Đọc tiếng anh 6 EN40

How long has the expression “once in a blue moon" been around?
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. For around 50 years

b. For more than 100 years
c. For 200 years

d. For less than 100 years
The word “hue" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. shape
b. color

c. date
d. size

A blue moon could best be described as
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. a full moon that is blue in color

b. a full moon that is not blue in color
c. a new moon that is blue in color

d. a new moon that is not blue in color

1


Choose the most suitable headings for the paragraph.
An intellectual breakthrough, brilliant though it may be, does not automatically ensure that
the transition is made from theory to practice. Despite the fact that rockets had been used

sporadically for several hundred years, they remained a relatively minor artefact of
civilisation until the twentieth century. Prodigious efforts, accelerated during two world wars,
were required before the technology of primitive rocketry could be translated into the reality
of sophisticated astronauts. It is strange that the rocket was generally ignored by writers of
fiction to transport their heroes to mysterious realms beyond the Earth, even though it had
been commonly used in fireworks displays in China since the thirteenth century. The
reason is that nobody associated the reaction principle with the idea of travelling through
space to a neighbouring world.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Writers’ theories of the reaction principle
b. How the reaction principle

c. The first use of steam
d. The impact of the reaction principle

Choose the most suitable headings for the paragraph.
The concept of the rocket, or rather the mechanism behind the idea of propelling an object
into the air, has been around for well over two thousand years. However, it wasn’t until the
discovery of the reaction principle, which was the key to space travel and so represents
one of the great milestones in the history of scientific thought, that rocket technology was
able to develop. Not only did it solve a problem that had intrigued man for ages, but, more
importantly, it literally opened the door to exploration of the universe.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. The first use of steam
b. Writers’ theories of the reaction principle
c. How the reaction principle

2

d. The impact of the reaction principle

How many blue moons would there most likely be in a century?
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. 100
b. 4
c. 35

d. 70

According to the passage, the moon actually looked blue
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. several times a year

b. during the month of February

c. after large volcanic eruptions
d. when it occurred late in the month

Which of the following might be the date of a “blue moon"?
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. December 31
b. January 1

3


c. February 28

d. April 15

This passage is about..........
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. a month on the calendar
b. an idiomatic expression

c. a phase of the moon

d. an unusual color

The expression "given rise to” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. brightened the color of

b. created a need for

c. elevated the level of

d. spurred the creation of

A “hybrid" in paragraph 2 is
Chọn một câu trả lời:
4


a. a predecessor
b. a mixture

c. an enemy
d. a relative

It is stated in the passage that killer bees
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. are more deadly than African bees

b. always attack African bees

c. are less aggressive than African bees
d. never attack animals

Why were African bees considered beneficial?
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. They spent their time traveling.

b. They were very aggressive.
c. They hid from inclement weather.

d. They produced an unusual type of honey.

5


The word “inflated” in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. burst
b. aired
c. exaggerated
d. blown

The subject of the preceding paragraph was most likely

Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. the chemical nature of killer bee attacks

b. ways of producing honey

c. the creation of the killer bee

d. stories in the media about killer bees

The main idea of this passage is that killer bees
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. have been moving unexpectedly rapidly through the Americas

6


b. have been in the news a lot recently

c. are not as aggressive as their reputation suggests
d. are a hybrid rather than a pure breed

It can be inferred from the passage that the killer bee
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. was a predecessor of the African bee

b. traveled from Brazil to Africa in 1955

c. was carried from Africa to Brazil in 1955
d. did not exist early in the twentieth century
According to the passage, which of the following is true of the male broad-tailed hummingbird?

Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. It protects the nest while the female searches for food.

b. It shares nesting duties equally with the female.

c. It is not involved in caring for the chicks.

d. It finds food for the female and the chicks.

The pronoun "They" in paragraph 3 refers to
Chọn một câu trả lời:

7


a. humans and animals

b. killer bees

c. fatalities

d. experts

Hotel staff can advise you on who you should complain to.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. TRUE
b. NOT GIVEN

c. FALSE

Overall, holiday accommodation poses few problems.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. TRUE
b. NOT GIVEN
c. FALSE

A low-cost holiday should still offer some high-quality services.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. NOT GIVEN

