Choose the option A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:
"At last it is here: tomorrow is the exam day. There is no more homework to do, you have done lots of (1)….. and you have had plenty of useful practice with past papers. You have finished the (2)…. . So what should you do now? Probably the least advisable course of (3)…. would be to carry on studying late into the night, trying (4)….. to learn things you should have learned long .ago and (5)…. in the morning with an awful headache.
A far better idea is to practise, (6)….. a singer or a musician does, what you already knew. In order not to feel (7)…. the next day, go to bed early and get up at your usual (8)….. . You may be a little bit (8)….. but that is probably just a (10)…… of your determination to do will in the exam."
4. trying (4)….. to learn things you should have learned long .
Hãy suy nghĩ và trả lời câu hỏi trước khi xem đáp án
Lời giải:
Báo saidesperately: liều lĩnh
Đáp án C
Dịch: ..... cố gắng học một cách tuyệt vọng những điều mà lẽ ra bạn phải học từ lâu.
Câu hỏi liên quan
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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:
Dark matter in the universe is believed by some scientists to be a substance that is not readily observable because it does not directly refract light or energy. Its existence can only be deduced because of the effect that it has on surrounding matter. In fact, some members of the scientific community have argued that dark matter does not actually exist. Others, however, believe in its existence, in part because the scientific community does not have a complete understanding of gravita science. On the other hand, some would argue that it is the understanding of gravitational science that leads most scientists to believe in the existence of dark matter, because without dark matter, there are many cosmological phenomena
that are difficult to explain.
For example, dark matter in the universe may have a peculiar effect on the Milky Way galaxy. Some scientists believe that the interaction between dark matter and other smaller, nearby galaxies is causing the Milky Way galaxy to take on a warped profile. It has been asserted that not only does dark matter exist, it may also be responsible for the Milky Way’s unusual shape. The interaction referenced involves two smaller galaxies near the Milky Way, called Magellanic clouds, moving through an enormous amount of dark matter, which, in effect, enhances the gravitational pull that the two Magellanic clouds could have on the Milky Way and other surrounding bodies. Without the existence of the dark matter, the Magellanic clouds would not have sufficient mass to have such a strong effect on the bend of the Milky Way galaxy.
The strongest evidence for the validity of this hypothesis rests in Newtonian physics, and the hypothesis that anything with mass will exert a gravitational pull. The Milky Way and other galaxies with peculiar warped shapes are being molded by a gravitational force. However, there is nothing readily observable with sufficient mass that could cause such a high level of distortion via gravitational pull in the vicinity of the Milky Way. Therefore, something that is not easily observed must be exerting the necessary force to create the warped shape of the galaxy.
Aaron Romanowsky and several colleagues have questioned the effect that dark matter might have on galaxies. They point to the existence of several elliptical galaxies surrounded by very little dark matter as evidence that dark matter is not, in fact, the cause of the warped galaxies. While they do not claim that their findings should be interpreted to conclude that dark matter does not exist, they apparently believe that the results of their studies cast doubt on some of the conventional theories of galaxy formation and manipulation.
Several models constructed by researchers from the University of California at Berkeley, however, point to the idea that dark matter is the most likely explanation for the distorted shape of the Milky Way and other galaxies. Using computer models, they have mapped the likely interactions between certain galaxies and the surrounding dark matter, and those models have shown not only the possibility that dark matter is responsible for the warped shape of the Milky Way, but that the relationship between the dark matter and the Magellanic clouds is dynamic; the movement of the clouds through the dark matter seems to create a wake that enhances their gravitational influence on the Milky Way.The passage states that some members of the scientific community are reluctant to believe in the existence of dark matter because:
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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:
In ancient Greece, athletic festivals were very important and had strong religious associations. The Olympic athletic festival, held every four years in honour of Zeus, eventually lost its local character, became first a national event, and then, after the rules against foreign competitors had been abolished, international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go, but some official records date from 776 B.C.
