50 CÂU HỎI
Orchids are unique in having the most highly developed of all blossoms, in which the usual male and female reproductive organs are fused in a single structure called the column. The column is designed so that a single pollination will fertilize hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of seeds, so microscopic and light they are easily carried by the breeze. Surrounding the column are three sepals and three petals, sometimes easily recognizable as such, often distorted into gorgeous, weird, but always functional shapes. The most noticeable of the petals is called the labellum, or lip. It is often dramatically marked as an unmistakable landing strip to attract the specific insect the orchid has chosen as its pollinator. To lure their pollinators from afar, orchids use appropriately intriguing shapes, colors, and scents. At least 50 different aromatic compounds have been analyzed in the orchid family, each blended to attract one, or at most a few, species of insects or birds. Some orchids even change their scents to interest different insects at different times. Once the right insect has been attracted, some orchids present all sorts of one-way obstacle courses to make sure it does not leave until pollen has been accurately placed or removed. By such ingenious adaptations to specific pollinators, orchids have avoided the hazards of rampant crossbreeding in the wild, assuring the survival of species as discrete identities. At the same time they have made themselves irresistible to collectors. How many orchid seeds are typically pollinated at one time?
A. 200
B. 2,000
C. 20,000
D. 200,000
Which of the following is a kind of petal?
A. The column
B. The sepal
C. The stem
D. The labellum
The “labellum” (line 7) is most comparable to .........
A. a microscope
B. an obstacle course
C. an airport runway
D. a racetrack
The word "their" in line 12 refers to ......
A. orchids
B. birds
C. insects
D. species
The word "discrete" in line 16 is closest in meaning to ......
A. complicated
B. separate
C. inoffensive
D. functional
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions The American type of football was developed in the 19th century from soccer and rugby football. Played by professionals, amateurs, college and high school students, or young children, football in American is one of the most popular sports besides basketball and baseball. It attracts millions of fans each fall and people are very supportive of their favourite teams. The football playing field of today is rectangular in shape and measures 100 yards long and 53.5 yards wide. White lines are painted on the playing field to mark off the distances to the end zone. The games is divided into four quarters, each fifteen minutes long. The first two quarters are known as the first half. There is a rest period between two halves which usually last about fifteen minutes. Each team has eleven players. Each team has offensive players who play when the team has possession of the ball and defensive players who play when the other team has the possession of the ball. Because of the body contact players have during the game, helmets are worn to protect their head and face area, whereas pads are worn to protect the shoulders, arms, and legs. Also, there are officials carrying whistles and flags to make certain that the rules of the game are followed during the game. The football is made of leather and is brown in colour. It is shaped much like an oval and has white rings near each end of the football. These rings help the players see the ball when it is thrown or someone is running with it. The eight stitches on the top of the football help the players to grip the ball when throwing or passing. The most famous game of the year is Super Bowl that is played in January or February. It is televised around the world and is watched by millions of people each year. What do officials do during the game of football?
A. build up excitement among the fans
B. supervise the game
C. take up tickets
D. spectate the game
As mentioned in the text, who are the most active when their team has the ball?
A. offensive players
B. defensive players
C. the officials
D. the fans
Playing American football is the most similar to playing .........
A. rugby football
B. basketball
C. baseball
D. volleyball
What do pads help the players to protect?
A. their legs and arms
B. their heads
C. the whole body
D. their faces
Which is the most popular sport in the US?
A. Rugby football
B. Soccer
C. American football
D. It's not mentioned
When is the most famous football game held annually?
A. in the fall
B. January
C. February
D. January or February
Why are there white rings on each end of the football?
A. to mark off the distances to the end zone
B. to help players run
C. to help players score
D. to help players see the ball
The word "grip" in the passage means to ..........
