PRACTICE

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 following questions
It is hard to think of a world without gas or electricity. Both are commonly used for lighting
and heating today. We now can instantly flick a lighter or strike a match to make a flame. But it
was not long ago that there were no such things as matches or lighters. To make fire, it was
necessary to strike a piece of iron on flint for sparks to ignite some tinder. If the tinder was damp,
or the flint old, you had to borrow some fire from a neighbor. We do not know exactly when or
how people first used fire. Perhaps, many ages ago, they found that sticks would burn if they were
dropped into some hole where melted lava from a volcano lay boiling. They brought the lighted
sticks back to make their fire in a cave. Or, they may have seen trees catch fire through being
struck by lightning, and used the trees to start their own fires.
Gradually people learned they could start a fire without traveling far to find flames. They rubbed
two pieces of wood together. This method was used for thousands of years. When people became
used to making fires with which to cook food and stay warm at night, they found that certain resins
or gums from trees burnt longer and brighter. They melted resins and dipped branches in the liquid
to make torches that lit their homes at night. Iron stands in which torches used to be fixed can still
be seen in old buildings of Europe. There was no lighting in city streets until gas lamps, and then
electric lamps were installed. Boys ran about London at night carrying torches of burning material.
They were called torch boys, or link boys, and earned a living by guiding visitors to friends’ houses
at night. For centuries homes were lit by candles until oil was found. Even then, oil lamps were no
more effective than a cluster of candles. We read about the splendors and marvels of ancient
palaces and castles, but we forget that they must have been gloomy and murky places at night.
Question 1: The word “lighter” in the passage mostly means__________.
A. a small device that produces a flame for lighting cigarettes, etc.
B. the energy from the sun, a lamp, etc. that makes it possible to see things
C. a device that uses electricity, oil or gas to produce light
D. a hot bright stream of burning gas that comes from something that is on fire
Question 2: The first fire used by people was probably obtained__________.
A. by rubbing wood together B. from the sun’s heat through glass
C. by striking iron against flint D. from heat or fire caused by nature
Question 3: Before the electric lamp was invented__________.
A. people did not use any form of lighting in their houses
B. oil lamps and then candles were used
C. candles and then oil lamps were used
D. candles and oil lamps appeared about the same time
Question 4: The word “splendors” in the passage mostly means__________.
A. things that fill one with surprise and admiration
B. the beautiful and impressive features of a place
C. places where a lot of people go on holiday
D. wonderful things that have been achieved
Question 5: Which sentence is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. Matches and lighters were invented not long ago.
B. A world is impossible without gas or electricity.
C. We can make a fire by striking a piece of iron on flint to ignite some tinder.
 D. We know exactly when and how people first used fire.
Question 6: The word “gloomy” in the passage mostly means__________.
A. full of light; having the natural light of day
B. containing a lot of white
C. totally covered with darkness
D. badly lit in a way that makes one feel sad
Question 7: The best title for the passage could be__________.
A. Different Types of Lamps B. Prehistoric People and Fire
C. The Advantages of Candles D. Fire: Discovery and Uses
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct word for each of the blanks.
If women choose to pursue a career once they have children, they often miss out on a close
relationship with their children. Helen Jamieson is a mother of three who has given (8)_____ work
to look after her children full-time. She strongly believes that women are pressurized to do too
much, driving themselves to the absolute limit. In her own case, after six years of paid employment,
Helen finally decided to call it a day. She says she initially found it hard being at home, though
she never misses the job itself. She admits that if she had had a brilliant career to begin (9)_____,
she might feel differently now. Financially, she is no worse off (10)______ before, as the cost of
childcare and commuting exceeded her actual income. (11)______ the government starts to give
other tax (12)_______to working parents, she says she will not return to the workplace until her
children are grown up.
Question 8: A. out B. in C. to D. up
Question 9: A. up B. with C. to D. at
Question 10: A. as B. so C. than D. then
Question 11: A. Unless B. If C. Provided D. Even if
Question 12: A. incentives B. income C. value D. payments
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 following questions
The early twentieth century began, the importance of formal education in the United States
increased. The frontier had mostly disappeared and by 1910 most Americans lived in towns and
cities. Industrialization and the bureaucratization of economic life combined with a new emphasis
upon credentials and expertise to make schooling increasingly important for economic and social
mobility. Increasingly, too, schools were viewed as the most important means of integrating
immigrants into American society.
