Test 2:

Phần 1:
Part one. Questions 1-5
Listen to an interview with a young film director, Lauren Casio and choose the
best answer. You will listen to it TWICE.
1. Lauren was encouraged to follow a career as a film because her teacher ______
A. could see that she had potential.
B. found her early attempts highly original.
C. were impressed by her level o motivation.
D. appreciated her ability to work within a budget.
2. How does Lauren respond when asked about critics of film school?
A. She think they would benefit from going to one.
B. She defends the record of the one that she attended.
C. She agrees that it’s less useful for certain types of work.
D. She regrets that it is the only option for poorer students.
3. Lauren didn’t start making full-length feature films sooner because______
A. She wanted to be sure of her ability first.
B. She had a bad experience with an early attempt.
C. She wasn’t lucky enough to have the opportunity.
D. She didn’t manage to find the financial backing she needed.
4. How does Lauren feel now about the film Hidden Valley Dreams?
A. She regrets the setting she chose for it.
B. She regards it as being far from perfect.
C. She’s surprised that it’s proved so popular.
D. She wishes she’d spent more time on the plot.
5. How does Lauren feel when she goes to give talks in schools?
A. unsure whether to reveal her humble background.
B. worried that she might give the kids unrealistic ambitions.
C. slightly uncomfortable with the idea of being a role model.
D. concerned that she may not command the respect of the students.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2.
For questions 6-10, you will hear a lecture on Energy. Decide whether following
statements are True (T) or False (F).
6. According to the lecture, solar-powered cars are impractical.
7. The diesel engine was first produced in 1824.
8. The diesel engine cost more to run.
9. Diesel engines emit fewer air pollutants than petrol-driven engines.
 10. Diesel engines are noisier and vibrate more.
Your answers
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3
Listen to VOA news. Complete the summary by writing NO MORE THAN
THREE words and/or a number in each gap. You will listen to this TWICE.

Israel has declared a 12-hour long 16. _____________________ in Gaza, which

would start around 17._____________________ local time. The pause in fighting
between 18. _____________________ and Israelis aims at solving the 19.
_____________________ that have resulted in the deadly violence between the two
sides. WHO is calling for a 20. _____________________to transport the wounded out
of the 21. _____________________.

Nigeria has confirm the 22. _____________________ after a man in Lagos tested
23. _____________________ . 24. _____________________ have been killed by the
virus this year. Also in northern Nigeria, a 25. _____________________has serious
effect on the health of many HIV/AIDS patients. 30,000 medical officials choose not to
work as a way to rescue the frail health care system of the country.

Phần II:
Part 1:
A. PHRASAL VERBS AND PREPOSITIONS (5PTS)
Choose the best options to complete the following sentences.
21. You are going to need her help. If I were you, I’d ___________ a bit. I’d try to get
her on my side, you know what I mean.
A. soap her down B. oil her over C. butter her up D. grease her
out
22. There is a great deal of pressure in the newspaper industry; editor might work a 12-
hour day with no _________.
A. come-down B. letdown C. crackdown D. let-
up
23. The first round of interviews only really serves to _________ the very weakest of
applicants.
A. tide over B. beat about C. bark up D. weed out
24. They will need time to _________ the proposals we have submitted.
A. lash out B. scroll over C. shrivel up D. mull over
25. The kids are _________ in the steam-filled room, and the girl seems grateful for
adult conversation.
A. impinging on B. larking about C. ploughing ahead D. floating out
26. Both the favourite and then the second favourite pulled out. Naturally, we thought
we were _________ a chance.
A in with B up for C in for D up
with
27. The man in the market was selling leather coats very cheaply: they were such
bargains that were soon ______ .
A.cleared off B.done for C.bought out D. snapped up
28. Our teacher tends to ______ certain subjects which she finds difficult to talk about
A.boil down B.string along C. skate over D.track down
29. He likes nothing better than to spend his Sunday mornings _________ in the
gardens.
A. pottering about B. hanging around C. whiling away D.winding
down
30. James kept trying to _________ his duties, but his manager told him if he didn’t
start taking responsibility for his work he would have to leave the company.
A. beaver away B. weasel out of C. chicken out of D. clam up

B. COLLOCATIONS AND IDIOMS (5PTS)

Choose the best options to complete the following sentences.
31. Normally, when he was late, he gave a pathetic excuse, but not this time, what he
said had a ______ of truth about it.
A. figment B. glimmer C. ring D. shred
32. The football fans were coming in _______ to watch the final game. An hour before
the kickoff the stadium was packed full.
A. fingers and thumbs B. bits and bobs
C. dribs and drabs D. bibs and tuckers
33. The Government is trying to ________when it says it will spend more on the health
service without raising taxes.
A. chew the fat B. wave the flag
C. square the circle D. put the lid
34. The government is using the taxes from the working class to bail out the banks that
ruined the economy? That really ________!
A. sows wild oats B. spills the beans
C. takes the biscuit D. upsets the apple cart
35. They will provide a lot of amusement hopping _______ over the rocks from one
puddle to another.
A. up and down B. in and out C. back and forth D. back to front
36. The candidate’s optimism gave _______ to doubt as the result ofs of exit polls
became known.
A. place B. lie C. vent
D. voice
37. We’d been working hard for a month and so decided to go out and _______.
A. paint the town red B. face the music
C. read between the lines D. steal the show
38. The country is an economic ______ with chronic unemployment and rampant
crime.
A. lost cause B. basket case C. false dawn D. dark horse
39. The opposition protests against the government now threaten to get out of ______
and the security forces are likely to make arrests around the country today.
A. reach B. kilter C. hand D. ordinary
40. I’m not sure I can answer that. I’ve only thought about it in the
____________before.
A. general B. hypothetical C. indefinite D. abstract

Part 2:
The passage below contains 10 mistakes. For questions 1- 10, find out and correct
them.
It was the human factor that contributes to the absolute majority of road
accidents which involves the tremendous toll of fatalities each year. Other, less
decisive, causes are vehicle functions or road shortcomings. Speeding motorists are
notorious about failing to give way at junctions, judging the situation on the road or
being unable to accurately estimate the distance while overtaking the “snailpacers”
ahead. Drinkers who settle behind the wheel after one glass or two may be running the
risk of causing a tragedy through their impairing perception, which is not so rare a case,
again.
Unfortunately, it is much simpler to introduce the necessary alterations in the
traffic system that change the behavioural patterns of drivers. There are voices that
more severe disciplinary resolutions ought to put into practice if the vehicle users are to
benefit from greater security on the road. The idea of producing safe road users through
pre-school parental instruction or through incorporating the safety regulations for
school curriculum has been widely acclaimed in many communities and are expected
to yield the required results as the first step in bettering the qualifications of the future
drivers and acquaint them with the potential hazards that may arise en route.
1. ……… 2……… 3……… 4……… 5………
6……… 7……… 8……… 9……… 10………
Part 3: Question 1: Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C,
or D) best fits each gap. Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes.
(10 pts) (CAE builder)
Gerard Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet
When Gerard Mercator was born in 1512, the geography of the globe still
(0)___ remained ______a mystery. It was unclear whether America was part of Asia,
if there was a vast (1) _________of sea at the top of the world or if Australia was
connected to Antarctica.
Mercator’s childhood was spent chiefly in Rupelmonde, a Flemish trading town on
the river, and it was here that his geographical imagination was (2) _________by the ships
which passed to and from the rest of the world. Alongside imagination, he developed two
very different skills. The first was the ability to gather, (3) _________and co-ordinate the
geographical information provided by explorers and sailors who frequented the margins of
the known. He also had to be able to imagine himself (4) _________from the heavens, to
achieve the visionary (5) _________of gods in the skies, (6) _________ down on the
world. The main reason why Mercator’s name is familiar to us is because of the Mercator
Projection: the solution he (7)_________to represent the spheroidal surface of the globe on
a two-dimensional plane. It is less well known that Mercator was the first man to conceive
of mapping the (8) _________surface of the planet or that he (9) _________the idea of
multiple maps being presented in bound books, to which he gave the name ‘Atlas’.
It is difficult for us now to be surprised by maps, so many are there, and of such
detail and coverage, but we should bear in mind that Mercator lived at a time when
such knowledge was far from (10) _________. He was the man who altered our
worldview forever.
0. A. remained B. continued C. maintained D. endured
1. A. territory B. distance C. range D. expanse
2. A. raised B. reared C. supplied D.
nourished
3. A. congregate B. amass C. assimilate D. construct
4. A. suspended B. located C. situated D.
attached
5. A. inspection B. observation C. perspective D.
assessment
6. A. glimpsing B. scrutinizing C. watching D.
gazing
7. A. invented B. contrived C. devised D. schemed
8. A. sheer B. full C. entire D. utter
9. A. pioneered B. initiated C. lead D.
prepared
10. A. typical B. common C. routine D. normal
Your answers:

