Đề minh họa thi vào lớp 10 Tiếng Anh năm 2026 trường Phổ thông năng khiếu TP.HCM (chuyên) có đáp án

Choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which fits best. your answers on the Answer Sheet.

Guided Cloze 1

For more than a decade, comic book films have been 41._______ and fairly reliable moneymakers, but the genre has suffered a series of shocking failures in 2023 that 42. ______ questions about its future. Well-established 43. _______ the franchises and characters were, from Marvel's 'Ant-man' and 'the Marvels' to D.C's 'Aquaman' and 'The Flash', box office figures were disappointing to 44. _______ the least. Most notably, 'The Marvels' struggled to crawl past 45. _______ $200 million while its 46. ______ 'Captain Marvel' 47. _______ $1.1 billion in 2019. Some have argued these failures can be blamed entirely on the movies themselves not being up to snuff. 48. ________, most of this year's superhero flops earned lukewarm reviews, and Marvel was coming off poorly received films like "Eternals" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" that likely tainted the brand.

Regardless, it could also be that audiences are simply 49. _______ from being flooded with endless superhero content. After Marvel's Disney+ shows were added to the pool in early 2021, it feels like homework to stay up to date with the movies' 50. ________ universe.

Guided Cloze 2

Microplastics, as the name 51. _______, are tiny plastic particles. Officially, they are 52. ______ as plastics less than five millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter—smaller in diameter than the standard pearl used in jewelry. There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary.

Primary microplastics are tiny particles 53. _______ for commercial use, such as cosmetics, as well as microfibers shed from clothing and other 54. _______, such as fishing nets. Secondary microplastics are particles that result from the 55. _______ of larger plastic items, such as water bottles. This breakdown is 56. ______ by exposure to 57.______ factors, mainly the sun's radiation and ocean waves.

The problem with microplastics is that—like plastic items of any size—they do not readily break down into harmless molecules. Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to 58. _______ and in the meantime, wreak havoc on the environment. On beaches, microplastics are 59. _______ as tiny multicolored plastic bits in sand. In the oceans, microplastic pollution is often 60. _______ by marine animals.

OPEN CLOZE TEST (1.00 pts)

Complete each blank with ONE most suitable word. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

Open cloze 1

Everyone who uses the wealth of language wants to use it in some way (0)___that___  is characteristically his own. He wants it, (61) _______ a sense, as his private property. This desire is the most genuine tribute we (62) _______ to our heritage because it is unspoken and often unacknowledged, but it is steady.

Henry Seidel Canby said that style is like happiness: "Everyone recognizes it; everyone describes it, (63) _______ no two people agree as (64) _______ its exact nature.” There are many views and many mysteries (65) _______ which the student can delve, but for working purposes, style may be (66) ________ upon as our personal appearance in print, our self-image given in speech. When we become personal about the language, we become conscious (67) ________ style, for it is through style (68) ________ we make the language our own. A style, representing the sum total of choices made in daily speech and writing, expresses our individual connection with that vast and confusing body of knowledge known as language. It is (69) _______ of our surest and most creative conceits that the way we write and talk must have features that mark us (70) _______ from the mass.

Open cloze 2

If you (71) ________ writing a novel, I would strongly urge you to look to yourself before you went elsewhere for ideas. As a writer, you couldn't possibly judge (72) ________ the majority of your readers would be, nor could you classify them as if it is often desirable to do with an audience sitting in one room. You would know only that you were writing for an unseen multitude scattered about the country. (73) ________ would therefore be sensible for you to concentrate (74) ________ sharing some of your own experiences and emotions with your readers and hoping that enough of (75) ________ would be interested in the story and characters you create to make your material popular. At any (76) ________ moment, however, you would be dealing with only one person at a (77) ________ . There wouldn't be others peering over a reader's shoulders and influencing him to react as a group. You wouldn't worry if thousands of people rejected your book so (78) ________ as other thousands bought and enjoyed it.

A talk is different. It is really alive at the moment of delivery, and so is the audience. The speaker deals with a mass, many people gathered together and each feeling the subtle influence of the other at the same time. A speech that falls (79) _______ on its face, so to (80) ________ in the first few minutes is almost impossible to revive. You cannot afford to lose the interest of a substantial portion of the people before you because soon you have lost them all.

For questions 81-85, read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

THE TRUTH ABOUT INTELLIGENCE: CAN I BECOME CLEVERER?

