Before Tet all houses were whitewashed and ...................... with colourful lights .

 Read the text and answer the stament is True (T) or False(F)

"Last year I visited the Somerset Levels, a coastal plain and wetland area in Somerset, South West England. This area is home to one of Somerset’s oldest traditional crafts - willow basket making. Basket making began in the area a long time ago. At the beginning of the 19th century, more than three thousand acres of willow trees were planted commercially there because the area provided an excellent natural habitat for their cultivation. I’d seen willow baskets before I visited the Levels, but I was still amazed at the numerous products created by the basket makers there. They make lobster pots, bread trays, and even passenger baskets for hot air balloons. Although the arrival of plastics in the 1950s caused the basket making industry to decline, willow growing and basket making have continued to play a significant role in Somerset’s rural economy. Willow growers and basket makers have dealt with this challenge by finding new markets and innovative ways of using willow. They make willow charcoal for artists and bower seats for gardens. Some even weave willow coffins. Therefore, people here can still live on the craft that their great-grandparents passed down to them."

4. Basket making does not play an important role in the area now.

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Jack London (1876 – 1916) is an American writer whose work combined powerful realism and humanitarian sentiment. He was (0) ........ in San Francisco. After finishing grammar (1) ..........., Jack London worked at various jobs and in 1897 and 1898 he participated (2)........... the Alaska Gold Rush. Upon his return to the San Francisco area, he began to (19) ............ about his experiences. A collection of his short stories, The Son of the Golf, was (3) ............ in 1900. Jack’s colourful life, during which he wrote more than 50 books and which included enormous popular successes as an (4) .........., ended in his suicide at the (5) ........... of 40. Many of his stories including his masterpiece The Call of the Wild deal with the reversion of a civilized creature to the primitive state. Jack London’s style – brutal, vivid and exciting – (5) ........... him enormously popular outside the United States; His (7) ........ were translated into many languages. Jack’s important works include People of the Abyss about the poor in London; the Sea Wolf, a novel based on the author’s experiences on a seal hunting ship; John Barleycorn , an autobiographical novel about Jack’s struggle (8)............. alcoholism.

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space. 
          Everyone wants to reduce pollution. But the pollution problem is as complicated _________ (41) it is serious. It is complicated because much _________ (42) is caused by things that benefit people. For example, exhaust _________ (43) automobiles causes a large percentage of all air pollution. _________ (44) the automobiles provide transportation for millions of people. Factories _________ (45) much of the material which pollutes air and water, but factories give employment to a large number of people.

        Thus, to _________ (46) or greatly reduce pollution immediately, people would have to stop using many things that benefit them. Most of the people do not want to do that, of course. But pollution can be _________ (47) reduced in several ways. _________ (48) and engineers can work to find ways to lessen the _________ (49) of pollution that such things as automobiles and factories cause. Governments can pass and enforce laws that require businesses and individuals to stop or cut _________ (50) on certain polluting activities.

49.___________

Read and answer the question

Thailand, located in the Southeast of Asia, has a total area of 513,115 sq km. It is bordered by the countries Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia in the South. The total population is about 65.5 million in 2010. Bangkok, the most populous city, is the capital of Thailand. The country’s unit of currency is the Baht, which consists of 100 Satang. The country enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, and there are differences between the weather in the North and the South. The Northern Thai have three seasons in a year, hot from March to May, rainy from June to October, and cool from November to February. The Southern Thai have only two seasons, rainy from April to November and hot from December to March.The national language is Thai. English is also spoken and understood by many citizens, especially in Bangkok and other tourism areas. Although Thailand has no official religion, up to 96.4% people (2002) believe in Buddhism. Additionally, there are followers of some other religions such as Muslims, Hinduism and Christianity.

Is Buddihsm the official religion in Thailand?

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.

Teenagers today live in a very competitive world. It is (23)……………important than ever to succeed at school if you hope to (24 )…….. a chance in the job market afterwards. It’s no wonder that many young people worry (25)………...letting down their parents, their peers and themselves. To try to please everyone, they take on too (26)…………….tasks until it becomes harder and harder to balance homework assignments, parties, sports activities and friends. The result is that young people (27)…………from stress.

Question 23: .....................

