Reading

Exercise 1. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions.
For Catherine Lumby, deciding to take on the role of breadwinner in her relationship was not a
difficult choice. When she discovered she was pregnant with her first child, she had just been
offered a demanding new role as Director of the Media and Communications department at the
University of Sydney. But she didn't see this as an obstacle, and was prepared to use childcare
when the children were old enough. It came, therefore, as a surprise to Lumby and her husband
Derek that, after the birth of their son, they couldn’t actually bear the thought of putting him into
childcare tor nine hours a day. As she was the one with the secure job, the role of primary care-
giver fell to Derek, who was writing scripts for television. This arrangement continued for the
next four years, w ith Derek working from home and caring for both of their sons. He returned to
full-time work earlier this year.
Whilst Lumby and her husband are by no means the only Australians making such a role
reversal, research suggests that they are in the minority. In a government-funded survey in 2001,
only 5.5 percent of couples in the 30-54 year age group saw the women working either part- or
full-time while the men were unemployed.
The situation is likely to change, according to the CEO of Relationships Australia, Anne
Hollonds. She suggests that this is due to several reasons, including the number of highly
educated women in the workforce and changing social patterns and expectations. However, she
warns that for couples involved in role-switching, there are many potential difficulties to be
overcome. For men whose self-esteem is connected to their jobs and the income it provides to
the family, a major change of thinking is required. It also requires women to reassess,
particularly with regard to domestic or child-rearing decisions, and they may have to learn to
deal with the guilt of not always being there at key times for their children. Being aware of these
issues can make operating in non-traditional roles a lot easier.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Men being the bread winners B. Traditional roles of women
C. Women being the home makers D. Reversed roles between men and
women
2. Catherine and her husband decided that Catherine would be the primary earner because ____.
A. she had a badly paid job B. she was not good at childcare
C. she had a reliable job D. she wanted her husband to stay at
home
3. In paragraph 1, the word “him" refers to ____.
A. their son B. her husband C. Derek D. her colleague
4. They decided that Derek would look after their son because they ____.
 A. couldn’t afford to put their child in care for long periods each day
B. didn’t want to put their child in care for long periods each day
C. thought childcare was not safe enough for their children
D. worried about their son’s health problems
5. In paragraph 2, the word “reversal" is closest in meaning to ____.
A. stability B. modification C. rehearsal D. switch
6. One reason for a change in the number of men staying home is ____.
A. the stability in the number of highly-educated women who are working
B. the fall in the number of highly-educated women who are working
C. the rise in the number of highly-educated women who are working
D. the fluctuation in the number of highly-educated women who are working
Exercise 2. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions.
In 1812 a young man called James Barry finished his studies in medicine at Edinburgh
University. After graduating he moved to London where he studied surgery at Guy’s Hospital.
After that the popular young doctor joined the army and over the next forty years had a brilliant
career as an army medical officer, working in many far-off countries and fighting successfully
for improved conditions in hospitals. It was a remarkable career - made even more remarkable
by the discovery upon his death that he was in fact a she, James Barry was a woman.
No one was more surprised at this discovery than her many friends and colleagues. It was true
that throughout her life people had remarked upon her small size, slight build and smooth pale
face. One officer had even objected to her appointment as a medical assistant because he could
not believe that Barry was old enough to have graduated in medicine. But no one had ever
seriously suggested that Barry was anything other than a man.
By all accounts Barry was a pleasant and good-humoured person with high cheekbones, reddish
hair, a long nose and large eyes. She was well-liked by her patients and had a reputation for great
speed in surgery - an important quality at a time when operations were performed without
anaesthetic. She was also quick tempered. When she was working in army hospitals and prisons
overseas, the terrible conditions often made her very angry. She fought hard against injustice and
cruelty and her temper sometimes got her into trouble with the authority. After a long career
overseas, she returned to London where she died in 1865. While the undertaker’s assistant was
preparing her body for burial, she discovered that James Barry was a woman.
So why did James Barry deceive people for so long? At that time a woman could not study
medicine, work as a doctor or join the army. Perhaps Barry had always wante to do these things
and pretending to be a man was the only way to make it possible. Perhaps she was going to tell
the truth one day, but didn’t because she was enjoying her life as a man too much. Whatever the
reason, Barry's deception was successful. By the time it was discovered that she had been the
first woman in Britain to qualify as a doctor, it was too late for the authorities to do anything
about it.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Gender discrimination among doctors in London
B. James Barry pretended to be a man to become a doctor
C. James Barry and her career overseas
D. Punishment for James Barry’s deception
2. In paragraph 1, the word “remarkable" is closest in meaning to ____.
A. noticeable B. commented C. rewarding D. focused
3. According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT .
A. all people were surprised at the discovery
B. people remarked upon her small size
C. many people suspected that she was a woman
D. people noticed her slight build and smooth pale face
4. In paragraph 2, the word “objected" is closest in meaning to ____.
A. shared B. agreed C. protected D. protested
5. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about James Barry?
A. She could control her temper perfectly. B. She lost her temper easily.
C. She never lost her temper. D. She was calm and well-behaved.
6. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about James Barry?
A. She performed her operations quickly. B. She performed her operations
slowly.
C. She performed her operations carelessly. D. Her patients did not like her very
much.
7. In paragraph 4, the word “it" refers to ____.
A. Barry's choice B. Barry’s career C. Barry’s deception D. Barry's reputation
 Exercise 3. Complete the sentences with the correct word in the box.
force gender enrol
eliminate equal discrimination
1. Our family members have ____________ rights and responsibilities.
2. Many young people are not interested in sports. I have to ___________ my sons to play tennis
or go swimming.
3. We do not allow any kind of ________________ against women and girls.
4. Most parents don't want to find out the ______________ of their babies before birth.
5. The Vietnamese government has done a lot to _______________ hunger and poverty.
6. This year, more girls are expected to _____________ in the first grade.
Exercise 4. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct response to each of the
following exchanges.
Young children are increasingly using tablets as well as smartphones and other devices with
touch screens in early education (1) and with family members.
Tammy and Rose, age 4, have been studying sunflowers with their classmates. They want to
sing and record a song about sunflowers while creating a drawing, using a(n) (2) on the
tablet. The girls have coordinated their efforts and are happy with the result.
To help the class learn more about sunflowers, Kathryn, Tammy and Rose’s teacher, used the
tablet to find online (3) with photos and facts. She then took the children on a
virtual tour of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings. They read and discussed an electronic picture
book about Van Gogh’s life. The children had already examined real sunflowers and their parts,
made sketches, read informational texts and stories, counted seeds, and (4) a variety of
investigations, touching on every learning domain. The teacher’s use of the tablet together with
early practical learning activities expanded the children's horizons. Activities offered on the
tablet provided new (5) for the children to represent and share what they learned.

