Group 1 LẦN 8 KỲ THI THỬ HỌC SINH GIỎI TỈNH LỚP 12

NĂM HỌC 2024 - 2025

ĐỀ CHÍNH THỨC
Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH - BẢNG A
(Đề gồm 12 trang) Thời gian: 150 phút (không kể thời gian giao đề)

ĐIỂM HỌ TÊN, CHỮ KÍ GIÁM KHẢO SỐ PHÁCH

Bằng số: Giám khảo 1:
………………………………….. ………………………………………
Bằng chữ: ……………….. Giám khảo 2:
……………….... ………………………………………
SECTION A. LISTENING (50 points)
Part 1. You are going to hear a talk. As you listen, fill in the missing information. For questions
1-15, write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in the spaces provided. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
How to stay calm under pressure?
Your favorite athlete closes in for a victorious win. The crowd holds its breath and at the crucial moment,
she (1) _______________. That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as choking, where
despite months, even years of practice, a person fails right when it matters most.
Choking is common in sports, where performance often occurs under intense pressure and depends on (2)
_______________. And yet, performance anxiety also haunts public speakers, contestants in (3)
_______________, and even world-famous musicians. Most people intuitively blame it on their nerves, but
why does being nervous undermine expert performance? There are two sets of theories, which both say that
primarily, choking under pressure (4) _______________ focus.
First, there are the distraction theories. These suggest that performance suffers when the mind is (5)
____________ with worries, doubts, or fears, instead of focusing its attention on performing the task at
hand. When relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention, something has to give. The
brain can only process so much information at once. Task that challenge working memory, the (6)
____________ we use to temporarily store phone numbers and grocery lists, are especially vulnerable to
pressure. In a 2004 study, a group of university students were asked to perform math problems, some easy,
others more complex and memory-intensive. Half the students completed both problem types with (7)
____________, while the others completed them when calm and under pressure. While everyone did well
on the easy problems, those who were stressed performed worse on the more difficult, memory-intensive
tasks.
(8) _______________ theories make up the second group of explanations for choking under pressure.
They're concerned with how pressure can cause people to (9) _______________ the task at hand. Here, the
logic goes that once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your
ability to do it. Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking.
A study on competitive golfers compared their performance when instructed to simply focus on putting as
accurately as possible versus when they were primed to be acutely aware of the mechanics of their putting
(10) ______________. Golfers usually perform this action subconsciously, so those who suddenly tuned in
to the precise details of their own moves also (11) _____________ at making accurate shots. Choking may
not be inevitable for everyone, though. For example, research suggests that some are more susceptible than
others, especially those who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of being (12) _____________ by
others.
So how can we avoid choking when it really counts? First, it helps to practice under stressful conditions. In
a study on expert dart players, researchers found that those who hadn't practiced under stress performed
worse when anxious compared to those who had become accustomed to pressure.
Secondly, many performers (13) _______________ the virtues of a pre-performance routine, whether it's
taking a few deep breaths, repeating a cue word, or doing a rhythmic sequence of movements. Studies on
golfing, bowling, and water polo find that (14) short_______________ can lead to more consistent and
accurate performance under pressure. And thirdly, researchers have shown that having an external focus on
the (15) _______________ works better than an internal focus, where someone is tuned into the mechanics
of what they're doing.

