GCSE MOCK TEST 204

SƠ GD&ĐT VINH PHUC
TRƯƠNG THPT LIÊN
SƠN
(Đề thi gồm: 05 trang)

ĐỀ KTCL ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA NĂM 2017-2018
Môn: TIẾNG ANH – ĐÊ SỐ 204
Thời gian làm bài: 60 phút, không kể thời gian phát
đề

Ho va tên thi sinh:……………………………………………………………………. SBD:…………………………
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the
other three in the sound of the underlined part in each of the following questions.
Question 01: A. women
B. men
C. led
D. referee
Question 02: A. century
B. country
C. society
D. civilization
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the
other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 03: A. technology
B. situation
C. population
D. understanding
Question 04: A. solidarity
B. energetic
C. excellently
D. combination

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines
each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 05. I'm not at all interested in photography. I still take it up to kill the time.
A. Taking up photography is my interest because I want to kill the time.
B. I take up photography to kill the time although it's not my interest.
C. I take up photography as my interest so that I can kill the time.
D. Because I want to kill the time as my interest, I take up photography.
Question 06. I had got to the officice. Then Mr. Smith arrived.
A. Mr. Smith arrived at the office and then I got there.
B. Mr. Smith didn't arrive at the office until I had got there.
C. When Mr. Smith arrived at the office, I got there.
D. Mr. Smith had arrived at the office before I got there.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the
following questions.
Question 07. People should eat________ and do________ to reduce the risk of heart disease.
A. less fat/ more exercise
B. less and less fat/ the more exercise
C. the less fat/ the more exercise
D. fatter/ more exercise
Question 08. The passengers had to wait because the plane________ off one hour late.
A. took
B. turned
C. cut
D. made
Question 09. Descendants of the Sun is________ 2016 South Korean Television series. Yoo Si-jin
(Song Joog-Ki) is________ captain of________ South Korean Special Forces unit.
A. the/ the/ the
B. a/ the/ a
C. Ø/ the/ a
D. the/ the/ a

Question 10. Do you believe in________ between men and women?
A. equal
B. equality
C. equally
D. equalize
Question 11. The preparation________ by the time the guest_________.
A. had been finished/arrived
B. have finished/arrived
C. had finished/were arriving
D. have been finished/were arrived
Question 12. Parents tend to impose their choice of career________ their children regardless of their
children's preference.
A. under
B. on
C. at
D. with
Question 13. Mary decided to split up with her boyfriend when he found out that he________
someone else.
A. was dating
B. have dated
C. have been dating D. is
dating
Question 14. I felt so ashamed of myself for________ such a fuss.
A. producing
B. taking
C. making
D. creating
Question 15. Most children find it uncomfortable________ like little kids.
A. being treated
B. treating

C. to be treated
D. to treat
Question 16. Born in a poor and large family, she had to________ school at the age of 15.
A. take part in
B. break up
C. reconcile with
D. drop out of
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Question 17. You________ so many cakes. There weren't a lot of guests last night.
A. needn't have made B. needn't made C. need have made D. didn't need making
Question 18. I don't expect________ her again until next Tuesday.
A. to be seen
B. seeing
C. to see
D. see
Question 19. John admitted________ some money from his mother's bag without permission.
A. to take
B. take
C. to have taken
D. having taken
Question 20. _________ tomorrow, I will give him the report.
A. When he will return
B. No sooner he returns
C. Until he will return
D. When he returns
Question 21. The International Red Cross helps people in need without any discrimination based
on_______, race, religion, class or political opinions.
A. national

B. nationally
C. nationality
D. native
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning
to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 22. Whenever I have ups and downs in my life, my mother always lends an ear and
encourage me.
A. shows the indifference
B. listens sympathetically
C. expresses the admiration
D. gives an ear
Question 23. Her parents make her keep her own room tidy as a rule in the family.
A. unorganized
B. untidy
C. messy
D. neat
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in
meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 24. My daughter is a sociable girl. She can make friends with everyone.
A. unfriendly
B. pleasant
C. easy-going
D. friendly
Question 25. Making a speech in public was one of my unforgettable experiences.
A. forgetful
B. forgetting
C. remarkable
D. unmemorable
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs
correction in each of the following questions.

