diet and stress as factors in heart attacks Question 47: In paragraph 1, the word “potential” could best be re-placed by which of the following.. possible Question 48: The word “trigg
Trang 1READING
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31
to 35
ENGLISH AROUND THE WORLD
Teaching English as a foreign language can be a great way to travel around the world and earn money at the same time However, some graduates actually like the idea of (1) a career in teaching English, and there are numerous courses at various (2) , from the basic certificates to the diploma or even the master’s
To find the right course, a good place to start is TEFL.com – an Internet site with lots
of relevant information and helpful (3) including a full list of places in the UL offering courses The site also offers assistance to qualified graduates (4) _finding work
When deciding on a course, the best thing to do is to look at what your needs are If you want a career in teaching English, then definitely find one designed for that (5) _, such as an MA or diploma; but if you want to travel around the world, then do a shorter course that will supply you with teaching skills
Question 1: A tracking B chasing C hunting D following
Question 2: A levels B categories C groups D classes
Question 3: A opinion B suggestion C advice D idea
Most people think that lions only come from Africa This is understandable because
in fact most lions do come from there but this has not always been the case If we went back ten thousand years we would find that there were lions roaming vast sections of the globe However no, unfortunately only a very small section of the lion’s former habitat remains Asiatic lions are sub-species of African lions It is almost a hundred thousand years
since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a sub-species At one time the Asiatic lion
was living as far west as Greece and they were found from there, but in a band that spreads east through various countries of the Middle East, all the way to India In museums now, you can see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them Most of them are dated at around 500 B.C However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lions roaming free to thousand years ago Over the next nineteen hundred years the numbers of Asiatic lions in
Trang 2the other areas declined steadily, but it was only in the nineteenth century that they disappeared from everywhere but in India
The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in India was established especially to protect the Asiatic lion There are now around three hundred Asiatic lions in India and almost all of them are in this sanctuary However, despite living in a sanctuary, which makes them safe from hunters, they still face a number of problems that threaten their survival One of these is the ever-present danger of disease This is what killed more than a third of Africa’s Serengeti lions in
1994, and people are fearful that something similar could happen in the Gir Sanctuary and kill off many of the Asiatic lions there
India’s lions are particular vulnerable because they have a limited gene pool The
reason for this is interesting – it is because all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them He was very healthy, and
he managed to protect them otherwise they would probably have died out completely
When you see the Asiatic lion in India, what you sense is enormous vitality They are very impressive animals and you would never guess that they this vulnerability when you look at them
Question 6: According to the passage, ten thousand years ago,
A lions did not live in small forests
B lions came mainly from Afric
C lions roamed much more than nowadays
D there were much more lion habitats than nowadays
Question 7: The phrase “split off” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning
to
A spotted animals B divided
C developed into different species D changed the original species
Question 8: The word “vulnerable” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
A weak B careless C cautious D easily protected Question 9: The Asiatic lion
A was looking for food mainly in the Middle East
B was searching for food in a wide range of countries
C was searching for food mainly in India and Africa
D was looking for food mainly in India
Question 10: According to the author, the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
A protects the Asiatic lion from hunters and diseases
B cannot reduce the Asiatic lion’s risk of catching diseases
C can make the Asiatic lion become weak
D is among many places where the Asiatic lion is well protected
Question 11: The author refers to all of the following as characteristics of the Asiatic lion
Trang 3B explain why the Gir Sanctuary is the best habitat for the Asiatic lions
C describe the developmental history of the Gir Sanctuary
D provide an overview of the existence of the Asiatic lions
If you enjoy water sports, Hawaii is the place for you You can go swimming all year round in the warm water You can go sport fishing from the shore or from a boat If you like boats, you can go sailing, canoeing, or windsurfing Or, you can also try some other water sports that are especially popular in Hawaii: surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving
Surfing is a sport which started in Hawaii many years ago The Hawaiians called it
“he’e nalu”, which means “to slide on a wave” If you want to try surfing, you need, first of all,
to be a good swimmer You also have to have an excellent sense of balance You must swim out from the beach with your surfboard under your arm When you get to where the waves begin to break, you wait for a calm moment Then you try to stand up on the board The wave will begin to rise under you You must try to steer the board with your feet so you stay on top of the wave The important thing is to keep your balance and not fall down If you
can manage this, you will have an exciting ride all the way in to the shore
Scuba diving and snorkeling are two ways to get a close look at the beauty lying below the surface of the ocean The waters off the Hawaiian Islands are clean, clear and warm They contain hundreds of kinds of colorful fish The undersea world is made even more colorful by the coral reefs of red, gold, white and light purple Among these reefs there may be larger fish or sea turtles
Scuba diving allows you to see the most interesting undersea sights “Scuba” means
“Self- contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus”, that is, equipment for breathing and swimming around far under water In Hawaii, you can take special courses to learn how to scuba dive After the courses, you can get a certificate that will allow you to dive alone
Since it can be dangerous, proper instruction and great care are always necessary when
you are scuba diving
If you are adventurous, you might try snorkeling instead of scuba diving Less equipment is needed, just a face mask, a breathing tube (snorkel) and flippers for your feet
It only takes a few minutes to learn how to snorkel Although you cannot dive deep into the water, you can swim with your face below the surface Breathing through the tube, you float
on the surface, and keep yourself moving with your flippers Even from the surface like this, there will be plenty of color and beauty to see
Question 13: The passage is about
A water sports around the world B surfing
C tourist activities in Hawaii D water sports in Hawaii
Question 14: You can infer from the passage that
A water sports are all expensive
B you need to take a course for all water sports
C everyone can find a way to enjoy sports in the water
D swimming in Hawaii can be dangerous
Question 15: According to the passage, surfing
A began as a sport in 1943 B was invented by the native
Hawaiians
Trang 4C requires expensive equipment D is very dangerous
Question 16: The water around the Hawaiian Islands is
A often quite cold B full of colorful things to see
C usually very dark D full of dangerous fish
Question 17: The word “this” in the second paragraph refers to
A standing on the board
B keeping balanced and not falling down
C an exciting ride
D staying on top of the wave
Question 18: According to the passage, scuba diving
A is an ancient Hawaiian water sport
B requires special equipment and training
C is the only way to see the fish underwater
D requires good balance
Question 19: The word “proper” in paragraph 4 refers to
A enthusiastic B informative C appropriate D short and clear Question 20: Which statement is supported by the information in the passage?
A Snorkeling involves breathing through the tube, floating on the surface and moving
with flippers
B Snorkeling requires more expensive equipment than scuba diving
C Snorkeling is for adventurous people
D Snorkeling was invented in ancient times
British parents are always complaining that their children spend too much time glued to the
TV and do not have enough time on other activities (31) sports and reading A survey recently (32) on people’s viewing habits does not approve this It shows that young people in Britain spend on average 23 hours a week in front of the television, (33) works out at over three hours a day
(34) is surprising, however, is the fact that the average adult watches even more: an incredible 28 hours a week We (35) to have become a nation of addicts Just about every household in the country has a television set and over half have two or more According to the survey, people nowadays don’t just watch television sitting in their living-rooms, they watch it in the kitchen and in bed as well
Question 22: A investigated B researched C carried out D carried
Trang 5Question 25: A seem B ought C used D would like
Most people go to a doctor in their own town or suburbs But people in the Australian
outback can’t get to a doctor quickly The nearest doctor is sometimes hundreds of kilometers away so they have to call him on a two-way radio This special doctor is called the “flying doctor” He visits sick people by plane
When someone is sick, the doctor has to fly to the person’s home His plane lands
on a flat piece of ground near the person’s house Sometimes the doctor has to take the patient to hospital Flying doctors take about 8,600 people to hospital each year
However, most of the time the person isn’t very sick, and the doctor doesn’t have to visit He can give advice on the radio from the office at the flying doctor center He can tell
the patient to use some medicine from a special medicine chest There is one of these
chests in every home in the outback Each bottle, tube and packet in the chest has a number The doctor often says something like this, “Take two tablets from bottle number 5 every four hours.”
A man called John Flynn started the Royal Flying Doctor service in 1927 He had only one plane Today there are 14 flying-doctor centers, 29 planes, 14 full-time doctors and several part- time doctors, nurses and dentists
Question 26: The flying doctors mentioned in this article treat their patients
A in clinics B by old methods C over great distances D by telepathy Question 27: Which happens first?
A The doctor flies to the sick person’s home
B The sick person or his family calls the doctor on a two-way radio
C The plane lands near the patient’s house
D The doctor treats the sick person on a two-way radio
Question 28: The word “outback” mostly means
A a large field of the Aborigines
B an isolated island
C a vast and remote area
D a far-off forest
Question 29: The word “chest” in this context probably means
A a body part B a machine C a remote control D a small box Question 30: When a patient needs a special examination, the doctor has to
A take him/her to a special holy place
B fly him/her to a military clinic
C give him/her all kinds of medicine
D fly to the patient’s place
Question 31: All of the following statements are true EXCEPT
A None of the doctor at the center work full-time
B Every home in the outback has a chest
C Sometimes the doctor has to take the patient to hospital
D The doctor gives prescription using specific numbers for each kind of medicine Question 32: The writer of this passage shows a/an attitude to the flying- doctor
service
Trang 6A critical B supportive C curious D indifferent Question 33: How has science done a disservice to people?
A Because of science, disease caused by contaminated food has been virtually
eradicated
B It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food
C As a result of scientific intervention, some potentially harmful substances have been
added to our food
D The scientists have preserved the color of meats, but not of vegetables
Question 34: According to the passage, what are nitrates used for?
A They preserve flavor in package foods
B They are the objects of research
C They preserve the color of meats
D They cause the animals to become fatter
Question 35: The word “fit” is closest in meaning to
A athletic B suitable C tasty D adaptable
Question 36: The word “these” in paragraph 2 refers to
A meats B colors C researchers D nitrates and
nitrites
Question 37: The word “carcinogenic” is closest in meaning to
A trouble-making B color-retaining C money-making D cancer-causing Question 38: All the following statements are true EXCEPT
A Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasons
B Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are given to
the living animals
C Researchers have known about the potential hazards of food additives for more than
45 years
D Food may cause 40% of the cancer in the world
Question 39: The word “additives” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A added substances B dangerous substances
C natural substances D toxic substances
Question 40: What is the best title for this passage?
