Đề ôn thi tốt nghiệp Trung học Phổ thông môn Tiếng Anh - Năm học 2017-2018 - Mã đề 682

SỞ GIÁO DỤC ĐÀO TẠO ÔN THI TỐT NGHIỆP TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG 
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC 2017- 2018
 (Đề gồm có 04 trang) MÔN TIẾNG ANH ~ MÃ ĐỀ 682
 Thời gian: 60 phút - không tính thời gian giao đề
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
 Question 1:A. resentment	B. detachment	C. detriment	D. assignment
 Question 2:A. providence	B. European	C. monument	D. minority
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 3: Well, in my opinion, the child with the dog stole the show. 
A. got fierce	B. was the best show	C. was a failure	D. was at large
Question 4: A foul smell of raw sewage permeated the whole building.
A. extended	B. expanded	C. spread	D. filled
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 5: The village is in a...location that is difficult to reach.
A. stranded	B. rare	C. remote	D. stable
Question 6: By the time they arrived at the campsite it...raining.
A. stopped	B. had stopped	C. has stopped	D. stops
Question 7: Jack likes to live his life.....the fullest.
A. in	B. from	C. to	D. at
Question 8: The doctor......first aid to the accident victim.
A. dedicated	B. admitted	C. mended	D. administered
Question 9: Firefighters...the floodwater out of the building.
A. hurled	B. swept	C. pumped	D. slid
Question 10: Simon......to Brazil next week.
A. has gone	B. has been going	C. is going	D. goes
Question 11:.....people were injured in the earthquake.
A. Plenty	B. Much	C. A lot of	D. Every
Question 12: The earthquake caused the buildings to........
A. shake	B. strike	C. smash	D. trigger
Question 13: Jane was cold because she...in the rain for an hour.
A. is walking	B. has walked	C. has been walking	D. had been walking
Question 14: The volcano erupted with a...roar.
A. flaming	B. ringing	C. crashing	D. deafening
Question 15: Tom's making a slow.....from his accident.
A. struggle	B. rescue	C. recovery	D. relief
Question 16: The town didn't have......electricity after the earthquake.
A. none	B. several	C. any	D. some
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 17: If she had received one of my letters, she would have been here right now.
A. have been	B. right	C. had received	D. one of
Question 18: The new bridge makes possible to cross the river easily and quickly.
A. The	B. cross	C. makes possible	D. easily
Question 19: Since when did you work for that construction company?
A. did you work	B. construction	C. for	D. when
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.
Question 20: The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding the baby. 
A. in hot pursuit	B. going to pieces	C. in the lurch	D. holding the whip
Question 21: Tom has been excluded from school for bad behaviour. 
A. included	B. enclosed	C. expelled	D. rejected
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
 Question 22:A. court	B. tourist	C. contour	D. resource
 Question 23:A. steal	B. heal	C. stealth	D. appeal
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 from 24 to 30.
A TICKET TO A BETTER LIFE
 As I departed from my hotel in central Mumbai, the glowing sun lit up the beautiful architecture of India’s richest city. I marvelled at the majestic Gateway of India and world-renowned Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Here and there, people bustled around, ready to start their day. But my time in Mumbai would not be spent in this vibrant and affluent city. Instead, I was headed for one of the largest slums on Earth. Entering the slum was like stepping into a war zone. Endless rows of crumbling shacks were crammed together amidst piles of rubbish and débris. Here, the sweltering sun only served to intensify the stench of raw sewage and to add hardship to already difficult lives. I sighed in dismay as I watched children working on the streets. But fortunately, there was a ray of hope.
 A bright yellow school bus rumbled through the busy streets and parked itself beside a row of grubby, splintered shelters. Immediately, a group of barefoot children rushed and pushed aboard, chatting excitedly. However, the children on this bus were not going anywhere. While other buses were busy transporting people, this one took its passengers on a different kind of journey. It brought education to disadvantaged children. So this is where I come in. I’d signed up for a programme called School on Wheels, which aims to improve literacy in impoverished areas. Although I had volunteered in many disadvantaged schools around India, teaching on a bus was a first for me! My new classroom was no larger than a hallway, but adequately equipped
with a blackboard and educational materials. I warmly greeted my new students who had perched themselves on wooden benches on either side of the bus.
