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.

   Mandatory volunteering made many members of Maryland's high school class of 97 grumble with indignation. They didn't like a new requirement that made them take part in the school's community service program. Future seniors, however, probably won't be as resistant now that the program has broken in. Some, like John Maloney, already have completed their required hours of approved community service. The Bowie High School sophomore earned his hours in eighth grade by volunteering two nights a week at the Larkin-Chase Nursing and Restorative Center in Bowie.He played shuffle board, cards, and other games with the senior citizens. He also helped plan parties for them and visited their rooms to keep them company.

   John, fifteen, is not finished volunteering. Once a week he videotapes animals at the Prince George's County animal shelter in Forestville. His footage is shown on the Bowie public access television channel in hopes of finding homes for the animals. "Volunteering is better than just sitting around," says John, "and I like animals; I don't want to see them put to sleep." He's not the only volunteer in his family. His sister, Melissa, an eighth grader, has completed her hours also volunteering at Larkin-Chase.

   "It is a good idea to have kids go out into the community, but it's frustrating to have to write essays about the works," she said. It makes you feel like you're doing it for the requirement and not for yourself." The high school's service learning office, run by Beth Ansley, provides information on organizations seeking volunteers so that students will have an easier time fulfilling their hours.

   "It's ridiculous that people are opposing the requirements," said Amy Rouse, who this summer has worked at the Ronald McDonald House and has helped to rebuild a church in Clinton.

   "So many people won't do the service unless it's mandatory," Rouse said, "but once they start doing it, they'll really like it and hopefully it will become a part of their lives - like it has become a part of mine."

From paragraphs 6 and 7, we can infer that Melissa Maloney ______.

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.

   Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. For many Americans it is the most important holiday apart from Christmas. Schools, offices and most businesses close for Thanksgiving, and many people make the whole weekend a vacation.

   Thanksgiving is associated with the time when Europeans first came to North America. In 1620 the ship the Mayflowers arrived, bringing about 150 people who today are usually called Pilgrims. They arrived at the beginning of a very hard winter and could not find enough to eat, so many of them died. But in the following summer Native Americans showed them what foods were safe to eat, so that they could save food for the next winter. They held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans for the fact that they had survived.

   Today people celebrate Thanksgiving to remember these early days. The most important part of the celebration is a traditional dinner with foods that come from North America. The meal includes turkey, sweet potatoes (also called yams) and cranberries, which are made into a kind of sauce or jelly. The turkey is filled with stuffing or dressing, and many families have their own special recipe. Dessert is pumpkin made into a pie.

   On Thanksgiving there are special television programs and sports events. In New York there is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when a long line of people wearing fancy costumes march through the streets with large balloons in the shape of imaginary characters. Thanksgiving is considered the beginning of the Christmas period, and the next day many people go out to shop for Christmas presents.

All of the following statements are mentioned EXCEPT ______.

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space. 
BICYCLES
Why don’t the British cycles? Only a quarter of the estimated twenty million bicycles in the country are thought to be in (58) …….. use. In Denmark, which is flatter but no darker  or  rainier  than  Britain,  twenty  percent  of  all  journeys  are  made  by  bicycles, while in Britain the (59) …….. is only 5%. The government are trying to (60) …….. this. It is hoped that a grant of millions of pounds from the National Lottery will (61)…….. more people to use their bikes. The money will be used to (62) …….. for a 6,500 mile national network of cycle tracks. Britain needs to (63) …….. environmentally friendly scheme such as this. The southern third of the country is one of the most (64)…….. areas of the world. Environmentalists make it (65) …….. to build new roads, and (66)  ……..  roads  are  overcrowded.  One  official  committee  described  the  growth  of motor transport as “possibly the (67) ……. environmental threat to the UK”. The (68)…….. of building the cycles tracks is to motivate people to use their bicycles instead of their cars. However, the new tracks are being built (69) …….. cities and not through them. This (70) …….. that only long distance journeys may be easier and safer. Those cyclists who want to (71) …….. inside cities will still be in danger of (72) …….. their lives on busy roads every time they use their bicycles.

