ĐỀ 2

A. LISTENING
B. LEXICO – GRAMMAR 3
Section 1: Circle A, B, C or D that best completes each of the following sentences.
21. She was in the office all of Wednesday and so has a _______ alibi.
A. stale B. considerable C. broad D. cast-iron
22. The camel has adapted to survive in an _______ environment like the desert for many days
without water.
A. acidic B. alkaline B. arid D. avid
23. A special feature of the room is the huge picture window which _______ a splendid view of the
Quantock hills.
A. allows B. affords C. enables D. presents
24. He still suffers from a rare tropical disease which he _______ while in Africa.
A. infected B. complained C. gained D. contracted
25. Some people prefer to watch a film first, and then read the _______ in the paper.
A. critic B. revue C. review D. criticism
26. We want everyone to begin the test _______.
A. simultaneously B. unexpectedly C. indefinitely D. continuously
27. You are bound to find information on the stock market crash of 1987 in the newspaper _______.
A. files B. archives C. records D. collections
28. What stands out from The Voice Kids is that many young children are _______ with natural
talent for music.
A. bestowed B. conferred C. endowed D. vouchsafed
29. Most critics praise that actor’s work but I think he’s rather _______.
A. over-played B. over-rated C. over-blown D. over-priced
30. Marlene is quite _______ – I don’t know she manages to fit everything in.
A. inexhaustible B. tiresome C. inexorable D. indefatigable
31. Sheila will inherit everything _______ her uncle’s death.
A. on account of B. in spite of C. in the event of D. in place of
32. The newspaper report contained _______ important information.
A. many B. another C. an D. a lot of
33. _______ comes a time when you have to make a decision and stick to it.
A. It B. Here C. There D. That
34. There is no point in phoning him. He’s certain _______ by now.
A. to leave B. to have leave C. left D. having left
35. In such a plight _______ that we had no choice but to radio for help.
A. we found ourselves B. we ourselves found
C. did we find ourselves D. did we ourselves find
36. Mrs. Lan went to _______ school to meet her son’s teacher.
A. Ø B. a C. an D. the
37. You may borrow as many books as you like, provided you show them to _______ is at the desk.
A. whoever B. who C. whom D. which
38. Would you be _______ to hold the door open?
A. too kind B. kind enough C. as kind D. so kind
39. I’ll enter the competition if you _______.
A. would B. should C. will D. shall
40. Why are you so mad? You _______ me you weren’t coming to dinner. I waited for you for two
hours.
A. should tell B. should have told C. ought to tell D. should be told
41. He’ll have to buckle _______ to his work soon if he wants to pass his finals.
A. up B. in C. down D. for
42. His poor handling of the business _______ on negligence.
A. neared B. edged C. approached D. bordered
43. After its engine failed, the small boat _______ with the ocean.
A. waved B. tossed C. hastened D. drifted
44. There is a rumor that the National Bank is going to _______ the company I work for.
A. taken on B. overtake C. take over D. take off
45. Why don’t you have a night out? It would take your _______ off your worries.
A. thoughts B. heart C. mind D. head
46. The government decided to _______ down on income tax evasion.
A. press B. crack C. push D. snap
47. If we _______ over the details, we’ll never finish filming this episode by today.
A. niggle B. discuss C. huddle D. mob
48. The Corporation is laying _______ a lot of money on building a new creation center.
A. down B. off C. into D. out
49. She’s decided to _______ her German by attending an evening course.
A. brush up B. patch up C. polish off D. dust off
50. I didn’t really want to go to the party, but I thought I’d better put _______ an appearance.
A. away B. in C. off D. on
51. That Mary is an _______ liar, you must take what she says with a small grain of salt.
A. incorrigible B. incurable C. irredeemable D. irremediable
52. I knew my mother would _______ a face the minute she saw my new haircut.
A. drag B. lift C. pull D. raise
53. If you don’t stop smoking, you _______ the risk of developing chronic bronchitis.
A. bear B. suffer C. make D. run
54. He was a pickpocket and had to spend many years behind _______.
A. windows B. prisons C. cells D. bars
55. If you say you’d like _______ of cream on your strawberries then you don’t want very much
cream.
