I. PHONOLOGY (0.5 point)
For questions 1–3, choose the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.

1. A. bough	B. drought
   C. tough	D. scout

2. A. chronic	B. orchard
   C. chorus	D. orchid

3. A. hostage	B. baggage
   C. damage	D. massage

For questions 4–5, choose the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.

4. A. ecosystem	B. influential
   C. opportunity	D. prehistoric

5. A. satisfactory	B. multilateral
   C. inconceivable	D. recuperative

II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (3.5 points)
For questions 6–20, choose the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the word or phrase which best completes each blank.

6. ______ more time to prepare for the presentation, she would be able to deliver an impressive speech tomorrow.

   A. If she has	B. Were she to have
   C. Were she have	D. Had she have

7. At this time next week, we ______ a project on saving energy.

   A. are done	B. were doing
   C. will be doing	D. have done

8. Chloe eventually ______ with language barriers after years of working in various countries.

   A. got used to dealing	B. was used to deal
   C. used to be dealing	D. was accustomed to deal

9. Losing your wallet is annoying, but much ______ when you lose your passport abroad.

   A. bad	B. worse
   C. worst	D. the worst

10. Ella added water to ______ the mixture because it was too strong.

    A. dissolve	B. strengthen
    C. dilute	D. expand

11. One of her novels that have been praised for their deep exploration of human emotions ______ into many languages.

    A. are being adapted	B. is being arranged
    C. are being turned	D. is being translated

12. ______ the time we do not notice that we are solving problems.

    A. Many of	B. A large number of
    C. A couple of	D. Much of

13. It is strongly advised that the final draft ______ by the end of this week.

    A. be completed	B. is completed
    C. should complete	D. complete

14. In 1901, Marconi made the announcement ______ he will always be remembered.

    A. that	B. which
    C. for which	D. for that

15. You say “Do you mind opening the window for me?” to ______

    A. offer help	B. ask for help
    C. give permission	D. express obligation

16. Elena ______ a good chance of passing her exam if she works hard.

    A. holds	B. runs
    C. possesses	D. stands

17. He’s written one or two books but journalism is his ______.

    A. rice and salt	B. bread and salt
    C. milk and bread	D. bread and butter

18. The accountant is responsible for the ______ of funds.

    A. interaction	B. allotment
    C. parting	D. sharing

19. They were planning, ______ to Celia, to throw a surprise party for her.

    A. unaware	B. unconventional
    C. oblivious	D. unbeknown

20. During the peak season, tourists came in ______ to visit the castle.

    A. blocks	B. piles
    C. droves	D. litters

For questions 21–25, complete each sentence with the correct form of a phrasal verb from the box below. Each phrasal verb is used once only and there is one extra phrasal verb which you do not need to use.

come down with fall through cut down on give off drop by take on

21. We are encouraging the people in our community to ______ plastic bags.

22. I’m ______ a cold. I have a runny nose and a sore throat.

23. We found a buyer for our house, but then the sale ______.

24. The flowers in my back garden are ______ a fragrant perfume.

25. Olive has ______ more responsibilities, so she has to work overtime to complete the tasks on time.

For questions 26–30, choose the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following sentences. You do NOT need to fix the error.

26. The temperatures in this region are not so high as that in the northern parts of the country.

    A. The	B. are
    C. so high	D. that

27. Did you mention to have to book the restaurant when you saw Bella?

    A. to have	B. book
    C. when	D. saw

28. We had our herb garden water while we were on a package holiday.

    A. herb	B. water
    C. were	D. on

29. To help policymakers and another, the U.S. government spends up to $1.4 billion a year collecting statistics.

    A. another	B. the
    C. up to	D. statistics

30. Natural predators, disturbing by tourists and pollution, have contributed to the decline of the California condor.

    A. disturbing	B. have
    C. to	D. decline

For questions 31–40, fill in each blank with the correct form of the word in brackets.

31. Finding a career that brings you ______ is crucial for long-term happiness. (SATISFY)

32. A large international meeting was held with the aim of promoting ______ development in all countries. (SUSTAIN)

33. We find the idea of exploring new places ______, as it brings excitement and joy. (EXHILARATE)

34. Never try to mend a broken machine without ______ it from the electricity supply. (CONNECT)

35. The number 30 on a road sign ______ that the speed limit is 30 miles an hour. (SIGNIFICANT)

36. Hana’s scarf was ______ placed to hide a tear in her shirt. (STRATEGY)

37–40: WORD FORMATION
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in brackets.

