Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and dance, consisting of swimmers (either individuals, duets, trios, teams or combos) performing a synchronized routine of elaborate and dramatic moves in the water, accompanied by music. 
Synchronized swimming demands proficient water skills, and requires strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, not to mention exceptional breath control while upside down underwater. Developed in the early 1900 s in Canada, it is a sport performed almost exclusively by women, although there is some participation by men. In its early form it was some-times known as 'water ballet". 
It is a Summer Olympic Games sport. First demonstrated in 1952, it has been an official event since 1984. Olympic and World Championship competition is not currently open to men; but other international and national competitions allow male competitors: Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women. 
Competitors show off their strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines. Swimmers perform two routines for the judges, one technical and one free.
Synchronized Swimming is governed internationally by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur).

It can be concluded from the passage that _________

For more than six million American children, coming home after school means coming  back to an empty house. Some deal with the situation by watching TV. Some may hide. But all of  them have something in common. They spend part of each day alone. They are called “latchkey children”. They are children who look after themselves while their parents work. And their bad  condition has become a subject of concern. 
Lynette Long was once the principal of an elementary school. She said, “We had a school rule against wearing jewelry. A lot of kids had chains around their necks with keys attached. I was  constantly telling them to put the keys inside shirts. There were so many keys; it never came to  my mind what they meant.” Slowly, she learned that they were house keys. She and her husband began talking to the children who had keys. They learned of the effect working couples and single parents were having on their children. Fear was the biggest problem faced by children at home alone. One in three latchkey children the Longs talked to reported being  frightened. Many had nightmares and were worried about their own safety. The most common way latchkey children deal with their fears is by hiding. They may hide  in a shower stall, under a bed or in a closet. The second is TV. They often turn the volume up. It’s  hard to get statistics on latchkey children, the Longs have learned. Most parents are slow to admit  that they leave their children alone.

What do latchkey children suffer most from when they are at home alone?

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to answer these following questions:
Swimming is the sport or activity of propelling oneself through water using the limbs. Swimming can be both an individual or team sport. There are a number of different swimming styles including breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. 
Swimming is for everyone no matter what age or level of fitness. Any age can learn to swim and there is no age limit on when you can no longer swim. Swimming is a lifelong skill that could save your or another’s life. It is never too late to learn to swim. Swimming is an excellent way to keep fit and most swimming pools cater for all.. We would also suggest goggles to protect eyes. Most swimming pools have classes for all levels of ability, from adult only to toddler beginner’s lessons. Time tables and your local pools are available on our website.

Which kinds of outfit shouldn’t swimmers wear?

Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago, but soon moved to a small farm near Marceline, Missouri. From this rural and rather humble beginning he later became one of the most famous and beloved motion-picture producers in history. Although he died in 1966, his name and artistic legacy continue to influence the lives of millions of people throughout the world.

After several years of barely making ends meet as a cartoon artist operating from his Los Angeles garage, Disney had his first success in 1928, with his release of a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Throughout the next decade, he continued to produce a number of cartoons, and develop more of his highly profitable and enduring creations, such as Donald Duck and Pluto. In the late 1930s, he issued full-length cartoon film. Snow White became an instant commercial and critical success. This was only the first of many films, both animated and not, produced by Disney and his studio.

But as renowned as Disney name is for cartoon and monies, it is probably best known for a string of spectacular amusement and theme parks. Starting with California's Disneyland in 1955 and culminating with the fantastically successful Disney World and EPCOT Center in Florida, Disney became a household name. In recent years, the theme park concept became international, with openings in Toyo and Paris. With the continuing success of Disney, the creation of future theme park are under discussion.

Which of the following is the title for the passage?

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answers:
Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and dance. This sport has an artistic effect, and really relates to those three sports. It consists of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate and dramatic moves in the water, accompanied by music.
Synchronized swimming demands first-rate water skills, and requires strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, not to mention exceptional breath control while upside down underwater. Developed in the early 1900s in Canada, it is a sport performed almost exclusively by women, although there is some participation by men. In its early form it was sometimes known as “water ballet”.
It is a Summer Olympic Games sport. First demonstrated in 1952, it has been an official event since 1984. Olympic and world Championship competition is not currently open to men, but other international and national competitions allow male competitors. Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women.
Competitors point to the strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines for the judges, one technical and one free.

Which of sentences is TRUE?

