READING VSTEP B2 LUYỆN TẬP

TEST 1
It is commonly believed in the United States that school is where people go to get an
education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their
education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied
by this remark is important.
Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education
knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or on the job,
whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes
place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education
can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio,
from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain
predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a
stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People
are engaged in education from infancy on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive
term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and
one that should be an integral part of one’s entire life.
Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern
varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at
school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use
similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are
to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the workings of
government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being
taught. For example, high school students know that they are not likely to find out in
their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the
newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding
the formalized process of schooling.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The best school teach a wide variety of subjects.
B. Education and schooling are quite different experiences.
C. Students benefit from schools, which require long hours and homework.
D. The more years students go to school, the better their education is.

2. What does the author probably mean by using the expression children interrupt
their education to go to school (line 3)?
A. Going to several different schools is educationally beneficial.
B. School vacations interrupt the continuity of the school year.
C. Summer school makes the school year too long.
D. All of life is an education.
3. The word “bounds” in line 6 is closest in meaning to —– .
A. rules
B. experience
C. limits
D. exceptions
4. The word “chance” in line 12 is closest in meaning to —– .
A. unplanned
B. unusual
C. lengthy
D. lively
5. The word “an integral” in line 16 is closest in meaning to —– .
A. an equitable
B. a profitable
C. a pleasant
D. an essential
6. The word “they” in line 21 refers to —– .
A. slices of reality
B. similar textbooks


C. boundaries
D. seats

7. The phrase “For example”, line 23 introduces a sentence that gives examples of
—– .
A. similar textbooks
B. the results of schooling
C. the workings of a government
D. the boundaries of classroom subjects
8. The passage supports which of the following conclusions?
A. Without formal education, people would remain ignorant.
B. Education systems need to be radically reformed.
C. Going to school is only part of how people become educated.
D. Education involves many years of professional training.
9. The passage is organized by —– .
A. listing and discussing several educational problems
B. contrasting the meanings of two related words
C. narrating a story about excellent teacher
D. giving examples of different kinds of schools
10. The writer seems to agree that —– .
A. schooling is more important than education
B. education is not as important as schooling
C. schooling is unlimited and more informal
D. education is more influential than schooling


Just as optical fibers have transformed communication, they are also revolutionizing
medicine. These ultra-thin, flexible fibers have opened a window into the living
tissues of the body. By inserting optical fibers through natural openings or small
incisions and threading them along the body’s established pathways, physicians can
look into the lungs, intestines, heart, and other areas that were formerly inaccessible
to them.
The basic fiber-optics system is called a fiberscope, which consists of two bundles

of fibers. One, the illuminating bundle, carries light to the tissues. It is coupled to a
high-intensity light source. Light enters the cores of the high- purity silicon glass and
travels along the fibers. A lens at the end of the bundle collects the light and focuses it
into the other bundle, the imaging bundle. Each fiber in the bundle transmits only a
tiny fraction of the total image. The reconstructed image can be viewed through an
eyepiece or displayed on a television screen. During the last five years, improved
methods of fabricating optical fibers have led to a reduction in fiberscope diameter
and an increase in the number of fibers, which in turn has increased resolution.
Optical fibers can also be used to deliver laser light. By use of laser beams,
physicians can perform surgery inside the body, sometimes eliminating the need for
invasive procedures in which healthy tissue must be cut through to reach the site of
disease. Many of these procedures do not require anesthesia and can be performed in a
physician’s office. These techniques have reduced the risk and the cost of medical
care.
11. What is the main subject of the passage?
A. The role of optical fibers in medicine
B. New surgical techniques
C. The invention of optical fibers
D. A revolution in communication
12. In line 2, the author uses the expression have opened a window to indicate that
the use of optical fibers______.
A. has been unknown to the general public quite recently
B. sometimes requires a surgical incision
C. allows doctors to see inside the body without major surgery
D. has enabled scientists to make amazing discoveries
13. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word formerly in line 6?
A. previously
B. usually
C. theoretically
D. completely

