Task 2. 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 6 – 10.          It is not surprising that the birthplace of cola was the hot and humid American South. This region had long specialized in creating delicious soft drinks. A druggist in Atlanta, Georgia named John Pemberton created the most well–known drink brand in the world in the 1880s. However, it seems clear that he had no idea how big it would become.         Like many American pharmacists of the day, Pemberton was opposed to the drinking of alcohol and wanted to produce a stimulating soft drink. First, he made "the French Wine of Coca," made from the coca leaf. Then he began to experiment with the cola nut. Eventually, he managed to make a combination of the two that he thought was sweet, but not too sweet. Deciding that "the two C's would look well in advertising," he named it Coca–Cola.           Pemberton's invention caught on fairly quickly. By 1905, "Coke" was being advertised all over the country as "The Great Natural Temperance Drink." The drink enjoyed additional success since there was a large and popular temperance movement in the US at that time. In the 1920s, alcohol was outlawed,  and sales of Coke rose significantly. However, they continued to rise even after the law was repeated.          Another reason for Coke's popularity was good business sense. A year  after he invented it, Pemberton had sold Coca–Cola to Asa Griggs Candler for only 283.26 USD! Candler was a marketing genius, and by the time he sold the Coca–Cola Company in1919, it was worth 25 USD million.
Câu 1: Which of the following would be the best title for the reading?


A. The Invention and History of Coca–Cola       


B. Cola is the World’s Most Popular Soft Drink


C. The Temperance Movement and Coke’s success  


D. John Pemberton created Coca–Cola
Câu 2: In paragraph 3, the word “outlawed” is closest in meaning to                    .


A. made legal         


B. taken to court   


C. made illegal       


D. allowed
Câu 3: All of the followings are true of Pemberton EXCEPT that                      .


A. he made “French wine of Coca” from the coca leaf


B. he combined the coca leaf and cola nut to make “French wine”


C. he produced stimulating alcohol from coca leaves and cola nuts


D. he made “French wine of Coca” from the cola nut
Câu 4: In paragraph 3, the word “caught on” is closest in meaning to                   .


A. became popular               


B. became successful


C. became important           


D. became legal
Câu 5: Which of the following is responsible for Coke’s additional success?


A. The temperance movement       


B. Its attracting name


C. Pemberton’s good business sense  


D. Coca–Cola’s great taste

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 6. 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 26 – 30.            What is meant by the term economic resources? In general, these are all the natural, man–made, and human resources that go into the production of goods and services. This obviously covers a lot of ground: factories and farms, tools and machines, transportation and communication facilities, all types of natural resources, and labor. Economic resources can be broken down into two general categories: proper resources – land and capital – and human resources – labor and entrepreneurial skills.            What do economists mean by land? Much more than the non – economist. Land refers to all natural resources that are usable in the production process: arable land, forests, mineral and oil deposits, and so on. What about capital? Capital goods are all the man – made aids to producing, storing, transporting, and distributing goods and services. Capital goods differ from consumer goods in that the latter satisfy wants directly, while the former do so indirectly by facilitating the production of consumer goods. It should be noted that capital as defined here does not refer to money. Money, as such, produces nothing.           The term labor refers to the physical and mental talents of humans used to produce goods or services (with the exception of a certain set of human talents, entrepreneurial skills, which will be considered separately because of their special significance). Thus the services of a factory worker or an office worker, a ballet dancer or an astronaut all fall under the general heading of labor.
Câu 1: What is the author's main purpose in writing this passage?


A. To explain the concept of labor.      


B. To criticize certain uses of capital.


C. To contrast capital goods and consumer goods.         


D. To define economic resources.
Câu 2: The phrase “the latter” refers to                   .


A. non–economists


B. consumer goods      


C. capital goods    


D. economist
Câu 3: When non–economists use the term "land", its definition                          .


A. is much more restrictive than when economists use it


B. is much more general than when economists use it


C. includes all types of natural resources


D. changes from place to place
Câu 4: Which of the following could be considered a capital good as defined in the passage?


