Read the following passage and do the tasks below.

The traditional American family

The nuclear family, consisting of a mother, father, and their children, may be more an American ideal than an American reality. Of course, the so called traditional American family was always more varied than we had been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among different American groups, but today diversity is even more obvious.

The most recent government census statistics reveal that only about one third of all current American families fits the traditional mold of two parents and their children, and another third consists of married couples who either have children or have none still living at home. An analysis of the remaining one third of the population reveals that about 20 percent of the total number of American households are single people, the most common descriptor being women over sixty-five years of age. A small percentage, about 3 percent of the total, consists of unmarried people who choose to live together; the rest, about 7 percent, are single parents, with at least one child.

There are several easily identifiable reasons for the growing number of single-parent households. First, the sociological phenomenon of single-parent households reflects changes in cultural attitudes toward divorce and also toward unmarried mothers. A substantial number of adults become single parents as a result of divorce. In addition, the number of children born to unmarried women who choose to keep their children and rear them by themselves has increased dramatically. Finally, there is a small percentage of single-parent families that have resulted from untimely death. Today, these varied family types are typical and, therefore, normal.

In addition, because many families live far from relatives, close friends have become a more important part of family life than ever before. The vast majority of Americans claim that they have people in their lives whom they regard as family although they are not related. A view of family that only accepts the traditional nuclear arrangement not only ignores the reality of modern American family life, but also undervalues the familial bonds created in alternatives family arrangements. Apparently, many Americans are achieving supportive relationships in family forms other than the traditional one.

Does the passage discuss all of the following reasons for an increase in single-parent households EXCEPT?

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

"A composer is someone who ________ (1) and directs original music used to produce various types of media entertainment. The scores written need ________ (2) technically correct in order to create flawless performances by choruses, musicians or instrumental ensembles. Sound recordings produced from the score vary ________ (3) style and may reflect the classical, country, folk, jazz, techno or pop genres. A composer's job is to help ________ (4) a story in a film, television story, play or video game without ________ (5) the viewer. The soundtrack they create must suit the project ________ (6) convey the appropriate mood and tone.

Successful composers are versatile with ________ (7) collaboration skills, allowing them ________ (8) on a variety of projects with producers and musicians from various backgrounds. They have extensive knowledge of the industry and a passion and talent ________ (9) creating sound recordings. Most composers are often skilled in playing one or multiple instruments and ________ (10) a good ear for music.

3. Sound recordings produced from the score vary ________ (3) style and may reflect the classical, country, folk, jazz, techno or pop genres. 

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
The leading causes of (41) ………….. in many developing countries are now heart disease, cancer, accident, flu, pneumonia, etc. Moreover, cigarettes, alcohol, physical inactivity, and overeating also add to the causes of several of these killing diseases. Medicine has little help to offer, however, to persons (42) ………….. can not get rid (43) ………….. habits harmful to their health. Surgery is the only (44) …………..to offer any chance of survival for people (45) …………..lung cancer.
Although psychiatrists tried to stop people (46) …………..drinking, they haven't been very (47) …………... Neither have doctors. How then (48) ………….. our health be improved? The answer is simple, though perhaps not very pleasing. Ordinary persons can do it (49) …………... They (50) …………..able to make good advances in the prevention of diseases.

47___________

New legal framework regarding female equality is important.

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

Education plays a vital role ____________ (1) shaping successful people. It gives us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. We learn ____________ (2) to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. We learn how to become an integrated personality and maintain the perpetuation of our culture. People learn basic norms, rules, regulations, ____________ (3) values of society through education. Moreover, high quality education enables us to ____________ (4) a successful life, enhances our intelligence, skills, knowledge, and brings positive changes in our life.

Education lays the foundation stone for our future. An illiterate person can find ____________ (5) very difficult to cope ____________ (6) some aspects of life. Education expands our vision and creates awareness. It helps us develop a disciplined life and provides us with better earning opportunities. It enables us ____________ (7) the world beyond our own surroundings. Education ____________ (8) also a prerequisite of the prosperity and modernization of any country.

