Đề HSG lớp 12 TP.HCM 2025–2026
Đề thi chọn học sinh giỏi lớp 12 cấp thành phố của Sở GD&ĐT TP.HCM, năm học 2025-2026 — đề chính thức, có đáp án của Sở
Đề thi chọn đội tuyển học sinh giỏi THPT môn Tiếng Anh — Sở GD&ĐT TP.HCM. Đây là đề ở trình độ C1–C2, khó hơn hẳn đề tốt nghiệp: ngoài trắc nghiệm còn có điền từ, chia dạng từ, sửa lỗi và viết luận.
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Đáp án chính thức của Sở GD&ĐT TP.HCM.
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Bảng câu hỏi
Nghe hiểu LISTENING
Nghe bản ghi rồi trả lời — bấm nút phát ở đầu mỗi phần
Phần 1
Listen to a talk about features of the human voice. Complete each sentence below with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the recording.
Lời thoại (chỉ mở sau khi đã nộp bài)
When scholars attempt to explain how individuals can be distinguished from one another, they often refer to visual characteristics first. Yet specialists in vocal studies point out that something far less obvious can serve the same purpose. Just as law-enforcement agencies rely on fingerprints to establish identity with remarkable precision, vocal researchers have demonstrated that each person’s voice possesses acoustic patterns that are similarly distinctive. For professionals whose work requires them to address large audiences – such as actors, lecturers, and broadcasters – learning how to control their breathing is essential. Instead of pushing sound from the throat, they are trained to engage the diaphragm so that the voice becomes stronger and more stable. When this technique is mastered, speakers can naturally amplify their voice without risking damage to their vocal cords. However, vocal ability alone does not guarantee successful communication. Consider a situation where an extremely fast speaker is paired with someone who hesitates to interrupt out of courtesy. This kind of polite listener may continue appearing attentive while actually missing large portions of the message, which ultimately leads to ineffective interaction. Another curious feature of spoken communication becomes apparent during telephone conversations. Because the participants cannot rely on facial expressions or gestures, moments of silence can feel uncomfortable. To avoid this awkwardness, people instinctively insert brief sounds – “uh”, “um”, or “er” – which linguists collectively refer to as pause fillers, small vocal elements that occupy gaps while a speaker is thinking. Finally, psychologists studying early childhood development have suggested that family environments strongly influence how children learn to speak. In particular, patterns of parental discipline can shape whether a child becomes verbally reserved or unusually talkative later in life.
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1. Like his/her ______, each person’s voice is unique.
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2. Diaphragm speech is an approach many professionals use to ______ their voice.
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3. Communication between a fast talker and an overly ______ is often ineffective.
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4. Meaningless sounds to break silence on the phone are called ______.
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5. ______ may lead to a child to talk either too much or too little.
Phần 2
Listen to an interview with a young tennis player called Alice Winters and her coach Bruce Gray, and choose the best options to complete the sentences.
Lời thoại (chỉ mở sau khi đã nộp bài)
Presenter: In some sports, the players seem to be getting younger and younger. My guests today are 14-year-old Alice Winters and her coach, Bruce Gray. Alice, as National Junior Tennis Champion, has been described as ‘the most talented young player for years’. Alice, Bruce, welcome. Alice/Bruce: Hello. Presenter: Let’s start by talking about money. Have you found it easy to get help in that respect, Bruce? Bruce: Not really. We’ve applied to local companies for sponsorship but they would sooner put their money into something which gets them publicity – Alice isn’t that well known yet. So we’ll probably have to get there without it, and I reckon that, with Alice’s talent, there’s no reason why we can’t. That’d be an even greater achievement, wouldn’t it? Presenter: Now Alice, you must do a lot of training? Is it sometimes a bit too demanding for someone of your age? Alice: Well, a lot of players my age might ask themselves, ‘Why can’t I be like everyone else?’, you know, free in the evenings and at weekends, but that side of it doesn’t bother me. I must admit though that there are times when I just don’t fancy it – you know, freezing cold winter mornings when Bruce comes round to take me on a training run and I think, ‘Oh go away and leave me alone!’