The Games took place in August on the plain by Mount Olympus. Many thousands of spectators gathered from all parts of Greece, but no married woman was admitted even as a spectator. Slaves, women and dishonoured people were not allowed to compete. Records show that the evening of the third day was devoted to sacrificial offerings to the heroes of the day, and the fourth day, that of the full moon, was set aside as a holy day. On the sixth and last day all the victors were crowned with holy garlands of wild olive from a sacred wood. So great was the honour that the winner of the foot race gave his name to the year of his victory. How their results compared with modern standards, we unfortunately had no means of telling.
After an uninterrupted history of almost 1,200 years, the Games were abolished in A. D. 394 because of their pagan origin. It was a great many years before there was another such international athletic gathering. The Greek institution was brought back into existence in 1896 and the first small meeting took place in Athens. After the 1908 London Olympics, success was re-established and nations sent their best representatives.
Today, the Games are held in different countries in turn. The host country provides vast facilities, including a stadium, swimming pools and living accommodation, but competing countries pay their own athletes' expenses. Athletic contests are still the main feature, but now many more sports are represented, women compete, the ancient pentathlon, for example, has been modified into a more comprehensive test, and the marathonraces, initiated in 1896, are now a celebrated event.
The Olympics start with the arrival in the stadium of a torch, lighted on Mount Olympus by the sun's rays. It is carried by a succession of runners to the stadium. The torch symbolizes the continuation of the ancient Greek athletic ideals, and it burns throughout the Games until the closing ceremony.During the Games, on the evening before the moon was full, .
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As many of you have noticed, the main entrance of our building is in ---131--- condition. It is in desperate need of attention. Therefore, beginning at 6 P.M. on Friday, the main entrance ---132--- for approximately one month as it is renovated. The changes will give the entryway a more streamlined and contemporary appearance.
---133--- the main entrance is closed, employees and visitors may use the side entrances to gain access to the building. 134---.132...................
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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:
Many of the most damaging and life-threating types of weather-torrential rains, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes-begin quickly, strike suddenly, and dissipate rapidly, devastating small regions while leaving neighboring areas untouched. One such event, a tornado, struck the northeastern section of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987. Total damages from the tornado exceeded $250 million, the highest ever for any Canadian storm. Conventional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value in predicting short-live local storms like the Edmonton tornado, because the available weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to discern the subtle atmospheric changes that precede these storms. In most nations, for example, weather balloon observations are taken just once every twelve hours at locations typically separated by hundreds of miles. With such limited data, conventional forecasting models do a much better job predicting general weather conditions over large regions than they do forecasting specific local events.
Until recently, the observation-intensive approach needed for accurate, very short range forecasts, or “Nowcasts”, was not feasible. The cost of equipping and operating many thousands of conventional weather stations was prohibitively high, and the difficulties involved in rapidly collecting and processing the raw weather data from such a network were insurmountable. Fortunately, scientific and technological advances have overcome most of these problems. Radar systems, automated weather instruments, and satellites are all capable of making detailed, nearly continuous observation over large regions at a relatively low cost. Communications satellites can transmit data around the world cheaply and instantaneously, and modern computers can quickly compile and analyzing this large volume of weather information. Meteorologists and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video equipment capable of transforming raw weather data into words, symbols, and vivid graphic displays that forecasters can interpret easily and quickly. As meteorologists have begun using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices, Nowcasting is becoming a reality.What does the passage mainly discuss?
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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:
Most desert animals will drink water if confronted with it, but many of them never have any opportunity. All living things must have water, or they will expire. The herbivores find it in desert plants.
The carnivores slake their thirst with the flesh and blood of living prey. One of the most remarkable adjustments, however, has been made by the tiny kangaroo rat, who not only lives without drinking but subsists on a diet of dry seeds containing about 5% free water. Like other animals, he has the ability to manufacture water in his body by a metabolic conversion of carbohydrates. But he is notable for the parsimony with which he conserves his small supply by every possible means, expending only minuscule amounts in his excreta and through evaporation from his respiratory tract.