Read the passage and choose the best answer ( A, B, C, or D ) to each question from 71 to 75:

Malaysia is one of the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is divided into two regions, known as West Malaysia and East Malaysia. They are separated by about 640 km of the sea and together comprise an area of 329,758 sq km. Malaysia enjoys a tropical climate. The Malaysian unit of currency is the ringgit, consisting of 100 sen.

The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur and it is also the largest city in the country. The population in 2001 was over 22 million. Islam is the country’s official religion. In addition, there are other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The national language is Bahasa Malaysia (also known simply as Malay). English, Chinese, and Tamil are also widely spoken. The language of instruction for primary school children is Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, or Tamil. Bahasa Malaysia is the primary language of instruction in all secondary schools, although some students may continue learning in Chinese or Tamil. And English is a compulsory second language.

The number of languages widely spoken in Malaysia is _________.

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each sentence below:

I'm Nguyen Viet Hung. I'm now five years old and I’ll tell you a story about my penpal . Last year I had a  most enjoyable experience when I met somebody I had been writing to for over nine years .When I was about fifteen my teacher of English asked if anyone wanted to have an English Pen pal. I had  known some English and as I was finding it rather difficult I thought this might help me. A few weeks later the teacher gave me the address of a boy who lived in Leeds. We began to write to each other straight away and usually exchanged letters about twice a month. We often wrote that we would like to meet but, unfortunately, this was never possible. However, last year I was sent on a two- week  course  in London by my firm. There was a great deal of work to do and I  did not have much time free but on the second weekend my friend came to see me. I wondered if we would really like each other when we met. Fortunately, there was absolutely nothing to worry about; we had been writing for so long that  it was like meeting an old friend. We had a meal together and spent the whole dy talking about our, shared interests. I hope we will be able to meet again soon.

His penpal was from __________.

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, c, or D best fits each space.

Have you ever stopped (1) …………….  why do people give each (2)……………. eggs at Easter? – The Christian festival of Easter celebrates the return of Christ from the dead, but the festival is actually named (3)……………………  the goddess of the sun, Eostre, whose name is taken from the East where she (4)………. In very ancient times, Easter was a celebration that winter was (5)  …….. and that a new life was about to begin. The rabbit,(6)………. to the number of young it produces, is the symbol of life. In some parts of the world, the rabbit leaves large (7) ………………  of eggs (another symbol of new life) in the garden, and children have to find as many as they can. This is very (8)……….. Christmas, when Santa Claus leaves, presents for individual children. At Easter, children have to be independent and (9)…………after themselves. In this (10)…………… the hunt for Easter eggs presents the need for young people to go out into the world and make their own fortune.

10......................

Read the following passage and choose the best answers.

New York – The “ Big Apple”

Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

Question: Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. 

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each space. 

Many parents believe that they should begin to teach their (1) ______ to read when they are more than toddlers. This is fine if the child shows a real interest but (2) _____  a child could be counter-productive if she isn’t ready. Wise parents will have a relaxed attitude and take the (3) _____ from their child. What they should provide is a selection of (4) _____ toys, books, and other activities. Nowadays, there is plenty of good (5) _____ available for young children, and of course, seeing plenty of books in use about the house will also (6) _____ them to read.

Of course, books are no longer the only (7) ______ of stories and information. (8) _____  is also a huge range of videos, which can reinforce and extend the pleasure a child finds in a book and are (9) _______ valuable in helping to increase vocabulary and concentration. Television gets a bad (10) _______ as far as children are concerned, mainly because too many spend too much time watching programs not intended for their age group.

7_______

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 is often considered that the schoolyard is where bullies go to make other kids a miserable school life, but a new study suggests that classrooms are another popular place.

    The study, presented recently at the American Public Health Association’s yearly meeting in Philadelphia, is based on the results of the research from more than 10,000 middle school students who answered questions online.

    Of those researched, 43% said they’d been physically bullied within the last month. A bit more than half said they had been laughed at in an unfriendly way, and half reported being called hurtful names. About one third said groups had excluded them to hurt their feelings. 28% said their belongings had been taken or broken; 21% said someone had threatened to hurt them. According to the results, two-thirds of the students said they had been bullied in more than one way over the previous month.

 The study authors mentioned that 8% of the students who answered said they had missed school at least once during the school year because of fear of being bullied, 25% said they had taken other actions, such as missing recess, not going to the bathroom or lunch, missing classes, or staying away from some area of the school to escape from experiencing a bully. Bullies did too much to the school life.