14. The word “them” in line 6 refers to_____ .
A. physicians


B. optical fibers
C. pathways
D. other areas of the body
15. According to the passage, what is the purpose of the illuminating bundle in the
fiberscope?
A. To reconstruct images
B. To perform surgery inside the body
C. To carry light into the body
D. To collect and focus light
16. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word cores in line 9?
A. clusters
B. lines
C. tips
D. centers
17. According to the passage, how do the fiberscopes used today differ from those
used five years ago?
A. They are larger in diameter.
B. They use brighter lights.
C. They are longer.
D. They contain more fibers.
18. The word “resolution” in line 16 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. efficiency
B. sharpness
C. inconvenience

D. strength
19. Which of the following is “not” mentioned by the author as one of the advantages
of laser surgery techniques?
A. They are safer than conventional surgery
B. They are relatively easy to teach to physicians
C. They can be performed in a physician’s office
D. They can often be performed without anesthesia
20. Where in the passage does the author provide a basic description of a fiberscope?
A. Line 1-3
B. Line 11-13
C. Line 7-9
D. Line 15
Ever wondered what it feels like to have a different job? Here, four people with very
different careers reveal the trade secrets of their working day.
Luc:
My day typically starts with a business person going to the airport, and nearly
always ends with a drunk. I don’t mind drunk people. Sometimes I think they’re the
better version of themselves: more relaxed, happier, honest. Only once have I feared
for my life. A guy ran out at a traffic light and so I sped up before his brother could
run, too. He seemed embarrassed and made me drop him at a car park. When we
arrived, the first guy was waiting with a boulder, which went through the windscreen,
narrowly missing my head. But the worst people are the ones who call me “Driver!”
Harry:
I not only provide appearance for my client, I also do damage control. We’ve had
clients involved in lawsuits, divorces or drugs. One mistakenly took a gun to an
airport. On the red carpet – at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes – I’m the
person making my client look good. The other day at an Oprah Winfrey event, the
carpet wasn’t put down properly and my clients almost went flying – I had to catch

them. They can make some strange requests, too. At a black-tie gala at the White
House, two clients hated the dinner and insisted that we circle around Washington DC
to find a KFC open at 1a.m. I had to go in wearing a gown and order so they could eat
it in the car.
Jennifer:
I could teach you to do a basic brain operation in two weeks. But what takes time
and experience is doing it without wrecking the brain of the patients – learning your
limitations takes years.
I ended up working as a pediatric neurosurgeon because children make better
recoveries from brain damage than adults. So it’s more rewarding in terms of outcome
and I find their resilience really inspiring. It’s taken me a decade to become
comfortable discussing an operation with children, but they have to be able to ask
questions. You have to show them respect. Sometimes their perspective is funny;
most teenage girls just want to know how much hair you’ll shave off.
I don’t get upset by my job. These children are dying when they come in and I do
whatever I can to make them better.
Solange:
When you become a judge after years of being a barrister and trying to make points
that win cases, you have to remember that a huge part of what you do is listening – to
advocates, to witnesses, to defendants. Behind closed doors most judges, even very
experienced ones, are much more anxious about their work than most people might
think. We agonise over what we do and the decisions we have to make. It would be
bizarre to say that as a judge, we learn to be less judgmental. But as you see the
complex and difficult lives of the people who end up in front of you, you realise that
your job is not so much to judge them as to ensure that everyone receives justice.
21. In the first paragraph, what best paraphrases the sentence “My day typically
starts with a business person going to the airport, and nearly always ends with a
drunk”?
A. Normally, I will take a business person and a drunk at the airport.
B. Normally, I will go to the airport in the morning and come back with a drunk.

C. Normally, my first passenger will be a businessman and my last one a drunk.


D. Normally, I will drive a businessman to the airport and come back almost drunk.
22. What does Harry probably do for a living?
A. A tour guide
B. An agent
C. A lawyer
D. A driver
23. The word “circle” in line 20 could be best replaced by_____ .
A. look
B. drive
C. walk
D. ride
24. In line 26, what does Jennifer mean when she says, “Learning your limitations
takes years”?
It takes a person a long time to_____ .
A. perform even a basic operation.
B. understand what he cannot help.
C. control his weakness in operation
D. be able to perform a brain surgery.
25. The word “their” in line 29 refers to_____.
A. patients’
B. neurosurgeons’
C. children’s
D. adults’
26. The word “perspective” in line 32 is closest in meaning to_____ .
A. prospective
B. worry

