LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS

SKILL 1: MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS
Questions:
What is the topic of the passage?
What is the subject of the passage?
What is the main idea of the passage?
What is the author’s main point in the passage?
With what is the author primarily concerned?
Which of the following would be the best title?

Example:
Passage 1: Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts, by the
name of James Naismith. Because of the terrible weather in winter, his physical education students were indoors rather
than outdoors. They really did not like the idea of boring, repetitive exercises and preferred the excitement and
challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport that could be played indoors on gymnasium floor that involved
a lot of running, that kept all team members involved, and that did not allow the tackling and physical contact of
American-style football.
What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) The life of James Naismith (B) The history of sports
(C) Physical education and exercise (D) The origin of basketball

Passage 2: In the first half of the nineteenth century, a New York newspaper, the New York Sun, successfully carried
out a hoax on the American public. Because of this trick, readership of the paper rose substantially. On August 25,
1835, the Sun published reports that some wonderful new discoveries had been made on the moon. The article
described strange, never-before-seen animals and temples covered in shining jewels. Many members of the American
public were fooled by the story, even some prominent members of the scientific community. The effect of the false
story on sales of the paper was dramatic. Paper sales increased considerably as people eagerly searched out details of
the new discoveries. Later, the newspaper company announced that it had not been trying to trick the public; instead,
the company explained the moon stories as a type of literary satire.
1. Which of the following best states the topic of the passage?
(A) A nineteenth-century discovery on the moon (B) The New York Sun
(C) A hoax and its effect (D) The success of a newspaper
2. The main point of the passage is that
(A) the New York Sun was one of the earliest American newspapers
(B) the Sun increased sales when it tricked the public with a false story
(C) a newspaper achieved success by writing about the moon
(D) in 1835 some amazing new discoveries were made about the moon

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 1

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

SKILL 2: STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

Questions:
According to the passage… The passage indicates that…
It is stated in the passage… Which of the following is true?
Example:
Passage 1: Flutes have been around for quite some time, in all sorts of shapes and sizes and made from a variety of
materials. The oldest known flutes are about 20,000 years old; they were made from hollowed-out bones with holes cut
in them. In addition to bone, older flutes were often constructed from bamboo or hollowed-out wood. Today’s flutes
are generally made of metal, and in addition to the holes they have a complicated system of keys, levers, and pads. The
instrument belonging to well-known flautist James Galway is not just made of any metal; it is made of gold.
1. According to the passage, the oldest flutes
(A) had holes cut in them (B) were made of metal
(C) were made 200,000 years ago (D) had a complicated set of levers and pads
2. The passage indicates that James Gaiway’s flute is made of
(A) bones (B) bamboo (C) wood (D) gold

Passage 2: The ancestors of humans had a lot more hair than the humans of today; in fact, they had thick hair all over
their bodies. This thick hair was necessary for protection against the cold of the Ice Ages. As the Earth got warmer, the
hair began to thin out, except for on the head. The head hair has remained through the evolutionary process, both as a
sort of pillow to cushion the sensitive head when it gets banged around and as a sort of hat to keep the head warm and
prevent so much heat from escaping through the scalp.
1. Which of the following is true about the hair of the ancestors of humans?
(A) There was not much of it. (B) It covered their entire bodies.
(C) It was thin. (D) It was not useful.
2. According to the passage, what happened as the temperature on the Earth increased?
(A) The hair on the head began to thin out. (B) The hair on the body remained the same.
(C) The hair on the body got thicker. (D) The hair on the body began to thin out.
3. The author indicates that one of the purposes of hair on the head is to
(A) fill up pillows (B) help heat escape through the scalp
(C) ensure that the head is warm (D) make it easier to think

