*Write a new sentence similar in meaning to the one given, using the word given in brackets.

Do not alter
the word in any way.
5. Many people nowadays find it increasingly difficult to exist on the money they earn (ENDS)
Many…………………………………………………………………………...
6. I’ve lost interest in going to the same place all the time. (FED UP)
I’ve………………………………………………………………………….......
7. Mary is proud of being a good cook. (PRIDES)
Mary……………………………………………………………………………
8. The rain was coming down in torrents. (CATS)
The rain………………………………………………………………………
9. They arrived at their destination alive and kicking. (SOUND)
They…………………………………………………………………………….
10. The police caught the burglar in the process of committing the crime. (RED)
The burglar……………………………………………………………………

TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN NGUYỄN THIỆN THÀNH – TRÀ VINH

A. MULTIPLE CHOICE
I. WORD CHOICE (10 pts)
Choose the best options to complete the following sentences
1. I asked him what to do but his instruction were so _______ that I still didn’t understand.
A. inexpicable B. muddled C. garbled D. illegible
2. The police are looking for a short,................................man with a beard.
A. average B. stocky C. petite D. tallish
3. Mary was so angry that she................... to see the manager.
A. requested B. required C. risked D. demanded
4. The whole building collapsed, but fortunately there were no..................
A. wounded B. casualties C. hurt D. victims
5. He left the meeting early on the unlikely............................ that he had a sick friend to visit.
A. claim B. excuse C. pretext D. motive
6. The weather is so awful that I don't ............................going out this evening.
A. fancy B. like C. try D. want
7. He sat in the corner,..................... with anger about the treatment he received from his boss.
A. washing B. boiling C. simmering D. peeling
8. I was.........................by his lack of intelligence. I couldn't believe anyone could be so stupid.
A. shattered B. staggered C. speechless D. startled
9. This has been an incredibly.............month
A. hectic B. flustered C. wound up D. harassed
10. She may be...........................but she seems to end up annoying a lot of people.
A. well-meaning B. ill-advised
C. smooth-tongued D. widely-known

2. STRUCTURE AND GRAMMAR (10 pts)

1. I supposed, as............... we all, that the meeting would be cancelled.
A. just B. would C. equally D. did
2. A study has been made of the microbiology of rock surfaces and.....stones.
A. weathered B. rugged C. jagged D. rough
3. Well, it.....................but will it taste the same?
A. is smelling good B. is smelling well
C. smells good D. smells well
4. You in this report to the managing director personally. Do you understand?
A. are to hand B. would like to hand
C. may have handed D. would sooner hand
5. ........................................up early, he would have caught the early train.
A. Were he to get C. Had he not got
B. If he got D. Were he to have got
6. You should be very glad that Bob didn't recognize you that night. Can you imagine his fury if he...........?
A. had B. did C. did not D. would have
7. The research suggests that infants............................highly susceptible to allergy at the first 3 months.
A. should be B. are C. will be D. being
8. When reaching the top of the hill,
A. we suddenly caught sight of the sea C. we extended the sea below us
B. it was the sea that extended below us D. the sea came into view
9. Consumers should boycott all products..........................has involved the use of child labour.
A. who manufacture B. whose manufacturers
C. which manufacture D. whose manufacture
10. Such................ that the firefighters could not get near it.
A. hot was the fire B. the fire was hot
C. the heat was of the fire D. was the heat of the fire

3. PREPOSITIONS AND PHRASAL VERBS (10 pts)

1. I just want to settle........ and start a family before I got too old.
A. in B. through C. down D. up
2. She spent twenty years studying the history of London. She knows it.....out.
A. through B. inside C. all D. over
3. Capital punishment was done....................... in Britain nearly half a century ago.
A. out for B. away with C. off by D. over from
4. He wants to pay the bill himself, but I won't hear...............it.
A. from B. about C.of D. for
5. This situation is analogous..................the one we had faced last year.
A. for B. in C. from D. to
6. When John was arrested for drunken driving, he expected to lose his driving license, but he was............with a
fine.
A. let through B. let off C. got away D. kept away
7. My wife checks..............our elderly neighbour every few days to make sure that he's alright.
A. on B.in C. at D. out
8. The rain ran..................... in the roof of the house.
A. on B. onto C. from D. into
9. You may come............... different kinds of problems when you first settle in a different country.
A. out with B. into C. catch up on D. walk in on
10. A Japanese company tried to....................... the deal.
A. get in on B. get on with C. up with D. up against

