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

Did you know that reading can…. (23)….  your mind active and engaged well into old age? Several years ago when I was working as a newspaper reporter, I interviewed a woman who was a resident at a local nursing home.  She was 100 years old.  She read …. (24)….  one book per week.  She was bright, intelligent and fun to talk with.  “I love to read.  It helps me keep up with what is going …. (25)…… in the world,” she said.  “A friend of …. (26)….  brings me a new book every week.  I look forward to her visits and I look forward to the books.  We talk about the books we have read. ” Reading has other benefits, as well.  For one thing, reading a good story can help you forget some of the problems in your own life.  For the other thing, reading also sets a good …. (27)…… for younger generations.

27_____________

Most of us are interested in one kind of sport or another, even if we don't go in for it actively. Lots of people take up a particular sport at an early age, for example tennis, skiing, or ice-skating. If they get up to a suitably high standard, they may go in for local competitions or even championships. But special training is hard work and most young people don't keep it up. Many of them opt out when they come up against tough competition.

To become a professional in any sport, you have to go through with a strict training schedule. And it's not easy! It means doing without some of life's little pleasures, too. For example, to build up your physical strength you may have to stick to a special diet and give up some of your favorite foods. Smoking and alcohol are out, and to keep fit you have to work out regularly every day.

Sometimes it all pays off, but the road to success is long and there are no guarantees. No wonder that countless young talents decide to settle for a regular job instead, and, as far as professional sport is concerned, for looking on as spectators.

Question: According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE about special training?

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

Water polo is a sport in which two teams in the pool try to score by throwing or pushing a hollow rubber ball into the opponent’s goal. A player (23) ______ does so score one point for his or her team.

A team (24) ______ of a goalie and six field players. The goalie can handle the ball with both hands, but the field players may use only one hand at a time. Players move the ball by passing it or swimming (25) ______it. Each time a team gets the ball, it has thirty-five (26) ______ to try to score. If it does not shoot the ball at the goal with that time, the other team gets the ball.

Men’s games are 28 minutes (27) ______ and are divided into 7-minute quarters. Woman’s matches last 24 minutes and are divided into 6-minute quarters. Water polo originated in England in the 1870s. 

27____________

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

Have you ever noticed advertisements which say “Learn a foreign language in 6 weeks or your money back. From the first day your pronunciation will be excellent. Just send…” and so on?  Of course, it never happens quite like that. One’s mother language is easier to learn, but it also requires a lot of practice to be fluent. And think how much practice that gets! Before the Second World War, people usually learned a foreign language in order to read the literature of the country.

Now speaking a foreign language is what most people want. Every year millions of people start learning one. How do they do it? Some people try it at home, with books and records of tapes; some use radio or television programs; some use computers and networks; others go to evening classes. If they use the language only 2 or 3 times a week, it will take a long time, like learning a foreign language at school. A few people try to learn the language fast by studying for 6 or more hours a day. It is clearly easier to learn the language in the country where it is spoken. However, most people cannot afford this, and for many, it is not necessary. They need the language in order to do their work better. For example, scientists and doctors chiefly need to be able to read books and reports in a foreign language. Whether the language is learned quickly or slowly, it is hard work. Machines and good books will help, but they cannot do the students’ work for him.

Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

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

A large supermarket was looking for a manager for a new store they were planning to open. Out of over 90 people who had applied for the post they had chosen five and asked them to come for an interview.

The first ___(23)____, Mr. Riley, walked into the interview room. He was smartly dressed, but it was clear that he was listening to a personal stereo. He sat down, ___(24)____ off his shoes, and lit a cigarette. One of the interviewers said that they would prefer him not to smoke and Mr. Riley apologized. Just at that moment, a telephone rang. Mr. Riley reached into his pocket, took ___(25)____ his mobile phone, and began a conversation with a friend of his. After a minute or two, the interviewers had enough and said they wanted to begin. “Certainly, go ahead.” Said Mr. Riley. They ___(26)____ him why he wanted the job. “I don’t,” he replied. “But I ___(27)____ like a day in London, and you’ve already paid my train fare to come up here for the interview.

23__________

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

Vietnam is a densely populated, developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war.  Substantial progress was achieved from1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty.  Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration.  They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive export-driven industries.

Vietnam’s membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001. have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam’s trade and economic regime.  Vietnam’s exports to the US doubled in 2002 and again in 2003.

Vietnam joined the WTO (World Trade Organization) in January 2007, following over a decade long negotiation process.  This should provide an important boost to the economy and should help to ensure the continuation of liberalizing reforms.

Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labour force that is growing by more than one million people every year.  Vietnamese authorities have tightened monetary and fiscal policies to stem high inflation.  Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate of 7. 5-8% during the next five years.

Vietnam _______.