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 Your answers:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.
Part 2. You will hear part of an interview in which two racing cyclists called Greg Marton and Lina
Derridge are talking about the different sports they have taken part in. You are supposed to do
BOTH TASKS AT THE SAME TIME while listening.
For questions 16-20, listen and write TRUE if the statement is true or FALSE if the statement is false.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
16. Greg was introduced to skating at a very young age.
17. Greg initially chose rowing over ice hockey because he wanted to avoid weight training.
18. Lina had the flexibility to attend all rowing training camps while working full-time.
19. Lina’s decision to move to California was directly motivated by her desire to continue rowing.
20. Lina emphasizes the difference between rowing and cycling in terms of individual versus team
dynamics during races.
For questions 21-25, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
21. When talking about teenage ice hockey, Greg reveals that ____.
a. he now wishes he’d trained harder b. he’s sorry that he let his father down
c. he resents the pressure he was put under d. he accepts that he lacked the drive to succeed
22. What led Greg to take up rowing?
a. He followed up a suggestion made by friend
b. He was frustrated by his performance as a runner.
c. he was told that he had the physical strength for it.
d. He was disappointed not to get on to a degree course.
23. What does Lina say about her initial failure to make the national rowing team?
a. She feels that she wasn’t treated fairly.
b. She admits that she was mostly unfortunate.
c. She disagrees with the way the selection process operated.
d. she recognizes that she should have attended training camps.
24. Greg and Lina agree that cycling and rowing both require____.
a. a commitment to a team effort b. a tolerance of intense pain
c. a willingness to take risks d. a good sense of timing
25. According to Greg, why should cyclists include rowing as part of their training?
a. They might find it as enjoyable as he does. b. They would develop a similar set of muscles
c. It might help them to avoid injury in accidents d. It provides a break from the monotony of cycling
Your answers:
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

SECTION B. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (20 points)

Part 1. For questions 1-12, choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences. Write
A, B, C or D in the corresponding numbered boxes.
1. Manufacturers often sacrifice quality_______.
A. for the larger margin B. in place to earn more money
C. to gain more quantities of money D. and instead earn a bigger amount of profit.
2. Google is the first company to ______ refuse China’s demands for control.
A. blissfully B. sorely C. steadfastly D. woefully
3. He did not bother answering me, his eyes were almost closed, but the impression he gave was that he
was concentrating intensely and quite _______ to what was happening around us.
A. wary B. alert C. observant D. cautious
4. Tony gripped his brother's arm lest he_____ by the mob.

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A. would be trampled B. were trampled C. be trampled D. could have been trampled
5. Although it takes quite a bit of time at the beginning, once you have acquired the basic knowledge, a quick
learner like you will surely _____.
A. forge ahead B. plunge ahead C. plough ahead D. press ahead
6. I had to get through a lot of the _______ tapes, but finally I got the documents I needed.
A. red B. blue C. black D. yellow
7. So surprisingly _______ was the school's basketball team's performance that everyone cheered and
applauded in amazement.
A. sensory B. sensational C. sensible D. sensitive
8. She walked another twenty blocks home down the hill and across the neighbourhood in the rain,
_______ through her sneakers, her hoodie, her hair.
A. soaked B. watery C. moist D. damp
9. As I said before, the report will be released in the _______ of time. I can’t estimate when that will be
A.rightness B. fullness C. greatness D.correctness
Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the
underlined word(s) in the following question.
10. Poland were up in arms in the first half when Argentina were awarded controversial penalty.
A. got hot in the collar B.catch them red-handed C. were tickled pink D. were in the pink
Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the
underlined word(s) in the following question.
11. Of course, for the students, who graduated last week, all the technological details of why and how were
peripheral to having a chance to learn the violin.
A. unimportant B. negligible C. marginal D. significant
Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to indicate the sentence that best completes the following
exchange.
12. Tom: “Hey, Jane. __________.” - Jane: “Just the usual.”
A. Let’s go for a drink now. B. What have you been up to?
C. How often do you go to work? D. What do you do?
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Part 2. Read the passage below, which contains 8 mistakes. For questions 13-20, identify the mistakes
and write the corrections in the corresponding numbered boxes.
Line TRENDS IN THE PROPERTY MARKET
1 Ever since property prices in Britain began to rise at previously unseen rates, it has been
2 predicted that they would eventually level off, allow more young couples to buy their own
3 home. Unfortunately for those first-time buyers, therefore, the property market has been fueled
4 by single buyers as they scramble to get on the first step on the housing ladder. Soaring prices
5 have meant that many prosperous buyers, who have been saving for years, have been reached
6 the end of their tether as they can now no longer afford to buy the kind of property they had
7 set their hearts in. The money they have been putting away is now simply adequate for their
8 needs which means their efforts may have been in vein. To add insult to injury, it has been
9 forecast by leading economists that this dramatic shift towards more and more people buying
10 their own home is set to continue over the next twenty years.
Your answers:
Line Mistake Correction Line Mistake Correction
13. 17.
14. 18.
15. 19.
16. 20.