IV. IDIOMS & COLLOCATIONS (10 pts)

Choose the right phrase in the box to complete each of the following sentences. Use each phrase only ONCE
and write your answer in the numbered box.
1. I'm sick and...................of studying grammar.
A. cross B. ill C. tired D. bored
2. No, I don't want to watch a war film. I don't like to see too much blood and
A. guts B. tears C. pain D. bone
3. Mice..............!
A. give me creeps B. give me the creep
C. give me the creeps. D. give me creep
4. When his parents are away, his eldest brother........................
A. knocks it off B. calls the shots C. draws the line D. is in the same boat
5. I will do everything in my............... to rescue the victims.
A. ability B. power C. mind D. effort
6. Be careful or he'll take you for a..........................
A. trick B. cheat C. fraud D. ride
7. Just because Laura makes a lot of money, everyone expects her to....................the bills.
A. foot B. stand C. run D. carry
8. My sister told me to pack some trousers and shirts for the trip,..............., not to forget my toothbrush.
A. after all B. but more or less C. before long D.but above all
9. His English was roughly...................with my Greek, so communication was rather difficult!
A. level B. on a par C. equal D. in tune
10. I didn't want to make a decision.............................so I said I'd like to think about it.
A. on and off B. in one go C. there and then D. at a stroke

