HOW PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT BENEFITS YOUR BRAIN

Did you know that every time musicians pick up their

instruments, there are fireworks going off all over their
brain? On the outside, they may look calm and focused,
reading the music and making the precise and practiced
movements required. But inside their brains, there's a
party going on. How do we know this? Well, in the last
few decades, neuroscientists have made enormous
breakthroughs in understanding how our brains work
by monitoring them in real time with instruments like
fMRI and PET scanners.
When people are hooked up to these machines, tasks,
such as reading or doing math problems, each have corresponding areas of the brain where activity can be
observed. But when researchers got the participants to listen to music, they saw fireworks. Multiple areas of
their brains were lighting up at once, as they processed the sound, took it apart to understand elements like
melody and rhythm, and then put it all back together into unified musical experience. And our brains do all
this work in the split second between when we first hear the music and when our foot starts to tap along.
But when scientists turned from observing the brains of music listeners to those of musicians, the little
backyard fireworks became a jubilee. It turns out that while listening to music engages the brain in some pretty
interesting activities, playing music is the brain's equivalent of a full-body workout. The neuroscientists
saw multiple areas of the brain light up, simultaneously processing different information in intricate,
interrelated, and astonishingly fast sequences. But what is it about making music that sets the brain alight?
The research is still fairly new, but neuroscientists have a pretty good idea.
Playing a musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once, especially the visual,
auditory, and motor cortices. As with any other workout, disciplined, structured practice in playing music
strengthens those brain functions, allowing us to apply that strength to other activities. The most obvious
difference between listening to music and playing it is that the latter requires fine motor skills, which are
controlled in both hemispheres of the brain.
It also combines the linguistic and mathematical precision, in which the left hemisphere is more involved, with
the novel and creative content that the right excels in. For these reasons, playing music has been found to
increase the volume and activity in the brain's corpus callosum, the bridge between the two hemispheres,
allowing messages to get across the brain faster and through more diverse routes. This may allow
musicians to solve problems more effectively and creatively, in both academic and social settings.
Because making music also involves crafting and understanding its emotional content and message, musicians
often have higher levels of executive function, a category of interlinked tasks that includes planning,
strategizing, and attention to detail and requires simultaneous analysis of both cognitive and emotional aspects.
This ability also has an impact on how our memory systems work. And, indeed, musicians exhibit enhanced
memory functions, creating, storing, and retrieving memories more quickly and efficiently.
Studies have found that musicians appear to use their highly connected brains to give each memory multiple
tags, such as a conceptual tag, an emotional tag, an audio tag, and a contextual tag, like a good Internet
search engine. How do we know that all these benefits are unique to music, as opposed to, say, sports or
painting? Or could it be that people who go into music were already smarter to begin with? Neuroscientists
have explored these issues, but so far, they have found that the artistic and aesthetic aspects of learning to play
a musical instrument are different from any other activity studied, including other arts. And several randomized
studies of participants, who showed the same levels of cognitive function and neural processing at the start,
found that those who were exposed to a period of music learning showed enhancement in multiple brain
areas, compared to the others. This recent research about the mental benefits of playing music has advanced
our understanding of mental function, revealing the inner rhythms and complex interplay that make up the
amazing orchestra of our brain.

Questions 1-6
1. What happens when we listen to music?
A Certain areas of the brain start working
B Work for just a second while we are listening
C There is simultaneous activity in many areas of the brain
D Different areas work at intervals to process melody, rhytm, etc
2. Which areas of our brain are involved when playing a musical instrument?
A Visual, motor and cerebral cortices
B Motor, cerebral and auditory cortices
C Visual, auditory, and motor cortices
D Cerebral, motor and fine motor cortices
3. What’s the left hemisphere involved in?
A Precision skills like Maths and Language
B Fine motor skills
C Creativity
D Dancing and tapping skills
4. What’s the bridge between the two brain hemispheres called?
A Corpum callum
B Coopco coolism
C Capum cullim
D Corpus callosum
5. How do musicians improve their memory skills?
A By bringing them to life more quickly
B By assigning multiple tags to their memories
C By linking them through cognitive analysis
D By showing them through music
6. What have scientists found?
A Playing a music instrument enhance brain functions more than other activities
B Musicians and Sports players have the same cognitive abilities
C All artists have enhanced cognitive abilities
D All of the above.
Fill in the blank with VERBS
Read the passage, and then decide whether the statements are true (T)
or false (F).
- depend – focus – understand – break – follow – enforce – set – think
– add - work – forget – grow – get – jump – learn –

