Đề thi thử vào lớp 10 THPT Chuyên ĐHSPHN 2025 (lần 1) có đáp án

Read an article about fashion and choose the answers to questions 21-28.

New fashions and styles appear in all societies. First, we must understand the difference between fashion and style and how the changes in fashion and style happen for different reasons. The former are driven by insiders to prevent others from copying the insiders style. The latter are created by outsiders trying to invent alternative styles to the mainstream; the style of most people in a society. In order to succeed, a new style needs to completely reject one of the main indicators of the mainstream style. This rejection means that most people will not accept or choose the new style, and it also means that it is rarely driven by big business.

Let us identify the main factor that shapes a particular style before returning to the topic of fashion. Many suggest that style is the main visible or outward component of group identity. However, research reveals that it goes deeper than that. Most studies conclude, and it is also my view, that style is the expression of certain underlying principles and viewpoints. People decide to adopt a style only after careful thought. It is unlike buying a new coat to get a new look. Moreover, a new style does not necessarily involve showing wealth or class.

Turning to nature, we all know that the male peacock bird displays his beautiful tail to attract a female. For a male peacock, having a long, shiny tail shows strength and energy.

Therefore, the strongest male peacocks have a better chance of attracting a mate than weaker males. In humans, in extreme cases, some people spend an unreasonable amount of time grooming themselves and may even do without more essential items in order to be

fashionable.

Humans differ from animals in their ability to deceive. Almost as soon as a new garment by a top designer appears on the catwalk, fakes turn up on market stalls. The original is out of financial reach of the majority. And so, copies are born. Some are so true to the original that they may be mistaken for the genuine article even by dedicated followers of fashion. Those who knowingly buy fakes rarely concern themselves with the reaction of those who purchase the original article. The fake, in fact, carries with it so much of the image of the original that it becomes attractive in itself.

Another interesting phenomenon is what is called ‘counter-signalling’. We can divide society into three groups: high, middle, and low. The middle group can easily imitate the fashion of the high group, so the middle group can be confused with the high group, to the detriment of the high group. Counter-signalling occurs when the high group imitates the fashion of the low group. However, if the middle group imitates the low group, they take the risk of being confused with lower one. A typical example of counter-signalling is wearing jeans. Eventually, wearing jeans became popular with everyone. This partly explains why fashion goes in cycles.

The concept of changes in fashion relates to a much wider sphere than just clothes. It is evident in the evolution of language. What once was considered slang may become an accepted phrase. Interestingly, music plays an important role in the development of fashion. It brings people together at festivals and people can see how others dress and speak. In other words, it provides a chance for people to be influenced by others. I do not argue that music alone creates a new fashion. But music, dress and speech all work together to spread new ideas and trends.

Read the text and decide which answer (A, B,C, or D) best fits each numbered blank.

Adult Colouring Books

Colouring books are thought to promote concentration and patience, and allow the artist to safely release any (29)________ and anxiety. The question seldom asked, though, is: why is such a beneficial activity (30)______ popular only among young children?

According to several bestseller lists, it no longer is. Although colouring books for adults may (31)______ a few eyebrows, more and more people are seeking them (32)_____ as a way to relax and de-stress. The principle is that colouring creates the same sense of fulfilment that is achieved by any process of deep thought; when the brain is preoccupied with a specific activity, negative feelings, such as anxiety and other generally (33)_______ thoughts, are forced out. 

Colouring books have an advantage over other art activities because they remove the ‘paradox of choice’, or the feeling of being (34)________ when faced with unlimited options. An empty page can create stress; after all, it (35)_______ on the artist to first decide what to create and then create it to an acceptable standard. The outlines provided in colouring books, on the other hand, make the activity accessible to everyone, regardless of (36)________ artistic ability.

Supply the correct form of the words given in the brackets. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.

TikTok

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create short videos of themselves that can be edited using music, filters and effects. The rise of TikTok can be attributed to its appeal to younger audiences who enjoy its user-friendly interfaced, (37)______________ (ENTERTAIN) content and opportunities for self-expression.

TikTok has quickly become a cultural phenomenon, with its popularity skyrocketing in recent years. As of 2021, the app has over one billion active users (38)_____________ (WIDE), making it one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Its popularity has also led to the rise of TikTok influencers who use the platform to reach large audiences and promote products and services.

The app has become particularly popular among teenagers and young adults who appreciate its (39)____________ (ABLE) to showcase their (40)_____________ (CREATE), humor and talents. TikTok's algorithm also plays a significant role in the widening of success, as it allows users to discover new content that is tailored to their interests and (41)_______________ (PREFER).

TikTok’s rise has not been without (42)________________ (CONTROVERSIAL), however. Some have raised concerns about the app's potential to compromise user privacy and its potential to spread (43)_______________ (INFORM). Despite these concerns, TikTok continues to be in (44)________________ (SPREAD) use among all ages, all over the world.

