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The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school. 

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

The word "monopolized" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______. 

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following question.

The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

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The detective checked everyone’s story and by a _______ of eliminations they were left with on suspect

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The organizers claim that the demonstration was a resounding success.

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The only structure remaining intact is the Flag Tower of Hanoi built in 1812 during the Nguyen Dynasty

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Solar energy can also be used for day light, cooking, heating and helping plants grow.

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The board was agreeable _______ the proposal that a new school should be built for the children having passion for art and sports

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Mail shots have proved to be the most cost–effective method of marketing our products.

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Although social changes in the United States were being wrought throughout most of the nineteenth–century, public awareness of the changes increased to new levels in the 1890's. The acute, growing public awareness of the social changes that had been taking place for some time was tied to tremendous growth in popular journalism in the late nineteenth century, including growth in quantity and circulation of both magazines and newspapers. These developments, in addition to the continued growth of cities, were significant factors in the transformation of society from one characterized by relatively isolated self–contained communities into an urban, industrial nation. The decade of the 1870's, for example, was a period in which the sheer number of newspapers doubled, and by 1880 the New York Graphic had published the first photographic reproduction in a newspaper, portending a dramatic rise in newspaper readership. Between 1882 and 1886 alone, the price of daily newspapers dropped from four cents a copy to one cent, made possible in part by a great increase in demand. Furthermore, the introduction in 1890 of the first successful linotype machine promised even further growth. In 1872 only two daily newspapers could claim a circulation of over 100,000, but by 1892 seven more newspapers exceeded that figure. A world beyond the immediate community was rapidly becoming visible. 

But it was not newspapers alone that were bringing the new awareness to people in the United States in the late nineteenth century. Magazines as they are known today began publication around 1882, and, in fact, the circulation of weekly magazines exceeded that of newspapers in the period which followed. By 1892, for example, the circulation of the Ladies' Home Journal had reached an astounding 700,000. An increase in book readership also played a significant part in this general trend. For example, Edward Bellamy's utopian novel, Looking Backward, sold over a million copies in1888, giving rise to the growth of organizations dedicated to the realization of Bellamy's vision of the future. The printed word, unquestionably, was intruding on the insulation that had characterized United States society in an earlier period.

What does the author mean by the statement "A world beyond the immediate community was rapidly becoming visible" in paragraph 1?

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Banana fiber is used in the production of banana paper. Banana paper is used in two different senses: to (23) _______ to a paper made from the bark of the banana tree, mainly used for artistic purposes, or paper made from banana’s fiber, (24) _______ from an industrialized process, from the stem and the non–usable fruits. The paper can be either hand–made or made by machine. The volume of raw (25) _______ for making banana paper around the world on plantations is vast and largely unutilized. The market for banana paper is seen as a growth industry. (26) _______ 1988, in Costa Rica, companies like EcoPaper.com and Costa Rica Natural Paper have been producing 100% industrialized fine environmental and ecological paper derived from natural banana fibers, for the writing and stationery market. 

This industry (27) _______ numerous waste products such as: the plastic that wraps the bananas, plastic cords to tie the wrapping, damaged bananas and the pinzote (stems). An alarming quantity of over of 92% of water, 3% of resins and 2% glucose; the rest is vegetal fiber. This particular composition makes it decompose without the solid component being destroyed. This causes a severe impact on the surrounding ecosystems – much to the detriment of rivers and underground waters

Điền vào ô 26

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

The pile of old clothes gave off a damp, musty smell.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges

Jenny is telling Danny, her aunt, about her band 7.5 in IELTS test.

Jenny: “Guess what? I have got band 7.5 in IELTS test I took last week.”

Danny: “_______.”

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In order not to disturb our conversation, he took his seat quietly

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best option for each of the following questions. 

Banana fiber is used in the production of banana paper. Banana paper is used in two different senses: to (23) _______ to a paper made from the bark of the banana tree, mainly used for artistic purposes, or paper made from banana’s fiber, (24) _______ from an industrialized process, from the stem and the non–usable fruits. The paper can be either hand–made or made by machine. The volume of raw (25) _______ for making banana paper around the world on plantations is vast and largely unutilized. The market for banana paper is seen as a growth industry. (26) _______ 1988, in Costa Rica, companies like EcoPaper.com and Costa Rica Natural Paper have been producing 100% industrialized fine environmental and ecological paper derived from natural banana fibers, for the writing and stationery market. 

This industry (27) _______ numerous waste products such as: the plastic that wraps the bananas, plastic cords to tie the wrapping, damaged bananas and the pinzote (stems). An alarming quantity of over of 92% of water, 3% of resins and 2% glucose; the rest is vegetal fiber. This particular composition makes it decompose without the solid component being destroyed. This causes a severe impact on the surrounding ecosystems – much to the detriment of rivers and underground waters

Điền vào ô 27

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to show the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions

Music plays a crucial role in our live, therefore all too often it is taken for granted.

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She now faces the daunting challenge of writing a successful sequel to her hugely popular first book.