Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The system of USA education starts with twelve years of primary and secondary school education which the Americans have to follow. A secondary school (“high school“) diploma or certificate is a compulsory requirement for the student to be able to enter college, university, vocational, secretarial, or other professional and technical schools. American children who are around six years of age normally begin their learning at a primary school. It takes from five to six years to complete primary schooling. After finishing primary schooling, students will have to enter a secondary school where they may spend 6 or 7-year durations consisting of either two three-year programs, or a three-year and a four-year program. Schools at this level are known as Middle School or Junior High School and High or Senior High School Completion of this stage is called Twelfth Grade. International students are advised to find out which level of education in their country corresponding to the twelfth grade in the US.A.

After completing the twelfth grade, students are admitted to college or university for higher education. Study at a college or university leading to a Bachelor’s Degree is known as “undergraduate” education. Study beyond the Bachelor’s Degree is known as “graduate” school or “postgraduate” education. Advanced or graduate degrees include law, medicine, M.B.A. (Master), and Ph.D.(doctorate), etc.

The USA has the highest number of educational institutions providing higher education than any other country. There are more than 3800 colleges and universities imparting degree programs. The size of the US. higher educational institutions vary greatly, too, from colleges that enroll fewer than 1,000 students to large universities that enroll more than 50,000 students.

According to the text, which statement below is TRUE?

Read the passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions. 

British teenagers sit up to 70 exams and tests before they reach their GCSEs (The General Certificate of Secondary Education). But there are ways to ease the stress at exam time.

What a student eats and drinks in the run-up to exams can influence how clearly they think and how happy they feel. A balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and complex carbohydrates will help them concentrate and think clearly. Too much high-fat, high-sugar and high-caffeine food and drink can make studying harder.

Sleeping well and for long enough to feel rested, around six to eight hours for most people, will help thinking and concentration. Students should allow half an hour or so to wind down between studying, watching TV or using a computer and going to bed to help them get a good night’s sleep. Regular exercise also helps them sleep better. Cramming all night before an exam is usually a bad idea.

Parents should be flexible around exam time. When a child is revising all day, don’t worry about household jobs that are left undone or untidy bedrooms. If they’re a bit moody they should stay calm. They can help a child to revise by making sure they have somewhere comfortable to study.

Students should remind themselves that feeling nervous is normal. Nervousness is a typical reaction to exams. All students will feel it. The key is to put these nerves to positive use. Being reminded of what they do know and the time they have put into a study can help them feel confident that they can reach their potential.

The underlined word “Cramming” in the passage probably means ____.

Choose the word (A, B, C, or D) that best fits the blank space in the following passage. (1,5 pts)

Britain will soon ban smoking in cars with children. Britain’s government wants (19)_____ the harm cigarette smoke does to children. New laws will cut the chances of children passive smoking. This is when someone breathes in the (20)_____ from other people’s cigarettes. Many studies say passive smoking can almost be as (21)_________ as actually smoking a cigarette. The British government says that it has looked at research pointing out that children who sit in smoke-filled cars have (22)______ problems. It is particularly bad in cars because there is so little space, so the car fills with smoke very quickly. (23)_______ agrees with the new law. Some lawmakers argue that it takes away the freedom for people to smoke in their cars. However, Britain’s health minister states that the health of children is more (24)______________ than the freedom to smoke.

21____________

Read the passage carefully and choose a suitale word to fill each blank

Camping holidays are always (1) ______ with students and young people-they are a cheap and (2) ______ way to see a country. People often travel by train, by coach or (3) ______ foot, so one thing is important (4) ______ before starting: you can only take with you what you can carry – usually in a backpack on your back.

If you travel with a friend, of course some items can be shared – a tent, a gas stove, food. Other things must (5) ______ by each person – clothes, footwear, a sleeping bag.

