PRACTICE TEST 80 FOR GIFTED STUDENTS GRADE 9-2022

A. LEXICO-GRAMMAR
Part 1. Choose the best option A, B, C, or D to complete the following sentences and write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
1. I am going to go round the _________ if they don’t turn that music down soon.
A. bell B. bend C. leg D. stock
go round the bend: trở nên tức giận
2. I was so tired that I couldn’t even think _________
A. mind B. doubt C. focus D. straight
think straight: không thể cố để suy nghĩ một cách đúng đắn, cẩn thận
3. The cat slept peacefully _________ in the long grass.
A. huddled B. nestled C. snuggled D. cuddled
A. huddled /ˈhʌdəld/ (v): túm lụm, nằm rúc vào nhau (vì sợ/lạnh)
B. nestled /ˈnesəld/ (v): nép mình, chui rúc vào
C. snuggled /ˈsnʌɡəld/ (v): xích lại gần
D. cuddled /ˈkʌdəld/ (v): ôm ấp
4. Mr. Wright _________ his vegetable garden very carefully.
A. tends B. grows C. maintains D. attends
tend = care for: trông nom, chăm sóc, giữ gìn
5. She _________ a few clothes into the case and hurried to the airport.
A. shoved B. scattered C. piled D. heaved
A. shoved: nhồi nhét
B. scattered: rải rắc
C. piled: chất đống
D. heaved: nhấc, nhô, phồng lên
6. No teenager really knows what _________ for them career-wise in the future.
A. knuckles own B. lies ahead C. whiles away D. crops up
lie ahead: đang ở phía trước
7. The consultant called in by the firm brought a _________ of experience to bear on the problem.
A. wealth B. realm C. bank D. hoard
a wealth of = a lot of: nhiều, dồi dào
8. Several passengers received minor injuries when the train unexpectedly came to a _________
A. delay B. halt C. break D. stand
come to a halt: ngưng lại, dừng lại
9. John refused to put his career in _________ by opposing his boss.
A. jeopardy B. hazard C. risk D. stake
put (somebody) in jeopardy: lâm vào cảnh nguy hiểm, lâm nguy.
10. The area is famous for its _________ gardens, where all kinds of different vegetables are grown for cash.
A. market B. hothouse C. trade D. greenhouse
market garden: nông trường rau để bán
11. It is essential to be on the _________ for any signs of movement in the undergrowth since there are
poisonous snakes in the area.
A. guard B. care C. alarm D. alert
be on the alert for: được cảnh giác, sẵn sàng chú ý và giải quyết vấn đề.
12. I could see the lantern _________ in the dark.
A. gleaming B. glowing: rực sáng C. glistening D. glimmering
13. It was a daring robbering, which took place in _________ daylight.
A. broad B. total C. wide D. absolute
in broad daylight = during the daytime: giữa ban ngày
14. For my _________ of mind, promise you’ll wear a life jacket in the boat.
A. satisfaction B. contentment C. peace D. calmness
peace of mind: an tâm, yên lòng
15. By using all the latest technology, the yatchman managed to cross the Atlantic in _________ time.
A. quickest B. lightning C. top D. record
in record time: trong thời gian kỉ lục
16. I’m afraid Tim doesn’t take much care over his homework. He usually does it _________
A. any old how B. any how C. how on earth D. how come
any old how = carelessly: bất cẩn, không cẩn thận
17. What a mad thing to do! You could all have been killed! It was _________ folly.
A. merely B. only C. sheer D. wild
Sheer /ʃɪə(r)/: sự điên rồ, điều nực cười
Merely /ˈmɪr.li/: chỉ, đơn thuần
Wild /waɪld/: hoang dại
Sole /soʊl/: đơn độc
18. The bark of a tree thickens _________
 A. with age: theo thời gian B. it gets older C. as older D. by age
19. Widely reproduced in magazines and books, _________
A. Ansel Adams depicted the Western wilderness in his photographs.
B. the Western wilderness was depicted in the photographs of Ansel Adams.
C. Ansel Adam’s photographs deppicted the Western wilderness.
D. it was through his photographs that Ansel Adams depicted the Western wilderness.
20. When I advised you to change jobs, I had your best _________ at heart.
A. feelings B. interests C. thoughts D. aspects
Have one’s best interests at heart: quan tâm/lo lắng đến lợi ích/điều tốt nhất cho ai đó
Part 2. Read the passage below which contains 10 mistakes. Identify the mistakes and write the
corrections in the corresponding numbered boxes.
Example: Line 1: wrongly  wrong
Human memory, formerly believing to be rather inefficient, is really more sophisticated than that of a
computer. Researchers approaching the problem from a variation of viewpoints have all concluded that
there is a great deal more storing in our minds than has been generally supposed. Dr. Wilder Penfield, a
Canadian neurosurgery, proved that by stimulating their brains electrically, he can elicit the total recall of
specific events in his subjects’ lives. Even dreams and another minor events supposedly forgotten for
many years suddenly emerged in details. Although the physical basic for memory is not yet understood,
one theory is how the fantastic capacity for storage in the brain is the result of an almost unlimited
combination of interconnections between brain cell, stimulated by patterns of activity. Repeated
references with the same information support recall. In other words, improved performance is the result
of strengthening the chemical bonds in the memory.
Your answers:
Line Mistakes Corrections
1. 2 variation variety
2. 3 storing stored
3. 4 neurosurgery neurosurgeon
4. 4 can could
5. 5 another other
6. 6 details detail
7. 6 basic basis
8. 7 how that
9. 8 cell cells
10. 9 with to

