Câu 1. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to
indicate the best answer to each of the following questions.
In Death Valley, California, one of the hottest, most arid places in North America, there is much salt,
and salt can damage rocks impressively. Inhabitants of areas elsewhere, where streets and highways are
salted to control ice, are familiar with the resulting rust and deterioration on cars. That attests to the
chemically corrosive nature of salt, but it is not the way salt destroys rocks. Salt breaks rocks apart
principally by a process called crystal prying and wedging. This happens not by soaking the rocks is salt
water, but by moistening their bottoms with salt water. Such conditions exist in many areas along the eastern
edge of central Death Valley. There, salty water rises from the groundwater table by capillary action through
tiny spaces in sediment until it reaches the surface.
Most stones have capillary passages that suck salt water from the wet ground. Death Valley provides
an ultra-dry atmosphere and high daily temperatures, which promote evaporation and the formation of salt
crystals along the cracks or other openings within stones. These crystals grow as long as salt water is
available. Like tree roots breaking up a sidewalk, the growing crystals exert pressure on the rock and
eventually pry the rocks apart along planes of weakness, such as banding in metamorphic rocks, bedding in
sedimentary rocks, or preexisting or incipient fractions, and along boundaries between individual mineral
crystals or grains. Besides crystals growth, the expansion of halite crystals (the same as everyday table salt)
by heating and of sulfates and similar salts by hydration can contribute additional stresses. A rock durable
enough to have withstood natural conditions for a very long time in other areas could probably be shattered
into small pieces by salt weathering within a few generations.
The dominant salt in Death Valley is halite, or sodium chloride, but other salts, mostly carbonates and
sulfates, also cause prying and wedging, as does ordinary ice. Weathering by a variety of salts, though often
subtle, is a worldwide phenomenon. Not restricted to arid regions, intense salt weathering occurs mostly in
salt-rich places like the seashore, near the large saline lakes in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and in desert
sections of Australia, New Zealand, and central Asia.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The destructive effects of salt on rocks.
B. The impressive salt rocks in Death Valley.
C. The amount of salt produced in Death Valley.
D. The damaging effects of salt on roads and highways.
2. The word “it” in the first paragraph refers to ___________.

A. Salty water
B. groundwater table
C. capillary action
D. sediment
3. The word “exert” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.
A. put
B. reduce
C. replace
D. control
4. Why does the author compare tree roots with growing salt crystals?
A. They both force hard surfaces to crack.
B. They both grow as long as water is available.
C. They both react quickly to a rise in temperature.
D. They both cause salty water to rise from the groundwater table.
5. The author mentions the “expansion of halite crystals ... by heating and of sulfates and similar salts by
hydration” in order to ____________.
A. Present an alternative theory about crystal growth
B. Explain how some rocks are not affected by salt


C. Simplify the explanation of crystal prying and wedging
D. Introduce additional means by which crystal destroy rocks
6. The word “durable” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
A. Large
B. Strong
C. Flexible
D. Pressured
7. The word “shattered” is closest in meaning to ___________.
A. arranged
B. dissolved

C. broken apart
D. gathered together
8. The word “dominant” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. most recent
B. most common
C. least available
D. least damaging
9. According to passage, which of the following is true about the effects of salts on rocks?
A. Only two types of salts cause prying and wedging.
B. Salts usually cause damage only in combination with ice.
C. A variety of salts in all kinds of environments can cause weathering.
D. Salt damage at the seashore is more severe than salt damage in Death Valley.
10. Which of the following can be said from the passage about rocks that are found in areas where ice is
common?
A. They are protected from weathering.
B. They do not allow capillary action of water.
C. They show similar kinds of damage as rocks in Death Valley.
D. They contain more carbonates than sulfates.
Hướng dẫn & Bình luận
nhulan:
1. A
Câu đầu tiên của bài viết đã nói lên chủ đề chung của bài: In Death Valley, California, one of the hottest, most
arid places in North America, there is much salt, and salt can damage rocks impressively.
2. A
Dẫn chứng: There, salty water rises from the groundwater table by capillary action through tiny spaces in
sediment until it reaches the surface - Ở đó, nước mặn dâng lên từ mặt nước ngầm như các mạch nước thông
qua các khe nhỏ trong lớp trầm tích cho đến khi nó chạm đến bề mặt.
Như vậy, nó ở đây chính là nước mặn (chạm đến bờ mặt).
3. A
exert pressure on = put pressure on: tạo áp lực lên

4. A
Dẫn chứng: Like tree roots breaking up a sidewalk, the growing crystals exert pressure on the rock
and eventually pry the rocks apart along planes of weakness, such as banding in metamorphic rocks,
bedding in sedimentary rocks, or preexisting or incipient fractions, and along boundaries between individual
mineral crystals or grains.
5. D
Dẫn chứng: Besides crystals growth, the expansion of halite crystals (the same as everyday table salt) by
heating and of sulfates and similar salts by hydration can contribute additional stresses.
6. B
durable: có tính bền


7. C
shatter = break down: vỡ
8. B
dominant: nổi trội
9. C
Dẫn chứng: Weathering by a variety of salts, though often subtle, is a worldwide phenomenon.
10. C
The dominant salt in Death Valley is halite, or sodium chloride, but other salts, mostly carbonates and
sulfates, also cause prying and wedging, as does ordinary ice.

