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The Spring festival season in Vietnam starts with the Lunar New Year and closes with the celebration honoring the mythical founding fathers, the Hung Kings, on the tenth day of the third lunar month. Underlying the origins of these rituals is the farming cycle and its association with fertility rites and ancestor worship. Ancestor worship is a belief of wet-rice farmers who keep their ancestors' graves in their village. This strong attachment to the village of one's birth and the recognition that the inhabitants all descend from the same ancestral line creates strong bonds. The village festival is based on the spirit of unity and family. The farmers are the festivals' creators, actors and audience.  Ancient ceremonies related to farming sometimes take on additional meanings: the commemoration of heroic deeds and the village heroes' birth or death. Each village in the North of Vietnam has such a heroic or super-human figure as a tutelary or guardian spirit. The heroes were honored in their own temples and communal houses which became the heart of the village activities.  There are basic themes which are common to all Spring festivals in the Red River Delta. For instance, water takes on an essential role. Water is collected and blessed and later used for ritual washing. There are boat races, fishing contests, snake dances and water puppet performances. In Chem village, in the suburbs of Hanoi on the banks of the Red River, the main part of the festival actually occurs on a barge carrying over 200 people waving flags, singing, dancing and chasing a unicorn. The barge sails from the temple out into the middle of the Red River, while elders in smaller boats fetch three large jars of water to be blessed and used in rituals during the year. The next day the blessed water is used for the symbolic washing of the wooden statue of the village guardian.
2. With which of the following are the rituals of the festival NOT associated?

Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D for each of the gaps to complete the following text.
Tra Co Beach in Quang Ninh province is 9 kilometers from Mong Cai. It has the (31) longest and the most romantic beach in Viet Nam. Tourists can enjoy the (32) __________ of white sand beaches and green seawater all year (33) __________. Visitors can (34) __________ enjoy the sunset or sunrise in Con Mang islet. You can visit Tra Co Communal House, Linh Khanh Pagoda, and Tra Co Church. If tourists want some fresh (35) __________, they can find it from fishing boats. They can take part in "Tra Co Festival" from May 30 to June 6

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In many parts of the United States, large areas of land have been made into national parks to protect and preserve the natural beauty of the land. National parks usually contain a variety of scenic features, such as mountains, caves, lakes, rare animals and plants. National parks are open to the public and have millions of visitors every year. Many national parks, however, are in danger of being destroyed. Rare animals in national parks are killed or hunted for fur, skin or other parts. Trees are cut down for wood. Large areas of national parks also experience devastating fires caused by careless people. The increasing number of visitors is harming the parks due to the pollution from their vehicles. If these problems are not solved immediately, and if there is not enough money for the parks’ staff and maintenance of their resources, many national parks will be completely destroyed. 
2. National park is a large area of land which is protected and preserved because of the land’s _____

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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
2. What could be the best title for the passage?

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Background, in relation to computers, on the screen, the color on which characters are displayed. (1) _______, a white background may be used for black characters. In a windowing environment in which more than one program or document can be available to the user, open but currently inactive (2) _______ are said to be in the background. In the context of operating systems and program execution, background refers to a process, or task, assigned a lower priority in the microprocessor's share of time to tasks other than the task running in the (3) _______. A background process thus often performs (4)_____________ work, such as printing or checking for arriving messages on an electronic mail network, invisibly unless the user requests an update or brings the task to the foreground. (5) _______, only multitasking operating systems are able to support background processing

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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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ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.  The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations, and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. In 1995, the ASEAN Heads of State and Government re-affirmed that "Cooperative peace and shared prosperity shall be the fundamental goals of ASEAN.”  The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, signed at the First ASEAN Summit on 24 February 1976, declared that in their relations with one another, the High Contracting Parties should be guided by the following fundamental principles:  • Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;  • The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion, or coercion;  • Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;  • Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;  • Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and  • Effective cooperation among themselves.  The TAC stated that ASEAN political and security dialogue and cooperation should airn to promote regional peace and stability by enhancing regional resilience. Regional resilience shall be achieved by cooperating in all fields based on the principles of self confidence, self-reliance, mutual respect, cooperation, and solidarity, which shall constitute the foundation for a strong and viable community of nations in Southeast Asia. 
3. The word "accelerate" in the passage almost means ____

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
George Orwell did not expect to be a successful writer. In fact, he spent much of his life anticipating failure. In an essay about his schooldays, he wrote that until he was about thirty he always planned his life with the (1)____that any major undertaking was bound to fail. He wanted success and worked hard to (2) ____it but he was never quite able to give up the notion that his efforts would always come up short. At the age of 46, (3)____before he died, he confided in his private notebook that a deep sense of inadequacy had haunted him throughout his career. He stated that there had been literally not one day in which he did not feel that he was being lazy, that he was behind with his current job and that his rate of work was miserably small. Even in the first months after the tremendous success of “Animal Farm”, he was quick discount his achievement, declaring that his next book was bound to be a failure. Of course, no conscientious author is ever completely (4)____with their work, but Orwell’s doubts were so (5)____that he often appeared more comfortable (6)____defeat than acknowledging success. In 1940, after the publication of his eighth book, he (7)____to an admiring letter from another writer by (8)____ out of his way to show the man why he was not (9)____of his praise. “It makes me laugh,” he wrote, “to see you referring to me as “famous” and “successful”. I wonder if you (10)____ how little my books sell!

