Read the passage below carefully and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D

      Although no one knows for certain who the original Saint Valentine was, once a year, on February 14, there is a day in his honor. Some historians believe that the original Saint Valentine was a priest who lived in the city of Rome about 300 years after the birth of Christ. The emperor of Rome was not a Christian and refused to allow people to be married in a Christian ceremony. Saint Valentine didn’t obeythe emperor and performed many Christian marriages, in spite of the emperor’s order. When the Romans found out, they sent Saint Valentine to prison and later killed him. While his romantic efforts to help many Christians in love cost him hislife, he was honored in his own days. But his story has been mostly forgotten after people have come to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a special time for sweethearts. On Valentine’s Day people express their affections by sending Valentine cards to friends, families, and boyfriends and girlfriends.

      1.   This writing is mostly about               .

Fill in the blank with a suitable word in the box.

      Space exploration is the investigation of the universe beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, by (1)                          of manned and unmanned spacecraft. Despite the technological advancements achieved in the past, space exploration was only (2)                         until the 20^th century. The first successful orbital launch was made by the Soviet Union in 1957 which was called “Sputnik”. When the topic “SPACE EXPLORATION” is put (3)                     the table, aquestion has often been asked: “Why should we spend money on NASA while there are so (4)                          problems here on Earth?” However, this might be partially wrong since exploring the unknown may help us progress.

      The advantages of space exploration include the materials (5)                           can be obtained from outer space. For instance, asteroids have iron and nickel which could be utilized to satisfy the (6)                for metal. Therefore, numerous commercial companies have invested in developing technology for asteroid mining. Several comets and asteroids (7)                     solid water in them. This water can be used for astronauts and scientists in space stations. The water can also be broken down to hydrogen which can be used as (8)                   for the rockets. Scientists also believe that dinosaurs disappeared because they couldn’t go to (9)              planet. Sooner or later a killer comet will again cross Earth’s path, threatening all life. Fortunately, (10)                          we have knowledge about comets and space science, we will be able to survive.

Read the passage and fill in the blanks with the given words in the box.

      Bau Truc pottery village of Cham village ethnic minority is one of the oldest pottery villages in Southeast Asia. It’s located about 10 km in the South of PhanRang town. The small village is (1)                              to more than 400 families, of (2)                         85% are in the traditional pottery business. The style is said to be handed (3)               from Po Klong Chan, one of their ancestors from the immemorial time.

      People in Bau Truc use their skillful hands, bamboo-made circles and shells to create priceless works. It is (4)                                 that while the Kinh people have switched to using wheel as an indispensable (5)                                   , their Cham counterparts, on the contrary, still (6)                                  on talent hands and simpletools. To create a pottery product, a Cham craftsman only needs an anvil, not apotter’s wheel, and other simple equipment and moulds and then uses hands to (7)                             pieces of clay into the works he wants.

      The clay is taken is taken from the banks of the Quao River and is flexible, durable when (8)                                              fired. The skills needed to mix sand with the clay are also various. The amount of sand mixed with the plastic material is dependent on what the pottery used for and the sizes. For these seasons, Bau Truc pottery is quite different from pottery elsewhere. For example, water jars made in Bau truc pottery are always favoured by people in dry and sunny areas (9)                                  the temperature of the water in the jars is always one centigrade cooler than (10)                           outside.

Read the passage and fill in each blank with the correct form of the verbs from the box.

      Marble Mountains is a group of five smaller mountains (1)                    Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. It is also a travel itinerary linking Da Nang City to the ancient town of Hoi An and Hue City. As the name suggests the Marble Mountains used to be a place providing input (2)                                for craftsmen in the village, but the local government banned marble exploitation (3)                             that the five mountains could disappear.

      Most of the marble for the village now comes from northern provinces such as Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Thai Nguyen. As a further step to diversify products, the marble fine arts village has (4)                                   marble from Pakistan.