V. READING COMPREHENSION (20pts)

READING 1: Read the following passage and choose the best answer

MAGINOT LINE
The Maginot Line was one of the largest military structures ever built, second only to the Great
Wall of China. It was a series of bunkers, forts, turrets, and obstacles that spanned more than 450
miles of France's border with Germany. Built between 1930 and 1940, it was one of the world's
most impressive forts, yet it proved to be almost useless.
The Maginot Line was named after the man who argued for its construction, French Minister of
War André Maginot. André Maginot had fought with the French against the Germans in the First
World War. Much of this conflict took place along the Western Front, which was a line of trenches
across which the two sides faced one another. Both sides dug in deep and each lost many men
over little ground. Conditions were horrid for all and there was a stalemate for many years as
neither side was able to move the other.
Maginot never forgot these awful conditions. He wanted to build a line of defences that would
give the French an advantage in a similar conflict. He feared, rightfully so, that the Germans would
attack France again. Germany's population nearly doubled France's. The line of defences that
Maginot pictured would allow a smaller French army to hold off a larger German force. In 1929,
Maginot convinced the French Parliament to fund his vision.
Though calling it a line makes it seem thin, the Maginot Line was in fact quite deep. It was fifteen
miles wide at some points and varied in structure. There were outposts disguised as houses. These
were manned by troops and rigged with explosives. There were antitank rails and obstacles. These
were planted in the ground to prevent tanks and trucks from passing. There were bunkers armed
with mounted machine guns and anti-tank guns. These were for pushing back attackers. And there
were many large and small fortresses along the line. Each had mess halls, lots of supplies, and air
conditioning. The Maginot line would give the French a supreme edge in the case of a head-on
invasion by the Germans.
Unfortunately for the French, the Germans did not attack head-on. They positioned a decoy army
in front of the line to distract the French. While the French waited, the Germans snuck a larger
force through Belgium. Belgium is France's north eastern neighbour. The French did have some
defences along their border with Belgium, but this part of the Maginot line was weak. The
Germans made quick work of these defences. Within five days of their initial attack they were well
into France.
Once they were in France, the Germans attempted to seize the main forts along the Maginot Line.
They were not successful. The forts had proved to be strong, but they failed to hold back the
Germans. The Germans had taken Paris, France's capital city. Soon after the French commander
ordered his men to stand down. He commanded the French defenders to leave their bases along
the Maginot Line. These soldiers were then taken to POW camps.
While the Maginot Line did not work in the way that the French had hoped, they did benefit by
having built it. Belgium and England were strong allies. England had pledged to protect Belgium.
Belgium declared itself a neutral country, one which wanted to stay out of wars. When Germany
invaded Belgium to bypass the Maginot Line, they violated Belgium's neutrality. This led to
England entering the war sooner.
Though the Maginot Line is no longer used militarily, many of the buildings remain. Some of the
forts are now wine cellars or mushroom farms. One was turned into a disco club. Today the
Maginot Line is often used as a metaphor. People may refer to a failed project in which someone
placed a lot of hope as a Maginot Line. Also, the Maginot Line lives on as the best-known symbol
of the common saying that "generals always fight the last war.
1. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The Maginot Line provided absolutely no benefit to the French.
B. The Maginot Line is still used by the French army today.
C. Maginot's experiences during WWI led to his support for the line.
D. The French were betrayed by the Belgians during World War II.
2. Which best expresses the author's purpose in writing the fourth paragraph?
A. To persuade readers that the Maginot Line was not at all thin.
B. To inform readers of the types of defences along the Maginot Line.
C. To describe what the inside of the Maginot Line looked like.
D. To compare and contrast defences along the Maginot Line.
3. Which best describes the weakness of the Maginot Line?
A. It was built from cheap material and could not resist attack.
B. Poor screening let spies take control of the forts from within.
C. The line was not fortified along France's border with Belgium.
D. The French underestimated the power of newer German tanks.
4. Which of the following is a false statement?
A. André Maginot fought against the French in the First World War.
B. André Maginot served as the Minister of War for France.
C. The Maginot Line is named after André Maginot.
D. After WWI, André Maginot believed that Germany would attack France again.
5. Which best explains why André Maginot wanted to build up France's defence rather than
their offense?
A. After WWI, France and Germany became history's greatest allies.
B. France needed protection from the Germans and the hostile Belgians.
C. Maginot feared that French commanders might invade Germany if they had the power.
D. France had far fewer people than Germany and needed to save manpower.
6. Which best defines the meaning of the word stalemate as it is used in the second
paragraph?
A. When troops lose morale because they miss their families
B. When two sides are locked in a draw
C. When breathing is made difficult by foul odours
D. When one side has a large advantage over the other
7. Which best expresses the main idea of the last paragraph of this text?
A. It describes how the Maginot Line is still used today.
B. It restates the main points of the text.
C. It discusses how the French used the Maginot Line during World War II.
D. It explains how the Maginot Line is used as a symbol.
