ENGLISH PRACTICE 1

PART ONE: PHONETICS

I. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently fromthat of the others)
1. A. supposedly B. markedly C. allegedly D. determinedly
2. A. endure B. feature C. procedure D. measure
3. A. complete B. command C. common D. community
4. A. comb B. climb C. debt D. cable
5. A. neighbour B. height C. sleigh D. weight
II. Choose the word whose stress pattern is different fromthat of the others
1. A. possibility B. disappointed C. manufacture D. instrument
2. A. environment B. mystery C. contribute D. terrific
3. A. deficiency B. psychology C. ecological D. competitor
4. A. recommend B. difficulty C. admirable D. document
5. A. encouragement B. interviewer C. acknowledge D. miraculously
PART TWO: LEXICO-GRAMMAR
I. Choose the best option to complete each of the following sentences
1. Only after the atomic bomb ________ and development in the air travel _______, ______ science fiction
really become popular.
A. had created/ had taken off/ was B. had been created/ had been taken off/ has
C. had been created/ had taken off/ did D. had been created/ / had taken off/ had
2. We’ve bought some ________ chairs for the garden so that they are easy to store away.
A. adapting B. adjusting C. bending D. folding
3. I don’t think she can get her message _______ to the students. She seems too nervous.
A. across B. around C. out D. over
4. _______, it is obvious that the whole thing was a waste of time and effort.
A. None of us wanted to go in the first place
B. Staff meetings are often boring and have no apparent point to them
C. Since the results were far more satisfactory than anyone had expected
D. Seeing that we couldn’t solve anything in the end
5. There are ______ words in English having more than one meaning. Pay close attention to this fact.
A. a large many B. quite many C. a great many D. quite a lot
6. This car has many features including _________.
A. stereo, safety devices, air condition, and it saves gas
B. good music, safety devices, air conditioning, and gas
C. stereo, safety devices, air conditioned, and good gas
D. stereo, safety devices, air conditioning, and low gas mileage
7. Round and round ___________.
A. the wheels of the engine went B. did the wheels of the engine go
C. went the wheels of the engine D. going the wheels of the engine
8. The replacement of shops such as the groceries and chemists’ by the café _______ the housewives with
insufficient facilities for shopping.
A. leave B. have left C. has left D. to have left
9. Your argument _______ that Britain is still a great power, but this is no longer the case.
A. outlines B. presupposes C. concerns D. presents
10. They are happily married although, of course, they argue _______.
A. most times B. from day to day C. every now and then D. on the occasion
11. He promised to mend the broken wheel soon without ___________ .
A. fail B. failure C. trouble D. mistake
12. One of the first exercises in math class is ______ measure the radius of a circle.
A. to learn and B. to learn how to C. learning to D. learn to
13. We were shocked to hear the news of your ________.
 A. having fired B. being fired C. having been fired D. to have been fired
14. I don’t know French, but I’ll ________.
A. get Tom to translate it B. have it translate
C. have Tom to translate it D. make it translate
15. _______ as taste is really a composite sense made up of both taste and smell.
A. That we refer to B. What we refer to
C. To which we refer D. What do we refer to
16. _______ have settled, one of their first concerns has been to locate an adequate water supply.
A. Wherever people B. There are people who
C. Where people D. People
17. Politicians should never lose ______ of the needs of the people they represent.
A. view B. sight C. regard D. prospect
18. _______ team sports require cooperation.
A. Of all B. They are all C. Why all are D. All
19. Studies indicate _________ collecting art today than ever before.
A. there are that more people B. more people that are
C. that there are more people D. people there are more
20. Doctors advise people who are deficient __________ vitamin C to eat more fruit and vegetables. (deficient
in: thiếu hụt)
