IV. COLLOCATIONS AND IDIOMS (5 points) 31.

The various locales where he painted,

many_____________, continued to be a source of inspiration throughout his long career. A. for a
wander B. away from it C. off the beaten path D. lazy round 32. He is scheduled to be the next
chairman of the council and, although he does not want to ______ before they are hatched, is
rationalizing his commitments. A. have his cake and eat it B. make a meal of C. count his chickens D.
eat your word 33. I feel that I'm always _______Lori in her comments, which I'm not, because I like
Lori, and certainly wish she would post more. A. having a go at B. looking up to C. looking down on
D. putting a strain on 34. Nasa had hoped to launch the shuttle again next spring but the target date
could now be missed as _____are put in place to radically improve safety and re-shape the agency. A.
sweeping changes B. fast changes C. refreshing changes D. enforcing changes 35. Police issued an
arrest _________for bigamy and John, who now lives on the Isle of Man, turned himself in last week. A.
authorization, B. license C. permit D. warrant 36. The teachers now recognize that they face a very
difficult decision: working alone in the U.S. and scraping some money together to wire home, or
bringing over their families and _________. A. living beyond your means B. living from hand to mouth
C. putting aside D. putting down a deposit 37. The environmental benefits of telecommuting are
pretty apparent, but business leaders no doubt want to be sure that ______employees _________ to
telecommute yields bottom-line benefits. A. putting ...on the map B. giving ...the green light C.
catching ...on the hop D. winning ... back 38. The secret to successful organic farming is to maintain
a proper environment in the fields, and to not depend on __________fixes A. fast B. speedy C. quick D.
sudden 39. Whether you are window-shopping at Gucci, barging about Swarovski ___________or
knocking over a cosmetics display at Christian Dior, the shop assistants are unfailingly charming. A.
like a red rag to a bull B. like getting blood out of a stone C. like a bull in a china shop D. Like looking
for a needle in a haystack 40. They are incensed by the Government's ___________thirst for higher
taxes and more public spending, which has failed to improve services. A. inevitable B. inexorable C.
insatiable D. inedible

Your answer: 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 KEY: 31C 32C 33A 34A 35D 36B 37B 38C 39C 40C V.
READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE 1: ( 5,0 point) Read the article below. For questions 41-50,
choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. The penny press,
which emerged in the United States during the 18-30's, was a powerful agent of mass
communication. These newspapers were little dailies, generally four pages in length, written for the
mass taste. They differed from the staid, formal presentation of the conservative press, with its
emphasis on political and literary topics. The new papers were brief and cheap, emphasizing
sensational reports of police courts and juicy scandals as well as human interest stories. Twentieth-
century journalism was already foreshadowed in the penny press of the 1830's. The New York Sun,
founded in 1833, was the first successful penny paper, and it was followed two years later by the
New York Herald, published by James Gordon Bennett. Not long after, Horace Greeley issued the New
York Tribune, which was destined to become the most influential paper in America. Greeley gave
space to the issues that deeply touched the American people before the Civil War - abolitionism,
temperance, free homesteads, Utopian cooperative settlements, and the problems of labor. The
weekly edition of the Tribune, with 100,000 subscribers, had a remarkable influence in rural areas,
especially in Western communities. Americans were reputed to be the most avid readers of
periodicals in the world. An English observer enviously calculated that, in 1829, the number of
newspapers circulated in Great Britain was enough to reach only one out of every thirty-six
inhabitants weekly; Pennsylvania in that same year had a newspaper circulation which reached one
out of every four inhabitants weekly. Statistics seemed to justify the common belief that Americans
were devoted to periodicals. Newspapers in the United States increased from 1,200 in 1833 to 3,000
by the early 1860' s, on the eve of the Civil War. This far exceeded the number and circulation of
newspapers in England and France. 41. What is the author's main point in the first paragraph? A. The
penny press was modeled on earlier papers. B. The press in the nineteenth century reached only a
small proportion of the population. C. The penny press became an important way of disseminating
information in the first half of the nineteenth century. D. The penny press focused mainly on analysis
of politics. 42. What does the author mean by the statement in line 6 that twentieth-century
journalism was foreshadowed by the penny press? A. The penny press darkened the reputation of
news writing. B. Twentieth-century journalism is more important than nineteenth-century journalism.
C. Penny-press news reporting was more accurate than that in twentieth-century newspapers. D.
Modern news coverage is similar to that done by the penny press. 43. Which of the following would
LEAST likely be in a penny-press paper? A. A report of theft of union funds by company officials B. An
article about a little girl returning a large amount of money she found in the street C. A scholarly
analysis of an economic issue of national importance D.A story about land being given away in the
West

