READING COMPREHENSION Exercise 1: In the past, both men and women were expected to be married at quite young ages. Marriages were generally arranged by parents and family, with their children having little chance to say no in the matter. In the past it was not surprising to find that a bride and groom had only just met on the day of their engagement or marriage. In modern Vietnam, this has changed completely as people choose their own marriage-partners based on love, and in consideration primarily to their own needs and wants. Moreover early marriage is quite illegal. The traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important of traditional Vietnamese occasions. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements. Besides the wedding ceremony, there is also an engagement ceremony which takes place usually half a year or so before the wedding. Due to the spiritual nature of the occasion, the date and time of the marriage ceremony are decided in advance by a fortune teller The traditional Vietnamese wedding consists of an extensive array of ceremonies: the first is the ceremony to ask permission to receive the bride, the second is the procession to receive the bride (along with the ancestor ceremony at her house), the third is to bring the bride to the groom's house for another ancestor ceremony and to welcome her into the family, then the last is a wedding banquet. The number of guests in attendance at these banquets is huge, usually in the hundreds. Several special dishes are served. Guests are expected to bring gifts, often money, which the groom and bride at one point in the banquet will go from table to table collecting. 1. In the past, _________. A. Vietnamese couples were free to make a decision on the marriage B. Vietnamese marriage was decided by parents and family C. getting married at an early age was not allowed D. parents had no right to interfere their children's marriage 2. In former days, the fact that a bride and groom had only first met just on the day of their engagement or marriage was _________. A. surprising B. popular C. uncommon D. strange 3. Which sentence is referred Vietnamese modern marriage? A. Most young people not have their marriage based on love. B. All marriages are arranged by parents and family. C. Marriage is quite westernization. D. Couples not get married at quite young ages. 4. According to the passage, __________. A. Oversea Vietnamese people not like to organize a traditional wedding B. There is an engagement ceremony which takes place usually half a year or so before the wedding C. Many of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional Vietnamese wedding not exist nowadays D. Vietnamese people never ask a fortune teller the date and time of the marriage ceremony 5. Which does not exist in a Vietnamese wedding party? A. firecrackers B. guests C. dishes D. gifts Exerciser 2: Communication in general is process of sending and receiving messages that enables humans to share knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Although we usually identify communication with speech, communication is composed of two dimensions - verbal and nonverbal. Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication without words. It includes apparent behaviors such as facial expressions, eyes, touching, tone of voice, as well as less obvious messages such as dress, posture and spatial distance between two or more people. Activity or inactivity, words or silence all have message value: they influence others and these others, in turn, respond to these communications and thus they are communicating. Commonly, nonverbal communication is learned shortly after birth and practiced and refined throughout a person's lifetime. Children first learn nonverbal expressions by watching and imitating, much as they learn verbal skills. Young children know far more than they can verbalize and are generally more adept at reading nonverbal cues than adults are because of their limited verbal skills and their recent reliance on the nonverbal to communicate. As children develop verbal skills, nonverbal channels of communication do' not cease to exist although become entwined in the total communication process. 1. According to the writer, ________. A. Nonverbal language is only used by the deaf and the mute. B. One cannot communicate in both verbal and .nonverbal language. C. Those who can listen and talk should not use nonverbal language. D. People communicate with both verbal and nonverbal language. 2. Which is not included in nonverbal communication? A. words B. spatial distance C. facial expressions D. tone of voice 3. We can learn from the text that ________. A. nonverbal can never get any responses B. most people not like nonverbal communication C. even silence has message value D. touching is not accepted in communicating 4. Human beings ________. A. have learnt how to communicate in nonverbal language through books B. can communicate in nonverbal language only when they are mature C. have learnt how to communicate in nonverbal language since a child D. communicate in nonverbal language much less than they in verbal language 5. The word reading has a close meaning to ________. A. looking at the words that are written B. understanding C. saying something aloud D. expressing Exercise 3: Movements and gestures by the hands, arms, legs, and other parts' of the body and face are the most pervasive types of nonverbal messages and the most difficult to control. 'It is estimated that there are over 200.000 physical signs capable of stimulating meaning in another person. For example, there are 23 distinct eyebrow movements, each capable of stimulating a different meaning. Humans express attitudes toward themselves and vividly through body movements and postures. Body movements express true messages about feelings that cannot be masked. Because such avenues of communication are visual, they travel much farther than spoken words and are unaffected by the presence of noise that interrupt, or cancels out speech. People communicate by the way they walk, stand, and sit. We tend to be more relaxed with friends or when addressing those of lower status. Body orientation also indicates status or liking of the other individual. More direct orientation is related to a more positive attitude. Body movements and postures alone have no exact meaning, but they can greatly support or reject the spoken word. If these two means of communication are dichotomized and contradict each other, some result will be a disordered image and most often the nonverbal will dominate. 