Câu 1.
Dockside Green
The green movement is catching on in many pockets of the world. This is especially true in the
construction industry. Today's buzz words, which include global warming and zero emissions, are causing
everyday people (not just celebrities) to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Purchasing an
environmentally-friendly home is a good investment for those who are concerned about their own health and
the well-being of our planet. Based on this trend, entire districts, known as eco-communities, are being
designed with green initiatives in mind. One of these communities is Dockside Green in the Canadian
province of British Columbia. Its goal is to become the world's first zero-emission neighbourhood.
Dockside Green is a mostly self-sufficient community along the harbour front of Victoria, the
capital city of British Columbia. The community is home to around 2,500 people and includes residential,
office, and retail space. It includes a variety of environmental features, some of which are unprecedented.
The planners and builders of Dockside Green have the environment in mind with every choice
they make. They ensure proper ventilation and guarantee residents clean air indoors. Interior and exterior
building materials, such as paints and wood, are natural and non-toxic. One of these is bamboo which is
used because it's very durable and can be grown without the use of dangerous pesticides.
Energy efficiency is one of the top priorities in eco-communities like Dockside Green. Not only do
energy-efficient appliances and light fixtures reduce the environmental impact of heating, cooking and lighting,
they also save residents money. Dockside Green claims that home owners use 55% less energy than the
average Canadian. Though many residents are sharing space by investing in condo-style living, they have
their own individual utility metres for electricity and gas. Studies show that people use around 20% less
energy when they are billed for exactly what they use.
Eco-communities also take the future into account by recycling waste and reducing carbon
emissions. At Dockside Green, waste water is treated and reused on-site for flushing toilets, and a biomass
gas plant converts waste wood into a renewable form of gas for hot water systems, stoves and gas heaters.
The community also reduces carbon emissions by using local suppliers for all their transport and maintenance
needs, and residents are encouraged to use a mini transit system and join the community's car share
program.
The first two stages of development at Dockside Green were completed in 2011, and additional
plans to increase sustainability are in the works. Similar green communities are now found all over the world,
especially smaller ones known as ecovillages or "intentional communities". Most have 50 to 150 residents, all

of whom are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and create a model for sustainable living in the future.
Question 1. You can reduce your carbon footprint by _______ less.
A. walking
B. driving
C. talking
Question 2. By reducing your carbon footprint, you are helping to _______ the problem of global warming.
A. create
B. worsen
C. solve
Question 3. Which aimed to become one of the world's first zero-emission neighbourhoods?
A. British Columbia
B. Victoria
C. Dockside Green
Question 4. People live in eco-communities because they're concerned about _______ issues.
A. environmental
B. buzz word
C. investment
Question 5. The builders of Dockside Green only used non-toxic _________.
A. residents


B. building materials
C. bamboo
Question 6. Which can save you money?
A. environmental impacts
B. energy-efficient appliances
C. higher energy prices
Question 7. What's used to flush toilets at Dockside Green?
A. toxic waste
B. carbon emissions

C. treated waste water
Question 8. What does the biomass plant at Dockside Green produce?
A. gas
B. electricity
C. stoves and heaters
Question 9. Smaller eco-communities are sometimes called ecovillages or _______ communities.
A. inefficient
B. intentional
C. international
Question 10. Who would be most likely to support the development of eco-communities?
A. climate scientists
B. fossil fuel companies
C. coal mining investors
Hướng dẫn & Bình luận
nhulan:
1. B. driving
2. C. solve
3. C. Dockside Green
4. A. environmental
5. B. building materials
6. B. energy-efficient appliances
7. C. treated waste water
8. A. gas
9. B. intentional
10. A. climate scientists

