READING COMPREHENSION
Finish-born botanist William Nylander taught at the University of Helsinki for a number of years and later moved to Paris, where he lived until his death at the end of the nineteenth century. During the second half of the last century, he became a prominent figure in the field of lichenology. Botanists from all over the world sent samples to his laboratory to be analyzed and classified. It can be said without exaggeration that four of five lichens bear his name.
He was the first to realize the importance of using chemical reagents in the taxonomy of lichens. He selected the most common reagents used by the chemists of his time. Lichenologists all over the world still use these reagents, including tincture of iodine and hypochlorite in their laboratories. During the first half of the nineteenth century, a Japanese named Abahima added only one chemical product- Phenol diamines. Nylander was also responsible for discovering that the atmosphere of big cities hindered the lichens’ development and cause them to disappear. Now they are used to detect atmospheric pollution. Nevertheless, he considered lichens to be simple plants and vehemently opposed the widely accepted modern theories that lichens are compound species formed by two discordant elements: algae and fungi.

According to the nineteenth-century theories, which elements from the composition of lichens?

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

When I first entered general practice I was living in a small community on the east coast of Lake Huron. People expected me to be (21) …….. of their last physician, and they were both disappointed and upset when this didn’t turn out to be the case. Although I had few (22) …….. companions, I was a young, unmarried, and attractive woman who had been through one of the best medical schools in the country, and I had reasonable regard for my own qualities. It was upsetting at first when professional (23) …….. was ignored and my patients insisted on second opinions for the most trivial of conditions, but things became even more difficult when people started to spread malicious (24) …….. about my private life.

However, I decided that I would not let myself be made (25) …….. even if there were enough reasons to make anyone feel (26) ……… I followed my father’s cure for a problem – plain old hard work. I got up early every morning, (27) …….. to my office, and followed my profession. This was in the ‘30s and the level of poverty was (28) ……… Children didn’t have enough to eat and mothers couldn’t feed them. Because I was sympathetic and able to give practical help in some cases, my surgery became a (29) …….. for women trying to escape from the threat of domestic violence and the trap of poverty and too many children. And ironically, as I (30) …….. the poorest people in the community, the middle class began to think that maybe I had something to offer and started to beat a path to my surgery door.

27___________

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language of few speakers to become the dominant language of international communication. English as we know it today emerged around 1350, after having incorporated many elements of French that were introduced following the Norman invasion of 1066. Until the 1600s, English was, for the most part, spoken only in England and had not extended even as far as Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. However, during the course of the next two centuries, English began to spread around the globe as a result of exploration, trade (including slave trade), colonization, and missionary work. Thus, small enclaves of English speakers became established and grew in various parts of the world. As these communities proliferated, English gradually became the primary language of international business, banking, and diplomacy.
Currently, about 80 percent of the information stored on computer systems worldwide is in English. Two-thirds of the world’s science writing is in English, and English is the main language of technology, advertising, media, international airports, and air traffic controllers. Today there are more than 700 million English users in the world, and over half of these are nonnative speakers, constituting the largest number of nonnative users than any other language in the world.

What is the main topic of the passage?

Read the text and then choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D for each space.

No More Classes
The use of computers has meant students can study language programs (1) __ their own speed when and for how long they want and no need to worry about the teacher having a favorite or doing (2)__ another boring lesson. What’s more, in the virtual classrooms of the future the student will (3) __ on their headset, and be transported into an imaginary school, choose their class, take the books they need off the shelf, and (4) __ conversations with other computerized students. They might (5) __ choose to pay a visit to the supermarket or the train station, the bank or the restaurant. At the (6) __ of a button, they would be transported to (7) __ realistic settings where they could practice their English, maybe getting a hand from a virtual English companion. All this perhaps, at the computer, from the comfort of their home: no (8) __ to catch the bus to college, or a plane to England. Exciting? Certainly, and an interesting alternative to traditional classroom lessons. But would it ever (9) ___ the classroom? Hopefully not. Surely the need to relate to real people talking about real issues and generally learning a little more about others will always lead language learners to (10) __ at least a little of their time with real people.

2___________

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

Đọc kĩ đoạn văn sau và làm theo yêu cầu. 

Sydney is Australia's most exciting city, the history of Australia begins here. In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillips arrived in Sydney with 11 ships and 1624 passengers from Britain (including 770 prisoners). Today there are about 4 million people in Sydney. It’s the biggest city in Australia, the busiest port in the South Pacific, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

There are over twenty excellent beaches close to Sydney and its warm summer climate and cool winter have made it a favorite city for immigrants from overseas. Three things make Sydney famous: its beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which was built in 1932, and the Sydney Opera House, which was opened in 1973.

What does the “which” in line 8 refer 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.

Tourists can visit Phu Quoc anytime in the year thanks to___________

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each space. 

Many parents believe that they should begin to teach their (1) ______ to read when they are more than toddlers. This is fine if the child shows a real interest but (2) _____  a child could be counter-productive if she isn’t ready. Wise parents will have a relaxed attitude and take the (3) _____ from their child. What they should provide is a selection of (4) _____ toys, books, and other activities. Nowadays, there is plenty of good (5) _____ available for young children, and of course, seeing plenty of books in use about the house will also (6) _____ them to read.

