Nguồn đề tham khảo thi đầu vào đội tuyển học sinh giỏi THCS Phạm Hữu Lầu

Năm 2020-2021

PART 1. READING COMPREHENSION.

LEVEL 1: độ khó đánh giá: KHÁ DỄ
Passage A. We recently put out a call to our readers and YouTube viewers asking them who they
want to perform at the debut Eurovision Asia Song Contest. Amid all the talk of Korean and Japanese
pop stars, the name of one Vietnamese artist has continually cut through: Son Tung M-TP.
In recent years the 23-year-old has cut a path from the underground to the mainstream, racking up
more than 600 million YouTube views in the process. In January he became the very first Vietnamese
artist to earn one million YouTube subscribers (he’s now up to 1.8 million).
His music video for “Lac Troi” suggests even bigger things are yet to come. Released on December 31
of last year, the glossy video earned 38 million views in its first ten days online. That made it one of the
top trending YouTube videos globally and it now counts nearly 155 million views. Those are numbers
many Eurovision stars can only dream of.
Read the passage above and decide if each statement is TRUE or FALSE or NOT GIVEN
1. Son Tung M-TP is overwhelmed by other stars as far as Eurovision Asia Song Contest is
concerned.
2. There has been a change in his performing style over the past few years.
3. He was reputed as the first Vietnamese artist to earn well more than 1 million subscribers in January
2017.
4. He is envied by other stars in his country.
5. Lac Troi” witnessed an auspicious start but things haven’t always been plain sailing recently.
6. There are some Eurovision stars who passed Son Tung- MTP’s record.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Passage B. The self-assured singer, who parted ways with his label and set up his own entertainment
company in December, lives up to the M-TP in his name. M stands for music; T stands for tai nang
(talent); P stands for phong cach (style). He puts all three of those qualities on fine display in “Lac
Troi”, whose title translates roughly as “lost and floating”.
Recounting a story of lost love, Son Tung serves major face in the four-and-a-half minute spectacle
that melds Old World Chinese cinema with cutting edge technology and a splash of fantasy. Warrior,
lover, fighter, musician — Son Tung plays all these parts with dramatic flair, serving a heady mix of
sensuality, pain and even anger. Whether sitting on a throne, steering a boat or pining away for his
beloved in a royal jacuzzi, he works avant-garde threads and a variety of hair styles that would make
Dolly Style jealous.
Musically the song bridges time and culture. The opening suggests something traditional and
Vietnamese. But the sound soon gives way to a mish-mash of R&B, house, trap and rap. Vietnamese
rap, you say? Just watch him break it down — while wearing a red robe and drinking straight from a
tea pot. Dude has ‘tude and it’s strangely irresistible.
For question 7-10, complete the sentences below with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
7. “Lac Troi” is a thread between __________________.
8. The song is about a man telling the story of ___________________.
9. The number of views “Lac Troi” receives now has almost __________________ since its first
release.
10.”M-TP” in Son Tung’s name is _________________ with his talent and style in music.

