A YEAR WITH OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERS

I was with Overseas Volunteers (OV) for a year after leaving university, and I was sent to an isolated village in Chad, about 500 km from the capital N'Djamena. Coming from' a rich country, I got quite a shock as conditions were much harder than I had expected. But after a few days I soon got used to living there. The people were always very friendly and helpful, and soon I began to appreciate how beautiful the countryside was.

One of my jobs was to supply the village with water. The well was a long walk away. And the women used to spend a long time every day carrying heavy pots backwards and forwards. So I contacted organization and arranged to have some pipes delivered. We built a simple pipeline and a pump, and it worked first time. It wasn't perfect - there were a few leaks, but it made a great difference to the villagers, who had never had running water before. And not only did we have running water, but in the evenings it was hot, because the pipe had been lying in the sun all day. All in all, I think my time with OV was a good experience. Although it was not well-paid, it was well worth doing, and I would recommend it to anyone who was considering working for a charity.

 

The author ______.

 

Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

Generation gap refers to the difference in the ways of thinking and perception in the people of two different generations which results in behavioral differences, and sometimes, (26)_______between them. In other words, it is the difference in the thinking of the people of older and younger generations that creates the (27)_______of understanding between them. The most common example of generation gap is seen in the family between parents and their children. It is not only because of the gap in age but also because of the way parents (28)_________to a particular situation.

Advancement technology has led to the generation gap in this modern world. Children tend to spend most of their time with their digital devices and busy with social media that they do not discuss their problems with their parents. The Internet (29)________solutions to most of the problems that children needn't ask their own parents for help, (30)_________the communication and leading to a generation gap.

Generation gap occurs not only between parents and children but also between teachers and students. Students are likely to enjoy the classes of an open-minded teacher, who shows mutual (31)________to the students. The teachers, who tend to keep their students under unnecessary strict disciplines and practise hard ways to make them obey the orders, are usually disliked by the students. This narrows minded thinking, especially (32)________in the teachers of the older generation, eventually creates a gap between the students and teachers.

Another difference is the use of technology. Young teachers tend to use more digital devices is class for their lessons that has a good (33)_________on the students. Students take more interest and participate actively in the class discussion. An old teacher has (34)_______ frequent use of electronic devices that makes lessons boring, which is not enjoyed by the students and it creates a gap between them.

To (35)________the generation gap, parents or teachers must be close to their children. They should show interest and give time to the children, have open communication, and allow the child to feel free in all the situations.

Question 31......................

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.

The American type of football was developed in the 19th century from soccer and rugby football. Played by professionals, amateurs, college and high school students, or young children, football in American is one of the most popular sports besides basketball and baseball. It attracts millions of fans each fall and people are very supportive of their favourite teams. The football playing field of today is rectangular in shape and measures 100 yards long and 53.5 yards wide. White lines are painted on the playing field to mark off the distances to the end zone. The games is divided into four quarters, each fifteen minutes long. The first two quarters are known as the first half. There is a rest period between two halves which usually last about fifteen minutes. Each team has eleven players. Each team has offensive players who play when the team has possession of the ball and defensive players who play when the other team has the possession of the ball. Because of the body contact players have during the game, helmets are worn to protect their head and face area, whereas pads are worn to protect the shoulders, arms, and legs. Also, there are officials carrying whistles and flags to make certain that the rules of the game are followed during the game. The football is made of leather and is brown in colour. It is shaped much like an oval and has white rings near each end of the football. These rings help the players see the ball when it is thrown or someone is running with it. The eight stitches on the top of the football help the players to grip the ball when throwing or passing. The most famous game of the year is Super Bowl that is played in January or February. It is televised around the world and is watched by millions of people each year.

Which is the most popular sport in the US?

READING COMPREHENSION

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have two children, Lara 10 and Peter is 16. Mrs. Nelson first discovered that Peter was getting into trouble when school rang her to say that he hadn’t turned up that day, or the day before. She realized right away that he had been truanting.