A Harmful and harmless substances in food
B The food you eat can affect your health
C Improving health through a natural diet
D Avoiding injurious substances in food
NOISE POLLUTION
Noise is more than a mere nuisance At certain levels and durations of exposure, it can cause physical damage to the eardrum, and (41) in temporary or permanent hearing loss In addition to causing hearing loss, (42) noise exposure can also (43) blood pressure and pulse rate, cause irritability, anxiety, and mental fatigue, and interfere with sleep, recreation, and personal communication Noise pollution is, therefore, (44 importance in the workplace and in the community
Trang 7Noise effects can be (45) by a number of techniques, for example, increasing the distance or blocking the path between the noise source and the recipient, reducing noise level at the source, and protecting recipients with earplugs or earmuffs
Question 41: A bring B result C create D affect
Question 42: A exceedingly B excess C excessively D excessive
Question 43: A enlarge B maximize C raise D rise
Question 45: A minimized B created C brought D done
As heart disease continues to be the number-one killer in the United States,
researchers have become increasingly interested in identifying the potential risk factors that trigger heart attacks High-fat diets and “life in the fast lane” have long been known to
contribute to 5 the high incidence of heart failure But according to new studies, the list of risk factors may be significantly longer and quite surprising
Heart failure, for example, appears to have seasonal and temporal 10 patterns A
higher percentage of heart attacks occur in cold weather, and more people experience heart
failure on Monday than on any other day of the week In addition, people are more
susceptible to heart attacks in the first few hours after waking Cardiologists first observed
this morning phenomenon
in the mid-1980, and have since 15 discovered a number of possible causes An morning rise in blood pressure, heart rate, and concentration of heart stimulating hormones, plus a reduction of blood flow to the heart, may all contribute to the higher incidence of heart attacks between the hours of 8:00 A.M and 10:00 A.M
In other studies, both birthdays and bachelorhood have been implicated as risk factors Statistics reveal that heart attack rates increase significantly for both females and males in the few days immediately preceding and following their birthdays And unmarried men are more 25 at risk for heart attacks than their married counterparts Though stress is thought to be linked in some way to all of the aforementioned risk factors, intense research continues in the hope of further comprehending why and how heart failure is triggered
Question 46:What does the passage mainly discuss?
A risk factors in heart attacks
B seasonal and temporal patterns of heart attacks
C cardiology in the 1980s
D diet and stress as factors in heart attacks
Question 47: In paragraph 1, the word “potential” could best be re-placed by which of the
following?
A harmful B primary C unknown D possible
Question 48: The word “trigger” as used in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to which of
the following?
A involve B affect C cause D encounter
Trang 8Question 49: The phrase “susceptible to” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
A aware of B affected by C accustomed D prone to
Question 50: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a possible cause of
many heart attacks?
A decreased blood flow to the heart B increased blood presure
C lower heart rate D increase in hormones
Question 51: Which of the following is NOT cited as a possible risk factor?
A Having a birthday B Getting married
C Rating fatty foods D Being under stress
Question 52: Which of the following does the passage infer?
A We now fully understand how risk factors trigger heart attacks
B We recently began to study how risk factors trigger heart attacks
C We have not identified many risk factors associated with heart attacks
D We do not fully understand how risk factors trigger heart attacks
Aging is the process of growing old It occurs eventually in every living thing provided,
of course, that an illness or accident does not kill it prematurely The most familiar outward
signs of aging may be seen in old people, such as the graying of the hair and the wrinkling of the skin Signs of aging in a pet dog or cat include loss of playfulness and energy, a decline
in hearing and eyesight, or even a slight graying of the coat Plants age too, but the signs are much harder to detect
Most body parts grow bigger and stronger, and function more efficiently during childhood They reach their peak at the time of maturity, or early adulthood After that, they begin to
decline Bones, for example, gradually become lighter and more brittle In the aged, the
joints between the bones also become rigid and more inflexible This can make moving very painful
All the major organs of the body show signs of aging The brain, for example, works less efficiently, and even gets smaller in size Thinking processes of all sorts are slowed down Old people often have trouble in remembering recent events
One of the most serious changes of old age occurs in the arteries, the blood vessels that lead from the heart They become thickened and constricted, allowing less blood to flow to the rest of body This condition accounts, directly or indirectly, for many of the diseases of the aged It may, forexample, result in heart attack
Aging is not a uniform process Different parts of the body wear out at different rates There are great differences among people in their rate of aging Even the cells of the body differ in the way they age The majority of cells are capable of reproducing themselves many times during the course of a lifetime Nerve cells and muscle fibers can never be replaced once they wear out
Gerontologists - scientists who study the process of aging-believe this wearing out of the body is controlled by a built-in biological time-clock They are trying to discover how this clock works so that they can slow down the process This could give man a longer life and a great number of productive years
Question 53: What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A Signs of aging are easier to detect in animals than in plants
B Aging occurs in every living thing after it has reached maturity
C Not all signs of aging are visible
Trang 9D The outward signs of aging may be seen in old people
Question 54: What does the word “it” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A aging B a living thing C an illness D an accident Question 55: When does the human body begin to lose vigor and the ability to function
efficiently?
A Soon after reaching adulthood B During childhood
C Early adulthood D In old age
Question 56: What happens to memorization when the brain begins to age?
A It works less B It becomes forgetful
C It declines D It slows down
Question 57: The word “brittle” in paragraph 2 means
A soft and easily bent B hard and endurable
C hard but easily broken D rigid and inflexible
Question 58: According to the passage, what condition is responsible for many of the
diseases of the old?
A The arteries have become thickened and constricted
B The blood vessels lead from the heart
C The brain gets smaller in size
D Bones become lighter and brittle
Question 59: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A All living things grow old
B Aging is unavoidable in any living things
C Plants show less signs of aging than any other living things
D Most body parts wear out during the course of a lifetime
Question 60: What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A Gerontologists have controlled the process of aging
B Gerontologists are working hard to help people live longer and more healthily
C Gerontologists are trying to give people an eternal life
D Gerontologists are now able to slow down the process of aging
ORESUND BRIDGE
Imagine driving along a bridge that is so long that you can't even see the other end The Oresund Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, (61) so far ahead into the distance that you can't even tell where the blue of the water (62) the blue of the sky
The Oresund Bridge is an amazing example of modern engineering design that links the Scandinavian countries of Denmark and Sweden It is 8 kilometers long and was (63) in July 2000 It crosses the Flinte Channel, the chilly waterway (64) the two countries
At one stage the bridge turns into a tunnel under the sea This tunnel is also a record breaker in its own right as it is the longest road and rail tunnel in the world The engineers built an artificial island near the Danish coast that (65) support part of the bridge structure, as well as being the point at which the road disappears underground, before coming out in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark
Trang 10Question 61: A travels B leans C stretches D pulls
Question 62: A comes B meets C lines D starts
Question 63: A done B ended C brought D completed
Question 64: A splitting B cutting C breaking D separating
Question 65: A helps B aids C attempts D tries
Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest baseball players of all time He played for the New York Yankees in their years of glory From the time Mantle began to play professionally
in 1951 to his last year in 1968, baseball was the most popular game in the United States For many people, Mantle symbolized the hope, prosperity, and confidence of America at that time
Mantle was a fast and powerful player, a “switch-hitter” who could bat both handed and left-handed He won game after game, one World Series championship after another, for his team He was a wonderful athlete, but this alone cannot explain America’s fascination with him
Perhaps it was because he was a handsome, red-haired country boy, the son of a poor miner from Oklahoma His career, from the lead mines of the West to the heights of success and fame, was a fairy-tale version of the American dream Or perhaps it was because America always loves a “natural”: a person who wins without seeming to try, whose talent appears to come from an inner grace That was Mickey Mantle
But like many celebrities, Mickey Mantle had a private life that was full of problems
He played without complaint despite constant pain from injuries He lived to fulfill his father’s dreams and drank to forget his father’s early death
It was a terrible addiction that finally destroyed his body It gave him cirrhosis of the
liver and accelerated the advance of liver cancer Even when Mickey Mantle had turned
away from his old life and warned young people not to follow his example, the destructive process could not be stopped Despite a liver transplant operation that had all those who loved and admired him hoping for a recovery, Mickey Mantle died of cancer at the age of 63
Question 66: What is the main idea of the passage?
A Mickey Mantle as the greatest baseball player of all time
B Mickey Mantle’s success and private life full of problems
C Mickey Mantle and his career as a baseball player
D Mickey Mantle and the history of baseball
Question 67: According to the passage, Mantle could
A hit the ball to score from a long distance
B bat better with his left hand than with his right hand
C hit with the bat on either side of his body
D give the most powerful hit in his team
Question 68: The word “this” as used in paragraph 2 refers to
A Mantle’s being a fast and powerful player
Trang 11B Mantle’s being a wonderful athlete
C Mantle’s being fascinated by many people
D Mantle’s being a “switch-hitter”
Question 69: The author uses the word “But” in paragraph 4 to
A change the topic of the passage
B give an argument in favor of Mantle’s success and fame
C explain how Mantle got into trouble
D give an example of the trouble in Mantle’s private life
Question 70: The word “accelerated” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to
A worsened B bettered C delayed D quickened Question 71: We can see from paragraph 5 that after his father’s death, Mantle
A played even better
B forgot his father’s dream
C led a happier life
D suffered a lot of pain
Question 72: Which of the following is mentioned as the main cause of the destruction of
Mantle’s body?
