2. Read the text. Are these sentences about the people who took part in the survey true or false? Write T or F.

(Đọc văn bản. Những câu này về những người đã tham gia khảo sát là đúng hay sai? Viết T (đúng) hoặc F (sai).)

a. Most have a positive view of the British overall. _____

b. More than half have a better opinion of the British now that they live in the country. _____

How foreigners see the British

What is a typical British person like? People who come to Britain from other countries probably have a few expectations: British people are polite, rather reserved, and enjoy drinking tea and standing in queues! But how accurate is this stereotype? In an online survey of 1402 foreign nationals living in the UK, just over half said that the British matched their expectations.

The survey also asked which aspects of the British character the foreign nationals liked and disliked. British people's good manners were popular with 49% and 40% liked the ability to queue. Many agreed that the British are reserved and for 32% this was a good quality but for 19% it was negative. Other negative aspects were the British sense of humour (31%) and British culture in general (28%). However, 77% said they liked British people in general and 61% said that their opinion of the British got better as a result of living in the UK. 

A spokesman for the researchers said: People probably come to Britain with a stereotype of what to expect. It’s good to see that, for the majority, the reality is better than the stereotype.'

1. Read the following passage and circle True (T), False (F) or Doesn’t say (DS).

(Đọc bài khóa bên dưới và khoanh tròn Đúng (T), Sai (F) hoặc Không nhắc đến (DS).)

Be happy!

There have been lots of surveys about teenagers and happiness and they all come to different conclusions. Some surveys say that most young people are happiest when they spend time with their family. Others say it's when they're with friends. Some teenagers think that getting good marks at school and passing exams make them happy, while others feel that it's having a boyfriend or girlfriend. The problem is that there isn't just one thing that makes everyone happy, and what made you happy last week might not make you happy next week! However, there are some things that can help improve your mood when you are feeling unhappy. Experts believe that exercise can make you a happier person because it releases chemicals in your brain that are related to a feeling of pleasure. There's another surprising idea to help make you happier. Although you might think that eating chocolate is bad for you, it seems, according to some experts, to be good to eat chocolate when you're feeling sad. Of course it isn't healthy to eat too much, but chocolate releases chemicals in the same way that exercise does - and for some people it's easier and quicker than working out in the gym! It's also important to remember that you can’t be happy all the time. You can be happy for brief moments and you should value these times. And when you feel sad, go for a run or eat some chocolate - you'll soon cheer up!

1. The surveys show that teenagers and parents have different ideas about happiness. T F DS 

2. The things that make us happy never change. T F DS 

3. The surveys show that teenagers who do exercise are happier. T F DS 

4. When we feel depressed we shouldn't eat chocolate. T F DS 

5. Exercise and eating chocolate can produce similar results. T F DS 

6. It’s important to value even short moments of happiness. T F DS

2. Read the text and choose the best tittle for it.

(Đọc văn bản và chọn tiêu đề hay nhất.)

a. Environmental problems: What are they?

b. Environmental protection: How important is it?

c. Environmental solutions: How practical are they?

The environment we live in is facing many serious problems. We need to be aware of these problems so that we can find ways to protect nature.

A. Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere. It is one of the biggest issues facing humans today. It can have serious consequences such as rising sea levels, polar ice melting, and extreme weather events like floods or heatwaves.

B. Another environmental problem is the cutting and clearing of natural forests. The loss of forests can have a negative impact on the environment. It can damage the natural habitats of many animals and put wildlife in danger. It can also destroy the natural soil and lead to climate change.

C. Air pollution is also a serious problem. It is mainly caused by waste gases that come out of vehicles, machines, or factories. When these harmful gases combine with the water in the air, they come down as rain or snow, which can damage all forms of life. In addition, this problem leads to global warming and climate change. It is also a major cause of respiratory diseases or even lung cancer.

D. Around the world, the number of endangered animals is rising. Many of them disappear because of pollution and climate change. In addition, humans illegally hunt and kill animals, and catch too many fish at once. This is upsetting the natural balance of ecosystems, which can be harmful to all living and non-living things.

3. Read the text again. Match the questions below with paragraphs A-E of the text. 

(Đọc bài khóa một lần nữa. Nối các câu hỏi bên dưới với các đoạn văn (A – E).)

In which paragraph does the writer tell us …

1. when doctors realised Ashlyn had a medical problem?