Peter's behavior was causing conflict in the house and Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were both concerned. They had different views of how they should deal with Peter's behavior and this led to rows that upset the whole family. They decided to prevent Peter from going out with his friends, but this just made him more stubborn and he would continue to miss school and stay outside his curfew.

 Over the coming weeks, family life became more and more difficult. Mr. and Mrs. felt that they could no longer do this on their own and asked the school to help. They arranged for Peter to talk to someone he trusted, and they made an agreement for him gradually attending school again. He was also given some time to catch up with the work he had missed.

As he started to talk it through, Peter realized that he had been unhappy at school for a while. He admitted that he had felt lonely since his best friend moved away and another group had persuaded him to skip school. As he missed more and more school, it became harder to go back.

Peter was encouraged to tell his parents how much he missed his friend and that he to spend time with his dad playing football or fishing. Mr. Nelson thought he had grown out of that a long time ago but was pleased to spend time with Peter again.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson tried to notice every day when Peter achieved his goal of attending being on time and remembering to do his homework. It took a little longer for Peter's friendship to return to normal and Peter has had to learn to prove himself trustworthy to his parents, but gradually Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are learning to trust Peter again.

The conflict in the Nelsons was due to the fact that                 .

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Approximately one in two thousand people in Viet Nam has a significant hearing loss. Students who have been deafened in early childhood can be very different to students who have lost hearing later in life in terms of educational disadvantage. For example, their range of vocabulary may be limited, which in turn may affect their level of English literacy.

Deaf and hard of hearing students can sometimes prefer visual learning strategies. This can be a challenge in an environment where much essential information is delivered exclusively by word of mouth.

Students with a hearing loss may need to use assistive technology to participate in class. This assistive technology can be the laptop where software such as Skype can be used to deliver interpreters or captioning. For some it will be in the form of listening devices. For others, it will be a combination of technology that includes both listening devices and computer based software.

The impact of hearing loss can cause delays in receiving learning material. Students who need information transcribed from tape must sometimes wait for a significant period of time for this to happen. This needs to be considered in terms of developing suitable timelines for the completion of work for each student.

Students with hearing loss may appear isolated in the learning environment. The possibility for social contact and interaction with other students is often limited, and this isolation or separateness may have an impact on learning. Participation and interaction in tutorials may be limited. Students who cannot hear the flow and nuances of rapid verbal exchange will be at a disadvantage.

The word “timeline" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______________.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In American, although most men still do less housework than their wives, that gap has been halved since the 1960s. Today, 41 per cent of couples say they share childcare equally, compared with 25 percent in 1985. Men's greater involvement at home is good for their relationships with their spouses, and also good for their children. Hands-on fathers make better parents than men who let their wives do all the nurturing and childcare. They raise sons who are more expressive and daughters who are more likely to do well in school - especially in math and science.

In 1900, life expectancy in the United States was 47 years, and only four per cent of the population was 65 or older. Today, life expectancy is 76 years, and by 2025, it is estimated about 20 per cent of the U.S. population will be 65 or older. For the first time, a generation of adults must plan for the needs of both their parents and their children. Most Americans are responding with remarkable grace. One in four households gives the equivalent of a full day a week or more in unpaid care to an aging relative, and more than half say they expect to do so in the next 10 years. Older people are less likely to be impoverished or incapacitated by illness than in the past, and have more opportunity to develop a relationship with their grandchildren.

Even some of the choices that worry people the most are turning out to be manageable. Divorce rates are likely to remain high, and in many cases marital breakdown causes serious problems for both adults and kids. Yet when parents minimize conflict, family bonds can be maintained. And many families are doing this. More non-custodial parents are staying in touch with their children. Child-support receipts are rising. A lower proportion of children from divorced families are exhibiting problems than in earlier decades. And stepfamilies are learning to maximize children's access to supportive adults rather than cutting them off from one side of the family.

According to the writer, the future of American family life can be ____.