Question 26: Up until the middle of the 19th century, there were no organizations and well
established army nursing systems for casualties.
A. the
B. Up until
C. for
D. organizations
Question 27: Mary said that when she ran into of money for her drugs, she asked the Swedish Red
Cross for help.
A. into of
B. for
C. when
D. the
Question 28: Whenever it will rain, Joe often stays in bed and reads magazines.
A. Whenever
B. reads magazines
C. will rain
D. stays in
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
It's normal for a couple to quarrel from time to time-just part of what it means to be
together. Conflicts and arguments won't necessarily jeopardize a relationship. In fact, there are
(29)_______ when disagreements can actually bring a couple closer together. The key is in how you
and your partner decide (30)_______ the conflict. Couples with poor conflict resolution skills
typically engage in Fight, Flight, or Freeze behaviors. They fight and stay mad, sometimes holding
grudges for years. They flee and avoid important issues by sweeping them under the rug. Or, after
(31)_______ arguments with no resolution in sight, they freeze emotionally and shut down.
Someone who freezes in a relationship typically goes through the motions on the outside, but has
stopped caring on the inside. Successful couples have the ability to solve problems and let it go.
They focus on (32)_______ of the issue rather than attacking the person. Even when angry, they find
ways to be upset and stay close at the same time. Once the matter is resolved, they forgive and

forget. Most (33)_______, successful couples have the ability to learn and grow through their
interpersonal difficulties. Like fine wine, their relationship improves with age and gets better over
time.
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Question 29.
Question 30.
Question 31.
Question 32.
Question 33.

(Source: />A. ways
B. times
C. reasons
D. places
A. handling
B. being handled
C. to handle
D. to be handled
A. ended
B. end
C. endless
D. endable
A. taking care
B. caring
C. concerning
D. worrying
A. unimportant
B. importance

C. importantly
D. important

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct answer to each of the questions that follow.
Our eyes and ears might be called transformers because they sense the light and sound
around us and turn them into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret. These electrical
impulses that have been transformed by the eyes and ears reach the brain and are turned into
messages that we can interpret. For the eye, the process begins as the eye admits light waves,
bends them at the corner and lens and then focuses them on the retina. At the back of each eye,
nerve fibers bundle together to form optic nerves, which join and then split into two optic tracts.
Some of the fibers cross so that part of the input from the right visual field goes into the left side of
the brain, and vice versa. The process in the ear is carried out through sensory cells that are
carried in fluid-filled canals and that are extremely to vibration. Sound that is transformed into
electricity travels al nerve fibers in the auditory nerve. These fibers form a synapse with neurons
that carry the messages to the auditory cortex on each side the brain.
Question 34. According to the author, we might call our eyes and ears "transformers" because_____.
A. The brain can interpret the input.
B. They sense light and sound.
C. The messages travel in the brain.D. They create electrical impulses.
Question 35. In line 4, what does the word "them" refer to?
A. Eyes
B. Light waves
C. Messages
D. Processes
Question 36. According to the passage, when input from the right visual field goes into the left side of
the brain, what happens?
A. The retina receives light waves.
B. The nerve fibers bundle together.
C. The optic nerves split.

