Ex4. Read the following passage and choose the item (A, B, C, or D) that best answers each of the questions about it.

Just a few years ago, this place was called Dumptown. The people living here didn’t think much about where waste went when they threw it out. Things that could be reused or recycled were thrown in the trash, because nobody believed recycling made a difference. And, eventually, that became a very big problem. The garbage heap grew and began to smell. Sometimes it caught fire, and making it hard for everyone to breathe. Dumptowners knew they had to fix it. They learned to reduce the amount of waste they threw away. For example, they learned to reuse things like washing out empty jars instead of throwing them away. And, they learned to recycle. They set up bins around town to collect glass, paper, and other things, then made into new products .

1.  The people living in Dumptown________________ .

A.  didn’t think much about where the waste went

B.  threw things that could be reused or recycled into the trash

C.  didn’t believe that recycling could make a difference

D.  all are correct

2.  Which of the following could replace the word 'trash' in line 2?

5. What did they do to solve their problems?

A.  They reduced the amount of waste they threw away.

B.  They learnt to reuse things.

C.  They learnt to recycle.

D.  all are correct

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

You wouldn’t believe what happened yesterday. As I look out my hotel window this morning, I’m not sure I believe it myself.

First, I went to see the parade of the Krewe of Zulu. It was great! The people in the parade were in African clothes. They threw beads to the crowd and handed out painted coconuts. I almost got a coconut, but a woman pushed me aside and grabbed it. I did get some beads though!

To get away from the crowds, I ducked into Pat O’Brien’s, a bar next to Preservation hall where I heard some great jazz a few nights ago. Guess what? Everybody was in Pat O’Brien’s, too! I had a hurricane, a drink the bar is famous for. It’s a combination of rum and passion fruit juice. I soon found out that although it tastes like juice, it works like rum!

To clear my head, I went to the Café du Monde and had café au lait and some warm beignets. The café overlooks the Mississippi River, and its beignets are delicious!

Then, as in Cinderella, at midnight it was all over and the crowds went home. Today it seems like Mardi Gras was just a strange but beautiful dream.

- Mardi Gras: Một lễ hội được tổ chức hàng năm ở một số thành phố

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

      a. The Day After Mardi Gras                                b. A Strange but Beautiful Dream

      c. The Parade of the Krewe of Zulu                     d. New Orleans During Mardi Gras

27. The word ‘its’ in line 11 refers to _____.

      a. the Café du Monde                                           b. café au lait

      c. the Mississippi River                                        d. my head

28. In the context of the passage, what does the word “works” mean?

      a. to make somebody work                                   b. to operate

      c. to succeed                                                         d. to have a particular effect

29. From reading the passage, it seems that the writer is _____.

      a. a native of New Orleans                                    b. a tourist

      c. a hotelier                                                            d. a musician

30. Which of the following is true?

      a. The writer did get a painted coconut.

      b. Everybody didn’t like Mardi Gras so they ducked into Pat O’Brien’s.

      c. There was a hurricane in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

      d. The drink that Pat O’Brien’s is famous for is a combination of rum and passion fruit juice.

I.     Read the following passage and choose the item (A, B, C, or D) that best answers each of the questions about it.

My neighborhood is very convenient - it‟s near the shopping center and the bus station. It is also safe. But those are the only good things about living downtown. It is very noisy - the streets are always full of people! The traffic is terrible, and parking is a big problem! I can never park on my own street. I‟d like to live in the suburbs.

1.   What does the word „convenient‟ in line 1 mean?

A.   close to something                                     B. beautiful

C. far from other places                                  D. noisy

2.   What does the word „it‟ in line 2 refer to?

A.   the author‟s neighborhood                         B. shopping center

C. bus station                                                  D. downtown

3.   It‟s easy to             .

A.   find a place to park      B. live in the suburbs

C. move to another place D. go to the bus station

4.   The author             .

A.   likes to live in the suburbs

B.   thinks that his/ her neighborhood is too quiet

C.   thinks that living in the suburbs is very convenient

D.   feels that his/her neighborhood is not safe

5.   Which of the following is true?

A.   The author‟s neighborhood is inconvenient.

B.   The author doesn‟t want to move to anywhere.

C.   It‟s too difficult for the author to find a place to park his/her car.

D.   Living downtown is better than living in the suburbs.

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.

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

Las Vegas, Nevada, is the most famous city for gambling in the United States. It started in 1905 as a small train stop. There were only a few buildings in the desert. In 1946, a famous gangster named Bugsy Siegel built the first casino. He was murdered in 1947. This made him and Las Vegas more famous! In the early 1950s, tourists went to Las Vegas not only to gamble. They went to watch atomic bomb tests in the desert outside the city. In those days, people didn't know it was dangerous. They thought it was exciting.