Passage 3: The plane with the largest wingspan ever built was nicknamed the Spruce Goose. The wingspan of the
Spruce Goose was 320 feet (almost 100 meters), and the plane weighed 200 tons. It was so big that it needed eight
engines to power it. The plane was designed by Howard Hughes in response to a U.S. government request for a plane
that was able to carry a large cargo for the war effort. It was made of wood because wood is a less critical material in
wartime than metal.
The plane was so difficult to build that it never really got used. It was flown one time only, by himself, on
November 2, 1947; during that flight it traveled a distance of less than one mile over the Los Angeles Harbor, but it did
fly. Today, the Spruce Goose is on exhibit for the public to see in Long Beach, California.
1. Which of the following is true about the Spruce Goose?
(A) Each of its wings measures 100 meters. (B) It weighs 200 pounds.
(C) It has eight wings to help it to fly. (D) It has a wingspan larger than the wingspan of any other plane.
2. The passage indicates that the plane was designed
(A) as a cargo plane (B) as a racing plane (C) to carry wood (D) for exhibition
3. According to the passage, the Spruce Goose is constructed from
(A) wood (B) lightweight metal (C) plastic (D) steel
4. According to the passage, when the Spruce Goose flew,
(A) it went only a short distance. (B) it fell into the Los Angeles Harbor.
(C) it flew 100 miles. (D) it carried a large cargo.
5. The passage indicates that the Spruce Goose today
(A) flies regularly for the U.S. government. (B) is in the Los Angeles Harbor.
(C) is in storage. (D) can be seen by the public.

REVIEW (SKILL 1-2):

Passage 1: The center part of a hurricane is called the eye of the storm. In the eye of a hurricane, winds are calm and
no rain falls. There can even be blue sky and sunshine in the eye of the storm. This dry and calm spot is caused as the

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 2

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

air spins around the center of the hurricane. The spinning air rises and pulls moisture with it. What remains in the
center is dry, clear air.
1. The topic of the passage is
(A) the destruction of hurricanes (B) the harsh weather during a hurricane
(C) the calm in the center of a hurricane (D) the beautiful weather that follows a hurricane
2. The passage indicates that in the eye of a hurricane
(A) it is windy (B) there is a lot of rain
(C) there is cloudy, gray sky (D) it can be sunny
3. According to the passage, what causes the calm spot?
(A) The air circling around the center (B) The blue sky and sunshine
(C) The high temperatures (D) The heavy rainfall

Passage 2: The invention of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to Menlo Park, New
Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory. There, Edison was working on a
carbon telephone transmitter to improve the existing Bell telephone system.
In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonograph while he was trying to improve a telegraph
repeater. He attached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to
reproduce a recording that could be played back. After he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He
recited “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.
1. What is the best title for the passage?
(A) Thomas Edison’s Many Inventions (B) Improvements in the Telephone and Telegraph
(C) The History of Menlo Park (D) An Accidental Invention
2. According to the passage, the invention of the phonograph
(A) was quite unplanned (B) was Edison’s principal project
(C) was surprising to no one (D) took many years
3. In what year did the invention of the phonograph occur?
(A) 1876 (B) 1877 (C) 1878 (D) The article does not say.
4. According to the passage, how was the phonograph made?
(A) With a telephone needle and a recorder (B) From a recording of a telegraph
(C) With only a telegraph repeater (D) From a combination of telephone and telegraph parts
5. According to the passage, how did Edison test his new invention?
(A) He made improvements to the machine. (B) He used a carbon transmitter.
(C) He read a children’s rhyme. (D) He reproduced the audience’s voice.

SKILL 3: UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

Questions:
Which of the following is NOT stated…? Which of the following are true EXCEPT…?
Which of the following is NOT mentioned…? Which of the following are FALSE…?
Which of the following is NOT discussed…?

Example:
Passage 1: The Florida Keys are a beautiful chain of almost 1,000 coral and limestone islands. These islands form an
arc that heads first southwest and then west from the mainland. U.S. Highway 1, called the Overseas Highway
connects the main islands in the chain. On this highway, it is necessary to cross 42 bridges over the ocean to cover the
159 miles from Miami on the mainland, to Key West the farthest island on the highway and the southernmost city in
the United States.
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Florida Keys?
(A) The Florida Keys are a chain of islands. (B) The Florida Keys contain coral and limestone
(C) The Florida Keys are in the shape of an arc. (D) The Florida Keys are not all inhabited.
2. Which of the following is NOT true about U.S. Highway 1?
(A) It is also known as the Overseas Highway (B) It joins all of the islands in the Florida Keys.
(C) It has more than 40 bridges (D) It connects Miami and Key West

Passage 2: In the 1960s, as space travel was becoming a subject of much discussion, Pan American Airlines began
receiving some fairly unusual requests for flight information. People began making requests to be on the first flight

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 3

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

that Pan Am made to the Moon. On a whim, Pan Am started a waiting list for the first flight to the Moon.
Similar requests have come to Pan Am over the years, and Pan Am has responded by adding the names of the
requesters to the list. Unfortunately for Pan Am, the original company is no longer in business, and it never got to the
Moon. However, when it went out of business, it had a waiting list of more than 90,000 names for its first lunar flight.
1. All of the following are mentioned about Pan American Airlines, EXCEPT that
(A) it started business in the 1960s (B) it received requests for its first flight to the Moon
(C) it kept some people on a long waiting list (D) it went out of business
2. Which of the following is NOT true about Pan Am’s Moon flights?
(A) People asked Pan Am about its flights to the Moon. (B) Pan Am kept a waiting list for its Moon flights.
(C) Pan Am never really made any Moon flights. (D) Pan Am’s waiting list had only a few names on it.

Passage 3: The tunnel trees in Yosemite Valley are an amazing attraction to people who visit there. The tunnel trees
are huge trees, giant redwoods, which have had tunnels carved in them, and cars can actually drive through some of the
trees. The fact that the trees are large enough to have cars drive through them should give you some indication
of just how big the trees are.
There are currently two existing tunnel trees in Yosemite Valley. One of them is called the “Dead Giant”.
This is just the stump, or bottom part, of a much larger tree. The hole was cut through the base of the tree in 1878, and
stagecoaches used to drive through it. Today the Dead Giant still exists, but the stagecoaches do not. Passenger
cars can and do drive through the 10-foot-wide opening in the tree stump. The other existing tunnel tree is the 230-foot
high California Tree, which had a hole carved through it in 1895. This tree is no longer open to the public, so it is not
possible to take a car through it. Unfortunately, a third tunnel tree no longer exists. The Wawona Tunnel Tree was
a 2,100-year-old tree which was carved in 1881. A terrible snowstorm in 1969 caused this ancient giant of a tree to fall.
1. Which of the following is NOT true about the tunnel trees in Yosemite Valley?
(A) They are trees with holes cut in them. (B) They are giant redwoods.
(C) Three tunnel trees currently exist. (D) Cars have driven through some of them.
2. All of the following are stated about the Dead Giant, EXCEPT that
(A) it is still a tunnel tree today. (B) it is just the stump of a tree.
(C) it was cut less than a century ago. (D) it has a 10-foot-wide opening.
3. Which of the following is NOT true about the California Tree?
(A) Its tunnel still exists. (B) Its tunnel is 2100 feet high.
(C) Its hole was cut in 1895. (D) Cars are not allowed to go through it.
4. All of the following are true about the Wawona Tunnel Tree, EXCEPT that
(A) it does not exist anymore. (B) the tree lived for more than 2,000 years.
(C) the tunnel tree was destroyed in a snowstorm. (D) the tunnel was destroyed in 1881.

REVIEW (SKILL 1-3):

Passage 1: When the typewriter was first invented, its keys were arranged alphabetically. This made the keys easy to
find. However, this arrangement also caused the bars of the machine to jam, or get stuck. To solve this problem, a new
letter arrangement was introduced by Christopher Latham Scholes in 1872. His system, the standard keyboard system,
is still used on typewriters today. He arranged the letters in such a way that the bars hit the inked ribbon from opposite
directions as much as possible. This resulted in far less jamming than had occurred with the alphabetical models.
1. The main topic of this passage is
(A) the invention of the typewriter (B) a problem and solution concerning the early typewriter
(C) how to write a letter on the typewriter (D) why the keys stick on today’s typewriter
2. According to the passage, on the first typewriters
(A) the keys were in alphabetical order (B) the keys were hard to find
(C) the bars on the machine never jammed (D) Scholes’s system worked quite well
3. Which of the following is NOT true about the system invented by Scholes?
(A) It was introduced in 1872. (B) It is still used today.
(C) It became the standard system. (D) It was alphabetical.
4. The passage indicates that under Scholes’s system, the bars hit the ribbon
(A) in alphabetical order (B) from opposite directions
(C) and caused the keys to jam (D) in the same way as they had on the original typewriter

Passage 2: Whales are mammals rather than fish, yet they live in the world’s oceans rather than on land. Because of
the fact that they are mammals, scientists have believed for quite some time that whales are descendants of land