(3) _________

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

"To make matters even more interesting some researchers suggest that Elisha Gray, a professor at Oberlin College, applied for a caveat of the telephone on __________ (1) same day Bell applied for his patent of the telephone- these gentlemen didn’t actually visit the Patent Office, their lawyers did __________ (2) their behalf. In Historical First Patents: The First United States Patent for Many Everyday Things (Scarecrow Press, 1994), Travis Brown, reports that Bell’s lawyer got to the patent office first. The date was February 14, 1876. He was the fifth entry of that day, __________ (3) Gray’s lawyer was 39th. Therefore, the U.S. Patent Office ___________ (4) Bell with the first patent for a telephone, US Patent Number 174,465 rather than honor Gray's caveat. _________, (5) some authors dispute this story and suggest that there was malfeasance by certain individuals at Patent Office, and possibly Bell himself."

1. To make matters even more interesting some researchers suggest that Elisha Gray, a professor at Oberlin College, applied for a caveat of the telephone on __________ (1) same day Bell applied for his patent of the telephone- these gentlemen didn’t actually visit the Patent Office,

Choose the best answer: 
Many human activities over the last 200 years have been responsible (1)................polluting the air and damaging people’s health. Automobile engines and power plants burn combustible (2)............ like gasoline and coal and allow toxic gases and smoke to escape into the air. Some pollutants destroy the ozone layer, which is the thin blanket of gases that (3)............ Earth from the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays. Other pollutants contribute to (4)..........hardlywarming by adding to the planet’s natural greenhouse effect. Still others create acid rain, a phenomenon that has disastrous (5)..........on lake and forest habitats. Air pollution is not limited to industrial areas. Depending on the direction of the wind and its force, air pollutants may (6).......... spread to other countries very far from the source of the pollution. Big cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City are*often covered by smog, a fog that occurs (7).............. air pollution. In 1952, the City of London, England, was enveloped by smog so thick that people on the streets had to feel their way around by (8)............the walls of buildings! 
6.

Choose the word or phrase (a, b, c or d) that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

One of the greatest advances in modern technology has been the (61)__________ of computers. They are already (62)______ used in industry and in universities and the time may come when it will be common for (63)________ people to use them as well. Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all (64)_________ of learning. They can (65)______ the most complex mathematical problem and put thousands of unrelated facts (66)______ order. Because they work accurately and at high speeds they (67)______ research workers years of hard work. (68)____ is a mistake to believe that these machines could “think”. There is no (69)_____ that human beings will be controlled by machines. Though computers are capable of (70)______ from their mistakes and improving on their performance, they need detailed (71)_______ from human beings in order to be able to operate. They can never, as it were, (72)________ independent lives or rule the world by making decisions of their (73)___________. Computers are the most efficient (74)____ man has ever had and there is no limit to the ways they can be used to (75)_____ our lives.

68_____________

Choose the word (A, B, C, or D) that best fits the blank space in the following passage. (1,5 pts)

Britain will soon ban smoking in cars with children. Britain’s government wants (19)_____ the harm cigarette smoke does to children. New laws will cut the chances of children passive smoking. This is when someone breathes in the (20)_____ from other people’s cigarettes. Many studies say passive smoking can almost be as (21)_________ as actually smoking a cigarette. The British government says that it has looked at research pointing out that children who sit in smoke-filled cars have (22)______ problems. It is particularly bad in cars because there is so little space, so the car fills with smoke very quickly. (23)_______ agrees with the new law. Some lawmakers argue that it takes away the freedom for people to smoke in their cars. However, Britain’s health minister states that the health of children is more (24)______________ than the freedom to smoke.

24__________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Discipline is an important virtue in one’s life. Discipline means complete obedience to certain rules and regulations. Life without discipline is just like a house without a roof. It is absolutely essential for a successful life.

Discipline is the structural and fundamental unit of a successful person. It is essential for us at home, for soldiers on the battlefield, for students in school, for players on the playground. A team of experienced players often loses the match because of indiscipline in the team. A horrible battle can be won by a disciplined army.