37. David Attenborough, a passionate ______, fights tirelessly to keep the forests alive. (PRESERVE)

38. In our modern days, stress has an ______ more serious effect on our lives than we realize. (MEASURE)

39. His life was carefully ______ with his work in one city and his social life in another. (COMPARTMENT)

40. Many of the children were clearly ______ and suffering from various diseases. (NOURISH)

III. READING AND USE OF ENGLISH (3.2 points)

41–47: OPEN CLOZE
Read the passage and fill each blank with ONE suitable word.

FIT FOR SPORTS

It’s not always easy to decide which sport to take up. When choosing, it is important to remember that excellence in sports results (41) ______ a number of factors. For some sports, the body shape and structure with (42) ______ you are born are important. Top runners are typical examples of individuals who have selected a sport because of their natural body type. Many other sports are more dependent (43) ______ training and technique, and anyone following a well-structured and appropriate training programme should do well.

The aim of all sports training is (44) ______ improve fitness and skills, and to develop training programmes that are both safe and effective. To do this properly, an understanding of the physical demands of sport is needed. All sports require a combination of strength, speed, endurance, agility and flexibility to varying degrees. (45) ______ is important is how these elements are combined to build up the skills of the sport in question. Other factors to be (46) ______ into account in a training programme are diet, the importance of avoiding injuries, your general state of health, and the nature and role of other team players.

Bearing such considerations in mind, anyone prepared to work at it can expect to progress to a very reasonable competitive level, even (47) ______ only a few people will go on to break world records.

48–57: MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE
Choose the best word (A, B, C or D) for each blank.

FOOD FOR ASTRONAUTS

It used to be thought that people could not swallow well in space, so the food programmes for astronauts consisted of bite-sized pieces of food pushed out of tubes. But now it is (48) ______ that you can eat in space in the same way as on Earth.

48. A. expected	B. thought
    C. revealed	D. known

49. A. spare	B. give
    C. make	D. provide

50. A. opportunity	B. challenge
    C. achievement	D. ambition

51. A. type	B. way
    C. form	D. order

52. A. enduring	B. going
    C. flying	D. lasting

53. A. scaled	B. tied
    C. locked	D. fixed

54. A. cook	B. make
    C. warm	D. serve

55. A. anxious	B. intense
    C. uphill	D. impossible

56. A. break	B. fragment
    C. slip	D. drop

57. A. maintain	B. link
    C. keep	D. hold

For questions 58–64, choose which of the paragraphs A–H fit into the gaps in the following extract from a book. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

TIMING A TALK

When people groan that they have been to a dreadful talk, the most common reason they give for their misery is ‘he went on and on and on’. A poorly presented subject can be suffered, for the sake of the topic itself, if it keeps to time. But a talk which is both boring and drones on for endless minutes after the clock shows that the finishing time is passed, is a torture. Even an interesting, well presented talk which goes on for too long is remembered with little pleasure. The timing of a talk is, then, extremely important.

58.

Why does it matter so much? It is a question which I have thought about a great deal. It is quite obvious that speakers don’t think it matters greatly. It is equally obvious, both from listening to others, and from observing one’s own reactions when trapped in the audience for a talk which goes on far too long, that to the audience timing is vital.

59.

The first is the different adrenalin levels in speakers and listeners. Put quite simply, they perceive time differently. The excitement and fear produced by speaking causes adrenalin to flush into the veins in large quantities. The result is that speakers have a stamina, a resistance to tiring, an endurance, which is superhuman. They can go on all day.

60.

Speakers, then, are in an abnormal state. They are indifferent to time and tiredness and while they are speaking they feel as if they could go on all day. But the audience is in quite the opposite state. Sitting down and having nothing to do but listen actually reduces adrenalin below its normal level.

61.

The second reason is that audience and speaker probably have different emotional concerns about the subject. The speaker has been working on the topic for some time, preparing the talk. It is quite common for the effort of preparing a talk about a subject to produce a quite profound interest in the topic.

62.

The audience, as usual, feels quite differently. Their interest in the subject of the talk is unlikely to be so great. They may have no more than a polite interest in it. They may have no interest at all in it and may have come to listen in the hope that the speaker will arouse an interest.

63.

The third reason for the different attitudes between speaker and audience is contractual. The timing of your talk is in effect a contract with the audience. You were invited to talk for a specific time and you have agreed to talk for this time. The power of this contract is extraordinary. If you have been invited to give a ten-minute presentation, the audience will become disastrously restless after thirty minutes. They will feel that the talk was disgraceful and that the speaker is guilty of some great social crime.

64.

Of these two mistakes there is no doubt that to over-run the agreed time is more disastrous than to under-run it. The explanation seems to be that the audience is quietly looking forward to the end of the talk. If that time comes and passes and the speaker is still industriously talking away, the listeners have lost their security.

OPTIONS:

• A. It is physically inactive; even the mental activity of talking to others is stopped. The audience, then, is at the other end of the scale from the speaker. This goes a long way to explain why they have such different views on the passage of time.