44. The word "it" in line 7 refers to A. the New York Sun B. the New York Herald C. America
D. the Civil War
45. Who was Horace Greeley (line 9)? A. The publisher of the first penny-press paper to
make a profit B. The founder of the penny-press paper that did the most to influence the
thinking of the public C. The most successful writer for the penny press D. The man who took
over James Gordon Bennett's penny-press paper and made it successful
46. The word "avid" in line 14 is closest in meaning to A. intelligent B. eager C. critical D.
thrifty
47. The figures concerning newspaper circulation in Pennsylvania in 1829 are relevant
because they A. explain why so many different periodicals were published B. prove that weekly
periodicals were more successful than daily papers C. show the difference between reading
habits before and after the Civil War D. support the belief that Americans were enthusiastic
readers of periodicals
48. The word "justify" in line 18 is closest in meaning to A. generate B. calculate C. modify D.
prove
49. The third paragraph is developed primarily by means of A. descriptions B. contrasts C.
ordering events in time sequence D. analysis of a process
50. It can be inferred that penny-press newspapers were all of the following EXCEPT A.
inexpensive B. informal C. profitable D. thorough Your answer: 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
ANSWERS: 41C 42 D 43 C 44 A 45 B 46 B 47 D 48 D 49 B 50 D PASSAGE 2: ( 5,0 points) Read
the article below. For questions 51-60, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits
best according to the text. The languages spoken by early Europeans are still shrouded in
mystery. There is no linguistic continuity between the languages of Old Europe (a term
sometimes used for Europe between 7,000 and 3,000 B.C.) and the languages of the modern
world, and we cannot yet translate the Old European script. Scholars have deciphered other
ancient languages, such as Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian, which used the cuneiform
script, because of the fortuitous discovery of bilingual inscriptions. When cuneiform tablets
 were first discovered in the 18th century, scholars could not decipher them. Then inscriptions
found in Iran at the end of the 18th century provided a link: these inscriptions were written in
cuneiform and in two other ancient languages, Old Persian and New Elamite - languages that
had already been deciphered. It took several decades, but scholars eventually translated the
ancient cuneiform script via the more familiar Old Persian language. Similarly, the hieroglyphic
writing of the Egyptians remained a mystery until French troops unearthed the famous Rosetta
stone in the late 18th century. The stone carried the same message written in ancient Greek,
Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Egyptian hieratic, a simplified form of hieroglyphs. The Rosetta
stone thwarted scholars’ efforts for several decades until the early 19th century when several