LEVEL 2: Độ khó đánh giá: KHÓ

WUHAN’S FIGHT
Following the tragic death of whistleblowing doctor Li Wenliang, which led to an outpouring of anger
and grief towards Wuhan officials who forced him to sign a statement admitting to “illegal behavior” for
alerting colleagues over a mysterious disease that turned out to be the coronavirus, one of Wuhan’s
most senior doctors has passed away after contracting it, as authorities began a sweeping campaign
inside the city to seek out patients infected with the deadly virus.
Liu Zhiming had taken part in the battle against the virus from the start and had made important
contributions in the work of fighting and controlling it, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said.
During that process, “unfortunately he became infected and passed away at 10:54 Tuesday morning at
the age of 51 after all-out efforts to save him failed” the commission said. However, there was initial
confusion in China about Liu’s condition. On Monday night, the Communist party the Hubei Health
Commission wrote in a social media post that Liu had died. It then said in a subsequent post that Liu
was alive.
The deaths came as state media reported new house-to-house checks in Wuhan, a city of 11 million
people at the centre of the outbreak, that aimed to seek out and round up all infected patients. State
media also stated that anyone suspected of having the virus would face mandatory testing and anyone
who had close contact with virus patients would be put under quarantine. According to Chutian Daily, a
Wuhan newspaper, 10 quarantine centres similar to the makeshift Fangcang hospital will be set up
across eight districts in the city, providing over an additional 11,400 beds for people showing mild
symptoms. Buildings in factories, industrial estates and transport centres have also been appropriated
for housing patients.
The reports said all communities and villages would be placed under around-the-clock “closed-off”
management, in effect putting them under lockdowns. From Tuesday, anyone who buys cough medicine
or treatments to bring down a fever in chemists or online will need to use their national ID card, state-
funded site The Paper reported. The citywide inspection campaign indicates an escalation of the
situation in Wuhan, where former officials have been blamed for a cover-up that led to the rapid spread
of the virus. The draconian measures come just after two of the city’s top leaders were sacked last week.
Officials would carry out the inspection with the help of big data and artificial intelligence, it said, without
giving details. An order on Monday from the Wuhan city legislature on “winning the coronavirus war”
warned that people who refused mandatory measures such as reporting cases of fever and cough to
their local residential committees or going into quarantine if they were sick would be subject to “coercive
measures”. The order also said those who delay reporting cases, deliberately alter information or
fabricate and spread disinformation on the epidemic would be punished. Wuhan residents complained
about the draconian lockdown on social media. “We’re not allowed to go out at all, we’ve lost our most
basic human rights. The guards are like prison guards, abusing the little bit of power they have. We’re
guaranteed personal freedoms under the constitution!” said one in a post on microblogging site Weibo.
Another social media user also said “it feels like being in prison” as she was barred from going out, even
going out for a stroll in the neighbourhood.
11. Why was there “an outpouring of anger and grief across the nation” after doctor Li
Wenliang’s death?
(A). He was among the first to warn people of coronavirus
(B). He passed away shortly after contracting the virus
(C). He was wrongly accused of breaking the law
(D). His death was among the most tragic cases
12. What is a “whistleblowing” person, according to this passage?
(A). A person that dies shortly after contracting the coronavirus
(B). A person who first raise alertness about a particular problem
(C). A doctor who earns great respect from many people
(D). An important contributor to virus-controlling work
13. What is NOT true about doctor Liu Zhiming, according to the passage?
(A). He is among the most high-ranked doctors of China
(B). There was a period when information about him caused perplexity
(C). He is among the first to find a cure for coronavirus
(D). People have tried every possible method to save him from death
14. The word sweeping in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A). extensive (B). general (C). unselective (D). indiscriminate
15. Which of the following is a policy of the Chinese government with a view to controlling
coronavirus?
(A). conducting a selective medical check-up within a particular city
(B). imposing identity examinations in obtaining medical treatment
(C). detaining all individuals suspected of having been infected
(D). bolstering activities in factories and industrial estates
16. Which of the following is an undesirable by-product of the policies carried out by Chinese
government in the effort to fight the coronavirus?
(A). intentional concealment (B). vandalism
(C). protests (D). power abuse
17. Punishment will NOT be applied upon individuals who
(A). propagandize misleading information
(B). refuse medical treatment when ill
(C). conceal possible contraction of the virus
(D). shut down businesses due to the virus
18. What is the overall attitude of Wuhan inhabitants, according to the passage?
(A). optimistic about the future of the fight
(B). sympathizing towards victims of the virus
(C). belittling the seriousness of the situation
(D). disdainful towards the government’s policies
19. The word fabricate in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A). construct (B). falsify (C). invent (D). assemble
20. Where is this passage probably extracted from?
(A). a newspaper (B). a magazine
(C). a scientific journal (D). a novel