Investigation into how the kangaroo rat can live without drinking water has involved various experiments with these small animals. Could kangaroo rats somehow store water in their bodies and slowly utilize these resources in the long periods when no free water is available from dew or rain? The simplest way to settle this question was to determine the total water content in the animals to see if it decreases as they are kept for long periods on a dry diet. If they slowly use up their water, the body should become increasingly dehydrated, and if they begin with a store of water, this should be evident from an initial high water content. Results of such experiments with kangaroo rats on dry diets for more than 7 weeks showed that the rats maintained their body weight. There was no trend toward a decrease in water content during the long period of water deprivation. When the kangaroo rats were given free access to water, they did not drink water. They did nibble on small pieces of watermelon, but this did not change appreciably the water itent in their bodies, which remained at 66.3 % to 67.2 % during this period. This is very close to the water content of dry-fed animals (66.5 %), and the availability of free water, therefore, did not lead to any “storage” that could be meaningful as a water reserve. This makes it reasonable to conclude that physiological storage of water is not a factor in the kangaroo rat’s ability to live on dry food.It is implied by the author that desert animals can exist with little or no water because of
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Read and choose best answers the question about the passage:
"Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modem countries it has, for some time, been fashionable to think that by free education for all - whether rich or poor, clever or stupid - one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough; we find in such countries a larger number of people with university degree; they refuse to do what they think “low” work; and, in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our house, we should get terrible diseases in your towns.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to our brains and ability and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society."5. The passage tells us about ……… of education.
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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:
The concept of obtaining fresh water from iceberg that is towed to populated areas and arid regions of the world was once treated as a joke more appropriate to cartoons than real life. But now it is being considered quite seriously by many nations, especially since scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food. Glaciers are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently. (A)
Three-quarters of the Earth's fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice, a reservoir of untapped fresh water so immense that it could sustain all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years. Floating on the oceans every year are 7,659 trillion metric tons of ice encased in 10,000 icebergs that break away from the polar ice caps, more than ninety percent of them from Antarctica. (B)
Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year. Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes; rather, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea. As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind, pulled by subsurface currents. Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean. (C)
The difficulty arises in other technical matters, such as the prevention of rapid melting in warmer climates and the funneling of fresh water to shore in great volume. But even if the icebergs lost half of their volume in towing, the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced by desalination, or removing salt from water. (D)Which is the best place where the following sentence will most properly fit?
“To corral them and steer them to parts of the world where they are needed would not be too difficult.”
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Read the following passage and choose the best answer for each blank.
The General Certificate of Secondary Education or the GCSE examinations for (26) _____ are the standard school-leaver qualifications taken by (27) _____ all UK students in the May and June following their 16th birthday. If you come to a UK (28) _____ school before you (29) _____ the age of 16, you will study towards GCSE examinations in up to 12 subjects. Some subjects are compulsory, including English arid mathematics, and you can select (30) _____, such as music, drama, geography and history from a series of options. GCSEs provide a good all-round education (31) _____ you can build on at college and eventually at university. AS- and A-levels are taken after GCSEs. They are the UK qualifications most (32) _____ accepted for entry to university and are available in subjects from the humanities, arts, sciences and social sciences as well as in (33) _____ subjects such as engineering, and leisure and tourism. You can study up to four subjects at (34) _____ same time for two years, (35) _____ AS-level examinations at the end of your first year (called the lower-sixth) and A-level qualifications at the end of your second year (called the upper-sixth).
(31) _____
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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.
Do you feel like your teenager is spending most of the day glued to a phone screen? You're not too far off. A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals the surprising ways that technology intersects with teen friendships — and the results show that 57 percent of teens have made at least one new friend online. Even more surprisingly, only 20 percent of those digital friends ever meet in person.
While teens do connect with their friends face-to-face outside of school, they spend 55 percent of their day texting with friends, and only 25 percent of teens are spending actual time with their friends on a daily basis (outside of school hallways). These new forms of communication are key in maintaining friendships day-to-day — 27 percent of teens instant message their friends every day, 23 percent connect through social media every day, and 7 percent even video chat daily. Text messaging remains the main form of communication — almost half of survey respondents say it's their chosen method of communication with their closest friend.