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Wild animals ____ (17) an important part in the balance of nature, and provide us with many important products. Wild animals provide fur, food, and recreation. They _____(18) make our surrounding more interesting. Uncontrolled hunting has destroyed much wildlife. People have also harmed animals by destroying their _____(19). Many animals, _____ (20) the passenger pigeon, have disappeared completely. Others, including the whopping crane, the blue whale, and the American alligator, are in danger of dying out

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Another side effect of the human population explosion will be the conversion of more land to food production or cities. This habitat (1)_______ will cause progressive extinction of many more species. Globally, 45 species of birds and 40 species of mammals went (2) ______ between 1650 and 1969, more have disappeared since then, and many more are in endangered species list. It has been estimated that half of all the species on Earth reside in the Amazon rain forest, (3) ______ most of them in Brazil. Brazil’s plans to colonize and cut down the rain forests and similar changes in Congo and Indonesia may very well (4) ______a major episode of extinction. Recent efforts to estimate the projected rate of extinction suggest (5) ______ half of all the species of mammals and birds will become extinct within the next 200 to 300 years

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Cities are known to have lives of their own, and photographers are able to (34) _______ . some of it. Whether taking shots of people walking on a crowded street or time-lapse shots of cars driving at night, the (35) _______ . photos can be breathtaking. Because many of the shots taken are of man-made objects like architecture, many emotions that come into (36) _______ wouldn’t be found in nature photography. Photos can show the wonder of a child staring at a fountain as water shoots upward in the sunlight. They can also show the sadder side, such as a camp of homeless people living in terrible poverty. (37) _______ of what they show, there is always beauty to be found, even if it is beauty in something that is showing an ugly truth.
Depending on the time of the day, photos taken in an urban environment can change drastically. To see the (38) _______ of a building as its shadow is cast on the lawn of a park is always amazing to see

Choose the best answer:
On December 10, 2006, I was going through some hard time. The landlady did not want to release the house any more so I had to (1) _____ and only had one month to find a place. Because Christmas was coming and it was difficult for me to (2) _____ a suitable accommodation. I had only some money (3) _____. I could not buy a Christmas tree and some presents for my three boys, (4) _____ I had to use the money to find a place to live. Tome, it broke my heart as I could not prepare the Christmas for my three boys. I have been their only parent since my husband (5) _____ away two years ago. I was so sad and everything was getting on my nerves. Although I managed to solve the problem myself I could not help (6) _____ my sons about the things. When I suddenly woke up at midnight, I found my eldest son was sitting (7) _____me. He kissed me and said, "Don't worry, Mum. We love you very much and always stand by you (8) ____ happens." At the moment I started weeping, grabbed him and kissed him. His words and love made me (9) _____ all about what I was stressing about. In fact ever since that moment, I have realized that I can overcome any problems thanks to my sons' love. The most important thing of my life is that my boys are safe and healthy, and they bring me joy all the time. The memory (10) _____ me that nothing really matters, when I have the love of my children

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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.  
6. The word "prerequisites" in the passage mostly means ____

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I live in a small village called Northville. There are about 2000 people here. I love the village (34)__________ it is very quiet and life is slowly and easy. The village is always clean; people look (35)_____________ it with great care. The air is always clean, too. People are much more friendly here than in city because everyone (36)_________ the others, and if someone has a problem, there are always people who can help.
There are only a few things that I don’t like about Northville. One thing is that we have  not  got  many  things  to  do  in  the  evening;  we  haven’t  got  (37)___________ cinemas or theaters. The other thing is that people always talk about (38)___________, and everyone knows what everyone is doing. But I still prefer village life to life in a big city

Choose the best answer A, B, C or D to complete the passage below.

Hello everyone, I am......(1)..... teacher, I……..(2)…….at a primary school in the Hanoi. In the morning I......(3)..... up at seven o'clock. I have breakfast with bread and a cup of coffee. Then I go to work. I teach his students French. I have lunch at school. I go home.....(4)...... one o'clock in the afternoon. I don’t work on Saturdays and Sundays. I go to the cinema, or …….(5)……… a book. I like the books very much. I have a sister in Oxford and a brother in London.

In the morning I......(3)..... up at seven o'clock. 

