I. Listen to five short conversations and choose the correct answer to each question.

1. You hear some information about a country on a travel program? Where do most people spend the
summer months?
A. at the seaside B. in the capital city C. in the mountains
2. You hear part of a radio programme about chewing gum. What is the speaker doing?
A. outlining its history
B. describing why it has changed
C. explaining its popularity
3. You hear part of a radio programme where listeners phone in with their opinion. What does the
man want to do?
A. express his disappointment
B. complain about his situation
C. encourage other listeners
4. You hear a woman on the radio about buying a painting for the first time. What opinion is she
expressing?
A. A painting can be a worthwhile investment.
B. Only buy a painting if you have room for it.
C. Take your time when buying your first painting.
5. You hear a man being interviewed on the radio. What does he say about his mother?
A. She helped him become an artist.
B. She persuaded him to do research.
C. She wanted him to make money.
Part II. You will hear a radio interview with a young tennis player, Alice Winters and her coach,
Bruce Gray. Choose the best answer for each question. (6.0
6. What does Bruce say about getting financial help?
A. He is surprised by how hard it is to get any.
B. He expects that they will get some soon.
C. He thinks they can succeed without it.
7. What is Alice’s attitude towards training?
A. She enjoys organizing it herself.
B. She wishes she had more time for other things.
C. She sometimes finds it hard to make the effort.
8. What is Alice’s attitude towards her schoolwork?
A. She is determined to do well in it.
B. It is not the most important thing.
C. She is confident of her ability.
9. How does Alice feel about competitions?
A. The result is the most important thing.
B. Losing weakens her confidence.
C. She always expects to win.
10. According to Bruce, what makes Alice exceptional?
A. her natural talent for the game
B. the amount of effort she puts in
C. the way she reacts to other players
11. How does Alice feel about becoming a professional player?
A. She is looking forward to the glamorous lifestyle.
B. She realises she may not be successful.
C. She is worried about getting on with the other players.

Part III. You will hear someone who lives in LIDSEY talking on the radio. For each question,
fill in the missing information in the numbered spaces. Write NO MORE THAN THREE

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WORDS AND/ OR A NUMBER for each answer. (5
LIDSEY
Number of people who live there: (12) ……………………………………
Type of business the woman runs: (13) …………………………………..
Food grown locally: potatoes and (14) ……………………………………
A local company makes (15) …………………………………………………..
Tourist attractions: Garden and (16) ………………………………………

Part IV. Listen to the recording and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
(4.0
STATEMENTS T F
17. Maria would like to travel a lot as part of her job.
18. Maria is confident she will be able to work for an airline.
19. Rolf intends to do a job connected with his degree.
20. Maria and Rolf agree it is important to have a good salary.

B. GRAMMAR – VOCABULARY – LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

I. Choose the word, phrase or expression which best completes each sentence (8.0 .
21. The new school complex cost _____ the city council had budgeted for.
A. just twice as much as B. twice more by far than
C. twice much more than D. almost twice as much as
22. Out of the water ____________________.
A. the penguins jumped B. did the penguins jump
C. the penguins jump D. jumped the penguins
23. He’s a bit timid and hasn’t yet _____ the courage to apply for the job.
A. put on B. get off C. plucked up D. carried through
24. According to a Government spokesman, further _____ in the public sector are to be expected.
A. cutbacks B. breakdowns C. out-takes D. layouts
25. My father gave me ______ as a birthday present on my birthday.
A. a digital new useful Japanese alarm clock B. an alarm useful Japanese new digital clock
C. a useful new Japanese digital alarm clock D. a useful alarm Japanese digital new clock
26. She seems to be angry with the whole world. She’s got a chip _____.
A. in her bonnet B. on her shoulder C. under her hat D. between the ears
27. Bob and Tony are talking to each other in the library.
Bob: “What’s the matter, Tony? You don’t look very well today.”
Tony: “I feel a little ______.”
A. out of the blue B. under a cloud C. out of order D. under the weather
28. “When will we meet: at 7:30 or 8:00 ?”. “I don’t mind. ________ is convenient for me.”
A. Either time B. Both time C. Neither time D. Neither of them

II. Give the correct form of the words in brackets (5.0 .

29. Dr. Thomson’s long experience at the World Health Organization makes him ________ to the
talks. (DISPENSE)
30. After a few drinks, their behaviors became ______________________. (INHIBIT)
31. The report has _________ the cause of global warming in the past decades. (POINT)
32. Andy was ___________ from the volunteer group due to his poor attitude. (COMMUNICATE)
33.The pain became ________, so we had to call an ambulance. (ENDURE)

III. Choose the underlined word or phrase in each sentence that needs correcting. (3.0
34. Tom said that if he had to (A) do another (B) homework tonight, he would not be able (C) to attend
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(D) the concert.
35. There are (A)many different ways of comparing (B) the economy of one nation with those (C) of
another (D).
36. Our civilization is so commonplace (A) to us that rarely we stop (B) to think about (C) its complexity
(D).