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 4

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

mammals. Some interesting evidence to support this theory has recently been found. In Egypt, fossils have been found
of a forty-million-year-old whale leg, kneecap, ankle, foot bones, and toes. It appears from the fossil evidence that the
bones were not very strong and not very large in comparison to the size of the whale. Based on this fossil evidence, the
following evolutionary path has been hypothesized. As the whale began its evolution toward the water, its legs
weakened and decreased in size. Then, during its millions of years in the water, the legs slowly disappeared, leaving
only the front flippers today.
1. The main idea of this passage is that
(A) numerous whale fossils have been found in the world’s oceans
(B) there is evidence that whales may have descended from land mammals
(C) whales are mammals and not fish
(D) whales have not evolved very much over the last millions of years
2. All of the following are true about whales, EXCEPT that
(A) they are mammals (B) they live in the ocean
(C) they are fish (D) they may have come from the land
3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the whale fossils in the passage?
(A) They were found in Egypt. (B) They support the theory that whales came from land.
(C) They are forty million years old. (D) They showed that ancient whales had flippers.
4. Which of the following was NOT mentioned in the list of whale fossils found in Egypt?
(A) A whale’s kneecap (B) A whale’s ankle
(C) A whale’s foot bones (D) A whale’s fingers
5. According to the hypothesis in the passage, what happened to whales’ legs?
(A) They got stronger over time. (B) They got larger over time.
(C) They disappeared quickly. (D) They became front flippers.

SKILL 4: IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS

Questions:
It is implied in the passage that…? It is most likely that…?
It can be inferred from the passage that…? What probably happened…?

Example:
Passage 1: The number of rings in a tree can be used to determine how old a tree really is. Each year a tree produces a
ring that is composed of one light-colored wide band and one dark-colored narrow band. The wider band is produced
during the spring and early summer, when tree stem cells grow rapidly and become larger. The narrower band is
produced in fall and early winter, when cell growth is much slower and cells do not get very large. No cells are
produced during the harsh winter and summer months.
1. It is implied in the passage that if a tree has 100 wide bands and 100 narrow bands then it is
(A) a century old (B) two centuries old (C) fifty years old (D) two hundred years old
2. It can be inferred from the passage that cells do not grow
(A) when the tree is ill (B) during extreme heat or cold
(C) when it rains too much (D) if there are more light-colored bands than dark-colored bands

Passage 2: The most common last name in the English-speaking world is Smith, which was taken from the job
of working with metals. A silversmith, for example, is someone who works with the metal silver. Historical records
indicate that the use of this last name is at least 700 years old. Today, there are more than 3.3 million Smiths living in
the United States and perhaps another million Smiths living in other English-speaking countries worldwide.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that family names
(A) were always taken from the area where a family lived. (B) were short names.
(C) had little or no meaning. (D) could be taken from jobs.
2. Which of the following is implied about the Smith family name?
(A) it is definitely not more than 700 years old. (B) it existed 600 years ago.
(C) It did not exist 500 years ago. (D) it definitely was not in use 1,000 years ago.
3. In England there are probably
(A) more Smiths than there are in the United States. (B) more than a million Smiths.
(C) fewer than a million Smiths. (D) no families with the name of Smith.

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 5

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

SKILL 5: VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT QUESTIONS

Questions:
What is the meaning of “X” in line “Y”?
The word “X” in line “Y” could best be replaced by…
Which of the following word has the closest meaning with the word “X” in line “Y”?
Which of the following word has the opposite meaning with the word “X” in line “Y”?

Example: A line in the passage:

……..She has a large geranium growing in a pot in the corner of her apartment……
A “geranium” is probably which of the following?
(A) A sofa (B) A chair (C) A fish (D) A plant

Passage 1: When babies are born, they always have blue eyes. This is because the melanin, the pigment that colors the
eyes, is not on the surface of the iris. Instead, it is within the creases of the iris. Because there is little melanin on the
surface of the iris, the eyes appear blue.
After a few months, the melanin moves to the surface of the iris. It is the amount of melanin on the surface
that determines a person’s permanent eye color, so it is at this point that a baby’s eyes develop the color they will
have for a lifetime.
1. The word “pigment” is closest in meaning to
(A) skin (B) muscle (C) tissue (D) color
2. The word “surface” is closest in meaning to
(A) top (B) inside (C) back (D) bottom
3. The word “permanent” could best be replaced by
(A) changeable (B) lasting (C) dark (D) possible
4. The word “point” could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A) dot ` (B) era (C) time (D) place

SKILL 6: “WHERE” QUESTIONS

Example:
Passage 1: The words “capital” and “capitol” are confused in spelling and in meaning by a lot of people who try to use
them. Both their spellings and their meanings are quite closely related. A “capital” is the location of the center of
government while a “capitol” is the actual building where the government officials meet. Thus, in the United States for
example, the Capitol building is located in Washington, D.C. which is the capital city of the United States.
1. Where in the passage does the author define the word “capital”?
2. Where in the passage does the author mention “where the U.S. Capitol can be found”?