Discipline is very important in a student’s life. We must obey our teachers, must follow the rules of the school. We should be sincere, dedicated, firm, and focus on our goals. If we violate, we will suffer a great deal in the future.

As a student is the future of the country, we need to be very punctual to our routine, hard-working, healthy and fit. Discipline demands self-control and dedication. It leads to the formation of a good society and nation as well. 

What does the word “fundamental” mean?

Choose the best answer:
 The custom of paying a bride price before marriage is still a well-established part of many African cultures. In paying a bride price, the family of the groom must provide payment to the family of the bride before the marriage is allowed. The bride price can vary greatly from culture to culture in Africa. In the Zulu and Swazi tribes of southern Africa, the bride price often takes the form of cattle. In Western African, kola nuts, shells, and other goods are often used for the payment of the bride price. The actual payment of money sometimes takes place, but the payment of goods is more frequent. The amount of paid in a bride price can also vary. In modern times, the bride price is occasionally quite small and its value is mainly symbolic. However, the bride price can still be quite high, especially among prominent or highly traditional families.

There are a number of justifications used to explain the payment of bride price. The first is that the bride price represents an acknowledgement of the expense the bride’s family has gone in order to raise her and bring her up as a suitable bride for the groom. It also represents payment for the loss of a family member, since the bride will officially become a member of her husband’s family and will leave her own. On a deeper level the bride price represents payment for the fact that the bride will bring children into the family of the groom, thereby increasing the wealth of the family. This concept is reinforced by the fact that the bride price must often be returned if the bride fails to bear children.

The payment of the bride price has quite a number of effects on African society. First, the payment of bride price acts to increase the stability of African family structures. Sons are dependent on their fathers and older relatives to help them pay the bride price of their wives, and this generally leads to greater levels of obedience and respect. The negotiations between the two families concerning the bride price allow the parents and other family members to meet and get to know one another before the marriage. Finally, since the bride price must often be repaid in case of divorce, the bride’s family often works to make sure that any marital problems are solved quickly. Bride prices also work as a system of wealth distribution in African cultures. Wealthier families can afford to support the marriage of their son, and thus their wealth is transferred to other families.

 2. Why does the author mention the payment of money?

Choose the best answer: 
Many human activities over the last 200 years have been responsible (1)................polluting the air and damaging people’s health. Automobile engines and power plants burn combustible (2)............ like gasoline and coal and allow toxic gases and smoke to escape into the air. Some pollutants destroy the ozone layer, which is the thin blanket of gases that (3)............ Earth from the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays. Other pollutants contribute to (4)...............warming by adding to the planet’s natural greenhouse effect. Still others create acid rain, a phenomenon that has disastrous (5)............... on lake and forest habitats. Air pollution is not limited to industrial areas. Depending on the direction of the wind and its force, air pollutants may (6).......... spread to other countries very far from the source of the pollution. Big cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City are*often covered by smog, a fog that occurs (7).............. air pollution. In 1952, the City of London, England, was enveloped by smog so thick that people on the streets had to feel their way around by (8)............the walls of buildings! 
5.

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

Healthy foods are good for you! They help your body grow. They also give you the energy to work and play.

How do you know which foods to eat? Follow the food pyramid. Use it to make good choices.

Grains: The grains group gives you energy. Make sure at least half the grains you eat are whole grains. Eat brown rice, oatmeal, and popcorn. Try whole-wheat bread instead of white bread.

Vegetables: Color your plate with all kinds of veggies. They help your heart, eyes, skin, and teeth. Experts say to eat a rainbow of colors. Each color helps the body in a different way. Munch on carrots, corn, and broccoli.

Meat and Beans: The meat and bean group is high in protein. That helps build strong muscles. Eat fish, chicken, lima beans, and nuts.

Fruits: Fruits are nature’s treats. They are sweet and tasty. They help your heart, eyes, skin, and teeth too. Eat a variety of colors. Try an apple or a banana. You can also mix pieces of different fruits to make a salad.

