Đề thi môn Tiếng Anh Lớp 9 - Kỳ thi học sinh giỏi cấp Thành phố - Năm học 2013-2014 - Sở GD & ĐT TP Hồ Chí Minh

 SỞ GIÁO DỤC - ĐÀO TẠO KỲ THI HỌC SINH GIỎI CẤP THÀNH PHỐ LỚP 9 – THCS
 TP HỒ CHÍ MINH KHÓA NGÀY: 19/03/2014 – NĂM HỌC: 2013-2014
 ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC Đề này gồm 4 trang
PART ONE. LISTENING (25 pts)
Recording One: Listen to the recording carefully, then write down the missing word(s) in each blank in your Answer Sheet.
 The Hindenburg was the last in a series of ...... which had been developed over 40 years in both Europe and the United States. They were designed to carry passengers and (2)...... over long distances. The Hindenburg could carry 50 passengers (3)...... in 25 luxury cabins with all the amenities of a first class hotel. All the cabins had hot and cold water and electric (4)....... There was a dining-room, a bar and a (5)...... with a dance floor and a baby grand piano. The Hindenburg had been built to compete with the great luxury trans-Atlantic liners. It was (6)...... metres long with a diameter of 41 metres. It could (7)...... at a speed of 125 km/h and was able to cross the (8)...... in less than half the time of a liner. By 1937 it had carried 1000 passengers safely and had even (9)...... circus animals and and cars. Its sister ship, the Graf Zeppenlin, had (10)...... one and a half million kilometres and it had carried 13,100 passengers without incident.
Recording Two: Listen to the recording carefully, then decide whether each of the statements is True or False. Write TRUE or FALSE in your Answer Sheet.
11. The lady interviewed is a physicist.
12. In the future, people will food as medicine.
13. A.I. stands for Artificial Intelligence.
14. Robots in the future are logical but not emotional.
15. Robots will be like people, so they won’t be able to work in any kinds of weather.
Recording Three: Listen to the recording carefully, then write short answer to each question about the recording.
16. Where should the device go on the user’s body?
17. What, besides touching the screen, can the user do to operate the device?
18. What should people use to listen to the music better?
19. How can people operate the new revolutionary computer?
20. Why is the screen bigger?
PART TWO. USE OF ENGLISH
A. Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C or D) that best completes the sentence. (20 pts)
1. Learning in this centre, you can benefit a lot from our updated teaching .......
A. solution 	B. method 	C. treatment 	D. mode
2. I’d rather that they ...... so many mistakes in the last test.
A. didn’t make 	B. couldn’t make 	C. weren’t be making 	D. hadn’t made
3. They’ve suggested many solutions, ...... are feasible, in my opinion.
A. neither of which 	B. none of them 	C. none of which 	D. not any of them
4. We ...... had they asked us to.
A. could have helped 	B. would help 	C. must have helped 	D. needn’t have helped
5. An ...... can tell people their future by reading their constellation.
A. archeologist 	B. astronaut 	C. astronomer 	D. astrologer
6. The hotel was really filthy, and I’m not .......
A. exaggerating 	B. lying 	C. amplifying 	D. boasting
7. I’m not accustomed ...... in public.
A. to speaking 	B. to speaking 	C. speaking 	D. with speaking
8. He gave her ...... ring in the wedding ceremony.
A. such big beautiful diamond 	B. a beautiful big diamond
C. so beautiful a diamond big 	D. a big diamond beautiful
9. His evidence doesn’t .......
A. fall for 	B. add up 	C. figure out 	D. set in
10. I’m worn out. I could ...... a cup of tea.
A. put up with 	B. call for 	C. do with 	D. come in for
11. I was caught parking on a double yellow line and had to pay a parking .......
A. fine 	B. charge 	C. fee 	D. cost
12. What was your reaction ...... what he said?
A. of 	B. with 	C. to 	D. on
13. I’m not surprised he became an author. Even as a child he had a ...... imagination.
A. large 	B. fertile 	C. bright 	D. clean
14. Lucie is honest; and I mean “honest” in the broadest ...... of the word.
A. meaning 	B. value 	C. idea 	D. sense
15. Angela’s work was praised for its ...... attention to detail.
A. meticulous 	B. significant 	C. subtle 	D. concentrated
16. The more expensive carpet is a good choice ...... it will last longer.
A. so that 	B. owing to 	C. in that 	D. but for the fact that
17. ~ “Can I use your phone? ~ “......”