Part 3. Complete each sentence with one suitable particle or preposition. Write your answer in the box
provided.
1. Something’s cropped up: đột xuất, xảy ra, I am afraid I won’t be able to make it this afternoon.
2. They are planning to wind down: thu hẹp quy mô hoạt động their operation in Greece and concentrate on
Eastern Europe.
3. Tina is an authority on: chuyên gia về lĩnh vực gì Byzaantine architecture.
4. His sense of fun has rubbed off on: được ai đó yêu thích his children.
5.– “ Will the concert start soon?”
_ “ It should get under way: bắt đầu = begin any minute now.”
6. Being rich doesn’t count for much on a desert island.
7. The company’s announced it’s laying off: sa thải 1,000 workers.
8. Could you lend me some money to tide over: giúp ai vượt qua khó khăn về tài chính me to the end of the month?
9. If the business does well, I’ll hopefully be able to take on: thuê trợ lý a part-time assistant in the spring.
10. When I was younger I wanted to be an air pilot but I soon went off: chán the idea when I realised I hated flying.

Part 4. Write the correct form of the words given in the brackets. Write your answers in the spaces
provided below.
WITH MANY THANKS
Many people have given (0. ASSIST) ...assistance… to me during the writing of this book, but it is to Miss
Leigh Keith, senior editor of Ramsay and Brown that I am most deeply (1. DEBT) indebted= grateful for her
loyalty and (2. DEVOTE) devotion during the four years the project lasted. She gave her time and advice (3.
STINT) unstintingly: hào phóng in order for this work to be completed, giving both moral and (4. PRACTICE)
practical support for the lengthy research into social conditions the project (5. NECESSARY) necessitated: đòi
hỏi Her assurance and encouragement sustained me in my (6. BELIEVE) belief that this was valuable work and
it was (7. DOUBT) undoubtedly what enabled me to continue in the face of often discouraging circumstances. I
must also thank my father, who has been a (8. WILL) willing collaborator in all my efforts and who spent long
hours in libraries and on trains to distant parts of the country in search of material. I know that he will say that
he enjoyed it, but without his (9. FLAG) unflagging enthusiasm this book would never have been written.
Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family, who have had to put up with what must have seemed to
them an (10. EXCEPT) exceptionally: một cách khác thường long drawn out piece of writing. Thank you, all of
you, very much.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

