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

There is very little documentation about the origins of water polo. It is known, however, that the sport originated in the rivers and lakes of mid-19th century England as an aquatic version of rugby. Early games used an inflated rubber ball that came from India known as a "pulu" (the single Indian word for all "balls"). Pronounced "polo" by the English, both the game and the ball became known as "water polo". To attract more spectators to swimming exhibitions, the London Swimming Association designed a set of water polo rules for indoor swimming pools in 1870. At first, players scored by planting the ball on the end of the pool with both hands. A favorite trick of the players was to place the five-to-nine inch rubber ball inside their swimming suit and dive under the murky water, they would then appear again as close to the goal as possible. The introduction of the rules by Scottish players changed the nature of water polo. It became a game that emphasized swimming, speed and passing. Scottish rules moved from a rugby variant to a soccer style of play. Goals became a cage of 10x 3 feet and a goal could be scored by being thrown. Players could only be tackled when they "held" the ball and the ball could no longer be taken under water. The small rubber ball was replaced by a leather soccer ball. If the player came up too near the goal, he was promptly jumped on by the goalie, who was permitted to stand on the pool deck. Games were often nothing more than gang fights in the water as players ignored the ball, preferring underwater wrestling matches that usually ended with one man floating to the surface unconscious. Water polo was first played in the USA in 1888. The game featured the old rugby style of play which resembled American football in the water. "American style" water polo became very popular and by the late 1890s was played in such venues as Madison Square Garden and Boston's Mechanics Hall, attracting 14,000 spectators to national championship games.

Water polo became popular in America in _______.

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

Câu 10.......................

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answers:
Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and dance. This sport has an artistic effect, and really relates to those three sports. It consists of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate and dramatic moves in the water, accompanied by music.
Synchronized swimming demands first-rate water skills, and requires strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, not to mention exceptional breath control while upside down underwater. Developed in the early 1900s in Canada, it is a sport performed almost exclusively by women, although there is some participation by men. In its early form it was sometimes known as “water ballet”.
It is a Summer Olympic Games sport. First demonstrated in 1952, it has been an official event since 1984. Olympic and world Championship competition is not currently open to men, but other international and national competitions allow male competitors. Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women.
Competitors point to the strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines for the judges, one technical and one free.

The world ‘hybrid ‘in the first line could be best replaced by _________.

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

"A water polo team consists (1)…… seven players - a goalkeeper and six field players. The goalkeeper must defend the goal without hanging onto the goal or using the side of the pool. Each team also may have six (2)…..  players. With the exception of the goalkeeper, each player may use only one hand at a time in (3) …… the ball. Players wear caps of different colors for team (4)…. ; the official rules stipulate white for one team, blue for the other, and red caps for the goalies.
 A match requires two referees, two goal judges, two timekeepers, and two recorders. Games are divided (5) …..four periods of 7 minutes each, with a 2-minute interval between periods. Play begins when the (6)….. , with each team spread out along its own goal line, throws the ball into play at a line halfway between the two teams. The players race toward the ball, and the team that gains (7)…… then attempts to advance it toward the opponent's goal by (8)….. it from teammate to teammate. Players can also swim with the ball by pushing it along the water surface with their bodies as they swim.
 Players may not use more than one hand at a time and may not (9)…. clenched fists. No players - except the goalie, when defending a goal in a pool with a shallow end - may walk on or use the bottom of the pool, (10)….. may they take the ball beneath the surface of the water. Players may not impede the free-limb movement of another player unless that player holds the ball."

