GIẢI ĐỀ THI TIẾNG ANH B1 PHẦN READING TEST

VSTEP READING PRACTICE TEST 3

PASSAGE 1

Drought, severe heat and water shortages[H1] are disrupting schools, killing animals and ravaging rice crops in Southeast Asia. Thailand, Laos and Cambodia have recorded temperatures up to 44.6^oC (112.4^oF), beating all time national highs, according to data from the Weather Underground, a commercial weather service. Singapore too, has seen abnormally high temperatures, while in Malaysia, lakes have dried up and vegetable output has withered.

In Cambodia, schoolchildren have vastly diminished water supplies. “It’s very difficult to get water for the latrines,” says Srey Norn, a 13 – year – old girl from Tboung Khmum Province. “Because some wells have dried up… and I have many friends who don’t come to school because it’s too hot.”

Hen Seha, Srey Norn’s teacher, is concerned. “I have seen an increase in absenteeism of 30 or 40%” he says. “I want to install a fan but our school doesn’t have any electricity.”

When there are no toilets, explained Iman Morooka, Chief of Communication at UNICEF Cambodia, “Children either go in the bush …. or would return home, particularly girls, and may not return back to the school afterwards.”

In Kampong Chhnang Province, a water source for schoolchildren has become stagnant and disease – ridden. “Even if they filter this water before drinking it they will get diarrhea and fever,” says Hun Heng, director of the local school support committee. “And if they use it for bathing their skin will get irritated with red spots and dryness.”

The Cambodian government has responded by reducing school hours during the hottest period of the day but teachers say there have been no extra funds to buy water.

Meanwhile, the Mekong River – Southeast Asia’s longest – has fallen to record lows. The Vietnamese government has reported that the river is at its lowest level since 1926. When levels are this low, water from the South China Sea intrudes inland causing a salinization of the soil. Vietnamese media have reported “major crop losses in the region.”

Thailand, one of the world’s top rice producer, is also expecting poor yields because of the heat and the fact that rainfall last year was less than half of what could be expected, according to an analysis by the Economic Intelligence Centre.

If Vietnam and Thailand both fail to produce enough rice then local importers like the Philippines and Indonesia will suffer shortages and increased prices. The Philippines imported 1.9 million tons of rice last year, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, with Vietnam and Thailand accounting for 53% and 5%, respectively. And the Indonesian government said last year that they expected to import one million tons of rice from Vietnam and more from Thailand.

1.Where are Thailand, Laos and Cambodia?

A. Central Asia

B. Southeast Asia

C. North Asia

D. West Asia

2.Which of the following words does the word “diminished” in paragraph 2 have closest meaning to?
A. declined

B. expanded

C. amplified

D. flattered

3.Why can’t Hen Seha install a fan?

A. Because he doesn’t have enough money.

B. Because the school think it wastes money.

C. Because there is no electricity in the region.

D. Because it is not very hot in his school.

4.Where would children go if there are no toilets at school?

A. to the bush

B. to the river

C. to their houses

D. to either the bush or their houses

5.According to Hun Heng – director of the local school support committee, schoolchildren tend to get ___________ though the water was filtered.

A. sick

B. irritated

C. diarrhea and fever

D. red spots and drynes

6.What do teachers in Cambodia want?

A. They want to install fans in classroom.

B. They want the government invest money to buy water.

C. They want the government to reduce school hours.

D. They want to stay at home during the hottest period of the day.

7.Which of the following words does the word “intrudes” have closest meaning to?

A. interfere

B. leave

C. erase

D. withdraw

8.The rainfall last year in Thailand was ____________ of what could be expected.

A. more than half

B. approximately half

C. lower than half

D. far less than half

9.What can be inferred about the Philippines?

A. It imports rice from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

B. It will import 1.9 million tons of rice by the end of this year.

C. It expects to import more rice from Thailand.

D. It cannot import enough rice from Vietnam and Thailand this year.

10.What is the writer’s purpose?

A. To give information about the water shortage in Southeast Asia.

B. To mention negative effects of the heat and water shortage.

C. To warn readers about the lowest level of the Mekong River.

D. To warn that the Philippines will cannot import enough rice.

PASSAGE 2

Bioluminescence, or “living light”, is produced by a number of organisms. It is most common among marine creatures, especially deep – sea fish. In fact, 90% of deep – sea marine life is estimated to produce bioluminescence in one form or another. Among land animals, the most familiar light – emitting organisms are certain adult insects known as fireflies and their larval forms, known as glowworms. Bacteria, protozoa, crustaceans, fungi, and mollusks all have species that emit light. The only groups that do not display bioluminescence are freshwater fish, mammals, birds, amphibians, and leafy plants.

