32 bài tập đọc HIỂU (240 câu)từ đề THẦY bùi văn VINH image marked image marked

ĐỀ THI THỬ SỐ 1 – THẦY BÙI VĂN VINH EXERCISE 2: Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

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Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows

which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a

modem example is Gaki no Tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother

Critics say that the term “reality television” is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently portray a modifies and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic location or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques

Part of reality television’s appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, traveling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity

Some commentators have said that the name “reality television” is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre In competition- based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely

fabricated world in which the competition plays out Producers specifically select the participants, and

use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word “reality” to describe his shows; he has said, “I tell good stories It really is not reality TV

It really is unscripted drama.”

Question 1 The word “demeaning” is closest in meaning to

Question 2 According to the passage, Reality TV appeals to some because

A it uses exotic locations

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B it shows eligible men dating women

C it can um ordinary people into celebrities

D it shows average people in exceptional circumstances

Question 3 According to the passage, the program “Pop Idol”

A turns all participants into celebrities

B is more likely to turn its participants into celebrities that Big Brother

C is less likely to turn participants into celebrities than Big Brother

D is a dating show

Question 4 Producers choose the participants

A to make an imaginary world

B on the ground of talent

C to create conflict among other things

D only for special-living-environment shows

Question 5 The term “reality television” is inaccurate

A for talent and performance programs

B for special-living-environment program

C for all programs

D for Big Brother and Survivor

Question 6 The word “fabricated” is closest in meaning to

Question 7 Which of the following in NOT true according to the passage?

A Shows like Survivor have good narratives.

B Mark Burnett thinks the term “reality television” is inaccurate.

C Japan has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.

D Reality television has been popular since well before 2000.

(ĐỀ THI THỬ SỐ 1 – THẦY BÙI VĂN VINH)

EXERCISE 2: Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Theresa May, the second female Britain’s prime minister following Margaret Thatcher, revealed in 2013 that she had been given a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires daily insulin injections Asked later how she felt about the diagnosis, she said her approach to it was the same as toward everything in her life: “Just get on and deal with it.” That kind of steeliness brought her to center stage in the aftermath of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union and the feuding that erupted in the Conservative Party over who would succeed David Cameron

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Ms” May, 59 years old, is the country’s longest-serving home secretary in half a century, with a reputation for seriousness, hard work and above all, determination She is one of a growing number of women in traditionally male-dominated British politics rising to the upper position of leadership.

Bom in 1956, Ms May grew up mainly in Oxford shire, an only child who was first drawn to the Conservative Party at age 12 As a conscientious student, she never rebelled against her religious upbringing and remains a regular churchgoer Tellingly, her sports hero was Geoffrey Boycott, a solid, stubborn cricketer who specialized in playing the long game

Like many other Britain’s prime minister including Tony Blair, Sir Robert Peel and Margaret Thatcher, she won a place at Oxford But while almost every other political leader got there by way of Eton College and joined Oxford’s hedonistic Bullingdon Club, she attended a state secondary school and had a more sedate university career After unsuccessful attempts to be elected to the House of Commons in 1992 and

1994, she finally became an MP in 1997 general election

May is known for a love of fashion and in particular distinctive shoes She even wore leopard-print shoes to her final Cabinet meeting as Home Secretary in early 2016 However, she has been quite critical

of the media focusing on her fashion instead of her achievement as a politician May also describes cooking and walking as primary hobbies, and if someone is raising questions about why walking can be classified as a hobby, she elaborates in a column for Balance magazine, in which she wrote of her battle with diabetes

Question 8 According to the passage, who is the prime minister coming before Theresa May?

A Tony Blair B Margaret Thatcher C Sir Robert Peel D David Cameron

Question 9 The most prominent characteristic of Theresa May is

A stubbornness B seriousness C determination D hard work

Question 10 Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A British political life is conventionally controlled mainly by men.

B The number of women in politics is increasing.

C Conservative Party didn’t have to discuss about who would be the next prime minister.

D Theresa May’s toughness was one of the reasons for the Party to choose her for the prime

minister position

Question 11 Which of the following facts is TRUE about Theresa May?

A She graduated from Eon College.

B As a child, she was quite rebellious.

C She didn’t work part time as a university student.

D She used not to be a home secretary.

Question 12 She first became a member of parliament in

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A 1992 B 1994 C 1997 D 2013

Question 13 Her reason to consider walking as one of her main hobbies is

A she is quite critical B it helps her fight diabete

C someone asks about it D it is written on Balance magazine

Question 14 The word “approach” is closest in meaning to

Question 15 The word “hedonistic” is closest in meaning to

GREEN CARS

Many of the world’s cities lie under a permanent blanket of smog People are concerned about global warming, and fuel prices just keep going up and up It’s no surprise therefore, that in recent years, car manufacturers have been put under pressure to invent a vehicle that is both cheaper to run and better for the environment Finally, after much trial and error, it seems as though they might be making progress, and the future of the car industry is beginning to look a little “greener”

One of the first ideas which car manufacturers tried was to replace engines which run on fossil fuels

with electric motors Unfortunately, these vehicles had several drawbacks and they didn’t sell very well

The problems were that the batteries of these electric cars ran out very quickly and took a long time to recharge Also, the replacement energy parts were very expensive

However, the idea of electric cars has not been scrapped altogether Car manufacturers have improved the concept so that environmentally friendly cars can now be efficient and economical as well This is

where the hybrid car, which has both an electric motor and a traditional petrol engine, comes in The

electric motor never needs to be recharged and it is much better for the planet than a traditional car

In a hybrid car, the engine is controlled by a computer which determines whether the car runs on petrol, electricity, or both When the car needs maximum power, for example, if it is accelerating or climbing a steep hill, it uses all of its resources, whereas at steady speeds it runs only on petrol When slowing down

or braking, the electric motor recharges its batteries

Hybrid cars are better for the environment because the electric motor can help out whenever it is needed and they have a much smaller engine than a traditional car Also, hybrid cars on the market are made using materials such as aluminium and carbon fibre, which makes them extremely light Both of these factors mean that they use far less petrol than normal cars, so they produce less pollution

Of course, hybrid cars aren’t perfect; they still run on fossil fuel and so pollute the environment to some extent However, they may be the first step along the road to cleaner, “greener” cars Car manufacturers

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are already working on vehicles which run on hydrogen The only emission from these cars is harmless water vapor These are still some way in the future, though, as designers need to think of cheap and safe ways of producing, transporting and storing hydrogen, but at last, it looks like we might be heading in the right direction.

Question 16 Car manufacturers are trying to invent a new vehicle because _.

A today’s cars use too much fuel

B today’s cars produce too much poisonous gas

C the car industry is in trouble

D it is difficult to drive in cities

Question 17 The word “drawbacks” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “ ”.

Question 18 Vehicles which ran on electric motors .

A were not very popular B were made of pieces of scrap

Question 19 The electric motor in hybrid cars .

A needs replacement energy packs B has its own petrol engine

C takes a long time to be recharged D doesn’t need to recharge its batteries

Question 20 The phrase “comes in” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “ ”.

A moves towards the land B becomes available at a particular time

C joins the inventors in a project D finishes a race in particular time

Question 21 The computer in a hybrid car .

A helps the car to go up hills

B keeps the car running at a steady speed

C powers the engine

D decides how the car should be powered at any given time

Question 22 Hybrid cars are better for the planet because _.