D. Input from the left field goes to the right side.
Question 37. According to the passage, optic nerves eventually_________.
A. Split
B. Bend
C. Admit light waves D. Become messages
Question 38. The phrase "carried out" in line 7 could best be replaced by which ol the following?
A. Brought over
B. Maintained C. Taken away
D. Accomplished
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in
meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 39. I split up with Dave because we had nothing in common.
A. I split up with Dave because we didn't have the same interests.
B. I split up with Dave because we had lots of the same things
C. I split up with Dave because we didn't trust each other.
D. I split up with Dave because we had no different interests.
Question 40. It was wrong of you to make your parents so disappointed.
A. You should make your parents disappointed.
B. You couldn't make your parents disappointed.
C. You shouldn't have made your parents disappointed.
D. You made your parents disappointed.
Question 41. Nam said: "Why don't you hold an official discussion on this problem?"
A. Nam advised me holding an official discussion on this problem.
B. Nam suggested hold an official discussion on this problem.
C. Nam recommened to holding an official discussion on this problem.
D. Nam suggested that we should hold an official discussion on that problem.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct answer to each of the questions that follow.
The word 'desertification' was first used in 1949 by the French geographer Andre
Aubreville to describe the change in North and equatorial Africa from productive savanna forest,

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grasslands, and shrublands into unproductive desert. Desertification does not refer to the
expansion of existing deserts, but rather to the degradation of productive drylands (rangeland or
cropland) into less productive desert. Drylands occur on every continent, and are estimated to
cover around 40 percent of the earth's surface. In the past, drylands recovered after long droughts
and dry periods through shifting agricultural practices, nomadic herding, and so forth. Today,
however, pressure on drylands is heightened due to intensive agricultural practices and increasing
populations. Desertification became well known in the 1930's, when parts of the Great Plains in
the United States turned into the "Dust Bowl" as a result of drought and poor practices in farming
(although the term itself was not used until 1949). The massive erosion during those years has
been blamed on inappropriate use of technology (ploughing the prairies), overpopulation in the
affected region, and lack of rainfall. Many people believe that the problems related to the Dust
Bowl have been solved by resettlement of some of the remaining population, the establishment of
National Grasslands and the Soil Conservation Service, government spending and regulation, and
the return in most years of "normal rainfall." However, the United Nations reports that Texas and
New Mexico are some of the fastest, most severely desertifying areas of the wrorld.
We have lots of names for this problem: droughts and floods, weeds, overgrazing, wildfire,
endangered species, and the chronic downtrodden state of the agricultural economy (in spite of
massive subsidies, enormous technical improvements, and overseas markets). These are problems
for that tiny sector of the economy known as agriculture. Although we have separate government
agencies in charge of each of the symptoms, these "rural problems" can and do turn into urban
problems. According to the U.N.'s Kofi Annan, "drought and desertification threaten the livelihood
of over 1 billion people in more than 110 countries around the world." According to the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification, "70 percent of the world's drylands (excluding hyper-arid
deserts), or some 3.600 million hectares, are degraded."
In 1992, Rhodesian wildlife biologist Allan Savory came to a startling conclusion. Most
experts on desertification blame overpopulation, over-stocking with livestock, overcutting of
trees, poverty, warfare, inadequate technology or education, or shifting cultivation. In West Texas,

where Savory was working at the time, none of these causes were present. Rural population was
declining, livestock numbers were down from earlier decades, mesquite trees were encroaching,
there was peace. Money, technology, and education were abundant, all land was privately owned,
and there was no shifting cultivation. West Texas was desertifying as rapidly as the worst areas of
Africa or Asia.
Savory felt that the decision framework that most people use, and which they are
unconsciously trained, is well adapted to treat symtoms, but leaves the causes unaddressed.
Savon' was forced to conclude that the lack of a holistic decision framework was the fundamental
cause of human-induced desertification, in both ancient and modem times.
By 1992, the United Nations Environment Programme had spent $6 billion treating the
symptoms of desertification, with another 3 billion called for. Though some people are skeptical of
the U.N's figures for the rate at which productive land is turning into unproductive sert, the reality
worldwide is that land deterioration continues to have serious impact on the quality of people's
lives. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to understand the causes of desertification
and loss of biodiversity, and to support the numerous practitioned cost-effective, successful
approaches. More efficient use of existing waiter resources and control of salinization have proven
to be effective tools for improving arid lands. New ways are being sought to use surface-water
resources such as rainwater harvesting or irrigating seasonal runoff from adjacent highlands.
Further, new methods of fiiding and tapping groundwater resources are also being pursued, as as
developing more effective ways of irrigating arid and semi-arid land. Research on the reclamation
of deserts is focusing on discover proper crop rotation to protect the fragile soil, on understanding
sand-fixing plants can be adapted to local environments, and on grazing lands and water
resources can be developed effectively without being overused.
Question 42. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Research on desert reclamation
B. Inappropriate use of technology
C. Factors limiting crop production
D. Desertification
Question 43. The word "encroaching" in the passage could best be replaced by________.
A. declining

