Question

[Lê Quỳnh Anh]

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 from 44 to 50.

For many people who live in cities, parks are an important part of the landscape. They provide a place for people to relax and play sports, as well as a refuge from the often harsh environment of a city. What people often overlook is that parks also provide considerable environmental benefits.

One benefit of parks is that plants absorb carbon dioxide—a key pollutant—and emit oxygen, which humans need to breathe. According to one study, an acre of trees can absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide that a typical car emits in 11,000 miles of driving. Parks also make cities cooler. Scientists have long noted what is called the Urban Heat Island Effect: building materials such as metal, concrete, and asphalt absorb much more of the sun’s heat and release it much more quickly than organic surfaces like trees and grass. Because city landscapes contain so much of these building materials, cities are usually warmer than surrounding rural areas. Parks and other green spaces help to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect.

Unfortunately, many cities cannot easily create more parks because most land is already being used for buildings, roads, parking lots, and other essential parts of the urban environment. However, cities could benefit from many of the positive effects of parks by encouraging citizens to create another type of green space: rooftop gardens. While most people would not think of starting a garden on their roof, human beings have been planting gardens on rooftops for thousands of years. Some rooftop gardens are very complex and require complicated engineering, but others are simple container gardens that anyone can create with the investment of a few hundred dollars and a few hours of work.

Rooftop gardens provide many of the same benefits as other urban park and garden spaces, but without taking up the much-needed land. Like parks, rooftop gardens help to replace carbon dioxide in the air with nourishing oxygen. They also help to lessen the Urban Heat Island Effect, which can save people money. In the summer, rooftop gardens prevent buildings from absorbing heat from the sun, which can significantly reduce cooling bills. In the winter, gardens help hold in the heat that materials like brick and concrete radiate so quickly, leading to savings on heating bills. Rooftop vegetable and herb gardens can also provide fresh food for city dwellers, saving them money and making their diets healthier. Rooftop gardens are not only something everyone can enjoy, they are also a smart environmental investment.

The author claims all of the following to be the benefits of rooftop gardens EXCEPT ______________

A. savings on heating and cooling costs

B. better food for city dwellers

C. improved air quality

D. increased space for private relaxation

Answer 1

[Dương Hoàn Anh]

Đáp án D

Giải thích: Tất cả các phương án khác đều được tác giả nhắc đến là một tác dụng của vườn sân thượng, chỉ có phương án D. increased space for private relaxation là không được nhắc đến trong bài.

          A. savings on heating and cooling costs = tiết kiệm chi phí sưởi ấm và làm mát.

“In the summer, rooftop gardens prevent buildings from absorbing heat from the sun, which can significantly reduce cooling bills. In the winter, gardens help hold in the heat that materials like brick and concrete radiate so quickly, leading to savings on heating bills”. = Vào mùa hè, các khu vườn thượng ngăn các tòa nhà hấp thụ nhiệt từ ánh nắng mặt trời, có thể làm giảm đáng kể các hóa đơn làm mát. Vào mùa đông, vườn giúp giữ nhiệt mà các vật liệu như gạch và bê tông tỏa ra quá nhanh, dẫn đến tiết kiệm về chi phí sưởi ấm.

          B. better food for city dwellers = thực phẩm tốt hơn cho cư dân thành phố.  

“Rooftop vegetable and herb gardens can also provide fresh food for city dwellers” = vườn rau và thảo mộc trên sân thượng cũng có thể cung cấp thực phẩm tươi sống cho cư dân thành phố.

          C. improved air quality = cải thiện chất lượng không khí

“Like parks, rooftop gardens help to replace carbon dioxide in the air with nourishing oxygen”. = Giống như công viên, vườn trên mái nhà giúp thay thế carbon dioxide trong không khí bằng oxy bổ dưỡng