A they produce less harmful gases

B they are made of special materials

C they use different fuel to normal cars

D the electric motor is smaller than a normal engine

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In young language learners, there is a critical period of time beyond which it becomes increasingly

difficult to acquire a language Children generally attain proficiency in their first language by the age of

five and continue in a state of relative linguistic plasticity until puberty [A] Neurolinguistic research has

singled out the lateralization of the brain as the reason for this dramatic change from fluidity to rigidity in language function Lateralization is the process by which the brain hemispheres become dominant for different tasks The right hemisphere of the brain controls emotions and social functions, whereas the left

hemisphere regulates the control of analytical functions, intelligence, and logic [B] For the majority of adults, language functions are dominant on the left side of the brain [C] Numerous studies have

demonstrated that it is nearly impossible to attain a nativelike accent in a second language, though some

adults have overcome the odds, after lateralization is complete [D]

Cognitive development also affects language acquisition, but in this case adult learners may have some advantages over child learners Small children tend to have a very concrete, here- and-now view of the world around them, but at puberty, about the time that lateralization is complete, people become capable

of abstract thinking, which is particularly useful for language Generally speaking, adults can profit from grammatical explanations, whereas children cannot This is evidenced by the fact that children are rather unreceptive to correction of grammatical features and instead tend to focus on the meaning of an utterance rather than its form However, language learning theory suggests that for both adults and children, optimal language acquisition occurs in a meaning centered context Though children have the edge over adult language learners with respect to attaining a nativelike pronunciation, adults clearly have

an intellectual advantage which greatly facilitates language learning

Question 23: Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A The Role of Language in the Psychological Development of Children.

B The Function of Lateralization in Mediating Language Acquisition.

C Factors in Adult and Child Language Acquisition.

D The Superiority of Adults to Children in the Task of Language Acquisition.

Question 24: The word “critical” could best be replaced by _.

Question 25: Choose one of the four letters in square brackets [ ] to indicate where the following

sentence would best fit in paragraph 1

Although this is the general tendency, a significant minority of the adult population (15 percent) exhibits right-brain language dominance.

Question 26: It can be inferred from the passage that before lateralization occurs _.

A plasticity is lacking in language function

B the left hemisphere is not yet dominant in language function

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C It is impossible to attain a native accent in a language

D emotions are controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain

Question 27: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT controlled by the left hemisphere

of the brain?

Question 28: What is stated in the passage about the achievement of an accent like a native’s by an adult?

A It may happen that an adult is able to achieve such an accent.

B Achieving such an accent is completely impossible.

C It is common for adult language learners to acquire such as accent.

D The achievement of such an accent is the norm among adult language learners.

Question 29: The word “its” refers to _.

Question 30: The word “unreceptive” is closest in meaning to .

EXERCISE 5: Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions

For individuals, the worst that can usually happen if the weather catches them on the hop is that they

get wet For business, the effects are far more serious Airlines and shipping companies need to avoid severe weather and storm-force conditions Power companies need to make sure they can supply the demand for electricity in cold weather; farmers plan their harvests around the forecast and food manufacturers increase their production of salads and other summer foods when fine weather is promised

So who or what do meteorologists - weather forecasters as they are more commonly known - rely on when it comes to producing a forecast? Ninety percent of the information comes from weather satellites,

the first of which was launched into space nearly forty years ago and was a minor revolution in the

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science of forecasting Up until then, forecasters had relied on human observers to provide details of developing weather systems As a result, many parts of the world where there were few humans around, especially the oceans, were information-free weather areas Today, however, satellites can watch weather patterns developing everywhere.

In the UK meteorologists have also relied on releasing four weather balloons a day from eight fixed sites These balloons measure wind, temperature and humidity as they rise upwards to a height of about 26,000 metres

Some commercial aircraft can also be fitted with a range of forecasting instruments although this

system has certain disadvantages For example, it can provide a great deal of information about the

weather on popular routes, such as London to New York, but little about the weather on more out-of-the way routes

Instruments aboard ships can also supply basic weather information as well as important data on wave height Generally, the range of these instruments is fairly limited but they can indicate which direction rain is coming from, how low the cloud is and give an idea of when the weather system will reach land.One forecaster who has made a name for himself is a man called Piers Corbyn, who bases his forecasts

on watching the Sun Most forecasters will offer forecasts for only 10 days ahead, but Corbyn’s forecasts are for 11 months Although most meteorologists believe that there is no scientific basis for his work, Corbyn’s forecasts are used by insurance companies who want to plan months in advance

Question 31: The weather system affects people’s lives in Britain .

A despite being fairly moderate B because it is so changeable.

C because it is always raining D despite being very seasonal.

Question 32: What does the writer mean by the phrase “catches them on the hop” in paragraph 3?

A People run for shelter B People are too busy to notice.

C People are far from home D people are unprepared.

Question 33: Why does the writer list so many different businesses in paragraph 3?

A to give examples of ordinary people’s lives

B to show the extent of the weather’s influence

C to describe the recent effects of the bad weather

D to explain how people manage in bad weather

Question 34: Why is the first weather satellite described as a “minor revolution” in paragraph 4?

A It watches the human observers B It replaced human observers.

C It provided extra forecasts D It forecast the weather in space.

Question 35: Using airplanes to help forecast the weather is .

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A very popular B not expensive C quite new D not ideal.

Question 36: What does ‘it’ in paragraph 6 refer to?

A using balloons B using satellites C using aircraft D using ships

Question 37: Corbyn’s forecasts using the Sun are considered .

A useless and unscientific B helpful but short-term

C unhelpful in the long-term D useful by some people

You might be surprised to know that bicycles have existed for less than two hundred years Though the earliest comes from a sketch said to be from 1534 and attributed to Gian Giacomo, there are several early but unverified claims for the invention of the modem bicycle No one is sure who invented this popular two- wheeled machine, but it was probably either the German Karl von Drais, in 1817, or the American

W K Clarkson, in 1819 The early models didn't look much like the bicycles of today The front wheel was much bigger than the back one, and also there weren't any pedals - riders had to move themselves forward by pushing their feet against the ground Pedals finally arrived in the 1840s, and in 1879 an Englishman named Henry Lawson had the idea of connecting them to the back wheel with a chain Gears, which made things much easier for those cycling uphill, first appeared in the 1890s

There are now approximately one billion bicycles in the world - more than twice the total number of cars - and they are the main form of transport in some developing countries They have to compete with cars on the streets of all the world’s cities, and the two forms of transport don't always mix well In London in 2005, for example, over 300 cyclists were either killed or seriously injured in accidents involving cars Even though bicycles are much more environmentally friendly than cars, most governments don't do much to encourage people to ride rather than drive In China, which is famous for having a huge number of bicycles (about 200 million), the authorities in the city of Shanghai even banned cycling for a while in 2003

Cycling is on the rise is the United Kingdom, and the number of annual journeys made by bike in London has increased 50% over the last five years Experts say there is a mixture of reasons for this boom: concerns about the environment, the desire to keep fit, and also the fact that cycling is often not only cheaper but also quicker than travelling by car

However, although one in three British adults owns a bicycle, they still don't use them nearly as much

as they could Bikes are used for a mere 2% of journeys in the UK, while the figure for the Netherlands is

an impressive 27%

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Cycling is becoming more popular as a competitive sport, and the most famous race is of course the three-week Tour de France, which takes place every July American Lance Armstrong won it every year from 1999 to 2005 - one of the greatest individual sporting achievements of all time.

(Adaptedfrom Handouts for B2, University of Linguistics and International Studies, 2017)

Question 38: Why didn't early bicycles look much like today's models?

A The wheels were different sizes B They only had one wheel.

Question 39: The highlighted word "attributed" is closest in meaning to .

Question 40: Which of the following is FALSE?

A Cycling was banned in Shanghai, China, in 2003.

B There are about one billion bicycles in the world today.

C More than 90% of the world's bicycles are in Africa.

D About 20% of the world bicycles are in China.

Question 41: According to experts, which of the following is NOT an explanation for the recent increase

in bicycle use in London?