B. retreating
C. advancing
D. dispersing
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Question 44. According to the passage, what did Savory conclude was the primary cause of humaninduced desertification?
A. Shifting cultivation trends
B. The effects of global warming
C. Politicians have not taken the problem seriously enough
D. A lack of a holistic decision framework
Question 45. The word "degradation" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to________.
A. betterment
B. enhancement
C. deterioration
D. improvement
Question 46. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way of controlling de-sertification?
A. Rainwater harvesting
B. More efficient use of water resources
C. Increased government funding
D. Irrigating with seasonal runoff
Question 47. The word "downtrodden" in the passage closest in meaning to________.
A. commendable
B. miserable
C. urban
D. esteemed
Question 48. The word "arid" in the passage could best be replaced by________.
A. fertile
B. wetland
C. poor

D. rich
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to
complete each of the following exchanges.
Question 49. Dad: "How could you act like a thoughtless child? What a shame."
Son: "_____________"
A. I'm very happy to hear that.
B. I'm sorry about that. I didn't do it on purpose.
C. It's a nice compliment.
D. It's up to you.
Question 50. Lan: "We should pay much attention to the gap between parents and children since it
has been a hot problem."
Long: "_____________"
A. Don't metion it.
B. It's kind of you to say that.
C. You can say that again.
D. It sounds interesting. Let's go.
______THE END______
SƠ GD&ĐT VINH PHUC
TRƯƠNG THPT LIÊN
SƠN
(Đề thi gồm: 05 trang)

ĐỀ KTCL ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA NĂM 2017-2018
Môn: TIẾNG ANH – ĐÊ SỐ 204
Thời gian làm bài: 60 phút, không kể thời gian phát
đề

Ho va tên thi sinh:……………………………………………………………………. SBD:…………………………
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the
other three in the sound of the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Question 01: A. women
B. men
C. led
D. referee
Question 02: A. century
B. country
C. society
D. civilization
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the
other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 03: A. technology
B. situation
C. population
D. understanding
Question 04: A. solidarity
B. energetic
C. excellently
D. combination
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines
each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 05. I'm not at all interested in photography. I still take it up to kill the time.
A. Taking up photography is my interest because I want to kill the time.
B. I take up photography to kill the time although it's not my interest.
C. I take up photography as my interest so that I can kill the time.
D. Because I want to kill the time as my interest, I take up photography.
Question 06. I had got to the officice. Then Mr. Smith arrived.
A. Mr. Smith arrived at the office and then I got there.
B. Mr. Smith didn't arrive at the office until I had got there.
C. When Mr. Smith arrived at the office, I got there.
D. Mr. Smith had arrived at the office before I got there.

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Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the
following questions.
Question 07. People should eat________ and do________ to reduce the risk of heart disease.
A. less fat/ more exercise
B. less and less fat/ the more exercise
C. the less fat/ the more exercise
D. fatter/ more exercise
Question 08. The passengers had to wait because the plane________ off one hour late.
A. took
B. turned
C. cut
D. made
Question 09. Descendants of the Sun is________ 2016 South Korean Television series. Yoo Si-jin
(Song Joog-Ki) is________ captain of________ South Korean Special Forces unit.
A. the/ the/ the
B. a/ the/ a
C. Ø/ the/ a
D. the/ the/ a
Question 10. Do you believe in________ between men and women?
A. equal
B. equality
C. equally
D. equalize
Question 11. The preparation________ by the time the guest_________.
A. had been finished/arrived
B. have finished/arrived
C. had finished/were arriving