Milk: Have milk and foods made with milk? Those foods are high in calcium. Calcium builds strong bones. Foods made with milk can be high in fat. Try low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Oils: Your body needs only a little oil to keep it healthy. Some foods that have oils are nuts, tuna fish, and salad dressing.

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

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

"London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the home of its queen, Elizabeth II. It’s also the largest city in Europe. About 7 million people call London home.
LONDON LANDMARKS
Millions of people visit London every year from all (1) _______ the world. If you travel there, you’ll find many (2) _______ things to see and do.
During August and September, you can visit Buckingham (3) _______. That’s where the queen lives most of the year. It has about 600 (4) _______, but you’ll see only state rooms where the queen entertains guests. In the morning, a colorful ceremony (5) _______ “changing of the guard” takes place in the palace courtyard. One group of palace guards (6) _______ off duty, and another troop arrives to replace them.
You can (7) _______ the Tower of London, a historic fortress that was once a royal palace. It was also used as a (8) _______ for hundreds of years. Two of the wives of King Henry VIII—Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard—were put (9) _______ death here. The Crown Jewels are a popular attraction at the Tower. This (10) _______ of jeweled crowns, swords, scepters, and other royal objects is only used on (11) _______ occasions, such as the crowning of a new ruler.
Be (12) _______ to visit Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s famous (13) _______. The nation’s kings and queens are crowned here. Many rulers and famous citizens are (14) _______ here.
There are also monuments to political figures and poets.
The (15) _______ of Parliament are along the Thames River, near Westminster Abbey. This is where the government meets. Look (16) _______ to see the clock tower with Big Ben, London’s famous (17) _______ that rings every hour. You can get on a boat (18) _______ for a ride on the Thames.
Other places you might want to see are Scotland Yard, Madame Tussaud’s, (19) _______ the British Museum. You can find out about London’s famous criminals in the (20) _______ Museum at Scotland Yard, the home of London’s Metropolitan Police. At Madame Tussaud’s, you’ll see eerily(21) _______, life-size wax figures of pop idols and historic figures. A great thing to see at the British Museum is the collection of mummies, tomb (22) _______, and gold jewelry from ancient Egypt. The museum’s Egyptian collection is (23) _______ of the largest in the world.
For a good (24) _______ of London, take a ride in the London Eye. This enormous wheel takes you 443 feet (135 meters) above the London skyline. Unlike a traditional Ferris wheel, the (25) _______ carries its passengers in enclosed compartments."

13. one of Britain’s famous (13) _______. 

Choose the best answer: 
Many human activities over the last 200 years have been responsible (1)................polluting the air and damaging people’s health. Automobile engines and power plants burn combustible (2)................ like gasoline and coal and allow toxic gases and smoke to escape into the air. Some pollutants destroy the ozone layer, which is the thin blanket of gases that (3) ...................Earth from the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays. Other pollutants contribute to (4)............ warming by adding to the planet’s natural greenhouse effect. Still others create acid rain, a phenomenon that has disastrous (5)............... on lake and forest habitats. Air pollution is not limited to industrial areas. Depending on the direction of the wind and its force, air pollutants may (6).......... spread to other countries very far from the source of the pollution. Big cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City are*often covered by smog, a fog that occurs (7).............. air pollution. In 1952, the City of London, England, was enveloped by smog so thick that people on the streets had to feel their way around by (8)............the walls of buildings! 
2. 

Choose the best answer:
 The custom of paying a bride price before marriage is still a well-established part of many African cultures. In paying a bride price, the family of the groom must provide payment to the family of the bride before the marriage is allowed. The bride price can vary greatly from culture to culture in Africa. In the Zulu and Swazi tribes of southern Africa, the bride price often takes the form of cattle. In Western African, kola nuts, shells, and other goods are often used for the payment of the bride price. The actual payment of money sometimes takes place, but the payment of goods is more frequent. The amount of paid in a bride price can also vary. In modern times, the bride price is occasionally quite small and its value is mainly symbolic. However, the bride price can still be quite high, especially among prominent or highly traditional families.

