Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.:
 The sculpture represents the biblical King David. It was carved in the early 1500s.

 

In the past, people ____ to the beach more often. 

(180)_____

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions :
The television has undoubtedly changed society. For a modern person to think about (1)__________ the world was like without television is actually hard to imagine. The world before the TV was one of little information flowing in to communities throughout the world. All information that people could get was filtered through newspapers often had specific biases that caused them to (2)__________ the news to whatever their preference was. Although television would follow this to a certain (3)__________, it was able to hit a widespread audience at the same time. In other words, people literally watched the broadcast at the same time each day, and they began (4)__________ news as things happened. A television grew into something that practically every household in industrialized nations had, businesspeople were quick to realize the (5)__________ television had. They realized there was an enormous amount of money to be made, and therefore they were willing to invest in the technology and infrastructure that made it possible.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Teaching English as a foreign language can be a great way to travel the world and earn money at the same time. However, some graduates actually like idea of (1) _______  a career in teaching English, and there are numerous courses at various levels, from the basic certificate to the Diploma or even the master’s. To find the right course, a good place to start is TEFL.com – an internet site with lots of relevant information and helpful (2)_______  including a full list of places in the UK offering courses. The site also offers assistance to qualified graduates (3)_______  finding work. When deciding a full list of places, what to do is to look at what your needs are. If you want a career in leaching English, then definitely find one designed for that (4) _______  , such as an MA or diploma; but if you want to travel around the world, then do a shorter course that will supply you with teaching skills. Some countries will employ people without a teaching qualification as long as the teacher is a (5) _______ speaker of English. However, most countries now expect a qualification. It is advisable to make sure that the course that you want to do is recognized and that it includes a period of teaching practice. This is important in preparing people to be English language teachers

Choose the best answer:
Tom is watching TV now. So___________

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
One of the most important social developments that helped to make possible a shift in thinking about the role of public education was the effect of the baby boom of the 1950’s and 1960’s on the schools. In the 1920’s, but especially in the Depression conditions of the 1930’s, the United States experienced a declining birth rate – every thousand women aged fifteen to forty-four gave birth to about 118 live children in 1920, 89.2 in 1930, 75.8 in 1936, and 80 in 1940. With the growing prosperity brought on by the Second World War and the economic boom that followed it, young people married and established households earlier and began to raise larger families than had their predecessors during the Depression. Birth rates rose to 102 per thousand in 1946, 106.2 in 1950, and 118 in 1955. Although economics was probably the most important determinant, it is not the only explanation for the baby boom. The increased value placed on the idea of the family also helps to explain this rise in birth rates. The baby boomers began streaming into the first grade by the mid-1940’s and became a flood by 1950. The public school system suddenly found itself overtaxed. While the number of schoolchildren rose because of wartime and postwar conditions, these same conditions made the schools even less prepared to cope with the flood. The wartime economy meant that few new schools were built between 1940 and 1945. Moreover, during the war and in the boom times that followed large numbers of teachers left their profession for better-paying jobs elsewhere in the economy. Therefore, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the baby boom hit an antiquated and inadequate school system. Consequently, the “custodial rhetoric” of the 1930’s and early 1940’s no longer made sense; that is, keeping youths aged sixteen and older out of the labor market by keeping them in school could no longer be a high priority for an institution unable to find space and staff to teach younger children aged five to sixteen. With the baby boom, the focus of educators and of laymen interested in education inevitably turned toward the lower grades and back to basic academic skills and discipline. The system no longer had much interest in offering nontraditional, new, and extra services to older youths
2. The word "it" in paragraph refers to _________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Together, the thousands of scientists and conservation organizations that contribute to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and other systems of assessment provide the world's largest knowledge base on the global status of species. The aim of these systems is to provide the general public, conservationists, nongovernmental organizations, the media, decision makers, and policy makers with comprehensive and scientifically rigorous information on the conservation status of the world's species and the threats that drive the observed patterns of population decline. Scientists in conservation and protected area management agencies use data on species status in the development of conservation planning and prioritization, the identification of important sites and species for dedicated conservation action and recovery planning, and educational programs. Although the IUCN Red List and other similar species-assessment tools do not prescribe the action to be taken, the data within the list are often used to inform legislation and policy and to determine conservation priorities at regional, national, and international levels. In contrast, the listing criteria of other categorization systems (such as the United States Endangered Species Act, the CITES) are prescriptive; they often require that landowners and various governmental agencies take specific mandatory steps to protect species falling within particular categories of threat It is likely that many undescribed or unassessed species of plants, animals, and other organisms have become or are in the process of becoming extinct. To maintain healthy populations of both known and unknown species, assessments and reassessments are valuable tools. Such monitoring work must continue so that the most current knowledge can be applied to effective environmental monitoring and management efforts. For many threatened species, large well-protected conservation areas (biological reserves) often play major roles in curbing population declines. Such reserves are often cited by conservation biologists and other authorities as the best way to protect individual species as well as the ecosystems they inhabit. In addition, large biological reserves may harbor several undescribed and unassessed species. Despite the creation of several large reserves around the world, poaching and illegal trafficking plague many areas. Consequently, even species in those areas require continued monitored and periodic assessment.
8. The word "cited" in paragraph 2 mostly means ____.