A People want to keep fit.

B People have more money, so they can afford to buy good bicycles.

C Travelling by car is often slower than travelling by bicycle.

D Cycling protects the environment.

Question 42: In the Netherlands, what percentage of journeys are made by bicycle?

Question 43: What was Lance Armstrong’s amazing achievement?

A Cycling continuously in three weeks.

B Winning the Tour de France seven times.

C Cycling to work every day for twenty years.

D Cycling all the way around the world.

Question 44: The highlighted word “it” in paragraph 6 refers to .

Question 45: Which can be the best title for the passage?

C Best means of transport D The invention of bicycle

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Twenty-five students from Walling School are currently living in France They are there for three months as part of a living-abroad project The 16- and 17-year-old students are living with French families and attending a French school Most of the students have taken French language classes for 3 or

4 years and are finally getting an opportunity to use their French

Not only are students learning a new language, but they are learning about a new culture, too Students have been particularly surprised about the French attitude towards food “They won’t leave anything on

their plate,” says Vanessa Athol “They aren’t wasteful at all.” Vanessa has vowed to be more careful

with waste when returning to the United States

The group’s chaperone, Mrs Smith, has been pleased with the students’ acquisition of language “Even

the most timid are trying their best to speak The students are learning a lot I’m very impressed,” she said Mrs Smith added that she thinks living with a French family makes a difference because students are forced to speak French “We are all very grateful to the French families who are hosting us.”

The French families are happy to have the students, as they are getting to leam about American culture Both groups will be celebrating the exchange at a large potluck dinner at the end of the stay There will be

a slide show of memories and the students will speak about their experiences Currently, the American students are periodically posting pictures and student essays on the Walling School website “Living in France is an experience I’ll never forget,” writes student Tina Davis “I know I’ll want to eat these croissants and this Camembert for the rest of my life!”

(Source: 'Master TOEFL Junior (2014))

Question 46: Which title would be the most suitable for this article?

A Walling School Students Stay Abroad in France.

B French Families love America.

C Student Tina Davis Lives in France.

D Walling School Website Posts Student Essays.

Question 47: According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A Students from Walling School are now staying in the USA.

B Walling School students are now staying with French families.

C These students are immigrants from the USA.

D Walling School students are applying for jobs in France.

Question 48: What can be implied about the culture in France?

A It requires fluency in French.

B It can be learned from a book.

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C It scares the students.

D It’s different from the culture in America.

Question 49: In paragraph 2, the word “vowed” is closest in meaning to .

Question 50: In paragraph 3, the word “acquisition” is closest in meaning to _.

Question 51: Based on the passage, what does Mrs Smith probably think about the French language?

A It is more beautiful than Spanish.

B It’s best to learn it from a French family in France.

C It is very important for international communication.

D It is something each and every student needs to know.

Question 52: According to the passage, how will the students conclude their stay?

A They will say in hostel together B They well take a French exam.

C They will have a party together D They will visit Paris together.

Working on the computer is very tough on your body, which is not used to this modem type of work Sitting has long been known to cause back pain and negatively influence circulation, which can promote

cardiovascular disease Extensive use of the keyboard and mouse can lead to stiffening of the muscles in

your hands, arms, and neck Staring at a bright screen for too long can cause dry eyes and headaches So, computer work can be as unhealthy a job as you can imagine

First and foremost, sitting for long stretches of time is a very serious health risk! Sitting affects your blood circulation, your back experiences a steady stress, you are more likely to drink and eat stuff that isn’t good for you, and you bum very little calories, making it more likely that you overeat As a result, sitting contributes to a host of conditions, most notably gaining weight, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and consequently a shortened life span

Second, bad posture causes pain You can develop bad posture from anything you do habitually, whether it’s sitting, standing, or walking The typical consequences associated with bad posture while working on the computer are pain in the back, shoulder, and neck, often resulting in tension headaches.Third, staring at the screen causes eve strain Staring at a bright screen for hours can lead to eye fatigue

or eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, burning, itching or tearing eyes, and temporary vision disorders Fortunately, eye strain rarely results in a permanent condition and symptoms can be prevented or cured rather easily

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Last, but not least, emotional pressure and isolation cause anxiety and depression Computers are very efficient tools in that they help us with getting more work done in less time At the same time, you spend less face-to-face time with your colleagues, family, or friends This can lead to isolation, anxiety, and depression, i.e both physical and mental health issues The symptoms are manifold and can include tense muscles, back pain, headaches, poor sleep (insomnia), increased or flat breathing, quickened pulse, and generally signs of stress, depression, or anxiety.

(Adaptedfrom: to-stay-healthy/)

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-reasons-working-with-compiiters-is-bad-for-you-how-Question 53: According to the passage, human body is NOT working on the computer.

A successful in B capable of C adaptive to D familiar with

Question 54: The word “cardiovascular” in Paragraph 1 means connected with.

A the brain and the nerve systems B the heart and the blood vessels

C the lungs and the breathing organs D the limbs and their muscles

Question 55: What is NOT mentioned as a cause of health issues related to working on the computer?

A Looking at the screen for hours B Sitting for a long time

Question 56: What is NOT mentioned as being affected by sitting for long?

Question 57: Which of the followings can best replace the word “eye strain” in Paragraph 4?

Question 58: It can be inferred from the passage that emotional and physical issues are .

Question 59: According to the passage, all the mentioned issues are .

A controversial B preventable C international D simple

Question 60: What is the organization of the passage?

A Advantages and disadvantages B Problems and solutions

EXERCISE 9:Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

An individual's personality is the complex of mental characteristics that makes them unique from other people It includes all of the patterns of thought and emotions that cause us to do and say things in particular ways At a basic level, personality is expressed through our temperament or emotional tone

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However, personality also colours our values, beliefs, and expectations There are many potential factors that are involved in shaping a personality These factors are usually seen as coming from heredity and the environment Research by psychologists over the last several decades has increasingly pointed to hereditary factors being more important, especially for basic personality traits such as emotional tone.However, the acquisition of values, beliefs, and expectations seem to be due more to socialization and unique experiences, especially during childhood Some hereditary factors that contribute to personality development do so as a result of interactions with the particular social environment in which people live For instance, your genetically inherited physical and mental capabilities have an impact on how others see you and, subsequently, how you see yourself Likewise, your health and physical appearance are likely to

be very important in your personality development You may be frail or robust You may have a learning disability These largely hereditary factors are likely to cause you to feel that you are nice - looking, ugly,

or just adequate Likewise, skin colour, gender, and sexual orientation are likely to have a major impact

on how you perceive yourself Whether you are accepted by others as being normal or abnormal can lead

you to think and act in a socially acceptable or marginal and even deviant way

There are many potential environmental influences that help to shape personality Child rearing practices are especially critical In the dominant culture of North America, children are usually raised in ways that encourage them to become self-reliant and independent Children are often allowed to act somewhat like equals to their parents In contrast, children in China are usually encouraged to think and act as a member of their family and to suppress their own wishes when they are in conflict with the needs

of the family Independence and self-reliance are viewed as an indication of family failure and are discouraged

(Adapted from: https://www2.palomar.edu/anthKo/social/soc_3.htm)

Question 61: According to recent studies, what factor is the most important in shaping an individual’s

basic personality traits?

A Transmission of traits from parents to children

B Very special events or activities that affect him/her

C Learning to behave in a socially acceptable way

D The period of a person’s life when they a child

Question 62: According to the passage, sometimes heredity and environment _.

A are not well recognized in the society B interact in personality development

C are interesting researchtopics D include values, beliefs and expectations

Question 63: What is NOT mentioned as a hereditary factor?

Question 64: Which of the followings can best replace the word “perceive” in the second paragraph?

