Choose the best answer: 
In the world of messengers and chat rooms, the use of Internet (1) ___________ is as naturalas seeing another selfie maker at the street. Some people call it Internet slang since manyabbreviations are (2) ___________ used in informal conversations of specific groups in socialmedia networks. However, the typical slang of British English, American English, Australian English, and others are typically localized (3) ___________ Internet abbreviations are universal and used by any person who catches the gist of a chat.

The likelihood you can come up (4) ___________ ten common internet abbreviations isalmost as high as the fact that you text or (5)__________ your friends each day. Test yourself,what does NSFW mean in texting? And can you decode at (6)__________  last half of the followingabbreviations? LOL, ASAP, OMG, XOXO, B4N, FYI, G2G, FB, MSG, TTYL. Easily?

By the way, FYI, ASAP, as well as other acronyms and abbreviations (7) __________ BTW(By the way), IMO (In my opinion), LMK (Let me know), PRB (Please reply by) havebeen included to the business email conversation (8) __________ almost never happens withcommon slang.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Although most families in the United States enjoy a high living standard, many American women have to work (23) __________ at home and in their offices. Despite their husbands’ (24) __________ of the housework, women have to do most of the housekeeping tasks. In single-parent families, the mothers may not have (25) __________ I children to take care of, but they have to raise their families alone and have to provide for all the housekeeping money. Therefore, the (26) __________ mothers have to work very hard to earn their living. Moreover, in spite of the fact that the single mothers If have all the (27) __________ conveniences at their homes, they find that bringing up their teenage children alone is not easy.

23 _______________

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each question.

If there is a building which symbolizes a country, such as the Eiffel Tower for France and the Sydney Opera House for Australia, then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.

It was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. From the time they got married, they wouldn’t be separated. She followed him to wars, advised him on affairs of state, and was loved by his people for her good work. But she died in 1631 during her childbirth. The emperor was heartbroken and had the Taj Mahal built as a sign of his love.

It took more than 20 years for the Taj Mahal to be built. Workers were brought in, not only from all over India but from central Asia too. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building.

In 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill, and in 1658 his son, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father and seized power. Shah Jahan stayed in prison until he died in 1666. He was finally buried there with his wife, who he could never forget.

The Taj Mahal is worth more than a single visit. As it is built with white marble stones, its character changes in different lights. It looks more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. At sunset, for example, the color of the Taj Mahal changes from white to yellow, then to pink. As the moon rises, it turns silvery-white. To show respect to the Taj Mahal, tourists are asked to take off their shoes during their visit.

The underlined word “who” in the passage refers to ______ .

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Although most families in the United States enjoy a high living standard, many American women have to work (23) __________ at home and in their offices. Despite their husbands’ (24) __________ of the housework, women have to do most of the housekeeping tasks. In single-parent families, the mothers may not have (25) __________ I children to take care of, but they have to raise their families alone and have to provide for all the housekeeping money. Therefore, the (26) __________ mothers have to work very hard to earn their living. Moreover, in spite of the fact that the single mothers If have all the (27) __________ conveniences at their homes, they find that bringing up their teenage children alone is not easy.

26_____________

Choose the best answer:
 The custom of paying a bride price before marriage is still a well-established part of many African cultures. In paying a bride price, the family of the groom must provide payment to the family of the bride before the marriage is allowed. The bride price can vary greatly from culture to culture in Africa. In the Zulu and Swazi tribes of southern Africa, the bride price often takes the form of cattle. In Western African, kola nuts, shells, and other goods are often used for the payment of the bride price. The actual payment of money sometimes takes place, but the payment of goods is more frequent. The amount of paid in a bride price can also vary. In modern times, the bride price is occasionally quite small and its value is mainly symbolic. However, the bride price can still be quite high, especially among prominent or highly traditional families.