Modern education is liberal, open, and exoteric. It is the premise of progress, in every family and in every society. It teaches people to reason. It is based ____________ (9) the humanism, freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights. The content of education keeps pace with the needs of modern society and is a mirror of its goals, values, and priorities. So, education is a necessary means of eradicating the unemployment problem. It is able to reduce poverty in a number of ____________ (10). But we have to remember that there is a great need for the growth of the vocational education so that every person could pursue a fulfilling career that ensures a satisfied life.

(3).......................

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
Alice is 18 years old and she comes (41) ………. England. She is now in Hanoi and (42) ……….Vietnamese. She came to Hanoi (43) ……….July so she (44) ……….there for six months. Alice (45) ……….she likes Hanoi very much. She likes (46) ……….shopping and cycling around the town. (47) ……….month she will go to Ho Chi Minh city (48) ……….a friend of (49) ……….. Alice hopes she (50) ………. many letters from England.

45_________

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase

Stop Pollution Now!

Pollution is a really big problem on our planet and it must (1) ........…. immediately. It must be stopped before our planet goes extinct. There are three main reasons, in my opinion, why pollution should be stopped.

The first reason why we should stop pollution is that pollution is destroying the environment we live in. Carbon dioxide is a big (2) ……….. to pollution. Carbon dioxide affects our climate in many different ways. The way it works is that certain ‘greenhouse gases’ can't escape (3) …….. our atmosphere because they get trapped. The second reason why we should stop pollution is that it also has an influence on us – (4) ……….. Pollution also influences human life and that is a big problem. According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution from the burning of coal or biomass fuels like wood risks lives of millions of people. Air pollution causes two million deaths per year, mostly from heart disease and respiratory disorders (5) …….. infections and lung cancer.

The third reason why we should stop pollution is that (6) …………. we do, we can live longer on this planet. If we don’t stop pollution and global warming, something really bad will happen (7) …............. us. Humans have destroyed the planet so quickly. We can live longer and extent our existence on this planet so that our children’s children can live in a planet without worries. In short, pollution must be stopped immediately. The earth is our only home and we must protect it and take care of it as much as we can. Pollution must be stopped before we (8) ………. our planet.

(1) ............

Read the following passage and choose the best answer:
Mercury is the smallest member of the sun's family. It is only 3.100 miles across. It is also the sun's swiftest planet. Its yearly journey around the sun is only 85 days.
Mercury always keeps one side towards the sun. On this side, it is always day, on the other side always night. We only see the lighted side.
Mercury appears to us like a yellowish-orange star. The nearest planet to the sun is always seen near the sun, either just before sunrise or soon after sunset. People sometimes call Mercury the morning star or evening star.
Mercury is half the size of the earth. Because it is much lighter, it has much less gravity. If you can visit Mercury in a spaceship, you will find it a strange world. Its low gravity makes you feel very light. If your weight on earth is 100 pounds, your weight on Mercury is only 27 pounds.
Looking at the sun from Mercury, you can see that it's much more brilliant than it is seen from the earth. And the yellow center of the sun appears three times bigger than Mercury.
On its lighted side, Mercury's temperature is about 300 degrees centigrade. But the dark side is extremely cold, but 150 degrees below zero so mercury is probably the coldest as well as the hottest of the planets.

Why does the sun look bigger when it is seen from Mercury?

 - Because .......

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:

"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 its 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. (4) _______, only multitasking operating systems are able to support background processing. However, some operating systems that do not support multitasking may be able to perform one or more types of background tasks. For example, in the Apple Macintosh operating system running in Single-Launch Mode (with multitasking (5) _______), the Background Printing option can be used to print documents while the user is doing other work."

1. (1) _______, a white background may be used for black characters.

Choose the best answer:

Are you tired ....... walking long?

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

The tourist industry is considered to be (23)____ largest industry. Before 1950, one million people traveled abroad each year but by the 1990s, the figure had risen to 400 million every year. Such large (24) ____of tourists; however, are beginning to cause problems. For example, in the Alps the skiers are destroying the mountains they came to enjoy. Even parts of Mount Everest in the Himalayas are reported to be covered (25) ____ old tins, tents, and foods that have been thrown away.  But at a time (26)____ we have greater freedom to travel than ever before, more and more people are asking how they can enjoy their holidays without (27)____ problems by spoiling the countryside. Now there is a new holiday guide called “Holidays that don’t cost the earth”. It tells you how you can help the tourist industry by asking your travel agent the right before you go on holiday.

