Read the following texts, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each question.

[11] – WORLD BBQ

To some people, there is nothing more appetizing than the smell of meat sizzling over an open fire. Throughout the world, people love to eat barbecue because it lets them together with friends and family to enjoy a meat that brings them back to their caveman roots. Cooking over coals or an open flame makes people feel more sociable.

Most countries have barbecue traditions, and they usually take place on national holidays. In the United States, it is a tradition to have a barbecue of hamburgers and hot dogs on July 4, which is Independence Day. In Taiwan, people get together to eat barbecue during the Moon festival, and the smell of burning coals is in the air all day.

In South America, and in Argentina in particular, barbecue is a way of life. All sorts of meats and sausages are put on a large grill together over hot coals. Barbecue is even considered the national dish in Argentina, and it is given the name of asado in Portuguese. This means not only the dish, but also the social event that surrounds an Argentina barbecue.

When a person speaks about Turkish and Middle Eastern barbecue, the kebab immediately comes to mind. The tradition of taking different meats, and sometimes vegetables as well, and spearing them with a sharp stick called a skewer has crossed cultural lines today. Practically, anywhere in the English-speaking world, the thought of shish-kebab will make barbecue lovers’ mouth water.

Wherever you go in the world, you are almost certain to come across a local method of preparing barbecue. If you visit different places, be bold and try whatever the local specialities are.

1. What does the phrase “brings them back to their caveman roots” in paragraph 1 mean?

A. Make people want to eat barbecue on an open flame

B. Keep people from eating meat

C. Make people think about how things were with their ancestors

D. Cause people to act more sociable during festivals

2. Where is barbecue considered a way of life?

A. The United States

B. Taiwan

C. The Middle East

D. Argentina

3. What are the sharp sticks that are used to cook meat called?

A. Specialities

B. Skewers

C. Shish-kebabs

D. Asado

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Cooking over open fires makes people feel less sociable.

B. Shish-kebabs are well-known in Turkey.

C. People in the United States eat hamburgers and hot dogs.

D. Argentina’s asado is considered the national dish.

5. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Barbecue is a healthy way to eat meat.

B. People today are eating more vegetables with their barbecue.

C. Local barbecue specialities can be found all over the world.

D.  People in some countries mostly use sausages when they barbecue.

[12] Son Doong Cave has become more famous after the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) aired a live programme featuring its magnificence on “Good Morning America” in May 2015. Located in Quang Binh Province, Son Doong Cave was discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1991, and became known internationally in 2009 thanks to British cavers, led by Howard Limbert. The cave was formed about 2 to 5 million years ago by river water eroding away the limestone underneath the mountain. It contains some of the tallest known stalagmites in the world – up to 70 metres tall. The cave is more than 200 metres wide, 150 metres high, and nearly 9 kilometres long, with caverns big enough to fit an entire street inside them. Son Doong Cave is recognised as the largest cave in the world by BCRA (British Cave Research Association) and selected as one of the most beautiful on earth by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

In August 2013, the first tourist group explored the cave on a guided tour. Permits are now required to access the cave and are made available on a limited basis. Only 500 permits were issued for the 2015 season, which runs from February to August. After August, heavy rains cause river levels to rise and make the cave largely inaccessible.

1. What happened to Son Doong Cave in May 2015?

A. It was discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh.

B. A live programme featuring its magnificence was broadcast on “Good Morning America” by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

C. It became known internationally thanks to British cavers, led by Howard Limbert.

D. It was explored by the first tourist group.

2. Which statement is NOT true about Son Doong Cave?

A. Tourists can explore Son Doong Cave daily throughout the year.

B. The cave was formed about 2 to 5 million years ago.

C. It was formed by river water eroding away the limestone underneath the mountain.

D. Some of the stalagmites in Son Doong Cave are about 70 metres tall.

3. The word “them” refers to ________.

A. British cavers

B. stalagmites

C. kilometres

D. caverns

4. The word “inaccessible” in the passage probably means ________.

A. should not be accessed

B. need to be careful

C. cannot be reached

D. may be flooded

5. From the passage, we know that ________.

A. there is a street inside Son Doong Cave

B. the cave is always covered with rain water

C. few tourists want to come to the cave

D. tourists need permission to explore the cave

[13] Traditions, saying, beliefs, language, and values are just a few things that make up our culture. Culture is the framework in which families are structured. It shapes our expectations and

ideals. Culture plays a part in the meaning of marriage and our roles as husbands, wives, children and parents.

Understanding cultural differences and similarities related to marriage is important. Culture affects the roles that spouses take within marriages, the age at marriage and number of children a couple have, the meaning of divorce, cohabitation and non-marital childbearing, and the way parents raise children. Understanding how relationships and marriages vary across cultural contexts, and how they are similar, we will be able to identify the unique ways that marriages and family life affect people of various cultures. As a result, we will be able to help families and sustain happy marriages.