C. READING
Part 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. Write
your answers in corresponding numbered boxes.
Driving from Beijing to Paris
'Every journey begins with a single step.' We might (1) _________ this proverb for the 16,000 km Beijing to
Paris car rally, and say that every rally begins with a (2) _________ of the wheel. From China, several hundred
courageous men and women will (3) _________ out for Paris in pursuit of what, for many, is likely to prove an
impossible dream. Everybody is prepared for the worst and expects a high drop-out rate, especially on the
rally's difficult first stage across central China and over the high mountain (4) _________ of the Himalayas. 'If
twenty-five cars (5) _________ it to Paris, we'll be doing well,' says Philip Young, the rally organizer.
Now planned as an annual event, the first Beijing-Paris car rally took place in 1907. It was won by Prince
Borghese, an Italian adventurer, who crossed the (6) _________ line just a few meters (7) _________ of the
only other car to complete the race. Nowadays, not many people know about Prince Borghese, but at the time
his achievement was regarded as comparable to that of Marco Polo, who travelled from Venice to China in the
thirteenth century.
According to the rules , all the cars in the rally must be more than thirty years old, which means that the (8)
roads and high altitude are a (9) _________ test of both the cars and the drivers. A sense of adventure is
essential. One driver said, 'Our (10) _________ is to have a good time, enjoy the experience and the
magnificent scenery - and the adventure of a lifetime.'
1 A adapt B moderate C improve D form
2 A revolution B circle C rotation D turn
3 A head B move C set D try
4 A crossings B passes C directions D passages
5 A get B take C have D make
6 A closing B final C ending D finishing
7 A forward B ahead C front D advance
8 A crude B undeveloped C broken D rough
10 A firm B strict C severe D grave
10 A aim B target C proposal D intent
Your answer:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2. Read the following text and fill in the blank with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in
corresponding numbered boxes.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY
Universally, work has been a central focus point (0) ... in ... society. As old as the idea of work (1) _________
is the question of what constitutes ‘real work’. This is, in fact, a very subjective question indeed. (2)_________
you to ask a miner, or any labourer for that matter, what real work is, he would probably reply that real work
entails working (3) _________ your hands and, in the process, getting them dirty. To the average blue-collar
worker, whitecollar workers are those people who sit in their offices day (4)_________ day doing little or
(5)_________ in the line of actual work.
By (6)_________, if you approached a white-collar worker or a professional of (7) _________ sort with the
same question, you can rest assured that they (8) _________ adamantly maintain that the world would stop
revolving (9) _________ their invaluable intellectual contribution to the scheme of things.
This idea is reflected in the vocabulary used to describe work and its related subjects. Words like career,
vocation and profession carry a more elevated connotation than the simple term ‘job’. The (10) _________
three lexical items convey the idea of learned persons sitting at desks and using their grey matter to solve
matters involving financial, legal or medical matters, while the humble slave away at some mundane work
station or assembly line task.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the following passage and circle the best answer to each of the following questions. Write
your answers in corresponding numbered boxes.

HELP YOURSELF
 In the last couple of decades, self-help books have been a publishing phenomenon, often topping the
bestseller lists. Readers have lapped up their advice on how to do a wide variety of things, from
becoming successful and rich to improving their relationships. If you’re facing a particular problem in
your life, there’s a host of self-help books for you. If you have the idea that you want to improve
yourself in some way, there are any number of self-help titles just waiting to advise you. If you want a
successful career, no problem – step-by-step guides will tell you exactly what to do. But, despite their
enormous success, there’s a question many people ask: do these books actually do what they claim
to?
Obviously, as in any field of publishing, some self-help books are better than others. Some may be
based on actual research and case studies – there’s some substance to them that suggests they can,
at least to some extent, be taken seriously. Others, however, amount to little more than psychobabble
– empty nonsense dressed up as serious psychological insight. These books bombard the reader with
a mass of meaningless jargon, disguising the fact that they have nothing to say beyond the obvious
that you would not need to buy a book to know. It’s the latter category that has given self-help books a
bad name among critics of the genre.
The kind of advice given in self-help books is often more or less the same. What really amounts to
pretty standard statements are made in many of them, but does this advice stand up to scrutiny?
Psychologists who have studied a range of self-help books connected with happiness say the answer
to this is “not always.” They say that although the emphasis the books place on aiming for good
relationships with families, friends, and colleagues has, in some ways, some scientific basis in terms
of what does actually lead to personal happiness, in other ways the advice given is actually false.
For example, the books commonly tell you that it is good to express your anger; the psychologists say
this simply causes you to remain angry. You are often told to try to think happy thoughts when you are
sad; the psychologists say that attempting to do this simply emphasizes your unhappiness for you.
The books tell you to focus entirely on your aims in life, looking only at the desired outcome;
psychologists say you need to focus just as much on the problems you have to overcome in order to
reach your goals. The books tell you to keep praising yourself to increase and maintain a high level of
self-belief; the psychologists say that actually this doesn’t work because you need praise from other
people in order to increase your self-esteem.
Perhaps the key question on self-help books is: do they work? Do people feel they have directly
helped them? Whatever critics may say, do the people who buy and read them get real results from
them? The answer to this question appears to be “sometimes.” Research indicates that the kind of
book that deals with a particular problem can be effective in helping people with that problem,
particularly if the problem in question isn’t a severe one, for example mild depression or anxiety. The
situation is less clear with books dealing with personal growth or development. Some people do say
that these books have helped them but it is by no means certain, and hard to measure, whether this is
really the case.
What is clear about all self-help books, however, is that they offer people hope. The actual advice they
give and whether or not this is accurate or effective is probably less important than the fact that they
tell the reader that change is possible, that there is hope of a better life, that people can overcome
difficulties and improve themselves and their situation. While this may sound like a good thing, there
is, however, a downside to it. To get people to buy them, these books often make exaggerated claims
about what they will do for people. They can raise unrealistic expectations in the reader, suggesting
that a better life can quite easily be achieved, that anyone can get what they want out of life. The truth
is, of course, that changing yourself and your life may be very difficult indeed and require an immense
amount of effort, if it is even achievable at all. So self-help books are open to the claim that they
present a false picture that can only lead to disappointment in the end.