A. a dash B. oodles C. lashings D. a dollop
56. In her speech the Prime Minister _______ tribute to the valuable contributions to society made
by voluntary organizations.
A. paid B. sent C. brought D. gave
57. Tamara has set her _______ on becoming a ballet-dancer.
A. feet B. brain C. heart D. head
58. The football team Manchester United paid _______ to sign up the Brazilian twins Rafael and
Fabio Da Silva when they were only eighteen.
A. their heart in it B. an arm and a leg C. a good heart D. their eyes to eyes
59. He spoke well though it was his _______ speech.
A. first-hand B. maiden C. slurred D. prime
60. In his _______ days, he was quite dandy.
A. salad B. green C. fruit D. vegetable
Section 2: Supply the correct form of the words in brackets.
61. She stood there completely _______ so I had no idea at all what she was thinking. (EXPRESS)
62. Any actor who becomes known for one role is in danger of becoming _______. (TYPE)
63. This school was once _______ as a military hospital during the war. (REQUIRE)
64. So far, the United States has said it cannot agree to _______ all types of antipersonnel mines.
(LAW)
65. In Scotland, there is greater emphasis on _______ by individual schools. (VALUE)
66. According to a recent survey in Britain, more women than men emphasized _______ and trust.
(CONFIDENCE)
67. People also read these papers for their reviews of new books, films and plays and for their
_______.
(EDIT)
68. Since most important problems are _______, there are several alternatives to choose from, each
with unique advantages and disadvantages. (FACE)
69. The rocks appear to be stationary but in the high winds that whip across this desert landscape,
they are in reality moving _______. (PERCEIVE)
70. After the cup final, the _______ team bussed back to the hotel parading the cup as they want.
(TRIUMPH)
Section 3: Supply each gap with the correct form of the words given in the box.
alter slouch course mind misery
recede round reside real multiple
A GREAT STAYCATION
Holidays at home are usually a last (71)_______ when all other options have been ruled out for
one reason or another, but, in these tough times when money is perhaps tighter than ever before, the
grim (72)_______ that the stay-at-home vacation may be the only realistic (73)_______ is one that
more and more of us are faced with.
However, this does not have to mean a (74)_______ time in the same old (75)_______ you are in
for the other 355-odd days of the year. For those willing to think outside the box a little, there are, in
fact, a (76)_______ of possibilities that should be explored.
Ever thought about a house swap, for example? The house swap is ultimate holiday (77)_______
buster. And there are now websites on which (78)_______ individuals, couples and families looking
to get a flavour of the life lived in someone else’s home can hook up and start house swapping.
Okay, so it’s not the two weeks in Gran Canaria you might have hoped for, but staying in
someone else’s (79)_______ for a few days at least, whether it be ten, fifty or one hundred miles
away, sure beats (80)_______ around at home on your sofa.
Section 4: There are ten mistakes in the following passage. Identify the mistakes and then correct
them.
Have you ever tried a strawberry pizza? If you went to Oxnard, the (81)_____________
“Strawberry Capital of California”, in May, you could!
Oxnard is in Southern California and the part of the state takes its (82)_____________
strawberries very serious. At the two-day California Strawberry Festival
(83)_____________
you can sample strawberries prepared in all kinds of ways. In addition to
traditional treatment such as strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, (84)_____________
strawberry tarts and strawberries dipped into chocolate, there is strawberry
pizza! This dessert pizza is topped with strawberries, sour cream, cream (85)_____________
cheese and whipped cream on a sweetened bread baked like a pizza.