A cross cultural marriage or similar love relationship can be extremely exciting. The cultural background, visits to the other country, the language of the country and learning to speak it, the different habits and ways of doing and saying things that people from other cultures have, are all very exciting indeed. What of the disadvantages of a cross cultural marriage or love relationship with someone from another country or cultural background? No matter how much you love your husband or wife, no matter how high your level of cross cultural awareness, cross cultural communication and respect for differences. Misunderstanding seems to be unavoidable.

1. The passage is about ________.

A. the effects of cultures on love and marriage

B. the definition of culture

C. the role of spouses in the family

D. cultural differences

2. The word “It” in paragraph 1 refers to ________.

A. Culture

B. Family

C. Framework

D. Structure

3. According to the writer, cross-cultural marriage ________.

A. does not have advantages

B. does not have disadvantages

C. has both advantages and disadvantages

D. does not exist through time

4. The word “indeed” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning with ________.

A. extremely

B. hopefully

C. actually

D. doubtedly

5. In cross-cultural marriage, ________ may happen.

A. divorce

B. quarrel

C. misunderstanding

D. separation

[14] Music influences people in different ways or the same person differently at different times. Music may seem to influence people differently. That is because people can react differently to the music. We are able to apply a choosing process to the music we hear. If someone hates jazz, then a jazz piece with a positive effect will probably not make him feel good. A happy song might appear to make an angry person angrier, yet it is not the music itself that is creating the anger; rather it is the positive effect of the music. The angry person does not want to accept the song’s happy feeling; it points out his already existing anger, and makes that anger come to the surface. When a piece of music is played and we are listening to it, our body, mind, and feelings are being affected.

The musicians of ancient cultures such as China, India, Turkey and Greece understood the effects of music. In fact, Pythagoras, in ancient Greece, introduced a whole science that concerned them. Because the musicians of these ancient cultures understood these effects, they created music that was positive, uplifting, and beneficial. Once the effects of music are better understood, the next step is to gain a better understanding of the music around us, and what effect it is actually having.

1. The text is about ________.

A. The science of music

B. Understanding music

C. The effects of music on human feelings

D. Music and an angry person

2. Music ________.

A. cannot be chosen

B. affects everybody in the same way

C. affects us in different ways

D. never makes us angry

3. According to the text, ________.

A. everybody likes jazz

B. jazz always makes us feel better

C. no one likes jazz

D.  a very angry person sometimes does not accept music

4. What does the word “they” in the reading text refer to?

A. ancient cultures

B. effects

C. musicians

D. pieces of music

5. The word “Once” has a close meaning to ________.

A. on time

B. when

C. because

D. if

[15] In the past, getting recipes and cooking tips was a complicated process. A person had to go to the store and buy a cook book, or get recipes from friends. Fortunately, the Internet has changed all that. Now, if you want to find a recipe for lasagne or Cobb salad, you just search online. It couldn’t be simpler.

Cooking blogs are a great source of information because they are free and there are so many of them. They are also nice because they give all different kinds of ideas. The problems with blogs is that because we don’t know who is writing them, we need to use with caution. When you are looking at a new blog, you don’t know if the writer knows what he or she is talking about.

We’d like to introduce two popular cooking blogs. The first is called Smitten Kitchen. This website is run by a family living in New York City. It focuses on food that doesn’t require many ingredients. If you want to make food that is simple but wonderful, then this is the site for you. It offers hundreds and hundreds of recipes, divided into categories. You will be amazed at how many there are.

Wednesday Chef is another great cooking blog. It is run by a writer who lives in Berlin. This blog also offers many recipes, along with recommendations for great restaurants in Berlin, and advice for people who want to start their own blogs. Wednesday Chef has great pictures of its food, as well as interesting pictures of Berlin. The blog got its name because in the past, newspapers published their food articles on Wednesdays.

There are a lot of cooking blogs on the Internet, and most of them are pretty good. Go online and check some of them out. You might be surprised at how much they can help you improve your cooking.

1. How did Wednesday Chef get its name?

A. The writer posts recipes on Wednesdays.

B. The writer only cooks on Wednesdays.

C. The writer was born on a Wednesday.

D. Newspapers used to publish food articles on Wednesdays.

2. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of cooking blogs?

A. There are many of them.

B. Everyone who writes them is an expert.

C. They are free.

D. They give a lot of different ideas.

3. Who runs the blog Smitten Kitchen?

A. A family in New York.

B. A woman in New York.

C. A family in Berlin.

D. A woman in Berlin.

4. What does the passage say about Smitten Kitchen?

A. It only gives recipes on Italian food.

B. It focuses on simple recipes.

C. It only offers a few recipes.

D. Most of the food on that blog is hard to make.

5. The word “amazed” in paragraph 3 has a close meaning to ________.

A. astonished

B. funny

C. strange

D. familiar