A. I’m afraid so. 	B. Might as well! 	C. Be my guest! 	D. Serves you right.
18. ~ “What do you think of the film we’ve watched? ~ “......”
A. It’s a breeze! 	B. Absolutely! 	C. I’ve seen better! 	D. None of your business!
19. He leads a quite difficult life; he can just .......
A. run errands 	B. make ends meet 	C. make allowance for it 	D. mind his own business
20. He won the match .......
A. from hands to mouth B. hands down 	C. near at hand 	D. hands up
B. Word Forms.
Use the correct form of the word given to fill in each blank. (20 pts)
1. Wimbledon is widely ...... as being the premier tennis tournament. 	(know) 	
2. Frankly, they are just my mere ....... 	(acquaint)	
3. I really appreciate the author’s ...... the animals in that fable.	 	(person)	
4. The water in this lake is poisoned by ....... 	(contaminate)	
5. Our new ...... are a lot more beautiful than we expected. 	(surround)	
6. You should choose a partner who compensates for your personal ....... 	(short)	
7. Judo is an ...... sport to take up because you do not need much equipment. 	(expense)	
8. ...... speaking, their goal is to promote healthier eating habits. 	(basis)	
9. The audience was completely absorbed in their ...... performance. 	(witch)	
10. He was known as a(n) ...... criminal. 	(fame)	
PART THREE. CLOZE TESTS
Read the passage and choose the best option (A, B, C or D) for each blank space.
PASSAGE A (15 pts)
 When you buy something from a shop, you are making a contract. This contract means that it’s up to the shop – not the manufacturer – to (1)...... your complaints if the goods are not satisfactory. If the shop sells you faulty goods, it has (2)...... its side of the contract. If goods are faulty when you first (3)...... or use them, go back to the shop, say that you cancel the (4)...... and ask for a complete refund. If you prefer, you can accept a repair or a (5).......
 If the goods break down through no (6)...... of yours, after you have used them for a time, you may still be (7)...... to some compensation. In some cases it would be reasonable to expect a complete refund – if, for (8)......, without misuse your shoes (9)...... after only one day’s wear, or your washing machine (10)...... broke down after only three wash days. But if your washing machine worked perfectly for a while and then broke, you could only expect some of the purchase price back. You and the supplier must (11)...... a reasonable settlement. You need never accept a (12)...... for faulty goods. If you do so, then later find you do not want anything in the shop or store, you may not get you money back.
 If you have to spend money as a (13)...... result of goods being faulty, you can also (14)...... this from the shop. You could, for example, claim the cost of using a laundry while the washing machine wasn’t working. But you must keep such (15)...... down to a minimum.
1. A. do away 	B. carry out 	C. deal with 	D. make up
2. A. done 	B. conformed 	C. taken 	D. broken
3. A. inspect 	B. touch 	C. investigate 	D. inquire
4. A. program 	B. project 	C. purchase 	D. sale
5. A. substitution 	B. transform 	C. modification 	D. replacement
6. A. defect 	B. flaw 	C. fault 	D. error
7. A. adjusted 	B. devoted 	C. allergic 	D. entitled
8. A. good 	B. the time being 	C. instance 	D. all time
9. A. broke up 	B. came apart 	C. worn away 	D. fell through
10. A. illegally 	B. irreparably 	C. irreversibly 	D. unreasonably
11. A. negotiate 	B. talk 	C. quarrel 	D. conclude
12. A. paper sheet 	B. leaflet 	C. money bill 	D. credit note
13. A. perfect 	B. straight 	C. direct 	D. full
14. A. force 	B. claim 	C. take 	D. obtain
15. A. earnings 	B. mortgages 	C. savings 	D. expenses
Fill in each of the blanks in the following passage with ONE suitable word.