Câu 2.
An air pollutant is defined as a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the
atmosphere in such quantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or materials adversely. Air pollution
requires a very flexible definition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution laws were

established in England in the fourteenth century, air pollutants were limited to compounds that could be seen
or smelled - a far cry from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. As technology has
developed and knowledge of the health aspects of various chemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants
has lengthened. In the future, even water vapour might be considered an air pollutant under certain
conditions.
Many of the more important air pollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen
oxides, are found in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentration of these pollutants was altered by
various chemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical cycles. These serve as an air
purification scheme by allowing the compounds to move from the air to the water or soil. On a global basis,
nature's output of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities.
However, human production usually occurs in a localized area, such as a city. In such a region,


human output may be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purification scheme of the cycles.
The result is an increased concentration of noxious chemicals in the air. The concentrations at which the
adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations that the pollutants would have in the absence
of human activities. The actual concentration need not be large for a substance to be a pollutant; in fact, the
numerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase this represents over the concentration
that would occur naturally in the area. For example, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at 0.08
parts per million (ppm), which is about 400 times its natural level. Carbon monoxide, however, has a natural
level of 0.1 ppm and is not usually a pollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm.
Question 11: What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The economic impact of air pollution.
B. What constitutes an air pollutant.
C. How much harm air pollutants can cause.
D. The effects of compounds added to the atmosphere.
Question 12: The word “adversely” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A. negatively
B. quickly
C. admittedly

D. considerably
Question 13: It can be inferred from the first paragraph that _____.
A. water vapour is an air pollutant in localized areas
B. most air pollutants today can be seen or smelled
C. the definition of air pollution will continue to change
D. a substance becomes an air pollutant only in cities
Question 14: The word “These” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A. the various chemical reactions
B. the pollutants from the developing Earth
C. the compounds moved to the water or soil
D. the components in biogeochemical cycles
Question 15: For which of the following reasons can natural pollutants play an important role in controlling
air pollution?
A. They function as part of a purification process.
B. They occur in greater quantities than other pollutants.
C. They are less harmful to living beings than other pollutants.
D. They have existed since the Earth developed.
Question 16: According to the passage, human-generated air pollution in localized regions _____.
A. can be dwarfed by nature's output of pollutants
B. can overwhelm the natural system that removes pollutants
C. will damage areas outside of the localized regions
D. will react harmfully with natural pollutants
Question 17: The word “localized” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A. specified
B. circled
C. surrounded
D. encircled
Question 18: According to the passage, the numerical value of the concentration level of a substance is only
useful if _____.
A. the other substances in the area are known

B. it is in a localized area
C. the natural level is also known
D. it can be calculated quickly
Question 19: The word “detectable” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.


A. beneficial
B. special
C. measurable
D. separable
Question 20: Which of the following is best supported by the passage?
A. To effectively control pollution, local government should regularly review their air pollution laws.
B. One of the most important steps in preserving natural lands is to better enforce air pollution laws.
C. Scientists should be consulted in order to establish uniform limits for all air pollutants.
D. Human activities have been effective in reducing air pollution.
Hướng dẫn & Bình luận
nhulan:
11. B
constitute: tạo thành
Bài viết nói về các chất gây ô nhiễm môi trường.
Khi trả lời câu hỏi về chủ đề đoạn văn, ta thường đọc đoạn đầu tiên để tóm được ý chính của bài.
12. A
negatively = adversely: có hại
quickly: nhanh chóng
admittedly: phải thừa nhận là
considerably: đáng kể
13. C
Đoạn 1 của bài viết bàn luận chủ đề "Định nghĩa về chất gây ô nhiễm không cố định mà luôn thay đổi".
14. D
As the Earth developed, the concentration of these pollutants was altered by various chemical reactions; they

