ÔN tập TIẾNG ANH đọc HIỂU THI CÔNG CHỨC TỈNH QUẢNG NAM năm 2016

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C1.
All spiders spin webs. That's because webs help spiders. Webs help spiders do three
things. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide. And webs help spiders
catch food. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Many spiders like to lay their eggs in their
webs. The webs help keep the eggs together. Webs help spiders keep their eggs safe.
Webs help spiders hide. Most spiders are dark. They are brown, grey, or black. But spider
webs are light. They are white and cloudy. When spiders hide in their webs, they are
harder to see. Webs help spiders catch food. Spider webs are sticky. When a bug flies
into the web, it gets stuck. It moves around. It tries to get out. But it can't. It is trapped!
Spiders can tell that the bug is trapped. That's because spiders feel the web move. And
the spider is hungry. The spider goes to get the bug. As you can see, webs help spiders
hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide. And webs help spiders catch food. Without webs,
spiders would not be able to live like they do. Spiders need their webs to survive.
1) This passage is mostly about
A. spider colors
B. spider webs
C. spider eggs
2) Spider webs help spiders
I. hold eggs
II. catch food
III. find water
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. I, II, and III
3) As used in paragraph 4, the word trapped most nearly means


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A. stuck
B. hidden

C. eaten
4) How can spiders tell when something is trapped in their web?
A. They hear it.
B. They smell it.
C. They feel it.
5) As used in the last sentence of the passage, the word survive means to stay
A. alive
B. hidden
C. caught
C2.
Most human beings are awake during the day and sleep all night. Owls live the opposite
way. Owls are nocturnal. This means that they sleep all day and stay awake at night.
Because owls are nocturnal, this means they must eat at night. But finding food in the
dark is difficult. To help them, they have special eyes and ears. Owls have very large
eyes. These eyes absorb more light than normal. Since there is little light during the
night, it is helpful to be able to absorb more of it. This helps owls find food in the dark.
Owls also have very good hearing. Even when owls are in the trees, they can hear small
animals moving in the grass below. This helps owls catch their prey even when it is very
dark. Like owls, mice are also nocturnal animals. Mice have an excellent sense of smell.
This helps them find food in the dark. Being nocturnal helps mice to hide from the many
different animals that want to eat them. Most of the birds, snakes, and lizards that like
to eat mice sleep at night—except, of course, owls! Some animals are nocturnal. This
means they are active at night. The owl and the mouse are good examples of nocturnal


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animals that use their senses to find food in the dark.
1) In paragraph 1, we learn that "Owls are nocturnal." The word diurnal is the opposite
of the word nocturnal. Using information in the passage as a guide, we can understand
that an animal that is diurnal

A. sleeps at night and is awake during the day
B. hunts during the day and is awake at night
C. sleeps every other night and is awake during the day
D. hunts during the day and night
2) Based on information in paragraph 2, it can be understood that an animal with small
eyes
A. must be diurnal
B. has trouble seeing in the dark
C. can see very well at night
D. is likely to be eaten by an owl
3) According to the passage, owls can find food in the dark using their sense of
I. sight
II. sound
III. smell
A. l only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
4) In paragraph 3 the author writes, "This helps owls catch their prey even when it is
very dark." Based on its use in the passage, we can understand that prey is
A. a noise that an animal makes during the night


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B. a small animal such as a pet dog or cat
C. an animal that is hunted by other animals
D. an animals that hunts other animals
5) Based on information in the final paragraph, it can be understood that mice sleep
during the day in order to
A. find food that other animals can not

B. keep themselves safe
C. store energy for night time activities
D. release stress
6) Based on information in the final paragraph, it can be understood that
A. owls hunt mice
B. mice can hide from owls
C. mice and owls both hide from birds, snakes, and lizards
D. birds and snakes often hunt lizards
7) If added to the end of this passage, which of the following conclusions would fit best?
A. The owl is a nocturnal animal. This means it is active at night. The owl's excellent
sense of sight and sound enable it to find food in the dark.
B. Mice are nocturnal animals. This means they are active at night. Similar to the owl,
mice use their excellent sense of smell to find food in the dark.
C. Both mice and owls are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. Because these
animals are active at night, they must sleep during the day. This makes them especially
vulnerable to attack from diurnal animals.
D. Some animals are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. The owl and the
mouse are good examples of nocturnal animals that use their senses to find food in
the dark.


