ANCIENT ANGKOR

In the regions of Southeast Asia dwell the remains of an era that far exceeded its time in developments and industrialization. This ancient city, which was mysteriously deserted in the 15th century, is known as Angkor. Located in Cambodia, Angkor was established in 802 CE as the seat of the Khmer Empire. Khmer was the largest continuous empire in 5 Southeast Asia. Its main city of Angkor grew and developed until it was abandoned in the year 1431. Many historians theorize as to why it was abandoned, but the mystery remains.

Angkor was a city of power, industry, architecture, and cultural unity, which is why speculation surrounds its decline. The ancient Khmer city stretched over an area of nearly 120 square miles, comparable to present-day Los Angeles. Each successive ruler to the 10 throne brought significant additions that diversified the territory. One ruler is known for constructing a baray, a massive water reservoir. Another built the imposing Angkor Wat, a temple of great proportions that survived the city’s demise and exists today as a Buddhist temple. Along with over seventy other temples in the region, Angkor was home to an expansive waterworks of marked ingenuity when nothing of its kind existed in the world. The civilization was structured around the Mekong River. Intricate and sophisticated irrigation systems were fashioned to transport water to people and fields in all parts of the city, including those removed from the central water source. For this, the city became known as the “Hydraulic City.” The people of Angkor were led by an extensive court system, made up of religious and secular nobles as well as artisans, fishermen, rice farmers, soldiers, and elephant keepers. The civilization was guarded by an army transported by elephants and ruled by shrewd and powerful kings. Yet after 600 years of existence, an abandoned shell was all that remained.

The land, buildings, and architecture were reclaimed by the surrounding forest regions until the 19” century, when French archaeologists discovered the remains and began restoring sites in the great city of Angkor. Since then, theories have evolved over time relating to the death of Angkor’s civilization. The first theory states that the city fell because of war. The last two centuries of Angkor’s existence showed a decline in the Khmer Empire’s population and power. Ongoing wars with neighboring Thailand had devastated the nation. In 1431, attackers from Thai nations invaded and looted Angkor, leaving it desolate and vacant. Continuous war with Thailand culminating in a final attack on the city could have weakened the empire and led to the city’s demise.

Another theory states that a change in religion led to the country’s downfall. The Khmer Empire had predominately been a Hindu nation, and the people were unified in their religion. Jayavarman VII, acclaimed as the greatest of Angkor’s kings, took title throne in 1181 CE. He instituted a change in religion from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism. This action subsequently could have destroyed the unity of the people and the overall foundation of the empire.

Natural disaster is another feasible possibility for the scattering of people from the Angkor region. Historians say earthquakes, floods, and drastic climate changes would have been capable of stripping Angkor of its people. These natural catastrophes would have likely resulted in destroyed buildings, ruined crops, and a decreased water supply that would have forced citizens to leave. One researcher hypothesized that the city suffered from a lack of water due to the transition from the medieval warm period to the little ice age. Others dismiss this idea.

      However, a recently developed theory built on the work of French archaeologist Bemard- Philippe Groslier may have shed the most light on Angkor’s demise. The theory suggests that the Angkorian civilization was “defined, sustained, and ultimately overwhelmed by over-exploitation and the environmental impacts of a complex water-management network.” Its vast waterworks proved too great for the city to manage. Also, supplying such a massive empire with water had adverse effects on the environment. Ecological problems included deforestation, topsoil degradation, and erosion due in part to clearing vegetation for cropland. Thus, the city inadvertently brought about its own environmental collapse.

With the use of aerial photography and high-resolution, ground-sensing radar, researchers were able to support Groslier’s theory with images that complete existing topographical maps. The radar detected surface structures as well as subtle variances in surface vegetation and soil moisture. This proved that environmental erosion had occurred. The combined images and ground-based investigations further revealed that Angkor was a victim of its own industrial ingenuity, a city ahead of its time and vulnerable to its own power.

43.  The author mentions the Khmer Empire in paragraph 1 in order to …………..

A.     establish the size and importance of the civilization

B.     explain the downfall of the main city in the empire

C.  compare the nation’s size to a present-day location   

D.  demonstrate why people were not loyal to the city

44.  The word “speculation” in line 8 is closest in meaning to…………..

A.    evidence              B. mystery        C. question         D. growth

45.  According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true about the waterworks built within Angkor?

A.     They transported drinking water to Angkor Wat.

B.     They were a ,money-making venture for the city.

C.     They were built to extend the water supply.

D.     They irrigated fields along the sides of the river.

46.  All of the following are true about the city of Angkor EXCEPT …………..

A. It was built around a water source.       B. It had an advanced road system,

C. It surpassed other cities of its time.       D. It is home to a Buddhist shrine.

47.  The word “its” in line 14 refers to       …………. .

A. Angkor’s              B. baray’s          C. waterworks’  D. home’s

48.  The word “sophisticated” in line 15 is closest in meaning to …………..

A. advanced             B. fantastic        C. educated        D. thorough

49.  Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect choices may change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.     Archaeologists built a replica of what Angkor looked like.

