READING PAPER
Time permitted: 60 minutes
Number of questions: 40
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Directions: In this section you will read FOUR different passages. Each one is followed by
10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or D,
to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in
the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all
questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.
You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your
answers to the answer sheet.
PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1-10
Phillis Wheatley was born in Gambia (in Africa) on May 8, 1753 and died in Boston on
December 5, 1784.
When she was 7 or 8, she was sold as a slave to John and Susanna Wheatley of Boston.
She was named after the ship that brought her to America, The Phillis.
The Poetry Foundation describes her sale:
In August 1761, “in want of a domestic,” Susanna Wheatley, … purchased “a slender,
frail female child … for a trifle”… The captain of the slave ship believed that the waif
was terminally ill, and he wanted … at least a small profit before she died. … The family
surmised the girl—who was “of slender frame and evidently suffering from a change of
climate,” nearly naked, with “no other covering than a quantity of dirty carpet about
her” - to be “about seven years old … from the circumstances of shedding her front
teeth.” (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/phillis-wheatley)
Phillis was very intelligent. The Wheatley family taught her to read and write, and
encouraged her to write poetry. Her first poem “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin” was
published when she was only twelve. In 1770, "An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of that
Celebrated Divine, and Eminent Servant of Jesus Christ, the Reverend and Learned
George Whitefield" made her famous. It was published in Boston, Newport, and
Philadelphia.
When she was eighteen, Phillis and Mrs. Wheatley tried to sell a collection containing
twenty-eight of her poems. Colonists did not want to buy poetry written by an African.
Mrs. Wheatley wrote to England to ask Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, for
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help. The countess was a wealthy supporter of evangelical and abolitionist (anti-
slavery) causes. She had Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral published in
England in 1773. This book made Phillis famous in England and the thirteen colonies.
She wrote a poem for George Washington in 1775, and he praised her work. They met
in 1776. Phillis supported independence for the colonies during the Revolutionary
War.
After her master died, Phillis was emancipated. She married John Peters, a free black
man, in 1778. She and her husband lost two children as infants. John would be
imprisoned for debt in 1784. Phillis and her remaining child died in December of 1784
and were buried in an unmarked grave. Nevertheless, the legacy of Phillis Wheatly
lives on. She became the first African American and the first slave in the United States
to publish a book. She proved that slaves or former slaves had a valuable voice in the
Revolutionary era.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the Countess of Huntingdon …
A. didn't care about Phillis' poetry
B. helped Phillis get her writings published
C. believed in slavery
D. was surprised that Phillis could read and write
2. What question is answered in last paragraph?
A. Who did Phillis marry?
B. Where were Phillis' works published?
C. What did Phillis prove?
D. Why was Phillis a slave?
3. Phillis finally became free …
A. when she published her poems in England
B. after meeting the Countess of Huntingdon
C. when she became wealthy
D. after her master died
4. Phillis' first attempt at selling her poetry in America (the colonies) was …
A. illegal
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B. imaginary
C. unsuccessful
D. successful
5. Which of the following is TRUE about Phillis Wheatley?
A. She was the first African-American slave to visit England.
B. She was the first African-American and slave to publish a book in the United
States.
C. She was the first African-American and slave to be able to read and write
D. She was the first African-American and slave to meet George Washington.
6. The Wheatley family estimated the age of the slave girl they named "Phills" by …
A. her size
B. the condition of her teeth
C. her color
D. her weight
7. By the age of twelve, Phillis was …
A. no longer a slave
B. married
C. a published poet
D. still not able to read or write
8. The slaveowner who sold Phillis to the Wheatley family believed …
A. she would soon recover from her illness
B. she was very intelligent
C. she was worth a lot of money
D. she would soon die
9. Who was George Whitefield?
A. A military general
B. Somebody who Phillis admired greatly
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C. Phillis' husband
D. A slave owner
10. Where is Phillis Wheatley buried?
A. No one knows
B. Africa
C. Boston
D. Virginia
PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20
The conservatism of the early English colonists in North America, their strong
attachment to the English way of doing things, would play a major part in the
furniture that was made in New England. The very tools that the first New England
furniture makers used were, after all, not much different from those used for
centuries- even millennia: basic hammers, saws, chisels, planes, augers, compasses,
and measures. These were the tools used more or less by all people who worked with
wood: carpenters, barrel makers, and shipwrights. At most the furniture makers might
have had planes with special edges or more delicate chisels, but there could not have
been much specialization in the early years of the colonies.
