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MINI READING TEST

Text 1
 The stars are beautiful in the night sky. They are far away, farther away than most
people can imagine. Even though they are light years away, they can still light up the
sky. For thousands of years, people have been interested in stars. They have been used
as fortunetellers, calendars, and maps. Travelers often used the stars to help them find
their way.
    Before there was electricity, the stars and moon were the brightest things in the night
sky. People spent hours staring up and wondering what the little, twinkling lights were.
Back then, the stars were easier to see because there weren't any other lights at night.
    Not many ancient people realized that the sun was a star. The sun and moon were
thought of as father and mother of Earth in some ancient cultures. The stars were
thought of as lesser gods or the souls of people who had died.
   A man named Anaxagoras thought that the sun was a giant ball of metal burning in
the center of our universe. He was thrown in jail and sentenced to death because this
idea conflicted with people's religious beliefs.
    Even so, people did not stop trying to understand the sun. Scientists still study it
today. Large telescopes take pictures of the sun almost every day as we try and learn
more about it. 
1. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Sun
B. Stars in the sky
C. The exploration of space
D. A history of Greek thought
2. Why were stars useful to people?
A. They kept people safe
B. They were beautiful
C. They showed people the way
D. They burned up dangerous gases.
3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned?
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A. Stars as fortune-tellers and maps

B. Anaxagoras going to jail for his ideas
C. The sun and moon as father and mother
D. Telescopes taking pictures of the planets
4. In line 8, the word “realized” is closest in meaning to?
A. found B. destroyed C. decided D understood
5. Why was Anaxagoras thrown in prison?
A. He did not believe in God
B. He was not a good philosopher
C. His ideas were not the same as other people's
D. He found out that the sun was the same as all the other stars
Text 2
The word Jeans comes from a kind of material that was made in Europe. The material
called jeans was named after sailors from Genoa in Italy, because they wore clothes
made from it. In the 18th century jean cloth was completely from cotton and workers at
that time love wearing it because the material was very strong and it did not war our
easily. In the 1960s, many university and college students wore jeans. Designers made
different styles of jeans to match the 1960s’ fashion. In the 1970s more and more people
started wearing jeans because they became cheaper. In the 1980s jeans finally became
high fashion clothing, when famous designers started making their own styles of jeans,
with their own labels on them. Sales of jeans went up and up. But in the 1990s the
worldwide economic situation got worse, and the sale of jeans stopped growing.
However, jeans have never been out of fashion, and today young generation is still fond
of wearing them.
6. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The development of jeans                          B. Sailors from Genoa in Italy

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C. The sale of jeans                                       D. The designers of jeans

7. The word “it“ in line 3 refers to.
A. clothes               B. material           C. cotton         D. cloth
8. In line 4 ,the word “wearing” can be replaced by.
A. turning on          B. calling on        C. putting on   D. going on
9. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned?
A. Jeans were made from a kind of material.
B. Designers made different styles of jeans.
C. In 1960s many students wore jeans.
D. In 1980s, jeans have been out of fashion.
10. The author implies that ..................
A. Jeans have ever been out of fashion.        
B. Jeans have never been out of fashion.
C. Jeans have just been out of fashion.          
D. Jeans have already been out of fashion.
QUESTION TYPES READING SKILLS
1. MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS/ AUTHOR’S 1. SKIMMING
PURPOSE QUESTIONS 2. SCANNING
2. DETAIL QUESTIONS

3. NEGATION QUESTIONS

4. VOCABULARY QUESTIONS

5. PRONOUN REFERENT QUESTIONS

6. INFERENCE QUESTIONS

1. MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS- AUTHOR’S PURPOSE QUESTIONS

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1. What is the passage mainly about?

2. What is the passage mostly about?
3. What would be the best tittle for this text?
4. Which tittle best summarizes the passage?
5. What would be the best headline for the article?
6. What is the main topic of the passage?
7. Why did the author write this passage?
8. What is the purpose of the passage?
9. What is the main/ primary purpose of the text?
Levi Strauss, a young immigrant (nhập nội) from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in
1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush. Thousands of men were coming to
California to dig for gold. And Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners. Canvas
is a heavy fabric, so Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents. One day
Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn’t find clothes strong enough for the work
he was doing. Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it into
pants. These pants were what the miners needed. In one day Strauss sold all the pants he
had made.