A His loneliness B His way of life
C His liver transplant operation D His own dream
Humans have struggled against weeds since the beginnings of agriculture Marring our gardens is one of the milder effects of weeds - any plants that thrive where they are unwanted They clog waterways, destroy wildlife habitats, and impede farming Their spread eliminates grazing areas and accounts for one-third of all crop loss They compete for sunlight, nutrients, and water with useful plants
The global need for weed control had been answered mainly by the chemical industry Its herbicides are effective and sometimes necessary, but some pose serious problems, particularly if misused Toxic compounds threaten animal and public health when they accumulate in food plants, groundwater, and drinking water They also harm workers who apply them
In recent years, the chemical industry has introduced several herbicides that are more ecologically sound Yet new chemicals alone cannot solve the world's weed problems Hence, scientists are exploring the innate weed-killing powers of living organisms, primarily insects and microorganisms
The biological agents now in use are environmentally benign and are harmless to humans They can be chosen for their ability to attack selected targets and leave crops and other plants untouched In contrast, some of the most effective chemicals kill virtually all the plants they come in contact with, sparing only those that are naturally resistant or have been genetically modified for resistance Furthermore, a number of biological agents can be administered only once, after which no added applications are needed Chemicals typically must be used several times per growing season
Question 73: With what topic does this passage primarily deal?
A The importance of the chemical industry
B The dangers of toxic chemicals
C A proposal to ban the use of all herbicides
D Advantages of biological agents over chemical ones
Question 74: The word "Marring" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
Trang 12A spoiling B planting C dividing D replacing Question 75: Which of the following terms does the author define in the first paragraph?
A weeds B nutrients C wildlife habitats D grazing area Question 76: Which of the following statements about the use of chemical agents as
herbicides would the author most likely agree?
A It is safe but inefficient
B It is occasionally required
C It should be increased
D It has become more dangerous recently
Question 77: Which of the following is NOT given as an advantage of using biological
agents over chemical herbicides?
A They are safer for workers
B They are less likely to destroy desirable plants
C They are more easily available
D They do not have to be used as often
Question 78: The word "innate" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A effective B organic C natural D active
Question 79: According to the passage, biological agents mainly consist of
A herbicides B useful plants
C weeds D insects and microorganisms
Question 80: Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
A A general idea is introduced and several specific examples are given
B Two possible causes of a phenomenon are compared
C A problem is described and possible solutions are discussed
D A recommendation is analyzed and rejected
The United States has many different types of families While most American families are traditional, (81) a father, a mother and one or more children, 22 percent of all American families in 1998 were headed by one parent, usually a woman In a few families in the United States, there are no children These (82) couples may believe that they would not make good parents; they may want freedom from responsibilities of childbearing;
or, perhaps they (83) physically able to have children Other families in the United States have one adult who is a stepparent A stepmother or stepfather is a person who joins
a family by marrying a father or a mother
Americans (84) and accept these different types of families In the United States people have right to privacy and Americans do not believe in telling other Americans what type of family group they must belong to They respect each other’s choices regarding family groups Families are very important (85) Americans
Question 81: A making of B consisting of C including of D containing
Question 82: A childish B childlike C childless D childhood
Question 83: A are not B can not C could not D were not
Trang 13Question 84: A tolerate B refuse C remember D remind
Perhaps it was his own lack of adequate schooling that inspired Horace Mann to work so hard for the important reforms in education that he accomplished While he was still
a boy, his father and older brother died, and he became responsible for supporting his family Like most of the children in his town, he attended school only two or three months a year Later, with the help of several teachers, he was able to study law and became a member of the Massachusetts bar, but he never forgot those early struggles
While serving in Massachusetts legislature, he signed a historic education bill that set
up a state board of education Without regret, he gave up his successful legal practice and political career to become the frst secretary of the board There he exercised an enormous influence during the critical period of reconstruction that brought into existence the American graded elementary school as substitute for the older distinct school system Under his leadership, the curriculum was restructured, the school year was increased to a minimum of six months, and mandatory schooling was extended to age sixteen Other important reforms included the establishment of state normal schools for teacher training, institutes for in-service teacher education, and lyceums for adult education He was also instrument in improving salaries for eachers and creating school libraries
Mann’s ideas about school reform were developed and distributed in twelve annual reports to the state of Massachusetts that he wrote during his tenure as secretary of education Considered quite radical at the time, the Massachusetts reforms later served as a model for the nation Mann was recognized as the father of public education
Question 86: Which of the following titles would best express the main topic of the
passage?
A The Father of American Public Education
B Philosophy of Education
C The Massachusetts State Board of Education
D Politics of Educational Institutions
Question 87: Which of the following describes Horace Mann’s early life ?
A He attended school six months a year
B He had to study alone, without help
C He supported his family after his father died
D He was an only child
Question 88: The word “struggles” in line 5 could best be replaced by
A valuable experiences B happy situations
C influential people D difficult times
Question 89: The word “regret” in line 7 could best be replaced by
A consideration B feeling sorry C limitation D acceptance Question 90: What did Horace Mann advocate ?
A The state board school system B The district school system
C The substitute school system D The graded school system Question 91: The word “mandatory” in line 10 is closest in meaning to
A required B equal C excellent D basic
Question 92: How were Mann’s educational reforms distributed ?
Trang 14A In twelve annual reports to the state of Massachusetts
B In reports that he wrote for national distribution
C In speeches that he made throughout the country
D In books that could be found in school libraries
Psychologist have debated a long time about whether a child’s upbringing can give it the ability to do outstandingly well Some think that it is impossible to develop genius and say that it is simply something a person is born with Others, however , argue that the potential for great achievement can be develop The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes It seems very obvious that being born with the right qualities from gifted parents will increase a child’s ability to do well However, this ability will be fully realized only with the right upbringing and opportunities As one psychologist says, “ To have a fast car, you need both a good engine and fuel.’’ Scientists have recently assessed intelligence, achievement, and ability in 50 sets of identical twins that were separated shortly birth and brought up by different parents They found that achievement was based on intelligence, and later influenced by the child’s environment One case involving very intelligent twins was quoted One of the twins received a normal upbringing, and performed well The other twin, however, was brought up by extremely supportive parents and given every possible opportunity to develop its abilities That twin, thought starting out with the same degree of intelligence as the other, performed even better This case reflects the general principle of intelligence and ability The more favorable the environment, the more a child’s intelligence and ability are developed
However, there is no link between intelligence and socioeconomic level of a child’s family In other words, it does not matter how poor or how rich a family is , as this does not affect the intelligence Gifted people can not be created by supportive parents, but they can
be developed by them One professor of music said that outstanding musicians usually started two or three years earlier than ordinary performers, often because their parents had recognized their ability These musicians then needed at least ten years’ hard work and training in order to reach the level they were capable of attaining People who want to have very gifted children are given the following advice:
- Marry an intelligent person
- Allow children to follow their own interests rather than the interests of the parents
- Start a child’s education early but avoid pushing the child too hard
- Encourage children to play; for example, playing with musical instrument is essential for a child who wants to become an outstanding musician
Question 93: The upbringing of highly intelligent children requires
A an expensive education B good musical instruments
C parental support and encouragement D wealthy and loving parents Question 94: The word “others” used in the first paragraph refers to
A other people B other scientists C other children D other geniuses Question 95: When scientists studied intelligence and ability in twins, they found that
A ability depends mainly on intelligence and chievement
B intelligence and development are irrelevant to ability
C ability depends both on intelligence and environment
D different twins generally have different levels of ability
Question 96: Scientists chose twins for their study because
Trang 15A each twin has the same environment as his/her twin
B they are born into the same family, hence the same upbringing
C they have the same economic background and hence the same opportunities
D they have the same genetic background, usually with similar intelligence
Question 97: How were great musicians different from ordinary musicians in their
development?
A Their ability was realized at an early stage and then nurtured
B They practice playing their instruments for many years
C They concentrated on music to the exclusion of the other areas
D They were exceptionally intelligent and artistic
Question 98: The writer advises that gifted children should be allowed to follow
A Their own interests
B Their parents’ interests
C Only their interests in musical instruments
D Only their interests in computer games
Question 99: When encourage their gifted children, parents should avoid
A Pushing their children too hard
B letting them play their own way
C Permitting them to follow their own interests
D Starting their education at an early age
Question 100: The remark: “ to have a fast car, you need both a good engine and fuel’’ in
the passage means that in order to become a genius,
A You need to have good heath and good nourishment
B You need intelligence and you need to develop it
C You should try to move quickly and efficiently
D You must nourish your brain and train your muscles hard
Nowadays people are more aware that wildlife all over the world is in (31) Many species of animals are threatened, and could easily become (32) if we do not make an effort to protect them There are many reasons for this In some cases animals are hunted for their fur or for other valuable parts of their bodies Some birds, such as parrots, are caught (33) , and sold as pets For many animals and birds, the problem is that their habitatsthe place where they live-is disappearing More land is used for farm, for houses and industry, and there are fewer open spaces than there once were Farmers use powerful chemicals to help them grow better crops, but these chemicals pollute the environment and (34) wildlife The most successful animals on Earth, human beings, will soon be the only ones (35) unless we can solve this problem
Question 101: A threat B problem C danger D vanishing
Question 102: A disappeared B vanished C extinct D empty
Question 103: A for life B alive C lively D for living
Trang 16Question 105: A left B over C staying D survived
Although speech is the most advanced form of communication, there are many ways
of communicating without using speech Signals, signs, symbols, and gestures may be found in every known culture The basic function of signal is to impinge upon the environment in such a way that it attracts attention, as, for example, the dots and dashes of
a telegraph circuit Coded to refer to speech, the potential for communication is very great Less adaptable to the codification of words, signs also contain meaning in and of themselves A stop sign or a barber pole conveys meaning quickly and conveniently
Symbols are more difficult to describe than either signals or signs because of their intricate relationship with the receiver’s cultural perceptions In some cultures, applauding in
a theater provides performers with an auditory symbol of approval Gestures such as waving and handshaking also communicate certain cultural messages
Although signals, signs, symbols, and gestures are very useful, they do have a major disadvantage in communication They usually do not allow ideas to be shared without the sender being directly adjacent to the receiver Without an exchange of ideas, interaction comes to a halt As a result, means of communication intended to be used for long distances and extended periods must be based upon speech To radio, television, and the telephone, one must add fax, paging systems, electronic mail, and the Internet, and no one doubts but that there are more means of communication on the horizon
Question 106: Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A Gestures B Signs and signals C Speech D Communication Question 107: According to this passage, what is a signal?
