Xuan Loc High School

EXERCISE 1
Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each
space.
English spelling
Why does English spelling have a reputation for being difficult? English was first written down when
Christian monks came to England in Anglo-Saxon (1) ______ .They used the 23 letters of Latin to
write down the sounds of Anglo-Saxon speech as they heard it. However, English has a (2)
______ range of basic sounds (over 40) than Latin. The alphabet was too small, and so combinations
of letters were needed to (3) ______ the different sounds. Inevitably, there were inconsistencies in
the way that letters were combined.
With the Norman invasion of England, the English language was put (4) ______ risk.
English survived, but the spelling of many English words changed to follow French patterns, and
many French words were (5) ______ into the language. The result was more irregularity.
When the printing press was (6) ______ in the fifteenth century, many early printers of English texts
spoke other first languages. They (7) ______ little effort to respect English spelling. Although one of
the short-term effects of printing was to produce a number of variant spellings, in the long term it
created fixed spellings. People became used to seeing words spelt in the same way. Rules were (8)
______ and dictionaries were put together which printers and writers could refer to. However,
spoken English was not fixed and continued to change slowly - just as it still does now. Letters that
were sounded in the Anglo-Saxon period, like the 'k' in 'knife', now became (9) ______. Also, the
pronunciation of vowels then had (10) _____ in common with how they sound now, but the way they
are spelt hasn't changed.
1. A. ages B. centuries C. times D. years
2. A. deeper B. longer C. thicker D. wider
3. A. explain B. express C. perform D. tell
4. A. at B. in C. on D. under
5. A. announced B. found C. introduced D. started
6. A. discovered B. invented C. made up D. taken up
7. A. brought B. did C. made D. put
8. A. drawn up B. filled in C. got across D. handed out
9. A. dump B. quiet C. silent D. speechless
10. A. much B. many C. few D. little
Read the passage and choose the best answers to questions below.
An air pollutant is defined as a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmosphere
in such quantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or materials adversely. Air pollution
requires a very flexible definition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution laws
were established in England in the fourteenth century, air pollutants were limited to compounds
that could be seen or smelled - a far cry from the extensive list of harmful substances known today.
As technology has developed and knowledge of the health aspects of various chemicals has
increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. In the future, even water vapor might be
considered an air pollutant under certain conditions.
Many of the more important air pollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen
oxides, are found in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentration of these pollutants was
altered by various chemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical cycles. These
serve as an air purification scheme by allowing the compounds to move from the air to the water or
soil. On a global basis, nature's output of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human
activities.
However, human production usually occurs in a localized area, such as a city. In such a region,
human output may be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purification scheme of
the cycles. The result is an increased concentration of noxious chemicals in the air. The
concentrations at which the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations that the
pollutants would have in the absence of human activities. The actual concentration need not be
large for a substance to be a pollutant; in fact, the numerical value tells us little until we know how
much of an increase this represents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area.
For example, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at 0.08 parts per million (ppm), which is

