READING (Ngày 31/5-7/6)

A.Đề chuyên Phan Bội Châu

PART I: Read the following passage and choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to indicate
the correct word(s) for each of the blanks. Write your answers in the box provided.
WHY WON’T YOU LISTEN?
Everyone agrees that having well-behaved children is important, which is why the (1)
_______ majority of parents create rules in an attempt to teach their children (2) _______ from
wrong. Nevertheless, does a child’s behavior actually improve (3) _______ of obedience when
they have to adhere a set of rules?

It seems that the extent to which children take household rules into consideration depends
on how parents actually deal with their children’s actions and whether or not they (4) _______
past behaviors. Rebellious behavior on the child’s behalf is often the result of a child’s inability
to (5) _______ the reasoning behind a rule. Understandably, this can be quite challenging for a
parent, which is why making the threat that they will be “grounded” if they don’t (6) _______
attention may not have the desired outcome.

Putting strict conditions on children will most likely prompt them to avoid doing as they
are told and will put more stress on the parent/child relationship. Getting children to (7) _______
with rules can be a struggle; (8) _______, parents can make sure they create household rules that
encourage their children into better behaviour, as opposed to imposing strict guidelines, which
may have the opposite effect. If parents want to (9) _______eye to eye with their children about
how to behave, they should provide positive examples by following the rules themselves at
home. A home environment with positive reinforcements not only nourished cooperative
behaviour, but could have important (10) _______ for a child’s overall development.

1. A. vast B. wide C. extensive D. huge

2. A. truth B. right C. good D. justice
3. A. in case B. by means C. in terms D. on behalf
4. A. prey on B. call in C. turn over D. weigh up
5. A. seize B. hold C. grip D. grasp
6. A. offer B. pay C. give D. provide
7. A. comply B. maintain C. fulfill D. obey
8. A. but B. so C. besides D. however
9. A. realise B. recognise C. see D. understand
10. A. indications B. conclusions C. predictions D. implications

YOUR ANSWERS:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10
PART II: Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE
WORD in each space. Write your answers in the box provided.

GETTING ENOUGH EXERCISE

While most people (1)______ to have a toned healthy body, not everyone enjoys
(2)______ out at the gym. In fact, many of us (3)______ sooner avoid any kind of vigorous
exercise altogether, and may not even feel it is necessary. Over the years, various health experts
have assured us that keeping (4)______ simply requires a total of 30 minutes of moderate
activity most days of the week. Many people believe that a walk to the shops or some light
housework constitutes moderate activity, but it turns (5)______ this may not be the case.

According to the British Association of Sport and Exercise, it is high (6)______ more
specific advice was given about what actually constitutes moderate activity. Housework, it
seems, does not fall into this category. Anyone who devotes a great deal of time every day to
dusting and vacuuming no doubt wishes that it did, but research has shown that women who
spend over night eight hours a day (7)______ housework actually tend to be slightly more
overweight than (8)______ who do none whatsoever. The association, therefore, would prefer it
if the public were instructed as to exactly what (9)______ of physical activity to aim for.

But setting such guidelines is not easy (10)______ individual fitness levels and exercise
requirements vary. For instance, while walking a fast pace is generally beneficial for women, it
may not be physically challenging enough for men. For this reason, the association would rather
this section of the population took up jogging than relied on walking as a form of exercise.