C. view
D. question
27. According to the passage, whose job involves in a large part listening to others?
A. Jennifer’s
B. Harry’s
C. Luc’s
D. Solange’s
28. According to the passage, who is likely to meet different types of people every
day?
A. Solange
B. Harry
C. Jennifer
D. Luc
29. The word “ones” in line 40 refers to_____ .
A. barristers
B. judges
C. advocates
D. defendants
30. What is the purpose of this passage?
A. to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these jobs
B. to report what different people do and think about their jobs
C. to raise awareness of the importance of different jobs
D. to inform people of what to expect in those jobs


A Supermarket shopping with children, one mother says, is absolute murder: ‘They
want everything they see. If it’s not the latest sugar-coated breakfast cereal, it’s a
Disney video or a comic. Usually all three. I can’t afford all this stuff and, anyway, if I
agree to their demands I feel I’ve been persuaded against my better judgment and I

feel guilty about buying and feeding them rubbish. Yet I hate myself for saying no all
the time, and I get cross and defensive in anticipation as we leave home. I do my best
to avoid taking them shopping but then I worry that I’m not allowing them to have the
experience they need in order to make their own choices. I can’t win.’
B Research has found that children taken on a supermarket trip make a purchase
request every two minutes. More than $150 million a year is now spent on advertising
directly to children, most of it on television. That figure is likely to increase and it is
in the supermarket aisles that the investment is most likely to be successful. For
children, the reasons behind their parents’ decisions about what they can and cannot
afford are often unclear, and arguments about how bad sugar is for your teeth are
unconvincing when compared with the attractive and emotionally persuasive
advertising campaigns.
C According to Susan Dibb of the National Food Alliance, ‘Most parents are
concerned about what they give their children to eat and have ideas about what food is
healthy – although those ideas are not always accurate. Obviously, such a dialogue
between parents and children is a good thing, because if the only information children
are getting about products is from TV advertising, they are getting a very one-sided
view. Parents resent the fact that they are competing with the advertising industry and
are forced into the position of repeatedly disappointing their children.’ The
Independent Television Commission, which regulates TV advertising, prohibits
advertisers from telling children to ask their parents to buy products. But, as Dibb
points out, ‘The whole purpose of advertising is to persuade the viewer to buy
something. So even if they cannot say, ‘Tell your mum to buy this product,’ the
intended effect is precisely that.’
D A major source of stress for some parents shopping with children is the mental
energy required to decide which demands should be agreed to and which should be
refused. One mother says she has patience when it comes to discussing food with her
children, but she still feels unhappy about the way she manages their shopping
demands: ‘My son does pay attention to advertisements but he is critical of them. We
talk a lot about different products and spend time looking at labels. I’ve talked about it

so much that I’ve brainwashed him into thinking all adverts are rubbish. We have very


little conflict in the supermarket now because the children don’t ask for things I won’t
want to buy.’
E Parents also admit they are inconsistent, even hypocritical, in their responses to
their children’s purchasing requests. Mike, father of a son of seven and a daughter of
three, says, ‘We refuse to buy him the sweets he wants on the grounds that it’s bad for
him while we are busy loading the trolley with double cream and chocolate for
ourselves. It’s enjoyable to buy nice things, and it’s quite reasonable that children
should want to share that, I suppose. But I still find myself being irritated by their
demands. It partly depends on how I feel. If I’m feeling generous and things are going
well in my life, I’m more likely to say yes. It’s hard to be consistent.’
31. What makes the woman of the first passage feel terrible when shopping with her
kids?
A. She cannot afford all the stuff for her children.
B. The children demand things all the time, including something bad and not good for
them.
C. When the children want something not good for them, she is tired of saying ‘no’
but is to blame for agreeing to buy.
D. She cannot have freedom to buy what she wants.
32. Why don’t she just leave them home and go shopping by herself?
A. She is afraid of her children not having chances of deciding themselves.
B. She is afraid of their safety if she leaves them alone at home.
C. She wants her children to decide whether go or not.
D. She feels lonely and uncertain if she goes by herself.
33. What makes the children want to buy stuff every two minutes?
A. an easy-catching view
B. fascinating advertisement
C. B & C are correct.

D. None is correct.
34. What is the main idea of the text?
A. Supermarket shouldn’t let colorful stuff in the main aisles.
B. There should only be appropriate programs on television for children.
C. Parents shouldn’t bring their children to the supermarket.