PASSAGE B (30 pts)
 Long before they can actually speak, babies pay special (1)...... to the speech they hear around them. Within the first month of their (2)......, babies' responses to the sound of the human voice will be different from their responses to other sorts of auditory stimuli. They will (3)...... crying when they hear a person talking, but not if they hear a bell (4)...... the sound of a rattle. At first, the sounds that an (5)...... notices might be only those words that receive the heaviest emphasis and (6)...... often occur at the ends of utterances. By the time they are six or seven weeks (7)......, babies can detect the difference between syllables pronounced with rising and (8)...... inflections. Very soon, these differences in adult stress and (9)...... can influence babies' emotional states and behavior. Long before they develop actual (10)...... comprehension, babies can sense when an adult is playful or angry, attempting to initiate or terminate new behavior, and so on, merely on the basis of cues such as the rate, volume, and melody of adult speech.
 Adults make it as easy as they can for babies to (11)...... up a language by exaggerating such (12)....... One researcher observed babies and their mothers in six diverse (13)...... and found that, in all six languages, the mothers used simplified syntax, short utterances and nonsense sounds, and transformed certain sounds into baby talk. Other investigators have noted that when mothers talk to babies who are only a few months old, they exaggerate the pitch, loudness, and intensity of their words. They also exaggerate their facial (14)......, hold vowels longer, and (15)...... emphasis on certain words.
PASSAGE C (30 pts)
 Did you know that if you want your pet cat to live as long as (16)..... you should choose an ordinary female cat, keep a close (17)...... on her in spring and summer, and make sure that she is not black or black and white? It has
been discovered that (18)...... cats wander further from home, and of the large number of cats killed on the roads in spring and summer, a surprisingly (19)...... percentage are black or black and white. Did you know, too, that domestic cats (20)...... their owners as fellow members of the cat family and make many more sounds to us than they do to (21)...... cats when living in groups? They have worked (22)...... that we communicate by sound and so learn a vocabulary we will understand to (23)...... their message over. The way cats have learned to live with, and be (24)...... after by man, without losing their hunting and killing abilities or their mental independence, is a good (25)...... for studying them, some scientists say. A study of (26)...... suburban cats in Barking in Essex showed that outside the home they adopted the same (27)...... and exploring habits as wild cats, the female cats covered a territory limited to house and garden, (28)...... male cats traveled over an area ten times as large.
 Though many people think the (29)......, a cat is very practical about defending its territory. Its attitude depends on its confidence about the cat it faces following the (30)...... of its previous meetings. Females and young males
often hide when fierce adult males turn up on their territory.
PART FOUR. Reading Comprehension. (40 pts)
Choose the item (A, B, C, or D) that best completes the unfinished statement about the passage.
PASSAGE A
 The stylistic innovation in paining known as Impressionism began in the 1870’s. The Impressionists wanted to depict what they saw in nature, but they were inspired to portray fragmentary moments by the increasingly fast pace of modern life. They concentrated on the play of light over objects, people, and nature, breaking up seemingly solid surfaces, stressing vivid contrast between colors in sunlight and shade, and depiction reflected light in all of its possibilities. Unlike earlier artists, they did not want to observe the world from indoors. They abandoned the studio, painting in the open air and recording spontaneous Impressions of their subjects instead of making outside sketches and then moving indoors to complete the work form memory.
 Some of the Impressionists’ painting methods were affected by technological advances. For example, the shift from the studio to the open air was made possible in part by the advent of cheap rail travel, which permitted easy and quick access to the countryside or seashore, as well as by newly developed chemical dyes and oils that led to
collapsible paint tubes, which enabled artists to finish their paintings on the spot.
 Impressionism acquired its name not from supporters but from angry art lovers who felt threatened by the new painting. The term “Impressionism” was born in 1874, when a group of artists who had been working together organized an exhibition of their paintings in order to draw public attention to their work. Reaction from the public and press was immediate, and derisive. Among the 165 paintings exhibited was one called Impression: Sunrise, by Claude Monet (1840-1926), Viewed through hostile eyes, Monet’s painting of a rising sun over a misty, watery scene seemed messy, slapdash, and an affront to good taste. Borrowing Monet’s title, art critics extended the term “Impressionism” to the entire exhibit. In response, Monet and his 29 fellow artists in the exhibit adopted the same name as a badge of their unity, despite individual differences.