      As far as I know, the man who (5)                       marble craftsmanship to the region came from Thanh Hoa, and most craftsmen in the village had handed down the craft from generation to generation. There are some 3,000 handicraft workers in Non Nuoc village. (6)       , there are only 70 skillful craftsmen who can (7)                              souls into marble sculptures after other workers have finished (8)                                the Products.

      In the shops along the highway, you can see different marble products in all shapes and sizes, from contemporary (9)                               to religious sculptures. And of course you will have a chance to see craftsmen (10)                         their art and turning soulless marble into sophisticated sculpture products.

Read the text and then answer the questions below.

      My name is Marian and I am a flight attendant. Providing the passengers what they need and making sure they are comfortable are my main duties. My job is exciting. I visit many countries every year and never know where I’ll be in the next week. Of course it’s also tiring, and I can’t spend the weekends or holidays with my family but it’s worth it.

      I wanted to be a flight attendant since I was a little girl, so I did everything I was advised to, in order to get the job I always wanted. I think it’s very important to prepare yourself to do what you dream on, and if you are really concerned on learning and you take it seriously, you will probably get what you want.

      ► Questions:

1.   What does Marian do for a living?

Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following passage. Use only one word in each space.

      Australia is a huge country and it has a lot of different kinds of (1)                          . In the past, the Aboriginal people of Australia ate animals like crocodiles and some insects like the witchetty grub. Aboriginal Australians travelled around the Australian countryside, or ‘bush’, to find food.

      When the first British and Irish people moved to Australia in the 1830s, they brought sheep and cows from Europe. They also brought traditional Englishand Irish recipes. Many of these (2)                               , like fish and chips and (3)                            pies, are still popular today. They also created new Australian recipes such as the pavlova (a fruit dessert - named after a Russian dancer) and damper (a bread cooked in the bush).

      After 1945, a lot of people came to live in Australia from countries like Italy, Germany, Greece, Thailand and India. They brought recipes with them and Australians began to eat and drink different things. People started to drink (4)                     coffee and eat Mediterranean and Asian food.

      A lot of modern Australians love (5)                               with fresh food. They often cook food on (6)                                 in their gardens or on the beach. Today more people also eat (7)                              food like kangaroo and (8)                            . Mark Olive, an Aboriginal chef, has a popular TV (9)                  programme about traditional; (10)                        food. There are always new recipes to try in Australia!

Read the text carefully, then decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

      I live in a small village called Henfield. There are about 500 people here. The village is quiet and life here is slow and easy. You never have to queue in shops or banks. People never throw their rubbish in the streets, so the village is always clean. The air is also very clean because there’s not much heavy traffic. It’s much more friendly here than in a city. Everyone knows everyone and if someone has a problem, there are always people who can help. However, there are some things I don’t like about Henfield. One thing is that there’s not much to do in the evening. We haven’t got any cinemas or theatres. Another problem is that people always talk about each other and everyone knows what everyone is doing. But I still prefer village life to life in a big city.

Fill each blank with a suitable word in the box.

      Cyberbullying is the (1)               of technology to annoy, threaten, embarrass or target (2)                                 person. Online threats and aggressive,                             or rude texts, posts, or messages all count. So does (3)                           personal information, pictures, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass someone else. (4)          comments often focus on things like a person’s gender, religion race, or physical differences.

            Online bullying can be particularly damaging and upsetting (5)                               it is usually anonymous or (6)                       to find. People can suffer (7)                         a 24/7 basis – every time they (8)                  their cellphone or computer.

      The first thing (9)                                     to solve the problem is to tell an adult you trust. You also can talk to your school counselor or a trusted teacher or family member. Ignoring bullies is the best way to take away their power, but it isn’t always easy to do – in the real world (10)              online.

Fill in the blank with a suitable word in the box.

      Did you realize that over a two billion people in the world now speak English? According to a recent report “...three billion people will be speaking or learning English within a decade.” English is the language of (1)                                . It’s the language of (2)       business and politics. It is the primary language used for most computers and for the inner workings of the Internet.