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
In a world where 2 billion people live in homes that don't have light bulbs, technology holds  the key (1)_______ banishing poverty. Even the simplest technologies can transform lives and  save money. Vaccines, crops, computers and sources of solar energy can all reduce poverty in  developing countries. For example, cheap oral-rehydration therapy developed in Bangladesh  has dramatically cut the death (2) _______ from childhood diarrhoea. 
But even when such technologies exist, the depressing fact is that we can’t make them (3)  _______ for those who most need them. Solar panels, batteries and light bulbs are still beyond  the purse of many, but where they have been installed they change lives. A decent light in the evening gives children more time for homework and extends the productive day for adults.  Kenya has a thriving solar industry and six years ago Kenyan pioneers also (4) _______  connecting schools to the Internet via radio links. These people were fortunate (5) _______  being able to afford solar panels, radios and old computers. How much bigger would the  impact be if these things (6) _______ and priced specifically for poor people? Multinationals must become part of the solution, because (7)_______ they own around 60 per  cent of the world's technology, they seldom make products for poor customers. Of 1,223 new  drugs marketed worldwide from 1975 to 1996, for example, just 13 were for tropical diseases. People think those enterprises should do more to provide vital products such as medicines (8) _______ different prices around the world to suit (9) _______ people can afford.  Alternatively, they could pay a percentage of their profit towards research and development  for (10) _______. 

Question 8: ......................

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 the 1960s, The Beatles were probably the most famous pop group in the whole world. Since then, there have been a great many groups that have achieved enormous fame, so it is perhaps difficult now to imagine how sensational The Beatles were at that time. They were four boys from the north of England and none of them had any training in music. They started by performing and recording songs by black Americans and they had some success with these songs. Then they started writing their own songs and that was when they became really popular. The Beatles changed pop music. They were the first pop group to achieve great success from songs they had written themselves. After that it became common for groups and singers to write their own songs. The Beatles did not have a long career. Their first hit record was in 1963 and they split up in 1970. They stopped doing live performances in 1966 because it had become too dangerous for them - their fans were so excited that they surrounded them and tried to take their clothes as souvenirs! However, today some of their songs remain as famous as they were when they first came out. Throughout the world, many people can sing part of a Beatles song if you ask them.

The passage is mainly about __________

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

"A water polo team consists (1)…… seven players - a goalkeeper and six field players. The goalkeeper must defend the goal without hanging onto the goal or using the side of the pool. Each team also may have six (2)…..  players. With the exception of the goalkeeper, each player may use only one hand at a time in (3) …… the ball. Players wear caps of different colors for team (4)…. ; the official rules stipulate white for one team, blue for the other, and red caps for the goalies.
 A match requires two referees, two goal judges, two timekeepers, and two recorders. Games are divided (5) …..four periods of 7 minutes each, with a 2-minute interval between periods. Play begins when the (6)….. , with each team spread out along its own goal line, throws the ball into play at a line halfway between the two teams. The players race toward the ball, and the team that gains (7)…… then attempts to advance it toward the opponent's goal by (8)….. it from teammate to teammate. Players can also swim with the ball by pushing it along the water surface with their bodies as they swim.
 Players may not use more than one hand at a time and may not (9)…. clenched fists. No players - except the goalie, when defending a goal in a pool with a shallow end - may walk on or use the bottom of the pool, (10)….. may they take the ball beneath the surface of the water. Players may not impede the free-limb movement of another player unless that player holds the ball."

4. Players wear caps of different colors for team (4)…. ;

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.

   Traditionally in America, helping the poor was a matter for private charities or local governments. Arriving immigrants depended mainly on predecessors from their homeland to help them start a new life. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several European nations instituted public-welfare programs. But such a movement was slow to take hold in the United States because the rapid pace of industrialization and the ready availability of farmland seemed to confirm the belief that anyone who was willing to work could find a job.

   Most of the programs started during the Depression era were temporary relief measures, but one of the programs Social Security – has become an American institution. Paid for by deductions from the paychecks of working people, Social Security ensures that retired persons receive a modest monthly income and also provides unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and other assistance to those who need it. Social Security payments to retired persons can start at age 62, but many wait until age 65, when the payments are slightly higher. Recently, there has been concern that the Social Security fund may not have enough money to fulfill its obligations in the 21st century, when the population of elderly Americans is expected to increase dramatically. Policy makers have proposed various ways to make up the anticipated deficit, but a long-term solution is still being debated. In the years since Roosevelt, other American presidents have established assistance programs. These include Medicaid and Medicare; food stamps, certificates that people can use to purchase food; and public housing which is built at federal expense and made available to persons on low incomes. Needy Americans can also turn to sources other than the government for help. A broad spectrum of private charities and voluntary organizations is available. Volunteerism is on the rise in the United States, especially among retired persons. It is estimated that almost 50 percent of Americans over age 18 do volunteer work, and nearly 75 percent of U.S. households contribute money to charity.

