Tuyển tập đề thi học sinh giỏi và chọn đội tuyển học sinh giỏi quốc gia THPT năm học 2015-2016 (217 trang)

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     Đây là một tài liệu quý giá giúp các bạn học sinh ôn tập và chuẩn bị cho kỳ thi học sinh giỏi, đội tuyển học sinh giỏi quốc gia THPT với nhiều đề thi thử được lựa chọn kỹ càng từ các trường Chuyên trên toàn quốc. Đặc biệt, tài liệu còn có đáp án chi tiết, giúp các bạn tự kiểm tra và cải thiện kết quả học tập của mình.

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BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO  

TUYỂN TẬP ĐỀ THI 

HỌC SINH GIỎI VÀ CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN  HỌC SINH GIỎI QUỐC GIA THPT NĂM HỌC 2015-2016 

TẬP 1 

LÊ TRUNG KIÊN 

Sưu tầm và biên soạn 

SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO QUẢNG BÌNH 

ĐỀ THI CHÍNH THỨC



SỐ BÁO DANH:…………….. 

KỲ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN CHÍNH THỨC DỰ THI  HSG QUỐC GIA LỚP 12 THPT NĂM HỌC 2012-2013 Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH (VÒNG 1) 

Khoá thi ngày 01 tháng 11 năm 2012 

Thời gian làm bài: 180 phút (không kể thời gian phát đề) (Đề thi gồm 10 trang) 

_______________________________________________________________________  Lưu ý: Thí sinh làm bài trên tờ giấy thi 

SECTION ONE: LISTENING (40/200 points) 

* Note: There are 4 parts in the listening section. Each part will be played twice. 

Part 1. You will hear a telephone inquiry between two students about MBA online education, then fill  in the curriculum schedule below. 

- Place of study: (1)……………………………….……. 

- Tuition fees: (2)……………………………….……… 

- Courses offered: (3)……………….………………….. 

- Course length: (4)………………………….…………. 

- Deposit: (5)…………………………………………… 

Part 2. Listen and choose the correct answer (A,B or C) to complete the sentence. 6. The counselor says he can……………………………. 

A. provide sleeping pills. B. discuss the problem. C. only see medical students. 7. The counselor says that new students…………………. 

A. lack self-discipline. 

B. are expected to work more on their own. 

C. are usually not able to cope. 

8. Bill complains that the library………………………… 

A. isn’t open at the right time. B. has too few resources. C. is too noisy. 9. The counselor suggests to Bill that……………………. 

A. most other students are able to cope. 

B. he needs to find new places to work. 

C. he needs to plan more. 

10. Before being able to help Bill, the counselor needs to…………………… 

A. make a further appointment. 

B. talk with his medical friend. 

C. get more information from him. 

Part 3. Listen to the story and answer the questions below. 

11. What did Amanda do after she found her first egg? 

………………………………………………………. 

12. What color of the dress was Amanda wearing? 

…………………………………………….…………. 

13. What happened to two little toddlers? 

……………………………………………………….. 

14. What time was the search over? 

……………………………………………….………. 

15. How tall was the Easter Bunny? 

………………………………………….…….………. 

Part 4. Fill in the following blanks according to what you hear. 

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam plan to build nuclear power plants in the next  (16)………………….. and others in Southeast Asia hope to follow them. But the nuclear emergency  caused by the earthquake and (17)…………..…….... in Japan has raised concerns about the safety of  developing nuclear power, especially in countries vulnerable to natural disasters. The Asia Pacific 


SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO QUẢNG BÌNH 

Tổng số điểm toàn bài: 200 điểm 

KỲ THI CHỌN ĐỘI TUYỂN CHÍNH THỨC DỰ THI  HSG QUỐC GIA LỚP 12 THPT NĂM HỌC 2012-2013 Môn thi: TIẾNG ANH (VÒNG 1) 

Khoá thi ngày 01 tháng 11 năm 2012 

HƯỚNG DẪN CHẤM 

Sau khi cộng toàn bộ số điểm, giám khảo quy về hệ điểm 20 (không làm tròn số). 

