____ technology is already present in the form of computers, printers, scanners, handheld devices, wireless technologies, and Internet connections.

(327)_______

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People here have a more relaxed attitude ________ their work.

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Quoc Tu Giam/ established/ the/ grounds/ Van Mieu.

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Tantalizing Teas from around the Globe
There are few things in life as refreshing as a cup of hot tea. However, few people realize the wide variety of teas available. Here are some more options to try the next time you are in the mood for a cup of tea. The most famous tea in the West is Earl Grey. Although it is classified as a black tea, Earl Grey contains some citrus qualities as well. The tea gets its name from a 19th century prime minister of England, Charles Grey. According to the legend, Grey saved the life of a drowning man in China. The man he rescued was reportedly a tea blender, so as a reward he instructed Grey how to flavour black tea with a special type of oil. Many tea historians doubt this tale and insist that the only reason the tea is named after Grey is that he was a famous politician. Another famous black tea is Assam tea. It comes from the mountains of India and it is named after the region where it is produced. Assam tea is known for its strong and bitter flavour. It is sometimes called the breakfast tea, because it is an invigorating brew to enjoy in the morning. Although Assam tea is cultivated in the East, it immediately became a big hit once it was introduced to the West. Some people enjoy drinking Assam tea straight, but others feel it is best with a little bit of milk and sugar added. It has been known to go perfectly with sweets as well as more pungent foods like cheese. Chamomile tea has a light, pleasant taste that some people have described as a mix between flowers, herbs, and apples. Yet, it is the potent health benefits of the tea that cause most people to buy it. For starters, it is the best tea to have at the end of a long day when you are looking to relax. In fact, it has been used as a cure for insomnia for hundreds of years. In ancient times, it was also used by the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians to help wounds heal faster. Chamomile has anti-­inflammation properties, so it can also help to clear up skin issues such as allergies and acne as well. So the next time you are sitting down for afternoon tea, be sure to have a close look at the menu. You may even discover a new variety that becomes your favourite.
3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Together, the thousands of scientists and conservation organizations that contribute to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and other systems of assessment provide the world's largest knowledge base on the global status of species. The aim of these systems is to provide the general public, conservationists, nongovernmental organizations, the media, decision makers, and policy makers with comprehensive and scientifically rigorous information on the conservation status of the world's species and the threats that drive the observed patterns of population decline. Scientists in conservation and protected area management agencies use data on species status in the development of conservation planning and prioritization, the identification of important sites and species for dedicated conservation action and recovery planning, and educational programs. Although the IUCN Red List and other similar species-assessment tools do not prescribe the action to be taken, the data within the list are often used to inform legislation and policy and to determine conservation priorities at regional, national, and international levels. In contrast, the listing criteria of other categorization systems (such as the United States Endangered Species Act, the CITES) are prescriptive; they often require that landowners and various governmental agencies take specific mandatory steps to protect species falling within particular categories of threat It is likely that many undescribed or unassessed species of plants, animals, and other organisms have become or are in the process of becoming extinct. To maintain healthy populations of both known and unknown species, assessments and reassessments are valuable tools. Such monitoring work must continue so that the most current knowledge can be applied to effective environmental monitoring and management efforts. For many threatened species, large well-protected conservation areas (biological reserves) often play major roles in curbing population declines. Such reserves are often cited by conservation biologists and other authorities as the best way to protect individual species as well as the ecosystems they inhabit. In addition, large biological reserves may harbor several undescribed and unassessed species. Despite the creation of several large reserves around the world, poaching and illegal trafficking plague many areas. Consequently, even species in those areas require continued monitored and periodic assessment.
10. In general, the passage is ____.

Kentron's own Groovato Gelato was founded in 2010 when Luciano Algieri, an Italian immigrant to the United States, bought a ---143--- on Coverby Avenue. The building had previously housed the Hopscotch Ice Cream Company, and Algieri was able to hire many former Hopscotch employees. Teaching ---144--- ice-cream crafters to make gelato proved to be an easy task.---145--- his product, Algieri started with an old family recipe. He then enhanced the flavor with secret ingredients plus unusual combinations of fruits and nuts. ---146---.

143.................

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“I thought you bought a new fountain pen last week?” “Yes, I did but I left it at home. Can I borrow _____ for a moment?”