The Social Security program has become possible thanks to ______.

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"Synchronized swimming, water sport in which contestants perform choreographed maneuvers set to music. Synchronized swimming requires agility, grace, timing, musical interpretation, and overall body strength.
 Three competitive synchronized swimming events are recognized internationally: solo, duet, and team (consisting of eight swimmers), although all three events are not always held at each competition. In each event, synchronized swimmers compete in three categories: figures, technical routine, and free routine. All three categories are also not always held at each competition.
 In the figures competition, swimmers perform 4 of a possible 20 figures, or combinations of movements. A panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 based on the accuracy of the performance and the timing, height, stability, and control of the figures. In the technical routine, the swimmers must perform a set list of elements, or combinations of figures and swimming strokes, in a prescribed order. In the free routine, swimmers can create their own choreography of figures and strokes. In the technical and free routines, which can last from two to five minutes each, depending on whether they are in solo, duet, or team competition, a panel of judges awards points from 0 to 10 in the categories of technical merit and artistic impression. Technical merit encompasses the execution, synchronization, and difficulty of the elements. Artistic impression includes the choreography, musical interpretation, and manner of presentation of the performance. Routines are enhanced by swimmers use of original and expressive movements, patterns, and rhythms. The scores for the figures and the routines are weighted according to a formula and combined for each competitor to determine the winner."

2. What categories do synchronized swimmers compete in each event?

The habits of those who constantly play video games are very important to people  working in video- game industry. If video games are going to be one of the most attractive  features of future interactive systems, it is essential for producers to know what types of games  to make, how best to present such games on interactive video and how to ensure that such  games maintain their fascination for people. Above all, it is vital to build up detailed profiles  of people who are addicted to video 
games. 
Until recently, the chief market for video games has been boys aged eight to fifteen. The  fascination for interactive video games is seen in its purest form in this group. Video games  appeal to some deep instinct in boys who find it impossible to tear themselves away from them.  Schoolwork is ignored, health is damaged and even eating habits are affected. Girls of the same  age, however, are entirely different, demonstrating far greater freedom from the hold of video  games. Quite simply, they can take video games in their stride, being able to play them when they  want and then leave them alone. 

The people who are most attracted to video games are ..........................

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 from 31 to 35.
Marcel Bich, a French manufacturer of traditional ink pens, was the man turning the ballpoint pen into an item that today almost anyone can afford. Bich was shocked at the poor quality of the ballpoint pens that were available, and also at their high cost. However, he recognised that the ballpoint was a firmly established invention, and he decided to design a cheap pen that worked well and would be commercially successful.
Bich went to the Biro brothers and asked them if he could use the design of their original invention in one of his own pens. In return, he offered to pay them every time he sold a pen. Then, for two years, Bich studied the detailed construction of every ballpoint pen that was being sold, often working with a microscope.
By 1950, he was ready to introduce his new wonder: a plastic pen with a clear barrel that wrote smoothly, did not leak and only cost a few cents. He called it the 'Bic Cristal'. The ballpoint pen had finally become a practical writing instrument. The public liked it immediately, and today it is as common as the pencil. In Britain, they are still called Biros, and many Bic models also say 'Biro' on the side of the pen, to remind people of their original inventors.
Bich became extremely wealthy thanks to his invention, which had worldwide appeal. Over the next 60 years his company, Société Bic, opened factories all over the world and expanded its range of inexpensive products. Today, Bic is as famous for its lighters and razors as it is for its pens, and you can even buy a Bic mobile phone.

According to paragraph 1, Marcel Bich was shocked because _________.

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

Football, or soccer, which is so popular all over the world, dates back to the Middle Ages.  At  that  (58)  ……..  it  was  very  different   from  the  game  we  play  today.  Any number of players could (59) …….. part and the matches usually developed into a free- for-all. In its modern (60) …….. , football is less than two hundred years old.

In 1846, the  first  rules  to  govern  the  game were  drawn (61) …….. at  Cambridge University. The number of players was (62) …….. to 11 per side, which made things much more (63) …….. than before. Later, in 1863, the Football Association was (64)…….. up to help promote the game in Britain.