A. A railroad      


B. A coal deposit      


C. Human skills      


D. Money
Câu 5: The word “arable” is closer in meaning to                     .


A. dry                          


B. open                        


C. developed                           


D. fertile

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 4. 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 16 – 20.            In Africa, people celebrate with joy the birth of a new baby. The Pygmies would sing a birth-song to the child. In Kenya, the mother takes the baby strapped to her back into the thorn enclosure where the cattle are kept. There, her husband and the village elders wait to give the child his or her name.            In West Africa, after the baby is eight days old, the mother takes the baby for its first walk in the big, wide world, and friends and family are invited to meet the new baby. In various African nations, they hold initiation ceremonies for groups of children instead of birthdays. When children reach a certain designated age, they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes. Some African tribes consider that children from nine to twelve are ready to be initiated into the grown up world. They may have to carry out several tests.            Maasai boys around thirteen years old to seventeen undergo a two-stage initiation. The first stage lasts about three months. The boys leave their parents' homes, paint their bodies white, and are taught how to become young warriors. At the end of this stage, they have their heads shaved and they are also circumcised. At the second stage, the young warriors grow their hair long and live in a camp called a “manyatta” where they practice hunting the wild animals that might attack the Maasai herds. This stage may last a few years. When they are ready, they will marry and become owners of large cattle herds like their fathers. The girls are initiated when they are fourteen or fifteen. They are taught by the older women about the duties of marriage and how to care for babies. Soon after that they are married and lead a life similar to that of their mothers.
Câu 1: What does the passage mainly discuss?


A. Celebrations in Africa


B. Birthday ceremonies for children in Africa


C. Traditions of Maasai people when having a new baby


D. Activities in a birth celebration
Câu 2: Where do people in Kenya give the name to the child?


A. at the village church   


B. on the cattle farm  


C. at their house       


D. near the thorn fence
Câu 3: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2?


A. An eight-day-old child will be taken for the first walk by his or her mother.


B. Children have to learn their tribes' cultures and traditions when they are old enough.


C. Children are initiated for a mature life in the presence of their friends and family.


D. Children have to overcome a few trials to enter the grown-up world.
Câu 4: The word "undergo" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______________.


A. commence              


B. experience              


C. participate in         


D. explore
Câu 5: What does the word "they" in paragraph 3 refer to?


A. the Maasai herds  


B. the wild animals 


C. the young warriors   


D. the cattle owners

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 2. 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 6 – 10.           In addition to providing energy, fats have several other functions in the body. The fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, are dissolved in fats, as their name implies. Good sources of these vitamins have high oil or fat content, and the vitamins are stored in the body's fatty tissues. In the diet, fats cause food  to remain longer in the stomach, this increasing the feeling of fullness for some time after a meal is eaten. Fats add variety, taste, and texture to foods, which accounts for the popularity of fried foods. Fatty deposits in the body have an insulating and protective value. The curves of the human female body are due mostly to strategically located fat deposits.           Whether a certain amount of fat in the diet is essential to human health is not definitely known. When rats are fed a fat-free diet, their growth eventually ceases, their skin becomes inflamed and scaly, and their reproductive systems are damaged. Two fatty acids, linoleic and arachidonic acids, prevent these abnormalities and hence are called essential fatty acids. They also are required by a number of other animals but their roles in human beings are debatable. Most nutritionists consider linoleic fatty acid an essential nutrient for humans.
Câu 1: This passage probably appeared in which of the following?


A. A diet book            


B. A book on basic nutrition


C. A cookbook       


D. A popular women's magazine
Câu 2: The phrase ‘stored in’ in line 3 is closest in meaning to                         .


A. manufactured in           


B. attached to   


C. measured by  


D. accumulated
Câu 3: The author states that fats serve all the following body functions EXCEPT to                       .


A. promote a feeling of fullness   


B. insulate and protect the body


C. provide energy      


D. control weight gain
Câu 4: Linoleic fatty acid is mentioned in the passage as                          .


A. an essential nutrient for humans    


B. more useful than arachidonic acid


C. preventing weight gain in rats           


D. a nutrient found in most food
Câu 5: The phrase ‘these abnormalities’ in line 10 and 11 refers to                      .


A. a condition caused by fried food


B. strategically located fat deposits


C. curves on the human female body


D. cessation of growth, bad skin, and damaged reproductive systems

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 6. 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 26 – 30.            Accidents do not occur at random. People eighty-five years of age and older are twenty-two times likely to die accidentally than are children five to nine years old. The risk for native Americans is four times that for Asian-Americans and twice that for white Americans or African-Americans. Males suffer accidents at more than twice the rate of females, in part because they are more prone to risky behavior. Alaskans are more than three times as likely as Rhode Islanders to die in an accident. Texans are twenty- one times more likely than New Jerseyites to die in a natural disaster. Among the one hundred most populous counties, Kern County, California (Bakersfield), has an accident fatality rate three times greater than Summit County, Ohio (Akron).             Accidents happens more often to poor people. Those living in poverty receive inferior medical care, are more apt to reside in houses with faulty heating and electrical systems, drive older cars with fewer safety features, and are less likely to use safety belts. People in rural areas have more accidents than city or suburban dwellers because farming is much riskier than working in a factory or office and because emergency medical services are less readily available. These two factors - low income and rural residence - may explain why the south has a higher accident rate than the north.(Source: Proficiency Reading)
Câu 1: Which of the following is true according to the passage?