SECTION ONE: LISTENING (40/200 điểm) 

Part 1. Mỗi chỗ đúng được 2 điểm, tổng 10 điểm. 

1.Harvard University  

2. (about) $ 10,000 

3. core units and elective courses 

4. One year 

5. 20% 

Part 2. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 2 điểm, tổng 10 điểm. 

6. B. 7. B. 8. A. 9. C. 10. C.  

Part 3. Mỗi câu đúng được 2 điểm, tổng 10 điểm. 

11. She sat down and ate it. 

12. (She was wearing) (a) white (dress). 

13. They banged heads. 

14. (It was) over by 11 o’clock. 

15. (He was) 6’6’’ (six foot six) tall. 

Part 4. Mỗi từ đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 10 điểm. 

16. decade 17. tsunami 18. struck 19. landslides. 20. activists  21. aware 22. construction 23. spokesman 24. technical 25. review  

SECTION TWO: LEXICO-GRAMMAR (60/200điểm) 

Part 1. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 20 điểm. 

26.A 27.C 28.D 29.B 30.C 31.A 32.D 33.B 34.A 35.B 36.C 37.D 38.A 39.B 40.A 41.C 42.B 43.B 44.D 45.C 

Part 2. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 10 điểm. 

46. rhythmically 47. perception(s) 48. consciousness 49. (un)arguably 50. controversial 51. researchers 52. conviction 53. underestimated 54. decisive 55. coherent 

Part 3. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 15 điểm. 

56. of 57.as 58. the 59. them 60. 61. much 62. 63. than 64. and 65. 66. due 67. in 68. 69. can 70. have  

Part 4. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 15 điểm. 

71. judicious 72. graceful 73. ordinary 74. genuine 75. painful 76. precise 77. horrible 78.praiseworthy 79. innocent 80. puzzled 81. desperate 82.absorbing 83. idle 84. fatal 85. mean


SECTION THREE: READING COMPREHENSION (60/200 điểm) 

Part 1. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 15 điểm. 

86.A 87.D 88.A 89.B 90.D 91.B 92.B 93.D 94.C 95.A 96.C 97.A 98.B 99.D 100.A 

Part 2. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 15 điểm. 

101. in 102. is 103. as 104. there 105. a 106. that/this 107. had 108. would 109. If 110. the 111. for 112. on 113. not 114. who/that 115. out 

Part 3. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 6 điểm. 

116. C 117. G 118. F 119. A 120. E 121. D Part 4. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 2 điểm, tổng 16 điểm. 

122. B 123. B 124. D 125. A 

126. C 127. D 128. C 129. A 

Part 5. Mỗi đáp án đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 8 điểm. 

130. I 131. G 132. E 133. F 

134. A 135. H 136. B 137. D 

SECTION FOUR: WRITING (40/200 điểm) 

Part 1. Mỗi câu đúng được 1 điểm, tổng 10 điểm. 

138. account should this/the door be (kept) 

139. condition (that) it is hard to 

140. far as punctuality is concerned 

141. for a great /good deal of patience 

142. no support from 

143. (of things) to offer in 

144. no/little time (in) starting/getting started 

145. on the point of leaving 

146. is/has been scheduled to take 

147. you notify us of any 

Part 2. 30 điểm 

The mark is based on the following scheme:  