Las Vegas is also famous for its many wedding chapels. Like all of Las Vegas, they are open twenty-four hours a day. Getting married is easy. A couple just pays a few dollars for a license, and they can get married immediately. They don't have to wait. Many famous movie stars were married in Las Vegas.

26. Nevada _____.

      a. is a famous city for gambling                            b. is another name of Las Vegas

      c. is a state in the United States of America         d. is the capital of Las Vegas

27. The word “this” in the first paragraph refers to _____.

            a. the fact that Bugsy Siegel was murdered         b. Siegel’s first casino

            c. the fact that Siegel built the first casino            d. a famous gangster

28. People used to think that watching atomic bomb tests _____.

      a. was dangerous                                                   b. was thrilling                

      c. might be a quiz show                                        d. should be prohibited

29. In the context of the passage, the word “chapel” in the last paragraph means _____.

      a. room                          b. hotel                             c. big pagoda                   d. small church

30. Which of the following is not true?

      a. Las Vegas is a place for gambling.

      b. In 1905, there were only a few buildings at the place now called Las Vegas.

      c. Bugsy Siegel was a famous gangster.

      d. The only things that make Las Vegas famous are wedding chapels.

VIII. Read the following passage and choose the item (A, B, C or D) that best answers each of the questions about it. (1.0 point)

Women hold up half the sky. This is an old Chinese saying. However, research shows that perhaps women do more than their share of “holding up the sky".

Fifty percent of the world's population is women, but nearly two-thirds of all working hours are done by women. They do most of the domestic work like cooking and washing clothes. Millions also work outside the home. Women hold forty percent of all the world's jobs. For this work they earn only 40 to 60 percent as much as men, and of course they earn nothing for their domestic work. In developing countries, where three-fourths of the world's population lives, women produce more than half of the food. In Africa, 80 percent of all agricultural work is done by women.

In parts of Africa, this is a typical day for a village woman. At 4.45 am, she gets up, washes, and eats. It takes her half an hour to walk to the fields, and she works there until 3.00 pm. She collects firewood until 4.00 pm then comes back home. She spends the next hour and a half preparing food to cook; then she collects water for another hour. From 6.30 to 8.30 she cooks. After dinner, she spends an hour washing the dishes. She goes to bed at 9.30 pm.

1. What is the main topic of the passage?

    A. Women work outside the home.          B. Women work in the field.

    C. The work of women.                                     D. The role of women.

2. The underlined word “domestic work” in the passage probably means___________.

     A. housework                                         B. homework

     C. firework                                                      D. gardening

3. What does the word “they” in the second paragraph refer to? 

    A. women                            B. world’s job                C. men                                     D. clothes

4. In Africa, women do _____________ of all agricultural work.

    A. one- fifth                          B. two- thirds                 C. three- fourths             D. four-fifths

5. What is NOT mentioned as the work of a village woman in Africa?

    A. working in the field

    B. preparing food for children going to school

    C. collecting firewood

    D. bringing water home

Exercise 7: Read the following passage and choose the item (A, B, C, or D) that best answers each of the questions about it.

Lunar New Year, or Tet, is the biggest and most important festival in Vietnam. Tet often falls between late January and early February.

A great deal of excitement still builds up well before Tet. Streets are decorated with coloured lights and red banners. Shops are full of goods. People are busy buying gifts, cleaning and decorating their houses and cooking traditional foods.

Homes are often decorated with plants and flowers at this time. Peach blossom is traditional at Tet in the North while apricot blossom is traditional in the South. One of Tet’s most special foods is banh chung, which is made of sticky rice, green beans and fatty pork.

On the days of Tet, people visit other family members or friends and they exchange New Year’s wishes. Children receive their “lucky money” inside red envelopes. Many people go to pagodas to pray for a happy new year for themselves and their families. Both children and adults take part in games and various forms of entertainment. Tet is really a time of fun and festivals throughout the country.

79.When does Tet occur?

A. early January and late February     B. early January and early February

C. late January and early February     D. late January and late February

80.What do people NOT do to prepare for Tet?

A. buying gifts                  B. cooking traditional food

C. decorating their houses     D. visiting other families.

81.Where is apricot blossom the symbol of Tet?

A. in the North of Viet Nam.      B. in the Central of Viet Nam.

C. in the South of Viet Nam.           D. in all over Viet Nam.

82.What is made of sticky rice, green beans and fatty pork?

A. Banh Chung            B. red banner

C. peach blossom          D. lucky money

83.What do children receive during Tet?

A. wishes               B. lucky money

C. flowers                     D. games

84.On the days of Tet, what do Vietnamese people go to pagodas for?

A. to pray for a happy new year               B. to exchange New Year’s wishes

C. to take part in forms of entertainment      D. to give their children lucky money

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

Lieutenant Ives was one of the first non-Indians to see the canyon. He wrote, “It seems intended by nature that the Colorado River ... shall be forever unvisited.”