 ‘‘My name is Mina Kapoor,” I informed the wide-eyed faces before me, “I’m going to teach you how to read and write.” I referred to an alphabet poster which another volunteer had tacked to the wall and slowly began to introduce the symbols to the children. As I did so, they each attempted to copy down the letters onto slates on their laps. However, as the lesson progressed, they became increasingly distracted. Without any previous schooling, these children simply didn’t know how to sit still. But rather than enforcing discipline, I just took a deep breath and began to sing.
 The first time I did this, the children listened and watched in awe. But by the end of my six-month stint, the class would join in! To my pride, they had also learnt the basics of Hindu and English, and were now ready to enter a public school.
 On my last day, I felt incredibly emotional. Although our time together was limited, I felt I had truly got to know my students, and sincerely hoped that I had made a difference in their lives. Would they go on to enrol in school? And more importantly, would they stay there and graduate? A quarter of the children who participate in the School on Wheels programme progress into the public school system. I looked at my class. Of my 24 students, I realised that only eight might receive a life-changing education. I knew I should have been glad, but I couldn’t help but feel that I could do so much more.
 As I pondered this, one of my students approached me with a shiny black pebble. She placed it in my hands with a warm smile. “Thank you teacher,” she whispered.
[From STARLIGHT 8, Workbook, Express Publishing, 2010]
Question 24: What did the writer find unusual about her new teaching environment?
A. It was an unconventional classroom.	B. It offered no seating for the children.
C. It had substandard teaching equipment.	D. It lacked space for the students.
Question 25: What is the cause of the writer's distress as she enters the slum?
A. The children watching her.	B. The blazing heat of the sun.
C. The smell of waste.	D. The poor housing conditions.
Question 26: What was the writer's first impression of Mumbai?
A. A poor and dirty slum.	B. An overwhelmingly crowded city.
C. A place with stunning architecture.	D. An evidently wealthy area.
Question 27: How does the writer describe the attitude of the children?
A. impatient	B. impulsive	C. apprehensive	D. enthusiastic
Question 28: The writer uses the phrase "this is where I comein" (line 20) to describe......
A. her purpose for being in the slum.	B. the moment she entered the bus.
C. her relationship with the children.	D. the location at which she embarked.
Question 29: How does the writer reflect upon her experience?
A. She was filled with sadness.	B. She wished that she could achieve more.
C. She didn't feel appreciated.	D. She thought it was a life-changing experience.
Question 30: What does the pronoun “It” (line 4, paragraph 2) refer to?
A. the bus	B. the passenger	C. the journey	D. the programme
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 36.
CHILDREN AND COLOUR
 Parents tend to assume that the choices they make for their offspring are the right ones. Take the ...(31)... of colour, for example. Parents are likely to choose the colours for young Jimmy or Jenny's bedroom or clothes, thereby conditioning their child's ...(32)... of colour from a very early age. ...(33)... choosing a pair of pink trousers for their six-year-old son, for example, ...(34)... counter to most parents' idea of how to dress a boy.
 However, psychologists believe that allowing children to choose their own colours increases their self-confidence and their ability to express themselves. They use colour as a means of helping children to identify their feelings and discuss them. For instance, studies have shown that after listening to a sad story, children tend to draw in dark brown, black or grey, whereas one with a happy ending will ...(35)... a response in yellow or orange. ...(36)... children free rein to choose colours for themselves may help parents to understand them better.
 Question 31:A. theme	B. question	C. type	D. view
 Question 32:A. conception	B. observation	C. consideration	D. perception
 Question 33:A. Willingly	B. Energetically	C. Intentionally	D. Enthusiastically
 Question 34:A. goes	B. comes	C. plays	D. runs
 Question 35:A. reveal	B. evoke	C. lead	D. envisage
 Question 36:A. Letting	B. Giving	C. Passing	D. Displaying
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 from 37 to 43.