1. Content: 35% of the total mark. 

2. Organization and presentation: 30% of the total mark. 

3. Language: 30% of the total mark. 

4. Handwriting, punctuation and spelling: 5% of the total mark. 

-------THE END-------

region is every year (18)………………....….. by earthquakes, tropical storms, monsoon floods and  (19)………………….. . Following the disaster in Japan, some officials and (20)……………..…… in  the region are urging a re-thinking of pursuing nuclear energy. Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission  Chairman Vuong Huu Tan says his country is watching the emergency in Japan closely and is  (21)……….….….. of public concerns. But he says they do not expect it to affect their plans to build at  least eight nuclear plants. Vuong says they plan to begin (22)…………...….. of Vietnam’s first nuclear 

power plant in three years. Thailand plans to build up to five nuclear power plants by 2025.   Following the emergency in Japan, the Thai government said it would also take into account  concerns about nuclear safety as it became more of a public focus. But Thai government (23)………….… Panitan Wattanayagorn says it would not delay their nuclear  power development. "Until we know for sure what happened in Japan, I think several governments may  require more information on this issue,” said Panitan. “So, I think 'yes', certainly it raises some concerns,  but these concerns are not new. Hopefully, our committee who are working on this issue will come up  with a comprehensive picture of this." Panitan says if there is any delay in Thailand’s nuclear-power  plans it would be from (24)……..……..…..difficulties and feasibility studies and not in reaction to  Japan’s nuclear emergency. Southeast Asia specialist Carl Thayer, of Australia’s University of New  South Wales, says the emergency in Japan may cause a (25)……………….…… of safety planning for  nuclear risks in some countries. But he says Southeast Asia’s fast-growing demand for power means it  has few alternatives to pursuing nuclear energy. 

SECTION TWO: LEXICO-GRAMMAR (60/200 points) 

Part 1. Choose the most suitable word to complete each sentence. 

26. If you go on ………………me like this, I will never be able to finish writing my report. A. disturbing B. afflicting C. concerning D. affecting  27. Turn off this machine, please. The harsh sound really…………………..me crazy. A. takes B. worries C. drives D. bothers  

28. Everyone knew that…………………this task would require a considerable effort. A. working B. engaging C. making D. completing  29. Mr.Tanner did his best to fix the faulty oven, but his ………………………….at repairing electrical  devices wasn’t good enough to succeed. 

A. service B. skill C. technique D. craft 

30. Judy didn’t ………………….for a second to agree to Mike’s proposal as she had been in love with  the boy for a long time. 

A. decide B. linger C. hesitate D. await  

31. Don’t get so nervous about his coming late. When you get to know better, you’ll learn to take  it……………….. 

A. easy B. loose C. nice D. fine  

32. The inconsiderate driver was …………………….for parking his vehicle in the wrong place. A. inflicted B. condemned C. harrassed D. fined 

33. The idea to……………a visit to the local council residence was welcomed by all the visitors. A. do B. pay C. go D. walk  

34. His…………………..of the safety regulations really can’t be ignored any longer. A. disregard B. unfamiliarity C. carelessness D. inattention  35. Let’s …………………..the place, it looks so gloomy and unpleasant. 

A. miss B. abandon C. depart D. disappear  36. What you are saying is quite…………….., so give us, please, more details on the situation. A. famous B. accustomed C. obvious D. familiar  

37. For a short of while, I managed to catch……………….of the President entering the palace. A. vision B. notice C. view D. sight 

38. The suggestion to leave the camp at once was strongly……………………………by the climbers  who were afraid of the approaching snowstorm. 

A. opposed B. complained C. quarreled D. resigned  39. The first thing for all of you to remember is that …………………..your duties may result in an  instant dismissal.


A. escaping B. neglecting C. resisting D. missing 

40. It was the commission’s job to decide whether the pilot was ………………….for the crash that  occurred right after the take-off. 

A. responsible B. prone C. guilty D. comprehensive  41. None of us has ever ……………………of taking any rash steps against illegal broadcasting. A. declared B. persisted C. approved D. concluded  42. Several soldiers of the squad were taken………………………………by the enemy forces. A. capture B. hostage C. kidnap D. torture  

43. The student was ………………………of understanding the theory even after the professor’s  profound explanation. 

A. incompetent B. incapable C. helpless D. unsuccessful 44. I’m going for a walk in the park. Would you like to ……………….me company? A. follow B. stay C. ward D. keep  

45. Patrick is too……………………..a gambler to resist placing a bet on the final game. A. instant B. spontaneous C. compulsive D. continuous  

Part 2. For questions 46-55, read the text below. Use the word given in capital at the end of each line  to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. 