8


b. FALSE
c. TRUE

If you are not good at writing letters, find someone to help you.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. FALSE
b. NOT GIVEN

c. TRUE

The most common problem for holiday-makers is crowded airports.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. NOT GIVEN
b. FALSE

c. TRUE

Tour companies provide a satisfactory level of information to holiday-makers.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. TRUE

b. FALSE
c. NOT GIVEN

9


Photographs may help to support an argument about a holiday problem.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. NOT GIVEN
b. TRUE

c. FALSE

Solving problems can be hard work for the holiday-maker.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. NOT GIVEN
b. TRUE

c. FALSE

It is possible to see what the cars look like.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Hot.org

b. Expeed.org.uk
c. Cutprice.com

d. Cash.com.uk

Assistance is provided with some holiday routes.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
10


a. Hot.org

b. Cash.com.uk
c. Expeed.org.uk
d. Cutprice.com

Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
The introduction to the essay should explain to the reader how you are going to tackle the
question and provide an outline of what will follow. Then move on to the main body of the
essay. Refer to your notes and develop two or three logical arguments. Begin each
paragraph with a topic sentence, which clearly states the subject to be discussed, and then
use the remainder of the paragraph to fill out this opening sentence. A good essay should
finish rather than simply stop. That is to say, the conclusion should provide a statement of
your final position, summing up the arguments that your opinions are based upon.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Learning from the essay
b. Writing the essay

c. Making the support material relevant
d. Open-ended essays

The site is suited to people with up-to-date hardware.
Chọn một câu trả lời:

a. Cheapandcheerful.net.uk
b. Expeed.org.uk

11


c. Hot.org

d. Cutprice.com

Attempts made by the writer to book a car were unsuccessful.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Cutprice.com
b. Cash.com.uk

c. Hot.org
d. Expeed.org.uk

Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
It is important to keep the essay relevant and to provide some examples, quotations,
illustrations, diagrams or maps wherever appropriate. However, it is equally important to
avoid the temptation to pad your essay with unwanted information: this wastes your time
and undermines the relevant parts of the essay. In coursework and assessment essays not
written under examination conditions, do not forget to acknowledge your sources in a
bibliography.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Allocating your personal resources
b. Open-ended essays
c. Learning from the essay
d. Making the support material relevant

12


Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
Essays, whether written as part of a secondary school programme or further education
course, are designed to test your thinking, writing and study skills. Creative essays offer
you the freedom to demonstrate your abilities to communicate effectively. Analytical
essays, on the other hand, will require you to show that you have researched the topic and
drawn on the work of others to come to your conclusion.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Gathering source material
b. Types of essay and their purpose

c. The importance of focusing on the task
d. Open-ended essays

13


On the night of 21 October 1931, millions of Americans took part in a coast-to-coast
ceremony to commemorate the passing of a great man.
Lights (19)
[went out] in

homes and offices from New York to California. The ceremony (20)

[marked] the death of arguably the most important inventor of (21)

Thomas Alva Edison.

Few inventors have (22)

inventions played a crucial (23)

[all]time:

[had] such an impact on everyday life, and many of his

[role] in the development of modern

technology. One should never (24)

[underestimate]how revolutionary

some of Edison’s inventions were.
In many ways, Edison is the perfect example of an inventor - that is, not just someone
who (25)
[dreams] up clever gadgets, but someone whose products

transform the lives of millions. He possessed the key characteristics that an inventor needs
to (26)
[make] a success of inventions, notably sheer determination.

Edison famously tried thousands of materials while working on a new type of
battery, reacting to failure by cheerfully (27)
[announcing]to his

colleagues: ‘Well, (28)

Knowing when to take no (29)

[at least] we know 8,000 things that don’t work.’

[notice] of experts is also important. Edison’s

14


proposal for electric lighting circuitry was (30)

[received] with total disbelief

by eminent scientists, until he lit up whole streets with his lights.

Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
Use a variety of relevant background texts, refer to your lecture notes and heed any advice
given by your lecturer. When you collect material, always ask yourself what questions need
to be answered and then take good notes in your own words. Begin notes on each source
on a new page and do not forget to record details of the author, title of the book and date of
publication. Remember that copying words from another writer's work without
acknowledging the source constitutes the serious crime of plagiarism.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Open-ended essays
b. Types of essay and their purpose
c. Gathering source material

d. The importance of focusing on the task
You can only hire a car in certain locations.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Hot.org

b. Cutprice.com
c. Expeed.org.uk

d. Cash.com.uk

Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.