1 In the first paragraph, what does the writer emphasize about self-help books?
A The number of them available.
B How quickly the genre became popular.
C The fact that one person might buy many of them.
2 In the second paragraph, the writer expresses a preference for self-help books which ________.
A don’t use any jargon at all
B explain technical terms in a clear way
C give examples to support their advice
3 The writer says that self-help books containing a lot of “psychobabble” ________.
A are seldom popular with readers
B exist in greater numbers than other kinds of self-help books
C have affected the reputation of all self-help books
4 What does the writer say about self-help books connected with happiness?
A There is evidence to support some of the advice they give.
B They vary more than other kinds of self-help books.
C They are the most popular kind of self-help book.
5 Psychologists say that some advice in books about happiness ________.
 A could produce different bad feelings in people
B could make people feel worse than they did
C is too hard for people to carry out
6 Which of the following do psychologists believe?
A Focusing on problems is more important than focusing on goals.
B You won’t have greater self-confidence unless other people praise you.
C Thinking only about aims can result in greater unhappiness.
7 Research into whether self-help books really help people suggests that ________.
A those dealing with personal growth and development are the least useful
B people want to believe that they have helped them a lot
C they are not very useful for serious problems
8 What do all self-help books have in common, according to the writer?
A They all contain some useful advice.
B They all have the same basic message.
C They all sympathize with the reader.
9 When asking whether self-help books work, the writer suggests that ________.
A this may be more important than whether the advice is correct
B not enough attention has been paid to this
C readers may not be honest about this
10 The writer concludes in that last paragraph that self-help books ________.
A are more influential than is generally thought
B are only taken seriously by certain kinds of person
C may actually be harmful to people

