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Educational systems outside of the Western Hemisphere have long followed the lead of the most influential countries, although not always to their advantage. The major problem is that many developing countries have a much greater need for technical institutes (1) ____ than for academic universities, so that they can produce professionals and scientists able to address their particular problems. In these (2) ____, language is often a problem because much of the technology developed in the West requires a vocabulary that many languages do not have. Reading skills in English are widely cultivated (3) ____ these purposes.  Modern trends in higher education indicate a willingness worldwide to learn from the strengths of the (4) ____ systems. Schools in North America frequently suffer from a lack of the uniformity of educational standards that European systems provide through centralized bureaucratic control. Coordinated national accrediting organizations solve much of this problem. European universities have moved toward greater autonomy in curriculum development, and steps have been (5) ____ so that broader segments of the population can benefit from higher education

Nam is living in Hanoi city with her family. She is in grade 6. In summer, she doesn’t go to school. Because the weather is very hot, she often goes swimming with some of her friends. She sometimes goes to the park to fly the kite or goes fishing. She also goes on vacation with her family. Her favorite place is Ha Long. Nam likes summer very much.

Where is Nam living?

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
From: Daniel Doyle
To: Lois Henares
Subject: Our appointment
Date: Wed, 20 Sept 2008
Lois,
I’m sending my apologies for having to (1)___ our 10:00 appointment for this morning. I was on my way to your office but was suddenly called away to deal with an (2)------- problem at the factory. I have asked Ms. Blanchard to reschedule our meeting on Friday at 11:00 A.M. Our agenda, as agreed upon, will be the implementation of a new inventory system. I would appreciate it if you could send other members scheduled to attend the meeting a summary of the points that (3)------- in your presentation on the new system. This should facilitate decision-making during our meeting. I hope you were not inconvenienced by the cancelation of our meeting this morning.
All the best,
Daniel

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Scientists agree that the earth's rising temperatures are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes. In 2015, for example, scientists said that an ongoing drought in California - the state's worst water shortage in 1,200 years - had been intensified by 15 percent to 20 percent by global warming. They also said the odds of similar droughts happening in the future had roughly doubled over the past century. And in 2016, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine announced that it's now possible to confidently attribute certain weather events, like some heat waves, directly to climate change.  The earth's ocean temperatures are getting warmer, too - which means that tropical storms can pick up more energy. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3 storm into a more dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, scientists have found that the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes has increased since the early 1980s, as well as the number of storms that reach categories 4 and 5. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina - the costliest hurricane in U.S. history struck New Orleans; the second - costliest, Hurricane Sandy, hit the East Coast in 2012.  The impacts of global warming are being felt across the globe. Extreme heat waves have caused tens of thousands of deaths around the world in recent years. And in an alarming sign of events to come, Antarctica has been losing about 134 billion metric tons of ice per year since 2002. This rate could speed up if we keep burning fossil fuels at our current pace, some experts say, causing sea levels to rise several meters over the next 50 to 150 years.   
4. The word "which" in the passage refers to ____

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Bodies are made to move! They are not (36) _____ for sitting around in front of the television or reading magazines. Keeping fit doesn't (37) _____ you have to be a super-athlete, and even (38) _____ exercise can give you a lot of fun. When you are fit and healthy, you will find you look better and feel better. You will develop more energy and self-confidence.Every time you move, you are exercising. The human body is designed to bend, stretch, run, jump and climb. (39) _____ it does, the stronger and fitter it will become. Best of all; exercise is fun. It's what your body likes doing most - keeping on the (40) _____

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Time management: two words that have me breaking out in a cold sweat. Why should I suddenly have to learn how to manage my time? Surely time had got on perfectly well for several millennia without requiring management, let alone by me. But my university tutor was adamant: time needed some managing and apparently it was up to me to do it.  First of all, let's be clear. I do have plenty of time to manage. As an arts student, I generally have 23 hours in the day that aren't given over to going to lectures. But I generally need somebody to tell me what I should be writing, so I go to lectures.  Perhaps I had "taken on too much"? I'd been elected to four committees, produced a play, applied for a part time job, hung around the college bar with my friends, and written the odd essay. But I thought I was coping well. Sure, there was the day when I did the research for an essay on the morning of deadline day and wrote it that afternoon, but that was a one off.  On second thoughts, maybe my tutor is right. It's difficult to give up what you're involved in but perhaps it's a good idea to sit back and have a breather once in a while. Even an arts student has to get down to some real work!
5. The writer slowly begins to realize that he should ____