A A form of communication that interrupts the environment
B The most difficult form of communication to describe
C A form of communication which may be used across long distances
D The form of communication most related to cultural perception
Question 108: The word “it” in paragraph 1 refers to
A way B environment C function D signal
Question 109: The word “intricate” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
A inefficient B complicated C historical D uncertain Question 110: Applauding was cited as an example of
A a signal B a sign C a gesture D a symbol Question 111: Why were the telephone, radio, and television invented?
A Because people were unable to understand signs, signals, and symbols
B Because people believed that signs, signals, and symbols were obsolete
C Because people wanted to communicate across long distances
D Bcause people wanted new forms of communication
Question 112: It may be concluded from this passage that
A Only some cultures have signs, signals, and symbols
B Signs, signals, symbols, and gestures are forms of communication
C Symbols are very easy to define and interrupt
D Waving and handshaking are not related to culture
Trang 17Smallpox was the first widespread disease to be eliminated by human intervention Known as a highly contagious viral disease, it broke out in Europe, causing the deaths of millions of people until the vaccination was invented by Edward Jenner around 1800 In many nations, it was a terror, a fatal disease until very recently Its victims suffer high fever, vomiting and painful, itchy, pustules that left scars In villages and cities all over the world, people were worried about suffering smallpox
In May, 1966, the World Health Organization (WHO), an agency of the United Nations was authorized to initiate a global campaign to eradicate smallpox The goal was to eliminate the disease in one decade At the time, the disease posed a serious threat to people in more than thirty nations Because similar projects for malaria and yellow fever had failed, few believed that smallpox could actually be eradicated but eleven years after the initial organization of the campaign, no cases were reported in the field
The strategy was not only to provide mass vaccinations but also to isolate patients with active smallpox in order to contain the spread of the disease and to break the chain of human transmission Rewards for reporting smallpox assisted in motivating the public to aid health workers One by one, each small-pox victim was sought out, removed from contact with others and treated At the same time, the entire village where the victim had lived was vaccinated
By April of 1978 WHO officials announced that they had isolated the last known case
of the disease but health workers continued to search for new cases for additional years to
be completely sure In May, 1980, a formal statement was made to the global community Today smallpox is no longer a threat to humanity Routine vaccinations have been stopped worldwide
Question 113: Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A The eradication of smallpox B The World Health Organization
C Infectious disease D Smallpox vaccinations
Question 114: The word “contagious” is closest in meaning to
A courteous B arresting C numerous D catching
Question 115: The global community considered the smallpox
A a minor illness B a deadly illness C a mental illness D a rare illness Question 116: The word “threat” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
A risk B debate C announce D bother
Question 117: According to the passage, what way was used to eliminate the spread of
smallpox?
A Vaccination of entire villages B Treatment of individual victims
C Isolation of victims and mass vaccinations D Extensive reporting of outbreaks Question 118: How was the public motivated to help the health workers?
A By educating them
B By rewarding them for reporting smallpox cases
C By isolating them from others
D By giving them vaccinations
Question 119: Which one of the statements doesn’t refer to smallpox?
A Previous project had failed
B People are no longer vaccinated for it
C The WHO set up a worldwide campaign to eradicate the disease
D It was a fatal threat
Question 120: It can be inferred from the passage that
A yellow fever have been reported this year
Trang 18B no new cases of smallpox have been reported this year
C smallpox victims no longer die when they contact the disease
D smallpox is not transmitted from one person to another
The first question we might ask is: What can you learn in college that will help you in being
an employee? The schools teach a (121) many things of value to the future accountant, doctor or electrician Do they also teach anything of value to the future employee? The answer is: “Yes - they teach the one thing that it is perhaps most valuable for the future employee to know But very few students bother (122) _ it This one basic skill is the ability to organize and express ideas in writing and in speaking This means that your success as an employee will depend on your ability to communicate with people and to (123) _ your own thoughts and ideas to them so they will (124) _ understand what you are driving at and be persuaded
Of course, skill in expression is not enough (125) _ itself You must have something to say in the first place The effectiveness of your job depends as much on your ability to make other people understand your work as it does on the quality of the work itself
Question 122: A to learning B with learning C to learn D learn
Question 123: A interpret B give out C transfer D present
Question 124: A both B not C as well D either
The Census Counts!
Every ten years there is a national census to count the number of people The census counts the number of people in each area, the number of men and women, their ages, their profession, their family size and status The census is the only way to count everyone Its results are used by a great many people and are available to everyone The census is useful; it helps to work out present and future needs for housing by seeing how many people are housed now, or the sizes and ages of their families In addition, the size of annual grants made by the Government to public services depends largely on the numbers and needs of people in the area provided by the census Furthermore, the census shows how many people have moved from one area to another and how the number of the local work force is changing
The census is taken in order to provide the figures about the nation as a whole It does not give information about any named person, family or household Therefore, names and addresses are needed on the forms but they are not fed into the computer After the census, the forms with the names on are locked away and will not be released to anyone outside the Census Office for 100 years The answers people give on their census forms will
be treated in strict confidence Everyone working on the census is sworn to secrecy and can
be sued if he or she improperly reveals information
Trang 19Question 126: Which of the following does the census not take interest in?
A How many houses you have B How old you are
C What your job is D How big your family is
Question 127: Census results
A are not used for anyone B are kept in secret forever
C can be used for everyone D are used by no one
Question 128: How the size of grants to local services is based on information from the
census?
A completely B very much C a little D not at all
Question 129: Which of the following statement is NOT true?
A There are names and age on the census forms
B The census reveals everyone’s personal information
C People must supply personal information
D The census information is stored in a computer
Question 130: Which of the following is true about the information of names and addresses
in the census?
A It is stored in the computer for 100 years
B It is not usually correct
C It will not be seen by anyone
D It will be made public after 100 years
Question 131: The word “sued” in the last sentence is closest in meaning to
A legally sewn B legally sound C legally punished D legally fine Question 132: The word “counts” in the title means
A is important B the counting C accounting D to count people
Quite different from storm surges are the giant sea waves called tsunamis, which derive their name from the Japanese expression for “high water in a harbor.” These waves are also referred to by the general public as tidal waves, although they have relatively little to
do with tides Scientists often referred to them as seismic sea waves, far more appropriate in that they do result from undersea seismic activity
Tsunamis are caused when the sea bottom suddenly moves, during an underwater earthquake or volcano for example, and the water above the moving earth is suddenly displaced This sudden shift of water sets off a series of waves These waves can travel great distances at speeds close to 700 kilometers per hour In the open ocean, tsunamis have little noticeable amplitude, often no more than one or two meters It is when they hit the shallow waters near the coast that they increase in height, possibly up to 40 meters
Tsunamis often occur in the Pacific because the Pacific is an area of heavy seismic activity Two areas of the Pacific well accustomed to the threat of tsunamis are Japan and Hawaii Because the seismic activity that causes tsunamis in Japan often occurs on the ocean bottom quite close to the islands, the tsunamis that hit Japan often come with little warning and can, therefore, prove disastrous Most of the tsunamis that hit the Hawaiian Islands, however, originate thousands of miles away near the coast of Alaska, so these tsunamis have a much greater distance to travel and the inhabitants of Hawaii generally have time for warning of their imminent arrival
Tsunamis are certainly not limited to Japan and Hawaii In 1755, Europe experienced
a calamitous tsunami, when movement along the fault lines near the Azores caused a massive tsunami to sweep onto the Portuguese coast and flood the heavily populated area around Lisbon The greatest tsunami on record occurred on the other side of the world in
Trang 201883 when the Krakatoa volcano underwent a massive explosion, sending waves more than
30 meters high onto nearby Indonesian islands; the tsunami from this volcano actually traveled around the world and was witnessed as far away as the English Channel
Question 133: The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses?
A underwater earthquakes B storm surges
C tides D tidal waves
Question 134: According to the passage, all of the following are true about tidal waves
EXCEPT that
A they are caused by sudden changes in high and low tides
B this terminology is not used by the scientific community
C they are the same as tsunamis
D they refer to the same phenomenon as seismic sea waves
Question 135: It can be inferred from the passage that tsunamis
A cause severe damage in the middle of the ocean
B generally reach heights greater than 40 meters
C are far more dangerous on the coast than in the open ocean
D are often identified by ships on the ocean
Question 136: A main difference between tsunamis in Japan and in Hawaii is that tsunamis
in Japan are more likely to
A come from greater distances B originate in Alaska
C be less of a problem D arrive without warning
Question 137: The possessive “their” in paragraph 3 refers to
A the Hawaiian Islands B thousands of miles
C these tsunamis D the inhabitants of Hawaii
Question 138: A “calamitous” tsunami, in paragraph 4, is one that is
A at fault B disastrous C extremely calm D expected Question 139: From the expression “on record” in the last paragraph, it can be inferred that
the tsunami that accompanied the Krakatoa volcano
A was not as strong as the tsunami in Lisbon
B might not be the greatest tsunami ever
C was filmed as it was happening
D occurred before efficient records were kept
Question 140: The passage suggests that the tsunami resulting from the Krakatoa volcano
A was far more destructive close to the source than far away
B resulted in little damage
C was unobserved outside of the Indonesian islands
D caused volcanic explosions in the English Channel
Public awareness of the value of recycling materials such (141) _ plastic, paper, and glass is increasing daily in all corners of the globe In some countries these efforts are being (142) _ by the local governments and in others, by individuals Participation in these programs is at an all-time high In the small town of Truro in eastern Massachusetts, for example, space in the local landfill has run out; therefore, residents have had to think of new ways to (143) _ of their trash With no room for items such as newspaper, bottles, and old lumber at the land fill, local residents have come up with many (144) _ programs to recycle and/ or reuse what was once thought of as only trash For instance, yard waste such as leaves and grass which used to be thrown in the
Trang 21landfill is now broken down and made into compost used by local people as fertilizer in their gardens In addition, (145) _ plastics, newspapers, bottles and cans are sold to a recycling company, thereby bringing in revenue for the town
Question 142: A initiated B introduced C participated D brought
Question 143: A disapprove B dispose C discard D throw
Question 144: A improved B reforming C innovative D progressive
Question 145: A reproductive B circulating C recyclable D wasted
Homing pigeons are placed in a training program from about the time they are twenty-eight days of age They are taught to enter the loft through a trap and to exercise above and around the loft, and gradually they are taken away for short distances in wicker baskets and released They are then expected to find their way home in the shortest possible time
In their training flights or in actual races, the birds are taken to prearranged distant points and released to find their way back to their own lofts Once the birds are liberated,
their owners, who are standing by at the home lofts, anxiously watch the sky for the return
of their entries Since time is of the essence, the speed with which the birds can be induced
to enter the loft trap may make the difference between gaining a win or a second place
The head of a homing pigeon is comparatively small, but its brain is one quarter larger than that of the ordinary pigeon The homing pigeon is very intelligent and will persevere to the point of stubbornness; some have been known to fly a hundred miles off course to avoid a storm
Some homing pigeon experts claim that this bird is gifted with a form of built-in radar
that helps it find its own loft after hours of flight, for hidden under the head feathers are two
very sensitive ears, while the sharp, prominent eyes can see great distances in daytime
Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill: it is found in most migratory birds, in bees, ants, toads, and even turtles, which have been known
to travel hundreds of miles to return to their homes But in the animal world, the homing pigeon alone can be trusted with its freedom and trained to carry out the missions that people demand
Question 146: What is the purpose of the passage?