A. avoid something
B. take something away
C. old something tightly
D. detect something
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions One day in 1924, five men who were camping in the Cascade Mountains of Washington saw a group of huge apelike creatures coming out of the woods. They hurried back to their cabin and locked themselves inside. While they were in, the creatures attacked them by throwing rocks against the walls of the cabin. After several hours, these strange hairy giants went back into the woods. After this incident the men returned to the town and told the people of their adventure. However, only a few people accepted their story. These were the people who remembered hearing tales about footprints of an animal that walked like a human being. The five men, however, were not the first people to have seen these creatures called Bigfoot. Long before their experience, local Native Americans were certain that a race of apelike animals had been living in the neighboring mountain for centuries. They called these creatures Sasquatch. In 1958, workmen, who were building a road through the jungles of Northern California often found huge footprints in the earth around their camp. Then in 1967, Roger Patterson, a man who was interested in finding Bigfoot went into the Northern California jungles with a friend. While riding, they were suddenly thrown off from their horses. Patterson saw a tall apelike animal standing not far away. He managed to shoot seven rolls of film of the hairy creature before the animal disappeared in the hushes. when Patterson's film was shown to the public, not many people believed his story. In another incident, Richard Brown, a music teacher and also an experienced hunter spotted a similar creature. He saw the animal clearly through the telescopic lens of his rifle. He said the creature looked more like a human than an animal. Later many other people also found deep footprints in the same area. In spite of regular reports of sightings and footprints, most experts still do not believe that Bigfoot really exists. The word neighboring would BEST be replaced with ______.
A. remote
B. nearby
C. far-off
D. far-away
Did the town people believe the story of the five men about their meeting with Bigfoot?
A. No, not everyone believed their story.
B. All the people believed what they said.
C. Some said the five men were making up their own story.
D. Only those who had heard the same tale the second time believed them.
Which of the following pairs is INCORRECT?
A. spotted - saw
B. creatures - animals
C. woods -- jungles
D. huge -- hairy
Who were the first people to have seen these apelike creatures before the five campers?
A. Richard Brown, a music teacher and a hunter.
B. Roger Patterson and his friend.
C. The local Native Americans.
D. The workers who built the road in the jungles of Northern California.
The BEST title for this passage would be ......
A. The adventures of Bigfoot.
B. The experts and the existence of Bigfoot.
C. The creature called Bigfoot.
D. The adventures of the five campers.
What did the five campers do when they saw a group of apelike creatures?
A. They threw rocks against the walls of their cabin to frighten the creatures away.
B. They attacked the creatures by throwing rocks at them.
C. They ran into the woods and hid there for several hours.
D. They quickly ran back into their cabin and locked the cabin door.
Who called the apelike creatures 'Sasquatch'?
A. Richard Brown
B. The local Native Americans
C. The five campers
D. Roger Patterson
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions Telecommuting is a form of computer communication between employees’ homes and offices. For employees whose jobs involve sitting at a terminal or word processor entering data or typing reports, the location of the computer is of no consequence. If the machine can communicate over telephone lines, when the work is completed, employees can dial the office computer and transmit the material to their employers. A recent survey in USA Today estimates that there are approximately 8,7 million telecommuters. But although the numbers are rising annually, the trend does not appear to be as significant as predicted when Business Week published “The Portable Executive” as its cover story a few years ago. Why hasn’t telecommuting become more popular ? Clearly, change simply takes time. But in addition, there has been active resistance on the part of many managers. These executives claim that supervising the telecommuters in a large work force scattered across the country would be too difficult, or, at least, systems for managing them are not yet developed, thereby complicating the manager’s responsibilities. It is also true that employees who are given the option of telecommuting are reluctant to accept the opportunity. Most people feel that they need regular interaction with a group, and many are concerned that they will not have the same consideration for advancement if they are not more visible in the office setting. Some people feel that even when a space in their homes is set aside as a work area, they never really get away from the office. How many Americans are involved in telecommuting?
A. More than predicted in Business Week.
B. More than 8 million.
C. Fewer than estimated in USA Today.
D. Fewer than last year.
The phrase “of no consequence” means ___________.
A. of no use
B. of no good
C. unimportant
D. irrelevant
The author mentions all of the following as concerns of telecommuting, EXCEPT ___________ .
A. the opportunities for advancement
B. the different system of supervision
C. the lack of interaction with a group
D. The work place is in the home
The word “ them” which is bold and italic refers to ___________.
A. systems
B. telecommuters
C. executives
D. responsibilities
The reason why telecommuting has not become popular is that the employees ___________.
A. needn't regular interaction with their families
B. are worried about the promotion if they are not seen at the office
C. like that a work area in their home is away from the office
D. are ignorant of telecommuting
It can be inferred from the passage that the author is ___________.
A. a telecommuter
B. the manager
C. a statistician
D. a reporter
When Business Week published “ The Portable Executive “, it implied that___________.