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C3.
When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might
be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older; however, we
learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact,
the animal that kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed
yourself many times: the mosquito. While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters,
this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand,
female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs.

When a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into
the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can
be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death. Because a mosquito can bite many
people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases from one person to another very
easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes are malaria and yellow
fever. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats, birds, dragonflies, and certain
kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where mosquitoes live might
help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural solution, but it
does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or sprays.
Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.
Questions
1) According to the author, some people are more afraid of tigers and sharks than
mosquitoes because tigers and sharks
A. kill more people than mosquitoes
B. are big and powerful
C. are found all over the world
D. have no natural enemies


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2) Based on the information in paragraph 2, we can understand that
I. male mosquitoes and female mosquitoes have different eating habits
II. male mosquitoes are harmless to humans
III. female mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting diseases to humans
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
3) In paragraph 2 the author writes, "This saliva may or may not contain a deadly
disease." The purpose of this statement is to

A. oppose a previous argument
B. question an upcoming conclusion
C. confirm a hypothesis
D. support a later statement
4) As used in paragraph 2, minor most nearly means
A. insignificant
B. deadly
C. frustrating
D. dangerous
5) Based on information in paragraph 3, it can be understood that if you get sick with
malaria or yellow fever, your chances of survival are
A. terrible
B. mediocre
C. good
D. excellent


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6) It can be understood that the introduction of dragonflies might reduce the number of
flies in a given area because dragonflies
A. work together with mosquitoes
B. kill mosquitoes
C. cannot be killed by poisons or sprays
D. attract bats
7) Which of the following best summarizes the information in paragraph 4?
A. Mosquito nets provide adequate protection from deadly mosquitoes.
B. Poisons and sprays provide adequate protection from deadly mosquitoes.
C. The introduction of the mosquito's natural enemies provides adequate protection
from deadly mosquitoes.
D. There is no perfect solution to the mosquito problem.

8) Which of the following words best describes the author's overall attitude towards the
prospect of solving the mosquito problem?
A. despondent, meaning hopeless or dejected
B. exasperated, meaning extremely irritated or annoyed
C. equivocal, meaning doubtful or uncertain
D. optimistic, meaning hopeful or taking a favorable view
C4.
Rainforests circle the globe for twenty degrees of latitude on both sides of the equator.
In that relatively narrow band of the planet, more than half of all the species of plants
and animals in the world make their home. Several hundred different varieties of trees
may grow in a single acre, and just one of those trees may be the habitat for more than
ten thousand kinds of spiders, ants, and other insects. More species of amphibians,
birds, insects, mammals, and reptiles live in rainforests than anywhere else on earth.


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Unfortunately, half of the world’s rainforests have already been destroyed, and at the
current rate, another 25 percent will be lost by the year 2030. Scientists estimate that as
many as fifty million acres are destroyed annually. In other words, every sixty seconds,
one hundred acres of rainforest is being cleared. By the time you finish reading this
passage, two hundred acres will have been destroyed! When this happens, constant
rains erode the former forest floor, the thin layer of soil no longer supports plant life,
and the ecology of the region is altered forever. Thousands of species of plants and
animals are condemned to extinction and since we aren’t able to predict the
ramifications of this loss to a delicate global ecology, we don’t know what we may be
doing to the future of the human species as well.
C5.
Should women find their happiness inside or outside the home? In the United States
people used to believe the saying, “A woman’s place is in the home.” But now both
women and society are changing. More than fifty percent of American women continue

their work even after they are married. What has brought about these changes? What is
happening to the American family today? Up until the 1950’s a typical American woman
got married in her early 20’s. In those days she quit her job and became a mother. “A
woman’s place is in the home” was a popular saying. Most women felt that taking care
of their home and family was their full-time job. But times have changed. Women are
getting married later these days and more have chosen to stay single. Others get married
but decide not to have any children. Today more than fifty percent of all married women
work full-time. Many others run businesses in their homes. What has caused these
major changes? One reason is economic necessity. It may be that the husband has lost
his job and the wife must support the family. Or even if the husband is working, some
families say they can’t survive on only one paycheck. But probably a more important