RETURN TO GUNNERSBURY
 Mary got off the train at Gurmersbury station and walked up towards the road. The suburban London summer hung over the scene like an old familiar smell and memories made her tremble with recognition at every step. It was many years since she had been here. 
 She walked along, and although she could not have pictured the road in her mind before, now she remembered each house: a gatepost, the coloured glass in a front door, the lamp-post casting a lonely light on the step. These houses, the 'older larger houses' as she thought of them then, were surprisingly unchanged, in the heat of the afternoon, the remembered road had the slightly threatening familiarity of a place in a dream when one thinks: I have been here, yet where is it and what is going to happen? The colours too seemed like dream colours, not reflecting light, as if they were bright colours seen in darkness. And the streets were empty as in a dream.
 Mary turned a corner and for a moment did not recognize the scene at all. Houses had disappeared. Tall blocks of flats and huge garages had taken their place. Now there were a few cars, but still nobody walking on
the pavements. Mary frowned and thought with a sudden surprised pain, perhaps our house too will have simply disappeared. But by now she had reached the end of the little road and could see, halfway down upon the left, the small semi-detached house where she had lived with Alistair during the four years of their marriage.
 Mary steadied herself, putting her hand on to the low wall at the corner of the road, aware of her hand's sudden memory of the wall and its sharp stones. With the touch of her hand upon the wall there came the unexpected image of a piano, their old upright piano long since sold, which Mary must have thought of once as she paused with her shopping-bag at the corner of the road. Alistair had a beautiful voice and they had often sung together, he playing the piano, she standing with her hands on his shoulders. This was a purely happy memory.
 Mary now began to walk slowly down the far side of the road. She could already see that the hedge which she and Alistair had planted had been taken away and a low brick wall had been put there instead. The small front garden, which she and Alistair had planted with roses, was entirely paved now except for two beds out of which large rosemary bushes leaned to sweep the paving stones with their blue-green branches.
 Now Mary, almost opposite the house, could see with a shock the light of a farther window within the darkness of the front room. They must have knocked down the wall between the two downstairs rooms, she and Alistair had often discussed doing so. She stopped and looked across. The house seemed deserted.
[From ‘KNOCKOUT, First Certificate, Workbook, Peter May, Oxford. 2010]
Question 37: The word 'their' in line 11 refers to......
A. the houses	B. the flats	C. Mary and Allstair	D. the garages
Question 38: After turning the corner, Mary was upset because......
A. her old house might have gone.	B. the street was completely deserted.
C. there were so many flats and garages.	D. there were only ugly buildings left.
Question 39: When she touched the wall, Mary......
A. remembered playing the piano with her husband.	B. was reminded of the piano they used to have.
C. wished she had not sold their piano.	D. stopped to rest and listen to the piano.
Question 40: The word ‘frowned” (line 12) implies.......
A. her surprise	B. her disagreement	C. Mary’s annoyance	D. her sorrow
Question 41: As she approached the house, Mary noticed that......
A. the front garden had been swept.	B. the hedge had been replaced with a fence.
C. the roses had been removed.	D. the garden wall had been lowered.
Question 42: When she returned to Gunnersbury, Mary.....
A. recognized the road from the station.	B. recognized the smell of the place.
C. recognized each house as she came to it.	D. expected to recognize everything.
Question 43: When she looked Into the house, Mary could see that.....
A. the front room was darker than before.	B. there was an extra window downstairs.
C. the layout of the rooms was different.	D. an inside wall had been damaged.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 44: John told a lot of humorous stories. I heard most of them long ago. 
A. Long ago I heard most of the many humorous stories John told.
B. Most of the many humorous stories John told were heard by me long ago.
C. I heard long ago most of the many humorous stories John told.
D. John told a lot of humorous stories most of which I heard long ago.
Question 45: You won't have a good seat. You should book in advance.
