TEST 9

Exercise 1: Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. I forgot my glasses so I'm as blind as a(n)_______.

A. bat B. owl C. racoon D. beaver

1. A - as blind as a bat: mù như con dơi (tầm nhìn (nghĩa bóng)/ thị lực kém/ không nhìn nhận ra

vấn đề)

2. When a major disaster _________, the local Red Cross society coordinates the response.

A. hits B. strikes C. rises D. arrives

2. B - hit: đánh

- strike: (dịch bệnh, thảm họa, thiên tai…) đánh, ập tới (và gây ra hậu quả nghiêm trọng)

- rise: nâng lên

- arrive: (sự kiện) xảy ra, đến

=> Dấu hiệu: a major disaster

3. The university should not lay ______ its employees on the grounds of financial stringency.

A. out B. down C. away D. off

3. D - lay out: đánh ai ngất xỉu - lay down: đặt xuống

- lay off sb: cắt giảm (biên chế)

=> Dấu hiệu: employee (nhân viên), financial stringency (khó khăn về tài chính)

4. Graduates are expected to _____ a contribution to our society to promote democracy.

A. make B. take C. give D. hand

4. A - make a contribution (collo): đóng góp

5. ______ the operation costs were rising so fast, the UN decided to reduce the personnel

by half.
A. Because B. If C. As if D. As a result

5. A - Because: bởi vì

- if: nếu - as if: như thể là

- as a result: kết quả là

=> Nghĩa câu: Bởi vì chi phí vận hành tăng quá nhanh, Liên Hợp Quốc quyết định cắt giảm

nhân sự xuống một nửa.

6. Their jealousy led them to commit deeds that they would come to regret _________.

A. painfully B. harshly C. heavily D. deeply

6. D - painfully: đau đớn - harshly: tàn nhẫn - heavily: nặng nề - deeply: sâu sắc

=> regret deeply (collo): hối hận sâu sắc

7. Jane was born with a ________ spoon in her mouth.

A. gold B. silver C. diamond D. bronze

7. B - be born with a silver spoon in your mouth: sinh ra đã ngậm thìa vàng (đẻ ra đã giàu có và

có địa vị trong xã hội)

8. We used to share a room at college, but we ______ apart over the years.

A. ran B. broke C. drifted D. distanced

8. C - drift apart: (nói về các mối quan hệ) dần xa nhau, bớt thân

9. It costs about thirty dollars to have a tooth ______.

A. filling B. to fill C. filled D. fill

9. C - Thể truyền khiến với have. Do câu ở thể bị động nên dùng cấu trúc have sth done

10. Technical knowledge is of ______ importance for technical translation.

A. lively B. vibrant C. essential D. vital

10. D - lively ~ vibrant: sôi nổi, tràn đầy năng lượng

- essential ~ vital: quan trọng, thiết yếu

=> be of vital importance: rất quan trọng

11. The team turned ______ trumps in the final game and won the championship.

A. up B. out C. above D. over

11. A

95

- turn up trumps: thành công hoàn thiện việc gì (thường là bất ngờ)

12. I’d say let’s meet on Saturday but I’m none _____ sure what’s happening at the weekend.

A. so B. very C. that D. too

12. D - none too: không hẳn, không quá

13. We’ve seen it effects in many experiments, but there’s still a ________ chance it’s just an illusion.

A. thin B. slim C. narrow D. restricted

13. B - thin: mỏng, gầy - slim: mảnh mai

- narrow: hẹp - restricted: bị giới hạn

=> a slim chance (collo) cơ hội mong manh

14. The purpose of the survey was to ________ the inspectors with local conditions.

A. inform B. acquaint C. instruct D. notify

14. B - inform sb of/ about sth: nói cho ai biết về điều gì

- acquaint sb with sth: làm cho ai quen thuộc với cái gì

- instruct sb to V: hướng dẫn - notify sb of sth: thông báo cho ai

15. If you’d like to take a seat in the waiting room till the doctor can see you, you’ll find plenty of
magazines to browse _______.

A. over B. through C. in D. round

15. B - browse through: lướt nhanh qua, xem qua

=> Dấu hiệu: magazines

16. Peregrine _______ the rewards of his hard work when he was given the chair of classics.

A. grasped B. got C. reaped D. collected

16. C - grasp: nắm lấy - get: có được - reap: thu về, đạt được - collect: thu gom, sưu tầm

=> reap the rewards: đạt giải

=> the rise of fascism: sự phát triển/ bành trướng của chủ nghĩa phát xít

17. The film traces the _______ of fascism in Europe.

A. debut B. rise C. introduction D. invention

17. B - debut: ra mắt (lần đầu tiên xuất hiện trước công chúng của một nghệ sĩ)

- rise: sự thăng tiến, sự tăng lên (về con số, số lượng, cường độ) - introduction: giới thiệu - invention: sự
phát minh