Family rules help children (1) __________________ which behaviors

are acceptable and not acceptable. As children (2) __________________,
they will be in places where they have to (3) __________________ rules.
Following rules at home can help children (4) __________________ to
follow rules in other places.
It is normal for children to (5) __________________ rules and test
limits. Breaking a rule is a child’s way of learning about his world.
Remember, young kids sometimes break rules because they simply (6)
__________________. Not all broken rules occur because kids are testing
the limits.
For family rules to (7) __________________ well, everyone needs to know, understand, and follow the
rules. By doing this, children don’t (8) __________________ confused about the family rules. For example,
you may feel that (9) __________________ on the bed is a dangerous behavior. You (10)
__________________ a family rule that, “The bed will be used only for sitting, lying, or sleeping.” If another
adult jumps on the bed, your child may be confused. Your child may (11) __________________ this behavior
is sometimes okay. This is true for parents, grandparents, or any other adult in your child’s life.
The number of rules you set (12) __________________ on your child’s ability to understand and
remember. It is also hard for parents to consistently (13) __________________ lots of new rules. For young
children, (14) __________________ on only two or three of the most important rules at any one time. As your
child learns a rule and is following it consistently, you can (15) __________________ new rules.
T F
1. Family rules are useful for children’s future life.  
2. Sometimes a child breaks the rule to experience the world around him.  
3. All the children who break the rules are stubborn and bad.  
4. Family rules should be applied the same to all members.  
5. Young children are interested in new rules and follow them consistently.  
6. It is difficult to set the same number of rules for all the families.  

You are having dinner with people you don’t know well. Which of the things below should you do and which
shouldn't you do in your culture?
1. You ________________ speak with your mouth full.
2. You ________________ wait for the others before you start eating.
3. You ________________ eat with your fingers.
4. You ________________ make a noise when you drink something.
5. You ________________ use a spoon for soup.
6. You ________________ put your chopsticks and spoons on the plate when you finish.
 Today many children spend a lot of time playing computer games and little time on sports. Why is it?
Is it positive or negative development?

Reasons why some people say that young people learn useful skills by
playing electronic and computer games.
Playing electronic games can help improve people's (1) _________________
abilities.
 Those who play memory games, for example, have to (2)
_________________ locations, events or names in order to move to the (3)
_________________ levels.
 This is (4) _________________ for brain function and memory

People playing computer games have the opportunity to learn a wide (5)
_________________ of skills and abilities.
 Role-playing games and graphic adventure games, for instance, (6) _________________ their players to
evaluate their options faster and (7) _________________ tough choices, which helps (8) _________________
better decision-making and problem-solving skills.
 These essential skills will (9) _________________ them for future difficulties or (10)
_________________.

Reasons why some people say that young people who play electronic and
computer games are wasting their time.
Electronic and computer games are (11) _______________ addictive.

 Many people spend a (12) _________________ amount of their time

sitting in front of their computer screen and playing video games.
 This (13) _________________ them little time for other activities such as study or work, which negatively
affects their (14) _________________.
 Some of my college friends, for example, failed the final exam due to video game (15) ________________.

Some people think that video games are (16) _________________ for entertainment purposes instead of (17)
_________________ values.

 Therefore, people who (18) ________________ in video gaming are wasting their (19)
_________________ time on activities that bring (20) _______________ useful purpose for their future lives.