Read the following text and circle the best answer:
Welcome to Arolis Chemicals! Thank you for ---139--- the full-time, permanent position of laboratory assistant. We look forward to your arrival on 1 August in the Harris Building. Please report to the front desk and ask for Jack McNolan. He ---140--- you to the Human Resources office. There, you will obtain your employee badge
---141--- all documents necessary to start work. Note that because of its large size, the Leicester campus of Arolis can be difficult to navigate. Studying a campus map will help orient you to the location of the different buildings.----142---. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

141......................

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

In a healthy relationship, both partners respect, trust and embrace (1) ____ differences. Both partners are able to communicate (2) ____ their needs and listen to their partner, and work to resolve conflict in a rational and (3) ____ way. But maintaining a healthy relationship (4) ____ for skills many young people are never taught. A lack of these skills, and (5) ____ up in a society that sometimes celebrates violence or in a community that experiences a high (6) ____ of violence, can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth.

Dating violence (7) ____ psychological or emotional violence, such as controlling behaviours or jealousy; physical violence, such as hitting or punching. More than 20 per cent of all adolescents report having experienced (8) ____ psychological or physical violence from an intimate partner - and underreporting remains a concern.

Adolescents, (9) ____ older adolescents, often have romantic relationships, which are long-term, serious, and intimate. Society has a responsibility to provide young people with the resources, skills, and space (10) ____ to safeguard their physical and emotional well being in these relationships. Youth-serving professionals, educators, and parents can help young people in need access services to (11) ____ dating abuse victimisation. Research also has shown that programmes intended to prevent dating violence can be (12) ____.

(9)....................

Read the text carefully, then choose the correct answers.

A YEAR WITH OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERS

I was with Overseas Volunteers (OV) for a year after leaving university, and I was sent to an isolated village in Chad, about 500 km from the capital N'Djamena. Coming from' a rich country, I got quite a shock as conditions were much harder than I had expected. But after a few days I soon got used to living there. The people were always very friendly and helpful, and soon I began to appreciate how beautiful the countryside was.

One of my jobs was to supply the village with water. The well was a long walk away. And the women used to spend a long time every day carrying heavy pots backwards and forwards. So I contacted organization and arranged to have some pipes delivered. We built a simple pipeline and a pump, and it worked first time. It wasn't perfect - there were a few leaks, but it made a great difference to the villagers, who had never had running water before. And not only did we have running water, but in the evenings it was hot, because the pipe had been lying in the sun all day. All in all, I think my time with OV was a good experience. Although it was not well-paid, it was well worth doing, and I would recommend it to anyone who was considering working for a charity.

How did the author feel when he arrived in the village?

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

In a healthy relationship, both partners respect, trust and embrace (1) ____ differences. Both partners are able to communicate (2) ____ their needs and listen to their partner, and work to resolve conflict in a rational and (3) ____ way. But maintaining a healthy relationship (4) ____ for skills many young people are never taught. A lack of these skills, and (5) ____ up in a society that sometimes celebrates violence or in a community that experiences a high (6) ____ of violence, can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth.

Dating violence (7) ____ psychological or emotional violence, such as controlling behaviours or jealousy; physical violence, such as hitting or punching. More than 20 per cent of all adolescents report having experienced (8) ____ psychological or physical violence from an intimate partner - and underreporting remains a concern.

Adolescents, (9) ____ older adolescents, often have romantic relationships, which are long-term, serious, and intimate. Society has a responsibility to provide young people with the resources, skills, and space (10) ____ to safeguard their physical and emotional well being in these relationships. Youth-serving professionals, educators, and parents can help young people in need access services to (11) ____ dating abuse victimisation. Research also has shown that programmes intended to prevent dating violence can be (12) ____.

(8)....................

