II. Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question from the 4 choices (A, B, C, or D) given.      

Have you ever been to Britain? I’ve dreamed of going there (1) __ I was a little girl and finally, (2) ___ the spring of 2012, it happened. I was there three weeks and (3) ___much of that time soaking up the culture, history, and scenery of this incredible island. I visited several districts in England, Wales and Scotland and even (4) ___ a site trip to Ireland. Every place I went to seemed to be more interesting and more beautiful (5) ____the last. The tour I was with began in London. Of all the sights I saw there, the Tower of London was the most (6) ___The Tower is a building complex of incredibly rich history.

Also on the Thames are the Houses of Parliament and, of course, the clock tower housing “Big Ben”. I saw so many landmarks I can hardly remember them all. Although it was just a glimpse of London I did, (7) __, get a chance to see all the (8)____ famous places.

After (9) ___ of days in London we traveled to the south of England stopping to visit Stonehenge. If you don’t know about Stonehenge there are a couple of links on my links page that will (10) ___ you to sites that can fill you in.

   1. A. for                        B. while                     C. since                      D. because

   2. A. on                         B. in                            C. at                            D. to

   3. A. spent                    B. took                       C. did                         D. used

   4. A. did                        B. got                          C. spent                      D. made

   5. A. then                      B. as                           C. with                       D. than

   6. A. interesting           B. interested              C. interest                  D. interestingly

   7. A. at first                  B. at all                      C. at least                   D. at that

   8. A. more                    B. much                     C. most                       D. many

   9. A. few                       B. some                      C. a couple                D. little

   10. A. reach                  B. take                        C. make                      D. send

A. PHONETICS, VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR.

I. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the others.

II.  Choose the most suitable word or phrase.

1. The window ____________  last night has been repaired.

2. It took him ages to  ____________   living in the new town.

3. My parents make me ____________  for my exam.

4.  I would rather you  ____________  me the story.

5. That’s a  ____________   building.

6. She helped me ____________  the house..

7. You have to work ____________  for the coming exam.

8. I had two copies of it originally, but I can’t find ____________ one now.

9. Neither the boy’s parents nor I ___________________satisfied with his progress.

10. I remember ___________  him somewhere, but I can’t tell where it was.

11.  She is wearing a ________________.

12. My brother feels ___________  again after his operation.

13. “Would you like to go to the movies tonight ?”.

 - “I’m sorry. I can’t. I ___________ my homework this evening”.

14. He does morning exercise regularly  __________  improve his health.

15. We must be quick. There is   ___________  time left.

16. “ May I help you?” – “___________”

17. I saw him ___________ the flowers in the garden.

18.  Ninety kilometers ___________  a long distance to drive a car.

19. I remember ___________ her a five thousand dong coin yesterday.

20. We had better use public buses to work __________ motorbikes.

III. Complete the passage with the correct form of the words in brackets.

            The Cotswolds is an area of great (beautiful) … (1) ... in England. It has a number of (delight) …(2)…… villages and small towns with (love) …(3)….. old building that have remained unchanged since the area was the major (commerce) ……(4)…… center several centuries ago. The countryside in the area is (charm) …(5)…. and most of the buildings there are made from an (attract) ……(6)…. type of light stone that is particular to the Cotswolds.

            In the summer, the Cotswolds can get rather (crowd) ……(7)…. but it is always possible to find pretty places that do not have the (famous) .

…(8)…. of the more well – known villages and town. There is no shortage of pleasant hotels and (tradition) ……(9)…. inns for visitors to stay in and the Cotswolds area is an excellent place for an (enjoy) ……(10)…….weekend or long trip.

Your answers:

IV. Find a mistake in the following sentences and correct it.

Eg: We is interested in listening to Rock music.                => A -> are

            A                 B            C                                      D

V. Put the correct tense or form of the verbs in the parentheses.

Your answers:

VI. Fill in each blank with one suitable preposition.

1. We are traveling to railway station _______   his car.

2. She is tired _______   living in the city.

3. My new house is different _______  my old house.

4.  This restaurant is famous _______   Chinese food.

5. I’m always busy. I must work _______   early morning until night.

6. Bobby started school _______   the age of five.

7. This apartment is suitable_______   my family.

8. The ambulance will be there _______   about 5 minutes.

9. Don`t use that dictionary. It is _______ date. Find one that is up to date..

10.  Na got up late this morning because her alarm clock didn’t go _______ .

Question 8: Choose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage. Write your answers in the numbered blanks provided below the passage. (0) has been done as an example. (10point)

Vietnamese generally shake hands when greeting and parting. Using both hands shows respect as does a (71)______bow of the head. In rural areas, elderly people do not extend their hand are greeted with   a bow.  Women are more (72)______to bow the head than to shake hands. Vietnamese names begin with    the family name and are (73)_______by a given name. For example, in the name Nguyen Van Due, Nguyen is the family name. People address (74)_______by their given  names,  but add  a title that indicates their   perceived (75)_______to the other person. These titles are family related rather than professional. Among colleagues, for example, the (76)_______of the two might combine the given name with the title of Anh   ("Older Brother"). A(n) (77)______greeting combined with the given name and title is Xin chao ("Hello."). Classifiers for gender and familiarity are also combined with the greeting. In formal meetings, business cards are sometimes (78)_______on greeting.

