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 questions.
SHAYNE’S DREAMS COME TRUE - BUT WILL THEY BE SHATTERED?
It is a week before The X Factor live tour when I meet the winner of the series, Shayne Ward. “It has been mental,” he says, referring to the past six months of his life. “I've just been talking to Louis Walsh on the phone. Louis Walsh!” Walsh, a top record producer and The X Factor judge, now manages Shayne’s career. “I was talking to Simon Cowell (a celebrity record producer) yesterday!” He shakes his head in amazement. And these people are telling me they're excited about working with me. “I can't get my head round it.”
Shayne is about as natural as any pop star arriving in the public arena can be. “I just can’t accept where I am now” he says sincerely. “It doesn't feel real. To me, this is just a job.” “What do you think being famous feels like?” I ask him. “I'm not sure, to be honest. Different from this?” he laughs, with only a hint of nerves. Since winning The X Factor, Shayne's success has been phenomenal. His debut single took just three days to reach the number one spot. On tour, he's going to play to audiences of 10,000 on average. He has already brought the house down at a gig in his home city. “I walked out after that performance and just thought, “I’m dreaming!”” Shayne is one of a family of seven children. Times were hard, but he has never wished or a different childhood. Although he thought about going to college, he ended up leaving school at sixteen, just to help his mother pay the rent. He set out on his reality show journey shortly afterwards. When he told he friends he had an audition for The X Factor, none of them really believed him. “I thought I’d go fot it because my family wanted me to, but I never really believed that I would win.”
Naturally, Ward is a fan of reality TV talent shows. “They're brilliant, because people who want recording contracts try for years and get nowhere. Then these competitions come along the people at home decide whether they like the singers or not. So its not just a few people at a record company deciding who gets a chance.” But the previous winner of The X Factor only had one hit. He hasn't been heard of since then. Is Shayne Ward going to be another talent show flop?
A lot of people feel cynical about reality TV show winners and their chances of continuing success. Audiences usually lose interest in them as soon as the show has finished. In fact, contestants on shows like Big Brother are given severe warnings from the show’s producers beforehand, basically telling them “you will not be liked”. Talent shows like The X Factor have to offer contestants a kind of stardom though, and something they can think of as a career, months afterwards at least.
What does the writer suggest about reality talent show winners?
A. They are treated badly by producers.
B. Their fame is short-lived.
C. Audiences never really like them.
D. They don’t expect to be popular.
Giải bởi qa.haylamdo.com
Đáp án B
Kiến thức: Đọc hiểu
Giải thích:
Nhà văn gợi ý gì về những người chiến thắng cuộc thi tài năng thực tế?
A. Họ bị đối xử tồi tệ bởi nhà sản xuất. B. Sự nổi tiếng của họ rất ngắn ngủi.
C. Khán giả không bao giờ thực sự thích họ. D. Họ không mong đợi được nổi tiếng.
Thông tin:
- But the previous winner of The X Factor only had one hit. He hasn't been heard of since then.
- A lot of people feel cynical about reality TV show winners and their chances of continuing success. Audiences usually lose interest in them as soon as the show has finished.
Dịch bài đọc:
Đó là một tuần trước khi The X Factor live tour, tôi gặp người chiến thắng, Shayne Ward. "Nó thật điên rồ!," anh nói, đề cập đến sáu tháng qua của cuộc đời anh. "Tôi vừa nói chuyện với Louis Walsh qua điện thoại. Louis Walsh!" Walsh, nhà sản xuất thu âm hàng đầu và là giám khảo của The X Factor, hiện quản lý công việc của Shayne. "Tôi đã nói chuyện với Simon Cowell (một nhà sản xuất thu âm nổi tiếng) hôm qua!" Anh lắc đầu đầy ngạc nhiên. Và những người này đang nói với tôi rằng họ rất vui khi làm việc với tôi. "Tôi thật không thể hiểu được."
