ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI PRACTICE TEST

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

TIẾNG ANH B1
Ngày thi: / /202

BÀI THI: ĐỌC HIỂU

Thời gian làm bài: 45 phút

Directions: In this section of the test, you will read THREE different passages, each followed by 10
questions about it. For question 1-30, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or D, to each question.
Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill the space that corresponds to the
letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all questions following a passage on the basis of what is
stated or implied in that passage.
You have 45 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your answers to the
answer sheet.
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 15 minutes on Questions 1-10, which are based on Reading Passage 1.
Line American music, in most of its various forms, can be traced back to the
music of the earliest African-Americans. Even though these Americans came here
under the worst of circumstances, they still brought with them traditions, and
developed new traditions of their own, that have grown into what is recognized
5 around the world today as American music.
Musicians, like other artists, are usually quick to give credit where credit is
due. Just as a writer quotes his sources, a musician credits those musicians who
inspired him. In the case of the early African-Americans, that is not always easy.
Many of the slaves who brought musical traditions from Africa will never be known
10 by name. No one wrote their history. Many of the slaves who sang work songs in the
fields will never be known by name. No one wrote their history either.
However, there is a lot that we do know.
The first well-recognized form of African-American music was spirituals.
Spirituals are religious songs. They are songs that tell a story or express emotions.
15 Spirituals have a strong rhythm. They are often sung by a group, sometimes with a
leader who sings a line or two alone and a chorus that sings the refrain. Spirituals
originated in the Southern United States. Spirituals sung by slaves often expressed
the hope for freedom that was so important in their lives. Well know spirituals
include "Go Down Moses," "Deep River," and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot."
20 After slavery ended, spirituals began to spread to other parts of the United
States. Harry Thacker Burleigh was one of the first singers to perform spirituals on
stage in a concert. Marian Anderson, well known for her classical singing, helped
spirituals to gain a wider audience too. Spirituals influenced the development of
another well-known form of American music - the blues.
25 The blues were a more individual style of music than spirituals. Blues were
often sung solo, and sometimes they were accompanied by guitar music. As the
name suggests, the blues were often about sadness and facing troubles. However,
the blues could also be funny, positive, and even defiant. One blues singer, loved for
her strong, beautiful voice, was Bessie Smith. Another early blues musician was W.
30 C. Handy. Handy was not only a musician, he also wrote music, promoted concerts,
and published blues songs.
During the time that the blues were spreading across the country, another
style of music was also quickly gaining in popularity. Ragtime was energetic music
with a complicated, syncopated beat. Often played on the piano, ragtime was the
35 latest and most sophisticated in American popular music. The best-known ragtime
musician was probably Scott Joplin, who wrote many hit ragtime pieces for the
piano including "Maple Leaf Rag."
Eventually, elements from all of these forms of music and more came back
together. In their own kind of melting pot, African rhythms, slave work songs,
40 spirituals, blues, ragtime, and other influences recombined to form the beginnings of
that truly American art form - jazz. In the late 1800’s jazz was just beginning, but
not long after the turn of the century, it would be the most popular American music.
It would go on from there to worldwide popularity. Jazz would branch out into
many forms, and it would influence future styles of American music.
45 Many musicians today credit earlier musicians such as Scott Joplin or Bessie
Smith with inspiring their music. It’s a shame that they can’t also name the earliest
African-Americans who really began the traditions that led to the American music
of today.

1. According to the passage, who introduced the early form of American music?
A. American natives
B. Harry Thacker Burleigh
C. Slaves from Africa
D. People from the South of the United States
2. According to the passage, why is it easy to forget the people who first brought musical tradition
to America?
A. Because slaves were not considered as proper persons thus nobody cared to record their lives
B. Because singers like Anderson and Burleigh were more famous than earlier artists
C. Because new traditions brought by foreigners were not welcomed in the United States during
that time
D. Because their history was so long that few people can remember about them
3. Which has the closest in meaning to the phrase “give credit where credit is due” in line 6-7?
A. Pay off the debt before it is out of date
B. Believe in someone because of his reputation
C. Give money to people who deserve the money
D. Acknowledge someone’s contribution because he deserves it
4. Which type of music is often involved with piano accompaniment?
A. Spirituals B. Ragtime C. Blues D. Jazz
5. What is NOT true when talking about blues?
A. They could be amusing and optimistic.
B. A well-known blues musician was Scott Joplin.
C. They gained popularity near the time ragtime became popular.
D. They were a more individual style of music than spirituals.
6. When did jazz become the most popular American music?
A. Sometime in the early 20th century
B. When elements from other American music combined
C. After the hit “maple leaf rag” was written
D. In the late 1800s
7. Scott Joplin and Bessie Smith were _____.
A. famous ragtime musicians
B. people who really began the American musical traditions
C. artists who inspired many musicians today
D. songwriters who wrote blues songs
8. What is the closest meaning to the word “chorus” used in line 16?
A. A group of singers that sing together
B. The main part of a song
 C. An accompanying singer
D. None of the above
9. The word “they” in line 46 refers to _____.
A. today’s musicians
B. Scott Joplin and Bessie Smith
C. the musicians’ music
D. the names of the earliest African-American singers
10. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Today’s style of American music is mostly influenced by African-rooted songs.
B. It is hard to exactly recognize the people who started the American musical tradition.
C. Spirituals, blues and ragtime are the major components that formed jazz.
D. American’s musical history was built by several famous musicians.

READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 15 minutes on Questions 11-20, which are based on Reading Passage 2
Line There are more than 14 million businesses in the United States. They are
divided into three categories: proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations.
A proprietorship is a business owned by one person. This person pays all the
money needed to run the business. He or she earns money if the business has a
5 profit. However, the person loses money if the business has a deficit. A
proprietorship is usually a small business, like a store or restaurant. It does not have
to pay the government any extra money for tax.
A partnership is a business owned by more than one person. All partners give
money to the business. Those who give more money own more of it. Those who
10 give less money own less. The people who give more money get a larger share of
the profits. Each partner only pays tax on his or her profits.
A corporation is a business owned by many people. Each owner buys small
units of the corporation. Two examples are Coca-Cola and Microsoft. In a
corporation, the people divide the ownership into shares of stock. (A) Stock prices
15 increase if the business does well. They decrease if the business does poorly. The
stockholders vote for directors to run the business. Anyone can buy a corporation’s
stocks. (B) Almost 30 million Americans own stock. Most of these people own a
small number of stocks in large corporations.
(C) People buy stocks and hope to sell them when the price rises. (D) People
20 with stocks can also make money by receiving dividends. A dividend is the
stockholder’s part of the company profits. It is usually paid four times a year.
Corporations are treated differently than proprietorships or partnerships. A
corporation can buy land, save money, and make contracts. The state government
watches corporations. The government also taxes its profits at a higher rate than
25 other businesses. Corporations can get new money quickly by selling more stock. In
general, corporations are not as personal as proprietorships or partnerships.
However, they are more secure and can make greater profits.

11. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “categories” as used in line 2?
A. areas B. boxes C. types D. ideas
12. In line 15, the word “They” refers to ________.
A. Businesses B. People C. Shareholders D. Share prices
13. Which is true of corporations?
A. They are owned by one person.
B. They pay higher taxes than proprietorships and partnerships.
C. They cannot get new money very quickly.
 D. They are usually small businesses.
14. The word “company” as used in line 21 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. stocks B. corporation C. dividend D. tax
15. Based on the information in paragraph 4, what can be inferred about buying stocks?
A. You will make a lot of money.
B. Stocks are easy to buy.
C. You could lose money.
D. Corporations always pay dividends.
16. How is corporation different from a partnership?
A. Corporations are owned by more than one person.
B. Corporations can make money or lose money.
C. Corporations can be big or small.
D. A corporation’s owners do not run the business.
17. All of the following are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT ________.
A. the number of businesses in the US
B. the number of stock owners in the US
C. the number of business categories in the US
D. the number of corporations in the US
18. The purpose of this passage is to ________.
A. explain different kinds of US businesses
B. explain the US system of stocks
C. explain why there are more than 14 million US businesses
D. explain why corporations are better than proprietorships and partnerships
19. It can be inferred from the passage that a profit means ________.
A. a business earns more money than it spends
B. a business spends more money than it earns
C. a business spends the same amount of money that it earns
D. a business sells shares of stocks

20. In which space (marked A, B, C and D in the passage) will the following sentence fit?
The sale value of stock depends on the health of the business.
A. (A) B. (B) C. (C) D. (D)

READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 15 minutes on Questions 21-30, which are based on Reading Passage 3