Political and family values within society have impacted upon the modern family structure. Traditionally, it has been the man’s role to be the breadwinner for the family- providing the funds to pay for food and shelter. However, due to the many new and unique responsibilities placed upon families, in numerous cases both men and women- fathers and mothers- have had to enter the workforce. Generally, the reasons for both being involved in the workforce revolve around the need to add to the family’s current financial base. To a lesser extent, the need to interact with “adults” in a stimulating work environment is another popular reason. Whatever their reasons, for many families, the decision for father and mother to go out of home and join the labor force has led to a number of side effects within the home which, in turn, impact upon their performance as employees. Many researchers agree that attitudes towards work are carried over into family life. This spillover can be positive or negative. Positive spillover refers to the spread of satisfaction and positive stimulation at work resulting in high levels of energy and satisfaction at home. If the amount of research is to be taken as an indication, it would seem that positive spillover is not a dominant occurrence in the workplace with most research focusing on the effects of negative spillover. Often pointing out the incompatible nature of work and family life, the research focuses on problems and conflict at work which has the effect of draining and preoccupying the individual, making it difficult for him or her to participate fully in family life.
Social scientists have devised a number of theories in an attempt to explain the work-family dynamic. Compensation theory is one which has been widely used. It assumes that the relationship between work and family is negative by pointing out that high involvement in one sphere- invariably the work sphere- leads to low involvement in the other. As an individual advances within a career, demands typically fluctuate from moderate to more demanding and if the advancing worker has younger children, this shift in work responsibilities will usually manifest itself in the form of less time spent with the family. Researchers subscribing to this theory point out that the drain on family time is significantly related to work-family conflict with an escalation in conflict, as the number of families increase.

The word "it" in the third paragraph refers to .

READING COMPREHENSION

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have two children, Lara 10 and Peter is 16. Mrs. Nelson first discovered that Peter was getting into trouble when school rang her to say that he hadn’t turned up that day, or the day before. She realized right away that he had been truanting.

Peter's behavior was causing conflict in the house and Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were both concerned. They had different views of how they should deal with Peter's behavior and this led to rows that upset the whole family. They decided to prevent Peter from going out with his friends, but this just made him more stubborn and he would continue to miss school and stay outside his curfew.

 Over the coming weeks, family life became more and more difficult. Mr. and Mrs. felt that they could no longer do this on their own and asked the school to help. They arranged for Peter to talk to someone he trusted, and they made an agreement for him gradually attending school again. He was also given some time to catch up with the work he had missed.

As he started to talk it through, Peter realized that he had been unhappy at school for a while. He admitted that he had felt lonely since his best friend moved away and another group had persuaded him to skip school. As he missed more and more school, it became harder to go back.

Peter was encouraged to tell his parents how much he missed his friend and that he to spend time with his dad playing football or fishing. Mr. Nelson thought he had grown out of that a long time ago but was pleased to spend time with Peter again.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson tried to notice every day when Peter achieved his goal of attending being on time and remembering to do his homework. It took a little longer for Peter's friendship to return to normal and Peter has had to learn to prove himself trustworthy to his parents, but gradually Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are learning to trust Peter again.

The reason why Peter got into trouble was that _____________.

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Approximately one in two thousand people in Viet Nam has a significant hearing loss. Students who have been deafened in early childhood can be very different to students who have lost hearing later in life in terms of educational disadvantage. For example, their range of vocabulary may be limited, which in turn may affect their level of English literacy.

Deaf and hard of hearing students can sometimes prefer visual learning strategies. This can be a challenge in an environment where much essential information is delivered exclusively by word of mouth.

Students with a hearing loss may need to use assistive technology to participate in class. This assistive technology can be the laptop where software such as Skype can be used to deliver interpreters or captioning. For some it will be in the form of listening devices. For others, it will be a combination of technology that includes both listening devices and computer based software.

The impact of hearing loss can cause delays in receiving learning material. Students who need information transcribed from tape must sometimes wait for a significant period of time for this to happen. This needs to be considered in terms of developing suitable timelines for the completion of work for each student.

Students with hearing loss may appear isolated in the learning environment. The possibility for social contact and interaction with other students is often limited, and this isolation or separateness may have an impact on learning. Participation and interaction in tutorials may be limited. Students who cannot hear the flow and nuances of rapid verbal exchange will be at a disadvantage.

