VI. Read the passage and do the tasks below. (1 pt)

Together with Bai Dinh and Yen Tu Pagoda Festival, Huong Pagoda Festival is among the greatest Buddhist festivals in northern part of Vietnam. Huong Pagoda is located in My Duc District, 70 kilometers away from Hanoi to the south. This festival lasts for three months from the first to the third month in Lunar Calendar. In fact, the official opening day for the festival is on the 6^th day of the first Lunar month. Like other festivals in Vietnam, Huong Pagoda Festival is also divided into two parts: The ceremonies and the entertaining activities. Ceremonial rituals consist of incense offering procession and Zen ceremony in which Monks and Buddhists offer incense, flowers, candles and fruits. During the ceremony, there are two monks performing beautiful and flexible dances. On the other hand, entertaining activities include enjoying boat cruise along Yen Stream for watching picturesque scenery, climbing mountain and exploring holy caves. It is believed that climbing up the top of Huong Tich Mountain will bring you fulfillment and great success in life.

Task 1. Decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

1. ______ Huong Pagoda Festival is the greatest Buddhist festival in northern part of Vietnam.

2. ______ Enjoying boat cruise along Yen Stream for watching picturesque scenery is an entertaining activity at the festival.

Task 2. Choose the best answer A, B, or C.

3. How long does the festival last?

A. 1 month.                        B. 3 months.                C. 6 days.

4. What do the ceremonial rituals consist of?

A. Incense offering procession and Zen ceremony.

B. Incense and flower offerings.

C. Offerings of incense, flowers, candles and fruits.

Read the text below. Answer T (True), F (False), or NG (Not given). (2.0
pts)
Perfume Pagoda is a religious site as well as being a great sight-seeing spot in Viet
Nam. It is situated in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, Ha Noi. It is a vast
complex of Buddhist temples and shrines, including Den Trinh (Presentation Shrine)
and Thien Tru (Heaven Kitchen) Pagoda, in the limestone Huong Tich mountains.
The centre of this complex is the Perfume Temple, also called Chua Trong (Inner
Temple), located in Huong Tich Cavern. It is thought that the first temple was built
on the current site of Thien Tru in the 15th century during the reign of Le Thanh
Tong. Over the years some of its structures which were in ruins have been restored
or replaced.
Many Vietnamese works of literature, both old and modern, have made Perfume
Pagoda their focus. It has also provided backdrops for many famous paintings. Its
beauty has been used as a theme of many famous songs and a topic of lyric poetry.
Nowadays during its festival (from the middle of
January to the middle of March on the lunar calendar), Perfume Pagoda attracts large
numbers of pilgrims from all over Viet Nam.
Statements T F Not
given

1. Perfume Pagoda is both a religious site and a great sight-seeing
spot in Viet Nam.
2. Thien Tru (Heaven Kitchen) Pagoda, also known as Chua Ngoai
(Outer Pagoda)
3. The Inner Temple is located in Huong Tich Cavern.
4. The first temple is thought to have been built on the current site of
Thien Tru in the 1590.
5. The beauty of the Perfume Pagoda has been the subject of many
famous songs and poems.
6. Pilgrims from all over the world visit the Perfume Pagoda during its festival.

VII. Read the passage and do the tasks that follow. (1pt) 

Australia is one of the largest countries on Earth. It is located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide are the largest cities in Australia. Much of the land is covered by a desert area known as the ‘outback’. It contains the country’s largest deserts, where the temperatures are really hot. There is little water and hardly and vegetation. Today, few people live in the outback, though the Aborigines, the original inhabitants of Australia, learned to survive the hot, harsh conditions. Some Aborigines still live in the outback but many have now moved to the cities. Ayers Rock is one of the most impressive natural sights in Australia. The large mass of sandstone stands in the middle of a flat desert and reaches a height of 335 m. It is the largest rock in the world.