      English is the (3)                          international language in communications, science, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. English is an important tool for operating on the world stage. The ability to speak and understand English is mandatory in certain fields, professions, and occupations. In fact, English is so widely spoken, it is referred to as, the “lingua franca” of the modern era.

      With the global spread of English serious economic and political (4)                will probably come to those not having a reasonable command of the language. We see a future in which mono lingual English graduates face bleaker economic prospects as qualified (5)                            graduatesprove to have a competitive advantage in global companies and organizations. Given that English has acquired its world-wide reputation due in large part to globalized power relations, those companies and (6)                 employing well-trained non-native speakers for their international business (7)            needs will obviously see the advantage of hiring non-native speakers of the English languages with multilingual talents. The future is in your hands and the future demands a firm (8)                     of the English language.

      If you don’t find what you’re looking for on this page just enter your term in the rectangular box above labeled - Search the Web: which is at the top right hand comer of each window. You may be surprised at the number of (9)    responses you’ll receive, and I’ll bet before long you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for, all in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

      So - sit back, put your feet up, and take all the time you want until you find the perfect (10)                             you’ll want to work with while learning the English language.

There are many (1)                 villages in Viet Nam, but Quat Dong village in Ha Noi is widely known (2)                   its products of high (3)                      .

There are many (1)                 villages in Viet Nam, but Quat Dong village in Ha Noi is widely known (2)                   its products of high (3)                      .

      Embroidery has been developing around here (4)                       the 17^th century. In the past, local skilled artisans were chosen to make sophisticated embroidered (5)             for the Vietnamese King, Queen and other Royal family members. The first man who taught the local people how to embroider was Dr. Le Cong Hanh, who lived during the Le dynasty. He learned how to embroider while on a trip to China (6)                     an envoy, and taught the villagers of Quat Dong upon his (7)                           . Although these skills eventually spread (8)                           the country, the Quat Dong’s artisans’ creations are still the most appreciated. In (9)                                to create beautiful embroideries, an artisan must be patient, careful and have an eye for design, along with clever hands. Nowadays, Quat Dong products may range from clothes, bags, pillowcases, to paintings and decorations, which are (10)                   to many countries.

Read the following passage and choose the best option for each numbered blank.

      The Maldives are a group of very small islands in the Indian Ocean, near Sri Lanka. It has the smallest (1)                         of any Asian countries. There are about 1200 islands and there are people living on 200 of them. About 400,000 people live in the Maldives and 75,000 of them are (2)                         the capital island, Mai... Mai... is different from the other islands in the Maldives because it doesn’t have any beaches. In fact, there is a small wall (3)                          goes around the whole island.

      It is very easy to get around the islands. When you (4)                           on the airport island, you can take a dhoni and go to Mai... This is a small boat used for (5)             around the islands. Dhoni taxis go from the airport island to the capital island every fifteen minutes and (6)                                   midnight every half an hour. You can use these boats to visit other islands, too.

      The Maldives are a popular place for scuba diving (7)                there are many wonderful fish in the water to see. Also, the water is very clear so when you are (8)              you can see for more than 50 metres! There are many professional diving schools with instructors. They speak many languages, so you can (9)                       someone to help you. Of course, that’s not all you can do on these beautiful islands. You can go (10)                        whale and dolphin, fishing, surfing, snorkeling, hiking or explore the towns.

Choose the word in the box to complete the text.

      Vietnamese food culture (1)                                 by regions from the north to the south. In Northern Viet Nam, Vietnamese food is (2)                                   by light and balanced flavours with the combination of many (3)                         Northerners have been using many kinds of meats like pork, beef, and chicken to cook; besides, some kinds of freshwater fish, crustaceans, and other mollusks like (4)              , crabs, and oysters, etc. Many famous dishes of Viet Nam are cooked with these ingredients such as Bun Rieu, Pho, Bun Thang, Bun Cha, Banh Cuon, etc.

