SỞ GD VÀ ĐT NINH BÌNH ĐỀ THI THỬ HSG THÁNG 11

TRƯỜNG THPT C NGHĨA HƯNG NĂM HỌC 2025 – 2026

Môn: TIẾNG ANH – Lớp: 12 THPT.
Thời gian làm bài: 60 phút
Đề thi gồm: 6 trang
Part 1. Maria is a college student. She has handed the first draft of an essay to her tutor. The tutor has read it,
and now he is discussing ways the essays can be improved. For questions 1 to 5, choose the correct answer, A, B,
C or D according to what you hear.
Example:
0. Maria’s essay is ______.
A. better than her previous one B. not quite as good as her previous one
C. similar to her previous one D. the best Spanish essay the tutor has read
1. It took Maria lots of effort and time to ______.
A. make her essay clear and short B. persuade the tutor to read her essay
C. practise a speech D. write a better essay
2. The tutor is impressed by ______.
A. the punctuation B. the spelling
C. the style and choice of language D. the computer's spell check
3. The tutor feels that Maria’s use of English is ______.
A. generally acceptable B. very poor C. perfect D. pretty basic
4. How does Maria feel about this?
A. She’s very sad B. She’s relieved C. She’s delighted D. She’s overjoyed
5. How does the tutor suggest Maria can improve her spelling?
A. Use a dictionary B. Use a computer spell checker
C. Avoid difficult-to-spell words D. Do a double-check

Tapescripts :
Tutor: Well, Maria, I have to say I was quite impressed by your essay. It’s a big
improvement on the last one
Maria:Really? I’m glad. I put a lot more work into this one. I really spent ages on
it.
Tutor: And it shows. You’ve addressed most of the problems I pointed out last
time. In particular, the style and language are much more appropriate for
an academic essay.
Maria: So that aspect is OK?
Tutor: Absolutely. If you carry on like this, you shouldn’t have any significant
problems in that department.
Maria: That’s a relief. I’ve been quite worried about that, although l’ve been
reading a lot of other essays to try to get the right style.
Tutor: Well, I’d say you’ve been successful. There are just one or two minor
things you could look at. Your punctuation’s quite basic. It’s really
just full stops and commas. And parentheses...
Maria: Brackets?
Tutor: ...Yes, brackets if you prefer. In academic writing, these are best used
only occasionally, if at all. You use them rather too often.
Maria: OK. I see.
Tutor: And I’m sorry to mention it, but your spelling...
Maria: I know, I know. But I’m working on a foreign computer. The spell checker
doesn’t work for English.
Tutor: Are you sure? Have you tried changing the setting to English?
Maria: No I haven’t.
Tutor: Well, I should see if that’s possible. I haven’t marked you down this time,
but, well, some of my colleagues are a bit old fashioned about spelling. I’d

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try to get that sorted out, if I were you.
Maria: OK, I understand. I’ll try to change the setting.