Brain-training is thriving despite doubts it can actually boost your smarts. But there is a way to increase your IQ score and keep your brain sharp for longer

By Linda Geddes | 18 July 2018 | Newscientist.com

During the early 1990s, a paper was published in Nature revealing that students performed better on an intelligence test if they listened to Mozart while taking it. So was born the billion-dollar brain-training industry. [A]. Sadly, other researchers have been unable to replicate the “Mozart effect”. Studies of computer games that claim to improve mental performance have produced mixed results too. “Brain training, Baby Einstein, and so on have been fairly disappointing in terms of being able to boost IQ," says Stuart Ritchie at the University of Edinburgh, UK.

However, one intervention has repeatedly been shown to work: education. True, intelligent children often remain in school for longer, but that can't be the whole story. [B]. During the 1960s, the Norwegian government added two extra years of compulsory education to its curriculum and rolled out the change gradually, allowing comparisons between different regions. When researchers investigated IQ scores from tests taken by all Norwegian men as part of their compulsory military service, they concluded that the additional schooling added 3.7 IQ points per year.

This pattern has been seen elsewhere. [C]. In a recent meta-analysis, Ritchie and a colleague concluded that each additional year of schooling boosted IQ by between 1 and 5 points. “That's not to say that if we left people in school forever they would all become super-geniuses; it must plateau out at some point," he says. "But given the variance in schooling we have now, education does provide some degree of boost." It might simply be that reading, studying arithmetic and accruing general knowledge are good training for the kind of abstract thinking you need to perform well in IQ tests. Schooling may also teach children to maintain their concentration. Or it could be doing something else.

Whether adult education has a similar effect is less clear. "It is plausible," says Ritchie, although it hasn't been tested directly. [D]. One study, which compared people's IQ scores at the ages of 11 and 70 found that being in a more complex job was related to being smarter in later life even after controlling for how smart a person was to begin with. This group still had some age-related decline, but it was less pronounced than in other people. “That is evidence consistent with the 'use it or lose it' hypothesis," says Richie.

For questions 86-89, you are going to read a text with 6 paragraphs (A-F). Decide which paragraph gives you the information in the following sentences. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

The Digital Shift in Employment

(A) The job market has seen a seismic shift in recent years, primarily due to the pervasive integration of digital technology. From the initial job search to the final hiring process, technology is at the forefront. Nowadays, job seekers are expected to navigate numerous online platforms, from LinkedIn to specialized job boards. The process has expanded from merely submitting a resume to cultivating a digital presence that can attract potential employers.

(B) Once a candidate has been spotted, the interview process has also transitioned to the digital realm. Video interviews via platforms such as Zoom or Skype are now commonplace. This shift has not only made it more convenient for employers to screen candidates but has also expanded the talent pool, as geographical limitations become less of an impediment to finding the right fit for a job.

(C) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are revolutionizing how employers assess candidates. Many companies now use sophisticated algorithms to sift through applications before a human eye ever sees them. These algorithms can scan for keywords, evaluate experience, and even predict a candidate's fit within the company culture. While this efficiency is advantageous for employers, it requires job seekers to be more strategic in their applications.

(D) The nature of the jobs themselves has evolved, with many roles now necessitating a degree of technical proficiency that was not required a decade ago. For instance, marketing positions often require knowledge of data analytics and social media strategy, merging creative skills with technical understanding. As a result, the workforce is continuously upskilling to meet the demands of these tech-infused roles.

(E) Remote work, which has surged in popularity due to advancements in technology and external factors such as the global pandemic, is expected to persist as a standard mode of operation. Companies are investing in cloud services, collaborative online tools, and secure remote access to systems, signaling a long-term commitment to this model. The ability to work from anywhere has also reshaped the concept of work-life balance, making it a significant consideration for job seekers.

(F) Finally, the rise of the gig economy has introduced a new dimension to employment, with platforms like Upwork and Freelancer facilitating short-term, flexible job opportunities. This model is powered by technology, enabling individuals to offer their skills on a global market. It underscores the increasing importance of digital literacy, as the ability to navigate these platforms can determine one's success in securing work.

For questions 90-99, you are going to read an article. Choose the item (A, B, C or D) that best answers each question or completes the sentences about the passage. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

Suppose that 54.3 percent of a country's population had cancer. That figure might set off a nationwide panic—a search for something wrong with people's diet, the environment, activity levels. In fact, that's the percentage of Americans who show a positive skin response to one or more allergens. Allergic reactions, such as sneezing, itching, and rashes, are due to the immune system mistakenly attacking harmless substances like pollen, dust mites, or certain foods. Even if symptoms are rarely life- threatening, allergies can prove to be a great source of discomfort for sufferers, who are supposed to just 'deal with it.

