S GIO DC O TO

SC TRNG
-----o0o---- chnh thc

THI NGH K THI OLYMPIC BSCL

Nm hc 2008 2009
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Mn : Ting Anh Lp 12
(Thi gian lm bi 180 pht, khng k pht )

I. LISTENING (3 points)
PART 1: Listen to a talk and circle A,B,C or D to indicate the correct answer.
1. What is the main topic of the talk?
A. How to become young entrepreneurs.
B. How to meet rich, famous people.
C. How to become wealthy people.
D. How to have qualities of rich people.
2. Who is the audience?
A. Young entrepreneurs.
B. University students.
C. Rich businesspeople.
D. Famous millionaires.
3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the talk?
A. The rich have qualities that make them different.
B. Not all the qualities that rich people have are good.
C. Meanness is one quality people should have to get rich.
D. Rich peoples appearance is very different from ours.
4. What did Matthew Freud do to get money when young?
A. He helped his friends with their homework.
B. He sold mice to his friends at school.
C. He showed rich schoolfriends how to learn.
D. He made friends with millionaireschildren.
5. Which of the following is NOT a quality of the rich?
A. Extravagance
B. Confidence
C. Hard work
D. Ambition
6. Which of these people is mentioned as an example of a hard-working person?
A. John Paul Getty
B. Bill Gates
C. Rupert Murdoch
D. Anita Roddick
PART 2: Listen to a conversation and fill in the numbered gaps in the table. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Day of arrival
Subject
Number of books to read
Day of the first lecture
First essays topic / title

TIM
Sunday
(2)
(4) ...............
(6) ..
(8) ..

Page 1

JANE
(1)
(3)
(5)
(7)
(9)

II. LEXICAL-GRAMMAR (7 points)

PART 1: Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. Write your answers
(A, B, C or D) in the spaces provided under this part.
1. They say he inherited his money from a ______ relative he had never met.
A. faraway
B. remote
C. distant
D. far
2. The discovery of penicillin was a significant medical ______.
A. breakthrough
B. innovation
C. revolution
D. novelty
3. As the day wore ______, I began to feel more and more uncomfortable in their company.
A. in
B. on
C. out
D. off
4. It was a rough _______ and a lot of people on the ferry were seasick.
A. travel
B. voyage
C. trip
D. crossing
5. I was thinking of going out, but on _______ thoughts, it might be better to stay in.
A. strong
B. second
C. good
D. deep
6. One of my classmates is always putting me _______ in public. Its so embarrassing!
A. up
B. off
C. through
D. down
7. Turn to page 35 to find out at a _______ which courses are available to you.
A. glance
B. stare
C. glimpse
D. look
8. The aircraft experienced severe _______ during the final approach, but the pilot kept his
cool and landed it safely.
A. instability
B. wavering
C. turbulence
D. unsteadiness
9. Frank has been the _______ of the local history museum for over ten years now.
A. escort
B. dean
C. curator
D. conductor
10. With our help, she finally came _______ after having passed out for five minutes.
A. back
B. round
C. by
D. down
11. I know his name is Jim, but it was just a ______ of the tongue when I called him Tim.
A. slide
B. skid
C. skim
D. slip
12. Increased traffic _______ has led some local councils to start charging drivers to enter
city centres.
A. congestion
B. blockage
C. stoppage
D. obstruction
13. I know its hard to stop smoking, but youll feel better in the long _______.
A. time
B. turn
C. way
D. run
14. If you leave your baggage ______ at the airport, it will be taken away.
A. inattentive
B. careless
C. unattended
D. neglectful
15. James Bond was sent _______ a mission to recover a top secret file.
A. in
B. on
C. off
D. out
1. _________
4. _________
7. _________
10._________
13._________

2. ________
5. ________
8. ________
11. ________
14. ________

3. ________
6. ________
9. ________
12. ________
15. ________

PART 2: The passage below contains 10 errors. Identify and correct them. Write your answers
in the space provided in the column on the right. (0) has been done as an example.