The passage below contains 8 errors in spelling, grammar, and word form. The first error is corrected as an example numbered (0). Find the other errors and write the corrections in the corresponding boxes numbered 45-51 on the answer sheet.

Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space.

Second Life

Until now, the word ‘travel’ has always conjured up visions of packed bags, the open road, and generally the idea of escape. (52)____________, an exciting new concept is changing all that. Not only may you now travel to another country, but to another ‘world’, (53)__________ even leaving home.

‘Second Life’ is an interactive simulated world on the Internet which offers vistors the ultimate form of escapism: the ability to reinvent (54)_________ and live their dream life. (55)___________ you create your persona, called an avatar, and give it a name. Then you start exploring the virtual environment, and choose to interact, or not, with the other avatars you meet. For many, the beauty of the avatars is that they can fly. You can travel great distances, gaining a bind's eye (56) ____________ of various ‘environments’, (57)_____________ the effect is rather surreal. The world changes while you watch, as other (58)___________ experienced “gamers’ buy and sell property, using for currency the Linden dollar, which has an exchange rate against the US dollar. Never before has a game offered players so many options! You can shop, work, travel and form relationships, go to parties, or hold your own parties if you want (59)_____________.

‘Second Life’ is expanding rapidly, as more and more people are becoming attracted to it, so don't miss out! Simply allow your PC to transport you there and let your imagination do the rest!

 You are going to read an article containing reviews of fms about focusing on the environment. For questions 60-69, choose from the reviews (A-F). The reviews may be chosen more than once.

Green on the Screen

Seth Platt reviews some films with a ‘green’ conscience.

A. The Day after Tomorrow

There's nothing Hollywood likes better than a good old-fashioned disaster movie - tragedy and spectacle being what the cinema does best. Here the repercussions of environmental exploitation and attendant global warming result in a huge ice storm that plunges the world into a new ice age. This hugely entertaining film takes the big what-if and, with state-of-the-art CGI, puts it all up there on the big screen. Forget the humans struggling to survive and revel in nature's revenge. A huge hit when it came out, it soon attracted a lot of criticism for its treatment of the facts, but then again, this is not a documentary - it's a big budget Hollywood movie that delivers on all its promises.

B. An Inconvenient Truth

Any consideration of eco films has to mention this ground-breaking documentary. Bringing the plight of the planet to the big screen and fueling (in an environmentally friendly way!) the global warming debate, Al Gore is at his charismatic best as he takes us from his early days, through his political and environmental awakening to his current position as the foremost green spokesman we have. But this is not really about Al. At every step of the way, he hammers home the terrifying reality of a world under threat with a series of slides and graphs. Less a movie than a lecture, you might think that it would be dull and dry, but the strength of his arguments allied with a sincere and heartfelt presentation make this a landmark documentary that should not be missed.

C. Local Hero

Years ahead of its time, this was considered a light, if entertaining comedy at the time of its release. The simple tale of an oil executive's attempts to buy a small Scottish village and replace it with a refinery has become something of a cult classic over the years. Its longevity is down to number of factors: the excellence of the script; the precision of the casting; the warmth of the performances and the prescience of the film's themes. It's a witty yet subtle meditation on the motivations of both the corporate incomers wanting to buy, and the locals willing to sell. The magic of the setting is as inspiring as its message of sustainable development and this little gem of a film is one that you'll return to again and again.

D. The 11th Hour

With the success of Gore's Inconvenient Truth, film studios realised that there was an audience for thought-provoking films and this is one of the most recent of a rash of reality film-making to address the planet in peril scenario. However, for all the celebrity value of having Leonardo DiCaprio act as narrator this is something of a letdown. The problems of overpopulation, pollution and imminent environmental catastrophe are effectively foregrounded as they need to be in a film of this ilk, yet somehow it doesn't all gel. It's a great shame because the film-makers have gone to a lot of trouble to assemble many of the world's greatest thinkers and commentators, yet depth of knowledge cannot compensate for a dearth of fresh ideas in a documentary that you could just as well see on TV every night.

E. Gorillas in the Mist

Sigourney Weaver excels in her portrait of the naturalist Dian Fossey in this stunningly shot biopic. The film works best when it charts Fossey's relationship with the gorillas she works so hard to save. The film is less successful, however, in its depiction of the human relationships. This is perhaps not the fault of the director and more the defects of Fossey herself; for all her noble intentions she comes across as a difficult person to like and her single-mindedness tends at times to slip over into unhealthy obsession. Filmed on location on the mountains of Rwanda, the film is a timely reminder of the struggles faced by those prepared to sacrifice themselves for something they believe in.