Passage 2: A geyser occurs when rainwater seeps into the ground and volcanic magma beneath the surface heats it.
The rainwater then turns into steam. The pressurized steam rises to the surface and bursts out as a geyser. Yellowstone
National Park has more geysers than all of the rest of the world together. The most famous of these geysers is Old
Faithful, which erupts in a high arc of steam about once an hour. There have not been any volcanic eruptions in the
Yellowstone area for 70,000 years. However, the existence of the geysers is proof that the area is volcanically active.
1. Where in the passage does the author mention what heats the water in a geyser?
2. The author indicates how often Old Faithful erupts in
3. Where in the passage does the author state how long it has been since a volcano erupted at Yellowstone?

REVIEW (SKILL 1-6):

The tiniest bird in the world is the male bee hummingbird. Because it is so small, it is often mistaken for a bee or some
other type of insect of that size. As a hummingbird, it is able to flap its wings extremely quickly, up to eighty times per
second. With this really fast wing speed, the bee hummingbird can hover like a helicopter; fly forward, fly backward,
or even fly upside down.
1. What is the topic of this passage?
(A) The bee (B) The hummingbird
(C) How small male hummingbirds are (D) How helicopters fly

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 6

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

2. The word “tiniest” is closest in meaning to

(A) fastest (B) most dangerous (C) noisiest (D) smallest
3. It can be inferred from the passage that the female bee hummingbird
(A) is really a bee (B) does not exist (C) is larger than the male (D) eats insects
4. According to the passage, when people see a male bee hummingbird, they often incorrectly think it is
(A) a bird (B) an insect (C) a bat (D) a helicopter
5. In line 3, to “flap” wings is to
(A) hold them still (B) stretch them out (C) fold them (D) move them up and down
6. According to the passage, how fast can a bee hummingbird flap its wings?
(A) A hundred times each second (B) Eighty times per minute
(C) Eighty times each second (D) Eight times in a second
7. In line 4, to “hover” is to
(A) fly forward quickly (B) land (C) stay in one place in the air (D) use fuel
8. The passage indicates that a bee hummingbird can do all of the following EXCEPT
(A) hover (B) fly backward (C) fly in an inverted position (D) fly like a helicopter

SKILL 7: REFERENCE QUESTIONS

Questions:
The word “X” in the passage refers to…

Example: During the Revolutionary War, funds were needed to finance the world, so each of the individual states and
the Continental Congress issued paper money. So much of this paper money was printed that by the end of the war,
almost no one would accept it. As a result, trade in goods and the use of foreign coins still flourished during this
period.
The pronoun “it” refers to which of the following:
(A) The Continental Congress (B) Trade in goods (C) The War (D) Paper money

Exercises:
Passage 1:
When we were in England last year, I went fishing with my friend, Peter. Early in the morning we were sitting
quietly by the side of the lake when we had an unpleasant surprise. We saw a duck come along with three ducklings
padding cheerfully behind her. As we watched them, there was a sudden swirl in the water. We caught a glimpse of
the vicious jaws of a pike – a fish which is rather like a freshwater shark – and one of the ducklings was dragged
below the surface.
This incident made Peter furious. He vowed to catch the pike. On three successive mornings we returned to
the vicinity and used several different kinds of bait. On the third day Peter was lucky. Using an artificial frog as bait,
he managed to hook the monster. There was a desperate fight but Peter was determined to capture the pike and
succeeded. When he had got it ashore and killed it, he weighed the fish and found that it scaled nearly thirty pounds
– a record for that district.
1. Why was Peter sitting quietly by the lake?
A. He was watching the ducks. C. He was waiting for the pike to appear.
B. He wasn’t very talkative. D. He was fishing.
2. What does surprise in paragraph 1 probably refer to ___________?
A. the duck. B. the ducklings. C. the action of the pike. D. the time of the day.
3. Which word is closest in meaning to the word “furious” in paragraph 2?
A. angry B. impatient B. fast D. determined
4. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that ___________?
A. It was easy to catch the fish. B. The fish cost about thirty pounds.
C. Peter was unlucky. D. The fish Peter caught was the biggest one captured in the district.
5. Which of the following titles best sums up the whole passage?
A. Mysterious disappearance of ducklings. C. Record pike caught by an angry fisherman.
B. Revenge on a duck. D. Huge pike caught by fisherman after desperate struggle at sea.