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Inside the Mind of a Sushi Legend
During our lives, it is likely we will have not one, but several careers. People change jobs due to boredom, to earn more money, or because they want to experience more from life. Although this certainly brings variety to life, it also prevents workers from achieving mastery in their craft. This is what makes Sukiyabashi Jiro so incredible. For the past 75 years, he was dedicated his life to one goal: perfecting his technique so that he can make the world’s best sushi. In the documentary Jiro: Dreams of Sushi, viewers get a peek inside the life of this genius. For Jiro, who owns a three-star Michelin restaurant, sushi is not simply taking raw fish, vinegar, and rice, and arranging them together. He insists that every detail must be perfect. Watching him at work is similar to seeing an artist in action. Yet, the true key to his success is not creative imagination: it’s his dedication and repetition. Jiro has kept the same daily schedule for decades. As he goes about his tasks, he always searches for small ways to improve his craft. Jiro won’t accept anything less than the best. He has committed to using only the freshest ingredients, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get them. This means heading down to the local fish market daily to purchase fish which has just been caught that day. Jiro only deals with the top fish dealer, who is also a master of his trade. This seller reserves only the best of the best for Jiro, which Jiro inspects closely before making his choices. Back at the shop, the sushi rice is also prepared with delicate care. If he senses something is not up to standards, he will have his employees trash it and start all over again. At the age of 85, Jiro is aware that he won’t be able to continue making sushi forever. Therefore, he has been training his two middle-aged sons for many years to learn his techniques and philosophies. His eldest son, Yamamoto, works side-by-side with Jiro to this day. His younger son, Takashi, has opened his own sushi restaurant elsewhere in Tokyo. In the film, both sons discuss how difficult it is to live up to their famous father’s expectations and match his rigorous work ethic. To learn more about Jiro and his methods, be sure to catch this fascinating film.
4. The word “_rigorous_” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________

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 major problems in the art world is how to distinguish and promote an artist. In effect, a market must be created for an artist to be successful. The practice of signing and numbering individual prints was introduced by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, the nineteenth- century artist best known for the painting of his mother, called “Arrangement in Grey and Black”, but known to most of us as “Whistler’s Mother”. Whistler’s brother-in-law, Sir Francis Seymour Haden, a less well-known artist, had speculated that collectors might find prints more attractive if they knew that there were only a limited number of copies produced. By signing the work in pencil, an artist could guarantee and personalize each print.
As soon as Whistler and Haden began the practice of signing and numbering their prints, their work began to increase in value. When other artists noticed that the signed prints commanded higher prices, they began copying the procedure.
Although most prints are signed on the right-hand side in the margin below the image, the placement of the signature is a matter of personal choice. Indeed, prints have been signed within image, in any of the margins, or even on the reverse side of the’print. Wherever the artist elects to sign it, a signed print is still valued above an unsigned one, even in the same edition.

The word “it” in paragraph 3 refers to     .

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The construction work was _____ by the local contractor.

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There are some stilt houses in my village.

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 (1)_________ for many young people today is to communicate with others over the Internet and have a life online. The way they do this is through social networking web sites such as Facebook and Twitter. However, the people who (2)_________ their lives online are also putting themselves at risk, and they may not even understand how they are doing so. The key to limiting risk is to keep certain pieces of information private. If you do any banking online, for example, it is important to note that dates of birth are often used as a(n) (3)_________ feature by banks. They will need to know your identification number and possibly your address as well, but to (4)___________ your identity, they might ask you for your date of birth. If a criminal were to gain access to your account number at a bank, and then obtain your address from public records, the one thing that he would not have would be your birth date. These days, however, a lot of people list their dates of birth openly on Facebook (5)_________ their friends can wish them well on their birthdays. Unfortunately, doing so could end up being a recipe for disaster

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People in my country are very open and _________.

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I heard the tyre ...... and then the lorry skidded across the road.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:

Wallace & Prence Realty is currently seeking a housing specialist to work with our international clients. We specialize in securing appropriate short-term housing for individuals ---(1)--- will be working in the Toronto area for only a short time. As part of our client relations department, the housing specialist ---(2)--- guidance to clients preparing for temporary relocation. ---(3)--- .The successful candidate must have knowledge of real estate and rental agencies in the Toronto area. Also required are a minimum of two years of customer- service experience. Individuals with the necessary ---(4)--- are encouraged to contact us at recruitment@wallaceprence.ca.