18. She thinks that you started that rumor about her - that’s why she’s been giving you the cold _______
all day.

A. shoulder B. look C. hand D. back

18. A - give sb the cold shoulder: bơ ai, làm lơ ai

19. These measures have been taken _______ increasing the company’s profits.

A. Thanks to B. with a view to C. with a reason for D. for fear of

19. B - thanks to: nhờ có

- with a view to V-ing: để - for fear of: tránh điều gì nguy hiểm xảy ra

20. When we _______, we totally stop acting and moving.

A. fall down B. die out C. pass away D. go down

20. C - fall down: sụp đổ - die out: tuyệt chủng

- pass away: chết đi

- go down: giảm
III. READING

Exercise 1: Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each
gap. Write your answer in the numbered box.

Frescoes painting is the age-old technique which 1________ painting on a damp plaster

walls. It is known to have been used to decorate homes for at least 5000 years and has

probably existed in one form or another for 2________ longer. Its very nature makes it

3_________ for adorning large surfaces, which explains its 4_________in churches and

government buildings. 5___________ oil paintings, which are glossy and reflect light,

making it difficult to view them from certain angles, frescoes have a pleasing matte finish.

As fresco plaster bleaches relatively easily, artists do not use as wide a range of pigments as

in other types of painting, sticking mainly to pale earth 6_______.

Fresco painting is considered to have reached its 7__________ in Italy during the

Renaissance, with Michelangelo being perhaps the most famous artist to 8__________ this

technique. A great many churches in Europe 9__________ wonderful frescoes, while more

recently celebrated artists such as the renowned Mexican muralist Diego Rivera have used

the technique to great 10_________.

1. A. composes B. comprises C. involves D. consists

C - involve: bao gồm (nói đến tính chất, khái niệm)

- compose: kết hợp với nhau tạo thành một thể thống nhất

comprise: bao gồm (ý chỉ một phần tử thuộc về một thể) - consist of

2. A. greatly B. noticeably C. perceptibly D. considerably

D - considerably long: lâu dài (collo)

3. A. ideal B. pertinent C. relevant D. absolute

A - ideal: lý tưởng

- pertinent = relevant: liên quan - absolute: tuyệt đối

=> Dấu hiệu hình thức: for

4. A. ubiquity B. universality C. preoccupation D. all-presence

A - ubiquity: sự hiện diện ở khắp mọi nơi

- universality: tính chung - preoccupation: mối bận tâm

- không có all-presence chỉ có omnipresence = ubiquity

5. A. On the contrary B. Unlike C. Conversely D. In reverse

B=> Dấu hiệu: theo sau là danh từ

6. A. tones B. tints C. shades D. hues

A - tone: dùng cho các màu có sắc nâu (màu của đất)

- tint: ánh (VD: đỏ ánh xanh) (hue + white) - shade: (hue + black) - hue: màu gốc

7. A. summit B. crest C. height D. top

C - reach the height: đạt đến đỉnh cao, thành công

8. A. operate B. enlist C. engage D. employ

D - employ a technique: áp dụng một kỹ thuật

9. A. demonstrate B. boost C. expose D. boast

D- boast: nắm giữ (một địa điểm)=> Dấu hiệu: church

- demonstrate: chứng minh - boost: làm tăng thêm - expose: làm lộ ra

10. A. result B. success C. effect D. reaction

C - to great effect (phrase): hiệu quả tốt.

Exercise 3: Read the following passage and decide which option (A, B, C, or D) best answers each
question. Write your answer in the numbered box.

1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. C 6. B 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. D

Deep in the Sierra Nevada, the famous General Grant giant sequoia tree is suffering its loss of stature in
silence. What once was the world's No. 2 biggest tree has been supplanted thanks to the most
comprehensive measurements taken of the largest living things on Earth.

The new No. 2 is The President, a 54,000-cubic-foot gargantuan not far from the Grant in Sequoia
National Park. After 3,240 years, the giant sequoia still is growing wider at a consistent rate, which may
be what most surprised the scientists examining how the sequoias and coastal redwoods will be affected
by climate change and whether these trees have a role to play in combating it.

"I consider it to be the greatest tree in all of the mountains of the world," said Stephen Sillett, a redwood
researcher whose team from Humboldt State University is seeking to mathematically assess the potential
of California's iconic trees to absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide.

The researchers are a part of the 10-year Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative funded by the Save
the Redwoods League in San Francisco. The measurements of The President, reported in the current
National Geographic, dispelled the previous notion that the big trees grow more slowly in old age.

It means, the experts say, the amount of carbon dioxide they absorb during photosynthesis continues to
increase over their lifetimes.

