You are going to read an article about instant messaging, a way of communicating using the internet. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A – F for each part (1-6) of the article.  There is an example at the beginning (1).

CHAT WITH FRIENDS IN AN INSTANT (by Chris Toney)

A. Ways to communicate.       D. Speed and flexibility.

B. Getting started.                   E. Communicating with friends online.

C. Choose your category.        F. Long – distance solution.

1. D

Instant messaging –or IM- is more immediate than e-mail as you don’t have to check your inbox for new messages – they appear instantly. Another advantage is that more than two people at a time can join in an IM conversation, so it’s ideal for, say, making social arrangements among groups of friends.

2.

Communication by IM isn’t restricted to text. You can send pictures stored on your computer, and if you have microphones and speakers you can talk – the advantage being that internet charges are usually cheaper than phone calls. If you and a friend have webcams, you can also make a video call, in which you can see as well as hear each other.

3.

John Moran, 13, from Southport uses instant messaging to keep in touch with relatives more often”. Carol Taylor, 24, who lives in Argentina, agrees. “My parents live in the UK, and we prefer using an instant messengers to sending email or text messages as it’s more like a real on the other side of the world. “When I go online I swap messages with my cousins in Australia”, says John. It’s much cheaper than phoning them and means I can speak to them conversation”, she says. “I’d rather chat online than call them as it costs so much less”.

4.

The fist step in using IM is to download a piece of software from one of the websites that offer the service. If you already have friends who use IM, find out which program they have. It’s free, doesn’t take long to download and the only costs you face are the standard call charges while you’re on line.

5. 

Once you’ve installed this software and connected to the Internet you can start exchanging messages with your friends online. Each user of the service has their own user name. If you find out the user name of people you know, you can create a friend lists. Then, when you go on line, the software tells you which of them are also connected to the Internet, and you can send them a message.

6.

The features on offer vary depending on which service you opt for, although there is not much difference between instant messenger packages. As well as allowing you to use microphones and webcams, most give you a range of options regarding your status. You can usually appear as “online”, “busy” or “away from PC”. The “busy” status is useful if you’re online but don’t want to be disturbed. The “away from PC” status is usually used by those who are permanently online (people who have broadband or an office connection) but aren’t always at their computer.

XI. You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

A. The consequences of poor performance E. Benefiting from the power of nature

B. An unexpectedly demanding way of life F. Cooperating to overcome the power of nature

C. A solution that seems to work G. It’s not what people think

D. The terrible consequences of making a mistake H. No way out if you don’t like it

Paragraph 0: 

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1: 

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2: 

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

XI. You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

A. The consequences of poor performance   E. Benefiting from the power of nature

B. An unexpectedly demanding way of life  F. Cooperating to overcome the power of nature

C. A solution that seems to work  G. It’s not what people think

D. The terrible consequences of making a mistake  H. No way out if you don’t like it

Paragraph 0: 

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1: 

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2: 

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

Paragraph 3: 

Unlike the captains, who are professional sailors, the crews all consist of amateur volunteers who have actually paid for the privilege of taking a year off from their work and enduring these difficult conditions. On board London Light the ages range from 21 to 65. For the youngest member, Susan Porter, the trip is about the excitement of both the racing and the elements “Being able to pitch yourselves as a team against a storm gives you a huge sense of achievement”, she says

Paragraph 4: 

Jerry Wallace, a marketing director, found sailing a refreshing change from the selfish individualism of business. Although he was prepared for the discomfort, the mental stress of long distance racing was not what he has anticipated, “A grand Prix driver has a few hours of focus, a footballer 90 minutes, but we have been racing for 11 months. This is something I didn’t really appreciate before I start.”

Paragraph 5: 

Inevitably, there are tensions. The kind of people who choose to take part in races like this tend to motivated and strong-willed. On a trivial level, there are the usual arguments about things like cleaning, tidying, personal hygiene, even the way people snore. Row on a boat must be addressed immediately. Left to develop, they get much worse. On London Light they have done this by having a meeting where problems can be discussed and resolved by majority vote. Cooperation is the key, and everyone can have their say. The London is one of the few boats that has never lost any crew early because of a personality clash.