In 1869, John Wesley Powell became the first to explore the Grand Canyon. The rapids of the Colorado River and the narrow, twisting canyon walls were extremely dangerous. Powell set off with ten men and four boats and emerged, several weeks later, with six men and two boats.

The prediction made by Lieutenant Ives couldn’t have been more wrong. Today, millions visit the Grand Canyon each year. Many come only for a quick look. But for those who want to explore the canyon, there are plenty of opportunities.

You can explore the canyon by helicopter. Going up and down the canyon sides can be a lot like being on a roller coaster.

You can hike down to the bottom of the canyon. It’s a two-day round trip, and you must bring lots of water. Once there, you can stay at the Phantom Ranch, which has a campsite and dining hall. If you prefer, you can make this trip by mule.

On foot or on muleback, you can also reach the village of the Havasupai, at the west end of the canyon.

Finally, you can go rafting on the Colorado River. Because of the danger, if you want to go alone you’ll need permission from the park superintendent. But you can also go with a group on a weeklong rafting and camping trip. The groups use rafts that are linked together and are too big to tip over. In this way you can enjoy the rapids without risking your life.

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

      a. The Amazing Grand Canyon

      b. Exploring the Grand Canyon

      c. How to Explore a Canyon Without Risking Your Life

      d. Lieutenant Ives’ Prediction

27. According to the author, _____.

      a. Lieutenant Ives was the first to see the Grand Canyon

      b. John Wesley Powell explored the Grand Canyon with six men and two boats

      c. the prediction made by Lieutenant Ives is now proved wrong

      d. the Colorado River will be forever unvisited

28. According to the passage, how can we explore the canyon?

      a. We can explore the canyon by helicopter.

      b. We can explore the canyon by hiking.

      c. We can explore the canyon by rafting.

      d. All are correct

29. In the context of the paragraph 2, “set off” means _____.

      a. to leave on a trip

      b. to cause something to operate

      c. to cause a situation to happen

      d. to arrange for someone to go to a place to do a job

30. Which of the following is true?

a.    On the canyon sides, there are a lot of roller coasters.

b.   People visit the Grand Canyon each year just for a quick look.

c.    You can go rafting on the Colorado River only when you have the park superintendent’s assistance.

d.   We can enjoy the rapids without risking our life by linking our rafts.

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

  My husband and I had a problem about our holiday last year. I wanted to have a lazy seaside holiday because I was tired and needed to relax. I loved lying in the sun, drinking iced beer and reading a good book. But Robert liked  busy cultural holidays. He liked visiting art galleries. He hated sunbathing because he always went red, not brown. The travel agent tried to help us and suggested Greece. I said I love to sail to a quiet island, but of course Robert said he’d like to stay in Athens. It was easy to decide what to do,  we flew to Athens together, Robert stayed there and I traveled to the island of Kos!

27. Why did the author want to have a lazy seaside holiday?

A. She liked a busy holiday        

B. She was tired and needed to relax          

C. She always went red, not brown                               

28. The author liked  _____ .                                           

A.  sunbathing                             B. visiting museum’s                                  C. art galleries

29. What does the word ‘island’ in line 5 mean?

A. a piece of land with water all around it          

B. a high piece of land that is not as high as a mountain                  

C. a big area of salty water

30. Which of the following is not true?

A. Robert liked lazy seaside holidays

B. Robert wanted to stay in Athens    

C. Robert’s wife loved to sail to a quiet island             

31. Kos is _____ .

A. a city in Greece                      B. an island                        C. a place which has many island

32. What is the passage written about?

A. a problem about the holiday  B. a trip to Greece              C. a busy cultural holiday 

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

  My husband and I had a problem about our holiday last year. I wanted to have a lazy seaside holiday because I was tired and needed to relax. I loved lying in the sun, drinking iced beer and reading a good book. But Robert liked  busy cultural holidays. He liked visiting art galleries. He hated sunbathing because he always went red, not brown. The travel agent tried to help us and suggested Greece. I said I love to sail to a quiet island, but of course Robert said he’d like to stay in Athens. It was easy to decide what to do,  we flew to Athens together, Robert stayed there and I traveled to the island of Kos!

27. Why did the author want to have a lazy seaside holiday?

A. She liked a busy holiday        

B. She was tired and needed to relax          

C. She always went red, not brown                               

28. The author liked  _____ .                                           

A.  sunbathing                             B. visiting museum’s                                  C. art galleries

29. What does the word ‘island’ in line 5 mean?

A. a piece of land with water all around it          

B. a high piece of land that is not as high as a mountain                  

C. a big area of salty water

30. Which of the following is not true?

A. Robert liked lazy seaside holidays

B. Robert wanted to stay in Athens    

C. Robert’s wife loved to sail to a quiet island             

31. Kos is _____ .

A. a city in Greece                      B. an island                        C. a place which has many island

32. What is the passage written about?

A. a problem about the holiday  B. a trip to Greece              C. a busy cultural holiday