D. Parents should give more persuasive reasons to explain for their children.
35. Which paragraph of the article mentions ‘the fact that children do not understand
why their parents refuse their demands’?
A. Paragraph B
B. Paragraph C
C. Paragraph D
D. Paragraph E
36. Which paragraph of the article mentions ‘a parent who feels annoyed even b A.
Paragraph A
B. Paragraph B
C. Paragraph C
D. Paragraph D
37. Which paragraph of the article mentions ‘a family who rarely argue while
shopping’?
A. Paragraph A
B. Paragraph B
C. Paragraph C
D. Paragraph D
38. Which paragraph of the article mentions ‘a parent who has different rules for
themselves and their children’?
A. Paragraph B
B. Paragraph C
C. Paragraph A

D. Paragraph E


39. Which paragraph of the article mentions ‘someone who feels children ought to
find out for themselves how to make decisions about what to buy’?
A. Paragraph A
B. Paragraph B
C. Paragraph C
D. Paragraph D
40. Which paragraph of the article mentions ‘the regularity of children’s demands’?
A. Paragraph A
B. Paragraph B
C. Paragraph C
D. Paragraph D
TEST 2.
It is estimated that over 99 percent of all species that ever existed have become
extinct. What causes extinction? When a species is no longer adapted to a change
environment, it may perish. The exact causes of a species’ death vary from situation to
situation. Rapid ecological change may render an environment hostile to a species.
For example, temperatures may change and a species may not adapt. Food resources
may be affected by environmental changes, which will then cause problems for a
species requiring these resources. Other species may become better adapted to an
environment, resulting in competition and, ultimately, in the death of a species.
Fossil record reveals that extinction has occurred throughout the history of Earth.
Recent analyses have also revealed that on some occasions many species became
extinct at the same time – a mass extinction. One of the best – known examples of
mass extinction occurred 65 million years ago with the demise of dinosaurs and many
other forms of life. Perhaps the largest mass extinction was the one that occurred 225
million years ago, when approximately 95 percent of all species died. Mass
extinctions can be caused by a relatively rapid change in the environment and can be

worsened by the close interrelationship of many species. If, for example, something
were to happen to destroy much of the plankton in the oceans, then the oxygen


content of Earth would drop, affection even organisms not living in the oceans. Such a
change would probably lead to a mass extinction.
One interesting, and controversial, finding is that extinctions during the past 250
million years have tended to be more intense every 26 million years. The periodic
extinction might be due to intersection of the earth’s orbit with a cloud of comets, but
this theory is purely speculative. Some researchers have also speculated that extinction
may often be random. That is, certain species may be eliminated and others may
survive for no particular reason. A species’ survival may have nothing to do with its
ability or inability to adapt. If so, some of revolutionary history may reflect a sequence
of essentially random events.
1. The underlined word ultimately is closest in meaning to_____.
A. exceptionally
B. unfortunately
C. eventually
D. dramatically
2. What does the author say in paragraph 1 regarding most species in Earth’s history?
A. They have been able to adapt to ecological changes.
B. They have caused rapid change in the environment.
C. They have remained basically unchanged from their original forms.
D. They are no longer in existence.
3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as resulting from rapid
ecological change?
A. Availability of food resources
B. Introduction of new species
C. Temperature changes
D. Competition among species

4. The word “demise” is closest in meaning to_____ .
A. help
B. death


C. recovery
D. change
5. Why is “plankton” mentioned in the second paragraph?
A. To emphasize the importance of food resources in preventing mass extinction
B. To illustrate a comparison between organisms that live on the land and those that
live in the ocean
C. To point out that certain species could never become extinct
D. To demonstrate the interdependence of different species
6. According to paragraph 2, evidence from fossils suggests that_____.
A. there has been only one mass extinction in earth’s history
B. extinction of species has occurred from time to time throughout earth’s history
C. extinctions on earth have generally been massive
D. dinosaurs became extinct much earlier than scientists originally believed
7. The underlined word finding is closest in meaning to_____ .
A. published information
B. research method
C. scientific discovery
D. ongoing experiment
8. Which of the following can be inferred from the theory of periodic extinction
mentioned in paragraph 3?
A. The theory is no longer seriously considered.
B. Most scientists believe the theory to be accurate.
C. Many scientists could be expected to disagree with it.
D. Evidence to support the theory has recently been found.
9. In paragraph 3, the author makes which of the following statements about a

specie’s survival?
A. It is associated with astronomical condition.
B. It may depend on chance events.
C. It does not vary greatly from species to species
D. It reflects the interrelationship of many species.
10. According to the passage, it is believed that the largest extinction of the species
occurred_____ .
A. 65 million years ago
B. 250 million years ago
C. 225 million years ago
D. 26 million years ago