key hieroglyphic phrases were decoded using the Greek inscriptions. Unfortunately, we have no Old
European Rosetta stone to chart correspondences between Old European script and the languages
that replaced it. The incursions of Indo-European tribes into Old Europe from the late 5th to the early
3rd millennia B.C. caused a linguistic and cultural discontinuity. These incursions disrupted the Old
European sedentary farming lifestyle that had existed for 3,000 years. As the Indo-Europeans
encroached on Old Europe from the east, the continent underwent upheavals. These severely
affected the Balkans, where the Old European cultures abundantly employed script. The Old
European way of life deteriorated rapidly, although pockets of Old European cultural remained for
several millennia. The new peoples spoke completely different languages belonging to the Indo-
European linguistic family. The Old European language or languages, and the script used to write
them, declined and eventually vanished. Question 1. What is the main topic of the passage? A.
Reason for the failure to understand the written records of Old European culture. B. Influences on the
development of Old European script. C. Similarities between Old European script and other ancient
writing systems. D. Events leading to the discovery of Old European script. Question 2. According to
the passage, New Elamite is _________. A. a language that was used in Europe about 3,000 years ago
B. a modern language that came from Old Persian C. one of the languages spoken by the Old
Europeans D. a language that was understood by the late 18th century Question 3: When does the
passage suggest that ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script was finally deciphered? A. At around the
same time as cuneiform script was deciphered. B. Shortly before the Rosetta stone was unearthed.
C. As soon as additional bilingual inscriptions became available to scholars. D. A few decades after
the hieratic script was decoded. Question 4: According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE
of the Rosetta stone? A. It was found by scholars trying to decode ancient languages. B. It contains
two versions of hieroglyphic script. C. Several of its inscriptions were decoded within a few months of
its discovery. D. Most of its inscriptions have still not been decoded. Question 5: According to the
passage, scholars were able to decipher cuneiform form with the help of _________. A. the Sumerian,
Akkadian, and Babylonian languages B. Old Persian C. tablets written in Old European D. languages
spoken in 18th century Iran Question 6: The word “fortuitous” in the 1st paragraph is closest in
meaning to _________. A. important B. immediate C. early D. lucky Question 7:The word “them” in the
1st paragraph refers to _________. A. Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian B. bilingual inscriptions C.
cuneiform tablets D. scholars Question 8: The word “thwarted” in the 2nd paragraph is closest in
meaning to _________ A. continued B. influenced C. encouraged D. frustrated Question 9:According to
the passage, Indo-European incursions caused Old European population to

________. A. separated into different tribes B. move eastward C. change their ways of living and
obtain food D. start recording historical events in writing Question 10: The author mentions the
Balkans in the passage in order to explain why __. A. Indo-European languages were slow to
spread in Old Europe B. the inhabitants of Old Europe were not able to prevent Indo-
European incursions C. the use of the Old European script declined D. the Old European
culture survived for a time after the Indo-European incursions Your answer: 51 52 53 54
55 56 57 58 59 60 ANSWERS: 51A 52D 53A 54B 55B 56D 57C 58D 59C 60C GUIDED CLOZE
TEST 1: VIETNAMESE CUISINE Shaped like an elongated 'S', Vietnam lies on the eastern
part of Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese cuisine differs (61) _______
radically in the north, centre and south of the country but two key features stand out.
Firstly, rice (62) ________ an essential role in the nation's diet and so do noodles. In fact,
the Vietnamese are crazy about noodles! Made from wheat, rice or mung beans, noodles
are eaten at any time of the day. They come in (63) shapes and thicknesses and are eaten in
soups, as side dishes or simply plain. Secondly, fresh vegetables and herbs are a major focus of
every meal. (64) _________, most Vietnamese shops for food are at least twice a day which (65) _____
why their cuisine is famous for its use of fresh ingredients. Dishes are (66) ________ with vegetables
such as bean sprouts, carrots, water spinach, eggplants, cucumbers and bok choy, and seasoned
with herbs like lemon grass, coriander, basil, chili and mint. The characteristic flavours of
Vietnamese food are sweet, spicy and sour. As in many Asian countries, the Vietnamese do not eat
their meals in (67) ________. Instead, all the food is served at once and people (68) _______ from the
dishes in the centre of the table. Vietnamese cuisine has been growing in (69) _______ worldwide
because it is not only delicious but also extremely healthy. Food is rarely fried. (70) ________, it is
steamed or simmered. Salads are oil free. It is thus very light and, because of its focus on
vegetables, incredibly nutritious. 61. A. slightly B. fully C. mainly D. quite 62. A. holds B. plays C. acts
D. gives 63. A. unlike B. different C. uncommon D. altered 64. A. True B. Although C. However D.
Indeed 65. A. explains B. justifies C. accounts D. reasons 66. A. handed B. given C. introduced D.
presented 67. A. courses B. proportions C. parts D. starters 68. A. divide B. share C. split D. portion
69. A. esteem B. recognition C. popularity D. attraction 70. A. However B. Instead C. And D. Still Your
answer: 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 ANSWERS: 61D 62B 63B 64D 65A 66D 67A 68B 69C 70B