A. from B. of C. in D. for
21. Dick put ____ ball in ____ net in _____ second half but ____ goal was disallowed.
A. a - a - a - a B. the - the - the - the
C. the - the - a - a D. a - a - the - the
22. There is a real possibility that these animals could be frightened _______ a sudden loud noise.
A. being there B. should there be C. there was D. there have been
23. The computer has dramatically affected ______ photographic lenses are constructed.
A. is the way B. that the way C. which way do D. the way
24. Six novels a year, you say? He’s certainly a __________ writer.
A. fruitful B. fertile C. virile(quyến rũ, tràn đầy sức sống)
D. prolific (tạo ra nhiều)
25. The handwriting is completely ______ . This note must have been written a long time ago.
A. inedible B. indelible C. illegible (không thể đọc được)
D. unfeasible
II. Give the correct form or tense of the verbs in brackets.
a. The children were frightened because the lights suddenly (1.go) __went______ out and they (2.sit) __were
sitting______ in the dark.
b. What tune (3. play) __was being played______ when we (4. come) __came______ in?
c. She was badly hurt when her car hit another car. If she (5. wear) __had worn______ her seat belt, she (6. not
hurt) __wouldn’t have been hurt______ so badly.
d. It is vital that no one else (7. know) ___know____ about the secret government operation.
e. It seems strange to be standing here, (8. look) _looking______ out at SydneyHarbor.
f. Tom had a lucky escape. He (9. kill) __could have been killed______ when a car crashed into the front of his
house.
g. __To be ranked___ (10. Rank) as a masterpiece, a work of art must transcend the ideals of the period in
which it was created.
III. There are ten mistakes in the following passage. Find and correct them. (1.5pt)
It seems that the mystery of why the Pyramids were built may have solved (been solved). Until quite
recently people got used to think (thinking) that they were just tombs for pharaohs. Instead, the connection
with astronomy seems much more important. Egyptologists have often asked them (themselves) how long it
spent (took) to build them and why people built them in first (the first) place. Experts came up with a
suggestion that the Egyptians may have believed in (that) the River Nile was the earthly equivalent of the
Milky Way. Many agree that the sizes of the three Giza Pyramids are in promotion (proportion) to the three
stars of Orion. Nothing, then, was by the (X) chance. Rather, the souls of dead pharaohs were deliberately being
project (projected) through shafts to reach at (X) their goal of the Orion constellation.
IV. Give the correct form of the word in each of the following brackets.(1.5 pt)
It was not so long ago that we dealt with colleagues through face-to-face (1. INTERACT)
__interaction____ and with counterparts and customers by phone or letter. But the world of communication
has undergone a dramatic transformation, not for all the good. Email, while (2. DOUBT) _undoubtedly____ a
swift means of communication providing your server is fully (3.FUNCTION) __functional____ and that the
address you have contains no (4. ACCURATE) _inaccuracies____ has had a (5. SIGNIFY) __significant___
effect on certain people’s behaviour, both at home and business. For those people, the use of email has become
irresistibly (6. ADDICT) __addictive___ to the extent that it is (7. THREAT) __threatening___ their mental
and physical health. Addicts spend their day (8. COMPULSION) _compulsively____ checking for email and
have a (9. TEND) _tendency_____ to panic if their server goes down. It is estimated that one in six people
spend four hours a day sending and receiving messages, the equivalent to more than two working days a week.
The negative effect on (10. PRODUCE) __productivity______ is something employers are well aware of.
PART THREE: READING (6.0 POINTS)
I. Read the following passage and choose the option that indicates the correct answer to each of the
following questions.(2.0 pts)
In the United States in the early 1800's, individual state governments had more effect on the economy
than did the federal government. States chartered manufacturing, banking, mining, and transportation firms and
participated in the construction of various internal improvements such as canals, turnpikes, and railroads. The
states encouraged internal improvements in two distinct ways; first, by actually establishing state companies to
build such improvements; second, by providing part of the capital for mixed public-private companies setting
out to make a profit.
In the early nineteenth century, state governments also engaged in a surprisinglylarge amount of direct
regulatory activity, including extensive licensing and inspectionprograms.Licensing targets reflected both
similarities and differences between the economy of the nineteenth century and that of today: in the nineteenth
century, state regulation through licensing fell especially on peddlers, innkeepers, and retail merchants of
various kinds. The perishable commodities of trade generally came understate inspection, and such important
frontier staples as lumber and gunpowder were also subject to state control. Finally, state governments
experimented with direct labor and business regulation designed to help the individual laborer or consumer,
including setting maximum limits on hours of work and restrictions on price-fixing by businesses.