There are a number of justifications used to explain the payment of bride price. The first is that the bride price represents an acknowledgement of the expense the bride’s family has gone in order to raise her and bring her up as a suitable bride for the groom. It also represents payment for the loss of a family member, since the bride will officially become a member of her husband’s family and will leave her own. On a deeper level the bride price represents payment for the fact that the bride will bring children into the family of the groom, thereby increasing the wealth of the family. This concept is reinforced by the fact that the bride price must often be returned if the bride fails to bear children.

The payment of the bride price has quite a number of effects on African society. First, the payment of bride price acts to increase the stability of African family structures. Sons are dependent on their fathers and older relatives to help them pay the bride price of their wives, and this generally leads to greater levels of obedience and respect. The negotiations between the two families concerning the bride price allow the parents and other family members to meet and get to know one another before the marriage. Finally, since the bride price must often be repaid in case of divorce, the bride’s family often works to make sure that any marital problems are solved quickly. Bride prices also work as a system of wealth distribution in African cultures. Wealthier families can afford to support the marriage of their son, and thus their wealth is transferred to other families.

 4. The phrase “The first” in the passage refers to the first _________.

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each question.

If there is a building which symbolizes a country, such as the Eiffel Tower for France and the Sydney Opera House for Australia, then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.

It was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. From the time they got married, they wouldn’t be separated. She followed him to wars, advised him on affairs of state, and was loved by his people for her good work. But she died in 1631 during her childbirth. The emperor was heartbroken and had the Taj Mahal built as a sign of his love.

It took more than 20 years for the Taj Mahal to be built. Workers were brought in, not only from all over India but from central Asia too. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building.

In 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill, and in 1658 his son, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father and seized power. Shah Jahan stayed in prison until he died in 1666. He was finally buried there with his wife, who he could never forget.

The Taj Mahal is worth more than a single visit. As it is built with white marble stones, its character changes in different lights. It looks more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. At sunset, for example, the color of the Taj Mahal changes from white to yellow, then to pink. As the moon rises, it turns silvery-white. To show respect to the Taj Mahal, tourists are asked to take off their shoes during their visit.

Why did Emperor Shah Jahan build the Taj Mahal?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In the early 17th century, most of the southern region of Vietnam was nearly uninhabited and in the position of Ho Chi Minh City, there was a small village formed with a few residents. However, thanks to its advantage in location, the town grew both economically and politically. By the 19th century, this had become a cultural hub of the South as well as an important trading center of the country.

You might not know that there was a time Saigon was referred to as the Pearl of the Far East. Sadly, having been through various occurrences and two disastrous wars has stunted the city’s development. Only after the political instabilities had settled, Saigon recovered miraculously and maintained its leading position in terms of both economics and culture. Officially named Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon today has 22 districts in total and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually.

According to the passage, Saigon was ___________ in the early 17th century.

Read the passage and choose the best answers to the question. 

In the early days of the United States, postal charges were paid by the recipient, and charges varied with the distance carried. In 1825, the United States Congress permitted local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for home delivery, but these carriers received no government salary and their entire compensation depended on what they were paid by the recipients of individual letters.

In 1847 the United States Post Office Department adopted the idea of a postage stamp, which of course simplified the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by those who did not like to prepay. Besides, the stamp covered only delivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a private address. In Philadelphia, for example, with a population of 150,000, people still had to go to the post office to get their mail. The confusion and congestion of individual citizens looking for their letters were itself enough to discourage the use of the mail. It is no wonder that during the years of these cumbersome arrangements, private letter-carrying, and express businesses developed. Although their activities were only simi-legal, they thrived and actually advertised that between Boston and Philadelphia they were a half-day speedier than the government mail. The government postal service lost volume to private competition and was not able to handle efficiently even the business it had. 