A. You will have a good seat if you keep your book in front of you.
B. You may have a good seat if you book in advance.
C. You can't have a good seat although you book in advance. 
D. You won't have a good seat because you didn't book in advance.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best completes each of the following exchanges.
Question 46: ~ A: "Hi, I wonder if you could help me." ~ B: ".............."
A. Come over and have potluck with me.	B. I need a book for my IT class.
C. No wonder. You're always busy, Tom.	D. Sure. What's the problem.
Question 47: ~ A: “.................” ~ B: “It was in sale at Cool Clothing. Have you ever been there yet?”
A. Your garden is such an envy.	B. Where did you buy that new coat?
C. Did you borrow it from Mum?	D. I missed coming to the sale on Saturday.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 48: I've had enough of teaching, and would like a change.
A. I've been doing quite a lot of teaching, and I need a holiday.
B. I've changed my boring career as a teacher for another job.
C. I'm tired of teaching, and would like to make a fresh start.
D. I've had a lot of experience of teaching, and am looking for a new post.
Question 49: I'd been worrying about the test, but it was easy.
A. I hadn't expected the test to be so easy.
B. The test was not as difficult as my worry.
C. The test was unexpectedly as easy as I had worried.
D. Not to my worry, the test wasn't too difficult.
Question 50: He was doing well at work, but he suddenly decided to pack it all in and go to live on an island.
A. Due to his success, he decided to give it all up and live on an island.
B. Although he was successful, he gave it all up and went to live on an island.
C. Despite going to live on an island, he was successful.
D. However well was he at work, he quit it and went to settle down on an island.
The End
SỞ GIÁO DỤC ĐÀO TẠO ÔN THI TỐT NGHIỆP TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG 
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC NĂM HỌC 2017- 2018
 (Đề gồm có 04 trang) MÔN TIẾNG ANH ~ MÃ ĐỀ 366
 Thời gian: 60 phút - không tính thời gian giao đề
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 01 to 06.
CHILDREN AND COLOUR
 Parents tend to assume that the choices they make for their offspring are the right ones. Take the ...(1)... of colour, for example. Parents are likely to choose the colours for young Jimmy or Jenny's bedroom or clothes, thereby conditioning their child's ...(2)... of colour from a very early age. ...(3)... choosing a pair of pink trousers for their six-year-old son, for example, ...(4)... counter to most parents' idea of how to dress a boy.
 However, psychologists believe that allowing children to choose their own colours increases their self-confidence and their ability to express themselves. They use colour as a means of helping children to identify their feelings and discuss them. For instance, studies have shown that after listening to a sad story, children tend to draw in dark brown, black or grey, whereas one with a happy ending will ...(5)... a response in yellow or orange. ...(6)... children free rein to choose colours for themselves may help parents to understand them better.
 Question 1:A. theme	B. question	C. type	D. view
 Question 2:A. consideration B. conception	C. perception	D. observation
 Question 3:A. Energetically	 B. Willingly	C. Intentionally	D. Enthusiastically
 Question 4:A. runs	B. goes	C. comes	D. plays
 Question 5:A. envisage	B. reveal	C. evoke	D. lead
 Question 6:A. Giving	B. Letting	C. Passing	D. Displaying
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
 Question 7:A. resource	B. court	C. tourist	D. contour
 Question 8:A. stealth	B. appeal	C. steal	D. heal
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best completes each of the following exchanges.
Question 9: ~ A: “.................” ~ B: “It was in sale at Cool Clothing. Have you ever been there yet?”
A. I missed coming to the sale on Saturday.	B. Where did you buy that new coat?
C. Did you borrow it from Mum?	D. Your garden is such an envy.
Question 10: ~ A: "Hi, I wonder if you could help me." ~ B: ".............."
A. I need a book for my IT class.	B. Sure. What's the problem.
C. No wonder. You're always busy, Tom.	D. Come over and have potluck with me.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 11: Well, in my opinion, the child with the dog stole the show. 
A. was a failure	B. was the best show	C. was at large	D. got fierce
Question 12: A foul smell of raw sewage permeated the whole building.