Fill in the blanks with VERBS

- develop – get – remain – exercise – include – stay – keep – strenthen – improve – walk -
Muscles (1) ________________ all the time. They even work when you are fast
asleep. They (2) ________________ your body firm and strong. Therefore, it is
important to be in good shape. You need to (3) ________________ healthy so
that your muscles can (4) ________________powerful too. One thing that
muscles need is good food. Muscles (5) ________________ when they have
protein. Milk, eggs, red meat, fish and beans are rich in protein. A healthy diet
(6) ________________ these food types. Muscles also need to be (7) ________________ to remain firm and
toned. Regular exercise makes your muscles bigger, (8) ________________ your heart and lungs and makes
you more flexible. Good ways to exercise our walking, swimming, cycling, dancing or playing soccer. These
activities (9) ________________ your stamina. If you have good stamina, you can keep going for a long time
without (10) ________________ tired.
 CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER
1) Plato's teachings had a profound effect on Aristotle.
A. affection B. influence C. depth D. affliction
2) They are going to suffer a lot of criticism for increasing bus fare by so much.
A. put B. come in for C. stand in with D. get into
3) I have no intention of resigning from my post in the government.
A. restoring B. quitting C. retiring D. promoting
4) She was convinced that it would be a lucrative business.
A. helping young feet to grow correctly B. bringing in a lot of money, or profit
C. tasting great with vanilla ice cream D. showing no careful thought
5) Your work as a nurse requires a lot of patience in dealing with the patients.
A. brings up B. calls for C. digs into D. gets by
6) What benefits does TV bring about to people life?
A. experiences B. advantages C. programmes D. conveniences
7) She is the offspring of a famous author.
A. niece B. child C. ancestor D. heir
8) If you don't pay your rent, your landlord is going to kick you out!
A. play football with you B. force you to leave C. lend you some money D. give you a kick
9) After Larry finished taking art classes, he decided to begin to study journalism.
A. to look like B. to work out C. to take up D. to take advantage of
10) If you give me a hand, then I shall be able to finish the work more quickly.
A. pick me up B. take my fingers C. do me a favour D. stand by me
11) We can't reduce the number of nurses.
A. cut out B. cut off on C. cut back on D. cut out on
12) I will back you up in whatever you do.
A. help you B. sue you C. disturb you D. support you
13) His sole objective is to earn a lot of money.
A. immediate B. major C. important D. only
14) It took me a very long time to recover from the shock of her death.
A. turn off B. get over C. keep up with D. take on
15) Pablo Picasso's celebrated painting Guerinica was moved from New York to Spain in 1981.
A. expensive B. valuable C. famous D. worthy
16) Influenza is a very contagious disease.
A. serious B. infectious C. dangerous D. dreaded
17) His father will discpline her for her poor grades.
A. congratulate B. celebrate C. reward D. punish
18) If you do not understand the word "superstitious," look it up in the dictionary.
A. note it B. draw it C. find its meaning D. write it
19) The Chinese people worship their ancestors.
A. fossils B. forefathers C. elders D. temples
20) You must cooperate closely in order to finish the project on time.
A. assist B. agree C. work together D. help
21) The food at the picnic attracted a larger number of bees.
A. herd B. flock C. swarm D. pack
22) Before the interview, you have to send a letter of application and your resume to the company.
A. photograph B. curriculum vitae C. recommendation D. reference
23) There are people in many parts of the world who are unable to read or write.
A. illiterate B. eligible C. illegal D. illegible
24) I had a glance at the article, but I haven't read it yet.
A. furtive look B. quick look C. direct look D. close look
25) Sharks are single-minded, and will usually ignore rescuers.
A. attack suddenly B. concentrate on only one purpose/aim ...
C. are cruel D. are selfish
26) The ink on his report book was not accidental; it was done deliberately.
A. purposely B. doubtfully C. unintentionally D. certainly
27) It is a weighty matter.
A. important and serious B. unimportant C. overweight D. heavy
28) The bomb exploded in the garage; fortunately no one hurt.
