Read the following passage and choose the option (A, B, C or D) that best answers each of the questions below.

At the top of the list of the costliest natural disasters in the history of the United States is Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest hurricane ever to hit the U. S. It affected 90,000 square miles in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama.

The hurricane formed over the Bahamas and turned into a Category 1 hurricane by the time it hit the southeastern tip of Florida. It got stronger as it traveled across the Gulf of Mexico. It made its second landfall off the coast of southeast Louisiana on Monday, August 29, 2005. It had become a category 4 hurricane by then. The storm surge that followed caused destruction from central Florida to Texas. New Orleans, Louisiana, experienced even more damage because its levees were breeched, letting water flood a large portion of the city.

The National Weather Service warned people of the tropical monster that was heading towards the southern coast. Residents were told to expect power outages. They were told they might lose their rooftops and to expect water shortages. The National Hurricane Director was very concerned. He personally called the governors of Louisiana and Mississippi. He even called President Bush at his ranch in Texas. He spoke directly with New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin. Nagin issued an evacuation order for his city. Most people left. About eighty percent of the population evacuated. The estimate was that around 100,000 people remained in

the metro area. Some were stranded tourists; others did not own a car and had no way out. Those who were not able to leave were instructed to go to the New Orleans Convention Center and the Superdome.

41.     What is the passage mainly about?

A. The history of the United States hurricanes.

B. A hurricane in the history of the United States.

C. Hurricanes in the world, especially in the United States.

D. What the United States does to prevent hurricanes.

42.     According to the passage, what is NOT true about Hurricane Katrina?

A. It is the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States.

B. It is the third strongest hurricane ever to hit the US.

C. It affected 90,000 square miles in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama.

D. It formed over the Bahamas.

43. What can be true from the passage about Hurricane Katrina when it hit the southeastern tip of Florida?

A. It was very weak.                                            B. It was very strong.

C. It was not as weak as it started.                      D. It was not as strong as it started.

44.What is NOT true about the National Hurricane Director?

A. He called the governors of Mississippi.

B. He called President Bush at his ranch in Texas.

C. He spoke directly with the New Orleans mayor.

D. He was very unconcerned.

45. According to the passage, how many people were evacuated?

A. About 80,000 people.                                     B. About 80% of the population.

C. Around 100,000 people.                                 D. Around 20% of the population.

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.

Read the following passage then choose the one answer A, B, C or D which you think the correct

Dinosaurs were reptiles that lived during a period of earth’s history called the Mesozoic Era, which is known as the Age of Reptiles. The first dinosaurs appcared more than 200 million ycars ago. For many millions of years, they dominated the land with their huge size and strength. Then about 65 million years ago, they died out rather suddenly, never to reemerge.

The word dinosaur comes from two Greek words meaning “terrible lizard”. Dinosaurs were not lizards, but their appcarancc could be truly terrifying. The biggest ones weighed more than ten times as much as a mature elephant and nearly equaled the size of most modem—day whales. The famous kinds of dinosaurs, including the brontosaur and tyrannosaurus rex, reached 80 to 90 feet in length. Not all dinosaurs were giants, however, some were actually no larger than a chicken.

Scientists still do not know what caused dinosaur to disappear. One theory involves a change in the earth’s climate. It is believed that temperature dropped significantly towards the end of the Crctaccous Period. Too large to hibemate and not having fur or feathers for protection, it is possible that the climate became too chilly for dinosaurs. In contrast, other species having protection, such as the mammals and birds, were able to survive.

Question:It can be inferred from the passage that the Age of Reptiles lasted about_________

A. 135 million years

B. 200 million years

C. 80 million ycars

D. 65 million years

Read the following passage then choose the one answer A, B, C or D which you think correct

Dinosaurs were reptiles that lived during a period of earth’s history called the Mesozoic Era, which is known as the Age of Reptiles. The first dinosaurs appcared more than 200 million ycars ago. For many millions of years, they dominated the land with their huge size and strength. Then about 65 million years ago, they died out rather suddenly, never to reemerge.