SECTION C. READING (70 points)

Part 1. For questions 1-10, read the passage and choose the best answer. Write your answers A, B, C
or D in the corresponding numbered boxes.
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 THE VALUE OF WALKING
New research reveals that walking just 9.5 kilometers a week may keep your brain sharper as you get
older. Research published in the October 13 online issue of Neurology suggests that walking may protect
aging brains from growing smaller and, in (1)_______, preserve memory in old age.
“Brain size shrinks in late adulthood, which can cause memory problems,” study author Kirk Erickson
of the University of Pittsburg said in a news release. “Our findings should encourage further well-designed
scientific (2)_______ of physical exercise in older adults as a very (3)_______ approach for preventing
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.” For the study, the team asked 299 dementia-free seniors to record the
(4)_______they walked each week.
Four years later, the participants were tested to see if they had developed (5)_______of dementia.
Then after nine years had passed, scientists (6)_______the participants’ brains to measure size. At the four-
year test, researchers discovered subjects who walked the most had (7)_______their risk of developing
memory problems by 50 percent. At the nine-year checkpoint, those who walked at least 9.5 kilometers a
week, had brains with a larger (8)_______than those who didn’t walk as much.
This is not the first study to (9)_______ the benefits of walking in seniors. For example, last spring,
Havard University found that women who walked regularly at a (10)_______ pace had an almost 40
percent lower risk of stroke.
1. A. result B. turn C. sequence D. case
2. A. trials B. attempts C. searches D. courses
3. A. indicative B. promising C. fortunate D. ideal
4. A. distance B. length C. duration D. extent
5. A. signals B. factors C. signs D. features
6. A. skimmed B. scanned C. screened D. sounded
7. A. depressed B. declined C. reduced D. dropped
8. A. volume B. amount C. dimension D. quantity
9. A. advertise B. promote C. respect D. admire
10. A. brisk B. hard C. crisp D. brief
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2. For questions 11-20, fill in the gap with ONE suitable word. Write the answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes.
My perfect weekend
Each week we ask a famous person to tell us about their ideal weekend. This weekend it’s the
(11)______of actress, Laila Rouass.
How would I spend the perfect weekend ? Well, on Sundays I like (12)______ better than to hang out in
Shoreditch around Brick Lane. When I was younger, I’d go there more or (13)______ every weekend with
my parents; we’d go to the market and have lunch from a food stall and it’s still as crazy and quirky as it
used to be when I was a kid. I always have a good look (14)______ the bric-a-brac shops. I love the
second-hand furniture they sell though I (15)______ ever actually buy anything.
I’m not one of those people who escape to the countryside at weekends. If we went anywhere, it
would be to Morocco, where I spent a large part of my childhood. My parents are from there and I now
own a farm near Tangiers. I love it: it’s so quick and easy to get to – just a three hour flight from London
and a two hour time difference but as (16)______ as you step off the plane, you’re in a different world.
You’re in Africa and (17)______ else has such a lively café culture as there is in Morocco.
When I was younger, I’d go out clubbing every weekend but I can’t remember the last time I went
dancing. On the rare (18)______ that we do go out, it’s usually to Home House, a club in London. I joined
a few years ago because I really like the atmosphere.
But more often than not I just don’t (19)______ like going out. I’ve got a reputation for arranging
things with my girlfriends and (20)______ sticking to them. They end up coming over to mine and
watching a movie.
Your answers:
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