1. …………… 2. …………… 3. …………… 4. …………… 5. ……………

6. …………… 7. …………… 8. …………… 9. …………… 10. ………..…

Question 4: Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space.
Use only one word in each space.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
(CPE succeed)
Karaoke fever

Karaoke is fast (0)____becoming_____ the nation’s Number One party pastime.

Public humiliation has (1)_________ been so fashionable. It’s 1 a.m. at an exclusive
location in the heart of London. A major pop singer has taken the stage but rather than
sing her latest hit, she treats the crowd (2)_________ a Michael Jackson song. What was
(3) _________ the party habit of teenagers is now favoured by London’s coolest crowd
and everyone is having a (4) _________. So why are so many of our young celebrities
queueing up to make fools of (5) _________ in clubs and bars across the country? Maybe
it’s because belting (6) _________ a naff pop song to a public audience shows that even
though you may be a celebrity, you don’t (7) _________ yourself too seriously. And if
you are a big movie star, that’s a good message to get across. Nobody gets away without
being laughed (8) _________ on a karaoke evening, no matter how famous they are. (9)
_________ all, that’s the whole point of the exercise. But for the musical experts among
you, a word of warning: this isn’t about proving to the world that you know all the lyrics
to a serious song. It’s about expressing your inner performer. Don’t bother (10)
_________ up at a karaoke night if you aren’t prepared to sing; you’ve got to put in the
effort and prove that you are one of the ‘in-crowd’. Break a leg!

Your answers:

1. …………… 2. …………… 3. …………… 4. …………… 5. ……………

6. …………… 7. …………… 8. …………… 9. …………… 10. ………..…

Part 5: Read the passage and choose one of four options to answer the questions
(10 points)
It is estimated that over 99 percent of all species that ever existed have become
extinct. What causes extinction? When a species is no longer adapted to a change
environment, it may perish. The exact causes of a species’ death vary from situation to
situation. Rapid ecological change may render an environment hostile to a species. For
example, temperatures may change and a species may not be adapt. Food resources
may be affected by environmental changes, which will then cause problems for a
species requiring these resources. Other species may become better adapted to an
environment, resulting in competition and, ultimately, in the death of a species.

The fossil record reveals that extinction has occurred throughout the history of Earth.
Recent analyses have also revealed that on some occasions many species became
extinct at the same time - a mass extinction. One of the best - known examples of mass
extinction occurred 65 million years ago with the demise of dinosaurs and many other
forms of life. Perhaps the largest mass extinction was the one that occurred 225 million
years ago, when approximately 95 percent of all species died. Mass extinctions can be
caused by a relatively rapid change in the environment and can be worsened by the
close interrelationship of many species. If, for example, something were to happen to
destroy much of the plankton in the oceans, then the oxygen content of Earth would
drop, affection even organisms not living in the oceans. Such a change would probably
lead to amass extinction. One interesting, and controversial, finding is that extinctions
during the past 250 million years have tended to be more intense every 26 million
years. The periodic extinction might be due to intersection of the earth’s orbit with a
cloud of comets, but this theory is purely speculative. Some researchers have also
speculated that extinction may often be random. That is, certain species may be
eliminated and others may survive for no particular reason. A species’ survival may
have nothing to do with its ability or inability to adapt. If so, some of revolutionary
history may reflect a sequence of essentially random events.
1: The underlined word “ ultimately “ is closest in meaning to
A. exceptionally  B. unfortunately 
C. eventually  D. dramatically
2: What does the author say in paragraph 1 regarding most species in Earth’s history?
A. They have been able to adapt to ecological changes.
B. They have caused rapid change in the environment .
C. They have remained basically unchanged from their original forms
D. They are no longer in existence.
3: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as resulting from rapid
ecological change?
A. Availability of food resources  B. Introduction of new species
C. Temperature changes  D. Competition among species
4: The word “demise” is closest in meaning to
A. help  B. death.  C. recovery  D. change
5: Why is “ plankton” mentioned in the second paragraph?
A. To emphasize the importance of food resources in preventing mass extinction
B. To illustrate a comparison between organisms that live on the land and those that
live in the ocean
C. To point out that certain species could never become extinct
D. To demonstrate the interdependence of different species
6: According to paragraph 2, evidence from fossils suggests that
A. There has been only one mass extinction in Earth’s history.
B. Extinction of species has occurred from time to time throughout Earth’s history.
C. Extinctions on Earth have generally been massive.
D. Dinosaurs became extinct much earlier than scientists originally believed.
7: The underlined word “ finding” is closest in meaning to
A. published information 
B. research method
C. scientific discovery. 
D. ongoing experiment
8: Which of the following can be inferred from the theory of periodic extinction
mentioned in paragraph 3?
A. The theory is no longer seriously considered.
B. Most scientists believe the theory to be accurate.
C. Many scientists could be expected to disagree with it.
D. Evidence to support the theory has recently been found.
9: In paragraph 3, the author makes which of the following statements about a species’
survival?
A. It is associated with astronomical condition
B. It may depend on chance events.
C. It does not vary greatly from species to species
D. It reflects the interrelationship of may species.
10: According to the passage, it is believed that the largest extinction of the species
occurred
A. 65 million years ago  B. 250 million years ago
C. 225 million years ago  D. 26 million years ago

