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.

What percent of the total rainfall on the earth does the Amazon rain forests receive?

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C,  or D to fill in the gaps:
Bangkok, the (41) of Thailand, is a city of contrasts. It is an exciting, crowded, modern (42), and at the same time, a city that is full of history. The (43) of Bangkok are usually noisy and crowded (44) people. Some are (45) food, others are selling clothing, cassette tapes, flowers, or souvenirs. Visitors (46) the rice markets, the (47) temples, and architecture, and the nightlife. They (48) enjoy the food, the shopping, and the (49) Thai people. Everyone seems to smile (50).

49_________

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 A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
Five thousand (41) ………….. gathered in a demonstration in front of Parliament House to (42) ………….. the increase in the price of wheat export.
Most of them were (43) ………….. the North-Eastern part of the country (44) ………….. has just been hit heavily by the snowfall.
Mr. Naruan, Head of the Wheat Growers' Union of the area (45) ………….. our reporter that if the government had agreed to increase the price of wheat export and lowered the price of machine import, the farmers' life (46) ………….. not have been so hard. (47) ………….. also said due to the government's policy, hundreds of farmers were prepared to (48) ………….. the country - farming area in the country (49) …………..  abandoned. Dairy farming would (50) ………….. the same problem.

41________

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).

47________

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."

3. Music is part of virtually every culture on (3) _______, but it varies widely among cultures in style and structure.

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).

42________

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).

43_______

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers. 
Ragtime, developed primarily by black pianists, is a style of composed piano music that was popular from the 1890s to about 1915. It is a style of jazz characterized by an elaborately syncopated rhythm in the melody and a steadily accented accompaniment. Ragtime quickly gained popularity after its first appearances, reaching millions on a national scale through sheet music, player pianos, ragtime songs, and arrangements for dance and marching bands. The leading ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, known as the "King of Ragtime," whose most famous piano piece, "Maple Leaf Rag," was published in 1899.
Ragtime piano music has a generally standard form, duple meter (2/4, or two beats per measure) performed at a moderate march tempo. The pianist's right hand plays a highly syncopated melody, while the left hand steadily maintains the beat with an "oom-pah" accompanishment. A ragtime piece usually consists of several similar melodies that take such forms as AA BB A CC DD or Introduction AA BB CC DD EE, where each letter represents a melodic phrase. "Maple Leaf Rag" is a classic example of ragtime.
The forms of ragtime derive from European marches and dances, but the rhythms are rooted in African-American folk music.

Ragtime became popular________.

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers.
It has been said that to turn a corner in Toledo is to enter another century. The city is a rich blend of the cultures that occupied it after a series of invations. Strategically nearly impregnable. Toledo is located in the centre of Spain and is encircled by the Tagus River. Roman rule lasted 300 years and saw the development of the Spanish language. Having defeated the Romans, the Visigoths established their capital at Toledo and brought Christianity to the city's citizens.
It was the conquest of Toledo in the eighth century by the Moors that created the most dramatic and lasting effects upon the city. Moorish arts and architecture embellished the once predominantly military fortress. Mosques, mansions, and towers were built to last, so they remain to impress the visitors to Toledo with their opulence to this day.
Medieval Toledo sheltered a compatible mixture of Christians, Moslems, and Jews. Scholars from all three religious groups collaborated to make the school of Translators famous throughout Europe for its Aristotelian philosophy.

Christianity was brought to Toledo by the______.

Choose the best answer:

Of the two sisters, Maria is  .......

Read the following passage and do the tasks below.

The traditional American family

The nuclear family, consisting of a mother, father, and their children, may be more an American ideal than an American reality. Of course, the so called traditional American family was always more varied than we had been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among different American groups, but today diversity is even more obvious.

The most recent government census statistics reveal that only about one third of all current American families fits the traditional mold of two parents and their children, and another third consists of married couples who either have children or have none still living at home. An analysis of the remaining one third of the population reveals that about 20 percent of the total number of American households are single people, the most common descriptor being women over sixty-five years of age. A small percentage, about 3 percent of the total, consists of unmarried people who choose to live together; the rest, about 7 percent, are single parents, with at least one child.

There are several easily identifiable reasons for the growing number of single-parent households. First, the sociological phenomenon of single-parent households reflects changes in cultural attitudes toward divorce and also toward unmarried mothers. A substantial number of adults become single parents as a result of divorce. In addition, the number of children born to unmarried women who choose to keep their children and rear them by themselves has increased dramatically. Finally, there is a small percentage of single-parent families that have resulted from untimely death. Today, these varied family types are typical and, therefore, normal.

In addition, because many families live far from relatives, close friends have become a more important part of family life than ever before. The vast majority of Americans claim that they have people in their lives whom they regard as family although they are not related. A view of family that only accepts the traditional nuclear arrangement not only ignores the reality of modern American family life, but also undervalues the familial bonds created in alternatives family arrangements. Apparently, many Americans are achieving supportive relationships in family forms other than the traditional one.

The word none in paragraph 2 refers to..................