Which of the following is probably the best title for the passage?

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to the questions below.
During the teenage years, many young people can at times be difficult to talk to. They often seem to dislike being questioned. They may seem unwilling to talk about their work in school. This is a normal development at this age, though it can be very hard for parents to understand. It is part of becoming independent of teenagers trying to be adults while they are still growing up. Young people are usually more willing to talk if they believe that questions are asked out of real interest and not because people are trying to check upon them.

Parents should do their best to talk to their sons and daughters about school work and plans but should not push them to talk if they don’t want to. Parents should also watch for the danger signs: some young people in trying to be adults may experiment with sex, drugs, alcohol, or smoking. Parents need to watch for any signs of unusual behavior which may be connected with these and get help if necessary.

This passage is taken from a__________

You are going to read an extract from a writer’s journal. For Questions 1-8, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in March saying, “We’re thinking of running a children’s playscheme for a day in October half-term. Would you be prepared to help?” My response was “Sure, why not?” In truth, I was a little flattered to be asked, even though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the role. Still, I duly put the date in my diary and of course, I forgot all about it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and, before I knew it, the day was dawning.

I arrived at the youth center that morning feeling full of trepidation. There was a gang of 12 helpers including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine was the 10 to 11-year-olds. Even with the planning meeting I had attended the week before, I worried about whether I was up to the task. Why hadn’t I read through the copious lesson plans we were given beforehand? And wasn’t the average 10-year-old more interested in the latest Play Station game than making things with paper and glue?

All too quickly the children began arriving. The look of relief on parents’ faces as they handed their offspring over to us was quite comical. A handful of the children were already members of the club but the other forty-five or so were from the local primary schools. Again I asked myself why I had elected to spend a day with all these ‘little monsters’, especially when I have two all of my own to contend with!

I needn’t have worried of course as it turned out to be a marvelous day. We watched entertaining DVD clips, learned ‘action’ songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games, and spent some time in quiet reflection. I say ‘we’ because I rediscovered my inner child and joined in all the activities.

The particular highlight for me was the final rendition of “He’s got the whole world in his hands” in the closing part of the day. The children knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. It’s difficult to explain those moments; only that the body tingles with the pleasure of having witnessed something so magical.

Of course, there were also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thinking of one little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually that her mum was in the hospital and would be there for a long time. It’s easy for us adults to idealize childhood and forget that some children have their own burden of anxieties and concerns. When I got home utterly exhausted, still with modeling clay under my fingernails, I reflected on what a privilege it had been.

There was one disappointment for the children and that was that the playscheme was only running for a day, and not the whole week. As I said farewell to my group, one of the children turned and said “Can we do it again in the next holiday, Miss?” My response was, “Sure, why not?”

What is the writer’s attitude by the end of the day?

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 Britain some families feel that learning at home is better than going to school. Home schooled children can choose when they want to learn. Does this sound more enjoyable than school?

Andrian is a science prodigy and he wants to start university by the age of fourteen. He finds school lessons easier than the ones he expects but making friends is more difficult. At home he can spend more time on his favourite subjects and is preparing to take many of his exams early. Does he ever take a break? “Yes”, he says “I don’t study subjects I’m not interested in.”

Holly’s parents weren’t happy with the local school. So they made a decision to teach her at home. Her favourite is history and she often goes to the museum to study. “I couldn’t do that before”, she says. “This is more interesting than school was.” Her parents are always happy to help her.

Andrian and Holly love learning at home, but some people think that studying at school is more useful because it trains you for adult life. It teaches you to be with people you don’t like, but it can also help you to make friends. Are these things more important than lessons? What do you think?

History is Holly’s ____________________.

Read the following passage then choose the best option.

 Computerization has changed high school education in many ways. In the early 1980s, only 20% of high school teachers in the US used computers. However, since then high schools in the US have computerized rapidly. In 1987, schools acquired about 1.5 million computers with 95% of the schools having at least one computer. At school, teachers can use a computer to bring texts, sound, and pictures into a classroom. With a computer, they can readily attract and retain students’ attention. Computers can also speed up the teaching process and make difficult-to-explain ideas straightforward. This means that teachers can spend more time answering students’ questions and catering to other needs. Computer software can shorten the learning process by illustrating real-world applications of abstract theories.

