Read the passage and choose the best answer:

FOOD AROUND THE WORLD

It isn't amazing how much time we spend talking about food? "Have you ever eaten ...?", "What do you have for lunch?" and so on. And yet, when you travel from one county to another, you find that people have quite different feelings about food. People often feel that what they eat is normal, and what other people eat is strange and silly. In most parts of Asia, for example, no meal is complete without rice. In England, people eat potatoes every day. In the Middle East, bread is the main part of every meal. Eating becomes a habit which is difficult to change. Americans like to drink a lot of orange juice and coffee. The English drink tea four or five times a day. Australians drink large amounts of beer and the French drink wine every day.

The sorts of meat people like to eat also differ from one country to another. Horse meat is thought to be delicious in France. In Hong Kong, some people enjoy eating snakes. New Zealanders eat sheep, but never eat goat meat. The Japanese don’t like to eat sheep meat because of its smell, but they enjoy eating raw fish. So it seems that although eating is a topic that we can talk about for hours, there is a little common sense in what we say about it. People everywhere enjoy what they have always eaten, and there is very little we can do to change our eating habit.

In which country do people often drink beer?

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

FUN AND GAMES

Do you think computer games are just for kids? Then you should think again. You might be (61)______ to learn that the game industry now (62)__________ more money than Hollywood. (63)________ a family buys a new PC, all they really want to do is to play games. It is hardly surprising that video gaming has (64)____________ one of the most popular (65)____ of entertainment today. A good game is like a good film; it will hold your (66)_____, capture your imagination and play with your emotions. The big (67)_____, however, is that watching a movie is a passive (68)_________. You have no say in how the plot (69)________ or which characters dominate the story. With computer games, you direct the (70)_________ and that is what makes them so exciting. Finding the right game is (71)_________ to signal the beginning of a lasting love (72) with the interactive (73)______________ of make-believe. It is (74)_____ to think of gaming as something simply for children and teenagers. In fact, the (75)______ growth area of the market is the 25-35 age group.

75__________

Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

The Beatles

The Beatles were one of the most influential music groups of the rock era, and many consider them the best musical group on Earth. Initially, they affected the post-war baby boom generation of Britain and the U.S during the 1960s, and later the rest of the world. Certainly, they were the most successful group, with global sales exceeding 1.1 billion records.

While they were originally famous for light-weight pop music (and the extreme hysterical reaction they received from young women), their later works achieved a combination of popular and critical acclaim perhaps unequalled in the 20th century.

Eventually, they became more than recording artists, branching out into film and - particularly in the case of John Lennon - political activism. They achieved an iconic status beyond mere celebrity, with far reaching effects difficult to exaggerate. The members of the group were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, all from Liverpool, England.

Beatlemania began in the UK and exploded following the appearance of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States, on February 9,1964. The pop-music band became a worldwide phenomenon with worshipful fans, hysterical adulation, and denunciations by culture commentators and others such as Frank Sinatra.

Some of this was confusion over the sources of their music (a similar confusion was evinced in 1956 over Elvis Presley by commentators who were unaware of the tradition of blues, R&B and gospel out of which Presley emerged), and some of it was simply an incredulous reaction to the length of their hair. At any rate, it was regarded by the band members with both awe and resentment.

They appeared on TV on February 9,1964.

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

Plants provide food, clothing, and shelter for people. Many of our most useful medicines are also (31) _____ from plants. Besides, plants add beauty and pleasure (32) _____ our lives. Most people enjoy the smell of flowers, the sight field of waving grain, and the quiet of a forest. Not all plants are helpful to man. Some species grow in fields and gardens as weeds that choke off useful plants. Tiny hits of pollen from certain plants cause such (33) _____ as asthma and hay fever. Some plants are (34) ______ if we eat them. (35) _______ irritate the skin.

(35)......................

Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

The Beatles

The Beatles were one of the most influential music groups of the rock era, and many consider them the best musical group on Earth. Initially, they affected the post-war baby boom generation of Britain and the U.S during the 1960s, and later the rest of the world. Certainly, they were the most successful group, with global sales exceeding 1.1 billion records.

