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 19 to 25.
Foot racing is a popular activity in the US. It is seen not only as a competitive sport but also as a way to exercise, to enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people, and to donate money to a good cause. Though serious runners may spend months training to compete, other runners and walkers might not train at all. Those not competing to win might run in an effort to beat their own time or simply to enjoy the fun and exercise. People of all ages, from those of less than one year (who may be pushed in astrollers) to those in their eighties, enter into this sport. The races are held on city streets, on college campuses, through parks, and in suburban areas, and they are commonly 5 to 10 kilometers in length.
The largest footrace in the world is the 12-kilometer Bay to Breakers race that is held in San Francisco every spring. This race begins on the east side of the city near San Francisco Bay and ends on the west side at the Pacific Ocean. There may be 80.000 or more people running in this race through the streets and hills of San Francisco. In the front are the serious runners who compete to win and who might finish in as little as 35 minutes. Behind them are the thousands who take several hours to finish. In the back of the race are those who dress in costumes and come just for fun. One year there was a group of men who dressed like Elvis Presley, and another group consisted of firefighters who were tied together in a long line and who were carrying a fire hose. There was even a bridal party, in which the bride was dressed in a long white gown and the groom wore a tuxedo. The bride and groom threw flowers to bystanders, and they were actually married at some point along the route.
The word “beat” as used in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by which of the following?
A. incline
B. overturn
C. outdo
D. undermine
Đáp án C.
Key word: Beat, paragraph 1, replaced by.
Clue: “Those not competing to win might run in an effort to beat their own time or simply to enjoy the fun and exercise”: Những ai không thi đấu để chiến thắng có thể chạy với nỗ lực chiến thắng thành tích cũ hoặc có thể chỉ đơn giản là để tận hưởng cuộc vui và luyện tập.
A. incline (v): có xu hướng, cúi đầu (đồng ỷ)
Ex: His obvious sincerity inclined me to trust him: Sự chân thành hiển nhiên của ông đã làm tôi tin tưởng ông.
He inclined his head in acknowledgement: Anh ấy cúi đầu trong sự thừa nhận.
B. overturn (v): lật đổ, đảo lộn tình thế, chính thức quyết định cái gì đó không còn hiệu lực
Ex: He stood up quickly, overturning his chair.
His sentence was overturned by the appeal court: Án của ông đã được xóa bởi tòa án phúc thẩm.
C. outdo (v): vượt qua (làm tốt hơn ai đó) = beat
Ex: Sometimes small firms can outdo big business when it comes to customer care: Đôi khi các công ty nhỏ có thể vượt qua các công ty kinh doanh lớn bởi chúng chú trọng đến việc chăm sóc khách hàng.
Not to be outdone (= not wanting to let somebody else do better), she tried again: Không muốn để người ta hơn mình, cô ấy cố gắng lần nữa
D. undermine: làm yếu đi, đục khoét, phá hoại
Ex: This crisis has undermined his position: Cuộc khủng hoảng này đã làm suy yếu vị trí của ông.