FAST BRAIN WAVES 

 Over half a century ago, scientists found they could record the  

electrical signals of the brain at work. What at first appeared a random  

hotch potch of activity became a pattern of elegant waves 

(46) ................. determined. Ever since, scientists have wondered  whether the secrets of our thoughts, (47)..................., and even  (48).................. itself might be hidden in the patterns of our brain waves.  The question of why we have brain waves is, (49)....................., as  hotly debated today as it was when the patterns were discovered. But the  meaning, and even the existence, of fast rhythms in the alert brain is  highly (50)..................... . 

 What is problematic is that you can’t perceive these rhythms  directly, they are so well hidden in the noise created by other brain  activity, but many (51).................................. now hold the  (52).............................. that the significance of these brain waves should  not be (53).................... . 

 The latest suggestion is that the rhythms could be (54)...................  in detecting processes going on in different regions of the brain. Some  believe that these rhythms might event interact, and in doing so help the  brain to package information into (55)................. thoughts. How we bring  together these related signals in the brain is a puzzle as yet unresolved. 

RHYTHM 

PERCEIVE 

CONSCIOUS ARGUE 

CONTROVERSY 

SEARCH 

CONVINCE 

ESTIMATE 

DECIDE 

COHERE 

Part 3. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some  have a word which should not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick (√) by the number. If a line has a  word which should not be there, write the word by the number. There are two examples at the  beginning (0 and 00). 

YOUNG ARTIST 


0……… 00… for . 56……… 57……… 58……… 59……… 60……… 61……… 

When I first left art college, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted  to do. In the end, I decided for to try and become a cartoonist,  because of I have always been quite good at cartoons, and you don’t  need expensive things like as a studio or lots of equipment. I drew  my cartoons in a sketchbook the first, then worked on final versions  which I sent them to various magazines and newspapers. None of  them was particularly interested. So I got a job as a guide in an art gallery because I needed the much money. That was a good move. As well as


62……… 63……… 64……… 65..…….. 66..…….. 67..…….. 68..…….. 69..…….. 70..…….. 

meeting lots of people involved in the arts, I was able to see how ordinary members of the public reacted than to the things on display. As a result of the experience I gained at the gallery, and I decided to become a sculptor. It hasn’t been easy, and I am still doing part-time work due to support myself, but next week my first one-man show is opening at the gallery in where I used to work. I’m going to go back to my old job for a week, showing people round the exhibition. It will be interesting to see how can people  react because I won’t have give away the fact that I’m the artist!  

Part 4. Replace each italicized adjective with a synonymous one in the box. 

absorbing desperate fatal genuine graceful 

horrible idle innocent judicious mean 

ordinary painful praiseworthy precise puzzled

71. This is not a very wise decision. Just think of all the consequences such an action might lead to.  72. Mark was charmed by the girl’s elegant movements and her good manners.  73. This is nothing new. It’s just a usual transistor radio.  

74. Our academy admits only people with a real interest in art.  

75. The bitter feeling of having been deserted by his closest friends made Stanley leave the city for ever. 76. If you need some more specific information, turn to Mr. Smith, who is in direct control of our  department.  

77. The terrible discovery of a skeleton in Mrs. Preston’s garden has provoked endless speculations  about a murderer hiding somewhere in the neighbourhood.  

78. The local newspapers write about the boy’s admirable courage. After all, he was the only one who  hurried to the rescue.  

79. The suspect claimed he was not guilty and that the robbery was committed by someone else.  80. I was so confused by the chairman’s reply that I didn’t know whether I was allowed to cast the vote  or not.  

81. Since Mrs. Johnson’s unexpected resignation, we have been in an urgent need of a new secretary.  82. Mike’s comment on the political crisis in our country provoked a fascinating discussion which kept  us awake during the whole night.  

