I.

LISTENING ĐỀ 1
1. Listen to the conversation between Trang and Mike. Decide if the statements are true (T) or false
(F). Circle T or F. You will listen TWICE.
 
1. Mike thinks Tam Cam is similar to Cinderella. T F
2. Like Tam, Cinderella dropped a shoe. T F
3. Like Tam, Cinderella was killed and reborn many times. T F
4. The last time Tam was reborn, she was a bird. T F
5. Tam Cam reflects Vietnamese people's belief that there is life after death. T F
2. Listen to Amy talking about the custom of drinking tea around the world. Match the country with
its information. You will listen TWICE.
 
1. Morocco A. Chai is the national drink here.
2. India B. Matcha is a ceremony here.
3. Japan C. People here drink coffee in the mornings and tea in the evenings.
4. New Zealand D. This country have to import tea from others.
5. USA E. Mint tea is the heart of the culture.
II. READING
1. Read the passage and answer the questions.
"Li xi" is an important part in Vietnam’s customs of Tet Festival, especially with children. It is a small
amount of money that can bring good fortune to the upcoming year. However, "li xi" is not limited only
on the first day, but can even last to the 9th or 10th day of Tet Festival, and given when the adults first
met the kids.
Besides the money, the tiny red envelope also has its own meaning. It represents the secrecy and privacy
to avoid comparison as adults want children to regard the money as the gift of New Year, instead of
being jealous of receiving less than other kids. The red color, the most popular color appearing in
Vietnamese festivals, signifies the prosperity and great luck according to Asian’s beliefs.
In the morning of the first day of Lunar New Year, children and parents will visit grandparents’ home,
wishing for a happy new year and great health, showing respect and gratitude, and giving gifts. After
that, it is grandparents and adults’ turn to give children lucky money to welcome their new age.
1. By whom is the custom loved most?
______________________________________
2. For how long can the custom be applied?
______________________________________
3. Why is a red envelope used?
______________________________________
4. What does the red color signify?
______________________________________
5. Why do adults give "li xi" to children?
__________________________________
2. Read the passage. Circle A, B or C to answer each question or complete each sentence.
 
The meaning of Mid-Autumn Day is rather different to that in China, though the Vietnamese also
celebrate it by eating mooncakes. In Viet Nam the Mid-Autumn Festival is the happiest day for children,
during which parents buy their children various kinds of lanterns and snacks.
There are also various activities held to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Viet Nam. The main
activities include worshipping the God of Earth, and carrying carp-shaped lanterns.
Usually a worshipping platform is set up in the yard during Mid-Autumn night, on which mooncakes,
fruits, and snacks are laid. Later family members sit to gether to eat the food while appreciating the
moon.
It's also a tradition for the Vietnamese to light lanterns during the Mid-Autumn night. It is thought that if
people walk at night with a carp lantern in hand, they will be safe from the carp spirit. Now,
children hold various kinds of paper lanterns and play in the moonlight, while eating mooncakes during
the evening of Mid-Autumn Day.
1. What is Vietnamese Mid-Autumn festival different from that of China in?    
  A. time B. food C. meaning    
2. Parents buy children all of these things EXCEPT _________.    
  A. mooncakes B. carps C. lanterns    
3. What are the main activities in Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival?    
  A. worshipping the God of Earth    
  B. carrying carp-shaped lanterns    
  C. Both A and B    
4. Why do children carry a carp lantern?    
  A. To scare the carp spirit.    
  B. Because it is very beautiful.    
  C. To enjoy the moonlight better.    
5. The word "hold" can be replaced by _________.    
  A. buy B. carry C. light    

  Here is an example.
0. The bookshop is opposite the library.
  _______________ a bookshop opposite the library. (THERE)
  Answer: 0. There is
1. Herding buffaloes is more difficult than loading the rice.
Loading the rice is ______________________ herding buffaloes. (EASY)
2. Life in a mountainous village is more boring than life in a big city.
Life in a big city is ______________________ life in a mountainous village. (INTERESTING)
3. People in the countryside are often more optimistic than those in the city.
People in the countryside often ______________________ than those in the city. (OPTIMISTIC)
4. Living in a modern town is noisier than living in a small village.
Living in a small village is ______________________ living in a modern town. (PEACEFUL)
5. Houses in this village have less furniture than those in the nearby city.
Houses in this city are ______________________ those in the nearby village. (BETTER)

ĐỀ 2
. LISTENING
1. Listen to the conversation about living in the countryside in Japan. Circle A, B or C to answer
each question. You will listen TWICE.

 
1. Where is Sam living now?
  A. in England B. in Japan C. in Europe
2. What does he like about the village?
  A. the mountains B. the ocean C. the pollution
3. How does he feel about the people in the village?
  A. difficult B. friendly C. easy
4. Which among these is true about Sam's attitude towards the weather in the village?
  A. He likes it very much.
  B. He thinks it is comfortable.
  C. He hates it.
5. What is the most unusual about the village in Sam's opinion?
  A. There are many snakes.
  B. All snakes are green.
  C. Snakes like to stay in his office.
2. Listen to the story of Hans Christian Andersen's life and complete the notes. Fill each of the gaps
with no more than THREE words and/or a number. You will listen TWICE.

 
A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
- 1805: Born in Odense, (1) ______________
- 1819: Travelled to Copenhagen and worked as (2) ______________
- (3) ______: Started writing fairy tales
- 1845: (4) ______________ of his stories became known to foreign audiences
- 1875: Died because of (5) ______________
II. READING
1. Read the passage and decide whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F). Circle T or F.

