Read the following two passages and choose the correct answer for each question.

In 1723 there arrived in Philadelphia a penniless young man, eager for work and knowledge. As the years passed, this man, Benjamin Franklin, contributed greatly to his city and his country. He became a printer and a publisher and a learned man in many subjects. He also helped to speed learning by establishing a public library and by founding the American Philosophical Society, which is an important academy of great scholars to this day.

Franklin initiated many improvements in the city of Philadelphia, making it one of the world’s first cities to have paved and lighted streets as well as a police force and a fire fighting company. He also made many practical inventions such as the Franklin stove, which was a very efficient heater, and the light rod the protected buildings in electric storms. His scientific work with electricity earned Franklin world fame.

Franklin played an important role in the early history of the United States. He took part in the drawing up of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was the first ambassador to France, and he helped negotiate the treaty of 1783, which ended the Revolutionary War.

As an active member and as president of the Abolitionist Society, Franklin devoted the last years of his life to the movement to end slavery.

In what was Franklin active during the last years of his life?

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

Past explorers have made vast contributions to our knowledge of the world today. They braved the oceans to discover the world and to bring their goods to other countries to trade.

Many explorers had to overcome their fear of the unknown to travel around the world on their sailing ships. Submitting themselves to unpredictable weather conditions, each explorer either traveled further than his predecessor or tried to find a different route to already discovered countries. For example, Vasco Da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, established a sea route from Europe to India. He had extended the sea route that Bartolomeu Dias had already done when he later sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.

More importantly, explorers first closed the gap between the east and the west by trading their local goods with foreign ones. India was known for its spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon while China was known for its silk. A part of the east was brought to the west when western gourmets developed a taste for eastern spices in their food. People in the east dressed in clothes that were previously only worn in the west.

Without the explorers, many of us would still be living in our own enclave with little knowledge of the vast world and what other foreign countries have to offer us.

Based on the third paragraph, the___________ of people changed when they came into contact with foreigners.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct option for each of the blanks.

The telephone was invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell, a Scotsman who became a US citizen. The word ‘telephone’ had been (61)_________ existence since the 1830s and had been (62)_______ to several inventions designed to produce sound.

Bell had become interested in the possibility of long-distance speech in his work with the deaf. He was twenty-eight and his assistant, Thomas Watson, was (64)______twenty-one when they achieved their great success on 10 March 1876. Despite their long and close association, Bell’s first communication by telephone was not “Tom, come here, I want you”, (65)_________ “Mr. Watson, come here, I want you”.

Filled with excitement, Bell and Watson demonstrated their invention to a US telegram company. The company wrote to Bell, (66)_______ that his invention was interesting. However, after giving it careful consideration, they had (67)________ to the conclusion that it had “no future”. Fortunately for Bell, others could see the possibilities. (68)_____ four years of its invention, the US had 60,000 telephones. In the next twenty years that figure increased to over 6 million.

Today, ninety-three percent of US homes have a phone, a (69)______ of phone ownership no other nation comes near to equal. Each US household makes or receives (70)______ average 3,516 calls per year, an astonishing statistic.

65________________

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

Atmospheric pressure can support a column of water up to 10 meters high. But plants can move water much higher, the sequoia tree can pump water to its very top, more than 100 meters above the ground. Until the end of the nineteenth century, the movement of water in trees and other tall plants was a mystery. Some botanists hypothesized that the living cells of plants in which all the cells are killed can still move water to appreciable heights. Other explanations for the movement of water in plants have been based on root pressure, a push on the water from the roots at the bottom of the plant. But root pressure is not nearly great enough to push water to the tops of tall trees. Furthermore, the conifers, which are among the tallest trees, have unusually low root pressures.

If water is not pumped to the top of a tall tree, and if it is not pushed to the top of a tall tree, then we may ask: “How does it get there?” According to the currently accepted cohesion-tension theory, water is pulled there. The pull on a rising column of water in a plant results from the evaporation of water at the top of the plant. As water is lost from the surface of the leaves, a negative pressure, or tension, is created. The evaporated water is replaced by water moving from inside the plant in unbroken columns that extend from the top of a plant to its roots. The same forces that create surface tension in any sample of water are responsible for the maintenance of these unbroken columns of water. When water is confined in tubes of a very small bore, the forces of cohesion (the attraction between water molecules) are so great that the strength of a column of water compares with the strength of a steel wire of the same diameter. This cohesive strength permits columns of water to be pulled to great heights without being broken.