15


Once you have collected your source material you should then sketch out a plan. Begin by
writing three or four sentences, which provide a summary of the essay. You can amend or
add to the plan as you proceed and it provides a useful scaffold for your essay. It also
ensures that you cover all the main themes and that your essay focuses on the question.
Ideally you should plan to examine the question from all sides, presenting various views
before reaching a conclusion based on the evidence.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Writing a framework

b. Open-ended essays
c. Gathering source material
d. The importance of focusing on the task

Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
However interesting and well prepared your essay may be, if it does not address the
question, you will not receive a good mark. It is therefore essential that you examine the
question and understand what is required. A list of key words which may appear in an
essay question is provided in Appendix 4. Be sure you know what is being asked for and
then consider what information is relevant and what is not.

Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Gathering source material
b. Types of essay and their purpose
c. The importance of focusing on the task

d. Open-ended essays

You will get cheaper car hire if you have used the company before.
Chọn một câu trả lời:

16


a. Cash.com.uk

b. Cutprice.com

c. Expeed.org.uk
d. Hot.org

Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
Essays, whether written as part of a secondary school programme or further
education course, are designed to test your thinking, writing and study skills.
Creative essays offer you the freedom to demonstrate your abilities to communicate
effectively. Analytical essays, on the other hand, will require you to show that you
have researched the topic and drawn on the work of others to come to your
conclusion.
Chọn một câu trả lời:
a. Open-ended essays
b. The importance of focusing on the task

c. Types of essay and their purpose
d. Gathering source material

LTTN 1
Read the text and choose the best answer.
There is a common expression in English language referring to a blue moon. When people say that
something happens "only once in blue moon,” they mean that it happens only very rarely, once in a great
while. This expression has been around for at least a century and a half; there are references to this
expression that date from the second half of the nineteenth century.
The expression " a blue moon" has come to refer to the second full moon occurring in any given calendar
month. A second full moon is not called a blue moon because it is particularly blue or is any different in hue
from the first full moon of the month. Instead, it is called a blue moon because it is so rare- The moon needs
a little more than 29 days to complete the cycle from full moon to full moon. Because every month except
Febmary has more than 29 days, every month will have at least one full moon (except February, which will
17


have a full moon unless there is a full moon at the very end of January and another full moon at the very
beginning of March). It is or the occasion when a given calendar month has a second full moon that a blue
moon occurs. This does not happen very often, only three or four times in a decade.
The blue moons of today are called blue moons because of their rarity and not because of their colon
however, the expression “blue moon” may have come into existence in reference to unusual circumstances
in which the moon actually appeared blue. Certain natural phenomena of gigantic proportions can actually
change the appearance of the moon from Earth. The eruption of the Krakatao volcano in 1883 left dust
particles in the atmosphere, which clouded the sun and gave the moon a bluish tint. This particular
occurrence of the blue moon may have given rise to the expression that we use today. Another example
occurred more than a century later. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, the moon
again took on a blue tint.
This passage is about ........... => an idiomatic expression
How long has the expression "once in a blue moon" been around? => For more than 100 years

A blue moon could be best described as................. => a full moon that is not blue in color.
The word "hue" in line 9 is closest in meaning to............ => color
Which of the following might be the date of a "blue moon"? => December 31
How many blue moons would there likely be in a century? => 35
According to the passage, the moon actually looked blue.............. => after large volcanic eruptions
The expression "given rise to" in line 25 could best be replaced by................. => spurred the creation of
When in the passage does the author describe the author describe the duration of a lunar cycle? =>
Line 8
Choose the most suitable headings for the paragraph.
The concept of the rocket, or rather the mechanism behind the idea of propelling an object into the air,
has been around for well over two thousand years. However, it wasn’t until the discovery of the reaction
principle, which was the key to space travel and so represents one of the great milestones in the history
of scientific thought, that rocket technology was able to develop. Not only did it solve a problem that had
intrigued man for ages, but, more importantly, it literally opened the door to exploration of the universe.
c. The impact of the reaction principle Câu trả lời đúng

LTTN 2
Read the text and choose the best answer.
These stories of killer bees in the news in recent years have attracted a lot of attention as bees have made
their way from South America to North America. Killer bees are reputed to be extremely aggressive in
nature, although experts say that their aggression may have been somewhatinflated.
The killer bee is a hybrid—or combination- of the very mild European strain of honeybee and the
considerably more aggressive African bee, which was created when African strain was imported into Brazil in
1955. The African bees were brought into Brazil because their aggression was considered an advantage: they
were far more productive than their European counterparts in that they spent a higher percentage of their
time working and continued working longer in inclement weather than did the European bees.
These killer bees have been known to attack humans and animals, and some fatalities have occurred.
Experts point out, however, that the mixed breed known as the killer bee is actually not at all as aggressive
as the pure African bee. They also point out that the attacks have a chemical cause. A killer bee stings only
when it has been disturbed; it is not aggressive by nature. However, after a disturbed bee stings and flies