Câu 2.
Very few people in the modern world obtain their food supply by hunting and gathering in the natural
environment surrounding their homes. This method of harvesting from nature’s provision is the oldest known
subsistence strategy and has been practised for at least the last two million years. It was, indeed, the only
way to obtain food until rudimentary farming and the domestication of wild animals were introduced about
10,000 years ago.
Because hunter-gatherers have fared poorly in comparison with their agricultural cousins, their numbers
have dwindled, and they have been forced to live in marginal environments, such as deserts and arctic

wastelands. In higher latitudes, the shorter growing seasons have restricted the availability of plant life. Such
conditions have caused a greater dependence on hunting, and on fishing along the coasts and waterways.
The abundance of vegetation in the lower latitudes of the tropics, on the other hand, has provided a greater
opportunity for gathering a variety of plants. In short, the environmental differences have restricted the diet
and have limited possibilities for the development of subsistence societies.
Contemporary hunter-gatherers may help us understand our prehistoric ancestors. We know from the
observation of modern hunter-gatherers in both Africa and Alaska that a society based on hunting and
gathering must be very mobile. While the entire community camps in a central location, a smaller party
harvests the food within a reasonable distance from the camp. When the food in the area has become
exhausted, the community moves on to exploit another site. We also notice seasonal migration patterns
evolving for most hunter-gatherers, along with a strict division of labor between the sexes. These patterns of
behavior may be similar to those practised by mankind during the Paleolithic Period.
11: The word “domestication” in the first paragraph mostly means ____________ .
A. teaching animals to do a particular job or activity in the home
B. hatching and raising new species of wild animals in the home
C. making wild animals used to living with and working for humans
D. adapting animals to suit a new working environment
12: According to the passage, subsistence societies depend mainly on ____________ .
A. agricultural products
B. hunter-gatherers’ tools
C. nature’s provision
D. farming methods
13: The word “marginal” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to “ ____________ ”.
A. suburban
B. abandoned
C. forgotten
D. disadvantaged
14: In the lower latitudes of the tropics, hunter-gatherers .
A. have better food gathering from nature
B. can free themselves from hunting

C. harvest shorter seasonal crops
D. live along the coasts and waterways for fishing
15: According to the passage, studies of contemporary subsistence societies can provide a ____________ .


A. broader vision of prehistoric natural environments
B. deeper insight into the dry-land farming
C. further understanding of modern subsistence societies
D. further understanding of prehistoric times
16: The word “conditions” in the second paragraph refers to ____________ .
A. the environments where it is not favorable for vegetation to grow
B. the situations in which hunter-gatherers hardly find anything to eat
C. the places where plenty of animals and fish can be found
D. the situations in which hunter-gatherers can grow some crops
17: A typical feature of both modern and prehistoric hunter-gatherers is that ____________ .
A. they don’t have a strong sense of community
B. they live in the forests for all their life
C. they don’t have a healthy and balanced diet
D. they often change their living places
18: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned?
A. Hunting or fishing develops where there are no or short growing seasons.
B. The environmental differences produce no effect on subsistence societies.
C. Harvesting from the natural environment had existed long before farming was taken up.
D. The number of hunter-gatherers decreases where farming is convenient.
19: According to the author, most contemporary and prehistoric hunter-gatherers share ____________ .
A. only the way of duty division
B. some patterns of behavior
C. some restricted daily rules
D. some methods of production
20: Which of the following would serve as the best title of the passage?