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influence has been the “women’s liberation movement.” Women are being told in many
magazines and TV programs: “You can be successful on your own. Don’t be satisfied with
just being a wife and mother. Use your intelligence and talents to do something bigger.
And you should be paid as much as a man.”
No doubt this movement has accomplished much good. But it has also contributed to a
selfish “me first” attitude that is breaking up many families. Sometimes women who are
happy staying at home feel that working women look down on them. There are no easy
answers to these problems. But certainly women’s influence will continue to grow in
business, education and politics.
C6.
When John Mills was going to fly in an aeroplane for the first time, he was frightened.
He did not like the idea of being thousands of feet up in the air. “ ‘I also didn’t like the
fact that I wouldn’t be in control,” says John. “I’m a terrible passenger in the car. When
somebody else is driving, I tell them what to so. It drives everybody crazy.”However John
couldn’t avoid flying any longer. It was the only way he could visit his grandchildren in
Canada. “I had made up my mind that I was going to do it, I couldn’t let my son, his wife

and their three children travel all the way here to visit me. It would be so expensive for
them and I know Tom’s business isn’t doing so well at the moment – it would also be
tiring for the children – it’s a nine-hour flight!” he says.To get ready for the flight John did
lots of reading about aeroplanes. When he booked his seat, he was told that he would
be flying on a Boeing 747, which is better known as a jumbo jet. “I needed to know as
much as possible before getting in that plane. I suppose it was a way of making myself
feel better. The Boeing 747 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world at the moment.
The first one flew on February 9th 1969 in the USA. It can carry up to 524 passengers
and 3.400 pieces of luggage. The fuel for aeroplanes is kept in the wings and the 747’s


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wings are so big that they can carry enough fuel for an average car to be able to travel
16,000 kilometres a year for 70 years. Isn’t that unbelievable? Even though I had
discovered all this very interesting information about the jumbo, when I saw it for the
first time, just before I was going to travel to Canada, I still couldn’t believe that
something so enormous was going to get up in the air and fly. I was even more
impressed when I saw how big it was inside with hundreds of people!”The biggest
surprise of all for John was the flight itself. “The take-off itself was much smoother than I
expected although I was still quite scared until we were in the air. In the end, I managed
to relax, enjoy the food and watch one of the movies and the view from the window was
spectacular. I even managed to sleep for a while! Of course,” continues John, “the best
reward of all was when I arrived in Canada and saw my son and his family, particularly
my beautiful grandchildren. Suddenly, I felt so silly about all the years when I couldn’t
even think of getting on a plane. I had let my fear of living stop me from seeing the
people I love most in the world. I can visit my son and family as often as I like now!”
70. Why did John Mills fly in an aeroplane?
A. He wanted to go on holiday
B. He wanted to try it.
C. He wanted to see his family

D. He had to travel on business.
71. Why did John read about aeroplane?
A. He wanted to know how they work.
B. It was his hobby.
C. It made him feel safer.
D. He had found a book on them.
72. What happened when he saw the jumbo jet for the first time?


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A. He felt much safer.
B. He liked the shape of it.
C. He couldn’t believe how big it was.
D. He thought the wings were very small.
73. How did John feel when the aeroplane was taking off?
A. excited
B. happy
C. sad
D. frightened
74. What surprised John most about the flight?
A. that he liked the food.
B. that he was able to sleep
C. that there was a movie being shown
D. that the view was good
75. How did John feel about his fears in the end?
A. He thought he had wasted time being afraid.
B. He realized it was okay to be afraid.
C. He hoped his grandchildren weren’t afraid of flying.
D. He realized that being afraid kept him safe.
C7.