In addition to painstaking measurements of every branch and twig, the team took 15 half-centimeter-
wide core samples of The President to determine its growth rate, which they learned was stunted in the
abnormally cold year of 1580 when temperatures in the Sierra hovered near freezing even in the summer
and the trees remained dormant.

But that was an anomaly, Sillett said. The President adds about one cubic meter of wood a year during
its short six-month growing season, making it one of the fastest-growing trees in the world. Its 2 billion
leaves are thought to be the most of any tree on the planet, which would also make it one of the most
efficient at transforming carbon dioxide into nourishing sugars during photosynthesis.

"We're not going to save the world with any one strategy, but part of the value of these great trees is this
contribution and we're trying to get a handle on the math behind that," Sillett said.

After the equivalent of 32 working days dangling from ropes in The President, Sillett's team is closer to
having a mathematical equation to determine its carbon conversion potential, as it has done with some
less famous coastal redwoods. The team has analyzed a representative sample that can be used to model
the capacity of the state's signature trees.
More immediately, however, the new measurements could lead to a changing of the guard in the land of
giant sequoias. The park would have to update signs and brochures - and someone is going to have to
correct the Wikipedia entry for "List of largest giant sequoias," which still has The President at No. 3.

Now at 93 feet in circumference and with 45,000 cubic feet of trunk volume and another 9,000 cubic
feet in its branches, the tree named for President Warren G. Harding is about 15 percent larger than
Grant, also known as America's Christmas Tree. Sliced into one-foot by one-foot cubes, The President
would cover a football field.

Giant sequoias grow so big and for so long because their wood is resistant to the pests and disease that
dwarf the lifespan of other trees, and their thick bark makes them impervious to fast-moving fire.

It's that resiliency that makes sequoias and their taller coastal redwood cousin worthy of intensive
protections and even candidates for cultivation to pull carbon from an increasingly warming atmosphere,
Sillett said. Unlike white firs, which easily die and decay to send decomposing carbon back into the air,
rot-resistant redwoods stay solid for hundreds of years after they fall.

Though sequoias are native to California, early settlers traveled with seedlings back to the British Isles
and New Zealand, where a 15-foot diameter sequoia that is the world's biggest planted tree took root in
1850. Part of Sillett's studies involves modeling the potential growth rate of cultivated sequoia forests to
determine over time how much carbon sequestering might increase.

All of that led him to a spot 7,000 feet high in the Sierra and to The President, which he calls "the
ultimate example of a giant sequoia." Compared to the other giants whose silhouettes are bedraggled by
lightning strikes, The President's crown is large with burly branches that are themselves as large as tree
trunks.

The world's biggest tree is still the nearby General Sherman with about 2,000 cubic feet more volume
than the President, but to Sillett it's not a contest.

"They're all superlative in their own way," Sillett said.

1. The word "supplanted" in paragraph 1

A. means inquisitive

B. Has a double-meaning both as a pun on the topic of plants and a literal meaning of "to
replace"

C. Is a synonym for "to plant again"

D. Has the same meaning as "to plant," with extra emphasis

=>supplanted has a double-meaning both as a pun on the topic of plants and a literal meaning of "to
replace= Vừa có nghĩa kép là chơi chữ về chủ đề cây cỏ, vừa có nghĩa đen là “thay thế”

Clue: What once was the world's No. 2 biggest tree has been supplanted thanks to the most
comprehensive measurements taken of the largest living things on Earth.

2. One common myth about trees that The President helps disprove is

A. that giant sequoias are more resilient than other tree species

B. that old trees are as productive at photosynthesis as younger ones

C. that only giant sequoias may be named after historical figures

D. that large trees grow more slowly as they age

Clue: The measurements of The President, reported in the current National Geographic, dispelled
the previous notion that the big trees grow more slowly in old age.= Các phép đo của The
President , được báo cáo trên National Geographic hiện tại, đã xua tan quan niệm trước đây rằng
những cây lớn phát triển chậm hơn khi về già.

3. What is the primary benefit that Sillett and other researchers suggest that giant sequoias may have?

A. Their natural beauty can have health benefits for those who travel to wildlife preserves to see
them

B. They represent centuries of natural history that no other living things do

C. Because of their size, they are able to process more carbon dioxide than other trees, which can
have significant benefits for the atmosphere

D. Their resilient bark may have eventual uses in human medicine.

Clue:- It means, the experts say, the amount of carbon dioxide they absorb during photosynthesis
continues to increase over their lifetimes.= Các chuyên gia cho biết, điều đó có nghĩa là lượng
carbon dioxide mà chúng hấp thụ trong quá trình quang hợp tiếp tục tăng lên trong suốt cuộc đời
của chúng.