The furniture makers in those early decades of the 1600’ s were known as
“joiners,” for the primary method of constructing furniture, at least among the English
of this time, was that of mortise-and-tenon joinery. The mortise is the hole chiseled
and cut into one piece of wood, while the tenon is the tongue or protruding element
shaped from another piece of wood so that it fits into the mortise; and another small
hole is then drilled (with the auger) through the mortised end and the tenon so that a
whittled peg can secure the joint- thus the term “joiner." Panels were fitted into slots
on the basic frames. This kind of construction was used for making everything from
houses to chests.
Relatively little hardware was used during this period. Some nails- forged by
hand- were used, but no screws or glue. Hinges were often made of leather, but metal
hinges were also used. The cruder varieties were made by blacksmiths in the colonies,
but the finer metal elements were imported. Locks and escutcheon plates - the latter to
shield the wood from the metal key- would often be imported. Above all, what the
early English colonists imported was their knowledge of, familiarity with, and
dedication to the traditional types and designs of furniture they knew in England.
11. The phrase “attachment to” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
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A. control of
B. distance from
C. curiosity about
D. preference for
12. The word “protruding” in line 12 is closest in meaning
A. parallel
B. simple
C. projecting
D. important
13. The relationship of a mortise and a tenon is most similar to that of
A. a lock and a key
B. a book and its cover
C. a cup and a saucer
D. a hammer and a nail
14. For what purpose did woodworkers use an auger
A. To whittle a peg
B. To make a tenon
C. To drill a hole
D. To measure a panel
15. Which of the following were NOT used in the construction of colonial furniture?
A. Mortises
B. Nails
C. Hinges
D. Screws
16. The author implies that colonial metalworkers were
A. unable to make elaborate parts
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B. more skilled than woodworkers
C. more conservative than other colonists
D. frequently employed by joiners
17. The word “shield” in line 20 is closest in meaning to
A. decorate
B. copy
C. shape
D. protect
18. The word “they” in line 25 refers to
A. designs
B. types
C. colonists
D. all
19. The author implies that the colonial joiners
A. were highly paid
B. based their furniture on English models
C. used many specialized tools
D. had to adjust to using new kinds of wood in New England
20. Which of the following terms does the author explain in the passage?
A. “millennia”
B. “joiners”
C. “whittled”
D. “blacksmiths”
PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30
In addition to their military role, the forts of the nineteenth century provided
numerous other benefits for the American West. The establishment of these posts
opened new roads and provided for the protection of daring adventurers and
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expeditions as well as established settlers. Forts also served as bases where
enterprising entrepreneurs could bring commerce to the West, providing supplies and
refreshments to soldiers as well as to pioneers. Posts like Fort Laramie provided
supplies for wagon trains traveling the natural highways toward new frontiers. Some
posts became stations for the pony express; still others, such as Fort Davis, were
stagecoach stops for weary travelers. All of these functions, of course, suggest that the
contributions of the forts to the civilization and development of the West extended
beyond patrol duty.
Through the establishment of military posts, yet other contributions were made
to the development of western culture. Many posts maintained libraries or reading
rooms, and some - for example, Fort Davis- had schools. Post chapels provided a
setting for religious services and weddings. Throughout the wilderness, post bands
provided entertainment and boosted morale. During the last part of the nineteenth
century, to reduce expenses, gardening was encouraged at the forts, thus making
experimental agriculture another activity of the military. The military stationed at the
various forts also played a role in civilian life by assisting in maintaining order, and
civilian officials often called on the army for protection.
Certainly, among other significant contributions the army made to the
improvement of the conditions of life was the investigation of the relationships among
health, climate, and architecture. From the earliest colonial times throughout the
nineteenth century, disease ranked as the foremost problem in defense. It slowed
construction of forts and inhibited their military functions. Official documents from
many regions contained innumerable reports of sickness that virtually incapacitated
entire garrisons. In response to the problems, detailed observations of architecture
and climate and their relationships to the frequency of the occurrence of various
diseases were recorded at various posts across the nation by military surgeons.
21. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. By the nineteenth century, forts were no longer used by the military.