18


away, it leaves its stinger embedded in the victim. In the vicera attached to the embedded stinger is the
chemical isoamyl acetate, which has an odor that attracts other bees. As other bees approach the victim of
the original sting, the victim tends to panic, thus disturbing other bees and causing them to sting. The new
sting create more of the chemical isoamyl acetate, which attracts more bees and increases the panic level of
the victim. Killer bees tend to travel in largeclusteror swarms and thus respond in large numbers to the
production of isoamyl acetate.
A “hybrid" in paragraph 2 is => a mixture
The main idea of this passage is that killer bees => are not as aggressive as their reputation suggests
It can be inferred from the passage that the killer bee => did not exist early in the twentieth century
The word “inflated” in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by => exaggerated
It is stated in the passage that killer bees => are less aggressive than African bees
Why were African bees considered beneficial? => They were very aggressive
The subject of the preceding paragraph was most likely => stories in the media about killer bees
What is NOT mentioned in the passage as a contributing factor in an attack by killer bees? => Inclement
weather
The pronoun "They" in paragraph 3 refers to => experts

LTTN 3
Read the text and choose the best answer.
There is a common expression in English language referring to a blue moon. When people say that
something happens "only once in blue moon,” they mean that it happens only very rarely, once in a great
while. This expression has been around for at least a century and a half; there are references to this
expression that date from the second half of the nineteenth century.
The expression " a blue moon" has come to refer to the second full moon occurring in any given calendar
month. A second full moon is not called a blue moon because it is particularly blue or is any different in hue
from the first full moon of the month. Instead, it is called a blue moon because it is so rare- The moon needs
a little more than 29 days to complete the cycle from full moon to full moon. Because every month except

Febmary has more than 29 days, every month will have at least one full moon (except February, which will
have a full moon unless there is a full moon at the very end of January and another full moon at the very
beginning of March). It is or the occasion when a given calendar month has a second full moon that a blue
moon occurs. This does not happen very often, only three or four times in a decade.
The blue moons of today are called blue moons because of their rarity and not because of their color
however, the expression “blue moon” may have come into existence in reference to unusual circumstances in
which the moon actually appeared blue. Certain natural phenomena of gigantic proportions can actually
change the appearance of the moon from Earth. The eruption of the Krakatao volcano in 1883 left dust
particles in the atmosphere, which clouded the sun and gave the moon a bluish tint. This particular
occurrence of the blue moon may have given rise to the expression that we use today. Another example
occurred more than a century later. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, the moon
again took on a blue tint.
This passage is about.......... => an idiomatic expression
How long has the expression “once in a blue moon” been around? => For more than 100 years
A blue moon could best be described as => a full moon that is not blue in color
The word “hue" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to => color
19


Which of the following might be the date of a “blue moon”? => December 31
How many blue moons would there most likely be in a century? => 35
According to the passage, the moon actually looked blue => after large volcanic eruptions
The expression "given rise to” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by => spurred the creation of
Where in the passage does the author describe the duration of a lunar cycle? => Line 8
Choose the most suitable headings for the paragraph.
An intellectual breakthrough, brilliant though it may be, does not automatically ensure that the transition is
made from theory to practice. Despite the fact that rockets had been used sporadically for several hundred
years, they remained a relatively minor artefact of civilisation until the twentieth century. Prodigious efforts,
accelerated during two world wars, were required before the technology of primitive rocketry could be
translated into the reality of sophisticated astronauts. It is strange that the rocket was generally ignored by

writers of fiction to transport their heroes to mysterious realms beyond the Earth, even though it had been
commonly used in fireworks displays in China since the thirteenth century. The reason is that nobody
associated the reaction principle with the idea of travelling through space to a neighbouring world. => How
the reaction principle