Strawberry kabobs dipped in powdered sugar are another delicacy. And (86)_____________
drinks like a strawberry smoothie can wash it all away
(87)_____________
Strawberries are a big businesses in Oxnard. Twenty-four companies (88)_____________
harvest and cool nearly 16 million trays of berries, which are shipped
 throughout North America as long as to Germany and Japan. The festival, (89)_____________
which attracts more than 85,000 visitors, features three stages with musical
entertainment, 335 arts and crafting exhibits, strolling musicians, clowns, (90)_____________
artists, face-painting, contests, and a “Strawberry land” for children with
puppets, magicians, musicians, and a petting zoo.
C. READING
Section 1: Read the following passages carefully and circle A, B, C or D that best answers the
questions.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Slavery was legal for over 200 years in some parts of North America, particularly the southern
states of the United States, where the plantation system of agriculture depended on the labor of
slaves, most of whom came from Africa. Slaves had no rights or freedoms because they were
thought of as property. From the time of its origin, slavery had opponents. The abolitionist
movement began in the 1600s when the Quakers in Pennsylvania objected to slavery on moral
grounds and wanted to abolish the institution.
In 1793, Canada passed a law abolishing slavery and declared that any escaped slaves who came
to Canada would be free citizens. Slavery was already illegal in most northern states; however,
slaves captured there by slave hunters could be returned to slavery in the South. Canada refused to
return runaway slaves or to allow American slave hunters into the country. It is estimated that more
than 30,000 runaway slaves immigrated to Canada and settled in the Great Lakes region between
1830 and 1865.
The American antislavery movement was at the height of its activity during the 1800s, when
abolitionists developed the Underground Railroad, a loosely organized system whereby runaway
slaves were passed from safe house to safe house as they fled northwards to free states or Canada.
The term was first used in the 1830s and came from an Ohio clergyman who said, “They who took
passage on it disappeared from public view as if they had really gone to ground.” Because the
Underground Railroad was so secret, few records exist that would reveal the true number of people
who traveled it to freedom. The most active routes on the railroad were in Ohio, Indiana, and
western Pennsylvania.
Runaway slaves usually traveled alone or in small groups. Most were young men between the
ages of 16 and 35. (A) The fugitives hid in wagons under loads of hay or potatoes, or in furniture
and boxes in steamers and on rafts. (B) They traveled on foot through swamps and woods, moving
only a few miles each night, using the North Star as a compass. Sometimes they moved in broad
daylight. (C) Boys disguised themselves as girls, and girls dressed as boys. In one well–known
incident, twenty–eight slaves escaped by walking in a funeral procession from Kentucky to Ohio.
(D)
The “railroad” developed its own language. The “trains” were the large farm wagons that could
conceal and carry a number of people. The “tracks” were the backcountry roads that were used to
elude the slave hunters. The “stations” were the homes and hiding places where the slaves were fed
and cared for as they moved north. The “agents” were the people who planned the escape routes.
The “conductors” were the fearless men and women who led the slaves toward freedom. The
“passengers” were the slaves who dared to run away and break for liberty. Passengers paid no fare
and conductors received no pay.
The most daring conductor was Harriet Tubman, a former slave who dedicated her life to helping
other runaways. Tubman made 19 trips into the South to guide 300 relatives, friends, and strangers
to freedom. She was wanted dead or alive in the South, but she was never captured and never lost a
passenger. A determined worker, she carried a gun for protection and a supply of drugs to quiet the
crying babies in her rescue parties.
 A number of white people joined the effort, including Indiana banker Levi Coffin and his wife
Catherine, who hid runaways in their home, a “station” conveniently located on three main escape
routes to Canada. People could be hidden there for several weeks, recovering their strength and
waiting until it was safe to continue on their journey. Levi Coffin was called the “president of the
Underground Railroad” because he helped as many as 3,000 slaves to escape.