            Then food culture in Central and Southern Viet Nam has developed suitable (5)                                    in each region. In Central Viet Nam, the regional cuisine of Central Viet Nam is famous for its spicy food, which differs from two other parts with mostly non-spicy food. Hue cuisine is typical Central Viet Nam’s food culture. (6)                        of Hue cuisine are decorative and colorful, which expresses the influence of the Vietnamese royal (7)                          in the feudal period. Food in the region is often decorated (8)               and used with chili peppers and shrimp sauces, namely, Bun Bo Hue, Banh xeo, or Banh beo, etc.

            In Southern Viet Nam, the region is characterized by warm weather and fertile soil, which creates favorable conditions for planting a variety of fruit, vegetables and (9)                                    . Thus, food in the region is often added with garlic, shallots and fresh herbs. Particularly, Southerners are favored of sugar; they add sugar in most dishes. Here, there is also an (10)                              of western and Asian cuisines on southern food, such as influences from China, India, France, and Thailand.

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

      The Complex of Hue Monuments is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located in the city of Hue in central Vietnam. Hue was founded as the Viet Nam capital city by Gia Long, the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802. It held this position for thirteen Nguyen kings until 1945.

      The massive complex features hundreds of monuments and mins, such as the Forbidden Purple City, once the residence of the royal family and badly damagedduring the Vietnam War. the Imperial City, royal tombs, the flag tower, pagodas, temples, a library and museum.

      Hue, located on the banks of the Huong River, (also known as the Perfume River) is about a hundred kilometres north of Da Nang. Among the most impressivemonuments in this former grand imperial capital are the Ngo Mon Gate of the Imperial City which once was exclusively used by the royal family and their servants and soldiers, the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang as well as the tomb of EmperorTu DuC. In fact, many of the monuments surrounding the royal buildings were constructed in the early 19^th century and were modeled after Beijing’s Forbidden City. The wall that surroundings the citadel is six metres high and two and a half kilometres long.

      The historical complex is known not only for its rich architecture but also for its beautiful landscape setting. Overall, the site is quite spectacular. Avoid Hue between October and December as it gets most of its rain from the northeast monsoon during that period. This small city is also famous for its Imperial-style cuisine.

1.   The Hue Citadel needs the work of restoration because of                      .

Fill in the blank using the words in the box.

      Subsidy economy from 1976 to 1986 means all (1)                                of goods and raw materials are in the (2)                 of the central government. The government coordinated all steps of economy from planning, collecting, and distributing to (3)             . Each person (4)                                 with standard distributions which depended (5)               working level, age, rank and position in government or professional.

      (6)                         essential supplies had many problems, for example, four people shared a pair of bicycle tires, or even a blanket. Sometimes one pig was shared among 20 households, everyone wanted to take the good (7)                            and very difficult to divide fairly. Moreover, because of bad storage and complicated delivery, many supplied foods were in bad condition, such as broken, rotten or even poisonous. Each family got (8)                   own rice booklet shown date and number kilos of rice. During that time, the Vietnamese had a famous saying, “Your face (9)                        sad like (10)                the rice booklet”.

Fill in each gap in the passage with ONE suitable word.

CAT AND MOUSE GAME

      Each game requires between seven and ten people. They stand in a circle, hold hands and (1)                        their hands above their (2)                              . Then they start singing the song. One person is chosen as the cat and (3)                 as the mouse.

      These two stand in the (4)                                    of the circle and lean against each other. When the others sing the last sentence of the song, the mouse starts to run, and the cat must run (5)                                              it. However, the cat must run in exactly the same route and manner (6)                             the mouse. The cat (7)                       the game when it catches the mouse. Then, the two exchange the roles. If the cat runs into the wrong hole, it (8)              be dismissed from that round. If it fails to catch the mouse in a certain (9)            of time (usually from three to five minutes for kindergarten-age children), it will (10)                          its role with the mouse. The game will then continue.