A. Children aged five to nine face the greatest accident risk.


B. All people face an equal risk of having an accident.


C. One in every 22 people aged 85 and over will die in an accident.


D. The risk of having an accident is greater among certain groups of people.
Câu 2: The word “inferior” in the passage is closest in meaning to                      .


A. modern                               


B. low-quality 


C. well-equipped    


D. unsafe
Câu 3: According to the passage, which of the following groups of people in America face the highest risk of having an accident?


A. Native Americans 


B. Asian-Americans  


C. White Americans   


D. African-Americans
Câu 4: What does the word “that” in the passage refer to?


A. males                                       


B. native Americans 


C. the risk       


D. African-Americans
Câu 5: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for a higher accident rate among the poor?


A. Little knowledge about safety.        


B. Inadequate medical services.


C. Poor housing and working conditions.      


D. Use of cars which incorporate fewer safety features.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 5. 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 21 – 25.         Bitcoins are a form of virtual currency. In other words, they are a type of money that does not exist in the actual world. However, they can be used to purchase actual products and services from real companies.          The bitcoin system was created in 2009 by an enigmatic person named Satoshi Nakamoto. In fact, no one is sure if Satoshi Nakamoto is an actual person or a group of people. Bitcoins are designed to serve as an alternative to national currencies, such as dollars and euros, They can be used to pay for things instead of cash or credit cards. When bitcoins are transferred from a buyer to a seller, the transaction is recorded in a public database.          Governments are concerned that bitcoins can easily be stolen by hackers. It has dawned on them that they might be used for illegal purposes. For example, stolen goods could be purchased without the government's knowledge. Although more and more companies are beginning to accept bitcoins, the percentage of purchases made using bitcoins is minuscule compared to other online payment methods, such as credit cards. Instead, many bitcoin owners simply keep them as an investment since more valuable in the future.          This may or may not be a wise approach. Currently, the value of bitcoins is fluctuating wildly, especially when compared to highly stable national currencies, Bitcoin Investors are gambling on the hope that as this high-tech money becomes more widely accepted, its value will soar.(Adapted from: https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/)
Câu 1: What is the passage mainly about?


A. A new kind of currency in the virtual world   


B. A way of doing business in the virtual world


C. An alternative to bitcoins created by Nakamoto     


D. The future of bitcoins in the real world
Câu 2: The word “they” in paragraph 1 refers to                      .


A. dollars                     


B. euros                       


C. things                      


D. bitcoins
Câu 3: The word “minuscule” is closest in meaning to                     .


A. considerable           


B. small                       


C. minimal                  


D. increasing
Câu 4: Why are bitcoins of great concern to governments?


A. Because the value of bitcoins is fluctuating wildly.


B. Because bitcoins will eventually replace national currencies.


C. Because bitcoins may be used in illegal transactions.


D. Because most of bitcoin owners are hackers.
Câu 5: Which of the following is defined in the passage?


A. Bitcoins                  


B. Transactions           


C. Credit cards         


D. Public Database

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 4. 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 16 – 20.            Fish that live on the sea bottom benefit by being flat and hugging the contours. There are two very different types of flatfish and they have evolved in very separate ways. The skates and rays, relatives of the sharks have become flat in what might be called the obvious way. Their bodies have grown out sideways to form great “wings” They look as though they have been flattened but have remained symmetrical and “the right way up”. Conversely fish such as plaice, sole, and halibut have become flat in a different way. There are bony fish which have a marked tendency to be flattened in a vertical direction; they are much “taller” than they are wide. They use their whole vertically flattened bodies as swimming surfaces, which undulate through the water as they move. Therefore when their ancestors migrated to the seabed, they lay on one side than on their bellies. However, this raises the problem that one eye was always looking down into the sand and was effectively useless - In evolution this problem was solved by the lower eye “moving” around the other side. We see this process of moving around enacted in the development of every young bony flatfish. It starts life swimming near the surface, and is symmetrical and vertically flattened, but then the skull starts to grow in a strange asymmetrical twisted fashion, so that one eye for instance the left, moves over the top of the head upwards, an old Picasso - like vision. Incidentally, some species of 20 flatfish settle on the right side, others on the left, and others on either side.
Câu 1: The word “conversely” is closest in meaning to                  .