Of course, books are no longer the only (7) ______ of stories and information. (8) _____  is also a huge range of videos, which can reinforce and extend the pleasure a child finds in a book and are (9) _______ valuable in helping to increase vocabulary and concentration. Television gets a bad (10) _______ as far as children are concerned, mainly because too many spend too much time watching programs not intended for their age group.

2__________

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

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.

When can you expect young people to be more talkative than usual?

 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.

There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of th

They are really friends to one another ............one school roof.

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Jack London (1876 – 1916) is an American writer whose work combined powerful realism and humanitarian sentiment. He was (0) ........ in San Francisco. After finishing grammar (1) ..........., Jack London worked at various jobs and in 1897 and 1898 he participated (2)........... the Alaska Gold Rush. Upon his return to the San Francisco area, he began to (19) ............ about his experiences. A collection of his short stories, The Son of the Golf, was (3) ............ in 1900. Jack’s colourful life, during which he wrote more than 50 books and which included enormous popular successes as an (4) .........., ended in his suicide at the (5) ........... of 40. Many of his stories including his masterpiece The Call of the Wild deal with the reversion of a civilized creature to the primitive state. Jack London’s style – brutal, vivid and exciting – (5) ........... him enormously popular outside the United States; His (7) ........ were translated into many languages. Jack’s important works include People of the Abyss about the poor in London; the Sea Wolf, a novel based on the author’s experiences on a seal hunting ship; John Barleycorn , an autobiographical novel about Jack’s struggle (8)............. alcoholism

READING COMPREHENSION
Finish-born botanist William Nylander taught at the University of Helsinki for a number of years and later moved to Paris, where he lived until his death at the end of the nineteenth century. During the second half of the last century, he became a prominent figure in the field of lichenology. Botanists from all over the world sent samples to his laboratory to be analyzed and classified. It can be said without exaggeration that four of five lichens bear his name.
He was the first to realize the importance of using chemical reagents in the taxonomy of lichens. He selected the most common reagents used by the chemists of his time. Lichenologists all over the world still use these reagents, including tincture of iodine and hypochlorite in their laboratories. During the first half of the nineteenth century, a Japanese named Abahima added only one chemical product- Phenol diamines. Nylander was also responsible for discovering that the atmosphere of big cities hindered the lichens’ development and cause them to disappear. Now they are used to detect atmospheric pollution. Nevertheless, he considered lichens to be simple plants and vehemently opposed the widely accepted modern theories that lichens are compound species formed by two discordant elements: algae and fungi.

 Which of the following is not true?

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

Decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

Thailand, located in the Southeast of Asia, has a total area of 513,115 sq km. It is bordered by the countries Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia in the South. The total population is about 65.5 million in 2010. Bangkok, the most populous city, is the capital of Thailand. The country’s unit of currency is the Baht, which consists of 100 Satang.

The country enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, and there are differences between the weather in the North and the South. The Northern Thai have three seasons in a year, hot from March to May, rainy from June to October, and cool from November to February. The Southern Thai have only two seasons, rainy from April to November and hot from December to March.

The national language is Thai. English is also spoken and understood by many citizens, especially in Bangkok and other tourism areas. Although Thailand has no official religion, up to 96.4% people (2002) believe in Buddhism. Additionally, there are followers of some other religions such as Muslims, Hinduism and Christianity.

Thailand is contiguous to Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.

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 following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space. 
          Everyone wants to reduce pollution. But the pollution problem is as complicated _________ (41) it is serious. It is complicated because much _________ (42) is caused by things that benefit people. For example, exhaust _________ (43) automobiles causes a large percentage of all air pollution. _________ (44) the automobiles provide transportation for millions of people. Factories _________ (45) much of the material which pollutes air and water, but factories give employment to a large number of people.

        Thus, to _________ (46) or greatly reduce pollution immediately, people would have to stop using many things that benefit them. Most of the people do not want to do that, of course. But pollution can be _________ (47) reduced in several ways. _________ (48) and engineers can work to find ways to lessen the _________ (49) of pollution that such things as automobiles and factories cause. Governments can pass and enforce laws that require businesses and individuals to stop or cut _________ (50) on certain polluting activities.

46___________

Last but not least, it is...............to wear uniforms. It doesn't take you time to think what to wear everyday.

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.

MY HOME TOWN

I was born in Newcastle, a city in the North East of England. Newcastle is on the bank of the River Tyne. It is a quite big city of about 200,000 inhabit­ants. There is a cathedral and a university. There are five bridges over the River Tyne, which link Newcastle to the next town, Gateshead, where there is one of the biggest shopping centres in the world, the Metro Centre.

A few years ago, the main industries were shipbuilding and coal mining, but now the chemical and soap industries are important.

I moved from Newcastle ten years ago but I often return. I miss the people, who are so warm and friendly, and I miss the wild, beautiful countryside near the city, where there are so many hills and streams.

Newcastle has……………………………………………