PRACTICE TEST 02

I. CLOZE TEST
Technology
"Technology" includes any machine, method or system scientific uses scientific knowledge for
practical purposes. Whether in the form of a primitive hand-held tool (1) or the latest computer,
technology gives (2) us greater control over the world around us and makes our lives easier and
happier. Without the ability (3) to invent, discover and improve, we would still be living like
cavemen, and civilisation as we know (4) it would be impossible.
Throughout history, technological progress has changed the (5) way people live. Thousands of years
(6) ago, for instance, people lived by hunting animals and gathering wild plants. In order to find food,
they had to move (7) from place to place. The gradual development of agricultural tools and farming
methods meant that people no longer had to wander in search of food, but (8) would settle in villages.
Similarly, the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s brought the invention of the steam engine and
machines (9) for manufacturing cloth and other products. This produced great social change, as
millions of people moved to the cites to work in factories.
(10) Although most technology benefits people, some inventions, (11) such as weapons of war, have
had a harmful effect on our lives. Others have been (12) both beneficial and harmful. The car, for
example, is a fast, convenient means of transport, but has also contributed greatly to the problem of
air pollution.

II. WORD FORMS

1. As a result of this conflict, he lost both his home and his means of livelihood. (LIFE)
Livelihood (n): a means of earning money in order to live (kế sinh nhai)
2. A new book claims to have proved that anti-aging moisturing creams really can help to make your
skin look younger. (AGE)
3. His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt. (AGILE)
Agility/əˈdʒɪləti/ (n): the ability to move/think fast/ quickly
Agile /ˈædʒaɪl/ (adj): able to move/ think quickly
4. He examined the parcel suspiciously as he had no idea what it would be. (SUSPECT)
Suspiciously (adv): một cách đầy hoài nghi
Parcel (n): gói hàng, bưu kiện
5. Jackie suffered as a child from a very strict upbringing. (BRING)
Upbringing (n): sự giáo dục, dạy dỗ (trẻ nhỏ)
6. Jane has succeeded in making herself indespensable to Mr. Parker. She does everything for him.
(DISPENSE)
Indespensable (adj) = essential
7. I was intimidated by Angelina’s loud and aggressive voice and so chose to remain silent throughout
the discussion. (TIMID)
Timid (adj): shy and nervous; not brave
Intimidated (adj): feeling frightened and not confident in a particular situation
8. Fishing is said to be the most popular participatory sport in the UK. (PARTICIPANT)
Participatory (adj) /pɑːˌtɪsɪˈpeɪtəri/: allowing everyone in a society, business, etc. to give their
opinions and to help make decisions (có sự tham gia)
9. “Have you got any misgiving about the corporation?” ~ “Oh, no, I’m sure it will be successful.”
(GIVE)
Misgiving (n): feelings of doubt or worry about what might happen, or about whether or not
something is the right thing to do (sự nghi ngờ, lo lắng)
10. To the couple’s expectation, the birth of their longed-for/ longed-awaited baby lighted up the
house with laughter. (LONG)
Longed-for (adj): that somebody has been wanting or hoping for very much (nhấn mạnh vào sự
khao khát)
Long-awaited (adj): that people have been waiting for for a long time (nhấn mạnh quãng thời
gian chờ đợi)
11. The air stewardess made it clear how contemptuous she was of his behavior. (CONTEMPT)
Stewardess (n): tiếp viên nữ -> air stewardess (n): tiếp viên hàng không nữ
Contempt (n): sự khinh thường/ coi thường
Contemptuous (adj) /kənˈtemptʃuəs/: feeling or showing that you have no respect for
somebody/something = scornful
12. The tourists were impressed by the _________ of the jewellery in the museum. (SPLENDID)
Splendid (adj): very impressive/ beautiful | = great
Splendour (n): grand and impressive beauty
13. The troops were thoroughly demoralised by this set-back. (MORAL)
Setback (n): a difficulty or problem that delays or prevents something, or makes a situation
worse
Demoralised (adj): having lost confidence or hope (=disheartened)
14. At schools, the teachers are _________ by the urgent needs of a large number of children
clamoring for attention, and the frequent overcrowding of classrooms. (SIEGE)
Siege (n): cuộc bao vây
-> Lay siege to something: Bao vây cái gì đó
-> Under siege: Bị bao vây hoặc bị tấn công (cả nghĩa đen lẫn bóng)
Besiege (v) = lay siege to
15. This article is about people who claim to have paranormal abilities such as mind-reading.
(NORMAL)
Paranormal (adj): that cannot be explained by science or reason and that seems to involve
mysterious forces (=supernatural)

III. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

1. I was not willing to buy the product because it was too expensive. (OFF)
 The sheer cost of the product put me off buying it.
Sheer cost: chi phí khổng lồ
Put sb off: to make somebody lose interest in or enthusiasm for something/somebody
2. We never buy things in small quantities as we would make profits. (BULK)
 With a view to making profit, we always purchase/ buy things in bulk.
With the view to: with the aim of doing sth
In bulk: in large amounts
3. We really loved to have a chance to visit the Colosseum but we couldn't. (FOOT)
 We would sooner have had a chance to set foot on/in the colosseum .
Would sooner + V + than + V → Thà làm gì hơn làm gì.
 I would sooner stay at home than go to that boring party.
Would sooner + S + V (past simple) → Muốn ai làm gì hơn (hiện tại/tương lai).
 I would sooner you told me the truth.
Would sooner + S + had + V3 → Ước một chuyện trong quá khứ đã khác đi.
 I would sooner you had told me earlier.
Set foot on/in: to go to a place
4. The committee had a long discussion but they could not make up their mind. (REACH)
 Lengthy as/though their discussion was/might be, the committe could not reach any/a decision .
5. He decided to become the boss of a small company instead of working for a multinational
company. (FISH)
 In preference to working for a multinational company, he decided to become a big fish in a
small pond .
In preference to N/V_ing = instead of
A big fish (in a small pond): an important person (in a small community)
6. You could be in trouble for not giving a breath sample to the police. (HOT)
 On refusal to give a breath sample to the police, you could be in hot water .
On refusal of N/V_ing: bị từ chối
On refusal to V: từ chối
Be in/ get into hot water: get into trouble
7. We certainly will win if we exchange ideas with each other. (HEADS)
 We are bound to win if we put our heads together.
 Be bound to = certainly happen
Put our heads together: to think about or discuss something as a group
8. If anyone succeeds in solving the problem, it will probably be him. (SPOT)
 He stands stands a (good) chance solving the problem on the spot .
Stand a (good) chance: to have the possibility of succeeding or achieving something
On the spot: ngay lập tức/ bị đặt vào tình huống khó xử
9. It was not surprising when my parents were furious with my getting a tattoo. (ARMS)
 It came as no surprise that my parents were up in arms about my getting a tattoo.
Up in arms about: very angry about sth
10. He is famous for his vast knowledge of primitive religion. (AUTHORITY)
 He is an authority on primitive religion.
Be an authority on sth: chuyên gia, người có thẩm quyền, am hiểu sâu sắc về một lĩnh vực nào
đó
11. At this moment, I only have time to think about with my university thesis (PREOCCUPIED)
 At this moment, I am preoccupied with my university thesis .
Be preoccupied with: bận tâm, lo lắng về điều gì
12. He didn't smoke a cigarette when he almost gave up smoking. (CLOSE)
 Not once did he smoke a cigarette when he was close to giving up smoking.
Close to V_ing: gần như đã làm gì đó
Not once = never
13. She just pretended to welcome him then quickly left the waiting room. (MOTIONS)
 She just went through the motions of welcoming him, then quickly left the waiting room .
go through the motions (of doing something): to do or say something because you have to, not
because you really want to
14. We should not continue the experiments because we have encountered serious problems. (HALT)
 We should not continue the experiments because of the serious problems we have come up
against.
Come up against: đối mặt với
15. She decided to have five bowls of rice because she was hungry. (MUNCHIES)
 Having the munchies, she decided to have five bowls of rice.
The munchies (n): a sudden strong desire for food
16. The lack of money hinders the progress of our plan. (MILITATES)
 The lack of money militates against the progress of our plan .
Militate against = hinder
17. It is easy to find faults in his arguments. (HOLES)
 It is easy to pick holes in his arguments .
Pick holes in: to find the weak points in something such as a plan, suggestion, etc.
18. I cannot understand the theory of relativity. (KEN)
 The theory of relaticity is beyond my ken.
Beyond one’s ken: something is outside of someone's knowledge, understanding, or awareness
19. I only called the police when I had tried everything else. (RESORT)
 I only called the police as a last resort .
A last resort: the final option or solution when all other attempts have failed
20. Since she left me, I've been leading a boring life. (VEGETABLE)
 Since she left me, I become a vegetable .
Vegetable (n): a person who has a boring life
21. He was finally able to adjust himself to the new working condition. (SWING)
 He finally got into the swing of the new working condition.
Get in/into the swing (of sth): to get used to an activity or a situation and become fully
involved in it
22. The handling of the matter has been heavily criticized by the press. (SCORN)
 The press has poured scorn on the handling of the matter.
pour/heap scorn on sb/sth: to speak about somebody/something in a way that shows that you
do not respect them or have a good opinion of them
23. In the end we were able to communicate with sign language. (MESSAGE)
  In the end we were able to get our message across using sign language .
Get one’s message across: to make sb understand
24. You should learn how to haggle at markets or you'll waste much money. (RIPPED)
 Learning to haggle at markets will prevent you from getting ripped off .
Rip off: to cheat somebody, by making them pay too much, by selling them something of poor
quality, etc.
25. Don't criticize your child for their homework. (TRIP)
 Don’t lay a guilt trip on your children about their homework .
Lay/ Put a guilt trip on sb: to try to make (someone) feel bad or sorry