A. Hunter-gatherers: Always on the Move
B. Hunter-gatherers and Subsistence Societies
C. A Brief History of Subsistence Farming
D. Evolution of Humans’ Farming Methods
Hướng dẫn & Bình luận
nhulan:
11.C.
domestication : sự thuần hóa/ thuần dưỡng.
Các lựa chọn còn lại sai nghĩa: A:huấn luyện động vật là một việc đặc thù trong nhà.
B:ấp cho nở và nuôi dưỡng những chủng loại động vật mới trong nhà.
D:là cho động vật thích nghi với môi trường làm việc mới.
12.C.
Thông tin ở đoạn 1: This method of harvesting from nature’s provision is the oldest known subsistence strategy
and has been practised for at least the last two million years. - Phương pháp hái lượm từ nguồn cung cấp của
tự nhiên là chiến lược sinh tồn xa xưa nhất từng được biết đến mà con người thực hiện trong tối thiểu 2 triệu
năm vừa trước đây.
13.D.
marginal (adj) :(chỉ đất đai) không sản xuất đủ lương thực để đem lại lợi nhuận.
14.A.
Thông tin ở đoạn 2: “The abundance of vegetation in the lower latitudes of the tropics, on the other hand, has
provided a greater opportunity for gathering a variety of plants.” - Ngược lại, sự phong phú của thực vật ở các
vĩ độ thấp hơn của vùng nhiệt đới đã ạo ra cơ hội lớn để thu hái nhiều loại cây khác nhau.
15.D.
Thông tin ở đầu đoạn cuối : Contemporary hunter-gatherers may help us understand our prehistoric ancestors
- Những người săn bắt hái lượm đương đại có thể giúp chúng ta hiểu rõ tổ tiên thời tiền sử của chúng ta.


16.A.
Thông tin ở đoạn 2 : In higher latitudes, the shorter growing seasons have restricted the availability of plant life.
Such conditions have caused - Tại các vĩ độ cao hơn những mùa trồng trọt ngắn hơn đã làm sự hạn chế sự

hiện diện của thực vật.
17.D.
Thông tin ở đoạn cuối : We know from the observation of modern hunter-gatherers in both Africa and Alaska
that a society based on hunting and gathering must be very mobile. - Quan sát những người săn bắt hái lượm
hiện đại ở Châu Phi và Alaska, chúng ta có thể biết rằng một xã hội đăt cơ sở trên săn bắt và hái lượm thì phải
rất cơ động.
18.B.
Những khác biệt về môi trường không ảnh hưởng tới các xã hội tồn tại ở mức tối thiểu là một ý sai : thông tin ở
cuối đoạn 2 : In short, the environmental differences have restricted the diet and have limited possibilities for
the development of subsistence societies - Tóm lại, những khác biệt về môi trường đã hạn chế số lượng món
ăn và giới hạn những khả năng phát triển các xã hội có mức sống tối thiểu.
Lựa chọn còn lại đều đúng với bài văn:
A:săn bắn và đánh cá phát triển nơi nào mà không có mùa gieo trồng hoặc mùa trồng trọt ngắn ngủi.
C:thu lượm từ môi trường tự nhiên đã tồn tại rất lâu trước khi nông nghiệp ra đời.
D:số lượng người săn bắt hái lượm giảm sút khi nghề nông trở nên thuận tiện hơn.
19.B.
Thông tin ở cuối bài : These patterns of behavior may be similar to those practised by mankind during the
Paleolithic Period.Những mô thức hành vi mà con người đã thực hành vào thời đại đồ đá cũ.
20.B.
“những người săn bắt hái lượm và các xã hội sống ở mức tối thiểu”.
Các nhan đề còn lại không phù hợp nội dung bài văn:
A:những người săn bắt hái lượm : luôn luôn di chuyển.
C:vài nét về lịch sử nghề nông để sống ở mức tối thiểu.
D:sự tiến hóa của các phương pháp nông nghiệp của con người.

Câu 3.
Marian Anderson's brilliant singing career began at age six when she sang spirituals at the Union Baptist
Church in her hometown of Philadelphia. She toured Europe in the 1920s, drawing vast acclaim; however,
when she returned to the United States she was still barred from performing on the American operatic stage.
Strict segregation laws were in force at the time, keeping many Black performers out of exclusively white

theaters and concert halls. After she was prevented from singing in Washington's segregated Constitution Hall
in 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt intervened and arranged for Miss Anderson to perform at the Lincoln
Memorial. Marian Anderson's beautiful contralto voice broke down racial barriers, showing white
Americans that blacks had a profound contribution to make to America's cultural life. Eventually, in 1955,
she became the first African-American singer to perform at New York's Metropolitan Opera. In her many
years of touring she had to endure a racism that forced her to enter concert halls and hotels through service
entrances. Her grace under this stress showed a moral perseverance that paralleled that of the famous
Martin Luther King, Jr.
21. We can conclude from the passage that Marian Anderson first toured Europe instead of the United
States because______.
A. she was paid more in Europe
B. she was not allowed to perform in the United States
C. there were better operatic facilities in Europe
D. it was too expensive to tour in the United States
22. The word “acclaim” could best be replaced by _______.
A. publicity
B. fund
C. approval


D. attention
23. The word “intervened” could best be replaced by _______.
A. appreciated
B. supported
C. interrupted
D. interfered
24. The significance of Anderson’s Lincoln memorial performance was that______.
A. Eleanor Roosevelt arranged it
B. her contralto voice was beautiful
C. 75,000 people came