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A Look at B See C Understand D Watch

Question 65: According to the passage, how your self-image .

A is limited with your learning disability B is affected by the way others see you

C increased in the process of socialization D is fulfilled with your appearance

Question 66: According to the passage, concepts like beauty or ugliness .

A change from time to time B are different in societies

C only appear recently D are related to skin colours

Question 67: According to the passage, what is the most important environmental factor in personality

development?

A How a child is brought up B When a child starts school

C What a child looks like D Which country a child is born in

EXERCISE 10:Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

All over the country, young people are entering a world of homelessness and poverty, according to a recent report by the housing group, Shelter

Nearly 150,000 young people aged between sixteen and twenty-five will become homeless this year, says Shelter Some of the young homeless may sleep out in the open in such places as the “cardboard city” in London, where people of all ages sleep in the open air in their only home - cardboard boxes

Others may find accommodation in shelters run by voluntary organisations or get a place in a hostel,

which gives them board up to ten weeks

But who are these people? Those who are seeking a roof over their heads are mostly not runaways but

“throwaways” — people who have been thrown out of their homes or forced to leave because of parental divorce, an unsympathetic step-parent or one of many other reasons

Take the case of one six teen-year-old schoolgirl, Alice She did not come from a poor home and had just passed her exams with good results The Shelter team met her in a hostel where she was doing her physics homework Her parents had thrown her out of her home for no other reason that she wanted to do Science Advanced Level Exams - which her parents refused her permissionjo do, saying that studying sciences was unladylike!

Shelter says that the government’s laws do nothing to help these youngsters Rising rents, the shortage

of cheap housing and the cut in benefits for young people under the age of twenty-five are causing a

national problem, according to Shelter The recent changes in the benefit laws mean that someone aged between sixteen and twenty-five gets less than older people and they can only claim state help if they prove that they left home for a good reason

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Shelter believes that because of the major cuts in benefits to young people, more and more are being forced to sleep on the streets Shelter also points out that if you are homeless, you can’t get a job because

employers will not hire someone without a permanent address; and if you can’t get a job, you are

homeless because you don’t have any money to pay for accommodation It’s an impossible situation

(Source: FCE success workbook)

Question 68: According to a recent report by Shelter, it appears that .

A hostels are too full to offer accommodation to homeless young people

B more and more young people all over the world are finding themselves homeless

C nearly 150,000 young people live out in the open

D young homeless people live in places like “cardboard city”

Question 69: The word “Others” in paragraph 2 refers to _.

Question 70: Most young people become homeless because _.

A circumstances make it impossible for them to live at home

B they do not want to live with a divorced parent

C they have run away from home

D they have thrown away any chances of living at home by behaving badly

Question 71: Why was Alice turned out of her home?

A Her parents didn’t agree with what she wanted to do.

B She didn’t want to study for her Advanced Level Exams.

C She had not obtained high marks in her exams.

D She refused to do her homework in the evening.

Question 72: According to the passage, “benefits” are .

A subsidies for those in need B extra wages for part-time workers

C gifts of food and clothing D laws about distributing money

Question 73: The changes in the system of benefits mean that

A the under twenty-fives can claim money only if they have left home

B anyone under twenty-five and not living at home will receive help with food and accommodation

C young people cannot claim money unless they are under sixteen or over twenty-five

D young people do not receive as much money as those over twenty-five

Question 74: According to Shelter, once young people have forced onto the streets, _.

A their benefits will be severely cut

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B they will never go back home again

C they will find it difficult to find work

D they will encourage their friends to do the same

Question 75: The word “permanent” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to .

Almost all living things ultimately get their energy from the sun In a process called photosynthesis, plants, algae, and some other organisms capture the sun's energy and use it to make simple sugars such as glucose Most other organisms use these organic molecules as a source of energy Organic materials

contain a tremendous amount of energy As food, they fuel our bodies and those of most other creatures

In such forms as oil, gas, and coal, they heat our homes, run our factories and power our cars

Photosynthesis begins when solar energy is absorbed by chemicals called photosynthetic pigments that are contained within an organism The most common photosynthetic pigment is chlorophyll The bright green color characteristic of plants is caused by it Most algae have additional pigments that may mask the green chlorophyll Because of these pigments, algae may be not only green but brown, red, blue or even black

In a series of enzyme-controlled reactions, the solar energy captured by chlorophyll and other pigments

is used to make simple sugars, with carbon dioxide and water as the raw materials Carbon dioxide is one

of very few carbon- containing molecules not considered to be organic compounds Photosynthesis then

converts carbon from an inorganic to an organic form This is called carbon fixation In this process, the

solar energy that was absorbed by chlorophyll is stored as chemical energy in the form of simple sugars like glucose The glucose is then used to make other organic compounds In addition, photosynthesis produces oxygen gas All the oxygen gas on earth, both in the atmosphere we breathe and in the ocean, was produced by photosynthetic organisms Photosynthesis constantly replenishes the earth's oxygen supply

Organisms that are capable of photosynthesis can obtain all the energy they need from sunlight and do not need to eat They are called autotrophs Plants are the most familiar autotrophs on land In the ocean, algae and bacteria are the most important autotrophs Many organisms cannot produce their own food and must obtain energy by eating organic matter These are called heterotrophs

(Hooked on TOEFL Reading - LinguaForum)

Question 76 The word “fuel” in the first paragraph is similar in meaning to _.

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Question 77 Based on the information in paragraph 3, we can see that glucose .

A enables photosynthesis B is a byproduct of oxygen production

Question 78 Which of the following is true about heterotrophs?

A They require more energy than autotrophs B They are not reliant on simple sugars for energy.

C They cannot exist without the presence of autotrophs.D They are mostly land-bound organisms.

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Question 79 The phrase “this process” in the third paragraph refers to the process of .

Question 80 It can be inferred from the passage that the author considers solar energy to be _.

A useless to most bacteria and algae

B a permanent and everlasting source of energy

C a perfect solution to the energy problem

D essential for every organism on earth

Question 81 Which of the following is NOT true?

A Plants are familiar heterotrophs

B Plants capture the sun's energy to make sugars.

C Photosynthesis produces oxygen gas

D Organic materials contain an amount of energy.

Question 82 From the passage, we can see that _.

A Most plants have additional pigments

B Algae are a kind of simple plants

C Autotrophs obtain energy by eating organic matter

D Oxygen helps the process of photosynthesis

(ĐỀ THI THỬ SỐ 6– THẦY BÙI VĂN VINH)

“They told me I could never walk again But when I listened to music, I forgot all about the pain I found the strength I didn’t know I had.”Ninety-two-year-old Tina Goodman, who regained her ability to walk, thanks to music

This is just one of the many stories in Fettaro’s book “The Healing Power of Music” Fettaro tries to show just how important music is in our lives and how it can help us to be healthy and happy

According to Fettaro, music can make sick people again In fact, his book comes with a CD of recordings, each one specially designed to help with a number of health problems

Fettaro, e well-known music therapist, promises that by reading his book, you will be able to develop the healing power of music in your life He says this will help you fight headaches and back pain, as well

as reduce stress, high blood pressure, and many other common illnesses

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Certainly, I accept that listening to certain types of music can help with particular problems, such as stress I am also comfortable with Fettaro’s claim that by reading his book, you’ll be able to create a peaceful enviroment to help you relax in your home I found the relaxation and breathing techniques very useful Similarly his claim that music help you sleep better seems reasonable Yet when he goes on to promise his music therapies will help cure depression and even cancer, he begins to sound a little bit unbelievable.

Nevertheless, for those of you who are interested in the power of music to heal, this is a great book to buy It’s a thorough introduction to the history and practice of music therapy Fettaro writes in a simple, easy to understand way and shows clearly how music can affect us positively His basic message-that music can improve our lives-is well-presented and clear It may even be true that certain techniques

covered here can help some people recover from unpleasant health problems However, his promises of

“amazing results” seem impossible to justify.

