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.

            Of all modern instruments, the violin is apparently one of the simplest. It consist in essence of a hollow, varnished wooden sound box, or resonator, and a long neck covered with a fingerboard, along which four strings are stretched at high tension. The beauty of design, shape, and decoration is no accident, the proportions of the instrument are determined entirely by acoustical considerations. Its simplicity of appearance is deceptive. About 70 parts are involved in the construction of a violin. Its tone and its outstanding range of expressiveness make it an ideal solo instrument. No less important, however, is its role as an orchestral and chamber instrument In I combination with the larger and deeper-sounding members of the same family, the violins form the nucleusof the modem symphony orchestra.

The violin has been in existence since about 1550. Its importance as an instrument in its own right dates from the early 1600’s, when it first became standard in Italian opera orchestras. Its stature as an orchestral instrument was raised further when in 1626 Louis XIII of France established at his court the orchestra known as Les vinq-quatre violons du Roy (The King's 24 Violins), which was to become widely famous later in the century.

In its early history, the violin had a dull and rather quiet tone resulting from the fact that the strings were thick and were attached to the body of the instrument very loosely. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century exciting technical changes were inspired by such composer-violinists as Vivaldi and Tartini. Their instrumental compositions demanded a fuller, clearer, and more brilliant tone that was produced by using thinner strings and a far higher string tension. Small changes had to be made to the violin's internal structure and to the fingerboard so that they could withstand the extra strain. Accordingly, a higher standard of performance was achieved, in terms of both facility and interpretation. Left-hand technique was considerably elaborated, and new fingering patterns on the fingerboard were developed for very high notes.

All of the following are mentioned in the passage as contributing to the ability to play modern violin music EXCEPT___________

___________ hard I have ever worked, I do not get good salary.

There are few employment prospects for ___________young people.

There were some rainy days, but it was a nice holiday___________.

Some people say that in the future the whole world will experience a period of ______ depression.

A skilled ___________ will help candidates feel relaxed.

If Mary had been invited, she ___________ to the party.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in  the following questions.

 The agreement ended six-month negotiation. It was signed yesterday.

It was ___________ that I saw it several times.

Read the passage and mark A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the blanks.

Private school is not controlled by the government and is not supported by taxes or other public funds. A private school differs (31)__________ a public school, which operates with major support from government funds. Private schools are operated by religion groups or by independent organizations. Most private schools operate on a non-profit basis, although a few are run as businesses to make money for their owners. Private schools are (32)__________ chiefly by tuition, grants from their sponsors or contributions. Some private schools also have an invested money whose income is used to fund the school. In most countries, almost all schools were private until the early 1800’s. At that time, many government leaders began to encourage development of public schools to promote national progress by making education widely available to citizens. Today, the (33)__________ of public and private schools differs greatly from one country to another. In many developed countries, private schools offer a general focus on (34)__________ for college, a special focus on science, music or other subject areas; and religious instruction. The Roman Catholic Church is one of the largest sponsors of private schools (35)__________ the world.

Điền vào ô 34.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

People say that Cameron was the best director of his time.

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.

 Lan: “How long does it take to get to the town centre from here?”   

 Mai: “____________________________”

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

I don’t like the way he refers to his problems obliquely.

What she said made me aware of my own ___________.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.

I recommended that she ___________ reduce her expenditure.