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 7

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

Passage 2:
1. Air pollution has become so bad that it's said we now have a “fifth season”: this time of year, when lethal smogs
envelop some of the most populated parts of the world. For example, Delhi's atrocious smogs, which caused an
international cricket match to be halted on Sunday, follow similar ones last year.
2. 65 years on from the toxic Great Smog of London that descended on 5 December 1952, and led to ground-breaking
anti-pollution laws being passed, but the air above the UK still hasn’t cleared. In London alone more than one person
an hour dies prematurely from a range of conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma and emphysema as a
result of exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
3. Smog Day marks the anniversary of the Great London Smog, and the middle of the international smog season. It
grew out of an initiative to share the experiences of people living with air pollution in London and New Delhi, whose
air quality is among the worst in the world. In spite of many differences between life in the two capital cities, there are
parallels in the experiences of people who work on the streets, runners who exercise along them, taxi drivers, parents
and children and the doctors who care for those with breathing difficulties.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Successful efforts in making the air less polluted.
B. The comparison of air pollution levels between two big cities.
C. How serious air pollution is worldwide.
D. What Smog Day in London is.
2. What can be inferred about the “fifth season”?
A. It is the last season of the climatic pattern in a year.
B. During this time all outdoor sports games may be cancelled.
C. During this time, lethal smogs attack some of the most populous places in the world.
D. It is the result of overpopulation.
3. Which word is closest in meaning to the word “toxic” in paragraph 2?
A. preventive B. clear C. poisonous D. endangered
4. Which statement is NOT true of London and New Delhi?
A. People from these cities share the same experience of breathing difficulties.
B. People who work on the streets in these cities share the same experience.
C. Air quality in these cities is among the worst.
D. These two capital cities are not completely alike.
5. Compared to London in 1952, London now _______.
A. has better air quality. B. has fewer laws passed.
C. sees an increase in nitrogen dioxide. D. has unchanged air pollution level

Passage 3:
CAN ANIMALS TALK?
1. In 1977, a young Harvard graduate named Irene Pepperberg brought a one-year-old African gray parrot into her lab,
and attempted something very unusual. At a time when her fellow scientists thought that animals could only
communicate on a very basic level, Irene set out to discover what was on a creature's mind by talking to it. The bird,
named Alex, proved to be a very good pupil.
2. Scientists at the time believed that animals were incapable of any thought. They believed that animals only reacted
to things because they were programmed by nature to react that way, not because they had the ability to think or feel.
Any pet owner would probably disagree. Pepperberg disagreed, too, and started her work with Alex to prove them
wrong.
3. Pepperberg bought Alex in a pet store. She let the store's assistant pick him out because she didn't want other
scientists saying later that she'd deliberately chosen an especially smart bird for her work. Most researchers thought
that Pepperberg's attempt to communicate with Alex would end in failure.
4. However, Pepperberg's experiment did not fail. In fact, over the next few years, Alex learned to imitate almost one
hundred and fifty English words, and was even able to reason and use those words on a basic level to communicate.

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 8

 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

For example, when Alex was shown an object and was asked about its shape, color, or material, he could label it
correctly. He could understand that a key was a key no matter what its size or color, and could figure out how the key
was different from others.
5. Pepperberg was careful not to exaggerate Alex's success and abilities. She did not claim that Alex could actually
“use” language. Instead, she said that Alex had learned to use a two-way communication code. Alex seemed to
understand the turn-taking pattern of communication.
1. The reading passage is mainly about __________.
A. how animals communicate with humans B. one woman's successful experiment to communicate with a bird
C. how parrots are smarter than other animals D. how Irene Pepperberg proved her fellow scientists wrong
2. According to the reading, other scientists believed that animals ________.
A. could only communicate in nature B. had the ability to communicate with pet owners
C. could communicate if they were programmed to do so D. didn't have the ability to think
3. In paragraph 3, "deliberately" is closest in meaning to _______.
A. naturally B. intentionally C. cleverly D. honestly
4. The word "them" in paragraph 2 refers to ________.
A. animals B. scientists C. pet owners D. things
5. Which of the following is NOT true about Irene's parrot Alex?
A. He learned to use almost 150 English words.
B. He could label a number of objects.
C. He was able to have complicated conversations.
D. He could understand how one object was different from others.