LEVEL 3: Độ khó đánh giá: RẤT KHÓ

Blogging: Confessing to the world
Some time ago, a website highlighted the risks of public check-ins – online announcements of your
whereabouts. The site’s point was blunt: you may think you are just telling the world, ‘Hey, I’m at this
place’ – but you are also advertising your out-and-about-ness to all kinds of people everywhere – not all
of them people you might like to bump into. This appeared to confirm the growing awareness that there
might be a downside to all the frantic sharing the web has enabled. The vast new opportunities to
publish any and every aspect of our lives to a potentially global audience hold out all sorts of tantalizing
possibilities: Wealth! Fame! So we plunge into the maelstrom of the internet, tossing confessions,
personal photos and stories into the digital vortex. Too late we realize that the water is crowded and
treacherous – and we are lost.
Depressing? Perhaps, but don’t give up. This future has a map, drawn for us years ago by a reckless
group of online pioneers. In the early days of the web, they sailed these waters and located all the
treacherous shoals. They got fi red from their jobs, found and lost friends and navigated celebrity’s
temptations and perils – all long before the invention of social networking. These pioneers, the first
wave of what we now call bloggers, have already been where the rest of us seem to be going. Before
their tales scroll off our collective screen, it’s worth spending a little time with them. After all, those
who cannot learn from history are doomed to repost it.
In January 1994, Justin Hall, a 19-year-old student, began posting to the ‘WWW’, as it was then known,
something inhabited mostly by grad students, scientists and a handful of precocious teens like him.
The web had been invented at CERN, the international physics lab in Switzerland, so researchers
could more easily share their work. Hall saw something else: an opportunity to share his life. Link by
link, he built a hypertext edifice of autobiography, a dense thicket of verbal self-exposure leavened with
photos and art. In January 1996, on a dare, he began posting a daily blog, and readers flocked to the
spectacle of a reckless young man pushing the boundaries of this new medium in every direction at
once.
Hall’s ethos was absolute: cross his path and you could appear on his site; no topic was taboo.
Certainly, this was the work of an exhibitionist, but there was also a rigor and beauty to his project that
only a snob would refuse to call art. One day though, visitors to Hall’s site discovered his home page
gone, replaced with a single anguished video titled Dark Night. His story tumbled out; he’d fallen
spectacularly in love, but when he started writing about it on his site he was told ‘either the blog goes,
or I do’. He’d published his life on the internet and, Hall protested, ‘it makes people not trust me’. The
blog went, but the dilemma persists. Sharing online is great. But if you expect your song of yourself to
‘make people want to be with you’, you’ll be disappointed.
In 2002, Heather Armstrong, a young web worker in Los Angeles, had a blog called Dooce.
Occasionally, she wrote about her job at a software company. One day an anonymous colleague sent
the address of Armstrong’s blog to every vice president at her company – including some whom she’d
mocked – and that was the end of her job. Those who study the peculiar social patterns of the
networked world have a term to describe what was at work here. They call it the ‘online distribution
effect’: that feeling so many of us have that we can get away with saying things online that we’d never
dream of saying in person. But our digital lives are interwoven with our real lives. When we pretend
otherwise, we risk making terrible, life-changing mistakes.
Armstrong’s saga had a happy ending. Though she was upset by the experience and stopped blogging
for several months afterwards, she ended up getting married and restarting her blog with a focus on her
new family. Today she is a star in the burgeoning ranks of ‘mommy bloggers’ and her writing supports
her house hold. Once a poster child for the wages of web indiscretion, she has become a virtuoso of
managed self-revelation. What Armstrong has figured out is something we would all do well to
remember: the web may allow us to say anything, but that doesn’t mean we should.
21. Why does the writer describe a website about public check-ins in the first paragraph?
(A). to reinforce the concerns already felt by some people
(B). to remind readers to beware of false promises
(C). to explain that such sites often have a hidden agenda
(D). to show that the risks of internet use are sometimes overestimated
22. What is the writer’s attitude to the online pioneers mentioned in the second paragraph?
(A). He is concerned by the risks they took.
(B). He appreciates their unprecedented achievements.
(C). He admires their technical skills.
(D). He is impressed by the extent of their cooperation.
23. What does the writer suggest about Justin Hall in the third paragraph?
(A). He was unusually innovative in his approach.
(B). His work was popular for the wrong reasons.
(C). He inspired others writing in different fields of study.
(D). His work displayed considerable literary skill.
24. What point is exemplified by the references to Hall’s project in the fourth paragraph?
(A). People usually dislike exhibitionists.
(B). Someone’s life can be a form of art.
(C). Relationships are always a private matter.
(D). Being too open may be counterproductive.
25. What does the account of Armstrong’s later career suggest about blogging?
(A). It is important to choose an appropriate audience.
(B). It is possible to blog safely and successfully.
(C). It is vital to consider the feelings of others.
(D). It is best to avoid controversial subjects when blogging.
26. In this article, the writer’s aim is to
(A). illustrate a point.
(B). defend a proposition.
(C). describe developments.
(D). compare arguments.
27. What does the write imply by saying “their tales scroll off our collective screen”?
(A). Online pioneers have spawned opportunities for new bloggers to advance their skills.
(B). What the blogging pioneers did is just an introduction to the current similar trend among many of
social networkers.
(C). New depressing stories about younger generations of bloggers will be told.
(D). Blogging pioneers really know how to maintain their popularity.
28. The word “inhabited” is CLOSEST in meaning to
(A). connected (B). browsed (C). adopted (D). designated
29. Why does the author said “only a snob would refuse to call art”?
(A). Because Hall exhibited the information on the web so skillfully.
(B). Because the beautiful images Hall posted on the web.
(C). Because of all the efforts Hall put into his work.
(D). Because Hall created his own daily blog to show his recklessness.
30. The word “peculiar” is OPPOSITE in meaning to
(A). distinguished (B). strange (C). unfamiliar (D). common