63...................

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

"The 22nd Southeast Asian Games (22nd SEA Games) successfully closed in Ha Noi. Prominent among 40,000 spectators at the closing (1)…. at My Dinh National Stadium were Party Secretary General Nong Duc Manh, Vice President Truong My Hoa and leaders of the Asian Sport Federation.
 A spectacular art (2)…… programme with the participation of 300 musicians and 500 artists was (3)…….  to welcome the success of the Games. Singaporean swimmer Yeojoscelin who won six gold medals and Vietnamese marksman Nguyen Manh Tuong who owned five gold medals during the Games were awarded the most (4)…… athlete title.
 Nguyen Danh Thai, Minister-Chairman of the State Committee for Physical Training and Sports, President of the 22nd SEA Games Council and Head of the 22nd SEA Games Organising Committee, (5)……. that the Games have successfully concluded after boisterous competition days. All activities took place(6)……  scheduled in an (7)…..  of solidarity and friendship among Southeast Asian people.
With the Vietnamese Government and people's efforts and international support, the 22nd SEA Games have become a festival that impressed people  (8)…. the spirit of “solidarity. cooperation for peace and development”.
 The 22nd SEA Games are not only a song of honesty and nobility in competition and organising competition but (9)….. a sign of a bright future for the development of regional sports. After Vietnamese singer My Linh and a Philippine singer sang the song “For the World of Tomorrow”, Minister Nguven Danh Thai and Chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee Hoang Van Nghien handed over the SEA Games Flag to the Chairman of the Olympic Committee and the Head of the Philippine sport team, (10)…… the host country of the 23rd SEA Games - the Philippines 2005."

10. People's Committee Hoang Van Nghien handed over the SEA Games Flag to the Chairman of the Olympic Committee and the Head of the Philippine sport team, (10)…… the host country of the 23rd SEA Games - the Philippines 2005.

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space. 
BICYCLES
Why don’t the British cycles? Only a quarter of the estimated twenty million bicycles in the country are thought to be in (58) …….. use. In Denmark, which is flatter but no darker  or  rainier  than  Britain,  twenty  percent  of  all  journeys  are  made  by  bicycles, while in Britain the (59) …….. is only 5%. The government are trying to (60) …….. this. It is hoped that a grant of millions of pounds from the National Lottery will (61)…….. more people to use their bikes. The money will be used to (62) …….. for a 6,500 mile national network of cycle tracks. Britain needs to (63) …….. environmentally friendly scheme such as this. The southern third of the country is one of the most (64)…….. areas of the world. Environmentalists make it (65) …….. to build new roads, and (66)  ……..  roads  are  overcrowded.  One  official  committee  described  the  growth  of motor transport as “possibly the (67) ……. environmental threat to the UK”. The (68)…….. of building the cycles tracks is to motivate people to use their bicycles instead of their cars. However, the new tracks are being built (69) …….. cities and not through them. This (70) …….. that only long distance journeys may be easier and safer. Those cyclists who want to (71) …….. inside cities will still be in danger of (72) …….. their lives on busy roads every time they use their bicycles.

58..................

Read the passage and choose the best answers. 
The 24th SEA Games was held from 6th to 15th December, 2007 in three provinces in Thailand, namely Nakhon Ratchsima, Bangkok, and Chon Buri. In fact, the 2007 SEA Games was to be hosted by Singapore, but Singapore gave up the chance, as its new national sports stadium is under construction and will not be completed in time for the next SEA Games. Thailand was then asked by The SEA Games Federation to host this regional sport event in place of Singapore.
The SEA Games takes place every two years, with 11 countries in Southeast Asia participating. Each member country, in alphabetical order, takes turn hosting this event. Let’s look at the number of sports and gold medals in The SEA Games in recent years. The 21st SEA Games, hosted by Malaysia in 2001, had 32 sports with 391 gold medals. There were 32 sports with 439 gold medals in The 22nd SEA Games, held in Vietnam in 2003. The 23rd SEA Games, in The Philippines in 2005, had 40 sports with 439 gold medals.
The 24th SEA Games in Thailand this year, featuring 43 sports and 485 gold medals, had the highest number of sports and gold medals in The Asian Games and The Olympic Games. So The SEA Games is regarded as the largest regional sporting event in the world in terms of number of sports and medals