Part 2. You will hear an interview with a young film director, Lauren, talking about her life and work. For
questions 21-25, choose the answer (А, В, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answer in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. Lauren was prompted by her teachers to to pursue a film-making career because they _____.
A. believed that she had potential. B. found her early attempts highly original.
C. were impressed by how motivated she was. D. appreciated her ability to work within a budget.
2. What is Lauren’s opinion of criticism towards film schools?
A. She believes that such critics would benefit from joining it.
B. She defends the record of the one that she attended.
C. She agrees that it’s less useful for certain types of work.
D. She regrets that it’s the only option for poorer students.
3. Lauren didn’t shoot a full-length film sooner because
A. she wanted to be sure of her ability first. B. she was previously unsuccessful with them.
C. she didn’t get any offers from studios. D. she couldn’t find financial support for it.
4. What does Lauren say about the characters in her films?
A. She tries to surprise her audience with them. B. She likes them to fit into well-defined types.
C. She accepts that the men may be more interesting. D. She sets out to make them as complicated as possible.
5. How does Lauren feel about giving talks at schools?
A. unsure whether to reveal her humble background
B. concerned that she might give the kids unrealistic ambitions
C. slightly uncomfortable with the idea of being a role model
D. worried that she may not command the respect of the students
Adapted from [Link]]
Interviewer: My guest today is the young film director Lauren Casio, whose first full-length feature film Hidden
Valley Dreams has been well received critically, as well as achieving box office success. Lauren, was it always your
ambition to be a film maker?
Lauren: I did media studies at college, actually, and had no great desire to go into filmmaking when I started. As part
of the course, I made some short films, and on the strength of that, [Q1] some of the staff suggested I went in that
direction. I mean, they were extremely short, three-minute films, but they seemed to see some promise and
encouraged me. I wasn’t doing anything ground-breaking, but the fact that I was able to put images together and tell a
story in a very economical way time-wise was something I think they responded to and wanted me to pursue. So after
finishing that course I enrolled in film school, where I could concentrate on that.
Interviewer: I’ve heard some people saying: ‘Film school’s a waste of time, don’t bother with it’. What do you feel
about that?
Lauren: There’s young people coming into film-making from commercials, videos, and television saying that, but
what works for one person may not work for another, so perhaps they don’t need it. I had no family connections in the
business, and no private means so, [Q2] for me, being in an environment where the equipment was available and
the help was freely given, that opened doors. The fact that people I was at school with are now making their
way in the film world is also testimony to its value. But I’m not saying it’s the only route.
Interviewer: But it’s taken you a long time to get from your first shorts to your first full-length feature film, hasn’t it?
Lauren: That was no accident really. [Q3] I went through a process of making shorter films so that I could acquire
some skills. A lot of people get out of school, make one film, and want to make that leap into feature films. But
invariably, they fall flat on their faces. Maybe some of them are ready to make the leap earlier; I knew I wasn’t. I
wasn’t prepared to squander time and money doing something I hadn’t yet got the experience and expertise to carry
off. I wasn’t short of offers, even financially attractive ones, but it wasn’t the right moment.
Interviewer: I think your women characters are very good, but I think your men characters are incredible.
Lauren: Thanks! But with all characters, trying to find some dimension in them is very important to me, whatever the
gender. Certainly we see a lot of stereotypes in films, men and women – lookalike representations of a certain common
perception. [Q4] I’ve always wanted to create characters with a bit more to them than that: people with a depth
that might allow an audience to see a different side to their characters, but not by making them behave in unnatural
ways. That just confuses the audience. So, my male characters are macho, sure, but there’s got to be a vulnerability
there. That’s been a very conscious thing, and even the villains need to have a conscience.
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Interviewer: So what about Hidden Valley Dreams?
Lauren: Well, though I can’t deny that I’m proud of it, there’s a lot of things I’d change if I were to make that film
again. I remember sitting one afternoon, and just writing it – the storyline – in about four or five hours. It seemed to be
something that needed to come out. Writing for me has never been that easy since! Perhaps it was a dumb idea for me
to go out and make a 1940s period film as my debut because the resources and the control I had over the environment
– the logistics – were very limited. I tried a bunch of things… a social theme, but a story with a sense of humor. I just
had a gut feeling that it would appeal, and it worked, but don’t ask me how!
Interviewer: And would you encourage kids who’d like to get into film-making?
Lauren: Why not? Actually, I get invited to talk occasionally at high schools. [Q5] Although I have mixed feelings
about the whole notion of being someone to look up to, of being a role model , I think it’s important for kids to see
that the things that they’re aspiring to are doable – that we’re not giving them false dreams. If, through some
conversation with myself, or anyone else who’s worked hard to get where they are, they can identify with the fact that
I’m just some kid from an ordinary background like them, then that’s cool. I can’t pretend I’ll ever be a real superhero
to those young people, but I try to do what I can.
Interviewer: Thank you Lauren, we have to leave it there.

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

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