B. Surgeons at forts could not prevent outbreaks of disease.
C. Forts were important to the development of the American West
D. Life in nineteenth-century forts was very rough.
22. The word “daring” in line 3 is closest in meaning to
A. lost
B. bold
C. lively
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D. foolish
23. Which of the following would a traveler be likely be LEAST likely to obtain at Fort
Laramie?
A. Fresh water
B. Food
C Formal clothing
D. Lodging
24. The word “others” in line 7 refers to
A. posts
B. wagon trains
C. frontiers
D. highways
25. The word “boosted" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
A. influenced
B. established
C. raised
D. maintained
26. Which of the following is the most likely inference about the decision to promote
gardening at forts?
A. It was expensive to import produce from far away.
B. Food brought in from outside was often spoiled
C. Gardening was a way to occupy otherwise idle soldiers.
D. The soil near the forts was very fertile.
27. According to the passage, which of the following posed the biggest obstacle to the
development of military forts?
A. Insufficient shelter
B. Shortage of materials
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C. Attacks by wild animals
D. Illness
28. The word “inhibited” in line 22 is closest in meaning to
A. involved
B. exploited
C. united
D. hindered
29. How did the military assists in the investigation of health problems?
A. By registering annual birth and death rates
B. By experiments with different building materials
C. By maintaining records of diseases and potential causes
D. By monitoring the soldiers’ diets
30. The author organizes the discussion of forts by
A. describing their locations
B. comparing their sizes
C. explaining their damage to the environment
D. listing their contributions to western life
PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31-40
Anyone who has handled a fossilized bone knows that it is usually not exactly
like its modern counterpart, the most obvious difference being that it is often much
heavier. Fossils often have the quality of stone rather than of organic materials, and
this has led to the use of the term “ petrifaction” (to bring about rock). The implication
is that bone, and other tissues, have somehow been turned into stone, and this is
certainly the explanation given in some texts. But it is wrong interpretation; fossils are
frequently so dense because the pores and other spaces in the bone have become filled
with minerals taken up from the surrounding sediments. Some fossil bones have all the
interstitial spaces filled with foreign minerals, including the marrow cavity, if there is
one, while others have taken up but little from their surroundings. Probably all of the
minerals deposited within the bone have been recrystallized from solution by the
action of water percolating thru them. The degree of mineralization appears to be
determined by the nature of the environment in which the bone was deposited and not
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by the antiquity of the bone. For example, the black fossil bones that are so common in
many parts of Florida are heavily mineralized, but they are only about 20,000 years
old, whereas many of the dinosaur bones from western Canada, which are about 75
million years old, are only partially filled in. Under optimum conditions the process of
mineralization probably takes thousands rather than millions of years, perhaps
considerably less.
The amount of change that has occurred in fossil bone, even in bone as old as
that of dinosaurs, is often remarkably small. We are therefore usually able to see the
microscopic structures of the bone, including such fine details as the lacunae where
the living bone cells once resided. The natural bone mineral, the hydroxyapatite, is
virtually unaltered too - it has the same crystal structure as that of modern bone.
Although nothing remains of the original collagen, some of its component amino acids
are usually still detectable, together with amino acids of the noncollagen proteins of
bone.
31. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The location of fossils in North America
B. The composition of fossils
C. Determining the size and weight of fossils
D. Procedures for analyzing fossils
32. The word “counterpart” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
A. species
B. version
C. change
D. material
33. Why is fossilized bone heavier than ordinary bone?
A. Bone tissue solidifies with age.
B. The marrow cavity gradually fills with water
C. The organic materials turn to stone
D. Spaces within the bone fill with minerals.
34. The word “pores” in line 6 is closest in meaning to:
A. joints
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B. tissues
C. lines
D. holes
35. What can be inferred about a fossil with a high degree of mineralization?
A. It was exposed to large amounts of mineral-laden water throughout time.
B. Mineralization was complete within one year of the animal’s death.
C. Many colorful crystals can be found in such a fossil.
D. It was discovered in western Canada.
36. Which of the following factors is most important in determining the extent of
mineralization in fossil bones?
A. The age of fossil
B. Environmental conditions
C. The location of the bone in the animal’s body.
D. The type of animal the bone came from
37. Why does the author compare fossils found in western Canada to those found in
Florida?
A. To prove that a fossil’ s age cannot be determined by the amount of
mineralization.