The word “timeline" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______________.

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Approximately one in two thousand people in Viet Nam has a significant hearing loss. Students who have been deafened in early childhood can be very different to students who have lost hearing later in life in terms of educational disadvantage. For example, their range of vocabulary may be limited, which in turn may affect their level of English literacy.

Deaf and hard of hearing students can sometimes prefer visual learning strategies. This can be a challenge in an environment where much essential information is delivered exclusively by word of mouth.

Students with a hearing loss may need to use assistive technology to participate in class. This assistive technology can be the laptop where software such as Skype can be used to deliver interpreters or captioning. For some it will be in the form of listening devices. For others, it will be a combination of technology that includes both listening devices and computer based software.

The impact of hearing loss can cause delays in receiving learning material. Students who need information transcribed from tape must sometimes wait for a significant period of time for this to happen. This needs to be considered in terms of developing suitable timelines for the completion of work for each student.

Students with hearing loss may appear isolated in the learning environment. The possibility for social contact and interaction with other students is often limited, and this isolation or separateness may have an impact on learning. Participation and interaction in tutorials may be limited. Students who cannot hear the flow and nuances of rapid verbal exchange will be at a disadvantage.

Learning environment can have negative impact on deaf students when  _____________.

Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

Generation gap refers to the difference in the ways of thinking and perception in the people of two different generations which results in behavioral differences, and sometimes, (26)_______between them. In other words, it is the difference in the thinking of the people of older and younger generations that creates the (27)_______of understanding between them. The most common example of generation gap is seen in the family between parents and their children. It is not only because of the gap in age but also because of the way parents (28)_________to a particular situation.

Advancement technology has led to the generation gap in this modern world. Children tend to spend most of their time with their digital devices and busy with social media that they do not discuss their problems with their parents. The Internet (29)________solutions to most of the problems that children needn't ask their own parents for help, (30)_________the communication and leading to a generation gap.

Generation gap occurs not only between parents and children but also between teachers and students. Students are likely to enjoy the classes of an open-minded teacher, who shows mutual (31)________to the students. The teachers, who tend to keep their students under unnecessary strict disciplines and practise hard ways to make them obey the orders, are usually disliked by the students. This narrows minded thinking, especially (32)________in the teachers of the older generation, eventually creates a gap between the students and teachers.

Another difference is the use of technology. Young teachers tend to use more digital devices is class for their lessons that has a good (33)_________on the students. Students take more interest and participate actively in the class discussion. An old teacher has (34)_______ frequent use of electronic devices that makes lessons boring, which is not enjoyed by the students and it creates a gap between them.

To (35)________the generation gap, parents or teachers must be close to their children. They should show interest and give time to the children, have open communication, and allow the child to feel free in all the situations.

Question 26....................

Throughout history people have always communicated with one another, not only by speech but also by movements of the hands and body. It is, however, only (11)_____ the last few years that these aspects of communication have been studied at all widely. This type of communication is known as body language or non-verbal communication. People sometimes wonder (12)______you can learn how body language works. It is of course possible to read books on the subject but you also need to without time observing people’s movements. A railway station is a particular good place for such observation, as here people can be seen openly expressing eagerness, sorrow, delight, impatience and many other human emotions by (13)_________ of movement.

If you turn down the sound on your television set and try to understand (14)______is happening simply by watching the picture you will learn even more about communication spend words. By turning the sound back up every five (15)_________ or so, it is possible to check how accurate your understanding is.

(11)..........................................