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A DISAPPOINTING MEAL
Have you ever complained in a restaurant? I never thought I
would, but last week I ended up doing just that. It was my best
friends birthday, but I had booked a table at a new restaurant
that had just opened in the city centre. But while we arrived,
exactly on time, they told me that it was no record of my
booking and we would have to wait for a table to become free. I
suspected that they had given our table to anyone else, but I
didnt say anything. Then we were kept waiting for an hour
without an apology, because they did take our order. We both
chose soup as a starter and my friend ordered a steak like a
main course. I thought I would be a bit more adventurous, and
decided to try something called Ossobuco, if I wasnt quite sure
what it was. To cut a long story short, a soup was almost cold,
my friends steak was uncooked at the middle and my
Ossobuco turned out to be a plate of bone within a very acidic
sauce. So, we called the manager and told we would not pay
because the meal had been substandard. But in the end we paid
because we had eaten it all, but we wont be going there again!

0. but so
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. ..
10. ..

PART 3: Write the correct form of each word in brackets in the numbered spaces provided in
the column on the right. (0) has been done as an example.
FOOD MILES
In Britain, what is described as food miles, the distance which
food is transported from the place where it is grown to its point of sale,
continues to rise. This has major (0. ECONOMY) , social and 0. economic
environmental consequences, given the traffic congestion and pollution
which (1. VARIABLE) follow.
1.
According to (2. PRESS) groups, the same amount of food is
travelling 50% further than twenty years ago. Whats more, the rise in the
demand for road haulage over this period has mostly been due to the
transport of food and drink. The groups assert that the increase in the
number of lorry journeys is (3. EXCEED) and that many of these are far
from (4. ESSENCE).
In the distribution systems employed by British food (5. RETAIL),
fleets of lorries bring all goods into more (6. CENTRE) located
warehouses for redistribution across the country. (7. LOGIC) as this might
appear, the situation whereby some goods get sent back to the same areas
from which they came is (8. AVOID).
In response to scathing (9. CRITIC) from environmentalists, some
food distributors now aim to minimise the impact of food miles by routing
vehicles, wherever possible, on motorways after dark. This encourages
greater energy (10. EFFICIENT) whilst also reducing the impact on the
residential areas through which they would otherwise pass.

Page 3

2. ..

3. ..
4. ..
5. ..
6. ..
7. ..
8. ..
9. ..
10.

PART 4: Complete the news report. Put each verb in brackets into the correct form. Write
your answers in the spaces provided below the passage.
The actress Vanessa Kemp (1. DISAPPEAR). Yesterday she (2. FAIL) to arrived at the
Prince Charles Theatre in Londons West End for her leading role in the comedy Dont look
now!. Ms Kemp, who (3. LIVE) in Hampstead, left home at four oclock yesterday afternoon
for the theatre, a journey she (4. MAKE) several times the week before. Two people who (5.
WALK) past her home at the time saw her (6. LEAVE). But no one (7. SEE) her since then. At
half past seven she still (8. NOT, ARRIVE) at the theatre. At eight oclock the theatre manager
(9. HAVE) to break the news to the audience, who (10. WAIT) patiently for the play to start.
Since yesterday, theatre staff and friends (11. TRY) to contact Ms Kemp, but they (12. HAVE)
not success so far. The police (13. TAKE) the matter seriously, but they (14. BELIEVE) that she
is unlikely to be in any danger. Her friends all (15. WANT) to hear from her soon.
1. ________________

2. ________________

3. ________________

4. ________________

5. ________________

6. ________________

7. ________________

8. ________________

9. ________________

10.________________

11. ________________

12. ________________

13.________________

14. ________________

15. ________________

PART 5: This is a weather forecast on a local radio station. Put in the missing prepositions.
Write your answers in the spaces provided below the passage.
Good morning. This is the weather at six in the morning on Thursday 7 February. Its
cold outside, and theres ice (1) ________ the roads, so dont drive too close to the car in front of
you! There should be forty metres (2) _________ you and that car! If youre driving (3)
________ the city this morning, pay attention to schoolchildren walking (4) ________ the road.
Remember, you might be next to a school! Traffic is moving very slowly (5) ________ the city
centre (6) ________ the moment. There was an accident last night If youre driving (7)
________ Central Library, the Police may stop you and ask you a few questions. Thats all for
now. More weather news every hour, (8) ________ six in the morning (9) ________ six at night.
This is the KC News Network making sure youre up to date (10) _______ the news!
1.