B. To discuss the large quantity of fossils found in both places
C. To suggest that fossils found in both places were the same age.
D. To explain why scientists are especially interested in Canadian fossils
38. The word “it” in line 21 refers to
A. hydroxyapatite
B. microscopic structure
C. crystal structure
D. modern bone
39. The word “detectable” in line 23 isclosest in meaning to
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A. sizable
B. active
C. moist
D. apparent
40. Which of the following does NOT survive in fossils?
A. Noncollagen proteins
B. Hydroxyapatite
C. Collagen
D. Amino acid
PHÂN LOẠI ĐỘ KHÓ
1 (4) 2 (5) 3 (5) 4 (3) 5 (4)
6 (4) 7 (5) 8 (3) 9 (5) 10 (4)
11 (4) 12 (5) 13 (4) 14 (4) 15 (3)
16 (5) 17 (4) 18 (3) 19 (4) 20 (4)
21 (3) 22 (5) 23 (5) 24 (3) 25 (5)
26 (4) 27 (4) 28 (5) 29 (3) 30 (4)
31 (4) 32 (5) 33 (4) 34 (4) 35 (4)
36 (4) 37 (3) 38 (3) 39 (4) 40 (4)
ANSWER KEYS
PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1-10
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the Countess of Huntingdon …
B. helped Phillis get her writings published
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2. What question is answered in last paragraph?
C. What did Phillis prove?
3. Phillis finally became free …
D. after her master died
4. Phillis' first attempt at selling her poetry in America (the colonies) was …
C. unsuccessful
5. Which of the following is TRUE about Phillis Wheatley?
B. She was the first African-American and slave to publish a book in the United
States.
6. The Wheatley family estimated the age of the slave girl they named "Phills" by …
B. the condition of her teeth
7. By the age of twelve, Phillis was …
C. a published poet
8. The slaveowner who sold Phillis to the Wheatley family believed …
D. she would soon die
9. Who was George Whitefield?
C. Phillis' husband
10. Where is Phillis Wheatley buried?
A. No one knows
PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20
11. The phrase “attachment to” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
D. preference for
12. The word “protruding” in line 12 is closest in meaning
C. projecting
13. The relationship of a mortise and a tenon is most similar to that of
A. a lock and a key
14. For what purpose did woodworkers use an auger
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D. To measure a panel
15. Which of the following were NOT used in the construction of colonial furniture?
C. Hinges
16. The author implies that colonial metalworkers were
A. unable to make elaborate parts
17. The word “shield” in line 20 is closest in meaning to
D. protect
18. The word “they” in line 25 refers to
C. colonists
19. The author implies that the colonial joiners
B. based their furniture on English models
20. Which of the following terms does the author explain in the passage?
B. “joiners”
PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30
21. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?
C. Forts were important to the development of the American West
22. The word “daring” in line 3 is closest in meaning to
B. bold
23. Which of the following would a traveler be likely be LEAST likely to obtain at Fort
Laramie?
C Formal clothing
24. The word “others” in line 7 refers to
A. posts
25. The word “boosted" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
C. raised
26. Which of the following is the most likely inference about the decision to promote
gardening at forts?
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A. It was expensive to import produce from far away.
27. According to the passage, which of the following posed the biggest obstacle to the
development of military forts?
D. Illness
28. The word “inhibited” in line 22 is closest in meaning to
D. hindered
29. How did the military assists in the investigation of health problems?
C. By maintaining records of diseases and potential causes
30. The author organizes the discussion of forts by
D. listing their contributions to western life
PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31-40
31. What does the passage mainly discuss?
B. The composition of fossils
32. The word “counterpart” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
B. version
33. Why is fossilized bone heavier than ordinary bone?
D. Spaces within the bone fill with minerals.
34. The word “pores” in line 6 is closest in meaning to:
D. holes
35. What can be inferred about a fossil with a high degree of mineralization?
A. It was exposed to large amounts of mineral-laden water throughout time.
36. Which of the following factors is most important in determining the extent of
mineralization in fossil bones?
B. Environmental conditions
37. Why does the author compare fossils found in western Canada to those found in
Florida?
A. To prove that a fossil’ s age cannot be determined by the amount of
mineralization.
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38. The word “it” in line 21 refers to
A. hydroxyapatite
39. The word “detectable” in line 23 isclosest in meaning to
D. apparent
40. Which of the following does NOT survive in fossils?
C. Collagen
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