IV. Choose the word that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word in the following sentences
(2.0 .
37. Ralph Nader was the most prominent leader of the U.S consumer protection movement.
A. casual B. promiscuous C. significant D. aggressive
38. The detective was asked to probe into the mysterious disappearance of the painting
A. investigate B. procure C. recover D. relinquish

V. Choose the word that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word in the following
sentences. (2.0
39. Because Jack defaulted on his loan, the bank took him to court.
A. failed to pay B. paid in full C. had a bad personality D. was paid much money
40. Although we argued with him for a long time, he stood his ground.
A. changed his decision B. refused to change his decision
C. felt sorry for us D. wanted to continue

C. READING
I. Read the following passage and write the letter A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H on your answer sheet to
indicate the correct option for each of the blanks from 41 to 45. (THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS
THAN NEEDED) (5.0

A. those not mattering so much B. self-confidence and self-esteem

C. by increasing self-confidence D. relying on my expertise alone
E. to a student's revision F. but a real desire
G. while knowledge and examination techniques H. but bigger and more important

Every teacher knows that not all students are good examinees. Some are too tense, become
overanxious or too stressed and then perform below expectations just when it matters most.
Teachers try to help by compensating, believing that if they boost a student's academic knowledge
they will cure his fear of exams.
So, last year, I drawing on my teaching experience and sports psychology skills, I completely
rewrote the Business Studies Revision Course at this secondary school. The central idea of the course is to
treat the examination as an event, a challenge, a performance, much like a sports match, a drama production,
or perhaps a major music concert, (41) _________ and very definitely on the public stage. The idea is to
show that the exam is not a test, but an opportunity to show how good the candidate is.
The objective is to improve students' final performance (42) ___________, control and ability to
cope. The theme of 'total preparation for performance' teaches them that (43)___________ are obviously
important, they are only two of the five skills required, the others being coping strategies, mental skills and
management skills. These additions give a new dimension (44)_______ increasing enjoyment and
motivation. They widen a student's focus and help to convince some of the less confident students that there
are many ways in which they can actively contribute towards their (45) _____________.

II. The passage has five paragraphs (46-50). Choose the correct Headings for each paragraph 46 - 50
from the list of headings (A-H) below. (THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS THAN NEEDED). (5.0

HEADINGS

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 A. The controversy around the word “toxic”
B. Effects of different types of stress
C. How to protect children from toxic stress
D. An association of adverse experience with health problems and unhealthy habits
E. Body’s reactions in response to the perceived harmful event
F. Signs of being under sustained stress
G. Negative impacts of toxic stress on children’s mental health
H. Toxic stress is caused by overloaded daily work