A To convince the reader to buy a homing pigeon
B To inform the reader about homing pigeons and their training
C To protect homing pigeons against the threat of extinction
D To encourage the owners of homing pigeons to set the birds free
Question 147: According to the passage, what happens to homing pigeons when they are
about a month old?
A They are kept in a trap B They enter their first race
C They begin a training program D They get their wings clipped and marked
Trang 22Question 148: In paragraph 2, when the author states that the owners "anxiously watch the sky" there is the implication that the owners _
A want their pigeon to win the race B are sending radar signals to their pigeons C.do not know whether the race began on time D do not trust the rules set down by the judges
Question 149: According to the passage, what is the difference between a homing pigeon
and an ordinary one?
A The span of the wings B The shape of the eyes
C The texture of the feathers D The size of the brain
Question 150: The author mentions all of the following at tributes that enable a homing
pigeon to return home EXCEPT
A instinct B air sacs C sensitive ears D good eyes
Question 151: In the fourth paragraph, the pronoun "it" refers to which of the following?
A Radar B Bird C Loft D Form
Question 152: Why does the author mention bees, ants, toads, and turtles in the last
paragraph?
A To describe some unusual kinds of pets
B To measure distances traveled by various animals
C To compare their home-finding abilities with those of homing pigeons
D To interest the reader in learning about other animals
ACADEMICS AREN’T THE PROBLEM
Studies about how students use their time might shed light on whether they face increased academic and financial pressures compared with earlier eras
The data show that full-time students in all types of colleges study much less now than they did a generation ago - a full 10 hours a week less Students are also receiving significantly higher grades So it appears that academic pressures are, in fact, considerably lower than they used to be The time-use data don‟t suggest that students feel greater financial pressures, either When the time savings and lower opportunity costs are factored in, college appears less expensive for most students than it was in the 1960s And though there are now more full-time students working for pay while in college, they study less even when paid work choices are held constant
In other words, full-time students do not appear to be studying less in order to work more They appear to be studying less and spending the extra time on leisure activities or fun It seems hard to imagine that students feeling increased financial pressures would respond by taking more leisure
Based on how students are spending their time then, it doesn‟t look as though academic
or financial pressures are greater now than a generation ago The time-use data don‟t speak directly to social pressures, and it may well be that these have become more intense lately
In one recent set of data, students reported spending more than 23 hours per week either socializing with friends or playing on the computer for fun Social activities, in person or
on computer, would seem to have become the major focus of campus life It is hard to tell what
kinds of pressures would be associated with this change
Question 153: Research studies have shown that pressures put on students nowadays are
Trang 23
A much greater than the past B not greater than the past
C getting ever greater D more diversified
Question 154: Which of the following is used by the author as the proof of academic
pressures being lower than before?
A More students work while in college B Students get higher grades
C Students study less D Both B & C
Question 155: All factors considered, college now seems _
A even more expensive B more costly
C less expensive D much more expensive
Question 156: According to the author, the fact that more full-time students are working for
pay
A is not an indication of pressures
B shows that students are financially pressured
C does not change students‟ campus life
D indicates that students are academically pressured
Question 157: The author finds it hard to point out _
A the cause to students‟ financial pressure
B what is associated with the change in students‟ campus life
C how students‟ campus life becomes subject to academic pressure
D how the background of students‟ campus life is built
Question 158: The word “focus” in the last paragraph can be replaced with
A headline B biggest importance C primary theme D central activity Question 159: According to the author, the fact that students have more time for leisure is a
proof that
A financial pressure on students is not a problem
B they are active with extra-curricular activities
C academic work disinterests them
D they cannot find extra jobs
Question 160: The word “Academics” in the title mostly means _
A college students and tutors B professors and research students
C students‟ workload in college D graduate students‟ workload
Just as more English is being taught in primary schools worldwide, so there are a growing number of language schools in English-speaking countries that are (161) _ courses for younger learners In Britain most young learners' courses are (162) _ to 11-year-olds and upwards, with a few that cater for children as young
as seven But what is a sensible age to start sending children abroad to study? (163) _, even adult learners find the experience of travelling to a strange country and encountering people who speak an incomprehensible language challenging?
A great deal depends on how a child has been (164) _ up For example,
if they have been exposed to new things and have already started to learn independence, then they are likely to prosper Further on, children who have previously travelled abroad with their parents are usually more prepared for a study (165) _ in an English-speaking country on their own than those who have not
Trang 24Question 161: A granting B setting C offering D studying
Question 163: A At last B At the end C After all D Finally
Question 164: A turned B bought C put D grown
Question 165: A travel B journey C voyage D trip
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US on the fourth Thursday in November For many Americans it is the most important holiday apart from Christmas Schools, offices and most businesses close for Thanksgiving, and many people make the whole weekend a vacation
Thanksgiving is associated with the time when Europeans first came to North America In 1620 the ship the Mayflowers arrived, bringing about 150 people who today are usually called Pilgrims They arrived at the beginning of a very hard winter and could not find enough to eat, so many of them died But in the following summer Native Americans showed
them what foods were safe to eat, so that they could save food for the next winter They
held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans for the fact that they had survived
Today people celebrate Thanksgiving to remember these early days The most important part of the celebration is a traditional dinner with foods that come from North America The meal includes turkey, sweet potatoes (also called yams) and cranberries, which are made into a kind of sauce or jelly The turkey is filled with stuffing or dressing, and many families have their own special recipe Dessert is pumpkin made into a pie
On Thanksgiving there are special television programs and sports events In New York there is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when a long line of people wearing fancy costumes march through the streets with large balloons in the shape of imaginary characters Thanksgiving is considered the beginning of the Christmas period, and the next day many people go out to shop for Christmas presents
Question 166: What is the purpose of the passage?
A To compare how Thanksgiving was celebrated in the past and today
B To give an overview of a popular celebration in the US
C To explain the existence of a celebration in the US
D To introduce a Native American culture
Question 167: In the United States, Thanksgiving is
A a religious celebration held by Christians only
B celebrated as a public holiday
C more important than Christmas
D apart from Christmas
Question 168: According to the passage, Pilgrims are
A people who traveled to America by ships
B trips that religious people make to a holy place
Trang 25C people who left their home and went to live in North America in 1620s
D Native Americans who live in North America
Question 169: All of the following statements are mentioned EXCEPT
A People celebrate Thanksgiving to thank God
B People usually have traditional dinners on Thanksgiving
C There are lots of entertainments on Thanksgiving
D People go to churches for religious services on Thanksgiving
Question 170: Which of the following statements is not TRUE about Thanksgiving ?
A turkey, yams and pumpkin pies are served
B people join in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
C people wear colored costumes marching through the streets
D people go out to shop for Christmas presents
Question 171: In the second paragraph, the pronoun "them" refers to which of the
following?
A Pilgrims B the Mayflowers C Native Americans D Schools
Question 172: Which of the following is NOT true?
A In the US, Thanksgiving is not a national holiday; it's a religious holiday
B Christmas comes less than a month after Thanksgiving
C Thanksgiving was originally celebrated by the first Europeans in North America to
thank God for their survival
D The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is colorful and exciting
A rather surprising geographical feature of Antarctica is that a huge freshwater lake, one
of the world’s largest and deepest, lies hidden there under four kilometers of ice Now known
as Lake Vostok, this huge body of water is located under the ice block that comprises Antarctica The lake is able to exist in its unfrozen state beneath this block of ice because its waters are warmed by geothermal heat from the earth’s core The thick glacier above Lake
Vostok actually insulates it from the frigid temperatures on the surface
The lake was first discovered in the 1970s while a research team was conducting an aerial survey of the area Radio waves from the survey equipment penetrated the ice and revealed a body of water of indeterminate size It was not until much more recently that data collected by satellite made scientists aware of the tremendous size of the lake; the satellite-borne radar detected an extremely flat region where the ice remains level because it is floating
on the water of the lake
The discovery of such a huge freshwater lake trapped under Antarctica is of interest to
the scientific community because of the potential that the lake contains ancient microbes that
have survived for thousands of years, unaffected by factors such as nuclear fallout and elevated
ultraviolet light that have affected organisms in more exposed areas The downside of the
discovery, however, lies in the difficulty of conducting research on the lake in such a harsh climate and in the problems associated with obtaining uncontaminated samples from the lake without actually exposing the lake to contamination Scientists are looking for possible ways to accomplish this
Question 173: The word “hidden” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A undrinkable B untouched C unexploitable D undiscovered Question 174: What is true of Lake Vostok?
A It is completely frozen B It is saltwater lake
C It is beneath a thick slab of ice D It is heated by the sun
Trang 26Question 175: Which of the following is closest in meaning to “frigid” in paragraph 1?
