Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

        The tradition of gift giving is a worldwide (23)_______ that is said to have been around since the beginning of human beings. Over time, different cultures have developed their own gift giving customs and traditions.

         In France, the gift of wine for the hostess of a dinner party is not an appropriate gift as the hostess would prefer to choose the vintage for the night. In Sweden, a bottle of wine or flowers are an appropriate gift for the hostess. In Viet Nam, a gift of whisky is appropriate for the host, and some fruit or small gifts for the hostess, children or elders of the home. Besides, gifts should never be wrapped in black paper because this color is unlucky and associated with funerals in this country. Gifts                    (24)____________symbolize cutting such as scissors, knives and other sharp objects should be avoided because they mean the cutting of the relationship. Also, in some countries you should not open the gift in front of the giver and in (25)__________ it would be an insult if you did not open the gift.

       Beyond the gift itself, give careful consideration to the manner in which it is presented. Different cultures have different customs regarding how a gift should be offered - using only your right hand or using both hands, (26)_____. Others have strong traditions related to the appropriate way to accept a gift. In Singapore, for instance, it is the standard to graciously refuse a gift several times before finally accepting it. The recipient would never unwrap a gift in front of the giver for fear of appearing greedy.

       Understanding these traditions and customs, as well as taking time to choose an appropriate gift, will help you to avoid any awkwardness or (27)__________ as you seek to build a better cross-cultural relationship.

(Source: http://www.giftypedia.com/International_Gift_Customs)

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.

     Have you ever entered a tropical rainforest? It’s a special, dark place completely different from anywhere else. A rainforest is a place where the trees grow very tall. Millions of kinds of animals, insects, and plants live in the rainforest. It is hot and humid in a rainforest. It rains a lot in the rainforest, but sometimes you don’t know it’s raining. The trees grow so closely together that rain doesn’t always reach the ground.

       Rainforests make up only a small part of the Earth’s surface, about six percent. They are found in tropical parts of the world. The largest rainforest in the world is the Amazon in South America. The Amazon covers 1.2 billion acres, or almost five million square kilometers. The second largest rainforest is in Western Africa. There are also rainforests in Central America, Southeast Asia, Northeastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

       Rainforests provide us with many things. In fact, the Amazon Rainforest is called the “lungs of our planet” because it produces twenty percent of the world’s oxygen. One fifth of the world’s fresh water is also found in the Amazon Rainforest. Furthermore, one half of the world’s species of animals, plants, and insects live in the Earth’s rainforests. Eighty percent of the food we eat first grew in the rainforest. For example, pineapples, bananas, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, chocolate, coffee, and sugar all came from rainforests. Twenty-five percent of the drugs we take when we are sick are made of plants that grow only in rainforests. Some of these drugs are even used to fight and cure cancer. With all the good things we get from rainforests, it’s surprising to find that we are destroying our rainforests. In fact, 1.5 acres, or 6,000 square meters, of rainforest disappear every second. The forests are being cut down to make fields for cows, to harvest the plants, and to clear land for farms. Along with losing countless valuable species, the destruction of rainforests creates many problems worldwide. Destruction of rainforests results in more pollution, less rain, and less oxygen for the world.

(Adapted from Reading Challenge 2 by Casey Malarcher and Andrea Janzen)

Câu 36. What is the author’s purpose in the passage?

We have some minutes to spare so you don't have to be hurried.

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

Câu 44. It's such a pity my mother can't attend my birthday party.