What is the passage mostly about?

A. Levi came to America in 1847.
B. Levi worked in a mine.
C. Levi made blue denim pants.
D. Levi’s idea is still around today.
2. Canada is the second largest country in the world. It covers the northern part of
North America and the country is bordered by three oceans: Pacific, Atlantic and
Arctic. In fact, we have the longest coastline of any country. To our south, we share
nearly 9,000 kilometres of land border with the United States. That’s the longest
border in the world! Most Canadians live within a few hundred kilometres of the U.S.
border.
Our country has some impressive geographic features, including vast mountain
ranges and more than 2 million lakes. Would you believe we have just under 1
million square kilometers of fresh water?.
What is the main topic of the passage?
A. Canada is the second largest country.
B. Canada covers North America.
C. Canada has the most lakes.
D. Canada is north of the United States.

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3. Fire was very important to man. He needed fire to keep himself warm at night. He
used fire to cook his food. He used fire to frighten away enemies and wild animals. In
some parts of the world he used fire to signal messages. Red Indians, for example, used
fire to make smoke signals. In some other countries people lit fires to warn their friends
of danger.
Why did the author write this passage?
a. To discuss the history of fire
b. To explain how to make fire
c. To provide the roles of fire in daily life
d. To present to bad effects of fire on human life
4. Chameleon are a very special lizard. The strange thing about the chameleon is that it
is able to change its colour when it is in danger. What the chameleon does is to change
its colour to match that of its surroundings. This helps it to escape being noticed by its
predators. Different species of chameleons can change into different colours, depending
on which part of the world they come from. The ability to change its colour is controlled
by the animal's nervous system.
What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To describe where Chameleons live
B. To show that Chameleons are strange-looking
C. To talk about their eating habit
D. To explain one of the abilities of Chameleons
5. There are five oceans in the world: The Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.
The biggest ocean is the Pacific. It is around 165 million square kilometers, which is
bigger than all the continents combined. The smallest ocean is the Arctic. It only covers
a small area near the North Pole. It might be the smallest, but it is also the coldest.
Another cold ocean is the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica. If you want to swimming,
you should go to the Indian Ocean, which is the warmest ocean in the world. The
Atlantic may not be the biggest, the deepest, coldest, or warmest, but it was the ocean
that European explorers crossed to get to the America.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
A. The Pacific ocean
B. The biggest ocean
C. The deepest ocean
D. The world’s ocean
2. DETAIL QUESTIONS

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1. Why was Anaxagoras thrown in prison?

2. According to the paragraph 2, what did the second son see in his turn?
3. Who sent him this package?
4. What is suggested about the new student/ the new schedule?
Smoking causes lung cancer, which is the number one cancer among men. Ninety
percent of the people who get lung cancer die. Smoking is also the leading cause of
mouth cancer, tongue cancer, and throat cancer. Many smokers have heart disease and
pneumonia. Smoking causes one million early deaths in the world every year.
Smokers not only harm themselves but also harm others. Smokers breathe smoke out
into the air. They breathe it out on their children and their wives or husbands. Children
whose parents smoke have more breathing and lung problems than other children.
Women who are married to smokers are more likely to have lung cancer than those
married to non-smokers. We are all aware that smoking is bad. So why do people
smoke?

1. What is the number one cancer among men?

A. tongue cancer      B. throat cancer     C. lung cancer       D. mouth cancer
2. Every year, smoking causes about one million____________.
A. cancer patients     B. killing diseases    C. early deaths      D. injured men

Water, one of the two elements that are essential to life, covers 90 percent of the earth’s
surface. However, despite appearances, water that is drinkable is rare on our planet. In
the past, we have considered air and water to be free; but we cannot do so any more.
Although we have oceans, seas, rivers, and glaciers, we need to protect our drinking
supplies. As global warming increase, ice floes melt into the oceans.
According to this article, what are the two “elements” that are essential to life?
A. Water and milk B. Rice and water
C. Water and air D. Fire and water
Children’s education is changing rapidly today. In the past, teachers made children sit
still for hours. They made them memorize all sorts of things. In other words, children
had to go on repeating things until they knew them by heart. Today, many teachers
wonder if it possible to make children learn at all. They say you can only help them
learn. They say you must let children learn and discover things for themselves.

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What did teachers make children do in the past?

A. stand for hours B. memorize everything

C. repeat their homework D. sit for days

3. NEGATION QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned?

2. All of the following are true EXCEPT
3. Which of the following is not TRUE?
4. The author mention all of the following EXCEPT

Music is a very important part of our lives. Music is for dancing, drinking, eating,
loving and thinking. Some songs remind us of our childhood or youth. Others remind us
of the people we love. Many important occasions, like weddings and funerals have
special music. Every nation has a national song like the American “The Star – Spangled
Banner”. In the U.S. , high schools and colleges have school songs, too.
Music is a part of the history of America. It expresses the problems and feelings of its
people. As the years pass, the music grows and changes.
Modern science has also changed music. Inventions like records, radio, movies,
electric instruments, tape recorders and video have changed the way we play and listen
to music. They have helped to make music an important form of international
communication.
According to the passage, music is changed thanks to the invention of the following
EXCEPT …
A. International communication B. Tape recorders
C. Electric instruments D. Videos

I often hear or read about “natural disaster”- the eruption of Mount St Helen, a volcano
the state of Washington: Hurricane Andrew in Florida; the floods in the American
Midwest; terrible earthquakes all over the world; huge fires; and so on. But I’ll never
forget my first personal experience with the strangeness of nature – “the London Killer
Fog” of 1952.
Which natural disaster is NOT mentioned in the text?
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A. a volcanic eruption B. a flood

C. a hurricane D. a tornado

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. They are very kind
and friendly. 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 centers in the world, the Metro Centre. A few years ago, the main
industries were shipbuilding and coalmining, but now the chemical and soap industries
are important.
Which of the following is NOT true about Newcastle?
A. Its people are friendly. B. Its main industry now is shipbuilding
C. It has a cathedral and a university D. It is next to Gateshead

4. VOCABULARY QUESTIONS

1. In line 6, the word “damage” is closest in meaning to ……………..

2. The word “growth” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to…….

The shark is a meat-eating fish and one of the most feared animals of the sea.
Scientists identified about 250 species of fish as sharks. These fish live in oceans
throughout the world, but they are most common in warm seas.
Sharks vary greatly in size and habits. Whale sharks, the largest kind of shark,
may grow 60 feet long. A whale shark weighs up to 15 tons, more than twice as much
as an African elephant. The smallest shark may measure only 4 inches long and weigh
less than 1 ounce. Some kinds of sharks live in the depth of the oceans, but others are
found near the surface. Some species live in coastal waters, but others dwell far out at
sea. A few species can even live in fresh water.
The word “vary” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to…….
A. Differ B. explain C. measure D. grow
An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Nepal on April 25th, 2015. It was
the most powerful earthquake to strike Nepal since 1934. The earthquake occurred in
central Nepal. It also affected India, Bangladesh and Tibet, China. The earthquake killed

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more than 8,800 people and injured over 23, 000 people. Hundreds of thousands of
people were made homeless.
The word “strike” in line 2 is closest in meaning to…….
A. arrive B. approach C. hit D. threat
During the Middle Ages, wealthy families lived in castles. A moat surrounded the castle
walls to keep unwanted people out. It was filled with water and dangerous animals. A
drawbridge, held by two heavy chains, was the only way a person could cross the moat.
If the drawbridge was closed, there was no way to get in or out of the castle.
The word “unwanted” in line 2 is closest in meaning to…….
B. unwelcome B. unkind C. unlike D. unlucky
5. PRONOUN REFERENT QUESTIONS

1. The word “their” in the second paragraph refers to _________.

2. The word “Others” in the third paragraph refers to _________.

Learning to use a new Internet service may take a few hours, a few days, or some
weeks, but it takes years to learn a language so that you can use it fluently and
confidently. Of course, when you know some English, you can learn more just by using
it on the Internet. But at least your English should be good enough to understand
commonly used words and to know what to do on the Internet.
The word “it” in the passage refers to

A. English.                 B. The service.            C. The Internet.          D.A

language.