B.     Archaeologists uncovered the overgrown city and rebuilt its sites.

C. Finding the city, workers cleared the forest and studied the architecture.

D. The city’s architecture was inspired by the forest regions nearby.

50.  What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about the people who inhabited Angkor?

A.    They worshipped ruler Jayavarman VII.

B.     Hinduism was central to their way of life,

C.     Religion led to more violence among them.

D. They were unified regardless of national religion.

51.  The word “inadvertently” in line 52 is closest in meaning to ………….

A. purposely              B. freely          c. sadly             D. accidentally

52. According to paragraph 7 (lines 53-59), which of the following did researchers prove about Groslier’s theory with the use of aerial photography and advanced radar?

A.  The surface soil showed evidence of dừt washing away.

B.  The waterworks were filled with topsoil.

C. Vegetation was thriving where soil was deeper.

D. Soil damage was stable throughout the changes.

TRUE OR FALES

the ao dai, the traditional dress of vietnamese women, has a long history. in the early 17th century vietnamese clothing designers made changes to the design of the traditional chinese costume, creating the primitive forms of the present ao dai. this creativity showed vietnam's strong sense of independence. the ao dai with different designs and materials, was traditionally worn by both men and women . over the years, despite the coming of western clothing for more convenience in daily activities of modern life, the ao dai has been there to stay . therefore , vietnamese women go on wearing this unique dress, which is both traditional and fashionable and which conveys our rich culture to the world.

1) the ao dai had its start at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

2) vietnamese ao dai is exactly similar to chinese dress.

3) western clothes are both traditional and fashionable in viet nam .

4 vietnamese wonen stopped wearing ao dai a long time ago.

1.This is the man ______ I met in Paris.

A. which B. who C. whom D. B&C

2. I wanted the painting ______ you bought.

A. which B. who C. whom D. B&C

3. This is the chair ______ my parents gave me.

A. which B. that C. whom D. A&B

4. She’s the woman ______ telephoned the police.

A. which B. who C. whom D. whose

5. He’s the person ______ wanted to buy your house.

A. which B. who C. that D. B&C

6. We threw out the computer _______ never worked properly.

A. whose B. who C. whom D. which

7. This is the lion _______ has been ill recently.

A. who B. whom C. which D. whose

8. The man ______ was badly injured was driving the car.

A. whose B. who C. whom D. which

9. The children _______ live in the next street broke the window.

A. whose B. who C. whom D. which

10. That’s the woman ______ I was telling you about.

A. whose B. who C. whom D. B&C

11. There’s the lady ______ dog was killed.

A. whose B. who C. whom D. which

Fill in the blank with a suitable word .

India has been ( 1 ) ........... for the Holi festival of colors which dates ( 2 ) ............. to the 4th century . In this festival , people gather and to toss coloured powder into the air , completely coating one another . The Indians ( 3 ) .........this festival to celebrate fertility and love and mark the end of winter .

Holi is divided ( 4 ) ........... two parts : HolikaDahan and RangwaliHoli . The former is staged the night before the big day and sees celebrants gather to observe a purification ritual . Families gather ( 5 ) .............. roast grain , popcorn , coconuts and chick peas together . RangwaliHoli is the ( 6 ) ..........event . It is when everyone races around throwing handfuls of gutal ( five coloured powder ) and spraying water . This is a joyful occasion in which differences of caste and ethnicity are put aside . This is the ( 7 ) ............common form for celebrations to take but they can run on for much longer : Holi ( 8 ) .........for 16 days in the Braj region of India .

1. Great, it’s snowing. We’ll be able to take the ___ out.
2. The view from the top floor of the ___ was amazing.
3. You should read a good ___ before you visit New York.
4. The Statue of Liberty is an important ___.
5. This ___ district dates back to ancient times.
6. Is it absolutely ___ that you take a good sun cream with you.
7. The train now leaving from ___ ten is the five o’clock to Manchester.
8. A ___ hotel is one that doesn’t cost very much to stay in.
9. If you book a/an ___ holiday, you have to cook all your own food.
10. A/An ___ is the American word for a lift.
11. When we were on holiday in America, we spent a lot of time driving on the ___.
 

12. If you don’t have much money, you can’t afford to stay in a ___.

13. At the ___ you have to show your ticket and passport.
14. Don’t you have friends who can ___ for a night or two?
15. I didn’t want anyone to ___ at the airport because I hate goodbyes.

16. We went shopping for ___ but I didn’t find anything for my mum.
17. Nowadays it is a bit dangerous to ___. You don’t know who the driver might be.
18. I don’t want to go on a ___ because I get seasick.
19. You can put your clothes away in the ___.
20. I always book a/an ___ bathroom because I hate to share with other people.

A lot of people like to play their records as loudly as possible. The (1) ________ is that the rest of the family and the neighbors often complain (2) ________ they don't like the music. One (3) ________ to this problem is to wear headphones, but headphones are usually uncomfortable.

An arm-chair which has a record-player built into it has just been (4) ________ by a British engineer, Stephen Court.

The armchair looks like an ordinary armchair with high back. However, each of the two sides of the chair has three loudspeakers inside to reproduce middle and high sounds. Low sounds are reproduced by a pair of loudspeakers in a hollow (5) ________ under the seat. Anyone who sits in the chair hears sounds coming from all around his/her head.

Because we cannot tell the exact (6) ________ from which low sounds come, it doesn't (7) ________ that they come from underneath or behind. It is the higher sounds coming from the sides of the chair that create a stereo effect.

These sounds travel only a few inches to reach the listener's ears. (8) ________, it takes only a little power to make the music sound very loud. Only a small amount of sound leaks out from behind the chair into the room to (9) ________ others. Most of the sound is (10) ________ by the listeners.