Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer for each of the questions

Humans have struggled against weeds since the beginnings of agriculture. Marring our gardens is one of the milder effects of weeds – any plants that thrive where they are unwanted. They clog waterways, destroy wildlife habitats, and impede farming. Their spread eliminates grazing areas and accounts for one-third of all crop loss. They compete for sunlight, nutrients, and water with useful plants. 

The global need for weed control had been answered mainly by the chemical industry. Its herbicides are effective and sometimes necessary, but some pose serious problems, particularly if misused. Toxic compounds threaten animal and public health when they accumulate in food plants, groundwater, and drinking water. They also harm workers who apply them.

In recent years, the chemical industry has introduced several herbicides that are more ecologically sound. Yet new chemicals alone cannot solve the world’s weed problems. Hence, scientists are exploring the innate weed-killing powers of living organisms, primarily insects and microorganisms. 

The biological agents now in use are environmentally benign and are harmless to humans. They can be chosen for their ability to attack selected targets and leave crops and other plants untouched. In contrast, some of the most effective chemicals kill virtually all the plants they come in contact with, sparing only those that are naturally resistant or have been genetically modified for resistance. Furthermore, a number of biological agents can be administered only once, after which no added applications are needed. Chemicals typically must be used several times per growing season.

The word ‘marring’ in bold is closest in meaning to

A. planting  

B. spoiling  

C. dividing  

D. replacing

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Psychologists encourage their patient not to get upset about trivial matters.

A. expectant

B. important

C. minor

D. unnecessary

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

A. enjoyable

B. free 

C. quiet

D. busy

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.

He behaved in a very strange way. That surprised me a lot.

A. He behaved very strangely, which surprised me very much.

B. What almost surprised me was the strange way he behaved.

C. His behavior was a very strange thing, that surprised me most.

D. I was almost not surprised by his strange behavior.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Because writing has become so important in our culture, we sometimes think of it as more real than speech. A little thought, however, will show why speech is primary and writing secondary to language. Human beings have been writing at least 5,000 years, but they have been talking for much longer, doubtless ever since there have been human beings. When writing developed, it was derived from and represented speech, although imperfectly. Even today, there are spoken languages that have no written form. Furthermore, we all learn to talk well before we learn to write; any child who is not severely handicapped physically or mentally will learn to talk: a normal man cannot be prevented from doing so. On the other hand, it takes a special effort to learn to write; in the past, many intelligent and useful members of society did not acquire the skill, and even today many who speak languages with writing systems never learn to read or write while some who learn the rudiments of those skills do so imperfectly.

To affirm the primacy of speech over writing is not to disparage the later. One advantage writing has over speech is that it is more permanent and makes possible the records that any civilization must have. Thus, if speaking makes us human, writing makes us civilized.

According to the author, one mark of a civilized society is that if _______

A. affirms the primacy of speech over writing

B. affirms the primacy of writing over speech

C. teaches its children to speak perfectly

D. keeps written records

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.

The train to Ho Chi Minh city left at precisely 7 o’clock as usually, but the train to Ha Noi capital left at half past six o’clock, which was exactly 20 minutes late.

A. exactly

B. as usually

C. which

D. precisely

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions

Caroline has worn her new yellow dress only once since she buys it.

A. has worn

B. yellow

C. once

D. buys