. But apart from that, well, I do it because I enjoy it. Nobody’s making me do it, are they? So I don’t really see it as making sacrifices. Presenter: And what about your schoolwork? Alice: Well, I’m managing to keep up with that at the moment, although I can see that if I do get more successful the sport might get in the way of academic work, but, well, I know which comes first for me. After all, if I make it to the top in tennis, I won’t need any academic qualifications. Presenter: Now Alice, when you’re competing in a tournament, is it all terribly serious or do you have fun? Alice: Well, I’m only there for one reason really. I mean, I can’t see the point otherwise. I’m not one of those people who think that taking part matters more than winning. I mean, I know I can’t win every time, especially up against people a lot older than me, but that’s always the aim. And if I lose, well, I look at my performance with Bruce, look at ways of improving it, and well, I don’t let it get to me. I’m just more determined next time. Presenter: Bruce, what do you think makes Alice different from other players of the same age? Bruce: I’ve never come across any young player quite like her in all my years as a coach. What amazes me is – you can watch her play and she doesn’t seem to be trying, even though of course she is. With other players you can see the effort involved but with her, well, she’s just so gifted. Presenter: So Alice, how do you see your future? Alice: Well, I’d love to turn professional, but it’s a bit early to think seriously about that. I mean, I’m a big fish in a small pond at the moment, but as I get older, well, there are going to be a lot of tough players out there. If I do end up doing it full time… the lifestyle looks glamorous from outside, but it might just be too hard for me and I might decide to get out. But it’s hard to say. Some people stay at the top for years, don’t they? Presenter: Bruce, do you and Alice get on well? Is she an easy person to coach? Bruce: You know, sometimes I find it difficult to remember how young she is because she’s got an old head on young shoulders. We’ve had the odd… shall I say… disagreement but she doesn’t have much of a temper, it soon passes. She doesn’t have a great deal to say, I guess, when we’re working or travelling to tournaments. She has friends outside the game, but she doesn’t have much time for a social life at the moment. Presenter: Well, Alice and Bruce, thanks for being my guests and good luck for the future. Alice/Bruce: Thank you.
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1. According to the interviewer, Alice Winters ______.
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2. To Alice, her training schedule is ______.
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3. Alice approaches her failure by doing all of the following EXCEPT ______.
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4. Talking about her future, Alice ______.
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5. As for Alice’s personality, Bruce thinks ______.
Vận dụng tiếng Anh USE OF ENGLISH
Trắc nghiệm từ vựng – ngữ pháp – thành ngữ
Choose the best options (A, B, C, or D) to complete the sentences.
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1. ______, the researchers immediately commenced the controversial gene-editing experiment.
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2. The engineers designed a new robotic limb the mechanism ______ relies on decoding signals from the motor cortex.
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3. She ______ algorithmic bias for five consecutive years before eventually transitioning into corporate ethics.
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4. Of the two textile factories, the city council chose to demolish ______ to make way for a tech incubator.
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5. Come on in and take a seat, Jack! We ______ your proposal for the last fifteen minutes.
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6. Do sit down, ______? Feel free to make your suggestions.
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7. The new furniture was ______ it did wonders to the architecture of the mansion.
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8. ______, I must challenge you on that.
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9. The effects of these changes ______, so don’t boast about your brilliance.
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10. It was in Paris ______ and met her best friends.
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11. It was a tricky question, but she ______.
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12. I don’t ______ a practice of drinking champagne, but this news calls for a celebration.
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13. Much to his mom’s satisfaction, he ______ up to her expectations.
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14. The hostess made small talk so that the guests wouldn’t be ill ______.
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15. I ask myself why she ______ him of being a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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16. To survive the crisis, the management board decided to cut all the expenses to the ______.
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17. The nurse went above and beyond the ______ of duty staying late to comfort the frightened patient.
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18. Several unforeseen bottlenecks ______ shortly after the highly anticipated VR headset was launched.
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19. The committee demanded a fully ______ network design that wouldn’t become obsolete in at least a decade.
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20. Despite the exhaustive media scrutiny, the charity’s financial records were found to be as clean as a ______.