Question 1: A. places B. setting C. positions D. times

Question 2: A. aplication B. request C. design D. permission
Question 3: A. boxes B. positions C. places D. sites
Question 4: A. participated in B. participated C. taken part in D. took place
Question 5: A. manners B. ways C. behaviours D. roads

Exercise 5. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct
word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
The attitude against women had its (1) _______ from the beginning of mankind’s history
when men lived in caves and went hunting for food. The task of hunting needed great strength
 of body. (2) _______, the best place for women was not in forests, but at home where they
could satisfactorily do their job, such as doing household chores and looking after children. In
our modern time, there are more and more jobs which do not need the strength of (3) _______.
It is a consequence that women have played a/an (4) _______ important role in the society.
However, there are still many backward places, especially in Asian countries. Most illiterates
are females. A man often expects his wife and daughters to stay at home, serve him, and obey
him in all things. Women are considered as (5) _______ to men. Young girls are educated to
tolerate and accept intimate partner violence as a part of tradition.
Question 1: A. evolution B. origin C. organization D. effect
Question 2: A. Therefore B. But C. Nevertheless D. And
Question 3: A. brains B. heads C. will D. muscles
Question 4: A. increasingly B. extensively C. tiringly D. repeatedly
Question 5: A. inferior B. superior C. major D. higher
Exercise 6. Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the
following passage.
More __________ (1) 13,000 staff work with UNICEF, with approximately 85 per
located in the field in 190 countries. Seven regional offices and over 124 country offices
worldwide, 34 national committees, a research centre in Florence, a supply division in
Copenhagen, a shared services center in Budapest and offices in Berlin, Brussels, Seoul and
Tokyo, and UNICEF headquarters __________ (2) New York and Geneva work on helping
children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. We employ committed
professional __________ (3) in our five focus areas: Child Survival and Development, Basic
Education and Gender Equality, HIV/AIDS, Child Protection and Policy Advocacy and
Partnerships. We __________ (4) employ staff with expertise in administration and finance,
human resources, information technology, supply and logistics as well as external relations and
communication. UNICEF’s presence in humanitarian crises means that we also seek experts
________ (5) emergency preparedness and response.