While they were originally famous for light-weight pop music (and the extreme hysterical reaction they received from young women), their later works achieved a combination of popular and critical acclaim perhaps unequalled in the 20th century.

Eventually, they became more than recording artists, branching out into film and - particularly in the case of John Lennon - political activism. They achieved an iconic status beyond mere celebrity, with far reaching effects difficult to exaggerate. The members of the group were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, all from Liverpool, England.

Beatlemania began in the UK and exploded following the appearance of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States, on February 9,1964. The pop-music band became a worldwide phenomenon with worshipful fans, hysterical adulation, and denunciations by culture commentators and others such as Frank Sinatra.

Some of this was confusion over the sources of their music (a similar confusion was evinced in 1956 over Elvis Presley by commentators who were unaware of the tradition of blues, R&B and gospel out of which Presley emerged), and some of it was simply an incredulous reaction to the length of their hair. At any rate, it was regarded by the band members with both awe and resentment.

They were the best selling group in history.

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

"Special Education, specially designed instruction to (1) _______ the unique needs and abilities of disabled or gifted children. Disabled children have conditions (2) _______ adversely affect their progress in conventional education programs. Gifted children, who demonstrate high capacity in intellectual, (3) _______, or artistic areas, may also fare poorly in regular education programs. Special education services can help both disabled and (4) _______ children make progress in education programs. Most children served by special education programs are (5) _______ the ages of 6 and 17.
In the United States, federal law requires states to identify and serve all children (6) _______ disabilities. Public education and health officials in the United States identified approximately 5.4 million infants, toddlers, (7) _______, and youth as disabled in 1994. That same year, the U.S. Department of Education reported that 12.2 percent of all children (8) _______ the age of 21 received some form of special education. The most frequently reported disabilities are speech or language impairments; mental retardation and (9) _______ developmental disorders; serious emotional disturbance; and specific learning disorders, (10) _______ memory disorders. Other disabilities include hearing, visual, or orthopedic impairments; autism; (11) _______ traumatic brain injury. An increasing number of children in the United States are identified as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and (12) _______ special education services.
Many schools in the United States provide special education services (13) _______ gifted children, although federal law does not mandate these services. Gifted children demonstrate (14) _______ high abilities in intellectual, creative, academic, leadership, or artistic areas. Estimates of the gifted (15) _______ in the United States range from 3 to 15 percent of all schoolchildren."

6. In the United States, federal law requires states to identify and serve all children (6) _______ disabilities.

Make the meaningful sentence, using the given words below.

While/ Mary /listen/music, / mother /phone her.

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Reflexology is a natural treatment dating to ancient times. It is based on the idea that there are zones, or areas, in the feet and hands that are related to other parts and systems of the body. For example, the tips of the toes or fingers are related to head and neck, and the ball of the foot is related to the heart and chest. A reflexologist applies pressure to specific areas in a patient’s feet and hands to relieve symptoms or pain in other related areas.

This type of treatment does not cure or diagnose specific health problem, and it does not involve any medication. Yet many find that it successfully relieves symptoms of stress and disease. Reflexology is effective for pain, headaches, and sleeping difficulties, among other ailments. Applying pressure to the feet and hands relieves tension, improves blood circulation, and relaxes muscles. It promotes the natural, healthy functions and well-being of the entire body. Reflexology is often used along with other types of treatments, including conventional medicine.

This gentle therapy is safe and simple. A reflexologist’s only tools are his or her hands. Pressure is strong, but not uncomfortable. It’s not uncommon for patients to fall asleep during treatments.

A typical treatment session lasts one hour. Treatment is usually focused on the feet for most of the session. A patient is asked to remove his or her shoes and socks, to sit in a comfortable reclining chair, and then to relax as the reflexologist warms the patient’s feet with his or her hands and applies pressure to the appropriate parts of the foot. The last ten minutes of the session are dedicated to the hands.

After relieving specific problems, many patients continue a regular programme of treatment to maintain good health. Some reflexologists suggest building at least a five – minute reflexology session into every day for long – term relief of stress and pain.