Dạng từ WORD FORMS
Chia đúng dạng của từ gốc cho sẵn
Phần A
Use the correct form of the word given to fill in each blank. (20 pts)
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1. The folk ______ captivated the audience with his songs about urban isolation. (BALLAD)
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2. The manufacturer makes a huge profit on ______ like paper bags and razors. (CONSUME)
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3. The airline announced a new ______ route connecting several major cities around the globe. (CONTINENT)
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4. Years of unfair criticism began to ______ him, making it difficult for him to trust his colleagues. (BITTER)
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5. Hospitals rely heavily on strong ______ to keep operating rooms free from harmful bacteria. (INFECT)
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6. The novel was so ______ that I finished it in one long evening. (PUT)
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7. The tech industry’s ______ demand for rare earth metals has rapidly accelerated deep-sea mining exploration. (SATISFY)
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8. Due to her severe insomnia, she strictly consumes ______ drinks after 4 PM. (CAFFEINE)
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9. The manager’s ______ approach alienated the staff and ultimately resulted in a wave of resignations. (HAND)
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10. The algorithm flags and suspends accounts that ______ manipulate trending hashtags. (USE)
Phần B
Put the words given in the correct blanks. You have to use their correct forms to make a meaningful passage. There are TWO words that you CANNOT use. (20 pts)
- assembly
- create
- enthuse
- need
- origin
- pace
- provision
- ride
- set
- sign
- simple
- work
In today’s 11 age of electronic convenience, technology is often viewed as the product of experts working in advanced laboratories. In actual fact, technology 12 means designing a device to perform a task, which makes many ordinary people innovators. Most of us have created practical 13 to everyday problems, although some individuals pursue this impulse much further.
Thomas Jefferson, America’s third president, was one such 14. He filled his home with DIY gadgets, including a homemade clock powered by cannonballs, a swivelling seat similar to a modern office chair, and an automatic signing machine so he did not need to 15 his letters. His inventive activity reflected a(n) 16 curiosity rather than any need for arm-twisting.
However, many home-grown inventions fail to catch on because they address needs that are not widely recognized. Glasses for chickens and the self-tipping hat may have seemed useful to their creators, but their commercial prospects were foreshortened from the 17.
In other cases, 18 was the driving force. World War II servicemen in North Africa 19 low-maintenance showers from oil drums and hoses, while during the Great Depression some people built their own equipment to avoid irreparable costs. Even rocket pioneer Robert Goddard relied on adventitious materials, 20 early rockets from whatever parts were available. Taken together, these examples show that innovation is not confined to elite laboratories but often emerges from practical needs, curiosity, and human ingenuity.
Điền từ có phương án GUIDED CLOZE
Đọc đoạn văn rồi chọn từ hợp nhất cho mỗi chỗ trống
Read the passage and choose the best option (A, B, C or D) for each blank.
Long before the world agreed 1 a common calendar, dependable ways of tracking time were 2 on the ground. Different societies followed their own systems, 3 were based on the Moon’s reliable phases. Because one lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, twelve cycles produce a year of 4 354 days. Over time, astronomers began to gain insight into a persistent problem: the lunar year was about 5 the solar year – the time the Earth takes to orbit the Sun. At first, many people treated this mismatch with a 6 of salt, but the seasonal drift gradually became 7 noticeable to ignore. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar 8 the Julian Calendar in an effort to solve the problem. His system set the year at 365 days and added a leap day 9. The reform quickly grew on the Roman world because it brought welcome order to civil and religious life. However, the Julian calculation slightly overestimated the true solar year, and the 10 were stacked against perfect long-term accuracy. Over the centuries, this small error accumulated, slowly pushing the calendar 11 with the seasons and creating growing confusion. To correct the drift, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a revised calendar in 1582 designed to 12 Europe in the picture. Ten dates were 13 skipped – Thursday 4 October was followed by Friday 15 October – to restore alignment. The reformers bore no ill 14, yet some communities resisted the change. Nowadays, a few observers still 15 the trend, although the Gregorian calendar remains remarkably precise.
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1. Chỗ trống (1) trong bài ở trên
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2. Chỗ trống (2) trong bài ở trên
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3. Chỗ trống (3) trong bài ở trên
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4. Chỗ trống (4) trong bài ở trên
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5. Chỗ trống (5) trong bài ở trên
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6. Chỗ trống (6) trong bài ở trên
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7. Chỗ trống (7) trong bài ở trên
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8. Chỗ trống (8) trong bài ở trên
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9. Chỗ trống (9) trong bài ở trên
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10. Chỗ trống (10) trong bài ở trên
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11. Chỗ trống (11) trong bài ở trên
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12. Chỗ trống (12) trong bài ở trên
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13. Chỗ trống (13) trong bài ở trên
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14. Chỗ trống (14) trong bài ở trên
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15. Chỗ trống (15) trong bài ở trên
Điền từ không phương án OPEN CLOZE
Điền MỘT từ thích hợp vào mỗi chỗ trống
PASSAGE A
Fill in each of the blanks in the following passages with ONE suitable word.