With the onset of the winter season, man’s natural enemies, the common cold and the
flu, arrive with full force. It seems that the fluctuations in temperature and weather are
guarantees that coughs and sneezes will spread infecting germs among family and
friends. More than 100 different types of bacteria can cause a cold, and doctors
sometimes use antibiotics to treat bacterial colds. However, there are an equal number


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of viruses that can cause influenza, and modern science offers no drug capable of curing
viral infections. In most cases, the best advice is the usual prescription: get plenty of
rest, drink lot fluids, and be prepared to suffer for three to ten days. Some home cures
help to relieve the symptoms of colds and flus. Mother’s chicken soup, rich in fats and
oils, helps to revitalize a tired body and to soothe a sore throat. Garlic, containing the
active ingredient allicin, has long been used to fight off the effects of bacteria and
viruses. Hot toddies consisting of small amounts of liquor mixed with honey, sugar, and
lemon juice can relieve soreness and draw out cold germs. Finally, recent evidence
suggests that large doses of vitamin C not only boost the immune system before a cold
arrives, but also relieve cold symptoms after they have set in.
35
36
37
38
39
40
A
D
B
D
B
C

C8.
Today’s cars are smaller, safer, cleaner, and more economical than their predecessors,
but the car of the future will be far more pollution-free than those on the road today.


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Several new types of automobile engines have already been developed that run on
alternative sources of power, such as electricity, compressed natural gas, methanol,
steam, hydrogen, and propane. Electricity, however, is the only zero-emission option
presently available. Although electric vehicles will not be truly practical until a powerful,
compact battery or other dependable source of current is available, transportation
experts foresee a new assortment of electric vehicles entering everyday life: shorterrange commuter
electric cars, three-wheeled neighborhood cars, electric delivery vans,
bikes, and trolleys. As automakers work to develop practical electric vehicles, urban
planners and utility engineers are focusing on infrastructure systems to support and
make the best use of the new cars. Public charging facilities will need to be as common
as today’s gas stations. Public parking spots on the street or in commercial lots will need
to be equipped with devices that allow drivers to charge their batteries while they shop,
dine, or attend a concert. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, the most convenient
parking in transportation centers might be reserved for electric cars. Planners foresee
electric shuttle buses, trains, buses, and neighborhood vehicles all meeting at transit
centers that would have facilities for charging and renting. Commuters will be able to
rent a variety of electric cars to suit their needs: light trucks; one-person three-wheelers;
small cars; or electric, gasoline hybrid cars for longer trips, which will no doubt take
place on automated freeways capable of handling five times the number of vehicles that
can be carried by a freeway today.
Question 61: The following electrical vehicles are all mentioned in the passage EXCEPT
_____.
A. vans
B. trains

C. trolleys
D. planes


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Question 62: The author’s purpose in the passage is to ________.
A. describe the possibilities for transportation in the future
B. narrate a story about alternative energy vehicles
C. support the invention of electric cars
D. criticize conventional vehicles
Question 63: The passage would most likely be followed by details about _____ .
A. electric shuttle buses
B. pollution restrictions in the future
C. automated freeways
D. the neighborhood of the future
Question 64: The word “compact” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning
to_____ .
A squared (adj) : được tạo thành hình vuông
B long-range (adj) : có tầm xa
C concentrated (adj) : tập trung, cô đặc, rắn chắc
D inexpensive (adj) : rẻ, không đắt
Question 65: In the second paragraph, the author implies that _________
A. a single electric vehicle will eventually replace several modes of transportation.
B. everyday life will stay much the same in the future.
C. electric vehicles are not practical for the future.
D. a dependable source of electric energy will eventually be developed.
Question 66: According to the passage, public parking lots of the future will be _____.
A. as common as today’s gas stations
B. equipped with charging devices
C. much larger than they are today

