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 from 30 to 36. 

      Our planet has over eight billion people, and this number keeps increasing by approximately 370,000 individuals each day. This rapid growth is putting a huge strain on Earth's natural resources. Governments and environmental groups are now in a race to significantly cut down our resource usage before they become depleted.

      Water is one of our most precious resources. Our quality of life, as well as life itself, depends on the availability of clean, fresh water. It is the most widely used resource in industry, and plays a major role in energy production. Although 70 percent of the world is covered in water, only 2.5 percent of that is fresh water, and less than one percent of that freshwater is readily available to us. Yet we often overestimate how much water we have, and reduce it further through pollution or inefficient use.

      Some 92 percent of all fresh water used annually is dedicated to growing plants and raising animals for food. This means that if water runs out, our food supply might follow. In India, it is estimated that future water shortages could reduce grain harvests by 25%. In a country where the population exceeds 1.2 billion people and is growing rapidly every year, this is a huge concern. India, like many developing countries, is already struggling to provide for its population. While most people in developed countries can get water at the turn of a tap, nearly four billion people elsewhere lack access to safe water, according to United Nations Development Report.

      Rain forests are another endangered resource. While rain forests are critically important to humanity, they are rapidly being destroyed by human activities. The biggest cause of deforestation is conversion of forest land for agriculture. Often called the "Lungs of the Planet”, rain forests once covered 14 percent of the Earth's land surface, but this has shrunk to only six percent. Every second, an area of rain forest, the size of a football field, is destroyed at this rate. Rain forests will possibly disappear completely in less than 40 years. 

(Adapted from: Active Reading)

Which best serves as the title for the passage?

A. depletion (cạn kiệt) B. harmony (hòa hợp) C. contradiction (mâu thuẫn) D. pressure (sức ép)

Giải thích: strain= pressure: căng thẳng, sức ép. 

Chọn D.

A. exaggerate (phóng đại) B. reduce (giảm) C. maintain (duy trì) D. increase (tăng)

Giải thích: overestimate= exaggerate: đánh giá cao, phóng đại.

Chọn A

A. Fresh water is hardly used for energy production. 

(Nước ngọt hầu như không được sử dụng cho sản xuất năng lượng)

B. All freshwater on earth is readily available to us. (Tất cả nước ngọt trên trái đất đều có sẵn cho chúng ta)

C. Most parts of the world are covered in fresh water 

(Hầu hết các nơi trên thế giới được bao phủ bởi nước ngọt)

D. Our quality of life relies on the availability of fresh water. 

(Chất lượng cuộc sống của chúng ta phụ thuộc vào sự có sẵn của nước ngọt) 

Giải thích: Our quality of life, as well as life itself, depends on the availability of clean, fresh water. 

Chọn D.

A. human activities (hoạt động của con người) B. resources (nguồn tài nguyên)

C. rain forests (rừng mưa nhiệt đới) D. humanity (nhân loại)

Giải thích: Rain forests are another endangered resource. While rain forests are critically important to humanity, they are rapidly being destroyed by human activities. 

Chọn C

A. The deforestation has been caused mainly by conversion of forest land for agriculture. 

(Việc phá rừng chủ yếu là do chuyển đổi đất rừng sang đất nông nghiệp)

B. Our forests, the "Lungs of the Planet”, are increasing quickly. 

(Rừng của chúng ta, “Lá phổi của hành tinh”, đang tăng lên nhanh chóng) 

C. The availability of clean, fresh water greatly affects our quality of life. 

(Sự sẵn có của nước sạch, trong lành ảnh hưởng lớn đến chất lượng cuộc sống của chúng ta) 

D. Most of the fresh water is used to grow plants and raise animals for food. 

(Hầu hết nước ngọt được sử dụng để trồng cây và chăn nuôi làm thực phẩm)

Giải thích: Often called the "Lungs of the Planet”, rain forests once covered 14 percent of the Earth's land surface, but this has shrunk to only six percent. 

Chọn B

A. The government must be responsible for the shrink of rain forests 

(Chính phủ phải chịu trách nhiệm về việc thu hẹp rừng mưa nhiệt đới)

B. "The Lung of our Planet" once covered most of the Earth's surface. 

("Lá phổi của hành tinh chúng ta" từng bao phủ hầu hết bề mặt Trái đất)

C. Rain forests are unlimited resources. 

(Rừng mưa nhiệt đới là nguồn tài nguyên vô tận)

D. Rain forests may disappear in the near future due to the interference of human beings. 

(Rừng mưa nhiệt đới có thể biến mất trong thời gian tới do sự can thiệp của con người)

Giải thích: 

While rain forests are critically important to humanity, they are rapidly being destroyed by human activities. 

Chọn D