Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.

It can be shown in facts and figures that cycling is the cheapest, most convenient, and most environmentally desirable term of transport in towns, but such cold calculations do not mean much on a frosty winter morning. The real appeal of cycling is that it is so enjoyable. It has none of the difficulties and tensions of other ways of traveling so you are more cheerful after a ride, even though the rush hour.

The first thing a non-cyclist says to you is: "But isn't it terribly dangerous?" It would be foolish to deny the danger of sharing the road with motor vehicles and it must be admitted that there are an alarming number of accidents involving cyclists. However, although police records indicate that the car driver is often to blame, the answer lies with the cyclist. It is possible to ride in such a way as to reduce risks to a minimum.

If you decide to join the thousands in Britain who are now returning to cycling as a cheap, satisfying form of transport your first problem will be trying to decide what bike to buy. Here are three simple rules for buying a bike:

1. Always buy the best you can afford. Of course there has to be a meeting point between what you would really like and economic reality, but aim as high as you can and you will get the benefit not only when you ride but also if you want to sell. Well-made bikes keep the value very well. And don't forget to include in your calculations the fact that you'll begin saving money on

fares and petrol the minute you leave the shop.

2. Get the best frame, the main structure of the bicycle, for your money as you can. Cheap brakes, wheels or gears can easily be replaced by more expensive ones, but the frame sets the upper limit on any transformation. You should allow for the possibility our cycling ambitions will grow with practice. When you begin, the four miles to work may the most you ever dream of, but after a few months a Sunday ride into the country begins to look more and more desirable. The best thing is to buy a bike just a little bit better than you think you'll need, and then grow into it. Otherwise, try to get a model that can be improved.

3.The fit is vital. Handlebars and seat height can be adjusted but you must get the right sized frame. On the whole it is best to get the largest size you can manage. Frame sizes are measured in inches and the usual adult range is from 21 inches to 25 inches, though extreme sizes outside those measurements can be found. Some people say if you take four inches off from your inside leg measurement you will end up with the right size of bike. The basic principle though is that you should be able to stand with legs either side of the crossbar (the bar that goes from the handlebars to the seat) with both feet comfortably flat on the ground.

The phrase "to be a meeting point" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _____________.

A. to reach a compromise

B. to meet somewhere

C. to be in development

D. to go and meet at a place

Read the following passage and then choose the best answer A, B, C or D.

          Glass is a remarkable substance made from simplest raw materials. It can be colored or colorless, monochrome or polychrome, transparent, translucent or opaque. It is lightweight impermeable to liquids, readily cleaned and reused, durable yet fragile, and often very beautiful. Glass can be decorated in multiple ways and its optical properties are exceptional. In all its myriad forms-as table ware, containers, in architecture and design-glass represents a major achievement in the history of technological developments.

          Since the Bronze Age about 3,000 B.C, glass has been used for making various kinds of objects. It was first made from a mixture of silica, line and an alkali such as soda or potash, and these remained the basic ingredients of glass until the development of lead glass in the seventeenth century. When heated, the mixture becomes soft, and malleable and can be formed by various techniques into a vast array of shapes and sizes. The homogeneous mass is thus formed by melting then cooling to create glass, but in contrast to most materials formed in this way (metals, for instance), glass lacks the crystalline structure normally associated with solids, and instead retains the random molecular structure of a liquid. In effect, as molten glass cools, it progressively stiffens until rigid, but does so without setting up a network of interlocking crystals customarily associated with that process. This is why glass shatters so easily when dealt a blow, why glass deteriorates over time, especially when exposed to moisture, and why glassware must be slowly reheated and uniformly cooled after manufacture to release internal stresses induced by uneven cooling.

Another unusual feature of glass is the manner in which its viscosity changes as it turns from a cold substance into a hot, ductile liquid. Unlike metals that flow or “freeze” at specific temperatures, glass progressively softens as the temperature rises, going through varying stages of malleability until it flows like a thick syrup. Each stage of malleability allows the glass to be manipulated into various forms, by different techniques, and if suddenly cooled the object retains the stage achieved at that point. Glass is thus amenable to a greater number of heat-forming techniques than most other materials

According the passage, how is glass that has cooled and become rigid different from most other rigid substances?