A extremely cold B easily broken C quite harsh D lukewarm
Question 176: All of the following are true about the 1970 survey of Antarctica EXCEPT that
it
A was conducted by air B made use of radio waves
C could not determine the lake’s exact size D was controlled by a satellite
Question 177: It can be inferred from the passage that the ice would not be flat if
A there were no lake underneath B the lake were not so big
C Antarctica were not so cold D radio waves were not used
Question 178: The word “microbes” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by which of the
C may have elevated levels of ultraviolet light D has already been contaminated
Question 180: The purpose of the passage is to _
A explain how Lake Vostok was discovered
B provide satellite data concerning Antarctica
C discuss future plans for Lake Vostok
D present an unexpected aspect of Antarctica’s geography
Last year thieves broke into a Scottish stately home and stole only one thing: a rhino horn trophy, which at 1.5 meters was the longest in the world Meanwhile, in China, pharmaceutical factories have been building up (181) _ of antiques made from rhino horn, for the sole purpose of smashing them to powder to make the (182) _ ingredient of many of their medicines And in Zimbabwe, 34 poachers died in 1990 in the search for the black rhino
Recently, conservationists met to (183) _a campaign to persuade countries where rhino horn is still part of the traditional medicine to switch to substitutes The biggest threat to the survival of the rhinoceros is the refusal of certain countries to enforce a ban on domestic trading in rhino horn
The rhino horn is included in many doses for disorders raging from fevers to nosebleeds Horn, like fingernails, is made of keratin and has no proven medicinal (184) _ Traditional substitutes, such as horn from buffalo or antelope, are regarded as second best
The battle is thought to be winnable But it may be harder than the battle against the trade in ivory, for there is a (185) _between the two commodities Ivory is a luxury; rhino horn, people believe, could save the life of their child
Question 181: A bundles B collections C amounts D groups
Question 182: A real B actual C essential D true
Question 183: A design B plan C programme D form
Trang 27Question 184: A capacity B property C control D powers
Question 185: A variation B comparison C variety D difference
Beads were probably the first durable ornaments humans possessed, and the intimate relationship they had with their owners is reflected in the fact that beads are among the most common items found in ancient archaeological sites In the past, as today, men,
women, and children adorned themselves with beads In some cultures still, certain beads
are often worn from birth until death, and then are buried with their owners for the afterlife Abrasion due to daily wear alters the surface features of beads, and if they are buried for long, the effects of corrosion can further change their appearance Thus, interest is imparted
to the bead both by use and the effects of time
Besides their wearability, either as jewelry or incorporated into articles of attire, beads possess the desirable characteristics of every collectible, they are durable, portable, available in infinite variety, and often valuable in their original cultural context as well as in today's market Pleasing to look at and touch, beads come in shapes, colors, and materials that almost compel one to handle them and to sort them
Beads are miniature bundles of secrets waiting to be revealed: their history, manufacture, cultural context, economic role, and ornamental use are all points of
information one hopes to unravel Even the most mundane beads may have traveled great
distances and been exposed to many human experiences The bead researcher must gather information from many diverse fields In addition to having to be a generalist while specializing in what may seem to be a narrow field, the researcher is faced with the problem
of primary materials that have little or no documentation Many ancient beads that are of ethnographic interest have often been separated from their original cultural context
The special attractions of beads contribute to the uniqueness of bead research While often regarded as the "small change of civilizations", beads are a part of every culture, and they can often be used to date archaeological sites and to designate the degree of mercantile, technological, and cultural sophistication
Question 186: What is the main subject of the passage?
A Materials used in making beads B How beads are made
C The reasons for studying beads D Different types of beads Question 187: The word "adorned" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A protected B decorated C purchased D enjoyed Question 188: All of the following are given as characteristics of collectible objects EXCEPT
_
A durability B portability C value D scarcity
Question 189: According to the passage, all of the following are factors that make people
want to touch beads EXCEPT the
A shape B color C material D odor
Question 190: The word "mundane" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _
A carved B ordinary C beautiful D heavy
Question 191: It is difficult to trace the history of certain ancient beads because they
Trang 28
A are small in size
B have been buried underground
C have been moved from their original locations
D are frequently lost
Question 192: Knowledge of the history of some beads may be useful in the studies done
by which of the following _
A Anthropologists B Agricultural experts C Medical researchers D Economists
Milpa Alta is a region of twelve villages and towns to the south of Mexico City In Milpa Alta, traditions are still very important and one of the most famous traditional events is a community meal It takes place every Christmas and is called La Rejunta More than a meal, it’s
a feast, where about sixty thousand tamales and fifteen thousand litres of hot chocolate are made and consumed Tamales are made from corn They are typical of the region: the name Milpa Alta means “High cornfield” The feast is offered to the people who go on the long walk to
El Señor de Chalma about 80 kilometers away It’s an important event on the religious calendar for local people and as many as 20,000 people take part
The planning and organisation of La Rejunta takes the whole year Every year, different people are given the job of majordomo, which means they’re responsible for organising the meal There’s a waiting list for the opportunity to do this and currently the next available year is
2046 This year’s majordomos are Virginia Meza Torres and her husband Fermín Lara Jiménez, who put their names on the list 14 years ago
One year before the meal, men go to the forest and collect wood that they store near the home of the majordomo It has to be dry when it’s used to make the cooking fires Local farmers grow most of the corn, meat and vegetables that are needed as ingredients In the week before the feast, hundreds of volunteers arrive to help with the preparation and the cooking No instant
or ready-made foods are allowed Amazingly, everyone seems to know what they have to do
On the day of the feast, the majordomos and others have stayed up all night cooking Fermin is
in charge of the numbers – making sure there are enough tamales for everyone
For the people of Milpa Alta, eating together is one of their most important traditions One woman, Josefina García Jiménez, explains that sitting together at the table is like a glue that keeps people together It feels like I am passing down a tradition, and when they are adults, they will remember what I have done Here we have time to cook, time to think about the ingredients, time to show our kids through cooking that we love them ‟ The time that everybody stays at the table after the meal has finished is just as important as the food They talk, tell stories and laugh together At Christmas, La Rejunta is a giant version of a family meal
Question 193: What is the article about?
A daily life in Mexico B farming in Milpa Alta
C Mexican cuisine D traditions in Mexico
Question 194: In Milpa Alta, eating with other people is
A difficult B important C unusual D abstained
Question 195: What’s unusual about La Rejunta?
A A huge amount of food is made B The event lasts for many days
C The ingredients are very unusual D The preparation only takes a few
days
Question 196: What do the majordomos do?
A cook the food for La Rejunta B grow food for La Rejunta
C organise La Rejunta D collect wood for La Rejunta
Question 197: According to the article, which statement is true?
Trang 29A Not many people want to be majordomos
B People wait a long time to be majordomos
C Virginia Meza Torres has been a majordomo for 14 years
D A majordomo has the right to spend the night sleeping on the day of the feast Question 198: According to the third paragraph, which sentence is true?
A After the meal, people do the dishes together
B It takes a week to organise La Rejunta
C The majordomos do everything themselves
D All the food for the meal is from the local area
Question 199: Fermin _
A cooks the tamales B counts the amount of food
C tells the volunteers what to do D makes plan for the next La Rejunta Question 200: According to the last paragraph, the important thing about family meals is
_
A being together B the cook C the food D the ingredients
The Indonesian capital, with a population of over 10 million, has been named the most packed city on the planet Its greater metropolitan area, (201) _ as Jabodetabek, is the second largest in the world
From 21 to 25 November, the Guardian Cities team will be in Jakarta for a live week
of (202) _ reporting and special events all about the issues shaping the city As a key part of this week, we’d love to hear from local residents about local life and how it’s changing – for better (203) _ worse – as well as aspiration for Jakarta’s future
From huge street protests earlier this month against Jakarta’s Christian governor Ahok’s alleged blashpheny in his comments about the Qur’an, to the president’s spokenperson saying there is “no room” for LBGT people in Indonesia and plans to ban gay networking apps like Grindr, have you witnessed social division in the city, or experienced discrimination yourself?
Is the city rapid development – including the proliferation of shopping malls and a huge land reclamation project to help (204) _ a growing population a positive or negative thing in your view?
If you live or work in Jakarta, we’d love to hear from you From traffic and urban development to community and culture, what are the best and worst things about life in the city? What would make Jakarta better, and what changes are most (205) _ needed?
Question 201: A admiited B known C revealed D published
Question 202: A in-depth B deep C depth D in-deep
Question 204: A house B protect C store D contain
Trang 30Question 205: A rgent B urgency C urgently D in urgent
Certain birds are, more often than not, considered bad luck, or even a sign of impending death For example, all over the world, both crows and ravens have some connection to war, and death In early times, crows and ravens were thought to accompany the gods of war, or be signs of the god’s approaching arrival This idea later changed Crows
in particular were thought to be harbingers of ill fortune or, in some cases, guides to the afterlife Woe be it to the person who saw a single crow or raven flying overhead, for this
was most certainly a portent of death in the near future
Interestingly, though potentially bad luck for people individually, the raven is considered to be good luck for the crown of England So much so, in fact, that a “raven master” is, even today, an actual government position in London He takes care of the ravens there and also clips their wings, ensuring that these birds can never fly far from the seat of the British government This way, the kingdom will never fall to ill fortune
Another bird that is thought to play a part in forecasting the fortunes of people is the swallow Depending on how and when it is seen, the swallow can be a harbinger of either good or ill fortune Perhaps inspired the swallow’s red-brown breast, Christian people initially related the swallow to the death of Jesus Christ Thus, people who saw a swallow fly through their house considered it a portent of death Later, however, farmers began to consider swallows signs of good fortune Any barn that has swallows living in it is sure to be blessed in the following year Farmers also have to beware of killing a swallow; that would
be certain to end any good luck they might have had
Though many people think these superstitions are old wives’ tales, there is actually some evidence to support them For example, crows and ravens, being scavengers, appear
at the aftermath of battles Thus, large numbers of crows and ravens could be good indications of war in an area As well, swallows feed on insects that can cause infections in cattle Thus, a farmer who has many swallows in his barn may actually have healthier animals on his farm Therefore, the next time you feel inclined to laugh at an old wives’ tale, maybe you had better find out if there is any truth to it first!
Question 206: What is the main idea of this reading?
A Birds bring bad luck
B Don’t look a crow in the eye
C There are many superstitions surrounding birds
D Birds are important to English people
Question 207: Which birds are considered harbingers of bad luck?