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 6. Read the following passage then do the tasks that follow. (10 points)
HOW DOES THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICK?
A. Our life span is restricted. Everyone accepts this as 'biologically' obvious. ‘Nothing
lives for ever!’ However, in this statement we think of artificially produced, technical
objects, products which are subjected to natural wear and tear during use. This leads to
the result that at some time or other the object stops working and is unusable ('death' in
the biological sense). But are the wear and tear and loss of function of technical objects
and the death of living organisms really similar or comparable?
B. Our ‘dead’ products are ‘static’, closed systems. It is always the basic material
which constitutes the object and which, in the natural course of things, is worn down
and becomes 'older’. Ageing in this case must occur according to the laws of physical
chemistry and of thermodynamics. Although the same law holds for a living organism,
the result of this law is not inexorable in the same way. At least as long as a biological
system has the ability to renew itself it could actually become older without ageing; an
organism is an open, dynamic system through which new material continuously flows.
Destruction of old material and formation of new material are thus in permanent
dynamic equilibrium. The material of which the organism is formed changes
continuously. Thus our bodies continuously exchange old substance for new, just like a
spring which more or less maintains its form and movement, but in which the water
molecules are always different.
C. Thus ageing and death should not be seen as inevitable, particularly as the organism
possesses many mechanisms for repair. It is not, in principle, necessary for a biological
system to age and die. Nevertheless, a restricted life span, ageing, and then death are
basic characteristics of life. The reason for this is easy to recognise: in nature, the
existent organisms either adapt or are regularly replaced by new types. Because of
changes in the genetic material (mutations) these have new characteristics and in the
course of their individual lives they are tested for optimal or better adaptation to the
environmental conditions. Immortality would disturb this system - it needs room for
new and better life. This is the basic problem of evolution
D. Every organism has a life span which is highly characteristic. There are striking
differences in life span between different species, but within one species the parameter
is relatively constant. For example, the average duration of human life has hardly
changed in thousands of years. Although more and more people attain an advanced age
as a result of developments in medical care and better nutrition, the characteristic upper
limit for most remains 80 years. A further argument against the simple wear and tear
theory is the observation that the time within which organisms age lies between a few
days (even a few hours for unicellular organisms) and several thousand years, as with
mammoth trees.
E. If a lifespan is a genetically determined biological characteristic, it is logically
necessary to propose the existence of an internal clock, which in some way measures
and controls the aging process and which finally determines death as the last step in a
fixed programme. Like the fife span, the metabolic rate has for different organisms a
fixed mathematical relationship to the body mass. In comparison to the life span this
relationship is ‘inverted’: the larger the organism the lower its metabolic rate. Again
this relationship is valid not only for birds, but also, similarly on average within the
systematic unit, for all other organisms (plants, animals, unicellular organisms).
F. Animals which behave ‘frugally’ with energy become particularly old for example,
crocodiles and tortoises. Parrots and birds of prey are often held chained up. Thus they
are not able to ‘experience life’ and so they attain a high life span in captivity. Animals
which save energy by hibernation or lethargy (e.g. bats or hedgehogs) live much longer
than those which are always active, The metabolic rate of mice can be reduced by a
very low consumption of food (hunger diet) They then may live twice as long as their
well fed comrades. Women become distinctly (about 10 per cent) older than men. If
you examine the metabolic rates of the two sexes you establish that the higher male
metabolic rate roughly accounts for the lower male life span. That means that they live
life ‘energetically’ - more intensively, but not for as long.
G. It follows from the above that sparing use of energy reserves should tend to extend
life. Extreme high performance sports may lead to optimal cardiovascular performance,
but they quite certainly do not prolong life. Relaxation lowers metabolic rate, as does
adequate sleep and in general an equable and balanced personality. Each of us can
develop his or her own ‘energy saving programme’ with a little self observation,
critical self-control and, above all, logical consistency. Experience will show that to
live in this way not only increases the life span but is also very healthy. This final
aspect should not be forgotten.
The Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G,
For question 1-6, choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-G from the list of
headings below.
Write the correct number, i-x, in the corresponding numbered boxes.
LIST OF HEADINGS

i The biological clock

ii Why dying is beneficial
iii The ageing process of men and women
iv Prolonging your life
v Limitations of life span
vi Modes of development of different species
vii A stable life span despite improvements
viii Energy consumption
ix Fundamental differences in ageing of objects and organisms
x Repair of genetic material

Example answer: Paragraph A: v

Your answers
1. Paragraph B …............. 2. Paragraph C …............. 3. Paragraph D ….............

4. Paragraph E …............. 5. Paragraph F …............. 6. Paragraph G ….............

Questions 7-10, complete the notes below

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write
your answers in boxes 7-10
 Objects age in accordance with principles of (7) __________ and of (8)
_________
 Through mutations, organisms can (9) __________ better to the environment
 (10) __________ would pose a serious problem for the theory of evolution
Your answers
7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 7. You are going to read an article about colour-taste relationships. For questions
47-56, choose from the sections of the article (A-D). The sections may be chosen more
than once.

In which section are the following mentioned?

47 the influence of external factors other than the colour of food or drink

48 the idea that reaction to colours is not uniform

49 the type of people who are most susceptible to colour influence

50 a collaboration between people from different backgrounds

51 the effect of impaired vision on eating habits

52 something that interests people but not for its original purpose

53 a hypothetical situation which may disgust us

54 some people’s ability to be more precise than others in describing subtle taste
changes

55 the way companies can use psychology to make us eat more

56 a belief that some people are naturally reluctant to taste something

How we taste different colours

A
We’ve all heard that the first bite is taken with the eye but the link between our visual
sense and our flavour perception may be stronger than you think. When I think of
flavour perception, noses and taste buds primarily spring to mind. Sure, other factors
such as texture, temperature and touch sensations play a part but taste and smell are the
dominant senses here, right? Well, perhaps not. You only have to consider the
insatiable public appetite for food pictures masquerading as cookbooks to see there is
meat to the old adage we eat with our eyes. Charles Spence, the Oxford experimental
psychologist who helped Heston Blumenthal develop some of his playful multisensory
signature dishes, places vision right up there with smell, in flavour’s ‘premier league’,
if you will. ‘Half the brain is visual in some sense,’ says Spence. This is, in part, why
the colour of our food and drink can not only determine whether it is appetising but its
flavour, too.

В
It is often said that we have an inherent aversion to blue food because it appears so
rarely in nature. Another popular theory is that we’re attracted to red food because it
signals ripeness, sweetness and calories.But is this an innate preference? Probably not,
thinks Chris Lukehurst, head of research at the Marketing Clinic. How colour affects
appetite is inconsistent and contextual. Think about green food and you might picture
fresh, nutritious rocket, watercress or cucumber. Or perhaps under-ripe, sour fruits.
‘However, If I talk to you about green meat,’ he says, ‘your stomach probably turns.’ It
is interesting, though, that a dyed-blue steak will have the same effect, even if you
know it’s perfectly safe. If you get people to eat it in the dark, says Spence, ‘so they
think it’s normal, then you turn the lights up and show them the colour, some will get
up and be sick straightaway.’ Such is the powerfully aversive effect of food colour out
of context.

C
As well as tasting the colour of what we consume, we can also taste the shade of its
wrapping. Spence has tricked people into confusing salt and vinegar crisps with cheese
and onion flavour merely by switching packets. ‘Many of our subjects will taste the
colour of the crisp packet, not the crisp itself,’ he says. Our brains excel in picking up
associations and using them as shortcuts. When the colour makes us expect something
to taste a certain way, we’ll taste what we expect unless it’s shockingly different. Using
multiple colours in sweets such as Smarties and M&Ms is a strategy to get you to eat
lots of them. People will wolf down more from a mixed bowl than they will from a
bowl full of their favourite colour. And a recent study from Cornwell University
showed that you’ll eat more, too, if your food colour matches the plate, while a contrast
will have the opposite effect.

D
If you can’t see colours, you might expect your other senses to sharpen and compensate
but blind people don’t taste or smell any more than anyone else. They are, however,
generally better at naming smells, which most sighted people struggle with. So they
may not be tasting more intensely but they can identify flavours better without visual
cues. Not surprisingly, losing your sight can make eating stressful and it is thought to
contribute to a diminished appetite in old age. But even losing the capacity to see
colours can have adverse effects. In his book An Anthropologist on Mars, Oliver Sacks
told the fascinating story of a man who experienced this after an accident. He found
eating less pleasurable and started to choose black or white foods, or eat with his eyes
closed. Following a discussion with Blumenthal, Spence and his team at Oxford did
some research to discover who is the most easily influenced by the effects of colouring
and found that those at the super-taster end of the spectrum rely less on their eyes.
‘Whereas those with fewer taste buds,’ says Spence, ‘will be more easily led astray or
say,”Yep, I see red therefore it’s sweet”.’

