Read each main idea and then quickly skim the reading passage to find the paragraph it describes. Write the letter of the paragraph in the space.

A   It seems every day that Elon Musk makes headline news. The inventor, engineer, and entrepreneur is involved with several innovative projects: Tesla electric cars, OpenAI artificial intelligence, Hyperloop high-speed transportation systems, supersonic jet aircraft, and SolarCity. But Musk's most noteworthy project is SpaceX which is dedicated to advancing rocket and spacecraft technology with the aim of establishing a self-sustaining settlement on Mars.

B   Space Exploration Technologies - better known by its nickname SpaceX - was started in 2002 with the long term goal of establishing "a spacefaring civilization." Musk is making a comparison with the seafaring that characterized the Age of Exploration from the late 1400s to the 1700s. During that period, Europeans explored parts of the world that had previously been unknown. The exploration led to settlements, trade, and exchanges between all parts of the world. Recently, Musk said, "The future of humanity is fundamentally going to bifurcate along one of two directions: Either we're going to become a multiplanet species and a spacefaring civilization, or we're going to be stuck on one planet until some eventual extinction event."¹

C   Musk is not exactly sure what might wipe out humans on planet Earth, but some ideas are an asteroid, a super volcano eruption, a virus or even catastrophic global warming. But aside from the threats, he is eager to move into space, not only to explore it but also to establish a human colony on Mars.

D   Around 2002, Musk saw flaws in the existing space program which was based on the space shuttle and expensive rockets that could only be used once. He was determined to design and create reusable rockets that make space exploration much less expensive. By 2015, SpaceX had developed and tested the first rocket booster that was able to land and be used again. NASA, the US national space agency, gave SpaceX contracts to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) after they retired the space shuttle.

E   In September 2016, Musk announced his plans to send the first people to Mars by 2025. After that, large numbers of people would become settlers, but they would need to be supplied with everything necessary for life. Musk says, "What really matters is being able to send a large number of people, like tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people, and ultimately millions of tons of cargo."² That's why he thinks reusable rockets are so important.

F   Establishing a colony on Mars has many challenges. First is the need to fuel the spacecraft from the sun's energy outside Earth's atmosphere. There are problems transporting all the supplies needed to sustain life including air, food, and water. Landing a spacecraft on Mars gently would be tricky. Then there are the human problems. Research on astronauts at the ISS has shown that living for a long time in a weightless situation causes bone loss, vision problems, and perhaps psychological changes. Lastly, there's no quick trip back to Earth in emergencies.

G    Experts in space technology have had mixed reactions to Musk's plan. Some see the program as too ambitious or are concerned about the schedule. Others acknowledge the need for space exploration and settlement and admire Musk's vision. Kenny Todd, an operations manager for NASA's Johnson Space Center, put it this way: "You gotta start somewhere. You gotta start with dreaming," Todd said, "And sometime in there, things become actual."³

¹ Source of quote: Elon Musk: A Million Humans Could Live on Mars By the 2060s by Nadia Drake (news.nationalgeographic.com)

^2, 3 Source of quotes: Mars: Inside the High-Risk, High-Stakes Race to the Red Planet by Joel Achenbach (nationalgeographic.com)

30.       A comparison between past and future exploration

31.       Difficulties associated with settlement on Mars

32.       Information about Musk's other roles and projects

33.       Reasons why SpaceX developed reusable rockets

34.       An idea of how many people would be involved in settling on Mars

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

The thing that makes it different from other caves in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is ……….

A. stalactites and stalagmites

B. the two entrances into the cave

C. its discovery by a local man

D. large holes in the ceiling

Read the article and then decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

Information about what happens in the world comes to us in many ways. Television and radio are two important ways of the news. They get the news out faster than the newspapers and magazines, and they don't have to be read. Television and radio stations broadcast the news several times each day. In America, there are the news programmes every hour. People can choose the favourite TV programmes, such as sports, films, fashion, news, etc. People who cannot read get the news from television or radio easily.

Television stations broadcast the news several times each day.

A. True

B. False

Read the article and then decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

Information about what happens in the world comes to us in many ways. Television and radio are two important ways of the news. They get the news out faster than the newspapers and magazines, and they don't have to be read. Television and radio stations broadcast the news several times each day. In America, there are the news programmes every hour. People can choose the favourite TV programmes, such as sports, films, fashion, news, etc. People who cannot read get the news from television or radio easily.

People cannot choose the TV programmes that they like.

A. True

B. False

VI. Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question.

            Percy Lebaron Spencer (1894-1970) was an American engineer and inventor. Like several great inventors, Dr Percy Spencer made his most famous discovery by accident. He was testing a new piece of radar technology called “ magnetron” in a laboratory in 1946 when the candy bar in his pocket started to cook. This interested him, so he put some corn next to the magnetron and that cook too !