YOUR ANSWERS:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10

PART III: Read the passage and choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to each of the
following questions. Write your answers in the box provided.
When one hears the expression “role models”, one’s mind naturally jumps to celebrities,
especially as far as young people are concerned. Therefore, it would be more than natural to
assume that teenagers, heavily influenced by the media, are dazzled by well-known Hollywood
stars, famous musicians and internationally renowned athletes. However, nothing could be
further from the truth.
In reality, according to a recent survey, over 75% of teens who filled out an online
questionnaire claimed that the role model for whom they had the greatest respect was not a
famous personality, but a family member. It seems that the qualities that make a good role model
are more complex than researchers first assumed. For example, Nancy L, a teenage girl from
Wisconsin, described her role model as a woman who had a clear sense of what was important to
her, making the effort to create things that would make a real difference in the world. The
woman she was referring to was her favorite aunt, who was a painter and sculptor.
Role models come into young people’s lives in various ways. They are family members,
educators, peers and ordinary people encountered in their daily lives. Students emphasized that
being a role model is not confined to those with international fame or unbelievable wealth.
Instead, they said the greatest attribute of a role model is the ability to inspire others. Teachers
were often mentioned as examples in this case, ones that are dedicated to encouraging students,
helping them push their limits and strengthen their characters.
Another quality high on the list was the ability to overcome obstacles. In addition to
parents, peers often made up a large percentage of such role models. Young people are at a point
in their lives when they are developing the skills of initiative and capability, so it is only natural
that they admire people who show them that success in the face of difficulty is possible.
A final and perhaps unexpected character trait that the youth of today admire is a clear set
of values. Children admire people whose actions are consistent with their beliefs; in other words,
who practice what they preach. Role models help them to understand the significance of honesty,
motivation and the desire to do general good. For example, local politicians who clearly struggle
to improve living conditions in their cities are high on their lists of role models.
Perhaps what should be understood from what young people consider important in a role
model is that each and every person around them affects them to a certain extent, perhaps much
more than most parents think. This makes it crucial for adults to be aware of their influence on
the young and set the best examples possible.

1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to “dazzled”?

A. impressed B. disappointed C. confused D. frightened
2. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be assumed as teens’ role model?
A. A handsome actor B. A talented footballer

C. A hot pop star D. A brilliant scientist

3. What is surprising about the findings of the survey?
A. Celebrities are the most common role models to most teens.
B. The role models of the respondents are not quite influential.
C. The qualities that make up teens’ role models are not simple.
D. Most celebrities have their family members as role models.
4. What does the passage tell us about Nancy L’s role model?
A. She was not related to her. B. She was famous for her talent.
C. She was a mysterious person. D. She had strong priorities.
5. Which of the following is closest in meaning to “confined to”?
A. assisted by B. restricted to C. similar to D. influenced
by
6. According to the passage, what quality makes teachers good role models?
A. their ambition to succeed B. their wide knowledge
C. their ability as academic educators D. their positive effect on students
7. The ability to overcome obstacles is important to young people because ______.
A. teens must have it to teach their peers
B. it is not something that one can easily find
C. obstacles make life more difficult
 D. it is relevant to the stage of life they are in
8. According to paragraph 5, children really look up to those who ______.
A. are as active as possible B. do what they say they will do
C. pay attention to the needs of the young D. are religious in their life
9. According to the passage, some politicians are considered admirable ______.
A. because they are familiar to young people
B. because of the strong power they have
C. because of their concern for others
D. because they believe in themselves
10. The passage suggests that adults should ______.
A. try to avoid imposing their influence on younger people
B. realize that they have a strong effect on young people
C. be careful of the role models their children may have
D. encourage children to reject celebrities as role models

YOUR ANSWERS:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10

PART IV: Read the following passage and do the tasks below.

WHAT IS PERSONALITY?

A. We are all familiar with the idea that different people have different personalities, but what
does this actually mean? It implies that different people behave in different ways, but it must be
more than that. After all, different people find themselves in different circumstances, and much
of their behaviour follows from this fact. However, our common experience reveals that different
people respond in quite remarkably different ways even when faced with roughly the same
circumstances. Alan might be happy to live alone in a quiet and orderly cottage, go out once a
week, and stay in the same job for thirty years, whilst Beth likes nothing better than exotic travel
and being surrounded by vivacious friends and loud music.

B. In cases like these, we feel that it cannot be just the situation which is producing the
differences in behaviour. Something about the way the person is ‘wired up’ seems to be at work,
determining how they react to situations, and, more than that, the kind of situations they get
themselves into in the first place. This is why personality seems to become stronger as we get
older; when we are young, our situation reflects external factors such as the social and family
environment we were born into. As we grow older, we are more and more affected by the
consequences of our own choices (doing jobs that we were drawn to, surrounded by people like
us whom we have sought out). Thus, personality differences that might have been very slight at
birth become dramatic in later adulthood.
C. Personality, then, seems to be the set of enduring and stable dispositions that characterise a
person. These dispositions come partly from the expression of inherent features of the nervous
system, and partly from learning. Researchers sometimes distinguish between temperament,
which refers exclusively to characteristics that are inborn or directly caused by biological factors,
and personality, which also includes social and cultural learning. Nervousness, for example,
might be a factor of temperament, but religious piety is an aspect of personality.

