Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer.

       Music can move the soul. It can be a very strong influence. Some music can calm us down, but some music can make us wild! How does music affect us? Music is used in a variety of ways. It is used in the medical field as a source of research and as a sort of therapy as well. Music has been used as therapy for seizures, to lower blood pressure,  treat mental illness, treat depression, aid in healing, treat stress and insomnia, and premature infants. Musicologist Julius Portnoy found that it can change heart rates, increase or decrease blood pressure, affect energy levels, and digestion, positively or negatively, depending on the type of music. 
Calming music, such as classical music was found to have a very calming effect on the body and cause the increase of endorphins, thirty minutes of such music was equal to the effect of a dose of valium. Both hemispheres of the brain are involved in processing music. The music in these studies is not the "lyrics", but the music itself, the melody, the tones, the tunes, the rhythm, the chords. Conversely, music has also been documented to cause sickness. The right, or wrong music, rather, can be like poison to the body. Studies have been done on plants where loud hard rock music, for instance, killed plants and soft classical music, make the plants grow faster. Music is very powerful, like a drug, and can even be an addiction. According to Patty Hearst, a researcher on music,  it was documented that music was used in the aid of brainwashing some people. In the book,” Elevator  Music” by Joseph Lanza, it was stated that certain types of music over prolonged periods in certain conditions were shown to cause seizures.

The word “it” refers to…………………

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

To stay healthy, it is important to have a balanced diet. We should eat enough three main groups of food. These groups are protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

Proteins are very important for building our body. They help us to build new cells as old ones die. Meat and milk products are major sources of protein. We can also get protein from fish, eggs, and beans.

Carbohydrates and fat are important to enable us to store energy. Carbohydrates are found in sugar and cereals. Fat can be found in vegetable oil, butter, and nuts.

Our body also needs minerals, such as iron and calcium, and vitamins. Fish, vegetables, and milk contain most of the minerals we need. Vitamins are found in fresh vegetables and fruit.

Carbohydrates…………..

Reading the following passage and do the tasks below.

Inventors and Inventions

Technology is the reason humans have risen to a dominant role on our planet, above all other species. We are not the strongest or the fastest, in fact we're quite weak in relation to many other animals. But our brains, and our technology have allowed us to dominate our world. The most important discovery in human history is the harnessing of fire, which allowed us to operate in darkness, keep warm in the winter, and cook food. There is no set date to think about the invention of fire, however.

The first great invention, then, was agriculture. Ancient peoples collected wild grains to eat as long ago as 20,000 BC, but didn't start growing these crops until 13,000 BC and 6,000 BC, depending on the region. One of the earliest crops to be domesticated was rice, in China in around 11,000 BC.

Agriculture includes animals, of course, and the earliest animals to be domesticated are believed to be pigs, in 13,000 BC in Macedonia. The switch to agriculture is crucial, as it provides a food surplus. This surplus means that not everyone has to be involved in food production, freeing people up to conduct trade and advance science and the arts.

Other crucial inventions are the wheel, invented by the Greeks, which allowed people to carry heavy goods; as well as nails, invented by the Romans, without which construction was difficult.

Another great, world-shaking invention was the compass. The compass was invented between 200 BC and 100 AD in China. Prior to the compass, mariners had to use the sun and stars to navigate, which meant it was impossible to steer when the sky was overcast. The invention allowed accurate navigation in any weather... though the compass was first used for feng shui, or the construction of houses to be harmonious with the environment.

Probably the most significant medieval achievement was the printing press, without which modern civilization wouldn't be possible. It was invented in Johannes Gutenberg in 1436. Though imprinting symbols or images via stencils and ink had been known in Europe and China for hundreds of years, Gutenberg mechanized the process, improving its speed and efficiency. Up until then, books had to be painstakingly copied by hand, but now they could be mass-produced easily.

About fifty years after the invention of the printing press, twenty million volumes had been mass-produced. This led to a rise of literacy never seen before and directly contributed to the Protestant Reformation as it allowed average people to access the Bible.

One of the greatest inventions, which today we take for granted, is the lightbulb. There were several contributors to the field before Thomas Edison came along, but today he is credited with the invention of the first practical incandescent light bulb. He tried thousands of times to create the light bulb before managing to do so in 1879. This invention revolutionized the world.

When asked about the thousands of times he'd failed to create the lightbulb, Edison replied 'I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways now not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work.' Who the next great inventor will be is up in the air.

Why was the printing press important?

Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer.