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The penny press, which emerged in the United Sates during the 1830’s, was 1 a powerful agent of mass communication. These newspapers were little dailies, generally four pages in length, written for the mass taste. They differed from the 3 staid, formal presentation of the conservative press, with its emphasis on political and literary topics. The new papers were brief and cheap, emphasizing sensational reports of police courts and juicy scandals as well as human interest 5 stories. Twentieth – century journalism was already foreshadowed in the penny press of the 1830’s. 7 The New York Sun, founded in 1833, was the first successful penny paper, and it was followed two years later by the New York Herald, published by James 9 Gordon Bennett. Not long after, Horace Greeley issued the New York Tribune, which was destined to become the most influential paper in America. Greeley 11 gave space to the issues that deeply touched the American people before the Civil War – abolitionism, temperance, free homesteads, Utopian cooperative settlements, and the problems of labor. The weekly edition of the Tribune, with 13 100,000 subscribers, had a remarkable influence in rural areas, especially in Western communities. 15 Americans were reputed to be the most avid readers of periodicals in the world. An English observer enviously calculated that, in 1829, the number of 17 newspapers circulated in Great Britain was enough to reach only one out of every thirty – six inhabitants weekly; Pennsylvania in that same year had a 19 newspaper circulation which reaches one out of every four inhabitants weekly. Statistics seemed to justify the common belief that Americans were devoted to periodicals. Newspapers in the United States increased from 1,200 in 1833 to 21 3000 by the early 1860’s, on the eve of the Civil War. This far exceeded the number and circulation of newspapers in England and France.
1. It can be inferred that penny press papers were all of the following EXCEPT: 

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The LED Lighting Revolution
If you have picked up any electronics magazines recently, you have probably heard about LEDs; yet chances are, you probably don’t realize why they are so special. The truth is that these tiny light bulbs are helping to improve watches, remote controls, televisions, and a host of other projects. Diodes are components that enable energy to flow in one direction, while simultaneously blocking the current from the opposite direction. This is similar to how a valve works on a faucet. If electronic manufacturers require currents to flow in several directions, then multiple diodes will be included in the circuit design. With LEDs, every time a current passes through them, a light is emitted. LED is short for light-emitting diode. Although they have only recently waves in the past decade or so, early models have been around since 1962. There are several benefits that LEDs offer when compared to incandescent or fluorescent lighting. For starters, they have extremely long-life spans in the range of l00,000 hours even in the toughest conditions. They also require far less energy than power sources, which can save users money over the long run. Since LEDs don’t contain moving parts like other bulbs, they can withstand heavy impacts without getting damaged. Finally, they don’t require any _warm-up time_ so they instantly light up when switched on. The only drawback is that they are still a more expensive to purchase at the moment. LEDs were first used on digital clocks, but they have come a long way since then. They have certainly done a lot to improve TV technology. LED TVs have been a hit because they can be built extremely thin, yet also offer power-saving benefits. LED TVs also provide a wider range of colour, which allows for more lifelike and vivid images. In the future, organic LEDs, or OLEDs, will bring additional benefits for viewers. OLEDs are even more flexible than LEDs, so manufacturers will be able to create bent display screens and lights. Therefore, you will be able to roll up your living room TV set and pack it in your suitcase. In other words, LED and OLED technology will likely be lighting up your life for years to come.
1. When energy goes through an LED, it _________