1. Which part of body is not used to send body message? A. faces B. legs C. hands D. stomachs 2. Face gestures ________. A. can help us control our feelings B. are the most difficult to control C. cannot express our feelings D. not include eye brow moments 3. Body communication is ________. A. visual B. verbal C. very few D. uncommon 4. According to the text, body movements cannot express ________. A. feelings B. status C. attitudes D. desires 5. Nonverbal communication ________. A. may be interrupted by noise B. has no relation to verbal communication C. dominates words D. is less common than verbal communication Exercise 4: University Entrance Examination is very important in Vietnamese students. High school graduates have to take it and get high results to be admitted to universities. The pressure on the candidates remains very high despite the measures that have been taken to reduce the heat around these exams, since securing a place in a state university is considered a major step towards a successful career for young people, especially those from rural areas or disadvantaged families. In the year 2004, it was estimated that nearly million Vietnamese students took the University Entrance Examination, but on average only out of candidates succeeded. Normally, candidates take exam subjects, and each lasts; 180 minutes for the fixed group of subjects they choose. There are fixed groups of subjects: Group A: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry; Group B: Mathematics, Biology, and Chemistry; Group C: Literature, History, and Geography; Group D: Literature, Foreign Language, and Mathematics. In addition to universities, there are community colleges, art and technology institutes; professional secondary schools, and vocational schools which offer degrees or certificates from a-few-month to 2-year courses. According to Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 23 non-public universities, accounting for 11% of the total number of universities. These non-public universities are currently training 119,464 students, or 11.7% of the total number of students. The government is planning to increase the number of non-public universities to 30% by 2007. 1. University Entrance Examination in Vietnamese is very _______. A. interesting B. stressful C. free D. easy 2. The word those refers to _______. A. exam subjects B. young people C. universities D. examinations 3. In 2004, the proportion of the students who got success in University Entrance Examination was about _____percent. A. B. 10 C. 20 D. 50 4. Which sentence refers to the University Entrance Examination in Vietnam? A. Students find it easy to get success in the University Entrance Examination. B. Math is compulsory in the University Entrance Examination. C. Students are not allowed to choose their exam subjects. D. There are four fixed groups of exam subjects for students to choose. 5. According to the passage, _______. A. the Vietnamese government will close all non-public universities by next year. B. the Vietnamese government does not appreciate non-public universities C. the Vietnamese government encourages the establishing of non-public universities. D. Vietnamese students have no alternative to continue their higher study besides universities. Exercise 5: Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war. Substantial progress was achieved from1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration. They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. . Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001.have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US doubled in 2002 and again in 2003. Vietnam joined the WTO (World Trade Organization) in January 2007, following over a decade long negotiation process. This should provide ail important boost to the economy and should help to ensure the continuation of liberalizing reforms. Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. Vietnamese authorities have tightened monetary and fiscal policies to stem high inflation. Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate of 7.5-8% during the next five years. 1. Vietnam's economy is _____________. A. decreasing B. facing crisis C. developing D. backward 2. According to the text, Vietnam __________. A. used to be well-developed before 1986 B. Vietnam is still in extreme poverty C. could recover from the consequences of the war soon D. has been modernizing the economy 3. Vietnam __________. A. does not export anything to the US B. exported to the US in 2003 twice as much goods as in 2002 C. did not export goods to the US in 2002 D. did not export goods to the US in 2003 4. The word This refers to ___________. A. Vietnam's joining the WTO B. the WTO C. the negotiating process D. the Vietnamese economy 5. The word stem has a close meaning to ___________. A. succeed B. stop C. originate D. increase Exercise 1: read the passage and complete suitable word Most Americans eat three meals (1) ______ the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast begins between 7:00 and 8:00am, lunch between 11:00 am and noon, and dinner between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. On Sundays "brunch" is a (2) ______ of breakfast and lunch, typically beginning at 11:00 am. Students often enjoy a "study break" or evening snack around 10:00 or 11:00 pm. Breakfast and lunch tend to be light meals, with only one (3) ______. Dinner is the main meal. (4) ______ breakfast Americans will eat cereal with milk which are often mixed (5) ______ in a bowl, a glass of orange juice, and toasted bread or muffin with jam, butter, or margarine. Another common breakfast meal is scrambled eggs or (6) ______ omelet with potatoes and breakfast meat (bacon or sausage). People who are on (7) ______ eat just a cup of yogurt. Lunch and dinner are more (8) ______. When eating at a formal dinner, you may be overwhelmed by the number of utensils. How you (9) ______ the difference between a salad fork, a butter fork, and a dessert fork? Most Americans not know the answer (10) ______ But knowing which fork or spoon to use first is simple: use the outermost utensils first and the utensils closest to the plate last. 1. A. in B. for C. on D. during 2. A. addition B. connection C. combination D. attachment 3. A. course B. food C. menu D. goods 4. A. For B. In C. At D. With 5. A. each other