The word dinosaur comes from two Greek words meaning “terrible lizard”. Dinosaurs were not lizards, but their appcarancc could be truly terrifying. The biggest ones weighed more than ten times as much as a mature elephant and nearly equaled the size of most modem—day whales. The famous kinds of dinosaurs, including the brontosaur and tyrannosaurus rex, reached 80 to 90 feet in length. Not all dinosaurs were giants, however, some were actually no larger than a chicken.

Scientists still do not know what caused dinosaur to disappear. One theory involves a change in the earth’s climate. It is believed that temperature dropped significantly towards the end of the Crctaccous Period. Too large to hibemate and not having fur or feathers for protection, it is possible that the climate became too chilly for dinosaurs. In contrast, other species having protection, such as the mammals and birds, were able to survive

It can be inferred from the passage that the Age of Reptiles lasted about_________

A. 135 million years

B. 200 million years

C. 80 million ycars

D. 65 million years

I. Read the following passage and choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank.

    Write your answer (A, B, C, or D) in the space given on the right. (5 pts)

Around the age of sixteen, you must make one of the biggest decisions of your life. “Do I stay on at school and hopefully go on to university --(1)--? Do I leave and start work or begin a training --(2)--?” The decision is yours, but it may be --(3)-- remembering two things: there is more unemployment --(4)-- those who haven’t been to university, and people who have the right --(5)-- will have a big advantage in the competition for jobs. If you decide to go --(6)-- into a job, there are many opportunities for training. Getting qualifications will --(7)-- you to get on more quickly in many careers, and evening classes allow you to learn --(8)-- you earn. Starting work and taking a break to study when you are older is --(9)-- possibility. In this way, you can save up money for your student days, as well as --(10)-- practical work experience.

1.       A. term                    B. class                      C. school                   D. course

2.       A. necessary          B. important               C. worth                    D. useful

3.       A. of                        B. through                  C. among                  D. between

4.       A. skills                   B. interests                C. habits                    D. arts

5.       A. instant                B. just                        C. straight                 D. direct

6.       A. help                    B. make                     C. give                       D. let

7.       A. while                   B. what                      C. where                   D. which

8.       A. another               B. always                   C. also                       D. again

9.       A. doing                  B. getting                   C. making                  D. taking

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.

Dinosaurs were reptiles that lived during a period of earth’s history called the Mesozoic Era, which is known as the Age of Reptiles. The first dinosaurs appeared more than 200 million years ago. For many millions of years, they dominated the land with their huge size and strength. Then about 65 million years ago, they died out rather suddenly, never to reemerge.
          The word dinosaur comes from two Greek words meaning “terrible lizard”. Dinosaurs were not lizards, but their appearance could be truly terrifying. The biggest ones weighed more than ten times as much as a mature elephant and nearly equaled the size of most modern—day whales. The famous kinds of dinosaurs, including the brontosaur and tyrannosaurus, reached 80 to 90 feet in length. Not all dinosaurs were giants, however, some were actually no larger than a chicken.
          Scientists still do not know what caused dinosaur to disappear. One theory involves a change in the earth’s climate. It is believed that temperature dropped significantly towards the end of the Cretaceous Period. Too large to hibernate and not having fur or feathers for protection, it is possible that the climate became too chilly for dinosaurs. In contrast, other species having protection, such as the mammals and birds, were able to survive

It can be inferred from the passage that the Age of Reptiles lasted about _______

A. 200 million years      

B. 135 million years       

C. 80 million years         

D. 65 million years

6. Read the following passage and choose the option (A, B, C or D) that best answers each of the questions below.

Ashley Trent

Ashley Trent, one of our most popular young actors, is now filming college Rap. He began having acting lessons six years ago and was in his play at ten years old.

At fourteen, he immediately became well known, not for acting in the theater, but on TV. “That was fun!” he says. “I was in a fast-food advert with a cartoon clown, but filming College Rap is much harder work. I have to play baseball and sing in the film, which is fine, but I need to have dancing lessons too. When we finish filming each day, I don’t go out with friends. I usually sit in the bath for an hour because my legs and arms hurt! But I’m enjoying myself because the three adult actors who the teachers in College Rap are really good. They’ve filmed all over the world. They’ve taught me to remember my lines more quickly too. I needed half a day to learn five pages before, but now I only need a quarter of an hour.”