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 Part 3. You are going to read an article about opera. For questions 21-27, choose the answer (A, B,
C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Opera today
Journalist Laura James meets three young composers of operatic works.
We're crammed in along one wall of a studio in London as two singers rehearse a short scene from a new
opera. From a piano jammed between members of the assembled team, a pianist plays simple harmonies
soon to be played by an orchestra. The singers sound lyrical, but hesitantly so, fixating on just a handful of
notes: they are playing a mother and son struggling to communicate. It's moving to watch, even in this raw
form - but it's also constantly evolving. Frustrated with the pacing, the conductor stops the singers mid-
phrase. 'We've lost some reality now because it's become "opera"," she says. There are nods all round.
Hang on a minute. We're in a rehearsal for a new operatic work and the conductor is worried it's sounding
like opera?
Then I understand. She wants to avoid the age-old model of European opera as over-the-top melodrama
full of improbable plot twists-the stuff that has long fed the genre's reputation for elitism, prejudice and all-
round silliness.
When I arrive at the rehearsal, the performers are just speaking their lines. searching for an unaffected-
sounding line delivery, feeling their way through the human drama. The piece is by the composer Jane
Peel. Peel leaves no space for line timeworn clichés, and this seems to fit in with an emerging trend, which
includes some repertory-ready works already line playing at some of the great opera houses.
'I only found out about opera as an adult, says Peel, who holds a special studentship Residence - at the
Royal Opera House in London. I came to it from contemporary music and then sort of went backwards."
Doctoral Composer-in- I wonder whether being a relative newcomer has meant that Peel has partly
sidestepped the pressures exerted by opera's long history both its masterpieces and its clitist reputation.
"Working in an amazing building like the Royal Opera House, full of photos of great singers and
productions from the past, it feels nice to be part of that history - but I don't feel terrified by it she explains.
"I have no fixed ideas about what a good subiect for an opera is. I'm more driven by intuition.
Her opera is set in Montreal in Canada. It's one of the first operas to feature Inuit throat music, an ancient
singing form of the Inuit people of northern Canada. It's a breathy, rhythmic sound, as far from classical
European opera as you get. The cast includes an Inuit singer, Eva Kattuk. But Peel is keen for this to be
more than a compositional gimmick arousing attention, to ensure that the throat singing doesn't stand out
like a 'decoration or oddity'. It should be integral and, to help her achieve this, she carried out extensive
background research and preparation.
The Liverpool-based composer Julie Williams has 'nothing against classical opera'. 'I just don't think it
should be a historic genre,' she says. 'I like to look forward.' Her opera Satellite is based on a science-
fiction story by Edward Hanwell in which a person has been sentenced to indefinite solitary confinement
on a space station for the crime of 'unwillingness to engage with other people'. 'The main character in my
Satellite has both a male and female voice,' she says. 'They have this amazing duet sound. I've got a male
singer with a deep bass voice but who can asso sing high notes, and a wonderful female singer with an
amazing range. Together they produce this unworldly, haunting sound. It's a striking reminder that opera's
weirdness needn't be an obstacle. Satellite uses opera's vocal extremity as an expressive device, a means of
marking out a character's difference from everyone else.
For Pippa Miles, opera is all about the power of the voice: 'There's a magnetism to it people singing on a
stage that I find irresistible. One of her works, Forest, contains just two vocal roles there's something about
tenor classical singer and a female singer who improvises. I love the energy that comes when you put those
together. for a male she says. Forest is a story about a man who makes a journey of self-discovery. He ends
up in a remote forest. Miles is fascinated by forests. 'They're alive, yet timeless, and I try to get at this in
my music. She is keen for people listening to feel immersed in the soundscape, and admits to a sense of
panic because opera tends to be performed on a big stage and it can feel distant: Artists have got to reach
people, to open hearts and open minds, she says. “Opera has to change.”
(Practice Test 6-Part 5)
21. What does the writer find strange about the scene in the studio?
A. the extent to which the singers push themselves
B. the reason for a sense of dissatisfaction
C. the limited amount of space available
D. the number of mistakes being made