       Music can move the soul. It can be a very strong influence. Some music can calm us down, but some music can make us wild! How does music affect us? Music is used in a variety of ways. It is used in the medical field as a source of research and as a sort of therapy as well. Music has been used as therapy for seizures, to lower blood pressure,  treat mental illness, treat depression, aid in healing, treat stress and insomnia, and premature infants. Musicologist Julius Portnoy found that it can change heart rates, increase or decrease blood pressure, affect energy levels, and digestion, positively or negatively, depending on the type of music. Calming music, such as classical music was found to have a very calming effect on the body and cause the increase of endorphins, thirty minutes of such music was equal to the effect of a dose of valium. Both hemispheres of the brain are involved in processing music. The music in these studies is not the "lyrics", but the music itself, the melody, the tones, the tunes, the rhythm, the chords. Conversely, music has also been documented to cause sickness. The right, or wrong music, rather, can be like poison to the body. Studies have been done on plants where loud hard rock music, for instance, killed plants and soft classical music, make the plants grow faster. Music is very powerful, like a drug, and can even be an addiction. According to Patty Hearst, a researcher on music,  it was documented that music was used in the aid of brainwashing some people. In the book,” Elevator  Music” by Joseph Lanza, it was stated that certain types of music over prolonged periods in certain conditions were shown to cause seizures.

According to the text, …………………

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
Alice is 18 years old and she comes (41) ………. England. She is now in Hanoi and (42) ……….Vietnamese. She came to Hanoi (43) ……….July so she (44) ……….there for six months. Alice (45) ……….she likes Hanoi very much. She likes (46) ……….shopping and cycling around the town. (47) ……….month she will go to Ho Chi Minh city (48) ……….a friend of (49) ……….. Alice hopes she (50) ………. many letters from England.

50______________

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

Education plays a vital role ____________ (1) shaping successful people. It gives us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. We learn ____________ (2) to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. We learn how to become an integrated personality and maintain the perpetuation of our culture. People learn basic norms, rules, regulations, ____________ (3) values of society through education. Moreover, high quality education enables us to ____________ (4) a successful life, enhances our intelligence, skills, knowledge, and brings positive changes in our life.

Education lays the foundation stone for our future. An illiterate person can find ____________ (5) very difficult to cope ____________ (6) some aspects of life. Education expands our vision and creates awareness. It helps us develop a disciplined life and provides us with better earning opportunities. It enables us ____________ (7) the world beyond our own surroundings. Education ____________ (8) also a prerequisite of the prosperity and modernization of any country.

Modern education is liberal, open, and exoteric. It is the premise of progress, in every family and in every society. It teaches people to reason. It is based ____________ (9) the humanism, freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights. The content of education keeps pace with the needs of modern society and is a mirror of its goals, values, and priorities. So, education is a necessary means of eradicating the unemployment problem. It is able to reduce poverty in a number of ____________ (10). But we have to remember that there is a great need for the growth of the vocational education so that every person could pursue a fulfilling career that ensures a satisfied life.

(10).......................

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C,  or D to fill in the gaps:
William Shakespeare was the (41) writer in the English language. He was born in 1564 in Stratford- upon- Avon. (42) the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, (43) was eight years (44)  than himself. A few years later he moved to London, (45) he worked as an actor and a playwright. Shakespeare (46) thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets (a kind of poem). His most famous plays are the four great tragedies - Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear. Shakespeare died in Stratford (47) 23 April 1616, but his plays are still very popular today. They have been translated into different languages, and many of them have been (48) into films, both in English and other languages. Shakespeare's plays are about the great issues of life - love, hatred, jealousy, power, ambition, (49), and so on. So, his plays are just relevant today as they were in the sixteenth (50).

50_________

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

An artist went to a beautiful part of the country for a holiday and stayed with a farmer. Every day he went out with his paints and his brushes and painted from morning to evening, and then when it got dark, he went back to the farm and had a good dinner before going to bed.

At the end of his holiday, he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said: “No, I do not want money, but give me one of your pictures. What is money? In a week it will all be finished, but your painting will be still here.”

The artist was very pleased and thanked the farmer for saying such kind of things. The farmer still smiled and answer “It is not that. I have a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes here next month, I will show him your picture, and then he will not want to become an artist anymore. I think.”

The farmer’s son wouldn’t want to become an artist anymore………………………

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences

 That girl tried to avoid _______ some of my questions.

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

"A composer is someone who ________ (1) and directs original music used to produce various types of media entertainment. The scores written need ________ (2) technically correct in order to create flawless performances by choruses, musicians or instrumental ensembles. Sound recordings produced from the score vary ________ (3) style and may reflect the classical, country, folk, jazz, techno or pop genres. A composer's job is to help ________ (4) a story in a film, television story, play or video game without ________ (5) the viewer. The soundtrack they create must suit the project ________ (6) convey the appropriate mood and tone.

