Luyện thi Đại học phần đọc hiểu Tiếng anh lớp 12 - Năm học 2014-2015

Luyện Đọc Hiểu Thi Đại Học 2014-2015 Ngân Phương Vy 1 
LUYỆN THI ĐẠI HỌC 2014-2015 
BÀI ĐỌC HIỂU 
PASSAGE 1 
THE FAMOUS CUP 
 It's only 36 centimeters tall, but to fans throughout the world, it represents the highest achievement in football. Every four 
years, teams from all over the globe compete to take home the FIFA World Cup Trophy, yet nobody ever does. 
 Do you know why? Nobody ever takes it home because the 18-carat gold trophy is kept under lock and key by FIFA 
(Federation Internationale de Football Association). The champions of each World Cup tournament receive only a replica. 
This is to protect the valuable prize from thieves, who have stolen the World Cup trophy twice in its 75-year history. 
 The little trophy has certainly had a troubled existence. The original trophy was made by a French sculptor, Abel LaFleur, 
and was called the "Jules Rimet Cup," in honor of the founder of the World Cup tournament. Sometime during the first three 
World Cup events (1930, '34 and '38), the name changed to simply the "World Cup." Then during World War II, not much 
was seen or heard of the trophy. It was being kept hidden in a shoe box under the bed of Dr. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian 
vice-president of FIFA, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Nazi army. 
 Although the trophy made it safely through the war, it didn't fare so well during the turbulent 1960s. In 1966, the Cup was 
stolen during a public showing of the trophy prior to the World Cup tournament in England. Luckily, it was found a short 
time later none the worse for wear in a trash container, by a little dog named Pickles. 
 Four years later, Brazil earned permanent possession of the original trophy by winning its third World Cup title. 
Unfortunately, the trophy was stolen a second time, in 1983, and was never recovered. The Brazilian Football Association 
had to have a duplicate trophy made. 
 After the first trophy became the possession of Brazil's football association, a new World Cup Trophy for FIFA was 
designed by an Italian artist, Silvio Gazazniga, in 1974. This trophy cannot be won outright, but remains in the possession of 
FIFA, and rest assured they are keeping a close eye on it. Today, World Cup winners are awarded a replica of the trophy that 
is gold-plated, rather than solid gold like the real one. 
 Gazazniga's World Cup trophy weighs almost five kilograms. Its base contains two layers of a semi-precious stone called 
malachite, and has room for 17 small plaques bearing the names of the winning teams -enough space to honor all the World 
Cup champions up to the year 2038. After that, a new trophy will have to be made. 
1. This reading is mainly about 
 A. the World Cup tournament C. the World Cup trophy 
 B. thieves D. World Cup stars 
2. Which question is NOT answered in the reading? 
 A. How much does the World Cup trophy weigh? B. Who made the first trophy? 
 C. Where did the police find the stolen trophy? D. How much money is the trophy worth? 
3. The first trophy was named the "Jules Rimet Cup" because Rimet.. 
 A. made the trophy B. was a famous player 
 C. scored the final goal in 1930 D. came up with the idea of the World Cup 
4. Which is true about Gazazniga's World Cup trophy? 
 A. It is made of gold and silver. B. It is a replica of the first trophy. 
 C. It is in a museum in Brazil D. It will only be used until 2038. 
5. In which year did Brazil win the World Cup championship for the third time? 
 A. 1970 B. 1974 C. 1986 D. 2002 
GLOSSARY 1 
 - trophy chiếc cúp (làm giài thưởng) 
 - 18-carat gold vàng 18 ca-ra 
 - to be kept under lock and key được cất giữ cẩn thận 
 - FIFA [Federation Internationale de Football Association] 
 Liên đoàn Quốc tế Các Hiệp Hội Bóng Đá 
 - replica bản sao 
 - troubled (adj) nhiều rắc rối 
 - sculptor nhà điêu khắc 
 - founder người sáng lập 
 - vice-president phó chủ tịch 
 - Nazi Đức Quốc Xã 
 - to make it safely through the war: an toàn qua được cuộc chiến tranh 
 - to fare well tiến triển tốt đẹp, ăn nên làm ra 
 - turbulent (adj) nhiều biến động 
Luyện Đọc Hiểu Thi Đại Học 2014-2015 Ngân Phương Vy 2 
PASSAGE 2 
GOAL: ENDING CHILD LABOR 
 Carefully guiding a needle that's longer than his tiny fingers, a young boy in Pakistan stitches together the leather pieces of 
a soccer ball. He sits crouched in the corner of a hot, airless shed for 12 hours. For his long day's work, he will earn 60 cents. 
 The boy is one of more than 200 million children who work at hard, sometimes dangerous jobs all over the world. Child 
labor exists in two-thirds of the world's nations. From Indonesia to Guatemala, poor children as young as six are sent off to 
work. Often they are mistreated and punished for not working hard enough. Children mix the gunpowder for firecrackers in 
China and knot the threads for carpets in India, all for pennies a day. Sometimes they are sold as slaves. 
 In a speech to the Child Labor Coalition when he was U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich expressed gratitude for the 
organization's work to end abuse of child labor, "You turned up the heat, and you got results." He also congratulated Craig 
Kielburger, then 13, of Canada, who traveled the world for a year fighting for kids' rights. Craig believes kids can make a 
difference. He offers this advice, "Write letters to companies and government officials. Put pressure on leaders to make 
changes and to stop the misuse of children." 
 One solution to the child-labor problem in poor countries is education. "The future of these countries," Secretary Reich 
declared, "depends on a work force that is educated. We are prepared to help build schools." 
 Education has helped to make the world a brighter place for one youth, Aghan of India. When he was nine, Aghan was 
kidnapped from his home and sold to a carpet maker. Aghan's boss was very cruel. "I was always crying for my mother," he 
recalls. Aghan's dream was to learn to write so that he could send letters to his parents. Fortunately, a group that opposes 
child labor rescued Aghan from the factory. He was sent to a shelter in New Delhi where he worked hard to learn to write. 
1. What is an example of dangerous work done by a child? 
 A. stitching a soccer ball B. knotting carpet threads 
 C. mixing gunpowder D. none of the above 
2. When young children are forced to work, 
 A. they never see their families. B. they work but never get paid. 
 C. they are punished if they do not work hard. D. they are always sold as slaves. 
3. Child labor is most common in.. 
 A. countries that make firecrackers. 
 B. poor countries. 
 C. countries that have slaverv. 
 D. countries that make carpets. 
4. The children who work are often.. . 
 A. treated well 
 B. paid generously 
 C. misused 
 D. all of the above 
5. When children are used to work for unfair wages in poor working conditions, it is best described as .. 
 A. an abuse of working children. 
 B. hard work. 
 C. a poor working environment. 
 D. unfair labor practices. 
6. According to the article, children who work under poor conditions, . 
 A. start to work only after age 13. 
 B. start to work only after age 12. 
 C. make only 60 cents an hour. 
 D. may make only 60 cents a day. 
7. According to the article, what is the best way to keep many children from falling victim to the abuse of child labor in the 
future? 
 A. Help poor countries educate their children. 
 B. Refuse to buy products made in countries that abuse child labor. 
 C. Rescue each child. 
 D. none of the above 
8. Why do families allow young children to go to work? 
 A. They don't know how bad it is. 
 B. The grownups don't want to work. 
 C. The families are very poor and need the income. 
 D. The children are paid a lot of money. 
9. How do you know Aghan was not happy making carpets away from his family? 
 A. He dreamed of learning to write. 
 B. He was rescued. 
 C. He cried for his mother. 
 D. He lives in a shelter. 
Luyện Đọc Hiểu Thi Đại Học 2014-2015 Ngân Phương Vy 3 
10. In New Delhi, Aghan 
 A. worked for a group that is opposed to child labor. 
 B. received an education. 
 C. lived with his family. 
 D. made carpets. 
GLOSSARY 2 
 - child labor tình trạng lao động trẻ em 
 - to stitch khâu bằng kirn 
 - leather da thuộc 
 - crouched (adj) lom khom, cúi gập người 
 - airless (adj) thiếu không khí, ngột ngạat 
 - shed nhà kho 
 - to mistreat sb ngược đãi ai 
 - gunpowder thuốc súng 
 - firecrackers pháo 
 - to knot the threads thắt gút các sợi chỉ 
 - carpet tấm thảm 
 - slave nô lệ 
 - Child Labor Coalition Liên Minh Chống Lao Động Trẻ Em 
 - Secretary of Labor Bộ Trưởng Lao Động Mỹ 
 - gratitude lòng biết ơn 
 - abuse sự lạm dụng 
 - to congratulate chúc mừng 
 - to fight for kids' rights đấu tranh cho quyền của trẻ em 
 - to put pressure on sb gây sức ép đối với ai 
 - to misuse sử dụng sai mục đích 
 - work force lực lượng lao động 
 - to kidnap bắt cóc 
 - cruel (adj) độc ác 
 - to oppose sth chống lại cái gi 
 - to rescue giải cứu 
 - shelter chỗ ở, chỗ trú thân 
PASSAGE 3 
 Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia that is available on the Internet and what people love about it is that it can be edited by 
absolutely everybody. 
 When and how did it start? 