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

It is a common saying that we do not fully value a thing until we lose it. We often value the love and worth of a friend when he has been taken from us by death more than when he was with us in the flesh; it is only when we have left school or college that we understand the greatness of our opportunity of education, which has gone forever; and it is the sick and the ailing who realize the value of good health. When we are young and strong, we cannot imagine what it is like to be weak and ill. We are so used to vigorous health that we take it for granted. The organs of our bodywork so smoothly that we scaredly know we have lungs and liver, heart and stomach. But when any of these gets upset and gives us pain and sickness, we learn by bitter experience what an unspeakable blessing it is to be well.

Loss of health makes us miserable, and a burden to ourselves and our friends. It cripples our efforts so that we cannot accomplish many of the good and great things we might have done. It spoils our life. What must we do to keep our health?

We must be moderate in eating and drinking and wise in the choice of plain,  wholesome simple food. Gluttony has killed thousands and strong drink tens of thousands. We must, when young, get plenty of sleep, which is “nature’s sweet restorer”, and not try to burn the candle at both ends. We must live as much as possible in the open air and keep our rooms well ventilated. We must get sufficient and regular physical exercise, and keep our bodies clean. And we must avoid bad habits and secret sins as we avoid the devil, and keep our thoughts clean and our bodies pure. Our ideal must be the sound mind in the sound body.

According to the passage, we often appreciate our friends ______________.

Choose the best answers to the following questions

Sonita Alizadeh was born and grew up in Afghanistan until she was eight when the family fled to Iran because of war. Sonita remembers her childhood of hunger, aerial bombardment and Taliban fighters. In Iran, she couldn't get a formal education because of not having proper identification. She had to clean bathrooms and learnt the basics of how to read and write herself.

Sonita watched music videos on TV to kill her free time and learnt the styles of Iranian rapper Yas and US rapper Eminem. She started to write songs about her life as a refugee, child worker and especially a female. Other songs are about her girl friends with broken spirits after arguing and begging their parents not to sell them. Her songs have empowered her friends to protest against forced marriages which account for 60-80 per cent of Afghan marriages.

Things were all right until they weren't. Sonita's mother asked her to come back to Afghanistan as she needed 7,000 dowry to prepare for Sonita's brother's wedding. Her mother thought she could sell Sonita for a man with 9,000 dowry. Devastated by her mother's wish, Sonita fought by making a music video "Daughters for Sale" with the help of an Iranian filmmaker. Thanks to the video, the Strongheart Group contacted her and gave her a scholarship in the US where she now can go to school and remain single.

What is TRUE about Sonita's songs?

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

Did you know that reading can…. (23)….  your mind active and engaged well into old age? Several years ago when I was working as a newspaper reporter, I interviewed a woman who was a resident at a local nursing home.  She was 100 years old.  She read …. (24)….  one book per week.  She was bright, intelligent and fun to talk with.  “I love to read.  It helps me keep up with what is going …. (25)…… in the world,” she said.  “A friend of …. (26)….  brings me a new book every week.  I look forward to her visits and I look forward to the books.  We talk about the books we have read. ” Reading has other benefits, as well.  For one thing, reading a good story can help you forget some of the problems in your own life.  For the other thing, reading also sets a good …. (27)…… for younger generations.

24___________

Chọn từ thích hợp trong ô dưới đây điền vào mỗi chỗ trống để hoàn thành đoạn văn:
Malaysia is one of the (21)____________ of the Association of South-East Asia Nations  (ASEAN). It is divided into two regions, (22)__________ 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 (23)__________ climate. The Malaysian unit of currency is the ringgit. The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur and it is also the (24)__________ city of the country. The (25)__________ in 2001 was over 22 million. Islam is the country’s official religion. In addition, there are other religions such as Buddhism (26)__________ Hinduism. The national language is Bahasa Malaysia (also known simply as Malay). English, Chinese, and Tamil are also widely spoken.

(22)...................

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences

 Hardly any of the paintings at the gallery were for sale, _____________?

Fill in each blank with one suitable word:
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw on November 7th , 1867. She received general education in (27)__________ school and some scientific training from her father. In spite of her difficult living conditions, she (28)__________ extremely hard. She met Pierre Curie in the school of Physics (29)__________ 1984 and a year later they got married. She was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for determining the atomic weight of radium. But her real joy was “ easing (30)__________ suffering”. The founding of the radium Institute in 1914 made her humanitarian wish come true. 

(27)...........

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

It is a common saying that we do not fully value a thing until we lose it. We often value the love and worth of a friend when he has been taken from us by death more than when he was with us in the flesh; it is only when we have left school or college that we understand the greatness of our opportunity of education, which has gone forever; and it is the sick and the ailing who realize the value of good health. When we are young and strong, we cannot imagine what it is like to be weak and ill. We are so used to vigorous health that we take it for granted. The organs of our bodywork so smoothly that we scaredly know we have lungs and liver, heart and stomach. But when any of these gets upset and gives us pain and sickness, we learn by bitter experience what an unspeakable blessing it is to be well.

Loss of health makes us miserable, and a burden to ourselves and our friends. It cripples our efforts so that we cannot accomplish many of the good and great things we might have done. It spoils our life. What must we do to keep our health?