            The next day Dr Spencer and his colleague placed an egg near the magnetron. Dr Spencer’s curious colleague took a step closer to check the egg-just in time for it to explode and cover his face !

            After a short time, the company Dr Spencer worked for was trying to find a more controlled way to use this microwave energy to cook food. In 1947, the first microwave oven became available. It was almost two metres tall and weighed over 350 kilos !

            Finally in 1966 technology became advanced enough to produce microwaves for everyday domestic use. By then they were such smaller and easier to control. Nowadays you can see microwave ovens all over the world. They are here to stay.

1.Dr Spencer discovered that…………………

            A. a new piece was called “magnetron”                     B. a candy bar could cook his pocket.

            C. magnetron could cook food                                   D. invention often happened by accident

2. The first microwave was invented in………….

            A. 1946                       B. 1947                       C. 1966                       D. 1970

3. Which of the following in NOT true, according to the passage?

            A. Dr Percy Spencer was a radar expert.

            B. His colleague had a minor accident in the experiment.

            C. The first microwave was hardly convenient to use.

            D. Microwave ovens are now part of our life.

4. The phrase “ by accident” in the first sentence mostly means……………

            A. on  purpose             B. by the way              C. not controlled         D. not planned

5. What could be the best tittle for the article?

            A. The Uses of Microwave Ovens                 B. The History of Microwave Ovens

            C. The story of Dr Percy Spencer                   D. The inventions of Dr Percy Spencer

Fill each blank with one suitable word to complete the passage below (2pts)

Information about what happens in the world comes to us in many ways. Television and radio are two important ways of the news. They get the news out faster than the newspapers and magazines, and they don’t have to be read. Television and radio stations broadcast the news several times each day. In America, there are the news programmes every hour. People can choose the favourite TV programmes, such as sports, films, fashions, news… People who can not read get the news from television or radio easily.

True            False

1. There are only two ways of getting the news .....

2. Television and radio get the news faster than other ways .....

3. Television stations broadcast the news several times each day .....

4. People can not choose the TV programmes that they like .....

5. Television can bring the news to people who can not read .....

and II. Read the passage carefully and then choose the best answer. (1.5pts)

      Percy Lebaron Spencer (1894 – 1970) was an American engineer and inventor. Like several great inventors, Dr. Percy Spencer made his most famous discovery by accident. He was testing a new piece of radar technology called “magnetron” in a laboratory in 1946 when the candy bar in his pocket started to cook. This interested him, so he put some corn next to the magnetron – and that cooked too! The next day Dr. Spencer and his colleague placed an egg near the magnetron. Dr. Spencer’s curious colleague took a step closer to check the egg – just in time for it to explode and cover his face! After a short time, the company weighed over 350 kilos! Finally in 1966 technology became advanced enough to produce microwaves for everyday domestic use. By then they were much smaller and easier to control. Nowadays you can see microwave ovens all over the world. They are here to stay.

1.Dr. Spencer discovered that………………..

A. a new piece was called “magnetron”     B. a candy bar could cook his pocket

C. magnetron could cook food              D. invention often happened by accident

2.The first microwave was invented  in………………..

A.1946                       B.1947                       C.1966                       D.1970

3.Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?

A. Dr. Percy Spencer was a radar expert.

B. His colleague had a minor accident in the experiment.

C. The first microwave was hardly convenient to use.

D. Microwave ovens are now part of our life.

4.The phrase “by accident” in the passage mostly means....................

A. on purpose           B. by the way            C. not controlled      D. not planned

5. Percy Lebaron Spencer died at the age of………………..

A.70                            B.75                            C. 76                           D.86

6.What could be the best title for the article?

A. The Uses of Microwave Ovens                     B. The History of Microwave Ovens

C. The Story of Dr. Percy Spencer                    D. The inventions of Dr. Percy Spencer

Read the article and then decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

Information about what happens in the world comes to us in many ways. Television and radio are two important ways of the news. They get the news out faster than the newspapers and magazines, and they don't have to be read. Television and radio stations broadcast the news several times each day. In America, there are the news programmes every hour. People can choose the favourite TV programmes, such as sports, films, fashion, news, etc. People who cannot read get the news from television or radio easily.

There are only two ways of getting the news.

A. True

B. False

Read the article and then decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

Information about what happens in the world comes to us in many ways. Television and radio are two important ways of the news. They get the news out faster than the newspapers and magazines, and they don't have to be read. Television and radio stations broadcast the news several times each day. In America, there are the news programmes every hour. People can choose the favourite TV programmes, such as sports, films, fashion, news, etc. People who cannot read get the news from television or radio easily.

Television can bring the news to people who cannot read.

A. True

B. False