In order to have good effect, we should ...............

Read the passage and choose the correct answer:
In the United States, people celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. On this occasion, mother usually receives greeting cards and gifts from her husband and children. The best gift of all for an American Mom is a day of leisure. The majority of American mothers have outside jobs as well as housework, so their working days are often very hard. The working mother enjoys the traditional Mother’s Day custom of breakfast (or brunch) cooked by her family and served to her on a tray in bed. Later in the day, it is also traditional for the extended family group to get together for dinner, either in a restaurant or in one of their homes. Flowers are an important part of Mother’s Day. Mothers are often given a corsage or plant for the occasion, particularly if they are elderly.
Father’s Day is celebrated throughout the United States and Canada on the third Sunday in June. The holiday customs are similar to Mother’s Day. Dad also receives greeting cards and gifts from his family and enjoys a day of leisure.

Why are the working days of most American mothers often very hard?

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

"Football, game played on a rectangular (1) _______ by two opposing teams with an inflated leather ball that is roughly (2) _______ in shape. The object of the game is to score points by carrying the ball (3) _______ the opponent’s goal line or by (4) _______ the ball through the opponent’s goalposts. Football is (5) _______ a full-contact sport, meaning that play involves bodily contact by (6) _______ of checking, blocking, grabbing, and tackling. (7) _______ the rough physical nature of the game, playing football can cause injuries. This article (8) _______ on the game of American football, a distinct type of football that developed in (9) _______ in the 19th century. It developed out of two other sports, soccer ((10) _______ known as association football) and rugby football, each of (11) _______ remains a separate sport with its own specific set of rules. American football differs slightly in (12) _______ and field size from a style of football (13) _______ mostly in Canada, called Canadian football. Other varieties of the game popular in (14) _______ parts of the world (15) _______ Australian football and Gaelic football."

4. by (4) _______ the ball through the opponent’s goalposts.

The word “depressing" in the passage is closest in meaning to ____.

Read the passage and complete the sentences. Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet.

Once there were lots of pandas in the mountains of Western China. Today they are becoming extinct. The reason is they cannot find enough food. Pandas eat bamboo leaves. They do not like another food. The bamboo grows very slowly. It can take ten years for a bamboo to grow from a seed to a big plant. Some types of bamboo have seeds only once every 60 years. Pandas must wait many years for their food to grow. While the bamboo is growing, pandas do not have enough leaves to eat. Farmers are using more and more of the land on the mountain side to grow food for man. The farmers cut down the bamboo. Bamboo leaves become less plentiful. Pandas cannot find enough food to eat. They starve and die. China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are trying to save the pandas. In 1979 they began to set up special parks where pandas can live. One such park is the Wolong Reserve in Sichuan. The Wolong Reserve has the highest number of pandas in the world. Scientists come here to study the pandas’ eating and mating habits. By learning more about the pandas’ habits, scientists can save them from extinction.

What does the word “They” refer to?

Read the passage below and choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each question.

All creatures need to eat something in order to survive. Fortunately, different species of animals have different things that they eat as food. No matter what a creature eats, the food must have enough calories in it to maintain life. Calories, or the energy stored in the food, provide the fuel animals, including humans, need in order to live and move about in the world. Any creature that does not consume enough food, or in other words enough calories, will starve and die.

The term calorie has a scientific meaning. Calorie is a measure of an amount of energy just like pound is a measure of weight. A calorie is officially defined as the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius, which is 1. 8 degrees Fahrenheit. The term "calorie" and "Calorie" with a capital C have two different meanings to scientists. The term Calorie (with a capital C) means one kilocalorie, the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. A kilogram is the same as 1,000 grams and a kilocalorie is 1,000 calories. Food calories are always measured as Calories but average people don't care much about the difference and just use the word calories.
Food is composed of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Nutritionists know that a gram of protein contains 4 Calories, a gram of fat has 9 Calories, and a gram of carbohydrate has 4 Calories.

