Read the following passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D. 
It is often said that books are always a good friend and reading is an active mental process. Unlike TV, books make you use your brain. By reading, you think more and become smarter. Reading improves concentration and focus. Reading books takes brainpower. It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet posts or e-emails might contain small pieces of information. Books tell the whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, you will get better at concentration. Many studies show if you do not use your memory, you lose it. Reading helps you stretch your memory muscles. Reading requires remembering details, facts, and figures and in literature, plot lines, themes, and characters.

Reading is a good way to improve your vocabulary. Do you remember that when you were in elementary school you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words.

Reading is a fundamental skill builder. Every good course has a matching book to go with it. Why? Because books help clarify difficult subjects. Books provide information that goes deeper than just classroom discussions. By reading more books, you become better informed and more of an expert on the topics you read about. This expertise translates into a higher self-esteem. Since you are so well-read, people look to you for answers. Your feelings about yourself can only get better.

Books give you knowledge of other cultures and places. The more information you have got, the richer your knowledge is. Books can expand your horizons by letting you see what other cities and countries have to offer before you visit them.

Books have great influence on ________.\

Read the following passage and choose the best answer: 

       The locations of stars in the sky relative to one another do not appear to the naked eye to change, and as a result, stars are often considered to be fixed in position. Many unaware stargazers falsely assume that each star has its own permanent home in the nighttime sky.

        In reality, though, stars are always moving, but because of their tremendous distances between stars themselves and from stars to Earth, the changes are barely perceptible here. An example of a rather fast-moving star demonstrates why this misconception prevails; it takes approximately two hundred years for a rapid star-like Bernard’s star to move a distance in the sky equal to the diameter of the Earth’s moon. When apparently negligible movement of the stars is contrasted with the movement of the planets, the stars are seemingly unmoving.

The passage following this passage most probably discusses “…………….”

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.
Although you may think you are too young to worry about your future career, it is important that you start thinking about your life after high school right now so that you can take the steps necessary to any career you may choose. Some of these steps include choosing the right high school, enrolling in the necessary courses, earning good grades, getting work experience and building a resume. It can seem overwhelming trying to choose a career before you complete high school, but always keep in mind that it is never too late to change your career path and no one says you have to decide now. There are lots of different factors that go into choosing a career path. To determine the occupation you want to enter, you need to consider your interests, how long you want to be in school, how much money you want to make, the type of work you want to do, the potential for job growth and job trends in the industry - sounds like a lot, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Each day you make many decisions - what to wear, who to hang out with, how to spend your time after school. Some of the decisions you make today can affect you for the rest of your life. Once you have figured out the things you like to do and the things you do well, you can begin exploring careers that include your interests and skills. Make a plan from the beginning, and once you have a plan, work the plan. Do the steps along the way each year to keep on track toward graduation and higher education.
2. At high school, you can do all of the following things to prepare for your future career EXCEPT _____________

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

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

2.  Willows can grow well in the area because of its favourable natural conditions.

Read the following passage and choose the best option from 46 to 51 to complete it.      

WEATHER

        Weather influences the lives of everyone. The climate of any country depends on its position on earth, its (46)………….from the sea, and how high it is. In countries which have sea all around them, like Britain and New- Zealand, winters are mild, and summers are cool. There is not a huge change from one season to (47)………….. Countries near the Equator have hot weather all year with some hard rain, except in deserts where it rains (48)………….little. Above the desert, there are no clouds in the sky so the light of the sun can easily warm the ground during the day but it gets very cold at night. People are not always (49)………….in unusual weather. Strong winds and rain can (50)…………. a lot of damage to buildings and in spite of modern tools of weather forecasting, they can (51)…………. surprise us.\

48._________

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

I’m fascinated (23) __________ traditional handicrafts. At weekends, I usually go to Bat Trang where I was born. It’s a (24) __________ village not far from Ha Noi center. My uncle and my aunt  still live in Bat Trang and they own a big workshop there. In fact, my grandparents (25) __________ that workshop and some years ago, my uncle and my aunt (26) __________ the business because my grandparents are very old. My grandfather is a well-known artisan in the village. Every time I go there, he teaches me how (27) __________ things from clay such as pots, vase and bowls.

Question 27: ..........................

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The writer’s best moment ______________.\

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language of few speakers to become the dominant language of international communication. English as we know it today emerged around 1350, after having incorporated many elements of French that were introduced following the Norman invasion of 1066. Until the 1600s, English was, for the most part, spoken only in England and had not extended even as far as Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. However, during the course of the next two centuries, English began to spread around the globe as a result of exploration, trade (including slave trade), colonization, and missionary work. Thus, small enclaves of English speakers became established and grew in various parts of the world. As these communities proliferated, English gradually became the primary language of international business, banking, and diplomacy.
Currently, about 80 percent of the information stored on computer systems worldwide is in English. Two-thirds of the world’s science writing is in English, and English is the main language of technology, advertising, media, international airports, and air traffic controllers. Today there are more than 700 million English users in the world, and over half of these are nonnative speakers, constituting the largest number of nonnative users than any other language in the world. 
In the first paragraph, the word “emerged” is closest in meaning to

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The writer needn’t have worried because ____________.

