2. Read the descriptions of two events and check your ideas for exercise 1. What do you think of each prank? Use the adjectives below or your own ideas.

childish   clever   cruel   funny   predictable

Sarah_B: Tell us about pranks you played on friends or family members! 

Dave338: When I was about nine years old, I bought an enormous plastic spider from a joke shop. I couldn't wait to play a prank on my sister with it. One morning, I put it in the shower just before my big sister went into the bathroom. I waited outside the door. I heard a really loud scream and my sister ran out of the bathroom. I thought it was really funny, but she was really cross when she found out, and chased me round the house. I feel bad about it now, it took her ages to get over it because she was so shocked.

Kate44: Last February, I sent my brother a Valentine's card. In the card, I wrote 'Be my Valentine! With love from ???’, and I tried to disguise my handwriting. When he opened it, he looked carefully at the writing, and I thought for a moment he realised it was from me. But there was a girl in his class who he liked, and he thought the card was from her. He seemed really pleased and he decided to ask her out, and now they're going out! Eventually, he found out she didn't send it. He immediately suspected me, so I owned up. He was a bit cross, but he forgave me because of the happy ending.

1. Read the text and complete each blank of the fact file about Earth Hour with ONE word.

(Đọc văn bản và hoàn thành từng ô trống của tệp thông tin thực tế về Giờ Trái đất bằng MỘT từ.)

EARTH HOUR

Earth Hour is a global event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Held every year, it encourages people and businesses to turn off their lights and other unnecessary electrical devices for one hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March. Earth Hour was started as a lights-out event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then, it has grown to become an international movement for the environment, happening in more than 7,000 cities and towns across 187 countries and territories.

Earth Hour has created a positive environmental impact. It shows the public support for protecting the environment and saving the planet. It also draws attention to climate change and global energy issues, and promotes green activities worldwide.

Viet Nam joined the event in 2009 and has been an active and keen supporter since then. Besides switching off lights, people can take part in a number of activities to raise awareness of environmental problems and call for action for climate, people and nature.

1. Read the text. Match the highlighted words with their meanings.

(Đọc văn bản. Nối các từ được làm nổi bật với nghĩa của chúng.)

The more people travel, the bigger impact they may have on the environment. How can we reduce it while travelling? Here are some advice.

Reduce your carbon footprint while travelling. Since flying produces more carbon footprint than any other means of transport, you should only fly when the trip is long. During the trip, you should walk, cycle or use public transport as much as you can. This not only helps to keep the environment clean, but also allows you to enjoy the beauty of nature and interact with local people. 

Choose eco-friendly activities that benefit animals and the ecosystem. Avoid activities that allow you to touch or ride animals because they disturb their natural patterns and attract many people. Instead, visit wildlife parks or organic farms. These will help you understand and respect the nature more and stop doing things that harm the environment.

2. Read the text. Who replied to Zoe's message? When did they reply, and from where?

(Đọc bài khóa. Ai đã phản hồi tin nhắn của Zoe’s? Họ đã phản hồi khi nào, và ở đâu?)

Message in a bottle

In 1990, Zoe Lemon was on a ferry, sailing from Hull in England to Germany. She was going on holiday with her family. The journey was long and tiring and ten-year-old Zoe soon got bored. To pass the time, she decided to write a message in a bottle and drop it into the sea. 'It will be interesting if someone finds it,' she thought. Then she forgot about the bottle completely.

Twenty-three years later, she was amazed to get a reply from someone in the Netherlands. A man was walking on the beach and was surprised to find Zoe's bottle in the sand. He wrote to the address on the message, where Zoe's parents still live. Zoe was delighted, but it was also very moving for her to see her message again after twenty·three years, and she cried when she read it. 'It's astonishing that the bottle didn't break,' said Zoe. Her five-year-old son thinks it is all very exciting and wants to put a message in a bottle himself!

Task 1: Here is a sample for you to consult. Please fill in the blank with the words given.

convenient/ repair/ carry out/ replaced/ bought/ faithfully/ grateful/ guarantee/ found/ arrange/ appear/ assured.

6/2 Hiller Street

Waston A.C.T

12/22/2010

Dear Sir and Madam,

Repair to washing machine

On December 2nd your maintenance man called at my home to  ............the washing machine, a Wystaswyt Aqualosh which I  .........from you on January 7th of this year and which is still......... under . When your man finished, he ............. me that the machine was now working.

The following day I tried to use the machine but  ............that it was still not working properly. Again, it flooded the kitchen, I know a little about these machine but the problems ..............to be that the rubber seal around the door needs to be .

I should be ............if you would [arrange]for a competent person to call and  ...............the necessary repairs. A convenient time for me would be Thursday or Friday morning, any time between 8 and 12.

Please telephone me immediately if these times are not ...............

Yours ,

Peter

2. Read the texts. What are the two students talking about? Choose the correct answer.

(Đọc văn bản. Hai học sinh đang nói về điều gì? Chọn câu trả lời đúng.)

A. Ways of helping students

B. Ways of learning

C. How to enjoy learning

Kim

I think face-to-face learning is better than online learning because I can communicate with teachers and other classmates immediately and directly when I have questions. In class, I can work in groups and discuss with friends. This helps me understand the lessons better. When I have a problem, I can ask for answers or help immediately. I can't do this in online classes. I have to email my teachers and wait for their reply. Learning in a traditional classroom also has fewer distractions than learning online. My teachers have many strategies to keep us focused on the lessons. I really enjoy my lessons and learn a lot.

Laura

I think online learning has more advantages than disadvantages. My school is trying to change from face-to-face to blended learning, so sometimes we have online classes. I don't have to go to school, but I don't feel I'm missing any lessons by taking online classes. Furthermore, I think I learn online as much as I learn in a traditional class. I can't talk to my teacher and classmates, but I can email them at any time. I also have an online discussion board where I can exchange comments and ideas about my projects with my classmates. The only disadvantage is I really need to have a fast Internet connection.

1. Listen and complete a conversation with the expressions from the box. Then practise it in pairs.

(Nghe và hoàn thành một cuộc hội thoại với các cụm từ trong hộp. Sau đó thực hành theo cặp.)

Mum: Mai, Dad and I would like you to be a shop assistant.

Mai: (1) _______ that’s not possible. I want to go to medical school and become a surgeon.

Mum: (2) ______. It’s not easy to be a surgeon.

Mai: (3) _______. But I’m sure I can.

Mum: Besides medical knowledge, a surgeon must have physical and mental strength. Most surgeons are also men…

Mai: (4) ______. That’s why we need more women surgeons. We can be as good as men.

2. Read the text about WWF and complete the table.

(Đọc văn bản về WWF và hoàn thành bảng.)

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), originally called the World Wildlife Fund, is a non-governmental organisation. It was set up in 1961, and today it is the world's largest environmental organisation. It aims to stop the process of destroying the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans respect nature. Much of the work of WWF focuses on the survival of endangered animals and the protection of their natural habitats. These animals include the Indian elephant, the gorilla, the giant tortoise, and the giant panda. Currently, WWF has 5 million supporters worldwide. It works in more than 100 countries and supports around 1,300 environmental projects.

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.