The game is played on a grass or artificial (65) …….. with a goal net at each end. The (66) …….. is to move the ball around the field, (67) …….. the feet or head, until a player is in a (68) …….. to put the ball into the net and score a goal.

Professional football is not only the most popular (69) …….. sport in the world, (70)…….. also more people actually play football themselves than any other team sport. In 1904 FIFA, the world governing (71) …….. of football, was founded. It organizes the World Cup tournament every four years. Other kinds of football are popular, but less (72) …….. , for example American Football and Australian Rules Football.

66....................

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 from 26 to 30.
The Best Students
According to most professors, mature students are ideal students because they are hard-working and become actively involved in all aspects of the learning process. The majority of mature students have a poor educational (26) ________ but they manage to do exceptionally well at tertiary level. (27) _______ many of them have a job and children to raise, they are always present at seminars and lectures and always hand in essays on time. They like studying and writing essays and they enjoy the class discussions (28) _______ take place. Consequently, they achieve excellent results. In fact, as they have experienced many of life's pleasures, they are content with their lives and this has a positive effect on their attitude, making them eager to learn.
On the other hand, despite their enthusiasm and commitment, mature students suffer from anxiety. The fact that they have made (29) ______ sacrifices to get into university puts extra pressure on them to succeed. Nevertheless, completing a degree gives mature students a sense of achievement, (30) ______ their confidence and improves their job prospects.

Question 28:................

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
The heart has long been considered to be (1) feelings of love dwell. In love songs throughout  the ages, love almost always goes together (2) the heart. The heart has continuously been  viewed (3) the place where love begins and develops. Even the Bible gives (4) to love and the  heart. 
The role of the heart in love must come from what happens to it when a person feels strongly (5) to someone. The strong feelings (6) the other person, especially in the early stages of a relationship, have the results that the heart starts beating faster and  breathing starts speeding (7) . 
According to psychologists, a love relationship is a situation that (8) a lot of stress and the body reacts to this by getting ready to face the unknown. This has been called the  "fight or flight" (9) accelerates and (10) , meeting danger by fighting it or running away. So  with love, the heart becomes quick. 

Câu 5......................

The habits of those who constantly play video games are very important to people  working in video- game industry. If video games are going to be one of the most attractive  features of future interactive systems, it is essential for producers to know what types of games  to make, how best to present such games on interactive video and how to ensure that such  games maintain their fascination for people. Above all, it is vital to build up detailed profiles  of people who are addicted to video 
games. 
Until recently, the chief market for video games has been boys aged eight to fifteen. The  fascination for interactive video games is seen in its purest form in this group. Video games  appeal to some deep instinct in boys who find it impossible to tear themselves away from them.  Schoolwork is ignored, health is damaged and even eating habits are affected. Girls of the same  age, however, are entirely different, demonstrating far greater freedom from the hold of video  games. Quite simply, they can take video games in their stride, being able to play them when they  want and then leave them alone. 

The addiction to video games can be so powerful thatit can .......................

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things - the availability of good-paying jobs; (1) to critical services such as education, health care, and communication; strong communities; and a healthy natural environment. And, (2) urban America is equally dependent upon these things, the challenges to well-being look very  different in rural areas than in urban areas. Small-scale, low-density settlement (3) make it  more costly for communities and businesses to provide critical services. Declining jobs and  income in the natural resource-based industries that many rural areas depend on (4) workers  in those industries to find new ways to make a living. Low-skill, low-wage rural  manufacturing industries must find new ways to challenge the increasing number of (5)  competitors. Distance and remoteness impede many rural areas from being connected to the  urban centers of economic activity. Finally, changes in the availability and use of natural  resources located in rural areas (6) the people who earn a living from those resources and  those who (7) recreational and other benefits from them. Some rural areas have met these challenges successfully, achieved some level of prosperity, and are ready (8) the challenges of the future. Others have neither met the current challenges nor positioned themselves for the future. Thus, concern for rural America is real.  And, while ruralAmerica is a producer of critical goods and services, the (9) goes beyond economics. Rural America is also home to a fifth of the Nation'speople, keeper of natural  amenities and national treasures, and safeguard of a/an (10) part of American culture,  tradition, and history. 

Câu 3........................