While girls are more likely to text with their close friends, boys are meeting new friends (and maintaining friendships) in the gaming world-89 percent play with friends they know, and 54 percent play with online-only friends. Whether they're close with their teammates or not, online garners say that playing makes them feel "more connected" to friends they know, or garners they've never met.
When making new friends, social media has also become a major part of the teenage identity-62 percent of teens are quick to share their social media usernames when connecting with a new friend (although 80 percent still consider their phone number the best method of contact). Despite the negative consequences-21 percent of teenage users feel worse about their lives because of posts they see on social media — teens also have found support and connection through various platforms. In fact, 68 percent of teens received support during a challenging time in their lives via social media platforms.
Just as technology has become a gateway for new friendships, or a channel to stay connected with current friends, it can also make a friendship breakup more public. The study reveals that girls are more likely to block or unfriend former allies, and 68 percent of all teenage users report experiencing "drama among their friends on social media."The following sentences are true, EXCEPT .
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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:
When living and working in another country, there are numerous things to consider apart from the more obvious ones of climate, language, religion, currency, etc. Some important considerations are less obvious. For example, do you have a pet or do you enjoy a hobby such as horse riding? Your animal or hobby may be perceived in a completely different light in another culture so it’s important to consider the significance given to specific animals in different parts of the world and general perceptions towards them.
One example which is often mentioned in popular press is the case of dogs. In some cultures, like the US or UK, dogs are loved and considered a great pet to have at home and with the family. In other cultures, such as those where Islam is the majority religion, dogs may be perceived as dirty or dangerous. Muslims treatment of dogs is still a matter of debate amongst Islamic scholars. While these animals are widely considered by many Western cultures to be „man’s best friend’, the Koran describes them as “unhygienic”. Muslims will therefore avoid touching a dog unless he can wash his hands immediately afterwards, and they will almost never keep a dog in their home.
In Iran, for instance, a cleric once denounced „the moral depravity’ of dog owners and even demanded their arrest. If you are an international assignee living and working in Saudi Arabia or another Arabic country, you should remember this when inviting Arab counterparts to your house in case you have a dog as a pet. This is just one example of how Islam and other cultural beliefs can impact on aspects of everyday life that someone else may not even question. A Middle Eastern man might be very surprised when going to Japan, for instance, and seeing dogs being dressed and pampered like humans and carried around in baby prams!
Dogs are not the only animals which are perceived quite differently from one culture to another. In India, for example, cows are sacred and are treated with the utmost respect. Conversely in Argentina, beef is a symbol of national pride because of its tradition and the high quality of its cuts. An Indian working in Argentina who has not done his research or participated in a cross cultural training programme such as Doing Business in Argentina may be surprised at his first welcome dinner with his Argentinean counterparts where a main dish of beef would be served.
It is therefore crucial to be aware of the specific values assigned to objects or animals in different cultures to avoid faux–pas or cultural misunderstandings, particularly when living and working in another culture. Learning how people value animals and other symbols around the world is one of the numerous cultural examples discussed in Communicaid’s intercultural training courses. Understanding how your international colleagues may perceive certain animals can help you ensure you aren’t insensitive and it may even provide you with a good topic for conversation.It can be inferred from the passage that .
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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:
She wants to be a singer; you think she should go for a long–term career with job security and eventually retire with a good pension. But a new report suggests that in fact she’s the practical one. Why do parents make terrible career advisers?
Today’s 14 and 15–year–olds are ambitious. They are optimistic about their prospects, but their career ideas are rather vague. Although 80% of them have no intention of following in their parents’ footsteps, 69% still turn to their parents for advice. They look at their working future in a different way to their parents.
A job for life is not in their vocabulary; neither is a dead–end but secure job that is boring but pays the bills. Almost half the boys surveyed expected that their hobbies would lead them into the right sort of job, while most girls seemed determined to avoid traditionally female careers such as nursing.
In the past, this might have counted as bad news. Certainly when I was 15, my guidance counsellors were horrified at my plans to become a writer. I’m glad I didn’t change my plans to suit them. Even so, their faith in rigid career paths was well–founded. In those days, that was the way to get ahead.