23__________

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D:

"ADULT EDUCATION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Early formal adult education activities focused (1) _______ single needs such as reading and writing. Many early programs were (2) _______ by churches to teach people to read the Bible. When the original purpose was (3) _______, programs were often adjusted to meet more general educational needs of the (4) _______. Libraries, lecture series, and discussion societies began in various countries during the (5) _______. As more people experienced the benefits of (6) _______, they began to participate increasingly in social, political, and occupational (7) _______. By the 19th century, adult education was developing as a formal, organized movement in the (8) _______ world.
The largest early program in the U.S., the Lyceum, (9) _______ (1826) in Massachusetts by Josiah Holbrook, was a local (10) _______ of men and women with some schooling who wanted to expand their own education (11) _______ working to establish a public school system. The Lyceum (12) _______ encouraged the development of other adult education institutions (13) _______ libraries, evening schools, and gifted lecture series. By mid-century, employers and philanthropists began to endow (14) _______ such as the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (1859) in New York City (15) _______ the Peabody Institute (1857) in Baltimore, Maryland, for adult education. Large audiences were (16) _______ to the Chautauqua movement, which began (1874) in New York State (17) _______ a summer training program for Sunday school teachers and evolved into a traveling lecture series and (18) _______ school. Chautauqua was the prototype of institutions established to further (19) _______ education in the U.S. By 1876, universities started offering extension programs that (20) _______ education directly to the public..."

15. the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (1859) in New York City (15) _______ the Peabody Institute (1857) in Baltimore, Maryland, for adult education. 

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

Living in a city has a (23)…………..of drawbacks. Firstly, there are many problems of traffic jams and traffic accidents. The increase (24)…………..population and the increasing number of vehicles have caused many accidents to happen every day. Secondly, air pollution negatively affects people’s health, and it also has a bad influence on the environment. More and more city dwellers (25)…………..from coughing or breathing problems. Thirdly, the city is noisy, even at night. Noise (26)…………..comes from the traffic and from construction sites. Buildings are always being knocked (27)………….. and rebuilt. These factors contribute to making city life more difficult for its residents.

26______________

Choose the best answer:

We spent our last summer holiday in Dalat ...... a week.

Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer.

       Music can move the soul. It can be a very strong influence. Some music can calm us down, but some music can make us wild! How does music affect us? Music is used in a variety of ways. It is used in the medical field as a source of research and as a sort of therapy as well. Music has been used as therapy for seizures, to lower blood pressure,  treat mental illness, treat depression, aid in healing, treat stress and insomnia, and premature infants. Musicologist Julius Portnoy found that it can change heart rates, increase or decrease blood pressure, affect energy levels, and digestion, positively or negatively, depending on the type of music. Calming music, such as classical music was found to have a very calming effect on the body and cause the increase of endorphins, thirty minutes of such music was equal to the effect of a dose of valium. Both hemispheres of the brain are involved in processing music. The music in these studies is not the "lyrics", but the music itself, the melody, the tones, the tunes, the rhythm, the chords. Conversely, music has also been documented to cause sickness. The right, or wrong music, rather, can be like poison to the body. Studies have been done on plants where loud hard rock music, for instance, killed plants and soft classical music, make the plants grow faster. Music is very powerful, like a drug, and can even be an addiction. According to Patty Hearst, a researcher on music,  it was documented that music was used in the aid of brainwashing some people. In the book,” Elevator  Music” by Joseph Lanza, it was stated that certain types of music over prolonged periods in certain conditions were shown to cause seizures.

Which is the main idea of the text?

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C,  or D to fill in the gaps:
Bangkok, the (41) of Thailand, is a city of contrasts. It is an exciting, crowded, modern (42), and at the same time, a city that is full of history. The (43) of Bangkok are usually noisy and crowded (44) people. Some are (45) food, others are selling clothing, cassette tapes, flowers, or souvenirs. Visitors (46) the rice markets, the (47) temples, and architecture, and the nightlife. They (48) enjoy the food, the shopping, and the (49) Thai people. Everyone seems to smile (50).

45________

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:

"Background, in relation to computers, on the screen, the color on which characters are displayed. For example, 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 windows  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 foreground. A background process thus often performs its 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. Generally, only multitasking operating systems are able to support background processing. However, some operating systems that do not support multitasking may be able to perform one or more types of background tasks. For example, in the Apple Macintosh operating system running in Single-Launch Mode (with multitasking turned off), the Background Printing option can be used to print documents while the user is doing other work."