Where was The 21st SEA Games celebrated?

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

HÀ NỘI — The Government has approved the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s proposal to hold the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 11th ASEAN Para Games (Para Games 11) in Việt Nam in 2021.

At a meeting in the capital on Tuesday, the Cabinet assigned Hà Nội __________ (6) the host city, after successfully holding the SEA Games 22 in 2003, the Asian Indoor Games in 2009 and several other international sporting __________ (7). The ministry’s proposal was made after the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) informed Việt Nam it would have the right to host the SEA Games 31. The federation said Cambodia, scheduled to host SEA Games 31, proposed __________ (8) hosting until the next Games in 2023 as it is not ready.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc lauded the determination of the culture, sports and tourism sector, as well as of Hà Nội and relevant ministries and agencies. Hosting the events is both the responsibility __________ (9) honour of Việt Nam as a constructive member of ASEAN, he said, adding it is also a chance to promote the Vietnamese land and people. The leader asked Hà Nội __________ (10) infrastructure, set forth a detailed plan on the organisation of the events and mobilise the participation of different economic sectors in these efforts. The sports sector should make preparations to reach the highest results at the tournament, he said.

The federation said Cambodia, scheduled to host SEA Games 31, proposed __________ (8) hosting until the next Games in 2023 as it is not ready.

Psychologists have debated a long time about whether a child's upbringing can give it the ability to do outstandingly well. Some think that it is impossible to develop genius and say that it is simply something a person is born with. Others, however, argue that the potential for great achievement can be developed. The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.
It seems very obvious that being born with the right qualities from gifted parents will increase a child's ability to do well. However, this ability will be fully realized only with the right upbringing and opportunities. As one psychologist says, "To have a fast car, you need both a good engine and fuel.” Scientists have recently assessed intelligence, achievement, and ability in 50 sets of identical twins that were separated shortly after birth and brought up by different pa rents. They found that achievement was based on intelligence, and later influenced by the child's environment
One case involving very intelligent twins was quoted. One of the twins received a normal upbringing, and performed well. The other twin, however, was brought up by extremely supportive parents and given every possible opportunity to develop its abilities. That twin, though starting out with the same degree of intelligence as the other, performed even better.
This case reflects the general principle of intelligence and ability. The more favorable the environment, the more a child's intelligence and ability are developed. However, there is no link between intelligence and the socioeconomic level of a child's family.  In other words, it does not matter how poor or how rich a family is, as this does not affect intelligence.
Gifted people cannot be created by supportive parents, but they can be developed by them.
One professor of music said that outstanding musicians usually started two or three years earlier than ordinary performers, often because their parents had recognized their ability. These musicians then needed at least ten years' hard work and training in order to reach the level they were capable of attaining.
People who want to have very gifted children are given the following advice:
- Marry an intelligent person.
- Permit children to chase their own interests rather than the interests of the parents.
- Start a child's education early but avoid pushing the child too hard.
- Encourage children to play; for example, playing with musical instruments is essential for a child who wants to become an outstanding musician.

When scientists studied intelligence and ability in twins, they found that......................