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D. more convenient than they are today
Question 67: The word “charging” in this passage refers to __________.
A credit cards (n) : thẻ tín dụng
B lightning (n) : chớp, tia chớp
C aggression (n) : cuộc xâm lược, cuộc công kích
D electricity (n) : điện, điện lực, điện lực học .
Question 68: The word “foresee” in this passage could best be replaced with_____.
A invent (v) : phát minh, sáng chế
B count on (v) : tin, tin chắc
C rely on (v) : tin cậy vào, tin vào
D imagine (v) : tưởng tượng, hình dung, đoán được
Question 69: The word “commuters” in paragraph 4 refers to _______.
A. visitors
B. cab drivers
C. shoppers
D. daily travelers
Question 70: The word “hybrid” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _____.
A. futuristic
B. combination
C. hazardous
D. automated
C9.
Being able to forecast the weather isn’t just to do with informing people about whether
or not they can go to the beach or have a picnic. When there are going to be severe
weather conditions, the ability to prepare for them can be a matter of life or death. A

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hurricane needs certain weather conditions to start forming: warm tropical oceans with
moisture and heat above them. The centre of the hurricane is very calm and it is called
the “eye”, but the most violent activity takes place in the area immediately around the
eye which is called the “eyewall”. When hurricanes move onto the land from the sea, the
heavy rain, strong winds and huge waves can cause unbelievable damage to buildings
and trees, and cars can be picked up and thrown like matchboxes. The greatest danger,
however, is in the rise in the sea level as it hits the land. This is called the ‘storm surge’
and can be catastrophic. To measure how powerful an approaching hurricane is,
meteorologists use something called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This means that
a hurricane coming towards the land is given a number from 1 to 5 depending on how
fast its winds are. The calmest hurricane is given the number 1 on the scale. As
technology has developed and we can now forecast the weather, it has meant that the
advance warnings given have greatly reduced the number of deaths caused by
hurricanes. However, the damage to property, which cannot be avoided, still costs
billions of dollars to repair.
1.What does 'them' in line 3 refer to?
A hurricanes
B weather forecasts
C picnics
D severe weather conditions
2 Where do hurricanes take place?
A in various areas of the world
B in tropical areas
C only in the USA
D in cold countries


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3 Which is the least active part of a hurricane?

A die eye wall
B the eye
C the storm surge
D the winds
4 At which point is the hurricane most dangerous?
A when it has an eye
B when it moves out to sea
C when it knocks down trees
D when it moves onto the land
5 What does the Saffir-Simpson Scale measure?
A which way a hurricane is moving
B how big the waves are
C how powerful a hurricane is
D the number of hurricanes expected
6 Being able to forecast hurricanes has
A reduced damage to property.
B saved governments money.
C reduced the number of people killed.
D helped protect trees and bushes.
C10.
To be successful, a business traveler must be able to maintain contact with the office, no
matter what the time or place. Negotiations often involve decisions based on the latest
figures. New telecommunications products and services now on the market make
staying in touch easier than ever before. The most widespread device is the cellular


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telephone, the price of which has dropped from several thousand dollars to a few
hundred, including installation. There are over two million mobile cellular phones in use
today, including both car phones and cordless transportable units. Car phones have

proven indispensable for road emergencies as well as routine business transactions.
Phone service is also available on airplanes and on the rails. Recently introduced pocketsize organizers
help business travelers with heavy schedules keep track of clients. These
are tiny computers that can store all kinds of information. They can serve as phone and
address directories, calendars, electronic memo pads, and calculators, among other
uses. Another invaluable telecommunications tool is smaller, lighter fax machines that
plug into any standard electrical outlet and phone line. The devices allow instantaneous
transmission of hard copy to any location having a compatible fax machine. It is
expected that faxing will soon become the primary means of sending and receiving short
documents requiring prompt action.
46. What is the best title for the passage?
A. New Telecommunications Products and Services.
B. The Business Travelers.
C. Office Communications.
D. Computers and Businessmen.
47. According to the passage, why do business travelers need to keep in touch with the
office?
A. They may not know where they are.
B. Company guidelines require frequent contact.
C. They must have the latest information for negotiations.
D. So many new products and services are on the market.
48. According to the passage, mobile phone service..........
A. is very useful in the case of road accidents.