Đọc đoạn văn sau và chọn phương án đúng (ứng với A, B, C hoặc D) cho mỗi chỗ trống.

When I first entered general practice I was living in a small community on the east coast of Lake Huron. People expected me to be (21) …….. of their last physician, and they were both disappointed and upset when this didn’t turn out to be the case. Although I had few (22) …….. companions, I was a young, unmarried, and attractive woman who had been through one of the best medical schools in the country, and I had reasonable regard for my own qualities. It was upsetting at first when professional (23) …….. was ignored and my patients insisted on second opinions for the most trivial of conditions, but things became even more difficult when people started to spread malicious (24) …….. about my private life.

However, I decided that I would not let myself be made (25) …….. even if there were enough reasons to make anyone feel (26) ……… I followed my father’s cure for a problem – plain old hard work. I got up early every morning, (27) …….. to my office, and followed my profession. This was in the ‘30s and the level of poverty was (28) ……… Children didn’t have enough to eat and mothers couldn’t feed them. Because I was sympathetic and able to give practical help in some cases, my surgery became a (29) …….. for women trying to escape from the threat of domestic violence and the trap of poverty and too many children. And ironically, as I (30) …….. the poorest people in the community, the middle class began to think that maybe I had something to offer and started to beat a path to my surgery door.

28___________

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language of few speakers to become the dominant language of international communication. English as we know it today emerged around 1350, after having incorporated many elements of French that were introduced following the Norman invasion of 1066. Until the 1600s, English was, for the most part, spoken only in England and had not extended even as far as Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. However, during the course of the next two centuries, English began to spread around the globe as a result of exploration, trade (including slave trade), colonization, and missionary work. Thus, small enclaves of English speakers became established and grew in various parts of the world. As these communities proliferated, English gradually became the primary language of international business, banking, and diplomacy.
Currently, about 80 percent of the information stored on computer systems worldwide is in English. Two-thirds of the world’s science writing is in English, and English is the main language of technology, advertising, media, international airports, and air traffic controllers. Today there are more than 700 million English users in the world, and over half of these are nonnative speakers, constituting the largest number of nonnative users than any other language in the world.

What is the main topic of the passage?

They all start_______.the same place no matter they are rich or poor.

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

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

Question 24: .....................

Read and complete the  passage below

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

(6) _______come from all

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

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

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

The number of languages widely spoken in Malaysia is _________.

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

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

44._________

Read the following passage and choose the best answers.

New York – The “ Big Apple”

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

Question:  The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries.

Wrong doings should ...................... avoided on these days .

Read the text and choose the best answer to the following questions by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D. (2.5 marks)

After only 50 minutes flying from Ho Chi Minh City, you will set foot on the tropical paradise of Vietnam and the world: Phu Quoc Island.

The island has a roughly triangular shape with a north-south length of 50km and a west-east width of 25km. A great part of the terrain is filled with beautiful sandy beaches, but there is a mountainous region with 99 peaks, among which the Peak of Chua Mountain is the tallest one at 603 meters. Due to Phu Quoc's location in the Gulf of Thailand, its climate is sub-equatorial with a temperate weather all year round, making trips to Phu Quoc possible any time in the year. However, the best time to travel to this island is during the dry season, from November until March, when the sky is blue and clear and the rains are away.

Phu Quoc is most famous for its cuisines and a natural wonderful coastline. The most famous food of Phu Quoc is fish sauce, which has become quite popular all over Vietnam and the world. Besides, another thing worth trying there is the spicy yet interesting black pepper. However, the factor that will definitely intrigue you to visit Phu Quoc is its untouched coastline featuring several heavenly beaches. They have yet to be explored to their full ability, but this fact might be actually positive as it gives the shores a romantic beauty that you can find in nowhere else in the world.

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Read the text and choose the best answer to the following questions by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D. (2.5 marks)

After only 50 minutes flying from Ho Chi Minh City, you will set foot on the tropical paradise of Vietnam and the world: Phu Quoc Island.

The island has a roughly triangular shape with a north-south length of 50km and a west-east width of 25km. A great part of the terrain is filled with beautiful sandy beaches, but there is a mountainous region with 99 peaks, among which the Peak of Chua Mountain is the tallest one at 603 meters. Due to Phu Quoc's location in the Gulf of Thailand, its climate is sub-equatorial with a temperate weather all year round, making trips to Phu Quoc possible any time in the year. However, the best time to travel to this island is during the dry season, from November until March, when the sky is blue and clear and the rains are away.

Phu Quoc is most famous for its cuisines and a natural wonderful coastline. The most famous food of Phu Quoc is fish sauce, which has become quite popular all over Vietnam and the world. Besides, another thing worth trying there is the spicy yet interesting black pepper. However, the factor that will definitely intrigue you to visit Phu Quoc is its untouched coastline featuring several heavenly beaches. They have yet to be explored to their full ability, but this fact might be actually positive as it gives the shores a romantic beauty that you can find in nowhere else in the world.

Tourists can visit Phu Quoc anytime in the year thanks to___________

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

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

1.  Willow basket making is the oldest traditional craft in Somerset.