Hanoi's 10th grade literature exam is full of national sovereignty

This morning, more than 70,000 students in Hanoi took the literature exam, the 10th grade entrance exam, with a 120-minute test duration.

Candidates in Hanoi take the 10th grade entrance exam in 2014. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Although not directly raising the issue of the East Sea and maritime sovereignty like the literature exam of the high school graduation exam, the literature exam for grade 10 in Hanoi still carried the strong breath of the issue of national sovereignty.

The literature exam consists of two parts, and both parts directly or indirectly address the issue of national sovereignty, love of country and civic responsibility when it comes to the two works "Ivory Comb" by writer Nguyen Quang Sang and "Talking to My Child" by poet Y Phuong.

Part 1 of the exam asked about the work "Ivory Comb" by writer Nguyen Quang Sang with an excerpt about the attitude of little Thu who refused to recognize her father when her father, Sau, returned from the battlefield with a scar on his face. Question number 3 of this part required: "Name another work in the Grade 9 Literature program, in which there is a father character, who, due to the war, when he returned, his son was also skeptical and distant. From the father's situation in the two works, what do you think (no more than 5 lines) about war?"

Part 2, question 3 requires candidates from the poem "Talking to Children" by poet Y Phuong and social knowledge to "present their thoughts (about half a page of exam paper) about the origin of each person, thereby seeing the responsibility of each individual in the current situation of the country."

Compared to previous years, this year’s exam is quite open-ended, with two questions requiring candidates to write an essay. However, many candidates said they were not surprised by this and the current content of the exam.

Invigilators check candidates' information before entering the exam room. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Student Bui Duc Dung, class 9A1, Nguyen Du Secondary School shared: "I found this year's exam not too difficult, the questions in the exam were completely close to the students' abilities."

According to Dung, during the learning and reviewing process, teachers have made students familiar with many essay questions, especially questions related to national sovereignty, civic responsibility, and youth awareness. “Especially, after the high school graduation exam with many questions of this type, we have had to review more carefully and prepare more thoroughly,” Dung shared.

Dung thinks these questions are not difficult because he can present his own thoughts, not necessarily the problems in books or what the teacher taught in class, so he feels quite comfortable.

“Not only me but all my classmates also closely follow all developments of the current situation in the East Sea, not missing any news about China illegally placing an oil rig in Vietnam's waters and exclusive economic zone, so we write with all our true thoughts and feelings,” Dung shared.

This is also the opinion of Nguyen Huy Minh, a 9H student at Truong Nghi Secondary School. According to Minh, the exam was not difficult. “Only the last question was a bit difficult because it involved self-reflection, but this is also a question to classify candidates,” Minh shared.

However, many candidates were disappointed because they did not do well on the test. Nguyen Hoang Giang, a student at Kim Giang Secondary School, said that this year's test was quite "strange" compared to previous years, with many essay questions.

Besides, Giang said that question 2 of part 1 also made him confused, the part requiring him to present his thoughts on war but only 5 lines also caused many students to "break the rules" because they wrote longer.

In addition, Giang said the question in part 2 about "another work in the Literature 9 program, in which there is a father character, who, due to the war, when he returns, his son is also skeptical and distant," also made him and many of his friends have a headache to find the answer, which was the work "Nguoi con gai Nam Xuong" by Nguyen Du, when this work was studied at the beginning of the first semester.

However, Giang also predicted that he would get over 7 points in this exam.

According to teacher Hoang Thi Hai Yen, literature teacher at Phu Dien secondary school, this exam is suitable for students and is completely within the curriculum. The discussion content has also been oriented by teachers and reviewed quite thoroughly. “Even the question about the discussion part of the poem 'Talking to my child' by poet Y Phuong overlaps with the most recent mock exam of my school,” said Ms. Yen.

Thus, the candidates of Hanoi have completed the first exam to win a place in grade 10. This afternoon, they will continue to take the second exam, math, with a time limit of 120 minutes, in essay format./.

According to Vietnam +