UBND TỈNH TIỀN GIANG CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM
SỞ GIÁO DỤC& ĐÀO TẠO Độc lập - Tự do – Hạnh phúc
KỲ THI CHỌN HỌC SINH GIỎI LỚP 9 THCS CẤP TỈNH
Khóa ngày 10 tháng 03 năm 2009 Đề chính thức Môn TIẾNG ANH
Thời gian làm bài: 150 phút ( không kể thời gian giao đề )
( Đề gồm 4
trang )
PART I : LISTENING COMPREHENSION : ( 2.0 pts )
Question 1 : Listen to the passage then pick out ONE best option ( A,B,C or D ) to complete
each sentence. The passage will be read twice :
1. The Okinawans live a very long time because :
A. they drink a lot of alcohol and smoke
B. they eat much meat and fast food
C. they eat mainly vegetable, fruit , soya, fish and rice
D. they eat more beef and pork but less rice
2. The most popular and important physical activities of the Okinawans are:
A. fishing, swimming, boating, and jogging
B. martial arts, walking, traditional dancing and gardening
C. fishing, running, singing and farming
D. wrestling, jumping, swimming and diving
3. Most of Okinawans, young and old
A. are relaxed and take their time. B. do everything in a hurry.
C. are always on time for meetings. D. go to the beach to swim every morning.
4. The reason why the Okinawans have a long life is that they
A. get retired early at the age of 50 B. work less but relax more
C. never go out of their homes D. are always happy, positive and never in
a hurry
Question 2 : Listen to the passage then complete the sentences below with the information
from the passage. The passage will be read twice :
1. On the first day of the New Year, we decide to go to the gym………… a week.
2. We usually stop our new healthy eating plan after……………….

3. We usually stop doing the exercise or eating plan because winter is……… of the year.
4. The best time for us to start doing the exercise or a new eating plan is when………….
PART II : READING COMPREHENSION : ( 8.0 pts )
Question 3 : Read the passage below then pick out ONE best option ( A,B,C or D ) to complete
each sentence :
About 120 people have been infected with the virus of bird flu since it spread in Asia in 2003,
most of them contacted with chickens. More than 60 people have died from the virus. While
some of those infected fell ill after eating sick chickens, doctors cannot quite determine if they
were ill because of eating or handling the chickens. But the question about whether eggs are
safe has assumed danger since healthy chickens carrying the virus were discovered in Indonesia
recently. The chickens do not fall sick and continue laying eggs even though they carry and shed
the virus. Scientists cannot agree whether the content of the eggs from such chickens are free
from the virus, but they say there is some risk because the surface of the egg shells may still
expose to virus. Health experts are extremely concerned about infected birds and poultry which
do not show any symptoms because they render the virus so it is much harder to detect and
control the illness. Some experts have warned against eating eggs.
1. The number of people who have been infected with the virus of bird flu is…
A. 60 B. 2003 C. 120 D. 180
2. Most of people who have been infected with the virus of bird flu……
A. contacted with sick chickens B. contacted with sick people
C. have eaten chickens since 2003 D. contacted with people died of bird flu
3. All those who ate or handled sick chickens……
A. died from the virus B. do not get sick from bird flu anymore
C. are still healthy D. are put into doctors’ suspicion
4. Which sentence is NOT TRUE:
A. Bird flu has spread in Asia since 2003.
B. Eggs from sick chickens are safe from the virus.
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C. The virus from bird flu were discovered in healthy chickens in Indonesia.
D. Contacting with sick chickens can cause illness.

5. Which sentence is TRUE:
A. Eating eggs from sick chickens is very dangerous.
B. Eggs from sick chickens are free from the virus.
C. Don’t eat any egg during the time of bird flu.
D. Eggs cannot be infected with the virus of bird flu.
6. Doctors say that….
A. We are safe to eat eggs from sick chickens.
B. Sick chickens never lay eggs.
C. Eggs are not dangerous if the sick chickens are still alive.
D. Eggs can be infected with virus through their shells.
7. Which sentence is FALSE:
A. Bird flu can be infected by birds and other poultry.
B. Only sick chickens or other poultry with clear symptoms are dangerous.
C. Bird flu can be infected from poultry to people.
D. It’s hard to detect and control the bird flu because the virus may be rendered.
8. The main idea of the passage is about….
A. how to prevent bird flu in Asia.
B. Can bird flu be infected from people to people?
C. Bird flu and its infection.
D. Bird flu and its destruction in Indonesia.
Question 4 : Read then match each paragraph ( 1 – 8 ) to its main idea or related idea ( A –
H )
Eight paragraphs ( 1 – 8 ) :
1. The London Eye was opened on New Year’s Eve 1999 to celebrate the Millennium. It is 135
metres high, and from the top you can see all of London. On a clear day you can even see
Windsor Castle, which is 40 kilometres away. The London Eye has 32 capsules, each with
room for 25 people. Each “trip” lasts 30 minutes. It moves quite slowly, at a speed of about
15 metres a minute, but it never stops. Passengers have to get on when it’s moving.
2. The Atacama desert in Chile is a spectacular place. There is very little vegetation, and it
looks like the moon – in fact NASA tested their vehicles here. There are very big volcanoes.