In England, when the schoolchildren come to school, they first (1)             to the cloakroom. They take (2)                 their coats and raincoats, their caps and hats, and then go to (3)                classroom.Some of the students go to the laboratories and workshops where they (4)            physics, chemistry and art. When a student is (5)           duty, he comes to (6)                     very early. He has to open (7)                 the windows, water the flowers and clean the blackboard so everything is ready for the first lesson. At seven thirty the teacher comes into the room and the lesson (8)              .iểu

In England, when the schoolchildren come to school, they first (1)             to the cloakroom.

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Anthropologists have pieced together the little they know about the history of left - handedness and right - handedness from indirect evidence. Though early men and women did not leave written records, they did leave tools, bones, and pictures. Stone Age hand axes and hatchets were made from stones that were carefully chipped away to form sharp cutting edges. In some, the pattern of chipping shows that these tools and weapons were made by right handed people, designed to fit comfortably into a right hand. Other Stone Age implements were made by or for left-handers Prehistoric pictures, painted on the walls of caves, provide further clues to the handedness of ancient people. A right - hander finds it easier to draw faces of people and animals facing toward the left, whereas a left - hander finds it easier to draw faces facing toward the right. Both kinds of faces have been found in ancient painting. On the whole, the evidence seems to indicate that prehistoric people were either ambidextrous or about equally likely to be left - or right - handed. But, in the Bronze Age, the picture changed. The tools and weapons found from that period are mostly made for right - handed use. The predominance of right - handedness among humans today had apparently already been established.
2. Which of the following helped lead to conclusions about whether Stone Age people preferred one hand to the other?

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Higher Education in the UK Students who have successfully completed an A-level course may go to university to do (1)_____ three- or four-year course leading to a first degree such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), etc. They apply to several universities which then (2)_____ an offer of a place specifying the minimum grades the student needs to obtain in the A level subjects studied. Higher education is not (3)_____. In principle, students have to pay a contribution to the cost of teaching (tuition fees) and have also to pay their living costs (maintenance). The government provides (4)_____ to help them pay for university education which have to be paid back from earnings once their income reaches a certain (5)_____. In recent years government policy has been to (6)_____ the percentage of 18-year olds (7)_____ go to university, which is now, at 40%, double the 1990 figure, but this growth has been at the (8)______ of the amount of financial support given to individual students. Universities receive money (9)_____ the state for each student and are responsible for employing staff and deciding which courses to offer. The head of a university, who is (10)_____ for its management, is called a vice-chancellor

Choose the best answer:
There is (42) _______ debate between archeologists about when and where the first civilizations developed. That is because the answer to that question depends on what one defines as a civilization. If a civilization is simply a small group of people having a similar culture and beliefs, then civilizations have existed in many parts of the world for thousands of years. If a civilization is defined as a larger, more complex society (43) _______ a government and the construction of cities, then the first civilization was probably the Sumerian civilization in what is now Iraq. The Sumerians were (44) _______ from the Ubaid culture, which was made up of small villages of farmers who lived slightly farther north. Sometime around 4,000 B.C. these farmers moved down into the valley along the Tigris River. This land received little rain, and was unsuitable for farming. Therefore, it was empty and the Sumerians had plenty of (45) _______ and little competition from other peoples. What allowed the Sumerians to successfully farm in this dry land was their knowledge of irrigation, the practice of taking water from a river or lake and moving it to fields through the use of man-made canals. This allowed the Sumerians to farm here successfully (46) _______ the lack of rain. We know that the Sumerians had a great understanding of irrigation because their language is filled with words related to it.

Choose the best answer:
Many older cities are having modern makeovers and they are being given a new (1) ____. Sometimes the impetus for this (2) ____ of change comes from the need to provide new (3) ____ for particular events being held in the city - a sporting event, or something (4) ____. On other (5) ____ the change just seems to (6) ____ place almost naturally.  Take Birmingham, for instance, (7) ____ it was previously an (8) ____ place to live, it has now become trendy, and this change has been (9) ____ largely by the new-look architecture that can be found everywhere in the city. The old shopping centre has been (10) ____ down and completely rebuilt, and new shopping malls are competing to attract shoppers with the high quality of their services and goods. The area located around the canal, once hidden away and surrounded by decaying factories was often used as a rubbish (11) ____, but it has now become a trendy place (12) ____ up of modern offices, bars, sought-after apartments and restaurants. To (13) ____ up, Birmingham has become the place to be. Even in what was formerly the poorest part of the city an old factory has been (14) ____ into a lively complex of studios, galleries and coffee bars. With its theatres, museums and football teams Birmingham is (15) ____ worth visiting and has something for everyone

Ba is a student. He’s 12 years old. He studies at Yen Hoa primary school. He usually leave home for school at 6.30 a.m. He lives quite near the school, so he usually walks to school with some of his friends. But today his father is driving him to school. He loves Literature and English. Today he has Physics, Chemistry and English. At school, he often plays volleyball with his best friends.

Which subjects does he like?