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 from 34 to 38. Psychologists have long known that having a set of cherished companions is crucial to mental well-being. A recent study by Australian investigators concluded that our friends even help to (34) ______ our lives. The study concentrated on the social environment, general health, and lifestyle of 1,477 persons older than 70 years. The participants were asked how much contact they had with friends, children, relatives and acquaintances. Researchers were surprised to learn that friendships increased life (35) ______ to a far greater extent than frequent contact with children and other relatives. This benefit held true even after these friends had moved away to (36) ______ city and was independent of factors such as socioeconomic status, health, and way of life. According to scientists, the ability to have relationships with people to (37) ______ one is important has a positive effect on physical and mental health. Stress and tendency towards depression are reduced, and behaviours that are damaging to health, such as smoking and drinking, occur less frequently. (38)_______, our support networks, in times of calamity in particular, can raise our moods and feelings of self-worth and offer helpful strategies for dealing with difficult personal challenges. (Source: Academic Vocabulary in Use by Michael McCarthy and Felicity O’Dell)

Câu 34:

A recent study by Australian investigators concluded that our friends even help to (34) ______ our lives.

A. prolong

B. lengthen

C. stretch

D. expand

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Câu 35:

Researchers were surprised to learn that friendships increased life (35) ______ to a far greater extent than frequent contact with children and other relatives.

A. expectation

B. insurance

C. expectancy

D. assurance

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Câu 36:

This benefit held true even after these friends had moved away to (36) ______ city and was independent of factors such as socioeconomic status, health, and way of life.

A. another

B. other

C. many

D. others

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Câu 37:

According to scientists, the ability to have relationships with people to (37) ______ one is important has a positive effect on physical and mental health.

A. who

B. whom

C. what

D. that

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Câu 38:

(38)_______, our support networks, in times of calamity in particular, can raise our moods and feelings of self-worth and offer helpful strategies for dealing with difficult personal challenges.

A. Otherwise

B. For example

C. Moreover

D. However

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Đoạn văn 1

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 39 to 43.

Successful students often do the followings while studying. First, they have an overview before reading. Next, they look for important information and pay greater attention to it (which often needs jumping forward or backward to process information). They also relate important points to one another. Also, they activate and use their prior knowledge. When they realize that their understanding is not good, they do not wait to change strategies. Last, they can monitor understanding and take action to correct or “fix up” mistakes in comprehension. Conversely, students with low academic achievement often demonstrate ineffective study skills. They tend to assume a passive role, in learning and rely on others (e.g., teachers, parents) to monitor their studying, for example, low-achieving students often do not monitor their understanding of content; they may not be aware of the purpose of studying; and they show little evidence of looking back, or employing “fix-up” strategies to fix understanding problems. Students who struggle with learning new information seem to be unaware that they must extent effort beyond simply reading the content to understand and remember it. Children with learning disabilities do not plan and judge the quality of their studying. Their studying may be disorganized. Students with learning problems face challenges with personal organization as well. They often have difficulty keeping track of materials and assignments, following directions, and completing work on time. Unlike good studiers who employ a variety of study skills in a flexible yet purposeful manner, low-achieving students use a restricted range of study skills. They cannot explain why good study strategies are important for learning; and they tend to use the same, often ineffective study approach for all learning tasks, ignoring task content, structure or difficulty. (Source: Adapted from Study Skills: Managing Your Learning — NUI Galway)

Câu 39:

What is the topic of the passage?

A. Successful and low-academic achieving students

B. Successful learners and their learning strategies

C. Study skills for high school students

D. Effective and ineffective ways of learning

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Câu 40:

The word “prior” in the first paragraph is closest meaning to ______?

A. important

B. earlier

C. forward

D. good

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Câu 41:

Which of the followings is NOT an evidence of monitoring studying?

A. Being aware of the purpose of studying

B. Monitoring their understanding of content

C. Fixing up mistakes in understanding

D. Looking at their backs

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Câu 42:

In compared with low-achieving students, successful students use _______.

A. aimless study techniques

B. various study skills

C. restricted strategies

D. inflexible study ways

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Câu 43:

The underlined pronoun “They” in the last sentence refers to _______.

A. study strategies

B. study skills

C. low-achieving students

D. good studiers

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Đoạn văn 2

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 44 to 50.

Modern civilization is heavily dependent on energy. Without reliable power sources, we couldn’t operate machines, use transportation, communicate via the Internet, or do many other things. Although everyone recognizes the importance of energy, deciding what kind of energy the world should use in the future is not a simple task. The two leading candidates for this role are green energy and nuclear energy. Currently, most of the energy we use is derived from fossil fuels. Although this energy source has got us this far, there are several problems with it. For starters, it is a finite resource which is quickly running out. Some analysts have even estimated that the Earth could run out of coal and oil within the next 50 years. Burning fossil fuels also creates large amount of pollution, which is harmful to the environment. Although fossil fuels still provide the majority of our power, governments are seeking better energy sources to use going forward. Green energy is one option that is becoming increasingly attractive. It includes technologies such as solar, wind, and hydro power. These are seen as clean sources of energy because they cause very little pollution. In addition, they are completely renewable, so there is no danger that it will run out. The major disadvantage with green energy sources is that they are not cheap. The other alternative is nuclear power. Like green energy, it is also a renewable source of power that will not run out, and it also doesn’t produce air pollution. In addition, nuclear power is more reliable than green energy, as it doesn’t depend on sunshine, rain, or wind to operate. The major issues with nuclear power are safety concerns and nuclear waste. Nuclear power plants create a considerable amount of nuclear waste which is extremely hazardous to people’s health. If they happen to have a meltdown, this could destroy the surrounding area for years to come. The recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan brought this reality into the spotlight once again. In response, Germany announced it would close down eight of its nuclear plants immediately, and close the rest by 2022. Meanwhile, other nations refuse to give up on nuclear power, stating that these disasters are rare. The debate of whether to use green or nuclear power will likely continue for some time. In the end, it is quite possible that both energy sources will be used to fuel our planet. (Adapted from Intensive Reading Comprehension Skills)

Câu 44: