'Fireplace' in Literature exam for grade 10 at Gifted High School

The non-specialized Literature exam for the 10th grade entrance exam at the Gifted High School has a section requiring candidates to discuss family affection, through an analysis of the poem Kitchen Fire.

After finishing the non-specialized Literature exam at the Gifted High School on the morning of May 26, many candidates breathed a sigh of relief, evaluating that the Literature exam was not difficult, the types of questions and discussion topics were all familiar.

Candidates said that the Literature test consists of 3 parts: Reading comprehension (3 points), Social argumentation (3 points) and Literary argumentation (4 points).

In the Reading Comprehension section, the question is given an excerpt about the blooming time of different flowers, similarly each person has their own moments of enlightenment, requiring candidates to identify the method of expression, rhetorical devices, and sentence components through 6 multiple choice questions, totaling 2 points.

This section also has a one-point essay question, asking what candidates need to prepare for their "blooming" moment.

In the Social Essay section, the question is to quote an excerpt about the school days of scientist Thomas Edison, who was at the bottom of his class and failed thousands of times before inventing the incandescent light bulb. Candidates are required to write a short essay of about one page to analyze what factors helped Edison succeed.

The Literary Essay section has two topics for candidates to choose from. Topic one requires students to analyze the relationship between grandmother and grandchild and present their thoughts on family affection in life through the first and last stanzas of the poem Kitchen Fire.

Topic two presents a statement that poetry evokes intense human emotions and asks students to use any work to prove this point.

Candidates were excited after the Literature and English exams. Photo: Nhat Le — Candidates were excited after the Literature and English exams. Photo: *Nhat Le*

The difference between this year’s exam and last year’s, according to many candidates, is that the Literature exam has an additional Reading Comprehension section, and the Literature Essay section has two topics for candidates to choose from. However, candidates are not too surprised because this is a familiar type of question in the 10th grade entrance exams in Ho Chi Minh City.

"The structure of the test is a bit different from last year, but I practiced and reviewed a lot so I didn't have any problems. The test wasn't difficult, and the discussion topics were familiar. I guess I can get 7.5 points," said Quang Bach, a 9th grade student at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted in Ho Chi Minh City.

Chau Anh, Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School, Dong Nai, said that the test was within her ability with basic knowledge and skills requirements, but she did not do well on the test due to unreasonable time allocation. In the literature essay section, she concluded her essay hastily due to running out of time.

Meanwhile, Thuy An, a student at Cu Chinh Lan Secondary School in Ho Chi Minh City, was excited because he got the Literature exam right. An said he had thoroughly reviewed four works about family affection, including the poem Kitchen Fire, so he could easily discuss this issue. The male student was confident that he could get 7 points or more in the non-specialized Literature subject.

After finishing the two morning exams, candidates left in the light rain. Photo: Nhat Le — After finishing the two morning exams, candidates left in the light rain. Photo: *Nhat Le*

In the afternoon, candidates continued their exam with non-mathematics. This year, the Gifted High School received 3,092 applications. With a target of 17 classes with 595 students, only one out of five candidates was admitted, a competition ratio of 1/5.2. This is the school's highest competition ratio in the past 5 years.

To enter the Gifted High School, candidates must take at least four exams including Math, English, Literature and a specialized subject. Each candidate can register for up to 8 wishes. The school does not distinguish the order of wishes, but candidates are only admitted to the highest priority wish.

The admission score is the sum of the three exams Math, English, Literature with coefficient 1 and the specialized subject exam with coefficient 2. All exams are calculated on a 10-point scale.

High School for the Gifted is a specialized school under the National University of Ho Chi Minh City. This year, it is the only school in Ho Chi Minh City to organize its own entrance exam, independent of the 10th grade entrance exam of the Department of Education and Training.

In 2022, the benchmark score for grade 10 at the Gifted High School is 22.1-32.6. The English specialized class has the highest benchmark score, the Social Science specialized class has the lowest.

Le Nguyen

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