Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks. 

• Read the following passage and mark the letter (A, B, C, or D) on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

                                                                                                        BERTHA

Fifty feet below downtown Seattle, the world's largest (1) _________ machine, nicknamed Bertha after the city's (2) _________ mayor, lies still. This (3) _________  vehicle weighs 7,000 tons, stretches nearly 330 feet long, and has a 60-foot diameter. When fully (4) _________, Bertha has an intrepid crew of 25. In early August, Bertha began carving out a two-mile road tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way viaduct, an ugly double-decker motorway that has been (5) _________ Seattle's waterfront since the 1950s.

   Dozens of (6) _________ were considered, including twin tunnels, another elevated roadway, and even scrapping the highway in favor of improved surface roads and better public transport. As it happens, (7) _________ dithered long enough for tunneling technology to develop (8) _________ facilitating another option: a single tunnel large enough to accommodate two levels of multi-lane traffic. Many local (9) _________ are against Bertha, but she has already chewed up and spit out one politician. As the new mayor settles into his new role, he will surely be hoping that Bertha (10) __________ finds her appetite for muck, not mayors.

1, A. tunnel-drilling     B. drill-hole     C. tunnel-boring     D. soil-drilling

2, A. increasing     B. progressing     C. progressive     D. progression

3, A. remarkable     B. extraordinary     C. noteworthy     D. impressive

4, A. operating     B. operational     C. operative     D. postoperative

5, A. mutilating     B. disfigured     C. deformed     D. disfiguring

6, A. replacements     B. alternatives     C. surrogates     D. substitutions

7, A. politicians     B. legislators    C. lawmakers     D. policymakers

8, A. satisfactorily     B. abundantly     C. adequately     D. sufficiently

9, A. delegators     B. commissioners     C. legislatures     D. representatives

10, A. speedily     B. quickly     C. rapidly     D. precipitately

• Read the following passage and mark the letter (A, B, C, or D) on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

                                                                                                   ^{REMOTE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT}

     With (1) .......................... transportation technologies, it is now possible to reach even the most distant regions in the world.    (2) .........................., I would contend that the merits of this development are outweighed by its drawbacks. 

    (3) ..................., the ability to travel anywhere in the world offers (4) ................... benefits. At the outset, the discovery of new areas allows everyone to gain a better perception of the earth and new species. This newfound knowledge can act as a precursor to clinical (5) ................... or provide scientists with valuable insights to more effectively combat environmental issues such as climate change. Access to previously unreachable scenic beauty also suggests tourism opportunities, as travel enthusiasts are always on the lookout for new exotic getaways.

     Nonetheless, I believe the (6) ................... perspectives of this trend are eclipsed by more immediate threats to life in this remote natural world. More often than not, as major corporations set foot on and (7) .................... tourism in these areas, the construction of tourism facilities drives out the indigenous people living there. Hotels and recreational facilities emerged at the expense of the locals' accommodation. These people are (8) .................... assimilation, which, as history has indicated, results in the loss of civilizations and cultures. The presence of foreign visitors in these places also poses certain threats to the natural environment, specifically water contamination, land degradation, and natural resource depletion.

     In conclusion, (9) ........................ the thought of traveling to remote natural areas may sound, I conclude that they are better off left untouched.

1, A. the aid of                   B. the help of                 C. support of                  D. assistance of

2, A. That's why                 B. Nevertheless              C. Even though              D. All the same

3, A. On the one hand        B. Other way                  C. Moreover                   D. On one side

4, A. appreciable                B. substantial                 C. considerable              D. extensive

5, A. breakthroughs           B. steps forward             C. improvements           D. tapers off

6, A. constructive               B. favorable                   C. peremptory                D. positive

7, A. tap into                      B. expand                       C. exploit                       D. utilize

8, A. forced to                    B. coerced into               C. influenced by             D. pushed out

9, A. look interesting         B. as attractive as           C. as fascinating as        D. as exciting as

PART C: READING (2 marks)

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from ($) to (#).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the [21]   ________    musicians in the world. He created some of the most beautiful music ever heard, which made him become people's favorite composer of all time. Mozart was [22]   ________     in 1756 in Austria. Mozart's father, Leopold, was a musician. He played the violin and he worked as a music teacher. His son Mozart [23]   ________   plays the piano when he was 3. At the age of 4 he started to write music. He simply took a violin and started to play before anyone showed him how to play the instrument. Mozart's sister, Maria Anna, was good at music, too. Mozart and his sister invented their own secret language. They told stories about a magic kingdom where they were a king and a queen. Leopold took his two children to Vienna. There they played for the Emperor of Austria at his palace. Everyone [24] ______ their talent and the Emperor called Mozart a “little magician”.

• Read the following passage and mark the letter (A, B, C, or D) on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

                                                                                        SMARTPHONES - A NECCESITY

Smartphones have spread beyond the boardroom and keeping a close eye on what's new is Mike Lazaridis, chief executive of RIM, the company that makes the BlackBerry smartphone. His device may no longer be quite as trendy as it once was but it is still (21) .................. − particularly for Argentinian milk farmers. Mr. Lazaridis says: "I like the way it's being used by the farmers so they are always up to date. Milk is a (22) .................. item, so delivery and production standards are incredibly important." He is reminded of the company's early days: "This is where we started in 1987, with a wireless vertical data business for the Swedish lumber (23) .................., and then on to fire brigades, ambulances, and garbage trucks."

