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.

   Traditionally in America, helping the poor was a matter for private charities or local governments. Arriving immigrants depended mainly on predecessors from their homeland to help them start a new life. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several European nations instituted public-welfare programs. But such a movement was slow to take hold in the United States because the rapid pace of industrialization and the ready availability of farmland seemed to confirm the belief that anyone who was willing to work could find a job.

   Most of the programs started during the Depression era were temporary relief measures, but one of the programs Social Security – has become an American institution. Paid for by deductions from the paychecks of working people, Social Security ensures that retired persons receive a modest monthly income and also provides unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and other assistance to those who need it. Social Security payments to retired persons can start at age 62, but many wait until age 65, when the payments are slightly higher. Recently, there has been concern that the Social Security fund may not have enough money to fulfill its obligations in the 21st century, when the population of elderly Americans is expected to increase dramatically. Policy makers have proposed various ways to make up the anticipated deficit, but a long-term solution is still being debated. In the years since Roosevelt, other American presidents have established assistance programs. These include Medicaid and Medicare; food stamps, certificates that people can use to purchase food; and public housing which is built at federal expense and made available to persons on low incomes. Needy Americans can also turn to sources other than the government for help. A broad spectrum of private charities and voluntary organizations is available. Volunteerism is on the rise in the United States, especially among retired persons. It is estimated that almost 50 percent of Americans over age 18 do volunteer work, and nearly 75 percent of U.S. households contribute money to charity.

The Social Security program has become possible thanks to ______.

Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and dance, consisting of swimmers (either individuals, duets, trios, teams or combos) performing a synchronized routine of elaborate and dramatic moves in the water, accompanied by music. 
Synchronized swimming demands proficient water skills, and requires strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, not to mention exceptional breath control while upside down underwater. Developed in the early 1900 s in Canada, it is a sport performed almost exclusively by women, although there is some participation by men. In its early form it was some-times known as 'water ballet". 
It is a Summer Olympic Games sport. First demonstrated in 1952, it has been an official event since 1984. Olympic and World Championship competition is not currently open to men; but other international and national competitions allow male competitors: Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women. 
Competitors show off their strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines. Swimmers perform two routines for the judges, one technical and one free.
Synchronized Swimming is governed internationally by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur).

Which of the following is NOT true?

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 from 26 to 30.
The Best Students
According to most professors, mature students are ideal students because they are hard-working and become actively involved in all aspects of the learning process. The majority of mature students have a poor educational (26) ________ but they manage to do exceptionally well at tertiary level. (27) _______ many of them have a job and children to raise, they are always present at seminars and lectures and always hand in essays on time. They like studying and writing essays and they enjoy the class discussions (28) _______ take place. Consequently, they achieve excellent results. In fact, as they have experienced many of life's pleasures, they are content with their lives and this has a positive effect on their attitude, making them eager to learn.
On the other hand, despite their enthusiasm and commitment, mature students suffer from anxiety. The fact that they have made (29) ______ sacrifices to get into university puts extra pressure on them to succeed. Nevertheless, completing a degree gives mature students a sense of achievement, (30) ______ their confidence and improves their job prospects.
Question 27:.....................

Read the following passage and choose the best answer for each blank.

As well as being a necessary life-saving skill, swimming also (26)________us with a source of great pleasure and relaxation. Swimming, as well as other water sports like diving, surfing or just floating on your back, are some of the best ways to have (27)________and keep fit at the same time. Water sports are enjoyable for people of (28)________ages and even babies can learn to swim.

For elderly people or (29)________with physical handicaps, swimming provides gentle, yet effective exercise. Swimming for fitness and recreation has been popular (30) ________the earliest times, for instance in ancient Egypt, Greece and Roma. Swimming competitions developed in the nineteenth century and swimming races were (31)_______ in the first of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. Now water sports are (32)________ all over the world and most towns have at least one swimming pool.

Most water sports - swimming, surfing and water-skiing, etc, take (33)________on the surface of the water, but scuba divers explore deep below the waves.

There they can find fascinating sea creatures and strange rockformations. Some archaeologists are divers. (34)________search the seabed for wrecks of ships sunk hundreds of years ago which (35)________ objects that show how people lived in ancient times.