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It's only 36 centimeters tall, but to fans throughout the world, it represents the highest achievement in football. Every four years, teams from all over the globe compete to take home the FIFA World Cup Trophy, yet nobody ever does. Do you know why? Nobody ever takes it home because the 18-carat gold trophy is kept under lock and key by FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association). The champions of each World Cup tournament receive only a replica. This is to protect the valuable prize from thieves, who have stolen the World Cup trophy twice in its 75-year history. The little trophy has certainly had a troubled existence. The original trophy was made by a French sculptor, Abel LaFleur, and was called the "Jules Rimet Cup," in honor of the founder of the World Cup tournament. Sometime during the first three World Cup events (1930, '34 and '38), the name changed to simply the "World Cup." Then during World War II, not much was seen or heard of the trophy. It was being kept hidden in a shoe box under the bed of Dr. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice-president of FIFA, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Nazi army. Although the trophy made it safely through the war, it didn't fare so well during the turbulent 1960s. In 1966, the Cup was stolen during a public showing of the trophy prior to the World Cup tournament in England. Luckily, it was found a short time later none the worse for wear in a trash container, by a little dog named Pickles. Four years later, Brazil earned permanent possession of the original trophy by winning its third World Cup title. Unfortunately, the trophy was stolen a second time, in 1983, and was never recovered. The Brazilian Football Association had to have a duplicate trophy made. After the first trophy became the possession of Brazil's football association, a new World Cup Trophy for FIFA was designed by an Italian artist, Silvio Gazazniga, in 1974. This trophy cannot be won outright, but remains in the possession of FIFA, and rest assured they are keeping a close eye on it. Today, World Cup winners are awarded a replica of the trophy that is gold-plated, rather than solid gold like the real one. Gazazniga's World Cup trophy weighs almost five kilograms. Its base contains two layers of a semi-precious stone called malachite, and has room for 17 small plaques bearing the names of the winning teams -enough space to honor all the World Cup champions up to the year 2038. After that, a new trophy will have to be made.
4. Which is true about Gazazniga's World Cup trophy?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
One of the major problems in the art world is how to distinguish and promote an artist. In effect, a market must be created for an artist to be successful. The practice of signing and numbering individual prints was introduced by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, the nineteenth-century artist best known for the painting of his mother, called "Arrangement in Grey and Black", but known to most of US as "Whistler's Mother". Whistler's brother-in- law, Sir Francis Seymour Haden, a less well-known artist, had speculated that collectors might find prints more attractive if they knew that they were only a limited number of copies produced. By signing the work in pencil, an artist could guarantee and personalize each print. As soon as Whistler and Haden began the practice of signing and numbering their prints, their work began to increase in value. When other artists noticed that the signed prints commanded higher prices, they began copying the procedure. Although most prints are signed on the right-hand side in the margin below the image, the placement of the signature is a matter of personal choice. Indeed, prints have been signed within the image, in any of the margins, or even on the reverse side of the print. Wherever the artist elects to sign it, a signed print is still valued above an unsigned one, even in the same edition.
4. The word "it" in line 16 refers to: 

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Exobiology is the study of life that originates from outside of Earth. As yet, of course, no such life forms have been found. Exobiologists, however, have done important work in the theoretical study of where life is most likely to evolve, and what those extrateưestrial life forms might be like. What sorts of planets are most likely to develop life? Most scientists agree that a habitable planet must be terrestrial, or rock-based, with liquid surface water and biogeochemical cycles that somewhat resemble Earth’s. Water is an important solvent involved in many biological processes. Biogeochemical cycles are the continuous movement and transformation of materials in the environment. These cycles include the circulation of elements and nutrients upon which life and the Earth’s climate depend. Since (as far as we know) all life is carbon-based, a stable carbon cycle is especially important. The habitable zone is the region around a star in which planets can develop life. Assuming the need for liquid surface water, it follows that most stars around the size of our sun will be able to sustain habitable zones for billions of years. Stars that are larger than the sun are much hotter and bum out more quickly; life there may not have enough time to evolve. Stars that are smaller than the sun have different problem. First of all, planets in their habitable zones will be so close to the star that they will be “tidally locked” – that is one side of the planet will always face the star in perpetual daylight with the other side in the perpetual night. Another possible obstacle to life on smaller stars is that they tend to vary in their luminosity, or brightness, due to flares and “star spots”. The variation can be large enough to have harmful effects on the ecosystem. Of course, not all stars of the right size will give rise to life; they also must have terrestrial planets with the right kind of orbits. Most solar systems have more than one planet, which influence each other’s orbits with their own gravity. Therefore, in order to have a stable system with no planets flying out into space, the orbits must be a good distance from one another. Interestingly, the amount of space needed is roughly the width of a star’s habitable zone. This means that for life to evolve, the largest possible number of life-supporting planets in any star’s habitable zone is two. Finally, not all planets meeting the above conditions will necessarily develop life. One major threat is large, frequent asteroid and comet impacts, which will wipe out life each time it tries to evolve. The case of Earth teaches that having large gas giants, such as Saturn and Jupiter,.in the outer part of the solar system can help keep a planet safe for life. Due to their strong gravitation, they tend to catch or deflect large objects before they can reach Earth.
8. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?

Choose the best answer:
She uses the ____________ control to change the channel.