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22. Which words in the third paragraph echo the way opera is characterised in the second paragraph?
A. unaffected-sounding delivery (lines 10-11)
B. human drama (line 11)
C. timeworn clichés (line 12)
D. repertory-ready works (line 12)
23. In the fourth paragraph, the writer suggests it is fortunate for Jane Peel that_____
A. she has been appointed to a prestigious post.
B. she has only recently moved into the field of opera.
C. she has had exposure to diverse musical influences.
D. she has come to an ideal place to learn about opera.
24. In using Inuit throat singing, Jane Peel aims to______
A. make it feel like a natural part of her composition.
B. show how it differs from more mainstream genres.
C. stay faithful to the traditions that it comes from.
D. ensure there is greater public awareness of it.
25. What particularly impresses the writer about Julie Williams' approach to opera?
A. her determination to find singers who share her understanding of it
B. the respect she shows for its technical sophistication
C. her interest in combining it with literary ideas
D. the way she exploits its unusual qualities
26. What problem does Pippa Miles think opera has?
A. It often lacks genuine emotion.
B. Audiences find it difficult to relate to.
C. The themes it tackles are too limited.
D. There's a reluctance to use its strengths.
27. In the context of the passage, what does the phrase "opera's weirdness" most likely refer to?
A. the unconventional nature of opera's plots and themes
B. the unusual vocal techniques used in opera
C. the historical association of opera with aristocratic culture
D. the perception that opera is a genre for the elite
Your answers:
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.

Part 4. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
How Does the Biological Clock Tick?
A. Our life span is restricted. Everyone accepts this as 'biologically' obvious. 'Nothing lives forever!'
However, in this statement we think of artificially produced, technical objects, products which are
subjected to natural wear and tear during use. This leads to the result that at some time or other the object
stops working and is unusable ('death' in the biological sense). But are the wear and tear and loss of
function of technical objects and the death of living organisms really similar or comparable?
B. Our 'dead' products are 'static', closed systems. It is always the basic material which constitutes the
object and which, in the natural course of things, is worn down and becomes 'older*. Ageing in this case
must occur according to the laws of physical chemistry and of thermodynamics. Although the same law
holds for a living organism, the result of this law is not inexorable in the same way. At least as long as a
biological system has the ability to renew itself it could actually become older without ageing; an organism
is an open, dynamic system through which new material continuously flows. Destruction of old material
and formation of new material are thus in permanent dynamic equilibrium. The material of which the
organism is formed changes continuously. Thus our bodies continuously exchange old substance for new,
just like a spring which more or less maintains its form and movement, but in which the water molecules
are always different.
C. Thus ageing and death should not be seen as inevitable, particularly as the organism possesses many
mechanisms for repair. It is not, in principle, necessary for a biological system to age and die. Nevertheless,
a restricted life span, ageing, and then death are basic characteristics of life. The reason for this is easy to
recognise: in nature, the existent organisms either adapt or are regularly replaced by new types. Because of
changes in the genetic material (mutations) these have new characteristics, they are tested for optimal or

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better adaptation to the environmental conditions. Immortality would disturb this system - it needs room for
new and better life. This is the basic problem of evolution.
D. Every organism has a life span which is highly characteristic. There are striking differences in life span
between different species, but within one species the parameter is relatively constant. For example, the
average duration of human life has hardly changed in thousands of years. Although more and more people
attain an advanced age as a result of developments in medical care and better nutrition, the characteristic
upper limit for most remains 80 years. A further argument against the simple wear and tear theory is the
observation that the time within which organisms age lies between a few days (even a few hours for
unicellular organisms) and several thousand years, as with mammoth trees.
E. If a life span is a genetically determined biological characteristic, it is logically necessary to propose the
existence of an internal clock, which in some way measures and controls the ageing process and which
finally determines death as the last step in a fixed programme. Like the life span, the metabolic rate has for
different organisms a fixed mathematical relationship to the body mass. In comparison to the life span this
relationship is 'inverted': the larger the organism the lower its metabolic rate. Again this relationship is
valid not only for birds, but also, similarly on average within the systematic unit, for all other organisms
(plants, animals, unicellular organisms).
F. Animals which behave 'frugally' with energy become particularly old, for example, crocodiles and
tortoises. Parrots and birds of prey are often held chained up. Thus they are not able to 'experience life' and
so they attain a high life span in captivity. Animals which save energy by hibernation or lethargy (e.g. bats
or hedgehogs) live much longer than those which are always active. The metabolic rate of mice can be
reduced by a very low consumption of food (hunger diet). They then may live twice as long as their well
fed comrades. Women become distinctly (about 10 percent) older than men. If you examine the metabolic
rates of the two sexes you establish that the higher male metabolic rate roughly accounts for the lower male
life span. That means that they live life 'energetically' - more intensively, but not for as long.
G. It follows from the above that sparing use of energy reserves should tend to extend life. Extreme high
performance sports may lead to optimal cardiovascular performance, but they quite certainly do not
prolong life. Relaxation lowers metabolic rate, as does adequate sleep and in general an equable and
balanced personality. Each of us can develop his or her own 'energy saving programme' with a little self-
observation, critical self-control and, above all, logical consistency. Experience will show that to live in
this way not only increases the life span but is also very healthy. This final aspect should not be forgotten.