• B. On the other hand, if you end early, the audience will feel cheated. What you say may be no different on both occasions, the organization and effectiveness of what you say may not have changed, but that commitment that you made has not been honoured.

• C. Why is there this difference? I have evolved three explanations for it which can be briefly summarized. Let me outline them.

• D. However, this kind of behavior occurs because the average person’s span of attention is limited. The simple fact is that about five to ten minutes is as long as most people can listen without a short daydream. After a brief holiday to catch up with all the other thoughts floating round their head, people come back to a talk.

• E. Worst of all, they may be there because they have to be, because they want to be seen there or because someone else (such as a boss) demands they should be. Even if they are keen, they are unlikely to feel as strongly as the speaker. They may enjoy listening for a reasonable length of time, but then will want to do something else, like have a break or simply stretch and relax. They will certainly not have the overbearing enthusiasm speakers often feel.

• F. No other aspect of the presentation can do as much damage to the way the audience thinks of the talk. No other aspect is so easy to control, since it is a simple mechanical matter of looking at a clock face. And no other aspect is so easy to get wrong. Many people seem to have a casual attitude to the timing of a talk and this can be fatal.

• G. I have seen this new-found concern develop in novice speakers who had difficulty choosing what to talk about for a practice presentation but who suddenly became passionate advocates for what they finally settled on and started button-holing people at coffee breaks and meal times to talk more about it. Speakers become deeply involved in what they are talking about.

• H. It is this effect, too, which produces the strange pattern of elation and tiredness when you give a talk. Typically, you feel keyed-up and ready to go before the talk and are totally unaware of growing tiredness during it. The body’s responses are artificially heightened. You draw on a physical overdraft of energy. After the talk, this must be paid back and you suddenly feel worn out.

For questions 65–72, read the passage and do the tasks that follow.

ATTITUDES TO LANGUAGE

It is not easy to be systematic and objective about language study. Popular linguistic debate regularly deteriorates into invective and polemic. Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. And when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education.

Language, moreover, is a very public behavior, so it is easy for different usages to be noted and criticized. No part of society or social behavior is exempt: linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival. As a result, it is easy to hurt, and to be hurt, when language use is unfeelingly attacked.

In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community. The view is propounded especially in relation to grammar and vocabulary, and frequently with reference to pronunciation. The variety which is favoured, in this account, is usually a version of the ‘standard’ written language, especially as encountered in literature, or in the formal spoken language which most closely reflects this style. Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write ‘correctly’; deviations from it are said to be ‘incorrect’.

All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries. The aims of these early grammarians were threefold: (a) they wanted to codify the principles of their languages, to show that there was a system beneath the apparent chaos of usage, (b) they wanted a means of settling disputes over usage, and (c) they wanted to point out what they felt to be common errors, in order to ‘improve’ the language. The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on ‘rules’ of grammar. Some usages are ‘prescribed’, to be learnt and followed accurately, others are ‘proscribed’, to be avoided. In this early period, there were no half-measures: usage was either right or wrong, and it was the task of the grammarian not simply to record alternatives, but to pronounce judgement upon them.

These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained. Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with standards than with the facts of linguistic usage. This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe – to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language’. Linguistic issues, it is argued, cannot be solved by logic and legislation. And this view has become the tenet of the modern linguistic approach to grammatical analysis.

In our own time, the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and ‘prescriptivists’ has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other. Descriptive grammarians have been presented as people who do not care about standards, because of the way they see all forms of usage as equally valid. Prescriptive grammarians have been presented as blind adherents to a historical tradition. The opposition has even been presented in quasi-political terms – of radical liberalism vs elitist conservatism.

Questions 65–68: Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the reading passage?

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

65. There are understandable reasons why arguments occur about language.

66. People feel more strongly about language education than about small differences in language usage.

67. Prescriptive grammar books cost a lot of money to buy in the 18th century.

68. Both descriptivists and prescriptivists have been misrepresented.

Questions 69–71: Complete the summary using the list of words, A–H, below.

The language debate
According to 69 ______, there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this approach to language place great importance on grammatical rules.
Conversely, the view of 70 ______, such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on 71 ______.

Word List:
A. descriptivists  B. language experts  C. popular speech  D. formal language
E. evaluation  F. modern linguists  G. prescriptivists  H. change

Question 72: Choose the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the correct answer to the following question.
What is the writer’s purpose in the reading passage?

IV. SENTENCE REORDERING (0.3 point)
For questions 73–75, choose the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the best arrangement of utterances or sentences to make a meaningful exchange or text in each of the following questions.

73.

• a. Marina: No, Michael, where is it?

• b. Marina: Oh. Is it good?

