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

[6] In the Mekong Delta, Long Dinh village of Tien Giang province is famous for its traditional craft of weaving flowered mats. The mat’s high quality makes them popular domestically, and they are also exported to markets worldwide including Korea, Japan and America.

In spite of its well-established reputation for this traditional craft, mat weaving only started here some 50 years ago. It was first introduced by immigrants from Kim Son, a famous mat weaving village in the northern province of Ninh Binh. However, the technique of weaving sedge mats in Long Dinh, as compared with other places in the South, is somewhat different. Long Dinh branded mats are thicker and have more attractive colours and patterns.

Weaving sedge mats is similar to growing rice. Long Dinh mat production mainly occurs during the dry season, from January to April. Weavers have to work their hardest in May and June, otherwise, when the rainy season starts in July, they will have to put off finishing their products till the next dry season. No matter how much work it requires, Long Dinh mat producers stick with this occupation, as it brings a higher income than growing rice.

This trade provides employment for thousands of local labourers. At present, nearly 1,000 households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats. To better meet market demands, Long Dinh mat weavers have created more products in addition to the traditional sedge mats. Particularly, they are producing a new type of mat made from the dried stalks of water hyacinth, a common material in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to the planning and further investment, the mat weaving occupation has indeed brought in more income for local residents. Their living standards have improved considerably, resulting in better conditions for the whole village.

1. In order to meet market demands, artisans in Long Dinh ________.

A. try to produce various types of products

B. stop producing the traditional sedge mats

C. produce new products from rare material

D. for thousands of local labourers

2. We can infer from the sentence “Weaving sedge mats is similar to growing rice” that ________.

A. both bring similar income

B. both occur at the same time

C. both depend on weather conditions

D. both occur on the same land

3. Despite difficulties, people in Long Dinh try to follow the craft because ________.

A. they can make the techniques of weaving different

B. they can earn more money than growing rice

C. they can have jobs in the rainy months

D. they can go to Korea, Japan and America

4. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A. the craft contributes much to the village economy

B. most of the households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats

C. the new technique makes labourers work in the dry season

D. Long Dinh mat production is only well-known in foreign markets

5. All of the following are true about the craft in Long Dinh EXCEPT that ________.

A. the techniques are a little bit different from those in other regions

B. the mats have more attractive colours and designs

C. it has the origin from Kim Son, Ninh Binh

D. it has had the reputation for more than 50 years

[7] Life in the big city is face-paced, fun and exciting. There are countless job opportunities and activities to occupy your time. However, with the good, there also comes the bad. Although the big city has more job opportunities; there are also more people competing for a single job. This can make your job search frustrating. Oddly enough, you will see hundreds, if not thousands of jobs available each week, but you still might remain unemployed, especially when the economy is down. In addition, the cost of living is typically higher in big cities, and it can cost you an arm and a leg for a small apartment in a decent area of the city, not to mention other costs to fulfill your basic demands. Diversity is a good thing, but the amount of people can be a bit overwhelming if you are not accustomed to it. There will always be crowds and always be people around.

Moreover, traffic can be a nightmare in the big city. It can get so bad that it can turn you into an evil person. If you hate driving in traffic, then the big city life is not for you. Heavy traffic also contributes to the pollution, which is one of the biggest disadvantages of living in the city. Obviously, our health is affected most with certain diseases relating to respiratory system and other body parts. A lot of premature deaths are supposed to be the result of long-term exposure to small particles. Most importantly, there is always more crime in a big city, causing you second case your decision for living in a big city. You are much more likely to be a victim of a crime living in a big city than in a small town.

1. According to the passage, some good things of living in the city are ________.

A. excellent educational system and recreational activities

B. excellent educational system and countless job opportunities

C. countless job opportunities and activities to occupy your time

D. a lot of kinds of entertainment and shopping centers

2. While big cities have more job opportunities, it also give ________.

A. more competition for a single job

B. higher salary

C. growing economic crisis

D. greater chances of being unemployed

3. What does the phrase “cost an arm and a leg” mean?

A. your legs and arms have good value

B. cost a small amount of money

C. you must work hard to earn money

D. cost a lot of money

4. According to the paragraph, city is not a perfect place for ________.

A. extroverted people

B. introverted people

C. people who hate driving in traffic

D. people who prefer a busy life

5. Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

A. Pollution causes health problems.

B. Cities are always crowded.

C. It costs a lot of money to live in a big city.

D. Crime is not a serious problem in big cities.

[8] Orbis is an organisation which helps blind people of everywhere. It has built an eye hospital inside an aeroplane and flown in all over the world with an international medical team. Samantha Graham, a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl from England, went with the plane to Mongolia. Samantha tells the story of the Eukhtuul, a young Mongolian girl.

 “Last year, when Eukhtuul was walking home school, she was attacked by boys with sticks and her eyes were badly damaged. Dr. Duffey, an Orbis doctor, said that without an operation she would never see again. I thought about all the things I do that she couldn’t, things like reading schoolbooks, watching television, seeing friends, and I realised how lucky I am.”