D. she was a black performer
25. The phrase "broke down racial barriers" means __________.
A. disclosed opportunities
B. shattered obstacles
C. revealed inaccuracies
D. analyzed destinations
26. Where is the best place in the passage to add the following sentence?
“A crowd of 75,000 people came to watch her sing before the Memorial.”
A. after the word “…Memorial”
B. after the word “…Stage”
C. after the word “…Opera”
D. after the word “…entrances”
27. The word “grace” is similar in meaning to_______.
A. awkwardness
B. cruelty
C. elegance
D. saintliness
28. According to the passage, what did Marian Anderson have in common with Martin Luther, Jr.?
A. Moral perseverance
B. a clear strong voice
C. a performance at the Lincoln memorial
D. singing in church
29. The author’s tone in this passage is _______.
A. instructive
B. critical
C. respectful
D. regretful
30. What does the word “this” refer to?
A. touring for many years
B. racist attitudes toward her

C. performing before thousands of people
D. being like Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hướng dẫn & Bình luận
Lời giải :
nhulan: 21)B. she was not allowed to perform in the United States
Thông tin ở đoạn dưới đây giải thích lý do tại sao Marian Anderson thực hiện tour diễn đầu tiên ở Châu Âu
thay vì ở Mỹ:
She toured Europe in the 1920s, drawing vast acclaim; however, when she returned to the United States she
was still barred from performing on the American operatic stage. Strict segregation laws were in force at the
time, keeping many Black performers out of exclusively white theaters and concert halls.


(Bà đã đi lưu diễn ở Châu Âu trong những năm 1920, nhận được sự hưởng ứng lớn; tuy nhiên khi quay trở về
nước Mỹ, bà vẫn bị căn không cho biểu diễn tại sân khấu opera Mỹ. Các đạo luật phân biệt hà khắc vẫn còn
hiệu lực vào thời điểm đó, đã tách biệt những nghệ sĩ da đen khỏi những nhà hát và sân khấu của người ra
trắng)
22) D. attention attention = interest: sự yêu thích
23) D. Interfered.
(to) intervene = interfere = can thiệp vào
24) D. she was a black performer .
Đoạn văn sau giải thích rõ sự đáng chú ý ở màn biểu diễn của Anderson tại đài tưởng niệm Lincoln:
After she was prevented from singing in Washington's segregated Constitution Hall in 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt
intervened and arranged for Miss Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial. Marian Anderson's beautiful
contralto voice broke down racial barriers, showing white Americans that blacks had a profound contribution
to make to America's cultural life (Sau khi bị ngăn không cho hát theo tòa hiến pháp phân biệt của Washington
năm 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt đã can thiệp và sắp xếp cho Anderson được biểu diễn tại Đài tưởng niệm
Lincoln. Giọng nữ trầm của Marian Anderson đã phá bỏ rào cản về chủng tộc, chứng tỏ cho người da trắng
thấy rằng những người da đen đã có đóng góp sâu sắc cho đời sống văn hóa Mỹ.)
25) B.
shattered obstacles = broke down racial barrier = phá bỏ rào cản về chủng tộc

26) A. in line 7 after the word “…Memorial”.
Câu “ “A crowd of 75,000 people came to watch her sing before the Memorial.”(Một đám đông 75000
người đã đến xem cô ấy hát trước đài tưởng niệm này) đứng sau từ “memorial” để bổ sung thêm thông tin về
buổi biểu diễn của cô ấy tại đài tưởng niệm Lincoln.
27) C. Elegance =grace = hòa nhã
28) A. Moral perseverance.
Câu sau nêu rõ điểm chung giữa Marian Anderson và Martin Luther, Jr.
“ Her grace under this stress showed a moral perseverance that paralleled that of the famous Martin Luther
King, Jr.”
29) C. Respectful.
Trong đoạn văn này tác giả tập trung ca ngợi tài năng của Anderson và các thành công trong sự nghiệp của bà
(ví dụ như: “Marian Anderson's brilliant singing career began at age six”; “She toured Europe in the 1920s,
drawing vast acclaim”; “Marian Anderson's beautiful contralto voice broke down racial barriers”; “Her grace
under this stress showed a moral perseverance that paralleled that of the famous Martin Luther King, Jr.”; …)
30) B. racist attitudes toward her
Câu “In her many years of touring she had to endure a racism that forced her to enter concert halls and hotels
through service entrances.” Nói về: “ Trong những năm tháng đi lưu diễn bà đã phải chịu đựng sự phân biệt
chủng tộc …” vì thế từ “this” ở câu ngay sau đó sẽ thay thế cho ý chính được nhắc đến ở câu đứng ngay trước
đó.