(29)________

For more than six million American children, coming home after school means coming  back to an empty house. Some deal with the situation by watching TV. Some may hide. But all of  them have something in common. They spend part of each day alone. They are called “latchkey children”. They are children who look after themselves while their parents work. And their bad  condition has become a subject of concern. 
Lynette Long was once the principal of an elementary school. She said, “We had a school rule against wearing jewelry. A lot of kids had chains around their necks with keys attached. I was  constantly telling them to put the keys inside shirts. There were so many keys; it never came to  my mind what they meant.” Slowly, she learned that they were house keys. She and her husband began talking to the children who had keys. They learned of the effect working couples and single parents were having on their children. Fear was the biggest problem faced by children at home alone. One in three latchkey children the Longs talked to reported being  frightened. Many had nightmares and were worried about their own safety. The most common way latchkey children deal with their fears is by hiding. They may hide  in a shower stall, under a bed or in a closet. The second is TV. They often turn the volume up. It’s  hard to get statistics on latchkey children, the Longs have learned. Most parents are slow to admit  that they leave their children alone

What is the most common way for latchkey children to deal with fears? 

Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and dance, consisting of swimmers (either individuals, duets, trios, teams or combos) performing a synchronized routine of elaborate and dramatic moves in the water, accompanied by music. 
Synchronized swimming demands proficient water skills, and requires strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, not to mention exceptional breath control while upside down underwater. Developed in the early 1900 s in Canada, it is a sport performed almost exclusively by women, although there is some participation by men. In its early form it was some-times known as 'water ballet". 
It is a Summer Olympic Games sport. First demonstrated in 1952, it has been an official event since 1984. Olympic and World Championship competition is not currently open to men; but other international and national competitions allow male competitors: Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women. 
Competitors show off their strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines. Swimmers perform two routines for the judges, one technical and one free.
Synchronized Swimming is governed internationally by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur).

Which of the following is not required in Synchronized Swimming?

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"Synchronized swimming, water sport in which contestants perform choreographed maneuvers set to music. Synchronized swimming requires agility, grace, timing, musical interpretation, and overall body strength.
 Three competitive synchronized swimming events are recognized internationally: solo, duet, and team (consisting of eight swimmers), although all three events are not always held at each competition. In each event, synchronized swimmers compete in three categories: figures, technical routine, and free routine. All three categories are also not always held at each competition.
 In the figures competition, swimmers perform 4 of a possible 20 figures, or combinations of movements. A panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 based on the accuracy of the performance and the timing, height, stability, and control of the figures. In the technical routine, the swimmers must perform a set list of elements, or combinations of figures and swimming strokes, in a prescribed order. In the free routine, swimmers can create their own choreography of figures and strokes. In the technical and free routines, which can last from two to five minutes each, depending on whether they are in solo, duet, or team competition, a panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 in the categories of technical merit and artistic impression. Technical merit encompasses the execution, synchronization, and difficulty of the elements. Artistic impression includes the choreography, musical interpretation, and manner of presentation of the performance. Routines are enhanced by swimmers use of original and expressive movements, patterns, and rhythms. The scores for the figures and the routines are weighted according to a formula and combined for each competitor to determine the winner."

3. How do judges award points to the performance in the figures competition?

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.

   Supernovas are the most powerful and spectacular outbursts known in nature. What is called a Type II supernova is due to the collapse of a massive star, at least eight times as massive as the sun, that has used up its main nuclear fuel and produced a nickel-iron core. When this core can no longer support the pressure of the star’s outer layer, it collapses to form a neutron star of immense density. Over 2,500 million tons of neutron star packed into a matchbox. Its temperature is around 100,000 million degrees centigrade.

   Multitudes of neutrons are produced in the collapsed star, which pass directly through the star into space, and this release of neutrons causes the core to respond with a shock wave that moves outward.

   When it meets the material that is falling inward, the result is a catastrophic explosion. Sometimes most of the star’s material is blown away, leaving only a small, incredibly dense remnant that may be a neutron star or, in extreme cases, a black hole.

   A supernova is often more than 500 million times as luminous as the sun. A supernova remnant (SNR) may be detectable as a pulsar, an example of which is the Crab Nebula, known to be a remnant of the supernova observed in the year 1054. The 1987 supernova in the Large Cloud of Magellan had a low peak luminosity by supernova standards, only about 250 million times that of the sun. As its brightest the supernova shone as a star between magnitudes 2 and 3, even though it was 170,000 light-years away.

The author of this passage is most likely __________________ .

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.

   Millions of people are using cellphones today. In many places, it is actually considered unusual not to use one. In many countries, cellphones are very popular with young people. They find that the phones are more than a means of communication – having a mobile phone shows that they are cool and connected.

   The explosion in mobile phone use around the world has made some health professionals worried. Some doctors are concerned that in the future many people may suffer health problems from the use of mobile phones. In England, there has been a serious debate about this issue. Mobile phone companies are worried about the negative publicity of such ideas. They say that there is no proof that mobile phones are bad for your health.