There are a number of justifications used to explain the payment of bride price. The first is that the bride price represents an acknowledgement of the expense the bride’s family has gone in order to raise her and bring her up as a suitable bride for the groom. It also represents payment for the loss of a family member, since the bride will officially become a member of her husband’s family and will leave her own. On a deeper level the bride price represents payment for the fact that the bride will bring children into the family of the groom, thereby increasing the wealth of the family. This concept is reinforced by the fact that the bride price must often be returned if the bride fails to bear children.

The payment of the bride price has quite a number of effects on African society. First, the payment of bride price acts to increase the stability of African family structures. Sons are dependent on their fathers and older relatives to help them pay the bride price of their wives, and this generally leads to greater levels of obedience and respect. The negotiations between the two families concerning the bride price allow the parents and other family members to meet and get to know one another before the marriage. Finally, since the bride price must often be repaid in case of divorce, the bride’s family often works to make sure that any marital problems are solved quickly. Bride prices also work as a system of wealth distribution in African cultures. Wealthier families can afford to support the marriage of their son, and thus their wealth is transferred to other families.

1. According to paragraph 1, all of the following are true of the bride price EXCEPT

Read the passage and choose the best answers to the question. 

In the early days of the United States, postal charges were paid by the recipient, and charges varied with the distance carried. In 1825, the United States Congress permitted local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for home delivery, but these carriers received no government salary and their entire compensation depended on what they were paid by the recipients of individual letters.

In 1847 the United States Post Office Department adopted the idea of a postage stamp, which of course simplified the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by those who did not like to prepay. Besides, the stamp covered only delivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a private address. In Philadelphia, for example, with a population of 150,000, people still had to go to the post office to get their mail. The confusion and congestion of individual citizens looking for their letters were itself enough to discourage the use of the mail. It is no wonder that during the years of these cumbersome arrangements, private letter-carrying, and express businesses developed. Although their activities were only simi-legal, they thrived and actually advertised that between Boston and Philadelphia they were a half-day speedier than the government mail. The government postal service lost volume to private competition and was not able to handle efficiently even the business it had. 

Finally, in 1863, Congress provided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail from the post offices to private addresses should receive a government salary and that there should be no extra charge for that delivery. But this delivery service was at first confined to cities, and free home delivery became a mark of urbanism. As late as 1887, a town had to have 10,000 people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890, of the 75 million people in the United States, fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free to their doors. The rest, nearly three-quarters of the population, still received no mail unless they went to their post office

The word “THEY’ refers to________ .

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to answer these following questions

The meanings of the terms science and technology have changed significantly from one generation to another. More similarities than differences, however, can be found between the terms.

Both science and technology imply a thinking process, both are concerned with causal relationships in the material world, and both employ an experimental methodology that results in empirical demonstrations that can be verified by repetition. Science, at least in theory, is less concerned with the practicality of its results and more concerned with the development of general laws, but in practice science and technology are inextricably involved with each other.

The varying interplay of the two can be observed in the historical development of such practitioners as chemists, engineers, physicists, astronomers, carpenters, potters, and many other specialists. Differing educational requirements, social status, vocabulary, methodology, and types of rewards, as well as institutional objectives and professional goals, contribute to such distinctions as can be made between the activities of scientists and technologists; but throughout history the practitioners of “pure” science have made many practical as well as theoretical contributions.

The varying _________ of the two can be observed in the historical development of many practitioners.

Read the passage and choose the correct answer to each question.

Today, walking around Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City, you can easily see the image of a Vietnamese kid eating KFC-styled chicken, drinking Coca Cola and watching Disney Channel. On Vietnamese channels premiere a lot of Korean, Chinese, American films. English songs appear in iPods or MP3 players of many teenagers. All shows the tremendous effects of globalization on Vietnamese life, especially Vietnamese culture.