Toxic Stress: A Slow Wear And Tear

46. _____________
Our bodies are built to respond when under attack. When we sense danger, our brain goes on alert,
our heart rate goes up, and our organs flood with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. We breathe
faster, taking in more oxygen, muscles tense, our senses are sharpened and beads of sweat appear. This
combination of reactions to stress is also known as the "fight-or-flight" response because it evolved as a
survival mechanism, enabling people and other mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations. The
carefully orchestrated yet near-instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses
helps someone to fight the threat off or flee to safety. Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors
that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, and family difficulties.
47. _____________
That's all fine when we need to jump out of the way of a speeding bus, or when someone is
following us down a dark alley. In those cases, our stress is considered "positive", because it is temporary
and helps us survive. But our bodies sometimes react in the same way to more mundane stressors, too.
When a child faces constant and unrelenting stress, from neglect, or abuse, or living in chaos, the response
stays activated, and may eventually derail normal development. This is what is known as "toxic stress". The
effects are not the same in every child, and can be buffered by the support of a parent or caregiver, in which
case the stress is considered "tolerable". But toxic stress can have profound consequences, sometimes even
spanning generations. Figuring out how to address stressors before they change the brain and our immune
and cardiovascular systems is one of the biggest questions in the field of childhood development today.
48. _____________
In 1998, two researchers, Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda, pioneered in publishing a study
demonstrating that people who had experienced abuse or household dysfunction as children were more
likely to have serious health problems, like cancer or liver diseases, and unhealthy lifestyle habits, like
drinking heavily or using drugs as adults. This became known as the "ACE Study," short for "adverse
childhood experiences." Scientists have since linked more than a dozen forms of ACEs - including
homelessness, discrimination, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse - with a higher risk of poor health in
adulthood.
49. _____________
Every child reacts to stress differently, and some are naturally more resilient than others.
Nevertheless, the pathways that link adversity in childhood with health problems in adulthood lead back to
toxic stress. As Jenny Anderson, senior reporter at Quartz, explains, "when a child lives with abuse, neglect,
or is witness to violence, he or she is primed for that fight or flight all the time. The burden of that stress,
which is known as 'allostatic load or overload,' referring to the wear and tear that results from either too
much stress or from inefficient management of internal balance, eg, not turning off the response when it is
no longer needed, can damage small, developing brains and bodies. A brain that thinks it is in constant
danger has trouble organizing itself, which can manifest itself later as problems of paying attention, or
sitting still, or following instructions - all of which are needed for learning".
50. _____________
Toxic is a loaded word. Critics say the term is inherently judgmental and may appear to blame

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parents for external social circumstances over which they have little control. Others say it is often misused
to describe the source of stress itself rather than the biological process by which it could negatively affect
some children. The term, writes John Devaney, centenary chair of social work at the University of
Edinburgh, "can stigmatize individuals and imply traumatic happenings in the past". Some pediatricians do
not like the term because of how difficult it is to actually fix the stressors their patients face, from poverty to
racism. They feel it is too fatalistic to tell families that their child is experiencing toxic stress, and there is
little they can do about it. But Nadine Burke Harris, surgeon general of California, argues that naming the
problem means we can dedicate resources to it so that pediatricians feel like they have tools to treat "toxic
stress".

III. Read the passage below and decide which option A, B, C or D best fits each space.
Students and jobseekers keen to get onto the course or into the workplace of their choice hope that
voluntary work will help them (51)________ from the crowd. This chance to gain experience, personally
and professionally, is (52)________ on the wish-list of young people. A survey carried out last year revealed
that young and old (53)________ said volunteering had improved their lives, particularly those
(54)________in conservation or heritage work. Businesses recognize its importance and get to
(55)________their profile in the community, while staff get a break from their daily routine to develop ‘soft
skill’, (56)_______initiative and decision- making. One volunteering organization is (57)________ another
survey to find out if volunteering does make a difference in the workplace, or if it is something businesses
do simply to improve their (58)________ .
Not (59)________are business-sponsored placements becoming more common, the government is
also investing money and aiming to (60) ________volunteers. The push is clearly on to make volunteering
as attractive as possible to everyone. And the more people who participate, the more the act fulfils its aim of
making the world a better place.
51. A. stand out B. lift out C. pick out D. point out
52. A. extreme B. high C. sharp D. strong
53. A. similar B. the same C. alike D. too
54. A. committed B. associate C. connected D. involved
55. A. raise B. increase C. arouse D. motivate
56. A. such B. such as C. such like D. such and such
57. A. governing B. guiding C. conducting D. directing
58. A. representation B. look C. image D. figure
59. A. only B. just C. merely D. simply
60. A. claim B. recruit C. bring D. enter

IV. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each question. (10
We are descendants of the ice age. Periods of glaciation have spanned the whole of human existence
for the past 2 million years. The rapid melting of the continental glaciers at the end of the last ice age
spurred one of the most dramatic climate changes in the history of the planet. During this interglacial time,
people were caught up in a cataclysm of human accomplishment, including the development of agriculture
and animal husbandry. Over the past few thousand years, the Earth’s climate has been extraordinarily
beneficial, and humans have prospered exceedingly well under a benign atmosphere.
Ice ages have dramatically affected life on Earth almost from the very beginning. It is even possible
that life itself significantly changed the climate. All living organisms pull carbon dioxide out of the
atmosphere and eventually store it in sedimentary rocks within the Earth’s crust. If too much carbon dioxide
is lost, too much heat escapes out into the atmosphere. This can cause the Earth too cool enough for glacial
ice to spread across the land.
In general the reduction of the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been equalized by the
input of carbon dioxide from such events as volcanic eruptions. Man, however, is upsetting the equation by
burning fossil fuels and destroying tropical rain forests, both of which release stored carbon dioxide. This