B. together C. one another D. others 6. A. a B. an C. the D. no article 7. A. holiday B. engagement C. diet D. duty 8. A. vary B. variety C. varied D. variously 9. A. say B. talk C. speak D. tell 10. A. too B. either C. so D. neither Exercise 2: In the western customs (1) _____ hands is the customary form of greeting, but in China a nod of the head or (2) _____ bow is sufficient. Hugging and kissing when greeting are uncommon. Business cards are often (3) _____ and yours should be printed in your own language and in Chinese. Also, it is more respectful to present your card or a gift or -any other article using (4) _____ hands. The Chinese are (5) _____ applauders. You may be greeted with group clapping, even by small children. When a person is applauded in this practice it is the custom for that person to return the applause or a "thank you." When walking in public places, direct eye (6) _____ .and staring is uncommon in the larger cities, especially in those areas accustomed to foreign visitors. (7) _____, in smaller communities, visitors may be the subject of much curiosity and therefore you may notice some stares. (8) _____ speaking, the Chinese are not a touch-oriented society, especially true for visitors. So, avoid (9) _____ or any prolonged form of body contact. Public displays of affection are very rare. On the other hand, you may note people of the same sex walking hand-in-hand, which is simply a gesture of friendship. Do not worry about a bit of pushing and shoving in stores or when groups board public buses or trains. In this case, (10) _____ are neither offered nor expected. The Chinese will stand much closer than Westerners. 1. A. taking B. shaking C. grasping D. hugging 2. A. small B. bit C. slight D. light 3. A. exchanged B. changed C. transferred D. converted 4. A. pair B. couple C. double D. both 5. A. enthusiast B. enthusiastic C. enthusiasm D. enthusiastically 6. A. contact B. look C. stare D. watch 7. A. Moreover B. Furthermore C. However D. Whatever 8. A. Generally B. Successfully C. Fortunately D. Expectedly 9. A. touch B. to touch C. touched D. touching 10. A. Contacts B. Apologies C. Gestures D. Saying goodbye Exercise 3: Vietnam is considered a third world country, its people live (1) _____ poverty by the millions. After the (2) _____, Vietnam's economy remained dominated by small-scale production, low labor productivity, (3) _____, material and technological shortfalls, and insufficient food and (4) _____ goods. The Doi Moi reforms that were instated in 1986 have shed new light and added new features to the Vietnamese economy. (5) ____ Vietnamese Communist Party plays a leading role in establishing the foundations and principles of communism, mapping strategies for economic development, setting growth targets, and (6) _____ reforms. Doi Moi combined government planning with free-market incentives and (7) _____ the establishment of private businesses and foreign investment, including foreign-owned enterprises. By the late 1990s, the success of the business and agricultural reforms ushered in under Doi Moi was evident. (8) _____ than 30,000 private businesses had been created, and the economy was growing at an annual (9) _____ of more than percent. Farming systems research and the international development projects are a source of new hope for the people of Vietnam. If these recent projects are successful and Doi Moi continues on its current path the Vietnamese people may (10) _____ a new standard of living. More reforms like Doi Moi need to take place in order to create a more stable Vietnamese future. 1. A. for B. in C. on D. of 2. A. liberate B. liberation C. liberator D. liberal 3. A. application B. salary C. profession D. unemployment 4. A. consumer B. producer C. spender D. manufacturer 5. A. A B. An C. The D. Ø 6. A. launching B. flying C. sending D. raising 7. A. found B. promised C. required D. encouraged 8. A. Much B. More C. As D. As more 9. A. rate B. level C. standard D. step 10. A. come B. approach C. reach D. arrive Exercise 4: WHY READ BOOKS? Is it worth reading books, (1)___ nowadays there are so many other forms of (2)___ ? Some people say that even (3)___ books are expensive, and not everyone can borrow books from a library. They may add that television is more exciting and that (4)___ can relax as they watch their favourite program. All that may be true, but books are still very (5)___. They encourage the readers to use his or her imagination for a start. 1. A. since B. while C. but D. because 2. A. enjoying B. playing C. entertainment D. performance 3. A. new B. latest C. rare D. paperback 4. A. audience B. viewers C. spectators D. participants 5. A. popular B. widespread C. extended D. common TEENAGERS AND SPORT It’s quite rare to meet teenagers who don’t like sports. When you are young, you know how important… (41) … to physical exercise if you want to be healthy and strong, and for that reason you often concentrate on just one sport with so …(42) … enthusiasm that in the end you can’t live without it. The problem is, though, that as you grow up you have less and less spare time. At your age you have to study harder if you want to get good marks to go to university, with perhaps only one afternoon a week to any sport. This happens just when you are at the best …(43)… for many sports, such as gymnastics and swimming. By the time you finish all your studies you will probably be too old to be really good at sports like those, but if you spend enough time on… (44) … while you are young, then one day you will find that you are very good at your sport but too old to study, and you will find it …(45) … to get a good job. Somehow, it doesn’t seem fair. 41. A. this is B. you are C. it is D. things are 42. A. keen B. many C. great D. much 43. A. stage B. age C. period D. time 44. A. training B. practice C. exercise D. sporting 45. A. impractical B. unlikely C. improbable D. impossible . traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important of traditional Vietnamese occasions. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional Vietnamese. had only just met on the day of their engagement or marriage. In modern Vietnam, this has changed completely as people choose their own marriage-partners based on love, and in consideration primarily. two dimensions - verbal and nonverbal. Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication without words. It includes apparent behaviors such as facial expressions, eyes, touching, tone of