ANSWER KEY OF PART 1.

1 NOT GIVEN 11 C 21 A
2 TRUE 12 B 22 B
3 FALSE 13 C 23 A
4 NOT GIVEN 14 A 24 D
5 FALSE 15 B 25 D
6 NOT GIVEN 16 D 26 A
7 Time and culture 17 D 27 B
8 Lost love 18 D 28 B
9 Quadrupled 19 C 29 A
10 Compatible/comensurate 20 A 30 D
 PART 2: MUTIPLE CHOICES.
SECTION 1: VOCABULARY.
LEVEL 1: KHA DE
1. WAAD is observed on April 2nd and aims to promote understanding of all issues related to people as
being on the spectrum of autism disorders.
(A). tabulated (B). classified (C). graded (D). pigeonholed
2. He was devastated by the news.
(A). utterly (B). extremely (C). deeply (D). immensely
3. A hundred years ago, sundials were a vital time-keeping , essential for anyone who hoped
to keep their clocks working accurately.
(A). device (B). utensil (C). piece (D). item
4. The scheme is too expensive to be
(A). compatible (B). feasible (C). liable (D). accessible
5. This course no previous knowledge of the subject.
(A). assembles (B). assumes (C). assigns (D). assures
LEVEL 2: KHO
6. No one could contemplate fame these days without knowing beforehand of its
(A). laisses-faire (B). outburst (C). insight (D). downside
7. The young African boy was . He was nothing but skin and bones.
(A). eulogy (B). anathema (C). emaciated (D). amiable
8. The actors gave a very performance, and the critics expressed the disapproval in
their reports the following day.
(A). pie-in-the-sky (C). good-for-nothing
(B). run-of-the-mill (D). behind-the-scene
9. The post-Modern architectural style is ; it combines diverse elements, including classical
columns, Baroque ornamentation, and Palladian windows.
(A). a diatribe (B). a conjecture
(C). an anachronism (D). an amalgam
10. Employees who have a are encouraged to discuss it with the management.
(A). hindrance (B). disturbance
(C). disadvantage (D). grievance
SECTION 2: COLLOCATIONS AND IDIOMS
LEVEL 1:
11. The film, which was made , surprised everyone by winning three Oscars, including the
one for Best Picture.
(A). under the counter (B). on the air (C). on a shoestring (D). over the moon
12. The children were not at all sure about going to camp, but in the end they had a of time.
(A). dog (B). wolf (C). horse (D). whale
13. I don’t know why she had to a quarrel with me- I was only trying to help her!
(A). pick (B). make (C). create (D). throw
14. These days the castle is swamped with of tourists.
(A). mobs (B). throngs (C). shoals (D). cliques
15. She sets her on becoming a ballet-dancer.
(A). feet (B) brain (C). heart (D). head
LEVEL 2:
16. In his day, he was quite dandy
(A). salad (B). green (C). fruit (D). vegetable
17. In bas-relief sculpture, a design projects very slightly from its background, same coins.
A. because (B). as to (C). in the shape of (D). the way that
18. The investigation was instigated the Prime Minister
(A). on the part of (B). subsequent to
(C). consequence of (D). at the behest of
19. It has been, the hottest summer for the last 100 years.
(A). without 1984 (B). 1984 aside
(C). 1984 expected (D). exception 1984
20. We’d been working hard for a month and so decided to go out and
(A). paint the town red (B). steal the show
(C). read between the lines (D). face the music
SECTION 3: PHRASAL VERBS
LEVEL 1:
21. The police a good deal of criticism, over the handling of the demonstration.
(A). came in for (B). came cross (C). came about (D). came forwards
22. She’s decided to her English by attending an evening course.
(A). brush up (B). patch up (C). polish off (D). dust off
23. The doctor all night with the patient in the hospital.
