Task 1. Read the following passage and then choose the best option A, B,C or D. (Đọc đoạn văn sau và chọn đáp án đúng A, B, C D)

OUTER SPACE

From far out in space, Earth looks like a blue ball. Since water covers three-fourths of the Earth's surface, blue is the color we see most. The continents look brown, like small islands floating in the huge, blue sea. White clouds wrap around the Earth like a light blanket. The Earth is shaped like a sphere, or a ball. It is 25,000 miles around! It would take more than a year to walk around the whole planet. A spaceship can fly around the widest part of the sphere in only 90 minutes.

Even though spaceships have traveled to the Moon, people cannot visit the Moon without special suits. The Moon has no air or water. Plants and animals can't live there either. Astronauts first landed on the Moon in 1969. After that, there were six more trips to the Moon. They brought back Moon rocks, which scientists are still studying. There are holes, or craters, all over the Moon's surface. Scientists believe that meteorites smashed into the Moon millions of
years ago and formed the craters.

The Sun is the closest star to Earth. A star is a hot ball of burning gas. The Sun looks very big because it is so close. But the Sun is just a medium-sized star. Billions of far-away stars are much bigger than our Sun. The burning gases from the Sun are so hot that they warm the Earth from 93 million miles away! Even though the Sun is always glowing, the night here on Earth is dark. That's because the Earth rotates, or turns around, every 24 hours. During the day, the Earth faces the Sun. Then we see light. During the night, the Earth turns away from the Sun. Then it faces the darkness of space.

Each day we learn more about the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun.

1. Why is blue the color we see most when looking at Earth from outer space ?
A. Because most of the Earth is covered in land.
B. Because the Sun's rays make the Earth look blue.
C. Because most of the Earth is covered in water.
D. Because clouds wrap around the Earth.

2. Scientists believe that meteorites smashed into the Moon millions ago and formed the craters. What does "formed" mean?
A. hit               B. made                      C. broke                      D. stopped

3. What is a star?
A. A star is a hot ball of burning gas.
B. A star is a hot ball of gas.
C. A star was a luminous ball of gas.
D. A star was a luminous ball of burning gas.

4. What causes daylight on Earth?
A. The full Moon causes daylight.
B. Daylight is caused by the Earth facing away from the Sun.
C. The heat of the Sun's rays causes daylight.
D. Daylight is caused by the Earth facing toward the Sun.

5. Which of the following sentences BEST describes the Sun?
A. The Sun looks small because it is so far from Earth.
B. The Sun is a ball of burning gases that gives the Earth heat and light.
C. The Sun is a small star.
D. The Sun is not as hot as it looks.

Task 2. Read the following passage and then answer the questions by choosing A, B, C or D. (Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời câu hỏi A, B, C hoặc D)

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase "once in a blue moon?" People use this expression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat chocolate "once in a blue moon.” Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit the shore once in a blue moon." While many people use this phrase, not everyone knows the meaning behind it.

The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never actually blue. This is just an expression. The phrase "blue moon" actually has to do with the shape
of the moon, not the color.

As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate certain names with certain shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it is called a crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail. When we cannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the entire moon, it is called a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes, however, there will be two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a “blue moon."

Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is a very rare event. This fact has led people to use the express "once in a blue moon" to describe other very rare events in their lives. 

1. Which of the following would be a good example of someone doing something "once in a blue moon”?
A. Mary likes to go to the mountains every weekend. Mary goes to the mountains once in a blue moon.
B. Tom rarely remembers to take out the trash. Tom takes out the trash once in a blue moon.
C. Cindy hates to wash the dishes. Nevertheless, she does it every day. Cindy washes the dishes once in a blue moon.
D. Ming sometimes forgets to do his homework. Ming forgets to do his homework once in a blue moon.

2. When does a blue moon happen in nature?
A. When there are two full moons in one month.
B. When the moon has a blue color.
C. When we cannot see the moon at all.
D. When we can only see a small part of the moon.

3. Using the passage as a guide, it can be understood that which of the following sentences does not contain an expression?
A. Thomas has lost his mind.
B. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
C. I'll mow the grass after I finish my homework.
D. It's never a bad time to start something new.

4. In the final paragraph, the author states: “Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons.” This means that over the next 20 years, a blue moon will happen
A. once a year.
B. less than once a year.
C. more than once a year.
D. not enough information is provided.

5. In the final paragraph the author writes, “As you can see, a blue moon is a very
rare event.” The purpose of this statement is to
A. answer an earlier question
B. provide an example
C. support an upcoming conclusion
D. challenge a previous statement

Task 3. Read the passage and then answer the questions. (Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời câu hỏi)

Earth is just one of the planets in our solar system. Planets are large bodies that rotate around the sun. They reflect its light and warmth. The planets that are located closest to the sun are made out of rocky material. They are relatively small and heavy. In contrast, the planets that are farther away from the sun are much larger. They are formed of light gases. All planets follow a certain path around the sun. They are held a specific distance from the sun by the sun's strong gravitational force.

The inner planets, or those closest to the sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Even though these planets are all small and rocky, they have more differences than they have things in common.

Because Mercury is the closest to the sun, the side that faces the sun gets as hot as 427° Celsius. At the same time, the side that faces away from the sun is a freezing -173° Celsius. Mercury also has a slower rate of rotation than the Earth. Days and nights on Mercury are much longer than ours. The extreme temperatures alone make it a very unlikely place for life. With an atmosphere too thin for human breathing, it's obvious that people won't be living on Mercury any time soon.

The next planet from the sun is Venus. Below clouds of sulfuric gas lies its 96% carbon dioxide atmosphere. That might be nice for a plant, since a plant “breathes" carbon dioxide, but not for a person. If you managed to survive the atmosphere, the surface of the planet is hot enough to melt solid metal. In addition, the pressure of the air would be strong enough to crush you.

You are probably most familiar with Earth because it is your home planet. It has the perfect conditions for life. Earth's atmosphere and oceans help control the trickiest part of making a planet life-friendly: temperature. Earth is the only planet known to have liquid water.

Mars is the fourth farthest from the sun. Mars has been studied and photographed more than any other planet besides Earth. Some people think it may be possible for life to exist there. Although scientists have not been able to find actual water on Mars, there seems to be evidence of water erosion on its surface. Its canyons and mountains are very similar to those found on Earth. The main difference is that there is no plant life. Some scientists believe that Mars may have been very much like Earth until something happened that made the water supply evaporate.

1. What keeps planets rotating a specific distance from the sun?

2. What important feature does Earth, the only known planet have?

3. Why is the atmosphere of Venus more friendly to plants than humans?

4. Why is there such a huge difference in temperature between the two sides
of the planet Mercury?

5. Do you think that people will ever be able to colonize other planets in the future? Why or why not?