   On the other hand, medical studies have shown changes in the brain cells of some people who use mobile phones. Signs of change in the tissues of the brain and head can be detected with modern scanning equipment. In one case, a traveling salesman had to retire at young age because of serious memory loss. He couldn’t remember even simple tasks. He would often forget the name of his own son. This man used to talk on his mobile phone for about six hours a day, every day of his working week, for a couple of years. His family doctor blamed his mobile phone use, but his employer’s doctor didn’t agree.

   What is it that makes mobile phones potentially harmful? The answer is radiation. High-tech machines can detect very small amounts of radiation from mobile phones. Mobile phone companies agree that there is some radiation, but they say the amount is too small to worry about.

   As the discussion about their safety continues, it appears that it’s best to use mobile phones less often. Use your regular phone if you want to talk for a long time. Use your mobile phone only when you really need it. Mobile phones can be very useful and convenient, especially in emergencies. In the future, mobile phones may have a warning label that says they are bad for your health. So for now, it’s wise not to use your mobile phone too often.

The most suitable title for the passage could be ______.

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to answer these following questions:
Swimming is the sport or activity of propelling oneself through water using the limbs. Swimming can be both an individual or team sport. There are a number of different swimming styles including breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. 
Swimming is for everyone no matter what age or level of fitness. Any age can learn to swim and there is no age limit on when you can no longer swim. Swimming is a lifelong skill that could save your or another’s life. It is never too late to learn to swim. Swimming is an excellent way to keep fit and most swimming pools cater for all.. We would also suggest goggles to protect eyes. Most swimming pools have classes for all levels of ability, from adult only to toddler beginner’s lessons. Time tables and your local pools are available on our website.

Which kinds of outfit shouldn’t swimmers wear?

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL

Football, or soccer, which is so popular all over the world, dates back to the Middle Ages.  At  that  (58)  ……..  it  was  very  different   from  the  game  we  play  today.  Any number of players could (59) …….. part and the matches usually developed into a free- for-all. In its modern (60) …….. , football is less than two hundred years old.

In 1846, the  first  rules  to  govern  the  game were  drawn (61) …….. at  Cambridge University. The number of players was (62) …….. to 11 per side, which made things much more (63) …….. than before. Later, in 1863, the Football Association was (64)…….. up to help promote the game in Britain.

The game is played on a grass or artificial (65) …….. with a goal net at each end. The (66) …….. is to move the ball around the field, (67) …….. the feet or head, until a player is in a (68) …….. to put the ball into the net and score a goal.

Professional football is not only the most popular (69) …….. sport in the world, (70)…….. also more people actually play football themselves than any other team sport. In 1904 FIFA, the world governing (71) …….. of football, was founded. It organizes the World Cup tournament every four years. Other kinds of football are popular, but less (72) …….. , for example American Football and Australian Rules Football.

72....................

Scientists have discovered the bones of what may be the largest meat-eating dinosaur ever to walk the earth. The discovery was made by a team of researchers from Argentina and North America in Patagonia, a desert on the eastern slopes of the Andes in South America. Besides the interesting fact that the dinosaur was huge and horrifying, it is even more astounding that the bones of a number of the dinosaurs were found together. This discovery challenges the prior theory that the biggest meat-eaters lived as loners and instead indicates that they may have lived and hunted in packs. The Tyrannosaurus Rex lived in North America and was believed to hunt and live alone.
The newly discovered meat-eater appears to be related to the Giganotosaurus family, being as closely related to it as a fox would be to a dog. It is actually not of the same family at all as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, being as different from it as a cat is from a dog.
The fossilized remains indicate that the animals lived about 100 million years ago. With needle-shaped noses and razor sharp teeth, they were larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, although their legs were slightly shorter, and their jaws were designed to be better able to dissect their prey quickly and precisely.

The author states that the newly discovered meat-eating dinosaur is ________.

