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

In Britain some families feel that learning at home is better than going to school. Home schooled children can choose when they want to learn. Does this sound more enjoyable than school?

Andrian is a science prodigy and he wants to start university by the age of fourteen. He finds school lessons easier than the ones he expects but making friends is more difficult. At home he can spend more time on his favourite subjects and is preparing to take many of his exams early. Does he ever take a break? “Yes”, he says “I don’t study subjects I’m not interested in.”

Holly’s parents weren’t happy with the local school. So they made a decision to teach her at home. Her favourite is history and she often goes to the museum to study. “I couldn’t do that before”, she says. “This is more interesting than school was.” Her parents are always happy to help her.

Andrian and Holly love learning at home, but some people think that studying at school is more useful because it trains you for adult life. It teaches you to be with people you don’t like, but it can also help you to make friends. Are these things more important than lessons? What do you think?

Andrian wants to start ____________________ when he’s 14.

Read the following passage and choose the best option from 46 to 51 to complete it.      

WEATHER

        Weather influences the lives of everyone. The climate of any country depends on its position on earth, its (46)………….from the sea, and how high it is. In countries which have sea all around them, like Britain and New- Zealand, winters are mild, and summers are cool. There is not a huge change from one season to (47)………….. Countries near the Equator have hot weather all year with some hard rain, except in deserts where it rains (48)………….little. Above the desert, there are no clouds in the sky so the light of the sun can easily warm the ground during the day but it gets very cold at night. People are not always (49)………….in unusual weather. Strong winds and rain can (50)…………. a lot of damage to buildings and in spite of modern tools of weather forecasting, they can (51)…………. surprise us.

49_________

The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many ______ countries.

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.

Teenagers today live in a very competitive world. It is (23)……………important than ever to succeed at school if you hope to (24 )…….. a chance in the job market afterwards. It’s no wonder that many young people worry (25)………...letting down their parents, their peers and themselves. To try to please everyone, they take on too (26)…………….tasks until it becomes harder and harder to balance homework assignments, parties, sports activities and friends. The result is that young people (27)…………from stress.

Question 27: ..................

You are going to read an extract from a writer’s journal. For Questions 1-8, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in March saying, “We’re thinking of running a children’s playscheme for a day in October half-term. Would you be prepared to help?” My response was “Sure, why not?” In truth, I was a little flattered to be asked, even though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the role. Still, I duly put the date in my diary and of course, I forgot all about it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and, before I knew it, the day was dawning.

I arrived at the youth center that morning feeling full of trepidation. There was a gang of 12 helpers including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine was the 10 to 11-year-olds. Even with the planning meeting I had attended the week before, I worried about whether I was up to the task. Why hadn’t I read through the copious lesson plans we were given beforehand? And wasn’t the average 10-year-old more interested in the latest Play Station game than making things with paper and glue?

All too quickly the children began arriving. The look of relief on parents’ faces as they handed their offspring over to us was quite comical. A handful of the children were already members of the club but the other forty-five or so were from the local primary schools. Again I asked myself why I had elected to spend a day with all these ‘little monsters’, especially when I have two all of my own to contend with!

I needn’t have worried of course as it turned out to be a marvelous day. We watched entertaining DVD clips, learned ‘action’ songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games, and spent some time in quiet reflection. I say ‘we’ because I rediscovered my inner child and joined in all the activities.

The particular highlight for me was the final rendition of “He’s got the whole world in his hands” in the closing part of the day. The children knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. It’s difficult to explain those moments; only that the body tingles with the pleasure of having witnessed something so magical.

Of course, there were also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thinking of one little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually that her mum was in the hospital and would be there for a long time. It’s easy for us adults to idealize childhood and forget that some children have their own burden of anxieties and concerns. When I got home utterly exhausted, still with modeling clay under my fingernails, I reflected on what a privilege it had been.

There was one disappointment for the children and that was that the playscheme was only running for a day, and not the whole week. As I said farewell to my group, one of the children turned and said “Can we do it again in the next holiday, Miss?” My response was, “Sure, why not?”

The writer needn’t have worried because ____________.