A. got out B. went off C. put on D. kept up
29) The burglar who was caught confessed his crimes.
A. admitted B. denied C. exclaimed D. replied
30) Life is getting far easier thanks to technology.
A. even B. no C. much D. hardly
31) My father turned down my request for a new computer.
A. refused B. postponed C. ignored D. delayed
32) Mrs. Jones's husband passed away last Friday. We are all shocked by the news.
A. got married B. were on business C. divorced D. died
33) Let's suppose that we were lying on the beach.
A. think B. discuss C. suggest D. imagine
34) Young people should always think twice before having anything as permanent as a tattoo.
A. think carefully B. meditate C. think two times D. change their mind
35) I haven't seen your brother recently.
A. immediately B. suddenly C. lately D. quietly
36) John has a thorough knowledge of the history of arts.
A. scientific B. wonderful C. practical D. complete
37) Frenlink Inc has not taken control of Carrods Ltd.
A. taken off B. taken into C. taken over D. taken on
38) Your father's car will become less valuable by four thousand dollars annually.
A. fortnightly B. weekly C. yearly D. monthly
39) To be at stake means _______.
A. to be in danger B. to be extinct C. to die soon D. to be killed
40) Karen's second composition is much better than the original.
A. first B. third C. latest D. recent
41) The days that come before the examination are usually stressful.
A. lead B. proceed C. follow D. precede
42) What is it that makes mobile phones potentially harmful?
A. possibly B. certainly C. privately D. strongly
43) Tom got mark 10 in maths, which astonished us.
A. disappointed B. welcomed C. surprised D. encouraged
44) Fossil fuels will be exhausted within a short time.
A. used up B. decreasing C. very tired D. limited
45) I am confident that the blue team will win the match.
A. unsure B. hopeful C. doubtful D. certain
46) David found it hard to cope with the loss of his job.
A. look into B. take after C. think about D. deal with
47) That building will be demolished.
A. torn up B. torn down C. exploded D. removed
48) I will not stand for your bad attitude any longer.
A. like B. care C. tolerate D. mean
49) Power plants are increasingly located outside metropolitan areas.
A. of a busy suburb B. relating to a remote suburb
C. belonging to a big or capital city D. in an industrial city
50) Computers can not replace us.
A. disapprove of B. take care of C. take place of D. be tired of
51) Biologists have introduced a global list of endangered and vulnerable animal species.
A. weak and easily hurt B. strong and unusual C. rare and specious D. small but invaluable
52) To accelerate growth, they work harder than ever.
A. hamper B. retard C. speed up D. accede
53) She often has a good relationship with her classmates.
A. gets in with B. gets acquainted with C. gets on well with D. gets over
54) At present, the number of illiterate people in remote areas is gradually decreasing.
A. Suddenly B. At the moment C. Now D. B&C
55) According to Freud, dreams can be interpreted as the fulfillment of wishes.
A. completion B. conclusion C. performance D. attainment
57) We need a lot of attempt to finish the task by Friday.
A. money B. effort C. contribution D. power
58) They broadcast a great deal of news on TV last night.
A. a large amount of B. many C. a great number of D. a lots of
59) If you need any additional information, you can ask Mr. Gale.
A. secret B. further C. certain D. detail
60) Whom do you think that Terry resembles most - her mother or her father?
A. name after B. ask after C. look after D. take after
61) Let's go over that report again before we submit it.
A. type B. read carefully C. dictate D. print
62) The passengers were fortunate to survive the terrible accident.
A. amazed B. thankful C. good D. lucky
63) We depend on species diversity to provide food, clean air and water.
A. variety B. popularity C. existence D. development
64) Richard could not recollect what he had said to Francis.
A. remember B. imagine C. memorize D. recite
65) The doctor advised the patient to abstain from smoking.
A. go with B. admit of C. do without D. be absorbed in
66) Despite bad weather, the picnic will go ahead.
A. take place B. travel far C. be enjoyed D. be cancelled
69) The President expressed his deep sorrow over the bombing deaths.
A. passion B. sadness C. regret D. anger
70) This year's results are virtually the same as last year's.
A. finally B. actually C. almost D. rarely
71) After a long conversation, he gradually understood our aims.