Passage 4:
Almon Strowger, an American engineer, constructed the first automatic telephone switching system, which had
a horizontal, bladelike contact arm, in 1891. The first commercial switchboard based on his invention opened in La
Porte, Indiana, a year later and was an instant success with business users. To access the system, the caller pressed
button to reach the desired number and turned the handle to activate the telephone ringer. During the same year,
Strowger’s step-by-step call advancement technology was implemented in the long-distance service between New
York and Chicago when it proved to have the capacity of carrying signals through cable-joint extensions.

The first actual dial telephone, patented by Lee De Forest in 1907, was installed in Milwaukee in 1906. In 1912,
their sound transmittal apparatus adapted an electronic tube to function as an amplifier. Transatlantic radio-telephone
service linked New York and London in 1927. However, the long distances coaxial cable, which was hailed as
unprecedented, came on the scene in 1936 connecting New York and Philadelphia. The Bell Laboratories research
facility came up with the transistor to replace the cumbersome vacuum tube, thus diminishing the size of the electronic
switch system to about 10 percent of that of the original. Crossbar switching, installed in terminals in 1938, operated
on the principle of an electromagnetic force, which rotated horizontal and vertical bars within a rectangular frame and
brought contacts together in a split second. A technological breakthrough in the form of undersea cables between the
United States and Hawaii was implemented almost twenty years later. An extension was connected to Japan in 1964.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Patent History of the Telephone B. A link between Research and Technology
C. The Developing Sophistication of the Telephone D. The Telephone: A Technological Fantasy
2. It can be inferred from the passage that initially telephones ________.
A. were limited to businesses B. did not have a bell
C. utilized human operators D. revitalized business in La Porte, Indiana
3. The word “implemented” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. used B. breached C. broken D. usurped
4. The word “that” in paragraph 2 refers to _________.
A. the system B. the tube C. the size D. the percent
Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 9
 LỚP CÔNG PHÁ KÌ THI ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC 2023 – TEAM SỨC TRẺ GIA ĐỊNH

5. The author of the passage implies that telephone networks expanded because of _______.
A. the work of a few inventors B. staunch public and private support
C. multiple technical blunders D. a series of breakthroughs
Passage 5:
1. An ongoing epidemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 started in December
2019. It was first identified in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, China. It is believed to have originated from another
animal and subsequently spread between people. The time between exposure and disease onset is typically 2 to 14
days. Symptoms may include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Complications may include pneumonia and acute
respiratory distress syndrome. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, with efforts typically aiming at
managing symptoms and supportive therapy. Hand washing is recommended to prevent spread of the disease. Anyone
who is suspected of carrying the virus is advised to monitor their health for two weeks, wear a mask, and seek medical
advice by calling a doctor before visiting a clinic.

2. The first two confirmed cases in Vietnam were hospitalised on 22 January at Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh
City. These were a Chinese man travelling from Wuhan to Hanoi to visit his son living in Vietnam, and the son, who is
believed to have contracted the disease from his father. On 29 January, the son was discharged with full recovery and
the father was discharged on 12 February. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology said that on February
7, the research team successfully cultured and isolated a new strain of corona virus (nCoV) in the laboratory,
facilitating rapid testing of cases. infected and suspected nCoV infection. Moreover, Vietnam has also cured 16/16
cases of Covid-19 infection in that country. Since February 13, Vietnam has not recorded new cases. Once again, this
small country has demonstrated the strength and talent in Medical field as well as the serious attitude of the people in
their willingness to isolate and protect themselves.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A. An overview of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the evolution of it in Vietnam.
B. Causes, effects and solutions to corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
C. How Vietnamese doctors cured their patients.
D. Definition of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and instruction for people.
2. In paragraph 1, what does the word It refer to?
A. December 2019 B. SARS-CoV-2
C. corona virus disease 2019 D. Wuhan
3. In paragraph 2, what is the word contracted closest in meaning to?
A. get well B. isolated C. discharged D. catch disease
4. According to paragraph 1, what can be complications of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
A. fever, cough, and shortness of breath B. pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome
C. redness, rash and shock D. death
5. The tone of the passage could be best described as _______.
A. informative B. negative C. supported D. indifferent

Ms. PhamHoThanhHien (Phone: 0384004657) 10