What do the experiments mentioned in lines 4-6 prove?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct option for each of the blanks.
Every year, the village of Pettineo celebrates its unique arts festival. For a few days each summer, artists from all over Europe (36)_______ at this village near the north coast of Sicily to (37)________ the creative atmosphere. During their stay, the artists get (38)_______ with the local people to paint a one-kilometer long picture that runs the (39)_____ of the high street. (40)________ the painting is done, each visiting artist joins a local family for a big lunch and, (41)_________ the meal, the family receives the (42)_______ of the painting that the artist has painted. As a result, (43)______ few villagers are rich, almost every home has at least one painting by a well-known European artist. Visitors to the village are eagerly (44)_______into homes to see these paintings. The festival was the (45)_______ of Antonio Presti, a local businessman who (46)______ it up four years ago. Since then, Pettineo has (47)__________ a sort of domestic art museum in (48)________ any visitor can ring a doorbell, go into a house and (49)___________ a painting. In addition to this exhibition of paintings in people’s homes, for those who have time to spare, there is an opportunity to (50)______through the display of huge sculptures in the village square.

49_____________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct option for each of the blanks.
Every year, the village of Pettineo celebrates its unique arts festival. For a few days each summer, artists from all over Europe (36)_______ at this village near the north coast of Sicily to (37)________ the creative atmosphere. During their stay, the artists get (38)_______ with the local people to paint a one-kilometer long picture that runs the (39)_____ of the high street. (40)________ the painting is done, each visiting artist joins a local family for a big lunch and, (41)_________ the meal, the family receives the (42)_______ of the painting that the artist has painted. As a result, (43)______ few villagers are rich, almost every home has at least one painting by a well-known European artist. Visitors to the village are eagerly (44)_______into homes to see these paintings. The festival was the (45)_______ of Antonio Presti, a local businessman who (46)______ it up four years ago. Since then, Pettineo has (47)__________ a sort of domestic art museum in (48)________ any visitor can ring a doorbell, go into a house and (49)___________ a painting. In addition to this exhibition of paintings in people’s homes, for those who have time to spare, there is an opportunity to (50)______through the display of huge sculptures in the village square.

42_____________

Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) that best fits the blank space in the following passage (1.5 pts)

The Director

L&P Transport Company

79B Nguyen Hue Boulevard

Ho Chi Minh City

I’m writing about the shortstop that your trucks (13) ______ around my house on their way to the north. When the trucks of your company have a short (14) ______ there, the drivers have left lots of garbage on the ground after their refreshment. When the trucks leave the place, the ground is (15) _________ of trash and a few minutes later there is a bad smell and flies all over the place. I myself, (16) ______ the people living around here, would urge that your company should tell your drivers to clean up all the trash on the ground before leaving. (17) _________ you do something about it and soon, we will have to report this to the local authority.

I am looking forward to hearing from you and (18) ______ positive response from your company.

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

Researchers don’t think there’s any question that the discovery of a gene that appears to be linked to many types of cancer is really exciting and the best news for the public in a long time. The gene is involved in a high percentage of human cancers and its discovery might eventually lead to the development of a new anti-cancer treatment.

In normal cells, this gene, named MTS1, acts as a brake during the cell division process. But the researchers have found that the cell is missing in about half of the tumor cells they studied, allowing uncontrolled division of cells to take place and the resulting spread of cancer.

This discovery could be exploited in two ways, either by supplying the missing gene through gene therapy or by copying its function in a drug. Of course, this is not the first gene to be found that can suppress tumors; it’s the eleventh or twelfth. However, because of its seemingly wider presence, or absence, the knowledge of its existence could lead to a cure for some types of cancer.

What is the purpose of this passage?