The arrival of a great wave of southern and eastern European immigrants at the turn of the
century coincided with and contributed to an enormous expansion of formal schooling. By 1920
schooling to age fourteen or beyond was compulsory in most states, and the school year was greatly
lengthened. Kindergartens, vacation schools, extracurricular activities, and vocational
education and counseling extended the influence of public schools over the lives of students, many
of whom in the larger industrial cities were the children of immigrants. Classes for adult
immigrants were sponsored by public schools, corporations, unions, churches, settlement houses,
and other agencies.
Reformers early in the twentieth century suggested that education programs should suit the
needs of specific populations. Immigrant women were once such population. Schools tried to
educate young women so they could occupy productive places in the urban industrial economy,
and one place many educators considered appropriate for women was the home.
 Although looking after the house and family was familiar to immigrant women, American
education gave homemaking a new definition. In preindustrial economies, homemaking had meant
the production as well as the consumption of goods, and it commonly included income-producing
activities both inside and outside the home, in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century
United States, however, overproduction rather than scarcity was becoming a problem. Thus, the
ideal American homemaker was viewed as a consumer rather than a producer. Schools trained
women to be consumer homemakers cooking, shopping, decorating, and caring for children
"efficiently" in their own homes, or if economic necessity demanded, as employees in the homes
of others. Subsequent reforms have made these notions seem quite out-of-date.
Question 13: The paragraph preceding the passage probably discusses _____.
A. the industrialization and the bureaucratization of economic life the United States in the
nineteen century.
B. the formal schooling in the United States in the nineteen century.
C. the urbanization in the United States in the nineteen century.
D. the most important means of integrating immigrants into American society in the nineteen
century.
Question 14: It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that one important factor in the increasing
importance of education in the United States was _____.
A. an increase in the number of trained teachers
B. the increased urbanization of the entire country
C. the growing number of schools in frontier communities
D. the expanding economic problems of schools
Question 15: The phrase "coincided with" in line 7 is closest in meaning to _____.
A. happened at the same time as B. ensured the success of
C. was influenced by D. began to grow rapidly
Question 16: According to the passage, one important change in United States education by the
1920's was that _____.
A. most places required children to attend school
B. the amount of time spent on formal education was limited
C. new regulations were imposed on nontraditional education
D. adults and children studied in the same classes
Question 17: “Vacation schools and extracurricular activities” are mentioned in line 9 to
illustrate _____.
A. the importance of educational changes
B. the increased impact of public schools on students
C. activities that competed to attract new immigrants to their programs.
D. alternatives to formal education provided by public schools
Question 18: According to the passage, early-twentieth century education reformers believed that
_____.
A. corporations and other organizations damaged educational progress
B. more women should be involved in education and industry
C. special programs should be set up in frontier communities to modernize them
D. different groups needed different kinds of education
Question 19: The word "it" in line 19 refers to _____.
A. education B. production C. consumption D. homemaking
Question 20: Women were trained to be consumer homemakers as a result of _____.
A. overproduction in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
B. economic necessity in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
C. income-producing activities in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United
States
D. scarcity in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is
SIMILAR in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.
Question 21: School uniform is required in most of Vietnamese schools.
A. depended B. optional C. compulsory D. divided
Question 22: When being interviewed, you should concentrate on what the interviewer is saying
or asking you.
A. express interest in B. pay all attention to C. be interested in D. be related to
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is
OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.
Question 23: Their classmates are writing letters of acceptance.
A. agreement B. refusal C. confirmation D. admission
Question 24: Unless the two signatures are identical, the bank won’t honor the check.
A. fake B. similar C. different D. genuine
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to show the underlined part that needs
correction.
Question 25: The number of people who survived the Titanic shipwreck in 1912 were quite
small.
A B C D
Question 26: Children should not expect to rescue by their parents every time they get into
financial difficulty.
A B C
D
Question 27: The teacher asked him why hadn’t he done his homework, but he said nothing.