A Crows B Swallows C Ravens D All of the above Question 208: The word "portent" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to
_
A sign B coming C symbol D destruction Question 209: Which is NOT true, according to the reading?
A Some superstitions are based on reality
B Seeing a swallow is a sign of war and death in the future
C Ravens bring good luck for the country of England
D Crows eat dead animals
Trang 31Question 210: The word "old wives’ tales" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
_
A stories told by housewives in the past
B old beliefs which have been proved to be scientifically true
C folk beliefs passed down from generation to generation without any reason of
science
D folk tales about wives that were passed on to people in a spoken form
Question 211: How might a farmer attempt to prevent bad luck?
A Catch a raven B Keep his windows open
C Follow a crow D Avoid harming a swallow
Question 212: Swallows help keep cattle in barns healthier by _
A eating infected skin B consuming insects
C singing D making cows happier
A newborn baby can see, hear and feel By the age of five, a child can talk, ride a bike and invent imaginary friends How does this development happen? We don’t understand the way language, thinking and planning develop very well Now scientists are using new technology to ‘see’ into children’s brains And they are discovering new information about the way a baby’s brain develops
A study in 2010 showed that the experiences a child has in their first few years affect the development of the brain It showed that children who received more attention often had higher IQs The brain of a newborn baby has nearly a hundred billion neurons This is the same number as an adult‟s brain As they grow, a baby receives information through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch This information creates connections between different parts of the brain At the age of three, there are a hundred trillion connections
One experiment looked at images of babies’ brains while they were listening to different sounds The sounds were in different sequences For example, one sequence was mu-ba-ba This is the pattern ‘A- B-B’ Another sequence was mu-ba-ge This is the pattern ‘A-B-C’ The images showed that the part of the brain responsible for speech was more active during ‘A-B-B’ patterns This shows that babies can tell the difference between different patterns This experiment is interesting because sequences of words are important to grammar and meaning Compare two sentences with the same words in a different order: “John killed the bear” is very different from ‘The bear killed John’ So babies are starting to learn grammatical rules from the beginning of life
Researchers also know that babies need to hear a lot of language in order to understand grammar rules But there is a big difference between listening to television, audio books or the internet, and interacting with people One study compared two groups of nine-month-old American babies One group watched videos of Mandarin Chinese sounds In the other group, people spoke the same sounds to the babies The test results showed that the second group could recognise different sounds, however the first group learned nothing
The scientist, Patricia Kuhl, said this result was very surprising It suggests that social experience is essential to successful brain development in babies
Question 213: The purpose of the article is to
A explain new studies into the development of babies‟ brains
B describe how a new-born baby‟s brain works
Trang 32C compare the brains of adults and children
D prove that nowadays babies are more intelligent than in the past
Question 214: According to the first paragraph
A most aspects of child development are understood quite well
B some five-year-olds have imaginary friends
C children use technology more these days
D technology has been used in children‟s brain surgery
Question 215: Which statement is supported by the second paragraph?
A Adult brains have more neurons than new-n ai ain
B Babies and three-year-olds have the same number of neurons
C Early experiences have an effect on brain development
D The connections between parts of the brain stay the same as a child grows up
Question 216: According to the second paragraph, which of the following can affect IQ?
A being with adults a lot B connecting with other babies
C paying attention to a baby D having access to information as
early as possible
Question 217: It can be inferred from the passage that
A A pattern like ‘A-B-C’ is easier to understand
B Babies’ brains cannot recognise different sound patterns
C It’s not known which area of a baby’s brain processes speech
D Children can actually learn grammatical rules in their very early age
Question 218: According to the article, which statement is true?
A Experiments focusing on language have given researchers new information
B Children who hear different languages develop differently
C The development of language is the easiest thing to study in babies
D Babies are able to understand grammar rules of a language only in specific period
Question 219: What did the study described in the last paragraph do?
A compare the effects of different languages
B divide babies into two groups with different treatment
C investigate if babies can learn Chinese
D teach babies foreign languages through listening to videos
Question 220: What is the main conclusion from the study described in the last paragraph?
A Babies can understand television at the age of nine months
B Social interaction has a big influence on the brain
C Watching videos is a good way to develop a child’s brain
D Mandarin Chinese is not too hard to be learned for American babies
Television has changed the lifestyle of people in every industrialized country in the world In the United States, where sociologists have studied the effects, some interesting observations have been made TV, although not essential, has become a(n) (221) part of most people’s lives It has become a baby- sitter, an initiator of conversations, a major transmitter of culture, and a keeper of traditions Yet when what can be seen on TV in one day is critically analyzed, it becomes evident that TV is not a teacher but a sustainer The poor quality of programs does not elevate people into greater (222) , but rather maintains and encourages the status quo The (223) reason for the lack of quality in American TV is related to both the history of TV development and the economics of TV TV
Trang 33in American began with the radio Radio companies and their sponsors first experimented with TV Therefore, the close relationship, which the advertisers had with radio programs, become the system for American TV Sponsors not only pay money for time within programs, but many actually produced the programs Thus, (224) from the capitalistic, profit- oriented sector of American society, TV is primarily concerned with reflecting and attracting society (225) _ than innovating and experimenting with new ideas Advertisers want to attract the largest viewing audience possible; to do so requires that the programs be entertaining rather than challenging TV in America today remains, to a large extent, with the same organization and standards as it had thirty years ago The hope for some evolution and true achievement toward improving society will require a change in the entire system
Question 221: A integral B mixed C fractional D superior
Question 222: A.preconception B knowledge C.understanding D feeling
Question 223: A adequate B unknown C inexplicable D primary
Question 224: A going B leaving C coming D getting
Are organically grown foods the best food choices? The advantages claimed for such foods over conventionally grown and marketed food products are now being debated Advocates of organic foods – a term whose meaning varies greatly – frequently proclaim that
such products are safer and more nutritious than others
The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of the typical
North American diet is a welcome development However, much of this interest has been
sparked by sweeping claims that the food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional needs Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, the preponderance of written material advancing such claims makes it difficult for the general public to separate fact from fiction As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting entirely of organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become widely publicized and form the basis for folklore
Almost daily the public is besieged by claims for "no-aging" diets, new vitamins, and
other wonder foods There are numerous unsubstantiated reports that natural vitamins are
superior to synthetic ones, that fertilized eggs are nutritionally superior to unfertilized eggs, that untreated grains are better than fumigated grains, and the like
One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in common is that they cost more than conventionally grown foods But in many cases consumers are misled if they believe organic foods can maintain health and provide better nutritional quality than conventionally grown foods So there is real cause for concern if consumers, particularly those with limited incomes, distrust the regular food supply and buy only expensive organic foods instead
Question 226: The word "others" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
Trang 34A advantages B advocates C organic foods D products
Question 227: The "welcome development" mentioned in paragraph 2 is an increase
in _
A interest in food safety and nutrition among North Americans
B the nutritional quality of the typical North American diet
C the amount of healthy food grown in North America
D the number of consumers in North America
Question 228: According to the first paragraph, which of the following is true about the term
"organic foods"?
A It is accepted by most nutritionists B It has been used only in recent years
C It has no fixed meaning D It is seldom used by
consumers
Question 229: The word "unsubstantiated" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
_
A unbelievable B uncontested C upopular D unverified
Question 230: The author implies that there is cause for concern if consumers with limited
incomes buy organic foods instead of conventionally grown foods because _
A many organic foods are actually less nutritious than similar conventionally grown
foods B organic foods can be more expensive but are often no better
than conventionally grown foods
C conventionally grown foods are more readily available than organic foods
D too many farmers will stop using conventional methods to grow food crops
Question 231: According to the last paragraph, consumers who believe that organic foods
are better than conventionally grown foods are often
A careless B mistaken C thrifty D wealthy Question 232: What is the author's attitude toward the claims made by advocates of health
In 1979, these siblings found a pair of antique roller skates while checking out bargains
at a used sporting-goods store The skates they found had four wheels in a single row instead
of the traditional parallel pairs of wheels in front and back This single row of wheels intrigued
the Olsons They were avid hockey players, and they immediately noticed the similarity between the inline wheels and the long, single blade found on the bottom of ice skates Could these unusual skates somehow be used to practice hockey off the ice?
The Olsons set about trying to modify the design of the antique skates that they had found First they tested out the antique skates to see how well they worked From those tests, they tried to come up with ways to improve the old design One improvement involved using special materials to make the skates stronger and easier to steer The Olsons also added reliable brakes to their inline skates In 1980, the Olsons founded a company called Rollerblade
to make and sell their “new” invention Sales skyrocketed, and soon millions of people worldwide were “rollerblading,” as inline skating was mistakenly called
Trang 35At first, inline skating was recreational People enjoyed skating in parks and on streets, and some even danced on skates at giant roller discos Today, inline “group skates” are popular all over the world In cities such as San Francisco, Paris, and Berlin, as many as 20,000 skaters might meet on a free day and skate together through the streets Many people see inline skating
as a great way to exercise and socialize
By the mid-1990s, inline skating had become more than just a recreational sport It had developed into several competitive sports One of the most popular, even today, is aggressive skating This involves performing tricks and jumping over objects such as boxes, ramps, and rails Other kinds of competitive skating include speed skating, artistic skating, downhill racing, and skating marathons
So, what about hockey? Well, the Olsons achieved their goal Inline hockey leagues
sprang up almost immediately Then in 1999, inline hockey joined the lineup at the
Pan-American Games There are rumors that inline skating may even become part of the Summer Olympics someday
Question 233: What is the main idea of this reading?
A Why inline skating is popular B The history of inline skating competitions
C How inline skating developed D The story of Scott and Brennan
Olson
Question 234: According to the reading, what is true about the Olsons’?
A They wanted to make a new invention
B They did not succeed with their original goal
C They were motivated because they loved a sport
D They were not very good businessmen
Question 235: The word "intrigued" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A acknowledged B piqued curiosity C took aback D crashed
Question 236: What was a problem with the early inline skates?
A They were too heavy B They were uncomfortable
C They were not easy to stop D They were made of expensive metal
Question 237: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a
benefit of inline skating?
A socializing B entertaining C exercising D motivating
self-Question 238: The word "sprang up" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning
to
A developed B was invented C constrained D introduced
Question 239: What is NOT true, according to the passage?