 It was founded in 2001 by a guy called Jimmy Wales. It started as a fancy idea, a kind of a hobby and everybody is 
surprised how popular it has become and how many computer scientists it has attracted. It has got a collection of about 1.8 
mln articles, the majority of which are in English; however, one can find some articles in over 200 languages. If it was a 
business, it would earn lots of money. 
 How is it possible that articles that can be changed by anyone are correct? 
 The Wikipedia is based on wikis - a special software which lets everyone modify a webpage and it is true that anyone can 
change the information on the page if they think it's incorrect. But, the Wikipedia has a team of over 13,000 people who are 
experts in different fields and who correct any inaccurate information sent by people. 
 Is it error-free? 
 One may say so. Recently, for example, the British journal Nature looked at the scientific information in Wikipedia and 
confirmed it was very reliable and that they didn't find many errors. It was very good news for the founder as well as for all 
the users. 
 Why is it becoming so popular? 
 Like the whole idea of the Internet, it's also quick and available to everyone. The greatest thing of all is that it is free. Some 
people also stress that it's fun to be able to add what you know to the information on the net. IT specialists believe it has a 
very bright future and most claim it's the most brilliant invention ever. 
1. Wikipedia  
 A. was created by a team of computer scientists. 
 B. began as a business idea. 
 C. became popular as soon as it started. 
 D. started as one man's passion. 
2. Articles in Wikipedia are  
 A. mostly about science. 
 B. mostly in English. 
Luyện Đọc Hiểu Thi Đại Học 2014-2015 Ngân Phương Vy 4 
 C. translated into 200 languages. 
 D. very interesting. 
3. Wikipedia remains accurate as much as possible because .. 
 A. all people who write for it are experts. 
 B. it has a special type of software programme. 
 C. there are people who monitor it for mistakes. 
 D. not everybody can change the information. 
4. The best advantage of Wikipedia is that .. 
 A. you don't have to pay for it. 
 B. everyone can use it. 
 C. it is created by ordinary people. 
 D. is quick and reliable. 
5. The text probably comes from .. 
 A. a leaflet B. a speech 
 C. a scientific article D. a magazine article 
GLOSSARY 3 
 - encyclopaedia tự điển bách khoa 
 - error-free (adj) không có sai sót 
 - to edit biên tập, chỉnh sửa 
 - to confirm khẳng định 
 - to found thành lập 
 - to stress nhấn mạnh 
 - a fancy idea một ý tưởng ấp ủ sự say mê 
 - IT = Information Technology công nghệ thông tin 
 - mln = million 
 - passion niềm đam mê 
 - webpage trang web 
 - to monitor theo dõi để xử lý 
PASSAGE 4 
 In today's competitive world, what responsible parent would not want to give their children the best possible start in life? 
For this reason, many parents want their children, often as young as ten months old, to become familiar with computers. 
They seem to think that if their children grow up with computers, they will be better equipped to face the challenges of the 
future. 
 No one has proved that computers make children more creative or more intelligent. The truth may even be the opposite. 
Educational psychologists claim that too much exposure to computers, especially for the very young, may negatively affect 
normal brain development. Children gain valuable experience of the world from their interaction with physical objects. Ten-
month-old babies may benefit more from bumping their heads or putting various objects in their mouths than they will from 
staring at eye-catching cartoons. A four-year-old child can improve hand-eye coordination and understand cause and effect 
better by experimenting with a crayon than by moving a cursor around a computer screen. So, as educational psychologists 
suggest, instead of government funding going to more and more computer classes, it might be better to devote resources to 
music and art programs. 
 It is ludicrous to think that children will fall behind if they are not exposed to computers from an early age. Time is too 
precious to spend with a "mouse". Now is the time when they should be out there learning to ride a bike. There will be time 
later on for them to start banging away at keyboards. 