-Its 2 billion leaves are thought to be the most of any tree on the planet, which would also make
it one of the most efficient at transforming carbon dioxide into nourishing sugars during
photosynthesis.= 2 tỷ lá của nó được cho là nhiều nhất so với bất kỳ loại cây nào trên hành tinh,
điều này cũng khiến nó trở thành một trong những cây hiệu quả nhất trong việc chuyển đổi
carbon dioxide thành đường dinh dưỡng trong quá trình quang hợp.

4. The giant sequoias are compared to white firs to demonstrate that?

 A. Even when the sequoias fall, they do not decay and so send less carbon into the air

B. White firs are more plentiful because they grow and decay more quickly than sequoias

C. The giant sequoias are completely resistant to death

D. White firs are essential because when they decompose they emit necessary nutrients

Clue: Unlike white firs, which easily die and decay to send decomposing carbon back into the
air, rot-resistant redwoods stay solid for hundreds of years after they fall.= Không giống như linh
sam trắng, dễ chết và phân hủy để thải carbon phân hủy trở lại không khí, gỗ đỏ chống mục nát
vẫn vững chắc trong hàng trăm năm sau khi chúng rơi xuống.

5. The President has grown every year EXCEPT

A. 1850 B. 2012 C.1580 D. The President has grown every year of its life

Clue: In addition to painstaking measurements of every branch and twig, the team took 15 half-
centimeter-wide core samples of The President to determine its growth rate, which they learned
was stunted in the abnormally cold year of 1580 when temperatures in the Sierra hovered near
freezing even in the summer and the trees remained dormant.= Ngoài việc đo đạc cẩn thận từng
cành và nhánh, nhóm nghiên cứu đã lấy 15 mẫu lõi rộng nửa centimet của The President để xác
định tốc độ tăng trưởng của nó, mà họ biết được rằng chúng đã bị còi cọc trong năm lạnh bất
thường của năm 1580 khi nhiệt độ ở Sierra dao động gần đóng băng ngay cả trong mùa hè và cây
cối vẫn không hoạt động.

6. All of the following contribute to the lifespan of the giant sequoia EXCEPT

A. They are resistant to diseases that can affect other tree species

B. Their size makes them less vulnerable to animal attacks

C. They are resistant to pests that commonly inhabit trees

D. Their thick bark protects them from wildfires.

Clue: Giant sequoias grow so big and for so long because their wood is resistant to the pests and
disease that dwarf the lifespan of other trees, and their thick bark makes them impervious to fast-
moving fire.= Sequoias khổng lồ phát triển rất lớn và rất lâu vì gỗ của chúng có khả năng chống
lại sâu bệnh làm giảm tuổi thọ của các cây khác, và lớp vỏ dày của chúng khiến chúng không thể
chống lại đám cháy lan nhanh.

7. The term "changing of the guard" in Paragraph 10 means

A. The size rankings of various large sequoias is being reevaluated

 B. Human security will be employed to protect these valuable trees

C. Wildlife parks will bring in new equipment to ensure the safety of the trees

D. A new schedule of shifts will be made for studying the trees

Clue: More immediately, however, the new measurements could lead to a changing of the guard
in the land of giant sequoias. The park would have to update signs and brochures - and someone
is going to have to correct the Wikipedia entry for "List of largest giant sequoias," which still has
The President at No. 3.

8. What does the term "cultivated sequoia forests" in Paragraph 14 imply?

A. Current sequoia reserves will be altered to grow in particular patterns

B. That sequoias may be specially grown in the future for the sole purpose of filtering carbon
from the air

C. New forests may be grown globally to promote the beauty of the species

D. Wildlife parks will make more of an effort in the future to direct visitors to the sequoia forests

Clue: Part of Sillett's studies involves modeling the potential growth rate of cultivated sequoia forests to
determine over time how much carbon sequestering might increase.= Một phần nghiên cứu của Sillett
liên quan đến việc mô hình hóa tốc độ tăng trưởng tiềm năng rừng sequoia được trồng để xác định theo
thời gian lượng carbon cô lập có thể tăng lên.

9. Giant sequoias are native to California, but can also be found in

A. New Zealand B. France C. South America D. Australia

Clue: Though sequoias are native to California, early settlers traveled with seedlings back to the
British Isles and New Zealand, where a 15-foot diameter sequoia that is the world's biggest
planted tree took root in 1850.= Mặc dù cây sequoia có nguồn gốc từ California, nhưng những
người định cư ban đầu đã mang theo cây con trở lại Quần đảo Anh và New Zealand, nơi cây
sequoia có đường kính 15 foot (15 foot) là cây được trồng lớn nhất thế giới đã bén rễ vào năm
1850.

10. In the final sentence, the word "superlative" is closest in meaning to

A. Best of a species B. Most beautiful

C. The winner of a contest D. Having individual, unique merit

Clue: They're all superlative in their own way," =>superlative= vượt trội, tối cao, tối thượng