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 from 31 to 35.
Marcel Bich, a French manufacturer of traditional ink pens, was the man turning the ballpoint pen into an item that today almost anyone can afford. Bich was shocked at the poor quality of the ballpoint pens that were available, and also at their high cost. However, he recognised that the ballpoint was a firmly established invention, and he decided to design a cheap pen that worked well and would be commercially successful.
Bich went to the Biro brothers and asked them if he could use the design of their original invention in one of his own pens. In return, he offered to pay them every time he sold a pen. Then, for two years, Bich studied the detailed construction of every ballpoint pen that was being sold, often working with a microscope.
By 1950, he was ready to introduce his new wonder: a plastic pen with a clear barrel that wrote smoothly, did not leak and only cost a few cents. He called it the 'Bic Cristal'. The ballpoint pen had finally become a practical writing instrument. The public liked it immediately, and today it is as common as the pencil. In Britain, they are still called Biros, and many Bic models also say 'Biro' on the side of the pen, to remind people of their original inventors.
Bich became extremely wealthy thanks to his invention, which had worldwide appeal. Over the next 60 years his company, Société Bic, opened factories all over the world and expanded its range of inexpensive products. Today, Bic is as famous for its lighters and razors as it is for its pens, and you can even buy a Bic mobile phone.

The word "practical" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
The heart has long been considered to be (1) feelings of love dwell. In love songs throughout  the ages, love almost always goes together (2) the heart. The heart has continuously been  viewed (3) the place where love begins and develops. Even the Bible gives (4) to love and the  heart. 
The role of the heart in love must come from what happens to it when a person feels strongly (5) to someone. The strong feelings (6) the other person, especially in the early stages of a relationship, have the results that the heart starts beating faster and  breathing starts speeding (7) . 
According to psychologists, a love relationship is a situation that (8) a lot of stress and the body reacts to this by getting ready to face the unknown. This has been called the  "fight or flight" (9) accelerates and (10) , meeting danger by fighting it or running away. So  with love, the heart becomes quick. 

Câu 2.....................

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"Synchronized swimming, water sport in which contestants perform choreographed maneuvers set to music. Synchronized swimming requires agility, grace, timing, musical interpretation, and overall body strength.
 Three competitive synchronized swimming events are recognized internationally: solo, duet, and team (consisting of eight swimmers), although all three events are not always held at each competition. In each event, synchronized swimmers compete in three categories: figures, technical routine, and free routine. All three categories are also not always held at each competition.
 In the figures competition, swimmers perform 4 of a possible 20 figures, or combinations of movements. A panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 based on the accuracy of the performance and the timing, height, stability, and control of the figures. In the technical routine, the swimmers must perform a set list of elements, or combinations of figures and swimming strokes, in a prescribed order. In the free routine, swimmers can create their own choreography of figures and strokes. In the technical and free routines, which can last from two to five minutes each, depending on whether they are in solo, duet, or team competition, a panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 in the categories of technical merit and artistic impression. Technical merit encompasses the execution, synchronization, and difficulty of the elements. Artistic impression includes the choreography, musical interpretation, and manner of presentation of the performance. Routines are enhanced by swimmers use of original and expressive movements, patterns, and rhythms. The scores for the figures and the routines are weighted according to a formula and combined for each competitor to determine the winner."

5. What does the manner of presentation of the performance belong to?

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on river, lakes or on the ocean, (1) _____ on the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades (2) _____ they are pushed against the water. The sport can be both recreational, focusing (3)____ learning the techniques required, and competitive where overall fitness plays a large role. It is also one of (4) _____ oldest Olympic sports. In the United States, Australia and Canada, high school and collegial rowing is sometimes referred to as crew.

(5) _____ rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing backwards, towards the stern, and uses the oars which are held in (6) ____ by the oarlocks to propel the boat forward, towards the bow. It is a demanding sport requiring strong core balance as well as physical (7) _____ and cardiovascular endurance.

Since the action of rowing (8) _____ fairly popular throughout the world, there are many different types of (9) _____. These include endurance races, time trials, stake racing, bumps racing, and the side-by-side format used in the Olympic Games. The many different formats are a result of the long (10) _____ of the sport, its development in different regions of the world, and specific local requirements and restrictions.

(10) ________

 Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"Water polo originated in England during the 1870s and soon became popular in the United States. It was first played in the Olympic Games as a men’s exhibition sport in 1900. In 1904 it became a men’s medal sport, but only the United States fielded a team. In 1908 it was contested internationally at the Olympics. Over the succeeding decades water polo became especially popular in Europe.
 From approximately 1920 to 1946 the United States departed from the international rules for water polo by adopting for play a loosely inflated ball that could be gripped in one hand and carried toward the goal. Opposing players usually attempted to seize the ballcarriers, wrestle them under water, and render them helpless from loss of breath. This rough style of play virtually disappeared by 1946. Since that time traditional water polo has grown rapidly in North America, especially as a college sport. It is particularly popular in Southern California and other parts of the West.
 Women have played water polo since the game’s early days, but participation was not widespread until the 1960s. In 1961 United States Water Polo established a national Club championship for women. It has hosted one for men since 1890. Women’s water polo became an Olympic medal sport at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia."