Finally, in 1863, Congress provided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail from the post offices to private addresses should receive a government salary and that there should be no extra charge for that delivery. But this delivery service was at first confined to cities, and free home delivery became a mark of urbanism. As late as 1887, a town had to have 10,000 people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890, of the 75 million people in the United States, fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free to their doors. The rest, nearly three-quarters of the population, still received no mail unless they went to their post office

In the 1950s, ________. 

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In the Mekong Delta, Long Dinh village of Tien Giang province is famous for its traditional craft of weaving flowered mats. The mat’s high quality makes them popular domestically, and they are also exported to markets worldwide including Korea, Japan, and America.

Despite its well-established reputation for this traditional craft, mat weaving only started here some 50 years ago. It was first introduced by immigrants from Kim Son, a famous mat weaving village in the northern province of Ninh Binh. However, the technique of weaving village sedge mats in Long Dinh, as compared with other places in the South, is somewhat different. Long Dinh branded mats are thicker and have more attractive colors and patterns.

Weaving sedge mats are similar to growing rice. Long Dinh mat production mainly occurs during the dry season, from January to April. Weavers have to work their hardest in May and June, otherwise, when the rainy season starts in July, they will have to put off finishing their products till the next dry season. No matter how much work it requires, Long Dinh mat producers stick with this occupation, as it brings a higher income than growing rice.

This trade employs thousands of local laborers. At present, nearly 1,000 households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats. To better meet market demands, Long Dinh mat weavers have created more Products in addition to the traditional sedge mats. Particularly, they are producing a new type of mat made from the dried stalks of water hyacinth, a common material in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to the planning and further investment, the mat weaving occupation has indeed brought in more income for residents. Their living standards have improved considerably, resulting in better conditions for the whole village.

Despite difficulties, people in Long Dinh try to follow the craft because ______________.

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

"London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the home of its queen, Elizabeth II. It’s also the largest city in Europe. About 7 million people call London home.
LONDON LANDMARKS
Millions of people visit London every year from all (1) _______ the world. If you travel there, you’ll find many (2) _______ things to see and do.
During August and September, you can visit Buckingham (3) _______. That’s where the queen lives most of the year. It has about 600 (4) _______, but you’ll see only state rooms where the queen entertains guests. In the morning, a colorful ceremony (5) _______ “changing of the guard” takes place in the palace courtyard. One group of palace guards (6) _______ off duty, and another troop arrives to replace them.
You can (7) _______ the Tower of London, a historic fortress that was once a royal palace. It was also used as a (8) _______ for hundreds of years. Two of the wives of King Henry VIII—Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard—were put (9) _______ death here. The Crown Jewels are a popular attraction at the Tower. This (10) _______ of jeweled crowns, swords, scepters, and other royal objects is only used on (11) _______ occasions, such as the crowning of a new ruler.
Be (12) _______ to visit Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s famous (13) _______. The nation’s kings and queens are crowned here. Many rulers and famous citizens are (14) _______ here.
There are also monuments to political figures and poets.
The (15) _______ of Parliament are along the Thames River, near Westminster Abbey. This is where the government meets. Look (16) _______ to see the clock tower with Big Ben, London’s famous (17) _______ that rings every hour. You can get on a boat (18) _______ for a ride on the Thames.
Other places you might want to see are Scotland Yard, Madame Tussaud’s, (19) _______ the British Museum. You can find out about London’s famous criminals in the (20) _______ Museum at Scotland Yard, the home of London’s Metropolitan Police. At Madame Tussaud’s, you’ll see eerily(21) _______, life-size wax figures of pop idols and historic figures. A great thing to see at the British Museum is the collection of mummies, tomb (22) _______, and gold jewelry from ancient Egypt. The museum’s Egyptian collection is (23) _______ of the largest in the world.
For a good (24) _______ of London, take a ride in the London Eye. This enormous wheel takes you 443 feet (135 meters) above the London skyline. Unlike a traditional Ferris wheel, the (25) _______ carries its passengers in enclosed compartments."

22. A great thing to see at the British Museum is the collection of mummies, tomb (22) _______, and gold jewelry from ancient Egypt.