GUIDED CLOZE TEST 2: ( 5,0 points) The newspaper has been a part of our daily life for several
centuries. They have been a way for the public to be 71. __________ of important events that are
occurring around the world. Newspapers have72. ________ dramatic changes over the 73. ___________
of history. Some of the earliest newspapers date back to Ancient Rome where important
announcements were74. __________ in stone tablets and placed in highly populated areas where
citizens could be informed of the announcements. The biggest change was printing them on
newsprint and use of the printing 75.__________ . By automating the production of the newspaper, the
number of papers available to the public greatly increased, while making it affordable for people to
purchase one. These developments led to a boom in the newspaper industry where several different
newspapers started to appear in major cities, publishing morning, afternoon and evening editions.
These papers gave readers news, weather, sports and other features that informed and entertained
them. However, newspaper costs continued to rise and the number of newspaper 76. _________
continued to fall. This led to a vast reduction in the number of newspapers and newspaper 77.
____________ in every market. In addition, with the increase in the use of technology, the public no
longer needed the newspaper for its source of information. Other media such as radio, television and
the Internet started to replace the paper as an information source. In recent years, newspapers and
other media have adapted to the changing technology environment by starting to offer online
editions to 78. __________ to the needs of the public. In the future, the trend towards more electronic
delivery of the news will continue with more 79. ____________ on the Internet, social media and other
electronic delivery methods. However, while the method of delivery is changing, the newspaper and
the industry still has a 80. __________ in the world. 71. A. announced B. informed C. revealed D.
acknowledged 72. A. undergone B. undertaken C. underdone D. understriken 73. A. events B. time C.
procedure D. course 74. A. given B. craved C. carved D. portraited 75. A. machine B. profession C.
delivery D. house 76. A. installers B. subscribers C. editors D. commissioners 77. A. reporters B.
stands C. editions D. articles 78. A. provide B. respond C. cater D. react 79. A. reliance B. foundation
C. specialization D. emphasis 80. A. fame B. niche C. competition D. prospect Your answer: 71 72 73
74 75 76 77 78 79 80 ANSWERS: 71B 72A 73D 74C 75A 76B 77C 78C 79D 80B B. PHẦN TỰ LUẬN (70
Points) I. OPEN CLOZE TEST (20 points) Open cloze test 1: (10,0 points) OPEN CLOZE 1: Man
probably could not live without the help of animals. The role of animals in the balance of nature(1)
____________ as their most important service to man.

Animals also serve man (2) ___________ supplying him with many food and other useful products.
Without animals, man would have (3) ______________ meat, milk, eggs, or honey; or wool, fur, or silk.
(4) ___________ thousands of years, man has (5) _____________ changes in the animal kingdom. He has
tamed many kinds of animals and used them for food and clothing. He has killed or driven away
animals that once attacked him or interfered with his use of land. Today, he tries to protect many
kinds of animals that are in (6) ____________ of dying out. Like man, most plants depend on animals
(7) __________ many of their basic needs. Without animals, many plants could not easily (8)
____________. For example, many plants with flowers depend on bees and other (9) ___________ carry
their pollen from plant to plant. Many oak trees grow from acorns that squirrels bury and then forget,
or from acorns that deer step on and push deep into the soil. Birds often fly from one place to (10)
__________ with seeds