The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats. Other images
describe birds and horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far
outnumbering all other animals. Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a
monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible
walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or
crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex.
The word “They” refers to _______.
A. walls
B. artists
C. animals
D. materials
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6. INFERENCE QUESTIONS

1. What can be inferred from the passage?

2. What can be inferred from dinosaurs?
3. What does the author imply about the museum?

Haitian Vodou is a famous religion that comes from the country of Haiti. Vodou says
that there are many small gods, called Lwa, who worship one main god, called
Bondye. These gods do not like greed. The truth about Vodou is that it’s a regular
religion, but many people believe something different. Over the years, people have
come to believe that Vodou is a religion that focuses on Zombies and evil spirits.

What does the author imply about people’s belief about Haitian Vodou?
A. They are wrong
B. They want to worship it
C. They are going to change
D. They are because of slavery

TEXT 1
Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York (Q1). His
family later moved to Wilmington, North Carolina.
Young Michael’s best sport was baseball. He didn’t make his high school basketball
team when he was at school. Later, he played well enough to be noticed by Coach Dean
Smith at the University of North Carolina (UNC). Jordan won a scholarship to UNC. As
a first-year student at UNC, Jordan scored the winning basket in the 1982 national
college tournament championship game. He played two more seasons at UNC. He also
played for the United States team in the 1984 Olympic Games. In 1984, Jordan entered
the National Basketball Association (NBA) player draft. He was chosen by the Chicago
Bulls.
Many people think Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player ever. He led the
Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. He was called “Air Jordan” because of his
leaps towards the basket. Fans adored his smiling face and his determination to
succeed. During his playing career, Michael Jordan became one of the most famous
athletes in the world.
Question 1: Where was Michael Jordan born?
A. In Wilmington. B. In North Carolina. C. In Chicago. D. In Brooklyn.
Question 2: Michael Jordan scored the winning basket in the national college
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tournament championship game ______.

A. in 1982 B. in 1963 C. at the age of 17 D. at the age of
21
Question 3: Jordan was called “Air Jordan” because of ______.
A. his career B. his leaps C. his face D. his
determination
Question 4: The word “adored” in paragraph 3 mostly means ______.
A. loved B. detested C. hated D. disliked
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Jordan played for the United States team in the 1984 Olympic Games.
B. Jordan won a scholarship to the University of North Carolina.
C. Jordan entered the National Basketball Association player draft in 1984.
D. Jordan made his high school basketball team when he was at school.

TEXT 2
Among the festival celebrated by some of Asian people is the Moon Cake Festival, also
known as the Mid-August Festival. Large number of small round moon cakes are eaten
on this day, and children enjoy carrying colorful paper lanterns come in all shapes; the
more popular ones are shaped like fish, rabbits and butterflies. According to them, the
moon shines brightest on the night of the Moon Cake Festival. As the moon rises, tables
are placed outside the house and women make offerings of fruit and moon cakes to the
Moon Goddess.
Among the festival celebrated by some of Asian people is the Moon Cake Festival, also
known as the Mid-August Festival. Large number of small round moon cakes are eaten
on this day, and children enjoy carrying colorful paper lanterns come in all shapes; the
more popular ones are shaped like fish, rabbits and butterflies. According to them, the
moon shines brightest on the night of the Moon Cake Festival. As the moon rises, tables
are placed outside the house and women make offerings of fruit and moon cakes to the
Moon Goddess.

1.What does the passage mainly discuss ?