• c. Michael: In Long Road. You know, near Bridge Street, behind the station.

• d. Michael: Hello, Marina. Have you been to the new sports centre yet?

• e. Michael: Yes, it’s great! You can do a lot of sports. I played table-tennis and volleyball last week.

A. d – a – c – e – b  B. c – b – d – a – e  C. d – a – e – b – c  D. e – a – c – b – d

74.

Dear Patty,

• a. Looking forward to your suggestions and hearing from you soon.

• b. I know you have travelled to many beach spots and I hope that you can make some suggestions for me.

• c. I would like to stay at a comfortable and peaceful hotel overlooking the beach, but I can’t spend too much money.

• d. How is everything?

• e. It’s been a while since we last caught up, and I’ve been thinking about planning a summer vacation soon.

Love, Cathy

A. e – b – d – a – c  B. c – d – e – a – b  C. d – e – a – b – c  D. b – e – a – c

75.

• a. Another advantage is personal growth, like joining a yoga class or learning how to cook a new dish you enjoy.

• b. For example, employees in multinational corporations may find that acquiring a new language enhances their remuneration or facilitates opportunities for international assignments.

• c. “Lifelong learning” refers to the continuous pursuit of new knowledge and competencies throughout one’s lifetime.

• d. In sum, lifelong learning constitutes a vital component of both personal and professional advancement.

• e. First, lifelong learning fosters significant benefits for career progression.

A. c – e – b – a – d  B. c – b – a – e – d  C. a – e – b – c – d  D. e – a – b – c – d

V. WRITING (2.5 points)
For questions 76–85, rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that it has a similar meaning to the original sentence, beginning with the given word(s).

76. The teacher doesn’t let us use our phones in class.
We are not _________________________________________

77. My younger brother doesn’t intend to find a part-time job this summer.
My younger brother has _________________________________________

78. I don’t think it was easy for Victoria to change her hairstyle.
It can’t _________________________________________

79. Her views on this subject are exactly the same as yours.
There isn’t any _________________________________________

80. Could you guard my handbag while I go to the shop?
Could you keep _________________________________________

81. I’m surprised at her knowledge of French literature.
What surprises _____________________________________________

82. Dad doesn’t mind if I stay out late as long as I phone.
Dad doesn’t object _____________________________________________

83. “It’s your fault that we are late, Kelvin”, said Ciara.
Ciara put _____________________________________________

84. Mark couldn’t open the door even though he tried hard.
No matter _____________________________________________

85. Donald was so nervous that he couldn’t make up his mind what to do next.
Such _____________________________________________

For questions 86–95, complete the second sentence in such a way that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given in brackets.
Do NOT change the word given. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given.

86. We chose not to drive because we thought there would be too much snow. (FEAR)
We chose _____________________________________________ too much snow.

87. People think that hunting has resulted in the extinction of the dodo. (BROUGHT)
The extinction of the dodo is _____________________________________________ by hunting.

88. The secretary said that there wasn’t any paper left for the photocopier. (RUN)
The secretary said that they _____________________________________________ for the photocopier.

89. She regrets not contacting Eddy when she was in California. (TOUCH)
She wishes that she _____________________________________________ Eddy when she was in California.

90. After discovering the theft, the only option open to us was calling the police. (BUT)
We had no _____________________________________________ after our discovery of the theft.

91. Cindy would do almost anything to win a scholarship to Eton. (LENGTHS)
Cindy would _____________________________________________ a scholarship to Eton.

92. She was amazed because there were no problems throughout the holiday. (WENT)
To _____________________________________________ throughout the holiday.

93. David forgot his daughter’s birthday and didn’t know how to compensate for it. (AMENDS)
David didn’t know how to _____________________________________________ his daughter’s birthday.

94. Why did you reveal my plan to Cynthia? (BREATHED)
I’d rather _____________________________________________ my plan to Cynthia.

95. Nobody could believe the story Ellie told us although it was true. (BEYOND)
The story _____________________________________________ although it was true.

96. Based on the story below, write a paragraph in about 100–120 words giving your personal opinion about friendship in school and life.

According to a report by VnExpress – Việc Tử Tế (May 2025), Nguyễn Tất Minh is a student from Thanh Hóa who was born with a serious disability and cannot walk. For 10 years, his best friend, Ngô Văn Hiếu, carried him on his back to and from school every day so that Minh could continue learning like other students. Thanks to Minh’s strong determination and Hiếu’s incredible support, Minh passed the university entrance exam and studied Computer Science at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. In May 2025, Minh officially graduated with distinction, achieving a GPA of 3.23 out of 4.0. On graduation day, Hiếu, now a medical student, traveled from another province to attend the ceremony and share this proud moment with his long-time friend.

THE END