9. Players may not use more than one hand at a time and may not (9)…. clenched fists. 

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
A study was set up to examine the old marriage advice about whether it's more important to be happy or to be right. Couples therapists sometimes suggest that in an attempt to avoid constant arguments, spouses weigh up whether pressing the point is worth the misery of marital discord. The researchers from the University of Auckland noticed that many of their patients were adding stress to their lives by insisting on being right, even when it worked against their well-being.
The researchers then found a couple who were willing to record their quality of life on a scale of 1 to 10. They told the man, who wanted to be happy more than right, about the purpose of the study and asked him to agree with every opinion and request his wife had without complaint, even when he profoundly didn't agree. The wife was not informed of the purpose of the study and just asked to record her quality of life.
Things went rapidly downhill for the couple. The man's quality-of-life scores fell, from 7 to 3, over the course of the experiment. The wife's scores rose modestly, from 8 to 8.5, before she became hostile to the idea of recording the scores. Rather than creating harmony, the husband's agreeableness led to the wife becoming increasingly critical of what he did and said (in the husband's opinion). After 12 days he broke down, and the study was called off because of severe adverse outcomes."
The researchers concluded, shockingly, that humans need to be right and acknowledged as right, at least some of the time, to be happy. They also noted this was further proof that if given too much power, humans tend to "assume the alpha position and, as with chimpanzees, they become very aggressive and dangerous." It is often said that there can be no peace without justice, and that's true of domestic sphere.
Obviously the results are to be taken with extreme caution, since this was just one couple with who-knows-what underlying issues beforehand. But the study's chief author, Dr. Bruce Arroll, maintains that the question of happiness vs. rightness, theoretically, could be settled by scientific inquiry with a wider sample. "This would include a randomized controlled trial,” he says. "However, we would be reluctant to do the definitive study because of the concern about divorce."

Which best serves as the title for the passage?

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
The next generation of telephone users will probably laugh (1) _______ we explain how we  used to stand next to a wall in the kitchen to (2) _______ a phone call. Mobile  communications, already highly advanced compared with a decade ago, will completely  change communications in the next few years. (3) _______ there are millions of people using  mobile phones, most people know (4) _______ about the mobile telecommunications industry  and its technology. 
There are three types of mobile phone. These are hand portables, pocket-sized hand portables and transportables. The smallest and most popular are the pocket-sized hand portables. These  work on rechargeable batteries, which allow an (5) _______ of up to 80 minutes'  conversation. Mobiles that are fitted permanently in a vehicle do not (6) _______ on separate  batteries. They require an external aerial on the vehicle. This can mean a stronger signal with  clearer (7) _______. Transportables have a high power capability and can be used (8)  _______ anywhere. They come with powerful battery packs for longer, continuous use and  may also be put (9) _______ a vehicle, using its electrics. They (10) _______ to be bulkier  than hand portables. 

10....................

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
In a world where 2 billion people live in homes that don't have light bulbs, technology holds  the key (1)_______ banishing poverty. Even the simplest technologies can transform lives and  save money. Vaccines, crops, computers and sources of solar energy can all reduce poverty in  developing countries. For example, cheap oral-rehydration therapy developed in Bangladesh  has dramatically cut the death (2) _______ from childhood diarrhoea. 
But even when such technologies exist, the depressing fact is that we can’t make them (3)  _______ for those who most need them. Solar panels, batteries and light bulbs are still beyond  the purse of many, but where they have been installed they change lives. A decent light in the evening gives children more time for homework and extends the productive day for adults.  Kenya has a thriving solar industry and six years ago Kenyan pioneers also (4) _______  connecting schools to the Internet via radio links. These people were fortunate (5) _______  being able to afford solar panels, radios and old computers. How much bigger would the  impact be if these things (6) _______ and priced specifically for poor people? Multinationals must become part of the solution, because (7)_______ they own around 60 per  cent of the world's technology, they seldom make products for poor customers. Of 1,223 new  drugs marketed worldwide from 1975 to 1996, for example, just 13 were for tropical diseases. People think those enterprises should do more to provide vital products such as medicines (8) _______ different prices around the world to suit (9) _______ people can afford.  Alternatively, they could pay a percentage of their profit towards research and development  for (10) _______. 

Question 7: .....................

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

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

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

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

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

65..................

Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago, but soon moved to a small farm near Marceline, Missouri. From this rural and rather humble beginning he later became one of the most famous and beloved motion-picture producers in history. Although he died in 1966, his name and artistic legacy continue to influence the lives of millions of people throughout the world.
After several years of barely making ends meet as a cartoon artist operating from his Los Angeles garage, Disney had his first success in 1928, with his release of a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Throughout the next decade, he continued to produce a number of cartoons, and develop more of his highly profitable and enduring creations, such as Donald Duck and Pluto. In the late 1930s, he issued full-length cartoon film. Snow White became an instant commercial and critical success. This was only the first of many films, both animated and not, produced by Disney and his studio.
But as renowned as Disney name is for cartoon and monies, it is probably best known for a string of spectacular amusement and theme parks. Starting with California's Disneyland in 1955 and culminating with the fantastically successful Disney World and EPCOT Center in Florida, Disney became a household name. In recent years, the theme park concept became international, with openings in Toyo and Paris. With the continuing success of Disney, the creation of future theme park are under discussion.