83. He is usually very lazy, so we have a hard time of making him do his lessons properly. 84. The poor mother went mad after she had learnt about her son’s deadly accident.  85. Don’t bother to ask him a favour. He is too selfish to help other people.  

SECTION THREE: READING COMPREHENSION (60/200 points) 

Part 1. For questions 86-100, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits  each space. 

SHOP TILL YOU DROP! 

Attitudes towards shopping have changed dramatically over the last decade or so. There was a  time when shopping was a means to an end, not an occupation in its own right. Some people argue that  we have become a society of big-time (86) ................ , and that nothing but spending money makes us  happy. On the other (87) …………. , anyone who has worked hard to (88).............. money surely has the  right to spend it (89).............. whatever they wish. Provided that we are prepared to (90)...............  enough of our money for a rainy day, there seems little wrong with using the rest to (91).............. for  things that give us pleasure. For some people, however, spending money has become a serious business.  It will take more than a few home (92)................ to persuade them that they should not do this. The  delights of shopping are all too obvious. Attractive displays of food on supermarket (93)................... ,  and clothes which look fantastic on shop window models, tempt (94)............... to part with their money,  even if they do not actually need the (95)............... they are buying. The real question is: would we all be  happier if we were (96) ............... ? The answer is probably that we can be just as happy with money as  we can without it. However, now that many companies are branching out (97)............... the teenage  


market, and selling to teenagers has (98)………... into a huge industry, we need to be aware of the kind  of pressures being (99)…........... on parents and children alike. Perhaps what we should do is make an  effort to return to the things that really matter in life and (100)............... what we have worked so hard to  obtain with others less fortunate than ourselves. 

86. A. consumers B. producers C. suppliers D. manufacturers 87. A. face B. side C. view D. hand 88. A. earn B. gain C. win D. beat 89. A. for B. on C. with D. at 90. A. put through B. put off C. put out D. put by 91. A. buy B. pay C. spend D. purchase 92. A. suggestions B. truths C. warnings D. recommendations 93. A. beams B. foundations C. stores D. shelves 94. A. audiences B. spectators C. customers D. consultants 95. A. goods B. sales C. resources D. incomes 96. A. worthless B. useless C. penniless D. pointless 97. A. into B. round C. about D. through 98. A. become B. grown C. raised D. lifted 99. A. made B. done C. sent D. put 100. A. share B. receive C. hand D. part 

Part 2. For questions 101-115, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space.  Use only ONE word in each space. 

HOLIDAY CANCELLATION 

There is nothing worse than having a holiday cancelled. Despite the fact that the government has  brought (101) ........................ new legislation to protect holiday-makers financially, it's the  disappointment which is hard to bear. In most cases, some form of compensation (102)........................  offered, but often the alternatives are nowhere near (103)........................ exciting as the original  destination. On second thoughts, perhaps (104)...................... is something which is (105)......................  little worse than a cancelled holiday, and (106)....................... is being stranded at your holiday  destination when a company goes bankrupt. In circumstances like these, many people wish they  (107)........................ never gone on holiday at all, and may think twice about going again. 'If we'd  known that this was going to happen, we (108)...................... never have considered spending so much  money on a holiday.' (109)....................... only we'd booked with someone else!' they grumble to their  friends when they get back home. Their friends try to change (110)....................... subject, but quickly  realise that the disappointed holiday makers are determined to have their say. It seems useless to point  out that the main reason (111) ...................... having a holiday is to return home relaxed and stress-free.  If the experience turns out to be even more stressful than normal everyday life, putting pressure  (112)......................... the holiday-maker, then surely it is (113)....................... something to be repeated.  Perhaps the best advice for those (114)..................... feel that they are not cut (115)....................... for  stressful holiday experiences is simply to stay at home! 

Part 3. You are going to read a magazine article about a mountaineering expedition. Seven  paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits  each gap (116-121). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. There is an example  at the beginning (0).