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space. 
BICYCLES
Why don’t the British cycles? Only a quarter of the estimated twenty million bicycles in the country are thought to be in (58) …….. use. In Denmark, which is flatter but no darker  or  rainier  than  Britain,  twenty  percent  of  all  journeys  are  made  by  bicycles, while in Britain the (59) …….. is only 5%. The government are trying to (60) …….. this. It is hoped that a grant of millions of pounds from the National Lottery will (61)…….. more people to use their bikes. The money will be used to (62) …….. for a 6,500 mile national network of cycle tracks. Britain needs to (63) …….. environmentally friendly scheme such as this. The southern third of the country is one of the most (64)…….. areas of the world. Environmentalists make it (65) …….. to build new roads, and (66)  ……..  roads  are  overcrowded.  One  official  committee  described  the  growth  of motor transport as “possibly the (67) ……. environmental threat to the UK”. The (68)…….. of building the cycles tracks is to motivate people to use their bicycles instead of their cars. However, the new tracks are being built (69) …….. cities and not through them. This (70) …….. that only long distance journeys may be easier and safer. Those cyclists who want to (71) …….. inside cities will still be in danger of (72) …….. their lives on busy roads every time they use their bicycles.

65...................

Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answer. 
The 23rd Southeast Asian Games (also known as the 2005 SEAG) were held in the Philippines from November 27th to December 5th in 2005. The games were participated by the eleven nations of Southeast Asia. This was the first time that the opening and closing ceremonies were held in a large open field, despite the fact that Manila has many stadiums and arenas. The organization decided to hold the games at an open space to accommodate the large number), of participants and spectators. As a result, the 2005 SEAG ranks as having largest audience having reached 200,000 people during the opening and, closing ceremonies. These games were also noted for having the most number delegates in the history of the SEA Games. In the end, all participating Countries received medals. The event was meant to tighten ties among Southeast Asian countries as a region and as a preparation as well for the upcoming Asian Games and Olympic Games.
The first gold medal of the games was awarded to Singapore on November 25th when their water polo team came out undefeated during the round-robin tournament round. The Philippine team took the silver medal in that event, and Malaysia brought home the bronze. 
East Timor received its first ever medal as a sovereign nation in the Philippines indigenous sport of Arnis.
The Games were also considered a valuable opportunity for athletes to gain competition experience and preparation for upcoming Asian Games and Olympic Games. It was purposely created strengthen friendship, solidarity and understanding among neighboring countries in the region. 
This was the third SEA Games to hosted by the Philippines. The last two times the Philippines hosted the games were in 1981, and again in 1991. Although the majority of events took place in Manila, logistical hurdles required the unusual step of spreading-out the events across the country; to ten other cities. This arrangement, was not seen favorably by the participating countries who anticipated travel and accommodation issues to arise; a worry which was confirmed soon their arrival.

The 23rd SEA Games were considered ____________________

Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color,  and to reflect rather than absorb the Sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy,  desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn,  as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.

Another strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink prodigious volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse and far-flung pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated, it is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.

What is the main topic of the  passage?

An idea came to me, and I turned off the lights in the studio. In the dark ness, I put the  cello's spike into a loose spot on the carpet, tightened the bow and drew it across the open strings.  I took off my shirt and tried it again; it was the first time in my life I'd felt the instrument against  my bare chest. I could fell the vibration of the strings travel through the body of the instrument to  my own body. I'd never thought about that; music scholars always talk about the resonating properties of various instruments, but surely the performer's own body must have some effect on the sound. As I dug into the notes I imagined that my own chest and lung were extensions of the sound box; I seemed to be able to alter the sound by the way I sat, and by varying the muscular tension in my upper body. 
After improvising for a while, I started playing the D minor Bach suite, still in the  darkness. Strangely freed of the task of finding the right phrasing, the right intonation, the right bowing, I heard the music through my skin. For the first time I didn't think about how it would sound to anyone else, and slowly, joyfully, gratefully, I started to hear again. The note sang out,  first like a trickle, then like a fountain of cool water bubbling up from a hole in the middle of the desert. After an hour or so I looked up, and in the darkness saw the outline of the cat sitting on the floor in front of me, cleaning her paws and purring loudly. I had an audience again, humble as it was. 
So that's what I do now with the cello. At least once a day I find time to tune it, close my eyes, and listen. It’s probably not going to lead to the kind of come back I'd fantasized about for so long – years of playing badly have left scars on my technique, and, practically speaking, classical  musicians returning from obscurity are almost impossible to promote – but might eventually try giving a recital if I feel up to it. Or better yet, I may pay for Dr. Polk if our date at the concert goes well. Occasionally I fell a stab of longing, and I wish I could give just one more concert on the  great stage before my lights blink off, but that longing passes more quickly now. I take solace on the fact that, unlike the way I felt before, I can enjoy playing for myself now. I fell relaxed and expansive when I play, as if I could stretch out my arms and reach from one end of the apartment to the other. A feeling of the completeness and dignity surrounds me and lifts me up.