Strandings of dolphins and whales are becoming more common the world 1, and environmentalists claim that this may be Nature ringing the alarm bells and that the sea itself is enduring a slow death brought about by pollution. The dolphins found dying 2 America and in the Mediterranean were nearly all infected with a virus, but heavy pollution had also suppressed their immune 3.
Individual strandings are mainly the result of illness or injury. The animals can 4 navigate nor swim properly and accidentally come ashore. It is even possible that they choose to strand themselves as a(n) 5 to their condition. In the southern hemisphere, 6 strandings of these animals are common, and their plight sparks frantic 7 missions to refloat them by well-meaning humans. Such strandings happen when the animals are in a large group and their leader becomes disoriented and swims ashore. They then all 8 and, as long as the leader remains stranded, barely 9 amount of work by human rescuers will persuade the others to go back to sea.
One piece of good news is that when people 10 in refloating whales, the survival rate can be encouraging. In New Zealand, where most stranded whales are fit and merely lost, up to 90% survive. This, at least, signals that all may not be wrong at sea.
PASSAGE B
Mustang, a former kingdom in north-central Nepal, lies hidden deep within the wind-savaged Himalayas and is 11 to one of the world’s most remarkable archaeological discoveries. Scattered across vast cliff faces are around 10,000 human-built caves. Some appear 12 solitary openings in the rock, while others form towering vertical neighborhoods, stacked eight or nine storeys in 13. Many were carved into the cliff or tunnelled from above, yet the reason people chose such dangerous locations has largely been 14 under the carpet by time.
Seven centuries ago when salt was an extremely valuable commodity, Mustang was a bustling center of scholarship and art and a vital stop on the salt 15 route from Tibet to India. However, when cheaper salt reached India, the region 16 into economic decline and gradually slipped into obscurity.
In 1981, the accomplished mountaineer Pete Athans arrived, determined to get his 17 into the formidable challenge of exploring caves that seemed accessible only to birds. Over twelve years, he discovered that while many caves were empty but clearly once inhabited, some astonishing treasures were also 18 the offering, including a 26-foot mural and 8,000 manuscripts.
Evidence now places the caves at the cutting 19 of historical insight: first burial chambers, later homes, and after AD 1400, meditation rooms, military lookouts, storage spaces – and 20 today, a few remain inhabited.
Đọc hiểu READING COMPREHENSION
Đọc kỹ bài rồi trả lời câu hỏi
Choose the best options (A, B, C or D) that answer the questions or complete the sentences about the passage.
The Dietary Guidelines Dilemma
An analysis of the controversial new federal nutritional recommendations and their potential impact on public health.
When the federal government recently issued its updated recommendations for a healthy diet, many nutritionists and healthcare providers responded with profound dismay. Alongside universally supported advice to reduce sodium and avoid highly processed foods, the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services introduced several unorthodox directives. The new guidelines strongly recommend increasing red meat and whole milk consumption, while emphasizing protein intake at every meal. Conversely, whole grains and plant-based proteins, long heralded as foundational dietary staples, were noticeably de-emphasized. Perhaps most astonishingly, beef tallow, a rendered animal fat cardiologists have spent decades advising patients to limit, emerged as an unexpected breakout star of the new dietary regime, confounding many medical professionals.
Despite the backlash, some public health experts acknowledge the new guidelines are not entirely without merit. Barbara Laraia, a professor of public health nutrition at UC Berkeley, commends the overarching theme and simplified “Eat Real Food” slogan of the 2025-2030 framework. She notes the direct messaging – advocating for water, consistent fruit and vegetable consumption, whole grains, and limiting highly processed foods and added sugars – remains consistent with established nutritional science. Furthermore, the streamlined, ten-page public document is significantly more accessible than previous iterations. By clearly explaining how to identify added sugars and reiterating the need for restriction across all food categories, the guidelines send a definitive message that might prompt positive reformulation of commercial food products, potentially shifting industry standards.
However, the persistent failure of Americans to adhere to a healthy diet cannot be rectified by updated literature alone. The root of the dietary crisis lies within the national food system rather than consumer ignorance. Laraia points to systemic barriers, primarily the prohibitive cost of whole, fresh, nutrient-dense foods like seeds, nuts, fish, and produce. Furthermore, these essential items remain physically inaccessible in numerous low-income neighborhoods, highlighting the impact of social determinants of health. With approximately 15% of US households experiencing food insecurity, adhering to an expensive “real food” diet is practically impossible. Compounding this is an aggressive food industry introducing over 25,000 predominantly processed new food products annually, making nutritional quality an ongoing battle for the average consumer.