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers. Mark your choice on the answer sheet.
A drop shot, a tennis player "drops" the ball just over the net, hoping that his or her opponent won't get to it at all or will just barely reach it, thus making a weak return. The drop shot works well in a number of situations. It can be used to tire an opponent, to bring a baseline player to the net, to win points outright when an opponent is slow in moving forward or is out of position, or to substitute for the approach shot.
A perfect situation for a drop shot occurs when a player's opponent is far out of the court and hits well to the inside of the service line. A good drop shot is a sure winner, but a bad one is equally certain a disaster. The opponent who gets to the ball early has been handed the net position, which is a distinct advantage for the net rusher who will usually win the point in short order.
The word "it" in line 1 refers to______.

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 30.......................

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
Five thousand (41) ………….. gathered in a demonstration in front of Parliament House to (42) ………….. the increase in the price of wheat export.
Most of them were (43) ………….. the North-Eastern part of the country (44) ………….. has just been hit heavily by the snowfall.
Mr. Naruan, Head of the Wheat Growers' Union of the area (45) ………….. our reporter that if the government had agreed to increase the price of wheat export and lowered the price of machine import, the farmers' life (46) ………….. not have been so hard. (47) ………….. also said due to the government's policy, hundreds of farmers were prepared to (48) ………….. the country - farming area in the country (49) …………..  abandoned. Dairy farming would (50) ………….. the same problem.

46___________

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers.
Disney World was constructed a decade ago on 27,400 acres of partially swamp land in central Florida. Eight thousand of these acres constitute a wildlife sanctuary not accessible to the 130 million people from around the world who have been to Disney World since its opening.
The park opens at 9a.m and shuts down at various hours, depending upon the time of year - six, nine or midnight. On a busy day as many as 90,000 visitors may be in the park, but there are so many activities available that there is plenty of room for everybody. The Magic Kingdom is the main section, but there are hotels, restaurants, a lagoon, and a huge lake with four and a half miles of beaches where visitors swim or paddle around in rented boats. A reasonable estimate of the cost per person daily is about $60, excluding transportation costs to Orlando.

The park closes __________, depending on the time of year.

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

Family life is changing. Two-parent households are on the decline in the United States as divorce, remarriage and cohabitation are on the rise. And families are smaller now, both due to the growth of single-parent households and the drop in fertility. Not only are Americans having fewer children, but the circumstances surrounding parenthood have changed. While in the early 1960s babies typically arrived within a marriage, today fully four-in-ten births occur to women who are single or living with a non-marital partner. At the same time that family structures have transformed, so has the role of mothers in the workplace – and in the home. As more moms have entered the labor force, more have become breadwinners – in many cases, primary breadwinners – in their families.

As a result of these changes, there is no longer one dominant family form in the US. Parents today are raising their children against a backdrop of increasingly diverse and, for many, constantly evolving family forms.

Family forms in the US are……………….?

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers. 
Ragtime, developed primarily by black pianists, is a style of composed piano music that was popular from the 1890s to about 1915. It is a style of jazz characterized by an elaborately syncopated rhythm in the melody and a steadily accented accompaniment. Ragtime quickly gained popularity after its first appearances, reaching millions on a national scale through sheet music, player pianos, ragtime songs, and arrangements for dance and marching bands. The leading ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, known as the "King of Ragtime," whose most famous piano piece, "Maple Leaf Rag," was published in 1899.
Ragtime piano music has a generally standard form, duple meter (2/4, or two beats per measure) performed at a moderate march tempo. The pianist's right hand plays a highly syncopated melody, while the left hand steadily maintains the beat with an "oom-pah" accompanishment. A ragtime piece usually consists of several similar melodies that take such forms as AA BB A CC DD or Introduction AA BB CC DD EE, where each letter represents a melodic phrase. "Maple Leaf Rag" is a classic example of ragtime.
The forms of ragtime derive from European marches and dances, but the rhythms are rooted in African-American folk music.

 "Maple Leaf Rag" is _

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.

25____________

Technology, such as tablets, isn't only useful for ________ (8) knowledge; it helps with communication as well. Teachers and administrators use such devices to send materials and information ________ (9) students and parents. Students ________ (10) in homework and term papers online and can access educational applications and programs to further assist with learning.

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers. 
Ragtime, developed primarily by black pianists, is a style of composed piano music that was popular from the 1890s to about 1915. It is a style of jazz characterized by an elaborately syncopated rhythm in the melody and a steadily accented accompaniment. Ragtime quickly gained popularity after its first appearances, reaching millions on a national scale through sheet music, player pianos, ragtime songs, and arrangements for dance and marching bands. The leading ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, known as the "King of Ragtime," whose most famous piano piece, "Maple Leaf Rag," was published in 1899.
Ragtime piano music has a generally standard form, duple meter (2/4, or two beats per measure) performed at a moderate march tempo. The pianist's right hand plays a highly syncopated melody, while the left hand steadily maintains the beat with an "oom-pah" accompanishment. A ragtime piece usually consists of several similar melodies that take such forms as AA BB A CC DD or Introduction AA BB CC DD EE, where each letter represents a melodic phrase. "Maple Leaf Rag" is a classic example of ragtime.
The forms of ragtime derive from European marches and dances, but the rhythms are rooted in African-American folk music.

In line 4, the word "maintains" may best be replaced by_______.