Almost nobody lives there, but there are some small villages on the edge of the desert. Life
is hard and everything needs to be imported – food, building materials, and of course water.
In 1971 it rained in the Atacama. People were amazed because the last time it rained there
was 400 years earlier, in 1570! It is the driest place in the world. But in the village of
Chungungo they are now getting water from the fog clouds which come in from the sea.
The sky over the Atacama desert is hardly ever cloudy, so it is one of the best places in the
world to see the stars. The biggest observatory in the world is being built on top of a
mountain. At night the sky is incredibly clear – you feel that there is nothing between you
and Mars.
3. How do people live in Mali, West Africa, where the temperature is often 50oC? John Baxter,
a BBC journalist in Mali says, “People get up very early and they don’t move very much in
the afternoon. Surprisingly, they wear a lot of clothes ( usually cotton ) as this helps them
not to get dehydrated. Houses are very hot and don’t have air conditioning – the best place
to sleep is on the roof.
4. La Paz in Bolivia is 4,090 metres above sea level. It can be difficult to breathe because there
isn’t much oxygen. Liz Tremlett, a travel agent who lives there, says, “ When people arrive
at El Alto airport we sometimes need to give them oxygen.” It is also the worst place to be if
you drink too much beer. The next day you feel terrible because you get more dehydrated.
But La Paz is a very good place to play golf. At this altitude, when you hit a golf ball it goes
further!
5. Can you imagine living in a place which is four times colder than your freezer? This is
Yakutia in Siberia, where in winter it is often -50oC or lower. Valeria Usimenko, a housewife
says “ After a few minutes outside your nose fills with ice. It snows a lot and there is always
a lot of ice and snow on top of the houses. The most dangerous time is the spring – when
the ice falls it can kill people! The winter is very boring because we can’t go out much. A lot
of babies are born here in the autumn!”
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6. There is almost no crime here. You can walk safely in the city late at night.And you can
leave things in your car and nobody steals them!

People drive carefully, but the big problem is that there aren’t any street names. It’s
impossible to find where you want to go. Even taxi drivers don’t know! Also traffic lights
are horizontal and they are difficult to see.
People are shy and polite and they speak very quietly. But when they drink some of them
change completely.
7. I was surprised – people drive quite slowly. People use their car for everything. You never
see people walking in the street.
People don’t go out during the week because they work very hard. It’s normal to work
twelve hours a day and people usually only have one or two weeks’ holiday. Work is the
most important thing here, more important than family and social life.
People are really nice here. It’s easy to talk to them. And in shops the shop assistants are
very helpful.
8. Appearance is very important. Everybody dresses well, but especially the men. They are
very elegant and wear very stylish clothes. It is easy to see who the British people are here.
They love food here and it is fantastic! But times are changing. Today many people under 35
can’t cook. Supermarkets are full of food now you can put in the microwave. When I first
came to live here there weren’t any McDonald’s but now they are everywhere.
People here are in love with their cars and they drive very fast. Even the nicest people
become more aggressive when they drive.
Related ideas for matching ( A – H ) . You can find them in the 8 paragraphs above.
A. The big problem is that there aren’t any street names.
B. Today many people under 35 can’t cook. They often go to the restaurants.
C. On a clear day you can even see Windsor Castle, which is 40 kilometres away.
D. It is one of the best places in the world to see the stars.
E. People wear a lot of clothes ( usually cotton ) as this helps them not to get dehydrated.
F. The winter is very boring because we can’t go out much.
G. It’s normal to work twelve hours a day and people usually only have one or two
weeks’holiday.
H. It is also the worst place to be if you drink too much beer.
Question 5 : Fill in each numbered blank in the passage with ONE suitable word to complete