A. spread	B. expanded	C. extended	D. filled
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 13: Tom's making a slow.....from his accident.
A. rescue	B. struggle	C. recovery	D. relief
Question 14: Firefighters...the floodwater out of the building.
A. swept	B. pumped	C. hurled	D. slid
Question 15: The village is in a...location that is difficult to reach.
A. rare	B. stranded	C. stable	D. remote
Question 16: The earthquake caused the buildings to........
A. trigger	B. strike	C. shake	D. smash
Question 17: The town didn't have......electricity after the earthquake.
A. several	B. none	C. any	D. some
Question 18: The doctor......first aid to the accident victim.
A. administered	B. admitted	C. dedicated	D. mended
Question 19: Simon......to Brazil next week.
A. is going	B. has gone	C. goes	D. has been going
Question 20: Jack likes to live his life.....the fullest.
A. to	B. from	C. at	D. in
Question 21:.....people were injured in the earthquake.
A. Plenty	B. A lot of	C. Every	D. Much
Question 22: By the time they arrived at the campsite it...raining.
A. stopped	B. had stopped	C. has stopped	D. stops
Question 23: The volcano erupted with a...roar.
A. ringing	B. flaming	C. deafening	D. crashing
Question 24: Jane was cold because she...in the rain for an hour.
A. has been walking	B. has walked	C. had been walking	D. is walking
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 25: John told a lot of humorous stories. I heard most of them long ago. 
A. I heard long ago most of the many humorous stories John told.
B. Most of the many humorous stories John told were heard by me long ago.
C. Long ago I heard most of the many humorous stories John told.
D. John told a lot of humorous stories most of which I heard long ago.
Question 26: You won't have a good seat. You should book in advance.
A. You will have a good seat if you keep your book in front of you.
B. You won't have a good seat because you didn't book in advance.
C. You may have a good seat if you book in advance.
D. You can't have a good seat although you book in advance. 
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 from 27to 33.
RETURN TO GUNNERSBURY
 Mary got off the train at Gurmersbury station and walked up towards the road. The suburban London summer hung over the scene like an old familiar smell and memories made her tremble with recognition at every step. It was many years since she had been here. 
 She walked along, and although she could not have pictured the road in her mind before, now she remembered each house: a gatepost, the coloured glass in a front door, the lamp-post casting a lonely light on the step. These houses, the 'older larger houses' as she thought of them then, were surprisingly unchanged, in the heat of the afternoon, the remembered road had the slightly threatening familiarity of a place in a dream when one thinks: I have been here, yet where is it and what is going to happen? The colours too seemed like dream colours, not reflecting light, as if they were bright colours seen in darkness. And the streets were empty as in a dream.
 Mary turned a corner and for a moment did not recognize the scene at all. Houses had disappeared. Tall blocks of flats and huge garages had taken their place. Now there were a few cars, but still nobody walking on
the pavements. Mary frowned and thought with a sudden surprised pain, perhaps our house too will have simply disappeared. But by now she had reached the end of the little road and could see, halfway down upon the left, the small semi-detached house where she had lived with Alistair during the four years of their marriage.
 Mary steadied herself, putting her hand on to the low wall at the corner of the road, aware of her hand's sudden memory of the wall and its sharp stones. With the touch of her hand upon the wall there came the unexpected image of a piano, their old upright piano long since sold, which Mary must have thought of once as she paused with her shopping-bag at the corner of the road. Alistair had a beautiful voice and they had often sung together, he playing the piano, she standing with her hands on his shoulders. This was a purely happy memory.
 Mary now began to walk slowly down the far side of the road. She could already see that the hedge which she and Alistair had planted had been taken away and a low brick wall had been put there instead. The small front garden, which she and Alistair had planted with roses, was entirely paved now except for two beds out of which large rosemary bushes leaned to sweep the paving stones with their blue-green branches.