All food contain calories. When we eat something it provides energy for our bodies to use when we are active. We even need energy or calories while we are sleeping because, for example, our bodies are still breathing, our heart is pumping, and we continue to digest the food in our stomachs. If a person eats more food and more calories than is used up by activity, the body stores the excess calories in case it might need it later when food might not be available. So a person gains weight due to the extra food and calories. Similarity, if a person consumes fewer calories than are used every day over several weeks and is more active, that person will lose weight.

Calorie is a measure of _______.

Read the passage below carefully and choose the correct answer a, b, c, or d.

Scientists believe that something very serious is happening to the Earth. It is becoming warmer. Scientists predict that there will be major changes in the climate during the 21st century. Coastal water will have higher temperatures. This will have a serious effect on agriculture. The farmer will have trouble producing good crops. In warm regions, the weather will be too dry. The amount of water could decrease by 50 percent. This would cause a large decrease in agricultural production.

World temperature could increase from 1.5 to 5.6 degrees Celsius by the middle of the 21st century. And the increase in, temperature could be even greater in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. A rise in temperature could cause the great ice sheets to melt, which, in turn, would raise the level of the oceans by one to two meters. Many coastal cities would be underwater. Why is all this happening?

The Earth and its atmosphere are kept warm by the Sun. The atmosphere lets most of the light from the Sun pass through to warm the Earth. The Earth is warmed by the sunlight and sends heat energy back into the atmosphere. Much of this energy escapes from the Earth’s atmosphere. However, some of it remains. Gases such as carbon dioxide, ozone, and water vapor absorb this energy and create more heat. Then this heat is sent back down to Earth, and the Earth becomes warmer.

The melting of the polar ice sheets will probably lead to ________.

Read the passage and choose the best answers to the questions. (10 pts)

The development of so-called keyhole surgery means that the surgeon’s knife may soon disappear altogether as it is replaced by miniature cameras, microscopic scissors, and staplers. Instead of making long cuts in the patient’s body, surgeons look at the site through an “endoscope”, or operating telescope. This is passed into the body through a small hole that will barely leave a scar.

As long as the operation is carried out skillfully by an experienced surgeon, keyhole surgery damages the patient far less than a conventional operation. “Minimal access surgery is a real breakthrough,” says Alf Cuschieri, a leading endoscopic surgeon. “I wish we’d developed it years ago. Not only does it reduce the trauma to the patient – but it also means that we no longer have to make major incisions to perform major operations.”

The viewing technology that allows doctors to see what is happening deep inside the human body has been borrowed from the aerospace industry. Although in the 1960s flexible scopes were developed by technicians to check engine interiors without them having to be taken apart, today’s endoscopes are not just simple tubes you can see through; they are equipped with very small television cameras. An image of the operation – magnified eight times – is transmitted by the camera onto a strategically placed TV screen. Doctors and nurses needn’t crowd round to look into the wound. Instead, they keep their eyes on the screen with straight backs and plenty of elbow room. As surgeons cannot work in the dark, light is beamed into the area of the body being operated on through optical fibers – strands of special glass, each as thin as a human hair, through which light travels.

Keyhole surgeons hope that miniaturization will make it possible for patients to have their operations performed by robots small enough to crawl through the patient’s body. Despite the fact that, until now, even the smallest robots have been too large to be exploited in endoscopic surgery, in Massachusetts the Institute of Technology’s Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory is working on ever-smaller miniature and microrobots. These robots could be used for filming, taking biopsy specimens, or on-the-spot analysis.

One of the most exciting future developments involves telesurgery, where doctors will operate by remote control. This means that a patient can be operated on by two surgeons who are hundreds of kilometers away from each other – and from the patient.

Some believe that such techniques will have been perfected in the next ten years or so.

What is the main topic of the passage?

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

FUN AND GAMES

Do you think computer games are just for kids? Then you should think again. You might be (61)______ to learn that the game industry now (62)__________ more money than Hollywood. (63)________ a family buys a new PC, all they really want to do is to play games. It is hardly surprising that video gaming has (64)____________ one of the most popular (65)____ of entertainment today. A good game is like a good film; it will hold your (66)_____, capture your imagination and play with your emotions. The big (67)_____, however, is that watching a movie is a passive (68)_________. You have no say in how the plot (69)________ or which characters dominate the story. With computer games, you direct the (70)_________ and that is what makes them so exciting. Finding the right game is (71)_________ to signal the beginning of a lasting love (72) with the interactive (73)______________ of make-believe. It is (74)_____ to think of gaming as something simply for children and teenagers. In fact, the (75)______ growth area of the market is the 25-35 age group.