(A). sat out (B). sat up (C). sat in (D). sat on
24. He surrounded by photographers and journalists
A. walked in (B). swanned in (C). ducked out (D). squirreled away
25. When I arrived at the disaster site, it took me a while to my initial shock and help
the other rescuers.
(A). get in (B). get over (C). get off (D). get by
LEVEL 2:
26. After the flash flood, all the drains were overflowing storm water
(A). from (B). with (C). by (D). for
27. The speaker only started talking when the noise
(A). died out (B). died away (C). died down (D). died back
28. If we buy this expensive dining table, it will
(A). eat out (B). eat in (C). eat into (D). eat away
29. Let her before you try talking to her again. She is very angry
(A). cool away (B). cool on (C). cool down (D). cool in
30. If you want to make a good impression, it’s important to your colleagues.
(A). keep away from (B). keep in with (C). keep out of (D). keep on at
SECTION 4: GRAMMAR.
LEVEL 1:
31. I’m my brother is.
(A). nowhere like so ambitious (B). nothing near as ambitious as
(C). nothing as ambitious as (D). nowhere near as ambitious as
32. Never complete and utter rubbish!
(A). have I heard so (B). I heard so (C). did I hear so (D). have I heard such
33. Helene doesn’t have much free time so she only visits us
(A). every other week (B). each other week
(C). all other weeks (D). all weeks together
34. From now on, the sales reports complied before the weekly meeting.
(A). must have been (B). will need being
(C). had to have been (D). will have to have been
35. his behavior, he is a man with good education.
(A). Judging by (B). Judged from (C). Having judged by (D). Being judged from
LEVEL 2:
36. It able to finish it in an hour
(A). can’t have been too hard if you had been (B). can’t have been too hard if you were
(C). couldn’t be too hard if you are (D). couldn’t be too hard if you had been
37. the college is up and running, the principal is pleased that he can see some advantages.
(A). Inasmuch as (B). Much as (C). Now that (D). On condition that
38. I haven’t seen Jane for nearly nine years, she had got married and had two children.
(A). for that duration (B). at that point (C). during which time (D). in that time
39. The attractions of BA or MA have penetrated into areas, both among
rich and poor, where they wouldn’t have felt twenty years ago.
(A). a – a – the - 0 (B). a – an – the – the (C). a – a – the – the (D). a – an – the – 0
40. In facts, the criminals in because the front door was wide open and so they just walked in.
(A). needn’t have broken (B). shouldn’t have broken
(C). couldn’t have broken (D). didn’t need to break
41. has been destroyed by dink.
(A). Many a (B). A great many (C). Very much (D). The many
42. Biochemists have solved many of the mysteries about photosynthesis, the process plants
make food.
(A). by which (B). through which (C). which (D). whose
43. She’d prefer to pursue her studies to look for a job.
(A). rather than starting (B). to starting
(C). rather than start (D). than to start
44. Although he claims to be bilingual, his Greek is , than mine.
(A). much better (B). not better, if not worse
(C). Not better (D). no better, if not worse
45. Tommy has a garden which is his brother’s.
(A). double as large (B). semi-larger than (C). twice as large as (D). as two-time as large

ANSWER KEY OF PART 2:

1 D 11 C 21 A 31 D 41 A
2 A 12 D 22 A 32 D 42 A
3 A 13 B 23 B 33 A 43 C
4 B 14 B 24 B 34 D 44 B
5 B 15 C 25 B 35 A 45 C
6 D 16 A 26 B 36 A
UNITED WE
7 C 17 B 27 C 37 C
STAND,
8 B 18 D 28 C 38 C
TOGETHER WE
9 D 19 B 29 C 39 B
GROW
10 D 20 A 30 B 40 A