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about 400 times its natural level. Carbon monoxide, however, has a natural level of 0.1 ppm and is
not usually a pollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The economic impact of air pollution. B. What constitutes an air pollutant.
C. How much harm air pollutants can cause. D. The effects of compounds added to the
atmosphere.
2. The word "adversely" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. negatively B. quickly C. admittedly D. considerably
3. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that _______.
A. water vapor is an air pollutant in localized areas
B. most air pollutants today can be seen or smelled
C. the definition of air pollution will continue to change
D. a substance becomes an air pollutant only in cities
4. The word "These" in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to__________.
A. the various chemical reactions B. the pollutants from the developing Earth
C. the compounds moved to the water or soil D. the components in biogeochemical cycles
5. For which of the following reasons can natural pollutants play an important role in controlling air
pollution?
A. They function as part of a purification process.
B. They occur in greater quantities than other pollutants.
C. They are less harmful to living beings than other pollutants.
D. They have existed since the Earth developed.
6. According to the passage, human-generated air pollution in localized regions _______.
A. can be dwarfed by nature's output of pollutants
B. can overwhelm the natural system that removes pollutants
C. will damage areas outside of the localized regions
D. will react harmfully with natural pollutants
7. The word "localized" in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. specified B. circled C. surrounded D. encircled
8. According to the passage, the numerical value of the concentration level of a substance is only
useful if _______.
A. the other substances in the area are known B. it is in a localized area
C. the natural level is also known D. it can be calculated quickly
9. The word "detectable" in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to__________.
A. beneficial B. special C. measurable D. separable
10. The word "noxious" in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to__________.
A. poisonous B. natural C. known D. essential
Read the text. Match the sentences (A-F) with gaps (1-5). There is one sentence that
you do not need.
A. They also warn that teenagers should never meet people they’ve met online without being
accompanied by an adult.
B. Either ignore them completely, or just say that you’re looking for friends not fights.
C. However, they do not need to provide their contact details, so the police cannot trace them.
D. Some chat rooms will let you in using a default nickname such as ‘Guest’ .
E. This make it very easy for people to pretend to be someone they’ re not.
F. If you don’t want to start receiving loads of junk e-mail, use an alternative e-mail address that
won’t clog up your regular inbox.
Are chat rooms dangerous?
Think of a chat room as a kind of social club. There is a main 'public' space, but things can get busy
and confusing when there are lots of visitors. Usually, there is the facility to chat privately by
passing a message to just one person by clicking on their name and the 'private', or 'whisper'
button, or you go off to a 'side room' where several people can chat together.
Before you enter a chat room, you'll be invited to sign in with a 'username' - also known as a 'nick'
or nickname. (1) __________. This isn't likely to impress the regulars because 'guests' often pop in,
hang around for a while (called 'lurking') then leave without having contributed anything. The
regulars will be more likely to help if you use a nickname such as 'New To This' or 'Novice'.
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Other chat rooms have a registration process that may include providing an e-mail address. (2)
______ Alternatively, you could stick with chat rooms that do not require these personal details to
log in. It is important to express yourself clearly in chat rooms. When several conversations are
running in parallel, it helps to avoid confusion if a comment to just one person includes their
nickname. It is considered poor etiquette to send private messages to someone without asking
first.
Most chat room regulars are pleasant and sociable people. They're there to find friends, not
arguments. However, you may occasionally meet someone who is looking for a verbal fight (also
known as 'flaming'). (3) __________
The real dangers of internet chat come from the anonymity of the e-world. (4) ________ . In fact,
you have no way of checking any of the personal details which people choose to give you in a chat
room - so it is safer to be skeptical. Most chat rooms used by teenagers offer sensible advice such
as never handing out phone numbers, e-mail or 'real'
addresses. (5) ________ . So long as people follow these simple rules, there is no reason for chat
rooms to be regarded as dangerous in any way.
Read the text and match the headings (A-G) with the paragraphs (1-6). There is one
heading that you don't need. Write the correct letter in the numbered space.
A. Laying the foundations
B. An inflexible approach
C. Controversial decisions
D. A man before his time
E. A great incentive to achieve
F. Evidence of a more liberal attitude
G. Moving with the times
1. ________ In the latter years of the 19th century, Joseph Pulitzer stood out as the very
embodiment of American journalism. Hungarian-born, an intense indomitable figure, Pulitzer was
the most skillful of newspaper publishers, and a visionary who richly endowed his profession. His
innovative New York World and St. Louis Post-Dispatch reshaped newspaper journalism. Having
himself struggled as a young reporter, Pulitzer was the first to call for the training of journalists at
university level.
2. _________ In writing his 1904 will, Pulitzer left $2 million to Columbia University for the
establishment of a School of Journalism. He also made provision for the establishment of the
Pulitzer Prizes, specifying the number and types of awards, but giving the body which awarded the
prizes, later renamed the Pulitzer Prize Board, the power to increase the number of prizes and also
to withhold any award where entries fell below its standards of excellence. And indeed, over the
years, the board has increased the number of awards to 21, introducing prizes for poetry, music,
and photography.
3. ________ In 1997, the 150th anniversary of Pulitzer’s birth, two fundamental adjustments were
introduced. In recognition of the growing importance of online journalism, the submission by
newspapers of online presentations was allowed. The other major change was in music, a category
added in 1943. Until then, the prize had always gone to composers of classical music. The Board
decided to broaden the definition and entry requirements to bring mainstream music into the
process. Thus, in 1997 the prize went to Wynton Marsalis’s Blood on the Fields, which has strong
jazz elements. The Board also acknowledged previously overlooked George Gershwin and Duke
Ellington.
4. ________ Similarly in literature, the board has grown less conservative over the years in matters
of taste. In 1963 Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was believed to have too many
allusions to sex and too rough dialogue to receive the prize. Yet, in 1993 the prize went to Tony
Kushner’s Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, a play that dealt with problems of
homosexuality and AIDS and was full of obscenities.
5. ________ Over the years the Pulitzer board has at times been targeted by critics as the prize was
hardly ever in tune with popular inclinations. Many, if not most, of the honored books have not
been on bestseller lists, and many of the winning plays have been staged off-Broadway or in
regional theaters. In journalism, the major newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall
Street Journal, and The Washington Post, have harvested many awards, but small, little-known
papers have also been recognized for exposing corruption.
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6. _________ Announced each April by the president of Columbia University, which Pulitzer
established as the seat of administration for board, the prizes are regarded as the highest national
honor that can be bestowed in newspaper journalism, literary achievement and musical
composition. As such they are perceived as a major encouragement for high-quality journalism and
art, focusing worldwide attention on American achievements in letters and music.
You are going to read an article in which five people talk about what they have done
to raise money for charity. Choose from the people (A-E). The people may be chosen
more than once. Write your answers (A-E) in the numbered boxes for answers.

