VI.Read the passage carefully, tlien decide whot hen the following,statement are true T) or false (F)
There are nine planets in our solar system. These planets each have their atmosphere and environmental conditions. Scientists have been trying to research other planets to see if it is possible for life to exist on the other eight own bodies in space.
Mercury and Pluto are probably the most difficult to research because of their position in the solar system. Mercury is so close to the sun that with our current technology a space shuttle would burn up before it even reached its atmosphere. Pluto is so far away that some scientists believe that it may not even be a planot but a large asteroid or comet. A space shuttle can not trave that far away because it is so far away from the sun that it would freeze.
Many scientists also believe that our solar system is not alone in the uni- with us. It is difficult to know if there is life present elaewhere in the universe. for many years to come. yerse. Many believe there are several other systems that share the uhiverse .The universe is a complex structure of space that may continue to be a mysterey for many years to come
32. There are nine planets in our solar system, besides Earth.
33. It is difficult to study the planet Mercury because it is very close to the sun.
34. We don't know much about Pluto even though we can see it up close
35. Pluto may not be a planet, according to some scientists.
36. Scientists have got enough information about the universe

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, c, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer for each of the questions from 46 to 55.

Increasing numbers of parents in the u.s. are choosing to teach their children at home. In fact, the u.s. Department of Education has estimated that in 1999, about 850,000 children were being homeschoolded. Some educational experts say that the real number is double this estimate, and the ranks of homeschooled children seem to be growing at the average rate of about eleven percent every year.

At one time, there was a theory accounting for homeschooling: it was traditionally used for students who could not attend school because of behavioral or learning difficulties. Today, however, more parents are taking on the responsibility of educating their own children at home due to their dissatisfaction with the educational system. Many parents are unhappy about class size, as well as problems inside the classroom. Teacher shortages and lack of funding mean that, in many schools, one teacher is responsible for thirty or forty students. The children are, therefore, deprived of the attention they need. Escalating classroom violence has also motivated some parents to remove their children from school.

Although there have been a lot of areuments for and against it, homeschooling in the u.s. has become a multi-million dollar industry, and it is growing bigger and bigger. There are now plenty of websites, support groups, and conventions that help parents protect their rights and enable them to learn more about educating their children. Though once it was the only choice for troubled children, homeschooling today is an accepted alternative to an educational system that many believe is failing.

According to some experts, the exact number of homeschooled children in the US in the last year of the 20^th century must be__________

A. 1,600,000

B. 850,000

C. 1,900,000

D. 1,700,000

 V. Read the passage and answer the questions.

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.

There are three valid arguments to support the preservation of endangered species. An aesthetic justification contends that biodiversity contributes to the quality of life because many of the endangered plants and animals are particularly appreciated for their unique physical beauty. The aesthetic role of nature in all its diverse forms is reflected in the art and literature of every culture, attaining symbolic status in the spiritual life of many groups. According to the proponents of the aesthetic argument, people need nature in all its diverse and beautiful forms as part of the experience of the world.

Another argument that has been put forward, especially by groups in the medical and pharmacological fields, is that of ecological self–interest. By preserving all species, we retain a balance of nature that is ultimately beneficial to humankind. Recent research on global ecosystems has been cited as evidence that every species contributes important or even essential functions that may be necessary to the survival of our own species. Some advocates of the ecological argument contend that important chemical compounds derived from rare plants may contain the key to a cure for one of the diseases currently threatening human beings. If we do not protect other species, then they cannot protect us.

Apart from human advantage in both the aesthetic and ecological arguments, the proponents of a moral justification contend that all species have the right to exist, a viewpoint stated in the United Nations World Charter for Nature, created in 1982. Furthermore, if humankind views itself as the stewards of all the creatures on Earth, then it is incumbent upon human beings to protect them, and to ensure the continued existence of all species. Moral justification has been extended by a movement called "deep ecology", the members of which rank the biosphere higher than people because the continuation of life depends on this larger perspective. To carry their argument to its logical conclusion, all choices must be made for the biosphere, not for people.

(Source: Adapted from Reading Practice for the TOEFL) 

It can be inferred from the passage that the author _________.