1. Why do parents want their children to learn how to use a computer from an early age? 
 A. Because they are afraid their children will become competitive. 
 B. Because they want their children to be well prepared for their future. 
 C. Because this is what all the other parents seem to do. 
 D. Because they believe their children will have difficulty learning to use one if they don't start early. 
2. Children who spend a lot of time on their computers.. 
 A. do not necessarily make more progress than those who don't. 
 B. tend to like music and art more than those who don't. 
 C. will suffer from brain damage. 
 D. tend to have more accidents than those who don't. 
3. The author implies that children learn better . 
 A. after they have developed hand-eye coordination. 
 B. when they use a computer. 
 C. as they get older. 
 D. when they hold and feel things around them. 
4. What would be an appropriate title for this passage? 
 A. Never too early to start 
 B. Let kids be kids 
 C. Computers in schools 
 D. More computers mean brighter future 
Luyện Đọc Hiểu Thi Đại Học 2014-2015 Ngân Phương Vy 5 
5. What is true according to the passage? 
 A. It is better for children to take computer lessons than art lessons. 
 B. Parents should not put off buying a computer for their children. 
 C. Computers seriously harm children's eyesight. 
 D. There is no evidence that children who use computers are more clever than those who do not. 
6. What does the word "ludicrous" in the third paragraph (first sentence) mean? 
 A. ridiculous B. humorous C. ironic D. sensible 
GLOSSARY 4 
 - to be exposed to sth phài hứng chịu, phài nếm trài, có cơ hội tiếp xúc với (exposure) 
 - hand-eye coordination sự phối hợp giữa tay và mắt 
 - crayon bút chì màu 
 - interaction with sự tương tác với 
 - cursor con nháy, con trỏ trên màn hình 
 - to bump one's head va đầu 
 - funding sự tài trợ 
 - eye-catching (adj) hấp dẫn, bắt mắt 
 - to bang away at sth đập mạnh vào 
PASSAGE 5 
 A massage is relaxing, and makes you feel great, but did you know that it's also good for you? That's what doctors are now 
saying. Massage relieves pain and anxiety, eases depression and speeds up recovery from medical problems. 
 Research has shown that people of all ages benefit from touch. Premature infants who are held develop faster than those 
left alone, and healthy babies who get a lot of physical contact cry less and sleep better. Researchers are not sure why this 
occurs but they have also found out that touch can slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and increase levels of seratonin, the 
brain chemical that is linked to well-being. It also decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and this in turn increases 
your resistance to illness. 
 Massage also speeds up healing. Bone-marrow transplant patients who were given massages had better neurological 
function than those who weren't. Furthermore, massage reduced pain by 37% in patients with chronic muscle aches. 
 Giving someone a massage may be as good as getting one. A study conducted by the university of Miami found that 
mothers suffering from depression felt better after massaging their infants. In that same study, elderly volunteers who 
massaged infants reported feeling less anxious and depressed. 
It even works when you do it yourself; 43% of headache sufferers reported getting relief after massaging their temples and 
neck and smokers who were taught self-massage while trying to quit felt less anxiety and smoked less. 
1. What has recently been said about getting a massage? 
 A. It relaxes you. 
 B. It makes you feel good. 
 C. It improves your physical condition. 
 D. It requires a special technique. 
2. Babies born before their time .. 
 A. cry less and sleep better if they are massaged. 
 B. grow faster if they are held. 
 C. develop faster than healthy babies if they get a lot of physical contact. 
 D. don't survive if they are not held. 
3. The author suggests that touch . 
 A. increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol. 
 B. makes your heart beat faster. 
 C. increases the feeling of well-being. 
 D. helps you deal with your feelings. 
4. Patients who get massages . 
 A. don't experience muscle pain. 
 B. avoid having surgery. 
 C. make a quicker recovery. 
 D. are not better off than those who do not. 
5. According to the article. 
 A. massage has no effect on smokers. 
 B. massage relieves headaches by 43%. 
 C. smokers who gave others massages felt less anxious and smoked less. 
 D. massaging yourself is as effective as being massaged. 
Luyện Đọc Hiểu Thi Đại Học 2014-2015 Ngân Phương Vy 6 
6. What did the study conducted in Miami show? 
 A. Elderly volunteers who got massages felt less anxious. 
 B. Mothers were depressed after massaging their babies. 
 C. Babies who got massages felt better. 
 D. Giving a massage is as beneficial as getting one. 
7. What is NOT true according to the article? 
 A. Mothers will suffer from depression if they don't massage their babies. 
 B. People can learn to massage themselves. 
 C. Massage is good for you regardless of whether you're giving or getting one. 
 D. It helps smokers quit smoking. 
GLOSSARY 5 
 - relaxing (adj) gây cảm giác dễ chiu 
 - resistance to sự đề kháng đối với 
 - depressed (adj) trầm cảm (depression) 
 - bone-marrow transplant sự cấy ghép tủy xương 
 - to speed sth up đẩy nhanh cái gì 
 - premature infant trẻ sinh thiếu tháng 
 - neurological (adj) thuộc về thần kinh 
 - heart rate nhịp tim 
 - chronic (adj) mãn tính 
 - blood pressure huyết áp 
 - muscle ache sự đau nhức cơ bắp 
 - well-being trạng thái mạnh khỏe 
 - temple thái dương 
 - self-massage sự tự xoa bóp 
PASSAGE 6 
 If we took a look at how people in Europe communicated just one hundred years ago, we would be very surprised to find 
out that English was hardly used outside the United Kingdom. The language most commonly used between people of 
different nationalities, and particularly the aristocracy, was French. In fact, French was the language of diplomacy, culture 
and education. However, that is not the case nowadays. English has replaced French as