You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most

suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There

are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  (10 pts)

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

Paragraph 0:         D

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1:

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2:

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

Paragraph 3:

Unlike the captains, who are professional sailors, the crews all consist of amateur volunteers who have actually paid for the privilege of taking a year off from their work and enduring these difficult conditions. On board London Light the ages range from 21 to 65. For the youngest member, Susan Porter, the trip is about the excitement of both the racing and the elements “Being able to pitch yourselves as a team against a storm gives you a huge sense of achievement”, she says

Paragraph 4:

Jerry Wallace, a marketing director, found sailing a refreshing change from the selfish individualism of business. Although he was prepared for the discomfort, the mental stress of long distance racing was not what he has anticipated, “A grand Prix driver has a few hours of focus, a footballer 90 minutes, but we have been racing for 11 months. This is something I didn’t really appreciate before I start.”

Paragraph 5:

Inevitably, there are tensions. The kind of people who choose to take part in races like this tend to motivated and strong-willed. On a trivial level, there are the usual arguments about things like cleaning, tidying, personal hygiene, even the way people snore. Row on a boat must be addressed immediately. Left to develop, they get much worse. On London Light they have done this by having a meeting where problems can be discussed and resolved by majority vote. Cooperation is the key, and everyone can have their say. The London is one of the few boats that has never lost any crew early because of a personality clash.

Question VIII. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - F  for each paragraph from 1 - 5 of the article. Write them in the numbered blanks.

A. An easy life

B. Less money; less waste

C. Home’s like people

D. Not all good news

E. Starting to take control

F. Everything under control

INTELLIGENT HOUSING

1

  Have you ever thought about how your body works? Everyday, you make your body do lots of different actions, such as when you walk, talk, or dance. But at the same time, your body automatically does many other things that are essential for everyday life. For instance, when you blink or yawn or breathe, you don’t have to think about what you doing; your body simply carries out these task for you. You might think this is strange, but the latest houses are like this, too.

2

Now, thanks to the work of some far- sighted architects and designers, houses have become “more intelligent”. It isn’t quite true to say that houses are starting to think for themselves, but some modern homes are now using sophisticated technology to control many of the routine jobs that up to now have always been our responsibility.

3

For years, architects and builders have been trying to find ways to make houses more economical and comfortable to live in, as well as trying to reduce the amount of damage that houses do to the environment. “Intelligent” houses seem to be the ideal solution. Clever use of building materials and techniques has brought us houses that are easier and cheaper to keep warm than traditional housing. Modern water systems, together with the recycling of washing water from bathrooms and kitchens, means that “intelligent” houses use 30% less water than convetional homes.

4

“Intelligent” homes might look a little unusual from the outside. This is because the builders use a lot of glass and wood to make the walls. Some of the houses even have a grass roof because it is kinder to the atmosphere! But, inside, they are comfortable and bright. The technology, which is similar to that of your TV remote control, makes sure of this. There are always enough lights on in every room and the windows close when it starts to rain. The water is always at the correct temperature whenever you want to have a shower and the house doesn’t allow you to use more water than you need. You can even watch TV in every room, or use the close- circuit cameras to see what’s happening in the garden.

5

Until recently, we have always had to think about everything we want our houses to do. If we have wanted it to be warmer or cooler, lighter or darker, we had to turn the heating or lighting on or off. However, for some families already live in “intelligent” houses, daily life has changed in many ways. They don’t worry about turning off the light or locking the door before they go out. The house does all this for them. Families in “intelligent” houses don’t have to do as much work to keep their home clean and comfortable- and the hi-tech kitchen means it isn’t difficult to prepare family meals.