A. is a member of the "deep ecology" movement 

B. does not agree with ecological self–interest

C. supports all of the arguments to protect species 

D. participated in drafting the Chapter for Nature

17. She's the woman ............. sister looks after the baby for us

A. who   B. which    C. that's   D. whose

18. A .............. is an enormous system of stars in outer space

A. universe  B. solar system    C. comet     D. galaxy

19. Yuri Gagarin became the first person to eat and drink in ................ 

A. weightless    B. gravity     C. specific gravity   D. microgravity

20. I passed all my exams- I'm ..........!

A. over the moon   B. once in a blue moon   C. out of this world   D. the sky's the limit

21. Pham Tuan said everything was quite strange he ................when he was on the ground

A. prepared   B. has prepared    C. had prepared     D. prepared

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 36 to 42.

          Most people think that lions only come from Africa. This is understandable because in fact most lions do come from there but this has not always been the case. If we went back ten thousand years. we would find that there were lions roaming vast sections of the globe. However no, unfortunately only a very small section of the lion’s former habitat remains.

          Asiatic lions are sub-species of African lions. It is almost a hundred thousand years since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a sub-species. At one time the Asiatic lion was living as  far west as Greece and they were found from there, but in a band that spreads east through various countries of the Middle East, all the way to India. In museums now, you can see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them. Most of them are dated at around 500 B.C. However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lions roaming free to thousand years ago. Over the next nineteen hundred years the numbers of Asiatic lions in the other areas declined steadily, but it was only in the nineteenth century that they disappeared from everywhere but in India.

          The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in India was established especially to protect the Asiatic lion. There are now around three hundred Asiatic lions in India and almost all of them are in this sanctuary. However, despite living in a sanctuary, which makes them safe from hunters, they still face a number of problems that threaten their survival. One of these is the ever-present danger of disease. This is what killed more than a third of Africa’s Serengeti lions in 1994, and people are fearful  that something similar could happen in the Gir Sanctuary and kill off many of the Asiatic lions there.

          India’s lions are particular vulnerable because they have a limited gene pool. The reason for this is interesting – it is because all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them. He was very healthy, and he managed to protect them otherwise they would probably have died out completely.

When you see the Asiatic lion in India, what you sense is enormous vitality. They are very impressive animals and you would never guess that they this vulnerability when you look at them.

The passage is written to________.

A. persuade readers to protect the Asiatic lions

B. explain why the Gir Sanctuary is the best habitat for the Asiatic lions

C. describe the developmental history of the Gir Sanctuary

D. provide an overview of the existence of the Asiatic lions

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.

Most people think that lions only come from Africa. This is understandable because in fact most lions do come from there but this has not always been the case. If we went back ten thousand years, we would find that there were lions roaming vast sections of the globe. However now, unfortunately only a very small section of the lion's former habitat remains.

Asiatic lions are sub-species of African lions. It is almost a hundred thousand years since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a sub-species. At one time the Asiatic lion was living as far west as Greece and they were found from there, but in a band that spreads east through various countries of the Middle East, all the way to India. In museums now, you can see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them. Most of them are dated at around 500 B.C. However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lions roaming free two thousand years ago. Over the next nineteen hundred years the numbers of Asiatic lions in the other areas declined steadily, but it was only in the nineteenth century that they disappeared from everywhere but in India.

The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in India was established especially to protect the Asiatic lion. There are now around three hundred Asiatic lions in India and almost all of them are in this sanctuary. However, despite living in a sanctuary, which makes them safe from hunters, they still face a number of problems that threaten their survival. One of these is the ever-present danger of disease. This is what killed more than a third of Africa’s Serengeti lions in 1994, and people are fearful that something similar could happen in the Gir Sanctuary and kill off many of the Asiatic lions there.

India's lions are particular vulnerable because they have a limited gene pool. The reason for this is interesting is because all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them. He was very healthy, and he managed to protect them; otherwise they would probably have died out completely.

When you see the Asiatic lion in India, what you sense is enormous vitality. They are very impressive animals and you would never guess that they have this vulnerability when you look at them.

According to the passage, many people believe that lions come from _____.

A. Africa

B. Europe 

C. Middle East 

D. India