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

A Tale of Two Cities: Seoul and Dhaka

The city of Seoul, with a population of 10.3 million on 1998, forms part of South Korea’s capital region. As the capital city, Seoul has been at the center of South Korea’s remarkable economic transformation over the last four decades.

In the 1960s, much of South Korea’s industrial growth was focused on greater Seoul, which by 1970 had 52 percent of the country’s industrial workers. The major contributor to this growth was rural-urban migration, which accounted for 50 percent of the country’s urban increase in the 1960s. This very rapid growth of Seoul’s population placed pressure on the city’s infrastructure, leading to marked growth in new settlements, increasing  traffic congestion, and growing air pollution. This led the government to adopt a national decentralization strategy in the 1970s that attempted to divert industry to other areas of the country. In the 1980s, continuing efforts were made to decentralize economic activity.

Dhaka’s population of 6.5 million is crowded into 360 square kilometers, creating one of the highest urban densities in the world. Unlike South Korea, Bangladesh has not experienced rapid economic change, and agriculture remains the major component of GDP and the main resource of employment. While general economic conditions have improved somewhat over the last twenty years, Bangladesh is still a very poor country.

Dhaka’s rate of population growth has declined slightly over the past three decades, but it still remains among the highest in Asia (4.2 percent annually). The continuing growth reflects ongoing migration from rural areas to the Dhaka urban region. Recently, the city’s population has also grown as a result of the expansion of its administrative boundaries, a process that added 1 million people to the city in the 1980s. Dhaka’s growth has not been associated with an expansion of productive employment opportunities in relatively high wage areas. Instead, there has been growing employment in the low productivity, low-income sector, such as petty retailing or rickshaw driving.

We can infer from the passage that the reason of the national decentralization strategy in the 1970s and 1980s in Seoul is that ___________.

Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of Webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a Webmaster to perform.

      To specify the job description of a Webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software the website the Webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.

      Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a “new media”.

      The term “new media” is difficult to define because it compasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, internet technology, CD-ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry.

      Additionally, many of today’s Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside their own country.

      How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today’s evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with Internet skills salaries well over 70,000ayear.Generally,webmastersstartatabout70,000ayear.Generally,webmastersstartatabout30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between 40,000to40,000to70,000 a year.

(89)__________

Choose the best answer:
The faster we walk,………….. we will get there.

Choose the best answer:
Life/ the countryside/ quiet/ and/ peaceful/ than/ the city

Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the others.
 

Choose the best answer:
There are many available ___________ power sources in Vietnam including sun, wind, water, etc.

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

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Incredible Shrinking Microchips
There is a popular old saying that “bigger is better”. Although this may be true in some regards, the exact opposite often applies in technology. As electronic components get smaller, it allows companies to manufacture tinier devices with more features. Thus began the never-ending quest to create the smallest microchips on the planet. Yet as these vital electronic components get smaller, they are also getting stronger and clever inventors are finding new ways in which to use them to do incredible things. Currently, the biggest limitation microchip producers face when trying to reduce chips’ size is the copper wires that provide electrical current throughout the chip. Although they can be made smaller, this can cause a whole host of problems such as melting and overheating. Thanks to the work of a few scientists from the UK though, this problem may soon be a thing of the past. Their solution is getting rid of the copper wiring altogether and using carbon nanotubes instead. Not only would this allow for smaller sizes but it would also increase the power that microchips can generate. In the end, this would translate into smaller and more powerful devices much to the delight of consumers all over the world. Corporate powerhouse Intel® has announced plans to create a line of tiny, low power chips that can be used in bracelets, smart watches, and other tiny devices. The chips will be called Intel® Quark, and they are being designed primarily to fit in biomedical devices. A key selling point to biomedical technology is that the devices have to be nonintrusive because people don’t want to carry around heavy equipment to monitor their health. If they can do this, Intel® will likely find several tablet and smartphone manufacturers who are willing to corporate Quark microchips into their devices. In a somewhat unusual project, researchers are working on a special microchip that will serve as miniature human organs in experiments. These “organ” chips could be used to test different medicines and study diseases. If realized, the technology could put an end to the use of lab mice and other animals for testing. Everyone from the largest pharmaceutical companies to the US military has shown interest in the project. Currently, the research team in charge of the project believes that within five years the organ chips will be used in practical research. It goes to show that thinking small often produces the biggest results.
1. What does the author disagree with in the first paragraph?