became components in biogeochemical cycles. These serve as an air purification scheme by allowing the
compounds to move from the air to the water or soil.
Dịch: Khi Trái đất phát triển, việc tập trung nhiều chất gây ô nhiễm như này đã được thay thế bởi hàng loạt
những phản ứng hoá học khác nhau; chúng biến thành những hợp chất trong chu kỳ sinh học. Chúng (những
hợp chất trong chu kỳ sinh học) hoạt động như một quá trình thanh lọc không khí bằng cách cho phép những
hợp chất này di chuyển từ không khí vào nước hoặc đất.
Như vậy, these thay cho cụm the components in biogeochemical cycles
15. A
Thông tin trong đoạn 2 cho thấy nhiều chất bị coi là chất gây ô nhiễm lại nằm trong một chu trình sinh học nhất
định. Mà chu trình đó có tác động đến việc làm sạch không khí.
16. B
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 3: However, human production usually occurs in a localized area, such as a city. In such a
region, human output may be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purification scheme of the
cycles.
17. A
localized: bị giới hạn lại một khu vực
specified: xác định, quy định
circle: bao tròn
surround: bao xung quanh
encircle: bao vây
18. C
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 3: The actual concentration need not be large for a substance to be a pollutant; in fact, the
numerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase this represents over the concentration that
would occur naturally in the area.
19. C
detectable: có thể phát hiện ra


beneficial: có lợi
special: đặc biệt

measurable: có thể đo đạc được
separable: có thể phân tách được
20. D
Cả bài nói về pollutants nổi bật nhất lên 2 ý là natural pollutant và pollutants do con người thải vào môi trường.
Nghĩa là qui kết trách nhiệm trực tiếp cho con người => Ý có thể được ủng hộ bởi đoạn văn chính là các hoạt
động của con người mang lại tính hiệu quả trong việc giảm ô nhiễm không khí

Câu 3.
Tropical rainforests are being destroyed and badly degraded at an unsustainable rate. Some
scientists estimate that in the early 1990s tropical forests were being destroyed at a rate of approximately 28
hectares a minute, or about 14 million hectares each year – an area about the size of the state of Wisconsin.
This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s, when approximately 16 million hectares were destroyed
each year, largely due to a reported decline of deforestation in the Amazon River Basin in the early 1990s.
However, satellite images indicate that rates may have rebounded in the late 1990s as burning in the
Amazon increased again. Over the past three decades alone, about 5 million square kilometers – or 20
percent of the world's tropical forests – have been cleared. During this time, deforestation in tropical Asia
reached almost 30 percent. High rates of deforestation are inevitably followed by alarming rates of plant and
animal extinction because many rainforest species cannot survive outside their pristine rainforest habitat.
Some scientists estimate that dozens of rainforest species are becoming extinct every day.
Causes of deforestation vary from location to location, but certain patterns tend to be consistent
across all forests. Logging companies in search of valuable rainforest hardwoods, or, less often, oil
companies in search of petroleum, are often the first to enter a remote area of rainforest. Some logged
forests, if left alone, can regenerate in a few decades. But typically, they are not left alone – the roads built
by logging companies often provide access for landless farmers to enter a new area, as well as a means to
transport agricultural crops to market. For every 1 kilometer of new roads built through a forested area, 4 to
24 square kilometers are deforested and colonized.
Once the loggers leave the land, a typical cycle of destruction ensues. When the landless farmers
arrive, they clear the land for planting. Poor rainforest soils produce a low crop yield, especially after a
couple of years. At that point, the farmers often sell their lands to cattle ranchers or large plantation owners.
After nutrients have been exhausted and soils compacted by cattle, lands are then abandoned and often laid

to waste. Rainforest does not readily regenerate on these lands without human intervention. Meanwhile, the
colonist farmers and cattle ranchers move to a new piece of land made accessible by logging roads, where
the cycle of deforestation begins again.
Question 21. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Typical patterns of extinction of rainforest species
B. Causes and effects of rainforest destruction
C. The rate of rainforest destruction in the Amazon
D. The size of tropical rainforest loss
Question 22. According to paragraph 1, which of the following about the rate of rainforest destruction is
TRUE?
A. It was greater in the early 1990s than in the 1980s.
B. It was the same in the early 1990s as in the 1980s.
C. It was greater in the 1980s than in the early 1990s.
D. It kept increasing from the 1980s to the 1990s.
Question 23. The word "rebounded" in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by ______.
A. fallen again
B. gone up and down
C. risen again
D. remained unchanged