But the world has changed. The global economy is not kind to yesterday’s diligent and dependable worker. The future belongs to quick–thinking people who are resourceful, ambitious and can take the initiative. This means that a 14–year–old who sees her working future as a kind of adventure, to be made up as she goes along is not necessarily being unrealistic.
However, she has to have the training and guidance to help her develop the right skills for today’s market; not the rigid preparation for a workplace that disappeared twenty years ago. Many young people are very aware of the pitfalls of the flexible workplace; they understand that redundancy, downsizing and freelancing are all part of modern working life, but no one is telling them how they might be able to turn the new rules of the employment game to their advantage. This is what they need to know if they are to make a life for themselves.So what is to be done? A good first step would be to change the way in which schools prepare young people for adult life. The education system is becoming less flexible and more obsessed with traditional skills at just the time that the employment market is going in the opposite direction.
Accurate, up–to–date information on new jobs and qualifications can help guidance counsellors to help their students. Young people need solid information on the sort of training they need to pursue the career of their dreams. Also, a little bit of encouragement can go a long way. If nothing else, a bit of optimism from an adult can serve as an antidote to the constant criticism of teenagers in the press.
What, then, can we as parents do to help them? The best thing is to forget all the advice that your parents gave you, and step into your teenager’s shoes. Once you’ve done that, it’s easier to see how important it is that they learn how to be independent, resourceful and resilient. Give them the courage to follow their dreams –however odd they might sound right now. In a world that offers economic security to almost no one, imagination is a terrible thing to waste.How does the writer think the global economy has affected the employment market?
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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.
Researchers in the field of psychology have found that one of the best way to make an important decision, such as choosing a university to attend or business to invest in, involves the utilization of a decision worksheet. Psychologists who study optimization compare the actual decisions made by people to theretical ideal decisions to see how similar they are. Proponents of the worksheet procedure believe that it will yield optimal, that is, the best decisions. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets cam take, they are all similar in their essential aspects.
Worksheets require defining the problem in a clear and concise way and then listing all possible solutions to the problem. Next, the pertinent considerations that all possible solutions to the problem. Next, the pertinent considerations that will be affected by each decision are listed, and the relative importance of each consideration or consequence is determined. Each consideration is assigned a numerical value to reflect its relative importance. A decision is mathematically calculated by adding these values together. The alternative with the highest number of points emerges as the best decision.
Since most important problems are multifaceted, there are several alternatives to choose from, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of a pencil and paper decision-making procedure is that it permits people to deal with more variables than their minds can generally comprehend and remember. On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once. A worksheet can be especially useful when the decision involves a large number of variables with complex relationships. A realistic example for many college students is the question "What will I do after graduation?" A graduate might seek a position that offers specialized training, pursue an advanced degree, or travel abroad for a year.
A decision-making worksheet begins with a succinct statement of the problem that will also help to narrow it. It is important to be clear about the distinction between long-range and immediate goals because long-range goals often involve a different decision than short-range ones. Focusing on long-range goals, a graduating student might revise the question above to "What will I do after graduation that will lead to a successful career?"
According to decision-worksheet theory, an optimal decision is defined as one that
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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:
If you ask any Vietnamese girl right now who she has a crush on, chances are you will encounter the name of the 20-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Vietnam national team. Bui Tien Dung made a name for himself in the AFC U23 Championship where he accurately blocked opponents' shots time after time and saved Vietnam’s chance at the championship in the process. Bui Tien Dung was born on February 28th, 1997 in a poor farming family in Thanh Hoa Province. Dung has loved soccer since he was a kid, but his family was so poor that they could not even
afford a plastic soccer ball for him and his brother. The Bui brothers had to resort to playing with balls made from scrap papers and old grapefruits.
Dung's parents recognized the brothers' passion for football and used the little money they had to support their sons' early training. When a big football club in the city announced a recruitment event, Dung convinced his younger brother to go to the tryout. He passed on the opportunity knowing that his parents could not afford to have both their sons gone to city.