Clipper ships were the swiftest sailing ships that were put to sea and the most
beautiful. These ships had their days of glory in the 1840s and 1850s. The first were
built in Baltimore, but most were constructed in the shipyards of New England. It was


Chinese tea that brought them into existence. Tea loses it flavor quickly when stored
in the hold of a vessel, and merchants were willing to pay top prices for fast delivery.
American ship-builders designed clippers to fill this need. Then came the California
Gold Rush of 1849, when clippers took gold seekers from the East Coast to the West
by way of Cape Hom.
Clippers were built for speed, and considerations of large carrying capacity and
economical operation were sacrificed for this purpose. They had long, slender hull
with sharp bows. Their three slanted masts carried a huge cloud of canvas sail,
including topgallants and royal sails, and sometimes skysails and moonrakers, to
capture the power of the winds. They required a hard- driving captain and a large,
experienced crew.
Many records were set by clippers. Sovereign of the Seas made it from San
Francisco to New York in eighty-two days. Flying Cloud did 374 miles in one day.

Lightning traveled from New York to Liverpool in thirteen days, and Ino made it from
New York to Singapore in eight-six days.
Some 500 clippers were built in American shipyards. British yards turned out some
twenty-seven tea clippers, as the British ships were called. Unlike the wooden
American ships, British clippers were “composites” with iron frames and wooden
planking. The most famous tea clipper was the Cutty Sark.
By 1860, the age of the clippers was fading. Gold diggings in California were
nearly exhausted. American investors found railroad building more profitable than
clippers. Most importantly, there was a technological innovation that doomed the
clipper, and in fact, the entire age of sail: the development of the steamship.
11. What is the author’s main purpose of the writing?
A. To provide a brief history of clipper ships
B. To describe the tea trade in the 1840s
C. To discuss nineteenth-century shipbuilding techniques
D. To contrast clipper ships and steamships
12. Which of the following is closet in meaning to the word “swiftest” in line 1?
A. fastest
B. most expensive


C. largest
D. best armed
13. According to the passage, where were the majority of clipper ships built?
A. New England
B. California
C. Baltimore
D. Great Britain
14. In line 5, the word “vessel” could best be replaced by which of the following?
A. merchant
B. container

C. cargo
D. ship
15. According to the passage, how did the California Gold Rush affect clipper ships?
A. People who wanted to participate in the Gold rush became passengers on clipper
ships
B. It stimulated the demand for tea on the West Coast
C. It encouraged the development of railroads, which competed directly with clipper
ships
D. The newly discovered gold was used to finance the construction of new ships
16. According to the passage, which of the following considerations was of the most
importance to the owners of clipper ships?
A. Small crews
B. Reduced operating costs
C. Increased cargo capacity


D. Maximum speed
17. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “slanted” in line 12?
A. Tilted
B. Towering
C. Strengthened
D. Slender
18. What can be inferred from the passage about skysails and moonrakers?
A. They were never used on clipper ships.
B. Skysails were the highest sails on the mast, and moonrakers were the lowest.
C. They were not always used on clipper ships.
D. They were much larger than royal sails and topgallants.
19. All of the following are given in the passage as reasons for the decline of clipper
ships EXCEPT_____ .
A. the development of steamships

B. investment in railroad
C. competition with British tea clippers
D. the end of the California Gold Rush
20. In the next paragraph, the author will most likely discuss_____ .
A. the relationship between speed and ship design
B. further developments in sailing ships
C. the beginnings of the age of steam
D. railroad travel in the United States