LTTN 4
Read the text and decide that the statement is TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN
When you think about it, it's amazing that anyone gets away with a carefree holiday. It seems there is
limitless potential for things to go wrong, from flight delays and lost luggage to poor accommodation.
A recent questionnaire showed that a third of people who replied had a complaint about their holiday last
year. And when these unhappy holidaymakers discussed the problem with their tour company nearly half
said it involved time and effort on their part to resolve things.
When asked exactly what the reasons were for their dissatisfaction top of the list was flight delays and 20
per cent of holiday-makers to Europe said they had to wait up to an hour.
More worrying is the fact that almost a third of holiday-makers who had complained said it was about the
apartment or hotel room they had been allocated. There is an enormous variety of holiday accommodation
and we recommend that consumers look for places that have been inspected by the Tourist Boards; this way
they can have the confidence that they will get the type of accommodation they are looking for. It seems
that tour companies now offer more honest accurate brochures though. Eight-five per cent of holidaymakers who responded to our questionnaire said the description offered by the company matched the place
they visited and the facilities provided.
This is good news for the industry and for holiday-makers. A holiday is a major purchase - yet it's one we
can't try before we pay. All we have to go on is the brochure and it's a credit to tour operators that they now
contain more detail.
OUR ADVICE
DO be realistic. No one should be palmed off with a poor standard of service, food or accommodation even if
you paid a rock- bottom price for a last- minute break. However, be reasonable - you won't get a room with
the best view in town if you've paid a budget price.

20

DO complain to the right person. Moaning to the waiter about a week's worth of appalling food, then
writing an indignant letter when you get back home won't have the same impact as airing your grievances
at the time.
DO get evidence for a serious problem such as having a building site instead of the promised swimming pool
below your window. Take a photo to back up your case.
DON'T write and complain for the sake of it. Letters can be powerful as long as they're about something you
have a good reason to complain about.
DON'T lose your temper. Easier said than done, but you're more likely to get results if you state your case
firmly, explain why you think there's a problem then suggest a reasonable solution.
A low-cost holiday should still offer some high-quality services. => True
Overall, holiday accommodation poses few problems. => False
If you are not good at writing letters, find someone to help you. => Not given
Assistance is provided with some holiday routes. => Cash.com.uk
It is possible to see what the cars look like. => Hot.org
Hotel staff can advise you on who you should complain to. => NOT GIVEN
Solving problems can be hard work for the holiday-maker. => TRUE
The most common problem for holiday-makers is crowded airports. => FALSE
Tour companies provide a satisfactory level of information to holiday-makers. => TRUE
The site is suited to people with up-to-date hardware. => Cheapandcheerful.net.uk
You can only hire a car in certain locations. => Expeed.org.uk
Attempts made by the writer to book a car were unsuccessful. => Hot.org
Photographs may help to support an argument about a holiday problem. => TRUE
You will get cheaper car hire if you have used the company before. => Cutprice.com
Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
Once you have collected your source material you should then sketch out a plan. Begin by writing three or
four sentences, which provide a summary of the essay. You can amend or add to the plan as you proceed
and it provides a useful scaffold for your essay. It also ensures that you cover all the main themes and that
your essay focuses on the question. Ideally you should plan to examine the question from all sides,
presenting various views before reaching a conclusion based on the evidence. => Writing a framework Câu

trả lời đúng
Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
Use a variety of relevant background texts, refer to your lecture notes and heed any advice given by your
lecturer. When you collect material, always ask yourself what questions need to be answered and then take
good notes in your own words. Begin notes on each source on a new page and do not forget to record
details of the author, title of the book and date of publication. Remember that copying words from another
writer's work without acknowledging the source constitutes the serious crime of plagiarism. => Gathering
source material
Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
However interesting and well prepared your essay may be, if it does not address the question, you will not
receive a good mark. It is therefore essential that you examine the question and understand what is
required. A list of key words which may appear in an essay question is provided in Appendix 4. Be sure you
21


know what is being asked for and then consider what information is relevant and what is not. => The
importance of focusing on the task Câu trả lời đúng
Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
Essays, whether written as part of a secondary school programme or further education course, are designed
to test your thinking, writing and study skills. Creative essays offer you the freedom to demonstrate your
abilities to communicate effectively. Analytical essays, on the other hand, will require you to show that you
have researched the topic and drawn on the work of others to come to your conclusion. => Types of essay
and their purpose
Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
The introduction to the essay should explain to the reader how you are going to tackle the question and
provide an outline of what will follow. Then move on to the main body of the essay. Refer to your notes and
develop two or three logical arguments. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, which clearly states
the subject to be discussed, and then use the remainder of the paragraph to fill out this opening sentence. A
good essay should finish rather than simply stop. That is to say, the conclusion should provide a statement of
your final position, summing up the arguments that your opinions are based upon. => Writing the essay Câu

trả lời đúng
Read the text and choose the most suitable heading.
It is important to keep the essay relevant and to provide some examples, quotations, illustrations, diagrams
or maps wherever appropriate. However, it is equally important to avoid the temptation to pad your essay
with unwanted information: this wastes your time and undermines the relevant parts of the essay. In
coursework and assessment essays not written under examination conditions, do not forget to acknowledge
your sources in a bibliography. => Making the support material relevant Câu trả lời đúng