 From then until 1886 Impressionism had all the zeal of a “church”, as the painter Renoir put it. Monet was faithful to the Impressionist creed until his death, although many of the others moved on to new styles.
1. What aspect of painting in the nineteenth century does the passage mainly discuss?
 A. The impact of some artists’ resistance to the fast pace of life
 B. The differences between two major styles of art
 C. A technological advance in the materials used by artists
 D. A group of artists with a new technique and approach to art
2. The word “depict” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
 A. reorganize 	B. deform 	C. represent 	D. justify
3. According to the passage, which of the following was one of the distinguishing characteristics of Impressionist painting?
 A. The emphasis on people rather than nature scenes 
 B. The way the subjects were presented from multiple angles
 C. The focus on small solid objects 
 D. The depiction of the effects of light and color
4. Which of the following is a significant way in which Impressionists were different from the artists that preceded
them?
 A. They began by making sketches of their subjects 
 B. They painted their subjects out-of-doors
 C. They preferred to paint from memory 
 D. They used subjects drawn from modern life
5. The word “advent” in line 9 is closest in meaning to
 A. achievement 	B. acceptance 	C. arrival 	D. advantage
6. The exhibition of paintings organized in 1874 resulted in all of the following EXCEPT
 A. attracting attention from the public 
 B. a negative reaction from the press
 C. an immediate demand for the paintings exhibited 
 D. creating a name for a new style of painting
7. The word “affront” in line 17 is closest in meaning to
 A. insult 	B. encouragement 	C. return 	D. credit
8. The rejection of the Impressionist exhibition by critics was caused by which of the following?
 A. The small number of paintings on display 
 B. Lack of interest in exhibitions by young artists
 C. The similarity between all the paintings exhibited 
 D. Anger about seemingly poorly painted art
9. The author mentions Renoir in line 20 to give an example of an artist who
 A. became as famous as Monet 
 B. was consistently praised by art critics
 C. was in favor of a traditional style of painting 
 D. described the enthusiasm of the Impressionists for their work
10. The word “others” in line 21 refers to
 A. art critics 	B. fellow artists 	C. individual differences 	D. new styles
PASSAGE B
 Orchids are unique in having the most highly developed of all blossoms, in which the usual male and female reproductive organs are fused in a single structure called the column. The column is designed so that a single pollination will fertilize hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of seeds, so microscopic and light they are easily carried by the breeze. Surrounding the column are three sepals and three petals, sometimes easily recognizable as such, often distorted into gorgeous, weird, but always functional shapes. The most noticeable of the petals is called the labellum, or lip. It is often dramatically marked as an unmistakable landing strip to attract the specific insect the orchid has chosen as its pollinator.
 To lure their pollinators from afar, orchids use appropriately intriguing shapes, colors, and scents. At least 50 different aromatic compounds have been analyzed in the orchid family, each blended to attract one, or at most a few, species of insects or birds. Some orchids even change their scents to interest different insects at different times. Once the right insect has been attracted, some orchids present all sorts of one-way obstacle courses to make sure it does not leave until pollen has been accurately placed or removed. By such ingenious adaptations to specific pollinators, orchids have avoided the hazards of rampant crossbreeding in the wild, assuring the survival of species as discrete identities. At the same time they have made themselves irresistible to collectors.
11. What does the passage mainly discuss?
 A. Birds 	B. Insects 	C. Flowers 	D. Perfumes
12. The orchid is unique because of ........
 A. the habitat in which it lives 	B. the structure of its blossom
 C. the variety of products that can be made from it 	D. the length of its life
13. The word "fused" in line 2 is closest in meaning to ........
 A. combined 	B. hidden 	C. fertilized 	D. produced
14. How many orchid seeds are typically pollinated at one time?
 A. 200 	B. 2,000 	C. 20,000 	D. 200,000
15. Which of the following is a kind of petal?
 A. The column 	B. The sepal 	C. The stem 	D. The labellum
16. The labellum line 5 is most comparable to..
 A. a microscope 	B. an obstacle course C. an airport runway 	D. a racetrack
17. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a means by which an orchid attracts insects?