Allergies have been labeled as an "epidemic of modernity," with industrialized countries experiencing a much higher prevalence. Factors like diet, pollution, and environmental changes have all contributed to the increase. In contrast, regions with limited industrialization, such as parts of South America and Africa, report significantly lower rates of allergies, suggesting that modernization plays a critical role in the rise of allergic reactions.

For children in the United States, food allergies are increasingly common, affecting about six percent. Due to this, federal legislation mandates that food manufacturers clearly label major allergens. For families dealing with severe allergies, special provisions, such as designated allergy-free tables in schools and support groups, are essential for managing these challenges.

Allergic reactions develop when the immune system identifies a substance as a threat and creates antibodies against it. The first exposure to an allergen may cause no symptoms, but the body "remembers" and reacts more strongly on subsequent exposures. This immune response can progress, potentially becoming more severe with each encounter. [A]

There is a hereditary component to allergies, meaning genetics can increase a person's risk of developing allergies or asthma, particularly if parents have similar conditions. However, genetics alone cannot explain the rapid increase in allergy rates, which has led researchers to investigate environmental and lifestyle factors. One such factor is diet: the rise in processed foods, reduced intake of fruits and vegetables, and lower levels of antioxidants may contribute to the increased likelihood of allergies. Antibiotic overuse is another probable cause, as it disrupts gut bacteria that may help suppress allergic reactions. Additionally, exposure to environmental pollutants, like diesel fumes near highways, has been shown to increase sensitivity to allergens. [B]

The "hygiene hypothesis" is a popular theory explaining the allergy epidemic. It suggests that modern society's obsession with cleanliness prevents people, especially children, from being exposed to bacteria and allergens that would help build a stronger immune system. In highly sanitized environments, immune systems may overreact to harmless substances, leading to allergies. [C]

However, the "right kind of dirt" seems necessary to provide this benefit. For instance, inner-city neighborhoods, which are often exposed to pollutants, still show high allergy rates, indicating that certain pollutants rather than a lack of exposure to natural microbes might be the issue. [D]

While we still lack clear solutions to prevent allergies, some scientists believe that exposing children to microbes and allergens early in life may help reduce allergy rates. However, the best approach remains uncertain, as some early exposures could make allergies worse later on. Food allergies, in particular, may need entirely different treatment methods.

Despite these challenges, there is hope. Today, a growing market offers allergy sufferers various products and services, such as hypoallergenic hotels and improved ventilation systems. Scientists are also exploring genetic engineering, like creating hypoallergenic plants that do not trigger allergic responses. Such innovations offer some relief, but the question remains: can allergies be fully prevented, and if so, what new triggers might arise for the immune system to react against?

For questions 100-105, six paragraphs have been removed from a book extract below. Choose from the paragraphs A-G the one that fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

LANGUAGE AND REALITY

One morning in the rainforested uplands of Kri territory in central Laos, I was traveling between village hamlets as I sought to learn more about the Kri language during my first field expedition to the area. All my energy was focused on building a vocabulary of the language. I had my notebook at the ready every minute. Two village men, Baai and Kham, were heading in the same direction as I was, and so they gave me a ride in their longboat.

That morning, we sat in file, pushing along through a still and spacious river pool with no perceptible flow. The only sound was the light cutting of oars into the mirror-like water and the trickle of runoff. Suddenly, an enormous bird emerged from the jungle overstory to our right, arcing high over the open expanse ò river and heading north. At the front of the boat, Baai pointed up. He turned to look at Kham and called out vung vaawq!

Later that evening, I puzzled over that moment as I checked my notes. From photographs, I figured out which bird Baai had referred to. But why, in that moment, had Baai turned to look at Kham and say the bird’s name? Just think about what this little example of language use consists of. A man sees something interesting, turns to his companion, and says the word for the thing out loud. If languages are problem-solving systems, what problem was Baai solving by calling out the word for the crested argus that day?

Words directly reflect this perceptual prominence. According to this view, when Baai turned to Kham and said vung vaawq, it was an intellectual act, a sheer expression of mental interest in distinguishing bird species and an act that was possible because the Kri language has a word for this bird.

This is the case with the Kri word for the crested argus. Kri speakers do not hunt, breed, eatch, or otherwise use these birds, or any other birds for that matter. Does this mean the word vung vaawq cannot be explained in utilitarian terms?

Let’s return to the crest argus. That day on the river, when Baai turned to Kham and said the name of the bird, one possibility is that he was taking a simple opportunity for social bonding through sharing experience. In that boat, both men individually had the same visual experience of seeing the bird, but when Baai looked at Kham and called its name, it was a public act that took two parallel experiences and converted them into a shared experience. Pointing something out serves a bonding function between people by aligning their attention on a common focus.