Spring is the season when newly minted college graduates flock to New York City to
start their careers. They begin the search for their dream apartment, brokers say, with
the same single-minded determination that earned them their degrees and landed them
their jobs in the first place. But that determination only goes so far when it comes to
Manhattan real estate. [A]
“Almost every single person I’ve worked with thinks there’s a golden nugget of an
apartment waiting right for them,” said Paul Hunt, an agent at Citi Habitats who
specializes in rentals. “They all want to be in the Village, and they all want the ‘Sex
and the City’ apartment.”
The first shock for a first-time renter will probably be the prices. Consider that the
average monthly rent for a one-bedroom in the Village is more than $3,100 and that
the average for a studio is over $2,200. Or that the average rent for a one-bedroom in a
doorman building anywhere in Manhattan is close to $3,500. [Bl
Mr. Hunt said that when he shows prospective renters what their budget really can
buy, they are sometimes so appalled that “they think I’m trying to fool them or
something, and they run away and I don’t hear from them again.”
Alternatively, the renter checks his or her expectations and grudgingly decides to
raise the price limit, or look in other neighborhoods or get a roommate. “When
expectations are very high, the process can be very frustrating,” Mr. Hunt said.
The thousands of new graduates who will be driving the engine of the city’s rental

market from now until September will quickly learn that renting in New York is not
like renting anywhere else. [C]
The second shock is likely to be how small a Manhattan apartment can be. It is not
uncommon in New York, for example, to shop for a junior one-bedroom only to find
out it is really a studio that already has or can have a wall put up to create a bedroom.
[D] To start with, landlords want only tenants who earn at least 40 times the
monthly rent, which means an $80,000 annual salary for a $2,000 apartment.
According to census data, more than 25,000 graduates aged 22 to 28 moved to the city
in 2006, and their median salary was about $35,600.
Those who don’t make 40 times their monthly rent need a guarantor, usually a
parent, who must make at least 80 times the monthly rent. In addition to a security
deposit, some landlords also want the first and last month’s rent. Tack on a broker’s
fee and a prospective renter for that $2,000 apartment is out of pocket nearly $10,000
just to get the keys to the place.


21. Which of the following would be the best title for this article?
A. Best Guide to Finding an Apartment in New York City
B. New York City – Haven for First-time Renters
C. Surprises Await First-time Renters in New York City
D. Sure You Can Afford it in New York City?
22. On average, how much do tenants have to pay for a studio in New York City?
A. About $2,000
B. More than $2,000
C. More than $3,100
D. Less than $3,500
23. Which of the following words can best replace the word “prospective” in line 15?
A. Apparent
B. Prosperous
C. Potential

D. Upcoming
24. Which of the following is NOT listed by Mr. Hunt as a reaction of prospective
renters when he informs them of the prices?
A. They think the broker is meaning to deceive them.
B. They decide to move to another city.
C. They decide to look for a place in a different neighborhood.
D. They find someone to share the accommodation with.
25. According to Mr. Hunt, what would make the process of finding an apartment
challenging?


A. Renters do not trust the brokers.
B. Renters over-expect about places they can rent.
C. Landlords expect tenants to have secured income.
D. Renters want to bargain with landlords.
26. Which of the following would best describe the attitude of renters who decide to
raise their price limit after being informed of the price?
A. Willing
B. Hopeful
C. Reluctant
D. Frustrated
27. In which space (marked [A], [B], [C] and [D] in the passage) will the following
sentence fit? Aside from the realities ofprice and space, the requirements set by New
York landlords are also bound to help turn a bright-eyed first-time renter’s outlook
grim.
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
28. Why did the writer mention the income of college graduates in 2006?

A. To demonstrate that graduates can earn a decent salary if they work in New York
City
B. To indicate that less than 50% of the surveyed graduates could afford apartments in
New York City
C. To suggest that New York City is not a place for graduates
D. To prove that to guarantee a place in New York City is financially out of reach for
an average graduate


29. What does the word “Those” in line 28 refer to?
A. Landlords
B. Graduates
C. Guarantors
D. Parents
30. Which of the following sentences would best complete the last paragraph?
A. On top of that, every owner also has their own requirements, so just because you
qualified here doesn’t mean you’ll qualify there.
B. So you had better accept that you’ll never have what you want no matter how hard
you work.
C. So the key to finding that first apartment is to learn as much as possible about the
market before arriving in the city and to keep an open mind.
D. You have to be flexible and you have to come to the city armed with information
and financial paperwork.