Although the states dominated economic activity during this period, the federal government was not
inactive. Its goals were the facilitation of western settlement andthe development of native industries. Toward
these ends, the federal government pursued several courses of action. It established a national bank to stabilize
banking activities in the country and, in part, to provide a supply of relatively easy money to the frontier, where
it was greatly needed for settlement. It permitted access to public western lands on increasingly easy terms,
culminating in the Homestead Act of 1862, by which title to land could be claimed on the basis of residence
alone. Finally, it set up a system of tariffs that was basically protectionist in effect, although maneuvering for
position by various regional interests produced frequent changes in tariff rates throughout the nineteenth
century.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. States's rights versus federal rights.
B. The participation of state governments in railroad, canal, and turnpike construction.
C. The roles of state and federal governments in the economy of the nineteenthcentury.
D. Regulatory activity by state governments.
2. The word “effect” in bold in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. value B. argument C. influence D. restraint
3. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as areas that involved statevernments in the nineteenth
century EXCEPT _________.
A. mining B. banking C. manufacturing D. higher education
4. The word “distinct” in bold in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to_________.
A. separate B. innovative C. alarming D. provocative
5. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that in the nineteenth century canals and railroads were
_________.
A. built with money that came from the federal government
B. much more expensive to build than they had been previously
C. built predominantly in the western part of the country
D. sometimes built in part by state companies
6. The regulatory activities of state governments included all of the following EXCEPT_______.
A. licensing of retail merchants B.inspecting materials used in turnpike maintenance
C. imposing limits on price-fixing D. control of lumber
7. The word “setting” in bold in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _________.
A.discussing B. analyzing C.establishing D.avoiding
8. The word “ends” in bold in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A.benefits B.decisions C.services D.goals
9. According to the passage, which of the following is true of the Homestead Act of 1862?
A. It made it increasingly possible for settlers to obtain land in the West.
B. It was a law first passed by state governments in the West.
C. It increased the money supply in the West.
D. It established tariffs in a number of regions.
10. Which of the following activities was the responsibility of the federal government in the nineteenth century?
A.Control of the manufacture of gunpowder.
B. Determining the conditions under which individuals worked.
C. Regulation of the supply of money.
D. Inspection of new homes built on western lands.

II. Read the text below and fill in each blank with ONE suitable word. (2.0 pts)
The British are widely (1) _known____ to be a very polite nation, and in (2)___some___ respects this is
true. An Italian journalist once commented of the British that they need (3) __no___ fewer than four “thank
you” merely to buy a bus ticket. The first, from the bus conductor means, “I’m here.” The second accompanies
the handing over of the money. The third, again from the conductor, (4) _saying___ “Here is your ticket.”, and
then the passenger utters a final one as he accepts the tickets. Such transactions in most (5) __other__ parts of
the world are usually conducted in total silence. In sharp contrast to this excessive politeness with strangers, the
British are strangely lacking (6) __in___ ritual phrases for social interaction. The exhortation “Good appetite”,
uttered in so (7) ___many___ other languages to fellow-diners before a meal, does not exist in English. The
nearest equivalent – Enjoy your dinner! – is said only by people who will not be partaking of the meal in
question. What’s more, the British (8) __wish__ happiness to their friends or acquaintances only at the start of a
new year and at (9)__occasions___ such as birthdays, (10) __while___ the Greeks routinely wish all and
sundry a “good week” or a “good month”.