Successful composers are versatile with ________ (7) collaboration skills, allowing them ________ (8) on a variety of projects with producers and musicians from various backgrounds. They have extensive knowledge of the industry and a passion and talent ________ (9) creating sound recordings. Most composers are often skilled in playing one or multiple instruments and ________ (10) a good ear for music.

7. Successful composers are versatile with ________ (7) collaboration skills,

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

In 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem ___________ (6) is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded ___________ (7) the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “Star-Spangled Banner”: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

After one of Key’s friends, Dr. William Beanes, ___________ (8) by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. However, Key and Beanes weren’t allowed to leave until after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Key watched the bombing campaign unfold from aboard a ship located about eight miles away. After a day, the British were unable ___________ (9) the fort and gave up. Key was relieved to see the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and quickly penned a few lines in tribute to what he had witnessed.

Francis Scott Key died of pleurisy ___________ (10) January 11, 1843. Today, the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 is housed at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

After one of Key’s friends, Dr. William Beanes, ___________ (8) by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. 

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

Living in a city has a (23)…………..of drawbacks. Firstly, there are many problems of traffic jams and traffic accidents. The increase (24)…………..population and the increasing number of vehicles have caused many accidents to happen every day. Secondly, air pollution negatively affects people’s health, and it also has a bad influence on the environment. More and more city dwellers (25)…………..from coughing or breathing problems. Thirdly, the city is noisy, even at night. Noise (26)…………..comes from the traffic and from construction sites. Buildings are always being knocked (27)………….. and rebuilt. These factors contribute to making city life more difficult for its residents.

27____________

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

The Buddha of the Poor

More than 26,000 children now have bright (23)…………………..faces after receiving free operations. About 173,000 poor people received free treatment to regain their vision, and nearly 3,400 deaf children were given hearing aids. These are part of the (24)………………………..of the Ho Chi Minh Association for Support of Poor Patients, launched and run by Mr. Nguyen Vinh Nghiep. Mr Nghiep, the former Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, retired in 1992, and (25)……………………his Association two years later. Together with his former colleagues, Mr Nghiep has (26)……………………… billions of VND from individual (27)……………….and organizations to support more than a million poor people nationwide through seven major (28)………………….programmes, such as “ For the children’s smile”, “Bringing light to poor blind people from birth”., “ Sound and Vouce for Deaf and Dumb Children”, : Wheelchairs for people with disabilities and paralysed children”.

The “ Free meals for patients and their relatives” programme has offered over 2.6 million free meals to poor people in 10 hospitals. Mr Nghiep said, “Helping one person to gain their (29)………means bringing happiness to him or herself, freeing two or three more people from (30)………………of the patient, and more importantly, building (31)…………………..for poor patients in society.”

In 2002, Mr Nghiep, (32)……………. “The Buddha of the Poor”, was given the national title of Labor Hero in the Reneval Process, and his Association received the title in 2005.

Question 28....................

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

Just like American students, you will have to submit your academic transcripts as part of your application for admission to a university or college. Academic transcripts are (23)……………copies of your academic work. In the US, this (24)……………your “grades” and “grade point average”(GPA), which are measurements of your academic achievement. Courses are commonly graded using percentages, which are converted (25)……………letter grades.

The grading system and GPA in the USA can be (26)……………, especially for international students. The interpretation of grades has a lot of variation. For example, two students who attended different schools (27)……………submit their transcripts to the same university. They both have 3.5 GPAs, but one student attended an average high school while the other attended a prestigious school that was academically challenging. The university might interpret their GPAs differently because the two schools have dramatically different standards.

24______________

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

An artist went to a beautiful part of the country for a holiday and stayed with a farmer. Every day he went out with his paints and his brushes and painted from morning to evening, and then when it got dark, he went back to the farm and had a good dinner before going to bed.

At the end of his holiday, he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said: “No, I do not want money, but give me one of your pictures. What is money? In a week it will all be finished, but your painting will be still here.”

The artist was very pleased and thanked the farmer for saying such kind of things. The farmer still smiled and answer “It is not that. I have a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes here next month, I will show him your picture, and then he will not want to become an artist anymore. I think.”

What did the farmer ask the artist at the end?

