In the past few years, however, breakthroughs in computer technology, genetic engineering and other realms of biology have led to a "gold rush" to the rain forests and mountain ranges of
Trang 1Name:
PASSAGE 1:
Around a quarter of all prescription drugs sold around the world are believed to be based on chemicals obtained from only forty plant species So far, fewer than 1% of the world's 265,000 flowering plants have been tested for their powers to cure In the past few years, however, breakthroughs in computer technology, genetic engineering and other realms of biology have led to a "gold rush" to the rain forests and mountain ranges of the tropics, home to uncounted plant species Here, scientists hope to profit from the traditional knowledge of tribes, which had previously been looked down
on as "primitive" and "backward"
1) From the figures in the passage, we learn that
A there are only about 2,650 known species of plant in the world
B about 265,000 of the world's flowering plants can be used as medicine
C breakthroughs in technology have diminished the interest in plants with medicinal value
D around 25 percent of the world's prescription drugs are plant-based
2) The passage tells us that tropical rain forests and mountain ranges of the tropics
A have been destroyed by the natives B are a rich source of plants
C own extremely rich gold mines D need to be protected from those rushing there for gold
3) The aim of the scientists going to the rain forests and mountain ranges of the tropics is _
A to extract huge amounts of gold with the help of the natives
B to find out about the traditional ways of life of the tribes people
C to get information from the natives about plants with medicinal value
D to help the native peoples of the region become civilised
PASSAGE 2:
The largest diamond ever found is the Cullinan Diamond This diamond weighed 3,106 carats in its uncut state when it was discovered in South Africa on January 25, 1905
The Cullinan Diamond was cut into nine major stones and ninety-six smaller ones The largest of the cut stones, and still the largest cut diamond in the world, is the pear-shaped Cullinan I at 530 carats This diamond, which is also known as the Greater Star of Africa, is more than 2 inches (5.4 cm) long and 1.75 inches (4.4 cm) wide It became part of the British crown jewels in 1907
4) What is the best title for this passage?
C Measuring Diamond in Carats D The British Crown Jewels
5) The word “uncut” in line 1 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
6) The word “discovered” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
7) It can be inferred from the passage that the Cullinan Diamond was cut into how many total stones?
8) The word “major” in line 3 could best be replaced by
9) Which of the following is NOT true about Cullinan I?
A It was cut from the Cullinan Diamond B It weighs 3,106 carats
C It is the biggest cut diamond in the world D It is sometimes called the Greater Star of Africa
10) All of the following are true about the shape of the Greater Star of Africa EXCEPT that
A it is in the shape of a pear B it is 5.4 cms long
C it is longer than it is wide D it is 4.4 inches wide
11) According to the passage, what happened to Cullinan I?
A It was cut and changed into the Greater Star of Africa B It remained in Africa
C It became the property of the British Royal family D It was cut into smaller stones
12) Where in the passage does the author mention the Cullinan Diamond’s weight when it was mined?
PASSAGE 3:
The condition of your heart is directly related to the amount of stress you regularly experience Be aware of stress in your life and train yourself to counteract its disastrous effects These are some of the deliberate steps you may take to reduce stress:
1 Enjoy a lengthy vacation yearly Don’t take your work with you; forget all about the office
2 Be certain that what you are doing is what you really want to do
3 Face each challenge realistically Don’t attempt to do more each day than you possibly can do well You need to fell satisfied with your accomplishments daily
Trang 24 Relax every evening and do the things you enjoy, whether this means strenuous exercise like tennis or curling up in a comfortable chair and reading a mystery
Questions:
13) The purpose of this passage is to
A show the effects of stress upon the heart B describe symptoms of stress
C help you reduce stress D encourage you to reduce your work load
14) One of the causes of stress is
C a heart condition D attempting to do more than is possible
15) The passage says that
A strenuous exercise can damage your heart B your heart can create stress
C reading a mystery can create stress D no matter what you do, you will regularly encounter stress
16) The passage says that the first thing to do about stress is
A ignore it because it can be alleviated B talk to your boss about a vacation
C do things you like to do D be aware of its existence in your life
PASSAGE 4:
Joseph Pulitzer was born in 1847 in Mako, Hungary He emigrated to the United States when he was 17 years old and was naturalised on his 20th birthday He spent his career in journalism working in the mid-west and New York From
1871 he was also the owner or part-owner of many newspapers His most famous newspaper was the New York World (which many believe was the model for the Daily Planet of the Superman stories) The World campaigned against corruption, and exposed many scandals It was also a strong supporter of the rights of the working man
In later life, Joseph Pulitzer collapsed from overwork, and lost his sight He became dedicated to improving the quality
of journalism in America, and donated $1 million to Columbia University to found a school of journalism However, his most significant contribution was the establishment of the Pulitzer prizes in his will
These prizes for excellence in journalism have been given every year since 1917 by Columbia University Since 1942 there have been extra categories for press photography, and later still for criticism, feature writing and commentary The prize was originally for $500, but today the winners of the prize receive a gold medal However, the real value of the prize is that it confirms that the journalist who has received the award is the best American journalist of the year - a fact that is worth much more than $500
to the journalist and to the newspaper that employs him or her
17) Joseph Pulitzer came to America because
A he was with his parents B he wanted to be a journalist
C Hungary was being attacked by Austria D the text does not say
18) As well as writing for newspapers, Joseph
A wrote the Superman stories B was the boss of some newspapers
C won prizes for press photography D worked in the mid-west
19) The text tells us that Joseph Pulitzer
A became a patriotic American B later became a member of Columbia University
C was one of the richest men in New York D worked very hard
20) The prize is worth
C more in prestige than money D a job with a good newspaper
21) Joseph Pulitzer became an American citizen
A three years after he arrived in the United States B in 1850
C after contributing 1 million dollars to a university D when he was 17 years old
PASSAGE 5:
Tennis can be played by two players in singles or by four in doubles There is a marked-out area, the court, with a long net drawn across the centre The object of the game is to hit the ball over the net and keep it in play until the opponent loses the point by failing to make a good return The opposing players hit a ball to each other with rackets They concede points to the opponent each time they hit the ball into the net, or place it outside the limits of the court The game
is played on grass, called lawn tennis, or on a hard court Its origins go back to the sixteenth century, and the modern form
of the game dates from 1873 Two of today’s most important international tennis championships are Wimbledon and the Davis Cup
22) It is clear from the passage that tennis _
A is better when played on grass than on a hard court B requires rather expensive equipment
C is played by either two individual players or two pairs D is generally a sport of the wealthy
23) The passage tells us that tennis
A was first played sometime in the 1500s B was perfected by someone called Davis
C was a somewhat informal game until 1873 D was played without rules for centuries
24) We understand from the passage that, in tennis _
A the rules are not as strict as in other sports B there are no more than two international tournaments
C one player, or pair, wins by the other's mistakes D people can be seriously hurt when they are hit with rackets
Trang 34B 5.D 6.B 7.C 8.D 9.B 10.D 11.C 12.A