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B. still costs several thousands of dollars.
C. is not yet available on trains and airplanes.
D. does not come in transportable form.
49. It can be inferred from the passage that fax machines probably..........

A. will eventually replace mail delivery of short documents.
B. are still far from becoming a standard business tool.
C. cannot be used in conjunction with phone service.
D. are now as small and light as they can ever be.
50. What does the paragraph following the passage most probably discuss?
A. Types of hard copy.
B. Compatibility among fax machines.
C. Handling documents in a timely fashion.
D. Another practical telecommunications device
C11.
During the nineteenth century, women in the United States organized and participated
in a large number of reform movements, including movements to reorganize the prison
system, improve education, ban the sale of alcohol, grant rights to people who were
denied them, and, most importantly, free slaves. Some women saw similarities in the
social status of women and slaves. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone
were not only feminists who fought for the rights of women but also fervent
abolitionists who fought to do away with slavery. These brave people were social leaders
who supported the rights of both women and blacks. They were fighting against a belief
that voting should be tied to land ownership, and because land was owned by men, and
in some cases by their widows, only those who held the greatest stake in government,
that is the male landowners, were considered worthy of the vote. Women did not


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conform to the requirements. A number of male abolitionists, including William Lloyd
Garrison and Wendell Phillips, also supported the rights of women to speak and to
participate equally with men in antislavery activities. Probably more than any other
movement, abolitionism offered women a previously denied entry into politics. They
became involved primarily in order to better their living conditions and improve the
conditions of others. However, they gained the respect of those they convinced and also

earned the right to be considered equal citizens. When the civil war between the North
and the South ended in 1865, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the
Constitution adopted in 1868 and 1870 granted citizenship and suffrage to blacks but
not to women. Discouraged but resolved, feminists worked tirelessly to influence more
and more women to demand the right to vote. In 1869, the Wyoming Territory had
yielded to demands by feminists, but the states on the East Coast resisted more
stubbornly than before. A women’s suffrage bill had been presented to every Congress
since 1878, but it continually failed to pass until 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment
granted women the right to vote.
Question 41: With what topic is the passage primarily concerned?
A. The Wyoming Territory.
B. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
C. Abolitionists.
D. Women’s suffrage.
Question 42: The word “ban” in line 3 most nearly means to ...
A. encourage
B. publish
C. prohibit
D. limit


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Question 43: The word “supported” in line 5 could best be replaced by...
A. disregarded
B. acknowledged
C. contested
D. promote
Question 44: According to the passage, why did women become active in politics?
A. To improve the conditions of life that existed at the time.
B. To support Elizabeth Cady Stanton for president.

C. To be elected to public office.
D. To amend the Declaration of Independence.
Question 45: The word “primarily” in line 9 is closest in meaning to ...
A. above all
B. somewhat
C. finally
D. always
Question 46: What had occurred shortly after the Civil War?
A. The Wyoming Territory was admitted to the Union.
B. A women’s suffrage bill was introduced in Congress.
C. The eastern states resisted the end of the war.
D. Black people were granted the right to vote.
Question 47: The word “suffrage” in line 12 could best be replaced by which of the
following?
A. pain
B. citizenship
C. freedom from bondage


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D. the right to vote
Question 48: What does the Nineteenth Amendment guarantee?
A. Voting rights for blacks
C. Voting rights for women
B. Citizenship for blacks
D. Citizenship for women.
Question 49: The word “it” in line 16 refers to...
A. bill
B. Congress
C. Nineteenth Amendment