Part 8:
1. When she accepted the job, the au pair girl assumed that she would be free every
weekend.
When she accepted the job, the au pair girl took ...........................................................................
2. In the summer, there are thousands more tourists than locals.
In the summer, the locals are vastly ...............................................................................................
3. He has an obsession about the dishonesty of lawyers..
BEE
He
4. You can’t compare tabloids with quality newspapers.
FISH
Tabloids ..........................................................................................................................................
5. It is her father who is Italian.HALF
She .................................................................................................................................................
6. Nobody knows what annoyed our boss. (CHEESED)
→
Why ..................................................................................................................................
........
7. It was not until he lost the last match that he realized he was a little too old for
competitions. (LONG)
→
Hardly ................................................................................................................................
..........
8. The serious look on his face stopped us revealing the secret. (CAT)
→ Hadn’t
it ........................................................................................................................................
9. It was unwise of you to try to do so many things without being aware of your
shortcomings. (THIN)
→ You
shouldn’t ............................................................................................................................
....
10. He would spend his very last penny trying to ingratiate himself with his father-in-
law. (EXPENSE)
→ In
his ..................................................................................................................................

KEY:
Phần 1:
Part 1. (10 points)
1. A 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. C

Part 2. (10 points)

6. T 7. F 8. F 9. T 10. T

Part 3
 16. cease-fire
17. 7:00 a.m.
18. Palestinians
19. underlying issues
20. humanitarian corridor
21. conflict zone
22. presence of Ebola
23. positive
24. hundreds of people
25. nationwide doctor’s strike

Transcript
Part 1.
Interviewer: My guest today is the young film director Lauren Casio, whose first
full-length feature film Hidden Valley Dreams has been well received
critically, as well as achieving box office success. Lauren, was it always
your ambition to be a film maker?
Lauren: I did media studies at college, actually, and had no great desire to go
into film-making when I started. As part of the course, I made some
short films, and on the strength of that, some of the staff suggested I
went in that direction. I mean, they were extremely short, three-minute
films, but they seemed to see some promise and encouraged me. I
wasn't doing anything ground-breaking, but the fact that I was able to
put images together and tell a story in a very economical way time-wise
was something I think they responded to and wanted me to pursue. So
after finishing that course I enrolled in film school, where I could
concentrate on that.
Interviewer: I’ve heard some people saying: ‘Film school’s a waste of time, don't
bother with it’. What do you feel about that?
Lauren: There's young people coming into film-making from commercials,
videos, and television saying that, but what works for one person may
not work for another, so perhaps they don’t need it. I had no family
connections in the business, and no private means so, for me, being in
an environment where the equipment was available and the help was
freely given, that opened doors. The fact that people I was at school
with are now making their way in the film world is also testimony to its
value. But I’m not saying it’s the only route.
Interviewer: But it’s taken you a long time to get from your first shorts to your first
 full-length feature film, hasn’t it?
Lauren: That was no accident really. I went through a process of making shorter
films so that I could acquire some skills. A lot of people get out of
school, make one film, and want to make that leap into feature films.
But invariably, they fall flat on their faces. Maybe some of them are
ready to make the leap earlier; I knew I wasn’t. I wasn’t prepared to
squander time and money doing something I hadn’t yet got the
experience and expertise to carry off. I wasn’t short of offers, even
financially attractive ones, but it wasn’t the right moment.
Interviewer: I think your women characters are very good, but I think your men
characters are incredible.
Lauren: Thanks! But with all characters, trying to find some dimension in them
is very important to me, whatever the gender. Certainly we see a lot of
stereotypes in films, men and women – lookalike representations of a
certain common perception. I've always wanted to create characters
with a bit more to them than that: people with a depth that might allow
an audience to see a different side to their characters … but not by
making them behave in unnatural ways. That just confuses the audience.
So, my male characters are macho, sure, but there’s got to be a
vulnerability there. That's been a very conscious thing, and even the
villains need to have a conscience.
Interviewer: So what about Hidden Valley Dreams?
Lauren: Well, though I can’t deny that I’m proud of it, there's a lot of things I’d
change if I were to make that film again. I remember sitting one
afternoon, and just writing it (the storyline) in about four or five hours.
It seemed to be something that needed to come out. Writing for me has
never been that easy since! Perhaps it was a dumb idea for me to go out
and make a 1940s period film as my debut because the resources and
the control I had over the environment – the logistics – were very
limited. I tried a bunch of things … a social theme, but a story with a
sense of humor. I just had a gut feeling that it would appeal, and it
worked, but don’t ask me how!
Interviewer: And would you encourage kids who’d like to get into film-making?
Lauren: Why not? Actually, I get invited to talk occasionally at high schools.
Although I have mixed feelings about the whole notion of being
someone to look up to, of being a role model, I think it’s important for
kids to see that the things that they’re aspiring to are doable – that we’re
 not giving them false dreams. If, through some conversation with
myself, or anyone else who’s worked hard to get where they are, they
can identify with the fact that I'm just some kid from an ordinary
background like them, then that's cool. I can’t pretend I’ll ever be a real
superhero to those young people, but I try to do what I can.
Interviewer: Thank you Lauren, we have to leave it there.

Part 2.
Electric cars? Solar-powered buses? When most people imagine solutions to the
problems of city air pollution they probably think of electricity and solar power. But
the problem with an electric cars is that the electrical energy stored within the batteries
has to be first produced by conventional means such as burning coal, which creates the
very problem the car is supposedly designed to avoid. Even the battery disposal is an
environmental hazard. As for solar power, at present the solar panels that catch the
sunlight are twice as big as the cars they power. And speeds of ten kilometres an hous
are hardly practical. What is required is as safe, cheap and highly efficient engine that
produces fewer major air pollutants and only in small quantities. You may be surprised
that the answer has been with us for quite some time.
The probable solution to city air pollution is a concept for an engine that was first
proposed by a French scientist in 1824 and later designed and patented by a German
refrigeration engineer in 1892, whose name was Rudolph Diesel. His design for an
engine that would produce more energy output but burn less fuel became known as the
diesel engine. Most people think of diesel engines as being efficient and cheaper to run
but smelly and rather noisy. 
It is true that the black soot emitted from the exhausts of diesel lorries is far fewer of all
the major air pollutants than petrol-driven engines, except for nitrogen oxides and black
soot. However, soot can be trapped, and already new diesel engines are under
development, being redesigned to burn diesel fuel in such a way that the nitrogen oxide
gases are released into the air as harmless nitrogen and oxygen. 
In fact, if all cars were running on diesel fuel, air pollution in major cities would
disappear overnight. Why then has it taken this long to do something about it? The
problem is that the disadvantages of diesel engines, which include greater noise and
vibration as well as taking longer to start up, have meant that car manufacturers have
been reluctant to invest in productions of more expensive diesel-powered cars – afraid
that customers would not purchase their products. Fortunately, new technology is
ensuring that diesel-powered engines become lean, clean and mean. It might not be
long before city smog is but a distant memory. 