D. have been finished/were arrived
Question 12. Parents tend to impose their choice of career________ their children regardless of their
children's preference.
A. under
B. on
C. at
D. with
Question 13. Mary decided to split up with her boyfriend when he found out that he________
someone else.
A. was dating
B. have dated
C. have been dating D. is
dating
Question 14. I felt so ashamed of myself for________ such a fuss.
A. producing
B. taking
C. making
D. creating
Question 15. Most children find it uncomfortable________ like little kids.
A. being treated
B. treating
C. to be treated
D. to treat
Question 16. Born in a poor and large family, she had to________ school at the age of 15.
A. take part in
B. break up
C. reconcile with
D. drop out of
Question 17. You________ so many cakes. There weren't a lot of guests last night.
A. needn't have made B. needn't made C. need have made D. didn't need making

Question 18. I don't expect________ her again until next Tuesday.
A. to be seen
B. seeing
C. to see
D. see
Question 19. John admitted________ some money from his mother's bag without permission.
A. to take
B. take
C. to have taken
D. having taken
Question 20. _________ tomorrow, I will give him the report.
A. When he will return
B. No sooner he returns
C. Until he will return
D. When he returns
Question 21. The International Red Cross helps people in need without any discrimination based
on_______, race, religion, class or political opinions.
A. national
B. nationally
C. nationality
D. native
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning
to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 22. Whenever I have ups and downs in my life, my mother always lends an ear and
encourage me.
A. shows the indifference
B. listens sympathetically
C. expresses the admiration
D. gives an ear
Question 23. Her parents make her keep her own room tidy as a rule in the family.

A. unorganized
B. untidy
C. messy
D. neat
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in
meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 24. My daughter is a sociable girl. She can make friends with everyone.
A. unfriendly
B. pleasant
C. easy-going
D. friendly
Question 25. Making a speech in public was one of my unforgettable experiences.
A. forgetful
B. forgetting
C. remarkable
D. unmemorable
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Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs
correction in each of the following questions.
Question 26: Up until the middle of the 19th century, there were no organizations and well
established army nursing systems for casualties.
A. the
B. Up until
C. for
D. organizations
Question 27: Mary said that when she ran into of money for her drugs, she asked the Swedish Red
Cross for help.
A. into of

B. for
C. when
D. the
Question 28: Whenever it will rain, Joe often stays in bed and reads magazines.
A. Whenever
B. reads magazines
C. will rain
D. stays in
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
It's normal for a couple to quarrel from time to time-just part of what it means to be
together. Conflicts and arguments won't necessarily jeopardize a relationship. In fact, there are
(29)_______ when disagreements can actually bring a couple closer together. The key is in how you
and your partner decide (30)_______ the conflict. Couples with poor conflict resolution skills
typically engage in Fight, Flight, or Freeze behaviors. They fight and stay mad, sometimes holding
grudges for years. They flee and avoid important issues by sweeping them under the rug. Or, after
(31)_______ arguments with no resolution in sight, they freeze emotionally and shut down.
Someone who freezes in a relationship typically goes through the motions on the outside, but has
stopped caring on the inside. Successful couples have the ability to solve problems and let it go.
They focus on (32)_______ of the issue rather than attacking the person. Even when angry, they find
ways to be upset and stay close at the same time. Once the matter is resolved, they forgive and
forget. Most (33)_______, successful couples have the ability to learn and grow through their
interpersonal difficulties. Like fine wine, their relationship improves with age and gets better over
time.
(Source: />Question 29. A. ways
B. times
C. reasons
D. places
Question 30. A. handling
B. being handled