D. vote
Question 50: When were women allowed to vote throughout the United States?
A. after 1866
B. after 1870
C. after 1878
D. after 1920
C12.
The first settlers who came to America were not rich. The ships, food, tools and weapons
necessary for voyage to America and new life there were financed by companies in
England. One person’s voyage to the New World cost about ten pounds. Settlers also
needed help until they harvested crops. The total cost was probably more than ten
thousand dollars, in today’s dollars, for each settler. Settlers had to find out how to repay
this debt. Almost all the settlers became farmers and raised food and made material for
their clothes. They also produced raw materials which they could send back to England.
In the South, in such colonies as Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, tobacco was


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found most profitable. In South Carolina and Georgia, rice was the most popular crop.
Slaves worked in the tobacco and rice fields on large plantations. There were also some
independent farms which raised them. On farms from New York to Pennsylvania, settlers
produced large quantities of grain, beer, beef and pork, and they exported them to
England and the West Indies. They also exported large quantities of furs, which they
received in trade from Indians. Settlers in New England had a hard time at the beginning.
Raising crops in the stony soil was difficult, so they had to find other means to make a
profit. They depended on lumber and other natural resources. They had to use the sea
to make a living. They did ship-building, fishing and trading.
C13.
Thomas Alva Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him,
the world might still be a dark place. However, the electric light was not his only

invention. He also invented the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and over 1,200
other things. About every two weeks he created something new. Thomas A. Edison was
bom in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847. His family moved to Port Huron, Michigan,
when he was seven years old. Surprisingly, he attended school for only two months. His
mother, a former teacher, taught him a few things, but Thomas was mostly selfeducated. His natural
curiosity led him to start experimenting at a young age with
electrical and mechanical things at home. When he was 12 years old, he got his first job.
He became a newsboy on a train that ran between Port Huron and Detroit. He set up a
laboratory in a baggage car of the train so that he could continue his experiments in his
spare time. Unfortunately, his first work experience did not end well. Thomas was fired
when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the baggage car. Thomas then worked for
five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued to spend much of his time on the
job conducting experiments. He got his first patent in 1868 for a vote recorder run by
electricity. However, the vote recorder was not a success. In 1870, he sold another


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invention, a stock-ticker, for $40,000. Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and
hard of hearing in the ether, but thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It
kept conversations short, so that he could have more time for work. He left numerous
inventions that improved the quality of life all over the world.
1. Thomas Edison did things in this order
.
A. he became a telegraph operator,a newsboy,and then got his first patent
B. he became a newsboy, got his first patent, and then became a telegraph operator
C. he got a patent,became a telegraph operator,and then became a newsboy
D. he became a newsboy,a telegraph operator,and then got a patent
2. Of all the inventions,
A. the vote recorder
B. the stock ticker

was probably the most important for civilization.
C. the light bulb
D. the motion picture camera
3. The main idea of this passage is that ___
.
A. Edison was always interested in science and inventions ,and he inventea many
important things
B. Thomas Edison could not keep a job
C. Thomas Edison worked day and night on his experiments
D. deaf people make good inventors without the distraction of spoken conversation
C14.
Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “once in a blue moon?” People use this


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expression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone
might say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat
chocolate “once in a blue moon.” Or someone who does not usually like to go to the
beach might say “I visit the shore once in a blue moon.” While many people use this
phrase, not everyone knows the meaning behind it. The first thing to know is that the
moon itself is never actually blue. This is just an expression. The phrase “blue moon”
actually has to do with the shape of the moon, not the color. As the moon travels around
the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate certain names with certain shapes
of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it is called a
crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail. When we
cannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the entire moon,
it is called a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes,
however, there will be two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full
moon is called a “blue moon.” Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons.
As you can see, a blue moon is a very rare event. This fact has led people to use the

expression “once in a blue moon” to describe other very rare events in their lives.
Questions
1) Which of the following would be a good example of someone doing something “once
in a blue moon”?
A. Mary likes to go to the mountains every weekend. Mary goes to the mountains once
in a blue moon.
B. Tom rarely remembers to take out the trash. Tom takes out the trash once in a blue
moon.
C. Cindy hates to wash the dishes. Nevertheless, she does it every day. Cindy washes the
dishes once in a blue moon.