Read the following passage carefully, and then select the best option A, B, C or D to complete it:

"Music, artful arrangement of sounds (1) _______ time. This definition is obviously very broad, but a narrower one would exclude (2) _______ much. Music is part of virtually every culture on (3) _______, but it varies widely among cultures in style and structure. Definitions of music can (4) _______ dramatically over a short time, as they have across the world during the 20th (5)_________. Can music exist without (6) _______? Some philosophers argue that music should be defined as a kind of “mental(7) _______” and that the physical aspects of sound are simply by-products of this image. If you (8) _______ you can have a musical experience by imagining the sound of a piece of music, then you think (9) _______ can exist without sound. But most musical experiences involve producing or (10) _______ to physical characteristics of sound such as pitch and timbre (quality comparable to texture or color in sight).
Is the tape-recorded sound of a large metal-stamping machine music? Are 4 minutes (11) _______ 33 seconds of silence music? Is the activity of reading a (12) _______ of hundreds of seemingly unrelated objects, activities, and states of mind music? Each of these “(13) _______”, as well as many other sounds (or nonsounds), has been copyrighted (14) _______ a musical composition, performed, and recorded in the 20th century. One of the legacies of 20th century music is to have blurred the definition of music as (15) _______ before."

7. Some philosophers argue that music should be defined as a kind of “mental(7) _______” and that the physical aspects of sound are simply by-products of this image.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer:
Mercury is the smallest member of the sun's family. It is only 3.100 miles across. It is also the sun's swiftest planet. Its yearly journey around the sun is only 85 days.
Mercury always keeps one side towards the sun. On this side, it is always day, on the other side always night. We only see the lighted side.
Mercury appears to us like a yellowish-orange star. The nearest planet to the sun is always seen near the sun, either just before sunrise or soon after sunset. People sometimes call mercury the morning star or evening star.
Mercury is half the size of the earth. Because it is much lighter, it has much less gravity. If you can visit Mercury in a spaceship, you will find it a strange world. Its low gravity makes you feel very light. If your weight on earth is 100 pounds, your weight on Mercury is only 27 pounds.
Looking at the sun from Mercury, you can see that it's much more brilliant than it is seen from the earth. And the yellow center of the sun appears three times bigger than Mercury.
On its lighted side, Mercury's temperature is about 300 degrees centigrade. But the dark side is extremely cold, but 150 degrees below zero so mercury is probably the coldest as well as the hottest of the planets.

When can we see Mercury? - We can see it ......

Choose the best answer:

He used to borrow my pen.

Read the passage and choose the best anwers.
Rain forests cover less than six percent of the earth’s area, but they have 100,000 kinds of all the kinds of plants on the earth. Three- fourths of known kinds of plants and animals call the rain forests their home. Twenty percent of our different kinds of medicine come from rain forests. The glues on an envelope and in shoes come from tropical plants. Rain forests provide materials for hundreds of other products.
Rain forests are also very important to the world’s climate. The Amazon rain forest alone receives about thirty to forty percent of the total rainfall on the earth and products about the same percentage of the world oxygen. Some scientists believe that the decreasing size of rain forests will affect the climate on the earth, making it uncomfortable or even dangerous for life.
Saving rain forests is an international problem. One country, or even a few countries, cannot solve the problem alone. The nations of the world must work together to find a solution before it is too late.

How many known kinds of plants and animals call the rain forests their home?

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

In 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem ___________ (1) is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded ___________ (2) the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “Star-Spangled Banner”: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

After one of Key’s friends, Dr. William Beanes, ___________ (3) by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. However, Key and Beanes weren’t allowed to leave until after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Key watched the bombing campaign unfold from aboard a ship located about eight miles away. After a day, the British were unable ___________ (4) the fort and gave up. Key was relieved to see the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and quickly penned a few lines in tribute to what he had witnessed.

Francis Scott Key died of pleurisy ___________ (5) January 11, 1843. Today, the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 is housed at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

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

Education plays a vital role ____________ (6) shaping successful people. It gives us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. We learn ____________ (7) to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. We learn how to become an integrated personality and maintain the perpetuation of our culture. People learn basic norms, rules, regulations, ____________ (8) values of society through education. Moreover, high quality education enables us to ____________ (9) a successful life, enhances our intelligence, skills, knowledge, and brings positive changes in our life.

Education lays the foundation stone for our future. An illiterate person can find ____________ (10) very difficult to cope ____________ (11) some aspects of life. Education expands our vision and creates awareness. It helps us develop a disciplined life and provides us with better earning opportunities. It enables us ____________ (12) the world beyond our own surroundings. Education ____________ (13) also a prerequisite of the prosperity and modernization of any country.

Modern education is liberal, open, and exoteric. It is the premise of progress, in every family and in every society. It teaches people to reason. It is based ____________ (14) the humanism, freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights. The content of education keeps pace with the needs of modern society and is a mirror of its goals, values, and priorities. So, education is a necessary means of eradicating the unemployment problem. It is able to reduce poverty in a number of ____________ (15). But we have to remember that there is a great need for the growth of the vocational education so that every person could pursue a fulfilling career that ensures a satisfied life.

Education ____________ (13) also a prerequisite of the prosperity and modernization of any country.