*Write True (T) or False (F). (0.5pt)

1. Australia is the largest country on Earth. _______

2. Some Aborigines still live in the outback while many have now moved to the cities. _______

*Answer the questions. (0.5pt) 

3. Is there a lot of water and vegetation in Australia’s deserts?

 ___________________________

4. What is one of the most impressive natural sights in Australia?

 _____________________________

Perfume Pagoda is a religious site as well as being a great sight-seeing spot in Viet Nam. It is situated in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, Ha Noi. It is a vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines, including Den Trinh (Presentation Shrine) and Thien Tru (Heaven Kitchen) Pagoda, in the limestone Huong Tich mountains. The centre of this complex is the Perfume Temple, also called Chua Trong (Inner Temple), located in Huong Tich Cavern. It is thought that the first temple was built on the current site of Thien Tru in the 15th century during the reign of Le Thanh Tong. Over the years some of its structures which were in ruins have been restored or replaced.

Many Vietnamese works of literature, both old and modern, have made Perfume Pagoda their focus. It has also provided backdrops for many famous paintings. Its beauty has been used as a theme of many famous songs and a topic of lyric poetry. Nowadays during its festival (from the middle of January to the middle of March on the lunar calendar), Perfume Pagoda attracts large numbers of pilgrims from all over Viet Nam.

 The One Pillar Pagoda has become the symbol of Vietnamese culture and history. This unique Buddhist pagoda is located in Ha Noi, Vietnam’s second largest city. It is regarded alongside the Perfume Pagoda, as one of Vietnam’s two most iconic temples.

It was built by Emperor Ly Thai Tong of the Ly dynasty (1028 – 1054). Legend has it that Ly Thai Tong was childless and he used to go to pagodas to pray for a son. One day he was dreaming that he met Bodhisattva Avalokteshvara who handed him a baby son while seated on a beautiful lotus flower in a pond. Not long after that, his wife bore him a son. Overjoyed by this, the emperor ordered the construction of One Pillar Pagoda in 1049.

1. What is the One Pillar Pagoda? -> 

2. Where is it located? -> 

3. Who built it? -> 

4. Why did he build it? ->

Together with Bai Dinh and Yen Tu Pagoda Festival, Huong Pagoda Festival is among the greatest Buddhist festival in northern part of Vietnam. Huong Pagoda is located in My Duc District, 70 kilometers away from Hanoi to the south. This festival lasts for three months from the first to the third month in Lunar Calendar. In fact, the official opening day for the festival is on the 6th day of the first Lunar month. As other festivals in Vietnam, Huong Pagoda Festival is also divided into two parts: The ceremonies and the entertaining activities. Ceremonial rituals consist of incense offering procession and Zen ceremony in which Monks and Buddhists offer incense, flowers, candles and fruits. During the ceremony, there are two monks perforining beautiful and flexible dances. On the other hand, entertaining activities include enjoying boat cruise along Yen Stream for watching picturesque scenery, climbing mountain and exploring holy caves. It is believed that climbing up the top of Huong Tich Mountain will bring you fulfillment and great success in life. 

1. Where do people celebrate Huong Pagoda Festival? 

2. How long does the festival last? 

3. Which part of the festival do people climb the mountain? 

4. Tell some example of entertaining activities during the festival 

5. Why do people climb up the top of Huong Tich Mountain?

Together with Bai Dinh and Yen Tu Pagoda Festival, Huong Pagoda Festival is among the greatest Buddhist festival in northern part of Vietnam. Huong Pagoda is located in My Duc District, 70 kilometers away from Hanoi to the south. This festival lasts for three months from the first to the third month in Lunar Calendar. In fact, the official opening day for the festival is on the 6th day of the first Lunar month. As other festivals in Vietnam, Huong Pagoda Festival is also divided into two parts: The ceremonies and the entertaining activities. Ceremonial rituals consist of incense offering procession and Zen ceremony in which Monks and Buddhists offer incense, flowers, candles and fruits. During the ceremony, there are two monks performing beautiful and flexible dances. On the other hand, entertaining activities include enjoying boat cruise along Yen Stream for watching picturesque scenery, climbing mountain and exploring holy caves. It is believed that climbing up the top of Huong Tich Mountain will bring you fulfillment and great success in life.

