Tµi liÖu luyÖn thi §¹i häc * M«n TiÕng Anh * READING COMPREHENSION 3. Name: ________________________ PASSAGE 1: Rays of sunlight travel from 150 million kilometres away, and when they reach the Earth, they are parallel rays. The curve of the Earth means that the rays are vertical at the Equator but at quite a low angle when they reach temperate latitudes. As the rays lose heat passing through the atmosphere, the more direct the journey, the greater the heat which penetrates through to the surface of the Earth. The vertical rays in equatorial latitudes mean that it is much hotter at the Equator than it is in the regions where the sun's rays strike at a low angle. It is these variations in temperature that are largely responsible for the changes in weather. 1) The purpose of this passage is to explain ___________ A. the distance between the Earth and the Sun B. why the weather is different in different parts of the Earth C. why sun -rays travel in a vertical position D. why sun -rays are parallel when they reach the Earth 2) From the information given in the passage, it is clear that ___________ A. temperate regions are cooler than equatorial regions as sun -rays travel through more atmosphere to reach them B. it is hotter in equatorial regions because they are closer to the Sun C. when it is summer in the northern hemisphere. It is winter in the southern hemisphere D. sun -rays lose heat in passing through space 3) The angle at which the sun's rays strike the surface of the Earth is determined by A. the density of the Earth's atmosphere B. the parallel nature of the sun -rays C. the direct journey which the sun -rays make to equatorial regions D. the curvature of the Earth PASSAGE 2: One of the strangest sea stories is that of the sailing ship Mary Celeste. On November 5 th 1872, she left New York bound for Genoa with a cargo of industrial alcohol and eleven people on board. A month later, she was seen by another ship, but the captain noticed that the Mary Celeste was sailing strangely, and decided to investigate. He found the ship to be completely deserted. The sails were set and in good condition, there was plenty of food and water, all the crew's personal possessions were on board, and there was food and drink on the cabin table. No one has ever been able to explain what happened, though there have been explanations varying from a mutiny among the crew to aliens in a spaceship taking everyone away. 4) The reason why there was no one on board the Mary Celeste __________ A. was discovered by the captain of another ship C. took several years to be discovered B. is that aliens took the captain and crew away in a spaceship D. has never been found 5) The Mary Celeste was sailing strangely because __________ A. it was not big enough to resist the giant ocean waves B. there was no one on board to sail the ship C. the ship was too heavy because of the crew's personal possessions D. the sails were not set properly 6) It is clear from the passage that ____________ A. there was a mutiny among the crew B. the Mary Celeste was one of the finest sailing vessels of her day C. the Mary Celeste was not well equipped for a long voyage D. the people on board the Mary Celeste disappeared inexplicably PASSAGE 3: The piranha, in spite of its tiny size, is one of the most feared fish in the world. Piranhas live in the Aaron River, have very sharp teeth, and are capable of eating four times their body weight daily. This would not be so bad, if it were not for the way they attack in numbers. Even the smallest movement, like splashing your hand in the water, is enough to attract 300 piranhas in an instant A piranha attack can transform a live cow into a skeleton in a matter of minutes. When there is nothing else to eat, they will even eat each other. 7) According to the passage, the piranha ____________ A. is the world's smallest fish B. would not be so bad if it was better understood C. has sharp teeth and a large appetite D. lives largely on a diet of its own species 8) The passage tells us that ____________ A. piranhas are dangerous because so many of them gather to attack their prey B. a single piranha can eat a cow in a matter of minutes C. the average piranha eats four other piranhas every day D. piranhas are useless because they are not edible 9) It is stated in the passage that in the absence of food, piranhas ___________ A. feed on each other B. migrate to other rivers Nguyễn Đức Hưng** - Marie Curie High School, HP. ( : 0912.883.190) 1 Tµi liÖu luyÖn thi §¹i häc * M«n TiÕng Anh * READING COMPREHENSION 3. C. get smaller in size D. face a decline in their numbers PASSAGE 4: As a boy, the famous inventor Thomas Edison was not a good student. His parents took him out of school after three months and his mother taught him at home, where his great curiosity and desire to experiment often got him into trouble. One day, he set fire to his father's barn. "to see what would happen". When he was ten, he built his own chemistry laboratory. He sold sandwiches and newspapers on the local trains in order to earn money to buy supplies for his laboratory. His parents became accustomed to his experiments and the explosions which sometimes shook the house. 