its meaning :
Exercise is good for our body, but do you know that exercise is also good for our mind? A recent
research has shown that…( 1 )…exercise makes our mind feel better. Doing exercise… …( 2 )…
our mood and give us the confidence to encounter whatever difficulty that we meet in our life.
Some studies show…( 3 )…it also enhances the functioning of your brain. When we are
physically active our body releases…( 4 )…known as “endorphins”. These chemicals are our
body’s…( 5 )… painkillers and stress reducers. They diminish anger, anxiety, and depression
and produce a sense of well being. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that even short time of
moderate…( 6 )…can improve our outlook on life and make us less anxious. Whether we…(7 )…
a ten-minute walk, do a few jumping jacks, or bicycle around the block, we will feel the benefit
both …( 8 )…and emotionally.
Question 6: These paragraphs or sentences ( A – H ) are not in a good order. Rearrange them
into a good order ( 1 – 8 ) to make it a logical meaningful passage:
A. Finally, the boat drifted toward a small island. When it got close enough the men jumped
out and swam to shore.
B. Three Taiwanese fishermen were rescued yesterday from a small uninhabited island in the
South Pacific.The men had disappeared for more than three months.
C. Their families had thought that the fishermen had lost their lives during the typhoon. They
were surprised and happy that the ship had found them and that they were “safe and
sound”.
D. After the storm had passed, though, they discovered that the engine wouldn’t start, so their
boat just drifted at sea for over a month.
E. On the island, they found fresh fruit and vegetables, and they continued to catch fish to eat.
F. They had left Taiwan in a small fishing boat and had planned a week-long trip. On their fifth
day, however, they were caught in a typhoon, and it badly damaged their boat. Fortunately,
none of the men was hurt.
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G. The fishermen had lived on the island for two months when a passing ship rescued them.
Although the three men had lost a lot of weight, they were still in fairly good shape.

H. During this time, the fishermen caught fish to eat and drank rain water to stay alive.
PART III : GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY : ( 6.0 pts )
Question 7 : Pick out ONE best option ( A,B,C or D ) to complete each of the following
sentences:
1. All those…… live in that village have the same surname.
A. whose B. who C. whom D. which
2. His bicycle was stolen…… he was walking in the park.
A. as soon as B. during C. until D. while
3. The boy were fond of ………soccer on the beach.
A. playing B. play C. to play D. played
4. Alice has to look………her young sister when her mother was going shopping.
A. for B. at C. after D. around
5. They used to write in pencil and………
A. so did me B. so did I C. so I did D. I did so
6. We took a rest after we……….to the top of the hill.
A. have climbed B. were climbing C. had climbed D. are climbing
7. ………hard they worked together, they could not hand in their paper on time .
A. Although B. Unless C. Because D. However
8. They were quite…… when I offered them the gift.
A. excited B. exciting C. excitement D. excitingly
Question 8 : Fill in each blank in these sentences with the suitable form of the words in
brackets :
1. Finally, she was…… after years of experiments.( succeed )
2. The boy is intelligent, however, I don’t like his………….( lazy )
3. “ Mung Com Moi” is ……… yearly at these tribes. (celebration )
4. ……… is very important in teaching young children. ( repeat )
5. Travelling by train is more……… than by plane. ( interest )
6. They need a big sum of money for the…… of their factory. ( modern )
7. I think you should throw away all the……things in your room. ( use )
8. The farmland is poor. It needs to be……….( rich )

Question 9 : Rewrite these sentences, beginning with the words given in such a way that they
remain the same meaning as the old ones :
1. They have to repair a lot of schools after the flood.
A lot of schools…….
2. Mrs.Clark said to her children, “Be careful when you pass the zebra crossing.”
Mrs. Clark advised……
3. If man doesn’t stop destroying forests, we will suffer from terrible flood.
Unless………
4. Singapore is a small country but it is a prosperous nation.
Although………
5. The traffic was so heavy that we couldn’t come back home before 8 P.M.
It was such…………
6. Bill reviewed all the old lessons. Then he did the assignments.
Before………….
7. The forest fire was so big. The local firemen could not stop it.
The forest fire was too……
8. There isn’t any rain in that area. People cannot grow any crop there.
If……….
PART IV :WRITING ( 4.0 pts )
Question 10 : Write a passage of about 100 – 120 words to tell the reason why you choose
to study English.
Question 11: Your schoolmates are discussing on how to protect the environment and save
the energy in the area of your school. Write down the discussion in about 20 conversational
exchanges.
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The end
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