The people who worked on the railroad were breaking the law. Although the escape network was
never as successful or as well organized as Southerners thought, the few thousand slaves who made
their way to freedom in this way each year had a symbolic significance out of proportion to their
actual numbers. The Underground Railroad continued operating until slavery in the United States
was finally abolished in 1865.
91. Why did thousands of runaway slaves immigrate to Canada?
A. They preferred the climate of the Great Lakes region.
B. Working conditions for slaves were better in Canada.
C. Canada had n laws restricting immigration.
D. Former slaves could live as free citizens in Canada.
92. The phrase “The term” in paragraph 3 refers to _______.
A. Antislavery movement B. Abolitionist
C. Underground Railroad D. free state
93. The word “fugitives” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. Leaders B. old men C. runaways D. brave ones
94. All of the following are mentioned as methods of escape on the Underground Railroad EXCEPT
_______.
A. hiding in a hay wagon B. wearing a disguise
C. riding in a railcar D. walking in a procession
95. The author discusses the language of the Underground Railroad in paragraph 5 in order to
_______.
A. trace the history of American English words
B. illustrate the secret nature of the escape network
C. point out that some words have more than one meaning
D. compare the Underground Railroad to other railways
96. The word “elude” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. avoid B. follow C. find D. assist
97. Which of the following statements is true about passengers on the Underground Railroad?
A. Their destination was in the northern states or Canada.
B. They were not allowed to make stops during the journey.
C. Their babies were disguised to look like baggage.
D. They paid the conductors at the end of the journey.
98. Why was Harriet Tubman wanted dead or alive in the South?
A. She was a criminal who carried a gun and sold drugs.
B. She refused to return the runaways slaves that she captured.
C. She was an escaped slave who led others to freedom.
D. She became the president of the Underground Railroad.
99. It can be inferred from paragraph 8 that the author most likely believes which of the following
about the Underground Railroad?
A. The people who worked on the should have been arrested.
B. The railroad was unsuccessful because it could not help every slave.
C. Southerners did not know about the railroad until after it closed.
D. The railroad represented a psychological victory for abolitionists.
100. Where would the following sentence best fitted into paragraph 4?
Women and children also escaped, but they were more easily captured.
A. (A) B. (B) C. (C) D. (D)
Section 2: Read the following passages carefully and circle A, B, C or D that best answers the
questions.
While most desert animals will drink water if confronted with it, for many of them the
opportunity never comes. Yet all living things must have water, or they will expire. The herbivores
find it in desert plants. The carnivores slake their thirst with the flesh and blood of living prey. One
of the most remarkable adjustments, however, has been made by the tiny kangaroo rat, who not only
lives without drinking but subsists on a diet of dry seeds containing about 5% free water. Like other
animals, he has the ability to manufacture water in his body by a metabolic conversion of
carbohydrates. But he is notable for the parsimony with which he conserves his small supply by
every possible means, expending only minuscule amounts in his excreta and through evaporation
from his respiratory tract.
Investigation into how the kangaroo rat can live without drinking water has involved various
experiments with these small animals. Could kangaroo rats somehow store water in their bodies and
slowly utilize these resources in the long periods when no free water is available from dew or rain?
The simplest way to settle this question was to determine the total water content in the animals to
see if it decreases as they are kept for long periods on a dry diet. If they slowly use up their water,
the body should become increasingly dehydrated, and if they begin with a store of water, this should
be evident from an initial high water content. Results of such experiments with kangaroo rats on dry
diets for more than 7 weeks showed that the rats maintained their body weight. There was no trend
toward a decrease in water content during the long period of water deprivation. When the kangaroo
rats were given free access to water, they did not drink water. They did nibble on small pieces of
watermelon, but this did not change appreciably the water content in their bodies, which remained at
66.3% to 67.2% during this period.
This is very close to the water content of dry-fed animals (66.5%), and the availability of free
water, therefore, did not lead to any "storage" that could be meaningful as a water reserve. This
makes it reasonable to conclude that physiological storage of water is not a factor in the kangaroo
rat's ability to live on dry food.