Vietnamese people have a strong (79)______of hospitality and feel embarrassed if they cannot show their guests full respect by preparing for their  arrival. Therefore, it (80)______to visit someone without    having been invited. Gifts are not required, but are appreciated. Flowers, incense, or tea may be proper gifts for the hosts. Hosts also appreciate a small gift for their children or elderly parents

71. A. light                            B. slight                                 C. lightly                    D. lighted

72. A. possible                      B. capable                             C. probable               D. likely

73. A. continued                   B. chased                               C. followed               D. taken

74. A. each one                     B. one other                          C. one the other        D. one another

75. A. relation                       B. relationship                      C. relation                 D. relatives

76. A. younger                      B. most young                       C. youngest               D. young

77. A. easy                            B. basic                                  C. fundamentally      D. elementary

78. A. changed                      B. transferred                        C. reserved                D. exchanged

79. A. sense                           B. sensation                          C. sensitivity             D. sensible

80. A. inactive                      B. inaccurate                         C. inappropriate       D. inexact

Question 7: Read the following passage and choose the best answer. Write your answers in the numbered blanks provided below the passage. (20point)

As Christmas evolved in the United States, new customs were adopted and many old ones were reworked. The legend of Santa Claus, for example, had origins in Europe and was brought by Dutch settlers to New York in the early 18^th century. Traditionally, Santa Claus - from the Dutch Sinter Klaas - was depicted as a tall, dignified, religious figure riding a white horse through the air. Known as Saint Nicholas in Germany, he was usually accompanied by Black Peter, an elf who punished disobedient children. In North America he eventually developed into a fat, jolly old gentleman who had neither the religious attributes of Saint Nicholas nor the strict disciplinarian character of Black Peter.

Santa’s transformation began in 1823, when a New York newspaper published the poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas, which Clement Clark Moore had written to amuse his daughter. The poem introduced many Americans to the story of a kindly saint who flew over housetops in a reindeer-drawn sleigh. Portraits and drawings of Santa Claus by American illustrator Thomas Nast further strengthened the legend during the second half of the 19^th century. Living at the North Pole and assisted by elves, the modern Santa produced and delivered toys to all good children. By the late 19^th century he had become such a prominent figure of American folklore that in 1897, when Virginia O’Hanlon wrote to the New  York Sun newspaper asking if Santa was real, she received a direct answer: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”.

61. Who brought the legend of Santa Claus to the USA according to the passage?

A. Sinter Klaas         B. Saint Nicholas                 C. A German             D. Dutch settlers

62. Santa Claus was traditionally described as a________.

A. tall man who could walk through the air.        B. fat, jolly, old man.

C. religious figure.                                                   D. fat man riding a white horse.

63. Santa Claus in North America was depicted as________.

A. a man with the strict disciplinarian character of Black Peter.

B. a good old man with less religious character.

C. one with religious attributes of Saint Nicholas.

D. a jolly man on horseback.

64. Who was Black Peter?

A. an elf accompanying Saint Nicholas.               B. an elf who rode a white horse.

C. one of the disobedient children.                        D. a popular traditional figure.

65. What word is closest in meaning to “attributes”?

A. symbols of a person        B. natural qualities   C. effects       D. outer appearance

66. Where did the legend of Santa Claus come from?

A. the North Pole     B. Europe                  C. North America     D. the City of New York

67. 1823 was mentioned as a year when________.

A. Clement Clark Moore wrote his first poem

B. Clement Clark Moore’s poem made him popular

C. Saint Nicholas visited New York

D. the image of Santa Claus was transformed

68. According to Clement Clark Moore’s poem

A. Santa Claus had nothing different in appearance from the traditional one.

B. Santa Claus had wings and could fly.

C. Santa Claus liked poetry.

D. Santa Claus was a kindly saint who flew over housetops in a sleigh.

69. The answer “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” is an illustration for the fact that________.

A. the New York Sun was popular with children.

B. Santa Claus was a prominent figure at that time.

C. newspapers are unreliable.

D. Virginia O’Hanlon was a reader of the New York Sun

70. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Santa Claus was an imaginary old man created by artists based on traditional figures.

