Levi Strauss a young immigrant from Germany ,arrived in san francisco in 1850 .California was in the middle of the Gold Rush, thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold and  Levi Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners . Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Levi Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

      One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn´t find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing Strauss got an idea he quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants these pants were what the miners needed . In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.
Strauss wanted to improve his pants he wanted to make them even better .He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes , a city in France and was called serge de Nimes .The miners liked this fabric they called it "denim" (from de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.
      However denim had no color because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting and they got dirty easily .To solve these problems Strauss made the denim blue.
    Strauss continued to improve his jeans .Today the company he started is known around the world and jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

      A. Choose true or false

1. Levi Strauss came to Germany in 1850.                                                                    

2. Levi Strauss came to import  canvas .                                                                      

3. Strauss got the denim from France.                                                                          

4. Strauss dyed the denim blue.                                                                                     

      B. Choose the most suitable item.

5. What does the word” to improve” in line 8 mean?

      A. to make better        B. to take care                    C. to find more                  D. to look after

6. People like jeans because they are__________ .

      A. practical                  B. fashionable                    C. colorful                          D. A and B

Levi Strauss, a young immigrant from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush. Thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold. And Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners. Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn’t find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing. Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants. These pants were what the miners needed. In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.

Strauss wanted to improve his pants. He wanted to make them even better. He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes, a city in France, and was called serge de Nimes. The miners like this fabric. They called it “denim” from (de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.

However, denim had no color. Because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting, and they got dirty easily. To solve these problems, Strauss dyed the denim blue.

Strauss continued to improve his jeans. Today the company he started is known around the world. And Jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

True or False?

1. Levi Strauss was the first person to make blue jeans.  

2. Blue jeans got dirty easily.                                                                

3. Strauss made his first jeans from a fabric called serge de Nimes.        

4. Nimes is a city in France.                                                                     

      Questions

5. What could be the best title of the passage

 A. A Young Immigrant From Germany     B. The History of Blue Jean

 C. Serge de Nimes                                   D. The Gold Rush

6. Why did Levi Strauss come to California?

 A. to dig for gold      B. to sell pants      C. to buy denim       D. to sell canvas

I.       Read the following passage and choose the item (a, b, c, or d) that best answers each of the questions about it.

Levi Strauss, a young immigrant from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush. Thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold. And Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners. Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn't find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing. Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants. These pants were what the miners needed. In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.

Strauss wanted to improve his pants. He wanted to make them even better. He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes, a city in France, and was called serge de Nimes. The miners liked this fabric. They called it "denim" (from de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.

However, denim had no color. Because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting, and they got dirty easily. To solve these problems, Strauss dyed the denim blue.

Strauss continued to improve his jeans. Today, the company he started is known around the world. And jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

26. What could be the best title of the passage?  

      a. A Young Immigrant From Germany                  b. The History of Blue Jeans

      c. Serge de Nimes                                                   d. The Gold Rush

27. According to the writer, why did Levi Strauss come to California?

      a. He came to California to dig for gold.               b. He came to California to sell pants.

      c. He came to California to buy denim.                 d. He came to California to sell canvas.

28. Blue jeans _____.

      a. did not look very interesting                               b. are considered not practical

      c. got dirty easily                                                    d. are considered good for many uses

29. What is the meaning of the word “immigrant” in the first paragraph?

      a. person who is good in business                          b. person who buys and sells things

      c. person who moves to another country               d. person who works in a mine

30. Which of the following is not true?

      a. Levi Strauss was the first person to make blue jeans.

      b. Strauss made his first jeans from a fabric called serge de Nimes.

      c. The first jeans were very strong.

      d. Nimes is a city in France.

In 1853, the California gold rush was in full swing and everyday items were in short supply. Levi Strauss, a 24-year-old German immigrant, left New York for San Francisco with a small supply of dry goods with the intention of opening a branch of his brother's New York dry goods business. Shortly after his arrival, a prospector wanted to know what Mr. Strauss was selling. When Strauss told him he had rough canvas cloth to use for tents and wagon covers, the prospector said, “You should have brought trousers!”, because he couldn't find a pair of trousers strong enough to last. Levi Strauss had the canvas made into work trousers. Miners liked the trousers, but complained that the fabric was not very comfortable and tended to wear out. Levi Strauss substituted the canvas with a twilled cotton cloth from France called “serge de Nimes.” The fabric later became known as denim and the trousers were nicknamed blue jeans. Then Levi Strauss and Nevada tailor David Jacobs co-patented the process of putting small metal rivets in places such as the sides of the pockets that needed extra strength. On May 20, 1873, they received U.S. Patent No. 139,121. This date is now considered the official birthday of “blue jeans.” But why were they called blue jeans? Denim is unique in its singular connection with one colour. It is made from thread that is traditionally dyed with the blue pigment obtained from indigo dye. Indigo was linked with practical fabrics and work clothing. The durability of indigo as a colour and its darkness of tone made it a good choice when frequent washing was not possible.