While his younger brother training in the city, Dung's local training center went bankrupted and abruptly ended Dung's football career. For a year, instead of kicking balls, the young man worked as a construction worker to support his parents. He seemingly gave up on football.
Fate finally smiled on Dung when a football coach rediscovered him and sent him to train with a local football team. Reentering the football field, Dung wanted to play in a defense position but he was pushed to goalkeeping because of his height. At first, Dung was unhappy about his new position, but his parents advised him to follow and make the best out of it. And Dung did.
The young goalkeeper trained hard for his new position and patiently climbed up the ranks the following years. Through hard work, he was named the best goalkeeper of Vietnam's U19 division. Those who have worked with Dung described him as a likable young man. He is very respectful to others and speaks very little. However, when the gloves are on, the nice young man transforms into a fierce competitor and an unyielding goalkeeper.
At AFC U23 Championship, Dung finally reunited with his brother on the field. They fought battle after battle together with other amazing players on the team and helped Vietnam made history for Southeast Asian football.
Even though Vietnam came short of winning the championship, Dung and his teammates are already heroes and legends in the heart of Vietnamese people. They played fairly and lost with glory and grace.How is Bui Tien Dung in the field described?
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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.
Criticism
The volume of traffic in many cities in the world today continues to expand. This (46)......many problems, including serious air pollution, lengthy delays, and the greater risk (47).......accidents. Clearly, something must be done, but it is often difficult to persuade people to change their habits and leave their cars at home.
One possible approach is to make it more expensive for people to use their cars be increasing changes for parking and bringing in tougher fines for anyone who (48)...........the law. In addition, drivers could be required to pay for using particular routes at different times of the day. This system, also known as ‘road pricing’, is already being introduced in a number of cities, using a special electronic card (49) ....... to windscreen of the car.
Another ways of dealing with the problem is to provide cheap parking on the outskirts of the city, and strictly control the number of vehicles allowed into the centre. Drivers and their passengers then use a special bus service for the final stage of their journey.
Of course, the most important (50).............. is to provide good public transport. However, to get people to give up the comfort their cars, public transport must be felt to be reliable, convenient and comfortable, with fares charged at an acceptable level.
(50)................................. -
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:
The development of genetically modified (GM) plants and animals had led to a huge global controversy. Opponents say that GM “Franken foods” are a threat to our well-being, and proponents say that the risks are minimal. There is one aspect of the war over GM that is often overlooked. Anyone who wears a cotton shirt these days is using a GM crop. Cotton is the only major non-food GM crop at present, but others are coming.
GM cotton plants that is not food has not stopped the most passionate GM opponents from objecting. If GM cotton is grown in a field next to fields of non-GM cotton, they argue, then how to keep genes from being transferred from field to field. This danger, however, is not as compelling to the public as possible health hazards in food, so there is no great fury over GM cotton.
GM cotton seeds produce higher yields, and they do without the need for pesticides. Planting of GM cotton has increased five fold since 1997; three-quarter of cotton in America, and over half in China, is now GM. Farmers like it because it increases their profits.
Other options for non-food GM include new variety of flowers with different colors or scents, tougher grasses for lawns, and plants designed to soak up pollutants from the soil. The paper industry provides another example of potential for GM to help produce better and cheaper products. Paper is made from pulp, and pulp is generally made from trees. Researchers in New Zealand and Chile have been working on insect-resistant pines, and a Japanese firm has combined carrot genes with tree genes to make them grow better in poor soil.
Another interesting case is that of tobacco. It is not food crop, but it is consumed, and GM tobacco plants with both more and less nicotine have been created. The tobacco plant, however, is an ideal target for GM, since its genetics are very well understood and it produces a lot of leaves. The value of the drugs that could be produced by GM tobacco is so high, many farmers could switch from growing tobacco for cigarettes to growing it for medicine. Since medical cost is rising, consumers would also be happy to use drugs produced in bulk by GM tobacco.Which options for non-food GM is NOT mentioned in the passage?