A. systems for managing telecommuters were not effective
B. there was resistance on the part of many managers about telecommuting
C. the trend for telecommuting was optimistic
D. most telecommuters were satisfied with their work
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions Marianne Moore (1887-1972) once said that her writing could be called poetry only because there was no other name for it. Indeed her poems appear to be extremely compressed essays that happen to be printed in jagged lines on the page. Her subjects were varied: animals, laborers, artists, and the craft of poetry. From her general reading came quotations that she found striking or insightful. She included these in her poems, scrupulously enclosed in quotation marks, and sometimes identified in footnotes. Of this practice, she wrote, "Why many quotation marks?" I am asked ... When a thing has been so well that it could not be said better, why paraphrase it? Hence, my writing is, if not a cabinet of fossils, a kind of collection of flies in amber." Close observation and concentration on detail and the methods of her poetry. Marianne Moore grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, near St. Lois. After graduation from Bryn Mawr College in 1909, she taught commercial subjects at the Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Later she became a librarian in New York City. During the 1920’s she was editor of The Dial, an important literary magazine of the period. She lived quietly all her life, mostly in Brooklyn, New York. She spent a lot of time at the Bronx Zoo, fascinated by animals. Her admiration of the Brooklyn Dodgers-before the team moved to Los Angeles-was widely known. Her first book of poems was published in London in 1921 by a group of friends associated with the Imagist movement. From that time on her poetry has been read with interest by succeeding generations of poets and readers. In 1952 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her Collected Poems. She wrote that she did not write poetry for money or fame. To earn a living is needful, but it can be done in routine ways. One writes because one has a burning desire to objectify what it is indispensable to one's happiness to express. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The influence of the imagists on Marianne Moore.
B. Essayists and poets of the 1920's.
C. The use of quotations in poetry.
D. Marianne Moore's life and work.
Which of the following can be inferred about Moore's poems?
A. They are better known in Europe than the United States.
B. They do not use traditional verse forms.
C. They were all published in The Dial.
D. They tend to be abstract.
According to the passage Moore wrote about all of the following EXCEPT ________
A. artists
B. animals
C. fossils
D. workers
Where did Marianne Moore grow up?
A. In Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
B. In Kirkwood.
C. In New York City
D. In Los Angeles.
The author mentions all of the following as jobs held by Moore EXCEPT _______
A. commercial artist
B. teacher
C. magazine editor
D. librarian
Where did Moore spend most of her adult life?
A. In Kirkwood.
B. In Brooklyn.
C. In Los Angeles.
D. In Carlisle.
The word "succeeding" is closest to ______.
A. inheriting
B. prospering
C. diverse
D. later
The word "it" refers to ______.
A. writing poetry
B. becoming famous
C. earning a living
D. attracting readers
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He played for the New York Yankees in their years of glory. From the time Mantle began to play professionally in 1951 to his last year in 1968, baseball was the most popular game in the United States. For many people, Mantle symbolized the hope, prosperity, and confidence of America at that time. Mantle was a fast and powerful player, a “switch-hitter” who could bat both right-handed and lefthanded. He won game after game, one World Series championship after another, for his team. He was a wonderful athlete, but this alone cannot explain America’s fascination with him. Perhaps it was because he was a handsome, red-haired country boy, the son of a poor miner from Oklahoma. His career, from the lead mines of the West to the heights of success and fame, was a fairy-tale version of the American dream. Or perhaps it was because America always loves a “natural”: a person who wins without seeming to try, whose talent appears to come from an inner grace. That was Mickey Mantle. But like many celebrities, Mickey Mantle had a private life that was full of problems. He played without complaint despite constant pain from injuries. He lived to fulfill his father’s dreams and drank to forget his father’s early death. It was a terrible addiction that finally destroyed his body. It gave him cirrhosis of the liver and accelerated the advance of liver cancer. Even when Mickey Mantle had turned away from his old life and warned young people not to follow his example, the destructive process could not be stopped. Despite a liver transplant operation that had all those who loved and admired him hoping for a recovery, Mickey Mantle died of cancer at the age of 63. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Mickey Mantle’s success and private life full of problems
B. Mickey Mantle as the greatest baseball player of all time
C. Mickey Mantle and the history of baseball
D. Mickey Mantle and his career as a baseball player
It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that Mantle ______.