8. How did the French lose control of the Maginot Line?
A. The Germans overtook the fortresses with military power.
B. The Germans tunnelled into the fortresses using new technology.
C. The French were starved out of the fortresses by German siege.
D. The French surrendered the fortresses.
9. Which was not part of Germany's strategy to invade France in World War II?
A. Position a decoy force in front of the Maginot Line
B. Sneak troops into France by tunnelling underneath the Maginot Line
C. Bring a large army through Belgium
D. Move very quickly
10. Which title best expresses the main idea of this text?
A. Undefeatable: How the Maginot Line Became the World's Strongest Fortress
B. André Maginot: France's Greatest Patriot
C. Strong as the Weakest Link: The Mighty Maginot Wall and Its Shortcomings
D. Blood Feud: The History of War Between France and Germany
READING 2: Read the following passage and choose the best answer
THE DOT-COM ERA
The late 1990s was a volatile time for the Internet entrepreneur. There were a large number of new high-
tech and Internet-based businesses being started up, some based on little more than dreams. And. nearly any
entrepreneur with a high-tech or Intemet-based business plan could receive a large amount of money form
investors to develop the business. These businesses were called “dot-coms” after the last part of their lnternet
addresses, and that time in business history has became known as the dot-com era. Most dot-com ventures failed
as the inconsistencies between high-tech dreams and realities clarified, but a handful of entrepreneurs from that
time remain successful today.
Many people look back at the dot-com era with a certain amount of cynicism. Some charge that there
were entrepreneurs who deliberately mislead investors about the potential of their business plans; that they had
the ulterior motive of getting their handson large amounts of cash before anything else - a ploy that some say
was common in the dot-com era. By 2001, most of the dot-coms had disappeared and were sarcastically referred
to as “dot-bombs”. By the time the hype died down, incredible amounts of money had been lost. This is an
unfortunate legacy of the dot-com era.
Why did companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google find success, while so many others disappeared?
There is no concise answer, but one interesting coincidence is that many of them were started by two or more
entrepreneurs working inconjunction with each other. At Microsoft, Bill Gates and Paul Allen complemented
each other; Apple had Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; and we owe Google to the rapport between founders
Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Besides collaborating with others, today’s entrepreneurs need to be able to think on their feet because the
business situation changes so quickly. Entrepreneurs need to do constant research to keep track of changing
trends. Today’s entrepreneurs need to be hardworking and tenacious - the easy money of the dot-com era is
history. Experimentation and innovation are critical in a rapidly changing and highly competitive marketplace.
It seems that the mistakes of the dot-com era have shown the world what the high- tech economy truly is.
and what it isn’t. It isn’t a place where anyone with a dream can get rich. It is, however, a powerful and flexible
business environment where people with sound business ideas and effective business models can work together
to produce successful business innovations, sometimes very successful ones indeed. But, as it has always been
true in the business world, there is no substitute for thorough planning and hard work.
1. What is the author's main purpose in writing this passage?
A. to expose the negative side of the dot-com era
B. to explain the history and qualities of a type of entrepreneur
C. to convince the reader to become an entrepreneur
D. to show how being an entrepreneur is easier today than ever before
2. According to the passage, it was easy to get money from investors in the dot-com era is most probably
because ____
A. investors were mainly Internet entrepreneurs
B. investors didn’t expect to get their money back in those days
C. investors were confused about the potential of high-tech business ideas
D. investors knew that any idea would succeed
3. . According to the passage, many people look back on the dot-corn ere with cynicism because_____
A. many companies misled their investors
B. they are jealous of the success of dot-coms
C. the level of technology was so much lower then
 D. there were no true entrepreneurs in that era
4. According to the passage, some people referred to dot-corns as “dot bombs” by 2001 probably because_____
A. most dot-corn companies were short-lived failures
B. dot-corn companies started up extremely quickly
C. some dot-corns became extremely successful
D. many people wished to eliminate dot-corn businesses
5. According to the passage, what do Microsoft, Apple, and Google all have in common?
A. They all produce high-quality computers.
B. They are all cynical about dot-coms.
C. They all have a good rapport with each other.
D. They were all developed by more than one person.
6. Which quality of today's entrepreneurs is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. They need to be able to think on their feet.
B. They need to work in more than one company at a time.
C. They need to collaborate with others.
D. They need to do constant research.
7. According to the passage, what have we learned from the dot-com era?
A. that most high-tech and Internet-based businesses will succeed
B. that anyone with a dream can get rich in today's environment
C. that sound business ideas and effective plans are needed for success
D. that investors should give money freely to new companies
8. What does the word “their” in line 5 refer to?
A. Entrepreneurs
B. Businesses
C. Investors
D. Ventures
9. The word “inconsistencies” in paragraph 1 almost means_____
A. incompatibilities
B. changeability
C. incostancy
D. contradiction
10. The word “rapport” in paragraph 1 closely means_____
A. intimate relationshhip
B. sympathy
C. bondage
 D. mutual understanding