2. .

3.

4. .

5.

6. .

7.

8. .

9. ....

10. .

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PART 6: Insert A, AN, THE or (zero article). Write on the numbered blanks.
I came home from school one day with (1) ________ headache, and took two aspirins
from (2) _______ bottle in (3) ________ medicine cupboard. They left (4) _______ curious
aftertaste in my mouth, and when my mother came home half an hour later I told her what I had
done. She shrieked and ran to (5) _______ telephone: I had taken some tablets that (6) ________
doctor had prescribed for her stomach cramps, and she had been warned that it was dangerous to
exceed (7) _______ stated doze one tablet a day. She had broken (8) ________ bottle that
morning, and transferred (9) _______ tablets to (10) _______ empty aspirin bottle.
III. READING (4 points)
PART 1: Choose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage. Circle A,
B, C or D to indicate your answer. (0) has been done as an example.
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
The Open University was created in 1968 to (0) ___________ people who cannot afford
to (1) __________ regular courses of study, the opportunity of studying and (2) _________ a
university diploma or degree. They study at home and their academic performance is assessed by
(3) __________ of written examinations or project work. Most Open University students (4)
__________ in study while also holding down a job or coping with a busy home life. They study
in order to update their job skills or for personal (5) __________.
At the heart of most courses is a (6) ___________ of specially written and professionally
printed textbooks and workbooks which students receive by post. On many of the courses,
students are (7) __________ to watch television programmes on the BBC network, which are
usually broadcast in the (8) ___________ hours of the morning. The (9) _________ of these
programmes is to develop and broaden the study experience, so that students do not have to (10)
__________ only on the printed material they are sent.
Students are (11) __________ with all the notes and books they need and, in (12)
__________, some courses also include audio and video cassettes and computer software.
However, studying at the Open University can be a (13) __________ because students have few
opportunities to (14) ___________ each other. That is why the University encourages students to
set (15) ____________ and run informal study groups themselves.
0. . give
B. bring
C. let
D. make
1. A. present
B. assist
C. attend
D. apply
2. A. managing
B. claiming
C. reaching
D. obtaining
3. A. method
B. means
C. route
D. system
4. A. fit
B. take
C. put
D. join
5. A. delight
B. satisfaction
C. joy
D. challenge
6. A. unit
B. club
C. set
D. heap
7. A. expected
B. needed
C. hoped
D. considered
8. A. first
B. initial
C. starting
D. early
9. A. cause
B. reason
C. end
D. aim
10. A. rely
B. believe
C. trust
D. confide
11. A. given
B. provided
C. posted
D. handed
12. A. addition
B. particular
C. advance
D. return
13. A. fight
B. struggle
C. battle
D. pressure
14. A. introduce
B. know
C. meet
D. speak
15. A. out
B. in
C. up
D. off
PART 2: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow by circling A,B,C
or D to indicate your answers.
Page 5

