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.
There have been a lot of scientific studies into what makes a friendship. It seems today that ideas of what friendship is are also changing. A study in 1993 at the University of Oxford showed that people could only maintain 150 relationships. However, with the explosion of social media since then, many people now have over 300 people who they think of as friends. Some people think that these friends are not real friends, but others believe that social media has helped us to expand and keep our friendships because we have more time and opportunities. Another change from the past is that people don't stay in the place where they were born. They go to different cities and countries for education and jobs. People are in general more geographically mobile nowadays. This means that we have more chances to meet and make friends with people from different cultures and different backgrounds. People still often make friends at college who remain friends for life, but making new friends at work is more difficult. People now have less security at work and this also means that they find it harder to build new relationships. As people get older, they sometimes also have less free time. They become busier with their jobs and families and have less time to spend with friends. Friendships can be very different when we are at different ages. Young children often choose their friends because of convenience, for example, they go to the same school, they live near each other or their parents are friends. As we get older, friendships are more connected with having similar interests and opinions. One thing is definitely true though, it doesn't matter how old we are or how many friends we have on social media, friendship is good for our health. People who spend time with friends have fewer mental health problems and are generally happier and in a better physical state of health than people who spend their free time alone. (Adapted from Mindset for IELTS - Student’s book 1 - page 11)
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.
Social and emotional changes are part of your child’s journey to adulthood. You have a big role to play in helping your child develop adult emotions and social skills. Strong relationships with family and friends are vital for your child’s healthy social and emotional development. Here are some ideas to help you support your child’s social and emotional development. You can be a role model for positive relationships with your friends, children, partner and colleagues. Your child will learn from seeing relationships that have respect, empathy and positive ways of resolving conflict. You can also role-model positive ways of dealing with difficult emotions, moods and conflict. For example, there’ll be times when you’re feeling cranky, tired and unsociable. Instead of withdrawing from your child or getting into an argument, you could say, “I’m tired and cross. I feel I can’t talk now without getting upset. Can we have this conversation after dinner?” Getting to know your child’s friends and making them welcome in your home will help you keep up with your child’s social relationships. It also shows that you recognise how important your child’s friends are to your child’s sense of self. If you’re concerned about your child’s friends, you might be able to guide your child towards other social groups. But banning a friendship or criticising your child’s friends could have the opposite effect. That is, your child might want to spend even more time with the group of friends you’ve banned. Active listening can be a powerful way of strengthening your relationship with your child in these years. To listen actively, you need to stop what you’re doing when your child wants to talk. If you’re in the middle of something, make a time when you can listen. Respect your child’s feelings and opinions and try to understand their perspective, even if it’s not the same as yours. For example, “It sounds like you’re feeling left out because you’re not going to the party on Thursday night”. Telling your child how you feel when they behave in particular ways helps your child learn to read and respond to emotions. It also models positive and constructive ways of relating to other people. It can be as simple as saying something like “I felt really happy when you invited me to your school performance”. (Adapted from https://raisingchildren.net.au)
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. Superstitions still play an important part of life for many people in Viet Nam. For example, a lot of people choose a favourable date for occasions such as weddings, funerals, or house moving days. Some people may argue that being superstitious has no place in today’s society. (34) _____, superstitions have existed in all human societies throughout history. As a country (35) _____ in Asia, where many mysteries, and legends originate, Viet Nam has also kept various superstitious beliefs about daily activities. There are numerous rituals (36) _____ to daily activities. During the Vietnamese New Year, for example, many people believe that the first person (37) _____ visits their home on the first day of the new year will affect their life. Thus, they try to choose this person very carefully. If this person is rich, prestigious or happy, then the family will have good fortune that year. People also believe that if you sweep the floor during the first three days of the festival, you might sweep out any wealth. For (38) _____ things, such as setting out for an examination or starting up a business venture, people will try to avoid crossing the path of a woman as this may not bring good luck to them. (Adapted from Tiếng Anh 10 thí điểm – Unit 7 - page 19)