10) We can infer from the passage that young Thomas Edison ___________ A. was not an intelligent child B. had very strict parents C. would have been more successful. had he received formal education D. had a questioning mind 11) When he was a child, Thomas Edison ___________ A. was in the habit of setting fire to things B. was so intelligent that he did not have to go to school C. had a part -time job that enabled him to buy the things he needed for his experiments D. tried to blow up his house several times 12) The best generalization we can make from the passage would be that ___________ A. someone's not doing well at school does not necessarily mean that he is dull B. mothers can educate their children better than professional teachers C. it is good to have a part -time job as a child D. the society has always regarded inventors as strange people PASSAGE 5: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, was from a wealthy, well-known family. As a child, he attended private school, had private tutors, and travelled with his parents to Europe. he attended Harvard University and afterward studied law. At age 39, Roosevelt suddenly developed polio, a disease that left him without the full use of his legs for the rest of his life. Even through the worst of his illness, however, he continued his life in politics. In 1924, he appeared at the Democratic National Convention to nominate Al Smith for president, and eight years after that he himself was nominated for the same office. Roosevelt was elected to the presidency during the Great Depression of the 1930s, at a time when more than 5,000 banks had failed and thousands of people were out of work. Roosevelt took action. First he declared a bank holiday that closed all the banks so that no more could fail; then he re-opened the banks little by little with government support. Roosevelt believed in using the full power of government to help what he called the “forgotten people”. And it was these workers, the wage earners, who felt the strongest affection toward Roosevelt. There were others, however, who felt that Roosevelt’s policies were destroying the American system of government, and they opposed him in the same intense way that others admired him. In 1940, the Democrats nominated Roosevelt for an unprecedented third term. No president in American history had ever served three terms, but Roosevelt felt an obligation not to quit while the United States’ entry into World War II was looming in the future. He accepted the nomination and went on to an easy victory. (TOEFL .CBT 2002 – ARCO / P.182 ) 13) What does the passage mainly discuss? A. Political aspects of Roosevelt’s life B. Problems during the Great Depression C. Roosevelt’s upbringing D. Criticisms of Roosevelt’s actions. 14) Which one of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage? A. Roosevelt was elected during the Great Depression. B. Roosevelt voted for Al Smith. C. Roosevelt had difficulty walking during his presidency. D. Roosevelt supported strong government powers. 15) The phrase “took action” in line 8 is used to illustrate the idea that Roosevelt A. performed admirably. B. exerted himself physically. C. responded immediately. D. got assistance. 16) As used in lines 10, the phrase “little by little” means that Roosevelt A. opened the smaller banks first. B. opened the banks for minimal services. C. opened the banks a few at a time. D. opened the banks for a short time. 17) The word “full” in line 10 could best be replaced by which of the following? A. Packed B. Loaded C. Overflowing D. Complete 18) Where in the passage does the author discuss Roosevelt’s response to the Great Depression? A. Line 1 – 6 B. Line 7 – 8 C. Line 9 - 13 D. Line 10 – 15 19) The word “affection” as used in line 12 could best be replaced by which of the following? A. Fascination B. Fondness C. Lure D. Appeal 20) The word “unprecedented” in line 15 could best be replaced by A. unimportant B. unheard of C. unjustified D. unhampered 21) It can be inferred from the passage that the people who liked Roosevelt best were A. average workers B. rich people C. bankers D. poor people 22) In line 17, the author uses the word “looming” to indicate a feeling of Nguyễn Đức Hưng** - Marie Curie High School, HP. ( : 0912.883.190) 2 (5) (10) (15) Tµi liÖu luyÖn thi §¹i häc * M«n TiÕng Anh * READING COMPREHENSION 3. A. reservation B. determination C. regret D. threat 1 B 2 A 3 D 4 D 5 B 6 D 7 C 8 A 9 A 1 D 11 C 12 A Nguyễn Đức Hưng** - Marie Curie High School, HP. ( : 0912.883.190) 3 . School, HP. ( : 0912.8 83. 190) 2 (5) (10) (15) Tµi liÖu luyÖn thi §¹i häc * M«n TiÕng Anh * READING COMPREHENSION 3. A. reservation B. determination C. regret D. threat 1 B 2 A 3 D 4 D 5 B 6 D 7 C 8. Nguyễn Đức Hưng** - Marie Curie High School, HP. ( : 0912.8 83. 190) 1 Tµi liÖu luyÖn thi §¹i häc * M«n TiÕng Anh * READING COMPREHENSION 3. C. get smaller in size D. face a decline in their numbers PASSAGE. Tµi liÖu luyÖn thi §¹i häc * M«n TiÕng Anh * READING COMPREHENSION 3. Name: ________________________ PASSAGE 1: Rays of sunlight travel from 150 million