Globalization does bring convenience and comfort to Vietnamese people. Now we can enjoy goods and services with high quality and competitive prices as many foreign companies join our market. Advances in communication help eradicate geographic borders among countries and therefore connect our world. Especially, globalization shortens the long-standing distance among different cultures. For example, right here in Viet Nam, we can watch the latest movies made in Hollywood; we can read famous books written by authors from the US, UK, EU, Japan, China… We can see the appearance of restaurants serving Thai, Italian, Japanese, American, Latin American food in big cities. Moreover, globalization is a fast and useful way to present Vietnamese culture to the whole world.

However, that does not mean globalization does no harm to the culture of our country. One of the most concerning problems caused by globalization is the dominance of foreign culture in Vietnamese life. Simply put, people lose their traditional values and begin to identify with the culture of dominant nations. Perhaps, the most apparent and serious effect is language. Our Vietnamese language is facing “severe competition” from other languages, especially English.

What might be the writer’s attitude in the passage?

New York City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and with good reason. NYC is the mecca of business in the United States, and as a melting pot of American culture, there is something for every style, taste and budget in New York City. With so much to see and do in NYC, it's important for NYC tourists to do their research ahead of time before their vacation in New York City.

New York is America’s safest large city, but visitors should still use common sense to protect themselves and their property. Be aware of your surroundings, and make sure to always use licensed, reputable businesses for any services you need. For example, don’t hail livery cabs (as opposed to taxis) at the airport, and don’t rent bikes from companies that seem suspicious. If you’re not sure where to find legitimate businesses, the listings at nycgo.com are a good place to start, as are those published by the Better Business Bureau. Your hotel concierge should be able to answer questions on this topic and will be helpful if you need more information about neighborhoods in the five boroughs. Another useful resource is 311, the City’s official government services and information hotline.

You can refer to nycgo.com for the list of legitimate businesses.

 Read the following passage carefully, and then select the best option A, B, C or D to complete it:

"London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the home of its queen, Elizabeth II. It’s also the largest city in Europe. About 7 million people call London home.
LONDON LANDMARKS
Millions of people visit London every year from all (1) _______ the world. If you travel there, you’ll find many (2) _______ things to see and do.
During August and September, you can visit Buckingham (3) _______. That’s where the queen lives most of the year. It has about 600 (4) _______, but you’ll see only state rooms where the queen entertains guests. In the morning, a colorful ceremony (5) _______ “changing of the guard” takes place in the palace courtyard. One group of palace guards (6) _______ off duty, and another troop arrives to replace them.
You can (7) _______ the Tower of London, a historic fortress that was once a royal palace. It was also used as a (8) _______ for hundreds of years. Two of the wives of King Henry VIII—Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard—were put (9) _______ death here. The Crown Jewels are a popular attraction at the Tower. This (10) _______ of jeweled crowns, swords, scepters, and other royal objects is only used on (11) _______ occasions, such as the crowning of a new ruler.
Be (12) _______ to visit Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s famous (13) _______. The nation’s kings and queens are crowned here. Many rulers and famous citizens are (14) _______ here.
There are also monuments to political figures and poets.
The (15) _______ of Parliament are along the Thames River, near Westminster Abbey. This is where the government meets. Look (16) _______ to see the clock tower with Big Ben, London’s famous (17) _______ that rings every hour. You can get on a boat (18) _______ for a ride on the Thames.
Other places you might want to see are Scotland Yard, Madame Tussaud’s, (19) _______ the British Museum. You can find out about London’s famous criminals in the (20) _______ Museum at Scotland Yard, the home of London’s Metropolitan Police. At Madame Tussaud’s, you’ll see eerily(21) _______, life-size wax figures of pop idols and historic figures. A great thing to see at the British Museum is the collection of mummies, tomb (22) _______, and gold jewelry from ancient Egypt. The museum’s Egyptian collection is (23) _______ of the largest in the world.
For a good (24) _______ of London, take a ride in the London Eye. This enormous wheel takes you 443 feet (135 meters) above the London skyline. Unlike a traditional Ferris wheel, the (25) _______ carries its passengers in enclosed compartments."