C. to handle
D. to be handled
Question 31. A. ended
B. end
C. endless
D. endable
Question 32. A. taking care
B. caring
C. concerning
D. worrying
Question 33. A. unimportant
B. importance
C. importantly
D. important
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct answer to each of the questions that follow.
Our eyes and ears might be called transformers because they sense the light and sound
around us and turn them into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret. These electrical
impulses that have been transformed by the eyes and ears reach the brain and are turned into
messages that we can interpret. For the eye, the process begins as the eye admits light waves,
bends them at the corner and lens and then focuses them on the retina. At the back of each eye,
nerve fibers bundle together to form optic nerves, which join and then split into two optic tracts.
Some of the fibers cross so that part of the input from the right visual field goes into the left side of
the brain, and vice versa. The process in the ear is carried out through sensory cells that are
carried in fluid-filled canals and that are extremely to vibration. Sound that is transformed into
electricity travels al nerve fibers in the auditory nerve. These fibers form a synapse with neurons
that carry the messages to the auditory cortex on each side the brain.
Question 34. According to the author, we might call our eyes and ears "transformers" because_____.
A. The brain can interpret the input.
B. They sense light and sound.

C. The messages travel in the brain.D. They create electrical impulses.
Question 35. In line 4, what does the word "them" refer to?
A. Eyes
B. Light waves
C. Messages
D. Processes
Question 36. According to the passage, when input from the right visual field goes into the left side of
the brain, what happens?
A. The retina receives light waves.
B. The nerve fibers bundle together.
C. The optic nerves split.
D. Input from the left field goes to the right side.
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Question 37. According to the passage, optic nerves eventually_________.
A. Split
B. Bend
C. Admit light waves D. Become messages
Question 38. The phrase "carried out" in line 7 could best be replaced by which ol the following?
A. Brought over
B. Maintained C. Taken away
D. Accomplished
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in
meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 39. I split up with Dave because we had nothing in common.
A. I split up with Dave because we didn't have the same interests.
B. I split up with Dave because we had lots of the same things
C. I split up with Dave because we didn't trust each other.
D. I split up with Dave because we had no different interests.

Question 40. It was wrong of you to make your parents so disappointed.
A. You should make your parents disappointed.
B. You couldn't make your parents disappointed.
C. You shouldn't have made your parents disappointed.
D. You made your parents disappointed.
Question 41. Nam said: "Why don't you hold an official discussion on this problem?"
A. Nam advised me holding an official discussion on this problem.
B. Nam suggested hold an official discussion on this problem.
C. Nam recommened to holding an official discussion on this problem.
D. Nam suggested that we should hold an official discussion on that problem.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate
the correct answer to each of the questions that follow.
The word 'desertification' was first used in 1949 by the French geographer Andre
Aubreville to describe the change in North and equatorial Africa from productive savanna forest,
grasslands, and shrublands into unproductive desert. Desertification does not refer to the
expansion of existing deserts, but rather to the degradation of productive drylands (rangeland or
cropland) into less productive desert. Drylands occur on every continent, and are estimated to
cover around 40 percent of the earth's surface. In the past, drylands recovered after long droughts
and dry periods through shifting agricultural practices, nomadic herding, and so forth. Today,
however, pressure on drylands is heightened due to intensive agricultural practices and increasing
populations. Desertification became well known in the 1930's, when parts of the Great Plains in
the United States turned into the "Dust Bowl" as a result of drought and poor practices in farming
(although the term itself was not used until 1949). The massive erosion during those years has
been blamed on inappropriate use of technology (ploughing the prairies), overpopulation in the
affected region, and lack of rainfall. Many people believe that the problems related to the Dust
Bowl have been solved by resettlement of some of the remaining population, the establishment of
National Grasslands and the Soil Conservation Service, government spending and regulation, and
the return in most years of "normal rainfall." However, the United Nations reports that Texas and
New Mexico are some of the fastest, most severely desertifying areas of the wrorld.
We have lots of names for this problem: droughts and floods, weeds, overgrazing, wildfire,