A. It has varying physical properties

B. It has an interlocking crystal network

C. It has unusually low melting temperature

D. It has a random molecular structure

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to choose the word or phrase that bestfits each ofthe numbered blanks from 31 to 35

Left-handers are the odd ones out. Sure, lefties (31) ______up about 10 percent of the population - but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Just consider all of the right-handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, and cooking tools that fit comfortably only in your right hand. What (32) ______someone to become a lefthand? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but research points to a complex (33) ______between genes and environment While no exact set of “leftie genes” have been discovered, people who dominantly use their left hands do have more left-handed family members. And researchers have found different brain wirings in righties vs. lefties. But no matter (34) ______it is that drives someone to use their antipodal paw, science has also uncovered a particular set of personality traits that left-handed people tend to have. So for all of you lefties, leftie-loving righties, and ambidextrous folks out there - it’s time to brush up on your left-handed knowledge and help (35) ______an end to leftie discrimination once and for all

Điền ô số 31

A. consist

B. account

C. hold

D. make

Read the passage bellow and then choose a suitable word A, B, C or D to fill in each blank.

The Earth's Energy Budget

The way the Earth interacts ___ (35)___ the sun's energy can be displayed in a diagram called the Earth’s energy budget. It displays the sun's energy that reaches us and how much of that energy absorbed and reflected is by the earth and___(36)___ atmosphere. Solar energy reaches earth as electromagnetic radiation. Once the energy reaches earth, some of it is absorbed by the atmosphere, ___(37)___ clouds.

Some of it makes it to the earth's surface, and is ___(38)___ by land and oceans. The ___(39)___ of energy absorbed affects temperature. The energy ___(40)___ is not absorbed by the earth or its atmosphere is reflected. back out to space in the same wavelengths in which it came to earth. On ___(41)___, the amount of energy coming in is equal to the amount of energy going out. Therefore, we say the earth's energy budget is balanced. ___(42)___ more energy was coming in than was going out, the earth's temperature would increase. On the other hand, if too much energy is reflected, and not absorbed, we'll see a ___(43)___ in the earth's temperatures. Of all of the sun's energy that hits the Earth, about 70% is absorbed by ___(44)___ land, ocean, atmosphere and clouds and about 30% is reflected back into space.Question 43

A. rise

B. deduction

C. decrease

D. fluctuation

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

There has been insufficient rainfall over the past two years, and fanners are having trouble

A. abundant   

B. adequate   

C. unsatisfactory  

D. dominant

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.

It can be shown in facts and figures that cycling is the cheapest, most convenient, and most environmentally desirable term of transport in towns, but such cold calculations do not mean much on a frosty winter morning. The real appeal of cycling is that it is so enjoyable. It has none of the difficulties and tensions of other ways of traveling so you are more cheerful after a ride, even though the rush hour.

The first thing a non-cyclist says to you is: "But isn't it terribly dangerous?" It would be foolish to deny the danger of sharing the road with motor vehicles and it must be admitted that there are an alarming number of accidents involving cyclists. However, although police records indicate that the car driver is often to blame, the answer lies with the cyclist. It is possible to ride in such a way as to reduce risks to a minimum.

If you decide to join the thousands in Britain who are now returning to cycling as a cheap, satisfying form of transport your first problem will be trying to decide what bike to buy. Here are three simple rules for buying a bike:

1. Always buy the best you can afford. Of course there has to be a meeting point between what you would really like and economic reality, but aim as high as you can and you will get the benefit not only when you ride but also if you want to sell. Well-made bikes keep the value very well. And don't forget to include in your calculations the fact that you'll begin saving money on

fares and petrol the minute you leave the shop.

2. Get the best frame, the main structure of the bicycle, for your money as you can. Cheap brakes, wheels or gears can easily be replaced by more expensive ones, but the frame sets the upper limit on any transformation. You should allow for the possibility our cycling ambitions will grow with practice. When you begin, the four miles to work may the most you ever dream of, but after a few months a Sunday ride into the country begins to look more and more desirable. The best thing is to buy a bike just a little bit better than you think you'll need, and then grow into it. Otherwise, try to get a model that can be improved.

3.The fit is vital. Handlebars and seat height can be adjusted but you must get the right sized frame. On the whole it is best to get the largest size you can manage. Frame sizes are measured in inches and the usual adult range is from 21 inches to 25 inches, though extreme sizes outside those measurements can be found. Some people say if you take four inches off from your inside leg measurement you will end up with the right size of bike. The basic principle though is that you should be able to stand with legs either side of the crossbar (the bar that goes from the handlebars to the seat) with both feet comfortably flat on the ground.

As regards road safety, the author thinks that ____________.

A. people who say cycling is dangerous are foolish

B. driving is as dangerous as cycling

C. cyclists can often avoid accidents by riding with caution

D. cyclists are usually responsible for causing accidents

Read the passage bellow and then choose a suitable word A, B, C or D to fill in each blank.

The Earth's Energy Budget

The way the Earth interacts ___ (35)___ the sun's energy can be displayed in a diagram called the Earth’s energy budget. It displays the sun's energy that reaches us and how much of that energy absorbed and reflected is by the earth and___(36)___ atmosphere. Solar energy reaches earth as electromagnetic radiation. Once the energy reaches earth, some of it is absorbed by the atmosphere, ___(37)___ clouds.