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 4. Read the following text and do the tasks that follow.
REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF FOOD PROMOTION TO CHILDREN
This review was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to examine the current research evidence on:
• the extent and nature of food promotion to children
• the effect, if any, that this promotion has on their food knowledge, preferences and behaviour.
A Children’s food promotion is dominated by television advertising, and the great majority of this promotes the
so-called ‘Big Four’ of pre-sugared breakfast cereals, soft-drinks, confectionary and savoury snacks. In the last
ten years advertising for fast food outlets has rapidly increased. There is some evidence that the dominance of
television has recently begun to wane. The importance of strong, global branding reinforces a need for multi-
faceted communications combining television with merchandising, ‘tie-ins’ and point of sale activity. The
advertised diet contrasts sharply with that recommended by public health advisors, and themes of fun and
fantasy or taste, rather than health and nutrition, are used to promote it to children. Meanwhile, the
recommended diet gets little promotional support.
B There is plenty of evidence that children notice and enjoy food promotion. However, establishing whether
this actually influences them is a complex problem. The review tackled it by looking at studies that had
examined possible effects on what children know about food, their food preferences, their actual food
behaviour (both buying and eating), and their health outcomes (eg. obesity or cholesterol levels). The majority
of studies examined food advertising, but a few examined other forms of food promotion. In terms of nutritional
knowledge, food advertising seems to have little influence on children’s general perceptions of what constitutes
a healthy diet, but, in certain contexts, it does have an effect on more specific types of nutritional knowledge.
For example, seeing soft drink and cereal adverts reduced primary aged children’s ability to determine correctly
whether or not certain products contained real fruit.
C The review also found evidence that food promotion influences children’s food preferences and their
purchase behaviour. A study of primary school children, for instance, found that exposure to advertising
influenced which foods they claimed to like; and another showed that labelling and signage on a vending
machine had an effect on what was bought by secondary school pupils. A number of studies have also shown
that food advertising can influence what children eat. One, for example, showed that advertising influenced a
primary class’s choice of daily snack at playtime.
D The next step, of trying to establish whether or not a link exists between food promotion and diet or obesity,
is extremely difficult as it requires research to be done in real world settings. A number of studies have
attempted this by using amount of television viewing as a proxy for exposure to television advertising. They
have established a clear link between television viewing and diet, obesity, and cholesterol levels. It is
impossible to say, however, whether this effect is caused by the advertising, the sedentary nature of television
viewing or snacking that might take place whilst viewing. One study resolved this problem by taking a detailed
diary of children’s viewing habits. This showed that the more food adverts they saw, the more snacks and
calories they consumed.
 E Thus the literature does suggest food promotion is influencing children’s diet in a number of ways. This
does not amount to proof; as noted above with this kind of research, incontrovertible proof simply isn’t
attainable. Nor do all studies point to this conclusion; several have not found an effect. In addition, very few
studies have attempted to measure how strong these effects are relative to other factors influencing children’s
food choices. Nonetheless, many studies have found clear effects and they have used sophisticated
methodologies that make it possible to determine that i) these effects are not just due to chance; ii) they are
independent of other factors that may influence diet, such as parents’ eating habits or attitudes; and iii) they
occur at a brand and category level.
F Furthermore, two factors suggest that these findings actually downplay the effect that food promotion has
on children. First, the literature focuses principally on television advertising; the cumulative effect of this
combined with other forms of promotion and marketing is likely to be significantly greater. Second, the studies
have looked at direct effects on individual children, and understate indirect influences. For example, promotion
for fast food outlets may not only influence the child, but also encourage parents to take them for meals and
reinforce the idea that this is a normal and desirable behaviour.
G This does not amount to proof of an effect, but in our view does provide sufficient evidence to conclude that
an effect exists. The debate should now shift to what action is needed, and specifically to how the power of
commercial marketing can be used to bring about improvements in young people’s eating.

Questions 1-6
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the most suitable heading for paragraphs A-G from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate numbers (i-x) in boxes 1-6. Paragraph A has been done for you.

List of Headings
i General points of agreements and disagreements of researchers
ii How much children really know about food
iii Need to take action
iv Advertising effects of the “Big Four”
v Connection of advertising and children’s weight problems
vi Evidence that advertising affects what children buy to eat
vii How parents influence children’s eating habits
viii Advertising’s focus on unhealthy options
ix Children often buy what they want
x Underestimating the effects advertising has on children

Example: Paragraph A ____viii___

1 paragraph B ___________
2 Paragraph C ___________
3 Paragraph D ___________
4 Paragraph E ___________
5 Paragraph F ___________
6 Paragraph G ___________
Questions 7-10
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 1.
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
7 __________ There is little difference between the number of healthy food advertisements and the number of
unhealthy food advertisements.
8 __________ TV advertising has successfully taught children nutritional knowledge about vitamins and
others.
9 __________ It is hard to decide which aspect of TV viewing has caused weight problems of children.
10 _________ The preference of food for children is affected by their age and gender.

D. WRITING
Part 1: Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the
sentences printed before it.
1. As far as I know, there’s no reason for James to be so unhappy.
→ To the ____________________________________________________________________
2. A rise in temperature in the next century seems likely.
→ In all _____________________________________________________________________
3. If we delay too long, we are unlikely to clinch the deal.
→ The longer_________________________________________________________________
4. The brochure gives hardly any useful information.
→ Precious little _____________________________________________________________
5. You could be arrested for not giving a breath sample to the police.
→ Refusal __________________________________________________________________
Part 2: Use the word(s) given in brackets and make any necessary additions to complete a new
sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT
change the form of the given word(s).

1. Jenny isn't a bad accountant, but I don't think it is a very suitable occupation for her.
cut
I just don't think Jenny ___________________________ an accountant.
2. We had no problems at all during our holiday in Turkey.
plan
Everything ___________________________ during our holiday in Turkey.
3. It's possible Clare phoned while we were out.
may
Clare ___________________________ while we were out.
4. Our class has won the History Quiz for the third year running.
succession
For the ___________________________ , our class has won the History Quiz.
5. The thunderstorm brought their tennis match to an abrupt end.
cut
They had to ___________________________ because of the thunderstorm.