1.  Where do people celebrate Huong Pagoda Festival?

        ................................................................................................................................................

2.  How long does the festival last?

        ................................................................................................................................................

3.  Which part of the festival do people climb the mountain?

        ................................................................................................................................................

4.  Why do people climb up the top of Huong Tich Mountain?

        ................................................................................................................................................

Tran Temple Festival, one of the largest annual spring festivals in Vietnam, is held on the 14th night and 15th day of the first lunar month at the national historical complex of the Tran Kings’ shrines and tombs in Tien Duc Commune, Hung Ha District, Nam Dinh City. It usually begins with an incense-offering rite at the kings’ tombs and a ritual for the opening of the gates of Den Thanh (Thanh Temple), Den Mau (Mother Temple) and the Tran Kings’ shrines. They are followed by a ‘water procession’, in which people will carry nine ornate palanquins with memorial plaques of the Kings of the Tran Dynasty and members of their royal families. A series of folk games are also organized during the festival, such as a rice-cooking challenge, clay firecrackers, chung cake wrapping and tug of war, alongside traditional performances and sport games including lion dances, dragon dances, cheo and chau van singing, human chess, wrestling and martial arts.

      The Tran Temple Festival was recognized as a national intangible heritage in 2014. The historical complex of the Tran Kings’ shrines and tombs received special national relic status last year.

      - ornate (adj): được sơn son thiếp vàng          - palanquin (n): kiệu rước (lễ hội)

1.   How often is the Tran Temple Festival held?

      a. every month            b. every year               c. every two years      d. twice a year

2.   The Tran Temple Festival usually begins with ________.

      a. formal ceremonies                                      b. a water procession

      c. prayers of thanks                                         d. incense offerings to the gods

3.   The word ‘they’ in the passage refers to ________.

      a. temples                    b. offerings                  c. shrines      d. rituals

4.   What does ‘plaque’ mean?         

      a. a large picture printed on paper

      b.a wide piece of cloth with a message on it

      c.a small piece of paper with information on it

      d.a flat piece of metal, wood or stone with writing on it

5.   Which of the followings is not organized in the festival?

      a. rice cooking            b. tug of war                c. boat race      d. human chess

5.   Based on the information in the text, which statement is false?

      a.The Tran Temple Festival aims to honour the Tran Dynasty.

      b.The seal opening ceremony takes place on the 14th night.

      c.The main rituals are preceded by a water procession.

      d.Traditional cheo and chau van singing is performed in the festival.

7,   Which of the followings is not mentioned in the text?

      a.The Tran Dynasty is the most brilliant reign in Vietnamese history.

      b.Tran Temple Festival was recognized as a national intangible heritage.

      c. Nine ornate palanquins are carried in the water procession.

            d.There are plenty of activities to keep festival goers entertained.

II. Read the passage and answer the questions.

Together with Bai Dinh and Yen Tu Pagoda Festival, Huong Pagoda Festival is among the greatest Buddhist festival in northern part of Vietnam. Huong Pagoda is located in My Duc District, 70 kilometers away from Hanoi to the south. This festival lasts for three months from the first to the third month in Lunar Calendar. In fact, the official opening day for the festival is on the 6th day of the first Lunar month. As other festivals in Vietnam, Huong Pagoda Festival is also divided into two parts: The ceremonies and the entertaining activities. Ceremonial rituals consist of incense offering procession and Zen ceremony in which Monks and Buddhists offer incense, flowers, candles and fruits. During the ceremony, there are two monks performing beautiful and flexible dances. On the other hand, entertaining activities include enjoying boat cruise along Yen Stream for watching picturesque scenery, climbing mountain and exploring holy caves. It is believed that climbing up the top of Huong Tich Mountain will bring you fulfillment and great success in life.

1. Where do people celebrate Huong Pagoda Festival?

..................................................................................................

2. How long does the festival last?

..........................................................................................................................................

3. Which part of the festival do people climb the mountain?

..........................................................................................................................................

4. Tell some example of entertaining activities during the festival

..........................................................................................................................................

5. Why do people climb up the top of Huong Tich Mountain?

..........................................................................................................................................