Bioluminescence is produced when a pigment called luciferin is combined with oxygen in the presence of an enzyme called lucifrase. When other chemicals take part in the reaction, the color of the light changes, ranging from yellow – green to blue, blue – green, green, violet, and red. Bioluminescence is often called “cold light” because almost no energy is lost as heat. It compares favorably in efficiency with fluorescent lighting.

Some organisms, such as fungi, emit as steady glow. Others, such as fireflies, blink on and off. Certain types of bacteria that grow on decomposing plants produce a shimmering luminescence. The popular name for this eerie light is “foxfire.” Some organisms, such as dinoflagellates, emit light only when disturbed. When a ship plows through tropical water at night (particularly in the Indian Ocean), millions of these single – cell algae light up, producing the “milky sea” phenomenon, s softly glowing streak in the wake of the ship.

In some species, the role of bioluminescence is obvious. Fireflies and marine fire-worms use their light to attract mates. The anglerfish uses a dangling luminous organ to attract prey to come within striking distance. The cookie cutter shark utilizes a bioluminescence patch on its underbelly to appear as a small fish to lure large predatory fish such as tuna and mackerel, and when these fish try to consume the “small fish”, they are attacked by the shark. The bobtail squid uses its bioluminescence as nighttime camouflage. When viewed from below, its spots of light blend in with the light of the stars and the moon. Some squids use luminous fluids to confuse and escape from predators in the same way that live in the dark depths of the ocean developed the ability to produce light simply as a way to see around them. Most of deep – sea creatures produce blue and green light, and unsurprisingly, the light of those colors has the most powerful penetrating power in water. The only cave – dwelling creature capable of generating light is a New Zealand glowworm.

The reasons why fungi, bacteria, and protozoa are able to glow are more obscure. Perhaps, at one time, it was a way to use up oxygen. Millions of years ago, before green plants created oxygen, there was little of that gas in the atmosphere, and living creatures could not use it. Indeed, it may have been poisonous to some creatures. As more oxygen was created by green plants, new types of life developed that could breathe it. Some species died off, while other species developed techniques such as bioluminescence to reduce the amount of oxygen in their immediate environment and thus survive in the richer atmosphere. These organisms have since adapted and are no longer poisoned by oxygen, so their bioluminescence is no longer functional.

11. Which of the following groups do NOT have representatives that produce bioluminescence?

A. Adult insects and their larvae

B. Deep – sea fish and other ocean organisms

C. Bacteria and protozoa

D. Reptiles and birds

12. In paragraph 2, the author compares bioluminescence to fluorescent lighting because the two forms of lighting

A. produce about the same amount of light

B. are almost equally energy efficient

C. both require oxygen to produce light

D. are produced with similar chemicals

13. The word eerie in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. strange

B. dim

C. steady

D. greenish

14. What can be inferred about dinoflagellates from the information in paragraph 3?

A. They are found only in the Indian Ocean.

B. Their light blinks on and off like fireflies.

C. They are most common in warm water.

D. Millions of them are destroyed by passing ships.

15. The phrase the wake of the ship in the passage is closest in meaning to the

A. interior of the ship

B. track left by the ship in the water

C. course that the ship will follow

D. water in the bottom of the ship

16. Which of the following sentences best expresses the essential information in the sentence below?

The cookie cutter shark utilizes a bioluminescence patch on its underbelly to appear as a small fish to lure large predatory fish such as tuna and mackerel, and when these fish try to consume the “small fish”, they are attacked by the shark.

A. The bioluminescence of a cookie cutter shark attracts small fish, which in turn attract predators such as the tuna and mackerel, which the shark can then attack.

B. The glowing patch on a cookie cutter shark attracts large predatory fish that the shark can then prey on.

C. The cookie cutter shark uses its bioluminescence to frighten off large, dangerous predators such as the mackerel and the tuna.

D. Large, predatory fish such as sharks are attracted by the sight of small fish.

17. In paragraph 4, how does the author explain the way some squids use their bioluminescent secretions?

A. By comparing it to an everyday activity that most readers have experienced

B. By providing the example of the bobtail squid

C. By comparing it with the way some squids use another type of secretion

D. By explaining the chemical composition of this secretion

18. Why does the author mention the fact that deep – sea creatures mainly uses blue and green light?

A. To support the idea that they use bioluminescence simply to light up their environment

B. To explain how they are different from the bioluminescent glowworms that live in caves

C. To show that they are unique in producing bioluminescence in these two colors

D. To provide an example of creatures that produce bioluminescence for no particular reason

19. The word “obscure” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. Misunderstood

B. Interesting

C. Complex

D. Unclear

20. The phrase “These organisms” in paragraph 5 refers to species that

A. No longer use bioluminescence

B. Became extinct millions of years ago

C. Create their own oxygen

D. Once used bioluminescence to use up oxygen

XEM ĐÁP ÁN : Tiếng Anh B1 Cần Thơ

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