A. readily B. slowly C. suddenly D. rapidly
72) The medicine which Peter took make him drowsy.
A. weak B. sick C. sleepy D. tired
73) It is amazing how closely Brenda and Fiona resemble each other.
A. take on B. put through C. look like D. look after
74) I was horrified to see the child about to cross the expressway alone.
A. nervous B. surprised C. ashamed D. shocked
75) Humans can talk but animals cannot.
A. birds B. Pacific islanders C. goats and cattle D. people
76) Government have passed laws to protect wildlife from commercial trade.
A. ensured B. enacted C. enabled D. enforced
77) The student explained his ideas with great clarity.
A. cleverness B. difficulty C. clearness D. confuse
78) A nuclear station may take risk going off due to unexpected incidents.
A. running B. exploding C. demolishing D. developing
79) We need to create a song for the competition next year.
A. improve B. rehearse C. figure D. compose
80) The use of lasers in surgery has become relatively commonplace in recent years.
A. comparatively B. relevantly C. absolutely D. almost
81) My headache isn't serious. It will wear off after an hour or so.
A. produce B. permit to be alone C. disappear gradually D. reduce
82) We attempted to save the burning house, but our efforts were in vain.
A. hoped B. planned C. tried D. wanted
83) The guests at the party last night refused to eat the raw fish.
A. rotten B. fresh C. uncooked D. well-done
84) Hillary shows a lot of affection towards young children.
A. frustration B. disgust C. hatred D. love
85) The expelled students petitioned the dean.
A. rejected B. disposed C. required D. dismissed
86) The head of the company is a very talented man.
A. priest B. senator C. president D. governor
87) They made no effort to hide the amusement.
A. didn't afford B. couldn't afford C. didn't try D. didn't have a trial
88) The current edition of that magazine discusses life in other planets.
A. special B. latest C. first D. early
90) You cannot put up with such a rude man as Larry.
A. tolerate B. be persuaded by C. make friends with D. give accommodation to
91) Don't make fun of the disabled.
A. look at B. make a fuss over C. laugh at D. glance at
93) If you give me a hand, then I shall be able to finish the work more quickly.
A. stand by me B. pick me up C. take my fingers D. do me a favour
94) Hypertension is one of the most widespread and potentially dangerous diseases.
A. common B. scattered C. popular D. stretched
95) This piece of furniture is quite typical. Don't pay too much for it.
A. natural B. rare C. unique D. ordinary
96) He rejected my offer to help.
A. put off B. kept off C. ran through D. turned down
97) It is imperative that he finish the work on time.
A. interesting B. suggested C. hoped D. necessary
98) Two little boys approached me and said, “Give me some money”.
A. came on to B. came around to C. came up to D. came down to
99) Fifty per cent of road accidents results in head injuries.
A. treats B. examines C. heals D. causes
100) At last I had to force him away. I couldn't tolerate him.
A. be fed up with B. keep up with C. put aside D. put up with
101) We need to take action to help preserve fish stocks.
A. reserve B. conserve C. serve D. prepare
 CULTURE CLASH
In Africa a famous food company tried to sell its baby food by advertising it with the picture of a baby on the
label. They did not know that this particular country used labels only to (31) __________ a picture of the food
inside. When Pepsico used the slogan 'Come alive with Pepsi' in Taiwan. They had no idea that it would be
translated into Chinese as 'Pepsi (32) __________ your ancestors back from the dead'.
Misunderstandings such as these about language or about culture are sometimes comical but can also cause
genuine hurt or anger. Business styles (33) __________ widely in different countries and what is normal in
one culture can be completely unacceptable in another.
Socializing in different countries can be tricky. In Arabic countries, for example, people do not discuss
business (34) __________ meals. Giving gifts is another potential problem in the UK most people take presents
to a dinner party, but in many countries this is not polite because it (35) __________ you think the host is
poor.
31. A. show B. express C. record D. display
32. A. leads B. returns C. brings D. takes
33. A. vary B. disagree C. differentiate D. exchange
34. A. in B. over C. about D. through
35. A. proposes B. recommends C indicates D. suggests