Questions 28-32
The following passage has seven paragraphs, A-G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-F from the
list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i The biological clock
ii Why dying is beneficial
iii The ageing process of men and women
iv Prolonging your life
v Limitations of life span
vi Modes of development of different species
vii A stable life span despite improvements
viii Energy consumption
ix Fundamental differences in ageing of objects and organisms
x Repair of genetic material
Example: Paragraph A: __v__
28. Paragraph B
29. Paragraph C
30. Paragraph D
31. Paragraph E
32. Paragraph F
Questions 33-36
Complete the notes below with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer. (The words needed
can be in different forms with those appearing in the passage.)
 Objects age in accordance with principles of (33)______ and of (34)______.

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  Through mutations, organisms can (35)______ better to the environment.
 (36)______would pose a serious problem for the theory of evolution.
Questions 37-40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the passage?
In boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet, write:
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
37. The wear and tear theory applies to both artificial objects and biological systems.
38. In principle, it is possible for a biological system to become older without ageing.
39. Within seven years, about 90 percent of a human body is replaced as new.
40. Conserving energy may help to extend a human's life.
Your answers:
28. 29. 30. 31. 32.
33. 34. 35. 36. 37.
38. 39. 40.

Part 5: You are going to read an article about art forgery. For questions 41 - 50, choose from the
sections of the article (A-D). The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section are the following mentioned?
- the belief that forgery will continue to be a problem in the future 41. ______
- the diverse nature of skills required in forgery detection 42. ______
- a sense of pride in an achievement 43. ______
- a reluctance to reveal how something is done 44. ______
- a reason underlying a belief that certain types of forgery were unlikely 45. ______
- a technical process which is difficult to control 46. ______
- details that can reveal whether or not a painting is authentic 47. ______
- forgers' familiarity with detection techniques 48. ______
- distinctive features of a particular work of art 49. ______
- how forgery can cause serious financial problems 50. ______
Detecting forgery in the art world
A. The suggestion of a smile about the lips; the translucent headscarf over the forehead; the barely visible
eyebrows; the muted colours blended in the sfumato style. It took John Myatt four months to complete his
latest task: a replica of the world's most famous painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Myatt, who
spent time in prison in 1999 for forging works by, among others, the great 20th century artists, Alberto
Giacometti and Ben Nicholson, has no intention of trying to pass off his work as the real thing; he
produced it for a film about the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911. 'I'm delighted with it,' says Myatt. 'I even
got the cracking right,' referring to the tiny lines that emerge over time on the surface of old oil paintings.
He reproduces the effect by carefully applying two sets of varnishes one quick-drying, one slow, to open
up the cracks. Even though he has done it before, he says, it's a heart-stopping moment because the results
largely come down to the atmosphere in the room, and so forth.'
B. Artistic deception has fallen under the spotlight in recent years. First came the shock that a well-known
gallery in the US had been unknowingly selling forged works for millions of dollars - and as a result, went
bankrupt. Next came the news that Sotheby's, the renowned international auction house, had been caught
out when it auctioned a work supposedly by the 17th century Dutch painter Frans Hals for £8.4m. When
doubts emerged, Sotheby's arranged for it to be sent for scientific analysis, revealing the forgery and
prompting the auction house to reimburse the buyer. That a forger could create lookalikes of such high
quality caused great concern among dealers, collectors and art lovers, who had previously assumed that the
technical difficulty of reproducing historieal masterpieces acted as a natural defence against fakes. 'Good
forgeries of old masterpieces were thought to be virtually impossible,' says art expert Frank Crossland. He
adds that the recent scandals are in some ways positive. 'They've made us realise we need to be much more