61____________

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks.

The return of the airship

The first balloon flew in the 18th century. By 1900 the Germans were producing rigid airships capable of carrying (21)______ loads over long distances. These airships consisted of a cigar shaped, covered frame containing hydrogen gas. The first craft reached speeds (22) ______ 32 km/h. By the mid 1930s, the zeppelins had doubled in size. The largest airship ever built, the Hindenburg, was 245 metres long and could reach a maximum speed of 135 km/h. In 1936, this airship carried a (23)_____ of 1,002 passengers on 10 scheduled round trips between Germany and the United States. On 6 May 1937, while (24)___ at Lakehurst, New Jersey, the Hindenburg was completely destroyed when it crashed and burst into (25)_____, with a loss of 36 lives. Now, over 60 years since the last giant commercial airship was built, a new breed of high tech giant airships is being planned.

(25)....................

Read the passage below and choose one correct answer for each question.

The three national parks in Wales are visited by an estimated 15 million people each year. Recreation and tourism are important contributor to the local economy and can contribute to the social stability of modern rural communities. The National Parks are responsible for promoting enjoyment and understanding of the special qualities of their particular park. This is achieved through visitor centers, guides and books, management of sites and maintaining in excess of 5,000 km of rights of way. All three parks operate full time ranger services.

Of the 15 million about 90% of these arrive in private motor cars, which is a key challenge in terms of managing visitors but also environmental pressure. The parks have been at the forefront of trying to develop and promote integrated public transport that facilitates and encourages modal shift and brings economic and service benefits to local people.

How many people come to the parks by public transport?

Chọn một phương án đúng nhất A, B, C hoặc D để điền vào chỗ trống trong đoạn văn sau:
Mr. Brown and some volunteer conservationists are on a very duty beach now. Today they are ready (29)__________ the beach a clean and beautiful place again. After listening to Mr. Brown’s instructions, they are divided (30)__________ three groups.
Group I needs to walk along the shore. Group 2 should check the sand, and group 3 has to check among the rocks. Garbage must be put into plastic bags, and they will be (31)__________ by Mr. Jones. He will take the bags to the garbage dump. Each member will be given a map to find the right place. They won’t eat the picnic lunch provided by Mrs. Smith until the whole area is clean. They are all eager to work hard so as to refresh this (32)__________ area.

(31)...................

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

FUN AND GAMES

Do you think computer games are just for kids? Then you should think again. You might be (61)______ to learn that the game industry now (62)__________ more money than Hollywood. (63)________ a family buys a new PC, all they really want to do is to play games. It is hardly surprising that video gaming has (64)____________ one of the most popular (65)____ of entertainment today. A good game is like a good film; it will hold your (66)_____, capture your imagination and play with your emotions. The big (67)_____, however, is that watching a movie is a passive (68)_________. You have no say in how the plot (69)________ or which characters dominate the story. With computer games, you direct the (70)_________ and that is what makes them so exciting. Finding the right game is (71)_________ to signal the beginning of a lasting love (72) with the interactive (73)______________ of make-believe. It is (74)_____ to think of gaming as something simply for children and teenagers. In fact, the (75)______ growth area of the market is the 25-35 age group.

73__________

Choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Taylor Swift is a country music star. She was born on December 13,1989. She was born in Pennsylvania, USA. She is a singer and a (26) ______. Her music is a mix (27) _____ country music and pop. She started playing the guitar when she was 10 years old. She writes songs and sings. When she was 11 years old, she (28) ______ to Nashville. In 2006, at the age of 16, she (29) _____ her first album. Fans love her music and her (30) ______ too. She is a fantastic musician and she is very beautiful and intelligent too. Taylor Swift is fantastic!

(26).................