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energizes the greenhouse effect and causes the Earth to warm. If the warming is significant enough, the
polar ice caps eventually melt.
The polar ice caps drive the atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems. Should the ice caps melt,
warm tropical waters could circle the globe and make this a very warm, inhospitable planet.
Over the past century, the global sea level has apparently risen upwards of 6 inches, mainly because
of the melting of glacial ice. If present warming trends continue, the seas could rise as much as 6 feet by the
next century. This could flood coastal cities and fertile river deltas, where half the human population lives.
Delicate wetlands, where many marine species breed, also would be reclaimed by the sea. In addition, more
frequent and severe storms would batter coastal areas, adding to the disaster of the higher seas.
The continued melting of the great ice sheets in polar regions could cause massive amounts of ice to
crash into the ocean. This would further raise the sea level and release more ice, which could more than
double the area of sea ice and increase correspondingly the amount of sunlight reflected back into space.
The cycle would then be complete as this could cause global temperatures to drop enough to initiate another ice
age.
61. According to the passage, carbon dioxide is stored in each of the following EXCEPT ____.
A. polar ice caps B. sedimentary rocks C. rain forests D. fossil fuel
62. What does the final paragraph of the passage mainly discuss?
A. The relationship between the ocean and the sun. B. The amount of sunlight reflected into space.
C. A rise in global temperatures. D. The conditions that could lead to an ice age.
63. Which of the following does the author NOT mention as a consequence of a large rise in global sea
level?
A. The destruction of wetlands. B. The flooding of cities.
C. A more diverse marine population. D. Severe storms.
64. According to the passage, what is the relationship between carbon dioxide and the Earth’s climate?
A. Carbon dioxide, which is trapped in glacial ice, is released when warm temperatures cause the ice melt.
B. The greenhouse effect, which leads to the warming of the climate, is result of too much carbon stored in
the Earth’s crust.
C. Rain causes carbon dioxide to be washed out of the atmosphere and into the ocean.
D. An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide results in the warming of the climate.
65. The word "beneficial" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. calm B. inviting C. thoughtful D. favorable
66. It can be inferred from the passage that the development of agriculture ________.
A. preceded the development of animal husbandry B. withstood vast changes in the Earth’s climate
C. did not take place during an ice age D. was unaffected by the greenhouse effect
67. The word "this" in the third paragraph refers to _____.
A. man’s upsetting the equation B. the reduction of the level of carbon dioxide
C. a volcanic eruption D. the melting of the polar ice caps
68. The word “inhospitable” in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
A. imperfect B. uninhabitable C. unlikable D. cruel
69. The word "massive” in the last paragraph can be replaced to _____.
A. wide B. huge C. dense D. thick
70. What is the main topic of the passage?
A. The possibility that the popular ice caps will melt.
B. The coming of another ice age.
C. Man’s effect on the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere.
D. The climate of the Earth over the years.
D. WRITING:
71. I was not surprised to hear that Harry had failed his driving test.
 It came ___________________________________________________________________________.
72. She wore a hearing-aid, even though she could hear the phone ring perfectly well.
 She wasn’t so ____________________________________________________________________.
73. The number of accidents has gone down steadily since the speed limit was imposed.
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 There ____________________________________________________________________________.
74. Rather than interrupt the conference, she left without saying goodbye.  She left _
75. The two sides never looked likely to reach an agreement.
 At no _____________________________________________________________________________.

II. Imagine that you have a problem about lacking interpersonal communication skills. Write a letter
to Mrs Alice, the manager of the STAR LIFE SKILLS TRAINING CENTRE to ask for some advice
on a suitable course and get some information about it. (10 pts)

 In your letter, you should ask for the information about:

+ course duration + lecturer/ trainer
+ starting date + certificate
You are required to BEGIN and END your letter as followed:

Dear Mrs Alice,

Nguyen Ha Duong

III. As technology advances, traditional cultures will be lost. It seems that we cannot have these two
things together. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any
relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. In about 250 - 300 words, write an essay to
support your opinion. (15

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