101. What is the topic of this passage?
A. Kangaroo rats. B. Water in the desert.
C. Desert life. D. Physiological experiments.
102. The word “expire” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. become ill B. die C. shrink D. dehydrate
103. Which of the following is NOT a source of water for the desert animals?
A. Desert plants.
B. Metabolic conversion of carbohydrates in the body.
C. The blood of other animals.
D. Streams.
104. The word “it” in the first paragraph refers to _______.
A. a living thing B. the desert C. frugality D. water
105. The author states that the kangaroo rat is known for all of the following EXCEPT _______.
A. the economy with which it uses available water
B. living without drinking water
C. breathing slowly and infrequently
D. manufacturing water internally
106. The word ‘parsimony’ in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
 A. intelligence B. desire C. frugality D. skill
107. It is implied by the author that desert animals can exist with little or no water because of
_______.
A. less need for water than other animals
B. many opportunities for them to find water
C. their ability to eat plants
D. their ability to adjust to the desert environment
108. The word ‘deprivation’ in the paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. preservation B. renewal C. examination D. withholding
109. According to the passage, the results of the experiments with kangaroo rats showed that
_______.
A. kangaroo rats store water for use during dry period
B. kangaroo rats took advantage of free access to water
C. there was no significant change in body weight due to lack of water or accessibility to water
D. a dry diet seems detrimental to the kangaroo rat’s health
110. The word ‘access’ in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. right B. method C. opportunity D. entrance
Section 2: Read the following passage and circle A, B, C or D that best fits each numbered blank.
GERARD MERCATOR: THE MAN WHO MAPPED THE PLANET
When Gerard Mercator was born in 1512, the geography of the globe till remained a mystery. It
was unclear whether America was part of Asia if there was a vast (111)_______ 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 (112)_______ 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, (113)_______ 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 (114)_______ from the heavens, to achieve the visionary (115)_______ of gods in the skies,
(116)_______ down on the world. The main reason why Mercator’s name is familiar to us is
because of the Mercator Projection: the solution he (117)_______ 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 (118)_______ surface of the planet or that he (119)_______ the
idea of multiple maps being presented in bound books, to which he have 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 (120)_______. He was the man who altered our worldview forever.
111. A. territory B. distance C. range D. expanse
112. A. raised B. reared C. supplied D. nourished
113. A. congregate B. amass C. assimilate D. construct
114. A. suspended B. located C. situated D. attached
115. A. inspection B. observation C. perspective D. assessment
116. A. glimpsing B. scrutinizing C. watching D. gazing
117. A. invented B. contrived C. devised D. schemed
118. A. sheer B. full C. entire D. utter
119. A. pioneered B. initiated C. lead D. prepared
120. A. typical B. common C. routine D. normal
Section 3: Read the following passage and circle A, B, C or D that best fits each numbered blank.
 ME AND MY HEALTH
I never seem to stop. I’m not so much a workaholic as the (121)_______ ‘girl who can’t say no’.
not only have I never learned to organize my time, I need the deadline to pass before I get going.
Then I wonder why I feel (122)_______. I’m very good at whipping up false energy. Without
(123)_______ rest, though, I start to look grey and then, apart from a good night’s sleep, the only
thing that brings me back to life is meditation. I find that 20 minutes’ meditation is (124)_______ to
a good night’s sleep and that keeps me going. Somehow though, I never get around to meditating on
a daily (125)_______. I’m no good in the morning. By the time I’ve managed to get up and repair
the (126)_______ of the night, half of the day’s gone. When it comes to food, I’m a hostess’s
nightmare. As I suffer from migraine, I avoid cheese and (127)_______ like coffee, red wine and
spirits, which are generally (128)_______ to trigger and attack. I only eat rye bread, as the gluten in
wheat makes me feel bloated and ropy. I’ve (129)_______ countless migraine ‘cures’, from the
herbal remedy feverfew to acupuncture. Acupuncture (130)_______ balance the system, but nothing
stops the attack.