Question 1: A. than B. less C. the D. over

Question 2: A. of B. in C. on D. with
Question 3: A. work B. working C. to work D. worked
Question 4: A. well B. also C. fully D. very
Question 5: A. to B. in C. on D. with
Exercise 7. Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.
The status of women in Japan is complex and cannot be characterized in simple terms.
Slowly, there is a growing number of professional women and professional women’s
associations. More women continue to work after getting married and having children. However,
many companies have separate programmes for women, usually non-career development, and
follow practices that would be considered discriminatory in other societies. For a typical couple,
the female spouse is still generally expected to do all of the cleaning, cooking, and other chores,
whether she is working or not. Single women are said to be enjoying their lives, spending much
money on travel abroad and shopping. Housewives are active in networking themselves for
various objectives, for example volunteer activities, community services, recycling activities,
study groups, and many others. The traditional Japanese value of “good wife, good mother” is
changing.
Unlike other countries where a couple is the usual social unit, in Japan it is typical for only
the husband to be invited to business gatherings or to weddings for company employees.
Exceptions are frequently made for foreign visitors depending on the occasion, but wives should
not take their exclusion as a personal insult.
1. The status of women in Japan is _______.
A. indefinite and illegal B. complex and unclear
C. clear and high D. low and simple
2. Nowadays, Japanese women _______.
A. can go to work after getting married and having children
B. all have become professional women
C. take over most important work in many companies
D. have the same work and pay as men in all companies
3. In the family, the female partner _______.
A. often does all the housework if she doesn’t go to work
B. the male spouse always helps his wife with cooking and other chores
C. is still generally expected to do all of the housework
D. no longer spends much time doing the housework
4. Which of the following sentences is NOT true according to the passage?
A. It is normal for only the husband to be invited to business gatherings.
B. Single Japanese women are used to enjoying their lives, spending much money on
traveling abroad and shopping.
C. The traditional Japanese value of “good wife, good mother” is changing.
D. Wives in Japan can take their exclusion as a personal insult.
5. What can be inferred from the passage is _______.
 A. the role of Japanese women in the society is changing so that all Japanese women gain
gender equality in both society and home
B. there have been some changes in their social role, but Japanese women haven’t acquired
the same rights as men in many fields yet
C. Japanese women are fighting for their definite status in the society
D. most Japanese women are satisfied with their social role nowadays.
Exercise 8. Read the following passage and choose the best answers.
The United Nations (UN), an international organization of countries, was created to promote
world peace and cooperation. The UN was founded after World War II ended in 1945. Its
mission is to maintain world peace, develop good relations between countries, promote
cooperation in solving the world’s problems, and encourage respect for human rights.
The UN is an organization of countries that agree to cooperate with one another. It brings
together countries that are rich and poor, large and small, and have different social and political
systems. Member nations pledge to settle their disputes peacefully, to refrain from using force or
the threat of force against other countries, and to refuse help to any country that opposes UN
actions.
UN membership is open to any country willing to further the UN mission and abide by its rules.
Each country, no matter how large or small, has an equal voice and vote. Each country is also
expected to pay dues to support the UN. As of 2004 the UN had 191 members, including nearly
every country in the world.
The UN’s influence in world affairs has fluctuated over the years, but the organization gained
new prominence beginning in the 1990s. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Still, the
UN faces constant challenges. It must continually secure the cooperation of its member nations
because the organization has little independent power or authority. But getting that support is not
always easy. Many nations are reluctant to defer their own authority and follow the dictates of
the UN.
1. What are the missions of the United Nations?
A. To promote cooperation in solving the world’s problems.
B. To encourage respect for human rights.
C. To maintain world peace, and develop good relations between countries.
D. All are correct.
2. According to the United Nations’ Charter, __________.
A. each country, no matter how large or small, has an equal voice and vote
B. member nations pledge to settle their disputes peacefully
 C. member nations pledge to refrain from using force or the threat of force against other
countries, and to refuse help to any country that opposes UN actions
D. All are correct.
3. The United Nations has __________.
A. power over all country members B. no power at all
C. little independent power D. much power over developing
countries
4. Why does the UN face constant challenges?
A. Some countries refuse to pay dues to support the UN.
B. There is not much cooperation among its member nations.
C. Some countries do not follow the dictates of the UN.
D. B and C
5. The word “pledge” in paragraph 2 would probably be best replaced by __________.
A. claim B. promise C. keep D. require