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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:
Every summer, when the results of university entrance exam come out, many newspaper stories are published about students who are top-scorers across the country. Most portray students as hard- working, studious, smart and, generally, from low-income families. They are often considered heroes or heroines by their families, communes, villages and communities, And they symbolise the efforts made to lift them, and their relatives, out of poverty. The students are often too poor to attend any extra-classes, which make their achievements more illustrious and more newsworthy. While everyone should applaud the students for their admirable efforts, putting too much emphasis on success generates some difficult questions.
If other students look up to them as models, of course it's great. However, in a way, it contributes to society's attitude that getting into university is the only way to succeed. For those who fail, their lives are over. It should be noted that about 1.3 million high school students take part in the annual university entrance exams and only about 300,000 of them pass. What's about the hundreds of thousands who fail? Should we demand more stories about those who fail the exam but succeed in life or about those who quit university education at some level and do something else unconventional?
"I personally think that it's not about you scoring top in an entrance exam or get even into Harvard. It's about what you do for the rest of your life," said Tran Nguyen Le Van, 29. He is the founder of a website, vexere.com, that passengers can use to book bus tickets online and receive tickets via SMS. His business also arranges online tickets via mobile phones and email. Van dropped out of his MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona in the United States. His story has caught the attention of many newspapers and he believes more coverage should be given to the youngsters who can be role-models in the start-up community. Getting into university, even with honours, is just the beginning. We applaud them and their efforts and obviously that can give them motivation to do better in life. However, success requires more than just scores," Van said. Van once told a newspaper that his inspiration also came from among the world's most famous drop-outs, such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Bill Gates who also dropped out of Harvard University.
Alarming statistics about unemployment continues to plague us. As many as 162,000 people with some kind of degree cannot find work, according to Labour Ministry's statistics this month. An emphasis on getting into university does not inspire students who want to try alternative options. At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Training is still pondering on how to reform our exam system, which emphasises theories, but offers little to develop critical thinking or practice. Vu Thi Phuong Anh, former head of the Centre for Education Testing and Quality Assessment at Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City said the media should also monitor student successes after graduation. She agreed there were many success stories about young people, but added that it was imbalanced if students taking unconventional paths were not also encouraged.
Vietnam is, more than ever, in desperate need of those who think outside the box. Time for us to recognise talent, no matter where it comes from or how.The author described Tran Nguyen Le Van in the third passage as _.
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Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks
Some time ago, scientists began experiments to find out (1).......it would be possible to set up a “village” under the sea. A special room was built and lowered (2).................the water of Port Sudan in the Red Sea. For 29 days, five men lived at a depth of 40 feet. At a (3).............. lower level, another two divers stayed for a week in a smaller “house”. On returning to the surface, the men said that they had experienced no difficulty in breathing and had (4)............many interesting scientific observations. The captain of the party, Commander Cousteau, spoke of the possibility of (5)...........the seabed. He said that some permanent stations were to be set up under the sea, and some undersea farms would provide food for the growing population of the world.(4)...............................
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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:
It can be shown in facts and figures that cycling is the cheapest, most convenient, and most environmentally desirable term of transport in towns, but such cold calculations do not mean much on a frosty winter morning. The real appeal of cycling is that it is so enjoyable. It has none of the difficulties and tensions of other ways of traveling so you are more cheerful after a ride, even though the rush hour.
The first thing a non-cyclist says to you is: "But isn't it terribly dangerous?" It would be foolish to deny the danger of sharing the road with motor vehicles and it must be admitted that there are an alarming number of accidents involving cyclists. However, although police records indicate that the car driver is often to blame, the answer lies with the cyclist. It is possible to ride in such a way as to reduce risks to a minimum.
If you decide to join the thousands in Britain who are now returning to cycling as a cheap, satisfying form of transport your first problem will be trying to decide what bike to buy. Here are three simple rules for buying a bike:
Always buy the best you can afford. Of course there has to be a meeting point between what you would really like and economic reality, but aim as high as you can and you will get the benefit not only when you ride but also if you want to sell. Well-made bikes keep the value very well. And don't forget to include in your calculations the fact that you'll begin saving money on fares and petrol the minute you leave the shop.