121. A. innovative B. first C. foremost D. original
122. A. apathetic B. exhausted C. grueling D. spent
123. A. sufficient B. severe C. acceptable D. minimal
124. A. compatible B. alike C. equivalent D. proportional
125. A. way B. basis C. routine D. manner
126. A. damages B. wrecks C. ravages D. ruins
127. A. stimulations B. stimulants C. stimulus D. stimulating
128. A. foreseen B. maintained C. regarded D. thought
129. A. tried B. experimented C. searched D. proved
130. A. assists B. improves C. restores D. helps
Section 4: Fill in each numbered blank with ONE suitable word.
KARAOKE FEVER
Karaoke is fast becoming the nation’s Number One party pastime. Public humiliation has
(131)_______ been so fashionable. I’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
(132)_______ a Michael Jackson song. What was (133)_______ the party habit of teenagers is now
favoured by London’s coolest crowd and everyone is having a (134)_______. So why are so many
of our young celebrities queuing up to make fools of (135)_______ in clubs and bars across the
country? Maybe it’s because (136)_______ out a naff pop song to a public audience shows that even
though you may be a celebrity, you don’t (137)_______ 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
(138)_______ on a karaoke evening, no matter how famous they are. Turning all, that’s the whole
point of the exercise. (139)_______ 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 (140)_______ 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!
Section 5: Fill in each numbered blank with ONE suitable word.
When he was made (141)_______ four years ago, John Spencer set up his own business dealing
in (142)_______ and second-hand books. “I didn’t expect to lose my job,” he said. “It happened
very suddenly and I knew it would be difficult to find another one. I’d always been interested in
books, so that seemed a good (143)_______ to choose. I run the business from home and send and
receive books by post so I don’t need my one (144)_______. Sometimes I travel to book fairs and
sometimes I have a stall in the market. It was a bit frightening at first, being (145)_______, but I’ve
got used to it now and I really appreciate the feeling of independence I get from “be my own boss”.
John got some advice from his bank manager about the financial (146)_______ of his business and
also took out a small (147)_______ to buy stock. After only two years the business was making a
profit. The secret of success, according to John, is to (148)_______ in certain area (detective fiction
and cookery in his case) so that you always have the book the serious collector is looking for. John
posts books to his customers and then waits for them to send (149)_______. At first, he wasn’t sure
whether people would pay up promptly. “In fact, this hasn’t been the problem I thought it might be.
Most customers are very (150)_______ and it’s only the occasional one that causes problems.
D. WRITING
Rewrite the sentences with the given words or beginning in such a way that their meanings
remain unchanged.
151. “Because of this new evidence I have no alternative but to release you,” the judge told the
accused.
→ “______________________ I have no alternative but to release you,” the judge told the
accused.
152. It is important to know the difference between a joke and a lie. (DRAW)
→ It is important to know ______________________ between a joke and a lie.
153. The government recommends a balance of reward and punishment when dealing with young
offenders. (STICK)
→ The government favours a ______________________ to young offenders.
154. Let’s all work together, and we’ll finish the job very quickly. (NEXT)
→ We’ll have this job done ______________________ if we cooperate.
155. He was really jealous when he saw his brother’s new car. (GREEN)
→ He was ______________________ see his brother’s new car.
156. It’s sad, but unemployment is unlikely to go down this year.
→ Sad ____________________________________________.
157. People believe that the Chinese invented paper in 105 A.D.
→ Paper ____________________________________________.
158. It’s a pity that you wrote that letter.
→ I’d ____________________________________________.
159. He decided to repair the thing himself and not to take it back to the shop.
→ Rather ____________________________________________.
160. I’m sure it wasn’t Mrs. Ellon you saw because she’s in Brisbane.
→ It can’t ____________________________________________.