Ý CHÍNH
Test 1 – Ý Chính
One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can scratch a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs’ hardness scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7) is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however, feldspar is unable to make a mark on quartz.
- Which of the following best states the subject of this passage? A. The hardness of diamonds
B. Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test
C. Feldspar on the Mohs’ scale
D. Recognizing minerals in their natural state - The main idea of this passage is that A. the hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on other minerals
B. diamonds, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs’ scale, can scratch all other minerals
C. a softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral
D. talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs’ scale
Test 2 – Ý Chính
Plants with shallow roots can grow on rocks, but before other plants can grow, the rocks must be broken up. This task is performed by nature in a variety of ways. Rainwater seeps into cracks in the rocks and expands when it freezes, thus causing the rocks to split. Plants such as mosses also help break up rocks by secreting acids that gradually eat into the rocks. The roots of a plant growing on a rock may split the rocks as they push their way down in search of moisture. In time there are enough particles of rock and acids to form a kind of soil in which other, larger plants can take root.
- The main topic of the passage is A. how plants can grow into big trees
B. why some plants grow on rocks
C. how rocks can be broken apart
D. why soil is necessary for plants - The main idea of the passage is that rocks can be broken up by A. rainwater, roots of plants, and acid secretions
B. the growth of plants on rocks
C. ice made from rainwater
D. large plants that grow on rocks
Test 3 – Ý Chính
The lifetime of an insect is neither the same for each species nor for each stage in one insect’s development. Some adult insects, such as mayflies, survive for only a few days and live only to reproduce. Adult mealworm beetles, on the other hand, can live for several months. Larval and pupal stages vary in duration as well. A few insects live as larvae for several years before pupating. In contrast, other invertebrates have very long lifespans. The lobster, for instance, probably lives about 20 years.
- What is the subject of this passage? A. Reproduction in the mayfly
B. The stages in the beetle’s life cycle
C. The lifespan of the lobster
D. Lifespans of different types of insects - What is the main idea of the passage? A. Different types of insects have different lifespans
B. The duration of an adult insect’s life is the longest stage
C. The larval stage is usually the longest stage
D. Lobsters live longer than mayflies
Test 4 – Ý Chính
Several different instruments are used to measure air pressure. A mercury barometer, for example, consists of a tube in an open container of mercury. When the air pressure increases, the mercury rises in the tube. Another kind of barometer, the aneroid barometer, contains a small can with a vacuum. Changes in pressure cause the can to expand or contract. A third type of barometer is a barograph. It measures pressure but also records it on a chart.
- Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A. Measuring air pressure
B. How mercury is used in barometers
C. Using a barograph to measure temperature
D. A comparison of mercury and aneroid barometers - The author’s main point is that A. aneroid barometers are more useful than mercury barometers
B. a barograph consists of a tube of mercury in a vacuum
C. air pressure can be measured in several ways
D. barometers are used to measure changes in temperature
Test 5 – Ý Chính
Blessings, after all, are not the easiest things in the world to find. Some people have just enough religion to make them self-righteous, and not enough to make them kind. Some have just enough education to make them conceited, and not enough to make them wise. It requires more than a perfunctory effort to find the good in people. It takes insight; it takes a sympathetic heart.
- This passage is mainly about A. how arithmetic is taught in schools
B. the nature of blessings
C. people who lack insight and sympathy
D. the defects of modern education - The author suggests that a sympathetic heart is A. more important than a perfunctory one
B. easy to acquire
C. a natural characteristic of all people
D. easier to develop than a good insight
Test 6 – Ý Chính
Firemen know that smoke rises, so when they enter a burning building, they crawl in order to stay below the rising smoke. This is important because when people are trapped in burning buildings, they often die from breathing smoke rather than from the fire. It is also necessary to crawl under the smoke to rescue any people who may be lying unconscious on the floor.
- The main idea of the passage is that A. smoke rises in a burning building
B. firemen crawl when they enter burning buildings
C. people die from breathing smoke
D. firemen rescue people from burning buildings - Firemen crawl when they enter burning buildings to A. avoid breathing smoke
B. stay out of the fire
C. look for people on the floor
D. both A and C
TỪ VỰNG – Test 1. Smog
The oxidation of exhaust gases is one of the primary sources of the world’s pollution. The brown haze that is poised over some of the world’s largest cities is properly called photochemical smog; it results from chemical reactions that take place in the air, using the energy of sunlight. The production of smog begins when gases are created in the cylinders of vehicle engines. It is there that oxygen and nitrogen gas combine as the fuel burns to form nitric oxide (NO), a colorless gas. The nitric oxide is forced out into the air through the vehicle tailpipe along with other gases.
When the gas reaches the air, it comes into contact with available oxygen from the atmosphere and combines with the oxygen to produce nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which is a gas with a brownish hue. This nitrogen dioxide plays a role in the formation of acid rain in wetter or more humid climates and tends to decompose back into nitric oxide as it releases an oxygen atom from each molecule; the released oxygen atoms quickly combine with oxygen (O₂) molecules to form ozone (O₃). The brownish-colored nitrogen dioxide is partially responsible for the brown color in smoggy air; the ozone is the toxic substance that causes irritation to eyes.
Questions
- The word “poised” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. interacting
B. sitting
C. blowing
D. poisoning - The phrase “take place” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. position themselves
B. put
C. are seated
D. occur - The word “forced” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. obliged
B. required
C. pushed
D. commanded - The word “hue” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
A. color
B. odor
C. thickness
D. smoke - The phrase “plays a role in” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. makes fun of
B. serves a function in
C. acts the part of
D. moves about in