endangered species, and the chronic downtrodden state of the agricultural economy (in spite of
massive subsidies, enormous technical improvements, and overseas markets). These are problems
for that tiny sector of the economy known as agriculture. Although we have separate government
agencies in charge of each of the symptoms, these "rural problems" can and do turn into urban
problems. According to the U.N.'s Kofi Annan, "drought and desertification threaten the livelihood
of over 1 billion people in more than 110 countries around the world." According to the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification, "70 percent of the world's drylands (excluding hyper-arid
deserts), or some 3.600 million hectares, are degraded."
In 1992, Rhodesian wildlife biologist Allan Savory came to a startling conclusion. Most
experts on desertification blame overpopulation, over-stocking with livestock, overcutting of
trees, poverty, warfare, inadequate technology or education, or shifting cultivation. In West Texas,
where Savory was working at the time, none of these causes were present. Rural population was
declining, livestock numbers were down from earlier decades, mesquite trees were encroaching,
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there was peace. Money, technology, and education were abundant, all land was privately owned,
and there was no shifting cultivation. West Texas was desertifying as rapidly as the worst areas of
Africa or Asia.
Savory felt that the decision framework that most people use, and which they are
unconsciously trained, is well adapted to treat symtoms, but leaves the causes unaddressed.
Savon' was forced to conclude that the lack of a holistic decision framework was the fundamental
cause of human-induced desertification, in both ancient and modem times.
By 1992, the United Nations Environment Programme had spent $6 billion treating the
symptoms of desertification, with another 3 billion called for. Though some people are skeptical of
the U.N's figures for the rate at which productive land is turning into unproductive sert, the reality
worldwide is that land deterioration continues to have serious impact on the quality of people's
lives. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to understand the causes of desertification
and loss of biodiversity, and to support the numerous practitioned cost-effective, successful
approaches. More efficient use of existing waiter resources and control of salinization have proven

to be effective tools for improving arid lands. New ways are being sought to use surface-water
resources such as rainwater harvesting or irrigating seasonal runoff from adjacent highlands.
Further, new methods of fiiding and tapping groundwater resources are also being pursued, as as
developing more effective ways of irrigating arid and semi-arid land. Research on the reclamation
of deserts is focusing on discover proper crop rotation to protect the fragile soil, on understanding
sand-fixing plants can be adapted to local environments, and on grazing lands and water
resources can be developed effectively without being overused.
Question 42. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Research on desert reclamation
B. Inappropriate use of technology
C. Factors limiting crop production
D. Desertification
Question 43. The word "encroaching" in the passage could best be replaced by________.
A. declining
B. retreating
C. advancing
D. dispersing
Question 44. According to the passage, what did Savory conclude was the primary cause of humaninduced desertification?
A. Shifting cultivation trends
B. The effects of global warming
C. Politicians have not taken the problem seriously enough
D. A lack of a holistic decision framework
Question 45. The word "degradation" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to________.
A. betterment
B. enhancement
C. deterioration
D. improvement
Question 46. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way of controlling de-sertification?
A. Rainwater harvesting
B. More efficient use of water resources

C. Increased government funding
D. Irrigating with seasonal runoff
Question 47. The word "downtrodden" in the passage closest in meaning to________.
A. commendable
B. miserable
C. urban
D. esteemed
Question 48. The word "arid" in the passage could best be replaced by________.
A. fertile
B. wetland
C. poor
D. rich
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to
complete each of the following exchanges.
Question 49. Dad: "How could you act like a thoughtless child? What a shame."
Son: "_____________"
A. I'm very happy to hear that.
B. I'm sorry about that. I didn't do it on purpose.
C. It's a nice compliment.
D. It's up to you.
Question 50. Lan: "We should pay much attention to the gap between parents and children since it
has been a hot problem."
Long: "_____________"
A. Don't metion it.
B. It's kind of you to say that.
C. You can say that again.
D. It sounds interesting. Let's go.
______THE END______

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