1. What is the purpose of this text? A. to sell a product B. to solve a problem C. to argue a point D. to inform

2. What was Levi Strauss' job?

A. He was a clothes designer.

B. He was a prospector

C. He was selling textiles and clothing.

D. He was selling tools for gold mining.

3. What problem did the prospectors have?

A. There were no trousers in California.

B. They did not like Levi's product.

C. Their clothes were not stylish.

D. Their clothes wore out quickly.

4. Where did the word ‘denim’ come from?

A. the name of a French fabric

B. the indigo colour

C. David Jacobs, the tailor, thought of it

D. Levi Strauss invented it

5. Which best describes indigo dye?

A. A long lasting, practical colour that did not show dirt.

B. A colour used on all kinds of fabric to make the fabric stronger.

C. A very rare and desirable colour that was difficult to create.

D. An affordable dark colour that was only used by poor people

VII. Read the passage below and choose the correct answer to each of the questions

A young man from Germany named Levi Strauss arrived in California in 1850. He went there to sell things to the miners. He saw that the miners needed strong pants, so he began to make them. He used cloth that people made tents from. He put rivets on the pockets to make them strong because the men put rocks in their pockets. These pants were very strong and lasted a long time. The pants became very popular immediately.

Later Mr. Strauss started making jeans from cotton cloth from Nimes, France. People called this cloth denim. Denim was popular in the fifteenth century. Christopher Columbus used denim for the sails of his ships. Sailors in Genoa, Italy, wore denim pant. The words “jeans” comes from the word “Genoa”. Mr. Strauss made the first jeans in the United States, but the idea and the kind of cloth came from Europe.

Jeans were always blue until recently. People used indigo to dye them. Indigo is the oldest dye in the world. Most jeans have blue threads going across and white threads going up and down. These two colors make denim look different from other kinds of cloth.

1.     The worddenim comes from the name of a city in _______.

     A. France                             B. India                           C. Italy                                D. Germany

2.     The word jeans is from the name of a city in_______.

     A. France                             B. The United States       C. Italy                                D. Germany

3.     Levis Strauss went to California to_______.

     A. sell things to miners         B. look for gold               C. make jeans                      D. be a sailor

4.     Rivets_______.

     A. made goods sails                                                   B. made tents strong           

     C. came from Genoa                                                  D. made the pockets of jeans strong

5.     Cloth is made from thousands of_______.

     A. tents                               B. sails                           C. factories                         D. threads

VIII. Read the text and choose the best answer to complete each sentences below.

A young man from Germany named Levi Strauss arrived in California in 1850. He went there to sell things to the miners. He saw that the miners needed strong pants, so he began to make them. He used cloth that people made tents from. He put rivets on the pockets to make them strong because the men put rocks in their pockets. These pants were very strong and lasted a long time. The pants became very popular immediately.

Later Mr. Strauss started making Jeans from cotton cloth from Nimes, France. People called this cloth denim. Denim was popular in the fifteenth century. Christopher Columbus used denim for the sails of his ship. Sailors in Genoa, Italy, wore denim pants. The word “Jeans” comes from the words “Genoa”. Mr. Strauss made the first Jeans in the United States, but the idea and the kind of cloth came from Europe. The name came from France and Italy. Jeans were always blue until presently. People used indigo to dye them. Indigo is the oldest dye in the world. Most Jeans have blue threads going across and white threads going up and down. These two colors make denim look different from other kinds of cloth. 

30.  The word denim comes from the name of a city in ………………

A.   France                 B.  India                                 C.   Italy                      D.  Germany

31.  The word jeans is from the name of a city in ………………………

A . France                  B.   The United States          C.   Italy                     D.  Germany

32.  Levi Strauss went to California to ……………………….   .

A.  sell things to miners        B.  look for gold       C. make jeans             D. be  a sailor

33. Rivets………………………………….. 

A.  make good sails                                      B.  make tents strong    

C. come from Genoa                                    D.   make the pockets of jeans strong 

34. Cloth is made from thousands of ……………………  .________

A. tents                                  B.  sails                        C.  factories             D.    threads   

I.       Choose the item among a, b, c or d that best answers  the question about the passage.

A young man from Germany named Levi Strauss arrived in California in 1850. He went there to sell things to the miners. He saw that the miners needed strong pants, so he began to make them. He used cloth that people made tents from. He put rivets on the pockets to make them strong and lasted a long time. The pants became very popular immediately.

