*Read the passage, then choose the best answer

Completing a marathon is considered very difficult, many coaches believe that it is possible for anyone who is willing to put in the time and effort. Obviously, most participants do not run a marathon to win. More important for most runners is their personal finish time and their placement within their specific age group and gender. Another very important goal is to break certain time barriers. For example, ambitious recreational first-timers often try to run the marathon under 4 hours; more competitive runners will attempt to run under 3 hours. Many runners then prefer to finish for example in 3:29:59, which makes them " sub-3:30h marathoners ", instead of 3:30:01.

For most runners, the marathon is the longest run they have ever attempted. Many coaches believe that the most important element in marathon training is the long run. Recreational runners commonly try to reach a maximum of about 20 miles in their longest weekly run and about 40 miles a week in total when training for the marathon. More experienced marathoners may run a longer distance. During marathon training, adequate recovery time is crucial. If fatigue or pain is felt, it is recommended to take a kreak for a couple of days or more to let the body heal. Overtraining is a condition that results from not getting enough rest to allow the body to recover from difficult training. It can actually result in a lower endurance and speed and place a runner at a greater risk of injury.

1. Marathon completion is ______________ .

A. impossible B. easy C. not very difficult D. very difficult

2. One of the important goals in a marathon competition is __________ .

A. breaking time barriers B. age

C. gender D. reaching the finish

3. In marathon training, the most important is ____________ .

A. the age B. the coaches' belief

C. the long run D. the recreation

4. If the marathon runner feels tired or has a pain, _________.

A. he should continue the training B. he should quit running forever

C. it is time for him to stop his training D. he should take a break for several days

5. Overtraining may lead to _________ .

A. good results B. long endurance C. injury D. recovery

III. Read the passage and do the tasks that follow

1. A beauty contest is a competition based mainly, though not always entirely , on the physical beauty of its contestants. But it doesn’t involve of their personalities , and questions they answer and how they answer them . Almost invariably, competitions for men and women are separate events, and those for men are not referred to as beauty contests . Beauty contests for women are more common , and winners are called beauty queens. Beauty contests for men , like Mr. Universe, are more likely to be “body building” contests quite unlike the traditional “beauty contests” in which women are judged upon many attributes both physical and otherwise . However, in the 1990s, male “beauty contests” began to shift focus. Instead of only considering muscle mass, the competitions began to judge the natural physical attributes of the contestants as well as their physiques. These include Mr. World and Manhunt International.

* a. Decide whether the statements are T (true) or F (false)

1. All beauty contests are based on the beauty of contestants

2. There are “beauty contests” for men

b. Answer the questions

1. What is a beauty contest based mainly on ?

2. What do we call the women who win in the beauty contests ?

3. When did the male “beauty contests” begin to shift focus ?

IV. Read the passage and fill in each blank with a suitable word.

The London Marathon is one of the best known long distance races in the world. Some of the (1)............................famous long – distance runners have completed in it. But (2)...........................makes it different from many other great sporting events is (3) .......................fact that ordinary people can (4)...............................part along side international stars.

The race was the idea of Chris Brasher, a former Olympic athlete . In 1979, friends told him about the New York Marathon, during (5)........................the runners are encouraged to carry (6)..........................to the end of the course by the enthusiastic shouts of the spectators. He flew to the USA to run in the race (7)............................was so impressed by (8)..............................that he decided to organize a similar event in Britain. Many problems (9).......................to be overcome before the first London Marathon took place in 1981. Chris Brasher still takes a keen interest in the event, even though he is no (10) ....................... organizer.

1- most 2- what 3- the 4 – take 5- which 6- on 7- and 8- it 9- had/ needed/ were 10 -longer

Điền vào mỗi chỗ trống được đánh số với MỘT từ thích hợp:

Paula Radcliffe is a British long – distance (1) …………………... She was born in the north of England in 1973, and by the age of 20 was competing (2) …………..….. world championships. However, she didn’t start running marathons until ten years later. She was immediately successful, and (3) …………………. the London marathon in 2002. The following year, she not only won the marathon, but (4) ………….…… set a new world record for the women’s marathon with a time of 2 hours, 15 (5) ………………… and 25 seconds.