Your answers:
1._____________ 2._____________ 3._____________ 4._____________ 5.____________
6._____________ 7._____________ 8._____________ 9._____________ 10.____________
III. Read the passage and choose the best option for each of the following blanks. (2.0 pts)
Media and advertising
After more than fifty years of television, it might seem only obvious to conclude that it is here to ( 1)
______. There have been many objections to it during this time, of course, and (2) ______ a variety of grounds.
Did it cause eye-strain? Was the (3) ______ bombarding us with radioactivity? Did the advertisements contain
subliminal messages, persuading us to buy more? Did children turn to violence through watching it, either
because so (4) ______ programmes taught them how to shoot, rob, and kill, or because they had to do
something to counteract the hours they had spent glued to the tiny screen? Or did it simply create a vast passive
(5) ______ drugged by glamorous serials and inane situation (6) ______ ? On the other hand did it increase
anxiety by sensationalizing the news [or the news which was (7) ______ by suitable pictures] and filling our
living rooms with war, famine and political unrest? (8) ______ in all, television proved to be the all-purpose
scapegoat for the second half of the century, blamed for everything, but above all, eagerly watched. For no ( 9)
______ how much we despised it, feared it, were bored by it, or felt that it took us away from the old paradise
of family conversation and hobbies such as collecting stamps, we never turned it off. We kept staring at the
screen, aware that our own tiny (10) ______ was in if we looked carefully.
1. A. be B. stay C. exist D. prolong
2. A. with B. over C. by D. on
3. A. screen B. danger C. machine D. reason
4. A. that B. far C. many D. what
5. A. programme B. personality C. audience D. tense
6. A. comedies B. programmes C. perhaps D. consequently
7. A. taken B. presented C. capable D. accompanied
8. A. Taken B. All C. Somewhat D. Thus
9. A. one B. matter C. difference D. reason
10. A. fault B. reflection C. situation D. consciousness
PART FOUR: WRITING (6.0 POINTS)
I. Finish the second sentence in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence printed before it.
(2.0 pts)
1. If the work is finished by lunchtime, you can go home.
Get__the work finished by lunchtime and you can go home__________
2. You haven’t done your work, have you?
It’s about__time you do your work____________________
3. The fourth time he asked her to marry him, she accepted.
Only on his ___fourth time in asking her to marry him did she accepted____________________
4. He said that he had won as a result of good luck.
He attributed__his victory to good luck_________________
5. That reminds me of the time I climbed to the top of Mount Fuji.
That takes me___back to the time I climbed to the top of Mount Fuji____________
6. People rumour that he is rich but stingy.
What__people rumour is that he is rich but stingy________________________
7. Such a ridiculous proposal isn’t worth serious consideration.
There is__no need for serious consideration for such a ridiculous proposal__________
8. Just thinking about his face at that moment makes me laugh.
The very__thought of his face at that moment makes me laugh_________________
9.We cannot see animals in a vast area after the forest fire.
There is an___absence of animals in a vast area after the forest fire__________________
10.The staff hated Frank’s new policies so intensely that they went on strike.
So intense __was the staff’s hatred for Frank’s new policies that they went on strike_______________
II. Write a new sentence similar in meaning to the given one, using the word given in the brackets. Do not
alter the word in any way. (2.0 pts)
1. I suddenly realized the meaning of a “freebie”.(dawned) it dawned on me: chợt nhớ ra
___It dawned on me the meaning of a “freebie”___________ ________
2. After the scandal, he was asked to resign. (HAND)
___He was asked to hand in his letter of resignment after the scandal_____________
3. Bruce said that the situation at work was like a family argument. (likened) liken sth to sth: so sánh cái
gì với cái gì
____Bruce likened the situation at work to a family argument________________________
4. My father is not feeling well these days. (weather)
___My father is feeling under the weather these days.____________ _______
5. I don’t think this record will ever be popular. (catch) catch on: nổi tiếng
____I don’t think this record will ever catch on_________________________
6. His arrival was completely unexpected. (took)
__His arrival took everyone by surprise_____________________
7. The success of our local theater has made our city famous. (map) put sth on the map: khiến cái gì nổi
tiếng
___The success of our local theater has put our city on the map______________
8. He is certainly not a reliable witness. (means)
___It is by no means certain that he is a reliable witness___________________
9. Our company is the only company allowed to import these chemicals. (monopoly)
__Our company has the monopoly in the import of these chemicals___________________________
10. It’s uncertain whether the band’s tour will take place. (BALANCE) in the balance: không chắc chắn
___The band tour is in the balance_______________________