READING COLLECTION

TEST 1 (07)
PASSAGE 1 - Questions 1-10
The hugs that keep on giving
Every weekend over the past 10 months, Nguyen Bao Ngoc has been walking around the
Sword Lake in Hanoi, dressed up as Doraemon, a popular Japanese comic book character
that is half cat half robot. Stretching his arms out, he tries to hug as many strangers as
possible. Some stop to hug him back before putting money into one of the boxes that his
friends are holding. Some others walk faster and avoid eye contact with him. Ngoc, 23, says
he started the “Hug Me” (Om toi di) campaign in February, inspired by the Free Hugs social
movement in Australia. The difference is his hugs are not free, because he wants to raise
money to help children in poor and remote areas around the country.
The senior college student who is studying to become a TV reporter has been doing
charity work for three years. In one of his most successful attempts, he worked as a xe om
motorbike taxi driver in his free time and donated all the money he could earn to poor
families in his hometown in Quang Binh Province. But “Hug Me,” Ngoc says, is his favorite
because with it, he can get the attention of his peers. “Young people my age have been more
into social media than real life. We may cry over a sad story on Facebook but when we
witness the same story in real life, we can be indifferent”.
As hugging in public is not very common in Vietnam, Ngoc said he puts on costume
so that strangers will not feel uncomfortable. Doraemon the cat is in fact famous for its
friendliness and kindness. Sometimes, for a change, he also dresses as a bee or a puppy.
Many students who gave him a hug donated more than VND5,000, which is what he
hopes to receive, allowing the campaign to earn between $50 and $200 each week. Some
also brought old clothes and books. Ngoc has organized two trips to bring gifts and food to
children in Quang Binh and the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai this year. The
third has been planned for December.
Ngoc has been diagnosed with first stage bone marrow cancer but he says his
condition is "stable." He says he does not want to be defined by his illness. Having cancer is
not the motivation for him to help others. “I’d do it anyway. I want people to see me as a
student doing charity work, not a cancer patient doing charity work."
1. Why does Ngoc start the "Hug Me" campaign?
A. to initiate a social movement in Australia
B. to offer free hugs
C. to raise money for charity
D. to pay for his tuition fee at college
2. The word "some" in paragraph 1 refers to
A. friends
B. children
C. strangers
D. boxes
3. The word "senior” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. last-year
B. superior
C. advanced
D. leading
4. The word '’indifferent" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning
A. uncaring
B. concerned
C. dissimilar
5. What character might probably not represent a costume that Ngoc dresses?
A. a cat
B. a bee
C. a puppy
D. a panda
6. How much is the "Hug Me" campaign expected to earn a month.
A. VND5,000
B. $50 and $200
C. $200 and $800
D. free
7. The word "third" in paragraph 4 refers to
A. province
B. campaign
C. trip
D. month
8. In which space (marked A, B, C and D in the passage) will the following sentence fit?
"“I want to live and love in the real world, not the virtual world. ” He added.
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
9. What does Ngoc mean when he said "I want people to see me as a student doing
charity work, not cancer patient doing charity work"
A. having cancer motivates him to do charity work
B. he does not like being remembered by his illness
C. any student with such illness can do more to help other people
D. he is a student who helps cancer people
10. In which paragraph does the author mention the bad health condition of
Nguyen Bao Ngoc?
A. paragraph 1
B. paragraph 2
C. paragraph 4
D. paragraph 5

PASSAGE 2 - Questions 11-20

MY FIRST BIKE
My biking beginnings can be summed up in two words: teenage love. My first
girlfriend was small with short blonde hair, and I was mad about her. Our romance came
to an abrupt end, however, when she started going out with another guy in my hometown,
Crieff. He rode a 50 cc road motorbike first and then a 125. And whereas I had always
walked my girlfriend home, suddenly she was going back with this guy.
 I was nearly sixteen by then and already heartbroken. Then one day, on the way
back from a shopping trip to Perth with my mum, we passed Buchan’s, the local bike shop.
There was a light blue 50 cc bike on display right at the front of the shop. I didn’t know
what make it was, or if it was any good. Such trivialities were irrelevant to me. All I knew
was that I could get it in three months’ 10 time when I was sixteen and allowed to ride it.
Maybe I could even get my girlfriend back.
I’d ridden my first bike when I was about six. My father organised a tiny red Honda
50 cc and we headed off to a field that belonged to a family friend. I clambered on and shot
off. I thought it was just the best thing. Just one large heap of straw. I thought I would have
a go. I came racing towards the adults, shot right through the gap in the straw. I was thrilled
to hear the adults scream and elated that it had frightened them. It was my first time on a
motorbike. It was exciting and I wanted more.
So when I looked through Buchan’s window in Perth that day, it suddenly all made
sense to me. I can’t remember whether it was to win back my ex-girlfriend’s heart or not,
but more than anything else it meant that, instead of having to walk everywhere, I could
ride my motorbike to school and the games fields at the bottom of Crieff and when I went
out at weekends.
I started to fantasise about it. I spent all my waking hours thinking about getting on
and starting up the bike, putting on the helmet and riding around Crieff. I couldn’t sleep.
Driven to desperation by my desire for a bike, I made a series of promises to my mum: I
won’t leave town. I’ll be very safe. I won’t take any risks. I won’t do anything stupid. But, in
fact I was making the promises up - I never thought about keeping them.
Crieff is a small town and my whole childhood was spent walking around the town.
It was great, but I was getting to that age when children become aware of the possibilities
of venturing further afield. Unless, like us, you went everywhere by bicycle. With so many
beautiful places nearby, the idea of getting a motorbike was too much to resist.
11. The word "romance" in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by:
A. love affair
B. fascination
C. charm
D. lover
12. Why did Ewan's relationship with his first girlfriend finish?
A. She didn't enjoy walking
B. She met someone with a motorbike
C. He was upset by her behavior
D. He made her angry
13. What does “such trivialities” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. his mother’s attitude to the bike
B. the bike’s size and colour
C. the bike’s price
D. the bike’s quality and its manufacturer
14. Why didn't Ewan buy the bike immediately?
A. He couldn't afford it
B. He wasn't old enough to ride it.
C. He hadn't learnt how to ride it.
 15. The adults were frightened the first time Ewan rode a motorbike
because they thought
A. the bike was too noisy.
B. the bike was too fast.
C. he was going to have an accident.
D. the bike was too big for him.
16. What was Ewan's main reason for buying the motorbike?
A. It was less expensive than a car.
B. It would help his relationship with his girlfriend.
C. It was good for his image.
D. It was a useful means of transport.
17. How did Ewan’s desire for the bike affect his behaviour?
A. He couldn’t think about anything else.
B. He spent more time talking to his mother.
C. He invented reasons for buying the bike.
D. He spent a lot of time riding a friend’s bike.
18. The word "it" in paragraph 5 refer to
A. the bike
B. the helmet
C. his hometown Crieff
D. his desperation
19. What does Ewwan mean by saying “venturing further afield” in the last
paragraph?
A. taking great risks
B. becoming independent
C. travelling to more distant places
D. living somewhere different
20. Who, according to the whole passage, was most against getting a bike?
A. his first girlfriend
B. his father
C. his mother
D. his friends
PASSAGE 3 - Questions 21-30
THE BEATLES
The Beatles became the most popular group in rock music history. This quarter of
talented musicians generated a phenomenal number of pieces that won gold records. They
inspired a frenzy that transcended countries and economic strata. While all of them sang,
John Lennon an and Paul Mccartney wrote the majority of their songs. Originally, Lennon
and five others formed a group called the Quarryman in 1956, with McCartney joining them
later that year. George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, together with Stuart
Sutcliffe, who played the bass guitar, and Pete Best on the drums, performed together in
several bands for a few years, until they finally settled on the Silver Beatles in 1960.
American rock musicians, such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, influenced Lennon’s and
McCartney’s music, whose first hits consisted of simple tunes and lyrics about young love,
“Love Me Do” and “Please, Please Me”. The Beatles's U.S tour propelled them to stardom
and led to two movies A Hard Day’s Night and Help'., filmed in 1964 and 1965. The so-called
British invasion of the United States was in full swing when they took the top five spots on
the singles charts, followed by the release of their first film.
During the 1960s, their music matured and acquired a sense of melody. The lyrics
of their songs became deeper and gained in both imagination and meaning. Their
popularity continued to grow as the Beatles turned their attention to social problems and
political issues in “Nowhere Man” and “Eleanor Rigby.” Loneliness and nostalgia come
through in their ballads “Michelle” and “Yesterday,” which fully displayed the group’s
professional development and sophistication. Lennon’s sardonic music with lyrics written
in the first person, and McCartney’s songs that created scenarios with offbeat individuals
contributed to the character of the music produced by the group. In addition to their music,
the Beatles set a social trend that popularized long hair, Indian music, and mod dress.
For a variety of reasons, the musicians began to drift apart, and their last concert
took San Francisco in 1966. The newspapers and tabloids publicized their quarrels and
lawsuits and the much idolized group finally disbanded in 1970. However, their albums
had outsold those of any other band in history. Although all of the Beatles continued to
perform solo or form new rock groups alone, none could achieve the recognition and
success that they had been able to win together.
21: What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The history and music of the Beatles
B. The history and milestone of rock music
C. The fashion and music popular in the 1960s
D. The creation and history of a music group
22. According to the passage, how many members were in the band, formed in 1956?
A. 4 B, 5 C. 6 D.7
23. According to the passage, which of the Beatles had the greatest musical talent?
A. John Lennon an and Paul Mccartney
B. George Harrison and John Lennon
C. Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best
D. John Lennon, Paul Mccartney, and George Harrison
24. The author of the passage implies that the Beatles……………..
A. competed with American musicians
B. wrote their music as a group
C. became popular relatively quickly
D. were active in social movements
25; According to the passage, the Beatles’s fame grew as a result of
A. Chuck Berry’s involvement
B. their American tour
C. two movies made in the U.S
D. their first two hits
26: The author of the passage implies that over time, the music and lyrics by the
Beatles
A. became more complex than at the beginning of their career
B. declined in quality and political significance
C. were dedicated to women named Eleanor and Michelle
D. made them the richest musician in the world
27: The word “acquired" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. imparted
B. attached
C. imprinted
D. attained
28. According to the passage, when did the Beatles experience their greatest
success?
A. In the late 1950s
B. After their break-up in 1970
C. During the early and mid-1960s.
D. Throughout their lifetimes.
29: The word “scenarios” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to .
A. sceneries
B. situations
C. life stories
D. love themes
30: The word “disbanded” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .
A. separated
B. slipped
C. revealed
D. bonded
PASSAGE 4 - Questions 31-40
On Tour with the London Symphony Orchestra
“Footballers and musicians are in the same business. They both do stressful jobs in
front of critical audiences. The only difference is that football crowds are noisier.” So says
Rod Franks. And he should know. Franks started his working life with Leeds United
Football Club, neatly changed direction, started playing the trumpet instead of football, and
is now principal trumpeter with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra). Franks might
have made a further observation about the similarities between orchestras and football
clubs: it is playing away that presents the real challenges.
London’s oldest orchestra has been playing away since it was formed almost a
century ago. Nowadays, the orchestra’s trips abroad are kept to tours of a maximum of two
and a half weeks. But since touring is clearly expensive and presents major organisational
and technical problems, why bother to tour at all? Clive Gillinson, the managing director,
says: “A great international orchestra needs to work with the greatest conductors and
soloists. No recording company will record a conductor or soloist if he or she is only known
in one territory - they need an international reputation. So for the recording side to work,
you have to visit the key markets; you need to tour.”
By touring with projects or festivals, Gillinson is able to create an event, not just
provide a series of concerts. It is more expensive to do, but when you leave town you are
not so easily forgotten.
For Sue Mallet, the orchestra’s administrator, the difficulties of her job lie in getting a
symphony orchestra and its instruments on stage, on time and in one piece. However well
she plans each tour, and she does her planning with scientific accuracy, events sometimes
take an upper hand. On one occasion a concert had been advertised for the wrong night,
and on another the lorry carrying the instruments from the airport to the concert hall
broke down and got stuck in snow.
 It is a tiring and stressful business flying around the world, and yet on balance it is
one of the rewards of the job. Certain moments are unforgettable. At the end of a concert
in Moscow an enthusiastic audience had brought the orchestra to its feet. As one of the
musicians was about to sit down, an elderly lady in the front row pressed a piece of paper
into his hand. It said, in words of simple English, what lovely music the orchestra had made.

31. What do footballers and musicians have in common?

A. Their work abroad earns a lot of praise.
B. They receive too much unfair criticism.
C. They enjoy extremely noisy audiences.
D. They experience tension in their work.
32. What are we told about Rod Franks?
A. He used to be the director of a football club.
B. He switched from one career to another.
C. He used to be a professional trumpeter.
D. He disliked his original choice of career.
33. Before joining London Symphony Orchestra, Rod Franks worked for
A. a football club
B. a travel agency
C. a consulting firm
D. an event organizing firm
34. The word “principal” in paragraph 1 can be best replaced by
A. original
B. main
C. prime
D. initial
35. The LSO began playing abroad
A. only fairly recently.
B. over a hundred years ago.
C. when it was first set up.
D. when it needed money.
36. Orchestras have to travel abroad
A. to play with foreign conductors.
B. to record with foreign companies.
C. to make themselves better known.
D. to record with new solo players.
37. What does “It” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. organising a number of recordings
B. visiting the most important markets
C. the expense of touring in a country
D. providing more than just concerts
38. Sue Mallet’s arrangements for the LSO can be
A. affected by external circumstances.
B. made difficult by awkward players.
C. spoilt by overlooking tiny details.
D. spoilt by very careless planning.
39 What does the phrase “with scientific accuracy” (paragraph 3) suggest about
Sue Mallet’s planning?
A. It’s very neat and tidy
B. Her figures are correct.
C. She used to be a scientist.
D. The details are excellent.
40. According to the writer, what made a certain moment “unforgettable.”
(paragraph 4)?,
A. the fact that the orchestra stood up
B. an individual’s appreciation
C. the enthusiastic applause
D. the fact that a message was in English