Which person or people: Answers

would not repeat what they did to raise money? 1.
tried to encourage others to do things to raise money for 2.
charity? spent a long time preparing for what they did? 3.
says the experience was unique and memorable?
4.
had a family member help them with the preparation for the
5.
event? says the hardest part was the beginning of the activity?
mentions more than one type of charity event? 6.
sees taking part in charity events as a way of learning about people in 7.
need? took part in the same event many times? 8.
didn’t enjoy the event as much as the preparation? 9.
10.
RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY

A Housewife and grandmother

I abseiled off a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite
afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult; after
that it was very easy. You just have to get into the rhythm and not go too fast. My son is very
into climbing and things like that and he and some of his friends from his university climbing club
set everything up and organized the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it
and between us we raised well over the target amount. It was a great success but I don’t think I’ll
be doing anything like that again. Once was enough!
B Lawyer
I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it
was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event
because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a
very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. I would often get up
at 5 o’clock in the morning so I could train before going to work. Knowing that I was going to be
able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It wasn’t
compulsory to get sponsorship and giving money to charity wasn’t my main motivation when I
first signed up to do it but I wanted to make the most of the opportunity and all my friends and
family were really supportive and wanted to help and give money. It was such a positive
experience I’m going to do it again next year.
C Environmental consultant
I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I
knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places that most people never
see. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn't
my main objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different
rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be different and something I could
look back on when I am older and feel proud of. It is something I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren
about and the fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same
time, well that made it even better.
D Theatre manager
When I was a child I took part in a lot of sponsored walks. Each year my school would organise the
walks and although it wasn’t compulsory my friends and I would always take part. It was fun. Each
walk was about 15 km long so it took quite a long time but it was a nice way to spend a day. The
first year I did it I was only 11 years old and my father came with us to keep an eye on us but once
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we were older we went by ourselves; there were about 8 or 9 of us that all walked together. We
managed to get quite a bit of money between us; in fact it became our challenge to raise more
money than the year before, which we always achieved, so there was a great sense of
satisfaction.
E Retired primary school head teacher
We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise
their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly
children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great
sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we
had a mufti day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for
one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held school fetes where
the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. The
children got involved in running the stalls too and all the money we made went to our chosen
charity.

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