Shayne giống như bao ngôi sao nhạc pop khác khi đến đấu trường công chúng. "Tôi không thể chấp nhận nơi tôi đang ở hiện tại" anh nói một cách chân thành. "Điều này cảm giác không thật. Với tôi, đây chỉ là công việc thôi." " Bạn nghĩ thế nào là nổi tiếng?" Tôi hỏi anh ấy. "Nói thật là tôi không chắc chắn. Khác với chuyện này?" Anh cười, với một chút căng thẳng. Kể từ khi chiến thắng The X Factor, thành công của Shayne đã trở nên phi thường. Single đầu tay của anh chỉ mất ba ngày để đạt vị trí số một. Trong chuyến lưu diễn, anh sẽ chơi nhạc cho trung bình khoảng 10.000 khán giả. Anh ấy đã khiến mọi người vỗ tay nhiệt liệt với một buổi biểu diễn tại thành phố quê hương mình. "Tôi đã bước ra ngoài buổi biểu diễn đó và nghĩ, "Tôi đang mơ!""
Shayne là một trong gia đình có 7 con. Đời sống khó khăn, nhưng anh chưa bao giờ ước muốn một thời thơ ấu khác. Mặc dù nghĩ về việc đi học đại học, nhưng cuối cùng anh đã bỏ học ở tuổi mười sáu, để giúp mẹ trả tiền thuê. Anh đã thực hiện chuyến đi thực tế của mình ngay sau đó. Khi anh nói với bạn bè, anh đã thử giọng cho The X Factor, không ai trong số họ thực sự tin anh. "Tôi nghĩ tôi sẽ đến đó vì gia đình tôi muốn thế, nhưng tôi không bao giờ thực sự tin rằng tôi sẽ giành chiến thắng."
Đương nhiên, Ward là một fan hâm mộ của chương trình tài năng truyền hình thực tế. "Họ xuất sắc, bởi vì những người muốn thu âm hợp đồng cố gắng trong nhiều năm và không đến đâu cả. Sau đó các cuộc thi diễn ra, mọi người ngồi ở nhà quyết định liệu họ có thích ca sĩ này hay không. Vì vậy, không chỉ một vài người tại một công ty thu âm quyết định ai sẽ có cơ hội." Nhưng người chiến thắng trước đây của The X Factor chỉ có một cú hit. Không ai nghe về anh ta kể từ đó. Shayne Ward có phải sẽ là một người thất bại trong chương trình tài năng?
Rất nhiều người cảm thấy hoài nghi về những người chiến thắng chương trình truyền hình thực tế và cơ hội tiếp tục thành công của họ. Khán giả thường mất hứng thú với họ ngay khi chương trình kết thúc. Trên thực tế, các thí sinh trong các chương trình như Big Brother đã được cảnh báo nghiêm túc từ các nhà sản xuất trước đó, về cơ bản nói với họ rằng "bạn sẽ không được thích". Dù vậy, chương trình tài năng như X Factor phải cho thí sinh một cương vị là ngôi sao, và một cái gì đó họ có thể nghĩ như là một sự nghiệp, ít nhất vài tháng sau đó.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer that best fits the blank space in the following passage.
21st CENTURY TEACHERS: INEVITABLE CHANGES
21st century teachers need to serve as a guide or mentor for their students, not as the all- knowing sage providing them with everything they need. Nowadays, with so much access (21) ______ resources of all kinds, children invariably know more than teachers on different topics, step ahead of the technology. Teachers need to be empowered as facilitators for learning, so that they can empower their students in (22) ______. This shift is great news for teachers. Instead of struggling to give kids all the information in areas (23) ______they know little about, teachers can support students as they make their own steps into different fields. It’s about preparing them to go beyond their seniors, ensuring they have the skills to do it, and assisting them along the way.
(24) ______, teachers need to be forward-thinking, curious and flexible. They must be learners: learning new teaching methods, and learning alongside their students. Simply asking questions like “What will my students need dozens of years from now?” or “How can I help give them those skills?” can change teachers' (25) ______, make them a leader, and bring about changes in the classroom, school and community.
Điền vào ô 25
John's ______ and efficiency at the company led to his promotion to Sales Manager.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer that best fits the blank space in the following passage.