IV. CLOZE TEST : (20pts)

CLOZE TEST 1: Read the following passage, and choose the letter A,B,C or D on your answer sheet to
indicate the correct word or phrase for each of the blanks
A LACK OF COMMUNICATION
Recent research has revealed that a third of people in Britain have not met their (1) _____ neighbors, and those
who know each other (2) _____ speak. Neighbors gossiping over garden fences and in the street was a common
(3) _____ in the 1950s, says Dr Carl Chinn, an expert on local communities. Now, however, longer hours spent
working at the office, together with the Internet and satellite television, are eroding neighborhood (4) _____.
“Poor neighborhoods once had strong kinship, but now prosperity buys privacy,” said Chinn.
Professor John Locke, a social scientist at Cambridge University, had analyzed a large (5) _____ of surveys. He
found that in America and Britain the amount of time spent in social activity is decreasing. A third of people
said they never spoke to their neighbors at (6) ____ . Andrew Mayer, 25, a strategy consultant, rents a large
apartment in west London, with two flatmates, who work in e-commerce. “We have a family of teachers
upstairs and lawyers below, but our only contact comes via letters (7)____ to the communal facilities or
complaints that we’ve not put out our bin bags properly,” said Mayer.
The (8) ______ of communities can have serious effects. Concerned at the rise in burglaries and (9) ____ cts of
vandalism, the police have relaunched crime prevention schemes such as Neighborhood Watch, (10) ____ on
people who live in the same area to keep an eye on each other’s houses and report anything they sees which is
unusual.
1. A. side-on B. next-door C. close-up D. nearside
2. A. barely B. roughly C. nearly D. virtually
3. A. outlook B. view C. vision D. sight
4. A. ties B. joints. C. strings D. laces
5. A. deal B. amount C. number D. measure
6. A. least B. once C. all D. most
7. A. concerning B. regarding C. applying D. relating
8. A. breakout B. breakthrough C. breakdown D. breakaway
9. A. acts. B. shows C. counts. D. works
10. A. asking B. calling C. inviting D. trying
CLOZE TEST 2:
Read the following passage, and choose the letter A,B,C.or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
word or phrase for each of the blanks
The joys and tribulations of being a pet owner! During our lifetime most of us have some experience of either
owning a pet or being in (1) _______ contact with someone who does. Is there such a thing as “the ideal pet”? If
so what characterizes the ideal pet? Various (2)_______ influence one’s choice of pet, from your reasons for
getting a pet to your lifestyle. For example, although quite a few pets are relatively cheap to buy, the cost of (3)
_______ can be considerable. Everything must be (4) _____into account, from food and bedding, to
vaccinations and veterinary bills. You must be prepared to (5)_____ time on your pet, shopping for it, cleaning
and feeding it. Pets can be demanding and a big responsibility. Are you prepared to exercise and housetrain an
animal or do you prefer a more independent pet? How much (6)______ room do you have? Is it right to lock an
energetic animal into a (7) _______ space? Do you live near a busy road which may threaten the life of your
pet? Pets (8)______ turtles and goldfish can be cheap and convenient, but if you prefer affectionate pets, a
friendly cat or dog would be more(9)_____. People get pets for a number of reasons, for company, security or to
teach responsibility to children. Pets can be affectionate and loyal and an excellent source of company as long as
you know what pet (10)_______you and your lifestyle.
1. A. near B. close C. narrow D. tight
2. A. measures B. elements C. factors D. points
3. A. upkeep B. maintenance C. upbringing D. raising
4. A. considered B. held C. taken D. kept
5. A. take B. waste C. occupy D. spend
6. A. free B. spare C. empty D. vacant
7. A. confined B. detained C. reduced D. closed
8. A. so that B. as for C. as if D. such as
9. A. suited B. appropriate C. likely D. good
10. A. fits B. matches C. suits D. goes with
B. WORD FORMS (20pts)
Part 1: Complete the sentence with the correct form of the given word (10pts)
1. Janet had to__________________ from team because of injury.(draw)
2. The mountain roads are often _______________in winter.(pass)
3. It is not possible for everyone to put their own___________ on the law.(interpret)
4. Many people think that the famine was a result of the civil war, but it is _____ (true)
5. You’ll need to be a little more _______________ if you want to hold their attention to your writings.
(imagine)
6. Andi has correctly _________the order of a pack of cards in just 31.16 seconds. (memory)
7. A______________ is a person who writes a book, etc.for another person, under whose name it is then
published.(write)
8.Don’t believe what they said. I think they are ______ witnesses.(worth)
9. William Shakespeare is probly the most famous_________ in history. (play)
10. The______________ answer to my question was “no”. (vary)