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

All men should study, we have to study to (31) __________ our knowledge and develop our intelligence.
An uneducated man can only utilize his (32) __________ strength to work and live. An educated man,
without this strength, still has the faculty of his intelligent brain and good reflection. This intelligence and
thought enable him to help his physical strength to act more quickly and cleverly.
In a same profession or work, the educated man differs from the uneducated considerably. Therefore,
intellectual workers have to study, this is a matter of course but (33) __________ workers must also (34)
__________ an education.
In civilized countries compulsory education has been applied. Man must spend seven or eight years
studying. From ploughmen to laborers in these nations, no one is (35) __________ to read a book or a paper
fluently.
31. A. expand B. stretch C. enlarge D. widen
32. A. body B. power C. labor D. brain
33. A. simple B. easy C. hard D. manual
34. A. learn B. study C. acquire D. know
35. A. able B. unable C. not D. never

ROLE OF SLEEP
Deep sleep is important for everyone. The actual (31) __________ of sleep you need depends on your age.
A young child ought to sleep ten to twelve hours, and a teenager about nine hours. Adults differ a lot in their
sleeping (32) __________. For most of them, seven to eight hours a night is enough but some sleep longer,
while others manage with only four hours. For a good night having a comfortable (33) __________ to sleep is
very important. Also, there should be plenty of fresh air in the room. A warm drink sometimes helps people
to sleep, (34) __________ it is not a good idea to drink coffee immediately before going to bed.
If you have to travel a very long distance, try to go to bed earlier than usual the day before the (35) ______.
This will help you to feel rested when you arrive.

31. A. size B. number C. amount D. sum

32. A. ways B. habits C. manners D. actions
33. A. point B. place C. position D. pan
34. A. because B. as C. although D. even
35. A. journey B. voyage C. call D. visit
Read the text about generation gap quickly and choose the best title for it.
A. Generation Gap Consequences
B. How to Solve Generation Gap Conflicts
C. Causes of Generation Gap
Fill in the blanks with VERBS
- see – view – reveal – treat – lead – cause – refer – consider -
– bridge – seek – choose – deal – find – face – impose – make -
The generation gap (1) _______________ to the difference in
attitudes or behaviour between a younger generation and the older
one. In my opinion, different attitudes towards life, different views about certain problems, and a lack of
communication can (2) _________________ a generation gap in most societies.
The first factor is that parents and children generally (3) _________________ things from different
perspectives. (4) _________________ a career is a good example for this. Many parents try to (5)
_________________ certain careers they favour on their children, based on their own perceptions. However,
young people don't always understand their parents' points of views. Instead, they prefer to be free to (6)
_________________ their own decisions on their future career.
Another factor lies in differences in musical tastes, fashion, and political views between young people and
their parents. For example, having a pierced nose might be (7) _________________ as fashionable by some
teens, but for many parents, it is (8) _________________ to be an act of rebellion against social norms. Some
parents may also (9) _________________ their children's behaviour unacceptable and disrespectful to
traditional values.
The major factor causing the generation gap is the lack of communication between parents and their children.
Parents tend to be dominant and not to trust their children to (10) _________________ with crises. Also, they
keep talking too much about certain problems. That is the reason why young people seldom (11)
_________________ their feelings to their parents. When (12) _________________ problems, young people
prefer to (13) _________________ help from their classmates or friends.
The above mentioned factors could (14) _________________ to a generation gap. In order to (15)
_________________ the gap between the old generation and the younger one, mutual understanding is the
vital key. The wisest solution would be for parents and their children to (16) _________________ each other
as friends.
Read the text again and answer the following questions.
1. How many causes of the generation gap are mentioned?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4
2. How do young people usually react when their parents impose career choices on them?
A. They want to make their own decisions. B. They follow their parents' advice.
C. They try to understand their parents' goodwill.
3. What do parents often think about nose piercing?
A. They think that it is acceptable. B. They think that it is fashionable.
C. They think that it is against social norms.
4. What do young people often do when they face problems?
A. They share the problems with their parents. B. They ask their classmates or friends for help.
C. They ask their parents for help.
5. What would be the best way to narrow the generation gap?
A. Parents and children should try to be friends and understand each other.
B. Parents should be tolerant and let children do what they want.
C. Children should follow their parents' advice.
Complete sentences 1-10 with the words that collocate with the words in italics.
- keep (x2) – balanced – places – set – lead –
- form – passive – play – sense -
1. The best way to ___________________ fit is to do exercise that
raises your heart rate.
2. Golf, in my opinion, is not the best ___________________ of
exercise.
3. You can have fun while exercising if you
___________________ volleyball with your friends a few times a
week.
4. Without a TV people are much more likely to _________________ active.
5. Parents should ___________________ a good example to their children as far as exercise is concerned.
6. Schools can teach children about eating a ___________________ diet.
7 Children will love the ___________________ of achievement sport can give you.
8. People ought to be encouraged to ___________________ healthy lives.
9. Even if you don't smoke yourself, ___________________ smoking can harm your health.
10. People should not be allowed to smoke in public ___________________.