After all, Kri speakers know well over a hundred bird species names and yet have virtually no direct interactions with birds or any practical uses for them. They don’t raise or eat birds or any practical uses for them. They don’t raise or eat birds apart from chickens. According to the commonsense referential view of language, we have words to convey information about the world and to update others about things they haven’t experienced themselves. But in this case, the function of the word arguably has more to do with matters of social coordination and social bonding.

A. A long-standing scientific debate points to some possible answers. Why is it that "only a small subset of the species diversity in any one local habitat is ever recognized linguistically by local human populations"? The cognitive anthropologist Brent Berlin has pointed to two possible explanations. One is the intellectualist view: languages make the distinctions they make because human beings are inherently interested in acknowledging—by naming—the distinctions that are perceptually most prominent in nature.

B. Kri territory is nestled just to the west of the Annamite Cordillera, the mountain chain whose ridge serves as the Laos-Vietnam border, near where Vietnam is at its narrowest. The riverine environment features chains of river pools, expanses of still water that create breaks in the forest canopy. Traveling along these pools quietly in a canoe is a time to see wildlife, such as bands of macaques coming down to drink at the edge of the river, or to hear the calls of gibbons from the distant hilltops.

C. There are words for plants that appear to be of no direct utility to people who know the word—that is, where there are no consequences of knowing or not knowing those plants. But there is what we might call indirect utility. An example of the indirect utility of knowing a particular tree species is being able to distinguish it from others.

D. We should also note that Baai's act of saying the bird's name may also have been a display of expertise. Maybe he was bragging: I know what that bird is called. Could it be that the only reason the Kri language even has a word for that bird is so that speakers can display that they know it?

E. This is the Kri word for the crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata), a spectacular peafowl-like pheasant of the forest. And as quick as that, the great bird was gone. That was all. Everyone was silent, and on we went.

F. One idea is that the ideal communicative system would combine "perfectly informative (lossless) communication with perfect simplicity (no cognitive cost)," that is, telepathy or mind reading. But nothing remotely like literal mind reading is necessary if your purpose is to coordinate with someone.

G. Another view is utilitarian. According to this view, the naming of a plant or animal in a language will be guided by the “practical consequences of knowing or not knowing [that] plant or animal” in the relevant cultural context. An obvious problem with this claim is that languages often have words for plants and animals that are of no obvious utility to speakers, whether this utility be concerned with the need to pursue, avoid, or otherwise be invested in the ability to identify a life form.

PART 3. WRITING (3.50 pts) - Questions 106-130

Questions 106 - 115     WORD FORMATION (1.00 pts)

Provide the most suitable form of the given word in brackets to complete each space in the passage below. Write no more than ONE word for each space. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

A good example of how a (0) skilled (SKILL) speaker can (106) _________ (COME) a poor voice is the late Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Here was a woman who was in constant demand to address audiences on a variety of subjects. Yet, by certain standards, her shrill, sometimes grating, often uneven tones would have been judged totally unsatisfactory for public speaking. That her remarks were (107) _________ (ENTHUSE) received by people all over the world was a tribute to the sheer force of personality she was able to inject into the rather (108) _________ (ATTRACT) vocal instrument she had at her (109) _________  (DISPOSE). Sincerity, (110) ___________ (WAVER) hope and idealism, personal warmth and integrity, and dedication to mankind's needs broke through the barrier of harsh sounds and (111) ____________ (SEEM) gave them a special and (112) _________ (RESIST) appeal.

Your attitude toward your voice should be this. Accept the fact that by the time you are old enough to organize and deliver a sustained talk, your body structure (especially the mouth, throat, and chest areas), your physical habits of sound production, and your central (113) __________ (NERVE) system have largely determined what your voice will be for the rest of your life. Only prolonged and rather expensive training and instruction may (114) _________ (MATERIAL) change the general quality of your voice, and there is no guarantee since intensive psychiatric attention may also be necessary. It makes more sense to spend your time learning a few techniques that can help you exert the force of your personality through your voice in such a way that it becomes (115) _________ (ACCEPT) to an audience regardless of how far from ideal it is.

Questions 116 - 120     ERROR CORRECTION (0.5 pts)

Identify the FIVE errors in the following passage and correct them. Indicate the line at which mistakes are found, and how to correct them. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

Example (*):

(*) this example can not be written on your answer sheer

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each error/correction on the answer sheet.

Questions 121 - 130     SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2.0 pts)

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given in the brackets. Do NOT make any changes to the word given. You must write from THR…, and WEE to EIGHT words, including the given word.

Example:

0. Do you mind if I watch you while you paint?

=> Do you ____________________________ you while you pain? (OBJECTION)

Write on your answer sheet:

Write only the missing words on the answer sheet.