Homing pigeons are placed in a training program from about the time they are twenty-eight days of age. They are taught to enter the loft through a trap and to exercise above and around the loft, and gradually they are taken away for short distances in wicker baskets and released. They are then expected to find their way home in the shortest possible time. In their training flights or in actual races, the birds are taken to prearranged distant points and released to find their way back to their own lofts. Once the birds are liberated, their owners, who are standing by at the home lofts, anxiously watch the sky for the return of their entries. Since time is of the essence, the speed with which the birds can be induced to enter the loft trap may make the difference between gaining a win or a second place.
The head of a homing pigeon is comparatively small, but its brain is one quarter larger than that of the ordinary pigeon. The homing pigeon is very intelligent and will persevere to the point of stubbornness some have been known to fly a hundred miles off course to avoid a storm.
Some homing pigeon experts claim that this bird is gifted with a form of built-in radar that helps it find its own loft after hours of flight, for hidden under the head feathers are two very sensitive ears, while the sharp, prominent eyes can see great distances in daytime.
Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill: it is found in most migratory birds, in bees, ants, toads, and even turtles, which have been known to travel hundreds of miles to return to their homes. But in the animal world, the homing pigeon alone can be trusted with its freedom and trained to carry out the missions that people demand.

The author mentions all of the following attributes that enable a homing pigeon to return home EXCEPT_____________

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.

Why is it that many teenagers have the energy to play computer games until late at night but can't find the energy to get out of bed (1) ________ for school? According to a new report, today's generation of children are in danger of getting so (2)_______ sleep that they are putting their mental and physical health at (3)_______. Adults can easily survive on seven to eight hours' sleep a night, (4)_______teenagers require nine or ten hours. According to medical experts, one in five youngsters (5)________ anything between two and five hours' sleep a night less than their parents did at their age

4 is ..................

Read the following text and circle the best answer:
Garden Shade Tree Landscaping
Garden Shade creates tree landscapes and hedges to suit every garden, no matter the size.  Our designs have ---131--- small urban gardens as well as large-scale projects commissioned by architects and property developers. ---132---. However, no single nursery can offer trees of all species and sizes. That is why Garden Shade has developed close relationships with many specialist growers
---133--- to provide us with the trees we need. Such resources give us the variety necessary to complete any ---134---. In other words, whatever your landscape design dream, we can make it happen.

132..................

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

Mai is my neighbor. She turned sixteen recently and her parents (46) _______ a birthday party for her. I was one of those invited. The party began at about three (47) ­­_______ the afternoon. There were about twenty of us gathering in Mai’s house. She didn’t like having the party at a restaurant (48) ­­_______ it is noisy and expensive.

We gave presents to Mai and she (49) ­­_______ opened them. It must really be exciting to receive all those presents. After that Mai’s mother served us soft drinks and biscuits. We then listened to music and played cards. The winners were given prizes. At about four-thirty, Mai’s mother brought out the birthday cake. It was beautifully decorated with pink and white icing. (50) ­­_______ colorful candles sat in the middle of the cake. We all clapped our hands eagerly and sang “Happy Birthday” as she blew out the candles and cut the cake. We helped ourselves to slices of the delicious cake and sang all the songs that we knew.

Finally, at about six in the evening, the party came to an end. We were all tired but happy. The parents of other children came to collect them by motorbikes. I helped Mai and her mother clean up the mess we had made. After that, I walked home, which was only three doors away.

Câu 50: ............................

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

In a healthy relationship, both partners respect, trust and embrace (1) ____ differences. Both partners are able to communicate (2) ____ their needs and listen to their partner, and work to resolve conflict in a rational and (3) ____ way. But maintaining a healthy relationship (4) ____ for skills many young people are never taught. A lack of these skills, and (5) ____ up in a society that sometimes celebrates violence or in a community that experiences a high (6) ____ of violence, can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth.

Dating violence (7) ____ psychological or emotional violence, such as controlling behaviours or jealousy; physical violence, such as hitting or punching. More than 20 per cent of all adolescents report having experienced (8) ____ psychological or physical violence from an intimate partner - and underreporting remains a concern.

Adolescents, (9) ____ older adolescents, often have romantic relationships, which are long-term, serious, and intimate. Society has a responsibility to provide young people with the resources, skills, and space (10) ____ to safeguard their physical and emotional well being in these relationships. Youth-serving professionals, educators, and parents can help young people in need access services to (11) ____ dating abuse victimisation. Research also has shown that programmes intended to prevent dating violence can be (12) ____.

(6)....................