IV. READING
Reading 1
An invention to dye for: the colour purple
A 19th century research chemist was trying to make medicine when, instead, he came up with a
coloured that has ensured the world is a brighter place.
A Of all the colours, purple has perhaps the most powerful connotations. From the earliest cultures to
the present day, people have sought to harness its visual power to mark themselves out as better than
those around them. From bishops to kings, pop stars to fashion models, its wearing has been a
calculated act of showing off. In ancient Rome, for example, purple was such a revered colour that
only the emperor was allowed to wear it. Indeed, anemperor who was referred to as porphyrogenitus,
(‘born to the purple’) was especially important, since this meant that he had inherited his position
through family connections rather thanseizing power through military force.

B But why purple? At that time, purple dye was an expensive substance produced in acomplicated,
foul-smelling and time-consuming process. This involved boiling thousands of molluscs in water in
order to harvest their glandular juices. The technique had originally been developed by the
Phoenicians over a thousand years previously, and it hadn’t changed since. Cheaper but poorer quality
purple dyes could be made from lichens using an equally messy and unpleasant procedure, but they
were not as bright, and the colour quickly faded. It was no surprise, therefor, that good purple dye
wasa rare and precious thing, and clothes dyed purple were beyond the financial means of most
people.

C However, times have changed. In the great consumer democracy of the 21st century, even the most
humble citizen can choose it as the colour of their latest outfit. For that privilege, we must thank a
young 19th century research chemist, William Perkin. A talented 15-year-old when he entered the
Royal College of Chemistry in London in 1853, Perkin was immediately appointed as laboratory
assistant to his tutor, August Wilhelm von Hofmann. He became determined to prove Hofmann’s
claim that quinine, a drug used to treat fevers such as malaria, could be synthesised in a laboratory.
However, rather than the cure desperately needed for people dying from malaria in tropical countries,
he produced little more than a black, sticky mess that turned purple when dissolved in industrial
alcohol. Perkin’s experiments couldhave been a complete waste of time, but to his surprise and,
ultimately, financial benefit, his purple liquid turned out to be a long-lasting dye that was to transform
fashion.

D Perkin repeated his experiments in an improvised laboratory in his garden shed, perfecting the
process for making the substance he had called mauveine after the French mallow plant. It was, says
Simon Garfi eld, the author of Mauve which details Perkin’s life and work, an astonishing
breakthrough. ‘Once you could do that you could make colour ina factory from chemicals rather than
insects or plants. It opened up the prospect of mass-produced artificial dyes and made Perkin one of
the first scientists to bridge the gap between pure chemistry and its industrial applications.’
It didn’t take long for the chemist, still only 18, to capitalise on his creation, patenting the product,
convincing his father and brother to back it with savings, and finding a manufacturer who could help
him bring it rapidly to the market. The buying public loved it, and clothes coloured with purple started
appearing in shops up and down the country.Appropriately, considering the origins of Perkins’ colour,
he was to receive a helping handfrom the two most important women of the day. Queen Victoria
caused a sensation when she stepped out at the Royal Exhibition in 1862 wearing a silk gown dyed
with mauveine. In Paris, Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, amazed the court when she was seen
wearing it. To propel the scientist further on the way to a great fortune, the fashion of the time was for
broad skirts that, happily for him, needed a lot of his revolutionary new dye.