Consequently, there is widespread skepticism regarding the success of these new guidelines. Where previous frameworks have been strictly implemented, such as in federal school meal programs, robust evidence indicates the resulting meals are highly nutritious. Yet, on a national scale, guidelines remain merely advisory. Unless structural changes are enforced across the entire food system, shifting dietary recommendations is unlikely to make the population healthy again. Furthermore, the internal logic of the new advice presents a perplexing contradiction. The proposed regimen essentially advocates for a high-fat, high-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet. Nutritionists struggle to decipher how individuals can realistically consume the recommended quantities of red meat and full-fat dairy while simultaneously keeping saturated fat intake strictly below ten percent of their daily calories, a cornerstone of cardiovascular health.
[I] The guidelines controversially increased the suggested daily protein intake from a standard 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight to a range of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram. [II] While this elevated intake aligns with current consumption habits and suits bodybuilders engaged in intensive training, its universal application is highly questionable. Dietary composition requires a delicate balance; when one macronutrient increases, another must inherently decrease. [III] By promoting meat and full-fat dairy to fulfill these targets, carbohydrate consumption naturally plummets. More disconcerting is the glaring omission of plant-based protein promotion. Extensive literature links high red meat consumption to elevated risks of cardiovascular disease and various cancers, making this endorsement deeply troubling to the broader medical community. [IV]
Beyond such a change in macronutrient ratios, the guidelines introduce contentious shifts regarding alcohol and sugar. Previous guidance explicitly suggested adults limit alcohol to two drinks or fewer per day for men, and one or less for women. The revised literature vaguely advises citizens to simply “limit alcoholic beverages,” a lack of specificity experts fear could lead to increased consumption. Even more alarming to pediatric nutritionists is the mandate concerning minors. The stipulation of “no recommendation for added sugar for children under 10” is being widely interpreted as a strict directive to restrict added sugar to absolute zero. Strict restriction often leads to “sugar shaming” and creates a cycle of deprivation followed by intense overconsumption, potentially fostering eating disorders such as binge eating.
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1. Which best encapsulates the central thesis of the passage?
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2. The medical community’s reaction to the inclusion of beef tallow in the guidelines is best described as ______.
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3. It can be inferred from the passage that previous federal dietary guidelines were likely ______.
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4. All of the following contribute to the American public’s failure to maintain a healthy diet EXCEPT ______.
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5. The author implies that an individual strictly following all the new macronutrient recommendations would inevitably ______.
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6. By stating that dietary composition requires a delicate balance, the author is primarily arguing that ______.
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7. The primary criticism of the revised guidance regarding adult alcohol consumption is that it is ______.
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8. Where in paragraph 5 does the following sentence best fit? This shift in macronutrient ratios is particularly evident in the new protein recommendations.
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9. If the new guidelines were strictly implemented within federal school meal programs, the resulting lunches might ______.
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10. Which paragraph outlines the mathematical impossibility of adhering to the government’s prescribed macronutrient ratios?
Viết lại câu SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
Viết lại sao cho nghĩa không đổi, dùng đúng từ khoá
Rewrite each sentence in such a way that it means almost the same as the one printed before it. Use the word in brackets without making any change to it. Write BETWEEN SEVEN AND TEN WORDS.
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1. It’s widely believed that girls are more detailed than boys, but they aren’t. (NOWHERE)
Contrary to ______ as boys.
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2. Alice is overjoyed now that Apple has employed her. (AIR)
Alice has been ______ on by Apple.
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3. I worked as fast as possible all morning to finish the task. (DONE)
With a ______ out all morning.
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4. Timothy entered the station just in time to catch the last train. (NICK)
Into the station ______ of missing the last train.
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5. Your lack of confidence prevented you from dealing with the issue quickly. (SHORT)
With more ______ of the issue.
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6. If only she had not been so angry. (BETTER)
I’d sooner ______ her.
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7. I certainly wouldn’t say attempts to lose weight are simply fruitless. (DIET)
Far be ______ but fruitless.
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8. It was not like him to eagerly help us out. (FAVOR)
The enthusiasm with ______ his character.
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9. I actually expect Tom to have put in more effort regardless of his spontaneity. (MIGHT)
However ______ backwards.
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10. Despite knowing that it’s unwise to do so, the coach forced the athletes to train at dawn. (TRAINING)
Against his ______ wee hours. ---------- THE END OF THE TEST ----------