16. Look (16) _______ to see the clock tower with Big Ben,

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP which was first (23) _____________ in Thailand in 1959. At the first time only six countries (24) _____________ in the games. Laung Sukhumnaioradit, the then Vice-President of the Thailand Olympic Committee. Proposed that a regional sports (25) _____________ would help promote cooperation, understanding, and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region. At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines. The two countries were formally (26) _____________in 1977, the same year when SEAP Federation changed its (27) _____________ to Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and the games were known as the Southeast Asian Games. Brunei was admitted at the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and East Timor at the 22nd SEA Games in Hanoi Vietnam.

24._____________

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences

Another man-made satellite has _______ up into space.

Read the passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions. 

British teenagers sit up to 70 exams and tests before they reach their GCSEs (The General Certificate of Secondary Education). But there are ways to ease the stress at exam time.

What a student eats and drinks in the run-up to exams can influence how clearly they think and how happy they feel. A balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and complex carbohydrates will help them concentrate and think clearly. Too much high-fat, high-sugar and high-caffeine food and drink can make studying harder.

Sleeping well and for long enough to feel rested, around six to eight hours for most people, will help thinking and concentration. Students should allow half an hour or so to wind down between studying, watching TV or using a computer and going to bed to help them get a good night’s sleep. Regular exercise also helps them sleep better. Cramming all night before an exam is usually a bad idea.

Parents should be flexible around exam time. When a child is revising all day, don’t worry about household jobs that are left undone or untidy bedrooms. If they’re a bit moody they should stay calm. They can help a child to revise by making sure they have somewhere comfortable to study.

Students should remind themselves that feeling nervous is normal. Nervousness is a typical reaction to exams. All students will feel it. The key is to put these nerves to positive use. Being reminded of what they do know and the time they have put into a study can help them feel confident that they can reach their potential.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Every year students in many countries learn English. Some of these students are young children. Others are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school. Others study by themselves. A few learn English just by hearing the language in films, on television, in the office, or among their friends. But not many are lucky enough to do that. Most people must work hard on their lessons to learn another language.

Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects. They study their language, mathematics, and English. In England, America, or Australia, many boys and girls study their language, which is English, and another language, perhaps French, German or Spanish.

Many adults learn English because it is useful for their work. Teenagers often learn English for their higher studies because some of their books are in English at college or university. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English

Many boys and girls learn English because __________.

Choose the word or phrase (a, b, c or d) that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

One of the greatest advances in modern technology has been the (61)__________ of computers. They are already (62)______ used in industry and in universities and the time may come when it will be common for (63)________ people to use them as well. Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all (64)_________ of learning. They can (65)______ the most complex mathematical problem and put thousands of unrelated facts (66)______ order. Because they work accurately and at high speeds they (67)______ research workers years of hard work. (68)____ is a mistake to believe that these machines could “think”. There is no (69)_____ that human beings will be controlled by machines. Though computers are capable of (70)______ from their mistakes and improving on their performance, they need detailed (71)_______ from human beings in order to be able to operate. They can never, as it were, (72)________ independent lives or rule the world by making decisions of their (73)___________. Computers are the most efficient (74)____ man has ever had and there is no limit to the ways they can be used to (75)_____ our lives.

63___________

My father promised ________ me if I passed the English test.

Choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank in the following passage. (1.5 pts)