22


Unit1: Crime and punishment

23


The sons are composers and prize-winning musicians, while Dad makes
the
instruments.
Matthew
Rye
reports.
Whole families of musicians are not exactly rare. However, it is
unusual to come across one that includes not only writers and
performers
of
music,
but
also
an

instrument
maker.
When South Wales schoolteachers John and Hetty Watkins needed to
get their ten-year-old son, Paul, a cello to suit his blossoming talents,
they baulked at the costs involved. ‘We had a look at various dealers
and it was obvious it was going to be very expensive,’ John says. ‘So I
wondered if I could actually make one. I discovered that the Welsh
School of Instrument Making was not far from where I lived, and I went
along for evening classes once a week for about three years.’
‘After probably three or four goes with violins and violas, he had a
crack at his first cello,’ Paul, now 28, adds. ‘It turned out really well.
He made me another one a bit later, when he’d got the hang of it. And
that’s the one I used right up until a few months ago.’ John has since
retired as a teacher to work as a full-time craftsman, and makes up to
a dozen violins a year – selling one to the esteemed American player
Jaime
Laredo
was
‘the
icing
on
the
cake’.
Both Paul and his younger brother, Huw, were encouraged to play
music from an early age. The piano came first: ‘As soon as I was big
enough to climb up and bang the keys, that’s what I did,’ Paul
remembers. But it wasn’t long before the cello beckoned. ‘My folks
were really quite keen for me to take up the violin, because Dad, who
played the viola, used to play chamber music with his mates and they
needed another violin to make up a string trio. I learned it for about

six weeks but didn’t take to it. But I really took to the character who
played the cello in Dad’s group. I thought he was a very cool guy when
I was six or seven. So he said he’d give me some lessons, and that
really started it all off. Later, they suggested that my brother play the
violin
too,
but
he
would
have
none
of
it.’
‘My parents were both supportive and relaxed,’ Huw says. ‘I don’t
think I would have responded very well to being pushed. And, rather
than feeling threatened by Paul’s success, I found that I had
something to aspire to.’ Now 22, he is beginning to make his own mark
as
a
pianist
and
composer.
Meanwhile, John Watkins’ cello has done his elder son proud. With it,
Paul won the string final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year
competition. Then, at the remarkably youthful age of 20, he was
appointed principal cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a position
he held, still playing his father’s instrument, until last year. Now,
however, he has acquired a Francesco Rugeri cello, on loan from the
Royal Academy of Music. ‘Dad’s not said anything about me moving
on, though recently he had the chance to run a bow across the strings

of each in turn and had to admit that my new one is quite nice! I think
24


the only thing Dad’s doesn’t have – and may acquire after about 50–
100 years – is the power to project right to the back of large concert
halls. It will get richer with age, like my Rugeri, which is already 304
years
old.’
Soon he will be seen on television playing the Rugeri as the soloist in
Elgar’s Cello Concerto, which forms the heart of the second
programme in the new series, Masterworks. ‘The well-known
performance history doesn’t affect the way I play the work,’ he says.
‘I’m always going to do it my way.’ But Paul won’t be able to watch
himself on television – the same night he is playing at the Cheltenham
Festival. Nor will Huw, whose String Quartet is receiving its London
premiere at the Wigmore Hall the same evening. John and Hetty will
have to be diplomatic – and energetic – if they are to keep track of all
their sons’ musical activities over the coming weeks.
What is meant by ‘crack’ in the second paragraph?
a.
b. plan

attempt

Câu

trả

lời

đúng

c. shock
d. period

What does Paul say about his performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto?
a. It is typical of his approach to everything he
b. It is less traditional than other performances he has given.

plays. Câu

c. He considers it to be one of his best performances.
d. Some viewers are likely to have a low opinion of it.

What will require some effort from John and Hetty Watkins?
a. Preventing their sons from taking on too much work.
b. Advising their sons on what they should do next.
c. Reminding their sons what they have arranged to do.
d. Being aware of everything their sons are involved in. Câu trả lời đúng

25

trả

lời

đúng