Fill in each blank in the following sentences with, the correct word/ phrase from the box.

immune system life expectancy ageing workout

longevity boosting meditation nutritious

1. _______________________ takes many forms, but its

core is the ability to control the mind and quieten it down.
2. Learning is the most fundamental brain
_______________________ - and the more you do it, the more
you’ll benefit.
3. Research for more recent periods shows a surprising and
continuing improvement in _______________________
among those aged 80 or above.
4. Many individuals through the ages realised there was a very important link between health, exercise,
fitness, meditation, intelligence and _______________________.
5. A research suggests that tai chi may also slow _______________________ by boosting a certain type
of stem cell.
6. Bird’s nest soup brings overall benefit to the _____________________ and it gives you glowing skin.
7. Widespread gardening provides an opportunity for exercise, sunlight and _______________________
food for people in Okinawa, Japan.
8. The first step in _______________________ Nagano's life span was a campaign to reduce salt
consumption and promote a healthier diet and lifestyle.
Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Câu 1. When someone is down on their __________, friends are not easy to find.
A. mood B. luck C. fortune D. merit
Câu 2. The widened _________ will help keep traffic flowing during rush hours.
A. entryway B. runway C. freeway D. pathway
Câu 3. We all thought that Doug was _________ to be an artist, so we were very surprised when he became
a trader on Wall Street.
A. likely B. about C. bound D. due
Câu 4. In the United States, there has risen a demand that guns _________ from the public.
A. are banned B. ban C. be banned D. banned
Câu 5. ________ Internet is offering human beings a wide range of benefits and some drawbacks as well.
A. The B. X C. A D. An
Câu 6. Last year, my father ________, but now after a bad cough, he has given it up.
A. was always smoking B. always smokes
C. always smoked D. had always smoked
Câu 7. John admitted ________ a lot of compulsory courses in his higher education curriculum.
A. to skip B. to have skipped C. to be skipping D. to having skipped
Câu 8. She thinks very ___________ of him although he behaves badly to her.
A. openly B. kindly C. highly D. widely
Câu 9. Alex dreams of going on tour – he’s just waiting for his big ____________ to get his foot in the door
of the music industry.
A. deal B. break C. cake D. cheese
Câu 10. In a relationship if you are giving and getting nothing back in __________, stop giving so much, and
spend time being. Give to yourself, be who you are.
A. fact B. the end C. addition D. return

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that
best fits each of the numbered blanks.

STREET PAPERS
The problem of homelessness is an international one. In the capital cities of the world, the sight of people
begging on the streets is becoming increasingly rare. But all over the world, homeless people are taking
the future into their own (1) _____________. By selling "street papers" they no longer need to beg for a
(2) ____________.
The concept of the street paper is simple. It is sold by homeless and ex-homeless people (3) ________
buy it at a fixed price of 30p and sell it to the public for 70p, keeping 40p for themselves. If they have no
money, then they can get the first ten copies on (4) _____________ and pay for them later. Every paper
seller receives training and is given a special identity badge.
The paper itself contains articles of general and social interest, film and book reviews, cartoons and the
occasional celebrity interview. Advertising and sales provide most of the income, and all profits go (5)
______________ into helping homeless people.

Câu 23. A. heads B. shoulders C. mouths D. hands

Câu 24. A. living B. life C. lively D. live
Câu 25. A. whom B. who C. which D. whose
Câu 26. A. cash B. cheque C. credit D. card
Câu 27. A. forward B. out C. through D. back