E Perkins, ever the serious scientist, would have been among the first to point out that his mauve is
just one of a range of colours described in everyday language as purple. Not itself a true colour of the
spectrum – that position is given to indigo and violet – purple normally refers to those colours which
inhabit the limits of humanperception in the area between red and violet. Newton excluded the colour
from his colour wheel. Scientists today talk about the ‘line of purples’ which include violet, mauve,
magenta, indigo and lilac.

F In the alternative medical practice of colour therapy, which practitioners say can trace its origins
back to ancient India, the ‘purple range’ colours of indigo and violet are vital. They refer to spiritual
energy centres known as chakras and are situated in the head. The colours and their ‘medical’
qualities were first officially listedby the Swiss scientist Dr Max Luscher, who said that appropriately
coloured lights, applied to specific chakras, could treat ailments from depression to grief. Julia Kubler
is one of Britain’s leading colour therapists and has been using colours to treat patients at her clinic at
Manningtree, Essex, for 15 years. Purple, she says, ‘is consistent with intuition and higher
understanding, with spirituality and meditation. It combines the coolness of blue with a bit of red that
makes it not just passive but active.’It is hardly the most outlandish of claims for this most enigmatic
of colours. Variously touted as the colour of everything from insanity to equality, it is enjoying a new
role as the symbol of political compromise. Purple may have had its origins in the ancient world, but
thanks to a young chemist, it still has a brilliant future.

i. From the laboratory to the High Street

ii. Seeking royal support
1. Section A: _______
iii. An unexpected but fortunate side result
2. Section B: _______
iv. The healing power of purple
3. Section C: _______
v. An old problem
4. Section D: _______
vi. Standing out from the crowd
5. Section E: _______
vii. Finding an alternative cure for a common illness
6. Section F: _______
viii. Part of a larger family
ix. An acient manufacturing practice

Question 1-6: Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below

Question 7-10: Choose TWO letters, A-E

Question 7-8: What TWO points does the writer make about the colour purple and purple dye before
William Perkin’s creation?
A. It was only used to colour clothes
B. It was originally produced for Roman emporors.
C. It was not easy to make
D. There were many different techniques used to make it
E. Some purple dyes were inferior to others
Question 9-10: What TWO things about Willim Perkin are true, according to the passage?
A. He taught Chemistry at a college in London
B. He belived that quinine could be artificially produced
C. He extracted the substance for his dye from a common plant
D. He quickly relised the financial benefits of his new creation
E. He set a new fashion trend for large skirts
Question 11-14: Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
the passage for each answer
The purple range pf colours plays an essential role in colour therapy, a form of (11) _____________.
Colour therapy is said to have originated many years ago in (12) ____________ and still used by
colour therapists such as Julia Kubler, who uses it to (13) ____________ with various health issues.
According to Kubler, purple (14) ________ aspects of two colours, making it both active and passive.

Reading 2
Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph
which you do not need to use.
The Do-gooders
In the last decades of the 18th century, the losers seriously outnumbered the winners. Those who were
fortunate enough to occupy the upper levels of society, celebrated their good fortune by living a
hedonistic life of gambling, parties and alcohol. It was their moral right, they felt, to exploit the weak
and the poor. Few of them thought their lives should change, even fewer believed it could.
15. ______
But the decisive turning point for moral reform was the French revolution. John Bowlder, a popular
moralist of the time, blamed the destruction of French society on a moral crisis. Edmund Burke, a
Whig statesman agreed. 'When your fountain is choked up and polluted,' he wrote, 'the stream will not
run long or clear.' If the English society did not reform, ruin would surely follow.
16. ______
Englishmen were deeply afraid that the immorality of France would invade England. Taking
advantage of this, Burke was able to gain considerable support by insisting that the French did not
have the moral qualifications to be a civilised nation. He pronounced 'Better this island should be
sunk to the bottom of the sea that than... it should not be a country of religion and morals.'
17. ______
Sobering though these messages were, the aristocracy of the time was open to such reforms, not least
due to fear. France's attempt to destroy their nobility did much to encourage the upper classes to
examine and re-evaluate their own behaviour. Added to this was the arrival of French noble émigrés
to British shores. As these people were dependant on the charity of the British aristocracy, it became
paramount to amend morals and suppress all vices in order to uphold the state.
18. ______
Whether the vices of the rich and titled stopped or were merely cloaked is open to question. But it is
clear that by the turn of the century, a more circumspect society had emerged. Styles of dress became
more moderate, and the former adornments of swords, buckles and powdered hair were no longer
seen. There was a profusion of moral didactic literature available. Public hangings ceased and riots
became much rarer.
19. ______
One such person was Thomas Wackley who in 1823 founded a medical journal called 'the Lancet'. At
this time, Medicine was still a profession reserved for the rich, and access to knowledge was
impossible for the common man. The Lancet shone a bright light on the questionable practices
undertaken in medicine and particularly in surgery, and finally led to improved standards of care.
20. ______