careful about authenticity."
C. One of the core tasks of an art analyst is to ensure that the materials present in a painting or sculpture
were available at the time the work is said to have been made. The German forger Wolfgang Beltracchi
was unmasked when he inadvertently used titanium white, a material first created in 1916, for a forgery
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dated two years earlier. Then there is an inappropriate frame or canvas: Myatt says the forger's 'standard
procedure' is to obtain an inferior painting from the right period and remove the paint, leaving a suitably
aged, but clean, canvas still stretched with pieces of wood from the correct era. But even if the individual
materials in a work check out as historically appropriate, alarm bells may be set off by the way they are
assembled. The best analysts need to know about the chemical characteristics of different types of paint, so
they need to be scientists, says Crossland. 'But they also need to know how particular artists went about
their work, the subjects they were interested in, and so on. So they need to be historians and art lovers,
too."
D. Part of the problem is the mass of published literature, essential for academic scholarship but accessible
to forgers, setting out exactly how artists throughout history have worked. Forgers also keep up to date
with the testing instruments. While galleries and auction houses now use digital microscopes and handheld
XRF spectrometers that identify works' constituent elements, forgers are creating works in anticipation of
such close inspection. This seems to be more or less the current standard,' says one art analyst. Careful to
avoid giving the criminals any tips, he declines to talk about specific cases. Myatt, however, is more open:
he is convinced the latest successful forger of historical paintings is someone trained in art restoration who
has seen great works pass through their hands over many years. He says it takes years before you can look
at the way the paint leaves the brush, the "handwriting" of an artist, and really understand it. Such insights
lead him to take the view that any hopes that the cat and mouse game between the' art establishment and
the forgers is about to end are based more on wishful thinking than hard facts.
(Practice Test 6 -Part 8)
41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

SECTION D. WRITING (60 points)

Part 1. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning
to the sentence printed before it.
1. You are allowed to play in my garden if you promise not to do anything wrong.
So long __________________________________________________________________________.
2. The policeman acted quickly and averted an accident.
The prompt_______________________________________________________________________.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first one. Use the word given in
capital letters and the word mustn’t be altered in any way.
3. Our special offer was taken up by as many as 40,000 people. AVAILED
→ No ___________________________________________________________________________.
4. I think the party tomorrow will possibly lack warmth and feeling. DEVOID
→ The odds __________ ____________________________________________________________.
5. Everyone approved of the decision to gain access to Chat GPT in information search. TAP
→ There was unanimous_____________________________________________________________.

Part 2. Write a letter of about 120-150 words.

You saw an advertisement for a tennis course in England but you have one or two problems and can't stay
the whole course. Write a letter to the course director. In your letter, you should
- explain your interest in the course
- describe your problems
- find out if a refund is possible
Use your name and address as Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc – 68 Minh Khai Street, Vinh City, Nghe An Province.

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Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 words on the following topic.
The number of overweight children in developed countries is increasing. Some people think this is due to
problems such as the growing number of fast-food outlets. Others believe that parents are to blame for not
looking after their children's health.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons and relevant examples to support your answer.

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Mai Kim Trang Anh Sơn 1 -Nguyen Thị Thanh Quỳnh Lưu 4 – Trần Minh Hiếu N.X.O
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 _____ THE END ______

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