Question 24. Which of the following can result from the loss of tropical rainforests?
A. The increase in the rainforest habitat
B. The disappearance of landless farmers
C. The disappearance of many rainforest species
D. The decrease in wasted lands
Question 25. According to the passage, what is the most common cause of deforestation in different
regions?
A. The search for new farm lands
B. The search for valuable woods

C. The search for rare animals
D. The search for oil
Question 26. The word "regenerate" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. repeat
B. refine
C. recover
D. renew
Question 27. The phrase "these lands" in paragraph 3 refers to ______.
A. lands sold and colonized
B. lands abandoned and wasted
C. lands for planting
D. lands for raising cattle
Question 28. What can be inferred about rainforests from the passage?
A. The cycle of rainforest destruction will come to an end.
B. Human beings are the main contributor to deforestation in tropical regions.
C. Rainforest destruction can be reduced with the help of cattle ranchers.
D. Most tropical rainforests have been sold to plantation owners.
Hướng dẫn & Bình luận
Lời giải :
nhulan:
21. B
Đoạn 1 giới thiệu về tình hình phá rừng hiện tại và đề cập 1 số ảnh hưởng của việc phá rừng, đoạn 2 nói về
nguyên nhân, đoạn 3 nói về hậu quả. Do đó phương án B thể hiện rõ nhất nội dung bài viết
Các phương án A, C và D có được nhắc đến nhưng lại là 1 thông tin quá chi tiết, không phù hợp nêu lên chủ
đề bài viết.
22. C
This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s... However, satellite images indicate that rates may have
rebounded in the late 1990s
Dịch: Những số liệu đã cho thấy một lượng giảm từ những năm 1980s...Tuy nhiên, hình ảnh vệ tinh lại chỉ ra
rằng tỉ lệ này đã tăng trở lại vào cuối những năm 1990.

Giảm từ những năm 1980, tăng trở lại vào cuối những năm 1990s => đến đầu những năm 1990 vẫn đang
giảm => 1980 cao hơn đầu những năm 1990
23. C
rebound: tăng trở lại, nẩy lại
go up and down: lên xuống
rise again: tăng trở lại
remain unchanged: giữ nguyên không đổi
24. C
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 1: High rates of deforestation are inevitably followed by alarming rates of plant and animal
extinction because many rainforest species cannot survive outside their pristine rainforest habitat. Some
scientists estimate that dozens of rainforest species are becoming extinct every day.


25. B
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 2: Causes of deforestation vary from location to location, but certain patterns tend to be
consistent across all forests. Logging companies in search of valuable rainforest hardwoods, or, less often, oil
companies in search of petroleum, are often the first to enter a remote area of rainforest.
26. C
regenerate: tái tạo lại, sản sinh lại
repeat: lặp lại
refine: lọc
recover: hồi phục
renew: làm mới lại
Hai từ renew và regenerate có thể gây nhầm lẫn, tuy nhiên đặt vào văn cảnh rừng bị phá huỷ, và regenerate trở
lại thì ta thấy từ hồi phục hợp lí hơn là làm mới lại.
27. B
After nutrients have been exhausted and soils compacted by cattle, lands are then abandoned and often laid to
waste. Rainforest does not readily regenerate on these lands without human intervention.
Dịch: Sau khi chất dinh dưỡng đã cạn kiệt và đất bị bới lên bởi gia súc, đất đai sau đó bị bỏ hoang và lãng phí.
Rừng nhiệt đới không dễ dàng tái tạo trên các vùng đất này (những vùng đất bị bỏ hoang và lãng phí) nếu

không có sự can thiệp của con người.
28. B
Ở đoạn cuối, tác giả nói vòng tuần hoàn phá huỷ rừng tiếp tục lặp lại, do đó phương án A là sai.
Phương án C không được đề cập trong bài
Chỉ nói ở một thời điểm nhất định, nông dân bán đất cho người chăn nuôi và chủ đồn điền, chứ không nói hầu
hết đất đã bị bán, do đó D cũng sai.