D. The discovery that temperamental differences are real is one of the major findings of
contemporary psychology. It could easily have been the case that there were no intrinsic
differences between people in temperament, so that given the same learning history, the same
dilemmas, they would all respond in much the same way. Yet we now know that this is not the
case.

E. Personality measures turn out to be good predictors of your health, how happy you typically
are – even your taste in paintings. Personality is a much better predictor of these things than
social class or age. The origin of these differences is in part innate. That is to say, when people
are adopted at birth and brought up by new families, their personalities are more similar to those
of their blood relatives than to the ones they grew up with.

F. Personality differences tend to manifest themselves through the quick, gut-feeling, intuitive
and emotional systems of the human mind. The slower, rational, deliberate systems show less
variation in output from person to person. Deliberate rational strategies can be used to over-ride
intuitive patterns of response, and this is how people wishing to change their personalities or
feelings have to go about it. As human beings, we have the unique ability to look in at our
personality from the outside and decide what we want to do with it.

Questions 1-6: There are six paragraphs marked A-F in the passage. Choose the correct
heading for each paragraph from the list below. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered box provided.

List of Headings
i A degree of control
ii Where research has been carried out into the effects of family on personality
iii Categorising personality features according to their origin
iv A variety of reactions in similar situations
v A link between personality and aspects of our lives that aren’t chosen
vi A possible theory that cannot be true
vii Potentially harmful effects of emotions
viii How our lives can reinforce our personalities
ix Differences between men’s and women’s personalities
 1. Paragraph A ____________
2. Paragraph B ____________
3. Paragraph C ____________
4. Paragraph D ____________
5. Paragraph E ____________
6. Paragraph F ____________

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Questions 7-10: Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer? Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
Write
YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

7. Alan and Berth illustrate contrasting behaviour in similar situations.

8. As we grow older, we become more able to analyse our personalities.
9. Nervousness is an example of a learned characteristic.
10. Adopted children provide evidence that we inherit more of our personality than we
acquire.

Your answers
7. 8. 9. 10.

B.Đề khối 11 (de xuat duyen ahi dbb)

III. READING (60 pts)

1. Read the following text and decide which word best fits each blank.
YOUR AMAZING MEMORY
The age-old (1) ……………. that a drowning man's whole life passes before him in a (2)
……………… before he dies is perfectly true. Or so Canadian neurosurgeon
Wilder Penfield, who (3) …………… research into the (4) …………… in the
1950s, concluded. And it happens not only when a person. drowns, but when he or she believes
death is imminent, say those who have been saved at the last (5) ……………………….. .
A curious (6) …………………. of the experience is that in those (7) ………………
moments of consciousness one's life is replayed backwards; forgotten people, places and events
crowd into the mind's eye with (8) …………………. clarity. Penfield believed that this occurs
because the brain normally (9) ………………. all memories, but only a special trigger can (10)
………………….. them, such as death, or the belief that death is imminent.
Another theory is that the temporal lobes, where memories are stored, are especially (11)
………………….. to interruptions in the supply of oxygen to the brain, and these in (12)
……………….. wreak havoc with the brain's electrical signalling system. People suffocating,
drowning or being hanged, for instance, (13) ………………….. conscious long enough to (14)
………………. the bizarre effect of this oxygen starvation. This projects every (15)
…………………… memory into the consciousness.

1.A. conviction B. belief C. impression D. judgement

2. A. ray B. flicker C. sparkle D. flash
3. A. prepared B. pioneered C. developed D. launched
4. A. phenomenon B. happening C. event D. episode
5. A. time B. period C. point D. moment
6. A. mark B. feature C. trait D. quality
7. A. final B. end C. conclusion D. eventual
8. A. absolute B. entire C. full D. downright
9. A. hoards B. deposits C. reserves D. stores
10. A. remind B. remember C. recall D. reminisce
11. A. vulnerable B. unprotected C. damaged D powerless
12. A. order B. place C. turn D. side
13. A. endure B. remain C. wait D. continue
14. A. behold B. spectate C. witness D. scan
15. A. vacant B. convenient C. employable D. available

2. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE
WORD for each space.
One of the main problems facing the environmental movement is that it may become a
victim of its own success. It is now generally accepted that issues such as global warning need to
be( 1)…………………. with seriously, and that the Scandinavian forests are being destroyed ( 2)
…………… to the effects of
( 3)……………… rain. Views ( 4)…………… these have now become an accepted part of
the political scene, and consumers are constantly bombarded with green or ( 5)
…………….friendly products. However, this does not mean that environmental groups can now
afford to relax. On the (6)…………………, the green movement must consider how the
momentum will( 7) ……………sustained when the current enthusiasm has (8)……………….
The environment must not be ( 9)………………….. to fade from people’s minds, because the
progress of ecological collapse has already been ( 10)……………. in train , and so far very little
has been done to reverse it.

3. Read the following passage and choose the best answer

MODERN SURGERY
The need for a surgical operation, especially an urgent operation almost always comes as a
severe shock to the patient and his family. Despite modern advances, most people still have an
irrational fear of hospitals and anaesthetics. Patients do not often believe they really need
surgery - cutting into a part of the body as opposed to treatment with drugs.
In the early years of this century there was little specialization in surgery. A good surgeon
was capable of performing almost every operation that had been devised up to that time. Today
the situation is different. Operations are now being carried out that were not even dreamed of
fifty years ago. The heart can be safely opened and its valves repaired. Clogged blood vessels
can be cleaned out, and broken ones mended or replaced. A lung, the whole stomach, or even
part of the brain can be removed and still permit the patient to live a comfortable and
satisfactory life. However, not every surgeon wants to, or is qualified to carry out every type of
modern operation.
The scope of surgery has increased remarkably in this century. Its safety has increased, too.
Deaths from most operations are about 20% of what they were in 1910 and surgery has been
extended in many directions, for example to certain types of birth defects in newborn babies,
and, at the other end of the scale, to life-saving operations for the octogenarian. The hospital
stay after surgery has been shortened to as little as a week for most major operations. Most
patients are out of bed on the day after an operation and may be back at work in two or three
weeks.
Many developments in modern surgery are almost incredible. They include the replacement
of damaged blood vessels with simulated ones made of plastic; the replacement of heart valves
with plastic substitutes; the transplanting of tissues such as the lens of the eye; the invention of
the artificial kidney to clean the blood of poisons at regular intervals and the development of
heart and lung machines to keep patients alive during very long operations. All these things
open a hopeful vista for the future of surgery.
One of the most revolutionary areas of modern surgery is that of organ transplants. Until a
few years ago, no person, except an identical twin, was able to accept into his body the tissues
of another person without reacting against them and eventually killing them. Recently,
however, it has been discovered that with the use of x-rays and special drugs, it is possible to
graft tissues from one person to another which will survive for periods of a year or more.
Kidneys have been successfully transplanted between non - identical twins. Heart and lung
transplants have been reasonably successful in animals, though rejection problems in humans
have yet to be solved.
“Spare parts” surgery, the simple routine replacement of all worn-out organs by new ones,
is still a dream of the distant future. As yet, surgery is not ready for such miracles. In the
meantime, you can be happy if your doctor says to you, “Yes, I think it is possible to operate on
you for this condition.”
1. Most people are afraid of being operated on ....
a. in spite of improvements in modern surgery.
b. because they think modern drugs are dangerous.
c. because they do not believe they need anaesthetics.
d. unless it is an emergency operation.
2. Surgeons in the early years of this century, compared with modern ones...
a. had less to learn about surgery.
b. needed more knowledge
c. could perform every operation known today.
d. were more trusted by patients.
3. Open heart surgery has been possible ...
a. only in the last fifty years.
b. from prehistoric times.
c. since the nineteenth century.
d. since the invention of valves.
4. A patient can still live a comfortable and satisfactory life, even after the removal of....
a. his brain
b. his lungs.
 c. a major organ such as the stomach or one lung
d. part of the stomach or the whole liver.
5. Modern surgeons
a. do not like to perform operations of the new type.
b. are not as highly qualified as the older one.
c. are obliged to specialize more than their predecessors.
d. often perform operations which are not really needed.
6. Today, compared with 1910 …
a. five times fewer patients die after being operated on
b. 20% fewer of all operation patients die.
c. 20% of all operation patients recover.
d. operation deaths have increased by 20%
7. Some of the more astonishing innovations in modern surgery include …
a. ear, nose and throat transplants. b. valveless plastic hearts.
c. plastic heart valves. d. leg transplants.
8. The main difficulty with organ transplants is
a. it is difficult to find organs of exactly the same size.
b. only identical twins can give permission for their organs to be exchanged
c. the body’s tendency to reject alien tissues.
d. the patient is not allowed to use drugs after them.
9. “ Spare parts” surgery
a. has yet to become a reality.
b. will be available in the near future.
c. is only possible for animals.
d. has been replaced by modern drug treatments.
10. You can be happy if your surgeon can operate because it means …
a. he thinks your condition may be curable.
b. he is a good doctor.
c. he knows you will survive.
d. you are getting better already.
4. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
 JARGON
A
Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defined it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical
vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely
overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way
of expression and use of long words’. For most people, it is this second sense which is at the
front of their minds when they think about jargon. Jargon is said to be a bad use of language,
something to be avoided at all costs. No one ever describes it in positive terms (‘that was a
delightful piece of rousing jargon’). Nor does one usually admit to using it oneself: the myth is
that jargon is something only other people employ.
B
The reality, however, is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the network of
occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which
workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of jargon. Each society
grouping has its jargon. The phenomenon turns out to be universal - and valuable. It is the jargon
element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make
life easier for the workers. It is also the chief linguistic element which shows professional
awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shoptalk’).
C
When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in,
whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball or computers. It can add pace,
variety and humour to speech - as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into
NASA-speak, and talk about countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. We enjoy the mutual
showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and we enjoy the in-jokes which
shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, we are jealous of this knowledge. We are quick
to demean anyone who tries to be part of our group without being prepared to take on its jargon.
D
If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most
important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include. We may not be too
concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject
matter has little perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology, say, or
linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated, and think we have a
right to know, and the speaker uses words which make it hard for us to understand, then we start
to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is deliberate policy, we unreservedly
condemn, labeling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it.
E
No area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics and defence have been especially
criticized in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent
to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement,
disbelief and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an
‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability’. Nor can a nuclear plant
explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as ‘energetic disassembly’, ‘abnormal
evolution’ or ‘plant transient’.
F
While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look
out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that our own listeners/
readers do not understand. It is also tempting easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to
ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon which we
ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult
to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or technical elite; and the use of
jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy
way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and inadequacies: when terminology
slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to keep up. Indeed some people
have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a telling or awkward
question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon becomes a
simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit.
Questions 1-5
The Reading has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph
from the list of headings below.
LIST OF HEADINGS
i The benefits of simple language
ii A necessary tool
iii A lasting way of concealing disasters
 iv The worst offenders
v A deceptively attractive option
vi Differing interpretations
vii Publicising new words
viii Feeling shut out
ix Playing with words

1. Paragraph A ……………
2. Paragraph B ……………
Paragraph C …… ix ……
3. Paragraph D ……………
4. Paragraph E ……………
5. Paragraph F ……………
Questions 6-10
Complete the summary using the list of words A-H below.
THE UP-SIDE OF JARGON
A know-how B possessiveness C shop-talk D efficiency

E pleasure F command G humour H feeling

Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For example, when people
take up pastimes, they need to develop a good (6)……………………… of the relevant jargon.
During discussion of these or other areas of interest, conversation can become more exciting and
an element of (7)……………………… can be introduced by the use of shared jargon.
Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It leads to more (8)……………………… in
the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Taking part in (9)………………………
during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better.
It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often demonstrate a
certain (10)……………………… towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject
area and tend to regard new people who do not wish to learn the jargon with contempt.