Question 83: What was Tina Goodman’s problem?

Question 84: Which statement is not true?

A Music can help you sleep better

B Music has positive effects

C It is necessary to create a peaceful enviroment when you read Fettaro’s book

D The recordings accompanied with the book are to help with some health problems

Question 85: What is the basic message of Fettaro’s book?

A Music can make our lives better

B No illness is incurable with the help of music

C Music can cure even depression and cancer

D Music brings amazing results

Question 86: What are the two techniques useful to the writer?

A relaxing and peace-making ones B listening and reading

C recovering and relaxing in your own home D relaxing and breathing ones

Question 87: Which is not stated by Fettaro as curable?

Question 88: What is the writer’s opinion of the book?

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A He likes the book a lot and recommends it to everyone

B He likes the book but is not so happy about some of the promises it makes

C He doesn’t like the book because few of the claim can be proved

D He finds all claims impossible to be proved

Question 89: What is the meaning of the word “covered”?

Question 90: Which word is similar to the word “justify”?

Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life Many birds and animals lived beside the water, which was full of fish Now there are few birds, animals, and fish The lake water

is polluted It is a dirty brown colour, and it is filled with strange plants

How did this happen? First, we must think about how water gets into Lake Ponkapog When it rains, water comes into the lake from all around In the past, there were woods all around Lake Ponkapog, so the rainwater was clean

Now there are many homes on the lake shore People often use the chemicals in their gardens They use other chemicals inside their houses for cleaning and killing insects There are also many businesses Businesses use chemicals in their machines or stores Other chemicals fall onto the ground from cars or trucks When it rains, the rainwater flows by these homes and businesses It picks up all the chemicals and

then pours them into the lake They pollute the water and kill the animal life.

There is still another problem at the lake: exotic plants These plants come from other countries They

have no natural enemies here, and they grow very quickly In a short time, they can fill up a lake Then

there is no room for other plants The plants that normally grow there die These plants gave many animals and fish their foods or their homes So now those animals and fish die, too

People in Hartwell are worried They love their lake and want to save it Will it be possible? A clean lake must have clean rainwater going into it Clean rainwater is possible only if people are more careful about chemicals at home and at work They must also be more careful about gas and oil and other chemicals on the ground

(“Reading Power ” by Beatrice S Mikulecky/Linda Jeffries - Longman)

Question 91: This article is about .

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A the exotic plants in Lake Ponkapog B dirty lakes in New Jersey

C chemicals in Lake Ponkapog D why the water is dirty in Lake Ponkapog

Question 92: In the past, the water in Lake Ponkapog was made clean by .

Question 93: Chemicals from homes and businesses _.

A get into the rainwater B are good for the lake

Question 94: The highlighted word “They” in the third paragraph refers to _.

Question 95: Exotic plants grow quickly because they _.

Question 96: The phrase “fill up” in the passage probably means .

Question 97: To save Lake Ponkapog, people need to _.

A use more water from the lake B be more careful about chemicals

C grow fewer plants in the gardens D use more boats on the lake

(ĐỀ THI THỬ SỐ7– THẦY BÙI VĂN VINH)

It is often the case with folktales that they develop from actual happenings but in their development lose much of their factual base; the story of Pocahontas quite possibly fits into this category of folktale This princess of the Powhatan tribe was firmly established in the lore of early America and has been made

even more famous by the Disney film based on the folktale that arose from her life She was a real-life

person, but the actual story of her life most probably different considerably from the folktale and the movie based on the folktale Powhatan, the chief of a confederacy of tribes in Virginia, had several daughters, none of whom was actually named Pocahontas The nickname means “playful one,” and several of Powhatan’s daughters were called Pocahontas The daughter of Powhatan who became the subject of the folktale was named Matoaka What has been verified about Matoaka, or Pocahontas as she has come to be known, is that she did marry an Englishman and that she did spend time in England before she died there at a young age In the spring of 1613, a young Pocahontas was captured by the English and

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taken into Jamestown There she was treated with courtesy as the daughter of chief Powhatan While Pocahontas was at Jamestown, English gentlemen John Rolfe fell in love with her and asked her to marry Both the governor of the Jamestown colony and Pocahontas’s father Powhatan approved the marriage as a means of securing peace between Powhatan’s tribe and the English at Jamestown In 1616, Pocahontas accompanied her new husband to England, where she was royally received Shortly before her planned return to Virginia in 1617, she contracted an illness and died rather suddenly.

A major part of the folktale of Pocahontas that is unverified concerns her love for English Captain John Smith is the period of time before her capture by the British and her rescue of him from almost certain death Captain John Smith was indeed at the colony of Jamestown and was acquainted with Powhatan and

his daughters, he even described meeting them in 1612 journal However, the story of his rescue by the

young maiden did not appear in his writing until 1624, well after Pocahontas had aroused widespread interest in England by her marriage to an English gentlemen and her visit to England It is the discrepancy

in dates that has caused some historians to doubt the veracity of the tale However, other historians do argue quite persuasively that this incident did truly take place

(“Preparation Course " for the TEOFL Test - Deborah Phillips - Longman)

Question 98: The main idea of the passage is that .

A Pocahontas fell in love with John Smith and saved his life

B any one of Powhatan’s daughter could have been the Pocahontas of legend

C Pocahontas did not really exist

D folktales are often not very factual

Question 99: The expression “arose from” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _.

Question 100: What is true about the name Pocahontas, according to the passage?

A It meant that someone was playful.

B Only one girl was known to have used this name.

C Powhatan was one of several people given this nickname.

D It was the real name of a girl named Matoaka.

Question 101: How was Pocahontas treated when she was held at Jamestown?

A With disregard B With surprise C With harshness D With respect

Question 102: It can be inferred from the passage that Pocahontas .

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A suffered from a long illness B had a long marriage

C never intended to return to Virginia D did not mean to remain in England

Question 103: The pronoun “he” in the third paragraph refers to _.

Question 104: When did John Smith most likely meet Pocahontas?

Question 105: Why are some historians doubtful about the portion of the Pocahontas folktale dealing

with John Smith?

A His account did not appear until well after the event supposedly happened.

B Captain John Smith probably never knew Pocahontas.

C Captain John Smith was never actually in Jamestown.

D His rescue purportedly happened while Pocahontas was in England.

EXERCISE 15: Read the following passage and mark the letter A, R, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions

People have been donating blood since the early twentieth century to help accident victims and patients undergoing surgical procedures Usually a pint of whole blood is donated, and it is then divided into platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells People can donate blood (for red blood cells) about once every two months

Transfusing the blood from the donor to the recipient is straightforward It involves taking the blood from a donor’s arm vein by means of a hypodermic syringe The blood flows down from the container by gravity This is a slow process and may last as long as 2 hours to complete the infusion of blood into the recipient The patient is protected from being infected during the transfusion Only sterile containers, tubing, and needles are used, and this helps ensure that transfused or stored blood is not exposed to disease causing bacteria

Negative reactions to transfusions are not unusual The recipient may suffer an allergic reaction or be

sensitive to donor leukocytes Some may suffer from an undetected red cell incompatibility Unexplained

reactions are also fairly common Although they are rare, other causes of such negative reactions include contaminated blood, air bubbles in the blood, overloading of the circulatory system through administration of excess blood, or sensitivity to donor plasma or platelets

Today, hospitals and blood banks go to great lengths to screen all blood donors and their blood All

donated blood is routinely and rigorously tested for diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis When

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the recipient is a newborn or an infant, the blood is usually irradiated to eliminate harmful elements Donated blood is washed, and the white blood cells and platelets removed.