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Banana fiber is used in the production of banana paper. Banana paper is used in two different senses: to (23) _____ to a paper made from the bark of the banana tree, mainly used for artistic purposes, or paper made from banana’s fiber, (24) _____ from an industrialized process, from the stem and the non–usable fruits. The paper can be either hand–made or made by machine. The volume of raw (25) _____ for making banana paper around the world on plantations is vast and largely unutilized. The market for banana paper is seen as a growth industry. (26) _____ 1988, in Costa Rica, companies like EcoPaper.com and Costa Rica Natural Paper have been producing 100% industrialized fine environmental and ecological paper derived from natural banana fibers, for the writing and stationery market. This industry (27) _____ numerous waste products such as: the plastic that wraps the bananas, plastic cords to tie the wrapping, damaged bananas and the pinzote (stems). An alarming quantity of over of 92% of water, 3% of resins and 2% glucose; the rest is vegetal fiber. This particular composition makes it decompose without the solid component being destroyed. This causes a severe impact on the surrounding ecosystems – much to the detriment of rivers and underground waters

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Today, supermarkets are found in almost every large city in the world. But the first supermarket (26)_________opened only fifty years ago. It was opened in New York by a man named Michael Cullen. A supermarket is different (27)___________other types of stores in several ways. In supermarkets, goods are placed on open shelves. The (28)__________ choose what they want and take them to the checkout counter. This means that fewer shop assistants are needed than in other stores. The way products are displayed is another difference between supermarkets and many other types of stores; (29)__________ example, in supermarkets, there is usually a display of small inexpensive items just in front of the checkout counter: candies, chocolates, magazines, cheap foods and so on. Most customers (30)__________go to a supermarket buy goods from a shopping list. They know exactly what they need to buy. They do the shopping according to a plan

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There is a natural balance to all things: life and death, good and bad, happiness and sadness, pleasure and pain. The very idea that you should focus on positives and ignore negatives, likewise with strengths versus weaknesses, is not only delusional; it's a recipe for disaster. Let me tell you a couple of stories to show how dealing with reality as openly and genuinely as possible is the path to success and happiness, while focusing only on the positives and strengths can destroy your career and your company. It's no secret that Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple in 1984 because his management style had become toxic to the company. Much later, Jobs would come to realize that getting fired from the company he cofounded "was the best thing that could have ever happened” to him. He called it “awful-tasting medicine" that "the patient needed." He also likened it to life hitting him in the head with a brick. That forced Jobs to look in the mirror and see the truth - that he wasn't as capable or as strong a leader as he could be. And as he addressed the issues that stood in his way, the result was the founding of NeXT and Pixar, his eventual return to Apple, and the greatest turnaround in corporate history that built the most valuable company on Earth. It's easy to miss the obvious connection staring us right in the face, that it wasn’t just Apple that had hit a wall, fallen on hard times, and found itself in need of a turnaround. The same was true of Jobs. And there was an undeniable connection between the two. It's also easy to miss the insightfulness of Jobs' realization that none of his later achievements would have occurred if he hadn't faced reality. That sort of introspection only comes from someone who's had some sort of intervention and gone through gut-wrenching change as a result. Not to compare myself with Jobs, but the truth is I've gotten a couple of those bricks to the head myself. I've been fired more than once and lost my wife early in our marriage. But in every case I looked in the mirror, faced what I saw, made some changes, and bounced back stronger than ever. If I'd just tried to stay positive, focused on my strengths, and searched for the silver lining in the clouds, I never would have figured out what was wrong and become a better person, a better husband, and a better leader. I never would have achieved so much in my career or won my wife back. While life is full of ups and downs, one thing is certain: If you attempt to filter your consciousness and disallow negative thoughts or make believe the weaknesses holding you back don't exist, you'll never get past those hurdles and get to the next stage in your personal and professional development. And neither will your business.
8. It can be inferred from the passage that ____.