The word "enduring" in bold in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase

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

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

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

(6) ________

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

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

1. What are the synchronized swimming events recognized internationally?

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

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

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

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

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

(33)________

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

Who can practice swimming?

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
Health and fitness are not just for young people. They are for anyone willing to accept the (1) _______ for a good diet and (2) _______ exercise. With age, there is a tendency to feel that  the body is no longer able to (3) _______. Aches and pains are (4) _______ normal. Instead of  pushing the body to do (5) _______, activities become limited. Yet examples after examples  have shown us that older people can – and should – be (6) 
_______. Men and women in their sixties have run in marathons, races of more than twenty six miles. Some professional athletes stay (7) _______ into their forties and fifties. For most  people, simple activities like walking and swimming are all that is needed to stay in (8)  _______. It’s important to include exercise in your daily routine. In the winter, (9) _______  push-ups, sit-ups, and other indoor exercises. Of course, such exercises will be of little use  (10) _______ you follow them with soda and chips. 

Câu 8................

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

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

5. The (5)….. whitewater refers

THOMAS EDISON
On the night of 21 October 1931, millions of Americans took part in a coast-to-coast ceremony to commemorate the passing of a great man. Lights (31) _______ in homes and offices from New York to California. The ceremony marked the death of arguably the most important inventor of all time: Thomas Edison.
Few inventors have (32) _______ such an impact on everyday life, and many of his inventions played a crucial role in the development of modern technology. One should never (33) _______ how revolutionary some of Edison’s inventions were.
In many ways, Edison is the perfect example of an inventor - that is, not just someone who dreams up clever gadgets, but someone whose products transform the lives of millions. He possessed the key characteristics that an inventor needs to (34) _______ a success of inventions, notably sheer determination. Edison famously tried thousands of materials while working on a new type of battery, reacting to failure by cheerfully announcing to his colleagues: 'Well, (35) _______ we know 8,000 things that don’t work.’ Knowing when to take no notice of experts is also important. Edison’s proposal for electric lighting circuitry was received with total disbelief by eminent scientists, until he lit up whole streets with his lights.
(32)..................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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

The word “means” in the passage most closely means ______.

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

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

4. In what parts of the United States does water polo is very popular at colleges?

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

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

6.  refers (6)........ the burbling foam created when fast-moving water spills over

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.

   In the 1960s, The Beatles were probably the most famous pop group in the whole world. Since then, there have been a great many groups that have achieved enormous fame, so it is perhaps difficult now to imagine how sensational The Beatles were at that time. They were four boys from the north of England and none of them had any training in music. They started by performing and recording songs by black Americans and they had some success with these songs. Then they started writing their own songs and that was when they became really popular. The Beatles changed pop music. They were the first pop group to achieve great success from songs they had written themselves. After that it became common for groups and singers to write their own songs. The Beatles did not have a long career. Their first hit record was in 1963 and they split up in 1970. They stopped doing live performances in 1966 because it had become too dangerous for them - their fans were so excited that they surrounded them and tried to take their clothes as souvenirs! However, today some of their songs remain as famous as they were when they first came out. Throughout the world, many people can sing part of a Beatles song if you ask them.

The word 'sensational' is closest in meaning to __________.

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things - the availability of good-paying jobs; (1) to critical services such as education, health care, and communication; strong communities; and a healthy natural environment. And, (2) urban America is equally dependent upon these things, the challenges to well-being look very  different in rural areas than in urban areas. Small-scale, low-density settlement (3) make it  more costly for communities and businesses to provide critical services. Declining jobs and  income in the natural resource-based industries that many rural areas depend on (4) workers  in those industries to find new ways to make a living. Low-skill, low-wage rural  manufacturing industries must find new ways to challenge the increasing number of (5)  competitors. Distance and remoteness impede many rural areas from being connected to the  urban centers of economic activity. Finally, changes in the availability and use of natural  resources located in rural areas (6) the people who earn a living from those resources and  those who (7) recreational and other benefits from them. Some rural areas have met these challenges successfully, achieved some level of prosperity, and are ready (8) the challenges of the future. Others have neither met the current challenges nor positioned themselves for the future. Thus, concern for rural America is real.  And, while ruralAmerica is a producer of critical goods and services, the (9) goes beyond economics. Rural America is also home to a fifth of the Nation'speople, keeper of natural  amenities and national treasures, and safeguard of a/an (10) part of American culture,  tradition, and history. 

Câu 3........................