Storing the blood sometimes requires a freezing process To freeze the red blood cells, a glycerol solution is added To unfreeze the, the glycerolis removed The ability to store blood for long periods has been a boon to human health

Question 106 The word "it" refers to _.

Question 107 According to the passage, how often can people donate blood for red blood cells?

Question 108 All of the following are mentioned as potential negative reactions to transfusion

EXCEPT

A Sensitivity to donor leukocytes B Air bubbles in the blood

Question 109 What answer choice is closest in meaning to the word “undetected”?

A not illustrated B not captured C not found D not wanted

Question 110 What can the phrase "go to great length" best replaced by?

Question 111 Based on the information in the passage, what can be inferred about blood transfused to

infants and newborns?

A It is treated with radiant energy B It is not treated differently from adults.

C It is not dangerous for children D It is rigorously tested as blood for adults.

Question 112 What does the author imply in the passage?

A Storing blood benefits mankind B Clotting cannot be prevented.

C Freezing blood destroys platelets D Transfusing blood is a dangerous process.

In addition to improved physical health, sport plays a primarily positive role in youth development, including improved academic achievement, higher self- esteem, fewer behavioural problems, and better

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psychosocial development Many studies focus on the effects of sport on the five “C’ s” - competence, confidence, connections, character, and caring The many facets of playing sport - the discipline of training, learning teamwork, following the leadership of coaches and captains, learning to lose - provide lifelong skills for athletes.

The literature on youth sport stresses the positive effects of participation in learning the important life skills of goal setting and time management combined with enjoyment; the development of a strong sense

of morality; and the development of an appreciation of diversity Studies have shown that children and youth participating in sport, when compared to peers who do not play sport, exhibit higher grades, expectations, and attainment; greater personal confidence and self-esteem; greater connections with school — that is, greater attachment and support from adults; stronger peer relationships; more academically oriented friends; greater family attachment and more frequent interactions with parents; more restraint in avoiding risky behaviour; and greater involvement in volunteer work

Sport provides opportunities for children and youth to engage in valuable and positive relationships

with adults Thus, it is a missed opportunity for children who are “gated” - or not included in sport -

during early stages of childhood because they are less well behaved than other children These children are being prevented from participating in the very thing that could help them learn to control and regulate their behaviour Sport provides an opportunity for children to safely navigate and negotiate between right and wrong as they learn to interact with peers and adults Research by Taliaferro et al suggests that playing sport can even protect against suicide risk in youth Compared to nonathletes, male athletes exhibit lower levels of hopelessness and suicidal ideation Young males involved in multiple sports seem

to gamer even more protection in this regard Similar results were found for girls Research on the role of exercise in adults confirms that it improves mood and alleviates many forms of depression Bartko and Eccles found that youth who are highly involved in sport are more “psychologically resilient,” that is, better able to recover from problems Eccles et al found that sport participation protects young athletes against social isolation

(Adaptedfrom: Sport is a way of life, Sun Star Baguio, Jan 10, 2017)

Question 113: What is NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to lifelong skills for athletes?

C Learning to accept failure D Working well together as a team

Question 114: According to the passage what is NOT increased by playing sports?

A Having success in studying B Eating fresh, nutritious food

C Having good mental states D Feeling happy with your own abilities

Question 115: According to the passage, sport players benefit from _.

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A scoring a lot of goals B enjoying success

C acknowledging differences D suffering time pressure

Question 116: Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a benefit for teenagers playing sport in

comparison with those who do not?

C Having more self-control D Being more self-confident

Question 117: What does the word “gated” in the third paragraph mean?

A Staying outside the stadium gate

B Being kept away from playing sports

C Being locked inside the house

D Being excluded from the school’s sport team

Question 118: Which of the followings is NOT prevented as a result of playing sports?

A Being separate from the society B The feeling of being without hope

C Suffering economic decline D Thinking of killing oneself deliberately

Question 119: Whose study suggests that sport players are more able to feel better after unpleasant events

than others?

Question 120: What is the best title for the passage?

A Tips for youth to play sport in a beneficial way.

B Advantages and disadvantages of playing sport.

C Causes and effects of problems in playing sport.

D Psychological and social benefits of playing sport.

In Viet Nam festivals often take place during the three months in spring and in autumn when people have a lot of leisure time In addition, the climate in spring and autumn is especially suitable for holding festivals and for festivals goers to enjoy Traditional festivals constitute a form of cultural activities, a

spiritual product which the people have created and developed during the course of history From

generation to generation, the Vietnamese people preserve the fine tradition of “remembering the source

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while drinking water.” Festivals are events which represent this tradition of the community as well as honour the holy figures named as “gods” -the real persons in national history or legendary persons The

images of gods converge the noble characteristics of mankind They are national heroes who fought

against foreign invaders, reclaimed new lands, treated people, fought against natural calamities, or those legendary characters who affect the earthly life

Accordingly, first and foremost, festivals are events when people pay tribute to divinities that rendered

merits to the community and the nation These are occasions when people come back to either their natural or national roots, which form a sacred part in their mind Furthermore, testivals represent the strength of the commune or village, the local region or even the whole nation Worshipping the same god, the people unite in solidarity to overcome difficulties, striving for a happy and wealthy life

Moreover, festivals display the demand for creativity and enjoyment of spiritual and material cultural values of all social strata They become a form of education under which fine traditional moral values can

be handed from one generation to the next in a unique way of combining spiritual characters with competition and entertainment games Festivals are also the time people can express their sadness and worries in a wish that gods might bestow favour on them to help them strive for a better life

(Adapted from: Overview of Traditional Festivals - Viet Mam, Country and Peoples)

Question 121 What affects the time to hold festivals in Viet Nam?

A Festival holders’ timetable and festival goers’ preference

B The abundance of fruits and flowers and people’s health

C People’s preference of leisure time and climate

D Weather conditions and people’s working pattern

Question 122 Which of the followings best replace the word “course” in the second paragraph?

Question 123 What does the author mean by saying “remembering the source while drinking water”?

A Appreciating the contribution of national heroes

B Forgetting the outlet as the source is more important

C Only drinking water of clear production sources

D Comparing the number of gods to the amount of water

Question 124 What does the word “they” in the second paragraph refer to?

Question 125 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a value of festivals?

A Showing community’s union B Remembering national heroes

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C Questioning personal bad lucks D Educating young generations

Question 126 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT found as a common activity in

festivals?

Question 127 What is the best title of the passage?

A Social, educational and historical values of Vietnamese festivals

B When, how and why festivals in Vietnam keep their traditions

C Time, formation and meaning of traditional Vietnamese festivals

D Similarities, differences and changes in Vietnamese festivals

Most volcanoes are found along an imaginary belt, called the Ring of Fire, that encircles the Pacific

Ocean However, volcanic activity takes place in many far-flung regions of the world such as Hawaii,

Iceland, Europe, and even the floor of the earth’s oceans The leading theory as to why volcanic activity,

as well as earthquakes, takes place when and where it does is called the theory of “plate tectonics” The theory holds that the outer shell of the earth is divided into many different rigid sections of rock, called

plates These plates are not static, they are in continuous motion over a layer of partly melted rock While

their movement may appear insignificant, at only several inches per year, it is not Indeed, the collisions

between plates caused by this almost imperceptible movement can have catastrophic consequences

Volcanic activity and earthquakes are concentrated near the boundaries of these giant, moving plates.The majority of volcanoes are formed at te point where two plates collide One of the plates is forced underneath the other As the plate sinks, the earth’s heat and the friction of the movement cause a portion

of the sinking plate to melt This melted portion of plate is called magma, and when it reaches the earth’s surface it becomes a volcano Volcanoes can also be created when two plates begin to diverge Then, magma from below the earth’s crust moves up to fill the void between the two plates Large quantities of lava spill out from the void Volcanoes of this type usually are found not on land, but on the ocean floor

In extreme instances this can lead to the formation of gigantic, sunken mountain ranges like Mid-Atlantic Ridge that spans nearly the entire length of the Atlantic Ocean The theory of plate tectonics also explains why some volcanic activity takes place so far from any known plate boundaries Basically, these volcanoes are the result of huge column of magma, or plumes, that rise up and break through the surface

of the earth

Question 128: The most appropriate title for this passage is .