Choose the best answer:
Minh used to _____ his homework late in the evening.

CANADA - LAND OF MANY REGIONS

Today, Canada is made (1) _______ of ten provinces and three northern territories. As a big country, it has many different (2) _______. British Columbia is the westernmost Canadian province and the (3) _______ province on the Pacific Ocean. Mountains (4) _______ most of it. Vancouver, a major port city, is here. The Maritime Provinces lie along the Atlantic (5) _______.

(38)________

Marketing your business can be confusing. Newspapers and magazines are ---135--- useful venues for advertising. ---136---, social media platforms have become even more critical marketing outlets. Kate Wei Communications utilizes both traditional outlets and the latest communication platforms. ---137---. In addition to exceptional print services, Kate Wei Communications has the expertise to help you---138--- your online presence. Why wait? Choose our award-winning firm to strengthen your company's image today!

137.....................

Choose the best answer:
______ more information, please telephone our main office.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Durable Ceramic Beauty
Inside an art and craft workshop, a young woman sits in front of a pottery wheel. The machine contains a large lump of clay which she molds into the shape of an elaborate bowl. Later, when she is satisfied with its appearance, it will be baked in an oven until it solidifies. Then she adds decorative paints to add some style. In the end, this ceramic pot will be both a handy utility for eating as well as a work of art. Humans have been working with ceramics for about 30,000 years, making it one of the oldest industries on the planet. In ancient times, ceramics enabled humans to make containers to store food and drinks, as well as bricks for buildings, but as time went on, people found other uses for this prehistoric technology. Techniques were added to give these products more eye-catching designs. Objects were often coated with glaze, so they would be smoother and more pleasant to touch. This helped to transform these practical items into works of art. People would pay large amounts of money for pieces of ceramic art and use them to decorate their homes. In modern times, architects and inventors discovered that ceramic offered the perfect balance between beauty and durability, and started using it in their products as well. Ceramics have found a home in the world of automobiles as they are used to produce several products. They are often used to make brake discs, engines, and other parts because ceramics are able to withstand extremely hot temperatures. Ceramics also play a part in the world of medicine, as their flexibility and strength are perfect for creating sturdy dental implants. Other doctors are using them to replace damaged bones because they are able to bond with tissues in the body without causing adverse reactions. In many kitchens today, you will also find ceramic knives. Once they are produced, the hard edges of these blades rarely need to be sharpened. Unlike metal knives, they won’t rust when exposed to difficult conditions. Ceramics also help to make it possible for humans to travel into space. Space shuttles are designed with ceramic tiles because they are one of the few materials that can stand the extreme heat when reentering the Earth’s atmosphere, plus they don’t wear out easily. With so many useful applications, it is hard to deny that ceramic technology is out of this world.
4. Which of the following best matches the meaning of the word “_adverse_” in paragraph 3?

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Great Energy Debate
Modern civilization is heavily dependent on energy. Without reliable power sources, we couldn’t operate machines, use transportation, communicate via Internet, or do many other things. Although everyone recognizes the importance of energy, deciding what kind of energy the world should use in the future is not a simple task. The two leading candidates for this role are green energy and nuclear energy. Currently, most of the energy we use is derived from fossil fuels. Although this energy source has got us this far, there are several problems with it. For starters, it is a finite resource which is quickly running out. Some analysts have even estimated that the Earth could run out of coal and oil within the next 50 years. Burning fossil fuels also creates large amount of pollution, which is harmful to the environment. Although fossil fuels still provide the majority of our power, governments are seeking better energy sources to use going forward. Green energy is one option that is becoming increasingly attractive. It includes technologies such as solar, wind, and hydro power. These are seen as clean sources of energy because they cause very little pollution. In addition, they are completely renewable, so there is no danger that it will run out. The major disadvantage with green energy sources is that they are not cheap. The other alternative is nuclear power. Like green energy, it is also a renewable source of power that will not run out, and it also doesn’t produce air pollution. In addition, nuclear power is more reliable than green energy, as it doesn’t depend on sunshine, rain, or wind to operate. The major issues with nuclear power are safety concerns and nuclear waste. Nuclear power plants create a considerable amount of nuclear waste which is extremely hazardous to people’s health. If they happen to have a meltdown, this could destroy the surrounding area for years to come. The recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan brought this reality into the spotlight once again. In response, Germany announced it would close down eight of its nuclear plants immediately, and close the rest by 2022. Meanwhile, other nations refuse to give up on nuclear power, stating that these disasters are rare. The debate of whether to use green or nuclear power will likely continue for some time. In the end, it is quite possible that both energy sources will be used to fuel our planet.
8. It can be inferred from the passage that _________