 Now Mary, almost opposite the house, could see with a shock the light of a farther window within the darkness of the front room. They must have knocked down the wall between the two downstairs rooms, she and Alistair had often discussed doing so. She stopped and looked across. The house seemed deserted.
[From ‘KNOCKOUT, First Certificate, Workbook, Peter May, Oxford. 2010]
Question 27: When she returned to Gunnersbury, Mary.....
A. recognized the smell of the place.	B. recognized the road from the station.
C. expected to recognize everything.	D. recognized each house as she came to it.
Question 28: When she touched the wall, Mary......
A. stopped to rest and listen to the piano.	B. was reminded of the piano they used to have.
C. wished she had not sold their piano.	D. remembered playing the piano with her husband.
Question 29: When she looked Into the house, Mary could see that.....
A. the front room was darker than before.	B. the layout of the rooms was different.
C. there was an extra window downstairs.	D. an inside wall had been damaged.
Question 30: As she approached the house, Mary noticed that......
A. the front garden had been swept.	B. the garden wall had been lowered.
C. the hedge had been replaced with a fence.	D. the roses had been removed.
Question 31: After turning the corner, Mary was upset because......
A. the street was completely deserted.	B. there were only ugly buildings left.
C. her old house might have gone.	D. there were so many flats and garages.
Question 32: The word 'their' in line 11 refers to......
A. the flats	B. the houses	C. the garages	D. Mary and Allstair
Question 33: The word ‘frowned” (line 12) implies.......
A. her disagreement	B. Mary’s annoyance	C. her surprise	D. her sorrow
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 from 34 to 40.
A TICKET TO A BETTER LIFE
 As I departed from my hotel in central Mumbai, the glowing sun lit up the beautiful architecture of India’s richest city. I marvelled at the majestic Gateway of India and world-renowned Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Here and there, people bustled around, ready to start their day. But my time in Mumbai would not be spent in this vibrant and affluent city. Instead, I was headed for one of the largest slums on Earth. Entering the slum was like stepping into a war zone. Endless rows of crumbling shacks were crammed together amidst piles of rubbish and débris. Here, the sweltering sun only served to intensify the stench of raw sewage and to add hardship to already difficult lives. I sighed in dismay as I watched children working on the streets. But fortunately, there was a ray of hope.
 A bright yellow school bus rumbled through the busy streets and parked itself beside a row of grubby, splintered shelters. Immediately, a group of barefoot children rushed and pushed aboard, chatting excitedly. However, the children on this bus were not going anywhere. While other buses were busy transporting people, this one took its passengers on a different kind of journey. It brought education to disadvantaged children. So this is where I come in. I’d signed up for a programme called School on Wheels, which aims to improve literacy in impoverished areas. Although I had volunteered in many disadvantaged schools around India, teaching on a bus was a first for me! My new classroom was no larger than a hallway, but adequately equipped
with a blackboard and educational materials. I warmly greeted my new students who had perched themselves on wooden benches on either side of the bus.
 ‘‘My name is Mina Kapoor,” I informed the wide-eyed faces before me, “I’m going to teach you how to read and write.” I referred to an alphabet poster which another volunteer had tacked to the wall and slowly began to introduce the symbols to the children. As I did so, they each attempted to copy down the letters onto slates on their laps. However, as the lesson progressed, they became increasingly distracted. Without any previous schooling, these children simply didn’t know how to sit still. But rather than enforcing discipline, I just took a deep breath and began to sing.
 The first time I did this, the children listened and watched in awe. But by the end of my six-month stint, the class would join in! To my pride, they had also learnt the basics of Hindu and English, and were now ready to enter a public school.
 On my last day, I felt incredibly emotional. Although our time together was limited, I felt I had truly got to know my students, and sincerely hoped that I had made a difference in their lives. Would they go on to enrol in school? And more importantly, would they stay there and graduate? A quarter of the children who participate in the School on Wheels programme progress into the public school system. I looked at my class. Of my 24 students, I realised that only eight might receive a life-changing education. I knew I should have been glad, but I couldn’t help but feel that I could do so much more.
 As I pondered