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Tornadoes are known to have higher winds than tropical cyclones, (1)_________ tornadoes are much smaller. As a (2)_________, a tropical cyclone can be hundreds of kilometres wide, with destruction occurring in different degrees depending on which part of the cyclone hits the land. In contrast, tornadoes are usually less than a few hundred metres wide. These storms are (3)_________ destructive in the smaller areas in which they hit, but they are also short-lived. Tropical cyclones develop in areas where the seawater is warm and there is instability in the atmosphere. (4)_________ as tropical depressions, they begin to gather strength. As they are developing, they begin to rotate, with the differences in humidity and air temperature (5)_________ them until sufficient wind speeds are reached to be classified as a tropical cyclone

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Many of the major supermarket chains have come under fire with accusations of various unethical acts over the past decade. They've wasted tons of food, they've underpaid their suppliers and they've contributed to excessive plastic waste in their packaging, which has had its impact on our environment. But supermarkets and grocers are starting to sit up and take notice. In response to growing consumer backlash against the huge amounts of plastic waste generated by plastic packaging, some of the largest UK supermarkets have signed up to a pact promising to transform packaging and cut plastic wastage. In a pledge to reuse, recycle or compost all plastic wastage by 2025, supermarkets are now beginning to take some responsibility for the part they play in contributing to the damage to our environment with one major supermarket announcing their plan to eliminate all plastic packaging in their own-brand products by 2023. In response to criticisms over food waste, some supermarkets are donating some of their food surplus. However, charities estimate that they are only accessing two per cent of supermarkets' total food surplus, so this hardly seems to be solving the problem. Some say that supermarkets are simply not doing enough. Most supermarkets operate under a veil of secrecy when asked for exact figures of food wastage, and without more transparency it is hard to come up with a systematic approach to avoiding waste and to redistributing surplus food. Some smaller companies are now taking matters into their own hands and offering consumers a greener, more environmentally friendly option. Shops like Berlin's Original Unverpakt and London's Bulk Market are plastic- tree shops that have opened in recent years, encouraging customers to use their own containers or compostable bags. Online grocer Farmdrop eliminates the need for large warehouses and the risk of huge food surplus by delivering fresh produce from local farmers to its customers on a daily basis via electric cars, offering farmers the lion's share of the retail price. There is no doubt that we still have a long way to go in reducing food waste and plastic waste. But perhaps the major supermarkets might take inspiration from these smaller grocers and gradually move towards a more sustainable future for us all.
2. According to paragraph 2, more and more people want supermarkets to _______

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The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching people how to work their way through different systems. It therefore brings people into touch with the real world; and, hence, equips them for the future.  Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others that say a teacher or agriculturalist or nurse would have, but they do have many skills that can help  any skills that can help others. And in the absence of any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit of their fellow human beings, and ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are involved is immeasurable.  Employers will generally look favourably on people who have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It demonstrates a willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee. So to satisfy employers' demands for experience when applying for work, volunteering can act as a means of gaining experience that might otherwise elude would-be workers and can ultimately lead to paid employment and the desired field.  The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching people how to work their way through different systems. It therefore brings people into touch with the real world; and, hence, equips them for the future.  Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others that say a teacher or agriculturalist or nurse would have, but they do have many skills that can help  any skills that can help others. And in the absence of any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit of their fellow human beings, and ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are involved is immeasurable.  Employers will generally look favourably on people who have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It demonstrates a willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee. So to satisfy employers' demands for experience when applying for work, volunteering can act as a means of gaining experience that might otherwise elude would-be workers and can ultimately lead to paid employment and the desired field.  
4. According to paragraph 3, desirable qualities of an employee involve all of the following EXCEPT ____

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According to some sources, the first online dating service appeared in the mid-nineties. Different from international matching services that were already up and running, these sites were created to help the average busy person find someone to date and, perhaps eventually, someone to many. For this week’s column, I asked a few people what they thought of online dating. Many who have tried online dating it’s the greatest invention since sliced bread. Although he was hesitant to try it at first, Mitchell Waverton, a 25-year-old who’s looking for love, gives online dating thumbs-up. Waverton explains, “I don’t have a lot of time to meet women. Some of my friends told me I should try online dating. I wasn't sure about it because it just seems weird- meeting someone online. But then I tried it, and it was a lot of fun”. However, not everyone has the same opinion. Peter Wong explains, “A few of my friends tried to get me join an online dating site. I only agree to do it to prove to them that it wasn’t going to work for me”. After I went on five miserable dates, my friends were finally convinced that online dating wasn't for me.” I do believe that online daters are sometimes successful in their search of love, but I think success stories are the exception rather than the rule. Although online dating seems like it’s here to stay, I’ve heard enough horror stories to keep me away from it
4. The word “that” in paragraph 1 refers to ________.

compass/ There/ a/ books/ is/ three/ bookshelf/ and/ a/ on the/ pencil.