Based on the information in paragraph 3, what can be inferred about the cellist's  attitude toward playing? 

American music, in most of its various forms, can be traced back to the music of the  earliest African- Americans. Even though these Americans came here under the worst of  circumstances, they still brought with them traditions, and developed new traditions of their own, that have grown into what is recognized around the world today as American music. 

Musicians, like other artists, are usually quick to give credit where credit is due. Just as a  writer quotes his sources, a musician credits those musicians who inspired him. In the case of the  early African-Americans, that is not always easy. Many of the slaves who brought musical  traditions from Africa will never be known by name. No one wrote their history. Many of the slaves who sang work songs in the fields will never be known by name. No one wrote their history either. 

However, there is a lot that we do know. 

The first well-recognized form of African-American music was spirituals. Spirituals are religious songs. They are songs that tell a story or express emotions. Spirituals have a strong  rhythm. They are often sung by a group, sometimes with a leader who sings a line or two alone and a chorus that sings the refrain. Spirituals originated in the Southern United States. Spirituals sung by slaves often expressed the hope for freedom that was so important in their lives. Well know spirituals include "Go Down Moses," "Deep River," and "Swing Low SweetChariot." After slavery ended, spirituals began to spread to other parts of the United States. Harry  Thacker Burleigh was one of the first singers to perform spirituals on stage in a concert. Marian Anderson, well known for her classical singing, helped spirituals to gain a wider audience too.  Spirituals influenced the development of another well-known form of American music - the blues. The blues were a more individual style of music than spirituals. Blues were often sung  solo, and sometimes they were accompanied by guitar music. As the name suggests, the blues were often about sadness and facing troubles. However, the blues could also be funny, positive, and  even defiant. One blues singer, loved for her strong, beautiful voice, was Bessie Smith. Another  early blues musician was W. C. Handy. Handy was not only a musician, he also wrote music,  promoted concerts, and published bluessongs. 

During the time that the blues were spreading across the country, another style of music  was also quickly gaining in popularity. Ragtime was energetic music with a complicated,  syncopated beat. Often played on the piano, ragtime was the latest and most sophisticated in American popular music. The best-known  ragtime musician was probably Scott Joplin, who wrote many hit ragtime pieces for the piano  including "Maple Leaf Rag." 

Eventually, elements from all of these forms of music and more came back together. In  their own kind of melting pot, African rhythms, slave work songs, spirituals, blues, ragtime, and  other influences recombined to form the beginnings of that truly American art form - jazz. In the late 1800’s jazz was just beginning, but not long after the turn of the century, it would be the most popular American music. It would go on from there to worldwide popularity. Jazz would branch  out into many forms, and it would influence future styles of Americanmusic. 

Many musicians today credit earlier musicians such as Scott Joplin or Bessie Smith with inspiring their music. It’s a shame that they can’t also name the earliest African-Americans who  really began the traditions that led to the American music of today.

Scott Joplin and Bessie Smith were ..........................