Later, Mr. Strauss started making jeans from cotton cloth from Nimes, France. People called this cloth denim. Denim was popular in the fifteenth century. Christopher Columbus used denim for the sails of his ships. Sailors in Genoa, Italy, wore denim pants. The word “jeans” comes from the word “Genoa”. Mr. Strauss made the first jeans in the United States, but the idea and the kind of cloth came from Europe. The names came from France and Italy.

Jeans were always blue until recently. People used indigo to dye them. Indigo is the oldest dye in the world. Most jeans have blue threads going across and white threads going up and down. These two colors make denim look different from other kinds of cloth.

36. The word “denim” comes from the name of a city in _____.

      a. France                       b. India                              c. Italy                               d. Germany

37. The word “jeans” is from the name of a city in _____.

      a. France                       b. the United States          c. Italy                               d. Germany

38. Levi Strauss went to California to _____.

      a. sell things to miners                                            b. look for gold

      c. make jeans                                                          d. be a sailor

39. Rivets _____.

      a. make good sails                                                  b. make tents strong         

      c. come from Genoa                                               d. make the pockets of jeans strong

40. Cloth is made from thousands of _____.

      a. tents                          b. sails                               c. factories                         d. threads

A young man from Germany named Levi Strauss arrived in California in 1850. He went there to sell things to the miners. He saw that the miners needed strong pants, so he began to make them. He used cloth that people made tents from. He put rivets on the pockets to make them strong because the man put rocks in their pockets. These pants were very strong and lasted a long time. The pants became very popular immediately.
Later Mr. Strauss started making jeans from cotton cloth from Nimes, France. People called this cloth denim. denim was popular in the fifteenth century. Christopher Columbus used denim for the sails of his ship. Sailors in Genoa, Italy, wore denim pants. The word “jeans” comes from the words 
“Genoa”. Mr. Strauss made the first jeans in the United States, but the idea and the kind of cloth came from Europe. The names came from France and Italy. jeans were always blue until presently . people used indigo to dye them . indigo is the oldest dye in the world. most jeans have blue threads going across and white threads going up and down . there two colors make denim look different from other kinds of cloth

1. the word Denim comes from the name of a city in_______

A. france    B. India   C. Italy   D.Germany

2.  the word Jeans is from the name of a city in_______

A. france    B. the united states   C. Italy   D.Germany

3.Levi Strauss went to California to_______

A. sell things to miners  B. look for gold  C. make jeans  D. be a sailor

4. Rivets_____________________________.

A. make good sails           B. make tents strong                C. come from genoa         D.make the pockets of jeans strong

5. cloth is made from thousands of_________________

A. tents   B. sails   C. factories    D.threads (coton , wool)

tại sau lại chọn 

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 61 to 65.

The Origin of Jeans

In 1853, the California gold rush was in full swing and everyday items were in short supply. Levi Srrauss, a 24-year-old German immigrant, left New York for San Francisco with a small supply of dry goods with the intention of opening a branch of his brother’s New York dry goods business. Shortly after his arrival, a prospector wanted to know what Mr. Strauss was selling. When Strauss told him he had rough canvas cloth to use for tents and wagon covers, the prospector said, “You should have brought trousers!”, because he couldn’t find a pair of trousers strong enough to last.

Levi Strauss had the canvas made into work trousers. Miners liked the trousers, but complained that the fabric was not very comfortable and tended to chafe. Levi Strauss substituted the canvas with a twilled cotton cloth from France called “serge de Nimes.” The fabric later became known as denim and the trousers were nicknamed blue jeans. Then Levi Strauss and Nevada tailor David Jacobs co-patented the process of putting small metal rivets in places such as the sides of the pockets that needed extra strength. On May 20, 1873, they received U.S. Patent No. 139.121 This date is now considered the official birthday of“blue jeans”

But why were they called blue jeans? Denim is unique in its singular connection with one color. It is made from thread that is traditionally dyed with the blue pigment obtained from indigo dye. Indigo was linked with practical fabrics and work clothing. The durability of indigo as a color and its darkness of tone made it a good choice when frequent washing was not possible.

What was Levi Strauss ’job?

A. He was a clothes designer.

B. He was a prospector.

C. He was selling textiles and clothing.

D. He was selling tools for gold mining.