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If you see someone who's looking blue, just reach out and offer a kind word, a smile, a hug. Sometimes people just feel (23) ____ they need someone to care. Maybe they're confused and not sure what's going on just in the moment, or in a bigger picture such as where their lives are (24) ____. The purpose of our lives is to love, laugh, be happy and to grow together, sharing with one another. If we are all too busy (25) ____ someone who is in emotional need, it can leave the person wondering what's the real point of everything. By reaching out and smiling, showing compassion, listening, offering a (26) ____ of gentle advice, you remind both yourself and the (27) ____ what the bigger picture is, and bring a little burst of more light and happiness into the world. Enough of those bursts and lights contribute to the tipping point towards a more compassionate and joyful world

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British people have a reputation for being rather quiet and reserved. However, a new study has (1) ____ that Britons are actually quite sociable and the (2) ____ person claims to have 14 close friends. Although a minority of those questioned (3) ____ that they had no best friend, a quarter said that they had more than 18 close friends. Experts said that this is (4) ____ to changes in the way people (5) ____ their free time. They are now more (6) ____ to invite friends to their homes or go out socialising than previous generations. The increasing use of mobile phones and emails has also made it easier to (7) ____ a greater number of friendships.  Men's relationships are not (8) ____ though they tend to have more friends. Women, (9) ____ prefer to have a small number of friends they can trust (10) ____, and with whom they can feel completely at (11) ____. The idea that people in the north of England are more neighbourly than those in the south seems to be backed (12) ____ by the survey. However, despite having friends, it seems that family still (13) ____ an important part in most people's lives. When asked who they would (14) ____ to for help if they were ill or had a problem, the majority said that they would (15) ____ upon a relative first rather than a friend

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Despite predictions that the traditional media were going to disappear in the internet age, newspapers, the radio and television have managed to survive. However, their survival has come at a price. Digital technology has given birth to social media, tools that allow ordinary people to create, share and exchange information without the need for the usual news channels. Moreover, social media is also attracting a large share of advertisers' money away from the traditional media. As a result, newspapers, the radio and television are always looking for ways to hurt their new rival and they are more than happy to publish stories that play on people's fears about how untrustworthy and unsafe social media is. As all football fans know, the sports media has to work harder between matches to fill their pages and sites. The most popular method of doing this is by speculating about the players that clubs might buy or sell, especially talented foreigners. However, many readers often suspect that these stories are the products of lazy journalism and, if not completely false, contain very little truth and a lot of exaggeration. One Irish football fan decided to find out by using social media to invent Masal Bugduv, a sixteen-year old football superstar from the small Eastern European country of Moldova. The fan set up a Wikipedia page for the player that explained that Bugduv had already played for his national team and that his nickname was 'Massi'. He then wrote false press agency stories that claimed Bugduv would soon join Arsenal and sent them to sports blogs. The blogs accepted the stories as true, but the big surprise came when The Times newspaper included an article entitled Football's Top 50 Rising Stars. At number thirty on the list was 'Moldova's finest', sixteen-year-old Masal Bugduv, who had been linked with Arsenal and 'plenty of other top clubs as well.' While most people would agree that the traditional press should warn people about the dangers of new technology, it is also good to know that social media can expose the unprofessional practices of some journalists. The more they zoom in on each other's unacceptable practices, the better for the readers
2. The word ‘speculating’ in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______

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Have you ever had the feeling that people older than you are hard to understand? Or, have you felt like people from younger generations just don't get it? Maybe you find it easier to connect with people (26) ______ are closer to your age than those who are older or younger than you. You can probably thank the generation gap for these feelings. There are currently six generations living in the United States: the Greatest Generation, Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. (27) ______ generation has its own unique set of characteristics and norms. For (28) ______ , the Greatest Generation (born 1901-1924) is known for its patriotism, hard workers, and loyalty to institutions. The Millennials (born 1980-2000) are characterized by their dependence on technology, detachment from traditional institutions, optimism, and open-mindedness. It is no (29) ______ that many people from different generations have a hard time understanding each other. Generation gap refers to differences in actions, beliefs, interests, and opinions that (30) ______ between individuals from different generations. So, what causes these differences?