On a yearly (1)______, the USA is afflicted by hurricanes on the east coast, flooding in the Midwest, forest fires, earthquakes, and any number of tornadoes, blizzards, and storms. Historically, the weather has (2)_________ as harsh a chord in people’s lives as any we feel today. Historians list the four major events to wreak devastation (3)________ the country as the Chicago fire in 1871, the Johnstown flood and the Galveston hurricane of 1900, and the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. These (4)_______ provide a flavor of the havoc that natures storms have wrecked on humanity and our reactions to them. Galveston, Texas, (5) _______ on the island of Galveston in the Gulf of New Mexico, (6)_________ on industry and exports. It's over 30,000 citizens in the early 1900s were generally economically successful and comfortable with existing conditions. (7)___________ the ill-fated morning of Sept. 7, 1900, the people of Galveston enjoyed their life on the remote island. (8)______ weather watchers had been following a (9)_______ storm* in the Atlantic for several days and were warning of the (10)_____________ danger of a hurricane. Unfortunately, people (11)_________ the warnings. A day after the hurricane had hit the island, all that (12)____________ of the beautiful city was, a mass of crumbled buildings, debris, and hopeless survivors (13)___________ aimlessly with the stench of rotting flesh all around. However, a few days later, that the city was beginning to heal became (14) ______________  everywhere – soon new buildings were (15) _______ the burned, and the lifeblood of the ravaged city was returning.

14___________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Have you ever had a dream about traveling to another planet in our solar system? If you have, there It an actual program that is happening right now, and it hopes to send people to Man in 2023. Known as the Man One Mission, it will send a crew of four people on a one-way mission to colonize Man. Those chosen people will have to be ready to say goodbye to the earth forever, as there will not be a return trip.

The people chosen, will have to learn to do many different things. First of all, they will be living the rest of their lives with just a handful of other people, so they all must have personalities that allow them to get along. Second, the living quarters that they will have won’t be very spacious, so they will have to deal with that condition as well. If they feel homesick, they will only be able to communicate with people back on the earth via e-mail and videos and audio sent back and forth. However, there won’t be any real-time communication. Even at the speed of light, communication between the earth and Mars takes about 20 minutes.

Whether the Mars One Mission will happen is the big question that a lot of people are asking. There is an enormous skepticism in the science community, and Wired magazine gave the mission a miserable score of two out of ten on its probability scale. However, for those who dream to go to Mars, at least they can say there is a possibility that it could happen.

How long will it take for a message to come back from Mars?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In the Mekong Delta, Long Dinh village of Tien Giang province is famous for its traditional craft of weaving flowered mats. The mat’s high quality makes them popular domestically, and they are also exported to markets worldwide including Korea, Japan, and America.

Despite its well-established reputation for this traditional craft, mat weaving only started here some 50 years ago. It was first introduced by immigrants from Kim Son, a famous mat weaving village in the northern province of Ninh Binh. However, the technique of weaving village sedge mats in Long Dinh, as compared with other places in the South, is somewhat different. Long Dinh branded mats are thicker and have more attractive colors and patterns.

Weaving sedge mats are similar to growing rice. Long Dinh mat production mainly occurs during the dry season, from January to April. Weavers have to work their hardest in May and June, otherwise, when the rainy season starts in July, they will have to put off finishing their products till the next dry season. No matter how much work it requires, Long Dinh mat producers stick with this occupation, as it brings a higher income than growing rice.

This trade employs thousands of local laborers. At present, nearly 1,000 households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats. To better meet market demands, Long Dinh mat weavers have created more Products in addition to the traditional sedge mats. Particularly, they are producing a new type of mat made from the dried stalks of water hyacinth, a common material in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to the planning and further investment, the mat weaving occupation has indeed brought in more income for residents. Their living standards have improved considerably, resulting in better conditions for the whole village.

Despite difficulties, people in Long Dinh try to follow the craft because ______________.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Every year students in many countries learn English. Some of these students are young children. Others are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school. Others study by themselves. A few learn English just by hearing the language in films, on television, in the office, or among their friends. But not many are lucky enough to do that. Most people must work hard on their lessons to learn another language.

Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects. They study their language, mathematics, and English. In England, America, or Australia, many boys and girls study their language, which is English, and another language, perhaps French, German or Spanish.

Many adults learn English because it is useful for their work. Teenagers often learn English for their higher studies because some of their books are in English at college or university. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English

According to the writer:__________

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences

She noticed a marked _______ in the children on her second visit.