A. Now we were being invited to believe what we’d thought to be impossible. Sure, there are  numerous folk tales about the mythical yeti, and various claimed sightings. But to date none of  these has ever been scientifically proven. 

B. However, it takes a lot to overcome my skeptical nature. After all, most scientists dismiss the  yeti as a mythical creature, born of imagination, thin mountain air and Tibetan fairy-tale. 

C. Neither, apparently, was there any record of a human being here before. Even Sven Hedin, the 



last explorer to come this way, in 1902, had not set foot on the holy Mount Targo because of  local sensitivities. 

D. As for my own expedition, those ten or so fresh footprints we saw at 6,000 metres on Mount  Targo, were more than 25 centimetres long and nearly 20 centimetres wide. Certainly they did  not seem to match the known prints of any such animal. 

E. Then in 1960, seven years after the climbing Mount Everest, Edmund Hilary led an  expedition to find the yeti. In ten months they were unable to find any firm proof of the animal’s  existence. 

F. Our Tibetan translator explained with amazement: “That’s the local word for yeti.” Although  excited, I tried to think logically. Of course, many local people must have seen the odd bear or  wolf on the great plateau between Lake Tzo and the wild heights of Mount Targo. This, after all,  is one of the most remote places on earth. 

G. When I mentioned them to the others, the still unspoken word on all our minds seemed so far fetched, so impossible, that we all burst into nervous laughter. 

H. As we headed up the long, final snowed-covered stretch to the summit, my sense of well being was so great that I failed to notice the ten or so larger-than-hand-sized footprints in the  snow on a small hill above a steep 1,000 metre drop to the glacier below. It was Malcolm who  pointed them out.



WAS THIS THE YETI? 

It was another day of perfect weather on the mountain as Trevor, Malcolm and I, plus our local  companions, arrived above the clouds, looking down on the largely unexplored Gandesi range in Tibet.  We were very close to the top of Mount Targo one of the mountains in the world over 6,500 metres that  remained unclimbed. 

H



I was so astonished that the little breath I had left at that oxygen-starved altitude was completely  taken away. How could there be any sign of life at this height? Surely animals are not to be found so far  above the snowline? 

116




We managed to climb the final 500 metres to the summit but, out of respect to the nomads who  believe this mountain to be the home of the Gods, we left the last 10 metres or so unclimbed. In my  pleasure at being a member of the first team to scale Mount Targo, I forgot all about the footprints until  we were safely back in or tents. 

117




It was not until three days later, at base camp, that the word “yeti” was finally mentioned. It  came from Min, one of the Tibetan yak-herders who was helping to carry our climbing equipment. He  told us that as a child, taking his father’s yaks high into the mountains in search of grass, he had seen a  “tingri”. He proceeded to describe an ape-like creature similar to an orang-utan. 

118




Indeed, we were, as far as we know, the first outsiders to get permission to visit this valley. Even  from base camp the nearest road – just a dirt track – was 200 kilometres away. Simply finding our  mountain had required a determined feat of exploration. 

119




The first widely publicized evidence was the discovery of animal footprints in the snows of  mount Everest at 6,300 metres in 1921 by Charles Howard-Bury. His porters told him it was “metch kangmi” – literally, the stinking man of the snow. A British journalist with the expedition mistakenly  translated this as “abonimable snowman”. 

120




Nor has professional Himlayan climber Julian Freeman-Attwood had any luck with the yeti,  although he has seen similar footprints on several expeditions in Mongolia. His own view is that they 


were caused by a very shy and rare species of bear, whose imprint in the snow was expanded in size by  the natural process of sun-melt. 

121




But nor could we explain what they were. Perhaps then, there really is a strange creature  something like an orang-utan, that lives in tiny numbers in the Himalayas, doing its best to avoid contact  with the world’s most destructive animal-humans. 

Part 4. You are going to read a newspaper article about attending a new attraction for film fans in the  US. For questions 122–129, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to  the text. 