Get the best frame, the main structure of the bicycle, for your money as you can. Cheap brakes, wheels or gears can easily be replaced by more expensive ones, but the frame sets the upper limit on any transformation. You should allow for the possibility our cycling ambitions will grow with practice. When you begin, the four miles to work may the most you ever dream of, but after a few months a Sunday ride into the country begins to look more and more desirable. The best thing is to buy a bike just a little bit better than you think you'll need, and then grow into it. Otherwise, try to get a model that can be improved.
The fit is vital. Handlebars and seat height can be adjusted but you must get the right sized frame. On the whole it is best to get the largest size you can manage. Frame sizes are measured in inches and the usual adult range is from 21 inches to 25 inches, though extreme sizes outside those measurements can be found. Some people say if you take four inches off from your inside leg measurement you will end up with the right size of bike. The basic principle though is that you should be able to stand with legs either side of the crossbar (the bar that goes from the handlebars to the seat) with both feet comfortably flat on the ground.The author thinks that the main attraction of cycling is .
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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:
If you ask any Vietnamese girl right now who she has a crush on, chances are you will encounter the name of the 20-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Vietnam national team. Bui Tien Dung made a name for himself in the AFC U23 Championship where he accurately blocked opponents' shots time after time and saved Vietnam’s chance at the championship in the process. Bui Tien Dung was born on February 28th, 1997 in a poor farming family in Thanh Hoa Province. Dung has loved soccer since he was a kid, but his family was so poor that they could not even
afford a plastic soccer ball for him and his brother. The Bui brothers had to resort to playing with balls made from scrap papers and old grapefruits.
Dung's parents recognized the brothers' passion for football and used the little money they had to support their sons' early training. When a big football club in the city announced a recruitment event, Dung convinced his younger brother to go to the tryout. He passed on the opportunity knowing that his parents could not afford to have both their sons gone to city.
While his younger brother training in the city, Dung's local training center went bankrupted and abruptly ended Dung's football career. For a year, instead of kicking balls, the young man worked as a construction worker to support his parents. He seemingly gave up on football.
Fate finally smiled on Dung when a football coach rediscovered him and sent him to train with a local football team. Reentering the football field, Dung wanted to play in a defense position but he was pushed to goalkeeping because of his height. At first, Dung was unhappy about his new position, but his parents advised him to follow and make the best out of it. And Dung did.
The young goalkeeper trained hard for his new position and patiently climbed up the ranks the following years. Through hard work, he was named the best goalkeeper of Vietnam's U19 division. Those who have worked with Dung described him as a likable young man. He is very respectful to others and speaks very little. However, when the gloves are on, the nice young man transforms into a fierce competitor and an unyielding goalkeeper.
At AFC U23 Championship, Dung finally reunited with his brother on the field. They fought battle after battle together with other amazing players on the team and helped Vietnam made history for Southeast Asian football.
Even though Vietnam came short of winning the championship, Dung and his teammates are already heroes and legends in the heart of Vietnamese people. They played fairly and lost with glory and grace.What made a name for himself in the AFC U23 Championship?
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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:
One of the most important battles of the American Civil War occurred around the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 1 to July 3, 1863. What began as a search for shoes by the Confederate Army quickly escalated into a major battle. As the Confederate soldiers sought new shoes, they unexpectedly encountered Union cavalry stationed west of the town at Willoughby Run, and the battle began. After much fighting and heavy casualties on both sides, the Confederates pushed the Union forces back through the town of Gettysburg, where they regrouped south of the town along the high ground near a cemetery.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered General R.S. Ewell to seize the high ground from the battle - weary Union soldiers "if practical." Ewell hesitated in the attack, giving the Union troops a chance to establish a stronghold along Cemetery Ridge and then bring in reinforcements with artillery. By the time Lee realized Ewell had not attacked, the opportunity had vanished. Other failures by the Confederates included the generals' opposition to the attack plans and a lack of information about Union defense. This combination of errors allowed the Union forces to win a critical victory in the Civil War. By the end, a total of 160,000 men were involved in this fierce and bloody battle.According to the passage, which of the following is assumed in the Battle of Gettysburg?