The habits of those who constantly play video games are very important to people  working in video- game industry. If video games are going to be one of the most attractive  features of future interactive systems, it is essential for producers to know what types of games  to make, how best to present such games on interactive video and how to ensure that such  games maintain their fascination for people. Above all, it is vital to build up detailed profiles  of people who are addicted to video 
games. 
Until recently, the chief market for video games has been boys aged eight to fifteen. The  fascination for interactive video games is seen in its purest form in this group. Video games  appeal to some deep instinct in boys who find it impossible to tear themselves away from them.  Schoolwork is ignored, health is damaged and even eating habits are affected. Girls of the same  age, however, are entirely different, demonstrating far greater freedom from the hold of video  games. Quite simply, they can take video games in their stride, being able to play them when they  want and then leave them alone. 

............................ have different attitude towards playing video games. 

Read the text below and decide which answer (A,B,C, or D) best fits each space.
The next generation of telephone users will probably laugh (1) _______ we explain how we  used to stand next to a wall in the kitchen to (2) _______ a phone call. Mobile  communications, already highly advanced compared with a decade ago, will completely  change communications in the next few years. (3) _______ there are millions of people using  mobile phones, most people know (4) _______ about the mobile telecommunications industry  and its technology. 
There are three types of mobile phone. These are hand portables, pocket-sized hand portables and transportables. The smallest and most popular are the pocket-sized hand portables. These  work on rechargeable batteries, which allow an (5) _______ of up to 80 minutes'  conversation. Mobiles that are fitted permanently in a vehicle do not (6) _______ on separate  batteries. They require an external aerial on the vehicle. This can mean a stronger signal with  clearer (7) _______. Transportables have a high power capability and can be used (8)  _______ anywhere. They come with powerful battery packs for longer, continuous use and  may also be put (9) _______ a vehicle, using its electrics. They (10) _______ to be bulkier  than hand portables. 

Câu 2......................

 Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"Water polo originated in England during the 1870s and soon became popular in the United States. It was first played in the Olympic Games as a men’s exhibition sport in 1900. In 1904 it became a men’s medal sport, but only the United States fielded a team. In 1908 it was contested internationally at the Olympics. Over the succeeding decades water polo became especially popular in Europe.
 From approximately 1920 to 1946 the United States departed from the international rules for water polo by adopting for play a loosely inflated ball that could be gripped in one hand and carried toward the goal. Opposing players usually attempted to seize the ballcarriers, wrestle them under water, and render them helpless from loss of breath. This rough style of play virtually disappeared by 1946. Since that time traditional water polo has grown rapidly in North America, especially as a college sport. It is particularly popular in Southern California and other parts of the West.
 Women have played water polo since the game’s early days, but participation was not widespread until the 1960s. In 1961 United States Water Polo established a national Club championship for women. It has hosted one for men since 1890. Women’s water polo became an Olympic medal sport at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia."

3. When did the players the United States follow the same rules as in Europe?

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 from 36 to 42.
A study was set up to examine the old marriage advice about whether it's more important to be happy or to be right. Couples therapists sometimes suggest that in an attempt to avoid constant arguments, spouses weigh up whether pressing the point is worth the misery of marital discord. The researchers from the University of Auckland noticed that many of their patients were adding stress to their lives by insisting on being right, even when it worked against their well-being.
The researchers then found a couple who were willing to record their quality of life on a scale of 1 to 10. They told the man, who wanted to be happy more than right, about the purpose of the study and asked him to agree with every opinion and request his wife had without complaint, even when he profoundly didn't agree. The wife was not informed of the purpose of the study and just asked to record her quality of life.
Things went rapidly downhill for the couple. The man's quality-of-life scores fell, from 7 to 3, over the course of the experiment. The wife's scores rose modestly, from 8 to 8.5, before she became hostile to the idea of recording the scores. Rather than creating harmony, the husband's agreeableness led to the wife becoming increasingly critical of what he did and said (in the husband's opinion). After 12 days he broke down, and the study was called off because of severe adverse outcomes."
The researchers concluded, shockingly, that humans need to be right and acknowledged as right, at least some of the time, to be happy. They also noted this was further proof that if given too much power, humans tend to "assume the alpha position and, as with chimpanzees, they become very aggressive and dangerous." It is often said that there can be no peace without justice, and that's true of domestic sphere.
Obviously the results are to be taken with extreme caution, since this was just one couple with who-knows-what underlying issues beforehand. But the study's chief author, Dr. Bruce Arroll, maintains that the question of happiness vs. rightness, theoretically, could be settled by scientific inquiry with a wider sample. "This would include a randomized controlled trial,” he says. "However, we would be reluctant to do the definitive study because of the concern about divorce."

The word "critical" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.