2. When did water polo become a men’s medal sport in the Olympic Games?

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.

   Supernovas are the most powerful and spectacular outbursts known in nature. What is called a Type II supernova is due to the collapse of a massive star, at least eight times as massive as the sun, that has used up its main nuclear fuel and produced a nickel-iron core. When this core can no longer support the pressure of the star’s outer layer, it collapses to form a neutron star of immense density. Over 2,500 million tons of neutron star packed into a matchbox. Its temperature is around 100,000 million degrees centigrade.

   Multitudes of neutrons are produced in the collapsed star, which pass directly through the star into space, and this release of neutrons causes the core to respond with a shock wave that moves outward.

   When it meets the material that is falling inward, the result is a catastrophic explosion. Sometimes most of the star’s material is blown away, leaving only a small, incredibly dense remnant that may be a neutron star or, in extreme cases, a black hole.

   A supernova is often more than 500 million times as luminous as the sun. A supernova remnant (SNR) may be detectable as a pulsar, an example of which is the Crab Nebula, known to be a remnant of the supernova observed in the year 1054. The 1987 supernova in the Large Cloud of Magellan had a low peak luminosity by supernova standards, only about 250 million times that of the sun. As its brightest the supernova shone as a star between magnitudes 2 and 3, even though it was 170,000 light-years away.

The word “it” refers to __________.

 Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"Many outdoor (1)….. enjoy canoeing or kayaking (2) ….. recreation on ponds, lakes, and rivers. Some people use canoes and kayaks to travel across bodies of water to remote camping locations. They (3)…. Their supplies, such as tents, sleeping bags, and food, in their boats. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park, both (4)…..  along the border between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada, are two of the most popular canoeing areas in North America.
 Whitewater canoeing and kayaking on fast-flowing rivers is another popular activity. The (5)….. whitewater refers (6) the burbling foam created when fast-moving water spills over and around rocks or other (7)….. Whitewater enthusiasts maneuver their boats around rocks, logjams and other natural obstacles. If the current and obstacles (8)…… a passage (9)…. difficult to navigate, a canoeist might make a portage, or carry the canoe (10)…..  land for a short distance, thereby avoiding the danger."

3. They (3)…. their supplies, such as tents, sleeping bags, and food, in their boats. 

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on river, lakes or on the ocean, (1) _____ on the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades (2) _____ they are pushed against the water. The sport can be both recreational, focusing (3)____ learning the techniques required, and competitive where overall fitness plays a large role. It is also one of (4) _____ oldest Olympic sports. In the United States, Australia and Canada, high school and collegial rowing is sometimes referred to as crew.

(5) _____ rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing backwards, towards the stern, and uses the oars which are held in (6) ____ by the oarlocks to propel the boat forward, towards the bow. It is a demanding sport requiring strong core balance as well as physical (7) _____ and cardiovascular endurance.

Since the action of rowing (8) _____ fairly popular throughout the world, there are many different types of (9) _____. These include endurance races, time trials, stake racing, bumps racing, and the side-by-side format used in the Olympic Games. The many different formats are a result of the long (10) _____ of the sport, its development in different regions of the world, and specific local requirements and restrictions.

(2) ________

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"Synchronized swimming, water sport in which contestants perform choreographed maneuvers set to music. Synchronized swimming requires agility, grace, timing, musical interpretation, and overall body strength.
 Three competitive synchronized swimming events are recognized internationally: solo, duet, and team (consisting of eight swimmers), although all three events are not always held at each competition. In each event, synchronized swimmers compete in three categories: figures, technical routine, and free routine. All three categories are also not always held at each competition.
 In the figures competition, swimmers perform 4 of a possible 20 figures, or combinations of movements. A panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 based on the accuracy of the performance and the timing, height, stability, and control of the figures. In the technical routine, the swimmers must perform a set list of elements, or combinations of figures and swimming strokes, in a prescribed order. In the free routine, swimmers can create their own choreography of figures and strokes. In the technical and free routines, which can last from two to five minutes each, depending on whether they are in solo, duet, or team competition, a panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 in the categories of technical merit and artistic impression. Technical merit encompasses the execution, synchronization, and difficulty of the elements. Artistic impression includes the choreography, musical interpretation, and manner of presentation of the performance. Routines are enhanced by swimmers use of original and expressive movements, patterns, and rhythms. The scores for the figures and the routines are weighted according to a formula and combined for each competitor to determine the winner."

4. How long do the technical and free routines last?