I. Read the following article. Ten sentences or parts of a sentence have been removed form the article. Choose from the list (A-L) the one which best fits each gaps (1-10). There are two extra options which you do not need to use.                                                PARENT TALK

It is well known that (1)____ . One of the most common things that parents do is (2)____. In fact, over 40% of what parents say to their young children is questions. This is much, much more question asking than you will hear (3)____ . Parent – child questioning falls into a few different categories. Most common is a “test question”. Parents often ask this kind of questions to find out (4)____ . For example, a father may ask, “what’s that?” when a child picks up a toy. Obviously, the father knows the answer; he just asks to see (5)____ . Very young children enjoy and benefit from questions like such. These questions are different from “request for information”. (6)____ is when a child is in the living room and the mother is in the kitchen and asks, “What are you doing?”(7)____. “Directives” are often stated (8)____. For example, a parent might say, “can you put these toys away?” or “Put these toys away, OK?” (9)____ but simply to follow the direction. “Interaction markers” are also common.(10)____. For example, if a father doesn’t understand what a child is saying, he might say, “what?” Or if the child doesn’t answer, he might say, “Huh?” Some language experts think that asking a lot of all these types of questions helps children to learn language more quickly.

List of sentences/ parts of sentences

A. if the child knows what it is

B. Parents ask these types of questions in order to keep a conservation going C. as a request or as a command in question form

D. so that everything is clear

E. The parent actually wants to know

F. An example of this type of question

G. what a child knows

H. young children learn a lot from their parents

I. The child can always understand them

J. The parent does not expect the child to answer

K. when adults talk to adults

L. ask their children questions
GIÚP MÌNH VỚI MỌI NGƯỜI

You are going to read an article about fitness website on the internet. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is an extra sentence which you do not need to use.

The benefits of fitness online training

                  Thanks to Internet you can now get into shape dressed in your pyjamas. By Lucy Atkins

Fitness experts these days generally agree that “natural exercise” is the answr to our unhealthy lifestyles. An activity such as stair- climbing or running for the bus, they say, gets the heart rate going for five or ten minutes, several times a day, without the boredom of going to a gym or jogging round the park.

But thanks to the Internet it is now at least theorically possible to get into great shape without even changing out of your pyjamas. The web is packed with creative, instant and varied excercises that are often avalablefree. Just start typing and watch the kilos disappear.

Joanna Hall is a fitness expert who has set up a walking club on the Internet. At her Walkative website, she promises that in six weeks you can achieve a 25% increase in fitness levels by following her activity programme based entirely on walking. “These days people are used to finding that what they need online,” she says.

 Perhaps the best way to deal with this problem is just to have a look around and see what’s out there

One click of your mouse can take you, for instance, straight into an aerobics, dance and yoga class, or introduce you to a variety of other lively activities. You can put together your own strength training programmes, concentrate on particularly week body parts or learn new ways of getting fit.

There are so many possibilities that you could spend the entire day sitting on your chair just surfing the websites and chatting with all these new friends you have made.

Quality, however, can be hardeer to find. Some sites try to attempt you into buying DVDs after they’ve started you off with free beginners” programmes.

 Sometimes the quality of the picture or the sound can be extremely poor.

You have to put up with advertisements that suddenly appear on the screen, and there is the annoying tendency of some computers suddenly to pause in the middle of an activity, then return to the the beginning of the video when you start clicking the mouse.

“ Online programmes allow you to fit your training times around other things you have to do, such as going to collge or work,´says Hall. “They can be a very effective and achievable way to exercise, something you can do all year round.” You can use them any time of the day or night, in an office, hotel room or at home. In addition, you do not have to

turn up at a gym or studio on time, wear embreassing clothing, or deal with  annoyingly fit people.

If a particular fitness programme doesn’t fit you, the website may suggest ways of adjusting it to your own needs. It should also, most importantly, offer advice on healthier living in general.

 Some sites will help you brig this about by providing charts showing how much change you can expect for a given amount of exercise. They may even encourage you to keep to your training programme by sending you regular emails, perhaps including a daily “fit tip”

All that is fine, but the trouble is that you do also need to have a certain amount of self-displine to ensure that you keep going once you have started. 

There’s also the danger that family, friends or colleagues could some in and start laughing at you at any time. And there is a risk of injury if you don’t follow the more comples instructions ( though this issue arises with exercise DVDs and poorly taught classes too). Still, if you want a cheap, possibly fuuny and definitely varied ways to get fit, then sit back and surf.

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

All of the following are true about vegetables EXCEPT that ……….

A.vegetables can keep you feeling full

B.they help you lose weight effectively

C. frozen vegetables are not good for your health

D. you feel healthier and save money with fresh vegetables in season