Because (6) ………….… her success, many people expected Paula Radcliffe to win the marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, but she had to stop after 36 kilometers. Five days later, she took (7) …………….. in the 10,000 meters, but again was (8) ……………… to finish the race. This was a low point in Paula’s career (9) ………..…… an athlete, and some people thought it was the beginning of the end, but they were wrong. She won marathons in New York and London in 2005, making her one of the most successful runners in the (10) ………………….. of athletics.

London is the biggest city in Britain. It is a very old city and dates …1.. to the
Romans. More than 7 million people live and work there. It is one of the…2…….
important cities in the world. It is a centre for business and for tourism. London
…3…… of three parts: The City of London, the East End and the West End. In the
City of London there are many banks, offices and Stock Exchange.
In the West End we can see many historical places, parks, shops and theatres. It is
the world of rich people and money. The East End is the district …4… working
people live and work. You can have a very good time in this city. You can visit
different cinemas, theatres and museums. The most famous museums are: The
British Museum and the Tate Gallery. There are many shops in London. Oxford
street is London’s main shopping centre. People from all …5….. the world buy
clothes, shoes, toys and souvenirs there. The street is …6….. than a mile long. The
best …7……. departments are Selfridges and John Lewis. London has an excellent
underground railway system, so it is easy for tourists to get …8…..

Read the passage below and decide whether the statements are TRUE or FALSE?

Sports and games play an important role in our life. Doing sports regularly helps our bodies strong and healthy. Chess is an example of indoor games. There are a lot of outdoor sports such as football, baseball, volleyball, etc. Some people think playing sports is more fun than watching them on TV. Every year, there are some sports competitions all over the world. People play them to win medals for their country. Last night, there was a small marathon race in New York.

Last night, there was a small marathon race in New York.

A. True      

B. False

PART C : READING
I Read the passage and write T/F
      London is the biggest city in Britain. More than 7 million people live and work there. It is one of the most important cities in the world. It is a centre for business and for tourism. London consists of three parts: The City of London, the East End and the West End. In the City of London there are many banks, offices and Stocks Exchange. In the West End we can see many historical places, parks, shops and theatres. It is the world of rich people and money. The East End is the district where working peole live and work.
      The Port of London is also there. You can have a very good time in this city. You can visit different cinemas, theatres and museums. The  "Odeon" is one of the most famous cinemas of the country. The most famous museums are: The British Museum and thr Tate Gallery, There are many shops in London. Oxford Street is London's main shopping centre. People from all over the world buy clothes, shoese, toys and souvenirs there. The street is more than a mile long. The best known departments are Selfridges and John Lewis. The largest park in Lodon is Hyde Park with its Speaker's Comer. Sit on the green grass and try England's favourite food-fish and chips.
.........1 London is the capital and the second biggest city in Britain
.........2 There are more than 7 million people living and working in London
.........3 London is the center of many banks, offices and Stocks Exchange
.........4 Working peole live and work in the West End

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 30 to 34.

Foot racing is a popular activity in the United States. 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 strollers) 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 foot race 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 34 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 “it” in the first paragraph refers to ______.

A. a walker

B. foot racing 

C. a popular activity

D. the US

Read the passage and decide if these statements are true or false

London is Britain' s biggest city. It is a very old city and dates back to the Romans. It is a city of historic building and churches, and it has many beautiful parks. It also has some of the best museum in the world. London is very crowded in summer. It is a popular city with foreign tourists and has more than eight million visitors a year. The city is famous for its shopping and department stores. London has an excellent underground railway system, so it is easy for tourists to get around.

None of the cities in Britain is bigger than London.

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 30 to 34.

Foot racing is a popular activity in the United States. 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 strollers) 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 foot race 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 34 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 “camaraderie” in the first paragraph could be best replaced by which of the following?

A. games

B. jokes

C. views

D. companionship

Read the passage and decide if these statements are true or false

London is Britain' s biggest city. It is a very old city and dates back to the Romans. It is a city of historic building and churches, and it has many beautiful parks. It also has some of the best museum in the world. London is very crowded in summer. It is a popular city with foreign tourists and has more than eight million visitors a year. The city is famous for its shopping and department stores. London has an excellent underground railway system, so it is easy for tourists to get around.

London is not busy in summer.