Some of it makes it to the earth's surface, and is ___(38)___ by land and oceans. The ___(39)___ of energy absorbed affects temperature. The energy ___(40)___ is not absorbed by the earth or its atmosphere is reflected. back out to space in the same wavelengths in which it came to earth. On ___(41)___, the amount of energy coming in is equal to the amount of energy going out. Therefore, we say the earth's energy budget is balanced. ___(42)___ more energy was coming in than was going out, the earth's temperature would increase. On the other hand, if too much energy is reflected, and not absorbed, we'll see a ___(43)___ in the earth's temperatures. Of all of the sun's energy that hits the Earth, about 70% is absorbed by ___(44)___ land, ocean, atmosphere and clouds and about 30% is reflected back into space.Question 39

A. amount

B. number

C. plenty

D. quality

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.

It can be shown in facts and figures that cycling is the cheapest, most convenient, and most environmentally desirable term of transport in towns, but such cold calculations do not mean much on a frosty winter morning. The real appeal of cycling is that it is so enjoyable. It has none of the difficulties and tensions of other ways of traveling so you are more cheerful after a ride, even though the rush hour.

The first thing a non-cyclist says to you is: "But isn't it terribly dangerous?" It would be foolish to deny the danger of sharing the road with motor vehicles and it must be admitted that there are an alarming number of accidents involving cyclists. However, although police records indicate that the car driver is often to blame, the answer lies with the cyclist. It is possible to ride in such a way as to reduce risks to a minimum.

If you decide to join the thousands in Britain who are now returning to cycling as a cheap, satisfying form of transport your first problem will be trying to decide what bike to buy. Here are three simple rules for buying a bike:

1. Always buy the best you can afford. Of course there has to be a meeting point between what you would really like and economic reality, but aim as high as you can and you will get the benefit not only when you ride but also if you want to sell. Well-made bikes keep the value very well. And don't forget to include in your calculations the fact that you'll begin saving money on

fares and petrol the minute you leave the shop.

2. Get the best frame, the main structure of the bicycle, for your money as you can. Cheap brakes, wheels or gears can easily be replaced by more expensive ones, but the frame sets the upper limit on any transformation. You should allow for the possibility our cycling ambitions will grow with practice. When you begin, the four miles to work may the most you ever dream of, but after a few months a Sunday ride into the country begins to look more and more desirable. The best thing is to buy a bike just a little bit better than you think you'll need, and then grow into it. Otherwise, try to get a model that can be improved.

3.The fit is vital. Handlebars and seat height can be adjusted but you must get the right sized frame. On the whole it is best to get the largest size you can manage. Frame sizes are measured in inches and the usual adult range is from 21 inches to 25 inches, though extreme sizes outside those measurements can be found. Some people say if you take four inches off from your inside leg measurement you will end up with the right size of bike. The basic principle though is that you should be able to stand with legs either side of the crossbar (the bar that goes from the handlebars to the seat) with both feet comfortably flat on the ground.

After you have been cycling for a few months the author suggests that you will _______.

A. want to ride only at weekends

B. want to ride further than you first imagined

C. find riding to work every day boring

D. find cycling in towns less dangerous

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.

Herman Melville, an American author best known today for his novel Moby Dick, was actually more popular during his lifetime for some of his other works. He traveled extensively and used the knowledge gamed during his travels as the basis for his early novels. In 1837, at the age of eighteen, Melville slimed as a cabin boy on a merchant ship that was to sail from his Massachusetts home to Liverpool, England. His experiences on this trip served as a basis for the novel Redburn (1849). In 1841 Melville set out on a whaling ship headed for the South Seas. After jumping ship in Tahiti, he wandered around the islands of Tahiti and Moorea. This South Sea island sojourn was a backdrop to the novel Omoo (1847). After three years away from home, Melville joined up with a U.S. naval frigate that was returning to the eastern United States around Cape Horn. The novel White-Jacket (1850) describes this lengthy voyage as a navy seaman. With the publication of these early adventure novels, Melville developed a strong and loyal following among readers eager for his tales of exotic places and situations. However, in 1851, with the publication of Moby Dick, Melville's popularity started to diminish. Moby Dick, on one level the saga of the hunt for the great white whale, was also a heavily symbolic allegory of the heroic struggle of humanity against the universe. The public was not ready for Melville's literary metamorphosis from romantic adventure to philosophical symbolism. It is ironic that the novel that served to diminish Melville's popularity during his lifetime is the one for which he is best known today.

The main subject of the passage is_______. 

A. Melville's travels

B. Melville's personal background 

C. the popularity of Melville's novels

D. Moby Dick