4. Which word in the reading means “kinds”?

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

"A composer is someone who ________ (1) and directs original music used to produce various types of media entertainment. The scores written need ________ (2) technically correct in order to create flawless performances by choruses, musicians or instrumental ensembles. Sound recordings produced from the score vary ________ (3) style and may reflect the classical, country, folk, jazz, techno or pop genres. A composer's job is to help ________ (4) a story in a film, television story, play or video game without ________ (5) the viewer. The soundtrack they create must suit the project ________ (6) convey the appropriate mood and tone.

Successful composers are versatile with ________ (7) collaboration skills, allowing them ________ (8) on a variety of projects with producers and musicians from various backgrounds. They have extensive knowledge of the industry and a passion and talent ________ (9) creating sound recordings. Most composers are often skilled in playing one or multiple instruments and ________ (10) a good ear for music.

5. play or video game without ________ (5) the viewer.

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

"Music, artful arrangement of sounds (1) _______ time. This definition is obviously very broad, but a narrower one would exclude (2) _______ much. Music is part of virtually every culture on (3) _______, but it varies widely among cultures in style and structure. Definitions of music can (4) _______ dramatically over a short time, as they have across the world during the 20th (5)_________. Can music exist without (6) _______? Some philosophers argue that music should be defined as a kind of “mental(7) _______” and that the physical aspects of sound are simply by-products of this image. If you (8) _______ you can have a musical experience by imagining the sound of a piece of music, then you think (9) _______ can exist without sound. But most musical experiences involve producing or (10) _______ to physical characteristics of sound such as pitch and timbre (quality comparable to texture or color in sight).
Is the tape-recorded sound of a large metal-stamping machine music? Are 4 minutes (11) _______ 33 seconds of silence music? Is the activity of reading a (12) _______ of hundreds of seemingly unrelated objects, activities, and states of mind music? Each of these “(13) _______”, as well as many other sounds (or nonsounds), has been copyrighted (14) _______ a musical composition, performed, and recorded in the 20th century. One of the legacies of 20th century music is to have blurred the definition of music as (15) _______ before."

3. Music is part of virtually every culture on (3) _______, but it varies widely among cultures in style and structure.

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

Education plays a vital role ____________ (1) shaping successful people. It gives us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. We learn ____________ (2) to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. We learn how to become an integrated personality and maintain the perpetuation of our culture. People learn basic norms, rules, regulations, ____________ (3) values of society through education. Moreover, high quality education enables us to ____________ (4) a successful life, enhances our intelligence, skills, knowledge, and brings positive changes in our life.

Education lays the foundation stone for our future. An illiterate person can find ____________ (5) very difficult to cope ____________ (6) some aspects of life. Education expands our vision and creates awareness. It helps us develop a disciplined life and provides us with better earning opportunities. It enables us ____________ (7) the world beyond our own surroundings. Education ____________ (8) also a prerequisite of the prosperity and modernization of any country.

Modern education is liberal, open, and exoteric. It is the premise of progress, in every family and in every society. It teaches people to reason. It is based ____________ (9) the humanism, freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights. The content of education keeps pace with the needs of modern society and is a mirror of its goals, values, and priorities. So, education is a necessary means of eradicating the unemployment problem. It is able to reduce poverty in a number of ____________ (10). But we have to remember that there is a great need for the growth of the vocational education so that every person could pursue a fulfilling career that ensures a satisfied life.

(10).......................

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

Just like American students, you will have to submit your academic transcripts as part of your application for admission to a university or college. Academic transcripts are (23)……………copies of your academic work. In the US, this (24)……………your “grades” and “grade point average”(GPA), which are measurements of your academic achievement. Courses are commonly graded using percentages, which are converted (25)……………letter grades.

The grading system and GPA in the USA can be (26)……………, especially for international students. The interpretation of grades has a lot of variation. For example, two students who attended different schools (27)……………submit their transcripts to the same university. They both have 3.5 GPAs, but one student attended an average high school while the other attended a prestigious school that was academically challenging. The university might interpret their GPAs differently because the two schools have dramatically different standards.

26____________