1. When Ashley was 14, he acted in a _____.

A. TV advertisement               B. theater                     C. cartoon film            D. college

2. In his latest film, Ashley has to learn to _____.

A. sing                                     B. dance                      C. play baseball           D. rap

3. What does Ashley often do after filming?

A. He exercises.

B. He meets his friends.

C. He has a long bath

D. He goes for a walk.

4. Ashley’s having fun at the moment because he _____.

A. is not at school

B. is travelling a lot

C. is working with great actors

D. earns a lot of money

5. To remember five pages of lines, Ashley now need _____.

A. 15 minutes                          B. one hour                 C. half a day                D. half an hour

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

The business of tennis clothes has grown astoundingly in the past few years. Over $250 million is spent annually on the trappings of tennis. Apparently everyone wants to look like a pro, even though 20% of the clientele has never even played the game.

Manufacturers pay the stars lucrative fees for wearing their brands of clothes and wielding their racquets on center court. Chris Evert-Lloyd, for example, is rumored to have signed a five-year contract for $5 million with Ellesse, a producer of fancy, expensive tennis wear. John McEnroe gets a reported $600,000 for playing with a Dunlop racquet, $330,000 for sporting Tacchini clothes, and $100,000 for tying his Nike tennis shoes. Obviously, in a bad year, these stars make more as fashion models than as athletes.

Not only tennis players get free clothing, but also all the people involved in the game - the referees, linespeople, ball boys and girls - are living advertisements for tennis wear producers. Where, traditionally, conservative white clothing was required for the entire tennis coterie, changing times have seen a new vogue in tennis outfits. Flamboyant colors, designers’ nameplates, geometric figures, and bold lines distinguish the new tennis togs from their predecessors.

- clientele (n): khách hàng                                           - lucrative (adj): (tiền thù lao,...) hậu hĩnh

26. What can be understood from this reading?

      a. Tennis clothing appeals to everyone.

b. Tennis stars can get huge sums for wearing a manufacturer’s brands of clothes and wielding his or her racquets.

c. The price of tennis racquets has remained stable.

d. Bright colors tempt people to buy tennis wear.

27. What is the writer trying to do?

      a. Explain why the cost of tennis clothes has risen.

      b. Defend tennis wear manufacturers from complaints about their high prices.

      c. Describe the means of advertising expensive tennis clothes.

      d. Describe the new tennis clothing.

28. What is the best title for the passage?

      a. The Tennis Stars                                                 b. Big Business in Tennis Wear

      c. The High Cost of Playing Tennis                       d. Tennis Stars’ Flamboyant Clothes

29. It is stated that John McEnroe _____.

      a. wears flamboyant clothing on the court

      b. may be earning over $1 million for using tennis products

      c. make more as fashion models than as athletes

      d. has had a bad year in tennis competitions

30. Which of the following is true?

      a. Tennis clothing is only bought by the well-to-do.

      b. Those who wear expensive tennis clothes play tennis.

      c. Tennis clothing appeals to fashion models.

      d. The coloration of tennis wear has changed.

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 37 to 43.

      Anthropologists have pieced together the little they know about the history of left - handedness and right - handedness from indirect evidence. Though early men and women did not leave written records, they did leave tools, bones, and pictures. Stone Age hand axes and hatchets were made from stones that were carefully chipped away to form sharp cutting edges. In some, the pattern of chipping shows that these tools and weapons were made by right handed people, designed to fit comfortably into a right hand. Other Stone Age implements were made by or for left-handers Prehistoric pictures, painted on the walls of caves, provide further clues to the handedness of ancient people. A right - hander finds it easier to draw faces of people and animals facing toward the left, whereas a left - hander finds it easier to draw faces facing toward the right. Both kinds of faces have been found in ancient painting. On the whole, the evidence seems to indicate that prehistoric people were either ambidextrous or about equally likely to be left - or right - handed.

      But, in the Bronze Age, the picture changed. The tools and weapons found from that period are mostly made for right - handed use. The predominance of right - handedness among humans today had apparently already been established.

Which of the following helped lead to conclusions about whether Stone Age people preferred one hand to the other?

A. Petrified forms of vegetation

B. Patterns of stone chipping

C. Fossilized waste material

D. Fossilized footprints