 
      In the past few decades, the countryside has experienced lots of changes. Because of population
growth, more products are needed. Therefore, more factories have been constructed, and young people
have more choice of jobs apart from becoming farmers. When big cities have become more and more
polluted, the fresher atmosphere in the countryside attracts more people. Rich people who live in the city
for their work often buy a second home in the countryside to spend their weekend and holiday. As a
result, the countryside is no longer a small community of rural people. In fact, in many parts of the
countryside, there are urban people from nearby cities. Additionally, the introduction of the internet
creates more opportunities for increasing rural people's knowledge. Many farmers have used machines
for tasks that used to be done by hand, which helps them save labour. In the near future, it is expected
that the countryside will gradually become more similar to big cities.
1. The passage is about changes in the countryside. T F
2. Young people in the countryside can only become farmers. T F
3. Some people working in the city stay in the countryside at T F
the weekend.
     
4. People in the countryside don't use the internet. T F
5. In the near future, there will be no difference between T F
country life and city life.
 
2. Complete each of the following sentences using the cues given. You can use other words in
addition to the cues to complete the sentences. 

1. You/shouldn’t/point/prong/fork/upwards/during/meal.
 __________________________________________
2. You/can/use/fork/pick/more/food/dish.
__________________________________________
3. The knife/hold/right/hand/and/fork/hold/left/hand.
__________________________________________
4. When/meal/finish/,/you/should/put/knife and fork/plate.
__________________________________________
5. Same/cutlery/apply/eat/main/course/and/dessert.
__________________________________________

 LISTENING
1. Listen to the conversation between David and Son about David's trip to Sa Pa. Decide whether the
sentences are true (T) or false (F). Circle T or F. You will listen TWICE.

 
1. David likes Sa Pa very much. T F
2. Ham Rong Mountain has a charming landscape. T F
3. Son hasn’t come to Cat Cat village. T F
4. Cat Cat villagers make great handicrafts. T F
5. David regretted trekking in the valleys. T F
2. Listen to Amy talking about British unusual festivals. Match the festival with its correct
information. You will listen TWICE.

 
1. Pancake Festival A. The winner gets lots of lettuce.  

B. The festival ends with a massive firework

3. World Championship Snail Racing C. Frying pans can’t be lacked in this festival.  

4. Cheese rolling festival D. The festival takes place down the hills.  

5. Burning the Clocks Festival E. The winner had no teeth.  

A recent survey conducted by TIRA, a Vietnamese research company, highlights problems about the
lifestyles of Vietnamese teenagers in urban areas. There is an imbalance in their consumption of time for
studying and recreational activities. On average, these teenagers spend 9.5 hours a day on studies at
school and at home. They only have about four hours for entertainment. Most of this time is spent on
watching television and the internet, where they chat through social networks. The teenagers admit that
they use computers to play games and to chat with friends much more than using it for studying
purposes. The survey also shows that during summer months, despite having much more free time than
during school years, these teenagers still fail to manage their time properly. They stay in bed longer, and
then get hooked on games and TV. The time for computers and TV increases significantly to about five
or six hours a day, while there is almost no time for physical outdoor activities.
 

A B

1. highlight A. a lack of proportion or relation between things

2. imbalance B. agree, often unwillingly, that something is true

3. admit C. a lot/to a great extent

4. manage D. draw attention to

5. significant E. control

ĐỀ 4
LISTENING
1. Listen to the conversation between two friends. Decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F).
Circle T or F.

 
1. Minh is watching television when Hanh phones. T F
2. Hanh invites Minh to a music festival. T F
3. Minh can’t go rollerblading because she has no rollerblades. T F
4. Hanh suggests going to Museum of Ethnology to paint pottery. T F
5. In the end Hanh goes to the art fair alone. T F
II. READING
1. Read the following folk tale. Circle A, B or C to answer each question.

 
A Stack of Gold for Starfruit
There were two brothers living in this village. Their parents died, leaving them a fortune, but the elder
brother was greedy. He claimed all the fortune and left the younger brother only a starfruit tree. Luckily,
the tree gave him a lot of fruits. But when the fruits were ripe, a giant raven came and ate them every
day. The younger brother begged to the raven, “Please don’t eat the fruits. If you eat them, my family
will starve.” So the raven responded, “Don’t worry, for each fruit I eat, I’ll pay you with gold.”
One day, the raven took the man to a secret island, which was full of gold. He filled a small bag. Then
the raven took him home, and he became well-off. Seeing that, the elder brother wanted the gold too.
He traded all of his fortune for the fruit tree.
The raven also took the elder brother to the island. He brought a very big sack and filled it with gold.
The raven got tired on his way back; it got angry and dropped the man into the sea.
1. What did the elder brother do?    
  A. shared the wealth equally with his younger brother    
  B. took everything their parents left them    
  C. gave the younger brother very little of what their parents left    
2. What does the word "them" in the passage refer to?    
  A. the brothers B. the fruits C. the raven    
3. What does the word "trade" in the passage mean?    
  A. exchanged B. changed C. turned    
4. Why did the raven get tired?    
  A. Because he had to fly to the island twice.    
  B. Because the elder brother took too much gold.    
  C. Because the elder brother was too heavy.    
5. What could be the message of this fairy tale?    
  A. You should share your wealth with the less fortunate.    
  B. You should treat your family kindly.    
  C. You will have to pay a dear price for greediness.    
1. Viet Nam/multicultural/country/54/ethnic/groups.
_______________________________________________________________
2. Ede's/principal/food crop/rice.
_______________________________________________________________
3. gongs/significant/Ede's festivals/cultural activity.
__________________________________________
4. When/small/young Khmer/people/to pagodas/study/improve/knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________
5. Hmong's/history/remain/difficult/trace/because/tradition/oral ones.
_______________________________________________________________