 “The Orbis team agreed to operate on Eukhtuul and I was allowed to watch, together with some Mongolian medical student. I prayed the operation would be successful. The next day I waited nervously with Eukhtuul while Dr. Duffey removed her bandages. ‘In six months your sight will be back to normal,’ he said. Eukhtuul smiled, her mother cried, and I had to wipe away some tears, too!”

 “Now Eukhtuul wants to study hard to become a doctor. Her whole future has changed, thanks to a simple operation. We should all think more about how much our sight means to us.”

1. What information can be learned from this passage?

A. the best way of studying medicine

B. the international work of some eye doctors

C. the difficulties for blind travelers

D. the life of schoolchildren in Mongolia

2. The word “she” in paragraph 2 refers to ________.

A. the writer

B. the nurse

C. Eukhtuul

D. the medical student

3. After meeting Eukhtuul, Samantha felt ________.

A. angry about Eukhtuul’s experience

B. grateful for her own sight

C. proud of the doctor’s skill

D. surprised by Eukhtuul’s ability

4. What the result of Eukhtuul’s operation?

A. After some time she will see as well as before

B. Before she recovers, she needs another operation

C. She can see better but can never have normal eyes

D. She can’t see perfectly again

5. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?

A. To describe a dangerous trip

B. To explain how sight can be lost

C. To report a patient’s cure

D. To warn against playing with sticks

[9] After only 50 minute flying from Ho Chi Minh City, you will set foot on the tropical paradise of Vietnam and the world: Phu Quoc Island.

The island has a roughly triangular shape with a north-south length of 50km and a west-east width of 25km. A great part of the terrain is filled with beautiful sandy beaches, but there is a mountainous region with 99 peaks, among which the Peak of Chua Mountain is the tallest one at 603 meters. Due to Phu Quoc’s location in the Gulf of Thailand, its climate is sub-equatorial with a temperate weather all year round, making trips to Phu Quoc possible any time in the year. However, the best time to travel to this island is during the dry season, from November until March, when the sky is blue and clear and the rains are away.

Phu Quoc is most famous for its the cuisines and a natural wonderful coastline. The most famous food of Phu Quoc is fish sauce, which has become quite popular all over Vietnam and the world. Besides, another thing worth trying there is the spicy yet interesting black pepper. However, the factor that will definitely intrigue you to visit Phu Quoc is its untouched coastline featuring several heavenly beaches. They have yet to be explored to their full ability, but this fact might be actually positive as it gives the shores a romantic beauty that you can find in nowhere else in the world.

1. What is Phu Quoc Island regarded as?

A. Pearl of the Orient

B. Tropical Paradise

C. City of Eternal Spring

D. Lanterns Paradise

2. According to the passage, Phu Quoc Island ________.

A. has both beaches and mountains

B. doesn’t have much tourist attraction

C. has the tallest mountain in Vietnam

D. doesn’t have rains all the year round

3. Tourists can visit Phu Quoc anytime in the year thanks to ________.

A. its location by the sea

B. its friendly local people

C. its temperate climate

D. its dry season

4. The word “intrigue” in paragraph 3 has the closest meaning to ________.

A. attract

B. promote

C. inspire

D. pay attention to

5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Phu Quoc Island is located in the Gulf of Thailand.

B. The beaches in Phu Quoc Island have been explored to their full potentials.

C. Phu Quoc’s dry season begins from November and lasts through March.

D. The island is roughly triangular in shape.

[10] In the early 17th century, most of the southern region of Vietnam was nearly uninhabited and in the position of Ho Chi Minh City, there was a small village formed with a few residents. However, thanks to its advantage in location, the town grew both economically and politically. By the 19th century, this had become a cultural hub of the South as well as an important trading center of the country.

You might not know that there was a time Saigon was referred to as the Pearl of the Far East. Sadly, having been through various occurrences and two disastrous wars has stunted the city’s development. Only after the political instabilities had settled, Saigon recovered miraculously and maintained its leading position in terms of both the economics and culture. Officially named as Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon today has 22 districts in total and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually.

1. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Saigon: Lost and Found

B. Saigon: Now and Then

C. Saigon: Then and Now

D. Saigon: Hub of the South East Vietnam

2. What happened with Saigon in the 19th century?

A. It became popular all over Asia.

B. It became a cultural hub of the South and an important trading center of Vietnam.

C. It became the most important trading center in the world.

D. It was no longer visited by international tourists.

3. The city’s development has been stunted because of ________.

A. two disastrous wars

B. some major historic events

C. natural disasters and disastrous wars

D. different occurrences and disastrous wars

4. The word “occurrences” is closest in meaning to ________.

A. situations

B. adventures

C. incidents

D. affairs

5. Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

A. In the early 17th century, there were only a few residents living on the position of Saigon.

B. The location of Saigon helped the town develop its economy and politics.

C. Saigon was once referred as the Pearl of the Far East.

D. Saigon had recovered and held its leading position before the political instabilities settled.