A Japanese construction company plans to create a huge independent city-state, akin to the
legendary Atlantis, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The city, dubbed Marinnation, would
have about one million inhabitants, two airports, and possibly even a space port. Marinnation, if
built, would be a separate country but could serve as a home for international organisations such
as the United Nations and the World Bank.
Aside from the many political and social problems that would have to be solved, the engineering
task envisaged is monumental. The initial stage requires the building of a circular dam eighteen
miles in diameter attached to the sea bed in a relatively shallow place in international waters.
Then, several hundred powerful pumps, operating for more than a year, would suck out the sea
water from within the dam. When empty and dry, the area would have a city constructed on it.
The actual land would be about 300 feet below the sea level. According to designers, the hardest
task from an engineering point of view would be to ensure that the dam is leak proof and
earthquake proof.
If all goes well, it is hoped that Marinnation could be ready for habitation at the end of the
second decade of the twenty-first century. Whether anyone would want to live in such an isolated
and artificial community, however, will remain an open question until that time.
1. According to the text, Marrination, when built, will be a(an) __________ city.
A. underground
B. underwater
C. marine
D. legendary
2. The word akin in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by ________.
A. similar
B. next
C. likely
D. close
3. Which of the following would NOT be a problem for the construction plan?
A. social
B. political
C. financial
D. engineering
4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A. Marinnation will be located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
B. Marinnation will be built in a deep place in the Pacific Ocean.
C. Marinnation could be served as home for international organisations.
D. Marinnation would have about one million inhabitants.
5. The word monumental in Paragraph 2 means _________.
A. important and difficult
B. like a large monument
C. serving as a monument
D. important and historic
6. What is going to be built first?
A. a city
B. a dam
C. a monument
D. a sea bed
7. The phrase suck out in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. draw out
B. pull out
C. dry up
D. take out
8. The most difficult task is to protect the dam against _________ and earthquake.
A. fire
B. water
C. sunlight
D. weather
9. According to the text, people could come to live in the future city in the year _______.
A. 2020
B. 2010
C. 2012
D. 2002
10. What does the author imply in the last sentence of the passage?
A. The construction of Marinnation could never be completed in time.
B. People will ask an open question about living in Marinnation.
C. People will ask how they can live in such an isolated and artificial city.
D. People might not want to live in an isolated and artificial community.
PART 3: Fill each blank with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the numbered blanks
provided below the passage. The first (0) has been done as an example.

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BICYCLE SAFETY
Having to obey rules and regulations when riding a bike is (0) __one__ of the first experiences
children have of the idea of obeying the law. However, a large number of children (1) _______
left to learn the rules by trial and (2) ______, instead of being guided by experienced (3)
_______. Every year, hundreds of children visit the doctor or the hospital casualty department
(4) ______ crashing on their bikes. This could be easily prevented by (5) _______ them the
basics of bicycle safety. Ideally, children should be allowed to (6) ______ only in safe places,
such as parks and cycle tracks. When this is not possible, and they are permitted to go on the (7)
______, it is important to teach them (8) ______ basic safety principles.
First, they ought to learn and obey the rules of the road, which (9) _______ traffic signs, signals
and road markings. Second, they should (10) _______ wear a helmet. Studies have shown that
wearing bicycle helmets can (11) ______ head injuries by up to 85 per cent. In many places,
(12) ______ are required by law, particularly (13) _______ children. Finally, children should be
made to understand (14) _______ importance of riding in areas that are brightly lit and of
wearing clothes that make (15) _______ clearly visible on the road.
1. ______________

2. _____________

3. _____________

4. ______________

5. _____________

6. _____________

7. ______________

8. _____________

9. _____________

10.______________

11. _____________

12. _____________

13.______________

14. _____________

15. _____________

IV. WRITING (6 points)

PART 1: Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same as the
sentence printed before it.
1. The alarm went off just as they came out of the building.
Scarcely ..
2. I told Simon to stop talking, but he didnt.
Simon kept .
3. To be sure of catching the bus, they got to the bus station very early.
To avoid .
4. Good working relations depend on effective management.
The more
5. You ran the risk of being burgled when you left the door unlocked.
Your house could ...
PART 2: Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible
in meaning to the original sentence. Use the word given and other words necessary. Do not
change the form of the given word.

Page 7

1. After six-year relationship, Martha and Billy have decided to get married. (KNOT)
.
2. At this very moment my wife may be arriving back home. (PROBABLY)
.
3. Noise is something that it is not possible for me to tolerate. (PUT)
.
4. With this strange noise, there must be something wrong with the car. (SOUNDS)
.
5. Our luggage has been stolen! (RUN)
.
PART 3: The chart below shows the results of a poll of theatre-goers on what disturbs them
during performances at the theatre. Write a report, describing the information shown. You
should write about 150 words.

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Page 8

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PART 4: Some people say that we should not judge a person by his or her appearance. Others
believe that appearance can tell us something about the personality of an interlocutor. What is
your opinion? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. You should write
about 300 words.
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THE END

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