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.
Although you may think you are too young to worry about your future career, it is important that you start thinking about your life after high school right now so that you can take the steps necessary to any career you may choose. Some of these steps include choosing the right high school, enrolling in the necessary courses, earning good grades, getting work experience and building a resume. It can seem overwhelming trying to choose a career before you complete high school, but always keep in mind that it is never too late to change your career path and no one says you have to decide now. There are lots of different factors that go into choosing a career path. To determine the occupation you want to enter, you need to consider your interests, how long you want to be in school, how much money you want to make, the type of work you want to do, the potential for job growth and job trends in the industry - sounds like a lot, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Each day you make many decisions - what to wear, who to hang out with, how to spend your time after school. Some of the decisions you make today can affect you for the rest of your life. Once you have figured out the things you like to do and the things you do well, you can begin exploring careers that include your interests and skills. Make a plan from the beginning, and once you have a plan, work the plan. Do the steps along the way each year to keep on track toward graduation and higher education.
3. Once you have determined your interests and your strengths, you can___________

 Read the passage and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
I live in a small village (1) ………… Henfield – there are about 500 people here. I love it because it is (2) ………….. and life is slow and easy. You never (3) …….. queue in shops or banks. The village is clean – people (4) ……………….. it and don’t throw their rubbish in the streets. The air is also (5) ………………………..because there’s not much heavy traffic. It’s much more (6) …………….. here than in a city. Everyone knows everyone and (7) ………………. someone has a problem, there are always people who can help. There are (8) ……………….. things I don’t like about Henfield. One thing is that there is not much (9) ……………………  in the evening – we haven’t got any cinemas or theaters. Another problem is that people always talk about (10) …………… and everyone knows what everyone else is doing. But I still prefer village life to life in a big city.

7.......................

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.

    It is often considered that the schoolyard is where bullies go to make other kids a miserable school life, but a new study suggests that classrooms are another popular place.

    The study, presented recently at the American Public Health Association’s yearly meeting in Philadelphia, is based on the results of the research from more than 10,000 middle school students who answered questions online.

    Of those researched, 43% said they’d been physically bullied within the last month. A bit more than half said they had been laughed at in an unfriendly way, and half reported being called hurtful names. About one third said groups had excluded them to hurt their feelings. 28% said their belongings had been taken or broken; 21% said someone had threatened to hurt them. According to the results, two-thirds of the students said they had been bullied in more than one way over the previous month.

 The study authors mentioned that 8% of the students who answered said they had missed school at least once during the school year because of fear of being bullied, 25% said they had taken other actions, such as missing recess, not going to the bathroom or lunch, missing classes, or staying away from some area of the school to escape from experiencing a bully. Bullies did too much to the school life.

Bullies can happen in the following places EXCEPT_________.

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D. 
It is often said that books are always a good friend and reading is an active mental process. Unlike TV, books make you use your brain. By reading, you think more and become smarter. Reading improves concentration and focus. Reading books takes brainpower. It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet posts or e-emails might contain small pieces of information. Books tell the whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, you will get better at concentration. Many studies show if you do not use your memory, you lose it. Reading helps you stretch your memory muscles. Reading requires remembering details, facts, and figures and in literature, plot lines, themes, and characters.

Reading is a good way to improve your vocabulary. Do you remember that when you were in elementary school you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words.

Reading is a fundamental skill builder. Every good course has a matching book to go with it. Why? Because books help clarify difficult subjects. Books provide information that goes deeper than just classroom discussions. By reading more books, you become better informed and more of an expert on the topics you read about. This expertise translates into a higher self-esteem. Since you are so well-read, people look to you for answers. Your feelings about yourself can only get better.

Books give you knowledge of other cultures and places. The more information you have got, the richer your knowledge is. Books can expand your horizons by letting you see what other cities and countries have to offer before you visit them.

Books have great influence on ________.\

 Read the following passage and choose the best answers.

  New York – The “ Big Apple”

Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the 

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to the questions below.
During the teenage years, many young people can at times be difficult to talk to. They often seem to dislike being questioned. They may seem unwilling to talk about their work in school. This is a normal development at this age, though it can be very hard for parents to understand. It is part of becoming independent of teenagers trying to be adults while they are still growing up. Young people are usually more willing to talk if they believe that questions are asked out of real interest and not because people are trying to check upon them.