A. introduced baseball into the US
B. earned a lot of money from baseball
C. had to try hard to be a professional player
D. played for New York Yankees all his life
The word “this” in paragraph 2 refers to ______.
A. Mantle’s being fascinated by many people
B. Mantle’s being a wonderful athlete
C. Mantle’s being a “switch-hitter”
D. Mantle’s being a fast and powerful player
It can be inferred from the passage that for most Americans ______.
A. success in Mantle’s career was difficult to believe
B. Mantle had a lot of difficulty achieving fame and success
C. success in Mantle’s career was unnatural
D. Mantle had to be trained hard to become a good player
The author uses the word “But” in paragraph 4 to ______.
A. explain how Mantle got into trouble
B. give an example of the trouble in Mantle’s private life
C. give an argument in favor of Mantle’s success and fame
D. change the topic of the passage
The word “accelerated” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. delayed
B. worsened
C. bettered
D. quickened
Which of the following is mentioned as the main cause of the destruction of Mantle’s body?
A. His way of life
B. His loneliness
C. His own dream
D. His liver transplant operation
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions The countryside of Britain is well known for its beauty and many contrasts: its bare mountains and moorland, its lakes, rivers and woods, and its long, often wild coastline. Many of the most beautiful areas are national parks and are protected from development. When British people think of the countryside they think of farmland, as well as open spaces. They imagine cows or sheep in green fields enclosed by hedges or stone walls, and fields of wheat and barley. Most farmland is privately owned but is crossed by a network of public footpaths. Many people associate the countryside with peace and relaxation. They spend their free time walking or cycling there, or go to the country for a picnic or a pub lunch. In summer people go to fruit farms and pick strawberries and other fruit. Only a few people who live in the country work on farms. Many commute to work in towns. Many others dream of living in the country, where they believe they would have a better and healthier lifestyle. The countryside faces many threats. Some are associated with modern farming practices, and the use of chemicals harmful to plants and wildlife. Land is also needed for new houses. The green belt, an area of land around many cities, is under increasing pressure. Plans to build new roads are strongly opposed by organizations trying to protect the countryside. Protesters set up camps to prevent, or at least delay, the building work. America has many areas of wild and beautiful scenery, and there are many areas, especially in the West in states like Montana and Wyoming, where few people live. In the New England states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, it is common to see small farms surrounded by hills and green areas. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other Midwestern states, fields of corn or wheat reach to the horizon and there are many miles between towns. Only about 20% of Americans live outside cities and towns. Life may be difficult for people who live in the country. Services like hospitals and schools may be further away and going shopping can mean driving long distances. Some people even have to drive from their homes to the main road where their mail is left in a box. In spite of the disadvantages, many people who live in the country say that they like the safe, clean, attractive environment. But their children often move to a town or city as soon as they can. As in Britain, Americans like to go out to the country at weekends. Some people go on camping or fishing trips, others go hiking in national parks. We can see from the passage that in the countryside of Britain ______.
A. none of the areas faces the sea
B. only a few farms are publicly owned
C. most beautiful areas are not well preserved
D. it is difficult to travel from one farm to another
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an activity of relaxation in the countryside of Britain?
A. Going swimming
B. Picking fruit
C. Going for a walk
D. Riding a bicycle
What does the word “they” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Those who dream of living in the country
B. Those who go to fruit farms in summer
C. Those who go to the country for a picnic
D. Those who commute to work in towns
Which of the following threatens the countryside in Britain?
A. Protests against the building work
B. Modern farming practices
C. Plants and wildlife
D. The green belt around cities
According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT ______.
A. the use of chemicals harms the environment of the countryside
B. camps are set up by protesters to stop the construction work
C. the green belt is under pressure because of the need for land
D. all organizations strongly oppose plans for road construction
The phrase “reach to the horizon” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. are limited
B. are endless
C. are horizontal
D. are varied reach to
According to the passage, some Americans choose to live in the country because ___.
A. their children enjoy country life
B. they enjoy the safe, clean, attractive environment there
C. hospitals, schools and shops are conveniently located there
D. life there may be easier for them
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. The majority of American people live in cities and towns.
B. Many British people think of the country as a place of peace and relaxation.
C. Towns in some Midwestern states in the US are separated by long distances.
D. Both British and American people are thinking of moving to the countryside.