A At first, only hockey players were interested in the Olsons’ skates
B The Olsons started a new company
C In the 1980s, most people called inline skates rollerblades
D Rollerblades became very popular almost from the beginning
Question 240: What can be inferred about the antique inline skates found by the Olsons?
A They were not widely sold B They were used mainly by Europeans
C They were more popular than bicycles D They were used by hockey players in the
summer
Trang 36The 15th Asian Games took place from December 1 through December 15, 2006, in Doha, Capital of Qatar More than 10,000 athletes, who (241) _ 45 countries and regions, took part in 39 sports and 424 events of the Games, the most important event in Asia Some new events such as chess and triathlon were also included in the Games
The 15th Asian Games was organized at 34 sporting (242) _, including Khalifa Stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies The Opening Ceremony
of the 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006, at Khalifa Stadium, was the most (243) _ opening of any Games with 50,000 people to get into Khalifa Stadium and more than one billion television viewers The Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee (DAGOC) wanted
to ensure that everybody who saw the ceremony would have a memory for life as suggested
in the (244) _"The Games of Your Life." The 15th Asian Games was a successful sporting event that all (245) _ would never forget
Question 241: A symbolized B represented C expressed D typified
Question 242: A events B facilities C venues D teams
Question 243: A spectacular B formal C colorful D elaborate
Question 244: A portrait B banner C streamer D slogan
Question 245: A attendances B attendees C attendants D attenders
Imagine the busy streets of New York City, an enormous place with millions of
people Every day, the streets are congested with people going about their daily lives Now
imagine a small robot in the middle of all of those people rolling down a busy sidewalk Most people would not even notice the teninch smiling robot, called a Tweenbot, rolling along the street This strange machine may interest some people, while others would ignore it completely A researcher interested in studying how helpful people really are uses such robots in her experiments that take place on the streets of New York
The Tweenbots experiment is the idea and creation of Kacie Kinzer Kinzer’s idea was to make a robot that could navigate the city and reach its destination only if it was aided
by pedestrians Tweenbots rely on the kindness of warm-hearted strangers Made simply of cardboard, wheels, and a device to turn the wheels, the Tweenbots face many dangers on the city streets They could be run over by cars or smashed by careless kids Kinzer thought her little robots might even be seen as some kind of terrorist device The only real protection
a Tweenbot has is its friendly smile In addition to that, each of Kinzer’s robots is fitted with
a flag that displays instructions for the robot’s destination The only way these robots will reach their final point is if someone lends them a hand Tweenbots are essentially a social experiment aimed at providing people a chance to show how caring they are
On a daily basis, people in New York City are often in a hurry to get around However, the Tweenbots, through their inability to look after themselves, took people out of their normal routines The people who noticed the helpless little robots were actually interested in helping the Tweenbots find their way home Tweenbots move at a constant speed and can only go in a straight line If one was to get stuck, or was going in the wrong direction, it would be up to strangers to free it or turn it in the right direction Surprisingly, no
Trang 37Tweenbot was lost or damaged, and each one arrived at its target in good condition In fact, most people treated the robot in a gentle manner, and some even treated it as though it were a small living being
Even if you were in a rush to go somewhere, would you stop and help a Tweenbot successfully reach its destination?
Question 246: What is this reading about?
A A place to buy robots B A new kind of toy
C An experiment D An interesting idea for the future Question 247: What is a Tweenbot?
A A person from New York City B A ten-inch smiling robot
C A pedestrian D A terrorist device
Question 248: The word "congested" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A flocked B secluded C stuffed D crowded
Question 249: How did a Tweenbot get to its final destination?
A With the help of other Tweenbots B With the help of kind pedestrians on
A is armed with B is embedded with
C is supplied with D is assembled with
Question 251: Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
A Most Tweenbots arrived at their destination damaged or broken
B Most people treated the Tweenbots in a gentle manner
C Tweenbots could not navigate the city on their own
D Tweenbots move at a constant speed and can only go in a straight line
Question 252: What can be inferred about the Tweenbot?
A They were useful for research B They were ignored by most
people
C They were helpful for pedestrians D They did not work as planned
By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States The ice trade grew with the growth of cities Ice was used in hotels, taverns, and
hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter
After the Civil War (1860-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use Even before 1880, half the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern refrigerator, had been invented
Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science
of refrigeration, was rudimentary The common-sense notion that the best icebox was one
that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job Not until near the end of the
Trang 38nineteenth century did inventors achieve the nice balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox
But as early as 1803, an ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for
which the village of Georgetown was the market center When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that
farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce
cool
Question 253: What does the passage mainly discuss?
A The influence of ice on the diet B The development of refrigeration
C The transportation of goods to market D Sources of ice in the nineteenth
century
Question 254: According to the passage, when did the word "icebox" become part of the
language of the United States?
A In 1803 B Sometime before 1850
C During the Civil War D 1950s
Question 255: The author mentions “fish” in the first paragraph because
A many fish dealers also sold ice
B fish was shipped in refrigerated freight cars
C fish dealers were among the early commercial users of ice
D fish was not part of the ordinary person's diet before the invention of the icebox Question 256: According to the passage, which of the following was an obstacle to the
development of the icebox?
A Competition among the owners of refrigerated freight cars
B The lack of a network for the distribution of ice
C The use of insufficient insulation
D Inadequate understanding of physics
Question 257: The word "rudimentary" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A the road to the market passed close to Moore's farm
B Moore was an honest merchant
C Moore was a prosperous farmer
D Moore's design was fairly successful
Question 259: According to the passage, Moore's icebox allowed him to _
A charge more for his butter B travel to market at night
C manufacture butter more quickly D produce ice all year round
Question 260: The "produce" mentioned in the last paragraph could include
A iceboxes B butter C ice D markets
Trang 39It isn’t difficult to imagine how increases in international commerce and in the movement of people—two defining features of globalization—might influence health More goods go more places today than at any (261) _ in history More people travel farther, more frequently, and come in contact with more people and goods, than at any point
in history
This increased movement of both goods and people increases opportunities for the spread of disease around the world And it’s not just goods and services that can travel across oceans and state borders—so can diseases like AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis The (262) _ of BSE, or ―mad cow disease,‖ in several European countries is only one example of (263) _trade can promote the spread of dangerous diseases Mosquitoes that carry malaria have been found aboard planes thousands of miles from their primary habitats, and (264) _ seafood carrying cholera bacteria have been shipped from Latin America to the United States and Europe
But just as globalization increases the frequency and ease (265) _ which diseases can move around the world, it also can improve access to the medicines, medical information, and training that can help treat or cure these diseases
Question 262: A outbreak B disruption C corruption D suspension
Question 264: A diseased B treated C infectious D infected
Leisure activity isn’t just for fun, says a University of Florida psychologist who has developed a scale that classifies hobbies and avocations based on needs they satisfy in people The scale can help people find more personal fulfillment by giving them insight into
what they really like and by helping them to find substitutes when they can’t pursue their favorite activities
“The surprising thing is that activities you might think are very different have similar effects on people” said Howard E.A Tinsley, a UF psychology professor who developed the measurement ―Probably no one would consider acting to have the same characteristics as roller-skating or playing baseball, but men and women who act as a hobby report feeling an intense sense of belonging to a group, much the same way others do in playing sports
And activities providing the strongest sense of competition are not sports, but card, arcade and computer games, he found
Tinsley, whose research on leisure has been published in several journals, is scheduled this spring to present some of the findings in Milwaukee at a conference of the Society for Vocational Psychology
Based on surveys with more than 3,000 people about the satisfactions they get from various hobbies, Tinsley obtained numerical scores for values such as “challenge” and
“hedonism”, and grouped some 82 leisure activities into 11 categories For example, dining
Trang 40out and watching movies fall into the “sensual enjoyment” category, playing soccer and attending sports clubs meetings satisfy participants’ desires for a sense of “belongingness” and coin collecting and baking fulfill their need for “creativity”
“With so many people in jobs they don’t care for, leisure is a prized aspect of people’s lives,” Tinsley said “Yet it’s not something psychologists really study Economists tell us how much money people spend skiing, but nobody explains what it is about skiing that
is really appealing to people or how one activity relates to another, perhaps in unexpected ways.”
“Fishing, generally considered more of an outdoor or recreational activity, for
example, is a form of self-expression like quilting or stamp collecting, because it gives
people the opportunity to express themselves by doing something completely different from their daily routine,”he said
Question 266: The word "substitutes" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A delight B revenge C replacement D attraction
Question 267: Which of the following is NOT true?
A Both acting and roller-skating give people a feeling of being a part of a team
B Collecting things satisfied people’s desire for making things
C Fishing allows you to show the type of person you are
D Researchers already know why a hobby attracts a person
Question 268: Which of the following is not mentioned as a category in Tinsley’s scale?
A hedonism B belongingness C initiative D sensual enjoyment Question 269: Taking part in sports gives you _
A the strongest desire to win B a need for creativity
C the chance to express your feelings D a sense of being part of a team Question 270: The word "it" in the last paragraph refers to
A fishing B activity C self-expression D stamp collecting Question 271: Which sentence best summarizes the passage?
A Leisure activity and sport are totally different
B A person’s personality is expressed via his hobbies
C Leisure activities satisfy people’s particular desires
D Sports affect a person’s personality
Question 272: The findings in the passage by Howard E.A.Tinsley are somewhat
A funny B surprising C predictable D useless
Archaeological records - paintings, drawings and carvings of humans engaged in activities involving the use of hands - indicate that humans have been predominantly right-handed for more than 5,000 years In ancient Egyptian artwork, for example, the right hand is depicted as the dominant one in about 90 percent of the examples Fracture or wear patterns on tools also indicate that a majority of ancient people were right-handed Cro-Magnon cave paintings some 27,000 years old commonly show outlines of human hands made by placing
one hand against the cave wall and applying paint with the other Children today make similar
outlines of their hands with crayons on paper With few exceptions, left hands of CroMagnons are displayed on cave walls, indicating that the paintings were usually done by right-handers
Anthropological evidence pushes the record of handedness in early human ancestors back to at least 1.4 million years ago One important line of evidence comes from flaking