With a computer, …………………… 

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Jack London (1876 – 1916) is an American writer whose work combined powerful realism and humanitarian sentiment. He was (0) ........ in San Francisco. After finishing grammar (1) ..........., Jack London worked at various jobs and in 1897 and 1898 he participated (2)........... the Alaska Gold Rush. Upon his return to the San Francisco area, he began to (19) ............ about his experiences. A collection of his short stories, The Son of the Golf, was (3) ............ in 1900. Jack’s colourful life, during which he wrote more than 50 books and which included enormous popular successes as an (4) .........., ended in his suicide at the (5) ........... of 40. Many of his stories including his masterpiece The Call of the Wild deal with the reversion of a civilized creature to the primitive state. Jack London’s style – brutal, vivid and exciting – (5) ........... him enormously popular outside the United States; His (7) ........ were translated into many languages. Jack’s important works include People of the Abyss about the poor in London; the Sea Wolf, a novel based on the author’s experiences on a seal hunting ship; John Barleycorn , an autobiographical novel about Jack’s struggle (8)............. alcoholism

Read the following passage and choose the item (A, B, C or D) that best answers each of the questions about it

Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain traditions play a more important part in the life of the people than in other countries. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.

It has been the law for about 300 years that all theatres are closed on Sundays. No letters are delivered; only a few Sunday papers are published. 

To this day an English family prefers a house with a garden to a flat in a modern house with central heating. English people like gardens. Sometimes the garden in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted garden in imitation of grass and a box of flowers.

Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday, and in Scotland it is not kept, except by clerks in banks, all shops and factories are working.

Which of the following is not true?

Read and answer the question

Thailand, located in the Southeast of Asia, has a total area of 513,115 sq km. It is bordered by the countries Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia in the South. The total population is about 65.5 million in 2010. Bangkok, the most populous city, is the capital of Thailand. The country’s unit of currency is the Baht, which consists of 100 Satang. The country enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, and there are differences between the weather in the North and the South. The Northern Thai have three seasons in a year, hot from March to May, rainy from June to October, and cool from November to February. The Southern Thai have only two seasons, rainy from April to November and hot from December to March.The national language is Thai. English is also spoken and understood by many citizens, especially in Bangkok and other tourism areas. Although Thailand has no official religion, up to 96.4% people (2002) believe in Buddhism. Additionally, there are followers of some other religions such as Muslims, Hinduism and Christianity.

Is the weather in Northern and Southern Thailand  the same?

Read the text and then choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D for each space.

No More Classes
The use of computers has meant students can study language programs (1) __ their own speed when and for how long they want and no need to worry about the teacher having a favorite or doing (2)__ another boring lesson. What’s more, in the virtual classrooms of the future the student will (3) __ on their headset, and be transported into an imaginary school, choose their class, take the books they need off the shelf, and (4) __ conversations with other computerized students. They might (5) __ choose to pay a visit to the supermarket or the train station, the bank or the restaurant. At the (6) __ of a button, they would be transported to (7) __ realistic settings where they could practice their English, maybe getting a hand from a virtual English companion. All this perhaps, at the computer, from the comfort of their home: no (8) __ to catch the bus to college, or a plane to England. Exciting? Certainly, and an interesting alternative to traditional classroom lessons. But would it ever (9) ___ the classroom? Hopefully not. Surely the need to relate to real people talking about real issues and generally learning a little more about others will always lead language learners to (10) __ at least a little of their time with real people.

2___________

Read and answer the question

Thailand, located in the Southeast of Asia, has a total area of 513,115 sq km. It is bordered by the countries Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia in the South. The total population is about 65.5 million in 2010. Bangkok, the most populous city, is the capital of Thailand. The country’s unit of currency is the Baht, which consists of 100 Satang. The country enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, and there are differences between the weather in the North and the South. The Northern Thai have three seasons in a year, hot from March to May, rainy from June to October, and cool from November to February. The Southern Thai have only two seasons, rainy from April to November and hot from December to March.The national language is Thai. English is also spoken and understood by many citizens, especially in Bangkok and other tourism areas. Although Thailand has no official religion, up to 96.4% people (2002) believe in Buddhism. Additionally, there are followers of some other religions such as Muslims, Hinduism and Christianity.

What country is Thailand contiguous to?