21st CENTURY TEACHERS: INEVITABLE CHANGES
21st century teachers need to serve as a guide or mentor for their students, not as the all- knowing sage providing them with everything they need. Nowadays, with so much access (21) ______ resources of all kinds, children invariably know more than teachers on different topics, step ahead of the technology. Teachers need to be empowered as facilitators for learning, so that they can empower their students in (22) ______. This shift is great news for teachers. Instead of struggling to give kids all the information in areas (23) ______they know little about, teachers can support students as they make their own steps into different fields. It’s about preparing them to go beyond their seniors, ensuring they have the skills to do it, and assisting them along the way.
(24) ______, teachers need to be forward-thinking, curious and flexible. They must be learners: learning new teaching methods, and learning alongside their students. Simply asking questions like “What will my students need dozens of years from now?” or “How can I help give them those skills?” can change teachers' (25) ______, make them a leader, and bring about changes in the classroom, school and community.
Điền vào ô 23
To everyone's surprise, it wasn't in Bristol which he made his fortune, although that’s where he was born.
You and your big mouth! It was supposed to be a secret. You _____ her!
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) or phrase(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the bold and underlined word(s) or phrase(s) in each of the following questions.
His girlfriend’s behavior at the party was unacceptable, which made everyone there shocked.
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 questions
For centuries, time was measured by the position of the sun with the use of sundials. Noon was recognized when the sun was the highest in the sky, and cities would set their clock by this apparent solar time, even though some cities would often be on a slightly different time. Daylight Saving Time (DST), sometimes called summer time, was instituted to make better use of daylight. Thus, clocks are set forward one hour in the spring to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening and then set back one hour in the fall to return to normal daylight.
Benjamin Franklin first conceived the idea of daylight saving during his tenure as an American delegate in Paris in 1984 and wrote about it extensively in his essay, "An Economical Project." It is said that Franklin awoke early one morning and was surprised to see the sunlight at such an hour. Always the economist, Franklin believed the practice of moving the time could save on the use of candlelight, as candles were expensive at the time.
In England, builder William Willett (1857–1915) became a strong supporter for Daylight Saving Time upon noticing blinds of many houses were closed on an early sunny morning. Willet believed everyone, including himself, would appreciate longer hours of light in the evenings. In 1909, Sir Robert Pearce introduced a bill in the House of Commons to make it obligatory to adjust the clocks. A bill was drafted and introduced into Parliament several times but met with great opposition, mostly from farmers. Eventually, in 1925, it was decided that summer time should begin on the day following the third Saturday in April and close after the first Saturday in October.
The U.S. Congress passed the Standard Time Act of 1918 to establish standard time and preserve and set Daylight Saving Time across the continent. This act also devised five time zones throughout the United States: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, and Alaska. The first time zone was set on "the mean astronomical time of the seventy-fifth degree of longitude west from Greenwich" (England). In 1919, this act was repealed.
President Roosevelt established year-round Daylight Saving Time (also called War Time) from 1942–1945. However, after this period, each state adopted its own DST, which proved to be disconcerting to television and radio broadcasting and transportation. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson created the Department of Transportation and signed the Uniform Time Act. As a result, the Department of Transportation was given the responsibility for the time laws. During the oil embargo and energy crisis of the 1970s, President Richard Nixon extended DST through the Daylight Saving Time Energy Act of 1973 to conserve energy further. This law was modified in 1986, and Daylight Saving Time was reset to begin on the first Sunday in April (to spring ahead) and end on the last Sunday in October (to fall back).
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
I much preferred it when we _____ to Wales every summer on holiday.
Neither the Minister nor his colleagues has given an explanation for the chaos in the financial market last week.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose bold and underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions
Mr. Pike is certainly a______writer; he has written quite a few books this year.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) or phrase(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the bold and underlined word(s) or phrase(s) in each of the following questions.
Wendy is on the horns of a dilemma: she just wonders whether to go for a picnic with her friends or to stay at home with her family.
Despite their normal cylindrical form, some of the documents ______ on silk that were found at Mawangdui, an archaeological site in southeastern China, were folded into rectangles.
My cousin was nervous about being interviewed on television, but he ______ to the occasion wonderfully.
“We gave them the money yesterday, but we haven't received a receipt yet, ______?’’ she asked her husband.