How though did changes at the top affect the people at the bottom of the societal hierarchy? Not all
reformers concerned themselves which changes at the authoritative and governmental levels. Others
concentrated on improving the lives and morals of the poor. In the midst of the industrial revolution,
the poorest in society were in dire straits. Many lived in slums and sanitation was poor. No-one
wanted the responsibility of improvement.
21. ______
Could local authorities impose such measures today? Probably not. Even so, the legacy of the moral
reform of the late 1800s and 1900s lives on today. Because of it, the British have come to expect a
system which is competent, fair to all and free from corruption. Nowadays everyone has a right to a
home, access to education, and protection at work and in hospital. This is all down to the men and
women who did not just observe society's ills from a distance, but who dared to take steps to change
it.
A But a moral makeover was on the horizon, and one of the first people to promote it was William
Wilberforce, better known for his efforts in abolishing the slave trade. Writing to a friend, Lord
Muncaster, he stated that 'the universal corruption and profligacy of the times...taking its rise amongst
the rich and luxurious has now ... spread its destructive poison through the whole body of the people.'

B But one woman, Octavia Hill, was willing to step up to the mark. Hill, despite serious opposition
by the men who still dominated English society, succeeded in opening a number of housing facilities
for the poor. But, recognising the weaknesses of a charity-dependent culture, Hill enforced high moral
standards, strict measures in hygiene and cleanliness upon her tenants, and, in order to promote a
culture of industry, made them work for any financial handouts.

C At first, moralists did not look for some tangible end to moral behaviour. They concerned
themselves with the spiritual salvation of the rich and titled members of society, believing that the
moral tone set by the higher ranks would influence the lower orders. For example, Samuel Parr,
preaching at London's St Paul's Cathedral, said 'If the rich man...abandons himself to sloth and all the
vices which sloth generates, he corrupts by his example. He permits...his immediate attendants to be,
like him, idle and profligate.'

D In time, the fervour for improved morals strayed beyond personal behaviour and towards a new
governance. People called for a tightening of existing laws which had formerly been enforced only
laxly. Gambling, duelling, swearing, prostitution, pornography and adultery laws were more strictly
upheld to the extent that several fashionable ladies were fined fifty pounds each for gambling in a
private residence.

E So far, however, circumspection in the upper classes had done little to improve the lives of those in
the lower classes. But that was to change. Against a backdrop of the moral high ground, faults in the
system started to stand out. One by one, people started to question the morality of those in authority.

F The attitudes of the upper classes became increasingly critical during the latter part of the
eighteenth century. In 1768, the Lord of the Treasury was perfectly at ease to introduce his mistress to
the Queen, but a generation later, such behaviour would have been unacceptable. Such attitudes are
also seen in the diaries of Samuel Pepys, who, in 1793 rambles without criticism about his peer's
many mistresses. A few years later, his tone had become infinitely more critical.

G Similar developments occurred in the Civil Service. Civil servants were generally employed as a
result of nepotism or acquaintance, and more often than not took advantage of their power to provide
for themselves at the expense of the public. Charles Trevelyan, an official at the London Treasury,
realised the weaknesses in the system and proposed that all civil servants were employed as a result of
entrance examinations, thus creating a system which was politically independent and consisted of
people who were genuinely able to do the job.

H These prophecies roused a little agitation when first published in 1790. But it was the events in
1792-93 which shocked England into action. Over in France, insurrection had led to war and
massacre. The King and Queen had been tried and executed. France was now regarded as completely
immoral and uncivilized, a country where vice and irreligion reigned.

V. LISTENING
Listen and complete the summary with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS in each space.
Why is yawning so contagious?
There are three (1)_______ under research: two (2)________ and one psychological. The first
suggests that yawning is triggered by a (3)________ : an initial yawn, and it is called (4)______
pattern. It is similar to a (5)_______ effect. The second is known as the (6)________ effect. It states
that people imitate each other’s behaviour without knowing it. This behaviour might be possible due
to (7)________ which are also important for learning. The third one is called the (8)_________ .
Scientists set up an experiment to prove that (9)________ would yawn at the sound of yawning and
they also discovered that we yawn more frequently at the yawns of (10)______ rather than strangers.