A B C D
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word that differs from the rest in the position of
the main stress in each of the following questions
Question 28: A. qualification. B. congratulation C. responsibility D. environment
Question 29: A. polite B. pollute C. honest D. recycle
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from
pronunciation in each of the following questions
Question 30: A. child B. church C. bronchitis D. chicken
Question 31: A. advanced B. composed C. appalled D. cleared
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to
complete each of the following exchanges.
Question 32: “What’s the matter? You don’t look very well.” – “I feel a little
_________________.”
A. under the impression B. under the weather C. out of the blue D. out of order
 Question 33: What an attractive hair style you have got, Mary! - _______
A. Thank you very much. I am afraid C. You are telling a lie.
B. Thank you for your compliment. D. I don't like your sayings.
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentences that is closest in
meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 34: In spite of his good salary, Mr Green decided to leave the job.
A. Although Mr Green had a good salary, he decided to leave the job.
B. Mr Green decides to leave the job despite having a good salary.
C. Because Mr Green had a good salary, he decided to leave the job.
D. If his salary were good, he would not decide to leave the job.
Question 35: Nam defeated the former champion in three sets. He finally won the inter-school
table tennis championship.
A. Having defeated the former champion in the inter-school table tennis, Nam did not hold the
title of champion.
B. Having defeated the former champion in three sets, Nam won the inter-school table tennis
championship.
C. Although Nam defeated the former champion in three sets, he did not win the title of inter-
school table tennis champion.
D. Being defeated by the former champion, Nam lost the chance to play the final game of
inter-school table tennis champion.
Question 36: But for two minor mistakes, I would have got full marks for the test.
A. If I didn’t make two minor mistakes, I would have got full marks for the test.
B. I would have got full marks for the test if there hadn’t been these two minor mistakes
C. Had I made two minor mistakes, I would have got full marks for the test.
D. If the mistakes hadn’t been minor, I could have got full marks for the test.
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentences that best combines
each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 37: I do my homework and schoolwork in separate books. I don’t get muddled up.
A. Having two separate books at home and at work helps me avoid getting muddled up.
B. I do my homework and schoolwork in separate books so that I don’t get muddled up.
C. I would get muddled up if I did not separate homework from schoolwork.
D. I do not get muddled up due to the separation between homework and schoolwork.
Question 38: It was an interesting novel. I, therefore, stayed up all night to finish it.
A. So interesting was the novel that I stayed up all night to finish it.
B. Unless it was an interesting novel, I would stay up all night to finish it.
C. I stayed up all night to finish the novel, therefore, it was interesting.
D. Though it was an interesting novel, I stayed up all night to finish it.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct option for each of the
following questions
Question 39:Last year Matt earned …………. his brother, who had a better position.
A. twice as much as B. twice as more as C. twice more than. D. twice as many as
Question 40: Mr. Pike …………. English at our school for 20 years before he retired last year.
A. has been teaching B. is teaching C. was teaching. D. had been teaching
Question 41: No longer__________ cut the grass. I have just bought a lawn mower.
A. I have to B. have I do to C. I do have to D. do I have to
Question 42: It’s high time we _______ something about the pollution.
A. made B. had done C. did D. had made
Question 43: Contaminated air and water supplies forces many to migrate in order to avoid the
health______.
A. service B. check-up C. consequences D. care
Question 44: The ground is wet. It ________ rained last night.
A. must have B. might have C. must D. may have
Question 45: John lost the _______ bicycle he bought last week and his parents were very angry
with him because of his carelessness.
A. beautiful Japanese blue new B. beautiful new blue Japanese
C. new beautiful blue Japanese D. Japanese beautiful new blue
Question 46: It was very difficult to _______ what he was saying about the noise of the traffic.
A. pick up B. make up C. turn out D. make out
Question 47: Tony Blair is believed _____ for Liverpool last week.
A. having left B. leaving C. to leave D. to have left
Question 48: If you _______ less last night, you _______ so bad today.
A. would have drunk- would not feel B. drank- would not feel
C. had drunk- would not have felt D. had drunk- would not feel
Question 49: Our learning and teaching equipment needs ______ if further improvement is to be
achieved.
A. modernizing B. to modernize C. modernized D. modernize
Question 50: Frankly speaking, your daughter does not take _______ you at all.
A. after B. along C. up D. over

THE END