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Can you imagine your life without advertisements? They are present in all sectors of our lives, in our homes on TV, on public means of transport, in the streets, in newspapers, you name it. It is only natural that all this advertising with its intrusive nature would have an impact on our lives, and many people would agree that this impact is on the whole a negative one. Adverts are very creative and attract our attention; they are also highly persuasive and influence the way we think. Their aim is to make us believe we will feel a certain way if we purchase the product which is being advertised. For example, many adverts for products show good-looking, successful people enjoying themselves and consuming or using a specific product. This plays on our psychology and our sense of self-worth, and it makes us want to buy the product so that we can look and feel like the models in the adverts. Images and lifestyles aren't the only thing that advertising imposes on us. Artificial needs are also imposed on us. We are constantly exposed to visual and verbal adverts which try to convince us that our lives will be improved if we buy a particular product. Don't tell me the plasma TV or the air freshener advertised on TV is a necessity. However, clever advertising creates in people a sense of need for material goods, which if they don't acquire, can often lead to feelings of inferiority and unhappiness. Advertising also gives a distorted picture of reality, which creates unrealistic expectations, particularly among young children and teenagers. Many adverts are targeted specifically at these age groups, creating an intense desire to own a particular product. The resulting pressure on parents is so great that they often give in to the demands of their children in order to avoid confrontation and tantrums, thus creating patterns of consumption and gratification at the expense of other values in life. This vicious cycle can have a very detrimental effect on children and, consequently, the future of society. Advertising today, with its ubiquity and aggressive nature, poisons our minds with false ideals and instils in people a sense of dissatisfaction. It turns people into materialistic consumers; this is a far cry from the self-assured, informed individuals who know the real value of money and are able to develop the sensible shopping habits that any healthy society needs.
6. Which of the following is true, according to the passage?

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You depend on all the people closely around to give you the warm feeling of belongingness that you must have to feel secure. But, in fact, the members of all the groups to which you belong also depend on you to give that feeling to them. A person who shows that he wants everything for himself is bound to be a lonely wolf.  The need for companionship is closely related to the need for a sense of belongingness. How sad and lonely your life would be if you had no one to share your feelings and experiences. You may take it for granted that there always will be people around to talk to and to do things with you and for you. The important point, however, is that keeping emotionally healthy does not depend so much upon having people around you as upon your ability to establish relationships that are satisfying both to you and to them.  Suppose you are in a crowd watching a football game. You don't know them. When the game is over, you will all go your separate ways. But just for a while you had a feeling of companionship, of sharing the feelings of others who were cheering for the team you wanted to win.  An experience of this kind gives the clue to what companionship really is. It depends upon emotional ties of sympathy, understanding, trust, and affection. Companions become friends when these ties are formed.  When you are thrown in a new circle of acquaintances, you may not know with whom you will make friends, but you can be sure that you will be able to establish friendships if you show that you really like people.
2. If you had no one to share your feelings, your life would be ____

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Why do some people take revenge on others? Why aren’t we able to sort out our problems without seeking to get (25) _____ with those who have hurt us? Apparently, we are (26) _____ experiencing a deeply rooted part of human nature. Our desire for revenge comes from the brain’s limbic system, the most primitive part of the brain and one that we share with all animals. (27) ______, when someone confronts us, we often prefer attacking verbally or physically rather than try to work out a solution together. However, unlike animals, we also possess a highly evolved cerebral cortex which allows us to plan and analyse – and this can make revenge more than just a(n) (28) _____ reaction. A person who feels they have been wronged may even enjoy planning a creative and appropriate act of revenge. Some people suggest that taking revenge can be seen as a positive move, allowing you to work through your negative emotions. However, it can also be dangerous, and you may risk finding yourself in a situation (29)______ rapidly gets out of hand