Đề thi Đánh giá năng lực Bộ Công an môn Tiếng Anh (có đáp án) - Đề số 1

READING

Read the following text and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct option to complete each of the blanks from 56 to 60.

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE LIKE FEELING FRIGHTENED AT FAIRS?

Nicola Smith writes about scary rides

        If there's one thing that divides me and my friends into two different groups, it's scary rides like the roller coaster. There are those, like my sister, who are willing to stand in a queue for hours waiting to get onto the latest ride. Then there are other people like me, who prefer to wait at the bottom and hold everyone's bags. (56) ______

        Some people think it's to do with the way children today are over-protected by their parents. Kids are rarely given the chance to do anything that might result in them getting hurt. People who ride on the roller coaster feel fear, scream, shout, throw their arms in the air and enjoy themselves, (57) ______. My sister is like this and seems to be very scared but also having great fun. But if that's the reason, why do I avoid going on these rides? My parents were just as concerned about my safety as my sister's. In fact, as I was the first to be born, they probably worried about me even more to begin with. So this doesn't explain the difference between us.

(58) ______ Clearly there must be some other reasons why some of us enjoy feeling frightened out of our lives, and others prefer to have a quiet life.

        But perhaps science has the answer. It might actually be because of our brains and particular chemicals in our body. There is one chemical called dopamine that is linked to our enjoyment of doing exciting things. (59) ______ So, perhaps I don't simply have a lack of courage but of dopamine compared to my sister. (60) ______ Perhaps older people are clever enough to realise that we should avoid such things and take it easy, though I'm not sure my sister will agree.

                                                                         (Reading part 3, Test 5, PET Collins for School)

Read the following text 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 from 61 to 65.

         New Year's celebrations have a rich history dating back thousands of years and continue to be observed with a fascinating variety of traditions around the world today.

        In some places in ancient times, the festivities were connected to the land or astronomical events. For example, in Egypt, the beginning of the year coincided with when the River Nile flooded, and this normally happened when the star Sirius rose. The flood left rich soil on the fields and marked the beginning of a new agricultural season for farmers.

        The city of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia was where the first New Year's celebrations were recorded about 4,000 years ago. The Babylonians held their celebrations on the first new moon after the spring equinox and called this festival Akitu (which comes from the word the Sumerians used for barley). As barley in Mesopotamia was harvested in the spring, shortly after the festival, Akitu marked the beginning of this important agricultural period. During Akitu, there was a different ritual on each of the 11 days that the celebration lasted. Statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and in this way, the Babylonians believed that their world had been cleaned to prepare for the new year and a new spring.

        In many cities all over the world today, spectacular fireworks displays take place as soon as the clock passes midnight on 31 December. In recent years, Sydney in Australia has hosted one of the first major New Year events as the new year arrives there before most other major international cities. Fireworks light up the skies in hundreds of cities as midnight strikes around the globe.

        There are strange and interesting New Year's traditions around the world. In Scotland, New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay, and 'first footing' remains a popular custom with people visiting friends' and neighbours' houses just after midnight. The first person who visits your house should bring a gift as this will mean good luck. In Spain, people eat 12 grapes as the bells sound for midnight on 31 December. One grape is eaten at each sound of the bell, and each grape is supposed to bring good luck for each month of the year ahead.

        New Year traditions across the globe all share a common purpose: to welcome a fresh start with hope and joy, whether rooted in ancient rituals or celebrated with modern spectacles.

(Adapted from https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/new-year-celebrations)