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

That is a program of Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union to (1) _____ individuals, domestic and foreign organizations buy and use bicycles during the time (2) _____ they enjoy the SEA Games 22 in Ho Chi Minh City then donate the bicycles to poor children. Preparing (3) _____ this program, the Organizing Committee has signed a (4) _____ with Martin- a bicycle-making firm - to purchase 1,000 bicycles, at prices from 850,000 to 1,000,000 VND per bicycle -10% (5) _____ than market prices, with nearly 20 different models. In the mid of November, The Organizing Committee will announce, promote, and (6) _____ the program "SEA Games Iron Horses - For Poor Children" through (7) _____ at airport, on buses, taxis, at information desks, posters, banners, newspapers, and websites of city Youth Union. Besides 1,200 volunteers (8) _____ the SEA Games 22, the Organizing Committee also recruits 100 active volunteers for this program to handle the handover and receiving bikes, instructing participating tourists, giving (9) _____ to questions through hot lines. This program both conveys practical significance and helps international friends to understand further the nation and people of Viet, Nam as well as strengthen the friendship and (10) _____ among nations.

(4) _____

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. 
Human beings are extremely diverse in very many ways. People differ (23) ____ opinions, race, nationality, gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity, class, religion, lifestyle and so much more, yet at the very basic we are all human species. Ideally, all people feel (24) ____ and joy despite the differences. Today, the changes in time and technology have made is extremely impossible for any group of people to live without interacting with others outside their group. Often people of different cultural and geographical (25) ____ meet in international conferences, education exchange programs, sports, etc.
Sadly, the history of mankind discriminating against each other based on cultural differences has been with us for ages. So many people have died or have been denied their rights (26) _________ individual greed. Properties and economies have also been destroyed due to lack of understanding. Unfortunately, some of these occurrences are visible even today, perpetuated by people who little understand the importance of the (27)__________of our diversity.

Often people of different cultural and geographical (25) ____ meet in international conferences,

Psychologists have debated a long time about whether a child's upbringing can give it the ability to do outstandingly well. Some think that it is impossible to develop genius and say that it is simply something a person is born with. Others, however, argue that the potential for great achievement can be developed. The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.
It seems very obvious that being born with the right qualities from gifted parents will increase a child's ability to do well. However, this ability will be fully realized only with the right upbringing and opportunities. As one psychologist says, "To have a fast car, you need both a good engine and fuel.” Scientists have recently assessed intelligence, achievement, and ability in 50 sets of identical twins that were separated shortly after birth and brought up by different pa rents. They found that achievement was based on intelligence, and later influenced by the child's environment
One case involving very intelligent twins was quoted. One of the twins received a normal upbringing, and performed well. The other twin, however, was brought up by extremely supportive parents and given every possible opportunity to develop its abilities. That twin, though starting out with the same degree of intelligence as the other, performed even better.
This case reflects the general principle of intelligence and ability. The more favorable the environment, the more a child's intelligence and ability are developed. However, there is no link between intelligence and the socioeconomic level of a child's family.  In other words, it does not matter how poor or how rich a family is, as this does not affect intelligence.
Gifted people cannot be created by supportive parents, but they can be developed by them.
One professor of music said that outstanding musicians usually started two or three years earlier than ordinary performers, often because their parents had recognized their ability. These musicians then needed at least ten years' hard work and training in order to reach the level they were capable of attaining.
People who want to have very gifted children are given the following advice:
- Marry an intelligent person.
- Permit children to chase their own interests rather than the interests of the parents.
- Start a child's education early but avoid pushing the child too hard.
- Encourage children to play; for example, playing with musical instruments is essential for a child who wants to become an outstanding musician.

When encouraging their gifted children, parents should avoid .....................

Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color,  and to reflect rather than absorb the Sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy,  desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn,  as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.

Another strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink prodigious volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse and far-flung pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated, it is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.

The author uses of Grant's gazelle as an example of..........................

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

HÀ NỘI — The Government has approved the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s proposal to hold the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 11th ASEAN Para Games (Para Games 11) in Việt Nam in 2021.

At a meeting in the capital on Tuesday, the Cabinet assigned Hà Nội __________ (1) the host city, after successfully holding the SEA Games 22 in 2003, the Asian Indoor Games in 2009 and several other international sporting __________ (2). The ministry’s proposal was made after the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) informed Việt Nam it would have the right to host the SEA Games 31. The federation said Cambodia, scheduled to host SEA Games 31, proposed __________ (3) hosting until the next Games in 2023 as it is not ready.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc lauded the determination of the culture, sports and tourism sector, as well as of Hà Nội and relevant ministries and agencies. Hosting the events is both the responsibility __________ (4) honour of Việt Nam as a constructive member of ASEAN, he said, adding it is also a chance to promote the Vietnamese land and people. The leader asked Hà Nội __________ (5) infrastructure, set forth a detailed plan on the organisation of the events and mobilise the participation of different economic sectors in these efforts. The sports sector should make preparations to reach the highest results at the tournament, he said.

(1)...................

Read the following passage and choose the best answer for each blank.

Yesterday, Eleanor Preston won an international swimming competition for girls (26) _________ under sixteen. She swam faster (27) _________ girls from ten other countries. This (28) ______even better when you learn that Elenor is only thirteen. She had to have special (29) _________to enter, because normally competitors are fourteen or older. Eleanor has been (30) ______on swimming for a long time – (31) ______she was three in fact. I wonder whether she found it hard to (32) _______several hours a day training. She (33) _________. me that sometimes she has problems finding time for homework, but that’s all. “My parents have given up so (34) _______time driving me to local competitions, I think it’s been harder for them, actually.” Her aim is to swim at the Olympic Games. After yesterday’s performance, I think she may (35)_________. there.

(28) _________

Read the following passage and choose the best answer for each blank.

Yesterday, Eleanor Preston won an international swimming competition for girls (26) _________ under sixteen. She swam faster (27) _________ girls from ten other countries. This (28) ______even better when you learn that Elenor is only thirteen. She had to have special (29) _________to enter, because normally competitors are fourteen or older. Eleanor has been (30) ______on swimming for a long time – (31) ______she was three in fact. I wonder whether she found it hard to (32) _______several hours a day training. She (33) _________. me that sometimes she has problems finding time for homework, but that’s all. “My parents have given up so (34) _______time driving me to local competitions, I think it’s been harder for them, actually.” Her aim is to swim at the Olympic Games. After yesterday’s performance, I think she may (35)_________. there.

(34) _________

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. 
      New research shows that long-term changes in diseases in ocean species coincides with decades of widespread environmental change. The paper, "Increases and decreases in marine disease reports in an era of global change," was published Oct. 9 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
      Understanding oceanic trends is important for evaluating today's threats to marine systems, and disease is an important sentinel of change, according to senior author Drew Harvell, professor of marine biology at Cornell University. "Disease increases and decreases can both be bad news," said lead author Allison Tracy, who studied with Harvell. "The long-term changes in disease that we see here may result from anthropogenic pressure on plants and animals in the ocean." The researchers examined marine infectious disease reports from 1970 to 2013, which transcend short-term fluctuations and regional variation. They examined records of corals, urchins, mammals, decapods, fish, mollusks, sharks, rays, seagrass and turtles.
       For corals and urchins, reports of infectious disease increased over the 44-year period. In the Caribbean, increasing coral disease reports correlated with warming events. It is widely known that coral bleaching increases with warming, but Harvell said they have established a long-term connection between warming and coral disease. "We've finally linked a coral killer like infectious disease to repeated warming bouts over four decades of change," she said. "Our study shows that infectious disease reports are associated with warm temperature anomalies in corals on a multi-decadal scale." These results improve understanding of how changing environments alter species interactions, and they provide a solid baseline for health of marine life in the period studied.

The word “They” in paragraph 2 refers to _______.