We must be moderate in eating and drinking and wise in the choice of plain,  wholesome simple food. Gluttony has killed thousands and strong drink tens of thousands. We must, when young, get plenty of sleep, which is “nature’s sweet restorer”, and not try to burn the candle at both ends. We must live as much as possible in the open air and keep our rooms well ventilated. We must get sufficient and regular physical exercise, and keep our bodies clean. And we must avoid bad habits and secret sins as we avoid the devil, and keep our thoughts clean and our bodies pure. Our ideal must be the sound mind in the sound body.

The best title for the passage is ______________.

Reading the following passage then answer the questions by circling the letters A, B, C, or D.

John Fisher, a builder, and his wife Elizabeth wanted more living space, so they left their small flat for an old 40-meter-high castle tower. They have spent five years turning it into a beautiful home with six floors, winning three architectural prizes.

‘I love the space, and being private,' Elizabeth says. 'You feel separated from the world. If I'm in the kitchen, which is 25 meters above the ground floor, and the doorbell rings, I don't have to answer it because visitors can't see I'm in!'

'There are 142 steps to the top, so I go up and down five or six times a day, it's very good exercise! But having to carry heavy things to the top is terrible, so I never buy two bags of shopping from the supermarket at a time. Apart from that, it's a brilliant place to live.'

'When we first saw the place, I asked my father's advice about buying it, because we couldn't decide. After paying for it, we were a bit worried because it looked awful. But we really loved it, and knew how we wanted it to look.'

'Living here can be difficult - yesterday I climbed a four-meter ladder to clean the windows. But when you stand on the roof you can see all the way out to sea on a clear day, and that's a wonderful experience. I'm really glad we moved.'

Which of the following best describes Elizabeth's feelings about the tower?

 Soils and groundwater contain __________ (10) residue of human agricultural practices and also improperly disposed of industrial wastes
(10).......
 

Choose the best answer to complete the passage.
The History of Shoes
In the past, importance (Eg)_________ not given to shoes being comfortable or fashionable. These early foot coverings were probably animal skins, which people tied round their ankles during cold (31)_________. We still use leather today, but other materials such as silk, plastic, or cotton are also popular, depending (32)_________ what is in fashion.
It was only one hundred and fifty years ago that people began to wear a different shoe on each foot. Formerly, the two shoes had been straight instead of shaped and (33)_________ be worn on the left or the right foot. All shoes used to be made by hand, but now, (34)_________ there are shoemakers still using their traditional skills, most shoes are now machine-made in large factories. The introduction of sewing machines allowed the shoe industry to produce a large (35)_________ of cheaper shoes for a wider range of buyers.
(32)......................

Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer to questions 31 - 35. 
Devastating floods along the coast have left many people homeless. People are asked to help by donating food, clothes, furniture, and other supplies to the Assistance Fund. Donations of bottled water are especially needed, since, the floods have disrupted the local water supply. In addition, volunteers are needed to travel to the hooded area to help distribute the donations.

“devastating floods” in line 1 refer to those that ________.

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

Forests are useful to mankind in several ways. Wood is always necessary for building and for making all kinds of things and we usually need firewoods in our homes. Forests provide timber, one of the most (23)___________ resources, but they must be used wisely and managed (24) _________. Men should control the cutting of trees in such a way that the forest grows more trees (25) _________ it would be cut, leaving the young ones to grow bigger. Trees and shrubs are also needed to preserve land (26)___________ their roots bind the soil, preventing heavy rain (27)____________ washing the soil away.

25___________

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

Vietnam is a densely populated, developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war.  Substantial progress was achieved from1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty.  Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration.  They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive export-driven industries.

Vietnam’s membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001. have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam’s trade and economic regime.  Vietnam’s exports to the US doubled in 2002 and again in 2003.

Vietnam joined the WTO (World Trade Organization) in January 2007, following over a decade long negotiation process.  This should provide an important boost to the economy and should help to ensure the continuation of liberalizing reforms.

Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labour force that is growing by more than one million people every year.  Vietnamese authorities have tightened monetary and fiscal policies to stem high inflation.  Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate of 7. 5-8% during the next five years.

According to the text, Vietnam _______.

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

Water polo is a sport in which two teams in the pool try to score by throwing or pushing a hollow rubber ball into the opponent’s goal. A player (23) ______ does so score one point for his or her team.

A team (24) ______ of a goalie and six field players. The goalie can handle the ball with both hands, but the field players may use only one hand at a time. Players move the ball by passing it or swimming (25) ______it. Each time a team gets the ball, it has thirty-five (26) ______ to try to score. If it does not shoot the ball at the goal with that time, the other team gets the ball.

Men’s games are 28 minutes (27) ______ and are divided into 7-minute quarters. Woman’s matches last 24 minutes and are divided into 6-minute quarters. Water polo originated in England in the 1870s. 

25____________

One study, for example, showed that a medical school class with iPads scored 23% ________ (7) on exams than classes without this device.