A Volcanic Activity in the Ring of Fire B A Theory of Volcano Formation

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C The problems with Plate Tectonic Theory D The Role of Magma in Plate Tectonics

Question 129: The Ring of Fire is _.

A The Mid - Atlantic Ocean

B The place where the highest concentration of volcanoes is found.

C An island in the Pacific Ocean

D Hawaii

Question 130: The expression “far-flung” in the line 3 is closest in meaning to _.

Question 131: It can be inferred from the passage that the theory of plate tectonics is _.

A Unable to explain European volcanoes.

B Better suited to explaining volcanic activity than that of earthquakes

C Widely accepted

D Used to predict the exact timing of earthquakes

Question 132: It can be inferred from the passage that .

A Plates are very unlikely to move a kilometer in a year

B Most earthquakes may be prevented

C The Mid- Atlantic Ridge is visible from land

D The plates will eventually stop moving

Question 133: The word “static” is closest in meaning to _.

Question 134: The word “imperceptible" is closest in meaning to .

Question 135: Which of the following is true about volcanoes formed at the point at which two plates

diverged?

A Most volcanoes are formed in this way

B Plate tectonic theory is not able to explain it

C The Mid- Atlantic Ridge is an example of this

D They do not involve magma

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MEGACITY: A NEW KIND OF CITY

A term 'megalopolis' (or megacity) was first used by French geographer Jean Gottman to describe the north-eastern United States in 1961 The term is used more widely now and is defined as an urban area of more than 10 million inhabitants dominated by a low-density housing In 1995 there were 14 megacities

By 2020 there could be 30

Megacities are the result of the process of urbanization After cities grew into crowded urban centres, people who could afford to move into suburbs at the edge of the city When the suburbs in turn became crowded, people moved into villages and dormitory towns outside the city, but within commuting distance In this way, for the first time since industrialisation, the countryside began to gain population, whereas cities lost their inhabitants In the 1980s St Louis and Detroit in the America lost between 35 and

47 per cent of their populations and London lost 15 per cent in the 20 years to 1971

However, this movement away from cities does not mean that the city is dying In fact it is spreading

From the old city develops a metropolitan area with many low-level urban developments When these metropolitan areas merge together, they form megacities which contain over 10 million people The

largest of these is in America, called Boswash - a region over 300 miles long from Boston in the north to

Washington, DC in the south with more than 44 million people There are emerging megalopolises in Britain centred around London and the south-east, in Germany in the industrial region of the Ruhr and Japan in the Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto region

(adaptedfrom Archive IELTS (2013), Louis Harrison et al., Cengage Learning)

Question 136: A megacity is characterised by _.

C those who move from villages D low-level urban developments

Question 137: Movement away from cities creates .

A urbanization B dormitory towns C metropolitan areas D industrialisation

Question 138: Areas merging together form .

Question 139: Which is the best title for paragraph 3?

A Megacities around the world B What is a megacity?

C The formation of megacities D Cities lose their people

Question 140: Which of the following is NOT true?

A London is an example of emerging megalopolis.

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B People moving out of the cities live in the area within travelling distance.

C The loss of city population can reach nearly 50%.

D Megacities must have overall 10 million inhabitant.

Question 141 The word "spreading" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .

Question 142 The highlighted word "these" in the passage refers to _.

Political and economic reforms launched in 1986 have transformed the country from one of the poorest

in the world, with per capita income around US $100, to lower middle income status within a quarter of a century with per capita income of around US $2,100 by the end of 2015

Vietnam’s per capita GDP growth since 1990 has been among the fastest in the world, averaging 5.5 percent a year since 1990, and 6.4 percent per year in the 2000s Vietnam’s economy continued to strengthen in 2015, with estimated GDP growth rate of 6.7 percent for the whole year

The Vietnamese population is also better educated and has a higher life expectancy than most countries with a similar per capita income The maternal mortality ratio has dropped below the upper-middle-income country average, while under-five mortality rate has fallen by half, to a rate slightly above that average Access to basic infrastructure has also improved substantially Electricity is now available to almost all households, up from less than half in 1993 Access to clean water and modem sanitation has risen from less than 50 percent of all households to more than 75 percent

Vietnam’s Socio-Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) 2011-2020 gives attention to structural reforms, environmental sustainability, social equity, and emerging issues of macroeconomic stability It defines three "breakthrough areas": promoting human resources/skills development (particularly skills for modem industry and innovation), improving market institutions, and infrastructure development

In addition, the five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2011-2015 focused on three critical restructuring areas - the banking sector, state-owned enterprises and public investment - that are needed to achieve these objectives The recent draft of the SEDP 2016-2020 acknowledges the slow progress of the reform priorities of the SEDP 2011-2015

With agriculture still accounting for almost half the labour force, and with significantly lower labour productivity than in the industry and services sectors, future gains from structural transformation could be

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substantial The transformation from state to private ownership of the economy is even less advanced The state also wields too much influence in allocating land and capital, giving rise to heavy economy wide inefficiencies So, adjusting the role of the state to support a competitive private sector-led market economy remains a major opportunity This will be important for enhancing productivity growth which

has been stagnating for a long time.

(Adapted from http://ida world bank, org/results/country/vietnam)

Question 143 It took Vietnam about _years to move from the poorest to the middle income

status?

Question 144 What was Vietnam’s per capita GDP growth rate in 2015?

Question 145 Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as an example of development in Vietnam?

A The small number of people dead after birth

B The larger number of people educated abroad

C The improved access to cleanliness

D The wide availability of electricity

Question 146 According to the passage, nearly _of the households did NOT get access to clean

water in 2015

Question 147 According to the passage, what is NOT an example of “breakthrough areas”?

A Toad markets B Transport C Power supplies D Job training

Question 148 What is NOT a focus of the Socio-Economic Development Plan 2011-2015?

A Spending money on education and health

B Reforming the government’s companies

C Changing the sum charged for use of money

D Investing in profitable private businesses

Question 149 What does the word “stagnating” in the last paragraph mean?

C Missing opportunities D Strengthening competitiveness

Question 150 What is likely to be over-controlled by the government?

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C Services sectors D Heavy industries

If parents bring up a child with the sole aim of turning the child into a genius, they will cause a disaster According to several leading educational psychologists, this is one of the biggest mistakes which ambitious parents make Generally, the child will be only too aware of what his parents expect, and will fail Unrealistic parental expectations can cause great damage to children

However, if parents are not too unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are ambitious

in a sensible way, the child may succeed in doing very well - especially if the parents are very supportive

is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always seems quiet and unhappy

Question 151: One of the serious mistakes parents can make is to

A push their child into trying too much B make their child become a musician

C neglect their child’s education D help their child to become a genius

Question 152: Parents’ ambition for their children is not wrong if they

A force their children into achieving success

B themselves have been very successful

C arrange private lessons for their children

D understand and help their children sensibly

Question 153: Who have criticized the methods of some ambitious parents?

A Educational psychologists B Unrealistic parents.