A. similarly                  


B. alternatively                        


C. inversely                 


D. contrarily
Câu 2: The passage is mainly concerned with                   .


A. bony flatfish  


B. evolution asymmetrical


C. symmetrical flatfish    


D. different types of flatfish
Câu 3: The author mentions skates and rays as examples of fish that                    .


A. have spread horizontally          


B. become asymmetrical


C. resemble sharks    


D. appear to fly
Câu 4: The word “this” refer to                           .


A. the migration of the ancestors       


B. the difficulty of the only one eye being useful


C. the problem of the one eye looking downwards   


D. the practice of lying on one side
Câu 5: According to the passage, the ability of a bony flatfish to move its eyes around is               .


A. average                   


B. excellent                             


C. weak                       


D. variable

A.
B.
C.
D.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Câu 1: A doctor is a member of a respected                      .


A. occupation              


B. profession               


C. trade                       


D. work
Câu 2: If you want a job, you have to                      for one.


A. applicate                 


B. apply                       


C. ask                          


D. request
Câu 3: You'll probably have to                  an application form.


A. fill down   


B. fill in   


C. fill on         


D. fill through
Câu 4: All the members of our                  are expected to work hard.


A. personal                  


B. personnel                


C. staff                        


D. gang
Câu 5: Some of my work is interesting, but a lot of it is just                .


A. habit                       


B. practice                   


C. tradition                  


D. routine
Câu 6: If you are paid monthly, rather than weekly, you receive                  .


A. revenue                   


B. a reward      


C. a salary      


D. wages
Câu 7: The purpose of running a business is to make a                    .


A. service                    


B. profit                       


C. money                    


D. contribution
Câu 8: Many young people travel all over the world and do all kinds of jobs before they                .


A. lie down        


B. settle down           


C. touch down      


D. put down
Câu 9: In Britain, people are usually unwilling to tell other people how much they                     .


A. earn                        


B. obtain                      


C. deserve                   


D. gain
Câu 10: You can earn more money by working                      .


A. extraordinary hours


B. overhours               


C. overtime                 


D. supplementary hours
Câu 11: "Don't come to the interview late," my mom said.


A. My mom told me do not come to the interview late.


B. My mom told me did not come to the interview late.


C. My mom told me not to come to the interview late.


D. My mom told me not coming to the interview late.
Câu 12: "I will help you with your CV, Mary," Peter said.


A. Peter advised Mary to write the CV. 


B. Peter promised to help Mary with her CV.


C. Peter advised Mary not to write her CV.


D. Peter wanted Mary to help with the CV.
Câu 13: The woman said she                      in this company for over 20 years.


A. has been working  


B. was working           


C. had been working   


D. works
Câu 14: US scientists claim that they                   a new vaccine against malaria.


A. were developed      


B. have developed  


C. had developed 


D. was developing
Câu 15: Ellie asked Stan                    to look at the new catalogue.


A. did he want         


B. do you want        


C. whether he wants  


D. if he wanted
Câu 16: Stephen                   me he'd bought that suit in a sale.


A. said                         


B. spoke                      


C. told                         


D. claimed
Câu 17: When I last saw Carrie, she told me she                 of applying for another job, but now she's changed her mind.


A. thought                   


B.  is thinking   


C. was thinking       


D. has been thinking
Câu 18: It's about time Mrs Richards apologized to me                  me a gossip in front of everybody.


A. to have called  


B. from calling


C. that she called      


D. for having called
Câu 19: Tammy responded                 that at least she'd never lied to her parents.


A. to say    


B. that she said  


C. by saying        


D. with having said
Câu 20: We complained               the manager               the poor service we received at the restaurant.