F. Medicine Man

There are few things more important than finding a cure for cancer and this film bravely allies that quest with the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest. Lorraine Bracco is the biochemist sent to pull the plug on Sean Connery’s research deep in the heart of the South American jungle. The film highlights the tragedy of deforestation in that high up on the trees hides the long-sought after cure, but the trees are being cut down for a new road. If the central romance between the two leads falls to convince, the film has more success in getting its message across about unthinking development and its ultimate consequences, not just at the local, but also at the global level. The final images of the forest in flames are deliberately provocative and rightly so. If only a small proportion of the audience is inspired to do something, then the film will most certainly have triumphed.

You are going to read an article about smiling. Six paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A - G the one which fits each gap (70 - 75). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

What does a smile mean?

‘The curve that sets everything straight’ was how the comedian Phyllis Diller once described the smile. And it's true that there's something charming, trustworthy and disarming about a smile - but this can be misleading. Dig a little deeper and you will find a less wholesome side, because the smile is actually one of the biggest fakes going.

70

Psychologists, in fact, have given it a name: the Duchenne smile, in honour of the French neurologist Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne. This smile utilises the muscles around the eyes to lift the cheeks, producing wrinkles around the eyes, and has long been held as an inimitable sign of true human emotion. Or at least it was until 2013, when psychologists from Boston, USA, destroyed that myth.

71

These findings indicate that even the supposedly genuine Duchenne smile can be convincingly simulated. So much for smiling being an inimitable sign of true human emotion. But why are some people so good at this kind of simulation? The answer isn’t necessarily sinister. In fact, some research has demonstrated that you can actually smile yourself into a better mood.

72

This indicates that smiling can actually improve your mood; as opposed to the usual idea of it being an outward sign of what you are already feeling. Taking this one step further, researchers from University of Kansas asked volunteers to bite on a pair of chopsticks: either biting one end, with the lips closed to produce no smile; or the same but with lips apart in a standard smile; or biting along the length of the chopstick, to produce a Duchenne smile. The volunteers were then made to feel stressed by having them submerge one hand in ice-water for one minute.

73

But though there may be times when it is advantageous for us to smile when we don't feel particularly cheerful, there is a flipside. Researchers in California wondered whether professional fighters’ smiles during the face-off before a bout might predict who the victor would be. They obtained face-off photographs of 152 Ultimate Fighting Championships competitors and rated them for smile intensity. Interestingly, winning fighters displayed less intensive smiles in pre-fight face-offs than losers did, and fighters winning by a knock-out displayed the least intensive smiles of all.

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What seems to have happened, is that the fighters who smiled were unintentionally leaking information about their own sense of weakness, so passing a psychological advantage to their opponent. The message from this is that taking control of your emotional state, avoiding smiling, and showing that you have the upper hand, even where that is not felt, is a good strategy in competitive environments.

75

But, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. Next time you're having your photograph taken, don't say ‘cheese’; say ‘cheeks’. Saying ‘cheeks will not only shape your mouth nicely, but will also remind you to squeeze your cheeks upwards into a visually satisfying, genuine-looking Duchenne smile.

MISSING PARAGRAPHS

A. The main point of interest was how smiling would affect their ability to cope with the discomfort. The full, Duchenne smile was shown to be superior to the other facial expressions in this respect. So, fake or not, putting on a Duchenne smile may be just the tonic to combat physical and psychological difficulties.

B. In a straightforward study, one group of volunteers was asked to reproduce smiles shown in photographs, and another group to evaluate whether the first group's smiles were authentic. Some of the photographs depicted mouth-only smiles, but others showed smiles using both mouth and eye muscles. Two-thirds of individuals turned out to be able to fake a supposedly authentic smile, and they were also able to do this well in their everyday lives.

C. Culturally, smiling resonates across human history, from the grinning Greek kouros sculptures of 2,500 years ago to modern-day emojis. The most popular emoji of all is the face with tears of joy. Just as this emoji expresses more than mere happiness - tears adding an ironic twist - smiles themselves convey so much more.

D. The smile, then, can be a false friend. People smile - or not – for all kinds of reasons beyond simply how happy they are feeling.

E. I know what you're thinking: we all put on a smile now and again to placate our fellow humans and avoid unnecessary conflict. We all suppose, however, that a genuine smile of true enjoyment is something very different.

F. What does this tell us? It suggests that in a context where physical dominance is important, smiling can be a sign of appeasement - possibly some kind of peace offering - and subordinate status.

G. Participants were asked to hold a pen in the mouth by its tip. Some held it with the teeth, creating a smile without the person concerned realising it, while others held the pen with the lips producing a pout rather than a smile. Pens in mouths, the participants then rated the humour in some cartoons. Intriguingly, the cartoons were rated as funnier when the pen was held with the teeth than when held with the lips.