 A. Size 	B. Shape 	C. Color 	D. Perfume
18. The word "their" in line 9 refers to
 A. orchids 	B. birds 	C. insects 	D. species
19. Which of the following statements about orchids scents does the passage support?
 A. They are effective only when an insect is near the blossom.
 B. Harmful insects are repelled by them.
 C. They are difficult to tell apart.
 D. They may change at different times.
20. The word "discrete" in line 15 is closest in meaning to
 A. complicated 	B. separate 	C. inoffensive 	D. functional
PART FIVE: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (20 points)
Rewrite each sentence in such a way that it means almost the same as the one printed before it. Use the word in brackets without making any change to it.
1. Shortly before my sixteenth birthday, I will complete my intermediate course of English. 	(celebrate)
ð By the time ......................................................
2. After this one, there’s a train leaving at 3 this afternoon. 	(next)
ð The ...........................................................
3. “You acted promptly in the emergency, Katie,” said the officer. 	(complement)
ð The officer ......................................................
4. The job is not suitable for her, I think. 	(cut)
ð In .............................................................
5. Only this school offers high standards of teaching. 	(benefit)
ð It is ............................................................
6. He has decided to teach in the remote area. 	(committed)
ð He has .........................................................
7. Just keep the book when you still need it. 	(long)
ð You can .........................................................
8. The last thing you should do is to reveal the secret. 	(give)
ð Under ...........................................................
9. Those students will certainly pass the examination. 	(bound)
ð Those ..........................................................
10. Someone stole all my money in my last trip to Vung Tau. 	(stolen)
ð I...................................................................
THE END
ANSWER KEY
PART ONE. LISTENING 
Recording One.
1. airships – 2. cargo – 3. accomodated – 4. heating – 5. lounge – 6. 245 - 7. cruise – 8. Atlantic – 9. transported - 10. Flown
Recording Two.
Recording Three.
PART TWO. USE OF ENGLISH
A. MCQ.
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. D 6. A 7. B 8. B 9. B 10. C 11. A 12. C 13. B 14. D 15. A 16. C 17. A 18. A 19. B 20. B
B. WORD FORMS.
1. known 2. acquaintance 3. personalizing 4. contamination 5. surroundings 6. Shortcomings 7. inexpensive 8. basically 9. witchcraft 10. infamous
PART THREE. CLOZE TESTS
PASSAGE A. 1. C 2. D 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. D 8. C 9. B 10. B 11. A 12. C 13. D 14. B 15. D
PASSAGE B. (1) attention (2) lives (3) stop (5) infant (6) that (7) old, (8) falling (9) intonation (10) language (11) pick (12) cues. (13) cultures (14) expressions (15) put 
PASSAGE C. (16) possible (17) (18) male (19) high (20) regard (21) other (23) get (24) looked (25) reason (26) the (27) hunting (28) while (29) opposite (30) experience 
PART FOUR. READING COMPREHENSION. 
READING A: 1D 2C 3D 4B 5C 6C 7A 8D 9C 10B
READING B. 11. B – 12. B – 13. A – 14. D – 15. D – 16. C – 17. A – 18. A – 19. D – 20. D
PART FIVE. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION.
1. By the time I complete my intermediate course of English, I will have celebrated my sixteenth birthday..
2. The next train after this [one] will leave at 3 p.m.
3. The officer complimentd Katie on her acting /having acted promptly in the emergency.
4. In my opinion, she is not cut out for the job.
5. It is at this school that you can benefit high standards of teaching. 
6. He has committed himself to teach in the remote area. 	
7. You can keep the book as long as you still need it.
8. Under no circumstances should you reveal the secret.
9. Those students are bound to pass the examination.
10. I got all my money stolen in my last trip to Vung Tau.