A.Festivals      B.Rice-cooking festival C.Lunar new year     D.Mid-August
Festival
2.The phrase “ Mid-August Festival” can be replaced by ................................. .
A.Mid-Autumn Festival                                             
B.Early-Autumn Festival
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C.Late-Autumn Festival                                            
D.Autumn Festival
3.What types of food do Asian people usually eat on this day?
A.cakes           B.sticky-rice cake                   C.fruit             D.fruit and moon cakes
4.When does the moon shine brightest ?
A.the night before the Moon Cake Festival   
B. the night after the Moon Festival
C. the night of the Moon Cake Festival         
D.the following night
5.What is NOT mentioned in the passage ?
A.paper lanterns          B.moon shines             C.mooncakes    D.lion-dancing

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TEXT 3
   The large movement of the earth under the water causes a very large and
powerful tsunami. The tsunami was called the Asian tsunami in the most of the world. It
was called the Boxing Day Tsunami in England, Australia, South Africa and Canada
because it happened on the holiday they call Boxing Day. The Tsunami causes a lot of
damage to countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. 
Waves as high as 30m killed many people and damaged or destroyed a lot of
buildings and other property. Over 225,000 people died or were not found after the
Tsunami. The wave traveled as far as South Africa (8000km) where as many as 8
people died because of high water cause by the wave. Because of how much damage
was caused and the number of people the earthquake affected, over US$7 billion was
donated to help the survivors and to rebuild the areas damaged.

1. Why was the tsunami called the Boxing Day Tsunami in England?
      A. Because it happened when people were boxing.        
      B. Because it happened when people were collecting boxes.
      C. Because it happened on Boxing Day.                         
      D. Because it destroyed a lot of boxes.
2. How high were the waves?
  A. thirteen meters B. eighteen meters                  C. thirty meters           D. 225
meters
3. What were some people in South Africa killed by?
      A. earthquake                    B. high water              C. high wind               D. property
4. What does the word “survivors” in the passage mean?
      A. people who were dead                         B. people who are left alive.
      C. house which aren’t destroyed              D. offices which are rebuilt.
5. All of the following statements are true Except _______.
        A. Only in Asia the tsunami called Asian Tsunami.                  
        B. The tsunami caused a lot of damage to Indonesia.
        C. Many people died because of the high waves.                                  
        D. A lot of money was raised to help people.
TEXT 4
Stars have been significant features in the design of many United States coins and their
number has varied from one to forty-eight stars. Most of the coins issued from about
1799 to the early years of the twentieth century bore thirteen stars representing the
thirteen original colonies.

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Curiously enough, the first American silver coins, issued in, 1794, had fifteen stars
because by that time Vermont and Kentucky had joined the Union. At that time it was
apparently the intention of mint officials to add a star for each new state. Following the
admission of Tennessee in 1796, for example, some varieties of half dimes, dimes, and
half-dollars were produced with sixteen stars.
As more states were admitted to the Union, however, it quickly became apparent that
this scheme would not prove practical and the coins from 1798 on were issued with only
thirteen stars-one for each of the original colonies. Due to an error at the mint, one
variety of the 1828 half cent was issued with only twelve stars. There is also a variety of
the large cent with only 12 stars, but this is the result of a die break and is not a true
error.
Question 1. What is the main topic of the passage?
A. The teaching of astronomy in state universities
B. Stars on American coins
C. Colonial stamps and coins
D. The star as national symbol of the United States
Question 2. The word "their" in line 1 refers to
A. stars B. features C. coins D. colonies
Question 3. The word "bore" in line 3 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. Carried B. Drilled C. Cost D. Symbolized
Question 4. Which of the following can be inferred about the order in which
Kentucky, Tennessee, and Vermont joined the Union?
A. Vermont and Kentucky joined at the same time.
B. Kentucky joined before Tennessee and Vermont.
C. Tennessee joined after Vermont and Kentucky.
D. Vermont joined after Tennessee and Kentucky.
Question 5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as representing sixteen stars
A. A dollar B. Dime C. Half dime D. Half- dollar
Question 6. Why was a coin produced in 1828 with only twelve stars?
A. There were twelve states at the time. B. There was a change in design
policy.
C. Tennessee had left the Union. D. The mint made a mistake.

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