STAR FOR A NIGHT 

For 45 dollars, visitors to Tinseltown Studios are treated like their Hollywood idols on Oscar night.  Laurel Ives joins the would-be stars. 

It is a warm evening in Los Angeles, and I am standing in a long queue outside a  fabulouslooking place called Tinseltown Studios. Nervous chatter and the noise of a distant, six-lane  freeway hum in the air. Women busily re-apply their lipstick and smooth their dresses. Like me, they are  hoping that they are about to get a taste of what it feels like to be a star. 

We are spending an evening at one of the newest and strangest ideas dreamt up by the American  entertainment industry. Tinseltown’s owners, Ogden Entertainment, claim that, for one night only, they  will ‘turn ordinary individuals into screen legends’ – and I can hardly wait. 

Our evening begins at 7.30 p.m. Handing over my ticket, I walk down the long red carpet ahead. ‘Fans’ approach and ask for my autograph. I graciously agree. ‘Reporters’ ask where I got my  outfit and who will star with me in my new film. On my right, a ‘television crew’ is interviewing two  girls. A ‘journalist’ approaches. ‘Congratulations,’ she says, ‘you are nominated as Best Actress  tonight.’ 

She turns out to be one of the organisers of the event and she tells me that, along with three other  nominees, I will be edited into a scene from a famous movie so that it will seem as if I am the star. The  eight scenes (showing four men and four women) will then be broadcast over dinner and the Best Actress and Best Actor chosen. Nominees are chosen by staff at the beginning of the evening, on the  basis of who they think looks as if they have the most guts. So why did they choose me? Suddenly, the  nerves that the staff did not detect come to the surface. Coping with people who are pretending to be 

fans, journalists and TV crews is one thing, but being broadcast acting badly in front of 200 people? I  didn’t know if I could handle that. Then I and the other three nominees are shown into a lift and taken  upstairs to the studio. I am to replace Genevieve Bujold as the Queen of England in Anne of a Thousand Days. They show me the scene, hand me a costume and push me in front of a camera. My five lines are  written onto a large white board and held in front of me. Suddenly, it is all over. Once all four nominees  have been filmed, we join the rest of the ‘stars’ in the vast banquet room. Over the first course, videos 

are shown on a screen above us. The show begins with the red carpet ‘interviews’ filmed as we, the  guests, arrived. 

First up is a man called John Richardson. Is he pleased to be nominated for an award tonight,  asks the ‘reporter’? ‘You know, being a stunt man isn’t as glamorous as being an actor,’ he replies.  ‘Most of the time, people watching the picture think that it is the actors doing the stunts, so it’s good to  finally get some recognition.’ John’s friends, who are sitting at the table next to mine, are loving his 

interview, applauding every time he speaks. ‘Who’d have thought that, in real life, he is just a dull  computer programmer?’ says one of them. He is right: as more ‘stars-for-a-night’ are interviewed, I am  struck by how competently these people express themselves. 

A waiter approaches with a warning: I am about to be ‘spotlighted’. I am introduced to the  audience, my blushing face appears on the big screen and then, as I squirm with embarrassment in my  chair, the film of me, edited (rather badly) into Anne of a Thousand Days, is shown. I am also handed a  prescripted speech – with blanks so I can say a thank-you to whomever I choose – just in case I am 


chosen as Best Actress. However, my performance was so wooden that I don’t win. Yet now that I know  I won’t have to make a speech, I feel a moment of real disappointment. 

122. When the writer is waiting to go into Tinseltown Studios, she……………… A. thinks she has little in common with the other people. 

B. wants to find that the claim the company makes is true. 

C. fears that the event may go on for too long. 

D. is surprised by the appearance of the building. 

123. As she goes into the building, the writer……………………… 

A. gets confused as to who some of the people are. 

B. acts as if she really is a star. 

C. is unable to respond to certain questions. 

D. is impressed by some of the other visitors. 

124. What is meant by ‘guts’ in line 17?