It’s often said that we learn things at the wrong time. University students frequently do
the minimum of work because they’re crazy about a good social life instead. Children
often scream before their piano practice because it’s so boring. They have to be given
gold stars and medals to be persuaded to swim, or have to be bribed to take exams.
But the story is different when you’re older.
Over the years, I’ve done my share of adult learning. At 30, I went to a college and

did courses in History and English. It was an amazing experience. For starters, I was
paying, so there was no reason to be late – I was the one frowning and drumming my
fingers if the tutor was late, not the other way round. Indeed, if I could persuade him
to linger for an extra five minutes, it was a bonus, not a nuisance. I wasn’t frightened
to ask questions, and homework was a pleasure not a pain. When I passed an exam, I
had passed it for me and me alone, not for my parents or my teachers. The satisfaction
I got was entirely personal.
Some people fear going back to school because they worry that their brains have
got rusty. But the joy is that, although some parts have rusted up, your brain has learnt


all kinds of other things since you were young. It has learnt to think independently and
flexibly and is much better at relating one thing to another. What you lose in the rust
department, you gain in the maturity department.
In some ways, age is a positive plus. For instance, when you’re older, you get less
frustrated. Experience has told you that, if you’re calm and simply do something
carefully again and again, eventually you’ll get the hang of it. The confidence you
have in other areas – from being able to drive a car, perhaps – means that if you can’t,
say, build a chair instantly, you don’t, like a child, want to destroy your first pathetic
attempts. Maturity tells you that you will, with application, eventually get there.
I hated piano lessons at school, but I was good at music. And coming back to it,
with a teacher who could explain why certain exercises were useful and with musical
concepts that, at the age of ten, I could never grasp, was magical. Initially, I did feel a
bit strange, thumping out a piece that I’d played for my school exams, with just as
little comprehension of what the composer intended as I’d had all those years before.
But soon, complex emotions that I never knew poured out from my fingers, and
suddenly I could understand why practice makes perfect.
31. It is implied in paragraph 1 that_____ .
A. young learners are usually lazy in their class
B. teachers should give young learners less homework

C. young learners often lack a good motivation for learning
D. parents should encourage young learners to study more
32. The writer’s main point in paragraph 2 is to show that as people grow up,_____
A. they cannot learn as well as younger learners
B. they have a more positive attitude towards learning
C. they tend to leam less as they are discouraged
D. they get more impatient with their teachers
33. The phrase “For starters” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by_____
A. For beginners


B. First and foremost
C. At the starting point
D. At the beginning
34. While doing some adult learning courses at a college, the writer was
surprised_____ .
A. to have more time to learn
B. to be able to learn more quickly
C. to feel learning more enjoyable
D. to get on better with the tutor
35. In paragraph 3, the word “rusty” means_____ .
A. not as good as it used to be through lack of practice
B. impatient because of having nothing to do
C. covered with rust and not as good as it used to be
D. staying alive and becoming more active
36. The phrase “get there” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to_____ have the
things you have long desired
A. achieve your aim with hard work
B. arrive at an intended place with difficulty
C. receive a school or college degree

37. All of the following are true about adult learning EXCEPT .
A. experience in doing other things can help one’s learning
B. young people usually feel less patient than adults
C. adults think more independently and flexibly than young people


D. adult learners have fewer advantages than young learners
38. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that maturity is a positive plus in the learning
process because adult learners_____ .
A. pay more attention to detail than younger learners
B. have become more patient than younger learners
C. are less worried about learning than younger learners
D. are able to organize themselves better than younger learners
39. It is implied in the last paragraph that when you learn later in life, you_____.
A. should expect to take longer to learn than when you were younger
B. find that you can recall a lot of things you learnt when younger
C. can sometimes understand more than when you were younger
D. are not able to concentrate as well as when you were younger
40. What is the writer’s main purpose in the passage?
A. To show how fast adult learning is.
B. To describe adult learning methods.
C. To encourage adult learning.
D. To explain reasons for learning.

TEST 3.
Humans have struggled against weeds since the beginning of agriculture. The global
need for week control has been answered mainly by the chemical industry. Its
herbicides are effective and sometimes necessary, but some post serious problems,
particularly if misused. Toxic compounds threaten animals and public health when
they are present in food plants, ground water, and drinking water. They also harm

workers who apply them.
In recent years the chemical industry has introduced several herbicides that are
more ecologically sound. Yet new chemicals alone cannot solve the world’s week