Part 3

This is VOA news. Twelve-hour Middle East cease-fire is announced. And Ebola takes
its 1st life in Nigeria. I’m Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington.
Israel has declared a 12-hour-long cease-fire in Gaza for Saturday. That’s according to
a U.S. official.
Reportedly, the pause in fighting would start around 7:00 a.m. local time, or 0400
Universal Time, and the cease-fire would be in honor of Eid– the Muslim holiday
marking the end of Ramadan, according to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
This announcement comes after Kerry told reporters in Cairo that he believes Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to working toward a cease-fire.
Israeli media reports say Mr. Netanyahu and his cabinet want changes in a proposed 7-
day truce with Hamas militants proposed by Egypt.
Kerry said the pause in the fighting would be used to bring all sides together to look at
the underlying issues that have led to weeks of deadly violence between Israelis and
Palestinians. The World Health Organization is calling for a humanitarian corridor in
Gaza to transport the wounded for urgent treatment to medical facilities outside the
conflict zone.
As Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva, the WHO says the emergency medical facilities
should be located at crossing points between the Gaza Strip and Israel as well as
neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
WHO reports 4 hospitals, 12 clinics and 10 ambulances as well as a specialized center
for the disabled have been damaged. It says surgical wards have been put out of
service. It says all functioning health facilities are suffering severe shortages of
supplies, particularly for surgical practices.
The U.N. health agency says a humanitarian corridor would facilitate the delivery of
such supplies.
Lisa Schlein, for VOA news, Geneva.

Nigeria has confirmed the Ebola virus is present in the country as officials report a man
who died in Lagos Friday tested positive.
A VOA Hausa service reporter in Lagos identified the deceased man as 40-year-old
Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian who became ill soon after arriving on a flight from
Monrovia on Sunday.
Nigeria is now the 4th West African country to confirm the presence of Ebola. The
virus has killed 100s of people this year in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
In northern Nigeria, the health of many HIV/AIDS patients is rapidly declining as a
nationwide doctor’s strike is reported 30,000 medical officials choosing not to work.
[The Nigerian], rather, the Nigerian Medical Association says the strike is the only way
they know to rescue Nigeria’s frail health care system.
Meanwhile, nurses accuse strikers of abandoning public care in favor of more lucrative
private practices.

Phần 2
Part 1:
A: 21. C 22. D 23. D 24. D 25. B 26. A 27. D 28. C 29. A 30. B
21. You are going to need her help. If I were you, I’d ___________ a bit. I’d try to get
her on my side, you know what I mean.
A. soap her down B. oil her over C. butter her up D. grease her
out
butter sb up= to be very kind or friendly to someone or try to please someone, so that
that person will do what you want them to do
soap sb down= cover someone, something, or oneself in soap
22. There is a great deal of pressure in the newspaper industry; editor might work a 12-
hour day with no _________.
A. come-down B. letdown C. crackdown D. let-
up
Let-up= the stopping or slowing down of something that is unpleasant
23. The first round of interviews only really serves to _________ the very weakest of
applicants.
A. tide over B. beat about C. bark up D. weed out
Weed out= get rid of people or things that are not wanted
Tide over = help someone to work or operate normally through a difficult period,
usually by lending them money
'Bark up the wrong tree' có một động từ mới là to bark nghĩa là sủa. Bark up the wrong
tree nghĩa đen là sủa lầm lên cây, và nghĩa bóng là hiểu lầm một vấn đề và do đó hành
động cũng sai lầm.
24. They will need time to _________ the proposals we have submitted.
A. lash out B. scroll over C. shrivel up D. mull over
Mull over = suy ngẫm kỹ về điều gì
Lash out = suddenly attack someone or something physically or criticize him, her, or it
in an angry way
25. The kids are _________ in the steam-filled room, and the girl seems grateful for
adult conversation.
A. impinging on B. larking about C. ploughing ahead D. floating out
larking about= have fun by behaving in a silly way
plough ahead =to continue to do something in spite of opposition or difficulties
impinge on/upon sb/sth=have an effect on something, often causing problems by
limiting it in some way:
26. Both the favourite and then the second favourite pulled out. Naturally, we thought
we were _________ a chance.
A in with B up for C in for D up
with
In with a chance = đang có cơ hội tốt/khả năng cao để hoàn thành công việc.
27. The man in the market was selling leather coats very cheaply: they were such
bargains that were soon ______ .
A.cleared off B.done for C.bought out D. snapped up
Snap up= buy or obtain something quickly and enthusiastically
28. Our teacher tends to ______ certain subjects which she finds difficult to talk about
A.boil down B.string along C. skate over D.track down
skate over/around sth=avoid dealing completely with something or to fail to pay
enough attention to it
29. He likes nothing better than to spend his Sunday mornings _________ in the
gardens.
A. pottering about B. hanging around C. whiling away D.winding
down
potter about/around (sth)=spend time in a pleasant, relaxed way, often doing small jobs
in your house
30. James kept trying to _________ his duties, but his manager told him if he didn’t
start taking responsibility for his work he would have to leave the company.
A. beaver away B. weasel out of C. chicken out of D. clam up
weasel out (of sth)=avoid doing something that you have agreed to do, especially by
being dishonest
beaver away = làm việc chăm chỉ trong khoảng thời gian dài.

'chickened out' (of something), ý bạn muốn nói họ đã không làm điều gì, hoặc chưa thử
làm điều đó, vì sợ hãi
clam up' có nghĩa là trở nên im lặng vì bạn lo lắng, xấu hổ hay không muốn nói về
điều gì.

31. C 32. C 33. C 34. C 35. C 36. A 37. A 38. B 39. C 40. D
31. Normally, when he was late, he gave a pathetic excuse, but not this time, what he
said had a ______ of truth about it.
A. figment B. glimmer C. ring D. shred
have a/the ring of truth= to seem to be true
32. The football fans were coming in _______ to watch the final game. An hour before
the kickoff the stadium was packed full.
A. fingers and thumbs B. bits and bobs
C. dribs and drabs D. bibs and tuckers
In dribs and drabs" = nhỏ từng giọt -> nghĩa là định kì nhưng với số lượng rất nhỏ,
từng li từng tí một.
Be all fingers and thumbs" or "Be all thumbs" = chỉ toàn ngón cái -> nghĩa là vụng về
bits and bobs= những thứ linh tinh,lặt vặt
your best bib and tucker=your best clothes that you wear on special occasions
33. The Government is trying to ________when it says it will spend more on the health
service without raising taxes.
A. chew the fat B. wave the flag
C. square the circle D. put the lid
chew the fat= quây quần tán dóc
wave the flag= show support for the country, group, or organization that you belong to
square the circle= tìm giải pháp tốt cho một vấn đề dường như không thể thực hiện
được, đặc biệt khi những người liên quan có yêu cầu hay ý kiến khác nhau.
put the lid on sth= keep something under control and stop it from increasing
34. The government is using the taxes from the working class to bail out the banks that
ruined the economy? That really ________!
A. sows wild oats B. spills the beans
C. takes the biscuit D. upsets the apple cart
Sow wild cats= If a young man sows his wild oats, he has a period of his life when he
does a lot of exciting things and has a lot of sexual relationships
spills the beans=let the cat out of the bag =tiết lộ bí mật
Take the biscuit" = Ăn bánh quy -> Một ví dụ khó chịu hoặc gây sửng sốt về cái gì đó;
bị sốc, thất vọng và tức giận.
upsets the apple cart= phá hỏng hoàn toàn kế hoạch của người khác, phá đám (spoil a
plan or disturb the status quo)
35. They will provide a lot of amusement hopping _______ over the rocks from one
puddle to another.
A. up and down B. in and out C. back and forth D. back to front
ups and downs= những thăng trầm trong cuộc sống,lịch sử
the ins and outs= the detailed or complicated facts of something
back and forth= moving first in one direction and then in the opposite one
know sth back to front=to have very good and detailed knowledge of something:
36. The candidate’s optimism gave _______ to doubt as the result ofs of exit polls
became known.
A. place B. lie C. vent
D. voice
Give place to= nhường chỗ cho
give the lie to sth=to prove that something is not true:
give vent to = Nói cho hả, nói một cách tự do; trút hết cơn giận.
give voice to sth=to express your thoughts or feelings in words:
 37. We’d been working hard for a month and so decided to go out and _______.
A. paint the town red B. face the music
C. read between the lines D. steal the show
paint the town red= go out and enjoy yourself by drinking alcohol, dancing, laughing
with friends, etc.:
face the music= chịu trận,gánh chịu hậu quả
read between the lines = look for or discover a meaning that is hidden or implied
rather than explicitly stated
steal the show= ý nói một người biết cách gây sự chú ý (hài hước, thú vị...), được hoan
nghênh nhiệt liệt
38. The country is an economic ______ with chronic unemployment and rampant
crime.
A. lost cause B. basket case C. false dawn D. dark horse
lost cause= a person or thing that can no longer hope to succeed or be changed for the
better
basket case = someone who is extremely nervous or anxious and is therefore unable
to organize their life// a country or company that is very unsuccessful financially
false dawn= something that seems to show that a successful period is beginning or that
a situation is improving when it is not
dark horse= chỉ người, một vật gì đó mà ít ai biết đến.
39. The opposition protests against the government now threaten to get out of ______
and the security forces are likely to make arrests around the country today.
A. reach B. kilter C. hand D. ordinary
get out of hand=To become chaotic and unmanageable, as of a situation.
40. I’m not sure I can answer that. I’ve only thought about it in the
____________before.
A. general B. hypothetical C. indefinite D. abstract
in the abstract =thinking about something only as a general idea without referring to
real situations or practical experience
Part 2:
1. involves-> involve
2. functions-> malfunction
3. about-> for
4. judging-> misjudging
5. impairing-> impaired
6. that-> than
7. to put-> to be put
8. for-> into
9. are-> is
10. acquaint -> acquainting
Question 1 1.0 point for each correct answer

1. D 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. C
6. D 7. C 8. C 9. A 10. B

Question 3
Gerard Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet
When Gerard Mercator was born in 1512, the geography of the globe still
(0)___ remained ______a mystery. It was unclear whether America was part of Asia,
if there was a vast (1) _________of sea at the top of the world or if Australia was
connected to Antarctica.
Mercator’s childhood was spent chiefly in Rupelmonde, a Flemish trading town on
the river, and it was here that his geographical imagination was (2) _________by the ships
which passed to and from the rest of the world. Alongside imagination, he developed two
very different skills. The first was the ability to gather, (3) _________and co-ordinate the
geographical information provided by explorers and sailors who frequented the margins of
the known. He also had to be able to imagine himself (4) _________from the heavens, to
achieve the visionary (5) _________of gods in the skies, (6) _________ down on the
world. The main reason why Mercator’s name is familiar to us is because of the Mercator
Projection: the solution he (7)_________to represent the spheroidal surface of the globe on
a two-dimensional plane. It is less well known that Mercator was the first man to conceive
of mapping the (8) _________surface of the planet or that he (9) _________the idea of
multiple maps being presented in bound books, to which he gave the name ‘Atlas’.
It is difficult for us now to be surprised by maps, so many are there, and of such
detail and coverage, but we should bear in mind that Mercator lived at a time when
such knowledge was far from (10) _________. He was the man who altered our
worldview forever.
0. A. remained B. continued C. maintained D. endured
1. A. territory B. distance C. range D. expanse
a vast expanse of sea: 1 vùng biển bao la,rộng lớn
2. A. raised B. reared C. supplied D. nourished
If you nourish a imagination, feeling, belief, or plan, you think about it a lot and
encourage it
3. A. congregate B. amass C. assimilate D. construct
Assimilate information : understand and remember new information and make it part of
your basic knowledge so that you can use it as your own
4. A. suspended B. located C. situated D.
attached
Suspend from heaven : treo lơ lửng trên bầu trời
5. A. inspection B. observation C. Perspective D. assessment
the visionary perspective: tầm nhìn xa trông rộng
6. A. glimpsing B. scrutinizing C. watching D.
gazing
gaze down :chăm chú nhìn cái gì
7. A. invented B. contrived C. devised D. schemed
Devise : invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually using your intelligence or
imagination
8. A. sheer B. full C. entire D. utter
The entire surface : toàn bộ bề mặt
9. A. pioneered B. initiated C. lead D.
prepared
Pinoneer: to be the first person or organization to start work in a new area, introduce a
new idea, etc.
10. A. typical B. common C. routine D. normal
far from common: rời xa thực tế,thông thường

Question 4

1. never/rarely 2. To 3. once

4. go 5. Themselves 6. Out 7. take

8. at 9. Turning 10. showing

Part 5 Read the passage and choose one of four options to answer the questions (10 points)
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. B 5. D
6. B 7.C 8. C 9. B 10. C
It is estimated that over 99 percent of all species that ever existed have become
extinct. What causes extinction? When a species is no longer adapted to a change
environment, it may perish. The exact causes of a species’ death vary from situation to
situation. Rapid ecological change may render an environment hostile to a species. For
example, temperatures may change and a species may not be adapt. Food resources
may be affected by environmental changes, which will then cause problems for a
species requiring these resources. Other species may become better adapted to an
environment, resulting in competition and, ultimately, in the death of a species.

The fossil record reveals that extinction has occurred throughout the history of Earth.
Recent analyses have also revealed that on some occasions many species became
extinct at the same time - a mass extinction. One of the best - known examples of mass
extinction occurred 65 million years ago with the demise of dinosaurs and many other
forms of life. Perhaps the largest mass extinction was the one that occurred 225 million
years ago, when approximately 95 percent of all species died. Mass extinctions can be
caused by a relatively rapid change in the environment and can be worsened by the
close interrelationship of many species. If, for example, something were to happen to
destroy much of the plankton in the oceans, then the oxygen content of Earth would
drop, affection even organisms not living in the oceans. Such a change would probably
lead to amass extinction. One interesting, and controversial, finding is that extinctions
during the past 250 million years have tended to be more intense every 26 million
years. The periodic extinction might be due to intersection of the earth’s orbit with a
cloud of comets, but this theory is purely speculative. Some researchers have also
speculated that extinction may often be random. That is, certain species may be
eliminated and others may survive for no particular reason. A species’ survival may
have nothing to do with its ability or inability to adapt. If so, some of revolutionary
history may reflect a sequence of essentially random events.
1: The underlined word “ ultimately “ is closest in meaning to
A. exceptionally B. unfortunately
C. eventually D. dramatically
Ultimately=eventually= cuối cùng
2: What does the author say in paragraph 1 regarding most species in Earth’s history?
A. They have been able to adapt to ecological changes.
B. They have caused rapid change in the environment .
C. They have remained basically unchanged from their original forms
D. They are no longer in existence.
2: Tác giả nói gì trong đoạn 1 về hầu hết các loài trong lịch sử Trái đất?
A. Chúng có khả năng thích nghi với những thay đổi sinh thái.
B. Chúng đã gây ra sự thay đổi nhanh chóng trong môi trường.
C. Về cơ bản chúng vẫn không thay đổi so với dạng ban đầu
D. Chúng không còn tồn tại.
Clue: It is estimated that over 99 percent of all species that ever existed have become
extinct.( Người ta ước tính rằng hơn 99% tất cả các loài từng tồn tại đã tuyệt chủng.)
3: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as resulting from rapid
ecological change?
A. Availability of food resources B. Introduction of new species
C. Temperature changes D. Competition among species
3: Điều nào sau đây KHÔNG được đề cập trong đoạn 1 như nguyên nhân gây ra sự
thay đổi sinh thái nhanh chóng?
A. Sự sẵn có của nguồn thức ăn B. Sự giới thiệu của các loài mới
C. Thay đổi nhiệt độ D. Cạnh tranh giữa các loài
Clue: For example, temperatures may change and a species may not be adapt. Food
resources may be affected by environmental changes, which will then cause problems
for a species requiring these resources. Other species may become better adapted to an
environment, resulting in competition and, ultimately, in the death of a species.
Ví dụ, nhiệt độ có thể thay đổi và một loài có thể không thích nghi. Nguồn thực phẩm
có thể bị ảnh hưởng bởi những thay đổi môi trường, sau đó sẽ gây ra các vấn đề đối với
một loài cần những nguồn tài nguyên này. Các loài khác có thể trở nên thích nghi tốt
hơn với môi trường, dẫn đến sự cạnh tranh và cuối cùng là cái chết của một loài.
4: The word “demise” is closest in meaning to
A. help B. death. C. recovery D. change
Demise=dealth = sự tuyệt chủng, cái chết
5: Why is “ plankton” mentioned in the second paragraph?
A. To emphasize the importance of food resources in preventing mass extinction
B. To illustrate a comparison between organisms that live on the land and those that
live in the ocean
C. To point out that certain species could never become extinct
D. To demonstrate the interdependence of different species
5: Tại sao "sinh vật phù du" được đề cập trong đoạn thứ hai?
A. Để nhấn mạnh tầm quan trọng của nguồn lương thực trong việc ngăn chặn sự tuyệt
chủng hàng loạt
B. Để minh họa sự so sánh giữa sinh vật sống trên cạn và sinh vật sống ở đại dương
C. Để chỉ ra rằng một số loài nhất định không bao giờ có thể bị tuyệt chủng
D. Để chứng minh sự phụ thuộc lẫn nhau của các loài khác nhau
Clue: Mass extinctions can be caused by a relatively rapid change in the environment
and can be worsened by the close interrelationship of many species. If, for example,
something were to happen to destroy much of the plankton in the oceans, then the
oxygen content of Earth would drop, affection even organisms not living in the oceans.
Sự tuyệt chủng hàng loạt có thể được gây ra bởi sự thay đổi tương đối nhanh chóng của
môi trường và có thể trở nên tồi tệ hơn do mối quan hệ qua lại chặt chẽ của nhiều loài.
Ví dụ, nếu điều gì đó xảy ra phá hủy phần lớn sinh vật phù du trong các đại dương, thì
hàm lượng ôxy của Trái đất sẽ giảm xuống, thậm chí cả các sinh vật không sống trong
đại dương cũng bị ảnh hưởng.
6: According to paragraph 2, evidence from fossils suggests that
A. There has been only one mass extinction in Earth’s history.
B. Extinction of species has occurred from time to time throughout Earth’s history.
C. Extinctions on Earth have generally been massive.
D. Dinosaurs became extinct much earlier than scientists originally believed.
6: Theo đoạn 2, bằng chứng từ các hóa thạch cho thấy rằng
A. Chỉ có một vụ tuyệt chủng hàng loạt duy nhất trong lịch sử Trái đất.
B. Sự tuyệt chủng của các loài diễn ra liên tục theo thời gian trong suốt lịch sử Trái đất.
C. Các cuộc tuyệt chủng trên Trái đất nói chung là rất lớn.
D. Khủng long đã tuyệt chủng sớm hơn nhiều so với tin tưởng ban
Clue: The fossil record reveals that extinction has occurred throughout the history of
Earth. Những ghi chép về hóa thạch tiết lộ rằng sự tuyệt chủng đã xảy ra trong suốt
lịch sử Trái đất.
7: The underlined word “ finding” is closest in meaning to
A. published information
B. research method
C. scientific discovery.
D. ongoing experiment
Finding = scientific discovery= phát hiện,nghiên cứu khoa học
8: Which of the following can be inferred from the theory of periodic extinction
mentioned in paragraph 3?
A. The theory is no longer seriously considered.
B. Most scientists believe the theory to be accurate.
C. Many scientists could be expected to disagree with it.
D. Evidence to support the theory has recently been found.
Điều nào sau đây có thể được suy ra từ lý thuyết về sự tuyệt chủng tuần hoàn được đề
cập trong đoạn 3?
A. Lý thuyết không còn được coi trọng.
B. Hầu hết các nhà khoa học tin rằng lý thuyết này là chính xác.
C. Nhiều nhà khoa học có thể không đồng ý với nó.
D. Các bằng chứng hỗ trợ lý thuyết gần đây đã được tìm thấy.
Clue: The periodic extinction might be due to intersection of the earth’s orbit with a
cloud of comets, but this theory is purely speculative. Some researchers have also
speculated that extinction may often be random. (Sự tuyệt chủng định kỳ có thể là do
sự giao nhau giữa quỹ đạo của trái đất với một đám mây sao chổi, nhưng lý thuyết này
hoàn toàn là suy đoán. Một số nhà nghiên cứu cũng đã suy đoán rằng sự tuyệt chủng
thường có thể là ngẫu nhiên.
9: In paragraph 3, the author makes which of the following statements about a species’
survival?
A. It is associated with astronomical condition
B. It may depend on chance events.
C. It does not vary greatly from species to species
D. It reflects the interrelationship of may species.
Trong đoạn 3, tác giả phát biểu nào sau đây về sự sống còn của một loài?
A. Nó gắn liền với điều kiện thiên văn
B. Nó có thể phụ thuộc vào các sự kiện may rủi.
C. Không thay đổi nhiều giữa các loài
D. Nó phản ánh mối quan hệ qua lại của các loài may.
Clue: A species’ survival may have nothing to do with its ability or inability to adapt. If
so, some of revolutionary history may reflect a sequence of essentially random events.
Sự tồn tại của một loài có thể không liên quan gì đến khả năng hoặc không có khả năng
thích nghi. Nếu vậy, một số lịch sử cách mạng có thể phản ánh một chuỗi các sự kiện
về cơ bản là ngẫu nhiên.
10: According to the passage, it is believed that the largest extinction of the species
occurred
A. 65 million years ago B. 250 million years ago
C. 225 million years ago D. 26 million years ago

Part 6. Read the following passage then do the tasks that follow. (10 points)
1. ix 7. physical chemistry
2. ii 8. thermodynamics
3. vii 9. adapt
4. i 10. immortality
5. viii (7 and 8 can be in either order)
6. iv
HOW DOES THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICK?
A. Our life span is restricted. Everyone accepts this as 'biologically' obvious. ‘Nothing
lives for ever!’ However, in this statement we think of artificially produced, technical
objects, products which are subjected to natural wear and tear during use. This leads to
the result that at some time or other the object stops working and is unusable ('death' in
the biological sense). But are the wear and tear and loss of function of technical objects
and the death of living organisms really similar or comparable?
B. ix - Fundamental differences in ageing of objects and organisms
Our ‘dead’ products are ‘static’, closed systems. It is always the basic material which
constitutes the object and which, in the natural course of things, is worn down and
becomes 'older’. Ageing in this case must occur according to the laws of physical
chemistry and of thermodynamics. Although the same law holds for a living organism,
the result of this law is not inexorable in the same way.( Lão hóa trong trường hợp này
phải xảy ra theo quy luật hóa học vật lý và nhiệt động lực học. Mặc dù quy luật tương
tự cũng xảy ra cho một sinh vật sống nhưng kết quả của quy luật này bất di bất dịch với
cùng một cách.) At least as long as a biological system has the ability to renew itself it
could actually become older without ageing; an organism is an open, dynamic system
through which new material continuously flows. Destruction of old material and
formation of new material are thus in permanent dynamic equilibrium. The material of
which the organism is formed changes continuously. Thus our bodies continuously
exchange old substance for new, just like a spring which more or less maintains its
form and movement, but in which the water molecules are always different.
=> Sự khác biệt cơ bản trong quá trình lão hóa của các đối tượng và các sinh vật.
C. ii- Why dying is beneficial
Thus ageing and death should not be seen as inevitable, particularly as the organism
possesses many mechanisms for repair. It is not, in principle, necessary for a biological
system to age and die. Nevertheless, a restricted life span, ageing, and then death are
basic characteristics of life. The reason for this is easy to recognise: in nature, the
existent organisms either adapt or are regularly replaced by new types. Because of
changes in the genetic material (mutations) these have new characteristics and in the
course of their individual lives they are tested for optimal or better adaptation to the
environmental conditions. Immortality would disturb this system - it needs room for
new and better life. This is the basic problem of evolution(Bất tử sẽ làm xáo trộn hệ
thống này - phải có chỗ cho cuộc sống mới và tốt đẹp hơn chứ. Đây là vấn đề cơ bản
của quá trình tiến hóa.)
=> Tại sao chết là có lợi.
D. viiA stable life span despite improvements
Every organism has a life span which is highly characteristic. There are striking
differences in life span between different species, but within one species the parameter
is relatively constant. For example, the average duration of human life has hardly
changed in thousands of years. Although more and more people attain an advanced age
as a result of developments in medical care and better nutrition, the characteristic upper
limit for most remains 80 years(.Mặc dù ngày càng có nhiều người cao tuổi do sự phát
triển của dịch vụ chăm sóc y tế và dinh dưỡng tốt hơn nhưng giới hạn tuỏi thọ đặc
trưng cho hầu hết mọi người vẫn còn là 80 năm) A further argument against the simple
wear and tear theory is the observation that the time within which organisms age lies
between a few days (even a few hours for unicellular organisms) and several thousand
years, as with mammoth trees.
=> Một tuổi thọ ổn định mặc dù có những cải tiến.
E. i The biological clock
If a lifespan is a genetically determined biological characteristic, it is logically
necessary to propose the existence of an internal clock, which in some way measures
and controls the aging process and which finally determines death as the last step in a
fixed programme(Nếu tuổi thọ là một đặc tính sinh học được xác định bởi mặt di
truyền thì sẽ cần thiết và hợp lý khi đề xuất sự tồn tại của một đồng hồ bên trong cơ thể
mà ở đó có một số cách để đo lường và kiểm soát quá trình lão hóa và cuối cùng xác
định cái chết như một bước cuối cùng trong một chương trình cố định.). Like the fife
span, the metabolic rate has for different organisms a fixed mathematical relationship
to the body mass. In comparison to the life span this relationship is ‘inverted’: the
larger the organism the lower its metabolic rate. Again this relationship is valid not
only for birds, but also, similarly on average within the systematic unit, for all other
organisms (plants, animals, unicellular organisms).
=> Đồng hồ sinh học
F. viii Energy consumption
Animals which behave ‘frugally’ with energy become particularly old for example,
crocodiles and tortoises(Các động vật sử dụng ít năng lượng như cá sấu và rùa thì đặc
biệt già (sống lâu).). Parrots and birds of prey are often held chained up. Thus they are
not able to ‘experience life’ and so they attain a high life span in captivity. Animals
which save energy by hibernation or lethargy (e.g. bats or hedgehogs) live much longer
than those which are always active,( Loài vật mà tiết kiệm năng lượng bằng cách ngủ
đông hoặc ngủ lờ phờ (ví dụ như dơi hay nhím) thì sống lâu hơn nhiều so với những
con luôn luôn hoạt động.) The metabolic rate of mice can be reduced by a very low
consumption of food (hunger diet) They then may live twice as long as their well fed
comrades. Women become distinctly (about 10 per cent) older than men. If you
examine the metabolic rates of the two sexes you establish that the higher male
metabolic rate roughly accounts for the lower male life span. That means that they live
life ‘energetically’ - more intensively, but not for as long.
=> Tiêu thụ năng lượng
G. iv Prolonging your life
It follows from the above that sparing use of energy reserves should tend to extend life
(.Nếu bạn làm theo các hướng dẫn ở trên để tiết kiệm việc sử dụng năng lượng dự trữ
thì bạn có thể sẽ kéo dài được tuổi thọ) Extreme high performance sports may lead to
optimal cardiovascular performance, but they quite certainly do not prolong life.
Relaxation lowers metabolic rate, as does adequate sleep and in general an equable and
balanced personality. Each of us can develop his or her own ‘energy saving
programme’ with a little self observation, critical self-control and, above all, logical
consistency. Experience will show that to live in this way not only increases the life
span but is also very healthy. This final aspect should not be forgotten.
 Kéo dài tuổi thọ
Part 7. Matching
47 C. The ‘other’ factor here is label. The example illustrates how people can be
mislead by a changed label on potato crisps.
48 В. Reaction to green can be both positive and negative — a ripe cucumber or an
unripe fruit.
49 D. The example in the middle of Paragraph D talks about people with poor colour
perception and how it affects their appetite.
50 A. The paragraph mentions two people who worked together to conduct an
experiment in taste preference.
51 D. The bottom half of the paragraph talks about a man who sustained an injury that
impaired his colour vision and it affected his food preferences dramatically.
52 A. ‘Food pictures masquerading as cookbooks’ is what the author meant here. This
suggests that the original idea of cookbooks (to help cooking by giving recipes) is
overlooked in favour of just gazing at highly-appetising pictures.
53 B. The blue and green meat examples are meant. Disgust = get sick.
54 D. The example with blind people shows how they are more capable of telling the
slight differences in taste, compared to people with sight.
55 C. Examples with Skittles and M&Ms — they colour each candy differently to
subtly make us want to eat more of them.
56 В. Example with green-dyed meat suggests that some would be unwilling to taste it:
‘your stomach probably turns.

Part 8:
1. When she accepted the job, the au pair girl took it as read / for granted that she
would be free every weekend.
Take it as read=take sth for granted : cho điều gì là đúng,là hiển nhiên
2. In the summer, the locals are vastly outnumbered by the tourists.
Outnumber : to be greater in number than someone or something
3. He has a bee in his bonnet about the dishonesty of lawyers.
Have a bee in one’s bonnet: ám ảnh về điều gì
4. Tabloids are a different kettle of fish from quality newspapers.
Diffrent kettle of fish: hoàn toàn khác biệt,khác với ai/cái gì
5. She is half-Italian on her father’s side.
6. → Why our boss was cheesed off is not known.
Cheese off: anger or irritate someone
7. Hardly had he lost the match when he realized he was long in the tooth for
competitions.
Be long in the tooth: quá tuổi,quá già
8. Hadn’t it been for the serious look on this face we would have let the cat out of the
bag.
let the cat out of the bag: tiết lộ bí mật
9. You shouldn’t have spread yourself too thin.
spread yourself too thin: ôm đồm làm quá nhiều việc cùng một lúc
10. In his effort/attempt to ingratiate himself with his father-in-law, he would spare no
expense.
Spare no expense : spend as much money as necessary to make something good,
without worrying about the cost