Parents should do their best to talk to their sons and daughters about school work and plans but should not push them to talk if they don’t want to. Parents should also watch for the danger signs: some young people in trying to be adults may experiment with sex, drugs, alcohol, or smoking. Parents need to watch for any signs of unusual behavior which may be connected with these and get help if necessary.

Why do adults sometimes find teenagers difficult to talk to.

Read the text and choose the best answer to the following questions by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D. (2.5 marks)

After only 50 minutes flying from Ho Chi Minh City, you will set foot on the tropical paradise of Vietnam and the world: Phu Quoc Island.

The island has a roughly triangular shape with a north-south length of 50km and a west-east width of 25km. A great part of the terrain is filled with beautiful sandy beaches, but there is a mountainous region with 99 peaks, among which the Peak of Chua Mountain is the tallest one at 603 meters. Due to Phu Quoc's location in the Gulf of Thailand, its climate is sub-equatorial with a temperate weather all year round, making trips to Phu Quoc possible any time in the year. However, the best time to travel to this island is during the dry season, from November until March, when the sky is blue and clear and the rains are away.

Phu Quoc is most famous for its cuisines and a natural wonderful coastline. The most famous food of Phu Quoc is fish sauce, which has become quite popular all over Vietnam and the world. Besides, another thing worth trying there is the spicy yet interesting black pepper. However, the factor that will definitely intrigue you to visit Phu Quoc is its untouched coastline featuring several heavenly beaches. They have yet to be explored to their full ability, but this fact might be actually positive as it gives the shores a romantic beauty that you can find in nowhere else in the world.

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

You are going to read an extract from a writer’s journal. For Questions 1-8, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in March saying, “We’re thinking of running a children’s playscheme for a day in October half-term. Would you be prepared to help?” My response was “Sure, why not?” In truth, I was a little flattered to be asked, even though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the role. Still, I duly put the date in my diary and of course, I forgot all about it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and, before I knew it, the day was dawning.

I arrived at the youth center that morning feeling full of trepidation. There was a gang of 12 helpers including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine was the 10 to 11-year-olds. Even with the planning meeting I had attended the week before, I worried about whether I was up to the task. Why hadn’t I read through the copious lesson plans we were given beforehand? And wasn’t the average 10-year-old more interested in the latest Play Station game than making things with paper and glue?

All too quickly the children began arriving. The look of relief on parents’ faces as they handed their offspring over to us was quite comical. A handful of the children were already members of the club but the other forty-five or so were from the local primary schools. Again I asked myself why I had elected to spend a day with all these ‘little monsters’, especially when I have two all of my own to contend with!

I needn’t have worried of course as it turned out to be a marvelous day. We watched entertaining DVD clips, learned ‘action’ songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games, and spent some time in quiet reflection. I say ‘we’ because I rediscovered my inner child and joined in all the activities.

The particular highlight for me was the final rendition of “He’s got the whole world in his hands” in the closing part of the day. The children knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. It’s difficult to explain those moments; only that the body tingles with the pleasure of having witnessed something so magical.

Of course, there were also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thinking of one little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually that her mum was in the hospital and would be there for a long time. It’s easy for us adults to idealize childhood and forget that some children have their own burden of anxieties and concerns. When I got home utterly exhausted, still with modeling clay under my fingernails, I reflected on what a privilege it had been.

There was one disappointment for the children and that was that the playscheme was only running for a day, and not the whole week. As I said farewell to my group, one of the children turned and said “Can we do it again in the next holiday, Miss?” My response was, “Sure, why not?”

The writer’s best moment ______________.\

Read and complete the  passage below

 New York – The “ Big Apple”. Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

 in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village

Choose the best answer:
All ______ must complete a visa form upon arrival at Singapore airport

Read the passage and answer the questions below.
A lot of people go to the seaside for their holidays and the various towns try to organize entertainment for them.