Line The transition from forest to treeless tundra on a mountain slope is often
a dramatic one. Within a vertical distance of just a few tens of meters, trees
 disappear as a life-form and are replaced by low shrubs, herbs, and grasses. This
rapid zone of transition is called the upper timberline or tree line. In many semiarid
5 areas there is also a lower timberline where the forest passes into steppe or desert at
its lower edge, usually because of a lack of moisture.
The upper timberline, like the snow line, is highest in the tropics and lowest
in the Polar Regions. It ranges from sea level in the Polar Regions to 4,500 meters in
the dry subtropics and 3,500-4,500 meters in the moist tropics. Timberline trees are
10 normally evergreens, suggesting that these have some advantage over deciduous
trees (those that lose their leaves) in the extreme environments of the upper
timberline. There are some areas, however, where broadleaf deciduous trees form
the timberline. Species of birch, for example, may occur at the timberline in parts of
the Himalayas.
15 At the upper timberline the trees begin to become twisted and deformed.
This is particularly true for trees in the middle and upper latitudes, which tend to
attain greater heights on ridges, whereas in the tropics the trees reach their greater
heights in the valleys. This is because middle- and upper- latitude timberlines are
strongly influenced by the duration and depth of the snow cover. As the snow is
20 deeper and lasts longer in the valleys, trees tend to attain greater heights on the
ridges, even though they are more exposed to high-velocity winds and poor, thin
soils there. In the tropics, the valleys appear to be more favorable because they are
less prone to dry out, they have less frost, and they have deeper soils.
There is still no universally agreed-on explanation for why there should be
25 such a dramatic cessation of tree growth at the upper timberline. Various
environmental factors may play a role. Too much snow, for example, can smother
trees, and avalanches and snow creep can damage or destroy them. Late-lying snow
reduces the effective growing season to the point where seedlings cannot establish
themselves. Wind velocity also increases with altitude and may cause serious
30 stress for trees, as is made evident by the deformed shapes at high altitudes.
Some scientists have proposed that the presence of increasing levels of ultraviolet
light with elevation may play a role, while browsing and grazing animals like the
ibex may be another contributing factor. Probably the most important environmental
factor is temperature, for if the growing season is too short and temperatures are too
35 low, tree shoots and buds cannot mature sufficiently to survive the winter months.
Above the tree line there is a zone that is generally called alpine tundra. (A)
Immediately adjacent to the timberline, the tundra consists of a fairly complete
cover of low-lying shrubs, herbs, and grasses, while higher up the number and
diversity of species decrease until there is much bare ground with occasional mosses
and lichens and some prostrate cushion plants. (B) Some plants can even survive in
40 favorable microhabitats above the snow line. The highest plants in the world occur
at around 6,100 meters on Makalu in the Himalayas. (C) At this great height, rocks,
warmed by the sun, melt small snowdrifts. (D)
The most striking characteristic of the plants of the alpine zone is their low
growth form. This enables them to avoid the worst rigors of high winds and permits
45 them to make use of the higher temperatures immediately adjacent to the ground
surface. In an area where low temperatures are limiting to life, the importance of the
additional heat near the surface is crucial. The low growth form can also permit the
plants to take advantage of the insulation provided by a winter snow cover. In the
equatorial mountains the low growth form is less prevalent.

21. The word “dramatic” in line 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A. gradual B. complex C. visible D. striking
22. Where is the lower timberline mentioned in paragraph 1 likely to be found?
A. In an area that has little water
B. In an area that has little sunlight
C. Above a transition area
D. On a mountain that has on upper timberline
23. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 1 about both the upper and lower
timberlines?
A. Both are treeless zones.
B. Both mark forest boundaries.
C. Both are surrounded by desert areas.
D. Both suffer from a lack of moisture.
24. Paragraph 2 supports which of the following statements about deciduous trees?
A. They cannot grow in cold climates.
B. They do not exist at the upper timberline.
C. They are less likely than evergreens to survive at the upper timberline.
D. They do not require as much moisture as evergreens do.
25. The word “attain” in line 17 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. require B. resist C. achieve D. endure
26. The word “they” in line 21 refers to ________.
A. valleys B. trees C. heights D. ridges
27. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is true of trees in the middle and upper
latitudes?
A. Tree growth is negatively affected by the snow cover in valleys
B. Tree growth is greater in valleys than on ridges.
C. Tree growth on ridges is not affected by high-velocity winds.
D. Tree growth lasts longer in those latitudes than it does in the tropics.
28. What does the author mean by saying this:
Wind velocity also increases with altitude and may cause serious stress for trees, as is made evident by
the deformed shapes at high altitudes.
A. Because of their deformed shapes at high altitudes, trees are not likely to be seriously
harmed by the strong winds typical of those altitudes.
B. As altitude increases, the velocity of winds increases, leading to a serious decrease in the
number of trees found at high altitudes.
C. The deformed shapes of trees at high altitudes show that wind velocity, which increases
with altitude, can cause serious hardship for trees.
D. Increased wind velocity at high altitudes deforms the shapes of trees, and this may cause
serious stress for trees.
29. According to paragraph 6, all of the following statements are true of plants in the alpine zone
EXCEPT:
A. Because they are low, they are less exposed to strong winds.
B. Because they are low, the winter snow cover gives them more protection from the extreme
cold.
C. In the equatorial mountains, they tend to be lower than in mountains elsewhere.
D. Their low growth form keeps them closer to the ground, where there is more heat than
further up.
30. In which space (marked A, B, C and D in the passage) will the following sentence fit?
This explains how, for example, alpine cushion plants have been found growing at an altitude of 6,180
meters.
A. (A) B. (B) C. (C) D. (D)