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:

Upon the creation of the United States, one of the core concepts on which the hopes for the new democracy were pinned was the idea that its citizens would be enlightened individuals with clearly articulated rights and the opportunity for individual achievement and education. It was believed that in a free nation where the power belongs to the people, the commitment to education defines the progress of that democracy and is the catalyst for future progress. This core value has not only stood the test of time but has also grown in importance.

In this new Information Era and international economy, education is an increasingly vital commodity, a precursor of potential success, and a driving force of change. It is important to recognize, however, that we approach education today differently than in the past, partly because the kinds of jobs people had didn’t require the kind of basic education and specialized training that is often required in the workforce today. In the 1950s, for instance, only 20 percent of American jobs were classified as professional, 20 percent as skilled; and 60 percent as unskilled. Today, our world has changed. The proportion of unskilled jobs has fallen to 20 percent, while jobs now account for at least 60 percent of the workforce. Even more important, almost every job today increasingly requires a combination of academic knowledge and practical skills that require learning throughout a lifetime.

In order to become a good American citizen today, in the author’s point of view, any individual must ___________

Read the following two passages and choose the correct answer to complete each of the questions.

There are some unattended level crossings, with gates which road-users have to open themselves, ‘Stop’ signs, and small red and green lights. Do not cross when the red light is showing, as a train is coming. There is a special railway telephone, and if you are driving a very large or slow-moving vehicle, or are on foot with animals you must first telephone the nearest station to make sure it is safe for you to cross. Open both gates before you cross and close them after you. When you have crossed, telephone the station to let them know you are over.

Some other unattended level crossings have gates but have no red lights. At such crossings, stop, look both ways, listen and make sure there is no train coming. If there is a special railway telephone, first telephone to make sure it is safe for you to cross. Before you cross with a vehicle or with animals, open the gates on both sides wide, and then check once again that no train is coming. Drive your vehicle or animals right across and well clear of the crossing and then close both gates.

You should never drive onto any level crossing if________.

Read the following two passages and choose the correct answer for each question.

Package holidays, covering a two weeks’ stay in an attractive location are increasingly popular because they offer an inclusive price with few extras. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination. Excursions, local entertainment, swimming, sunbathing, skiing – you name it – it’s all laid on for you. There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother anything yourselves. You make friends and have a good time, but there is very little chance that you will get to know the local people. This is even less likely on a coach tour when you spend almost your entire time traveling. Of course, there are carefully scheduled stops for you to visit historic buildings and monuments, but you will probably be allowed only a brief stay overnight in some famous city, with a polite reminder to be up and breakfasted early for the coach the next morning. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient, but time is always at your elbow. There is also the added disadvantage of being obliged to spend your holiday with a group of people you have never met before, may not like, and have no reasonable excuse for getting away from. As against this, it can be argued that for many people, particularly the lonely or elderly, the feeling of belonging to a group, although for a short period on holiday, is a bonus. They can sit safely back in their seat and watch the world go by.

In spite of its disadvantages, spending a holiday with a group is good particularly for_________.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct option for each of the blanks.
Every year, the village of Pettineo celebrates its unique arts festival. For a few days each summer, artists from all over Europe (36)_______ at this village near the north coast of Sicily to (37)________ the creative atmosphere. During their stay, the artists get (38)_______ with the local people to paint a one-kilometer long picture that runs the (39)_____ of the high street. (40)________ the painting is done, each visiting artist joins a local family for a big lunch and, (41)_________ the meal, the family receives the (42)_______ of the painting that the artist has painted. As a result, (43)______ few villagers are rich, almost every home has at least one painting by a well-known European artist. Visitors to the village are eagerly (44)_______into homes to see these paintings. The festival was the (45)_______ of Antonio Presti, a local businessman who (46)______ it up four years ago. Since then, Pettineo has (47)__________ a sort of domestic art museum in (48)________ any visitor can ring a doorbell, go into a house and (49)___________ a painting. In addition to this exhibition of paintings in people’s homes, for those who have time to spare, there is an opportunity to (50)______through the display of huge sculptures in the village square.

45______________

Reading 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 23 to 27.