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Question154: The phrase “crazy about” in the passage mostly means

Question155: Winston’s parents push their son so much and he

A cannot learn much music from them B is afraid to disappoint them

C has won a lot of piano competitions D has become a good musician

Question156: The word “unwilling” in the passage mostly means

A “getting ready to do something” B “not objecting to doing anything”

C “not wanting to do something” D “eager to do something”

Question 157: The two examples given in the passage illustrate the principle that

A parents should let the child develop in the way he wants

B successful parents always have intelligent children

C successful parents often have unsuccessful children

D parents should spend more money on the child's education

In the United States, friendship can be close, constant, intense, generous and real, yet fade away in a short time if circumstances change Neither side feels hurt by this Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while - then no more If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where they left off and are delighted

In the United States, you can feel free to visit people's homes, share their holidays, or enjoy their lives without fear that they are taking on a lasting obligation Do not hesitate to accept hospitality because you

can’t give it in turn No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home Americans

will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily

Once you arrived there, the welcome will be fun, warm, and real Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as only home cooked food, not doing something for your guests." It is felt that

restaurant entertaining shows more respect and welcome Or for other different reasons, such as crowded

space, language difficulties, or family customs, outsiders are not invited into homes

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In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered friendlier to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place, except in purely business relationship So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment.

Don't feel neglected if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room, either Flowers are very expensive there; hotel delivery is uncertain; arrival times are delayed, changed or cancelled - so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands; the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real

Question 158: In the United States, friendship will if circumstances change.

Question 159: Americans their foreign friends to make a return for their hospitality.

Question 160: The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to

Question 161: According to the passage, in some countries people prefer

A inviting outsiders into homes B crowded space

C inviting guests to restaurants D family customs

Question 162: In the United States, inviting guests to a family dinner is than inviting

them to a public place, except some situations

A less inferior B less hospitable C more natural D more popular

Question 163: The word “respect” in the passage is closest in meaning to

Question164: According to the passage, which of the following NOT true?

A Flowers are not customarily sent to guests.

B Flowers are available at all time.

C Flowers are signs of outward welcome.

D Flowers are expensive.

Question 165: Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

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The increase in international business and in foreign investment has created a need for executives with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-culture communication Americans, however, have not been well trained in either area and, consequently, have not enjoyed the same level of success in negotiation in an international arena as have their foreign counterpart

Negotiating is the process of communicating back and forth for the purpose of reaching an agreement It involves persuasion and compromise, but in order to participate in either one, the negotiators must understand the ways in which people are persuaded and how compromise is reached within the culture of the negotiation

In many international business negotiations abroad, Americans are perceived as wealthy and impersonal It often appears to the foreign negotiator that the American represents a large multimillion-dollar corporation that can afford to pay the price without bargaining further The American negotiator’s role becomes that of an impersonal purveyor of information and cash, an image that succeeds only in

undermining the negotiation.

In studies of American negotiators abroad, several traits have been indentified that may serve to confirm this stereotypical perception, while subverting the negotiator's position Two traits in particular that cause cross-culture misunderstanding are directness and impatience on the part of American negotiator Furthermore, American negotiators often insist on realizing short-term goals Foreign negotiators, on the other hand, may value the relationship established between negotiators and may be willing to invest time

in it for long-term benefits In order to solidify the relationship, they may opt for indirect interactions without regard for the time involved in getting to know the other negotiator

Clearly, perceptions and differences in values affect the outcomes of negotiations and the success of negotiators For Americans to play a more effective role in international business negotiations, they must put forth more effort to improve cross-cultural understanding

Question 166: What is the author’s main point?

A Negotiation is the process of reaching an agreement.

B Foreign languages are important for international business.

C Foreign perceptions of American negotiators are based on stereotypes.

D American negotiators need to learn more about other cultures.

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Question 167: According to the author, what is the purpose of negotiation?

A To undermine the other negotiator’s position.

B To communicate back and forth.

C To reach an agreement.

D To understand the culture of the negotiators.

Question 168: The word undermining in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A making known B making clear C making brief D making weak

Question 169: Which of the following is mentioned as a criterion necessary for negotiation?

A compromise B participation C communication D investment

Question 170: It can be referred from paragraph 1 that

A training is not available for Americans who must interact in international negotiations.

B foreign businesspersons negotiate less effectively than Americans because of their training.

C because their training is not as good, Americans are less successful as negotiators than

their international counterparts

D foreign businesspersons do not like to negotiate with Americans, who are not well trained.

Question 171: According to the passage, how can American businesspersons improve their

negotiation skills?

A By living in a foreign culture B By getting to know the negotiators

C By compromising more often D By explaining the goals more clearly

Question 172: The American negotiator is described as all of the following EXCEPT

A perceived by foreign negotiators as wealthy B willing to invest time in relationships

C known for direct interaction D interested in short-term goals

In most discussions of cultural diversity, attention has focused on visible, explicit aspects of culture,

such as language, dress, food, religion, music, and social rituals Although they are important, these visible expressions of culture, which are taught deliberately and learned consciously, are only the tip of the iceberg of culture Much of culture is taught and learned implicitly, or outside awareness Thus,

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neither cultural insiders nor cultural outsiders are aware that certain “invisible” aspects of their culture exist.

Invisible elements of culture are important to us For example, how long we can be late before being impolite, what topics we should avoid in a conversation, how we show interest or attention through listening behavior, what we consider beautiful or ugly- these are all aspects of culture that we learn and use without being aware of it When we meet other people whose invisible cultural assumptions differ

from those we have learned implicitly, we usually do not recognize their behavior as cultural in origin.

Differences in invisible culture can cause problems in cross-cultural relations Conflicts may arise when

we are unable to recognize others’ behavioral differences as cultural rather than personal We tend to misinterpret other people’s behavior, blame them, or judge their intentions or competence without realizing that we are experiencing cultural rather than individual differences

Formal organizations and institutions, such as schools, hospitals, workplaces, governments, and the legal system are collection sites for invisible cultural differences If the differences were more visible, we might have less misunderstanding For example, if we met a man in a courthouse who was wearing exotic clothes, speaking a language other than ours, and carrying food that looked strange, we would not assume that we understood his thoughts and feelings or that he understood ours Yet when such a man is dressed similarly to us, speaks our language, and does not differ from us in other obvious ways, we may fail to recognize the invisible cultural differences between us As a result, mutual misunderstanding may arise

Question 173: What is the main purpose of the passage?

A To describe cultural diversity.

B To point out that much of culture is learned consciously.

C To explain why cross-cultural conflict occurs.

D To explain the importance of invisible aspects of culture.

Question 174: The word “rituals” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

Question 175: The phrase “the tip of the iceberg” in paragraph 1 means that

A visible aspects of culture are learned in formal institutions

B most aspects of culture cannot be seen

C other cultures seem cold to us

D we usually focus on the highest forms of culture

Question 176: Which of the following was NOT mentioned as an example of invisible culture?

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A What topics to avoid in conversation.

B How late is considered impolite.

C What food to eat in a courthouse

D How people express interest in what others are saying

Question 177: The word “those” in paragraph 2 refers to

A people who speak a different language

B people from a different culture

C topics that should be avoided in conversation

D invisible cultural assumptions

Question 178: It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that conflict results when

A people think cultural differences are personal

B people compete with those from other cultures

C one culture is more invisible than another culture.

D some people recognize more cultural differences than others.

Question 179: The author implies that institutions such as schools and workplaces

A are aware of cultural differences

B teach their employees about cultural differences

C share a common culture.

D reinforce invisible cultural differences

Question 180: Which of the following would most likely result in misunderstanding?

A Unusual food being cooked by foreign visitors.

B Strange behaviour from someone speaking a foreign language.

C Strange behaviour from someone speaking our language.

D Learning about our own culture in school.

A gesture is an action that sends a message from one person to another without using words We use gestures to communicate with others There are some gestures that have completely different meaning depending on when and where they are used

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