A. on - about  


B. at - for       


C. with - of           


D. to - about
024.7300.7989
1800.6947

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 6. 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 26 – 30.         The growth of cities, the construction of hundreds of new factories, and the spread of railroads in  the United States before 1850 had increased the need for better illumination. But the lighting in American homes had improved very little over that of ancient times. Through the colonial period, homes were lit with tallow candles or with a lamp of the kind used in ancient Rome – a dish of fish oil or other animal or vegetable oil in which a twisted rag served as a wick. Some people used lard, but they had to heat charcoal underneath to keep it soft and burnable. The sperm whale provided superior burning oil, but this was expensive. In 1830 a new substance called “camphene” was patented, and it proved to be an excellent illuminant. But while camphene gave a bright light it too remained expensive, had an unpleasant odor,  and also was dangerously explosive.          Between 1830 and 1850, it seemed that the only hope for cheaper illumination in the United States was the wider use of gas. In the 1840s, American gas manufacturers adopted improved British techniques for producing illuminating gas from coal. But the expense of piping gas to the consumer remained so high that until the mid–nineteenth century gas lighting was feasible only in urban areas, and only for public buildings for the wealthy. In 1854, a Canadian doctor, Abraham Gesner, patented a process for distilling a pitch like mineral found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that produced illuminating gas and an oil  that he called “kerosene” (from “keros”, the Greek word for wax, and “ene” because it resembled camphene). Kerosene, though cheaper than camphene, had an unpleasant odor, and Gesner never made his fortune from it. But Gesner had aroused a new hope for making illuminating oil from a product  coming out of North American mines.
Câu 1: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason why better lighting had become necessary by the mid–nineteenth century?


A. increases in the number of new factories    


B. growth of cities


C. development of railroads             


D. demand for better medical facilities
Câu 2: The word “this” in paragraph 1 refers to                 .


A. oil                           


B. charcoal                              


C. lard                         


D. wick
Câu 3: What can be inferred about the illuminating gas described in the passage?


A. It had an unpleasant smell.


B. It was not allowed to be used in public buildings.


C. It was not widely available until mid–nineteenth century.


D. It was first developed in the United States.
Câu 4: The word “resembled” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to             .


A. cost the same as      


B. was made from  


C. sounded like 


D. was similar to
Câu 5: Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?


A. a description of events in chronological order  


B. a comparison of two years


C. an analysis of scientific findings    


D. the statement of a theory and possible explanations

A.
B.
C.
D.

Task 4. 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 16 – 20.              If the salinity of ocean waters is analyzed, it is found to vary only slightly from place to place. Nevertheless, some of these small changes are important. There are three basic processes that cause a change in oceanic salinity. One of these is the subtraction of water from the ocean by means of evaporation-conversion of liquid water to water vapor. In this manner, the salinity is increased, since the salt behind. If this is carried to the extreme, of course, white crystals of salt would be left behind.             The opposite of evaporation is precipitation, such as rain, by which water is added to the ocean. Here the ocean is being diluted so that the salinity is decreased. This may occur in areas of high rainfall or in coastal regions where rivers flow into the ocean. Thus salinity may be increased by the subtraction of water by evaporation, or decreased by the addition of fresh water by precipitation or runoff.              Normally, in tropical regions where the sun is very strong, the ocean salinity is somewhat higher than it is in other parts of the world where there is not as much evaporation. Similarly, in coastal regions where rivers dilute the sea, salinity is somewhat lower than in other oceanic areas.            A third process by which salinity may be altered is associated with the formation and melting of sea ice. When seawater is frozen, the dissolved materials are left behind. In this manner, seawater directly beneath freshly formed sea ice has a higher salinity than it did before the ice appeared. Of course, when this ice melts, it will tend to decrease the salinity of the surrounding water.             In the Weddell Sea, off Antarctica, the densest water in the ocean is formed as a result of this freezing process, which increases the salinity of cold water. This heavy water sinks and is found in the deeper portions of the oceans of the world.
Câu 1: The word “it” in paragraph 4 refers to__________.


A. sea ice


B. manner                                


C. seawater                             


D. salinity
Câu 2: Which of the following is NOT a result of the formation of ocean ice?


A. The surrounding water sinks     


B. Water salinity decreases


C. The salt remains in the water          


D. The water becomes denser
Câu 3: What does the passage mainly discuss?


A. The salinity of ocean water    


B. The many forms of ocean life


C. The elements of salt          


D. The bodies of water of the world
Câu 4: Why does the author mention the Weddell Sea?


A. To show that this body of water has salinity variations   


B. To compare Antarctic waters with Arctic waters


C. To point out the location of deep waters


D. To give an example of cold-water salinity
Câu 5: According to the passage, the ocean generally has more salt in_________.


A. coastal areas      


B. rainy areas               


C. turbulent areas         


D. tropical areas

A.
B.
C.
D.