Recently, a study in the USA showed that 75% of high school students (23)___________ in tests and exams. If we include copying homework, the number is 90 %. Many students don’t even realize that (24)__________ they’re doing is wrong. They think that cheating is OK now because it’s common. In the past, weaker students cheated but now cheats are often clever kids who need higher grades. There is more competition today. One high school student says, “There’s big (25)_________ to get into a good university. You have to get good marks, and to get good marks some teens think they have to cheat.” In the American study, 50% of teens agreed with the opinion “ People sometimes have to lie and cheat to succeed.” It seems that cheating has become normal for some people. There are a lot of cheats. We see more and more cheats in sport and business. Unfortunately, adults don’t always set a good example. Cheating is easier with new technology. There are websites where you can download exams and essays. You can pay people online to write an essay for you. Students are instant messaging homework answers and they can send text messages to friends (26)__________ exams or put answers into their MP3 players. Teachers can (27)_________ cell phones and cameras and use special software to detect copying in homework. School principles can suspend or expel students who cheat. But it’s more important for people to know that they don’t have to cheat to be successful – cheats never win and winners never cheat.

Question 25______________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer for each of the blanks.
In the modem world, there is a wealth of leisure activities to choose from. Entertainment industries (46)______ for your leisure time. You can watch TV, listen to music, go to an art gallery or concert or, of course, read a book. Sometimes it seems that reading is (47)_________ because, even if you’re a fast reader, it can take a (48)_____ amount of time to finish a novel, for example. But in the modem world, time is something that can be in short supply. Book publishers haven’t been (49)________ to realize this and are now selling a product which needn’t (50)________ as much of your time but still tells you an excellent story. The new product is the audiobook – cassette recordings of shortened novels, often read by well-known personalities or the authors themselves. Audiobooks are (51)_____ new but people are becoming more aware of them and sales are increasing all the time. One of the attractions of audiobooks is that they’re (52)______ listening to the radio, only better. You can listen to what you want when you want, and you won’t even miss anything. Much of their appeal (53)_________ in their flexibility. They allow you to do other things while you’re listening, such as driving or (54)________ the housework. For some people, audiobooks can be a much more enjoyable way of (55)_______ knowledge than reading.

46__________

Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) that best fits the blank space in the following passage (1.5 pts)

The Director

L&P Transport Company

79B Nguyen Hue Boulevard

Ho Chi Minh City

I’m writing about the shortstop that your trucks (13) ______ around my house on their way to the north. When the trucks of your company have a short (14) ______ there, the drivers have left lots of garbage on the ground after their refreshment. When the trucks leave the place, the ground is (15) _________ of trash and a few minutes later there is a bad smell and flies all over the place. I myself, (16) ______ the people living around here, would urge that your company should tell your drivers to clean up all the trash on the ground before leaving. (17) _________ you do something about it and soon, we will have to report this to the local authority.

I am looking forward to hearing from you and (18) ______ positive response from your company.

14___________

Read the following two passages and choose the correct answer to each of the questions.

Rock and soil samples brought back from the moon by the Apollo astronauts have taught scientists much about the composition of the moon. Moon soil contains small bits of rock and glass and was probably ground from larger rocks when meteors impacted the surface of the moon. Scientists found no trace of animal or plant life in the moon soil. In addition to the moon soil, astronauts gathered two basic types of rocks from the surface of the moon: basalt and breccia. Basalt is a cooled and hardened volcanic lava common to the earth. Since basalt is formed under extremely high temperatures, the presence of this type of rock is an indication that the temperature of the moon was once extremely hot. Breccia, the other kind of rock brought back by the astronauts, was formed during the impact of falling objects on the surface of the moon. This second type of rock consists of small pieces of rock compressed together by the force of impact. Gases such as hydrogen and helium were found in some of the rocks, and scientists believe that these gases were carried to the moon on the streams of gases that are constantly emitted from the sun.

According to the passage, breccia was formed__________.

Read the following two passages and choose the correct answer to each of the questions.