In one seaside holiday town in the South of England, arrangements were made for a band to play outdoors in a public park every evening for a week. Unfortunately, it rained the first evening, and although the band performed well, there was only one person in the audience because, though the band was undercover, the audiences were not.

The man was sitting in a chair, wearing a waterproof hat and coat. After an hour, the conductor of the band went to this man and asked whether he had a special request. “Yes, I have,” said the man, “please finish as soon as you can. I’m the keeper of this park, and I want to lock the gates and go home”.

The band performed……………………………

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each sentence below:

I'm Nguyen Viet Hung. I'm now five years old and I’ll tell you a story about my penpal . Last year I had a  most enjoyable experience when I met somebody I had been writing to for over nine years .When I was about fifteen my teacher of English asked if anyone wanted to have an English Pen pal. I had  known some English and as I was finding it rather difficult I thought this might help me. A few weeks later the teacher gave me the address of a boy who lived in Leeds. We began to write to each other straight away and usually exchanged letters about twice a month. We often wrote that we would like to meet but, unfortunately, this was never possible. However, last year I was sent on a two- week  course  in London by my firm. There was a great deal of work to do and I  did not have much time free but on the second weekend my friend came to see me. I wondered if we would really like each other when we met. Fortunately, there was absolutely nothing to worry about; we had been writing for so long that  it was like meeting an old friend. We had a meal together and spent the whole dy talking about our, shared interests. I hope we will be able to meet again soon.

How often Mr Hung and his penpal exchange letters?

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
A Healthy Life?
(1) _____ health experts believe that children and young people today are more (2) _____ than they used to be. So why has this happened? One reason is bad eating habits. (3)_____ of young people don’t have a healthy diet. They eat too much fast food (4) ____ hamburgers and pizza and not enough fruit and vegetables. In the US. many children (5)_____ fast food regularly since they were very young. In fact, almost one-third of American children aged four to nineteen have been eating fast food (6) _____all the time. They also don’t (7)_______ exercise and spend too (8)______ of their time watching TV, surfing the Internet or playing computer games. So how can you change your habits if you have been following an unhealthy lifestyle for a long time? First, change your (9)________ and eat more fruit and vegetables. Next, find an activity you enjoy. Why not try something different like rock climbing, surfing or hiking? Many young people have found that (10) ______ fit and healthy can be a lot of fun

They all start_______.the same place no matter they are rich or poor.

 Read the following passage and choose the best answers.

  New York – The “ Big Apple”

Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. 

Đọc đoạn văn sau và chọn phương án đúng (ứng với A, B, C hoặc D) cho mỗi câu dưới đây.

Much of the information we have today about chimpanzees comes from the long-term research of the great conservationist Jane Goodall. Jane Goodall was born in London, England, on April 3, 1934. On her second birthday, her father gave her a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. Jubilee was named after a baby chimp in the London Zoo and seemed to foretell the course Jane’s life would take. From an early age, Jane was fascinated by animals and animal stories. By the age of 10, she was talking about going to Africa to live among the animals there. At the time, in the early 1940S, this was a radical idea because women did not go to Africa by themselves.

As a young woman, Jane finished school in London, attended a secretarial school, and then worked for a documentary filmmaker for a while. When a school friend invited her to visit Kenya, she worked as a waitress until she had earned the fare to travel there by boat. She was 23 years old. Once in Kenya, she met Dr. Louis Leakey, a famous paleontologist, and anthropologist. He was impressed with her thorough knowledge of Africa and its wildlife and hired her to assist him and his wife on a fossil-hunting expedition to Olduvai Gorge. Dr. Leakey soon realized that Jane was the perfect person to complete a study he had been planning for some time. She expressed her interest in the idea of studying animals by living in the wild with them, rather than studying dead animals through paleontology.

Dr. Leakey and Jane began planning a study of a group of chimpanzees who were living on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Kenya. At first, the British authorities would not approve of their plan. At the time, they thought it was too dangerous for a woman to live in the wilds of Africa alone. But Jane’s mother, Vanne, agreed to join her so that she would not be alone. Finally, the authorities gave Jane the clearance she needed in order to go to Africa and begin her study.

What does “there” in Line 9 refer to?