    While the BlackBerry was quick to (24) .................. itself as the accessory of choice for business professionals such as Wall Street traders, the cheaper price (25) .................. and new, more colorful handsets now (26) .................. offer have opened it up to a much wider market. Mr. Lazaridis says: "It was obvious that business people and self-employed professionals would buy the BlackBerry, but we were not expecting the (27) .................. we had from ordinary consumers."

    The greatest challenge for RIM, however, could lie in an economic (28) ..................., when individuals and companies alike may see devices like the BlackBerry as luxuries they can (29) .................. without. The company has to make its product indispensable to the lifestyles of consumers or prove that they bring a real (30) .................. on investment for business users.

_{+ ANSWER:}

21, A. constructive     B. functional     C. active     D. operative

22, A. perishable     B. short-lived     C. decaying     D. destructible

23, A. manufacturers     B. enterprise     C. commerce     D. industry

24, A. install     B. establish     C. create     D. demonstrate

25, A. designs     B. programmes     C. plans     D. systems

26, A. at            B. on             C. for            D. under

27, A. return     B. retort     C. reply     D. response

28, A. downturn     B. tall     C. decrease     D. drop

29, A. make      B. carry      C. do      D. stay

30, A. return      B. gain      C. interest      D. profit

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 34 to 38.

The human body is a symphony of intricate rhythms, orchestrated (34) _____ an invisible conductor known as the body clock. It is the mastermind behind our sleep-wake (35) _____, regulating our internal processes with unwavering precision. Like a skilled maestro, it synchronises our biological functions, guiding us through the ebb and flow of each day.

This internal timekeeper, also (36) _____ as the circadian rhythm, governs our sleep patterns, hormone production, and metabolism. It dances to the beat of external cues, such as sunlight and darkness, aligning our bodies with the (37) _____ rhythms of the world around us. But this remarkable clock isn't just a mechanical timepiece. It has the power to shape our physical and mental well-being. When in harmony, it bestows us with vitality, alertness, and a sense of balance. However, (38) _____ disrupted, it can unleash chaos, leading to sleep disorders, mood swings, and even compromised immune function.

34. A. with B. by C. on D. for

35. A. circle B. recycle C. cycle D. archive

36. A. nominated B. famous C. famed D. known

37. A. superficial B. natural C. dominant D. obvious

38. A. until B. because C. since D. when

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 41 to 50.

John  wanted  so  much to become a  successful  businessman.  In  fact, he was  (41)      to  succeed. His (42)          from university were excellent and he worked long hours. His (43)           was to make a (44)   selling new  products.  (45)        ,  he  stopped  looking (46)        himself,  ate  junk  food  and  soon  he  put (47)         weight.  After  a  while,  he  started  feeling  unwell.  (48)          his  doctor’s  advice,  he  carried  (49)      working for 12 hours a  day,  seven days a  week. (50)      he ended up in hospital, where  he      realised that health is as important as success.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheer to indicate the correct answer to each of the numbered blanks from 37 to 44.

All mammals feed their young. Beluga whale mothers, for example, nurse their calves for some twenty months, until they are about to give birth again and their young are able to find their own food. The behavior of feeding of the young is built into the reproductive system. It is a nonselective part of parental care and the defining feature of a mammal, the most important thing that mammals – whether marsupials, platypuses, spiny anteaters, or placental mammals – have in common.

But not all animal parents, even those that tend their offspring to the point of hatching or birth, feed their young. Most egg–guarding fish do not for the simple reason that their young are so much smaller than the parents and eat food that is also much smaller than the food caten by adults. In reptiles, the crocodile mother protects her young after they have hatched and takes them down to the water, where they will find food, but she does not actually feed them. Few insects feed their young after hatching, but some make other arrangement provisioning their cells and nests with caterpillars and spiders that they have paralyzed with their venom and stored in a state of suspended animation so that their larvae might have a supply of fresh food when they hatch.

For animals other than mammals, then, feeding is not intrinsic to parental care. Animals add it to their reproductive strategies to give them an edge in their lifelong quest for descendants. The most vulnerable moment in any animal's life is when it first finds itself completely on its own, when it must forage and fend for itself. Feeding postpones that moment until a young animal has grown to such a size that it is better able to cope.

Young that are fed by their parents become nutritionally independent at a much greater fraction of their full adult size. And in the meantime those young are shielded against the vagaries of fluctuating of difficult–to–find supplies. Once a species does take the step of feeding its young, the young become totally dependent on the extra effort. If both parents are removed, the young generally do not survive.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. The care that various animals give to their offspring 

B. The difficulties young animals face in obtaining

C. The methods that mammals use to nurse their young 

D. The importance among young mammals of becoming independent 

SECTION D. Reading (2.0 pt)

Part 1: Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 25 to 28. (1.0 pt).

            One of the (25)______traditional special food for New Year (Tet) of Vietnamese is Banh Chung or sticky rice cake. Banh Chung is (26)______of sticky rice, pork meat and green bean, every ingredient is wrapped inside a special leaf (27)______is called Dong. Making Banh Chung requires care and precision in every step. The rice and green bean has to be soaked in water for a day to make it stickier. The pork is usually soaked (28)______several hours. Squaring off the cakes with bamboo strings requires skillful hands to make it a perfect square.

Question 25. A. many               B. more                    C. most                       D. much

Question 26. A. make               B. made                    C. making                   D. to make

Question 27. A. which              B. what                     C. when                       D. who

Question 28. A. on                    B. to                         C. with                        D. for

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