – year 10, 2014-2015 
5 
and shelled, with some of the maize slated for immediate consumption and the rest stored in animal-
skin bags. Later in the fall, the people picked the rest of the corn. They saved the best of the harvest for 
seeds or for trade, with the remainder eaten right away or stored for later use in underground reserves. 
With appropriate banking of the extra food, the Mandans protected themselves against the disaster of 
crop failure and accompanying hunger. 
 The women planted another staple, squash, about the first of June, and harvested it near the time of 
the green corn harvest. After they picked it, they sliced it, dried it, and strung the slices before they 
stored them. Once again, they saved the seed from the best of the year`s crop. The Mandans also grew 
sunflowers and tobacco ; the latter was the particular task of the older men. 
 66. What is the main topic of the passage? 
 A. Various ways corn can be used 
 B. Weather conditions on the western plains 
 C. The agricultural activities of a North American Society 
 D. The problems encountered by farmers who specialize in growing one crop 
 67. The word "considerable" is closest in meaning to 
 A. planning B. much C. physical D. new 
 68. The Mandans built their houses close together in order to 
 A. allow more room for growing corn B. share farming implements 
 C. protect themselves against the weather D. guard their supplies of food 
 69. According to the passage, the Mandans preserved their food by 
 A. drying B. freezing C. smoking D. salting 
 70. Why does the author believe that the Mandans were skilled farmers ? 
 A. They could grow crops despite adverse weather. B. They could grow crops in most types of 
soil. 
 C. They developed new varieties of corn. D. They developed effective fertilizers. 
 71. The word "disaster" is closest in meaning to 
 A. control B. catastrophe C. avoidance D. history 
 72. Throughout the passage, the author implies that the Mandans 
 A. planned for the future B. were open to strangers 
 C. valued individuality D. were very adventurous 
 73. The word "enabled" is closest in meaning to 
 A. isolated B. reminded C. helped D. covered 
 74. Which of the following processes does the author imply was done by both men and women ? 
 A. Harvesting corn B. Clearing fields C. Harvesting squash D. Planting corn 
 75. The word "consumption" is closest in meaning to 
 A. planting B. decay C. conversion D. eating 
Answer: 
66..67..68...69.70 
71..72..73...74.75 
III. Fill in each numbered blank with ONE appropriate word: ( 10 pts) 
 The computer has brought nothing (76)______problems to the world of the twentieth century. 
Chief among the problems has (77)____the dehumanization of society. People are no (78)____ human. 
Each of us is a series of numbers, numbers to be fed into computers. There are our credit card 
numbers, our bank account (79)______ , our social security numbers, our telephone and electricity 
numbers - the computer number game is endless. 
 What happens to these computerized numbers ? They are distributed to a network of 
government agencies and business (80)______can use them to invade our privacy. The Internal 
Revenue Service stores millions of facts about every citizen. Credit agencies exchange (81)____ on the 
spending and saving practices of nearly every American adult. Mailing lists are (82)_____ available 
by computers to dozens of organizations, public and private, who bombard us with unwanted mail. 
Just let the computer which stores (83)______ concerning our accounts, let us say with a credit card 
company, make an error and it is almost impossible to correct it. The result is an avalanche of bills, 
threads, and loss of credit standing. 
An English test for gifted students – year 10, 2014-2015 
6 
 The computer has thrown thousands of people out of (84)______ . The gamut of computer- 
generated unemployed runs from highly skilled technicians to typists. 
 These are some of the reasons why I feel that the (85)______ of the computer has been 
detrimental to the quality of our life in the twentieth century. 
Answer: 
76..77..78...79.80 
81..82..83...84.85 
PART FOUR: WRITING (15 pts) 
I. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning 
to the sentence printed before it. (5 pts) 
86. The keeper had no sooner opened the cage door than the lion attacked him. 
87. We spent our childhood in that beautiful mountain resort, and we always remember it. 
88. I can’t get into the house because I have lost my key. 
89. It might be a good idea to use honey instead of sugar. 
90. People say that there is a tunnel between those two houses. 
II. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning 
to the sentence printed before it. Do not change the form of the given word. (5 pts) 
91. Our house is going to be painted by a local firm. HAVE 
92. “You have broken my vase of flowers, Jane.”. John said ACCUSED 
93. I’ve never met such a famous person before. FIRST 
94. The passengers don’t realise how lucky they have been. LITTLE 
95. Success in the academic field depends on your ability to amass qualifications. MORE 
III. Complete these sentences using the words suggested below (5 pts) 
An English test for gifted students – year 10, 2014-2015 
7 
96. You/think/ this/book/great/importance? 
97. If/you/exam/without/study/you/likely/fail. 
98. One/advantages/travelling/train/you/can/sit/enjoy/passing/scenery. 
99. Whether/life/city/better/that/country/not/depend/each/individual/point/view. 
100. Never/my/life/I/forget/impression/make/me/first visit/Uncle Ho’s hometown. 
THE END