Rock and soil samples brought back from the moon by the Apollo astronauts have taught scientists much about the composition of the moon. Moon soil contains small bits of rock and glass and was probably ground from larger rocks when meteors impacted the surface of the moon. Scientists found no trace of animal or plant life in the moon soil. In addition to the moon soil, astronauts gathered two basic types of rocks from the surface of the moon: basalt and breccia. Basalt is a cooled and hardened volcanic lava common to the earth. Since basalt is formed under extremely high temperatures, the presence of this type of rock is an indication that the temperature of the moon was once extremely hot. Breccia, the other kind of rock brought back by the astronauts, was formed during the impact of falling objects on the surface of the moon. This second type of rock consists of small pieces of rock compressed together by the force of impact. Gases such as hydrogen and helium were found in some of the rocks, and scientists believe that these gases were carried to the moon on the streams of gases that are constantly emitted from the sun.

According to the passage, what does moon soil consist of?

Read the following two passages and choose the correct answer to complete each of the questions.

There are some unattended level crossings, with gates which road-users have to open themselves, ‘Stop’ signs, and small red and green lights. Do not cross when the red light is showing, as a train is coming. There is a special railway telephone, and if you are driving a very large or slow-moving vehicle, or are on foot with animals you must first telephone the nearest station to make sure it is safe for you to cross. Open both gates before you cross and close them after you. When you have crossed, telephone the station to let them know you are over.

Some other unattended level crossings have gates but have no red lights. At such crossings, stop, look both ways, listen and make sure there is no train coming. If there is a special railway telephone, first telephone to make sure it is safe for you to cross. Before you cross with a vehicle or with animals, open the gates on both sides wide, and then check once again that no train is coming. Drive your vehicle or animals right across and well clear of the crossing and then close both gates.

At a crossing with gates you open yourself, you are told to telephone the station if_______.

Read the passage below and choose the best answer to each question.

A gold rush is the rapid relocation of large numbers of people to an area where gold has been discovered. Gold rushes capture the imagination and participation of many people because of the magical lure of gold and the potential for overnight affluence. The greatest gold rush in the United States history was the California Gold Rush of 1849.

The rush first began in 1848 when a carpenter named James Marshall discovered gold on the property of John A. Stutter in the Sacramento Valley. Hired to build a sawmill on the banks of the American River, Marshall had hardly begun work when he started finding nugget after nugget of gold. News of the discovery at Stutter’s mill spread quickly, and soon thousands of persons were laying claims in the area. These people, called “forty-niners”, rushed in from all over the world. In just two years, the population of California increased from about 26,000 to 380,000. Consequently, California was officially admitted to the union as a state, in September of 1850. The free-spending style of the successful miners helped to turn communities such as Sacramento and San Francisco into prosperous towns. Those who were not so lucky became farmers and ranchers in the Central Valley of California.

According to the passage, people join gold rushes because_________ .

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to answer these following questions
A new study published in the journal Science shows definitive evidence of organic matter on the surface of Mars. The data was collected by NASA's nuclear-powered rover Curiosity. It confirms earlier findings that Mars, the Red Planet once contained carbon-based compounds. These compounds – also called organic molecules – are essential ingredients for life as scientists understand it.
The organic molecules were found in Mars's Gale Crater, a large area that may have been a watery lake over three billion years ago. The rover encountered traces of the molecule in rocks extracted from the area. The rocks also contain sulfur, which scientists speculate helped preserve the organics even when the rocks were exposed to the harsh radiation on the surface of the planet.
Scientists are quick to state that the presence of these organic molecules is not sufficient evidence for ancient life on Mars, as the molecules could have been formed by non-living processes. But it's still one of the most astonishing discoveries, which could lead to future revelations. Especially when one considers the other startling find that Curiosity uncovered around five years ago.

What may have been in Mars's Gale Crater?

Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) that best fits the blank space in the following passage (1.5 pts)

The Director

L&P Transport Company

79B Nguyen Hue Boulevard

Ho Chi Minh City

I’m writing about the shortstop that your trucks (13) ______ around my house on their way to the north. When the trucks of your company have a short (14) ______ there, the drivers have left lots of garbage on the ground after their refreshment. When the trucks leave the place, the ground is (15) _________ of trash and a few minutes later there is a bad smell and flies all over the place. I myself, (16) ______ the people living around here, would urge that your company should tell your drivers to clean up all the trash on the ground before leaving. (17) _________ you do something about it and soon, we will have to report this to the local authority.

I am looking forward to hearing from you and (18) ______ positive response from your company.

17________