B. Living in the North Pole, Santa Claus visited children at Christmas.

C. Santa Claus was a real figure living in northern America.

D. Santa Claus was a story based on Saint Nicholas and Black Peter.

Question 6: Read the following passage and choose the best answer. Write your answers in the numbered blanks provided below the passage. (20point)

In addition to the great ridges and volcanic chains, the oceans conceal another form of undersea mountains: the strange guyot, or flat-topped seamount. No marine geologist even suspected the  existence of these isolated mountains until they were discovered by geologist Harry H. Hess in 1946.   He was serving at the time as naval officer on a ship equipped with a fathometer. Hess named these truncated peaks for the nineteenth-century Swiss-born geologist Arnold Guyot, who had served on the faculty of Princeton University for thirty years. Since then, hundreds of guyots have been discovered in every ocean but the Arctic. Like offshore canyons, guyots present a challenge to oceanographic theory. They are believed to be extinct volcanoes. Their flat tops indicate that they once stood above or just below the surface, where the action of waves leveled off their peaks. Yet today, by definition, their summits are at least 600 feet below the surface, and some are as deep as 8,200 feet. Most lie between 3,200 feet and 6,500 feet. Their tops are not really flat but slope upward to a low pinnacle at the center. Dredging from the tops of guyots has recovered basalt and coral rubble, and that would be expected from the eroded tops of what were once islands. Some of this material is over 80 million years old. Geologists think the drowning of the guyots involved two processes: The great weight of the volcanic mountains depressed the sea floor beneath them, and the level of the sea rose a number of times, especially when the last Ice Age ended, some 8,000 to 11.000 years ago.

51. What is the author's main purpose in writing this passage?

A. To trace the career of Arnold Guyot.

B. To describe feature of the undersea world.

C. To present the results of recent geologic research.

D. To discuss underwater ridges and volcano chains

52. The word “conceal” is closest in meaning to which of the following?

A. Contain                 B. Erode                                C. Hide                       D. Create

53. The passage implies that guyots were first detected by means of________.

A. a fathometer                                                        B. computer analysic

C. a deep-sea diving expedition                            D. research submarines

54. The author indicates that Arnold Guyot________.

A. was Harry Hess's instructor                              B. invented the fathometer

C. named the guyed after himself                          D. taught at Princeton University

55. What does the passage say about the Arctic Ocean?

A. The first guyot was discovered there.

B. No guyots have ever been found there.

C. There are more guyots there than in any other ocean.

D. It is impossible that guyots were ever formed there.

56. The author states that offshore canyons and guyots have which of the following characteristics in common?

A. Both are found on the ocean floor near continental shelves.

B. Both present oceanographers with a mystery.

C. Both were formed by volcanic activity.

D. Both were, at one time, above the surface of the sea.

57. According to the passage, most guyots are found at a depth of________.

A. less than 600 feet.                                                           B. between 600 and 3,200 feet.

C. between 3,200 and 6,500 feet                            D. more than 8,200 feet

51. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “rubble”?

A. Fragments             B. Mixture                             C. Columns               D. Core

51. According to the passage, which of the following two processes were involved in the submersion of guyots?

A. Erosion and volcanic activity.

B. The sinking of the sea floor and the rising of sea level.

C. Mountain building and the action of ocean currents

D. High tides and earthquakes

60. According to the passage, when did sea level significantly rise?

A. In 1946                                                                 B. In the nineteenth century

C. From 8,000 to 11,000 years                              D. 80 million years ago

Question 5: Fill in each blank with a suitable PREPOSITION or PARTICLE. Write your answers in the numbered blanks provided below the passage. (10point)

41. We’re all very obliged_________ you

42. When the wound has healed_________ you can remove the plaster.

43. Without a fridge, fresh food will go_________ very quickly.

44. I’m faithful_________ my principle.

45. I haven’t heard_________ Mandy since she wrote in July.

46. This service is free_________ charge.

47. They went ahead contrary_________ my advice.

48. The weather was fine, and everyone was making_________ the coast.

49. We’re going_________ Tom’s car tomorrow.

50. Have a card_________ your sleeve.

I. Finish the second sentence in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence printed before it

1. If the work is finished by lunchtime, you can go home.

à Get____________________________________________________________________________

2. You haven’t done your work, have you?

à It’s about_______________________________________________________________________

3. The fourth time he asked her to marry him, she accepted.

à Only on his _____________________________________________________________________

4. He said that he had won as a result of good luck.

à He attributed____________________________________________________________________

5. That reminds me of the time I climbed to the top of Mount Fuji.                

à That takes me____________________________________________________________________

6. People rumour that he is rich but stingy.

à What___________________________________________________________________________

7. Such a ridiculous proposal isn’t worth serious consideration.

à There is_________________________________________________________________________

8. Just thinking about his face at that moment makes me laugh.

à The very_________________________________________________________________________

9.We cannot see animals in a vast area after the forest fire.                  

à There is an_______________________________________________________________________

10.The staff hated Frank’s new policies so intensely that they went on strike.

à So intense _______________________________________________________________________

III. There are ten mistakes in the following passage. Find and correct them

      It seems that the mystery of why the Pyramids were built may have solved. Until quite recently people got used to think that they were just tombs for pharaohs. Instead, the connection with astronomy seems much more important. Egyptologists have often asked them how long it spent to build them and why people built them in first place. Experts came up with a suggestion that the Egyptians may have believed in the River Nile was the earthly equivalent of the Milky Way. Many agree that the sizes of the three Giza Pyramids are in promotion to the three stars of Orion. Nothing, then, was by the chance. Rather, the souls of dead pharaohs were deliberately being project through shafts to reach at their goal of the Orion constellation.