2. what causes her condition?

3. what happened when she burned her hands?

4. why some people die from this condition?

5. how school life for Ashlyn was unusual?

A life without pain

A. All children hurt themselves from time to time. But when thirteen-year-old Ashlyn Blocker gets injured, she doesn't realise it. Once, when she burned herself, she only knew about it when she looked at her skin. 

B. There was always something different about Ashlyn. As a baby, she didn't cry. When she was eight months old, her parents noticed there was some blood in her eye, so they took her to see a doctor. The doctor found a serious cut in her eye and was shocked. Why didn't the baby cry? Tests showed that Ashlyn had a very unusual medical condition: she couldn't feel any pain. 

C. This condition is very rare: many people who have it die of it. Pain is a natural warning that you're ill or injured. People who can't feel pain lust don't realise they're in danger. 

D. The first few years of Ashlyn's life were very difficult. She often tripped and injured herself. Once, she broke her ankle but she didn't stop running. During school breaks, one teacher watched Ashlyn all the time in the playground and they had to search for cuts. bruises or other injuries.

E. When she was five, Ashlyn's story appeared in newspapers and on TV. Scientists studied her condition and found she has a genetic disorder that means pain signals do not reach her brain. Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no hope of a cure. And, as Ashlyn knows, a life without pain is both difficult and dangerous.

2. Read a text about a famous music show. Match the highlighted words and phrases in the text to the meanings below.

(Đọc một văn bản về một chương trình ca nhạc nổi tiếng. Nối các từ và cụm từ được đánh dấu trong văn bản với các nghĩa bên dưới.)

American Idol was shown for the first time on television in January 2002. At that time, there were many movies and TV series, but no reality competitions on TV. The participants in this programme are ordinary people who the audience can really identify with.

First, judges travel all around America in search of the best singers and bring them to Hollywood. Twenty-four to thirty-six participants are then chosen to go on to the next stages where they perform live on TV, and receive the judges’ opinions. From the semi-final onwards, people over 13 and living in the US, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands can vote for their preferred singers online or through text messaging. The singer with the lowest number of votes is eliminated. On the final night, the most popular singer becomes the winner of that American Idol season.

People watch American Idol not only to see the participants sing, but also hear the comments of the judges, who play an important role in the competition. Their different opinions and interesting arguments make the show very exciting.

The first season of Vietnam Idol was shown in 2007. It included three stages: short performances to choose participants, semi-finals and finals. The winners of the show’s different seasons have become famous singers in Viet Nam.

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 wasprepared 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 himinto 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.

118. 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

119. 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

120. In paragraph 1, the word “him" refers to ____.

A. their son​​B. her husband ​C. Derek​​D. her colleague

121. 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

122. In paragraph 2, the word “reversal" is closest in meaning to ____.

A. stability​​B. modification​C. rehearsal​​D. switch

123. One reason tor 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

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, with 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.

5. In paragraph 2, the word “reversal" is closest in meaning to ____.

A. stability B. modification C. rehearsal D. switch

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Once upon a time, people left school or university, joined a company and stayed with it until they retired. The concept of a job for life is now long (31)_______, and nowadays many employees find it hard to stay loyal to their companies for even a relatively short period of time. According to a recent survey, this is particularly (32 )_______ in London, where more than half of those asked said that they constantly keep one eye on other job opportunities, (33)______ they are fairly happy in their existing job. A high number of London workers say that they are always on the (34)_______, although they are content and motivated in their current position. Job seekers find that the internet (35)_______ them with a quick and easy way to find out what's available, and 53 percent said that they had applied for a job or registered with an employment agency in the past 12 months.

Question 35:

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Once upon a time, people left school or university, joined a company and stayed with it until they retired. The concept of a job for life is now long (31)_______, and nowadays many employees find it hard to stay loyal to their companies for even a relatively short period of time. According to a recent survey, this is particularly (32 )_______ in London, where more than half of those asked said that they constantly keep one eye on other job opportunities, (33)______ they are fairly happy in their existing job. A high number of London workers say that they are always on the (34)_______, although they are content and motivated in their current position. Job seekers find that the internet (35)_______ them with a quick and easy way to find out what's available, and 53 percent said that they had applied for a job or registered with an employment agency in the past 12 months.

Question 33: