Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate word that best fits each of the the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

    Chess, often (23 )______ to as a Royal Game, is the oldest of all board games which do not contain an element of chance.

    The origins of chess are uncertain, (24) ______ there are a number of legends regarding its invention. One story says that it was King Solomon who invented chess, another that it was the Greeks god Hermes, and yet another that the Chinese mandarin Han-Sing was responsible for its creation. In fact, chess almost certainly originated in India in the sixth or seventh century AD. The game’s popularity then spread quickly through Persia (now known as Iran) and from there came to Europe. The first documented reference to chess in literature is in a Persia romance which was written about 600 AD.

    It is (25)______ the word ‘chess’ comes from ‘shah’, the Persian word for ‘King’ and that ‘checkmate’, the game’s winning (26)______, comes from the phrase ‘shah mat’, (27)______ ‘the king is dead’.

          The rule and pieces used in the game have undergone changes over the centuries. Modern chess owes much to the Spaniard Lopez de Sagura, who in 1561 wrote the first book on how to play the game. In it, he introduced the concept of ‘castling’, which has not been part of the game until then

Điền ô số 23

If only I ______ play the guitar as well as you!.

The party leader traveled the length and ______ of the country in an attempt to spread his message

Vietnam U23 made not only Asia but also Europe keep a close eye on them. They ______ internationally

There’s a lot ______ violent crime in this area than there used to be

The move to a different environment had brought about a significant ______ in Mary’s state of mind

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to show the underlined part that needs correction in the following question.

Sarah was not best speaker in the class, but her personality and ability to convey her feelings helped her become the most requested

They would ______ go by air than spend a week traveling by train

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to the following question

The accident happened as the result of the driver’s not paying attention to the road

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to fill in the following exchange

Ann and Mary are studying in their classroom.

-Ann: “Can I borrow your dictionary?”.

-Mary: “______”.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following question

I started training to be an accountant six months ago. I’ve got more months to go, then I have to take exams

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to the following question

There won’t be peace in the conflict if both sides do not really desire it

James was asking about a lot of personal things. I didn’t like ______ about my private life

The party, ______ I was the guest of honor, was extremely enjoyable

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following question

Why did Danny decide to enter the marathon? Danny totally unfit

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress in the following question.